Well, folks, we're trying again. In spite of the Cookie debacle, we've continued to feel like we want a second dog.

I guess I don't know what you all are thinking, but I know a lot of people would wonder, "Haven't they learned their lesson?" But we're dog people, and we really are good dog owners. (And we were with Cookie, regardless of what the rescue kooks think.) Freya has been talking for a long time about wanting a golden retriever, and Matt is quite fond of them as well. So I started watching Craigslist to see if the right dog might show up.

It's possible that we've found her. This is Daisy:

Her owners need to get rid of her because the economics of having 3 kids and two dogs isn't working out, and they can't legally downsize kids. Daisy is 2.5 years old, spayed, and has had some professional training. Matt went over this afternoon to look at her and was slightly smitten, and called me with a positive report. When I got home, we loaded Freya up and went to look at her as a family. The owners offered to let us give her a 2-day trial, and after asking lots of questions, we accepted.

Daisy has mainly been an outside dog, but is (ostensibly--cross your fingers) house-broken. She and her brother lived outside, either in the backyard or in a kennel. But the family played with them a lot, and she seems to be superb with kids. Freya has kissed her on the lips many times already. You can tell Daisy didn't get quite as much interaction as she needs, though: she had a bunch of matting in the hair behind her ears and on her tail, so I gave her a good grooming. If we keep her, I'm going to give her a full-on summertime haircut.

We're hoping she passes a good night tonight. She isn't crate-trained, but our plan is to have her in the crate with Grover in another crate right next to her. If that goes well, we're going to take her by our vet tomorrow and have him check her health. It'd obviously be the shits to get a new dog and find out she's got hip displaysia or something.

So far, she's been magnificent. She's extremely mellow, gentle, and quiet. She really liked it when I was grooming her. (And holy crap, I'm going to have to buy a Furminator--she sheds Persian carpets worth of hair.) Right now, she's laying quietly by Matt's feet on the patio.

Wish us luck with this!

Freya and I watched the newest iteration in the "Scooby Doo" franchise tonight. It just premiered this month, and we had some of it DVR'ed.

There's...been some changes. For one thing, the animation is a little different. It's fine, just different. Additionally, Casey Kasem isn't doing Shaggy's voice anymore, and that's flat out annoying. I don't know what kind of money he was asking for, but they should have either given it to him or not done the show.

But the biggest thing? The worst thing? They're putting Shaggy and Velma IN A RELATIONSHIP!!! Yes, I'm shouting! It's totally squicky! That's like...like...dating your cousin or something. People are just going to feel uncomfortable about it.

I actually wrote e-mails to both Warner Brothers Animation and Cartoon Network about it tonight. I've been watching that damn show for over 25 years, and lord knows we have every Scooby movie and half the episodes on DVD. (For Freya.) They owe me their ears at this point.

Shaggy + Velma = No thank you

I am seriously trying not to waste a minute of time soaking up culture here. I mean, I am definitely focusing on my training, but once we get dismissed, I'm out pounding the pavement.

Today at lunch, I walked across the street from the training and went through part of Millenium Park, where I saw The Bean:

The sculpture is actually called Cloud Gate, and was inspired by liquid mercury, according to Wikipedia. It's enormous and you can walk all the way under it. At the center underneath, there is an omphalous or navel, which creates a strange optical illusion with your reflection being multiplied and distorted. It's very cool, and I find it really beautiful. I've been trying to find a replica to take home with me to use as a paperweight or something, but haven't had any luck so far.

As I stood there at The Bean, I heard live classical music coming from elsewhere in the park. I walked toward it and found a huge amphitheatre with an orchestra rehearsing. I stopped at an information booth and found that it was the Grant Park Orchestra, and they frequently rehearse during the day. Anyone is welcome to come watch and listen. Even better, they offer free concerts many evenings during the summer. You can bring your picnic blanket and food and just sit out and enjoy. I have a ticket for reserved seating for tomorrow night's performance!

After the training session, I jetted over to The Art Institute of Chicago to check out the gift shop, just looking for a Bean replica. I didn't find that, but as I browsed the shop, I realized that my all-time favorite piece of art (besides Freya), The Great Wave off Kanagawa was housed there. How could I not pay the $18 to go look at it. Unfortunately, the museum was closing a mere 20 minutes later, but if you pay for a ticket that late on your first day, they let you go in all the next day for free. I didn't have time to look at a map, so I just followed my nose. My nose didn't lead me to the picture, but here's what it did lead me to:

Renoir

Van Gogh

...and Seurat. When I walked around a corner and saw this painting, my breath was literally taken away and my heart just started hammering. I don't know how to explain away the feeling. Maybe it's partly because it is so damn LARGE. And, as much as it pains me to admit, it is iconic for my generation. Why? Well, if you must know...it's the scene in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where they're at the Art Institute and Cameron has sort of a tragic break-through moment while staring at this painting. Maybe that makes me a dork; maybe it just means that I was pretty isolated from true culture when I was growing up. Regardless, it's a moment I'll remember forever--when I was there.

I'll be heading back to the Institute tomorrow, both during lunch and after the training, in search of The Great Wave. I may just sit there and goggle at it as long as they'll let me. I am terribly excited to see it.

Greetings, people of the ether! I'm writing to you tonight from downtown Chicago, where I sit in my hotel high above Michigan Avenue and listen to the taxi drivers honk at each other like they were OCD sufferers checking to make sure the Easy Button was turned off. Seriously, if you do not turn wheels the instant the light changes to green, you're going to get your ass honked at by at least five people. What tickles me is that cars five and six spaces back honk at you, as though the first four people in line aren't going to honk at you fast enough or loud enough for you to get the message. What a town!

Matt, Freya and I came back to Wisconsin last week to attend Matt's brother's wedding, which was wonderful. We spent our first few days visiting the family and sunning our buns beside Potter's Lake, and then all migrated to Chicago yesterday for the wedding. I have stayed behind to attend a training for work, and Matt and Freya returned to the northlands this morning for a few days before they join me back down here.

In the meantime, I met up with a dear friend of mine--she is actually the general manager of this hotel, so I have a pimpin' suite to myself. The movie "Transformers 3" is filming literally right behind the hotel, so we've seen a couple of the sets and lots of the associated trailers, rental equipment, hired security shills, etc. No movie stars yet, but seriously, it's the third movie in what I don't think has been that successful a franchise, so I'm not holding out big hopes.

Anyway, tomorrow holds more training for me, and then I'm going to go exploring in Grant Park and also check out the old library building. If I can make it, I'll cross the river and check out the Magnificent Mile, as well. See you in the funny papers!