Friday, August 27, 2010

meeting another man

Hi everybody:
 
Well last week, actually it was the weekend, Chris was spontaneous, or at least I couldn't have guessed what we were up to. In the morning Micki called and said they weren't going to have breakfast. So she called up Daniel, and a few minutes later we headded out and walked to the bakery. There the humans sat, and I lay down, and we all relaxed. Chris and Daniel talked a lot, and then Daniel said goodbye. I don't understand it when somebody goes one way, and Chris makes me walk the other. Are we not supposed to follow that person, especially when it's a great one like Daniel or Micki or so? Well she had her way, of course, and we went back home.
 
At home Chris watched some TV and slept and fed me, and suddenly the doorbell rang. She rushed to the door and then i heard Micki coming in, together with a man I didn't know. Well he was allright, I didn't growl at him or anything, because he was very calm and didn't do me any harm and was with Micki.
 
shortly after they'd arrived, we all left, got into Micki's car, and then walked along into the restaurant Chris likes. There they had a long dinner, and I had to rest by the huge glass window, which I am quite sceptical about. But I got water, I'm always first to be served anything, and Chris likes it and the other humans are positively surprised.
 
After dinner was over we walked along the narrower, and thus older part of the city, into one of the stores we had initial coaching with the coach in, and then into the store that belongs to Chris' job. There we did not stay for too long, Chris just bought a few things, among them a present for the man, and then we left. By the way, the man also speaks English. Chris explains that he is from the U.S., is one of her nephews' father and quite a nice fellow.
 
The next day was quite the opposite. Chris slept throuogh most of the day, and I took a rest - not bad to do it in one day, I must say.
Cheers for now, Quito.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Travel travel travel

Hello again, here is another travel adventure.
Chris tells me that Hapoo has gone on long travels, but not so many in a row.
So one morning Chris gut up early. I am usually not very fond of motion in the house too early, so she leaves me alone. But as I settle near the apartment door, she calls me to the livingroom bed, where I settle and stay. Chris runs around, does a few things, packs more things into the bag, then picks up my flexible leash and we go outside for the morning walk. It is so quiet outside. Chris hears a few cars passing by and thinks she heard the taxi pull up by the apartment. So she hurries me on the last bit of the walk. There is the driver, I hop into the back, an open trunk, and Chris gets in in the passenger seat. The driver gives her time to wake up, and soon they chat about this and that. He offers to take her home the next day when we return, and Chris decides to accept that offer, because he is a nice man. He is very polite, helps Chris gather her things and pick me up, and then walks us to the platform. Our train is waiting, so he even helps Chris find a seat and then leaves. Once again I plop down and stay there until Chris moves to leave the train. When she does I am wide awake and present and want to run to the door. But I also wait when there are people ahead of us, of course.
 
A service man greets us. He is fun, he hums and whistles songs and is cheerful. He helps Chris pick up something for breakfast, and the bakery lady is cheerful, too. Then we wait on a platform until a train arrives a little late. That is the train on which we stay for a long time, I know. And when we finally leave, I walk along the platform and stop at a staircase. A lady tells Chris that there's a staircase, but Chris tells me to go on straight, so I do. At the end of the platform a man greets Chris. He takes us to another taxi, and then we are at the entrance to the offices. I recognize it and take Chris there on my own. We wait at the bottom of the stairs, and Chris takes the opportunity to put me on flexible leash.
 
Soon a lady comes walking down the stairs, gives Chris a big hug and talks and talks. of course she admires me, and we go on a nice long dog walk. The lady says she notices that I am younger than Hapoo by the way I explore and am lively. Aha, so she knew Hapoo, interesting!
 
When we aare back inside the building, Chris picks up a visitor's ID and then all the three of us go to a meeting room. When the door opens a lady and a man come out and the lady tells Chris it is nice to meet her. Chris asks who she is, and when she finds out she is really happy, for the two have been exchanging emails back and forth for a while.
 
Then we go into the meeting room, and soon other people arrive. I recognize Martina, the wonderful Martina, who sits beside me, and the nice other lady named Birgit is on the other side. Chris puts me under the table, and I stick my nose between the two table legs to watch the outside world, or alternatively put it on the shoe of Birgit, who finds it incredibly cute. Hey, even dogs need pillows, don't they?
 
When the talking is over, Chris gets hugs from Martina, and Birgit, whom Chris calls a real jewel, walks with us to the place where we have stayed before. I know it, I know my way around.
 
Chris does, too, and so when we are inside the room she unpacks a little, jumps into the shower, stretches out and takes  nap and discovers the small balls are flying again. O help, do the small tennis balls follow us everywhere? She watches until she receives a call from somebody. She slowly gets ready and puts me on short leash. Outside in the lobby we find one lady who had also attended the meeting, and another one Chris is happy to meet. I don't know her, and she hasn't seen Hapoo either. We walk a little and end up in a human food place called restaurant. There I lie between two tables, have the offered water, go to sleep and leave Chris talking with the two others. Chris says she has really enjoyed that evening with food and great conversations. Afterwards I get my share of a good night, we walk along a nice route for quite a while until we are back at the place. The lady who hadn't shared the meeting experience disappears quickly, but Chris and the other one end up talking in the hallway. That takes so long that I settle in the middle and relax, until Sarah gives me another big cuddle and Chris finally takes me to the room, although I want to make sure the pack is together and follow Sarah to hers.
 
Chris sleeps like a log until the chime of an incoming text message wakes her up. She says Marian from back home is a great friend, he always texts when Chris is travelling to see how we are doing, despite his general fear of dogs. Hapoo used to call him the furniture man, why I don't know, because he doesn't look like furniture at all.
 
Another shower for Chris, a bit of watching TV, and then it's breakfast time. There is the lady in the office, and Chris presents her with a huge box of chocolate that says "Merci" on it, which is another way of saying thank you she explains. And she says she really needs to thank the people for all their kindness. The lady helps Chris find her breakfast, and then a man arrives, and Chris invites him to sit at our table, provided my company doesn't disturb him. The disappeared lady re-appears and joins us, and then comes yet another man. So when Sarah arrives she has to sit at another table beside us.
 
We don't stay in our room for long, Chris does a few final things and then the coach arrives, the quiet lady who helps Chris understand routes. We start walking the route to the offices again, with my free run on the green path between the gardens and the car parking area. Chris says I am a real champion, because I know the route with a few exceptions here and there, and now it is up to her to really grasp it. She is extremely amazed at my ability to remember, because she admits she has underestimated me, and this is the ability she most appreciated about Hapoo. Well there you are, I can do it, too. And she is really proud and relieved, because her sense of orientation is not the best.
 
At the office we meet the lady of the Emails called Mareke. We sit and talk forever, and Mareke is incredibly nice. She accompanies us and gives us a tour of the offices again. She helps Chris very easily, and Chris needn't say much. She understands, unfortunately, that she has to stay behind us, so I have to do all the work - too bad, I thought I had an easy life. And she is amazed at how I keep a distance between Chris and any obstacles in our path. Sure I do, for I was trained to. And if I didn't, Chris sure as hell would have me do the spot gain. Mareke helps us explore the office again, she even skips an appointment with her colleague. We see Birgit and other folks again, and then we gather with many people to hear one lady talk. Chris says that's the head of all IKEA there is in Germany. I am bored, and I make it a point to express my boredom. I talk and squeek a little, and folks have a good laugh. Then it is time for us to leave, because Chris wants to walk the route again to the little hotel.
 
She says now things are a bit clearer to her, and the coach also says she understands where Chris has problems grasping the concept and the layout of the route. We walk back, sit in the sun and Chris looks at a little device that tells her which direction she is headding towards. And then the taxi is there, and again the driver is nice. He takes us ito a little office, from where two gentlemen take us to our train.
 
When we change trains, our train is late, because kids are playing on the tracks, so we wait and Chris talks to a lady beside her. The lady is even older than Micki, and she is very nice. Chris offers to share her seats with her, if she doesn't mind me lying at their feet. So when the service man arrives to help me find the right entrance to the train, the lady just follows us and is very happy we receive such great help when travelling. We are late when we arrive at our home station, but there is the taxi driver, and he has really waited for us despite the delay. He takes us home, and I am really quite happy to be back. I do love the travels and the excitement of meeting new people and going new places, and I don't care about riding on trains much. But being home is the best thing ever.
 
Besides, Chris is still reading the book about this tennis man who is initially to be blamed for her love of the sport, beside sister Suse, and she says it is written in a very sensitive manner, not giving away too many private details, but enough to understand him and the things that he does.
 
Well I could talk on for hours, which Chris says I have just done, and I should let people wake up finally - but the world and the talking are so beautiful!
Anyway, I think she wants to read the book or talk with people that are hiding in this box, so cheers and until the next time I am allowed to pour my words on you, Quito.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

spying on Chris

Hi everywoof:
 
Chris has discovered the machine on her desk by the computer. It makes a lot of humming noises, and Chris turns books on it all the time. She slams shut a kind of shade on top of the book, and then the humming starts again.
 
This procedure she calls scanning, as she cannot read books like this. she has to put them through camera checks of each single page she turns, and then the computer can make sense of it for her. And then she sits and listens to the computer, as it reads the books to her.
 
Chris says she is currently reading a book by andabout one of her favourite tennis players; well there are many of them, but she says it was a man called Agassi who initiated her interest in the sport. Too bad, Mr Agassi, and now I am stuck with it and you have snuck out of the responsibility, and you don't pity me in the least I suspect, because you don't know how boring it is when I cannot run after the ball and retrieve it for Chris!
 
Talking about retrieving, I think Chris is pretty happy with my retrieving the signal jacket and collar. I don't like grabbing the flexible leash, because it is too hard in my mouth. But I can bring the collar and signal jacket, and after the walk I can even take both from her hand and put them away on the lower shelf. Chris says that's an advantage, because I only used to retrieve the collar when she tossed it away, so it moved and I could chase it.
 
Tonight Daniel was here, and I was quite a good girl when he entered. I did not make a big fuss over him, but I waited until he greeted me and then tried to jump up on him. I have to admit that once when Chris and Micki wanted to unload the car I jmped up on the door. The next time they left me in the apartment I thought both were gone. All of a sudden the door flew open, Chris made a big noise and I went flying to my dog bed - o that was a mighty scare. Since then I am trying to stay on my bed when she leaves. Chris seems to have the invisible eye that sees beyond the closed door - mysterious!
 
Well anyhow, Daniel was here tonight, and he talked to me about coming to visit him without Chris. Hold on, where is she going? She says she will be watching some loud music, and that is nothing for my ears, so I'd better stay with Daniel. I like him no doubt, but it all depends on what we are going to do. Maybe I can go swimming or he takes me to the other dog - that would be fun!
 
Well I've got to go, I think Chris wants to start the camera bookcheck, Quito.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

what a wonderful time

You know, I love doing things I have never done before. Can you believe it? One night we were shopping with Silke, and Chris took me to see an escalator. She says during training with my coach she had taken me to an escalator platform, but I had refused to move one inch onto it. While shopping, Chris took me near one again, and we were close to the steps that move. I watched them, but we did not step onto the escalator. Chris says we were in a rush and she was not relaxed enough. But even me stepping onto the platform was something she did not expect.
 
Another day we first went for the morning walk, and then later Chris harnessed me up and we went to the other grocery store. We waited and waited, until Daniel showed up. He haid he was late because he had slept a little too much. The humans had coffee and some cake, and then we took the streetcar to a place I hadn't been too, either. We walked into a park, and Chris let me walk in harness, so I could work. She says I only needed a bit of polishing for little bumps in the road, but generally I had a nice pull. Hey, I was enthusiastic and thrilled to explore! We even walked back all the way home, which covers three streetcar stops. We had to take a little break in a room with money spitting machines, because Daniel was not prepared for the showers of rain that kept hitting, but then we walked on home. That was a wonderful day out. Chris says she had never been to that park either.
 
Daniel is mean, he tells on me and my childish querks. s I had to lie down to wait under a sheltering roof, a little piece of plastic wrapping paper lay in front of my nose. and as I breethed against it, it started to move. Strange thing I tell you, why does that move when I breethe? But it was surely fun to watch.
 
The next morning before going to work, we went to the bakery. On the way back I had to do big business, but I was in harness, so Chris had to push me over to the grass. When we go to work I relax and walk slowly, so I can watch the world. Chris doesn't like that at all, so she really made me walk fast - o that was really unpleasant! I hate being rushed when I can usually watch. But she also praises me for my awareness of high obstacles. I slow down when there's no way to avoid them, and she likes that.
 
Well yesterday we went shopping with mom. Into one shop and out, into another shop and out. into the big mall, have food and then go shopping. Well I decided again that I had to get  bit lighter, which Chris was not amused about at all. She says she was embarrassed, because we had been on our morning walk. Well what can I do when I have to go? Micki cleaned up, a man gave us a doggie bag, and the bakery lade helped with paper towels, and Micki really did a great job.
 
But I worked well following Micki everywhere, Chris admits that, too. And she also says she should have taken me outside between the shopping tours, too.
Cheers, she's in a hury again, Quito.

Monday, August 09, 2010

The flying part

Well finally here is the continuation of the story. We took the car to the place we hd strolled around the previous day, and then Chris and Micki took me to a desk where a lady took away the big bag. And then we waited and waited until somebody picked up Chris and me, after Micki had given Chris a big hug and left us.
 
Chris and I were taken to a very narrow passage, where a lady took my leash, and after having to unpack the computers, Chris followed. She put the computers back into the backpack, and then we walked to a car.
 
O that car is a monster. In the back there is a wheelchair like Daniel has one, but there's no person in it, It is very spacious and I don't like it at all. Even after it had stopped moving I had to wait even though the door was open, wait and wait in that monster. Finally Chris told me that it was time to get off - what a relief!
 
I walked up a metal staircase, see-through staircase, but I didn't mind. On top of it there was a strange kind of room with seats all around and machines humming away below the floor. Chris was greeted and taken to a row of seets. First I had to go in, and then she followed. chris claims I had one and a half seats, and she had one half of it, well I don't think so, for the space in trains is wider than in this thing Chris calls plane.
 
Suddenly the engins began to speed up, and the plane gently started moving - nothing exciting. But all of a sudden the engins roared, the plane picked up speed and suddenly lifted us all up in the sky - all of us! Chris, myself, bags, seats and all others trapped inside the room. What a weird feeling! I thought I wasn't made for flying, right? Chris gave me treats every now and then, which is a nice thing indeed. Allright, I thought flying was not the most preferable way of travelling, but it is smooth.
 
After a while you fall down from the sky, the plane room is back on the ground and rumbles and speeds along until it comes to a smooth stop. The engins fall back into their semi-sleepy humming, and people rush past us to get out of the room. Chris sat and relaxed until she was asked to go to the front, where we were greeted by yet another person. He helped us locate our remaining bag, which apparently also had gone up into the air with us without me noticing it. And then he also helped find a taxi that was willing to take me on board. Chris says that is not always easy, because taxi drivers seem to like their cars more than they like their passengers.
 
Finally we found one very nice driver with a nice car, and Chris and he spent the ride talking about the city we had arrived in called Cologn. And when we got off the car, another lady greeted us. She says she is very scared of dogs, and so Chris kept me away from her. We took a stroll around the area I had never been to, and then we walked into the office building. It smells much like the store at home. We met two people who accompanied us along the store; That store really looks like the one where we go shopping, and where Chris buys small things, it's also called IKEA like the one at home.
 
The following days we walked through the store many more times. What I liked the most were wheelchairs. Whenever I spotted one I tried to alert Chris to it, even though she insisted that the driver of that wheelchair is not Daniel. Once I found one driver who really petted me and talked a little with Chris. I have also found a few very nice people. One tall man played with me, and one lady also called Petra once took me for the lunch walk and we found another dog to play with. I really liked her a lot. It must be the name Petra that makes me like them, I think.
 
Soon the same taxi driver picked us up again and we went back to that airport thing where we had to go through the same procedure of leaving a bag in somebody else's care, passing through the narrow passage, walking up to the plane room, being lifted up into the sky, being put back on the ground, getting off, boardig another monster car and then getting back the bag before seeing Micki again. O that is so so much fun, seeing Micki!
 
Then Micki took us to the train station, put us on a train and then we left. Actually mom left first, and the doors were opened. I tried to run after her to make her come back. After all, the pack has to stay together! Chris was not amused, strictly called me back and I came, not contented at all. We had to change trains and then went all the way home. At home Chris found out that her key no longer fit the door lock. So we rang a neighbour's doorbell, who told her that there had been a water damage, the apartment door had to be opened, and the key is now stored with the police. The lady called the police, and then very soon they came. It ws nice to at least stay in the corridor, because the house door was still the same. There was  police man and a police woman, but I growled at the man, which Chris ignored. They looked at the kitchen, but chris says there was nothing destroyed, only the walls were wet. Both of us were surely happy to be back at home after such excitement.
 
Cheers for the moment, Quito.
 

Sunday, August 01, 2010

late but exciting news

Hello hello all and every:

I have had a few very exciting days, but as luck would have it, Chris hardly
let me use the computer, for either she wanted to have it or she was too
tired to wait until I was ready.

Anyway, here goes:

At the end of last week Chris packed bags and harnessed me up, and then we
went for the streetcar. She says I did a marvelous job guiding her there.
Then a girl helped her find out when she had to board a streetcar, and so we
did and rode to the train station. There two very helpful people made sure I
did not misguide her, but I was just caucious and really slowed down at the
staircases. We found the service desk and then waited for assistance. Chris
made me follow the lady up to the platform, and then we rode for a long
while, changed trains and rode some more. Then we had to wait in the
drizzling rain at a train station I didn't know at all, but the wait was
rewarded big time.

I saw Micki arriving, but Chris made sure she was greeted first, and then it
was my turn. Micki put us in her car and we drove a while, until we were at
a kind of shopping center. Chris walked with a lady, and Micki took me
outside for a little stroll. When we returned, a lady was busy messing
around with Chris' hair. And as they were done, both Micki and Chris were
very saisfied. Chris left quite a bit of her hair at that place, she says it
grows anyway, and she didn't need so much hair on her head for now.

Then we went to a food place. It was very noisy, but Micki and Chris liked
it there. They had some kind of insects they say, and other folks were quite
amazed they had them, when Chris wrote them a message on the phone, but
Chris and Micki enjoyed them.
We went to a place I didn't know, but I was allowed to stay in a bedroom
with Chris - how wonderful. The next morning she let me out - o what fun -
there was another dog! His name was Rudi, and he was such fun. He is younger
than me, but the two of us have become buddies right away. Playing with him
is a lot of fun. He has a bone that squeeks. At first he always got it
before me, but then I discovered that I am stronger and can win the war of
tugs. He manages to distract me though, by claiming he sees something
interesting, and then he's got the bone back. I spent most of the day
outside with Rudi, the weather was great. But at one point we took the car
to another shopping center, because Chris had discovered that her shoes were
breaking apart. In the evening all the four oof us went outside into the
fields - and o how great it is to run free and play with Rudi!

The following day was as nice, except that we went to a place they call
airport, which I have never been to, either. By the way, the place we were
staying at is one of Chris' sisters' home, Chris likes her a lot, but the
sister is away on holidays, and so Micki takes care of the house and garden.

Then came the new day, and Chris made me get up early. We took another
stroll through the mmeadows, and then Rudi was left behind, before we
returned to the place they call airport.

What we did there I will tell you in another mail, before this gets too
long. chris says we will go on the dog walk now, and then soon we'll also
have to go to work, because she's volunteered.
Cheers, Quito.