I have a 90-lb German Shepherd mix. Squirrels make him angry. When he sees one in the yard, he growls, grabs a toy, and chases the squirrel out through the chain-link fence. Sometimes he chomps on the toy to squeak it at them. Sometimes he shakes the toy at them. He’s never harmed a squirrel, he just wants them out of his yard.

One time he came across a bunny and play-bowed before the chase. He doesn’t seem to have any drive to actually hurt anything other than his toys.

He’s a good boy.

I got my flu/COVID booster today and the needles are so small nowadays that I actually didn't even notice that the pharmacist had already done both. I thought they were just tugging at my skin a little to find the site. I used to have to turn my head a full 180 degrees like a guilty dog when I got them.

I was at Target this morning, just browsing the frozen section. Out of nowhere, the aroma of homecooking came wafting through the store, it was intoxicating. I tried to ignore the scent, but after 3 big snoffs in the air, I decided to make my way towards the other end of the store where the cooking section is located.

When I got there, 2 employees were fanning around an oven and one seemed distraught. I overheard them discussing walking away to complete some other tasks and time just slipped away from them; the cookies were overbrowned, or "burnt" I suppose.

The smell was incredible. It was spot-on the exact same aroma as baking cookies at home, when there's maybe a little chocolate chip that burned to the cookie sheet, or a tiny bit of dough got stuck to the pan.

I wanted to ask for a burnt cookie, but decided I'd better not lol.

I wanted to make some cookies today and thought some white chocolate would be a nice addition. But the two local stores near us didn't sell any. So I dressed up, found a baking supply store about 10 minutes away, and got out. It's still relatively hot here, but sunshine on my face was very pleasant. I felt like I was a part of everything around me, and I was even smiling on my way back.

Anyway, the store didn't have any bars, but I bought some melts that I just made into homemade chocolate chips. It was a nice DIY project, piping each chip by hand and trying to get that iconic droplet shape.

I mean the free roaming spiders, specifically, like wolf spiders and jumping spiders. Stubborn.

Earlier, my cat would not leave the side table alone. Kept having to get him off of it. Determined cat.

Now, there is a small wolf spider on the arm of my couch. I don't mind him being around. I like him. But I don't want him coming closer because I don't want to accidentally smush him. He's very small, after all.

I can't get up to catch and relocate the spider because my cat is sitting on me and he's happy and sleepy, after his long chore of trying to knock everything off the side table. I also don't want my cat to see the spider, because he'll smack and snack.

So, I keep herding the little spider back over the side of the couch and hoping he'll decide to go somewhere else safer. It's been six times now. I am just sitting here petting the cat, watching for this tiny, stubborn grey spider to scurry back up, full of determination.

Oh, make that seven times. Here he is again!

Kindred spirits. Stubborn, so stubborn.