MangoMinster 2010 Entry #2

Dear RH Mango and Judge Ike, I humbly submit my little big sister's entry to MangoMinster 2010 :

Your Name: TaiChi (aliases include “Snaggle-puss”, “Pizel-Butt”, “Princess Feet”, “Little Old Lade-ee" (you have to sort of yodel that one) and “YOUR dog”)

Gender: Female

Group: Bad Sports

Your breed: Dust Bunny Miniature Poodle

Your bloggy address: That would be this bloggie.

I think if you biggify the picture, you might see some of Mr. Bufus' food on her snooter...


Now I know that you are thinking that there is No Way that this cute little fluffy 17-year old lady could be in the Bad Sport category. But let me tell you, underneath that innocent-looking face is the brain of a scheming and cunning Mastermind. If SPECTRE was still around, TaiChi would be running the world, and having 007 bringing her filet mignon on a silver platter. Being as old and venerable as she is, she has learned a lot of sneaky tricks, and has done very well in passing them along to all of her charges over the years (and I think that she should get extra points for not only being devious and sneaky, but for being a mentor to others). What, you ask, could she possibly do at her advanced age and at a mere 14lbs? I’ll give you the short list:

Sneaks into Mr. Bufus’ lair and eats all his food;

Sneaks her snooter closer and closer to Dad’s dinner plate while he is eating until he gives her tasty tidbits;

Steals food off Mom’s dinner plate when she’s not looking;

Convinces Dad that Mom hasn’t given her a treat for going outside, and thus gets ‘double-treated’;

Gets under Mom’s feet while she’s making dinner and waits for anything that might ‘accidently’ get knocked off the counter when Mom is trying not to trip over TaiChi;

Bites the hand that feeds her (Dad has the scars to prove it);

Refuses to eat her own food, and then will eat of Mr. Bufus’, Dad’s and Mom’s;

Suddenly, and without warning (but with complete malice of forethought) piddles on the floor;

Pretends she’s blind and walks over Mr. Bufus and into food/water dishes, and yet can find Dad’s dinner plate with No Problem;

Pretends she’s deaf until she hears the treat bag being opened (from two rooms away);

Has always decided when she wants to listen to you (which is pretty much only when Mom calls ‘Dinner Time’), and when she doesn’t (which is pretty much the rest of the time);

Stamps her feet, spins in circles, and whines under the dinner table until someone slips her a snack, thus inciting a riot among the rest of us;

Demands to be carried, despite the fact that (when she chooses) she will wander aimlessly around the house for hours on end;

And that’s just the short list. I could go on and on. And yes, I have A LOT to learn from this Criminal Mastermind. She is my hero; I want to be just like her when I am old and venerable!


*kissey face*

-Fiona

Please help with MangoMinster Entry #2

First, thanks for all the wonderful comments about Mr. Bufus. I know he is up against some stiff competition, so we’re going to have to see if we can discover which bribes are most successful with Khyra, the judge for the Cat Dog category. As an aside to Khyra, what with Mr. Bufus being old and venerable, I don’t think Mr. Bufus would taste very good – I think he would be a bit stringy. Maybe stew, or a broth, but I don’t think he’s the roast type. I’m just saying….

Anyhoo. We’ve got Mr. Bufus all squared away.

The problem is TaiChi. Like Mr. Bufus, TaiChi is about 5,000 years old and since there is no Methuselah class, we’re not sure where to enter her. So I’m hoping that my wonderful bloggie friends could help us decide.

The categories (and descriptions) for MangoMinster are:

Cat Dogs - Some doggies are, well, CATS. Right? So if you are a cat which is actually not a dog, never fear, you can enter here (hey, that's like a poem).

Despite sleeping 27 hours a day, I don’t think we can pass TaiChi off as a cat. Besides, we’ve already got Mr. Bufus entered in this category, and I don’t want to give him even more competition… So this one is right out.

Hound Dogs - Do you bay at the moon? Become deaf when your snooter is engaged? Run fast on long legs? This is your category.

Hmm. TaiChi doesn’t bay at the moon, and I wouldn’t exactly say that she runs on long legs. Or runs at all. But when her snooter is engaged? Watch out. No dinner is safe when TaiChi is around.

See how she’s honing in on my dinner?

But better evidence of how her snooter guides her? Keep in mind that she sleeps 27 hours a day. And yet when someone else’s dinner is involved? She starts bouncing around like an atom in a superheated atmosphere. Seriously. This is TaiChi at her most animated. And why? Because her snooter is in overdrive (and she think Dad has some steak scraps left over from his salad).


So maybe she’s a Hound Dog in disguise. But let’s look at the other categories.

Herding Dogs - All you guys and gals who love to round things up enter here (yes, even Border Collie dogs which are not actual doggies, but alien beings from the planet Agility).

Umm. She’s 18. I think the only thing she’s heard in the last few years is the opening of the treat bag or the dinner can. Oh. Not that heard. Hmm…

Let’s see.

I think my Wubba is the only thing she has rounded up in recent years. And it may be because she tripped over it. But for competition’s sake, we’ll say she rounded it up.


Here she’s herding the cat food. Uh. Hoarding it.

Oh poop. I’m not entirely sure that we can shoe-horn TaiChi into the herding category.

Unless you count this one, where she has a Very Little Me, and a Very Little Friend of Mine distracted and backed into a corner so she can get the treat in Mom’s hand….

I dunno. What do you think? Is she a herding dog, or not even close?

Sporty Dogs - If you do a sport or are basically a good sport about life, then you are a Sporty Dog.

Well, TaiChi is actually a great sport about life, especially since she has to take all sorts of meds, and gets stuck with needles and things and really doesn’t get too cranky about it. However, the only category for me is Sporty Dog, and since it is already a tough class, I don’t want even more competition, even from my own sister.

Especially since her main sport seems to be Marathon Napping.




Which brings us to the next category.

Non-Sporty Dogs - Bad dog! Bad dog! Grouchy? Sore loser? You know who you are.

As I mentioned before, TaiChi is generally a good sport. Except when she finds herself in snow. And then she is Totally Not Interested.

Oh, and she’s seriously grumpy when she has to go to the V-E-T, but we don’t have any pictures of that.

In short, I don’t really think she is a bad sport.

Wait!!!! I just read Ike’s description of a Bad Sport, which includes (and I quote): So if you like to tinkle on the floor a little or maybe go after a dog or two, consider yourself a bad sport! Maybe you steal a cookie from your dad's plate or eat a bit of poo (your own or cats') or you fart -burp in your mom's face after eating said delicious poo - call yourself a bad sport!

Well, being a bazillion years old, TaiChi does tinkle on the floor occasionally, but that’s mostly because she’s got an Old Lady Bladder. However, I think that the picture that I used above (the one where she has snuck into Mr. Bufus’ lair in the House With Wheels and has eaten most of his food) might constitute a Bad Sport. Or the one where she is super excited about the leftover food from Dad’s dinner? Either of those might make her a Bad Sport.

And the burping in Mom’s face after the eating of said contraband cat food? TaiChi is a pro at that. And you’ve seen how excited she gets when she is trying to steal food from Dad’s dinner…So maybe we should rethink this Bad Sport category. Especially since she is not at all sporty, either. What do you think? Bad sport? I’m thinking so. But I want to explore all the categories.

Hard Working Dogs - Have a job? This one is for you.

Bwahahaha!!! TaiChi? Princess of the Pillows? A job?!? Unless you count being The Queen a job, I Don’t Think So.

Or, if you consider making sure the couch doesn’t fly up and hit someone, you might consider her a working dog. I mean, she holds that couch down Really Well.


Cracker Dog Insane Terriers (CDIT) - Let's face it, first of all, we are Relentlessly Huge terrier fans here at the estate. Plus there just is nothing like a terrier. Show us what you got.

Thank heavens we don’t have to deal with Cracker Dog Insane Terriers around here. I only included it so that for those of you who aren’t following MangoMinster diligently can see all of the categories.

Anyhoo, any help/suggestions that you can provide in helping TaiChi find the proper class for her would be GREATLY appreciated.

I’ve suggested that they have an ‘Emeritus’ class, but so far I haven’t been able to really sell Mango on the idea. Which has got Mom thinking about running ‘MethuselahMinster’. She’s going to decide this weekend if she has the time/energy. If so, she’ll post the rules really soon. Essentially, you have to be considered senior/geriatric by the chart she’ll provide (it determines how really ancient you are by your weight and age in human years). But more on that later.

So please help me get TaiChi classed so I can enter her. Thanks!!!!

*kissey face*
-Fiona

MangoMinster 2010 Entry #1

The entire family is REALLY excited about MangoMinster 2010!!! We missed it last year, and so I am prodding Mom to get our entries in early. Mom has said that she wants to start with the easy one first, and she says Mr. Bufus is the easiest of the lot.

So... here is his entry:

Name: Mr. Bufus

Gender: Male

Breed: Man-bear-dog-cat-pig (with apologies to South Park); the vet papers say that he is a Maine Coon, although I say he is a Very Large, Venerable Cat

Group: Cat Dogs

Blog Link: http://lizski.blogspot.com (that would be this bloggie).

Here is his picture:

I felt it would be helpful to include a brief statement with Mr. Bufus' picture.

Mr. Bufus is a rescued kitty who has risen to the lofty position of the head of Civil Defense for the Dranow household (the submitted picture shows him in his uniform). In this role, and over his 20 years of life, he has raised generations (note from Fi’s Mom: literally!) of puppies to be respectful of cats, despite having been declawed at an early age (he has a very wicked right cross; for a big lazy cat, he can be very quick when he wants to be!). Mr. Bufus is very much a Cat Dog, as many people has likened him to a dog (even his groomer has said "he’s a great dog" on more than one occasion). He also takes showers (seriously!) and will stand at the shower door when it is running and will meow to be let in. He doesn’t seem to care that he gets soaked. (Which might make him more of an alien than a Cat Dog, but that’s neither here nor there…) Mom and Dad say that he is a man-bear-dog-cat-pig, but I think that is because they watch too much South Park. Mr. Bufus travels Very Well in the House With Wheels, and likes throwing up in visitors’ hats (just ask my Uncle Charlie, who generously provided a hat for Mr. Bufus’ use). He also has the largest litter box on the market, and still manages to miss, which, I think, is a skill in and of itself.

Please accept Mr. Bufus’ entry into MangoMinster 2010.

*kissey face*

-Fiona (and Dr. Liz)

We need more snow!!!

The weather forecasters should be called weather guessers. Because they keep predicting these HUGE storms, and we get 2 inches.... Don't get me wrong. Some snow is better than no snow, but I'd REALLY like 2 or 3 feet. (And Dad says that 2 inches is only slightly less work than 2 feet, because he still has to use the snowblower on the driveway - 2 feet of snow takes a little more time, but since he's got the Monster Snowblower of All Time, it is only a little more work. And, he says that if the ski resort got 2 feet of snow, the skiing would be much better. So c'mon, weather guessers, Get It Right, already!)

But, as my great-grannie would say, beggars can't be choosers, and so I've managed to 'make do' with the snow that we have received.

Dad cuts a track in the backyard so I can race around and not ALWAYS be totally covered in snowballs. (More on that in a bit.) And I love doing zoomies around the track.


But I like to do a little trail-breaking, too.

And, well, I really like forging my own trails. (Because while Dad does a good job cutting paths, there are so many other paths that are just calling to me!) Biggify for best effects...



So, weather guessers? Bring it on! I LOVE this snow stuff!!!! Give me MORE!!!!

Heehee.

Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, um, yeah, I do get snowballs all over my body. Mom and Dad have taken to putting me in 'defrost' - which is actually the exercise room. I guess Dad didn't actually like my coming straight in from my snow zoomies and jumping up on the bed and getting everything wet (and continuing to melt for the next half hour). So, I stay in the exercise room, and Mom usually gives me a Dingo or some other long-lasting treaty to keep me occupied while I melt. She will usually come in and towel me down. And has been known to even bring in the Evil Hair Dryer to help me in the defrosting process. I don't like having to be isolated while I defrost, but the snow zoomies totally make up for it!

One other thing that seems to be of import to Mom and Dad; apparently as of today, they have been married for 5 whole years. They celebrated it by (appropriately, since Dad was Mom's ski coach before he was her husband) going skiing. (And then taking me on a walk!) I'm so lucky to have such a loving Mom and Dad! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! (And if you have steak for dinner, make sure that TaiChi and I get in on the celebrations, eh?)
*kissey face*
-Fiona

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Mom is all "tired" from this "skiing" stuff (but, in all fairness, she has been taking me on walks, and playing with me outside in the snow, so it's not like I'm being neglected - she just hasn't been taking pictures....despite the fact that our camera is all portable and stuff... ah well...) so she's been slacking. But...

I have some exciting news.....

Here is the first glimpse of my new sister! We don't know which one is going to be my sister yet, but Mom and Dad have first pick, and since they picked me, I know they'll choose wisely!

D'oh!!! They are so little and cute!!! Note from Fi's Mom: the puppies will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, so we won't be bringing anyone home for another 5 weeks, but we can't wait to go visit and pick out little Abby. And yes, I'm a little nervous about Another Puppy, but excited, too. I think when we are training Abby we will give Fi a little 'refresher' course... But that's all to come.

And since I'm feeling all family-like, here is a picture of my Mom:

Isn't she pretty?!?

And my Dad:

Isn't he handsome?!?

And little bitty old me, before Mom and Dad brought me home:

So.... A sister. Wow. I'm so excited. And nervous!

I'll keep you posted. And I'll get on Mom about the camera thing!

*kissey face*
-Fiona, the soon-to-be-big sister

Wordless Wednesday: FAIL!

Heh. Sorry. Sometimes I slip back into Lolcat-speak. And for those of you who have no idea what I just said, all I'm try to say is that this is going to be a Wordful Wednesday...

Okay. So, when you last visited, I was being chased over a cliff by wild horses, imminent death by trampling or being dashed against the rocks below*ahem* Mom was trying to get the House With Wheels packed up, emptied of perishables, and cleaned while also getting the Box on Wheels packed with clothes, dog toys, computers, guitars, food, and space for crates for TaiChi and Bufus, space for me, and of course, space for Mom and Dad.

*whew* I'm tired just making that list!

Anyway, Mom was kinda busy, so I fell behind on my bloggies. Again. C'est la vie.

While Mom was working hard, I was busy showing Dad that I am still a lap dog.

Besides, someone had to supervise, right?!?

Anyhoo, Mom somehow managed the Herculean tasks set before her, and once Dad got the House With Wheels stored in its indoor storage space, we were on our way back to Park City. TaiChi very quickly decided that she didn't like being in a crate in the back of the Jeep, and wanted to ride with Mom. So, Bufus got back in the big crate (and he traveled really well; he only had a couple of mishaps, and that was only because he didn't have a litter box handy - but he didn't barf even once!) and TaiChi rode where Mom's feet were supposed to go.

Don't ask me where Mom's feet ended up - it was a little unclear (although you can see one braced on the side of the door in that picture). Especially when TaiChi stretched out and fell asleep right in the spot where Mom feet would have gone. I kinda get the sense that Mom was twisted up like a pretzel so TaiChi could be comfortable, but that could be Mom just whining...

Me? I had two-thirds of the back seat, and was generally pretty good. Except that when Mom snacked on some beef jerky, I didn't get any because I was in the, well, back seat.


But Dad had everything packed really well so nothing fell on me, and when I sat up I had a great view, and I could curl up a nap on the seat when the scenery bored me.

And in no time (well, 5 hours, but who's counting? Other than me, that is) we were back in the land of the ice and snow Park City, and the House Without Wheels.

Snow! Actually, this snow stuff is a little mystifying, as there is a 'track' cut in the back yard, because apparently we get So Much Snow that if there wasn't a track, the snow would be over my head, and I would have a tough time doing zoomies in the back yard. Uh-huh. We'll see.


But in the meantime, I am getting used to this snow stuff.

And then this morning? Mom and Dad were supposed to go "skiing" (something that involves sliding on sticks, and most certainly does not involve me; I have already lodged a protest, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears). But a spanner was thrown in the works when they woke up and it was snowing.

I know, I know. From what I have read about this skiing thing, snow is a good thing. But Dad was saying something about having to clear the snow off the driveway before they could leave the house (or, alternatively, leave it, and since it is supposed to snow all day, hope that they could get back up the driveway after skiing - something that seemed unlikely with the amount of snow we are supposed to get). Then Mom and Dad were also discussing the fact that having their first day on skis after a season's hiatus be in flat light, new snow, and snowing all day, and with holiday crowds was Not Their Idea of Fun. So they went back to bed.

And, I went and checked out the start of this snow storm.



This stuff could be sort of fun!!! And yes, it is still snowing, and is supposed to continue all day!

Of course, I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, Mom has a few Christmas presents to open. And I know that there is at least one box there that has My Name on it!!!!

So, get cracking, Mom!

*kissey face*
-Fiona, The Snow Dog

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas (and/or Happy Holidays) Everyone!

All of my Christmas presents are up at the House Without Wheels because Mom didn't want to have too much stuff to pack in the car for the drive home, other than TaiChi, Bufus and myself.

So.... I have spent the holiday in most engaging pursuits. (Well, okay, one pursuit. I just pursued it a lot of times!)



I LOVE Christmas football!!!!

Merry Christmas to all!

Heehee. Rather than Mom making me wear the silly Santa hat, I made her wear it!!! And whew! I'm worn out from this football stuff. Nap time!

*kissey face*
-Fiona, Wide Receiver-in-Training

Mom's a Slacker, but I'm Trying to Catch Up Anyway

Mom has been too busy to update for me, so blame her, not me! However, I'm not too upset with her, because when it comes to priorities, she has decided that playing ball with me (even if she throws like a girl - which means that Dad feels guilty and comes out and plays with me, too) is more important than updating the bloggy. And I wholeheartedly agree with her.

So, I have been getting in lots of chasing after things, and hiking,

and napping, and well, general hanging out.

Mom and Dad have been taking advantage of the nice weather (in the 50s) and have been bye-sickle-ing a bunch.

They are trying to squeeze in as much of this bye-sickle-ing as possible, because we are going to be going back to the House Without Wheels in about a week, and then they won't be able to bye-sickle until all the snow melts. Which sort of doesn't make sense; get in lots of bye-sickle-ing in preparation for not bye-sickle-ing. Okay. Whatever makes them happy!

Since we are going to store the House With Wheels down south here, Mom has started the process of cleaning out the fridge, doing laundry, stowing stuff, figuring what goes to the House Without Wheels, and how it is going to get there, as we will be traveling home in the Box On Wheels, and with me sitting in a back seat, and TaiChi and Bufus both in separate crates, there isn't going to be a ton of extra space. Especially since I'd like to be able to stretch out on the drive home. Luckily it's only 4 hours or so.

So, Mom has been busy with that, cutting down on her bloggy-following time. She has also been frantically trying to finish the annual calendar, in the hopes that it will arrive to all the interested parties somewhere before the New Year. She has been all anxious about boiling down all of last year's pictures into 49 pictures. I can see how this would be tough, as there are So Many fantabulous pictures of me, and Mom has to include pictures of TaiChi and Bufus, as well.

I mean, really, when you've got hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of ME, I can see how it would be stressful to pick a representative few. Especially since Mom feels obligated to include a few pictures of the car racing stuff each year. But, I'll have you all know that this year the calendar is very heavily loaded toward us, and not so much on Mom and Dad! (As it should be, I might add.)

Mom also had to hurry up and finish a special present for Grannie, so she could mail it in the hopes that it would get the North Carolina in time for Santy Claws to put it under the tree.

So she has been busy, and apologizes for not being able to help me keep up on bloggies. But she's doing her best.

In the meantime, Happy Solstice! May your fire burn bright!
*kissey face*
-Fiona, the doggie with the slacker Mom

PeeEss: OOOOHHH!!!! I forgot the Most Important News!!!! #$%@#$^ Secretary. She should keep notes, so I remember everything! My little sister was born about 2 weeks ago. When we get back to the House Without Wheels, Mom and Dad are going to go see her (well, technically go pick her out, but whatever). And in less than two months, I'm going to be a Big Sister. This actually makes me sort of nervous. But I'm still excited to be a Role Model. And it sounds like Abby (that's her name) is going to have her work cut out for her. Mom is already investigating puppy classes and obedience training, and all those things that I managed to skip. Heehee! Of course, Mom keeps saying that Abby is going to be a "Good Dog", but since I have no idea what that phrase means, I'm just ignoring her!

Wordless Wednesday: Zion National Park

Pee Ess: Brutus, my equally uber-geek Mom knew that she had some Star Wars stuff in there, but since she also had a veiled reference to Dr. Who, she could just play fast and loose with intergalactic travel!