Friendly Neighborhood BusterPug

St. Nick's Day

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:21:06 GMT

The coolest thing happened last night. Two of my mom and dad's friends came over. We were all hanging out in the living room when I heard a knock at the door. All of a sudden a hand with a black glove on threw a whole bunch of dog cookies!!! It was awesome! Then we went out on the porch and there were presents and shoes filled with candy! My mom calls it St. Nick's Eve.

I love December. It's great! We stay in every night and snuggle up in front of the fire. And this year we don't have to take a plane ride anywhere. I don't enjoy plane rides.

Happy St. Nick's Day everyone!

Overnight Guests

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:57:56 GMT

I'm having a pretty good summer. It's lots of fun to hang out with my mom during the day. I help her with laundry and vacuuming. I also like to keep her company while she does stuff in the kitchen.

Aside from having my mom at home, there's one big reason why I love summer: overnight guests. For the past four weekends, different people have come over to our house and spent the night. I love having more people to play with. Here are a few reasons:

extra cuddles and hugs
more throwing, fetching and tugging
sometimes they leave the front door open just long enough for me to sneak out
more shoes and clothing to chew on

We might have another overnight guest this weekend. Woo hoo!

My folks are hogging our flickr account, so I put up some new pictures of myself - just to be fair. Check 'em out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/team-baker

CityDog Pawty

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:15:44 GMT

Last night my mom and I met up with Auntie Lena and Beso so that we could go to the CityDog Pawty at the W. I've never walked around downtown Seattle before. It was a little scary. I didn't walk over the first grate we came upon, but I bravely walked right over the second one. Then there was this guy who asked my mom for money -- when she said that she didn't have any money (which was true!) he said that he wouldn't mind taking "the dog" (me!) instead. My mom said that she couldn't bear to live without me and he said that he understood. Even the hotel was a bit scary; there were so many dogs! There were huge dogs, tiny dogs, people, music, treats and even cocktails for my mom and Auntie Lena. After a few minutes, Beso and I calmed down and sat in our moms' laps.

After the pawty, the four of us went to the Greenlake Bar and Grill for a late dinner. Now that was fun! Beso and I got to sit with our moms as they ate outside. Now, I like to say hello to everyone, but Beso is a bit different. A strange man came up to him and tried to pet him -- Beso barked very loud and almost bit him! I tried to tell Beso that it was cool, but he wouldn't listen. I even showed him how to say hello to humans, but Beso wasn't interested. Oh well.

When I woke up this morning, I found two zits on my chin. Boots! It's a good thing that I got them after the party -- that would have been embarrassing! Darn that dog acne!!!

Seattle International Beer Festival

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:49:43 GMT

I just had the best time ever at the Seattle Center. My mom and dad went to meet some friends and drink beer at the International Beer Festival. Luckily, they brought me along! Everywhere we went, there were people and dogs who wanted to meet me. Everyone seemed to think that I was very happy and kind. One nice lady even asked to have her picture taken with me. (I gave her a kiss!) My favorite part of the day was eating fancy cheese while sitting in the grass. My dad is falling asleep and I feel pretty tuckered out, too.

Until next time...
xoxoxo Buster

Buster's Mom's Politics

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:46:06 GMT

I don't really care about this stuff, but my mom cares a lot, and she doesnt have an LJ. So, here are her reasons for voting Obama:

1. I am socially liberal. Since the president appoints members of the Supreme Court, and I would prefer that these members are more liberal in their views on social matters (ie abortion, stem cell research, second amendment rights, etc), I usually vote for the democrat.

2. We are addicted to oil. I do not believe that it is a healthy addiction. (When asked what kind of addiction was actually good, she could only say: Jane Austen novels.) Instead of perpetuating our addiction by drilling off the shores of the United States, I believe that we should aggressively pursue alternative sources of energy. I believe that the sooner gas prices reach $5, $6 or $7 - the sooner we will start to truly change our views on energy and consumption. Barack Obama's energy policy is much more in line with my views than John McCain's.

3. I believe that everyone is entitled to health care. I am not afraid nor am I embarrassed to say that I would like to see socialized medicine in the United States. Europe gets it. Canada gets it. Billy Idol gets it - why doesn't the United States "get it"? Yes, that does necessarily mean that we will have to pay more taxes, however I am ok with that. I don't believe that Obama's plan is as comprehensive as John Edwards' or Hillary Clinton's, but it is a lot better than John McCain's.

And, as a final note, I believe that our system for funding public education is broken. Schools/Districts are funded primarily by local taxes. Wealthy districts have wealthy schools. Poor districts have poor schools. This creates a tangible inequity amongst schools and students. Many politicians seem to think that raising standards - both for students and teachers - is the only way to deal with the achievement gap. Barack Obama has stated that he believes that struggling urban and rural districts also need more funding. I think that's a step in the right direction.

Keeping Cool

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:47:20 GMT

Yesterday kinda sucked. First, my mom and dad slept in for a really, really long time. Normally that doesn't bug me, but it was sunny and hot and I could hear all sorts of things going on outside because the windows were open. I really wanted to go out in the backyard and do some exploring...but I resigned myself to sleeping on my mom's pillow (she's kind enough to scoot down a bit so that we could share it - I try not to step on her hair too much). When they finally did get up, they made a really good smelling breakfast and didn't give me any - as usual. After that, they left me at home while they went out somewhere. It was pretty warm in my room, even though they left the fan on and turned the lights out. I was not happy, so I took a protest nap. When they came back they had a big box and some other big packages. We took them upstairs and my dad put the things in the box together. It was CRAZY HOT upstairs while he was working. After they were done (with what I can only assume is a sofa of some kind - not sure yet, I need to chew on it a bit to be certain...) they got this ridi culous idea to put me in the bathtub. Now, as I mentioned, it was CRAZY HOT. And when we pugs get CRAZY HOT we can't breathe through our noses, so we breathe through our mouths. Apparently my panting was getting pretty bad and a cold tub was the best solution they could come up with. My dad filled the tub and got in, then my mom sat on the edge and put her legs in. Before I knew it, I was in the tub, too. It was WEIRD. Kinda like taking a bath, only it was colder and the water tasted much better. I stayed in there for while even after they got out. Since it was kinda fun, and I was feeling decidedly cooler, I decided to run around the house once I got out. I love to run and run and run and run. It's the best. But you wanna know what's the worst: grooming time. I HATE having my nails grinded down! I makes me all upset and then I can't breathe through my nose - and you know what that leads to... My only comfort is knowing that I won't have to do that again for a while. Now, on the other hand, I might like some regular tub time.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:19:06 GMT

So, I went to the vet - again. And I'm having surgery - again. At least this time, it shouldn't be so bad. My shoulder isn't near as delicate as my eye or my boy parts (which are still missing!). The vet is going to remove a histiocytoma: a non-cancerous tumor. Normally, they just go away; but I've been scratching at mine and now it's infected. Luckily, my mom and dad have pet insurance. I wonder if Barak Obama includes dogs in his plan for universal health care? I think he should. It's great. All dogs should have it.

In other news, I got a great big dog bed! It's plaid and has my name on it: BUSTER PUG. I love it! I even slept on it for a little bit last night. It's not as good as the big "mom and dad" bed, but it's a close second.

Happy New Year!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 06:06:15 GMT

Wow, I haven't posted for a long time! It's not because my life is boring -- it isn't! -- I guess I've just been busy with all of the napping and fetching and eating and napping that I do every day. So here's my brief re-cap of 2007, the year I was born.

May 26 - Happy Birthday to Me!

July - I left my mom, brothers and sisters (dad was "busy" in Idaho) to go live with Kate and Brandon Baker, my new mom and dad. I love them very much. They give lots of good snuggles and cuddles. They also buy me lots of cookies! I love them cookies!

August - I started dog school at Ahimsa (which was great!) and got bitten by a wheaten terrier (which was bad!). I was a little scared of all the other dogs at dog school after I was bitten, but eventually I met some very nice dogs. I especially liked to play with Taur (short for Minotaur), a miniature bull terrier with two dads.

September - My mom started going to people school during the day, so dad began taking me to work with him sometimes. I enjoy going to work with dad because there are so many people there who like to pet me. But I like it even better when he stays home and works from the living room. Then I can snuggle up next to him and nap while he types. Oh! This was also the month when I met Grammy and Gramps. They came from Boise to visit us. Grammy is a great cuddler! And even though Gramps may seem tough, he's a great cuddler, too!

October - Dad took me to my mom's people school. I got to see all of the little people that she teaches. There were so many of them - and they were so loud! I also went to a soccer game with my mom and dad. It was so fun to run in the grass!

November - I lost my balls - literally. I swear I had them before, but when I woke up one afternoon they were gone! Just like that! I'm not sure what happened, but suffice it to say I am none too pleased. Fortunately, I also had my first Thanksgiving with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Vern. It was a long drive down to Portland, but it was worth it to get all those cuddles from Uncle Andy!

December - Dad took me to meet Santa Claus and taught me all about Christmas. I went on my first plane ride - which I don't really remember because I was so sleepy for some reason. Mom, dad and I celebrated Christmas in Kansas with Grammy, Gramps, Aunt Wendy, Uncle Jim, Katie Clare and Tanner. There was also a crazy lady who drank a lot of wine and wanted to cuddle me. Oh, and lots of cats! I'd never met a cat before. I can't say that I like cats. They hiss at you when you ask them to play.

Soccer

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 01:49:14 GMT

I went to a soccer game at my mom's school today. It was loud, cold and fun. There were so many people there -- and they all wanted to pet me! I felt very popular. The boys team said that I was their mascot. Their mascot is actually a butterfly, but I don't blame them for wanting me instead. I can run very fast and I like to chase things. I didn't like having to wear my sweater, but I was glad to have it in the end because it got very cold. My dad took me home at half time because I was shivering.

There are two new girl dogs at school: Bea and Lexi. I like them a lot. It's hard to practice when they're nearby. They're very pretty and nice. And there's a "shark dog", too. His name is Taur (like Minotaur), he's fun to play with, and he has two dads.

Sleep is good

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:59:35 GMT

Yesterday was my four month birthday. I like being four months old. I can jump up onto the couch, chair and ottoman now. It's great!

My mom has been sick with a cold since last Friday. I know it's not much fun for her...but it means that I get to sleep in her lap all day! Woo hoo! Speaking of which, I could go for another nap right now.

On the mend

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:24:14 GMT

I went back to see Dr. Mortimer today. He took off my cone and took out my sutures! Now I feel like my old self again. I can run, jump, and sorta hold my bone as I chew it. If I only had thumbs.

I think I'm ready to go back to school tomorrow. Even though there are some mean dogs in this world, there are still plenty of nice ones.

Thanks, friends!

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:37:08 GMT

My eye got hurt on Sunday. That's all I have to say about that.

To all of the nice people and dogs who wished me well during the past two days -- Thank you! I'm feeling much better now; however, I am NOT a big fan of this plastic thing around my neck. My eye really itches and I'd like to scratch it. My dad is taking me to see Dr. Mortimer tomorrow. I hope he lets me take this thing off soon!

Dog School

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:55:45 GMT

I went to my first day of school on Saturday. It was so much fun! There were a bunch of other dogs. I got to play with two of them: Chewie and Baxter. There was a lot of talking, loud clicking noises, and TREATS! When I sit on my hind legs, I get gooberlicious peanut snacks!!! It's awesome! I was so tired and thirsty by the time we got home. I hope we can go again!

My trip to the vet

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:23:20 GMT

My mom says that I am a really, really good dog. We went to the vet today. I slept on my mom's lap while she talked to Dr. Mortimer. They talked for a long time. Then they woke me up so that Dr. Mortimer could fuss with my mouth, eyes, ears, tummy -- and my boy parts! I did not like the shot, the stuff they put in my nose, or the yucky stuff they made me swallow. But I didn't complain or wiggle too much. It felt really weird when they cut my toenails. I got mad at first, but then I got used to it.

What a Weekend!

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:49:53 GMT

Mom left for the weekend...still not sure where. But, she is here now, and i fell asleep on her lap until she put me in the crate.

So, this weekend was just me and my Dad...this is the second weekend this has happened since i came here. I wonder if this is just how my folks roll.

Friday, Dad took me to work and all these ladies kept picking me up and squealing louder than i do when put behind the babygate in the bathroom. One said she wanted to "just squeeze" me. I didn't like the sound of that so i pretended to sleep on my dad's desk while he worked. That night Dad watched TV and spoke to people on his phone and drank a whole bunch of bottles of stuff that smelled very funny.

nothing much happened saturday.

and today we went for another drive and i met a bunch of people. It was at funkycold's house, and her daughter kept saying how i was a "real dog", of course I am. What did she expect? apartment_5 got in this big ball on the water. It was scary. jaegerlicious did more of the squealing and picking up. katiemouse showed me affection. schempp and muppetaphrodite and I didn't say much, but i think we just met so its ok. jetcityjesterwas there as we left.

stronggay, my dad said he would pay for the dry cleaning for my little accident....he also told me to say that I'm sorry.

My Video

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 04:24:11 GMT

My daddy is so proud of me. He made a video of me doing my favorite things:

I love to chew!

Hey, brother

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:12:47 GMT

Today was a good day. My dad stayed home with me. My mom bought me a new crate because I kept pooing in the old one. It scared me at first because it was so much smaller. I like it now. It's cozy. There's just enough room for me and Bunny.