While I hate to state the obvious, I suppose I should mention that my MySpace profile has recently undergone a face-lift! Of course, I realize most of you who take the time to read my ever-so-silly blogs have already noted this, but I figured I would give some credit where credit is due. As Chris in Toledo, Ohio pointed out, I must have an incredible "virtual interior decorator"! (Clearly not me. Although I fancy myself one hell of an interior designer, I'm sure you are all familiar by now with my lack of web skill… ) Anyhow, I give all of the praise & accolade to my dear friend, Mitch Ballard, and the guys at WV Magic Web Design (http://www.wvmagicdesign.com) They are unbelievable! I guess it truly IS all in who you know ;)

The Question: What do you get when you cross thousands of screaming country music fans, hundreds of George Strait belt buckles & Wynnona T-shirts, and one little ol' me? The answer: The CMA Music Festival. And that's no joke. Many of you have been writing to inquire about CMA Music Festival week, and my acoustic performance. Suffice it to say, I survived. I know this deserves a detailed (and trust me, comedic) narrative, but I'm just not sure I'm in the mood today to wax poetic about a sea of pink cowboy hats. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version: We had a blast, the performance went well (though my nerves got the better of my guitar playing…) and I met some wonderful people. It was an exhausting but exhilarating, two-venti-Starbucks-per-day kind of week!!


And now for a "Pup"date : As always, Bruiser is amazing. He has an affinity for the summer, because it means he gets special privileges that the girls do not. As he is the only dog who listens, and won't run off on me, he gets to accompany me outside to the grill. His little (ok, big and bulging) eyes light up as soon as I head toward the back door with a plate. This also means he gets a morsel of steak here and there, which would make any dog happy, much less a pug who thinks the world revolves around food. Bailey, on the other hand, isn't such a fan of this time of year. The poor thing has been terrified during our sometimes severe, Nashville summer storms. Thunder & lightning have turned my aloof, not-so-affectionate dog into something resembling a shivering, shaking, barnacle with fur. It's sort of pitiful, really… Last, but not least, I've come to the conclusion that I may have an idiot savant for a dog. God bless my sweet little Mia (Moose). As was made perfectly clear by the "Pottery Barn Bench Bolt Saga" a few months ago (for more info., read my blog "The CMA Music Festival, Mia's Medical Mess, & Other Pet Peeves"), Mia is sort of a Hoover. As in: the vacuum cleaner. She will eat damn near anything, which has somewhat been the bane of my dog-owner existence. This morning, however, she proved that she might just have some smarts after all… (please note: For all of you who think I'm being a cruel mother by saying this, you've never owned a Basset Hound. Sometimes there is a fine line between stubborn and dopey. She is intelligent only when she feels like it, but remains my sweet baby regardless!)

So the story goes like this:

Two days ago, as much as I hate to admit this to myself, I spotted a cockroach in my house. Insert a plethora of obscenities here. I went to grab a shoe so I could… well, use your imagination… but the little bugger ran off before I could catch him. I was NOT a happy woman. I have an old house, and we've had damp weather, so I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. He is an unwelcome guest, and I have enough pets already. Pets who don't turn my stomach, and who don't require me to purchase vats of Raid. Anyhow, I called Terminix and scheduled an appointment, so they can do what they do… a.k.a kill the little *@! CUT TO: This morning, I was in my kitchen, drinking my coffee, and checking my e-mail. Mia started getting vocal. This is generally how she lets me know she needs to go outside, but she'd just been out, so I chose to ignore her. Finally, she gave me no choice, as she was "shouting" at me. I turned to look at her... Damned if she wasn't standing over that cockroach! (Or at least a close relative) He was on his back, and she was ready to pounce if he tried to make an escape. My goofy girl, the cockroach-catcher! Some dogs fetch Frisbees, some locate missing children, mine is the Gladiator of Bugs. Go figure. I will say one thing, God has a sense of humor… So do dogs, evidently, which brings me to: If you have the opportunity to pick up a book on a rainy day, and you are as much of a dog-lover as I am ( even half of that would suffice), pick up "The Art Of Racing In The Rain" by Garth Stein. I'm laughing, I'm crying, and I'm giving my dogs extra attention. If that's possible... -Jenna