Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bossin' the Ears



my mommy's at the house of mouse
she didn't bring me along
i'm plotting some kind of revenge
the sort you hear in song

it will be short and sweet
but get my point across
there will be no more mouse visits
because now i'm the boss

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Tuckered Out From Too Much FOOD


Hi. How was your Easter?
Mine went very well, thank you. The weather was perfect. . . everyone was home. . . and there was FOOD everywhere. I mean candy, cookies, bread, steak, chicken, asparagus, and the list goes on. There was stuff we NEVER have in this household (steak) because half of the humans are vegheads and the other half does not eat red meat. So it was a treat for me and Molly. Some human - not my MOMMYS - kept sneaking me little bites of stuff.

I guess I looked hungry to them. . . or underfed. . . I think I am underfed but no one else usually does.

At one point a DROP of steak juice fell on my head. The splotch is still on my head pending a bath. Since my Mommys are going out of town for a few days (college visit and Disneyland) well. . . a bath ain't gonna happen. Mommy said that makes me a 

BONAFIDE MEATHEAD

I will take that as a compliment.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Why Are They Hiding (Easter) Eggs and WHY Can't I EAT Them?


Why do HUMANS hide Easter Eggs and why are these eggs plastic nonEATABLE kind of eggs?
I have pondered this for all of my 6+ years. Many an Easter morning I have wandered into the yard to sniff around. And what do I find?

These ---------------->



They don't look like eggs and they don't smell like eggs. Sometimes I move them around and they kind of rattle - which scares the pee outta me, I tell you.

I opened one up long ago and weird stuff fell out.



It was not food so it was of no value to me. And it was all metally smelling and scared me so I quickly returned to the house making like I was so happy just to be alive. And in truth, I was. But later in the day during the Easter Egg Hunt for Humans, one of the kids found the opened egg and got really really excited. I guess you gotta be human to be excited about that.

As I am writing this, it dawned on me that perhaps the Humans have Easter Egg Hunts because they are . . . hunts? Sometimes, and I am not talking Easter Sunday but sometimes on a random but sunny morning, I pretend to be a mighty HUNTER in the backyard. I skulk around behind bushes and lay low in the grass (before the drought when we had real grass). I sniff the air for "wild game" and stare long and hard into the shadows for movement. I never find anything. It is all for fun. 

I'm guessing this is what drives the Easter Egg Hunt - this innate need to hunt for FOOD or shelter or friends.

But why oh why are the EGGS all plastic?



Wednesday, March 23, 2016

First Quarter of 2016 - Gotta Get on Track Someday



Are you having as tough a time as I am? Here it is, almost the end of the THIRD month of 2016 and I am still trying to "figure it out." Mommy's home every day not so I've got that one down pat. I have a couple of beds near the office, should I choose, and the run of the house should I NOT choose. Mommy gets up a little later than before so I have adjusted my tummy for the extra time without FOOD. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. And the extra morning cuddle is sooooo WORTH it.

But what I haven't done is develop a plan for my day. I am still winging it and spend a lot of time pondering what to do next. It was easy before - I was stuck in my pen so I slept all day. Now I can go out and sit in the sun, I can pull all of the pillows off the couch, I can sit by Mommy's feet and beg for treats. . . the list goes on and on.

And at the end of the day, I don't have the sense of accomplishment that I used to have. This is MONTH THREE. . . almost FOUR. When am I going to get on Track?

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Pugs are Polarizing





Have you ever noticed that there are pug people and non-pug people? From my vantage point, there is no in-between. You either LOVE PUGS or you simply DON'T.

Next time you are at a doggy (or kitty) play date, take note of the HUMAN behavior - especially if there is a PUG present. I am sure that you attend these once in a while.

In my experience, I have found that there are those who will SQUEAL (yes, I mean really squeal) with delight whenever I walk in the gate. And these same people will try to spirit me over to their laps (sometimes with treats . . . they always ask Mommy first). Once I am there, they FAWN over my soft fur, stroke and smell my velvety ears, and COO over my liquidy brown eyes. They cannot get enough of me.

Then there are the OTHER humans who kind of wrinkle up their noses when I come by (Hey! I smell like a DOG and not a like a beauty shop [Molly] maven). They lift their feet if I come walking around them AND they ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS start making a HUGE todo about Molly.

Now I am not saying that ALL non-pug owned people are the pug haters. Not at all! There are many DOG PEOPLE who happen to have other kinds of dogs and ALSO think PUGS RULE! Really. Those are my kinda people. They just love canines of all kinds and see the CUTENESS that is PUG.

It is just that there are those other HUMANS who just don't like pugs - no way around it. And I respect their right to not like PUGS. They are the ones who miss out.

Pugs are kind of like the BUTTAH of the pet world. They add that extra OOMPH to life.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Feeling Fartsy Artsy














I love ART. Don't you? Good art makes your soul soar and bad art makes your funny bone tickle. It works on all emotional levels. I cannot imagine a world without ART.

I admit I am very attached to the Impressionists like Monet. His art, especially the Giverny series of garden scenes, really appeals to my garden-love. Really! I can feel the warm sunshine in his pictures. I can smell the different flowers he painted as if I were standing in a sun-kissed garden in the summer. The deep musky scent of the earth rising up through the grasses gives me tingling in my toes and makes me want to run through the meadows.

That said, I like a lot of modern art as well. There was a nature movement way way back before I was born that focused on the ocean, dolphins and whales. Notable artists like Robert Wylend, Duane Armstrong, and George Sumner created ocean scenes that are as fantastical as they are realistic. We have a couple of paintings in our house and every time I gaze upon them I swear I can smell the salt air and hear the lull of the pounding surf. I loves loves loves the beach as you all know and that makes these paintings all the more special to me. I can look at them and imagine I am sitting in the shade on the warm sand just smelling the ocean air. Ahhhhhhh.

Then there is kid art. I kinda love it a lot. Lucky for me I have kids in my home who are a continuing source of artwork. The above portrait was just done by the Lil' One, Good, huh? I really like the way she captured my ears. I was being a bit of a Licky Lou at the time and that is why she drew my tongue out. Normally you would never know I had the cutest tongue in the world.

So that's my take on the art scene. I know there is a lot more art and artists out there that command our attention. And someday, I know I will stumble upon it, ponder it, absorb its essence . . . you know. . . love it.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

IRISH You All A Great Day



Hey LOOK everyPuggy! I found a POT O' Gold! 
And I'm a-wearin' o' the green
Tho' my expression is quite keen
I am confused - what does it mean?


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Chewy.com Blog Hop Tuesday and Eukanuba Healthy Extras




In addition to our 30 day FOOD CHALLENGE, we opted to review some GOODIES from the Chewy.Com March newsletter. Why not? What else do we have to do all day except try treats while Mommy works, works, works? So we looked over the list which was long and made our mouths water A LOT and we decided to try Eukanuba Healthy Extras. WHY? Well, simply put it was a brand we have heard a lot about AND the name says HEALTHY so we figured we'd be able to convince Mommy they are more than TREATS. 

Eukanuba Healthy Extras


It worked!!!!! She totally fell for it and let us TEST the Healthy Extras.
These bars are not necessarily treats. They are more nutritional supplements to be combined with our already VERY HEALTHY dinners. They fill us up (hahahahahahahah! Did I really write that? I'm a pug. I am NEVER FULL!) and so we THINK we are eating a bounty of food when in reality we are eating our normal PUNY meals. Eukanuba Healthy Extras also contain a lot of fiber and probiotics which is important for a lot of poopy reasons.

 To sum up, they do good things for our digestions.


NONE of this makes any difference to me, though. All I care about is taste and abundance. Well, they are tasty and quite a good size for a nibble. I don't get them enough so I cannot really say they are abundant in my life. . . but I wish they were.




Oh, before I forget, here are the ingredients so you can see for yourself what good stuff these healthy extras contain:

wheat flour, chicken by-product meal, dried beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, dicalcium phosphate, brewers dried yeast, dried egg product, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salt, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), niacin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), inositol, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, fish meal (source of fish oil), dl-methionine, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate), flax meal, potassium sorbate (a preservative), mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), citric acid (a preservative), l-carnitine


I admit, these contain some things I don't completely understand. I know most of them are naturally occurring but. . . I prefer real chicken meat and not by-product. I also think if you have any allergies and /or sensitivities to wheat, these are not the treats for you. THAT SAID - they are good and they do work, for a Molly kind of eater. Me? I'm always looking for MORE. I am just that kind of GIRL.

Check out some other products on the Chewy.com BLOG HOP. You will NOT be disappointed.

*We were not paid for this review nor for our opinions. All of the opinions are our own and all of the investigations were done by us for our own information. We received a small bag of the product in order to try the product and develop an opinion of it.




Monday, March 14, 2016

A Sight Seldom Seen

As you know, we received a lot of rain over the past 5 days. It seems like the storm lasted a lot longer than that, but this is an accurate account according to the local newspaper. It was raining so hard and so long that going out side was difficult. Except Mommy bought us these


This is a raincoat in a BAG! And see the loop? It has a snap and can hook on your LEASH! Isn't this an absolutely brilliant idea?

She got the raincoats at our favorite doggy BOUTIQUE - Biscuits: Give a Dog a Bone. It is located in San Jose's Japantown and is run my our FURiend Ms. Jennifer. Well, until she opened Biscuits, we didn't know Ms. Jennifer at all! It's true. But we wandered in one day and guess what? She recognized me from my BLOG! Can you believe it?



So now we go there for specialty things like Bully Sticks (for gifts because I am banned from them) and leashes and now these, our raincoats. Don't they look absolutely wonderful on us? And they are as comfortable as they are functional. I, PUGsonally, loves loves loves my rubber ducky motif. And Molly says she ROCKS the pink like no other Malty Mix!

We are in a dry spell for a while now but I tell you, we are all pretty happy with the rain we had. Yes, there has been some mud sliding and power outages and flooding. . . but there are also full reservoirs and streams AND an abundance of growing plants. These are things we have not had in a long long long long long while. SO thank you Mother Nature.

Remember that PARADISE I was talking about
on Friday? Alum Rock Park? This is the creek
that runs through it. It has not looked like this for years!


And thank you Ms. Jennifer at Biscuits for selling such groovy raincoats.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Rainy Friday Fots


It's raining. I really don't feel like doing anything at all. I have even put my PEE on hold until the raindrops lighten up somewhat. It's really windy, too. That is a little different from the previous storm.

We have received over 2 inches of rain - maybe even double that amount by the end of today. That is a lot of rain in this place! Our creeks are finally running at capacity. It is such a happy sound, I tell you.

And the air smells so incredible!!! I can smell things growing and breathing. I smell flowers and weeds. I smell more rain coming in on the wind. It is a veritable FEAST of smells. The rain has changed my valley so much in a seemingly short time. The hills are an amazing green color and they are dotted with yellow mustard green flowers and the brilliant gold of California Poppies.

I am so happy with who I am and where I am. I really have it all. And best of all . . . I have the most wonderful FURiends ever. That means all of you. Thanks for always reading my blog and "talking" with me.

Have a lovely weekend FURiends. LOVE. . .

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Promposal

I altered their faces because they are kids.
The truth of the matter is, according to Mommy #1, that NO ONE just asks another person to the prom. It just isn't done.

Nowadays you have to have a sorta production, a very dynamic way of convincing another to go to PROM with you. It is akin to a proposal and that is why nowadays one HAS to make a

PROMPOSAL.

And they can be a elaborate as your budget allows. Check out PINTEREST and TUMBLR for ideas and to see what others have done.

AND this is how I came to be involved.

One day Mommy #1 was approached by one of her friends who loves loves loves PUGS. Well, who doesn't? AMIRIGHT?

She had an idea for a PROMPOSAL and would like to use ME, Noodles the Pug, as a prop. A PROP? Well, that was a little insulting to me until I found out it really meant I was the KEY ELEMENT of the PROMPOSAL. So Mommy said SURE and they arranged a day I could be on campus for the event.

One the day of the PROMPOSAL, I got a BATH, Pawdicure, and a good thorough brushing. I then dressed in my fanciest collar. Mommy #2 took me over to the school and Mommy #1 arranged for someone to be with me the whole time (it was during rehearsals so Mommy was occupied).

Then it happened. Everything went according to plan and the boy said YES! Can you imagine?
I was very happy to be a part of something so happy.

Curious about PROMPOSALS? Here are some links

mashable.com/2014/03/21/instagram-promposals/

https://www.pinterest.com/karenhhathaway/promposals/
https://twitter.com/ThePromposal
promposals.tumblr.com/
www.popsugar.com › Love › Nostalgia
heavy.com/social/.../best-funny-cute-promposal-ideas-photos-pictures/



Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Space Invaders



I am pretty generous with my space. I don't mind sharing and I certainly don't mind snuggling now and then. And generally, that is enough. After all, I have three beds and only one me. I can afford to let Molly or Sunshine use one now and then.
But I have a problem and it is growing bigger every day. You see. . . Molly and Sunshine are invading my personal space more and more each day. It is not enough that they sleep on one of my many beds. No! Now they even want to sleep in the bed or couch or ray of light I may be currently OCCUPYING!
What do I do? I don't want to be the BADDIE here but enough is enough.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Fit for a Queen (Cat)



You might recall that on March 1 Molly and I entered into a 30 day challenge for Chewy.com. In this challenge we are to try a specific brand of food and record our results. So basically what happened is we said YES and Mommy said MAYBE and she did her homework. Then she said absolutely YES but wait. The food claims to do a lot of stuff which would be good for Sunshine the cat. Especially since she is older and her joins are sore a lot. So she asked Chewy.com if perhaps they had a small sample bag that Sunshine could try. Well. . . Ms. Sydney said YES and not only that but Sunshine could do her OWN CHALLENGE! I think that is major cool, don't you?

When our sample bag arrived, a smaller box for Sunshine arrived with her trial food. Can you tell how happy she is to be included? She was (almost) jumping for joy because, frankly, she wasn't liking the last kibble Mommy bought her. She was insisting on toppers every night like MY Weruva Chicken or the Balance freeze dried chicken she reviewed some months back. Mommy said "Sunshine, if you are going to do this challenge then you have to eat this food WITHOUT additives AND the same goes for you two, Noodles and Molly." And that is why we now cannot beg for anything other than what is put in our bowl at mealtime.

So far that is not a problem. Even Sunshine has started eating her meal IN ONE SITTING!

Friday, March 4, 2016

Mishmash and Stuff
























I made a mishmash of my walkies in February. There were just a couple of notable ones, you might recognize them. But nonetheless, they were fun. I loves loves loves trotting on a path on a mild and sunny day. It is my JAM!

And where I live - Suburbia USA - there are little paradises all over the place - you just need to venture out to find the DOG FRIENDLY ones. Most little parks are dog-on-leash friendly which is fine by me. It reminds me to stay close to my humoms. The bigger parks, like Alum Rock Park just a mile up the hill, are usually off-limits to all dogs (there are exceptions). Seems unfair until you realize (1) there used to be a HUGE wild dog population there which restricted humans hiking and partying there. They were vicious dogs; (2) there are lots of wild animals in the park who attack little dogs - wild turkeys (mean), mountain lions, coyote, foxes, and so on; and (3) too many people take their dogs there and do not clean up after them. Who wants to hike through dog poo? Not me - and I'm kinda a dog. So we puppers don't go to Alum Rock even though it is incredible.

Little paradises are okay by me.

So politics. I don't want to get into too much of it . . . but doesn't it seem a little more unrefined these days? There are so many attacks to the PERSON and not the PLATFORM that any given debate is more like a circus than a serious discussion of policy. Where did we stray from the path of logic and common sense?

Rain is returning to NorCal (and SoCal, incidently) just when we got used to a lot of really nice days. Plans for traveling to Disneyland (my Auntie and Cousin) are being refined to accommodate possible rain. It's fine in the park where rain drives crowds away. But who wants to drive in the stuff? I have a new raincoat so walking in the rain is pretty okay. I will have to model it for you. Mommy bought it at our favorite dog boutique Biscuits: Give A Dog a Bone. It is located in Japan Town not far from our house. It is the bestest place in the world for organic treats and neat accessories. My leash is from there. And the owner, Ms. Jennifer, is one of the coolest people I know. She always has a lot of hugs and treats for me. And she greets me with a big NOODLES when I go there.

Finally, I want to apologize for the more and more frequent missing posts. You will notice they are generally M.I.A. on Thursdays. That's because when Mommy has to travel to meet her boss she leaves early in the day and returns to the city after noon. By the time she gets to the computer, it is mid afternoon. So I am trying hard not to be mad at her for not posting on those days. If only I had thumbs. .  . and a computer at my level. . .

Happy Friday everypuggy! Have a safe and fun weekend.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Poem-worthy Wednesday

GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr Seuss

Do you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
I do not like green eggs and ham!
Would you like them here or there?
I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you,
Sam-I-am!


Happy Dr. Seuss Day!






Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Wild about Wildflowers

I realized that I HAD NOT used this photo before. It was from
my walk in the park on Sunday. See the blue wildflowers?

Sunday was a beautiful Northern California Winter Day - mixed sun and clouds with sun dominating. . . mild temps and delicious light breezes. It was scrumptious! Mommy said she was finally beginning to feel human again after suffering with the Cold-of-the-Century for NINE WHOLE days so she said
"Hey Noodles! Wanna go for a walk in the park?!"

Like I'm gonna pass THAT up?

So Mommy, Aunt B, Cousin Lil One, Molly and me all piled into Pugsley (Mommy's car) and headed for the park. It was so great to be there after a long long time. Last time we went, the grass was mostly brown and the pond drying up. The pond is still drying up and stunk of decay and algae - but the grass had returned and was peppered everywhere with an amazing array of wildflowers. The flowers in the picture above are Wild Blue Flax and are native to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Don't we look super happy? There's a strange shadow on the left.
Some stranger approaching - maybe?


 More Wild Blue Flax
NorCal Buttercups with Wild Blue Flax

Scarlet Pimpernel 











Miniature Daisy and Dandelion


Funny story - Mommy was taking a picture of a beautiful bunch of daisies. So I went to look at them and decided to "mark" them for future exploration. I "marked" them right as Mommy took the picture so all you could see was my incredible curly tail and adorable butt.







This is a tree - most likely a flowering plum
of some sort.

We had the ABSOLUTE best time on our walk. It's supposed to rain a lot toward the end of this week and into next week. I hope so because it means the NEXT nice day will be a WALK DAY. It also means there will be MORE wildflowers to see and smell and - a-hem - pee on.