My 'Dad' is gone and I can't find him.

On June 2nd, my dad stopped coming home. A lot of people came over and everybody was sad and crying. They kept telling Mom & Courtney that they were sorry about Dad being gone...sometimes they say, "I can't believe he's dead.". I don't know what that means...I just know that Dad hasn't come back yet and I miss wrestling with him in the floor when he gets home from work. Even though I was sad, I went around to different people and stopped at the one I thought was the saddest. I would let them pet me and hug me...mom says I weigh 90 pounds now, so I guess people like hugging this big ol' dog too.
I can still smell dad around in different places of our house. I smell him on Mom & Dad's big bed. I smell him on the pair of shoes he left by the back door. I think Mom & Courtney can smell him too...they run around smelling his shirts...I think they're going crazy...cuz' only dogs are supposed to smell everything.
Sometimes, I dream of Dad. When I'm sleeping, my tail wags...a lot and I 'smile'.

I'm 2 now!

Last Saturday, the 22nd was my second birthday! Since it hasn't rained in a couple of weeks, Mom and Dad took me to the dog park in Petaluma. It was REALLY cold and windy, but I ran around and these three annoying basset hounds followed me around barking at me. I was really annoyed with the big male one because he still has his 'marbles'...as mom calls them. I played with a big yellow lab & ridgeback mix named Doug.
It was SO cold we decided to head for home. On the way home, mom and dad first stopped at Porter Street BBQ. If you ask, they'll give you a bone for your dog for FREE! Then they stopped at the store and got some vanilla cupcakes. First I had to take my Rimadyl and Cosequin and eat my dinner, but after dinner we all had a cupcake. I ate mine in ONE bite again...I couldn't help it...I love vanilla cupcakes so much and I never get them unless it's my birthday. After inhaling my cupcake, dad gave me my bone out in the backyard.
I finished off my best birthday ever by laying on my nice soft bed in front of the fire, it felt really good. I layed there and thought about how lucky I was and how close I came to being put to sleep by those mean people in Louisiana and decided to give mom a puppy kiss and then drifted off to sleep.

I love CHRISTMAS!

In December, it was my second Christmas!! I love Christmas because of all the lights, the trees in everybody's houses and all the yummy snacks mom & dad slip to me! Since I wasn't recovering from surgery this year, mom & dad had their families over at our house for Christmas. Everybody gave me turkey & ham...even though mom told them not to. I tried to show her that it was OK...I didn't puke or anything! Mom & Dad got me some squeaky balls (which I still haven't destroyed yet...mom called that a 'miracle'), and a Galileo by Nylabone as gifts. Mom and dad call the Galileo bone 'the concussion' bone because I like to bring my chew toys to people. If you're unfortunate enough to be laying in the floor and I drop my bone for you, it would probably knock you out...whatever that means.
On Friday, it will be my dad's birthday...which means my birthday is coming up soon! On January 22nd, I'll be TWO!! I love my birthday because last year, mom and dad let me have my very own vanilla cupcake. Mom tried to take a picture of me eating it, but I ate it in one bite, so she couldn't get one. That will teach her to try and take pictures of me while I'm eating. HA!

Mom's been REALLY busy!

She had a few minutes, so she said she could put a diary entry in for me! I've been to the dog park only a few times since the clocks have gone back (why do humans have to mess with the time? It confuses me AND them!). It's just too dark to go. Mom says since it's been raining so much around here, that it's too wet, too. I disagree...I think it would be fun to play in the wet and mud...but hey, humans can be weird! At least we go on more walks this way! We went to the beach last Saturday too! Dad wanted to get mussels off the rocks and boil them. It was one of those stupid beaches that makes us dogs have to be on leashes....BOOOOO!! I guess it's better than no beach at all...I love smelling all the rotting piles of seaweed! Mom and I ran up and down the beach and chased the waves and seaguls while Dad and my human sister picked mussels off the rocks. I found out I really love to eat mussels after they're cooked, too....MmmmMMM!
Mom and Dad have been pretty mad at the TV on Sundays, lately. They take turns calling it, "Stupid Kerry Collins!" or "The crappiest defense in the NFL!" or "Al Davis needs to hang it up, already!"...and they think I'm crazy!
Mom and Dad were thinking of getting me a doggie sister to play with. They have been so busy, they decided to wait until spring to find me a doggie sister. I can't wait! I hope whoever she is, she'll like me. Mom says any person or dog would be crazy if they didn't like me, but she says she's 'biased', whatever that means.

Week of September 26th

I missed mom & dad while they were in Oakland on Sunday. The Raiders beat the Bucs, so they came home really happy. Since they were too wound up to to sleep, I got to stay a little late with them & play a bit. I got some fresh deer meat to eat with my dinner on Monday night. It was really good!
Things are back to normal now that dad is home again. The only bad part is, no more walking to the dog park, we drive again. Mom said that it was getting dark too early and that it would be dark by the time we got done walking there. I wouldn't mind playing in the dark, but I don't think humans can see as well as us dogs can in the dark, haha!
Mom & dad had vacation time to 'burn' (whatever that means) and decided to take the day off yesterday (the 30th). We went for a ride in the Jeep and after a while I smelled one of my favorites smells. We were at the beach again! Since it was, as the humans call it, 'Thursday', there was just a few people there. I got to be off my leash almost the WHOLE time! There was two ladies that were there that had 8 dogs! Mom said they must run a doggy day care. I don't care what they did, I was just glad they brought all those dogs for me to play with! Dad said the tide was high, so there was a whole bunch of piles of rotting seaweed & kelp on the beach! I loved smelling them and digging holes in the sand! I went in the water a little bit...the water was pretty cold and a wave almost knocked me over. When that happened, I hauled butt back over to mom. After a while, mom & dad climbed up onto this rock. It stuck out from a cliff was at the very top was about 20 feet (or so dad says) from the ground. Mom wandered off the rock & down the beach a little bit and I wanted to be with her, so when I got about 6 feet from the ground, I jumped! My front legs sunk into the sand and I landed on my face. Mom & dad couldn't stop laughing. I was embarrassed and mad so I chased some stupid seagulls. Mom said I, "fell ass over tea kettle!". It's not funny. Stop laughing!

Until next week....

September 12 thru 21st, 2004

Sundays during football season. Most of the time, I just sleep, until I hear the guy on the TV say, "Touchdown, Raiders!!". Then mom & dad get all happy & excited and I jump around. Mom and Dad are usually either gone to Oakland (they have something called 'season tickets') or at home yelling at the TV.
My Dad left to go deer hunting a few days ago. It sounds like a lot of fun. I can't go because I like to explore too much and mom & dad are afraid a mountain lion or something would get me. I'd like to see one try & get me! Dad goes to somewhere called 'Siskyou County' and hunts for deer up in the mountains. He called mom the other day and told her it was snowing. I'm really curious about snow. I'll have to see if mom & dad will take me to it sometime. Since dad is gone with the jeep & I'm not allowed to ride in the Impala (it has leather seats and mom says I'd tear them up), we've been walking to the dogpark...SWEET!
Anyway, I really miss my dad...I walk around looking for him, but I can't find him. Mom says when he gets home I'll fresh venison to eat because dad got a big deer this year. I don't know what venison is, but I heard mom say something about 'meat'. Works for me!

Until next week...

Week of September 5th, 2004

My mom is too busy to take dictation from me everyday, so we decided a weekly entry would be better. So, here's a look into my life last week:

My girl started her first year of high school on August 30th. That meant no one staying home with me during the day anymore! I was kinda sad, but then again, it also meant I could sleep in peace without her touching my ears...she likes to irritate me when I sleep. We went to the dog park almost every night after mom & dad get home from work, too! I met a new friend on Tuesday (the 7th). He's a black & white great dane named Kobi. My mom & his mom said something about it being a small world because we're both great dane & named Kobi. Whatever...I gotta new friend! My week was pretty much the same thing, catching up on sleep and going to the dog park in the evenings. Pretty boring, until Friday night. It was really late and me, the cats and the rest of the family were sleeping. I woke my mom up because I was barking and growling at the front door. She got up and calmed me down. My dad looked out of our front window and there was this guy acting weird on our front lawn. My dad said he was drunk, whatever that means...all I know is that he was not someone I knew and he was coming closer to my house! One of our neighbors yelled at the drunk guy to go home and my dad got up and turned on the flood light that shines onto the front of our house. The guy left...I scared him and chased him off...the next time, I may have to go outside and take care of business, as long as dad backs me up. Saturday, we went to Lawson's Landing at Dillon Beach. I heard mom say it's a privately owned beach, so dogs can be there with NO LEASHES!! My family had to eat lunch before we went out there, so we stopped at Burger King. They left me in the jeep, parked in the shade while they ate...I couldn't believe it!! But it was OK because when they came out, they gave me my very own cheese burger to snack on the way! We got to the beach and I was so excited, I peed on the first sand dune I could find. We went for a walk on the beach but there was too many people around, so dad wouldn't let me off the leash yet. We played in the water...it was warmer than it usually is...I usually freeze my paws off when I play in the ocean. We also saw a few dogs that were taking walks with their families, too. We went down to the other end of the beach where there were less people and I got to run in the sand, chase seagulls & I played with a golden retriever, too! I slept the whole way home and I even crawled into my crate that night and slept in there...the day at the beach made me SOOOO tired.
Until next week...