For the record, I (Christopher) find one transition in the post below confusing. When Gwenda writes that "...he went to work, voluntarily" she's referring to me (the boyfriend) not George (the dog).

And I'm not going to write at the coffee shop, I'm going to read comic books. Or possibly finish The Fall of the Kings by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. I highly recommend this book, which can be read in several ways. The best way to read it is to remember that the character Justis Blake is the moral and spiritual center of the book. And the best dancer.