Good news, and exciting news!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!! I’ve got some exciting news!

But first, thanks so much for all the kind thoughts for my little big sister, TaiChi. I know Mom is worried about her, but I also know that Mom is doing everything she can to take care of her, so I have complete faith that TaiChi’s blood pressure will be under control in no time, and I am sure that Mom will keep close watch on her “bad eye” to make sure that it stays healthy, and she doesn’t get “secondary glaucoma”. I think TaiChi should get an eye patch and a pirate hat – and maybe a parrot for her shoulder, but Mom won’t let me go shopping for her… Sometimes Mom is No Fun. TaiChi has a doctor’s appointment on Monday to check her blood pressure, and hopefully I can report back some good news.

Apparently the “medicine” that she takes (which looks an awful lot like a blob of peanut butter to me, but Mom says the pill is Very Tiny and is hidden in the peanut butter…. ) works really quickly, so it wouldn’t be unusual to have good news this quickly. ‘Cause as much as I like to harass my little big sister (and steal her cookies – even though Mom says it’s “tacky” to steal cookies from a half-blind dog….*sigh*), I love her dearly, and want her around for a long time!

So, on to the Very Exciting News. We’re going on A Long Road Trip!!! In the House With Wheels!!!

Last year, about this time, I was a Very Little Dog. I was Smaller than TaiChi, if you can believe that! (I can’t actually.... Me? Smaller than TaiChi? Wow. But I guess photos don’t lie. Unless you are O.J. Simpson. Heehee.)

Okay, so I was a Very Little Dog. 9 weeks old, to be exact. 9 weeks. ?!? That’s like, nothing! So at 9 weeks of age, Mom and Dad (and Uncle Charlie) dragged my tender, impressionable young self halfway across the country to Topeka, Kansas. Topeka? Who goes to Topeka? It’s like Fresno, but totally different.* To go to a car race. The Solo National Championships, to be specific. (The car racing where Mom knocks down lots of cones? That’s called “Solo”, and they hold a National Championship each year. Last year it was in Topeka, and Uncle Charlie ended up winning, so he now has this jacket that says ‘National Champion’ on the back. He didn’t win any money or anything exciting (tires, but in this household, tires are sort of ho-hum), but I guess he got “serious bragging rights”. (And is finally on equal footing with his wife, as she won a National Championship several years ago.)

Here’s a few choice pictures from last year’s Nationals.

DOGZILLA!!!! Heehee! (I still can't believe I was that LITTLE!!!)

Me perfecting my 'pathetic puppy' look. You wouldn't believe how many people this sucked in to come visit me!

Mom after her best run of the event.

Dad at the start

Everyone (except me….) back home, after a very successful event.

If you want to see the whole album, click here. For an ironic aside (other than the less than stellar coverage of me), read Mom’s comments regarding the Shelby Mustangs in F Stock. She professes in her comments on the photo album that she’d NEVER want to run F Stock because the cars drive like tanks. Well… Let’s just say that Mom should watch a certain James Bond movie with Sean Connery, because now? If she could successfully rob a bank? She’d be running a Mustang Shelby GT at this year’s Nationals. I’m just sayin'...

Anyway, it was at this event that I learned to not be afraid of the sound of diesel trucks, and to love the throaty rumble of a big “horsepower” engine (however, I still haven’t seen any horses, BTW… maybe I will solve the mystery of the horse-less horsepower this year). To me, the smell of tires and high octane gasoline is the smell of victory!

This year, the Solo Nationals are being held in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is a new site so I don’t know anything about it, other than that I have looked at a map, and Nebraska is a LONG state. But I’m Very Excited to be going back! And TaiChi will be going with us this year (last year she was having kidney problems and had to stay home in the doggie hospital). Mr. Bufus will also be going with us (of course – ever since Mom and Dad got the House With Wheels, Mr. Bufus has gone EVERYWHERE with them – he is a Very Well Traveled Kitteh) . You know that I love The House With Wheels, and I love car races, so a combination of the two? I can hardly contain myself! And Mom says we will be staying "on site", so at night she'll be able to take me on walks where we can walk around and look at all the race cars and 'conveyances'. TaiChi tells me that these walks are Quite Fun, so I'm Really Excited!!!!

I have to help Mom make her lists (she’s responsible for all the pre-trip packing; once we get on the road, Dad and Uncle Charlie and responsible for everything else) so she doesn’t forget any Important Doggie Toys (or any of TaiChi or Bufus’ medicines). But I’m So Excited! And maybe Uncle Charlie will defend his title. And maybe Mom won’t be DFL** this year. Or even if she’s DFL, maybe she’ll be closer to the other people in her class than she was last year.

I will, of course, keep you posted. And I’m making sure that Mom’s got the flashy box all charged up so I can document the entire experience!!!

And in yet MORE excitement? Daisy gave me this Super Cool Award!!! Thanks, Daisy!!!

I’m supposed to tag 5 bloggies who blog at least once a week (or who I’d like to see blog once a week. Lessee…

First, has to be my buddy Farley. I think Farley was actually my first online friend, and really inspired me to take over Mom’s blog and make it my own. I consider Farley to be my Very Special Friend.

Second (and this is not in any order than what randomly bounces into my brain) is Doby and Lola. Technically, that’s two, but they are such partners in crime that I’ll count them as one. These guys are so cute. And super smart.

Third. Dory. She cute, and adventurous, and, well, did I mention cute?

Fourth. The 4 B’s. Don’t judge them. Other than to determine that they TOTALLY ROCK!!!!

Fifth. This is such a hard decision, as there’s about a zillion bloggies that I want to add to this list. But I’m going to have to go with Mollie Jo and Bobo. Because I’m a sucker for Miniature Poodles. I have looked up to TaiChi ever since I was a Very Little Dog, and as a result, I am in love with all Miniature Poodles; so even though I technically look down on them (being taller and all), I still look up to them. And these two? OMD!!! If I could pick some siblings out of my bloggie friends, I’d have ‘em move in tomorrow! (But they’re very happy with their Mom, so I won’t go kidnap them. But if you guys ever want a vacation? Come visit!! We’ve got tons of room!)

So, that’s my day. And now I’m very tired. And must help Mom with her Packing Lists.

*kissey face*
-Fiona

*Mom would like to comment that she is making a slightly obscure, super nerdy reference to the original ‘Airplane’ movie. “Fresno? No one goes to Fresno anymore.” Yeah. My Mom’s a nerd. But my uncle (Mom’s oldest brother)? Even MORE of a nerd because he once had a cat named Fresno – who was, I am led to believe, named after that quote. Clearly Mom comes from an Entire Family of Nerds! Oh… You shouldn’t even get me started about the Nerdiness of Mom’s family. I believe that she once got my other uncle (her other brother) a Holy Hand Grenade . Can you say “NERD?!?” Eesh. And to think that I am related to these people. *sigh*

** DFL = technical acronym that stands for “Dead F’ing Last” – apparently it applies to all forms of racing in generally, and frequently to Mom in particular! (I’m just KIDDING, Mom!)