Car Rides

I always get anxious when Mom looks like she’s getting ready to go out—am I coming too? Where are we going? And for how long??

Sometimes it means a shift of guard duty for me, but sometimes it means I get to ride around in the car with Mom! It’s so much fun to watch the scenery pass by from an air conditioned car. Occasionally, I’ll roll down the window and get a whiff of whatever smells we pass by. I can see why other dogs love sticking their heads out of the window so much!

I usually like to sit in the passenger seat, or in the space below the passenger seat so I can lie in the shade. Half the fun of driving somewhere is hopping out of the car and trying to figure out where we are: Stanford? The bay lands? (gasp) Jack’s house??

Other times I like to sit right in on the driver’s lap with Mama. Luckily I’m small enough that I don’t get in the way when she’s steering. It’s fun to sit in the captain’s chair, I can’t wait until my next car ride!

Nighttime Reading

Believe it or not, I really enjoy reading in bed! Right now I’m reading Hamilton by Ron Chernow, which inspired the spectacular Broadway musical created by Lin Manuel Miranda, which I have never seen. I sure wish I could have seen it; everyone says it was a blockbuster... I’m happy enough to settle for the soundtrack, though.

My bed is a queen size, plenty big enough for me. When I’m feeling particularly generous — usually each night around 11 p.m. — I let Mom share it with me. You’d think we’d have enough room to stay on our separate sides, but my favorite place to sleep is snuggled up right next to her. I’m pretty sure she likes me right by her side, too. In the mornings, it’s always a tussle to see who will be the first up to make the bed. (I’ll let you in on a secret — most of the time, I let her win.)

If you have any book recommendations, please send them my way. The only thing better than snuggling up with a good book is snuggling up with my Mom!

Stanford Revisited

I’m ready for my close up!

Really, could anything be more picturesque than a walk through the beautiful Stanford campus? Here I am posing in front of Hoover Tower (no political leanings implied) and Memorial Fountain on a gorgeous spring day.

Did I tell you it’s just a short walk from my house to the campus?

You know that phrase, “lucky dog”? I’m pretty sure they invented it for me!

But it Tastes So Good...

Mom has a lot of rules around the house to make sure things stay safe and clean: don’t pee in the house, don’t eat people food, only jump on people’s laps when you’re invited, and most importantly don’t eat the outside plants.

I try my best, but… I just can’t help it! I love the taste so much, but when I eat plants, I get sick and usually end up making a mess… But have you ever tried eating plants? Flowers? Grass? They’re delicious!

Sometimes Mom or Louie will catch me trying to sneak a quick bite on a walk, and I’ll hear the crescendo of caution from a low growl: “Scoooout…” Sometimes they even pull the plants right out of my mouth (how rude!).

My best chance to sneak a bite is when I’m home alone without supervision; I’ll trot into the back yard and start nibbling on the grass. I still have to be careful though; one wrong move and I won’t hear my family come home, and they’ll catch me in the act of snacking!

I know it’s bad for me… but it tastes so good!

Squirrels!

I admit it. I can’t help myself. It’s like an instinct. I see one scurrying across the back fence and — boom! Like a rocket I’m on the attack!

Trouble is, I never seem to be able to catch one. I’ve even tried my best to climb trees to reach ‘em, but no dice. Five years now I’ve been at it (probably longer, if you count my pre-forever homes) and still I’m coming up empty.

When I’m out on a walk, I really, really try to keep myself in check. I know She’s not happy when I take off like that, but... geez... what’s a guy to do? Those bushy-tailed rats don’t belong in my realm. I see one and... bam! But so far, to no avail.

Still, I keep trying. Like I said, it’s an instinct. And just you wait, one of these days... I’m going to catch one!

Small Dog, Big Internet

It really looks like my “blog” has been taking off lately! I don’t really know what it means… but I’m glad the numbers are going up!

It’s really exciting to see, but sometimes I worry about being too fixated on social media. It’s fun, but it’s not real life—it’s not a substitute for real head-pats and belly rubs. I think it’s easy for people to get lost in the digital scramble. Less easy for dogs, but hey, I’m a trend setter.

I’ve seen people get too stuck on social media, so I’m making sure to limit my time online. If the internet ever gets you down, don’t forget you can always go outside and take a breather! The internet makes life seem really fast paced sometimes, but it’s okay to slow down. Internet drama has a way of taking over and making it seem like the end of the world, I’ve noticed.

Safe surfing, everyone!

When I'm Alone

When everyone goes out and I have the house to myself, I can do whatever I want! But… that’s not as much fun as it sounds. I like snuggling and socializing, so being alone can be kind of boring sometimes, especially because I don’t know how to tell time and I don’t know how long I’ll be alone for! Sometimes it feels like forever!!

Things are usually pretty quiet when the house is empty. There’s no one to play with, so I try to focus on work and not get to excited every time a car that looks like Mom’s drives by… I know she’ll come back! It’s moments like this that I remember I’m an extrovert, and I get my energy from playing with others.

Luckily I’m never home alone for too long, and Mom makes sure people check in on me if she can’t, so I’m usually only a short nap away from seeing her again!

Bath time!

Sometimes when I fall asleep outside, or walk on a rainy day, I get dirty before it’s time for my haircut. Haircuts are great, because I feel all sporty and clean, but every now and then mom has to clean me instead. I don’t really mind though, I love mom!

She picks me up and puts me in the kitchen sink, and runs warm water all over my fluffy fur. After a little soap, I’ll get another rinse, and then she dries me off. Sometimes people laugh, because I look so much smaller when my fur is wet. I think she used to bathe her baby boys in this sink too, so it really makes me feel like a part of the pack.

I hope everyone is staying clean!

Toy Collection: Fish

I have lots of great toys, but one of my favorites is my blue and white fish! I love to play tug of war and fetch with it, and when I chew on it, it makes a noise! When I bite down it says “Oy vey.” Actually, I think this is my second fish. Mom had to buy me a new one because I chewed on my first one so much, I ripped it and broke the noise maker. Oh well. That’s the sign of a well loved toy, right?

Mom also likes my fish a lot. I can’t read, but she thinks it’s funny that it says “gefilte” on it. We play together almost every day! Have a good weekend everyone!