Aiko's Perspective

New Year's Greetings!

2009-01-13T04:25:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been a little busy settling into my Calgary home, missing my parents a great deal, and having to accept the fact that I am now a senior dog. Yup, I was told by my vet that I am an old girl, and that's why I am suffering from incontinence. I don't mean to pee my bed (or Kunou's - sorry pal), I just can't control my bladder. So I'm on some estrogen supplements and they are helping, but not enough because some nights I still wee my bed. Thank you to Uncle Andy and Auntie Ang for cleaning me up all the time.

So have a look at the movie that I made for you. The song is one of my favourites, it's called "When I See you Smile" by Bic Runga. I hope you enjoy it!

Welcome Autumn

2008-09-27T17:48:00.004-04:00

The leaves have already started to change colour
and some have even fallen off the trees too.
It's just the beginning of Autumn in Calgary,
and already I'm chilled to the bones.
Hey Kunou, whatcha looking at?

Mama is leaving on Sept 30 for Japan.
I'm happy that she'll be reunited with Papa,
but I'm sad that she has to leave me behind.
I know Uncle Andy and Auntie Ang will take good
care of me. Kunou will keep me company during
all my lonely days. Uncle Al and Gramma will come
over and play. So even though I will miss Mama a lot,
she leaves me in very capable hands.

I know I'll be okay when she goes.
I hope she'll be okay too.

Howling in the Night

2008-09-19T01:46:00.004-04:00

Kunou has this weird little habit:
he howls in the night during bed time.
The little guy is sleeping, and all of a sudden
he wakes himself up in a loud, eery howl.

It starts off quiet, and begins to build up, until
it reaches a fever pitch. And he goes on for a good
minute, just howling, like a ghost on speed!
I think he's dreaming, or having a nightmare!
It used to freak me out, and I would bark at him
to stop, but now I just sleep through it
because my barking doesn't stop him from howling.

I guess that explains why he's so well
rested during the day, and I am dead tired.

Presents for Moi

2008-09-18T11:04:00.003-04:00

Mama is leaving for Japan soon, so she bought me
a gift to remind me of her when she goes.
It's a BULLDOG!! Can you see the resemblance?

I couldn't put it down for the first few days.
I love biting it in the jugular and the crotch.
My favourite is trying to chew its nose off.

It makes for a pretty good pillow too!

Auntie Ang got Kunou a white mouse,
because Kunou thinks he's really a cat.

The mouse looks eerily real, don't it?

On a side note, I wanted to say congrats to Uncle Brian,
who's defending his PhD today. I know he killed it,
so I guess I should call him Dr. Uncle Brian from now on?
What a tongue twister!

Happy Saturday!

2008-09-06T17:55:00.002-04:00

We went to the new vets today for a full checkup
and some annual vaccinations. I wasn't so sure about the new vets,
because I'm so used to the old ones, but these guys were great!
Dr. McCurdy at the Harvest Hills Vet Clinic
thought I was a good and cute dog,
I think he's a pretty good doctor.
I got some new hardware to put on my collar
with my rabies shot this year too.
Interestingly, my full physical didn't include a pee or poo sample,
any blood work, or them taking my temperature.
Is that normal here in Calgary?

As a reward for being such good dogs at the vets,
Kunou and I got to run outside!
Look at him trying to keep up with me.
Actually, Kunou can out run me any day.
I'm a bit of a fatty - 24.2 kg to be exact!
And you know, I've actually lost weight
since the beginning of summer too.

I hope you have a great weekend!
Try to relax and take it easy, I will be!!

Happy Friday!

2008-09-05T17:27:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! And a short work week too!
Mama and I have been watching a lot of TV these days
in High Def, which if you don't have, you should get!
We love the National Geographic channel, and we
absolutely love The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan!
He's a really talented and gifted dog psychologist
and he's got great tips on how to deal with behavioral
issues, like aggression (guilty!!).
Check out his blog that I've linked to.

Since tuning into The Dog Whisperer show,
both Kunou and I have been better behaved.
Mama's been working to make us more balanced.
We sometimes forget our lessons,
but I'm sure it will stick in time with more practice.

I think Kunou struggles a little harder than I do
during the lessons. He doesn't always listen...

unless there is a treat involved.

We are going for long walks around the neighbourhood
everyday in the afternoon with Mama. She likes it
when we are tired and sleepy at home.
I agree, a tired dog is a happy dog, calm and submissive!!

Happy Labour Day

2008-09-01T13:16:00.003-04:00

Hope you are having a great long weekend
wherever you are! And now that it's September
a lot of changes are happening:
- end of summer and beginning of chilly autumn
- new job for Auntie Ang (congrats!)
- new PhD beginnings for Auntie Trish (good luck!)
- PhD endings for Uncle Brian (good luck!)
- school endings for Auntie CET (good luck!)
- Happy birthdays for end of August and September babies too

and the one that makes me the most sad:
- one more month for me and Momma before she leaves for Japan

I won't lie to you, this is a picture of me and Kunou from
a couple weeks ago. It was nice and warm outside.
It's gotten really cold here in Calgary the last week,
and the high today is 11C. Can you believe that?
I think I saw frost this morning on the grass during my walk.
Brrr........

Happy Days

2008-08-14T20:32:00.001-04:00

This morning when Kunou and I woke up we heard
Mama walking around upstairs. I think she was
chatting on MSN with Papa in Japan.
Hi Papa!! I miss you! Hope you are well!

This afternoon, since the weather was so nice,
Mama took Kunou and I out for a long walk.
This time around, I got to share my space with my buddy.

I think Kunou had a pretty good time
walking around outside, sniffing the grass.
Look at him smiling!!

Check it out: that dark blur in the top
right hand corner of the pic is a fly.
Great timing hey? Too bad it's so blurry!

Just to prove that Kunou and I went for a walk together.

There's a house on our route where little kids live.
They have a huge ball, like really HUGE!
I wanted to play too, but Mama wasn't going to let me.
I pulled and pulled and pulled, but it didn't work.
My leash line was getting shorter and shorter and shorter,
because Mama was wrapping it around her hand.

I didn't mean to, but I ended up bruising
Mama's hand from my pulling. I'm sorry Mama!!

On a side note, I'm sending our Canadian Olympic Team
some well deserved love. I've been watching them on TV
and even though we haven't won any medals,
our athletes are trying very hard!
So keep up the good work Canada!

Becoming Beastie Besties

2008-08-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

I think it was Kunou's near death experience that has made
him warm up to me much more now. See we are even
hanging out on the same blanket right next to each other!

I might be pushing my luck a little here by trying to
snuggle with Kunou, hence his trying to not-so-
subtley move his head away from mine.
Why are you still so scared of me Little Buddy?

Kunou has his appetite back now!
He gets rice with chicken chunks.
Lucky bum gets his dinner homemade.
I get my dry kibble from a bag.
Boo.

Happy 888 Everyone!!

2008-08-08T21:33:00.003-04:00

Holy moly it's been eons since my last post!
I've been enjoying my summer here in Cowtown.
Sunning myself, chasing butterflies, eating grass.
Generally loving life. How about you?

Look at all this room for me to run around and be silly!!
And all for me too, I don't have to share.

That's because Kunou spent the last 3 days in the hospital.
A few months ago, Auntie Ang was making guacamole
and accidentally dropped the avocado pit on the floor.
Kunou, with his ninja-like reflexes was on that pit in a flash,
and he swallowed it whole!!! Well it's been festering
in his belly for all this time now and his stomach finally
wore it down small enough for it to pass into his
small intestine. And then it got stuck there. He was
vomiting and dehydrated. And that was last Saturday.

He had to go to emergency twice because
it was misdiagnosed the first time. Monday was the
second time we took him, his little body was
already in shock and he was vomiting up brown liquid
that smelled like it should be coming out the other end.
We thought he was a goner.
But then he had an ultrasound and surgery last Tuesday.
And today he came home! I'm so happy!!

Here's Kunou with a shaved belly and a nasty incision
from the surgery. The purple bandage was where the IV was.
He's also wearing tea towel socks on his hind legs to
prevent him from scratching the incision.

I'm glad Kunou is better now. I was getting
depressed for a little while and had trouble eating
my food. Today after he came home, I was
so happy I ate ALL of my dinner!!
Indeed today is a lucky day for everyone!
Oh and happy start to the Olympics too!!
Go Canada!

Super Storms!

2008-07-10T01:55:00.009-04:00

I always thought the weather in Toronto was a bit crazy:
we used to live downtown and the lightening was so bright,
but the thunder that came after was
even louder than I can imagine!
Calgary has strange weather too.
One minute it will be hot and sunny,
the next minute it's dark and raining
with lightening bolts and thunder!
I'd say the weather in Calgary is a bit bipolar.
We're having a super storm, so the weatherman on the news says.
Mama was trying to capture the lightening on film,
but I don't think her timing was very good.
She did manage to catch a passing airplane though.

In the afternoons I get to play outside,
if it's not raining or hailing. I had never seen hail
before I came to Calgary. It hurts when it falls out of the sky!

Kunou will sit next to me, if and only if, he gets a cookie.
He's kind of sneaky too, when I eat my cookie,
(inevitably some will fall out of my mouth) Kunou is
on my crumbs like a fly on poo. Without fail, Kunou picks
up my leftovers. Seriously, if this is the only way he'll
be my friend, so be it.

My Birthday Weekend!

2008-07-05T21:17:00.005-04:00

I'm spending my 6th birthday with family in Calgary!
I can't believe I'm 6 years old already!
I remember when I was just a baby,
I was so small and cuddly, like Kunou-sized!

Even Kunou is happy it's my birthday.
We'll be celebrating his birthday soon,
he's turning 11 years old in August!

I'm really loving Calgary now.
I get to play in the backyard everyday!
And look at the nice carpet I can roll and stretch out on!

And I'm happy to tell you that Kunou isn't AS scared of me now.
Yes he still runs away when I try to bring him toys to play,
but he willingly eats my dinner out of my dish,
drinks water out of my bowl, and he ventures close
to going into my crate. Uncle Andy says Kunou
is really looking for cookie crumbs to eat, and he's not
so much interested in being friends with me.
As long as he doesn't run away, I don't care!!

I'm having a great summer so far!
How is your summer going?

Learning to Settle In

2008-06-28T16:51:00.007-04:00

This is my first post from Cowtown!
Uncle Brian and Mr. M. drove Mama and I to the airport.
Uncle Brian stayed with us until Mama had to board her plane.
We miss him so much!

My plane ride here from Toronto was quite uneventful.
There were two other dogs in crates that rode alongside of me
in the cargo, we pretty much slept through the 4 hour flight.
When we got to Calgary, Uncles Allen, Andy and Auntie Ang
picked us up from the airport. They were shocked when
they realized that Mama's luggage was 30lbs overweight!

I've been at Uncle Andy and Auntie Ang's now for almost a week.
This is Kunou, he is "sleeping". I think he's
pretending, so I will leave him alone.
We're going to be best friends,
he just doesn't know it yet.

Every time I bring a toy over to Kunou for us to play,
he runs away and hides under the kitchen table.
He probably think it's cute, because I can't reach him under there.
I am patient, so I wait for him to come out.

I love that Uncle Andy and Auntie Ang have a backyard.
I love going out there to run and sniff the tomato plants.
I know, the tomato plants are poisonous to dogs,
so I don't eat them. Just sniff.
And I like the smell of the compost bin too!

Kunou has a bunch of toys that I have never seen before either.
When no one is looking, I steal them from the toy bin.
Problem is, now they all smell like me,
and Kunou doesn't want to play with them anymore.
Oh well, more for me!!

Bon Voyage!

2008-06-22T13:01:00.005-04:00

Today is my last day in Toronto.
Mama is cleaning like a mad woman!
Look how much room there is
in the apartment now, it's nuts!
I haven't seen it like this since we first moved in.
Mama had to get rid of so much stuff!
Thank you to Auntie Trish who took a lot of it.
And the nice cleaning lady, Wendy, she's fabulous!

I've got all I need for the move:
Bear, and kibble.

I'm not sure about the flight though,
I'm a bit scared. Actually I think Mama is
much more scared than me. She's a
big scaredy cat. I know it'll be fine.
I just don't know what to expect.

I just wanted to thank everyone for being so
kind to me. I will miss you all. I really do
hope we can see each other again.
Come and visit me in Calgary, I promise
to show you a good time!!
The next time I post I will be doing so from Calgary.
So stay tuned!!

Just Checking In

2008-06-16T22:12:00.005-04:00

My goodness! The last time I posted was almost a month ago...
Much has gone on since my last post:
Mama has finally finished school, yay!
Papa is still in Japan and he's slowly turning into a robot.
I went for a sleepover at Uncle Brian's house over the weekend.
And we are in preparations to move to Calgary.

It's pretty hectic in the apartment,
Mama is putting things into boxes, into the garbage,
and into big bins hoping that Auntie Trish,
Auntie Ada, and Thomas Ojichan will
take them off her hands.

I guess this is what happens
when you live somewhere for a long time,
you just accumulate stuff.
We also have all of Papa's stuff, and all of Obaachan's stuff too.
We have A LOT of stuff. If you live in Toronto and want
free stuff, or cheap stuff, drop me a line and
I'll let you know what we have to get rid of.

It'll be interesting to see what the apartment looks like with
less stuff in here. I wish I could help Mama more, but
she says I just get in the way more than anything.

I haven't really thought about leaving Toronto,
I've been here since I was a baby! I think that I
will miss my friends the most. Especially Uncle Brian,
Auntie Ada, and Thomas Ojichan. They are always so nice to me.
I will be sad I think, but I'll try to keep it together for Mama,
whom I know will be more sad than me to leave her friends.
Good thing we will always keep in touch!
Promise to keep in touch, and I will do the same!

Damn It's Cold

2008-05-21T19:19:00.003-04:00

Our building turned the heat off for the season
and the air con is on now. Problem is,
it's friggin cold outside still. So that means it's
friggin cold inside too. Not to mention
there seems to be cold air con air blowing
at maximum outside in the hallways,
which leaks into the apartment from the
vents and under the door.

I guess I'm lucky, I have a permanent fur coat
to keep me warm. Mama is always wearing two
t-shirts, a sweater, sweatpants, socks and slippers,
a toque on her head and a big scarf around her shoulders.
She's even resorted to turning on the oven just
to warm up the apartment. Not very green I must admit.

We could tell the building manager, but he seems like a
bit of an a$$hole. He gives us snarky eyes every time
we see him. Maybe he doesn't like dogs?
Or maybe he's just an a$$hole.
What are your tips for a chilly interior?

Happy Mama's Day

2008-05-11T12:44:00.003-04:00

Just a quick shout out to all the Hot Mama's out there!
Happy Mother's Day!
Thank you Mama for taking care of me,
feeding me my medicine everyday,
picking up my poo everyday,
wiping my paws and my bum everyday.
You are the best and I love you for it!

Where's Aiko

2008-05-08T12:00:00.002-04:00

This was the disaster zone after Papa left on the weekend.
Can you spot me? I helped Mama decide what to keep,
donate, sell, and throw away.
Problem is, Mama is a packrat (not as bad as Papa)
and she tends to hang on to things that should just
get passed onto to someone else.
But it was good therapy to go through some of this baggage
and get rid of it for good.

Here's the result of our cull.
Not bad eh?
More room for me to run around too!

I Miss You Papa

2008-05-03T16:25:00.003-04:00

I didn't tell you that Papa came home to see me
over the Golden Week holiday in Japan
because I don't like to share.
I was worried that if I told you,
you'd want to spend time with Papa.
That means less Aiko-face-time with Papa,
and that is just unacceptable.
But he's gone again and I miss him already.
It hasn't even been a day and I miss him.

Thank you for coming home to visit with me Papa.
I hope you can visit again in the near future,
I promise to be a good girl while you're away.

Hello Spring?

2008-04-29T19:40:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the complete lack of posts for all of April.
My camera is kind of busted and I can't really take pictures.
Mama is going to buy me a DSLR as soon as she's done school.

Well, the end of April leads to many things:
1. Taxes deadline in Canada
2. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico
3. Golden Week in Japan
4. Mother's Day is May 11
5. April showers bring May flowers
except with this chilly weather your flowers might die.

On a different note, I've been happily dragging Mama
around the neighbourhood in search of new smells now that
the sun is out again. It is a bit chilly these past few days
but it's not snowing, so I won't complain.
I've met some new neighbourhood dogs,
some I like, others not so much.
I met this boy bulldog over the weekend,
his head was twice as big as mine
and his face looked like a cabbage!
He was so out of proportion!
His big cabbage head was on top
of his tall skinny body. What a freak show.

Spring Saturday Surprise

2008-04-05T19:44:00.006-04:00

Mama brought me to meet a couple of new friends,
people friends and dog friends:
The bully in the picture is named Norm, he's pretty cool,
his Mom is Miss JMo and she hosted a fabulous lunch and
organized the dog get-together. I also met Miss Michelle
who has a dog but didn't bring him. And I met

Auntie CET again, and her dog Chili.

I know Mama was hoping that I would
behave myself around the new dogs.
But truth is, I like being a bitch. I don't know why.
I got into a few arguments with Norm, and we tussled.
I'm sorry Norm, I'll try to be a nice girl next time.
But no promises.

Chili is a Westie, and he loves to sniff bums.
I think he was trying hard to get me to play with him,
but you know me, I'm a little too into myself to want to play
with other dogs. He did get a bit bitey when I went over
to see if I could get a piece of the biscuit he was waiting for.

Mama said I was embarrassing her the whole time,
because I don't know how to act like a normal dog.
I can't help it if I'm totally selfish with anger management issues.
I think I'm very much like supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Thank you Miss JMo and Mr M for hosting what
should have been a lovelier afternoon of a dog party
if I had behaved like a good girl and not like my usual self.
Mama apologizes for the crappy turnout of the photos,
juggling me and a camera that doesn't work is not easy.

That Sure Didn't Take Long...

2008-04-02T16:10:00.005-04:00

It's happened, I reluctantly went into the crate to fetch Bear.
Mama: 1 / Aiko: 0.
But then she put in a nice comfy blanky for me,
and I immediately barfed on it when I went back into the crate.
Mama: 1 / Aiko: 1.

Yata!

2008-04-01T15:19:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: I got my peanut butter filled Kong
Mama tried to use to entice me into the new crate!
(Btw, I have no idea why this is all underlined)

Yup that's my head in the crate savouring the Kong.

I didn't actually have to go inside to get it!
I grabbed my blanky with my teeth and pulled it out
of the crate, and at the same time,
out came the Kong!!

I don't even need to be inside the crate to enjoy it!

Haha Mama, I fooled you!
I'm much more clever than you think I am!

This Again...

2008-04-01T13:38:00.005-04:00

Something big came for me again in the mail,
maybe Auntie Angela and Uncle Andy are in there...
maybe they even brought Kunou!

Ok there is a Live Animals sticker...
I know they can't be referring to me.

Oh it's a crate. And it smells like plastic.
I don't like where this is going.

Mama tried to make it all friendly and a lot
less scary for me with my blanky and some toys.
There's even a Kong with peanut butter in there.

This must be an April Fool's joke, because
she's got to be crazy thinking I'm actually going to get in there.

Do You Smell What the Aiko is Cooking?

2008-03-31T15:05:00.003-04:00

Mama made me a hardboiled egg for a treat today!
It's got L-carnitine in it, so it's good for me, since
I'm a vegetarian now (not by choice!).
I wish you could smell through my blog
the deliciousness of the gas seeping quietly from my bum!
The aroma is so rich and fragrant, so warm and enveloping!
Hahaha, Mama had to open the window!

On another note:
When Obaachan came to visit last time
she brought some Japanese treats for us.
Except, Papa forgot to tell us what they are before he left.
Mama and I are so useless, we can't read Japanese at all!
Does anyone know what this is?
Our guess is pickled something, because
Obaachan always brings pickles, candies, miso and tea.

Did you participate in Earth Hour?

2008-03-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Mama and I just spent an hour in the dark hanging out,
looking at the stars (see the Big Dipper?),
and reducing our carbon foot print.
Did you turn out the lights for Earth Hour?
I know some people think that turning out your lights
for just one hour on just one day is a bit of a gimmick.
But if we could all do a little more everyday,
we may be able to make a reverse impact on our
contribution to global warming.

Ok I kind of fibbed a bit, Mama and I didn't go star gazing,
it's still way too cold in Toronto! It's from the meteor shower
from last August. And I wasn't allowed to go either.

Papa, we miss you. We hope you had a safe flight home.
I hope you can come back to see me.

Congratulations Papa!

2008-03-28T12:49:00.003-04:00

Congratulations Papa on your accomplishments!
I suppose I have to call you Dr. Papa from now on.
Mama and I are so proud of you, we knew you could do it!
おめでとうございます!

Spring Fever

2008-03-20T23:04:00.004-04:00

So you remember how I mentioned last February 2,
that I wasn't going to mention anything about it?
Yah well I must have jinxed it right,
because spring is here in spirit,
but it's not really here in body!

Spring is ushering in like a lion this year.
Do you think I look like a lion?
Better than last time?
I'm so sick of winter.
Peeing in the snow with too much
cold near the sensitive areas is
not my idea of a good time.

Assign, Edit, Repeat

2008-03-18T15:32:00.003-04:00

These past months have been so great,
Mama and Papa have been working at home.
That means a lot of Aiko face time with them.
Except Mama has given me the task of assigning
NMR spectra of the compounds she makes in the lab.

She also has me editing her thesis.
This is a boring job.

I haven't worked this hard since, I had to come
up with ideas for Papa's research.

I Got Mail!

2008-03-14T23:13:00.006-04:00

Kunou sent me a package in the mail today!
I wonder if it's him inside that box?
He sure is small enough to fit in there!

Oh look what's inside!
It's a clock!
But I can't tell time...

Oh no, wait, it's a little toy!
A ratty looking toy!

Ah it's a cat! With no face, but still a cat in body and spirit.
But it's used up...

And it smells like something I'm not familiar with.
Is that Kunou's aroma?
Did he send a toy just for me so I can get used to his scent?
That's so nice! I guess I shouldn't try to eat him
when I move to Calgary and move in with him.
I suppose I should send a toy of mine too so
he'll know what I smell like.
But I don't like to share....

I really do enjoy playing with Kunou's toy,
I don't know if I'd want to give it back!!

This Makes Me Sad

2008-03-05T00:14:00.004-05:00

I don't normally post things that make me sad, because I know they would make you sad too. But I thought it would be important for you to know that this kind of behaviour should never be tolerated. I cried when I read about it. I hope this person (and he is a US Marine of all things, aren't they supposed to be honourable and heroic?) is made an example of, too often animal abusers get a slap on the wrist, and it's the animals that all suffer. We have feelings too.

Happy Last Day of February, and it's a Leap Year!

2008-02-29T21:17:00.003-05:00

This is my first leap year ever. And I'm going to commemorate it by destroying this paper towel roll. Do know why we even have leap years? It's so we can stay on track with the earth orbiting the sun. Leap years occur in years that are divisible by 4. I can't do math, but I imagine that it would be easy to figure out which years contain leap days.

I've been chillaxing quite a bit here at home. Mama and Papa spend a lot of time at home these days, busy playing on the computer. Funny, they never seem to have time to play with me though. But nonetheless, I love having them at home.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T09:44:00.002-05:00

Will you be my Valentine?
If you're part of a couple or single, have a nice day today!
I know I look weird in this picture,
it's just that I really like to smell flowers
in a bitey chompy kind of way.

Strange Happenings Part 2

2008-02-09T20:07:00.001-05:00

The building is on fire! Just 12 hours after the second fire alarm! Well no, not really. The fire department declared our fire alarm not to be an emergency (does that mean that there is still a possibility of a fire?) and we can return to our normal activities. Wow that's 3 fire alarms in 12 hours. What are the odds? I should buy me a lottery ticket!

Strange Happenings

2008-02-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

So as far as I know, it wasn't a full moon last night or the night before. In fact, the last full moon was January 22 and the next full moon is February 21. So what gives for the strange happenings in my building?

Around 12am this morning the fire alarm went off in the building. I was sleeping so soundly that I slept right through it. Until the security guy spoke into the speaker and said that the alarm was triggered on the 11th floor (we're on the 9th). But the fire department came and they fixed the problem after 20 minutes and all was quiet again.

This morning around 7am, the fire alarm goes off again! This time it rings for a good 30 minutes before security gets on the speaker. When he finally does, he says there's a small fire in some room on the 11th floor (we're on the 9th!!) and that we shouldn't panic and we should stay in our apartments. Papa heads off to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and Mama asks me if I smell something. I did smell something, I could smell smoke! Papa couldn't smell it because his nose is clogged up (get well soon!). We turned on the tv to watch the building's security cameras and there were lots of people standing outside of the lobby with their winter coats over their jammies. Uh oh, should we go too? The smoke smell was getting stronger!

Anyway, eventually the alarm turned off and we decided to go back to bed. Until 2 hours later when security got back on the speaker and said that the elevators are not working and we should take the stairs to get in and out of the building (we're on the 9th floor!). Lucky for me that when it came to potty time, one elevator was working and we made it downstairs lickety-split. Too bad when we came back inside there was a huge line up to go upstairs on the elevator. Not so lucky for Papa who had to carry me half way up to the 9th floor (I have bad hips you know) via the stairs. I did him a favour and climbed the rest of the way up from the 5th floor. It's the most exercise we've gotten in a long time!

While I was outside doing my business, the fire department showed up again. Apparently there was a small fire in the garbage chute. Coincidence or conspiracy?

Happy Lunar New Year!!

2008-02-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

It's the Year of the Rat, the Earth Rat to be precise. Mama and Papa cleaned the apartment as well as they could, and we went to bed tucked into new sheets and jammies. All in the hopes of an auspicious year! Here's my annual Lunar New Year forecast:

Papa and I are both Horses: Success will not come easily for Horses during the Year of the Earth Rat, but it is still possible. You'll have to work against your nature to succeed, by choosing mind over heat. The most opportunities will be available at the very beginning of the year, so make your moves now!

Career and Money -- Focus on long-term career growth rather than immediate gains. Although you're a self-starter, it's important to work with others this year. Financially, your keyword is "save." Avoid risks with your money, and think twice before lending cash to friends.

Love and Family -- The best way to achieve intimacy is by being vulnerable with the people you love. Rely on the emotional support of family this year. Romantically, it is necessary to listen carefully to your partner and be as patient as possible (yah Papa!).

Health -- Make sure to get adequate rest this year. Get plenty of sleep and make sure to take time off if you have to put in extra time at the office. Since your energy may be low this during an Earth Rat year, eat healthy foods.

Mama is a Snake (I mean that in the most loving sense): The Year of the Earth Rat will be much better for the Snake than last year, which was ruled by the Fire Pig. Your mind will be most productive, and there will be plenty of opportunities for success (hooray!).

Career and Money -- You'll need to be quick on your feet to make the most of the career opportunities that come your way. Rely on your creative spark to ascend in your job or to find a better one. Financially, this is a conservative year, so avoid large, impulsive purchases. You'll regret it otherwise.

Love and Family -- The Year of the Earth Rat is great for spending time with loved ones. Keep a busy social calendar, and -- if you're single -- you're likely to be lucky in love.

Health -- With so much activity at the job and with family and friends, you may risk burning out and getting sick. Make sure you exercise regularly, get lots of rest and be honest and open about your feelings.

Uncle Andy and Auntie Angela are both Roosters: The Rooster and the Rat are not very compatible, hence the Year of the Earth Rat will not be the easiest year for you. The key to success this year is to choose cooperation over bickering. Don't argue for argument's sake.

Career and Money -- If things don't go your way, step back a moment and think through to the source of the problem. Don't panic! It's best to think before you speak, and to work closely with your colleagues to make things go right. Financially, it's time to save, as you may unexpectedly have to shell out big bucks to attend to your home.

Love and Family -- If you're single, take things slowly in budding relationships, as the potential for delusion is high. Enjoy time with friends, but avoid getting too wild. You may regret the consequences. If you're in a relationship, nip small problems in the bud before they grow out of proportion.

Health -- Since relationships are not easy this year, reduce the likelihood of stress impacting your health by exercising on a regular basis.

Uncle Al is an Ox: Although the Year of the Earth Rat won't be great for you, at least it will be better than the last year (ruled by the Fire Pig). You will have equal parts success and disappointment. Avoid unnecessary risks, and work hard.

Career and Money -- Your work style is reliable and sturdy, which is great for keeping a job, but not necessarily for advancing up the ladder. This is the year to promote yourself, even if it doesn't feel comfortable. Financially, an Earth Rat year is good for you, especially if you own a business or have invested conservatively. Unexpected sources of money are also possible!

Love and Family -- Family is less likely to let you down than friends this year. You draw in friends with your supportive, sturdy presence, but the Earth Rat year may bring out people who try to use or betray you.

Health -- Your immune system could become taxed this year if you refuse to be flexible. Avoid stress as much as possible.

Gramma is a Dragon (how cool is that?!): The Year of the Earth Rat will be even better for you than last year (a Fire Pig year). However, Earth is not your element, so don't depend on luck to get you where you want to go. Visualize your dreams and use this year to manifest them. This Chinese New Year is a time for realizing at least one of your big dreams.

Career and Money -- Just use your imagination, and success will be yours for the taking! Keep your eye out for the unexpected, and jump on opportunities offered by both bosses and co-workers. Financially, this Earth energy is conservative. Investing in a home is a good idea during an Earth Rat year. Focus on planning for the future.

Love and Family -- Express your feelings freely, and love will come your way. Keep active socially, spend time with family and be on the lookout for that special someone. Romance is favorable this year.

Health -- Your energy may be flying through the roof this year, but be practical. Remember you're still human, and cannot take on the world!

Uncle Brian is a Monkey: The Year of the Earth Rat will be best for Monkeys more than any other Chinese sign. You will have many opportunities this year. Just beware of over-confidence. The very beginning of the year is not the luckiest for you, so take things slow.

Career and Money -- Your ideas are gold this Chinese New Year. To make them manifest, it's important to keep your focus and avoid spreading your attention thinly over many projects. It's better to follow your ideas from start to finish. Financially, this is a good year for you. However, avoid risky investments. Stick with the tried-and-true.

Love and Family -- If you're married, you'll be more out and about with your spouse this year. This Earth Rat year is also good for conceiving! In you're single, you'll get lots of interest (Whoo hoo!!). Don't rush into a serious relationship, though. Better to keep things light.

Health -- This year you'll have high energy and good health. Since you'll be so active this year, just make sure to get adequate rest!

Auntie Trish is a Dog: The Year of the Earth Rat won't be as easy as last year, but you can increase success by taking some chances.

Career and Money -- This is a year for action, so it is time to jump on the wagon if you want to try a different vocation or move up the ladder at your current job. Get the word out about your desires, and your colleagues might be able to help you out. Financially, your investments are favorable. However, be wary of trusting people with your money too much. Ask for advice from another source before you make major decisions.

Love and Family -- Friends and family are important during this Earth Rat year. Be supportive to loved ones who are in need. You will also have many opportunities to meet new people, both for friendship and romance.

Health -- Since you'll be active this year, take precautions to avoid injury. Keep stress to a minimum, and your health will be fine.

Have I forgotten anyone? Let me know if I have! Obviously I don't have that many friends from different zodiac signs, so if you're interested in your Year of the Rat horoscope drop me a line in the comments and I'll post it for you! Make sure you put away your broom and dustpan today, no sweeping as it will sweep away the good fortune of the new year!

This One is Just for You Papa

2008-02-04T10:58:00.001-05:00

Ganbatte kudasai!

Nope I'm Not Gonna Do It

2008-02-03T13:50:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to blog about that stupid groundhog and his shadow.
Every year since I've been blogging
I've blogged about Groundhog's Day
(big kisses to my loyal readers! all three of you *wink*).
So I'm not going to tell you if he saw his shadow
or if Spring will come early. I've been wrong about an
early Spring every single year, so I'm not gonna jinx it!!
Does this mean that I just jinxed it?

On a different topic, Mama tried to enter the above pic
of me to the Hallmark Pet Contest for birthday cards.
If I win my pic will be on birthday cards for a year,
I get a cool money prize and a trip to Hallmark for
a professional photo shoot for another birthday card. Cool huh?
Too bad that the contest is ONLY open to US residents.
How dumb is that?

2008-02-01T15:09:00.001-05:00

Last Christmas, Auntie Ang and Uncle An
gave Mama and Papa a gift certificate for
a Calphalon cooking class. Last night they cashed in.
They attended Shellfish 101 and they leftovers they brought home
smelled heavenly! Garlicky goodness from the grilled chili shrimp,
Crab cakes with lemon-aioli dipping sauce,
and pan-seared scallops with mango salsa.
Yum! Too bad I can't eat that stuff.

Anyway if you want the recipes for any of those delicious morsels,
ask me and I'll ask Mama to email them to you. What a treat!

Mama made me some rotini noodles with Parmesan to make me
feel like I was involved in the gourmet kitchen too.
Only I had a bit of trouble eating the rotini out of the dish
she served it in. Geez Mama, get with the program.
Nonetheless I did finish my pasta meal, and it was tasty!

Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

2008-01-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

This is also for Auntie CET, my recipe for:

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
3 cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup uncooked rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1¾ cups lactose free milk, at room temperature
1 tbls molasses
1¼ cups chunky peanut butter

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets with veggie shortening or line with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, using a fork or wire whisk, combine the flour, rolled oats, and baking powder.
3. In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, beat 1¼ cup of milk, molasses, and peanut butter together until smooth.
4. Gradually blend the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft dough. If the mixture seems a little dry add the remaining milk one tbls at a time.
5.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to ¼ inch think. Use 1½-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can. Rework the scraps as you go, the dough will become stiff as it is reworked.
6. Place the cookies on the baking sheets and bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies appear very dry and the edges are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Turn the oven off.
7. Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, put them all onto one baking sheet and return them to the cooling oven. Leave them undisturbed for 8 to 16 hours.

The original recipe from Mr. Gregg Gillespie called for creamy peanut butter, but I like chunky better. It also called for chicken broth but you all know my meat dilemma. So Mama substituted it with milk. Be careful if you want to use store bought veggie broth as it may contain onions (see the previous post).

So that's it! I hope Auntie CET and her friends who will be potential bulldog parents will enjoy these recipes. I would love to meet these potential bulldog parents, and I'm sure they'd have fun meeting me too! I'm always up for making new friends (people friends that is). Let's have a date!

Whole-wheat Parmesan & Carrot Cookie Recipe

2008-01-25T13:19:00.001-05:00

This is for Auntie CET who wanted to know my recipe for:

Whole-wheat Parmesan & Carrot Dog Cookies
1½ cups whole-wheat flour

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large carrot, trimmed, pared and finely grated
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 large eggs
½ cup lactose free skim or 1% milk, or sufficient for processing

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease (with veggie shortening) two cookie sheets, or parchment line.
2. In a large bowl combine flours, Parmesan, carrots and garlic powder
3. In a small bowl beat the eggs until foamy and then add the milk
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients in portions, blending as you go, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl forming a soft dough. If the mixture seems a little dry add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out to ¼-inch thick. Using a 1½-inch round cookie cutter to cut as many cookies as you can. Rework the scraps as you go, the dough will become stiff as it's reworked.
6. Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets and bake on the middle rack for 20 t0 25 minutes or until the cookies appear very dry and the edges are golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven and cool to room temperature. Turn off the oven.
7. When the cookies are cool, put them all on a single cookie sheet and return them to the cooling oven. Leave them undisturbed for 8 to 16 hours.
8. Enjoy!!!

The original recipe comes from Mr. Gregg Gillespie who used ½ pound of cooked ground beef, 2 tbls of cheese, ½ tsp of garlic powder, and beef broth instead of milk. As you all know well, I can't have meat, so Mama put extra cheese in and replaced the broth with milk. Also I heard that dogs can't really have too much garlic, so Mama reduced the amount of garlic powder. You can use veggie broth, but watch out for the store bought ones because they tend to contain onions, and dogs are deathly allergic to onions. You can always make your own veggie broth too! Leaving the cooled cookies in the cooling oven will help extra moisture evaporate from the cookies and it makes them drier so that you don't have to keep them in an air-tight container. And drier cookies make for extra crunch that will help clean teeth too! But I still recommend storing the cookies in an air-tight container, it preserves the taste!

Cookies For Moi

2008-01-19T20:25:00.001-05:00

I told you in my last blog post that Milkbone cookies
have meat in them. And meat = stones for me.
So this time around, I got some special treatment.
Mama made vegetarian cookies for me!

Are they done yet?
They smell so delectable...

Oooh fresh baked! I love this smell!
You can't see, but there's another tray of cookies
under the top one. I love quantity when it's quality!

There are two kinds of cookies:
The heart-shaped ones are whole wheat, carrot and parmesan,
and the circle ones are oatmeal and peanut butter.
I asked Mama to make little cookies to give to
Remington across the hall. Who says I can't be nice?

This cookie doesn't know it yet,
but I'm going to devour it after I
help it escape from Mama's fingers.

I'm Still Here!

2008-01-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

My apologies for not blogging more often,
truthfully speaking, I am lazy.

So I went to have an ultrasound done last week
just to see where my bladder's at these days
with the stones and all. And you know what?
They're still there.

And it turns out that I may
be deficient in L-carnitine because of my
mainly vegetarian diet. Did you know that
Milkbone cookies contain meat? Meat is a no-no in my diet.
Meat has purines = stones in my bladder.

It sure isn't easy trying to get my paws on L-carnitine,
with it being a controlled substance in Canada.
Did you know you can buy off the shelf in the States?
Can't do that here! So if you're going to the States,
you know what you can bring back for me right?
No, seriously, hook me up!

Here are 5 other things that you probably don't know about me:

1. I like to put my head on your lap if you're sitting at a desk working, you'll think I'm cuter

2. I love shredding paper to bits!

3. If you let me, I would love to share your pillow, but I do steal the blankets

4. I'm very good at giving high-fives, only if there is food involved

5. I like humping girls, it's not so much a sexy thing, more of a dominance thing

Ake-ome! Koto-yoro!

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Years everyone!
In Japanese tradition, it is good luck
to eat noodles at midnight, hence our midnight snack.
What's ramen without some hardboiled eggs?

To ring in the new year, Mama shared with me
some of her hardboiled egg. I know it's
not a traditionally good luck food, but maybe
we can make it a tradition from this year on?

All the best to my friends for 2008,
may you have a happy, healthy, and
prosperous year!
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu,
kotoshimo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Happy Boxing Day

2007-12-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

Thank you Gramma and Uncle Al for coming to see me.
I miss them already. It was so much fun for us,
we would sit and eat and talk for hours!
And since Gramma and Uncle Al stayed with us,
Mama and Papa and I slept in our sleeping bags on the floor.
It was like camping all over again!!!
I'm so worn out from all of the fun that
I've slept straight through the past 2 days.
I can't wait to see them again, I love visitors!

Happy Christmas!

2007-12-25T01:17:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays to you and to yours!
I wish you the very best for the new year
and I hope that Santa brings you
what you wanted the most this year!!

Auntie Angela and Uncle Andy gave me this
new toy for Christmas. It's kind of a skinny
red squeaky dog thing with a green hat on.
It looks like the Christmas version of my
Halloween one with the pitchfork.
Thank you for the present, I love it!

Yay!

2007-12-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time,
I've been busy hiding under my blanket.
Gramma and Uncle Al are coming to visit me!
Well they probably aren't coming just to see me,
but I'm excited to see them.
Mama's been baking cookies these day,
nothing that I can eat, but maybe you'll be getting
a cookie gift from us for Christmas?
You should hope so, Mama's cookies are yum!
I'm asking Santa for a new bladder for Christmas,
what do you want in your stocking this year?

So Unseasonably Chilly

2007-12-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Boy it's cold outside.
Good thing I get to cuddle on the sofa
under my blanky with my bear.

It's that time of year again,
Christmas time = presents time!
Look, Mama and Papa set up
the Christmas tree. It's so pretty with the lights
and the few decorations we have.
I wonder what I should ask Santa for this year.

I've been a good girl all year long!

Gramma and Uncle Al are coming in two weeks
to visit. I haven't seen Gramma since I was
a baby and Uncle Al for 4 years! I miss them.
I promise to not bite Gramma's toes or take a
big smelly poo near Uncle Al. Maybe they'll
let me cuddle with them this time!
Oh and I forgot to wish Uncle Andy a happy birthday
last Friday. So happy belated birthday!

November Blues

2007-11-25T01:11:00.000-05:00

All of a sudden it's November.
And to make it worse, it's almost the end!

I must have slept through most of the month.
It got so cold so quickly too.
I don't like the cold...
Can you see my face?

There are those noisy girls in the hallway again.
Oh and I barfed on Papa's leg,
he wasn't so happy with me.
Mama thought it was hilarious though.

On a different note, Uncle Andy and Auntie Angela's
dog, Kunou, has been a bit sick lately. He was
throwing up and had some diarrhea and he got
really skinny and wouldn't eat. After an X-ray
and an ultrasound, turns out that his tummy has
a bit of a thicker lining leading into his small
intestine. That thicker lining blocks his intestines
from absorbing the nutrients from his food. So
he's going to be getting some canned food (yum!)
from now on and no more cookies!!
I'm happy he's ok, thank you for taking such
good care of Kunou Uncle Andy and Auntie Angela!!

I Need My Beauty Sleep

2007-11-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Auntie Trish celebrated her achievement
of becoming a Master of Chemistry! Congrats!!
Mama and Papa went to celebrate with her
by singing some karaoke (Papa's very good!).
But they came home kind of late
and woke me up while I was sleeping.
I need my beauty rest you know.

And then the fire alarm went off at 5am!
What the heck is going on? Can't a bulldog just get
some well deserved sleep? Sheesh.
I think Mama and Papa are hungover this morning,
that's karma for waking me up!

Mama and Papa also saw Uncle Mel last night.
I miss Uncle Mel, we need to set up a play date soon.
I saw Uncle Brian a few nights ago, and I miss him already too.
Don't get me wrong, hanging out with my parents
is fun, but you can only take so much before you
start getting bored. I need to see my friends more often!

Stupid People Live in My Building

2007-10-28T14:08:00.001-04:00

I went to bed at around 1:30am after watching the Red Sox
clobber the Rockies. Did you see Daisuke hit that ball in the third
inning that allowed the Red Sox to score 2 runs?
Daisuke san, anata wa sugoi desu!

I woke up at 4am to the sound of girls
in the hallway outside the apartment.
They wanted to be let into the apartment across the hall.
They were talking SO loud!
They were banging on the door so loudly,
and tried to rip the handle off the door!
Geez, you'd figure that if someone didn't answer the door,
even after all that ruckus, that maybe NO ONE IS HOME!
Or that they don't want you in their home.

Anyway Mama got so mad that she almost told them off,
but Papa held her back, saying that it was just
stupid drunk girls and they won't come back.
After 10 minutes of trying to break into the apartment,
the stupid drunk girls finally left. Too bad none of us
were able to get back to sleep.
Must be remnants of full moon madness.

Full Moon Madness

2007-10-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

There is something strange in the air these past few days.
I think it has something to do with the full moon,
and maybe that Halloween is around the corner.
I've run into weird people in my building who scream
at me when I walk out of the elevator - ok maybe
I might have charged out, but I really had to pee; and
then the weirdo guy on my floor that said I wasn't a regular dog.
And then there was today, Mama and Papa went to the vets
to pick up my potassium citrate pills, only to be
frustrated because the incompetent girls working at the desk
couldn't find the pills and said that they may have
been given to someone else. Why would they do that?
I thought I liked going to the vets, now I am thinking twice.

Go Daisuke!

2007-10-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

I'm watching game 7 of the Boston Red Sox
and Cleveland Indians series.
It's been a very exciting series,
have you been tuning in?

I'm cheering for my favourite pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Daisuke is Mama's favourite pitcher too.
Papa has a t-shirt of Daisuke's, but he won't
let me wear it. Papa is afraid that I'll
stretch it out. Papa is also calling each and
every one of the pitches, and you know what,
he's been getting them right too!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2007-10-08T10:02:00.001-04:00

There's a new T&T Grocery store near downtown Toronto.
Mama and Papa found this watermelon there.
I know it looks huge in comparison to me.

But the watermelon is actually quite little.

I tried carrying it away, but it ended up being too big after all.

I'm sending well wishes to all of my
Canadian friends at home and away,
I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving
with your family and friends!

Hiking in Algonquin

2007-09-30T15:17:00.001-04:00

We were supposed to go camping again with Uncle Brian,
but Mama and Papa had too much work to do
and couldn't afford the whole weekend for fun.
So we went hiking in Algonquin Park on Saturday instead.

The fall colours are making an appearance already.
Can you even see me? I'm camoflauged!
There were SO many tourists, they were really loud
and quite obnoxious really. Mama and Papa were
feeling a little bit clusterphobic from the hordes of people.

The first hike we did was a really short 0.8km loop,
it was called Hardwood Lookout and it was really
scenic. So braving the crowds paid off for this reward.

All the nature smells were great!
We eventually went back to the Highlands Trail
that we hiked on the first time we came to
Algonquin Park to go camping.
It was a lot less busy, but not as pretty in terms of foliage.

I met this dog, she was going portaging with her family.

She was really friendly! And very brave,
she crossed the broken bridge all by herself!

The bridge is used to cross this small river.
It was all broken and in the middle of being fixed.
We managed to get to the middle of it
before Papa made the bridge crack loudly
with his foot in the wrong place.

I was so scared, and I didn't feel safe at all.
I couldn't wait to get back to solid ground!

We also ended up going a bit further than last time.
We saw this nice little pond. Maybe a
dinosaur lives inside it.

I was just minding my own business, sniffing the flowers
when I got stung by a bee. I must have made it angry,
because all of a sudden this bee was in my face.
I tried to run away, but it kept poking me.
Papa grabbed me and then Mama pulled out the stinger
from my right cheek. Good thing I wasn't allergic to bee stings!

We took a small break on the way back to the car.
I was so tired. I was hungry, thirsty, and
not really in the mood to play after that stupid
bee stung me. Mama and Papa were so
proud of me that I kept up hiking with them for
almost 3 hours! I'm proud of me too.

My First Camping Trip Day 3

2007-09-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness TIFF is over for another year.
Now I can post more frequently since Mama and Papa
aren't hunting for C-list celebrities and I can get on the
computer to show you my pictures.
Mama got me this lifejacket just for camping.
But we didn't get a chance to try it out.
But I look good right?

On the last day I was a little bit anxious to leave
because I needed to go home and have a bath.
I was really smelly!
But the van wouldn't start because the battery was dead!

Eventually the guys got the van to start,
and we headed towards this hiking trail.
Look at me jumping off the ground
to try and catch the stick that Papa was going to throw!
I'm so athletic!

Somehow the hiking trail was uphill both ways.
I had a lot of fun camping with some of my
favourite people. Thank you!
I can't wait for next time!
Oh by the way, Happy Belated Birthday Uncle Brian.

My First Camping Trip Day 2

2007-09-09T14:02:00.001-04:00

I know it's been a while from my camping Day 1 post,
Mama and Papa have been busy TIFFing
so I never get a chance to get on the computer.
But anyway here are my Day 2 pics from camping.

We brought so much stuff camping, but we
forgot to put some of it away at bed time. It was a good thing
that no one (especially the bears!) took any of our food.

Bear and I had a great time camping!
Sleeping in a tent was fun!

I was taking a nap in my tent when I heard a noise outside.
Turned out to be a chipmunk that
was stealing kibble from my dish.

I even helped out with the cooking.
Ok maybe I didn't really help out,
but I was willing to be quality control.
Unfortunately Uncle Brian saw through
my greediness and said no.

My First Camping Trip Day 1

2007-09-04T19:55:00.000-04:00

I went camping for the first time over
the long September weekend.
I was there with 7 of my favourite people: Mama, Papa,
Uncle Brian, Thomas Ojichan, Auntie Ada,
Auntie Trish, and Uncle Dan.
I stole this corn on the cob from the grocery bag,
and no one suspected it was missing!
Until I threw it up - twice.

Uncle Brian and I bonded over deep
conversations about the meaning life.

Sitting by the fire was nice,
especially since it was so chilly!
I even got my own chair.

It got so dark outside that Mama had
to put a bicycle light on me so that I don't get lost.

How To Freak Out Your Parents

2007-08-31T15:21:00.000-04:00

I really gave Mama and Papa a scare yesterday when I peed out some blood. Mama spotted it first in the morning, she said it looked a bit weird and crimson coloured. When she told Papa, he didn't believe her. So I had to pee for him again at lunch time. This time my pee was definitely red and I even made some blood clots too! You should have seen Papa's face!!! He was freaked out!

Turns out, I was passing stones. I'm ok now. Not so much bloody pee anymore.

Oh I'm going camping this weekend with my favourite people! And I even got a life jacket just for this trip. I'm so excited to test it out! I'll let you know how that goes when I get back! Have a great long weekend (last one of summer)!

My Prince Charming?

2007-08-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

Mama just got back from a conference in Boston.
I missed her very much! But I got to spend the
whole week with Papa, yay! Mama got me a present
from the conference: a green frog!

His name is Julabo.
I think he's my Prince Charming in disguise.

Oh no I pushed him off the top of the Brita!

I was disappointed that no matter how
long I kissed Julabo for, he wouldn't
turn into a prince.

Did You Miss Me?

2007-08-25T17:34:00.000-04:00

This summer vacation was good for me,
I think I really needed the time off.
On my vacation Papa took me to Sunnybrook Park,
we had so much fun!

Did I tell you that on my vacation I had
to have a procedure called hydropulsion?
Because of my sandy bladder, the doctor
had to remove the stones by flushing them out
using saline and then pushing on my tummy
to force out the stones. Don't worry it didn't hurt,
because I slept through the whole thing.

I'm also on a supplement called Allopurinol now.
It's normally used in people to treat gout.
We're hoping that this new medicine will
help with the prevention of more urate stones forming.

Papa where are you going?

Hey come back!

I had a pretty good vacation, other than
the bladder flushing. Lots of rest and relaxation.

I hope you didn't miss me too much!
But I did miss you, I'm glad to be back now!

Summer Time = Vacation Time

2007-07-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

I'm going on a bit of a summer break for the next couple of weeks,
so in my absence I hope you have a great two weeks too!
Look how excited I am about summer vacation!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish my
favourite Auntie Angela and Uncle Andy
a happy upcoming wedding day on July 21.
You two are the best Auntie and Uncle a bulldog can ever have!
I love you both!

Are You Involved?

2007-07-07T11:28:00.000-04:00

Live Earth concerts are being held all over the world today. It's supposed to bring awareness to people about the condition of our climate crisis. Are you aware of what is going on with our climate? It's warming up rapidly and we have a big part in helping the warming situation by not respecting our planet. Did you know electricity is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions? So everytime to turn on the tv or make a cup of java, you're contributing to global warming! But you can do your part to neutralize and offset your carbon footprint.

Did you know that changing one old school incandescent light bulb to a fluorescent one can save you money because they last 10 times longer, and use only a fraction of the energy? And remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room.

If just 1 million people shut down their office computers overnight, we could eliminate up to 45,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Car pool and subway is the way to go. Hey walking is even better! I walk everywhere myself.

Recycling cans, plastics, paper! Use less water, install a shower saver they're cheap and stylish.

You can do your part too. If we all try to change a little bit, the impact we'll have on the planet will be big. Are you involved?

Presents!

2007-07-05T08:05:00.001-04:00

I knew Mama was hiding my birthday presents in the closet.

I just had to find them myself!

What I found was a big box of my fave cookies, Milkbones!
And a huge cow's leg bone too!

Ooh look how tasty that looks!

Which end do I start at?

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2007-07-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm 5 years young today! Yay!
Bear and I are excited for me!

I'm sad that Papa can't be here with me
on my special day, I miss you Papa!
Gambatte!

I have Mama all to myself today.
I wonder what kinds of presents I'll be getting?
Another birthday leg bone perhaps?

O Canada!

2007-07-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Canada!

You are now 140 years old!
Wow that's old.
What are you doing to celebrate?
I'm going to sleep and dream about being a Canadian!

On another note, I have bladder stones again.
They were found by ultrasound again,
here's a pic of me all shaved so they could find the stones.
No one knows how they got into my bladder,
maybe they moved from my kidneys? Maybe I made some more.
But the vet says that they should be
small enough that I can pass them.
I hope so! I don't want another surgery!

Yesterday I spent the WHOLE day with Mama!
She took me to the lab and I sat with her
while she was typing. I thought it was fun.
We even took a break outside and
played by the water fountain.
Mama let me run free!
But when we came home, she tried to give me a bath.
Usually Papa bathes me, so Mama didn't know what she was doing.
I didn't like that part as much.

Happy Pride!

2007-06-24T10:05:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy end to Pride Week! It all finishes up today with the Pride Parade down Yonge St. I don't think Mama and Papa will be taking me, there will be too many people and I might get trampled on...

The funny thing is, Papa and Mama have to pick up a 40lb bag of my food from the vets, which is located right on Church St., that's right, Pride Party Central! It should be an interesting experience for them, trying to navigate a heavy bag through party goers!

Happy Papa's Day!

2007-06-17T16:08:00.000-04:00

Papa you are ichiban! Thank you so much for taking care of me. You are always so patient with me, especially when I make mistakes, like pee on the carpet, barf on the carpet, or poo on the carpet.

I love spending time with you, even if I only sit under your desk when you work. I hope you are having a good Father's Day!

Have you wished your Papa a Happy Father's Day?

Woofstock Moment 3

2007-06-14T23:13:00.001-04:00

I know I usually post about being snappy

at the Bulldog Meetups, and in case you

didn't know, I really can be quite snappy.

Mama and Papa get quite embarrassed.

But here's photographic evidence that I can be nice too.

Look at all the friends I made.

Of course I did get grumpy later on, but that was much later.

And fortunately for me, there's no evidence of that.

Woofstock Moment 2

2007-06-14T08:58:00.000-04:00

I met so many bullies at Woofstock!
Here are just two of the many that I met: Princess and Oscar.

I've met Princess before, we were at
Eaton Centre getting our pics with Santa.
And look, she did get a Buddy Belt for Christmas!

And this is Oscar. He's actually from Hong Kong!
He flew on a plane here to Toronto
because there wasn't enough room in HK
for him to run around and play.
He's so brave to have flown on a plane for 12 hours
by himself, I hope I can do that too someday!
And you'll be proud of me when I tell you

that I played nice with them.

Woofstock Moment

2007-06-12T22:53:00.000-04:00

Remember how it was hot on Saturday?

Yah I thought so too,

so I took a quick dip in the fountain next to the Dominions

in St. Lawrence Market.

The water was really nice and cool!

Woofstock 2007

2007-06-12T08:16:00.000-04:00

Papa took me to the annual Woofstock Festival this past Saturday.

I had so so much fun!

But I'm having some technical difficulties,

so I'll post more pics later.

Just to update you on my bladder infection:

I think it's gone now because I've been on

antibiotics for almost 3 weeks.

The vet said that my pee is too acidic, it's at pH 5,

and that's a recipe for more stones!

So now I'm also taking potassium citrate

supplements to increase the pH.
And my pee gets a pH check in the morning and before bedtime.

It's weird, the pH fluctuates from ~ 5 in the mornings

to ~8 at the end of the day.

I hope these supplements work, I don't want more stones!

Look What I Made

2007-05-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

Uncle Andy and Auntie Angela have come to
visit me from Calgary!
I'm so excited to finally meet them!
They play with me all the time and they even take care of me.
Like when I barfed on the floor.

I'm on antibiotics again, there is another infection in my bladder.
The pills made my tummy ill, so I threw up.
I'm still peeing uncontrollably, so I'm stuck
sleeping in the kitchen until this infection clears up.
I hope it's soon, it's so lonely in the kitchen!
(Pictures by Auntie Angela)

May's Bulldog Meetup

2007-05-19T18:29:00.000-04:00

We spent another beautiful afternoon at Riverdale Park!
Unfortunately there weren't too many bulldogs there.
They must have all gone somewhere else for the long weekend.

This is Oscar, he's only 1 years old.
He's new to the meetups.
He tried humping my head.

These guys were playing with each other a lot.
No one wanted to play with me,
because every time they'd come near me,
I'd snap at them. I'm a bad ass.

Do you see the big dog in the middle
doing the head butt with Oscar?
That's Lucy, she's just a baby boxer.
She was really playful with everyone,
except me, because I would snap at her.
I'm a bad ass.

I think I'm just better with people friends,
not so much with dog friends.
But Mama and Papa will continue to try to make
me have dog friends. So I will continue to be an ass
whenever I go to these meetups.
I wonder who will give in first?
I'm pretty stubborn you know.

More From High Park

2007-05-19T12:02:00.000-04:00

Here are some more pictures from my walk in
High Park last Saturday.
This is a shaggy beast. He smelled bad.

This time around I was not on the inside of the cage.

It felt good to be free!

I even met some nice kids who were not scared of me!

We walked for so long and so far that I was really thirsty.
Look at my weird tongue. Can you do that?

I was getting a drink when all of a sudden I heard this loud
noise in the bushes. I saw something big and black go flying by!

The big black thing was this black lab.
He was so athletic, he was chasing a ball in the bushes!!

I also met this bully, her name is Finola.
She's 1 years old, and was more interested in
playing ball with her owners than hanging out with me.
Today is the Bulldog Meetup.
We'll be off to Riverdale park soon,
I'll let you know how that goes later!

Happy Mama's Day!

2007-05-13T12:14:00.000-04:00

Have you wished your Mama a Happy Mother's Day yet?
Yesterday Papa took us to see cherry blossom trees in bloom.

We went to High Park and spent the whole day there!

I love nature, it smells so good.

Lucky for me, the weather was actually quite cool.
I think we walked for about 2 hours straight without taking breaks!

Check out this big tree with the hole in it.
I wonder if anything lives in there?

The ultimate mecca of sticks!

I needed to figure out how to haul this home.

This is Grenadier Pond.
There are fish and other water birds that live in it.
That duck was giving me the evil eye.
If I could swim I would've given him the chase of his life.

Look what I saw, a dead fish with no eyes.
It was surprisingly quite big.

You probably wouldn't be able to eat it,

unless you wanted to get worms in your belly.

It was such a great day that I had to high five Papa

for his wonderful idea of going to look at cherry blossom trees.
We ended up seeing so much more than I expected!

And don't forget to high five your Mom today for all
her hard work and unconditional love she gives you.
I love you Mama!

April Bulldog Meetup

2007-04-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

There was a Bulldog meetup last week
that we were supposed to go to.
But Mama and Papa had tickets to the
Raptors first playoff game instead.
So we went to the one this weekend.
It's been a long time since I've hung out with other dogs.

Someone had a balloon and foolishly let it go
when they saw me coming for it.
The balloon floated away and I started running for it.
I could hear Mama and Papa calling for me,
but their voices got quieter the further I ran.

I jumped for the ball and it popped in my mouth!

This is Daisy. She's chubby!

This is Lola. She is shy.

This is Georgie. She is a scrapper like me.
She kept following me around, like she wanted to start something.
If Papa had let go of my leash, I might have let her have a try.

This is Rodeo. He is a 4 month old baby.

I was really tired and kind of grumpy
after running for that balloon.
I saw Rodeo go for a drink in the
blue dish that I wanted to chew on.
I got a bit overprotective, charged at him, and bit him on his face.
I got into big trouble and Mama and Papa
scolded me in front of everyone.
Mama was so embarrassed and quickly went
over to see if the puppy was okay.
I think I may have hurt his eye, but his Mama said it was fine.
I feel bad now. I'm sorry Rodeo. I hope we can still be friends.

Bring out the Salami and Cheese

2007-04-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

Raptors take game 2, 89-83, against the Nets. Nuff said.

My Favourite Sport Is

2007-04-22T16:17:00.000-04:00

Basketball!
You can ask anybody who's walked me before.
Every time we walk past a basketball court
and there are people playing ball, I go nuts!
Good thing it's NBA playoffs time!
Mama and Papa were at the first Raptors playoff game.
Unfortunately the Raps didn't bring their A-game and lost
to the Nets 95-91.

I watched last week's Raptors game versus the 76ers.
Boy that was a close game. Too bad the Raps lost that one too.
Bargnani is awesome, look at that hot profile!
He's got that 'Rookie of the Year' profile!

You know why I love bball?
That ball moves so fast across the court,
I can't even follow it with my eyes!

I hope the Raptors make it to the second round.
They have to make VC regret he ever left us!

Happy Earth Day

2007-04-22T16:06:00.000-04:00

Finally some nice weather!
I've been waiting too long for the sun to come out and stay out.
I just love it!

I found this stick in the park.
I love sticks.
I love to chew them up and spit them out.
I love to carry them around while I walk too.

I don't love swallowing chunks of sticks,
because the next morning,
they come back up.
That's not a fun time for me.
Or for Papa and Mama who have to clean that up!

Happy Monday!

2007-04-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

Ah Monday. What does this Monday bring? Well did you know that last Friday was the 13th? Ooh scary I know! But I made it through ok and it's really a Happy Monday.

Yesterday was my Uncle Allen's 22nd birthday. So happy belated birthday!

More happy news, Uncle Andy and his fiance Angela have sent out their wedding invitations and are getting hitched in the summertime! I'm excited for them, Congratulations!! I hope to get to meet them one day.

Other than that, have you been outside lately? I thought we were going to have an early spring? Stupid groundhog.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter everyone! OK for those of yous that don't observe, Happy Sunday! I love Easter because I love bunnies. I've never actually met a bunny before, but I bet they'd be tasty - I mean fun!

Mama is making roast chicken for dinner tonight. She's squeamish about making roast bunny I think. And there's less meat in a bunny than in a chicken, so definitely not a plus there. I wonder what bunny actually tastes like?

What will you be doing this Easter?

Good Friday Walking

2007-04-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

I wasn't sure if today was Saturday or just a special day,
because Mama and Papa left for school early this morning,
but then they came home before the sun set.
That's so unusual.

Turns out today is a holiday, Good Friday, to be exact.
And this is Easter Weekend.
I'm not sure how chocolate bunnies fit in with Jesus,
but I can't eat them anyways so it doesn't really matter.

This is me and Papa going through the revolving doors
at the Manulife Centre. I don't like them,
I always feel like I'm trapped.

It's still pretty cold outside, even though it's April now.
I saw snow on the ground!
Here I am racing home to watch the film adaptation of the
book Papillion by Henri Charriere.

I heard from Papa that Takeo Ojichan attended
his Master of Science graduation ceremony.
Takeo Ojichan omedetou gozaimasu!!
Anata wa sugoku atamaga iidesu!!

April Showers

2007-04-01T13:21:00.000-04:00

Happy April Fool's Day! Too bad it's raining.
It's been a while and I don't really have an excuse
for the lack of updates, except that I'm lazy!!
Well, that's a given, I am a Bulldog.
Last night Papa and Mama brought me upstairs to visit
Thomas Ojichan and Auntie Ada.
They made sushi but I wasn't allowed to have any.
Thomas Ojichan's apartment is so much bigger than ours
(and much cleaner too!) and I had lots of space to play.
I loved visiting them, I was so tired when we came home
that I slept through the entire night.
A tired dog is a happy dog.

Happy St. Patrick's Weekend

2007-03-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

I had the luck of the Irish this weekend
and got to spend it with Uncle Brian's family.
Mama, Papa, Uncles Brian and Mel
went snowboarding with their friends,
and I got to spend time with Mr. and Mrs. M. and Uncle Adrian.
I even got to sleep over too! I always have so much fun with them.
They're my home away from home!

It Smells Like Spring Time

2007-03-11T18:19:00.000-04:00

Daylight savings time came 3 weeks earlier this year.
Did you remember to change your clocks last night?
I am so tired after losing that extra hour of beauty sleep.
I like that it's bright and sunny outside this weekend.
Papa got some melon from the market,
and Mama is teasing me with it from behind the glass door.

She thinks this is hilarious.
I think it's so cruel.
But she did end up giving me a bite to eat.
I can't wait until summer time when all kinds of fruit are in season!

Kick Starting Spring Cleaning

2007-02-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

So the washing machine in our apartment broke
down about 3 weeks ago and we finally got a new
replacement for it yesterday.
You should have seen the mountain of dirty
clothes hiding in the corner of the room!
They were really nice to sleep on!

We ended up doing 8 loads of laundry!!
I asked Mama to give my toys a bath too.
Don't they look like they need a little refreshment?

I always feel so guilty putting my toys into the wash.
They look scared to me...

I'm also afraid they're going to drown in all that water.
But the new washing machine is a front-loader,
that means it uses 2/3 less water than the
normal top loader ones.
Less water means less detergent, means less waste,
means less money spent!!! Yay!

I wonder if they get dizzy during the spin cycle.
I know I do just watching them.

Don't you think my toys like brighter after a bath?

And out of the dryer they come,
right back to me!
Ahh...I love clean toys!

New Year's Dinner

2007-02-19T23:32:00.000-05:00

Mama made steamed fish for Lunar New Year dinner.
It looked so tasty, and Papa agreed,
but Mama thought it tasted too fishy.

I forgot to show you the feast that Papa made for me
for Valentines Day: a cream cheesy tomato soup;
filet mignon cooked just right - rare!
it had a great cranberry-sauce; a sweet potato
and carrot veg (arranged in heart shapes!);
and ice cold gingerale to wash it all down with!

And Papa got me flowers too! My favourite kind - tiger lilies!
Just kidding, this was all for Mama,
I never get spoiled like she does!

Happy Lunar New Year!

2007-02-18T11:47:00.000-05:00

I want to wish a Happy Lunar New Year to all of my friends
who celebrate and to all of my friends who don't,
but still celebrate by association with friends who do!
Oh you know what I mean!

It's the year of the pig, and Mama made these
shortbread piggies for the festivities.
I read my horoscope, I'm a horse (like Papa) and it's
supposed to be an unpredictable year.
Mama's a snake, and her horoscope says it's going to be
a bad year because snakes and pigs don't get along.
Who believes in this junk anyway?
Let's eat and be merry instead!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again, Valentine's Day.

I don't usually celebrate. Neither does Mama.
But Papa loves this day.
It's a Japanese thing he says.

The part I like best about Valentine's Day:

the kisses!

Will you be my Valentine?
I promise to share my kisses with you too!

Happy Febuary

2007-02-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

It's Feb 4 today and it's freezing cold. The temperature is -14C with a windchill of -26C, that's just ridiculous! Two days ago, a couple of groundhogs predicted an early spring because they didn't see their shadows. Sure doesn't feel like spring is anywhere near us!

Mama loves it when I lay like this, she says it reminds her of a turkey. It doesn't hurt when my back legs are splayed out like this, but I don't do it very often.

Like always, I love cuddling on my warm couch when it's blistering cold outside.
If you watch this video, please turn the speakers up!

Brr....-18C

2007-01-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

It's definitely winter time. Mama and Papa don't take me out for walks when it's colder than -10C outside. Well it's more like I don't want to go out for a walk. I'd rather stay inside and sleep on the couch. I can't wait to come inside after a very quick pee break.

Inside my warm building is where it's at! What do you do when it's so cold outside?

Happy Birthday Mama!

2007-01-24T08:09:00.000-05:00

Hahaha! Happy Birthday Mama! You are ichiban!
I hope you enjoy this exploding taiyaki that Papa and I made for you,
if you don't want to eat it, I will eat it for you!

Mmm...I'm Loving It

2007-01-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

We got these McDonald's coupons in the mail the other day.
I love the taste of coupons.
I think I'd love the taste of Big Macs more,
but since I'm on a restricted diet, I'll settle for coupons.

I got my stitches removed on Monday.
The technician told Mama and Papa that they had to
put a cone around my neck, because I bite.
No one knows that I bite, and now everyone knows.
Anyway, Monday was also my one year anniversary
since I started blogging. Thanks for reading!

Oops...Busted!!

2007-01-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

I was so busted this afternoon when Mama came home from the lab.
I thought I was going to be alone for a little while,
when Mama left early for the lab, and then Papa left too.

I settled into my favourite spot for an afternoon snooze,
on Papa's pillow. And then I heard the keys in the door...

Mama walked into the bedroom and I was caught!
Boy did I get the sternest lecture!
Guess they're onto me now, I'm sure they'll be closing the
bedroom door when they leave from now on.

My Post-Surgery Presents

2007-01-09T00:21:00.000-05:00

Look what Mama got for me!
A pink and white striped rugby shirt!!
My favourtie colour is pink, and I think I look dapper!

On the back of the shirt is the number 5.
I don't think I am a 5,
I think I'm more like number 1!

Mama also got me this nice red rubber bone too.
It's good for chewing and cleaning my teeth.

My puppy and bear are a bit jealous
that they didn't receive any presents.
But they didn't have to endure bladder surgery like I did,
so I definitely deserve these presents
more than they do!

Recovery Time

2007-01-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

I'm home now from my bladder surgery.
I had 4 considerable sized stones removed
and they were sent to a lab for analysis.
I also had a bunch of teeny-tiny stones that were
flushed out using saline and a catheter.
My puppy stayed with me the whole time I was in the hospital.
We're great pals!

I have to wear this soft cone around my neck until the incision heals.
It's supposed to stop me from licking or biting the incision.
I think it makes me look stupid.

It's also hard to drink water from my bowl with this thing on too.

I would show you pictures of my incision, but it's a bit sore right now.
And it looks kind of nasty...and that might put you off.
Instead, here's a picture of where the doctors
put the needle in for my IV.
It's a bit pink, but it doesn't hurt much anymore.
I'm hoping for a speedy recovery!

Surgery Time

2007-01-02T23:31:00.000-05:00

My bladder surgery is tomorrow morning.
I'm not all that worried about it, but Mama sure is.
Papa thinks I'm a tough cookie and I won't be fazed at all.
I think he's right!

Here's a picture of my belly pre-operation.
The doctors did such a great job sewing me up from the last surgery I had (to get fixed!) that you can't even see the scar!
I'm sure they'll do the same this time around.
I'll let you know how it all goes tomorrow!

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-01T01:48:00.000-05:00

I spent my Christmas holiday with Uncle Brian and his family and I had a great time!
They spoil me like no one else does!
I was also happy to see Mama and Papa again when they came home from their vacation in Calgary.

This is Kunou, he is a 9 year old Tibetan Spaniel.
He used to live with Mama before she moved out to Toronto.
I hear he's a feisty little fella.

He's usually pretty laid back, but he sometimes likes to play fetch.
I'd love to meet him one day. I wonder if we'd get along?

I celebrated New Year's Eve in style:
counting down to 2007 on the couch in my party hat.

Here are my New Year's resolutions:
1. To be healthier (no more stones)
2. To be a better pup (try not to initiate so many fights)
3. To make sure Mama and Papa are happy!
What are your resolutions?

Season's Greetings!!

2006-12-23T20:11:00.000-05:00

First things first, Happy Holidays!! My most sincere apologies to all my loyal fans who tune into my blog all the time, I haven't been updating for a little while because of the crazy things that happened in December. Let me give you the 411 on what I've been up to this last month:

I've been to see the veterinarians a lot. My eyes are much better now, we just need to make sure they stay that way. My bladder is a different story though. Although the pH of my pee is now 7 (that's a good value), and there are no more urate crystals in it, there is however, blood. Dr. Surette said that blood in my pee means there are probably more crystals in my bladder and the only way we'll find out is to do an ultrasound.

When I had the ultrasound, they had to shave my tummy and put this cold gooey gel on my tummy and they looked around with a probey thing. On the ultrasound image, the ultrasound technician saw three crystals in my bladder and some more in my kidneys. The crystals in my bladder are irritating the lining, and that's what's causing the blood in my pee. So the only option now is to do surgery to remove the bladder crystals. I'm scheduled to go in the first week of January. I'm a bit scared, but maybe not as scared as Mama.
She's always freaking out.

We moved from our little one bedroom apartment to another little one bedroom apartment down the street! I was nervous that Papa was going to pack me away in a little box all by myself. All of my favourite people came to help Mama and Papa move: Uncle Brian, Thomas Ojichan, Auntie Trish, and Uncle Edmond!! It was so much fun to play with them all day long! I didn't realize how many toys I had until I saw the box that contained them! And guess what, there's another Bulldog in the new building too! Her name is Greta and she's only a baby, 16 months old!!

I took a break from unpacking to unstuff my bear's head.

My bear's brains are all fluffy and not good to eat.

I'm going to visit with Uncle Brian and his family over the Christmas holidays. I'm really looking forward to it, because I haven't seen his family since the summer time and I really miss them! I'll do my best to be a good girl so Santa will bring me lots of goodies.
You be good too!