Happy Birthday to my puppy who is two years old today.

To celebrate Miley’s birthday, I will watch this clip of Boston mayor Tom Menino about 99 times.  I cannot stop laughing at this.

Sorry about the late response to my Wednesday tease.  I was hit with some unexpected stuff at the end of last week, including helping a friend out with his flooded basement over two days.  On the bright side, I now know how to install a sump pump in seven inches of water and that the folks at the Framingham Fire Department are fantastic.

Here are some things that have crossed my mind lately:

- I’m also sorry that I haven’t written much at all lately.  There’s no real reason, I just haven’t had the urge to write about anything.  One thing I have been doing (probably too much, in fact) is tweeting.  If you just have to have your Mike fix (and I’m not really sure if this is possible or why it ever would be), you can always check out my twitter feed.

- Again, thanks to everyone who kept checking into the blog even though I haven’t written much lately.

- I got really caught up in the House of Representatives voting on the health care reform bill.  Last night was a historic vote and a great night for our country.  The President put a lot of his chips over the past year in the health reform basket and last night, it paid off.  People will wake up to a better America today.  Very cool.

- I got even more caught up in Northern Iowa’s dramatic win over Kansas.  I totally have Ali Farokhmanesh fever.  This guy has huge cajones and made the shot of his life on Saturday.  It is games like that that make the NCAA Tournament one of the most exciting events in sports.  My brother said it best over the weekend, “I don’t even know any of the players, but I am loving the tournament this year.”

- Speaking of the tournament, when I was in Vegas last November I made a bet on Ohio State to win the tournament.  At that time, they were at 80/1 odds.  So, if they happen to win the tourney, the bet will pay $800.  Not bad.  Knocking on wood, the prospects of this bet coming in became better after Kansas was Farokhmaneshed, Georgetown and Maryland were eliminated, and Michigan State lost their point guard to an achilles tendon injury.

- I caught the movie, “She’s Out of My League” a week or two ago and absolutely loved it.  If there was any movie that seems like it was specifically made for me, it is this one.  Check it out.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see it again.  Jay Baruchel (of “Freaks and Geeks” fame) was fantastic.

- As for the aforementioned movie, I know I really like the movie when I can say this: I wish they got a hotter chick to play the female lead in the movie.  Alice Eve is very attractive and all, but they could have done better here.

- Speaking of movies, I love going to the movies by myself.  First off, going alone there are no disagreements on which picture to see.  As a dude who just loves romantic comedies, this comes in handy.  Also, when I’m at the movies (and I’ve been told this), I seem to laugh when nobody else is laughing.  Not saying this is good or bad, just that I think I have a strange sense of humor.  Thanks to Showcase Cinemas for $6 Tuesdays.

- While I am embarrassing myself, I am not ashamed to admit that I will be watching “Dancing with the Stars” for the first time tonight.  Thanks a lot, Ochocinco.

- Everything is still all systems go for the “move to California” plan.  I think I’m going to drive cross-country to get out there.  It is something I have always wanted to do.  I want to take like three weeks and take it slow, stopping along the way to see friends and places.  Early thoughts on stops include: the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio, Paris IL (the midwestern city of lights) to see my college friend Kevin, and Jackson Hole to see Jen.  I’d love to work in a ballpark I’ve never been to (Minnesota or Arizona most likely, only other ones I haven’t seen are Seattle and the Florida parks), the ‘Field of Dreams” field in Iowa and if I could get to Austin that would be great as well.  Planning on late April/early May.  Stay tuned.

- Farokhmanesh!

- The Bruins are really frustrating to watch.  Not as frustrating as the Celtics, though.  Both teams are on life support.

- I got Miley exactly one year ago today.  Today is truly a “Miley Monday” and I can’t believe a whole year has passed since I brought her home from the aniimal shelter.  She is totally getting spoiled today.

- RIP Lola.  I love you and will miss you.  Thanks for being one of the first people to believe in me.  I regret that I didn’t make it out to California to visit more often.

Miley was featured in the Cape Ann Animal Aid newsletter last month and it has gone straight to her head.  She has now achieved diva status.  If I had a scanner, I would have posted a better copy.

Thanks to Rebecca at CAAA for writing the piece.

Before Michael Vick signed with the Eagles, Miley asked me if she could help out with the bills and take part in a photo shoot.  I was in total agreeance.  Why not have the dog pull her own weight around here?

She totally regrets it now.

The full ad is here.

She is not sporting this happy face below.  In fact, she is quite upset about the whole situation.

(haha, weird huh?)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Congrats to the New York Yankees, the 2009 champions of summer!

Hey look, a Miley Monday entry! Before the stroke of midnight, even….

Lately, there has been a myriad of rabbits in my neighborhood.  The problem with this is that these rabbits have been driving Miley crazy.  The fur on the back of her neck stands up on end and then she tries to catch them.

They have been seen out the window, while we’re out on the screened-in porch, on walks and in the backyard.  While she is on the leash, she will literally choke herself trying to chase these rabbits until they are out of sight.

It is bad enough when we see other dogs when we are out on walks.  Miley gets pissed (read: barking frenzy) and acts if she is the only dog allowed to be in zip code 01803.  She also tries to chase birds and the beaver that sometimes appears in my back yard (oh the joys of living in a house that abuts the woods).  The rabbits are the worst, though.  I don’t know what’s going on, but there must have been a rabbit population explosion in Pleasantville.

They are multiplying like, well, rabbits.

(*laugh track*)

To be honest, I think that these glorified furballs are conspiring against me.  They have coordinated their movements and appearances to f*&# with me every time I want to sit out on the porch or take Miley on a walk.  These little nuisances are highly organized and simply cannot be trusted.  Maybe I should get a gun.

Is it legal to open fire on rabbits in suburbia?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rasheed Wallace, Welcome to Titletown!

Well I’m New York City born and raised
But nowadays, I’m lost between two shores
L.A.’s fine, but it ain’t home
New York’s home, but it ain’t mine no more

Ahhhh, back at Truth About Mike headquarters…

When I landed at Logan the other day, I was really excited and happy to be home.  This excitement lasted up until I got inside the house.  I started unpacking and doing all those things one does after vacation.  Slowly, I realized that I wasn’t truly home yet, and there was something missing.

You have to have owned a dog to understand, but dogs truly are man’s best friend.  There is no other pet that can compare.  The unconditional love they give you with their happy demeanors and their wagging tails is really unlike anything a pet owner can experience.

Because of the holiday, I couldn’t pick up Miley until 2pm yesterday.  Even though my body is still on west coast time, I woke up at 7am yesterday (4pm out west) so excited to pick her up.  This is after getting home at 2am after heading downtown to see the fireworks Saturday night.  I tried to fall back to sleep to no avail.

The day dragged.  Thankfully, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick played one hell of a match to decide Wimbleton.  The match helped pass the time.  At 1:50pm, I walked into the kennel to see a bouncing-off-the-wall happy dog awaiting her owner.  It was great to see her.  As she came through the door from around back, she jumped up on me and her tail was wagging about a mile a minute.

For some reason, I feared that she might have forgotten me during my almost three weeks away.  No such chance.  I was told she was very well behaved, but got a little startled during the fireworks.  The picture above is how she looked after we pulled into the driveway.  It is a perfect depiction of her, “I’m finally home!” face.

As we were leaving, Pat from the kennel asked, “Will we ever see Miley again? Because just in case, I already said my goodbyes to her.”  This startled me at first, but then I remembered that she knew my situation.  I told her about the potential move and how I’d be scouting San Francisco on my trip.  Miley has been at this particular kennel three times and they really love her there.

After thinking about Pat’s question, I shrugged my shoulders and said I wasn’t sure.  I really didn’t know how to answer.  The only thing I really know for sure is:

Home is where the heart is.

For me, that is wherever Miley’s four paws and wagging tail happen to reside.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I got my first nibble on the house. It doesn’t even go on the market until Wednesday!

This may be the best “Miley Monday” yet:

Miley has asked me twice to take her outside to go to the bathroom.

Hooray!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy Birthday, Courtney!

Saturday, I took Miley to the Cape Ann Animal Aid Rescue Reunion.  This is an annual event the shelter puts on each year up at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester.  At first, I was a little worried.  Even though she only left CAAA two and a half months ago, I wasn’t sure if they volunteers would remember her.  They see a lot of dogs and if it were me, I’d have trouble remembering all of the different animals.

It turned out that my fears were unwarranted.  Almost every CAAA volunteer recognized Miley and approached us as soon as they saw us.  A few of them said Miley had gotten darker in color.  Some of the volunteers even mentioned that they check in here each “Miley Monday” (thank you!) for updates.  Sadly, Miley was more interested in trying to play with the other dogs rather than trying to interact with the folks that helped her get a home.

Miley was especially interested to play with one particular dog (who’s name escapes me).  I later learned that his dog was Miley’s favorite playmate when they were in the shelter together.  The two dogs really were rough with each other and kept trying to play together.  I guess they remembered each other and were trying to make up for lost time.

One of the best parts of the reunion was getting to meet Donna Prior (pictured below) of Companion Animal Rescue, Inc out of Madison, Georgia.  C.A.R.I. works with the Cape Ann shelter to provide dogs homes up here in New England.  Miley came to Massachusetts from Georgia with the help of Donna and the C.A.R.I. group.  Donna immediately recognized Miley and was very happy to see her.  I asked Donna about Miley and she told me that Miley came to them as a stray.

Speaking with Donna, I learned that she enjoys sending dogs up here to New England.  The reason for this is that folks around these parts really treat their animals well and make them a part of the family.  Donna said that down south, dogs are treated more like yard ornaments.  It was really nice to hear this because people from the Northeast often get criticized for their abrasive personalities.  Apparently, it doesn’t translate when it comes to our pets.

I am really happy that Miley and I attended the reunion and got to meet Donna and see all the CAAA volunteers.  Amazingly, seeing all the dogs and owners at the reunion magnified even more the great work that all of those folks are doing.  They save hundreds of animals each year and the impact they have on both the animals and the owners is immeasurable.

Without all of those folks, this little stray puppy from Georgia would have never found a way into my life here in Massachusetts.  Miley and I will be eternally grateful for all of their efforts.

They changed both of our lives.

As seen on my Facebook page….

She actually fell asleep like this while I was watching the National Spelling Bee. 

Yup, that’s my pup!

EDITOR’S NOTE: TLC is premiering a show about two midgets named “The Little Couple” at 10pm tonight.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued/excited about this.

Since I’ve been home a lot more over the past few weeks, Miley has experienced a lifestyle change.  She spends most of the day looking like this (see picture on left).  Before, she was spending eight hours a day in her crate; These days, it is much less.  I’ve even begun trusting her more outside of the crate when I’m not home.  Last Sunday, because her Dad was having too good of a time with his family and then went to the Celtics game, Miley spent over 11 hours alone with the run of the house.  She didn’t even have an accident.

However, all hasn’t been quiet on the accident front.  She has had a lot of them recently.  We’ve gotten out of our old routine of me working and having set walk times.  The “pee on the floor, get banished to the crate” game is (regretfully) now almost a daily occurence.  She has definitely gotten more comfortable at home with Dad around more often.  As with any lifestyle change, we’re in an adjustment period right now and hopefully it ends soon.

Speaking of adjustment periods, walking Miley around her neighborhood has become a daily adventure.  Seeing another dog on our walk induces an inner rage that only certain canines possess.  All Miley really wants to do is say/smell hello and once she does that she is fine.  However, it takes an especially courageous dog owner to approach us with the spine-tingling bark and apparent (but not really) angry demeanor she displays.

There are good and bad aspects to simultaneously owning a dog and having all this free time on my hands.  One of the bad aspects is that having her limits how long I can leave town.  If I didn’t have a dog, I’d probably be driving cross-country right now exploring all places I’ve always wanted to see (Austin, Jackson Hole, Seattle, etc).  I even looked into doing this, but just can’t leave her behind for the amount of time needed to do it.  Such is the life of a dog owner.

On the other hand, one can never get too down about their current situation when your spunky, four-legged partner in crime pounces next to you, rawhide or ball in mouth.  You can’t help but smile when this happens.  Another great thing is when she tilts her head to the side after I say something to her.  When she does this, she gives off the appearance like she is actually trying to figure out what I am saying to her.  In the pantheon of Miley (or any dog) ownership, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.

The absolute clincher is every time I come home, I am greeted with this face.  It is always attached to a quickly wagging tail.  Coming home to this sight is a constant reminder that things really aren’t as bad as they seem, and that brighter days inevitably lie ahead.