A Pro-pug-ductive Saturday

It is the start of another glorious weekend- which means more time following Cassie around the house and less time staring at the door waiting for her to come home. This is what I look like during the week:

But there won't be much of that over the next couple days! There's lots to do this weekend, because my grandparents are coming to visit next Thursday. Sidenote: Apparently Cassie doesn't know how to read an itinerary because she thought they were coming THIS weekend until Grandma Joan set her straight Wednesday night. The good news is the house is quite clean and the lawn has already been mowed. The bad news is I was expecting extra treats and attention this weekend and now I'll have to wait a whole week for said affection. Thanks a lot for getting my hopes up Cass, sheesh!

The morning was fairly car-centric. I was left alone for a whole hour this morning while Cassie did some errands and took the Grand Prix to get an emissions test (it passed, SUCCESS!). When she came home we pulled both cars out of the garage and washed them. I spent most of the time dodging the spray of the hose and chewing then subsequently spitting out leaves and twigs (turns out they don't taste very good, but you can't blame a pug for trying). I had a pretty good time though, because we listened to "The King is Dead" (The Decemberists' newest album) whilst we scrubbed the vehicles until they sparkled like a very dull, still semi-dirty, dying star.

We did like a zillion loads of laundry last weekend, but since clean sheets are pretty much the best thing ever, we decided to wash them again today. In preparation for Mel and Joan's visit, we decided to wash their sheets, too. In anticipation of the eventual downy freshness, I decided to take a short romp through them prior to their trip to the washing machine. Check me out!

Lastly, I spent quality time with my good friend Kurtis (given to me by Grandma Joan last Valentine's Day). He's my best buddy.

Well, that's all that's happened so far, I hope your Saturday is shaping up to be a little more adventurous than ours. We don't have much else planned for the weekend, but I have a feeling I'll have some "tails" (pun intended) to tell next week.

Arf, Arf. Do the doggy dance.

It's pretty much common knowledge at this point that I spend the majority of my day sleeping and the rest of it on a quest for food. But sometimes, during the week, Cassie leaves music playing for me while she's at work- which helps to pass the time. We've got some new got-tos and some old-reliables. Here are some of my favorite songs, albums and artists, Pug style.

Ben Folds: One Tiny Man + One Rockin' Piano= Magnificent!

Cassie has seen him in concert three times and says he's amAZING live. You never really know what to expect when you pick-up one of his albums- he's got a lot of different faces. Personally, I think his ballads (Landed, Brick, The Luckiest, Late) take the cake. Not only does he know his way around a piano, but the man can write lyrics like no body's business! If I were going to recommend one album (I mean, if you're really going to FORCE me), I say get "Songs for Silverman". If you're feeling more adventurous you can grab his newest CD, "Lonely Avenue"; it's a collaboration with Nick Hornby (author of "About a Boy" and "High Fidelity") and it's positively splendid. Lastly, you could go old school and pick up a Ben Fold Five album (Ben's 3 man band- before his solo career), in which case "Whatever and Ever Amen" is a no brainer.

The Decemberists: Whimsical Stories, Accordions, a Delicious Blend of Folk and Rock

If you're on the edge of sleep in a dark room, alone, I do not recommend listening to "The Mariner's Revenge Song" or "Shankill Butchers"- little too creepy for a pup like me. But The Decemberists are a lot more than tall tales and rock operas. Their newest album, "The King is Dead", has a classic rock feel without sacrificing the band's famous poetic lyrics and inventive instrumentation. You will love "The King is Dead" and so will your Dad- which actually kind of rocks, if you think about it (at least you'll have something to talk about!). More mainstream songs include "The Infanta", "This is Why we Fight", "O Valencia!", "Summersong". If you're looking for stories within a song try "The Rake's Song", "The Crane Wife 3", "Won't Want for Love" and/or "We Both Go Down Together"; also, "The Hazards of Love" album is a continuous story grounded in the same basic principal as St. Pepper and American Idiot- it's fantastic.

Alexi Murdoch: Sad Voice. Beautiful Music.

All of Alexi's songs are heartbreakingly beautiful. His new CD hit last week and I hope Cass will buy it so I can lay on my back and bask in the sunlight that emanates from the emotion in his voice (hey, I've got to find sun somewhere! Seattle is rainy to the max.). It is always fascinating to come into contact with someone (if only by voice) that cares more about quality and "the process" than money and fame. Here's to you, Alexi!
Side note: A.M. provides the soundtrack to a fantastic movie called "Away We Go" (by one of my favorite authors, Dave Eggers). If you haven't seen it already, you must add it to your Netflix queue immediately; I promise you won't be disappointed.

Metric: Wanna Dance? Fab Femme Voice.

How can you possibly lose with an album titled "Grow Up and Blow Away"? It's impossible, there is NO LOSING. For me, the pinnacle Metric song will always be Raw Sugar because it showcases Emily's fantastic vocals as well as the instrumentalists' danceable beats. Throw all your misgivings about Canada out the window and pick up one of their albums (preferably "Grow Up and Blow Away", but "Fantasies" will work as well).

Here are some more old favorites I can't help but bounce along to:
Jet (straight up rock)
Black Lips
Fountains of Wayne
Goldfrapp (good dance music)
Eagles (old school and awesome)
The Blakes (a Seattle-based punk band)
Rilo Kiley
Bright Eyes (soooooo goooooood)
Pete Yorn
The Gossip (hardcore lady vocals)
Spoon
The Colour (ROCK)
Rocky Votolato
The Format
Vendetta Red (this is my angry music)
The Pipettes (All-Girl British Pop= ahhhhhh yeahhh)
Snow Patrol (I lurve all their songs unconditionally)


And here is a list of semi-new artists I've run across in my search for dog treats:
Crash Kings (pleasing to most generations)
Essie Jain (pretty female voice)
Mountain Man (3 girls, 1 guitar, no waiting)
The Head and the Heart
Steel Train
The Weepies (yes it's weepy, also great)

I hope I've inspired you to go to Sonic Boom... or whatever fantastic independent record store you typically haunt. At the very least, maybe iTunes will get some play today.

Over and out! -Cosmo & Cassandra

Oh, Deer!

I have to admit, Cass and I miss living in Downtown Seattle. It was fun to watch/ listen to all the crazy people, and walk anywhere we needed to go. I miss the hum of the city at night, constant and varied at the same time; I miss independent coffee shops (where they would give me treats) and funky bookstores (you know, because they gave me treats). That being said, Everett can be an okay place to live... sometimes.

I guess today is one of the "sometimes" days, because something absolutely bonkers happened.... in Everett.... weird, I know.

Cassie and I were sitting in the family room, I guess it was about 5:30 PM. Suddenly she gets up and gallops to the backdoor, then flings it open. It was raining pretty hard as it had been, on-and-off, all day- but she walked outside without shoes and then stopped to look back at me. Pointing her finger, she motions that I should follow- and at first I was hesitant... I mean... it's wet- but she buys my food and gives me many Greenies, so I'm obliged to follow her.

At first, I didn't know what she was looking at. It was hard to see through the rain and the impending dark that so often accompanies 6PM, but then I realized.... oh, deer! (Hey, that's the name of this post!)

There were four deer, to be exact- two smaller than the others but almost full grown. When Cassie tiptoed outside they froze immediately and looked like they were on the verge of bolting- but when I came out their apparent curiosity seemed to relax them a bit. At first they stayed still as statues, but then they started hesitantly walking towards me. WHOA! Insert freaked out pug right about.. HERE.

This is what I look like when I'm scared... or bored... also, hungry.

I didn't know what to do, so I hid behind my owner at first. I would've barked but my doggy vocal cords didn't seem to want to function. Disappointed with my own inaction, I summed up all my pug courage and walked over to a bush- these guys needed to know whose territory this was!

This is the backyard I protect from evil deer!

They didn't stay long after that- obviously I was too much pug for them- but it was an interesting experience to say the least. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of our doe-eyed friends in the next couple months, since the weather is getting warmer everyday (and sometimes colder, but them warmer again).

Signing off with a "yip", Cosmo.

PS: My grandma had a much more interesting week. Click the link to read about her adventures in sunny South Carolina.
http://joan-lowcountryadventure.blogspot.com/2011/03/hard-day-at-work.html