I love this life!

People,

yesterday was a fun day! Chris and I arrived at the hotel after I had
screwed up finding the entrance slightly. Just before the restaurant I
spotted my best friend from the workshop group and greeted him
enthusiastically. Chris says they all are very understanding of her need
for coffee, and they make sure she has some whenever she needs it. I
myself can ask for pets and cuddles, and am given those on a regular,
acceptably high level.
After lunch we went for the long walk again with said best friend, who
took a picture of me at the highest point. I know when it is photo time
I have to sit and look straight at the artificial eye - that pleases
humans!
And after the boring talks in the afternoon, I did not want to find the
elevator, but another workshop participant took us downstairs, and Chris
and he got into a talk until the big boss showed up. I greeted him as
enthusiastically as ever, and then we three, big boss, Chris and I,
headded out into the Christmas market crowds. Chris says I was
fantastically good and calm, she only had to make sure I did not pick up
anything from the floors. Oh those smells - and the occasional dog, of
course!
Chris says the weather was fantastic by human terms, no rain, no cold,
and shopping and walking and talking were just magnificent.
After the big boss had taken us home kindly, Chris took me for the
evening walk, and then she spent the evening on the phone. I think she
really had a good night chatting with Mr Mylove lately invisible, friend
Ilka and sister Suse.
I think I have to run now, she wants to get ready for work, cheers, Quito.

It's my job, Chris!

Quite honestly, I don't get it!

Yesterday Chris and I had a really good day. We started off in the
morning with the walk to the streetcar stop. There we waited for an
eternity, because Chris missed the arrival of the earlier streetcar.
Didn't matter, she says, because we would've been early anyway, and so
we just waited for the one she had scheduled us on. I like the morning
trains, because sometimes there are children on them who talk about me
with their parents. Then we walked to the hotel, where I really found
the entrance. Once we were inside, one of the folks from the previous
night greeted us and told Chris he was going outside for a quick stroll.
She decided to join, and so she handed my leash to him, and we went for
a little relaxed walk.
Then came the boring stuff, one lady talking, and the other humans
listening and writing. Chris has a telephone on which she can also take
notes, or at least so she says. I have to credit that nobody called her,
so I guess she must have told the truth.
After lunch that nice man took us for a really nice and long afternoon
walk along the city walls. Chris says she doesn't know thatl ong
pleasant route, and so I guess we were both happy. The workshop, as
Chris calls this boring event, continued forever, but then Chris put on
her coat, and I raced her up the stairs, through the restaurant and
almost past the lift. I don't like the lift, it has a scary and slippery
floor. But one colleague was there, too, and took us downstairs. Outside
the streets were busy and alive, so we started on the way back to the
streetcar. I watched out for people crossing our path, waited for
children to be moved out of the way, walked around cars that were
blocking the sidewalk, announced all curbs up and down, and finally, I
found the streetcar stop for the way back. Chris says it is located
nowhere near where she herself could locate it, but I did. She cannot
stop praising me for it, but I say it's just my job, and I really enjoy
it when I know what to do and where to go. Chris says I really showed
off greatly.

The night before yesterday after a short version of the workshop, the
workshop starters so to say, I met friend Silke in the hotel lobbgy,
together with her man. Greeting them was fun, and I got to walk with the
man. We went to a human restaurant, but at one point the man took me
outside for my small business. I really like the friend, she is cool,
and Chris likes her, too, of course. We did not go to the water, because
when we left the restaurant it was raining, and humans don't like rain
late at night when they are tired.
I think today I will have another chance to excel, we are going to the
hotel again. But in the afternoon I will have the chance to jump tall,
for we will hopefully meet the big boss. And then, oh no, we will walk
across the packed Christmas market, which is said to be the largest in
the northern region, whatever that is. Okay, I'll get to greet
passers-by, smell interesting smells, and probably also spot dogs. Cool
stuff, cool stuff. And hopefully that nice calm man will take us on the
long afternoon walk again - it is so wonderful to relax when somebody
holds the leash who can see what I am doing, but unfortunately also what
I am not to do, and they always, really always tell me off!

Allright, gotta go shake my floppies to get all sorted out and then run
to the streetcar stop!
Have a good day and think of me, Quito.

Lots of city walks

Hello and woofs to all!
We have had a good time during the last few weeks. Two weeks ago, Chris
and I walked to the doctor's office, and everybody was impressed about
how well I managed to find the exit, and how well-behaved I was during
whatever they were doing to Chris.

In the afternoon the big boss came, had coffee, and then we all went
shopping. Back home the two humans had dinner, and later sister Suse
came, too, with her dog Krause. He and I played a bit, until Suse said
it was enough She says I am so far the only dog Krause will play with.
He's a cool guy, even though Chris pets him more when he is around. She
says he currently needs it, so he is calmer around situations he doesn't
know yet.
Krause and the ladies disappeared in the bedroom, where Chris tried on a
billion clothes, while I lay in front of the door and watched. Then they
all watched some football on TV, before the big boss and the sister and
the cool dog left.

The next day we saw Martina. I tried to jump on her, was told off and
explained that Martina is carrying a baby. I did hit her eyeglasses,
though, and she was not amused. Pity, I thought I can jump on everybody'
with glasses on them to clean them, like i do with Daniel on wheels!
We went to the furniture, the humans sat down and talked, and then we
went through the store, me chasing my leash, and at times the arrows. Of
course, they needed a shopping cart, of course!

A couple of days ater we went to the furniture store again, this time
with cool lady Angelique and Daniel. It was the same - restaurant,
talks, and then playtime downstairs for Quito. This time Chris only
bought something really small that fitted into her pocket.

Then one day we went to the city center by streetcar, where we met Micki
- yay Micki! And we walked to that hotel place, where a lady showed us
around again, then the family had coffee and talked, and then Micki
showed Chris the area where she could relieve me. We went into the
nearby shopping mall for human food, and then i walked Chris back to the
streetcar. Micki found that the streetcar stop was moved away from the
spot Chris could find very easily, but a streetcar arrived and we jumped on.

The next day we went back to the city center, and oh my, the streetcar
was packed! Chris says that is because there is the Christmas market in
town, and folks love going there. True, the pedestrian street looks lik
there is lots of buzz going on. After a bit of waiting we met Julia from
work, Chris talked to her for a minute, and then we worked a bit to
locate the moved streetcar stop. Afterwards we went to a place where the
humans couhc have nice coffee, and then we walked back to the streetcar
stop, and again the train was more than packed. I had to stand until the
next stop, and only then could Chris put me at a good place to be out of
peoples' way.

And now it seems we are going back to work, for Chris has gotten um
early, and I believe we will be going to the hotel place very soon,
hopefully to meet new and friendly people!
Cheers, and have a good time, Quito.

Busy and adventurous

CHHi all:

It is cold outside, and Chris says I am finally getting my winter fur
after having covered the entire apartment with something like seven
black carpets.
I like carpets, mind you, so where is the problem?
She says the problem is that humans are not too fond of dog hair flying
all around, and that they don't considder dog hair a carpet!
Oh my, how peculiar!

Anyway, have I told you that we have spent an evening with Daniel and
the little Basti dog? Daniel, too, is peculiar. He says my tail is
destructive and way too lively, which I cannot confirm. I ran all about
Daniel's place, trying to get Basti to play with me, but he thinks he's
too cool for me. Chris and Daniel played card and plastic coins, which
they called Poker. Chris won both times, because Daniel says she plays
too unconventional, like beginners always do.
The next few days we did not go to work, Chris says it's her long
holidays, and they are lasting on. Instead, she brought the smallballs
back on the computer screen. But since she does not mind the size of the
picture box, she made it so that the sound of the smallballs and the
speakers and the umpire and the spectators were heard on all the
speakers all around. So she watched many of the games. But one day we
went to see sister Suse. We met her and a fairly large dog after we had
gotten off the streetcar at a stop I didn't know. Sister gave us
instructions, and after I had calmed down I focused on the route and
impressed the sister. But once we were in her apartment, I got to play
with the new dog, named Olli Krause. He likes to sit on the couch by a
human and snuggle up to them, but I don't. He is generally a calm buddy,
but sometimes when some noise hits his ear when he doesn't expect it he
jumps up like the devil is after him and lets out a huge bark. I love to
play with him outside in the garden, where I can run free, and he is
attached to an invisible leash that the sister Suse controls. The ladies
spent some time exploring the apartment, Chris says this is where the
sister lives now with niece Lena, and two other men that are old
friends. I met one of them, growled at him first and then greeted him
friendly. Then the sisters talked a lot ad played on the computer,
before we got to run outside. Then we all went to see the vet. The vet
always has nice treats for me, and it was Krause's first visit. I like
him, really, he's a good one, probably some three years old. The sister
has gotten him from an animal shelter, and they suspect he grew up in a
vilage, where he was not exposed to so much city buzz. But the vet says
Krause is a great dog. He is heavier than me, and he is quite afraid of
cars. When we got back to the car, I got to jump in at first, the door
remained open, and the sister and Krause and I walked a bit around the
garden, before she lifted him up inside the car. Sister says he gets
close to the car at least, he used to lie down a few meters away from
it, so he didn't have to get in.
We drove a while, the humans left me in the car and took Krause away.
They say he was really marvelous in the animal shop. Sister read through
loads of food labels, while Chris stayed with Krause gave him many
cuddles and made sure he felt comfortable. Wht a day that was, I really
had loads of fun!

A few days later we went to the city again, this time we met Micki in
the city, and we walked and walked. I think Micki showed Chris a route
to a place where she and I will have to go soon. Chris says the route is
fairly easy, we will just have to look out for the details.The ladies
had coffee and a bit of food, and then Chris went home with me.
Today we walked to the doctor early in the morning, and Chris says we'll
go there again tomorrow. I am always calm when somebody does something
to Chris, but I am watching all the time, of course.
We have a new peace of furniture, by the way, a coffee table, as Chris
calls it.
The old table was picked up by the cousin and her husband, and taken to
Micki's place. Chris received a table much to my liking. It is as low as
Daniel's, so I can look it over and check for food without much noise.
But heaven knows, if Chris discovers it I will be up for a training session!
She says we will have a few more plans for this and next week, and I
will tell you all about them once I have found out what they are.
Have a good and sunny winter everybody, Yours, Quito.