Rocktober Fest Week 2

Hello again my faithful followers,

Here it is the second weekend of Rocktober Fest, and Mom and Dad go off Friday night and don't come back. While it is true that my people brother Andrew came to stay with me - and I love my Andrew - the fact still remains that I got left. Does this mean I won't get to go to Rocktober Fest, I ask myself?

Saturday comes and goes and I am stuck here at the house with my dog brother Riley. Andrew and Jentry go off somewhere - work, I think - and leave me here wondering if and when someone is going to come take me to Rock City. Oh, woe is me.

Sunday comes and things are looking up. The boy has come - I think his name is Conner - and he is playing with Riley. That is good because I get to bark at Riley a lot when they play. It makes me look like I am protecting the boy, when in reality I am using as an excuse to take my anger and frustration out on Riley. BOL.

Things keep getting better. Andrew talked to my Mom (his mom too) on the phone and I heard him say, yes, Lexi's beard is clean. Then he packed us all in the car and we went to --- you guessed it! Rocktober Fest! Woo hoo. I missed my Mom and Dad so much and was so glad to see them that I couldn't even try to act all mad that they left me. So I got lots of good food off the floor and people adoring me and good music and all is now well in my life.

Lexi, once again the Rocktober Fest Dog

Rocktober Fest time

Hello my loyal fans. (I am a theater dog, after all.)

It is October, the wonderful month when my dad spends all day every Saturday and Sunday at the place where my "Dorothy" works, Rock City. They have this festival with lots of good food and beer all month long. It is called Rocktober Fest. I know that's where we are going when we start driving up the mountain. Oh, I get so excited. Why? I'll tell you why:
1. Food falling on the floor
2. My beloved Dorothy - I think her not on stage name is Kim, like mine is Lexi, not Toto
3. Food falling on the floor
4. Beer
5. Food falling on the floor
6. Music and dancing
7. Food falling on the floor

Well, you get the picture. I have decided I don't really like their beer, but there is always Food falling on the floor. And great music and dancing. (Refer to comment: I am a theater dog, after all.)

The first Saturday, Mom and Dad dressed up in their funny German costumes and off we went to Rocktober Fest. Mom got cold, though, and went to the car. Then she got a call from Dad and started driving away! Aghhh! Seems that he had forgotten something, so she drove real fast back home to get it and changed her clothes (did I mention she was cold) and I was standing at the door ready to go back with her when she grabbed my annoying brother Riley and left me behind!!! Can you imagine the indignity of it all? Huh. Sometimes I just hate him. (I know, I am going to have to ask for forgiveness for that one!)

Lexi the Rocktober Fest Dog

I'm a Church Dog

Hi Brothers and Sisters,

I go with my mom to the church where she works and do therapy (unofficially) and ask for food until it is time to go to the hospital to therapize the poor sick kids (who often have food too). All that to say, the staff at the church all know and love me - what's not to love! Knowing this, it came as no surprise that I was asked to come to Sunday school to visit with the kids on the Sunday they celebrated St. Francis of Assisi (patron Saint of animals, for all you unchurched canines out there).

Out in the hallway before the class started, one girl screeched when she saw me. I would like to think it was with delight, but it sounded more like fear. She smelled like fear, too. Then we all went into the classroom and there were 6 or 7 kids (math isn't my strong point so it might have been more)who all sat in a circle on the floor with a few grown-ups, including my mom. The girl who screeched was given a chair to sit in and one of my church friends, Mary Gardner, said it was so she would be more comfortable with her dress. I knew Mary Gardner was just being nice, because I knew the fear girl was up in that chair so that she didn't have to be too close to the source of her fear - me! Well, I also knew just what to do - I am a therapy dog, after all, duh. First, I walked around the inside of the circle, checking out everybody (no one had any food, by the way). When I got to the fear girl I just kept going and didn't stop to say hi. I could tell she was watching me, though, and starting to get curious. Then I made a second round, stopping again to let everyone pet me, and this time I stopped next to the fear girl but didn't look at her. That can be intimidating, you know, when you are scared of someone and they look at you. When she reached out and touched me I knew I was making progress. I thought, well, one more time ought to do it. So there I went again, stopping to see everyone in the circle, and this time I stopped and looked at the fear girl and most of the smell of fear was gone. I tried to tell her it was ok, I wouldn't hurt her, and she must have undertood because she reached out and pet me real nice.
My work here is done.

Lexi the Church Dog

Oz was almost real, and 3rd place at Freestyle

Hello again, my adoring fans.

In my last entry I mentioned the fun pedicab ride I was about to take to promote the Wizard of Oz. Well, wouldn't you know, tornadoes started ripping through town, and there I am out with my newest Dorothy, thinking I am about to get blown all the way to Oz!! We went in a restaurant (yes, I said WE went in a restaurant - a lifelong dream of mine)and walked around and nobody even cared I -a dog - was there. The smells about drove me mad. But I managed to retain my professional composure and didn't beg or steal anyone's food. Meanwhile, Mom was in the basement where she worked, just like in Oz when everyone went in the storm shelter. People still on the street kept looking at the skies and saying, "How did you manage the weather?" to my Dorothy. It was pretty cool.

Then in April Mom and I competed in Freestyle. I got third place in my division. Mom said it didn't count, since it was also last place. Hmmmm. I think she has a bad attitude about it. She wouldn't even let me wear my ribbon. I decided to change the routine, and is it my fault she couldn't follow along? She was not happy with me for a whole week. Geesh. You would think I had done my business on the floor in front of everyone, or something else as mortifying. I think she is looking for different music, as though that will help! Ha!

Lexi, still in Tennessee

Catching up - nothing exciting

It has been waaaay too long since Mom helped me with my diary. Let's see if I can get caught up. The imposters are still here -that would be Milo and Piper. Riley is bigger than ever and still here. He likes Piper best and always is bothering him, so he leaves me alone. Maybe we should just always keep Piper so Riley never bothers me. I think I will go tell mom that.

Hey, I got stairs and treats for Christmas. The stairs are next to the bed and it is just soooo easy to run up them to jump on mom's bladder in the morning. Love it!

I have been working on a new Freestyle routine for level 3. I am doing really good (naturally), even though sometimes mom forgets it or changes it. I really do try to help her remember. After all, there are lots of treats involved. It is fun working with mom, but more fun getting lots of treats!

I get to go ride around in a pedicab this week with Karley who is going to pretend she is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. That means I will pretend to be Toto again, even though I don't have the right haircut right now for that. I think there will be treats and petting involved, so I'm really good with that. It is to promote the movie being shown at the Tivoli Theater this Saturday. I wanted to be on stage, but the Tivoli said they would have to pay too much for permits. What the...?

I guess that's it for now. Pretty boring, huh? Catch ya next time.

Love me,
Lexi

Poor baby has a boo boo

Mom found this little pea-sized lump under my arm so what does she do but take me to the vet. I start shaking now every time she takes me to that place. I don't like it there. They are always sticking something up my behind. Next thing I know I am waking up and I am all shaved under my arm and there are things called stitches sticking out of me. What the...?

The next day my Auntie Jen came all the way from somewhere called Indiana to see me here in Tennessee. I love my Auntie Jen. I threw up my arm so she could see my boo boo. She didn't notice right away so I had to do it again, and then she gave me lots of sympathy. That was good. I went on to do other things as soon as she finished poor babying me. I wanted everyone to know what happened and feel bad for me, so everytime I saw someone else I did the same thing. Some people were slower than others, but I was patient and kept throwing up my arm until they understood. One night I was showing my dad again and he cleared his throat kind of embarassed like and said, uh Lexi, wrong arm. So I did a quick switch and raised my other arm like nothing had happened. How was I supposed to keep track of it now that they took out the stitches? It really wasn't my fault. Then a new lady I am told is Aunt Rhonda came and stayed with me while mom and dad were away for a night. She understood right away when I showed her my boo boo. She was so sweet about it that I decided I really liked her and let her sleep in the bed with me. Mom says I am milking this for all it is worth. I say, when you find a good thing, use it.

Lexi the poor baby

Don't tell me what Riley did

Now Riley is working on Freestyle. Talk about invading my turf! Mom's taking him to the OCC with us and everything. So one day mom took Riley somewhere - I know it must have been a fun place where he got all the attention that is mine - and then mom had the nerve to come home with him and say, "Lexi, let me tell you what Riley did." I got so mad that I head butted her right on the bridge of her nose. Gave her a headache for 2 days. She hasn't tried to tell me what Riley did since that. Guess she's trainable.

4 dogs in the house

Mom has been so busy she hasn't been keeping up with my diary. Shame on her! I have been a buys schnauzer and so much has happened since summer. My schnauzer buds Piper and Milo came to live with us while their mom went away to school. I thought they were just visiting, but then they didn't leave. In my opinion, this is just too much of a good thing. I felt like they can go any time now. Then my Auntie Jen came and got Milo -
I'm so glad cause all that barking was giving me a headache and making me grumpy. Piper seemed to really like Milo gone too and the house seemed much emptier with just him gone, even though there were 2 other dogs here, sometimes 4 when my sisters come every other week. Only a month later, here she comes back with him. I guess she got a headache too with all his barking. Now he's living here again. He really gives Piper his brother a hard time, but what do I care?

Riley is still here. I have come to accept he is staying for good (or bad). He's almost 1 1/2 years old now and isn't as annoying as when he first came, but he still tears up everything. Mom has my toys safely put away. She said she will give them back when Riley stops chewing. Today mom gave me my squirrel and Riley took it and I barked so ferociously that he went to mom and gave it to her. Ha! I showed him!

The good thing about the boys (Piper and Milo) being here is that Riley picks on them and leaves me alone. (Big schnauzer smile)

Mom found a new (to us) dog park and we've been going there a lot. I don't play with other dogs - that would be way beneath me. But there are lots of smells that keep me busy while Riley greets everyone and generally acts like a fool. I pretend I don't know him, let alone live with him. I hear people say how beautiful I am and that's enough for me. I have admirers everywhere I go.

I should go now and make sure everyone is behaving themselves before I go to my kennel and wait for my night-night treat.

Love to all my many admirers,

Lexi the beautiful

A case of mistaken identity

My day started off really weird. I don't mind riding in the pick up truck. And I don't mind being in a kennel. But I never knew I could ride in a kennel in a pick up truck. Mom put me in with my buddy Milo who is visiting from Maryland. She tied the kennel in good and made sure the tailgate was secure. What a rush! She and my dad took us to my old house where they mowed the grass. Then they took us to a new dog park. What fun! There were so many smells and lots of room to run around. I pooped and ran and drank water out of a big metal bucket.

After they brought us back home mom got cleaned up and went to the garage and opened the car door. Milo and I jumped in and she backed out of the garage and started down the driveway when she suddenly looked over at me and stopped the car. What? Get out? No way! Then, to add insult to injury, dad came out carrying Piper, the other schnauzer who is staying with us. He put Piper in the car and mom made me go with dad back into the house. Sheesh. I am told it was just a case of mistaken identity. (Yes, Piper and I do look a lot alike since we came from the same breeder.) Then I heard something about shots and fecals and stuff, so maybe it is better I stayed home after all.

Lexi the truckin schnauzer

Titled in Freestyle

I went to my first Freestyle competition in April. Mom and I worked on our routine for something like a year, which would probably be 7 years in dog time. On Saturday, the first day of competition, I got a little too curious and ran outside the ring. No one told me how bad that would be for my score. I really pretty much ran all over the performance area because it smelled so curious of so many dogs. Mom told me I had to do better on Sunday. So I did. I stayed with her and we did our much-practiced routine. I got enough points (not the same as treats, darn) to get my first Title. And I came in 3rd in my class, 2a. Everyone is really proud of me. Mom has a picture of us on her nightstand and she has a video of us performing. Of course, all the other dogs are on the video too, but that doesn't count. I really hate when she looks at the other dogs performing and makes nicey nice comments about them - especially the giant schnauzer! Hey I can't help I'm small. I was born this way. I have a really big self-image, though, and that counts for a lot!

Now Mom and I are working on our next competition performance. She said I am getting too fat from all the treats, so she is making me work for my supper. How fair is that! Well, truth be told, I do love to work on the figures and I do love to eat, so it works out ok for me.

My big little brother Riley is working on Freestyle too. I think that is a joke. He has just learned the basic stuff, like sit and heel and down. How can he do Freestyle? I guess I will wait and see. He will never be as good as me! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Lexi the Titled