And all that remains is my favorite bed!

So it has been a while, and I had so many adventures of the years I just got too busy to share.

We left England a few years ago  and moved back to California. Mom and Dad gave me and my sisters the best gifts ever... our own house with a giant yard! I had a few friend-enemy squirrels. The smelly skunk pack. Lots of birds to watch (chase when Mom wasn't looking). Plus my own munchies that Mom planted with stuff she used to cook with. Dad banned tomatoes after my sisters and I kept taking the tomatoes into the house and playing with them.

I think we are moving. Over the last week we had lots of people come by and leave with my couch, my chair, my big beds. We even got to go to Grandma's house several times with more stuff. I love adventures, just as long as it is not my sisters and myself all sitting on Mom's lap during the car ride.

Yeah, we must be moving, I don't have my TV to watch when the parents leave. Mom no longer has her spot to work on the deck while I enjoyed the sun and took a nap. Even morning breakfast time has a plastic spoon instead of Dad grabbing the Spork of Destiny.  At least we can all sit with Dad as he stares at the big trees that I make sure get marked every day.

I don't know where this new adventure is going to take us. At least I still have my bean bag bed. (It was Mom's. When we moved here she used that as a seat after injuring her back, now it is all mine!) :-)

Here's to our next adventure! Woof to everyone.
Gimli 🐾🐾🐾

Home from the Hospital

So, I am home. I am very very woofy tired and just want to be left alone...by everyone. No more poking me, making me move, or making my legs move. No more messing with my eyes or take my measurements. I am tired, and grumpy and drugged.

Mom said the vet called me a Gremlin. One minute I was nice, then the next, well, enough was enough. They kept trying to get blood from me. I am like Grandma, no blood, leave me alone! Grrrrr!!!!! Nice and loving if you just love on me.

My back is cold, they shaved all of what little fur I had. Don't they know I won't be able to hide my 9 inch scar once I am healed with fur? Two teenage boys where checking me out on the train ride. I impressed them with my battle wounds. I am a tough dog, even if I am riding in a large rolling clubhouse getting looks. At least I can look out at others and enjoy the ride as much as I can.

Saw a different eye doctor there. Instead of fussing with my eye, he has his pets take blood from me and they make something with my blood which goes back into my eye. They are weird, but for as much as I am awake Mom and Dad seem impressed.ok, I was being a gremlin.

Sisters were happy to see me. I was too much into la la land, but did lick them back for a brief moment.

Yawn,
Gimli

Quick note- off to the Hospital

This is Mellissa, Gimli is in no form to be writing to everyone.  Quick update. He ha been dealing a variety of medical issues since Christmas. Found out he had an ulcer in his eye so he had a procedure twice to help heal it from an eye vet. Then last week I thought he was not walking up the stairs because he could not see them. Turns to find out he has a back injury so we have been informed that it would be 4 weeks of no walking. Today we went in to pick up more meds and I spoke with the vet about his current symptoms, and out wonderful vet Nikianna asked us to bring him right in.

He is being sent to a vet surgical hospital first thing tomorrow morning. He is not walking and showing weakness in his legs. She thinks he has a slipped disk. The hospital will put him under to run some tests and based on the results go straight into back surgery. He could be in the hospital for a week.

Will now more after the visit with the neurologist tomorrow.

-Mellissa

Puddle splashing here I come!

It's raining, it's pouring, this little pup is exploring!

Woof, you have read correctly, the nice man who shook Dad and Mom's hand last week and took me away to sleepyland came back and told them I am doing great. Not just great, I have lost weight, and all of the stuff that holds my leg in place is healing nicely. I have been given the two paws up to start exploring and walking for a few minutes. First thing I did was run up and down the stairs. Mom still gets after me for running, but it sure felt good to stretch my paws and play with my sisters for a while. I still have 3 more weeks of healing, but the x-rays show the bones are healing and the metal is still in place.

This  morning was my first official walk, besides my backpack walks. The entire family went to see my girlfriend Nikianna. Ok, maybe not my girlfriend, but what can I say. She scheduled all of these dates with me, can speak my language, gives me all sorts of love and constantly tells me how handsome I am. How can I not be in love with her?! She looked at my leg and I quite proudly pranced around the room and even sat on the scale to show her how adorable and sexy I am. Yep, I have her won over. Like father like son. She gave all three of us pups shots and a clean bill of health. We come back in 3 weeks for a final visit, then unless something else happens, I am afraid she is going to leave me for another pup :-(

I think the world is ending soon, sort of...as most of you know I am known for my beautiful fur coat. Thick full lion mane, fluffy tail and lots of extra fluffy fur on my rear. Oh yeah, and my basically furless back, which uncle Bill's friend says is from all of petting. Now I...well, I just look funnier than before. My backside and back left leg was shaved for the surgery. It is not noticeable, unless you see me from behind and it looks like a cartoon character that was on wrong end of an explosion on the rear cheek with fur, then the other is smooth from the shaving. Now, at least it was noticed today, I have more fur growing up the sides of my back and also my back! It is thin, but I have about half an inch of peach fuzz as Mom called it. Me! with a furry back! I told you I think the world is coming to an end.

Other than my healing time, it seems like constant rain. It has rained several times a day, the sun will come out, then again rain. Mom has done some work in the yard which now has plants for us to taste test. She even got the flower like Grandma has all over her garage. She is a good Mom, she got us herbs and hers for Dad and her. Chloe likes the ones with purple flowers. The only problem with the grass besides how yummy it is, is that since it has been raining, it gets wet. Which is fine, till Mom and Dad send us outside to go to the restroom, my belly gets wet! I hate getting wet underneath; it takes too long to dry.

Zoe is all healed up. Chloe is same ol Chloe. Mom is good, she has been getting busy in the office on the talking silver thing. We have beds in the office to hang out, so we get lots of time with her and her clients. We keep looking for Grandma to talk to, but Mom has been talking with other people. We get to meet new people though. We even talked to Aunt Kelly and Cousin Karolina.  Dad got home recently. He shared with us Pups that we will not be able to play with Grandpa Rempfer like before and race through the hallways with him as he was exercising with his walker. We woof you Grandpa.

That is life with the Rempfer Pack. We are all healing nicely and I am planning on playing in the puddles soon.
-Gimli Rempfer

Recovery time at the Rempfer household

With my tail wagging, and looking up with my big eyes Dad arrived. It was a long 48 hours, but I was finally going home. With the backpack, and one of my blankees, our journey home was almost complete. All I could do was look up at Dad and hope he understood I was hurting.

It has been a little over a week since I went to the surgeon to have my leg checked out. Yep, Grandma, I was not faking all of those times I was insisting you pick me up for the couch. Dad was telling Mom that my little knee cap was a grade 3 dislocation. It keeps popping in and out of the grove and if not addressed, I could have complications and not be able to walk down the road. So Dad took me to this huge building with a very kind hearted man who got that I am not a dog, I am Dad's little boy. Dad shared with mom, he thought this place that even have an instructional classroom, was even better than her Standford surgery experience! Surgery went wonderful according to the man in the white coat. The took care of my knee by doing soemthing that involved wires and pins. They also took care of my little bubble on my tummy that Mom said I was born with that was something called a hernia.

Mom came back from the her trip and was ready for me to curl up in her lap. I spent the weekend on Dad's lap, but Chloe was getting really jealous, so Dad ended up with all three of us curled up with him. Boy were we all glad to see Mom. She left us for two weeks. She was quite sneaky about it to, she left while we were out on a walk with Zaire, so we could not put any toys in her bag. Mom was quite tired when she returned. She needed snuggle time and lots of love, which the four of us all gladly gave. For the first week she was back, we, well, me in particular laid on her lap, chest and/or legs non-stop. Mom caught up on sleep, I had her to snuggle with and my blankee. (really Mom's blankee, but I burrow in it, so it is kinda of mine) and slowing counting down 12 weeks of not being able to walk. I am eating some canned food, which isn't too bad, but Dad and Mom are only giving me a small amount saying something about prescription diet food. Atleast it is mushy and not the dry food that tastes like cardboard. OH! Grandma's sent us chicken crack! I got yelled out because I was almost in midday with a jump to the package when Mom and Dad caught me. They just don't understand how good that is!

Zoe has now joined in wearing this stupid cone. Dad woke up on Sunday and saw she had something wrong with her tummy. Dad took her in the backpack and came back several hours later with her in a cone, smelling funny and acting really funny. Mom told Grandma that Zoe got a laceration on her stomach, it was deep, and now she has stitches. We are not sure what happened to her, but it looks like she was jumping and her tummy got caught on something. Either way, Mom and Dad now have both of us in cones, on laps, and not able to walk. Mom and Dad are taking all of us to our favorite vet, Nickiana, who is a few blocks away from her. (She calls and checks up on me, and now Zoe all the time). Zoe will be in one backpack, I will be in another, and Chloe will get to walk. Zoe has a check up tomorrow to see if they can take some tubes out. Then we get to go back on the following Monday for me to get my stitches out, and then the week after Zoe to get her stitches out.

Mom has been up with us and attending to all of our needs, while Dad has been at work. Dad has been great about giving her a break when  he comes home and helping out. I am wondering when Dad is going to get tired of quick meals, sandwiches or cereal for dinner since that is what they have been eating so they don't have to clean. I kept telling them to try the mushy food, but they don't seem to want to try it.

Dad is doing well. He took some time for himself and played on the computer while we all slept in him and mom these weekend. He missed Mom.

Mom is doing much better after getting some rest. She has been curled on the couch with us all curled up with her all week. She has also been on the computer as well working on the class she is designing.

That is it for our household. We are all recovering. If you decide to visit, expect sandwiches and bring blankees :-)

Gimli

You Put your Left foot in. You Put your left foot out. You put your left foot in and shake it all about.....

Life has been exciting in our household, in so many ways.  I wish all of you could see my world from my angle, 8" from the ground.


These past weeks seem like Christmas! These wonderful people come to my door, I get to talk to them a lot, and then they bring me boxes. Lots of boxes, which means all sorts of fun stuff like Styrofoam to spread all over the house. Some boxes have wonderful stuff like new squishy comfy beds for all of my bedrooms. Other boxes had weird things that Mom called light bulbs. At one point we had enough boxes to fill our walkway by the front door. It was like a maze getting through the boxes to get to all of the rooms. Lots of fun places to hide sisters's balls and eggs in.

Oh, before I forget, Mom gave us pups grass!  It has been nice and sunny here so our jungle was fun to run around and hide in. Mom took one of those puppy eaters to make the grass short. At first I did not like it, however, I found that I can lay with my paws up in the air and sunbath. It has been warm spring weather and I almost forgot I was not in California.

Sisters are good. Chloe has lost fur on her backside again, so she is having some mow-hawk look. Jule's parents came to visit and took us for many walks. The Romanians are great! They walk us, feed us, and even though I have no idea what they are saying, I like they are trying to speak our language. I think Chloe got into something on the walks and she keeps scratching and has bites on her. She is doing better now, Mom put some spray stuff which Chloe has not been scratching at.  Zoe, is Zoe. She has been playing this game of who can bark the loudest and longest. Chloe and I try to keep up with her, but Zoe is just sounds like a big huge dog. Chloe may be winning this game. Chloe lays on top of the couch and sees the neighborhood kids go whizzing by on some board type thing with little wheels. When we go for walks, you see all kinds of new people on these wheelie things going to school. I am trying to win the barking game. I sit by the front door and watch for kids through the glass or I bark at the TV. Here they have all kinds of commercials with Mericats. So there are plenty of things to talk to. Mom and Dad don't like this game. They have been playing the quiet game, which Chloe loses every time. Mom is smart though. If we start barking she tells us to leave it and if we are quiet she gives us these yummy treats. I bet we can bark once or twice, stop barking to her saying leave it, get a treat, then go bark again. I wonder if we keep doing this if Mom will just keep giving us treats :-)

So doing the Hockey Pokey will not be happening here. Mom hurt her left foot, so she has been wearing one of those heavy loud shoes on foot and using the metal legs to walk. She is doing much better now after lots of snuggling and us in her lap. Then somehow I did something to my leg. My left leg, like mom's is sore. Mom laughs at me, saying something about me running around and barking at the tv like nothing is wrong, then gives me a concerned snuggle. I am having my leg just give out. So Mom and Dad have been carrying up and down the stairs. Dad calls it the puppyvator as he lifts me up and down. Then a few days ago Dad was walking down, (hopefully to feed us third breakfast :-) when he slipped. There was this loud bang. Dad was, well, not the happiest of Dads, and in a lot of pain. Us kids went to investigate as Mom was making Dad lay down on the couch with a bag of frozen corn on his foot. Us kids found a whole in the wall, which Dad's foot went through. He is doing better now. His foot is all fat, different colors with some cuts on it. If I did not know Dad's feet, I would of thought this was one of Mom's.

Today was exciting. Mom and Dad took me out for what I thought was walk, then we walked over to a car. I got a car ride! Twice! I loooovvvvvveeeee car rides! Mom and Dad took me to the lady who gave me a treat last time and a passport. She looked me over, said I was a good looking dog. I knew that, but love to hear others say it. :-) Then she pulled my leg and ouch! I didn't show a lot of pain, but a little ouch. Then she did it again so Mom could feel. Dad was able to feel it as well. Then everyone started talking about the word Diet. Ugh! I am fluffy as Dad calls it. Mom wasn't looking too good through all of this and sat down on the floor. I was watching her as everyone else talked. Mom got back up and then they started talking about my teeth and belly. Lots of poking and feeling around. Then Mom didn't look good. Everyone was paying attention to me, while I was watching Mom. Mom went down. Dad put me on the floor and I went and laid next to her. The lady brought water and white stuff they called salt. I was good, I curled up next to her and put my head on her. After a few minutes she was back up. Mom seems to be fine, but will need to love on her more when we get home. Back to me, I lost weight :-) Ha! Take that! Don't mention diet to me again! The lady told Mom and Dad that I need meds. It looks like my knee dislocated. I may also be having hip problems. The lady said that I will most likely need surgery. We are going to try the med for 10 days with rest. Me rest, yeah if I have a blanket and a lap. After 10 days if I am still having problems I will have an x-ray and surgery. They will also be able to take care of my teeth cleaning and belly button hernia as well. As the lady said, I have all kinds of health issues. I get that from Mom.

So, left legs are not good here. Boxes are gone. Sun is out. Mom and I are both suppose to take it easy. Sounds like a good day to stretch my paws out and sunbath. Maybe some rolling around in the fresh grass and bring it into the house.

Til next adventure, just keep sniffing!
-Gimli Rempfer

Tis the season of boxes

Have you ever had to find something and not sure what box it is in? Chloe has this amazing ability to find her egg no matter where Zoe has hidden in.  The latest game in our house, steal Chloe's egg and hide it.  That has been our home: boxes, boxes and more boxes. Mom and Dad are great, I am one super happy pup; they got me furniture!  Well, the nice people who rubbed my belly were the ones who brought it, but still, I can lay on my back with my feet in the air on my couch and snuggle up with all of blankets.

Tis the season for boxes. Yeah the furniture came and now I have to climb on the stool to get to bed now, but we have boxes everywhere! My other new friend who delivers food to dog stores and large boxes to our house has come to visit me twice. Was hoping he would come back since he was suppose to bring me a new pup bed, but that order got canceled. :-( He brought Mom one day a large box which was puppy eater. Mom said thank you for the shampooer, but I say it is a puppy eater. It growls and chases me around the house. Then the next day, he brought her a second puppy eater! So now we have four puppy eaters in the house! Mom put two of them in the closet saying something about not being able to plug them in. 

Zoe likes to help unpack. Mom had a bag of clothes she was unpacking and Zoe decided to to help. Not sure why Mom got mad at her for helping, she was just pulling more clothes out of the bag and placing them on top of the nice folded ones. Then decided to they looked comfy and a nice place to take a nap on. I also don't understand why she does not like chewing our chews on the clothes either. They are washable after all. 

Since we are talking about boxes, Mom and Dad are still waiting on a box. Dad was quite short with someone on the phone several times this past few weeks saying something about "where is my router" and then telling Mom that they said they shipped it, again. Mom hasn't had much time on the compute because of the lack of whatever a router is. Which means I can't call and talk or see Grandmas on the phone. :-( 

That is about it for here. Lots of white stuff keeps falling. I told Dad I wanted to go out in the front yard and he said he would call that bluff. I lasted only about a minute, too cold. Few days ago the three of us played in the front and ran around. The white stuff went to the middle of my chest, so I kept having to jump to get through it. It was fun, till I got cold and wet. Mom did not like how I help decorate the neighbor's snowman that was being built. I guess snowmen are not suppose to have yellow on them.

May you enjoy a good belly rub!

Gimli