Because I didn't have enough things to throw money at

I have a dog. I don't know how to convey the incredible incredulousness with which I wrote that. So I'll try again. I have a DOG. Got it yet? It's a long story (mainly because it has to do with my hubby's ex, who, truth be told, was nothing but graciousness itself - herself? -when I set foot on her property last week) but the end result of it all is that we have a 100+ pound, smelly, basil-plant-eating, drooling, large-poop-making, non-cat-loving German Shepherd in our backyard. /sigh. I have a dog! She's lucky she bought my stepson a German Shepherd - it's the only type of dog I've ever considered owning (as my best friend was quick to point out when I called her looking for opinions. As if she would ever say anything but yes to anyone who is considering getting a living organism of any kind). But when I say "the only dog I've ever considered owning", I've always meant it in a "maybe-one-day-I'll-think-about-it-and-then-decide-no" kind of way. But this dog is sweet. And pretty low-key, considering he's only two years old. The only thing he gets excited about is going for a walk. Toys? He could care less. All he wants to do is sleep. Which gives me one too many things in common with a dog. I still don't know how I feel about this. On the one hand, I'm glad my stepson didn't have to lose his pet. On the other hand - there's now a very large animal in my back yard. A backyard that my stepson really only visits one day out of any given week. I have to completely relocate my garden (not that there was much left of it after his first night with us). And amazingly enough, my non-living-creature-loving husband is completely taken with the dog. They're going on two or three walks a day, and he has to say goodnight to the dog every night. God help me, I have a dog.