The Sun Shine Award

Our friend at Us on Cloud 9 nominated  us for the Sunshine Award.  First we have to acknowledge the nominating blogger, thanks Cloud Nine!  The rules are: share 11 random facts about yourself (or in this case your self or dogs or cats), answer the 11 questions of the blogger that nominated you and then create your own 11 questions and nominate 11 bloggers.  Here it goes:

11 Random Facts

1) I am an only child grew up in the country so I am used to spending a lot of time alone and enjoy it.  I'm not close to any extended family so I can be pretty uncomfortable at large gatherings, though if they are dog related that sure helps!

2) My parents were not animal people, particularly not my mom.   I didn't grow up with a dog, though I did have two cats and lots of birds, reptiles, and guinea pigs.  I never really spent any time around dogs as a child, but I still loved them  and wanted a dog more then anything as soon as I grew up I got one. John, Urban Hounds Dad, grew up with miniature dachshunds and cats. My parents gave me and John the money for Tubby as a wedding present.

3) My late Dad, was the person who suggested we get a pug for our first dog.  He had two pugs when he was growing up and thought they were the perfect small, city friendly dog and he was right.  Pugs are prefect for us (no offense to Norbert and Bob who are also perfect).

My Dad was photo shy so I have no pictures of him on the computer, but he loved pool so Tubby's jacket is a good tribute

4) Both Tubby and Norbert were born on Staten Island.  Tubby in his breeders house and Norbert in the local shelter there.  We never lived on Staten Island so this of an odd coincidence.

5) Ping has never played with toys, ever, when she was a puppy we bought her a ton of toys and she never played with a single one and its continued over the years.  We have no idea where her aversion to toys come from.

6) Ernie, one of our cat has three legs.  We adopted him from a Vetrinary Hospital.   Some college students found him with a badly broken leg and he had to have it amputated.  He got a very bad infection after surgery and almost didn't survive.   Today he is 10 years old and aside from a heart murmur seemingly healthy.  He is pretty shy but on occasion super cuddly.

7)I'm both very talkative and very shy.  I'm pretty nervous in social situations unless I know the people very well, and due to nerves I tend to start blathering and interrupting.  I have been trying to work on that terrible interrupting habit.  One thing I love about the internet is you can socialize with the computer and that is much more comfortable for me.



8) The Urban Hounds Dad has a PHD in Biochemistry so he is a Doctor.

9) My favorite non pet animals are bats.  I think they are very interesting and kind of cute with their pushed in faces.  I love seeing them congregating in caves and arch ways.   I'm not a fan of some other rodents though as I'm terrified of rats and not at all fond of mice. 

10) I never ever drive, ever.  I have my license but I am a terrible driver.  I walk every where or ride my bike or take public transit.  I'd love to live in the country some day but the driving would be a problem.

11) I really want to own a Sphynx cat some day.  I first met one about 8 years ago and fell in love.   I love how warm and cuddly they are.  Some day far in the future when  my current cats are no more I am going to get one, I have a list of breeders and of supplies the cat will need and I have already named him-Mr. Spock.

Now for Cloud 9's Questions

1) What's your nickname and how'd you get it? The humans in the house don't have nick names, the pets have tons.   Baby the Cat is Baby Cat, Scooter the cat is Scoot Scoot, and Ernie the cat is sometimes called Ernie-Bob Cripple Pants because of his three legs and because we like Sponge Bob (I know its a little mean.)  The dogs have lots of nick names.  Tubby is called Fatula, Sir Porks-A-Lot, Tub Tub, and Fubby because the vet once spelled his name with an F.   Norbert is Norby, Big Norbs, and the Fruitarian because he loves fruit.   Ping is just called Ping Ping sometimes.   Bob is called Rhino Pig by his dad and Hippo, I know very, very mean, the worst part is he comes for Rhino Pig.  He also sometimes called Porko Rosso by his dad.   Weasley is called Pugerprise, Weezy, and Plumper.

2) If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you'd buy?  My house!  I want to pay of my mortgage.  Then if there was enough left over I'd by a weekend country home, maybe a log cabin in the Adirondacks.  If it was the super lottery I would by some miniature horses and a place to keep them because the Hounds Dad is not into mini horses.

3) What was the last thing you splurged on? Vintage clothes!!!  I bought a lot of reproduction Vintage Clothing after working summer school and now I have to pay of a credit card bill.

 

4) Favourite chip flavour? I like the New York Cheddar Kettle Chips.  The Hound's Dad likes all chips.  The hounds like cheese puffs.

5) What's your favourite movie?  The Wrath of Khan.  I love Star Trek and I think this is the best Trek movie I can watch it a zillion times and never get tired of it.  I also love Top Hat with Fred Astaire.  The Hound's dad says he doesn't really have a favorite movie.

6) What are the 3 closest objects to you? A plate with a half eaten bagel, the computer, a take out coffee cup.

7) Where would you want your next vacation to be? Since I have so many pets I rarely go on vacation but I have always wanted to go to Iceland.  I think its so beautiful and other worldly, it reminds me of Fairy Tales and the Lord or The Rings.

8) Who is your favorite author and what's your favorite book by them?  Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

9) What's your favorite season? Autumn! and most particularly October because I think its the most beautiful time of the year and because I love Halloween: Scary movies, Candy, Costumes and everything else that goes along with it. 

10) If you had $10,000 to donate to any charity, which charity would you choose? I'd either donate it to my local animal shelter or to the National Downs Syndrome Society.  I'm a high school special education teacher and I work with a lot of individuals with Downs Syndrome.

11) What's your favorite piece of clothing? I have a lot of clothes and I'm vintage style obsessed. When I turned 35 I made a pledge to start dressing just as I liked and not worrying what anyone thought so I started building my vintage wardrobe.  I'm sure lots of people think I look like I am in costume, but I'm happy.   If I had to pick one favorite item it would be my reproduction 1930s pewter satin blouse from Time Machine Vintage on Etsy I just wore it to a wedding. In fact I like vintage clothes so much I write about it on my other blog The Old Fashioned Way.

My Questions:

1) What/who was your first pet?

2) What is the last book you read?

3) If you could live anywhere in the world were would you choose?  

4) What is your favorite TV show?

5) If you had a time machine were would you go?

6) Who is your favorite fictional character?

7) What is your favorite Holiday?

8) What is the last book you read?

9) What is the last movie you saw?

10) What is your favorite food?

11) What is your favorite non-pet animal? 

The 11 blogs I am nominating:

1) What Remains Now 

2) Murray's Mouth 

3) A Day In The Life of Pugs 

4) Dip Dip and The Bridge 

5) A Tail of Two Cardis 

6) Idaho Pug Ranch 

7) My Furry Interesting Life 

8) The Three Little Pugs 

9) Stewey Unscence 

10) Gorogoro and Nikoniko 

11) A Wonderful Dog's Life