A Word from Benji

Hi, all.  I have to tell you, I'm a little worried about my Mom.  For a long time now, she has been taking us from house to house, living sometimes with Aunt Chris, sometimes with our friend Katrina, and sometimes with Grandma and Grandpa. Whenever we get in the car, I never know where I'm going to end up.  I know it's a big move, though, when we bring our suitcases and my food and toys. We used to visit sometimes, but now we always visit.  We don't go home any more.

We don't seem to have our own normal place any more.  I think maybe we are homeless now.

She has also been unusually sad.  I know that Grandma is sick because we visit her at the nice place with lots of sick Grandmas there.  And when Grandma was home, she slept a lot and I had to be quiet a lot.  I think that is why my Mom is so sad now.  

But Grandma is cool.  She calls me her Grand-pup and feeds me table scraps.  No one else does it, but Grandma seems to do a lot of things that are against the rules.

And Grandpa learned to like me.  Sometimes he would play with me in the evenings, tug my toy and throw it around the room for me to fetch. He took me outside a few times but we didn't get along well.  He didn't know how to use my spring-loaded leash and he just tugged on me like I'm a dumb dog or something.

At Aunt Chris's, we had lots of fun.  I love my cousin Sammy and we wrestle and play-bite and play-fight all over the place.  I steal his bed and we pretend-fight about it.  And our walk is to the graveyard down the road and sometimes I get to run off leash behind there when the ground is not too wet.  I love Aunt Chris.  She's the next best thing to Mommy, but she has been sad and a little irritable lately, too.  Everyone seems to be worrying a lot.

At Katrina’s, I get great walks around the condos and the pond, and I get to play “tug” with her, too.  She even hand fed me once when I was a little unsure about eating there.  I’m a pretty lucky dog.  People like me.

And now, we're flying again.  I love the adventures!  But just like with the car, I never know where I'm going to get out of the plane.  Will I be in that wonderful green place with the big Redwoods and squirrels where we used to go to the river paths and the dog park? [Sacramento]  Or will we be in one of those dry desert places?  I love the one that lets me run around the airport.  That's the coolest place of all for dogs.  [Phoenix]  Or, are we going to run outside for just a little bit in the coolest freshest air you ever felt, and then have to get right back on the plane again?  [San Diego]

I'm feeling a little down, to tell you the truth.  I was OK until this plane ride, and I'll get right again when we get out.  I remember home, and sometimes I think we should go back there.

I hope Grandma gets better soon.

If you see my Mom, maybe you can tell her that we should get a real home again someday.