IZZI (& ROZI THE MALTESE PUPP¥IES

It's not the Souper Bowl :(

2012-02-06T17:41:00.000-05:00

Hey, I know what happened. I mean it's not like I'm blind and deaf, right? Just because I happen to live my life closer to the ground than those who walk around on two legs doesn't mean that I don't know what's going on in their world. My sister, Izzi, told me all about the Superbowl and I was very excited. Out of my skin excited. Jump on and off the couch like a madwoman excited.

Then, she explained to me a couple of things that dampened my excitement (although, thankfully, it did not go away altogether).

First of all, it was "Superbowl" as in "a bowl that is super" or something like that. And, not "Soup er bowl", which I thought it was and since there was a word in that that I understood (soup) and soup means food and food means that my belly gets full, I was wicked excited (Izzi tells me that those of us who live around here use that word, and it doesn't mean something bad like the wolves and witches that I've heard stories about). So, then I realized what everyone was talking about was NOT food. Since it wasn't about food, I didn't know what it was about (my entire life revolves around food: sniffing for it, eating it, taking it away from my sister, begging for it, looking for more of it, pretending earrings are edible...those sorts of things).

And, second, there was no real "bowl" in it, which is too bad because I thought we were going to get another dish along with our dry food and water. Maybe a dish of whipped cream? Or lamb treats? I couldn't wait, but then - like I said - Izzi explained that there was no real "bowl," which was disappointing, but since I have a very short attention spa ... hey where did that slipper come from...hold on, I need to attack it. Where was I? Oh, right, short attention span, I "let it go" pretty quickly.

But...

Izzi explained to me what it was all about and how there was maybe even going to be some extra food because it was some kind of special football game, I got exited. And, the more I thought about maybe having extra food because of football, the more excited I got about the Superbowl. And, so, I grabbed my little red football and ran around with it and then I would drop it and someone would throw it and I'd pretend that I was a football player and I would run after it and I would grab it and I would run and run and run with it and then I would drop it and it would be thrown again and I ran more and more. Whew! I was pretty tired after all that exercise and just wanted to take a nap. And, eat. But, it wasn't dinner time yet, so I just took a nap.

I always thought that I was maybe a "tight end" but my mama looked at me with the football and told me that I would make a good "line backer". I don't know what that is, but if my mama thinks I can do it, then I CAN DO IT. But, first, a nap.

And, then when I woke up it was dark outside I could hear that there was something strange and special going on in the house. I smelled smells that I never smelled before in my whole life. I think that there was something sweet cooking on the stove and there was also something sour. And, the strangest part was that I think they were mixing with each other and that was just wild!

And, so there was special food in the house and the football game started and I wasn't really planning on watching it. Mostly because I don't know the rules, but also because I heard that if I watch too much TV, I might get fat, and I like my slim figure, so I avoid TV mostly. Except for the Puppy Bowl, which I'm looking forward to when we all watch it soon.

And, then there was some new food and the football game and I was sitting on a lap so that I could be nice and toasty and then there was something that I think was crying and I felt bad so I started to lick faces of anyone who was crying, which was mostly just that one person.

And, then it was bed time and I had a full belly and I went right to sleep and forgot all about the Superbowl. But, Izzi told me that there is another one next year and I'm really excited except I don't know what "a year" is.

But, maybe next time, there will be soup.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf,
Rozi

My first snow!

2012-01-22T13:18:00.002-05:00

First of all, I want you to know that this is Rozi doing the dictation today. My sister, Izzi, is busy sleeping, so I snuck over and started to whisper some things to our scribe so that I could get my thoughts down before Izzi wakes up. She's a great sister, but sometimes she hogs all the words in this blog. I guess that's okay, since sometimes I hog all the food on our plates. But, every now and then, I like to tell people how I'm feeling about the world in general, and this is one of those days.

The first thing I want to talk about is the snow. I know that Izzi has had her thoughts about it put on this blog many times, but - then again - she's been through three winters now, and this is my first. I have to say that I absolutely love the snow!!!! The first time there was snow was a few months ago, and there was so much of it that sometimes the lights when out and it melted pretty quick any way and so what with the lights going off and the noise and cracking of branches in our yard, I didn't realize that "snow" was a thing.

But, then, last Tuesday the first snow of the year happened and I loved running around trying to eat it all before it hit the ground. I thought that someone was throwing lots and lots of food down from the sky, and I was so happy to eat it. It felt so good in my mouth and going down to my belly, but it didn't make me less hungry. But, I will say that it was fun to eat and I think that I lost a few milligrams of weight with all the running around. I suppose it's like when people eat celery: eating something takes more energy than the food adds to you, so it's a net loss. So - just thinking out loud now - if I kept eating snow, I would soon disappear, having lost all my body weight. So, it's a good thing that I stopped, I guess.

And, then, the other day there was even more snow. This time, I was in the house when it happened, so I didn't eat too much of it. But, I did like looking outside at all the white outside our house. It was so pretty.

And, then, someone (I think it was mama) left the door open! And, when no one was looking, I scooted outside and explored the snow, and I ate some more as it was coming down and I got a little wet. And, then I came back inside and no one knew that I'd been outside, so I didn't get into any trouble. Which could only mean one possible thing to do: try it again, but with more boldness.

So, I went out the door, and trotted around the house and came up on the porch in the back and when I did I could see my sister on the couch and because I blended in with the snow (I thought) I was invisible, so I didn't think anyone saw me. I was smiling (as much as a puppy can) because I was not only outside, but I was outside in the snow (!), and I was doing something that I wasn't supposed to be doing! So, it was like a triple header of joy for me. But, I wasn't as invisible as I thought that I was, so I got caught and brought into the house and before I knew it, the front door was closed and so I couldn't go outside any more by myself :(

But, that didn't mean that I was stuck in the house, because I got to go outside later in the day and run around in a circle. It was a little slippery, but it was fun and felt funny on my paws. I tried to run around, but I slipped (more than I did yesterday) and when it was time to come in, it was hard for me to get up the stairs, because I'm still not used to this white slipperyness. Sister's much better at it than I am, so maybe some day I'll be good in the snow.

But, until then, I'll just try to sneak out whenever I can and have another adventure soon.

Oh, and I should say that because the Patriots are playing an important football game today, my name for the day is "Gronk" and sister's name for the day is "Welka"! And, I found a great red football and I love playing with it, just like my football heroes do.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf
Rozi (without Izzi!)

Rozi Has a Confession…

2011-12-25T18:19:00.001-05:00

Well, it's the holidays....a time for family and friends. A time to look within ourselves to understand why we do what we do. A time to face up to the fact that we're not the beings that we had hoped to be. And, sometimes, it's a time to admit that we have a problem. For me, today is that day.

Photo by Ben

Hi. My name is Rozi, and I'm an addict.
[Hello, Rozi.]
I guess that I've know that I've had some sort of problem every since I was a puppy. Back then, it seemed that we were all so carefree. We'd run around and jump over each other and pretty much kill time until it was time for dinner (which, I might add, was always on our birth mother...get it?). We'd rassle and we'd nip at each other, and it was probably back then that I should have realized that I had this ... this ... this thing inside of me that made me unable to stop things that I knew, deep down, were bad for me. At that time, it was just not being able to stop nipping at the tails of my sister and my cousins (sorry, Tink). I know that it was wrong of me to behave that way, and even though a part of me knew that I should act otherwise, I just couldn't. But, to be fair, the others in my litter weren't much different, so I didn't stand out and I didn't think about seeking help.
Time passed, and I ended up in this wonderful household with my new sister Izzi and my favorite person (my mama) and those impulses seemed to pass. For a while. It wasn't long before my inner self started to come through. Started with my not being able to control my playing in the house. I'd find something (a scarf; a slipper) that was minding its own business and I'd drag it across the floor, unable to stop myself. I don't know what I was thinking: that it would come to life and be a playmate, filling a void within my soul (oh, wait, I had Izzi as a playmate, so that's probably not it)? Looking for the attention that I no longer had (oh, wait, I had a ton more attention here than I did with my birth mother and dozens of cousins)? Well, whatever it was, I found that I just could not stop once I started. One time, mama came home to find that half the mitten bucket was emptied and strewn all over the floor. And, another time, some of my addictive behaviour was clear when people walked into the bathroom after a night in which I was obsessed with finding out how many pulls it took to get to the cardboard of a toilet paper roll.
But, this behavior was - as the professionals would say - an entry level "drug". It was a portend of things to come.
And, by "things to come," I mean food. Although, it's more accurate to say that my obsession with food came with me when I moved into this family. For some reason, I just can't seem to get enough food and it feels like no matter how much I eat, I'm always hungry. For instance, when it's time for dinner, I find that I not only vacuum up the food that mama has given me, but I often eat what was put out for Izzi. I love my sister, but I still can't help myself. And, if I'm in the kitchen and food is dropped on the floor, I rush to suck it up before anyone has a chance to move it out of the way. Also, as do most addicts like me, have a (literal) nose for food: I can tell if a potato chip is being crunched across the room, or if cheese is being sliced a floor below me. And, I'm there: Rozi on the spot. I just can't seem to help myself.
But, lately, that eating disorder has taken and even darker turn: I eat things that aren't really food. I know that some people think that I have pica (look it up here), and maybe I do. Or, maybe I just like the feel and the taste of what others would consider "common household objects" like straight pins. Or pencils.
And, like I said, I just can't seem to help myself.
But, today, I felt a new urge taking over, one that I was just not able to shake. I became a drug addict. There, I said it. I was wondering what it would be like to have some 'magic elixir' in my body, one that wasn't as tasty or filling as food, but one that I thought would change who I was. I found a discrete way to have a little of a drug and before I had a chance to see what it would do to me...mama found out!!! She called the doctor who told her what to watch for and she did and boy was she worried. But, I'm fine now; I really didn't have much of the drug. And, y'know, I'm realizing that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Especially since I heard mama talking about "rushing me to the emergency room" and "making me throw up" and "having me drink Hydrogen Peroxide. Icky. I don't know what Hydrogen Peroxide is (aside from its being H2O2) but I don't want any of that.
So, I am standing (well, more like lying...well more like sprawled out on the couch dictating) here to tell you that I am going to "just say no" the next time I have the opportunity to have a drug. I know that I'm just a little girl and I want to have my whole life ahead of me. So, I'm quitting, cold rotisserie chicken.
But, I don't think I'm ready to stop eating whatever falls on the floor, or that I'm ready to stop running around like a crazy girl and pulling mittens and scarves and slippers through the house.
All that is for another day. Like, maybe April Fools?
Arf, Arf, Arf, Yip,
Rozi

Hanukkah!

2011-12-22T16:29:00.001-05:00

So, we're right in the middle of the "Jewish Festival of Lights," which is the first time for Rozi (and the third time for Izzi). And, we have to say that we find the entire holiday fun, but terribly exhausting.

First, there's the presents: even though we haven't gotten any "real" presents so far, we think that we might be getting one very very soon. But, before we talk about that, we should tell you about the presents that we have been - um - involved with. So, other people in the house have been getting gifts for the holiday (none of them were food, but more about that later, too), and these gifts have been wrapped up in some colorful paper and sometimes they have papers or other things in them for some reason (all we know is that the boxes don't rattle very much when the paper is inside, but we're not sure why. We're dogs with small brains, remember?). And, when these gifts are opened, there are boxes and colored papers and other paper all over the place that we can play with. Not that (for Rozi) this is different than any other day, but it's one way that we girls like to celebrate the holiday.

Now, as for gifts for the two of us: so far - like we've said - there have not been any. But, we think that we may get something tonight, because we heard the people talking and we think there's a special gift for us, something that is made for dogs and not just something that was left on the floor (like a slipper) that we can turn into a play thing. So, we're sort of excited about this, because we like when people give us things. Although, we most like it when the things that people give us are food.

Which brings us to the next part of Hanukkah that we love: the latkes!Rozi didn't know what they were but she loved them, and so does Izzi, who's had a couple of years of experience with these amazing treats. They're like very fluffy potato chips and both of us love potato chips, so.... And, they're also delicious when you put sour cream on them, even though we don't get the sour cream too often. But, when we do, we think it's just great. So, for the last couple of nights, our mama has cooked these great potato treats and we've had some of them. Izzi knows that there are six more nights of Hanukkah, but Rozi doesn't, and neither of us know how many more nights we'll get this great new treat.

The final thing that we like about Hanukkah is that there are candles that are lit every night. Now, we girls are afraid of fire because we don't understand it, but when the candles are lit and everyone sings or says the prayers, we like the way it feels.

Anyway, you can see why we're so tired, even though it's only been two days. It takes a lot of energy to play with the colored paper and boxes, and to try to get our heads unstuck from slippers (Rozi) or to chase the critters who want to be part of the Hanukkah celebration out of the back yard (Izzi). So, we're fortunate to have a little "down time" before everything starts again in just a little while.

Oh, and we also wanted to tell you that Rozi has decided that she's tired of having a poor basic knowledge of the world around her. And, neither Rozi nor Izzi is really interested in watching the History or Science or Discovery channel, and neither one knows how to type questions into Google. So, Rozi has taken it upon herself to dig into the available reading material in the house. She has, quiet literally, been devouring a huge volume that she found on the floor. Oh, sure the words are small and the pages are big, but that didn't get in the way of our Rozi swallowing as much of it as she could. Sure, the down side is that her fur around her mouth turned a pretty shade of red (and some people thought that it had something to do with blood!), but it's from the long hours she's spent with her book. For now, it's been decided that the book should go to a higher shelf so that there's more of it at a later time. But, Rozi is pretty excited to be ingesting so much so quickly.

Anyway, we need to get back to our naps, because we heard that tonight they're going to spin a dreidel, which either means that a wooden top is going to be given centrifugal motion and dropped on the floor, or it means that someone is going to put treats into our spinny toy that you can fill with lamb treats! Either way, we need to save up our energy.

So, Happy Happy Hanukkah to everyone!

Yip, Yip, Yip, Arf,
Izzi and Rozi

My County

2011-12-18T18:09:00.001-05:00

Howdy, pardner. Mah name is Izzi and I'm the sheriff 'round these parts. I've been patrolling this county for about two and one half years. Yup, that's an awful long time. My territory runs from the trees at the right of the driveway to the tree between this county and the next one (which I call the "blue county") in front, and from the trees and stone wall on my left to the bushes on my right, and as far back as the county goes (which is, I should point out, to the edge of the enchanted forest, where I'm not allowed to go; not after that incident with the electricity that came down from above and ran through my body..nosir, not gonna try that 'un again).

My job is to protect the residents of this county from outsiders and varmints. I'm good at both; see for yourself. If you ever were to step foot into this county, you'd see that we have four residents and no varmints living here, so I think you could say that I do a durned rootin' tootin' good job of it (if I do say so myself). Better 'n the black cat that's the sheriff of the "blue county"; I see her wandering over into this county lots of the time, and I know for a fact that varmints in her county go there because they ain't afeared of her.

So, my day is mostly spent patrolling the front part of the county. I set myself up in my southern office, on the back of a formerly white couch. I say "formerly" because at some point in the poor object's life time, it faded a bit. Which, I should add, is a good thing, since if it was still white, I'd blend in too much and don't know whether I'd be as effective as shooing away trespassers. Anyhoo, I sit in my "office" watching the highway that runs across the property, and when a trespasser walks into the county, I commence to a-barking and a-yippin’ to a fare-the-well. It only takes me about 25 seconds to get the outsider to move outside of this county, and never ever never come back. If there's another sheriff on a leash that's dragging some trespasser along with him, I bark even louder, since it's important that the other sheriffs know who's the boss around here. And, I don't know what else you may have heard, but it's absolutely positively a falsehood to say that I sleep on the job. Sure, to the untrained eye, I may look to have both eyes closed, but I assure you that this is far from the truth.

Oh, I should also be tellin' you that I don't do this job alone anymore. Oh, sure, I'm still pretty spry and can bark with the best of 'em, but a few months ago, the townspeople voted to expand the law enforcement in these here parts, and one day, they gave me a deputy. She's a good deputy and even though we had our differences when she first started to patrol, we've found a way to bury them for the good of the county. It's usually me who's on patrol, watching the highway as I rest in my office.

So, anyway, my deputy (Deputy Rozi) comes along with me on the back-of-the couch patrols. Her main territory, though, is the window next to the door that leads inside the county's mansion. When we see someone moving down our highway, I commence a-yippin' and Deputy Rozi commences a-barkin' and pretty soon, that no-good trespassers has passed this county without a how-d'-ya-do.

Sometimes, there'll be a drop of supplies for the county: sometimes boxes, sometimes thin white envelopes, delivered by prob'ly the pony express, since the drop off happens and the delivery person speeds away. Deputy Rozi and I are sure to have out "drop it and move along" voices working at a fever pitch when this happens, and it works great; we have not ever let one of these delivery folk into our county for more than a few seconds, and not into this mansion ever.

But, it's not all "shooing" people along. We also have to carefully sniff out everyone who enters this mansion, making sure that they don't carry any concealed food. It's a shame that otherwise good folk will try to sneak food into our home (without offering us some) but we do our best; there are just two of us. Sometimes we keep a-barkin' and a-yippin' long after the intruder has entered, just to be sure that they're on their toes. And, for good measure, we bark at them a second time if they've gone somewhere within the mansion and appear in our office again. Good fun!
It's also not only keeping trespassers movin' along. I also have the responsibility of making sure varmints don't enter our county. We've been perticularly plagued by giant rats with fluffy tails who seem to enjoy running out of the enchanted forest and into our county. If I see them, I try to run out to attack them, but there are usually two problems with this strategy: (1) there are times where there's no one to open the big glass doors that protect us from the rain and the wind and the sleet and the cold, and since I don't have opposable thumbs, I am left to whine at the varmints and (2) them varmints is fast. I sprint out of the mansion and toward them at breakneck speed, a-barkin' and a-yippin' as I go. But, they're into another county or maybe even another state pretty fast. One time, I saw one of 'em run up a tree. Up a tree, if you can believe it!
So, that's the life of the Sheriff (and Deputy) of this here county. This county that Deputy Rozi and I love and protect. Our home, the County of 47 Coolidge Avenue.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf

(Sheriff) Izzi & (Deputy) Rozi

"The Mystery of the Ringing Bells": An Izzi & Rozi Mystery

2011-12-11T12:20:00.000-05:00

The two girl detectives are resting, recovering from a long night of debauchery. Well, "debauchery" is, indeed, a relative term, and for the two girls, Izzi and her sister Rozi, it meant (respectively) refusing to play "pup tent"; and jumping up and back down from the bench area of their sleeping quarters before chewing on a variety of human clothing. But, that was hours ago, and now the two girls are resting, awaiting their next adventure, with dreams of their most recent one (the thrilling "The Mystery of the Missing Breakfast") and the one from yesterday morning ("The Mystery of the Other Dogs on the Bike Path") still rolling in their heads.

As they lay drowsily on their Headquarters (Rozi on the cushions, Izzi on the top of the couch, befitting her status in the detective agency as its most senior member and founder), the sun beating down on them, Izzi began to stir and sniff the air. She knew that something was up; a mystery was afoot. She roused herself, still somewhat in the middle of a dream about "lamb treats" and "belly rubs"...a dream that felt so real that she had trouble realizing that it was just that: a dream. But, now, suddenly there was a change in the air. It wasn't the smell of the fresh-baked cookies; that aroma had been in the air since early this morning. And, it wasn't the noises coming from within the house; those were common and - besides - had been investigated months ago in "The Mystery of the Knock on the Door".

No, there was something insidious in the air; something that had been on and off for months and to which there was still not solution. Izzi realized that she had awoken directly into: "The Mystery of the Ringing Bells". It occurred to her that it was time to get to the bottom of this mystery, since it seemed to happen every Sunday, and at about the same time every Sunday (10:30AM in human time, give or take). And, now, having an assistant (even one as - um - mentally challenged as her sister) could be just what she needed to unlock the box that held the secret to this mystery (metaphorically, of course. If there really was a box, they'd have had trouble opening it, and if there were a key inside, Rozi would very likely eat it).

The noise had begun and the sound of clanging bells rang through the house. Izzi jumped off the couch and ran to the front door to collect clues, Rozi at her side. After a thorough analysis of the little window next to the door, Izzi (and Rozi) concluded that it had nothing to do with the noise, but barked at it for a while just to be sure.

The pair then sped through the dining room, barely missing the thick legs of the table, legs that had been there for years, but which both girls forgot all about, what with their somewhat limited intellectual capacities. But, they carried on, and were soon in the room with windows for walls, one of the girl detectives' favorite locations for detectiving because it gave them a view of so much of the surrounding area. Izzi, in particular, reminisced about "The Mystery of the Squirrel in my Backyard" and "The Mystery of the Other Squirrel in my Backyard" as the entered the room, feel scrabbling on the wood. Izzi jumped onto a footstool for a better view of the noise, and began barking at it in an effort to determine its source. Rozi followed, hip checking her sister in a way that would have made Zdeno Chara proud, and joined in with her sister in using their not-at-all supernatural power of barking at something until it stopped. Or picked them up, depending on the situation.

After several minutes of putting all their effort into finding out what was making this mysterious noise, the girls decided to double their efforts and came relatively close to hitting an Ella Fitzgerald-like high note that could have (had the conditions been better and the glass thinner) shattered windows. But, their efforts were futile in the face (or, better: ear) of the unrelenting ringing.

To an unbiased observer, the fight went something like this: Yip. Clang. Yip Yip. Clang. YIP Yip. Clang. Yi Clang Clang CLANG p. YipYipYIPYipYIP. Et cetera. The noise of the fight swelled, filling the house with the mayhem and the girls with exhaustion. After ten or so minutes, they finally succeeded in defeating the noise, but continued their audial assault (just to be sure they'd vanquished their foe, and also because they were barking so loudly they didn't hear the end of the bells).

Exhaused, but disappointed they had not found the source of the mystery, the girls rested (by which I mean that Izzi laid down on the footstool like a lady, while Rozi sprawled out on the carpet, appearing to an unbiased observer as if she's fallen from a great height and collapsed into a rag of a dog).

They knew that they had not heard the last of their foe, and Izzi began to scheme about a way to determine how to find out who this nefarious evildoer was, knowing that she had (roughly) 168 hours to come up with a plan.

And, so another Sunday morning for the girl detectives slipped through their paws, but they were both heartened that they had yet another mystery appear unexpectedly: "The Mystery of the Dog Who Ran Away Again and Had to Be Chased Down the Street Until She Was Caught in Front of the Church and So Was Grounded for the Rest of the Day".

And, so, they slept.

Yip, Arf, Arf, Yip
Izzi & Rozi

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T17:39:00.001-05:00

Hello, all of our fan. I know that you’re wondering how we spent our Thanksgiving holiday, so we wanted to post this message to tell you all about the good time that we had. And (spoiler alert!) there was an incident that we'll comment on later on.

So, the vacation started out early on Wednesday morning as we all piled into mama's car before it was light outside. We both took a quick tour of the backyard, since we knew that we'd be cooped up for a while as we headed toward the Big Apple. It should be noted here that Izzi has been to NYC many times, but little Rozi made only one trip (without her sister!) but was excited to get back to the City. The weather was awful as we left our home: dark, rainy, and windy. We were both a little scared, but we knew that mama wanted us to be brave, and - besides - it would not have been a good idea to crawl up her back onto her shoulders (and maybe cover her face) while she was concentrating. Trucks whipped by us and we felt like we were in the middle of a tidal wave!

The weather started getting rough, the tiny car was tossed. If not for the courage of our fearless mom, our Honda would be lost. Our Honda would be lost. But, we digress.

Soon (but not too soon) the sun rose and even though the rain continued, mama told everyone that the driving was a little easier. We stopped at a Starbucks (of course!) to get drinks and for the two of us to stretch our legs (and - y'know - take care of the bathroom thing). Izzi was a good girl about it, but Rozi didn't do anything but walk around. So, when we got back in the car, mama told us that Izzi could stay free but Rozi was going to be put into her little portable blue apartment. Rozi cried for a while, then forgot why she was crying and went to sleep.

Before we knew it, New York City was on the horizon! It was a longer than usual ride, but we all made it safe and sound and we got to see Grammy! We were so excited to be out of the car that we ran around the room a few times. Well, Rozi ran around and also crawled on her belly. Izzi was more ladylike, wandering around and sniffing all the familiar smells. Since Rozi had never been to Grammy's before, this was all new. We went outside for a short walk on the dog path, but then were back inside to rest.

In the night time, people came over to visit, and Rozi finally met Rachel and see her mom, Elisa, again. And, we also met Rachel's friend Libby. Grammy had lots of friends for us to meet, and we behaved really well with all those new people. The best part for both of us was getting some yummy chicken that someone got us from Whole Foods (Izzi was happy that it was organic and raised cruelty-free; Rozi was happy she had food).

By the time everyone left, we were pretty tired. But, mama made us walk through the streets to our hotel, where we had a really big room to run around it. There was a small room just for us, but we never got to sleep in it or play in it (more about that later). When mama went out to get some ice cream, we were sad and we cried, but she came back with some and we got to have ice cream in our New York hotel room! What puppy doesn't dream of this? It was great!

Then, we went to sleep and when we woke up, we had to go to a new room that was even bigger that our room! And, it had a gigantic humongous enormous patio that we ran around and ran around. We're too little to be able to look over railings, but it seemed to us (from the air pressure; Izzi is very sensitive to such things) that we were 24 floors above the ground. And, since the weather was nice, we got to run and run until we were tired. When we were, we came inside, and pretty soon Grammy and Evan came to visit us. And, when they left, we got to meet another new friend: Josie! (Oh, and her daddy, Andrew, who wasn't as much fun or as cute as Josie.)

Josie fed us Cheerios and played with us, which was fun. Then, we walked back to Grammy's and stayed there for a while. Soon, it was time for a car ride and Josie and her dad took our mama and us to Thanksgiving at Ricky and Elisa and Rachel's. We had so much food and fun there! But - and here's the part that upset us - we were accused of being complainers and dog-centric (Izzi) and a jewel thief (Rozi). See the slanders about us below:

Well, fortunately for us, we didn't see any of this until the next day, so our fun wasn't dampened, not one bit. We ate and we ran around and we got taken for walks in the neighborhood and generally had a great time. It was Rozi's first Thanksgiving and she loved it! We met so many new people and Izzi got to say “hello” to some old friends. We met so many people that we even got tired of barking at everyone! Oh, and when Richard came in, he was surprised and wanted to know if there were two of us, or if he was seeing double!

We went back to our room afterwards and then it was time to start planning our trip back. We stayed at Grammy's for most of the day, and then in the night time we packed up and headed home. We were sad to leave New York, but we had such a good time that we weren't completely sad. We got home pretty quickly (mama is a good driver) and we got to smell our "home" smells and run around our rooms and jump on our couches and just have a great return to our house.

We're excited about our next visit to New York and can't wait to see everyone again. Except, of course, that guy who libeled us and who will soon be getting a visit from our legal counsel.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf,
Izzi & Rozi

A note from Rozi about her belly

2011-11-13T23:02:00.001-05:00

Ouch. It hurts to type, since I still have a little bit of pain in my belly. I'm not sure why it hurts so much, but when I lick my belly, it seems like there's a big red bump that wasn't there before. And, the funny thing is that I don't remember how it happened. I don't mean in the "I forgot" sort of way, but in the "I have no memory sort of way." What I do remember is that a few days ago I went on a car ride to a place that smelled like a lot of other doggies and maybe some kitties lived. And, I didn't want to be there, but I don't know why. And, then we went into a little room and the guy who brought me gave me a little kiss on my head and said 'bye bye' and then I went into another room and they took a little fur off of my arm and then I don't remember anything. And, then I remember I woke up and my belly hurt and my mama wasn't there and my sister wasn't there. So, I did what I do second best: I slept.

And, soon, my mama came to see me and she hugged me and I was in the car and we were going home and I was happy. And, then, when I got home, there was sister, all happy to see me! And, I was happy to see her! And, I was also happy that we had fresh chicken, but I wasn't very hungry at first. Then, we also had a scrambled egg, which I loved, since eating is my first favorite thing. And, then I was hungrier and had some more chicken and so did sister and I just wanted to rest. And, everyone was carrying me everywhere! I felt like a little princess, which mama says I am anyway. I was picked up to go on the couch and I was picked up to go off the couch. And, I was carried down and up stairs all night. So, when it was time for me to go outside to do my "outside" business, I was carried down the stairs so that I could. And, I was carried up the stairs for bedtime, too. But, most of the evening, I got to live in my pretty blue apartment, the one with the shag carpeting and toys and it was great. And, I even got to sleep in it at night time and I had one of my favorite bones to chew on.

Then, the next day I felt much better but I did know that I had the bumps and mama was worried about it and she gave me some medicine which was yummy and she said it would help my big bump not be hurt too much, which made me happy because I don't like to hurt. And, then everyone still was picking me up and carrying me and I did spend some time downstairs in my other pretty blue apartment, but this one didn't have as nice carpeting but it did have pretty yellow handles on it.

And, then I didn't want to be carried so much so I jumped on the couch and I jumped on the footstool and I walked up the stairs by myself.

Oh, and I played with sister a lot. And, I was so happy that I can play with sister, since I was feeling very good and not very bad at all. And, I know that I cannot go outside without my leash, because mama says that if I do I want to run around and I'm not s'posed to run around because of my "condition" which I don't know what that is but I know that it is supposed to make me not run around or jump around too much, but I do. Because I feel great.

And, the second night I was put back into my blue apartment, the one with the carpeting, and I cried because sister was sleeping with mama and I wanted to and I couldn't open the gate to my apartment but that guy did and I came out and I could sleep with mama and sister.

And, now I am just what I have always been, but I think that everyone thinks I'm different because of the red line but it's not as bad as it was two days ago and also I get to have medicine every morning, which I like.

And, I heard someone say that "Rozi can't be a mama now" which is silly because I have a mama so how can I be a mama? If I was my mama, it would be very confusing, which isn't hard since my brain is - well - let's not talk about that right now because I'm tired.

But, I feel great and I'm happy that I am home with my sister and I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning so that I can play and play and play.

Arf, yip, yip, arf,
Rozi

P.S. Yes, I know this is Izzi's blog but I like her blog better than mine, so I am putting this special note on this one.

Sisters. Sisters. There were never such devoted sisters.

2011-10-02T17:54:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends:

I know that I haven’t updated this blog for a long while, but I hope you understand that having a new - um - sibling around the house has cause me to have to pay much more attention to her than to this blog. I can tell you that I am doing fine...made it through the summer tick-less and didn't eat those bad things in the grass as much as I did last year. No vacation, and I do miss Scarlett and Wilson (eh), but maybe I'll get to see them again soon.
So, let me tell you about what it's like to have a little sister: It's wonderful. It's horrible. It's sometimes both at the same time. The biggest change with having Rozi around is that the food situation has been altered. Before, I could peck at my food, often bringing morsels into the other room to enjoy some quiet while I ate. Now, with my hoover of a sister, if I don't get on top of the food (literally), there's a good chance that I'll go hungry. A little (they leave dry food around the house for me, so I don't starve, but dry food is, well, dry). I know that Mama has noticed this (and the fact that my sister's belly is larger than the rest of her body), so I've been given my meals in a private area (aka the chair that Rozi can't reach...yet). So, I think I'm eating okay, but it's just so hard when there are two mouths to feed. Sometimes, especially when I get a treat, she hangs around my mouthal area just in case I drop it. And, if I do...well, you've never seen something so little and white move so fast since the Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland was late. I am getting used to mealtimes, but I just hope (and would keep my fingers crossed if I had fingers) that I'll have enough to eat in the morning and at night. Speaking of which, I still get Cheerios treats at night time, and Rozi always gets sad because I get a lot and she gets only one or two (due to her still struggling to control her - um - waste impulses). And, when I get a handful of Cheerios offered to me and she's around, I have to gobble the whole thing up at once, else she'll have some which means (a) I don't get the full treat and (b) she's eating when she's not supposed to.
Enough about the food; let me tell you about the sleeping arrangements. I still try to cuddle with and protect Mama at night, and usually have no one (human or canine) getting in the way. But, sometimes little Miss Rozi figures out a way to get there first. I have a few strategies that I use in those circumstances: (1) I ignore her and climb over her and wedge my somewhat emaciated (see above) body between her and Mama (2) I get a bit aggressive, which is difficult for me but must be done, and push the little thing out of the way. I hate to say that I've resorted to biting (her) when I need to, but a dog's got to do what a dog's got to do. (3) I ignore everyone at bedtime, either jumping down to the floor and enjoying some alone time, or heading to the foot of the bed where I can both have quality time with my boyfriend the stuffed bear, and watch out the window for intruders.
I would say, though, that the best part about having a sister is that I always have someone to play with. We like to chase each other around the house, and we like to wrestle (I usually pin her on her back pretty quickly) and it's all great fun. And, sometimes, we wrestle while standing on our back feet: imagine Godzilla versus Mothra, but two Maltese instead of two creatures created out of nuclear accidents. That's what we're like. And, we also like to take naps near each other (near, not always next to). I prefer the back of the couch that faces the street, so I can bark and scare away all the intruders who walk in front, including neighbors, dogs, and squirrels. If you ever were over my house, you'd see that most of the time, none of these are on our front lawn. You're welcome.

And, now, Rozi and I have started a new chapter in our lives: we're going to school! Yup, Mama and that guy had someone come to our house to teach Rozi and me to be better behavioured. I can't for the life of me understand why. I come to dinner about half the time when called, I go outside to do my "business" about a quarter of the time, and I come when called 0% of the time. And, yet, they insist. I heard about this and was excited, since I'd always wanted to go to school and learn a new language, since I thought it would be useful to speak with and understand cats so that I could reason with them if then trespassed into our yard, and so that I didn't have to resort to maniacal barking to convince them who the alpha mammal of the house was. But, no, we didn't learn a new language.
We learned two lessons: one was that Rozi and I are supposed to go to a special mat in the house when they tell us "Place" and then we're just supposed to sit there. Can you believe it? Just sit there and not do anything except sit and stare and maybe sleep and they may give us a toy to play with some day (I hope I hope I hope) but that's all. Even when they walk out of the room, we're supposed to just sit. Ugh. And, then, when they tell us "Free" we can go. I have to admit that "school" wasn't as much fun as I'd seen on TV, since we didn't have inkwells to dip each others' fur into. I kind of hated it. But, there was no homework (that I know of), so that's good.
And, the other thing we're supposed to learn is to not run out of the house when the door is open. Now, I understand that completely, since I don't want to get shocked by that special collar they have me wear. Rozi...not so much. But, she and I did good at it yesterday, since everyone said, "Good Girl. Good Girl. Good Izzi. Good Rozi." No treats, though. And, then today, my little sister forgot everything we learned and ran out of the house in the morning at full speed, like a marshmallow shot out of an air cannon. Mama had to run down the street to the church to get her, but both Mama and Rozi were fine when they got home (but I think Mama was upset since she didn't plan to do her jogging that early in the day).
After we were done yesterday, Rozi and I were so exhausted from going to school that we slept and slept and slept. And, we (Rozi and I) are supposed to have practice every day for ever and ever, and we're supposed to learn new things in a few weeks. Ah, my carefree days of puppyhood are starting to slip through my paws.
I really do like having a sister around, since we have so much fun when we play, and I can teach her to do things like how to plop yourself down for a nap, and how to roll on your back for a belly rub. So, I guess I'll let them keep her.
But, if she starts to make a move on my boyfriend, the bear, it could get ugly.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf
Izzi

I have a confession

2011-08-05T23:43:00.000-04:00

Hello. My name is Izzi. And, I'm an addict.

[Hello, Izzi!]

Maybe I should tell you a little about myself before I tell you how I ended up here at DogDrugAnon. I live in the leafy suburb of Lexington, where I have - for the last two years - run the household. It's a pretty stressful position, what with making sure that the people who live there behave properly: putting dishes of food down a couple of times a day, picking them up, refilling water dishes and - most importantly - cleaning up my bathroom. I found after just a short while that if I didn't stay on top of them all I found that they would get terribly out of shape and would have difficulty keeping in 'work' shape (and who knows what that would lead to?). But, all in all, I have to admit that my life was stress-free.

Then, my world came crashing down in the middle of June. We decided to adopt a stray dog, one that was little and fuzzy and full of energy. Immediately, I felt that my whole world had changed. I mean, sure, I was still the "top dog" and sure I was able to show this little thing that I was the boss (I'm sure you've all had a similar experience: a good leg lift on top of the newcomer usually does the trick). And, I have to be honest: she and I got along swell after a very short break in period. But, something was gnawing at me: the low level of stress I had in running the household was now amplified by my having to be responsible for the actions of this outsider. Oh, sure, I could still find a place to sit and relax outside of the Tasmanian devil-like actions of the little one. And, sure, I still ran things.

But, little by little, I noticed a shift. Dinner, although still served when I asked for it, was now to be shared. And, my new "room mate" was like a little vacuum cleaner, leaving me very little. Not that I couldn't stand to use a smaller calorie intake; a girl has to keep her figure, and I do have my boyfriend (a stuffed bear) to think about. And, there was less quality time with my mama, since she had to pay attention to the little thing (I believe it was out of pity).

Stresses just continued to mount, and my normal way of dealing with it (barking at everything that moved outside of our house, humping my boyfriend, going for long walks in the yard.... None of them seemed to help me get over that hump. I needed something and i didn't know what it was.

And, then, like a miracle, my new friend got sick. No, the miracle wasn't her illness (something to do with her floppy little ears) but the medicine that they gave her for it. When she came home from the doctor last Friday, I noticed something different about her (and not that she'd matured...that's - like - never gonna happen. Gag me with a spoon). When we were left alone, I thought I caught a whiff of something intoxicating, but I couldn't place it.

That night, my "sister" (and - yes - I begrudgingly will call her that) had to have some sort of drops put in her ears. She struggled (who wouldn't) so I turned away. But, then I caught the aroma and I knew that I had to have it. I knew that whatever was going into her ears was what I'd been looking for to get me out of the blues I'd started to feel. I ran over to her, sniffed her head, and started to lick her ear. And lick them more. And more. And more! I could not stop. I was wild for the drug, and I didn't even know what I drug was. My mama tried to get me to stop, but I wouldn't. She even moved me to another room that night (for the first time EVER), which should have been a sign for me to stop.

But, I couldn't. I was jonesin' for that smell, that drug, that high that I felt. And, fortunately, every morning and every night my "sister" got more of the treatment. Followed by me following her around to get a whiff of that intoxicating smell. I didn't want to do anything anymore (except sleep, poop, and eat). I just wanted to lick her ears. And lick and lick and lick and.... Sorry, I lost myself there for a minute.

And, my mama did what she could to break me of my addiction. She put the drops in "sister's" ears and then hid her for a while so that I wouldn't get my hit. She moved me into another room for an hour so that the sweet smell of the drug would fade before I had a chance to really get a good hit off of it.

It's all I wanted. I counted the minutes every day until the next few drops were slipping into my "sister's" ears. I couldn't think of anything but the feeling I had when I licked those cute little triangles of fur.

And, then.

And, then.

And, then, I realized what I was doing. I realized that I was only hurting myself. I saw my reflection and realized that my once six pound body had wasted away to five pounds, 15 1/2 ounces. And, I knew that I had to stop. Cold turkey. Just give it up.

And, so I did. This morning. And, I'm happy to say that I'm now 12 hours free of the drugs, and I know that I'll always be an addict, but a "recovering" addict. And, I'm happy that I had a chance to talk to all of you about it. You're making me stronger, and I need that.

No, I have to stop thinking that way. Her health is more important than my addiction. My sniffing and licking those ears and finding myself transported to a cloud high above this mortal plane, where the air is filled with whipped cream and cheerios. Ahhhh....

Oh, right.

So, like I said: my name is Izzi. And, I'm an addict. But, I've now been clean and sober for 12 hours.

Arf, Yip, Arf, Yip
Izzi

One month

2011-07-17T12:36:00.001-04:00

Greetings, and let me apologize for not having written more. As you know, it was one month ago today that my world changed. Dramatically. That was the day that this fluffy little thing came to our house. And, yes, we'd had "fluffies" before (over the few weeks before that), but this one DID. NOT. LEAVE. At first, I assumed that the thing would run away or go away, and that my world would be as it always was. But, it became clear after a short while that this creature was going to be here for a long while. And, I began to dread having the thing around. She was so small but so full of energy; just watching her was tiring me out. And, I'll admit it: at first, I snapped at her a few times. Like when it was time for dinner. Or, when I was trying to snuggle with my mom. Or when I just felt like it.

nd, then over that weekend, I noticed that the thing was (sometimes) fun to play with. Sure, the thing would grab at my tail and my ears, which was annoying, but I also found that I could push it down and stand on it (in fun). And the creature did the same to me...or tried. And, it was during these first few days that I found out that the creature was another Maltese (I didn't know they came that small!) and that she was a girl (I should have noticed!) and that her name is "Rozi". Well, let me tell you that the first week was tough as we learned to exist in the same space that I had had to myself. I think I convinced Rozi early on who was the boss by lifting up my leg over her (that's what we do when we "dominate" someone...doesn't work with mom's feet, but that's another story), but she would sometimes take the opportunity to try to bite my belly! Still, I think that my constant reminders paid off and that she learned pretty quickly that this is MY house and that she's welcome to stay as long as she behaves. And, lets me do whatever I want to do.

When she gets a little to riled up, I jump on the couch or the bed and she can't chase me; gives me a chance to breathe and relax. And, yes, I know that (a) that's not entirely fair and (b) the day will come when she can reach those places, but I do it anyway.

We now spend our days mostly sleeping: I prefer three places. First, the bottom stair of the step. Not the most comfortable spot in the house, but a little cushy, and near the front door, and not far from places that I know there will be sun to luxuriate in. Second, the back of the living room couch. This gives me a great view of the street so I can protect the family against everything, including the neighbors who continue to go in and out of their houses (I don't for the life of me understand why they have to come and go like that and I sure let them 'have it' when they do). And, finally, the back of the couch in the family room, which is near where my mama works and is also not far from the door to the outside and is also near the food and is also comfy.

My new roommate prefers the floor. She often just plops herself down wherever she is when she's tired. I've heard my mama say that she looks like a "dead puppy" or one that "fell from the sky". I won't share my special places with her, so I'm happy that she's found a way to be comfortable.

Dinner times (which, of course, includes "breakfast") are more hectic than I'd like. My mama usually puts the food out and Rozi runs to it and starts to inhale it. She's sort of on the chubby side, but mama says "it's all fur"...we'll see! So, Rozi and I try to peacefully coexist while we eat, but I know that if I don't get my share, she'll just keep eating and eating and eating. She's also struggling (much more than I) with the whole "bathroom" thing and I think that mama is getting a little irritated with her. But, she's still little, right?

And, so we play a lot and eat our meals together and sleep near each other.

So, you could say that we're friends, which I guess is a good thing. I'm not lonely during the day any more. And, at night time, I know that my mama loves when I sit near her and sometimes she lets Rozi seat near us, too, but I'm her favorite.

This, then, is a not-so-grudgingly-stated, "Welcome to your new home, Rozi!" (I wanted to see if she could get through a month, since I've heard talk of "taking her for a ride to New Hampshire").

Arf Yip Arf Yip
Izzi

Smoke Simple Smoke that cigarette

2011-06-19T16:48:00.001-04:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1

Memorial Day in Cambridge

2011-05-30T15:02:00.001-04:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.9

Shopping Trip

2011-05-29T19:45:00.001-04:00

After that (earlier) long blog, I needed to relax with some retail therapy. Here are some photos:

Yip, Arf, Yip, Yip

Izzi

The naming of puppies (with apologies to T. S. Eliot)

2011-05-29T14:26:00.001-04:00

"Little Miss Sleepy Butt". "Gigantor". "Queen of the House".

I have so many nicknames, that sometimes I forget that my real name is Izzi. See, that's why sometimes - when I'm enjoying the rays of sun coming through the windows, or trying to store up my energy as I sit on the back of the couch - I don't immediately come running when someone calls, "Izzi!" It takes me a moment to process the syllables of it: Iz-zee. And, of course, there are times when I am supposed to respond to "Isabella," which is NOT my real name. I know that it's a sort of affectionate epithet that people like to use around me, but since I'm pretty small, it's much too big for me. When someone calls, "Isabella," I usually just look up from whatever I'm doing (this is, typically, a nap, but can also be and has been when I'm chasing a bug around the house, or mauling one of my stuffed animals, or trotting through the house with shoes that are more than half my weight), but then continue with my activity.

I have heard some of the people around this house call me "cat like," which I take to be a compliment. Think about it: cats are clever and they are very good hunters and they take a lot of naps. That's pretty much the description that you would see under my picture in a yearbook (if, in fact, I ever attended a school; unlikely though that it, I think that there are aspects of a formal education from which I would benefit, not the least of which being a wide variety of choices at meal time...but more about that later).

I believe myself to be the most clever person in this household (think about it: whenever I want to eat, I find a way to get someone to feed me; whenever I want a belly [or - um - somewhat further down my anatomy] rub, I plop myself down on whatever flat surface I can find, part my legs, and - voila!; and when I want to explore the flora and fauna of our back yard, I merely walk to the big window that shows my reflection at night time and someone opens the door for me [and also opens it when I've finished my walpoling]), so that matches well with what a cat does.

I'm an excellent hunter (and, yes, even as I dictate this sentence, I'm reminded of the delightful performance of Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man," substituting "hunter" for "driver" since I'm too little to reach the pedals, and I'm reminded of watching that movie recently because someone in the house who was watching it was also eating potato chips and in order to gorge myself on them, I needed to hand around and pretend to be interested...and look how I absorbed some of that dialogue!). I often see bunnies running around our back yard, and I am out like a shot (after - as I said before - pointing out to those in this household who are forced to walk on only two legs...the poor things!...that I want to visit our lapine friends) to keep them away from our house. And, soon, I'll be doing that to make sure they stay away from our garden, since it is being planted later this week. I did a bit of exploration of the site of the garden (the same as last year, but with much better victuals), and I'm comfortable that it will be a wonderful garden. I hope they plant roast beef and turkey, but I'll just have to be a patient puppy. I also like to chase the birdies that seem to be in the yard at one moment, and then - magically! - disappear the next. I don't know where they go, since I run toward them and they're there and then a moment later, I see their shadow but don't see them any more. Maybe some day I'll figure out this wizardry.

And, the third cat-like thing about me is that I like to nap. No, let me revise that: I LOVE to nap. It is both my hobby and my passion. I have napped in every room in this house, and in nearly every nook and cranny of it (if there's a cranny in one of the rooms that I haven't managed to doze in, it's due to my getting comfy upon entering the room and not making it to every square inch of the room. I have napped in the morning, during the day, in the evening, late in the evening, and at night. Okay, the "at night" is more of my sleep for the night, but isn't everything just a nap? I know that people might call what I do a "cat nap," but I prefer to think of it as a "puppy nap".

And, so, as I said, I have dozens of nicknames (I should point out there are some that I haven't repeated; not because they're hurtful [they aren't], but they're - um - a bit on the naughty side and often have to do with my bathroom habits), and yet I respond to most of them, just to "play the part." But, if you ask me, my name and my only name is Izzi. I. Z. Z. I.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Arf,
Izzi (see what I said?)

Friday the 13th

2011-05-13T18:49:00.001-04:00

Friday the 13th. It's supposed to be an unlucky day. I - personally - do my best to avoid black cats, mirrors, and ladders that I have to walk under. So, generally, I'm not too worried about this date. Of course, this is something like the fourth "Friday the 13th" I've ever seen in my lifetime. I can't really remember the other ones (I can't really remember yesterday, but that's not the point of this blog), so maybe I just need more wisdom and maturity.

But, even though today has not been (and, I should point out that as I write this, there are still almost 5 and a half hours left in the day, so anything can happen) particularly unlucky, I have had quite a full day. I'll tell you all about this after this commercial break:

I know that many of you are wondering about how I'm going to be able to keep blogging while raising a new puppy. Well, first of all, thank you for your concern. Secondly, I created a solution that I think is brilliant (if I do bark so myself): I am teaming up with my new sister/cousin and creating a new blog. Yup, that's the plan. And, I haven't yet started to write for that one, since she's not with us yet, but it's set to go and at some time in the future (keep reading this blog!), I'll tell you how to find it. Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog.

So, the day started with a walk to Evan's school. It's pretty far and I was tired, but I did it. My little legs were moving so fast, you might think that they'd turn into butter (reference to old folk tale goes here). But, I did it (okay, I was carried a few times) and then, I made it back home, too. Whew! For me, that was enough for one day; I could have just found a nice, warm, sunny place and slept. And, then, slept some more.

But, there was another surprise lurking for me: before I even had a chance to take off my collar (okay, not so much a collar as a cross your heart strappy thing), I was whisked away into a car and I didn't know where we were going! Groomer? I hoped not. To a dog food store for samples? Wouldn't that be fun! Abandoned in the woods of New Hampshire? Inconceivable and Impossible (but, I saw this TV show once and...).

Nope.

I went to work. And, since I've found that my work in the office is getting better and better, I kind of looked forward to it. As I had hoped, when I got to my office, food and water were laid out for me (I hadn't had breakfast and I was getting a bit peckish...which is English Sheepdog for "hungry"), but I wasn't (yet) in the mood. I wanted to check out the office and make sure that things were running smoothly. I walked around it and around it and around it, and then I decided that I might get a better view from the chair. So, very carefully and with a lot of thought and preparation, I jumped! The chair was two feet off the ground, but I nailed the landing! And, I looked around some and - still - I didn't think the view really gave me the ability to monitor the workers the way that I wanted to. So, I looked around, and saw a better perch: the desk itself. So, again, with some planning and thought, I leaped the foot and a half to the desk. This time, I didn't land as well as I'd hoped, but it wasn't my fault: there were papers and other items scattered around the desk (many with strange characters and number, and if I wasn't so interested in getting a good view of the office, I might have fallen asleep from boredom after reading those things). So, from my new vantage point, I could watch everything and make sure that the work that needed to get done was - in fact - being done.

Then, under my watchful eye, work was proceeding, so I felt that I had an opportunity to take a brief rest.

An hour or so later, I moved so that my head was on the keyboard, which meant that any work that involved the use of the "Q", "W", "A", "tab", or "Z" keys would have to be put off until another time. A short hour nap later, I was ready to move around a bit, so I went for a brief walk through the parking area. Then, back in the office for more napping, and then I decided it was time to return home.

On the ride home, we put the top down, so I could enjoy the sun and smell all the smells around! And, I could put my head on the top of the door and look as cute as any doggie has ever looked while riding in a convertible whose color contrasted the color of a dog's fur. It was amazing. I saw and smelled so much! But, before long, I was back home and in my own house and in my own back yard (which - thankfully! - had transformed from a jungle of grass to more of a meadow).

And, so, as you can see, Friday the 13th was a good day for me, and a good day for American business.

Yip, Yip, Arf, Yip,
Izzi

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille

2011-05-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

Grammy!

2011-04-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Something’s Coming?

2011-04-22T20:13:00.002-04:00

People say, "something's in the air" or "something's coming" and I never knew what they meant. Except, of course, for the song from West Side Story, which said "Something's comin'; I don't know; What it is; But it is; Gonna be great" and more. And, I have to tell you, that's how I feel today. There's really no reason for me to be thinking this way: my life today is no different than my life a week or a month ago (except, of course, I was only 1 year old a month ago, and now I'm pretty much a mature 2-year old).
But, I have this (if you'll pardon the expression) cat-like sense that something's changing. I'd say it's me, but I'm pretty sure that I'm finished growing. And, I've settled into a very comfortable pattern of having my hair and nails done, so it's not like I am expecting some new 'do.
I can say that I can smell different smells when I go outside, now that there isn't any more snow for me to slip on. I love the way the soft spring breezes feel on my back as I run around the back yard as if I were on fire. And, I love the smells of the trees as the buds begin to pop open and turn my yard into a green wonderland. I also love the smells of all the little animals that I try to (unsuccessfully so far, but it's early in the year) catch as they trespass on my yard. I'm preeeeety sure that the bunnies have moved in under the shed, which makes me wonder whether there'll be a gang fight (speaking of West Side Story) between the Bunnies and the Hedgehogs (or whatever they are). I'd love to see that, if only because they'd be too distracted with each other to see me creep up (again, pardon the expression) like a cat.
So, maybe this sense of impending change is just the season changing. I mean, after all, this is only my third Spring, and - when you think about it - I was too busy learning how to take my food away from my siblings and go into my own space to eat it my first Spring. So, I didn't really see the season change until last year, which makes it all still kind of new to me. And, of course, the change in season does have the effect of just tiring me out. I mean, some times it's all I can do to get on top of the pile of laundry, of which I am the queen, so that I can look down upon all my subjects (which, at this point, is just my stuffed bear).

But, then again, there have been some strange goings on around this house. For instance, my mama seems to be a little distracted when I'm around. A few times I caught her calling me by a different name. And, when I (only out of curiosity, mind you) turned around, she laughed as if it was a big joke. I hope that my mama didn't forget my name. That would be sad. I mean, how would I know when she's talking to me if she didn't say "Sit, Izzi" or "Lay down, Izzi" or "Good girl, Izzi"? I know that I'm a good girl, so that one is ALWAYS about me. But, she could be telling Miriam or Evan or that other guy who lives here to sit down or lay down, and I would be very confused. Then again, maybe she's just tired from all the work that she does, including making me yummy dinners like turkey and hamburger.
(Oh, I should tell you that I have a new trick: when there's a piece of food that I plan to eat some time in the future [like maybe the next day or the next week], I have found a remarkable hiding place: the bed! I wish that my mama didn't notice that I was doing it, because I was planning to have a nice snack this afternoon, but she sussed it out, and I had to have just my dry food. Oh, well.)
So, maybe that's it. Maybe I'm thinking too much, which I often do. While I do wish that someone would recognize my beauty and charm and wit, I'm okay for being admired for my intelligence. It's a burden, but one that I bear as well as any creature that weighs less than a single volume of the OED would).
Well, who knows? Maybe I'll realize in a couple of days that my noticing changes is all in my head.
Or, maybe it isn't.
Arf, Arf, Yip, Yip
Izzi

I M 2

2011-04-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today, I am 2. Or, as the mathematicians in this house have told me: 10. That's right, it's my birthday! And, I'm so happy that I'm not one years old anymore; I was growing tired of being a baby. Now, I'm 2, which some people say is like being a 14 year old human, so I suppose that I'm now a teenager. And, since I celebrated my birthday by eating butter (without bread, matzoh, or pasta), I guess that it's official now. Plus, I find that I like to sleep a lot, and have trouble waking up in the morning...oh, wait, that was true even when I was one. And, even before then.

But, today was a sort of a strange day for me, since I spent a long stretch of time not feeling very well. Some say that it's because I ate something I wasn't supposed to (perhaps something that was left behind by one of the furry friends that like to run through my yard). And, that may be true (more about that in a bit). But, I also had a regular, normal Izzi-like day for long stretches. Maybe it's just that I'm going through this transition from age one to age two that I don't know what to do with myself.

Let me tell you a little more about my second birthday: it started with a normal wake-up, which meant that I kissed and kissed and kissed my mama when I woke up. I was so happy to see that she was alive, that I could not stop just kissing her. Then, a quick 'pit stop' outside to relieve myself, then back to bed for more kissing my mama. After a while, we both woke up, and we started our day. I didn't have anything to eat at first, because I was busy going outside and running around. This was a little hard, because there was snow on the ground (we'd had a little spring storm the other day, and the snow was still in my back yard), so it was hard for me to get any traction. This was a good thing for the squirrels that I saw, because I could not pick up enough speed to catch them when I saw them running by. But, I did play with my green ball a little.

I found a glove that I decided to attack, and I was lucky enough to have a camera person on hand while I attacked. Oh, those gloves! They are such a menace!

Then, it was time to come in for breakfast, and I had a scrambled egg made for me. But, I wasn't very hungry. I just sort of laid on the couch (and the back of the couch) for most of the morning, even though I had a small dish of Cheerios (the official breakfast cereal of this blog) put down for me as a special birthday treat. I was still not myself when my mama came back from whatever she was doing later in the morning, and I just wanted to rest. I still didn't feel all that great, but I didn't get to just sleep.

My mama took me to visit Jonah, who was also having a birthday today. He's 8 years old (or, 1000, if you believe that binary should be our counting system). I was a little scared that I was going to go to the groomer, but we didn't. I went into Jonah's house and there was Max! He's so big and - even though he's friendly - I wanted to both run away from him and bite him. After a while, I decided it best for both of us if I just waited in the car. Outside. By myself. All alone.

Then, it was time to drive home, but on the way, we made a quick stop to see something that was a special treat for me: the Holliston Animal Hospital, which is where I met my mama on the day she brought me home. That was nice!

At home, I started to feel like myself, and went out back to play with my green ball some more. Because it was my birthday, I not only had my (usual) lamb treat when I came in; I had three lamb treats! Yum!

Then, for dinner, I had a nice plate of turkey, and a little rice. And - for the first time that I remember - some butter (like I said before). And, there were other treats. No cake, but it was still a good day.

And, now, I am 10. I love being a puppy, and I love being (now) a 2-year old puppy!

Arf. Yip. Yip. Arf.
Izzi

Me and My Ball

2011-03-19T18:05:00.001-04:00

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The Vernal Equinox is coming! The Vernal Equinox is coming!

2011-03-19T17:06:00.000-04:00

...it's almost Spring! It will be in about 24 hours (which is something like 168 dog hours) and I'll be so happy to be able to run outside like a crazy dog again. I've already started to get my "earth legs" back after a winter of having to train inside the house, doing those sprints across the bedroom floor, through the living room/ dining room / family room / kitchen circuit, and at many time unexpected and inexplicable. But, all of that was prelude. What I really love to do (as I've pointed out in other writings that I've done) is to run and run and run outside! Especially when I get to chase that green ball. Oh, green ball. I loved you when I was a little puppy, then when I was a puppy, and now that I'm a big puppy. I keep getting bigger, but you always stay the same size (except for the amount of air that you've let slip out through the not-so-permeable rubber shell that makes you what you are). And, today I got to play with you again and it was so much fun! I chased you across the back yard hundreds of times, and when I caught you I jumped on you and sometimes I kept going and you just rolled a little bit! And, some times, you ran into places that I'm not supposed to go (the pretty purple collar I wear makes a beeeeeep and then - if I don't run away - sends some strange feeling through my little body). So, I usually stop about half a mile away from those beeeeeps. But, then, when the ball is kicked again, off I go!

I also like the spring time because my friends are back: the bunnies were out the other night, and I ran out to play with them. Now, don't laugh, but I didn't see that the screen door was pulled closed (it was dark) and I ran outside...but...I hit the screen. Well, that was pretty embarassing, but fortunately the only thing hurt was my pride, so when my mama opened up the screen, I ran outside just like nothing happened! I'm told that this is pretty much what a cat would do, but I'm a dog and I do it, so there's that. And, when I got outside, the bunnies ran away. Too bad; I would have liked to play with them. They're very fast, so I have to run really really fast to catch them. I've been trying for my whole life, but haven't been able to. Yet. But, I know have six or eight months to catch up with one or more of them. I think that if and when I catch up to one, we'll probably play a game: maybe Scrabble or maybe Monopoly. Or, maybe the green ball game, which - as you know - I'm very good at.

Also, my friends the birds were outside today. There was one big one that was sort of black, and another one that had a belly that was all red. It reminded me a little of my belly, which is pink. But, when I ran outside and barked and barked (my way of saying, "hey, guys! It's me, Izzi, and I'm ready to have some fun outside") they flew away, which really isn't fair. I have nice soft fur and they have feathers, but it doesn't seem right that they can just jump into the sky whenever they want to. I just want to play with them, and if I ever made it outside before they flew away, maybe we'd play charades or maybe some form of card game (I'm partial to both bridge and poker, revealing the dichotomy that is Izzi). But, not today, it looks like. And, yet, the Spring has just started, so maybe I'll have a chance to catch up with one of them so we can play.

Or, maybe some of my other friends, like the deer, or the squirrels, or the creatures that live under the shed, will want to do something fun while I enjoy the lovely weather and don't have to worry about slipping on the ice or falling through the snow.

Yup, I love Spring. And, I love that my birthday is in the Spring and is only a couple of weeks away!

Arf. Arf. Arf. Yip.
Izzi

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille

2011-03-13T10:14:00.001-04:00

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I don't want to get out of bed today!

2011-03-01T08:14:00.001-05:00

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A new culinary delight!

2011-02-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

You probably know that I've been roaming the earth for almost two years, and in that time I've had a wide variety of food: dog food, which I really don't like, cold cuts, chicken, leftovers, pasta, potato chips, steak...well, I could go on. I try to keep myself in shape by running around the house like a maniac a few times a day. Also, when the snow finally melts (mid-July?), I'll run around like a maniac outside, too.

But, tonight I had a treat that I'd never tried before. I guess because there was a TV show about movies on tonight (and, let me say right now, that if the movie doesn't have a dog as the lead character, it loses me pretty quickly. "Dogs & Cats" was great. I enjoy the old "Lassie" and "Rin Tin Tin" movies, and my favorite is "Lady and the Tramp." I'm partial to Woody Allen movies, too, but that's a discussion for a different day.

So, tonight, a big metal thing was put on the place that cooking happend in this house, and it started to make noise: bang! bang! pop! bang! and I was brave and ran into the other room. Then, it stopped and I smelled a smell that I never smelled before, so I came back in to make sure everything was alright. And, I was greeted with this puffy white thing that was sort of hot and I didn't want to eat it. But, I didn't want to walk away because - well - it tasted pretty good. So, in a moment, after expressing my feeling about the warmth of the item, I tried it again...AND I LOVED IT. I'm told that it's called "popped corn" and I think I may have had it before, but never this fresh!

Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. I must have had 10 of them tonight. I like them because they look like me (white and fluffy) and because they taste so good. I was told that they're good for my belly, but we'll see.

So, now I can't wait for another night when I get my own popped corn.

Arf, Yip, Yip, Yip,
Izzi