Sunday, August 24, 2008

Nothing like old news...

If I were a journalist, I'd surely be fired for being this late on a story.

Lucky for me, I'm not a journalist - I'm a blogger. And I've got puppy pics that are timeless in their adorability. I can even make up words like "adorability"...with this kind of freedom, why would anyone want to bother reporting on legitimate and current news?

Anyway, in case you hadn't heard, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the development of the original design plans for Central Park, the Central Park Conservancy and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation set up a hot air balloon ride for New Yorkers and visitors alike to catch a bird’s eye view of the City and the Park. The balloon was flying through August 22nd. Sorry you missed it. If the site's still up, you can get more detail on it here. (but why bother...it's over and done...perhaps you should just scroll down to the cute puppy pics below since that's what you're here for anyway)

Strangely, dogs aren't weren't permitted on the balloon ride.

Perhaps it's too risky having all that fur flying around so close to the flames of the burner (although I bet the FURminator could take care of that)...Or maybe it's because the basket wasn't intended for quadrupeds, so allowing them would mean fewer riders per trip and less $$ in the balloon company's pocket (Cue hard-nosed journalistic headline: "Dogs keep Aeroballoon's profits from reaching the sky")...

Honestly my biggest concern was that Ella would have caught the urge to indulge her predatory bird instinct at 500 feet in the air. So we thought it best to admire the balloon from the safety of the ground at Cherry Hill.

Sorry I don't have any aerial shots for you, but aren't pics of Ella with her tongue hanging out WAY cuter?

Enjoy.







And here are some views of the balloon from the northwest side of The Lake...



Monday, August 18, 2008

Back AWAY from the water fountain

Ella LOVES horses...almost as much as horse poop. (sorry - but it's true...that sh** is like doggie catnip!)

But while she might admire them from afar as they majestically trot through the park, she isn't too keen on them being all up in her water trough.

Only it's not technically Ella's trough (try telling her that). This is one of the troughs along Central Park South dedicated to the carriage horses by the ASPCA. And the truth of the matter is that Ella is too much of a diva to stick her head in and drink directly from the trough anyway. Momma had to fill her portable plastic cup from the spigot like we do at all the other people-dedicated water fountains (momma's actually ok with that - if you saw how dirty that water was, you would be too).

Anyway, point is, Ella was really lapping up that nice cold water in her clean personal cup when she came face to face with the one animal she has never (yet) tried to incite play with (thank god)...



Horse to Ella: "You betta check yo'self."




Horse again to Ella: "Uh huh, that's what I thought."




Ella to Horse: (mumbling under her breath) "Oh come on this is getting ridiculous now. Nobody needs THAT much water..."




Ella to herself: "OK THAT IS IT! I'm about to make my move if this horse doesn't trot on in 10 seconds."




Ella to Momma: "Momma are you sure you don't have any Poland Spring in your bag? I am so parched..."

Sunday, August 17, 2008

She keeps going and going and going and...

You might have noticed that I've been a bit light with the blog postings lately. I can't deny it - guilty as charged. But there are extenuating circumstances, I swear. I have proof.

Ladies and gentlemen, exhibit A. Meet Ella - The Energizer Puppy.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was plugged into the wall somewhere because her energy just never seems to drain.

It is my only mission in life to find SOMETHING that will tire Ella out so that momma can get a moment to relax (is ONE moment too much to ask for?).

Thankfully, I recently managed to find something that occupied Ella for one evening (hey, I'll take it) - a puppy-sized stuffed toy creatively named "Monkey". I owe Monkey a great deal for this - he not only filled in as Ella's playmate for an evening, but also provided priceless entertainment...


Ella was so excited to meet Monkey that I didn't even have time to remove his tags and stickers before she pounced.



Ella shows Monkey she ain't afraid of no primates.




"Yeah, a lot of good those opposable thumbs are doing you now, eh Monkey?!!"




"Say uncle! Say uncle!!"



Ella puts Monkey in a head lock. He looks surprisingly comfortable.




Monkey tries to gain advantage by tickling Ella - she laughs uncontrollably but won't relent.




Time out.





Like true competitors, in the end they lay down and snuggle and put the match behind them. (Wait, that's not what Nadal and Federer did after the finals of Wimbledon this year? Hmm. Humans are weird.)


Anyway, Monkey succeeded in draining Ella's batteries for a little while. The question in my mind is, who will take on Ella next? Because right now, momma is saying uncle. UNCLE!!!


Saturday, August 9, 2008

It's a shoe! It's a toy! Wait, what's the difference?

"Oh, look!...is it a puppy?"
"Yes, she's not quite 8 months."
"Oh, she's beautiful. Is she trained?"
"Um, how so? I mean, she housetrained but eh er uh..."
Silence.
"She's a good girl - for the most part. She's just got a lot of energy."
"Well of course...she's a puppy! Is she a chewer?"
"Definitely, yes, I'm going bankrupt buying bones to keep her mouth occupied!"
"Does she chew on your shoes?"
"Haha...well if there's no bone around, she's got to chew on something right?"
*coughs, looks down at the ground out of embarrassment, scurries off*

Look, don't blame me! I'm clearly doing all I can to train Ella properly. To ensure she chews only on designated toys and bones. To teach my furbaby the difference between a "good chew" and a "bad chew".

Are you saying there's some reason Ella might think that because it's ok to chew on this toy...





...it's ok to chew on this too?...



I don't see the connection.

Sorry.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

"Saillling...takes me awaaaay..."

Today was one of the most beautiful days we've had in NYC in a long time. Perhaps it's the relative lack of humidity that's got me feeling so good...or maybe I'm deficient in Vitamin D and the sunshine has replenished me...in truth I think I really owe it all to Christopher Cross. He's in my head, he won't leave, and I'm totally fine with it.

As Ella and I made our way around the Conservatory Water in Central Park, we both found ourselves smiling at all of the sailboats. For those of you who aren't familiar, the Conservatory Water is an ornamental boat pond of sorts where people can casually sail (or race - for the true sportsman or uptight New Yorker) sailboats. It's a relaxing place to begin with, but the sailboats just add to the magic. And I couldn't help but set the whole scene to music - Christopher Cross's "Sailing". I think I kept the theme music mostly inside my head, though I can't deny there may have been some humming aloud during the chorus.

Now it's your turn to hum along...


Mac or PC?

I am not ashamed to say that I am a dork. An internet geek. Next to Ella, my computer is my best friend. And it's one of the best fri...