Updates

The car trouble: We gave up on the key search and got Triple-A to come out and try and access the car. No luck. Then we called The. Best. Locksmith. EVER. This consummate professional managed to get into the car without tripping off the alarm system, and just as we'd suspected, one set of keys was locked in the trunk. It's been 3 weeks and the other set has still not showed up, but we got a valet key made when we finally got the car in for service.

The dog: Astro has made himself right at home. He's a sweetie, very affectionate, definitely housebroken, figured out the electric fence very quickly. He already has a girlfriend (an older, blonder lady Lab across the street). The downside is, he's a chewer. He will chew anything. Along with the usual dog temptations (shoes, stuffed animals, trash, unattended food), he's chewed/shredded/destroyed:

• two different laundry baskets;
  
• several items of clothing sitting in said baskets;
• corner of needlepoint Christmas pillow;
  
• corners of the 1970s oak kitchen table in the laundry room;
• the dog bed and the ratty towels we use for drying the dogs off;
  
• drywall;
• woodwork.

These last two items forced us to take the step of getting him a (giant) crate. One, because he might feel calmer having a den to hide out in, since our house is probably a lot to get used to. "Calmer" would hopefully equate to "less prone to chewing." And two, so our house is still standing when we get home. Eating the house is not OK. We set it up and inserted our new Orvis Tough-chew dog bed as an incentive. Both dogs were clearly experienced with crates from their time pre-us. They seemed totally unfazed, immediately climbed in there and snuggled up. Hopefully they'll still be happy when we actually lock the gate.

The earring: Found! I went back to our friend's house, where we'd been the previous night, and there it was, sitting on the doorstep. Almost like it was waiting for me.