Frank's Recipe For Fun

Add one part giant chain toy,

one part young, energetic puppy, and...

...Violá! A moving toy!

Oh Frank! What delightful fun for everyone!

Christmas #2

Oh Frank! What is that you have stuck about your neck? Is it your new Christmas present, the two pug chain toy? I do believe that it is!

I thought that Frank would be less than amused when I realized that this fit comfortably over his head, however, he actually didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he found it much easier to locate the next rung down on which to tug...

and indeed, he still had quite a lot of freedom with which to frolic.

(While also amusing The Bean for quite some time, a very nice break for the humans in the household.)

Oh my. That may be a look of distress. Time to take it off I think....

After opening presents we went on a delightful Christmas romp in the sunshine (sorry all of you in the Midwest, but at least there IS something magical about a white Christmas!)

Frank got rather exhausted on on the way home and stopped walking, or perhaps he was upset about The Bean's dashing new sweater. Either way, it was clear that the needed a little extra love and attention and so he did get a bit of a lift. His dad did not approve.

Oh Frank! So nice to get some sunshine on your pugly belly!

By the end of the day all Frank wanted was a some peace on his little corner of the earth, but someone was making it rather hard...

Oh Frank! you are so sleepy that all of your wrinkles are gathering and you can't even keep your eye open!

Eventually there was a collapse which not even The (rather menacing) Bean could keep at bay. Oh Frank, what a handsome pug you are indeed all curled in a ball. If only everyone could curl up and spoon you, how could there NOT be peace and joy on earth?

Christmas #1

Someone was very helpful in the kitchen this morning...

he caught lots of flour on his back so that it never hit the floor....

cleaned up whipped cream the second that it did hit the floor...

...and taught his new little brother how to clean an egg beater (yes, that is Frank on the left, rather hard to catch a tongue in motion when it is moving that fast. Perhaps a National Geographic photographer could give me some tips on capturing such a quick and fascinating creature in motion?).

Oh Frank! What a helpful and furry elf you are indeed!

The Christmas Spirit

To say that it has been busy around here would be a rather large understatement. Never the less, Frank and I do apologize for the lack of posts in the last two weeks, it has been a bit of an adjustment getting used to the wee Bean... let's have a look shall we?

Oh Frank, what is that you say? You started off the relationship with denial, trying to hide from the Bean?

(Looking dramatically morose I might add.)

Oh my. Well. That didn't work at all. In fact, I believe that the Bean is pictured here standing directly upon your head.

Frank has, in fact, spent the better part of these past two weeks sulking. However, it seems that he is very gradually learning that there are some advantages to having a rather pudgy playmate who will, for example, tug on Pheasant for HOURS...

and who will snuggle up to help keep him warm.

Not to mention that someone looks quite dapper in Frank's first puppy coat - and look! Coordinated opposites! Ooo.

In this case the boys were dressed to go and pick up our Christmas tree, which Frank, as you can see, was MOST helpful in decorating...

Oh Frank. You don't look at all in the Christmas spirit... perhaps an eggnog latte would cheer him along.

Thanksgiving...

Oh my. Tryptophan does appear to have an effect on pugs.

As does lying in the sun in California... Oh Frank, what a fine life you lead!

(Sadly, we had to leave The Bean behind with a delightful pug sitter as he was not totally vaccinated.)

Frank has an announcement....

...and he is rather startled and displeased.

His suspicion started last week when a strange new set up appeared. As Frank went to investigate, I believe the alarm started to ring. (Though he did, in fact, rather enjoy the new heated dog bed that he found in this crate...)

And then, something truly startling appeared.

Oh no. Oh Frank. What is happening?

Everyone, much to Frank's displeasure, it is time to introduce The Bean.

I am afraid that Frank's dad and I decided that, as Frank's vision is getting worse and as he was seeming a little lonely, it might be time to bring home a seeing eye pug.

Frank's reaction has looked much like this:

Yup. I believe that translates to: "what in the world did I do to make you betray me so?"

Oh Frank! We got The Bean to make you happy!!!

Frank was NOT happy when The Bean tried to take his rooster,

(sorry about the quality, they move so FAST!)

nor was he happy when The Bean discovered that he could pull on the fun red leash and Frank would follow him about,

NOR was he happy when Christmas Turtle was unceremoniously snatched out from under him during his nightly chew.

Oh Frank. I do think that over time you may just learn to love The Bean.
I hope? Oh my.

There's that look again.

Peanut Butter!

On a cold and rainy day there is not much that Frank enjoys more than an afternoon nap. In fact, this past week, while I was home sick, he refused to get out of bed or even to open his eye at the end of nap time.


Oh Frank, whatever shall we do? No one enjoys such slothful behavior!

Suddenly, before my poorly developed human ears could even detect a trace of noise, Frank's eye flew open! (Well, flew may be a bit of an overstatement.)

He had heard the postman, and it is as if he could detect, even from beneath the sheets, that there might be something special in store.

Sure enough...

Oh Frank, whatever is it that you have there? It seems that Frank's grandma had discovered a new recipe for peanut butter cookies. Now, not only is a peanut butter cookie chocolate free, but also, peanut butter is one of Frank's all time favorite foods.

Oh my. Someone was not pleased to be kept waiting as I snapped a photo or 3...

I assure you that this cookie did not last more than 5 seconds after this picture was taken.
Oh Frank. Delicious!

Study Hall

Not only has the weather here not been delightful, it has actually been rather dramatic and scary. Due to some rather loud claps of thunder, which is rare around here, Frank was feeling a bit clingy and cold last night as I tried to study. He tried climbing in my lap, but you can imagine how helpful that was, and so he got his very own study helper set up....

...complete with personal space heater.
(Frank! Sticking your tongue out, how rude!)

Oh Frank, you might be rather spoiled.

Happy Halloween?

Oh Frank...no, not a Happy Halloween at all!

Frank was not pleased this Halloween, perhaps it is because he was wearing his 3 year old hoodie, yet again; no one likes a worn out look after all!

Somebody is VERY bad...

Need I say more?

Thank goodness I had my handy dandy iPhone with which to snap the photo before giving him a through talking to. Pugs are NOT allowed on the dinner table, no matter how handsome they might be.

To be fair, I HAD just opened a box of chocolate chip cookies from Frank's Grandmother, and who can resist the small of a homemade chocolate chipper?
Oh Frank. SO bad.

I was about to refer to an earlier "incident" with a package, but it somehow wouldn't let me post the link, so I just dumped it back in below this one for the viewing pleasure of all of Frank's very delightful fans!

Happy Birthday Grandma Railey! Thank you for the cookies! Delicious!

a VERY Bad Pug

Once upon a time Frank's grandmother sent his father and I a lovely and thoughtful package. His dad brought it in and left it on the floor, and here is what I found upon my return from a very, very, long day at work:

Oh my.

AND...chewed plastic baggies.

It seems that Grandma Railey had mailed a dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies for Frank's dad's birthday.

Frank, of course, assumed that they were for him.

12 Chocolate Chip Cookies + 1 Small Pug + maybe some plastic baggie bits and cardboard =
bad. Very, very, bad.

It was pretty clear from the way Frank looked that at this point he might actually agree with the above equation.

That's right Frank. I BET it is hard to hold a curl in your tail.

Oh my, someone did not feel well at all. Have no fear, however, I have the delightful pleasure of having a friend who we MOST enjoy, and who also happens to be a veterinary technician, and who also happened to be at work just a bit up the road. She arrived with some syringes of fresh hydrogen peroxide, which were force fed to a rather less than enthusiastic pug. I dug the shower curtain that I had just tossed out the door (what fortuitous timing!) up for "collection", and we had a less than elegant, though somewhat satisfying, half hour of watching the chocolate chippers re-emerge. (Don't use the hydrogen peroxide technique unless specifically being told what to do by your veterinarian or lovely veterinary technician).

Oh Frank, what a very bad pug indeed.

(Fear not, however! Frank was back to begging by the time the dinner hour crept around, and is currently snoozing, happy as a clam, in the middle of the bed.)

Snugly

Much to my dismay, this week consisted of a rather deep cleaning of some closets. Much to my and Frank's delight, one of the many treasures discovered during this rather tedious chore was his old puppy snugly.

When we first got Frank we were living in a less than desirable area of New York City. He had not had all of his shots yet, as he was a wee 10 week old puppy, and I can pretty much guarantee that the folks in our neighborhood had not taken their rather intimidating canines to a vet in a while, if ever, meaning that Frank could not go on the ground for fear of contracting a communicable disease or worms. Eww.

Enter the solution: Urban Hound's puppy snugly! Also excellent for smuggling a dog onto the subway.

As Frank had spent the morning seeming a little sad, cold, and lonely, I decided to see if he still enjoyed tucking in to his favorite puppy napping spot,

and though the fit seemed a bit snug and first,
it took all of about 5 minutes for him to settle right in...

Oh Frank! Who wouldn't enjoy a nap in a warm, gently swaying snugly!

Goodbye Sun

Well. It appears that the sun has disappeared for the next nine months. This morning, someone was rather loathe to confront the reality of the situation....

Hmm. Let's go to a side view there....

...and an undercover view...

Oh Frank. I know. It is very hard to get out of bed when there is a lack of sunny patches in which you can lie.

Photo of the Day #5

Oh sad! The final photo of the day for the week! Frank was so sad that he decided to sit with me as I typed in the blog... so here we are!

Oh Frank! It must be your good side, how handsome you look!

And how helpful while I am trying to type on the computer...

We hope that you have all enjoyed the week of Frank!

Photo of the Day #4

I am rather afraid that, as well as being late, today's photo of the day is not too exciting. Seeing as how I was out of town last night, Frank went to work with his dad for the day, and though I am told that he frolicked about and created all kinds of havoc, he was only captured at rest under the desk.

Oh Frank. You are very helpful at work indeed!