I'm still alive!

[Wolffie]

Anyone remember me (and Deezel)? After the board got deleted I thought I had been banned! Things were different and I couldn't post, so I ended up PMing someone and found out what happened. After that, I just got super busy with work and kinda disappeared, but I miss this place!

First and most importantly, Deezel is as handsome and healthy as ever. My parents divorced about 3 years ago and my mom decided she wanted to switch off with my dad on having Deezel - he was living with her/my brother/step dad the first two years and now he is living with my dad for a year. I don't feel it's very fair for Deezel, plus he hates my dad's house (he's afraid of the floor heat/AC vents and won't even go in the kitchen!), but he is in good care at either place so I suppose that's what really matters. I would take him, but my boyfriend and I are still living in our small rented house with a small yard, which wouldn't be fair to him at all (plus our landlords, BF's grandparents, say no dogs allowed in the house). I honestly think my dad will end up just keeping him at his place permanently. Assuming we can get Deezel over his fear of the vents, this will probably be best.

So what's happening with me? Craziness as usual! In March of 2014 I got a job as an Interactive Designer at SmartPak Equine - it was the best job in the world and we were allowed to bring our dogs in with us after being put on a wait list! (I signed Deezel up as soon as I hit my 6 month mark). Despite how great the job was, I was severely underpaid for my position and there certainly wasn't much growth potential for my career. With $100k+ of student loan debt and my dreams/goals of buying a house, this pay wasn't going to cut it. I had plans on looking elsewhere for employment when ironically, I was contacted by someone at the Boston Globe who saw my website and was interested in bringing me in for an interview! Long story short, I got the job and I now work as a Web Designer for Boston.com (at the Boston Globe) making DOUBLE what I was making at SmartPak. I'm still getting used to the extra 40 minute commute and traffic, but it's totally worth it. I've been there for a month now and I LOVE it!

Around the time I was interviewing for the Globe, I was 95% confident I was going to get the job, so started pursuing this starter house that came on the market that I fell head over heels for. I've been looking at houses for 5+ years and anyone who knows me knows this is my life goal, I was just never financially ready. However, I had never found even one house I've liked in those 5 years because I'm ridiculously picky, so I felt this house was meant to be. Long story short, I lost the house to a buyer who offered asking price, but I think it was for the best since the neighborhood wasn't that great. My boyfriend and his grandfather own a business building houses for a living, so he and I have decided we're going to go the building route since I can never go through that heartache ever again. This way, I get everything I want on a few acres of land and will most likely stay there forever since it's my dream house. We just need to save another $20k before we can purchase land and have the down payment for the contracting costs. After my bills are paid, I can save about $2k/mo now, so T-minus 10 or so months until I finally get my house!! *screeching noises*

My boyfriend and I are still together and still in our little cottage in Wareham (yuck) with our two kitties. The kitties are healthy, 2+ year old adults now! Kaylee and Khaleesi. I love them to death.

As soon as we build our house, our next step in life is getting our first dog. No offense to all you lab owners (I still think labs are the BEST dogs, of course), but my dream breed is an Australian Shepherd. I have been on the Aussie board for 5 years now and have been researching them all this time. I have a few breeders picked out that I plan to start talking to soon (they are on the Aussie board so I sorta know them already) and get on a wait list. So I could have my first puppy in a year or two! I got my boyfriend on board with the breed and while I wanted a red merle, he likes the blue merles better, so I let him win that one :P I will surely be posting pictures and probably hanging out in the breeding forums to ask questions :'D

I would also like to add that I am one student loan away from paying off the debt in my name (parents have a big $84k loan in their name that I help pay)! Next week I will be paying off my second to last student loan and then have one $20k loan left. I have successfully paid off $25,500 in 11 months on my previous $41k/yr salary. I'M SO CLOSE!!

Sooo anything I miss!?! <3

[Kleb]

I was hoping to see you around again. Always liked your stories and drawings. Glad you are back!

[POPTOP]

Welcome Back!

Deezel looks awesome! And the kitties too.

Sounds like you are very responsible financially and that gorgeous house will be yours in the very foreseeable future.

Even though you might be getting an Aussie, she/he can be an honorary lab and we love your stories, so stay with us.

[Snowshoe]

Good for you. No wonder you haven't been on here, you've been busy. Glad you are back and happy in your life.

LOL, why did we all think we'd been bad and banned when the board crashed? Do we all have a guilty conscience about something we said?