Dog training

After watching the treadmill for 20 minutes, Sam thought it was about time to go and take a look at the dumbbells

O Sole Mio

I was really enjoying the house me and Sam stayed in for three weeks in Gran Canaria. If you by any chance read our previous blog post, you already know I was especially amazed by the kitchen which resulted in that mountain of meatballs we have in the fridge right now.

I told you… the kitchen is inspiring

One who didn’t enjoy the house as much as I did, or the trip for that matter, was our beloved Sam. I thought he was going to love the new house, the garden and the several kilometer long walks we had every day in the mountains but, nope, not at all.

In fact, his behavior reminded me of Ferdinand the Bull (remember that Walt Disney charachter  who preferred smelling the flowers under a cork tree instead of fighting and playing with the other bulls?). In other words, he is the friendliest and nicest dog, at home, but he has tantrums that scare the living daylights out of people as soon as we go out somewhere.

Above all, Sam hates flying. Even though he sits next to me and Alex during the entire trip, there is nothing we can do to calm him down. The barking drama usually starts already in the taxi on the way to the airport. Friendly people might try to say “hello” but he just continues barking and acting crazy. At one point, somebody asked us if Sam was the dog equivalent of Pavarotti (his bark can be described as somewhat tenor-ish). We smiled and said “yes” but we are not sure that the late Luciano and people around us (covering their ears) would agree.

Sam is mentally getting ready to go back home (he can’t even look at a suitcase these days).

Anyway, once back home, the howling immediately stopped, his eyes lightened up and suddenly he became fully relaxed again. And for all we know, he is still sitting under his favorite tree, smelling the flowers, just quietly.

He is very happy…

On our way home (inshallah)

Dog-tired of waiting

Alex has been in Washington for well over two weeks and just as long me and Sam has been sitting in a house (far away in the mountains) waiting for him to come back.  Do I have to mention – time is not flying. Even Sam, who is the master-of-doing-absolutely-nothing, has started climbing the walls from distress.

In a desperate attempt to have more fun and think about something else, I decided to try every DIY project imaginable. Necklaces, bracelets, you name it. But somewhere in the middle of the process of producing an eco-friendly soap (out of pine tree!), I gave up.

In addition to my DIY failures, I suddenly noticed that I’m no longer in charge of my own house. These pictures demonstrate exactly what I’m talking about.

Good Morning! Can I have the standard breakfast, please. Yes, scrambled eggs and bacon. No salt, I have to think of my waste line.

Are you ready soon? I need the shower NOW. You know it takes me an era to dry up. By the way, did you buy a new blow-drier as you promised?

Are YOU planning to exercise yoga now? Well, I’m using the mat so you’ll have to wait. In the meantime, check out my perfect “downward dog” pose.

Don’t ask me…I have no clue where you put your slippers *whistling, looking at the ceiling*

Hello I’m back from the mall. Unfortunately no sale today but who cares, I payed with your credit card anyway.

Oh, I must have fallen asleep. Can you take my basket instead? And don’t forget to switch of the light. Remember you have to take me out early tomorrow morning. Good night!

Happy National Dog Day!

 

Sincerely, Sam

Sam and Hanna are currently on vacation while Alex, obviously, is working. Sam, being a 21 century man’s and woman’s best friend, is trying hard to use his free time understanding all the new technologies. For example, he has spent ample time watching the other two members of the samandthedunes.com team bashing away on the keyboard. He has learned a lot. Yesterday he wrote his first e-mail to Alex.

Hi Alex,

This is Sam. (I don’t have an e-mail account, yet, so I borrowed Hanna’s). Hope everything is well at your end. I am having a blast. Eating, sleeping, etc. This morning I took Hanna out for a walk, as usual. It was fun – except for one thing…it was raining cats and dogs!! Sending you some pictures that show how miserable I looked when I came back. I am glad Iris didn’t see me like this (do you remember the fluffy grey dog I once met on the boardwalk? Sorry for blabbering about her but I just can’t get her out of my mind…)

Ok, better run now before Hanna starts wondering how my filthy hair ended up on her keyboard. It’s time to eat. After that I will go back to sleep, and after that, I will probably eat again…

P.S. I miss you very much (especially the daily back scratches).

Big fury hugs,

Sam

Newsflash!

Sam was NOT impressed (to put it mildly) when yesterday he heard that a new cat cafe had opened in Vienna. Or, as he put it himself after hearing the news:  “-I’m doggone annoyed.”

Dog on a hot tin roof

HELLO KITTY…bugger off

Our dog Sam once tried to make friends with some kittens in Agadir but was immediately attacked by their mother (obviously). After that scary incident, Sam’s relationship with cats  can best described as  love-hate hate-hate. Nowadays he keeps a good distance and prefers to bark anxiously from several meters away instead of having a face to face rendez vous. Still, considering himself the guardian and the main protector of the house, every morning Sam ventures off into the garden smelling for stray cats that might have intruded into his territory over the night. Sometimes he finds one lurking on the wall and tries to attack it with his vocal cords. The cat generally eyes him with that “sure, I am REALLY scared of you” look and leisurely moves over to the next rooftop. But Sam somehow feels proud. He raises his head high, trots over, looking like he just stopped a pack of wolfs from attacking his friends and is now expecting a nice grilled chicken leg  as compensation. We don’t let him down, pat him on the head and tell him “well done!” Obviously, the barbeque is lighted and that chicken is properly grilled for our nervous little protector.

Salute Sam Corleone!

Sam, our dog, surprises us every day with his fondness for Italian cuisine. Of course, he likes pasta, but try giving him spaghetti without any sauce. No way. He wants the real thing. Once you put pasta on his plate you have to pour some tomato sauce over it, preferably the spicy arrabiata version. And, if Parmigiano is sprinkled on top, Sam goes absolutely crazy, licking away the last drops from his whiskers. Obviously we do not offer him wine but when we drink it ourselves he has that glimmer in his eyes, somewhat begging, but also appreciative of the enjoyment of a good Chianti. After dinner, while we are sipping a Cognac, Sam himself prefers a classic “Monte Bone” No. 3. It’s an offer he can’t refuse.

EXTRA, EXTRA!!! Hot dog tells all!

A barbeque in the desert is great fun. I was especially looking forward to this Saturday since I heard rumors we were supposed to grill sausages. I spend the whole day roaming around in the backyard trying to get myself as hungry as possible. I was chasing some birds, barked at a cat and felt generally excited. So, when it was time for the grilling to start, I monitored closely how the charcoal was prepared. When my two masters (that’s who they think they are) turned their backs for a moment, I even helped out a bit (basically, I just removed a piece of paper from the grill that was really not needed there anyway). While tearing it into microscopic pieces, I was patiently waiting for the grill to get hot. I could hear the sounds of slicing and dicing in the kitchen that made my mouth water. Vegetables and bread were cut, and  – most importantly – sausages were taken out of the fridge. I could barely wait. Guess if I was surprised when I saw what they put on the grill, not three sausages which would be one each (even I can figure that out) but TWO!! I felt dizzy. Was somebody sick (Alex hasn’t been looking well recently and Hanna is always pale)? Shouldn’t we all have a go at these delicious sausages? Once everything was done (too well done for my taste), we all went back to the kitchen (I made it first as usual) and took our positions (I got the best chair). But what did I see then: only two plates!! Grrrrr, this is when I got really angry. I realized that I apparently wasn’t part of this festive moment. I think I was offered some bread; bastards even put some garlic on it, doggone I was annoyed. My day was saved, though. Later I found some juicy chicken bones in my bowl (nice that somebody is thinking of me).

Where is that freakin’ “a”?

Moving with Inspector Cloueseau

We arrived in the desert two and  a half years ago with two normal sized suitcases. Well, one of them (OK Hanna’s) was slightly oversized. Today we are moving to our new house with, believe it or not, eight boxes (each the size of a dog house), 30 bags and…the original two suitcases. How did that happen? Good question (ask…Hanna). Anyway, once all our belongings were moved, Sam, alias Inspector Cloueseau, immediately started to check out the new premises by smelling every corner. Pink Panther move over!

“-Hey, where is my magnifying glass?”