Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Bad fur day



I have to say I am disappointed. I know it has been Easter and all that and people are busy, but.......has the phone stopped ringing with offers for my screen début? No. It hasn't even started. I have not had one eeny weeny little offer. Nor on my comments either. Apart from Sophie La Flirtador of course. Darling beautiful Sophie. I will write about her idea another day. And equally darling and beautiful Ethel came up with a rather cute suggestion too.

For now, I am sadly disillusioned with the black and white screenworld and have returned to glorious technicolour and the things I am good at. Snoozing on my sofa, supervising mistress, howling for breakfast, toast and treats, and looking for cats.

Glaring atSupervising mistress


Showing teethies in my excitement


Treat time


And I have to console Misery. In fact not only is she a Misery, she is a miserable Misery. Her washing machine has stopped working. It is only six months old and this is the THIRD TIME it has packed up.

The man came yesterday to look at it and didn't know what to do. It was ace fun. He arrived at the door and looked terrified so naturally I wanted to jump up at him and sniff him and lick him all over. Misery held onto me and told the man to come in.

He went to look at the washing machine and lay down on the floor. Excellent, I thought, in a prime (or even prone) position for me to jump on, sniff, and generally have a good time. NO. Misery sent me to sofa. But that was good too because we played the bound-on-and-off game, and see-if-I-can-get-round-mistress-to-get-at-the-man game.

Eventually mistress got bored with those games and said in her Not To Be Argued With voice - "That's enough now Pippa. Sofa." Pooh.

On my sofa


He is meant to be coming back today so we are just sitting (her) and lying (me) around waiting for him.

This washing machine business has an impact on me naturally. It means my throws will not get washed. Now although I don't want a Pippafur-free sofa and totally clean throws, I don't want dirty ones either. So when they get too dirty even for me, I go and lie on the floor. Which is where I have been all morning.

Misery thought about taking my throws to the laundrette, but decided that wasn't a good idea. She thought they might charge a premium for throws covered in Pippafur, Pippadrool, and Pippagrollies.

Snoozing on my nice throw


Apparently yesterday was a bad hair day - I think she means bad fur day, so she is going to wash her fur to make it better. I bet the washing machine man comes while she is in the shower - heehee.

I am even going to let her post a picture of the flowers she bought to cheer herself up. What a kind thoughtful Pippadog I am.
(You see, Jake and Just Harry I am taking your advice).

Carnations, roses, gypsophila, some sort of lilies(?) and fern

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Pippa - star of the silent screen



Three posts back when mistress put a couple of my photos up in black and white I was not pleased. I even missed the fact that she had snuck up a flower.

I am a colourful dog and I live in Andalucía which is warm and sunny and full of life and colour.

But then I got to thinking about it. I looked at the photos a few times and started to think perhaps I would quite like to be a black and white star in silent films. I don't bark much anyway.

Lots of pups have said my eyes look as though they have kohl round them (or should that be coal?) so I thought I could make a romantic hero with soulful, expressive eyes. One look from me and all the girl pups will be swooning.

Sort of Pippa Valentino. A Mediterranean lover. But then I made mistress do a search on Tinties, and I decided I did not want to be Pippa Valentino. Rudolph Valentino might have been a bit of a silent screen heart-throb but he didn't seem to have too good a life. And he didn't have as many girlfriends as me either.

One site said:

"....the darkly handsome Valentino gazed at his heroines with a mixture of passion and melancholy that sent chills down female (and some male) spines."

Passion and melancholy - that sounds good.

"....but most male moviegoers found his acting ludicrous, his manner foppish, and his screen character effeminate."

No that is not me. I wasn't planning on acting. I thought I could just - be there.

So I think I will settle for just being Pippadog - Star of the Silent Screen.

I think if the silent piccies come back I could be on a winner here.

We have done a photoshoot, some on my casting couch of course, for my new portfolio.









All we have to do is get someone to snap me up.

Perhaps I need an agent. I can't imagine mistress will be very good at it. She doesn't even go to the cinema.

We even did a few photos of me outside and smiling in case I need to look versatile.





But I like the serious ones best. I think it suits me. Mean, moody, and melancholy. (ETA: I forgot to add mysterious)







Serious offers only please.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Our pals



I was going to do a nice post today, talking about me of course. But it has been a sad week for DWB so I am not so selfish as to talk about me when there are pups to remember, and their families to think of and support with our pawsitive thoughts.

So this post is dedicated to Lacy Lulu and Sasha.

As you know I don't normally bother myself with mistress's silly flowers, but I have chosen this one specially for our two friends who have gone to the Bridge.

It is the Strelitzia reginae, also called the Bird of Paradise. I thought it was appropriate.



Sad Pippadog.

Friday, March 14, 2008

GibTrip



"Come along master," I barked.

"I think it is time we went to my Gibflat. Those Gibcats will be running riot without me to control them."

Master agreed so we loaded up my Landy. Misery was allowed to come too although I don't know why. Oh, I remember, she wanted to go to a boring lecture on neanderthals and modern humans. Dear me.

I sat in the back looking out to see what was going on. Then I bounded into the middle to lie on my Landy sofa.

I snoozed away merrily and then we stopped. We always slow down and have to stop at San Pedro de Al-CAT-ara because there are lots of traffic lights. I always get up and have a nice smell for cats naturally. Mistress seems to think it is called San Pedro de Alcantara but I know better.

When we got to the frontier I smiled at everyone because they are always interested in me. Dogs are so much more interesting than people. But no person wanted to see my passport. I was a bit disappointed, but master said it is because they are all used to me now and know that I am PippaGibDog and that I have my own GibKennelFlat which I share with master and Misery.

I had a little sniffy as we drove across the airfield. I was sure I could smell that pesky Harvey (aka Marmalade of the Green Collar) as we drove towards town. Master and mistress had a detour to the shops. Yawn. Then we went to my flat.

But there was something wrong when we walked in. I didn't recognise my sofa. It didn't smell the same. No, it was not my sofa. There was no Pippafur on it, and there was a clean throw on it. Master was quietly fainting on the floor. Mistress had vacuumed the sofa and washed my throws. How is a dog supposed to recognise his sofa if it is clean and doesn't smell Pippa-ish? So I lay on the floor. And then I went under my table.

Under my table, although even this smells of polish


Master and I had a nice evening together while Misery went off to her lecture. Apparently there was one interesting question in it about domesticated animals. It seems that domesticated wolves were the first animals that started to join the human pack. Of course. Are we stupid? Nice warm fires, and comfy places to sleep in return for chasing a few cats or other things. Perhaps it wasn't such a silly lecture after all.

I haven't seen Marmalade yet though. I did spot the nice black and white one lying next to a motor bike today but master had already seen him. Now I love master very much but sometimes I think he is nearly as miserable as Misery. So he dragged me into the flat while I was trying to go in the other direction. But in the evening we met lots of people we knew and they all stroked me because they know I am nice and friendly so that was good. One of master's previous work colleagues beamed at us and said his son had been asking where I was. I thought that was very nice so I gave him a special PippaSmile and all the family patted me.

Come along master


Striding out purposefully


Mistress thought she would have a snooze on my sofa and she put her nice sleepingbag on there. When she got up I thought it looked rather inviting so I bounded up. But master called me down and moved it off. I tell you, he is getting bad. I can just about control Misery but trying to organise two of them will be a bit tiring for poor old Pippadog.

Apart from that I am having a nice time chilling out here in Gib. A change is always as good as a rest although master seems to be looking for work which doesn't sound like a rest to me.

Now I want to mention The Forget Sit and Stay Gang who cleverly pointed out that Misery had snuck a flower onto my last post. I did not notice that. I did not notice it when mistress took the photo because I was doing my sleeping dog impersonation at the gate where I pretend to be snoozing but am really very alert and on guard. And when I checked my post for publication I was too busy wondering why I had turned into Pippa the Monochrome Dog to notice the flower. So thank you for bringing it to my attention. Barks will be had with Misery.

And darling Randi dedicated some lovely flowers and herself, I mean her lovely self and some flowers to me on her Randay post. Thank you Randi. I appreciate that very much although naturally you are far more beautiful than the flowers.

Sometimes, a dog can't be bothered to argue about a few flowers on his blog.....

Monday, March 10, 2008

Pippa's newsround



Mistress has been idle this weekend. What's new you ask?

Well, at least she usually cooks lunch. She didn't even do that yesterday. Poor master had to do it. And he roasted the pimientos for tea.

Sum total of mistress's achievements yesterday? Making the dressing, and putting a bit of salad on a plate. Said she was tired. Too busy doing nothing if you ask me.

Efforts this morning: looking at the internet to read about the Spanish election. No mistress this is not a political blog. I may be Spanish, I may have my passport, but as I can't vote, it is of no relevance to me. I can't influence it one way or the other - and neither can you 'cos you can't vote either - so take the silly politics off to your blog. Who cares who won? Let's talk about important things like TOAST.

Anyway we all had toast together today, and some left over shepherd's pie that master made yesterday. It was nice. I got most of the pie for my breakfast and then they got the leftovers for theirs and we all ate their toast.

Mistress likes her toast with olive oil. Master flits between butter one day, and olive oil, usually with garlic the next. I don't care so long as I get plenty.

I shared mistress's portion kindly with her, and totally missed out on master's. So he had to do some more for us both to eat. Yum.

Waiting for master to finish sharing my toast


Standing up - poised to leap


And in the air for the snatch and grab, I mean taking nicely


All finished. Pooh


But why am I in black and white? Are we going arty? Or was the light so bad that mistress had to put me in black and white? Hahaha.

I have a couple of news items. I forgot to say minx Sophie La Flirtador proposed to me for Leap Year. And promptly said she wasn't going to be remotely faithful and she didn't think I would be either. Huh. What sort of a proposal is that - not a serious one - fortunately. Phew. Narrow escape there even though Sophs is very beautiful. Thank you Sophs for your kind thoughts but I think we both know we have the ideal arrangement for now.

Another lovely girlfriend Ammy asked if I went to the table, scrunched my nose against it, and made a piggy-snout face? Er no, Ammy. I don't know what a piggy-snout face is but I don't do one I'm sure. Although I do hide under the table and just stick my nose out when toast and other goodies are going on there.

Anyway I never did get any of the mushroom omelette even though I sat soooo nicely at the table, and on the floor too.

And another piece of news that one of my husky pals alerted me to. It's a doggie who doesn't seem to be on Dogs With Blogs, so I haven't posted it on DWB News. But over at Magic and Georgie's adventures they have had a couple of hospital issues this past week. I know lots of you are friendly and open-minded about who you visit so if you get chance to give them some supportive barks, I am sure they would like that.

I thought it was odd that lots of you had a windy day when I did last week. A windy day all over the dog world. It is not just windy here today, it is not even a sunny day, so master called me in from my gate and I have been a sofa dog.

Me and master


Just me - and master's arm of course

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

A windy day



Pooh. It is very windy today. Misery Master won't let me go out onto my terrace.

It is sunny, and if I lie down by my gate, the wind will blow over the top of my head.

Do I care if dust blows in the house? No. (Mistress might even clean it). Or that it is cold? No. They should put more fur on. And while I'm on the subject, Scruffy Mistress needs to wash my throw on my sofa. Of course I want to go outside because I don't want to lie on a dirty throw. Perhaps I need to have a quick vomit - that soon makes her wash it. Hehe. I am feeling naughty today.

I got master up at 4.45am. That was fun. I thought the wind was nasty and it was disturbing my sleep so I thought I would disturb master too. Then I refused to let him play on the computer because I was frightened of the noise, so I made him sit on my sofa with me. (The one with the dirty covers).

Anyway, he has obviously learned, because he has just changed them for me. It's important to train your humans well you know, because they are not very bright. You need patience, and persistence. Sometimes things sink in.

Well, that is today's moan out of the way. I can't think of anything else. Oh yes I can. My wonderful treats from Darlings Tasha and Eva are not appearing often enough. Misery gave me two this morning. I mean, I ask you. There is a whole bag there of second yummy treats just waiting to be opened and the Two Meanies are just rationing my treats.

Now, Lovely Lacy Lulu has given me an award. Thank you very much Lacy for giving me the Funky Blog award. She says I always make her laugh. And she called me Pippalovedog too. I don't know that I mean to make anypup laugh, and I don't know what to think of Pippalovedog! But thanks Lacy, that has cheered me up on this windy day.

Here is my award.



And here, master and I are together on my sofa.

Tickly ears


Tickly nose


Tickly ears again


And.. even more tickly ears


Why have you stopped?


Tired, me. Being tickled is hard work