I said dachsunds. I didn’t say how many! There are six of them! Shirley Bird, Joey, Brody, Lester, Rosie and Daisy. It sounds like it would be impossible to keep track of them, but it is actually quite easy. The number one problem with keeping track of them is that they’re so small.

I also didn’t say the most important thing about them. The owners (who I work with) are very sweet, generous people who both own and foster disabled dachsunds, which I will label as the photos go.

6 dachsunds is a lot of work. A lot more work than I thought it would be, but so far it is totally awesome.

Daisy & Rosie are sisters and they like to snuggle. They are both deaf and blind. Daisy can hear a little, we know this because she runs around faster when you say her name.

Lester is the sweetest old man dog ever. He only wants to nap on his pillow, and snuggle with you at night. Lester can see just fine, but can’t hear at all. He also needs a lot of encouragement to go upstairs.

Don’t be fooled by this. Joey is the PUPPY and the INSTIGATOR and if you want him to sleep at night you have to HOLD HIM DOWN until he falls asleep. He is half-deaf and half-blind. Most of the dogs at this house are rescues from bad breeders.

A better picture of Joey, and more accurate. He’s actually the biggest of the group, it’s amazing to watch him attack everyone else who is about 3/4 his size.

This is Brody. He likes to chill out when you are doing things like putting on makeup, or sitting at the computer. He also tells fortunes in his spare time. Brody is blind and deaf.

Savannah (who I visited in Sisters, and visited who came to town this weekend) and I took Shirley Bird for a walk today and it was EPIC. I ended up carrying her part of the way home, but it was still super fun. Shirley can see, hear, dance and hold whole conversations. She is paralyzed from the waist down but scoots around the house like a maniac and is a complete tyrant. It’s totally hilarious.

The thing that totally sucks about these six dogs is that they’re not all completely housetrained. WHEE, FUN. Don’t blame the owner, two of them are fostering, and I can’t imagine it’d be easy to house-train a completely blind and deaf dog, let alone three! And then there’s the really old guy, the puppy who is stupid (in an endearing way) and the paralyzed one, so…. you take what you can get. It’s a pain, and kind of gross, but you deal. Or at least, I am.

I must admit though, being fabulous is not my top priority this week–rather, suriving without getting pooped on is.

So if there’s a bit of radio silence on my end for the next while, that’s where I am. I’m sure I’ll be posting photos to my flickr as it goes!

I walk and take the bus everywhere as much as possible. This is partly because I enjoy walking and partly because I cannot afford car insurance, and also partly becuase of a very long convoluted story involving a lot of tears and a totalled 2004 ford Mustang. (Candy apple red. 40th Anniversary edition. Custom wheels. Custom decals. Personalized license plate. Like I said: A lot of tears.)

So… Walking! Taking the bus and train! On a lot of days it totally sucks but during the school year it’s nice because it gives me time to study, de-stress, and read fun books I otherwise wouldn’t have time to read.

Because of my schedule last term I would always miss the bus home, and have the option of sitting for 45 minutes, or walking two miles (which takes me about 40 minutes). Every single day I walked home I would pass by this lovely car.

And I do mean lovely. It was vintage, it had rounded headlights and it was lemon yellow with matching hubcaps.

It was also a Mercedes Benz, and it was for sale.

I called my father after walking by it for about three weeks. “Dad! You HAVE to buy me this car! I mean, I know I don’t drive or anything, but… but… I need it. Really. Please? Birthday present?”

I even had my license plate all planned out for it:

A few weeks later, my Dad drove it into our driveway.

Eee! Isn’t it so cute?! And yeah, that’s my Mom in the car.

Since I don’t drive, it’s Mom’s car, which is just as fun. I feel super glamourous driving around in our lovely little vintage Benz.

I’d like to think of this as not only the Ultimate Find, but the Ultimate Accessory! Just think of the outfits we can coordinate to match the car now!

He’s pretty sweet, and I’m having a lot of fun, but it’s a little strange to blog from someone else’s home. But I can’t neglect you guys, and also, The Mighty Ducks isn’t as entertaining as it was when I was 13. (Though Emilio Estevez is totally still as cute as he was, I remembered that part right!)

While on my vacation with my best friend. She took me to this place called Beacham’s clocks.

Beacham’s clocks is my new favourite place.

This is one of my favourite clock faces, I’ve taken photos of more than four clocks with it, but have yet not been able to find it to buy. Aren’t the numbers cool?

I ended up with this clock face. It now lives on my wall. I’m rather fond of it! I also bought a few paper faces too!

This clock is pretty appropriate for my movie today. Quack quack!

This whole week I’ve been home I’ve spent looking online for more clocks and clock faces. Am I the only person who gets semi-obsessive about things like this? Once you find one… you just want to find more!

And yeah, I have to admit, I’m a terrible calligraphy student. Half the time I’m in class, I’m wishing I was somewhere else, and when we’re supposed to practice, I’m generally off in my own little world, cutting letters out of construction paper or doodling monsters out of ink splatters in my notebook.

I still love lettering though. More and more in the last year I’ve gotten interested in numbers. In most of my calligraphy classes, numbers tend to get skipped over in favour of the more numerous (and admittedly, much easier to use in communications) and prettier alphabet. 26 letters x 2 (lowercase and capitals) + flourishes (another 10 variations on various letters) + connections (drawing letters like “ft” together) + cool things like ampersands means you don’t get much time to devote to good old 0123456789 !

I keep finding myself drawing numbers, though, and I find most of my inspiration from clock faces.
Whenever I go antiquing now, it’s with the goal of finding a cool clock to photograph and maybe purchase. I haven’t bought any yet, but I fully intend to own many, besides my photographs.

This clock face is one of my favourites, look at the numbers and their delicate curlicues! I love it so, I took a picture with my cell phone and made it my background! I would buy it, if only for the face (the rest of the clock is… to be honest, kind of ugly) but it’s sadly out of my budget.

How about this one? I love the dramatic widths of the numbers, as well as how the upper swoop on the 2’s loop back almost like a balloon! This clock has a slightly better shape, but still! Out of budget. Sigh.

I love that this one has the wood panel straight in the middle, and the almost cursive numbers! To me this one would need to be on top of one of those big old-fashioned radios you see in History Channel shows.

And lastly, I’m completely heartbroken that this photo turned out blurry, because this is probably my favourite clock! I love the shape, the fact that the background is black and the numbers bright, and how bold the numbers are! This clock clocks-in (haha) at about $25, and I really need to buy it, even though I have no place to put it. Hear me, clock? You will be mine.

I honestly don’t know why I’m so into clocks. I think it’s how they’re symmetrical without absolutely being symmetrical, and how much of a day-to-day often-ignored item they are.

I can’t honestly be the only person on this earth who finds random things like this to admire and obsess about. What are your obsessions? Things you find aesthetically pleasing that you could look at all day?

(psycho music plays)

I went back to Goodwill!

$40 later, and I’m completely satisfied with my purchase. (Along with a gold belt, a long plaid jacket, and a pair of intensely fugly skyscraper heels that I am going to marry!)

I’m thinking that it’ll be best (someday) on a low coffee table, filled with books in the middle of my future living room. What do you think of it’s potential?

Wow, that’s like the vaguest and most Hallmarky thing I’ve ever said, eh?

My aunt passed away last Friday. She had been fighting cancer for the last 12 years, and we are happy that she is in a better place, and no longer in pain, but we’re still all a little shell-shocked at her leaving, and the anticipation of the upcoming memorial service has us all speaking in hushed voices.

My Aunt and Uncle from Australia are here, serving us wine and keeping us chipper (as they always do), and we have begun our recovery process in the only way we know how.

By going shopping.

On Saturday we went to Macy’s, on Sunday, Old Navy and Ross, and today we hit up the antique stores in a neighboring city (and of course, Goodwill!). I love antique stores, mostly because every find truly is a discovery, entailing searching through piles of unsorted jewelry, a thousand china cups stacked on a shelf, and similar other oddities, not to mention the artistic way dealers arrange their sections in the big antique malls. Today I brought my camera along, to demonstrate to the uninitiated how absolutely charming antique stores can be.

How about these two little ladies? A pair of salt and pepper shakers for $25; I see them as friends, waiting to adorn your table.

I love bunched up jewelry displays, I can’t help myself. I’m rather fond of the blue rhinestones, but I think my favourite ones are the silver cowboys on the right.

This little corner seemed very quiet and solemn, the way the angel was sitting in the corner was just too perfect! Sometimes it’s hard to shop around in fear of disturbing the wonderful arrangement of objects.

How about these little blue pitchers? I love the way the doe is eyeing them.

As for me, I came home with two items: This lovely rhinestone bracelet, which I shall wear to the next wedding I’m invited to.

And this funny little contraption, which I hope a few of you will be able to identify: it’s a walnut grinder!

My mother inherited one from her mother, and I associate many days of my childhood with this tool, chopping walnuts for a pie or cookies and such. My sister, being the eldest, has claimed priority on inheriting Mom’s grinder, and I’m pretty excited to have one of my own to add to my hope chest!

Antique stores remind me of the silver lining in history: Tragic things happened, wars went on, friends grew sick and died, but there was still a cup of tea at the end of the day, and a friendly pair of salt shakers on the table. It’s nice to have little familiar things in times of grief.