Doggone Good Times!

Back on Monday, August 24th, Tomkin had a doctor's appointment and went to the office. I spent my day working on the grant, and then we both took Chloe for a walk. That evening we met up at Salsa a la Salsa for dinner with Becca. Omar was originally going to join us, but he ended up having a work commitment. But the three of us had a blast! We ate, drank, and talked for three hours. So much fun!
Tuesday was another work day--Tomkin to the office, me working on the grant and going grocery shopping at Target. We took Chloe for a walk and tried to get her tired out before therapy dog class that night. The weeks are flying by!
Tomkin had lunch with his folks on Wednesday, then went to the office. I stayed home to work on the grant but took a break to walk Chloe. Every time we walk now, we try to include some training. Tomkin left about 4:30 to go to a big poker game in the 'burbs at his friend Bill's house. I spent my evening talking to Mom, baking dog cookies, and working on the doggy bags for Chloe's birthday party.Thursday the 27th was Chloe's 9th birthday! She got moist food for breakfast and a beef bone in celebration. Tomkin went to the office, and I worked on the grant and on putting doggy bags together. We took Chloe for a walk and let her run around in a nearby park. Someone had left a frisbee, so we threw it back and forth a few times, which was fun. (Didn't want to overdo it, though, since Tomkin's arm was starting to hurt.) We ended up running into some neighbors on our way home. Chloe got to play with her doggy friends Wilbur and Augie, which she loved. It was a beautiful day, so we ate dinner outside. Then we exercised to season 1 of "American Idol" in preparation for seeing Kelly Clarkson in concert.
Tomkin went to the office on Friday, and I turned in the grant application!!! Wow, what a relief that was. It was definitely a good learning experience and hopefully the next one will be easier. I ran some errands and baked cupcakes for the party. We took Chloe for a walk, and then I did more party preparation while Tomkin read. We decided that we should go out to celebrate the completion of my first federal grant, so we headed to the outdoor bar at W.A. Frost--just in time for late-night happy hour! We split a few appetizers, and I had a yummy drink. It was a lovely celebration.
Saturday's big event was Chloe's birthday party! Her cake arrived in the early afternoon (a bone-shaped ground beef cake with potato frosting). We packed everything up and headed over to Jim and Roxanne's--they (and their chocolate lab, Watson) graciously agreed to host the party in their big fenced-in backyard. We got all the food, doggy bags, and decorations set up, and Tomkin hung the dog-treat-filled pinata from a tree. Jim was happy to take on video duties after he built a nice fire. (It was unseasonably chilly!) Guests started arriving right at 3:00, and everyone stayed until 5:00. We ended up having eight dogs total (including Chloe), and everyone got along very well. First everyone just ran around and played.

Bucky, Piper, Guybrush, Otto, and WatsonOtto and Guybrush in play mode.
Chloe and Wilbur enjoying a quiet moment alone.

It was a great yard for throwing balls or other toys, and the dogs were happy to retrieve them (or chase after other running dogs). The human guests seemed to have a good time, too.
Ben & Kelly, Raj & Sheri, Tracy, Jim, Bella, and Julie
Ben getting down with the dogs.
Wilbur checks out Raj as Tracy looks on.Ben and Kelly with their new puppy, Pearl.
Tomkin and the birthday girl.

We all gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday" to Chloe, and then each dog got a slice of birthday cake. After a little more playtime, we headed for the pinata. Tomkin gave it a go first, and then Jim and I tried. Tomkin swings at the pinata while Watson and the humans watch.

We couldn't break it open, but we did manage to lower it a little. Finally, Watson jumped in and took over! He wanted to get the job done, and he did. It was awesome! Go, Watson, go!

Dog treats scattered everywhere, which kept all the pooches busy for a while. Guybrush and Piper asking Mom for more treats.

Some of the dogs enjoyed swimming in the backyard pond. It's not really meant for swimming, but the pooches didn't seem to care!Bucky emerging from the swimming hole.

Guybrush getting a rubdown after enjoying a swim.

Chloe got some wonderful gifts, including lots of yummy treats and a stuffed lion from Bella that's her new favorite toy (and pillow). As everyone left, we sent them home with doggy bags that included three kinds of homemade dog treats (with recipes), a tennis ball, and a few other goodies. I thought the party went really well and was a lot of fun! Not that Chloe really understood it, but it still felt nice to have a special celebration in her honor. We got everything cleaned up and headed home. We were all pretty beat, so we just rested for a while, and then Tomkin and I exercised. We all curled up on the couch and watched "I Love You, Man," which was hilarious. I highly recommend it!