Hannah checking in. Mom says one of the other moms on Pet Talk has a furkid named Hannah too, but that Hannah hasn't taken her paw to the computer yet. If she does, I may have to go by my other name *Snarla* or include my middle name -*Hannah Noel* which I got from Mom having to tell me "Hannah, No" so often, she said she might as well make it part of my name. But I was going to
tell you about our schedules.

First our dad has to get up kinda early to go to work. It's before 5:00 am according to Mom. I dunno, 'cause I'm still sleeping. Mom gets up and lets Tucker out. She used to make me get up and go out with him, but I had a real problem with that 'cause I am NOT a morning pup. So Mom brushes her teeth, Tucker comes back in and I'm still in the bed. When I am good and ready, I will get up and amble out to the kitchen. Dad usually has toast for breakfast and he saves me the crusts which he leaves on a napkin. Sometimes I can get my paw up to the counter to where the napkin is and ease it on over off the counter, but generally Mom sees me and says, "First you go outside and go potty, then you come back in and you can have your toastes." That convinces me to go outside and take care of business, because I love toastes. Tucker gets part of it too. Then we both say bye to Dad and Mom fixes our breakfast crunchies. We like a little hot water on them. Once Dad leaves, it is back to the Big Bed for some serious cuddle time with Mom. This is when I get my morning massage. After that Mom gets dressed and ready for her commute to work - which is 2 feet to her office right in our house. About that time she asks us if we want to go out again. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. Mom lets us decide. Tucker and I take our places in one of several spots. We have our choice of the green recliner, the living room couch, the living room chair, or the family room couch. Mom gets ticked if I lay up on the back cushions to look out the back door. She says I'm no kitty and if'n I'm scrunchen down the back cushions I could at least do it evenly, which I guess I don't. Tucker likes to go to the toy basket and drag out the toys one by one. I might have to bark at the kids walking by our house going to school or the garbage truck or the awful squirrel who knows how to push all my buttons. But if Mom hollers out "No bark", I do cooperate most of the time. If Tucker or me need to take care of business, either he or I will go get Mom in her office. At noon she puts on her exercise clothes and goes down to the basement to walk on the machine that goes nowhere. Sometimes Tucker and me will go with her but mostly not. It kinda gripes her that she has two dogs and neither one will keep her company, but she can come out of her office to get a kiss or a hug anytime, so what's her problem? Tucker used to be planted right by her feet all day, but I had to set him straight about that. You do that and you spoil them. Afternoons are the same as mornings, napping, watching out the front window, and sounding the alarm if anything is out of the ordinary. Mom says I can tell time bcause at 4 pm, I'm the one to go into her office and tell her it is time to PLAY! Then everybody goes outside for chasing after the Kong, running and practicing some lessons. That is until this winter when it got so cold that Mom decides we should play inside. It's okay, but not near as much fun as outside. I'll be glad when it warms up enough that she will go outside again. About then Dad comes home. When Tucker or I hear the garage door go up, we both run to the back door and sit one in front of the other waiting for it to open. We are both wagging our tails so hard that our butts wiggle. We greet Dad and tell him how much we missed him all day. This kind of grates on Mom because she was with us all day, taking care of our needs she doesn't get any adoration like Dad does, but that is NOT true because in the evening after our dinner crunchies are done, she is the one we sit with on the recliner while she watches TV or reads the paper. Soon it is bedtime and we all pile in to the big bed. I'm on top of the covers next to Dad and Tucker crawls under and slaps himself up against Mom until he gets too hot or Mom starts tossing too much. If that happens he slips out to a dog bed which he keeps right next to the big bed. He is also getting into doing a potty run in the middle of the night sometimes, but Mom uses that as an excuse to get a midnight snack. Dad and I just keep sawing ZZZs. A beauty such as myself, needs her sleep.

Now you will notice that you did not see anything about getting to go for a ride in the SUV. I see other doggies have a far more active social lives than we do and it is an issue that will have to be addressed just like letting me sleep in was. I'll keep you posted.

[This message has been edited by RachelJ (edited February 24, 2001).]