Rocking Cow

Linda is already looking at fun baby necessities.  She just found out yesterday that Sarah is having a baby, but she can't wait to buy the baby everything it needs.  One thing the new baby needs is this rocking cow.  Sarah was raised on a huge dairy farm in upstate New York.  She grew up with cows as part of her everyday life.  Since she does not live there anymore, the baby needs this cow in his/her nursery to remind him/her of where his/her Mommy came from.  Plus, since Noah lives with his Mommy at Sarah and Taylor's, he will be able to break it in and get it ready for the new baby.  She picked rocking cow up at the store today to buy it, then decided she better OK it with Sarah first.  If she says yes, Linda will buy it tomorrow!  (Tierney and Taylor are already calling the baby Leonidas from the movie 300.  Since Taylor is 6'5 and Sarah is almost 6', they say the boy baby is going to be a mighty warrior!)

Photobomb Dog

I could so see Chimmie doing this if Linda was trying to take a photo of Chip.  (Why she would want to take a photo of Chip is beyond me though.)  This dog has the EXACT same look on his face that Chim gets right before a walk.  The slight difference is that Chim has two little top fangs that hang over his bottom lip when he gets really excited. 

Love, Love, Love

A wonderful day for Linda is coming to a close.  Starting with the amazing news from Sarah and Taylor that made her so happy and then finishing with a special time at The Town Center for dinner/shopping/frozen yogurt with Tierney.  Tier and went with us for our evening walk before she had to go home.  Yay for Life!

YES!!

If Linda is the Grandma, does that make me the Granddog?

Big Foot and the Baby

Noah and Uncle Taylor are playing some sort of fun game where Taylor picks him up with his legs and dangles him off the floor.  You can tell by Noah's face how much fun he is having.  You can also tell how big Taylor's feet are!  He wears a size 15-16 shoe!  Once when I was just a tiny pup, I crawled inside one of his sneakers for a nap. 

10,000 Food Choices

Linda got up before 6:00 for our walk, but decided that she really didn't want to chance aggravating her back before her 3 classes today.  Even though she only did 3 easy classes yesterday, she was in some pain last night at Family Night just standing around talking.  She tried to do one lap (not even 1/4 of a mile) with a friend around the parking lot, and it just wasn't a good idea.  When she gets home this afternoon, it will be way too hot for our walk even if she feels up to it. Maybe later when it gets dark.  A friend from church invited her to dinner tonight at a place called the Golden Corral.  There is something about the idea of that restaurant that makes Linda feel like nails on a chalk board. The names sounds like a bunch of horses at a rich spa all lined up at a fancy trough chowing down.  She does not really like standing in line at buffets as plates are heaped 10 feet high, watching people waste piles of food and forcing yourself to keep eating just because it's already paid for.  She has done buffets before, but she likes to go when it's not crowded and with one or two people.  (Quirky and Strange!)  She wants to go to hang out with her friends, but maybe she'll just get a drink and keep her dumb opinions to herself.  UPDATE:  The plans were changed to a movie and ice cream (but not because anyone read this post, too many people just did not want to drive that far for dinner.)  Linda can't go anyway because..... of.... um.... just because.  More to come later. 

Hotter than Hot

I'm glad Linda made us get up extra early again to do our long walk. Even at that early hour, she broke a pretty good sweat. After the walk, she drove to her first class.  After teaching, she was sweating and soaked through.  She drove in the car with the AC blasting to the next gym, went back out into the heat and then right into the AC'ed gym. For some reason, she started shivering uncontrollably and had to go into the sauna to warm up. She was so cold she was covered in goosebumps and her arm hair was standing straight up. Teaching her next class got her all sweaty again.  Maybe it's not so good for you to go back and forth between this kind of heat and AC.   The temperature today is breaking all sorts of records.  This was the degrees when she got in her car after her noon class was over!  Driving home, she passed lots of lawn service men mowing peoples yards! That is just craziness.  We do not want to even go in the backyard to do our business, but Linda made us. While we were sniffing around, Linda sat on the deck steps for just 5 minutes.  In that short amount of time, you could see the tan marks from the shirt she was wearing.  If she laid on the deck for an hour she would be as dark as Chimmie!.

She Did Win a Lava Lamp

When Linda first got her iPhone, she downloaded a free game.  Remember Skeeball from Chuck E. Cheese?  You roll the little wooden ball down the lane and try to get it into the circles for 10, 20 or even 100 points.  When Tier and Taylor were little (and not so little), they all loved playing that game.  Taylor had a bazillion tickets at one time and just about furnished his whole room with prizes.  Anyway, Linda found her self playing Skeeball throughout the day, a few minutes here and there.  Pretty soon, she was playing more than that.  She was fixated on getting enough tickets to win a pair of bunny slippers.  When she found herself playing at a stoplight one day, she pulled the plug cold turkey.  A Chinese couple should have done the same thing.  They sold their 3 kids to fund their internet cafe gaming habits.  The girl sold for less than $500 dollars since girls are not that coveted in China.  Both boys sold for $4,600.  The grandparents tuned the couple in when they found out what they had done.  After they were arrested, they told police "We don't want to raise them, we just want to sell them for more money." So sad, but not so strange considering how addicted people can get to computer/video games. 

Say NO to Cage Dryers

Public Service Announcment number 2:  Be sure you check to see if your dog groomer uses a cage dryer.  A woman in California is suing PETCO because her pooch Sadie suffered a heat stroke, internal bleeding and burns after being left in a cage dryer.  Sadie's injuries were so severe, she had to be euthanized at the vet.   PETCO no longer uses the cage dryers on pets after their grooming.  Linda has no idea at all if Dog-a-Do uses those kind of dryers.  Next time she takes me for a haircut, you know she'll be asking!  Better yet, she should just learn how to groom me herself and save $55 and the stress of me having to be left there and handled by so many strangers. Who needs bows and a bandanna anyway?

Heebie Jeebies!

We just saw a commercial for a new TV show on Animal Planet called.....Hillbilly Hand Fishing.  Scooter and Skipper Bivens stand in muddy, dirty water and use their hands as bait to catch giant, slimy catfish.  I don't think we'll be tuning in. 

Butt Why?

Public Service Announcement:  Have You Seen This Man?  The police in the county where WE LIVE are hunting for him.  He is known as  "The Serial Butt Slasher."  Yes, you read it correctly.  The man carries a box cutter and bumps into women and slashes their butts!  There has been 5 attacks so far.  One was at the mall Linda used to work at.  One was at Tierney's favorite store and another was just down the street from Tier's office! The slasher is decribed as a 5'6" heavyset Hispanic male in his late 20's.  If you know the suspect or have information, please call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.  (Tier, Please don't go around wrestling all short Hispanic men to the ground, but do be alert.) 

Baby GaGa

Noah just loves talking to me.  You can't see me in the video, but for some reason he thinks my name is "Ga-Ga."   He waves and claps the entire time he is calling me to come closer to him.  He has even learned how to tap his leg when he wants me by watching Linda do it.

Never Trust a Cat

Watch Out, Noah!

I've been having my work cut out for me today.  Noah is crawling everywhere.  Once I had to jump in front of him and save him from getting too close to Chip.  I told him to never trust a cat. He followed me back into the living room and we played with the toys.   As much as I love having Noah here, he only naps for about an hour.  The rest of the time he's busy, busy, busy.  Usually I nap for hours on end, so this is really a labor of love for me.  I adore having him here and would rather watch Noah than sleep any day.  How am I going to keep him safe once he starts walking!  I'm so little that it will be hard to stop him! 

Thusday Recap

This has been a whirlwind day for us.  Linda stuck to her plan and got up really early.  She told me that since I am the dog and she is the boss, I had to get up early too!  What?!!?  It wasn't dark out, but it was waaaay before my normal wake-up time.  Actually, once we got walking it was OK.  The weather was still on the cool side and there was a nice breeze.  She tuckered me right out and even Chim seemed tired.  Next, off to get gas for the mower.  Linda waited a bit before she mowed and weed whacked so she would not wake up the neighbors.  Instead, she vacuumed the whole house and scrubbed all the floors.  At 8:30 a.m., she started the yard work.  By the time she was done, she was drenched.  Next, shower and then banking, grocery shopping and a quick bite to eat for breakfast.  She still had an hour before Noah was due to arrive, so she finished cleaning the house.  I was besides myself when Noah came.  He ate his beans and applesauce, then we played for a while Linda folded laundry.  Chim got to go on the stroller walk this time since I went last week.  He did wonderful!  He stayed a few feet behind the stroller and kept perfect pace.  He was like the "after" dog on the Dog Whisperer!  When they got home, we played some more while Linda finsihed folding the laundry.  Noah made his "OK, I'm tired now" sound (he does not cry, he just goes "ee-ee-eeeee".) She changed him, he drank his entire bottle then went right to sleep.  This is our first photo together.  I'm actually almost bigger than he is!

Thursday is the BEST Day!

Our walk was great tonight.  It wasn't too hot and my new harness is so much more comfortable.  We did come up on a giant dog, but the man crossed the street so we didn't have to deal with Chimmie flipping out in case it wasn't all that friendly.  Chim is out in the backyard running off the extra energy he's got stored up.  Tomorrow morning, Linda is going to mow the yard and then clean the house before Noah comes over.  While Noah and I play, Linda will practice her new routine.  It's supposed to become hot again, so Chim won't be able to stay outside.  He'll have to stay behind the baby gate.  I love Thursdays!

Leave Me Alone

I wasn't feeling my best this morning.  I did not want to eat any breakfast, and I ignored Linda all morning while she was getting ready.  I'm usually glued to her side no matter where she is in the house.  Chimmie was outside the whole time, so I wasn't being pestered.  I just wanted to sleep alone on the blanket in our den.  When she had a break between classes, I still wanted to sleep and did not feel hungry.  It wasn't until she got home a couple of minutes ago that I finally felt like myself.  I ate all my supper, then wanted to go outside for awhile.  She's about to take her shower and get ready for church.  Since she has to leave a few minutes before 7:00, there won't be time for a walk, so we'll wait until she gets home.  Night walks are the best anyway.  It's so much cooler and there are no bikes, skateboards or busy traffic to deal with. 

Dumb Mudder Is More Like It

Taylor and some of his friends are competing in what is dubbed the "toughest event on the planet."  It's called the Tough Mudder competition.  It's a ten mile obstacle course that has you crawling under barbed wire, running through flames, jumping into pits of mud and ice, crawling through long dark tunnels, running up ski slopes while being sprayed with high pressure hoses, running up and down hills carrying logs, swimming under water for a long time... the list of challenges goes on and on.   At a recent race, 19 competitiors had to be transported to the hospital.  (That's out of 7,500 people though.)  They have already been in training and working hard to get in shape.  Linda and Sarah are going to go and watch him and be on hand to pray if something goes horribly wrong. 

Lazy Bones

Linda had plans to get up extra early to take Chim for his long walk this morning.  She did wake up, but she did not get up.  Instead, she stayed in bed until 7:00.  The entire time she tried to talk herself into getting dressed and walking, but her body was still pretty sore and achy from yesterdays classes.  What if she walked an hour and then did not have enough energy to teach her 4 classes today?  (That's just the laziness talking.  There has never been a time when she was actually too tired to teach, in her mind she is just too tired.) Even if she did get up, there is no way Jose that I would have gone with them.  I have to sleep in as late as possible.  I don't get out of bed until Linda absolutely makes me.  This position is where you will find me most of the day. Now it's 7:40 and it's too late to do any more than 20 minutes before she has to get ready and leave for class.  That doggie treadmill is looking better and better!  

Endless Energy

Last Tuesday Linda was in a lot of pain driving home from classes.  Even though she went just as hard and taught the same amount of classes, her nerve did not pinch at all and she was able to drive just fine.  She's tired and sore, but that's to be expected.  Since Jerry came over while she teaching to walk us, at least she can rest.  He took us out on the trail for a walk and then gave us our supper.  My new harness is wonderful.  It's the same exact style and it's even red.  It's just one size bigger.  Chimmie is riled up and wants to play, play, play.  Linda has had him outside since she got home.  He won't calm down.  Usually after a trail walk he has more energy than when he first wakes up.  The Dog Whisperer would say that an hour walk for him is not enough.  Who has time in their life to walk their dogs that long?  If Linda took him out from 6-7:30 a.m. every morning, that might be a good start.  Then she could do a short 1/2 hour walk at lunch and then another hour in the evening.  Better yet, she should buy one of those doggie-treadmills.  Then he could run and run while she naps!

Baths Are Not Fun

Get Me Out of Here!

Tuesday is Linda's hardest day and our loneliest.  She's gone almost the whole day, with just short visits in between classes.  As much as I hate that, it is also the night that Jerry gets to visit us while she is teaching.  He can't make every week, but he does comes maybe twice a month.  He bought me my first harness when I was little (1.5 pounds) and it's still the same one I'm wearing now.  It's so small and uncomfortable, but the style is perfect for my body type.  He was able to find the exact harness in a bigger size and will be bringing it over tonight.  Finally, I can be comfortable on my walks.  Linda said I'm smelling a little like a dog, so I need to have another bath tonight when she gets home. 

Deck Time

Got any Cookies??

Instead of a walk tonight, Linda decided that she would sit with us out on the deck and watch it get dark.  We went out about 8:00 and just enjoyed the night.  It was so much cooler than it's been and very peaceful.  No dogs barking, mowers roaring, or kids playing, just quite.  Chim got his exercise by running up and down the deck stairs 50 times chasing the toy Linda kept throwing over the railing.  I just relaxed on the deck bed and snoozed.  When it got dark, we came back inside to start getting ready for bed.  Linda is tired, so I don't think we will be staying up too much longer. 

Sargent Linda

I'm glad we got to walk early this morning because now it's hot, humid and there is thunder.  Three things I dislike immensely.  Linda is home for a few hours before she heads back out for her third and final class.  Usually this is when we do one of our walks, but there is no way I'm heading outside.  She's thinking of cleaning out another closet, but I think resting is going to win out since she is whipped.  One of the classes she subbed today was a Boot Camp.  How hard could that be, right?  She found out that the people who take it are hard-core and the normal man who teaches it must have really been a drill Sargent.  No matter how hard she pushed, they kept up.  Plyo-metrics, tons of push ups, weighted squats and ab work, rotary jogging, high knee running, jumping up on high benches.. they never quit.  She kept yelling at them to pick up the pace and they would go a little harder until eventually, one guy looked like he stepped dressed into the shower he was so sweaty.  I'm glad she does not push us like that on walks. 

Zombie Chimmie

Chim has really changed his eating habits.  When he first came to live with us at 12 weeks, he would scarf his food down so fast that Linda had to take the bowl ways after 15 seconds so he could stop to breathe.  Now, that he is older and realizes that he'll actually get fed twice a day, he isn't so crazy about his eating style.  For instance, this morning Linda put our food bowls down and walked away to get ready for work.  Chip, Chim and I all get fed in different parts of the house.  When she checked on us, Chip cat was eating my food (because she already finished hers) and I was nibbling on Chim's food.  He was busy destroying a toy and did not seem to be hungry.  He's actually down to 13.8 pounds now (all of it is muscle, he does not any fat), which is still GIANT for a Chihuahua.  He was the biggest of all his brothers and sisters. 

The Day of Rest

The reason there wasn't any post yesterday was because absolutely nothing happened newsworthy.  I know what your thinking, nothing ever happens to me that is newsworthy.  Yesterday was extra, extra un-newsworthy.  We had our usual Sunday walk with Paul while Linda was at church.  He took us on the trail where it was cooler than in the neighborhood.  I walked about half of the way, Chimmie of course did the whole trail then sprinted around the backyard  like a wild cheetah.  By the time Linda got home, he was long gone and we had both settled in for a nap and refused to wake up.  After she ate lunch and read awhile, she decided that since we were both napping, she would too.  Last night was her turn in the nursery, so she left for church early.  By the time she got home, she did not feel like taking us for a second walk, so Chim and I had to make do with the backyard.  Since Sarah is helping Linda clean out the house, she gets to be the feature photo today!

How Hot Was it Today?

Sorting Stuff

It's 7:45p.m. and it's the first time Linda has sat down all day!  She taught classes until 1:00.  Next she went to one of her students 7th birthday party; she was home only 5 minutes and Sarah, Gretel and NOAH came over to help her clean out some closets and sort through stuff.  They worked 2 solid hours and filled 3 giant contractor bags of clothes to go to the thrift store, plus 1 more of clothes that Sarah took home for her little sister.  Also, Linda worked on the second family room and got tons of trash/yard sale/thrift store stuff sorted out.  It's all going to take weeks of work, but eventually she'll be able to downsize to a small townhouse!  How did we ever amass so much STUFF.  She hates STUFF.  It weighs you down and makes your life feel cluttered.  Here is one of the "after" closets.  UPDATE:  After a little dinner, Linda did another closet that was packed with more clothes she wasn't wearing.  Someone is going to be sure happy to get all her cast-offs.  She finally surrendered her favorite size 2 white Hilfiger sailor pants into the giveaway bag.  A size 2 is way too skinny for 5' 10" Linda, she just did not want to admit it. 

Just a Few More Weeks

Fiesta Americana

In all the years I've been alive (and even some before that) Linda has never left me to go on vacation.  It's not that she does not like vacations, it's just that her whole life is centered here.  The hours she does not have to teach are truly a "mini vacation" for her.  She's so happy to be quite and still in our very own home with all of her pets, she does not really need or have any desire to relax anywhere else.  This time she felt different.  Sarah, Taylor and Tierney will all going with her to this marvelous 5-star all inclusive resort.  Her mind is at ease knowing that Chim and I will be well taken care of when she is gone.  She still has to work out the details on Chip.  She might ask Gretel to stop in once a day.  She can drive right past our street on the way to work and pop in to feed/water Chip cat. 

Come on Winter!

I know what your thinking.  "Linda, the heat index is 115 degrees today and your thinking winter coats?"  Isn't kind of crazy to buy us each a new coat in mid-July?  Nope.  These were $29.99 a piece on sale for $4.00 each! They even have the little slit on the back for our harness to come through.  The material is soooo soft and the fur is cozy.  I just wish mine had the leopard fur and Chim's was plain white.  The cold weather will be here before we know it. 

Craziest Dog Ever

"Get These Things OFF of Me!"

All these months and months Linda has been trying to figure out a way to slow Chimmie down.  The only time he is not jumping, running, rolling, chewing and being downright annoying is when he is dead asleep.  All this time, the answer was less than a $10 solution.  Today, she bought him a collar and ID tags.  Magic!  He is afraid to walk with them around his neck.  He's slinking around close to the ground, won't pick up his toy and is just sitting there.  He wouldn't even come forward for a cookie. Maybe he'll get used to them and just move at a slower pace the rest of his life.  Wouldn't that be amazing?? Of course if he gets too neurotic, she'll take them off when he's in the house and just put it on when he's outside or on a walk.

Are You Kidding Me!!

Linda is throwing away all of Chim's toys today.  There isn't one left that is not half-eaten or chewed to bits.  She buckled down and went to Target and bought him 6 new toys.  He is only going to get one at a time. He chose this orange and red tug toy to play with first.  I think it is his favorite toy since Coyote.  The package said it was super durable blah..blah..blah..blah.  He has gotten so strong that Linda is having a hard time not getting her arm pulled out of the socket when they play tug of war.  I got a new toy too, a flat fox.  Linda is letting me only play with it when Chim is outside or in his den so it lasts for a long time.
  (This is 100% true.  In the time it took us to upload these two photos and type this post, Linda looked over and saw Chimmie had already chewed a hole it it.  Time to destruction:  7 minutes.)  
Linda has decided to take all the remaining toys back to Target.  She added them up, and it was almost $40.  I guess Chim will just have to twiddle his paws for entertainment from now on.  

A Boy and his Dog

Can you tell by my eyes and smile how much I love Noah?  I have been smelling all the spots where he sat and played yesterday reminiscing our good times.  I miss Noah already.  Linda said she can't take me to Friday Family Night to see him since the heat index will be 115 degrees.  Most everyone will be inside the gym and fellowship hall instead of outside.  Please come over tomorrow and visit us, I can't wait til next week!

Just Don't Order it Rare

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/steak-made-from-human-poop-passes-taste-test

Foster Parents

I'm more than happy... actually elated, that I don't have to go to a kennel when Linda goes on vacation with Taylor, Sarah and Tierney.  It would have been awful and probably scarred me for life.  Jerry will be taking me  and Chimmie will go live with Paul.  Instead of being stuck in a wire cage for 12 hours and then in a room with 30 other dogs for the other 12 hours, I'll be a pampered princess.  Jerry spoils me and caters to my every wish.  All I need to do is look at him with my "love me I'm cute" eyes and he'll do whatever I want.  While he is working, I'll stay in his big bathroom with my bed, toys and water.  He'll come home at lunch and even take off early so he can be with me.  Chimmie will drive Paul nuts with his boundless energy.  It will be a week where Paul will get more exercise than he thought possible with all the walks Chim will take him on.  Jerry and Paul both look kind of scary in this picture, but they are super nice.  What's with the deer feet holding the rifle?

I'll Have the Pink Martini

I'm a very finicky eater, both with my food choices and treats.  Linda will buy 10 different bags of treats, and I don't like any of them.  She was visiting with a kennel on Wednesday to see if it would be a good choice when she leaves for vacation. (Did I even write about that yet?)  The women gave her a little bag of treats as a thank you for stopping by gift.  The cookies were shaped like little turkey drumsticks, just adorable.  I LOVED them.  Now Linda has to find out where they are from.  Speaking of treats, Chimmie and I each got a special chew bone that Linda gave us Wednesday.   Both Chim and I got diarrhea from it.  Chim had another accident last night and I woke Linda up at 4:57 a.m. to go outside.  She fell back asleep and I had to go out again at 6:30.  She can tell it is from the chew bone because the poo is the exact same color as the bone... kind of a reddish brown.  (Or Sienna if you know about Chim's crayon eating fetish.)

This lady makes the absolute cutest dog treats:  http://rovers-rags.com/dog-treats/

Hot, Hot, Hot

Complaining about the heat does absolutely no good.  It does not make it one degree cooler.  It's been three days without a walk because Linda is concerned about my seizures.  Unfortunately, that means Chim has not had a walk either. He was cooped up for 10 hours today, so he needed the exercise.  Tonight, Linda broke down and took him for 45 minutes.  She left before 9:00 pm and just got home.  The heat did not seem to bother him for even a second.  He did his normal pace without tiring.  Right now, it is 89 degrees and almost 10 p.m.!  When she walked near the woods (not on the actual trail, that would not be very smart) it was so humid she could smell the swamps.  Jerry did not draw this swamp monster, but it looks like he could have!
http://chr15t0ph3l35.deviantart.com/

Have You Seen This Goldfish?

Look, Yorki-Chi Puppies for sale. And only $250!   I cost $750, so this is a real deal.  Linda said NO MORE DOGS.  Darn.  I wonder if the owner of the Large Obese Old Blind Goldfish has claimed him yet?

End of a Great Day

Hey, Wanna make a break for it?

I loooooved having Noah as a playmate.  Linda and I wish there was a way we could watch him everyday while Gretel works.  We know Gretel does not want him going to the gym nursery though.  It's like he belongs here.  It feels so right to have him crawling on the floor or in Linda's arms drinking his bottle.  Maybe if Sarah & Taylor (or Tierney and Future Husband) have babies, we can watch them all the time.  Linda said that the second Tierney was born, she knew without a doubt... she was cut out to be a Mother. 

Blue Bear, 21 Years Later

Blue Bear was Taylor's very first Teddy.  Linda got it for him before he was even born.  Blue Bear was the most loved bear on the planet.  Noah must have known it was Uncle Taylor's because he immediately knew it was very special and to handle it gently.  Even though Blue Bear's arm is almost falling off, he is still super lovable and is so happy to be in a baby's arms again!  Linda is going to get a photo of Taylor, Noah and Blue Bear.

Naps Over

Do you HAVE to take 1,000 photos every time I come over?

Since Noah is crawling like a big boy, Linda made a little bed for him on the  floor with a comfy blanket. He can't sleep on The Big Bed anymore since it is not safe.  He loves two things about our bedroom, the ceiling fan and the mirrored closet door, so she made the bed where he could see both.  He held his own bottle, and finished the whole thing.  We were up on The Big Bed watching him to make sure he did not try to crawl away.  After he drank his bottle, he sang "Ga..Ga..Ga." for about five minutes before he fell sound asleep.  Linda decided to stay on The Big Bed and read while he napped.  He slept for over an hour and is recharged and ready to play again.  Chimmie is entertaining him by doing all sorts of tricks on the other side of the gate.

He Moves!

Hey, Are you for real?

Noah is crawling everywhere.  He has followed me down the hall and into the bedroom.  It's so much fun!  It's so much better than playing with Chimmie because 1) I'm way faster than Noah is  2) Noah does not nip at me or pin me to the ground and 3) He can't jump up after me onto the couch when I want a little break.  This stage is so much better than when he couldn't really interact with me. I'm having the best time yet!  Now he is playing with The Littlest Pet Shop.  Just the cages, dog house and horse pen because Linda is afraid he might choke on the animals.  Chimmie is so missing out.  If he would just calm down a bit, I know he would have as much fun with Noah as I am.  He loves Panther too.  At first I think he thought it was another pet, but them he figured out it was a stuffed toy.

You Missed a Spot

Noah should be here in 15 minutes.  Linda has been vacuuming and scrubbing the floors since she got home at 11:30 teaching.  Noah could care less, but she likes to make sure all the dog/cat hair is up and that the floors are squeaky clean.  Pretty funny, but Linda is actually cleaning wearing a dress.  It's a sundress, but it's very cool and comfy.  I think she is "nesting".  Whenever babies are about to be born, the mom's get busy cleaning and preparing for their arrival.  Linda must have some leftover nesting from when Tierney and Taylor were babies.  Thankfully, her back seems to be OK after the two hours of hard classes.  When Noah lays down to take his nap, Linda is going to lay down with him so she can get a little rest before her two evening classes just to make sure.  We all got up very early today.  Someone asked her to sub a 5:30 a.m. combat class tomorrow, but she said no thank you.  That's just crazy. 

Up With the Roosters

I am Fierce!

We all had to get up extra early this morning because Linda is subbing 2 classes before Noah comes for the day.  She tried to get a sub for the earlier one, since both of them are butt-kicking, cardio-killing workouts, but she waited until last night to think about it.  Her back is still touchy and sore, so she was a little nervous to commit to two hard, back to back workouts in a row.  Even though she was up before light, Chimmie had an accident in the bathroom. (That sounds weird, since that is where those kind of things are supposed to happen!) She heard him shake his fur minutes before the alarm went off.  That's his sign he wants to get up to go out.  He does not bark or whine anymore. You have to be a pretty light sleeper to hear it since he does not wear a jiggly collar.  Instead of immediately getting up, she waited 4 more minutes for the alarm.  In that span of time, he did both numbers!  Coyote was peed on, so Linda threw him in the trash.  Later today, she is going to throw away all pieces of soft toys that he has left.  It can't be good for him to keep eating them.  If Chimmie saw Tier in this rooster mask, he would try to chew her to bits.

Destruction is His Middle Name

At least it still has all four legs and yellow scales!

Chimmie has not been eating that great the last few days.  Linda thinks its because of the heat and lack of exercise, but I think it's because he is eating too many toys.  This is what Dragon looks like, day 3.  The entire top of his head is missing and the two beautiful blue wings are totally gone (probably about to be pooped out on our walk tonight.)  We need to find a web site that is devoted to just homemade dog toys that are cheap and easy to make.  We saw one site where they made very durable dog toys using an old garden hose.  Another one used an empty water bottle and tube sock.  Dragon cost Linda $10.  She might as well give him a ten dollar bill and let him chew it up. 

Better this Morning

I'm so glad Linda's pain is better this morning.  She is able to walk and move her leg, not enough to teach a high intensity class, but enough to do the classes that are on the schedule for Wednesday.  It's looking like she has to go to the Dr's. again and get it rechecked.  She is not sure if it is something physical therapy would help or if it would be right to surgery to correct the discs and pinched nerve.  Thanks to everyone who read the post last night and prayed for her.  This is Linda's friend Carol.  She works out with all sorts of pain and issues as a result of three brain tumor surgeries.  She is amazing!

Fly on the Wall

I Am Coming to Get You!

Last July, one full year ago, I was terrorized by a fly in our bedroom. I wrote all about it on this very blog.  Last night, another fly was buzzing around Linda's lamp, banging against the shade and hitting the wall over our head.  I was shaking and quivering like it was an earthquake and thunderstorm combined.  I jumped off The Big Bed (which is very high!) to get away from the killer fly.  Linda tried to sooth me, but I wasn't having any of it.  She let me go to my kitchen bed and she swatted the fly dead. (No qualms about this kill.)  She bought me back in the bedroom, but I was certain it was just hiding in wait to terrorize me again. I ended up spending 1/2 the night in the kitchen alone.  Finally around 3:30 a.m., I cried at her door to be let in and cautiously found a spot on The Big Bed I thought would be safe.  I don't know why I can go up to a strange 100 pound dog and not be the least bit frightened, but I HATE inside bugs. 

Please Pray

It's been quite a few months since Linda got stuck in the car.  Remember when she had the hip, groin, leg issue where she could not move her leg?   Well, poor Linda, it happened again tonight.  She walked to her car just fine after teaching 3 classes in a row.   About half way home, she tried to move her foot from the gas to the brake and it wouldn't move.  Not even an inch!  There was much tears and crying!  She was able to angle her foot to hit the brake to stop, but her nerve was pinched so bad that she was seconds from calling 911 and having an ambulance meet her on the side of the road.  She was praying all the way home that it would stop pinching and that her leg would work.   When she got in the driveway at home, she rolled out of the car onto the driveway and had to lay there a bit.  Now she's in the house safe and sound, but really in pain.  What to do?  Go to the emergency room?  Get subs for her 4 classes tomorrow?  Believe she will be healed and just go to bed?  Please don't cry Linda, it will be OK.  I love you....... (I can't think of a photo to go with this.  When all else fails.... Noah!)   Lesson of the day:  5 classes might be a bit much.

Page Views (and Reviews)

No Kong Zone

I am almost at 40,000 page views!  I know for big blogs, that is a day's total, but for my little Life in the Dog House... I'm happy that I've got so many faithful readers.  I average about 125-160 hits a day, some from far away places like Asia, Australia and Germany.   Linda keeps telling me if we allowed advertising, we might make some money.  I just don't like to read blogs that have ads you need to scroll past or that pop-up when you don't want them to.  If we made $10 a month, it's not worth it.  If we made $10 a day, she would think about it.  I would like to do reviews of products and then give prizes out to people like Tier did on Ruby Woo.  First, we need to find a toy company that wants Chimmie to test their toy line.  When Chimmie destroyed a "Kong" in one day (he was only 8 pounds at the time), Linda emailed the company for her money back and included a photo of how he tore it up.  They were like "too bad lady."  She never bought another "Kong" brand toy again.  She almost broke down a few months ago and bought him a $75 Kong brand bed that advertised as the toughest bed on the market.  When she was carrying it to the checkout, the Pet Smart manager told her not to buy it because so many of them had been returned totally destroyed.  Unless your dog is toothless, don't buy a Kong.  (I guess the Kong company won't be sending us any free toys to give away.)