To Grandma's House We Go...

Ask anyone in Alfredo's world and they will tell you their relation to him, i.e. "I'm his aunt," or "I'm his grandma." Considering I parade around telling everyone that he's my 'furry kid', I find it nothing less than adorable. As a result, he is often the topic of my conversations and the center of attention, especially when people drop in for a visit. He's even had care packages sent to him which range from toys to treats. I guess you could say he's one lucky duck dog.

As his mom, I must say, I also feel pretty lucky. Life has been pretty chaotic lately, so it's nice knowing Alfredo's 'extended' family is around whenever I need them. Recently, he took a trip to grandma Frances' house when I was out of town. The good news is that he had three little Chihuahuas entertaining him during his stay. Kids were also around, which is always a plus for the average Boston Terrier. I'm not sure how beneficial having Alfredo around is for the average kid, however. Here he is bullying a 3 year old for his ball. It didn't take him very long to get it...

 When he's not acting like a bully, it's common for him to relax. Here he is chillin' (literally cooling off) with Snakie..

The fun doesn't stop at grandma's. Auntie Noel recently babysat him. It gave them the opportunity to catch up on cuddles, kisses, and oh, let's not forget...episodes of the Real Housewives of Miami (clearly I bold the word 'real', as there is nothing 'real' about any of the housewive shows)...

He looks so interested, doesn't he?

A major benefit of staying home this holiday season is not having to leave him, yet again. So despite everyone who can't get enough of him, it'll be nice spending Christmas with him. We're looking forward to spending the holidays with all of our AZ friends (and my new favorite AZ/IU person, who Alfredo has yet to meet). Speaking of the holiday season, look how handsome he is in this year's holiday collar...just in time for pictures.

If you weren't lucky enough to have our card arrive in your mailbox this year, I still wish you a holiday season full of great laughs, love, and cheer. Put more nicely..."May your Christmas be even merrier with love from me and my Boston Terrier!"

You're never too busy...

If there is one thing I know about, it's the woeful feeling of dealing with distance. For as long as I can remember, distance has been a part of my life. Dad traveled every week growing up, I went to the greatest school on earth -IU- which was three hours from my hometown, I moved to Europe for awhile, and then finally settled in Arizona - roughly 2,000 miles away from my solid midwestern roots. While I can't deny that all of these experiences have been rewarding, incredible, and have shaped who I am as a person, being away from important people and significant places can and has really put a damper on things at times. How does Alfredo fit into all of this? He's serving as a metaphor in this blog post. One of my best Alfredo stories involves him and I randomly meeting one of his brothers (yes, from the same litter), at the dog park. Since then, he has been able to enjoy hanging with his brother from time to time. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to babysit him. Here are some highlights..

Playing around in the living room...

 Enjoying "yum yums"...

 Laying down patiently for treats...

Playing some more (with Alfredo's beloved soccer ball)...

 Going "bye byes" in the car...

Passing out from "bye byes" in the car...

Unfortunately, Alfie's brother will be moving to Iowa soon, so I guess it's nice they were able to spend some time together before the big move. I'm not sure Alfredo will ever see his brother again. With that being said, it initiates self-reflection on dealing with distance a bit. My greatest takeaway:  We really need to appreciate the time we spend with others, and even when significant people are far apart, it's so important to put forth the effort in terms of keeping in touch. I really dispise the words, "I've just been so busy," because in reality, we truly never know what will happen in our lives. I find it exciting that we are uncertain where life may lead us and what the future holds, but regardless of where we go, it's so important to maintain the relationships we have so that wherever we end up, our significant loved ones are always with us no matter wherever it is we go. I can't imagine thinking about never seeing some of my favorites again, and it totally bums me out that this may just happen to Alfredo.

Here, there, everywhere...

Well, Alfredo and I have certainly been busy. This is stating the obvious, because if we hadn't been busy, clearly we'd be spending more time blogging and less time going bananas! So, what have we been up to? First and foremost, we've been taking lots of trips to Tucson. The Aggie House, where we stay, is becoming our second home. When we aren't partying it up...

We are relaxing. Okay, DISCLAIMER: Clearly I would never introduce Alfredo to beer (unlike our favorite Wildcat). He is really drinking water out of that cup, but because this picture just happened to be taken in the middle of a house party, I just happened to make him look like he was partying with us...because in fact, he was. The napping pic, in my opinion, is just too adorable, so I had to give it a black and white look (thank you, instagram).

ANYWAY, The worst weekends are those in which Alfie and I are apart. Last weekend, I had a surprise 50th bday party for mom. Unfortunately, Alfredo can't fit underneath the seat in front of me on the airplane, so he stayed behind in AZ. You can see how happy he was the night I started packing...

 "Mom, you're not going anywhere!"

He was even less happy when I attempted to stick on sombrero on him. I bought of a bunch of these and other great items for mom's southwestern themed party. As you can tell, Alfredo was NOT digging the hat.

As difficult as it was to leave him, he sure had a delightful time with his Auntie Noel. She took him on bye-bye trips (his favorite), among other things. She's even luckily enough to work at a place that implements "take your doggy to work day!" If only I could bring Alfredo to work with me!

 On the way to work with Auntie Noel!

I love my Auntie Noel!

Chillin' in the office!

The best part about take your doggy to work day is that there is another person in the office with two Boston Terriers. I haven't met this fabulous person (of course they are fabulous - they are a Boston parent), but our dogs kids sure got along!

Maybe they'll even be reconnected. I'm off on another trip next weekend for bridesmaid duties. Auntie Noel will be babysitting again. You'll have to stay tuned!

Noting the unusual...

If there's one thing I can say most people know about me, it's that I'm a runner. I'm not really sure what constitutes labeling oneself as a runner, but considering I'm 4 half marathons and several other races in (and run a minimum of four days a week), I think it's safe to say I fit under the label of "runner". If there is an additional thing that people know about me, it's that I have a very adorable dog furry child by the name of Alfredo. When most people find out these two qualities, they often ask if Alfredo runs with me. While I certainly wish we could increase our milage together, this is anything but the case. Does Alfredo love to run? Yes! In fact, I'm quite lucky that even when off the leash, he knows better than to run away. Unless he spots a cat, bird, or another dog, there is no doubt that he stays right by my side. Here he is taking a quick break from a game of fetch in the grass, one of his favorite activities which requires tons of running.

  
So why doesn't he run with me? It's certainly not that he can't keep up. In fact, he's definitely much faster than I will ever be. Rather, Alfredo has a problem running in a straight line. As you can imagine, this makes running quite difficult when trying to maintain a consistent pace. Therefore, my runs are always without the dog.

Is running without Alfredo unusual? I'd say not. I'm sure there are several other runners in the world who don't bring along their four legged friends. What is unusual, however, is that Alfredo doesn't really enjoy walking. I've tried endless amounts of time taking him on walks, and it never really works out in my favor. He'll usually walk for a good hundred feet and then plops down in the grass. When this happens, he literally refuses to budge...that's the thing about Boston Terriers, though. They can be ridiculously stubborn.

Now, what does this picture tell you?

I'll tell you what it says to me. It says, "Mom...do you want to take me for a walk?" I guess Alf is a little trickster, because this really isn't the case. For some reason, he likes walking around with the leash in his mouth every once in awhile...just because.

        
  And when things like this happen, I always think to myself..."if only he could speak..."

a FRATastic weekend...

I would argue it's clear by all of the experiences I have written about that Alfredo lives a life full of adventure. This past weekend was no different. We took a little trip down to the University of Arizona, which isn't the first time his paws have trotted through a college campus. Now, it's clear that Alfredo is a Hoosier at heart. In fact, here I am introducing him to my former home sweet home, aka Chi Omega, back in 2010. 

Why is Alfredo an IU fan? Well, most importantly, it's mom's Alma Mater. Secondly, he didn't poop on the middle of the sidewalk on Kirkwood like he did University Blvd. (Kirkwood equivalent at U of A). Sorry, no picture, but I can promise you that my favorite Wildcat can validate this story. 

One thing I will say he thoroughly enjoyed was being surrounded by a bunch of testosterone at the Aggie House. He could finally stop using my closet accessories as toys...

...and instead run around like a wild man doing what he does best...acting mighty and playing fetch. His favorite part of all had to be relaxing in the grass.

 I can sum up this picture in three short words...life is good...  

Not another Hallmark holiday...

Yesterday I woke up to the most amazing discovery (thank you Banfield and Runner’s World facebook pages).  It was NATIONAL DOG DAY! A concept like this may sound petty to some, but let’s face it; it certainly beats those “Hallmark” card days, i.e. Sweetest Day, Bosses Day, etc. In fact, considering I’ve had some pretty crappy ineffective bosses and dismal boyfriends, honoring my four legged companion in comparison to the other appreciation days I mentioned makes this day that much more meaningful.  It felt great hanging with Alf the entire day since it was the weekend, and during my quick visit to Mecca Target today, I brought him home a new toy to celebrate. 

Here’s his new elephant. I bought this toy specifically for two important reasons. 1. It squeaks (this is mandatory when purchasing stuffed animal plush toys). 2. It has ropes. His first favorite game is fetch. The second is tug-o-war. Playing tug-o-war works best with ropes. Plus, he likes to chew on them.

Despite finding something with two things he enjoys, he still tore it apart within five minutes.

RIP Mr. Elephant.         

Back in the Wild Wild West

Well, it seems summer came and went with the blink of an eye. Despite a few ups and downs, I'd say its certainly one Alf and I will always remember. With fall approaching, it's back to good times in Arizona. Although I really hate leaving Alf for work during the week, I think he's happy to be back at home. Here he is clinging onto one of my cowboy boots. If this doesn't scream, "Hooray. We're back!" then I don't know what does...

What's even funnier? I even found my own Cowboy boot to cling to...imagine that!

So, Alf is back to business...making himself comfortable in all of his favorite spots...oh, and before I continue, let me just say, I have left the loser Blackberry world and have entered Iphone utopia. Hence, Instagram pics!!!

Okay, continuing with two of his all time favorite things...cuddling with soccer ball on the bed (well, giving it a bath), and enjoying a hearty little bone filled with goodies (peanut butter, cheese, etc.)

Attacking and playing with my shoes as soon as I get home from work..

And finally, doing what he does best...Ruling the Roost, and looking like a King while doing so...



A whole lot of stuff(ing)

I can't believe how quickly this summer has flown by. I guess the saying holds true that "time flies when you're having fun". As Alfredo and I wrap up our last week in the great Midwest this summer, here is what we have been up to...

I found the perfect toy for Alfredo - or so I thought (see my previous blog post and you'll undertsand). Unfortunately, this toy was short lived. Give Alfredo anything with stuffing, and he is sure to destroy it. This flip flop lasted about five minutes. We'll get back to the stuffing shortly. 

 Here he is playing guard dog with the cats. They still don't want to make friends with him...nor do the squirrels outside. 

Here he is jumping in grandpa's bathtub. He likes doing this wherever he goes, given the water is OFF. I'm not sure what his motive is. After all, he jumps in, sniffs around, and always jumps right back out.

Anything in Alfredo's reach is considered his...in his mind. Here he is running around with a hair clip. He does this to initiate a little game of "you can't catch me". It's rather cute how squirmy and playful he gets when this happens. We play this game almost daily.

Put Alfredo in the car and he usually zonks out about five minutes into the trip. We covered a lot of ground this summer! He'll certainly get lots of rest on the big road trip back to the wild west later this week.   

Speaking of sleep, here he is with the only two toys (with stuffing) he will NOT destroy: Mr. Carrot and his soccer ball. These are his babies! I should probably write a post just about these two things. He treats them with such care (minus removing Mr. Carrots arms and legs). 

Aaaand finally, another toy destroyed. This time grandma learned her lesson. No more toys with stuffing!

keeping Old Navy in business...

I must admit, Old Navy was never one of those stores I used to shop in often. My only visit would be for the annual "must stock up on flip flops" purchase. They may be cheap, but Old Navy flip flops are comfy, convenient, and have even become better looking over the years (in my opinion). My primary purpose for them is taking Alfredo outside. While I live for the day that Alfredo has his own fenced in yard with a doggie house, for now we walk together. Here is something quite interesting about Alfredo. When he's done 'doing business' and ready to go inside, he almost always starts attacking my feet. He starts with the left foot, and when I take my shoe off, he runs with it waiting for me to throw the right one. When I throw the right one, he drops the left one and runs a little farther. We play this game until we get back to the front door. Sometimes he starts the game farther away than my liking, which naturally causes me to walk for awhile with no shoes on. Gross. Here are two more interesting things about this game. The only person he will thieve shoes from is me, even if someone else takes him outside. Also, I can usually retrieve my shoes pretty easily, unless I'm wearing Old Navy flip flops.

What does Alfredo do with my flip flops once he's back inside? He runs around and shakes his head crazily, often chewing them until they break. Once a flip flop is broken, the game has ended. I have quite a few single flip flops with no mate. This is a very common occurrence...

I don't really mind the game much because Alfredo loves it, even though it has caused many frequent trips to the store. I am even beginning to find some great clothing buys.

Okay, I didn't buy these pajama pants, but I got excited when I saw them there. On my last visit, I happened to stumble upon the $1 flip flop sale. 

And voila! Old Navy stays in business, and I'm back in business...

    

Another newly found pleasure...

As our travels in the Midwest continue, Alfredo has found (yet again) something else he enjoys tremendously. One thing he and I appreciate is having the opportunity for him to run around like the wild man happy pup that he is. It's been pretty hot outside, so when we find a yard to play fetch in, he gets tired pretty easily. Luckily, the last yard we were in had just the thing to cool him off...a large bed of ivy. After retrieving his ball, he'd run around in it like crazy...

It didn't take him long to realize that it was pretty cool in there, so after a short while, he'd basically just plop down and relax...

  This one happens to be my favorite. Can you spot the little Boston? <3

Alfredo, the Pianist

When life's got you down, I've discovered it's nice having a Boston around. I'm grateful to have such wonderful friends in the Midwest, specifically over the last couple of weeks. The number of lunches, dinners, hangouts, and phone calls have exceeded my expectations in regards to what a true friend can do for the soul. While this certainly helps one with a broken heart, Alfredo is there during the really difficult times...the down time when there just isn't much going on. I've found that attempting to "keep myself busy" doesn't always work, but sometimes it makes for a good laugh. Something I haven't done in years is play the piano, yet I can't think of a better time to revisit what used to be one of my favorite hobbies. So, I started playing last week and found that my four legged kid enjoys it as much as I do. 

He's not quite in C Major, but I'm afraid his paws just wont reach so this will have to do.

When he isn't rocking out on the keys, he likes laying in my lap or sharing the piano bench. It's quite adorable but also funny, because I find great humor in imagining Alfredo do humanlike things. Wouldn't it be great to watch him play a Beethoven number with a bow tie on? My imagination is something else, I guess...   

  

Squirrels, Bunnies, & Flies, Oh My!

Since our trip to the Midwest began, Alfredo has been discovering new and interesting wildlife. He absolutely loves anything he can chase, so I'm actually quite glad I didn't have Alfredo when I first moved to Arizona. At the time I lived in the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, rattlesnakes, javelinas, tarantuals, etc. These are certainly not animals I would want little Alfie messing with, so it's good we now live in Scottsdale. Anyway, for the first time last week, Alfredo spotted a bunny rabbit, which resulted in two good outcomes. First, Alfie didn't catch him. Secondly, the bunny ran into a dense set of bushes/trees, and luckily Alfie didn't take off after him once he was out of sight. Only one day later, Alfredo spotted his first squirrel. The squirrel made a quick (and witty) decision by running up a tree. For roughly ten minutes (I am not exaggerating), Alfredo sat at the base of the tree and watched the squirrel, who made these awful screeching noises. I wish I had my camera at the time, because by the time I ran to get it and came back outside, he was just kind of standing there. I probably should've also taken a picture of the squirrel...just for kicks.

Something else I've tried doing is introducing Alfredo to lightening bugs (since we don't have these in Arizona). He's not really into them, but he's still a skilled fly catcher (yes, we have flies in Arizona). At grandma's house today, he successfully caught one that was buzzing around. It's interesting though, because after he catches them he's usually wiped out. I guess they take a lot of his energy. 

He caught him!

Sleeping with the fly after the big capture.      

As for an update with the cat situation, Alf still hasn't made friends. In fact, I think they're starting to form an alliance against him. Unfortunately, he's three against one.