thanks to asher i will take the day off......- here is todays dd---
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ASHER AND I ARE HEADING INTO THE MIDDLE OF OUR WORKWEEK, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE’RE STILL RECOVERING FROM OUR BUSY WEEKEND! WE TOOK A QUICK TRIP DOWN TO FLORIDA FOR A LONG WEEKEND TO VISIT MY FAMILY AND CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY IN PERSON, DIDN’T MATTER THAT WE WERE A WEEK LATE!
I THINK MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH ASHER IS TRAVEL, NO MATTER WHERE WE’RE OFF TO. HE’S THE PERFECT DOG NO MATTER WHERE WE GO, BUT HE’S SUCH A ROCKSTAR AND ABSOLUTELY SHINES THROUGH A HECTIC DAY MOVING ALONG THROUGH CROWDED PLACES. LONG BUS RIDES TO THE AIRPORT ARE NO BIG DEAL. GAWKING TRAVELERS WHO CAN’T RESIST CALLING OUT AND MAKING KISSY NOISES? WE IGNORE THOSE. BUMPY TAKEOFF? ASHER THINKS THOSE ARE GREAT FOR NAPPING THROUGH! I’M NO STRANGER TO FLYING BY MYSELF, BUT IT’S SO MUCH EASIER SINCE BEING PAIRED WITH ASHER. HE’S MY ROCK IN EVERY SITUATION, BUT ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR TRAVELS, AND I KNOW HE’LL NAVIGATE US THROUGH THE CRAZINESS AND GET US WHERE WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH TIME TO SPARE. AND HE ARRIVES COOL AS A CUCUMBER, NOT FAZED IN THE LEAST. WE HAD ANOTHER GREAT EXPERIENCE ON SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, AND WE LANDED IN ORLANDO BEFORE WE KNEW IT.
WE SQUEEZED IN AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY COULD OVER THE ALMOST-72-HOURS WE HAD DOWN THERE—ASHER IMPRESSED EVERYONE WITH HIS MANNERS AT A GELATO AND BEER PAIRING THAT WE HEADED TO FRESH OFF THE PLANE. BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, I WAS FRUSTRATED BY THE AMOUNT OF COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE ALONG THE LINES OF, “OH, YOU DRUGGED HIM FOR THE FLIGHT, RIGHT? I CAN TELL!” WHY DRUGGING A SERVICE DOG SOUNDS EVEN REMOTELY LIKE A GOOD IDEA IS BEYOND ME, BUT I FOLLOWED EVERY COMMENT WITH A BRIEF EDUCATION ON WHAT, EXACTLY, A LEGITIMATE SERVICE DOG LOOKS LIKE. PEOPLE ARE SO CONDITIONED TO FAKE ONES THAT I GUESS A WELL-TRAINED DOG DOING HIS JOB MUST OBVIOUSLY BE SEDATED! BUT I DIGRESS—ASHER WAS A CHAMP AS ALWAYS, EVEN WITH OUR EXTREMELY LONG THURSDAY.
I WAS TREATED TO SOME PAMPERING THIS WEEKEND AND SPENT A LOT OF SATURDAY OUT DOING SOME SHOPPING AND GETTING A PEDICURE WITH MY MOM. WHEN WE WALKED INTO THE NAIL SALON, I WAS ASKED SEVERAL TIMES WHAT COLOR ASHER WOULD BE GETTING ON HIS NAILS, EVERYONE WORKING THERE LOVED HIM! WHILE ASHER AND I ALWAYS ADMIRE KRINGLE’S POLISHED NAILS, I FELT LIKE NECK TIES ARE MORE HIS STYLE AND PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE THAN A PEDICURE FOR OUR LINE OF WORK.
WE GOT BACK INTO PROVIDENCE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, AND I WAS AGAIN BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR ASHER’S CONFIDENT ASSISTANCE (AND HIS LARGE, INTIMIDATING SIZE PROBABLY DIDN’T HURT EITHER) TO GET US WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO. GOODBYES ARE HARD WHEN MY WHOLE FAMILY IS SO FAR AWAY, BUT HAVING A CONSTANT COMPANION MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO GET THROUGH THE TIME BETWEEN VISITS.
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT HAS ALMOST BEEN A YEAR SINCE ASHER PICKED ME TO BE HIS PARTNER, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR FULL OF ADVENTURE IT’S BEEN. WE FIRST MET AT THE SERVICE DOG PROJECT ON JULY 9TH OF LAST YEAR.
THAT REMINDS ME, HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR CHICKEN BRICKS YET? ASHER AND I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT SDP IN OUR HONOR THIS NEXT MONTH OF JULY—SHATTING SUNDAY IS JULY 1ST! IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT CHICKEN BRICKS ARE OR THE FUN OF SHATTING SUNDAY, YOU CAN go to the web www.servicedogproject.org
ASHER HAS ENHANCED EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE OVER THIS PAST YEAR TO THE POINT THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW I EVER GOT BY WITHOUT A BEST FRIEND LIKE HIM, AND NOTHING WOULD MAKE US HAPPIER THAN TO HELP SUPPORT SDP IN CONTINUING TO SHARE THE FREEDOM OF A SERVICE DANE WITH OTHERS WHO NEED ONE. CHICKEN BRICKS HELP SDP DO JUST THAT!
WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A BUSY REST OF OUR WEEK, AND THEN I PROMISED ASHER THAT WE COULD ENJOY A LAZY WEEKEND AT HOME COMING UP; HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENED TO HIS LAZY SATURDAYS LATELY!
