throwing around the ball

There are days that throwing around the ball and playing house can become boring, and downright mundane. I know Amber feels this way to as she tosses me the ball and doesn't even care if I catch or not. It's downright dog gone depression and it hits every season. Amber and I become depressed at the same time. She digs her way back under the covers, and has a hard time getting out of bed, and I stand by the door gaurding her against the other puppies (chanel and kai) and Athena and Breaker. More on those guys later. I know that medications for depression are taken by her, and some think that taking pills are not good for the psychie-that if you pray more, or do more-the blues will go away. In her case, they don't. The question is why not? Greg told her she was happier now than she had ever been. Is happiness seasonal? Or is it something you only get in spurts and when it happens you just wag your tail hard, and hang on to it until it passes..

The friendly club

No one nis expects me to post here, which makes it a safer place than it even was before. I've been shaved, and had my anal glands cleaned, and I still feel the years on me. I'm curled up with my owner Amber, and we both wake with arthritis aches, which makes me a very sad dog. I feel sometimes that this isn't my youthful body. Amber is now married to Brian, and for a trendsetter like herself, she did something out of fashion. Marriage. It's not exactly the hipster thing to do, but one day she just woke up. She looked at me as I chewed a bone, and told me all her fears of marriage. It just felt right for us.

There seems to be a lot of love around here. Amber went on a trip to Utah and came home with a new sister for me. She is a pomeranian, cuddly, and awfully cute. I hate her. I can stare at her all day long with my glare, and she just smiles and sits on Ambers lap. I feel jealous, so I've become more moody, but the main attention is always still mine.

I watched Joan Rivers today while Amber was off facebooking again, and without makeup I didn't see any beauty. I saw fear. I saw raw fear. I saw a woman afraid of who she is. In Hollywood it's so hard to fit in. It's a town where every age is just a year older, but not something to celebrate.

I'm going to bark at Breaker, our miniture pin, and tell him to saddle Amber up and take her on a walk. She feels the weight of some slight depression which she suffers sometimes. Friends haven't been around as much because of isolation. Well I just read a very interesting thing, of course I can read or how else could I write!!!! Dogs read all sorts of things, like signs telling people to Beware of Us and On Leash and Off Leash signs and....well you get the picture. Anyway in this weeks People magazine, the one with Justin Bieber on the cover (I know I can't explain that either), there was something interesting that caught my eye.

In an article about Carol Burnett, apart from noticing that she married a man 20 years younger than her at 60, hey talked about "the friendly club" which was started by her and Charles Grodin and was about being friendly to people, smiling, letting them know you know they exist. John said 'It's a great idea; i'm starting to do it now.'I know Erin, Carol Burnetts daughter- and she even talks highly of her mother's kindness.

When I go on walks, I like the attention people give me when they compliment my walks. It's my favorite part of the day. Maybe dog's, and Carol Burnett's friendly club should be done by everyone. Imagine a world of kindness, love and acceptance-- without the nastiness.

Lonely thoughts

I have noticed recently that one of the things that hurts people's feelings is rejection. Any kind of rejection stings, even when it's from somebody you didn't even particularly like, somehow even that rejection can be upsetting. And these days there are just so many more ways to be rejected - by text, email, facebook, twitter, voice message and complete silence. I feel sad for Amber that her family is strong-arming her with silence and rejection. She tried to help a family member, and it back-fired on her. She had to take a real look at why she wanted to help in the first place. At first she was sure it was out of love, but looking more carefully it was seeking the love from the family member that she helped. Love and approval, and connection. They are all needs of humans, and dogs. I want approval when a bone is thrown, and I run and get it. i want approval for even the little things like peeing outside, or not biting the F*** out of the new dog Breaker. I know that even he wants acceptance and love. Amber has made a bad-habit of over-working, and then she misses everyone, and they are off living different lives. I know I need acceptance, just like a fish needs water, or like a cat needs a fish. It's just life. Amber tells herself when she is alone that everyone is off having a good time without her, probably talking about how much they don't even like her. These stories can upset her, even though they aren't even true. She has a lot of wonderful friends and they love her, and she loves them. Lonely days happen, to all breeds, well maybe not to every single breed, but dogs and humans, for sure! I have to remind her that there are times when we are too busy too.




One time we had a phone call from one of our good friends asking us to look for a modeling book left behind here months ago. She called and called, and finally Amber snapped and said "I don't have time for this!" and once her friend came by to look for the book (and found it!) Amber felt bad that she had acted the way she did.

Today we went to the vet for checkups. Because Breaker came from the vet he was a fixer upper from the start. Breaker has a eye-ulcer we had dyed to confirm, and I have arthritis, just like Amber. So, we are having more check-ups in five days, and until then it is our mission to go out and make friends, call up old friends, and remember that people and dogs matter. Life gets busy, but don't be the one that could help someone become un-lonely, and don't get too busy to realize that our thoughts are just that-- thoughts, and often we tell ourselves things that aren't true.


Charlie the dog blog wuff




So, we

Pee on the floor and more

Again, here it is years later and I am still peeing on the carpet even after Amber takes me outside/ I just prefer it that way. I think by now, 11 years later she knows I am going to do it, and her scrubbing is like second nature. I'm just a dog, and if I'm mad, I get over it quickly. If I'm happy, that passes quickly too. I wish it was like that for Amber, but it isn't. Her family and her had a falling out and even though months are starting to pass, she hurts over being ignored as punishment. Back in the old days, communities were communities and people looked out for one another and knew each other and rallied round the old and the weak and nowadays that is overlooked in our busy insular lives. It's the same with Families. If we don't like what our family says or does, we just delete them from our facebook, block their text messages and say things like "I have to study and can't be distracted" or "I have to focus on ME now." Connection is everything in this world and it's important to make connections to make other people feel as though they are seen and heard and cared about and matter. That is so key to feeling a part of this world so let's all do what we can. All this technology for connection and what we really only know more about is how anonymous we are in the grand scheme of things. There are so many ways to connect with others nowadays and I think that's amazing. I miss Amber being connected to more people, she spends far too much time with us dogs, and not enough time with humans. Sometimes the hurts and fears get larger than life, and we can paralize ourselves in a state where we are stuck. I have a new brother now, a mini-pincher named Breaker. We saved him from the pound, and he has so much energy and is always ready to go. Amber needs to hike him, but she doesn't have motivation because of the stresses. She would feel better if she would only stop and think more of herself, but she worries too much about others, and when it comes to her, she gets sad and then becomes very busy to overcompensate. I'm a dog, and sometimes I do eat too much Kibble and put on a few pounds and realise I have to eat a bit less and I stop. But the one thing I don't have to contend with is other dogs yelling at me that I look fat....and meaning that as the ultimate insult they can think of. Dogs don't decide whether to like or not like each other based on how heavy they are.It's true, Amber is gaining, and this nonsense must stop. Amber will continue to text her family, even ignored, and I will continue to pee on the carpet, even when paid attention. So, life is as it is, habits are formed, and it's a doggy dog world.And for my extended family of Ambers: I love you just as much, just secretly. For those of you who have followed the daily soap opera of our lives, I hope we meet someday, keep in touch, keep the faith and be kind....live in love not fear and follow your dreams, they will all come true if they're good for you Wuff. Charlie the dog blog

New Brother

I haven't barked much here lately. It's been a really wild ride though, and there are many things to catch up on. First and foremost let me tell you that I have a new brother. His name is Breaker and he is a mini pinscher. I adore him, but he does take an awfully lot of attention. He is so cute though, and Brian (Ambers bf) just loves him too.

Today Amber took him on a walk around the block. They are leash training because Breaker just tries to ski the entire way. He does not like the leash. He will love walks once he gets used to them.

Woof!
Charlie the dog

love

Today Amber and Brian went to a funny audition where they had to talk about their relationships, and look for the problem. The problems they had were so up in the air that both of them laughed when it was done, and came home and forgot about the whole thing. THat's the thing about love. If you love someone, the problems are temporary, if you don't-- learn to love by looking for the one thing in someone you can relate too..

Sharing passion

Being a dog is not as easy as it may appear. The guilt I have over not wanting other animals in my house is because my owner Amber wants more pets. She thinks that sharing is best, but she hardly shares anything herself. Sharing is a funny thing. It leads to jealousy, and problems. But it also leads to being a good person, and making a difference for others.....so overall, it is best to share.

Today the weather has been a bit under. The sun is hiding and for me that's okay. It has been so hot lately that a little hiding from the sun works. However, it still gets everyone in quite the lazy mood. They all want to stay indoors, so commitments linger, and don't happen, and everyone in Los Angeles seems to get sick. It's a weird phenomenon.

I feel great though, and after this nap, I'm going to go on a nice long walk....it will also help Amber get her frustration out. She needs more help with her projects. She has the passion, the drive, and the people around her don't see things as passionately as she does.