HBZ!

So it is St. Patrick's Day, and there is a lot of green popping up in New York City.  But this is a very special day in our household because it is daughter Zoe's birthday.  She is now 17 years-old!  As I look at her with dogs Cassie and Cleo,  I wonder where all the years have gone?  In another year she will be off to college. 

This got me thinking about how time flies by, and how my sense of humor has changed.  Now old people jokes take on a more personal meaning. 

For instance, an OLD friend sent this list of texting codes along (anonymously)  and I could not resist sharing it with you:

Texting Codes for Seniors

• ATD - at the Doctor
• BFF - best friend’s funeral
• BTW – bring the wheelchair
• CBM – covered by medicare
• CUATSC – see you at the senior center
• DWI – driving while incontinent
• FWIW – forgot where I was
• GHA – got heartburn again
• HGBM – had good bowel movement
• LMDO – laughing my dentures out
• OMSG – Oh, my! Sorry, gas
• WAITT – who am I talking to?
• TOT –texting on toilet (my favorite!)

And some friends have updated the list:

OOV-Out of Viagara
OMT-Old Man Texting
LOL-Left out Lipitor  

But today, let me conclude with HBZ-happy birthday Zoe! 

Cleo and Cassie

A dog may be man's best friend, but two can sure raise a ruckus!  That is the lesson we have learned when we expanded our family by one dog. 

Cleo is a sweet and docile Maltese who has lived with us for more than seven years.  From the very beginning she was a wonderful and loving pet.  While she was feisty and playful as a young puppy, she settled down into a quiet and loving routine as she grew older.  Of course, being a lap dog, she craves human companionship.  Since our family members have very busy schedules, she relies on the care of our live in nanny on weekdays.  We call our nanny the "danny", or dog nanny.

Cleo only barks when the doorbell rings.  Then she offers each visitor an opportunity to scratch her back.  It is always funny watching her back up into a stranger's leg.  Most shopkeepers and neighbors know Cleo, and say hello. Meanwhile, Cleo has cultivated friendships with other neighborhood dogs, made during her daily walks.

Cleo also loves to travel.  She is quiet and calm on airplanes for hours at a time.  She is an annual guest at the Hilton Hotel in Ft. Collins, where she enters confidently, walking in and out of automatic doors with purpose.  It is an amusing site to see.  She navigates the snow and frigid temperatures of Vail, Colorado, although it can be hard to detect her whereabouts in the white snow. 

Cleo was the queen empress of our household.  But that changed this past September.

Cassie and Cleo on Valentine's Day

Enter Cassie, a purebred Pomeranian puppy.  Cassie is brash, endlessly curious, overly energetic and tireless.  This dog thinks she is the center of the universe.  At seven months, she is already a bit taller than Cleo, although much of her mass is hair.  She is a puffball.

She loves to play fetch.  She yips and whines to get attention.  She barks shrilly when someone rings the doorbell, competing with Cleo's more traditional bark.  Together, their dissonance can be grating.

Getting these two polar opposites to come together can be quite challenging.  Cassie pokes Cleo with her nose, prodding her for a play date.  Cleo, already jealous about having to share her family with this intruder, responds by diving under a nearby sofa or bed.  If Cleo is trapped, she growls and lunges at Cassie with great ferocity.  Of course, Cassie thinks it's a game.  So human intervention is constantly required.

The dogs now pretty much live separate lives in the same house on different floors.  At least twice a day the dogs are placed in the same room together.  While there has been some progress, we have a long way to go.  Cassie is an early riser; she sounds the alarm by 6am.  Cleo is content to sleep late.  Cassie will chew on anything in reach, pens, paper cups, and even shoes.  Cleo has no interest in such trivialities.

I have taken the dogs on walks together on several occasions.  Cassie walks with swagger, her nose held high in the air, as she pulls me forward.  A nearby shopkeeper calls her sassy.  Cleo walks with caution, her nose to the ground, as she lags way behind me.  Cassie bounces and darts from one point to the next.  Cleo is methodical and predictable.  At times they crisscross and tangle up their leashes.  One thing for sure, these ladies just don't ever agree on anything.

Cleo will celebrate her eighth birthday this summer, while Cassie celebrates her first.  A joint birthday party is planned--although it may be held on separate floors.  

So it goes with our perky Pomeranian and mellow Maltese.

Christmas with Cleo

Cleo is quite special. She is our five-year-old Maltese, and, even though she is but seven pounds, she is a large presence in our family life.

We must factor Cleo's feelings into all our decisions. For instance, take our recent Christmas vacation to Colorado. It turns out Cleo likes to travel. As we began packing our suitcases Cleo ran around them sniffing and wagging her tail. You can almost hear her saying, "Oh boy, road trip!"

When we bring out her little white travel bag she frequently crawls in and out of it apparently in an effort to make sure things are just right for her. We place a couple of her toys in the bag, as well as water and dry food in the side pockets.

She sits patiently in the bag while waiting to board the plane at the airport, that is as long as she is on someone's lap. Her little nose poked out, and on occasion she stuck her head out to see what's happening. Before we leave one of us takes her to the bathroom where we placed a "wee-wee" pad on the floor. Cleo then immediately relieved herself before her journey (TMI?).

Cleo is a phenomenal passenger. She sat quietly in her bag, which must be resting on a lap. She doesn't like to be stuffed under the seat in front. She must be in her rightful place; after all, she is a lap dog.

This was her fifth trip to the Ft. Collins Hilton, located on the edge of the Colorado State University campus and in full view of the Rockies. She didn't spend too much time looking at the mountains; rather she liked to take walks, even in the cold and snow.

Upon returning from each of her walks, little Cleo runs to the automatic entrance doors, often alone with her leash trailing behind her. She then he zooms with little hesitation into the hotel even before the doors have fully opened. She then runs toward the lobby and around a corner. There she enters whichever elevator is open and waits for one of us to join her. Thankfully an elevator has never taken off with her as the solo occupant. Upon reaching our floor, Cleo dashes to the room we are occupying and waits for the door to be opened.

Now Vail had more than three feet of snow when we arrived. For sure, perfect skiing conditions. This should discourage any animal that is only ten inches tall. But Cleo loves to romp and sniff in the snow. While it is difficult to keep track of a small white dog in heavy white snow, Cleo's constant movement makes the task much easier.

Cleo likes receiving Christmas gifts. In fact, she likes everyone's Christmas gifts. She gets excited when packages are unwrapped, often jumping into the fray. She loves to tear, or chew, the wrapping paper off her own gifts. She then grabs each of her new toys in her teeth and runs around the room playing "keep away." She never asks that a present be returned or re-gifted.

I don't think Cleo believes in Santa Claus. But I do know she loves the Christmas spirit of giving. Everyday with Cleo is Christmas because she brings so much joy to our family and friends!

Cleo Stress Tests

It has been a rough weekend for Cleo. She has been emersed in her mid term exam studies, slogging through science, math, Latin and the American constitution, working like a dog!

There are four critical exams this week covering the entire year's studies. Does she know the difference between the sixth amendment and the tenth amendment? Does she understand the difference between a divergent and a convergent plate? Can she solve and plot a series of complicated percentages? Carpe Diem, as they say!

Amidst all the work and pressure, Cleo has had trouble sleeping and eating. Her school work is truly dogging her. She paced back and forth from one bedroom to another several times at night in search of peace and tranquility. While she was able to take a moment's comfort eating her dry meal and lapping up some water from her bowl, the anxiety weighed heavily on her. Most troubling were the whimpering and growling sounds emanating from deep inside her soul as she slept. She was living a nightmare. As a consequence she was dog tired most of the day.

But if you count Cleo out you'll be barking up the wrong tree! Down deep inside she knows she can do well. Yes, you may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks. But Cleo is still a young lady, and she has great pedigree!