GreytBlackDog

Goldilocks

2012-01-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

There has been an ongoing challenge in our living room lately between Seka and Sam. Both are sunshine girls. Some days they bake themselves in front of our living room window all day. While there's plenty of room for a 65 lb dog and a 13 lb cat in the afternoon sun spots, it seems like there's an unwritten rule that they cannot share them.

Seka was like the third little bear today with someone sleeping on her bed. Sam thinks that Seka's bed in the sun spot is just right.

May the Force Be With Roo

2012-01-19T10:03:00.001-05:00

I will save my excitement for the Super Bowl until after Sunday when the Patriots (fingers crossed) are officially in the game. Until then, many companies are sneaking previews of some of their Super Bowl commercials on You Tube. Today, I saw VW's, The Bark Side.

Being an owner of two dogs who really don't bark - not even group roos - the barking was a bit annoying to me. But please wait until the end for the cherry on top!

I'm not going to lie, I have no idea what this has to do with VW, other than they probably paid out the nose for Star Wars rights three years ago and have to use it even if they don't want to. And I will admit that I didn't catch on that they were barking the Stormtrooper Theme until the video was playing in the background as I typed this post. But that last little bark at the end and the schnauzer dressed like an Ewok totally makes this worth the one minute watch.

Unwrapping Fun

2012-01-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

I had a friend tell me that she would not be wrapping gifts for her one year old child this Christmas. In her words, "It is a waste of time, money and energy because they can't unwrap it anyway. Wrapping gifts for a one year old baby is like wrapping a gift for your dogs." Well, I guess she has never met Roxy.

Happy New Year to everyone! May 2012 bring you lots of gifts to tear into!

Random Days of Christmas: Day 14

2011-12-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 14: You Need a New Sofa When...

The greyhounds prefer to rearrange the cushions so they are actually being eaten by them.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 13

2011-12-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 13: Reindog

Seka is a certified therapy dog. Most of the time we go to the nursing home alone, but we've recently become active with a local therapy dog group in Dublin - which is about an hour away from us. When Seka was younger she loved going to the nursing home and didn't really like visiting with kids. As she has aged, she doesn't like the nursing home so much and prefers to hang with the youngsters. Maybe she thinks I'm going to leave her at the old folks home. Or maybe it's because kids are sticky and taste better than nursing home food.

We were a part of Santa and his reindogs visits this year and of course, Seka made the best reindeer of all. In fact, maybe a little too good. A few of the residents thought she was a real reindeer.

These antlers were given to us years ago and she wears them like a champ for about 30 minutes. The bell collar - not so much. I do have to admit, from far away she looks rather real.

Happy Holidays to each of you!!!

Random Days of Christmas: Day 12

2011-12-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 12: Ornamental Objects

I have always felt like holding a Christmas ornament is like holding a memory in your hand. One of my favorite parts of Christmas growing up was the trip to the Hallmark store where my sister and I could select one ornament each that would represent "us" for that year. Whether it was Miss Piggy or a cheerleading bunny (both of which I still have and hang on my tree), those ornaments represented an interest at that point in our lives. One year I picked a penguin on a block of ice. I have no idea what that was supposed to represent for 1982.

Our tree holds many of my childhood ornaments as well as those from our many travels. I have a shell from Aruba, the Golden Gate Bridge, Hawaiian flip flops, and of course numerous Red Sox ornaments (thanks to Kev's students).

Of course our babies are all depicted on our tree as well. I cry a little each time I hang Boo Radley and Nomie's ornaments on our tree. Laugh as I hang Sam's ornament - one that I got in 1985 - as it is a bit cross eyed, just like she is. Clyde has a saddle, complete with stirrups. Good greyhound ornaments are harder to find. Seka's ornament looks just like her. Roxy, is depicted in pewter.

Our collection grows every year. I'm always on the lookout for new animal oriented ornaments in the hopes that one day we can have an entire tree dedicated to our babies.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 11

2011-12-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 11: Opening Presents Takes Practice

Roxy is becoming a pro...

Random Days of Christmas: Day 10

2011-12-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 10: Dear God, Make Me a Cat, So I Can Get Out of Here

We have had a lot of work done to our home in the last month an a half. New roof. New hot water heater. Fixing of leaky pipes (3 of them). Merry Christmas!

All of these required the dogs to be stowed away so they can be out of the way of the men as they went back and forth to their truck for whatever they needed. Sometimes they got stuck up stairs with an ex-pen blocking the stairs. Other times we all spent the day in the basement together. The girls didn't mind either of these options.

But for quick visits (an hour or less), I just shut them in our bedroom. Within 10 minutes of being stuck behind a closed door, Seka began devising a plan to shrink herself and escape. Despite the fact she is less than small boned - she has a super tiny head!

Random Days of Christmas: Day 9

2011-12-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 9: Attack Cat on Duty

We don't have a garage door at our house. At first I thought that I'd miss being able to close my cars in a safe little compartment each night. Kev continues to remind me that we live out in the country and to stop being paranoid.

Now I really don't think twice about it and in fact it becomes handy when the holidays come around and all of my online shopping is delivered. Nothing gets wet or damp. And as I discovered a couple of days ago, it allows our attack cat to guard the packages until one of us arrives.

At 15, Walter does not mess around. I've seen him chase dogs four times his size out of our garage and send them screeching in fear. Other cats and night critters do not dare step foot in our garage without paying a high price. I am convinced he is really a small wolverine.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 8

2011-12-20T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 8: My Greyhound Snores Louder than Your Honor Student

This has been happening for quite some time. We'll be watching tv and suddenly we hear the rumblings of a growling bear. The tv is instantly muted so we can decide where the attack will come from and I begin to mentally review all of the survival skills I've learned by watching When Animals Attack and then we realize it is just Roxy napping.

Can greyhounds have sleep apnea?

Random Days of Christmas: Day 7

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 7: Greyhound Mayhem

We stopped crating the girls about a year ago. It started out leaving them out for about 10 minutes at a time, earning their trust little by little. On days when I'm on the road for work and Kev is out of the house for long periods of time, they still get some crate time just to keep Roxy in check.

But, as you can see, Roxy got bored while we were at dinner the other night and decided that the newspaper can be recycled much easier when pre-shredded and my Red Sox visor looks way better with teeth marks.

You know the holidays are stressful. Ripping something to shreds (or beating up your sister) makes you feel better.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 6

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 6: Oh, the Greyhound and the Kitty Can Be Friends

Emma is 14 years old and continues to grow more stubborn every day. She may lack a tail, but she has a lot of attitude and isn't afraid to show it. Lately, Emma has decided that Roxy is her personal heating pad. No matter where Roxy beds down, Emma is right behind waiting to make her nest cuddled up right next to her.

At first there were some grumbles on Roxy's part. She doesn't like anyone in her face - that includes me and certainly not a kitty. But for some reason she has decided that Emma isn't too much of a bother and I think she actually likes the added warmth the little fur ball provides.

As you can see, humans have been officially removed from the sofa and all is right in the world.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 5

2011-12-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 5: Sam Loves Dry Cleaning Bags

Kevin has exactly 58 dress shirts in his closet. They are all different colors and patterns and he never wears the same shirt twice. After he gets home from school, he places the used shirt into the dry cleaning pile that he takes to our friends at Love Your Clothes Dry Cleaning once every 3 months. This always freaks them out that we have 58 pieces of clothing to be cleaned at once. We pick up every shirt he owns three days later and the cycle starts all over again.

When removing 20 or so dry cleaning bags before putting the shirts in the closet, it never fails that Sam buries herself in the bags as deep as she possibly can. I have to work my way into her little kitten fort to be sure she has a hole to breath out of. I guess the dry cleaning chemicals are like cat nip to her. She is a Siamese so there's really no explaining her behavior.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 4

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 4: 2 Broke Girls Love Greyhounds

If you've not checked out the new CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls, you're missing out on one of the funniest shows on television right now. If you like tongue-in-cheek humor, double entendre, and genuine characters this show is for you.

I was pretty psyched last Monday night when the two main characters go into a jewelry store and the set was decorated with a huge picture of a greyhound in a diamond collar. Greyhounds show up in the elevator scene too.

I mean if you have a golden retriever, you can't get excited when you see one used on TV or in a movie - right? When greyhounds appear on the screen, I like to think some greyhound-lover is working on that show or movie and went the extra mile to give us greyhound owners a secret shout out.

Random Days of Christmas: Day 3

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 3: Seka and the Sunshine Band

We had a huge tree removed from the front of our house in early fall. We really like the way it opens up the front of the house. The animals love the way the sun shines right in on them 90 percent of the day. Seka has taken advantage of these day-long sun spots more so than any of the others.

As you can see, she's into contortion to make sure she suns all sides of herself evenly. When she is done baking herself her fur feels like it could be 100 degrees. What is it about these black and sunning themselves until they cook?

Random Days of Christmas: Day 2

2011-12-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Day 2: Trent Reznor Rocks
Oscar-winning composer, Trent Reznor raises money for greyhound rescue auctioning off Nine Inch Nails memorabilia on Ebay. That's right, Trent Reznor, has greyhounds and uses his fame and the cult-like following of his band to give back to greyhounds. If you follow him on twitter (@trent_reznor) he often posts pictures of his dogs and encourages his followers to adopt a greyhound.

I will admit that I was never a Nine Inch Nails fan. I mean the scary kid who smoked dope and wore all black to school sported a NIN t-shirt frequently. To be fair this was my only reference and I didn't really fit the NIN demographic. But his work on The Social Network (for which he won an Oscar for best original score) and his lates work on Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (out next week), is exceptional.

So, follow Trent Reznor on twitter and support his work for greyhound rescue. Maybe when he wins his Oscar in 2012 he will give greyhounds a shout out in his acceptance speech.

Random Days of Christmas - Day 1

2011-12-13T15:27:00.003-05:00

I've been MIA. I know it. Getting into the Christmas spirit is a lot of work - decorating, baking, shopping, eating... and I've neglected my blog. It's not for lack of topics. I have plenty. So in an effort to make up for lost time I present to you the Random Days of Christmas 2011. All random. All the time.

Day 1: Roxy Takes a Shower

I walked into our bathroom a few days ago and found Roxy standing inside. Maybe she wondered in there to lick the floor? Maybe she couldn't figure out how to turn around? Maybe she was hinting that I really need to clean the shower door? I can't be sure the reason. All I know is she had to be picked up and turned around to escape the glass box. Silly pony.

Honor Roll

2011-11-03T18:39:00.001-04:00

I've never been a bumper sticker kinda girl. It is true that at every greyhound event I go to, my car is one of the very few without a greyhound-something stuck to it. But if I were to put a bumpersticker on my car, I would absolutely get the one that says "My greyhound is faster than your honor student." Don't you think it would look especially awesome when parked in the teacher's lot of a middle school?

On Tuesday, Seka was presented with an award from Dr. Hottie and company. She is officially the Pet of the Month for November 2011. The criteria for such an award is a bit fuzzy, but I've come up with a short list that may be applied for such a prestigious honor:

I had the biggest bill of the day on November 1. Pulling six of Seka's teeth surely put us on the top end of that list for Tuesday.
This is the craziest owner we have at our practice and we know she will put this magnet on her car and drive around with it there for the next five years which will result in a lot of free advertising.
We would like to continue to be bribed with sweets when her diabetic cat is boarded, so let's give her something.
Maybe if we give Seka an award she will stop worrying about her having the big C and believe us when we tell her that it is Seka's arthritis causing her to limp.

In reviewing this list, I realize that all of these reasons for Seka receiving the award have to do with me. Seka is okay with that. She says they told her the reason why she got the award is because she is the easiest patient they have. I'm sure they wish her mother was the same.

In leaving the office Dr. Hottie took a picture of me and Seka. He didn't mention what he was going to do with it. Kev thinks he keeps pictures of his "favorite pets"on his phone for personal reasons. I'm guessing it will be up on their Facebook page eventually. It was a great excuse to get Dr. Hottie to pose with Seka so I could have a picture to exploit as I see fit.

Whatever the reason Seka received this title, just like those proud honor students' parents, I snatched that sticker and put it on the back of my car before I pulled out of the parking lot. Take that smart kids!

PS: I was reminded that Seka and I are actually the original Greymates for August. I wonder if Dr. Hottie knew that, we'd get pet of the year?

Is There Something on My Face?

2011-10-20T14:28:00.001-04:00

One of mine and Kev's post-meal rituals is to do a teeth check as we leave the restaurant. Yeah, it's gross, but when you have big chompers like me, having something stuck in your teeth is quite noticeable. And what good is it to have a husband if he won't tell you that you have saved some salad in your teeth for later?

Seka isn't as worried about such embarrassing situations. It was time to wash the evil Orvis bed's cover last week. This is a task I don't do very often because those stupid pellets that stuff the bed seem to escape and make my living room look like a snow globe that needs to be shaken.

The evil Orvis bed has become Seka's favorite. I have no idea why since she avoided it for the first six months it was in our house. Trying to be a nice mommy, I brought the bed back upstairs after removing the cover so she could have her mid-evening (7p-9p) nap in her favorite spot.

I didn't think much of it until a loud noise on the TV woke her up and I caught a glimpse of her face. Instead of being a good mom and immediately removing the embarrassing white balls, I grabbed my camera (I was a good blogger instead).

Survivor

2011-09-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

If you are a fan of the reality-television shows Survivor and Big Brother, like I am, you know all about the crazy challenges they put contestants through to test their endurance. Stand on a four inch platform while it spins in melted butter - sure no problem. Balance on one leg on a fence post in 1000 degree heat - no worries. Hold 10 plates above your head for as long as you can - you betcha'. I'm unsure how these shows could come up with anything else for people to do for extended periods of time, but there are some ~~sadistic~~ creative people who come up with new stuff year in and year out.

This little guy was on his on private game show tonight in our pool. Who knows how long he was balancing on a piece of a broken pool step in our back yard?

I'm sure he leaned in a little too far to get a drink at some point during the day or last night. He was at least smart enough to make it to something to stand on out of the water. I bet he wished for a mouse life jacket more than once while he was on there.

We tried to keep him out of the water when we scooped him up with the skimmer net, but fear made him swim for his life. I was able to capture a few of pictures of him doing the mouse-paddle.

He was so cute. I really wanted to touch him, but like all the other adorable wildlife that somehow finds its way into our yard, I thought he might have rabies. Why does everything cute have rabies?

Needless to say, after being plucked out of the pool and placed safely in the grass, he sat there totally still. I thought he might have had a heart attack (who knows if he was conditioned for that sort of swimming - he was bit plump), but once he got his wits about him and realized he didn't have to stand on a half-inch sliver of plastic for safety, he ran as fast as he could into the safety of the under brush.

I guess he won the mouse equivalent of $1,000,000 - life. Now that's a real Survivor.

Cinephile

2011-09-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

I love a good film just about as much as anything. I love the experience of sitting in a cold, dark theater with other people experiencing the same emotions at the same time. I love talking about a great film with friends over a drink. I love it when a film has a greyhound in it.

I never quite understand why greyhounds aren't used more often in movies. They are beautiful. They are skinny. They like to sit around and do nothing. They are like little movie stars in fur coats (real fur at that). Maybe they don't work well with other divas?

I was really excited to see that Seth Rogen's new film, 50/50, has a greyhound in it. This film is based on Rogen's real life and relationship with his best friend who was diagnosed with cancer and how a guys help each other through diagnosis and treatment. I have no idea if his friend really got a greyhound or why Rogen chose our fabulous breed for the film, but the name Skeletor is a pretty funny, skinny dog name.

Check out this clip of when Skeletor comes home:

Skeletor the Healing Dog Shawn Williamson, Jonathan Levine

Other recent movies where you can catch a greyhound glimpse:

Charlie Wilson's War
Young Victoria
Sunshine State
Good Will Hunting

I know there are several old movies that feature greys as well. Let's see how many we can come up with shall we? I'll create a running list in the sidebar with links to these grey-friendly flicks!

Seka's Impression of a Dalmatian

2011-09-07T11:44:00.000-04:00

This is more of an inverted Dalmatian interpretation. Black is way more slimming anyway. Yes, she was very proud of her decorative coat.

Friday Funnies

2011-09-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

Has anyone else had the longest week on record? I'm so happy to have an extra day this weekend, so in celebration I share with you a Looney Tunes classic. I wish the greyhound didn't look so mean and those dogs certainly shouldn't be eating so close to race time, but I need to remember the Road Runner never died after falling off the cliff. Enjoy!

Dirty Dog

2011-08-08T22:36:00.000-04:00

My girlfriends and I used to make prank phone calls when we had sleep overs. Nothing nasty or dirty - well, maybe a couple were PG-13 - but most were just calling a cute boy and hanging up when they answered. I'm guessing now days kids have a much harder time pulling off a good prank phone call. Caller ID has totally ruined the art of prank calls and the hang up.

I guess Seka would prefer to make dirty prank phone calls since she obviously has the art of heavy breathing down - all be it a bit too fast to qualify for pervert status. Now if she could only convenience the cat to dial the phone for her.

BTW - this was taken just after she had her nails trimmed at the vet and we were waiting on Roxy to finish up. Seriously, people in the waiting room were staring at her incredibly loud panting. You would have thought she was having a doggie heart attack. Drama queen.

Lookout! Dogs on the Diamond.

2011-07-22T15:38:00.001-04:00

I love minor league baseball. I love the silly promotions. I love watching guys playing the game just hoping they make an impression. I love Thirsty Thursdays (2-for-1 drink night at most minor league parks).

So when the Chattanooga Lookouts hosted Dogs on the Diamond night last week, we knew the girls had to make an appearance.

We made donations.

We made friends.

We made an impression.

Yes, she is standing on the table.

We made a mess.

And we made the local news and I have no idea why the sound didn't record. We still look cute all the same, so just for fun, you can do your own voiceover script!