He's Not Fat, He's Just Big Boned

PB and I went to the vet on Saturday because he was due for some vaccinations. While there, our vet pointed out that he is getting a bit tubby and needs to lose about 7 pounds or so. While I have been viscerally aware that he is getting a little porky I have also been totally in denial. My version of "will power" consists of: If you look at me with those adorable brown eyes PB, and perk your ears forward while tilting your head to the side, I *will* give you a bully stick, a frozen turkey neck, a beef marrow bone etc. etc. Knowing myself as I do, I did not reorder my bulk order of 75 bully sticks which I keep in the house at all times because I simply cannot resist giving them to him. So we cut all that stuff out and along with my recent discovery that he loves bananas and blueberries, we have switched to a more healthy, trim diet for PB. Even though it is killing his mama....

The Polar Bear treadmill.

So we have been walking a lot and eating less. You will notice that there are shadows in this photo. That my friends, is because it was actually sunny today. I guess Tuesdays are the official days of sun. One out of seven isn't bad. So PB and I hit the Sammamish River Slough trail which he loves. It borders 40 Acres Farm in Woodinville, a place I covet and drool over every time we walk by. It is a fully organic farm in a beautiful setting with chickens and a rooster next to the public trail that doesn't seem to realize he can stop crowing after the sun is up. We walked the trail a few days ago in the pouring rain and we noticed their flower garden is in full bloom so I brought my camera this time.

PB was agog at all the bees flying around. It was quite a feat to hold on to him and try to take a photo that was semi in focus.

I don't know what they are but they are quite beautiful.

My mom, who has become a fantastic, self-taught gardener, will have to come with me to help me identify these. All I can come up with is purple. On a side note, my mom has turned what was 2 acres of basic grass and bark at their house into the most incredible, brilliant garden. I am trying to get her to start a blog, if only for the photos of the incredible peonies, roses and myriad other plants and flowers she has acquired and nurtured. She is also a great photographer so she would produce a fabulous garden blog if I can harass her enough to get it up and running. (Hi mom!)

Back to my farm - 40mg is indeed the magic number for PB and his Prozac. A couple days ago, I noticed a distinct change in him as though his blood levels had finally reached the 40 and stabilized. The difference is so subtle but so distinct and both he and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as he relaxed and coped almost effortlessly with everything we have encountered since then.

Last Thursday, my dad came with me to his obedience class. I suspected that he would bond with my dad even more if he was present in a situation that is still stressful and somewhat foreign to PB. When PB saw my dad in the parking lot, he ran over to him, his tail wagging, his entire butt swaying, ears rounded in happiness and head down with happy recognition. I have never seen him react so joyously to anyone except me.

My instructor happened to be out in the parking lot at that same time and said we were giving her a heart attack! She asked if PB knew "that man" and I told her that he did indeed although it has taken a year and a half to get to this point. She said she never imagined she would see him react to *anyone* but me like that. I wish I had video taped it because it had to be seen to be believed. My dad handled him for part of the time in class and he did great. (PB, not my dad. Although my dad was fairly obedient too). I will work on getting some better videos of PB and how far he has come. My dad helpfully pointed out that my video of PB dreaming was possibly the most boring, anti-climactic video he had ever seen! I suppose editing and changing the width would have helped so one could see the tail wagging but I am still a novice with that thing.

Bad news from my doctor who said X rays showed my knee is not healing as well as I thought has resulted in my being confined to unemployment for awhile longer. So in addition to reading voraciously, working on the Polar Bear weight watcher's club and trying to find a house to rent, I have taken up trying to figure out what species of birds are driving the bumsters crazy at the bird feeders. I know - I sound like I am well on the way to retirement already :)

Cheap cat food.

The bumsters have also been labeled tubby so they have been on a diet too. I have a much easier time starving them than I do PB. Although they yell at me all day as though they are on their last dying breath, their screaming drowns out the screeching neighbor child from hell so I am ok with it.

Dexter knows he is not allowed on my kitchen table but as usual, he tries to push the limits. And now that I am feeding him less, he watches me eat like an emaciated concentration camp victim. He sits across from me like a human while I eat and stares malevolently at me and the idea that I can feed myself whenever I want.

How can you live with yourself mom?

Easily Dexie, easily. He's also taken to sitting around sucking on his tongue which is a little creepy and which he didn't learn from me.

Yum. Tasty.

Weirdo. Meanwhile, the lovefest between Stabby and Dexter continues. I'm not sure if they've been going through therapy in my absence or what but their sibling rivalry has yielded to almost obscene orgies of grooming and throwing themselves at one another. Yuck.

I love you Stabby.

No, I love you *more*.

PB was so disgusted he went out to hunt the Sopranos and take it out on them.

We have rated this climb a 5.9.

Sopranos safely dispersed, PB retreated to the lawn and in a feat I only wish I could master, has managed to tune out the screaming kid and nap.

Whew. This exercise thing is exhausting!

When you look at a photo like this, it makes him look slim doesn't it. Doesn't it? Hey, PB wanna bully stick?