To our Grab the Bagel Family - I'm taking a month off to concentrate on Grab The Torch updating programs and curriculum, raising critical funds and Random Acts Of Bagelness. I'm also recovering from an extremely difficult 3 months of my dog Kula's health which lead to her dying on 12/31. Needless to say, you don't know how close I was to my dog, but we had 11 years of being joined at the hip every second I wasn't bageling. It was a connection you read about or see in a documentary about man and his dog.

I adopted a new dog last Tuesday. A 6.5 year old (another golden retriever) that was a breeding dog. I found her a search after Kula's second procedure.

My time at my desk and being home will be a positive transition and adjustment period for her while I'm working on my other projects. It enables me to spend critical time over the next month or so. It will impact her life with me sitting next to my desk, training and walks.

It's been absolutely awful for me, but Sadie has taken away some of the pain and given me a positive distraction. I share this with you all because you've all consistently displayed genuine interest and support for me.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Dave