Kenni, Jensen, and Work

I'm sitting at the kitchen table working on a sketch of Jensen Ackles, but my puppy is very distracting. She keeps jumping up on her hind paws to stick her face in my view, slobbering all over my face in the process. So, I told her to go get her rat- a black, squeaky, plastic rat- a halloween decoration I bought her last October. It's now missing an ear, one paw, and the tip of it's tail, but it still squeaks, and it's her favorite. That, and the squeaking, rubber chicken. So she brought it to me and we play keep-the-rat-away-from-Kenni, our favorite game, second only to throw-the-tennis-ball-and-watch-Kenni-chase-it-bring-it-back-and-pry-it-from-her-death-grip game. I held the rat to my right, she jumped for it. I moved it to the left. She raced around my chair and jumped for it. I moved it to my right, back to the left, right, left,right, repeat...I love sitting here and letting her tire herself out by running around and around my chair. She loves it too. Then I tossed it down the hall and she went after it. Back to the drawing... Kenni brings the rat back.
"Later, Kenni," I told her. Grabbing my pencil, I prepare to shade Jensen's jaw and cheek. Kenni pressed her head against my arm. I couldn't ignore her cute face. I reached down to pet her, but petting was not nearly enough for my hyper pup. She literally jumped off the floor and into my lap, like my cat would. Like she's a chihuahua instead of the huge mutt she is. Well, she's not huge, huge, but she's too big to be jumping on people. Does that ever stop her?
Absolutely not.
Of course, I am the one who taught her this. Not on purpose. She likes to stand on her hind legs with her front legs on my lap so I can hug her and pet her, and occasionally I pick her up under her arms like a toddler and set her in my lap, I just can't resist. It's kinda funny. She puts one paw on each of my shoulders and starts licking my face with ferver, completely ecstatic to be so close to me. She's a cuddler. She plops right down on top of you and sticks her face against your cheek, pressing her body as close as she can possibly get. There is no such thing as personal space for this puppy. Most of the time she's like a second skin.
She doesn't sit still long enough to be a pillow, though. The other night I was watching a horror movie in my room. It's late, dark, I am the only one home until Feb. 6th, and a very hair-raising scene begins. I thumped my hand against the mattress in front of me.
"Come on, Kenni! Up!" She's thrilled, and followed my instructions. I was under a cocoon of blankets, Billy- my sister's dog- was behind my head, sharing my pillow, and Kenni was under my left cheek. Twin size bed, I was surrounded in case any paranormal being decided to choose that moment to reach out and gently stroke an icy finger along my back. But Kenni wouldn't sit still. She wanted to play. It didn't work out too well. Billy, on the other hand, stayed statue-like, so I rested my head on her belly during the more frightening scenes.
Anyway, I just got a phone call from a fellow Barista. I should have been expecting this. I'm supposed to work 2 pm to close tomorrow. Sarah, a barista and friend, has class in the morning and has to open cafe. She couldn't find anyone to cover. Megan called Kori who called me. Kori is opening, and I'm now working 10 a.m. to close. 10-9. Yay. Least the store hours changed last sunday so now we close an hour early. Two hours early on fridays. Oh, well. I am desperate for the money anyway. Guess I'm not staying up insanely late tonight.