Today Show Covers Canine Osteosarcoma!

One of the reporters, Jill Rappaport, has a German Shepard who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the same leg as Finnegan. Jack received basically the same treatment as Finny and appears to be doing well. If you want to see the segment, please go here.

Charles Has A Licking Problem

This made my morning!

Day 1 of the National Dog Food Taste Test - Innova - Evo

What's this? Food? In my bowl? Okay, I'll eat it. Munch munch munch. Ahhhhhh....

The consistency is more moist than my previous dog food brand, which is nice. It tastes good (Editor's note: based on the fact he gobbled it up leaving no crumbs or specks of the food in his bowl). So far, no dogbursts (hugely knocking on wood) and no gaseous fumes emitting from my posterior end.

This could be a winner!!!

And the new cat litter smells nice, if cat litter can smell nice, and looks a lot softer than the regular clumping brand. If I had to relieve myself in a box on granular materials and barefoot, I think I would prefer something soft like Swheat rather than the chemical hard clumping litter.

Oh the excitement in our lives! Dog food! Cat food! Kitty litter! I know, I know, my life rivals Lindsay Lohan. Please don't be too jealous.

Mocha the Hamster Eating Broccoli

This is so cute it's almost too much! This is especially for my little friend, Fufu.

Just When I Thought I Was Doing the Right Thing...

*Update: I found out Innova Evo dry food has their own manufacturing facility. PHEW!

Natura, who makes Innova Evo, uses Menu Foods (thanks for the info, Wally). Excuse my language but SON OF A BITCH! How many dog food producers use Menu Foods? This is totally absurd!

Grrrrrrrrrrr

Hippy Chick Update

This morning I woke up extra early (ok, for me, not the rest of the world) and went to a specialty animal companion store (pet store) to purchase and order new types of food for the critters. The woman I spoke with was very knowledgeable but very opinionated AND SPOKE REALLY REALLY LOUD! At least it was loud for me at eight in the morning with absolutely no caffeine in my system. I'm not a morning person by any sense of the imagination. My morning ritual involves my husband quietly getting out of bed, taking care of the critters' routine, and finally quietly waking me. Screaming Banshee might be an appropriate descriptor of me being awoken suddenly in the morning. It ain't pretty.

So, Very Knowledgeable Dog Food Lady suggested another food with which I was not familiar. I explained that Finny was almost seven and had/has osteosarcoma. She informed me that a non-grain/low grain food is good for dogs with cancer so I purchased Innova-Evo with like 500 different types of MEATY MEAT JUICY MEAT in it. Finnegan is totally going to dig the Atkin's Diet. In addition to the very MEATY MEAT JUICY MEAT food, I also purchased Canidae Lamb and Rice to see how he would like that. She was not as enthusiastic about that food but tough. She does not have to experience his stinky farts in the middle of Criminal Minds.

Tonight we will conduct a very scientific taste test where I will blindfold Finny and ask him which one he prefers. Very much like the Coke and Pepsi advertisements from the 1980's. It will be sweet.

Speaking of sweet, in addition to ordering Felidae Platinum for the cats, I am also trying Swheat litter for the cats. First, it is flushable. Second, it is biodegradable. Third, it's called Swheat. Very reminiscent of Wayne's World and schwing. Because I am that mature.

Just you wait, next I will be putting patchouli on my critters and jamming out to the Dead with them. And yes, it will be schweet.

Mommy's on a Mission From Dog!

And Mommy adores the Blue's Brothers so make sure you say the title of this post in the appropriate Chicago accent! Ever since the recall, Mommy is on a mission to find good wholesome foods for the evil kitties and me. They are evil today because they got to sleep with Mommy during the thunderstorm and I didn't! Mommy said something about me not fitting in the bed with her because I like to stretch out, blah blah blah, size of a horse, blah blah blah. Whatever. It's not my fault that I am humongous.

Back to my story, Mommy is on a mission to find foods not made by Menu Foods and not filled with fillers and nasty nasty stuff I do not wish to discuss here. She has a few different foods in mind.

The first is Flint River. The only problem with that food is that she needs to order it and UPS delivers it. She knows dogs who have done really well on it so she might try that.

The second is Canidae/Felidae. Many other bloggy doggies have recommended that food to me. Tomorrow morning Mommy is going to specialty pet food store to check out their selection and see if she can get some samples.

The third is Wellness. Again, it looks pretty tasty and is not filled with crap that will make the kitties and my skin nasty, cause bloat, or do other hideous things to our digestive tract.

I think Mommy might be a little jealous of the fancy ingredients in the different brands of food. For example, several have salmon and sweet potatoes. Although Mommy doesn't eat meat (WHAT! That's just crazy talk!), she has, on occasion, sampled some fish when she feels the need for extra protein.

So this week, the kitties and I will be sampling fabulous delights and I will report back which ones we think are good enough for our delicate palates.

Sentimental and Sappy

*UPDATE: I'm feeling a little better now.

For some reason, I am feel quite sentimental, sappy, and melancholy. Every somewhat sad thing practically breaks my heart. Breeze's Mom sent us a photo of Breeze in her new doggy stroller. The chemotherapy has caused most of her hair to fall out. Although Breeze is doing pretty well, I almost started crying when I saw that photo. When I brought my husband to the airport for his flight to Chicago for a conference, I felt so down and I already miss him even though he will be back on Thursday.

And then this morning, I received an email from a group asking me to vote for a nice dog in a photo contest named Angel on Snobby Dogs because this particular dog had been in this contest several different times and hardly received any votes. Of course, I voted three times with three different emails. I don't even know the dog or the owner. If you want to vote for her (hint hint), her name is Angel and her mom is Rhonda. You might need to refresh the page to get the voting link.

Finnegan: Mommy really really wants people to vote for this dog, Angel. Pleasseeeeee!!!!

I think I need to go home at lunch and give all of my four (and three, sorry Finny) legged creatures big hugs.

Top Ten Reasons We Know Mr. Stinny Feels Better

10. He can pee without the assistance of a catheter!

9. He is purring like nobody's business.

8. He meows constantly to let us know he is back home and needs attention NOW.

7. He tries to get attention from his bicurious catfriend, Donald, yet fails because he smells like a veterinary office.

6. He races around the house for sport.

5. At 5:30 a.m., he demands to be fed.

4. At 5:45 a.m. he demands to be fed NOW.

3. At 6:00 a.m. he demands to be fed RIGHT NOW DAMMIT OR I'LL BIGHT YOUR NOSE OFF.

2. He carries around his busy bee toy and announces to the world that yes, he has hunted down this terrifying bee toy and all should bow down to the wonder that is his hunting ability.

And the number one reason we know Mr. Stinny feels better:

Despite being a neutered kitty, getting frisky with his Siamese girlfriend is just so necessary.

Pet Food Recall and Going Au Naturale

Fortunately, my furry children have not suffered the effects of the tainted pet food. We do feed our cats Eukanuba dry food and on one occasion a few weeks back, we gave them canned Eukanuba food as a treat. My brain is filled with too many pieces of useless information for me to remember exactly the type of food I purchased. But as I said, fortunately, we did not have to deal with poisoned food. Instead, we dealt with a blocked kitty.

As we have learned today, it appears rat poison might have been the culprit for the deaths of people's beloved pets. Initial reports indicate there are trace levels of aminopterin (rat poison) in the food. At this point, they are unable to confirm if this is the only contaminant. It appears the poison might have been in the wheat gluten contained in the pet food.

For a list of foods that were contaminated, please check here.

What I did not know about this was that all of these different pet foods come essentially from the same manufacturer. Call me naive, but I assumed each food manufacturer actually made their food. I thought Iams made Iams, Nutro made Nutro, and Eukanuba made Eukanuba. Perhaps they obtain the raw ingredients from Menu Foods and then they formulate the food into their own tasty morsels my critters enjoy gobbling up so much. Either way, it seems to be an odd practice.

My husband and I tend to eat as much organic and natural foods as possible. We do not eat meat and we refrain (usually) from eating processed food. Now I wonder: should I be doing the same with my critters? Certainly, I want them to be healthy and free of unnecessary chemicals; however, my creatures love their Eukanuba. Shrimpycat lifts her nose up to anything but this delectable goodness. Mr. Stinny really has no choice other than his pee pee food (Hill's Prescription S/D and Purina U/R). Finnegan, oh Finnegan. If he has the smallest taste of any food other than Iams Lamb and Rice, he experiences our favorite dogbursts. Finally, Donald and Lilly will eat nearly anything so they could be persuaded to slip on some Birkenstocks, roll in some patchouli, and dig into some groovy natural food.

I know when we have two-legged children, we will want to refrain from the processed neon-colored food that lines the grocery shelves and draws children in with their favorite cartoon du jour. As I'm sure you have realized, we love our non-human children tremendously. And of course, we do what is best for them. So now I am thinking, perhaps now is the time to begin "walk the talk" by switching them over to natural food so they too can reap the benefits of our natural hippy lifestyle.

Peace.

Guess Who Is Coming Home for Dinner?

That's right. Mr. Stinny. Uh huh. He's going to party like it's his birthday.

*Envision Mr. Stinny doing a happy dance*

Mr. Stinny Update

The veterinary office called and Mr. Stinny's urinalysis showed struvite crystals in his urine. This means he will be on Hill's Prescription Diet S/D for four weeks and then Purina U/R. He must stay at the veterinary's office until Thursday. Tomorrow, they will remove his urinary catheter to make sure he does not have another blockage and that he can, well, let the pee flow free. Poor little man. We just love him so much and are looking forward to having him back home. Perhaps we will throw him a welcome home party. In case you did not notice, his eyes look different because he is blind. He was hit by a car, came into the vet clinic where I worked without an owner, and of course, I fell in love with him and took him home. Mr. Stinny ROCKS!

If you want more information on Feline Urethral Blockage, please check out here.

100 Films AKA On Hold Forever

From Emma via Eden

Here are 100 films spanning nearly 100 years. Mark them as PARTLY (if you’ve seen parts but not enough to say “yeah, I’ve seen that”), SEEN (feel free to add +/- for liked/didn’t like it), FAVE (would watch it repeatedly) or QUEUED (if you would like to or intend to see it, via Netflix for example).
1. Broken Blossoms
2. Metropolis
3. The Phantom of the Opera
4. Un Chien Andalou
5. Nosferatu
6. The Passion of Joan of Arc
7. Pandora’s Box
8. Modern Times
9. It Happened One Night SEEN
10. Gone With the Wind PARTLY
11. The Adventures of Robin Hood
12. Wuthering Heights SEEN
13. Freaks
14. Casablanca QUEUED
15. Citizen Kane SEEN
16. Rebecca
17. Kind Hearts & Coronets
18. The Philadelphia Story QUEUED
19. Double Indemnity
20. The Heiress
21. The Magnificent Ambersons
22. Arsenic & Old Lace
23. Rear Window SEEN
24. 12 Angry Men QUEUED
25. Sunset Boulevard QUEUED
26. Touch of Evil
27. Singin’ In The Rain SEEN
28. Some Like It Hot
29. On The Waterfront SEEN
30. The Night of the Hunter
31. The African Queen SEEN
32. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb QUEUED
33. Psycho PARTLY
34. Lawrence of Arabia
35. To Kill A Mockingbird SEEN
36. Mary Poppins SEEN
37. The Manchurian Candidate
38. Judgment at Nuremberg
39. 8 1/2
40. The Graduate FAVE
41. A Man For All Seasons
42. The Hustler
43. The Innocents SEEN
44. The Godfather FAVE
45. Five Easy Pieces
46. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest FAVE
47. Taxi Driver SEEN
48. Monty Python & The Holy Grail SEEN
49. Alien SEEN
50. A Clockwork Orange SEEN
51. The Sting QUEUED
52. Jaws SEEN
53. Annie Hall FAVE
54. Patton
55. The Exorcist
56. Harold & Maude QUEUED
57. Young Frankenstein SEEN
58. Network SEEN
59. All The President’s Men QUEUED
60. The Last Picture Show SEEN
61. Barry Lyndon
62. The French Connection PARTLY
63. Rocky SEEN
64. M*A*S*H* SEEN
65. Halloween SEEN
66. Das Boot
67. Amadeus SEEN
68. The Elephant Man PARTLY
69. Blade Runner SEEN
70. The Princess Bride FAVE
71. Platoon SEEN
72. Body Heat SEEN
73. Die Hard SEEN
74. Scarface
75. Brazil SEEN
76. Henry V SEEN
77. This Is Spinal Tap SEEN
78. Say Anything FAVE
79. The Last Emperor FAVE
80. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off FAVE
81. Pulp Fiction FAVE
82. The Usual Suspects SEEN
83. The Age of Innocence SEEN
84. Goodfellas SEEN
85. Groundhog Day SEEN
86. Leaving Las Vegas SEEN
87. Fight Club SEEN
88. American Beauty SEEN
89. Trainspotting SEEN
90. The Nightmare Before Christmas
91. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind QUEUED
92. The Pianist QUEUED
93. A Beautiful Mind SEEN
94. Million Dollar Baby SEEN
95. Kill Bill QUEUED
96. Children of Men
97. United 93
98. Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
99. Little Miss Sunshine FAVE
100. Casino Royale

Mr. Stinny Needs Good Thoughts

*Update: The veterinarian unblocked Mr. Stinny last night. He will be at the veterinary hospital the next couple of days to make sure he stays unblocked. Continue to think good thoughts for our little buddy!

We had to bring our sweet blind kitty, Mr. Stinny, to the veterinary emergency room tonight. He has had urinary tract infections in the past but unfortunately, he became blocked very quickly. Hopefully, the veterinary will be able to unblock him and he will make a smooth recovery. Nonetheless, please pray, meditate, think good thoughts, whatever that Mr. Stinny will get through this with no problems. We all love him very very much!

Especially Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Today I have an extra reason to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Of course, it is exciting because I am the ultimate Irish dog and look handsome with an empty can of Guinness around my neck! BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

I went to my yearly vet appointment to get examined and have my vaccine. Everything except the nasty weather was perfect! I got into the car by myself! Mommy did not need to shove, prod, poke, or bribe to get me into the car. When I arrived at the clinic, my favorite veterinary technician commented on how great I looked and how beautiful my coat was. Oh yeah, Justin Timberlake thinks he brings sexy back. He's wrong. It's me.

Next, my favorite veterinary technician weighed me and I gain almost FIVE POUNDS! Woohoo!

The other technician brought me in the exam room and I cooperated while they put a thermometer in my posterior end. YIKES! After a little wait, the veterinarian came in and talked to mommy. I had to wait. And wait. And wait before she finally looked at me! Mommy and my vet are friends and very chatty. *Yawn*

Once Mommy and the vet realized the point of the visit was ME, she did a thorough examination and listened to every single centimeter of my lungs. And guess what, my lungs sounded PERFECT! My heart sounded good too. Whoohoo! Next, she palpated my abdomen very thoroughly to look for any enlarged lymph nodes. Did she find any? No! Instead, all of that poking and prodding resulted in a few burps, the hiccups, and a couple of choice farts. HA! Serves them right! We ended this rendez-vous with a quick injection and away we went.

So folks, please join me in a week long party! I will be serving Bailey's Irish Cream, Guinness, and all sorts of goodies.

FINNEGAN IS BACK AND BADDER THAN EVER!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!!!

A Reader's List

This is from Emma via Eden and I also saw it on Jen and Tonic

Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and can’t stop, and leave blank those you don’t care to read.
Note: Eden added “STARTED” to the list of choices.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) READ
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) READ
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) READ
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) STARTED
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) READ
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) WANT TO
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) READ
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) READ
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) READ
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) WANT TO
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) WANT TO
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) WANT TO
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) READ
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) READ
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) READ
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) READ
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) READ
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) READ
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb) READ
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) WANT TO
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) READ
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) AGAIN AND AGAIN
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) READ
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) READ
45. The Bible READ
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) READ
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) READ
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) READ
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) READ
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) READ
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) STARTED
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) STARTED
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) WANT TO
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) STARTED
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) READ
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) READ
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) READ
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) READ
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) READ
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) WANT TO
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) READ

I am really well-read, I promise.

Handicapped Cat

Because I have a three legged dog and a blind cat, I am always interested in stories and information about disabled animals. Today I received an email from Handicapped Pets about a video of a disabled cat who had a special wheelchair built for her. It is wonderful and amazing how animals can adapt to their disability and thrive. Hopefully this little sweetie will enjoy her new freedom!

Pre-Surgery Photo Spread

Help Out Dogs in Dubai

Recently, my husband and I stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast in New York State. The owners lived in Oman (I believe) for some time and returned to the United States with these two amazing dogs. Unfortunately in that part of the world, there are a lot of wild homeless dogs. I fell in love with the girls because they reminded me a lot of Finnegan. They had many characteristics of a sight hound; they were gentle, graceful, and intelligent. I cannot stop thinking about these fantastic dogs and so I did a little research about dogs in Oman and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There is a dog rescue organization called K9 Friends that has been rescuing dogs for some time. Most recently, they have lost the lease on their kennel and their rescues will be without a home if something is not done quickly. I realize there are many dogs in the United States without homes and we should focus our attention here; however, I feel that we are a global community and we need to think past our borders for all creatures. If you are interested in helping, please check out their website. Plus, if you have any ideas, let me know what you are thinking!

*The picture is of Betsy, an example of one of the many beautiful dogs who needs rescuing.

A Visit to the Veterinarian

Not that we have been to veterinary 4,762 times in the last year or anything, but Finny is due for his yearly check-up and vaccines this Friday. I am already biting my nails in anticipation of hearing bad news or learning I have not been caring for Finny as I should be. Overall, he seems to be doing fairly well. He eats like a hog, his hair looks awesome (finally), and he wants to go for walks. I continue to worry about his strength in his rear legs but honestly, he has always had skinny twiggy legs. A champion Irish Wolfhound Finnegan does not make. Of course I already knew that.

The problem with going to the veterinarian is that it is tiring for both of us. Typically, I struggle to get him into the Subaru and he stresses out because I am stressing out and he's panting and I'm panting and we are both a mess by the time we arrive. I end up wearing more Finnegan hair than he does. I think we both need Valium before we go. Once we get there, we typically must wait because my vet is very busy and I am usually early. Finnegan refuses to relax and instead stands over me as I sit in the lobby. And pants. And drools. Once the technician calls his name, I have to encourage him to follow her and then convince him the scale is a Safe Space where he can feel comfortable and accepted for who he is. Like his mother, he cheats when he gets on the scale and usually keeps one back foot off. So of course, the weight bounces between 100 and 175 pounds. This time I might actually have foresight and bring a treat with me to keep him still and on the scale.

After the scale ordeal, we are parked in an exam room more suited for your ordinary variety of canine rather than a baby camel. After violating Finny with a thermometer, the tech leaves us and again, Finnegan feels the need to practically crawl on my lap. This is after he lavishes the tech with wet kisses because what is not more enjoyable than taking one's temperature rectally. Finally, the moment of truth, the veterinarian comes in for the examination and dreaded vaccines. Again, Finny is thrilled to greet someone "new" and he wags tail against me causing bruises about my head and neck.

The examination is thorough and the injections painless. We finally get to leave and pay yet another vet bill (this one is much smaller compared to the other cancer treatment). Again, we struggle back to into the car and drive home, relieved that another appointment is complete and we can both drink a lot of water, or beer, and lay on the living room carpet together, panting, and glad to be at home.

My Visual DNA

Thanks to Emma for this. Pretty cool!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Finding a Great Pet Sitter

Every once and a while, Mummy and Daddy think it is perfectly acceptable to go away for a weekend, or even a whole week(!), and leave the kitties and me at home. I know Mummy and Daddy are sad to leave us but they are not so sad that they stay at home. Go figure. The five of us miss our humans when they leave and we are ecstatic when they return. Mummy is afraid I am going to break my tail from wagging it so hard. The kitties smother them with love when they go to bed at night. It's like a purring festival with happy feet galore.

It's not all bad when they leave us. Because Mummy lived in a different city while she attended graduate school, Daddy would travel every other weekend to see Mummy and he would leave the kitties at home with a pet sitter. I was with Mummy so I did not need to be left with a pet sitter. Ha! HA! I am the favorite. Daddy would ask students to watch us and he had a few regulars who loved animals and did not mind the extra cash in their pocket. Some were better than others but most did a fine job.

Most recently, Mummy and Daddy struck gold when they found our present pet sitter. She had been a student of Daddy's and she has two boys who help her take care of us. They spend a lot of time at the house, take me for walks, play with all of us, and give us the love we demand. Yes, demand. The boys are gentle with us and as Mummy learned last night they truly love us. Again, Mummy and Daddy are going for an overnight in the next few weeks and they needed the pet sitter to come pick up the key. Ms. Pet Sitter and one of the boys came last night and I greeted them at the door. Ms. Pet Sitter told Mummy that her boy wanted to meet Mummy and Daddy but I think he really wanted to see me. I know Mummy felt good about leaving us in the able hands of the pet sitter when the young boy starting petting my head and said: "Hey Buddy! I've missed you."

Mummy and Daddy can now go on their trip knowing that we will be safe and will get the love we deserve.

Throwing in the Weight Loss Towel

Typically, I do not like to discuss my fight with my weight. It's boring, overdone, and not really anybody's problem but mine. I am the one who selects what I will eat. I am the one who decides whether I will run, go to the gym, or sit on my ass and watch mindless television. It is my problem. Lately, I have become more frustrated with my weight "problem". For the last two weeks, Prof. H. and I have been making healthy meals, eating healthy snacks, and trying to run when it is not so cold that breathing in the cold air results in lungsicles. And yes, I realize two weeks is not enough time to see results but COME ON! Prof. H. has lost five pounds and counting since we started! Me? Barely a change on the crusty old scale.

I just have to keep plugging away. Maybe it will take me a month to lose 5 pounds. However, if Prof. H. keeps losing weight the way his is, I might have to crush him with my, em, girth.

I promise, no more weight talk. Unless it has to do with Finnegan's weight and me systematically starving him. By the way, does anyone else have a dog that loves broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower? Finnegan waits in the kitchen for me to cut vegetables so he can get the scraps. So weird.

Letter to Mommy

Dear Mummy,

We need to talk. If you may recall, I have only three legs. Three. Not four. I do not have any to spare. Seriously. I am NOT kidding. Yes, there is that famous dog who can walk on two legs. Okay, fine, that would be pretty cool. Wait a minute, if I walked on two back legs, I could totally reach food on the top shelves of the cupboard. Hmmm.

What was I talking about? Right, my leg situation. I realize you are trying to be nice and help me out but DON'T CUT MY NAILS AGAIN. Please. Don't. I have black nails and well, that can result in some painful messy situations. Leave that job to the vet tech or groomer. I hate to beg so I will just stare at you while you are trying to watch TV or better yet, I will stand directly in front of the television until you submit to my wishes. My will is stronger than yours. Trust me on this one.

That is all. Oh yeah, get me a treat now please. I totally agree with that commenter on youtube and think you are clearly not feeding me enough treats. Hee hee.

Love,

Finny

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Just Another Lazy Sunday.. Who Ah Wo.. Wish It was Summer

That was a poor attempt at the Bangle's Manic Monday song. As usual, it is cold, snowy, and generally unpleasant outside. Because of this horrid weather system that results in deep heavy snow and icy conditions, I am protesting the weather by napping. All day. No exceptions. Unless Mummy wants to go for a walk, and then I will reconsider.

The humans are busier than me. Daddy is grading exams or papers. Poor Daddy's students. He teaches courses that are supposed to be in English but use words like benzenenitrideethyl-yawnihavenoideawhatanyofthismeans and ethylbethylpoopypants. Okay, maybe not but it is still hard and I cannot wrap my Irish Wolfhound brain around it.

Yesterday, Mummy had a tough day getting her hair cut and having a physical assessment. Then she and Daddy ran three miles. On purpose. Outside. So weird. Three must have been a theme yesterday because Mummy and Daddy went to see Zodiac, a three hour movie (almost). That was a total record for Mummy because she starts squriming after an hour and fifteen minutes. Her attention span is worse than Shrimpycat's, who has CADHD (Cat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). It might have something to do with her secret boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhall. Okay, I'm a boy dog and all but he is fairly scrumptious...

HEY! Mummy is transcribing my dictation and I did NOT say that. Geez!

Mummy and Daddy decided that because we live in a crack house (not really - we live in a nice neighborhood, and have a nice yard, and overall the house is fine, blah blah blah) and everything within the house was done assbackwards, they will have to tear down ALL the wallpaper and put up new wallpaper instead of painting. The house has unusual walls that do not allow for painting. So Mummy and Daddy are starting to look up wallpaper styles. Thanks to Dooce and her links, Mummy got some ideas of what she wanted. Of course, she only saw the pictures on the woofernet so they decided to take a trip to Lowes after running three miles and being all stinky. And they couldn't understand why anyone wanted to stand next to them. Go figure. Geniuses. At Lowes, they looked through the sample books. Unfortunately, Mummy could not get the exact style that she saw in the internet. So instead, she found The Look - Norwall and loves a lot of the patterns. Daddy, on the other hand, was not as excited about them. Too bad. Fortunately, Mummy knows the Wifey Mind Trick (similar to the Jedi Mind Trick) where she can get Daddy to do things without having to say too much (and no, don't think dirty thoughts). It's amazing to witness. It's much like watching the space shuttle take off for the first time.

Here is the exciting part: Mummy and Daddy are paying other people to do this work for them. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS???? New people to meet and sniff and pay attention to ME ME MEEEE!!!!!! I am overcome with excitement!

Finally, Mummy is really sad and disappointed that the judge granted the permanent injunction for smoking ban. It looks like a letter writing to the State Legislature is in order. *Sigh*