Life With LuLu – A Global Presence

Posted: February 17, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Laughter, Life With LuLu | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

No shovels required 🙂

Good morning from the rain drenched valley of Petaluma!  These rain systems remind me of days gone by when my feet pounded the pavement (I didn’t own a car until I was nearly 28 years old – another story altogether) in places like Kodiak, Alaska … Bellingham, Washington, and the incredible neighborhoods of the University district in Seattle, Washington where I proposed to my wife in a crazy little nightclub on 45th Street known as Goldie’s Tavern. Yes champagne splits all around.  I remember that night as if it was yesterday …

You’ll see a new addition to LuLu’s page on the right hand side titled “Lu Knows!” … this widget offered by Word Press will count the visitors and apply a flag to the state and or nation the visitor is from.  Updates to the counter take approximately forty-eight hours so we’ll see next week how well the new service is working.

I really didn’t see this coming when we started the adoption process for this bundle of bully.  I think it’s safe to say I didn’t see a lot of things coming with regards to how loveable and valuable our dog has become in our lives.  There are days when she’s all we talk about and since I’ve been sharing with you the events which most of the time are amusing, it’s nice to watch the statistics counter each day to witness how many of you enjoy reading this Life With LuLu blog.

Soon this blog will be featured across the services of the local Press Democrat here in Petaluma … still waiting for the staff at the online department to contact me and each day I wonder what I’m going to write about.  The pressures of the journalist, right?

This morning as Bonnie and I were wrestling with the realization our day was about to begin we heard Lu’s toenails walking about downstairs on the hardwood floors.  I love hearing those sounds in the morning, particularly after her recent bout with the depression she was going through after the trip to Sacramento.  I pictured her walking around downstairs, checking her water and food bowls, making the first decisions of her day … “Do I go back to bed, or should I wake the humans?” …

Then the barking began.  For those of you that do not own an English bulldog (I highly recommend it) I’ll let you know this bark is rather comical – it’s a bark for sure, but there’s very little fierceness to it.  Upon hearing her bark this morning I commented “this is a good sign” and then another good sign developed … our youngest got up and out of her bedroom.  Like a little volunteer fireman she was taking care of business which allowed me to comment again “that’s even a better sign!”

While Logan was downstairs letting the Lu-dog outside, I jumped out of my bed and jumped into hers … Logan does not have an older brother so sometimes (ok – all the time) I make the substitution.  When she came back into her darkened bedroom her surprise provided an early morning blast of laughter.

So … LuLu – thank you for starting our day with laughter and silliness.  Your body clock appears to be back in full service, your barking tells us it’s really good to be here and we – every one of us at Chez Cheney and everyone reading this blog is happy to know … the adoption really was a grand success.

I really believe we are the ones who made out in this deal.

Thanks again LuLu.

Peace,

Papa

© P.E. Cheney and Life With LuLu, 2010-2011.  All Rights Reserved.

Life With LuLu – The Sleepasnorous

Posted: January 17, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Life With LuLu | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

The weather was just about perfect yesterday for a little walk.  Logan and LuLu shared some time with each other out in the neighborhood.  Evidently LuLu went to the stairs which go to the top of the property (insert your memory of Rocky running the stairs in the original movie) – LuLu has only reached the top of this ascent once and how she did it I’ll never know and I was with her!!  She regretted it 100 percent once we got to the top because I think she expected a ride home in a town car after that amazing feat.  There’s something about those steps that she just needs to continually investigate.  When Logan came home she explained how far they climbed and at least this time Logan didn’t carry her down the stairs – which is a feat on the human at this point.  LuLu is not easy to pick up and extremely heavy at the same time.

Logan and I enjoyed some time with each other yesterday doing the groceries and making chili for the big game between our beloved PATRIOTS and the arch enemies from the Meadowlands in Jersey.  The house was pumping yesterday and by the signs of disarray this morning with the empty beer cans, chili pot in the sink soaking, wine bottles and glasses all over the living room – I’d say there was either a great time or this was the scene of an Irish wake.  Either way I’ve got some cleaning up to do once the girls arise from their slumber.

I was restless last night – really couldn’t sleep very well after the pummeling the PATS took at home so I came downstairs and continue to watch television in the early morning hours here in the living room.  Just me and LuLu … and NOW I KNOW WHY HER SLEEPING UPSTAIRS IS A BAD IDEA!

I am watching tv, keeping the volume at a minimum so I don’t disturb Bonnie and Logan.  I can’t hear the television – and we have a home theater system!  Why? I’ll tell ya why … our little bulldog’s snoring is incredibly L-O-U-D!  Oh my!  We’ve often thought of carrying her upstairs where she could sleep at the top of the landing between the two bedrooms … after what I witnessed last night … fat chance of that ever happening. 🙂 ♥

She’s sound asleep right now (7:33 PST) and the sounds coming from her bed might represent a couple of 300 pound lumberjacks.  She’s so precious.

We love you LuLu …

Hope all is well with all of you as well.

Peace,

Papa

© P.E. Cheney and Life With LuLu, 2010-2011

Life With LuLu – Let a Sleeping Dog Lie

Posted: January 6, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Life With LuLu | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bring it!

Each day here in Petaluma begins pretty much the same regardless of what day the calendar tells us it is.  Body clock confirms you’ve had a good night sleep, and the alarm clock on the bedside table confirms there’s an agenda in my future.

Let’s get this day started.

LuLu normally provides me with enough information to begin a blog in the morning.  Last night was no different, however, the source of this piece comes from Bonnie’s travels on Facebook.  As you may have guessed, if you’re a saavy Facebook user – friends appear from everywhere.  People you’ve never met, never will meet, etc., etc.  Yet they are your “friends” – which I guess is better than the alternative, right?  One of Lu’s friends on FB as it turns out is from a far and distant place known as Punta Arenas, Chile. 

You’re certainly going to need a travel agent to visit the most southern city on the globe.  How did I wind up there?  That’s a story for another day.  So I continue this blog with the reference on allowing a sleeping dog to lie … and the reasons why.

As you may have learned from the many blog entries on our adorable english bulldog is that she is 100 percent kennel free.  We leave her alone during the day free to do as she wishes, which as you’ve also probably read is SLEEP.  We wish our day was like this, right?

When I came down this morning LuLu was snoring peacefully and did not move as I removed my slippers from between her bed and the couch where I left them the night before.  She didn’t move until I opened the refrigerator to begin making lunches for everyone. “Good morning LuLu!” Door opened, body chills to the 31 degree morning and I return to the business at hand while LuLu does the same.

One thing is for sure, the originator of the “let a sleeping dog lie” proverb was clearly not the owner of an English Bulldog.

Why?

Let’s recap.  It’s just now 6:AM here.  I came down the stairs and began my day twenty minutes ago and in that time, LuLu has awoke (did someone say refrigerator?), been outside for her morning constitutional, eaten her breakfast, burped, headed back outside into the morning chill, returned, received a rub down and is now …  ASLEEP.  Time: 6:01.  We’ve enjoyed each other’s company for approximately 20 minutes and she’s back to dreaming about lord knows what.  Good for her.

The idiom  actually makes reference to – leaving something alone if it may cause trouble – oooooh … well, LuLu is hardly causing trouble but one of the reasons, yes, in fact, THE reason we are here in Northern California is my abandonment for not stirring the pot, not allowing the sleeping dog to lie, not giving in, etc., etc. Details, if you want them will undoubtedly arrive on these pages down the road.

Back to Punta Arenas, Chile.  I visited that little seaside town in 1984. Enjoyed it tremendously the second time I was there.  The second time? Why, what happened the first time?

Let’s just say I woke a sleeping dog, okay?

LuLu is truly sound asleep, and it’s wonderful, truly wonderful we can trust her to her own each morning without worries of opening the doors to find something resembling a visit from a 60’s rock band.

To that we say THANK YOU LuLu!

Enjoy your day … I know you will.

Peace,

Papa

© P.E. Cheney and Life With LuLu, 2010-2011