Chubbs snuggles his babies with tenacity so they will know how much he loves them.
Morning Rites
Chubbs and I practice a sacred morning ritual.
I sit in a yellow chair and sip black coffee.
He promptly inhabits the space atop my right foot.
We greet each day this way to ward off evil spirits and to please the old gods.
Some days the ancient ones demand more than a single foot and a cup of coffee…
So I brew the stuff strong and bitter, and Chubbs lounges on as many feet as they demand.
It always makes for a good morning.
In Rememberance of Mr. Weasel
Friends, family, and fellow Chubbs-enthusiasts,
In life all things must be in balance. This blog, normally a place of jubilation, must today serve as a memorial. For on this day we have lost a friend most dear in all of our hearts: Mr. Weasel.
Who was he? Some might say he was simply yellow terry cloth filled with synthetic stuffing in the general shape of a weasel… and those people would be right. But he was also the truest of friends; a companion during the darkest nights, the most exciting door knocks, and the loudest fireworks boom-boom-terror-sounds.
It has been said that life is stranger than fiction… and there is no greater evidence than this! Look here upon the face of Mr. Weasel’s greatest friend… but also his murderer!
I must believe that Chubbs did not intend to deliver this grisly end, and yet here I am forced to confront his very nature…
But this is a time for remembrance. So to our dearly departed I offer this blessing: Now you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face… but do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and are already dead!
Rest In Peace, Mr. Weasel.
I am certain…
…that you will never be this comfortable.
The Lost Art of Formal Sleeping
Little known fact: Chubbs practices the lost art of Formal Sleeping.
So proper… such a gentleman…
Where did he learn this ancient discipline? Who taught him the coveted snoozing technique of antiquity?
We may never know.
First Chubbsiversary
One year ago today my wife Paige and I met the love of our collective life. We knew we wanted a dog in our family, and had planned and agonized over the entire process (as is our custom) for months leading up to the actual adoption. But for all our meticulous preparation we could never have foreseen the impact Chubbs would have on us.
Here’s the first picture we ever took of him.
He didn’t know quite what to make of us at first… then only strangers in an unfamiliar car. In his short two-and-a-half years up to this point his life had hardly been easy, and given the inconsistency of his lot I can’t blame him for being nervous to again be swept away.
Before the wonderful people at Friends of Rescue saved his life he’d ended up as a stray in a hospital shelter with mange and hip dysplasia so bad that he was unable to walk. After his recovery FoR was able to place him with a loving foster parent and a canine companion, but it seemed that he had just settled in to a routine when Paige and I picked him up in Huntsville.
But his anxiety didn’t last long. We spoke kindly to him, gave lots of love, and by the time we got home he had warmed up to us considerably.
Here he is getting acclimated to his new digs just a few hours later!
Since that first day our lives transformed in a subtle but total way. He was instantly a part of us, and we were all simply better for it.
But enough of this sappy stuff! Let’s talk about the man himself.
He has gained many nicknames over this year such as Boo Boy, Cuddle Bug, and Shrubbs. And he often earns them on the fly by adding his various shenanigans to a drawled “boy.” Some examples: Jump Boy, Bark Boy, Hung’y Boy, Stink Boy, Blanket Boy, Poop Boy, Sleep Boy, Burp Boy, Sigh Boy, and perhaps most commonly Drool Boy.
Chubbs is one of the most loving dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. He just wants to be where you are and as close as physically possible. If he doesn’t have room to hop into the chair you inhabit, he’ll settle for sitting on your foot.
Which brings me to his next personality trait: total awkwardness. I’ll first let these photos speak for themselves.
The guy is a goofball. He’ll stare at you for minutes on end, but the moment you look his direction his eyes dart to the ceiling like an embarrassed middle-schooler who got caught gawking at his crush. From total silence and stillness he will suddenly heave a long, loud sigh as if contemplating some grave truth. When he visits the Doggy Day Care he will stand perfectly still at aloof attention as the other dogs run around him. If the action gets too close he’ll trot off just far enough to be out of the fray. And yet if he decides we wants to be a part of the mass stampede you can be sure he will the most frantically enthusiastic participant.
Actually, that’s a pretty apt description of what he’s up to at any given moment. He has only two modes.
Mode 1:
Mode 2:
As I reflect on our first year with Chubbs I can feel the sheer joy he has brought into our home. He is nothing but sweetness, and the purity of his delight often reminds me to smile. The future is bright, and we’re so fortunate to share it with this lazy, silly, wonderful boy.
Thanks for stopping by! And don’t be a stranger! This blog will serve to chronicle Chubbs’ many adventures to come.
Happy Chubbsiversary to all!
The Chubbs Report 