Hey, What's Up, Hello... Again

It has been way, way, wayyyy too long since I've done a blog post.

I haven't written a single blog post since June of 2023. Life's been a lot lately, but that's a different story for a different day.

If you've been following along on Instagram or TikTok (@herrunningtails on both), then you have a solid idea of what's been going on. But just in case you missed something, here's an all-in-one recap you didn't know you even wanted, and more detailed blog posts will come soon.

I Got A New Dog... Or Two.

First came Tito... A very small, very cute, very friendly little dog managed to find his way onto the campus where I teach. No one else could get him to leave, so I tried. No matter what gate I put him over, under, or through, the little guy came back and found me. I guess he knew right then that I was his, and he was mine. It's been just over a year together, and he's made me come to enjoy certain small dogs.

A little less than year after Tito showed up, another small, cute, friendly little dog made its way to my classroom. Through a series of failed attempts throughout the day to find his home or somewhere soft for him to land, he ended up coming home with me. Dog Dad fell in love pretty much instantly, and that's how we ended up with Darwin.

You'll get more detailed intro posts all about Tito and Darwin soon.

I Dabbled In Dog Sports.

I started off just wanting to volunteer and see what a FastCAT trial looked like. Next thing I knew I had made a new friend, fallen in love with a new sport, joined a dog club, signed up for dog sport classes, titled my first dog, and had taken over as the Trial Chair for that club's FastCAT events.

Starting in January, I'll officially be the Trial Chair for the club's FastCAT events. This means I'm getting a crash course in how to run events, manage volunteers, and make sure everyone has a great time. So far I'm loving it.

I Considered (and then decided on) Changing Careers.

Teaching for the last eleven years has had its share of ups and downs, and I'd be crazy not to wonder what something else might be like. I started researching different online vet tech programs, spent a week shadowing in a local emergency vet's office, and then worked part time at the local humane society. Ultimately, I did go back to teaching for the time-being; I just couldn't jump head first into something I had so many questions about. I made it a couple of months before I realized I'm doing myself, my students, and the teaching profession more harm than good by staying. This will be my final year in education for the foreseeable future.

I Entered My Reading Era.

Just like every other millennial woman struggling with their real life seems to be doing: I turned to books. I dipped into the cauldron with ACOTAR, flew head first into the Empyrean series, refused to yield until I'd conquered all of TOG, and walked between the worlds of the Crescent City series (and so much more). Nothing in the real word can measure up to Fae romances, battles atop dragons, and worlds where you can have everything you never knew you needed with just a drop of magic.

I Signed Up For My First Half Marathon.

My impulsivity really needs to start matching my reality. I registered for the 2025 Disney Princess Half Marathon... I've never done a half marathon. As of this exact moment, I haven't started training for said half marathon. I have no earthly clue what I was thinking. Maybe it was the nostalgia; remembering that running used to be my happy place and craving that feeling all over again. Who knows? But either way I'll be in Disney World at the end of February.

I Finally Finished Embark Testing Everyone.

I'm a little obsessed with Embark DNA testing for dogs. With so many dogs with so many distinct behaviors and needs, it just makes me feel like I know them a little bit better. Over the last year I finally got around to testing Rudy, Yondu, Tito, and Darwin. I'll have to do a post with the whole pack's break downs. Aside from just their breeds, I find the health information helpful to have since I'm always a worrywart.

I Started Repping For New Brands.

Little and Lovely does amazing work with pet tags, human accessories, and more. When I wear my L&L earrings, everyone always comments on how cute they are. I even got a custom name tag for my new pet. You can use the code RunningTails10 to save on your order when the shop reopens on January 8th. Check out the storefront at Little and Lovely Resin Shop.

Harlow & Oak take loving your pet up a notch with customized gear and art of all kinds. I snagged one of the custom dupes before they were discontinued, full-color drawings of the pups, and a car detail (which I still can't decide where exactly to place). My code for H&O is RunningTails10 and there's plenty to look through on their site: https://www.shopharlowandoak.com/

I continue to represent Get Your Auss In Gear, which offers products to remind you to get your Auss going and cute bandanas that make you actually want to take your dog out and show them off. You can use the code RunningTails15 at https://getyouraussingear.com/ to save on your order. Holiday prints are available now with guaranteed delivery before Christmas if you order by November 29.

I've been so grateful to be part of these rep teams, and hope to continue with all of them. I'm also currently in talks with a new brand that I hope to add to the line up soon.

I Recognized That I Was Struggling.

It's no secret that mental health is something we all should be paying attention to, but for some reason I've always been great at giving that advice without taking it. Over the last year or so I've had to come to terms with the fact that despite my best efforts: I'm not okay right now. It's an ongoing journey. Just know that the conversation about mental health will never be over, so I'm sure I'll have more to say as I keep navigating through the tough times.

Overall, things have been steady. I guess that's better than having things be wild and crazy and all over the place. A lot has changed, with even more change coming soon-ish. It's been hard to come to terms with some of it, because I am a creature of habit... even when the habit isn't good for me anymore.

I'm excited to get back to blogging, and hope I can bring something new to readers with every keystroke.

Thanks for reading this tail, and here's to many more.

Danielle