Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone has a very happy and safe New Years celebration.  Please, if you're going out, don't drink alcohol and drive.  Have a designated driver.  We want you to be alive to read all about us.  We'll be spending our New Years at home, spending time with Daddy and Aunt Pat.  We left New Years Eve greetings on our last walk of 2010.


And I'm celebrating the "lasts" of 2010.  It's been very warm the last couple of days so most of the snow has melted.  It's been nice to go walkies because the humans haven't had to worry as much about me(or them) slipping on the ice and hurting myself.  Plus, today we found three returnable cans on our morning walk.  In the backyard, I found the last stick of 2010, and had a nice chew.
Once I was finished with that, I enjoyed digging the last hole in the back yard so I can get at the yummy grass.

Chloe has upped her usual surveillance of the back yard.  Lots of new ground to sniff now that the snow has melted.  She's especially keeping an eye out for the squirrels that recently moved into a hole in the attic of our next door  neighbor's house. She'll make sure they don't come over here for a little vacation. 
Humans usually make resolutions to make their lives better in the new year.  My resolutions are to keep taking walks, and eat more Charlee Bears!  Chloe's resolution should be not to be late when Aunt Pat serves dinner.
But, I think hers revolve around getting as many tummy rubs as possible.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Daddy Saved Christmas!

Chloe and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!  We hope the blessings of the season will be yours throughout the year.  I did a naughty on the carpet last night.  I couldn't help it.  It's hard to be sure I get enough grass in my diet this time of year.  Since the grass is frozen, I get more dirt, too, which can upset my tummy.  Well, I was so excited last night about Santa coming, as well as having a little too much dirt, meant that I threw up on the living room rug after Daddy had us outside.  I got so upset, I didn't watch where I was walking and made a mess in the dining room.  Daddy stepped in it, too.  I know Santa  is smart enough to know that I didn't do it deliberately, but he was already out delivering presents.  He knows when you're bad or good, but let's face it, there's a limit to how much someone can multi-task.  The elves would be sending those last minute good and bad child and dog messages, and we all know how something can get lost in translation when messages are passed.  Thinking about it now, I overreacted.  I was really scared and sad when Daddy sent me upstairs to go back to bed.  Things look a lot different at 4 am.  I was afraid I ruined Christmas for everybody!

Daddy got the carpet cleaner out, and went to work.  Over the sound of the cleaner, I thought I heard sleigh bells.  I couldn't tell because I was falling asleep.  I assumed Santa was flying over us to the next house.  But, hen we got up, there were a pile of presents under the tree!  Santa didn't skip us!








  Daddy must have explained what happened to Santa and he left us toys! Finally, Chloe has a squirrel she can catch!  Plus, he left two big bags of Charlee Bears!  I must be a good girl!  Daddy saved the day!  We were very excited and took a nice nap before our morning walk.  Chloe and I exchanged holiday greetings to the rest of the neighborhood dogs at our usual spots. 

We helped Daddy and Aunt Pat with their gift selections this year.  We told Aunt Pat that we wanted her to make or buy a throw like a New England Patriots pillow Daddy's got.  They're Daddy's favorite football team.  So, she got the fabric. We told her we would help her make it, especially after the fun we had making the dog throw last year.  Once Daddy went out yesterday, we went to work.  Chloe kept watch at the window while I helped Aunt Pat.  It didn't take too long, but I ended up ruining the surprise.   That was another reason I thought I'd wrecked Christmas.   After Daddy got home, I went back downstairs to make sure Aunt Pat had picked everything up from the family room.  She had, but I should have stayed put.   Daddy followed me downstairs before Aunt Pat could close the door of the sewing room. So, he saw it on the sewing machine.  At least the Orioles pillow we helped her make was a surprise.


Daddy got Aunt Pat a really big book about her favorite movie, Star Wars.  Daddy came home and described it to me.  When he asked me if I thought she'd like it, of course I barked.  I know how much of a Star Wars fan she is.  Daddy also gave us to her, in a way.  A man he knows is an artist. He works from photos and does work in charcoal-no, not the bricks you grill with, but the kind you draw with.  He took a Christmas photo from a couple of years ago, and gave it to this guy.  It looks great!  Aunt Pat was very touched and she and Daddy are trying to find a place to hang it so it can be seen.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas


Ever since Daddy and Aunt Pat took us to see Santa, Chloe can't wait until the big guy makes his visit.  I'm sure she wasn't expecting him to come this early.  She knows Christmas is the 25th.  That's less than a week away!  I hope your shopping is finished.  We told Daddy and Aunt Pat what we wanted them to buy from us to give to each other.  We'd love to go shopping, but the only store we're welcome in is the pet store.  I just don't think Daddy or Aunt Pat would like chew toys or noms like Chloe or I would.  I'd love to go to the mall to see what's around.  We'd be happy lay down in the cafe at the bookstore while the humans browsed.  The only dogs that get to do fun stuff like that are guide dogs or service dogs.   It wouldn't be right if Aunt Pat made us a little sash or coat that said "Therapy Dog in Training, or Guide Dog in Training...unless you count retail therapy as therapy, or sniffing out a bargain is a guide dog's duty.  Hmm...Chloe and I stand by when Aunt Pat's in the kitchen, or on the computer, or in the shower, to make sure she doesn't fall.  I wonder how "Balance Dog" would go over if we got stopped by security?  Probably not well.  I guess this means Chloe and I will have to dream about Christmas until it gets here.


The weather's been contributing to the Christmas feel.  Last week it got very cold and very snowy.  It was too bad out to go for our walks.  Chloe was not happy, but she understood.  Daddy was so cool!  He took us for rides in the car on days we couldn't walk.  They weren't short rides around the block, we actually got to go out and see the sights around town.  We've been dashing through the snow in the backyard.  Daddy shoveled a smaller path-I have better footing when there's some snow on the ground.  I don't like walking where there's ice or crunchy snow.  I don't like to slip, and the humans are afraid I'll pull another muscle like I did last year.  To get on firmer ground, I'll drag the humans through a snowbank if that's what it takes to avoid bad footing.  Chloe and I don't like to miss any messages from the neighborhood dogs, so we'll sometimes change direction rather quickly if one of us picks up a scent.  The yellow snow is our "You've Got Mail" confirmation that we've got "pee mail" as Aunt Pat refers to it.  Don't worry, we don't eat the killer yellow snow, since Chloe and I will eat just about anything.  We just sniff it...and then Chloe usually leaves a reply right over the original message.  She's very social, even if the original message is a little higher up on a snow pile than usual.  She has to get the last word in.