Lambiedog

Holiday gift leads to uncomfortable revelation re increased girth

 

    I received a holiday present from some East Coast cats I know.

    They sent me a most thoughtful gift:  a faux-sheepskin coat from LL Bean. It is very cozy, with a nice warm collar.  And the color complements my fur beautifully.

    Unfortunately however, while the coat they sent was a size Small, it appears that I am now a size Medium.

 The Velcro straps could not make it across my chest unless pulled very tight.  The neck strap does make it around my neck, but just barely.

    

Perhaps we will sew on some extra Velcro to extend the stomach closure a bit.  Or maybe I should just enjoy the garment as a cloak rather than a coat, in which case there would be no need to fasten the stomach ties shut.  

I am sure that Buster, Myra, Arnie, Flash, Blackie and Ruff would be mortified if their gift caused me any body image anxiety.

Ho ho ho

 

        I paid Willy a holiday visit.

    Kim greeted me warmly.

    Then Willy came out to join me and my family for a walk around the block.

    When we dropped him off at his house, I watched wistfully as he walked inside without a backward glance.  Apparently, he's not as sentimental as I am.

    

In need of a Christmas miracle

 

Things are looking grim for Thomas' computer.  He cracked the screen a few days ago, and ordered a new one from eBay.

 Today Charlie got out his tools to install the replacement screen and carefully, taking hours, took everything apart, only to learn that that we'd been sent the wrong screen, which won't work with Thomas' computer. Then, while he was putting the computer back together, he dropped a screw into the computer's headphone jack.  He and Thomas tried everything, but they couldn't get it out.

 While Charlie worked on a communication to the eBay seller, Thomas took a quick nap on the sofa.  

Perceiving that they were both dejected, I tried to lend support.  

I wished I could do more.  Why couldn't I be a helpful techie when my brothers needed me most?

It's terrible to feel impotent to stop the suffering of those you love.  

Secret of my success

    People sometimes ask me how it is that I am so attuned to bluff goings-on.

 

    I don't want to brag, but the answer is that I have super-sensitive ears.

It's in my genetic code

 

 When I saw Sisi running after her ball I felt the primal urge to herd her.   

 I wonder how she feels about this buckaroo side of me.

Roadside assistance

    Bo was doing some maintenance on his vehicle.   I offered to help.

He checked the oil with his dip stick. 

   

I checked the gas cap.

All systems looked good.  

 Bo was ready to hit the road.

 Before he left we compared our fur coats.   

           

This just in: three new benches for the bluffs

  
There were five city trucks at the bluffs this morning, and a bunch of men digging.

     They were there at the behest of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation , which will install three! new benches there by the end of the year, as well as some at the Via de las Olas bluff.

 I had been wondering since November about a chalk rectangle that appeared on the ground roughly halfway between the Calamaro and Berman benches.

 It turns out that that spot, which is where the men were working this morning, will be the site of the first bench to be installed. I think it will be up by the end of the day.

  It seems wonderfully appropriate that the bench will memorialize a longtime neighborhood resident who rescued dogs and loved animals in general:  Melodie Mooz, who passed away last year, way too soon.  Melodie understood dogs and was devoted to them;  they reciprocated her devotion.

  Not all of the other benches will be memorials.  As Rudy, the gentleman in charge of the bench installation, told me,"People shouldn't have to die for you to get benches to enjoy."

I liked Rudy, who seems like a warm and wise man.  I also liked Judith Kieffer, Executive Director of the L.A. Parks Foundation, who was at the bluff as well.  Below is a photo of the three of us at the site of the second bench that will be installed.

 

 And here is a photo of Rudy and Judith walking over to check on the Robbins bench, which is going to be repaired.  (That's my friend Raymundo you see parked to their right on Asilomar, trying to get his truck to start.)

All in all, it's a great time to be at the bluffs.

A modest contribution to international understanding

 
    It's raining and the rain is supposed to continue for at least another day.  Making hay while the sun shines, as it were, I have decided to apply myself to self-improvement.  

    It has troubled me for some time now that I do not know any foreign languages.  We Americans tend to be so insular.  So I have decided to take advantage of this down-time to begin learning Japanese.

    I have acquired a textbook and am applying myself to recognizing the hiragana. Sadly, I do not have a live teacher to assist me with pronunciation concerns.

 The work is slow,and as is so often the case with textbooks, sometimes sleep-inducing.  But I continue in my effort, knowing that it is good for my mind and also good for international understanding.  Also, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to impressing Pookie by greeting him in Japanese. 

   
 

Meet 'n greet

It was an exceptionally formal interaction.  We did not sniff each other's butt.

      

 

The inner sanctum

Welcome to my humble abode -- the inner sanctum, as it were.

 Let me show you around.  Please follow me.

To your left you will see a rosemary bush.  Note the aroma.

 

It's just one of the many great smells in my domain.  

   

Over there is where squirrels sometimes hide.  

Off to my right is a spot that's very good for general sniffing.

Just behind me is my preferred spot for nightly sphincter relief.  

I could go on and on....What, you have to go, so soon?  We've barely skimmed the surface here. There are so many aspects to share with you.  Maybe you'll come back sometime for a more nuanced tour.