Stella the Boxer

I'm back and badder than before

2006-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not really "badder". I don't think that's even a word. But a lot has been going on. Since my last note, we moved into the nice big house. I've mastered the stairs, figured out the backyard (the poinsettias are gone - all we have now are some pine needles from the dogs who live next door), and found a favorite new walking spot behind something called WaWa. They have a big bird on their sign, and in the morning when we go for my first trip, there are ALWAYS lots of people to bark at and pigeons to chase. I'm STILL not allowed off the leash, but that's not because I'm bad - it's because of something called "insane traffic". There are all these cars that go by, and so fast! It's so much fun to watch.

I've also mastered getting in the car! My human bought a new car JUST FOR ME! Well, I don't know if it's mine, exactly, but she said that she wasn't going to buy a "hatchback" because I wouldn't fit. I don't know what a hatchback is, but I don't like anything I don't fit in. I have my own blue blanket in the car, a few bones, and I even have my own seatbelt. It's pretty cool, and I've gotten to go to my old dog park a bunch. She won't let me drive, though. I keep telling her I can keep my eyes on the road, and paws on the wheel, but she's not having it.

We've done all sorts of fun things in the last few months, like go to the country to play with Barrett and Boomer and Pita. My favorite thing to do is run in and out of the door and play with my red soccer ball. Here's me and Barrett. He's trying to go back inside, but I still want to play
.

And then he DID go back inside.

I was so sad. I get to see him this weekend, though, after I get my stitches out, so I'm pretty excited. I got stitches because I had to get needles in my paw last weekend. Something happened with one of my claws, and man - it wasn't painful, but it sure looked gross! We were in the country when it happened, so my humans had to drive as fast as they could to the vet - which was two hours away! I just slept in the car, but I could tell they were nervous. But never fear, I'm fine. Because I've not been allowed to play properly, my human and I had a photo shoot one night. Here's some of my favorites:

This is me making my Scooby Doo face. He's a bit of a pansy, and he ruined it for us dogs. Not all of us can talk, and believe you me, if I could - I wouldn't sound like such a twit.

Here's me with my party face on:

And here's me giving my human a kiss. Well, I tell her it's a kiss. Really, she just had some pizza on her chin she'd missed:

My favorite thing I did this fall was go to the park, though. Not the dog park, mind you. A REAL park, with these flying ducks that go in the water, and these HUGE things called HORSES. They didn't like me much, and I thought they smelled funny. So who cares about them anyway?
Well, for a split second, I did. I wanted to see one up close!

But he wouldn't come any closer.

Then I saw leaves - it's really my first Fall with trees around. The leaves taste DELICIOUS.

My other favorite thing has been puppy school. I have a lovely trainer (can you believe it? I have a trainer! My HUMANS don't even have them! Then again, they don't pee on the floor. But still!). Her name is Stacey, and I jump and kiss her every time I see her. I learned a lot of things, like stay, and sit, and roll over - but mostly, I got to play with other dogs. There's a huge, big baby of a German Shepard named Polo - he's nice but really rambunctious. And a little dog shaped like a football called Sammy. I always want to play with Sammy, but she hates me.

Anyway, I missed my graduation because of my surgery, but I'm going next Wednesday! I get to see Stacey, do all my tricks, and I GET TO WEAR A HAT! Just wait, world! Here I come! With pictures!

I can hear a plastic bag rustling, so it's time for my walk. Sorry it's been so long, friends. I'll be sure to update more.

Love,
Stella

Oh hey, I meant to ask - if I wrote a kid's book about my travels, and my big sister Sadie, would anyone read it? I doubt it'd be a moneymaker, but at least I could get famous.

movin' on up!

2006-04-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

So we're moving! Not to the East side, per se. More North. But it's still very exciting! I have heard lots of talk of realtors and appraisals. The other day, I saw a picture of a house I liked so I carried it in my mouth to my adopteds. They must've liked it because TODAY I GOT TO GO INSIDE! THEY BOUGHT IT! It's a wonderful house with fun, confusing stairs. They were a little hard to get used to, but I'm becoming grown up and I will be good at them one day.
Speaking of being grown up, I also got my surgery the other week! I don't know what they did exactly, but when I woke up I had pink stitches on my belly and I hurt a little bit. I think I heard someone mention something about not having puppies or something. I did very well in the surgery, but I had a couple accidents when I came out. I was dopey for a couple days, but I was lucky to have my adopteds home with me.
I've also spent the last 2 weekends in our country houses - I've been very lucky. I MIGHT get to go back this weekend too, but I'm not sure.
Enjoy the pictures! I have to go outside for my last walk now.
Love,
Stella

This is me recovering in the big bed.

Humans make great pillows...

..and snuggle buddies.

This is our new living room! I peed on the floor.

This is our, erm, MY backyard. Don't worry about the poinsettia - they're getting rid of it so I don't eat it.

I love to sniff.

So many smells! There were 3 chihuahuas and 3 cats here before. I peed here to make sure they know it's MINE.

The one room I didn't pee in - which is good since it's the bedroom.

going up?

Spring Break!

2006-03-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Or, why I haven't written in a long time.
I'm sorry. I got in trouble and I wasn't allowed to use the computer anymore. I have redeemed myself, and I'm back!
Luckily, you haven't missed much. I went back to the country for a birthday party and saw my best friends Barrett, Pita, and Boomer. Well, I didn't see Pita the Cat. But he was home. And I tried to lick Boomer - a LOT. I had fun, but he YOWLED until my adopteds and everyone came running down the stairs.
But I promise - I never laid a tooth on him.
Barrett and I had much more fun.
Here's a picture of our favorite game, run around the table:

This is Barrett and I getting something called HAMBURGER. Do you know it? My adopteds only eat vegetables, so this is something I have not had before. Apparently, it was very fancy and came from a place called Manhattan. I implore Bunny - PLEASE BRING ME MORE.

This is Barrett and I being good. He told me that if you sit right before they give you something, you can get MORE. Brilliant!

And we sang a birthday song to my adopted...My ears flop around when I sing. Gotta put passion into it, you know?

This is how they have to separate Barrett and I when they go out. Don't worry - I have a whole room to myself. And Barrett has the whole house. But I'd much rather be playing...

After a long weekend, I like to curl up in bed with my adopted. Under the covers, please.

And here are two recent pictures of me! We discovered I have a wheat allergy, so I eat something called Expensive Food now. But I'm not pink anymore. And my fur is all growing back! I'm very excited!

See how big I'm getting?
And look at this face!

I'm off to go lick - I got a brilliant squeaking warthog toy that I love!

Bye lovies!

Confidential to K and J in Illinois: Lots of love to you - can't wait to meet you!xoxoxo.

let it snow!

2006-02-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

So this snowstorm was no disappointment. I woke up this morning to ELEVENTY INCHES! I'm not quite sure how tall that is, but it's pretty deep - I had to prance through the snow to get through. I got to walk in it before it was gray and gone through - I got my picture taken a ton of times. I love to shovel through the snow with my nose - I'm like a little plow.

I went home and took a nap in my house, and then I got to go in the car with my adopteds and two of their friends. The friends have an older boxer named Ming. I met Ming when I was very wee - I haven't seen her since! She's had some troubles - she has alopecia and just got over cancer, so I thought we could swap skin stories. I liked to play with her a LOT, but I don't think she liked me as much. Her adopteds put her outside with me, and she just kept running back to the door. But I had fun! I love Ming.

Here she is running away from me:

and again...

but then I try to sneak her:

and then we're friends!

It's cold, I'm going to hide under some blankets and do something called "rearranging closets". Wish me luck - it sounds scary!

OTL.

sleep, snow and tough days

2006-02-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

So I was absent for a day. I apologize. I had to go BACK to the vet. I saw my friends there, though - I love the girls who work there. I got all sorts of medicine to cure what ails me. Hopefully it'll work. It's cutting seriously into my toy budget.
I slept most of last night, and a good part of today. I love it when I'm allowed to sleep in the bed. I'm TRYING to get them to let me in the bed all night, but I haven't quite convinced them.
See how cute I am? How could they NOT let me?

The face of an ANGEL, I tell you.

I love to sleep on the couch, too. Preferably under the blankets. I was doing so this fine, snowy evening (something called a Nor'Easter! Are there eggs involved? Bunnies? Cannot be sure, but very excited for it nonetheless). All of a sudden, there was movement - commotion, if you will. The adopteds were leaving me! They were going out! I was so comfy and warm - I gave them my best sleeping-on-the-couch, pleas-don't-leave face, but it didn't work.

But they were remarkably kind. They carried me in my blanket to my new lean-to. It was a very kind gesture, and I was happy to not have to move too much.

I was so grateful that I decided to do a little dance...

and finish off with some kisses! You have to look closely, but I've ALMOST got her!

It's late and snowy - I'm off to my real house to go to sleep. Tomorrow, I will conquer the snow!

OTL.

cooking is not like the food channel

2006-02-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

So in my house, we watch the Food Channel all the time. Iron Chef, Iron Chef America, Good Eats - these are on in the house with as much regularity as any Law and Order. It seems so easy - buzzing around the kitchen, pots and pans at the ready. Things like quail eggs and shaved truffles just waiting to be used.
Much to my surprise, real life cooking - at least in my house - is nothing like that. The ingredients come out of plastic bags that are fun to play with. Nothing is, as they say, "prepped". Ovens need to be heated, cheese needs to be grated, sauce un-jarred. All to make mysterious lasagna.
I don't know what it is, but I discovered I like mozzarella. I was treated to my first table scraps when I got a bit passed down to me.

This is me performing my one trick - down. All for a piece of mozzarella! I'm going to go to Beginner School soon at PetSmart, since I'm too old for puppy school. I'm looking forward to learning tricks.

Out of nowhere, there was this horrible shrill sound that didn't stop until we waved a towel flag at the ceiling. Something about a "goddamn stupid smoke detector and there's no smoke"? Not sure what that means - the sound is just AWFUL, though.

This morning I'm home with a friend, so I have to go play.
OTL.

homesick

2006-02-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the city. I miss the country, I miss my best friends, and the nice soft carpet to pee on (hey, it was an accident. I SAID I was sorry). I did come home with nice aired out linens and a new purple harness, so it wasn't all a loss.
I'm tired, though, so just enjoy these pictures.

Me and Bdog on the couch. Those two marks on his knee are from surgery. He said it had something to do with Boomer and being shanked, but I'm not sure I buy it.

On your mark...

get set...

GO!

Eadweard Muybridge has nothing on me. And extra points to you if you get the reference.

Home, trying to feign excitement.

OTL.

*special thanks to gentle reader P for pointing out an error. One can never be too correct.

best friends

2006-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

So I'm in the country. I hit the dog park again last night - it was alright. Not the same without my buddy Margeaux (gay French name from her gay French adopted) - but we're not allowed to play anymore because I have a ton of scratches on me. I think it gives me character, but it also makes me look like an unloved shelter dog. Which I am not.
I digress.
I'm in the country with my best friends this weekend. There is Barrett the boxer - he's the best. He's not entirely sure what I'm all about. He's almost 9, but he's never been around too many dogs. He seems to like me enough, but I LOVE him. I do. He is teaching me how to be subversive with the begging, and how to knock over baby gates. He tricked me into eating a "Jalapeno Potato Chip" - whatever the hell that is, I'm never having one ever again.

This is Barrett checking me out when I first came in. Did I say that I love him? He's just the best:

There is also a 3.5 legged cat named Boomer, for Boomer Esiason when the Bengals were in the Superbowl - which makes him approximately 17 which is approximately 35x my age. I sniffed him while he was on the chair and then he threw up. Without getting up.
It was disguting, yet impressive:

This is me announcing how happy I am to be here:

Until I had to have a bath. Because of my skin condition, I have to have a bath 2x a week with special shampoo for 10 minutes. This is just some kind of Commie vet bullshit - it's awful! Anyway - at least I look cute:

And you KNOW i'm tricky:

Off to look for the mysterious white cat they call Pita.

OTL.

this is why dogs bite

2006-02-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

First, I know this is a day late. Something was wrong with this site yesterday - so I wasn't able to post when I wanted to. Then, I went to the dog park (pictures to come - it's the most amazing place in the world), and fell asleep in the bed on someone's head and woke up at 4am because I wasn't used to going to sleep so early and it was just... It was a long night.
I digress.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? I realize, Colombian drug dealers are not the bastions of kindness and compassion. But seriously, using PUPPIES to carry drugs? Did they get a free hit? Or was it a business only kind of deal? I don't know which was more appalling - the topic, or the NY Post's terrible puns, including "doggedly" and "bite" (you have to read it. It's bad).

I mean, seriously. I get that they were labs - labs are big stupids. They probably just sat there and wagged their backsides and licked the air while having these assholes perform surgery on them. If they tried to use boxers, man - they'd come back with only one eye and an story no one would believe.

Puppies and dogs (and yes, even labs) are meant for loving. And licking. And hugging. And petting and running and going to the park and pooping and saying hi and being cute and obnoxious all at the same tie. They're not for drug running. If a person makes that choice, well, they're stupid and they might die. But puppies don't HAVE the option to say no.

If I ever see a Colombian drug lord in my neighborhood, I'm going to bite his hands off.

Here's a rare picture of me and my adopted - you won't see her often, as this is about me - but this is just a reminder:
THIS IS WHAT PUPPIES ARE FOR, YOU FUCKHEADS.

Pictures and stories from the park later.
OTL.

Happy Birthday To Me, sort of

2006-02-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who passed along birthday wishes. I thought I would share what I got.

A scarf. A fucking scarf. Are you KIDDING ME? What am I supposed to DO with it?

Ah, of course...

eat it!

Thanks to all - now if you'll excuse me, I have some cake to eat.

camping in the kitchen

2006-02-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

So I have a vacation home. A cabin, if you will. Well, it's more shack than cabin.
I can't lie.
It's a lean-to.

It was purchased before the holidays, as an easy alternative to my regular house. It folds up into a 12" disc, and snaps back into shape remarkably fast (this is where you take the "do not aim near eyes" warning very seriously). It's lovely. I use it for car trips, for vacationing in the country (which I am this weekend) - I also use it as my safe haven during the day.

During the day, I live in the kitchen. It has everything I could want - toys (but safe ones), my beds (two, even!), food, water, linoleum, rugs, and my lean-to. I'll often tuck myself into the lean-to after pulling things off the countertops, to reflect and relax. Between my lean-to and my ˆHow to be Zenˆcd, it's perfect.

Until the lean-to collapsed. Around me. I may be young, but I'm not small. Trying to get out of that was like a game of Ôperationˆgone horribly, horribly wrong.

I was sort of stuck. And somehow, I'd gotten halfway across the room. But no matter - I had my trusty elephant by my side.

See - I wasn't kidding. The walls are supposed to be UPRIGHT.

Help was on its way!

The help sucked, so I lifted my shoulders and PUSHED my way out, like a Lindsay Lohan leaving a hospital.

Linoleum = food of the future.

I love being on the bed. It's a wonderful, delightful place - things to chew on, socks to sniff, contact lens holders to attempt to steal, coats to burrow in - what could be better?

It's time for my first evening walk, I must be going. Time to greet the bums on the street with a cheerful smile to brighten their day! I never understand why I get pulled away from them - they taste - well. It's undescribable.

Off to lick!

2006-01-31T17:06:00.000-08:00

this is me when i first came home. i spill out of this bed like randy jackson in spandex now.

need i say more?

i'm fucking tough.

my first blog

2006-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm Stella.
I'm a 5 month old boxer puppy who is good at some things, like:
eating linoleum (delicious)
being crazy
barking
eating protein powder (cock diesel, anyone?)
chewing on soda bottles
going to the vet
taking shots (like at the vet. not at the court)

and bad at others:
sitting when told (what's the point?)
riding in the car (there are so many things to bark at and see. Plus - why do I always have to sit in the back?
being quiet (again - point?)
typing
allowing others to type for me (no one seems to understand that I can hit the keys with my nose)

I'm 5 months old on Feb. 1st - actually, I don't know when my birthday is. I came to Philadelphia on Halloween (I'm named for Stella Luna - whatever the hell that is), and the dudes who had me said I was 8 weeks old.

I was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA with 6 other siblings -they all had white markings, I didn't. Actually, I do - but it's amazing what a little Miss Clairol can do. I've heard I stood out from the others because my back was all brindle, so it worked for me. My dad was white, leading my adoptives to think I was deaf (not so, just stubborn - not worried about what they have to say). My mom had longer legs than Tyra Banks (and, might I add, a smaller forehead and a much better weave). I think I'm pretty awesome looking. Erm, despite having the tiniest touch of mange and sensitive skin that makes me look half pink sometimes (no worries, the vet said it'd go away).
But my pictures can say this better than I can. Plus, it's hard to type - my nails haven't been cut in a while.
So enjoy me, enjoy my actions, my stories, but mostly, my pictures. Tell me if you love me or hate me - maybe one day I'll set up a paypal account for vet bills and new chewies (if I may, the braided chewies are my favorite. Feel free to send some.)