The story of how Mr. Archie came to live with us is a long and emotional one. Here is the short of it. Before Archie, there was Marshall. Marshall was our wedding present, he was a daschund and he was crazy, but we loved him. He died while being neutered at 8 months old. Yes, this happens. Two days later, we met Archie at a mall pet store where he was 75% off and biting the workers in the store. He was a puppy, but had been abused and was lashing out at everyone he met. I remember crying as we sat with him, telling Jeff that if we didn't take him, someone else would and he would bite their kids and then what? So, we saved Archie. The store was going out of business and we knew better than to buy from a pet store, but he was nearly free and in danger. My sister said that Marshall died so that we could save Archie. At the time, this didn't make me feel better, but now I know it is true.

The first two years we had Archie were hell. He wouldn't let us hold him for a long time. He was crazy and mad all the time. He ruined 2 couches and kept us up all night. I had too many bruises on my arms from his bites to count. This went on for 2 years! But we worked with him everyday and moved into the city were we could spend more time with him and walk him at lunch time and finally he became our best friend.

We never got him neutered, though. He is 9 years old now. The past year, we have had several episodes of him peeing in the house, having infections, etc. One was right before I gave birth, we were told to neuter him then, but of course we couldn't considering what was going on. Last week, I caught him peeing on our bed right after he came in from a walk. Poor guy. So, off to the vet. Well, Archie is lucky that he only has prostatic disease and not cancer yet, but this means that he has to get neutered. Poor Archie. We should have done it long ago, but the whole Marshall dying thing has always been in my mind.

This whole experience has made me realize something. I used to be one of those crazy dog people. You know the ones who buy clothes for their dogs, etc. But I am not anymore. Sitting in the waiting room of the vet, while Jeff walks the girls around Dupont Circle, all the other dog owners want to talk to me about Archie. And frankly, I am not interested. I love Archie, but he is a dog. I can't get excited to tell some other dog owner about Archie's problems or life. I just can't. I don't care about Bruno the French Bulldog and his two dads. I don't want to trade puppy stories or discuss breed standards. I know these people are proud dog parents, but I just can't relate anymore. Two years ago, Archie having a diease would have really killed me. I would have worried every day, every hour. But I don't have the emotional luxury anymore and this makes me sad. I am being totallly honest, here. I hate how our priorities change us as people. I still love Archie, but the girls come first now. Oh, I still love talking to my friends about their dogs, of course, I am just talking about strangers and their dogs!!!

With this admission, Jeff and I had already discussed how if Archie had cancer that we weren't going to treat it. That we just couldn't afford to treat cancer in a 9 year old dog. I know a lot of people have to make this decision for their pets and it is terrible. Luckily, no cancer yet, but there is still the expense of neutering him. I commented on this to the vet and he said, it is only $325, that isn't much. I got so angry. No it might not be much for people living in my neighborhood with their 500k condos and no kids and expensive wine and flowers everyday. But for me, with two children and thousands in human medical bills piling up, it is a lot. Here comes the second realization. I am not sure that I need or want to live where I live anymore. Jeff and I have been very lucky to live in this amazing neighborhood in DC for 6 years now. We both come from working class backgrounds and living here where you can see Ralph Nader or Barney Frank or Andrew Sullivan on your corner was really neat. We are surrounded by affluence, but increasingly we are finding it hard to cope with how different we are and how different our lives have become since the girls got here. But moving means commuting and dealing with crime and the ugliness of the suburbs. I think the solution is to give up on Washington, DC altogether, but we have too many things wrapped up in it right now (Jeff going to grad school, etc.) to do that right now.

I have been needing to get lots of things out of my house for some time, so with Archie's neutering bill coming up at the end of the month, I have gone about putting up all kinds of cool crap on ebay to pay for it. Wanna help me pay to cut off Archie's balls and thus save him from his prostatic diease? Take a look at my ebay auctions. I will be adding things daily for the rest of the month! I have so much cool stuff and I want it to go to good homes!! Check every day this week for new stuff!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZtinaQ5filikeseamonsters