Long time, no pug.

It has been a long time since the Tojoblog was last updated. In part, it's that it's the start of the holiday season (Thanksgiving has already come and gone; Chance, for one, is very happy). There's also a chronic lack of time in the day (too much damned work!!). Last, and most unfortunately, it's that Tojo is a tough nut to crack ... or train. He still barks too much, bites too much, and pees on our clothes to much. Worse still, people stop us on the street to comment on what an "angel" he is. We try to agree, but it's hard when we know that as soon as we get home, we have to deal with a daft pug running around as we try to clean up the dozens of paper muffin cups he spread all over the kitchen floor, and prevent him from eating the plastic container they came in.

We often meet people who also have pugs, and we can't help but ask how long it took their pug to calm down. There have been a variety of answers, from a year to (depressingly) four years. We can't help but think, really? Four years of not having anything toxic or shatterable within an athletic stretch of a curious puglet? Four years of hoping the neighbors can't hear his operatic shrieks, whines, and barks? Four years of being human chew toys??

Honestly, though, at least on the part of the author of this post, the main reason the Tojoblog has lain fallow is that I can't believe how naive I was to think that this blog would simpy chronicle my usual life of leisure, accessorized smartly with a little fawn dog. Since the reality is quite the opposite, I suppose I'm feeling a little chagrined.

At least the feeling will last only one to four years.