Jetpaws!

We actually made it to NYC this morning even with the snow blizzard! Eek! Every flight yesterday was canceled except ours. With all the craziness at the airport, people weren't really concerned with a little puppy out of her crate in the terminal. People even asked if they could pet her. She really brought a smile to a lot of stranded people's faces.

And just so everyone can see, this is how much space Trixie's crate sticks out from under the seat and it's still allowed on the flight. No one ever gives us crap for this.

Beach bum...

Trixie got to go to the beach today, but not just any beach.....a DOG BEACH. This means that she could be off leash! How fun! Aaron was a little scared to let her off leash at first....who knows if she'll come back.

She got pretty freakin' far away from us.....but we learned something. Even if she gets really far away, she always comes back. She wants to be near us. Yeah, puppy likes us!

She liked the shore line too. I think she was digging for crabs! Yucky crabs!

Merry Christmas

Love, Trixie!

Gingerbread Dog

My niece made a gingerbread Trixie. It's hard to tell, but the peppermint is supposed to be Trixie's 'bugged out' eye, the pink thing on the left is her tongue and the red licorice is supposed to be her collar and holiday bow. Pretty darling, as my niece is only 5 years old!Here's the whole house that we made today....well, the good side at least!

On the Road Again...

Today we drove from San Francisco to Paso Robles, about a 3 hour drive. We decided to take the scenic route, Highway 1. (I don't recommend it as it takes twice as long and the roads are SUPER curvy. You could get sick.) I've just discovered Yelp and on this particular morning, we were starving and looking for a good breakfast place in Santa Cruz. We know nothing about Santa Cruz except that it has a pretty cute boardwalk and that UC Santa Cruz is home to the Banana Slugs....super scary mascot, I know.

Yelp helped me discover the Harbor Cafe. It had outdoor seating so it was already favorable on our lists. I was reading reviews, reading things like "get the burrito" or "don't go on weekends" when all of the sudden I spotted these words....DOG MENU! SOLD!!!!

Yes, this restaurant has an honest to God 'dog menu' which Trixie DID order off of. If you're curious, she got the bully stick because we KNOW that she can have them. I think we were most happy when the waitress dropped off our waters, picked up Trixie's bowl with bare hands, and brought it back full. (Trixie also got her food before us.....service for dogs=amazing, service for humans=pretty good!)

Storytime!

Today we stayed at our friend's house in San Francisco, They have a 21 month old little girl named Mei. Mei doesn't really like dogs. The two that she sees with her family are either big or aggressive. Trixie is neither, and a month ago we met up with Mei and her family with Trixie so that the two could meet. The two were best friends upon meeting....okay, maybe they were just ok with each other, but Mei was definitely not scared. Trixie wanted to make sure that she was a good houseguest, so she brought Mei Mei a present. A book actually. But not just any book....Harry the Dirty Dog. Trixie gave it two tail wags out of three. Trixie sat on the couch and listened in on the story.

And it was so good that she fell asleep. I guess the climax of the story was not that deep.

Jetsetter!

Trixie once again flew to CA with us on Jetblue. It was a great experience. She was no trouble and at the end of the flight, many people were shocked that a dog was even on our plane because she was so dang quiet. There were plenty of kids though....my ears are still ringing.

You can see on the map behind us that we're currently over Montana. I couldn't believe how well Trixie did. The flight was delayed and so she had to spend EXTRA time on top of the already long flight in her crate. The flight attendants were very sweet. We were able to poke her head out and give her ice chips and some carrots, and the stewardess asked if we wanted a cup of water for our dog. No sass whatsoever! The passengers around us were also happy to see her, wanting to pet her, asking if she was a westie, etc. She's one of my favorite travel companions!

In the dog's nest...

Trixie loves to people watch. She doesn't like being the one out of the 'know'. Since it's super cold outside and we don't always want to wait outside for "like 3 hours while she decides which pup to play with and which stick is more scrumptious" we opened our blinds for her to look out of.

It's also her favorite place to sunbathe now too.

Our neighbor, Boba Fett!

Boba Fett, as you may know, is a bounty hunter from the Star Wars trilogy. He's pretty bad ass. This is him.Yep, super bad ass!

Our neighbor got a HUGE dog and named him Boba Fett, or Boba for short. When Trixie first met him, she was teeny tiny. Techincally, she's still teeny tiny compared to him. But she was also super afraid of him. I'm now happy to say that Trixie swallowed her galaxy sized fear and now plays often with Boba. Just look at that size difference!

A Black Tie Event

After our show on Wednesday, there was a black tie event that benefited Sylvia's Place, an emergency overnight shelter for LGBTQ youth. Since Trixie is a star (or at least she think she is...doesn't help with the entire cast calling her "THE STAR!) she wanted to attend, but not just in her regular old puppy fur. She wanted to dress up like everyone else.

Aaron pulled out his bow tie from his tux and donated it to Trixie for the night. She looks so dashing! There may have to be some glamour shots in her future.

What a little model! And Trixie really made a great impression on everyone in the audience too. We made sugar cookies in the shape of Trixie as well as some rice krispie treat squares, sold them for a dollar each to benefit the same fundraiser, and we made $43! Maybe we should start selling stuff on the front stoop?

One last cute factoid: Trixie is the daughter of 2 champion show dogs. Trixie unfortunately has a crooked tail. We don't seem to mind though. It's hard explaining show dogs to my 5 year old niece.....so I tell her that there are doggie models and Trixie has a crooked tail so she can't be a model.

White Christmas

It started to snow today. Trix didn't care though....she did try to eat that weird white stuff on the ground though. Man it was cold!Here's her cute little paw print. Aww, cute little puppers!

5 Months Old!

Woo Hoo! Let's celebrate! Trixie is 5 months old, 3 of which have been spent in our care! We haven't managed to kill her although she has had her fair share of vet visits already. Here are some cute photos and stats for you Trixie fans out there.

Here she is at 2 months old, fitting in the corner of her crate.
And here she is today, 5 months old and filling out the entire back of the crate.

Trixie's ear was not strong enough to stand on its own and she fit nicely in my arms.

And today, she's quite a bit larger and her ears are super pointy!

Trixie's weight at 2 months: 4 lbs. 8 oz.

Trixie's weight today: 13 lbs.

Trixie is now losing teeth.

Trixie is now potty trained.

Trixie is now a broadway star.....true story!

It's like Easter Sunday over here!

Trixie is a teething pup. Everytime she nibbles on something hard, there is a chance that we will see some sharp-ass teeth fall to the ground. It's like roulette....with dog teeth instead of chips.

I've been lucky enough to get two of them. It's so freakin' cool when I get them....but what TO do with them??? She currently has a canine tooth that is super wiggly. Aaron has been eyeing it and really really REALLY wants to keep it, but we can only get it IF she doesn't eat it first.

Everything's Coming Up Trixie...

Trixie went to my show today. It's called "Is There Room In Your Heart?" and is about being homeless. It's also a benefit for those who are in need. Some of the proceeds are going to various shelters throughout NYC as well as to Sylvia's Place, an organization that helps GLBT teens and young 20 somethings. Ok, enough plugging....

This is the photo board outside my show.

Question; Notice anything strange about this photo???

If your answer is "Trixie has a headshot", then you are correct.....yep, Trixie is in a show with me. And quite the hilarious story it is on how she got 'discovered'.

She actually had to go to the doggie emergency room on our opening night and I missed my call time. She had swallowed a piece of bone that was too big for her tiny little throat. The vets said that she was fine but that we should monitor her....just great, seeing as I was supposed to be on stage and Aaron was out of state on business. I ended up bringing her to my show and she chilled out in the green room with the actors. Everyone loved her except for one person who "doesn't like animals, period!" Even the allergy people liked her.

The play ran smoothly and Trix was an angel. The next morning, I had received 3 text messages, a phone call, AND an email from the creative team members. Each one wanted to ask me if Trixie would be in the show....

So now my baby's a star. She's loving show business so far. All she does is sit in her travel crate, listen to live music, and she gets fed pieces of apple....what could be better than that?!

See? Trixie fits in with all the actors in the green room.

Bath Time!

At 4:50 this morning, I woke up to a poor puppy vomiting. I felt so bad for her. It was in her fur, on her blanket, on the floor of her crate....everywhere. I managed to clean up the crate and gave her a new blanket before plopping back into bed. When I woke back up, OMG, she smelled SO BAD! It was very clear to me...Trixie needed a bath like whoa!
She protested a bit. Wiggling, jumping, splashing, and shaking. My shirt is completely soaked and Trixie is now snow white! Very fitting since this morning, it started snowing here! Oh god, I hate cold weather. I don't think Trix minds it that much though.

Graduation Day!

Trixie has finally completed her 6 week course in puppy manners. She has learned to sit, lay down, come, stay, leave it, and touch. At times, she was the best in her class! Here's a photo of all the graduates! Congrats, pups!

Not allowed to celebrate...

The photo is dark, but it's of Trixie sitting outside of an exercise pen that holds a beautiful Christmas tree and a delicious tree skirt.....ah, if you were reading that closely, you'll notice that I described the skirt as delicious.....Yep, Trixie LOVES it! And boy do I HATE it when she nibbles on it. She also thinks that the tree's water is more delicious than her own. So until she can control herself, Christmas is canceled for Trixie. She can arf herself to sleep!

Happy Hannukah from Trixie

For anyone out there that celebrates Hannukah, Trixie hopes you get 8 awesome gifts! Trixie actually got a bacon flavored bone for Hannukah and she will NOT give it back. We might have to learn about sharing....le sigh.

This photo was SUPER hard to get because Trix was afraid of the menorah. And just to make it safe, I didn't light the candles! Eek!

Jesus Mary and Joseph!!!!

I freaked out today! Someone was dining ON my dog today! He wasn't invited, and we kicked him out before he could finish....who am I talking about??? The incredibly evil Mr. Tick!

Yes, I know, gross. But I think it's important to showcase the good AND bad on this blog. It's not all rainbows and unicorns with a puppy. Anyway, back to the tick....I discovered him while (brace yourselves) kissing and cuddling her! I don't remember if my lips actually touched him, but I remember feeling something like a really long pimple. Thank goodness for Aaron because he was able to research how to take one out online, and he actually did it. I mean, I know how to take one out, but I'm super squeamish about stuff like that. Trixie didn't seem to care after it was out, and we continued to give her a TSA-esque pat down to search for more MTD (mass ticks of destruction).

Traveling buddy

Trixie has proved herself a great traveling companion once again. Last night, we boarded our Jetblue red eye flight. We didn't even give Trix a chamomile pill. She fell asleep or at least kept quiet the whole time. To make it even more difficult, there was a whiny pup on the plane as well....and wouldn't you know, the dog sat in the row right behind us! But Trix did NOT encourage that dog. She ignored it! What a great pup! We're so proud!

We were very happy to see a doggie run (although super small at about 100 sq. feet) at LAX across the street from the Delta terminal (Terminal 5). Aaron did some research for where we could find one, and in doing so, read that all airports are now REQUIRED to have doggie relief areas because of service dogs. It's a lot nicer to travel with pets now, I bet.

And now for a game....I spy with my little eye......a westie!

Teacher's Pet

Trixie has been attending puppy kindergarten. I keep meaning to being my camera to class to show her improvements, but alas.....I'm super forgetful about it. Sometimes, we nearly forget the clicker for her training! Here are some cute photos of her working!

Here she is sitting for the teacher. Teacher Inna likes to give out bits of hot dog. Look how cute she looks....It's hard to see, but on the floor is a piece of turkey. Trixie was instructed to "leave it" and if she didn't POUNCE on it puppy style, she would get a treat!This is Trixie's BFF, Teddy. He's a Maltese Yorkie mix. Trixie is waiting for a treat! What a good little monster!And once again, she's sitting. Pretty hilarious that she and Teddy are sitting for treats while Rudy and Gamma are wrestling!

The Seaside!

We took Trix to the beach today! She loved it. She wasn't running around, but we could tell that she really enjoyed the sand and the smells. We used our 30 feet leash and she was able to feel a little free.30 Feet really isn't that long when you look at this photo. The doberman in the middle of us is Aaron's mom's boyfriend's (wow) dog named Rusty. Rusty is SUPER old and doesn't play, although he did enjoy Trixie at times. We started calling him "creepy Uncle Rusty" if you catch my drift. We think that he started to feel like Trix was his replacement so maybe it's for the best that we're leaving...Trixie dips her paws in the beautiful briny sea! She actually was NOT expecting the wave and later on, when Aaron tried to get her to go in again, she scattered...."no way, dad!"

She refused to pose for pictures. What a diva!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We took Trixie over to my grandparents' house for Turkey day this year. Boy did she love it!? There's a whole enclosed courtyard with a pool there. Also, my grandma loves to feed Trixie things like turkey necks and hearts....what's not to love about that?! She even loved chilling out in grandma's flower bed. I saw grandma giving a little bit of a side eye when this happened and we'll work on it, but it's hard to catch her sometimes.

My cousin Lauren brought over her 1 year old Italian Greyhound, Luna Bon Qui Qui....(that's pronounced Bon Quee Quee if you didn't know) Yes, that's her real name. Sometimes, we just call her Bon Qui Qui. I guess the dog's name used to be Luna but my cousin thought that her name needed something ghetto to follow it up....Trixie and Luna BQQ got along famously. They were chasing each other through the house, through the landscaping, near the turkey, on the pool cover....EVERYWHERE! They were best buds. They even had the same cute pink collars!
Here we all are, trying to take a photo. I guess the girls were more interested in each other than actually posing. Oh well...
They were constantly wrestling! And chasing, and wrestling some more. Trixie has been getting her fair share of play dates! Keep it up, Trix!

Meet Brooke!

A friend of my mom's, Suzanne, loves westies and has one named Brooke. Trixie loves playing with other westies, so we made a playdate. And boy, did they play?
Brooke chased Trixie under a hutch. However, Brooke couldn't fit under there. We were told that Trixie was dusting the floor too. Oh, joy!

Trixie liked that she was able to jump on the furniture at this house. The couch and bed at our house are too high for her....nope, not these couches! And Suzanne loved to meet my mom's "grand puppy" as she likes to call Trixie.

Brooke liked to look down on Trixie. They tired each other out! It was only about half an hour of playtime and she took at least a 2 hour nap afterwards! Looks like we'll be calling up Brooke again! You can see them chase each other here!