Alright, I’m sitting here shaking my head. I thought everything was fine and dandy back home with the pups, Kona and Bella, but we still have not crossed the bridge to friendship yet.

Going home for spring break, I thought I was going to walk into a house that showcased two dogs chilling and hanging around together.

When I walked in the door it was mayhem. I did not know how psyched out of her mind Kona gets when people walk in the door, let alone me who only hung out with her once one month before.

It was like “Oh man! What are you doing here!? What is going on!?” At least I think that is what Kona was thinking.

She bolted at the door like I’ve never seen a dog run, she jumped all up and down on me, trying to lick me, all the while she was dancing around peeing. Yep, apparently that is her thing. She gets herself so amped up out of her mind, that the flood gates open.

Like, I want to get that excited to do something that I nearly pee my pants. Don’t get me wrong, I get excited about stuff, like seeing Dave Matthews Band, or the long awaited reunion with a great friend, but not quite so excited to pee … but close.

But never have I been like Kona. I need that excitement in my life.

Anyways, Kona wants—and to her, needs—to be stealing the show every second of the day.

Bella, my little pup, also my favorite because she has six years of seniority on the “Konester,” in the background, also really excited, but timid. She knows what is coming.

There is a fine line, maybe even a wall, between excited and “let’s chill out a bit,” and Kona busted down the wall with flying colors.

So, Kona begins to jump all over Bella, smacking her with her paws, and then Bella gets mad and then that keeps going for a few seconds.

Kona is only four months old, and she has only been around two months in my house with Bella. Life is not supposed to be perfect.

I think her pawing at Bella is like those instances in football games where one player is so fired up he starts pushing around his teammates in a “Let’s go!” kind of way; I think that is what Kona is doing.

Like, “Oh my goodness, Sean is home, Sean is home.”

I see the light at the end of the tunnel for these two. Reason being, no matter how much jumping on and pawing Kona does, Bella will still approach her. That becomes Bella’s fault if it happens again.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

I said last time that Kona likes crawling under the couches, in which she does not fit under anymore. She gets under but cannot get out, so we lift the couch and then she scurries out.

Well, she got stuck over break and Bella knew she did and popped a squat right at the end of the couch where Kona’s face was.

We are all just learning here. Bella is learning to have a younger sister, and Kona is learning to share the spotlight and, I think, how to use my backyard.

Since we got her in the winter, there was so much snow she could not get down the steps, so the deck was her wonderland.

Whatever. We are close, I just know that we have almost crossed the bridge.

And, like, I am learning that Kona does not like to play fetch outside. She will fetch 1,000 tennis balls inside, but throw one outside and it is like you are asking her to do flip.

It’s all about the process, baby.

Sean Hastings is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu.