2008 in review

Saw this on MB's blog and I thought it was such a fun idea that I had to copy it, lol. Enjoy!

Peanut's Wednesday Weekly - Christmas Eve!!

What? You don't think dogs recognize Christmas ? Hey we know a party and an important event when we see it.

I have been busy busy busy today. Have you ever wrapped presents with no opposable thumb? Can't see why it would be a challenge? Try this: tape your thumb to your hand and then try using scissors and tape. Ohhh sure, you can cut paper with your teeth and claim it was pinking shears. However the tape is another issue. It's either stuck to my paw, my ears or my nose. Pieces of fur are left on packages. I'm going to try and convince everyone that it's extra decoration. They make fur lined bags now right? so why not fur lined wrapping paper?

I love this time of year. So many magical things happen. Extra bones come in for me.... I get to shop online and get gifts for the family, miracles or super special things happen.

Last years most memorable event was JP standing on his own with no support for the first time. It was brief, but he did it. I was so proud of my little brother that I had to wipe a tear from my eye. Good thing paws are absorbant.

Today I decided to give Mom an early gift. I pretend to not be thrilled about having a little brother. Secretly I think he's great. Today I was so sweet though. JP had taken a bad tumble off his stool. It was one of those times where you just couldn't move fast enough. Mom went to pick him up and of course I came over to investigate and make sure he was good. Because he was so upset I licked him on one boo-boo area and that made him feel alllllll better. Mom said that was very sweet of me and that made me feel all warm and ....well... fuzzy inside.

To all my corgi friends and other friends I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah and may all your Holiday Wishes come true!

Here's a cute corgi clip for Reindeer workouts!

Peanut's Wednesday Weekly - Tell me what?!

Last week I mentioned I have a problem with barking a lot. Mom yells occasionally because I drive her crazy. I'm just being a good watch-dog and she thinks the things I bark at are silly.

I beg to differ...

• Blowing leaves? or tiny burglar?
• Wind and rain? or sneaky squirrel attack?
• Branch falling on roof? or someone pretending to be an early santa claus?
• Innocent wildlife searching for food outside my window? or devious little creatures of nature looking for a way into the house to wreak havoc?
• Beeping appliance? or alien invasion via kitchen products? - hey we live near the hot spot of Pine Bush NY UFO sightings so you never know.

While my diligence and skills are not appreciated by my human parents, I still keep up my hard work.

Now this past week has been different. My mom sat me down on Friday and explained that we needed to have a talk. She said she loves me very much and that I am a valuable and irreplaceable part of the family... but that I need to tone down on the barking.

To accomplish this they are going to try and teach me to speak on command, using a hint from mycorgi.com. Instead of the word "Speak" ( so overdone in my opinion) they are going to use "Tell me".

Every time I bark I will hear them say "tell me!" and I get a small treat. OK , I'm willing to humor them. However don't you think its a bit redundant? After all I'm TRYING to tell them something when I bark, they just aren't listening. Ehhhh... it's extra treats for me, so who am I to complain.

Now for a bigger laugh get a load of part 2 of this 'master plan'. Once I've associated "Tell me!" with positive reinforcement and treats.. then I'll be taught the opposite using the command (eh hem... 'request' is more polite) of "Quiet" or "Hush".

I see this working immediately ....don't you?

What? I don't look innocent and believable? Why you silly people, OF COURSE I'm being sincere... how could you NOT think that I am being 100% agreeable and a loving and well mannered Corgi.

I'll let you know how this goes in future posts.

For this weeks fun corgi note.. check out the Happy Birthday Cogi Chorus.

The Amazing Lightning McQueen!!

Watch as the Amazing Lightning McQueen takes off for a spectacular jump!!!!



Uh oh!! Can he make the turn?



Whew! he's all set for his record setting jump!!!



Oooops.. looks like we overshot the landing a bit :(

Warm yourself by the fire

Our office has a fun Holiday tradition that we started last year. Instead of buying a gift, we have to make a gift. Only rules are that you can use anything around the house that you have and that if you need to buy materials you can't spend more then $5.00.

Last years gift I wasn't thrilled about and I think it was because I waited to the last minute thinking it would be easy. It wasn't.

This time I got started a week and a half early. With some help from friends I took this as an idea that was hard to figure out... to one that was insanely easy. My original idea was to use fleece. My friend suggested actual twigs (duh!) which I even had in the house as kindling for our wood stove, lol.

The story behind the gift is how cold our office is in one area. Why not have a portable desktop heater that you can move around, lol

Peanut's Wednesday Weekly

I've decided I need a voice in this family. Yes I'm of the canine persuasion, but I'm cute, smart and can type...with the help of spell check. Before my brother came around I was quite the thing in this house. Well to be fair I still am. Now I know there are other corgi's that can see this blog, and while many entries may be from a corgi point of view.. my ponderings are for all.

A little bit about me. I was raised from puppy to 3.5 year old by a very nice elderly couple with several grandkids. My only complaint about them was Buddy... my Labrador house-mate. Buddy bullied me and to be honest I still have issues from this. I know I should be letting it go, especially after 3.5 years, but that was rough in the formative years of my life. Mom has told me that there is a play group of corgi's locally that meet once a month at a local dog park. She wants me to go and get used to playing with other dogs again. Which isn't really fair. I do play with other dogs... just some are big and I get defensive. Which leads me to a key corgi fact.

We may be short in stature, but we are NOT small dogs! Hey my ancestors (and distant distant relatives today) herded sheep and cows... I think we corgi's deserve recognition for something other then being "that cute short, long dog with pointy ears!" Sheesh. talk about canine discrimination. Yes we ARE cute, but we're tough dogs.

I enjoy my life and have a window seat view on the world when everyone is at work. I'm telling you now that the squirrels, deer, cats, other dogs and chipmunks that I yell at will be mine someday...when I figure out how to open the windows.

I think my biggest issue in life is my bark. I just can't help myself. I've been known to bark at moving animals and vehicles outside, as well as leaves blowing, cardboard boxes, appliance beeps and dings, dogs on the tv and so on. It drives mom a bit batty at times. She knows I do much better with a regular exercise regime, but it's cold out there. Neither she or I ( or my brother) want to be out in the cold even for a quick walk. I'm hoping that by getting a voice on the internet, I will be able to calm down my frequent barking.

Now if you'll excuse me.. I need to check my latest stock holdings. Biscuits are holding strong during these tough times.

oh and just for fun - here's how to Speak Corgi

Free Toddler - comes with all accessories

Free 22 month old toddler. Male model. Blue eyes, dark blonde hair. Speaks little at this time, but upgrade is expected soon. Elimination is still factory original settings. Operates at varying speeds. Dead stop - usually with eyes closed and deep breathing, or full run. Prefers to run laps, great if you have indoor track. Easily entertained - if an item has wheels the toddler will be fascinated for all of 30 seconds. No obvious wear and tear. Excellent, like new condition. Currently lavender scented from self application of powder. Current 'issues' include repeated start and stop of DVD player, meltdown if expected movie does not play. Pushes buttons repeatedly...and this is meant literally, if its a button it gets pushed. Typical male behavior is exhibited with channel surfing.


If interested please call Peanut at 890-123-4567

Health insurance - that necessary evil

Being that I work in a medical field, I'm not a big fan of most health insurance. I see it from the provider's side and there are times that the 'usual and customary' fee reduction is just ridiculous. However, it is a necessary evil and I can respect that.

I came home today and decided to look up a policy to the see the rates. I get such a headache wading thru all the fine print, riders, coverage options and add-ons. I seriously don't think I need at this time to have a plan with yearly urinalysis or dental or surgery to prevent unwanted pregnancies. That cuts cost a little bit.. but then I have to pick a rider and then check to see if pre-existing conditions are covered. Adding to my headache is specific conditions that are excluded. In this case this would be for : Degenerative myelopathy, Dermatomyositis, Narcolepsy. The first 2 are more of a chance. Narcolepsy I've seen no signs of. My fear though is a hip issue that may need surgery.

The things I do for .... Peanut, lol. My last dog, Ashley, was half corgi/half labrador and had an undiagnosed hip dysplasia that was ugly when the hip went. Added to that were a myriad of health issues later in life. This all happened after the age of 12. Peanut is now 7 and I think it's time she got her own health insurance. Now if I could just get her to get a job to pay for it, lol. Oh and while I know many dogs do need yearly dental, Peanut eats a raw food diet that keeps her teeth pearly white.

Ahhh those moments you only appreciate as a mom..

Used to be I'd get excited over a new makeup toy.. or maybe a new promise of something that would put a curl in my hair and keep it there. (That by the way is impossible and I've given up trying, lol.) Heck even a new technology toy would make my day.

Today I've realized that I have entered full mom-dom. I've become excited over a potty chair.

Yes you read that right.. a potty chair.

I wasn't going to get one originally as our home is small. I was just going to get one of the ones that went over our existing toilet seat. However I realized potty training will go much smoother with JOE if I have something that can be put in the vicinity of a TV. This morning I looked online to get an idea of what was out there. I didn't want to pay more then $20-$25 and that was about my only criteria.

Then I found it. Only $14.99 and so darn cute I had to look at the reviews. All the reviews were great! Especially for potty training boys, lol. I called our local store and there are 2 in stock. We'll be heading over as soon as I finish some paperwork in the office, lol.