A Grrreat Birthday!

Well, folks, today was my fifth birthday. It began with breakfast sausage, followed by a long walk, where I encountered my human pal Lindy and her pup Rowan. They treated me to some scratches, a butt sniff, and A NEW TOY! I carried it in my mouth all the way home, setting it down only once when I had to do "my business."

I returned home to a nice nap while Mama went to job #1. When she got home I got a biscuit, a long massage, and a walk. My neighbor, a human named Kim, came over with ANOTHER present! It's a rope toy and I really like it. Mama went off to job #2 and I stayed home, playing with my new toys.

Mama then came home and cooked me a really yummy, stinky dinner. It included beef, sausage (no spices), tuna, and kibble. It was warm and delicious. Then I got a nice long walk and some really great play time.

I've already ripped out one eye from the zebra toy Rowan gave me. I'm working on destroying the basketball rope toy, too. Mama's human friend Anna also gave me a Petco gift card and Mama's students made banners and cards for me. A Padres bandana came in the mail from my human and feline friends in California, my Grandma sent me $5 (one for each year since my birth), and Auntie Brooke sent us a check to get our car fixed. All in all, this was a super birthday!

Today I am five
Or thereabouts
Glad for my life
Glad for this house

Whiskers turn grey
And bones get sore
But I'll love my Aimée
Forever more!!!

Stupid Bat. Stupid Rabies.

Sad news... My friend, Rowan (rowanthedog.blogspot.com) protected his human by catching a bat that had come in through their chimney. Well, it turns out that the bat was sick with RABIES. Now Rowan and his human can't come out and play.

vote for me if you think i'm cute (and i know you do!)

yup, i'm in the contest!

Frogs and Lizards and Squirrels... oh my!!!

Well, folks. Here's the thing:

Central Texas is full of fast-moving, exciting treats. Namely, frogs, toads, salamandars, chameleons, squirrels, grackles, doves... etc.

But there's a problem.

My mommy won't let me eat them! What's her problem???

I have been interviewed:

My friend Rowan (a basenji mix) has interviewed me. Here are the questions and the answers:

1. A two parter: Why do you have so many words in your name and what do they mean?
Well, I will answer this name-by-name, one at a time:
Romeo: This one has a pretty long story. You see, when my human originally saw me at the shelter, I was all wet, emaciated, and missing lots of hair. I looked pretty crazy and wild. She thought that my name was either Hamlet or Mozart due to my crazy appearance. The second time that she saw me for our meet & greet, she realized that I'm not crazy at all... and that I'm really overreactive, quick to fall in love, kinda wimpy, eager to start a fight, and super sweet. Naturally, these attributes led her to my actual first name, which is Romeo. As in the Shakespearean character.
Bonito: This is my first middle name. It is Spanish for "handsome." Pretty obvious.
King Leo: This is my next middle name. It refers to the long-haired collar that I have. Basically, I have a mane like a lion and it makes me look very regal. I also have a certain way of lying, sphynx style, which makes me look like the mascot for King Leo candies (which happen to be manufactured in my human's hometown).
Ren Hoek: Well, do you remember the Ren & Stimpy show? The chihuahua was bossy, bossy, bossy. I can be like that. Hence he is my namesake for my final middle name.
Garten: This is my surname. It's German for "garden." Pretty fitting since that's my favorite place to hang out! This name is very special because it was a present from my Grandpa.

2. Nylabone or squeaky toy? Justify your answer.
Squeaky. Totally. I prefer the soft, plush ones. You see, they feel like real animals and when you make them squeak, it's like they are crying for mercy... but I just keep on attacking until they sqeak no more. Then I know that they are dead and I have been victorious. Plus, then I get a new toy.

3. What is your favorite thing about being a dog?
Oh, gosh. There are so many great things about caninehood. First off, the humans LOVE me and that makes me really happy. Have you noticed that most humans don't like each other, but they all love a cute fluffy dog!!! Secondly, we dogs have a lot of sensible knowledge that other species lack. Specifically, we don't get caught up in words and misunderstanding. Communication is pretty clear with us. And, really, we don't fall for lies. Humans are always falling for that stuff! Above all, being a dog is great because I have such a nice apartment to live in with so many nice dogs and humans around me. I don't have any worries. I know that we'll always be okay!

4. If you could be Underdog or Lassie which would you choose? Why?
Wow. That's so tough. Lassie gets so much human attention and always saves the day. Also, Lassie is very beautiful and fluffy. On top of that, Lassie has a big farm and lots of jobs to do. That is all VERY appealing, but I must say: I would really like to be Underdog. He has a cape. And can fly. And has a cool theme song. These are all things that really call to me. The best thing is, everyone loves him!

5. If you could tell your guardian one thing, what would it be?
Golly... she needs to be told not to worry so much. I know that everything will always be okay, but she forgets that sometimes. I also wish she knew that Grandpa is always with us and that we'll all be able to play together again soon.


These are the rules:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a woof on my blog saying, 'interview me.'
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post woofing your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone or somedog else in the same post. No cats!
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
6. If you don't have your own opposable thumbs it is OK to get help from a member of a species which does. But, the answers must be entirely your own.

Long Time, No Write

I haven't blogged here in a while and a lot has happened.

First, the sad news: on July 3rd, my beloved Grandpa (just about my favorite human in the whole world) passed away. My Mama is real sad cuz she was a "Daddy's Girl" her whole life and she loved him just about as much as me. We're all going to miss him a lot but he believed in God and did good things so we know he's in heaven and we'll see him again sometime.

So, we've been doing a lot of flying back and forth between Texas and California. We always fly on US Airways/America West cuz it's cheap but we hate it. It's always a disaster. Next month we are going to try a new cheap airline called ExpressJet. The nice part is that it is a nonstop flight, so that's gonna help me and my bladder. Mama carries me onto the plane with her in my special airplane kennel. I don't mind it one bit. I ride under the seat in front of her and I always get a great nap.

Lots of my human friends are moving away soon. They are law clerks and their jobs end at the end of July. I am going to miss them a lot, too. They are all going all over the country but hopefully some of them will end up back here in Austin so we can play and have a good time.

Mama and I have been dog sitting a lot for people in the neighborhood. I have mixed emotions about having other pups in the house. At least I have my own bedroom to escape to (it's a corner in the office reserved just for me, complete with my kennel, blankets, and a screen to separate it from the rest of the house!)

All in all, things are going well. Mama still hasn't found full-time work, which is nice for me. She's home a lot and I love it. Still, she gets very unsettled when it comes time to pay the bills or go grocery shopping so I think it may be good if she works more. More work = more money, right? Those humans are so weird.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll try to keep the updates coming on a regular basis.

A visit from my favorite humans!

Guess what? Last week my Grandma and Grandpa came to visit! It was a surprise. I got in the car with Mommy and we drove to the airport. I got excited because good things always happen at the airport. All of the sudden, I heard my name. I looked up at the escalator, and there was my Grandma and Grandpa!!! I started wiggling and whining. I was so excited.

We did lots of fun stuff together. We went for rides in the car, we went for long walks, I got to sleep in the bed with them... the best part was going to Bull Creek for a picnic. Mommy took me down to the water and I tried to go in. I got really scared, though. I don't know how to swim (darn these short doxie legs and tiny spaniel feet!). I got out far enough to attack the waterfall (the way I attack lawn sprinklers) but then I got scared and climbed on a rock and wouldn't come down. Mommy had to go out and rescue me, carrying me back to solid ground. It was fun, though. I got to eat cheese and turkey and pee on lots of trees.

Also, Diego stayed with us for a few days while his Mama went to his human sister's wedding down south. He's pretty crazy cuz he's a chihuahua. A couple of times I had to tell him to simmer down and leave me alone. All in all, though, we had a lot of fun playing together and cuddling with my Grandma and Grandpa.

Mommy says that we're gonna go to the creek more often and that she will get in the water with me to help me learn to swim. She said it's important that I learn how to swim since we live around rivers and have a lot of floods and stuff. At least we'll get to spent time together! Plus, I know she'd never, ever let me drown!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Wow, today was the best fourth birthday any pup could ask for! First, Mommy and I woke up and went for our walk. Then I got back into the bed. Ususally Mommy kicks me out so she can make the bed, but she let me stay there while she went to work! It was cuddley under the covers all morning!

Then, Mama came home from work. We went for a walk and... guess what??? My best pal Diego was outside so we got to play for a while! Yay! Then, Mommy said, "you wanna go for a ride in the car?" Well, duh! Of course!

We went in the car and stopped at Petco AND Petsmart south of our house. It was grrrreat! I got to sniff the ferrets and get love from the humans. After that, I got to have a Short Stop hamburger from the drive-through! It was so cool. After that, I thought we were going home... but NO! Mama took me to the Petco AND Petsmart north of our house! Yup, I got to visit FOUR pet shops for my birthday!

When we got home I played with Diego some more and then it was time for a nap. After my nap, I opened my presents. Mama got me a new t-shirt (it says "my bark is worse than my bite") and a new toy (it's a stuffed animal that looks like a stick!). Diego got me a flying squirrel toy. For dinner, Mama fixed me a bowl of kibble and fresh tuna. It was yummy. All in all, I'd say it was a grrrrreat day!

And now... my favorite part of any day... BEDTIME!

Town Lake = Good Times

After mom got off of work this morning we went for a ride in the car with the sun roof open. I like to smell the stuff that wooshed passed overhead!

Well, we ended up at Town Lake which, if you know Austin, is the most awsomest place EVER! We put a blanket down by the water near Auditorium Shores and mom tied my leash to her leg and we sat. Mom wanted to work on her masters thesis, but I had other plans. Basically, I wanted to chase all of the small dogs and felt the need to prove my manliness to all of the big dogs. Mom didn't get much work done but we had fun anyways.

After a while we got back in the car and had a carwash. I love to go through the carwash! It's super fun. Then we went to SoCo and just walked for a while, enjoying the sun. When I got home I got to play with Diego (my best pal who lives next door) before settling in for the evening. It was a cool day.

I heard a rumor that I have to go to the vet on Friday. Usually I like going to the vet, so hopefully it'll be a fun visit!

Sad News Today...

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his gruesome breakdown at last year's Preakness, ending an eight-month ordeal that prompted an outpouring of support across the country.

"We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain," co-owner Roy Jackson said. "It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do. We said all along if there was a situation where it would become more difficult for him then it would be time."

A series of ailments, including laminitis in the left rear hoof and a recent abscess in the right rear hoof, proved too much for the gallant colt.