I just finished writing resumes for…my dogs. I do not lie. Here’s a taste of Tootie’s:

Description: Tootie is a super friendly, well-behaved mixed breed that we rescued from the pound after she was abandoned. She is 3 years old, and has lived with us since she was 9 months old. She is a medium sized dog, weighing just over 40 pounds. She enjoys sleeping, lots of treats and long walks in the park. She is fully house trained and loves people. She is well adjusted to other dogs, as well, like her brother Cooper. She is my first pet dog, and we love her as if she was a child.

Health/Grooming: Tootie is in excellent health, save for the 5-7 extra pounds she carries around thanks to all the treats. She is on a regimen of flea and heartworm medicine that keeps her delightfully pest-free. She gets regular brushings outside to lessen her shedding. Her nails are clipped on a regular basis, about every 3 weeks. She is up-to-date on all her vaccinations and receives regular exams at Value Vet in Nashville, TN. Tootie is fed single protein holistic food that improves her temperament and keeps her nearly bark-free and very happy.

About Us: We have no children, so we cherish our dogs like they are our kids. We are adamant about responsible pet ownership—we exercise our dogs daily, they are trained to sit, stay, lie and come. On walks we always pick up the poo and dispose of it in our own trash bins—never someone else’s. When we go out of town Tootie stays at Almost Home Pet Farm, a kennel-free dog farm that allows for free roaming. Brittney has volunteered in the past for the Nashville Humane Society and is a contributor to DogsDeserveBetter.com, a dog welfare charity.

Reference: Our current landlord. Randy Neff can be reached at 615-###-0337. We did not have Tootie prior to this landlord. I wish Tootie could have come with us on the house hunting trip, but Mr. Neff can tell you about what a good tenant our Tootie has been.

This may actually be better than any resume I have written for myself. I even put her picture on it.

Cross-country blogging: I think I might try this tomorrow on my plane to Oakland. [via Rex]

I’m scouring the pages of Craiglist for Bay Area apartments, and every time I find a listing for a place in Twin Peaks I get all excited and giddy. WHAT IF I LIVED IN TWIN PEAKS?! Even if it isn’t a place where a yellow light means slow down, not speed up, I still think I could die happy.

I drove by the market on Cahal where an elderly woman was shot to death by a 14-year-old kid. It’s not my usual route, but I wanted to see if any more flowers or candles had been placed at the shop’s door. I found that the place was pretty much covered with well wishes in the form of bouquets.

I pulled over and got out of the car. I walked toward the market to get a better view of the scene and to take a few snaps with my phone. I informed a young woman who was looking at me warily, despite all the news crews gathering, that I was just a local stopping to pay my respects. She told me, “That’s fine, baby,” as she pulled her ten-year-old son closer to her. There was a palpable sense of mourning, but also apprehensiveness. It was a stranger who shot this long-time matron of the community. Because I had never stepped foot in the store, and because I had never met Mrs. Classie Wilson, I too was a stranger.

I didn’t expect to shed tears for a woman I’d never met. But something about her senseless death has stayed with me in these past few days, unlike the other murders that sometimes happen in this city. I didn’t expect to feel so raw when I stepped closer to the flowers left by loved ones, the barely flickering votive candles lined up in memory of the woman so many people called Mom. But the tragedy of the entire thing was inescapable.

Loose cigarettes. He shot her over a few cigarettes that he wasn’t even old enough to legally buy. This kid was arrested at his middle school. None of it makes any sense.

Mrs. Classie is heavy on my heart today, a woman I never met. May she rest forever in peace.

Because I am a life-long Cincinnati baseball fan (huh?), Mastercard is offering me my very own Reds credit card. How did they know?!