This Is What My Dog Lives For . . .

Zoe has had a huge past couple of days.  It all started on Wednesday when she and I went to the store to pick up some items we needed to fill orders at the mail center.  I wish I had taken pictures, but I was too busy just watching – there were at least 30 people in the store for various reasons and almost all of them were dog lovers.  So Zoe got (and gave) a lot of attention – and there were three young girls doing the make & take project (Zoe loves kids more than anything).  There was also a table full of snacks and desserts, so customers were sneaking pieces of Chex Mix under the table when they thought I wasn’t looking . . .

Zoe settled in once we got back to the mail center, but by 4:00 she was on duty at the front window, looking for Bruce.  Bruce is our UPS driver . . .

And he brings treats!  Zoe is seriously in love with Bruce, but she was really confused a couple of weeks ago when Bruce forgot to reload on dog biscuits and ran out before he got to our place.

Note to FedEx and any other package delivery service that may someday want to put together a proposal to get our business – your driver will have to treat my dog better than the UPS guy does (and that’s not likely).

I thought that after I shot the pictures of Zoe and Bruce, I had plenty for an End-of-the-Year Blog Post.  Then we came to work on Thursday, and Zoe hit the jackpot . . .

First, my sister-in-law Lisa and nephew Tyler came by to drop off this year’s family Christmas picture.  When we have our family Christmas, my dad sets up a picture of the family in the same spot each year – so we can watch the boys grow up just by looking at the Christmas pictures we have taken over the years.  I had started the same thing with Ryan a few years before – I took a picture on the first day of school every year beside a rock next to the garage door.  Never knew what I would do with all of those pictures – until he graduated from high school . . .

It made a great thank you note.  But I digress – this post is about Zoe.  She loves Lisa (Tyler, too) – so the chance to spend a few minutes with Lisa and Tyler just made Zoe’s day.  But it got better still . . .

Most of you have never seen a picture of Patti Gompf – she and her childhood friend Debbie Reed are the two nice ladies you talk with when you call the mail center to ask questions or place an order.  Patti walked in with her grandchildren, Kenzie and Isaac (who had never met Zoe), just a few minutes after Lisa and Tyler left.  Kenzie even figured out how much Zoe loves to play tug-of-war with her chew bones . . .

Then we got home last night, where Zoe discovered my brother-in-law Dex and his daughter Alexandra in our living room.  Remember my “Less-Than-Excellent Christmas Adventure” last weekend?  Well, Dex and Alexandra brought his mother back to Ohio from Maryland and stopped by to visit.  But they have to return to Maryland on Saturday – the baptisms have been rescheduled for Sunday (no, I’m not going – I have video duty at church here at home).  But Zoe was thrilled to see them, and again I was too busy just watching – and making a cheeseball to take to a friend’s for New Year’s Eve tonight – to take pictures.  You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Thanks to all of you who make such a fuss over Zoe.  She enjoys it so much (and so do I).  This is just another in a long line of things our customers do that makes my job fun.  Happy New Year – have a great 2011!