Adventures in Dog-Sitting

"Mom, can we get a dog?"

I had asked that question for years. The answer was always no. But my wish finally came true! For about two weeks, that is. We're pet-sitting for our friends' Labs while they're on vacation. Our canine guests are named Jack and Indy.

I've never really noticed how dogs can have such different personalities. When we go on walks, Indy bounds down the street like a chocolate-colored torpedo. His tongue hangs out, and he seems to say, "oh boy oh boy oh boy this is so fun!! What's that? Ooh, that looks interesting. Hey, another dog! Hi, I'm Indy!" While Jack walks more slowly, practically shaking his yellow head and sighing, "little brothers..."

Of course, owning a dog (or dogs) comes with responsibilities. One of the more...unpleasant ones is picking up after them. (gulp!) I held my breath and bravely began the smelly task of scooping up the...uh...droppings
with a rake and dustpan. Mom called from the deck, "Still want a dog?"

When evening falls and it's time to settle down, the dogs sprawl out in the family room, heaving contented sighs. Jack curls up on the floor in a quiet corner of the room, while Indy plops himself down wherever one of us are sitting, as if to say, "Oh boy, can I sit here too? Thanks!" Then he makes himself comfortable resting on my feet.

I once read a story where a girl and her sister were arguing about dogs. I can't remember exactly what they said, but it went something like this:
Girl 1: "They're smelly, slobbery, and they shed everywhere!"
Girl 2: "What's not to love?"

Yes, I still want a dog. ;)

Book Review for "The Hunger Games"

This summer my library had a contest for teens -- write reviews for any books you read during the summer and submit a review on their website for a chance to win a 32-gig iPod Touch. A few days ago, I got a call from the library saying that since I had submitted five reviews, I had won a free book! So I went down to pick it up. I got to choose from a shelf of books at the information desk. I picked a book I had been hearing a lot about lately-The Hunger Games. A friend of mine had read it and said she liked it. Here's the description on the back of the book:

 

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

  "Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before -- and survival, for her, is a second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

I really liked this book. In fact, I liked it so much, I finished it in two days. But there are a few negative things in this book I should discuss. First of all, there are 24 contestants in the Games, and there can only be one winner. So the players are expected to kill each other, sort of like the Roman gladiators in ancient times. Don't get me wrong, this book is not morbid or super gory or all about death. Katniss doesn't want to kill anyone, but she does witness a few deaths. The deaths can be brutal, so I guess what I'm saying is that this book isn't for younger kids. But for anyone looking for a book full of suspense and action, The Hunger Games is right for you.

Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.5 stars
Age Recommended: 13+