Shananagan

Today is the third birthday of this sweet little girl.

I recall late summer of 2006, my mother and I frequented the pet store. It was to fill a void in my life after dear sammy had been, misplaced. I never really liked that yappy rat looking thing, she was much better as the neighbors dog than as our dog. Nonetheless, some things can and must be used to my full advantage.

My mom and I had fallen in love with a great dane. We named her Dorothy and she was to die for. But a great dane was slightly bigger than the type of dog my parents would appreciate living in our home. I then spotted a schnauzer, this is one of the breeds my dad loves, and seeing that his birthday was a week away I thought that having him come to the pet store he would fall in love with it and everything in the world would be good again. *Note: I have not forgotten about Maxwell, I was only thinking of him and the benefits of bringing home a friend to him.

After a lot of convincing and a secret converstion my parents had of "take her to the pet store, turn her down, and shut her up!" My father and I were on our way to (hopefully) come home with a schnauzer. The anticipation had me overwhelmed with excitment beyond the thrill of a child entering disneyland for the first time (Not that I know what that's like). We walked in and I went straight to the cage with little schnuaz. To my dismay my father rejected him in about .3 seconds but he curiously walked around scoping out all the other schnoodle-shi's and pomer-ador-tzu's that petland had.

I asked the khaki'd out employee if I could hold the schnauzer..since we both had been rejected and should spend time together in the play area. After I had managed to dry my eyes and accept defeat, I was not getting a puppy today, I stood up and said "where's my dad?" To which the employee replied "he's in there". I look over the edge, into play area #2, and there he is, playing with a yellow lab puppy. I stood in shock, do I laugh? Do I cry? Do I take the dog and run home before he changes his mind? I simply stepped into the pen and sat down and said "I love the name Annie" and his response "Yes, I was thinking Annabelle".

The drive home was a blast, we didn't tell my mother. We went home and she asked how it was and my dad said "fine, it's a pet store". She then walked into the kitchen, shut the basement door, to see me standing there holding Annabelle...her new best enemy.

Happy birthday Annabelle, Shanterbelle, Annerbelle, Bella, Shanana-banana, Belles, Annie! You've lasted second longest in the Christensen home! I will shred one of every pair of my shoes in your honor.