Mar 30, 2008

I'm a Groupie!!

I have found the all time best stress reliever...being in a band! A virtual Rock Band that is!

I purchased Rock Band this week in order to burn off some steam with Ryan. This game is highly addictive! You have been warned! Ryan is doing pretty well on playing the guitar and I am the lead singer. I tried playing the drums for a while but they are actually pretty hard!




So I called it quits and instead try to belt out them high notes without shattering our dual pane windows. :) As of now, The American Pugsters are on a world tour trying to collect fans. Yup, that's our band name: The American Pugsters.

Sometimes, when we play a punk rock song, the Pugs start a mosh pit. It's quite comical!

Since we are on a world tour, we have a few staff members.





Gino is our Manager.



He gets us our gigs and also reminds the crowd to check out our next shows.





Vinnie is our Roadie.




He makes sure our equipment is working and before every show gives it his blessing: a pug sneeze. He takes his job very seriously.



Bruno is our Bouncer.



Come on...wasn't this a no-brainier?! Would you want to get a little too crazy at our show only to have to mess with this wall of muscles later? We thought so!
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Mar 28, 2008

Stick and Stones...

What a tumultuous two days it has been. Ryan's grandfather's funeral was both beautiful and deeply saddening. It was wonderful to have so many relatives to lean on during hard times like these. Never have I seen a family so welcoming and genuine in the amount of concern and love given during such a stressful time. I am glad to be part of such a family.


Our Mafioso family was spread around during these two days. The boys stayed home one night and Seana came over to feed them and stretch their little legs. Auntie April called me to let know that Vinnie called her demanding to sleep over her house (Vinnie can dial?! I better let all the pizzerias know!), so Auntie April came and grabbed the boys. They had a fun day at Auntie April's house and I never knew I could miss my boys so much!


Now that we are back and the weather is nice, an outing was definitely in order! Ryan started off our hike on a new trail. I stopped to take this picture...




not knowing that in a few seconds I would hear Ryan say "Oh crap! Boys, get over here!" What was behind the top of this trail was indeed a surprise!



A cliff!



Oh! Maybe we should have paid more attention to this sign? Ha ha!




Nonetheless, the view at the top of the bluff was breathtaking.







After that scare, Bruno decided that we should instead get down to business...accomplishing Bruno's first swim of 2008!




"Let's get crack-a-lackin' folks!"





"Cowabunga, dude!"





"Yipee kai yay!"



He proceeded to retrieve fallen logs back to shore....




and had a blast doing so!







Bruno was not very happy whenever Ryan took too long throwing the stick back into the river.


"Throw the stick! Throw it!
THROW IT!"


He kept threatening to jump and keep all four paws in the air knowing damn well how much I panic about his hips!



"Throw the stick and I'll land!"



Ryan and I oggled the homes located right above the river. We dreamed of one day owning a house just like this one:





But being that this home probably sells for at least $1 million dollars, the closest we could ever afford to a home located above the river is probably something like this:









I noticed that Gino started to get a little bit jealous of Bruno's splashes and retrieval skills. He kept following Bruno and saying "You ain't so hot! I can do anything you do but better!"





He first insisted that he could make a bigger splash than Bruno's...


"See! I can splash the water just as much as he can!"




"Dude, I look just like Moses parting the Red Sea!"



We had to explain to him that his splashes were a bit on the puny side. This is what a REAL splash looks like!






His ego was a little hurt. So he decided to prove that he could retrieve logs just as big as the ones Bruno retrieves.


"This is easy! This stick weighs as much
as a feather!"



"Man, this is no biggie!"


"Seriously, a newborn can lift this log!"


"I might as well walk with it around the river.
There might be a girl Pug who might see
my awesome strength!"



Obviously, his little black head began to swell. So we resorted back to some NILIF to help get him back on track. ;)





Vinnie came along also. I swear! He was just not into posing for the camera today. This is pretty much what he did all day...



He just kept sticking that tongue out at me. I deserve it...I did leave him for two days!





Bruno's also back to doing his favorite river hobby...



"You're in here somewhere!"


Bobbing for river dirt clogs! Yum!







While we were sitting down taking a break, I couldn't help but notice all of the butterflies surrounding us. Those that know me well know that I absolutely love butterflies and it felt like I was in heaving being surrounded by them.





"Ma! Look over here!
I found something for you!"


Um...thanks? Just what I wanted to see? Two butterflies getting it on! It definitely is spring!





Now that Spring is here, The Canine Mafia will begin more frequent outings. Stay tuned!



"Ya'll come back now, ya hear!"

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Mar 24, 2008

And we weep...

Today we learned that Ryan's grandfather passed away. We mourn his loss and reflect on how precious life is during this moment of grief. The entire family is back home right now and I will join them soon for the funeral. Today I stopped by to visit The Canine Mafia's cousins to let them stretch their little legs and feed them dinner, as their Mom and Dad went back home today to spend time with the family during this time of loss.



Linus greeted me at the door. He wanted to know if I had brought his ahi tuna for dinner.


"I hope you purchased sushi-grade tuna."





"What?! You have no tuna?"






"I have claws you know.
Perhaps you might want to rethink
this 'No tuna' statement."




Lindsay just wanted to know when I was going to use my thumbs to open her container of food.



"Is dinner ready yet?
Is it ready yet?
How about now?
Is it ready yet?"



Bison was really sad that Bruno did not accompany me.



"But...but...Bruno always visits me!"





"Maybe if I wish hard enough, Bruno will appear!"





Bella had a few choice words about Bison's wish...



"Tell me there's not another dog coming here!"






I told her she could have whatever she wished. She is illegally cute.





"I know. It really is hard to be this good looking."






She's even cuter when she decides to perch underneath plants.




"When you turn around, I shall proceed
to destroy the leaves on this baby!"



Please, everyone, give your furkids and your loved ones a big hug today. Let them know that you love them and cherish every waking moment with them.


Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory no one can steal.
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Mar 23, 2008

Family Ties

"I"m bored," says Bruno.





"Me too," says Gino.






"Me three," says Vinnie.




Sensing the boys were bored, Cousin Bison and Cousin Lindsay came over for some playtime...



"Let's play!" exclaims Bison




"I can't hear a word you're saying
because I'm deaf!" says Lindsay





"I love it when Bison and Lindsay come over," says Bruno


"Bison helps me gang up on the Pugs..."


"We wrassle..."





"I bite his face off..."




"He bites mine off..."




"Bison also makes a nice head rest
for my huge, ginormous head."


The Pugs don't wrassle. They are too busy making sure no one gets out of line or has too much fun. They make Bison take mandatory Time-Outs.





Glad you stopped by cousin Bison!



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Procrastination: I'll find a title for this later...

Well folks, it's not for my lack of trying, but this post shall unfortunately not be an Easter post. I had a grandiose plan for an Easter photo shoot, but unlike Jesus, who is risen, this idea must stay locked in the tomb that is my head until next year.


"He is risen!"



Trust me, it was hard for me to give up. I searched high and low for the props I would need. Half the stores were closed and the few that were open did not have what I needed. Although I was tempted to buy just a few props and create a half-assed attempt at an Easter photo shoot, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Dammit, if I'm going to humiliate The Canine Mafia by dressing them up in Easter props then I'm going do it right!


"Phew! We just narrowly escaped internet humiliation!"



This serves me right anyway. This is glorious procrastination taking a nice, big bite out of my hiney. I deserve it.

So can I make it up to you by instead giving you a recap of The Canine Mafia's week?

First they went to a peep show...



Oops, wait no, they didn't! They aren't allowed to do that! We haven't really been out anywhere lately, but now that the weather is nicer the outings will resurrect!



The month of March is a very important month for The Canine Mafia. March 15th is the day little Gino (or Guiness as Alicia named him at that time) walked into my life.


"So what do you have to offer me?"




This was the first picture I ever saw of Gino and I immediately exclaimed "He's mine!!"
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"I ranned away from home."


Alicia found him wandering a nearby park and Gino was only wearing a collar that was way too small for him. No tags. :( Alicia put up a notice at the shelter, took him home and waited the 30 days for his owners to claim him. No one ever did.








His little black mug tugged at my heart strings and I knew he had to come live with us. Being that I have the most wonderful husband on Earth (I have two on Mars and one on Jupiter that could give Ryan a run for his money), Ryan agreed that this little black gorilla needed to come live with us.

Alicia showed me pictures of him doing laundry! A black Pug that can do laundry...Ryan was sold!!


"Would you like these shirts starched?"



So after a quick berry removal surgery (which resulted in my having a near heart attack! Gino was apparently very allergic to the anesthesia used), Alicia and I met halfway for a Pug drop off.



Bruno was at first less than happy.




"He's not staying permanently, right?"


But now they seem to have an understanding. Mondays through Fridays only.





Gino packs a lot of attitude in a small package and we could never imagine life without him now. He is a clown and fierce little warrior all in one body. We made his Gotcha Day of May 6th as his birthday. And, as you may know, we celebrate birthdays here to the tenth power! So stay tuned for Gino's birthday celebration!



Speaking of toys...



Bruno's apparently taken very keenly to a Day-Glo ball. Come on children of the 80's! I know you remember Day-Glo fondly!!





This is Bruno's newest best friend. He goes everywhere with it.







He talks sweet nothings to it...






And he even naps with it...







There's nothing very special about this photo except that I captured Bruno's frustrated look accidentally. This is the face he makes when the Day-Glo ball goes a little too far for his comfort. The ball must be within biting distances at all times!






Oh yes! How could I forget!

We have a new addition to The Canine Mafiosos!

The Canine Mafia utters quite frequently the phrase "You're going to sleep with the fishes!" to various offenders. Lately, it's been uttered to the neighboring Corgi who likes to bark at them through the fence.

Seeing as how not having any actual fish to sleep with might lessen the threat, The Canine Mafia begged for Ryan and I to get them a fish. A really LARGE fish.

We present to you Anchovia. Anchovia is Red Devil and she lives alone...exactly how she likes it. And she's eagerly awaiting her first customer wearing cement shoes. You've been warned!

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Mar 15, 2008

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Bruno's already consumed a few too many Green Beers...




Nonetheless, if you're going to consume beer might as well consume enough to make the world spin. :) Or at least that's what Bruno tells me!


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Mar 2, 2008

It's so hard being a Pug...

I don't know how Vinnie does it.

Being at dog training all day on Saturdays and helping out with two puppy classes in a row (in addition to attending his own three classes) really takes a toll on Vinnie. I don't know if I could do it if I were him....wait a minute, I do it also! So tell me, how does he end up in the hammock for some much needed R&R while I end up being sequestered to a patio chair?







I'm sure he has a lot to think about. I mean, what better place is there to plan what to do all week while I am gone working hard. Someone has to work! Cookies aren't free you know! I guess that someone is me.




"I ordered my drink 15 minutes ago. Sigh.
It really is so hard to find good help these days."

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