Mommy's got a blog!

It's true. She talks about us there. Along with all sorts of other wacky stuff- like past lives and psychic abilities. Join us there, please.


Stark Raving Zen

http://starkravingzen.blogspot.com/
(In case the link doesn't work.)



She writes about what Arya and I think and do, as well as babble a lot about her tendencies to read energy fields and "come alive" and psycho/psychic fun... well, you'll understand when you get there. It's crazy fun sometimes. Sometimes it's dark. Kind of like life in general.

And, it's going to be the basis of a real live television show in your up and coming future. You may has well get a sneak peak.

Carry on pups! We look forward to feeling your energy there!

Yours,
Finlay

Admitting defeat.

Mommy's always tried to do too much at once, which leaves her feeling stressed and inadequate! So this year, for her New Year's Resolution, she's going to agree to do less- not more. One of the main areas in need of trimming is her online activity. The truth is, we're not on Dogster much, because there just isn't the time. To tell you the truth, Facebook has allowed us so many more opportunities to get to know our Dogster friends closer, as well as offer us so many more detailed connections to others like us. For example, did you know that there are groups of Staghound people with hundreds of members on Facebook? People who can speak to Mommy about their Finlays? Most of them are in Europe, but we've learned so much about me there! The Saluki people are also all over Facebook! For some reason Saluki people never talk with us on Dogster, but Mommy's met so many Saluki friends all around the world on Facebook!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I encourage you to friend Mommy on her Facebook sight by clicking the link on my page. Otherwise, we're just never here on Dogster any more. In a perfect world maybe Mommy would have the time to give both their equal due, but she doesn't.

We're kind of packing up and leaving Dogster town. Arya and I have our own pages on Facebook too. Please come visit us. We miss you.

Well, this is just disgusting.

I've returned from a grueling mission involving mountain climbing, poetry reading, Finknottle tolerating, Arya pandering, saving all of mankind sort of stuff and find my diary in complete disarray! Summer images?! No Christmas spirit? Nothing updated in months?! Say nothing of the neglect of Arya's digital growth recordings! A certain diary updating promissing mommy is going to be the first recipient of my most excellent center crescent kick, Shaolin style. Master Finknottle will be most pleased.

Master of my Destiny; Munchkin of my Fate.

Finknottle's and Winston's mommies traveled back home to the good ol' South last night. We miss them terribly. I enjoyed being with them so much, I almost forgot that I was disturbed by the absence of my two pup pals themselves. What with jumping on Winston's mommy Marilyn in the morning, and spying on Finknottle's mommy Amanda through the kitty portal, my attention was complete. I did, however, have moment to ponder while they galavanted around the Metro area, leaving me and Arya by ourselves. First of all, did Finknottle and Winston not join them truly because Gussie is a terriorist threat? Or did she specifically send her mommy on this covert mission to test my mettle. Perhaps she wonders if I am truly fit to be worthy of her Sensei talents... After all, Finknottle can't be crossing state lines for just any dog. Looking back, I believe that Amanda and Marilyn may have been checking my reflexes, speed, and problem solving skills quite frequently throughout the weekend. Amanda would hide from me, forcing me to peek at her through the cat door. Marilyn would refuse to rise to greet me in the morning, forcing me to display my leaping skills, onto her bed. She would try to Karate chop me away from licking her and stepping on her face. She was met with failure over and over again. The face must be licked! The face must be stepped on! I am too fast. The hoomans too slow. I also believe that Mommy may have been partaking in some testing of her own. Each day, she tried to walk them to their limit; pushing them closer and closer to the brink of destruction. Friday, 8 hours around the Mall of America. Tourists and locals, waving money and screaming like the crazed fiends they had become when they crossed that depraved transformative threshold. Then Saturday, 5 hours around the MN Zoo filled with hot sunshine, screaming children, and more strollers than Big Bob's Used Baby Cart Lot on a Labor Day sales extravaganza. She even brought reinforcements that day. Chris was there- Max, Roxy, and Kodi's mommy. She needed another opinion I suppose. Is Gussie worthy of me?! After all, Mommy tells me I am not just any student. I could be the next chosen one. She must choose my Sensei carefully. Master of the Buddist Paw, I am. Perhaps that is why I am so gassy. I just need to channel my powerful energies inward, rather than outward. (Nobody ever claimed the Buddist Paw would smell like a rose, after all... ) These are my questions to which I seek the answers. Perhaps Finknottle is my Sensei after all. I can only hope that she will be a kind and gentle master. Or at the very least, that she's intimidated by a giant, black, long-legged Hell Beast with old man eyebrowns and toxic emissions.

Updates!

1.) Arya is actually becoming somewhat of a civilized dog. It's true. She doesn't growl at Mommy and Daddy anymore. No food issues, no sleeping issues. She's more "confident" Mommy says.
2.) Arya's getting noticeably bigger every day. And she gets more freckles. She's big enough to play with me a little. She makes me cry when she pierces my ear with her aweful teeth weaponry. I make her cry when I get so excited I pounce on her. She's just a big baby.
3.) I am a big, responsible boy. I no longer have to be confined at all when Mommy and Daddy are away. They say they never thought they'd see this day. They had no faith in me.
4.) I think Arya is becoming dominant to me... (Did I say that?! Lies!)
5.) I still miss my best friends from Nebraska, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd still hoard my stuff. My things are very important.
6.) I am disappointed because this morning Mommy drives to the airport to pick up Gussie Finknottle's Mommy and Winston Churchill Wurchill's Mommy. But they left my good pen-pals at home! They explained that because Finknottle is a terriorist, she is not allowed to cross state lines. They couldn't bring Winston because he acts as her counsel. Frustrating.
7.) Today Mommy, Amanda, and Marilyn are going to the Mall of America. Mommy will try to find one more little thing she has in mind to stick in Dexter Nova Brightstar's and Biped's box to send. After the MOA, they will eat dinner at an authentic German restaraunt, because that is what the Tennessee ladies crave. Yum. I'd eat it too, if allowed.
8.) Mommy is very excited because tomorrow when they go to the Minnesota Zoo (She says it's an awesome zoo. One of the best in the country.) they are also meeting Max, Roxy, and Kodi's Mommy Chris there! The more Dogster friends for her the better! She's happy because Chris actually lives in MN! A stone's throw away from Mommy. Mommy says if anyone else in the area reads this, you can join us! We're meeting at noon at the front entrance of the zoo!
9.) Mommy says I have to go now because she's got stuff to do before she leaves for the airport. She's selfish in that way...
10.) Nothing more, really. I'm just OCD and can't stop a list at 9.

It's hard to be green... with envy.

My friends have gone. Their absence has made me feel... well... less stressed about the well-being of my belongings I guess. But I did enjoy them! Had to drop the hammer on them a couple of times, it's true. They dared touch my toys, rawhides, bones, puppy, furniture, carpet, yard.... Let's just say they had their paws all over everything! Made me stressed. Mommy called me selfish. She doesn't understand. This stuff is MINE! MINE! I can't allow just anybody access to my things. It's challenging enough to keep them away from Arya. Oh well. No damage done. I'm sure they had fun. I'm sure they loved me! ....No? Mommy says I have "only-dog" syndrome from living a year with no other doggy in my household. Don't know how to share. I'm that kid that nobody wants to visit. I'm.... Hey!

Who gave you permission to touch that, Arya?!

Excuse me. Must go right an egregious wrong. Arya dares toss around my ball. She has no idea that ball is MINE! No matter how many times I explain it to her. She doesn't understand. Nobody understands!

My baby. I'll think we'll keep 'er.

Arya must have read our we're-not-pleased-with-Arya entry because she seems to have turned over a new leaf. She's turned on the charm. Hasn't been too bitey. Hasn't been too growly. Just tosses around the cute, while I toss my stomach contents... Yesterday Mommy took her to the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis. She and a friend ambled amongst the masses, who you would have thought made the trip to see nothing but Arya. It was like Tiger Woods strolling through the grocery store. People were running to them. Artists were "taking pictures of them in their minds" so they could re-create her in various media. Mommy's never said, "She's a Saluki. A Sal-U-ki. Kind of like an Afghan, only shorter hair..." so many times in her entire life. "How big will she get?!" "Where did you get her?!" "Is she always this good?!" "I've never seen a more beautiful puppy!"... These were but a few of the broken-record comments heard throughout the afternoon. Mommy's friend felt mobbed. Never seen anything like it. Neither had Mommy. Arya did nothing but look coy and polite while batting those eyelashes of hers. Maybe this IS her kingdom after all. Crazy. If I had been there they really would have been flocking. Of course, probably in the other direction. I find walking a cathartic experience... I tend to spew diarrhea every 50 feet or so. Maybe not so welcome at the Uptown Art Fair- or any fair for that matter. But still. They'd be impressed I think. Anyhoo, Mommy's no longer searching for far away zip codes. At least not today.

Let me start by stating the obvious. Staghounds are perfect in every way. Salukis are... well... not.

With that being said, I have to admit that what Mommy is now going through with Arya, is the least of what she went through with me. Arya is a bit of a firecracker. I was, in retrospect, a nuclear bomb. A nuclear bomb which continually exploded within the confines of our peaceful abode for approximately 15 straight months. But now I'm perfect. Unless you hold the fact that I eat phones against me. Five phones in the past 4 months, actually... But I stray from topic.

The topic is Arya. She's a jerk.

The same week Arya joined our household, Mommy's friend told a co-worker of her's that we had acquired a Saluki. The co-worker, who happens to be a veterinarian- dryly replied, "I consider myself a consciencious objector to Salukis." Mommy was apalled, when she heard this! Today, however, if someone were to say the same, they'd get no dirty looks. In fact, today Mommy asks, "How do we register?" She wants to join the Society for Opposition to Salukis. Otherwise known as S.O.S.

Sure, Arya's cute and all. And she's soft and her breath smells good. Her intelligence is frighteningly advanced. Why, as we speak, I believe she's in the office working quadratic equations... Me? I'd just eat the pencil. And probably the calculator too. And the notebook. Algebra does not please me... What I'm trying to say is that she has her strong points. I'll give her that. What she also has, however, is a will of steel, teeth like razor wire, and the temper of a water buffalo with an inflamed hemorrhoid. She growls when she eats, she growls when she sleeps, and let's not even discuss what she does when you try to take something away from her. So she's in somewhat of a puppy bootcamp situation right now. She has to follow orders. She does pretty well, I guess- so far.

Six inches off the ground and she struts her stuff like an inflated peacock. Prances around like she's doing us a favor, by paying attention to us long enough to bite us. What...an...a$s.

Mommy's friend suggests she does what Garfield tried to do with Odie for so many years. Send her to Abudabu. She thinks she'd fit right in there. It sounds hot and sandy. Mommy's trying to find the zip code... Once she gets it- it's in the ventilated box and on the plane for Arya! In the meanwhile, we'll carry on. All of us a prisoner to this shark with batting eyelashes.

I guess I should be grateful. It's not every dog who can make Mommy and Daddy forget about my rotten childhood. At least until I have opportunity to eat another phone.

Loves me clean, loves me dirty.

You know, recently Mommy started a group called "D.A.M.N! Dogs Against Maternal Neurosis!" for all of those Mommies out there totally obsessed with our well-being. Oppressively so. 61 members strong, so far. A lot of crazy Mommies out there. I thought I'd take a moment to clarify something. Daddies are not immune to this psychosis either. At least not my Daddy. Last week I had an upset tummy. Toxic, bordering on nuclear, gas diffused from my backside and then I had fire-hose from the bum diarrhea. Ouch. Turns out some treats a friend gave us to honor the new baby didn't like me. I also hurled all over my Mommy and Daddy's bedspread. Mommy bunched the quilt all up and asked Daddy to take it out back and shake it. Meanwhile she changed the rest of the bedding. Leaning over, tucking in the last corner of the sheet, Daddy comes casually ambling in, looking at his hands, obviously concerned. "What do you think this is?" he enquires. In his hands is a wad of my puke, egg-white like consistency trailing between his fingers, with lumps and strings. He's pulling out an unidentified something that makes Mommy scream. She hides her eyes and puts her hand out in the 'stop' position. "I don't know! Gah! How can you DO that?!" she questions, while running out of the room. Daddy looks at her like she's daft, ambles back out of the house, still examining his findings. He got no help from Mommy. And she's supposed to be looking out for me! At least I have Daddy to examine emissions. Thank Dog for that...

psycho-puppy-therapy 101

Arya: "Sit: to rest with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs; be seated. -Hmmmm."

Finlay: "What are you doing?"

Arya: "I have done some research. Thanks to dictionary.com, I have discovered the meaning of this strange order that Mommy gives me while I am enjoying my meals lately. It must be some sort of brainwashing attempt." (narrows her eyes and stares at the computer screen.)

Finlay: "I thinks it's less a method of brainwashing and more a method of self preservation. You have been acting most indecent during your meals as of late. It's an attempt to reign in your hysterical... well.... rage. Pure eating rage. That's the only way to describe it. "

Arya: (looks accusatory at Finlay...) "PERHAPS I WOULD HAVE LESS RAGE IF YOU'D STOP PILFERING EVERYTHING I HAVE IN MY PAWS OR MOUTH! YOU... YOU'RE MAKING ME CRAZY!"

Finlay: "See? Rage again. Manifested most ugly. And you're supposed to be noble."

Arya: "I don't love you anymore."

Finlay: "Come here and have a cuddle! Just don't touch my stuffed cow. Or my rawhide. Or that dirty sock..."