And then one day, it just happens.  Easy as that.

For me, that day arrived at eight this morning.  My mom called to say that her old dog had just attacked the new puppy she bought on Sunday and she gave me a choice: take the puppy or she goes back to the pet store.

So, I, the person who has managed to avoid a commitment to anything living for the last twenty years, am now the new parent to a nine-week-old puppy named Priscilla.

She’s cute and small now, but she’s going to be about a hundred pounds full-grown.  She’s an absolute sweetheart–mostly sleeps, hardly barks.  Has a perverse need to find small places to hide.  Insists on riding on my lap as I drive her places (and I have a stick, which makes shifting an interesting juggling experiment).

This whole being responsible for or to someone else isn’t a novelty for most folks my age.  At close to forty most people have a significant other (or two) and a child (or two).  But not me.

Up until today if I wanted to pick up and go live in some foreign country, I could.  And I had.  But I was starting to think it might be nice to have a dog around.  And maybe even another human.  (We’ll see how the dog goes first…)

It was a good run.  I managed to live in three countries and five states.  I’ve visited at least seventeen countries (every time I try to count, I generally forget one or two).  Flown through a few more.

And it’s not like I can’t travel at all anymore.  But one of the reasons I’ve hesitated to have a dog is my belief that you need to treat your pet well.  And that includes not boarding her for weeks on end.  Or leaving her with strangers for extended periods.  So, travel is now going to be limited to a week at most unless she comes with.  (Or I find that other human to keep her company.  In which case, I probably won’t want to leave the human behind for that long either.)

It’s a bit of a sad day, because certain choices are now off the table. Like that nine month assignment in Italy.  Or that month-long vacation to Australia/New Zealand.

This is a direction I was already headed in.  It just arrived a lot sooner than I’d expected.

That’s ok.  If I was ever going to get a dog, this was the one to get.  And we all have to grow up at some point, right?

Hmm.  Speaking of.  Time to start cranking out some really good stories someone will want to buy so I can continue to work from home and don’t have to return to an office job.

Nothing like another life depending on you to light that fire under your ass!