Can You BELIEVE . . . ?

I feel like playing today. How about a game of Can You Believe?

I'll start.

1. Can You Believe that I am NINE years old? I sure don't feel it. I still feel like a puppy - except I like to sleep in a little in the morning rather than jumping up at the first HINT of morning
2. Can You Believe that I have TWO mommies? I usually write MOMMYS because it's my style; but indeed I have Mommy #1 and Mommy #2
3. Can You Believe that Mommy #1 is the DAUGHTER of Mommy #2? So in essence, MOMMY #2 is a DOUBLE Mommy
4. Can You Believe it is almost Christmas? I sure can't. It seems we were just sitting in front of the AC thinking about Summer VACATION and here it is - cold, wet, DECEMBER. But this is happening so I KNOW that Sandy Paws IS coming to town soon

5. Can You Believe that YOU'RE my BEST FURiend? It is true. BELIEVE IT!

What I did and What My Mommys Did LAST WEEK

That Turkey sure make you tired

As you know, if you read my POST yesterday, I stayed in the SMOKY Bay Area while my HuMoms traveled to the fresh air of Coronado Island in San Diego. I was a little upset but truthfully, Aunt T was home with us and SHE, unlike my Mommy #2, feeds me a lot of treats. I ALWAYS have to go on a D-I-E-T when Mom returns.

They also went to their HAPPY place - Disneyland - while they were in SoCal. It turns out that Disneyland is a scant 1 1/2 hour drive from San Diego. Who know? So while they did this

Shortbread iced with white chocolate

AND

The Sugar Plum Churro. Mommys also tried the
Gingerbread and the Plain

I did this

Zzzzzzzzzz

And while they faced crowds like this

Keep in mind this was early morning

I only had to deal with this

Can I have some now? How about now? NOW??

But I forgive them for having so much fun without me. I know if they could have taken me, they would have. And with the rain we got, I was happy as a clam just snuggling in my bed, on Aunt T's bed or on the couch watching the Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel.

All in all, I had a very good Thanksgiving week. It was filled with family and fun, as it should be. Now Christmas will ramp all that up TEN-FOLD. No one leaves me on Christmas and I see even more FURiends this time of year.

Bring it on Santa!

I'm BACK! I'm BACK! I'm BACK! I'm BACK! I'm BACK! WHY Was I Gone So Long? BUTTTT . . . I'm BACK!

Hi. It's me, Noodles the Pug. Did you notice something missing from your newsfeed? Something like . . . ME? Yes, I was absent from Blogville the WHOLE Thanksgiving week because my Mommy #2 did not plan ahead and make sure she had everything in place to POST my BLOG while she was away in Southern California! Yes, it is all her fault.

While she was on Coronado Island enjoying this

AND this

I was home in the STILL SMOKY Bay area alone (with Molly, Sunshine the Cat, Jade the Bird, Aunt T, Cousin E, and her BF J) not-so-enjoying this

Luckily by THANKSGIVING the RAIN finally showed up and cleared away the smoke from the CampFire in Butte County. We really had a lot to be thankful for then because once again we could BREATHE!

I had a good Thanksgiving. Aunt T cooked a turkey dinner for a couple of her friends - you know the ones who are pawrents to Lulu. Oh, and Lulu was over as well.

I have more stories to tell but I will save them for tomorrow. Just remember . . .

I'M BACK!!!!!!

Smoke Gets In MY Eyes

Heading South from Danville

The terrible fire in Paradise, CA, 239 MILES from my house, is causing air quality problems as far south as Santa Clara Valley. The way the air flow goes leads it straight to the Santa Clara Valley where it sits and concentrates as more smoke flows in. We won't see any relief for at least a week. The AIR quality if soooo bad (over 200 on the particle index) that schools and businesses are closing and people are advised to stay inside with windows and door closed. The authorities advise blowing in filtered air. This is a bad situation. For pets, the authorities are advising keeping them inside as much as possible.

For some reason, Mommy's iPhone made the sky in all of her photos a lot brighter than the sky really is. It is brown outside. Brown and smoky. Dense like a fog. The scenery you see in these pictures is better than what Mommy saw when she took the pix. The hills were MORE obscured with clear fingers of smoke around the trees. She is a little dismayed that she could NOT capture how bad it really is.

The hills on the right are a football field away

Mommy is particularly concerned because she has been dealing with congestion from an earlier cold and then her allergies kicked in (before the cold was go. She is allergic mostly to grasses and when a big WIND blew in, the allergies kicked up. Two weeks ago, the smoke came in and her sensitivity to smoke added to her discomfort.

You should be looking at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay

This is the normal view of the Bay.

You should be seeing the skyline of San Jose from here

There has been no real sunlight all week. It gray like it is when the fog rolls in. But instead of smelling fresh and clean, it smells a little DIRTY - Mommy says like an ashtray. I have never been around ashtrays so I don't know what she means.

The sunlight is trying to breakthrough but so far no luck. The sunrise and sunset has been amazing all week with Ol' Sol looking like a bright tangerine on the horizon. I feel for the people closer to the fire. They must be really miserable. If this is how bad the air is 239 miles away, how bad it must be at GROUND ZERO?!

The bright sunlight is an illusion. It was like
a foggy day with little to no sun. You should see
the foothills here as this is less than a mile from them

I am spending the time indoors wisely. I am hunkered down in my Star Trek bed and taking it easy. Making the BEST of a bad situation, I call it.

Me, hunkering down

Vital Victuals Victory for MOLLY (not Noodles) #ChewyInfluencer

Oh My DOG! Chewy.com has DONE it AGAIN! They have managed to send me a food I am NOW over the moon about! How do they do it

Every

Single

Time?

I will backtrack a little so you who did NOT read my PREQUEL yesterday can catch up. The November newsletter from Chewy.com was filled with all kinds of tasty treats for pets. But Noodles' Mommy #2 thought perhaps we had too many treats. Well, over the summer we DID have an abundance of treats. But I am off topic. She decided it was time I was treated like the special pup I am and she had me pick out something NEW for me to try. Unlike Noodles, I cannot handle kibble often. I don't have enough teeth. I just swallow it whole.

I chose to sample Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed Savory Chicken & Vegetable Stew Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 12. It had all of my requirements: 

• For small breeds
• Wet food, easy to chew
• Chicken
• Small container (the big ones go stale before I get halfway through them)

It arrived so quickly I was hardly ready for it. That is why I had such a shocked expression on my face when the box was opened and it was for ME!!!!

It WAS for me even though I had to wait UNTIL DINNER time to try it.

Dinner time comes and lo and behold, there it was in my dish and NOT NOODLES'!

I was pretty excited, I have to admit and the Hill's Science Diet . . . Savory Chicken . . . did not disappoint. I CHOWED DOWN in a very undignified way because it was so good. I regained my ladylike ways over the next couple of weeks, though.

And why did I find this food so very tasty and wonderful? Well partly because the ingredients are so good

Water, Chicken, Pork Liver, Brown Rice, Carrots, Modified Rice Starch, Wheat Flour, Potato Starch, Dried Beet Pulp, Pork Plasma, Potatoes, Dextrose, Green Peas, Chicken Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Spinach, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Soybean Oil, Titanium Dioxide color, Choline Chloride, Sodium Pyrophosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid), Caramel color, L-Lysine, Taurine.

Caloric Content

84 kcal/3.5-oz tray (99g)

I have highlighted the REAL FOOD parts of the recipe. And those not food parts? Those are naturally occurring minerals and vitamins using their scientific names. In a NUTSHELL - it's all good and good for me.

It is filled with high-quality proteins to keep me healthy and strong AND the natural ingredients are easy on my sensitive Maltese tummy. Belches and Urps are so un-ladylike, you know.

To sum up, I am really keen on this food and I recommend you give it a try.  Besides Chicken and Vegetables, Chewy.com carries the Beef and Vegetables and a variety pack with both. One is sure to please the finicky small dog like it did ME.

**I received a 12 pk of this product free of charge from Chewy.com so that I may try it and come to my own conclusion about it. All opinions are my own and I was not paid to say any of this.

What? For MOI??? Prequel to Chewy.Com Review

 The other day (a couple of weeks ago) the DELIVERY person brought something to the door. It was a BOX from CHEWY.com! I love when the delivery person does that.

I forgot that we had picked something from the November newsletter because we had already reviewed the Cat Tree that Sunshine reviewed at the beginning of November. But here it WAS! We both went a little crazy when it arrived.

The reason Molly's face is fuzzy in this picture is because she could not stand still - she was that excited! Mommy could not open the box fast enough.

What is it? What is it? It looks like some kind of meal. It's . . . It's . . . It is . . . 

Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed Savory Chicken & Vegetable Stew Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 12

I HOPE I like it. I will definitely give it a try, that's for SURE. Thank you Chewy.com. I will write my review tomorrow.

What do you MEAN it is NOT for ME????

The Trees Are Shakin' It OFF Today!

It is so windy today. It started last night with some occasional GUSTS. I didn't think too much of it because it was just a bit windy and only once in a while. This morning, though, it has been pretty steady and I admit I have been startled more than once by a door slamming shut or something rattling on the roof. I took a look outside and our tree in the front is shaking and shaking. The more it shakes, the more the LEAVES fall. And they keep falling, falling, falling - so much that it looks like RAIN. Not wet rain but a RAIN of LEAVES. And the pile on the sidewalk (and on Mommy's car) keeps growing and growing.

At this rate, we are going to have NAKED trees before the end of the day. I don't see how it could be otherwise.

I, for one, am kind of happy about this annual shedding of the LEAVES. It means that when I go on a walkie I get to CRUNCH through the leaves on the ground. It is so satisfying. Don't you think? It is a nice reminder that AUTUMN is definitely here and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

I Don't Believe in Wordless

So let me tell you a little about this photo. This is me RELAXING on Mommy #1's bed. This is in her room on campus, in the school APARTMENTS for upper classpeople. She is THIRD year this year. I can hardly believe it because it seems she just started college and here she is - more than halfway done.

I really like her room. It gets light in the afternoon and has trees right outside the window. I can snooze here all day an no one bothers me (ahem, Molly). In fact, I kinda like the independence I have when I am here. So I guess this photo represents autonomy for me. I am my OWN PUG when I am here.

That is not to say I don't miss HOME, though. The bad part of two Mommys in different places is I miss the other Mommy when I am not with her.

This is where I am when I am with Mommy #2. . . on her LAP. It is my favorite place to be. Well, when I am not on Mommy #1's bed, that is.

Did I say I am a LUCKY PUG?

Doing My PUG Duty

I am one lucky PUG princess. I get to live (kinda) in two places because I have TWO MOMMYS. Mommy #2 is in our main home and Mommy #1 is in university 7.5 miles away. She lives on campus in an apartment. This year she has been able to have me for SLEEP-OVERS which is so much fun for me! I get to meet all of her friends and I gotta say, I loves her roomie Ms I.

I pretty much spend my time snuggling with Mommy #1 while she is studying BUT when she is otherwise busy, I spend some time snuggling with Beremy Bear. He is 5 feet tall and very soft and plushy. Perfect for an afternoon nap.

I feel particularly lucky to be able to spend time on campus. Not only am I a pug who likes being too smart for my own good, but I also get to help Mommy #1 not be so stressed or anxious. You know how it is in college. It can be a very stressful environment. I am just glad I can be there for her.

In addition to STRESS relief, I also helped Mommy #2 do something she has NEVER done before - VOTE. We went through the info booklet together and discussed the candidates and issues. It was interesting. Then we marked the ballot and

#ChewyInfluencer Up a TREE With Sunshine

What? You're just telling me NOW that we went missing ALL LAST WEEK?
Mooooooom!!!
I am so sorry DEDICATED Furiends. Somehow a whole week went by without a PEEP from me. It is NOT supposed to ever happen. I APOLOGIZE profusely about it and promised that I HOPE it NEVER happens again. At least, not without warning.
There is NO EXCUSE, Mommy!

In the meantime, in a GALAXY far, far away. . .

We got an email from Ms Natalie and Ms Kristin from CHEWY.COM, our favorite place to shop, asking if we were interested in doing a special review for a KITTY PRODUCT. We did not have to think about it too long because, honestly, everything we try from CHEWY.COM is fun and an adventure (even when less than successful). This time we were asked to review a Frisco 62-in Cat Tree, Cream By Frisco . Sunshine has NEVER had a tree before. She has her Frisco Condo which she loves. . .

BUTT ( get it??) that is about it for furniture. She makes the most of it by stealing our beds, sleeping on all of the huMOMs' favorite chairs, and napping in the bay window. But she never had a tree and given she is 16 years old, I was not sure it would even be of any use for her. I made contingency plans should it prove a FAIL. I did NOT need to.

In less than a week, the KITTY TREE was delivered to our front door. The box was HUGE and HEAVY. Mommy DRAGGED it into the foyer where it stayed until Cousin E and her BF J came home. They were tasked with assembling it - yes, it comes in pieces with instructions, hardware and tools.

It took less than half an hour for them to put the TREE together. When they were done, they posed Sunshine on it so you can get a sense of scale. That TREE is HUGE. It stands 6 ft tall and is over 3 ft wide. We were not sure if Sunshine could even make it to the top shelf on her own.

They moved it into a better lit spot and showed Sunshine all the of the levels and features. She seemed interested. Next thing you know, she is spending all of her FREE TIME exploring it. By "exploring" you know I mean SLEEPING. She loves it so much. We even put her food dish on the level she is sitting on in the picture. It works perfectly because it is high enough no other critter (ME) can eat it AND she only has to change one level from where she already is.

The Frisco 62" Cat Tree is covered in wonderful cream colored low pile carpet which feels good on the paws, It features sisal on the "legs" so when Sunshine feels the need to scratch she does not have to go far. She uses the flat scratching pad on the first "floor" as a ramp to move up, though. Otherwise we would need to move a chair or ladder close by for her to use. She is in great shape for her age but is elderly nonetheless. It is a very sturdy and good looking structure.

We have to really give this item a STANDING OVATION for quality and usefulness. Even an older cat can find someplace comfortable and accessible on it.

We at Casa de Noodles, featuring Sunshine the Cat, present to the Frisco Cat Tree the previously UNHEARD OF

AND

It is an excellent product which we are proud to have in our home.

** We received free of charge from Chewy.com one Frisco Cat Tree for the sole purpose of trying the product and then writing a review of it. We were not paid for our review nor were we told what to write. All opinions expressed in this blog belong to A Bowl of Noodles©