New puppy settling in!

So, we have a new member of the family as of last Saturday! His name is Dozer--because he's a stubborn puppy and he's going to be a BIG guy. Probably bigger than Graham wanted, but he and Cinnamon hit it off so well he was clearly the right choice.

I had originally applied to adopt the smallest of these boxer mix puppies, and I drove about an hour on Saturday to go meet him and see how he and Cinnamon got along, after the app got approved. But the lady whop had him went to the wrong place, and she wasn't going to come all the way out and wouldn't be back until Sunday... and since I couldn't come back, I decided to see how Cinnamon got along with the other boys in the litter. Dozer was the second puppy she met, and within about ten seconds of sniffing they were play-bowing to each other. I took him home around 5 on Saturday, and at first he was very nervous about the new surroundings--but by late evening he was coming out of his shell and not so scared! It's been a rough week adjusting my schedule to puppy needs, but we're getting there. He and Cinnamon are playing well together, and the real miracle is this: Cinnamon's crate destruction has just CEASED. One time I even came home after a two or three hour absence and went upstairs and she was still curled up in her crate when I got there.

I'm practicing a bit, finally, and learning four or five new songs for the Schubert Institut CD.

Scholarship and grant applications didn't go so great--I did manage to get an application in for funding from the International Institute. A long shot, but since it IS related to my dissertation, I have a grain of hope. It would be nice to go to Austria and polish half my first dissertation recital with top-notch coaches and world-class Lieder singers and pianists. That wouldn't suck. I can't wait for Ana Maria to get back so we can get working and send off the CD.

CEW app went awry--they called last week, a week after Prof. Sheil sent her letter, and told me they'd received no recommendations. I still need to call them and find out if that has changed--must do it first thing Monday. The past couple of days have been busy, and I keep forgetting to do it first thing in the AM. :p Self-sabotage much?

Dogs are curled up on the couch right now, with their little rear ends together. They make a backwards S. It's adorable.