Whine & Cheese

One Week Later

Well, it's been one week since Toby left us.  It's that weird time continuum... sometimes feels like just yesterday, but mostly feels like it all happened eons ago.  Today I want to share with you my journey. 

As mentioned, my Facebook status bar tracked it all.  I joked over the weekend (perhaps more on that tomorrow) -- and humor is the best defense mechanism/medicine -- that while these status updates (which have since morphed into "tweets") are usually quite light-hearted and fun -- mine turned into "Debbie Downer" (insert "waaaah, waaaah" sound effect) over these past 6 weeks or so.  But I found it to be extremely therapeutic... given the word/character restriction, I had to get it down to the core thought or emotion. 

The journey is not quite over yet.  For the first time ever, I've decided to get ashes.  I have a few theories of why I did it this time around, but for now, I'll just leave it at that Toby has been a very odd/unique experience... anyhow, they should be coming in sometime this week.

So here it is, from thinking it was nothing to it turning into something to turning into something bad ... and everything in between.  (UPDATE:  Again, a reminder that the Facebook status line is written in the 3rd person, so that's just the style, an albeit odd one.)

Feb 25
1:12pm: Ed is getting ready to go to the vet with a coughing basset hound.
3:00pm: Ed just spent $117.30 on vet visit, antibiotics & doggie cough medicine (Poor Toby! Poor Us!).

Mar 6
1:19pm: Ed is frustrated waiting to get a call back from the vet -- Toby's cough is pretty much gone, but he seems really out of it.
3:06pm: Ed finally got his 9am call to the vet returned at 4pm - appt on Friday at 11a, unless Toby magically recovers by then.

Mar 10
6:55am: Ed is still dealing with a sick dog... cough is gone, but bloated/irritated stomach now!
9:49am: Ed is going to the vet (again) later this afternoon :-(.
5:00pm: Ed likes the sound of universal health care... for dogs! Here's hopin' today's $264.70 works out better than Friday's $322.78!

Mar 11
2:22pm: Ed is tired of waiting for/but trying to remain optimistic about Toby's blood test results.

Mar 12
8:13am: Ed is going to the vet again this afternoon... wasn't a good night for Toby.
3:06pm: Ed is going back to pick up Toby in an hour... not liking the latest round of possible diagnoses.
4:45pm: Ed is sad to say that Toby doesn't have much time left.

Mar 13
5:21pm: Ed is trying to accept the things he can't change.

Mar 14
3:27pm: Ed is not so sure anymore.

Mar 21
8:48am: Ed doesn't know what to expect with Toby's second opinion vet appt this afternoon.
3:14pm: Ed is sad to say no new/good news re: Toby.

Mar 23
6:24pm: Ed has no idea about what is the right thing to do.

Mar 27
8:58am: Ed senses he is approaching being placed between the rock and hard place.

Mar 28
6:44am: Ed is playing it by ear (again), though not hearing very well.

Mar 29
9:18am: Ed is taking Toby in for a "feel better" shot... still some positive signs, so not ready to do "it" just yet.

Mar 31
7:05am: Ed has already had a rough morning, just back from dropping Todd off at the airport.
8:49am: Ed just made the call to the vet.
4:34pm: Ed is very sad, but also feels an incredible weight has been lifted.

Apr 1
9:21am: Ed is kinda sort doing pretty okay.

Apr 2
8:32am: Ed is reading 'The Diary of Anne Frank'... now *that* should cheer me up... just don't tell me how it ends.

Apr 4
3:54pm: Ed just got the sympathy card from the vet and it made me a little sad... talk amongst yourselves.

Apr 6
2:47pm: What should be the name of the first dog Rocky befriended this afternoon at the dog park? Toby, of course! I can't make this stuff up!

This last item from yesterday was pretty amazing...

While I was a bit emotionally tentative going to the dog park, I felt like I owed it to Rocky who has been so patient (wanting to play so badly -- as usual!) while Toby was sick and since he's been gone.  Typically, we go Sunday mornings... but I didn't get their until Sunday afternoon and there were only maybe 5 dogs at the park (in the morning, there are typically dozens of dogs!).

So we enter the park and there is only one dog near the entrance... so Rocky goes right up to the dog and starts playing... as usual, the "target" dog is a bit thrown by Rocky's energy but is not totally freaked out.  The owners are really enjoying Rocky and when he goes to greet them they ask me what breed he is, etc., etc. and his name...  and then they turn to their dog and say "Toby go ahead and play with Rocky".... you could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather... ah, that whole "universe" thing (again).

More Memories

Again, a big thanks to everyone for their sympathies over our loss of Toby yesterday... I am thankful to have this outlet and the words of encouragement have been very helpful.  This morning, just want to share some stuff that is on my mind.  It's going to all be a bit random, but I guess so is life...

This morning, I could swear I was woken up by scratching at the door.  It was a sound that often woke me up... Toby wanting to go out or come back in... and being pretty incessant about it until he was allowed in or out.   So I am not sure, what I exactly heard... perhaps it was Toby wanting in (or out!) of that tear frickingly jerking Rainbow Bridge...

Speaking of which, it brought a smile to my face thinking about Toby's big sister Mindy.  Mindy was over 14 years old when she left us nearly 2 years ago (in early April), so that was one thing that made Toby's passing at age 6 particularly shocking.  But I will always remember Mindy's face when we brought Toby home... it was a pretty even split between "ah, shit" and "are you kidding me?"... so I am not too sure it was a total sunshine day for Mindy when Toby came trotting across the Bridge.

I spoke of the "universe" yesterday... and we did have some very odd coincidences... or were they?

A few weeks ago, we got that tremendous news of Todd's employee award and the trip to Beijing... and as it happened, I also had a vet visit that day... and that was the start of the beginning of the end, when we knew we were likely looking at something that could not be fixed.  Things didn't seem dire on that day, which I am totally thankful for because it was a day that deserved to be happy and amazing... and it was!  I guess one is an optimist or pessimist depending on whether you think there are more good or bad days... I'll give a slight edge to the good, but I think it all evens out in the end... looking back, that particularly day seemed a prime example.

When we moved into the house, I ordered Todd address labels with basset hounds on them... this weekend, he came to me and noted he was down to his final labels... they had lasted over 6 years... strange indeed!

While I am not totally trying to sanitize the house of memories and triggers, I did do some "clean up" yesterday afternoon.  One thing I did do was take down the basset hound calendar in our kitchen... if I turned the page today to April today... the photo was pretty much a spitting image of a puppy version of Toby. 

Okay, enough of "the universe"...

Finally, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, Toby was very independent even as a puppy... he was my first "puppy" and I often questioned if he was missing that whole "unconditional love" thing... he didn't thrive on getting attention and did not seek it out all that often.  But lately he was coming around.. and I'll share this story/memory that Todd sent me this morning (he arrived safely in France)... "one of the things that struck me just recently was how he was so content to stay close to us at the dog park... a few times recently when we were there, and he had happened to wonder away, I watched him and could see when he realized he wasn't sure where we were... he'd look for us and when he finally saw us, his ears would perk up and he'd trot back over to us... that always made me happy - like he really did like us and feel safe with us."  Ok, that made me sad... but it a good way!

I'll share (at least) one more thing with you later this week.  Over these past several weeks, most of my Facebook "status" one-liners have been very Toby-centric.  If you are not familiar with it... the feature gives you space to write a short message that shows up in the 3rd person... i.e.  Ed is xxxx.   It's typically used to share fun stuff... I tend to ramble (you've noticed?!)... so I found it very therapeutic and challenging to get right to down to very core.

Again, a big thank you... and I am looking forward to an Idol post tomorrow... I couldn't think of a better mentor to make me smile than Dolly Parton!

Rest In Peace

I am just back from the vet, and while I fully realize that I have not disembarked from the emotional rollercoaster...  things are strangely peaceful right at this moment.

Having been through this numerous times before - mind boggling enough, Toby is the 4th pet we've lost in the 6 years we have lived together -- I have had some pretty intense emotional reactions at the vet's office and certainly in the immediate aftermath (not that there's anything wrong with that).  While tears were shed, things were very much in control this afternoon... given the lead up to this, I was suspecting having a really bad time of it ... but perhaps because of it, my feelings/emotions are what they are right now... granted, this is not to say what had occurred in the days and hours before ... or what lies ahead in the coming hours and days... but right now, calm... or maybe it's just numb.

One of the things I told (or at lease tried to tell) Todd this afternoon was that I was at peace with the today's decision... and I think that is what has made all the difference... while Toby certainly left us well before the time he deserved...

I thank whatever it is -- if it's not too cheesy, let's say "the universe" -- for knowing letting us know when it was the time to keep hoping and trying, and today... the time to let go.

I am thankful for everyone at the vet's office ... and particularly my vet, who stayed with me a good 15-20 minutes after it was all said and done and talked with me about Toby and her own pets and experiences when making this difficult decision.  I can only imagine how far it put her behind schedule ... the lobby was sheer lunacy when I walked in (and again, the staff quickly ushered me away from it all and took care of all the necessary paperwork beforehand)... but now you can understand why I waited those extra hours to see her today.

And, of course, I am thankful the time we did have with Toby... he was certainly a character... even as a puppy (and, at my semi-advanced age, my very first "from scratch" puppy)... so independent, aloof, ornery... but friendly and lovable when he wanted to be... and always a big hit wherever he went...

So that's it... for now... again, I just felt compelled to write something... "talk"... mark this chapter...

R.I.P. Toby ... we'll miss you.

The Call

I have just made the call the vet. 

For fear of chickening out, I am not going to post this until I am out of here.

It was going to be a rough morning regardless... Todd left on his business trip this morning and, while we would have like to have thought otherwise, neither of us truly believed that Toby would make it until he got back next Friday. 

We took Toby in on Saturday to get another "boost" shot... the effects of the first one had started to wear off and we hoped another one would give him as good of a bounce as the first one did... and we were still seeing positive behavioral signs, so we just couldn't think of putting him ahead of Todd's trip.

But this shot one never kicked in... he had a not-so great day on Sunday... and not a good overnight at all... he wanted out several times during the night and, what was only clear to me this morning, was that he could not find a comfortable lying down position... and it was not until I got back to the airport, that I have noticed him swaying/bobbing when sitting up (or trying to).  While he has not been happy/feeling good for a while now... my litmus test in making the decision was that he not be in pain/distress and, for the first time this morning, I can no longer think that is not the case...

So I am going in this afternoon... now, the gut-wrenching wait (as I write this, nearly 6 hours away)... I'm guessing I could have got in earlier, but I wanted his usual vet (thankfully she was in the office today) and that was important to me... and also not rushing right into it was a probably a good thing... it has allowed things to start sinking in and get out some of those tears.

I/We certainly was not thinking that today was the day.  My fears were over the timing... doing it too soon (last week) or not doing it soon enough (say next week)... on the way to the airport, I said to Todd one of my worries was not having that "sign" and reassurance (I'll be the first one to admit that I am supremely indecisive)... but I think we both knew it was a not a good night and that the end was near... though it does pain me that he doesn't know about this right this very minute... and while I think we both felt more bad for the other, there is an odd consolation that Todd was here for the last night.  (Update: I was conflicted about it... but I did catch Todd between flights, so was able to tell him what was going on and he gave me that much needed reassurance that sadly he felt things were on the quick downturn).

So... I guess that's it, I am sure there will be more... and thanks for bearing with me through this tough time... this is my therapy....

Chubby Buddy #1 Destroyed

Well...  the good news is that it took a whole week (and a day!)...

Chubby Buddy "Mr. Fish" Before & After

It was pretty funny, I was getting another cup of coffee and noticed something destroyed in the dining room area... then I noticed a destroyed tennis ball (remnants pictured above).   Hmmm, very strange... as to the best of my knowledge I had never given Rocky a tennis ball to play with... but it's not like there's never been a tennis ball in the house... so I just figured he found it somewhere...

On the next walk-through, I noticed all the stuffing and finally caught glimpse of the deflated fish... and then it hit me (duh!) that the core of the Chubby Buddy had been a tennis ball!

I should enroll Rocky into a vulnerability doggie toy test program... as you may recall, I picked this particular toy since it was advertised for "moderate and strong chewers"... but then again, it did last a week... while lesser toys have been gone in mere hours (or less!)... so I guess this is progress. 

I still have Chubby Mr. Hedgehog for Rocky... so we'll see... my next idea is just to throw around $5 bills around the house and let Rocky go to town on those!

Just Don't Know

Unless you are one of the "lucky" few who are following my recent angst-ridden Facebook status/update one-liners, there is not much good news to report on the Toby front.  I don't want to turn this blog into dog deathwatch but this is the hand that life has dealt us at the moment... so, in order for my head not to explode, it's going to rise to the surface here every so often...

Anyhow, on Friday we went back to the vet... Toby had been doing pretty well on his cortisone shot (well compared to before it)... but having seen another doctor at our vet office for this whole ordeal, I wanted to bring Toby in to see the doc who he had gone to 80%+ of his life... also Todd came along to, so I wouldn't have to try to remember all the stuff that was said or shown to me.

So while we were holding out for some hope that this had all been a terrible mistake and/or misdiagnosis... the doc told us very early and directly that we were going to lose him ... to put it simply, Toby has a cancerous tumor/mass (likely lymphoma) in his chest that is pushing up against his heart and lungs... and, at this point, there are not any good and/or long-term options... not to dissimilar from the other week, we were given an "optimistic" two-month time frame.

It's been a emotionally draining struggle... Toby's breathing has started to become labored... some times better than others, with relative silence from him suddenly becoming just as scary as the wheeziness.. but he is eating and has the occasional "happy tail" (something that wasn't the case when things were really bad)... so it's mixed signals... and while we are not opposed to making "the decision," it's hard to consider it when there are still some positive signs... though I suspect, as the decline continues, "the bar" of what qualifies as a "positive sign" will lower as well... just human nature.

And it's impossible to get advice on (understandably so!)... I have people in my life who already would have not gone through the financial and emotional expense that we have thus far... while others would not entertain "the decision" and would spend whatever it takes even if it meant just one day more...

We really don't know what to do... if he starts to decline, we can give him another shot for comfort... but even that has us questioning... is that right thing to do, just to keep him going... and each of those shots are going to be less and less effective.... and next week, Todd has an upcoming 12-day international business trip... so just a giant heap of "just dont knows"...

Chubby Buddies

It was a crazy work day, so just getting around to writing a little something now ... though not the post I was planning on... so we'll just save that for another day. 

Toby had a pretty decent weekend particularly since he was given what amounted to a death sentence last week... so while we were happy that he seemed to have perked up, we're also trying not to read too much into it.

I ran to the vet today (like I haven't been there enough!) to get Toby more food and also make an appointment with his usual vet at the end of the week... since Toby wasn't making this trip, I decided to take Rocky along so he can get his bordatella vaccine... and since we were out ... decided to stop at PetsMart with him...

I couldn't pass up getting a couple of new toys... particularly these...

Chubby Buddies?!  Yikes, that sounds a bit dirty don't you think?  But it's really nothing new when it comes to dog toys... the "Kong" dog toy pretty much looks like something right out of an adult boutique (apparently there's now "Extreme Kong" and "Kong Balls"... I am not making this up!).... and heck if NBC lets My Name Is Earl get away with calling Catalina's strip joint Club Chubby... then I guess it's okay if Rocky has some Chubby Buddies.

These were particularly appealing because they are advertised for "moderate and strong chewers" ... and the front let's up practice our French "Le jouet en peluche avec un ventre durable"... translation: "the plush toy with a durable belly!"   Hmmm... I don't think that phrase will come in handy on our trip...  now, knowing how to say Chubby Buddy... maybe!

So we'll see what happens to these... you may remember what happened last time!

Sad

I come to you today with a heavy heart as our Toby does not have much time left. 

Ok, just typing out that line just about kicked my ass...

Yesterday, I went back to the vet for the 3rd time in less than a week and 4th time overall since Toby had not been feeling well.  With each visit my optimism was slowly chipped away, but being told what is very likely the final prognosis was still quite shocking... especially for a dog just approaching his 6th birthday.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when Toby developed a cough... at the time, I was kicking myself for a lapse in getting his bordatella vaccine and thinking he had probably caught something at the dog park.  While the cough slowly did go away, oddly enough, he began acting sicker and sicker.  Last Friday, x-rays showed he had a very inflamed stomach so we started to treat it.  With no improvement over the weekend, I went back for blood work on Monday and we thought he might have an intestinal parasite, so we started treating that.  Tuesday was a rough night with his neck/chest area swelling up and he was very out of it.  I returned to the vet yesterday and despite his blood work being nearly perfect, new x-rays showed that his lungs are in bad shape (worse than they were even on Friday's x-rays)... these symptoms plus the non-response to all the other drugs plus the speed at which all this is happening points to lymphoma... and, at best, he likely only has a few weeks left.

With no good or long-term treatment options, I took the vet's suggestion to give him a shot of cortisone to help reduce the swelling and pain... alas just a band-aid, but hopefully something to ease things, well at least physically. 

As you can imagine we are heartbroken, while we know our pets will not live forever (something we were reminded of quite recently with our friends Scott and Buckaroo)... and while the signs certainly were not good over the past few days, we still thought we had plenty of time to go with Toby.   

While it's going to be rough times here for the time being, I will welcome the distraction of this blog and its normal light and fluffy subject matter... and while my mind and heart will certainly be elsewhere, I will do my best and march on.  Later this morning, I am heading up for what has become my annual oil change and I am meeting up with an old friend/ex-co-worker for lunch... haven't seen her in 3 years, so looking forward to it... though she might be getting more than she bargained for!

I thank you in advance for your sympathies... I know this is one of those quite awkward blog moments... one feels the need to write/offer something... but when faced with that blank comment box, the only thought is that there is nothing that can possibly be said... I totally understand... it's me that needs to get out the swirling thoughts and the flood of emotion... while not an easy post to write, it is my therapy and the beginning of the grieving process... though I seemingly flew through all five stages within a matter of hours yesterday (admittedly quite light on "acceptance")... so, that's it... and just thanks for reading.

Dog Daze 2

About two weeks ago, I told you that Toby had a cough ... so he ended up going on drugs for that... and the good news...  while it did take about a week, the cough did go away.  But quite peculiarly as his cough got better, he started acting sicker -- low(er) energy, (more) inconsistent eating, a (more) glum demeanor, and absolutely, positively no interest in giving his ever active 'lil brother the proverbial time of day... in other words, he seemed much sicker than he ever did when he had the cough!

After getting thru the cough medication, I took him in this past Friday to see why he was acting so poorly... to make a long story short... x-rays showed his stomach was inflamed and the walls of his stomach were thick... and the doctor confirmed what we had suspected... Toby was in pain/discomfort.  So we left with two new stomach meds plus a pain shot and injection of fluids (for dehydration).

While he did get a boost from the fluids and pain shot, it was short-lived... by Sunday, the poor body language was back and Monday morning I decided to call the vet back and we had an appointment yesterday afternoon.

The doctor agreed that he still wasn't acting/looking any better.  The next step was blood work.  At this point, I mentioned that Rocky had been exhibiting some of the symptoms he had when he had an intestinal parasite a couple of months ago (I thought I mentioned it here, but can't seem to find the entry).  So that got the doctor thinking that maybe Toby has a parasite as well.  Long story short, both dogs are now on anti-parasite medication... with Toby getting another round of fluids yesterday.

If this parasite meds didn't work, the vet said we could come back in a couple days and do the blood work... but preferring to stave off a fourth trip to the vet in two weeks, I told him just to go ahead with it... something is obviously not right with him... and if anything does show up, we can get to treating that ASAP... and if nothing shows up, well at least I have peace of mind (granted I didn't think that "peace of mind" would cost $175 for the blood work alone!  The "blood draw" was an additional charge).

So despite that outrageously good Olympics news, it's not been a terribly happy time over the past week.  It is easy to get frustrated with the vet (and I certainly have been) with the "let's try this now" or "maybe it's that" and not have anything to show after nearly $700 worth of treatment... I do understand how hard it must be to try to treat a living thing that can't tell you where it hurts... and having to rely on just a visual or a groan when you poke him there... but still its pretty hard watching Toby feel so obviously not well and not being able to do much about it other than hope that the "next thing" will be the remedy.

Coughy Tawk

First off, Happy Leap Day!

Well, those American Idol recaps certainly take up a good part of the week huh?  It certainly takes the pressure off figuring out what I am going to blog about... and I do still enjoy blogging about Idol... which hasn't been the case with some other reality shows.  Even though it's one of my faves, I started to struggle with coming up with stuff to say about The Amazing Race... and I have made nary a mention of the first non-summer edition of Big Brother... we are watching it... but boy, what a bunch of losers... and that's saying something if that's my impression of this crew compared with previous casts.  I guess the difference with Idol is that you get to play armchair critic... and that some of the contestants do get a career out of it.

Anyhow, while W&C obsessed over Idol... since I last left you on Monday, I now have three FOUR Scrabulous games underway on Facebook.  It has been quite enjoyable and my opponents are certainly challenging me.  Though I had to shake off some Scrabble rust and (re)-learn the power of those very odd two-letter words (including the particularly important, QI and ZA).   

Until Scrabulous, I have to admit I wasn't into Facebook.  This may surprise you, but one's enjoyment of a social networking site kinda sorta relies on one having a social network.  But, suddenly I have 7 friends (no laughing!)... so I am paying it all a bit more attention and even having some fun with that "twitter"-ish / "what I'm doing/thinking right now" thing.  I suspect one day we'll have sensors that will track our every move and thought and automatically post it to the Internet... and people will think this is progress/a good thing... ha!

So quite circuitously, we arrive at the title of the post... which, earlier this week, was one of those Facebook "exclusives."  And while I am quite proud of my punny title, I gladly would have preferred not having had to come up with it as Toby has been not feeling well for about a week now. 

Toby was supposed to have a dental treatment this past Tuesday, but last Friday he started coughing and it hung around for the entire weekend.   I took him to the vet on Monday... no real diagnosis other than a doggie cough "going around" (so much for feeling good about going to the dog park!)... so he is on antibiotics and an alleged cough suppressant... and needless to say, we canceled the dental.  Likewise, we are keeping our fingers crossed/knocking on wood that Rocky doesn't get it since it's (of course!) contagious... so far, so good (probably thanks to his super-duper metabolism).

We were hoping he was getting better.  Todd correctly noted that he hadn't heard him cough at all after getting home last night... but in the middle of the night, poor Toby had 2 or 3 extended coughing fits... so it is/was kind of discouraging... though just to have to keep thinking that, even us humans, it takes awhile for a cough to go away. 

It just brings back bad memories as our Mindy hacked so badly near the end and all that is coupled with Toby eating/not eating and certainly more lethargic than normal... so it's hard to be patient... no breakfast today, just a lot of sleeping... but not much (any) coughing in the last few hours.  I'm sure he'll be fine... but he can't start getting better soon enough!   

Have a great weekend... and Happy March!  (Where is this year going already?!?)

It's Been A Rocky Year

No, I am not talking about the "tone" of the year...

Guess who's been with us for 1 year!?!

While the "date" anniversary is officially tomorrow, it was a year ago this very February Friday that we were just hours away from picking up our new Boston Terrier puppy in a McDonalds parking lot on the north edge of town... as you well know, if you're a regular... after much debate, we named him Rocky.

As with most things in life, it is both hard to believe and not hard to believe that it's been a year... time certainly has flown, but it's hard to remember him not being a part of our lives.

He is really quite the character and the antithesis of Basset Hound Toby in pretty much every way -- which is a good or bad thing depending upon the minute hour day... all in all, a very happy and energetic pup... though more energetic that I think either of us imagined... which tends to cause a stir at the dog park (this past Sunday, he was called "feisty" when he wasn't "scaring" dogs 4x his size) and the pet resort (last visit, he apparently needed "time outs").

He has earned a few nicknames over the past year.  Lately, we enjoy calling him Barocky Obama (made uber-politically incorrect when I noted it was particularly suitable as he is mostly black with a little white too)... but no worries, in our increasingly deflating but still pro-Hillary household, he also is referred to as Little Rock... granted it is 99% due to his size, but we still like to think of it as a bit of an homage to the Junior Senator from New York's Arkansas connections.

Happy 1st Anniversary Rocky!  I think you found a pretty good home (if I do say so myself)! 

Poop Paradox

Work is not being terribly agreeable with my blogging desires today (sacrebleu!)... and after reading this post, you may have just wished I didn't...

But here are some thoughts that have gone through my head while out in the backyard...

First, you'd have a hard time convincing me that our dogs poop less than what they eat.  I lift the food bowl and the sh&t bag... and sorry, there is just no comparison between the two!    And yes, we feed them that "high quality" name-brand food that touts "less waste"... but if this is less, I can't imagine what the alternative would be!

Second, for this particular activity (and in general), we have stopped using garbage bags with "odor shield."  Silly me, thought that might be an improvement... but what they don't tell you is the bag by itself smells just as bad (or worse!) than any bad-smelling thing you could put in it!   

That's it... isn't it fun to share?

Weapon of Giraffe Destruction

While still adorable and friendly, our Boston Rocky is a menace when it comes to plush doggie toys. 

On yesterday's pet food run, it was time to replenish some toys... again! 

Just for kicks, I decided to do my own little wildlife documentary.

WARNING:  Some of the images below may be disturbing for some readers.

Meet Mr. Giraffe, shiny and new.

At approximately 4:15pm, while Rocky was outside, I put Mr. Giraffe (and the other new toy) in his pile of toys (since his arrival, Rocky is the only pet that has toys).  Beyond being a "survival/let's see how long it lasts" test,  it was also an experiment to see if he would notice the new toys in the bunch... and I thought not making a big deal out of the new toy may increase its life span.

Meet Mr. Giraffe... pretty much gutted and de-squeaker'd (I warned you it may be disturbing!)... and are you ready for this...

This picture was taken at 5:41 pm!

Record time or pretty darn close!   Now, I know what you're saying, why do I keep on buying these toys?   Wouldn't it just be easier to sprinkle $5 bills around the house and be done with it? 

The thing is some of these toys have lasted... heck, we still have Rocky's original giraffe (given its curren condition, it is most certainly not being photographed).  So we try to replace some of his favorites, but even what appears to be the same exact toy, often does make it beyond a day... or a couple of days at most.  That said, if it keeps him from munching on stuff he's not supposed to be munching on, I really don't mind (well, kinda).

Here's the little marauder... in action... and quite agreeable to be photographed.

It's kind of like our own in-house cartoon version of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Doggie Park Melodrama

We have been enjoying going to the new-found and well-utilized dog park just a couple miles from our house... and we are pretty confident that the dogs enjoy it even more.

But there always seems like there is someone to put a damper on things.  If people are this over-protective of their dogs, I hate to see what they would be like with human children... though I am not sure it many people make a distinction between the two.  Okay, I admit they are "our kids"... but they are also just dogs, too!

A little while back I wrote about this one woman dumping a bottle of water all over Rocky when it was viewed that he got into a bit of a scramble with another dog.  Now I know Rocky is quite persistent and his, or even our, definition of what constitutes "playing" might differ from others... but c'mon he's a frickin' Boston Terrier.  And considering his love and attraction to water, we still laugh that he likely considered the water dousing a treat/reward.

Last week, I was at the dog park by myself and occasionally Toby will be on one end of the park and Rocky will be at the other... so I was kinda keeping to the middle.  I see Rocky begin his playful jabbing with another dog, who is not quite getting what he's doing... so I approach, knowing now that this is the kind of stuff that starts to flip people out.  Nothing ever "bad" happens, but as I get near the huddle I hear this one woman say... "It's always the little ones!"

And not in a nice/ha-ha way... a cross between the snarl of the Wicked Witch ("I'll get you my pretty... and your little dog too!") and the tongue-clucking of Bree Van De Camp Hodge.  I didn't say anything, but I was like give me a break... maybe your dogs should get more socialized or grow some balls back!?!

Then this past weekend, Rocky was extremely attracted to this 7-month old Boxer, who seemed not to sure what to think of little Rocky.   So, at one point, Rocky is chasing down a Boxer (got that visual!???!), this woman near Todd plaintively cry out... "Oh, she's just a puppy!"... accusing our newly 1-year old Boston Terrier of "frightening" the 7-month old Boxer (and 3x bigger than Rocky).

Thankfully the owners of the boxer, a young couple, were pretty amused by it and didn't give us any grief... even later when the two were growling (again playfully) with each other, they were cool with it.

So while we all enjoy going to the dog park... it always seems like we waiting to see how long it will take before we get in trouble with somebody.  We realize Rocky is a handful and has enough energy to power a small community... he is learning the ropes and I think eventually knows when to back off...

Dogs seem to effectively communicate with each other... it's easy to see that any time you go to thedog park... so people just need to chill out a bit.

Rocky New Year

Tomorrow is a big day here...

Someone is turning 1 year old!

A couple of shots of Rocky from this morning

While he didn't arrive at his new home until 8 weeks later... and he wasn't quite the first Boston Baby of the New Year (much to his mama's relief, I'm sure!)... little did we know this time last year, that our "Little Rock" was born.  (And nice to finally know the actual birth date of one of my pets!)

While his weight has increased three-fold in the past year (well, 10 months), he is only 18-ish lbs (both his parents were under 20 lbs)... and he's just kind of stretched and filled out... and, oh yeah, those ears "popped"... here is the picture that pretty much "had us at hello":

It's probably a very good thing that his sister already had a home by the time we contacted the breeder or else I may be talking about a double birthday.

While I can't say he hasn't been a challenge at times (slow housebreaking, a lot of chewed furniture, terrorizing felines), he has been a real joy to have... just the happiest and most playful little dog around!  And still pretty darn adorable too!

I'll pop in tomorrow to let you know what the final page tally is in my 2007 reading challenge... but since we're headed into another of those long holiday weekends, let me wish you a...

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

For those who didn't catch a the sneak peek of this over at Flickr (no coal in Jeff's cyber-stocking this year!) or are on our snail-mail list...

Here is the hotly anticipated much-hyped photo from our holiday greeting card this year!

Elf Rocky & Santa Toby.

We took about 20 photos... and, believe it or not, this one was the very first picture taken!  I decided  to upload some outtakes over on Flickr.  I likely should have used one of them... they are pretty amusing... but my gut told me to go with one where the kids were behaving!

One of my favorite... ok, I am going to go ahead and say it CHRISTMAS!! songs is... "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

(Tangent: I am sooo confused these days.  While I think it is only polite to wish people, particularly strangers, "happy holidays" during this time of the year...  I am experiencing backlash from the backlash over it being politically incorrect to say "Christmas" ... or is it back to being anti-"holiday" and people insisting on "Christmas"?  Soooo very confused.  How 'bout everyone -- whatever the "side" -- just unbunch their panties about the whole thing... it's so anti-holiday... errr, I mean anti-Christmas....ack!)

So yes, one of my favorites songs this time of the year is "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

So while the blog-world takes its annual breather for the next few days, let me say that whatever you are celebrating (or not!)... it is my sincere hope that the spirit of the holiday season finds you with plenty of peace, goodness and light.

See you on the flip side (probably mid-next week)!

The Post That No One Will Read

It's Thanksgiving Eve and I am guessing that folks are either busy with preparations and/or family or already in long weekend mode... it's a little of both here, but I am already feeling a lack of motivation/inertia and it's not even noon... dreams of L-tryptophan dancing in my head.

We will be spending Thanksgiving with Todd's family.  The whole immediate family is descending on Tucson again this year... and Todd's sis is flying into Phoenix tonight... hmm, does anyone think the airport will be crowded at 6pm?!  Ha!  Todd is picking her up on the way home from work, so I won't experience that frenzy first hand... yet another item to tack onto my "thankful" list!

Puppy update.  You may remember last week's post where I mentioned that Rocky had a bit of a tummy issue and that I ran a "sample" to the vet and didn't really expect anything to come of it.  Well, so much for that assumption.

Got a call late yesterday from the vet (4 business days + a weekend after the drop!)... and it ends up that Rocky has an intestinal parasite... coccidiosis, to be exact.  Nothing to be worried about, easily treatable ... just one small pill, once a day, for 10 days.  The cause is apparently "environmental," so likely something he ate... and he eats everything... my guess is that it was likely due to his decidedly non-adorable penchant for "recycling"... and we'll just leave it at that!

While the diagnosis was not great/happy news, I am sort of relieved that there was a reason that caused his not-so-nice "issues"... while he never lost his happy-go-lucky temperament, something just wasn't right and I am fan of those mystery illnesses.

I guess that's all... so Happy Thanksgiving and I'll likely see you on the flip-side of the long weekend!

Boston Marathon Post

To my fellow pet owners, does it always seems like it's something when it comes to your four-legged family members?    Our Boston, Rocky has been a bit under the weather since Saturday... and it is very frustrating.

But first, Bostons do seem to be popular in ads... and not for good things!  It was a bit creepy that the first/top ad showed up when I visited Yahoo earlier this week?  How did they know that I had a Boston and furthermore that he would be suffering from some of the very things listed in the ad.  It had to be coincidence, but in this increasingly Big Brother world, I'm not too sure.

I just through in the other ad for good measure.  The flea and tick medication has really cute TV commercials featuring a Boston and Pug (recreated when Rocky's cousin/aunt comes to visit), but this image from their website is pretty adorable as well.  I guess cute dogs help sell product!

Anyhow, back to Rocky.  On Saturday, he decided not to eat at his breakfast.  Quite strange, since he has never been a shy eater.  But there was a pre-breakfast scuffle with Toby (and repeated a couple of hours later)... so I figured he had just been a little spooked... but then he didn't eat dinner either... or breakfast on Sunday.

I figured to keep with the plan and go to the dog park on Sunday.  All went well... as usual, very active and tons of dogs to play with.  Rocky even met up with another Boston upon entering the park... but didn't make any special notice of a member of his own breed.  I figured all the activity would make him hungry, so I tried again and got him to eat a bit ... but again, no dinner on Sunday... or Monday breakfast.

I am really not sure what was going on... beyond the not eating, he wasn't acting any different... still tons of energy, playing, etc.  He did eat some when I dumped some food on the floor... so he ate a bit, but just not out of his bowl.   But despite these few experiments,  I wasn't going to cower... if he wasn't going to eat at meal time and out of his bowl... that was it.   

So yesterday, he does start acting strange.  He'll be resting than all of a sudden he jump up and run around in a circle or off and back... kind of like he got hit with a pellet gun in the backside... just a very sharp, quick movement.  I spent most of the day deciding whether to go to the vet.  But he acted in a similar fashion when he was younger and he got over it in a day, so I just tried to be patient... that said, it was hard to watch. 

Mid-/late afternoon, he left me a little "present" (yep, that still happens every now and then)... so I ran it over to the vet to get it checked out.  I should hear back today or tomorrow, but they didn't seem overly concerned that I had to get him in for an exam.  Of course, when I got back he ate his dinner without an iota of hesitation.  But he was still doing that jump and run move throughout the evening ... and was quite gassy... whew!   

I am chalking it up to an upset stomach... he tends to eat anything and everything... he just ate a bit of breakfast this morning and while I thought he was doing better, he did that jump/run move just as I was writing this entry... so we'll see.  I don't suspect/expect the vet/lab will find anything.  I'm just ready for things to get back to normal.

Though as I opened this entry, things never seem to be normal.  It's always something!  Some sort of meal-time issue or someone not liking the other one (Toby I'm looking at you)... likewise, I have been pretty frustrated getting back into Cesar/Dog Whisperer mode. I do not have much control over these dogs... heck, I am pretty sure Rocky doesn't even know his name!   Then again, I don't think Toby did for the first couple of years later... but whereas Toby was stubborn, Rocky just has the attention span of a gnat... so I am sure we'll get there... someday!

Before Rocky's tummy problems, I had planned on a post primarily about not having control of the dogs... and particularly Rocky, who I vowed I would do a better job on thanks to him being my second dog experience... but have failed miserably... though with him being such a happy/peppy dog, it does balance out feeling too bad about it just a bit.

Anyhow, if you managed to get through this entire entry... congratulations! 

Doggie Report Card

While we were in Vegas, the dogs headed to the "pet resort" for a long weekend of their own.  This is the second time we have used this place, which for me ... by the mere fact it provides all-day play-time makes it the most guilt-free alternative when it comes to boarding the dogs.

Pretty much, every time and everywhere we have boarded our dogs get glowing reviews... pretty much that they are the most wonderful dogs on the planet.  And while I am certainly biased and while I certainly love to hear it, I know it can not possibly be the truth. 

So it was a little surprising to get a bit of the usual "blah-blah-blah" feedback for this visit... and while genuinely appreciative, I would have been just as happy to have the usual pleasantries... since my mood had turned a bit grumpy after getting that $1600 car shop estimate.

Now, it wasn't horrible.  I'll take the "see you next time"as a sign that Toby and Rocky have not been banned from the resort... and what I was told is stuff that we have seen in our recent visits to the dog park. 

With regards to Toby, I was told "we will miss his howling."  Now this something that is not terribly unusual for a basset hound... though Toby does not tend to be a barker/howler unless there is a good reason.  At the dog park, it is often comical to hear Toby howl because it is more out of frustration in not being able to keep up with the faster and ... ahem... more athletic dogs.  While the resort does not have the acres of running space of the park, I can see Toby still being befuddled by a group of dogs running around in circles or dodging back and forth.

Rocky was "bossy" and "needed some time-outs"... again, no surprise.  You may recall, that Rocky was doused with a bottle of water some lady at the dog park who thought he was getting into it with another dog.  He is still very much a puppy and given any kind of stimulation it takes a verrrrry long time for this little guy to tucker out... and what can, understandably so, be misinterpreted as aggression is him trying to be a 'lil "toughie."  I agree he still needs to learn when to back-off when another dog has had enough... though I am not sure what we can do except continued socialization (and supervision) with other dogs.

Weekend Round-Up

Random stuff from the weekend:

• Ate at two of our favorite restaurants ... and both of them hot and spicy! New Mexican on Friday night and Thai on Saturday night.  You know you go some place a wee bit too often when the wait staff starts to recognize you.  We're pretty that's now happened at this Thai place as our waiter didn't question whether we really wanted "Thai Hot" (aka hotter than "hot") for one of our dishes.


• My back is better... well kinda.  I attributed a microwaveable heating gel pack on my lower back for my speedy recovery.  But after a shower on Saturday, I felt something funny back there.  A look in the mirror... I had burns on my back... and it was blistering!  Ouch!  Now I didn't think I put the gel pack, even with its cloth wrapper, directly on my skin... but obviously I was an idiot and did something wrong.  So while preferable to seizing and spasms, it's still a bit uncomfortable back there. 


• As promised, we took the dogs back to the bark park on Sunday.  There were not nearly the amount of dogs that were there last weekend (it was a tad later and a bit hotter), but still some fun to be had... kinda.  We try to give our dogs a bit of space, let them have their fun without us looking over their shoulder ... but this other little dog got into a minor growl/scuffle with Rocky.  Before we got over there, another lady (not the owner of the dog who started it) doused Rocky with the contents of her water bottle.  It was no biggie and the lady of the testy dog did apologize... but have to admit to being a tad peeved about the water throwing.  Not that Rocky cared...


• ... since we have two very different dogs.  How so?  If the dogs go out in the yard and the sprinkler is on, Toby will pretty much want to turn around and come right back inside...while Rocky's eyes immediately light up and, if left unsupervised, will grab the sprinkler and run around the yard with it.  Likewise, when the wheels of the vacuum cleaner start rolling Toby will slink away and go to farthest room away from where it is... Rocky will attack it when it's on!


• Needing to take a break from last night's NLCS game where our Dbacks are now down 3 games to the Rockies (I think someone should have quit while he was ahead!), started researching where we might like to eat while we're in Vegas.  We have narrowed it down to three places to have a "special" dinner... Italian, Southwestern, and a Brazilian steakhouse.  I'm leaning toward the steakhouse, but the penny-pincher in me still thinks its crazy to spend $150+ on dinner (which is what we're likely looking at for any of them) ... now don't ask me about my gambling budget, but for food??

Bark Park Debut

Just a few years ago, we had to drive at least 15-20 minutes to the nearest doggie/bark park. Not a problem these days, we now have 3 bark parks (in 3 different "cities" no less!) within five miles of our house. 

On Sunday, we headed on over to the one we just found out about (who knows how long it has been there!) and it also marked Rocky's bark park debut.  He had a blast!   I was trying to figure out why it had taken so long to take him to the park... but then we figured out by the time he was fully vaccinated and grown up enough to really play... it was likely well into "hell" season here in the Valley of the Sun.  Since the temps have finally cooled off, it was time to get him out.

This was the first time we also got to see Rocky interact with other dogs, though it was not his first time to be around a lot of different dogs.  The new "pet resort" we found and boarded Toby and Rocky at during our Colorado trip (and where they're headed again next week!) has all-day play time, so they have had pure doggie time before... but it was fun for us to see it for ourselves. 

Having mostly experienced small/low dogs with his brother Toby and his "aunt" Lucy the pug (as well as being in the small dog play area at the "resort"), Rocky seemed particularly curious about the bigger dogs.  He certainly is not used to looking that far up at a dog.  Nevertheless, he was not afraid or bashful.  One of the funniest images of the day was "Little Rock" chasing and running around with a greyhound!   He pretty much made fast friends with any of the dogs (whether the other dogs felt the same is debatable!)... just loved to run and run and run... and even proved to be an effective "chick magnet"... oh well!

Toby had a great time as well.  He was one of the few (only?!) dogs that barked at the bark park.  Toby is not a big barker (or I should say a  "bark a lot-er"... since he is loud and "big" when he does bark).  He'll let loose with a combo of bark and howl if he gets frustrated... and since Toby is not the fastest dog on the block, a bunch of dogs running back and forth and in circles tends to get him a bit flustered... so he let everyone hear it!   

Unfortunately, both dogs end up coming home a mess!  Despite our dry climate, most parks are irrigated and for some evil reason it seems that most of these dog parks end up having some standing water and/or mud.  I don't think I need to explain what happened... but I guess they were due for baths anyhow.

With the best intentions, and now that the weather is agreeable we vow to take the dogs to the park more often.  We were glad to see this particular one was so well-used (guessing 20-25 dogs at any given time)... and not just the dog park... there's a skate park and countless Sunday morning soccer games in progress.  It's no fun going to the bark park when there are hardly any dogs there (or if you're the only ones!).

I Think We're I'm Alone Now

Todd is off in France on a business trip this week. From what he tells me it's not anything to get too excited over, believe me if he gave me the slightest indication it was I would be tagging along at some point. 

We've reached another (new?!) stage in our relationship.  I dropped him off on the airport terminal curb.  I think this may have been the first time.  But he was pretty much just checking in and then disappearing beyond the security gate, so after doing this several times, my presence doesn't seem to add much value to the experience... and besides it was 6:30 in the morning... on Saturday.

He's back next Saturday night, so not too long.  Since I spend about 80% of my weekday waking hours alone (at home, no less), it seemed that getting through this past weekend was half the proverbial battle.  I did a pretty good job of keeping myself occupied... which I will now bore entertain you with.

Needless to say, caught up on a lot of TiVo.  I've determined we watch a lot of political shows.  I still have Chris Matthews weekend show to watch... but got through Real Time with Bill Maher, McLaughlin Group, and This Week with George Snuffleupagus (our predictable nickname for the diminutive former Clinton communications director turned show host).  Otherwise, it was watching hour-long Deal or No Deal episodes in about 25 minutes... and catching up on Showtime's Californication... we decided to take that off Todd's TiVo "to do" list since we were five episodes behind (still behind on Weeds, but we've been watching that since the beginning).

Went to Petsmart and bought collars and leashes for the dogs.  I had been using slip-on leashes when transporting or walking the dogs, but ever since being traumatized by the "Sophie's Choice" decision of which dog chase after they both slipped off their collars and ran in opposite directions... I needed to do something so we didn't repeat that episode since we're boarding them again in a couple of weeks.

Yes, we have a long weekend getaway to look forward to... no surprise, it's yet another Vegas weekend.  You can pretty much set your watch calendar that we'll be headed to Sin City at some point since both of our birthdays fall around this time.  We'll be leaving on my birthday... and just in case you [gasp!] don't remember this year it's the "big one".. if you still can't figure it out, you can go find last year's "the one before the big one" post here.

I did a video poker warm-up yesterday.  My Harrahs comp points expire if I don't use my card every 6 months. While I was pretty sure I could make it to the Vegas trip (the card says the last time I used my card was March 31st), I didn't want to take the chance.  There are a lot more ways to cash-in comps in Vegas, so I like/prefer to use them there.

After a quick cup of coffee and a bite of breakfast, I headed to our local Harrahs casino for a bit of Sunday morning video poker.  It was a great time to go.  Hardly anyone there... since our Indian casinos are about 10% the size of a Vegas one, you often have to grab any empty machine you can get.  To make a long story short, I put in $60 + $15 free play comp coupon... and cashed out with $200 in about two hours.  I was up about $30 more, so I was impressed with my will-power.  But it was easier to quit, knowing Vegas is ahead.

Since I've rambled on a bit (as usual!), I save further details about the Vegas trip for another post.  We have our entertainment booked...two shows, one part "cool" and one part "corny/kitschy"... in other words, pretty typical Vegas show options.  Stay tuned...

30 Dirty Rock

Okay, okay... I know you are probably saying "leave already"... but just one more for the road.

I was clearing out my camera's memory card and I ran across these  pictures of Rocky from a couple of weeks ago.  It's funny we can leave the dogs for hours and they're fine... 20 minutes to a grocery store and I come back to a dog that's a disaster!

He was/is much dirtier than he looks... so that is probably why I never got around to posting these pictures... and he doesn't look nearly as adorable as usual either!

Anyhow, Toby and Rocky are at the pet resort... thank goodness!!  They almost didn't make it!   Before I got out of the car, I made sure that their leashes were still on.  Toby was fine, but Rocky squirmed out of his.  I pop the trunk... in seconds, both dogs slip out the leashes (the loop kind... foreshadowing: yes, I have learned my lesson)... and start running in opposite directions across the parking lot. 

I didn't know quite what to do... I figure Rocky's in most danger... but he quickly comes across some folks and stops to say hello, only seconds later to say hello to more folks inside an Ace Hardware store... at this point, Toby is nowhere to be seen!   I concentrate on the dog I can see Rocky, who is now running around the store... eventually get him leashed... by the time I get back outside, folks have thankfully coerced Toby to head back in our general direction.  I get them both leashed somehow (again random strangers volunteering to hold a dog or leash)... profusely thank, thank, thank everyone... who all probably think Cesar Millan seriously needs to come over to our house... and given what they just witnessed, they are probably correct..  yikes!

So that's my little adventure... needless to say there was no time for tears or sad goodbyes before they got taken to the back... 

Doggie Summer Camp

The dogs have received a near last-minute reprieve!

As you may recall, the last time we boarded the dogs our usual and quite nice "corporate" pet hotel was all book (a full three weeks in advance), so I ultimately turned to our vet's boarding facilities... which l dubbed, what was that?  Ah, yes... gulag! 

For the CO trip, I was torn.  I still found myself holding a grudge with the corporate place for their snippy attitude... and while I wasn't thrilled with the vet, the staff is friendly and knows all of us by name... and most importantly, the dogs showed absolutely no signs of mental or physical trauma after their last stay.  Trying to avoid the "no room at the inn" scenario, I made reservations with the vet a few weeks ago.

Then in Friday's mail, we got one of those booklets with ads for local businesses which included an ad for a "pet resort" that I had never seen before (and I always at least look at pet-related ads).  I liked several of the services/features in the ad, but what set off the bells and whistles was all-day, cage-free playtime.

Unwarranted or not, what always makes me feel the most guilty about boarding the dogs is the thought of them cooped up in a small space for the majority of their stay.  The corporate place promises walks and potty breaks for the dogs, but you pay extra for "play time."  At the vet, I was told the dogs are just constantly rotated  in/out of the play area several times a day (at no extra charge).

Thinking there was no chance we'd get them in, I called up the "pet resort" late Friday afternoon to check on any availability for next week (which is now, this week)... long story short(er), they did and we headed over to check out the facilities on Saturday morning.

We were pleased.  They are expanding their facilities, working on an outdoor area... and the dogs do get outside walks... everything is indoors... with two sizable play areas, one for large and one for small dogs... and with "sleeping suites" that didn't make me wonder... would Toby and Rocky really fit in there?   Yes, they would... but, as advertised, they would just be sleeping there... the rest of the time they would be with the other dogs in the play areas.

We made reservations on the spot... and, just a few days in advance, the vet didn't even bat the proverbial eyelash when I called to cancel.  Oh, the capper?!  We are pretty darn sure it's a "family" business...   no, not "mom & pop" but "pop & pop"... or else we're just wrong about two 20-something guys running a pet resort.  While it is always sad to leave them behind, I am feeling a whole lot better this time... though they might have too much fun with all the other dogs!

Weekend Update: Friends, Weigh-Ins, and Cocktails

Boy, that was a quick weekend!  Not terribly focused this morning, so today it's a mish-mash of stuff from the weekend.

On Saturday, it was a long overdue dinner and drinks with Scott & Buckaroo.  As they said in ancient times... Tempus Fugit!... hard to believe that the last we saw them was the very first (or so) weekend we had Rocky!  We had not seen Karter since Christmas... so pretty much both pups were/are unrecognizable since the last visit to each other's homes!  Our kids are growing up!   We had a good time catching up and talking about our "favorite" bloggers and Scott appeared rested from his current blogging hiatus... but I will keep my lip zipped on the  future of O-Rama... stay tuned!

Speaking of Rocky, I decided to check out his weight.  He hit his 6-month birthday while we were away ... and in that one week he certainly seemed to have a good growth spurt.  The last time he was at the vet they said he was 10 lbs.  I had my doubts since he was about 10 lbs the previous visit... and puppies just grow and grow each and every week... so I just chalked it up to him not being the model of "calm" on the vet scale.  So, I innocently enough tdecided to do the "weigh yourself first, weigh yourself holding the dog" formula for figuring out Rocky's current weight.

As you can probably guess by now, I was a bit shocked by the number that popped up... before picking up Rocky!   Now I was clothed, but given that it was 110 degrees outside, I was not exactly burdened by heavy clothing.  Now this weight is likely what I should be for my height... but it was 10-12 lbs more than I have ever been... and a good 20 lbs more than the I was stuck at for a good 10-15 years of my adult life.  I guess I don't need to be looking at the calendar to know I am approaching the big 4-0! 

Oh, Rocky weighed 15 lbs... so double in size (plus a bit more) in the four-ish months he's been with us.

Finally, a couple of cocktail recipes to share with you... three ingredients and equal parts of each... how easy is that?

Scott served up a new one for us, he spotted the recipe somewhere... I thought I had seen it somewhere as well... but neither of us had any luck remembering what it was called and I couldn't track anything down on the Web this morning... so if there's a name for it, let me know... but here are the ingredients:

Absolut Pear
Pineapple Juice
Sprite soda

Equal parts of each... so make as much or as little as you want!  Pear-y delicious!

We grilled some burgers for Sunday dinner... and what's better than washing that down with some beer!  But I spotted this recipe in the BevMo! monthly newsletter and it seemed worth a try... the name of this one is... a Coochy-Coochy!

Tequila
Beer
Squirt/Fresca Soda (or any of that cloudy-ish grapefruit soda)

This one also said equal parts of each over ice (and with a lemon or lime wedge)... but this is what I did... in a very big beer glass, I put in two shots of tequila, a few glugs of the soda, and a bottle of beer... not one-third each... obviously it was mostly beer... a bit of soda... and a pretty good dose of tequila.  No complaints, was quite good and pretty darn potent... was set for the night (especially a Sunday/school night!) with just one Coochy-Coochy!

Doggie Gulag

A week or so ago, I went over to our usual kennel to make reservations for Toby and Rocky.  Since Rocky was a first-timer, I wanted to get all his information in... and likewise I like to confirm that the pups have all their right shots... don't want any surprises when we drop them off.

After suffering through 15-20 minutes worth of data entry, I give the woman the check-in date... which was immediately greeted with an unpleasant expression.  Long story, short(er)... no room at the inn.  My gasp of exasperation was greeted with ever so customer service-friendly  "Well, you have to book 4-6 weeks in advance."  So I missed the imaginary deadline by a week... and I guess anyone who can't plan their life that far in advance is just out of luck. 

We have not boarded the dogs anywhere else.  Toby has had a stay over at Todd's vet and their boarding facilities... but all of our current pets have since migrated over to my vet (which is now "our" vet)... so it probably be a bit awkward to board them at his old vet since none of our animals go there for vet services.  My/Our vet also has boarding facilities, so I quickly headed over there... and they had room.

My mistake was asking for a tour of their facilities.  It was the usual runs... but the minute we walked into the kennel area, the barking was deafening... so much so that I couldn't hold a conversation with my guide.  I am assuming our presence had something to do with that, but I am guessing staff is walking by quite frequently.  The had a nice outside area size-wise, but it was all rocks... which seemed like it would be a bit hot (especially since temps are over 110 right now)... and it smelled really bad.  I dubbed it ... the gulag... no wonder the dogs are always exhausted when the get home.

Now, I am sure our regular kennel is no different.  We toured it many, many years ago when it first opened... and our good thoughts about it are probably influenced by how good it looks when you walk in... it's a big corporate one... so nice "lobby" and big, nicely tiled dog play rooms. 

But I am sure it is not a whole lot different there... and I am not sure that we have ever seen the same person twice... whereas at my vet, a couple of the gals up front don't even have to ask for my name and will often ask how the other non-present dog is doing.   Also, at the corporate place... play time and baths are a a la carte charges, while they are included in the price at the vet... plus the vet had a nice, old lady telling me that "we just spoil them."  I guess it's just a trade-off.

I always hate to board the dogs and this time is going to be particularly tough since it is Rocky's first time.  We also have to drop them off a good half-day before we leave, so it will be strange not to have any dogs around the house.  But I know plenty of people who will not go away because of their pets... or folks that will only go to places where they can take their pets along... and that ain't happening here, that is for sure.  Pets are enrich our lives, not put restrictions on it.

Thankfully, Todd's parents are shortening our pups' visit to gulag... cutting their stay almost in half and doing a bit of house-sitting as well...  so I am quite grateful for that... though I just hope our guys will be well-behaved (doubtful... haha).

No Balls

Our little boy has grown up...

... this morning I dropped Rocky off for his snip-snip-sniperoo surgery.... or more accurately the trifecta of trauma... on top of that procedure, he is getting a microchip implanted in his head as well as his last round of shots (including rabies). 

It is definitely a little strange not having him around... though that was made up for lunatic he was this morning.   As my fellow pet owners may know, no food after 8 p.m. the previous night and no water in the morning.  We are up and about before 6 a.m. here... and drop off time at the vet was 7:30-8:00 a.m. ... so it was quite the wait.

My original intention was just to go back to bed after Todd headed off for work... and when I usually feed them.  But that didn't quite work out well.  They know that they go outside before they eat... so while back in bed, there was scratching at the door... of course, they wanted out so that they could come back in and eat.  And Rocky was hungry for anything... branches, wicker plant baskets, and more often than not his big brother... and big brother was not thrilled with the no food, no water morning either.

After an hour and a half of heightened activity and increasing guilt over the fasting, I arrived at the vet promptly at 7:30.   Got the run down for all the costs, probably signed my dog's life away should anything happen... and off I went... pick-up after 3 p.m. (though that's what they said about Toby... and I got a call around noon time that he was ready to go... anytime, really... NOW!). 

So all is quite calm here... the other animals seem to be enjoying their hours-long vacation of not being attacked by the black-and-white monster at any given moment.   

Just got back from taking Toby for a walk (it's back to early morning walks since it is starting to hit 80 by 9 a.m.)... and he certainly enjoyed it.  I did as well.  Toby is a very good walker... almost scary good... kind of like a battery-operated dog with an on-off switch... and it is one thing I think is almost Dog Whisperer worthy about me... so much so, that Todd got me a "Pack Leader" t-shirt for Christmas.

However, I have yet to wear it in public!  Despite trying my best, I have yet to feel I have a good handle on Rocky.  He is like a hummingbird... all over the place... left side, out in front, sniff a rock, over to the right side, licking Toby's chin, collapsing in "exhaustion" if there's 2 square inches of shade.   I am rationalizing that some of its just puppy-ness and that it will get better... probably not a theory that Cesar would buy.

So we'll see what Rocky is like when he gets home today... I imagine he'll be knocked out... though they have warned me of sleepiness after each round of shots and that's certainly not been the case.

UPDATE: 10:50 am.... Out of surgery, just waking up and doing fine... available for pick-up after 3:30 pm, we'll see if that lasts!

UPDATE: 4:15 pm... Rocky is home.  He was a bit more active than I would have expected at the vet, but I plopped him in the backyard and he's just sitting in the shade... so I think he is still a bit loopy.  The vet tech told me, his front legs just started to work in the past hour or so.   So I suspect it may be a quiet night with him.   Now, I just looked at the paperwork and it doesn't seem like he got his last round of shots... grrr!  I'll have to give them a call tomorrow, since they were packed when I left.  Toby also went along for the ride since he was due for a bordatella shot... and he needed that since the pups are going to be boarded late next month... but that's another blog entry!

UPDATE: 4:45... The vet called to tell me they forgot to give Rocky his last round of shots after he woke up from surgery... so get to go back tomorrow

Our B(ar)ack Yard

After a visit of just over a week, we drove down to Tucson to return Lucy to her Mom & Dad, who just happen to be Todd's Mom & Dad as well.  Before she left, Todd was able to wrangle up this group photo of the gang:

Lucy, Rocky, and Toby.

I am not sure how much Lucy enjoyed her new little nephew/cousin.  It took her most of the week to figure out to play with him... she definitely prefers to play with Toby, so I guess she likes to pick on dogs that are not her size!   Rocky was just a little too energetic and persistent with her... but I am sure that will mellow out over time.

Poor Rocky was definitely the outcast... if all three of them were in a room... it seemed as if Toby would sneak off, followed by Lucy... leaving Rocky all by his lonesome, especially during nap times.

Since we were going to be away for a good chunk of Sunday, we let the dogs have indoor and outdoor access.  We're lucky enough that we can cordon off part of the house and not let the cats get outside.

However, we had a big surprise waiting for us in the backyard when we arrived home...

Can you figure out what it is?

It's our copy of Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father... or should I say, it was.

We're not sure how he actually got to it, it certainly wasn't on the floor... but Rocky must have been a very, very busy boy for most of the day... the book was everywhere!  I have a feeling it is going to take quite some time before Barack's words totally disappear from our backyard.

In fact, just this morning Rocky enthusiastically greeted me at the back door... front legs up on the door frame with a little torn page from the book in his mouth.  I guess we should be mad, but it was pretty cute.

Sh&t Eating Grin

WARNING:  This post contains HIGH GROSS OUT material

My apologies in advance... but this blog is about my life... and that's the good and bad... and, in this case, the pretty darn ugly.

You'll never guess what I was doing out in the backyard 6:20 this morning... but alas, I get ahead of myself!

Yesterday, we had our first semi-emergency (ultimately false alarm) with Rocky.  Before doggie breakfast yesterday morning, Todd caught him mid-"accident" (yes, he's still not quite housebroken).  So we're feeling all proud, we get him outside... things seem fine... Todd leaves for work, I feed the dogs (including our guest visitor, Lucy)... but when I let the dogs out post-breakfast, I notice a little pile of throw-up on the patio.  Not terribly unusual... Rocky eats anything... and again, I am mildly happy that it was outside.

Likewise, I am happy that Rocky is going outside... but then I notice he's going and going and going.  I will try to be as euphemistic as possible throughout this post, so let's just say he was having "stomach issues."   Even when he was "done," he still was straining and doing that doggie crab walk... again, no  real worries... I figure it'll pass (literally and figuratively).

Innocently (in retrospect, stupidly), I let everyone back inside the house... and let's just say there are more "spurts" all throughout the house... and of increasing quantity and declining quality... so it's back outside...  and then I notice some blood, not a lot... but it still sets off the bells and whistles to call into and get an appointment at the vet.

Long story, shorter... and as hinted at above, nothing serious. The suspicion is easing something bad... grass, tree branch, "stuff," or some combo of that... the blood was from straining... $84 later for a vet exam, his "stuff" tested, and some tummy medication ... we were back home by 11:30a... oh, I should add he's acting totally normal otherwise... chasing dogs and cats, running and jumping, etc.

He showed signs of improvement even late yesterday and things have looked pretty good today... but it was time (again!) to address the extraneously eating... obviously there's not we can do about the grass...

Lately I have been trying my very best to be diligent about cleaning up "stuff" in the yard... but it is impossible to keep it spotless... and it kind of had a negative effect... only making Rocky more attentive about it while it was there!   

The vet recommended we "spike" it.... so I get out a spray bottle, fill it with vinegar and off I go... this works initially, but ultimately does not prove to be enough of a deterrence... go figure.

So at 6:20 this morning... I kick it up a notch... vinegar misting AND a generous sprinkle of black pepper... and with three dogs at the present time, this not only takes awhile but also serves as a not terribly pleasant wake-up call...

Rocky seems sufficiently averse to the new combo... he gets close to it, sniffs it, and jumps back quickly ... he even circled and jumped around it like it needed to be attacked... quite funny!

(insert image of unhatched chickens being counted)

Sure enough a little time passes and Rocky's curiosity got the best of him and he managed to scoop it up...

Just great!   We've ended up with the canine version of Mikey.

Crowded House

We are bracing for a lot of little legs running around our house...

Later today, we are picking up Todd's parent's dog Lucy for a week long visit.  We've had the 3 dog/2 cat combo before... but this is the very first time Rocky is part of the mix.  Lucy has been up for a visit, but that was only for a few hours... and was not quite enthusiastic about her newest cousin.  II should be an interesting week. 

Rocky (or any puppy for that matter) is a much bigger presence than their actual size!

Speaking of which, give or take a few days, we've now had Rocky for 2 months... and he is 4 months old. 

Also on this afternoon's agenda is Rocky's 3rd puppy plan vet visits... just another round of shots.  The 4th and final visit can also include the snip-snip.  I can't believe we are already at that stage!

I have been very bad about not taking pictures, but here's one I snapped earlier this week:

Much bigger since last time, right?! 

But as you can see, he is just now the size of the cat (our Lola nicely providing the point of reference... though I couldn't get them to look at the camera at the same time).  This is the first of a sequence of 4 photos I took... if you are looking at this now (late April 2007), go over to my Flickr page and see how this all played out.

Rocky's ears have "popped"... though we are not quite sure if they will ever be in proportion to his head... but he is still pretty high up on the adorable scale. 

And that adorable-ness is quite an important defense mechanism.  While I know it is all my fault, we are still in the throes of housebreaking... yeah, he's growing... bigger clean-ups!   And while we're on that subject and it's really a no-win situation (umm... maybe put down that bagel or sandwich)... when business is properly taken care of in the yard, we've been have a "recycling" issues... his enthusiasm and persistence for this is oh-so not adorable.  Cats get the gold (platinum!) star when it comes to both housebreaking and utter disdain of that "stuff."

Nevertheless, Rocky has been a wonderful addition to our household... a loving little guy with a great personality... but it's gonna be a crazy week!

"Little Rock" Headed Towards Medium

Figured it was time for a puppy update!  This past Friday was Rocky's 12-week/3-month birthday... which means he is starting to have enough of a brain to start really learning stuff. 

He is really growing!  This morning I tried to get a picture that would show you just how much he's grown.  I tried to get him next to Toby so you would have a little perspective... but those of you who share your home with multiple pets know know how difficult it is to get all of your kids in the shot.

So, I was just snapping away. I didn't think I had much until I started to look back at the some of the very first  pix we took of Rocky... and was really quite surprised by this "before and after"... 

While he has certainly grown taller and bigger... I had not realized how much his "look" has matured over the past month.  Most notably, his ears are starting to "pop."   But don't get the wrong impression... he looks very serious in this new picture, but he is very much still the goofball.

(Also if the picture looks more like October than March... well, you're right there too.  Thanks to that crazy deep frost in January, our huge tree in the backyard does not have a green leaf on it, we're not sure if it will ever come back.)

But overall things are still going quite well.  I have determined we were just "lucky" in those first few weeks with house training.  I think he's reversed house-broken now... waiting until he comes back inside to take care of business!

Last week, I noticed that our walks were better than ever.  Less stopping and starting, less resistance to the leash, and more endurance to go farther... still not perfect, but getting there.

Thus far our biggest challenge (and greatest fear) has been Toby... who remains a bit Jekyll & Hyde when it comes to his 'lil brother.  There is still issues with the food bowl and some not-so nice mood swings... all quite hard to figure out.  For instance, last night when Todd got home I told him I thought Toby was moody, he could kinda see it... but then 15 minutes later the two dogs were playing fine... an half-hour or so later Toby growled at him while we were watching TV... so who the heck knows, but we're trying our best.

Rocky Wishes You...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today was Rocky's first visit to the vet... and he had this little sticker on his head when one of the gals brought him back to the exam room... adorable!   This picture is not so great, he has totally crashed out since getting back home.

Everyone was just squealing (literally!) over him.  The vet tech even asked me if she could take him around the office and show him off to everyone.  I am guessing Cesar Millan probably would not be happy with all the fuss... everyone was so excited and that just made Rocky even more excited.  But he did "cute" very well today

Nothing bad to report... his "sample" was fine, heart good, and his cajones where they're supposed to be... of course, you can never get totally away from the vet guilt-free... even at just 6 lbs, 10 oz... the vet thought he was already too chubby and told me to watch how much we feed 'em.  Oy!

The 10 Week Old

I promise this won't become a weekly feature, but here's a few new shots of Rocky from this past week.  Today, he is 10 weeks old... and its been 2 weeks since he joined us!   It is a bit hard to tell in these pictures, but he is definitely growing and his ears are starting to "pop" up.

Just so you think it's not all sugar and cream (which it's still largely been), here's some other "real world" stories from puppy-ville:

Housebreaking has been more "luck" than "progress."  We managed to get through last weekend without even one "inside" accident.  I predicted my overconfidence would lead to lower vigilance... and, well... that's what has happened.  So I have to be better... as any dog expert/book will tell you, anything a puppy does wrong is your fault. I have to watch him more closely and go out back and give that praise when the right thing is done in the right place.

Believe it or not, we have already had some success with the walking on the leash.  I tried last week with little success. Todd attempted it last weekend and did quite well... and inspired by that, I managed two "real" walks with Toby and Rocky earlier this week.  It was a bit stop-and-go, but I was just proud that I was able to have both dogs on the leash and forward movement (for the most part).  But yesterday, I go another "no so fast" lesson as Rocky just "shut down"... the canine equivalent of "And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going"... butt firmly planted on the ground with that "I hope animal control doesn't pass by" look on his face as it looked like he was being choked and dragged across the pavement. While I should have been persistent and patient, Rocky ended up being placed in the backyard while Toby and I did our usual tour of the neighborhood.

UPDATE:  Well, as Cesar says, I guess dogs do live "in the now"... just got back from a pretty successful and extended group walk... again, I am sure Toby wasn't thrilled with stuttering (that "stop and go") along the way or that it was shor