Saturday, May 27, 2006


My goofy dog.

Meet Sitka the Mal, age 20 months. I found Sitka through the Alaskan Malamute Help League, a rescue organization, last summer. I'd just lost my doggie buddy of 15 years, Loki, and was seriously sad. But this little girl just weaseled her way into my heart... she's a true character: playful, affectionate, bratty, nasty, sneaky and sweet. In other words, a typical mal.

Depending on her mood, "mal" can mean "maladjusted", "malevolent", or even "malicious". When she's a sneaky little bum who grabs my spot on the bed, she's a "malingerer". And sometimes when she comes in out of the rain, she can be a bit "malodourous". Her habit of running into chairs, walls, etc. makes her somewhat "maladroit". And like her human, she's a total "malcontent".