How Carrie Underwood and dog food made my day

This is not something I would normally do, but I’m going to use my little part of the bloggy world to promote a cause that means a lot to me. I recently saw an interview with Carrie Underwood on the CBS Early Show. I've always liked her music, but after seeing that interview, I think I love her. Carrie Underwood is partnering with Pedigree dog food to benefit homeless animals. For every person who becomes a fan of Pedigree on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Pedigree), the company will donate one bowl of food to feed shelter dogs. That is awesome, in my book.

Anyone who’s read this blog more than once or twice knows that I dote on my three dogs. They were all rescues, but only one of them actually came from a shelter. When we saw Abby’s listing on Petfinder and contacted the shelter, she had already been there for more than six weeks--the shelter director was frantically searching for a foster family to take her in, so she wouldn't have to be euthanized. Mr. Nerd and I have had the pleasure of Abby's company for nearly six years, and she is a great dog. We are so grateful that she had a place to stay for those six weeks. The director of the shelter is a wonderful person who tries her best to save as many animals as possible, under very difficult conditions. The shelter is run solely by volunteers, is severely cash-strapped, and often makes appeals to the community for donations of food and supplies. Without caring people like these, and donations from companies, so many dogs and cats would not be able to stay in shelters long enough to find good homes. And Mr. Nerd and I wouldn't have this:

(Abby's pretty big on giving kisses. I don't really mind, even though I'm making a face.)

If you’re on Facebook, would you please consider becoming a fan of Pedigree to help provide food to shelters? She may not look very excited, but I know that Abby would really appreciate it.

The unbearable cuteness of noms

It's Thursday night, and I've been writing a blog post in my head all week, looking forward to writing something funny. But, by the time I got home from work, I was tired and kind of stressed and bummed out, and I didn't think I had any funny in the tank. Still need to blog, though. So, to brighten my spirits a bit, I turned to something that can always make me laugh--my dogs.

We don't feed our pups much people food, with a few exceptions. One of those is spaghetti; I can't explain it, but these dogs go nuts for plain, cooked pasta. A few weeks ago, I used my fancy cell phone (that I'm still trying to learn to operate after fve months) to take a video of the pups eating spaghetti, because it's sooooooo cute. And then it hit me: if a video of Patches, Sebastian, and Abby nom-ing spaghetti can make me laugh, you might like it, too. Hey, a blog post!

Honestly, I can't believe I even figured out how to upload the video to YouTube. (Note: It's pretty bad quality, and I'm a pretty bad videographer.) I promise to have a funny post next week; but, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy:

A "Dear Dog" Letter

Dear Patches,

You know you're my little buddy. I let you sleep on my bed (and my lap); put your paws on the laptop trackpad AND the big-screen TV; tear around the house barking like a mad dog for no reason; jump on your sister's head to the point that she probably has brain damage; and sit under the kitchen table staring at me while I eat. It's pretty clear that your humans are crazy about you. But here's the thing: you barfed and/or asked to go outside SIX TIMES last night.

Don't get me wrong--I am sorry that your tummy was upset. But you are somewhat prone to "dietary indiscretions" as the vet calls them. When you eat things off the kitchen floor, and grass from the back yard, you have to expect that it's going to throw things off a bit, gut-wise. So please, for the next few days, refrain from eating things that aren't food, okay?

See, buddy, your humans need all the sleep they can get right now. They are right smack in the middle of the busiest season of the year. For weeks, they've been visiting, shopping, wrapping, cooking, performing in various productions, attending extra church services, and generally running themselves ragged. (In addition to their regular full-time jobs and household chores.) In three days, they are expected to attend another marathon round of visits, including several large meals. All the gifts must be wrapped, food must be prepared, and--this is the really tough part--your humans are supposed to be merry. It's really hard to be merry on three hours' sleep.

In conclusion, my furry little fella, I will repeat my request that you try to keep your wits about you when it comes to eating. Here's a good rule of thumb: if it's not in your food dish, don't eat it! That will make things much easier on all of us. No one wants your humans to be zombies on Christmas.

UPDATE: It hasn't even been 12 hours since I wrote this, and the Husband just found Patches eating the plastic wrapper from a slice of cheese. We have no idea where he found it. I'm starting to think that the dogs have developed really dexterous paws, and they're raiding the fridge the minute our backs are turned.

My REAL Laptop

For my birthday in August, I received the gift of wireless Internet access from my wonderful, generous aunt. The same wonderful aunt who, several months ago, had also given me her old laptop when she got a new one. My plan, all along, was to have everything set up so that I could start a blog; I wanted to write in the evenings from the comfort of the couch, and still be able to watch TV. (My desktop computer is upstairs, away from the TV, the kitchen, and the door that the dogs want to go out of every few minutes.) My lovely Husband, who is also a Computer Guy, set it all up for me and it works like a charm.

You know there has to be problem, though, or I wouldn't be writing about it. The problem? My REAL laptop is not a computer at all. It is a 35-pound, buff-colored Cocker Spaniel, who believes that my lap was created for the sole purpose of providing him with a napping spot. Every evening, whether I'm using the computer or not, he stretches out across my belly, and will not move. For anything. I'm actually typing this AROUND the rotten mutt, and he has the audacity to bat my hand away from the touchpad with his paw every few minutes, because it is too close to his whiskers. People who don't have pets (and maybe some who do) probably wonder why I put up with it.

Here's why:



I just can't resist his little face, that's all. And he totally knows I'm a sucker.

Oh, there are also two more dogs, and I'm a sucker for them, too. So, if I don't write a blog post for a few days, it's not because I don't have anything to say. It's just that all three of them are on my lap, and there's no room for the computer.