Yo!

Life is a trip, man!

Must be, because everybody seems to be going on one or else planning on going on one.

Take russellonline, for example...

He had this big, five-nights-away-from-home trip planned--but he then decided that two nights away from home was plenty for now and decided to spend the rest of his vacation taking little trips to favorite places by trolley and coming home at night.

Frankly, I'm glad, because it was lonesome without him.

Sometimes, he and AJ Looking On The Bright Side talk about meeting in real life later this year. I have no problem with that at all, because, if this happens, I get to go, too!

He's bought a nice heater to make the floor warm. Now, I like the way the floor of our apartment feels much better than I used to. I'd sleep on the floor except for the fact that I like sleeping on the bed with Russell too much to give that up even for a nice, warm floor.

Besides, I'm a dog, and, as a dog, my nose is always at least a little cold, so I sleep best with it buried in Russell's neck.

Speaking of something being buried, I've just dug up my last bone ( "Invalid Item"  ) and have buried another one under my picture for you to dig up and look at by clicking on my picture.

Russell seems not to be the only person associated with travel. The interesting gentleman in the story you'll find under my picture is certainly making some trip, and he's inviting as many people as he can to come along by reading his journal.

Do you think that AJ will actually leave on her trip tomorrow or just talk about it some more? I'll believe she's going when she actually shuts her computer off.

Faithfully Yours,
Rascal

Do you promise not to laugh if I tell you something--and don't tell russellonline or he might feel bad (though I guess he's going to know about this the next time he reads this blog--but don't tell him before he's had the chance to look me over and know that I'm doing okay and haven't been traumatized or something like that)--but do you promise not to laugh?

Okay! I confess that, when Russell left for his vacation that I spent the first hour or so looking out the window and whimpering while crying great big old doggie tears.

This is the first time that we've been apart this long.

AJ Looking On The Bright Side tells me that she misses him, too, but that he really needs this vacation before he wears himself out. She told me that she's going to be going on a vacation before long, herself, so we needed to get together and find a brand new "bone" to bury under my picture before she left.

The last bone ( "Invalid Item"  ) was very nice but more than a little on the sad side, so she suggested that we look for a funnybone this time around. We strongly believe that we've found one that will really delight all of you, so be sure to go to "Invalid Item"  and dig away!

Now that I've gotten over the blues, I'm totally enjoying being the boss around here and telling the rest of the furry family what to do.

Russell has this really neat link that AJ gave to him, and this is how it operates:

1, Click here:

http://www.northweb.org/

This will take you to the website of The North Anderson Church Of God.

2. Look for a picture of a new church they're building on the south outskirts of town. The last time I looked, it was located near the top of the homepage and on the right. Click on that.

3. You're now on a page where it gives lots of information about the construction site. Click on the link under the word "Webcam" where it says to see the construction site.

This construction is going on not far from where AJ and her mom live. In fact, it's right across the highway from their farm, even though their houses are southeast of there.

If you have it up for very long, you have to refresh the screen to make it current, but it's very up-to-date, and you can know what kind of weather AJ, her mom, and others in the area are having with just a glance as well as watching the various goings-on at the site.

Well, I'd better sign off here and see what's good on TV.

Faithfully Yours--

Rascal

Good Morning!

In my new life with russellonline, I'm not quite 21 years old, but I'm actually older than that. I've lost track of just HOW old, because I'd had a lot happen to me before that.

I seem to remember being in a home where I was loved and played with by lots of kids--until I got so dirty that the grown-ups no longer wanted me around, so they donated me to the local Salvation Army store.

Don't be too hard on them for that. They could have done worse and put me in the trash. At least, they took me somewhere that I could be adopted by somebody else--though I wish that they had given me a bath first (not that I like baths that much--I don't!--but I'll have to admit that I enjoy the nice, clean feeling that they give me).

But I can't say that it was bad that they didn't do that, because, had they done so, somebody else besides Russell might have snatched me up sooner, and I was meant to be with him, I'm sure. I couldn't find anybody more perfect for a human.

One of the first things he did for me when he brought me home was to give me a shower. As I've made very clear to him, I really don't want to go through such an experience too often--if at all. But I compromise and allow him to give me a sponge bath on a regular basis.

It's not my nature to really like baths of ANY kind, but it does feel like love when Russell goes over me with a nice, wet washcloth. His last name (Hartsaw) is perfect for him, because he has such a good .

AJ Looking On The Bright Side told me that she did something silly (even by her OWN admission) a few days ago. She ordered a ham & cheese sandwich and a bottle of Diet Pepsi from the 53rd Street Pizza Hut (She has a funny story to tell about how she and her cat, Debbie, thought that they were about to be kidnapped from that general area back in the 1950s--but, of course, it was all a big, open field back then instead of having businesses built there) at the drive-up window.

She and her mother are both named Phillips, because she's never been married before, and they both are on-record at that location.

So--Get this! (snicker)--she goes through to pick up her food, and the waitress says, "Thank you, Mrs. Phillips!" and she tells the waitress that she's Miss Phillips and that, if she were going to be Mrs. Anybody, what sounds nice to her right now would be Mrs. Hartsaw. Oh brother! Then, they both start this silly giggling like dames have a way of doing! Women!

At least, she had the presence-of-mind enough to remember to share Russell's website address with the waitress and recommend that she check it out and see what this guy was all about.

She claims that she's not really as ditzy as she might appear to be...my jury's still out on that one...

Anyway, I'm so glad that I have a great home.

It's for this reason that I was especially moved by a poem about an old dog who wasn't that fortunate. His humans could no longer care for him, so he ended up going to the animal shelter--but he was just too old to be adopted.

Be sure to click on my picture, because I've buried that poem there.

Of course, that means that I've had to retire lifewriter's blog--but don't be sad, because you can still read it right here:

ID: 1206795 Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. by Not Available.

What a cushy job!

I just wander around the WDC neighborhood with AJ Looking On The Bright Side looking for prime-quality bones every few days, choosing one to bury at "Invalid Item" .

Actually, they're not your conventional bones (more like things to read), but I'm not exactly your conventional dog, either--and we ALL know that AJ isn't exactly normal, either.

As for my human ( russellonline )...no comment! He's told me that I'll always have a home with him (and--Heaven help me!--one with AJ should he no longer be able to provide one), but I might have my TV privileges taken away if I don't tread carefully on this issue.

Get over and check out my very first bone. It comes from the talented lifewriter, and AJ tells me that she's a must-read and a person who underestimates what a difference she makes in the lives of others!

In fact, there's this doggie dame named Dixie who wandered up to me a little bit ago and said, "We need to talk!"

My first impression was "Oops! I'm just like Russell and am about to get stuck with my own version of AJ!"

But she really DID just want to talk--claims that she's only interested in men with real guts instead of stuffing. (Sigh...I admit...I'm kinda disappointed).

Anyway, she told me that if it weren't for Jacqui, she would have been dead doggie years ago, and her death wouldn't have been an easy one.

So I agree with AJ that this Jacqui is quite a person and needs to start realizing it more.

Aw gosh! Look what I've done! I've gone and gotten AJ crying with that story. Russell's right about her being an old softie. Honestly, though, he is, too, because he gives me such TLC, and he's such a giving person.

He hasn't had an easy life, and it would be easy for him to say to heck with everybody else, but he's always looking for ways to make life better for others.

AJ says that's what made her fall in love with him. Seems like a good enough reason to me...

Ah Springtime!

Think I'll see if Russell wants to take me for a walk.

Faithfully Yours,
Rascal