RGBP Big Event: Geocache Internationale

Hi, The Typist here, with another interruption of the dogblog to share some more about the RevGals' Big Event. (I pull rank now and then; it's one of the many benefits of having thumbs.)

So... if you know The Vicar of Hogsmeade, you know about geocaching. Trust me: this is a good thing! Here we are near the start of our morning in Cozumel:

(That was the part where we were going the wrong way. Which was perfectly fine; after all, we were on an Adventure.)

Then we got closer to what we were hunting:


See that cap in the lower left corner? It's on The Vicar herself, our illustrious leader for this endeavor.

And, after much careful searching (along with some toes in the water and a nice rest at a patio table), we found the cache!


As you can see, serious geocachers never go barefoot while on the hunt. The rest of us were along for the experience, and a lovely one it was. (If you click for the larger version and look really closely, you can see will smama's blister a few inches from her tattoo. Both accessories were hard-earned.)

So, while it may be on The Vicar's official log, God Guurrlll, will smama, and I also share the distinction of being international geocachers now.

Thanks, Vicar!

RGBP Big Event

The time on the ship is over, but I do feel as though the rest of it is just beginning.

I'll be reeally late for work if I blog all my thoughts this morning, but I do have time to share a photo...


Only one of these is permanent, but they're all "real."

As has been said by St. Casserole and many others: Love ya... mean it!

She's back, and look!

We got special bandannas!


The Typist got us these new bandannas when she was away with some other RevGals. Our friend Zorra was there, but didn't get Amie one because Amie doesn't like to wear bandannas. (We don't understand that around here. We like accessorizing.)


See the logo? These bandannas help out other dogs and cats in Cozumel.

The Typist had a great time with the other RevGalBlogPals, but is very tired now and is saying something about laundry and a shower and bed. The Boy and I don't really care for laundry or showers, but we're right with her on the bed thing. Anyway, we think she'll probably do her own blog entry pretty soon. But for now, we're glad she's back and that she brought us cool stuff.

Dear Cub: How did you find out about Egg Love?

In the comments to my previous post, Grendel writes:
Wow, Eggs are Love, too?
How do you eat them? Raw? Boiled? Fried? Poached? Scrammeled? Deviled?
And how did you find out about Egg Love?
I need to know!!!

Yes, Grendel, Eggs are Love. I eat them scrammeled. Here's how I found out about Egg Love...

A few days before Christmas, I had decided I didn't want to eat because my tummy felt bad. And so The Alpha and The Typist took me to the vet for needles, and then back to the vet the next morning for an all-day needle called fluids. The vet gave the thumb-havers some pills for me, and special smelly wet chow for me, and I ate it all up. For a few days.

But while we were at Christmas, I started getting a little more picky. I wasn't sure I liked the wet chow any more. The thumb-havers were all talking about how it's better to keep a dog eating, and the next thing I knew, my grandma was cooking eggs to mix in with my wet chow. My grandma loves her granddogs, especially me, her granddogter. (All the other granddogs are boys, and sometimes she calls me one, too, but I don't really mind.)

I've kept not liking my wet chow, and so I get more eggs, even now that we're back in Texas. The Alpha and The Typist keep trying to get me to eat my wet chow, but I won't eat it mixed in with the eggs anymore. Now we're making a game out of it, and I like playing Catch the Treat. They're obviously having great fun making the smelly wet chow into little treat-sized bites to throw in the air for me to catch.

So, Grendel, if you want Egg Love, I think you have to get your thumb-havers all worried about you. But maybe, if you're really, really good, you could get one anyway.

I Got Blessed!

Today The Typist took me on a ride! to go get blessed! (It was just us girls. The Alpha stayed home with The Boy, because the thumb-havers thought it might be too much for all of us if The Boy went.)

We rode for a while, and when we got to the church I helped by unbuckling my harness myself. It wasn't our church, it was another church a little further away, where The Typist knows some thumb-havers. She said hi to people while I said hi to people and dogs.

After a while we all got quiet and sat in a circle in the parking lot. Pastor Katherine read a Bible story about how it isn't good for thumb-havers to be alone, and that's why God made me and all the other dogs (and cats!) who were there. After that, the thumb-havers all said a prayer together and Pastor Katherine went around the circle and blessed every one of us by name! She also asked God to heal my liver.

Then I got to sniff some more dogs and thumb-havers before we got back in the car for another ride. (I've noticed that rides usually come two at a time.)

I was very, very good when I went to get blessed. I didn't show my teeth to any of the other dogs (and The Typist didn't let me get close enough to the cats to even try). I politely sniffed other dogs and less-politely jumped up and kissed lots of thumb-havers. And there was this one miniature hot dog who freaked me out a little bit, but I was even nice to her.

I highly recommend going to get blessed! Maybe next time they'll take The Boy, too. Though The Alpha says he may need an exorcism instead of a blessing. (I'm not sure what that means.)

We went places!

Friday we knew something was up because we got dressed in our bandannas and harnesses. And the thumb-havers started putting stuff in our car.

The Boy decided to see what was in there. Usually he tries not to touch our car when he stands up to look in, but here he is, caught with his paw on the shiny paint. I don't think he's supposed to do that.

So, sure enough, they put our beds in the back seat and we got all buckled up and went for a big, long ride!

We rode and rode and rode and rode, and The Typist played with her sticks and yarn and The Alpha drove, and right about time to eat, we got to Mamaw's house!

The Boy had never met Mamaw before. He liked her, but he wasn't sure we were supposed to stay at her house for very long. He kept whining in his soft little shouldn't-
we-be-doing-
something whine.

But we just settled in and spent the night there and everything. And in the morning Mamaw even let us have some eggs for breakfast. (She wanted to give us some gravy, too, but The Alpha and The Typist said that probably wasn't a good idea. But Grendel says gravy is love, and I think that may be the case. Even though The Typist says it wasn't the same kind of gravy that Grendel has.)

Then the thumb-havers who call us their Granddogs came to Mamaw's house, and we followed their car in our car and we rode and rode some more, and got to this place where we got to stay in a motel! Once again, we were Very Good Dogs. We were so Very Good that we even stayed in the room alone for a little while, with our very own TV to watch (there was a wolf pack documentary on PBS).

And we also got to go on a big, big walk downtown, where we met lots of people who loved us and said how beautiful we are. Some of them even let us come in their shops. In one shop that smelled a lot like rawhide chews, I saw this other dog that looked just like me inside this little window near the floor. The Typist laughed when I tried to go behind that shiny little window that she called a "shoe mirror" to get closer to that other dog like me. Funny, I sniffed and sniffed and never could smell that other dog.

Here we are waiting with The Alpha outside a shop we couldn't go inside. This is how well we watched the door where The Typist went -- as soon as she came back out the door she took this picture. You can't really see in the picture, but there was a bubble machine blowing on that street, and I wasn't even scared. (I didn't like bubbles when I was littler.)

We also saw a Real Wolf! On a leash! while we were downtown. The Alpha and The Typist seemed pleased to see him, but they wouldn't let us get very close. I think maybe it was because the Real Wolf! was growling. And I think they probably made the right decision for us. They take very good care of us.

Near the end of our walk, The Typist saw a yarn store and wanted to go in there. We were ready to wait outside with The Alpha, but the shop owner saw us and said, "Oh, we're dog friendly! Please come in!" and gave The Alpha a place to sit and learned our names and everything. The Typist got some more yarn to put around her sticks.

Then we walked up the big hill and we were Very Tired Dogs. But we'd had a Very Good Day and our beds were in the motel room all ready for us. So we had a Very Good Nap. Then today we came back home. We had fun, but we like being back here, too.

Lieutenant Calf! You got five laigs!

Remember the game from Sesame Street? "One of these things is not like the others?"


Notice anything different about the middle calf? Well, besides the fact that he's relieving himself. Which he's not doing in this next picture. So, do you see it? Up by his shoulder?


We are sorry we couldn't get a better picture than either of these, but his mama wasn't going to put up with us for very long.

Just so you know, he seems perfectly happy, running along on four of his legs with the fifth one swinging from that attempted thigh growing out of his back.

Thank you, Farmer L, for taking us out into the pasture for a visit. We appreciate knowing that this is the first time an extra leg has ever occurred in your decades-long farming career, as well.

But we wish Mama Cow had let him have his close-up.

Smells of Not-Here

Well, The Alpha and The Typist were gone for a while, but we didn't really notice because they sent Aunt Cathy to stay with us. We did notice when they came back, especially because they had a lot of dirty laundry for us to sniff.

I'm not sure, but I think I smelled this:



And possibly a hint of this:



And most definitely THIS, all over the Typist's stuff:

She keeps calling that last smell Walter. And she insists that Walter is a good Walter, even if he was gassy.

I wonder why The Boy and I didn't get to go smell all those smells up close?

For Mindy

Hi -- The Typist here, butting in on the dogblog to share a very special moment from last week.

We got to the Denver airport, picked up our dinky little rental car, and as we drove through Aurora we were compelled to exit the freeway and turn around. For Mindy. So that, via this blog, she, too could behold the wondrous sight:


It was in front of a Holiday Inn Select. Nobody around to let us have a look inside, but we did get this shot through the window:


Notice how the dashboard features two hot dogs snug in their buns? Isn't that the cutest?

Also, you should know we weren't the only ones. As we were leaving, a guy pulled up in a New Beetle and asked if we'd take his picture in front of it with his camera phone. Of course, we obliged. There are tons of us out there who want to drive the Weinermobile. We may not know why, but we love it.

My vehicle has a first name, it's O-s-c-a-r...

The Return of The Typist

The Typist left yesterday and didn't come back until today. The Alpha didn't let us up on the thumb-havers' bed while she was gone, either. (He's such a "rules" guy.)

Anyway, when she came home she smelled like this. With plenty of this on top. Also, some of this. (She said we will get to see a picture of that last one.)

Last night's DogPal meetup!

First off, The Typist says she is very glad that the cable internet guy is supposed to come Monday, because nobody has been able to blog or check email around here all dang day. It started working again not long ago, thank goodness, because the thumb-havers were getting testy.

Next, and more importantly... WOW, did we have a great time last night! We got to take a ride over to Bandy's house! I went swimming -- Bandy never uses her pool, so her mom was happy to see me paddling around. The Boy even got in and stood on the first step. That's a huge breakthrough for him.




The Typist put the camera away after this part, because I was starting to shake water off. I had fun shaking water all over the thumb-havers every time I got out of the pool -- and sometimes before I got out!

Bandy and I had a couple of scuffles, as dogs sometimes do when we first meet, but it was nothing personal. We actually like each other pretty well. The Typist was upset when Bandy lost a tooth in one of the scuffles, though. Bandy's mom says Bandy is feeling fine now, but will be going to the vet soon! Oh, and we found out we have the same vet. I hope they give Bandy lots of treats like they do for me.

Besides standing on the top step of the pool, The Boy also drank lots of pool water. He let it go on the way home. He tried to tell The Typist to pull over, but she didn't understand. So he managed to aim a lot of it toward her bag full of wet dog towels instead of directly on the back seat. (He can be very considerate.) The Typist wasn't upset; she says she is thankful she got the ScotchGard option, whatever that means.

Thanks, Bandy and Bandy's mom, for a nice evening!

Why I Love My Thumb-Haver Cousin

First off, The Typist met back up with us today, and we're glad. And she wants to say that she doesn't know how anyone on dial-up has the patience to blog, and that's why there will be no linking in my post tonight. (Turns out I'm not the only girl in our pack who can be a bit of a priss.)

We got to ride in the car! with The Alpha yesterday for a big long ride to visit the thumb-havers who call us their granddogs. That also means we've been getting to see our Aunt Who Gives Us Cute Bandannas, and our Thumb-Haver Cousin Who Isn't Much Taller Than Us.

Tonight after supper I was feeling a little bit snackish. Nothing to whine about, of course. So I wasn't going to give them any pitiful puppy stares or anything. But when Thumb-Haver Cousin walked by with a Snack Cake in each hand, it sure looked like he was offering to share. So I took him up on the offer.

From the way he reacted, I don't think he really meant for me to eat the whole thing, but he didn't seem too upset. And the bigger thumb-havers all seemed to think it was funny. Then they had me give him poppy kisses, which they also thought was funny. And it meant I got a few more crumbs of Snack Cake.

It did not taste like my usual treats. It didn't even taste like Frosty Paws. It tasted really, really, really good, though. So good that I'm guessing The Alpha and The Typist won't let me have another one any time soon.

Oh, and The Boy got all scared today. The Alpha and Thumb-Haver Cousin were lighting things on fire that made popping sounds, and The Boy went to hide. He feels much safer back inside, where we all are now. He's still Not Quite Right, but then again, he never was.

I think we get to go on another ride in the morning.

Lightning Bugs!

Hey -- The Typist here, liveblogging from a rocking chair on the porch of a cottage at Mount Sequoyah.

And there are Lightning Bugs with me!!!

Yes, more sophisticated types might call them fireflies, but where I grew up they were lightnin' bugs. And they were once the only bugs I would touch voluntarily.

They weren't around when I was up here in May. Must be lightnin' bug season now.

I just caught one and let it crawl around on my hand. It wouldn't light up while I was holding it. (Is there a ministry metaphor there?)

And when I look across the lawn, they're all over the place, showing off beautifully.

We don't have lightnin' bugs in the DFW area. It's times like these I really miss living in Arkansas.

Susan is here in the rocking chair next to me. Folks are talking and laughing all over the grounds. Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Good stuff.

Not much else to say... I just got excited about the lightnin' bugs...

We've been double-tagged!

First, Diane tagged The Typist, then Molly tagged me. So, we're going to play together. Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

There were 2 more rules about tagging other bloggers, but lots of people and dogs we know have already played. So, if you want to tag yourself, feel free, and let us know in the comments if you play!

The Typist's turn:
1. I've felt less than stellar all day today. Didn't even want to blog over coffee this morning. No fever or anything, though, so I think I'm just worn out from the week's gallivanting.
2. My Second Knitting Project Ever is at 96.5% completion. Pictures forthcoming.
3. I like snacking on uncooked pasta. Saw my mom do it once while she was cooking macaroni, asked for some myself, and have been hooked for at least 25 years now.
4. The summer before 5th grade I took a two-week cake decorating class, partly because I was pretty sure it meant I got to eat frosting. And I was right.
5. I bought a used piano recently. Needs tuning. Also, I haven't played in oh, 24 years.
6. I'm left-handed, but pretty much only for writing and percussion. Oh, and batting, which I don't do very often.
7. On Wednesday, my college roommate left me voice mail saying she just saw someone who looked very much like me boarding a plane at Home State's Capital City Airport. I called her back to tell her it wasn't very much like me, it was me, but by the time I landed and got the message, her plane was in the air. We finally caught each other and had a good laugh about it a couple of hours later.
8. On Tuesday, I was working a hallway display table at a conference and discovered that the person at the table next to me was also a RevGalBlogPal! Unintentional Meetup! Here we are Against A Brick Wall:

Cub's turn:
1. When I first got my family, I looked like this:


2. When The Boy first got our family, I wouldn't let him up on my couch. I got over it, though.



3. I have a wavy bit of fur on my hindquarters. It wasn't wavy until it grew back in, after those crazy people at the special vet shaved it off.

4. Today we got to go for a walk down the block to the building with the Treat Window. That's where The Alpha and The Typist hand over a slip of paper, say my name, and get a white paper bag. The Boy and I get really big Milk Bones and we eat them right there under the Treat Window. Then we look up again to see if we might get more.

5. When thumb-havers sing "Happy Birfday" into the phone, I like to bark along.

6. I like a freshly-mown yard. It's better for doing business. I have been known to put my business on hold if the grass is too tall.

7. I can sometimes be a bit of a priss.

8. I don't fall for the offer to lick the lid from the Frosty Paws anymore. I know the thumb-havers are hiding the whole cup behind their backs. The lid isn't worth my time -- make with the Frosty Paws already!

RevGalDogPal meetup!

The Typist just came home from church stuff and has to go to more church stuff, so she doesn't have time to help recount the story of our wonderful RevGalDogPal (and RevGalBlogPal) meetup yesterday. But that's okay, because Mary Beth helped Josie and Boudreaux tell all about it on her blog. Go read it!

Our weekend

The Typist is back now, so I can tell you about my weekend.

We didn't really get left... because Aunt Cathy came over!!!

We LOVE Aunt Cathy. She gives us belly rubs and takes us for morning walks and lets us sleep on the thumb-havers' bed with her. The Boy even stayed up on top of the bed this time, instead of going underneath it like usual.

The Alpha and The Typist are back now, and we got to go to Petco (Wonders Untold!) tonight. We got a new ball because we chewed a hole in the old one, and The Boy got a special new thing to go around his neck. It's all pinchy -- I know because they had me try it on, too. But when he has that pinchy thing on, The Boy all of a sudden really wants to go everywhere The Alpha goes. Should make for a different feel to our next walk.

Oh, The Typist wanted to say something about where she went, but it's getting to be her bedtime, so she'll get back to you later.

Proclamation

We, the dogs, would like you to know that we Aren't Getting Left.

We're just sayin'.

--Cub & Angus

Farewell, good and faithful Saturn

This, I think, was its good side.



Especially when you start looking a little harder from other angles.


Yes, that's Bondo showing through on the front. And it's showing through a we're-not-going-to-keep-it-too-much-longer home-done paint job from July 2004.



Which started to flake off quite impressively at some point in 2006.



Yes, those are machine screws, washers, and rubber grommets above the door. Because it's kind of hard to drive when the plastic trim around your door keeps falling down and hitting you. (Or rattling so loud you can't drown it out with the radio.)



No, that's not in "recline" position. That's a broken seat. Actually, it's the second broken driver's seat -- you'll notice if you look closely that it doesn't quite match the rest of the interior. Online junkyards are handy inventions.

Do I need to mention that this car only had one owner its entire 15-year life? And that he drove it without air conditioning for the last six years? And that nobody really knows how many miles are on it, because the odometer broke about 7 years ago? We're guessing a quarter million or so, though.

This car may well still have some birdseed in it from our wedding in 1996.

This car survived a 60 mile-per-hour slide down a rain-soaked Interstate median, backwards, in a torrential downpour, and turned out no worse for the experience (well, a little water got in under the door, but it dried). Had its inhabitants known everything would be okay at the end of that unintentional detour, they would've treated it more like the free roller-coaster ride it was.

This car has gone off-road through a rest area in an ice storm and delivered its passengers safely to the family Christmas gathering.

On Thursday morning, this car went to Local High School's automotive technology program. It was driven away under its own power. We were happy about that. The Alpha received a nice letter stating, "This vehicle will be put to good use training the students." We think it's the best ending this little car could ask for.

Listening to Car Talk on NPR this morning, we heard a theory put forth: you can get an idea of how dedicated and faithful a prospective mate will be over the long haul by looking at how long he will hold onto a car.

I've obviously got no worries there.

Two-for-one

The Alpha met this puppy dog during a water break on his big long bike ride.

He found out that this particular pup is half German Shepherd, half Australian Cattle Dog.

So, if by some bit of weirdness, The Boy and I melded into one dog all together instead of two different dogs apart, there's a good chance we'd look something like this. (Note: we're not going to try to find out. Thanks to the magic of veterinary medicine, it's doubly impossible, and besides -- eww, eww, eww!!!!)

Cute puppy and all, but I'm fine with the way things are.

One more thing: note the bandanna. (I think it might be John Deere.) Even at such a young age, it's obvious the dog has style.

This Thing that's Not for Dogs

The Typist is helping get some people together at some place, for some thing, and I'm probably not going. I think it would be of very little interest to dogs, unless there's time scheduled for belly rubs.



It's in May, in Fayetteville. I like Fayetteville, but I haven't been there in a long time. Last time I went, The Alpha let me chase squirrels around this place he called college.