Thursday, April 30, 2009
Busy Weekend

Like I said in my previous posting the previous weekend was crazy busy. Actually most of our weekends are like this. I don't know why people think weekends are for relaxing, all the fun stuff always happens over weekends and therefore they are anything but relaxing. Actually around here the crazy weekend activities usually start around Thursday and come Tuesday we can finally relax for a few days.

Sorry I got off on a bit of tangent there; I'll try to stay more focused now.

Ok so let's start with Saturday. Saturday was another Arizona Goldens Class and as a special treat they had a BBQ party afterwards. This was an event I didn't attend. Apparently my human thinks that taking both Atlantis and I to places at the same time is asking for disaster. She might be right. We do get a little unruly. So I stayed home and Atlantis got to play with the AZG crew and the other puppies. She said it was a lot of fun but she was so tired from playing before class started that she really didn't want to participate in any of the class activities. I guess she was a bit stubborn that day and didn't perform well.

Sunday was another early morning day like Saturday and another long drive. This time I got to go while Atlantis stayed home. We went to the stadium in Glendale at attend the Women's Expo. My human had no clue what this expo would be like but she likes to try a variety of things whenever possible. Some bizarre human enrichment goal I think. Anyways we went and I got one heck of a workout running all over that place. Everyone there loved me. Everyone there wanted to pet me. Some actually did pet me, most however were at least good enough to ask. My human tried to keep me from reaching out for more attention but the dense crowd made that nearly impossible. So I got lots of attention and my human got lots of free goodies. I think it was a win win for both of us.

Afterwards we met up with some friends who live in that area and also happen to be puppy raisers for the AZ. They brought their dogs Atticus and Boca with them and we al went out for lunch. I don't know if it was the heat, the smell of food, or simply because I wasn't the center of attention but I admit I became a bit testy and I did snap at Boca without provocation. For that I apologize to my friend Boca; I hope she can forgive me.

By early afternoon we were finally home again and my human went right back to work on the computer and started planning for the next days activities. It never ends but it also keeps life from becoming too boring.

© Working-K9 2009     permalink

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
On The Red Carpet

Have you heard the news? Have you seen the pics? It's all true. I was on the Red Carpet and met Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber!

It all started awhile back with a contest to see which city would host the Hollywood type premiere of the movie X-Men Origins. Cities all over the US competed with online voting and Tempe Arizona won! Tempe is only a 20 minute drive from my home so that's close enough for me!

People stood in line all night and all day to get tickets to see the premiere of the movie. The next day they again stood in line all night and day to get VIP passes to see the stars, well to be closer to the stars anyways. Another day goes by then people are once again standing in line waiting for the start of the premiere day events. Music, food, contests, etc. I'm starting to think people out here don't have much of a life, then again this was a once in a lifetime event.

Did my human and I stand in any of those lines? No. Did we sit (in the scooter) in any of those lines? No. You see we had plans all weekend, plus what disabled person is willing or able to be in a line that long. Besides she kept both Atlantis and I very busy all weekend. I'll write more about the weekends' activities in a bit.

So come Monday, that was the day of the premiere; she pondered going or not going most of the morning and afternoon. She met with Gretchen and Annie for a quick lunch and restaurant practice with Atlantis. Still pondering she did a little work, then finally decided why not at least try. She didn't think she'd get very far but she's at least get some pics of the crowd and maybe some people dressed as movie characters at the very least.

My human actually considered not letting me tag along for fear I would be injured. A valid fear true, but then again a cute dog can help even a cute disabled person get places no mere mortal can go. So I gladly went along.

We zipped around the crowds. My human took photos, naturally and since her friend and my former trainer (Jess) were there we decided to meet up with her. It took many text messages back and forth to find each other but the humans finally connected. Of course Jess and her sister had VIP passes, my human didn't. So they went to the VIP area by the stage and we went to talk to a security person.

I believe what my human said was "Is there a place where disabled people are supposed to go? All I can see are peoples butts when they stand in front of me." Not her most eloquent of moments but it got the point across. The security person talked to a guy in a suit. The suit talked to more people in suits. Then we were led over to the red carpet and through a barricade. My human was in shock for awhile but I handled the whole situation with my usual cool demeanor and flirty tail wag. We were actually on the red carpet! Ok just the corner but still, it was very cool.

There we met a nice fella (also in a wheelchair) named Wes. The humans chatted and she let him pet me. Then an event worker joined us and they all chatted as I was petted some more. Then another fella in a wheelchair and his lady friend joined our little group. Then a photographer hired to shoot the event joined the little corner of the barricade we had claimed. As usual the humans chatted and I was shown even more lovin. I'm just too darn cute and I know it.

We waited, and waited and waited. The stars arrived; we could hear the Harley as it drove up and of course all the screaming. We waited some more. Finally the VIP crowd was allowed in to the section where we were and the area began to fill up quickly. My human positioned her scooter as Wes aligned his chair so we were safe from what would become an insane and crushing crowd. My human used the scooter and her body to help shield me. She was very worried about my safety.

Her friends Jess and her sister came in and were so shocked to see us already there and waiting. Then we waited more until finally the stars started to walk the red carpet. My human took lots of photos, not really knowing who some of those people were, but she figured if others were trying to get their autograph they must be someone famous.

Nearly three hours after we arrived at the theater the movie stars and other famous people were finally walking the red carpet. Some just buzzed by, most stopped to take photos or to sign autographs. People were screaming and jumping and pushing but my human did a very good job positioning the scooter and I was never bumped, not even once.

Finally as Hugh Jackman himself came around and was signing stuff over my humans' head (she's vertically challenged) she reached up and touched his arm to get his attention. She and the others around her helped ask him if he'd pose for a photo with us; yes me too. He said yes and my human quickly handed her camera over to his body guard. He reached around her, I stood up on my hind legs and we posed for a photo. Then I decided, why not just got for it! So I did. I reached behind my human and licked his hand. He petted my face and laughed as my human apologized for my behavior. Secretly I think she was a bit jealous that I could get away with someone like that and she couldn't.

Liev Schreiber came down next and was actually the last and thanks to all my humans her found friends who yelled and called to him he was also willing to pose for a photo with us! My human was stunned and ecstatic and still in a bit of shock as the crowds started to dissipate.

Wes escorted us to the van and we gave him a lift to his home before heading home ourselves. It was one crazy night, and my human is so glad she went and took me along for another one of her strange field trips. This was apparently the first time in her life she'd ever met a movie star and this is something she will never forget.

© Working-K9 2009     permalink

Sunday, April 19, 2009
New Shampoo

The other morning while licking the shower dry after my human was done with it I noticed a new taste. That's right, new shampoo! Oh and was it ever yummy. I couldn't pull myself away. I had to stay in the shower and lick it entirely dry. My human just laughed at me but I didn't care. I love it when she gets a new flavor of shampoo!

© Working-K9 2009     permalink

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Botanist's nightmare

I'm sure you have all seen that large flowering bush in my humans' back yard. She planted it there before I moved in and it survived my puppy stage with minimal damage. It even survived Preston's puppy stage while he lived with us. It survived all the other dogs my human has had stay here as well. It's a tough and sturdy plant.

Then Atlantis came along and so began a botanists' nightmare. She savagely tore and gnawed on the unassuming plant until bit by bit parts came off. At first small bits were her primary target but as the plant withered and her confidence grew she began going for the jugular.. err I mean trunk.

I tried to tell her that this was wrong, that my human wouldn't be happy but she didn't listen. She was lost in the thrill of the kill and there was no way for me to talk her out of it. So I did what any dog in my position would do. I joined in the frenzy. Oh we were gitty with excitement as piece by piece, day by day, we ripped that plant apart.

My human wasn't as enthralled. In fact she was ticked. Was it because we were killing the plant, or because we were bringing all in doors? Who knows? All I know is that she was not happy and restricted our time outside greatly until her friend came over to put up a fence around the now battered plant.

I didn't much of it after that but Atlantis would not be quelled so easily. She chewed and tugged and brought that fence down. She even brought some of the fence in to the house and strutted triumphantly around before dashing back out to continue the slaughter of the plant.

The next day my human and her aunt took down the plastic mesh that lie in ruins and put up a metal mesh. Unfortunately one piece wasn't big enough so they had to string two together. Yes that made for a weak spot. It took Atlantis an extra day to find and exploit this weak spot but when she did get through the fence she was going to make sure my human knew how magnificent she was; she did this by breaking off half of what was left of the bush. She pulled it through the small hole in the fence then through the doggie door and left her prize in the kitchen for all to behold. Ok so maybe I helped a little.

Ya that was the last time we were allowed out that night. Good thing it was already late and she was about to call us in for bed anyways.

The next day my human and her aunt mended the fence and so far this time Atlantis hasn't gotten through. I'm really not sure if the plant could have survived another assault in its' current condition. At least now it will have time to recover, though it'll probably never look as healthy as it did before.

© Working-K9 2009     permalink

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
RA Picnic in the Park

Most mornings are pretty routine around here but on the mornings my human sets her alarm I know something special is going to happen that day. This day was no different in the total lack of similarity to other early rise days. You see while I know something unusual is going to take place I never quite know just what my human has planned.

After the morning ritual of feeding us dogs, letting us run a bit and kenneling the puppy my human tossed my service dog backpack on and we dashed out the door. After a quick stop at the grocery store we were on our way. Ok not quite. She got a little sidetracked chatting with her aunt when she drove by her place. Then we were off again.

We arrived at a park with kids and older people running about. Something was odd about these other humans. They were a lot like my human; disabled in much the same way. Some walked, some darted around in wheelchairs or scooters. The older ones were just an ornery as my human. Like the world can handle that?

A few from the Arizona Goldens gang joined us to play the part of my humans' family since this was supposed to be a family event. Thanks AZG!!

Oh and they brought a few dogs too. The kids couldn't keep their hands off of us adorable canines, let's face it, dogs are irresistible. The humans ate and chatted; we dogs were petted and loved. My human for a brief moment in time wasn't alone in her disability, and I got petted. My human socialized with those who have similar experiences, and I got petted. My human made some new friends, and I got petted.