Hi there my loyal ‘Slopers’! Sorry for taking so long to get this post up. I had all the photos ready to go but then my Dad got sick so I’ve been on call for nursing duties the last few days. The nursing just means lots of extra naps, even during the daytime! Can’t beat that, right?

Anyway, I probably built this up too much in my last post, but I did really go on an expedition this past weekend, though it might not have really been a RAMPAGE or THRILLING or TURBULENT.

My Dad and I started out on our usual after-dinner walk, but then we just kept on going! It was the first warm-ish day we’d had for many months so with a spring in our step, we strolled all the way to River Park. I know, it’s pretty much the most generic name for a park ever, but it actually is a really beautiful park the runs right along the Chicago River (which explains the name I guess).

As soon as we got there I noticed there were all these gigantic brown bean-pod things on the ground. I eat green beans from time to time so I thought they would taste the same but boy was I wrong. They were pretty disgusting, although I still tried to eat every single one I came across. I was hopeful there might be one that tasted as good as a green bean. No such luck.

Then we strolled around under the trees for a bit and took a few posed pictures. My Dad tricked me into thinking he had some baby carrots with him which is why he got me at the top of my posing game. I don’t know how I fell for that again – it’s definitely not the first time he’s pulled that move. Next time we do this I’ll be sure to make him stop by the fridge before we leave so I can WITNESS him actually putting the b.c.’s into his pockets.

Head on:

Profile:

And full-body, with a three-quarter twist (one of my specialties):

We then trekked over to the river. There’s a fence that blocks direct access to the river so I wasn’t able to go for a dip, but it still was a pretty sight, especially since the sun had begun setting. I can’t wait to go back again (if the weather here ever decides to cooperate!).

Hi everyone! It’s Sid here today. I know you may think that based on the recent post by my Dad that I just lay around all day doing nothing. Well, come closer and I’ll you the truth.

Ok, that’s better, I don’t have to shout now – I’m a little out of breath.

Anyway this time I’m laying down because I just got back from a long walk THRILLING AND DANGEROUS EXPEDITION. I kid you not. Well, I suppose it wasn’t really dangerous, per se, but I live my life on the edge, people, and there’s really no telling what COULD HAVE happened. So, yeah, I’m not having another “lazy Sunday” or “lazy Monday” or whatever. Oh, and for the record, last Sunday I had to get a BATH  which is definitely not included in my definition of lazy!

I still have to process the pictures as we almost lost the camera due to UNEXPECTED AND TURBULENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

Um, ok, that last part was a pure lie. I just didn’t get a chance to go through them all yet.

If you’re ever in need of someone to lead an expedition to uncharted territories in search of exotic scents and treats, I’m your man.

I am Siddhartha Lamont, Polar Explorer. At your service.

I don’t come cheap. My reward is the awesome thrill that comes only from conquering harsh conditions and surviving adventures in exotic locales.* Don’t settle with sub-par explorers, hire the best: Siddartha Lamont, Polar Explorer Par Excellence!

(* I do also accept payment in the form of baby carrots.)

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Sid wasn’t a huge fan of the fireworks, but luckily they subsided by midnight so we could get some shut-eye.

As promised, we have footage of Sid taking a dip…

But first, a little more about our trip to Delmonte Lake. Before actually going into the water, Sid got to ride on a paddle boat which included a hand-held umbrella to keep him cool.

I’m not sure if he even realized that he was riding on an actual boat – he seemed pretty excited just watching the wake from the rudder.

We also got to spend lots of time relaxing and playing potato catch.

Sid’s favorite hang-out spot was definitely the kitchen. I think he was hoping that he might procure an extra snack or two from one of the other people staying at the house that aren’t as accustomed to his “manipulate-the-humans-by-cuteness-to-get-treats” skills.

And now for what you’ve all been waiting for…THE SWIMMING!

I’m so proud of my little pug! He did so well in the water! I guess pugs do have more in common with the walrus than just the face. Unfortunately, I don’t have any footage from the next day when he did some more swimming and actually did a few laps WITHOUT his neon-green floatie. He didn’t seem to have any problems swimming without the floatie – so maybe they exist not so much for the dog’s sake but for the over-protective paranoid human’s sake.

Sid had a great time at the lake house and he would like to thank our friends Anna & Andrew for taking him on such a fun adventure!

Sid and I had a fun, relaxing, and simultaneously exciting weekend at a friend’s lake cottage near Burlington, Wisconsin. The drive up was really easy as Burlington is only about an hour and a half from Pug Slope HQ.

Sid enjoyed the car ride up and insisted on sitting right against the door with his arm on the armrest.

The cottage is right on a little lake called Delmonte Lake, so Sid had the opportunity to partake in some aquatic activities.

As usual, he was mesmerized by the water and stood around for a while just repetitively pawing at the surface. I think he was trying to reach the rocks at the bottom of the lake. I had to explain to him that they were in fact ROCKS and not apples, or gigantic venison treats.

Apparently he didn’t believe me and he just kept on reaching. Sid is the ultimate optimist.

Coming up next – SID GOES SWIMMING!

Let me start by saying that most of the time my dad is an okay dude, but he can also be a total bozo. Well, this weekend he must have been in bozo-mode because somehow he only managed to snap TWO photos of all the crazy adventures that occurred. So you’ll have to use your imagination to fill in the rest. Actually that might be better because in your imagination there’s like unlimited baby carrots, so you go ahead and imagine that first. OMP, all those baby carrots! Ok, now back to imagining the weekend adventures of Sid the Pug.

Here’s what went down:

First, my dad got a rental car because we were going to be visiting my dad’s sister in the ‘burbs (it was her B-day this weekend). I love me a good road trip and this one, while not quite on par with a multi-day cross-country journey (which I’ve done TWICE now) this was still pretty fun.

In order to prevent my luxurious fawn pug fur from getting all over the black interior of the car, dad made me ride in my travel bag – which I didn’t mind one bit. I’ve ridden practically everywhere in that thing (buses, planes, trains, and even IKEA – more about that last one in a minute). It’s a little tricky getting your head propped up in the most ideal way (why there is no bolster inside the bag is beyond my comprehension), but after attempting like 15 different positions I found one that worked.

When we arrived in the ‘burbs, I got to go for a long walk with dad and my grandma in Bemis Woods. The weather was amazing – there was snow on the ground, the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was mild. Even though we hiked for like an hour and a half, bozo only managed to get one photo:

After the hike, I took a nap while dad, my aunt, and everyone else all went out to dinner. I was a little ticked that they didn’t bring me along so I took a poop inside the house (that’ll learn ’em not to bring me home leftovers!).

Dad and I started on our journey home but made a quick detour at a huge building called IKEA. I’m actually kinda glad there aren’t any photos from this place because it was WEIRD and kinda freaked me out! They don’t technically allow dogs inside so my dad thought he’d be covert and bring me inside in my travel bag since I guess it looks just like some normal bag that humans carry around their human junk in.

There must have been thousands of people inside this place. The mesh panels on my travel bag obscured my vision a bit, but I could still see all the people slowly walking in a line together through a maze of chairs, beds, and giant wooden things named “TOBO” and “LIATORP”. The people were so busy looking at all that stuff that no one even noticed that there was a pug in their presence! Thank goodness dad knew exactly what he was picking up so we zipped through there pretty quickly.

I was happy to get back in the car, unzip the lid of my travel bag, and perch my head up top for a nice relaxing snooze on the ride home.

This weekend, Sid got to go on a super-special-day-trip that involved going OVER a CANAL, UNDER a RIVER, and ONTO an ISLAND! It also involved some of his human relatives and some other pugs that he had never met before. So, did you you figure out where he went yet?!

As usual, Sid had to ride in style – in his bright red Sherpa travel bag, of course!

Be sure to tune in later this week for all the exciting details of his travels!