Saturday, February 27, 2010

To all our friends in Chile

A todos nuestros amigos en Chile, nosotros somos tan arrepentidos.

Ode a la Esperanza

Crepusculo marino,
en medio
de mi vida,
las olas como uvas,
la soledad del cielo,
me llenas
y desbordas,
todo el mar,
todo el cielo,
movimiento
y espacio,
los batallones blancos
de la espuma,
la tierra anaranjada,
la cintura
incendiada
del sol en agonia,
tantos
dones y dones,
aves
que acuden a sus suenos,
y el mar, el mar,
aroma
suspendido,
coro de sal sonora,
mientras tanto,
nosotros,
los hombres,
junto al agua,
luchando
y esperando
junto al mar,
esperando.

Las olas dicen a la costa firme:
"Todo sera cumplido."

Pablo Neruda

JD's rant


So. I lost a bet and that means I have to let JD vent his kvetches.
The bet itself is not important, suffice it to say that you should never rely on the predictability of certain humans because... their unpredictability is the only predictable part of their behavior. [Momma, you really need to look up "routine"- who in their right mind would consider making chicken stock in the middle of the night, routine? ]

Anyway, here I am relinquishing my blog, for this post to "his-self" JD.

Hi everyone. I am sure by now you know who am. I am JD. [Juris Doctor- not Jack Daniels, momma quit lying about that- it is not funny].
I was here long before the girls got here. I was and am momma's favorite boy. Momma is my one. I am responsible for her and I never leave her sight. It is a job keeping her within my line of sight. She is up, down, all over the place and she is always doing something. While I dearly love my job, there are times that it becomes very difficult. My rant has to do with the opportunistic nature of the two girls and their brash, calculated and unfair take over. Let me elaborate.
Like I said I am momma's shadow. I spend 99.99% of my day within a blink of momma. I am tireless in that task. On the rare occasions that she sits down I should be the one and the only one to benefit from her idle hands. After all, I spent all day following her! And I do mean all day. Unlike some other dogs who frolic all day long and do as they please.
Anyway. The one activity that makes my job hard is momma' s manicure. She paints her nails. Have you smelled that stuff??? GAG. I mean it's horrid. So, on those occasions I keep a relatively safe distance.... say... 15-20 feet away. One, it stinks, two the stuff needs to dry and momma says so... Well, a new pattern has emerged which really frosts my collar. The girls, whose noses are apparently immune to nail polish stench, move into position, within feet of momma, as soon as they see the nail stuff come out. How they know when the stuff is dry escapes me. But what does not escape me is the fact that as soon as momma's nails are dry, the girls are conveniently there, literally on top of her, getting belly rubs. MY belly rubs. I ask you, how fair is that? I think seniority should count for something. I think my job duties should have commensurate perks. I think the girls need to back off and let me get my belly rubs first. What do you think? Thank you for listening , please do chime in.
JD"


hmmmm all I hear is blah blah blah...
'vie

Friday, February 26, 2010

Shhhhh

Know what is better than a nap? A snuggle nap with your best bud. It does not matter how big that bed is. The bestest spot is
right next to your best friend. I love my Wendy.

'vie
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HEALTH BEAT CPR for dogs

  1. Step 1 AIRWAY

    Check the dog's airway. To see if your dog is breathing, tap him on his body and call his name. If he does not respond, look to see if his chest is moving. If his chest isn't moving, listen to see if you can hear him breathing. If no breath can be seen or heard, put the back of your hand near the dog's nose to see if you can feel him breathing. Or use a mirror next to his mouth to detect breathing. Is something obstructing his throat? Follow the Heimlich card to remove the object.

  2. Step 2 BREATH

    Pull the tongue out just a little to clear his airway and close his mouth if your dog is not breathing. Tilt his head back to make sure the airway is open and begin mouth to snout breathing. Place your mouth over his nose and administer four to five breaths.

  3. Step 3 CIRCULATION

    Check for circulation. If your dog has circulation, she will have a pulse. Check for circulation by pressing on the femoral pulse. This is located on the inside of the rear leg towards the top.

  4. Step 1

    Be aware that if your dog is not breathing and does not have a pulse, it is time to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation. [CPR]

  5. Step 2 STAY FOCUSED AND CALM

    Place the dog on a flat, hard surface right side down. If the dog is on the ground, place his spine against your knees.

  6. Step 3

    Bend the dog's left front leg at the elbow. Where the elbow touches the body is equivalent to where you should place your hands to begin compressions. This is approximately between the fourth and sixth rib, one-third of the way up the chest from the sternum.

  7. Step 4

    Lock your hands in a classic CPR position which is one hand on top the other with fingers together. Lock your elbows.

  8. Step 5

    Begin performing compressions by pushing two to three inches deep.

  9. Step 6

    Give compressions then breaths.

  10. Step 7

    Check for a pulse after one minute and repeat if needed.

  11. CALL THE VET - THE NO IS______________________________

  12. BEFORE YOU FORGET: print this and tape it inside your hall closet door

    ALWAYS BE PREPARED
'VIE

HEALTH BEAT Heimlich Maneuver for dogs


  1. Verify that your dog is truly choking, and not having breathing difficulties. A choking dog will have bulging eyes paw at their face and try to cough.


  2. Grasp your dog's lower jaw with one hand and its upper jaw with the other, leaving your forefinger free to reach the obstruction. Open your dog's mouth and try to see the object and pull it out with your finger. Remember that dogs have small bones in their throats; don't try to grab something that you can't see.


  3. Lie your dog on its side with the hindquarters higher than his head. A blanket or rolled up towel can be placed under her rear to lower the head if you can't lie it on a slanted surface.


  4. Grasp your hands under the lowest ribs and press in three to five times in a thrusting motion. Be careful of the ribcage; you need to be below the ribs to expel any air that's in his lungs.


  5. Remove the object from the dog's mouth immediately after it is expelled from the Heimlich Maneuver procedure, so your pet doesn't inadvertently swallow it again.


  6. Contact your veterinarian as soon as the crisis is over, in case your dog has suffered internal injuries that are not immediately obvious.

  7. BEFORE YOU FORGET: print this and tape it inside your hall closet door and leave room for the dog CPR card. ALWAYS BE PREPARED
MAY YOU NEVER NEED IT
'VIE

Thursday, February 25, 2010

copyCATcopyCATcopyCAT

My human brother. Apparently he was jealous of my blogging abilities. So he had to one up me. Having his own work blog was not enough. Having his own personal blog was not enough.
Noooooo, Mr Smarty Pants is now a Huffington Post blogger.

Well, pardon moi, but the only reason I don't blog for them is that they did not ask me to.
Apparently they don't feel a need to hear from my "demographics'.

Seriously dude. We are proud of you- but this changes nothing. I am still your only "cupcake" and your head is mine to lick. Get it? (This is called keeping them grounded. :))

So go read his post, it is good. But then, I taught him everything he knows... ok some of what he knows... 'vie


Or you can read this reprint from the Huffington Post :
Adam Goldstein

Adam Goldstein

Posted: February 25, 2010 06:25 PM
Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index

UCSD Media Funding Freeze Offends the First Amendment

If someone acting on behalf of a public college cuts off funding to student media because he doesn't like what one particular outlet said, should it matter that what the outlet said was really, really offensive?

How you answer that question depends on whether you understand the First Amendment--and maybe on whether you attend the University of California at San Diego, where blatant racism on one particular TV program has resulted in a funding freeze to a number of student media organizations on campus.

The quote that we need to dissect here comes from Utsav Gupta, president of the school's Associated Students:

"Some students are drawing the incorrect conclusion that this is muzzling free speech," he said in an interview. "The right to free speech does not equate to a right to funding."


When Gupta is allocating funds collected by the state for state purposes, he's acting as an agent of the government. That means that the State of California, not Utsav Gupta, gets to decide when speech should or should not be funded.

Of course, the State of California's discretion is limited here, too, by its participation in the United States of America and the latter's Constitution.

Which brings us back to the First Amendment, as applied to the states by the Fourteenth. Does it offend the First Amendment for a government agent to cut off funding to student media because he doesn't like what they said? The Supreme Court thinks it does.

This has nothing to do with how offended the campus has been by these comments. The campus has the right to be offended. This is about one low-ranking government functionary who took his well-justified feelings of outrage and put them into motion in a way that offends the Constitution.

If Gupta believes the Constitution does not protect the right to outrage your government, I wonder--what exactly does he think the framers of our democracy were intending to accomplish? The right to say nice things to each other? The right to politely ask King George if he wouldn't mind not imprisoning quite so many people for seditious libel?

And what good has come of this freeze? It has created an echo chamber where student media wanting to refute the offensive viewpoints are limited in their ability to react. It has not made the words vanish or the sentiments softer. Now, when UCSD most needs to have its students talk to each other, the broadest methods for that discussion are hamstrung.

What do you think? But before you answer--would you feel the same way if, next year, a different Associated Students president decided that diversity was offensive and he was going to freeze student media funding until he could re-write the rules to suit the tastes of his social circle?

Follow Adam Goldstein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdGo

Great post on Paw Nation!

Great post on Paw Nation!

lost and FOUND


If the dirty paper is left on a side table, it is abandoned no? I should be free to take it and play with it. It is an extremely smelly paper and I think that it would be a ton of fun to shred.

So why is it that my 2leggeds got so bent out of shape when I reached for it?

2leggeds can be weird. Possessive about the strangest stuff. And MAKE UP YOUR MIND! If you leave it out in the open, you must not want it. If you want it, bury it. Have you learned nothing from watching us 4leggeds? Why do you think we bury our chewies under your pillow, in your couch , inside the shoe... get the idea? Out of sight? Safe? CLAIMED. Not in the open. Abandoned.

Just follow protocol. And for the record, I did nothing wrong, YOU DID. Keep your stupid smelly paper, I am pouting now.


'vie
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watching the weather report




SAY it isn't SnOw!!!!!







'vie

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

News from Marshmallow Fluff

"I am fine. I have a big bandage on my leg and have to be under crate arrest (ok, mama says it's crate rest, not ARrest) for 2 weeks. It will be 3 MONTHS before they know if I'm all better. The doctor says I tore my ACL and PCL in one knee and my patella (I don't even know what that is--it sounds like a kind of pasta) was loose. Thank you for your kind thoughts & words!" xoxoxox Marshmallow Fluff


We are sending lots of love and support to Marshmallow as she heals up. To her humom and dad, we suggest the following: read this .

All of your love
JD, Wendy and 'vie



On the edge of nowhere






My garden like the beach  
by Emily Dickinson

My Garden -- like the Beach --
Denotes there be -- a Sea --
That's Summer --
Such as These -- the Pearls
She fetches -- such as Me
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Bird watching


Amazing. This was NOT TV. This was real. Inches away from me, birdies were busy building a nest. [it looked like little laundry baskets to me... but momma said... nest]
Very very interesting. In my back yard they fly away I never get this close. :) But here I get t watch.







I guess once again, I am lucky to be a Bichon! My nest... is my house. and I don't have to do much except enjoy it!
Wendy thinks I am silly. Birds are just birds. But I find them interesting. So, I stayed and watched... and it is like peaking at Spring!

'vie

Family dog a hero after sticking by lost 3-year-old girl through freezing weather

Family dog a hero after sticking by lost 3-year-old girl through freezing weather
BY Samuel Goldsmith

Sunday, February 21st 2010, 4:00 AM

Three-year-old Victoria Bensch wandered away from her family home in Cordes Lakes, Ariz. on Thursday and got lost in the mountains surrounding the valley.
Three-year-old Victoria Bensch wandered away from her family home in Cordes Lakes, Ariz. on Thursday and got lost in the mountains surrounding the valley.

Cops in Arizona are crediting a family dog with saving the life of a lost little girl.

Three-year-old Victoria Bensch wandered away from her family home in Cordes Lakes, Ariz. on Thursday and got lost in the mountains surrounding the valley.

Search parties spent the night looking for the girl as temperatures dipped below 30 degrees.

She was finally spotted 15 hours after she vanished by a helicopter pilot on Friday.

Next to her was Blue, the family's Queensland heeler.

"The dog kept her alert, warm and gave her companionship throughout a very cold night," Dwight D'Evelyn, spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, told The Arizona Republic.

Pilot Matthew Uhl and medic Eric Tarr spotted the girl and her dog in a dry creek bed and landed nearby.

"She wasn't moving when we first came upon her," Uhl told the newspaper. "She was kind of just looking face-down on the ground."

The dog was protective of the child when they first approached, but when the girl smiled, the dog relaxed.

"I think once the dog realized we were there to help them out, he was very excited," Uhl said.

"He ran around while the medic tended to the little girl, and when it was time to go, he jumped right into the helicopter and was ready to go."

She was taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital and treated for frostbite, but doctors said she was healthy despite the ordeal.

"We have to give a lot of credit to Blue," the girl's aunt told the Republic.

"He pretty much stayed with her all night."

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

It's official. Congratulations George!

A while back, I did a story on George. [http://www.silvieon4.com/2009/12/woooooaaaa.html]
Well, today the BBC reports the following:

A Great Dane from the US state of Arizona has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the tallest dog ever on record.

Giant George, owned by David Nasser, stands 43in (1.09m) tall paw to shoulder, and weighs 245lb (111kg).

Guinness officials say there were conflicting reports about Giant George's height, so they sent a judge to his home in Tucson to verify it.

Giant George - who has his own website - consumes 110lb of food each month.

Four-year-old Giant George made it into the record books by beating his nearest rival, Titan, a Great Dane from California, by three-quarters of an inch.

He was named by Guinness World Records as both the world's Tallest Living Dog and Tallest Dog Ever.

Mr Nasser says George sleeps on his own queen-sized bed inside the house.

On a recent plane trip for a media appearance in Chicago, George was given a row of three seats to himself.

And his presence on the plane certainly caused a commotion, says Mr Nasser, with many passengers coming up to take photographs.

"There were so many people coming to the front of the plane, the pilot ended up illuminating the 'fasten seat-belt' sign to get everyone to sit down," he added.


You can see lots of pics and red more about George on his website.
George, I do have one question. So, what kind of treat do you win for being named biggest dog??

'vie

Prayers and wishes for a fast recovery to:

Marshmallow Fluff who tore the ACLs in both knees and is having surgery today.
Take it easy on your 2leggeds as they are having a real hard time with this. Our prayers and best wishes are with you.

Mr Placido Domingo. I read you are having embroidery done. I hope you have a good scratcher for your blue stitches. I know you were the "voice" of the Chihuahua in the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but do you have a 4legged of your own that can nurse you back to health? I have loads of experience with that, so if you need me... just whistle, or better... SING!

concerned
'vie

A walking tour of historic Norfolk VA

Watch your step... This smells really old!

brick sidewalk, cobblestones....Very uneven, very very strange.








Scary gate thingie...





This is really a haunted house... with a tour and everything!!! Booooooo



Tired yet? HA... where is your buggy??? Oh ok, if you can fit, you can join us!!!


Where is that Doumar? I need a snack!


'vie

The Paradox of Choice and being lucky to be Bichon

Barry Schwartz on The Paradox of Choice

You know how at times you look at your 2 legged with envy? Yea, it's true. JD envies thumbs because he wants to drive... Wendy envies 2leggeds because she thinks they fear nothing and they have all the power...

I, myself have had my moments when the green monster enveloped me. After all, opposing thumbs and complete freedom are quite appealing. I do have to tell you that momma claims freedom is fictional...and she points to gravity as her most basic argument. But, from where I sit, freedom is real and with freedom come infinite choices... and there is the rub... apparently.... watch:




Oh am I glad to be a Bichon Frise!!! That whole opposing thumb thing pales when you consider all these complications! And you know what? All I want to worry about is my next belly rub.

Qvelling in my Bichontitude
'vie

Monday, February 22, 2010

Ear massages- The how to!

HEALTH BEAT: Management of Bichons with Urinary Stones

Management of Bichons with Urinary Stones

It has long been recognized that some Bichons Frises have a predisposition to formation of urinary stones (uroliths). This condition is known as urolithiasis. There are several types of stones that can form in the bladder, with struvite (also called magnesium triple phosphate or "infection" stones) and calcium oxalate being the most common in Bichons. The most important preventative for stone formation is free access to fresh water. For a dog predisposed to stone formation, there are other considerations as well. This article is intended to provide the pet owner with a better understanding of the prevention and treatment of urinary stones. Good veterinary treatment is the most reliable resource for the ongoing care of your dog. You may wish to copy this article for your veterinarian.

The Bichon Frise Club of America, Inc. sought input from Carl A Osborne DVM, PhD in preparing this material. Dr. Osborne, Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, is considered a leading authority on canine uroliths. We are grateful to him and to his team at the Minnesota Urolith Center for their assistance in making this information available. For more information, you and your veterinarian will be aided by the book "The ROCKet Science of Canine Uroliths". You will find details in the article below.

And now, please carefully read the following article, prepared by Dr. Osborne and his staff. At the end of the article, there are several paragraphs about Bichon health that need to be considered as a part of the total picture in treating Bichons with bladder infections and stones.

*****************************

BLADDER STONES IN THE BICHON FRISE

The Bichon Frise appears to be at increased risk for some types of bladder stones (or uroliths). In medical terminology, this condition is called urolithiasis (uro = Greek meaning urine, lith = Greek meaning stone, iasis = a process or condition).

What are uroliths?

Several different minerals can form stones within the urinary tract of dogs, including magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite), calcium oxalate, ammonium urate, cystine, calcium phosphate and others. In uroliths, these minerals may occur singly or in combination.

Key Point: Knowledge of the mineral type(s) comprising the stones is recommended to determine the best treatment and preventative therapy.

Currently the two most common minerals found in uroliths formed by the Bichon are magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) and calcium oxalate. In the past decade, an increased occurrence of calcium oxalate urolithiasis has been recognized in several breeds of dogs and several breeds of cats. The causes associated with this increased occurrence of calcium oxalate uroliths are currently under investigation. To date, studies indicate that multiple genetic, environmental, dietary and drug related factors may be involved.

Of the uroliths submitted in 1998 to the Minnesota Urolith Center for analysis from the Bichon Frise breed, 51% were struvite, 37% were calcium oxalate and the remaining 22% were composed of other minerals. Calcium oxalate is more likely to form in males, struvite is more likely to form in females. In a recent survey of the Minnesota Urolith Center database, 10% of male Bichons formed struvite uroliths, 80% of male Bichons formed calcium oxalate uroliths. Conversely, 50% of female Bichons formed struvite uroliths, 36% of female Bichons formed calcium oxalate uroliths. These percentages refer to stones removed from Bichons and therefore they do not apply to all Bichons.

Key Point: Calcium oxalate uroliths are increasing in occurrence. Multiple factors are associated with this change in prevalence of mineral types in stones and studies are underway to identify risk factors.

Struvite uroliths

In dogs, struvite uroliths are primarily associated with a diagnosis of infections caused by urease producing bacteria. Although other factors may predispose a dog to struvite uroliths, bacterial infections with staphylococcus and other urease producing pathogens are clearly the most important. Once a diagnosis of struvite uroliths has been made, at least 3 therapeutic options are present.

    1. Medical and dietary dissolution of uroliths
    2. Non-surgical procedures for removal of uroliths
    3. Surgical removal of uroliths
  1. Medical and dietary dissolution consists of feeding a special diet, available from veterinarians, along with treatment with an appropriate antibiotic. Your veterinarian will perform a urine culture to determine which antibiotic will most likely be effective in treating the infection. These antibiotics should be administered until the stones are completely dissolved. The time required for medical dissolution is dependent on the number and size of the stones and compliance with dietary and antimicrobial treatment by the owner. Some have been dissolved within a few weeks, whereas others may require up to 2 months or more.
  2. Non-surgical procedures have been developed to remove stones small enough to pass through the urethra. Best results may be obtained from veterinarians who have experience with these techniques.
  3. Surgery consists of removal of uroliths from the urinary tract.

Once struvite uroliths are dissolved medically or removed surgically, prevention of the urinary tract infection will prevent recurrence. Prevention of urinary tract infections may require periodic urinalysis and urine culture. Periodic radiographs (i.e. x-rays) may also be indicated. Antibiotics and/or a diet designed to lower urine pH and restrict certain minerals may be recommended on the basis of these test results.

Key Point: If the infection can be eradicated, struvite uroliths will not form or recur even if secondary factors persist.

What about water sources?

In a case-controlled epidemiological study performed at the University of Minnesota,

the source of water ingested was not found to be a risk factor for formation of calcium oxalate

uroliths. However, the volume of water ingested usually plays a significant role.

By increasing water consumption, the urine concentration of urolith-inducing constituents

will be decreased or diluted.

We highly recommend feeding a canned diet and providing ready

access to fresh water at all times to increase water consumption and urine voiding.

Both of these goals decrease the risk factors for urolith formation.

What about pH testing?

Ask your veterinarian about testing urine pH at home. Struvite uroliths tend to occur in alkaline urine. Calcium uroliths are associated with acid urine.

What about collecting urine samples?

Urinalysis is an important part of preventative therapy. Because external factors such as temperature, delay in sample analysis, evaporation of the sample, contaminated collection container, contaminants from hair or skin, and other factors may affect the urine, urine samples should be collected (preferably by the veterinarian) and evaluated as soon as possible.

Samples may also be collected at the veterinary hospital by a procedure called "cystocentesis". A sterile needle is inserted into the bladder and a urine sample is withdrawn into a sterile syringe. This is the preferred method for collecting a urine sample for culture. Identification of crystalline material is best performed at the veterinary hospital.

Screening samples may be collected by the owner using a clean cup or container. These samples should be capped, labeled with the date and time collected, and taken promptly to your veterinarian for evaluation.

Key Point: For best results, fresh urine samples should be analyzed.

What about analysis of stones?

Any stones that are removed surgically or voided during urination should be evaluated by quantitative methods of analysis. Proper analysis of the uroliths is vital to successful treatment. Unfortunately most veterinary laboratories perform qualitative analysis which is a highly unreliable test.

Key Point: Have uroliths analyzed by quantitative analysis.

Veterinary laboratories qualified to perform quantitative analysis are:

Minnesota Urolith Center
Dr. Carl Osborne DVM, PhD, Director
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
1352 Boyd Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Lab Phone 612/625-4221

Urinary Stone Analysis Laboratory
Gerald V. Ling PhD, Director
College Of Veterinary Medicine
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA 95616
Lab Phone 530/752-3228

Where can my veterinarian get more information?

The Veterinary Clinics of North America – Small Animal Practice

"The ROCKet Science of Canine Urolithiasis"
Volume 29:1
January 1999
(Available from W. B. Saunders Publishing Company
Phone 800/654-2452)


Conversation with Charlie



We had lots of fun chatting with Charlie. We did find the 2leggeds who kept stopping and looking at us a little intrusive, but after all can you blame them? Four Bichons at once, having civilized conversation in a hotel lobby sitting on a couch is rather....novel to most 2leggeds.
[Auntie Robin, sad no? imagine what they would do if they saw one of our Bichon Bashes!!!! 60-70+ Bichons???? Hahahahahaha]

No, people. I will not tell you what we talked about. There are some things that should be kept between us Bichons. Momma, cut the paranoia, your name never even came up!

Charlie, thank you for making our visit special and for taking the time out of your busy schedule
to share a little of your life, we all loved meeting you and please, call us if you are ever in town so that we can visit.

'vie


Meeting Charlie!

Meeting Charlie! We all greeted and exchanged sniffs, licks and wags as hopefully we did not make Charlie feel overwhelmed. But everyone was excited!



Yes that is Charlie sitting next to me. Someone should explain to my humans about viewfinders and picture composition... and centering...but, can you tell how cute Charlie is? And Yes... my smile says it all!

'vie

Waiting to meet Charlie


We arranged our first meeting with Charlie in the Hotel Monaco Lobby.

Wendy was just not sure about what to expect. After all, how often do you meet a working Bichon with a business card?

I just fluffed out and posed. Cute is always appropriate!


JD who loves hotel lobbies anyway, was into the whole meet and greet scene and was having fun watching the human traffic.

'vie

Introducing Charlie



As you know, I have recently been a guest at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, VA. Aside from my obvious love for OLD TOWN, the best location in the nation for 4 leggeds [did you say doggy bakery, spa, shops, tours.... etc etc ???] I now have another reason to love, love Alexandria.

The Hotel Monaco. As far as I am concerned, this is the best staffed hotel I know of. Charlie Bunga Gillett, Director of guest relations is evidence of that. Genius. The Kimpton chain has met my needs.
I read this and I squinted. You know... I am a skeptic. BUT truly it is accurate!

"Located in the heart of historic Old Town Alexandria, Hotel Monaco sets the standard for pet-friendly hotels. Our renowned Doggie Happy Hour draws locals and visitors alike. And with the amenities and services expected of a pet-friendly Kimpton Hotel and the nearby Washington DC parks and trails just begging for attention, there is no reason to leave your favorite friend at home.We accept any number of pets without size or weight restrictions and for no extra charge."

Ok, enough about that, let's focus on Charlie. Swoon. This is one handsome, 3 year old Bichon with all the Bichonesse and Bichontitude you would expect from a young, brash, successful working 4legged.

So, I am smittened. Stop it JD. Mocking me is soooo immature!
Anyway, I have some posts about Charlie and our meeting. I hope you enjoy them. And to all Bichons outs there, THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION!

Oh, I forgot. I also like Charlie's momma. She is very nice!

'vie who wishes she was in Old Town today!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Update on CinnaBUN: FOUND!!!!

CinnaBUN IS HOME!!!!

"A few days ago, James received a phone call from a woman who saw the picture of their missing dog on a flyer. The woman brought the dog to James’ Long Beach shop shortly after. The missing dog the woman found was in fact, Cinnabun. Everyone began crying, according to TMZ reports."


Please note one thing: If your 4legged is missing FLYERS do work!!! BUT you must make them and distribute them as soon as possible to the widest audience you can. AND DO TAG your 4legged! SOOOO , always have a great recent picture and a great description of your best friend on hand.

Posing, cause I need a recent picture... hahahahhaaa
'vie

Hmmm- Music and Dogs

NOT cosplay! LOLITA Fashions!



This IS NOT Cosplay
This is LOLITA fashions.
Sigh, I think I want my own LOLITA outfit.
I am thinking... I am reading...
Interesting. I don't try and live like a princess, I am a princess! [I love all my crowns] I guess then, one could define many of my outfits as Lolita....

Meanwhile, thank you Rebekah and ladies for sharing. :)
So, momma, can you work within the guidelines and get me a Lolita outfit with a crown and NO platform shoes??? OHHH DEFINITELY I want a pink lace parasol, ok?

'vie


Saturday, February 20, 2010

knowing how to relax





Or we should title this: WE ARE TIRED! PLEASE, NO MORE WALKS, VISITS, SHOPPING, OR ANY OTHER ACTIVITY. Does "vacation" exclude rest??? 2leggeds!

SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPP

the Wendy
'vie
and JD