A Sad Day

Almost all my days are happy ones. As I like to say, "Today is the best day ever!" Do you know why? Because it's true!

But there was one day a few weeks ago that wasn't that happy. My cat buddy Tobias had been getting sicker and sicker. Steven had to take him to the vet, and I couldn't go this time. When he came back with Tobias, Tobias wasn't really there anymore, and Steven was very sad.

We buried him in the front-yard at one of his favorite outdoor snoozing spots. I miss him and sometimes I look around for him, but he's not here anymore. Steven says that in heaven we will have all those things that we need to be happy, so I think that means that we'll all be together again some day. That sounds good to me.

For now, I spend even more time with Steven than I did before before, and I will always be a cat-dog thanks to Tobias' lessons on how to be a cat.

We're Famous!

This has for sure been the best summer ever! I've done a lot of romping and playing with my friends, I've gone for lots of long walks, and I've even gotten to go to the airport a few times. One of the most exciting things, 'though, is that Steven and I got our picture in the newspaper! Steven and BookGirl always talk a lot about me, of course -- I am a Shih Tzu, after all -- but mostly to their friends. Now, though, I bet that EVERYBODY knows about me, don't you think?

For a while there was a note in the newspaper that asked people who thought that they looked like their pets to send in their photos. BG always says that Steven and I look alike, and she showed us a picture of us that she wanted to send to the paper. I said OK! right away, but Steven had to think about it a little before he said 'yes.' But finally he did (thank goodness) and BG sent in the picture. I asked Steven to look for our picture every day, because I was sure that the people at the newspaper would love it as much as we did.

Finally -- we had to wait a long time, but I didn't forget -- there was a big story called "Look-alike Pals" in the newspaper. And guess whose picture was in the story? Yes, you guessed it! It was our picture! There were pictures of other people and their pets, but I thought that we looked the most alike, and we were the best looking pair for sure. Everybody in the neighborhood told us they'd seen the story, and BG's art friends mentioned it, and I told my dog friends -- Shorty, and Bella, and Star, and Zoe, and Trixie, and Buster, and J.R. -- all about it. BG says we're famous now.

The picture at the top is the one that was in the newspaper, and here's another one of me and Steven that I like. And the last one is one of me and BG. She looks only a tiny bit like me, 'though. I think I'll ask Steven and BG to take me downtown soon and see if anybody recognizes me.

My Pal Toby

When I came to live here, Tobias was already here. He's Steven's cat and he'd lived with Steven for a long time -- even before he met BookGirl. Because Tobias was here first, he gets to be the leader of the pack, and gets to eat his breakfast first from our joint food bowl. Sometimes I'll have a drink out of the water bowl right next to it while he's eating, and he doesn't seem to mind.

Tobias is not a very friendly cat, but I know he likes me. When Steven and I take a walk, he follows us at a distance. Every once in a while he walks with us a little ways. And sometimes, when we're outside, he gives me a little head bump; Steven says that's one of the ways he shows affection. Tobias goes outside by himself whenever he wants, which I'm not allowed to do (and which I wouldn't want to do anyway, because I like staying close to BG and Steven). I like to welcome him back, so I stand right inside the door and wag my tail. Then when he comes in, I chase him around a little bit. He acts like that he doesn't like that, but I know he's just playing hard to get.

BG took this picture. Tobias and I are talking (that's Steven encouraging us to talk). See, Tobias is really close to me! I know he likes me.