Finally! Underwear for me and Thoma. Filtered underwear fights flatulence. Thanks John and I'll take the hint. Replaceable charcoal filters are on their way.

Damn. Sometimes you just get lucky! Dog missing eight years is found by happy owner.

Why does Computer tech claims multimillion-dollar lotto jackpot just in time read like something from The Onion?

Rainie had Tourette's this morning in a big way. She couldn't stop barking and running around the house like a madman. On our walk, she decided to run, forgetting that her little legs get tired about 1/2 way through. Which they did, then it was us coaxing her for the rest of the way. Silly puppy.

Yet another Liz Doughty appears, this time in the Parents Association of some middle school in CT. I'm everywhere, not just at the Kremlin with Bill Clinton or on Survivor Island with Rudy and Rich.

Look, it's another Liz Doughty. But again, not me.

Hey look, it's a Portfolio for Liz Doughty. Except that it's not me. The official spelling of my last name is now Dow-tay! which is how Rod Roddy will pronounce it when I'm finally called to be a contestant on the Price is Right.

I've been in touch with Bagel's new dads almost every day. He's settling in but according to them, still misses me. Does he really? I know that I'm more affected by his leaving us than I'd like to admit. We've had, and will continue to have, foster dogs in our home and our lives. I love each of them as if they're my own but I suppose I hold something back with them that I don't do with my own. Bagel is different. His eyes looked deep into my soul, we were closer than I've been to any dog, including Alice, including Ellie. I kind of hope it doesn't work out for him and he comes back to us, though I know that on a lot of levels, he's better off where he is. But am I better off with him there?

I know, it's not about me. It's about those silly 4 (sometimes 3) legged ones who need help in their most desperate hour. As my friend Dave says, they're all little souls and they all deserve a chance.

And to both of the families who gave up on Bagel, I still say and will always say FUCK YOU. He is the sweetest guy, deserves more than you gave him. They all do.

While on some level, we all know that language is constantly evolving (remember when e-mail had that pesky dash in it and saying "I'm working for a startup" had people saying either "huh? or "I've heard of them" when you hadn't said the name?), it's great to see that the de facto keeper of all words, the Oxford English Dictionary has added some real gems, including Bollywood (Indian film industry) and my personal favorite, Mullet (1980s haircut, tipped for comeback).

R.I.P. Itakki 1998 - June 13, 2001

She was a stray, she'd recently had puppies and was very scared, shaking like a leaf when we met her at the shelter. Though Andrea isn't into having a flock of dogs, she was ready to make it work to spring her that day. We decided to wait till Bagel went to his new home that week and see how she was doing. I stopped back 2 days later and she was much better, giving me kisses and jumping up and down. I decided to see if she got adopted out of there before springing her. Why? Selfishness, I guess, I didn't want to deal with 4 dogs right away. I checked on her earlier this week, she was scared again but again I left her there. The shelter staff knew I'd take her if her time ran out. I didn't count on her going kennel crazy from being there too long. Yesterday she tried to attack 3 people with no provocation. They made the call, they put her down. I'll pull the next one the moment I see them. Maybe she would have done that at my house, maybe I knew that somewhere inside her something was already broken (what if she'd hurt me or one of my dogs?), maybe I was just too hopeful that she'd be placed out of there. I don't know but I'll never forget her, though in time, I may forgive myself for not springing her earlier this week, when we had the room. Rest in peace, sweet girl. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.

For all who wonder about the world of Mack Daddies, The Macking Manual is here to answer your questions.

I'm praying that our Green Tortoise Adventure doesn't require any pushing.

Had the shortest job of my life last night. I spent 1.5 hours training to be a manager at Hockey Workout, one of my favorite places to play. It seemed like fun, it really did. But the reality was a shift that ends at 1:00 am on the weekdays, being surrounded by self-important young men who were part of some complex hierarchy that revolved around being a martyr for most time worked, regaling others with tales of human excretion clean up and bitching about not having enough money. It didn't take long for that to not be fun.

Don't get me wrong. I think bodily functions are funny (I've read Everyone Poops and enjoyed it every time. Let me also take this opportunity to mention Breasts.) but not in great detail and not with people I've just met.

Mostly, though, it was the thought of being out so late, for so little money that made me pack it in. The discounts and free practice time would have been nice, but I wouldn't have had time to use the practice time at all. So once again, I'm free in the evenings. Except when I'm paying to play hockey.

We took Bagel to his new home on Sunday. He's surrounded by love and will be doted on by two of the nicest guys I could have hoped to find for him. It's most certainly the perfect home for him, but I'm a mess. He was my shadow, my pal, always the first one at the gate when I got home, always laying at my feet while I worked, always followed me around. Remind me to only foster dogs who aren't nice going forward so my heart doesn't have to break when I say goodbye.

As summer kicks it up a notch into high gear, it seems that a fabulous trip with Amy is the way to go. Now that she's a native of the Bay Area, it's much easier than when she lived in Pittsburgh. Though it's much harder to include the Waffle House these days.

It looks like this year's trip will take us to Yosemite, via the transportation method of choice for hippies and adventure seekers worldwide, the Green Tortoise!

The official announcement, courtesy of Brad, who does not have a kitchenette on his second floor:
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bob Barker has agreed to stay on as host of "The Price is Right" through 2006, the durable game show's 34th season on CBS. Barker, 77, signed a new five-year contract with the daytime program he took over in 1972 and for which he's won 14 Emmy Awards. He said he was "humbled" by the network's confidence in him over the years. The show, which started in 1957 on NBC, is among the highest-rated on daytime TV. Barker's new contract was announced Thursday during taping of the new season's premiere episode. The terms of his contract were not disclosed. He will be working with two new assistants Claudia Jordan and Heather Kozar, the 1999 Playboy playmate of the year. The pair will join Nikki Ziering.

Yesterday's hockey score: Snow Cones: 3, Spiders 2
Woo hoo!!! We had 29 shots on goal (though it was more like 31, the scorekeeper was engrossed in her Wendy's meal), they had 10. Woo!