The Fabulous Bouncing What?

The Fabulous Bouncing CHOWDER...of course.



That's right...the second book about me is in stores! Actually, it's been out for a couple of months, but I've been too busy to blog until now.

Anyway, the new book is about the time I went away to camp. I wanted to go to "Twisty's Acrobatic Fanatic Camp," but sadly, Twisty would not allow dogs. So my people, Madge and Bernie, turned to a dear old friend for help. What happened next can only be explained in this new picture book.

Anyway, I hope everyone likes the new book. But I can't take all the credit for it. I had to pose for hours so the guy who made the book (Peter Brown) could get the illustrations just right...and I think he did a pretty good job.

So check out the book, and send me an email or a blog comment or a chocolate cake to let me know what you think about it. Oh, and don't forget to check out my website: www.chowderandfriends.com

Slobberingly yours,
Chowder

Due to Popular Demand...

...I am now blogging again!

(Cheers, Fanfare, Celebration, Unabashed Drooling)

Woof and Hello,

The past few months have been a quiet time of self-reflection for me...and by "self-reflection" I mean I've literally been staring at myself in the mirror. It's been unbelievably boring. But staring at myself has led me to one conclusion:

I'm kind of funny looking.

But I'm ok with that...and do you know why? I'll tell you why. I'm ok with being kind of funny looking because I've realized that although I may not be as beautiful as Pinky-Woo-Woo, the poodle who lives across the street and who is actually pink because her owners dyed her fur pink, and who wears pink bows and ribbons, and who has her own pink dog house, and in the winter she wears a pink sweater and booties, and everything about her is pink, Pink, PINK!!!

I'm getting sidetracked.

Anyway, I don't mind being kind of funny looking, because although I may not be beautiful, I Chowder Wubbington can do many things that Pinky-Woo-Woo can't do: I can kick a homerun in kickball, I can read my horoscope in the newspaper, I can cook some simple meals, I've got some awesome dance moves, I've uncovered the fossils of a dinosaur, I know how to find the Big Dipper, I've got a command of the English language (in typed form only, my mouth isn't the right shape to actually speak, what can you do?), I can use a toilet and last but not least...I can BLOG!!!

And so with furrowed brow, unstoppable Drool, and all-around Funny-Lookingness, I am once again...A Blogging Doggy.

Slobberingly yours,
Chowder

Martha?

Woof and Hello,

Does anyone read this blog? I didn't think so. Oh well, I like writing so I'll continue blogging just for fun. But if anyone out there is actually reading this, four legged or otherwise, send me a quick email, or post a comment! That would really make my day.

I do have some interesting news today...CHOWDER, the book about me, will be a recommended holiday gift by Martha Stewart on her tv show! Isn't that crazy?! Sadly, I'll be unable to make an appearance because I have an important match to play in my kickball league. But I'll Tivo the show. It'll be on in most areas this Thursday (12/14/06) at 10 am on NBC, but check your local listings and tune in!

Ok, I need to go practice my base running for the big kickball match.

Slobberingly yours,
Chowder

Doggy Dance Machine Goes Haywire

Woof and Hello,

Wow, that's the last time I turn into the Chowder Doggy Dance Machine!!!

Ok, so there I was, it was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and I just couldn't watch another Gilligan's Island re-run. So I turned on the stereo and popped on my favorite Herb Alpert album. If you've evered listened to Herb Alpert while sitting alone on a rainy Tuesday afternoon you know that it's impossible NOT to dance! It started as a simple tapping of my toes. But before I knew it I had become a bouncing inferno of canine rhythm! I had become...the Chowder Doggy Dance Machine.

This was all well and good for the first thirty minutes. I began to feel tired and yet I continued dancing. I was really feeling the beat of the song "Casino Royale" and I had planned on jumping off a wall, doing a back flip, and landing on my back paws with a flourish. But I had become so tired that I just got sloppy and when I jumped up to the wall I slammed against it and stubbed ALL of my toes! All of them!!! Who does that?!

Well let me tell you, it hurt bad. I crawled up to the couch just in time to turn on the People's Court. But my toes swelled up and they hurt so bad for over a week that I was unable to do a lot of my normal things, including emailing and blogging!

It was terrible.

But I've made a full recovery now, and I have to admit that It'd be impossible to keep myself from dancing again. The Chowder Doggy Dance Machine cannot be stopped!

Slobberingly yours,
Chowder

Telescopic Pastry Caper

Woof and hello!

Sometimes, when the Wubbington's go away for a few days and I can't join them, I'll stay with the Dunlows. Beatrice and Gary Dunlow are old friends of the Wubingtons. I love going to their house because Gary is a serious griller and makes the best Portobello burgers. They have a cute daughter, Millie, who always knows just where to scratch my butt, and they also have a friendly pot-bellied pig named Gretchen. The Dunlow ladies love me.

Anyway, last Sunday I was looking around town with Bernie's telescope when I saw the Dunlow's house. Beatrice had baked a pie and put it in her windowsill to cool. And I also noticed that Gary was doing laps around the house, trying to find the right moment to scarf down the pie without Beatrice noticing. I just knew he would blame Gretchen for eating the pie. Gary has a sweet tooth. I had to save that pie, and Gretchen's reputation.

Beatrice works from her home office, and I remembered that whenever she gets emails her computer goes, "DING!" So I kicked Bernie off of our computer and quickly sent her an email, hoping that it would "Ding!" and get her attention.

The message I wrote said, "Bea, Gary will eat pie soon! Slobberingly yours, Chowder"

I ran back to the telescope to see if my plan had worked. Just as Gary was about to dive into the pie his ears perked up. He must have heard the "Ding!" He ran up to the computer, saw that there was an email from me with the subject line "Pastry Emergency!" and read the email before Beatrice even knew what had happened. The next thing I saw was his face in the window, hovering over the pie, and smiling greedily in my direction. He scooped up the pie and disappeared with it. I had failed.

I never like to let down a pie, so later that day I was still feeling pretty sad when our doorbell rang. Madge opened the door and there was Gary! He said hello to the Wubbingtons, quickly walked over to me, and from behind his back revealed a huge pie plate with half of Strawberry Rhubarb pie in it! It was the best pie I'd ever eaten.

Why did Gary do that? And why there was only HALF of the pie in that pie plate? People can be so confusing sometimes.

Slobberingly yours,
Chowder

Apology and Celebration

Woof and Hello all,

Bernie has been sick with the flu and so he's been cramping my style. Usually I have the whole apartment to myself during the weekdays, but with Bernie around I haven't had much time to write. Bernie's been whiney and cranky. One minute he'd want me to watch reruns of "Gilligan's Island" with him, and then the next minute he'd want me to leave him alone...and then he'd run off to the bathroom. He's been snoring now for about two hours, so I'm eating some peanut butter and writing this blog.



Anyway, I'm very excited to announce that Thursday was the official publication date of CHOWDER the book! So tell everyone you know to go out and buy the book, because the guy who made the book (Peter Brown) said he'd give me 5% of all the book sales (he's a little cheap) and I really want to buy myself a Hawaiian vacation...or a cool new dog collar. In addition to that my website has a new Screenpal so you and I can hang out whenever you want!!! Go check it out! Go on!

Newcomer

Some new people moved in to my apartment building today. Madge and Bernie were at work and I heard a "thump" on the front door. I immediately went to investigate and heard what sounded like a few out-of-shape guys trying to move a big couch down the hall. I think the "thump" was somebody's butt accidentally hitting our door. This went on for a few hours...people coming and going, strange voices calling to each other down the hallway on the other side of the door, the occasional scrape or thumping sound.

Later in the afternoon I smelled something familiar, I think it was a Boston Terrier. I sniffed the crack under the front door, and the other dog did the same thing. It was funny, our noses were only two inches from each other, but we couldn't see each other. I guess the dog was on a leash, and when the owner finally tugged on the leash the dog barked that her name is, "Sophie." The hall has been quiet ever since.

I wonder if I'll see Sophie sometime...