$0.02 [2011, A Year in Animals, Part II]

Happy 2012, buddies!  This 2011 Year in Review post continues where we left off with Part I.  This post features photos and stories from July 2011 - December 2011!

July 2011

• The clan moved to our current apartment across McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn -- Lola, Betelgeuse, and Lulu loved it right away.
• We did a hot, sticky Independence Day hike at Stokes State Forest [post here].
• Betelgeuse and Lulu got hilarious haircuts [post here].
• We went on a Pennsylvania day trip with dog buddy Kira (who looks like Lulu in the grass above) to hang with Abby and Roxy.

$0.02 [2011, A Year in Animals, Part I]

Happy New Year, Everyone!  

2011 was a big, expensive year in animals around here, so I thought I would share some photos and stories from the past year to welcome us into 2012.

January 2011

• We started 2011 with an animal clan count of three:  Lola, Kitty, and Betelgeuse.  
• Box Cat, the TNR feral cat who liked to hang out in our backyard, used the cat shelter that Kyler and I built out of a discarded kitchen cabinet to weather the cold January months.
• We met and fostered rescue pup Victor, a wonderful 20-lb. black dog (he looked like Kira's older brother), for two weeks until he went to his forever home in early January.
• Kyler, Betelgeuse, and I took a trip to Virginia Beach to visit Future Cat (+ his feline housemates, Caddie Wompus, Bear, and Boy Cat).  Betelgeuse got an unwelcome bath at Two Brothers Self Service Dog Wash.
• In late January, we started fostering postpartum Lulu, an 8-lb. black dog (she looked like Kira's little sister), pending her scheduled spay operation.
• We had so much snow in January. Three-legged Kitty helped me build a snow fort, and Betelgeuse played fetch on top of it.

$34.00 [Pillow Ten Ways]

Kyler and I like to watch cooking shows together.  They combine his love of the culinary arts and my love of reality television.  On these shows, the chefs will often serve something like "Pork Three Ways" or "Duck Two Ways" -- I'm thinking right now specifically of Tre Wilcox from Top Chef, who seemingly in every challenge would serve the protein two or three ways.  And it always made me laugh.

So in honor of Mr. Wilcox and every chef who cannot commit to one preparation of a protein, on this installation of (over)budget pet, I bring you Pintuck Pillow* Ten Ways.

The pillow:

The featured dishes:

Glazed Icarus with a Side of Steamed Pintuck Pillow

~$3.50 [Deflated Playball]

We found this purple 10" Hedstrom inflatable playball in an alley near the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Betelgeuse took to it right away.

[Video]

We could never tell if she loved it or hated it.  It was hilarious.  For the last two months, she would bounce this ball off her paws or nose and chase it around the backyard, yapping furiously.  Until last Friday. 

Our latest and greatest doggie houseguest, Bella, arrived on Friday.  And she brought along her giant pitbull jaws and 50 lbs. of muscle.  Within fifteen minutes of her arrival, the reign of the purple ball was over.

We didn't buy the first one, so I shouldn't complain about having to buy the second one.  Except that I will anyway.  These balls are available for purchase for about three or four dollars in big-box and grocery stores throughout most of America.  But Brooklyn is not most of America, and these wire racks are just not going to fit in a bodega.

Unfortunately, on the Internet, the smallest quantity I can find is a 24-pack for $45.99.  Even though the idea of Betelgeuse in the backyard with 24 of these balls is amazing, the reality is a little nutty.  So we'll have to wait for our next trip out of New York to replace the ball.  And then we'll have to try remember to put it up when Bella's teeth come over.

$6.99 [Invincibles Purple Lizard]

There are a lot of dog toys in my apartment.  And I picked most of them.  But Kyler picked this one.

And because his brain is at least one part puppy, this is by far the most popular dog toy in the apartment.  Everydog loves the 6" Kyjen Invincibles Purple Lizard Squeaker Dog Toy.  It has such a hilarious squeak, and it's claim to fame is that it keeps squeaking even when punctured.

Our current houseguest, Bella loves it.

Our prior houseguest, Cheska, loved it.

Lulu loves to secret play with it.  (The photo below has nothing to do with the lizard, but Lulu refuses to be photographed playing with a toy.)

And of course Betelgeuse loves it -- squeaking it, fetching it, chewing it, sleeping with it, whatever.

Cheska and Betelgeuse methodically chewed off most of the spikes in the lizard's crest, but true to the name "Invincibles Purple Lizard," he still squeaks just as good as ever.

$6.99 for the apartment's most popular, least destructible dog toy -- on sale for $5.94 this weekend at Petco.com.