It's My BIRTHDAY!

Hey Everyone! It's my birthday. Linda did not even know, how lame is that!! The only reason she found out is that my Vet sent me a birthday card. She feels so bad that she forgot my 4th birthday. This Friday she is going to bake special doggie-birthday cupcakes for all the puppies at Family Fun Night. Maybe if I give Spike and Beast a cupcake, they will like me better. I told Linda I need a new coat for a present, and maybe some new toys... oh and a new harness and some snow boots for winter. I think I want some of the teddy bear cookies and a new bed too. While they are shopping, how about a few sweaters, chewie treats and a stroller so I can be pushed around the mall. This is me when I was just a baby. Aren't I adorable!?

Puppy Pocks

Here is another treasure. A poor dog with a full outbreak of Puppy pimples! Linda is going to do all her Christmas shopping on this guys site.

Frakentoy

Isn't this just fab? Someone took a Chihuahua purse (which Linda actually owns) and stuffed it with a two-headed Mary Kate and Ashley Olson doll. The addition of the chupacabra legs makes the toy a one of a kind piece of art. A guy actually is selling these at Etsy. Check out all his other creations: http://www.etsy.com/shop/frankentoys. Which is your favorite?

Ginger

I'm so glad Ginger came to family night yesterday. Linda and I got to puppy sit her while Emily played football. Of all the dogs, she is my favorite one to hang with. She is so laid back and easy going. Spike and Beast are very, very cute... but they act like they have had 5 or 6 too many Red Bull's. When they ran up to greet us, both Ginger and I jumped on Linda's lap. Even the newest Shorkie to join the group, has super high energy . He is 2 pounds of TNT! Ginger is just like me. We smell each other, touch noses, wander around then lay down and watch whats happening around us. I didn't even care when Ginger sat inside my carry-me bag. I hope she comes next week. We are very like minded!

I'm Falling for You

I love fall, it's my favorite season. Not too hot, not too cold. I can just wear a light jacket during our walks. Our wooded trail is incredibly beautiful when the leaves start turning. Since it's the first day of fall, I was so excited to get outside. But when I realized it was almost 90 degrees out today, I was bummed. Because my cardiovascular conditioning is a little off and I've been wheezy, walking in this heat is very unpleasant. Tomorrow it is supposed to be just as hot. Linda is going to set her alarm early so we can walk before the sun gets too strong. We've not been sleeping well the last two nights, so maybe we might end up snuggling in bed and hitting the snooze button.

Butt Wait!

OK, so Linda now knows what is wrong with her back. It's not actually her back that's broke. She has a tendon tear in her gluteus maximus muscle near the piriformis. In dummy terms, her butt is broke. The tear is at the end of the muscle where the tendon attaches to the bone. There are all sorts of nerves woven in and around the muscle. Since it is inflamed and irritated, it is causing the entire area to cramp up and spasm, including her lower back. Along with physical therapy and ultra sound, she needs to rest in order for it to heal. If she does not rest, it could turn chronic. At least we know why she has been in so much pain.

I'm a Hot Dog

What the heck was Linda thinking today? Doesn't she realize that I have not barely been exercising since she hurt her back? In the last 14 days, I've had two longish outings. A few afternoons she was able to walk me a few houses down and back, but we walked so slow even I got bored smelling the same patch of grass. Her first 3 classes of the day, she was very stiff and could not move. After a 45 minute rest with heat on her back, she taught her last class at 4:00 with zero pain. When she got home, we went for a 20 minute hard walk. There were even times when we jogged a bit. I was so hot that I was panting like crazy even though the temp. was in the high 70's. Boy, did that wear me out. After, she left to meet Sarah and Taylor for dinner at the new Coney Island Diner. Sarah's hot dog was at least 18" long! Linda will upload a photo of it once her phone charges back up.

Traveling in Style

I've heard Linda and Jerry discussing that I have to start wearing a seat belt in the car. I don't always stay in my carry-me bag on the seat next to Linda when she drives. She has to keep telling me in her stern voice to "stay." I NEVER stay in the my seat when Jerry drives. (I have to sit on his lap to help him with directions since he gets confused sometimes.) If the air bag deployed in a crash, it would really hurt, or even kill me. Plus it would be dangerous if I were to distract one of them by my irresistible cuteness. On top of all that, it might be illegal to drive with a dog on your lap. Linda has been looking online for the best option. She likes this booster seat. I will be high enough to see where I'm going, and I can lay down if I get tired. It could be transferred easily from Linda's car to Jerry's car too. I think I could get used to it.

So Pretty!

Taylor and Sarah went to the Redskins game this afternoon. It is a beautiful day and I'm sure they will have lots of fun. We are watching it on TV hoping to maybe see them in the crowd. Somehow, I don't think we'll find them among the 91,000 plus fans. Sarah is so pretty that if one of the cameramen sees her, I'm sure they will put her on TV. Look how beautiful the stadium looks. Somehow it did not look this good to Linda when she was there for a game. Not much else going on at home. Still no walks with Linda. Although she is a wee bit better (no spasms today!) her back is still stiff and tight. Once false twist or bend could send her over the edge again. Every chance she gets, she is resting to save up her strength for the tough week ahead. I've been able to play in the backyard a few different times today. Tonight, Linda has nursery duty at church. I love the smell of the baby drips-leaks-glops that gets on her clothes. It makes me giddy to snuggle her shirt and investigate each different one! (Hope the big fat baby does not come tonight. There is no way she'll be able to pick it up.)

Slow Down Please

Who is this masked rider? It's no other than Taylor at the motorcycle track. He said he got the bike up to 140 miles per hour, not 100 like Linda originally thought. I sure hope he remembers this the next time he he rides his bike down the winding roads to college: If you ride like there's no tomorrow - there won't be.

Tomorrow Will Be A Brighter Day

I spent the morning with Jerry walking the trail and playing with my toys. I did not have my usual energy because I was tired out from all the walking I did last night. I still managed to walk about 20 minutes before I begged to be carried. Every time he put me down, I just stood still and looked up to him to be picked back up. Linda had to cancel all her big plans for the afternoon since her dumb back was worse then ever today. She has been on heating pads all afternoon. A few times she was able to shuffle to the deck to let me outside, but for the last 6 hours she has been stuck flat on her back. And the saga continues.....

The photo has nothing to do with the post, I just thought it would cheer Linda up.

Born to Ride

Taylor and Sarah rode their motorcycles to a race track called Summit Point. Taylor raced his at the track, up to 100 miles per hour. Sarah was smart, she just watched and prayed he would not crash. Linda has received a few updates and photos, it looks like he had a great time. I'm not sure I want to go for a ride on the back of his bike, but I do know I want this uber-cool motorcycle jacket. Linda said if I lost 1 pound I could get a new jacket for fall. She is going to weigh me tomorrow. If I made my goal, she said she would order it for me. The outside is soft faux-leather and it is lined with super warm fleece. The D-ring on the top is so I don't have to wear my harness. Can you imagine all the attention I would get if I wore this to the dog park?

I hope they have Poky Little Puppy

It's been a long time, over 6 years since Linda has been on vacation. When Tier and Taylor were little, they would do something Disney every year. Sometimes they would stay at the resorts, other times they would take the Disney Cruise. Of course even if she could afford it, who would watch me all those days? Jerry has work and then he is busy weeknights and weekends. I could maybe stay with Paul, but a whole week? With this news, she can make her Disney vacation plans ASAP. The new Best Friends Pet Care Resort has opened right at Disney. The resort can hold 270 dogs. It is more than 50,000 square feet of luxury. I can stay in an air-conditioned room with a TV, sofa, and my own private yard to run around in. There is also lots of walking trails and even a puppy water park! Some of the amenities are bottled water, ice cream treats, private cuddle time and even bedtime stories. There is even a web cam on me at all times so Linda can check in and watch from her iPhone. Of course my family would come to visit me at least 4 times a day to make sure I didn't miss them too much. Let's start packing!

Pill Power

Woo-Hoo! Linda said she was able to teach her Body Pump class today with zipp-o pain! She did the whole class (with no plates on the bar, so it was only 5 pounds) without any hindrances at all. It's not because the problem went away, it is because she took one tiny little pain pill. She knows better then to go hard and heavy since the painkiller is masking the problem. But to be able to cough, sneeze or move without pain... just wonderful. She has a new appreciation for her body when it is working properly. She's already done 2 classes, shopped/lunched with Tierney and took me on a long walk. One more class left at 4:30, then off to church.

Tae Kwon Don't

Linda went to the chiropractor today and got 45 minutes of deep tissue massage, ultrasound, laser treatment, stretching and adjustments. She felt great the rest of the day and was lulled into a false sense of security. She met friends for lunch, took me for a walk and even practiced her new routines a little while. Then during her TKD class tonight, the spasms came back harder and more frequent then ever. She said it was unbearable trying to pretend in front of 15 eager kids and parents watching that all was fine. The weird thing is right now, just an hour and a half after the attack, she feels much better. How strange. Here she is with a few of her students at the last award ceremony. They are not wearing their uniforms because she treated everyone to a trip to the ice cream parlor after they got their new belts.

Cause Thats my Funday

"Just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday".... It was back to work for Linda today. She made it through 4 classes; dinner with the family and Taylor's soccer game (they won!) Her back only seized up 6 times and it actually feels kind of OK right now. We are going to bed now and getting lots of rest. Hopefully she'll feel well enough to walk me after her Dr's appointment in the morning.

Hike

Today is the start of football season. It means absolutely nothing to Linda and I, but everyone else is talking about the Redskins and Cowboys game. All those people might be getting pretty wet since it has been a raining all night and off and on today. I wouldn't even go out to the "big p pad" in the backyard this morning because it was drizzling. Even the reward of my cookie treat could not entice me to go off the deck. Jerry is coming this afternoon to take me for a hike. I bet the stream crossings are so high that we won't be able to get across. He better hurry since it is dry out right now and I won't be happy if we can't go cause of rain.

P.S. Jerry took me on the best walk ever. We hiked the entire trail, about an hour from start of finish. I met lots of dogs and behaved myself by being social with all of them. A few times I had to get carried because I was tired, but I mostly did the hike all by myself. Thanks Jerry.

I'm Blue

Good news on the back front (huh?) Linda said her back is feeling better tonight! Just to be on the safe side, she still is not going to take a chance and walk me tonight. If it still feels OK tomorrow, I might get a short walk. I am going a little stir crazy being cooped up inside our house this entire week with no exercise. It's making me feel depressed and I don't even want to play with my favorite toys. Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow...

No Swimming Today

Sad Face. There will be no dog swim for me today. Both Linda's assistants did not come to TKD class today, so she had to teach both classes by herself which really was not the best thing for her recovery. Her back is so bad today that she can only move a tiny bit. There is no way she would be able to bend down to pick me up. If another dog came at me, he would eat me because she can't get that low to the ground to swoop me to safety. If I started drowning, she would not be able to reach in the water to save me and give me CPR. I'm trying not to pout too much because she feels really bad that she can't take me. The first Dr.'s appointment she could get was this Tuesday. Until then, I'll be patient.

Friday Night Fright

Home from another Friday Night Fun Night. I beg Linda to take me every week, then when I get there I never want to come out of my "safe" carry me bag. There was one giant scruffy dog (at least 75 pounds) who tried to play with me but I just cowered down. The other dog was a 2 1/2 pound new Shorkie puppy that wanted nothing to do with me. His name is Shelby, I have to admit he is pretty cute. So instead, I sat in my bag for 2 hours while Linda visited with friends. I'm too afraid to come out and meet new people. Tomorrows swim meet should be big fun. If she can't find my rabies tags I can't get in the party. There are a few more places she can look, but it might not be in the stars for me to go tomorrow. Oh... Linda's back was super painful this morning and early afternoon. By 5:30, the lower back pain had lessened a whole bunch, but now it hurts between her shoulder blades. What's up with that???

Back Update

I'm glad Linda's back is a little bit better then yesterday. She had to teach her first 3 classes at her corporate account this afternoon because she is an independent contractor and does not have anyone to call. The students were very nice and did not mind that she had to sit in a chair to teach. There was one scary time when she got on the floor to stretch and could not get back up! Everyone worked together and she was able to get back on her feet. Friends are covering her last 3 classes today. She was able to walk me a little while this evening, I did not pull once and just kept pace with her. She is going to teach all her classes tomorrow and this weekend. She is just going to have to make pain her friend. This photo from Danielle's wedding on Saturday night the last time she was able to stand up straight. (She is wondering what ever possessed her to buy this dress. It's just plain ugly.)

That's Just Wong

It's been a little while since I have posted about a smuggler. All I can say is I'm super glad that I wasn't around when this wildlife smuggler was caught. Anson Wong was nabbed at the airport trying to smuggle 95 live boa constrictors in his carry-on luggage. The bag busted open on the scanning conveyor belt. Mr. Wong was sentenced to six months of prison and fined $60,000 for his slithery crime. At least he did not stuff the 95 snakes down his pants. Linda had a 3-foot boa constrictor named Rocky. She said he was very sweet and loved to wrap his body around her neck while she ran the vacuum. He also tried to eat Chip when she was a kitten (seriously) so Linda got rid of Rocky. Maybe that explains why Chip has so many issues now.

Dog Paddle

I'm so excited for this Saturday. It's Doggie Swim Day at our local community pool. The entire swimming pool is closed and open only for dogs to swim from 12-4. There are diving boards, slides and all sorts of fun fountains. Linda said I have to stay in the fenced baby pool since she does not know if I can even swim. Plus, a giant dog might jump on top of me and drown me. I really want to try the slide. The diving board looks a little scary though. There might be one small snafu. Since I don't wear my dog tags, she is not sure where they are. You have to have proof of shots and your dog license to get in the party. If she can find them, does anyone want to go with us?

I Am Thankful

Today is post number 2,000! Who thought that when I started this blog in February, 2008, that I would still be at it all these years later? I've loved every minute of blogging. In honor of my 2,000th post, I am going to go back to the beginning and scan all of my entries. I remember my first entry did not have a photo because I did not know how to post one. Now I feel like a pro. I love and appreciate all the people in my life: Linda, Tierney, Taylor, Sarah and Jerry for adopting me and giving me such a wonderful life. (Even if Taylor is allergic to me, I know he would save me in I was in danger.)

OUCH!

I feel so sorry for my poor Linda. She is in so much pain that it's doubtful she'll be able to teach her classes tomorrow. She was 100% fine when she woke up, but during a very low impact water aerobic class this morning, her lower back seized up. It hurt so bad she could not even bend over to get out of her wet clothes. She said the water was freezing, it could have been a combination of the cold water and twisting wrong. Lots of pain killers and a professional massage by "Charlie" eased the pain a little, but now tonight the pain is stronger then ever. I can tell when she is not her normal energetic self, that is why I'm not bugging her for a walk. She is going to take a bath then a couple of Aleeve PM.

The Best Laid Plans

Linda had such grand plans for today. She was going to get up really early and take me for a walk. Next, a few hours were going to be devoted to work on her new routines. Then after her 11:00 class and lunch, she was going to sit out on the deck and enjoy the amazing weather while she studied some more. Well, things did not go exactly as she hoped, but in the end...everything worked out amazingly. I did my part by waking her up super early. She went to the computer to unhook her iPod to take on our walk, and found out it had crashed! My walk was postponed while she tried to get her iPod and computer back up and running. She made it to her 11:00 class on time, had a relaxing lunch, but had to spend the next 3 hours trying to get her work videos downloaded to her iPhone. After quite a few tears of frustration, TADA! It all worked. She celebrated by taking me on a long hike in the woods. I'm super tired now and enjoying a nap on Linda while she watches her Combat video on her iPhone! Maybe the moral of the story is not to make so many plans and just roll with it. This way you never get disappointed or frustrated.

Group Hug

I'm finally getting to post after three days. Linda was at her Water in Motion Certification training this weekend, so today was the first time I got to really spend any time with her. Staying with Jerry was fun, but Friday night I got super homesick and started being mopey and sad. Jerry bought be back over to Linda's house to sleep. She left early, early Saturday and Jerry came back to get me later in the morning. We did lots of walks, naps and played with toys. It was good to have Linda back on Saturday night. Today, Sunday, we went on a picnic lunch and took a new trail walk somewhere I've never been. I'm tired and ready for bed. Here is our latest family photo, minus the most important member.

Foo-Foo

What in the world is Linda doing wearing a feather boa? This is not like her. I hope she isn't going off the deep end.

Morons Arrested for Pants Stuffing

When I first read the headline of the news story, I thought it said Mormons arrested for stuffing video games down their pants. What the heck! Mormons stealing Modern Warfare 2? Grand Theft Auto? Halo 3? Linda told me it wasn't Mormons, it said Morons. That makes more sense. Four men drove up and down the east coast stopping at Toys R Us and stuffing their britches with video games. Over all, they stole 219 games. Cops also found a road map with all the T-R-U stores highlighted. I'm just glad it wasn't Mormons. What would Glen Beck have to say about that? (The best part about the story is if you google "Mormons playing video games" you actually get a few hits!!!)