Thanks, y’all, for the iShuffle help. Although you didn’t help much, just told me what I didn’t want to hear — that’s it’s not my iShuffle, it’s all of them. Too bad. I’d almost talked myself into a Nano….
We just had the BEST time. If you’re not into dogs (?), then this post will bore you. But the rest of you, oh, I just have to tell you about the walk we just took.
Remember last year? When Lala was out of town being Buddhist-ey, and I took the dogs for part of the time while she was gone, and I found out how much FUN dogs are? There is nothing like the little tiny squeaks and squawks they make when you come home, is there? Those desperate "oh my god you were never coming home and we heard the sun was going to explode and what’s the point in living anymore and no one has ever loved us before this very minute but you’re home and the joy is too magnificent and I will have to bounce and squeak and cry and whimper with the delight that might make us lose our tiny little minds right NOW and oh god we love you we love you we love you."
Now, if you don’t have/like/know dogs, it sounds annoying, but it’s not. (The whimpering in the middle of the night for no reason, now THAT’S annoying.) Even on the bad days, their sheer elation can make you grin goofily, even if you’re foot-stompey and annoyed with yourself for smiling.
So today I came home from an all-day training, and I opened the door to dancing dogs. I grabbed the leash, and we took off for Mills College. (Note to the single girls/non-creepy guys – Mills is a great place to take a dog if you want to meet chicks. Not like I do. But the rest of you might like knowin’ it.)
This is right before the cop pulled us over and told Harriet to slow the hell down, that she was in a school zone.
Crisp autumn and the smell of pencils. We’re back to school! (Seriously, every time I walk/run at Mills, I’m reminded of my two years I spent there in grad school, the expensive ivory tower that I’ve never regretted. Oh, I loved going to school there. I’m a bent twig, as they say, as I followed my sister Christy there. It’s a family thing.)
Almost there now.
A wee dog, and a big hall.
The cafeteria has LOTS of nice chicken bones that Harriet would LOVE to get her teeth into. Not on my watch, baby.
Benches are good for short dogs.
My GOD, she’s happy.
See?
The little dog is running around now, being Much More Brave than we usually are: 
Yes, she looks like a squirrel. She’s heard it before. (Mills squirrels are bigger than she is, actually…)
I believe it’s something about the fertilizer they use on the grass, but both of them went all Yarn-Harlot-in-a-bath-of-kidsilk-haze, rolling around. I shudder to think about them getting in bed with me tonight, but tomorrow is laundry day, and they’re getting a Let’s-Surprise-Lala-Grooming tomorrow, also. Dirty dogs tonight will be beautiful, soft, shiny dogs tomorrow.
Then we had the MOST fun of all. We met ole Bixby here, who made insta-best friends with Harriet. Miss Idaho, as usual, was less interested in the small dog who would of course be competition in the Cutest Wee Dog competition, and ignored ole Bixby. But Harriet and Bixby met, sniffed, and RAN.
And ran and ran and ran. It’s what we always want Harriet to do when we go to the dog park or the beach — get out there and play! Run! But most of the time she prefers our company. Today, she ran, and I almost fell over laughing.
There’s not much better on an overcast day than a walk with two cute dogs on a beautiful college campus in fall. And it’s even better if your girl phones you right after the running part, and you get to talk to her for a brief moment while the dogs romp. Excellent.
I laughed out loud at the ‘Yarn-Harlot-in-a-bath-of-kidsilk-haze’ description of the dogs rolling around. Too Perfect! I must take my dog (significantly larger than your charges) off for a trundle in the off leash park today just so I can have that visualization again.
Yep, dogs are the best. And that post is a perfect example of why!
The ‘Doggoddess’ has smiled upon you. You are blessed indeed.
:^)
It looks like the dogs had a blast! So glad. And Mills is a great school. Good for you and your sister that you got your education there!
Rachel,
I have to say i’m not a dog fan.. but that was so cool and the funniest part was when Harriet got pulled over.. it looked actually like you were on a bike or roller blades.. you were flying there .. ! 🙂 nice that LaLa is coming back tomorrow 🙂 have a great weekend, Karola
Oh, how it hurts me to see you being so miserable. 😉
Hearing about your lovely day and seeing the pictures of all the fun made my heart smile. Thanks!
AWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
I am a dog momma, and there is nothing better than dog love. I used to make sure I went to PetSmart on Satuday mornings, because they have puppy school on Sat mornings, and nothing in the world is better than a room full of happy puppies!
Dogs is totally cute. And clean dogs earn total girlfriend bonus points, yo.
Buddhists get to use phones? Really?
You know I love me some dog posts. There really is nothing like doggy happyfuntime when you get home from work. Or a trip. they will probably fly around the room when Lala gets home!
snort
Yarn-Harlot-in-a-bath-of-kidsilk-haze
Dogs are so awesome. I love seeing yours! What a fun day 😉
I want to leave work right now, go home, surprise Java the Pup (who is assuredly napping in the middle of my bed) with a daylight romp in the park featuring dry leaf sniffing, mystery odor in the grass rolling and stick chasing in the woods (which stick was it? This one? THIS one? Or, wha, maybe this one?). Sadly, I must remain at my post until the sun has set.
Love. Pure love.
Yeah, the dogs are cute but the cats are going to be getting you later when you least expect it. You know you can’t ingore the cats!
What a lovely post! Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about and seeing places I recognize (I live in Berkeley). Mills is indeed a gorgeous, serene place in the midst of crazy ‘ol Oak-town. I spent my whole day indoors in a coffee shop, avoiding the chill and grayness, knitting. Glad you got out there and soaked up some Fall!
How cute! Love the dogs. And I miss Mills…
Sounds like a perfectly wonderful way to spend the day. From one dog lover to another 🙂
Yay Mills!! You must have been here on the one day that I haven’t spent down on that meadow studying. Glad you and the dogs could stop by! ~Ali
Rachael, I’ve been so enjoying your blog since finding it via Claudia’s. This entry requires me to introduce myself…I grew up in Berkeley and went to Mills (class of ’89) and now I’m a librarian at Vassar College. I never knew this when I was at Mills, but Mills Hall is modelled on the Main Building at Vassar, which is identical in its original layout, but brick. It’s great to see the place looking so good and you and the dogs having such a rip snort of a time there. Your adventures often make me homesick- that road trip down Hwy 1 just about did me in- but in a good way. So now I’m going to go home and get my dog, who’s also small, and walk around campus. It’s quite amusing to think of you and your little dogs on the other side of the continent.
Ta- Gretchen
Rachael, I’ve been so enjoying your blog since finding it via Claudia’s. This entry requires me to introduce myself…I grew up in Berkeley and went to Mills (class of ’89) and now I’m a librarian at Vassar College, and a knitter and spinner (actually, I was a knitter then, too). I never knew this when I was at Mills, but Mills Hall is modelled on the Main Building at Vassar, which is identical in its original layout, but brick. It’s great to see the place looking so good and you and the dogs having such a rip snort of a time there. Your adventures often make me homesick- that road trip down Hwy 1 just about did me in- but in a good way. So now I’m going to go home and get my dog, who’s also small, and walk around campus. It’s quite amusing to think of you and your little dogs on the other side of the continent.
Ta- Gretchen
Your little dog is so adorable!
Oh, good doggies!!! You’ld like Dublin, Ireland. It’s the land of small friendly dogs.
Please don’t give up on the Nano. I was rather unexpectedly given one and I love the little tapeworm. It’s got it’s issues, like everything, but it’s so darn cute and handy! Plus having a friend who works at the Apple store who I can tap for tech help doesn’t hurt.