Drink to Freedom

It's almost time... less than ten minutes to go. Tyler needs to bring his dad back in the house and let him uncork the wine.

Last year, we invented a new drinking game called Drink for Freedom. Every time W. said "freedom" or "security" in his State of the Union speech, we had a sip. Last year we were pretty toasted before W. finished. So what started out as a mournful and depressing evening turned into... well, what little I remember was fun.

This year the words are "Iraq" and "health." Wine of choice? None other than Texas Blush.

Dental equality for all species!

My folks dropped the bomb a couple of days ago ... I have a vet appointment on Thursday.

That's right. They're gonna take me to this place!

I don't understand why they want someone to mess with my bum. Just because they can't appreciate my glandular fragrances, does that mean it's necessary to have somethin' done? They call it expressing. I think they just don't WANT me to be able to use aroma to express myself. Bah.

And another thing. They want the doc to look at my mouth because of a little white bump they found. It's probably nothin' but they want it looked at. AND... this part upsets me the most - the vet is gonna examine my mouth to tell them whether I need a full dental cleaning. Can you believe that? These people are so picky about wanting every little thing looked at, and they take me to a vet to do a dentist's job. Why not take me to a dentist? If they're gonna put me through this, they oughtta at least do it right!

Then, Mama tells me vets do dental work 'cause we don't have doggie dentists. HOLD UP! This is not cool. How come people have dentists and we don't? We doggies value our teeth even more than humans do, 'cause we live to eat. So what's up with that?

I find this a deeply disturbing world that we live in. And I'm gonna start a crusade to get specialized dental care for us doggies! What would the silly vet do if one of us needed braces?

- Tyler

Me against the world

And the world is winning...


Sorry, at times like this, only chocolate will do.

Like a virgin

Yet another way women objectify themselves...

Happy Birthday to a COOL CAT

It's your special day, Lizzie. Kick back, relax, and have a little 'nip!
-Tyler

Success story in progress

For friends who expressed concern about the wind blowing me away last night, it's okay. Really. A little bit of wind ain't got nothin' on this gigantic ass.

But that's all in the process of changing. Inspired by The Drunken Lagomorph, I declare myself officially back on Weight Watchers.

I stopped going to WW and have put back on half the pounds I lost. It's sickening to work that hard, give up so much of what one lives and breathes for, and then let it all go to hell. Sticking with it is MUCH more worth it than a can of Cheerwine. Or that fourth slice of pizza. Or the half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in one sitting. That's it. Starting now, I am back to the healthy me.

I know what you're thinking. That it's easy to say this now when my stomach is aching and stretched from a huge portion of Lexington barbecue, fries, hush puppies and, um...extra fries. That I'll go back to my old ways tomorrow when some co-worker brings in fresh cinnamon crunch bagels and cream cheese. (And it NEVER fails. The bagels and donuts always surface at work the day after I resolve to be healthy again.) But really, I am so tired of feeling nauseous and miserable after a pig-out session. Enough of this. ENOUGH!

Wind is a-howlin'

Forecast for Tyler's part of North Carolina...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM EST WEDNESDAY.

WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH THIS EVENING. BY LATE EVENING... SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH ARE LIKELY... WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 TO 50 MPH. THESE STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

WINDS THIS STRONG ARE CAPABLE OF DOWNING LARGE TREE LIMBS. WEAK TREES OR THOSE IN SOGGY SOIL ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FALLING AS WELL. FALLING LIMBS COULD ALSO DRAG DOWN POWER LINES... SO POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL ALSO MAKE DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE AREA SHOULD BRING ANY LOOSE OBJECTS... INCLUDING TRASH CANS AND LAWN FURNITURE... INDOORS TONIGHT AS THEY WILL LIKELY BE TOSSED ABOUT. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION TONIGHT... KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM OTHER VEHICLES... AND KEEP HANDS FIRMLY ON THE WHEEL.

Something snuggly, something blue

Diva Kitty's Mom knitted this beautiful scarf! See her page about purchasing items to help out animals in need.



Thank you, DKM. I love the scarf!

If Not Now

by Tracy Chapman

If not now, then when?
If not today,
Then, why make your promises?
A love declared for days to come
Is as good as none.

You can wait 'til morning comes.
You can wait for the new day.
You can wait and lose this heart.
You can wait and soon be sorry.

If not now, then when?
If not today,
Then, why make your promises?
A love declared for days to come
Is as good as none.

Now love's the only thing that's free.
We must take it where it's found.
Pretty soon it may be costly.

'Cause if not now, then when?
If not today,
Then, why make your promises?
A love declared for days to come
Is as good as none.

If not now, what then?
We all must live our lives.
Always feeling.
Always thinking.
The moment has arrived.

If not now, then when?

Compulsive licking

Tyler has many compulsive behaviors. One of these is licking. He licks the kitchen floor (half of his shed hairs are in his belly for this reason). He licks the carpet. He licks my boyfriend's head in a rhythmic, meticulous pattern and will not stop until he has "washed" every nook and cranny behind the ears, around the eyebrows, etc. He licks my legs when I emerge from the shower. He also eats just about anything he finds that will fit in his mouth. His favorite thing is tissue paper he finds in the trash and I’ve gotten really paranoid about that since I started using this nasal spray which contains a steroid (for allergies). So… those tissues go in the tall trash can! Cause I don’t know what happens to a pug on steroids, but would rather not find out for his sake and for ours.