So, everyone wants to know where I've been.
I've been right here. Resting.
Thomas came home, so I haven't needed to update my status as regularly. And he's been using the camera so there haven't been as many Lambie photo ops.
And I've needed the respite so that I could focus all my psychic energies on curing Andrew Bynum's knee.
Recently a woman has been coming to the bluff and letting her dog roam free while ignoring his defecation.
Yesterday Winnie and Trudie's owner addressed the matter with her. He pointed out that everyone on the bluff had seen her dog poop a few minutes before, and that if she was going to bring the dog to the bluff she needed to take responsibility for cleaning up its excrement.
In a breathtakingly original variant on 'I didn't inhale,' the woman responded that, although she had seen her dog squat, she hadn't seen anything come out of him.
But then, apparently newly mindful that we were holding her accountable, she rose to the occasion, walked over and picked up the poop.
We have standards at the bluff.
Nene and I met up at the Samulon bench.
Nene wanted to move on to the Anna Walker Steere bench, but I remonstrated with him. It's common knowledge that that bench is located at the edge of a precipice. Danger is its middle name.
But Nene went down there anyway.
He parked himself at the bluff edge and dared his owner to do something about it.
The owner turned to a seasoned diplomat to try to reason with Nene.
Finally I talked him back from the precipice.
Oftentimes diplomacy really amounts to just so much sheep-herding.
So, I see that the Palisades has picked a winning motto for this year's Fourth of July parade: "Small Town, Big Heart."
As these things go, it's okay, but it doesn't seem very Lambie-centric. "Small Town, Big Poop," would have been better. Or, "Small Dog, Big Stomach." Or even,"Nice Bluffs, Many Ground Squirrels."
Of course, I realize that I have only myself to blame, since I didn't enter the contest.
Next year I'm going to enter a slogan. It's my civic duty, plus I think that I'd really enjoy the victor's reward of riding on the fire truck during the parade.
Ava and Tommy and I got together to exchange thoughts on local and national events.
As we strolled and compared insights, I found myself flattered at how interested they were in this old dog's perspective. Anyone who says young people don't care hasn't met these kids.
They followed along closely as I walked them through my take on the world.
Then I listened intently as Ava shared hers.
It's great to connect with youth, although influencing young minds is also a big responsibility.
The rain stopped for a little while, so of course I went out to the bluffs.
Having been cooped up all day, I was ready for some action.
My friends Callie and Sisi were there.
Things got a bit competitive when Callie and I both wanted to flirt with the same gentleman.
However, he deftly made us both feel special and important, so there were no hurt feelings.
All too soon, it seemed, everyone moved on.
Leaving just me, and the mud.
I got to work right away on some of my New Year's resolutions -- specifically, those dealing with exercise and excretion.
First, I took a very long walk with my associates Buddy and Killer. By the end we were exhausted, especially me.
I took a few hours to rest.
Then I undertook learning how to use the doggie door.
It was fairly pleasant. My training team had taped up one piece of the airlock door, so I only had to go through one layer of plastic.
I had a lot of encouragement from my trainers, and they arranged for me to enjoy delicious treats on the other side.
I was a heroic and outstanding student, if I do say so myself.
So far, though, this is just an agreeable pastime involving intermittent reinforcement. I have not yet reached a Helen Keller-"W-A-T-E-R"-type epiphany where I catch on that I should run out this door when I need to void my bowels. Perhaps that will come later. Or maybe not. It's not an easy connection to make.
I spent last night at the bar with my drinking buddy, reviewing the past year's ups and downs.
It was a good year overall. I solidified friendships, controlled my seizure disorder, and honed my connection to the bluffs. We got a new president, and he got a new dog.
Yes, there were some disappointments, notably in the squirrel department. But, as my friend reminded me, in toto it was a banner Year of Lambie.
No one can know what the coming year will bring, but tomorrow I may come up with some resolutions to guide me going forward.
So, until next year...have a safe and happy New Year's Eve, dear Readers!
I had hoped to be invited to light the tree at Rockefeller Center this year, but the call never came.
Although I had been told that Aretha Franklin was going to condition her involvement upon me being included, apparently she forgot. Perhaps her handlers talked her out of it.
In the midst of my disappointment, I was mollified to at least receive a local tree-lighting invitation. "Lambie," I said to myself, "Remember that there's no place like home for the holidays."
There were five city trucks at the bluffs this morning, and a bunch of men digging.
They were there at the behest of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation , which will install three! new benches there by the end of the year, as well as some at the Via de las Olas bluff.
I had been wondering since November about a chalk rectangle that appeared on the ground roughly halfway between the Calamaro and Berman benches.
It turns out that that spot, which is where the men were working this morning, will be the site of the first bench to be installed. I think it will be up by the end of the day.
It seems wonderfully appropriate that the bench will memorialize a longtime neighborhood resident who rescued dogs and loved animals in general: Melodie Mooz, who passed away last year, way too soon. Melodie understood dogs and was devoted to them; they reciprocated her devotion.
Not all of the other benches will be memorials. As Rudy, the gentleman in charge of the bench installation, told me,"People shouldn't have to die for you to get benches to enjoy."
I liked Rudy, who seems like a warm and wise man. I also liked Judith Kieffer, Executive Director of the L.A. Parks Foundation, who was at the bluff as well. Below is a photo of the three of us at the site of the second bench that will be installed.
And here is a photo of Rudy and Judith walking over to check on the Robbins bench, which is going to be repaired. (That's my friend Raymundo you see parked to their right on Asilomar, trying to get his truck to start.)
All in all, it's a great time to be at the bluffs.
