The Senakams | Corgi + 3

Bryson has a gift for his sister

That's right! Now that Bryson's feeling better, he's prepared (with a little help from me) a little gift for his sister (remember this sneak preview?)...

Ta-dah! It's yet another baby blanket :) And a close-up of the patchwork binding:

This is based loosely on instructions from this "Patchwork-trimmed Baby Blanket" project in Heather Ross' uber-popular book Weekend Sewing:

While the monogram is super cute, Bryson decided that ours needs a bit of a personal touch- one bearing his personal "signature". He picked out this photo dating back to his show-dog days, when he's considerably less saggy in the mid-section (hey, even dogs want to put their best foot forward, ya know?):

Departing from the instructions from the book out of laziness (which instructs you to use single-sided fusible interfacing which needs sewing on), I used this double-sided fusible web, Steam-a-Seam Lite to create a Bryson-shaped iron-on applique.

I don't know if I'm doing it right, but since this stuff looks so light, I didn't even cut out the middle of the webbing and there didn't seem to be any excess stiffness (can someone tell me if I should have followed instructions from the book?) Anyway, I then sewed a decorative zig-zag around it, and voila! Bryson is forever imprinted on his sister's blanket :) Now I just hope that it wouldn't fall apart after washing...

For fabrics, I used this super soft double-sided chenille-like (?) fabric for the main blanket that I imagine would feel oh-so-good against a baby's delicate skin (it's from Stonemountain here in Berkeley). For the trim, I used a mix of cotton fabrics from Joel Dewberry, Tula Pink and Urban Chiks I got online.

I really hope to squeeze one more sewing project in before our little bundle of trouble joy arrives, but based on all those Braxton-Hicks contractions I've been having + my ob's assessment at my 37.5-week visit, we may be meeting her sooner rather than later... While I'm eager to meet her (and be able to breathe/walk/use the bathroom like a normal person again), I feel like there's still so much more to do to get ready for her! Help me keep your fingers crossed that you'll see at least a couple more posts here before D-Day ;)

Happy Mother(-to-be)'s Day!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions on our doggie-baby car situation! I'm sure we'll be trying quite a few of those out :) 

And as if the gods in the heavens heard our plea, just after I posted the last post, I found an article called "Dog and Driver" in the current issue of Bark Magazine that covers almost everything I asked about. Check it out if you're wondering the same!

And by the way, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms (and moms-to-be) out there! Love to hear about what you received (or gave) on this special day.

Hubby surprised me (on behalf of our daughter-to-be) with a bunch of cute little things- a gourmet icecream sandwich from my new fav icecream parlor Ici, a box of kanom krok (a tasty coconut-custardy Thai dessert from the temple), a couple of books, including Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing (super psyched!), and a hand-written card signed by daughter-to-be (awww... soooo sweet!)

I know some of you have already whipped up your versions of a few projects from this book, love to hear which ones you like most! And speaking of sewing, here's a little progress update...

As I was looking for relatively fool-proof, straight-line, simple baby projects to try my hands on, I found several versions of instructions on some very cute cloth diaper burp clothes.

It really is almost fool-proof: you cut out a piece of your favorite cotton fabric, sew it onto a pre-fold cloth diaper (that's super absorbent by design, I found this organic one by Gerber), and voila! You got yourself some fancy-schmancy burp cloths. 

 

And as demo'd by Bryson:

 

And as I'm now on a roll (can you tell?), I sewed a matching blanket to the mermaid burpies (don't you just adore this Heather Ross line?), which also happens to match the new Bumbleride stroller we just got (OK, it's a bit matchy-matchy but I can't help it!)

Here is Bryson again as our demo-baby, wrapped in my hand-made baby blanket (and yes, that's Picasso peekaboo'ing in the corner):

 

I know you folks probably aren't dying to hear about how excited we are about all the bells and whistles this stroller offers, but hey, all-terrain air-filled tires? Multi-adjustable back rest suitable for newborns? Universal car seat adaptor? Rear suspension? And a cup holder?? All at 19 lbs and about 1/2 of the cost of a Bugaboo??? That was enough to keep us quivering with joy for days.

And last but not least, as we're celebrating Mother's Day, can't not include some cute cuddly pictures of our first born, taken while we stayed this past week in the city while I attended a convention (Picasso's with us for 2 weeks while his parents are out of town):

 

 

Good nite :)

 

 

And the Winner of the Giveaway is...

Congrats, Diana! I'll be contacting you shortly. Your set of gocco note cards will be on the way soon!

As for the rest of you, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to leave me comments about how I could improve my blog/ greeting card business. And for that, you get a big hand from me!

You guys have such friggin' good feedback for me, that I actually printed out all of the comments (3 pages worth!), studied them extensively and highlighted all the key points, in the hope that some day when I get myself organized enough, I'll try to tackle the list and implement them!

And in case it'll take me longer than expected to get my act together (very likely), here's a recap of your suggestions/my response in a Q&A format:

Q: Have you thought about expanding your greeting line to holiday/ other occasions? How about custom stationery?

A: Of course! I'm currently brainstorming on this upcoming holiday season, think I'll explore both the "Simple Life" (on excessiveness around holidays) line and of course the beloved "Real Corgis Speak Welsh line" :)

My problem is I never plan ahead enough, so I'll usually think of making a Mother's Day card the Friday before Mother's Day. OK, we'll start next year, what a great New Year Resolution, thanks!

Oh, and I already do custom stationery! I guess I haven't really advertised it. I'm currently designing the wedding invite for a friend, and has done other stuff like this letterpressed baby announcement and this cherry blossom themed wedding. Feel free to contact me through this blog to discuss any custom order! I don't bite, really :)

Q: We'd like to see more corgi stuff! A giganto corgi print? Or an artsy monochromatic one?

A: Great questions! Well, I've actually just gocco-printed another Real Corgis Speak Welsh card (here's a sneak preview) -->

"Dw'in hoffi darllen" means "I love reading". Thought preppy Bryson can use his celebrity status to promote the importance of literacy. And oh, great for any book-loving friends and kids going back to school, too. :) (will be available in my etsy shop soon)

And seriously, thanks for your suggestions for using other media. I definitely think it's a feasible idea to work with his photos (I've got tens of thousands of them anyway), I'll probably have to think about either finding a good offset printer, or invest in a decent archival pigment ink printer, or any other cost-effective way of outputting them (suggestions?).

Q: How about a "green" line?

A: Excellent question from my 5 month-old niece and 2 year-old nephew, Mia and Brady! They've obviously seen An Inconvenient Truth already. Impressive!

Actually, my kraft envelopes are made of 100% recycled material, I just never thought to mention it. Which in hindsight is pretty silly, since obviously even babies and toddlers realize the importance of being environmentally friendly. The cardstock I use is also "tree-free"- they're 100% cotton. I even found this clear cello bag that's biodegradable.

I whole-heartedly support the idea that I should dedicate a line to green materials, and use them as often as possible in my other products (and probably include some kind of description on the back of my cards regarding their green nature). Mia and Brady- I owe you a popcicle next time I see you!

Q: How about selling in other outlets/ a nearby bookstore?

A: Thanks so much, Pegasus Girl, for suggesting that I send my cards to your store! Pegasus (and Pendragon) is one of the last remaining independent bookstores in Berkeley. They carry a lot of interesting indie stuff you won't find at Barnes and Noble. I'll be sending samples in for consideration (*fingers crossed*).

And thx to others who've suggested other outlets and ways to promote my store. I guess I might have gotten a little ahead of myself... Before I start pushing my product, I think I need to sit down (with myself) and write down what my goal really is (e.g. not an evil empire), and find out where my productivity level is/could be at. A first step to boost productivity is probably to get Bryson started licking stamps and envelopes (drool is an asset he can boast).

Q: Could you make your Flickr badge bigger?

A: I would if I know how! I've been trying without success (actually, I succeeded in making the frame bigger but not the photos. Duh). If anyone know how, please share!

Field Trip: a Berkeley Print Shop

You probably know that I'm still taking my weekly letterpress class, even though I'm not horribly productive lately due to my grim prognosis from Blackberry-itis.

So, I was relieved that for last weekend's class, instead of having to call in sick again since I can barely hold a pen, that we're going on a "field trip" to one of our teacher's fellow printers in Berkeley.

But since I've missed so many classes, I have no idea where we're going, except that this is also where our film (for our photopolymer plates) come from.

And there I thought, Great, we're going to watch someone make film in a dark room for 3 hours... whoopie doo...

So, imagine what a pleasant surprise it was when I realized our destination is this lively printing studio with 30+ years of colorful Berkeley-an history; and right at the door greeting us were owners and printing world celebrities, David Goines (of Saint Hieronymus Press) and Richard Seibert (of Letterpress)!

Geez, do I feel stupid now thinking we're going to watch film dry...

And as soon as we stepped in, our excitement continued to bubble as we laid eyes on the studio lined with all sorts of working presses and printing paraphernalia, smelling fondly of paper and ink and grease, and packed to the gills with the most fantastic lithographs and printed work as far as the eye can see. 

 

David and Richard are the most gracious hosts, taking us gaggle of students all around the studio, explaining their artistic approach and their preferred printing process (David does mostly lithograph, whereas Richard does mainly letterpress), and answering our endless questions patiently. They've only resorted to an ever slightly menacing tone when asked how their apprentice program works (well, suffice to say I'll never be accepted here, ever).

 

We were fasincated by the work produced through the years here, many of which are immediately recognizable, including posters/art work for the internationally acclaimed "Mother of Californian Cuisine", Chez Panisse, the logotype of Acme Bread, Ravenswood Winery, and business cards and logos for countless businesses big and small that share the common theme of having their roots here in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

We had such a wonderful time that we didn't even realize we're at the end of our visit till we had our hands shaken and were kindly shown the way out. But not before we were each handed our own goodie bag, packed with parting gifts and wisdom from Richard and David!

What? You got a goodie bag?! You lucky bastard!! What's in it? Uh hmm. Can't tell you, or you'll die with jealousy! *evil chuckle*

I'll just say that what we've received today will enrich and inspire our printing endeavors for many years to come.

P.S. Oh, and yes, we did get to watch film being processed. And yes, it would have been painful if we had to watch that for 3 hours.

For more photos of this fantastic field trip, visit my Flickr album.

And Then There was Sun

I came back from a short business trip to Phoenix yesterday (where it was a balmy 113 F), and found the much anticipated Flor sample box laying neatly at my door step...

I threw my luggage aside and ripped into the box with breath abated... And voila! The samples turn out to be the exact, vibrant-hued mini-suns that I sooooo hoped they would be! Yay!!

Aren't they gorgeous? Ooh, I'm in love.

I'm completely exhausted from my trip, but I have so much I want to write about besides these adorable little things...

Here's a short list, and I promise I'll fill these in once I dig myself out of this pile of work I'm buried in:

(1) Bye bye, Corgi Artist

Last week we said goodbye to one of the world's greatest children's book author, Tasha Tudor, who penned a series of the most beautiful and imagative illustrated stories about corgis (yes, corgis!), e.g. Corgiville Fair. You can read more about her story on this blog post by Cathy Santasiero, another most respected corgi illustrator/lover.

(2) Picasso and Bryson went "Sideways"

The duo went wine-tasting last weekend! No kidding! Brian and Rita (Picasso's people) found these 2 small wineries in Livermore, CA that has the greatest wines AND also allow dogs in their wineries. We had such a great time, more photos to come.

(3) I have a Genetic Match in... Singapore? 

I submitted my DNA to the National Geographic's Genographic Project just for fun, and I got some surprising results back- there is ONE perfect match- someone who resides in Singapore. They even sent me her name and e-mail. Apparently we are related through a common ancestor thousands of years ago. I have no idea who she is, but I'll write her and find out. More to follow. 

And if you don't know what the Genographic Project is, read about it from the link above. It's potentially one of the most significant piece of work being done with the human genome that'll hopefully answer once and for all the question where we all came from- and you can contribute by sending in your own DNA. Most fascinating stuff.

Make Your Own Book!

Hubby recently picked up a new magazine, called Everywhere.

On the surface, it looks like any good ol' travel magazine, with one notable exception- it doesn't have the traditional set of editors and contributors- everything is written by travelers (supposedly everyday janes and joes like you and me), who just happened to have written their own travelogue (or a blog), submitted them, and those that are accepted now have their stories printed on glossies and distributed around the world!

And while I was flipping through this issue, I secretly imagine snippets of our blog appearing somewhere on page 72... ("hmm, our little wine country trip with Bryson will fit right in here...") 

And people at Everywhere must have anticipated that- coz on the very next page, I found an ad for something that addresses precisely that little dream of mine- it's appropriately named Blurb, a web-based service that invite you to "be a part of the modern photoraphy book movement".

Yes! You can print your own coffee table book!

Imagine, just your own photos and musings (that you can arrange in a thousand different ways on its many templates), it can even transform your entire blog into a Blog Book, all printed on glossy paper in a hard-bound volume. Whoa...

And if you're already drooling (like me when I first read about it), think about this: it starts from $19.95/copy, even if you only print one for yourself (price goes up with fancier covers and increasing # of pages, of course). Just think about all the Christmas/birthday/annivesary presents potential here... Suh-weeeet.....

This is a screenshot of a "Travel Blog Book" idea I'm toying with.

Warning: this will suck away all your free time. 

(P.S. JuLo- now you can do your scrapbook AND a Blog Book! *evil chuckle* :D)

Springtime Activity: Antique Hunting

As March arrived, so did warm, almost spring-like weather here in the Bay Area. Yes, spring-like. I don't want to jinx it.

We've been stuck indoor with this wet winter for so long we've started growing mold. So as soon as the farenheit hit the 60's, we declare hibernation's over, and time to dust off the winter blues and embrace the warm and longer days.

Bryson started celebrating spring by devouring tufts of fresh, green grass by the mouthful at all the nearby parks ("the world is my salad bar"), which is quite hilarious.

We celebrated by admiring the first cherry blossoms in our neighborhood, going al fresco dining with Bryson again sans worries about frostbites, and hitting the Alameda antique fair which I've been dying for ages to visit.

This sprawling monthly antique fair really has something for everyone. Not only did I score a big stack of vintage (1920's) music sheets with fantastic accompanying graphics for $5 (haggled down from $6, a whopping 17% off, woo-hoo), we also ran into Design Star winner and super hottie, David Bromstad!

I've watched a few episodes of his current show, Color Splash, which is apparently shot here in the Bay Area, and I've always wondered when I'll finally run into him in my neighborhood Home Depot or West Elm (they seem to go there a lot). And there he is! Right next to us! OK, actually, Jacques saw him first, but by the time he said "hey, isn't that the guy on TV...", I looked over and he already turned around. He has a cute back. *sigh*

Oh, and that's me below burying my nose in truckfuls of vintage books and various knick-knacks. While it can be lots of fun, the old book smell, dizzying layout, and throngs of treasure hunters can get pretty overwhelming after a couple of hours.

But who can complain, spending a few quality hours outdoors browsing useless junks accompanied by surprise celebrity sighting- it's really a successful day all around.

How come you get to go to the fair while I get stuck here eating grass? Life is so unfair.

Long Flights, Short Reads

One more day and I'll be out of this seemingly-endless convention in Orlando (Yippee!!!)

To make these business trips more tolerable, I always bring a book with me to kill time. The Book-of-Choice would be something light-hearted, easy to read, preferably nothing too emotional (nothing's more embarrassing than your fellow flight passenger offering you a Kleenex from the bottom of their purse when you wipe your nose noisily on your sleeves).

So, with that in mind, I picked up this book, Frangipani, before I left home. I've never heard of it nor the author (native Tahitian, Celestine Vaite), but it seems to fit the bill- according to the book jacket, it's about island life in Tahiti told in the perspective of one funny, charming woman. It definitely sounds dreamy and light-hearted, and it doesn't hurt that it has a beautiful cover (OK, that's silly, but I can't resist pretty things).

And what really sold me was the fact that a review compared this book to my beloved "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" Series by Alexander McCall Smith. This warm, funny, and witty series about a woman detective (Mma Ramotswe)'s life in Botswana sweeps you off your feet and transport you to a simpler and more wholesome life far, far away in Africa. I've read all 8 books (almost as diligently as I devoured the Harry Potter series). All I can say is I've never been to Botswana, but reading these books makes me wish I live there.

But, as you know, things rarely happen as planned. Armed with a copy of Frangipani in my briefcase, I headed to the airport thinking I'm going to sink into Tahitian paradise on my 6-hour flight. Then, as I walked past the bookstore on the way to the gate, the pair of puppy eyes on this book's cover grabbed me and wouldn't let me leave without it (what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything doggie). Walking in Circles Before Lying Down turns out be a surprisingly good read despite of the fact that it was an impulse buy.

If you're a dog lover, how could you not be intrigued by the idea that one day, all of a sudden, you can perfectly understand your dog and you guys can chat like the best friends you always know you are? Throw in a dysfunctional family, colorful LA-type characters and a few complicated relationships and you have a perfect book for a long flight in economy class. I finished this book standing at the Orlando airport baggage claim. (Caution: there is one unexpected tear-jerking moment in the book- have Kleenex handy)

Love to hear what you think about these books if you get a chance to read them. Or better yet, throw in your own recommendation for the economy-class-blues remedy.

How did Bryson Become Bryson?

There have been many occasions where we drew puzzled looks from people when we tell them our dog's name is Bryson.

"Bison?", "Byron?", "Huh?!" are all common reactions when people try to rectify the syllables that came out of our mouths with what could possibly be a dog's name.

"B-R-Y-S-O-N, Bryson", we'd reply. "Oh, he has a real person's name!", or "That's preppy" are some usual responses we get back upon clarification.

I'm actually surprised that his name drew as much attention- but as little recognition- as it did. Only once- ONCE- in the past 10 months has one person correctly identified the origin of Bryson's name...

So, how did Bryson become Bryson?

If you read the very beginning of our blog when we first got Bryson, you may have some idea. We actually stole the naming idea from the "World's Worst Dog", Marley, as in the dog-lover must-read best-seller Marley and Me. The author, John Grogan, and his wife, like most people, couldn't come up with a name that they could agree on. To solve that problem, they decided to choose from a list of musicians they both like- and hence the name Marley (as in Bob Marley).

We were inspired by this approach as we went through our laundry list of names that just didn't sound quite right (Max? errr.... Sunak?! You crazy? ) As both Jacques and I love to read, we finally decided on going through a list of authors. And from there, we knew what we're gonna name him in like 3 seconds- Bryson, as in Bill Bryson.

For those of you who've read any of Bill Bryson's gut-bustingly funny travelogues and memoirs, you'd understand why we adore this name. For those of you who haven't, first of all, be warned that you may not want to read his books in public- you may be embarrassed when people stare at your tear-streaked face as your body convulses involuntarily in an attempt to suppress a giggle attack that's about to burst like a bubble.

I know, I know, good- and even great- writers are as plentiful as stars in the sky, what makes Bill Bryson special? I'm convinced that he has a unique gift, he can find humor in any situation and anything that's totally trivial and not even remotely funny (try making dryer lint funny). And he has a way to make you feel like you've actually experienced what he wrote about, so even if you've never been to Iceland or eaten rotten shark (an Icelandic delicacy), you can almost taste the foulness in your mouth when you put down the book. And he does it with such ease it inspires you to write, even when you don't have anything particularly epic to write about. (Yes, that does keep me going on this blog)

If you need any more convincing, watch this brief video excerpt on one of his latest books, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid- a Memoir: (this actually isn't the funniest excerpt of his, I'm just too lazy to walk over to the bookshelf and dig up quotes from his books, I just happened across this one conveniently on YouTube, and who doesn't like a quirky video?)

But you know what's even funnier than Bill Bryson's writing? When we named Bryson, we haven't read his title, Neither Here not There- Travels in Europe. It's a crucial mistake since that's where he describes how much he HATES dogs; yes, he HATES them with a passion. All dogs, according to Bill Bryson, should be herded to an isolated island where they couldn't harrass any human, unless if they're poodles, in which case they should be shot. Oops.

I think if anyone can appreciate the humor in the irony of this naming accident, it would be Bill Bryson. In fact, if we didn't name Bryson after him, he would still be a nobody- he's only famous because we keep explaining to people day after day what a great author we named Bryson after. Come to think of it, he should probably pay us for all these free advertisement.

That's right, Bill Bryson, your bill's coming.

My Dog is Smarter than Your Dog

Ah, the age old question. Is my dog smarter than your dog?

Such is the question that occasionally wander into our minds when we take Bryson to class. I'll be the first to admit that we're probably a tad bit biased- of course Bryson's the smartest dog in the world! I mean, roll-over, giving paws, heel, he'd learned them all within minutes while some of his classmates seemed completely dumbfounded.

And it's not just our little parental bias here, when the Japanese animation hit Cowboy Bebop needs a "data dog" who can drive, use the phone and hack into computer programs, who did they create? Ein, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi (see right for his vital statistics. Ooh).

But then again, there are a couple things that Bryson just don't seem to get. Take fetch. I've tried every way described in every book and every website. He just looks at me like "eh, pardon me?"

What makes one breed of dog so different from another in their capabilities?

Is there a breed of dog that's really smarter than all others? Hmm...

Well, the author of this book thinks he has the answer.

In order to find out which breed has the best working/obedience intelligence, he polled dog trainers and trial judges all over the country, and asked them to rank breeds according to their performance in trials.

So, what's the answer? (Drum rolls, please...) Out of 131 breeds, Border Collies, not surprisingly, ranks #1. Pembroke Welsh Corgis ties with the Australian Cattle Dog for #10. Not bad, and it proves us and Cowboy Bebop right that they're one of the brightest dogs. Yippee!

You can read the full intelligence ranking here. (There are many ties, so the actual ranking number only goes down to #79 even though there are 131 breeds listed)

A few surprises (at least to me), are Poodles at #2 (I know they're smart, but smarter than German Shepherds and Goldens? No idea...); Dalmatians at #39 (somehow there's a perception that they're not very trainable); and Beagles at #72 (8th from the bottom?! Isn't t Snoopy a beagle?)

I'm sure like any test that human creates, there are flaws and biases. But I like this test- not only because it ranks Bryson, oh, I mean Pembroke Welsh Corgis as one of the brightest dogs, but also for what the author chose to grace the cover of his book:

Take a closer look - - - - - - >

Corgis rule!

Harry Potter and Lost Productivity

This is the reason why you haven't heard from us for the past couple days... And it doesn't help that Bryson is hogging the book, which he thinks is his new textbook at Hogwarts.

This much-awaited 759-page finale to the Harry Potter series is not only keeping the midnight oil burning, it's even caused a few domestic disputes- accusations like "Why did it take you 5 hours to do laundry?", and "This dinner taste like charcoal" kept flying around the house. I suspect the collective GDP of the world has probably taken a hit this past week.

And you know the only thing scarier than Lord Voldemort himself is how you just can't walk away from the book- it is literally spellbinding (a bit of magic for you muggles). And like a great vacation, you see each page go by but you just don't want it to end.

And for those of you who for some reason have missed out on the magic, or who has an aversion to reading (well, but then you wouldn't be reading this blog, never mind), try the Audio Books for the series. It's particularly advisable if you often find yourself stuck in traffic, the time just flies by and you wouldn't even mind being cut off by that road-rager. But, be warned, you may be more liable to tardiness since you may find yourself sitting in the car at your destination, not wanting to turn your stereo off. But trust me, it's all worth it.

Bryson is the typical cheater- starting from the end.

Bryson goes to Hogwarts

Finally, July 21, 12:01 a.m., Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is here!

Being the ever loyal HP fans we are, we couldn't wait to introduce Bryson to the magical world of fanatic Harry Potter mania. We of course have already pre-ordered our book online, but who can resist the opportunity to dress up your dog in the finest wizard robes and attend the nerdiest book party in town? We couldn't. So after laboring over his attire (shamelessly taped and glued together by his very talented mother), we set off to the magical land called Barnes and Noble, Emeryville.

(For more pix of Bryson's first day at Hogwart's, check out our photo album here.)

Final robe-fitting: you sure this is the standard Hogwarts uniform, right?

Hi, Harry Potter, nice to meet you.

Hi, I'm Bryson Senakarn, 1st year student, just sorted into Gryffindor.

Are you a new student at Hogwarts too? I didn't know they have a kindergarten here.

Excuse me, is this the line to register for the Care of Magical Creatures class?

I don't know why but my classmates seem to be on the verge of tears receiving their first textbooks...

 
Look, daddy! This is my new buddy, Ron. And I'm kinda tired, can we go home now?

The Paris-London Holiday

It's been a crazy hectic work week for both of us, hence the dry period with a lack of post. We're gonna attempt to make up here with a recap of this wonderful week.

First of all, with our vacation looming ever closer (one week from today we'll be taking off to London, yippeeee!!!), we've spent every spare minute reading and preparing for our trip. Here's a small collection of what we've been burying our nose in:

We'll be the most knowledgeable tourists in all of Europe, ha ha ha...

We've also been practicing our French. Apart from the everyday bonjour and merci, here are some useful phrases we've mastered so far:

• En anglais, sil vou plais- Translation: Speak English, please. What we really meant to say: We're just a couple of stupid American tourists, what do you expect?!
• Est-ce qu'il y a des WC publics pres d'ici- Translation: Is there a public restroom nearby? What we really meant to say: I know what you French do but we actually use the toilet
• Ca fait combien?- Translation: How much? What we really meant to say: How much?!?!?!??!?!!!

Don't worry, we're not just counting on our phrase book French to get us by (otherwise you may have to prepare to bail us out of jail in case we said something real bad). We're actually meeting up with Henning, aka "der Kommander" or "polar bear", Jacques' buddy from Hotel Vitale who recently moved back to Germany, while we're in Paris. He purportedly speaks some French (I guess all Germans think they speak French?)... Anyway, get the bail ready.

Sadly deflated US currency and potential experience with the French jail system aside, we're REALLY looking forward to this trip. Not only that we need a break from work, but this will be our first trip to the great European continent. And, not only do we get to immerse in all the history and arts (and shopping) in London and Paris, we'll also be visiting my dear Uncle Allan, who lives about 2 hours from London along the coast in Southampton/SW Hampshire, who will escort us around to see the English countryside (high tea, anyone?)

7 days and counting...

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!).