Hi Pug Slopers!

OHMYPUG! I’m just so excited! You know why I’m so excited? Well, because this is my favorite week of the year. And you know why it’s my favorite week of the year? Well, that’s easy – because it’s my BIRTHDAY WEEK!!! Woop!

My 8th Birthday is on Friday and that means this week will be filled with extra treats, extra belly rubs, and hopefully a new toy or two. I know I already have a ton of toys but nothing beats a FRESH one – with a functional squeaker.

I’ve been getting myself psyched up by looking at some of my previous Birthday posts. Here’s a few to show what awesomeness may be in store…

• Birthday Week Continues (2012)
• Happy Birthday, Little Buddy! (2012)
• This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things… (2011)
• They Say It’s Your Birthday! (2011)
• Birthday Boy! (2010)

 DISCLAIMER: OK, technically this post is not wordless – Sid and I would like to thank you all for signing the Metra petition that I wrote about on Monday! I really appreciate your support and hope someday soon, Sid will be able to take a journey out to the suburbs on the Metra train. If there are any other petitions for your cities to allow pets on trains or transit, please let me know, I’d be happy to give my support!

Well, I don’t mean the whole world – actually quite a small bit. Specifically the policy that doesn’t allow pets in small carriers on the Metra commuter trains that connect Chicago to its suburbs.

The photo above is of Sid was getting ready to hop inside his travel bag while at the airport last year. Most airlines allow small pets in the cabin as long as they stay inside an approved carrier during the flight. Same goes for all the buses and subterranean & elevated CTA train lines in the Chicagoland area. Somehow the Metra commuter trains, which connect the suburbs to the city, opted for a no pets period policy. Plegh. That’s a lot of P’s.

All of my family live in the suburbs and most of them are within walking distance from a Metra train stop. So if Sid and I want to visit them we have to rent a car, which for one is expensive, and, more importantly, defeats the purpose of living in a city with a great public transit system. We don’t want to contribute to auto traffic congestion – we want to ride the trains!

After doing a little research, I came across an online petition that had been created earlier this year by a like-minded individual who was looking for the exact same thing that Sid and I were looking for: a change to Metra’s pet policy to allow small pets in carriers (like everyone else!).

I know many of you do not live in Chicago, but if this issue hits home at all – perhaps the same type of policy exists in your city – please sign the petition. The more places we can bring our furry companions the better, right? THANK YOU!

This weekend, Sid and I took a road trip to visit our friends “Aunt” Anna and “Uncle” Andrew at Delmonte Lake up in Wisconsin. We had taken a trip up there a couple months ago and Sid had taken a refreshing dip in the lake. The weather was quite a bit cooler this time around, so unfortunately, swimming was out of the question. Instead we opted for a ride around the lake on a “surf bike” with Anna.

As you can see, the surf bike is basically two surfboards fused together with bicycle seats and pedals to power the propellers below. It’s actually a lot more stable than I had expected. Sid was a bit reluctant to board at first, but once he got his “lake legs” he had no trouble keeping his balance.

See, he even laid down for part of the excursion. And there weren’t even any treats on board!

After the aquatic adventure, the humans played some poker while Sid kept an eye on the poker chips. He quickly lost interest though when he realized the chips were not edible. He did however get ample amounts of baby carrots which lifted his spirits.

It was a really nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the windy city. Thank you to Anna and Andrew for such a fun time!

Hi Pug Slopers!

I hope you liked my PUGWATCH video. I have to admit it was fun to make because I loved splashing in the waves of Lake Michigan. The chilly water definitely did a good job of keeping me cool.

Speaking of chilly, it’s like almost FREEZING outside today. What the pug?! We had the A/C running non-stop at P.S.H.Q. earlier this week and today I wished I had a jacket on for my morning walk because it was so brisk outside. I guess the seasons are starting to change.

I’m hoping to have at least one more good summer adventure so I’m packing my travel bag and heading to Wisconsin again. I hope the weather won’t be too cold for a refreshing dip in good ol’ Delmonte Lake!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sid told me he had such a great time splashing in the waves last weekend with Donald and Daisy and their ‘rents, that he wanted to make an “epic video”. I think that is the only way to describe what he came up with. He said he consulted with tons of “reference” material to make sure he got all the details just right.

May I present to you Sid’s latest masterpiece — PUGWATCH!

He told me to tell you all to watch it on youtube in HD because he spent “hours on the CGI” and also that he did all his own stunts.

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a nice relaxing Labor Day weekend. I was glued to a pillow about 85% of the time but the other 15% was filled with an ADVENTURE! Not only did it involve the dog beach, but it also involved some very special guests.

Guess who?!

Why it was none other than the petite pair, Donald and Daisy (from Pug-a-Boo) along with their ‘rents, Christy and Tim.

When we arrived at Foster Beach the sun was shining brightly, the temperature was pleasantly warm but not pug-melting, and there was a nice breeze coming in off the water. Donald and I immediately took off through the sand and barked “hello” to the other dogs also out enjoying the fine day.

The two dudes cruising for adventure.

It is an understatement to say that Daisy wasn’t a huge fan of the sand, and although she did hobble around a bit, her tail expressed her true feelings on the subject.

The lovely, though a bit perturbed, Daisy and me.

We tried to get some group photos but all three of us pugs did not feel like sitting still. There were far to many new smells to sniff, dogs to chase, and humans that potentially had treats.

Tim was able to wrangle Donald and Daisy for a nice photo, but I was off romping through the waves at this point. I guess it truly is a challenge to keep three pugs in one place at the same time!

I’ll have to tell you all about the insane waves and our outdoor lunch later this week! To be continued…