'Watch out, she's gone to the dogs'

Photo of Musher Shannon Miller and Gwen. Copyright © 2010. Sophie Miller

So I have a question. But I'll get to that in a sec.


Tomorrow I'm heading out to Michigan to pick up my dream come true: a lovely 7-week old Alaskan Husky pup who goes by the name of Ginsberg. His forbears have been amazing fleet-footed athletes who have been in teams that have run at the top of their game -- and won. Ginsberg is born to run, and I'll be right behind him on some form of contraption in hopes of keeping up with him. 


Telling people about this turn of events evokes one of 2 responses:


Response 1) "What?!? Are you crazy? Have you lost your marbles? You're going to have three dogs?"


Response 2) "Good for you for following your dream! Hey, when can I see the puppy?"


There is truth in both responses. Sometimes people following their dreams do crazy things that don't make sense in the moment.


Yes, I'll now have 3 dogs and I live in the city.


Yes, I'll be sleep-deprived for a while. 


Yes, purchasing dog food is going to be like taking out a second mortgage.


Yes, I'll probably get hurt again along the way as I pick back up where I left off when my knees interrupted my big plans, I messed up the radial nerve in my left arm, I crash-landed on an icy sidewalk and wound up with a bad concussion, and I irritated the rotator cuff of my right shoulder -- all in the spirit of adventure and a love for dogs.


Yes, it's a big responsibility.


Yes, I'm going to buy a sled and very likely a gas-powered vehicle (unless I can find one that burns trash for fuel!) to transport my sled and my pups.


Yes, my nest just emptied and I'm adding new complications to my life.


Honestly, I'm tired of explaining to the skeptics why I'm doing this.


I've heard all the reasons why I should not follow my dream, and I've mulled them over and over and over to search out the truth.


And in the end, I come up with the same conclusion: This is about joy.


This is about saying yes to joy. 


This is about taking a middle-age body and exposing it to the joy and the perils of moving fast, perhaps even being dragged, by a canine athlete in the making.


This is how I choose to live my life right now. 


I think I'm done 'splainin'.


It's time to live the life I want whether or not it makes sense to others.

Sometimes pursuing one's dreams

is just a crazy-good thing.

.......................

And so the question.

I'm going to be obsessed with all things doggie for a while.

I could:

(a) risk boring those who follow this blog with dogginess or

(b) I could begin a new blog just about my new dog adventures and misadventures. 

Thoughts?

.......................

As I write, my delightful friend and fellow blogger, Shannon Miller, is making her way to Marquette, Michigan, delivering puppies to their new homes, enduring the sorrow of separation from the little creatures she helped midwife, all the while preparing to compete in a sled-dog race this weekend for which she has trained mightily. Good luck, Shannon! See you at the finish line!

Ginsberg's parents: Yeti + Gwen - Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

Ginsberg checking out his daddy's house before moving to Minnesota

Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller en route to Marquette, Michigan, and delivering puppies along the way

Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

Ginsberg and litter mates on their first car ride. Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

Oh, my. Those paws. That face. Those eyes. Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

My little beatnik and his unique slant on life. Copyright © 2010. Shannon Miller

The author of this post wishes to thank Yeti, Gwennie, and Shannon for making a dream come true!