Category Archives: TRUMAN

September 22, 2007 — Restaurants are always an adventure with Truman, because if I don’t do good enough under-the-table recon, there is potential for great mess making. It’s happened before: the apparently delicious puddle of syrup I didn’t see against the dark pattern of the carpet, the gum I completely missed until it was so embedded that I had to do hair surgery….

But this was quite a successful outing, despite the challenges inherent in an outdoor venue like the patio of the Omelette Parlor. Namely, birds and bird by-products.

Truman is quite the avian enthusiast around our neighborhood, typically going out of his way to acknowledge our feathered friends, greet them, and very thoughtfully alert me to their presence so that I may enjoy them as well. And there were plenty of birds on the patio this post-thunderstorm morning, having emerged from their rainy day hideaways in search of carelessly dropped breakfast tidbits. However, the boy was quite well behaved! He spotted them from his place on the brick floor beneath the table; he watched them, but he did not move.

When it rains, poor Truman is mostly relegated to my apartment because there’s no suitably dry place for him to play outside, and this thunderstorm had given him quite a case of cabin fever. So, after exercising such remarkable restraint at the restaurant, I thought he deserved a little stroll down Main Street. So we window-shopped and people-watched and did our best to avoid other folks with dogs. Not too shabby! He pulled at the leash a bit, but was mostly cooperative, even for a couple of photos (though there is a limit to his patience).

“I will pose for your stupid artsy photo, but I will NOT be happy about it.”

Leaving the burrito unattended on the seat of the vehicle while you walk around to get into the driver’s side.

Truman and I have achieved trust.

This post will remain at the top of my blogs until November 11, 2007. Skip on down to the new stuff if you’ve already seen this…but please read on if you’re new here.

Truman and I are big fans of the U.S. military; you might remember our care package posts, and you might also know that I am a Soldiers’ Angels volunteer. Both my dad and my grandpa served during wartime, so this is a cause that’s dear to me.

Many of our young men are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with devastating hand and arm injuries that result in isolation and frustration in addition to the physical pain of the injury itself. Think about it: is your computer your lifeline? Your source of news and entertainment? Your outlet for self-expression? Your means of earning a paycheck? If your hands were burned, bandaged, missing — such that you could not even scratch an itch or hold a toothbrush, much less send an e-mail from your hospital bed to a faraway loved one — what impact would this have upon your life?

Project Valour-IT exists for this reason. The project that serves our wounded troops by providing them with voice-activated laptops is having its annual fundraising competition, complete with a little good natured inter-branch rivalry.

I made a generic pitch/bleg last year, but this year I’m aligning with Team USMC, in honor of my adopted Marine (and because Truman also fancies himself a devil dog of sorts).

Will you take a moment to make even a small tax-deductible donation (via PayPal or credit card)? Every dollar counts, and every cent goes to the purchase and shipment of the laptops. This is a perfect opportunity to show your gratitude for the sacrifices made by our military (especially if you live in an area not directly connected to the military community), or to teach your children the value of giving, or to be a vital part of someone’s healing process.

Help Team USMC reach our $60,000-by-Veteran’s-Day goal! Please give by clicking on the thermometer graph in my sidebar.

Thank you. And now, back to our regularly scheduled puppy posts.

This is why passing co-workers often snicker.

Shameless.

Truman and Tai attended their first Kings game this evening. Here they are with us outside Staples Center, putting on their game faces (and their Terminator eyeballs).

I hadn’t been to a hockey game since the unfortunate demise of the Long Beach Ice Dogs, who had always been gracious and welcoming when the South Bay group brought a sizeable contingent of four-legged fans to an annual outing. So I was thrilled to “suit up” in a borrowed jersey from Matt and Amy (even though it rendered me and my fifty-eight bulky I-am-a-wuss-in-the-cold clothing layers a bit too reminiscent of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man). Because how can you not show a little team spirit when you are sitting…NEXT TO THE BENCH AND FOUR ROWS FROM THE ICE?!?!?

No joke, we were this close, thanks to a friend and fellow puppy raiser who works for the venue and had some unused company seats to spare. Close enough to hear the skates on the ice. Close enough to see the blood when one dude’s face got skated on. Close enough to read more than the jersey numbers of the superstars. What’s up, Cammy!

Our proximity meant that the experience would be all the louder for the pups. It was a good test. Truman has been in crowds before, but not for this sustained amount of time and intensity. The first time or two that the puck (or the people) smacked the wall in front of our section, Truman sat up to investigate, but he settled in after that. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the cheering, the music, the lights, the people chanting “Oilers suck! Oilers suck!”…but what would happen when the Kings scored?

A really loud *horn* is what would happen when the Kings scored. And Tai was not too pleased about it, sounding as it did like an oncoming train. Again, Truman was startled the first time. But luckily, the Kings gave us plenty of opportunity to practice (sorry, Edmonton!)…by the third and fourth goal, Truman just lifted his head for a second then went right back to his nap on the nice cool floor.

The boys were very well-behaved and impressive overall, and of course garnered the usual attention from nearby fans and event staff alike. Our handsome lads attracted more “hockey ho’s” than the players did.

We celebrated the 4-1 win by heading back to Matt & Amy’s house for sports report highlights and some delicious forbidden cat food.

Okay, that last part was just Truman. I guess everyone’s got their game day traditions.

We all need a little break from work once in a while. Occasionally, I let Truman go naked at the office.

Someone has a little crush on Truman!