bittersweet morning

Bitter because my dear friend Julia is moving to Virginia today and she's taking Tucker and Callie with her. Belly will be boyfriend-less. I've been pretty much in denial about this, even when I stopped over yesterday and saw the moving truck and met the moving guys and took home an unopened bottle of Plochman's mustard. I don't even like writing about it here because then it becomes real. We're having lunch together at our favorite yummy yummy pizza place and then it's not goodbye, but until we meet again...

Sweet because today's my big girl's fifth birthday. And she's healthy and happy and snuggly and such a little mischievious shit. She's my Annabelly Bugs. Dog park party this afternoon in the pea-soup humidity of central Illinois. The party consists of beer for the adults and hats and treats for the dogs. Okay, so the hats are really for the adults' benefit. But still. There will be a hat-wearing contest: who can keep it on his or her pointy head the longest? Extra treat for that doggie.

Oh, the miles I've walked with my stinkbomb. One might think I'd be thinner than I am.... harumph. Happy birthday to my sweet sweet girl.