Frog Update

We thought this was all over and done with.

But it's not.

And we don't have any pictures to show for it. Because it all happens in the dark.

The DARK.

Frogs come out at night. At least around here. They chirp and bull and puff. Trying to get attention. They hop around on their little spongy toes and swell to unusual sizes to get attention...

The WRONG KIND OF ATTENTION.

Monkey has alerted us to the fact that our wee frog was not alone.

Oh, no.

He was part of an Army.

An Army poised to hop into our kitchen one at a time and gain our unopposed trust.

Rubber Turkey believed them. We thought they were feeble and weak.

But since we last updated you, Monkey has uncovered several buried frogs in our yard. Granted, some were dead, but some were just feigning death to gain mere passage to our home. They were hoping to outwit the feeble minded Monkey and hop their way into our kitchen for the usual errant fly.

Monkey has proved to be a fervent uncoverer of the truth. A warrior of undocumented dimension.

Thank you, Monkey. Thank you for killing unmercilessly those who do not deserve entry.

Your powers have not gone unnoticed. And you will be highly exalted.

Reckless Driving

It's been too long since we posted. Rubber Turkey will try to do better.




Can you tell what body of water that phone ended up in at the end? Yes, I know. Time to move the water bowl.

On Top Of Spaghetti

So Long, Kevin! We Miss You Already!

Fricano's Deli has lost a valuable employee.  

Kevin, pictured right, was punctual for work only three times.  He burned about $120 worth of chocolate chip cookies, and once baked a batch with salt instead of sugar.  

But to his credit, he did arrive at work once fifteen minutes early and helped me tremendously during a breakfast rush (Granted, it was a mistake.  He was staying at a friend's house and didn't realize how close his friend lived to the deli.)  Kevin also put up with all of our boisterous regulars with grace, and didn't seem to mind that Gil could only talk to him about all things Chinese, even though he is from Colorado.

Kevin took all of our abuse remarkably, and always made us smile.  We miss you, Kevin.  Good luck in the big city.  Don't let it chew you up and spit you out.

(For all of our New York readers, if you come upon this boy in the city, please treat him kindly. He's doing the best he can.)

Cheers, Kevin.  

Monkey Hair

You might notice that in this last shot, Mikah is trying to throw my keys into his playpen. Thank goodness I caught this action photo, or I might never have found them.

Shanghai Surprise

Stella, our babysitter, has been back home in Shanghai for family business. We miss her so much. But she sent these beautiful clothes to remind Mikah that she will be back soon. Thank you Stella!

A Passing (the latest, and seemingly last, Frog Update)

We haven't seen the frog in a few days. His appearances had been regular and, well... appreciated. I mean, it's weird to have a wild frog show up in your kitchen every now and then, but he was harmless. And when he wasn't in our house, he was waiting by our back door.

To make a long story short, Monkey started barking at something in the dirt. I walked over to check it all out. And there, half-covered by dusty Earth and belly-up, was our frog.

I feel strangely sad. He was a regular occurrence for a while. We will miss him.

Oh, I hope he didn't suffer. And I hope he didn't leave any helpless tadpoles behind. Which I doubt, because it's been dry.

We are starting a collection for poor Mrs. Frog. Checks payable to Fricano's Deli c/o Beloved Frog.

We (Might) Have A Winner

Last week I went to the city shelter. A kill-shelter. I found a beautiful dog named Frenchy. German Shepard mix, two years old, long sexy legs, and a silky black and chestnut coat. Oh, did I mention the sassy curly tail and the soulful chocolate eyes?

We passed the initial interview and our application was stamped approved. All that we had to do to take Frenchy home was introduce her to Lola.

A "Meet and Greet" on the grounds of the city shelter.

Now, Lola has issues. I mean, she was originally rescued from a junkyard in Brooklyn. She can be aggressive with other dogs, is abnormally protective of her people, and has a LOUD bark.

But she has had a whole bunch of doggy friends. Like, Hara the Rottweiler and Nova the Labrador. We know that she has social skills. Other dogs just have to get used to her. I was a little worried, but not too worried..

So this is how it went. I showed up at the shelter with Lola the Dog and Mikah the Baby. A young girl greeted us and explained that I would not be present for the meeting. I asked, "Are you serious?" and she said, "Yes."

She took Lola's leash and led us to another building. Lola was then taken to the "Meeting Room." Via another door, I saw Frenchy brought into the building and led to that same room.

Three minutes later, maybe less, Lola was marched back out to me. My heart sunk. I saw Frenchy leave through the same door she entered. Ugh.

The chick holding Lola's leash then explained that my dog didn't like their dog. Sorry. No doubt about it. This adoption wasn't going to happen. Good luck to you and your unworthy family. Good bye. And oh, yeah, we'll euthanize about twenty dogs before sundown. Cheers.

Can you say DE... VA... STATED?

Took me a few days do get over that one.

After a lot of griping, and cursing, and crying to Jamil, I pulled myself together. Started looking for an alternative. Because I'm not BUYING a puppy, and I know that we are a good home for some unwanted mutt.

Enter Rescue Foundations. Google "dog rescue" and the name of your home town, and be prepared to be amazed at the quanity of lonely dogs that really need you.

Here's one:



















He's three, he's nuetered, and he's a force to be reckoned with. Meet Sargeant Monkey Scruffles McShrimpToast.

He's spending a two-week trial period with us. We love him already.


































He bosses Lola around, sleeps in our bed, and sticks to me like glue. This little dude can hang.

Hot Day

Boy, is it hot in Texas! Not that we're complaining. We have a great yard and we love to hang in it.

Today we set up Mikah's little baby pool. Notice there is no baby in it.


















What was El Niño doing?



















Playing in the doggie water bowl. We had to insert that bowl into the frog to get Mikah interested in even getting near it.


















And then we had the best day ever.



















































Having a little shrimp around is a lot of fun.