Nobody asked me...

So Dad told me that he went on a bushwalk today and it was like a major hike. He was so winded and tired at the end. Coming back it was about 4:15 and then the folks in charge decided that it would be a good idea to go to the mall for an entire 15 minutes! After a long tiring day my priorities should be the following:

Eat. Poop. Sleep.

And in that order. Going out to poop might not even be neccessary (Thank God for Wee-wee pads).

Now I can't even find and pick out good doggie treats in Petland Discounts in 15 minutes...and wasn't everyone tired anyway? Dad said they woke him up with an annoying microphone to boot and that he wanted to beat the priest that was talking on it with it. And why do religious types insist on praying the rosary on a bus trip? It's fine and all but prayer for dad and I is pretty private with the exception of Mass--which is what I think is awesome and that's the time we should all pray in a ritualistic way...although we like faith sharing with others and retreats as well.

Dad and I do the Examen on our nightly walk--that's not mom's thing but I've been doing it in my crate while dad's away. Here's today's examen for me:

I remind myself that even dogs are always in the presence of God--even if we need humans to remind us of that.

I ask for assistance of the Holy Spirit to allow me to look at my day as God would see it and not as I did.

I rewind my day: The moments that come up for me:

I woke up and licked mom's face to take me out and she did--what a joyful moment! I'm so loved by my mommy.

I barked at a french poodle and mom had to restrain me. I noticed how scared I was when I saw her and I don't know why I get so scared.

I peed on a no dogs allowed sign.

I barked loudly in the house because I wanted a treat.

I snuggled up with mom for about 3 hours--that made me feel warm and secure and i think it did the same for her too.

In my talk with Jesus, I asked him if dogs go to heaven--because if they don't I'm not worrying too much about my sins. He assured me that while humans have souls and are made in God's image, dogs certainly have a place in God's kingdom as creatures made by God for everyone's enjoyment.

So all dogs indeed go to heaven! Horray!

That's a relief for me--because I only live for 20 human years tops and I want to welcome Dad and Mom and the gates of heaven with licks galore! I think Dad, especially will know that this indeed has to be part of paradise!

Dad's so cool that Cardinals like his book

Francis Cardinal George, Chicago's Archbishop and the President of America's Conference of Bishops poses with Dad after receiving his book from him at World Youth Day.



He's been sick--so pray for his full recovery. Some folks say that if we ever had an American Pope, he'd be the one. So this could become a much cooler picture someday. Ruff!

OHBOYOHBOYOHBOY!

Dad got me a gift from Sydney but he won't tell me or mom what it is.

Could it be doggy vegemite?

Could it be my own Aussie boomerang?

Could Nicole Kidman have finally come to her senses and wants me to be her date to the Oscars?

We'll see. Dad ain't telling.

Dad trying to get through the opening ceremonies

Dad's friends from Chicago arrive

The folks from Charis Ministries in Chicago who let Dad run their retreat program in New York under the moniker BustedHalo Retreats have arrived. Here are some of them with him and Lauren Gaffey who is playing camera-person.

The video lets me see Dad while he's away which is the real purpose.

More of Dad's New Australian Mates

THE SEA LIONS!

Proud of Dad

Dad climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge! He had some guts doing it all by himself with no friends. In fact his group that went up (which included a young Australian couple and two guys on a work assignment from Europe) was the smallest group of the day--which made things nice they spent more time looking out from various points.

Here are some pics to share:



Dad near the Sydney Opera House

Some more pics:


On the catwalk at the Apex of the bridge. He climbed over 1400 steps (up and down including ladders). See the latch that tethers him to the bridge? That made Mom relax more.




Just below the Apex, you can see the city great!




He said going down was a bit harder than going up, but it was all great fun. Here are three awesome scenic shots that they gave dad for free with the pics they took of him.


Twilight.



Going up?


Sunset

Now go climb yourself. You can book it at this link

Dad's New Australian Mates

The Wallaby and the Koala!

I'm still cuter he says! But those guys are cool! I'm glad dad landed safely and I hope he's having fun.

Here's something I didn't know: Koalas are not bears! They are marsupials---like the kangaroo or the wallaby. Interesting. He'll get to hang out with more in the blue mountains toward the end of his trip.

Meanwhile, the Pope also has arrived on the scene in Sydney and is resting up at a retreat house. Hope dad gets to meet him too.

Get home soon, Dad! Mom and I miss you!

Nice Morning with Dad

So Dad left me this morning for Australia for 14 days! I miss him already although mom is giving me some extra cuddles and extra time outside. I hope dad has a good time and doesn't leave me for a Dingo or maybe a Koala Bear.

He didn't leave without a long morning of cuddling on the couch and a few treats for good measure. Nice guy that dad is we were able to spend a lot of time together before he left. He even gave me a special treat of sleeping with him and mom in their bed last night.

Dad's attending World Youth Day--since he wrote a chapter about it in his book, he thought he might be able to sell a bunch of book there. He really wants to meet a Koala Bear like John Paul II did (pictured right).

I'm slightly jealous of the Koala bear. He's cute and cuddly like me. But I know dad would choose me over him anytime. (I hope, I hope!) But unlike cats Koalas aren't dumb or weird. So I hope they can show dad a good time.


Mom is a bit scared of him doing the famous Harbour Bridge Climb--which is an amazing view from the top of the bridge. You can climb the lanes on the sides of the bridge and then look over a magnificent vista. Jeff and Beth, Dad's friends, did it and it came highly recommended.

Mets Dog!

Dad found this on a very cool blog that gave a little tour of Shea while visiting his friend John's blog, The Mets Police.

We're trying to figure out why the dog is there. Perhaps it is Met owner Fred Wilpon's dog? Or just a generic dog from the North Shore Animal League where I grew up! Who knows--they said something about rescue dogs and there is a training place for rescue dogs on Long Island--so perhaps that's another source?

Regardless, dad's a weirdo when it comes to baseball. He grew up rooting for the Mets and was estatic when they won the World Series in 1986 when he was just 16 years old. After covering the team when he was in radio he grew to hate them. Just a bunch of jerks, especially the owner--he thought. So now he roots for the Chicago Cubs who happen to be in first place this year.

Dog dish tip to John McD at The Mets Police for bringing this up.

Monkey gonads are always a fun topic

So Dad began to tell his good friend Jeff the story of a woman who stopped us on the street and told me that I was a "good specimen" and should be shown (nice compliment but I've been "altered"--so I'm out of any dog competitions).

She told us that she had spent $2500 on a dog and wanted to show him only to find out that a friend who shows dogs told her:

"You can't show that mongrel! He only has one ball."

Naturally the entire car cracked up laughing. Mind you, this woman just met Dad and I on the street. We attract all kinds of people: drunk women, drunk men, crazy old ladies, stoners...you name it, we've met them! Anyway, Dad continued his story:

"Then she told me that she had a monkey."

Jeff: "Yeah? How many balls did he have?"

Dad told me this story when he got home and I laughed so hard I had to run to my wee-wee pad. So thanks to Jeff for the line of the night and for the umpteenth ride home from the party.

Irish Chicks dig me

It's amazing how many Irish chicks stop me on the street! But it shouldn't be a surprise. after all, we live in Woodside, NY which is part of the borough of Queens--a section of New York City. But what Woodside is most famous for is the Irish that come to settle there not long after arriving in New York from the Emerald Isle.

So...last night dad and mom got in late and dad took me for my walk at about 1:45 AM (which was great because I was holding it in!). We passed The Cuckoo's Nest Pub and a young Irish women caught my eye and came running over to me so excited to see the likes of little ole me. I'm hot! What can I say?

In her thick Irish brogue she told me that I was just gorgeous (which seems to be the adjective that most Irish women use to describe me). She then went on to ask the usual questions:

How old is he?
What's his name?
How much does he weigh?

By the way, if I asked her the weight and age questions, I'd be liable to get a smack!

Then she told me that she had never seen a real, live chihuahua. That she only had seen them on TV and that she thought it was "tragic" that people like Paris Hilton keep us chihuahuas in their purses. (Agreed, but I do like Dad's knapsack and my crate!) She continued:

"He's so cute...I've seen these on TV but I never knew they were this gorgeous!"

Dad: "Yep. I didn't think I'd ever own a chihuahua because I thought they were ugly Paris Hilton dogs. But when I saw him, I thought he was a lot cuter than other chihuahua's I've seen before."


Irish chick: "Just grand he is. Back home in Donegal (pronounced Dun-EE-Gall) we had a dog. He was a...a...a...oh shit, I don't know...what was he? Like Lassie!"

Dad: "A collie!"

Irish chick: "(Laughs) Yes! That's right! (giggle) Sorry it's 2AM and I've been drinking."

It was then that I got "the look." I've referred to this before. Dad gives me a look almost every time a woman stops me and fawns all over me. The look is classic. It basically is translated: "Where were you when I was single and drunk, cute, Irish women never paid attention to me at 2AM?"

I believe that this is the part that dad informs you that he loves mom immensely and that Mediterranian Italian women are far more beautiful than blue-eyed Irish women anyway. And that there could never be anyone more suited for him than mom. In all seriousness, he's right. Mom's wonderful--not only does she take good care of us--she's so beautiful and she is a perfect partner for dad.

Regardless, dad has started to call me "Mr. Personality" on our late night walks. He keeps forgetting the blasted camera to take pictures of the people who we run into.

I'm the Wake Up Call

I woke dad up today around 5 AM by clanging around in my crate and crying a bit so he'd take me out and we could go and lay together on the couch. That's what he gets for locking me in here anyway.

Little does Dad know that I'm fully aware that he's going to Australia in about a week for 14 days and I'm going to miss him terribly. So I plan to try to spend as much time with him as I can over the next few days and that means waking him up at 5AM.

Hope he comes home early tonight.

Congrats to Mom

It's been one year since mom started working as an "itinerant special ed teacher" --which means that she goes to a school and works one to one with some students for a few hours and then moves on to another kid later in the day. It's been a good gig for her and she has enjoyed working there immensely.

Today she received her one year evaluation and she got a glowing review from her boss. Way to go Mom! I'd give you a belly rub abd a snausage but somehow I don't think it would have the same sentiment!

We're proud of Mom today...so Yay MOM!