Tribute To Oscar - My Inspiration

Sunday was a tough day to wake up. My first thoughts were of Oscar, and Katy & Martin (his mum and dad). My hooman girl and I had a down and dirty talk about how we were feeling, and we decided that we both wanted to follow Oscar's example and live, play, wrassle, run, and love like there's no tomorrow!

My inspiration: Oscar Boy running in the rain with a buddy.



So, in keeping with that commitment and with the idea of celebrating Oscar, we kept our date to play with my buddy Hercules at the dog park. We talked with Herc and his mom about Oscar and we played!! I realized that for me, one of the best ways to honor my buddy is to give myself some time to do some grieving and some playing every day.

Here are some of the images of our day together.

Me runnin' like the WIND!!

Here's the south end of 3 northbound dogs. (That's me and Herc following our new buddy, Boobee - yep, that's his real name. We were told it's Albanian for "Fido").

Wrasslin with Boobee.



Funky close up of my game face.




Then we took it into the water! Look at Boobee's fierce wrasslin' face. He plays hard!







We met this sassy Boston girl, Lala. (It must be noted that while she is a cutie and sassy, she is NOWHERE near as cute, sassy, and captivating as my Ruby. Plus my Ruby has a bootiful brindle coat and does not look like an Oreo cookie. Mmmm... Oreos...) I digress...




Lala got us all riled up and then stopped to watch the fun. That girl knew she was workin' it!

Taking a breather.






This was probably the most surreal and inspirational siting of the day. This little puggy boy was tearing up the water swimming WAY OUT into the deep part of the pond fetching his ball. Yes, he was outfitted with a cute little orange life jacket, but he was SWIMMING!






I could only stand on the sidelines watching him in complete AWE at his swimming prowess.






Then I decided it was time to go for it! I wandered out over my head and actually had to SWIM (not just wade in the water). When I first realized I wasn't touching the bottom of the pond any more, I reared way up out of the water & took some big strokes before settling down into a more relaxed swim. My girl didn't catch much of the actual swimming... I think she was in shock that I actually did it.

After all that excitement, we bellied up to the open bar before heading home. Here's Herc getting ready to get is drink on.





Here's Herc all doggled-up and ready to motor on home.



We had a blast!! It felt good to talk about Oscar, feel my sadness, and run and play all at the same time. I sure do miss my buddy, but am learning to move through the sadness with the help of his example and my Herc. Thanks, guys! I love you both! Oscar's influence on the world continues!


Love,
Stanley

Hercules - Aireboy Blogger

Hey, Girl Girl and everydoggie! Following Ruby's lead, I want to introduce you to my friend, Hercules! (Just so you know, girls, he is single and has his own convertible - the Herc-mobile). Go check out Hercules' Toga Pawty and welcome him to the blogosphere.

Words fail me in the face of all this coolness.

He found me on Dogster, asked to be pals, we realized we're kind of neighbors, and the rest is history. Even though we've only met to play a few times, it is obvious we were separated at birth. He's quite the wrassler, and he runs like the W-I-N-D! I know you're gonna love him. He's one

Herculicious Aireboy!

3 faces of Herc

Don't be intimidated by his suave good looks. He's really very down to earth and approachable. One look at the photos above of him checking out the scene at our favorite swimmin' hole will make that clear.

Sharing the Goober love,
Stanley

Good Bye Sweet Oscar

My buddy Oscar died this morning in England after complications with a sudden illness. I am so bummed I can barely think straight, but wanted to share some of my favorite photos of him. Notice the twinkle in Oscar's eye. That was one of his signature looks.

I will miss you, my friend.

I'm sure my Rosie and Bert will meet you at the Rainbow Bridge.

They are SO going to love you.

Run like the WIND, Oscar!!

Love,

Stanley

A Hero Dies

Jake, one of the brave search and rescue dogs at ground zero on 9/11, died Wednesday in Utah after a long battle with cancer. He was an abandoned dog who was rescued off the streets at 10 months of age, and was one of the first rescue dogs flown into New York on 9/11 to search for survivors.

Mary Flood rescued Jake and later became his handler. When she first found him he was disabled and on the street dealing with a broken leg and hip. He eventually became an elite search and rescue dog - one of the most highly trained dogs in the country.

After he took a last walk in the woods and a dip in the pond near his home in Utah on Wednesday, he was allowed to leave his pain-racked body and head on to the Rainbow Bridge... where he is now free.

We salute you, buddy! You lived well!

Stanley

Pop Art Goober

Merv was in a pensive and contemplative mood today, and didn't know if he really wanted to let anyone see the other two portraits he did of me. He says they're not really done yet, and he's a little touchy about any feedback he might get.

Eventually, Merv relented. Here are the two other portraits he did. They are both reminiscent of Andy Warhol. I say, "if it was good enough for Marilyn Monroe and Mao, it's good enough for me!"

This next one is my FAVORITE! I'm thinking of using it as my official presidential portrait to hang in the Museum National de GooberStan .

What do you think? Do I look presidential?

Goob love,

Stanley

Goober Art

Merv and I are at it again. My hooman girl is all wrapped up in some Hairy Potty book this weekend (she's a geek), so we have been left to our own devices for entertainment. Merv has been on my back about posing for him for a portrait (he works in oils and watercolors), and this weekend was as good as any.

Merv does not like to be distracted while in the throes of his creative process. Here is a rare photo I snapped of him in his studio. (I have no idea where he got that moustache).

The likeness between him and Salvador Dali is frightening!

He has done several pieces based on my one sitting. He is very proud of this particular rendering of my countenance. It is a nod to his impressionist leanings. (It's an original - see his signature in the corner)?

He has a couple of others that are more Modernist renditions. (He was at his easel for hours while I sat naked, cold, and unmoving in his studio). Maybe he'll let me share those with you at another time.

Love,
Stanley

Some Other Pug

This is my LovePug, Suki.

This is NOT.

She is some other pug who was out at my dog park the other day.

At first glance I thought my Suki Girl had mailed herself (or maybe flown) to GooberStan to surprise me. I ran right over to greet her.

I pretty much knew after the first sniff that it wasn't MY Suki, but some other pug. I decided to have a second sniff just to be sure.

Nope. Definitely not Suki. She was some other pug whose name I didn't catch. After our brief encounter she went her way and I went mine.

Nothing could console my deep disappointment. I felt a wide yawning hole inside that could not be filled... (*Sigh*)

...except maybe with ice cream.

Does that make me shallow?

Loving you more than ice cream, Suki! (Honest!)

Your Stanny Boy

Brush With Greatness

A couple of days ago I met my friend Hercules at the dog park. He's an 18-month-old Aireboy I met through Dogster awhile back, and he lives pretty close. How cool is that?

We were also waiting to have our audience with Her Royal Highness, Princess, the Newfy. Being the commoners we are we got there a little early and had some time to spare before HRH Princess arrived with her entourage.

Of course, once we found a theme we liked, we had to do a variation on it.





It was stinkin' HOT out, and at one point I found Hercules hiding under a picnic table. What a goob job he is. (I like the way he thinks). That's Herc's mom holding on to me. She can't seem to get enough of me. (I sometimes have that effect on the ladies).

Herc catching some shade.




Then we got the summons from the Royal Social Secretary that Princess had arrived at the park! (Her social secretary doubles as her dad). We headed up to the main gate to greet her. (Ignore the audio. My girl was rudely talking about something else while our meet-n-greet was happening).





Did you notice Princess' Newf Flag flying high? Her social secretary said she was sporting her summer cut. She has the cutest white pom pom on the end of her tail. And, in true Newf fashion, she slimed me within minutes. See the Princess juice on my side?




Once she heard there was a pond nearby, she headed straight for the water. She sure is a bootiful girl.

Princess was so pupular with the other dogs at the park, all Hercules and I could do was sit back and watch her work her magic in the water. She was pure poetry.

Here's a great face shot of Princess. I'm the one on the left looking clueless.

Hercules found out what it was REALLY like to swim with the BIG DOGS! He and I weren't getting up that steep bank as easily as Princess was.

After the aquatic stylings of Princess came to an end, it was time for WRASSLIN! Let me tell ya, Princess is no lightweight. Girl knows how to throw down!

Since it would be bad form to put my best moves on Her Royal Highness, I, *ahem*, moved on to another worthy wrasslin opponent, Hercules.

Princess then humored us by pretending to be a Roman Empress who was judging the gladiators in the ring of battle. (Our Score: two thumbs down).

After almost two hours at the dog park we were hankering for a little cool aire. So, we escorted Princess back up to the gate where she got into her Royal SUV and headed for home.

Even though I run my own country and should be used to these things, Hercules and I knew that we had both just had a brush with greatness. That Princess is one class act. I told her she could make an official visit to GooberStan anytime.

Here's hoping she does.

The Royal Goober,

Stanley

Tadpole Surprise

For those of you who think this is a recipe post for a new dish, (what would the ingredients in Tadpole surprise be, anyway... besides Tadpole?) sorry to disappoint. I'm actually talking about a surprise I found on my front porch the other day when I got home from my walk.

It was from none other than the dogliest dog-blogging dog, folks! Yep, I'm talking 'bout my good friend, Tadpole Pomegranate! Doesn't he have the best hair on the internet? (My girl thinks he has the best snout and the best spotted belly on the internet. *major eyeroll*).

I don't think Tad knew it at the time, but I have never ever received a surprise in the mail before (hard to believe, I know). Needless to say, I was a little va-klempt (as Linda Richmond would say) about what to do with it. It smelled doggy, so I knew it held precious cargo, but, how to get it opened...

Here we'll leave a blank space in memory of the video of me opening my surprise that would be here. It seems that my cinematographer (my hooman girl), *ahem*, happened to dump that video from the camera before downloading it. I never said she was tech savvy.

This is where my video would be (if it had not be erased by my girl).

Once I got the thing opened I was dazzled by a greenish yellow glowing donut! I immediately had myself a little taste.

Mmnah, mmnah, mmnah... it tastes... mmnah... like a tennis ball (and faintly of an amphibious dog - Tad did you try this out for me?) ... mmnah... mmnah...
AND IT SQUEAKS!!!

The squeak was a bonus, as it just happens to be in the tonal range least favored by my cat, Merv. (He walks right up in my grill and lays one of his whiney MEEEOOOOWs on me, which makes me move in a little closer to him a squeak that much harder).

The next item I extracted from the goodie box was a big red devil CUZ! Before now the closest I had ever gotten to one was in the aisle at Petsmart. Here I've used my new AireDog Squeaker Ring as a crown for my cuz.

Not one to leave somecat out, Tad even thought of a gift for Merv. The lovely box of surprises (once empty) was the perfect hiding place for him. (Don't think I didn't consider snapping the lid shut and sending him right back to Tad - only for a minute, though).

But, THAT'S NOT ALL!!

Tad included a pawsonally signed letter. He wanted to cheer me up with this package since he knew I was a little bummed when ZZ left to go to his new furrever home.

Look at the difference in the size of our paws. His paw is so dainty for a dogly dog such as he is!

But wait. THAT'S STILL NOT ALL!!
My absolute favorite thing about this package was the drawing Tad did of me. It's not just a reproduction of one of his works, but an original, signed by the artist himself.




What do ya think? Does it look like the original?
Pawsonally, I think Tadpole captured my essential gooberness.



Thanks, Tadman!! You made my summer, buddy! I am honored by your generosity and your friendship!

By the way, Pappy, the mustachioed terrier mutt, tagged me to list 5 things I would put in his time capsule for the benefit of the denizens of the near future. Here's my list:

1) Tad's drawing of me
2) A vial of my drool (Goober juice is a valuable commodity)
3) An official flag of GooberStan
4) My glass Asta
and
5) Bibble, the Butcher, Chihuahua


I now tag Sherman, Wally, and Putter to post about the 5 items they would choose to place in Pappy's time capsule.


Enjoying Tadpole's surprise,
Love,
Stanley