I have joined the ranks of young professionals whose thumbs are in the best shape ever (or worst shape) due to frequent exercise with... yes, that's right, a Crackberry!! Look out world. My thumbs are ready to go!!!!

Right now, I type extremely slow, but that won't last long. Soon my thumbs will be flying over the tiny keys.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Question of the day: When are pugs fully grown?

An answer from a PugVillage forum member:
It depends on whether they're neutered/spayed. If a dog has had neuter/spay surgery, they're finished growing, more or less, by ten months. However, an unneutered or unspayed dog will continue to develop (increase in bone density, muscle mass, etc) until the age of two or so. If you look in 'Pug Talk' you can see a remarkable difference between the show pug and a neutered or spayed animal. The big head doesn't develop in the neutered/spayed dog, nor the degree of bone and muscle. (Direct link to thread here)

Nickey is not neutered because we were showing him and had hopes of continuing to compete in dog shows, but unfortunately with both of our busy schedules we haven't entered him in anything for awhile nor have we set priority on training him for the ring. Since he will always be our pet first and foremost and since we have decided not to continue showing him, we're planning to get him neutered.

Now that Nickey is almost 3 years old, he has had time to grow out and develop a nice stout body. His head is still on the small side compared to other male show pugs. Many people have commented on how big he is for a pug, which may be for 2 seasons: 1, they have only been exposed to pugs who've been snipped at a very young age and not been able to develop to their full potential (per the comment above), or 2, the pugs in Nickey's line are rather big boned to begin with, which is what the breeder told us.

I think the decision to neuter or spay your dog is a sensitive one and you always have divided camps and criticism of owners who choose not to get their dogs fixed for whatever reason. However, I do think that it is actually a good idea to wait before you fix your dog to allow them to grow into their bodies. Developing a solid bone structure and muscle mass, especially for smaller dogs, is important. There are many who argue that their dogs could develop in the same way despite being neutered at an early age, and I'm not as familiar with other dog breeds. But I do know that for pugs, it is noticeable.

And for the record, I have heard of a great deal of unneutered show dogs who lived until a ripe old age and did *not* die of reproductive cancer (a common argument by those who criticize dog owners for not getting their dogs fixed). They simply died of old age. So the point of this blog post: you should respect your fellow dog owner when it comes to neutering and spaying their dog. It is a personal choice they make and not one to criticize. Despite that we are planning to get Nickey snipped, it does not mean that we recommend other dog owners snipping their dogs. Again, it is up to you.

The Youngest (from Wikipedia)

The names given to the youngest child are revealing: the youngest child of the family is viewed as the party animal, outgoing charmers, personable manipulators, the entertainer who is unafraid to test his or her luck. While this is certainly not true of all youngest siblings, proponents of this theory state that the baby of the family is an endearing, and delightful friend.

The youngest child is often babied or "pampered" more than the other siblings. This "pampering," according to Adler, is one of the worst behaviors a parent can bestow on a child. "Pampering" can lead to dependence, and selfishness as well as irresponsibility when the youngest or only child enters adulthood. However, this is not true of all families and of course these characteristics can be present in the oldest, as well as the middle children. Some parents are strict or barely affectionate to their kids or do not have the money to spoil or pamper their children.

Of course, since the youngest is typically poorly equipped to handle life, they can easily become manipulative and control-seeking if their sibling(s), parents, or other peers are overbearing or bossy.

Update: found my snow pants and gloves. They were stuffed into a plastic bag and onto a shelf in a closet in another room in the house. Weird.

I'm back from the snow, horrendously sore and sporting a pretty stunning bruise on the inside of my knee. How in the hell did I get a bruise there?? Living proof that skiers can land in some strange positions due to their skis forcing their legs to land in some awkward way.

Although the day was sunny and there was zero snow on the drive up, the snow on the slopes wasn't as bad as I expected - enough powder to be satisfied. I ran into someone from work, which was funny because I was staring right in his direction but didn't recognize him at all until he removed his goggles! So if you want to disguise yourself, wear a ski hat & goggles and a big fat ski jacket.

Anyway, I definitely need to improve but was proud of myself because I actually went on the blue slopes this time. Most people board, but I prefer to ski because it is so much like skating in terms of how you distribute your body weight to maneuver your turf and how you work the equipment. And now I've gotten in some practice so that I won't totally embarrass myself at the work ski trip coming up in a few weeks.

I'm leaving for the snow in about 4 hours and I can't find my snow pants anywhere. Nor my ski gloves. Fock.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithfuland true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Bobby Lee's Korean soap opera parody - Part II.



:)

In the blink of an eye, 2006 has gone by. I've never been one for setting New Year's Resolutions because of the obvious- I never keep them. However, I've realized that the trick is to set ones that have measurable results rather than something vague like "get in shape" or "eat healthier." So, in my effort to set measurable goals along with not setting traditional resolutions, I've decided to be untraditional and make a list of New Year's To-Dos's. Why? All the traditional resolutions I can think of are things I should be doing anyways without needing the motivation of a new year.

In any case, here is an excerpt of what I hope to have accomplished by December 31, 2007:

1. Attend a clambake
2. Ice skating at the Kristi Yamaguchi rink
3. Have a "girls weekend" in Chicago
4. Choreograph a dance piece to [a secret song which I shall not reveal here] and audition it
5. Crabbing
6. Wine tasting in Napa and in Santa Cruz
7. White water rafting in the American River
8. Visit NYC again
9. Visit London
10. Berry picking