My Horrible Weekend

I had the most awful weekend. Daddy and Anneedabus did another project. I hate projects. If they never do another one it will be too soon for me.

The first project was a few weeks ago. Anneedabus took the door off the bathroom and used it to block the hallway to keep me and Tico from helping. Can you believe it? I know we could have made a difference.

Being unable to help was bad enough. We couldn't see what they were doing either. All I know is projects are noisy and smelly.

Last time they took turns working on the project. This time they blocked the hall with the bedroom door and stayed behind it most the weekend. I could see Daddy on the ladder but he just ignored me no matter how much I cried. Sniff.

When Anneedabus and Daddy do projects they don't play with me and Tico or take us for walks. We're left to fend for ourselves best we can. I love Tico but he is no replacement for Daddy.

Things started looking up yesterday. When Anneedabus put the bedroom door back I knew the project was about over. Hallelujah! Let the play time begin!

But I was wrong. Anneedabus took Tico to the Doctor for his annual check-up. The Doctor took blood and shot stuff up his nose. Then Tico got not one, not two, not three, but FOUR shots. He doesn't feel like playing and has been laying around ever since he got home.

I'll just lay here by my toys and wait. Somebody will play with me...one day. Sigh.

Our Lucky Day

Daddy cracks me up. No matter the season he doesn't like to get too hot or too cold. This time of year he dresses in layers he can take off when he's hot or put back on if he's cold.

The colder it gets the more layers he wears. Last week when it was really cold I almost exploded waiting for him to dress to take me out. He put on clothes like he was about to cross the Alps on foot. I have no idea why. When we finally got outside he never left the porch.

Today it's beautiful outside. Dressed for much colder weather, Daddy took us for a walk. We walked for a long time, long enough to come dangerously close to running out of layers. I love Daddy and see him naked all the time. Trust me, you don't want him running out of layers.

The sweatshirt came off almost as soon as we left the house. He rolled his shirt sleeves up before we got to the end of the street and ditched the shirt after a few more blocks. Thirty minutes later he walked out of his sweatpants like Charlize Theron in that Dior ad you see on TV.

By the time I knew where we were, only a sweaty cotton t-shirt and nylon gym shorts stood between Daddy and indecent exposure charges. It was going to be close. I started walking faster.

Finally I could see the house. Then I saw sweat breaking out on Daddy's forehead. I picked up the pace and prayed none of the neighbors were home.

This time we were lucky. We made it home with the last layer still in place. I hope our luck holds out for the rest of the winter. You should, too.

Chi-ao!

No Fan of Cold Weather

You couldn't ask for a prettier day. The sun is shining and I can tell from the sound of the wind chimes a nice breeze is blowing. Looks like a perfect day for a rousing game of outdoor Chase Me with Tico.

I'm here to tell you looks can be deceiving! From the comfort of my sun puddle it's easy to forget how cold it is outside. I know because I do it all the time. Let me tell you something...I am NOT a fan of cold.

I've learned to expect cold when it's dark out. As soon as Daddy opens the door I sprint for the grass. I take two steps off the concrete, squat, pee, spin, dump and run back to the door. It's that simple. We're back inside in three minutes or less.

Squatting in cold, wet grass is bad enough. Try squatting in tundra with gale force arctic winds blowing up your butt. Frankly, it's a lot to ask for just a "good girl" and a pat on the head from Daddy. If it wasn't for Santa Claus I wouldn't even try.

Cold weather isn't all bad. With the leaves gone from most the big trees around the house, my favorite sun puddle is bigger than ever. Come to think of it, today is the perfect day for a little nap in the sun.

Sweet Dreams!

Living with Toodles

Hi everyone. We're all ok. The wild dog that attacked us was just a big puppy who wanted to play. Toodles reacted like he was a rabid wolf hell-bent on eating her alive and swelled up like an angry cat. Cracked me up. Hope you had a merry Christmas, a fun New Year's Eve, and a relaxing week in between. Toodles and I have really enjoyed the holiday break. Anneedabus and Daddy stayed home to play with us for two weeks. It was exactly what we wanted--the best gift ever!

Anneedabus is my best friend in the world. Except for a quick trip to South Carolina to visit his family and a night in Atlanta with his sister for a Lady Gaga concert he's been home the entire time. It's been great!!! We've played games, walked all over Athens, taken long naps and gone for car rides. I wish he could be home all the time.

I love Daddy, too. He takes care of me when Anneedabus isn't home. We were a lot closer before Toodles came along. I understand. Toodles keeps him pretty busy. She is more than a little high maintenance. Daddy can't handle her by himself--Anneedabus has to help. Daddy says it's a good thing I'm such a good boy. I guess that's one way of looking at it. The other would be to just accept that Toodles is a brat and send her to Reform school.

Toodles is a full grown dog with a bit of a mean streak. She walks all over Daddy and Anneedabus. They let her get by with murder because she's so tiny and cute. She looks and acts like a puppy when she's really just a bad girl--like the girl in that Orphan movie. She knows exactly what she's doing. She chewed up one piece from the exact middle of the puzzle Anneedabus and Daddy worked on all week. Honest! You can't make this stuff up.

She'll go sketchy on you at the drop of a hat. Daddy says it's her pancreas. She sticks her tail between her legs and scampers to Daddy. She'll sit in his lap for the next hour or two or six, shivering every now and then--for attention if you ask me. Pancreas my butt.

She knows better than to mess with me. Took her a while to catch on. She's a slow learner--even slower than Daddy. I still have to remind her that other than her squirrel, all the toys and chew sticks are mine.

You're probably thinking I need to practice sharing. Nope. Tried that. You know the sheep Toodles got me for Christmas to replace the one she destroyed? She's already ripped it apart. Same with both the toys Buggs gave us for Christmas. She also chewed up two rugs and a sofa cushion and ripped holes in several towels, throws, and blankets. I hate to think of the damage Toodles could do if she was ever left alone for more than five minutes. Like I said, she's high maintenance.

Even so, I love her. When her pancreas isn't bothering her and she's not tearing stuff up or clinging to her Daddy and she's not too tired, Toodles is a lot of fun. When she's in the mood to play she is up for anything. She runs almost as fast as I do and takes my open field tackles like a wide receiver in the NFL. We have a great time wrestling, chasing each other, and playing tug of war or keep away. Life would be pretty boring without her.

Sooner or later, Toodles will get into something a good dog would leave alone. It's her nature--who she is. When she goes too far I find Daddy and sit at his feet until she gets caught. Now I don't get blamed for the damage. You do what you have to do.

Vacation Adventure: Attacked By a Wild Dog!

Daddy and Anneedabus are on vacation. Vacation means they don't go to work anymore. It's a dream come true!

You know it's vacation first thing in the morning. Usually the noisy coffeemaker wakes us up. On vacation the coffeemaker doesn't start until we get up and Anneedabus pushes the button. Nobody is in a hurry to go anywhere. Nice.

Anneedabus makes breakfast every day on vacation. I love a hot breakfast! He gives me and Tico a little bit of bacon or some scrambled eggs. Tico always gets more because Anneedabus does all the cooking. I get what I find on the floor around Daddy. He's pretty messy so it all works out.

Daddy has time to take us on long walks. I like walking with Anneedabus and Tico but going on walks with Daddy is more fun for me. We go a different way every day and just walk and walk and walk. Most of the time I'm not scared at all!

Yesterday Anneedabus took us for a horrible walk. It wasn't his fault. Before we even got started a strange dog attacked us. He was huge!!! I tried to scare him away but he was too big and scary for me. Anneedabus had to pick me up. Tico wanted to kick his butt but Anneedabus picked him up and carried us.

That wild dog followed us all the way home and even tried to follow us inside! He stayed on our front porch like he owned it. You won't believe what happened next. Anneedabus took him some water and played with him!!! He hung around for a while then disappeared.

Today all four of us went for a walk for the first time in a long time. It was fun until we were almost home and that dog attacked us again! Daddy picked me up. Tico would have ripped him apart if Anneedabus hadn't picked him up when he did.

He followed us all the way to our private dog park. Tico was ready to open a can of whoop on his tail and kept trying to attack him through the fence. Not me. I'm more the damsel in distress type.

With all that walking I'm ready for a nap. Isn't that what vacations are all about?

Chi-ao!

Second Best Day of My Life!

Other than the day I came to live with Anneedabus, Tico and Daddy, Christmas was the best day of my whole life. Tico told me it would be great. He was right!

Before the big day I wasn't all that impressed with presents. Daddy put ours under the tree then fussed at us if we went anywhere near them. If he didn't want us playing with our gifts, why did he put them on the ground where we could get them?

When we got up Christmas morning we finally got to play with them. I sniffed at mine and poked at them a bit. Boring. Frankly, I was disappointed.

Presents are a lot more fun after you take the paper off. I got a bandanna that says "Daddy's Girl", a pretty pink hoody, and a rubber bone from my cousins. Buggs gave me a pink stuffed animal that's fun to roll around with.

Tico got two blue hoodies--one just like mine and the other with "Ciao" on the back, and a ball you can put treats in from our cousins, and a purple stuffed animal from Buggs. I gave him a sheep, some of our favorite chew sticks to let him know how sorry I was for tearing up his sheep, and some chicken Puparonis to keep him from getting fat. He was really excited to see the sheep and played with it for a long time.

Tico didn't get me anything. It's OK. Turns out he's too big to wear any of the hoodies he got from our cousins. Buggs said Audrey did all the shopping. I'm thinking she only bought clothes in my size on purpose. Thanks Audrey! I owe you one!

Chi-ao!

Last Minute Shopping

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping. Daddy took me to the mall but they wouldn't let me in. Can you believe it? I work for my money just like anybody else. You'd think I had fleas or something.

We ended up at a big pet store. The smell was overwhelming--it was hard to make sense of the scents. My paws just wouldn't move. Daddy had to drag me in the door until he finally figured out to carry me.

Even in his arms, we barely got inside before a saleslady attacked. She said I was so cute she just had to hold me. I don't think so! I should have bitten her. But being a refined southern chihuahua, I just acted like she didn't exist. I think she got the message. Call me old fashioned but without a formal introduction a lady simply doesn't talk to strangers.

With Daddy holding me I could check things out without worrying about anyone stepping on me or anything. We saw birds, lizards, snakes and fish. Birds would be fun, especially if they couldn't fly away. Ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, and hamsters could be fun, too. You can even get cats and rabbits to make your own treats all the time!

They had puppies, too, all different kinds. We saw a giant chihuahua puppy bigger than me and Tico put together. I hope all the puppies find homes. It would be awful if they had to spend Christmas alone in a cage at the pet store.

We looked at dog clothes. I really liked this classy little black dress. It had a red-trimmed Nehru collar and a gorgeous red silk sash. Did Daddy buy it? Nope. Whoever said all gay men have good taste never met Daddy. Wait until you see the vinyl bomber jacket he picked up for me. It's hideous. I'm sure he'll strap it on and make me pose for pictures sooner or later.

We found a brand new sheep for Tico exactly like the one I tore up. I threw in a couple of extra surprises just to let him know how sorry I am. If he tore up my squirrelly I don't know what I would do. On the other hand, if he happened to tear up a certain vinyl bomber jacket....I might be persuaded to let this sheep keep its head.

Maybe. No promises.

Chi-ao!