This morning I really really had to go. I danced around and gave significant looks and generally tried to herd my owners into waking up and starting the day.
It was like herding sheep.
Finally I got them going and we made it outside. I headed right for my preferred spot at the bluffs.
I felt much better after accomplishing my mission.
We had a party here Sunday night. That meant I had a lot of schmoozing to do.
I tried to circulate constantly to ensure that my guests were having a good time, and to ensure that each of them had some meaningful moments with me.
It's a big responsibility to know that the success of the party depends on oneself.
I saw a bunch of dogs enjoying the view with Howard. They were having a good time.
I wished I could get over my shyness and go join them. Actually I wished they'd invite me, instead of me trying to break into their group. Luckily, Howard recognized my plight, and and kindly welcomed me into the pack.
And, just like that, I had joined the cool kids.
I have a new next-door neighbor.
Her name is Artemis, and she is a puggle, which is a cross between a beagle and a pug.
Artemis took her first trip to the bluff the other day.
She's very young, and a bit timid. When another dog barked from down at the other end of the bluff, she panicked and ran across the street back towards her home.
Eventually she bravely came back. She even let me sniff her.
I am going to try to be very supportive of Artemis. She'll soon see learn that she's fallen in with a good crowd here.
There's a new puppy in town. His name is Prince Oliver -- Ollie for short.
Ollie is a Corgi, like his adoptive sister Winnie. Their family also includes a very elder stateswoman, Trudie. Below is a photo of Ollie and Winnie together, and at right is a photo of all three sibs.
In my brief acquaintance with Ollie I have found him to be, frankly, adorable. He is both enthusiastic and trusting; cute and roly-poly but not shy. He has a very nice demeanor, he's adventuresome, and he plays well with others.
I think he's going to be a wonderful addition to our bluffs crowd.
This memorial to the late Patrick Kretschmer was more transitory in construction than the other bench memorials at the bluff, but no less heartfelt.
Excuse my immodesty, but I am thrilled to be featured --twice!-- in the work displayed below, titled "Other Self," by an important young artist, Thomas Stigler.
Do you see me in the artwork? That's me, and the bluffs, off to the right side of the image. And then there I am again, in the center of the image, in an excretory moment near the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier.
Below, edited for brevity, is a transcript of the interview I conducted with the artist.
What is the significance of the towering young woman executing a karate kick above the Yacht Harbor sign?
That is my friend Genny Fox. I'm surprised you didn't recognize her, as this is the angle you usually view her from, Lambie. In any case, Genny represents my my high school days and my time here in California before I left for New York.
What is the significance of the Honda Odyssey that I am pooping next to?
The Honda Odyssey has been my trusty, reliable car ever since I could drive and, like Genny kicking, it represents my time before college, which is what this piece of art is all about. Everything here reminds me of my home in California.
I notice you are leaning out of the Odyssey window.
Because this is such an autobiographical piece of work for me, I wanted to include myself in some small subtle way.
Are those books flying in the air above me?
Those are paper airplanes. I wanted to introduce a surreal, more abstract element into the composition.
What if they fall on me?
Don't worry. They're only paper.
I like this piece of art very much.
Thank you.
However, I wonder if it would have been even more powerful if you included more images of me, and made them bigger. Like maybe I could have taken up the whole frame. It's nice that I'm in there twice, but don't you think you ought to reconsider how small the images of me are?
Well, Lambie, as you mentioned, you are featured twice in this work. In that sense, you are one of the most, if not the most, central figures. I did consider making you larger or perhaps adding a third image of you, but ultimately this was the best way, I felt, to represent the role Lambie played in my life. Your size and position in the composition are not meant to diminish the huge respect I have for you or your importance in my life.
Well, of course that's your prerogative as the artist. And I do like it very much as is. I just thought it might be more commercially viable if it featured the most interesting dog in the world more prominently.
Thank you, Lambie. I appreciate your forebearance with regard to my artistic judgment.
Anything else you want to say?
Lambie, you are my muse and I believe you will always influence my work.
Your muse! I am touched and honored. Thank you very much. That means a lot to me.
The honor is mine. Thank you for interviewing me. I am an avid reader of your blog.
I have been working on honing my powers of deduction.
This morning, for example, I met a fellow named Ziggy at the bluffs and followed him around for a bit.
I was able to pick up a lot about this guy just by careful observation. For instance, he has very good posture. From this I deduce that he may have a military background. And he is very agile, suggesting that he has taken dancing lessons.
Ziggy was quite affable about letting me sniff him in the interests of furthering my detective skills.
I must hasten to add that I do not believe he has a criminal nature in the least.
With the endless days of summer on the wane, I have been trying to get in some rest time with my brothers before they have to focus on their schoolwork again.
One has to take one's rest where one can get it.
And,with my own exhausting schedule, rest time is a must.
