Vinnie saw a Christmas tree on top of the car next to us, didn't know what it was, got scared, and started barking furiously. What a Grinch.

It's always creepy when I wake to see Vinnie's nose an inch from mine, an intense look in his eyes. How long has he been watching me sleep? Personal space, too.

Every time I sing, Vinnie gets really anxious and runs over to kiss me. Presumably to stop me from singing. This kid is so rude.

Some days I feel like a faltering balloon in a world full of knives. And then I come home & Vinnie gives me a kiss, & everything is suddenly all right. Dogs.

It's cold. Haven't yet reached the heater tipping point, but I'm definitely employing the fuzzy socks and neck wrap. And the dog.

No brakes!

Every time I get all fired up about politics, I have to distract myself by posting about Vinnie (stick with me; only 2 weeks left). So... In our home, we use the phrase, "No brakes! No brakes!" whenever Vinnie gets running so fast that he can't stop. Now that we have wood floors, he frequently crashes into doors and walls. And sometimes he gets running so quickly that he'll forget to put a paw down, and falls right on his shoulder. He doesn't even notice; just gets up and keeps going.

I took 166 pictures of Vinnie today on my phone. Bringing the grand total of Vinnie pictures to about 25 million. I have a problem.