I either smell like dog, dirt, or cat...or a combination of all three. This is what volunteering at the SPCA will get me. Right now I'm just weeding mostly, and doing a little cat socialization. I could be doing more cat socialization, but that's something that kids can do, and it seems to me that they need someone to weed even more. Thursday and Friday I will be taking classes in dog walking, which means things should pick up a little more. Of course, all this only makes me want to take home dogs more. I'm glad I have so much self control.

Last week I was in Chicago during the heat wave. I thought, hey, maybe I'll avoid the heat wave by going to Chicago....no such luck. First of all, I left on Tuesday, and so I dragged my suitcase around in NYC in 100 degree weather. Then, when I arrived in Chicago it was 98. I will say, though, that I enjoyed every breeze the windy city gave me, as NY gave me nada. My conference went fairly well...the most important part of it being my introduction to The Dog Whisperer, on tv of course. I guess the advantage to not having TV at home is that I can really look forward to the hour of it I get to watch at night when going to conferences. Mostly, I watch Law and Order...my conference roommate Meghan and I are particularly fond of SVU. But when L&O isn't on, we delight in doggy training. Most of the show I yell at the people on TV, while Meghan sits silently, thinking that I must be insane. Thankfully, the doggies are cute.