I'm Ready to PAWWWWWWWWWWWTEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Puttin' on my PAWty hat. Whatcha think?

It has been a long long LONG time since I went to a PAWty! It was all the way back in, let's see. . . APRIL when I attended Zoey's birthday celebration. So I am, like, going through withdrawals - and stuff.

Heehee. . .  I just watched "Sixteen Candles" and I am afraid the way they speak in the movie is flavoring my speech.

Anyhoo. . .

This weekend I am attending a celebration of sorts. It is the annual Wente Vineyards' Dog Day Afternoon at the vineyard in Livermore and there will be a whole group of my FURiends attending. I expect to see Tiffy and her awesome 'rents, Zoey and Phoebe and their equally awesome Mama, Donald and Daisy and their incredible 'rents, Noodle and Mochi and their great 'rents, and Hanna and Baloo and their cool mama. It is going to be the best time!

Doesn't that sound like fun? It is going to be UBER hot so I am packing my cool PUG stuff like my gallon of water, some portable shade (an umbrella) and my cooling Frog Tog. Hopefully there will be lots of shade as well. I am just SO excited about seeing my pals. And meeting new ones. I have met their 'rents, but Donald and Daisy are new to the crew.

The following weekend is some sort of gathering as well! I am so excited I cannot wait. It is a human gathering, though, which means I have to share the spotlight with Molly.

Hope your weekend is filled with good times as well.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Good Times are meant to be shared with the ones you love.

It's WEDNESDAY Again??????

Molly's long neck makes her look TALLER than me. She is not, though.


    I'm Hoppin' today. . .


Here's a few more to check out. . .

http://www.feelingbeachie.com/top-of-the-world-wordless-wednesday-52913

http://create-with-joy.com

AND

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Is there anything happier than the smell of a barbecue?

Memorable Memorial Weekend

Everybody and PUGGY in the household was home over the long weekend. I say YAY to that! I loves loves loves when my Mommys are home because it means a lot of snuggle time is in the offing.

But this was not any ORDINARY long weekend. Nope, this was the weekend of THE GREAT YARD CLEANUP! You see, Spring deposited a lot of grasses and stuff in the yard which had since dried out and turned to stickers. Molly is a STICKER MAGNET and her mommys were going CRAZY trying to keep her sticker-free. So it was decided to spend the holiday weekend clearing out those grasses and making the yard again friendly for Summer-living.

Everyone got in the act - all the way down to the two youngest household members, Molly and Lil' One. OMP! It was a lot of hard work and I was panting up a storm. It was not a hot weekend, luckily, but all that digging, hoeing and raking can really make someone overheat.

It was kinda fun, in a strange sorta way. And even tho' everypuggy was tired and sore after we stopped, we all had satisfied smiles on our faces. Not to mention, it was just fun to hang with the homies and make our nest right fine.

There was still plenty of time for hiking, scootering, shopping and movie watching. It really was a fantastic Memorial Weekend.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Hard work never really seems all that difficult when you work as a team.

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HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: I can ride my bike all weekend AND ONE DAY MORE! Happy Memorial Day EveryPUGGY and FURiends.

So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

This is Molly. She is mostly white.

See how she squints? It is because she is so white she BLINDS herself! Really! Sometimes I look at her and I cannot see for MINUTES because the whiteness blinds me.

Are your eyes hurting as much as mine are right now?

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  The Future's so BRIGHT I gotta wear shades. True THEN. . . true NOW

Award for ME?

Thanks for nominating me, Goose

I have the extreme pleasure of receiving an award from my FURiend Goose. This award is for blogs that bring an extra measure of happiness to Blogville. I am happy to know that someone recognizes me for this feat. I try very very hard to entertain, inform and have fun with my blog.

One of the rules of this award it to pass it on. I cannot do that, however. I know it is part of the fun. But I LOVES loves loves all my FURiends and cannot single any one out as they (you) all bring me such happiness every day. So . . . this award goes to ALL OF YOU!

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Receiving an honor, like an award, is a nice reminder of our friends.

Querido Coco

The Rainbow Bridge became a little more colorful yesterday with the passing of my AMIGO Coco. Coco was a super super PUG. He was happy and took really good care of his Mami Sandra and his little sister Amelia. And he had the best and most contagious SMILE ever, as you can see from the photo.

What you cannot see from the photo is that Coco suffered from a very serious disease - Addison's. It is a dibilitating disease which also cost him his eyes. This website http://www.addisondogs.com/ has a lot of good information about Addison's disease. Knowing what to look for is key to helping an afflicted dog survive.

My heart is broken that Coco is no longer with us here on Earth. But at the same time, it is singing with happiness because I was lucky enough to "know" Coco and share his adventures here in Blogville. 

Smile on Angel Coco. 

Siempre Sonrisa ángel Coco

Grumble Like There's No Tomorrow

Me and my FURiends at PS Meet-Up in March

Fun Fact: A group of pugs is called a "grumble"

Why is a group of pugs called a GRUMBLE? I don't understand because we are such FUN loving pets. And of all dogs, I think PUGS smile the most. We are happy little dogs. So when my Mommy told me that a group of PUGS is called a grumble, I wondered WHY?

Maybe it has something to do with the noises we make when we are excited? You know the ones - snorts, sneezes, and wheezes. I guess when we are in a group making those noises it does sorta sound like grumbling. But again, grumbling is such a negative word.

I again visited my FURiend Mr. Webster and he offered the following synonyms for "Grumble" which he thought might enlighten me. The list of words LIKE "grumble" are also very negative -

beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, complain, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, kvetch, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl

 So I have not solved this dilemma of why a group of the Happiest Dogs on Earth are called something so negative. I welcome any enlightenment you can offer me.

So if I have to call our group a G-R-U-M-B-L-E then I am going to make the most of it. I loves loves LOVES to meet up with my pug pals and play.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Make something negative into a positive

Doppel Whosey Whatty?

Mom says I have a DOPPELGANGER. I asked her Who or What is a Doppelganger and she said it is kinda like a twin. That also made no sense to me so I went to Mr. Webster and I said:

"Mister Webster, what exactly is a Doppelganger because my Mommy says I have one and I NEED to know what it is! And, most importantly, is it curable?

Mr. Webster gave me this explanation -

dop·pel·gäng·er

 noun \ˈdä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər, -ˌgeŋ-, ˌdä-pəl-ˈ\

Definition of DOPPELGÄNGER

1

: a ghostly counterpart of a living person

2

a : double 2a

b : alter ego b

c : a person who has the same name as another

 See doppelgänger defined for English-language learners »

Variants of DOPPELGÄNGER

dop·pel·gäng·er or dop·pel·gang·er 

Examples of DOPPELGÄNGER

1. In the story, the character is haunted by a doppelgänger.
2. doppelgänger

>

Origin of DOPPELGÄNGER

German Doppelgänger, from doppel- double + -gänger goer

First Known Use: 1851

Related to DOPPELGÄNGER

Synonyms

alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, image(or doppelganger), double, duplicate, duplication,facsimile, fetch, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image,picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin

This was pretty helpful - although being a sorta visual kinda pug I needed more. So Mommy gave me this as an example of what she was talking about

NOW I get where she is coming from.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Learning something new everyday makes you more interesting  . . . and it is a lot of fun.

Never On A FRY Day

After a few days of cooler temperatures, this weekend is supposed to heat up A LOT. We are talking temperatures close to the NINETIES. With our relative humidity, this means it will be opressively hot for Molly and me.

Molly doesn't look like she would overheat, but with all that fur, she really feels it. And me, well I am a PUG and that is synonymous with overheated!!!

So what can a DOG and PUG owner do to prevent their beloved pet from overheating? Well, here are somethings one should NOT do:

1. Do not leave your pet outside in an unshaded area
2. Never leave your pet on cement that is unshaded
3. Do not forget to have plenty of water for your pet to drink (in bowls or a pool. Most dogs I know cannot drink from a hose)
4. Do Not EVER leave a pet alone in a car even WITH the windows partly open

Your best option is to just leave your pets inside where it is cooler and protected. My pen is in the coolest room in the house so that I ALWAYS have someplace to go to when I get hot. And change that walk to the cooler hours of the day like early morning or after the sun goes down. I PUGsonally loves loves loves to walk in the early morning. So fresh and wonderful. . .

Have a GREAT weekend everyPUGGY!

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Early morning walks are so great for starting the off on the right foot

Getting BEHIND

I am a firm believer in getting behind something. Not the following behind or being submissive. Not ME - I am a princess, remember.

No, instead I mean getting behind something and being supportive or proactive of it. I can think of a few good BEHINDS right off the top of my head

• Getting BEHIND recycling and APPLYING it to my everyday living
• Getting BEHIND my sports teams and making sure they KNOW it
• Getting BEHIND a cause, like Adopt not Shop, and making sure a lot of people are AWARE of it
• Getting BEHIND a shop, like Biscuits, because they are conscientous and caring
• Getting BEHIND a person, like Gerard Butler because he likes PUGS

I think you get my drift here, huh? What are some of the things you like to get BEHIND? I bet if we all shared our BEHINDS with each other we can really raise some awareness, huh?

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Getting Behind a person, a cause, a movement, etc. really adds purpose to everyday living.

It's THAT Kind of Wednesday

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: When is Naptime NOT welcome?

Mommy Went Out

Mommy went out

And left me alone

I waited by the door

But she didn't home

The minutes ticked by

And still no Mommy

I tried not to cry

Even though I was lonely

I am here when you return

I'll jump up in your arms

Cuz Mommy I miss you

When you aren't around

MOMMY NOTE: I was only gone 30 minutes to the grocery store. . .

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Coming home to a pet is so much happier.

Something Wicked Good This Way Cometh

Have I told you all lately that I loves loves LOVES to shop. Look over there to the right. You may never have noticed my SideBars before; but there they are RIGHT THERE - links to my favorite SHOPPING sites.

It is a FACT, I was BORN to shop.
But I am hampered by not being able to DRIVE THE CAR. At all. And sometimes I do not want to leave my PEN just to find the perfect gift.

Well, soon I won't have to leave the comfort of my Sock Monkey Bed because the shopping is coming to me:
Pet Blog Mall





Speaking of shopping, this Sunday was Mother's Day and I did some shopping for my Mommys. They are always so good to me and I miss them so much when they are not at home. So I talked Auntie T into taking me out in search of the PERFECT Mothers Day gift for my dear Numbers One and Two (why does that sound wrong?)

I finally found the perfect gift for them both - tshirts from Life if Good. Whatcha think? I got one for myself as well. It is a graphic of Peanut Butter (YUM), Bread, and Jelly - the caption is "Stick Together."

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Mothers Day as well. I got in LOTS of snuggles and snores.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Stick together - the bond becomes stronger.

DUBS!

This picture is NOT about me. . . look in the background
to see what I am talking about

I think you might have guessed that my household, although a household of WOMEN, is really really really into SPORTS. We are pretty much talking ALL sports, although Baseball and Hockey dominate the television most of the time.

This year, for the first time in a LONG time, basketball has been playing a dominant roll on the set. Not just any basketball team, although Stanford Women's Basketball was on a couple of times before they were eliminated from the tourney. No, everyPUGGY, we are talking the DUBS (Warriors, to you out-of-staters). That's what I said - the Golden State Warriors.

Our much-aligned Warriors have made BELIEVERS of the Bay Area. Nay, believers of the whole STATE. They are contenders! And even if they go no further than the Second Round of the play-offs, they will still no longer be considered a group of under-performing, mediocre talented, poorly managed team. It has been pretty exciting to watch them turnaround into a talented, well-coached team.

I have even adapted my signature Joe Thornton move to any appropriate situation that finds Stephen Curry scoring. To the uninitiated, this move is: approach the television at a mad dash all the while BARKING as loud as I can; and then I run back and forth in front of the set while still barking and attempting to touch Joe Thornton/Stephen Curry as he runs around on the court. I firmly believe this brings my favorite players good luck.

We are SPORTSproud here in the SF Bay Area.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Finding a team to follow gives me  a reason to CHEER

Walkie Talkie

First of all - THANK YOU to everyPUGGY (that includes non-pugs too) for Sunshine the Cat's birthday wishes. A lot of you had never been to my blog before and that makes your wishes that much sweeter. I know there are times I make jokes at Sunshine's expense. I realize that many times I blame bad luck on Sunshine when she had nothing to do with what happened. That said, she is a good SISTERoid and I am glad to call her family.

Speaking of WALKIES, hehheh, my Mommy has been doing a lot of walking lately and all of it WITHOUT me. I sould be totally REVILED for being so completely left out - only I KNOW she is walking far-away at her work. Mommy says she wishes I could join her on the walks, though, because they are so pleasant and the neighborhood she walks through is so pretty. Plus, the weather in the Peninsula is a lot cooler than the Southbay - especially when the fog rolls in. Sorry Honey, she says. We will take a little walk when I get home.

I look at her with my big brown WATERY eyes and said "It's okay Mommy. I understand." All the while my psyche is doing a little happy dance; because I KNOW she is not telling the truth. The route she is talking about is TORTUROUS! It is ALL UPHILL from the train station to her office. She has shown me the photos. I have seen the road climb up to the clouds. I have overheard whispers about the "last third" of her walk. She says she can barely make it. WHY oh why would she want to take me along for that?

I mean, I loves loves loves to talk nice long walks. And I am excited when my harness and leash come off the hook because of the promise of a walk. I am a PUG after all, and we like walks. But what she is talking about????

Uh, no.

So walk on, Mommy. It's good for your health and your mental well-being. But PLEASE, don't give me joining you a second thought.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Walks are good for the body AND the mind.

A Perfect Ten

Yesterday was Sunshine the Cat's 10th BIRTHDAY. Can you believe it? She is 10 years old! She is rather young looking, I think. But she definitely has the lack of tolerance characteristic of an older CAT.

Anyhow, Cousin E made her this "cake" from some special wet FOOD and the put a candle in it. When she lit the candle she kinda scared Sunshine and we had to start all over again once we located the Scairdy Cat.

Okay so this time we MIMED lighting the cake and then everyPUGGY sang Happy Birthday to her. I think I even saw a SMALL tear of joy in her eyes when we finished out COMPLETELY in tune rendition of the song.

In her 10 years, Sunshine has known a lot of changes in our house - she had cousin named Sasha who was 18 when she crossed the Bridge. That is pretty OLD for a cat. She also had a Russian tortoise cousin named Ashley and a Cocatiel named Cowboy. Oh yeah, there were also 3 tanks of fish. But those are all gone. Instead we got Cousin C, also known as Lil' One. She adds a whole 'nother dimension to our family. But that is another STORY.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sunshine. For a sisteroid, you are not HALF BAD.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Celebrate every year like the first - with excitement and love.

REMEMBER TO HOPwww.blogpaws.com




Train of Thought

This is Cal Train. I do not know the guy but he made it on to my Mommy's BAD list today. Because of this guy she got to work almost 3 hours later than she normally does. Because of him she is stressed. Because of him she is M.A.D.

This is My Mommy's MAD dance. She does this when she is very very very mad. I an totally afraid when Mommy does her Mad Dance and I hope Cal Train knows to STAY CLEAR when she starts.

This is my POUTY face. because of Cal and the MAD dance my mommy TOTALLY ignored the notes I sent with her for my blog. This is our normal M.O. I dictate the blog and when Mommy gets to work she writes the post - because she has thumbs.

Not today. She is M.A.D.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: (yes there is one) It is always nice to finally get where you are going.

Molly's Mexican Madness

Molly dancing the Mexican Hat Dance.  

Yesterday was CINCO de MAYO and the whole family decided to celebrate our Mexican heritage in small ways. I am not at all Mexican but I went along with the rest of the family because they celebrated Chinese New Year in honor of my, Mommy #1, Cousin E and Lil' One's heritages. We all had busy busy weekends so we aren't talking parties of EPIC proportions. But we did little things like jump around like wormy beans when it was time for a meal. Oh wait!!! I do that EVERY day, hehheh.

Mostly we are talking about EATING foods that reflect my Auntie's and Mommy #2's Mexican roots. Those roots are very very deep as their family goes WAY back to the days when California was Alta California and NOT part of the US.

Mommy spent ALL DAY prepping and cooking for dinner NOT OF WHICH I COULD EAT. She made frijoles which are beans that cooked all day. I snuck one that  fell on the floor. Mommy said it made me gassy but frankly, I didn't notice anything different. She also made arroz mexicano. Because of something called a D-I-E-T, she then veered away from Mexico and made a famous southwestern meal called fajitas. Those are a buncha veggies that she grilled and then ate in a tortilla. Smelled SOOOOOO good!

I got my usual kibble but also a special topper - UNmarinated veggies like zucchini and squash. Yum

Molly then decided to be a little SHOW-OFF and led us all in a rousing round of the Mexican Hat Dance. She thinks she is such a smarty because she can balance on two PAWS longer than I can.

I hope all of you enjoyed Cinco de Mayo. Participating in different cultural activities is a good way to understand someone else's culture.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Celebrating brings the whole family together.

To 4th or NOT to 4th

I wanna say "May the 4th be with You"

BUT 

what will the others think?

The Power of the Flower

There's something DIFFERENT about me today

What do you get when you mix Sunshine, warm temperatures, and a PUG? Ahhh, you get a HAPPY CAMPER! Oh it was so lovely this week even IF it got a little hot for this here Pug Princess. I loved going out to our backyard and sitting among the blooming flowers and sprouting fruits and vegetables. It was so ZEN, I tell you.

It got me thinking about those lovely great-smelling FLOWERS that grow all over our yard. Life would be pretty monochromatic if not for the splashes of COLOR from flowers. And the air, although sweet smelling in and of itself, would not be AS sweet as it is when a breeze catches the aroma of a rose.

I loves LOVES loves the difference between a flower, a vegetable blossom and a weed, too. One man's trash is another man's treasure, I guess the saying goes. But really, that has NOTHING to do with what I was getting at. Lemme get back on track, here. They even TASTE different - a-hem, I have heard because NO WAY was I nibbling on the flowers, Auntie T!

The ways a flowers is different from a weed are part of the overall painting that Nature has created. One isn't better or worse - they are just different and unique from each other. Anyhow, I decided to embrace my differences and Molly's differences and Sunshine the Cat's differences. They are what makes us unique and interesting. Those differences are what COLORS our world.

HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Embrace your differences and those of others. How colorful our lives are because of them.