Busy Keeping Busy

You are probably wondering what has become of me. Or maybe you figured, correctly, that I have been busy with the relatives. The last of them are leaving tomorrow so hopefully I will have a bit more time to chat after that. We took the pups outside twice yesterday. It finally stopped raining. We are going to take them out today too. In just a few minutes. Sadie is really good with the pups too. I think I told you her buzz cut is growing out and now she has what looks like a puppy cut. Here she is with one of the new pups.

And here are a few pics of two of my new pups. More soon. I promise.

We Are Family

Well. It's almost Thanksgiving Day and the relatives have already started arriving. And yesterday one of my girls from my first litter, Sadie, arrived. She looks great. Her hair has grown out from the buzz cut that she got last summer. The new pups seem to like her a lot and she is hanging out in bed right now with Roxie and Angus. I haven't had to make any Whiskey Sours yet. So far the relatives seem content to raid the wine cellar.

On Sunday, the pups' six-week birthday, I took some pics. I thought you might like to see them.

New Horizons

Yesterday was the pups' six-week birthday so we celebrated. Everyone had a swig of wormer (it was time for their second dose) and we ventured outside for the very first time. The pups hesitated at first, but soon were enjoying the garden party.

Are you there Dara? It's me Suddie.

I was beginning to wonder and then I received this email the other day.

Dara wrote:

Hi Suddie,

I just looked at the blog and all the slide shows and videos. You are up to your asses in DOGS. The puppies are adorable. It's impossible to pick a favorite, but I do love the one with the completely black face. The way they walk makes me laugh out loud. Seeing Roxie and Angus greet them was very sweet. Angus' top knot is very chic. You did a great job, Suddie. They are certainly full of vim and vigor. Watching them cavort made me need a nap. I hope you are feeling well and getting your figure back, Suddie.

Take care,
Dara

Girl! Getting my figure back? Well! I think I am skinnier than before I got preggers. All of this milk production takes a lot out of a girl and burns a lot of calories. I'm pretty much done with feeding the pups now. They're getting teeth and their nails are sharp! Ouch! But the day before yesterday I was getting really swollen up with milk. I thought I was going to burst. So my dad made me get in there and nurse the pups just to release some of the pressure. I feel much better now. I think I am starting to get some of my usual energy back too. Although I am milking it a bit just to eek out a little extra pampering. My parents keep promising to send me to a spa when this is all over and done with. I'm pushing for Canyon Ranch or Miraval. Oprah really like Miraval and Grammy Jill went there. She got to walk around on stones in a really warm pool. I could use a really good massage.

I did find this place called the Lap of Luxury that provides warm water therapy in a hydrotherapy pool built just for dogs. I guess pet owners bring their dogs to Lap of Luxury for a variety of reasons, Some dogs have physical ailments, others are just learning how to swim and some are training for upcoming competitions. They also work with senior dogs that aren't able to take long walks or exercise normally. I'm holding out for Miraval. If it's good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me. My dad used to see Oprah working out early in the morning at the East Bank Club back when he lived in Chicago. One day Oprah said somehting witty to him about sweating and lycra. He can't really remember the particulars. Now dad wasn't wearing any lycra. Oprah was. Dad also used to see Steadman in the locker room, but never in the gym for some reason. Dad says that Steadman used to walk around the locker room in his white boxer shorts and and the longest black nylon socks he had ever seen. I think, maybe, they were knee highs. I never hear anything about Steadman anymore. Now it's just Gayle, Gayle Gayle. Speaking of love, there is a whole series about training dogs with love on Oprah's website.

I'm following Oprah's advice and giving the pups lots of love. Yesterday we moved them downstairs to an expanded ex-pen that has a crate attached. Dad covered the crate with a towel and the pups love to go in there when they are sleepy. It's their little den. I think the pups like being downstairs surrounded by all the activity. If it's warm enough we might even take them oustide today.

Sweet n' Sour

Sometimes at the end of the day it's really nice to kick back and relax. For this purpose, my dad has taught me how to fix him a superb Whiskey Sour. Don't tell him I'm sharing, but here's the recipe:

1 small lemon wedge
Turbinado sugar, for rimming glass
1/4cup bourbon, preferably Maker's Mark
1/4cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1teaspoon granulated sugar, preferably organic
1cup ice cubes
1slice Orange

1. Rub the lemon wedge around the rim of a 12-ounce rocks glass. Place turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Dip the rim of the glass in the sugar to coat; set aside. 2. In a large cocktail shaker, combine bourbon, orange juice, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and ice. Cover, and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and cold. Pour into prepared glass, and garnish with orange slice.

I get to make a lot of these over the holidays as dad finds it's best to keep the relatives a bit loose.

The pups are doing well and their puppy teeth are starting to come in. Dad got them some special chew toys that are designed just for teething puppies. One you stick in the freezer so it really soothes my pups' tender gums.

Before you bring a new pup into your home you might want to watch this "Welcoming Your Puppy Home" clip from Eukanuba. I think it offers some good tips. I know I want to ensure the transition is as easy as possible for my little ones.

Pups on Parade

The pups are growing up. Check out my 4 1/2 week old babes.

Turning Point

Have you ever seen the movie The Turning Point with Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft? You know it's the one about two former promising ballerinas that chose different paths in life. One gets married and gives up her career in dance and the other dedicates her life to the dance and becomes a star. I haven't watched it for a long time, but as I recall the two main characters meet up again later in life and both regret the road not taken. Lots of drama, name calling, and bitch slapping ensue. Well I kinda felt a bit like the Shirley MacLaine character (she's the one that gave up her career for a man) when I had to forgo my chance to star in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 this fall because I was with pups. Are you listening Toby?

You see I came across this casting notice:

Rich King Casting is looking for purebred, talented pups for “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.” They’re seeking dogs with the looks and the talent to make it in Hollywood. “Here is your chance to show off (to the world) your best friend. The scene is the Beverly Hills dog show and your purebred could be part of the movie. No talent too big or too small! If interested, please email your name, contact info, a video of your dog and its talent, a picture of you and your dog, breed, and any miscellaneous information to dogshowfilm@gmail.com. Casting will start the week of September 21, 2009, so send in your submission as soon as possible.” More information can be found on their website.

Well, of course, I'm purebred and I have tons of star potential. I would have been a shoo-in. Life and all it's regrets. Well, perhaps they'll make Babe 3. I can play a pig no problem. I AM an actress.

Do you know the origin of that term "shoo-in?" I actually thought it was shoe-in, but it's not. It's shoo-in. Well, as I understand it, it has it's origins in horse racing, where a shoo-in was the winner of a rigged race. It comes from the verb shoo, meaning to drive a person or an animal in a given direction by making noises or gestures, which in turn comes from the noise people often make when they do it. Do you think I could play a horse? National Velvet 3? Or better yet a remake of Black Beauty. I was born for that role.

Did I ever tell you about the time I ran into Shirley MacLaine in Palm Springs? You see my parents and I were having breakfast on the terrace at The Parker Hotel. That's the hotel that was formerly known as The Givenchy, owned by one of my favorite talk show hosts Merv Griffen. It's much cooler now that it's The Parker. It was redesigned by Jonathan Adler, you know the guy that started out making really cool pottery and now has a whole line of stuff for your very hip home. The Parker is very dog friendly. The hotel was even featured in a reality show of the same name. On one of the episodes, hotel management was thinking about banning dogs from the property which made Mr. Adler extremely upset as he is a devoted pet owner and pooch enthusiast. I have no idea how that all turned out. I have a very busy life. But let's get back to Ms. MacLaine. Shirley, as I now call her, was also taking her breakfast on the terrace at The Parker. She was probably actually staying there. We had much finer digs. We were staying in the guest house on Donna Reed's former estate in the Las Palmas neighborhood. Fabu! Well, anyway, as we were leaving, my parents approached Ms. MacLaine and said hello. She was very nice and launched into some whack story about Snoop Dog. But you know what, she didn't even notice me and she is supposed to be this BIG DOG FREAK. I think she even wrote a book about it. I think the title is Out on a Leash. She even has this whole page on herbs for dogs on her website. And another page just filled with pet stories where she claims, "We all love those dear fur people we call pets." Puke!

Maybe she'll come back in her next incarnation as a dog. You know she believes in all that. See how she likes staring at everyone's ankles all the time. No, better yet, a pig. Now, she, she could definitely play a pig. I like this picture of her. This is exactly how she looked that morning at The Parker when I didn't meet her. In fact, I think she was wearing this very same wig. And that's how I came to be on first name basis with Shirley. Are you impressed Toby?