Welcome to my blog, Pugnacious P...tales of Payton the Pug! My parents say I was a miracle and the toughest creature they’ve ever met. Despite being diagnosed with Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE), I lived a wonderful life. Read more in the "My PDE Story" page in the green banner just below. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventurous life! Love, Angel Payton
I took these pictures the Sunday and Monday before Payton died. The weather had just started to warm up again and along with it the airborne allergens were high so her sinuses were acting up. I know it's not healthy to play the "what if" game, but if I'm honest, I have to admit that I have beat myself up a bit about not taking her in to the vet to see if she still had issues with her lungs from our Texas trip. Maybe catching something just a few days earlier would have changed the outcome? I try not to dwell on that. I know I was a great mom to Payton. I know that it was common place for her sinuses to get bad. It's just hard not to go over the details of the last few days and weeks with her.
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While dad was attending his capstone MBA class this weekend, mom and I went over to Gammy and Gampy's. Finally, mom said I could have the toy that Suki gave me in Texas, but I was feeling a little under the weather - sinuses. That is sometimes the downside to spring and warmer weather. Anyway, so although I ripped into the wrapping (too fast for mom to even get a good shot), I just didn't feel like playing much. But mom got a few cute pics of me to share anyway.
But don't worry, Suki. The next day, I went right to my new squirrel as soon as I got up in the morning!
I love, love, love the acorns! I played with them off and on all day. Thanks Suki! You pick out really great toys.
Love,
Payton
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On Monday, Payton's spunk returned so I figured it must have been all of her sniffling and sneezing that made her so tired the day before. She even had enough energy that she jumped on my lap wanting me to scratch her back like Tim did when he got home (we showed you that in her rubs and scratches post). She never did that with me! I didn't do nearly as good of a job because she stayed upright mostly, but she didn't seem to mind and stayed on my lap for quite some time. I will never forget it. We were so close, face to face. Payton gave me the most loving, gentle kisses. I miss her smell, I miss not having snot all over my glasses, I miss her bribery attempts for early meals. It's so funny how it's the little things that you miss so much.
Love,
Christy
PS. This is the last post that Payton helped me write. So that means that for the rest of this week it will be just me, but I hope you stop by because I've got a few announcements.
Dearest Payton, I just want to tell you how much I love you and how much I have loved every minute of our nine years together. All of the ups, and even the down times, are so precious to me. It is amazing that you are still in our lives, but I thank God for you every single day, and always ask Him to bless us with many more days together. You are an inspiration, a miracle, and an angel on earth. Happy 9th Birthday, baby girl. Enjoy your day! Love, Mom
Sorry for the sappy note from my mom, but when she asked for the laptop, I didn't know what she was up to. I probably owed her one, but now we're even. Anyway, let's get this party started!! First up, let me share with you an awesome early birthday gift from the Southern Fried Pugs. You will not believe what they sent me...the sweetest, most thoughtful thing that has forever sealed them in my dad's heart...and made my mom leaky as she was helping me open the package... My very own Chicago Bears cheerleading outfit!!
Yep, I'm totally ready for football season to start now. Go Bears! Da Bearsss! Thanks so much Isabelle, Petunia, and Tallulah!! Mom and dad are slackers when it comes to checking the mail, but they did last night. There was a bunch of cards and such from even more friends. I feel so loved...you guys are awesome! Thanks! Who knows how long they have been sitting in the mailbox. Sheesh! I'll have to tell you the specifics about them later because mom said I might as well wait until tonight to open them, so I will. Although I don't really have a choice given my lack of usable thumbs, now do I?
Now for some more GREAT news! My inhaler came in late Monday afternoon so Gammy and Gampy are coming over tonight!! And mom promised me a very sweet treat! This is going to be a great birthday party, so I better get some rest...
Oh my pug, I'm up! What a dream! I was traveling the globe in my private jet with my frequent-flyer friends (Lola Pug, Sid, Suki, and Puglet) there to help show me the ropes! Gampy better come through with his promise of a private jet for me tonight so I can visit ALL of my dear blogging friends, near and far! My mom said not to hold my breath because Gampy promised her a pool a very, very long time ago and it never happened...although he says that my "training" pool from last summer counts. Hmmm...yeah, good try, Gampy, but I'm not sure that cuts it.
Anyway, did mom just say it was almost time for my party?
I can taste the nomables already!
I should probably make sure everything is in order!
Mom, get your butt out of that chair and let's get to taste testing all the food before my special guests arrive!
Sheesh! My work around here is never done. I hope mom has it all together because I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post pictures of my party and tell you all about it later this week.
Ok, enough about me. Remember, this post is also my Comment-a-thon to help out Wilma's "Stuff My Doghouse" project that I told everyone about last Friday!
So please remember to leave a comment on this post today (March 21st) before the clock strikes midnight CST to help a good cause, specifically the Homeward Bound Pug Rescue and Adoption of Oklahoma! And thanks to those of you who have already donated directly, especially those that said they would do so in my honor!
Love,
Payton
PS. I just want to give a shout-out to Sid for the inspiration to visualize my dream using the Ken Burns effect! If you haven't seen his studly potato video, it's a must!
I hope everyone had a great weekend and St. Patrick's Day. I sure did! Check out all of the Irish fun I had with my friend Suki on her blog, Short Tails of Suki...you won't believe it! In all seriousness, I did have a wonderful weekend.
Well, Friday wasn't a good day. I had a mini 10 second seizure in the morning and then made mom hand feed me at lunch. I was really hungry, but didn't she say something about making my food from scratch?!? I think she got my point...someone went grocery shopping and a ton of it was for me! I was tired the rest of the day and then we got horrible news that Yoda of The Pugs Strike Back passed away. We met him in Indy, and he was such a sweetheart. Needless to say mom and I were both a wreak at the end of the day so, we couldn't wait for Saturday to arrive. And it showed!
I was alert and spunky, playing and enjoying time outside! I still get winded more than I should, but mom and dad said I acted just like before my trachea diagnosis. And Sunday was no different. I hope this means that I'll get to do something exciting on my birthday and have my party this coming weekend. Oh, speaking of my birthday, don't forget to stop by Wednesday to participate in my Birthday Comment-a-thon that I announced in Friday's post.
Whew! That was a long intro, which didn't have anything to do with the title of today's post, so I guess I should actually get to the point. Alright. At the end of February, both my dad and Gammy were out of town, so mom and I hung out with Gampy most evenings. I was so happy and made sure to wear my "Furry Grandkid" t-shirt!
Lucky for us the weather was very nice so I got to take care of business outside and frolic with Gampy!
Gampy chickened out the second time, so it was just mom and I, but the result was the same.
But then I got Gampy to play with me and give me some good scritches!
I just love my time with Gampy. Did I mention that my birthday wish is to celebrate with Gammy and Gampy? I sure hope my inhaler comes in today or tomorrow so I can.
This next video isn't at Gampy's house, but mom took it the same week and I was wearing the same t-shirt so we figured it was appropriate and shows off my protective skills. I don't like when the house across the way has a car parked in the driveway or has one of their garage doors opened.
Well, I hope everyone is having a great start to the week. See you on Wednesday for my Birthday Comment-a-thon!
I'm so happy to be back at the reins of the blog again. After my mom posted an update on my condition yesterday, I barked in my sleep, face-timed with Gammy and Gampy, and then when dad got home I grabbed a toy and chomped on the squeaker! My energy level isn't quite back to normal and I have to catch my breath more often than before, but I am continuing to get stronger and feeling better. I am so blessed to have such great friends, and I know it helps mom a lot to know so many are praying for me. We will continue to keep you posted on my progress, and I will make sure that mom follows through on promises of extra treats. Did she think that I wouldn't read my own blog?!?
Without further delay, let's talk adventure! Some of you guessed right...Texas!
Just to warn you now, this post is going to be as big as Texas. There is so much to talk about and my mom took a lot of pictures. My adventure started Wednesday night when I had visitors. I couldn't believe my eyes when Miss Tiffy Tippy Toes showed up at my door! Tiffy took a tour of the house, but then we ended up in our usual hang out spot...the kitchen!
After a long drive south to see me, Tiffy was getting pretty tired and rested her pretty face on the table.
Don't you just love this picture of Tiffy with her momma?!? We all had to get up early to set off for Texas (yes, Tiffy was going too!), so we headed outside for one last potty break. Tiffy helped me patrol the perimeter, and then we synchronized our poops. I only mention this because our peeps were excited about our mad skills. Hehee!
Thursday morning, right after breakfast, we piled into our cars and took off. Mom thought I'd go right to sleep since I usually do after breakfast, but all the excitement got to me and I wanted in front with dad.
But I soon calmed down and was actually pretty good in the car. Must have been because Tiffy brought walkie-talkies so we could stay in touch while driving. It was a blast! 10-4 good buddy, roger that, over and out! We are silly girls sometimes and had fun in the car. I'll tell you what wasn't fun about our drive...cold and rainy! Yep, it was utterly miserable. Neither of us would cooperate during rest stops. I held it in for almost the entire drive. It's a good thing Tiffy got me 2 cool fleeces because I needed them on this trip for sure! I will have to model them later, although you will see the pink one in upcoming pictures.
When we were almost at our destination (Dallas/Fort Worth), we broke up the caravan and parted ways with Tiffy and her peeps, but don't worry, I'll see her later in the weekend.
Our destination was none other than Gracie the Agility Pug's house! And guess who else was there? My good friend Suki!! Everyone was waiting at the door to greet me, including Gracie's brother (and Suki's sweetheart), Arnie. Dad passed out treats right away to make sure everyone would like me.
clockwise from top: me, Arnie, Suki, and Gracie
Lucky for us treat dispensing seemed to be a reoccuring theme at Gracie's house, or maybe it's just that we kept anticipating it which made group photos easy to get.
I also got to meet Levi, one of Gracie's other brothers. You may see him in the photo above (naked pug to the right). He is so talented and sneezes on command! I didn't get to run around with sister Snap (a beautiful boxer), but I was completely mesmerized by her and kept watching her through the gate.
Suki handed out presents. Look how beautifully wrapped it is, with a homemade picture tag!
I was too preoccupied being at a new place, meeting friends in the fur for the first time, that I didn't open it, but as soon as I feel much better, mom said she will take some pictures because she knows I will love it. Mom and I, and especially our chauffeur, dad, were beat after a long drive so we called it a night and headed to the hotel. Better get our sleep with all the activities planned for us.
I was so ready for fun and adventure Friday morning, but the weather was not cooperating. It has been in the seventies almost all winter in Texas, but the two days we were there it was only in the fifties and was damp and rainy. Yuck! But we didn't come all this way to stay inside, so we all ventured out to the Stockyards (where there just happened to be a 1000 Pugs photo shoot) to meet up with a very famous pug. But first we explored the area and there were plenty of spots for photo ops.
Gracie was so upset she had on a coat that she walked around with her head down. She made us all laugh. I don't like clothes either but it was too cold to not wear any. My dad works for Wells Fargo, and since their logo is a stage coach, we are going to have the last picture framed for his desk. If the weather had been better, we would have taken pictures with the cows and other cowboy things. Oh, well.
Soon it was time for the pug party at the Love Shack restaurant! All the 1000 Pugs crew was meeting there, but since the weather was so bad, the only other pug that joined us was THE PUG! Mr. Puglet himself, in the fur!
After Pug demonstrated his super modeling poses, he joined us for lunch at the table. In the photo below, from left to right, Gracie is completely focused on a cup of dressing that she will later spill all over, Arnie is watching dad's hand as he eats nachos, Suki is getting cold, and Pug is utterly depressed that his human is cheating on him.
But soon Miss Amanda comes to join us and tries to make it up to Pug by giving him a hamburger. Half of one anyway, donated by Suki's mom.
Our jaws dropped to the floor in amazement. Pug should totally enter an eating contest. The rest of us finished our lunch at a slower pace and we enjoyed being able to talk and get to know each other.
Gracie and Arnie waiting for a few nibbles of Love Shack chicken fingers.
Soon it was time to head back to Gracie's place. But mom got a picture with Pug before we said goodbye.
Yeah, I know. What's up with that? Shouldn't I have a picture with Pug? We better remedy that in Milwaukee after my 1000 Pugs shoot! Sheesh!
At Gracie's house, there was a break in the rain so we all headed outside to take care of business. And then Gracie and Arnie gave us an agility demonstration. Suki joined in too. I guess I was inspired because even I leaped over the 8 inch jump! I also went through the tunnel, scrunched up though. None of the peeps had cameras to capture my athletic moments. My mom always thought that if I hadn't got sick, I would have enjoyed agility and I think she's right. We were all pretty tired from a long but fun day at the Stockyards so we all found a lap to take a nap. Unfortunately for Suki, Gracie snagged her mom's lap before she could.
I just love the expression on Suki's face as she looks at Gracie sound asleep! The 'rents had fun talking the rest of the evening, making plans for the next day, and enjoying a wonderful spread of foodables, while we dreamt about stealing said foodables.
On Saturday, we headed to another 1000 Pugs location, downtown McKinney. It reminded me, mom and dad of Naperville, IL. We had a lot of fun shopping.
And posing for a ton of pics that the peeps thought would be so cute and funny. I should say that I look pretty rough and tough with my pink fleese in these pictures because at this point, dad had my harness under it. Anyway, before we left, we were so lucky to run into Pug again!
It was time to leave McKinney, but we had another stop to make. We were invited to hang out with Tiffy and the pugs from The Pugpant Chronicles! It was a fabulous pug party and so great to meet even more friends in the fur!
Left to right: Tiffy, Annie, Hannah (hiding), Java, Howie, Suki, Arnie, me, and that's Gracie on top of the couch!
When we got back to Gracie's house, my coughing became more frequent. I won't go into the stuff that my mom already talked about, but I just want to give a public shout out to Suki. She kept checking on me to see if I was ok and told her mom that she thought something was wrong. I love my friend Suki for caring so much about me.
Thanks to Gracie, Arnie, and Suki for showing me their great state! I had a blast hanging with them and also seeing my girl Tiffy, The Pugpant gang, and last but not least, Puglet! What a weekend this was!
After two detours (first Suki, then Sid) on the most fun drive to Chicago ever, we finally made it to our downtown hotel after dark. The lights are just so sparkling and beautiful around the holidays, and our views were spectacular!
We especially like looking at the Water Tower right on Michigan Ave. Here's a picture of it at night,
and one of it during the day.
We were lucky to get a corner suite with 3 large windows which meant that the sun's rays were all over the living room most of the day. I can't help but try to soak 'em up!
Not only did we take full advantage of the large picture windows, but we also decided to test out the room service for breakfast! YUM!
Every morning we'd get a fruit plate and I'd get to have some too! I love the blueberries.
Although I am more than happy to admit we did our fair share of eating in the hotel room, I also made sure to spend time with my toys, like the skinneez ostrich that thoughtful Suki got me.
Oh, and you don't think I would forget in a minute that my friend Sid got me a little something, did you?
A brand new pack of potatoes, egg babies, squeaky balls...whatever you call them, they are awesome!
I like to kill the squeaker (that goes without saying) and then walk around with one in my mouth chomping on it. Until I find another one, then I switch, and repeat.
Thanks for the great gift, Sid! Oh, and last week I promised to tell you about the present that sweet Hank sent me, so here it is. Besides a pink t-shirt, a super soft blanket with pups and candy was in the package!
As you can tell, I just love to lay on it, but enough pictures already mom! You can never have enough cozy, snuggle blankies. Thanks so much Hank!
There is so much more to share about my time in the city, leading up to New Years, but this post is long enough already. Tomorrow I'll update you on the main reason for our Chicago trip, my PDE check-up.
