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Friday, April 30, 2010

fridays with asa: maintaining a stunning figure!

hello furry friends!
at the beginning of this year, my mom and dad determined that they were no longer spring chickens, and therefore, made the conscious decision to embark upon a program of regular exercise and more healthful eating.
since that time, my dad has been running long distances 4 days a week.  this includes running home from work on days when the weather is cooperative.  my mom purchased an elliptical, which she runs on 6 days a week for an hour.  in the healthful eating category, going out to eat has been heavily slashed and late evening snacking has taken a major reduction.  furthermore, daily intake of a multi-vitamin has been initiated and consumption of fruit and vegetables has sky-rocketed.
now that 4 months have elapsed, my mom and dad are feeling more confident about their physiques, not to mention that they possess more energy and stamina.  so my mom then decided to turn her attention to myself and my little brother booker.  mom concluded that we were getting enough exercise from our walks and hikes and playtime in the backyard.

 a post-walk asa enjoying the cool tile.

she turned her attention to our food and began to do some thorough research.  i have to admit that at this point, i was a little concerned.  i, asa, do enjoy a delicious meal or snack, and i was worried that mom might have me and booker consuming rice cakes by the end of this process.
my little brother booker and i have been eating iams kibbles.  we eat twice a day, at breakfast and dinner.  at dinner, we each get a heaping tablespoon of full fat, plain yogurt on top of our food to keep our skin glowing and our coats shiny.  booker and i can also supplement our kibble with the many fruits and vegetables that we love to eat  -- carrots, cucumbers, green pepper, bananas, apples, etc.  all in all, my mom considered our diet fairly balanced, but she became increasingly aware that our iams kibble was not the optimum choice for us.  though chicken was the first ingredient in our kibble, on down the list she noticed sub par things like corn meal and chicken by-product meal.  therefore, my mom began searching for a better food.  she found several wonderful food options, but unfortunately, they did not fit into our financial budget.  for instance, my mom really liked the blue buffalo brand food, but it was too expensive.  my mom did not abandon hope, and she found a food that looks more promising.  it is called nature's recipe.  right now, i am trying out (mixing in with my iams kibble) the easy-to-digest chicken meal, rice, and barley recipe, but i think i'd like to try the easy-to-digest lamb meal, rice, and barley recipe next because it has a slightly lower protein content.


once mom and i determine what food i would like to switch to, mom will start working on booker's new food choice.  oh, and i do believe mom decided that she would let booker and i supplement once a week with a can of delicious blue buffalo wet food.  we sampled a can last week, and it was quite scrumptious.


at any rate, i, asa, would love to hear about what kind of food all of my furry friends are partaking of.  though my mom and i think we have found a new food, we are still exploring any options that we may have overlooked.
good day!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010

i've got mail!

hey, asa!!  guess what, guess what??  i got my first snail mail evarrr!!!
you don't say, booker!  that is actually quite exciting!  from whom did you receive mail?

i got a package from miss sugar!  remember how i said i won her GABE contest?  and you wanna know what else?  it's a super duper surprise pressie for you!!
a present for me, asa?  i am truly flattered!

see, asa?  here it is  -- a totally awesome package from miss sugar!!

i just gotta figure out how to get this box thingie open...

this is kind of hard...asa, i need some helpin'!

awesome sauce!  we got it open, asa!

my curiosity is vastly peaked, booker!  what could it possibly be?? 

i, asa, have received a sophisticated and superbly crafted paisley collar from sugar the golden retriever!
(she is quite a beautiful golden retriever, i might add.)

i do believe this collar looks delightful against my coat!  
thank you, booker, for thinking of me, your big sister!
i also send my heart-felt gratitude to you, sugar!  
i shall model this lovely and stylish collar for years to come.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

please please please go visit mr. digby!!

hihi everybuddy!
i just wanted to write a quick post cuz i am beggin' you to go visit some of my really good friends, mr. wilf and mr. digby.  they are polish lowland sheepdoggies and live in france with their parents.  a couple days ago, mr. digby got bit by a tick, and he's got lyme now, and he's got really really bad sickies.  mr. digby needs all of our thoughts and prayers like super badly right now.  i know his parents would appreciate your concern, too, and if you have any advices you could offer, please do!!

Friday, April 23, 2010

fridays with asa: a confession

i have an admission to make.  i must preface this by mentioning that as the alpha dog of the pack, i am somewhat reticent about exposing one of my weaknesses.  however, i find that a little vulnerability is quite refreshing in a world where individuals construct façades of utter self-sufficiency.  so today i shall be vulnerable with you, my furry friends, with the hope that our camaraderie will continue to blossom.
the good Lord saw fit to wire me as a dog of alertness.  as such, you will usually find me monitoring and sniffing the environment around me.  but there exists one thing that renders me a heap of gelatinous ooze.  this would be a bed amassed with glorious pillows.  i am quite non-discriminatory.  big pillows, small pillows, round pillows, square pillows-- i simply adore them all.
technically, i am not allowed on the bed unless i am invited by mom or dad.  i am convinced this is a moot point being that i am a mature, responsible, and well-groomed dog.  my little brother booker needs supervision, of course, but not i.  nevertheless, whenever my mom or dad "catch" me on the bed, they erupt into laughter and dash to get the camera to document my "insurrection".  i'd like to inquire if a dog such as myself might ever enjoy a little slumber amongst the pillows uninterrupted??


good day!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Monday, April 19, 2010

mega chesticles

miss twix and her mama sure know how to put on a grrreat date night!!!  thanks for an awesome party...my footsies are still sore from all the dancin'!  oh, and i don't know what was in that punch bowl thingie, but whatever it was, it gave me and mack lotsa ripple-y muscles.  woohoooo!!  and doesn't miss mayzie look totally super fab?


if any of you doggies don't know miss twix, you should go on over to her bloggie and meet her!  she's way cool!  oh, and clicky here if you wanna read about date night!!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

winner winner chicken dinner!


it's time to announce the winner of my GABE giveaway!! before i do, though, i wanna thank the totally fab miss twinkie one more time for all her time 'n hard work in putting together this most super ridiculously awesome GABE event! so, thanks bunches miss twinkie!!!!! i can't wait to do this again next year!
okies, drumroll please.......



please send me an email at iamthebookerman AT gmail DOT com so i can get all the infos that i need! thankies!!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

it's date night!

holy cats!  it's almost time for miss twix's date night.  i am so filled up with excitements and nervosity all at the same time!!  my mama and i are gonna leave soon to go pick up mack first, and then we're gonna head over to get the most loveliest miss mayzie!
before i leave, though, i wanted to ask ya'll to make sure...
how do i look?  is my outfit okie dokie?  do you think miss mayzie will like these flowers?  i didn't know which cheese was miss mayzie's favorite, so i got 4 kinds...is that overkill? 


oh, and i would totally dig any last minute advices you have to offer!  thanks a ton!!

Friday, April 16, 2010

fridays with asa: the vegetable garden

hello there, furry friends!
as you know, i thoroughly enjoy spending time on my deck in the backyard, but i have another important backyard duty.  my dad has constructed a raised gardening bed in my backyard, and every spring, he dutifully plants a vegetable garden.  i, asa, am tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the vegetable garden at all times to protect it from invaders such as birds, rabbits, or insects who seek to thwart my dad's hard work.  secondarily, i ensure that the vegetable garden has no weeds and adequate moisture.  i am truly honored that my dad would entrust me with such a substantial job.
in the picture below, you will observe me at my post in front of the vegetable garden.  my dad has planted cucumbers, pole beans, green peppers, bush beans, and tomatoes this year. 

here i am beginning my rounds on the vegetable garden.  first, i am inspecting the cucumber plants, and i believe i see a tiny weed attempting to sprout up.  i shall alert my dad!

next, i am checking the pole beans to make sure they are adequately watered.  they appear to be in prime condition!

now i am checking the bush beans (on the left) and the green peppers (on the right).  my dad is explaining to me how bush beans grow differently from pole beans.

finally, my dad is giving me special instructions with regard to the tomato plants.  he is alerting me to be on my guard for an insect known as the aphid, which particularly enjoys tomatoes. 

goodness, let's be honest.  monitoring my dad's vegetable garden is an intensive job, and i'm feeling a mite fatigued.  i had better take a quick break to regain my energy.  one never knows when the garden invaders might arrive!

good day!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sunday, April 11, 2010

spring is here cuz it's raining awardifications!

hihi everybuddy!!
it's been a super busy weekend at my house.  the garage got painted and the lawn got mowed and pine straw got put down and 5 trees got planted.  whew!  i'm all kinds of tired just thinkin' about it.
here's me with one of my new trees in the backyard that i am totally, absolutely not allowed to touch under any circumstance what-so-evarrr.  it's a carolina sapphire, and it's kinda bluey-green, and it smells totally fab!  mama says it's a type of cypress, and it was bred here in south carolina to be heat and drought tolerant.  that's a good thingie!

 yes, mama, i promise on my box of greenies that i won't touch the tree.  i'm just lookin'!!!

anywho, since mama's been workin' her hiney off, this is just gonna be short 'n sweet.  but i just HAD to post to thank my super nice friendz miss dory and miss puddles for awardifying the booker man!
first, miss dory gave me the beautiful blogger awardie!

thanks a ton, miss dory!!  i'm super honored that you have passed this awardie on to me!  now i am supposed to say 7 thingies about myself.  well, let's see...
(1)  sometimes i talk in the middle of snoozin'.
(2)  i can jump the whole flight of steps to the deck!
(3)  i love to eat veggies! 
(4)  i love water, but i'm kinda scared of the hose thingie.
(5)  on my chest where my furs come together, it forms a "T".  my mama and daddy will ask me if i want my "T" (chest) scratched sometimes.
(6)  when i was born, my nose was black, but now it's starting to turn pinkish.
(7)  i wanna be a therapy dog when i grow up!

i'd like to pass the beautiful blogger awardie on to these doggies:
(7)  miss lola  (ya'll should especially go visit miss lola and send healy vibes to her daddy.  pretty please.)

oh, why lookie here.  i seem to have given the beautiful blogger awardie to all ladies.  teeheehee!

next, miss puddles gave me the happy 101 awardie!
thanks so much, miss puddles!!  i feel really special to have gotten the happy 101 award twice now cuz i really love gettin' my friendz smilin' and happy.  oh yeah, and another one of those super delicious cupcakes doesn't hurt either.  
so with this awardie, i'm supposed to tell ya'll about 10 thingies that make me happy.  
(1)  digging holes in the backyard.
(2)  rollin' my ball under the desk or the telly or the couch and then makin' my mama or daddy go get it for me.  *giggle*
(3)  snugglin' with my mama in the big chair.
(4)  trying to give sneak attack kisses to my daddy when he's on the floor doing sit-ups.
(5)  camping!
(6)  doing wiggles in the shower while mama is putting shampoo on me and getting it all over her.  heehee!
(7)  little smokeys
(8)  hooman watching from the front door.
(9)  covert licks on the stuff in the dishwasher when mama isn't lookin'.
(10)  when my mama and daddy get home from work and they start squealin' cuz they're so happy to see me 'n asa!

okies, i'd like to give the happy 101 awardie to these doggies:
(1)  remington
(5)  mr. ben
(9)  tank
(10)  miss candy and captain crunch

i really gotta go to bed now.  sleep tight everybuddy!

Friday, April 9, 2010

fridays with asa: the great outdoors

hello there, my furry friends!  a wonderful friday to you, and i hope this day finds you well.
as you may have ascertained, i am an introspective dog.  i enjoy pondering life's deep questions and mysteries.  some of my best thinking takes place outdoors, rightly so, as it is my favorite place to be.  oh, do not mistake me; few things can surpass snuggling under the covers with my mom or dad, but there is just something quite inspirational about being outside.
at home, you will most likely find me on my back deck.  i stand and survey my domain, which is teeming with smells and sights and sounds.  when my senses have been overwhelmed, i break for a respite and bask in the warmth of the sun.  i find this most satisfactory.


then there are those special occasions where my mom and dad take me and my little brother for a glorious hike or camping trip.  it is on these outings that i truly grasp the magnitude of the world before my eyes.  i am but one dog, a tiny pin prick on this great landscape.  assuredly, it is a humbling experience.


i hope that all of you will take the opportunity this weekend to enjoy some time outside and consider the majestic beauty before you.
by the way, i wanted to personally thank you all for your marked concern over the bath time pictures from wednesday's post.  though my little brother and i have clearly mastered the art of appearing forlorn, i assure you that we were each handsomely rewarded post-bath with a delectable greenie.
good day!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010