Molly’s Blog

Meet Russell, our new dog. 

Russell was found by my mother running along highway 92 at nightfall about 2 weeks ago.  She didn’t want him to get hit, so she scooped him up in her car and drove him to her work, where they could check to see if he had any ID.

Russell was wearing a nasty, beat up collar with no tag.  He was infested with fleas and not in good shape.  Our neighbor, who is involved with the county Humane Society, took him in for a few days while my parents searched for any clue as to who he belonged to.

It was ulikely that my family would be able to keep him, even though he was a fully trained, 3 year old dog.  We have 6 cats, and didn’t think having a dog would mix well with our household (namely the cats).  My mother had found a rescue group that specialized in Russell’s breed, and they were willing to take him on.  However, my dad had been spending a significant amount of time with him, and quickly grew fond of Russell’s relaxed nature and good behavior.

My father had grown up with dogs, and my grandfather had worked as a trainer for military dogs for many years, his life’s work revolved around animals of all kinds.  My father knows a substantial amount about dog training and care, and the possibility of keeping Russell seemed more and more tangible to him.

When it seemed evident that nobody would claim Russell, my father (as well as the rest of our family) had become quite fond of him, and decided to keep him as part of our family.

We have been enjoying his presence with us very much (though I can’t speak for the cats when I say this…), and he is a well-behaved and good-natured dog.  I’m glad we have him, if only we could have had  a dog like him sooner! I feel like I have missed out on having a dog for all of these years, but I am glad he is with us now!

Sorry for the 4 month long hiatus.  I guess this absence makes me a pretty bad blogger.

In my defense, I have been busy with other things…

Working at the library, going to school, and getting addicted to LOST have pretty much consumed my life since the new year.

I have been keeping up with my new year’s resolutions pretty well.  I have been on time/early for almost everything now, with one exception: I put off a paper until the night before…  Oh well.  It’s not a normal thing for me to do that, and after going through hell and a lot of stress, it reminded me WHY I NEVER DO THAT.

School has been going well so far.  I am getting spring fever, though.  I cannot wait until summer.  I think I only have five weeks left! This semester has sort of flown by.

For Spring Break, my dad and I took a trip to Munich, Germany and Vienna, Austria.  It was really cool to go somewhere so different from the United States.  Vienna was especially beautiful.  The weather was cold and mostly rainy/windy because we went the 2nd week of March.  That was the only downturn of the trip.  Everything was great, otherwise.

Glockenspiel (Think cuckoo clock on an enormous scale.)

An oompa-pa band at Hofbrauhaus, Beer Hall. Munich.

The Alps, from our view on the train headed from Munich to Vienna

One of my favorite buildings in Vienna.

Riding to the top of the "Risenrad", ferris wheel. It's a great view of Vienna.

The risenrad, from below.

We saw the Russian Symphony Orchestra perform in Vienna's many music halls.

Cafe Sperl, one of Hitler's hangouts when he was a struggling artists. Almost nothing on the interior has changed since the 1800s, when it was established.

One of the many collections of arms and armor we saw at Hofburg Palace.

Almost every building in Vienna is dripping with beautiful statues.

Delicious coffee drinks and desserts. Beer too, of course.

Vienna is a beautiful city and I would recommend everyone to go there if they could.  I would have really liked to have visited when the weather was clearer, but it was a great trip overall.

That’s all for this post, but I will update again soon.

As I surf around the Internet this time of year, I notice that a lot of blogs have questionnaires about the past year.  Many people like to answer short questions like “What was your favorite moment this past year?” or “Did you follow through on your resolutions?”  I think I want to try something a little different; and I’m not “breaking the mold” for the sake of breaking the mold; I would rather look at my year as a whole, rather than go month by month, or category by category.

For me, 2008 was a year of not only growth, but awareness.  My eyes were opened as I learned more about the state of our country as well as the state of the environment.  I was more motivated this year; I got more things done and I slacked off less.  I think this is partly due to the dream of going to UGA becoming tangible.  In 2007, I was only worried about high school, finishing my senior year, getting a job for the summer, and then starting at KSU.  In 2008, I saw what it was going to take for me to actually break the monotony and follow through on my goals. I worked hard and I did well in school.  Perhaps on December 31, 2009, I will be reflecting back on the year and noting my accomplished goal.  I really hope I get there, or at the very least happy with where I find myself.

I had many new experiences in 2008, such as camping, trying new foods, buying a car, and taking on new hobbies.  When I look back on 2008, I will remember it as a fun year.  I traveled all over the world: Rome, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC.  I took a lot of pictures and I made several scrapbooks.  These were some of the most eye-opening places in the world, and I was lucky enough to go to all of them in just one year.

My relationships with others in 2008 definitely changed.  As most people will reflect, some became stronger, and others fell by the wayside.  The people who are in my life now are mostly those who I want to be there.  My relationship with Matt has only become stronger.  Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary   I love him dearly and I will admit, possible changes next year scare me.  I hope our relationship withstand the distance, and I think we have a fighting chance at the very least.

Overall, 2008 has been a good year for me.  I’m glad I live in such a fast-paced and ever evolving time in history.  I’m excited for 2009 and the opportunities and challenges I will face!

My New Year’s Resolution is to be more organized (which includes time management and keeping things clean).

Happy New Year!