Winston Wants Chicken!!!

I think I am finally getting the art of begging down- I mean, why eat dog food when you can eat human food, right? Plus the only way dad gets to make and eat meat is if he shares it with me! I have discovered that being ultra cute is not the way to go. When I started my begging career, I would try to be real sweet- I would put my head up on dad's lap, and look at him, I would go under the table and try to jump on his lap, I would nibble at his pants legs to show that I was hungry. Oddly enough, that just got me yelled at, and I was so badorable. (Badorable- adj. my dad works for a dictionary so he can make words up I guess- this is a verbal conjunction of bad and adorable, badorable).

Finally I started to just stand there and throw tantrums. My parents thought this was funny. I would whine and bark and then stamp my feet. It is really hard to stamp your feet when you are a dog, it takes a little bit of coordination. I had to stamp my left front foot, right back foot, left back foot to get that stomp stomp stomp sound without falling over.

If I sit on the hard, cold, wood floor, I usually get a treat- but my butt is all slidey, and I don't want to sit there.

Anyway, after they eat, I usually get food, but seriously, I deserve to be fed don't I? I mean, they are suppossed to take care of me, why don't they give me there food? I only get bits, not a whole meal like them! (A few days ago, mom found out that I was barely eating half of what I was supossed to be eating, so they have been focused on getting me to eat mounds of my dog food... but I don't like it)

Well, off to beg some more, it is almost breakfast time, and that means... TOAST!

Woof!

My Fantasy Football

My new friend Marrissa and I go after the Football like a shot!

The Fourth of July was yesterday, and my colonist parents of course put up a serious rukus- but not as much of a rukus as I managed to put up! It was a good day all in all, especially because they took me to the Merton Sports Grounds with them for an American Style BBQ and Fireworks, but most importantly- American style football!

I was let off the lead to roam around, and in order to impress my parents, I didn't go to crazy on the many people that were there, I just ran around wagging my tail at some, and jumping on those that said hi to me, gave them a lick and moved on. I stayed pretty close by, although, this one time I followed this bearded guy around the back of the building and mom had to chase me down... Needless to say, the guys started a game of pick up football, and that is when I really learned to love Cornwallis' folly.

I would run around between the players following the ball. As soon as one of them dropped it, I was off like a rocket with it! Five grown men hot on my heels- and I love the attention. I managed to get my tooth stuck in one of the laces by accident, and those guys aren't exactly gentle (my dad had to come in and defend me at one point, I may look like a big dog, but I am just a puppy!) but I'm ok, because it was so awesome. I made the brand new football look like a worn and ratted old thing! So much fun! I even got some meat from the BBQ.

Later on I was chauffered home so that I could sleep off the excitement, it was too much for a puppy to handle! I heard that my parents stayed and set off fireworks, and woke all of St. Catherine's College by singing a cat howl version of the national anthem. What do you do? I was so pooped, I haven't had that much excitement in a long time!

Woof!

Sunday Afternoon Walks and Roasts

Sorry about being sick and having my parents post for me the past couple of days. I don't know what was wrong with me, it seems like just puppy stuff, but I am feeling much finer now, and ready to rock! Especially after last night* when I got to sleep with my dad the entire night and well into the morning. Now I am feeling a little antsy, but alright. I got a new rawhide cigar and I am going after that! But it has been all excitement for me, and then bigtime downtime.

Yesterday, after all the puking, I got to go on a Sunday walk with my parents. Unfortunately, the plan was to go to The Perch, a pub in Binsey, across from Port Meadow to get Sunday Roast (The Perch allows dogs, as well as several other pubs in our area, which is really nice for me, even if I get really excited! I have already eaten there once!) We took off, and I got to wear my long extendo leash, but when that busted, I got put on my harness, which is also ok, because it makes me behave like a perfect gentleman!

When we went out the weather could have been better. As seen from the inside (and perhaps these pictures) it looked beautiful outside, blue skies, puffy clouds etc. However, we weren't more than two blocks from the house when it started spitting rain. Dad decided that we should go to the top of the meadow to view the weather, and when we got there (it was raining quite a bit harder, and horizontally) mom and dad decided that the rain would end fairly shortly afterwards. They were right, the rain did stop, but the wind continued- hard! I guess it is spring time gusts or something like that!

Needless to say we made it to the Perch without to much incident, I got to meet a couple of dogs, and hang out, and it was a fun walk- but when we got there we discovered we needed a reservation to get in! (I mean, a reservation to a pub?!) So we couldn't stop and eat, which made me very sad. However, one of the waiters gave me a dog bone shaped treat, so I got to eat, even if my parents didn't! So we headed back for home.

Along the way, we met another dog off his lead, whose owner wasn't very nice. Mom and Dad and I just stopped there to let the other dog meet me, and we were jumping around, but I was on my lead so I had to be well behaved. The other dog just kept running around. The owner started to yell at him, but he ran away from her. In the process, I went to play, but accidentally bumped into the other lady's legs, and she jumped back frightened and accused my dad of having a dad that attacks! (He wasn't too thrilled about that). Finally she caught her puppy and she hit him for being bad! Ha! If my parents hit me when I finally came to them, I certainly wouldn't come back the next time. It was sad, and I could tell my parents were annoyed by the lady. I felt bad, but what are you going to do?

Then we met some geese. That was funny because they cleared the path for us like they weren't afraid of us or me even! We just walked through, and then they came back onto the path again, like nothing had happened. A Dog should always get the right of way to a bird!

We went home, and I got food and water, then my parents went to another pub that was in town to get their Sunday Roast, which was good, we were all happy. The long walk made me really sleepy anyway, so I was glad for the downtime. It was a beautiful Sunday and a good day for a long Port Meadow walk. Who care if I jumped on Dad's jeans and got them all muddy, or the Perch didn't have a Roast available for us? You can't sweat the small stuff, I was just happy that we got a nice walk and it didn't start hailing until we got home...

Woof!

* I did manage to scare the jeebies out of dad. While Dad was watching TV I went to my kennel to start cleaning myself, and because I was tired. I guess I wandered off and got into the laundry room somehow. It was dark, and scary and I couldn't find my way out. Plus I wasn't feeling well, so I just sat there on my but with my legs splayed out, shaking. Dad came to check on me, he could hear my collar jingling from the shaking, but he thought I was cleaning, when he found me, he was very upset and picked me up and put me in a blanket and cuddled me for the rest of the night. Mom and Dad gave me water and food to help me recover, then I got to sleep with Dad! That was the best part, it is more fun to sleep on the couch or in bed than in my den!

Picture 1- Mom and I in the Meadow
Picture 2- Windy day blowing my ears around!
Picture 3- I see Geese!
Picture 4- Dad and I cross over a red steel bridge over the Thames, or in Oxford, the Isis

Doggy Valentine's Day

I didn't know what Valentine's Day was until today, and let me tell you it stinks!

First, I had to get up early because Dad and Mom left so many dishes in the sink- so Dad did the dishes for about an hour and a half. Where was I? Stuck in my kennel. Usually I get to continue sleeping on the couch while he drinks coffee and reads in the morning... but no, not on Valentine's Day!

Then, he made breakfast- it smelled delicious! Eggs, grilled tomatoes, croissants, strawberries, mango, cheese (mom said it reminded her of a Grandpa Bengfort breakfast), but did I get anything to eat? Well, actually yes, I got some strawberry that fell on the floor. But there was no Toast?! How can you be in the kitchen and not give toast?

Then mom came downstairs, and she was all excited to see the table, not to see me like she normally is! And while they had breakfast, I just sat there trying to jump onto the table, you know, just to investigate and make sure everything was safe, but I kept getting told to get down!
No doggy chocolate, no doggy flowers, no doggy teddy bear. What a crappy Valentine's day.

Oh, Dad just reminded me that I got a ball from Grandmatagi and Grandpa Tim, but that was days ago...

I guess we'll leave Valentine's for the women. (Dad didn't get anything either)

Woof!