Do Blondes Have More Fun?

Just recently my girl said to me, "I love you, my red-headed goober!" It caught me off guard, you see, because I've always thought of myself as a blonde. (Not that it matters either way.) But for all that it doesn't matter, it's shaken how I think of myself. Do I look like a redhead to you? Am I having less fun than I thought I was?

My girl said that I have very blonde highlights on my snout, but that all of my fur around my nose, my eyes, and on top of my head is red. Merv said it creates an optical illusion of blonde-ness. (He said he can give me an overall blonde look if I want it.)

Not to worry. While I'm NOT having an identity crisis here, I AM having Stella check out the situation.

Love,

From your apparently red-headed goober friend,

Stanley

We're W A I T I N G !!!!!!!!!

We're waiting on our girl to finish her thesis. We've done just about all we can. Now it's up to her.

Stella's bored and has discovered the wonderful world of our toy tub.

And, she can't walk past me without smoochin' on me.

Hurry UP, girl!

Love,

Stanley

GooberVersary: 1 Year Later

One year ago today the Republic of GooberStan was established when my hooman girl and I met for the first time. We decided on a mutual adoption ~ I needed a home and my girl needed a good goober in her life. Plus, once she saw this kind of gooberocity, she couldn't resist. Could you?

Would you like to take a peek at the little goober I was BEFORE my girl met me?

Get closer.

A little closer...

Ok. Here are a few of my puppy photos from my first home (which my first family made available to my girl).

That last puppy photo pretty much sums up my feelings about life with my first sister. She was an Airedale who was about 5 years older than I am, and she was NOT happy when I came into the house. In fact, she dogged me, literally, everyday of my life and tried to beat me up. I took it all in stride until I was bigger than she was. When my family realized I was no longer going to put up with it, they decided to put me up for adoption (after much agonizing). Their loss was my girl's gain.

This is me, GooberStan, as my girl first saw me. (The groomer for Airedale Rescue had a personal emergency come up right after she groomed my head, and couldn't finish my Airecut. So, I looked like I was wearing a thick turtle neck sweater.) We had our historic first meeting in the parking lot of a Marriott Hotel in Galesburg, Illinois when I was still a wee pup of 11 months.

My original name is not Stanley. I had a different name that didn't really fit my personality, and my girl knew that she would have to discover my true name. She came to get me armed with a list of old fart names to try out on me, but was partial to Stanley after hearing my bio. She thought that underneath all that fur beat the heart of a Stanley, and within the first minute of meeting me knew it was true.

As soon as I got home, I ran into this guy, Merv. My girl told me that I not only belonged to her, but that I belonged to him too. (She said she promised Merv he could have a pet dog once he got settled into the house).

Little did I know then just how much trouble we'd get into together. He's also a very talented artist & photographer. Here's a few of his fave shots he took of me.

A lot has happened in the last year. I've grown very protective of all of my balls, after losing 2 of which I had been particularly fond.

I found love (Asta, Ruby, and Suki, my lovepups, have been very patient with me) and made a ton of new friends on & offline...

Lady Bug

ZZ

Pink Flamingo

and Hercules.

I did a LOT of ROACHIN'...

and WRASSLIN'!

I learned about loss when friends I love like Dovah Doo and Oscar went to the Rainbow Bridge. (Miss you guys!)

I even learned to swim.

But, my biggest challenge by far, was becoming a big brother to my sissy, Stella. (You see, I had never seen what a good older sibling should be like, and I wanted to be the best big brother I could be.) It's hard to imagine life in GooberStan without her.

This goober has MANY faces, and here are just 2 of mine from this morning as my Gooberversary began!

Let the celebration BEGIN!!!!

Running like the wind and loving life in GooberStan,
Stanley

Now What?

Yesterday we gradumutated from dog barking and treat-getting class! (Actually, it was Basic Obedience Class... same difference). Stella looks like she's already been celebrating in this first photo.

She's looking a little more scholarly in this one.

I was only willing to pose for one photo and one photo only. I think my expression says it all.

Next time we see someone in one of these funny hats it better be my girl receiving her Masters of the Universe. (Get the HINT, girl?)

Gradumutated Goober love,

Stanley

Got Goiter?

The other day I woke up, and there was this growth coming out of the side of my head. My hoogirl says it's called a goiter.

If you look closely at this photo as I've diagrammed it below, it shows that what I thought was a goiter is IN FACT Stella-shaped in nature.

It appears that while I was sleeping, Stella suctioned herself onto my head and neck. I had to make sure I could still move my head around once Stella un-suctioned herself.

In case you've been wondering what we've been doing (other than thesis duty for our hoogirl) we've been hanging out, getting fat and fuzzy. My girl thinks I could use a manicure. (Check out my nails in that photo above. They're not that bad.)

Doesn't it look like I'm earless in this photo? My girl wants you to note my front paw there next to the world. Now I say, does that paw need a mani-pedi?






Here's a photo of me at my obedience class. Looks lively doesn't it?






Here's my fave classmate, Gino. He's the coolest bull terrier (behind him is his sister, Stella). He's like a lovable little tank of a pup.






This is Poppie. She's a former prison dog, so she's way ahead of me and most of the other dogs. She's cool about it, though. Not much of a bragger.







Not to leave my sissy out, here are some photos from her obedience class. On the left is Junior, the Shi tzu, and on the right is Maggie the Boxer pup!






Here's a close up of Maggie Girl. She's quite the cutie!






And, in case you were wondering about what Junior's name stands for, it stands for Junior Cassanova-in-training. (Boo, are you giving him private lessons?) He's always trying to smooch on Stella.







She says that these lips are for one dog, and one dog only... (you know who you are, Taffy)!

Do you think it's possible for me to roll my eyes any more obviously? Sheesh! Stella is totally Taffy-crazed! (She also still has fond feelings for Sherman AND Wally, but realizes they already have serious babes of their own. Then she met Taffy and went totally GaGa over him!)





Here you go, Taffy. A couple of photos of your girl... ready for action.








Enjoy the curls now while you can. She's getting a hairecut soon. (She keeps asking which hair our girl is going to cut).

These last 2 photos are of her enjoying a tasty treat from my girlpup, Ruby Bleu...

more on that later...

Goober love & goiter-free,

Stanley