Party like it's 1999.

Well I accomplished something monumental this month (in my mind anyway), after 9.5 years my Student Loan is payed off!!! I graduated from College in 1999, and the payments began ... I remember thinking how far away 9.5 years was, and what I would be doing. Blogging about it never crossed my mind 9.5 years ago. I am having a party, really I am.

1999 was a great year: I graduated from College, I was offered a job, we moved to this Windy city, I could finally get a DOG, and do something called Agility (my replacement for showjumping)!

The best part of 1999 was we found Jane!! The day we moved I was looking in Newspapers (i know, i know) for Jack Russells. Good thing there was no Kijiji or we would have really been screwed. We even bought a book on the Breed, we were VERY well informed (sarcasm here). We knew not to buy from a Pet Store, though I will admit we did go look - OUR BOOK said that was not a good idea – as there was a thing called Puppy Mills, and Backyard Breeders. OUR BOOK said you should be able to see the parents and your "Breeder" should have you sign a contract, that means you have a good "Breeder" (sarcasm here, again). So that is what we looked for!

Sure enough after we weeded out the "Crazies" (sarcasm here, yet again) – we saw Jack Russells that looked like Bassett Hounds, and one guy even had two litters at the same time, with both moms and all puppies loose together in a shed, he didn't even know who's pup was who's. We did meet the dad, a real charmer - if you like your hand covered with puncture wounds. 

I just wanted any JRT at this point. We made a call to a nice lady who had one puppy left - she was taking deposits on this 3 week old litter. She said 4 or 5 people had turned he down because she was all white - and people want JRT's with colour. I didn't care. We went and looked at the litter, and quickly wrote a cheque - after I saw the mom, saw the contract, and this "Breeder" even had the dogs' pedigree, and a puppy pack for us to take! WOW!! We were reassured she wouldn't be coming home with us until 8 weeks.

... 2.5 weeks later Jane was home with us (do the math, she was a couple days short of 6 weeks)

The other owners "apparently" wanted their pups early, they were gone when we picked up Jane - that same day, so we scrambled all the things together we needed in a matter of an hour - a crate, a x-pen, a crude amount of toys, collar, leash etc...

We had gone and visited our pup a couple times during those 2.5 weeks prior, and we wondered why the mom was in a separate room from the pups and never with them when we were. We were then told AFTER she wasn't always good with the pups, and neither was Jane's brother who would beat the shit out of Jane and her sister when we were there, and we would have to grab them from out the corners to play with them. They lacked some serious social skills.

If I knew then, what I know now .... I would have never gone to look at this litter, but I also wouldn't have Jane, a dog who has taught me more about LIFE and dogs than I ever thought possible. She is far from an angel, and has a lot of issues, but dammit, I have done a good job with her. She can go into stores with me, walk down the street past people and dogs, ride in the car, travel by boat and plane, and never cause a fuss, she can in most situations be a normal dog, and at Jack Russell Terrier trials, she always gets gushed over how well behaved she is ... skateboarders and rollerbladers can STILL get her going however :)

Because of Jane, I have an obsession with all things dog - I do not like to fail, and it was NOT an option to give up on her. She is the reason I love to teach other people and dogs - if I can do what I've done with Jane - ANYTHING is possible, you just have to want it bad enough. She is the reason I have this blog, she is the reason I have an SUV, she is the reason I have Kaleb and Gyp, she is also the reason I have white sheets on my bed and an obsession with getting rid of those damn little white doghairs.

This post was supposed to be about my student loan Party, and now I have some wet stuff coming out of my eyes, rolling down my cheek.