Woo the Wonder Dogby MonkeyPig, guest blogger

Woo is a wonder dog.

I don't think many dogs can say I've been to almost the four corner of the United States. She's left her marks, and I do mean marks, at the beaches of Kaneohe Bay, Jekyll Island, Redondo beach, and St Petes in Florida. She's never been to the New England states. But. she's been to Seattle. She criss-crossed the US no less about 4 times.

She was a wonderful companion. She was considerate. Even up to the very end, she struggled outside to poop because she doesn't want to mess up the house for Mommy and Baysee.

She is a dog with will of steel. In February 2011, despite her arthritis and hip dysplasia, she slowly inched up a 45 degree incline hill of about 300 yards during one of our afternoon runs. We can't use the usual empty street because it was a work day. We went to a large empty field where Baysee and I ran. She did her usual thing to explore and light exercise. Baysee and I was running up-and-down that hill. As we came back the second time around, Woo was slowly hobbling up that hill as if to show us that she can do it, too. This is Woo - strong willed to the very end. I wish people are as strong as her.

She was really happy to see all the Aunties in May this year. It was supposed to be just Ca Loc, Wah Toh and Leung Gor. But, Nonny Nu, 3Fish, and So Ba Sing showed up to surpise Monkeypig. Woo was the star of the reunion. It was like when we were in the old house.

Even at the very end, on Wednesday, she mustered up all her energy to spent time with me. I fed her and stroked her back and gave her tummy rubs. The vet let us go outside. It was a sunny day. We spent about 20 minutes outside. She propped her head up to look around. She was so weak that I had to support her whole body for her to poop and pee.

When the decision was made, though she was very weak, for a few minutes, when she heard my voice, she looked into my eyes giving me permission and telling me to not worry about her as Sushi had reserved a bunk space for her.

She laid in my arms and went into a peaceful slumber around 1 AM.

The folks, like her Aunties, Cousins, and the Nu Warren family who had shared in our adventures, I thank you for your supports and love.

I encourage all of us with pets to view them like family and give them love. The funny thing about dogs and cats is that even if you don't love them, they unconditionally love you to death.

I put together this video as a chronical to Woo's life over these past 3-4 years. For those of you who are i-woo-literate, Woo is the black pit bull with the white streak up the nose and white chest. The younger brother Baysee it the funny looking brown down with a wrinkly forehead.

Woo, don't steal Sushi's food as you did mine.

My New Roommate by Sushi, guest blogger

Hello, everybody!

Sushi here with an update on Pet Paradise.

I was assigned a new roommate early this morning.  Her name is "Woo."  It turns out that we have mutual friends and are, in fact, related.  I had never met Woo before so I was so surprised to know that she is my cousin on my mom's side.

Yesterday, Management installed a bunk bed in my room and told me I was going to get a roommate.  When Woo arrived in the wee hours of the morning, she came bounding into the apartment and gave me a great big hug.  Woo is a fun gal!  And, very thoughtful (she said she'd take the top bunk since I like to be cozy and "enclosed" on the bottom bunk).  [Interesting trivia:  When mom and Auntie MonkeyPig were growing up, they also shared a bunk bed with Auntie MonkeyPig on the top bunk and mom on the bottom bunk.]

As we got to talking, I was very surprised to learn that Woo used to have arthritis because she had jumped up to the top bunk with no problem.  She told me how her very loving momma would take her all over the country in a stroller and take her on nature walks.  I think Woo is the most well-travelled doggie among my acquaintances here in Pet Paradise.  We talked until the sun came up and she told me about seeing Yosemite and many different national parks.  She also described extensively the lovely roads her mom drove on with Woo and her brother, Baysee, sitting comfortably in the back seat, humming tunes and taking in the scenery.  Woo said she had a lot of fun.

While she was reminiscing about her travels, Woo hit on what she wanted to do with her life here in Pet Paradise:  Woo has decided to become Pet Paradise's first tour guide.  We have many hills, forests, lakes, and even deserts here in Pet Paradise--we have anything we want here!  Being a well-travelled doggie with many road trips under her belt, Woo will be fantastic at this.  I include a pic of Woo (right) when she went out this morning to figure out a good route for her first tour.  (She said that her ticket prices will be reasonable and she will offer that all military families will enjoy the tours free of charge.)

Woo is also going to learn to swim.  That was one thing that she hasn't done yet.  We have a class for that (it's free--don't worry Aunt MonkeyPig).

But there is one thing that Woo and I have very much in common--we love food!  Both of our moms knew this about us and would feed us table scraps.  Yum...  Here in Pet Paradise, the cafeteria is filled with dinner tables and chairs, but we don't sit at the tables.  No, we sit under the tables and among the chair legs.  That's just how we roll in Pet Paradise!

Before I end this transmission, I'd like to give a shout out to my mom and dad!  **flicks tail**

Yours truly,
Sushi

P.S.  Woo brought this picture with her and it's now on the table in the foyer of our apartment.  It shows Woo's mom and younger brother with Woo on a camping trip.

Woo is Back!

Our favorite old gal, Woo, went through a harrowing and sudden illness yesterday.  Her life was in the balance.  MonkeyPig even shed tears.  But, just wanted to let everyone know that Woo is pulling through and is looking much better today.

Sing it with me, people!by guest blogger, Kashy Boy

You all know about Skillet's hissing after I came back from my ultrasound with Dr. Meow Meow and had my belly shaved.  It's been a bit awkward at meal times because Skillet's bowl is right next to mine and she would chew and hiss at me at the same time.  But I knew she couldn't resist my beauty and handsomeness for very long.  This weekend, she finally gave me a hug!  Check it out.

She went back to hissing after that, but it doesn't matter!  I know she loves me!  So, sing it with me, people!

Self-Portrait and Magnets

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

This morning, I rode the rails with Cl. Panic and dribbled tea all over my sweater because my beautiful Jane Austen inspired travel mug sprang a leak.  But all is well because someone at work gave me an enzyme stain remover wipe.  It works ok, but not as good as a Tide Pen.

Anywho, the moral of this story is:  I got a new magnet!!

Whenever I or one of my friends or sisters go on vacation, we bring back refrigerator magnets to share with the people who we left at home.  My very first refrigerator magnet was one from Seattle, but I will tell you how I got that later in this post.  Check out my office minifridge and my magnet collection (you can see a reflection of me taking the photo)!

I can't remember the order in which I received the magnets, but I know that the first one I got was from Green Thumbs McGillicutty.  It was from one day trip she took from San Jose to Seattle just to make the miles to keep her in some sort of airline "best customers" club or something like that.

I also have ones from San Antonio (from when I went to my niece's wedding), another one from Green Thumbs when she went to Philadelphia for a deposition, and another from myself when I went to visit MonkeyPig in Georgia (the little fish pictured was from Cl. Panic for our unfortunate but thankfully temporary stay at Drones 'R Us).

This one is from MonkeyPig when the sisters went to Georgia for a surprise visit.  And, this one is also from MonkeyPig from a few years ago when we had a sisters reunion in Washington, DC.  We ate at the Supreme Court's cafeteria and I saved my ticket stub!  The two Tinkerbell magnets holding the stub are from L. Woods when she visited Disneyworld in Florida.

Now, this one is an international magnet from Heidelberg, Germany, where L. Woods visited on business a year ago.  Note the giant gummy bears attached.

And, then, there is my most recently acquired one from Cl. Panic and A-Dog from when they flew to the Pacific Northwest recently.  It is from the actual Tillamook cheese factory and is 24K gold plated brass.  The magnetic bunnies are from Cl. Panic.  They got very hungry and attacked the cheese (they are not partial to giant gummies).

Finally, this one is not a magnet, but is nonetheless a sentiment from a dear friend who had gone afar and kept me in mind.  It is a keychain of a polar bear dressed in a UK t-shirt from when Mr. Nonny Nu went to London recently.  The bear has the Harrods' "H" stamp on the bottom of its foot.

So many little treasures!  I think my most prized items in my office might be my magnets and keychain.

My First Shaveby Kashy Boy, guest blogger

July has been a month of many firsts. My first time turning 4 years old, and now my first shave. Dr. Meow Meow called me in to see her for an ultrasound and a follow up blood test. There is much good news to report [Skillet: Hissssssss!!!!] (but we still don't know what's wrong with me).

First, I gained half a pound since the last time! I went from 7.9 pounds to 8.4 pounds in just three weeks! That's not bad considering what I'm in for. Second, my albumin is in normal range now so it looks like whatever was leeching it out of me has been flushed out.

Now, for my shave. Dr. Meow Meow shaved my tummy (Don't I look handsome? [Skillet: No, hissss! Oh, that looks like a yummy snaHiiiiiissssssssss!!!!!]) and gave me an ultrasound. My stomach walls are thickened but nobody knows why yet. Good news is there aren't any abnormal growths.

We are trying to figure out what proteins I can handle, so Dr. Meow Meow sent me home with a can of duck and a can of *drum roll please* rabbit.

P.S. There is trouble at home, though. Ever since I got home, Skillet has been hissing at me--and meaning it. Maybe I picked up another creature's scent while I was at the vet's? I don't know. Momma wiped me down twice today but Skillet still hisses. I hope she loves me again soon because I need some loving. I've been through a lot.

Happy Birthday to Cl. Panic and Kashy Boy!

Happy happy, joy joy!! Two special birthday boys today!

For Cl. Panic, a strawberry cake, because I know he must really love strawberries to not share any with me:






As for Kashy Boy, to celebrate a healthier you, a ferocious cat cake:






Enjoy!