As I See It - 03.14.16 - At The Vet

It was time for The Calvinator's annual checkup and he needed some shots. While he was being weighed and having a blood draw, I was left to my own devices in the exam room. I noticed that one of the walls was covered in artwork with an animal theme. It was sort of like a micro-museum.

As I See It - 03.06.16 - Sleeping Beauty

This is The Calvinator. I call him my Boogie Bear and at times people have said that he looks like a bear. I've been told to never "poke the bear" and especially when the bear is asleep.

As I See It - 03.04.16 - Spring Hasn't Quite Sprung

...but the flowers are blooming. The Calvinator and I spotted these during his noon day stroll.

As I See It - 02.07.16 - Better Late Than Never

And so, I was a bit tardy in decorating The Calvinator's Crib for Mardi Gras. I never put up the bunting or wreath but I did pull together a little tableau and threw a hat on The Calvinator. And all of this was done while I was trying to pack for my trip to The Big Easy. To round out the day, I ate some New Orleans Ice Cream.

As I See It - 01.29.16 - Be My Teddy Bear

I took the day off from work and spend most of the morning running around and before I knew it, The Calvinator was done at the groomer's office. It had been awhile since he had been coiffed and this teddy bear cut is a big hit!

As I See It - 01.04.16 - See you later

Saying goodbye seems so final. See you later means you'll see the person at another point in time. And such was the case on Monday, when family and friends gathered at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Ft. Worth for the funeral Mass for Ralph Guereca, Jr. Uncle Ralph is one of my mother's siblings.

The previous evening, family and friends gathered at Mt. Olivet Funeral Home for a rosary and wake. It was in the same room as my dad's rosary.

It had been a long time since I'd been in St. Andrew's. I think the last time I was there was for a wedding. It made think how a church can be a gathering place for good times and bad. It is also the church where my high school junior class had Mass on Ring Day. #memories

Following the Mass, we proceeded to Mt. Olivet Cemetery when many friends and relatives are buried. It brought back memories from my dad's funeral in November 2011. And like my dad, Uncle Ralph was a military veteran. Along with this comes the honor of having a flag draped on the coffin and presented to the family. It's very moving. When the flag was presented, the presenter, on one knee said, "On behalf of the President of the United States and the people of a grateful nation, may I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one rendered this nation."

Following the internment, we took my mom back to the house. I loaded up The Cal Mobile, got The Calvinator and we were on our way back to H-town with a stop in West.

Pic Of The Day - 12.28.15 - Weather Dog

The Calvinator loves cold weather. Here he is facing north with his snout into the breeze...just in case you were wondering which way the wind was blowing.  The front that caused bad weather in the north Texas area, caught up with us in Houston on Sunday evening.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 11.29.15 - TNT

This is scenes from a Sunday. A stop at Slovacek's in West, TX where I discovered a beer cave and picked up an Oreo Dream Bar.

Once we arrived back in Houston, The Calvinator collapsed because he was tired from riding and sleeping.

And then I saw this delish looking drink on Instagram and had to share it with the world. My act of kindness for the day.

Pic Of The Day - 11.25.15 - Over The River And Through The Woods

The Calvinator has a rough life. He gets to be chauffeured 272 miles to Fort Worth. This allows him time to sleep, look out the window and contemplate life. It's tough being The Calvinator.

Pic Of The Day - 09.03.15 - I Get The Hint

As I was getting ready for the work day, I noticed that The Calvinator had tumped his bowl over in an attempt to let me know it was empty. Really? Like I don't feed him before I leave his crib? #dramaqueen #dramadog

And in case you were wanting another cloud photo, here you go.

Pic Of The Day - 08.27.15 - Swag

There was a Yappy Hour at Upper Kirby on National Dog Day. I was late getting home and was unable to take The Calvinator. However, on Thursday, the management staff bequeathed him with a swag bag for Post-National Dog Day.

Pic Of The Day - 08.26.15 - National Dog Day With The Calvinator

Pic Of The Day - 07.13.15 - PPS

Monday consisted of dealing with PPS (Post Party Syndrome) and getting The Calvinator back into a routine. And that consisted of taking him for a stroll during lunch. And, we noticed that his crib had new flowers.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 07.04.15 - Independence Day

I used July 4 to display a flag and decorate The Calvinator's balcony. He allowed a couple of minutes to photograph him with his most recent headpiece.

One the surprises I received was being able to see fireworks from River Oaks Country Club.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 05.01.15 - Scenes From Walking With The Calvinator

A pop of colour.

This oleander has exploded with blossoms.

Pic Of The Day - 03.24.15 - Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

...how does your garden grow?

I spotted these flowers while out walking The Calvinator.

Pic Of The Day - 03.12.15 - False Alarm

And then this happened.

I was at The Calvinator's Crib, minding my own business, watching the telly while eating lunch and the smoke alarms inside the crib went off. I was a bit perplexed because I didn't turn on the stove, oven or microwave. I thought maybe they were malfunctioning. Plus, it was really loud and it caused The Calvinator to start howling.

I opened up the crib's door and realized the fire alarm for the building had been activated. So...I grabbed both phones, keys and The Calvinator, and we descended down floor flights of stairs.  This was a bit difficult for him because on Saturday, he somehow injured one of his legs while I was at a memorial service.

There were other people in the building who were also in the stairwell evacuating the premises with their pets.

Turns out it was a false alarm. Someone on the 2nd floor had pulled the alarm but they're not sure why. However, once it was determined it was a false alarm, they couldn't turn it off! And it was loud!

So...The Calvinator and I stayed outside and then went inside to the lobby where it wasn't as loud. They finally able to reset it and life went back to normal.

Pic Of The Day - 02.18.15 - Hello H-town

As much as I love going to New Orleans and celebrating Mardi Gras, it's always nice to be back in Houston.

This is the view of the sunset that The Calvinator and I enjoyed.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 02.15.15 - T 'n T (This and That)

I'm sort of all over the map with the photos from the 15th. I was preparing to go to The Big Easy for Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras. Read the captions for my commentary.

This is by far one of their best flavors (if you like the taste of coffee).

The Calvinator donned his Mardi Gras hat.

Driving down Sawyer Street, I saw this painted on the side of a warehouse.

Have you ever hoped something would taste as good as it looks?

Pic(s) Of The Day - 02.08.15 - The Morning After

I actually felt pretty good on Sunday morning. On Saturday, I didn't over indulge on adult beverages and I didn't stay out late. I did eat a bunch of food that wasn't healthy but isn't that what Mardi Gras is all about? However, I did finish off some Blue Bell ice cream while I was trying to wind down.

I had a task list of things to do and one of the tasks was to decorate The Calvinator's balcony for Mardi Gras. Because of the timing of the move, I did not decorate for Christmas so I owed it to The Calvinator to decorate his balcony.

And, even though I had the decorations and the season began on January 6, it took Saturday's night Mystery & Fantasy Mardi Gras Party to really put me in the spirit of the season.