Thing 25: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #6!

Okay, one last video of Tootsie drying. At least, until we take some more!

I hope you've enjoyed this series of Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays. I know she has. :-p

Thing 24: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #5!

Tootsie gets dried off, and revolutionizes the Olympic high jump technique in the process.

It's the Tootsie side-flop!

Thing 23: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #4!

I'm happy, I'm feelin' glad.

I got Tootsie, in a bag.

I'm wet now, but not for long.

The dry fur is comin' on.

(It's comin' on, it's comin' on.)

Thing 22: Music

Happy birthday!

(opens in new window)

Thing 21: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #3!

Like an ant with a lancet fluke that forces it to climb to the top of a blade of grass and be eaten by a hapless grazing animal... (yeah, just like that), a wet Tootsie trying to become dry has little care for her well-being or surroundings.

...sometimes with dire consequences.

Caution: This video may not be appropriate for young children.

"Don't bash your head on that!!"

Thing 20: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #2!

Here's another wet Tootsie, doing what she does best: be cute while trying to dry off!

Hee, hee, hee...

Thing 19: Tootsie drying Tuesday-Thursdays #1!

Starting today, you'll see a new video every Tuesday and Thursday, of Tootsie drying off after a bath.

Yes, I do bathe her. And yes, she is still so cuuuuute! Here's one of many:

Cuuuuuuute!

Thing 17: Interrupting Tootsie!

Doot doo doo, doot doo doo. Just walkin' on the table here. La, la, la la...

Oh hai! Hello there! Whatcha' lookin' at?

Oh, some pretty flowers, eh? Well, that's nice. Those showers sure are pretty. I guess you've got plenty of pretty things to look at. So. You won't be needing me here, then.

Fine, I'm outta' here. Seeya' later.

[Insert Tootsie butt here.]

...I hate flowers.

Thing 16: A gift for you!

Flowers!

...in a vase!

...in our apartment!

...in Tyler!

...in DECEMBER!!!

I got these flowers for you. I hope they brighten your day!

Thing 15: Tootsie's Modeling Career

Watching the Ultimate game a while back, Tootsie did a photo shoot of two of the best things in the world: Ultimate (a disc), and herself! Just look at her, fitting perfectly into the disc...

Er... Okay, so she got turned around. This next shot is pretty sweet, though...

Okay, I think she was a little shy on this shoot. The point was to get her to sit or stand in the disc, at least long enough for one good camera phone photo!...

And here's Tootsie retreating to her trailer. We almost had to call off the shoot entirely. She does not tolerate amateur photographers. At all. She just stayed in there and wouldn't even make eye contact with me...

But finally, after a few hours of pictures and some costly bribes, we got one usable shot of these two awesomest things...

Tada!... A Tootsie in a disc. Cuuuute!

Eventually, Tootsie grew to like Ultimate so much, she had her trailer redecorated to incorporate a disc into its architecture. Tootsie is truly an artist ahead of her time. Hope you enjoyed it!

Thing 14: Tootsie Goes Outside!

Well, what have we here?

Why, it's the Tootsie again! This time she's outside, in her natural habitat. :)  (her bag)

Experience the majesty! She's watching the Ultimate game very intently.

Her left side is her other good side.

Tootsie takes a moment out of her busy schedule to make friends. Look how friendly she is!

That was Hannah - probably the best female Ultimate player in town, and also Tyler's girlfriend. (The young man, not the town. That's just weird.)

Alright, one more. Tootsie back in her cave.

What tricks can Tootsie perform in the outdoors? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Thing 13: Scooter!

After a long wait, here are more fun things in Tyler, TX!!

Not the dog you were looking for, I bet. This is Scooter!

He runs!...

He catches!...

He retrieves!...

I don't know what kind of dog he is, but he is kind of big, really likes to play, and got all up in Tootsie's face once at Ultimate (not in an aggressive way). We keep them separate now. Maybe someday they will be friends. But probably not.

Scooter is trained only to go after colored discs, so he doesn't ruin game discs. Crazy, huh? I thought dogs were colorblind. Here's a picture of Scooter with her owner (Tyler), and a lil' Tootsie in the background. Stay tuned for more picture-based awesomeness!

We'll be back to all-Tootsie all the time soon enough...

Thing 12: Ultimate People vol.2

Here we are again. More far, far away grainy pictures from my sidelined camera phone!

Woah. Intimidating line!

Ridiculous marking skills!

And cross-field flick hucks!! No really, that guy's one of the best on the field. :)  He's also a doctor.

And, the grand finale... raw footage video!!

That's right, two sideline layouts/stretching catches in a row! That's how intense these folks are. Okay, so my image capture skills are terrible, but we really do have some good players here who keep me and each other running, playing D, and jumping for every disc.

You will no doubt dominate here once you're ready to take the field again.

That's it (until next practice!) for the on-field ultimate antics. But there are a few other, non-field Ultimate antics you'll like even more. Yet again, stay tuned in the upcoming days for what was going on next to me on the sidelines!

Thing 11: Tootsie Tries to Speak (now with BONUS KISSING!)

She sure tries.

Thing 10: Ultimate People vol.1

One of the best things about Tyler is that there is a pretty decent group of ultimate players, especially for the size of the town. The biggest gathering is at the university on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

There's a far, far away shot of a couple of players. I can name all the ones I can see.

Here's another far, far away shot. Those are in vogue now, you know. But there's more people!

They even run the other direction sometimes! Okay, my phone camera is not great, and my injured self couldn't get many pictures from the sidelines anyway. But that's sure a nice blue jug, huh?

Here's some final proof that ultimate is played in Tyler. I call this one the "grainy photo evidence"!

It's a lot better in person, I promise. There are more far, far away pictures where these came from! And I've got some additional non-action ultimate shots in reserve. Stay tuned!



P.S. - Here is some grass!

Thing 9: Tootsie Plays Dead

She is not good at being dead.

Thing 8: Tootsie kiss!! OMG!!

She loves me! She really loves me! (When I have treats.)

Thing 7: Tootsie Shakes

Tootsie shows she still knows how to shake it.

Thing 6: Tootsie Goes Away

Tonight I'm inaugurating a possibly-daily series of Tootsie videos! She is certainly a fun thing. And she is certainly in Tyler. And she's having some fun here as well.

To start things off, here's a double-dose of our precious one.

Tootsie dances (sort of)...

Then Tootsie goes away (for real)...

Thing 5: UU Fellowship of Tyler

Finally, a semi-serious "fun thing" to post! Today I went here:

Some random person's yellow-brown house with attached garage, you say? Wrong! It's the...

(These pictures are stolen from their website, but I swear, I really went there.) The Unitarian Universality Fellowship of Tyler draws on a self-defined "liberal religion that draws inspiration from many of the world’s religions and other sources."

Check out the lobby:

They have an 11am service on Sundays, which today had about 40 people there. It's a small but attractive space with a few seats left over for visitors. The sanctuary, below, manages to blend a clean, modern look with the feel of a warm cottage.

The service today featured the rabbi from a nearby Reform Jewish Congregation, Congregation Beth El. He gave us the short version of the history of American Judaism and the various denominations around today. The presentation was very informative - especially as its doctrines mirrored that of UU in some ways - without being dry or proselytizing.

Here's another sanctuary shot, featuring the simple seating.

As with most UU services, we sang a number of hymns, heard some themed readings, and heard a guest sermon/presentation. I got to say hello to a handful of people afterwards, all of whom were very nice and welcoming. There were even a handful of people in their 20's and 30s there, though I didn't get a chance to speak with any of them much.

I really enjoyed the service, and plan to go back - probably next Sunday. It was somewhat stimulating, and a good chance to leave the house, be around people, and even sing some hymns! As for me helping with the community service next Saturday, well, we'll see how this coming week shapes up!

...Here's one more sanctuary shot. Looks like a wedding! :)

Thing 4: Yazz Music

Here are a few clips from a jazz concert I went to this week on campus. Dr. Webb's group was playing, and they are really very good. Unfortunately, the audio on my phone is terrible, so there's not much to hear.

That was part of a piano solo by an amazing player, by any city's standards. Here's another, this time on synth:

Dr. Webb soloed a lot, too, mainly on his sax:

...but also on YAZZ FLUTE!!

While these videos do not do the concert justice, I really did enjoy it very much, and look forward to hearing them more. They are one of the live acts that plays on Saturday evenings down at Fresh grocery store. A couple could check them out, have some wine on the patio, and have a real good time!

Thing 3: Animal Medical Center of Tyler

Just a hop and a skip from home sits another fun (or at least great) thing about Tyler.

Ugh. Now that's a terrible nighttime picture!

There, that's better. The Animal Medical Center of Tyler is a quality, welcoming place to bring your pets for all check-ups and health concerns. The staff was professional and helpful in my first visit, even helping me sort through my records to find my pet's latest info.

Yep, those are my scattered records on the exam table. Oops! We got it sorted out, though.

While I waited for some tests to be run, I got a chance to take in the exam room's ambiance. First, there's the comfy and colorful blanket.

(I can't help but suspect it's largely to please the humans.) Of all the cute animal pictures on the walls, my favorite was Dogbacca:

They also had a full complement of industry brochures.

My favorites were these:

1.

Yup, Dog Appeasing Pheromone. Coming in liquid, spray, and "Glade Plug-in -esque" formats, this compound is supposed to help calm your dog in loud or stressful situations. The best part? A warning: "Do NOT spray directly on dog!"

...and 2.

Informative, stylish, and depressing. Perfect!

The visit ended with a helpful, detailed conversation with the veterinarian and founder of AMC, Dr. Laura Cauthen:

 She really took her time to answer my questions and make sure I understood our options for our pet. I'd recommend her and the clinic to anyone!

Lastly, it looks like our little one might have some real competition in Tyler for the title of "cutest pet evar." Check out the tiny-dog pictures, and especially the tiny-dog video a little ways down the page!

http://www.facebook.com/amctyler