Gunter and the Bright Stripe

A Little Slice of Pug Heaven

Day of the New Fridge Happiness

As those of you who know me, or have lived with me (or both), you are aware that I love to cook. I love it! I love chopping up salads, braising cabbage into a buttery delicious side dish, baking breads, scones, pies, tarts, cookies, concocting sauces to drizzle over fresh handmade pasta, sizzling up some hot italian sausage, roasting potatoes/beets/garlic/cauliflower, mixing up a hot curry, whipping up a delicious dinner of home made pizza and salad.... But how can a person do these things when their fridge is the size of a 1930's icebox?

Exhibit A:


Dearest Peeps, please note that the entire upper right quadrant of this fridge is devoted entirely to cheese and deli meat. The lower back of the bottom shelf is taken up entirely by jarred sauces and chutneys of suspect origin that are at least a decade old. The bottom drawers are about the size of shoeboxes (and that is being generous).

Exhibit B:

This miniscule freezer was entirely taken up by frozen vegetable medlies (ick), and ice packs. I swear to you, at least half of this freezer was chock full of icepacks. Until I my foot down, that is. Now it's crammed with bread (to go with all the cheese) and bagels.

Exhibit C:


For size reference I include Gunter in the right hand corner of this photo. Please note that this little fridge is in the space that would normally be occupied by a normal size fridge. See where the counter and cabinets are? See all that space to the left of the fridge and the microwave on top of the fridge? That is all the space I will have with the new fridge!

Why do I blog about the miseries of a tiny fridge? Why do I go on about the hours spent putting groceries into that fridge as though it were a game of tetris? Why do I take pictures of my shamefully cramped and unorganized fridge and post them for the whole world to see?

Because today is the Day of New Fridge Happiness! As I type this a shiny new LG fridge with ample shelf space is on a truck on it's way to me...ETA 4-6pm.

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! I have been freed from the chains of tiny fridge slavery. Rejoice! Rejoice!

Let the real cooking begin.

Gunter and the White Tag

A Random Sampling of Gunter's Day

The Return of the Bryan

Where food is, There Gunter will be also

This is why I love living with the German. Homemade spätzle of the highest quality.



And this is why I love my pug. He is the living example of of the saying "hope springs eternal". Unlike human beings, pugs never feel depressed, they never lose interest in food. And even better, their enjoyment of life, the little things, the feel of sand against their feet on the beach, the smell of toast, the warmth of a crackling fire is always, always enjoyed to the fullest. You can learn a lot from a pug, I certainly have. I remember one time a few years ago, Gunter and I were going out for a walk across a snowy field and he was just reveling in it. He kept looking at me, and his expression was: "look, it's us, you and me, out for a walk, and it's the best thing ever, ever. Me and you, out for a walk. I wouldn't be doing anything else for the world." I know it sounds silly, but Gunter has taught me the meaning of life. Slow down, and enjoy what you are doing, whatever it is.

Gunter Goes for a Walk

Gunter Watches Cirque du Soleil

Gunter Eats My Hand

The creepy music in the background is entirely unintentional, but I think it works!

The Star of the Show

This is my pug. This is my pug doing a trick. This is my pug doing a trick for a treat.



My pug is devoted to the idea of treats for tricks.

This One's for Auntie Kellie

My Pug Has a Rough Life

Gunter Gets a Gold Star for Behavior

Exhibit A:




Because the German dislikes dog hair in the bedroom, Gunter is banned even from entering. He takes his banishment quite well, but he still likes to get a good view of the action (as I speak I can hear him lingering in the hallway, snuffling, and waiting for me to get out of bed.), so he sits right in the door way. We don't even have to tell him, he stops and sits there all by himself. A for outstanding!

Gunter's Heroic Battle with a Feather

I couldn't resist.

Pug Snuggle Season Has Begun

It's finally really fall here...if any place that has palm trees can really have a fall. But since we live near the pacific ocean, sometimes in the morning the sky is gray and overcast and the air is a little chilly. It does actually get cold here, but not until later in the year. I love cold weather and I love the leaves all over the ground, and I love the fact that my pug becomes a super snuggle-bug during the winter months.

For the last month or so I have been trying to get some love from Gunter, but he inevitably pulls away and prances out to the yard to lay in the sunshine. But! Today it was cold and he was forced to take shelter on my stomach for his mid-morning nap. I even managed to pull a blanket over us! Yay! Pug snuggle season has begun!