dog days

It's been almost a month since I became a full time employee at Best Friends. I'm loving every minute and every experience I've had so far. Sure there have been one or two unpleasant ones, but the good far outweighs any bad. And the bad is barely bad at that. As you can see, Bridgette is very comfortable with her new routine. I am too. I'm still training but am now working my regular schedule instead of the training one. What's real nice is how well I'm getting to know the dogs in my area. I'm getting to learn from the trainers and help create plans to teach the dog's acceptable behaviors so that they become more adoptable.

Before coming out I was able to make a few friends via Ingress which made for an easier time in getting to know the town from a local perspective. Now that I'm working I've become friends with some of my many coworkers. I didn't used to mix work with my personal life because I'd always lived in larger cities. I only did it to keep my life uncomplicated, but now that I'm living small town I'm finding it harder to keep them separate.

The weather has been hot, but not unbearably so. We're in the high desert so the temps average in the low 90's where it's nice and dry. It is monsoon season so we do get sudden and heavy downpours with an accompanying temperature drop of about 20°.

life is good

I've been very busy lately since I started working full time and training in my assigned area of Dogtown, Old Friends. Hence why the bunny filled in for me when it came to picture time. I didn't take the picture, it was a selfie by Bridgette. I swear it. You're not here and can't prove otherwise!

My future discussions about what takes place will be limited to whatever does not violate the NDA that I'd signed with Best Friends. It's simply a sign of the times and not unusual at all. This is why I was purposely vague anytime I spoke of my former employer, and will do the same with the most current. Anything I speak of will pertain mainly to my personal experiences with the dogs I work with from here on out, but may also be about any public initiatives we're working on.

The last week and a half has been a whirlwind of info regarding my new responsibilities mixed in with the procedures and policies surrounding my new job. The amount of incoming info fried my brain so I've spent the weekend's decompressing in any way possible. With the exception of taking care of a few chores I spent most of the time vegging out in the trailer watching random episodes of Scrubs on Netflix. I did help out a friend or two.

I do have one piece of sad news. The RV park manager who I was helping out by way of premium food for her diabetic pooch, had passed away last weekend. His decline happened so fast that it took us all by surprise. I can say that he was much peppier the last few weeks before his sudden passing.

This past weekend was about thanks and food for me. I cooked dinner for some of the coworkers who helped me land this job, as well as treating one of three couples who act as park managers to a nice BBQ dinner. They look after Bridgette while I'm at work and have been gracious enough to walk her and fire up the AC in the trailer when needed.

A hard lump formed in my thigh from the dog bite I suffered during my working interview a few weeks ago. Since I was covered under workman's comp I decided to err on the side of caution and get it checked out. The lump was determined to be a hematoma by the doctor, who also prescribed me a large dose of antibiotics just in case. The bruising had begun to dissipate the week after and my leg is looking normal again. The lump has started shrinking and I should be off the AB's by next week.

I've cleared some of the initial and easier of hurdles with the new lifestyle/career and await my upcoming challenges patiently.

In the meantime. Life is good.

how I got here

When I left Texas last year I had three plans. I never discussed them as directly as I'm about to now. Mostly because I hadn't figured out how I wanted to prioritize each one. The time I spent with the folks in CA is what helped me to sort this all out. This was, amid the chaos of living with and having your parents idiosyncrasies push you right back towards insanity. So my three plans, in no particular order, were ...

• Volunteer at Best Friends until I get hired or banished from the premises.
• Work camp at various parks/work seasonally at Amazon and live as a drifter.
• Pursue any possible entry level employment at the American Prairie Reserve.

The eleven months I spent in Irvine helped me work thru the pros and cons of each plan. I realized a few years ago that I wanted to work with animals in any way possible making BF & APR my first two choices. They also both lent themselves to living full time in my RV minus the mobility of the final work camping option. Although the APR option would only work during the Spring/Summer/Fall seasons given the harsh Winters in Montana which wouldn't work in a travel trailer. What really helped me narrow it down was when I was taking care of Oreo and getting her back to a healthy place in life. That and trying to tolerate life in OC again.

The conclusion was reached in December of last year as I was fleshing out the final details. The delay in February with sissy also worked in favor of what I'd decided on. It gave me more time to research all I needed to know about where I would be living.