Let me preface this by saying I've got a paper due in about 36 hours, and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so of course I'll want to dawdle a little more by updating my blog :P That and I need a break :)

I would love to have a dog. When I was little I had two darling parakeets. I loved them and one of my favorite things was to let them fly around our living room and perch on my head. Almost got one of them to talk, I'm pretty sure he said "Hi" once. Sadly though, one died, and one got away. I was devastated. My only pet after them was my Siamese fighting fish. I got Mr. Fish from one of my favorite biology professors, whose research focused on animal behavior. His lab was full of fish, which he routinely gave away to students. Mr. Fish was a beauty. I left him with the lab technician over winter break (didn't want to risk taking him on the train with me), and came back to find he had completely changed colors (a sign of illness). About a week after I got him back, he died, despite my nursing. Poor thing. I guess the lab tech had gone on vacation too.

Anyway, since my little brother joined the family, I think my parents are kinda-sorta starting to come around and see the wonderful possibilities of having a bigger kind of pet. As my mother jokes, having my brother around is kind of like having a dog anyway ;-)

I also like cats, but Mom really doesn't like them. Both my parents think a dog would be great for security reasons. I tease them and say they can get their exercise by walking him or her. Who am I kidding, they're more fit than I am.

They're funny. I think they can also be persuaded to keep chickens and pigs. Dad grew up on a farm and we keep a garden out back, so that probably wouldn't be such a stretch? Back to the dog..even if they don't end up getting one, I definitely want a golden retriever, a Siberian husky, and maybe a beagle or a bearded collie. And maybe a basenji or Great Pyrenees. OK all this will have to wait until I have my own place but it's still nice to dream (dreaming is especially welcome when the alternative is a boring paper). And now, folks...back to the paper!