the world from down here

did you forget about me?

2011-09-30T18:34:00.005-04:00

hi everyone.

i. am. a. bad. dog.

its been well over a year since i posted on my blog. a lot of things have been going on and i just got distracted. where do i begin? i suppose the first life-altering event was MY MOVE. i'm a yankee dog now! i moved to pennsylvania with my mom because she is now at Villanova University.

i like my new digs; but ill always love gainesville, the land of my puppyhood! you can take the boy out of the south but you can't take the south out of the boy!

my second life-altering event was getting a BROTHER. well, if we get technical about it, he is really my uncle. my grandmom and grandpop rescued a bichon - rather than referring to him as my uncle we thought this might be easier. his name is sammy! here is a picture of him being irresistible:

well, i have a lot to fill you in on! but this was the big stuff. i'll post some more updates later. i missed y'all!

-bandy

a traditional (and non traditional) st. patrick's day celebration!

2010-03-17T09:15:00.002-04:00

i am just a puppy, so i don't have a job. (unless being cute is a job!) but grandmom and grandpop and kiki do, so we decided to celebrate st. patrick's day this past weekend! we decorated the dining room festively and made some traditional (and non-traditional) irish food. i took some pictures to share!

a festive setting! balloons and shamrocks, how fun!

the ever-traditional irish brown bread. freshly baked by kiki, scrumptious!

the semi-traditional irish shrimp salad. usually, baby shrimp are served. and NEVER EVER cocktail sauce. always russian dressing. try it some time..

very non-traditional irish potato candies. sickeningly sweet..

the extremely non-traditional, yet very fitting, key lime pies...

we also had some traditional irish vegetable soup and some NON-TRADITIONAL corned beef and cabbage. however, i was just tooooo excited to take a picture before i gobbled them both up!

i hope all of you enjoy your st. patrick's day. i'm hoping to get my paws on a bottle of smithwick's before the day ends. ; )

affenpinscher??

2010-03-12T09:02:00.000-05:00

that kind of looks like me doesn't it? just one more possibility in the lifelong quest for my roots...

a day in the life of a lab...

2010-03-11T11:37:00.003-05:00

...im glad by full-time job is just "being cute" ; )

i think punxsutawney phil was wrong...

2010-03-09T12:50:00.010-05:00

what a beautiful day in the neighborhood! (oh i just love me some mr. rogers) almost a month ago, punxsutawney phil saw his shadow on groundhog day and so i thought we would have another six weeks of winter. but i have some photos taken just minutes ago to prove silly phil wrong. i mean, he has been doing this an awful long time - maybe he needs to think about retirement.

have you seen these?

2010-02-07T16:05:00.003-05:00

obviously i have been watching a lot of tv. but how fitting of me to post some commercials on super bowl sunday!!

for your viewing pleasure : )

2010-01-14T15:43:00.003-05:00

as you all know, i ~~will not~~ cannot upload pictures on my blog without my mom's help. this is becoming problematic because this semester she has school EVERYDAY!!! i miss the days when tuesdays and thursdays were bandy day! its been like that my whole life : (

so i finally got her to help me on another post! : ) (not the writing part, just the uploading part)

sleepy bandy

2009-12-30T14:16:00.002-05:00

...in this one i refused to be photographed. lol

the puparazzi!!!

2009-12-27T11:40:00.005-05:00

merry christmas friends! its been a while since i've blogged because the internet in NJ is painstakingly slow. but i've finally gathered up enough patience to make a post.

how was everyone's christmas? mine was just swell!!! santie paws was good to me! i got some rawhides and chicken liver treats in my stocking and many new toys. a frisbee, a TALKING treat ball, a new hot dog man to replace the one i destroyed and much more!

does anyone else find christmas overwhelming?? on christmas morning i couldn't stop crying! it was 1/2 tears of joy and 1/2 tears of turmoil because of all the commotion. i tried to bury myself in a gift bag to calm myself down - it turned out to be too small.

mom got a brand new professional-grade camera. needless to say, she has been photographing me ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!!! it is like a puparazzi!!! here are some of the photos she's taken. hope ya'll had a great christmas. ; )

a profile shot.

looking a little sleepy. lol.

playing!

this is a little creepy.

playing with the gift auntie elly got me : )

some lost footage..

2009-11-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

i'm sure you remember me mentioning that mom's camera is finally up and running (which does not mean to terminate her "wish" of a D5000 on her christmas wishlist...in case any of you were wondering...)

anyway she came across this charming photo (i'm being facetious). i asked her not to SHOW IT TO THE WORLD, but she said she must. i'm embarrassed.

this was taken on 5/13 and we all know what day that is! i'm sure now you understand what was going on! lol.

p.s. please expect a blogging hiatus as i will be away from my computer this week. enjoy your thanksgiving. i sure will : ) WOOF!

a sassy ____poo

2009-11-22T17:18:00.003-05:00

you fill in the blank. no one knows for sure what breed i am, but everyone agrees i'm half poodle. so fill in the blank for me!!! mom thinks i'm a lhasa apso-poo and grandmom thinks i'm a bichon-poo. what do ya'll think!?!

anyway i got my hair cut. i'm sure you can see the enthusiasm radiating off me.

obviously, i couldn't have been bothered because i was much more interested in playing with fox's tail!

no matter what i happen to be mixed with, my haircut makes me one sassy poodle. (or so mom says).

P.S. to those who have been wondering, mom has found her camera charger and is now taking pictures of me incessantly! ugh. grr..

RIP Fox...

2009-11-20T11:13:00.001-05:00

now before you jump to conclusions, yes, that is fox's tail hanging out of my mouth. but that doesn't mean i ATE HIM!!!

on the contrary, i just...dismantled him.

yes, i ripped fox's tail off. i am guilty. but right before this was about to happen:

mom heard a yelp. yes, that was from me. mommy please don't throw away the tail, that's my favorite part!!!!! she let me keep it : )

grandpop gave me fox for my birthday which was almost 4 months ago. mom is happy because this is the longest time it's ever taken me to destroy a toy. it's usually more like a week or two. she gets mad because she has to buy me more!! i'm glad i accomplished my mission. now onto my next:

football

2009-11-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

i love football. i have been having so much fun this season, the gators are #1!!! (literally)

here is a picture of me enjoying the pride of the sunshine, our marching band! this was at our last home game... vs. vandy.

a pizza loving pup

2009-11-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

so you may remember me having pizza for lunch the other day. it was soooooooo yummy i can't think of anything else!!

chinese!

2009-11-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

mom got chinese, this was her fortune. she told me it was about me!!! 0:-)

the most wonderful time of the year

2009-11-01T10:45:00.001-05:00

its almost christmastime!! gotta think about my list to santa!!

puppy pants

2009-10-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

i've been waiting rather PATIENTLY for kiki to make me a pair of pants. i'm always exposed!!! well it's been about a year so i just decided to BUY some jeans....

books part 2

2009-10-24T10:24:00.002-04:00

mom would like you to know all the great deals she got at the semi-annual friends of the library sale!!! (remember a similar post last time??) unfortunately, she could not find any books written in italian for me...it seems the folks in central florida don't speak much ITALIANO!!

Nicholas Sparks - The Lucky One

Janet Fitch - White Oleander

Kristin Hannah - Firefly Lane

P. D. James - The Murder Room

P. D. James - The Lighthouse

Alexander McCall Smith - Tears of the Giraffe

Alexander McCall Smith - Morality for Beautiful Girls

she wants to know if any of you "bookies" have any suggestions about what she should read first! oh yes, and she only spent $15!!! that means she has more money to buy me toys!!!!! : )

pizza

2009-10-23T19:26:00.006-04:00

ok ok, i'll admit. the world from down here has shifted to the back burner as my mom is SUCH A COMPUTER HOG!!! she claims she needs the computer for school, but i've seen her playing the sims when she thinks i'm not looking!!! well i'm going to put my paw down...

what have i been doing? well last weekend grandmom & grandpop fitz came down to visit. mom kept it a secret so when they knocked on the door i had to try SO HARD not to pee pee in excitement!! (i did so successfully!!) they brought me a HASHBROWN, it was just like old times in NJ when i used to have hashbrown sunday!! mom decided to discontinue that tradition because she claims:

"bandit, if that is not good for my arteries, than it is most definitely not good for your little arteries."

just to prove a point, i decided to make myself a pizza for lunch yesterday. mom, it doesn't always have to be good for you!!

i'm sure you all know of my mom's OBSESSIVE ORGANIZATION...it's verging on diagnosable OCD. anyhow, she purchased a label maker, labeled everything she could think of and then some....

what's my fave toy these days? it's actually a webkinz (meaning it's meant for CHILDREN) mom and aunt elly call him my le tigre. i just loveeeee him!!!!

i'll be updating soon! don't youse worry!! but for now, i think ill just take a nap ; )

(mom says i sleep on my back a lot!!)

costumes?

2009-10-16T09:17:00.003-04:00

halloween is coming!! last year i was too little to get dressed up, but not this year!!!!!! me and mom have narrowed it down to two costumes. tell me what you think..

elvis?

captain jack sparrow

i just can't wait to trick-or-treat!! hopefully they will have milkbones instead of milk chocolate!!

my fave commercial : )

2009-10-07T12:02:00.000-04:00

bandy in the bathtub...

2009-10-05T14:13:00.002-04:00

i like this picture because at least i know im not the ONLY silly looking puppy in the bathtub. im getting a haircut on wednesday and they give me a bath and i end up looking soggy and deflated like these guys..

here's an actual picture of me when im all soggy and wet...how embarrassing!!

look at this...

2009-10-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

...thats right. a snuggie. FOR DOGS!!! my mom tries to bundle me up for walks when it gets cold. i dont really need to be bundled up because im so fuzzy, i'm afraid she may get me not just one snuggie but TWO!!! its a bogo deal!!! blue is not really my color though...

its that time of year again.

2009-09-27T12:13:00.004-04:00

hmmm... i seem to remember about this time last year mom was thinking about my CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT!! for those of you unlucky enough to have received my christmas card, i was placed amongst snow and presents and had my picture taken for HOURS. HOURS HOURS HOURS! i'm certainly not kidding. it would have been even worse if mom had succeeded in making me wear the doggie santa hat she bought.

anyway, i've heard her mention this year's christmas card and it just makes me CRINGE!!! here are some of the bad pictures from last year. if ya'll remember me sitting cutely in the snow, here is proof that that is NOT how the whole scene played out...

"lay down, bandy."

"bandy, don't eat the snow."

"want this treat bandy? look up here"

"bandy, you can have it AFTER we take the picture"

"bandy sit still!!"

so which picture was the eventual "winner"? here it is:

i look so happy and mellow, right? well now you know that's WRONG ; )

if any of you have some suggestions on what theme we can do this year and how to make it not so TERRIBLE, let me know. ill pass it on to my mom.

366 days : )

2009-09-21T14:13:00.004-04:00

yesterday was the anniversary of my homecoming! i was only 2 lbs and 8 weeks old when my mom came and got me. her, aunt elly & aunt vi drove all the way to south carolina to get me!!! before driving back the 8ish hours, we went to sonic for lunch (had to be an OUTDOOR place bc of me). I was very timid at first but mom brought me a tan fuzzy blanket and a few toys for the trip. She and i laid in the back seat the whole ride home and i started to feel better.

We got home at 11-12ish and mom (being an unprepared first-time mom) decided that she and aunt elly should get me a baby gate so that i wouldn't poop and pee all over the carpet. because it was so late, they headed to the 24-hour walmart and left me & my leash tied to the oven door in the kitchen in the hopes that it would make me stay on the tile! weren't they surprised to find me hiding under the dining room table when they got back!!

thats how it all began. here are some flash-backs:

mom says the best thing she ever ever did is get me : )

well, its been a while

2009-09-19T11:50:00.003-04:00

i'm back by [very] popular demand! i took a hiatus because i got sick again & bc i've just been a busy boy!

weather around these parts was rainy for a while. i didn't get to take my after lunch & after dinner walks. that put me in a bad mood - try blogging when you're in a bad mood. then i got sick. for 5ish days. good thing i got better before mom took me to the vet. last time i was there, it wasn't pretty.

football season has started and i've been busy watching the gators kick some butt. today is a BIG game against TENN. mom could have sold her ticket for $125, but she wanted to go instead. TENN's coach is a jerk and said they're going to beat us and that urban meyer is a cheater; all of us gators are mad. the kick off is at 3:30 & ill be watching it from the comfort of my house. mom wanted to take me, but i said NO THANKS MOM. im fuzzy and black and its HOT OUT THERE!!! ill just crack open a cold one and lounge on the couch.

elly got me a new toy. actually she got me 2 toys (because i never got a birthday present from her!!!) she got me a zebra that makes 2 different squeaky noises & she got me a raw-hide alternative that is real yummy - bacon flavored. mom bought me a new frisbee because my old one is all chewed up & she got me something else but she said she's saving it for a rainy day. i think ill try to find it when she is at the game this afternoon, muahahahahaha!

here are a few pictures of me:

if you can't beat 'em..

2009-08-29T17:09:00.004-04:00

..join 'em.

here i am trying to walk up auntie el. she didn't want to wake up so i went back to sleep too. (the quality isn't so great because it was dark & mom was using her iPhone)

today we took a walk to the kangaroo (1.6 miles is a lot when you're little!!) so i've been pooped all day. mom and auntie el planted some flowers and the back porch looks really nice! now i have something pretty to look at when i go pee pee!!!

how's your weekend??

mom's first day of school

2009-08-24T17:43:00.004-04:00

after the long drive back to gainesville, im glad to be blogging again. back at my own desk where i can blog regularly. SPEAKING OF WHICH, today was mom's first day of school. ...i couldn't just sit around and SLEEP while she was at class, could i?!!? [well, i did...at some point]

no! today, i took the liberty to clean her whole desk off and rearrange. kind of like a spring cleaning!! everyone loves a good ol' cleanin' before a new semester. i even got colored folders and typed labels for them with each of her class names!!! here are some pictures of my hard work...

[i wish i could say that i bought the new printer for my mom as a gift, but she bought it for herself...as a gift]

you like pokey climbing up the lamp? i thought it was a nice touch..

as i was saying, we took a road trip back this weekend. i just love road trips because then i can jump into my carrier, and wear my shades!!!

and lastly..mom waited alllll summer to come back to gainesville so that i could get my haircut the way she and i like it. well, she likes its look & i like it because she always requests alyssa..now she is my girlfriend. here i am in my spiffy new look:

a blogging doggie?!

2009-08-12T21:18:00.002-04:00

a lazy birthday weekend.

2009-08-04T18:55:00.005-04:00

on FRIDAY, it was take your doggie to work day. ok...not really, but my mom did take me to work : ) here are a few pics:

here i am with the company magnet in my travel crate.

[bandit] jack in the box!!!

izzy & kathy liked me!!

on mom's chair

on mom's chair again

then on SATURDAY, it was my first birthday!! mom sang me happy birthday and then we went to sonic!! that's where she took me when she first adopted me! she got me some tater tots and i loveeeed them. auntie elly gave me a few sips of peanut butter milkshake. me and mom took a nap together and i got a new octopus toy! each of its tentacles has a SQUEAKER!!! here are some pictures of me relaxing on my special day!!

a comic : )

2009-07-14T20:20:00.004-04:00

"Thats the deal -- they get unconditional love,

and you get an occasional tummy rub."

isn't that a fitting comic? just kidding!! i get so many tummy rubs and kisses and lots of play time. i certainly can't complain. (sometimes i look forward to when everyone goes to work...i get some me time)

well, i got the hair cut. the girl who did it cut my ears unevenly. my mom wants to fix it but she's too busy!! here's a pic of "the new me."

this was taken just this morning! i was begging my mom for some cheerios. yes, there is some kibble behind me, but you don't expect me to eat THAT!?!?!

i would be quite happy if...

2009-07-07T21:01:00.004-04:00

...i never saw, heard or even SMELLED another “firework” ever ever again. i felt like we were under siege!! of course i’m referring to this weekend’s 4th of july activities. the day was nice and leisurely (until the END!!!)

in the afternoon we sat on the porch in the lovely warm weather. grandmom made margaritas - auntie elly, grandmom and grandpop had some. (well, i may have had a lick or two, GASP!!) here’s a few pictures:

haha, silly faces!!

me & mommy

playing with auntie

then, mom and aunt elly went over to atlantic city for dinner and to see the fireworks. they took some pictures and i promised i’d post them. (yes, there is a guard rail in the picture; they watched them from the AC expressway, lol) so here are some distant photos of the harrah’s/borgata spectacular:

last, but MOST CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, when mom and aunt elly got home, everyone went outside to light the illegal fireworks that we smuggled into nj. (surely you remember the pictures we took at south of the border!?) did i mention that i HATE FIREWORKSSS. unlike most dogs, i’m a brave boy, thunder doesn’t scare me at all. mom said it would sound like thunder, but i was clawing at grandmom because FEAR was just overcoming me. i was later found hiding under the coffee table. ...of course because my thoughts (and paws) were elsewhere at the time, i can’t provide any pictures of the fireworks escapade.

luckily mom & auntie el wrapped me in my puppy blanket and cuddled with me on the bed. you can definitely see the horror on my face:

hope your 4th was a little less NERVE-RACKING than mine. talk to ya’ll soon!!

I'M HERE!!!!

2009-07-03T17:45:00.005-04:00

hey everybody. you'll never guess why i haven't been able to blog in such a long time!! our house was hit by lightning & surged out the internet!! i was home at the time. mom, grandmom & grandpop were at work. i heard a HUGEEEEEE explosion. we saw bark EVERYWHERE!!

here's where it hit, this poor tree has to come down on tuesday. mom says she might cry.

so, finally the internet is up and running. we think the router got surged out too, so right now im HARDWIRED to the wall!! blahh.

anyway, how's everyone been? i've been spending a lot of time with yours truly now that mom's working everyday but she likes it. hope everything's well with ya'll!!

my weekend at the DOG BEACH!!

2009-06-02T20:32:00.004-04:00

look familiar!? perhaps not since at the time this picture was taken there were no dogs on the dog beach. mom and auntie elly went to the beach on both saturday and sunday this weekend because the weather was very nice. they felt guilty for leaving me inside on such a nice day, so they came home saturday afternoon to take me to the beach.

you may remember my first visit to the beach back in march. we're not sure if it was entirely legal since we did not go to a "dog beach" but figured no one would care because it was off-season. now, i'm only allowed on this small sliver of beach.

i don't care to socialize with other dogs because most of them scare the heck out of me!!! i like to meet all the people though, because i'm very people friendly. we took a walk all the way to the end of the beach where none of the other dogs would bother me and played fetch with seashells. at first i was very hesitant to go in the water, but once i did i was having GREAT FUN!! mom said i looked really funny half wet and half dry.

i had to get a bath when i got home because all the sand stuck to me when i was wet. it was kind of gross, but i had a really fun time. hopefully grandmom, grandpop and kikster can tag along next time!

what is this ALASKA!?

2009-05-27T07:28:00.003-04:00

every night i sit on grandmom fitz's sofa & lay there pathetically. i keep asking my mom where my throne & daily back rubs are and she says grandmom's in alaska. i don't know where or what that is so i'll let out a grunt of exasperation. I WANT MY THRONE BACK!!

i'm doing weird things that are freaking my mom out. like staring down the stairs in the morning or barking at an empty hallway at night. since our designated spider killer (grandpop fitz) is also in this ALASKA place, mom runs around the house like a psycho. usually i'd just eat the spider for her, but when its on the ceiling, it becomes problematic.

i'm just so upset and lonely that i pooped in the front room when mom was at work. i did it on the wood so she could clean it up easy, but she still wasn't happy. i guess i'll just keep looking out the window for them to come home.

P.S. mom fell down the stairs again.

jersey shoreeee..

2009-05-24T19:29:00.006-04:00

today was BARKS ON THE BOARDS, an event on the boardwalk to benefit the local SPCA (which is a NO-KILL facility). mom & aunt elly took me to ocean city, there's a lot i could talk about, but i'd rather just show you a plethora of pictures:

here we are contemplatively looking at the ocean

..bravely sitting on the railing

this is evie, she pursued me...

kisses

i made mom take off this ridiculous bandana..
riley the maltee-poo. although he was cute, he was not nice.

MR. PEANUT SCARED ME!!!!
auntie elly wanted us to go in the photo-booth, but i FREAKED OUT.

shot of the boardwalk (i keep waiting for some PANTS!)
ICE CREAM CONE
elly ate the top and i ate the bottom.
yummm
sucking out all the ice cream, lol!

we all had a really fun day! hope your memorial day is just as fun!

cake & haircuts

2009-05-14T16:10:00.006-04:00

...as you knowwwww, yesterday was mommy's birthday and OF COURSE there was a cake (which i was quite excited about!) i got a lot. i was getting little bits from everyone and i think they all lost track of HOW MUCH CAKE I ATE, YUMMMMM!! it was an aptly themed cake because she sipped margaritas all night, here's a pic:

yeah yeah, here's the cake. but what you're really looking for is...

me & the cake!!! yumm, i'm lickin' my lips!

now i've been getting some ~~complaints~~ suggestions to cut my hair. i don't really want to but i dont think i have much of a choice. i may be getting one tomorrow, blahhhh. meanwhile, here are some pictures of my R&R here in jersey:

birthday girl

2009-05-13T10:04:00.002-04:00

dear mom,

love, bandit jack : )

mom's brand-spanking new blog!

2009-05-12T16:01:00.001-04:00

my mom created her own blog because i told her she was crowding my space on here. check it out!!

sonic bliss..

2009-05-12T13:03:00.011-04:00

ever since my mommy was a wee little girl, her favorite movie has been GREASE! in fact, she saw it on broadway over christmas break. so this obsession made her quite the frankie valli fan (along with my grandpop's endless amounts of frankie cd's). she's seen him probably four or five times & has also seen JERSEY BOYS on broadway.

here's a video she took when she was at his most recent concert this weekend:

and now for your viewing pleasure, a few pictures from jacksonville:

^^ auntie elly!! ^^

the jacksonville landings!

the landings, again.

fountains!!
mommy & some sea creature.

today is your lucky day, i have EVEN MORE PICTURES, these are from the drive north:

south of the border
like my new hat!?

where we purchased fireworks!

a picnic with mom & auntie elly @ the maryland house!

yum that french fry looks GOOD! just like mom's ZITI!!

mommy : )

2009-05-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

here's a pic of me and my mom, happy mother's day!

ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-05-09T13:39:00.001-04:00

to all fitzgeralds, ryans and others who surely care...

i, bandit jack, have made my appearance in town. come and play with me!!

taylor swifttttttttttt !!!!!!

2009-05-03T16:04:00.004-04:00

here's a guest blogger, my mom..since i really can't rack up as much enthusiasm for this as she did. talk to you soon, bandy.

HI!! i saw taylor in jacksonville on friday after my last final. it was the best show ever, EVER!! (and i've been to my fair share of shows) the show was just under 2 hours, lots of costume changes and surprises!! she sang every single song i'd hoped she'd sing. but my FAVORITE (in conjunction with tell me why) should've said no was the last one. i kept waiting and waiting for it & then i remembered her AWESOME performance on one of those award shows where she started dancing in the rain, GASP!! could she have left this for last because she's going to get all wet!?!?!?!?!?

...YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

here's a video i stole off of youtube (no, i wasn't sitting that close, but it IS from the jacksonville show.) watch it!!! ...i think you should watch the first 3ish minutes and then the last two, because she does this weird drum thing in the middle. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

does it count as a vacation if your destination is in your hometown?

2009-05-01T09:43:00.004-04:00

i'm blogging from the laundry basket, where i'm currently laying in a fluffy down comforter that's waiting to get dry cleaned. i haven't blogged in quite some time because my mom was hogging the computer to study for finals which are now OVER!!!!!!!!!! [note: my first birthday is coming up on Aug. 1st, i'd like my own computer. preferably a mac, since that's what i'm accustomed to]

today, i'm being dropped of at a hotel just for me =D ; mom is taking a celebratory trip to jax & the hotel she booked charges $75 for dogs. (PER NIGHT!!!) i think it's ridiculous, esp. since we all know i'd never vandalize the place. you'd never even know i was there. so im getting boarded at the vet because mom does not have the capability to trust any other kennel in gainesville (i know, she needs to loosen the leash - literally!) she says someday she will take me to pet paradise - with its bone shaped in-ground swimming pool & rooms with tv & dvd players - but that will not be until AFTER she makes some money at her internship.

wish me luck at the hotel, i'm looking forward to meeting the other doggies! be blogging soon..

picnic : )

2009-04-24T14:36:00.003-04:00

yesterday, mom, me and auntie elly went to the park! we stopped by crispers and got salads to have a picnic under a big mossy tree. they let me eat the croutons, and i relaxed in the shade.

afterward, we took a walk on the trail and eventually ended up by the playground. mom and auntie elly jumped on the swings & i sat on auntie elly's lap! we swung for a long long time and i had a lot of fun.

lastly, we went over to the soccer fields. we brought a soccer ball and auntie elly kicked goals for a while. mom (who believe it or not used to PLAY A SPORT - i know, i was shocked, too) sat on the bleachers and watched. i chased after the soccer ball but its just as tall as me so i can't kick it.

i had a really fun time. i meant to post pictures, but i forgot to grab the camera on our way out!!

lazy day..

2009-04-21T09:45:00.004-04:00

mom and aunt elly took their books to the bagel shop that has wireless internet to go do some studying. they left me here in my crate, i think ill just doze in and out all day : )

BOOKSSSSSSSSS

2009-04-18T13:00:00.003-04:00

my mom went to a book thing this morning. they were selling used books to benefit the local library. i think the books were donated by people in the community. it started at 9, she got there at 9:45 and it was PACKED. a huge warehouse FULL FULL FULL of books. there were even police officers outside to direct the enormous flow of traffic.

the most she paid for a book was $5. it was hardback & its a really new one so it was a great deal. she got 12 books total for only $29!!! she said she could only get 2 PAPERBACKS for that amount of cash at the barnes & noble down the street!!! she said she feels like a THEIF!! here's a pic of her booty & a picture of me that is blurry, but irresistible

: )

luxurious!!

2009-04-17T12:56:00.008-04:00

mom got an internship for the summer. she said she's very excited because she'll be making a lot of money & she said she'll buy me things! here's what i'm thinking:

i can definitely see myself taking lots of naps in this bed! its only $900ish.

i don't know which pet stair to choose, this one has a landing!! i'll be able to take a rest on the way up..

this one matches mom's furniture and it's rather BEACHY!!

perhaps i'll join the circus.

2009-04-16T08:17:00.000-04:00

i have been clicker training, sit, down, etc. here's the fun part! (except i get kind of dizzy)

say cheese...

2009-04-14T13:09:00.003-04:00

look i got a haircut! mom says i'm real cute.

playing in the yard. i love my new 20 ft tie-out. i can run around!

posing..

this one reminds me of "tip-toe through the tulips!!" lol

mom says it looks like i've found God.

studying!!

a girl can dream, can't she?!

2009-04-13T11:17:00.004-04:00

as you [now] know, mom's birthday is in a month!!!!! i've been fishin' around for ya'll to see what she wants, here's what i came up with:

Passion-Red Volvo S-40

Mom just recently said to me in the parking lot "Bandit, how'd you like your car seat in that car!?"

An iPhone (preferably 16GB)

[We all know how much i want this too! for the dog whistle app that's FREE]

A Subscription to Real Simple Magazine

Mom longs to be as handy and knowledgeable as the great MARTHA STEWART ....hate her all you want, but you can't discount she's great at what she does..

well, hope this is helpful to all you gift buyers! haha, what do i know, im just a pup!

hope the bunny was good to you.

2009-04-12T11:04:00.000-04:00

...like my bunny ears!?

drumroll please...

2009-04-08T14:06:00.005-04:00

i've been getting lots of nice compliments on my new blog layout. thanks! it took quite a bit of time and excessive reading on html, but i think it came together nicely. to commemorate this new phase of the world from down here, i've decided to give out an award to thank my most loyal readers!

The "A Blogger's Best Friend Award" shall be given to your most loyal blog readers. Thus, the award should be given to a follower of yours who takes the time to comment regularly on many of your posts. In addition his or her blog should be creative, funny and always entertaining. Upon receiving this award, pass it along to two fellow bloggers who fit this criteria. Congratulations!

There's absolutely no question who THE FIRST WINNERS OF THIS AWARD will be.

(1) Caite at A lovely shore breeze...

Perhaps one of my biggest supporters, and in fact, the one who encouraged me to create this blog. Her posts are always quirky and make me laugh, but are regularly filled with interesting information. I find her book reviews to be helpful and entertaining, and her musing is always funny!! She definitely deserves this award!!!

(2) Dar at Peeking Between the Pages

Despite my striking resemblance to her dog, Buddy, Dar always takes time to stop by and see what I'm up to. I enjoy hearing about how Buddy is doing, but I also enjoy reading her book reviews (and there are plenty of them!!) As soon as me and my mom head home for a RELAXING SUMMER we'll be sure to stop by her blog and get some recommendations! She too, very much deserves this award.

Thanks to everyone for reading my blog! It makes this little puppy feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!! Talk to y'all later!

mischief

2009-04-07T16:09:00.002-04:00

exposing my inner green thumb

2009-04-04T16:12:00.010-04:00

today, mom, me and aunt elly went to kanapaha botanical gardens. it was a beautiful day to go! the weather was sunny and mild with barely any humidity. we were inspired to go because we wanted to "get out" and do something different, but mom has too many tests to take a day trip to cedar key or jax.

kanapaha botanical gardens is tucked way back, off of the main road. you have to drive about a mile on a windy narrow road to even reach the welcome center. it is a 66 acre facility with a 1.5 mile path that winds through many different types of gardens. here's our route:

we started on the left side of the map seeing the water garden, and rose garden. then we walked near the picnic area (which we are planning to revisit) through the vinery, up to the hummingbird garden and finally back at the beginning.

mom's favorite was def. the herb garden. it's the largest herb garden in the southeast and it's sooooo fragrant. i kept trying to eat the mint leaves, but she was smelling the oregeno, chives, lavender, sage, saffron, curry...you name it..

the last part of the journey gave us a really nice view of lake kanapaha. it is a native american term for "palm leaves" and "houses;" like the huts the native americans built with the palm leaves. (PALM SUNDAY! TOMORROW!)

here are a lot of pictures from our visit:

mom is trying to pull me over the bridge in the asian garden but i just wanted to run the other way because im too scared of heights!!!

laying in the shade for break #1 with my twig!

they have one of the biggest bamboo exhibits..

this tree is the ONLY survivor of hurricane frances in 1991. i bet it misses its friends =(

break #2, on a bench in front of the waterfalls.

a picture of the zen garden.

the biggest marigold i've ever seen..

break # 3: hangin out in the shade.

in the rose garden. mom's favorite are yellow and white roses!

break #4 - taking a drink. boy, i was thirsty!

we took this picture esp. for grandmom fitz, we know she'd like these guys.

here i am in the vinery, under a trellis.

a really cool sinkhole, it reminds me of TWILIGHT!

STRAWBERRIES!!

a bottle tree! isn't it pretty? its an african custom to bottle up evil spirits.

yep, i sat ON the pansies.

i wish we could show you the rest of our walk but the camera died, =( !

we finished off the day with a bath and now im going to lay on the sofa and take a nap. talk to y'all later.

ps. mom got an ORECK and loves it. its orange!

i'll stay out of her way..

2009-04-02T21:15:00.003-04:00

mom's upset the vacuum BROKE!

ps. we started clicker training today. sometimes i get confused though. what IS that noise!? and once i'm sitting, she makes me stand up so i can sit again!?! i don't even know...

my lovely g'ville..

2009-03-31T20:06:00.011-04:00

here is a lovely article on my hometown of gainesville, fl. i must say i was bursting with pride upon reading it because it really is just as great as they make it sound! (ps. my mom loves satchels!! it reminds her of the bubble room..) kiki sent me this link, my mom JUST found in among millions of other emails..

the weekend was nice. me and my mom watched bolt. (you know, the disney movie about a superhero dog!?) she laughed at me because i barked at bolt the whole movie. (sadly, he didn't bark back.) she also told me i was running and barking in my sleep that night. its because i was dreaming that me and bolt were playing!

here i am watching bolt!!

only my butt is in this picture..
my head is RIGHT under the wii! its too hard to see, i know.

i was feeling a little better from being sick last week, but it seems to have gone backwards and im feeling a little sick again. this morning i just curled up in the laundry basket and slept. (it was clean of course!!! my mom just puts off folding clothes...)

on the mend...

2009-03-27T14:09:00.003-04:00

dr. sammy gave me special food to eat for a few days and a pill to make my tummy better. no intestinal parasites!!! i'm feeling better already!! thanks for all the well wishes!

blahhhh

2009-03-25T09:53:00.005-04:00

...i am sick. i feel pretty yucky, so im just going to lay here until my mom takes me to the doctor at five.

the world from down here goes INTERNATIONAL

2009-03-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What city would you retire to if money were no object?

...retire? doesn't that imply that i have a job? unless my job is to sit and be cute! (in which case i am a very hard worker..)

this question is quite difficult because i haven't traveled much (only home to NJ and to st. augustine). i would not want to go somewhere hot - today my mom was sunbathing and let me outside to play with her. i got SOOOOOO hot because im a complete fuzzball. a BLACK fuzzball to make matters worse. wherever i move must be temperate.

i would also want to be able to speak the language so that i could meet new friends, so that narrows things down to USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and Italy. well Ireland is def. out because my mom would never move with me! she plans to study abroad in Italy so she must really like it. i think my answer would ultimately be somewhere on the amalfi coast of italy, positano, perhaps.

-->BUT WHERE WOULD YOU ALL RETIRE TO?!? (let me know!!)

...with an oh-so-smooth segue, I would like to bring to your attention all of the INTERNATIONAL visitors i have gotten on my blog! i think the most interesting countries are: thailand, romania, kazakhstan, sweden, indonesia and portugal. of course, you seasoned bloggers probably have a more diverse crowd, but i'm just a beginner.

anyway, here's a map that shows the locations of a few of my visitors. my goal is to get 5 VISITORS FROM ITALY, then i will throw a big blog bash! so get all your italian friends to come and comment!

gadgets, mmm

2009-03-23T19:11:00.005-04:00

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

what gadget is at the top of your wishlist?

funny enough, this has been quite a topic of conversation in my household. my mom's birthday is coming up, she's been talking about an iphone, one with lots of space to hold all her songs and movies. at first i thought it was a bit crazy, but then i saw the dog whistle app!! if i got my own iphone, i could play with the whistle all the time and no one would ever know! and i could download the kindle app..(are there any kindle books in italian?)

although, i have been wanting a can opener to open my dog food when my mom is at school..

anyway, here is a picture my mom insisted i upload, much to my chagrin. i think its embarrassing. yesterday was bath day. we were supposed to take a day trip but mom slept too late. she says we might go thursday if it does not rain.

ugh...how EMBARRASSING!

recovering from st. patrick's day...

2009-03-21T15:10:00.004-04:00

in honor of my fitzgerald-ness, i cracked open an ice cold smithwick's on st. patrick's day. afterward, i had a fine american brew, yuengling. here are some pictures of me polishing it off. and what would a beer be without a snack? my mom found me breaking into the milkbone box!!

today, my mom took me to petsmart!! i had a lot of fun sniffing all the other dogs there and she let me pick out what flavors of food i wanted. she even had a BOGO coupon for BEGGIN STRIPS!!!! mmm, i had pork tenderloin for lunch. today we are relaxing because my mom is finally done her tests! maybe tomorrow we will go on a day trip.

some may find it crass..

2009-03-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

...but i find it funny. i think everyone should have a good sense of humor!!! i was browsing the internet this afternoon and came across a website that sells monthly calendars. of what you ask? cute little puppy poop!!! haha, well i think its cute because im a puppy! it is called "the monthy doos" and i thought id share a selection of particularly funny photographs:

its my duty to keep you updated on current events in the puppy world!!! hope i didn't step on anyone's paws - perhaps you even chuckled!

happy st. patrick's day from a few of my friends..

2009-03-17T12:39:00.003-04:00

just want to wish everyone a happy saint patrick's day. perhaps i'll crack open a cold one later. my mom is studying all this week so i stole the computer to write a new post. we are back in fl. its about 85 degrees and we're all sweating!!! we wish it was a bit cooler.

anyway, here are some pics of my friends looking particularly festive:

my day at the beach!!

2009-03-10T19:17:00.003-04:00

we're home! we're in NJ!! we went to the beach, how fun!!

brimming with excitment!

drinking the sea water. it tasted...different?

sniffing seashells.

a silouhette of me and my mom. pretty huh?

contemplating..

what did you do this saturday?

2009-02-28T18:12:00.002-05:00

today began with a ~~LONG~~ nice walk with my mom and aunt elly. instead of going the usual route, we went the other way (only 1.6 miles on google maps, we're slackers today, i know) because we can walk to the kangaroo. why would we want to walk to a gas station you ask? because there is a REDBOX! she's pretty convinced that it won't be too long until netflix & redbox shut blockbuster's doors. anyway, we rented a movie ($1!!! there's not too much you can get with a dollar these days..)

well let me just preface this next paragraph by saying that my mom was wearing sweatpants but changed into shorts because it was a bit HOT! needless to say my walk to the kangaroo was a bit of a struggle - with all my fuzz. my mom thought my sugar was low (can that happen to dogs?) and bought me a slim jim, YUM!! the walk back was awful. she was dragging me along and there was slack in my leash for once. i got smart and walked in aunt elly's shadow. when we got back home my mom cranked up the AC for me.

finally my mom put together my doggie booster seat for the car!! (ive only been asking for ages..) it is my FAVORITE THING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! now i can see out the window and i don't fall over whenever my mommy turns! we rode to the vet to get some more heartworm meds and back home again. then i hit the bathtub. i'm ashamed to say that mommy thought "brown sugar and fig" body wash would make me smell "delicious." i say it makes me smell like A GIRL!

tell me how your saturday went. i'd love to know!

EXERCISE!!

2009-02-27T13:06:00.007-05:00

me and my mom have been taking regular walks for a little over a week now. she comes home on her lunch break for a while and takes me out for a walk. out of curiosity, i google-mapped our trail and found out that its a TOTAL of 2.4 miles! WOW!!! we are both healthy pups, huh? google map lets you tell it if you're walking or driving and it also has a video of your route with real pictures (not the fake cartoon ones!) it looks just like you're driving down the street! try it out sometime. its real fun!!

here are a couple pictures of our route. unfortunately, the street we live on doesn't have a sidewalk. so we have to walk down it a little to get to the bike path.

hope everyone else is getting their fill of exercise, too!!

glamour shots!!

2009-02-23T20:47:00.005-05:00

my mom's doing homework, and i was just on the phone with kiki! she told me to make a new post to occupy my while my mom's busy!! anyway me and my mom were being silly this weekend and doing PHOTO SHOOTS!! i worked it for the camera if i do say so myself. here are some of the pictures we took!!

lots of this this weekend..

2009-02-21T16:34:00.002-05:00

kittens

2009-02-16T13:04:00.001-05:00

have you guys seen this? me and my mom laugh allllllllllllllllllllll day!!

our valintime's day

2009-02-15T21:19:00.004-05:00

i had valintime's day with my mom. i got her these presents:

i got her a bear dressed up as a bandit!! she calls him bandit bear..

it came with a ransom note!!

this is the card i bought her..

we had a great day together!! hope everyone had a good valintime's day!!!!

and the oscar goes to...

2009-02-12T11:34:00.002-05:00

here's a video I made in my spare time. It's about my new favorite toy that I got for my half-birthday from grandmom. It's also about how its "shriek" really annoys my mom and uncle justin! i think its great..

stay tuned for more videos!!

a laidback kind of weekend.

2009-02-08T15:24:00.004-05:00

my mom got sick this weekend. well actually she got sick during the week but it was a lot worse over the weekend. so we just stayed at home.

friday night we went to chili's for dinner (well, ok maybe she just brought me home some leftovers) and my mom and aunt elly decided to install a dimmer. once they turned off the power at the circuit breaker it was DARK and had to use a flashlight. overall it was just a really bad idea. they waited to install the second one until the next day when the SUN was out!!

saturday i took care of my mom. she was in bed most of the day. i brought her milk and cookies! (girl scout cookies!!! peanut-butter sandwiches. she ate them and then remembered the peanut butter recall, but so far, so good...)

today is a really nice day! and my mom is feeling better. she opened the windows and we just finished watching a movie together (on our new tv!) later we are going to make some baklava, courtesy of giada delaurentiis! btw, does anybody know what CHOCOLATE is, or why my mom loveeeeees it but won't let me have any?! food network is doing chocolate lovers weekend and she keeps watching it!!

well, thats about it over here. luckily my mom does not have as many tests this week so i can steal the computer more often. talk to you guys soon!

ps. did ya'll see the pictures from my visit to st. augustine last weekend!?

the great escape!

2009-02-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

i would like to preface this post by stating: i know you all look forward to my posts and that its been quite a long time. all i have to say is that this is my mom's computer and she's been using it a lot to study for her 3 tests this week. now onto my story:

i was out for a ride in the car, it was fun. then we got home and my mom filled up my bowl with some water. i ran under the table with a leaf i'd picked up on the way in. i was being as stealth as i could be, but she saw the leaf and took it away from me. she went upstairs to put some things away and my aunt elly went on the porch to water the palm-treeish plant. she didn't completely shut the door, just shut it without it clicking.

from under the table i could smell the sweet fragrance of freshly cut grass and it was the first warm day in a long long time. i really wanted to be outside. i stuck my nose in between the crack of the door and i was out! i did it!!

meanwhile, my mom had come downstairs and was getting some lunch together when she noticed how QUIET it was. "where's bandy?" she asked aunt elly. elly said "i was just thinking the exact same thing." my mom ran upstairs checked under her bed, under uncle justin's bed - looked in all the closets and couldn't find me. she said the last time she saw me i was under the table with a leaf in my mouth.

immediately aunt elly ran outside to find me. my mom stayed inside to keep looking. eventually she concluded i was definitely not inside. mom called grandmom crying, grandmom also started freaking out. (in retrospect she says it was not the best idea..what was she going to do 850 miles away? FREAK OUT!)

while all this was going on i was trotting down the sidewalk of our development, enjoying a stroll that did not require a leash for once. i started getting really hot though because it was warmer than i remembered. but it was okay, i was on an adventure! i ran to the field by the mailboxes and ran laps for a long long time.

...thats when aunt elly came up. she was very upset, i thought she was sad i didn't ask her to run laps with me. she started running toward me and i was so excited that we were going to run laps TOGETHER!! she was yelling BANDIT BANDIT!!!! i stopped and she ran over and picked me up. she just started walking back to mom's apt when mom ran out of the house like a mess. she ran up to me and gave me so many hugs. i dont think i got that many hugs before.

i had a fun time =D

did somebody say mcdonald's?

2009-01-20T10:46:00.008-05:00

hi everyone! its been a while since i've posted. yesterday my mom got mcdonald's!! (it is still quite a wonder to us all how she can eat a micky-dee's cheeseburger given her aversion to beef). of course, ever since my stay at home with grandma & kiki - i've taken to begging every single time i see food. see exhibit a:

(begging aunt vi for some cheesecake. don't you know puppies love cheesecake?!)

..anyway, i was begging my mom like usual & she gave me a fry. WOW! the world is so much better beyond the kibble. then i kept begging and i got a fry with KETCHUP on it. i like to lick the ketchup off first, then eat the fry. my mom laughs at me because i get ketchup all over my nose and beard! mmm, delicious. give me golden arches any day..

for MLK weekend, my mom had monday off! so paired w/ her ususal tuesdays off, we got to spend 4 whole days together =D - exhibit b:

cuddling with my mom..

giving her a kiss!!

by the way, did any of y'all (yes, i use y'all, im a southern gentleman) notice that my mom has a giant HOLE in her jeans!? shes really embarrassed as they are not MADE to be like that, like some jeans are. if any of you would like to donate to the buy my mom new pants fund, please let me know.

...it has been suggested by kiki that my mom purchase me a set of doggie stairs so that i can look out the window. she found a cheaper alternative, exhibit c:

sitting on a dining room chair. although that stupid window keeps slamming shut so we put a 2 x 4 there. jeeze, my mom has a bunch of problems, huh? (by the way, i single handedly polished off that keg to the left of me..)

and last, but certainly not least, i'd like to wish my grandma a very happy birthday!! here i am saying happy birthday:

HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY

2009-01-12T12:06:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIKI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

im sure some of you have stopped by my aunt's blog, a lovely shore breeze, if not, stop by today and wish her a happy birthday!!!

..and we'll do it again next year

2009-01-11T20:14:00.004-05:00

in case you've been living out in the dog house for the past week (no pun intended, lol!) i'm sure you know that WE'RE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! on thursday night the gators beat the oklahoma sooners 24-14. of course. did we ever think they wouldn't? anyway..for all you concerned gator fans, plan on a championship next year too because tim tebow is coming back for his senior year!

the game was on the night after my surgery. my mom stayed home to watch it with me because i was in pain and we had so much fun cheering at the TV..im quite a big football fan. in fact, i watched my mom's favorite nfl team (the giants) lose today =(.

LETS DO IT AGAIN, GO GATORS!!

recovery

2009-01-08T16:42:00.003-05:00

i got neutered yesterday. they had to keep me overnight at the animal hospital but my mom brought my blanket for me to sleep on to remind me of home. since i was cryptorcid (..five dollar word for you to google) i had two incisions. also, i needed to get four of my teeth pulled and microchipped. it was a longgggg day. today im very lazy and taking lots of naps. my mom is staying home to take care of me. i hope i start to feel better soon =\ ..

my mom is sick..again

2008-12-29T21:22:00.003-05:00

it seems like my mom gets sick ALL THE TIME!! she is sneezing just as much as this panda..feel better mom!

merry christmas from your fuzzy friend!

2008-12-25T14:58:00.009-05:00

Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas. I sure am! Santa Paws was very generous on my first Christmas. He brought me everything on my list!! Here are some pictures of our festivities.

Here I am in the sweater my mom got me when she was in NYC.

It is a Christmas sweater!

There is a blanket for me on the bathroom floor because it's always cold!

My grandpa's Christmas village.

A surprised nutcracker..

Great-Grandma's house on Christmas Eve.

mm..i love bows! they are shiny and crispy.

Me & my mom's house on Christmas eve..

We hung our stockings by the chimney with care..

Here i am looking especially frightened..

Here's a nice picture with the flash on. (ps. that's not the REAL tree..)

Christmas morning..look at all the gifts!

looking sooo excited because SANTA PAWS CAME!!!!!

playing with my antlers..

opening a gift from (*gasp*) SANTA PAWS!!!!

Here in my furry coat from KIKI!!
A ball from my mom..
Here I am in my very own MONOGRAMMED CASHMERE SWEATER from my grandma!!

Have a lovely Christmas...

my new fave spot..

2008-12-16T22:56:00.003-05:00

this is very relevant to my last post. my mom just bought this poster. this is her favorite spot.

i love my red fuzzy man, just like the one on the petsmart commericals!

this is why it is called "the world from down here"

here i am in my new favorite spot..

..under the bed!

big news!!

2008-12-16T10:59:00.003-05:00

hi everyone, its been a while. well as you know, my mom is (and i say this with the utmost certainty) the BIGGEST fan of stephenie meyer's twilight series. she read each book in an average of 2 days, read the first too many times for me to count on my paws and purchased tickets to the movie (that opened 11-24-2008) in early october. she dragged me along to the midnight premier (because she could not find a babysitter ;) ) and i fell asleep; what else is new?

we were browsing the web together last night and found that the actor playing jacob black in the first movie may not be reoffered a contract in the next movie, new moon. normally, i would be upset about this "recasting" - maybe it will make the series look disjointed. (and its rival, harry potter would laugh in twilight's face about never facing this issue).

BUT, as all you avid twilight readers know, jacob is a baby-faced adolescent in twilight and plays a very minimal role in the novel. however, in the second book, new moon, one might even suggest that jacob has a bigger role than edward (GASP, don't worry my mom is a HUGE team edward fan. auntie elly is team jacob, UGH!! we try to look past that..) in new moon, jacob matures significantly, and frankly, i dont think taylor lautner fits the bill. perhaps if they waited a few years to begin filming he could become the tall, strong jacob we are most familiar with, but time is money!!!

michael copon is likely to become jacob black in the next movie. yes, i'd say he would be a more appropriate jacob. but of course, i wish the producers had considered this dilemma before casting for twilight, because i think most will not take kindly to this news.

so, how do we all feel about this adjustment!? im very partial to it, because jacob and i (bandit, of course) have a lot in common ;) (you twilight readers will know what i mean..)

-bandit 0: (ps. i have lost most of my puppy teeth!!)

a christmas video for my fellow readers..

2008-12-12T16:51:00.003-05:00

I saw this on Dar's blog Peeking Between the Pages, and I thought my readers would enjoy it because I know they are big Stephanie Plum fans just like my mom (and me, too). Thanks, Dar!

want to make $25?

2008-12-11T18:56:00.004-05:00

my mom is studying for her statics exam. today she was particularly frazzled. at one point she looked at me and said, "bandy, if you can figure out this problem, i'll give you fifty dollars!" i laughed to myself - if this was a statistics problem, we all know i'd ace it (being a statistics professor and all). engineering statics? prob not. i gave it a look and i don't know how to do it.

if YOU can tell me how to do it, ill go halves with you..(assuming she really gives me the $25) here it is:

The machine element shown is fabricated from steel. Determine the mass moment of inertia of the assembly with respect to (a) the x axis (b) the y axis & (c) the z axis. (The specific weight of steel is 0.284lb/in^3)

...have at it and we'll both be RICH. (hey, $25 is like a life savings for a dog!!)

why yes, i have a LOT of time on my hands..

2008-12-10T12:27:00.005-05:00

i saw this on a lovely shore breeze, but i am just a BABY so i probably will not have a very long list (see mine in italics). so i got my mom to play along (shes in bold - she also loved the excuse to stop studying for her statics final for a while).

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band. (Rockband for Wii??)

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/Disney World.

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis. (More like freaked out while holding a praying mantis.)

10. Sang a solo.

11.Bungee Jumped.

12. Visited Paris. (Summer 2010)

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. (Does statics count? I never go to class..)

15. Adopted a child. (A DOG!! - he pretty much is my child)

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables. (Basil & peppers)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. (Summer 2010)

20. Slept in an overnight train.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitchhiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you are not ill. (All the time, see #14)

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb (FLUFFY!!!)

26. Gone skinny dipping. (I always go skinny dipping, I don't have any clothes)

27. Ran a marathon. (No, but I walked 10 miles for the March of Dimes)

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice (Summer 2010).

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run (Does my 88 on Differential Equations count?)

32. Been on a cruise. (Yes, it caught on fire. Happy memories)

33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (Wish we were ITALIAN)(my ancestors were South Carolinans)

35. Seen Amish country.

36. Taught yourself a new language. (And I ordered a bottle of wine in Italy..)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (Sunglass Hut's paychecks don' really cut it..)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (and climbed it, too)

39. Gone rock climbing. (yay for Mainland's PE)

40. Seen Michaelangelo's David (and took a picture, ILLEGAL, GASP!!)

41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen Sistine Chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (what's with all the France questions!?!)

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

52. Kissed in the rain. (I always kiss my mom - even if its raining.)

53. Played in the mud.

54. Been to a drive-in theatre.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken martial arts class. (Self defense? ..don't mess with me)

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold girl scout cookies.

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason. (Hmm..there's always a reason. But i LOVE flowers!)

64. Donated blood. (I think we know how that would turn out...EEK!)

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.

67. Bounced a check. (I'm pretty sure I have written 4 checks in my life.)

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a childhood toy (and sleep with it every night) (i'm still a child.)

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (and the bridge, lol)

71. Eaten caviar. (Yes, I'm quite fancy.)

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job. (Yes, but she was CRAZY, then it shut down..karma)

76. Seen the changing of the guards in London. (Summer 2010?)

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a motorcyle. (Scooter?)

79. Seen Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book. (I'm a professor remember? Publish or perish..)

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car. (Well I didn't BUY it, but i drive it..)

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (Does The Current count?!? LOL, what a joke)

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (Yummy frog!!)

88. Had the chickenpox.

89. Saved someone's life (academically, YES!)

90. Sat on a jury. (that reminds me of this one Curb Your Enthusiasm..)

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a bookclub.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person. (Seriously? The rental car place!? ...i know , i know, TRUST ME, im joking)

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a lawsuit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

100. Read an entire book in one day. (Piece of cake..)

..its the most wonderful time of the year

2008-12-09T16:00:00.005-05:00

I kept running away, so Uncle Justin put me in the pot so I would stay put.

I look a bit unhappy in front of my Christmas tree.

Addressing my Christmas cards..

Who did this to me!?!? I look scared..

Playing with my mom..

Me and my Uncle Justin & Aunt Elly putting up Christmas Lights!

My mom and Uncle Justin trying to put on my Santa hat..

my mom has been hogging the computer - i know you are all wondering where i have been. she keeps complaining about something called finals week. i helped her study for her statistics test. its easy!

anyway hope you like the pictures of us getting ready for christmas!!! (i don't know why they uploaded out of order. oh well)

a letter to the big guy

2008-12-04T23:45:00.006-05:00

dear santa paws,

i have been a very good boy (except that i keep having accidents inside). if you come to my house this year, i would love it if you could bring me:

Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse

(because when i write on my blog, my paws get tired using the trackpad AND i am afraid i am contracting carpal tunnel..)

Photoshop Elements

(because id really like to find a way to fix my infamous yellow eye..)

Wii Music

(..i need something better to do than chew on a water bottle when my mom is at class)

oh, and santa paws, dont forget about my mom. she really wanted to finish off her collection of seinfeld dvds, she has seasons 1-3. and she loooooves curb your enthusiasm. i hear they are making a seinfeld scene it game these days...

shes also complaining about carrying her books in a shoulder bag because it is so heavy! maybe she would like something like this backpack to even the weight out.

love, bandy

ps. id REALLY love a nice t-bone.

you want world issues? you got world issues..

2008-12-03T20:15:00.002-05:00

it has been requested that i address some world issues. while i am not too knowledgeable about politics and certainly quite undereducated in foreign affairs, (what im only 4 months old!?!) this is my attempt at tackling the many horrors happening around the globe:

a large, 600 foot, 650 passenger cruise ship was attacked on sunday in the dangerous gulf of aden; between yemen and somalia. the m/s nautica, of oceania cruises, was fired at several times by pirates on two 20-foot motor speed boats. passengers were aboard for a month-long voyage from rome to singapore and described the shooting as a "pop, pop, pop!"

cruise staff ordered passengers to remain in their cabins with their heads down. passenger lynne pincini states, "we heard that announcement, but of course we went straight out on the balcony to have a look." in addition, the passengers were warned of the [very] possible threat of a pirate attack and informed of the ships' emergency procedure, ie. high pressured water hoses, and a device capable of producing 150 dB blasts to distract the pirates (120 dB is the normal pain threshold).

of course if a cruise line warned me of a very probable pirate attack, you could just count me out. also, if the captain announced we were under attack, my balcony would certainly be the LAST place you would find me! although on the other hand, i do find it quite ambitious (and somewhat comical) that two 20 ft wooden boats felt they stood a chance to a mighty 600 ft oceanliner..

pictures of yours truly..

2008-12-03T16:43:00.004-05:00

hmm..seems i can only post three pictures because instead of getting "red eye" like people, i get yellow eye. and the red eye fixer on my iPhoto does not fix yellow eye!! grr...anyway here are some pics of my life:

this is me and my aunt elly being silly. i was sitting in her hood! (pre-spiffy haircut)

me and my mom doing some training. mmm, i love those bacon treats.

my mom gives me cheerios in a water bottle and its like a game for me to get it out. after i like to bite the bottle because it makes loud noises.

..perhaps this is why my mom wanted photoshop for christmas. maybe i should put in a word with santa paws.

toothfairy!

2008-12-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

last night i got to see my aunt elly! i missed her so much! we were playing and she noticed that my tooth was loose. when i woke up this morning my mom noticed that it fell out during the night.

i think i swallowed it, EEK!

my mom says the toothfairy will still come even if i cant leave my tooth under my favorite paw print blanket. i wonder what she'll bring me?

my trip home

2008-11-30T15:18:00.003-05:00

ugh..my grandpa woke me up at four this morning to take me out. he said it was the last time he'd see me in a while since me and my mom were flying back to florida. i am getting used to the funny smell and loud noises of the airplane. today i was even brave enough (or tired enough) to catch a couple winks in my carrier.

i'm home now. i was sooo excited when we got back i ran around playing with all of the toys i missed. my mom tried to let me out but there was this funny wet stuff falling from the sky. i'd seen it before but this time there was so much i could barely see and it made me cold - i ran right back inside and held it until it stopped. not much of a welcome home, huh?

i'm writing this post from my mom's bed. we took a nap together when we got back and it was so cozy. i'm glad to be back, but i also can't wait to go back to NJ for christmas (mostly because of santa paws, but also because i miss my grandma and grandpa and kiki!!)

i will never drive my mom's car!

2008-11-28T19:25:00.003-05:00

click to read: Doggie Driver

how fun to have a holiday just for eating turkey!

2008-11-28T10:59:00.004-05:00

yesterday was the famous thanksgiving id been looking forward to! in the morning my mom and grandma and aunt kiki gave me a haircut and a bath for the special day. i look pretty SPIFFY! we watched the parade, but my favorite was the DOG SHOW! i was rooting for annie the fuzzy white samoyed. she was a close friend of my doggie mommy's - she came to visit me when i was born. (her owners are italian, so i learned to speak it at a very young age. that is how im fluent in italian.)

but boy, did i love thanksgiving! i loved the way my moms pointy shoes made a clicky-clack every time she walked. i chased it all day. i love how after dinner we all snuggled in to watch elf together. babies, puppies, little boys and grown ups; sprawled all over the sofas, chairs and floor. we really looked like that netflix commercial. but of course, my favorite was the juicy, tender turkey eyeing me from the bottle of my bowl. i ate that up in a matter of seconds, gobble gobble!!

..life can be scary when you are only eight inches tall.

2008-11-26T15:06:00.002-05:00

i am on vacation for thanksgiving, and i have some free time on my hands so i decided to make a blog! my name is bandit jack, but most people call me bandit and my mom calls me bandy. she rescued me about two and a half months ago and i am her first puppy!

we live in florida because she is going to school but now we are in new jersey where it is much colder than i am used to. i took my first airplane flight to get here. im really scared of heights since i am so little, but since i could not look out the window from my carrier i felt a little better. i tried to tell myself over and over, "we are just in a really big and loud car that smells funny." i did not really mind it.

the highlight of my trip will be tomorrow. my mom promised to give me some turkey (even though my grandma already slipped some under the table)!

hello..

2008-11-26T14:34:00.001-05:00