Don't Stop Believing, Let's Get This Party Started

Congratulations are in order for Penny The Puppy.  Last night was her final exam and graduation from Puppy class.  It was six hard weeks of learning to sit, stay, leave it, and shake and somehow they said she could graduate.  I personally think she passed because she was a cute girl, but that isn't the first time someone in her family earned a higher grade based on beauty #joke.



When we arrived to class I could tell that Penny was a little nervous she ran to the classroom first in order to feel comfortable with her surroundings and mentally prepare for the hardest part of her final, leave it.

Chiquito and Simba made their way to class and their nerves were evident too.  They waited in anxious anticipation for their teacher Tia Gloria to come with their tests.  Tia walked in and told us that we would test in the order that the puppies arrived, which meant Penny would be first.  Penny then shot me a death stare for being chronically punctual with a look that read, "how dare you!"

She walked up with the confidence of a teenage boy and added a little swagger to her step.  We waited to for our instruction.  Sit and Down.  Easy.  Penny sat before i even told her and laid down with ease.  She earned her treat and pranced back to her seat head held high.

Chiquto and Simba also handled this challenge will and it was time for round two.  Penny strutted to the testing site ready for anything.  Tia Gloria then moved her seat right next to penny with enough dog treats to stuff a horse.  She then held a huge piece out for Penny and told her to leave it.  Penny looked at it and gobbled it up in .4534 nanoseconds.

Everyone laughed and her confidence was shaken.  We tried again and this time Penny showed impulse control, probably because she gave herself a belly ache.

The rest of the testing was a breeze, sit and stay, meet and greet with out jumping, and shake were done to perfection.

With all the puppies gathered in one room they were deemed graduates and given their diplomas.  Penny named herself the valedictorian of her class and gave a moving speech.

She spoke about the importance of chasing your dreams and never giving up.  Finding bowls full of chicken and how to work your angles to look cuter and get more treats and affection.  She spoke of her dreams for the future to help bring world peace.  She ended with a beautiful rendition of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" (of course it was changed to Puppy in the mirror, and she tried to attack her reflection.)

She then ran around the room giving high fives and kisses.  When she was done being the belle of the ball we snapped a few graduation shots and basked in her glory.



She left PetSmart feeling smarter and brighter than any puppy that ever came before her or will come after her.  She then looked at a little down trodden puppy that pooped on the floor of the store and said:

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Two Smart Cookies!

I have some pretty major news to share with you today.  These two girls are going back to school!

So maybe that is not the most exciting news of most of you.  But for this little professional student and her puppy it is pretty exciting.

[caption id="attachment_1359" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The email telling me I was in![/caption]

I am heading to Chapman University in Orange County to earn a PhD in Education emphasizing in Leadership.  I promise this is the last time I will ever say anything this pretentious on the blog again, except for when I graduate with said degree.  You can bet your sweet booty I will remind you of all the work I put in for four to five years.

Going back to school was probably one of the most agonizing decisions I have ever made. I had a lot of details to try and work out in my mind.  Do I have time? Do I want to write papers for grades again? Can I still work and go to school?  If I take out student loans will Obama finally forgive them?  Will people invite me to sit at the cool kids table?  You know all the normal questions a student goes through.

I decided it was time to take the plunge and just dive in and let everything figure itself out.  I do not know what my job will let me do in terms of full time or part time.  I do not know what my income will be or how much I will need to take out in loans. I do not know how it ail will work out, but I know it will work out.  I have a great peace that this is the right decision for me to get where I want to be in my career goals: you know only teaching classes three days a week, writing books, and traveling the world all in the name of education.

As I write this post Penny is sitting here forcing me to play catch with her.  Forcing is the right verb by the way.  She jumps on the couch, then on my stomach, drops her tennis ball on my laptop, and then bites my hand if I do not throw the ball in the next 3.689 nano seconds.

While we are playing catch Penny wanted me to remind you that she is also going to school.  She has been taking puppy classes at Pet Smart for the last month and she is pretty sure she is the baddest dog in California.

[caption id="attachment_1360" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Penny: leader of the pack![/caption]

 Penny has had a very interesting run at her education.  The first week we were in class she was the star student.  She sat patiently and watched the teacher, she was the example student, and she didn't bark or bite once.  Week 2 we had a private lesson because someone had to work  at Open House for the school she works for.  The third week Penny decided she was comfortable and that she needed to be the class clown.  She was placed on two time outs and was not allowed to play, because she tried to bite Chiquito.

Then week four came and she became the child I am proud of.  She was back to being good and being comfortable.  She sat at one end of an isle and stayed until I called her from the other side.  When I told her to be nice to Simba she was nice to Simba.  When other dog owners had treats Penny didn't distract everyone and then sneak over and eat ALL. THE. TREATS. (that was a week three adventure).

I am pretty sure that Penny's issues with school are going to be my issues with school.  I will show up week 1 and be shy and everyone will think I am so nice and quiet.  Then Week 2 I will sit towards the front maybe talk to a professor about an assignment on my own and make a friend or two.

Week 3 I might get too big for my britches and answer too many questions in class, or worse ask too many annoying questions in class when everyone is ready to go home.  I might try and bite the gentleman sitting next to me with a Latin name, maybe  Jose or Juan Pablo.  I will have to be in time out twice and I will not like it. But by week 4 I will have settled into my new surroundings and will be fun and confident in myself and maybe even make a few friends along the way.

I really hope no one at Chapman knows about my blog and reads this post.  I am pretty sure that comparing my future doctoral degree to my dog's PetSmart diploma is a huge party foul.  A party foul I am bound to commit again and again.

PS - Penny wants to invite you to her graduation party which will take place in three weeks.  If you can not make it to Southern California you can send your congratulations to her in the form of cash money, addressed to me.