Merry Everything!

Can I just say I love being married to someone who likes to do shit like this for a laugh?

Because I do. I love it.

Today and every day I'm counting my blessings...

for the framily in my circle,

for my job, my health, and my home,

and for all the other big and small things that make this life a wonderful life.

I'm especially thankful that I know - regardless of the petty bullshit and annoyances, the assholes I encounter, the periods of dissatisfaction, the times things don't go my way, or the stumbling blocks I hit  - that I do indeed have a wonderful life. I roll with the bad days because they allow me to truly appreciate how good the good days are. 

I am rich in ways a lot of people in this world will never know, and that humbles me. My parents and family laid a great foundation of love and encouragement for me and you cannot put a price tag on that. So regardless of what else you gift others with this year, please make the first gift love and encouragement for the people around you. Lifting each other up is a vital part of the human condition. Shine your light on others. Participate. Receive. 

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas Eve & Day.

Your time together is the true present and better than anything you can buy at a store. 

Enjoy and HAVE FUN!

All We Want For Christmas: From the Pugs

Everyone gets their shot at a Christmas Wish List...

I require the following. I'd prefer my desires to be granted today but if I must wait for Christmas, I will. I may pee on the curtains to show my displeasure, however. Fair warning. My wish list:

1. Total world domination.
2. Twenty-four hour a day access to the same food my humans are eating.
3. A weekend or 15 without my sister. And for her to have to wear silly costumes every day for my amusement.
4. For my parents to never go away on a trip. Ever. Then I won't have to pretend to be deaf for 3-10 days after they return home to make them feel guilty and terrible for not taking me with them. It's hard for me to remember I'm supposed to be deaf so they're doubly putting me out.
5. A world where no one tries to clean my ears.

1. Daily romps in our fields, Treat Lady's woods, or on the beach with tons of time to mark everything in my path. Geege was here! I say it with pee.
2. The freedom to hump the air or lick Gus's ears without getting scolded by my mother.
3. For my mother to stay home 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so I can guard her and our home, following her everywhere and barking like a good guard does every time a person, dog, or car passes by. I am the Royal Guard and you shall not enter!
4. Fresh fruit at every meal.
5. A world where no one tries to take me to the vet.

1. A blinged out grill and some sweet hoodies.
2. A recording contract with Jay-Z. My Gremlin noises will be the next big hit in the music industry.
3. Endless scratches from my adoring fans.
4. For bullying my brothers and sitting staring in Gus's face waiting until he's done with his bone so I can steal it to be cool with everyone involved.
5. A world where no one tries to tell me where I can and can't sit. Yes, I can sit there and I WILL.

Peace out and happy Christmas Eve Eve on behalf of the dogs.

You might also enjoy this blog post by Geege, this blog post by Gus, and the most popular - Mae's blog post.

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Haikuesday

Dog blogs: I like them.

Dogs want stuff for Christmas too.

For real. I asked them.

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I would be remiss if I didn't wish you all a Happy Festivus today.

Christmas Pipe Dream Wish List

I've seen a lot of wish lists on blogs over the past month. Tis the season to put all your wishes out there, right? My list is not as simple as an awesome mug or sparkly flip flops. These are things I really want but things I know I'm not going to get.

Things like...

*Four day work weeks and three day weekends or European company vacation time at American companies

*A lifetime supply of Sanuks

*Canada's maternity policy for American families

*Equal pay for equal work across the board

*For no one to stop dead in the middle of a walkway or doorway like they own it

*For a consenting adult of sound mind to be able to marry whoever they want

*For no one to be hungry or without clean water or shelter

*An overhaul of the welfare, justice, and education systems in America

*A cure for childhood cancer. Cancer is a douche warlord in general, but childhood cancer destroys me.

*Term limits for all politicians - 5 years of service and you're out. Politics should not be a career.

*A good, safe, loving home for all children

*A huge fenced in farm and the funds to operate it so I can house all the unwanted and mistreated dogs out there.

*An end to multi-media and people playing MFing videos when TV or radio is on or having radio and TV on simultaneously. It is annoying as fuck and it must stop.

*For vaginas not to be political agenda items

*Less need to be right and more of a need to understand and be understood worldwide

*Teleportation abilities

*Peace on earth, the biggest pipe dream of all. People have been fighting over power, greed, religion, control, land, money, and resources since the beginning of time and it will continue on until the end of time unless we start evolving a lot more quickly. Still, it's nice to dream.

I could go on forever but it's Friday and I have shit to do. Come sit on my lap and tell me what's on your far out wish list.

Disney at Christmas

I finally saw it - Disney all dressed up for Christmas. I absolutely loved seeing Disney Christmas-fied and I'm so happy we did it, but I will never, ever do it again. The crowds were outrageous and it took 478 years to get from park to park. I much prefer the off season of September right after everyone goes back to school!

Friday morning we disembarked from our fabulous cruise  and were on the road from Miami to Orlando by 8 a.m. and in Magic Kingdom just before 3 p.m.

Friday we did Magic Kingdom 3 - 7, then EPCOT until around 9:30. Saturday we did EPCOT from 11:30 - 4:30, Hollywood Studios from 5 - 8:15, and Magic Kingdom from just before 10 to 11. Jill and Frank stayed a little longer than me and MFD took advantage of the extended Magic Hours and ran around Magic Kingdom until 3 a.m. I could not because I was so ill and drug myself around three parks as it was. He had a grand time. If you do go to Disney, take advantage of the Magic Hours!

We stayed at Coronado Springs. It was a nice hotel. We didn't get to use the pool though. Building 3 is a good location for both the first bus stop and also access to the main restaurant area and one of the pools.

I know, shut up lady and get to the pictures. Sorry for any dupes I put up on the facespace or Instagram.

Magic Kingdom - I freaking loved Main Street all decked out with the iced up castle at the end. Simply amazing.

EPCOT - My favorite park, and you guys, it did me dirty. I was not feeling well at all and couldn't even eat or drink my way around the world like I like to do. We had lunch in France and it was good but it sent me over the edge. I did do Soarin' on Friday night, always a favorite. It's so weird to see poinsettias planted in the ground. It looked amazing. But my favorite was the poinsettia tree in Italy (first pic below). I also adored the EPCOT tree which I didn't get a photo of unfortunately. We were lucky to run into old family friends on MFD's side and spend some time with them while we were there on Saturday.

Hollywood Studios - I managed to do Tower of Terror and the Star Wars Ride although that totally fucked me up with the jostling and 3D. But the highlight by a mile of Hollywood Studios and Disney in general was the Osborne Family Lights Spectacular. It was...spectacular. I am extremely happy I experienced that. It was freaking magic. The insane lights, the music, the fake snow. I loved every second of it. Totally the peak of the trip for me. Jill always asks us to do Pit and Peak of the trip on the last day and I didn't even have to think twice about my Disney parks peak. This was it.

Have you been to Disney at Christmas? Thoughts? Favorites?

Click here to enter the Ho Ho HO mofos Holiday Giveaway ($50 PayPal Cash OR Amazon Gift Card + $25 to the charity of your choice) - tis the season for giving!