Friday is Get Up and GO, Day!

Actually, no it isn't.  This is where you can find me.Snuggled up right next to Mom. Even ol' Mister Sun is taking his sweet ol' time rising. It isn't gloomy like rainy yesterday, but it sure is NOT bright and sunny, either. So I am happy sitting right here and reading, watching tv, or whatever.

Molly is so "tired" she buried her hear in blankets and I can't tell which is her front and which is her backside. Can you?

All in all, I fully expect all of my adventuring to happen tomorrow when the SUN comes out and I convince Mommy to take me on a looooooooog walk.

Happy Friday EveryPuggy!

Mom's in a Hurry SO I am Wordless for Once

It's So Taxing

DEAR MR IRS (I am sure IT is a HE)

DO not do this again

Mommy SPENT all day doing taxes

That means she CANNOT play

or snuggle

or anything ME-centric

DO not do this again

I, Noodles the pug

DO

NOT

LIKE

IT

A.Ham Pug

My two Mommys saw Hamilton, the musical. over the weekend. They loved it and as a result I have been inundated with HAMILTON. I don't mind a lot. It is good stuff. If you have a chance to see it then by all means do so.

There is a running joke in my family re a line from the play. You see, our last name is HAMILTON. No relation to Alexander or his descendants, though. It is almost always the first question anyone asks us upon hearing our last name.

But to add to the story, my Mommy #1's given name begins with an A - as in A. Hamilton. It makes the line in the play all that much funnier. I don't want to give anything away from the one or two persons in the world who know nothing about the play - but at one point Hamilton signs his name A. Ham.

So now Mommy #1 does the same. It is kinda funny.

Adventuregate

I was thinking of something to do the other day. It was a nice-ish day. Mostly cloudy with occasional SUN SHOWERS. Toward the afternoon it got a bit nicer, but not much. So as a result, I was not inclined to go outside a lot. In fact, it was well into the afternoon that I actually ASKED to go explore the yard.

Molly and I almost always go outside in pairs. I am not sure why this is. Maybe it is a GIRL thing. Anyways, we both went outside to pee, chat with the neighbors, and bark at an occasional bird. I think Molly lasted 2 minutes and then she was asking (i.e. barking) to return to the comforts of her inside bed. ME? I was still adventuring.

So I went here and there around the yard, smelling all of the flowers and looking for eatables (after some winter strawberries, there have not been anymore. . . but I look) AND THEN I spotted something different.

It looked like the YARD got bigger! So I had to go check it out. Lo and Behold, there was a whole 'nother part of the yard that I did not know about! All I had to do was wander out the OPEN GATE.

Mommy note: The gate is normally closed and I still don't know who left it open. Yes, when Noodles did not come back after 3 separate yells from the door, I went to investigate. My heart stopped when I saw the gate wide open and my little pug nowhere to be found.

First I sniffed around the garbage cans and the compost bins - you never know what treasures you will find there. Then I sniffed the air at the gate and decided it was safe to explore - so I trotted right out the gate and into the NEW WORLD.

Mommy note #2: I have no idea how long she was out there (there was about 30 minutes between Molly coming in and me discovering the gate. I consider myself extremely lucky that she was not run over by a car (we live on a busy street), or taken by a stranger wandering by, or worse, left the neighborhood).

I admit. I got a little bored with the new YARD. There was a lot of noise and nothing good to eat. So I went to the front porch and "KNOCKED" on the door. Molly heard me and started yelling to Mommy that I was at the front door. But Mommy didn't get it at all and kept telling Molly there was no one outside and to quit yelling. That's because when Mommy looked OUT the side window she couldn't see me. I was right in the middle of the door. She normally opens the front door to PROVE no one is there, but this time she did not.

Finally, Mommy went outside the BACK door to see if I was sunning myself or gorging on apples leftover from the Fall. I could hear her calling me but she could not hear me saying "I'm over here." Next thing I know, I hear Mommy panicking and yelling and then I heard a funny LUMBERING sound (she was running) coming down the side yard. I considered running to it but didn't because I didn't know what it was.

I told Molly to be patient, Mommy would find me. And just as I said that, I looked over my shoulder to see Mommy run out onto the driveway YELLING my name in a most disquieting way. Then she spotted me and ran over to me. I could tell she was relieved. But she didn't pick me up and hug me like I thought she would. She said "Noodles that was sooooooo naughty but I am so relieved to find you."

I am glad too. Even the thought that I could be lost or taken away from my WONDERFUL family really breaks my heart. From now on, I will try to be a little less curious about the OUTSIDE world.

The BIG Tease!

We had THE BEST weather over the weekend. It was sunny and it was warm. I spent some time in the great OUTDOORS snoopervising my AUNT T and her gardening. After all of the rain we have had, the hills around the valley have a glowing greenness about them. And here and there are splashes of color from the emerging wildflowers. It WAS glorious.

I was thinking that YAY! Winter is really almost gone and we are on to the glorious SPRING weather and then Summer! I love those seasons the best. And afterall, Wednesday, March 20, IS the first day of SPRING.

But alas, it was not to be. Today the clouds are rolling in and it is supposed to rain for the next week. Some rain is predicted for each day.

Seven straight days.

Sigh.

Mother Nature - You are such a TEASE!

Jade the Parakeet Has an Opinion - #chewyinfluencer

Chewy.com's March newsletter was just CHOCK full of great stuff for pets. And that doesn't just mean CATS, DOGS and GUINEA PIGS! Nope. When Chew.com says PETS it means ALL kinds of pets.

I am pretty sure all of you are aware that we have a BIRD in the house. This is Jade the Parakeet. We used to have Jade and PEARL; but sadly, PEARL flew over the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago. AnyHOOOO, to shorten the narrative a little, the newsletter included some interesting things for BIRDS. So Mommy decided to VEER away from Cats and Dogs and have Jade review something. This is what she chose, The Polly's Pet Products Tooty Fruity Bee Pollen Perch. It looked like fun for Jade. I mean, if Jade ever really has fun. He/she sleeps and eats most of the time. He/she sometimes sings at the top of his/her lungs during tv shows Mommy wants to watch. But that is about it. 

The Polly's Pet Products Tooty Fruity Bee Pollen is COMPLETELY edible! Yes! Really! It is made from calcium and bee pollen so it provides needed minerals, amino acids, and Omega3 fatty acids to keep Jade healthy (and maybe a little more active). We don't KNOW how old Jade is so it is even more important to provide healthy food and snacks. And because it is abrasive, when AND IF Jade sits or walks along the perch, it helps to trim down the claws. And chewing on the perch, aside from being the ULTIMATE act of defiance, also serves to keep his/her beak trim and neat.

This is Jade IGNORING the perch that Mommy put in the cage. This is where he/she sits ALL of the time. Mommy logged his movement over the first week the perch was in the cage and this photo pretty much summed it up.

It does not appear that JADE has any interest in the Polly's . . . Perch. But I caution Chewy.com to not take it personally. Jade does not like change, as a rule. See that TENT looking thing? Jade has never used it in the THREE years it has been in that very location!!

Over the last weekend, however, Mommy noticed that Jade was a little CLOSER to the perch. She decided to put some of his/her favorite treats (millet sprays) on the perch to see if MAYBE Jade would climb on top and get them. So far no. This photo below was taken a FULL DAY after Mommy put the treats there. And the treats remain there TO THIS DAY!

But Mommy is not deterred. She is thinking part of the problem may be that the perch is TOO BIG for Jade. She realized she inadvertently ordered MEDIUM instead of SMALL and it is therefore more suitable to a Cockatiel than a Parakeet. Luckily we have a cousin who is a Cockatiel and might like it. So Mommy ordered a new one for Jade and hopefully it will be more interesting to him/her. We will ship the larger one to Cousin Cockatiel.

Jade is warbling right now as if to dictate to me what to write. I think perhaps he/she is happy to be so well cared for . . . AND to have the sunlight drifting through the windows. Who doesn't like a sunny day after all of that RAIN?

I think Jade will eventually come around to sit on the perch. It takes time for him/her to accept any change. Nonetheless, we at Casa de Noodles think this is a fine BIRD product and would not hesitate to recommend it.

**Jade received ONE Polly's Pet Products Tooty Fruity Bee Pollen Perch free of charge from Chewy.com in return for an honest opinion. Granted it is I, Noodles the Pug opining here as it is MY blog. All opinions belong to ME, the page owner and I am never paid to say ANYTHING good or bad. I don't play that game.

An Ode to . . . Oh, I Guess Spring?

So the other day I was saying to my HUmom. . . 

Roses are Red, DUH
Brown is the MUD
Strawberries are Red, too
But nothing is BLUE

The SKY has been Gray
For many many a DAY
And I am oh so RIPE
To see the SUN shine BRIGHT

Know what she TOLD me?

"Spring is right around the corner, my SWEET pup.
I think you'll get your wish before the month is up."

Happy FIVE MORE DAYS until SPRING!!

THESE'RE So GOOD #chewyinfluencer

Noodles and Molly here. We recently had the opportunity to try a new dog BISCUIT. Chewy.com carries the product and since it is relatively new, they asked for some VOLUNTEERS to try them. Our PAWS went straight up as we are always up for a new EATABLE. As per usual, for Chewy.com, our parcel arrived in just a couple of days and BOY HOWDY were we ever surprised! Can you tell how big that box of treats is? It is nearly as TALL as the TWO of us!!!

Molly: "So Noodles, tell our readers about this particular biscuit - True Acre Foods Small Variety Baked Biscuits Dog Treats, 7-lb box. What drew you to this particular product?"


Noodles: "Well, Molly, the fact that this product is a treat is all the information I needed. Plus this particular box has many different flavors which is HEAVEN to me."

Noodles: "And look what the BISCUITS are made from:"     Ingredients Wheat Flour, Wheat Mill Run, Meat and Bone Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA and BHT), Poultry By-Product Meal, Dried Bacon Fat, Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Turkey Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Malted Barley Flour, Natural Sausage Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Choline Chloride, Sodium Metabisulfite (Preservative), Titanium Dioxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, BHA (Preservative), BHT (Preservative), Yellow 6, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid.

"I'm not SUPER hyped about the MEALS part of the ingredients, but Malted Barley and Brewer's Yeast are kinda good for us. And since neither of us have WHEAT ALLERGIES, the wheat flour is fine. But for treats these DO have some good parts. AND since they are treats, they are only for a ONCE IN A WHILE thing"

Molly: "Look, Noodles! It says right here that they’re fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals. That's a good thing, right? That means they are good for our bones. . . good for our hearts . . . and good for our teeth (the crunch)."

Noodles: "You are so right, Molly. And from my initial SNIFF, I can tell there is chicken, beef, BACON, and turkey flavors. OH MY PUG the scent is absolutely INTOXICATING! I must try some right now!

Mommy! Mommy! Please may we try a True Acre Foods Small Variety Baked Biscuits Dog Treats RIGHT NOW? I don't care what color it is."

Noodles AND Molly:"We LIKE it! We LIKE it!"

Noodles: "I daresay, I could eat these ALL day but then I would be a pudgy PUG and that's not a good idea. But for that ONCE in a WHILE snack, I think these are ideal! And they are portable."

Caloric Content

3,135 kcal/kg or 22 kcal/biscuit

To SUM it UP, we think True Acre Foods Small Variety Baked Biscuits Dog Treats are a good crunchy yummy SNACK. We have not tired of them and we are even passing them out to our FURiends (for them to try). We wouldn't do that if we thought the product was bad.

**We received one box of this product from Chewy.com in exchange for our ALWAYS HONEST opinion. And since NO ONE tells me, Noodles the Pug, what to say, all of the opinions expressed in this review are MINE and MINE alone. Furthermore, we were not paid for this review.

Begging is My Art and My Art is Begging

Please, please, please???

I am a WORLD CLASS begger. I excel at running from the farthest reaches of the house when I hear a cabinet opening. I am RIGHT there when someone is prepping a meal. And MY SPOT is under the table by the sloppiest eater.

But I don't stop there. I am known for my VERY VOCAL begging. I whine. I grrrrr. I nip at my right back foot even though it has done nothing to provoke me. I sometimes add a YIP to the mix when the human in question does not share. My repertoire for bugging people has no limit.

Lately I have been getting in trouble for EXCESSIVE begging. I am not clear on what that means. In my mind, if there is FOOD then I am begging. It all started when Mommy was using her magical Instant Pot to sterilize jars. I KNOW food will eventually go into those jars - how was I to know it was not NOW? So I ran from my comfy NEST BED in MY bedroom all the way to the kitchen to get in on the food! But there was apparently NO FOOD and  I got spoken to in a very stern voice by Mommy - AND escorted back to my room. It made me a little sad and confused.

I need a new tactic. Maybe one that is not quite so overt. Any suggestions anyPUGGY? I certainly don't want to get in trouble any more but I also don't want to miss out on UNSCHEDULED treats.

What's a PUG to do?

What Did I Say About Time Change? I DIDN'T Mean THIS!!!!

Why can't time stay the same? I mean - one day the sun's up at 6:30 am and the next day it isn't! And it has me so messed up I cannot stand it. HUMANS!!! Pick a time and stick with it! In fact, I have ALWAYS found up with the sun and down with the sun works for me.

That's all I can muster for today.
Sorry. . . yawn . . .

Friday and Mommy #2's Working and I am . . .

This is where I am and where I plan to stay as long as Mommy is in the office. It is my job and I am very very good at it.

While I am philosophizing . . .

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 

from Casa de Noodles (which is 99.98% female 

((we don't know about Jade))

Time May Change Me. . .

I was once a small puppy. Yes, hard to believe, huh? I was about the size (and shape) of a football when I came to live with my HUmoms. It seems like only yesterday; but in truth, it was close to 10 years ago now. And every day gets more and more exciting as life swirls and changes with me.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Turn and face the strange

Ch-ch-changes

Don't want to be a richer man

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Turn and face the strange

Ch-ch-changes

There's gonna have to be a different man

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

In fact, here is a side by side of me as a wee pup and me as a grand dam!

The photo on the bottom was taken 3 weeks ago when I went to visit Mommy #1 at University.

I don't think I should like to go back in time to puppydom, though. I mean, I would like to live with my Mommys FOREVER. But even that is not enough to go back to itchy gums and uncontrolled bladder. Everyday was an adventure, sure, as I discovered new things and learned how to live with humans. But now, I still get to discover new things every day (ch-ch-ch-Changes) only without the stress of not KNOWING.

I guess time has changed me . . . a little.

Am I Ever Really WORDLESS On Wednesday?

This is me expressing my displeasure at ANOTHER rainy day.

I know. I know. During our LONG LONG drought we were anxious for some rainy days. At first it was fun.

Now I am over it.

It is not so fun anymore.

I think Mother Nature needs to find some BALANCE.

It's Spring in the Stores . . . It's Spring on TV . . . So, Where is SPRING for ME?

What???

It is raining AGAIN here is NorCal. It seems like lately we get 1-2 days of really awesome weather followed by RAIN. . . Rain . . . and more rain.

I admit. I like a little RAIN. But my patience is wearing thin because this is too much. I know, I know. Those of you who LIVE in the rainy parts of the world are scoffing at me about now. "What a lightweight that Noodles is!" or "She thinks THAT'S RAIN? I'll show her our daily BUCKETS of rain! Now THAT is something to whine about!" And so on.

Rain on the windshield and an incredibly
green hill

If you THINK about it, though; you will realize that I have spent 7 of my 9 years in a DROUGHT situation. It hardly rained at all! And if it did, it lasted AT MOST one month and then disappeared altogether. But this has been going on since NOVEMBER of 2018. I have had about my limit.

I have to admit, it does make MY FOOTHILLS look so lovely and green, don't you think?

And the smells outside are unbelievably rich and not at all DUSTY smelling.

And the everything in the yard looks so happy.

But I am still ready for SUNSHINE AND SPRINGTIME!!!

Can't it start NOW?

PLEASE?

Car Rides Are My THING!

I love going bye bye in the car. I really do. I like to listen to music (except classical which Mommy #2 likes but I do not) and just look at the scenery. Sometimes I sleep. I just love it. Especially when that car ride means I am going to stay with Mommy #1 in her villa.

Last week Mommy dressed me in my NEW Star Wars - Stormtrooper - harness and drove me over to Mommy #1's.

Today she picked me up after 2 full days of fun on campus.

I really am the luckiest of PUPS.

It's All About Our Teeth ...........#chewyinfluencer

Do you see them? Right there in the middle of my SMILE - my TEETH. It is a rare sighting, to be sure. I don't often show off my teeth to ANYONE. It is just my thing. But that doesn't mean they are not important to me. They are. Especially since TEETH are important to making the most of EATABLES. And you know I am ALL ABOUT THE FOOD.

Funny not so funny story to explain the delay in posting this. NO, it isn't because Mommy thought there were two more days in the month like I did. She knew, she knew. And she had her writing schedule all planned out.

And then it happened. She was at the DENTIST all day yesterday with a TOOTH EMERGENCY! Yes, the irony is spilling out all over the place. Mommy who takes very good care of her teeth too had a DENTAL emergency. So that is why this post ON DENTAL HEALTH is a day late. I apologize profusely to CHEWY.COM.

One of the BIG focuses in the CHEWY.COM newsletter last month was tooth health. There were several chewies and supplement options to improve pet dental health. I jumped on the bandwagon because, as you may know, I have been banned from almost all chewing options because I (1) swallow them whole risking an intestinal blockage (or so says Mommy); (2) I chew them so fast they have little to no affect on my teeth; and (3) I tend to steal Molly's chews because she takes too long to chew them. But honestly, chewing is the BEST way to clean my teeth since, as I said before, I don't let anyone see or touch my teeth.

So I perused the offerings and found one I had not previously been BANNED from - uh, I mean, tried - and chose to test it. I found this

So I put in my order and in a couple of days, it arrived on my doorstep in typical CHEWY.COM fashion. I could not WAIT to try it.

What makes these chews unique is they previously were only available at the DOGTER office. Now via Chewy.com they are available on the retail side of life. They are carefully and scientifically designed to provide maximum cleaning AND fresh breath in an easy and tasty form. Plus, VetriScience Perio Plus contains CoEnzyme Q 10 which works hard to maintain your healthy heart.

They come in a log type chew which is great for grasping between paws and I have to say I QUICKLY mastered the proper technique. They have a crunchy outside and a softer inside but believe me - they are CHEWS. It took me nearly THREE (as in 3 or III) minutes to demolish one. . . the first time. Since then I have figured out how to finish one in under 1 minute. So I am on the verge of being banned from ANOTHER chew.

Gimme gimme gimme

But that is actually good news for other NON-PUGS who love to chew. This treat lasts Molly HOURS. She will sometimes get BORED because they take so long to chew. But then again, she only has 5 teeth so . . .

Let me give you the nutritional low down on Perio Plus Dental Stix

Ingredients
Active Ingredients: (Per Stick) Spirulina 300 mg, Yielding Chlorophyll 6 mg, Natural Zeolites 150 mg, Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum) Leaf Powder 210 mg, Cinnamon Powder 75 mg, Champignon Mushroom Extract (Champex™ Brand) 30 mg, Coenzyme Q10 20 mg, Yucca Schidigera Extract 12 mg, Cranberry Extract 7.5 m, Taurine 0.375 mg, Zinc (Zn Ascorbate) 0.24 mg, Lactobacillus Acidophilus 1650 Cfu, Enterococcus Faecium 1650 Cfu.

Inactive Ingredients: Anise Oil, Apple Pectin, Brewers Yeast, Canola Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Citric Acid, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Fermentum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) Seed Extract, Glucose Monohydrate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Mixed Tocopherols, Oat Flour, Propionic Acid, Proprietary Blend (Maltodextrin, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Sulfate), Pumice, Rosemary Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Sulfate, Sorbic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Fat, Vegetable Oil, Water, Whey, Yeast Fermentation Solubles.

That is some wonderfully healthy ingredients. And I see so many actual FOODS and not just a chemical conglomeration of stuff. So this CHEW is seriously GOOD FOR YOU. And it tastes good too.

Do your teeth a favor and try the VetriScience Perio Plus Everyday Health Dental Stix Dog Treats like I did. You won't be sorry.

**I received one VetriScience Perio Plus Everyday Health Dental Stix Dog Treats, 21.16-oz bag, 30 count free of charge from Chewy.com in exchange for my honest review. As all reviews on A Bowl of Noodles, this was not a paid review and all opinions expressed in this post are mine alone.