Must... post... something...

Time? What's that?

I have had a very full, very exhausting, but also very fun past few weeks. I don't really have time to go into all of the details or wait for the computer to load up pictures, but just know that on Sunday I became a man-dog!

Yep, I turned one year old on the 28th. Lots of prezzies, lots of wrestles and cuddles. Pictures to follow.

For now, just know that I am basking in the love of my humans, the how-the-heck-can-it-be-this-warm-in-December
Colorado sun, and my newfound adulthood!

Catch up? Catsup? Ketchup?

Yikes. Just a tip to anyone who has a reader in the family (you know who you are)-- don't give them the Twilight books. They'll disappear like, forever. That's what happened to Dad these past few weeks. Sure, he made up some excuse about needing to be up on the current "hip" things that the kids he'll be counseling are into, and he mentioned something else about two different 20-page papers he's been researching for his classes, and I think he tried to pawn off some lame excuse about final exams, but I know the real reason.

He's bored with me. *Sigh*

I'll just have to up the cute factor. Think this'll do it?


I thought so. Sweet!

Of course, the other reason is that Dad is a slacker. Always has been, always will be. According to him, he was even born late. So, remember that award I won (it seems like) years ago? Where I won the Project Dogway final and promised to show pictures of my swag when it came in? Well, it's in. It's been in. And I've already loved it all. But just to prove it, here are the pics!



I got the coolest wrapping paper ever,


A little friend to hang on the Christmas tree (although he looks like he's got the measles or mumps or something. V - E - T time for him, I say),


A totally delicious bag of treats,


and a fantastically fuzzy blue (my favie!) chew toy.


Am I a lucky pug or what? I also, even though Dad was on hiatus and refused to help me with the blogging thing, raked in some awards. Sweet!

I got the I Love Your Blog award from my Florida friends Samantha and Mr. Tigger:


And I got the Lemonade Stand award from both Sandra and Pearl and Daisy!


The Lemonade Stand award is given to bloggers who show attitude/gratitude, so I will say thank you with attitude to cover all bases:

THANX, GIRLFRIEND(S)! YOU ROCK!!!

As for passing on the love, well, I'm about ten years too late in actually receiving these awards and if you'll remember from last time picking and choosing the "pass it on" recipients kinda gives me the willies. So, I'm taking the easy way out and saying that everyone is awesome and both deserves and gets these awards. Hooray for you!

Is that it? Am I caught up? Whew!

!!UPCOMING EVENTS!!

Big-time visitors coming down soon. All Christmas week I get to schmooze with both sides of my human family, so look for lots of pictures and whatever small number of posts I can squeeze in between head scratches and family love-ins.

Elf Yourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas decorations

Dad and Mom go all out for Christmas. At least, they go all out within the limits of their budget. Mom entered a poetry contest this year that would have gotten us $1,000 worth of lights plus free setup and takedown, but she didn't win. Sad day, too, because her poem was the bomb! So, I guess Maya Angelou or someone wrote the winning one.

It all starts the day after Thanksgiving:


No Black Friday for them! They did that one year and then swore never to leave the house again on that day.

There's a Christmas tree in their entryway and a wreath on the door:


Plus a fireplace and mantel with stockings. This is my first Christmas, so I get my very own stocking! Yay!





Mom must really like the Willow Tree figurines, because I am told in very stern tones to "Leave it!" when I even look at the things. Sheesh...


I was very disgruntled to discover that there were Westie figurines in the house as well, but no pug ones! This is a travesty of epic proportions. Maybe I'll have to eat a Willow Tree just to show them.



Mom is a superious decorator, and can rock homemade arrangements like no one else.


This year for Christmas, Mom's mom and dad are coming down from Wheaton, IL for Christmas, and then the day they leave Dad's mom and brother are coming down from Asheville, NC and Lafayette, IN (respectively) for a few more days. And this is the first time I've ever seen them! So, I look forward to scoring lots of "Aaaaw, you're so cute!" snuggle time. Because I AM that cute.

Anyway, Mom and Dad have a tree downstairs too for the guests.


They're all fake, but that is the way Mom and Dad like them: easy to take down, easy to set up, and cheaper after about 5 years. Oh, and no needles EVERYWHERE. Their first Christmas they had a real tree and that was a total disaster, according to Dad.

Oh, and did I mention lights? Everywhere? And Dad's STILL putting more up. Yikes.

I think I'm going to like this Christmas stuff!

Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving time!

It's the thankful time of the year in Colorado!

My human grandpa came out all the way from Illinois (he drove, even!) and visited us. I like him. He played fetch all week long with me!



And yet, he seemed to be able to resist the Glummy face and I couldn't score any table food. And what table food there was!


Turducken and yams (with marshmallows!) and green bean casserole (with french cut GBs!) and cranberry sauce (jellied!) and mashed potatoes and noodles and stuffing...

My tummy is growling.

This was a fun week for my whole family, apparently. This was mom's first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner all by herself. Dad tried to help, but was told that how to best help is to make himself scarce. Which was fine with me and him, because he just watched football while I snuggled against him. The meal was a total success-- Mom totally rocked it, according to Dad.

Dad also designed a series of wines to have with dinner, although he did chicken out at the last minute and decide that four bottles of wine for three people was too much. There was a Mosel (Germany) Riesling for the lighter dishes and an Alexander Valley (Cali, Sonoma Co.) Pinot Noir for the turkey and stuffing and yams. Then, Dad broke out a 20 year-old tawny Port for the pumpkin pie.

But don't you worry-- I still got the goods. Big Brother and I got some really tasty food in a can that was called Solid Gold, and it rocked! It was turkey-flavored too, I guess. I couldn't really tell; I was too busy trying not to choke and still scarf it down.

I was very happy I could see my grandpa again! I love family coming over.


'Tis the season to be thankful!

Wordless Wednesday

I made it work!

HOORAY!!! I won Project Dogway 08!

And it got really close, too! My good friends Gus and Indy pulled to within just a few votes at the last minute and made me sweat it out!

I will post pictures of my swag when it comes in, don't worry!

Everyone give a HUMONGOUSLY MONSTROUSITIOUSLY GIGANTORMOUS thank-you to Winston, Clementine, and their mom Rachel for hosting this fantabulous contest and for having to make the tough decisions every week! YOU really made it work! Good for you!

Sweater Sunday

I think if I want to freeze, that should be my perogative. So there.

Sleepy Saturday

Thoughtful Thursday

Hello everyone! This is Puddleglum's dad for this Thoughtful Thursday. I saw the the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, on Sunday. I like the Bond movies, so I'm pretty familiar with the series and its themes and thought I'd weigh in on it here. First of all, I think the title is pretty cool. A lot of people are apparently really confused by it, but it's really quite easy: a "quantum" is the smallest physical object we currently know of, and "solace" is a fancy word for comfort. Therefore, a quantum of solace is an infinitesimally tiny bit of comfort-- which is eminently appropriate for the story, as it turns out.

This one is very much like License to Kill in that it is really more of a revenge tale than a Bond flick. Bond is out to discover who is behind Vesper Lynd's betrayal from the previous movie, and on the way uncovers a secret organization called Quantum which, while not responsible for Vesper's death directly, set in motion events that caused her death. At the end of the movie after Bond gets his revenge (seemingly), he realizes that it only offered him-- wait for it-- a QUANTUM OF SOLACE (!), and is not worth the internal torment and distraction from his duty it caused.


A Bond movie is always evaluated on two levels: 1) its artistry, and 2) its adherence to the "canon" of James Bond-- i.e., martinis, sexy women, fast cars, cool gadgets, sly humor, etc. On the former, it seemed to me to be pretty fair without being spectacular. The majority of the complaints from critics and fans are of the latter kind: that it just wasn't a Bond movie. Personally, I think that they just need to look closer.

Casino Royale (the first one) "rebooted" the franchise by introducing Bond as more gritty, brutal, and coarse (and blonde!) than we are used to. Even amongst all the talk over how great a movie Casino Royale was, there was some concern: is the new Bond for the 21st Century going to be too dark? This movie will probably not allay any fears since it goes over the top with the grit and grime, but I think that that is more to wrap up that side of Bond and justify the transition to the devil-may-care cynicism which permeated the traditional Bond. It's catharsis, and nothing shows that more than the ending of the movie.

Bond drops the necklace Vesper wore (the symbol of his continuing love for her) in the snow and walks away without looking back. That part of his life is over: he will never open his heart again, but he will also never let his personal feelings blind him to his duty again. This is all essential to tell the real story of who Bond is and why he is the way he is. He wraps himself in a suave and cynical demeanor because he has learned his lesson the hard way. He indulges in the best wine, women, and toys because he knows every moment might be his last. Like pretty much all "manly" men Bond is afraid of what he can't control, and highest on that list are his feelings and how others respond to them. Mark my words, the next movie will be a transition to the more traditional Bond, which is why the iconic walk-turn-shoot that usually opens every Bond movie is at the END of this one. Everything in a well-made movie has significance and meaning.

Overall, I felt this movie was artistically enjoyable, and was a good deal more enjoyable as a Bond flick than most people give it credit for. If you're trying to understand Bond as a character and not as just a cool guy with cool toys, this movie is a can't-miss.

Wordless Water Wednesday

It's time to vote for me! (Again)

So the moment of truth has arrived. I was selected for the finals in Project Dogway, and now it's all come down to this:

Me as a shill, begging for votes. Again.

I submitted two pictures of me:



Both of which I hate Dad for staging. See that look on my face? Yeah, it's not faked. Gotta say, though, I am rocking the Gryffindor scarf like it's my J. O. B. All those letters asking to be put on the cover of the final Harry Potter book don't seem so wierd and stalker-ish now, do they? Where's your restraining order now, Ms. Rowling?

Even though Big Brother and I were both in the contest, there was only costume enough for me, especially after the first try failed miserably. I think it's better that way anyway! Lead with strength, best snout forward, etc. etc.

So, GO VOTE FOR ME!

And, in recognition of the wonderful Mom who made all this happen, it's time to show her with her favorite son:



Oh, quit whining Snoufer. You KNOW I'm her favie.

At the Carwash

Thoughtful Thursday

Dad and Mom both have a new 'puter! The stuff is getting transferred from the old one, which BTW is literally fried. The power cord decided to send a jolt of super-heated energy straight into the motherboard. Tasty, huh? Long story short, it will be a week before the data is saved, which includes some recent pics I had plans to post. Oh well. In the meantime, there is a decent amount of old videos to put up, so sit back and enjoy!

But first, since it's a Thursday, I'm doing a Thoughtful Thursday. Dad and I have been watching lots of "It's Me or the Dog" with Victoria Stillwell on Animal Planet. This is the counterpoint show to Cesar Millan's "The Dog Whisperer" on National Geographic. Victoria is a trainer, Cesar is a rehabilitator. Victoria is nearly all the way positive training, Cesar is nearly all the way corrective. There is little controversy over Victoria's methods, there is a ton over Cesar's. So, confession time: until about a year ago, Dad was a Cesar-o-phile.

I've seen this guy on TV, and it's easy to see why Dad liked him so much. The guy is charming and engaging, and his methods seem to be downright magical. But then, when Snoufer was getting trained at Petsmart (KGC test, here he comes!), the trainer noted some of the interventions Dad used were Cesar-ish (i.e., "shhht!", or the "alpha" lingo). So, he pulled Dad aside and asked him if he was aware of any of the controversy surrounding Cesar and his methods. Without preaching or lecturing, he advised Dad to check it out and to look into positive training methods similar to what he was being taught at Petsmart. So, Dad did.

The bottom line is, Dad is now a total "positive training" convert. I haven't heard a "shhht!" unless I start to do something really wacky and don't pay attention to anything else. Big Brother says he's never been "alpha rolled" since, and we get lots and lots of treats! Score! Plus, I've watched this Vicky lady with Dad on TV every Sunday, and she seems to be the real deal. No questionable methods, she is presented as fallible, and she has less of a magnetic personality to make me wonder if there isn't an element of "hero worship" in her following. Finally and most importantly, this whole positive training stuff doesn't rely on outdated science and is supported by broad-based and current research. Two weeks ago, she even had some pugs on her show! I kept looking at Dad during the show, as if to say, "See? I'm not THAT bad!" She straigtened them up right, and they and their owners will be better for it, I'm sure.

Plus, she has an English accent. 'Nuff said.

So, I'll never look down at or lecture those who choose less positive methods of training, but I certainly encourage everyone to check out the information for yourself. It's there in spades-- just Google "Cesar Millan controversy" and you'll get more than you ever wanted to know. Just please-- stay away from forums and junk like that. Those places are full of trolls.

And now, the lighter side: some videos from the last Pug Club! Remember Picasso? She's the little black one.

Update hiatus

Hello all!

Well, it finally happened. Dad and Mom's computer died. Which is admirable that it lasted this long, considering Mom got it before she went to college. So, that means that while Dad will scramble to find a new 'puter ASAP (they live and die by that thing), in the interim and in the time it takes to transfer files from the fritzed one to the new one and in the time it takes Dad to get used to the new one, I will be restricted while doing the blogging thang.

Dad is going to sneak me into his graduate school to use their computer lab. Hopefully there will be time to upload some old pictures/videos here and there to keep y'all from going into withdrawal, but even more hopefully this 'puter thing will get resolved soon.

In the meantime, I give you some nifty vids. This first one is a picture of what training can be like at our house:

This next one shows what progress I've made on overcoming my fear of the white coffin and of water:

Hope everyone has a better day than us!

Attack of the dreaded Furminator

Dad has found a new toy. And I don't like it.



But, he gives me lots of treats while he uses it, so I can't complain too much.

Happy Election Day!

OK-- Today is catch-up day for Puddleglum. I am WAY behind.

First things first, today is Election Day in the United States! Hooray for freedom and choice! With there being a possibility of the first African-American person as president of the USA, perhaps this will open the door to give us canines the vote. "Sufferage and sweet potatoes!" will be our slogan. We will promise to give every canine citizen 40 bones and a stuffie. Bark the vote!

But seriously, if you can vote, you should. Or stop complaining about anything. At least, that's what I think.

Now that that's out of the way, it is time to cover a couple of contest results I have been remiss on. First of all, there is the Pug Lover's Rescue banner voting, which ended October 31st. I did not win, but I was first runner-up! Yay for me! Even better, my good friend Clementine won in a tie! Yay for her! Everyone congratulate her. Even better yet, there was a bunch of money raised for rescued pugs. Never can have too much of that!

The second contest I was in was the Project Dogway 08 sweepstakes. I was very surprised and happy to discover that I was one of the three finalists! Now I have to get cracking on my final entry, due this Friday (yipes!). Since Clementine was judging the entries, and I spent a pretty penny on delicious canned food and bones and stuffies to send to her as br--- Ummm... I might have said too much. Moving on.

Hooray for me! OK, now moving on.

I won an award for participating in that prestigious contest!


And from Harry Pugalicious:


This lovely award is created by Crystal @ Memoirs of a Mommy in honor of Noah and the donor of his sweet little heart who ENCOURAGES us to SHARE THE LOVE ! Thanks Crystal! [Click on Memoirs of a Mommy to learn and read this special love story!] The rules for this award are to pass it along to some people whose blogs you love. They make you laugh, smile, leave encouraging comments on your blog. You would like to share some love with them because they have uplifted, inspired, encouraged or prayed for you. Please include this paragraph with the link to Memoirs of a Mommy so that everyone knows where this award originated from.

I give it to:
Pugsley the Lovely Lady Pug
Nancy and the Fatties
Pearl and Daisy
Pepe
Daisy and Oscar

Because they all are either new bloggers or are frequent commenters on my blog or have neat blogs or have not received this/other award(s) yet or live in a cool part of the world. But definitely not because everyone else is not cool enough. This giving awards thing is tricky!

Thanks to all!

And finally, I bet you were wondering how Dad's fantasy football team is doing with me as the mascot! No? Really? Not a bit of interest? Well, too bad. I'm telling you anyway. We have had a run of bad luck and are currently sitting at 4-5, despite scoring the second-most points for the season of anyone and at least partly because of having the second-most points scored against us. It's sad, but it's hardly a big deal. The good news is, there is a lot of parity in our league and we are only two games out of first place! We'll just have to suck it up and hope that Reggie Bush comes back soon! Can I hear an "Amen!" from Harry Pugalicious and his mom?

Th-th-th-th-th-that's all, folks! Go vote if you can!

Halloween 08!

It's the most/ Spookiest time/ Of the year...

There'll be more pirate looting/ And Tinkerbell booty/ Than is fit to see!


It's the most/ Spookiest time/ Of the year... [modulate to minor key]

There'll be costumes for hating/ And doggie berating/ "Now Puddleglum sit yourself still"


"Now Snoufer stop biting"/ "Oh why are you fighting?"/ "You both need to just freaking chill!"



It's the most/ Spookiest time/

It's the most/ Dorkiest time/


It's the most/ Embarrassing time/



Of the year!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Snoufer's Birthday!

Today is Big Brother's 2nd birthday! Dad got him from a breeder a week before Christmas, as a present to Mom. Mom's grandpa (who died this past April) used to have Westies his whole life, so Mom always knew she wanted to have a Westie around the house. Mom says that he was the best Christmas present she's ever gotten.






I'm just glad I get someone to play with! Everyone wish him a happy birthday!