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On this day, eight years ago, shortly after midnight, my bedroom door was frantically flung open. Startled, I sat straight up as the very-much-awake-voice of my sister announced the anticipated words, "Mocha is in labor." The rest of the night I spent crouched in awkward positions watching my one-year-old puppy birth ten little pups of her own. Eventually, we sold all of those pups but one. A pudgy male pup. Thankfully within the year in which I bought Mocha I became enthralled with names. As such, this big pup received a better name than some coffee type, Jarrett Wellington. Jarrett because his father was Payton, named for Walter Payton. And Walter Payton's son's name was Jarrett. And Wellington because on this day in 1815 the Duke of Wellington defeated Bonaparte at the battle of Waterloo. Back then I loved anything and everything to do with the Napoleonic Wars and I still do. As a fourteen-year-old, I thought his name was awesome now as a 22-year-old, I think it is amazing.

Me with Mocha during my Chicago-Bulls-T-shirt-wearing-frizz-head days . The other day our Vet called her Moch for short in his Kansas accent. I think that is the first time I was happy about her name.

I have been playing around with my Hipstamatic app on my iPod... So here are some of those pics

Josh takes several pics as well....

Sorry to those who are big dog fans, but they're always there when I want to take a picture...

I was slightly taken aback to see this dead creature right outside my window, but I quickly regained my composure and was out snapping picture within seconds.