Christmas "Tica-Style"

Merry Christmas, mom & dad! Did you have fun in Mexico?

I had quite a time here at the Gores for the holidays. Here is a quick overview (in pictures) of the festivities, as they apply to me and my cuteness. Enjoy!

THis is me & the boys running downstairs to see if Santa came.(oh, & I so won, by the way. I always do!)

This is me (& Uncle Rob) sleeping through the boys tearing into their presents. We didn't make it 10 minutes before we were both snoring!

This is what Santa brought for me! A new rope, since I completely shredded and destroyed my old one, and a new set of balls. (Tennis balls, just to be clear.)

This is me starting in on my new rope! It's the only thing that got me to stop moping around because of the stupid bandanna on my neck. My foster mom didn't even act concerned that I hated it. She actually squealed in complete denial, "Aaaw, Tica! Why you love me so much in your new bandanna, huh?" I actually loathed the new bandanna and pouted at her for an hour in hopes it would get her to remove it. I pouted very hard.

It didn't work.

Not for a very long time.

When she finally did take it off of me, I started to jump playfully in my renewed sense of nakedness, only to be restrained again, but this time with a tight, itchy sweater!

I felt paralyzed. This is me trying to decide if I can make peeps in this thing. I hobbled down the stairs like a cripple. Then I stood here on the sidewalk for several minutes like a statue, trying deperately to drum up enough pity to purchase my freedom.

None came. Treats came, but they were not accompanied by pity and sweater removal.

Even when I shot them this look...

It only made me cuter, apparently.
So I gave up and turned in for a long Christmas nap.


With my head buried in shame.

When I arose however, elation came over me when I was greeted with a cheerful "arms up!" and the sweater was whisked away over my head (hopefully never to return!). Whew!

But what to my wondering eyes did appear?? A tight, wobbly headband in the shape of a reindeer. Good grief already!

Oh, but this made everyone go so crazy over my cuteness, that I complied. I sat up tall and wore it with dignity (as the monkey tunes played in the background).

So like I said, quite a time. Quite a Christmas. And let's just say that I'm quite a dog!

I am very loved here.

And so are you!!

Happy New Year!

Love, Your little Christmas Stinker,

Tica-Lica

Good Eats, Bad Peeps, & Warm Nuggly Sleeps

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I heard y'all went to Hong Kong. Please tell me you didn't eat any of "my kind" there? That would just make me so sad, and it may take me a lifetime to trust you again!

Well, I had a lovely holiday here at the Gore house. Abbey's family was over on Wed night and I rested my chin upon many a knee during the meal and it paid off! The Malcoms are all big dog lovers and didn't hesitate to slip me the goods.

The next day, my foster family went to Gore's for the day and had to leave me here to fend for myself, as the Gores are not big fans of animals. But the neighbors came over to let me make peeps during the afternoon, so that I didn't go on the floor.

And speaking of making peeps on the floor... I've been here for months now without the slightest accident of any kind (well, with the exceptions of puking up plastic toy particles early on in my stay and just recently hurling up the contents of a ham bone that was a bit too much for my delicate intestines)

OK, back to peeps on the floor... I must confess that I went in the hall this morning. Oh you wanna know why? Because it's freezing outside!! And it was raining on top of that!!! Who can peep first thing in the morning in those conditions? Well not me, apparently. Although I think I'll give it another try, as my foster family was not very pleased with my new "winter peeps" plan.

In other news, just in case you're worried that I'm going to run off with Ra when he moves to the country, I wanted to say that I don't think I will. I'm starting to think we just don't have that much in common after all. For one thing, he eats raw venison! Eeeewwww!!! I tried to think of it like"sushi for dogs" but the smell alone made me turn my head away and then sneeze a couple times to get the stink out of my prissy little nostrils. Gross! He goes crazy for it, but I just couldn't make myself do it.

So, my foster mom picked up some Thanksgiving treats for me that were much more suitable to my palate. They smell (and look) just like grilled chicken! See?? Yummy!

Below is the delicious ham bone that I later chucked up on my foster parents' bed. They were lovin' that to wake up to, as you can imagine. I doubt I'll be getting anymore of those anytime soon. :(

Gobble gobble gobble...

And this is a picture of where wolf-dogs, who eat raw deer meat and actually know that they're dogs, bed down. Well, and the cats too, of course.

This, on the other hand, is where Princess Ticas, who apparently think they're people, nestle in for the night.

Oh, it's good to be me! I miss you.

Love, your little stinker,

Tica-Lica

P.S. My foster mom bought me my own special outfit for the holidays... pics coming soon to a blog near you!! :)

You Comin' to America? (A Pup's Lament)

Um, there's talk about another year in "the foreign country", which I know can't be true because you love and miss me too much! Plus I just can't accept it. It can't be true in Ticaland, "until I hear it from you" as the song says. Because I'm staying firmly in denial until you shoot straight with me.
With that being said, let's move on to more palatable news...

I just finished a photo shoot with my foster mom about "the United States of America" and how it's such a great place to reside with your family and good friends and everything. (Especially in the great state of Alabama.) Oh~ and this, by the way, is in no way connected to the news that you might be staying in "Chinese land" for another year. It's just a simple coincidence. That's all.

So let's see now... Is Alabama the pink state or the red one? Hhhmmm.....

Ah, yes! It's the lovely red one! And I can almost see you there, mom & dad, frolicking with me in the meadows...

What!? You know darn well that there are meadows in Alabama! OK, so maybe we never "frolicked" in them, so to speak, but they're here nonetheless. And we were here together once too, knowing full-well the frolicking potential in our minds of togetherness.

I guess I just miss you. You are so "non-redneckie" plus you saved me from the maggots of my youth. *sigh*....

So below is me just relaxing in the dreamy memories of all things "me & y'all" and Alabama. Well, and the Gores, of course, and all the fun times we had together with them and everything. I'm gonna have to agree with them here and say, "I guess the Taiwanese peeps got somethin we just can't compete with here in the states." Well, come home quickly and pet my sweet head. Oh, and hug and love on the foster parents too while you're here, because they're really kind of pathetic with how much they miss y'all. :)

Yeah, and this is me trying to figure out if ya'll are actually "playin" me or not...

Taiwan? Or America? Don't' be playin me M& D! Don't be playin'! I think you can tell by my expression that I expect the truth. Plus I got a boyfriend now and things are little crazy, so don't be playin'.

Either way, I love you more than any dog in the world ever could, (just in case you stay there and end up with some stupid dog to keep you company that doesn't even know a ball from a rope!)

But I still can't wait to see you in June! I shall wag my nub and lick your faces and Oh, Oh!!! I almost forgot!! I hear there's rumor of you staying here at the Gores' for the summer? That would be awesome! I could love & nuggle you all night without my foster dad saying (in his deep sleepy voice), "Tica! Go get in bed with the boys! Go on now." every time I move or sniff or scratch or fart. He's such a wimpy sleeper. Sheesh!

Anyway, me love you long time!

Your "little stinker",

Tica-Lica

Don't Worry Bout a Thing...

So I've been a bit itchy lately. This isn't a "news flash" to you though, as I'm sure you've spoken to my foster parents along the way. Here's a picture of me trying to "shake it off". The itching drives me crazy!!

So when the shaking doesn't work, I just bite the "bajeebees" out of myself.

And if that doesn't work , I can always rely on scratching!... . AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

But anyway, as you can see from the comparison of my previous "high five post", I've had some hair loss/skin issues. My foster mom says she won't post the "butt shot" however, so you'll have to request that in an email. :) It's really quite amazing the difference. I used to have a "beautiful butt", but it's been most recently deduced to a "monkey butt". Use your imagination!

Here's my paw. Scroll down to a previous post and you can see the difference (just in my feet!)

It's so sad! :(

But I've neglected you for too long, and now I must break my silence. I'm losing my hair. That's just the truth. I can deny it no longer. But I went to the vet this afternoon because of it. And first of all, let me just say that I HATE the vet! I began to tremble and whimper and actually jumped into my foster mom's lap at one point, in my stressful worry. I'm such a baby! But hey, I was thinking they were going to leave me there in one of those cages for an extended period of time, so I freaked out for a little bit. (Who wouldn't??) But once I figured out that wasn't going to happen, I settled down. Plus, they gave me treats!

So apparently I have some kind of allergy. Oh, and a skin fungus. But I got a bath in my new "spa shampoo" as my foster mom called it. (I think that's sarcasm) The shampoo has to stay on for 10 minutes, so she massaged me & told me stories of how it's really her that deserves to be massaged for 10 minutes in a warm bath, yada yada yada. Like I said... sarcasm.

Anyway, I'm doped up on 2 Benadryls twice a day until I'm better, and I got a fat Cortisone shot to help with the itching. So I hope to sleep well tonight!! I'm completely zombied out right now. Some might say "drugged" but I prefer "zombied". It sounds safer. :)

But hairy or hairless, I'm simply a sweetheart! (Obviously) I anticipate quite the custody battle when y'all return to the states. Or, if you want to keep it simple, (just between you & me) maybe y'all can just move in here and that would solve all the Tica problems! We could be one big happy family! :)

Well, for your enjoyment, here's me snuggling with foster dad after my bath time. It's FREEZING in this house, by the way. These crazies refuse to turn on the heat! So I must get under a wool blanket to warm my sad self when I'm wet and cold.

And just in case you're worried about my health, here's a couple of shots my foster mom thought would be good for your "peace of mind". You know, just in case you're envisioning a bald dog like that one they're offering to the Obama family these days. I'm not quite that bad.

Here's my sexy profile...

It's all so... *yaaaaawwn*...very boring.

Now... cue the Bob Marly "sad shot" so they let me go back to napping-n-such.

And now that we know how to manage my hair loss...with costly shampoos, allergy meds, a big shot, and a wig, I think we'll all rest a bit easier. I know I'm resting (as we speak) from all the drugs I've been administered today! :)

But I love you & I miss you so much!!!

Your little stinker,

Tica

Snuggles and Teets

Well hey mom & dad! As you've heard, I'm losing my hair. Only the pretty white stuff though. The crazy top hair is totally fine. Apparently I'm the "lil monkey butt" now. Whatever. That doesn't sound pretty at all!

Anyway, the cold weather we're having makes us all CRAZY-hyper. Between me, Ra, Cinco de Miles, & Angel, we have a regular zoo in the yard!! It's a blast. We chase each other in circles. I'm BY FAR the fastest. SOmtimes, though, I get called in for playing too rough when Angel's over. She's such a bitch! Oh how I adore legal, legitimate cuss words! (that's me, Abbey, btw, not Tica. Hee hee...)

So back to me... well here's some photos for your enjoyment. First is me with Tal & Teresa. This was initially taken with the intention of provoking you to jealousy, so that you would come back home soon!! We miss you!! But it turned into me just snuggling up to Mrs Teresa for the long haul. Sweet peeps, those Princes.

And this is my "Say Cheese!!" shot. Hope you love it cuz I was trying to take a nap.

And below is my new bestest bud. Wilson & I have become very close, as he is home most of the days while the other boys are at school. He's a kind boy and I like him alot. I also tolerate him well too. :)

This next one is typical Wilson clowning around during "nap time" with me (as if I got a lick of sleep) but what a ham!!

And last but certainly not least, this is Wilby counting my teets. That's right. He discovered that I had some "dots" on my belly. He then lifted his own shirt and said (to his mom ) "these aren't noo-noos, mommy! There's only suppossed to be two. So these aren't her noo-noos! She just has alot of dots on her tummy. But no noo-noos."

So there you have it...

And below is just a simple reminder of me in my sleepy, snuggly position. (nose to ankle)

And let me just say, if I were in Taiwan, I would snuggle you to pieces cuz I miss you!! But since I'm here, I will think of you while I snuggle the 3 little boys instead. (And my foster mom of course, but only when its safe to sneak into their bed... after foster dad is snoring, that is. It's all in the timing.)Anyway, I love you mucho mucho mucho amore'!!!

Your little stinker,

Tica-Lica

Love is in the Air...

Oh my gosh, mom & dad!! You will not believe what all has happened since last I posted. I totally have a boyfriend! I know, right? And he's so cute!! He's tall, dark and very handsome. A gentle giant, as some might say. We're keeping him for our friend Sybil for a few weeks while they move. He's an outside dog while I am an inside princess. But either way, he's totally such a sweetie!! I know in the past I've been scared of big dogs, but sooo not this one. He's very calm and kind. And he likes me.

So anyway, like here's some photos of us... me & Ra (like the sun god) So dreamy...

Our first meeting. He's so well-mannered and humble. It's like he totally bowed to my princessness.

Oh! And did you totally see my new pink collar? I lost some"bling" in the old one, and it just wasn't going to do. (Not with the new fella and all... one must look her best!) And I have a new pink heart tag to match w/current info in case I ever go too far. It's so diva and like totally awesome. (But don't worry m&d.... we kept the old one just for you!! :) )

So back to Ra... like every thing's cool, right? Like I totally have a boyfriend and I'm all like"the S*@!"and whatever and I'm totally diggin Ra and we're like smelling each other's butts and stuff...

Except... guess who has to come get all up in my business???? Exactly! The neighbor's dog! I mean, I totally like her and everything, but she SO tries to steal Ra's attention. I try to bark and play with her but she totally goes straight over to him. "Uum, Hello?? I thought we were BFFs?" Whatever. She's not even like a challenge to play with or anything. I totally take her out and stuff. She's lame at running and wrestling and everything in the universe.

So here's Ra trying to take a handsome picture and Angel totally had to get her head in the shot. She thinks just because she's equally black AND white and I'm more white than anything else, that she can totally have my black man. Whatever. True love sees no color.

Oh this is a good one. It's the butt-sniffing train... Chugga chugga...Pew!! Pew!!!! (Ha. I kill me.)

And this is us on the porch.

And this is us in the kitchen.

I sometimes whimper and my foster mom lets Ra in for a visit. **sigh**

Ra + Tica = true love 4-ever! Are we the cutest or what??? I totally love and miss you both but I'm so enjoying my new friend. We stare at each other through the kitchen window. He lets me drink out of his water bowl. And he's an older man too... Oh I could just go on & on, but I must go sleep since it's like constantly my bedtime.

I love you!!

Tica-Lica

Manipulation and Lingerie

Let me just cut to the chase here. My foster mom made a video of me & Wilby in a rather pathetic attempt to try and manipulate you into letting them keep me.

So before I say too much, watch for yourselves. It's all just so sad, really.

See what I mean??

Now on to these other shots. Well, mommy and daddy... eerrr, well I think they speak for themselves actually. I mean, come on! My foster mom leaves me alone in the ENTIRE upstairs while she keeps baby Sara. And well... girls will be girls, right?

I hope you're not disappointed in me, but I found this particular strapless to fit me quite nicely. It has fantastic support, and it's extremely comfortable. Oh~ and don't mind my awkward face expression in the first pic. At first glance, one would think this to be the result of a stupid human's "forcing" of a bra over a dog's head while telling her to "SIT"! & "STAY"!, all the while snapping photographs left and right (while I tilt my head in a quizzical "huh?...you have a cookie?" type manner for the second shot.) But don't be deceived, intelligent parents! Oh no. I tried this stretchy strapless on all by myself. And don't I look pretty? That's exactly what happened. "Cinco de Me-O de Strapless de Bra-O". And I do realize what I just said, mom. My foster mom's wretched, child-like Spanish is rubbing off on me. (Not to mention her "stretching of the truth") But anyway.

Well, ta ta for now! I wish you could smell my doggy goodness as I'm all curled up (nose to back ankle) in my sleepy position. :)

But I'm in good hands, as you know. (Well, good hands... yes. Insane.. uum, maybe another post.)

But just know that I've been behaving like a puppy dog goddess... licking faces when appropriate, doing gobs-o-tricks (much to the delight of any newcomer) and just being the all-around bestest and cutest dog ever in the world. The neighbor's dog is a flea-bag compared to me. She can't even tackle me. Or keep up with me. Or beat me in anything.

Well, anyway I miss you!

Love your Stinker,

Tica-Lica

Primp My Dog

Like a lamb to the slaughter...




Yea, yea, yeah... always a funny shot.





Wait, hold up... he's rubbing the ears. Aahhhhhhh!!




And Yes, mom & dad. Those are pink bows in my hair.



What? You're the ones who left me here with this crazy woman!

Me love you long time,

Your "primped out" Stinker,
Tica-Lica

"Mud on Your Face...a Big Disgrace"

What?

I have a little something' on my face?



This is me making what my foster mom calls "awkward eyes". So I had a little mud in my beard... who hasn't?
Oh and look at my foster dad's solution to my "midnight jingling". A rubber band. Elegant, don't you think? Nice.


And this is me all snugly & clean (and "leepy & weet" of course)after my bath time.



And for your further entertainment, here's a little video of Elliot & Wilson dancing' all crazy. And as you can see, I don't quite know what to do with all this wildness. But I do enjoy watching...