Hi-ho...hi-ho...it's off to work I go...

When Jeannie said 'Odie, do you want to go to WORK today?' I might have misunderstood and what I heard was 'Odie, do you want to go for a WALK today?'. Work - walk - they are both four letter words that start with 'W' and sound a lot alike. I was so excited...I love walks! But I was very confused about why I had to get brushed and wear a ridiculous green scarf. Then I found out that work and walk are two very, very different words.

So, we walk up to the front doors of this huge building, and I'm thinking that this is the biggest Petsmart I have ever seen. Only after we get inside do I realize that this is nothing like a Petsmart. There are no other dogs, no rawhides, no birds in cages, no hamsters, no squeaky toys. Bummer.

But then what happens is magical!! I get to ride in elevators, sit in laps, lay in beds, get brushed, get petted, prance around the hallways, get carried around, get back scratches, get my picture taken, get hugs & kisses, and then get petted some more. Who needs kibble when you get pampered all day. All that is required of me is to let people pet me and tell me how cute I am. Are you kidding?! I LOVE WORK!!!!

After a few hours of strenuous, stressful sitting on beds and getting petted I get to go home and take a long, leisurely nap. What an awesome job!

On the days I am not working I get to enjoy my time in Florida. I have learned a few things in the past couple of weeks:

1. Do not, I repeat, do not drink the water at the beach no matter how thirsty you are or how much sand is coating your tongue. It is bad.

2. The bald eagle that lives in our neighborhood is big. And scary. If it begins circling above while on a walk - go home as fast as possible - just get to safety. I have seen that bald eagle and it looks at me like I am just a little tater-tot with a tail, or a fuzzy McNugget trotting down the sidewalk. Run & hide.

3. Manatees deserve the nickname 'sea cows'. They are really, really big. And fat. But cute in an 'only-your-mother-could-love-you' kind of way. Do not attempt to jump in the water to swim with them because you will get in all kinds of trouble.

4. The Monkey Bar does not allow dogs. But there really are monkeys on the island behind the bar. So why can't I hang out at the bar if the stupid monkeys can??? My people went to the Monkey Bar and all I got was this stupid picture...

Damn!

A New Year - A New You! *People Notes*

Jimmy Buffett had it right all this time. The New Yorkers have it figured out. Now I am seriously wondering why EVERYBODY doesn't spend winter in Florida!!! Wow! It is nice here! Really nice. So sorry for all of you who are freezing in the cold, sleet, snow, ice, blizzards and sub-zero January weather north of the Mason-Dixon line. Oh well, there is a cold front coming this week so it will only be in the high 60's as opposed to the high 70's...bummer! Might need a t-shirt on the beach!!

Yea - we made it. Probably a month or two later that we would have preferred, but we are here now and loving it. For those of you who haven't been in the communication loop, we are in Florida. Specifically in Hudson, FL. It is a small town (far north suburb, really) about 45 miles north of the Tampa/St. Pete area on the Gulf side (west side) of the state, west of Orlando and Mickey Mouse, south of the panhandle, west of the Atlantic Ocean, north of Miami and waaaaay north of Key West which is where I would prefer to be but know I would never, ever return. Never. Ever. If you still can't picture it, imagine if your thumb is Florida (right thumb - pointed down)...then we are about at the middle joint near the freckle on the inside crease. From our condo it is a 5 minute scooter ride to the gulf and to Hurricane Hanks, Sam's and Sully's - all unique beachside (bar and grill) dining establishments. All with very cold beer, fresh grouper sandwiches, live entertainment and conch fritters. How much better could this get??? Seriously?!

Oh yea, and Paul is working! Full time. That means three day a week so we only have four days a week to hang at the beach. The hospital is too close for a scooter ride so it is about a 7 minute walk to the front door of Regional Medical Center/Bayonet Point where he works on the telemetry unit. Odie and I will be doing volunteer work there as soon as we pass though all the red-tape to become established as their first pet therapy team. Hopefully we can start in a week or two or five.

Our back yard is pretty cool - but I am not sure if alligators live there or not. Oh, and when I mentioned that we live in a 'condo', well it is. But in a 55+ community. ONE of us had to be 55 or over to qualify....Odie???!!! It is a very, very quiet complex! Except for the occasional squeaky-squeak of walker wheels. Our neighbors all seem to be very nice - and while they love Odie, they are a bit confounded at the "motorcycles" (aka - scooters) parked out front! (That is our condo in the picture - really!)

We are happy to be here, thawing out, enjoying the sunshine and will keep you all posted as we get out exploring the area. Happy Trails!

A New Year - A New You!

Time to be movin' on once again. I packed all my squeaky balls, my bacon treats, my chew rope, my day bed and my collection of plush toys, hopped in the car and headed down the mountain. Goodbye Tennessee, goodbye English Mountain, goodbye cold and rain. Next thing I know, there is nothing but flat land, sand, sunshine and the worst tasting water I have ever drank from the biggest bathtub I have ever seen. Welcome to Florida!

We found a dog park on the first day. I definitely needed to get out and stretch my little 3 inch legs after that long car ride. I ran and I ran and I ran and I ran some more until I was just plain out of gas. This stuff called humidity is going to take some getting used to - especially after last winter in Arizona where it was warm and dry. Every time I go outside my hair gets all curly and frizzy and fluffy - I think I am scheduled to go to the groomer for a haircut this week which is a good thing because these little girl dogs just aren't impressed with my Odie-afro!

The next day we discovered a dog beach! Woohoo! Wait - what is a beach??

I sniffed and snorted and scratched and stomped and ran and swam and chased a ball and got chased by waves and barked at fish and barked a boats and chased seagulls and got chased by pelicans and rolled and sunned and splashed and dug and repeated it all over and over...then I collapsed on my beach towel! I think I like the beach. But the water tastes terrible. Who put all that salt in it?

I think I am going to like this new place. My people tell me that we will be here for a few months, so if any of you want to come play ball with me at the beach, come on down - I'll share my beach towel with you!!