The Adventures of Henrey

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving started off so wonderfully this year. Henrey crawled back in bed with me (from his morning romp outside) and we snuggled for a while. I moved him to the floor so I could make my bed, but it turns out he was not done sleeping, and was yearning for a comfortable spot to curl up in. I turned around and he was curled up my suitcase. Although part of me cringed because he was laying on my clean clothes, it was kind of the cutest thing in the world, so I had to take some photos.

It took a while to remove him from the suitcase, because evidently, he was incredibly comfortable. He finally got up and moving, but I still cannot get over how cute his morning slumber was.

Thanksgiving day is always characterized by lots of food and UT football. The University of Texas is not only my alma mater, but the alma mater of my parents and grandparents. Any UT game is a big deal for my family, but the Thanksgiving game against A&M is a family tradition. This year, Henrey got in on the action...he got to wear my his sisters' UT game day gear.

Henrey, my family and myself, are all ready for tons of turkey and a big UT win tonight! Glad that my "son" can share in the family tradition. (I just called my dog my son -- is it time to stop blogging? This is pretty sick.) Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know we will! Go Horns!

Home, Home on the Range...

2008-11-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

When we come out to La Grange, Henrey will disappear for hours with our yellow lab, Hope. They explore the property and we have no idea where they go. Generally though, they return and Henrey is either covered in mud or cow poop. They are continually running all over the place and they have so much fun!

Hope is our yellow lab who just turned 7. Watching her and Henrey play is funny because she is the sweetest dog in the world, but such a priss. She always looks impeccable, and is well behaved. But when Henrey gets into town, Hope turns into a mess! She gets in so much trouble with Henrey, getting dirty and just having the best time!

Hope and Henrey love each other so much and there are not words that can explain how much fun they have together! Within less than 24 hours since arriving in La Grange, Henrey and Hope went on several adventures, with Henrey returning looking a mess. He had three baths in not even 24 hours, based on his body being covered (first) in thick mud and (second & third) in cow poop. Awesome. Poor Henrey ran so hard through the thick Texas brush that his stomach is currently all cut up and covered in a rash. His underside is truly a bloody mess, but he could care less, as he's having a grand old time. We are both thrilled to get back to Boston, but Henrey will most definitely miss the fun he has on the farm

Henrey's Sisters

2008-11-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

My parents house in La Grange, Texas is a zoo. We have five dogs, and when my brother and I visit, we bring our two dogs (respectively), bringing the total up to seven. Our family is definitely dog obsessed! This post is especially created for my friends in Boston so that they can meet my other doggies and Henrey's sisters!

Heidi is the oldest dog we have at 13, turning 14 in April. I got her when I was in fourth grade. She is absolutely wonderful, albeit quasi-blind and deaf. Bless her heart. She still runs all the time and is curious as ever. She is a miniature dachshund, and to see her and Henrey side by side is hysterical, as she is so super tiny and Henrey is clearly not.

Our most recent dog, Lucy, is my father's princess. This dog is the newest addition to the bunch, at three years old, is incredibly spoiled, and truth be told, kind of a bitch. That said, we love her, in spite of her neuroses. She can be sweet, but has been known to attack my grandfathers, the post man and the sheriff. Way to give our family a good name Lucy. It should be noted that although several people have a problem with this dog, she can do no wrong in my father's eyes. She's spoiled and a bit crazy, but I love her lots.

I love all of the dogs back home equally, but will always have the softest spot for Bella. I rescued Bella in Louisiana from an obscenely obese woman I met at Jack in the Box, who had named her "Pooty Tang." (Not kidding). Bella has the most personality of any dog we have, and she is gorgeous. I have no idea what breed she is, but she is gorgeous and sweet.

My other favorite dog is my another rescue dog, Birdie. Birdie was severely abused and her previous owners broke her jaw, resulting in a crooked face. She is quasi-blind in one eye, and has a snaggle tooth, but she is beautiful and sweet. Her and Henrey are best friends and have so much fun playing. She was malnourished when I got her, but has sense filled out nicely. Unbeknownst to me, she has put on a good 15 pounds since August; my mother insists it is "just her fur." Right. She is so large she can no longer jump up on the beds to tell us good morning. I have begged my mother to put her on a strict diet as soon as the holidays are over. We'll see how this goes.

My brother's dog is Hannah. When Joey got her the breeders told him she was a German Sheppard/Rottweiler mix. Hannah is now 11 and has topped out at ten pounds. She is definitely not a large dog, but rather a dachshund. She's a great dog, and Henrey loves her, but she is not quick to return this love.

There is never a dull moment at my parent's house between all of the usual action and all the dogs. It's like a dog paradise, as they have over thirty acres to run around on. I love coming home and getting to see them all!

Texas Here we Come!

2008-11-27T13:20:00.001-08:00

Henrey and I got ready to return to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday, and as usual, he curled up in his carrier before the flight. As you can tell, it's clearly a tight squeeze. He looks like he is ready to kill someone. He is NOT a fan of flights, although he gets better with each flight we take.

Henrey weighs so much that it is difficult to tote him through the airport. To solve this problem, I borrowed a luggage cart from my grandfather, as I am pretty sure no one sells these anymore. I carry Henrey through security, and as soon as we get to the other side, he is bunged to the luggage cart and rolled for the remainder of the journey. I love traveling with him, as he allows me to board the plane before everyone else. Every time the stewardess makes the announcement for pre-boarding, and says, "Anyone traveling with small children or needing extra assistance may now board," Henrey and I are the first in line. It does take quite some time to get him situated, and we thank the wonderful people at Jet Blue for letting us take advntage of pre-boarding.

This flight experience was not the easiest. The morning we got ready to leave it was pouring rain, so he was not able to use the bathroom before getting in his crate. Two hours into the flight, he started crying really hard. I felt horrible, but there was nothing I could do for him. He continued to whimper for the remaining two hours of the flight. I got up to use the restroom and as soon as I got back there, I heard Henrey screaming from our seat, so I had to forgoe using the restroom, and run back to sit with him. When he finally quieted down, I was able to duck away for a few minutes, thinking he'd behaved.

Once we landed and went to retrieve our luggage, a woman came over to me and informed me that when I was in the restroom Henrey was crying so hard. She said she felt bad for him, so she came and sat in my seat and talked to him to calm him down. She went on and on about how percious Henrey was, which he loved! I was very thankful to have traveled with such a sweet person. Here's hoping the returning flight is wonderful, and Henrey does not cry. Cheers!

Our Halloween Buddies

2008-11-09T18:23:00.001-08:00

As previously mentioned, Henrey and I were lucky enough to spend Halloween with good friends. Our friend Ashley and her dog Jiggs joined us for Halloween. Jiggs wore a wonderful purple cape which was accented with fabulous black glittered witches. He was a hit!

We were also joined by Negeen and Nikta. Nikita was also a dinosaur with Henrey, although she was not as excited about being a dinosaur. Her costume was a bit ill-fitting, so Negeen made it work by placing it over Nikita's head as a sort of cape. Nikita was patient and allowed several photos to be taken before she insisted the costume be removed. Nikita was stunning! What a great picture of Negeen and Nikita!

Henrey, Nikita and Jiggs all had a lot of fun playing together and enjoyed their Halloween! Henrey and Jiggs had some fun playing outside together, and all in all, it was a wonderful night!

Henrey's Third Halloween

2008-11-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

Henrey had the most wonderful Halloween this year. It began with a trip to day dare with Lisa where he got dressed up as a pumpkin. We are so lucky to have Lisa in our lives...she is Henrey's second mama and loves him so much and spoils him more than I could! :)

After daycare, Henrey got dressed up in his wonderful dinosaur costume, and as you can see, was thrilled! We had to show off his fabulous costume, so we proceeded to the front porch where we sat for a while with our friends (both dog and human) to hand out dog bones and candy for the kids.

Unfortunately, there were no children, so Henrey's Aunties (Negeen and Ashley) and I ate most of the chocolate. And, there were not many doggies, so Henrey ate the majority of the dog bones Negeen and I provided. He was set!

The evening was wonderfully relaxing! Henrey was the most precious dinosaur that ever lived! Unfortunately, Henrey's aunties and I might have been the only ones thinking he was adorable, as most passers-by gave me glaring looks that said, "Why are you doing that to your dog you crazy person!?" Henrey and I were not fazed, and continued to smile and look wonderful!

After a good amount of time on the porch, we were chilly and ready to head in, but the night was a success! Next year though, we'll hope for more children and less nasty glares. Happy Halloween!

Our Friends and Neighbors

2008-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, Henrey and I got new next door neighbors...Negeen, a smarty pants PhD candidate who just moved here from Chicago, and Nikita, her six month old Alaskan Malamute puppy. Although Nikita is only six months old, she is already an impressive sixty pounds! Nikita is full of energy and love, and is always down for a good play! I recently shared a squeaky toy with Nikita, and Negeen tells me it has quickly become Nikita's go-to toy.

Last night, Negeen had a rude dinner guest who was "incredibly allergic to dogs," and insisted Negeen make last minute arrangements for someone to watch Nikita during the dinner...in steps Mel. Nikita came over for the evening, and Henrey, Auntie Tina, and I happily babysat. Side note: Christina (Tina) is our other next door neighbor. She has a ten year old peek-a-poo named Wicket who is lovely, but can be a little cranky, so he didn't join us for the fun last night (he was not happy about this). Wicket and Henney have been BFFs for over a year now, and Tina is (hopefully) going to create a blog for Wicket soon, so look for Wicket's link in Henrey's "friends" section.

Henrey has a fort under my bed filled with about a thousand toys and God knows what else. Nikita can barely fit under the bed, but for almost four hours, ran around my tiny apartment nonstop, making loops in and out of Henrey's fort. Henrey was not a fan of this at first, as he is an only child and therefore stingy, but he loosened up toward the end of the night. Nikita had a great time, found a ridiculous amount of toys in the fort to play with, enjoyed some bones and pretty much just ran around all night. Tina and I had Henrey up on my bed so that him and Nikita would not get into it, but all Nikita wanted to do was snuggle with all of us. So she ended her four hours of non-stop playing in bed with us snuggling. I snapped a picture of the pups with Tina.

Negeen and Nikita have quickly become good friends of ours, and we loved having Nikita over to play!! It is so nice to have great friends in our building, and even nicer that they have such wonderful dogs. There is definitely never a dull moment!

On Halloween, Henrey the dinosaur, Negeen, Nikita (who has yet to get a costume, but will very soon), and I are going to sit outside the building and hand out dog bones and candy for children. (Tina and Wicket would join, but they have cooler things to do on Halloween). We are looking forward to the fun that will be coming soon!

Introducing Henrey: his Passion for Fashion

2008-10-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Henrey loves dressing up as much as I love the Red Sox. The fascination began with his hot pink "Rich Bitch" t-shirt, which he did not care for, but I could tell his interest in clothing was peaked. Upon moving to Boston, his wardrobe evolved. Courtesy of Joey, my wonderful brother, Henrey got a tan sued and sheep skin jacket with matching boots. While he loves the jacket, he is not crazy about his boots. when I come near him with the boots he freaks out, growls a bit and runs and hides under the bed. However, his jacket is now a winter wardrobe staple.

Then came the fabulous Christmas sweater. It is red with a green satin tree, sequin ornaments, and the best part...a battery pack that you turn on so that the tree's star twinkles. I get this sweater out of the closet and all hell breaks loose...he wags his tail frantically and barks until I put it on him. He loves it, even though it is mildly queer. (Side note: I am not homophobic, I love gays and support gay rights 110%, I simply use this term to describe the fabulousness that is my male dog's twinkling, sparkly sweater).

Once Christmas was over, Henrey began sporting a navy blue/baby blue argyle sweater that he loves, but admittedly, not as much as his Christmas sweater. He makes do, and is most likely counting down the days until December 1st, when he can get back into his fancy holiday sweater.

Why discuss my dogs favorite sweaters? Contrary to what you are thinking, I do have a life..I just want to paint the fullest picture as to how much he enjoys clothing and playing dress up. So naturally, as Halloween is approaching, we had to get a costume. Not just any costume would do. Henrey has, in the past, gone as Superman, with a cape, breast plate, and all. But I wanted something adorable this year. Something that gives superman, the jacket, the Christmas sweater and everything in between a run for their money. So...ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present John Henrey, the most precious dinosaur that ever lived.