They Come At Night

B.R. 12/28/08 -- gutter and escape

This morning the baby and M had a brief moment of quiet (that would be breaky time) before the house erupted into a flurry of activity and intrigue.

First, while the baby and I were resting downstairs Bridget had sneaked upstairs and cleaned out both the baby's and Memphis's breaky!

Then later while Mr. B and I were cleaning out the gutters -- which were horribly nass btw -- Mr. B looked down onto the neighbor's yard and asked rather incredulously, "Isn't that Bunny?" Sho 'nuf it was. The rascal had tunneled under the fence and sneaked off to the neighbor's. I then scrambled through the window and followed KJ who was already running out the door to retrieve that dim-witted piap.

After that excitement, the baby and Bridget (who is turning out to be her nemesis) had a close call as they passed each other on the upstairs landing.

And where's Memphis during all this? Mewing his discontent. And why is that? Unfortunately for him the bed under which he had sought refuge was activity central for all the piaps in the house.

B.R. 12/26/08

The baby, M and I are enjoying our roadtrip south. Well, maybe "enjoying" is too strong a word. After some initial disorientation, esp. the baby (her first time in a home with stairs), everyone found their safe spot and got on pretty ok. Maybe it's because they found comfort in the other's presence, for whatever reason the baby and M have been rather cozy. They even sat close enough to touch!

Unfortunately, I think M may be coming down with a cold as he's been sneezing. And tonight, he's neglected to eat his dinner. :(

Merry Crimmus

B.R. 12/21/08 -- Catching Up

So, it's been a week since the last post and I admit, December has been somewhat spotty in terms of baby reports. "Mea culpa," says the baby. Ok, that was me. To my knowledge, she has not learned anything beyond canine speech, body language, and a smattering of English. If anything, she'd have said "私の自身の欠陥", however, I don't think Enn's muhmuh's efforts at teaching her Japanese ever took root.

Anyway, there's been a lot of excitement around these parts that quite frankly contributed rather directly in the precipitous decline of baby reports and other postings. And what excitement are we talking about? Well, nothing good that's what.

Firstly, there was the case of the horrific tapeworm. It seems that our feline addition came with a friend -- Mr. Tapeworm. I didn't realize this until one fateful evening as I spied little white nasties wiggling about in his yump when I went to scoop out said yump from the litterbox. Although I've seen some godawful things in my life, the sight of those little wiggly nasties is one of the grossest, retch-inducing things I'd ever seen. Needless to say, that image has been permanently seared into my mind's eye. I'd have shared a pic with you gentle readers but I'll spare you the sight. Suffice it to say, if you really want to lose your appetite, just google "tapeworm" and you'll not eat for quite some time.

I didn't immediately know that it was a tapeworm infestation because, well, except for pictures in biology books, comic asides, and one story from a classmate of mine back in high school about seeing and feeling some things in the course of her bms while she lived in the Indian sub-continent that no one believed at the time but rather thought it a desperate attempt to draw attention to herself, I've never had a first-hand experience with any parasitic worms. However, the identity of the wiggly nasties was quite evident upon googling. Unfortunately, the positive identification of said parasite only made me feel more ill because all those little yellow sesame-like thingys that I've been seeing wherever Memphis had been, i.e. all over the apartment -- items that I thought were dandruff -- were in fact dried up segments of tapeworm. *RETCH*

Needless to say, a trip to the vet for medication was on the top of my to-do list. Followed by a weekend filled with A LOT of vacuuming, washing, and cleaning.

Luckily one dose was all it took and I've not found sesame seed droppings and/or seen white nasty wigglies falling from his bum since. I hope that is the end of that. That said, I've been quite vigilant in checking the baby's yumps because she did gobble up a chunk of his yump back in the day. Bleh.

Secondly, as most parents know, it wouldn't do if only one child got sick, right? Spread the joy as it were. So, it happened that the baby took ill. With what I'm still not sure. She was ok one moment, and listless the next. She didn't want to eat or play, not even with I tried to tempt her with her favorites in both. Added to this, her stummy made the most horrible sounds and she shook as if she were out in the cold. So, I worked from home that day while she stayed quivering in my lap. This went on for the entire day, and continued to the next. Because I didn't want a passed out pup on my hand, I was going to feed her some Nutri-cal should she not eat anything for a second day, but luckily (for her!) she ate some chikum and some jerky (her usual treat). Although she was still acting weirdly and wasn't quite herself, she did seem a bit more lively -- not a difficult feat considering she didn't do much other than lying in a lump while shake uncontrollably the previous day. o_O

That night I was awoken by the baby's middle-of-the-night maneuverings, and followed her out of bed and into the b-room. I couldn't see much without my glasses and without any lights on, but I did make out a slight shadow of something on her sinkle pad so I reached down to see if the baby needed some cleaning and felt something not quite right. When I flipped on the light, I saw that the baby had in fact had a bout of explOOsive D and needed her bum scrubbed.

Although I was horribly tired the next morning due to my middle-of-the-night activities, the baby seemed right as rain. Whatever had been bothering her had been excised in that nocturnal bout of liquid discharge.

And thus ends our catch-up of life's goings on in our little household.

The Fangs Come Out At Night

The baby, a fan of Twilight?

Toe toucher

Memphis says, "I can touch my toes while I sleep."

The baby remains unimpressed:

B.R. 12/8/08

As per usual, the baby stayed with me in bed this morning as opposed to romping about the living room waiting for me to get up. Now that the days have gotten colder, she seems to prefer staying in bed with me instead of rising ahead of my sleepy schedule to lie in the morning sun. Not a difficult choice really, at least from my point of view. Warm, cozy bed vs. cold, astringent winter sun. That said, once the baby's up, she's up. Unlike me, there's no lallygagging with her. Once she's out of bed, she's ready for play. Me? I need a little more time to adjust.

Meanwhile, the cold weather doesn't seem to bother Memphis one bit. He still gets up before everyone else to do whatever it is that he does. And, once he's had his breaky, he can be found in his usual post -- that is, hanging out and watching the traffic from his perch in the bedroom. Evidently he doesn't care that it's frigid by the windows. The baby thinks it's because he's got a lot of natural insulation (*wink*wink*).

Anyway, there must've been something in the water today because the baby and Memphis were strangely interactive with one another. Although they've gotten to the point where they don't really get worked up over the presence of the other (except with respect to feeding time, but we're working on that), they aren't really what one would consider "friendly". However, today, they were all over each other. Well, more so than usual. The baby would chase her bone, and Memphis would stalk and pounce on her as she ran by. Then, as Memphis relaxed on the couch, the baby would try to engage him in some play by hopping all over him (much to his credit, he did not cause any bodily harm to the baby). It was kinda sad watching this socially awkward play, but at least they're trying.

What Enn Says 5

A conversation regarding NYC rents --

Enn: "Seriously don't you think she should lower the price if she's not there now? Let's hope these ppl get desperate w/ all the layoffs and whatnot."

Me: "You're wishing financial ruin upon strangers for your own benefit! That's tble."

Enn: "I'm not wishing financial ruin, but I'm saying if it's gonna happen anyway - they may as well play the game!"

Happy holidays!

B.R. 12/1/08

The morning was a little frantic because I'd forgotten two separate appointments. That's what happens when one makes appointments prior to a long weekend for a date that falls immediately after said long weekend. Oh wells. Thank goodness I decided to get up a little earlier than I was otherwise inclined because I felt guilty about not playing as much with the animuls as I'd been gone for much of aforementioned weekend. Not that the baby was any help -- in waking up, that is -- as she's taken assuming the hockey puck position somewhere in the vicinity of my leg/lower abdomen whenever she sees me in bed. And what is this "hockey puck" position? It's the little tight ball that the baby is able to curl herself into. It's amazing how little space she takes up when she's in this position. So. Very. Cute. Anyway, before I came to the realization about the soon-to-be-missed appointments, the baby and I *had* been playing a rather vigorous game of fetch while Memphis slinked his way around me. However, all this domestic revelry came to a rather abrupt end as I darted around the rooms like a maniac while gathering their respective bowls.

Breaky came and went without a hitch. That said, the baby has taken to being quite the food bully by trying to intimidate Memphis so that she'd be able to eat his food. Not that it works, this intimidation; because as previously mentioned the baby is half his size. Still, it's a little annoying and a horrible habit. Hopefully, she'll start realizing that there's enough food to go around and there's really nothing to get all crazed over. Otherwise, I may have to encourage him to give her a little swat on the nose for her trouble.

Hearos

I awoke this morning to the sound of the baby gagging. Given that I sleep with earplugs and a noise machine, well, you can imagine the volume.

Upon sitting up in bed, I saw the baby's tiny body convulsing in the manner that she does when she's about ready to upchuck. Not knowing what was going to come out I cupped my hand and held it underneath her mouth at the ready.

Cough. Cough. Gag. Gag. Voila -- a soggy, sodden what??? At first I thought it was a tiny piece of viennese sausage; however upon closer inspection I realized that the baby had swallowed (and subsequently upchucked) an earplug.

: /

I spy a chicken leg

Someone doesn't like me calling her out like that:

B.R. 11/17/08

The baby and I are looking forward to the day that Memphis can be let loose -- in the apartment that is. The reason for wanting to set him loose? Sleep. Memphis LOVES to roam around at night, scratching this and that, and jumping here and there. Enn says it's because the freaks come out at night. Tble. Anywhoo, because the baby is a nosey little thing, she *has* to check out what he's doing. And because she needs to launch herself in whatever direction from which then noise is emanating, I get a little kick on my tummy/head/arm/leg/etc. because she's usually sleeping right next to me. This in turn results in very little sleep for me, which is having terrible effect on my already sorry eyes. My eyes have been getting so googly by the end of the day that they I feel a little like poo. Not to mention, things like what happened this morning happens. And what happened? Well, I somehow mixed up their food and fed the baby Memphis's food and Memphis the baby's food. Oops. Luckily, nothing too horrible happened except for a bout of d for the baby. Hee. Sorry.

Anyway, I think Memphis is ready to be set free from his prison. They kinda, sorta "played" this morning, so I gave them a test of mingling unsupervised while I took a shower. Hearing no yelps while I was away and seeing no blood upon my return, I thought it'd be safe to leave them alone for the day. Everyone was in one piece, and no one looked psychologically scarred, so I think it was a success. Thank goodness, cuz I don't know how much longer I could've taken Memphis's *scratch*scratch* in the middle of the night.

Btw, what does he think he's achieving with all that scratching? I think someone ought to tell him that he's not doing a very good job covering up his business if he's reaching his paws *out* of his litter box to scratch OUTside the box.

The State of Things

B.R. 11/10/08

The baby was more than happy to let me sleep in this morning. Instead of hopping up and down on me with her tail wagging at the first sign of any movement, she was content enough to remain curled up next to me. I think she'd forgotten that we had a new addition to the household; because it wasn't until I pulled back the curtain to reveal Memphis sitting on the windowsill did she that there was a kitty in the room.

The introductory period is progressing as well as could be expected. The baby has been trying very hard to get Memphis to play with her. Sadly for the baby, she and Memphis do not speak the same language. Her excited play pose, frenetic tail-wagging, and come-play-with me yips all must seem very threatening (or at least aggressive) to Memphis. The baby's attempt at play have been met with lots of hissing and warning mews. Luckily the baby has not yet been hurt -- though she did have a yelp-y moment when she got a little too close for Memphis's comfort. Fortunately, no one was injured. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day in inter-species relations.

That said, two things that I hope will not be repeated tomorrow:

(1) the baby trying to bum rush Memphis in a wrong-footed attempt at play and subsequently getting swiped in the face; and

(2) Memphis tracking poo all over the place after he danced the flamenco in his litter box.

It's almost bedtime, and I'm hoping that the baby will sleep better tonight than last. She had a very fitful sleep last night, which meant that I also had a less than stellar night. She kept pacing back and forth to check out where Memphis had been hiding. Not that she could see anything from the bed since he was hiding *underneath* the bed. Didn't stop her though. Hopefully she'll (and I'll) sleep a little sounder tonight.

Live baby report: Watching Memphis explore the living room from the safety of my lap.

B.R. 11/9/08 -- a new addition (possibly)

The baby tried, rather futilely, to wake me up this morning. Not that I was sleeping in late -- 8:30 a.m.; but since she'd been hopping up and down on me for a while, I'm sure she'd been up for hours. Not surprisingly, I was greeted by a nicely formed nugget of yump and a large puddle of sinkle upon my entry to the b-room. I'm so glad that the baby hits the mark these days. I would hate to have to start cleaning as soon as I wake up. Anyway, no doubt the baby had a light night since she'd been EXTREMELY curious about our new guest.

KJ and BP had brought one of their feline foundlings up to us yesterday in the hopes of finding him a forever home. I'd been thinking about getting the baby a four-legged companion, so I thought that we'd give the kitty a try. His name is Memphis and he's a large kitty whose coat is primarily black but has white flecks throughout. Although his weight is only double that of the baby's (he's 12 lbs), size-wise, he's probably 3x as large as the baby. I hope he doesn't mistake her for prey. *worries*

Anyway, I've been staying at home trying to keep an eye on them so that nothing bad happens. So far, not much has happened. The baby is curious and gets very excited upon seeing Memphis. Meanwhile, Memphis has been keeping his distance and hiding out under various pieces of furniture. The few times they've come face to face, Memphis has hissed at the baby. I'm not such a fan of the hissing, and hope that it will end soon if only for the fact that he has horribly wretched breath.

To help Memphis settle in, the baby and I took a couple of walks this morning to leave him to explore his new surroundings. First we dropped off KJ and BP at their car; and then we took a longer walk around the Heights. It was very windy, but the baby didn't seem to notice. I was quite proud of her as she carried on during without seeming to notice the body-buffeting winds (esp. along the Promenade). Maybe one day Memphis can join us on our walks, but first we'll need to get him and the baby to get a little friendlier with each other -- or at least to a state of détente.

Voting Day

The baby voted with me - and we did it early! Here's the two of us getting ready to pull the lever (after waiting an hour and 45 mins in line -- not so bad considering the machine next to us broke down):


Here's a pic of the actual lever -- a little blurry because due to over excitement:

Alexis Stewart: hardcore!

Permit holder Alexis Stewart, daughter of homemaking queen and ex-convict Martha Stewart, told The Post that she applied for a gun license after 9/11.

She said she got a gun, now kept in a lockbox in her $3 million TriBeCa apartment, to euthanize her elderly dogs in the event that another calamity struck and forced her to abandon them.

"I had two very old English bulldogs," said Stewart, who hosts a show on her mother's Sirius Satellite Radio channel.

"They could never make it out of Manhattan. I could never leave my dogs to die of thirst in my apartment, so I looked on it as a euthanasia situation. I would never kill my pets unless they were going to die anyway."

(The baby does NOT approve.)

my name is baby
and i've got class
don't mess with me
i'll kick your a$$

my name is baby
i'm full of grace
don't mess with me
i'll scratch your face

What Enn Says 4

The baby was very excited to see me tonight. VERY. I asked Enn, who'd been keeping the baby sumpany, why that was the case:

Enn: "We'd been playing kicking the baby up and down the hall."

Me: "o_O"

So ends the latest chapter of "What Enn Says".

Sleeping Sounds

When the baby is sleeping (as she did for most of this afternoon) and having lots of dreams -- as evidenced by a twitchy nose, rapid eye movements, and flexing paws -- she chirps. I'm sure that in her dream world she's barking, quite fiercely at that; but in the real world she sounds more like this (except instead of birds in the background she'd be accompanied by the sound of traffic and car horns).

Leaf Peeping -- Pt. 2

(Ok, so it's been a week, but I've been busy working for the baby. Whut.)

The baby and I had an early start to the second day of our leaf-peeping trip. the morning of our event-packed day was otherwise uneventful but for the baby running into the street. According to Enn, the baby was standing in the middle of the street looking like Joon directing traffic; i.e. a little confused and dazed. Luckily, said street was a country road, and it was early in the morning. That said, it was very naughty of the baby to run away like that. Luckily nothing bad happened and the baby came away without harm.

After piling into Brutus (Kires' Rav 4), we trundled off to nearby Hunter Mountain for its Oktoberfest. I'd been a little meh about it all since these sort of events usually meant schwein, schwein, and more schwein. I'm sure the baby would've been in pig heaven (ha, ha) but I wasn't so much looking forward to it. As it turned out, all my worries were for naught as there was more non-meat options than at my cafeteria at work. After scarfing down some breaky and gawking at the oldies dancing in their lederhosen and dirndl, the gang (including the baby and me), bought our tickets and got on the Skyride, a/k/a ski lifts being used for off-season purposes -- in this case, leaf-peeping.

Once we reached the summit, we took lots of pics and wandered around the many black diamond trails which, quite frankly, were were challenging despite the absence of snow. That said, it was really nice to get out to where the air was crisp and clean, and the views magnificent. The baby enjoyed it very much, especially since she was the dog on that entire mountain top. There are benefits to being so small and so easily transportable.

After departing the Hunter, Brutus took us to and deposited us at some random parking lot on the side of a single-lane highway. There was a promise of a waterfall somewhere in our vicinity, but Enn, Ephanie, the baby and I were somewhat unconvinced as we marched in single-lane fashion along the side of said single-lane highway as cars maneuvered around us. After a short hike downhill, we turned the corner on the single-lane highway and saw a sign for Kaaterskill Falls, which evidently is the highest two-tier fall in NY State. Who knew.

The baby, Kires and I hiked the half a mile trail to the waterfall while Enn and Ephanie played model and posed by the lower falls. Although the trail was very steep in the beginning and somewhat slippery at points, the baby was able was scrambled nimbly around the rocky trail mostly on her own. She only needed help once in a while, and most of that was due to her leash getting caught in some crevice or branch. I was very impressed by the baby's athleticism, which was a sentiment shared by the many people we encountered on the trail. There were lots of bemused and astounded asides when they would notice the baby's presence on the trail. I think I see many outdoor activities in the baby's future.

Leaf Peeping -- Pt. 1

This past weekend the baby and I joined our friends for some fall foliage fun up in Catskills Park. At first the baby was a little disappointed that "Catskills" was not literal because she's ever so curious about those of the feline persuasion. However, she quickly overcame her disappointment and managed to have a very good time. Though, quite honestly, how could she not enjoy herself? Five people with her for 3 days straight. She loved every minute. Well, maybe not every minute -- for ex. those minutes she spent throwing up after getting carsick -- but you get the idea.

We began our trip first thing Saturday morning. The day started out in a somewhat troublesome manner for the baby as she was most anxious from all commotion that went with last-minute packing. I do believe she thought that I was going to leave her behind because she followed me from room to room like a little four-legged, beige shadow. She was therefore most relieved when she saw her carrier come out of the closet. She's such a silly puppy sometimes. I mean, what did she think I was doing when I packed away her treats and kibble, not to mention frozen chickum???

Our first stop in the Catskills was Woodstock. Kires was much taken by all the hippies and shops catering to said hippies. The townsfolks in turn were quite taken by the baby. I don't know if it was because of that movie, but everywhere we went people wanted to pet and touch her. If they didn't, then they talked amongst themselves when the baby would pass. It's all quite odd. Anyway, I was quite glad to not to have heard "yo quiero taco bell" until our last day. The baby is confused why people always say that to her; and thinks that there must be a lot of people with tourettes that make them want tacos.

While in Woodstock, Enn, Kires, Ephanie and I had a delicious lunch at Oriole 9. It reminded me a lot of the type of restaurants that I used to visit in the areas around Boston and Ithaca -- small and friendly with lots of good food. The baby was a very good girl and spend the entire lunch lying on the banquette next to me. I rewarded her with some pine nuts and parmesan that I sneaked from Enn's massive salad.

After lunch, we headed off to Ashokan Reservoir. On our most circuitous route, Enn tried to trixx us into believing that Ashokan was a Japanese word; but I don't think anyone believed her. Well, maybe the baby, but then again she's only 1 1/2.

Here's the baby surveying the reservoir:

Taking out the garbee

This is what happens when we have to take out the garbee...


The baby makes her own fun. Whut.

Repurposed MLP

Who knew that there is an entire world of secondary market in old-school MLP? Well, old-school MLP's that've been repurposed into the awesomeness that is this example to the right. Talk about recycling and reusing.

The handiwork of Finnish artist Mari Kasurinen, she's also crafted some MLP's with a Batman theme as in My Little Batman as well as My Little Catwoman. However, I think her best work -- that is other than My Little Darth Vadar and My Little Stormtrooper -- is My Little Alien; LOL. If only KJ had thought to do this with her MLP back in the day. Though if KJ had thought to dress up her MLP's I fear that we would've ended up with this unholy union. That said, maybe it's time to dig out those MLP's...

B.R. 10/5/08 -- Antic

Today was a very busy day for the baby. The reason? Atlantic Antic of course. After waiting so patiently for so many months, the day of the fair had finally arrived. We were both very excited for a day of treats and sights -- with an emphasis on the former, duh. Naturally, with all the anticipation, it was impossible for us to stay in bed. So, not surprisingly, it was an early start for us both. As per usual, we played a rousing game of fetch to get our hearts pumping. Afterward, she had her final heart worm pill for the season which took like a very good girl; though I have to admit that wrapping said pill in cheese and bacon probably helped. For breaky, it was chikum and kibbles for the baby, while I enjoyed some butter and honey on toast. Then it was off to the store for me, while she tended to gathering her toys. Upon my return, the baby was fitted with her fall gear -- a nice fuzzy sweater -- and we were off...

Along the way we met with lots of friends: Enn, In and In, Esley, Vixxie, and Isa. Although the baby had a terrific time, I think it may have been a bit much for her because she promptly collapsed into a little pile of sleeping piap when we returned home. In fact, except for a few brief bursts of activity -- a little game of fetch when Ephanie came over, and then later, dinner -- the baby has been quite the sleepy piap. Of course some of us didn't mind this so much because as this proved an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the baby (you know who you are). For those who don't know, when she's sleepy, she'll let anyone hold her hand/paw; and I guess this was too good of an opportunity to let up. Also, I know that the day must've been a bit much for her because she had a little bout of exploding d. I'm blaming it on the mystery meat she sneaked off of the street this afternoon.

Pet Peeve No. 1 (or near the top anyway)

Roadwork past midnight outside my window. For the love of all that's decent and good in this world is jackhammering at this time of the night really necessary???

Hot or Not -- Fergalicious?

I like Fergie as much as the next person. I mean her songs are silly and bubblegummy but she's got a good attitude and tries despite having slightly old face.

But this???? ---->

I dunno, it's not very hawt at all, in fact it may be anti-hawt.

What's with the challenged expression? She look like she about to burp.

Player

B.R. 9/26/08

The baby popped out of bed this morning, mostly because I'd startled her by popping out of bed myself when I realized that I had a little over an hour and fifteen minutes to play, feed, shower and dress for work. Sounds like more time than it actually is because that's factoring in the 30-45 minoos on the train (and lately, due to some stupid track work the commutes have been on the long side). Anyway, the baby and I hustled, and thanks in part to her for doing all her business in a timely fashion I made it out of there in time for work. I've been pretty busy at work the past couple of weeks and I think the baby is starting to catch on that when I leave it's likely that I won't return for a while. This morning, although she was excited for her "find the treat" game, she kept a very close eye on my location at all time. Sadly for her, I left anyway.

She was therefore quite surprised (and a little overjoyed) when I made it home before the sun had completely set -- a first in recent memory. Though I think I must've interrupted her feeding frenzy (she'd been eating all or most of kibbles the past few days), because while we were playing fetch she had a moment when she threw up a lot of kibble on her bone. O_O It was gross and unexpected, especially when the baby took the opportunity while I was rinsing out her bone to slurp her regurgitated kibbles back up. Some times I forget she's a dog, and then these things happen. O_O

And then we watched the boree-est debates ever. I think that for the next debate we should play a game of getting one treat each every time McCain said the word "veteran". We'll be sure not to eat dinner, or actually any meals, that day.

Live update: Now the baby is sleeping because she was so bored by the debate; and I'm stuffing my face with veggie booty. Whut.

Done!

B.R. 9/21/08 -- Coinkydink

After a morning of lazing about, the baby and I ventured into Manhattan for some fall/winter clothes shopping. The goal was this boutique around the Flatiron; but due to the MTA's rerouting of the trains we had to switch up our usual approach by taking the F. Since we were taking this line I figured that we might as well just hop off at 2nd/Houston and take the 103 up to Ephanie's and Enn's.

Where's the bus?

Getting in line:

What's funny is that I saw the lady in the second pic again earlier this evening. This was a rather rare event as I hardly ever run into anyone that I've seen, know or recognize around the City. Anyway, around 8ish, I spotted her arriving at East for dinner with her partner. The baby totally called that one.

B.R. 9/20/08 (so far)

The baby and I have been looking forward to today for some time. She's been excitedly looking forward because it's been a while since I've had an unencumbered Saturday to spend with her; and I've been excited because I really missed sleeping in. That said, how has it worked out so far? Well, I think the baby is enjoying her day. We played lots of fetch and have been working on her battery of tricks, as well as engaging in a couple of rounds of hiding-the-treat. As for me, the baby graciously let me sleep in (kind of). She loves curling up right next to me as I'm sleeping. Unfortunately, sometimes her aim after doing her circle, circle dance isn't that great so she ends up flopping her body weight onto my head/face/etc. It's a good thing she's only 6lbs. That said, it's still somewhat disturbing when 6lbs is unexpectedly plopped down on one's head while one's sleeping. Hmm.

Showin' A Little Leg

Quite literally.

(Times are tough, a hamster's gotta do what a hamster's gotta do.)

B.R. 9/17/08

I don't know was up with the baby this morning. Normally she's pretty content to sleep in with me until 7 a.m. or so before she decides that it's a good idea to wake up (and me along with her). She's been pretty reliable in this regard, which is why I thought that perhaps I'd slept through my alarm when she started jumping on my head and licking my face. Being the blindy that I am, I didn't bother trying to find my glasses to ascertain the time on the alarm clock. I probably should've, because when I stumbled out into the living room I realized that it was still dark out! The baby had tried to rustle me out of be at 5!!! She didn't even sinkle!!! Needless to say I got my azz back to bed. Sure the baby tried to get me out of bed again, but I hid my face and ignored her. She must've sensed that it was futile to try to get me up at that point because she left me alone and disappeared into the living room.

When I finally did get out of bed about 2 1/2 hrs later, I saw that the baby had eaten all her kibbles from the previous evening and made a little sinkle. As a reward I played fetch with her, even though I was still a little annoyed (and sleepy) from her earlier trickery.

It's probably because of the interrupted sleep that I'm feeling so googly-eyed. Also the fact that I've spent the past 3 days working more than I have all summer. Reading 9-pt font all day is no way to treat one's eyes, esp. poor, abused eyes like mine. Anyway, I'm feeling a little better after 30+ ounces of Coke. And the baby is feeling much better now that I'm home, or maybe she's still giddy from her yump party from earlier this evening when she liberally sprinkled skittle-sized yumps all over the b-room.

Munchkin

Pretty self-explanatory, no?

B.R. 9/12/08

The baby had a rough morning.

I woke up a little before 7 a.m. when the baby woke me with some really loud retching sounds that made it past my earplugs. In the few moments that it took me to organize my thoughts and focus my eyes she had already finished throwing up on the bed. Luckily for me, it was clear -- no foodstuff from the previous evening. After cleaning and scrubbing for a bit, I went back to bed for a few more minutes, but alas, the baby started back up with some more retching and again threw up some clear liquid. Sensing the futility of going back to bed, I roused myself and upon seeing this the baby bounded into the living room with her tail wagging. Per usual, she got down in a play pose beside her bone. We played for a bit before I went into the b-room to brush my teeth. However, while brushing, I heard a now familiar retching sound coming from the living room. Upon entering, I saw the baby throwing up some foamy white mess. If she didn't look so pathetic I'd probably have taken a picture because she looked like she had a little white beard due to having 1/2 of the foamy throw up sticking to her mouth and lower lip. By this point, she no longer looked playful but rather sad. After I cleaned her and the floor up, I returned to the b-room to spit out my toothpaste; but it wasn't long before I heard some more retching sounds. This time the baby was seated on the couch and looking quite sad. While I cleaned her up, her body started convulsing again but nothing came out. I tucked her into her blanket because she'd started shivering.

All throughout I'd been googling her condition to see if it was indicative of something serious. One of the postings said that dogs sometimes throw up because their stomachs are empty. I've definitely experienced this with the baby, so I started to prepare her breaky. However, when the time came to eat she didn't interested at all; her ears hung back as she continued to shiver. The only thing she seemed to want was for company. We sat together for a while as I tried to figure out if I could do my work remotely. Today was a very bad day in terms of deadlines, but with the baby looking as pitiful as she did I didn't want to leave her alone. Luckily, with remote computing and my cellphone I think the day went ok.

The baby did eventually eat a little chickum a few hours after I first prepared her breaky. I'd been trying to get her to drink some water by wetting my hand for her to lick. As a general matter, I do worry about dehydration and hypoglycemia when she doesn't eat and drink regularly because she's so little. Anyway, while trying to get her to lick my hand I noticed that she seemed to be sniffing it which indicated that she might be hungry. She didn't seem interested when I put her food bowl by her, but she did eat the bits that I fed to her by hand. She seemed much better after eating some food, so much so that soon thereafter she began licking my toes for attention. After unsuccessfully stalking me by sitting directly underneath the computer desk and looking straight up at me, she retired to the couch for a nap -- which is where she is currently.

Hot or Not -- the new 90210

Btw, anyone else think that the new rich bitz Naomi looks a lot like Elizabeth Berkley's character from "Showgirls"???


Just imagine her after a stint in rehab plus a couple more times around the block.

Is it a coincidence that Elizabeth's Berkley's character's name was "Nomi" while the 90210 doppelganger is named "Naomi"? Think about it.

Likes and Dislikes -- food edition (updated)

Follow up to Likes and Dislikes -- food edition

The baby loves:

hormone-free, organic chicken
freez-dried beef liver
cheese -- mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan
apples
chickpeas
rawhide chew sticks
non-fat yogurt
free-range organic egg yolks
onigiris
dried seaweed
peanut butter (esp. in the form of a pbj sammich)
oranges and tangerines (but only if slightly masticated)
wellness pure rewards jerky

The baby likes:

kibble (depending on the day)
cherries
almonds
pears
soy cheese
peaches & nectarines (slightly masticated)
bananas (mushed and pulp-ed up)
blueberries (skinned)

The baby dislikes:

kibble (depending on the day)
Milk Bones and most dog biscuits
peas
spinach
carrots
onions
grapes (thank goodness, despite Enn's best efforts)

What the baby loves but can't have:

popcorn (allergic reaction -- lots of ensuing itchiness)
wet dog food
whatever I happen to be eating

Post-shower Scene

I'm coming out of the shower and hearing all this honking, and wondering what the hell is going on -- thinking perhaps that the rain from Hannah had started and that people were just being the idiots they usually are when there's any sort of precipitation. Out of curiosity (and mild annoyance because of the CONSTANT honking) I took a look out the window and see a lot of cars backed up on Schermerhorn because police tape had blocked off Boerum Place. At first I thought that there was roadwork; because of the near constant roadwork (tearing up the street, paving, tearing, repaving, repeat). Then taking a closer look up the street, I saw that the entire box around Livingston/Boerum Place had been blocked up because of this (click picture for a larger image):


I hope the cyclist is ok. That intersection really is the intersection from hell. It's simply too big for a pedestrian or a cyclist to feel safe while crossing. I'm surprised more accidents do not occur there. Since living here I've seen lots of near misses with pedestrians, a few fender-benders, one pedestrian who's actually been struck by a turning car, and now this. I hope that with all the roadwork that someone at the NYC DOT will fix this -- doubt it, but I do hope that something happens.

UPDATE: It turns out the accident was fatal, and the victim was an 8 y.o. boy. I couldn't see it, but it seems that the kid's bike was underneath the truck. The bike that I saw in the far corner was his dads. So sad.

Three views from 2nd and Houston

The baby has been quite the traveler the past few days. She and I have been all over the city -- traveling up the UES to visit Kires and through street fairs and broken train tracks to Ephanie's for some rock 'n roll. Here's some pics of the baby from one of our trips:

Hi, y'all:


Say whuts?


Singin' the blues:

B.R. 8/20/08

I had an early morning call today so the baby and I awoke extra early today -- too early if you ask me. I think the baby must have been surprised that I actually got out of bed upon hearing the alarm as opposed to sleeping right through it (or trying to anyway) as I normally tend to do. Since I knew that I had to leave much earlier than usual today I built in some extra time for feeding and playing so that the baby wouldn't feel ripped off or confused or whatever's going on in that little coconut head of hers. Anyway, it all worked out -- the baby got her playtime, she got her usual fill of treats while I snuck out the door, and I got to work on time.

It had been the plan to be home a little earlier than usual since I'd left so early in the morning, but alas it was not to be so due to a late afternoon assignment. Why do bosses always wait until the end of the day to give out assignments? Anyway, thank goodness for remote desktop cuz despite the late notice I still managed to get away at a decent time.

Upon my return, the baby and I played some fetch and then she had some dinner. Then later she and I shared in some popcorn. She tried to be sly and secretly picked up a couple of the kernels that had fallen onto the floor; but luckily for me, she figured out two things w/o doing too much damage to herself: (1) they're not as tastey unpopped, and (2) they seemed to be a bit tough for her teeth. After a rest, and a little Olympics-watching the baby and I headed out for our evening stroll. Nothing too eventful occurred, though the baby did "play" (or at least the closest the baby ever comes to playing) with this largish pup that was also out for a run on Cadman Plaza. That pup must've been 60lbs or so, but I have to say that the baby held her own -- she's quick and fierce!

B.R. 8/18/08

The baby woke me up this morning. What else is new. Hmm. We had a very nice morning with lots of fetch and chasing. She had some chikum with a little kibble and shared a nectarine with me. She had two sinkles -- I think one (the bigger one) was out of necessity and the other (smaller one) was to get me to finally wake up. She also a yump party on her pad and also on the towel that I had on the b-room floor. Unfortunately the pad had all the firm yumps while the towel had the squishy yump. Bleh. Still I can't blame her that she wanted to "wipe" her butz on the towel. I'd want to do the same. Anyway, the rest of the morning was somewhat uneventful after the aforementioned party.

Later in the evening, the baby and I took our usual walk around the Heights to Cadman Plaza. Once there, we played tag and after both of us were sufficiently tired we returned home for some icy drinks. Unbeknownst to us, we had a little stowaway. While messaging the baby, I noticed a little black dot. A jumpy black dot. It was a FLEA! I tried to grab it but the sucker jumped away. I've searched the baby but it hasn't returned to her -- and I'm pretty sure it's not on me. Anyway, I'm not going to rest until I find that sucker (quite literally). B*gger!

B.R. 8/12/08 -- Watch the Baby Play!

Thank goodness for the baby. If it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't have gotten out of bed in time for work these past few days. She's usually up an hour before I am, and during that time, she bides her time waiting for me to wake up. If the door to the bedroom is open, she'll head out to play in the living room but will wander in and out of the bedroom to check if I'm awake. If the door is closed, she'll sit and watch and occasionally get up for a close up inspection. And how does the baby inspect? By sniffing and licking my face to see if I'm awake. If I react, she'll jump up and down on my torso while unleashing a torrent of licks all over my face, arms (as I try to protect my face from her tongued assault), and hands. Most of the time I'll play dead just so she'll leave me alone until the next inspection. Anyway, thank goodness for her insistence that I get up cuz my alarm and willpower aren't cutting it.

After she got me up this morning, we played a quick game of fetch and then ate our respective breakies -- chickum and kibble for her, multi-grain Cheerios for me. While she was busy sunning herself, I snuck off for a quick shower. She must've been sun-deprived from yesterday (heavy rainstorm = no sun) cuz she was sun-worshiping with the fervor of a born-again. The only time she got up was when she realized I was leaving. Not that she was that upset, but rather she knows now that my leaving meant that we were about to play "hide the treats".

Speaking of food, the baby ate all her kibbles today. That is, she finished her replenished kibble bowl just a short while ago for her (almost) midnight snack. I don't think it was our walk from tonight since we didn't go for as long as we normally do. Perhaps it was her yump party about an hour ago. The amount she put out makes it possible for one to believe that she pretty much cleaned out her system and was therefore able to take in some additional food.

In any case, a special treat for the baby's fans. Here's a video taken a little earlier this evening after the baby and I returned from our walk -- be ready to be awed by her athleticism:

Bad Memory = Hungry Baby

So I was sitting at the computer while watching the Olympics and chomping on some cheerios when the baby positions herself directly in front of me and stares with these unblinking eyes. We'd just returned from our walk and romp in the park and I'd already played another 10-15 minutes worth of fetch with her so I doubted that she was seeking attention; could've been, but probably not. Anyway, I thought that she was just begging (silently) for some food. No way was I going to feed her fruity Cheerios what with the sugar and the corn content. "Feed her", for some reason those words stuck in my head. I suppose it was then that the wheels in my head started turning and I wondered if I fed her -- that is since this morning. I thought I did, but...

It was then that I recalled how she kinda hoovered the treats that Ric the concierge had given her. Hmm. But I must've fed her, no? It was already 10:30 p.m. which was waaaay past her usual dinner-time. I thought hard, and could envision myself feeding her. Or was I just remembering this morning???

Slowly, I started to doubt myself and had a sick feeling that I'd forgotten. For a final confirmation I went to the kitchen to check on the amount of chickum I had left in the 'fridge, and sure enough everything was as I'd left it THIS MORNING. Oops. No wonder she was looking at me stuffing my face with Cheerios as if I was holding out on her, cuz I was! Yet another instance of where it'd have been really helpful if she could've just vocalized the reason for her discontent. Aiya.

Midnight Snack

It's a couple of hours after the baby and I finished our walk. I was feeling a bit peckish so I made myself some popcorn with butter, salt and sugar. Of course the baby wanted some, so I made a little ramekin-ful of unsalted and unsugared popcorn from which I fed the baby. That must've goten her stummy juices going cuz then a little while later she went around to her kibble bowl and finished off all the kibbles that were in there. This isn't too unusual since she often likes to enjoy a little midnight snack, but what I didn't expect was that a little while after she cleaned out her kibble bowl she'd go back to check to see if some kibbles magically appeared while she wasn't looking. Since she seemed hungry still (and the vet did say to me once that I should feed her as much as she wanted to eat cuz she was a bit underweight -- now, I don't know if she's still underweight but since she's always hovered around 5 lbs ever since I've gotten her I'm going to assume that if anything she's not overweight) I fished out the remnants of her chickum that she would've gotten as her breaky (along with some add'l chickum cuz there really wasn't enough left for a meal) and fed it to her.

I'm getting ready for a yump party either tomorrow morning, or more likely, while I'm at work. Better paper the bathroom.

B.R. 8/6/08 -- muchos mosquitos

Nothing too unusual this morning -- we woke up at our usual time, played fetch, ate breaky, and then I left while the baby played "find the treats".

The real news, or at least the item of note, is that there were ALOT of skeeters around tonight. Maybe they're always there but the baby and I are always moving too quickly for them to bite, cuz I've never been bitten on a walk before, but tonight's walk was a different story altogether. While the baby and I were in Cadman Plaza I got bitten three times on my right leg, one time on my left, and once on the back of my left hand. I didn't see any welts on the baby, which can only mean two things: (1) she did get bitten but doesn't have the same reaction as I do, i.e. huge azz welts, or (2) they left her completely alone while they chowed down on me. In any case, at least one of us (if not both of us) will be itching our way through tonight. Stupid bugs.

B.R. 8/5/08

A day of normality after last night's emotional turn... and sadly for the baby that meant I had to run off right after feeding her some breaky and playing some fetch. However, she didn't seem to mind as we've started a new game of "finding treats when mommy leaves for work". This game is played by me cutting up some jerky treats and hiding the cut up slices of jerky around the apartment with one hand while I hold the baby in the other (so she can't see where I'm hiding the treats). I don't make it too hard for her because if I do she won't be able to find it, but it's I don't leave things out in the open either. From a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the easiest and 10 the hardest, I'd say that most treats are hidden with a difficulty level of a 5 while some are 7 or maybe 8. Anyway, we've been doing this for about a week now, so she knows that me leaving = treat finding time.

Upon my return she greeted me as she always does, which was with lots of jumps and licks and jumps and some nuzzling and some more licks -- then run to the bone so we can play fetch. After some dinner and fetch, the baby took our evening walk. I had expected to carry her into the elevator since she seemed somewhat traumatized by it last night, but she seemed ok with getting on and off by herself. One thing of note during our walk is that we saw some cray man running after his pug up Pierrepont and then down Willow. The baby was very much interested by this cray pair (probably because she's a nosy little girl) and insisted on following the two in a brisk, but dignified manner. She's such a rubbernecker.

Near Death Experience!

We had a slight incident on the way back from our walk this evening.

We'd just entered the elevator when the baby, frightened by the closing doors, ran back out. While I was still holding onto her leash!!! It was like a bad movie. I let go of the leash and watched it slide lower and lower down the crevice of between the elevator doors as the elevator rose higher and higher.

I tried shoving the leash through the crack but it wouldn't go.

I heard a high pitched yelp and imagined the baby getting lifted up and getting her little breath squeezed out of her.

I started jamming all the buttons and pulled the elevator alarm and stop buttons, but by the time that the elevator had stopped I was already on the 5th floor. At least by then I noticed that the leash had been sucked away, though in what state I knew not. I quickly got out my cellphone and tried dialing the front desk -- though in my panic I misdialed several times before actually getting the correct number. I must've sounded like a crazy person as I blurted out "I'm in the elevator but my dog got stuck outside, could you take a look at the elevator to see if she's ok???" All the while I imagined that the baby had been the victim of either strangulation or a gruesome death of getting turned into puppy jam. I was prepared for a lifetime of regrets... but luckily the front desk replied that he had her and she was safe if a bit freaked out. She did not enjoy getting on the elevator to get back home but I hoped the hug and the treat when get got home helped.

I need a sedative now.

B.R. 8/3/07

The baby can't nelieve it's Sunday already. The weekend came and went so quickly -- Saturday was kinda of bust what with the torrential rainstorm; but today was a just gorgeous. Too bad for the baby I had a horrible headache for most of the day. Still, we managed to head back out for a vigorous run in the park and a leisurely walk in the cool summer evening. I think I did good cuz now she's passed out cold:

B.R. 8/1/08

Very briefly, here is the route to today's walk: la la (look where we went).

Now that's out of the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight the baby's sometimes ridic poses. I know she likes to be comfortable, but sometimes she takes it a bit far and can be a bit precious with her poses. Here's one from today -- the leg cross is just too ridic:

Edith Piap

B.R. 7/30/08

Once again the baby tried to wake me up. Sadly for both of us it was at 6:34 a.m. Needless to say I did not get up, despite the baby's best efforts -- jumping on me, licking my face, doing a dig-dig by my armpit, etc. It's a good thing that she gives up after a few minutes. *And* that she had a big sinkle the night before so none of the little sinkle shenanigans of the previous day.

When I did finally get up, she was of course overjoyed. However, because I think I may be unintentionally spoiling her by playing with her immediately upon entering the living room I waited a few minutes before playing fetch -- and by "a few minutes" I meant as long as it took me to wander around looking for my glasses. I think she was absolutely confused by this little bit of delay. Not to mention, I probably looked a little crazed and aimless as I was still sleepy and couldn't really see anything since I didn't have my glasses on.

Later in the evening -- after getting back from work -- the baby and I took our usual walk around the Heights. After running around Cadman Plaza like a crazy person, the baby very nicely followed me around the running path while being off-leash. She really is very good about being off-leash as her attention did not sway even when we passed a group of annoyingly juvenile construction workers who tried to get her attention by whistling and beckoning in high, sing-song voices.

Live baby report: Digging around her blankie on the floor, perhaps in search of a treat (since I sometimes hide treats there to encourage her foraging skills).

B.R. 7/29/08

The baby tried very had to wake me up this morning. Even though I'd gotten up earlier than usual it still wasn't early enough for the baby. In fact she made two separate trips to the potty for a total of 1 sinkle and 2 yumps in an effort to wake me up. The first time I just wiped her marshmallow and went back to bed. She did not like that very much. I guess this may have influenced her to try for a second time. I don't know where she got the wherewithal to come up with a second yump timed so closely to her first, but she did, and I took this as a sign that I should probably get out of bed (work beckoned anyway). Sadly for her I dashed off after showering and feeding her a quick breaky. Bet she didn't expect that.

Upon my return this evening, I noticed that she hadn't gone potty all day long. Makes sense as she'd probably squeezed out everything she had in her little body during the morning. That said, she did have a very large sinkle that covered up a good third of her wee pad about 2 hrs after I got home. Mind, she only sinkled after she realized that I wasn't going to play but rather take a nap. I'm beginning to think that she uses her potty skills as a tool to get my attention.

Anyway, we were having a lovely day overall until the baby made two unfortunate infractions later during our walk. The first occurred when we encountered a little westie who had been out walking with its owner. The westie had started behind us, and the baby allowed it to pass us only to chase after it for the next half block. That was bad in itself, but the worst part was that in her initial chase she tore her leash out of my hand. The second infraction occurred when we were on our way back. The baby tried to sneak some chickum that'd been thrown on the sidewalk. Bad girl.

Happy Barfday

The baby wishes Enn a very toothy happy barfday:

Manhole Drama

So the baby and I were watching tv a little earlier this evening when we heard a loud crashing sounding coming from the street below. Like good litte rubberneckers we ran to the window to check out the source of the disturbance. I had expected to find an auto accident because I definitely heard some sort of crashing metal sound, but instead saw this:


Well, actually this pic was taken a few minutes after I looked out the window. When I first looked out the guy who's standing next to the hole was down the street getting out of his suv which led me to believe (quite correctly) that he was the one who knocked the cover from the manhole. Anyway, after walked back to the hole, he picked up this long metal beam (seen in his hands), all the while looking really confused.

At the same time this was happening, these two older ladies who'd witnessed the whole thing tried to get the attention of two police officers to address the large gaping hole in the middle of the street. The two officers spoke with the ladies, shook their heads, and walked away:


Luckily, another officer who was dressed like court officer from the courthouse down the street came up and started to block traffic so cars wouldn't keep falling into the uncovered manhole. He also started rolling the overturned cover back to the hole. A short while later, I heard a lot of commotion -- I'd turned away to fix the baby's dinner -- and looked out again. Evidently someone called the fire department who seemed a lot more responsive than the NYPD:


Overall it hasn't been a very good day for the NYPD. Just saying.

B.R. 7/27/08 -- Weekend Wrapup

The baby had a very busy weekend with KJ and BP. The pair had come up for the weekend on Thurs, and the baby had her paws full playing hostess.

On Friday, she showed KJ and BP the Promenade, as well as her athletic prowess as she dared those two to catch her in a game of tag on Cadman Plaza -- they couldn't! While at Cadman Plaza, the baby also met two piaps -- Brownie the dachshund and Collin the bichon frise. Although the baby seemed initially frightened by these two piaps, she soon settled down. She even tried to sneak a sniff or two at both Brownie and Collin -- that is, as each walked away from her. The baby doesn't seem to get that the play pose only works if one is doing it to someone else's face, and not their bum. And what happened when one of these piaps would turn around when the baby got into a play pose behind their respective back? The baby would turn tail and run away. Even still, I think her socialization skills have improved a great deal within the past couple of months. Hopefully by the end of the summer she'll be comfortable enough other dogs that she may even play pose them to their face and not their butz.

Then on Saturday, the baby led the three of us to Aunt Ephanie's for some Bon Chon chicken (and sushi for me) and cupcakes -- all in the name of Enn's B-Day celebration. The baby is amazed that Enn is able to move as well as she does for being as old as she is, but I guess as compared with her 16 months Enn's 384 months must seem quite ancient. And although the baby had a terrific time at the party, she was quite sad that no one wanted to share knuckles with her. That said, she did get to have an extra large piece of chickum in honor of her old muhmuh.

I think the baby must've been tuckered out by the activities of the past several days, because she was -- quite frankly -- a little slow in getting up this morning. Although she got out of bed when I did, I noticed that she deposited herself upon BP's aerobed promptly upon entering the living room. Then later, as I returned to the bedroom after my shower, she took the opportunity to sneak herself back into the bedroom and onto the bed. All day long she's been somewhat lackadaisical in play. She was even a bit slow as we started out on our walk today; though she did put some zing into her steps when we ran around Cadman Plaza like crazy people.

Live baby report -- passed the s out.

A Little (Big) Visitor

Outside the window yesterday... I thought one of the neighbors had thrown something awful outside, like a ciggie butt, but when I checked I found a very pleasant surprise:

B.R. 8/23/08

Thank goodness for the baby. If it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't have gotten out of bed until well after what was acceptable for work. Turns out that I forgot to set my alarm last night, and with the noise machine on it wasn't like I was going to hear the traffic or anything else that would've woken me up. But never fear, there's the baby. Twice she came into the room to jump on my body/face. I thought she was just getting antsy, since she settled down after the first time and curled up for a little while (I think -- can't be sure cuz you know, I drifted back to sleep). When she did it the second time, I thought that I might as well check the time cuz it seemed as if I'd been asleep for a while. Also, I wanted to check if the baby had sinkled or anything else. As it turned out, she did -- twice! Some bell should've gone off in my head cuz she only acts "pesty" when she wants me to come with her to the b-room so that she'd get praise for going no. 1 or no. 2. She's good that way.

Well, once I check the time I got a little freaked out because it was late!

After a quick breaky for the baby and a little breaky for me -- and a quick game of fetch as a reward cuz she did wake my azz up -- I got to work.

Knowing that it was going to rain today -- supposedly all day though as it turned out it was only early this morning and then again in the evening -- I took the baby out a little earlier than usual for our daily walk. Since it was still daylight out, quite unlike our usual walks, I brought along a camera in case the baby was feeling like posing. She did! Here's the baby on the Promenade (a little Vertigo, dontcha think, that is if vertigo was horizontal and not vertical, well whatever, you get the point) ------>

B.R. 7/22/08

The baby is recovering from a weekend of heat and humidity. However, ever the trooper, she was up for a leisurely stroll this evening. I don't know what the weather people are complaining about, I thought it was perfectly nice out even if the temp was around 85 degrees. There was a nice breeze, esp. by the Promenade.

The baby had a pretty good time I think. We ran into a little fawn colored chi who looked like her mini-me -- a little smaller and a little squatter. Well, actually a lot squatter. Mini-me's muhmuh even said, pointing to the baby, "see, that's what you'd look like if you exercised"; oh, snap. Then later we ran into some other pups from our building: a pit bull named "socks", a great dane named "pansy" and a futz lab whose name I did not catch. The baby did not play with these pups, but rather hid behind my legs. Oh well. At least she didn't growl and snap.

Now the baby is passed the s out. Sometimes when she does this her face gets all smooshed like this:

Two Walks

Yesterday.

Today.

Different routes, similar items of note:

(1) The baby ran like a crazy person in Cadman Plaza.

(2) The baby has a penchant for jumping off of the curb in search of edible or potable garbee.

(3) The baby is still not interested in other dogs except in circumstances where she can sneak up behind him for a stealth sniff.

Yumptastic!

The baby is not one to yump or sinkle in front of anyone. In fact, she will not even enter the b-room to do her business if I'm in there; and if she comes in not knowing I'm in there, she'll turn around and wait until I'm done before coming in. So it was with great surprise that she assumed the yump position during our walk. At first I thought she was just sitting, but then I realized she wasn't sitting but rather squatting -- and that meant one thing and one thing only: YUMP! For those curious as to where this event occurred, just look for the tell-tale sign on the map to the left. Anyway, luckily I had a bag with me as I always bring one just in case the baby ever decided to do her thing outdoors. I wish I had brought a wetnap with me as well, cuz the baby's umm you-know-what wasn't so clean. In addition to feeling happy that she felt comfortable enough to yump in public, I was also quite glad that she did her business outdoors because her yump was not the firmest and I would've hated cleaning that up indoors. Hee.

B.R. 7/10/08

Evidently I did a bad job of hiding the baby's stuffed pig today, because she found it while I was at work and tore the poor thing up. That's one thing about the baby, she loves to chew a couple of holes in her stuffed animuls and then rip out their stuffing. I sometimes wonder whether she's simulating ripping out the innards as she might should she ever get the chance to eat a whole animul, or whether her interest is limited to disemboweling stuffed animuls. Luckily for the two of us, I don't think I'll ever find out the answer to that question. Anyway, since I had a meeting after work, Enn came over to babysit the little beast and so it was she who discovered the remnants of the baby's slaughter of the pig. However, because Enn was so horrified at her discovery, she left the crime scene for me to clean up so I too got a chance to see the terrible scene. Although I cleaned up the wads of stuffing, I'm sure that I'll be finding little tufts of polyfill for days to come.

Although she was a naughty baby, I nonetheless took her out for our nightly stroll -- it's not her fault that her animal instincts have been reduced to the slaughter of stuffed animuls. For a change, we headed towards the park first. I thought that since we were getting such a late start to our walk (it was already about 10:20 p.m. by the time we headed out) I should probably tire her out; and what better way than by letting her run around like cray person in the park (which she did).

We've been back for a little over an hour, and she's still going strong. I wonder if part of the reason is that she's a little hopped up on the bits of coffee she managed to lick off of the street. I know, it's horrible and disgusting, and it's something that's she's only started to do the past couple of days -- that is, find random food items that's been thrown or tossed in the street. Since she used to be so shy about everything and was so easily startled by new things, I tended to let her sniff about at will and explore the various scents we'd encounter during our walks. At first I thought that there'd be no harm in letting her sniff coffee ut now I know that I've got to keep a close eye on her because goodness knows she's not very discriminating.

B.R. 7/9/08

The baby asked for an early release this morning, so I obliged. Who knows what she was doing outside the bedroom for the hour or so? I do, actually, so it's not really rhetorical. You see, the baby returned to the bed to wake me up and when she does that I know that she has something to show me -- and sure enough, she had a lot of potty to show. After receiving her praise, she ran to her bone and gave me a look that said, "well, I did that, so now you do this." And so I did. That's how this morning went.

When I returned home, the baby -- after doing her dance of joy -- seemed rather anxious about something. She played a little fetch, but I could tell that her heart wasn't in it. She did a lot of sighing and looking, and the only thing I could think of was that she might have wanted to go outside. Unfortunately for her, there was heavy rainstorm on its way from Philly, so we had to wait that out. It wasn't until a little after 9 p.m. that the two of us managed to make it outside for our walk. She went a little cray while we were in the park (as denoted by the circle on the map), and paid the price when we returned home by passing the s out for a good hour.

While this is not from tonight, it is illustrative of what one means when one says that the baby is passed the s out: