It's BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

Ahem! Where's Joe Thornton?

I tried to make the OLYMPICS hockey work for me. But I simply just could not. You see - Team Canada did not pick my favorite PUCK manager - Joe Thornton - to be on their team. So it has been a long long long time since I have truly ENJOYED a hockey game.

All of that ended LAST NIGHT when NHL Hockey returned to the Bay Area. Oh how I had missed it so! I don't know what it is about hockey that I like so much (aside from JUMBO). I can barely see that puck flying across the ice. . . and the action is flat looking to me. But when the SJ Sharks hit the ice I can hardly contain my YIPS and YAPS.

Molly does not care. She will lay there totally unaware of the greatness before her. She doesn't get it at all. Ah. . . but let a cat cross the fence in the backyard and we will have to endure that high pitched staccato bark for the next 4 hours!

HAPPY THING #21: 
NHL Hockey and more specifically San Jose Sharks and even MORE specifically No. 19 Joe Thornton!!!

Throw-back Thursday and Green

We gots some RAIN all day yesterday!!! It rained and rained and rained. In fact, my town got an inch of rain! That is unusual. Our yearly total is normally 15.82 inches, though. So we are far from out of the woods in terms of this drought. Thank you everypuggy for the RAIN wishes, though. We have some more on the way tomorrow. Every little bit helps.

I heard today was Throwback Thursday - so I am throwing it back to 2009 when I was a wee pup. Notice the "carpet" under my cute little paws. It is thick, luscious GRASS. I like to walk on it, roll in it, pee in it. . . and so on. You get my drift, I am sure. I like G-R-A-S-S. Especially after it rains. Then it breathes out the most amazing aroma!! And when it is cut - well it is quite heady, I tell you.

It is a little dry and crinkly this year due to water restrictions; but once we get on track it will green up Daddy Warbucks.

So that is my HAPPY THING #20 for today:

GREEN GREEN GRASS 

Wordless Wednesday WITH Just a Few Words

I love to SHOP

Happy Thing #19

SHOPPING

Hop To It

Sunny Spots While They Lasts

Oh Folks! I am kinda excited today. It is supposed to RAIN A LOT starting tomorrow. I know, I know. . . I usually complain about the RAIN . . . but we need it SO MUCH here in NORCAL that at this point in TIME I am really hoping for a downpour.

In preparation, the WEATHER GODDESS has seen fit to grace us with a couple of WARM and SUNNY days to enjoy and cherish the memories of. . . AND I am taking COMPLETE advantage of it.

I plan to spend my day moving from SUNNY SPOT to sunny spot.

HAPPY THING #18


SUNNY SPOTS

Water, Water, Water . . .

Photo from SFGATE.com

It is common knowledge that MY CALIFORNIA is in the midst of a pretty nasty drought. What's a DROUGHT? It means we are running LOW on water and there has been little to none rainfall this year to put more water in the reservoirs. We don't know when it is going to end - the rainfall we got 2 weeks ago was not enough to change the pattern. We are expecting more rain THIS week, however - another Pineapple Express or River of Rain or something like that. No matter what the name it all means one thing - RAIN.

If it actually gets here, that is. Because weather around these parts is fickle. It looks like a nice sunny day is coming and the FOG rolls in. It looks like record rain is on the horizon and the SouthBay gets NONE. So we are trained to BELIEVE WHEN WE SEE. More on the weather IF the rains arrive.

This DROUGHT does have me obsessing about water, I do admit. I find myself running to my water bowl CONSTANTLY to make sure there is water in it. And then I HAVE to take a drink of that wonderful water when I see it there because what if sometime it isn't there? We sometimes take something like water for granted, don't we? As citizens of the US, we are conditioned to the water being there when we turn on the tap. Not only that - but the water is CLEAN and HEALTHY! What a pleasure it is to have that assurance! I sometimes have to remind myself of this fact so I don't go about wasting that precious resource.

I am even obsessing about water in my DREAMS!!! I have has so many dreams where I turn into a CAMEL so I can store precious water and never be thirsty again.

Which brings me to my HAPPY THING #17!

 MY WATER BOWL: I love to drink from my water bowl. Seeing it filled with cool clean water makes me very happy indeed

Tid Bits About Tid Nips

THESE are DOG treats, Woman! I want NOTHING to
do with THESE!!!

You KNOW I loves me some good TREATS - SO, when Mr. A from Chewy.com asked me to review some new kind that Chewy.com is selling. . . WELL, I said SURE!!!!!

Of the LONG list he gave me to choose from, I picked one unLIKE anything in my pantry - Canidae TidNips Meaty-Licious Turkey, Lamb, Salmon Soft Treats.

I figured WHY NOT????? They sound DELISH and they are by Canidae Natural Pet Food Company, a company KNOWN for good wholesome food. PLUS, I trust Mr. A from Chewy.com when he says he thinks I will like it. Cuz USUALLY I do. Molly, maybe. . . but that is a story for another DAY.

So we picked it and waited, waited, waited for the package to arrive. About a week later, the doorbell rang. We got all excited when we saw it was a package from CHEWY.COM. But then it turned out to be a VALENTINE for the huMOMs and there was nothing for me to sample. I haarrrruumphed and went back to SLEEPING. . . Then one day, IT CAME!! My box of treats came!

DROOOOOOOL

Mommy opened it very carefully so as not to RUIN the packaging. She likes to check the packaging out. Sheesh.  Then she took it out of the box and Oh My PUG! I was salivating just looking at the WORD Meaty-licious.

Here is a little background info on these treats:
Canidae TidNips Meaty-Licious Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Salmon Soft Dog Treats
CANIDAE Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Salmon TidNips are soft and tasty treats that your dog will love! Made with real chicken, turkey, lamb, and salmon, and supplemented with Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids, these treats are not only fun to feed, they are good for your dog too! Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps your dog live a happy and healthy lifestyle. Omega-3 fatty Acids support a healthy skin and coat and a strong immune system.

Key Benefits

Soft, tasty, real meat treats with wholesome rice and cranberries
Fun to feed and perfect as a reward
Vitamin E and Omega-3 Fatty Acids for healthy coat and skin
Healthy, natural and holistic
No corn, wheat, or soy

And the INGREDIENTS read like a WHOS WHO of Good Eatin'
Chicken, Turkey, Potato, Lamb, Brown Rice, Vegetable Glycerine, Oats, Salmon, Carrots, Peas, Molasses, Potato Starch, Cranberries, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Sodium Bisulfate, Flax Seed, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary

Did you notice what is MISSING from this list? Yes, you are right. FILLERS and PRESERVATIVES.

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. . .

But the PROOF is in the PUDDING, as we say in the biz. So we commenced the TRICKS for the treats.
And we Tricked. . . and tricked. . . and we BEGGED for MORE. . .

We agreed that these treats are FIVE-TRICK-WORTHY! That is the HIGHEST rating we can give!!! Like, they win the GOLD MEDAL, and stuff!!!

They are good for training, too, because you can break them into tiny tiny pieces. Mommy made them BIG, MEDIUM and SMALL. We still ate them. I think the word I am looking for is YUMMY.

My ADVICE to you is - Talk your human into trying Canidae Meaty-Licious treats TODAY! 

We were not paid to ENDORSE this product. We were given ONE bag of the treats to try and to offer our HONEST opinion. This we have done. The opinion belongs to Noodles and Molly ONLY.

HAPPY THING #16: Treats
I know from my point of view you can't get much HAPPIER than when you are given a treat!

(H)onoring the (H)olympics My Way

Okay. So some of you asked me "What's up with your title YESTERDAY, Noodles?" Why all the different languages just to tell everyPUGGY that it is WORDLESS Wednesday?

Well, it was just my way of highlighting the Olympics - but in a clever way. It was clever, wasn't it? Five languages and FIVE rings. . . Get it?

So with that explanation, can anyone figure out WHAT I am getting at with today's TITLE? 

 HAPPY THING #15: GAMES

I loves loves LOVES playing games. I play them with Molly all the time - she bullys me into to letting her win, though. I sometimes play games with my Mommys - like running to the opposite side of the bed AFTER begging them to put me down FROM the bed.

Games keep out minds and bodies active - and that is always a happy thing.

Wordless Wednesday-Sin Palabras-Wortlose Mittwoch-бессловесный среды-zhōu sān wú yán

HAPPY THING #14

My Blankies

Blog Hop Wednesday

Beach, Bark, Bum . . . and TWO Happy Things

Davenport, CA

Yesterday My Mommy #2 went to the COAST with her BFF Auntie B. They went to an old whaling port called Davenport (just north of the FAMOUS Santa Cruz). The day was nice but cool - the wind made it cold, though, so they made sure to wear their jackets. They did not take me, though, because they were not sure if the beach they were going to allowed dogs, or even pugs. Turns out it did - but I forgive them.

Anyhow, it was a lovely day, they said, to just sit on the bluffs and watch the waves come in. They were really big waves, too.

I was left at home with Mommy #1, which was perfectly okay because she is a lot of fun. We went to the DOG PARK near our house. If you recall - last time we didn't really socialize and Molly got pretty nervous around other dogs (but not PUGS because she is used to us). Well, that was again the scenario this weekend. I, on the otherhand, found my social stride and made good use of my time to meet and greet some of the park denizons.

Later on, after Mommy #2 returned, I nestled between #1 and #2 while we all watched the 2-man bobsled competition from the Olympics.

Speaking of the Olympics, did you watch the bobsled? It was so awesome! I would love to go zooming down that course like that. What an adrenaline rush it would be! And for the first time in SIXTY-TWO years, the US won a medal. That was thanks to the team of Steve Holcomb and Steve Langton. Congrats on the BRONZE, you two.

AND they were going so F-A-S-T!!!! I am pretty sure I can go up to Squaw in Tahoe and sign up for bobsled lessons. In fact, I am gonna GOOGLE it now.

Because MOMMY #2 escaped to the coast yesterday I couldn't post my Happy Thing. So I am going to do a DOUBLE one today. Here goes:

NUMBER 12 Happy Thing is Northern California weather. There are not too many places in the world where on a winter's day you can enjoy a picnic on the beach or a walk through the dog park without the need for heavy coats. Actually a sweatshirt was plenty, according to Mommy!!!! We have the best weather here - mild most of the time and not too rainy. Granted, we could use more rain this year.

NUMBER 13 Happy Thing is the TWO MAN BOBSLED (or two dog bobsled - whatever). What fun it is to go racing down the hill, throwing caution to the wind, test your nerve and your skill.

Happy Valentines. . . . and check out the BALL

Happy Thing #11

Valentines Day - cuz it's all about LOVE, baby!

And check out the Queen of Hearts Ball!!!

Here is a list of events

Queen of Hearts Ball

I Love You Truly - Truly Dear. . .

I love my DINNER BOWL. I often sit around in the kitchen just staring at it. . . and staring at it . . . and STARING at it. Okay, I admit it. . . I am STARING at it in HOPE that food will magically appear in it. Nonetheless, I do love my dinner BOWL. It is supposed to be a slow FEEDER bowl with my name on it. It does have my name on it, as a matter of fact. BUT when Mommy tried to feed me using the bowl right side up, short snouted me could NOT EAT. I tried and tried for the longest time. I was determined! But I ended up sitting NEXT to my lovely shiny bowl whining because I could not get any food. My Auntie T had the right solution. She suggested I turn the bowl UP-SIDE-DOWN and eat from the well. That was such a brilliant suggestion! And because the bowl is DEEPER and narrower than my previous FOOD BOWL, I actually DO eat a little slower. WIN WIN!!!

So my Happy Thing #10 is: MY BOWL

Wordless Wednesday WHAT?

Happy Thing #9: Noodles

I AM Driven

I loves loves LOVES car rides. Doesn't really matter where I go, either. Oh, wait. . . I don't much like being driven to the V-E-T for shots. That's simply not fun. I don't know what it is about the car, though, that makes me happy. Short rides, long rides. . . it is all about the RIDE.

My favorite car ride is the one I take to get Mommy #1. Sometimes it is from school. Sometimes it is from shopping with her friends. Sometimes it is from dance rehearsal. It doesn't matter the WHERE but the WHO.

I get so excited when I spot her coming to the car, too. I CANNOT wait for her to open the door and give me a big big hug.

Happy Thing #8: Car rides to pick up Mommy

SNOWdoggy

When FOLKS think of California they think of SURF and SAND and crazy people. We DO have all of that - but there is  a lot more to CALIfornia than that. We have some really fine ski areas and the world got to hear of just HOW fine they are when CALI GURL Jamie Anderson received a GOLD medal for her stellar performance in Slopestyle Snowboarding!

If you have never been to Tahoe and are planning a trip WEST, try and include it on your itinerary. Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area is one of the most scenic places on earth. I loves loves loves to spend time up there breathing the fresh mountain air and dipping my tippy toes in the snow chilled waters of the lake.

I love watching the Olympics and this year I am really enjoying the snowboarding. You know what I like best about the snowboarders? They are the happiest and most exuberant athletes in ALL of the Olympic venues. They even eclipse the bobsledders in their sense of fun. And talk about camaraderie! They OOZE it! Look at the finish line celebrations for men and women Slopestyle. . . everyone hugging and celebrating whether they won or lost - whether they were American or Swiss - they were all laughing, hugging, and simply enjoying the fact they were at the Olympics.

We need more of that at the games - less the business of winning and more of the camaraderie of competition.

My HAPPY THING #7 is


The Olympic Games

Bro Code

I was reminded of something last night in regards to my post about SISTERS - Brothers are special too. I don't have any brothers, so I don't have any firsthand experience here. But I KNOW some brothers who are pretty special to their sisters. So today I am saluting BROTHERS, my 6th HAPPY THING.

Noodle, Mochi's Bro. He is a SNAPPY dresser.

Baloo, Hanna's Bro. Handsome and athletic.

Pablo, Bro to two humans. He speaks FRENCH! Suave.

Riley, Chloe's step-Bro. Something about
those Gingers!

Draego, my BFF Bellatrix's Bro. He is COOL,
for a young'un. I love his pug spirit.

HAPPY THINGS #6: Brothers

SisterOID Act is a HAPPY Thing

I know I frequently complain about my sisteroids, Molly and Sunshine. The truth is I really really like them BOTH. I cannot even imagine life WITHOUT. Well, maybe I can.

Let's see. . . without SUNSHINE and MOLLY

• I'd never never NEVER have to share my treats
• I'd NEVER have to share all of my beds (I honestly don't sleep in theirs - ever)
• I'd never have SOMEONE to play with
• I'd never be able to cuddle with someone while the HUMANS are at work
• I'd never HAVE. . . .

I see where this is going. Without my sisters, I would be ONE LONELY PUG.

So my HAPPY THING #5 is SISTERS.

Can't live with 'em; can't live without 'em  

Happy Things Wednesday

Happy Thing #4

A Favorite Bed

Sock Monkey: BEFORE the operation

Sock Monkey: AFTER the operation

Sock Monkey went through some hard times. I still wanted to sleep in him but it was hard because all I could feel was the hard GROUND.

So Mommy #2 became a DOCTOR and fixed him right up.

I am SOOOOO HAPPY now.

A SHOCK of Color

The weather took a turn last week and a storm blew into the SF Bay Area. Wind blew the last of the Autumn leaves off of the trees leaving bare branches in its wake. Yeah, I know. Mother Nature has been a little confused around here for a couple of months. When the leaves should have been falling and rain filling our reservoirs, it was warm and sunny beach weather. Christmas was a tee-shirt day as temperatures were in the mid-seventies. So weird. But I am getting off the track here. The point is, finally Winter has made an appearance here. . . even if it is more of a late Winter/early Spring.

I was out on my walk this morning. It looked like any other day this past week - gray skies but no rain, skeleton trees and bushes everywhere. Blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong, there is a certain beauty to our winters but it is, nonetheless, characterized by sameness.

I turned the corner heading toward my street when suddenly my eyes were awash in PINK!!! What??? This can't be happening here in the dead of Winter. But there is was - an ornamental cherry tree in FULL BLOSSOM. It was a welcome sight to an otherwise colorless day.

That is why I chose CHERRY BLOSSOMS as my #3 HAPPY THING!

• Cherry trees are among the first trees to bloom at the end of Winter
• In Japan, the cherry blossom (sakura) represents the fleetingness of life
• In ancient Japan the arrival of cherry blossoms signaled the planting of the rice crop
• In the U.S. the cherry blossoms are celebrated as a symbol of the friendship between the U.S and Japan

MORE THAN ALL OF THAT - How can you NOT smile when you see those bright pink flowers on an otherwise gray day?

Nothin' Could Be FINER Than a Walk in a DOG Park

Molly and I got to go to the Dog Park. Saturday's weather was absolutely PERFECT for it, I have to admit. Sunday - not so much as we got some much needed rain AND the temperature dropped to the cold zone (the mid-forties are cold, people).

So the various Mommys packed us up and hauled us to the DOG PARK in hopes of a little exercise and socialization.

Here is how we fared

SO we didn't do so great. Well, I did better than usual by interacting with that pug in a black harness and the Boston. Molly was afraid of EVERYPUGGY! Even the little Maltese (you should have seen how much larger she is than the other Maltese???) scared her.

Molly aside, it was THE BEST trip to the dog park EVER! I played and ran and visited humans. It put me in such a mellow mood I forgot all about obsessively licking.




So that is NUMBER TWO HAPPY THING - Dog Parks

It give us urban and suburban dogs a place to play off leash and in a safe environment. No worries about cars or trucks, either.