Life Is GOOD!

Like I said, human readers and dog-friends, life is good. Except we don't have snow and I LOVE SNOW! I am a snowdog! (you know that movie, 8 below? about Huskies stranded on Antarctica for all winter? In real life, they were not huskies, they were AKITAS!) But Mom says to be patient, snow will come soon enough.

Why is life so good? Because over Christmas (I don't know really what that means; Mom tried to explain it, but mostly I think it is about more cookies) CARYN CAME HOME!!!! For those who don't 'member, Caryn is my absolutest bestest human friend (of course I love Mom best, but she's here all the time, except when I stay with Lynn and the BIG dogs [Mom: aka the Kennel...]). She came here to visit me and took me for lots of walks -- I don't know how many because I wasn't counting, but it was LOTS! And she brushed me outside on a really warm but windy day. All my fluff flew away! Mom says because it is so bnorm -- aborn -- strangely warm, I am blowing my coat again. This I don't understand; Mom blows on my sometimes, but she uses her mouth to blow. I am not using my mouf to make my hair come loose. Anyway, it's better when CARYN!!!! brushes me instead of Mom plucking me. Mom, I am not a chicken or a goose or one of those stupid turkey things back of Aunt Shari's backyard (but if you caught one of those and cooked it, I would eat it!). Anyway, it was fun and I'm not so itchy now!

After Caryn left again (I miss her really a lot!), Caryn's Mom and Dad came to take me for a walk! More than once! And Caryn's Dad came all by himself today and I took him for a LONG FAST walk. I'm a good walker, but slow walkers make me crazy. Mom walks me on some of those warm days, and she keeps saying "heal" [Mom: heel...] and I don't remember that word but when I go and stand beside her she gives me little treats, so maybe I should stay a little closer when I walk with her. Treats are almost as good as snow. But Mom walks SLOW. I keep trying to be out in front of her and show her how fast to go, but she keeps pulling me back and giving me treats and walking slow and saying heal. She even makes me stop and sit before we cross the streets! But I get treats for that, too, so it's OK.

Dog friends, tell your humans that a big back yard isn't enough. You need walks with treats! And human friends, remember that dogs need walks (with treats. Little ones are fine). If you can't do it, maybe one of your other human friends can! (Sometimes Mom doesn't feel good and is in bed a lot so she can't walk me; it's good if Caryn's Mom and Dad come then!)

I'm happy to see Caryn and to walk with her and her Mom and Dad, and I'm even happy to be walking slow with Mom. I just wish we had snow. [Mom: I don't, because then it's slippery and even harder to keep up with Kimiko, but I know this warm January won't last, so I'm ready for snow walks. Hope Caryn's parents are, too!] But life is good now, and I think it will get better.

I Went on Vacation!!!

First off, dear hooman readers, I will try to rite more hoomany -- humany? -- because Aunt Shari complains that I type funny. Aunt Shari apparently does not read the site "I Has a Hot Dog" or subscribe to get LOLdogs. Then she would recognize my LOLspeak. But OK. I will try to rite rite. [Write right.] (OK, MOM!!!) (btw it is very hard to make big letters like THIS because I only have claws.)

Some days ago Mom was getting ready to go somewhere. She didn't think I knew she was packing stuff, because she does not no how smart I am (but she knows how beautiful I am!). But I new. I was a little concerned. At least one time she left me alone in the house and friends like Caryn or Connie (across the street; Zeb used to live there; I was in love with Zeb. He was bigger than I am! Mom says he is a Great Dane. I says he is a Great Dog. But now Zeb is gone and Connie has a little dog who barks at me. But that's OK; I bark at him!) what was I saying? Oh yes, these friends come and let me out or in and give me food and treats. But that is long time to be all alone.

This time Mom takes me to Lynn's place. She has taken me there before. I love Lynn almost as much as I love Caryn. Lynn is really really nice and she loves me and she knows dog-speak really good. I even like the boys who work there. I run to the back to see if any of my dog-friends are there. Yes! Some of my friends from before are there! And there are some new dogs to meet and sniff and run with. I had a wonderful time! On hot days, Lynn lets me stay in where it's cool. On cooler days I get to run with big dogs. My friend Spike used to come with me sometimes. He was a little dog, Mom had him before I came to live there, but he would go out with the big dogs. He would run a little, then lay down in shade and watch us run and play. Mom said he could not run too much because his heart is too big. I think a big heart is better than a little one. Spike is gone now, and I miss him sometimes. But I like to have Mom all for me! Anyway, I had a really really good time at Lynn's place! I hope I get to go there again soon! Lynn doesn't give me so many treats as Mom does, but playing with my dog-friends makes up for it!

I hardly even missed Mom at all. But don't tell her that, OK?

Oh, and I am a little worried right now. Today a MAN came to the house at lunch time and came in and he had a HAT. (I HATE HATS. NO ONE SHOULD WEAR THEM!!!) Mom and the man talked a long time, and she told me to be quiet when I barked at him. It is my job to bark at strangers, and this man was a stranger! Anyway, then they went out the front door, and they didn't come back for a long time. But then he went a way. I hope he doesn't take my Mom away again.

[Mom: He is a friend from my junior high and high school days; we had a lot of catching up to do, but he is a friend and doesn't live in Bismarck, so Kimiko has nothing to worry about! And she'll get to go to Lynn's again soon, I'm sure. I'm just glad she has a good time there!]

Sleepy Times

It is all the way summer now, and very very hot. My yard is a jungle; I only has a small strip in the front and I has to walk on it a lot so no more green stuff grows. Mom says green stuff is weeds, and her garden in front of my yard has some too, but only not so many as mine.

Mom is not feeling good at all. I hasn't beed able to rite to you, hoomans, becuz hardly ever is the typey thing on. Mom has head hurts, and she keeps lights off, and typey things off, and she stays in bed a lots. Sometimes she goes away and she tells me she sees doctors and I know she's not shopping becuz she does not bring anyfing home. I wish she felt better.

When she is in bed, I lie in the bedroom wif her. I hope I make her feel better becuz I, her byootiful Akita, is wif her. I be very quit. Quite. Quiet. one of does is rite. She tries to read sometimes, but that gives her head hurts too. When she tries to read or watch the box, I sleep on the couch by her or in my den. Poor Mom. Poor me, I need new treats! But if Mom eats, she gives me lots of it. I fink she feels pretty bad becuz she not eating choklit (she doesn't give me lots of choklit, she says it is poyson for dogs, especially Akitas, even though it makes me drool becuz it smells so very good!). She loves choklit almost as much as she loves me!

I show you picshur of me sleeping in my den. I has not a picshur of me in Mom's room, becuz I can't use the picshur-taker-fing. I hope Mom feels better soon, but sleeping inside where is cool is so better than being outside when it SO hot! My fur falls out!

Talk to you later when fings is better for me and Mom, OK?

Woof!

Food -- Who Decides When I Eat?

You can see my bowls. They don't sit on the rug anymore, now they sit on a funny green thing that sticks to the floor and makes sure the bowls don't move when I eat out of them. Do you see what my food bowl says? It says MORE FOOD. (please).

Here's the thing. When humans want food, they get it for themselves. I can only ask. I ask nicely by raising my paw. When I want to make Mom laugh, I talk to her in Akita talk [Mom: that's a sort of wooo noise that changes in pitch as she "says" it]. Sometimes Mom gives me a treat, sometimes she says no. No??? NO??? Do you see the unfairness here?

My food and treats are in containers I can't open because I do not have thumbs. I only get food if a human gives it to me. Usually that human is Mom. But lately she's been taking my dinner away if I don't eat it right away. Well, maybe I'm not hungry when she fills the bowl. Maybe I like to dine later. (My bfdf Lennon says that dining later is sofistikated, and only pesants eat early, so there, Mom!) But if I don't eat before she starts watching night TV, she takes it away. I can't get it.

I have a list of demands. I want a bowl that makes food come out whenever I want it. I want a treat container that I can open myself whenever I want it. I want lots of different kinds of treats: crunchy bones, chewy bacons, sausages, cheezes, swet taters [that's po-tay-toes...] ALL of them.. Whenever I want. If I don't get that, then I won't give kisses, let Mom brush me, or sit by her. I want my food when I want it, not just when she wants to give me it.

Truly, Humans, don't you think that's fair? It is MY food, after all. Woof!

[Note from Mom: I am a softie, and almost always give her a treat, or two, when she wants them -- except when she hasn't eaten the food in her bowl. If she eats dinner after 7:00, then she wants out about 11:00, when I'd rather be sleeping. So I don't feel totally unfair. But I am considering one of those self-feeding tower things... but not for treats, just for food! Too many treats, and she'll be as fat as I am!]

Snow Is Gone!!!

Hello Human Readers, and dog readers too! I sory I not write for so long, but Mom is always on the typey thing. She say she writes Novel, like a long story. I only has short stories, but I can't get to typey thing, then she turn it off and no more light and we go to bed. (I pretend I sleep on couch, but when Mom asleep, I go in and gard her!) [like I didn't know that, says Mom. Kimiko snores] (not so much as Mom snores, so ther)

Anyways, I am not happy. All my snow is gone. All the human people seem happy, and those pesky birds are back and steel my fur that I leave around my yard to make it mine. No snow to roll in. No snow to flip with my snoot. No snow to rub my face in. And if that is not bad enuf for snow dog, now it RAIN! On my HEAD! I hate rain. It make me all wet. Almos as bad as a baff. Mom never gives me baff at home; she takes me for a long car ride (and I good in car; I just pant a little) and then leads me in to that place. I don't like the baff and the brush, but the human lady is real nice and she speaks dog way better than Mom does. Sometimes Mom doesn't unnerstand me. [Mom says, yes I do, but after the second treat, I'm not going to give Kimiko any more!]

Only one good fing about snow all gone. I go for more walks now. Remember Caryn my bff? Her Mom and Dad come take me for long walks. I love her Mom and try to give her face kisses, but she doesn't like those like my Mom does. I'm a little scared of her Dad because he is man and very very big. But yesterday -- no, day before? I forget. Anyways, he come by himself. I kiss his fingers through fence, but I bark a little too. He says nice things. Then my Mom comes out with my walking clothes! [Mom: harness and leash] I think Mom and the Dad take me for walk, and that good; they dress me and we start to walk, then I see Mom not there -- just the Dad! Oh no. I a little scared, but only a little because I am BIG Akita and Akitas are brave. The Dad walks very fast like I do. My Mom is slow, but that's OK. I teach her faster. We have short walk, the Dad and Kimiko, then he brings me home and I drinks all my water, make Mom give me Snosage [Snausages] and I eat it up and take a nap. Has I said that naps are good? you should take one!!!

But I misses my snow. Soon it will be hot, and I will be inside where it be cool. I don't like hot. My head has black fur and it gets real hot and I don't like that at all. Inside better in summer; it be cool. I like cool. Mostly I like COLD, but I am Akita, and Akita is Snow Dog!

Bye now, my Mom comes back!
Kimiko

I Saved My Mom's Life

Some many days ago, I saved my mom's life. OK, the story reely starts a longer time ago, even before the last snow time. Mom likes to "teach me tricks." She doesn't understand that I already know how to do everything, even type on this typey thing, but it makes her happy to think she can teach me, so I pretend. Besides, I get treats when I play along.

So she teached me to bring her that thing she holds up to her face and talks with. She calls it the fone. I don't like the box thing it sits on because it makes horrible noises, so I won't get the fone when the noises happen. But when the bigger thing is quiet, I don't mind. First Mom teached me to set my front paws on the wood box that the fone box sits on [Mom note: it's the stereo cabinet]. Like I don't know how to put my front paws on thing! I am laffing on inside. Has Mom not see me stand up with my front paws on the fence top in my yard? She think I'm stupid? I think I get lots of yummy little chewy treats when I "learn" to put my front paws on wood thing! Then she put fone in my mouth and says, "Good Kimi!" and then takes it out and gives me more treats. I let her do this a bunch of times, so I get a bunch of treats, then I do it myself, and Mom is SO happy. I am laffing again! Then she backed away and says "Kimi, bring Mama the fone." I look at her. She says again, "Bring Mama the fone! Good Kimi!" So I do, and I get lots of pets and cuddles. We do this for many days. Lots of treats for me! then she put some boxes and things in front of wood thing, so I can't do fone trick anymore for a while.

But then some days ago she got up from our couch, and walked a few steps, and fell down. This scared me because Mom doesn't fall down. I licked her face and she opened her eyes. She looked confused, and that scared me too. (How do I get treats when she's confused? No, really, I love Mom more than anybody!) I lick her again. She try to move, and it looked like she hurt. She said, "Kimi, good girl, bring Mama the fone!" So I do. I drop it in her hand. She talk into it. Then she said, "Kimi, help Mama to the couch!" So I bent down a little bit so she could put her arm over me, and I helped her to the couch. She was not standing on her feet, though. She had one arm on me and one front paw on the floor, and her knees on the floor. Kimiko worries. After some time Mom talk on the fone again, then soon Aunt Shari comes. She doesn't knock so I don't have to bark for her; that's good because I don't think Mom wanted barks. Aunt Shari gived me a peanut treat (and thank you to readers who told Mom to buy them! they my FAVORITE treat!) and took Mom away. After a long, long LONG time she brought Mom home. Mom smelled really funny; it was a strong smell that made my nose hurt. Mom says it is antisectic, I think [Mom note: antiseptic. Probably from all the alcohol prep wipes for drawing blood, running an IV, and putting sticky things on me to do an EKG].

Aunt Shari put me out and when I came in there was food and water in my bowls and Mom was in bed. Aunt Shari said I was a good girl and maybe saved Mom's life. Mom told me I was the best dog in the world -- then I rooed because she said it wrong -- so she said I was the best AKITA in the world, because I know all Akitas are better than other dogs [Mom note: OK, so she's breedist -- she can't help it...]. I'm happy because Mom is home now, although she had to go away one afternoon after that and came back smelling funny again. [Mom note: IV iron; she could probably scent the additional iron in my blood, although I couldn't]

So I saved my Mom's life. Every big dog should learn to bring fone to their moms. Even some little dogs can probably do it. If I'd known she was going to fall, I would have stood in front of her so she could fall on me and not get all funny colored like her side is now. But she said she wasn't really going to die, it's just ameemeea? [Mom note: anemia... sigh... she can type but she's not the world's best speller. but then, she is an Akita.] But I still think that if I had not brought her the fone, she would have died right then. I was asleep when she falled, but it woke me right up so I could save her.

I've been getting more treats since then, and when she walks in the house I make sure I'm right beside her in case she decides to fall again. I don't want her to be hurt. She's the bestest Mom EVER, especially since she bought more peanut treats.

Bye for now!

Napping and Not Playing

Napping is good. I am lucky that Mom naps so much and doesn't expect me to entertain her all the time. I am Akita; we do not fetch. After as long as we've been together [note from Mom: almost 6 years] you would think Mom would get that. But no. She still throws things. I tell her, get it yourself, YOU threw it. But she won't. So it sits wherever it lands. Silly human.

Much as I love naps, there is one thing I do not like. That is when Mom takes a picture of me when I nap. Is NOTHING sacred? My nap time is ALL mine. And no, I do not chase "bunnies" in my sleep. What? Am I a Retriever? NO. I am an Akita. I chase Sunbears in my sleep. And that's hard work. So don't bother me with that camera thing!

Another thing. Apparently no one who reads this told Mom to buy me peanut treats. I have been raising my paw over and over -- which everyone knows, or should know, means I WANT A PEANUT -- but no. I get biscuits. Or those nasty things she calls "cookies." I spit them out. SHE eats cookies, but they taste nothing like what she gives me. (How do I know? I took one, of course. I am, after all, dog.) So please, please humans who read -- tell Mom to BRING ME PEANUTS. They are my favoritests. Although those bacony things are pretty good too. But if I eat more than one, bad things may happen.

When Mom picked me up from camp (I don't know where she was, but she smelled kind of like a child, kind of like another dog, and a lot like Aunt Shari...) she took me home, and I was my very cutestest, so she gave me three of the bacony chewy things [note from Mom: Beggin' Strips, but I don't make her beg. She is, after all, a dignified Akita, mostly...]. They tasted really really good. Then she took me to the groomer. Oh, what a horrible place! They put me in water! I thought I would melt! Then the lady -- who is really really nice, except for putting me in water -- put me on the table and started brushing my beautiful coat. Then my tummy started making noises. Then something very bad happened. I [Note from MOM: I am censoring the rest of this paragraph. You don't need, or want, to know. Let me just say that both Kimiko and I were mortified.]

When I came home I took some of the toys I like -- the kind I chew on, and Mom doesn't throw -- and hid them so that Mom would never, ever find them. I don't play with them. I just chew them. I hope Mom had as much fun wherever she was as I did at camp, playing with the big dogs. Ooh, and the howly things happened outside again some days ago and Mom came under the table with me again [note: civil defense warning for tornado that fell apart before it reached us. Plenty of rain and some small hail, though, and 70 mph winds.] I let her stay because she was scared. Silly Mom. Nothing happened.

I really hid my chew things well. I'm not even quite sure where they are. I'm sure I'll find them though. WOOF for now!
Kimiko the Akita