Christmas is sneaking up on us too soon!

A Peta note. Unbearable

Dear Amber,
For most people, the sale of cats and dogs from animal shelters for use in laboratories seems like a barbaric practice from the distant past—as it should be. Shockingly, in some states homeless animals are still purchased from shelters and then used in cruel and painful experiments, even at seemingly reputable universities. PETA's newest investigation goes undercover inside the University of Utah to reveal the school's shocking experiments on homeless animals.

One of these animals was an affectionate orange tabby cat named Robert. University of Utah experimenters drilled a hole into his skull and implanted electrodes in his brain in order to run an electric current through it. The university also paid a shelter $20 for a skinny black-and-tan German shepherd mix named Lady. Lady's neck was cut open and a medical device was implanted as part of a cruel heart experiment. Kittens born to a cat purchased from a shelter had chemicals injected into their brains. All the kittens died during the course of the experiment.

In other experiments, mice were given enormous tumors and monkeys had holes drilled into their skulls. These monkeys were also kept constantly thirsty so that they would "cooperate" with experimenters in exchange for a few drops of water. These are just a few examples of the many instances of cruelty documented by PETA's undercover investigator at the University of Utah.

PETA is taking swift action by filing formal complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health alleging violations of federal law and noncompliance with federally mandated guidelines. We are also filing a criminal complaint with local law-enforcement officials. However, as long as any university or company continues to blind, poison, maim, torture, and kill animals, our job isn't done. PETA—and supporters like you—are often the only hope for these animals.

Please be a voice for the animals suffering in laboratories at the University of Utah. Urge the university to end the use of animals from shelters in its laboratories.

Thank you for speaking out for animals in laboratories. Your voice makes a difference to the countless helpless animals who have no voice.

Action and friendships.

A bitch is a bitch, that's all there is to it. But sometimes when others act out insanely I just scratch my head with my paw and wonder "what just happened?" It's been a rollercoaster in the last few weeks. Old friends are changing, and some of those changes aren't going in the same direction as Amber, so parting ways is the best way sometimes. It is funny and sad all at the same time when people you have known for so long change and you can't help them as they spiral down. All you can do is hang on for dear life, and stay afloat until they let go of your life raft. It's important to set a positive emotional climate for yourself. Just like a garden that flourishes best under certain conditions, your life operates more smoothly when the emotional climate is well thought out. So goodbye to 2 of my old mates, and on to smoother waters. I wont mention names because that is not the business of me to tell, but I will say Amber is at peace with it.

Amber has been working on a film project day and night with her partner Gary Kohn, Gary is mulit-talented and believes in Ambers abilities. I am proud of her for the hard work, but sometimes she goes into work mode and rarely notices that hours have gone by. I wine at the door, she stops, and we spend time outside in the yard before returning to the grind. It's an awesome project and it's coming together wonderfully. So lights, camera, and action are the words of the day! Friendships, and doing what we love is what it's about. Pick your passions carefully, don't let them pick you.

Wuff Wuff, Charlie the dog Blog.

Circus-charlie the dog blog

The circus has come to town in the form of a BRITNEY SPEARS CONCERT, and Patty and Amber packed their mini purses, threw on some jeans, and ran out to see what all the fuss was about. I stayed home because I was afraid of possible large elephants and flying men. They had a blast. The show was really well put together and Brit was an amazing performer, despite past screw ups. It really made Amber think about how people, and things can hold a person back from true talents. It happened to Brit for awhile, it's happened to Amber. There are so many things that can stop our true goals, and magic if we let them. People like to ride on others insecurities when they are jealous of another's journey. Patty, the beautiful girl, has become close to Amber and they are having alot of fun on adventures, and I am barking with joy over it. It was funny when Amber dropped Patty off last night Patty said "Amber, maybe it's time to grow up" and Amber just laughed, because Patty just took her to Britney Spears before saying that. Oh,,,, the circus of life.




Amber wrote a film with intention of shooting it before the end of the year. She has amazing people on board to complete this project and if it weren't for passion, this project would not come to fruition. The amazing Gary Kohn is on board with Katia Bokor and Margo Romero directing. Dave Thies is Directing the photography and Jody Sweetin is putting her post production house into action. We are moving forward with it, and our team just keeps building. I am so grateful that it's working and the momentum is building. MY only question is why Amber put a cat in the story rather than me.

Enjoy the circus, enjoy your life.
Charlie the dog blog

Weekend coming. DOG BLOG

The weekend is sneaking up again and friends are going to WYNN In VEGAS! Not us though, we are staying put and working this weekend, and we could not be happier. Yesterday we worked on a comedy central pilot, and it was so nice to be on a set doing what we do. It was especially nice working with Erin, Rob, Chuck, and Jacob again. We make a great team, and understand how to make a project go because we know each others strengths and weaknesses, and we fill the voids and make it perfect.

Things are better than they seem

Things are always better than they appear. I learned this when I was given the smallest bone and Sasha and Jillian got the bigger ones. I felt jealous, and a bit bitter, until I bit into the deep peanut butter that came out of the small bone. In these uncertain economic times it's easy for Amber to worry about the securities she is used to both financially and emotionally. Things can affect dogs and people in different ways, and security is incredibly significant to Amber. It makes me sad when she worries nervously. I know that everything works out, and also know that with so many mulitple projects, something is going to hit. In a busy business like show biz it's easy to run with fear in between projects, but I wag my tail, curl up with our friends stay reminded that things are always better than they appear, and that it will all work out.There is the right time and right place for everything. We spent the other day with a wonderful new friend and we are learning so much from him. It's so nice to be challenged, and through it learn new things. And it made me think that so many times we just happen to be in the right place at the right time and see these things that really are quite special. But then I really got such a profound sense that it's not an accident, God just puts us there and all we have to do is enjoy it. Or screw it up. Bark. I do believe that there is a reason for the people in our lives though, and that once one lesson is learned, we postulate new opportunities, and friendships and hopefully get to keep the old ones too. It's been unbelievably hot here in Los Angeles, and the heat wave is unbearable sometimes. The hiking is on hold for the week until things cool down so there is plenty of time to work. xo Wuff Wuff

Charlie the dog blog

Yesterdays world

Charlie the dog blog

There have been so many times when you have found me in yesterdays world. Paying high prices for mistakes made in the past like pooping on the floor, barking at the wrong dog, or for Amber-- making many mistakes while living in a fog. Living in yesterday is something that can't be avoided sometimes. However, this is such a great opportunity to open up the doors, and let new lessons fly in. Living in the now is the best way to look at your life and celebrate today. Letting go of all pride and mistakes and not letting them hold you from your destiny is significant.

Today there are so many summer parties, and places to go. It is a blessing to be invited everywhere, but it's also alot of time going "here and there" and giving many hugs and thanks to those who have opened their hearts. It is our belief that there is a higher power at work, and that by really going after what we want we cannot fail. Yes, we can get heartbroken, yes we can fumble, but what the hell is wrong with living a BIG full life? How can we expect to achieve anything if all we do is stay hidden from our real hopes and dreams because of yesterdays failures?

Sasha dog will be home soon, and we are waiting for her to come back and wag her tail all over the place. Loving where we are, and remembering yesterdays lessons are not todays moments....... is the best way to live for me. But hey-- I'm a dog. What do I really know anyway?

Charlie the dog blog
Charlie

Lessons from the dogblog

History teaches us the best lessons. If only we would always learn our own personal lessons from our own history. Went hiking with Katia and Sasha. What a great time it is to just get away and hike and share a friendship away from bills, city smog, and all the other things that bother Amber and bog her down sometimes. She is in the midst of several really big projects however, and we know this year is going to be one of the best, but also one of the hardest. In the midst of lessons it's always best to just breath, hike with a friend, and take a moment to remember that we are all flawed in some ways, and that if we do the best we can, and make amends for our mistakes, opportunities will come, and lessons wont be so harsh.
xoxo

Note from Amber on BIZ

Dreams to reality; dare to take action

Everyone comes to Hollywood with a dream. They come here to make it big, to become a star, to live the fancy life most people just see on television. These desires are not just a dream to many artists, but a definite way they MUST live. They must do what they love, they must have their own expression, and through the entertainment business they feel they can finally fit, they can finally belong, they can finally make their dreams a reality. Artists are my favorite kind of people. Artists think differently than non-artists. They must dance, sculpt, write, act, paint, or create in their own way or they are depressed. Artist’s give who they are internally, and find a way to express it to the world.
Here is what I found as a definition of an artist.
n.
One, such as a painter, sculptor, or writer, who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts.
A person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skill: You are an artist in the kitchen.
One, such as an actor or singer, who works in the performing arts.

In my opinion who would want to do anything else? I can say that. I’m an artist. Everyone has a deep need to contribute to the world in his or her own special way. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has even said that it’s a deep human NEED to contribute, and that everyone must in some way. Contribution comes in many ways but for Artists it’s a way of life. I am thankful for the artists that have contributed prior to me, and grateful for those who are continuing to create works of aesthetic value.
Artists are the ones who demonstrate history for us. Because of artists we understand the ways of life of those who lived before us. We understand the life of a man in the 20th century when we study Picasso. We learn of the ways of life when looking at the old walls of Egypt We understand comedy and tragedy when we watch an old Chaplin movie, and how history changed forever with Lumiere’s film Arrival of a Train. In the short film, terror gripped audiences in only fifty seconds as they witnessed an everyday occurrence on film for the first time. A train pulls into a station. Simple for us to understand because in modern films we watch buildings blowing up, people disappear, and worlds created by artist’s imaginations. However, in film history this small film made the audience run for safety, scrambling to get away from the locomotive because they had never experienced film, and the movement of something unreal. That gives us understanding of a time before us. That’s history. That’s an artist’s work. I remember the tragic day airplanes struck the world trade center. I watched it from my television on the first day I arrived in Los Angeles. I was helping a friend cast a project and many of the actors called in and said they couldn’t make the audition because of the tragedy. I didn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation at that time because I was numbed to seeing this sort of thing in films for years. It took me about 2 days to realize what this was really about, how lives were really lost, and the significance of the horrible day in America. I didn’t run from the screen, I didn’t scramble for safety. However History shows us that modern cinema has also numbed tragedy through entertaining audiences. Never underestimate the importance of being an artist, it is one of the most significant contributions to society that one can give.

Head out the window

Charlie the dog blog

BIg things are happening here in Hollywood and every dog knows it. Things happen so quickly sometimes that we expect it will always be busy with people, and excitement. Amber is having a moment to catch her breath after Allie left. Amber has been struggling because she misses her girl already, and no one can ever take the place of family. Having things go a different way than what you believe is the right way is tough. Powerlessness over people, places, and things, is a tough thing sometimes. It's hard because you have to turn things over to God, and have FAITH that God really knows your best path. It's really something to have faith, and it takes alot of practice, and even prayer to have more faith. Amber really likes to control her environment, her friends, her productions and career, but sometimes things are just out of our control, and to think there ever is any real control is silly. That's when it's time to let go..and just trust. Some things are just strange-- and having faith in the unknown is one of the strange things we have to do. Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window! I do it all the time. Sometimes we just don't know what we really even want. We just have to trust that some higher power does.

I believe in Life

Charlie the Dog Blog

Change is hard. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Making real changes when habits are already formed, makes me growl, and stick my tail between my legs. New tricks are better, but learning them, is tough. If I hear the can opener, I instantly salivate. I the refridgerator door opens, I wag my tail. What if I try something different? What if I rearranged my life and stopped just drinking toilet water and using my water bowl as a fountain of fun, what if I did the OPPOSITE? I have to resist the urge to roll around in stinky stuff right after I bathe.

Amber has made changes that are unexpected this week. Things were thrown in her lap that made her open her eyes, and realize she has more potential than what she has been settling for. Why do we settle? Well for Amber it's comfortable. A change makeover is now absolutely in progress.It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older, one climbs with surprising strides if they make efforts.

Someone close to us hurt Amber this week by saying cruel things. It's easy to believe what was said, and it took a real moment of reflection to get past the hurt and realize that people throw stones when they are hurting. Amber certainly isn't a saint, and doesn't want to pretend she is. However, when we allow people to make us feel bad over and over again, our esteem suffers. When our esteem is lost how can we really help the greater good? God wants us to do great things, and God knows the truth. Just because someone abuses us doesn't mean we have to let it happen again. Last night Amber asked someone if they believed in Heaven, and they replied "I believe in Life." That really stood out to her because so many of us, her included, think about the future, the past the problems, rather than solutions. "I believe in LIFE" means to live for right now, and excuse my bark but "fucking enjoy it" now, not later. Now. I will no longer chase a stupid stick, unless it leaves Ambers hand.

I wish you all love life and the privilage of believing in life.

stop and make something

Sometimes in life it's important to just stop, make something, and relax.

“You can run with the big dogs or sit on the porch and bark.”

“You can run with the big dogs or sit on the porch and bark.”

Charlie the dog blog

This morning we woke up relaxed and felt excited about what the day has in store for us. Amber has been stepping outside of her comfort zone this week, working on an exhausting project, going out with friends doing new things, and trying to enjoy what life really is. She has spent alot of time in worry and that doesn't help anyone. There are alot of fears out in the world, financial, spiritual, romantic, maternal. It's easy to get caught up in them if fun isn't scheduled into the mix. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Enjoy life, chase dogs, run in the wind, chew up new bones? Why wait until you have the perfect bone to chew on instead just go and have fun with what you have. God will place what you need in front of you, and if we do the work, have the playtime, experience our friends to the fullest, we may just have an "experience" we will cherish. Life is about those little magic moments we find in between our fears and worries. Life is about loving those around us, and staying open even if we can't see the sunlight. I don't blame Amber, she is human of course, but whoever said we were supposed to worry when we aren't rich, or popular, or perfect. That is a chase I don't want to be a part of. Instead Amber went shooting at a gallery for the first time in years, got a new tattoo, and is in constant prayer for direction on Gods will.

Today we are going to the house of the wolf to make more fun leather things. Then dinner with the wonderful Greg Brooker, and home to work on research for Ambers latest project with the lovely Dianna Terranova. Prayer and dancing and loving is at the top of it all. May we stop and pause when agitated or fearful, and know that we are born to be big, born to run with the big dogs, born to play full out, and born to trust God.

dancing with wolves

Shoes make me happy. Bags make Amber happy. This week she has had a wonderful time creating things out of leather with her good friend Henry Duarte the designer. It has helped ease other tensions going on around her, and just seeing her get lost in making things crafty makes me very happy. Marcello has a wolf in the back of the place where Amber runs away to create things. I never can fully relax knowing that the wolf is there, prowling around in the trees behind the house. It has been there since it was a baby but it tore up a mans face once who came into it's space. Marcello's own brother got mawled by the beast. IT really wakes up the tribal instincts within to be around leather and feathers and creativity. It's been said that to look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul, and I think that is true.

Cherokee Prayer
As I walk the trail of life
in the fear of the wind and rain,
grant O Great Spirit
that I may always walk

Amber is Cherokee-- her background is awakened with each step she takes towards it.



People: 'Cherokee' is Creek for 'people with another language'. (It's amazing how white settlers always managed to learn another tribe's name for any group of Indians. They learned the Creek word for the Cherokee tribe, but not the Creek word for themselves.) Anyway, our original name for ourselves was Aniyunwiya, but Cherokee is fine too (though we say it Tsalagi). There are 350,000 Cherokee people today, mostly in Oklahoma and North Carolina.

History: The best-known episode in Cherokee history was also the worst: the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of the Cherokee Indians from their ancestral home in the southeast to Oklahoma. The Cherokee people were an urban, Christian, agricultural, intermarried society who had supported the United States against other tribes. In the end this was all for nothing. Though prominent Americans like Davy Crockett and Daniel Webster spoke against Removal, and though the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, President Andrew Jackson sent in the army. Fifteen to twenty thousand Cherokee Indians (along with Choctaw, Creek, and other tribes) were rounded up and herded to Oklahoma in the winter of 1838-1839. Driven from their homes without being allowed to collect their possessions first, even their shoes, the Cherokees were no better equipped for an 800-mile forced march than people today would be. Between four and eight thousand Cherokee people died of exposure, starvation, disease, and exhaustion along the Trail of Tears. If you understand this, both the extent to which the Cherokees had adopted American standards of civilization before the Removal and the ultimate futility of it, you will go a long way towards understanding the Cherokee mentality and also the attitudes of other Indian peoples towards us.
like a woman

No regrets

Charlie the dog blog
So here's the story: After a lifetime of handcopying ancient texts, an elderly monk became abbot of his monastery. Realizing that for centuries his order had been making copies of copies, he decided to examine some of the monastery's original documents. Days later, the other monks found him in the cellar, weeping over a crumbling manuscript and moaning, "It says 'celebrate,' not 'celibate!'"

Ah regret, it will bite you every time if you let it. My regrets of sharing my bone, not going to the dogpark wednesday, or unsuccessful grooming jobs gone wrong. I have many regrets from bad decisions, wrong turns, and unsuccessful ballads. I have to leave the past alone, move forward and not have regrets. Amber read a saying in a great blue book once that says "We will not regret the past, nor wish to shut the door on it." Sounds easy right? Wrong. Who's sorry now?

The funeral is over, and life is knocking on the door loudly. Amber is working hard trying to hold it all together while many emotions of sadness, joy, regret, relief, and challenge are pounding her path. God has plans for all of us, and it's up to us to listen for the next action rather than focus on the last feeling. Other people in her life are trying to tell her how she is "supposed" to act. Her partner wants more affection, which is next to impossible in the midst of mourning, her daughter needs more attention, which is hard to focus, Jillian dog wants to sleep in my spot, and her landlord wants...well, it's time to work hard and stay out of life results.

Amber is working on clearing up and re-remembering her past. If you think that can't be done, think again. Literally. The past doesn't exist except as a memory, a mental story, and though past events aren't changeable, your stories about them are. She wants a life of no regret, at least not banging her own head about them is a great start. So it's time to put on your best hat, and celebrate what life is giving us.

Wuff Wuff
Charlie the dog blogger

Never underestimate

Charlie the dog blog

In the animal kingdom there is a certain order of things. The lion is the king of the jungle, the snakes eat the mice, the alpha dog rules the home. This has been a very interesting day for Amber because sometimes she thinks she is the king of the jungle, when really all she can be in the moment is the lame mouse, running around doing tricks. It's a tough business, this Hollywood Showbiz thing-but once you are around the Lions, it feeds so much of the artistic side. It also reminds Amber of the fact that she isn't in charge of everything, that she isn't running everything, and that the show must always go on, with or without her. I am a dog that wants attention. Everyone does at some point. What do you do when you are a mouse hanging out with alot of lions? Do you roar hoping someone will see that you can be just as ferocious as they are, or do you stay small and out of the way, doing your job like a normal person. Today I am accepting that we all have dreams, we all have the ability to help each other, and we all deserve a chance to shine. If ever I see a mouse, I will ask it to roar, and if it does so, and the roar is fierce and strong, I will let the mouse stand in for the lion. Amber Dawn Lee wants to roar. Never underestimate the power of anyone if they just put their trust in God, do the work, and stay out of the results "others" may see for you. Never let anyone lock away your potential.....

Wuff Wuff
Charlie the dog

moving on

Losing someone you love brings forth so many different feelings, shock, anger, irritability, sadness, and guilt. Amber is feeling all of them this week and it's not as pleasant to be around her as normal. There are times in life when tragedy hits, and it hits hard. I still want to do my routines like playing ball, going on walks, and eating treats for tricks. Amber is not in the mood for any of this and is praying alot to help move past this. She feels she doesn't have time to heal however because she needs to work, and keep on living.

Sunday Morning after...

This morning I woke up growling. So many feelings are coming up surrounding Ambers mothers death. Life is an interesting journey, one of love, heartache, growth, spurts and stops. We are powerless over death and powerless over how it makes us feel. What we do have power over is how we are going to handle it. Amber is just trying to look for spiritual solutions in all she does. It is difficult. Doing the next RIGHT ACTION is the best thing. For us today it is going to meet with Katey Sagal and talking over coffee, then doing some laundry, and walking. A library trip may happen, a song may be written, a flower may bloom. It's just about putting one foot in front of the other, praying alot, and staying clear to hear what GOD has in store for us next.

Doggie Tears

Charlie the dog blog
Doggie Tears
It has been a really tough week for Amber and I. Ambers mama passed away and we have been through so many emotions that we just want to curl up and make it all go away. Life doesn’t happen like that though, and so my tail is lowered as we trudge through the next action. We got the call a couple of days ago that she died in her sleep from the cancer. We cried all day, and no dog bones, treats, or love could make us feel any better about it. The next day we jumped on a plane, United who is unbearable with service, and flew to Utah where we were welcomed by Ambers sister Nancy. After hugs, we packed in our suitcases and Nancy turned up Madonna and started disco dancing in her seat the whole ride to Jessica’s. She was clearly emotional but didn’t know where to put the feelings, so she sang loud the whole ride over. Amber looked out the window at the Utah mountain’s and recognized the beauty in the place mom called home. Family was gathered, stories were remembered and pictures were shown. Amber stared at a blank page of paper and wondered how to pull together a small talk for the funeral. She felt alone. She felt overwhelmed. She felt hurt. She felt a lot. Here is what she came up with about her mother, and this is what was read at the funeral.

Amber for her mother:
There really are no words to express what a loss this is for our family. We love our mother very much, and if you ask any one of her children or grandchildren you will hear that each of us, were her favorite. I have many memories of my mother. My first memory of her is a simple one. I was sitting in the sun watching her wash the dishes. I remember the feeling, more than the details. The feeling was warmth, love, and that of home sweet home. My mother was a hippie at heart, and took me in as her own at a quant little head shop in Dallas Texas. That was where the smell of incense became part of the constant swirl of smells, trips, and adventures our family lived. We traveled a lot and lived in many states, and me, Celeste, and Aimee spent more time than we would like to admit in the backseat of many junker cars as we were always off starting fresh again. We lived in Logan, Utah at a big white house that for me, will always be home. We went to church there and the smell of TABU on her breasts is my most intimate memory. I loved my mothers breasts. They used to be big, and were always the perfect pillow.
My mother would do laundry in an old ragtime washer but our laundry pile never ended. Mother loved combat boots with bright polyester blouses, and would embarrass me when her and daddy would take us to the local mall and play Miss Pac Man for hours and hours. She was hip then, and I didn’t even know it. My mother was young at heart from the time we traveled the carnivals to the day in the hospital she asked all of her children, and grandchildren to dance for her to Madonna as the nurses watched, scratching their heads with wonder.
My mom was a walking contradiction. She liked her children dressed simple, but let us pierce our ears very young and loved big dangly earrings. She taught us modesty, but threw us all in the bathtub together. She taught us about health as she ate cookie dough batter for lunch and we had sour blended dandelions for dinner. She taught us education, but we often were distracted with sledding, ice-skating, and garage sales. She taught me how to “behave damnit” as she made me pick a switch from the apple tree to “learn obedience and discipline” but never kept up with any discipline or schedule. My mother taught me tolerance of all people as she had a lot of trust for those around her. She could have a conversation with a sinner, or a saint, a president or an artist and you would never know that there was a difference between class and taught us that we can do anything we wanted in life. She wanted to live in a mansion, but cuddled with us even during hard times, making us feel safe. My mother loved and appreciated fine art, and we spent many nights watching old slides of Van Gogh and Matisse. My mother was rich, she has a family that loves her.
My mother spent many years chasing different faiths, different groups came in and out of our lives as she was always searching for her own truth. I never understood her need to go to such extremes, but her years were spent praying for guidance. My mother has that now, she now found the truth, and knows more than any of us could possibly know. She taught us to love Heavenly Father, to have our own relationship with our higher power, to have patience, kindness, love, tolerance, and a wild passion for family. She is survived by us, and we will never forget her. She is, and will always be my mother.
The funeral was a waterfall of tears, photographs that made Amber remember so many different things. It was surreal, and more can be shared on it later. Amber had a hard time watching her mother lowered to the ground, and climbed in the hole once the cement top was placed to write one more “ We love you” on top while the truck of dirt sat waiting. Her ragdoll is in the casket with her mother to remember that she is loved, no matter what.
Life is a journey for all of us, and one thing we can’t escape is the end. We have our own belief that life doesn’t stop here, so we are going to listen for birds, bells, music, and watch for hugs, kisses, and love. She will never be forgotten.

June Aggression

Charlie the dog blog

June Gloom is here and I am begging the sun to come out. The weather affects us, and Ambers broken foot isn't helping. I want to hike, and play ball, and run around. However, we can't always do what we want to do, and sometimes God steps in and stops us. In this case it's the weather, and broken foot. Sascha dog went after another dog today and Amber is certain it's because she needs to walk more. Aggression is a manifestation of fear, which we all have. We need to just take the next right action, and do the best we can regardless of the universe giving us other plans. Allie is in town and that makes us chipper, happy, and full of excitement. We are waiting for the clouds to go away-- and are making plans for the sun! Dating...dating on the other hand has been alot more complicated.

I would prefer to chew on a nice big juicy bone, but if a bone isn’t available I’m perfectly happy eating poop. I’m a dog, it’s what I do, I eat poop. For my two legged human, Amber, taking what’s “just available” could cause emotional distress, indigestion, and a lot of humiliation. She can’t just accept whatever poop-head that’s lying around, she has to learn to choose what she wants in a partner, or she will get what she has been getting, which is a pile of warm smelly and hazardous waste. My human needed to figure out what she wanted. She dated so many different untrained men, that by the time she hit her dating “low point” all bets were off, and the stink was starting to show. She was as pathetic as Bridget Jones before she found true love. My human let her boundaries down, and instead of getting love for being “just as she is” the men she dated would push the boundaries to see what they could get away with. Most of the time they got away with a lot, as my sad girl scrambled to figure out why she wasn’t getting what she felt she deserved. She had failed at love and had a past she regretted. Her human journey became my own personal canine project. She was acting like a pussy (cat) when it came to getting what she truly needed and wanted. Avoiding dating all together was not an option, so it was time to take a real hard look at what wasn’t working before she could figure out what would.

“When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?” – Anonymous

I covered my eyes with my paws one evening after my human had been texting one of her crushes from work. This man had not paid her any special attention, and after the breakup of a relationship with a loser (still living with his mommy) she wanted this new crush to give her significance she had no patience to earn. The new fantasy guy texted her telling her he wasn’t in a place to pursue a new relationship, but to send “sexy picks” to his email anyway “just for the fun of it.” That should have been the first red flag for her, and “double dog dares” should be left for..well, dogs. Any moron could see she should “run, don’t walk away” and stay away from her texting frenzy, but my human really liked the guy. She wanted to impress him. She put on her best bikini, took the pic, and sent it off to his mobile phone memory and waited for a lifetime of love to begin. She was looking for praise while demonstrating bad behavior. If I become a nuisance, barking non-stop like a hyena, or chew up a good Prada shoe, I am not going to be rewarded for it. Doesn’t the same apply to stupid humans? Should they expect positive results for being bad? No. No. No. Bad girl. She was fizzling faster than an alka seltzer, and just watching her drown made me need some. She tried every tactic she could think of, the same as barking up the tree for a nut, and nothing happened. She never heard back from him, but had to face him again on Monday, at work, where she hid her face behind her computer. Don’t send sexy pics to co-workers. Duh. Even a bitch knows this, but my human didn’t and she paid the price, and there was no treat as a result. Realizing that it is okay that everybody isn’t going to like you is a big step. Doing things to destroy the potential of being respected was lame, but beating yourself up for a mistake is even more lame-o. Brush it off like makeup, and move on.

“Even the tiniest Poodle or Chihuahua is still a wolf at heart.”- Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Dogs: The Wolf Within

When I was a puppy my human did everything she could to try and get me to act as she wanted. She took me outside to pee, and I would pee on the carpet indoors instead, I would bark, she would yell, I would run away, and she would chase me, tripping over bushes and stepping in poop to try and get my attention, and to train me to be a good bitch. It was great fun watching her stress out over me, and I had all of her attention, but she had none of mine. One summer day at the fun and beautiful dog park, she let the leash go, and I took off running like a greyhound. I ran and ran, and enjoyed the wind in my ears. I loved this freedom, and wanted to be as far from my controlling human as I possibly could. She was always there, no matter what I did. She was such a nag, and I knew she never gave up on me, and would be there waiting for me when I was finished. I was free to do whatever I wanted, and her love was unconditional. I drove her insane, and I didn’t care. I’m her bitch, and it was my way or else. Amber was yelling like a shrieking, panicked, desperate woman, as she usually did when I ran away, and I didn’t give her an ounce of attention. I knew she would continue buzzing after me, and that in a moment she would catch me and spank me as I yelped to be free, humiliated when all the Great Danes in the park laughed at me for getting caught. It was the game we played, and I would not change for anything. It was far more interesting to do my own activities of humping, jumping, barking, just knowing she was there. I sniffed other dog’s asses, chased bright-flashing cars, and ate poop like it was peanut butter ice cream. It was a great frolic until she finally caught up to me, and with a tail between my legs, she made a fool of herself, and me, as she scolded me for being me, and we left the park. This cycle was our habit. Over and over again until one day everything changed. It took different debates however, and teaching an old bitch new tricks took practice.

It was a humid and hot day outside, but we returned to the park. This time she brought treats to bribe me with. Bribery works in tricky ways. Instead she got the attention of all the mixed breeds, as they ate the jerky, licked her, and went on with their day of smelling each other, and growling at her for more. I was tired of her bribery, and harassment and I continued to play. I still could hear her yelling after me until her voice was cracking, and so was her invisible whip as she yelled “get over here NOW” as she patted her knee’s sternly. I ignored her. I ignored her bribery. Then something happened. I couldn’t hear her yelling at me. I didn’t know where she was, and suddenly she was gone. I panicked. None of the other dogs in the park mattered. Nothing mattered. I wanted her there, but she was nowhere in sight. I needed my human. My tail stopped wagging, and I began to whine and howl. Just when I thought there was no hope, I spotted her. She was leaving. She had given up on me. I chased her quickly, and was at her heel in a moments notice, letting her take the lead, as I followed her home. I was so happy my human didn’t leave me.

“I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts. “ – John Steinbeck

There is little difference between dogs, and men. All men do not act like dogs, but some do. They don’t want to be harassed, and chased, and stalked, or bribed. They want a woman who does her own thing. We as dogs will follow a pack leader, and so will men. Pack leaders just make things go their own way, but they do it in a way that is only known to human nature. My human was trying to train her dates to sit, stay, and roll over, but she had no idea how to do it. Certainly men could be trained, but how? Dog’s under pressure will panic, and run. She was flopping around like an untrained canine that needed a good bone, and she was doing the dating deal without any dignity at all. It was a joke to witness, but as her best friend and companion for life, I loved her unconditionally. She would never get her own Mr. Right if she kept acting so desperate, and not valuing herself. She would overcompensate in anyway she could and all it suggested is one thing. She was a pushover. A pack leader doesn’t devalue herself. She won’t kill herself chasing a man down, desiring to get her own way through a shrieking yelp of desperation. Hey, does she want to be an old bag lady, with a million cats, living alone forever? I am a bitch, and I despise cats. I certainly don’t want that, and neither should she. So she needs to STOP CHASING AFTER A BONE, do her own thing, and wait for them to come to her.

My human met a good-looking guy in college. He was an artist. He was hot. He was a “troubled brooding, and deep” sort of chaos. He lived in a motor- home and moved around from spot to street, and was not in any place to have a relationship anyone he said. Amber thought he was awesome, and took it as her own job to change his mind. She bribed him into liking her by draining her savings decorating his motor home with fluffy pillows, art deco, candles, and of course, framed pictures of herself. Gag. She wanted to leave her mark on his motor home and she wanted to be thought of every day. One day, she drove to the last spot the motor home was, with a nice surprise (lingerie and tacos) and the home was gone. She called and called his cell phone, but there was no answer. She did everything wrong in this situation, bribery, giving away the bone, and was always available. I have my own pillow to lay my head on and I would never share it with other Bitch’s that just came over to re-decorate my pad.

I am possessive over my resting spot. I like it the way it is. Leave it the Fuck alone. He was gone. Some weeks later she saw the motor home parked across the street from the school. She parked her car a block away and stalked, listening to “their song” on her radio. After she almost killed me with bad lovers music, and I had to get out to pee, the motor-home door opened, and out walked a skinny blond, hand in hand with Mr. Jerk off. Amber was so sad, but she deserved every tear she cried. What kind of dumbass re-decorates a mans place, even if it was a moving home on wheels? Bribery, and gifts are for Bitch’s to not pee on the rug, and to come when people call. It rarely works for us, and it doesn’t work with men, obviously. I ran to bark up the leg of Mr. Wrong and the cute little blond pet me, wiping half of her spray on tan on my fur. My human grabbed me up, tail between legs, and ran to her car. After stalking his Myspace page like a crazy loon, she saw that Mr. wrong was “in a relationship” with the new blond and her tan. That girl was sleeping on my human girls pillows, and her bank account and heart suffered for it. She had tried to use bribery to get his love. It didn’t work. After a week we stopped listening to “their song” and curled up together with a cup of latte, and my lonesome human was single again.


Lessons of Paw:
* Don’t settle for poop, wait for the big juicy bone.
* Choose what you really want in a partner.
*Barking up the wrong tree will only get you a nut.
*Bribery doesn’t work.
* Dogs and men under pressure will panic and run.
* Stop chasing.
* Be a pack leader, not a follower.

“To Err is human, to forgive, canine”- Unknown






Wuff Wuff
Charlie the dog blog

Best friends are worth it

Charlie the dog blog-Friends



There are times in life when real friends really step it up. There are times in life when you find out that those who love you, actually really do love you. What also comes is finding out that those who don't love you, and don't respect you really show their fangs during difficult times. It's hard to believe that anyone would want to tear another down during the hot spots of life, but that's when you are at your weakest, and they know that. As a full grown dog, I have a great life, but again, was taken from my mother too soon. I act up, I pee on the floor, I growl at the neighbors, but at the end of the day I just want to curl up with Amber and get the love I really desire.
Yesterday I went on a hike with Amber and Katia. Both of them were laughing as they hiked, and had to stop from time to time just to laugh at the absurdity they are experiencing in their dating lives. They chatted like two schoolgirls and shared tales of men, their silly text messages, and what dating life is really like. Friendships are special that way. A real friend can hold your hand when you cry, laugh with you and remind you of who you really are. I cherish those hikes up Fryman canyon, and feel blessed to be up there on the mountain, chasing critters while Amber screams, watching Sasha dog carry her own leash, and feeling a little bit closer to God and heaven on a hill up high. It's a nice time to forget the smog, the cars, the noise, the texts, the facebook, the chase of the dream. In Los Angeles alot of us are away from home, and it's our friendships that keep us glued together.
Amber went with Aubrey to sing some karoake last night. She didn't have the nerve to sing herself, but soon she is going to belt it out no matter how she sounds. Friends are magical, and make the life experience better. Wuff Wuff.

Friends are better than bandaids-charlie blog

Charlie the dog blog

Sometimes life is so dog gone hard, and sometimes it's so simple I feel like someone will take the bone if I stay to happy with it. It's been a great week, but the changes have been extreme highs and extreme lows. Amber is working hard on selling her television show, and it looks amazing, and could actually possibly sell. It's all very exciting and I am wagging my tail with anticipation wondering what's going to happen next? Her book is done, her show sizzle is done, her projects are out there, now it's a big patient pause.

Then there is the dating issue. Amber and Brian ended their relationship, and are no longer friends. Sometimes when you stay in something longer than you should you learn that you are hurting the other person by continuing, and leaving is better than staying for their happiness, which is turning to misery. Relationships are a fun learning experience, we learn alot from them. Then the lessons are learned, and we move on. Sometimes you can be friends with them, sometimes you cant. Time will tell on everything. Amber learned alot, and so did I. A dog's instincts aren't always right.

I ran up and down the stairs today while Amber shot with Juliette. She loves Juliette and is glad she is in her life. Friends really are better than bandaids. They remind us that our crazy head is just spinning, and everything is okay.

Give away

Charlie the dog blog
As a dog it is my responsibility to love all animals. The nature of having the will to run, and be free is within us. Sometimes there are things that want to hold us back, and those things are good too sometimes, but not always.

Amber just finished her online ebook that will be published with Judy May later this week. She is excited about sharing what she knows, and feels that by sharing with others it blesses her own life. We cant keep what we cant give away.

Dear GOd

Dear God:

Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever,

smell one another?


Dear God:

When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch?

Or is it still the same old story?





Dear God:

Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar,

the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not

ONE named for a dog?

How often do you see a cougar riding around?

We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the

"Chrysler Eagle" the "Chrysler Beagle"?





Dear God:

If a dog barks his head off in the forest and

no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?





Dear God:

We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals,

whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths.

What do humans understand?





Dear God:

More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.





Dear God:

Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?





Dear God:

Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must

remember to be a good dog.





1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they

throw it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because

I like the way they smell.

3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.

4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.

5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's

on the toilet.

7. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way

of saying "hello".

8. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the

coffee table.

9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the

house - not after.

10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt.

11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch.

12. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he

makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

Charlie alone time

CHarlie the dog blog
We have been on so many adventures together over the last few months. It's been unfortunate that I haven't put my paw to paper. I miss my readers, and have been getting several requests to hear more, so here it is. The California weather has been great and Amber and Sascha have been hiking the canyons and having a wonderful time. I stay home, and crawl under the bed everytime she tries to persuade me to go. I am a “stay in the safe cave” kind of dog. It takes a lot of guts to do new things. However when they leave to go hike, I am alone, and miss them terribly. I howl and moan and scratch the door. I didn’t want to go in the first place, but everytime they left, I was upset. I decided lately to start exploring the place, and have found there are many adventures to have here. There is also something very new and refreshing about alone time. It is a good time for reflection, and I don’t have to share my toys, the whole house is just mine, and mine alone. I love that. Amber is learning how to enjoy her alone time too. Now she is not in a relationship anymore she is having new opportunities to renew herself. Being alone is a bad thing if you don’t like yourself, but if you use that time to do the things you need, and give a bit of self-love, you can rejuvenate yourself. So that’s where life is now. A rejuvenation is taking place, and chewing old shoes, or chasing balls, and even a nice fire hydrant is a completely different experience when you do it alone. So I am letting go a bit more, and off to a whole new world.

Dancing and remembering

Charlie the dog blog

It's been quite awhile since I put my paws to paper. My life has been distracted with so many different things that sometimes I forget what is even keeping me and Amber so busy. Amber and Erin are working hard on a new reality show, and personalities are keeping us spinning as we create the perfect cast. The truth is that we have no control over the outcome, but if we do all the hard work..there is something to be blessed or blocked. Today we are putting all the work away and taking off for Disneyland with Allie who is here for Spring Break. We can hardly wait to just breath, and know that we are living life now, and it's not something to wait for, it's here right now. Amber stepped on my tail this morning when she heard an old TOTO song that reminded her of her youth. She shot up and started dancing like a ballerina that she once was, and not so elegantly as the years have kept her out of practice. It was still wonderful to see, that no matter how old we are, the child is still within us, the love and faith is still there inside, and sometimes--- just sometimes, it's good to get up and dance like we once did.

Wuff

Strawberry tragedies

Charlie the dog blog. The sun is shining and I have been laying out on the front porch soaking it up, waiting for the mailman as dogs seem to do. It's been a nice relaxed morning, and I've had time to have alot of reflection. Life has been a bit more challenging for us the last few weeks. Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture when we are caught up in the little tragedies that come our way. Come what may, we are still living a blessed and wonderful life. Our friends show up when we are down, and we have so many opportunities to show up for them. Amber has been working with her favorite girl Erin on a new idea, and the two of them are like two children when they get excited over something. They work well together, and they are hoping their idea comes to fruition. Amber has opportunities coming but the waiting is like waiting for food after starving all week. It's tough.


Amber has kept close tabs on her mothers mood as hospice has been caring for her, far away in Utah. It's a blessing everyday to realize the love you give is the love you get. When she was younger she made a strawberry cake that she spent so much time decorating for someone that it made her really feel proud, and life is really the same now. Be there for those you love, forget the mini tragedies, show up, and God will take care of the rest.

wuff wuff
Charlie

Faith and acceptance

Charlie the dog blog. Sometimes when life is throwing big events your way it's hard to handle the catch. There is the old saying that "when it rains it pours" and for our life right now we are trying to handle each event as it comes with love and grace. Sometimes at night I crawl under the covers and growl at it all, but I am powerless over the events so what can I really do about them? I just have to have acceptance. I like to control everything in our home. When people visit I bark. When they leave, I nip at their feet. When someone walks by I try to stand proud like a doberman and let them know I'm on gaurd. Still...at the end of the day, I have no real power as life is life, and things and people and events happen. I just take them one day at a time, and stay out of negative actions. We are blessed to have loved the ones we love. We are blessed to have the experience and friendships that help us stay on course. We are blessed to know that God has a plan for us, and we are blessed to have the ability to practice faith. Wuff Wuff

Cancer

Charlie the dog blog: Life isn't always easy, sometimes there are tough times, and emotional challenges. Those happen the most when there is fear, sadness, and loss. We are back from Utah where Ambers mama lays in the hospital, unable to get her health back. Being powerless over her health is the hardest part. Letting go of those we love is tough. It really pulls at the heart. So many lovely memories were talked about in the hospital room. Things like how when Amber was young she said: Peanut butter and jewolly samenerch please, and how she baptised her sisters holding them under the pool water, and the cats, and how she was held so much as a baby she didn't even sit up on her own until she was 7 months old. The memories of her mama, her sisters, her brother, her life. Mamas life. It was all reminded and it was cherished. All the faith Amber had as a child is being tested right now as she prays with all her might that her mama will be released of all the pain that goes with cancer in the end. Wuff Wuff

A full litter

Charlie the dog blog

We have spent a week in the hospital with Ambers mother. So many emotions are running at high speeds, but sitting down to write them out seems impossible. This is life on life's terms, and I want to have all the power and take the sickness away from ambers mom, but it is in God's hands. All of her siblings, and other family came to Utah to see her mom--they came from all over. Lee from Oklahoma, Lisa from Oregan, Celeste from Hawaii, Nancy, Jessica, Matt and Aimee came from different parts of Utah. It was a reunion both sad and happy. We teased Ambers mother for being a diva, and only this could bring her kids together. Thank you for all the prayers and posts from friends around. We are traveling back to Los Angeles tomorrow, and Amber is raw, and almost afraid to breath, but is keeping her heart full of prayer. I was born into a large litter like Amber was, but her closeness with her family is something she has gratitude for.

Amber booked a film, and the culture shock of hospital vs hollywood set is going to really remind her of the value of what life is about, and we are glad we showed up for it. Life is a journey and it has to end for all of us. It is sad when someone leaves us, and goes to unknown placs. Being left behind is not something that anyone wants to feel, but feeling life and playing full out is a wonderful experience we all have the opportunity to have.

xoxo
Wuff
wuff

Amber's mama

Charlie the dog blog

There have been many memories of childhood flooding the home lately. Amber's mama was hospitalized and because of her condition and age, it put in a bit of panic, fear, and extreme love. She is doing okay this morning, but we are still waiting on test results. Her aged body is ailing, and it's in Gods hands right now. Amber remembered all the hugs, all the scoldings, all the love, and misunderstandings, and ignorance, and intelligence, and right and wrong she experienced with her mama. Her strongest memory is of laying her head on her breast in a church meeting, nestling in her breasts of perfume and body. It was a distinct moment where she was a mama in every sense of the word, and that smell, the soft pillows attached to her body, will forever be marked in Ambers heart. Did Amber do everything right as a daughter? Perhaps not. Perhaps life is just that, life-non perfected and scarred. All the prayers in the world are sent to a hospital room in Provo Utah, and we hope with all that we are, that she is feeling okay, and loved. My paws are praying..and my tail is reverent as we wait on results.

Pictures

Ski Joring

Charlie the dog blog


This has been a full week. Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, but my paws were tired. It was the last shoot for Amber on Wreckreation Nation, and we flew to New London to shoot the East Coast Ski Joring event. Although I was fine with my fur and my sweater, Amber froze herself solid wearing just a fluffy winter coat. She borrowed a coat from someone who had mercy on her shivers while she was there. The airline flight was long, and we curled up like we were young, sprawling across the airline seat, tucking our heads beneath our blanket. Amber wondered if she was too old to curl up like that, but the body took over and she was fast asleep as we crossed the United States, way up high in the sky. Once there, we tumbled out of the plane with our film crew of men. Amber wrapped herself quickly with a pink scarf, as if to remind the guys she was a girl, and to not ask her to pump gas, or carry their luggage. It's easy on the field to forget the sexes, as we all have to work together for the purpose of production.

The drive from Boston to New London was a few hours, and we had two passenger vans full of film equipment, hungry men, and the snow around us was sensational. Along the way we stopped at a little restuarant that served the best Chinese food Amber has ever had. It was a random find, out in the middle of somewhere, with nothing around for miles. Once at the Lamplighter motel, we unloaded the equipment into our rooms, and each crewmember went to their own private space. I ran around the room, wagging my tail, but Amber fell in the bed-and stared at the doily covered windows and her wooden paneled television wondering how she ended up there--producing a television show, in the middle of somewhere. It's fascinating how this all came about--googling events, planning them, filmming them, and watching them--tuesday nights, on Discovery channel. Before even closing our eyes the alarm was off and we were scrambling to bundle up and go film the first day of ski-joring. It was exciting being around horses, watching them prance through the snow like they do in one of her favorite films "The Man from Snowy River." It was true beauty, and seeing things like Chickens wandering around in the snow cocking their heads with curiousity, reminded Amber of the whole world outside of Hollywood. THe real people, doing real things, living a regular life. She was jealous for a moment, but only a moment. She couldn't imagine life without her Hollywood, but real people fascinate her. The event was good, and filmming went well. I would love to tell the rest of the story, but Discovery channel has to have it's secrets or no one will watch to see what happens next.

Once alone in our room again, Amber turned on her IPOD and danced. Dancing reminds her of God, and when she dances, she feels prayer. Life is such a journey, and we all do our own things for whatever reasons we may have. The horses in the snow reminded us of GOd, of Life, of our journey towards great things. Life is full of cliffs we must jump over, but at the end of the stumbles we earn wings through experience.