To Be, Or Not To Be.....

Tierney, Leah and Lindsay went to The Folger Theater last night to see "A Winters Tale." It is a story written by Shakespeare. They LOVED the play. It is about a jealous King who thinks his wife is smooching with his best friend. After the play, they went to eat at a beautiful restaurant by the White House. All was going well until the waitress said that the last metro train was leaving in 6 minutes. They sprinted 2 blocks but just missed the train. They had to take a cab back to Virginia. One small problem... they spent all their money and had no cash. There were no ATM's in sight. They finally found a cab who would take a credit card. It was very late when Tier got back home and I was very agitated she woke me up. I need my beauty sleep.

My Cousin Chimi

Usually I read an article of interest on the Internet and then comment about the story. This time, I want to comment on the comments left about the story (???) The story is kind of boring, to say the least. Some old-biddie lady in NYC is filing a $500K lawsuit against her neighbors because she can't stand their barking Chihuahuas. She says the dogs are driving her loco and she is so stressed she can't sleep or function anymore. 'Ol Biddie wants a restraining order against the dogs to keep them from barking. (I hope they can read English.) I think if the dogs are barking all day it is because they are lonely. Their owners probably work. Since she is home all day, she should offer to walk them and keep them company, she would probably come to love them. Anyway, what really floored me was the 4 pages of comments that people left. Almost every comment said the Chihuahuas were just big rats; that they should be eradicated off the earth; that the barking dogs should be taken away from their owners; blah-blah-blah..... Yikes! I'm glad I don't live in NYC. People don't seem to like little dogs very much.

More Wedding Goodness

Wedding Blues

B-o-r-i-n-g! Linda just got home after being gone from 8 am to 5 p.m. She had to work and then went to a wedding. Since Jerry is in Mexico, I had to stay home alone in the kitchen all day without anyone to play with. Linda said dogs are never allowed at weddings, even purse puppies. Sarah, Tierney and Taylor were all in the wedding of Sarah's brother Jon. He married Carley. Besides being alone all day, I did not even get a "doggie bag" from the reception. Linda said it was a beautiful wedding though and everyone looked nice, especially Tierney and Sarah who are the two prettiest women in the whole world. (Everyone thinks they are sisters, not sister-in-laws.)

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's .......

We are watching Smallville on TV. It is a story about when Superman was a teenager. Green Arrow looks kind of silly in his outfit, so I guess that is why we have not seen an episode with Clark in his cape and tights. Way back in the old days, The Man of Steel got his start in a comic book. Action Comics #1 was published in June of 1938. It was the very first Superman comic ever. This Friday, a copy of the very rare comic will be put up for auction. Guys like Jerry and Paul agree it is the worlds most valuable comic. Someone else said that before Action Comics #1, there was no such thing as a flying super hero. I'm not sure what it is worth, but probably more then the few dollars we have saved in our crayon piggy bank. If you want to bid, go to www.comicconnect.com.

eNURF Already!!

When Linda went to Catholic school the nuns were allowed to spank you. This one teacher had this long pointer and she would rap you on the head if you were talking. Ouch! But the kids were quite and thought twice before fooling around in class again. I usually obey with just a stern word, but a few time when I went near the street, I got a smack on the butt. It is absolutely ridiculous that a science teacher at Battery Creek High School was placed on leave for shooting a foam Nerf dart at a 14-year old girl who was talking and laughing in class. He was standing 7 feet away from the girl and the foam dart hit the girl on the shoulder. The bratty girl then slapped the teacher with the back of her hand. The mother of the girl wants to press assault charges against the 29 year old teacher. School officials won't discuss if the girl was disciplined for hitting the teacher. Police confiscated 2 foam darts as evidence.

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

Jerry and his friend Mike left today for their Mexico trip. Jerry was very nervous about the whole thing since he hates leaving the USA. I hope it all goes OK and he does not get sick or have any scary situations like losing his iphone or finding a worm in his Tequila. Things are not that stable in Mexico right now, but as long as they stay on their resort, it should all be good. I can't wait to see what kind of prize he brings me back. This morning he sent me an email saying he was going to look for something special for me.

Sheba and Snickers

Linda was too tired to take me for my afternoon walk today. (She taught 3 hard classes in a row and has 2 more to go tonight.) Instead, she let me run around the back yard without my leash. I found Snickers old dog house under the deck. There was also another big dog house that belonged to Snickers first girlfriend, Sheba. I never met her, but I was very interested in the smell of her old house. It's fun being without my leash, but I get very jittery with loud noises or if I hear another dog barking and run right back to Linda up on the deck. There is something comforting about Linda holding the other end of the leash.

This is NOT a Kodak moment

Things seem to be breaking in Linda's life. Now her camera is whacked. She took it to a wedding shower last night and it was broken. It still took photos, but it won't allow you to view them or delete the photo. How will we get them up on the computer now? Maybe we can get Subaru to pay for the repairs??

Leech-a-Bunga!

Surfing sounds like it would be fun. There are plenty of dogs (and even rats: see 10/18/08) who learn to surf. First, I would have to learn to swim. I've never been in water past my knees. After readying this story, maybe I'll stick to the kitchen sink for my baths. A thirty-three-year-old man named Glenn Orgias surfing in the waters off Sydney a few weeks ago. He was hanging-ten when all off a sudden he was bitten on the arm by a great white shark. His hand was dangling by tiny piece of skin. Thanks to a quick thinking surfer dude who applied a tourniquet, doctors were able to reattach his hand. Doctor's used leeches to help restore blood flow to his hand. Thanks to the surfer dude, the amazing doctors, Glenn's physical strength and blood-thirsty leeches, there is a good chance that Glenn will be able to regain use of his hand.

Hopeful News

This whole car thing is getting ridiculous. First they say NO, then they say MAYBE, then they say ABSOLUTELY YES, next NO, after that WE'LL SEE, DOES NOT LOOK GOOD... today the service man told Linda "WE'LL COVER YOU COME HOOK OR CROOK." What does that mean? It's been over a week and they still are arguing with Subaru warranty if they will cover the broken turbo charger. We've learned a few good lessons: don't buy a Subaru with a turbo ever again, keep awesome records every time your car get serviced, and always keep a supply of bacon in the refrigerator. (Linda does not agree with the last one.)

Bad News!

Oh no! Subaru called Linda this morning and said that now they don't want to pay for the repairs after all. Yesterday was a "Definitely, we'll take care of you, no problem... if the warranty does not cover it, our district manager said they would cover it." Now the story is completely different. (At least Linda saved the original phone messages.) Now we have to jump through all these hoops trying to get receipts for all the times the car has ever been serviced, even for the time out of state. It sounds like they do not want cover the expensive repair. They are blaming Linda for the 2 turbos that went bad. So... DON'T buy a car from Subaru and tell them Choopie told you.

Good News!

The Subaru service man Rich just told us that even if Subaru warranty won't pay for the expensive new turbo repair, the dealership will pay for the whole entire thing, even the labor charges!! There might be a $100 deductible paperwork fee, but he told us we probably won't have to pay that either! This is such great news because we did not have the big bucks to fix it. We would have had to catch rides or use Linda's bike. (I do hope she still gets the little doggie-basket for the front handlebars . It would be big fun to tool around town.) Everyone, go buy new cars from the Leesburg, Va Jeep-Subaru dealership. Tell them Choopie sent you. (Pictures won't upload for some reason.)

Home Sweet Home

Taylor and Sarah are closing on their beautiful new townhouse in the next few weeks. Even though they will have been married 2 years this August, this is the first time they will be living alone. I am so happy for them. Sarah is a great cook and will be making Taylor all sorts of wonderful meals. As long as it contains just meat, potatoes, cheese or pasta. No vegetables, sauces, salads or fruits, he'll be content. Ever since Taylor was little, he has been a selective eater. Tierney will taste anything. Even when she was a toddler, she would eat whatever Linda put in front of her. I take more after Taylor, I'm very picky.

The Views Expressed are Not Necessarily....

"Okay, let’s get this straight: Chihuahuas are not dogs. They’re long-legged mutant rats developed by Nazi scientists in the 1930s and smuggled into Mexico with the hopes of spreading Bubonic Plague across the North American continent. This opinion has been widely held by most breeds and cross-breeds of dogs for decades. "

No, Of course I did not write this! I copied it off of a guys blog who does not think Chihuahuas are dogs. If he could just meet me, his opinion would change drastically. I won't give you his name because I don't want to spread such lies and slander on my family blog. I am kind of mad at Linda because she was laughing her head off while she was reading it. (This is Linda typing now, Choopie went to the pee-pee pad. Go to blog.rifftrax.com, the guy is hilarious.)

Homecoming Queen

I just read on Carol's Facebook page that she is out of her rehab center and staying with her sister! Linda had no idea she was released today. Woo-Hoo, good for her. I guess she wanted a quite semi-homecoming before she is inundated with friends and visitors. This is the best news all week.

Keeping our Paws Crossed

The Service man called from Subaru this morning. He is working very hard on getting Subaru to cover the very expensive turbo charger repair. Since it is the second time it conked-out in 68K miles, he is 90% sure they will end up paying for it. If not, Jerry is going to help her get a new car. We are going to get a very little inexpensive car that gets high-mileage. The best outcome of the story is for them to do the repair for free!!!

Adoro a mi Jerry

I have a very weird feeling about Jerry going to Mexico next week. I know that is where my heritage is, and it will be exciting for him to see the ruins and eat some real "Mexican" food and not Taco Bell burritos. Today when he left our house I was very concerned and would not let him leave. I kept kissing him and putting my paw in his hand. He is going to bring me back a present from Cancun. Maybe I'll get a colorfully serape to wear on my walks or a cute little sombrero like this little chaps. It will all be fine, I'm just a worry wort by nature. He promised that he would come back safe and sound, and I believe him.

RIP Gwen

What in the world was this man thinking? I am beside myself just thinking about this horrible story. A utility worker from Southwest Gas Corp was called to a home in California. The homeowner was out front waiting with her 2-month old baby. Their 2 pound teacup Chihuahua Gwen was also outside with her owners. Gwen ran up to the man and barked at him. (Just like I do when anyone comes in my house, even if it is Linda or Tierney) The man proceed to kick Gwen breaking her neck and killing her. He says the dog charged him and he was only defending himself. The gas company is offering the women $500 for a replacement dog. As if that is going to make things right with the family. I hope Snickers finds Gwen in dog heaven. He will love on her and make her feel welcome. This isn't Gwen, the photo is a teacup Chihuahua named Lola. Looks fierce and dangerous, doesn't she?

This Story Stinks

Jerry has an iPhone. He is like a little kid with all the applications he has downloaded. He is so happy when he plays with it. His favorite is the Star Wars app that makes noise when you move the phone around. When he comes over tomorrow, I am going to ask him if he has downloaded iFart. I don't think I need to explain what it does. I can so see Jerry using the sounds as his ring tone.

Car Troubles

Linda is sad today because of her car problems. She has a Subaru that is just 6 years old. It only has 68K miles on it. Back in '06, the turbo system totally broke down and had to be replaced. It's a huge job with lots of labor charges. Subaru paid for that replacement. Now, the same exact part is broken AGAIN. This time Subaru says they might not pay for it because it is out of warranty. They said I might be putting the wrong oil in the car and that is making it break. I wonder if Jiffy Lube who puts the oil in is at fault if that is the problem. All I know is that we don't have thousands of dollars to pay for the repair. She might have to start riding her bike everywhere. We need to get a little bike basket for me to ride in.

Think He Might Be All Natural?

I've been following the story of the poor lady who was attacked by the chimp. Yikes, it sounded like such a brutal attack. The chimp was just like a son to the lady. He brushed his teeth, got dressed, used the bathroom, got the mail, made lunch and even surfed the net. One day, he goes ape doo-doo for no apparent reason. The lady might be getting a face transplant. I heard that PETA is mad because they shot the ape during the attack. That has to just be a rumor because that would be just crazy. Linda wanted to adopt a sweet Pitt Bull but she was afraid that one day the dog might turn on me and swallow me in one bite. I was going to use a photo of a real ape, but I thought this guy was ape-ier then a real monkey.

A baby, a dog and a tiger

Two recurring posts in my blog are thieves that stick strange things down their pants (shrimp, live lobsters, big bottles of beer, snakes, birds...) and India villagers marrying animals. This story might be the weirdest. An infant boy was married off to his neighbors' dog in eastern India by villagers who said it will stop the groom from being killed by wild animals. The boy grew a weird tooth on his upper gum which is a horrible omen to the people in India. It seems that it makes you extra tasty to tigers. By marrying the dog, the boy will be able to ward off the evil spirits that make him smell yummy to the tigers. The dog was allowed to roam free after the ceremony. Villagers gorged themselves on food and alcohol during the reception. Linda loved this little how to draw a tiger lesson. She is going to practice her tiger sketching.

I need some TKD skills!

Ouch! I smashed my head today while I was running after my squeaky toy. Sometimes I get so excited I don't watch were I am running. I'm fine though, I just shook it off and climbed up on Linda's lap. We had to play inside because it is snow-rain-sleeting outside. How did it go from 68 degrees to snow/sleet in one week? Pure craziness. I have to go in the kitchen now because Linda has to leave to go teach Tae Kwon Do to her little warriors. Kih-Ya!!

Pampered Pooch

A few nights ago, Linda told me about a dream she had about Fabio's baby (who had Fabio hair) in the nursery at church. Well, last night she had another dream about the church nursery. This time a women checked in a baby Chorkie (half Chihuahua and half Yorkie). It looked like baby puppy.. just like I did. He was 1 1/2 pounds, the same weight I was when Linda adopted me. Only the puppy was dressed in regular baby clothes. When it came time to change the babies, Linda could not find a diaper small enough. She finally found a diaper in the Chorkie's bag. It was the size of a credit card. She changed the puppy and put it back on the floor with all the other babies.

Some Dogs Need Calculators for the Really Big Numbers

Gosh, I know I am super smart, but a 3-year-old dog Chinese dog has me beat. He can add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers up to 10. This small pug is named Wawa. He barks the appropriate number of times and sits when finished. His owner, Mr. Pang started training the dog when he saw that Wawa showed a sensitivity to numbers. I wonder if Wawa will sink his teeth into Geometry? Ha-ha... I am so funny.

Not fit for humans (or dogs)

Most of the time Linda makes wonderful smelling recipes. She does all sorts of yummy things with tofu, veggies, rice pasta, soy cheese and all kinds of good vegan-gluten free foods. Today at lunch she made something that smelled so vile, I had to go downstairs because it was so stinky. It started off with some Thai flavored tofu and veggies... all good. Then she added black bean sauce. That's when things went horribly wrong. She tasted a little bite and almost gagged. No amount of rinsing the sauce off the veggies and tofu could save it. Good thing she tested it out first before she served it to her friends.

So Sad

Bummer. Even this baby puppy is crying. Carol was not released from rehab this morning like they told her. It seems there is some issue with her blood gas levels or something. There might also be an infection with her new trach. Everyone is so upset, most of all Carol and her Mum. Linda is going to go visit her tomorrow and try and cheer her up. We don't know when she will be allowed to go home now.

Pigs-in-Boots

One of the worst feelings in the world is getting my paws wet. When it is snowy or raining outside, I won't walk. I just stand on the front step and cry. Linda has to carry me down the yard onto the dry sidewalk. If the sidewalk has snow, I just stand there and cry. This little piggy named Cinderella has the same phobia that I do. She won't walk through mud unless she is wearing her specially adapted little boots. Her owners love her so much that they had the boots custom made so Cinderella can play in her sty.

This looks like BIG fun!!

When the kids where little tykes, Linda used to use them as baby-barbells. She would do overhead presses, sit ups, bicep curls, and squats with using little Tierney or Taylor as weights. It was a great bonding experience for all of them. Well, someone stole her idea and is making big bucks from it. A gym in London, recently introduced "human barbells". They hired five men of various sizes (including two dwarfs and one 340 pound man) that exercisers can use for weights instead of boring barbells. For no extra charge, the men will yell things at you while you are lifting them.

Llamas-O-Ramas

Terry McCrone was a farmer in Ohio who raised llamas. The 61-year old man became very sick with cancer. Every day, his llamas would visit him at his bedroom window. Unfortunately, Mr. McCrone illness was fatal. The llamas must have been heartbroken without their beloved owner. Two of his favorite llamas joined his funeral procession walking alongside the casket. They also escorted the hearse to the cemetery. They wore special ribbons around their neck that were presented to Mr. McCrones wife and daughter. I wonder if he dressed up in one of these costumes and romped in the field with his buddies.

Lock door means shower vacant?

Sorry that I did not get to post yesterday. Linda was super busy all day and she did not even get the computer out. Sunday's are usually the same for me: sleep, eat, sleep, poop, walk, maybe go to Pet Smart, sleep, poop.... you get the pattern. I would be remiss if I did not post the latest "pants thief" though. This might bring my total to 7 stories now. A Fort Pierce man stopped a truck stop yesterday and stuffed a very LARGE bottle of Natural Ice beer down the front of his pants. He headed to the showers and sat in the stall drinking the beer. The store manager caught him drinking the $2.14 beer. Moral of the story: Don't drink and shower. The person who wrote this sign probably did not know the moral of the story.

Miracles Do Happen

Great news, no AWESOME news! Carol is coming home from the rehab hospital on Monday. We are going to have a big party on Tuesday to welcome her home. Linda is jumping for joy, and when Linda is happy, Choopie is happy. Read all about it on www.adultependymomabraintumor.com. The more clicks her site gets, the farther it will move up on Google, so please click away!!

Isn't she lovely?

My Tierney is the most beautiful girl in the world. She could be a cover model on any magazine.
She could be a movie star. She could be a famous writer. She has her own talk show. I am proud to be her purse-puppy.

My Will Be Done, NOW

I had a very fun Valentine's Day. I am so loved every single day that it always feels like Valentine's Day to me. Jerry took me to a nature park for our walk today. There were lots of strange smells. I got to see ducks and smell a lot of goose poop. This is me waiting for Jerry to put my harness on. He is a little slow sometimes and I have to remind him that the world revolves around me and my wishes. Later on, Linda and Jerry went to her favorite Thai restaurant for Basil Tofu and Pad Thai. Linda also got a lot of fun Valentines from her friends and students. She even got a gift certificate for a massage at a new fancy spa. Woo-hoo, life is good!

You make me swoon!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Jerry bought us over some great presents. I got 3 new toys, Chip got a new catnip toy (she is a mean to me when she is high on catnip!), Tierney got a Bloomingdales gift certificate and Linda got a whole bunch of fun presents. Jerry is coming to get me tomorrow to play at his house while Linda is teaching. I hope it's nice enough to go on the trail for a walk. These little Valentine babies are so adorable. Linda had a dream last night that Fabio (the romance cover star) bought his infant son to church. Fabio gave her the baby to take to the nursery. When she took off the babies hat, the infant had long blond hair just like Fabio. I think Linda might be a little whack-o.

Here Comes the Bride

We just found out that Tierney, Taylor and Sarah are going to be in Jon and Carley's wedding on Feb. 28th. I can't wait to post all the beautiful photos that Linda will be taking.

The New Crib

What a great day! Even though it is Friday the 13th, only good things happened today. Linda had big fun teaching her classes at the gym. Taylor's football team won the championship game tonight. They have won 1st place all 3 years they have played in the league. They had to play 2 games back-to-back and won both games by a touchdown. Linda was also able to go and see Taylor and Sarah's new townhouse this afternoon. It is just beautiful and backs up to the woods. They will be moving in at the end of February. The floor is so shiny, I'm sure it will be too slippery for me to run around on. I'll have to get little booties for my paws so I can get some traction.

Maybe They Will Turn into Princes

Earlier this month I wrote about a wedding in India involving a stray dog and a little girl. (Feb 3rd) Now I just read about an even stranger wedding that took place in a remote Indian village called Tamil Nadu. An extravagant double wedding was held for two 7-year old girls who married frogs. The marriage was held to "prevent the outbreak of mysterious diseases in the village." I wonder if the girls wore open-toad shoes to their wedding? :-)

Choopie Prison Blues

Tierney was so mad at me yesterday, I ran and hid from her. She left a roll of toilet paper on the closed toilet seat. I jumped up and pawed it off onto the floor. Before I knew it, the entire roll was chewed up all over the floor! Tierney came out of her room and started going crazy. Hey, she should have not left it where I could reach it. She yelled "Bag dog, you are going to the pound!" Well, she forgave me but I think I learned my lesson. Good thing she did not read this article about a new law in Iowa. Inmates at the Des Moines jail have to start paying for their own toilet paper. The county is facing more than $1.7 million in debt this year. By making the inmates pay for their own toilet paper, the county will save $2,300 per year. It seems to me that is not going to make much of a dent in the almost $2 million debt. Linda used to do some jail ministry so she has spent time in prision (as a guest, not an inmate.) The prisioners had cable TV with premium packages, Internet access, fancy gym equipment, personal coffee makers and hot plates. Maybe if the jails cut back on some of the fancy amenities, they could save some money in their budgets.

Another Day, Another Meal

I have been eating so much these past few days that Linda is going to have to weigh me to make sure I'm not edging back up to 5 pounds. The Vet wants me to weigh 4 pounds at the very most.
We have been doing long walks everyday, so maybe I'm burning off some of those calories. I used to turn my nose up at all of my food, but whatever Linda feeds me, I eat. I love peas, corn, black beans and rice pasta now. During my walk today, I meet the Jack Russell terrier who lives near me. He absolutely hates me for some reason. The owner says that Jack is 11 years old and very crabby. I try to play and he always acts like I am a pest. As if! How could you not love this cute face?

Bump it Up!!

We got the Bump! Bumpity-Bump! That is what Linda and Tierney were singing tonight while they were getting ready to leave. They were acting like squealing teenagers at a Justin Timberlake concert. Tierney ordered "The Bump" off of an infomercial. (She is the queen of infomercials and brags that she watches more hours of infomercials then anyone else.) Anyway, the Bump was a big hit and they were two very happy women. Both of them wore their bumps to church. The kit even has a Choopie size bump! Maybe I can have a bump too. I would post photo's of them with their bumps, but this is a family blog.

Here comes the bride...

Another wedding in the works! Tier's good friend Carley in marrying Sarah's older brother Jonathan. They got engaged last night. We love Carley, she was almost going to move in with us when she needed a place to live. They are so adorable together, I'm so happy for them both. Tierney is going to be a bridesmaid in the wedding party.

Buckle-up

A Texas women barricaded herself with 22 dogs inside a station wagon. Along with the dogs and the women, police found blankets, water and a whole lot of doggie #1 and #2 piles. The ammonia level inside the car was 23 parts per million, humans start experiencing health issues at 12 parts per million. The dogs were taken to the shelter until a judge decided what to do with the animals. The women was not coherent and the proper authorities were contacted.

Alarm Dog

I am getting over a bad case of the jitters. Earlier today, someone came to the door selling something. Linda opened the door, said no thanks and then shut the door very quickly before the man could say anything. For some reason, he really bothered me and I was barking my head off. Five minutes after he left I was still barking. Then I just sat by Linda with my ears down and looked toward the front door. I am still jumpy. Linda said it was OK and not to worry, but maybe she should worry since dogs have a good sense about danger. I may be small, but I have a loud bark and am a very good alarm dog.

DeerSmart

Remember the story about the lost dog who wandered into the vet clinic? He was separated from his owners during a family vacation and was missing for quite some time. Months later, the dog walked into a vet clinic. They checked his microchip and the pooch was reunited with his owners. Here is another story just perfect for my blog. A wounded deer entered a PetSmart in Ohio through the open back door of the stockroom. Employees called the vet from the stores clinic who treated the injured deer by stitching a wound in his hind leg. The deer was bought back into the stockroom and he ran back out the door into the wild.