Dashing Thru the Snow!

This is me... dashing through the snow! And I'm better at it than I thought... although I have to work on stopping and rounding corners. Or have brakes installed. Mom called me a big wuss because I didn't wanna hang outside and play for very long. Dude - it's COLD out there... and in case she didn't notice, she's got socks and boots on her paws. My paws are NAKED! Plus she had on a hat and winter coat on top of all her regular clothes. Of course she wouldn't mind being outside.

Dad went out to plow and I think mom's tryign to work up the energy to do some more packing for the big move to our new house. I can't wait! Mom and dad showed me pictures on the new house but they say the pictures don't do it justice. I kinda wish we could move in sooner, but we have to wait. I gues I can do that -- I'm used to waiting. That's just what I do. I have to wait to be let outside. I have to wait for a treat. I have to wait to be let up on the couch. I have to wait for my food. All this waiting, you think I'd be good at it, but I'm not. Anyway, gonna wait for mom to take me out again and the snow is even deeper! The idiot they hire to make up stuff about the weather says that we're supposd to get an inch of snow every hour. But we don't have to believe that because he's just saying whatever he wants... that's his job. He just gets paid to stand there say anything as long as it has to do with the weather -- it doesn't even have to be true! And it usually isn't. Can you imagine that? Getting paid to lie? But I guess there's lots of jobs like that... politician, lawyer, con-artist, magician, sales person, fortune-teller, executive....

... Missing Nuno...

I miss Nuno. I know it's probably hard for other canines to understand (except my best buds Bob & Tobey) but I really loved my feline brother... even though my behavior made others think otherwise. I guess it just goes to show you that there are certain things that are just pure instinct and that you can't always control instincts... no matter how hard you try.

Here's a picture of him. Wasn't he cute? See that blanket he's laying on in the pic? That's my blanket now. So now I always have Nuno with me.

Dad came home on Monday with Nuno's ashes. Even though we're not doing Christmas this year, he says for Christmas that he's going to get mom a special urn to put them in so that mom can have Nuno with her forever. Mom came home that night and just cried and cried and cried because she misses him so much. She cries alot when she she's home and she mopes. I try cheering her up.... but nothing works. If that is what having a broken heart does to you, I hope mine never breaks. Uh-oh.. she's crying again... I need to go give her some cuddles and do something stupid to make her laugh.

Trying to come back

There has been lots of concern over me not blogging lately. It's been rough at our house... you see, my big brother, Nuno, passed away just two days before Thanksgiving. Mom did not handle this very well. So not only were we all very sad and trying to manage our own grief, but we were all very worried about Mom and trying to take care of her. She's doing a little bit better... but I know her heart is broken. Dad tells me that things like that don't get fixed, that they stay broken. But over time the pain gets a little less and you only feel it from time to time. I think someone needs to find a cure for broken hearts...

Dad is going to take mom to some holiday fesitval thing tonight a couple of towns over... he's hoping to lift her spirits and get her in little bit in the Christmas spirit. I've told her that it's OK that we don't decorate the house this year or even get a tree... what's more important is that we are all together. Besides, tree or decorations or not, Santa will come. I wrote him a special note with a special request this year -- I told him I didn't want any cookies or toys or treats... just to make mom feel happy again. I hope Santa comes through for me. If he doesn't, I've got a can full of whoop-ass for him and his stinking elves next year... maybe a special batch of chocolate chip & arsenic cookies!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my dad’s b-day. Even though dad had to work today, mom’s gonna do something special for him. I didn’t get him a present because money’s tight – it’s the economy don’t ya know - but mom told me that a material gift is not what’s important. She told me that giving and showing love, and being loved, is more important than a gift that any money can buy. So, I’m gonna make sure dad knows I love him. Mom says she’s going to make dad a special dinner. She already made some mini apple crumb things (they’re cooling in the kitchen) and she even bought vanilla ice cream for the top. Dad loooooooooves that! (See Aunt Jodi, Vanilla Ice Cream is loved by all and goes with EVERYTHING!) Dinner will be good, although I’m not big fan of shrimp... but it’s what dad wants. According to Bubba there’s many ways you can prepare shrimp, but dad knew exactly how he wants it so luckily we didn’t have to run through the whole list! He wants them sauteed with garlic, olive oil, butter and herbs over linguini. So, right now mom and I are just chilling out on the couch watching movies on Lifetime till dad comes home. Don’t tell dad... but I’m enjoying these movies.

Over the river....

Over the river and thru the woods to grandmother’s house we go... Road Trip! Well, we’ll be crossing over a few rivers on the way.... the Quinnipiac, the Housatonic, the Pequonnock, the Saugatuck, the Norwalk, the Hudson... and we’ll be going over a few bridges but the big one is the Chimpanzee Bridge. Dad says it’s the Tapanzee Bridge but I’m not stupid – Tapanzee is not a word. But Chimpanze is, so I think dad’s just yanking my chain... I’m pretty damn sure it’s the Chimpanzee Bridge. There will be no woods though. I always love Thanksgiving - my gramma is great! She always sends mom home with a care package of turkey for me & Nuno - but this Thanksgiving will be especially good because I get to go with mom & dad to gramma’s in Jersey!

Everyone has to make and bring something to contribute to the Thanksgiving dinner – that’s the rule. Not every person (or dog) - but a rep from each household. So on behalf of the CT Keisers, mom will be making homemade cranberry sauce, butternut squash soup (yum!) and while she’s not making the cider from scratch, she’s going to be responsible for prepping the mulling spices just right and making the hot mulled cider for all to enjoy. It just isn’t the holidays without that. Dad won’t drink it though... he says it goes right through him and gives him the shits.

Unfortunately, Nuno can’t come to Jersey with us... Grampa Bob is allergic to cats. Plus, with stress of the drive and the madness and chaos in Gramma’s house the day of Thanksgiving, it may just be too much for the little guy. So he’s going to go stay with Val at the cat resort. She takes really good care of him and if mom has to leave him with anyone, Val is the one. But I’m going to make sure gramma makes up a special care package for Nuno. I’m going to tell her to add a little stuffing and gravy to his turkey cause the little guy needs to gain some weight. It’s gonna be hard sitting in the truck the entire way home and NOT eat Nuno’s care package but I won’t. I will be strong and resist temptation. Know what else is great about this Thanksgiving? We’re having a chocolate chip cookie bake-off! Mom, Aunt Jen, Gramma, Aunt Heidi and Gramma Keiser are all going to bake and bring their chocolate chip cookies and we’re all going to put on blindfolds and do a taste test and vote for the best! Pretty cool, huh? I betcha my mom wins. Dad better not screw up and vote for someone else’s cookie other than mom’s.... otherwise it’ll be the last cookie dad ever tastes!

Family Crisis

Dad came home not long ago with Nuno. Nuno wasn’t feeling good all day yesterday and last night and so dad took him to the doctor this morning and he had some tests done. He may have some kind of medical problem. Mom already called like 50 billion times this morning. I know he’s getting old and Dad says that this is part of getting old. I’m thinking that maybe I’ll start being a little nicer to the little guy. He may be a cat, but he is MY big brother. Maybe I should check about getting him a present or something. I know that mom will be quite upset and touchy with him being all sick so maybe I’ll have to be the good son for a while and try not to cause her any more stress than possible. No problem… I’ll just annoy dad! Oh Dad…..!

A New Name

I’ve been doing some thinking and I decided I’d like to change my name and that I’d like my new name to be "Norbert." I told my mom this and first she laughed her ass off, and then she asked me why, if I had the choice of any name on the planet, why would I choose "Norbert". So I said "Why not?" She said "Why?" I said "Why not?" She said "Why?"... We went on this way for a few minutes until I finally caved and said "Because," to which she responded with "Because why?" And so this round went on for another minute or two untiI I finally got frustrated and walked away. So what’s wrong with the name Norbert? It’s not like Parker’s a great name or anything. Wanna know how I got that name? I was lost and all alone - my former owner was a real meanie - and dad came alone and found me wandering in a park. And because he found me in a park, he called me Parker. I think it’s a pretty stupid way to give someone a name. But I was so scared and lonely and tired at the time that I never gave it a thought. But now that I am thinking about it, it’s just a really dumb name.