I Heart Firefighters

Three cheers for New York City firefighters. Jim Lanigan was part of a crew that responded to an apartment fire in NY this past Thursday. They managed to get everyone out and put out the fire, but not before this tiny Yorkie was overcome with smoke. Fireman Jim preformed traditional CPR and bought the pup back to life! I've got tears in my eyes just typing this story.

Zedonk

What do you get when a donkey and zebra get frisky together? A zedonk, of course. The baby zedonk is named Pippi and was born in an animal pet-a-park in Dehlonega, Ga. this past week. The keepers say that Pippi acts more like a zebra then a donkey. I love this story because I am also a mix... one of my parents was a Chihuahua and one was a Yorkie. That's why I'm called a Chorkie!

TGIS

I had a record breaking walk on the trail this morning with Jerry. He took me the long route, which is about an hour through the woods. I walked 45 minutes and was carried the other 15. I can't go through the streams or walk on the main road back to my house, so that was when he picked me up. Along the way I met a friendly (overly friendly) chocolate lab puppy who wanted to play. He was very exuberant and I was a weensy bit frightened. At home, I took a 30 minute nap and then bought my favorite toy to Jerry so he could play fetch with me. When Linda finally got home, I was conked out asleep and don't plan on getting up until Sunday.

Bunny Foo-Foo

It was so much cooler today so I got to go on two walks. One this morning on the trail, and another tonight when Linda got home after 10:00 p.m. She had a great time out with the girls. We saw a giant bunny in our yard just when we were getting back from the walk. I was so startled. It was too dark to get a good photo, but it looked about the same size as this beast to me. I think this bunny might actually have a few pounds on Chip.

Lame Duck Experiment

"Purr-sey Shore"

A PSA for cats who need a forever home. The Fairfax County Animal Shelter will be hosting "Purrsey-Shore" from July 26th to July 31st. Up for adoption are the "Kit-uation"; "Kitty-D"; "J-Meow"; and of course, the notorious "Snoo-Kitty." The cast of "cat-icters" will be available for adoption from noon to 6:00 p.m. at the animal shelter on West Ox Road. I'm glad to do my part to help homeless cats find a family, just as long as Linda does not bring any to our house. I have a cat with more attitude then all of the Jersey Cats put together.

Good Humor

I want one of these new Doggie Ice Cream trucks to come down my street! The truck carries all sorts of delicious treats made especially for lucky dogs. Linda's favorite pooch when she was little was a dog named Benji. The Good Humor truck would come everyday at he same time after she came home from school. About 15 minutes before it arrived, Benji would go out on the front porch and listen for the ringing bells. Before Linda could even hear it, Benji would bolt down the steps and sit on the curb. Sure enough, a minute later Linda could hear the ringing in the distance. The nice ice cream man would pull up to Benji and have his small dixie cup of vanilla ready for him. He would hand it to Benji and the dog would carry it back to the porch. Linda never remembers having to pay for it, but maybe her Mommy paid in advance. Benji dog lived a very long time before he finally died of old age. Linda said the little truck on top is exactly like she remembered it.

RIP

So sad. We just found out today that our neighbor Bob passed away in a motorcycle accident last week. Every time we walked past his house we would stop and chat if he was outside doing yard work. During the bad snowstorm, Bob came over and helped Linda shovel our walkway a few times. Sunday night we walked past his house there was a lot of people milling around outside, but Linda did not see Bob or anyone else she recognized. It must have been family and friends of his sons. He was a single dad with 2 teenagers and only in his early 40's. On Friday, Linda also received a phone call that a husband of a friend died in a motorcycle accident in NC. Sean left behind a six year old boy and a young wife. PLEASE.... Taylor and Sarah.... take care riding your bikes.

OLE

Last week Taylor and Sarah's soccer team (CTC) got smoked and lost 16-1 in their first game. Tonight, they played another great team. These guys beat their opponents last week by a score of 15-0. Since this is CTC's first time ever playing soccer in a league, it was looking like it was going to be a very looong season. We were all super excited when the new and improved CTC team took the field. They were organized, passed well, stayed in their positions and actually led 2-0 going into the second half. Our team took the loss last week and learned what they needed to do different. The final score was 6-4 and we lost, but the whole team was very, very pleased at how they played. Next week they will be even better. I'm going to be the team mascot. Chalupa's for everyone!!!

Time for Your Shot

I can't believe it's been two whole days since I've updated. It is totally Linda's fault. I don't have the laptop password and unless she is at her computer, I can't blog. (Once, and this is 100% true... someone mentioned to her that dogs can't really type and didn't she realize that she, Linda was actually the one writing the blog!! Um... no she said, It's Choopies blog. Can't you read the title?) Since Friday, I've had a Chihuahua-typical breakdown. Since I am part Yorkie, I don't do all the neurotic things associated with most Chi's. Except for now. Three things set me off and they happened at night while I was sleeping in Linda's big bed. First, a fly buzzed us while Linda was sleeping. She spent 2 hours trying to whack it dead. Second: The Earthquake. Third: The thunderstorm on Sunday. Linda was in bed reading in the afternoon when the storm hit. Now, I think bad things happen on the Big Bed and I refuse to go in Linda's bedroom. She might have to call Cesar and get me on the Dog Whisperer. I'm starting to lose sense of reality!

Hot Guns

I did not get to go to the picnic because it was (once again) too hot outside for me. Sometimes I wish that I was not such a delicate type of dog, but was hearty and strong like Snickers used to be. He could be outside on the hottest days or coldest days and be fine. Linda would have to coax him back inside with treats because he liked to sleep out in his doghouse at night. He hated sleeping inside regardless of the weather. I think he wanted to guard our house from bad guys and felt that if he was out on the deck it kept Linda safer. This photo of Sarah and Tier is just precious. Linda can't remember why Sarah was sticking her tongue out. In the top shot, they were trying to get Taylor to show his giant biceps, but he would not do it. Even relaxed, they are bigger then my whole body.

It BEE So Hot Today

It was 100 degrees today. The poor painter man was sweating so hard working on our house. When Linda left at 3:30, there was still so much to do. When she got home at 8:30, it was finished and looked absolutely amazing. The forest green front door really makes the house look much prettier. There was one scary moment when Painter John discovered a giant bee's nest under part of the roof. Thousands of bees came swarming out, buzzing around his head. He knew not to panic and slowly made his way down the ladder. He had to wait inside for 20 minutes until they calmed down, then went right back to painting. We are going to have to call a bee catcher to come and move the nest. Two dogs in Tenn. died yesterday when a swarm of honeybees attacked them in their own backyards. If the bees decide to move their nest to the back yard, I might be attacked while I play in the yard. It was too dark to take the after photo of our house, so I'll post it tomorrow. Until then, here is a man with a bee beard.

Wet Paint

Count it Higher and Wet Paint were two of Tierney's favorite Sesame Street songs. If you've never listened to either one, google it and watch the video clips. Wet Paint is the best! We'll be having wet paint tomorrow. Linda's friend is coming over tomorrow to paint our house trim and door. He came by tonight for the key since Linda will be in and out teaching and he'll need to open the front door to paint it. I'll post a photo of the finished job in the afternoon. I'm a little nervous since I never met him. When he comes inside, I'm going to go hide under Linda's big bed.

Cat Butts

Way too hot for much of a walk today. Even this evening it was over 90 degrees. Jerry came while Linda was still at work to take me out. We ended up only going about 15 minutes before I needed to be carried. My weight loss is just stalled, in fact... I'm still up 2/10's of a pound. My knees seem to be holding out, not much change from a few months ago when the Vet said I needed surgery. I've only had one episode where the left back leg locked up, but it went back to normal in a few minutes. It looks like I'll have to wait until fall anyway since he won't do the operation until I'm 5 pounds. Linda said that she is believing that I won't even need the surgery. Once I lose the 1.2 pounds my knees should be better since less weight will be pressing on the joint. (I know the title and picture have nothing to do with the post, but I love this photo. Notice at the bottom it says "Extra thick to really stink" Ha-Ha. I want these magnets for my very own.)

Just a Cluckin' Mistake

A man came home Monday to find a ticket taped to his front door. An enforcement officer cited him for having chickens in his front yard. A neighbor called to report the chickens on his lawn. Turns out the chickens were only plastic statues, the Georgia version of the pink flamingo! The ticket was torn-up and the man does not have to pay the fine. I wonder how in the world the person writing the ticket walked past the mans front yard to put the citation on the door and did not realize the chickens were plastic? Duh.

Here Lizard, Lizard, Lizard

Linda came home happy, but very tired. She taught her new PUMP release and her COMBAT release tonight, with a tough TKD class sandwiched between them. Even though she practiced 3 hours today, she still messed up the alligator/Komodo dragon push ups. You creep forward like a Komodo dragon then do a push up in an alligator position. (She did not make this up, she is just following the video.) Besides the screw-up, the class was big fun and everyone had a sopping wet tee shirt when it was over. I'm lucky I had a walk earlier in the day because she just sat on the couch and put her feet up the second she came home. She forgot how hungry I was, so I had to stand on her chest and nip her nose to remind her to feed me. Tomorrow, its only 3 hours of classes so she can rest up for the 6 hours she teaches on Thursday.

My Chihuahua Bites

Jerry told Linda that I needed to go to the salon and get a pedicure. My nails are getting a little too long and need to be trimmed. While I'm there, I want to get my nails polished. OPI has a polish named just for me. The name of the color is "My Chihuahua Bites." It would be a perfect color for a Chihuahua, don't you think? Linda said she would buy me my very own bottle so I could have it home for touch ups.

Work-It Out Girl!

All of the studying and hard work Linda put into the new Body Pump release paid off. Today was the first day she taught it and it went perfect! Tomorrow, she does the Body Combat release. Hopefully, it will go as well as today. I've been pretty sick and tired of hearing the same 20 songs over and over and over... non-stop. She has advanced choreography to learn that has to exactly match the music. She does this new release for 3 weeks, then the work to learn the next new release starts all over.

Choopie Comics, Volume 1... Issue 1

Jerry designed my very first comic strip using his iPad. I love the close-up of my eyes the best. Stay tuned into my blog for Issue 2, coming soon!!

C is for Cookie

It's been a very long time since I posted a shoplifting story. Technically, it's not more like robbery. A woman in Ohio stole $8,256.50 worth of Girl Scout cookies. Her kid sold 2,359 boxes of cookies, but the Mom kept the cookies, not delivering them to the people who ordered or paying the Scouts for the cookies. I won't post a photo of the lady. Let's just say that she looks like she ate all 2,359 boxes. She needs to cough-up $25,000 bond if she wants to get out of jail before she sees the judge.

Just Because

These Boots are Made for Walking

Most people know that boots are made for walking, not displaying like a piece of art. Tierney loves her new Uggs (for those of you that don't know fashion, Uggs are furry boots) that she bought at the Nordstroms famous sale. She loves them so much that she put them on her shelf in her living room so she could admire them until fall when it is cool enough to wear them. I think she is a little crazy sometimes. For her next birthday, I thought I would buy her these boots since she seems to like to make a serious fashion statement everywhere she goes. She better not try to squeeze me inside there though.

Sweet Dreams

Linda just came home from watching a movie about people who hijack other peoples dreams. She said it was pretty crazy and she hopes that she does not toss and turn tonight dreaming that someone is directing her dreams. I'm so worn out from not sleeping the past three nights. Last night I suffered through a bunch of loud and scary thunder storms. The night before was the earthquake. Before that, the terrorizing fly that buzzed us in our bedroom. I'm not sure I will be able to even fall sleep tonight. Three nights of petrifying events in a row. Hopefully the long trail walk Jerry took me on this afternoon will make me tired enough to sleep like a baby. (That's a dumb saying. Linda said babies wake up all night long.)

Chiweenies

At lunch today one of Linda's friends showed her a photo of some puppies that her friend has. They are called Chiweenies. This time they are a mix of a Chihuahua and a Weenie Dog. They are so cute and I would love one for my very own, but Linda said that they are too far away for us to get one. I just have to be patient and wait until the timing is right for me to get a buddy. For now, I have Linda during the week and Jerry on Saturday's to play with me and keep me company.

I Feel The Earth Move....

.... under my feet. I feel the sky tumblin' down.. But for real, not just in the song. We had an earthquake last night! I woke Linda up a few minutes before it happened around 5 a.m. I whined and jumped on her until she sat up. She figured I had to go use the pee-pee pad, so she took me into the kitchen. I just hid in my snuggle bed crying. Since I had another giant scare with a fly the night before (another story I'll post), she thought I was being neurotic. Turns out I could sense the earthquake before the tremors even shook us. Our windows rattled and the things on Linda's dresser vibrated a little bit. It was only a small 3.6; but it was still the very first one I ever felt. Next time, maybe Linda will take me seriously and brace herself in the door frame just in case it's a big one.

Almost Lost Puppy

I almost caused Linda to have a heart attack this morning. She was sitting on the deck watching me sniff around the backyard while she brushed Chip. While she was cleaning out the brush, she took her eyes off of me for about 30 seconds. When she looked up, I was gone! She called my name a few times (I always come the first time she calls, without fail) and still no Choopie. Then she panicked and ran down the steps. I was nowhere to be found! That is when she saw that one of the fence sections was falling down. There is a space for me to squeeze through. She kept calling me, but I still did not show my face. By now she was hysterical. She ran back into the house to go out the front door to see if I squeezed under the front gate and escaped. There I was, already inside sitting at the top of the stairs! While she was brushing Chip, I ran back up the steps and slid inside without her even seeing me.

8 Pups a-Swimming

I hate to be a whiner, but enough already! Linda was gone for over 8 hours today and when she came home, NO WALK! She said it was raining and that I hate the rain. Since I did not believe her, she took me outside to prove it to me. Sure enough, I came running back in quicker than a bunny. I'll never get this weight off. When I get my swimming pool, I'll add some laps to my exercise program.

Slow News Day

I have a few readers who like cats. I don't hold it against them, it's just that in my experience, cats are just plain rude and uncouth. From the top: Yin Yang cats; Pizza cat; Mommy cat; Cat Fish; The Original LOL Cheeseburger Cat.

Where is Moses When You Need Him?

Our stream in the woods by our house is a raging flood with all the hard rain we had. There is usually stepping stones where Linda carries me across, but the water is totally covering them. We had to turn back and go home. I love that the woods and nature trail is just a few steps from my own yard. When it's not too hot, Linda or Jerry take me out there at least 5 times a week. Linda is looking to buy a bike basket so she can ride her mountain bike with me. I'm a little big to fit in the carrier she used to wear while she rode. A nice comfy padded basket with a little tie down to help hold me in would be wonderful.

Edward or Jacob?

After church today, Linda had to go to work for 2 hours. Jerry was kind enough to come and walk me since I would have been home alone for 8 hours. (I know, I'm super spoiled. Most dogs are left home alone way longer than 8 hours.) He took me out on the trail again then gave me a chicken snack so I would not starve before Linda got home. He even drew a photo of me on his iPad. It's like Twilight....Vampire vrs. werewolf. Which one of us do you think is cuter, the vampire or Choopie-wolf?

Tales From the Crypt

Jerry did end up coming over and taking me for a trail walk today. The streams were so deep that we could not cross on the stepping stones, so we had to turn around and go back. Two giant deer also gave us a scare. Our woods are "no hunting" woods, so they are very bold. We were just a few feet from them, but they crossed the path and walked away without eating me up. I really do not like deer at all. Jerry tried to get a photo, but he did not get his camera ready in time. He took a bunch of video of me playing with my favorite toys. Hopefully I'll be posting the movie he is making of me on you tube very soon. After lunch, he drew this Zombie on his iPad. He said he was going to draw a picture of me, I don't really see the likeness, do you?

The HUNT Was Unsuccessful

I don't like to poke fun at weird news stories where people actually die, but this is such a strange way to die that I just had to report on the accident. Somewhere in India, factory workers were making a giant vat of tomato sauce. The vat was almost 20 feet deep. One of the women workers slipped and fell into the giant pot. Five other workers dove in to save her, but all 6 of them ended up drowning in the tomato sauce. Two more workers are recovering in the hospital. In respect for the families of the deceased, I won't make any tomato jokes.

Giddy-Up

This is the first time in forever that Linda has had a Saturday home with me. She took off work to go look at the puppy but ended up not going. She left early this morning to get her car inspected and go to the grocery store, but came back in just under a half-hour! I was so surprised when she walked in, I thought for sure it was going to be Jerry since that is who comes to get me on Saturday. Now I'm very confused and waiting at the door barking every 10 seconds trying to call him. I love Linda home, but I miss Jerry too! Maybe if I bark a little louder.... (This is the body of the big dog in yesterdays post! This is the BBF I really want. I could put a little saddle on his back and ride him everywhere.)

No Beans

All that hype for nothing. Turns out we are not getting Black Bean after all. A good friend of Tierney's is very interested in him though. She has been looking for a Shorkie and this might work out perfect. I'm really not very disappointed though. Both Linda and I have our hearts set on a big dog to replace our beloved Snickers. I'm way more comfortable with the big guys anyway. Little dogs make me nervous. I met this dog at the dog show. It was almost 200 pounds. Look at the love in his eyes towards me. Jerry is holding me so tight it looks like my eyeballs are about to pop out of my head!

Chalupa and Black Bean

I'm not talking about Mexican food, I'm talking about my maybe NEW BEST FRIEND. BIG NEWS!!!! Linda is going to check out a new puppy to be my forever friend! He is a 2 pound Shorkie. Almost like me, except the Chichuaua part is a Shizu. We both share the Yorkie parts. I'm so excited and can't wait until Saturday. I'm going with her to make sure he is the one for me. Right now I'll be the big dog, but Black Bean (Beanie for short) will eventually be a couple of pounds bigger than me when he is full grown. We don't have a very good photo of him, but you can kind of see how cute he is if you look closely. Linda said not to get my hopes up. He might be gone by Saturday (the lady said she would hold him though) or maybe he'll be mean to me and I won't like him.

Even Monkeys Get Tired

This is usually Linda's day off from teaching. She has one TKD class in the afternoon on Tuesday, but that is all. Today, she did a 10-11:30 practice with some other girls, then subbed 4:30 Pump, 5:30 TKD and 6:30 Cardio Combat. She came home so tired that it's almost 10 p.m. and she has not eaten dinner or taken me for my night walk. (How am I going to get this weight off unless she walks me? Sorry your tired, but HEY! I need exercise too.) At least she fed me dinner before she collapsed on the couch. I'm going to have to figure out how to get her the 15 steps into her bed. These monkeys are riding in style, I wish I had one of these wheeled contraptions to help her. She has 3 classes Wednesday and then 6 on Thursday so I doubt I'll be getting a walk until Friday. Unless someone else volunteers to come over and walk me in the evening..hint..hint.

Chip Weighs 14.2

I had my weekly weigh-in this morning. I don't know how in the world this happened, but I'm up .2 pounds! All month I've been 5.8 and today.... it was 6.0 pounds! Even after my massive hair cut on Sunday, I still weigh 2/10's of a pound more. I think it might be because Linda has cut my walks to just a few times a week because of the heat. I guess I'll do a few more laps around the dining room table and up and down the stairs to burn some of this flab off. A news story today said that 40% of brides admit to picking bridesmaids fatter then them so they will look slimmer walking down the aisle and in photos. If I ever get married, Chip is definitely going to be my maid of honor. She weighs 8.2 pounds more then me. I'll look downright anorexic standing next to her.

Want Mustard With That?

Once I had a lick of Linda's favorite dessert. She mixes Greek yogurt with a little chocolate syrup and adds granola. It makes a healthy pudding. I've decided pudding is delicious, even though yelled at me for licking her bowl when she set it down on the end table. In Wisconsin, a Wiener Dog named Puddin' saved a big Labrador retriever from an attacking coyote. The Retriever would have been lunch for the coyote. Way to go Puddin! I hope you get a hero's treat (but not a hot dog bun!)

OH 4-0!

Linda has a very good friend who turned 40 this week. That is one of the reasons she has been gone so much. A BBQ party Saturday and dinner out last night at a restaurant to honor Laura's big 40th. (Not to mention the big BBQ yesterday.) She promised that the celebrations are over and she will be home more. I'm glad she is having fun, but I've been stuck inside alone. I need a buddy, maybe she'll adopt another puppy for me to play with.

Cooking Basics

I can't imagine who would buy a book about cooking your dog. What kind of nut would even write a book like this? Linda said she is going to write to the publisher and complain!!

Mile High Cake (really!)

Linda went to a giant 5th of July picnic today with her church friends and family. There were at least 300 people there on the hottest day ever. She said she was just sitting in the shade with buckets of sweat pouring off of her. Crazy Taylor and his friends played soccer during the hottest part of the day! She said there was a little Wiener dog there named Tripp that I would have loved. He belongs to one of the soccer boys, so next Monday when they meet to play I'm going to to go and meet Tripp. (The 2 little wild dogs were there too, but I would have stayed clear of them since they scare the fur off me.) After the picnic she taught her TKD class and then went to dinner at Champs for her friends birthday. Check out the size of this piece of cake! It's bigger then my whole body.

Whew, Glad That's Over

We have 5 plus days in the high 90's, low 100's to look forward too. I've been so overheating during walks, Linda and Jerry decided I needed to be shaved, RIGHT NOW! Taylor was the photographer while they both worked on me. It was not my favorite thing, but overall... way less stressful then going to Dog a Do. My fur is still wet, so I don't have a good after photo. I'm sitting in the sun on my favorite bed drying off in the sun.