Full name: Nayla Luna Millin.

I don’t know if my wife will approve, but I’m sticking with it until I am “forced” to change it. Nayla was her given name, she’s mostly Akita, and has a wonderful temperament.

I got her from late-night Mountain listener and family friend, the Northern Wizard, who needed to find an adoptive family A.S.A.P. due to a not-so-happy landlord.

Now Nayla is our family pet and seems pretty happy about it too.

Craigslist is a sociologist’s gold mine…

As I’d posted on Sunday, I found a brownie - half of one, really. I posted my find, complete with an image on craigslist in the lost and found bulletin board, and basically forgot about it. I was being entirely self-indulgent, and self-humoring, and suspected it would go unnoticed for the most part, perhaps occasionally cracking a smile on the unsuspecting, stone-faced surfer…. I fully suspected that the title alone would have been enough to clarify anyone perusing the lost and found that the posting was likely to be satire. The posting is here if you haven’t seen it, or if you just prefer to be lazy, the content of the posting is as follows:

FOUND: One half of a brownie (DTC area) 

I was at work this morning and noticed a brownie was left on the foosball table, and realized immediately that it wasn’t my brownie, as I arrived to work today brownie-less. If this brownie belongs to you, please let me know and I’ll set it aside the next time I get to work for you to pick up from our receptionist. It’s half a brownie, and as far as I can tell without actually eating it, is chocolate.

To my surprise, I actually got a couple of responses…

About half a day after posting it, I received an email response simply stating “You are an idiot.” I can accept that someone might be compelled to anonymously leave the equivalent of a flaming bag of poo on my doorstep/inbox, but this person apparently stewed on my brownie positng, got really mad, and responded a second time, and in a rather acidic fashion. Again, this faceless, unnamed individual clumsily attempted to eviscerate me to the point that my very existence was questioned. Remember: This is as a direct result of a posting about a brownie. A brownie.

I’ve posted their response in its entirety, minus their email address:

You know there are people out there who are looking for a pet or have found a pet who are trying to do the right thing.  How stupid you are to take up space with this crap.  You must have no one that loves you at all. It  is not funny.  You are the reason things like craigs list do not work the way they should. You are an IDIOT! I will report you until they remove your post.  Real People have feelings you jerk. SHUT UP AN MYOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

SOMEBODY needs a self-help book…

Apparently, craigslist isn’t worried about this naysayer, because as of this afternoon, the posting is still there. I guess this “anger ninja” is in the minority.

Another person replied yesterday. This second persons’ response seemed a little more even-tempered.  In fact, “MB” sounds like my kinda people:

Your “Found Brownie” evoked an enlightening chuckle. When owner is found not all is in vain. A quick zap in the microwave will warm and soften it and it should be as good as the first half.  Milk might help too.  May you enjoy more interesting discoveries.  MB from Denver

Lesson for the day: Don’t take yourself - or anyone else for that matter - too seriously.

PEACE.    

I was on my way out the door after my Sunday shift when I passed by the foosball table and spied a lone brownie.

I suppose there isn’t anything all that weird about a baked good sitting somewhere random in the office, but it struck me as odd for a few reasons:

In our building, one can be rest assured that if food is left lying around (deliberately or otherwise) it will be consumed with fervor not unlike a swarm of locusts attacking a field of corn. Likewise - given the factor previously mentioned - folks tend to keep their food under armed guard….

Granted, it happens to be the weekend, and nobody is in the building to swarm…I decided that this brownie might be in trouble, so in an attempt to reunite owner and baked good, I posted my discovery on craigslist. The posting is here if you think this brownie might be yours.

Here is a picture of it so you can compare it to your missing snack. I hope this eases any emotional distress being felt at the notion of this orphaned brownie:

Carry on, wayward brownie…