Growing and Playing...

It's been a while since I've posted. With the end of summer, weather is absolutely incredible. Warm days, cool-ish evenings/nights. Perfect weather for keeping the windows open and spending time with my favorite "man" MUGGS. He's been growing and growing.....and we don't hit 6 months until the 19th of November.

Although I haven't been feeling top notch, he's my every reason for getting up in the morning, going for walks, and making sure that we get exercise and PLENTY OF REST (we've both got the latter down to an art and science).

Above, is a series of photos - taken at 6 weeks (by Sally Rosenthal, his "mom", breeder, and owner of Barrister English Cocker Spaniels), 4 1/2 months, and, finally, just the other day at 5 1/2 months....

Below, is a video, taken by a new friend, Ully Martinez, who is Harry's mom (Harry's the beautiful and incredibly good natured Bernese - who "co-stars" in the video clip) will upload and be viewable - it was from two nights ago during a walk (and play) through Ruth Hardy Park. Harry was the very first dog MUGGS met at Ruth Hardy Park some months ago....I think he's never forgotten how sweet this gentle giant was to him....and now that he's growing in size and confidence, he loves to play with Harry - even though he's still way outsized!!!!

What a Dinner...

Life has been pretty full, as anyone could imagine, with MUGGS in it. He's growing like I can't believe and amazes me with each new day and situation. We switched vets, to Dr. Steven Salk, and had an initial visit this past week - and I'm thrilled. His staff, his facility, and the way he got along with MUGGS was just perfect.

Last night I had one of those rare evenings: someone cooked for me!!!! Not just me, actually. A new friend, Jim, who I met though David Madison, had been promising that I'd get an invite when his LA friend, Peter, came to town to cook one of his extraordinary Chinese dinners. Jim is one of these rare individuals - very kind, caring, thoughtful, and so true to his words and promises. He's been a constant source of help and encouragement with MUGGS....having been the proud dad of a few dogs, in his day. I say dogs, but his tasted in puppies lands in the nearly human size end of the dog spectrum. He's the proud papa of two beautiful, loving and, of course, enormous Newfoundlands: GUS and LILLY.

David came by with Gryffin, last night, to pick MUGGS and me up for the much anticipated dinner, over at Jims. Peter was finally in town and we were heading over to his house, not far from my place, to have an evening of friends, fun, wine and incredible food; dogs invited!!! How great is that? It was my first visit to Jim's house, which is beautiful. Like an overly nervous parent, as soon as we arrived, I immediately walked around to every open bedroom door and shut them. Puppy piddling, was not how I wanted to be remembered after my first invite to Jim's.

MUGGS was in heaven - all this new territory to explore and new people and dog friends. Everyone had a great time. Nibbly bits and some drinks to start with.....then the cooking of the savory courses started. Jim had already been busy with desserts - this guy knows how to bake. I wish that I'd gotten a photo of his fig tart with citrus mascarpone all set in an incredible crust: perfectly flaky, and flavored with rosemary (yup - what a combination!!!!) and a kiss of cornmeal. There were madeleines, orange custard ice cream, and molten chocolate cakes - all coming up, for dessert.

The main event started with home made BBQ pork in buns with cognac hoisin and scallions - yum!!!! A nice crisp white wine was the perfect foil to the salty sweet of the buns.

Next was rice with an incredible stir fry beef, followed by the MOST AMAZING fresh Chinese noodle stir fry with duck and chicken and the most incredible array of perfectly cut and cooked vegetables and spices.

I could have started with dessert and stopped there - but the savory courses were really amazing.....So, I had plenty of both. I was stuffed - and MUGGS was tuckered out. We both slept a full 8 hours last night - a gift to both MUGGS and ME.

Here are some pictures of the evening:

• Jim and Peter with the noodles
• Muggs taking a break with Lilly - talk about the odd couple!!!
• The dinner table - before we attacked!!!
• The first course

Life is good....especially with a little MUGGS in it!!!!

Been a while....been busy. Had an great-full 8 hours of sleep, last night. MUGGS is way ahead of where typical expectations place his age for how long he can sleep in his crate without whimpering "I need to go outside". I know that it's still an uphill struggle - and am well aware that there will be slips and slides backwards. But, his temperament is so good - - I know, already, that we're headed for a great life together.

Just some things I wanted to share, along with a few new photos:

• I am amazed at how much MUGGS has grown. Here is one picture at 9 weeks, taken by Sally Rosenthal, MUGGS' true "MOM". The other "pose" is my attempt - 4 weeks later (this past Tuesday at 13 weeks) of trying the "pose" on my coffee table. Look at how his body and legs seem to "fit" more....
  

• What a great attitude MUGGS has. He's still a puppy and can go "psycho" on me, at times. When those rare moments occur OR when I just want to have my morning coffee alone, I gate him in the kitchen (with doggie door access to the yard) and he never ever whines. He's so happy to be able to go in and out the door, play with his toys, take a slurp or two or water, do his "business" in the yard....He's always happiest when we are together (so am I). That's the barometer of a true English Cocker. But, his ability to be content to hang out alone with his toys - in the kitchen....without the typical puppy whimper and yapping....LUCKY US!!!

• As a member of the "hunting" breeds, swimming is something that's part of his genetics. Today, I went over to David Madison's house and got in the pool with him, Gryffin, and MUGGS. Although it was his first time in that pool - so he had no sense of where the steps were....he paddled like a pro. A picture of David with Gryffin and MUGGS, plus one of me, after we all got out and were letting the 110 degree Palm Springs heat, dry us off!!!!

Setting boundaries...

Sleep deprivation, starting to impact me. Each night is better --- that's a fact. Encouraged by most experienced friends, I opted for the crating method, at night. Even though Muggs slept with me the first night, I wasn't set up...plus, it just felt like the right thing to do the first time Muggs would be away from his 7 brothers and sisters.

Bought the crate, the next day, and I can confirm that he now seems to like it, at night. Granted, it's only been four night's here at the house; three of them in the crate. My friend Jacqueline Leppla uses crating for her grown German short-hair, Sage, and the one puppy they kept from Sage's first litter, Storm. When I was in Reno I was often the first one up, in the morning, so learning the process and technique that the Leppla dogs were used to was pure luck, for me.......not even thinking, for a minute, that I'd be using the same technique and tool in just a matter of weeks.

Setting boundaries is the single most important step, right now. That's been the universal message from friends, family and everything I've read, on line. This morning, it's a tough one.....Keeping Muggs penned in to the kitchen, while I'm doing other things, around the house. I've already left the house, several times, leaving him "gated" in the kitchen. Mostly, that has gone okay....only one big and one small accident.

We made it through three hours last night, before whining in the crate signaled time for peeing. After that it was another 5 hours of sleep before we finally got up for the day. The cumulative lack of solid sleep is just the way it goes, for this first week. But, we've gone from three hours, the first night, to 5 hours last night. Fingers crossed for tonight.....I need a solid 6-7 hours to start feeling better.

As for today's goals. I'm having my coffee in the TV room and MUGGS is gated in the kitchen. I left the flap for the doggy door open, so he could go in and out. This was fine for the first 20 minutes - all the while ignoring his whimpering (setting those boundaries and sticking with it----do not cave to the whines). After hearing him successfully navigate the doggy door 3 times in a row I looked out the TV room window (overlooking the yard) and saw he was scrambling towards the front fence. It's secure, but with a bit of digging, I didn't want to take a chance. In the next couple of days I'll be laying down cement pavers, at the gate threshold, and cinder blocks sunk into the ground along the length of the fence to prevent escape if he decides to dig.

So, for now, I've closed the doggy door flap, because with him being emotional right now.....getting OUT is probably big on his mind. With that motivation, I didn't want to risk the chance that his little puppy digging could net him an escape route. Muggs is safely gated, in the kitchen and wining....I'm just ignoring his wines. Hopefully, this will work, this morning.....Back to coffee and the news....

Here are two pictures from this morning - romping in the yard...very happy.....just before the next picture - which was taken just as I was leaving Muggs in the kitchen for our setting the boundaries session.....Hoping the whining doesn't go on and on....

Thanks DAD....

I wanted to dedicate this post to my dad - who was so kind in helping make MUGGS possible, in my life. He, my friend David and Nick, all shared in the gift of my wonderful puppy. Muggs' first night was mostly uneventful. I had to cave and let him sleep in the bed with me - something I will save for the future, when he gets over his separation issues.....being pulled away from his 7 siblings!!!!

Today, I'll head out to shop for a crate - even though some friends think a box is a better, less imposing and confining an idea. I'm going to start him in it tonight -- wish me luck. More chew toys and some other goodies are all on the list for a run to PETCO....

For now - here are some pictures - the first, is my dad, from earlier this summer, at the retirement party for my original Foothill High School band teacher.... The rest are from today....just hanging out....

Coming Home

Well, the day has finally arrived. I drove the almost 3 hours to Moorpark, where Sally Rosenthal was keeping the puppies for their final week, while she and her husband, Doug took a much needed vacation - to Savannah. I can't wait to hear more about her trip - but today was all about meeting Sally at (other) Salli's, in Moorpark to bring Muggs home, to Palm Springs.

The drive was long and exhausting - but I was busting at the seams with excitement. After a final visit with his brothers and sisters, it was time to fill out some paperwork and thank Sally for her amazing goody bag - complete with a photo of Muggs "mug" on the outside of the canvas tote.

I was nervous as all get out about the long drive home. David Madison, my good friend who spearheaded the wonderful gift of Muggs, assured me that I just needed a nice soft spot for the puppy to recline on and he'd watch the cars go by and sleep, and so forth. Whizzing along at 70 miles an hour, I wondered if the trip would be peaceful....albeit, lonnnnnnnng.

After a very little bit of fussing, Muggs kept trying to climb over to my (the drive) side of the car....that made me nervous. As it turns out, all he wanted was to splay out and rest his head on my lap......and the trip flew by. Muggs slept, with his head on my lap, the entire time.....And with no traffic - I was home in record time.

I've had David's dog (and Muggs' great-uncle) here for the past week, while David's been in Los Angeles.....when I got home Gryffin was kind as could be.....although a bit indifferent (no agression - just that look that said "who's this?"). After a very quick tour of my place, we went outside and Gryffin did his business - and Muggs followed suit......SCORE!!!! I'm sure there will be accidents - - but it was a pretty awesome start.

I'm exhausted - so here are some pictures - for now......

• Muggs - just before getting into the car to head home.
• Muggs - at his new home, in his new bed, in Palm Springs.....

It Must Be Love....

Having had such a great time in Tahoe - I figured my stop over to house sit for my friends Jeff and John in Los Angeles would be a piece of cake. Well, the cat and house sitting wasn't difficult. I just never expected to feel so awful after having such an amazing week with David/Jacqueline and the girls in Reno and Lake Tahoe. Still not sure what was dogging me - but something has been ailing me - so I'm thankful that I got some beautiful weather, here in Los Angeles, while I spent the week mostly horizontal.

There was a bright spot - that was part of the plan for a long time....that was a trip to see Sally Rosenthal and my now (almost) 8 week old Muggs.....my new puppy. She's such an amazing person, and I'm so thankful to her for being such a good custodian, lover of animals, and willing to give over her entire house to breed and raise English Cocker Spaniels.

Although I'm headed back home to Palm Springs, this morning, yesterday I mustered up all of my energy to drive up to Agua Dulce (a community of homes on large plots of land - with horses, dogs, and more...adjacent to Santa Clarita - an hour north of downtown Los Angeles). That's where Sally and the brood live. It sure beats trying to get to Mulawi - and, personally, I think my puppy is plenty cute!!!! I need to finish packing and get on the road back to Palm Springs....I'll let the pictures tell the story. I'll be back in 4 weeks (after all shots have been administered) to take Muggs home to Palm Springs - Enjoy the pictures - I know I had such a great time bonding with him......

Lake Tahoe Day Two...

Got up early and had to walk to 7-eleven for a toothbrush....left mine in Reno, by mistake. Forgot what a bargain it is to buy things in this little Lakeside Resort: 5 bucks for the basic toothbrush. Better for my teeth and everyone around me, just the same.

After David made a great breakfast it was time to head out to the water for a quick ride. The girls have to be back in Reno, for the day (softball practice) and David had patients to see. So, I opted to stay here and rest - I'm having a lot of fun - but energy is a little low.

Once again - the weather is so incredible and the lake was smooth as glass and nary a boat around. The girls got lots of intense riding on the ski raft and I learned how to pilot the boat. Reluctantly, we all headed back to the house, after an hour and a half and they all took off - with me just hanging here and resting. Just as we were heading up to the house, Morgan and David found a water snake - beautiful creature. That Morgan is such a brave one.....see the picture.

Some pictures, to share, of course:

• Margaux and Madeline, just before we got on the boat this morning.
• Morgan and Madeline riding the wake
• Margaux in the driver's seat
• Morgan and the snake
• Me, kicking back....loaded with sunscreen (got burned a bit yesterday.....totally forgot the lather up)

Lake Tahoe, June 24.....too beautiful.....really!!!

It's about 5pm on Wednesday and we've been up in Tahoe for the entire afternoon. Went out on the boat first thing - weather was beyond incredible, the lake surface was like glass....and there was pretty much not a soul around. We got a couple of hours of buzzing around on this speed raft thing - pulled behind the boat, driven by David. I got a good and crazy run myself - with Morgan - we had fun.....as did everyone else.

Went to the store, got dinner stuff and we're going to BBQ chicken skewers, roast some corn, and have a great time..... after Jacqueline drives up (when she gets done with work). It's about an hour drive from their place in Reno....to their place on the lake....awfully convenient and nicccccce!!!

Here's me just a few minutes ago - and one of the view from the deck of the house....

A Quick Trip To Reno....

After a depressing re-entry into life in Palm Springs I was moaning and groaning to Jacqueline on the phone one day. I attributed part of my BLUES to the basics of jet lag....the rest to that sort of feeling of solitude after being around a group for a while. There are moments when you just say -"I can watch any channel on TV I want" or, in my case "I don't feel like cooking just for myself....I'll microwave something"....and this went on, night after night after night.

During this phone call we cooked up a plan for me to take a trip to Reno to see the whole family - and their new addition. In April, David and Jacqueline's German Shorthair female - SAGE, gave birth to puppies. STORM was the female/puppy the family decided to keep. Here's a picture, from this morning, after the two have had their morning back yard "you know what" and before the rest of the family wakes up. They sleep seperately, but like to snuggle a bit in the mornings....

Also, a picture from dinner last night, at a great local Reno restaurant La Famiglia Ristorante

Possible trip with David and the girls to Tahoe today....will post on this later....

A Parent....

Most of you know I've turned 50 this year. I continue to feel blessed and grateful for so much in my life; family, friends, France (thank you, again, Lepplas!!!!) and so much more. Reconnecting with people from my high school years has been a big boost and helps me to remember where I've come from and gives me a great chance to reflect on everything that has been part of this amazing journey.

This year marks another milestone for me: I'm getting my first dog. A birthday gift from my friend David Madison, my dad and my friend Nick....

On my way back to Palm Springs, this past Sunday, I stopped off to see Sally Rosenthal and her great family to look at the new litter of English Cocker puppies, born last month. Ginny, the mother, gave birth to an unblievable 8 babies. One didn't make it, so she's been very busy taking great care of the remaining 7 little ones. Before we sat down to a delicious lunch (thanks to Sally's husband Doug) I got to visit the puppies - which, as you can see, do look more like hamsters, right now, than the gorgeous English Cockers they will grow into. I was drawn to one of the puppies, just for his independent spirit, but it's too early to determine which will be going to pet homes and which are destined for masters who want to take on the rigors of raising a show dog.

I'm at the top of the list to pick from the pet dogs. This determination is made by a combination of assessments, mostly to determine if there are any medical predispositions that would make the dog ineligeble for entry into dog shows. More photos during my next visit, at the beginning of July, when I'll get to see the puppies with more fully developed personalities, and possibly pick my puppy out......Mid-August is when I officially will become a PARENT!!!!!!

The photos are:

• The little ones, all huddled together, while mom takes a break from the box.....
• Me with three of the adult cockers that are part of the household, including the mother of the puppies, Ginny, at the left, in the photo, on the couch, at Sally and Doug's house
• Me falling striking a pose with one of the adult dogs - a total love of a dog....
• Demi-tasse, an 8 month old female, who is so incredibly beautiful (and she knows it).......

Hometown Friends...

Though I was born in San Francisco, moving to Pleasanton didn't happen until I was 10 years old. I've lived there, off and on, for much of my life.....Therefore, I call Pleasanton "my hometown" and this weekend was quite a homecoming event. Here are some of my favorite people from Pleasanton.

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• Melantha - was one of my serious "buds" from way back (she was one class behind me....)
• D'Aun (Wolford) Goble - married Roy, her high school sweetheart...and worked liked crazy on Saturday. She's an amazing person and good friend. Thanks to her and Roy for dinner at their amazing home Friday night....
  
• Julie (Bushman) Bos and family - great husband who worked like a dog on Saturday - and two wonderful daughters....
• Susan (Thomas) and me, on Saturday...she was the baton twirler in marching brand - we spent a lot of time together during our band years.....
• Anne Moorefield with John Whitbred - he was a sort of jock type in high school (READ: not too hot on band people) who has been a very proud band booster for his kids for many years - and a really great guy.

An Inspiration...

Finally I'm feeling more human - and up to getting some posting done from Saturday's great event at Foothill High School's retirement celebration for Bob Moorefield. He's been working hard for more years than you can imagine - - creating a music program at my alma mater. I'm sure the reality of it will hit him once the fall starts and he's got free time. He was celebrated in fitting fashion on Saturday with the help of many volunteers and over 800 current students/former students parents and band boosters. The Pleasanton Weekly wrote a great story - which gives you good view of Mr. Moorefield's legacy.

Here are some pictures from the day.... The last picture is me with Bob's (saint of a) wife, Anne.....she's been such a huge part of supporting Bob, the band, and just being her amazing self, all these years. Next post about my friends from high school who were there.....

My Hometown...Pleasanton

Here's a quick post - more on this past week, and some reflections on the France trip, to come. I'm at the Oakland Airport - a full week after arriving into SFO from France. Sorry there haven't been any posts in the past week. The bottom line - I've been completely wiped. My last big international trip was a full 10 years ago, when I went to Australia with my friend Tony Sabella. Wow....what a difference a decade makes.....it's been a week of total exhaustion and trying to get back on track. I've been at my dad's house in Pleasanton, and during the week, we've been planning and prepping (food) for yesterday's celebration of the retirement of Mr. Bob Moorefield, the first band teacher at Foothill High School - my high school....started (yup....it was a brand new, freshman only, at the time, facility). He's been at the helm of what was a very small music program, in the beginning...which has now grown to proportions and with a reputation of excellence and pride. 800 or so current students, past students, parents and a few other folks gathered at the football stadium, yesterday, to celebrate "Moorf's" retirement. It was a day full of great food, weather (yup...more perfect weather!!!), and seeing friends from many years ago. Great people and a really great time. I'm tired and heading to Burbank airport, where I'm renting a car to see my new puppy for the first time. An English Cocker, born 4 weeks ago, which I will get to take home in another 8 weeks. It just seemed like an ideal time to stop by, meet the breeder, and drive the two hours (one way rental car) to Palm Springs - home!!!!! Can't wait.

Here's a quick picture of Mr. Moorefield (Julie Bos at left was food and beverage chari, D'Aun was on the committee and worked like heck all day, my DAD who worked like he was 20....thanks Dad, and on the right is Mr. Moorefield) from yesterday - more to follow.

This Just In....The Tapestry in Place

Just got this email from Jacqueline with a photo attached. Even with all the jet-lag and interrupted sleeping, after getting home to Reno, NV - - David managed to get out to the home improvement store and buy the hanging rod for the tapestry - which you've got to agree, is perfect in this spot in their bedroom (Jacqueline's sister, Mary, was spot on).

I miss everyone so much.....maybe we'll try Italy in a few years....what do you think?

The Journey Home

With the arrival of Friday morning, there is more than just fog in the air. The excitement and, of course, a whirlwind of activity that goes along with 6 people packing, having breakfast, and getting in the car so we don’t miss our TGV from Bordeaux to Paris/Montparnasse is measureable. There’s a noticeable air of giddiness about going back home which, from my standpoint, is seriously tempered with a sense of sadness about ending this great trip. This France portion of my blog has been such a wonderful labor of love, I wonder if I keep writing about our trip that, maybe, it just won’t end. But, even “crazy me” knows that’s not gonna’ happen.

From a practical standpoint, we’ve learned a lot from our trip to the house just days earlier(direction: Paris to Bordeaux and onward to Pey Au Bruc). Getting sandwich fixings to eat on the train are a must, to avoid the awful and very pricey food sold in the “bar car” (as it turns out, this was not only a great idea, it was a salvation. The announcer on the train, as we are underway, lets us know that there will be no food/bar service on this particular train….can you imagine if we’d counted on buying food???). From our arrival into Bordeaux, David and I also know where to leave the girls and the luggage AND where to return the rental car. All this gets done and the move to the “voie” (platform) for our departing train goes “smooth as butter”. Turns out we’re already hungry – so we whip out our sandwiches, drinks and get busy with lunch right there, next to our piles of luggage. Even with Idris’ two additional bags – we do just fine and, before you know it, we are pulling into the Montparnasse station in Paris.

Another lesson learned is to make sure transportation is arranged ahead of time. We knew we’d need to take either the metro, a taxi, or arrange for a car/driver to get us from Gare Montparnasse to Charles deGaulle airport, where we had three rooms booked for the night, before leaving tomorrow on our flight to SFO. A couple of days ago we opted for the airport shuttle service that had done such a great job of finding us when we arrived out of customs at Charles deGaulle airport; getting us smoothly to Hotel Muguet. They came through for us this time, meeting us at the platform, just a few minutes after our arrival into Paris. The drive to the Sheraton Charles deGaulle (touted as the only hotel within the airport – and, fortunately for us, just a short walk from our departure terminal) took over an hour and a half. Rush hour and a holiday weekend made for some slow going as we traversed Paris to get north and out onto the highway to the airport.

The Sheraton was a welcome sight as we got to our rooms (very, very, very comfortable….great showers……such a great location, as I mentioned) and met downstairs for dinner in their dining room. Okay/decent food at outrageous prices. The cost of convenience, for sure.

Everyone had a great night’s sleep and we woke up in time to get downstairs for the complimentary breakfast (we were on the Club Floor at the hotel – a few extra American Express Points meant access to the Club Room, which we raided last night for some after dinner tartlets….and, of course, an easy in/easy out breakfast buffet in the downstairs restaurant, this morning).

All of our luggage in tow we headed for the international departures gate, checked in and then headed down one floor to the Air France lounge to wait for our flight to begin boarding. David was glad to see that they had diet Pepsi (called Pepsi Max, here in France) – the first time we saw any Pepsi products since leaving the USA. Coke must have a monopoly here. Even though it tasted different than in the US – it was nice to have it.

On to our gate, for boarding, and we were off for our quick 10.5 hour flight back to SFO. The return flight was, as before, on a Boeing 747. This aircraft, however, was a lot older than the first one – and the in-flight food service was rushed and mediocre when compared to our SFO-Paris flight. Also, the videos were the old-fashioned kind – where you clicked through various channels and could only see movies in progress (our arrival flight had “on demand” viewing). The choices were pretty pathetic – lacking in ANYTHING for the girls to really enjoy. Bummer. They were absolute angels during the flight – even I was more restless than they were.

Arrival into SFO was pretty easy, we cleared customs and the moment of saying our goodbyes had arrived. My dad was in the international arrivals lounge and David, Jacqueline, Morgan, Margaux, and Madeline headed out for their car, which was in the long term parking lot. About 15 minutes out from the airport Jacqueline called – their car battery was dead. I told my dad we should turn around….At that very moment Jacqueline said that help was on the way from the airport garage staff. The Lepplas got a jump-start and headed for Bruce and Jackie’s house – to drop of Idris’ luggage. They kept the motor running so as to not risk another battery incident and headed home.

I got to my dad’s house in Pleasanton and napped….woke up and had a bit to eat with my dad and then slept through the night. Time to return to reality….though I’ll be at my dad’s for another week – resting up and waiting to attend the retirement party for Bob Moorefield, my band teacher, at Foothill High School, here in Pleasanton (next Saturday). I’ll probably post some reflections and thoughts about the trip, throughout the week – along with some photos which we didn’t get on the blog. For now – it’s time to catch up from jet-lag. Sorry to not be in France – but nice to be “home” after the long two day car-train-limo-plane trip back.

Here are some final trip photos from the train station in Bordeaux, at Charles de Gaulle airport, and on the plane ride back to San Francisco.