Thursday, January 31, 2019

What The Polar Vortex Means to Me


Absolutely nothing.

I live in Northern California and we are being completely bypassed by the chilly air gripping 2/3 of the nation.

So, I really have no idea what all the fuss is about. We get cold-ish here. I know for a fact it has been 20 degrees Fahrenheit here on occasion. It might even get there this weekend when the weather persons are predicting show on Mt Hamilton. But it is a rare thing. MAYBE once a year occasion.

Don't get me wrong. I do get cold. When that happens I have a surefire method for keeping warm




Tuesday, January 29, 2019

And THAT'S My Opinion About THAT!




So I was sitting around minding my own business when Sunshine the Cat came RIGHT UP TO MY PUG SNOUT and said she wanted to sleep in the bed I was slumbering in.

No, I said. I am sleepy and comfortable and there are eleventy million beds in this house - pet and human - so I am sure you can find an equally comfortable spot.

She does not take no for an answer, as a rule. I should have been warned. She stared at me for what seemed like a billion years and then walked away. I couldn't believe she gave up so easily.

Some time later, I was thirsty. So I got up out of my comfy bed and got a drink from the water fountain. It was cool and refreshing and I was so relieved to get rid of that thirst. As I rounded the corner on my way BACK to my bed, I suddenly felt this WHOMP! It staggered me! I think I must have passed out a little - for sure my eyesight was weird. When I could see clearly, I saw Sunshine the Cat gazing smugly back at me. THAT, she said, is what happens when you DON'T give me what I want. And with that, she turned and gracefully sauntered over to MY BED. She settled in, purred a little and looked my way. If I am not mistaken, I think I saw a grin on her face.


Monday, January 28, 2019

Mom + Work = Lonely Pug

Woe is ME

I am beginning to think my Mommy #2 might be a work-a-HOLIC! I mean, she already works 2 jobs, and it just SEEMS she doesn't because her main job is cybercommuting and not at an office. It isn't true, though. She sits in that office ALL DAY working on bookkeeping, e-filing, reports, and so on. And there is no room in there for me to sit on her lap or otherwise involve myself. It just does not happen.

Then the NHL All Star game comes to San Jose CALIFORNIA and what does that woman do? She decides to get involved and WORK for the NHL AMBASSADOR crew. This is the crew that does stuff like greet people to the events, direct them around the venue, run the skills and other games, put together gift bags, and so on. The little things that are hopefully appreciated by attendees.

This is a corner of her uniform. She got a baseball
cap, long sleeve polo shirt and a golf vest all with
this logo


It also meant she was GONE from home all of those days with no real time to cuddle. And on the weekend, it turned into ALL DAY.

I know I shouldn't complain. I got a lot of attention from everyone home but especially from Cousin B and his fiance F. I liked them A LOT and they said I reminded them of their furbaby. Not sure HOW they mean since their furbaby is a pitbull. Playful and gentle - that might be what they were referring to. I am sure we are not talking about a lapdog. But they petted me and skritched behind my ear. It was love.

But I was STILL lonely because neither Mommy #1 nor Mommy #2 were around to give me lots of hugs and snuggles.

Mommy was happy although very tired when it was all done. She had fun, saw some NHL stars (from afar), saw the fastest skater on the Women National Hockey team, Kendell Coyne Schofield, and interacted with ALL of the NHL Team Mascots as they wandered through the venue she was working. And she got to hit pucks re-discovering her hockey skills from a lifetime ago (she played field hockey on her league-leading high school team). So it was a really great job - she basically got paid for playing and socializing. What a deal.

At the end of the day, it was a great event for the NHL, the city of San Jose, and for all of the hockey fans who were able to attend. Here is a link to a recap of the weekend (this was a 4 day weekend, btw).
http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/25862644/the-best-worst-nhl-all-star-weekend-2019

I am glad that today things are back to normal. Maybe even better than normal because Mommy is gonna relax A LITTLE once she does the most important work. And you know what that means:

Mom, Me and the TV

Thursday, January 24, 2019

I'm a PUG, After all


Once in a while, I have to remind my humans that I am, alas, a pug. This means I will not answer them back when they ask me "Who's a good girl?" even though we ALL know the answer. I will NOT reveal where something is hidden no matter how often I am asked. And most of all, I will not PROMISE not to eat some random organic STUFF that I find in the yard. I just can't and won't do it.

I am a PUG, after all.

And then there is the controversial habit of dressing me up. Do I like it? Maybe. Do I let it happen without argument? Almost assuredly. Should it happen? Ehhhhhh - that's a gray area. I prance around when I have a particularly FINE outfit on. And maybe I am responding to the treats or promises thereof. But maybe on some level I like it? Who knows?

I am a PUG, after all.

What I am capable of is a lot of LOVE. I am all about the love and I get visibly upset when it is denied me (as if it ever is). I am happiest when I am sitting on my Mommy's lap (#1 or #2, doesn't make a difference). I love when I can follow Mommy everywhere - sticking close to her leg, even touching it, is my favorite thing. And cuddling and snuggling are my best skills. I am so good at both.

I am a PUG, after all.


Wednesday, January 23, 2019

#Chewyinfluencer It Really IS All About The FOOD. . . Right?

Sunshine: I already did mine so I shan't look in the camera

Noodles here with another adventure in CHEWY.COM reviewland. Today I am exploring the Blue Buffalo version of D-I-E-T food - Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12.

I admit it. I did NOT want to try D-I-E-T food. I will eat it, of course. I AM a pug after all and I will eat pretty much anything. But it was the NEW YEAR and I had been overdoing it with the treats. So I thought NOW was the best time to explore lighter edibles. The nice thing about D-I-E-T food is I can eat a normal serving and NOT the skimpy portions I normally eat.

Sitting on my fridge shelf awaiting dinner time


Here is what I like about the food:

  1. It is YUMMY. There are REAL veggies visible and taste-able throughout my chomping
  2. It is kinda filling - mostly because I can have more for less calories
  3. It is nutritious - this I inferred from the label. But since I  am otherwise acting normal, it is safe to assume the food is doing me good
  4. I have NOT gained weight despite eating a little more AND indulging in treats
What I am not so sure about this food:
  1. I like chunks and this food is more like mush - meat mush, to be sure
  2. Pea and pea fiber do not agree with me. It makes me belch AND some studies suggest it may be harming pets
  3. Molly got BORED with it very quickly. Maybe if it came in smaller cans? The refrigerator taste may be part of her problem
Look at the upper right for a glimpse of real carrot


So you can see the YEAS out number the NAYS so that is a good thing. In summation, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe HEALTHY WEIGHT Chicken Dinner, etc. is a good alternative to high calorie foods. It is made with real foods and not a lot of filler (a-hem, soy, lentils and pea proteins) which makes it a good food for pets with allergies or sensitive tummies. 

For me, though, I do better on a high calorie but more food-centric type of meal. One that is very full of real meat and real meat and. . . real meat. Mommy can add the fruits and veggies as she does any how. Eating a small amount of food that satisfies is what makes me hummmmm.

I like Blue Buffalo foods very much and this is one I would recommend to my FURiends. 


Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Brown Rice, Peas, Pea Fiber, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Carrageenan, Cassia Gum, Flaxseed, Blueberries, Cranberries, Choline Chloride, L-Carnitine, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9).

Caloric Content
1,000 kcal/kg, 354 kcal/cup

** I was sent i case of product free of charge from Chewy.com in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed my my blog are mine alone. I am not paid for my words, praise, or anything. I am a dog, for pete's sake.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Monday Following Sunday - It Happens



Seems like only YESTERDAY was Sunday. I remember it well. I slept in, snuggled with Mommy (#1, I was at her suite at college), had a leisurely stroll through the gardens, and ate the most amazingly tasty breakfast ever. And THEN we sat on the couch watching movies and cuddling. It was the best.
Then in the afternoon, Mommy #2 came by to take Mommy #1 grocery shopping and they were gone an eternity. It was fine, though, because then I get quality time with Mommy's roommate. When my mommys returned, I got in the car and came home with Mommy #2! That was good because I was kind of missing her and wishing I could also spend time with her.
And we did. We sat on the couch and boohooed at our hockey team playing poorly and then yippee-ed at our basketball team playing amazingly. Then we watched movies. It was so fun. I sat cuddled on Mommy's lap or nestled at her feet. I switched it up.
And suddenly, before I knew it, it was MONDAY!

Friday, January 18, 2019

Finally Friday


Finally it's FRIDAY.
I don't usually wish my time away, but this week it just needed to be FRIDAY asap. And it wasn't. It was a long long road to Friday.

Mind you, Friday is no different than any other day. And this FRIDAY is all about the lounging on dog beds and sending out some serious ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs. But it just NEEDED to be Friday. and now, at last it is here.

The rain is clearing out and it isn't especially cold. Mommy is trimming her workday way down so she can catch up on some personal things. So all in all it is shaping up to be a great day.

Have a wonderful weekend FURiends. Make a lot of memories and share a lot of LOVE.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

A Pug's Gotta Do What a Pug's GOTTA Do!


I want you to know I get a LOT of GRIEF for this video. I have shared it with a few FURiends and THEY love it. But HUMANS? Nah. They do not get it.

So here it is in BLACK and WHITE - as CLEAR as DAY -


  1. Pugs have FLAT noses
  2. Stuff gets INTO those FLAT noses
  3. PUGS therefore SNEEZE a lot

Can I help it if my aim is USUALLY in the direction of a HUMAN or a CAMERA?

Yeah, Probably.


Wednesday, January 16, 2019

#chewyinfluencer Sunshine Report




As soon as the JANUARY newsletter for Chewy.com was published, I perused the offerings and picked one for ME! I find if I lollygag, the CANINES get first pick and I often get nothing. Maybe not nothing. I am quite spoiled lately with the new KITTY TREE and the KITTY CONDO - and the CAT amusement  ride -
Related image



NONETHELESS, I felt I was severely overlooked in the food and treat CATegory so I POUNCED. I chose the well-known and respected ROYAL CANIN: https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-ultra-light-chunks-in/dp/178069


Here are the reasons why I, Sunshine the Cat, chose this particular food
  1. It has CHUNKS. Nothing worse than noshing on mush
  2. It is for ADULTS and not KITTENS. I am a mature CAT
  3. I am an older INDOOR cat who maybe doesn't need as many calories as one who wanders or plays a lot. I am 16 years YOUNG this year. I seldom play
  4. I WANTED to try it
I am very pleased with my decision. The gravy is delectable. The chunks are small which is my preferred CHUNK size. And I actually feel pretty good. I have lost a step or two to arthritis in my joints, but over all I am in good shape. Royal Canin and other good food choices are likely the reason why. Good food is so important to a MORE MATURE pet, like me. So I consider this month's choice a real WINNER.

Before I dash off, here are some facts about the Royal Canin Ultra Light Chunks in Gravy. Please note, this is not a singular protein food. There is so much flavor in each pouch


Ingredients
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken By-Products, Pork By-Products, Pork Liver, Pork Digest, Pork Plasma, Powdered Cellulose, Rice Flour, Wheat Gluten, Natural Flavors, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Carrageenan, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamins [Cholecalciferol (Source Of Vitamin D3), DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement], Sodium Carbonate, L-Carnitine, Trace Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate].

Caloric Content
802 kcl/kg, 68 kcl/pouch

I just love this stuff and MIGHT keep buying it AFTER the test period is over. I think something of this quality is PERFECT for me - Sunshine the PERFECT Cat.




**I received one box of this product free of charge from Chewy.com in exchange for my ALWAYS honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this blog are ONLY the blog-owner's (Noodles). We are never paid for our words, opinions, or likenesses AND we certainly are never told what to say. So there you have it - TOTAL HONESTY and DISCLOSURE

Monday, January 14, 2019

Trying to Reach My Goals, a Pug's Obsession


Every year I start the same way - just winging it day by day. It works out, for the most part. But then along comes something that wrecks my orderly existence and it takes forever to get back on track. I am specifically referring to this BLOG. I am a very punctual PUG and I like to post M-F, preferably in the morning. But 2018 my blog went up at ALL HOURS. And there were WHOLE WEEKS where nothing was posted. It wasn't that THINGS weren't going on or that I wasn't being my normal PUGALICIOUS self. No, no, no.

I realize NOW that it was because I did not have a plan. Winging it may have worked in my PUPPY-daze, but not now. And this new maturity means I have GOALS and I am on a MISSION to reach all, or at least most, of them.

So Noodles, you may ask, what ARE these GOALS? Hmmmm. Funny you should ask because I am currently COMMITTING them to the page, formulating them as we speak. So BEAR with me while I figure them out.

I, uh. . .  uh . . .


I'm feeling kinds pressured here

Well, I think FIRST I would like to make sure that my blog has been posted every day. If it means writing a few at a time and then scheduling them to post ON TIME and DAILY. That is hard for me because I usually draw inspiration from my previous day activities. So this may prove problematical. I had not thought of that. And now that I AM thinking on that, I don't think the pre-writing idea will work for me.

Okay, okay. Maybe I should MAKE SURE to sit at the computer at the same time every morning LIKE MOMMY AND I USED TO and write the post before even BREAKFAST. Yes, yes. That might just  . . . ummmm. . . before breakfast, huh?  That'll be hard since I am obsessed with breakfast almost as soon as I open my eyes. I, hmmmmm. That is quite a sacrifice that, ON THINKING about it more, I seriously don't think I can manage. So I don't think blogging before eating will work after all.


Well, hmmmmm. This is harder than I thought it would be. But I am sure I can make this happen. I am a PUG with a PLAN, I tell ya! I am going to write down some goals and I am going to MAKE those goals happen!

HERE IT IS! My first goal -


This is one I am SURE I can ACHIEVE!



Thursday, January 10, 2019

Feeling Rather PEEVED Today


I am vexed by my Mommy's LACK of bloginess lately. She CLAIMS she is too busy to write daily but I know for a FACT that she used to be busier and STILL had time for ME. Oh, I guess I shouldn't be so demanding, but a promise is a PROMISE - and I PROMISED to do a post FIVE (5) days a week. I daresay last year I fell WAY SHORT on my promise.
This is a new year, though, and I expect to make GOOD on that promise. No more slacking off MOMMY. Your time is UP for lazing around doing "work" and going to "appointments."

So I apologize to all of my readers who MIGHT be missing my daily observations. This behavior by Mommy PEEVES me and I will do better.

In other MUSINGS . . . I have decided that I like to NEST-le. What is that you say? I like chocolate? No, no, no. I am not talking the large SWISS company called NESTLE that makes chocolate stuff. No, I mean I like to snuggle down in mu Costco Nest Bed and mellow out ALL DAY. It is such a comfortable spot and I can ignore all of the shenanigans Molly and Sunshine might be pulling. Their behavior PEEVES me to no end. So I retreat. This is me in my NEST BED



My NEST bed is the one bed that is JUST FOR ME. I have to share all of the others (like the PITK one to the right of my nest bed). Sharing in our house means Molly or Sunshine will bully me off of the bed I am occupying because they want it. Then I have to search out someplace else to nap. BUT my nest is kept in MY BEDROOM which I share with Mommy and only I have access to it.

Today I am NEST-ling. And I am going back to that right now. YAWN!

Monday, January 7, 2019

Drying out


Howdy Everypuggy
It has been storming and raining and blowing here for the last 2 days. TWO WHOLE DAYS! It was so bad even I refused to go outside to potty! I eventually did because I got sorta desperate. . . but I sure did not want to. I came back in and was wetter than if I had taken a BATH!



This is what Mommy chose to do on the rainy and windy Saturday morning - make persimmon jam. I actually don't like it when she makes jam because I don't get any of it! Well, depends on what she is brewing. Some FRUIT she will share with me. Not persimmon, though. She worked so hard at this task and denied me cuddle time.


So I gave her the cold shoulder when she FINALLY sat down with me. I need to set the guidelines, you know, or she will totally take advantage of my tendency to CUDDLE.

Today, Monday, it rained early and right now is drying out. It is still cold and damp, though. After so many years of drought and then bad wildfires, I will take all the rain the skies can dish out. Well, short of flooding. That isn't fun either.

We are supposed to get rain pretty much all week. It's a good way to begin the new year.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Time to Consider That New Year D-I-E-T


You all know that NOWADAYS I'm a pretty SVELTE pug PRINCESS? Well, I am. I might teeter up to 17 pounds but usually I am staying at 15 pounds. My DOGter says it is a good weight for me. But a really BAD thing has been happening over the holidays. So bad . . .because . . . I . . . have . . . been . . .

OVEREATING

And we are not talking a LITTLE. No, no, no - we are talking way way way too much of all of the good stuff. Constant TREATS! Constant grazing the kitchen floor for fallen tidbits (it happens, especially when Aunt T makes dinner). Constant EATING.

Mommy says if we don't stop soon we are gonna look like this group

These are the sea lions who hang out at Pier 39 in San Francisco
Mommy took this photo which is why it is not so clear (hehe)

Too be sure, this is a good look for a sea lion - which I am not. So I am taking matters into my own PAWS. I just signed up for the GAIAM exercise channel and for this month's Chewy.com review I picked a Healthy Weight (code for DIET) food by Blue Buffalo. 

I'll let you know how me and Mommy are doing as we get going. But first, let me put down this cookie so I can publish. . .

WHAAAAAT? You didn't expect me to start COLD TURKEY, did you? Come to think of it, some cold roasted turkey might go well with this cookie.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

New Year, New Happenings



Happy New Year EveryPUGGY! I cannot believe another year BLEW by me. I guess that is what happens when you are no longer a puppy. Time just zips by and before you know it, a new one is starting up.

Speaking of puppies, the OLD year ended on an exciting note - my cousin K and her Hubby C had a furless puppy! Yes they did! And he is as cute as if he had FUR. I hope to meet him someday. Right now he is pretty little and not even very mobile so meeting me is OUT of the QUESTION. But, I know I like Cousin K and I am pretty sure if I meet Hubby C I will like him too; therefore I am destined to like Lil' Cousin L a lot. . . . SO, I am pretty sure it is just a matter of time before we are in the same place at the same time.

You should have seen the HuMOMS around here on the day he was born, though. They were all nervous and complaining about NOT hearing anything. It was a long day but I thought it was a bit humorous. They NEVER get like that - at least not in my 9 long years. So I guess this was a MAJOR milestone for them.

I spent NYE with BOTH of my Mommys at Mommy #1's suite on campus. I have been there a lot but Mommy #2 has not. So it was a pretty fun and low key evening with the two PEOPLES I love the most in the whole wide world. What a good way to ring in 2019.


Yesterday, the second day of the NEW YEAR was also a return-to-work day for all of the adults. That was different as they had taken the final weeks of the old year off, so I was used to a whole different routine. My Mommy #2 works from home so she didn't go anywhere, BUT she was busy at her computer. I sit close by . . . but it is not the same as the lap I occupied towards the end of December. That was when she finally had a chance to relax.

Here's to a new year - 2019

and a whole array of ADVENTURES and HAPPENINGS, and a slew of LOVE, too!