Awards and Cool Pressies!

As you may recall, TaiChi and I got a box from Mango a while back, and Mom FINALLY helped us open it.


And guess what?!? It was our awards from MangoMinster!!!!

*gah* I've tried loading this picture 3 times, and it is still sideways.. Oh well, you get the idea!

Here is the backsides of them:
How TOTALLY COOL!!!!

We are SO EXCITED!!! Mom and Dad have all these skiing and car racing trophies and medals and stuff, and we are so excited to have our very own medals!!!! These are Super Heavy Duty medals, too!!! We honestly didn't expect anything like this! (And I'm using a lot of exclamation points, because we really are super excited!)

So, of course, we had to model them. TaiChi, in keeping with her Bad Sport self, didn't see the need to actually wake up for the photo shoot.

So I offered to model them both. Because I make a good model, if I say so myself!

We haven't figured out a permanent place for them (although I think I'm going to try to hit Grandpa up to make a 'shadow box' frame for them. *hint*hint*), but at the moment, we felt that Mr. Bufus should have the honors.

Mango also sent us some MangoMinster magnets, but Mom didn't get a picture of them. We also a cool bag (I'm telling ya', this was a great box of goodies!) with some Most Excellent chewies and a toy. Mom managed to get a picture of the bag and toy before Abby stole the toy...

As for the chewies, we might have "tested" a few of the treats before Mom could get a picture.... (Now Mom wants to find more of them, since we gave them the 12 Paws Up stamp of approval - even though TaiChi didn't eat one, she still approved because we were too busy munching to accidentally jump on her!)

*ahem* (But they were tasty!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mango for the Most Excellent Award Box of Goodies!!!! This has been a great week, pressie-wise!

Speaking of awards, all three of us got and award from the Most Excellent Vizsla Dog, Dennis:

Too cool! Thanks very much, Dennis! If I understand this correctly, I'm supposed to give this to 15 people. Wow. 15. Hmmm. Totally at random (because I love all my friends) are 15 people: 1) Doby and Lola, 2) MollieJo and Bobo, 3) Farley 4) Twix (of the Most Excellent Paw-It-Forward packages!) , 5) The Schnoodles , 6) Sierra Rose , 7) Stacey Mae , 8) McGillicutty 9) The TN Bull 'Terrors' (heehee) 10) Benny and Lilly , 11) Lorenza (who is the Best Dresser I know!) , 12) Ginger Jasper (because I love kittehs, too!) 13) Abby (even though she shares a name with The Little Monster my dear sister) 14) Brutus (as an aside, Mom and Dad saw some Brutus look-alikes walking in the snow today and couldn't stop laughing) 15) Luna (whose Mom seems to spend almost as much time on Facebook as my Mom does... if that is possible)

*whew* That's a lot of people. Thanks for the award, Dennis, but next time could you give one that requires less people to pass it along to? Thanks! :-)

And on a final note, thanks for all the words of support regarding The Little Monster. I would like you to know, however, that I had the final word. (For now.)

*heehee*

*kissey face*
-Fiona

Mom has really been slacking

*sheesh* I know that I have mentioned how tough it is to find good help around here, but since Mom and Dad are "skiing" more, Mom is getting behinder and behinder. I mean, they leave in the morning, locking up the two little dogs, and leaving me in charge (note from Fi's Mom: both Abby and TaiChi are crated - separately - because Abby is too little to be trusted, and TaiChi seems to have lost 'reverse' and so she will walk into a corner and stay there until she is rescued; by crating her she can't get into situations that she can't get out of). Which is fine, because I can totally run this house. Bark at the UPS guy? Got that covered. Bark at the racoons? Yep. Totally. Bark at the girls in crates? Yep. Hide in the other room when Abby starts to make too much noise? All over that! (Luckily TaiChi is kind of deaf, and sleeps a lot, so she can ignore Abby's drama queen ways pitiful cries...)


So Being In Charge is totally cool, especially since I've got complete run of the house. But once Mom and Dad get back, Mom has "things to do". Like getting the little Abby-Monster outside so she can piddle. And getting TaiChi outside, so she can piddle. And feeding TaiChi (more on this...), and finally getting around to getting me outside. (Having the best bladder in the household seems to be a bit of a curse, if you ask me. But I'm a Good Dog, so I'm not going to protest in some unhygienic way.) And then Mom has other Things To Do, like ROTEs (which I sometimes get to go on), and taking TaiChi to the vet, and on and on and on. And at the end of the day, she wants to watch teevee with people doing wintery sports in Canada.

Eh. Thinking about this, I guess I'd rather that she be refereeing me and Abby than helping me type. But still. You'd think she could do all of that and help me type. But whatever.

So.... Enough griping. First, we received our awards from the Relentlessly Huge, for our wins at MangoMinster. Wow. Even I'm impressed at how well we did. Totally cool. Thanks to everyone who voted for us, and to the judges, and to Mango and his Momma for putting the whole thing on! (Oh, and thanks to Moose for the pre-competition partying; that was So Much Fun!!!)

Thanks to everyone for honoring my Fallen Comrade, Mr. Bufus. We miss him every day. Mom is going to print off a copy of this to go by his picture in the the living room.

Two awards for TaiChi!!! I can't believe how she just dominated the 'Bad Sport' group. Oh. Wait. I totally can. Especially when I tell you about her latest visit to the vet. You Will Not Believe This. But more on that in a bit.


And me!!! Sporty Dog!!! I am so thrilled with this!!! Because I LOVE everything sporty (except for maybe "skiing" since I can't do it with Mom and Dad). Thank you So Much!!!

We are very honored to have been a part of MangoMinster 2010, and very flattered to have done so well! Thanks EVERYONE!!!

Now, on to TaiChi. Wow. You cannot believe the latest. Mom took her to the V-E-T yesterday to have a check-up, since she's a million years old. They checked her blood pressure, and her eyes, and stuck her with a few needles, and did all sorts of other Old Dog Check-Up things. And then Mom talks to the vet about how TaiChi is losing weight. And he says that yes, because of her kidney problems, she will likely continue to lose weight, but if Mom can get her to eat as much as possible that might help a little. So then Mom says that the night before they had had some grilled sirloin, and she drizzled the juices in TaiChi's dish, and TaiChi was Very Happy about it (which she was). So then, the vet says, "If TaiChi likes steak, and it doesn't cause problems with her digestion, then you could probably give her a little with each meal. It will give her more calories, and it will be something that she really enjoys."

Steak. At every meal?!? You cannot be serious!!!! And what does Mom do? She stops by the store on the way home, and buys some steak, because Mom and Dad don't eat it that often. Top sirloin (because the vet said it should be lean beef). For TaiChi!!! None for me or Abby.

*sheesh*

However, I guess I would expect no less from a Champion Bad Sport! (Lucky dog!!!)

And now Mom says I have to end this because she and Dad are going to go do this skiing stuff again. But Mom promises that she'll get some more pictures of me in the snow. Soon. (Uh-huh. I'll be holding my breath on that one!)

*kissey face*
-Fiona

Note From Fi's Mom: The vet did indeed say that TaiChi can have a little steak at each meal. She doesn't get a lot; just enough to make her food more interesting to her, and steak is one of the things that she truly enjoys. Her kidneys are what they are, and a little extra protein isn't going to effect them much. Besides, I think TaiChi would rather have the steak than be on a totally bland diet that she hates. And at 18+ years old, I'm not going to deny her any little bit of pleasure that she can get out of life.

Enough of this car stuff, let's get back to me

So yesterday Mom FINALLY took me on the hike promised as we were driving back through the oh-so-exciting states of Nebraska and Wyoming. I will say this just one more time – until next year, that is – OMD; could those states be any more boring? And I can’t even IMAGINE what it’s got to be like there in winter. Although the big barriers they’ve got to help create snowdrifts and stop (some) snow from blowing across the highway gives a pretty good indication of how miserable it must be. All I can say is that I’m one lucky doggie to live someplace that actually has, erm, something other than cornfields and cows.

We started off on a trail that we hike a lot, and then took a new turn, and ended up hiking over 4 miles. Which was most fun. I just wanna know when we are going to start going on LONG hikes! Heehee! Mom, however, didn’t bring the real camera, and had to take pictures with her phone. Which was a real shame, because the trees are starting to change colors, and there are some really bright reds out right now. So…. Mom is going to have to take me on another (possibly longer? C’mon Mom… There are MILES of trails out there for us to explore!) hike where she’ll have the camera and we can get some good scenery pictures. Because it is really pretty right now.

And perfect for hiking! Did I ever mention that I’m subtle? No? There’s probably a reason for that…

Anyhoo, last night I got in some quality snoozling with my little big sister.


Because Mom promised me another hike today, we went hiking, despite the weather forecast that there could be thunderstorms in the afternoon. Mom looked out the window (her own personal weather forecasting) and deemed it fine. And a chance to get some pictures of the “fall colors”.

So off we went.
Um. Mom? So far this looks like the regular trail. Where are the colors?

Oh. Okay. Got it. Biggify to actually see the colors...

We did the same hike as yesterday - which is our usual hike but with an extra mile loop in there. And lots of hills. And trees and stuff.

This is steeper than it looks. Trust me. In person it goes straight up!


And if you notice, for a while it looked pretty darn sunny.

Are we there yet? You mean we keep going UP? Wow.

We finally made it to the top of the climb, and from there, you could see all the way to the Olympic Park where they held the ski jumping and luge and bobsled events during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

And the hillside to the right was starting to turn all sorts of colors. In another week the colors will really be out.


And if you must know, yes, I am a Happy Dog! I love hiking!


But as we stopped for water, something on the horizon caught my attention:

Uh, Mom. Would you look over there. Please?!?

I think we'd better GO. Because we're only halfway through the hike!

So we dashed off, Mom taking only one more picture before we were all the way home.


By the time we got home the skies were totally black, and literally 5 minutes after we walked in the door it started raining. About 5 minutes later we lost power for about 30 minutes! I'm glad I hustled Mom along when we saw that first dark cloud! But we didn't get wet, and it was a great hike.

So, Mom, whaddya think about tomorrow, huh? Huh? Pretty please?!?

Heehee.

And on other stuff. Thanks to Dennis the Vizsla Dog who gave me this award:

Even if it is a little mis-spelled, I’m a class act! Woo-hoo!!! Heehee. Proof that I can fake people out when I really try!

The award is, of course, made by the The Purple Hatter, and the requirements is that I pass this along to six class act doggies. I know so many. But I’ll pick six class acts.

Martha and Bailey, who are legal masterminds and who get to go on walkies in some of the prettiest places ever.

Clive. Because he actually works for a living. And Mom thinks that he looks like a big Irish sweater! And, of course, because he is a goldendoodle (and rather handsome, if I say so myself).

Doby and Lola. Because they are seriously classy.

Lorenza. Because she is just the classiest dresser I know. Not to mention a sweetheart.

The 4 Bs. Because poodles and a schnoodle? How can they be anything BUT classy?

Sierra Rose. Because she’s classy in the making!

And this isn’t to say that all of my other friends aren’t classy, but I was forced to pick six…

And now, I must nap if I am to be ready for tomorrow hike. And for the record? The little thingy that Mom wears on her wrist to give distance and heart rate and stuff says that we climbed over 1300 feet today. In 4 miles. Not shabby!

*kissey face*
-Fiona, The Intrepid Hiker

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!)

An award (that Mom has been very slow in acknowledging)

Mom has been a little slow on updating the award thing. And I think she lost one in the whirlwind of my birthday celebration. So I apologize (and feel free to leave Mom a note so she can go get it… has anyone noticed how HARD it is to get good help?!?). Anyhoo, I got a fantastic award from the vastly intelligent, super adventurous, larger-than-life Dory. Go check her out. I’ll wait. She’s a dynamo in a small package.

I believe there are some rule that are attached to this award:

1. Acknowledge the person who gave you an award. That would be Dory. Thank you!!!

2. Copy the logo and Place it on your blog. vide supra*

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. vide supra

4. Note 7 things about your self that people might find interesting. vide infra**

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Blogger. Hmmm… I’m not sure who hasn’t got this. However, I’m going to list 7 people who deserve it, whether they’ve already gotten it or not.

6. Post link to the 7 bloggers you nominated. vide supra

7. Leave a comment on each of the blog you nominated, letting 'em know they have been nominated. Again, I think everyone I’ve listed has already gotten this, so I’m not going to leave a note. Because I’ll feel like a doofus.

7 Things About Me That May or May Not Be Interesting

1. When I was 9 weeks old, Mom and Dad took me to the Solo Nationals in Topeka, Kansas (in the House With Wheels). I spent most of my days there next to our car trailer. Because of this, the sound of diesel trucks don’t bother me, nor do the sound of big HP engines. In fact, I rather like the rumble of big engine. I also like the smell of fresh rubber. And high-octane gasoline.

2. I’m pretty anti-social. Mostly because I’m shy. I don’t really know how to act around other dogs. I’m working on this, though, because I’d love to play with friends. And I want to be a Good Example when I am an Older Sister.

3. *shhhh* I have a crush on Mango The Relentlessly Huge. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s such a Deep Thinker, he runs his household, and well, he’s Relentlessly Huge. But don’t tell him. I think he likes someone else, and I’d hate to find out that he doesn’t like me….

4. I don’t like to swim. I’ve got webbed feet, and (Mom says), I’m super strong. But water? Not so much. Although I like to go ‘fishing’ for ice cubes in the water dish. Does that count?

5. TaiChi is My Hero. I wish I was a wise and smart and crafty as she is. I know it comes with age, but she is One Sharp Cookie. And can sniff out a cookie from a mile away. Which is a skill that should Never Be Under-estimated. And she's venerable. And Knows Everything. Including how to get Dad to slip her food when I'm (supposedly) not looking. This is almost as good a skill as Bufus' ability to get Mom or Dad to turn on the shower just because he meows. So as a corollary, Bufus is also My Hero. He has totally got Mom and Dad trained. I wish I had the skills of either of these two!

6. The Best Place in the World To Sleep is on either Mom or Dad’s pillow. Okay, so there isn’t much room left for either of them. But that sounds like a personal problem to me; I've got PLENTY of room.

7. I am The Luckiest Dog In The World. Of all of the puppies in the world, Mom and Dad picked ME!!! I’ve got a GREAT little big sister, and a cat brother who keeps me in line. And the Best. Parents. Ever. They’d go to the ends of the earth for me. And what more could ANYONE ask for?

7 People Who I Think Deserve This, Whether They’ve Received It Already or Not

1. Dennis the Vizsla. Either Dennis just finds himself at the Wrong Place At The Wrong Time a lot, or he is the master of creatio ex nihilo*** Either way, he know how to make the best of any situation.

2. Hero the Sharpei. Here’s a guy who knows how to live life. And he's handsome.

3. Honey The Great Dane. She’s not just creative, but she can DANCE. Seriously. If you haven't seen Honey, you haven't seen a Very Agile, Very Big Dog.

4. Lorenza. I am SURE she has this already, but her closet alone makes her worthy of yet another mention of a Creative Award. This girl is definitely The Best Dressed Girl I know.

5. Mango. And no, this isn’t because I’ve got a crush on him. I’ve got a crush on him because he’s smart and funny, and REALLY creative (It’s the egg-before-the-chicken syndrome). (See This Post as an example of how that ginormous brain of his works.

6. Petey. Duh. This pretty much goes without saying!

7. Secret Schnoodle. With a statement of: “We are a schnoodle and 3 standard poodles. Don't judge us,” How could you go wrong? And yes, I’m biased toward ‘doodles’. Can’t help it. It’s just breeding! ;-)

Anyhoo, I’m not going to leave comments because I think that pretty much everyone already has this award.

*kissey face*
-Fiona


*means “see above” (blame Mom – she’s got some silly degree that uses Latin)
** means “see below” (again, blame Mom – far too educated for her own good)
***means 'creating something from nothing' (did I mention that you should blame Mom for me knowing all of these useless Latin phrases? Maybe they’ll come in handy somewhere, sometime….)

Pee Ess. Mom has Some More pictures of me with some of my new pressies. She says she’ll post them tomorrow. (Although Mom sort of operates on the ‘Redwood Time Frame: “a day, a week, a year, a decade; who can tell the difference?” So who knows when she'll get the pictures posted... *sigh*)