happy birthday, DAD!

Today is my dad's birthday. 

Here he is winning the Rhode Island Jr. Chamber of Commerce Golf Sportsmanship Award in 1959. 



He's in a seersucker suit, and that's my dearly departed grandpa Wallace cut off on the left behind him. 

Of course he won this award, he is the most right-minded, selfless, even-keeled person you could ever meet! The other kids never had a chance. 

Happy birthday Big Papi!

happy birthday, sugarhoney!

today is the day our little sugarsnickers turns 1. it's also the day nachodoggy would have turned 12.

we were kind of hoping for a mini-nacho, and she has kind of delivered.

she does a couple things that nacho did, that the other dogs do not do.

she runs right down to the river and swims in circles in the exact same spot nacho used to do it. 

(see nacho swim in circles)

the other dogs wait on the bank until we throw something. nacho and sugar really seem to enjoy swimming, and get in for the joy of swimming.

if she is too hot on a hike, she lies down.

(nacho did the same thing)

of course, she is her own dog. she is so round, it's like she's made out of beach balls. i don't know if it's a female dog thing, but to me she is the shape of the olympic rings.

she is in love with pouncey. she follows him everywhere. she is constantly thinking of new and creative ways to vie for his attention. 

she gets herself uphill from him and lets loose.

she is not afraid to jump on the couch for a snuggle.

she is calm and gentle, she wags her tail when she meets new dogs and people, and she will come, sit, and lie down when she feels like it.

mainly she is just a little skunk who fits in riiiiight there.

happy birthday, sugarchunks! today you will celebrate with a meatball! 

deja vu daily puppy!

this is a momentous day for 2 reasons: 1) i survived; and 2) the daily puppy re-ran pouncey as their puppy of the day!

sitting in 9th grade biology class, we were talking about diabetes and the teacher mentioned sufferers may have a shortened lifespan. at this moment i was struck with the feeling i, myself, diabetes-free, would die at 38. i have not obsessed over this, but i have remembered it vaguely from time to time for the past 23 years. i am glad to say my premonition was horseshit! i made it! 

now go over to the daily puppy and give pouncey 11 biscuits...again.

eli is eleven!

happy 11th birthday to eli! aka scoobs, brownie brown brown, and fats brownino.

a more dignified animal you'd be hard-pressed to find.



he will be having sauceless meatballs to celebrate. 



happy birthday you lovable knucklehead!

happy 3rd birthday, pouncey!

yesterday pouncey turned the ripe old age of 3!



21 in dog years. he is slowly but surely turning into a right decent pet - he has calmed down ever so slightly, and is a very patient brother for sugarhoney.

eli had a blast at the party.



the party consisted mainly of pouncey eating salmon. 





happy birthday, pounce-swah, joyeux anniversaire! (upon learning he is the color of a french baguette a few months ago, he instantly developed a french accent and insists on being called pounsoir.)

WTF Wednesday: 40th birthday

We have secretly replaced this episode of WTF Wednesday with a 40th birthday wish to Kevin: may your next 40 be equally healthy, lucky, and fun! 

Here is a picture of a puppy shaped like a beach ball. 

I'll be back next week with your regularly scheduled WTF Wednesday. Until then...stay puzzled!

daily sugarhoney: happy 6 month birthday!

sugarhoney turns 6 months old today.

she weighs 42 lbs. these pictures were taken this morning.

she gets frisky on occasion.

and she forms the keystone in our rainbow of labradors.

happy birthday snugglechunks!

happy birthday, BOBBY BARRAMUNDI!

today is my dad's birthday!

here he was looking like clark griswold circa 1983.

he is a great lover of chocolate malted milk balls, golf, and seafood.

if you ever see barramundi on a menu or in your grocer's freezer, try it! you'll like it!

happy birthday, MOM

happy birthday to my wonderful, funny, beautiful MOM!



she looks pretty nice, but since graduation she has taken no prisoners at the bridge table or on the golf course.

happy birthday, nachodoggy!

whew! donde estan los dias? (very roughly - where did the days go?)

today nachodoggy turns a ripe 11. he is still hopped up on steroids and feeling GREAT! his allergies are gone and he can enjoy jumping around the yard with his fluffycups flying.

today he will have (part of) a rotisserie chicken in celebration.  not too much or he frows up.

happy birthday sweet little sugardoggy! 

the ides of pouncey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POUNCEY! The big 2!

his muzzle is already turning gray but he hasn't slowed down a bit.  no longer a puppy, now he is officially full grown pouncey doggy. 

he has already been pouncing around the woods and river chasing balls today, and will have a hamburger for dinner.

keep on pouncin, don't stop no!

happy birthday big popi!

happy birthday to my DAD!

My dad is the greatest!

Here is one small example. Not only did he go to every single one of my Saturday soccer games from age 8 to 12, but he would then spend a lot of his Sunday writing articles about the games, which he then mailed into the Long Islander weekly newspaper to be published. He had legal pads full of notes. Checklists of every girl's name so nobody would feel left out, even the girls who were not so great got their name in print.

He has a fantastic sense of humor and is endlessly patient and rational. What an excellent dad!

happy birthday QUISSY!

today is my brother's birthday. much has changed in the 30 years since this photo was taken. now quissy has 2.75 chirruns of his own. no more short jogging shorts, no more kangaroos and tube socks. his hair looks about the same. 

maybe the birthday fairy will bring him he-man snake mountain with creepy microphone! 

at the bare minimum, i am sure he will get an italian feast from vincent's out of the day. 

happy birthday MOM!

happy birthday to my wonderful MOM! 

i hope you are wearing your hair in a bouffant today, owing allegiance to no crown, and somebody gives you a ceramic boot full of matchsticks!

celebration time!

happy 10th birthday NACHO!

today everybody's favorite labrador with an overbite, nachodoggy turns a healthy hearty 10 anos!

he has been the sweetest, most gentle dog i've ever had.

big brother holden was a little wary of sharing his toys and food, and in fact ate much of nacho's kibbles for the first couple of months before i realized what was happening. nacho was fine with sharing!



nacho makes friends with everybody, even aaron the ups guy.



nacho is not the perfect dog. he's a major counter surfer.

 


nacho was on the san diego news during the vintage vantage 'voting is for old people' t-shirt controversy 

 

nacho moved to a house with a pool and was never scared to get in. holden would not get in, nacho hopped in immediately! 

 

nacho is endlessly patient with puppies! 

 

nacho loves to ride in the car. he was happy to move to north carolina. he is happy to do anything. 

 

nacho will go to the bathroom ANYWHERE. he is not ashamed. when he has to go, he goes. anywhere, anytime. getting a doggy door has been a great advance in nacho's life. 

 

nacho LOVES puddles! he loves to wallow in puddles like a pig. 

 

nacho is a terrible retriever. his overbite precludes him from holding a tennis ball. he doesn't care! he is happy just the way he is. 

 

nacho makes himself comfortable, wherever he is. he finds the softest spot and settles. 

 

nacho lies like a frog! still! always! feet splayed behind him. 

 

nacho got his name because his ears look like tortilla chips 

 

nacho is so gentle when he takes treats. sooo gentle! never bites. 

 

nacho is a great hiking companion. he doesn't pull on a leash, and he doesn't run away. 

 

 nacho is very sweet to pouncey. pouncey is a punk. nacho is a fantastic mother to him. 
 

nacho loves the water, and he loves following eli around! 

 

nacho wins contests! here is is with some wholly guacamole that he won online! viva! 

 

he is just so sweet i can't stand it 

 

he's also very handsome and noble, and his fleece is white as snow. 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY NACHODOGGY!

happy birthday DREZZA!

i have the world's cutest grandma! today is her birthday! 

she loves shopping for shoes!

her style is impeccable - everything is chic and slightly jazzy and ironed and looks great on her. and it helps that she has been the same size since World War II!

she still works! like 25 hours/week as a sales associate at the Country Curtains store. she's so cool. 

her name is Emily but we've all called her Drezza since her first grandchild, my cousin Julie, tried to say "grandma" and out came "drezza."

happy birthday, Drez!

happy happy!

keeping with tradition, yesterday was the most beautiful weather day of the year! 75 and sunny!

had a great walk with pouncey & kevin.

went downtown & had malaga paella and mojitos at chorizo. muy delicioso!



went to a friend's house and saw the cutest little miniboots. laughing laughing laughing with awesome people.
 
we all went to the civic center and saw bob dylan! behold the splendor!

 

it was a great day!