It's June 8, and I am trying to get a ton of things done today. At noon today, the Field Representative from Guide Dogs for the Blind will visit to begin the process of retirement of my dear sweet little yellow Lab Guide, madeline. She turned 10 on May 1, and I strongly believe that working a guide much past 10 years old is selfish. After all, the dear things need a pleasant few last years of retirement just as humans do. I know folks who do work them longer and for them, that's fine; it's just for me, doing so feels entirely selfish. After all the selfless years she's given me, this seems the least i can do for her. But boy, it's really quite sad.