Puppies save and Shazam got a coat!

Shazam got a blue parka and some yellow booties today to help keep him warm. It is going to be a long, and cold winter here!  I will try to get some pictures, and start putting all the pictures I need to put up this weekend! (Most are on my boyfriends camera, which he needs for work, so it is hard for me to remember to put them on the computer sometimes).

Also, read this touching story about puppies saving a three year old boy! Such good puppies!!

Escort is fixed!

but the truck is broke down, so for now Im without a vehicle.

Tommorow is thanksgiving. Lots to be thankful for this year, as always.

Shazam's List:

• Daddy likes me
  
• Pig Ears
  
• Belly Rubs
  
• Visits with Grandpa
  
• Blogging friends
  
• Min-Wein
  
• I heard a rumor Mom wants to make special dog cookies for me.  (Mom, did you hear that rumor? I did. Mm-hmm. I'm sure thats what I heard.)

Happy Turkey Day to everyone!

Lurve,

Shazam and the Squirrel

He has redeemed himself

It's Shazam and I!
Sorry for so many posts today.

Do I usually look like this?

dfccccI thought Ryan was playing with his iPhone while i told my super exciting story.
He was actually taking flattering photos of me, and posting them to facebook.
I think it is really neet that you can do this, but that was not very nice.

(ps the dfcccc is from Shazam. He tripped on the keyboard\\\\\\\\\\yujhjhjh w2ghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhn again)

Tricks.

So Shazam is pretty good at sit, lay, and dance now. (Okay, excellent at dance, good at sit, and pretty good at lay).
I have been trying to teach him to come, but he does not like that one. Not even for roast beef will he come closer than arms reach to me (aka, i can touch his nose, but not his neck).
So today at the front desk we are practicing "Leave It". With Roast Beef. Shazam seems to think I am just cruel, but he did it right twice now. Yay! Wish him me luck with it!

Shazam!

Is back in the office today!
He says hello to all, and "Mom, why can't I run free?"
Shazam will remain on leash behind the front desk. Sorry to the second floor guys who think it would be a good idea for the little pee-er to run free, but he is much better behaved when on leash.
Stop down and say hi!

Love,
Shazam and the Squirrel

You may have noticed

I changed a few things around.  I now have a three column layout thanks to Ashwini Khare at Webtalks.  Thanks!  (If I like it, I will donate!)

So, I have to go about setting everything up again, since most of the custom stuff got deleted.  But I hope that I can take a look at the code, and get even more stuff customized.

In other news, if your gravy isnt turning out (because you forgot to wait to add the rest of the milk, so you didnt have any liquid to add with the cornstarch) the answer is not to continue adding cornstarch until you realize your mistake, and then add even more cornstarch with another splash of milk.   The answer is probably scoop out some more broth from the roast, and start over.  Or, call grandma (because she makes really good gravy and it seemed so easy when you watched her do it).

Also, gravy thickens when it sets.  You know this. Don't boil it until it is the consistency you want (especially after you have added that much cornstarch).

I suppose I could have just pretended I made stuffing.  But the rest of the meal turned out so well, it didnt really matter.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know....

Things I have to post about (pictures included with many!):

-Pumpkin French Toast Bake

-Pumpkin Spice Cookies

-Sweet Potato Roast

-Dishes

-Diabetes/Breast Cancer Research

And of course, SHAZAM!!!

In the meantime, I leave you with

Hamster with Popcorn on a Piano

Lurve,

Amber

The Escort is getting fixed soon!

Hopefully will be taking it in Wednesday!!!

Which is awesome, because it is really cold to be taking the bus.  Yesterday I wore flip flops, and suddenly found myself waiting for the bus with no coat WHILE IT WAS SNOWING!!! Today, I brought a coat and some real shoes. It shouldn't be this cold yet! A cop gave me a ride home from the bus stop though, which was really nice. Otherwise, I might have lost a toe. It was seriously that cold already.

I really hope my car doesn't cost too much to fix.  I am looking forward to being able to go to the gym in the morning.  This morning I woke up on time and made breakfast. Yay! Now to see if I can do it two days in a row!

P.S. The Christmas Tree lighting ceremony is on Thursday and I really hope I get to go.

P.P.S. Shazam misses you all, but it is much too cold to take him outside now.  Hopefully I will be able to bring him into the office again soon.   Friday I am at the front desk the whole day, so maybe then.

Waking up early

always feels so good when you actually do it.  I didn't manange my time very well last week, which is absolutely essential due to the million and one things I have going on right now.  I want to start working on that again - getting up early, and planning my week well.  I really hope I can get my car fixed soon too.  I would like to start going to the gym in the morning again. That always makes my day better.

I've found that if I make the effort to set aside time in my schedule for the things that are really important and just for me(church, working out, bible study), that I am much more productive and can get everything done with less stress.

Here is what I would like to do with the rest of my year:

Continue working 25-30 hrs/week

Graduate (only one credit left!)

Make some curtains with my new sewing machine

Make myself an apron

Experiment with some recipes to become a better baker

Get my car fixed

Design letterhead, envelope, flyer, etc for Empire Painting

Here are the things that I would like to do for my own sanity:

Set aside time each week for church and my bible study group

Set aside at least fifteen minutes daily for prayer and meditation

Begin working out at least once a week, hopefully two or three times

Keep my house clean and catch up on laundry

Finish the books I am in the middle of reading

Make sure to enjoy, appreciate, and savor every moment of life even though I am insanely busy

Easier said than done I suppose, so wish me luck!

With love,

The Squirrel

P.S. (from Shazam) Thanks for everyone who has stopped by and said Hi!  I really love to read all of your blogs!  Chihuahuas need their relaxing "me time" too.  Oh, and thanks mom for having Min-Ween up for so long yesterday. He is my best friend and I like when he can come over and play.   :)

More interesting things coming soon

In the meantime, check this out:

Mr. T for diabetes research

Here is something really awesome a guy at my work is doing to raise money for the Diabetes Research Institute.

Mommy crashed her car.

She's ok, but the car might not be. Hmmm.
Mommy, what are you gonna do? I liked your escort!

Love,
Shazam

A week at grandpa's!

Mom said next week we are staying at grandpa's house with Uncle Chief.
I am waaaay excited!!!!
Grandpa is going to be out of town though. :(
Mom said she's going to be VERY busy, but at least I will still have someone to play with.

She brought me to work today, and I even got some calzone! Yum! (Thanks Jon!)

Love Shazam

I'm on facebook.

 If you're on facebook, add me! :D

(click on the title to get to my page, otherwise search for

Shaz Zam in Milwaukee, WI)

Sitting nicely, waiting for my bone.

Mmm, that's yummy.

Arg. All mine!

Min-Ween

Is the adorable mini-weiner dog who lives downstairs.  He is Shazam's best friend, and they love to play-wrestle. Its adorable, and we are thinking of putting some of the videos up on You-Tube, so all the world can watch.

I promise I'll start updating more, even if its only short and sweet like this one.

Shazam's fans thanks you,

please vote for TEAM SHAZAM when the fights get posted! :D

Another quick note

I've been made super!

This morning

Mommy gave me a T-bone, and it was deelish. She took some pictures, but left her camera cord at work. I'll ask her to post them later.

Lots of love,
Shazam

I'm a movie star!!!

As some of you may know, Mommy works for an interactive marketing agency in Milwaukee. They're called Fullhouse and they do lots of great things, like let dogs into the office.
They needed a dog to ]
'774*
appear in a video and chase this awesome monkey toy!

I liked the mokey, and I'm adorable, so they picked me!
Check it out here (click monkey training video).

Love and thanks,
Shazam
(p.s. from The Squirrel ... the '774 business in the middle is when Shazam decided he wanted to actually type and not just dictate, so I thought I would keep it in).

I would just like to apologize...

for my mommy's lack of posting on this blog. We are finally unpacked now, and have had internet for a few weeks, but with school starting and work Mommy has had no time. She is still reading though (thanks to iGoogle). Just wanted to say hi and let you know we are still aroung. Things are (finally!) slowing down and a long post with lots of news is coming. (Maybe even some pictures too!)
So don't forget about me and mommy, even though she has been a bad blogger lately.
Love,
Shazam

Hello from the office!

Hello Everybody!

Just a quick "Hello" from the office.
We are still really busy with moving...but I'm all settled into my new room. Yay!

My mommy says thanks for answering the poll... and a post in response will be coming soon!

Hope everyone is doing very well

Love,

Shazam

P.S.(This is me at the front desk. I am very happy when I can spend the whole day up here with Mommy. Especially when lots of people stop by and give me pets, treats, and loving.)

Dog Show

Hi All,
I've been super busy , so I apologize for taking so long to post again. I'm getting lots of work, and in the process of moving, so life has just been hectic. But, on Saturday I found time to go to the Dog Show at the Waukesha Expo center.
And, I'm super pumped!!! I watched the Chihuahua's show, and I think that if I tried, I could show Shazam. Shazam isn't sure about it, but he's finally learning to sit without a treat, so he thinks maybe he could try. Here's the awesome thing about the Chihuahua section - they don't have to be great. Other dogs were doing all sorts of fancy tricks - obedience, scent, etc. It appeared the chihuahuas just had to sort of heel, while on a lead. Shazam is a pretty chihuahua, and has a good gait. He probably heels the best out of all the tricks he does. I think with some human learning, and dog practice, I could learn how to show Shazam.
The only problem: To put it nicely, Shazam is a hyper idiot. (Shazam, you know I love you, but you also know it's true.) He will get really good at sitting, for instance sit for a toy or pets instead of a treat. Then, I will have his favorite treat and ask him to sit, and he just looks at me, confused.
One of my english teachers last year, showed dogs. She pointed me to YouTube, where you can find many videos of Chihuahuas doing agility. I am way excited about this too. I think if I could start to get Shazam showing, that agility would be great for him. I think that he would be a lot happier if he could get some physical, and mental exercise. Cesar Millan says that it is important to treat a little dog like a dog - making sure you are dominant(and don't be afraid of hurting their feelings by being dominant so long as you are not angry or aggressive) and making sure their little world is exciting enough for them. So, I think that if Shazam was any good at it, agility training would be really good for him. He can get out some of his energy, and it will be mentally stimulating for him also.
So this post is kind of rambling, but here is my point:
I would love to train Shazam for this sort of thing, but don't know where to start.
Does anyone have any thoughts, comments, ideas, suggestions on Chihuahua Training and Showing, or just Agility and Showing in general.
I would really appreciate anything you all have to offer.

Thanks, and much Love,
T3h Squirrel, and Shazam.

Everybody Loves Shazam

Hello All!
I heard a little rumor that there are some humans who want to hear directly from me!
I'm better at just walking around on the keyboard than actually typing, but here goes!

This morning mommy came and woke me up extra early! She brought me a little beefy treat at 5:30 and I napped while she took a shower. We went and sat on the porch then while she brushed her hair. I kept looking around for Diesel and Oreo, but I guess Mike must have left for work already. I know I heard them around when I woke up. She kept me trapped in the bathroom while she did her hair too (is it really neccesary to use THAT much hairspray? I don't think so.) but let me out while she made breakfast. Pancakes and eggs and bacon! OH MY! Unfortunately, the bacon was this dry soy crap. Where is the good McDonalds bacon? That is my favorite! Luckily, she left the table unattended while she was finishing up the pancakes in the kitchen. I discovered if I turn the arm chair just the right way I can stand on the back and reach the table! Mmm..yummy pancakes. After they finished eating, I got all the extra eggs and pancakes! I tried asking for some before they were done, but I just got locked in the bathroom again. Mommy is so mean sometimes. I cried and cried but she wouldn't let me out until I was quiet. Hmmph.
Then, she left for work without me! She promised she would come pick me up on her lunch. I hope she eats something yummy for lunch. Yesterday she had broccoli and caliuflower. She didn't think I would want any - but it was super good! I hope lots of people come and say hi to me today when I'm at the office. I just love attention and pets. I know I am everyone's favorite puppy at the office. Not conceited, just know I'm adorable.


Love,
Shazam

Modified Rapture

Saturday night I went out for a night on the town with my grandparents and my dad.

How Delightful! We ate at Fresco and went to see the Madison Savoyards perform Mikado.

And now for the reviews:

Fresco was simply wonderful. I've seen several poor reviews for it, but I thought it was quite nice. I didn't find the view that astounding, but we were seated inside due to a (wonderfully expensive) wedding taking place on the terrace. I ordered the Bibb Wedge Salad and the Seared Duck Breast(Medium). My dining companions ordered the Spring Beet Salad, the Caesar Style Salad, Pork Tenderloin(Medium), and Beef Tenderloin(Medium, and Medium Well). Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals.

Bibb Wedge Salad - They forgot to put it together! In the middle of the plate where the wedges of lettuce with a few paper thin strips of carrots draped over them. In the upper right hand corner there where chunky bacon bits, in the lower right hand corner was finely chopped cucumbers, and crumbled boiled egg pieces resided in the lower left hand. The buttermilk dressing was a bit over-powering at first, but had a nice flavor. Suprised at first, I did enjoy the unique and unusual presentation of this dish. The other two salads ordered came a bit more conventionally presented and got good reviews (they finished them!) from my dining companions. My father, unaccustomed to salad (really, he has an aversion to consuming anything green) chose instead a roll from the two small bowls they had given us before the salad. The rolls were hot, fresh, buttered, and salted. They were similar to a very light pretzel roll. The flavor was similar but the bread was dense at all. The tops were crispy like a good street pretzel with large but not overwhelming salt crystals.

Seared Duck Breast - Not the best duck I've ever had, but still very enjoyable. The bok choy was very well cooked and flavorful. The mushrooms and potatoes went along very nicely as well. The duck was tender, and not too greasy. I felt the portion size was just right for the duck. My grandma was unable to finish her meat or rice with the pork tenderloin, and both beef tenderloins were finished with a few potatoes left.

For desert my dad and I split a honey-poached pear brulee and my grandparents chose the buttermilk beignets. The pear was simply wonderful - the best I've had. Sinfully sweet, just the right amount of the pear was left meaty with a crisp skin and top. The lemon whip cream complimented the taste and texture of the pear wonderfully. The beignets were also quite delightful. The pastry managed to be heavy and airy at the same time and the warm chocolate sauce was ribboned through the inside and also drizzled on top allowed the flavor of the dough and the filling to work with and not against each other. The vanilla creme anglaise was the perfect finish to the beignets, and to the meal.

Mikado performed by the Madison Savoyards was the first Gilbert & Sullivan I've seen live. How absolutely fantastic! It is one of their most successful pieces, and their most successful opera. It is a London social commentary set in Japan. To give you an idea of how wonderfully ridiculous the entire show is, the character names include Ko-ko, Nanki-Poo, Poo-bah, Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, and Katisha.
The plot (I think!) is generally this: A woman of the Mikado's court falls for the Mikado's son. The son runs away and joins a band disguised as a second trombone. While playing in the band he falls for a beautiful young girl who is betrothed to her guardian, a cheap tailor. The tailor is sentenced to death for flirting, and the young man returns to claim the girl when he hears of this. Unfortunately, instead of being put to death the tailor was promoted to Lord High Executioner. The problem is, he can't kill anything! Chaos, love triangles, and dramatic irony ensue.
The set and costumes (in productions I have always been stage crew-not cast-so forgive me) were wonderful. The stage was a bit crowded but the UW Music Hall used to be a church, so the stage was designed for mass not theatre. They did a good job with the space they had, but perhaps would have been more successful on a more traditional stage. The orchestra was fantastic, this score was carefully adapted from the original notes, and I felt that they did well on even the more challenging parts. The acting was good, and the singing was better. The characters seemed to have a lot of chemistry on stage, making even the most ridiculous parts seem believable.
As always, Gilbert & Sullivan delivered on impossible song lines and memorably witty dialog. A few favorites:
Your anger pray bury, For all will be merry, I think you had better succumb (cumb, cumb) and join or expressions of glee.
That's absurd. If you attempt to raise an alarm, I instantly perform the Happy Despatch with this dagger.
To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block
and of course:
Modified Rapture!

It is most definitely worth going to see. They have even added another show. Tickets are available here for the 24-27th. Thurs-Sat. show starts at 7:30 and the Sunday matinee is at three. For Balcony seating, Child Seats are $5, Student Seats are $15, Senior Seats are $28 in the middle and $20 on the sides, and Regular Seats are $30 in the middle and $20 on the sides. Orchestra seats are all $40.
If you would like to see other reviews the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times both reviewed opening night.

Our Names

You may be wondering..."Why on earth are they called Shazam and the Squirrel?".

Well, here is a brief history:

My friend Kristen (to the right you will see the most flattering picture I could find of the two of us) used to call me "Shizzay". Again, you ask, "Why?". Well, that's just because we're awesome. When I got Shazam, he answered to 'Shizzay' right away, so I thought I ought to just call him that! Nobody thought it was very nice of me to call a boy dog Shizzay, so his name got changed to Shazam. Shazam is orginally a wizard, whose name Billy Batson speaks to become Captain Marvel. Pretty nifty, huh? And yes, its Shaq's character too. Shazam is an acronym for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Archilles, and Mercury - those whose powers he possesses. Also, its just fun to say.

As for "The Squirrel" - well, one reason is my chubby cheeks. Meep. But the main reason is my ability to consume massive amounts of food and still remain (relatively) fit. It all started with the night I managed to eat three pieces of Unique Pizza's extra large pizza, and not be full. Feats of eating led to being compared to Tareku Kobayashi, and because of how I look while eating - between the chubby cheeks and odd possessive way I hold my food, a Squirrel.

So if you were wondering why such odd names-and, even if you weren't-now you know.

A Brand New Blog

Hey Everyone!

It's Shazam and the Squirrel. I woke up late today(again!) and couldn't bring Shazam into the office, but usually he likes to play around behind the front desk. He loves attention, treats, and naps. I created this blog to track his adventures. He's so tiny (about five pounds now) and comes just about everywhere with me - work, shopping, hanging out on the roof, driving around town. We live on the fashionable and bustling East Side, where there is just so much to do!

Stop back soon and check on what we're doing.

~~~LOVE~~~
Shazam & the Squirrel