Picture Day

Friday the bandannas came out, so I knew something special was up.

Turned out that we got to go for a RIDE!!!! No buckled-up harnesses, either -- this was a stick-your-head-out-the-window, then cross-over-and-stick-your-head-out-the-other-window kind of ride. When we stopped, we got to see Friend Julie and her kiddoes, and there proceeded to be some picture-taking of me, The Boy, The Alpha, and The Typist. It's obvious that The Boy does not yet grasp the concept of posing for the camera. Then again, I wasn't doing such a good job of it myself -- too many distractions! A bunny in the alley, new smells to sniff, frolicking about with children, you know. Fun stuff. But I think The Alpha and The Typist got what they wanted. Plus, The Boy and I got to go for another ride all over again when we were finished!

Stupid laptop!!!!

Okay, I, The Typist, had this post almost completely built, and then Stupid Laptop decided to reboot with no warning whatsoever. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... Trying again now from the not-so-portable computer.

Several of you have been begging for Turn30ween Party Pics -- well, here they are:
First, the hors'.. hor'sd... SNACKS were obtained, prepared, and arranged with much valuable assistance from Yessica -- Thanks! Also, various birthday cards gleefully received decorate the area. Here's the spread:

Highlights included chips and dips in bowls carved out of actual pumpkins (too Martha, maybe?), little girly cucumber cream cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and TWO birthday cakes lovingly baked by he who is known as The Alpha on this blog.

Next, the Dogses, dressed in Turn30ween bandanna finery, await the guests:

And soon, yes, the guests began to arrive.

Below you'll find He's a Lumberjack and He's Okay, with his mate A Space Druid Or Something; followed by our age group's requisite pregnant chick dressed to sell her belly/billboard space (available until 11/23), with her husband, who easily achieved Most Tasteless Costume for the evening thanks to the strategic placement of the front half of a rubber chicken, paired with a truly amazing amount of cock references.

More in a second...

A model is born...

Here's The Boy showing off the first bandanna he wore that he didn't try to eat.

More catching up later...there was a major festivity here last night, and we're still recovering...

Neglecting my duties!

Okay, so it's really my typist's fault that I haven't blogged in so long, but I'm not going to be a blamer. That's a catty thing to do, and I'm a dog.

Hmmm...a highlight reel, perhaps:

• Another house guest! Charlotte, they call her. She's the one The Boy startled by sticking his head up her skirt. He was smart enough to not try that one again.
• Sick guy on one of the people couches -- the same one who smelled like construction materials and bunnies, but this time he smelled ill. He only stayed long enough for the other person with him to do some laundry. There was a little guy with them, too, which thrilled The Boy and totally wore out The Alpha.
• A walk to the pharmacy window. Big ol' treats for both of us. Who knows why DM and Alpha even bother going; all they do is say my name and get a little paper sack.
• Saturday-night backyard event, with J & L and those people who smell like where-there-is-a-cat, too. Good stuff, especially with everybody dropping peanut shells on the ground for us.
• Also Saturday, The Boy learned that when you wear a bandanna, your goal should not be to try eating it off your own neck. Or off of mine, either. He looked rather dashing in plaid, and I was all perky in smiley faces. I'll try to get someone to post a picture, but she's been busy messing with some sort of box with strings on it. The strings make noise and startle The Boy quite a bit, which is always entertaining.

Lovely weekend

Had a great time with Aunt Jessica staying with us this weekend. The Boy is still learning situational rules, and so he hopped up on the bed after The Alpha and DM returned, earning emphatic "offs" and such. I know, and have known for ages, that two thumb-havers in bed = no dogs on bed. I'm smart that way. He eventually re-learned that equation, as I'm sure he will have to re-learn again at some point, and once again reclaimed his post as UnderBed Boy. Then we both got showers. Actually, the whole family got showers when The Alpha and DM got home, but it's a bigger deal for me and The Boy. I think this one was only his second shower ever. Anyhow, we're both silky-smooth now, and I remain the fluffier, shinier hound.

I'm enjoying the weather. Very nice out these days. Makes me not want to come back inside sometimes. The cool bricks on my belly, the wind lifting the fur at the edges of my ears... ah, autumn...

A new visitor

So this guy came over last night who smelled really good -- like bunnies and raccoons and construction materials. He was really cool! He played with us almost the whole time his laundry was going, and he even got The Boy to stop using his teeth so much. Very much a Dog Appreciator. Always nice to meet folks like him.

Visitors, two- and four-footed

Aunt Jessica came over last night, and she brought Winston, who hadn't met The Boy yet, so that was entertaining. WinnieBoy thinks he's all tough, with his spikey collar and his beyond-chihuahua girth. After all the posturing, tooth-baring, and growling, The Boy still wanted to get in a good butt-sniffing. He chased Winston across the yard for it, too, but he really didn't get his fix until they were ready to leave. Aunt J was standing up, holding her rat-dog, and The Boy stood on his hind legs to have a good, long sniff. Pretty amusing. I wish DM had gotten a picture, but she was laughing too hard to have done much, anyway.

week in review

Hmmm, let's see, what's been keeping me so busy? A walk here and there; nearly laughing my fluffy fan tail off when The Boy scrambled out from under a kitchen chair and knocked it over; cooler weather; hearing the words "coming over" dropped, but no clear evidence of any coming over yet; high-alert patrol duty since the windows have been open (more stuff to hear and sniff); playing tug-of-war in the backyard; trying to remember what "that's an outside toy" means...

I'm afraid I'm due to have my ears washed out soon, but I'm hoping The Alpha and DogMommy forget.

I've been painted!

Yes, the lovely and talented Aunt Pinky has graced a mere rock with my likeness. I don't really understand the big deal, but DogMommy is enthralled -- about as bad as she was with the new dining room.

The Boy keeps trying to get a good smell of it, not understanding that the point is to gaze upon it in wonder.

Walk shortage

I am certain The Boy and I are getting cheated on our walk length lately. They've been taking us out front later than usual, and not staying out as long. We don't go past the tree where The Boy saw a squirrel and can now never forget that he once saw a squirrel there. We go the other direction instead. Last night on the short walk, I almost made a discovery in some tall grass. I could hear a toad croaking, I could smell a toad smelling all toady, but I never did see it. DogMommy and The Alpha figured out what I was up to and told me to come on along. Oh, well, it was still a lovely walk!

Big deal! Really!

Okay, DogMommy is now inexplicably enthralled with the room she and The Alpha have spent so much time in lately, rubbing sticks against the wall. She goes in there, smiles, sighs happily, then comes back out.

A couple of days ago one of their friends came over - The Boy trotted up behind her and stuck his head up her skirt, an event none of us had witnessed before - and they did sit at the table in there for a few minutes, so that's something. I suppose things are a lot nicer in there than they used to be. All they ever used to do was put recycling and wet laundry in there.

Heel, schmeel

Here's a new picture for you. As you can see, The Boy is now completely clear about the fact that I outrank him.

On our evening walks this week, The Alpha and DogMommy have been making us "heel" from time to time. In other words, no extra leash, no pulling on leash, very boring. Frankly, I don't see the point, but it makes them happy.

The Boy is still having fits at the beginning of walks -- he seems unclear on the concept that to go for a walk, you don't just get excited about the leash, you have to let one of them put the leash ON you. He keeps dodging it. Also, when it's finally on, he does this big whining thing that makes it sound like he's getting beaten or something, which is definitely not the case. All the while, I'm sitting there, wearing my leash already, waiting. And waiting, and waiting.

A Time to Holler

Okay, so this morning The Boy and I just feel like barking. Inside, outside, it doesn't matter. We keep getting shushed, but that doesn't matter, either. I'm sure it's just because we have someone asleep in the guest room, but hey, it's time she gets up anyway. The sun's up! The sun's up! Hey! Hey! Hey! The sun's up!

A Dinner Guest!

Well, The Boy and I had an early supper last night, because the thumb-havers had the pastor over. He smelled like church, so that was neat. But we got put outside while they ate so we wouldn't be tempted to nose around the table. Bummer. Because you know I would've. Anyway, he loved me; everyone does. I think he had fun watching The Boy in all his glorious oddity, too. He left with several of DogMommy's prized Muppet DVDs, so obviously he's cool.

Sticks and their uses

Okay, if you ask me, sticks are for chewing, or chasing, or tossing around to taunt The Boy when he doesn't have one. But for The Alpha and DogMommy, they are apparently for rubbing against the wall, because that's what they spent quite a bit of time doing last night. Sticks got dipped in a bucket, then the stuff they pulled out of the bucket got slathered on the walls of that room we never use. I can't really tell any difference, except now the whole room smells like bucket.

The good news is after they finished with their stick-playing, they took The Boy and me for our walk.

Lazy Sunday

Ahhh, the floor. The air conditioning. The box fan I'm lying down in front of. The silence, because The Boy has followed suit. Dog days of summer, indeed.

Here's a cute picture of The Boy and me, from not-long-ago, that I'm finally putting up. I do think the distinctive markings on his hind end are worth showing off in such a fashion.

Not enough walks!

After days of no leash sightings, The Boy took some protest action last night. DogMommy was at church - again, without me; what's that about? - and The Alpha was on the phone for a verrry lonnng time. So, The Boy decided he'd play with the padding in the dog bed. And by "play," I mean reach into the spot where the seam has come apart and tear out the foam in various sized chunks, gleefully carrying it throughout the house. Whoo, he's really good at subversive action. But, apparently the phone thingy was really important, because The Alpha only took one break for a scolding. DM came home while he was still talking and deposited a great many foam chunks in the trash can with the lid. Translation: no more playing with that, thankyouverymuch. And The Boy didn't get to sleep on what was left of the bed last night, either. No matter; he crawled underneath their bed and had a fine time playing CaveDog.

Visitors?

Okay, so I admit I'm so busy playing with The Boy and knocking the love seats out of their usual dents in the carpet that I haven't been paying attention lately, but I keep hearing "coming over," so hopefully that will be soon. They brought out that roaring monster they call the vacuum cleaner the other day, which usually means visitors.

Lovely morning...

So, yeah, I know it's going to get hot enough to require panting later, but this morning is just delightful! Had a nice play session with The Boy, then went outside and decided to stay there for a while, belly on the bricks, nice and cool, while he went back in.

Heard DogMommy talking on the phone last night. I think it was Steve. I like Steve... even though he has that mophead Emmitt (whose movements are much like The Boy's), he also has a POOL, which is great for a nice soak on the top step and the occasional swim-fetch. I also heard "come over," so maybe a pool visit lies in our future.

The Boy goes vertical

His agility continues to amaze me. A minute before this photo, he was walking the length of the back of the couch, trying to get his nose into DogMommy's cookie dough ice cream sundae with Kix(tm) on top. I keep warning him that if he falls on me he's going to pay. I didn't come by two fully-functioning hips as easily as he did, you know.

But still, it's inspiring to see such a climber. Maybe I can talk him into getting things for me...