You might not know everything your dog does...

These people were always finding water all over their pool deck and furniture every time they came home after being away for a few hours. They thought the neighborhood kids were waiting for them to leave and using the pool. However, they could never catch them doing it. So, they set up their video cam and left. This is what they found…… Check out the video clip below.

This could so totally be my young son (a.k.a. James) - he's crazy about water and scared of nothing! He would love this....

I'm a TV freak!

Are you a TV freak just like me? I don’t watch TV as much as I used to ... but I still love to watch some good old comedies when they air.

Some of the old ones that I keep watching reruns of are:

Scrubs
Makes me laugh my butt off even if I have seen the same episode several times before.

Sex & the City
Well hello... this is a cult show. I LOVE IT!

Will & Grace
I never watched this show when it first came out; it’s more recent that I have started watching it and it is HILARIOUS! Especially Jack, Karen & Rosario. =)

Friends
Such an amazing crew; all characters are funny and quirky in their own way.

My name is Earl
As dumb and fun as can be. =)

Married with children
I mean, how can this ever get boring?

Then & Now

6 weeks old


8 weeks old


9 weeks old


10 weeks old


12 weeks old


4 months old (X-mas)


5 months old


6 months old (with his first HP prize)


7 months old


8 months old

I have not taken any new pics since he turned 9 months I'm afraid. But it will come in due time. =)

Mors Dag

Grattis på Mors Dag, mamma!

(It is mother's day in Sweden today).

My Boyz

I was looking for pics of Jay from when he was a real little puppy but could not find any in my folks' computer. On the other hand, I found several pics of my Boyz when they were young. Check out how cute they were...My God I miss my beloved Carlos so much - he was gorgeous and perfect in every possible way.

Above pic: Alih about 4-5 mon

Above pic: Alih about 6 mon

Above pic: Alih about 6-7 mon

Above pic: Carlos about 8-9 mon

Above pic: Carlos about 8-9 mon

Above pic: Carlos about 9 mon

9 months later

Happy 9-months, James!

Can you believe my Jayness is 9 months old already??... My Gosh, time flies! Happy 9-months to Jay's brothers too - Atlas, Gurra, Lucas & Nemo. Hip, Hip, Hurrah!!!!

Obviously I forgot the camera at home but I might borrow a camera from my parents if I feel like playing photographer a little bit later today. Next Saturday is James 4th Dog Show. This will be his first time as a junior. Very exciting!

A long day

Mr. L and I just came home from having been out to dinner with friends. My tummy is full! =)

We had our first thesis defence today and Ulrika (my thesis partner) and I are mad. It turns out some students in our group have had 2 thesis defences before this one, while this is our first one. I could not hold back when our supervisor was slamming some other guys’ paper (it was their first defences meet too). I had to ask our supervisor why this has happened, why we have not had any meets prior. To no surprise did he get defensive right away; I could tell it was no use pushing it 'cause we are in a vulnerable position. Not that he’s our examiner but I’m sure he knows the woman who will be the examiner, so I felt I better shut up. It is very unfair. But life ain't fair I guess.

Nonetheless the critique we got was OK . I felt like punching one of the guys in the face though (one of the guys in the critique group) . =) He thought he was Mr. Hot Shot himself. Grrrrrrr!!!! The things we have to change can be changed before the due date next Friday but we will be busy with our paper for sure. I sat down with our thesis as soon as I came home today. I sat for 4 hours straight and then it was time to go out to dinner. When I was done with it, I sent it over to Ulrika who was going to continue working on it tonight.

On another note, as of last night my Baby Blue is not at home. I miss him so damn much. He actually went with my parents to the country, normally Alih goes with them but I thought they could take Jay this time around. It’s good for him to be away from us a little bit, and he thinks it is very exciting being in the country. =) Since we got James, he’s only been away from us/been with my parents twice. And this is his first time with them all by himself (without Alih).

I just spoke to my dad and he was like “what the heck do you feed this boy, he has not slept all day long”... LOL. Well that would be James for you. I mean, at home during the day he sleeps as long as he has been exercised accordingly but I know the country (or just being somewhere else) is very exciting, so it’s hard for him to lie down and relax. My mom took him for a long walk this morning and during the day he has “helped” my dad with some stuff in the yard. =) My precious baby has been busy working all day long. Hihi... Tonight they took him for another long walk so at least he should be tired by now (I’m crossing my fingers =)).

But we still have one furry friend at home – we have Mr. Alih all to ourselves. My Stinky Binky (one of his many nicknames). Its nice being able to give him all the attention. As a matter of fact he is by my side right now, almost lying on top of my foot. =) He was so happy when we came home from dinner...wanting some human contact I guess. =)

Anyhow, I am going to watch some TV before I’ll fall asleep. It’s been a long day today – and tomorrow morning we’re heading to the country.... to be reunited with our Baby Blue. =)

Have a good weekend, everybody!
Ciao...
l.e.w.

Summer Plans?

Nope. None, really! We went on a “Mini Euro Trip” last summer (went to France, Belgium and Holland) and between June and December of last year I made 5 or 6 trips to LA. Yes, I’m serious! Do the math, it means I was in LA almost once a month. Crazy, crazy but I had important business to take care of. But from December of 07, I have not been outside the Swedish border. Yeah, a bit boring but I got really tired of all those long haul flights. It's actually nice not having to fly anywhere.

As for this summer, sure it would be nice going somewhere but with the dollar being so weak we are getting slammed. It means we have to stay put. Last summer I worked but not this year... I will be studying more than full-time the entire summer. Online classes though, so we will be spending a lot of time in the country, at my parents house. If I study this summer I will have my International Master’s Degree (MBA) by the end of the year instead of having to study until next summer. It’s a price worth paying.

And believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to not taking off anywhere. In case anyone has missed, we have a young boy by the name of James. =) He’s not even a year old yet and so much happens in his life that I don’t want to be away from him. =) He’s my baby... and I am looking forward to hanging out with him and Alih, spending the days at the beach, watching them swim and enjoy themselves. Not to mention, it has been a very busy semester, being a full-time student here in Ö. and studying part-time in Karlstad too. I have also been very busy with Jay, I have taken a total of 3 classes with him since the beginning of the year, and it takes time keeping up with all the training.... Oh, and let’s not forget, Ulrika (my study & gym partner) and I have been very devoted to the gym. I wish I could say it’s been a nice semester but to be honest, I have mostly felt stressed so I cannot wait for it to be over!!!!

What we have discussed doing this summer is going for a long hike, maybe further up north, with our good friends A & H and their Rottie Gonzo. I’d also like it if we could make a trip to the South of Sweden. Other than that, no plans..... Ahhhhhhhhhh, sounds amazing - cannot wait!

Obedience Class 1 Completed!

Everybody must pee pee. Right?!

Jay and I are fresh back from our last Obedience Class, and the Baby Blue behaved perfectly. Our instructor even told me today: “you should breed James, considering his amazing temperament and his good looks”. Hihihi...Well, there would be a high risk for the puppies to get ADD in that case. =)

This morning our thesis was due to our supervisor and to the other "thesis students" in our group. We are preparing for our first defence meet coming up on Friday. This means that the next couple of days will be spent reading and critiquing someone else's paper. I am a little bit nervous considering the whole semester has gone by and no one has given us any feeback on our work. It is not suppose to be like this, we should have had defence meets throughout the entire semester but our supervisor has been freakn' lazy I guess. I just hope we will do well on Friday, and that we can get lots of feedback. Because, the examiner at our Examination Defence (on June 4th) is suppose to be some hot shot professor from another university. Scaaaary!!!! Below is the diploma for the completion of Jay's Obedience Class, another one to add to the stack. =)

Tracking Class Completed

James and I came back from our last session of his tracking class a while ago. And we got this nice diploma to prove we have completed the course. =)

Our instructor had laid 2 tracks for us upon arrival. The tracks were not straight but rather winding, and the terrain was much tougher too this last time. James really had to work to find the end, but he did it! Jay's problem is that he gets too eager, thus gets a bit sloppy and actually unfocused. But I got some great advice on how to keep working with him so he can learn to get more thorough.

Back home I did some obedience training with him in the garage, and he is really good. He's extremely alert. We have our last session of our obedience class on Tuesday. However, I think I am going to take one or two private lessons with our instructor during the summer too. Jay really got potential considering his eagerness to work, so a little extra help here and there could totally set us off in the right direction. My Baby Blue is so yummy I could eat him! =)

Crazy Weather

This is how it looked outside my parents house this afternoon. Yes, it's snow. Last weekend we had summer weather with temperatures in the high 70's F (about 25 degrees Celsius) and this weekend it's freakn' cold with temperatures as low as 35 degrees F (2 degrees C). It's crazy! We don't have any snow here in the city, but my parents' house is only an hour north of us.

And in regards to the hockey game between Sweden -Finland, it looks like the Finns are going to take the bronze medal. =(

Poor Baby!

Yesterday I discovered that my precious baby Alih had injured a nail. His nail is broken, with the broken piece still attached, and the pulp is visible. Poor Baby!! He must have done this a few days ago ‘cause I have noticed James sniffing his paw, and he has growled at James when he’s been wanting to lick it. I mean, isn’t that a sign that something is wrong or what???!!!!! Precious Alih, still no one checks his paw. I will have to wait and see what happens over the weekend though, but if that piece is still attached by Monday, I will have to contact the vet. My poor old man, everything happens to him. What has he not gone through!

Watched the hockey game, Sweden – Canada last night. We lost to no surprise. Will play Finland for the bronze medal tonight. Very exciting - looking forward to that!


Look how small James has been - time flies!

R.I.P.

Today has been somewhat of a rough day. I attended a funeral. It was a close friend of mine’s mom who recently passed away. Very, very sad.

Those we love don't go away,

They walk beside us every day,

Unseen, unheard, but always near,

Still loved, still missed and very dear.

(unknown poet)

Det finns ingen sten
så tung
som sorgen
vi känner
Det finns ingen ros
så vacker
som minnena
av dig

(Av: Maud Larsson)

A World Traveller

James took an anti-rabies test about a week ago, and today the results came back. He passed!! This means he will soon be able to get his passport. Maybe my little blue one will become an international traveller just like his "old bro"Alih.

Well one thing is for sure - James loves to run. =) He once again had a great time at the lake last night. Running and swimming like the wild man he is.

Nothing much

Nothing much is going on over here. The pups are napping and so is the big one (Mr. L.). We are still sick with a nasty cold but I believe it’s going in the right direction though ‘cause today feels better than yesterday. Took the dogs out for a descent walk this morning, they got to play in the park for quite some time too, and they really enjoyed it. Even James calmed down back home.

Anyhow, now is time for lunch... the Baby Blue just woke up and is sounding like a little kitten. =) It means he is bored. Better eat and take the doggies out. Ciao!

This is how they looked like a few minutes ago... before the kitten woke up. =)

SATC Movie Premiere

The SATC gals at the London Premiere of their movie. Apparently the movie will premiere in Sweden on June 21st. Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

I'm sick!

I have a cold, and it sucks. But the one who hates it the most, is probably James. Since Mr. L is sick too James did not get any long walks today, we only took him to some different parks where he could run around on his own and chase the ball we threw for him. I did a little training with him tonight too, in the park, and he was so darn good. Fun, fun fun! Maybe the pretty baby is getting older and wiser, and sometimes a little break can make wonders too (I have not trained much with him this last week since I have been too busy with other things – other things being the thesis).

Well since he did not get adequate exercise today he’s upset for sure, and he has been getting himself in trouble all day long. I just hope he will let us sleep tonight. Having a dog with ADD is not fun when being sick, I can tell you that much. =) I have been working on the thesis all day pretty much, and a big part of the evening too. I took a break to watch the Cashmere Mafia though. Big smile – this show is very good. I know, I know, it’s no Sex & the City, but it’s good. Aaaah, this got me thinking of the Sex & the City movie, I cannot wait for it to come out! =)

Nighty night!

Happy Mother's Day

It is Mother’s Day in the US today. Therefore I would like to wish all the moms a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Special wishes go to our family in NYC - Anne, Lisa and Staci, but also to Tricia in Austria... Have a wonderful day!

Great Friends

I guess this is sort of a special weekend because today I’d like to take the time to say “Was Up” to our old neighbours, who also are some very dear and genuine friends of ours. Of course I am talking about Ivonne (& the whole dog crew) and Joni (& her 2 girls).

Ivonne used to help us with Alih & Carlos, she was my boyz day-care mommy. Also, big thank you for letting me stay with you on all my trips to L.A. last year.

Both Ivonne and Joni helped us so tremendously much when we moved from LA, thank you so much!

Joni has helped us with lots after we moved too, taking care of our mail and helping us with all kinds of stuff... I really don’t know what we would have done without you, Joni. I cannot thank you enough for being such an amazing friend!

And, a very big thank you to Susanne, Brian & family for taking such good care of me last summer/fall/winter... I more or less moved in with you guys since I had to make all those trips to LA, and I am deeply grateful for your hospitality.

To all of you guys – THANK YOU! You are the best friends one could ever ask for.

With Love – always!

l.e.w.

Below are some pics of my "fish-boy" from this morning. The life vest came on today as he keeps swimming far out in the lake.

Shout Out

Today, I’d like to give a special shout out to my great friend Super P. who lives in L.A. Why? Because she’s fabulous and I miss her. =) Super P. has 2 very cool doggies by the name of Cosmo & Eddie.

Alih, Carlos and Cosmo more or less grew up together. And before Carlos came in to our lives, it was Cosmo who acted as Alih’s back-up when he got himself in trouble in the dog parks. =) Super P. and I would take our boys on some wonderful hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains and in the Malibu Mountains on the weekends... Or if not hiking, we would meet up at the beach in the early mornings (at 6 A.M.) to let the dogs enjoy themselves. They'd run in and out of the Pacific Ocean, totally loving it.

Eddie and James have never met since both of them came in to our respective lives after Mr. L. and I moved from L.A. However, I believe they would become instant friends as both are wild and crazy. Too bad we don’t live near each other anymore, Paty. ...but maybe one day they will get to meet anyway. Who knows!!! Jay is in the process of getting a passport so maybe he wants to make a trip to the States and LA one day. =)

ps. I'm waiting on that blog... hihi

To Super P. and everybody else - I WISH ALL OF YOU A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

/l.e.w.

From the left: Eddie, Super P. & Cosmo.

Cosmo & Eddie. (Cosmo has some scares as he was struck by a car at a young age).

James = Fish

We have some wonderful weather and I am stuck inside working on the thesis. Oh well, what to do! I am not a sun worshiper anyways but most Swedes are. People all around the city have already put on their bikinis or shorts. I’m like: “yeah, yeah we got some heat but dude, it ain’t that warm outside. Put some clothes on before you catch a cold”.

Anyhow, I got to enjoy the nice weather this morning when James and I went for a nice long walk; we also squeezed in some training. I can already see improvements in him since our obedience class the other night which makes me very happy. The new tactic works.

Hopefully I’ll have time to do some tracking with him tonight. We missed last week’s tracking class since we were at the Dog Show, and so far (this week) I have not laid any tracks for him. I have to, I have to.

Last night we went to the lake again. This time James remembered how much fun it was to swim, so he swam the entire time almost. In the beginning it was nothing fish-like about him, but after a while his strokes became better and better. I’m tellin’ you – by the end of this summer this boy will be as smooth in the water as a fish. He’s not afraid at all; he literally throws himself in the lake, and while swimming he even sticks his head under the water. The question is – is he fearless or does he have a screw loose? Or maybe it’s a little bit of both. =)

Surfing the Net!

I was just surfing the net and coincidentally ran in to Cyrus. Talk about a big ass Pit Bull or what? You can see more pics of him and his kennel mates on http://www.ironmanpits.com/

I also discovered this weekend is Wango Tango in LA, on May 10th to be more specific! I WANT TO GO!!! I've had a blast there in the past! Anyone who has the opportunity, get tickets... go see it! I seriously doubt you would get disappointed. You get to see all the most popular artists/singers as of today perform 2 or 3 songs each. And it goes on from morning to late at night!! Lots and lots of fun!!!http://www.kiisfm.com/pages/wtdaily

Splash!

We went to a lake last night for the dogs to enjoy themselves. My parents came with, as did my grandfather who lives in the area. The dogs had a wonderful time, even old man Alih ran around like as if he was 2 years old again. This evening also turned in to a big night for young man James. He took his first swim!!! He has taken a couple of dips before but never swam. Water was splashing around him like as if he was some sort of elephant. We laughed our butts off... he looked absolutely hilarious! It was my dad who through his ball too far out in the lake ... and Jay wanted his ball back badly. He whined for awhile and was almost about to give up, when all of a sudden he through himself in the water and started swimming towards the ball. I thought I would have to run in and get him, I did not think he would be able to stay above water but he did. It was nothing smooth about his strokes AT ALL, but he did it! With lots of practice this summer, the baby blue will turn in to a superb swimmer, you watch!

Tonight was our obedience class which was much more successful than last week’s as there were no female dogs in heat tonight. We learned a few new things, so overall we had a great evening! It is such a nice and rewarding feeling when one can tell we are progressing. I believe James has great potential as he is both bright and eager to work.

Tonight I also learned that I can be tougher on him. I don’t know why I haven’t been as tough on him as I was with Alih and Carlos. I think it might be because he is so much smaller, I fool myself thinking he is a sensitive little man, when in fact he’s a tough man who can deal with a firmer hand. I have always been very consistent with him but as our instructor explained tonight, he is older now and he should know these things, therefore I should be tougher on him. When I changed my tactics, he did excellent. He was very alert and would not miss a step or move I made.

Other than dogs, dogs, dogs I am currently working hard on getting the thesis done. We have a couple of more weeks to go until our first thesis defence, and after that, another week until our final examination defence is being held. It is going to be so darn nice when this is over. I am dead tired of it by now.

Well good people, I am signing off for tonight. Please enjoy some pics from last night.

Bye, bye.
l.e.w.