Birthday wrap up

Well, my friends, here I am a year older. The birthday party went well, and I want to give a shout out to all my friends who came out to see me and celebrate with me. It was a good evening!

Two of my favorite humans, W & J, gave me this really cool shirt. It reminds me of a Roy Lichtenstein piece of art - you know pointillism meets pop art. It says "Woof" on the back, which saves me having to say it myself, people can just read my shirt. They also gave me a necktie. I know some of you think of neckties as an instrument of torture and a means of "the man" controlling you. But I don't agree. I think its lends an air of sophistication to me, and really is exactly what I have been looking for.

So, with the gifts, the ladies serenading me and some new friend/maestro tickling the ivories, it was a good night indeed.

Sunday, although it is the real day that marks the start of my new life here, was quiet, almost uneventful. Unless you count the 93 minute international phone call I made. Well, it wasn't intentional for a start. Someone left me alone for a long time, and that same someone left the phone on the love seat right near the pillow I like to sleep on. Its not my fault that I belly dialed some foreign country and let them listen my abdominal noises for 93 minutes. So, you can imagine someone was not happy with me.

I am including a photo of myself in my new shirt and tie. The quality is not very good, but you will get the idea.

Until next time, always remember to give a little love, or is it, get a little love?
Clifford George

Pre-birthday ponderings

Well, the haircut went well, and I am, as my human likes to describe me, "devastatingly handsome." I am more than ready for my birthday on Sunday when I will celebrate my 91st birthday. Actually, like most dogs, I don't know when my real birthday is, but March 28 is the day we celebrate. Now some of you who know my human, may also know that March 28 is her birthday, and so, you may conclude that she just decided to keep things simple and make me share her birthday. But, there is nothing simple about my human and there is another reason that March 28 is the day chosen as my birthday.

March 28, 2008 is the day I came to live here. In fact all of us animals who live in this home celebrate our birthdays on the day we came to live here. Olive's day is March 14, and our dear brother, Mikey, was December 23 - a true Christmas gift!

Olive has been here the longest - even though she is the youngest! She has been here for three years, Mikey would have been here for 3 years this past Christmas, and I have been here for two years this Sunday. You see, we are all adopted, all rescues! So, in her complex way, the human has hit on something good. We may celebrate our birthdays on a day that really isn't our birthday, but we celebrate the start of our new lives, in fact, we celebrate life itself!

So, Sunday is indeed cause for celebration. I will be celebrating my new life and honoring all those who helped to get me here. Its been an interesting journey, and at times very painful and unpleasant, but the journey has led me to where I am today and to all of you. So, thank you! May your journey take you to wonderful places and to wonderful people. And lets always celebrate life.

Ciao!
Clifford George Jackson

If you would like to honor some of the people who helped rescue me (and Mikey and many others), you can make a donation to Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati www.schnauzerrescuecincinnati.org. Just be sure to tell them that Clifford sent you!