Dear Santa:

Dear Santy Claws,

How are things way up there?

I was wondering the other day if you have pizza places at the North Pole – and if you do, do they use dog sleds to deliver? Or maybe they use snowmobiles these days? These are thoughts that cost me precious hours of beauty sleep.

Well, here I am again, with my list. I have realized the error of my ways from last year when I was a tad bit greedy and perhaps selfish in my expectations. Certainly not getting anything last year from my list was an eye opener. I have re-adjusted my priorities, as such.

Okay, here we go!

1. World peace, yada, yada, yada.
2. A house.
3. Help for all the poor dogs and cats.
4. A pool for our house.
5. Cure all diseases.
6. Lifetime supply of Wagatha’s treats – various flavours.
7. Make sure everyone has a friend.
8. Lots of trips camping in our trailer.
9. No more wars.
10. Lots of cool squeaky toys – the noisier the better.

So, as you can see, I am a changed dog. I have worked very hard on my social conscience this year. I’m even considering taking up yoga. Yep – I’m that serious!

I hope you aren’t too fat to get in the sleigh this year and that you’ll get to our place before I wake up! I’ll try not to get up and eat your cookies this year – sorry about that, by the way.

Your friend,
Rupert

May Days

Gees, I haven’t written anything here since Christmas! Where does the time go?? Well I can tell you it hasn’t gone into me spending time at my new house or new pool – Santa was a bust on my pretty much my whole wish list! Oh I got some squeakies and a few goodies to nibble – but the big-ticket items – NADA! What a rip, I mean what’s the point of being good if it doesn’t pay off? It’s hard to be good, there should really be some sort of substantial reward for it.

Uh, does anyone know if Santa reads these things??? Hmmm. Dang, I may have to make a bit of an effort now.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

First, let me say, you look good. No, really have you been working out??

Secondly, whatever you’ve heard – forget it, I’m sure they were all mistaken, I’ve been a good boy – honest, I really have. Okay, I had a few setbacks, but I tried hard to be good. Trying counts – right???

I tried to help Mum lots this year – raising Jemma ain’t easy – she’s crazy! She eats furniture for heaven’s sake! I’ve tried to be a good role model for her, but that kid’s attention span is pretty short. I did not promote the chewing of furniture and I told on her when she peed in the dining room. (She got put in the kitchen for that!) I have tried to explain the finer points of sharing, of good leash manners and general good Corgi behaviour as best I can figure them to be. There’s a lot of pressure being a big brother.

So, if you can see your way clear, I do have a few requests:

1. House with a BIG yard and fence.
2. Swimming pool I can just walk into.
3. Mud pool.
4. Cookies, treats, chewies - as many as you can squish in your bag is fine.
5. Stuffed toys with squeakies or those neat microchips that make real noises.
6. An extra day for the weekend so Mum can spend more time with us.

I hope that you have a safe flight on Christmas Eve, make sure the reindeers are fuelled up so they can make it all the way around the world.

Regards,

Rupe

What Up - you ask???

Gees, I’ve been so busy lately doing my thing I haven’t had a chance to write in my diary for ages!

Let’s see, what’s new and exciting? Well, Mom got a “new to us” car. She refuses to buy new ones and often is heard to mumble, “I’m not cheap – I’m frugal”. It’s really neat, it’s called a station wagon for some reason unbeknownst to me. I’m just happy it was made by whoever made our last car, so I still fit with my back feet on the backseat and my front on the console between the 2 front seats. Mom needs help driving, so it’s important for me to be there for her. It also allows me to secretly study her and figure out how to drive. Thank goodness this new car is an automatic – the last one was a standard and I didn’t have a hope of figuring that out. Tucker, of Upper State New York, and I have big plans for this summer, and being able to drive the car will play a huge role in the success of those plans!

We still have Jemma, I guess we’re keeping her for sure, as it’s been almost a year since we got her. She’s not so bad for a girl, she’s got a good grip and I let her flip and pin me just to humour her. I was a little worried that my ration of treats might go down when we obtained her, but things seem fair and I am doing okay for treats. I’m not saying I couldn’t do with more, but it’s okay.

We’ve been going down to the lake on the weekends – of course stopping first at Tim Hortons for “Mom’s sacred coffee” and our Tim Bits!!! Now just as a disclaimer, these are not in fact pieces of Tim, but the centre that is surgically removed from doughnuts and sold for consumption and profitability. On Sunday, Canada Day, the guy behind the counter slipped Jem and I a couple of extra bits – just to celebrate – he’s my new favourite guy. Right up there with the pizza delivery guy – so that’s pretty high.

We are going on vacation to the cottage for a few days in July, then in August we are going to Upper State New York to visit Tucker, Lulu and a whole bunch of Corgis and Corgi folks! We can’t wait – my pal Tucker lives on a lake and a creek –I’ll probably be wet the whole time!! Whhooo –hooooo – I can’t wait!!!

Rupes!!!

Cyber Tag - it's fun!!!!

The Rules
(Hint: Copy and paste the rules so you don't have to type them again):

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged need to post in their diary the rules and their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and to read your diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

My Seven Random Facts:

1. I am a former almost Olympic champion.

2. If I had been born a vegetable, I think I'd have been an asparagus - I don't know why, it's just an instinct thing.

3. I was the "up/down" king of my kindergarten class.

4. I can sleep upside down with all my feet sticking straight up in the air.

5. I think that obedience is highly over rated.

6. I would drive a navy blue and cream mini if I had my drivers licence - and I could reach the pedals.

7. I have a secret crush on someone- who may or may not get tagged -that's all I'm saying!!!

I'm tagging:

Jackie: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/262231

Tucker: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/135846

Rocky: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/206009

Ace: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/455092

Gator: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/461829

Dillon: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/240065

Zack: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/438621

I got tagged by my pal Midnight Star!!! http://www.dogster.com/dogs/199025

Sharing the Pain

My best Internet buddy, Tucker of upper state NY, was in his first agility trial last week, and contrary to what the media would have you think, there was no international coverage of this event. I planned my day, made popcorn and settled in to watch and cheer for my pal and nada. Where was ESPN, where was Animal Planet, where was TSN???? Did they get lost? Did a few flakes of snow deter them from this incredible sporting event? I mean come on, this is big, huge, Tuck and his Mom have been practicing for a year – a whole year for heaven’s sake. I would think the networks would be fighting for the commercial rights alone! This has the kind of endorsement potential of a Superbowl, of Bowling for Dollars, of Dancing with the Stars!!!! Tucker could be sporting the latest in fashion couture for big buck-a-roos!!! He was robbed I tell you!!!

www.dogster.com/dogs/135846

What did he get you ask??? Three ribbons and a bath. It just plain sucks, people that’s all I’m saying.

Dis-Connecticutted

Well, it just upsets me to no end to tell you that Mom abandoned Jemma and me to fly to a foreign country to meet other Corgis!!! How weird is that?? Aren't Jemma and I enough to fulfill her life???

What really boils my kettle is she got to meet Tucker of Upper State New York!! My friend Tucker, not hers - that's not fair!! It should have been me there, hanging out with Tuck, Gus, Dillon, Lulu and especially Miss Jackie Fluffypants!! (Notice how I didn't mention Jemma? heh, heh)

I heard they got to run around a hotel room, go shopping at a dog bakery and see a real life horse when they went to a park to run around. Life is just not fair sometimes. We did get to go to our favourite sitter's house, but it still seems like we got the short end of the stick.

The only good thing was that when Mom came home she brought our new favourite treats and Gus and Dillon's Mom got us all kinds of really noisy toys and some neat treats that are particularly yummy! Mmmm, treat, presents, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Dog of the Day

Well, I had just finished my morning bone chewing, fired up the computer to see my email and thought “what the heck – how come I have so many Pup Pal requests and Rosettes”? I mean I know I’m a cool Corgi and all, but how did I become so popular overnight???

Well, darned if I’m not Dog of the Day, today, January 24th, 2007, a day that shall live in my memory for years to come. What an honour, thank you kind Dogster peoples! I have to tell you, I’ve been here for just over two years now and I love it more than ever. I get to “talk” to my friends in other countries in real time, I quite enjoy all the colourful and new rosettes every month, and I think the Star idea was brilliant!!! Honestly, my only real issue is the bones – still can’t taste them!!

I hope everyone else gets to enjoy this honour someday, but until then, I hope you enjoy the support, friendship and laughs of the community you have made for yourself here, like Jemma, all our cats, Mom and me!

Rupert the Touched

New Year's Greetings

Well, it’s been sometime since my last entry. Where does the time go?

First off, Happy New Year to one and all - I have a feeling this year is going to be a great one and I’m trying terribly hard to have pawsitive vibes. After last year’s Olympic fiasco, it’s hard to feel upbeat about the remaining winter months. Oh well, the lack of snow and cold means I haven’t been doing any skeleton racing this season. I’m still at my svelte Olympic weight though and look fab in my stretchy race suit, and really that’s all that counts.

Since my last entry, we’ve pretty much been doing the same old things. Walking around the block, running around the apartment, going down to the lake – oh and now the golf course, as it’s closed for the season. Still can’t figure out why they have all those mini-beaches on it, but they sure are nice to kick back and have a rest on.

Last month Mom tried to abandon us. She had spent a couple of weeks working on her computer every night when she came home from work on a special Corgi calendar project and we hardly saw her at all. Well, she must have cracked from the pressure. No sooner is she finished her project, than she packed up all of her summer clothes to run away from home. She took Jemma and I to our favourite sitter, Jennifer’s, and just walked out of our lives. A week before Christmas – can you think of anything anymore cruel and heartless! Well, I was flabbergasted. I mean it was swell that Jennifer has a new house with a fenced in yard and she took us down to Cherry Beach, but it was Christmas time – how could our mother do this to us. Poor Jem, kid doesn’t have a clue about these things, but I was heartsick. Well, except for the yard, beach and the home baked cookies, I was quite upset. Days go by – nothing, no Mom. Then about a week into our new life, the doorbell rings – yup, you guessed it, there she was. Couldn’t stand being away from me, er, I mean us. She sort of looked like Mom – she was a funny new colour and she smelled like coconuts. Well, she was all happy to see us, and she made some kind of deal with Jennifer and bought us back. It was Christmas Eve – what a great gift. I think this whole happy-sad-happy story has movie of the week written all over it, I may have to get in touch with my agent.

Christmas was great and we got some cool new toys from Mom and our Aunt Bev and Uncle Stan. Mom stayed home for a few more days to make up for our abandonment and so far, we’ve all lived happily ever after. But I'll let you know if things change.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all of our American friends a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! We already had ours here in Canada, and I keep telling Mom that I should have two because I was born in the states. She doesn’t feel that extra meals are required – what a bummer!

I haven’t made any entries for a while so I thought I’d let you all know how things are going with the new kid and me. Well, I guess she’s not so new anymore.

Mom is taking Jemma to beginner obedience classes on Saturday mornings WITHOUT me! That’s just wrong. I’ll do whatever they want for a treat, really, I will. The only good thing is that “we” practice what Jem is learning every night so I am getting extra treats, plus I’m getting really good at stay. I have tried levitating the treat to me, while pretending to be quite nonchalant about it just sitting there waiting to be pounced on – no luck, so far. Jem is pretty smart and is really good at down now. She’s easily distracted, so sometimes I try levitating her treat too – no luck, so far.

We went and met Jemma’s half sister Katie and her big “brother” Kirby last weekend. They are lucky and have a big fenced-in run at their condo so we got to run around like crazy. Jemma and Katie seemed to remember each other and they were having lots of fun. I tried to be mature and I kept an eye on things, I did romp around a little and I dug a hole, which I of course had to defend. It was fun and we are hoping to play with them and other Corgis again soon.

Mom is sending us on vacation to our friend Jennifer’s in December so she can go away to Jamaica for a week. She says she just needs a break from the routine, not us. Yeah, right, nice try Mom. I should go to Jamaica too, come on I can get irie, no problem man and I certainly could help eat patties and jerk chicken! Can’t you see me in dreads – I love Bob Marley for goodness sake! Oh well, she’ll be home for Christmas with us and I bet we get some really good guilt gifts!!!

Hope everyone is well and happy!

Rupe