Hey everyone! I'm Bucky. I like to eat everything in my house. I like to wake my owner up at 2 AM and 6 AM and I am only satisfied when I am covered in dirt.

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On Saturday, March 20, a red mini van arrived at my house. When I walked outside I tried my hardest to look professional, but I couldn't contain my excitement. Like a child standing over another child opening a birthday present, I was more then happy to help the man open the car door. I looked into the cluttered van to see two cages and four dogs. The older dogs were on the seat above and the puppies were in cages on the floor. The black one, slamming itself against the cage walls, was Bratchet. The yellow one, asleep on the hard ground, was mine. His name was Bucky.

Occupaws is a guide dog training association stationed in Wisconsin. Every year they distribute two or three litters of puppies to families willing to train them. To train a guide dog puppy you need to attend two meetings a month to learn commands and practice them, and you need to be willing to commit and work with your dog on your own everyday. First, you need to fill out an application. Then you get assigned a puppy who will go through a long process to see if it is healthy. Next, an Occupaws employee comes to your house to see if you, your house, and your family are fit for the job of training a puppy. Finally, you receive your puppy and your guide dog training manual filled with rules and commands that would blow your mind. You keep the puppy for a year, and return it fully trained. Finally the puppy is shipped off to California to harness train, and then given to its new owner. It is a long and hard process and it is a HUGE commitment--I've learned that and I'm only on day 3-- which is why of about 40 puppies, only 10 go on to become guide dogs.

So far, Bucky knows the command "come" and can hold his bladder for about 15 minutes. We are making progress, but we will still have a few sleepless nights here and there. Our first obedience class is tonight and I am desperately waiting to be around people who feel my pain. It will be a long journey, and a hard day when I give him up. Inside I have to remember that someone actually needs this mess of a dog, and its my job to provide it for them, in perfect condition. I also have to keep reminding myself that there are only about 362 days left (yes, I am counting).

Budget Cuts a.k.a Scott Walker

Author's Note: This is my response to Ms. Colque's seminar on Thursday. It states my opinion on what Scott Walker is doing with our state's money. Please comment your opinon- I won't be offended if it differs from mine.

Many people have started their responses with "I don't know what to think about Scott Walker passing the view" or stating their two seperate opinions. I think that people might have certain views in their minds, or have been influenced by their parents, but they keep it hidden because they don't want to offend anyone or they are embarassed about their opinions. I say go for it- the issue that Scott Walker doesn't realize he's making has caught people's attention all around the world. Although it doesn't really affect them or their lives, they are concerned about us. If the president stops his work for some Wisconsinite's then I think this is something that people should show how much they care about.

Teachers, firefighters, any state workers already aren't getting paid as much as state senators but now their salaries could be cut up to 6%. The bill also gets rid of stateworkers rights to form unions. In Academy right now we learn to collaborate and work as a community. Unions are similar to communities, people all believing in the same thing, trying to get what's best for all of the people in them. Scott Walker may realize it, and he may not, but he is taking away more then just the stateworkers rights. He is taking away skills and strategies we have been using our etire lives. Strength in numbers, communication, equal rights. These are some of our skills that will be weakened without unions. While my opinion is so strong on one side it makes it hard to see any other views.