Happy Anniversary Layla!

Last year, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, we welcomed someone new into our home.



This year, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, it feels like she has always been here.

Happy birthday Layla! I love you!

Paws For A Cause

This past Sunday, I participated for the second year in a really fun charity event: Paws for A Cause. It's a great twist on the usual run/walk a 5k for charity. Instead of going on your own, running a 5k, and getting a t-shirt, you bring your dogs, walk a 3k, and get bandanas for the animals. Last year the event was a 5k, but due to heat and distance a lot of dogs were wiped out early, so this year it was held in April instead of June and was limited to a 3k. This proved to be a perfect distance for Max and Layla, who slept away the rest of the afternoon.

The Dude and I were also lucky enough to be joined this year by Nujoud, Zara, and their dog Lotus. Zara has learned the word for "dog" and would occasionally point to one and inform us of its presence, despite the fact that we were constantly surrounded. She also enjoyed taking the free dog treats and feeding them to whoever was nearby. I think Max and Layla both fell in love! I had a great time not only with my own friends and pets but getting to see all the other dogs, which ranged from some type of miniature chihuahua (which literally disappeared in the grass when it squatted to pee) to three gorgeous Great Danes from the Great Dane rescue of Southeast Texas.

If you live near me, I hope you can make it next year. Even if you don't, suggest a dog walk to your favorite charity. I think it's a great fundraising idea!

I did my best to take pictures with one hand while the other hand was being yanked out of my arm by Max, who was making his best effort to sniff every dog in the area. Good times!

Happy Campers

The Dude, Max and I all enjoy camping, but Layla hasn't had a chance to try yet because my Civic couldn't fit all four of us and the necessary gear. Luckily for her we recently got a new and bigger car so we didn't waste any time before hitting the road!

Because it's a new car, we got a fancy new cover for the backseat so that Max and Layla wouldn't mess it up. It acts kind of like a hammock so you end up with a flap between the two front seats. The dogs immediately realized this was prime chin rest territory and spent the whole ride angling for the best space. They seemed to like the sun roof as well.

I got a lot of reading done and tested out some of the new gear I got for a trip to the Grand Canyon later this year. Unfortunately the area we were in has been very dry so there was a burn ban, which meant no campfires. This was a crushing blow for the Dude. Luckily for him the so-called "Supermoon" was out this weekend so he could spend his evenings watching Layla try to protect us from everything that moved even as she fell asleep. All in all, it was a great weekend!

It's March Madness, Baby!

Like so many other Americans, I know next to nothing about college basketball yet still take great joy in trying to fill out a winning March Madness bracket. Over the years, I've sometimes been reasonably well informed (having watched throughout the season) and sometimes been completely clueless (having watched less games than I can count on my fingers) and it seems to have no affect on my success, or lack thereof.

Which is why this year I am going with a new, foolproof method of predicting the winner. I'm all in!



P.S. For the record, I know this puppy is correct because it shows Penn State winning its first game!

Separation Anxiety

I talk a lot about my dogs on here, but not much about my other pets. The Dude and I also have a cockatoo (Molly) and two rabbits (Silver and Littlefoot). We adopted the rabbits about 3 years ago under the condition that they would stay together. Apparently rabbits usually do not do well if they are caged with the same gender, but even though Littlefoot and Silver are both (neutered) males, they were best buds, and have been ever since we've had them.


That is, until about two months ago. In the period of less than five days, Silver went from looking healthy to having a huge bald spot on his head. We took him to the vet who admitted he'd never seen anything like it and gave us some steroid cream to try out. While we were using the cream, Littlefoot and Silver had to be separated so that Littlefoot wouldn't lick the medicated cream off Silver's head and a) render it ineffective or b) poison himself since it's not meant to be eaten. To our delight, within two weeks the hair was almost completely grown back and we were able to put the rabbits back together. Until a few days ago, when a bald spot appeared again. The vet had mentioned that one possibility was that the dominant rabbit (which is definitely Littlefoot) could have been plucking/overgrooming Silver and causing the problem. Now that it's happening a second time, it seems more likely that it's a grooming problem and not a health problem. We're looking into a new hutch that keeps them separated but I am devastated to have to split them up as they have always seemed to enjoy each others' company. We're giving them one more try...fingers crossed that it works!

Best in Show

The Westminster Kennel Club dog show was held recently and the winner was a Scottish Deerhound named Foxcliffe Hickory Wind. She beat out such tough competitors as Lennoxlove Susqudilla's Mini Cooper, Firethorn And Sandpiper Easy On The Eyes, Sunseeker Pirate's Code, and Clussexx Last Lion. No, I did not make any of those up; they all won Best in Breed.

So, in honor of this prestigious event, I would like to introduce two of the four legged members of my family with their new, more honorrific names.

Lady Jowlriffic Layla Fencejumper

Master Maximilian Doofball the Bestraddled

I have no doubt that they'll be turning heads at their next competition!

Please Take Me Back

So you may have noticed that I haven't posted in, well, over a month. Sorry. I thought on this Valentine's Day all about love I'd beg you to take me back if I promise to post more regularly. And to send you flowers and chocolates. (well, maybe not that second part) I will also hold true to the spirit of begging to get you back by making lavish promises, or in this case, future blog posts.

Here's what I have coming up:
Lots of book reviews: highlights include Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures, Ree Drummond's (aka Pioneer Woman) Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Elizabeth Kostova's the Swan Thieves.
Pictures of my pets being cute: lately Max and Layla have started snuggling together in between sparring sessions and it's adorable!
Pirates: Arrr matey, I saw the pirate exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.

And to bring this post full circle, here is my awesome Valentine's Day card from the Dude. Yes, that's a pirate. Apparently he found the card in the children's section. He knows me well!

2010 In Review

January:
Max watching PSU win the Capital One Bowl












February:
Made the library into a comfortable reading room.















April:
Tried deep fried bacon at the rodeo (it was gross!)...















...and visited Austin with my parents
















May:
Camping at Brazos Bend State Park













June:
Welcomed Layla to the family












July:
Brewed our first batch of beer...















...watched The Netherlands in the World Cup...













...and went skydiving!













August:
Went to the Philadelphia Folk Festival













October:
Went to New Orleans to celebrate my first anniversary with The Dude!
















November:
Returned to Pennsylvania for the wedding of a great friend (photo below courtesy of the Dude not leaving us alone)













December:
Spent a great Christmas with family and enjoyed real snow! (the handsome fella in this photo is my parents' dog, Duke)













2010 was a fun year for me. I have so much to look forward to in 2011!

A Dog's Life

I think a lot of you already read Hyperbole and a Half but if you don't, start now. I love it when she blogs about her dogs. This recent post about "simple dog" and "helper dog" made me laugh out loud and snort. Layla is definitely simple dog. I also liked this older one where she tested simple dog's intelligence. Then Becca did the same test on her dog, which led to hilarious photos of a lumpy blanket wandering around her living room.

I realized I haven't been blogging about Max and Layla as much as I used to. I think part of that is because Layla is really difficult to photograph; she tends to come out as a big black blur, sometimes with scary green eyes, sometimes with no eyes at all. It doesn't really do justice to her cheerful, floppy demeanor in real life, especially since I know the best part of a post about dogs is pictures of said dogs. I did get a few decent ones though...can you tell what a sweetheart she is?


Despite my laziness in posting their pictures, the dogs are doing well. Max got a cold last week, which he generously shared with Layla, so I have had the pleasure of listening to dogs sneeze for the past few weeks. They both excel at looking pathetic to get whatever they want from me then running away acting normal. Dogs 1, People 0.

Last night I watched the old Claymation "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" special. I had forgotten that whenever Rudolph's nose lights up it makes an odd high pitched whining sound. This intrigued both dogs. I love it when they hear a strange sound from the tv. The ears perk up and the head cocks to the side. Even better is when one of them actually walks over to see where the noise is coming from. The Dude has a birthday card which features dogs barking "Happy Birthday to You" and used it to mess with them quite a few times. I did the same with Rudolph. Dogs 1, Alicia 1. It's a tie! I'll call that good for now.

Well by now I figure I have bored and/or alienated pretty much all of my readers so my work here is done. I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas lights as much as I am now that I don't have to resent them!

Preparing for London 2012

The summer of 2012 may seem far away for most of us, but around the world elite athletes are hard at work preparing for the Summer Olympics. Competing at this level requires daily practice and intense focus.

Of course, many athletes compete in sports which are not a part of the Olympics. Every four years a number of test events are added and these athletes hope that their sport will be selected to become a permanent part of the Games.

Here, we see team USA's rising stars Max and Layla practicing their routine for the exciting new "synchronized napping" event. Go team!

Forgiveness and Football

Today Donovan McNabb and the Redskins (it sounds weird to even say that) return to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. The Eagles are led not by young QB Kevin Kolb but by Michael Vick, who has been playing incredible football in the last few weeks. Sounds great, right? Except I still haven't figured out what I think about Vick.

When he was convicted of running a dog fighting ring I felt it was unforgivable and that I could never respect him again as a person, let alone root for him in football. But now I have been wondering whether I'm being too harsh. I am a strong believer that our justice system should not only focus on punishment but also rehabilitation. Outwardly, Vick seems to have rehabilitated and be truly sorry for his actions. But how do I know whether that's true? I don't think I ever will.

The Sports Guy wrote a great article about this very topic; his wife still hates Vick but he disagrees. I think this is a really polarizing subject because it gets to the heart of a crisis in this country as more and more people are incarcerated.

What do you think? Do I trust Vick's current actions and wholeheartedly root for him? Or does someone who treats animals so badly never deserve success?

Canine Cloud Nine

We take our pets' well-being very seriously here. In addition to walks and play time in the backyard, we offer numerous spa and meditation services.

Here, Max shows off the "sideways contortionist" yoga pose. Don't try it at home; this takes years of practice.


After a tough workout, let those tired muscles recover with a dip in the spa.


Of course, after a long day of yoga and spa treatments, it's important to take some time to meditate and center yourself. And if you happen to fall asleep during the squirrel chasing affirmations, we won't tell.

Welcome Home Layla!

About a month ago, the Dude noticed an ad online for a 15 month old Lab/shepherd mix who needed a good home. We gamely resisted for a few weeks and then the ad disappeared, so we assumed she'd been adopted. When the ad popped up again last week, we couldn't resist any longer and asked for pictures. 4 days later, Layla came home with us.

Who could resist this goofy face?

Layla is only 15 months old but she is a big girl weighing 80 pounds! The Dude summed up her personality perfectly as "that girl who is 6 feet tall in eighth grade." She hasn't quite grown into her body yet so she can be a little ungainly at times, but she and Max are having lots of fun running around! She came home Saturday morning, which worked out well because it gave us three full days at home for her to learn our routines and for us to adjust to being a two dog family.

Layla is a sweet girl who tries to lick your face when you pet her. Her hobbies include swimming in the kiddie pool, eating ice cubes, fighting with Max for toys, and sleeping. This dovetails in well with Max's hobbies, which include thinking about getting into the kiddie pool, eating ice cubes, fighting with Layla for toys, and sleeping.

We're so glad to have you here Layla! I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday weekend as much as we did!

I Liked This Alot

When I was young I always had trouble remembering whether "a lot" was one word or two. Maybe that's why, now that I'm an adult, it's one of the many errors that really drive me nuts. I wince when I see a misplaced apostrophe or a misused their/there/they're; I sigh when someone writes "c u l8r!" But it's when I see "alot" that I get steamed. Of course, that was all before I learned to love the alot, a large, snuggly animal which is found all over the internet. Friends, let me introduce you to my new pal the Alot!

(source)

In Which I Can Finally Prove I Am Right

Although I like to believe that I'm always right, I rarely have hard facts to back it up. But today the Freakonomics blog (one of my favorites!) linked to an article in The New Scientist comparing dogs to cats. The pets were evaluated quantitatively in eleven categories and dogs came out on top, 6-5! Of course this was no surprise to me...I've always loved dogs since I convinced my mom to let me bring one home when I was five years old.

Dog lovers rejoice!

(A picture of my parents' dog Duke, because I figure you're tired of pictures of Max)

Happy Birthday Max!

Tonight Max ate adult food for the first time instead of puppy food so I'm calling it close enough to his one year birthday.

Last year at this time the Dude and I had just moved into our new house and I was planning our wedding. Since we were so busy, we told everyone we weren't going to get a dog until after we were married, about 10 months away. Within a month, we had Max. He was 8 weeks old, weighed less than 10 pounds, and had us at hello.

No wonder we couldn't resist!

We watched him grow and counted how many tiles he touched when he slept. They're 18" square and when he got here he could stretch out and still be all in one tile. Here he is on Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago, stretched out in the kitchen and touching no less than eight tiles. He weighs in at 50 pounds.

Happy Birthday Max!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year since it has been full of milestones. The following are in calendar order.

• I'm thankful for my beautiful home (we closed 2 days before Thanksgiving last year and ate dinner in our old place surrounded by boxes).
• I'm thankful for my crazy goofy gorgeous dog (who as I write this is almost fully recovered from his surgery and just ran upstairs to terrorize the Dude).
• I'm thankful for my wonderful family and amazing friends (who came together from across the globe for my wedding and completely overwhelmed me with their love as I started down the aisle with my father).
• I'm thankful for my parents (even though I am not with them today, I'll be on the phone with mom at noon ET to sing along to Alice's Restaurant. You should try it sometime.)
• I'm thankful for the Dude, who is now my husband, and who makes me laugh and treats me like a queen.

We're cooking our first turkey today (and by "we" I mean "him") and having friends over for dinner tonight. It's going to be a good time. I hope all of you are surrounded by joy and stuffed by turkey today! Happy Thanksgiving!

PS Copying from Erin, leave your best turkey impressions in the comments!

The Road to Recovery

Lots of you have been asking how Max's recovery is going, which I really appreciate! It's been two weeks since the surgery and he's doing great. He has started putting weight on his leg again and is in high spirits. His fur is starting to grow back but he still looks pretty ridiculous. Here are some pictures of our favorite doofus!

Don't be fooled...he's not a delicate flower.

This is more like what I see every day.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

Our Little Gimp

A few months ago we noticed that Max would occasionally pull up his right hind leg and he began to favor it more and more. We took him to the doctor and it turns out he needed surgery. He had the operation yesterday and came home today. He is definitely tired but he is doing ok and actually was able to hop around more than expected. The biggest challenge is going to be keeping him from running around for the next six weeks. Get well soon Max!

Getting Hitched!

The Dude and I leave tomorrow morning for Philadelphia. We're getting married on Friday then heading South for a week of sandy beaches and frozen drinks. I'll leave you with this picture of Max enjoying a new toy. I hope everyone has a great couple of weeks!