As an incoming freshman, I'm probably going to miss a lot of things. Free laundry, cooking my own meals, being able to see my high school friends on a daily basis, my parents ... the list goes on. But I think what I'll likely miss the most are these two nuggets.
That's right. I'll probably be missing my dogs the most. I've had dogs romping around my house for as long as I can remember. Milhouse (pictured right) was adopted by my family when I was nine and when he was a mere eight weeks old. He still acts like the puppy he was nine years ago, as golden retrievers are known to do.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Beasley (Beasley for short, pictured left) has a different story. She was a rescue that we adopted four years after my family adopted Milhouse. Her previous owner was a bachelor, which explains a lot about Bease's behavior, with the exception of her love of squeaky balls. None of us know why, but she has an affinity for squeaky balls and won't stop squeaking them until they break.
But that has just become a way of life for me. It's become my daily routine to let them out as soon as I wake up and play with them when they come back in. It's natural to be doing something school related in the small family office and have Milhouse curled up at my feet, resting his head on my foot and to have Beasley snoring (loudly) a few inches away.
It's going to be just plain weird to not have Beasley flipping over onto her back, begging for belly rubs with the biggest smile a dog can give. That's been her staple. Heck, anytime I invite someone over they can expect to be greeted with the flipping of the St. Bernard. I'm gonna miss having to go rub her belly anytime that happens, or "paying the Beasie toll" as my family calls it.
Isn't she the charmer?
It's the little things like paying the Beasie toll that makes the experience of having a dog an enjoyable part of life. Take Milhouse, for example. It's going to be just plain strange to not have my room littered with dog toys because a certain Golden Retriever wants to play keep away or tug-of-war. Even more, I'm probably going to miss him howling whenever I practice clarinet or how he sits and begs for a piece of popcorn. It's pretty cute, I'm not going to lie. Cute to the point where my dad takes a picture every week of Milhouse begging for popcorn.
Long story short, living with a pet is a fulfilling experience. Pet owners can vogue, for their furry friend(s) never cease to make life dull. It'll be an interesting transition living without dogs to constantly trip over, but I least I'll only live an hour away.
Or maybe I'll just sneak my dogs into WPI with me.
