charlierhodes

[charlierhodes]

Oh, I've already taken soooooo many pictures, and she's only just moved in yesterday. Granted, a lot of them are blurry because she's been zooming around the place to try and figure out where everything is. But once she's settled, my socials will probably consist of nothing but her precious little face.

He does have a very convincing face, I'll give him that much. You know what this means though, right? If you DO find your own little doggo, you have to immediately post pictures for the rest of us to appreciate, it's practically written into the contract now.

[charlierhodes]

Well, like, obviously? That tends to be how things work with all living things.

Just don't forget the part where they grow up and stop being puppy sized.

[charlierhodes]

OMG, stop it—frankenpup of happiness? That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard, Matt. I’m putting it on a shirt. But seriously, if you actually manage to make that policy change happen, I’m gonna scream. In the good way, obviously. Like, how iconic would it be to have a station mascot? Just imagine a pup in a tiny firefighter hat! Ugh, too adorable.

And you’re totally right—mutts are the absolute best, especially mine. I found the cutest little fox terrier mix, her name is Poppy and she is just the most amazing floof I've ever met. I might be biased, but whatever.

It depends on the station. Two of the ones I worked at in the past only allowed FEMA US&R (Urban Search & Rescue). However, since I'm the captain here, I can always go through the policy and see if it's the same here or if we're allowed to bring actual pets. Then, we can get a station pet that's not used in the line of duty. IF we get a little fur ball here, I'll give you the honors to name it. Just because you led me down the path to a potential policy change.

I couldn't agree more. I love it it when you can't tell what the hell a dog is mixed with. It's almost like a frankenpup of happiness.

Have you made your decision???

[charlierhodes]

Ahh, I totally get it! It's wild how time flies and how much things can shift, but I’m all in for us getting back in sync! Which will be way easier now that we have besties that we can't keep apart. I swear, Poppy's been like, looking for Elle all day like she expected her to be here when she got home. It's a little heartbreaking to be honest. She's better now, I've got her all settled into her new bed. We'll just have to make plans to get them together again soon.

Oh my god, literally the definition of having a love-hate relationship with something though! Like, obvs, more than anything, I want both of us to be thriving to the fullest extent and that's most important. But, at the same time, it does feel totally weird that we're so out of the loop with each other! So, in my opinion, we absolutely need to fix that so we can just have both again! Ahhh, yes! That's such a perfect idea. I'm sure Elle has her little friends in the shelter she'd like to see again, too! Let's do it!

[charlierhodes]

Not gonna lie, I've stopped into puppy stores before, even thought about getting one from there! And like, you know those pet shops they had in the malls once upon a time? I used to beg my mom for one of those every time we went. And like, I don't know all the icky stuff behind them, but I'm glad I didn't go to one. I didn't have a specific breed in mind, so there was no point going to a place where you need to have that in mind. Plus, like you said, there's plenty of pets in the shelters -- and I found one! A cute little fox terrier named Poppy. She's officially moved in as of today, so she's still a little shy and getting used to her new surroundings but so far it's been great! She's such a sweet little pup.

Exactly, plus pets are family, not accessories. And while designer breeds absolutely deserve better than the awful conditions of puppy mills where so many of them come from, it's always better to adopt than shop. There are so many amazing dogs waiting for a second chance at life. And hopefully one day the all the puppy mills and the backyard breeders will finally just be shut down so that every animal can have a happy, healthy life with people who genuinely care for them. You’re going to make one pup incredibly lucky! I can't wait to see who you end up with!

[charlierhodes]

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES 3.20 — "Gossip"

[charlierhodes]

Your posts about Max might have had a little something to do with it, but can you blame that face for making others want one of their own? I'm gonna try to make it down this weekend and see if I can find my own little doggo to be annoying about.

I'm probably one of the people guilty of that, aren't I? I pretty much immediately turned into the most obnoxious dog dad as soon as I got Max, I keep expecting someone to tell me to shut up already (either about Max or about work, it's a tossup some days). I can wholeheartedly recommend the experience, though -- my place feels a lot less empty these days.

[charlierhodes]

I'm totally opting for the shelter, as cute as like getting those designer breeds are, they're not always the greatest pet. And mostly that's what I want, a pet. Not an accessory. I'm gonna try to make it down to the shelter to meet the pups this weekend, but we'll see how it goes!

Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! Though, I wouldn't necessarily call getting a puppy a trend, it's definitely a commitment and saying trend could have people thinking you're going to get rid of it when it's no longer a puppy. But I know you're totally not like that so I say yes! Go for it! There's so many at the shelter and they all really deserve a loving home, to know that you're giving a pup that cozy furever home is such a great feeling!

[charlierhodes]

Honestly I feel more disconnected from your life than I ever have before! Between my new job and your new beau, we've been super busy. I love it for us though, don't take this as me complaining! We'll for sure have to meet up for a puppy play date though, if all goes well and I find myself a furry friend. I'll have to make some time to go down to the shelter, maybe this weekend? If you're free, you should totally tag along. Maybe bring Elle to meet her future bestie?

Ahh!!! That's such a good idea though, Char! Then we can have little puppy play dates! Wait, have you even met Elle yet ever since Seth convinced me to take her in? I think we need to make it happen! And I'm sure the shelter has tons of cute little pups waiting for homes. You know what? Maybe you can even namedrop me too while adopting! I mean, the head honcho over there is both my brother's boyfriend and my boyfriend's close friend, so I feel like that's gotta do something for you! Maybe get you some free puppy toys or something.

[charlierhodes]

Um, doggies can totes go to work with you! They totally have a history with firemen, don't they? It works, don't argue with the logic and just go with it. Besides, how cute would it be if our local FD had a mascot?

But yeah, probably a shelter puppy. I don't think I could bring myself to use a breeder, as much as I'd love a purebred. Mutts are just as deserving as designer breeds.

I’m in the same boat. Thing is I feel guilty with leaving a pup alone while I work one of my 24hr or even the rare 48hr shift because I don’t want to leave the little ball of fluff on its own. Been thinking about following in my brother’s footsteps and getting a rabbit. Not the huge one he has but a small one. It’ll make it easier to bring it to work with me.

Are you thinking about getting a shelter pup?

[charlierhodes]

So I've been scrolling through social media, and I swear, every other person is getting a puppy. I might just need to join the trend. But just a cute, little puppy, you know? It'd be kind of nice coming home to a sweet little face after work.

[charlierhodes]

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) dir. Howard Hawks

[charlierhodes]

I don’t have any experience with building sets, but I’m pretty handy with decorating and design! I could definitely help make everything look cute once it’s built? I know, so not helpful.

does anybody have any experience building sets? the tippy toes dance academy christmas recital is coming up and we need a few sets built! i can do the painting, but i just don't know what i'm doing when it comes to tools!

[charlierhodes]

Ooh, The Brother's Grimm Spectaculathon sounds like so much fun! I wish I had time to audition, but between work and everything else, I don't know if I could swing it. You’re gonna kill it as a narrator, though! That’s like…perfect for you. As for Halloween, I have a few ideas bouncing around! I was thinking of going as a cute witch this year. You know, something fun and classic, but then I also thought about being an old-school Hollywood starlet, like Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn. What about you and Ana? Are you guys matching again this year?

Just a heads up for anyone who has an itch to get on the stage, whether it's your first time or you've been in a show more times than you can count - the community theater is holding last minute auditions for The Brother's Grimm Spectaculathon on Monday evening! So come on out and stretch those acting chops. Is that a saying? I might be making it up... oh well. Anyway, I'm already set for one of the narrator roles, but the great thing about this show is there are SO many parts available and if we don't get a big enough turnout, it's easy to double up on roles. So either way, it's worth a shot to try out, right? Also, what's everyone's plans for Halloween this year? Got your costumes picked out? I'm all ears, I feel like I haven't talked to some of y'all in too long.

[charlierhodes]

Oh my gosh, don't even remind me that I still need to figure out a costume! We only have a month until Halloween and I haven't even started thinking about it. I always say I'm going to do better and plan ahead, and yet every year I find myself trying to throw something together last minute. Also I don't know who those people are... are they on Broadway?

Okay, so I already have two separate Halloween costume ideas half formed in my head, but I spent the first chunk of my staycation binge watching anything and everything the almighty algorithm put in front of me (plus a few of the recs I got a few weeks back, I said I would), and like.

If there were MAYBE a handful of ladies around town who wanted to coordinate as Agatha Harkness’ coven from Agatha All Along….

I could PROBABLY be convinced to be your Wanda Maximoff.

Just sayin’.

(Yes, The Ballad of the Witches’ Road IS stuck in my head, why do you ask? I blame Patti F*ckin’ LuPone.)

[charlierhodes]

I wish I could get into reading like that, but I’ve never been much of a reader. I guess I just prefer watching shows or scrolling through social media for my entertainment. But if you’re looking for something romantic, I’ve heard great things about The Rosie Project. It’s supposed to be really cute and funny! As for psychological reads, maybe something like The Silent Patient? I've seen a lot of buzz about it, so maybe it's worth checking out?

Something I didn't realized I missed until recently was reading. It's been so long since I've been able to make time for myself and last weekend I was finally able to and sat down to read. It was very therapeutic and entertaining. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm mostly interested in romance (not the dirty kind) or a good psychological read.

[charlierhodes]

Honestly, I totally get that! I was a bit of a busy bee when I was younger, too. I tried singing, dancing, gymnastics, and of course, figure skating. Competitive skating was my absolute favorite until junior high, but I had to let it go after my injury. But I remember how exciting it was to learn something new every time. As for dance studios, I think we have one in town, but I haven't personally looked into it so don't quote me on it. I know there's a few really good ones in Philadelphia if you're willing to drive her there for her lessons, but I know how hard and demanding that can be with school and work schedules.

You know, I should have known my daughter would have just as many interests as I did growing up. First, she wanted to play sports. Then she wanted to learn an instrument. So she started playing basketball and tennis, and she's learning how to play the guitar. Now, she told me she wants to take dance classes. I'm just sitting here going 'there are only so many hours in a day, child', but I will find a way to make sure she can start taking dance lessons. Does anyone know of any good dance studios in the area?