It's Hard To Be Good When It's This Hot

Last night I chewed Sasha's favorite toy (I'd show you pictures if Mom had rememebred to take her camera to work to get the pictures off of it) and then today I got into the trash (really wish I hadn't done that, there wasn't anything good). It's too hot. I think Mom and Dad shoudl bring my swimming pool in the house and set it up. Mom says no way! I don't understand why though. Dad was talking about watering the yard this weekend to try to make it so the dust isn't so bad for the bbq. I'm hoping that means he'll set up the sprinkler so I can have fun like Sparky did. He looks like he was having so much fun!
I decided to do the meme thing today because it's too hot to come up with anything exciting to talk about, mostly because nothting exciting has happened because it's too hot.

1. Your age? appx. 3 years and 4 months

2. Your age when came to live with your people? 1 year and 4 months (I just hit 2 years with my family! WOOHOO!)

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? florecent orange with green camo spots

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? Grandma, Grandma & Grandpa Cheese, Aunt Cassie, the neighbors that play fetch with me a lot, my camping buddies - it's hard to just pick one.

5. How much do you weigh? A lady doesn't tell her weight! It's somewhere around 60-70 pounds.

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? The only thing I chew up (besides chewies) are Mom's pens

7. Do you like other Dogs? As long as they are being nice and not threatening my family.

8. Who is your best non-human friend? Sasha (my sister), Corra (my friend), Bailey (my cousin) and Scout (my hunting buddy, but as soon as he starts trying to hump me, I don't like him until he starts being good again)

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? I have to choose between one of those? I guess it's tennis balls because I'm a fetching freak! Squeaky toys are a very close second.


10. Do you like to be brushed? Nope


11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? MAN! Once again I have to choose between 2 of my favorite things. I think I like cheese more, but once again peanut better is a very close second

12. Do your people cut your toenails? Yeah, but if possible they take me to the place where Sasha gets her haircuts.

13. Any formal education? Nope, I learned everything I know on my own or from my Mom and Dad

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Definately Energizer Bunny

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Black Dog, Big Dog, Butthead (meant in a loving way of course), Silly Girl, Huntin' Dog

16. What is your best trick? Mom says my roll over is pretty great, Dad likes my jump for kisses without touching him, but I have to say my best trick is to speak to go outside. hehehehe Dad taught me that before he went hunting last year and it's annoyed Mom ever since.

17. Do you like kitties? I like my cat brother and as long as the cat isn't doing anything bad or threating then they're okay. There's a mean grey cat in our neighborhood that's REALLY mean and wild. Mom LOVES cats and she hates that cat so that says a bunch!

18. What did you have for breakfast? My Dry Food


19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? I've never killed anything, but I'm really good at flushing birds and rabbits for others. I once flushed a deer!! I also don't fetch dead animals, they taste too yucky! Sasha is the one that kills last year she got 3 finches and a squirrel and then carried them to the house for Mom.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? A year ago for my shots

21. Where do you sleep at night? I start off on the bed with Mom until Dad is ready for bed, then I get in my bed on the floor right below Dad.


22. Do you like to swim? The answer to this questions is a HUGE YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

23. Can you make puppies? No

24. Your favorite place to visit? Grandma's, Grandma & Grandpa Cheese's house and camping places with water nearby

25. Do you give kisses? Yes. Mom says I give the bestest hugs and kisses ever!

26. Can you potty on command? Yes, but I don't.

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? If my Mom and Dad would buy me one then I think I would say to cuz, but right now it's not to cuz.

If you'd like to play, copy the questions, paste them onto your blog and tell us all about YOU!!

Have a great weekend everybody (especially by boyfriend Flash)! I'll be busy getting ready for the party and hopefully playing in my swimming pool.

Too Hot

I don't have a good excuse for not blogging this week. The excuse I have is that it's too hot. It's too had to do anything but lay on the couch under the airconditioner vent or in the bedroom under the air conditioner vent on the hardwood floor. I have to be really careful when I'm out because I'm black which means I get hot faster. The good thing is, Mom has been squirting me with the house which means tons of fun (if she could figure out how to do it without getting the camera soaking wet, she'd get a picture because she says I'm hilarious) and if I get squirted with the water, I don't get as hot so I can stay out and play more.
Mom is dong pretty good. Her job is stressing her out, but health wise she's feeling better and her incisions are healing up pretty good. Once the stitches start dissolving she'll be able to do more. Gunnar is pretty much better, too. I'm mad at him though for stressing Mom out so bad. All weekend he kept being mean to Mom even though she was trying to help. I told him off a couple of times and spent lots of time playing with Mom and sleeping under the air conditioner vents. He's still taking medicine, but the house doesn't stink anymore and he's going to the litter box instead of wherever he sits. This morning Gunnar finally let Mom scratch him and give him hugs and kisses. I think he figured out he better be nice to Mom again because she's the one that usually feeds him and if he misses a meal, we all suffer!Hopefully once it cools down he'll curl up with Mom at night.
This weekend I am going to be really really busy. We're having a party for the 4th of July at my house and we need to get the house cleaned and the backyard cleaned up so everybody can come see me! There's going to be lots of people here. The neighbor kids are coming, the kids I go camping with are coming, some of my favorite adults are going to be there, too. Mom and Dad even invited the new neighbors. I'm not too sure about them yet because they don't have any kids to play fetch with me and they don't have any dogs to play with me. They seem nice. They also have a hot tub in their yard. Mom says it will be filled with warm water once they get everything hooked up for it. Right now warm water doesn't sound so good, but in the winter that will be fun to play in the water and not get cold. I wonder if they'll let me play in their hot tub. Have any of you ever played in a hot tub before? Mom said while we're working hard in our yard this weekend, she'll put water in my pool again so I can cool off while we're working. My Mom's so nice! Hopefully Mom will have pictures of all the fun I'll be having during the bbq. There's going to be tons of food and lots of little kids to give me food. WOOHOO!! I love having the kids around. Mom said she'd try to find the squirt guns and we'll fill my pool so the kids can have a water fight (the guns are tiny so nobody gets soaking wet). I hope they squirt me lots! I can't wait for the kids to come!!!!! I really need to talk to Mom and Dad about getting me some kids to play with. If anybody has any advice on how to talk Mom and Dad into this, let me know. I'm very jealous of all of you that have kids.
I'm going to read some blogs now and then go back to the air conditioner vent. Mom didn't come home for lunch today to let us out because she's really busy trying to get caught up and I don't care that she didn't come home because it's too hot outside anyway. When she comes home after work, hopefully it will be cooler. OH!!!! Mom said that she's taking the 5th and 6th off from work to take a break. That means 5 whole days Mom will be home with me!!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!
Okay, now I really need to go read some blogs and go take a nap under the air conditioner. I am soooooo glad Mom and Dad leave the air conditioner running for us all day.
PS Hi Flash!!!! I got your message about not feeding cats kibble and Mom said before I joined the family they found out Gunnar can't digest the wet food properly. I'm glad I wasn't here for that. The good thing is, Gunnar drinks a lot of water (especially when he's sick which Mom thinks is weird). Mom is still going to keep an eye on him with this new food and do some research on some other foods for him. Mom thought about trying wet food again, but we jsut got the house to not smell again, I think she should wait. Mom's pretty sure it wasn't the food he eats that caused this but, because he eats Sasha's food. Sasha doesn't always eat when she's supposed to and then Gunnar comes and eats her food. Now, Sasha has to eat when it's put out or they put it away and she has to wait until the next meal. Sasha's learning fast to eat when she's supposed to or she has to wait a long time. Okay, I'm going now. Gotta go get caught up on reading blogs so I can be ready for Flash Friday!

Gunnar

Mom is feeling very guilty today because Gunnar had to go to the vet this morning. Last night he was acting even weirder. He was hissing at me for no reason at all. Dad went to get after him for hissing for now reason and Mom yelled "NO there's something wrong, look at him!" He was really really stiff and stood still and then Dad picked him up and he sat on Dad's lap for a long time. Dad went to take a shower and Gunnar went and hid under the dining room table and any time Mom got near him he hissed and walked away from her. I comforted Mom and told her it was okay. She was upset because the rest of us go to Mom when we don't feel good or are hurt and Gunnar was pulling away. We all went to bed pretty late and then Gunnar came in a layed on Mom's feet and Mom spent all night feeling to make sure he was okay. This morning Mom got up early and then worried until she could finally call the vet at 7:30. They wanted Mom to bring him it at 2:45 this morning until she told them he hadn't peed for at least 8 hours and they said to bring him earlier and they'd work him in. Gunnar had been sitting on Dad's lap for awhile and Mom told the lady one of his symptoms was that he was cuddling. I thought it was funny for a symptom to be something I do a bunch. Gunnar got off Dad's lap and he had peed on Dad!!! and guess what! Dad didn't get mad!!! There was a little white spot on the shorts and Dad put it in a baggy to take with them and then Gunnar went in the computer room and kept peeing everywhere. After about 25 minutes Mom told Dad it was time to go. She couldn't take it any longer. Gunnar ended up scratchng Dad because he didn't want to go in the carrier and then you should have heard him yowl once he was outside. Gunnar is terrified to go outside and he was going to let the entire neighborhood know it.
At the vets office they got him in really quick and then Gunnar said that the doctor kept squeezing his bladder and said he was going to stick a needle in him to get a urine sample and Gunnar said no way and pee-ed all over the exam table. He said he volunteered a urine sample so they wouldn't poke him with a needle. Makes sense to me! They ran some tests and he had crystals which means he has to take some nasty medicine that he makes funny faces while he's eating and he has to eat a special kind of food that's kind of expensive. Mom and Dad left the baby gate down the blocks me from going into the litter box and threatened me with no fetch for a week if I got in there!! Gunnar is the one that is peeing all over the house and I'm the one being told to be good?!?!?!?!
Mom told Sasha she better thank Gunnar for getting sick because she was supposed to get a haircut and her shots with that $100 she spent on him. Next month she better watch out though.
Mom feels guilty because she mistook his bad attitude for grumpiness about the bathtub instead of him being sick. She also feels guilty because while she's been getting better, she thinks we've been neglected and that's why Gunnar got sick. She realized last night that his litter box hasn't been cleaned for quit awhile and Mom is very picky about the length of time a litter box goes without being cleaned. I told Mom this isn't her fault at all. If she hadn't had the surgery then she would get even sicker and then she would have been in really bad shape and wouldn't be able to take care of us at all. I plan on spending the weekend making sure she gets lots of love. I home Mom stops and picks up some airfresheners before she comes home, too because the house smells bad, especially this room. I'm going to go in the bathroom now and figure out how to get up in the window for some fresh air now. Gunnar does it all the time, surely I'll figure it out, too.
Have a great weekend everybody!

Don't Push The Cat Into The Bathtub

Trust me on this. No matter how tempting it is or how much fun it is, DO NOT push him in!!! Last night was bath night. Sasha always goes first because she's the smallest and so there was hardly any water in the tub because she's little. Well, Gunnar got up on the edge of the tub to look in and Mom nudged him (yes, Mom is the one that did it! She's feeling very mischievous now that she's feeling good)and at first he didn't do anything, but then he sort of looked like he jumped in on his own, but he says he lost his balance. He was only in the water a few seconds and he left cussing. Mom and Dad laughed. Sasha got her bath and then she got out and then it was my turn. After the baths, Mom's grandma called and Gunnar climbed up on the couch and layed right behind Mom's head and meowed every time she hit him with her ponytail. Mom's grandma asked what was going on and she thought it was funny, too. When it was time for bed, Gunnar got mad because we kicked him off the bed (it was hot and we had to take some of the blankets off - I'm very helpful at taking the blankets off the bed). Gunnar hissed at Dad on his way out of the bedroom. Dad followed him into the living room and asked him what his problem was and Gunnar glared at Dad. Dad laughed and came to bed. This morning Gunnar wanted to cuddle, but he also didn't want anybody to think he wasn't in a bad mood anymore so he cuddled, but he glared and refused to purr and didn't stay very long. I think it's hilarious, especially since I had no involvement what so ever!
It's really hot today. Dad is home working on the Big Jeep so we can go camping soon. Since he's home and working out in the heat he turned the air conditioner on high and turned the big ceiling fan on so he can come in and cool off when ever he needs to. It feels really good in here. I'm not upset about having to stay inside while he's out there working on my Jeep - I mean "the" Jeep. Mom told us she was very jealous of us.
Mom is doing lots better. She's ready for the stitches inside to start dissolving. The doctor they will after 5 weeks and she's only at 2 1/2 right now. She said if the stitches were gone, she'd be able to do more, but the stitches won't let her bend over very far or very long and she has trouble moving because the stitches pull and hurt. Once the stitches start dissolving you might not here from me for a week. She said she's ready to have fun and get out of the house. That means I get to go too (hopefully) and then it will take a couple days for me to recover from all the fun. Mom is really upset with her job, especially since she's so far behind so once the stitches are dissolved enough for her to move okay, I'm going to make sure she's not so stressed out anymore. I'm still going to find a job she can do from home, too. If any of you have any ideas, please let me know.
I'm going to go lay under the ceiling fan now. I can't believe how hot it is! I hope Dad gets my Jeep fixed soon so we can go up into the mountains to play in the nice cool creeks.

I Miss Mom & Details On Grandma Cheese

Mom went back to work yesterday. She said she overdid it though so she's not going in for as long today. I was getting annoyed with her always wanting to talk to me while I was trying to sleep. Now I miss her though. I like having someone home most of the day.
Okay, now the details on my Grandma Cheese. That's just her nickname of course. Grandma Cheese is my Aunt Cassie's Mom. Mom and Aunt Cassie have been best friends since they were in kindergarten (that's around 22 years they've been friends!!!). My mom's mom has never been real nice to my mom (she's the woman that says labs are one of the dumbest breeds)and so Aunt Cassie's Mom and Dad adopted my mom which makes them my Grandma & Grandpa. During the fall we go out to their house for pheasant hunting and while we're there Grandma loves giving us cheese and we love eating cheese!!! When we go out to visit, they make sure they have plenty of cheese for us and when Mom and Dad aren't looking, we get lots of cheese and a little when they are looking. So, that's why Dad nicknamed them Grandma and Grandpa Cheese. I love them lots. They're really nice and love spoiling their grandkids. I didn't get to see Grandma Cheese this weekend, but Grandpa Cheese came over so Dad could fix his car and Sasha and I went out to greet him when he got here. He was really happy to see us.
I'm still trying to get caught up on reading everybody else's posts. It's taking forever on this computer. I'm also trying to find Mom a job she can do from home. She said the other day that she wished she felt better so she could go fill my swimming pool for me.
Mom should be home for lunch pretty soon so I better go watch for her.

Exhausted

Taking care of Mom is really hard. She's bored so she wants to talk to us. I wish she could go outside on her own so she could go talk to her plants instead. Dad doesn't want her out in the yard by herself yet though. Luckily he was home yesterday so I coudl get some sleep. Mom has been on our home computer a little bit and has been complaining about how slow it is. DUH! Why does she think I always have to have her take my pictures to work and upload them there when I want to post a bunch. Sheesh! Mom also decided she is going to start working harder to get a laptop because she doesn't like the computer room or how Dad has the computer set up.
I'm still trying to get caught up on reading all of your blogs. It takes awhile on the computer, especially after Mom has warn it out after checking her email and doing stuff on it for herself. She is thinking about going back to work on Monday so she can get caught up a little and so she can read her email faster. She can't go upstairs yet and that's where her office is, but another lady is on vacation right now so she can borrow her desk.
Today is Grandma Cheese' birthday and she's supposed to be in town so I hope she comes to visit me! I'll tell you about my grandma cheese later. Someone asked if she's made out of cheese. She's not, she just loves feeding Sasha and I cheese and of course we love when she does that!
There's sounds coming from the new neighbor's house so I have to go check them out now and then hopefully Mom will be ready for another nap.
Have a good weekend everybody!

Update On Mom

Thank you everybody for thinking about Mom and sending her good wishes. Surgery didn't go the way it was planned. Mom was a bunch sicker than everybody thought or that Mom was letting on. The doctor said she had to have been sick for at least 2 years, probably more. The 45 minute surgery ended up taking almost 2 hours AND she had to stay the night! I'm being really careful around her trying not to bump her, but her tummy smells funny and I keep trying to lick it. She's really really sore, but today is much better. She can't go back to work for awhile longer (WOOHOO!) and she still sits a lot. Now that I can get up on the couch, I let her scratch my ears to pass the time. I still can't get up in the bed for a morning snuggle though.
My AO4 training is really paying off, too. The house next door to us was finally sold and the new neighbors moved in the day Mom came home and so I have to get used to the new noises and new people. If I'm in the house and I hear a noise outside, I use my AO4 "woowooowooo" to warn everybody outside that this house is protected. Every time I do the "woowooowooo" Mom laughs and Dad asks why I'm doing that. Obviously they know nothing about home protection! Good thing I'm here!
The night Mom had to stay at the hospital, Dad stayed with her. Good thing, too because Mom had a really rough night. They gave her a BUNCH of liquids through her IV during surgery so she had to pee every hour all night long. The next morning Grandma came and let us out and Aunt Cassie came by at lucnh to let us out, but they wouldn't tell us anything about Mom. That's because Mom wasn't released until after lunch so they didn't know anything. That night and the next night, we locked Mom in the bedroom by herself so nobody would accidently bump her and hurt her. The first night was a little rough, but the next night she slept all night so then we all moved back in the bedroom and slept in our own beds. WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! I can't wait until we get to do our morning snuggles again!
Mom can do almost everything on her own, but we still have to keep an eye on her and Dad has to help her out of bed in the morning. She can't bend over which means even though she's up walking around and feeling better she can't get the chewies out of the can. I'm going to have to remind Dad to get them out before he leaves for work if he goes to work tomorrow. Dad also won't let Mom take a shower if nobody is home. Mom understands, but she's still trying to get the tape residue and yellow iodine stuff on of her so she wants about 3 showers a day. (Another reason she's crazy! 3 baths in 1 day, I complain if I have 1 every 3 months!) Today she says her cuts itch really bad which means they're healing.
She goes back to the doctor next week so she can get released to go back to work. I think she likes being at home though. I know we really like having her home all day, although it does cut into our normal day of sleeping.
It sounds like she's waking up from her nap, so I better go check on her. Thanks again everybody and hopefully now that I've rested up and I don't have to keep such a close eye on her anymore, I'll get back to posting more. I'll try getting caught up on everybody's blogs now. I have almost a week to catch up on everybody though!!!