I know it's spring now because the ice cream man is parked outside the school where I tutor, and as I'm walking inside to start work, some of the kids are walking home with ice cream. I bet that ice cream man is a rich man, or as rich as ice cream men can be. Isn't it funny how it's perfectly acceptable to buy things from men in trucks, but not to take?

Camille, I wonder if your animal dilemma would be affected by having a pet. I for one, was terrified of dogs when I was younger, and they all seemed to me like they were going to eat my face. I once was on a walk with my grandmother, and a large (to my slightly shorter 5 year old self,) black dog came rather close, and started to bark at us. I dropped her hand and ran, and we hustled it back home.
Then, I met Jamie's dog and we were best pals. Another classmate of ours had an intimidating Rottweiler, who liked me best of all our friends and siblings, and liked especially to sit next to me while I played Pretty Pretty Princess.
Both of them were big black dogs, and I think I liked them so much because they made me confront my fear in its actual form, kind of like a Boggart.

-Karen