She was born in an overcrowded shelter in Georgia, but was rescued by a fairy godmother (aka adoption service) and quickly transported to a foster parent in Whitensville, MA.
Through the magic of PetSmart Adoptions, Tessie found me. For years I had wanted to adopt a puppy, and the day her photo popped into my search results, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she and I were meant to be. (Cue "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty)
Her adoption picture - look at those eyes!On the last Sunday in May of 2009, this shaking one-year-old puppy was in the back of my Toyota Corolla, one her way to change both of our lives.
I was a 24-yr-old marketing professional, working in the city, who had just traded in my city pumps for orange sweatpants and moved in with my then-boyfriend in the suburbs. The house even had a white picket fence.
But, as in all fairy tales, trouble was on the horizon.
(Cue battle scene in an Arabian Desert, featuring Aladdin-style guards battling a feisty Irish brigade)
When the storm cleared, Tessie and I made a run for the city lights that felt so much like home. Somehow, our great leap only took us as far as Quincy, a suburb of Boston, where we began adjusting to our new lives and attempted to pick up the pieces of the old one.
"Getting that dog was the biggest mistake you ever made" were the famous last words of my ex before we sashayed out of Pleasantville.
The mere existence of the blog begs to differ. Tessie is, without a doubt, the shining light in my life. Bringing a dog into your life is the greatest thing I believe a person can do. They are the most loving, loyal, wonderful creatures, and the best companions one could ever ask for. And yes, why, I am a dog person, thank you for asking!
But he wasn't completely wrong.
Having a dog completely changes your life, and not always for the better. I cannot count the number of times I was told this before adopting, but I never fully understood it until now. So haters to the left. This blog is not about putting Tessie in cute costumes, writing as if she was the one at the keyboard, or rambling about, zomg, the cute way she looked at me this morning.
(Ok....not JUST about those things)
It's also about the real-life adventures of a single pet parent who is caught somewhere between Boston and Providence and is still, almost a year later, trying to get back to the care-free, urban-flavored Bostonian she once was.....now +1.
It's about the life and experiences of dog born in a shelter, raised in the suburbs, and living a happy life with her constantly exhausted, spread-too-thin mom and adoring extended family (while she only has one "biological," she has about 30 adoring aunts and uncles).
It's the story of what happens when invited to a family party or friend's house, and questions "Can I bring Tessie?" or "Is it puppy friendly?" are the first words out of my mouth. Or worse, the ever-dreaded "I'm sorry, I can't, I can't get a puppy-sitter that weekend."
It's about the realities of working late, visiting friends, wearing black, dating, apartment searching, grocery shopping, heating/cooling bills and a million other things you don't think twice about before having a dog.
And...pictures. Actually, it's mostly about pictures.
On that note, I have rambled here long enough. It's Tessie's turn to tell her story, through photos from our everyday lives. And it's time for me to put the millions I take of her to good use. Because, despite the insanity that furry monster has brought into my life, I am happy to say this story ends with... (wait for it)....
....and they lived happily ever after.
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