It seems I never published the above photo, taken early last summer.
The image, which captures well the gravitas with which my life is conducted, depicts me walking into the family room in the evening. You can see that I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. In tone it reminds me of the iconic photo of JFK and RFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Intrigued by the enthusiasm of Justin Bieber's huge fan base of 'Beliebers', my style advisors and I have been studying Justin's hairdo and mannerisms to see whether I might want to adopt them.
Although Justin's definitely got a cool look, we've pretty much concluded that the 'fringe' haircut would not work well with either the shape of my face or the texture of my hair.
You've got to watch it with trends -- not every one is appropriate for every individual. As a famous bard -- was it Justin Bieber? -- once wrote, "To thine own self be true."
What is it about the winter light? The mornings have been incredibly clear recently.
And the evenings....
Well, the evenings are really like going to a worship service of some kind, the kind where dogs are welcome.
It's not unusual to see dogs genuflecting in appreciation.
For myself, I find I need to survey my domain before I can fully relax and enjoy the sky.
First thing I do is to make sure that everything is in order. All dogs in their places, all owners in their places, all houses in their places.
I check the other end of the bluff to make sure that everything looks good there too. Just because the sun's setting in the west doesn't mean you should ignore the south.
All systems are go down at that end, so I let myself kick back and savor the sunset.
Once again, Lambie helps orchestrate a gorgeous ending to the day.
Senior year has not been easy for us. Between homework, cross-country practice, and college applications, Charlie is really overloaded.
Naturally, that puts a lot of pressure on me. As a co-dependent dog, I feel that I am the one keeping it all together.
So I stay vigilant, but subtly so.
Subtly, because I need to prepare Charlie to handle college without me.
When I got to the bluffs the other morning, I could tell immediately that something was not right.
The day had begun like any other. I had crossed the wide expanse of Asilomar Boulevard towards the bluff, prepared to take on whatever the day might throw at me.
(Because, let's be honest, you never know what you're going to encounter. Admirers, construction trucks, dead squirrels, little children, dogs wearing muzzles who attack you and knock you over so that you're humiliatingly rolling through the dirt to get away from their cruel jaws and unkempt visages while visions of your demise roll past your eyes and you think, I may never get to lick my family again, and you think, oh god another bath looms because I've gotten dirty through no fault of my own, and you think, maybe I should reinvent myself as an attack dog....) But I digress.
In this case, it was something about the air, or maybe something in the stillness of the bluff, that put me on the alert and told me, "Lambie, be careful!"
So I investigated.
I stopped in my tracks when I realized that the Anna Walker Steere bench had been defaced.
Nosing around, I noticed a clue.
It was a cigarette butt.
Only a few days earlier, I had noticed this very brand of cigarette thrown behind some bushes.
Were the smoker and the defacer one and the same?
Was I assertive enough to do the right thing and ask the hard, probing questions?
Sometimes it feels like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I'm just one poodle mix trying to stand up to evil.
I am well known for my devoted licking. If a nose or a mouth presents itself, I will lick it.
Some say licking is my calling.
I have been reflecting on this as I considered comparisons that have been raised between my licking and the hugging that has made an Indian woman named Amma famous.
Amma has become known as the "Hugging Saint" in consequence of her propensity for embracing and comforting people -- specifically, hugging them. She's gotten a lot of press and has a big foundation and goes on world hugging tours where people line up for hours so she can hug them.
Do I aspire to the same recognition for my licking? No. My licking is personal. Perhaps the world would be a better place if I went on a world licking tour, but I just don't feel driven to share my licking with humanity.
I prefer to work on a smaller scale, bringing happiness by just licking the noses that come my way organically. It feels more authentic.
It was late in a hitherto uneventful afternoon.
A shrill sound split the air at a pitch audible only to dogs and to humans age 24 and younger.
Suddenly, computer and TV monitors were swarmed by images of scary men in threatening poses.
The world placed its hopes in the only individual who could combat evil of this magnitude.
Wearing his lucky ID tag, he set out to vanquish the enemies unknown.
A sports figure whom I admire starred last year in a Spike Lee documentary about his work ethic. Entitled "Kobe Doin Work," the documentary followed Kobe Bryant through a day in the life.
I've been inspired by that film to present this homage, which I call, "Lambie Doin Work."
I've been investigating substituting a new family in for my current one. Nothing personal, but the magic is gone.
So I went out to the bluff and insinuated myself next to a dad/daughter duo sitting on a bench.
For some reason, they did not seem to notice me.
Then I found another couple: sophisticated yet mellow, enjoying their wine at sunset.
I stood by winsomely, then sat there to suggest that I belonged with them.
But they were too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to me.
People are so self-involved these days.
Apparently I'd better stick with what I've got. My family is quite attentive.
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!
This guy Pepe or Paco always arrives at the bluffs in a carriage. His owner pushes the stroller up to the curb, and then Pepe/Paco steps out like a pasha.
We get along fine but I secretly look down on the way he is pampered and infantilized by his owner.
I would never put up with that.
While I've been focusing on my Japanese study, it has been quite a week for fashion at the bluffs. The weather may be cold, but it has not stifled bluffgoers' enthusiasm for beauty and style.
First I saw a dog in a flashy racing outfit.
Then I noticed a fashion shoot taking place.
The models kindly interrupted their poses to spend a moment letting me adulate them.
Finally, I ran into my friend Gucci having a grooming session on the bench.
The weather was not great but Gucci's hairstyle looked chic and up-to-the-minute.
Perhaps it's shallow, but I must admit I've enjoyed hobnobbing with all these beauty insiders. It makes for a good break from my studies.
It's raining and the rain is supposed to continue for at least another day. Making hay while the sun shines, as it were, I have decided to apply myself to self-improvement.
It has troubled me for some time now that I do not know any foreign languages. We Americans tend to be so insular. So I have decided to take advantage of this down-time to begin learning Japanese.
I have acquired a textbook and am applying myself to recognizing the hiragana. Sadly, I do not have a live teacher to assist me with pronunciation concerns.
The work is slow,and as is so often the case with textbooks, sometimes sleep-inducing. But I continue in my effort, knowing that it is good for my mind and also good for international understanding. Also, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to impressing Pookie by greeting him in Japanese.
A dog out doing some routine sniffing....
shakes his ear...
...and discovers the bluff.
