The Senakams | Corgi + 3

Bryson visits Golden Gate Bridge

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and as per usual, Jacques is working all 3 days (at least it's mostly day shifts). So Bryson and I, after dropping Jacques off to work, swinged by Crissy Field to visit the famous fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge.

Even though it's totally touristy, Bryson thorougly enjoyed sharing the limelight with this other San Francisco super-star.

(By the way, these pix are taken with the good ol' point-and-shoot, just can't juggle the Rebel and Bryson (the other Rebel) and dealing with the sand and wind all by myself yet)

If American Idol doesn't work out, I guess I can always audition for America's Next Top Model

Ahhh.... San Francisco...

Nothing's more classically San Franciscan than a leisurely stroll along the Bay at Crissy Field, americano in hand, doggy in tow, and hair all ruffled by the gusts of sea breeze that also leaves your teeth gritty for days.

Joggers, walkers share the trail with downtown San Francisco in view. BTW, leash law is back at all Golden Gate National Recreation Area Parks, but you can still see pooches roaming sans leash, which Bryson tried out a little bit too. What can I say, he likes to live on the edge

Fog, fog and more fog

A guest along our walk (who're you looking at?)

997, 998, 999... do I have to keep counting? I'm getting sleepy...

The Rebel!

These past 6 months we've found ourselves spending a lot of time playing photographers- when you live with a cute and cuddly thing who smiles constantly, it's kinda hard not to. And we're leaving for our summer vacation to Europe in a few weeks (see how subtle we slip this new development in, ha ha...). So, the time seems ripe to make an investment we've been planning on for a while now... (Oh well, do we really need all these justifications for a new toy once in a blue moon?)

Jacques just bought me the digital SLR camera I've been craving for! It's the Canon Rebel XTi, just an entry-level type SLR, but a huge step up from our silly point-and-shoot. How exciting!!!

Me and My Rebel (my eyebrows correctly indicate the level of excitement, although it makes me look like I can use a dose of Botox)

Now the easy part (buying it) is done, here comes the hard part (using it). I've actually bought a book written specifically on how to use this camera to take decent pictures, but who has the time to read a book when one has a new camera on one's hands? We quickly learned that a test drive is the best way to learn how to use this beast (see test drive results below).

Oh, and just about a day later, we also learned that (1) just because you have a better camera doesn't automatically makes you a better photographer (who knows money doesn't buy you skill?), and (2) there is a plethora of gadgets/accessories (e.g. various lenses, filters, etc) needed to maximize the camera's potential that could easily bankrupt us. Thanks goodness Costco has a great return policy.

Taking the Rebel for a spin- our attempt in taking "nice photos":

 

American Idol

Picasso came over the other day looking for Bryson, saying that he's got something important to discuss with him. He said it's a secret what they're discussing and doesn't want me to listen in. I said fine, I'll give you some space. But being the ever-vigilant mom I am, I couldn't help it...

I admit, I eavesdropped. I even got pictures of their conversation from the hidden teddy cam (shhhh....). Here's how the meeting goes:

Picasso: OK, Bryson, listen, I think it's time for us to seriously talk about how we're going to enter the next American Idol.

Bryson: I thought we talked about it already, we're going to be the hip-hop duo Korg-E, aren't we?

Picasso: Yes, yes, we did discuss that, but I just had a new idea. Wouldn't a wholesome boy band, something like "New PWCs on the Block" be more palatable?

Bryson: Hmm... I don't know. Why don't we try out a few beats and poses for each?

Picasso: Great idea! Here, get into position...

First try: Red hot hip-hop duo- Korg-E (I'm not sure if our mommies will let us get the diamond grillz we want, that would be uber cool)

Second try: wholesome boyband New PWCs on the Block (I think the girls will go crazy over this one)

"I... want it... THAT... way..."

Picasso: I like our sound!
Bryson: I thought you were a little flat... we'll need more practice so we don't become William Hung

Reality of Agility

Bryson has now cruised through his first 2 weeks of agility class. All seemed well as the three of us were just having a ball- Bryson thrives with the challenge of learning new skills (and of course the treat at the end didn't hurt), Jacques and I just can't get enough watching those little legs work and that big smile at the end of each successful task.

So, in class the other day, we carried on our practice, and when we got to one of Bryson's less favorite activity- tugging- we just kinda wave the toy in front of his face and tempt him to tug, and when he just stood there and yawned, we thought, oh well, we'll move on to something more fun, like tunnel or something.

But at that point, the instructor gathered the class and said, "if you and your dog don't play tug seriously, you might as well not come to class."

Oops. Who knows, your dog has to want to tug to do agility? And thinking back, I now remember seeing all dogs at the agility trial tugging maniacally right before competition, I thought they all had ADHD.

Our instructor explained that you need to be able to command your dog's attention above all other distraction to succeed in agility, and tugging is one way to ensure that you have their undivided attention. I imagine it also rile up all that frantic energy you often see in the champs' eyes.

So when we got home, we began to think about Bryson's agility career a little more carefully. Are we just doing it for fun? Or are we in it seriously? I started looking into this agiility magazine, Clean Run, as suggested by our instructor to see if that's what we really want to do, and boy, did reality hit like a ton of bricks.

FIrst of all, there's no doubt tugging is the quintessential criteria in agility training as our instructor eluded to- there were at least 10 pages of articles and toys/tricks about how to get your dog to tug. Then there are all the equipments and space you'll eventually need to train your dog at home, just take a look at this ad:

All the wonderful equipments needed in agility practice, approx. cost= GDP of a small country

And if that's not concerning enough, the rest of the magazine was as indecipherable as some ancient dead sea scroll. I don't even understand half the jargons and terminology used in it, it gets so technical you think you're reading a Boeing 747's operation manual. Here's an example:

An agility course map? Or an astrophysical map of Galaxy 2347?

So, we have some decisions to make. But before anything, as was clearly pointed out to us, we need to instill the desire to tug in Bryson if he were to have any chance to succeed in agility. And what motivates Bryson above anything else? Food, of course. And so we started experimenting with different toys/treat combo to entice Bryson to tug. Here's one of the experimental animal model:

Lovely organic-cotton-monkey-turned-tug-victim: notice the viciously mauled and partially severed left foot, a result of treat being stuffed into the leg to attract the predator. Still has a smile on his face, what a trooper.

We should have known agility isn't all fun and games, especially when our classmates start showing up in "Got Agility?" T-shirts. I guess we need to reassess our commitment as we go, but ultimately, I'm sure Bryson will tell us if he's ready to move forward or if he'd rather stay home and take a nap (only if I'm a Pet Psychic and can read his mind now... ha!).

Pet Psychic Visit at Wag Hotel

This past weekend San Francisco saw the grand opening of the Wag Hotel, a "premier luxury hotel exclusively for pets".

The opening was reported all over the media, touting it as one of the most luxurious destination for your pooch while you're sunning worry-free in Bora Bora. Jacques and Bryson wanted to check it out, but I was a bit skeptical (do we need yet another overpriced hyped-up dog hotel?) But then I read that they're giving out free stuff on opening day. OK, I guess we're going.

We arrived quite late in the day so the crowd has thinned out considerably. We were able to get in right away, and even ran into some of Jacques' friends with their doggie. And Bryson was happy that he got his 5-min fame on the red carpet (he was under the impression that it was rolled out especially for him).

We were then whisked away on to a tour of the facility. I have to say everything looks super nice and fancy, with shiny new suites some even equipped with it's own individual webcam, 20+ play areas for dogs of different sizes/temperament, and a roof-top play area covered with artificial turf and a nice view of SF. The best thing is that they're open 24 hours so if we come home on a late flight, we can pick him up at 1 a.m. if we want to. They even offer "pawdicures" in 10 different colors and a blueberry facial (Bryson doesn't need to be exposed to all these metrosexual stuff now).

Shiny new kitchen

One of the smaller "suites", very clean (well, it's never been used), looks almost a bit sterile

Roof-top play area with gorgeous view of SF and Sutro Tower in a distance, doubt Bryson at his height will see any of that though

At the end of the tour, we were told that there're snacks and drinks for us, and 2 vendors providing complimentary services for dogs today: doggie massage or a pet psychic. OK, I can give Bryson a massage, but reading Bryson's mind?! Now that's something I'm guilty to admit that I couldn't pass up on.

After a brief wait, Bryson and us marched expectantly into the "consultation room" to meet Charles the Psychic. Charles seems nice and friendly enough, but you could tell that he's had a long day (he kept looking at his watch). "What question do you want me to ask Bryson?" he asked politely. And that's when I suddenly realized Geez... We're talking to a someone who thinks he's a pet psychic.... that's crazy. We fumbled a little bit (and during the course probably volunteered a lot of information), and came up with what we thought was a good question at the time: Is Bryson happy with us? Charles then looked at Bryson thoughtfully (who looked back at him probably coz he thought there's prospect for treat). After a few seconds of what looks like a staring contest- which he claimed is when he communicates with Bryson telepathically, he proclaimed, "he's still deciding".

What?! OK, psychic buddy, you obviously don't know Bryson coz as far as WE know, he's obviously much better off with us than being a show dog, and couldn't you tell that he just absolutely adore us??! You *&$%^(%!!

Well, at least that's what I thought of saying but then decided it's probably better to keep it to myself so we don't end up being blacklisted here. A couple of silly questions followed by a few non-commital answers later, we left.

In the car on our way back home, I kept looking back at Bryson in the backseat, and wondering to myself, is he taking tab in his mind what had happened today, and mentally evaluating whether he enjoys being with us as his new owners, or would he'd rather be back with his pack in Oroville? Jacques obviously picked up what I was thinking, and said casually, "you couldn't seriously be still thinking about what that guy said about Bryson, are you?" That's when I realize how silly it was to have gone in and taken this thing to any degree of seriousness at all, let alone hanging onto those words coming from a perfect stranger.

I know it's silly and completely defy what I know as a sane, logical person. But I guess I now understand how people could spend tons of money thinking that someone with a crystal ball and a turban wrapped around their head can help them communicate with the dead. The intense curiousity to know and the desperate desire to connect has given people the conviction to believe in something they know they shouldn't.

I guess we could potentially come back to the Wag Hotel as a boarder, but pet psychic? I guess that'll be a No, thanks... like EVER.

Picasso's Big Visit

Yippee! The big day is finally here! Today is the day that Picasso and his family finally grace us with their first official visit. Bryson spent many sleepless nights in preparation for this visit- he pulled out all his precious toys, straightened up his crate pad, even dug up the treats he hoarded for rainy days.

We also cooperated and prepared a sumptuous people meal for our non-canine friends, with much help from the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. If you haven't been there, you have to see it at least once in your life time. While the stores inside carry almost every delicate gourmet item known to mankind around the world under one roof, the outside farmer's market is only open on Saturdays (and some weeknights during summer) and offers the freshest organic produce grown right here in the Bay Area's backyard- the sweetest cherries, juiciest peaches, crunchiest lettuce, you name it, they have it.

One drawback is that it's very easy to go overboard here. I planned to come in and get one or two things, I left with enough food to feed a small army (plus a Bryson). I was so excited that I found this Wolfgang Puck recipe for a wild mushroom pasta online, because it gives me the excuse to pay a visit to the most fascinating store IMHO here- Far West Fungi- and finally get my hands on these mushrooms that look like they just got beamed to earth from outerspace (always wonder what silicon-based life form tastes like):

 
Chanterelle and morel- freshly picked from Deep Space 9

After a semi-successful attempt in reducing the ingredients into an edible meal, we were happy to watch Bryson and Picasso continue to practice their various synchronized activities:

Synchronized staring

Not-quite-so-synchronized-if-you-look-carefully treat-gazing

Synchronized dolphin-jump!

Synchronized rollover- work in progress

Bryson and Picasso both crashed after a night of intense practice, here's Bryson:

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen good bye... The sun has gone to bed and so must I... Good-BYE!

Agility Dream Come True!

Bryson has officially begun his agility training! After months of reading and observing, we have graduated from jumping over bike racks and pretending to be doing agility to actually participating in agility classes! (This Dogpatch website has a great intro article about dog agility).

Cali the agility corgi, Bryson has his idol's poster up by his bed

Bryson is now officially a beginner agility student at Freilance Dog Sports in Martinez, CA. We shopped around a bit and finally chose Freilance for its proximity to home (about 30 min) and the fact that they've trained a corgi (Cooper) whom we've met. You just want to know your instructor knows what to do with those short stubby little legs.

I have to admit we were a bit intimidated when we first got to class. Well, first of all, we missed the first class so we were already behind before we even started. Most everyone's experienced in agility, and they were all busy practicing when the 3 of us just stood there like some befuddled foreign tourists. But we were soon relieved to find that everyone there from instructor to classmates was super nice- in fact, we noticed a trend there that involves tie-dye and a slightly hippie attitude (we started the class with a political speech from the instructor about fighting the county on an ordinance restricting dog breeding).

With everyone's help, Bryson proved us right and quickly caught on to all the tasks he was asked to perform. Don't ask if he's jumped through any fire hoops yet, as the philosophy of agility training is to break down full tasks into smaller, easier components (and sorry, fire hoops are not part of agility). So, for example, instead of getting onto a teeter right away, he was asked to get on to a slightly wobbly surface and be rewarded when he does so without being scared and jumping off. So, we practiced on these small steps yesterday, but he also went through a full-length (15 ft) tunnel after just one try, negotiated a set of weave poles, and hopped through this ladder-thingy like a bunny. We were just ecstatic watching him succeed and beam up with pride at the end of each task. In fact, our slightly-overly-enthusiastic clapping and cheering may have embarrassed Bryson a bit in front of his classmates.

Even though it's only the first class, we can really see Bryson doing this and doing it well, all because he seems to be enjoying himself tremendously. In fact, the only one that seems to need any agility training is me- who promptly tripped over a stake in the ground the second after the instructor told us to watch out for it. Bryson swears he just can't take me anywhere. Oh well, I guess that's something Bryson can teach me back.

Watch out, Hollywood... here comes Bryson!

This past weekend we took our first road trip with Bryson to Southern CA to attend a college friend's wedding in Pasadena. Needless to say, with his dashing good looks Bryson was discovered in Hollywood right away!

As a matter of fact, he was courted by a few agents while strutting his stuff and rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous on Rodeo Drive. OK, we're not supposed to tell, but he was actually asked to guest star in Mim's "This is Why I'm Hot: Canine Version" MTV. Watch  out, lady pooches! This one could be a heartbreaker.

This is a little recap of Bryson's Road to Discovery:

Arriving at Sheraton Pasadena Canine Suite (not exactly 5-star but it does have a nice patio outside for his daily fitness routine)

So far this is living up to my high expectations

Rodeo Drive, we have arrived!

Someday when I make it big, I'll be taking daddy and mommy shopping here

Hiding under the table from the Papparazzi at Mi Place in Old Town Pasadena

Where's my body guard?!

Bryson: when I meet the height requirement some day, I'll get on the Ferris Wheel @ the Santa Monica Pier

Attending our friends' beautiful wedding, it's good to see old college friends again

90210: my zip code some day

MacArthur Maze Meltdown

A major freeway in our neighborhood was practically melted away, what's left looks like a crater created by an asteroid. The daily routine of hundreds of thousands of people in the Bay Area (and beyond) are changed overnight- and will remain so for months. It's hard to imagine this huge mess is caused by what's essentially a solo car accident (a gas tanker, no less). Someone need to hurry up and invent a teleporter soon.

(P.S. I know this happened 4 days ago, but in my defense I've been sick and traveling for the past 3 days so don't give me a hard time)