I hit play on the DVD and, as a fifth season episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia started up, I took a seat and tested the dumbbells. It was my triceps day so I figured I'd start with flat bench extensions, move on to overhead extensions, then to close grip press, and finish up…
June 20, 2012: Dark Matter (and me!) at Comic Con! Take a breather with Jelly! Winners of the Greatest Mid-Season Two-Parter in Stargate History contest!
Finally booked my hotel for Comic Con next month which means I WON'T be sleeping on the floor of the convention center after all. On the one hand, it's nice to know I can look forward to a mattress, a hot shower, and room service cookies and milk, but on the other hand, I was…
May 23, 2012: Lulu scampers loudly and carries a big stick!
I was sidetracked today by an eye doctor's appointment, several phone calls, and a slew of emails that kept me from the task at hand - that task being, of course, the SF (near future) miniseries I'm writing with Paul. In order to keep to my act a day pace, it looks like I'll have…
May 2, 2012: This blog goes to the dogs. Again!
Whereas most adults my age are either dropping their kids off at school or picking them up from school or buying them clothes and toys, or attending their various extracurricular activities, I'm dropping my dogs off at doggy daycare or picking them up from doggy daycare or purchasing them leashes and toys, or attending various…
April 13, 2012: The Doggy Guilt Trip!
My dogs have a way of laying on the guilt trip. Whenever I put on my jacket to go out, my thirteen year old pug, Jelly, transforms from an arthritic perennial lounger to a pup at heart, hopping up and bounding about, tail wagging, barking. It's her way of saying: "Finally! We're going out! Allow…
April 4, 2012: Potential pack members? We check out The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, Market by Jean-Georges, and Thierry.
"I am melting sleepy. I can't take it anymore." - Akemi, last night, apparently VERY tired. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm considering adopting an elderly pug in memory of my boy Maximus. I've been scouring the pug rescue sites and came across the twosome pictured above. Buddy and Junior are brothers, aged…
April 1, 2012: Remembering Maximus
Today would have been Maximus's twelfth birthday. I'd like to dedicate today's entry to his memory and offer up some of my favorite photos of my boy, "the handsome one".
March 27, 2012: Pugs on the Beach!
With the warm(ish) weather upon us, I decided to treat the gang to a morning at the beach. Coincidentally, the last Sunday of every month is Pugs at the Beach so it worked out perfectly - minus the biting wind and fact that only about a dozen pugs showed. Bubba, impatient as always, couldn't wait…
March 23, 2012: Needy pugs! A beautiful partnership! And Happy Belated International Macaron Day!
"Nothing ruins a dog walk like a hole in a poopy bag." - Me, yesterday. Back when we first moved to Vancouver twelve years ago, we looked into adopting a pug from a local pug rescue, but the process proved so difficult and time-consuming that we gave up and went the breeder route instead. And it's…
February 9, 2012: Max
I picked up Max's ashes from the animal hospital yesterday, shortly after getting back into town. They were accompanied by a certificate of cremation and a copy of The Rainbow Bridge, a poem I've never been able to bring myself to read in its entirety. Amongst the mail that had amassed over my twelve days…
December 20, 2011: Maximus! My Holiday Gift Reads!
On the heels of bringing Maximus in to see the vet on Monday, I'm faced with a tough decision. The fact is, he's not going to get any better - this despite the special diet, the radiation treatment, and the anti-cancer vaccine. He only has a little time left. Of course, one could argue that,…
August 1, 2011: Maximus…
I noticed the change in Maximus several weeks ago. Normally possessed of an appetite characteristic of most pugs, he would scoff down treats on sight, snapping up kibble, liver brownies, and fingertips with equal relish. And then suddenly, three weeks ago, something changed. While he didn't exactly turn down the treats, he no longer attacked…
June 17, 2011: I’ve become that crazy dog guy my writing partner warned me about. And barbecue! Oh, and the weekend alarm sounds early!
With Fondy heading out of town for the week, Akemi and I assumed temporary possession of her house. And dogs, Brie and Stewie. As a result, we'll be hosting a veritable pooch party for the next little while... Slow progress on the script rewrite front. It seems that whenever I sit down to tackle Act…
June 12, 2011: Bubba update! Ivon Bartok hits Banff! Woofstock! Pugs eating ice cream! Mailbag!
Bubba update! We took him back to the vet's for a second visit, this time getting him checked out by a second doctor. We explained that he'd been quite lethargic of late and, every so often, was given to brief trembling bouts. The vet informed us that this was a sign he was in pain…
May 29, 2011: The Doggy Defense!
Tim Hendrix writes: "Joe, I have a couple of dog questions. I had to leave my house last week because of impending tornados and my dog, Rhet, companion of 13 years, had a seizure in the car and I had to have him euthanized 2 days later. I lost his sister 2 years ago and…