Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Clara: The Early Years, by Margo Kauffman


This is an excerpt of a book Mom is reading right now..or at least trying to read. It's quite amusing, or at least for those who can't resist full of personality pugs! This is a true story of a woman who is on a journey to obtain Clara, a black purebred pug. Little did she realize that her new pug, Clara, would be the one to take her on a new journey through life. Margo Kauffman, already owns a few pugs, one named Sophie and one of the reasons for finding Clara.

Mommy feels that the following paragraph and really most of the book ( at least the few chapters that have been read) are written about me. Every time she reads this paragraph she laughs and then glares at me. This will probably not be the last excerpt from this book.

ENJOY!

"Within weeks, Sophie tired of tormenting her feeble sisters and turned her energies toward subjugating me. It was like living with a fourteen-pound reincarnation of Mussolini. Every morning at six o'clock Pugolini woke me like the devil's alarm clock. First, her owl-like head would rise like a periscope over the mattress and she'd monitor my rapid eye movements and breathing patterns. When she determined that sleep had reached its deepest and most relaxing state, she sprang into action, emitting a warning yelp. If I failed to respond instantly, she tore the covers off with her teeth, rake her needle-sharp claws on whichever limb happened to be most handy, and serenaded me with a piercing aria of barks. Sophie never woke me for a pressing call of nature; oh, no, she did it for sport. "

Friday, January 26, 2007

Happy 1st Birthday, Oscar!

I knew we shouldn't have slept in today! It took Mommy so long to get her day going that we didn't get to the mall till 4:00 pm! That meant I only had half-an-hour to get attention and pick out my birthday gift! Since it is my 1st birthday, Mommy thought we'd go to the mall where I could walk around and get some exercise where I wouldn't be too cold.

We went to Moochie & CO., a pet boutique in the mall, where I was lavished with attention by everyone in the store. I only had to demand attention from only a few people, but once they were aware of my presence it didn't take too much persuading.

We were on a mission to find a new toy or outfit for my birthday. I found a fuzzy stuffed duck that quacked when you bit into it. I told Mommy that I really wanted it, but she said I'd just pull all the fuzz off of it. Duh! Oh well. Mommy found a coat she really wanted me to have, but it was kind of expensive.

Instead, I got a Chuckit football player and a Happy Birthday cookie bone! I couldn't wait to go home and eat my bone! I hunted all over the house looking for my bone when we got back, but Mommy had to dampen my fun by waiting till after dinner. boooo. Oh, and Mommy also bought materials to knit a sweater for me.....uhhmm....we'll see how that goes....

Here are pictures of my fun day:

I was not too thrilled about having to wait to eat my cookie while Mommy took pictures. I kept looking at Daddy for help, but he was no use.


I was also not too happy about being given only a portion of the cookie!
Still, it was really, really good!


I really wish I didn't have to wear this silly hat!



Finally, I can play with this strange looking specimen!

Friday, January 19, 2007

It's snowing! Or is that rain? I'm not sure, I can't tell anymore!

I want to start off by thanking all those who tirelessly devoted their time to voting for me! Although I didn't get picked for the Cutest Face contest, your efforts did not go in vain. Well, I'm not sure about that. I did learn that I've got the best fans in the land! I ended up with 592 votes. Thank You!


For the past several weekends and also weekdays, it's been raining. But, today the weather was different! It was snowing! It was cold and wet, just like rain, only it was white and stuck to my face. It has snowed here before, but it's never stuck to the ground like it did today.



I was able to make little footprints in the snow.

Mommy tried to get a picture of my snow covered face, but I was to busy investigating the white fluffy stuff.


At least it wasn't dark and rainy like it has been lately. It makes people lazy and then this is what happens:
It takes a toll on the human body. It also makes them lazy. So lazy they sleep on top of their dogs. Daddy was so tired he didn't seem to notice that I was underneath him hanging off the couch.

Monday, January 15, 2007

The Aliens

What a sad day today is in America, I did not make it as a finalist in the Dog Show USA contest. I don't know what the judges were thinking, but they're really missing out! Don't they know what they're doing to America?!? The world needs me!

Oh well. There will be more contests in the future.


This afternoon, the men with the scary weed cutting machines were back today. I do not like them very much, they're always hanging around our back patio: MY TERRITORY!

"Get out of here! This is my yard!" I bark. "Leave and don't come back!" Eventually they'll leave, but I can always count on them coming back.

The truth is, I'm a little afraid of them. When they start to walk toward the door, I'll run away into the living room and bark at them from there.


I try to protect Mommy from them, and so I try to be brave. I think they might be aliens trying to use their machines to find the secret to taking over the world.

It seems like they're always hanging out for a really long time. Finally, they leave and my world returns to normal and I can go back to napping. I don't need this kind of stress at this age. I'm almost a full-year-old!

Of course, I will always sleep with one eye open....I'll be waiting for the weed whackers to come back.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Mr. Foamy McBedpooper


Mommy's home and then she's not, and then she come back only to leave again later, then she come home AND then, she just sits on the couch with these huge books and totally ignores me! Then Daddy comes home and then plays with his new Wii, or watches football. Hello! What about me?!

I'm tired of being ignored, so very tired. I've barked till I couldn't bark anymore, I've whined till I can't make anymore sounds. I've cried till I've had no more tears. What can I do to get some attention around here?!

Well, I thought I discovered the secret to getting someone's attention. I figure if you can't get attention by being cute and well-behaved then maybe it'd be time to shake things up a bit. I mean, any type of attention is better than no attention. Right? WRONG!

So, when Daddy and Mommy were getting ready to climb into bed, I jumped up in the bed and let the ploppers out on their dry clean only comforter! hehe.. Daddy was so mad! I've never seen him so angry with me before. At that point I began wondering if it was such a good idea, so I went and hid in a corner....

"NO, BAD DOG, BAD, BAAAADDDDD DOOOG!" That was all I heard for a few minutes. When I escaped from my corner I went downstairs with Mommy to get some febreeze. I really must have stunk up the place. For the next couple of minutes I was sneezing country apple.

Let's just say it was not a pleasant evening for me. I still got to sleep in the big bed...with new blankets of course.

I think Daddy is still mad at me because he keeps calling me Mr. McBedpooper or Foamy McBedpooper. All I wanted was a little attention....I think though, I'll just keep to myself for the next few days.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Yo, Adrian!




I think the movie poster says all it needs to say.


Thanks to Uncle M., an up-and-coming graphics art designer and electronic game creator, for creating my movie poster.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Today was the big pug meet-up in the big park down the road from where I live. Mommy and I left to meet with the other pugs, but after we left it started to pour down rain. When we arrived at the park we sat in the car...forever. I was so excited to see my pug friends. We haven't been around to see them lately. "Mommy, let's go, hurry up...Why do we have to sit in the car?" I barked. But, noooo, we had to sit in the car. Finally, after 10 long minutes, we saw another pug. We jumped out of the car and went to go say "hi." Her name was Lolita and she was really pretty in her pink jacket. She said she and her Mommy weren't going to stay because it was so cold and rainy. But, we got to sniff each other's behinds and jump on each other's faces. A few seconds later, a small group of pugs emerged from the trail. They were all leaving to go home. I blame it all on my Mother. If it weren't for the fact that we sat in the car for 1o minutes, we might have been able to join them on a 10 minute walk.

Oh well. It's been a nice afternoon here. Daddy is playing with his new video games, and Mommy was playing with her espresso machine. Now we're just lounging around the house.

Thanks to all who have and continue to vote for me! I've been receiving a lot of questions about the voting system.

When you look up my name you'll see five stars, from left to right. If you click on the last star on the far left you would be giving me a rating of 1 out-of 5. If you click the far right one you're giving me a high rating of 5 out of 5.

No matter what you click the vote gets tallied, but really it's the quality of the vote we are after. So please give me a 5 star rating! A 5 star rating for a 5 star dog!

We'll know the results of the contest on January 15th so check back that day or after to find out where I am in the competition!

Thank you!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Attention! Attention!


Alright, listen up everyone! This is muy importante! I was going to use today's blogging session to talk about New Years Resolutions and what-not. However, something else has come up-something much better.

My Mommy loves me so much and had to brag to the world about what a GREAT, CUTE and HANDSOME puppy I am. She was crazy enough to enter me in NBC's Dog Show USA, America's largest on-line dog show.

She submitted three photos of me in the "Cutest Dog" category. The deadline for the submission is tomorrow, Jan. 3 at 3:00pm. My photos have to await approval before they get posted. But once they get approved (why wouldn't they?), my pictures will be available and THEN, you can vote for me!

Vote for me please! My ratings are important....we think! If any of my other blogging buddies have submissions or are going to submit, I will vote for you IF you vote for me! See how this works? ;)

Vote for me here: Dog Show USA You can click on the links Dog Gallery and then click on the right-hand side-bar link: Cutest Dog and then search for my name Oscar: I'll be the pug, from Ohio!

Remember, judging ends at 3:00 pm. tomorrow, Jan. 3rd!

THANK YOU!

Monday, January 01, 2007

A New Year brings in New Adventures


So, what exactly are these New Years Resolutions and why do people even bother? I don't understand why you'd make a list of goals to accomplish by the end of the year only to become depressed at the end of the year because you never completed them. Is it really a list to see what you WON'T accomplish at the end of the year? Instead of losing 10 lbs why not say you're going to gain 20 lbs? You might accomplish that and if not, then you'll just feel better that you never lost any. And if you lost weight than maybe you'll feel better that you didn't gain any. I don't know.

Anyways, we all have goals and regardless of whether or not they get accomplished it's always good to make a list to see what you can or can't accomplish. Then you'll know what you'll need to focus on and not accomplish for the next year. Maybe reading Covey's "7th habit" in his book 7 Habits for Highly Effective People may help.

My News Years Resolutions
:

1. To gain weight. yes, for real, none of that reverse psychology manipulation thing I was talking about earlier.

2. To sleep more.

3. To lay around the house more often. I don't even know why this is a resolution. Of course I'll be sleeping and laying around the house more often: Mommy finally got a job! And, she's still in school. Booo.

4. Receive more treats more often. Does this go with #1?

5. To become tougher. aaahhhh...well.....scrap that.

6. To win an award...really struggled coming up with more of my list, but one way or another, we're going to win some sort of blogging award. We'll see. We'll need to draw from Mommy's not-so, but needs-to-be creative mind.

[See, I can sleep and chew on my toys! Yay me! ]

Well, I created this post several days ago, but then my contest came up. In between the time that I created this post and my post about the contest, I was tagged by my friend Scrappy to list my New Years Resolutions. Well, here they are. Since this is late, I won't be tagging anyone else, because everyone else...well, they're already tagged.

Anyhow, it's time to hunt down those liver treats. I'm getting started on resolution #1!

Oh, by the way, I've got a surprise for y'all....stay tuned!

Happy New Year!


Happy New Years! It's the beginning of a new exciting year and the end of a great holiday season. It's also 25 days away from my first birthday! I can't wait!

Well, I'm finally home. It's been a great 10 days, but I'm awfully tired. Tired of being tortured by my uncles that is. Now, I can do what dogs do and just lay around all day. No more people blowing in my face, or throwing toys on me, or picking me up by my toy while I'm attached to it on the other end...though, I do have to worry about Daddy spinning me around in circles to make me dizzy. I don't like it when he tries to get a reaction out of people at my expense.

I will miss being able to run around the big yard! I'll also miss having a lot of people to play with anytime I want. That's nice, especially when Mommy is a party pooper and won't play with me.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I certainly enjoyed mine. I can't wait till next year! Now, if you don't mind. I'm going to go to sleep!