Author: Jen Rios

Yesterday was one month that we have had our Boxador, Leia. Here is the picture I was emailed when Amanda from Good Karma Puppy Rescue let me know that she was available for adoption.

Sean decided that he wanted to adopt her and because he is not 21, I adopted her for him. It was my graduation present for him because he has lost out on so many things during the end of his senior year. So yesterday was a month! She is a sweetheart! She’s a really laid-back puppy and she is completely housebroken. I ordered a harness a while ago but it ended up being too big for her so last night, we got a properly fitting harness:

It was late when we got it in the mail but we had to try it on her. In the picture, her tail was wagging because she thought she was going out for a walk. It was late and I kind of felt bad for her but she got to wear the harness this morning for her morning walk and potty break.

I think it’s absolutely crazy that in one month, I am a, “Dog person!” because I really am now. My Chewy order arrived for her this morning as well and she COMPLETELY tore up one of the puppy chew toys! Looks like I will have to peruse the site further to buy more toys because her jaws are too strong for puppy chew toys. I still have a lot to learn about being a dog owner her at least someone who loves and cares so deeply for one!

I’ve written before how Sean thinks that I only watch 10 movies over and over again. I will not dispute that fact because it is completely true! If I really like a movie, I will watch it 1 million times! I thought of this yesterday because currently I am in my The Accountant phase. I’ve already watched it about six times during this cycle. What is this movie did was introduce me to Jackson Pollock‘s work:

Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) had this painting in his trailer and Daena Cummings (Anna Kendrick) recognized it immediately. I remember that painting having a lasting affect on me and when I watched The Longest Yard (not sure which movie I saw first) but in that movie a bunch of Jackson Pollock‘s work ends up being auctioned off to Luke Collins (Clint Eastwood’s son).

So, watching The Accountant yesterday made me think about a project Sean had made in school a couple years ago. He hooked it on to a hot I have in the living room. That hook is for a picture frame I had for a very long time. The first picture I hung was from Sean’s First Communion. I updated it for his Confirmation but when my living room was painted when my kitchen doorway was widened, the room was painted and I have not gotten around to hanging the painting deck on the wall.

So, Sean brought his project home a couple years ago and hung it on the wall where his Confirmation photo was supposed to be.

When he brought it home and hung it up, I told him that it looks like Jackson Pollock‘s painting. He told me that’s what he was thinking of when he did it! I guess my crazy idiosyncrasies have someone of an impression on him too.

Okay, so, today is hair washing day. As my Mom and I were in the bathroom and as she was washing my hair, Leia made her way over to the hallway just outside the bathroom to, “Be with us.” She laid on the hallway floor just outside the bathroom as my Mom washed my hair.

Now, I don’t want to put my girl on Front Street but I am going to put her on Front Street. The, “Her” I am talking about is, “My Girl L,” also known as Leia. My Mom stands in front of the bathroom sink as I sit on the toilet seat for her to do this. She is closer to the door and as she rinsed out the washcloth she uses to get the soap out of my hair, she said, “Stinky!” I looked at her questioningly just as she told me. “She farted.” Immediately, the stench in my nose! I crinkled my nose and waved my hand in front of my face. That’s gross! I never thought I would have to be exposed to this but I have a dog now and in less than a month, it is apparent to me that I love her!

My Mom took her outside as I blow dried my hair in the normal, “3 act play” format. When they both came back in, Leah came up to me and put her head on my thigh. I petted her head with my right hand as they held the blow dryer with my left. She really is a cutie! I love her!

So much so that I created an account today:

Once my account was created, I had too much fun perusing the state and I spent too much money on things for her. It’s a good thing that I did not have tons to spend but I did get her a few chew toys and some treats. I had WAY too much fun shopping!

I shared this picture on Facebook yesterday and have been thinking about a blog post I would write in conjunction with the picture:

I went to Washington DC one Memorial Day weekend with my Parents and two of my brothers when I was about seven years old, I think. Back then, I didn’t understand the magnitude of the holiday, especially for my Dad as a Vietnam veteran. Now, as an adult, I have much more of an understanding after extensive reading and watching documentaries and movies.

I remember going to the Wall with my Parents and my brothers. I didn’t fully understand what was going on. I remember that there were a lot of people there and my Dad had a serious look on his face. In fact, that was the only time I saw my Dad cry in my life. When I say that I, “Saw him cry,” I mean that I saw my Dad put his thumb and index finger under his glasses and over his eyes. He held his fingers there for a while and the only reason I could deduce that he was crying was because his fingers were wet.

I also remember my Parents consulting the large book at the beginning of the Wall. Apparently, my Dad was looking for a specific name to no avail. When he gave up his search, he and one of my brothers and I went somewhere else. My Mom stayed there with one of my brothers to continue their search. I think my Dad, my brother, and me hung out at some other monument. After some time, I remember my Mom and my brother returning to my Dad, my brother, and me. My Mom handed my Dad a piece of paper with a tubbing of the name.

I vaguely remember my Parents talking and my Dad taking the paper and walking away. I remember my Dad walking away with his head down and looking at the paper. It was kind of a, “Forrest Gump” walkway to me.

My Mom took a picture of him walking away and I remember seeing that picture years ago. I asked my Mom about that today and she remembers it. She no longer remembers the name of the man and thinks the rubbing may be in her Bible but she’s said that she remembers the story. I asked her to tell me and she just gave her head the slightest of shakes with a serious look on her face. I can totally respect that I didn’t ask any further questions.

I am thinking about and missing my Dad a lot today! Maybe I will see that picture again one day. If not, I still remember it with the utmost reverence.

So, I awakened this morning and heard my Mom outside with Leia so I grabbed my phone and started absentmindedly scrolling through Facebook. I saw this post and it made me catch my breath and I shared it.

I am immunocompromised and I kind of liked seeing it. With everything going on with COVID-19, it has made people take me into consideration more because I am immunocompromised. My Mom has been holed up in my house with me for three months and I really can’t see an end to it.

Thinking about that was too heavy for me first thing in the morning so I continued to scroll and then I saw this one:

Seeing this mug made me chuckle and I added the words, “If my Daddy was still here!!!” and shared it. My Dad used to tell me to, “Grab my guts,” and to, “ Suck it up and be a man about it“ to which I would always reply that I am NOT a man! He would then tell me that it didn’t matter.

It’s only recently that I i’m starting to understand what he meant. In so much of my immunocompromised life, I have to, “Be a man about” and I’m grateful that my Dad taught me that from when I was very young. Even though I didn’t pay attention to that back then because I never thought I would have to,”Be a man” about anything, but I actually do and I hear my Dad’s voice often when faced with something difficult… EVERYTHING is difficult nowadays!

if I had the money, I would buy this mug because mugs are my thing but it reminds me of my dad telling me to, “Be a man” and now I have to every moment of my life!