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.

A bump in the road, a bump on the shoulder

Sometimes its scary how quickly life can throw curve balls at you. Just one day after writing about how great life was for both Alf and I, both of us had terrible setbacks. Because this blog is Alfredo content based, I'll just stick to his little "bump". Last Saturday, I had to drop Alfie off at the vet for his semi-annual comprehensive exam. The great news is that all of Alf's tests came back normal. The terrible news was that he developed a small bump on his right shoulder after receiving one of his vaccinations. Being the overly protective mommy that I am, I took him back to the vet upon this discovery to ensure he was okay. Luckily he is okay, but unlucky for him, it meant taking another trip to the vet (which happens to be his least favorite place to go). 

I can promise you he is thinking, "Get me out of here!"

So, as a result, Alfie's "bump" will eventually go away. We can only hope that my "bump" will do the same.   

Dog Days of Summer

Life has been pretty good this summer so far. I think Alfredo would have to agree. Here is what we've been up to since arriving to the great Midwest...

Puppy Lattes at Starbucks...

Hanging out by the hot tub...

Relaxing as we drive from place to place. I just love his smashed lip/face in this one.

I'm not sure if Alfredo worries about staying behind on our trips, but it almost seems as if he falls asleep in my suitcase purposely so that I never forget to bring him along. 

Okay, okay, I have to admit...he doesn't nap in the suitcase often, but I am sure glad he decided to jump in yesterday because it made me think about how much he has grown since this picture was taken...

I guess that's what happens when he eats things like puporoni pizza and dog beer for dinner.

These treats came from a local dog bakery, all made with ingredients that are safe and especially for dogs. I thought for sure he'd like the "beer", which is made from oatmeal and peanut butter. Unfortunately, he wasn't very fond of either (probably because I was eating real pizza when I tried feeding him these fabulous treats). 

Let the adventures continue...  

The Bandit Strikes Again!

Boston Terrier males are commonly known as "America's Gentlemen" for good reason...well, two good reasons. First, they are American bred. Secondly, their fur looks as if they are wearing a tuxedo. Pretty adorable, right? Before you think to yourself, "I wonder if they sell dog bow ties...," the answer is yes. I will save that story for a future post. Since arriving at grandma's (my mom's) house, Alfredo has transformed himself from a little gentleman into a little bandit. Just like Alfie, there are very spoiled animals here. Mom has three cats, all of whom have yet to make friends with Alfredo. Every time he approaches them (nicely, I might add), they hiss, run, and/or smack him with their paws (no worries, they are all declawed). In a way I feel bad for Alfredo. I can genuinely tell that he simply wants to play. Here is an intense stare down between Alfredo and Buster. If only they could tell us what they are thinking...

Despite the fact that the cats choose not to make friends, Alfredo has certainly entertained himself with the cat toys. It didn't take long for him to discover mom's hiding spot for them, and ever since he's been hooked. 

Every time I turn around, he's got another one!

And another one!

And another one!

Guten Tag!

No matter where I go, I am always on the lookout for Boston Terrier "stuff". I'm a sucker for anything that represents my dog. Step into my quaint little condo, and just about everywhere you turn you'll see something Boston Terrier. To give you a better idea, here are some things that you'll find in my place.

Ken Bailey, an artist who specializes particularly in dog breeds, happens to be one of my favorites. I have two of his pieces, one in my kitchen and one in my living room. (Note: if you're a dog lover, I strongly suggest looking at his work. He's got many great, clever pieces.)

Here is a fun canvas I found, at T.J.Maxx of all places. I haven't found a place for this yet, and I probably wont until I move into a bigger place. The greatest canvas of all in my house is actually of Alfredo and myself, which was taken professionally at the Heritage Square in Phoenix. It's the first thing most people notice when they walk in, and it is absolutely fabulous. Other fun items include a planter, salt and pepper shakers, a night light...the list goes on.

Why am I talking about all of this fun Boston Terrier stuff? On my trip to the "World's Largest Christmas Store" today in Frankenmuth, Michigan, I stumbled upon this ornament, which I just had to purchase (naturally). What's interesting is that this ornament will probably never be placed on a Christmas tree, not because it'll get lost somewhere (after all, we are six months shy of the next holiday season), but because I've never been a fan of having a bunch of random ornaments placed on the Christmas tree. I like order and organization...even when it comes to the Christmas tree. So, I'll display it somewhere, just not on the tree.

Aside from finding this genuine ornament, Frankenmuth was one of the greatest little towns I have ever visited. While I never made it to Germany while on my European travels, it sure felt like I was there today. The brewery and fudge were excellent, and the greatest souvenir of all, which is something I have wanted for years, was this very expensive incredible cuckoo clock, imported directly from Germany.  

It took me well over an hour to pick this one out, but with good reason. I certainly learned a lot about cuckoo clocks today. I'll have to share my knowledge after successfully officially hanging this gem up on my wall. Auf wiedersehen!