I want a hamster.

So I watched Wall-E yesterday. I went to the 12:30 PM showing, because A) I had just finished my last official law school class, and I wanted to part-ay, B) I had gotten home at 3 AM after catching the midnight showing of Wanted, and gotten up at 7 AM to get to class, so if I planned on seeing Wall-E, I had to see it immediately - if I went home and sat down, I'd pass out for the rest of the day. So I saw it, and it was okay. Now, I realize that you Pixar maniacs must be ready to smack me over the head with an oversized hammer. Fear not, I'm a Pixar maniac myself. But this movie felt very different from all its predecessors. Not in a bad way, and I'm unsure if it's a great way - it was just different. It just felt so much darker than anything before - perhaps the subject matter lends itself to being darker, but as much as I enjoyed it, I left the theatre with a tinge of alarm/sadness. Perhaps because it was one of the most "realistic" scenarios Pixar has ever covered. I've heard some people say that it makes fun of itself and doesn't take anything too seriously - and that may be true, but I don't think the audience can help but seriously contemplate some of the ideas the movie is discussing.

Or maybe I was too brain-dead from lack of sleep to laugh as much as I should have.

But this post really wasn't about Wall-E. Nope. This post is about Bolt. Who is Bolt? This is Bolt (I would link YouTube, but they don't have a decent trailer up. As far as I can tell). And sure, the movie looks kinda cute, but keep your eyes peeled for the hamster. See it? Hear it? Isn't it freaking A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E?! Don't you just want to get your own hamster and teach it how to talk?

I think I might see that movie solely for the hamster.

I know.

I'm a sucker.

A sucker for cute talking hamsters.

Boo.

Babar: 0. That's right, Z-E-R-O! Pug Mom: 1

So yesterday I devised a new plan to get him to eat his meds. I mixed the Benadryl with a scoop of Cookies 'n Cream ice cream, and put it in his usual eating bowl. I didn't do that yesterday - I basically hand fed it to him in a different dish. I gave Celly a little ice cream too, because she's way too greedy to stop herself from pushing him away and eating his food. Then I put both their bowls in the usual place on the floor. Then I waited. Like yesterday, Babs licked the ice cream, then stopped and looked at me as if to say, "I'm not dumb, Mom. I KNOW that ain't normal ice cream!" But then he glanced over at Celly devouring her ice cream with gusto. Now, this is where pug peer pressure kicks in. If Celly's eating the exact same thing, and she's enjoying it so much, then it MUST taste good........ right? So he gave it another shot. He still didn't seem very happy about the taste, but Celly's butt was still wiggling like crazy with desperate love for her delicious ice cream. So he tried it again. And hesitated. And tried it again.

I was doing little "I tricked Babar - uh, huh, oh, yeah, uh, huh" cheerleader moves.

Then he walked away.

Well.......crap.

But then, Celly finished her ice cream and sauntered over to check out his dish.

Babar spotted her before she got halfway there, and running back, he growled, and attacked his ice cream with fervor. In a couple seconds, it was all gone. The bowl was licked clean.

And I win. I win! Bwahaha! In your face, Babs, in your face!

Yep. Dear ol' Celly may be a brat, but she's also my secret weapon.

Babar: 1; Pug Mom: 1

So the doctor told me Babar has allergies. And he's got a genetic tendency to joint problems too. And he needs medication for both. So far, the joint medication has been sitting on the counter collecting dust, because it is O-H-S-O-V-E-R-Y-H-A-R-D to get him to eat the darn pills. But I've been adamant that at least he's getting his allergy meds. So, following doc's orders, I went out and got him some Benadryl. First I got the pill form, and since they're so tiny, I figured I could hide it in his food. So I tried that.

Yep. Didn't work. The pug ate all around it, even put it in his mouth and sucked the actual food away from it, and dropped the pill on the floor. He's that good.

So I went and bought the kid's version - liquid Benadryl. This was going to work! I put a little in his bowl, along with a scoop of ice cream, which I thoroughly mixed together with the medication. I gave some ice cream to Celly too, so she wouldn't try to attack Babar while he was finishing his meds. And Babar started eating it! I was so excited. Victory for Pug Mom! Finally. But then he stopped, licked his lips, and looked up at me as if to say, "Hm, there's something suspicious about this ice cream. It doesn't taste quite right." So I begged, and he took another couple of licks. Then he stopped again. Then I begged again, and he took a couple more licks. And we kept up this routine until he had ALMOST finished. But then he decided he wanted to check out what Celly was eating, and he trotted off to bug her.

Dagnabit.

So 1 for Pug Mom for getting him to ALMOST finish his meds...and 1 for Babs for not finishing ALL his meds.

I've Got A Little Crush

Just a little one.

I don't know much about him, other than the fact that his name is Fu'ad Ait Aattou, and he's French. He's just finished his first movie, "The Last Mistress".

I've realized that I like androgynous boys. I like manly men too, but I've got a soft spot for men who could be called "beautiful" (rather than "handsome").

But I'm not a fan of hairy fellas. As in, "My father was a gorilla and I'm only slightly less hairy".

Survey Time!

Okay, so I'm thinking about getting another tattoo. It's the flower above, but it's much smaller than my last piece. This one in particular has special meaning to me - it represents Ecuador (my mother's birthplace), and all my extended family on my mom's side. If it had a little talking bubble, it would say, "Hey! I stand for Pug Mom's love for Ecuador, her heritage, and her family!" The flower is called a lantana, and it grows in Latin America - there's actually a species that only grows in Ecuador. It is one of my biggest visual reminders of Ecuador - on my first visit to Ecuador, when I was 7 years old, I remember the house being flooded by overgrown lantana shrubs. And my cousins and I would go out, pick the flowers, and make little flower necklaces. Not a big deal, but something I've always remembered.

Now, some people have expressed concern that my current tattoo (and my next) will adversely affect my reputation and my career. And to a certain degree, I understand and agree with them. I realize that - generally speaking - most adult people have negative connotations attached to tattoos. They think they're trashy, indicate gang membership, association with scum, etc. And I know that a person with visible tattoos will often get discriminated against just because of their tattoos - regardless of the quality and artistry of the pieces.

I understand this, and I am under no illusions that I should be treated differently because my tattoos are "special", or that people will change. Because, honestly, it takes a very long time for people to change. Maybe my kids' generation (or my kids' kids' generation) will accept it. But not my generation. And certainly not my parents' generation. Knowing this, I still chose to get my current piece done. Why? I guess it boils down to the fact that it is important to me, and I don't believe I should have to live my life and make my choices based on what other people will think of me. I have thought very long about this, and I am morally and spiritually at peace with my decision.

However, like I said, I realize that this might influence other peoples' opinion of me. With that in mind, I made the decision early on not to have any tattoos that are visible in a short skirt and sleeveless shirt. That way, no one in my professional life will have the chance to judge me on anything other than my personality or work ethic, because there's nothing for them to see. And yet, I am managing to stay true to myself and not do things simply for other people.

And yes, my tattoos aren't invisible - you will be able to see them if I'm in a two-piece bathing suit. Or in my bra and panties. But those two situations are usually reserved for people very close to me. And I am only close to people who accept me completely - with or without the tattoos.

So, basically, I think I've covered all my bases. Making sure I present a clean-cut image to the professional world? Check. Still live my life the way I want to? Check.

And now, what do you think? Am I being unreasonable? Too optimistic? Think my boss will hunt me down at the beach and fire me for having a back tattoo? Have you had any experiences that support one side or the other? I'd really love to hear your opinion. And be honest. I'd rather hear the truth, as bad as it may be, than have you tell me everything will be just dandy. So, spill the beans, people!

4 Posts-In-One

I.

Remember I blogged about Celly playing tag with my mini-pug statue? And how I thought that was so special because she only does it with other dogs or Babs?

I saw her doing the exact same thing today with a little branch that had fallen into the patio.

Yeah.

Maybe I just have a dumb dog.

II.

So, I have these cookies I absolutely adore. They're made by Potbelly, the sandwich fast food chain. And today I went to get a massage, and right next door there's a Potbelly. And since I haven't had those cookies in MONTHS, and I hadn't eaten all day (and by that time it was already 5:30), I stopped in and got myself the little bag of a dozen mini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. And they had just come out of the oven so they were warm and gooey and just so amazingly beyond delicious. And I ate the entire bag on the drive home. Because I clearly want to gain 500 pounds. I got home and I was feeling kinda sick. So I made myself a cabbage salad (just lemon, a little olive oil, and salt) and felt much better. Lesson? Don't eat an entire bag of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Even if they are from Potbelly. And just out of the oven. And freaking delicious.

And why the hell do we eat stuff when we know full well we'll feel ill minutes after eating it? I'm telling ya - I don't think our ancestors were so stupid about food. It was all about survival, not cravings. Or at least I'd like to think so.

III.

So that massage I mentioned? "Aaahhhhhh" (that's a heavenly chorus singing). Yep - it was just beautiful. This time, I asked her to please do it with a light touch - I wanted to relax, not get my kinks worked out. And even though it was only 30 minutes long, I fell asleep about 5 times.
Then I thought - how fantastic would it be to have someone massage you to sleep every night? I might even permanently give up ice cream for that. And then I thought - how awesome would it be to have someone on call 24/7 to give me a massage? After the gym, "Bob! Massage!" After a particularly long day, "Bob! Massage!" Although that wouldn't work out so well in this society. Even the richest person can't have a massage-slave. I think I'd have to be rich and live hundreds of years ago to have a massage-slave (and have it be perfectly PC).

*sniffle* I want a massage-slave. *sniffle*

IV.

Last, but definitely not least, an update on my workout program. Well, less update, more squealing with glee. So, last December, I realized that my significant weight gain (and near impossibility of losing weight) was due to the particular type of happy pills I was on. So I quit (with the "okay" from the doctor), and since then, just by eating normally and working out occasionally, I've gone down to the size I was back in December 2006. But that's still not my ideal size - I want to lose another 2/3 pant sizes, or 27 pounds. Whichever looks better.
So, since the end of April/beginning of May, I've been taking boxing classes. I was going pretty regularly, then I took two weeks off during graduation, and then I started going back. I have lost some weight just doing the boxing - it does completely tire me out and make me sweat like crazy. I just haven't lost as much weight as I would like. For the past two weeks, I've been going every day, and for the past week, I've added an hour in the gym doing weights. And no, before you ask, I'm not trying to bulk up like a bodybuilder. But it's a common known fact that muscle burns calories much more efficiently than fat, and so, the more muscle I have, the faster I'll burn calories. Plus I'll already be burning calories working out, so it's an added bonus. Also, it's really very hard for most females to develop those steroid-y looking bodies. Usually when women work out with weights, they lose weight and tone - NOT bulk up. Even if you're doing heavy weights and little reps. I talked to a couple trainers and they suggested few reps (8-10), only 2/3 sets, but enough weight that you can barely complete the sets. It's more efficient, works your muscles better, and takes less time.
So that's what I've been doing. And my gym just bought all new machines. Yay! And, the upstairs floor is always empty whenever I'm there, so I have all the machines to myself. Double yay! So, like I said, it's only been a week that I've been doing the weights, but, BUT! I can already see improvement. If I flex my arms in front of the mirror, I can actually see my biceps pushing up. Me! With visible muscles! Visible even through the excess fat! Which means they'll look MUCH bigger when I actually lose that fat! And what's really the most important thing here is: there's visible improvement in only a week. ONLY a week. And my deadline for losing weight/toning is 7 weeks from now. And now, I officially have hope of getting very close to my target size. Triple yay!

Fasting + Exercise = Bad Idea

So, I've started this new diet. Basically I eat healthy (and yummy and normal) every day, but I don't eat major carbs (like rice, pasta, bread) except for once a week (my "Go Crazy" day - although I don't really go crazy. I have self control, people!). And I am also trying to fast one day a week, just to let my body relax a bit. I've fasted before, and it's been fine. And a 24 hour fast has always been a breeze. However, I've never exercised before during a fast.

You can see where this is going, don't you?

So I did my first fast yesterday. I went to the gym for 1 hour, then I went to my boxing class (for 1 hour), then I walked my dogs for 30 minutes. I felt pretty good by the time I went to bed.

Then I woke up today. I jumped out of bed to answer the phone in the kitchen. Then I went to the bathroom. And eventually I realized that I was feeling really, really, really weak. As in, "I'm about to faint" weak. I was so confused, because I've only felt this way once or twice my entire life. And I couldn't think of a reason for why I felt this way. Having fasted up to 3 days in the past, and never feeling this faint, I came to the conclusion that it must have been the hours of exercise I did yesterday.

So I ate. I ate a couple veggie sausages. I still didn't feel better.

Then I ate three grapefruits with honey. Feeling a little better.

So then I ate a couple more veggie sausages (they were low-fat, people! Half the calories of the regular type!)

And then I was back to normal.

So I've come to the conclusion that I have to either give up the one fasting day, or not exercise that day. And I have a feeling the exercise does me more good than fasting, so.......

Bye bye fasting.

Sorry.

It's not you, it's me.

You know what hurts?

Getting warts frozen off your foot.

Yes, that hurts. A lot.

Fortunately, it seems the treatment is working - this is my second time, and the doctor said some wart tissue is coming off. So my pain is not in vain.

Just three more treatments to go. *shiver in terror*

And if that doesn't work, then off to a specialist for more "aggressive" treatment (They're already carving a hole in my foot and spraying it with liquid nitrogen - what are they going to do next? Saw my foot off?)

Yeah. Warts are evil. And I've never had them before - just got my first two when I went to Brazil and walked through dirty muddy water barefoot. Because I was crazy.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

That's me hyperventilating.

Because I won't be able to see the FINAL LAST ELEVEN EPISODES OF BATTLESTAR GALACTICA until NEXT YEAR! NEXT. YEAR. N-E-X-T Y-E-A-R!

Cue:

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I realize my reaction is a bit tardy (should have been late Friday night). But I don't have cable, and I was only able to download the last episode of this season today. And I just finished watching it. And I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! Who's the last Cylon?! What the hell happened to Earth?! I wanna know! I wanna know!

And for all of you out there that have yet to see Battlestar Galactica, I urge you, beg you, plead with you, to get yourselves a copy and watch it. It is probably one of the best drama series for the last couple years. Yes, it is really really really good. Even if you've never cared for any type of scifi ever, THIS is one show that'll hook you.

So, um, I'm sad, people. And mad. Stupid SciFi. Dragging out the last season. Hate them.

And The Happening...

Is kind of creepy.

If you've seen the commercials, I'm sure you can tell the plot has something to do with people killing themselves (for some unknown reason). And if you've seen the commercials, you see that it first starts with confusion, then they just stand around, and then, well, they kill themselves. Overall, it was pretty good for a recent Night film. Although there really wasn't a twist. Or rather, it was just really really tiny.

And as I was driving home from the theatre, I saw a family of bunnies just sitting in the middle of the road. Really still. Not moving. And my first thought was, "Oh no! It's killing the bunnies now too!"

Tee hee hee.

The Incredible Hulk...

Was freaking incredible. Really. Okay, not Iron Man good, but ALMOST Iron Man good. There is NO, absolutely NO, comparison to the Bana version. None. None, ya hear me? None. And yes. I went to the midnight showing. Because I love midnight showings. And I should be sleeping because I have my final today at 8 AM. And I have less than 5 hours to sleep. But I just HAD to post and tell you all to get your butts moving to the nearest theatre. And buy a ticket to the The Incredible Hulk. And then go tell all your friends. And make them buy tickets too. And I'm probably being this pushy because I'm sleep deprived and tired and excited about the freaking awesome movie I just saw! Yeah. The theatre was buzzing with energy. It was definitely a good midnight showing. Okay, now I'm going to bed.

Go see Hulk.

G-O.

You Want To Talk About Romantic?

Well, let me tell you - Spanish is the way to go.

I recently bought an external hard drive (500 GBs, people. 500!) to upload all my music and documents onto (and clear up much needed space on my laptop). And since then, I've been popping CD after CD and listening to a couple songs that I'd forgotten existed. And I've realized my collection of Latin music is much larger than I thought. And I also realized that, although I'm not one for romantic music at all, I must admit that hearing love poetry being sung in Spanish sounds so much more romantic and touching than it ever has being sung in English. Perhaps many of you may not be able to appreciate this (not speaking Spanish and all), but gosh darnit (and I hate to admit it) I think I could let myself be serenaded by a couple of these Spanish love songs.

And believe me, hearing someone tell you, "Te amo" is so much more heart-fluttering than "I love you." Gosh. English can be such a bland-sounding language.

Being Single Rocks Sometimes

This Friday, I went to see Kung Fu Panda (yes, I'm a sucker for animated flicks). I was 30 minutes early, but it being a Friday evening, the place was packed. Couples were walking in and walking out, because there wasn't a single 2 seats together in the entire theatre. But me? I'm single. I'm one person. So I found a great seat right in the middle. Yay!

The movie was pretty good, too. Although for some reason, as much as I love Angelina Jolie, I do NOT think the woman is good for voicing anything. Her voice is nice, but just so bland. She doesn't really have that "oomph" required (in my book, anyway).

Celly Is Freakin' Adorable

Yep. She is. She has to be, otherwise she'd be dead from being so annoying.

So I have this pug statue my mom gave me a while ago. And yesterday I put it on the floor, because I was moving some stuff on the shelf it usually sits on.

And I forgot it there.

And today I let the pugs run rampant around the house.

And Celly comes up to the pug statue, sniffs its butt, then backs away really slowly. Once she's several feet from it, she wiggles her little butt (in that "Oooh, I'm feeling very playful...and so...ATTACK!!!" way), then started what I like to call the "Pug Teasing Ritual". It consists mainly of running towards the object, getting close enough to sniff it, wiggling the butt, growling enticingly, then running away. Rinse and repeat. With each turn, the distance grows farther and farther and the butt wiggling becomes more crazy.

And let me remind you that Celly (and Babs) only do the Pug Teasing Ritual on each other or other friendly dogs.

Which made it even funnier. Here was Celly playing doggie tag with a ceramic minature pug statue.

*Giggle*

Celly Ate A Mosquito (And Other Serious Matters)

So last night I was laying on the couch, covered in my nice, warm, couch blankie, draped by two heavy pugs on my chest, watching TV. When who should enter but a gigantic mosquito. I don't even know if they're called mosquitos (seeing as they're so ginormous) but anyway, there it was. Flying around lazily. Scaring me to death (I, for some reason, have the biggest heebie-geebies when I see one of those huge mosquitos). And then the mosquito decides to fly closer to me. And closer. And closer. And I cringe, trying to decide when to dive under the blankie, when guess what happens? Celly spots the mosquito hovering nearby, takes a flying leap off the couch, and...swallows it in one bite. Yep. My baby pug ate a huge mosquito. To save her mommy! I was so proud.

Now, I have another matter to bring to my dear readers' attention. And I'd like your honest opinion, because I'm sick of trying to figure this out on my own. So, this is the problem:

I have a friend, who I've known for a couple years. In the past, we used to hang out often and get along pretty great, but for several months now, we've been drifting apart. I'm trying to decide if I should end this friendship definitively and not drag it out any longer, or whether I should give it another chance. And if you can give me any input, advice, opinion, I'd appreciate it. But perhaps I should inform you of how our relationship stands right now, and our individual behavior in the past months.

Him: He rarely calls, and if he does, it is often to ask a favor. Sometimes, if he's at the supermarket, he'll call and ask if I want something. He doesn't text/email/fax/etc. often either. If he does communicate, mostly it's to tell me something that's going on with him - he rarely asks about me. He rarely tries to hang out with me - if he does, it's usually to see a movie (that he's interested - never a movie I really want to see, but he's not interested in). Sometimes he'll be nice, like buying the next X-Files season and letting me watch it first. Or saving chicken leftovers for my pugs. But those occasions are few and far between. When we are together in a situation where we can talk, I notice he oftentimes isn't paying attention to what I am saying, or doesn't seem very interested in listening to me (and before you ask, there is a marked contrast in his behavior when he IS interested and participating in conversations, and when he ISN'T). He has repeatedly said he wants to be my friend, and that he likes me, but he rarely talks to me or hangs out with me, and even when he does, it often feels like he's not really there. Today he even texted me to let me know he had done something I STRONGLY disapprove of, and I know will hurt him - he knows I disapprove, and knows I would worry about him and that it would hurt me to know what he did, but he still told me. And when I asked him why he told me, when he knew it would hurt me, he didn't give me a reason, or apologize.

Me: If I want to hang out with him, or want to know what's going on with him, I have to call him. He rarely initiates contact. If we do hang out, I feel uncomfortable because he doesn't seem interested in having a conversation or being a friend and asking what's up with me. I've tried talking about him, but even that doesn't work very well most of the time. In a lot of respects, we have very different topics of interest, but I have always done my best to find out what's going on in his life, and show him that I care about him. However, he rarely seems interested in doing the same. He has often cancelled "dates" because his other friends called him at the last second and asked him out (and sometimes had the gall to make me feel guilty if I seemed upset at his cancelling). I don't feel like he's a friend I can count on, and I feel like he's only my friend to use me when it suits him. This hurts me, and deep down inside I think I should end the friendship instead of being dragged to and fro at his whim - but I'm hesitant to do it. And before you ask, I have done my best to avoid clingy behavior - I don't call him every day, and I certainly don't see him every day. I do most of my social activities by myself and don't invite him - if I do, it's usually to something I'm definitely going to/watching, so I don't feel disappointed if he doesn't want to come along.

SO, yeah. After writing this down, I realize this seems horribly prejudicial. But honestly, I racked my brain to be as truthful and fair as I could be regarding the situation. And yet after reading this I have to ask myself, "Why am I STILL his friend?" I guess that boils down to - in the past, he was a good friend. He was generous with his gifts and time (he's like that with all his friends), and I had really fun moments with him. But now it's completely different, and the only reason I'm still hesitant to cut him out of my life altogether is because of those memories. I feel that I owe it to him, because he USED to be a good friend, to remain his friend even if I don't feel we are close at all anymore. Also, he occasionally does something nice (like getting me something from the grocery store or buying a movie for me to watch - although he keeps it, of course), which makes me momentarily forget all his other negative behavior. And we'll still bump into each other on a regular basis even if we aren't friends, and being non-confrontational, I don't think I'd like that (and I refuse to change my habits to hide from him). So, basically, this post is for you all to slap me over the head and tell me to stop being and idiot and drop the motherf'er. Or give me advice. Or something.

Sorry to burden you all with my friend issues, but today and his text message was the last straw, and I had to tell SOMEONE or I'd pop. So, people, what is your opinion?