Santa Pug

Three feet and counting . . . that is the amount of snowfall we have received since Saturday, and the weathermen are projecting a few inches more every day until the weekend. Sheesh! We are having a white Christmas and a white New Year's!

On a more cheerful note, my parents received a holiday gift from our neighbors -- a Santa Pug! My Mommy thought it was sooo cute! She threatened to kick me out of their bed at night and let the stuffed pug sleep in my place. Can you imagine the nerve of her! Doesn't she realize that it isn't even a real animal? My Mommy can be so silly sometimes . . .

Mommy is trying to coax me outside to poop and pee. Those snow piles you see were made from snow sliding off our metal roof

Ok, Mommy. I pooped and peed -- can we go inside now?

So, what's with the hat and scarf, buddy?

Hey, is that hat edible?

Snow . . . and injustice

Snow! Snow! Snow! Just when I though we had escaped any of the white stuff, bam! We end up with two feet today . . . and more on the way. I was tired just watching my parents shovel that stuff. Luckily, we have very nice neighbors: one of them cleared our driveway with his quad runner (Daddy said he had a blade attached to the front), and then later two other neighbors helped my parents shovel again when the snow accumulated.

At the beginning of the snowstorm. Do you know how hard it is to pee and poop in the snow?

Now for my other gripe: what happened to me being the star of the show? I used to be the center of my parents' attention: getting cuddled whenever I wanted it, enticing my Mommy to play tug-of-war with me with my stuffed toys, and getting to sit on Daddy's lap whenever I desired. Now, I find my little sister getting cuddled and in my Daddy's lap. What gives?

This is me and Daddy in happier times. I used to be his only little girl

Now look where I am now . . . between Daddy's legs on the floor. And look who gets cuddled -- the little brat. Hey, I was here first!

I can't believe my parents would choose to cuddle this creature over me. I mean, look at her -- she doesn't even have any neck muscles to speak of!

For Crying Out Loud . . .

Thanks for the support out there as I try to deal with my newest sibling. On a lighter note, so my grandmother is here with us to help out with my sister; unfortunately, she brought her rat, er, chihuahua here with her. As if that wasn't enough, that little creature has an outfit as well:

Isn't this just the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen? Who would want to dress up a rat?

I am trying to see if this getup is for real . . .

I can't help it!

Sorry about the long interval between posting, but things have been a bit busy here. We arrived safely in Ketchikan after a long ferry ride. My sister has taken to Alaskan life pretty well (I say that with a wry smile as she has only left the house twice since we returned almost two weeks ago).

My parents told about the awful snow/ice storms alot of my blogging friends have been having this past week. I feel for all you guys. It sounds funny to say, but I am glad I am back in Alaska; our temperatures have been in the mid to upper 20s, but clear and beautiful!

I have also been trying to get adjusted to life with a new sibling, you know, testing my limits and so forth. One of my absolute favorite things to do is lick my Daddy's head, face, hands, feet, you name it! I thought I would welcome my new sis into the family by doing the same thing . . .

Well, it all started fine. Here I am licking away while she gets her diapers changed (hey, I thought I was doing my parents a favor by distracting the little brat)

Hmmm, I think I may have carried this too far. Mommy was not happy.

Wha?! What did I do?

Donuts in Bellingham

We are here in Bellingham, WA -- finally! We will be taking the ferry back home tonight to Alaska . . . whew! Daddy did an awesome job driving the family cross country, we even had time to tool around Bellingham today. We had breakfast at the Rocket Express, or actually Mommy and Daddy did . . . I just had bits of donut crumbs.

Mommy, my sis, and me in front of the rocket ship. Since I love car rides, I figured I would enjoy a ride aboard a rocket as well. Unfortunately, Mommy said it wasn't a real rockets . . . rats!

Midway point

Just checking in with all my blogging friends out there. I tried to update my blog yesterday, but the stupid motel we stayed in did not have wireless internet availability . . . what establishment nowadays does NOT have wireless internet? And it wasn't as if we were in a rinky-dink midwestern town -- we were in Rapid City, South Dakota, for goodness sake! My parents actually thought Rapid City was a pretty cool place with lots of activities for families (Mt. Rushmore, archeological digs, fossils, etc).

Yours truly during a bathroom break in Chamberlain, South Dakota. The scenery is quite majestic, and the air was fresh and crisp

What the *&@%! I was quite perturbed by this sign . . . no running through the tall grass for me

You can't beat the midwestern sunset

We are currently battling our way through some Montana snowstorms . . . stay tuned!

Family Portrait

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! We are heading back to Alaska via car/ferry, so my blogging might be sporadic this week. It will take us a while to drive back because my little sis needs to be fed every 2-4 hours (what a pain in the neck she is!). Luckily, she doesn't need to be walked that often!

Me and my sis

Take that litte sis!

There has been alot of fuss over my little sister in the Wild Alaskan Mountain Pug household recently. My parents haven't been ignoring me, but I feel sort of like the fifth paw at this point. My parents do tell me that I have been a very good sister; however, sometimes I feel a bit mischievous . . .

Don't tell my little sis that I just stole one of her slippers!

Aww, come on! It's not as if she is walking around right now and needs these slippers!

I will return them . . . that is, if there is anything left of them (hee hee!)

Leaves, leaves everywhere!

I thought I would be bored on the East Coast, but surprisingly, I have found a new pleasure -- leaves. Where we live in Alaska, we have conifer-type trees; in New Jersey, my grandparents live in a development where most of the trees are deciduous. Ergo, everytime I go outside, I see piles and piles of leaves on the street and sidewalk. I must say, walking through these piles of leaves are a newfound fun!

Did I mention I also like peeing in the piles of leaves?

I am an intrepid explorer, blazing my way through uncharted leaf piles

I hope these leaves don't get raked up anytime soon!

Super Pet Expo

My parents finally were able to get away from my little sister (these little humans require ALOT of attention) yesterday. They brought me to the Super Pet Expo that comes to NJ twice a year. It is a convention center that is filled with vendors, horse rides, canine jumping contests, and other entertainment of both animal and human varieties. I got to meet tons of other dogs at the Expo, and came away with a few treats. Daddy was happy because he bought a ShamWow chamois towel there (he loves that infomercial and can recite it word for word).

This is moi eagerly waiting to go inside

It took me a while to figure out that it was just a picture of a dog and not an acutal dog . . . duh!

Me (with the red harness) enjoying a game of chase in the indoor dog run. The shiba inu and I were chasing two pug puppies

I was way too fast for the shiba inu to catch me . . . notice the gazelle-like movements as I leap off the slide to outrun my pursuer

Truce

Since my parents have decided to stay with my grandmother for a few weeks, I have had to put up with my grandmother's rat -- I mean chihuahua. I find this situation somewhat distasteful as I normally do not associate with rodents. However, since it looks like I will be on the East Coast for several weeks, I have sucked it up and declared a truce with the rat-chihuahua creature. The picture shows us peacefully cohabitating the same space . . . but I warn you rat-chihuahua creature, don't get too used to this!

Introducing . . .

I owe all you guys an apology as I have not updated my blog in quite some time. I have been immensely busy in the past week and a half -- why? you ask. Well, it should be clear as I introduce . . . TA-DA! My new baby sister!

That is right, my crazy parents drove over 3000 miles so Mommy could give birth in her old hospital. And we made it with just one day to spare before Mommy went unto labor. I was wondering if Mommy had swallowed a basketball -- her tummy got so big!

She doesn't look like a pug; I wonder what breed of dog this is?

I am keeping a watchful eye on her . . . she is still just a defenseless puppy






I fancy I take after my Mommy; people say my sister looks like my Daddy

Day 5

Sorry about the lack of posts, but Mommy just found the cable to connect our camera to the computer. Daddy is pooped from driving -- he says Canada and the USA are really big countries!

We are now in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It is just as tiring for me, sitting there and helping Mommy read the maps and eat the snacks.

Daddy and me in Jasper, Alberta, Canada

These are the Canadian Rockies . . . beautiful with tons of wildlife

Mommy, do we have to leave so early? (This was me waking up in Dickinson, North Dakota)

Road Trip

Hello guys! Guess what -- Mommy, Daddy, and I are on a road trip back to NYC (NJ to be exact). Yes, I know my parents are nuts, but at least this time they brought me with them! We took a ferry from Ketchikan to Prince Rupert, Canada yesterday and drove until we got to New Hazleton, BC. We drove all day and are now in Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Gosh, Canada is a big country with lots of beautiful mountainous scenery. It smells like the USA, but just a little bit different . . .

I will try to get some pictures on the road to show you what an Alaskan Mountain pug does when she is in Canada!

FAT?!?!?

I am outraged: Daddy brought me to the vet yesterday. The vet looked him straight in the eye and said that I was fat. WHAT?!?!? Daddy tried to defend me by saying I am a big-boned pug, but the vet wasn't buying it. Needless to say I am outraged! I weigh an almost svelte 28lbs, most of that is pure muscle, of course.

Anyway, Daddy put me on a no-human food diet starting last night (yes, my parents have been bad pug owners and have been giving me some people food. Mommy says it is because I look so pathetic begging for scraps). I nearly starved yesterday just eating my dog kibbles. But Mommy made apple crumble last night, and I snuck in a few pieces of apple that fell to the floor. Take that you mean veternarian!

A Trip to the Beach

We have been having quite the lovely autumn (after a rainy and cold summer). My parents brought me to one of our "beaches" during one of those nice days; when I say "beach" I mean it quite loosely. We don't have those nice sandy beaches . . . ours are quite rocky.

I am trying to get my parents' attention to show them what I found

Look! It is a giant tire-fish!

I actually did try to eat it, but it was not tasty at all . . .

Garbage Picker

Why no, Mommy, I am not up to something.

I know that peanut butter jar is in here somewhere . . .

Ouch! Caught red-handed!

Back to blogging

Hello all! Yours truly is back on the computer and at home after my no good parents returned from their trip to Tahiti. They came back raving how beautiful Bora Bora is, how the weather was remarkable, the water crystalline blue, blah, blah blah . . . I didn't care because I did not get to go. But I did have a great time with our neighbor and their black labrador; we rode the back of a pickup truck together -- fun!

But my parents are making me post pictures of their trip:

This is one of the many resort available in Bora Bora. The main island is in the background . . . there are lots of smaller islands (or motus) within the lagoon

My parents stayed at the Bora Bora Nui

My parents stayed in the overwater bungalow in the center -- you can barely make out my mommy sitting on the bottom deck. And yes, there are mask, snorkel, and fins in every bungalow so you can just jump right off the deck and go snorkeling

Brave Daddy is on the right corner of the picture . . . the shark is obviously intimidated by my Daddy

Daddy is standing by the pool at the resort

My parents promised to bring me on their next trip. Yeah, well I've heard that one before! We'll see . . .

My no good parents . . .

Hello all! Sorry for my lack of posts but I have been mad at my parents this past week. I have been sulking and generally voicing my displeasure at them. Apparently, they will be leaving tomorrow on a "family vacation" with my grandmother, aunts, and uncles for a week. But I am not going! What kind of family leaves without their daughter? I have a mind to call social services on them . . .

So, I will be staying at a neighbor's house for the next week. I am sure I will be having lots of fun without them . . . maybe I won't even come home (unless they bring back a cool gift)!

See you guys next week!

Politics, blech!

Sorry about the last post -- it seemed a bit too serious for all my puggy friends. Unless someone nominates a pug to the highest office, I am totally opinion-less when it comes to the next election. But, I do want to support my state of residence because it is beautiful and pretty cool!

This was supposed to be a gift for my little sister, but I think it looks way cool on me!

Way to go Alaska . . . Hey, have you seen the Alaskan quarter? I think it kicks a**!

Politics

As a puggy, I have no interest in this politics thing that seems to affect some humans immensely. However, as my parents have been getting numerous calls from family and friends since the nomination of our governor, Sarah Palin, I feel that I should give voice to my Daddy's concerns on my blog.

Yes, Governor Palin is immensely popular in Alaska, except for where we live -- Ketchikan. There are plenty of govenment officials and regular people here who are hopping mad at her because of this "Bridge to Nowhere" fiasco. Daddy gets mad whenever reporters or even the Governor call it the "Bridge to Nowhere" . . . technically, it is the bridge to our airport. Southeast Alaska is made of numerous small islands (even Juneau, our capital, is on an island). Ketchikan is the fourth largest city in Alaska, and the last major city from Juneau until Washington state. Ergo, we have a relatively busy airport that is located on another small island with a population of about 50. The only way to access the airport for us is via ferry that runs only twice an hour. You can imagine how much it sucks to wait 30 minutes for a ferry outside in the pouring rain or in the dead of winter.

So, the people in Ketchikan were all excited when we were earmarked money to build a bridge to our airport. And the reason it is extraordinarily expensive is because of some technicalities the engineers had to figure out: the bridge had to be high and wide enough to allow those super-huge cruise ships to pass under, or a draw-bridge could have been configured. However, there were some issues with a draw bridge and the myriad of float planes that fly on an hourly basis into and out of Ketchikan. These float planes are usually the only means of communication and sustenance for the surrounding islands, bringing mail, food, and other necessary supplies to the people (including forest rangers) that live in the islands around Ketchikan. The float planes also serve as an "ambulance" of sort, flying patients who are sick to our hospital in Ketchikan.

And that is why the humans here are quiet mad and annoyed at our Governor. As I am sure you have heard, she originally supported our bridge when she was campaigning, and then flip-flopped. Daddy had a talk with our mayor as well, and it seems that she can be vindictive when pushed.

As you can tell, Daddy is not a big fan of Governor Palin; Mommy thinks it's cool that a woman was nominated to become vice-president, but she doesn't agree with most of her views. Me? As long as I get treats and lots of loving, I don't care who wins . . .

Pet Parade

Thank goodness for neighbors! Some of you may recall that my Daddy and I participated in the Pet and Doll parade during our Blueberry Festival way back in August. And, I shall remind you, Daddy did NOT live up to the task of taking cute, irresistible pictures of moi during the event. In fact, I think he only got my backside (which, although adorable, is not the most attractive part of me).

We ran into one of our neighbors this weekend who told us she had taken great pictures of me during the parade. Lo and behold! I was blown away by how exquisite I looked in the dress made by Punchy!

I think this is definitely a cover shot

My inquisitive and serious look

I couldn't believe me eyes! A rat all dressed up! What will humans think of next?