Bounty, The Quicker Picker-Upper.

I love new toys, don't get me wrong. I appreciate a good squeaky toy better then most Chorkies. But without a doubt, my favorite thing to play with is the empty toilet or paper towel roll. I can hear Linda change the empty roll from 3 rooms away. I come running and do the wiggle dance until she gives it to me. One time when she was wrapping presents, I tried to take the long 3 foot roll away. If she had a video camera, I would have been a You Tube sensation. It was the funniest thing she ever saw. Well, that was before she saw this dog playing with his empty roll! When ever Tierney or Linda are feeling a little down, I always do something like this to make them laugh and give them a little pick-me-up.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I am going stir-crazy. It has been wet or raining since Friday and you all know I hate getting wet. I have not had a walk in a long time. We were going to go to Pet Smart today for our outing, but by the time Linda got home from lunch with Jerry and did her chores, took a nap then got ready to go back out... it was too late. I wish there was another dog nearby that we could drop in on and have a play date whenever I was lonely. Tomorrow is another long day because Linda is teaching 2 classes and then doing a marketing promotion event for her new class she is starting. She should look into getting me a pet sitter who will take me for walks and play with me. First, I need to get a raincoat and boots.

Dash Away, Dash Away, Dash Away All!

Deer seem like gentle kind creatures, but they can wreck havoc too. Just a few posts ago I reported the story of deer that got hit by a car, flew through the air, then fell on top of a jogger. This story also involves flying deer. And I'm not talking about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. These 5 deer wandered onto a highway overpass and then jumped over the railing, flying through the air before smashing onto the interstate 30 feet below. One of them even crashed into a tractor-trailer's windshield. They should have put the warning on the end of the Rudolph cartoon "These stunts preformed by professional reindeer. Don't try this at home."

The Not So Greatest Show On Earth

This is such a crazy story that I just had to show the real article from the paper. Linda hates going to circuses, not because of hippo-swallowing dwarfs, but because the animals are treated so poorly. It would be entertaining if someone wrote a book of all the things that ever went wrong at the circus. I bet that a few lion trainers have had their heads bitten and workers have gotten sat on by clumsy elephants.

Ton-O-Cats

Chip and I lay on and around Linda to keep her warm at night in bed. I am only 4 pounds and Chip is a hefty 13 pounds, but Linda likes it anyway. A poor 84-year old women was living with 50 cats, 20 ducks, 15 turkeys and one dog. She did not have a working heater in her house, so she had all the cats lay on top of her to keep her warm at night. What is so sad is that the house was just a wreck and she could not properly take care of all the animals. Authorities came in and took all the animals to the shelter so they could be checked out and hopefully adopted. I wonder if all the pets got along with each other? It's kind of weird to have ducks and turkeys inside the house. I hope they at least let her keep the dog and a few of the cats for company.

Chooptoria Secrets

One of the few reasons I hear "bad Choopie" is because I love to chew on dirty laundry. It's an ugly secret and it is embarrassing to admit. Now, I don't have to steal Tierney's unmentionables from her laundry basket (that would be the floor in Tier's case). Linda is going to buy me my very own bra and pantie set. It looks exactly like lingerie, but it is furry and it squeaks! I have to wait until Christmas, but I think she'll cave and give it to me early because I am super spoiled.

Bark Park

What a disaster! Linda took me to the dog park today. I was super excited to go. When I saw all the dogs running around playing ball and chasing each other, I almost lost control. I ran over to join the melee of playing dogs and all of a sudden, I became the center of attention. Hey, I'm super cute... but they all wanted me at once. I was getting stepped on, rolled over and crushed in the excitement. Linda barely had time to save me before I got hurt. She took me to the "baby" dog fenced area for little dogs. That was terrible because all the dogs having fun were on the other side of the fence. I was all alone with no one to play with. I still wanted to go back over, but Linda would not let me. When we were leaving, there was a Dalmatian who was very gentle and I played with him awhile before he entered the fenced area. If Snickers was with me that would not have happened. He would have kept all the dogs from mauling me.

Goal: 10,000 steps a day!

Obesity is a big problem effecting lots of people, and even pets. The average person eats from 3000-4000 calories on Thanksgiving. Pets are mimicking their owners lifestyles by chowing down too. This doggie-treadmill should be on every pet's Christmas list. It would be great for those freezing days when it is just to cold to take us for a walk. You could set our treadmill up right next to yours so we can get some exercise too. Look, it even counts the steps. One problem, there are no good places to stop and take care of business on this walk!

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

It's only been the most awesome Thanksgiving of my life. Well, it's only my second one... but it has been great. Linda usually teaches 5 classes Thursday, so I never see her. Today, she was home by Noon and spent the whole day with ME! We went for a hike, I helped her clean, we had Thanksgiving hummus and a veggie burger, and then I took a long nap on her lap. Now, just when I thought it could not get any better, Tierney is home and we are going to watch a movie. I'm so thankful that I have a family who loves me and cares for me. There are shelter dogs right now who are waiting for a home like mine. Everyone, go out and adopt a pet from your local shelter! Maybe I will be getting an unknown blessing of my own from the shelter.

There Are No Words.....

Zombies from Beyond.....

Tierney is obsessed with anything Zombie-ish. She has books on surviving a Zombie attacks, has done interviews on her talk show about Zombies and watched all the movies. I bet she has never seen such a cool album cover featuring Zombies as this one. Come to think of it, I don't think she has ever even seen an album cover before. Linda said that was so far before her time. Check out this record player too! Linda hopes Santa will bring her one for Christmas.

Oh Deer!

Deer can be dangerous. One time Snickers was off leash chasing a deer and he circled around bringing it back to Linda who was on the trail. Problem was, the deer almost smashed into her, followed by Snickers who was just a few feet behind. He would never hurt the deer, he just loved to play tag with them. We usually see a lot of deer during our walks on the trail next to our house. The past few times they have all been hiding. Sometimes, there are dead deer along the main street where I walk. They come flying out of the woods and run across the street. I've never seen one get hit, and it's a good thing too. A 38 year old man was jogging near a park when a deer came bolting out of the woods. A car hit the deer, sent it airborne and then it landed on top of the jogging man! Yikes. I bet that hurt. The poor deer was killed, the car was totaled, but the jogging man was not hurt. If a deer fell on me, I dare say I would be crushed flat like a pancake. I've never ate a pancake, but they sure look yummy.

Just Rambling.....

I took a walk today, but was too tired and had to be carried all the way back! That's what Linda gets for missing a few days, my aerobic capacity must be down. It has been raining or super cold the last week. Even with my warm coat on I still shiver. We need to get 2 treadmills, one for Linda and one for me. I'm so excited because Jerry is coming over today to see me before he leaves for his parents in the back-woods totally wild section of Virginia. Sometime, maybe he'll take me with him. It would be so fun to run around and chase the squirrels and deer. I'm kind of sad because Linda does not think she will adopt Tayor, the pitt- bull mix we saw at the adoption fair on Sunday. What if she wasn't home one day and he decided that he did not like me chewing on his ears like I used to do to Snickers? There wouldn't even be any leftovers if he decided to eat me! I guess I'll need to spend more time with all my human friends (hint-hint) who love me. Thanksgiving I am going hiking with Linda to a place called Great Falls. I am going to be in the front carrier though. She said it is a hard trail and if I whine after going just 9 houses on my street, I could never make the steep climb. Whatever, I love the carrier almost better then walking!

Duck!

This is such a coincidence. Yesterday I had the post about the Duck hunter game. Today I read an article about a Labrador named Drake who is a good hunting dog. He was out with his master Matthew on a duck-hunting trip. The dog jumped in the boat all excited to start the trip. When he jumped, the dog set off the 12-gauge shot gun and shot the guy in the legs and butt. The 23 year old man is recovering in the hospital. No one is mad at Drake for shooting his master. I just think the whole thing is pretty funny!

Remember Duck Hunt?

There is a wonderful clip on You Tube about a duck who adopted a little beagle orphan puppy. They were so in love, doing everything together: swimming, sleeping, eating. One day, the duck died. The parents of the dog got the duck stuffed and presented it to the sad grieving dog. The dog just goes ballistic with happiness. They tie a rope around the dead duck and run around the yard and the dog is chasing it having the time of its life. It's a sad but happy video. I hoped that Linda would get Snickers stuffed for me, but she said that was too weird. Now that she saw how happy it made the beagle, she feels really bad. Linda said that this duck shooting game was one of her favorites when Nintendo first came out in the mid 80's. I can't believe a vegan girl would want to shoot any animals, even for fun!

My New Friend Taylor

Linda took me to a dog adoption fair today at Pet Smart. There were about 40 dogs there all looking for homes. We found one that we both loved, a 1-yr. old pit bull mix named Taylor. I know, I've written stories about horrible pit bulls in the past, but this guy was Snickers twin. He loved me and was very protective while the other dogs were sniffing me. He is so beautiful, maybe a little bit bigger then his photo. They just don't know if he likes cats. Now that Chip and I are best friends, I would hate it if Taylor ate her for lunch. It was big fun but now I am tired and need to take a nap. I hope Linda decides to adopt him.

I'm Looking for a Transporter

Linda just got home from dinner with Jerry. She explained why he could not get me today, and also why he can't get me tomorrow either. He is very important at his work and is doing his part to keep the United States safe from bad people. It's always good to be safe, that's for sure. Right now we are watching the Transporter 1 DVD that Jerry gave her. She wants to gear up for the new Transporter 3 being released next week. I'm not sure why Linda is getting so worked up about that Jason character. Sure, he can just about kill every bad guy ever and look pretty awesome doing it, but I keep her safe too. The other night when Tier got home late from school, I barked and barked to alert Linda that someone was coming into the house. If it would have been a bad man, she would have had plenty of notice.

A Vegan's Nightmare

A website called bacontoday.com has some pretty awesome Thanksgiving recipes. How about the Turbaconducken. It is a duck inside a turkey wrapped in... you guessed it BACON! How much goodness would that be? Linda does not eat meat, but she has been invited 2 different places for Thanksgiving, so I assume she'll be bringing me a goody bag of "healthy food". I can have sweet potatoes, corn, and turkey... no pie, cookies or desserts though. I know that I must be down at least 1/2 a pound by now. Only 1/2 more to go.

Double the Fun!

Another adorable photo of "Harvey Dent" aka... "Two Face". This kitten is mine! I want it right now. It eats out of one mouth, but can meow out of both mouths at the same time!! How entertaining would it be if I had this little guy to keep me company while Linda is at work.

The Big Wigs are Coming!

I was so disappointed today when Jerry did not come and get me. He had to go to his real job and make twenty 7-foot posters for an important meeting with the "big-wigs". I know he hated to dis me like that and I understand. Linda had to work late too and did not get home until after 2 p.m. We all cuddled on the couch and watched a movie Tier picked out. No popcorn yet again tonight. Drat!

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200

A would be hero was arrested on charges of obstruction when he tried to save his pets from his burning home. Henry Morgan got his wife and kids out of the house and then ran back in to save his 3 dogs and 1 cat. Firefighters yelled at him to stay back, but when he insisted on rescuing his pets, he was handcuffed and forcibly removed from the scene. Mr. Morgan is still in jail. His bail is set at $5,150. If I had any money, I would pay for his bail for trying to save his pets. I know Linda would try and save me if there was a fire. If anyone has any extra money, could you please help him meet his bail? Unfortunately, all the pets died in the fire. Very Sad Indeed.

Warning: Contents May Be Hot!

It is dangerous to leave your pets inside of parked cars. Sometimes it is too hot, sometimes it is too cold and sometimes the dog hits the shifter and drives the car through the coffee shop window. Bentley (the name of the dog, not the kind of car) got impatient while his owner went inside the coffee shop in N.Y. to get a cup of java. He jumped on the shifter and the car lurched forward crashing into the coffee shop. Linda has a friend who leaves his dog in the car all the time. I hope he reads this blog and sees that is not such a good idea. The only time Linda left me in the car for a few minutes was when I was only a few weeks old. I was in my carrier, but worked the zipper open then left a "package" on her seat. I have not been left in the car since then.

Couch Time

Finally, Linda is spending the night at home with me. She got home from work about 8:00 and we are laying on the couch chilling out. Tierney has a late night at school, so it's just the 2 of us (well, Chip is here too.) I'm trying to tell her to make some popcorn, but she isn't getting it. I know we will eat some when we watch the first 2 Transporter movies this weekend to get ready for Transporter 3. She loves those kicking, punching and action movies. I just love sitting here with her. I'd even watch Titanic as long as she rubs and hugs me. Life is good! (This is one of my favorite photos of a dog laying on the couch. I don't take up quite this much room.)

Twice as Cute

This adorable kitten with 2 faces was born on Wednesday in Australia. He even mews out of both mouths at the same time! The kitten was delivered in a vet's operating room after its mother had complications with the birth. The are thinking of naming him Quasimodo. I think they should name him "Two-Face" or even "Harvey Dent" since Quasimodo didn't actually have two separate faces. I wish we could adopt Harvey and make him part of our family.

Crabcakes, Anyone?

At first I thought these photos of the giant Coconut Crab were fake. There is no way in the world that this thing could be true. Unfortunately, it is real. It is the largest land-dwelling crustacean in the world. They average 9 pounds with a leg span of more than three feet. They use their super strong legs to crack coconut shells. (If you saw that Tom Hanks movie where he is stranded on the island, you know how hard it is to crack a coconut!) The crab also goes around stealing shiny things from peoples houses. They like pots and silver for some strange reason. Here is the really scary part. Not only do they eat coconuts, but other things including small animals. Yikes! I am going to be extra careful on my next walk. I hope I don't have nightmares about giant crabs tonight.

Dogs in a Blanket

Now I am really cold! Linda and I just got locked out of the house in the freezing weather....and it was snowing! Kevin and Chris, two of Linda's friends from the Bagel Cafe came over to fix the gutter that fell off our house. We were out on the deck wrapped in a blanket without a coat on watching them work. After they left, Linda let me run around in the yard a few minutes. When we went to go back inside, the glass sliding door had locked behind us. (There is a metal security pin that slipped out and locked the door.) Luckily, Linda has a secret hiding place with an extra key. She put the blanket in the dryer and now we are huddled inside the warm comforter. Remember eating Pigs in a Blanket? That was one of Taylor's favorite suppers when he was little. In fact, he picked that for one of the main dishes at his wedding reception.

JUST CHEW IT

I think someone has finally created the perfect shoe! This isn't the kind of shoe you wear to run on the trail, but it is the perfect shoe to get for your dog to chew so she will leave your Nike's alone. This shoe is totally made out of meat and meat parts. An artist in NYC has a show where all the pieces are made out of meat products. Maybe for Christmas I'll get one of these shoes in my stocking.

Small Comfort

Brrrrr! It was so cold during our walk today even though I wore my blue coat. I hope Linda finds me some boots soon. I could not even make it back to the house because the wind was so strong. She tucked me inside her ski coat to keep out of the wind. When we got home, I burrowed inside my new snuggle bed to keep warm. We missed our walk last night because Linda was at the movies with Jerry. She said Quantum Solace was boring and wished she waited to it came to Redbox. I wish that too because then I could have laid under the quilt with her and shared her popcorn. (I hope that is still on my diet!!)

Snow Princess

Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow! Well, maybe it's just a few flurries... but it IS snowing a little bit outside. Linda went to buy me little boots today because I have not wanted to put my paws on the damp or cold sidewalk. I've made her carry me because it is so cold. (I know, I'm pretty high maintenance.) She could not find a pair that were easy-on/easy-off so instead, she bought me a new snuggle bed. Mine got kind of messed up when I was so sick last week. So far I'm not really sure it's the bed for me. She took a photo with her phone and emailed it to herself, but for some reason it is not showing up in her inbox. As soon as it does, I'll post the photo. The manager of the pet store also helped her pick up some low-fat food that will be easy for my stomach to digest.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

I got to sleep with Linda in the big bed all night. She reads awhile in bed then turns off he light. As soon as she puts her book down, I make a bee-line down the hallway and jump in my kitchen bed. Last night, I was so tired that I just stayed tucked under the covers with her. It was awesome to feel her breathing and snuggle with her. Off and on she would wake up and stroke me and whisper "I Love Choo" words. When we woke up this morning, I was tucked under her arm and she was cuddling me! From now on, that is where I am going to sleep.

Bad Girls, Bad Girls... What's Ya Gonna Do?

Tierney is a very good girl and I'm not sure how in the world she ended up having to put her hands up on to a sheriff's police car! I guess Tier is a "bad girl" just like I'm sometimes a "bad dog". Except she does not miss the pee-pee pad like I do. Linda explained that one of Tier's friends has a Dad who is a cop and this is his car, so she is not in trouble after all.. just being dramatic Tierney. Talk about emoting, I've been watching her talk show and it is pretty funny.. I still think I need to be in one of the interviews with her.

I'm soooo Hungry

This is day 5 of my hunger strike. I am eating just enough to stay alive, but I hate all the food Linda is giving me. Tuna? Yuck. Baby food? Double Yuck. The pet food she got from the vet?
Absolutely Gag-me. I want junk food. I want hot dogs, bologna, cheese... all the delicious stuff I love. Heck, at this point even regular dog food would taste pretty good. I spend hours just licking the cats empty dish because I at least get the taste on my tongue. I guess I'll be back at the vet again this coming week. I'll probably have to be force fed with this squirting syringe the Dr. gave Linda. I'm just going to bed and dream about a good old fashion beef bone.

Going to The Chapel... for a Cookie

I love weddings. I love new beginnings when there is a clean slate and things are starting from scratch. You have no boo-boo's to cover, you don't need any do-overs and you don't need to keep explaining yourself over and over. For example, I'm on this dumb diet of healthy food. Today, Jerry and Linda did not even bring me back any leftovers from Red Robin. Then Linda leaves to go to a wedding. I don't even get a single snack of leftovers when she gets home. Past weddings I might have gotten a small piece of roast beef or chicken, but no... this time it's zippo. I was feeling kind of mad being alone and hungry. While she was out I figured that by using my paw, nose and body I could open the cabinet where she keeps the treats. When she got home late tonight, she found me busy chewing a cookie bone. The honeymoon is over, that's for sure. All I heard was "OH NO CHOOPIE! WHAT A BAD GIRL! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE TREATS RIGHT NOW!" She is very worried because she does not know how many treats I ate and does not want to go back to the vet with me. On a happier note, here is a few photos of my family minus Sarah. She was in the wedding party and busy taking group pictures. All the girls are friends of Tier's who spend the night at our house sometimes. They would not say BAD GIRL, that's for sure.

The Tail of Two Horses

I better watch my tail! Seriously, In Iowa people are sneaking into barns at night and chopping off horses tails, leaving just stubs of hair. Authorities think that the thieves are selling the hair on EBAY as horse-tail extensions for show horses. (Maybe Britney Spears might have purchased some too unawares.) Each tail sells for $35-100 dollars. Last Tuesday the vet tech shaved off a bunch of hair in my "tail" area. I wonder if she is selling it on EBAY?

Rainy Days and Saturdays Always Make Me Lazy

Jerry came and picked me up again today. Since it was wet out and I HATE getting my paws wet, he carried me in his jacket for a long walk on the trail by his house. I took a couple of naps and played with Ink cat for awhile. Other than that, it's been a really chill day. I spent some of the morning napping, and now that I am home... I plan napping some more. What better way to spend a rainy Saturday? Linda just got back from lunch with Jerry and is getting ready to go to a wedding (There will be pictures to post later tonight.) Sarah is a bridesmaid and I'm sure she will be the most beautiful one!)

"I Would Like to Thank....."

I wish I could have gone with Linda tonight to watch Tierney, Taylor & Sarah compete in the Talent Show. Tierney wrote, directed, and was the main character in their one-act play. There were about 15 other people in it too and they did an awesome job. They won first place in one of the categories. Taylor wrote and started in a different play. It was so incredibly moving that Linda said she started to tear up. His group won 2 first prizes in different categories. Everyone in the audience got to text their choices for the winners right at the end of the show, just like Idol! She is going to buy the DVD so we can watch it together. I love my family and I would like to thank them for adopting me and giving me such a loving home.

I am Fasting Food

Even though fast food smells divine, it is dangerous to your health... and your pets too. Even though I want the Baconator, I know better then to eat it. In England, a little Scottish terrier is trained to pick up the mail that goes through the door slot and lands on the floor of the foyer. Cymbeline (that's the dogs name?) picked up the mail like usual and bought it to her owner. In the mail was a fast-food menu. The menu, which was specially coated, turned into papier mache in the poor pooches mouth. Cymbeline's teeth became glued together. After her owner worked 20 minutes and still could not get it out of the dogs mouth, the vet had to finish the job with a fine pick. I smell a law suit cooking!

I Would Like One Baconator...To Go

Since I am still on my hunger strike, Linda had to go back to the vet and get some "special" food for me to eat. Good thing that Linda is so sharp and asks a lot of questions. She called ahead of time and spoke to the vet-tech who spoke to another Dr. since the person I saw was off today. She read my chart and told the tech what kind of food to give Linda. When she got there, she started asking a lot of questions about the food: what is in it, how much, how many times a day I should eat it. After she paid and walked out, the answers were not making sense to her. It was a very high fat food without carbs at all! If I didn't eat it, she got this squirter-thingie and was supposed to force feed me!! When she went back in told them it did not seem right, the tech went back to talk to the Dr. again. It seems they could not read his writing and gave me a very high fat food with lots of meat like pork & beef in it. The very thing that almost killed me! The tech swapped it with the low fat turkey and rice kind. Yikes. I appreciate all she is doing to get me to eat, but I did not like the new food either. I guess I'm just going to fade away to nothing. That is unless Linda gets me a Baconator: six strips of hickory smoked bacon piled high atop two 1/4 lb. burgers and 2 slices of cheese (hold the mayo and ketchup)

Mum's the Word

This post might be a little bit longer then most. Linda is still trying to explain it to me. It seems back in the olden days, (Really olden, like King Tut) the ancients believed that there was life after death. They even mummified their pets so they could continue their journey to the next world with their owners. There is a modern day company that is offering Mummification and Transference (?) to pet owners using medical technology, modern chemistry and art. Their ad says that "Your pet, at his natural earthy passing, will enter eternity in all of his splendor and beauty." The ad also says that the workers will mummify your pet with the love and affection of a mommy. First, the pet is treated with oil then wrapped in the mummy cloth which they say aids the journey of the pets essence to the next destination. When that is all done, the pet is placed within a bronze Mummiform. This whole process takes many months during which they keep in constant contact with you so you know how the dogs transference is going. When it is complete, you get your pet back in a perfect mummy package. Does anyone actually open the bronze holder to check DNA to really see if your dog is in there? The best part of the story... after your pet dies, they will also Mummify you too so you can arrive together! A dog Snickers size is any where from $50-100 thousand dollars. Ummm.... I think Snickers made it (and Linda, Tierney, Taylor and the Choopster will make it) to heaven just fine without being Mummified. Chip? Well, we will just have to wait and see.

Orange Cats

Way before I was even born, there was a cat named Pumpkin who lived here. It was over 10 years ago. The orange cat was just like a dog, it would walk on the trail with Linda and Snickers. Snickers would put Pumpkins whole head inside his mouth and they would play all day long. Mostly Pump lived inside, but would like to go up on the house roof and sleep in the sun on warm days. One afternoon, Pumpkin just disappeared. At first Linda thought he was lost, but then we realized he must have been catnapped. This Santa Rosa couple probably gave up hope about their pet cat George who was catnapped 13 years ago. Just this week, he was bought into a vet and his microchip allowed him to be reunited with his parents. If only Pumpkin would be returned to us safe and sound. Since Linda did not have a photo, she told me to use these orange cats instead.