Stoutpup

My sister Dawn and her Bulldog Cookie are winners of The Bay Area Pet-Look-Alike contest!

No doubt we can all see the striking resemblance. Read the full article here scroll down.

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Here is a picture of Lucy and Winston cuddled up in bed by the fire. They got along famously this holiday but as is tradition, the annual dog ass kicking did occur on Christmas morning when the dogs opened their stockings. You think everything’s going peachy and then someone has to get all territorial about their Wubba. As is also tradition the 1 second ass kicking was followed by the 5 second banshee hell-screech courtesy of yours truly. All is right in the world.

It’s snowed a lot this season in Western Washington which made our holiday extra Christmassy. We are lucky to have not had to travel very far to be with family in this uncharacteristic weather. Stoutpup hopes everyone had as nice a time as we did. Now we’re back in Seattle and Frank the fish is doing swimmingly. Deisel had no idea he was even here until about 45 minutes ago when she crept into the office and snatched his fake plant out of his bowl.

Of course that was probably terrifying for Frank, but he’s okay and it will not happen again. Don’t worry Frank, only 9 more days. Things will be great, I’ll play my new erasure cd for you that I got for Christmas.

xoxo Happy Holidays,
Stoutpup

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This weekend we went to Lynwood for a visit. One of my goals was to get Winnie and Lucy back in the saddle again and on the road to being friendly to one another. As I have mentioned before, Lucy has had some adjusting to do since we lost Mazzy, and is a bit confused on how to behave around other dogs now that her position in the pack has changed. After an initial cranky bout upon arrival, Lucy shed her baditutde and she and Winston were acting once again like fast friends. As you can see by the pictures above, they have found it more to their advantage to become allies in the pursuit of fallen treats and unattended platters of cookies.

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Here’s a picture of Ol’ Sandy Jowls and the boys at Discovery Park enjoying the salty air. Lucy really wanted to run into the Sound and chase driftwood, but, you know, she’s a bulldog and everyone knows Bulldogs can’t swim.

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Winston Lights up my day, that is. He’s my secret BFF! Because I have been wearing only bear pelts for the last six years I had to get some more real world clothes, so it was a good excuse for some mother daughter shopping time. Out to Lynnwood I went.

Here’s a nice little picture of Winston playing with his toys and showing me all the things he can do. What a smart guy!

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Actually we are back from Phoenix. We had a great time and  wish I was still drinking Bud Light in the hot tub with my sister. But back to reality. Traveling always makes me sick and this trip has been no exception. Because of my recent assimilation into civilization after 6 years of being at home amongst primarily the company of two dogs and a cat, my immune system seems like it’s in shock. Indeed I am feeling like the Unfrozen Caveman Art Director. 

Your world frightens and confuses me…

Needless to say aside from the sickness and disease of the civilized man’s world, I am adjusting quite nicely. No one would ever know I was a caveman for so long. Just goes to show what a haircut and a nice pair of pants will do for a girl. In any case, Lucy seems to have taken a turn towards her wild animal instinct. She is officially banned from Doggie Daycare after allegedly “grabbing onto” a staffer and failing to let go when we were away. I find this really hard to believe plus I’m really embarrassed.  Ever since we lost Mazzy she has been acting like a real bitch. I feel bad.

Here’s a picture of cookie baking in the warm arizona sun.  Chocolate Chip! 

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Cheyenne Frontier Days, The Daddy of ‘em all! You really have to sing that to its proper tune - I can’t seem to find a sound-bite online although that radio jingle has been in my mind for weeks. Anyway, we weren’t in Cheyenne for that event, but we were there for a family event and here we are loading up to go to Grandpa’s house. Cooks was riding in style in Brandon and Juliana’s convertible - However it may have been a little too hot and dry for such a dainty creature as a bulldog. It was so hot and dry that we all got bleedin’ noses at one time or another during our stay but only some of us had to resort to foliage to stop the hemorrhaging.

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A lot of things happened here at Stoutpup last week. A few days before we embarked on our trip to Wyoming and before the loss of our beloved Mazzy, I was also laid off from my job. I wish I could say it was for something exciting like getting dooced but I don’t write about work because that’s not the kind of blog this is. Work doesn’t deserve a spot on the fun pages of Stoutpup.

Anyway, today is my second day of unemployment - my first day was spent having lunch and drinking pinot gris at my mother’s house and then meeting my father for dinner in the evening. I felt lucky that I got to see both my parents on the same day - that hasn’t happened since my brother’s wedding four years ago. At dinner dad told Corey and I that he felt lucky about his recent bicycle accident in which he was struck by a vehicle and sent to the hospital unconscious. How could that be lucky? most people would ask.

Dad said he felt lucky because the truck that hit him, struck his rear tire and not his body side - on. He felt lucky the truck came two seconds later than it could have sparing him serious injury or death. I hate thinking too much about this, but I will say that my dad’s words resonated with me because all week long I had been thinking how lucky I was, despite the job and dear old Mazzygirl.

Being back home in Cheyenne during the most difficult time I’ve had in 10 years made things bearable. I was so lucky to be surrounded by my immediate and extended family all in one place for 4 days. I was so lucky to be immersed in such love and kindness, forgiveness and comfort at a time when I could have been under the covers crying my eyes out for days, cursing life. I was lucky to dance and laugh the night away with my sister at my cousin’s wedding instead of drinking myself silly in my apartment from sadness. More than once through this trip I thought to myself, we are so damn lucky we sold that house in Tacoma in the worst housing market because now we’re not stuck in a town that has no job opportunities for art and media. We are so lucky to live in the best city in the Pacific Northwest. And I haven’t stopped thinking about how lucky I am to have grown up with my cousins three blocks away where I have lasting memories and strong bonds, even after 16 years of not returning home. And how lucky I am to have grown up with grandparents and aunts and uncles around me. That doesn’t happen for kids as often as it used to.

This week, though an end to an era in some respects, has also spawned new beginnings. A new marriage for my cousin and family, rekindled family bonds, and a new life for me. I vow to not let life pass me by anymore, and to focus on the things that matter, family, friends, love, and enjoying my time here on earth.

So today I took myself to the Seattle Art Museum - something I never seem to have time to do. I chronicled it in these photos. I saw the Impressionism exhibit I’d been dying to see. Job schmob — I’ll do that next week. It brought me back to my art school days and it was another good familiar feeling, but being carefree out on the town I was also filled a very inspirational exciting feeling. The type of feeling you get as a fifth grader when you know that you might run into you know who at lunchtime or in the hall. Just maybe something exciting is waiting around the corner…

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Our beloved rock ‘n’ roller, Mazzy, passed away on Friday July 11, 2008 while we were in Wyoming. She was the best dog in the world, and oh did we love her. We will all miss her so much. These eyes won’t be forgotten.

Tribute to a Best Friend

Sunlight streams through the window pane
unto a spot on the floor…
then I remember,
it’s where you used to lie,
but now you are no more.

Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,
and muted echoes sound…
then I remember,
It’s where your paws would joyously abound.

A voice is heard along the road,
and up beyond the hill,
then I remember it can’t be yours…
your golden voice is still.

But I’ll take that vacant spot of floor
and empty muted hall
and lay them with the absent voice
and unused dish along the wall.

I’ll wrap these treasured memorials
in a blanket of my love
and keep them for my best friend
until we meet above.

— Author Unknown

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This weekend Lucy and I went to Mom’s house in Lynnwood for another family weekend. Dawn was in town and it was really fun and we ate tacos and lots of cupcakes and played in the field with the Bulldogs, Lucy and Winston. The two dogs are pals now after their third or fourth time together and it’s fun to watch them trotting along the field side by side. They always want what the other has, and here’s a picture of Winston hiding in the bathroom corner after taking Lucy’s ring toy. Three’s company so we were definitely missing Miss Cookieblanca from the Bulldog Trifecta this weekend!

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