Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Mommy and Daddy

Dear Mommy and Daddy,

I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Last year daddy put up a tree in the home here and left me in the kennel, so I did not spent Christmas and New Year with you. Although there was only Dr Hii in the clinic, he took care of me well. Auntie Joanna visited me too.

This year, daddy did not even put up a Christmas tree. Mommy left a few days earlier and then on 17th, daddy left as well.

Again, I am in the kennel.

I miss you a lot. This time Nale, Dr Hii, Dr Sharon and Dr Sylmie have been taking care of me. Auntie Joanna has not visited at all.

I have been told that we are moving and I will be in a plane and going to Kay El. I do not know what is a plane or Kay El.

I only have a wish to spend as much time with my mommy and daddy and I hope that I bring both of you joy and happiness because you bring me a lot of joy and happiness.

I could not have wished for better parents from God and very grateful for God to have given me wonderful parents as yourself.

Because of this, I miss you tremendously when you go away. And I hope you miss me too.

I hope next year, we will be spending Christmas together for the 1st time in my life. I assume it will be in my new home in this placed called Kay El.

That would be the greatest Christmas present for me. Until then, wishing you a Happy New Year.

My love and slobby kisses and hope to see you soon.

Your boy,
Al E.

Mommy and me

Dear daddy,
I was suppose to post this write-up and video when you were away on holiday with dada. Mommy and I have been walking lots, both in morning and evenings - stroll by the beach of course. Sometimes when the weather is good, we also head to the beach. Mommy claims, the beach is her free membership gym (lifetime membership). Well, am not too sure about 'lifetime membership', you see, a big hotel and club house is going to be built right in front of our beach pad. Oh well, it does not matter now, we will be moving soon.
Cheers, AL-E Baba

Surprise

Hi, this is Al E.

Daddy has not been well, today's surprise was he did not send me to the kennel and worked from home.

I wish he could work from home all the time and not send me to the kennel but I do enjoy meeting my friends in the kennel too.

Daddy has not been well, so, he has been quietly doing his work from home.

I have been his shadow all day, except in the morning where he left me at home alone. He said he was going to see a doctor.

He was back quite fast and I created no damage at home.

Today, it has been quite hot, so I slept for a while under daddy's wet clothes on the clothes line.

We went for a walk in the evening as we always do but I want to go for walks all the time. Today my girlfriend Cherry was chasing me all over, she smells nice and allows me to smell her. She does not bark like the crazy Gaju next door.

That Gaju fella, always barking at me, dunno what is wrong with him. He just does not like me. Once he even attacked me. I have not even done anything to him. Bugger.

But my friend Fifi and Coco were not there today. I visit them everyday too. They like me but I act cool, don't want to show their excitement. They are just puppies and I love the attention they give me. Daddy is nice to them too. But today, I missed them, they were no where to be seen.

Now I am sleeping on my basket, which daddy has put outside while he watches television and works.

I miss mommy, and hear her on the phone.

Anyway, I hear mommy and dada coming soon for Dewali, festival of lights. Why don;t they have a festival of darkness as well ... hmmmmm ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Door Bell

Ever wished for an amazing alarm cum door bell...the one that do not need to be fixed, logged-in, keyed-in, programmed and etc.....

Well, we have one and it is not a gadget but AL-E. Plus, he comes without any battery that needs fixing or charging...

You see, we do not have a door bell (for our home in Borneo). AL-E does the job pretty well. His bark announces whether it is a cat/dog, guest or ghost/spirit. By the way, AL-E's bark varies between a human, animal and things from other dimension (if any - though I have yet to meet one and have no plans or wish whatsoever to bump into one).

This morning we both decided to sleep a little longer... Out of the blue AL-E (who also sleeps in our room jumped out of his basket and was really uneasy. He came to my side of the bed and gave me an early wake-up call (all slobbery with his wet kisses)...Wait a minute, that is not how it should be, normally he never forces or wakes me unless something is really amiss or someone is at the door. So I had to force myself up, go check the whole house including the balcony etc. etc. Well, nobody and nothing was out to greet me. Thus, I fixed AL-E's breakie and went back to sleep.

Guess what, loud on-going barks...now what...well, lo and behold my housekeeper was at the front door (Note: I was wide awake and did not hear the van dropping her off...).

Oh well, I had actually arranged for a housekeeper next Sunday and not today but I must say that our boy is the real hero and have my utmost respect. From now on, whenever he wakes me up out of the blue, I am sure to wake up, you may never know what or who is at the front door.

Al-E is constantly a loyal companion who provides unconditional love ... now to add to his abilities, he is also door bell and alarm - what more could we have asked for?

YB AL-E injured

We left our boy for an hour yesterday morning and guess what happened when we got home?

AL-E injured a small spot on his paw. There were spots of blood all over the floor. All due to constant scratching of the wood divider...

After a frantic call to the vet and instructions given, AL-E's well and jumping like a monkey ...

I wonder where does he get all energy. It's like the bunny advertisement for Duracell battery (can go on for hours and days without any glitch!)..I wish I have at least half of AL-E's super-duper energy...

Unconditional love

Al E is not different from this cartoon.

We can leave him in the kennel and would go collect him thinking he will be mad at us or upset with us, but he comes running like a maniac, just waiting to jump and slober all over you.

Such is the simple unconditional love you get from a dog, you are his world. Treat him well and rewards are aplenty.

Heroics

Every other day, I read an article about some dog being a hero.

Here and there, everywhere, everyday there is a dog saving a person.

"Dog hailed as hero for guiding rescuers to owner's body" is among a recent headline.

"Dog pulls toddler out of burning building."

Some religions believe that dogs are evil, or the devil and if you have a dog, angels would not come into your house.

I believe somewhat the opposite. The dog is an angel that keeps the evil out.

Al E is not different. Numerous times he has warned me of something, or barked at a stranger lurking around the house.

Yes, he barks at nearly everyone, but I have learned to recognise the different barks.

And sometimes he just goes quiet, to warn you of something strange. He goes extremely quiet and listens attentively for any strange sounds.

No difference on Thursday night - but read Nils Musings for that story.

Al E has his heroics and he is a hero at the same time. A loyal, good, kind-hearted and loving pet.

He may whine and destroy a few papers here and there and create a bit of a mess when left alone for a few hours, but Al E will always be #1 pet.I can treat him like my son but he knows he is a dog and that I am his master, and we both love each other unconditionally.

Al E misses his human mommy. And daily cherishes time with his human daddy.

Such is life, and it's beautiful.

So sorry lah

Dear mommy,

I am so sorry to have created a mess during your 2 hours Starbucks break...I miss you lah so I decided to chew some newspapers.....Sometimes nice to chew on newspaper (like you chew some gum)...

But I know you hate it but I can't help it lah...Forgive me ya. I love you so much.

Hugs,
AL-E Baba

AL-E Botak

Can you imagine what my mommy did to me....

Recently, mommy acquired a new passion or shall I say a new hobby...that is being my personal hair-stylist. The only problem is that she only knows one style......Just look at the pictures!!!

My dear mommy got a wee bit too excited and cropped off all my lovely locks.

Initially mommy only intended to cut off the tangled hair/fur (those that is hard and unmanageable). However, something got over mom and she started chopping all my fur...

On top of that daddy calls me 'botak' or AL-E Botak.......Grrgh

Although it is a relief to be free of tangled hair/fur, I just can't wait for my fur to grow back. Sigh!

My training

Dear Mommy and other friends,

Every Wednesday Daddy is taking me for obedience training with Robin.

Robin is quite a nice person and with Daddy has been training me quite well.

Today, I continued to learn how to walk properly. I also am doing well in the sit command. Every now and then Daddy and Robin would use the down command, which is different from sit.

In addition, I have learned the over command which means I have to jump over some obstacle. I sometimes like jumping over the obstacle and sometimes I am refusing.

Today I also learned the stay command. Daddy or Robin will first ask me to sit. Then they give me a treat and ask me to stay. And I am supposed to remain sitting.

I did quite well with stay and Robin and Daddy also let go of the leash and I still just stayed in the sitting position.

Due to this, I got a lot of sausage treats which I love. I did not even eat the food Daddy kept for me outside but I did drink a lot of water when I came back.

Now I am soooooooooo tired and knocked out by Daddy's feet under his table as he is working and in a call with some people that I do not understand.

Anyways, I am well and training is going well for me.

Tata, woof woof and bow wow for now.

You're welcome at my water bowl anytime

Dear Mommy,

This was forwarded by a friend to daddy who read it to me:

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.
'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.' The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.
'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book....

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope.. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

You are welcome at my water bowl anytime Mommy (and Daddy)!!

Tata, wwof woof and bow wow.

Dearest Mommy

Dearest Mommy,

Where have you disappeared? Every time you go into that building with your bags, you never come out. Daddy tells me you have gone to Kay El to take care of your mommy. And that I and your mommy or my pati have some similarities in terms of when we are sick.

I do not know what Kay El is or what an aeroplane is but maybe one day we all will go together and go into this aeroplane and go to Kay El.

I miss you very much and have been going to the room and your side of the bed and peeking into the bathroom to look for you but to no avail.

I have been taking care of daddy as much as I can and to be honest, he has been taking care of me as well.

He makes sure that I am hugged and kiss everyday, that he plays ball with me and takes me out for a walk everyday, we also do some obedience training and he gives me treats. Daddy has been quite obedient so far ;)

He also ensures that I get my vitamins everyday and that he too eats his vitamins. Apart from that he has been combing my hair every day and cleaning my ears as well.

I am still having some dry skin problems and some rashes and daddy has put some olive oil on me. The oil is soooooooooooooo tasty that I like up his hands clean.

Daddy's leg too has some bites and rashes from some insect, I hope he gets well.

Daddy sends me to Ani every weekday and collects me later. Ani and Nelly and Dr Sharon too have been taking care of me well.

Daddy is sometimes tired but he still does all the things and still vacuums and cleans up.

I miss you and I know you miss me too. But don;t worry too much, I am well here and daddy is taking care of me and vise-versa. I hope you are taking care of yourself.

Tata, woof woof and bow wow for now.

Love always,
Al E

Be happy Don't Worry

Hi Al-E boy,

Heard from daddy that you have been a little 'sad' and looking for me...

Well, try not to sulk so much and I will be in no time...will be in KL for a short period only.

Love ya. Take care of daddy.

Love,

Mommy

My AL-E boy

Dearest AL-E,

I will miss you dearly when I get back to KL...sniff, sniff, sniff.

Take care of daddy ya...be good and eat your vitamins okay. Do well in your class...don't give Robin & daddy a hard time (I know you will do well).

Love you sooooooooooo much and will be missing you sooooooooooooooo much.

Bisous,
Mommy

Shades

My future's soooooooooo bright that I got wear shades.

Look at my daddy trying to fix sun-glasses on me (see pictures). I was feeling rather uncomfortable but as usual daddy has to have his way. Apparently it is for my own good. Daddy purchased this specially designed sun-glasses for dogs from Belgium.

Anyhow, I let both mommy and daddy take my picture(s) of me wearing it for awhile (5 minutes). After that I wriggled so much with it that they both had to remove the glasses. Cool.

Obedience Training

Today Daddy and I started obedience training classes.

I thought this class was for me to teach daddy and mommy to be more obedient to me, but I was so disappointed. In the end, it seems the classes are for me.

It is not very easy.... not because I am difficult but more because of the corrections daddy has to do.

Daddy will yank my collar if I do not follow a command.

Most of the time I follow his commands to sit or come here and he praises me when I do it.

But there are times I do not do it and he has to yank my chain until I choke a little.

Yesterday after the training, I was a little upset and angry with daddy. But I guess that is how it is going to be for a while.

There was also one idiot who riled me up by trying to bully me and was being bad and condescending, so I barked and barked at him and would have bitten his hand off if Robin and daddy did not hold me back. I guess some people are just not that good, I pity the dog that is with that idiot.

In that sense, I am happy that I have mommy and daddy who love me to bits.

This morning, I was back to normal. All is forgiven and licks all over the face and following daddy like he is my GPS (global positioning system).

I have to do his commands on a leash at least 10 to 15 minutes daily.

And the classes will continue for about 6 weeks. Hopefully after that I can do more fun stuff like the agility stuff, it is like a playground out there.

My favorite things

AL-E's favorite things:

1. Sleeping/Taking afternoon naps too.
2. Kissing mommy and daddy (more like slobbering wet kisses)
3. Licking itself like a 'cat'! (daily ritual).
4. Barking. Various versions. Differs between strangers, family and friends.
5. Treats (all kinds).
6. Love green apples (actually all kinds of apples).
7. Jumping on the balcony.
8. Running on the beach (Walking only applies when tired).
9. Eating sand.
10.Eating bugs.
11.Sniffing at each and every animated stuff in the house.
12.Sniffing mommy when she is all done-up with makeup.
13.Sniffing anyone with perfume on.
14.Bullying our friend Kupps...he he he kwakakakaka
15.Greeting all our friends (I think AL-E has the impression that all our friends are his pets/toys).

That's all for now.

B'day party for AL-E Baba

Dear Mummy and Daddy

Thank you so much for a lovely party last night. I enjoyed the orangee pink cake.....Make sure you give me the other half tomorrow.

Love you both.

Sincerely,

AL-E.

p.s. Thank you dada for all care and entertainment. I will miss you when you go back to KL....How I wish that all of you can stay in one place.....Sigh!

Missing you

Hi AL-E boy,

Missing you so much.........sob sob sob.... can't sleep well.

I wish I can take you with me as a passenger (on the plane).

Thinking of you.

You behave and take care of dada my dear.

We will both see you soon (just in time for your birthday)..

Cheers, lots of love,

Mommy

Easter Sunday

Hi Daddy,

How are you? I heard you are having a splendid time with friends & their respective families in Wein (Vienna).

Yesterday, mommy had a party. All her friends, which are also my buddies drop by i.e. Anjali, Kupps, Ani & Dr. Sharon.

I had such a fantastic time jumping on everyone (including Kupps..he he hehe kwakwkakakakakakak). They all played with me too.

Ms. Ange brought her fancy new gadget (D90) and took some pictures. I hope you like them.

Append here some of the snapshots.

Love you sooooooooo much,

AL-E Baba

Minor Mayhem in Luak Bay

AL-E still gets all worked up when I leave him at home for couple of hours to do errands or meet up with friends. Maximum hours he has been by himself so far has been about 3.5 hours.

However, there is a little price to pay...just look at the pictures. That's his shredded newspaper artwork. If I do not place any newspaper then I will have yellow stains and 'stinky sausages' on the floor. I have fixed lots of sellotape but nowadays our little monkey can rip them too. Sigh!!!

Any idea to fix this minor problem?

Note: Managed to fix the partition issue and now another problem has cropped up i.e. AL-E's all time fashion with ripping newpaper.

Happy Birthday daddy

The only recent pose of mine with AL-E.

Taken by Dr. Sharon at Angel Clinic using my mobile.

Our boy moves so much ...it was quite a difficult task for Sharon but she managed to do it well.

This picture was taken on your birthday.

Harrod's stuff for Al E

Bought a few things for Al E in Harrods Animal Kingdom. There is a bakery for pets in the Animal Kingdom in Harrods with a professional baker whom I met. He is trained as a chef and now baking for dogs and has even written a book with his wife.

Among which is a non-pull harness because Al E runs here and there and hopefully with this, he will not pull so much.

Also bough a DNA Pet ID to take his DNA and record it. Do not be surprised if the tests come back to say he is not a dog, he could be a human, a cat or a monkey - depending on the mood when we get the test done :P

What English dog (AL E being an English Cocker Spaniel) would not like Yorkshire Pudding or Shepard's Pie - well he can have biscuits flavored as such.

A woof cupcake especially made for dogs.

And Al E is turning 1 year old soon, so of course I had to get him a cake, Happy Barkday :)

Happy B'DAY Daddy Dearest

Hi Daddy,

Here's wishing you all the very best that life has to offer.

Hope you have a splendid time in Motherland.

I miss you sooooooooooo much. Mommy miss you too.

By the way, mommy had a small luncheon with couple of her friends and she didn't let me join. On top of that, today is Monday and I have to go stay in 'A' day care for dogs.

Today has not been a good day for me. I didn't speak/talk/bark at other dogs and cats....Thinking of you and making plans on how we will spend time together - like playing rough ball & blanket time (Note: Mommy rarely play blanket. She hides them. Sigh!).

Nevertheless, mommy was extra nice. She took me for a long walk by the beach. She also remembered to fix me up with an adjustable long leash...So, I ran quite a bit. Also ate sand and said hi to the crabs...

Meanwhile, I heard from mommy that you are getting some dog pastries/cakes (specially made by a pet Chef in Harrods. Yummy. Can't wait.)

Oh, lately I am afraid of the thunder ...don't know why...I usually curl up by mommy's feet when it starts to rain heavily.

Okay daddy, got to go. You have a great time.

Lots of love and sloppy kisses,
AL-E Baba

A great dog

Dear Al E,

I just want you to know that you are a great dog.

You are a little naughty at times, but no more than me when I was young.

You are destructive at time, but I was a little tyrant as well.

But you are loving, you are caring and you are forgiving.

This is where you are even better than me, you forgive easily, you love easily.

So, Al E, my boy, you are a great dog - remember that now and always. No matter the amount of times you get disciplined by mommy or me, you are a great dog, and better than that, you are a great boy.

I miss you. But I will be back to celebrate your birthday with you.

Love,
Daddy

Elvis Rooster

Alvis in the house

Dear Daddy,

Check out my hair now. It is long and wavy. So does my hairstyle looks a bit like the late Mr. Elvis Presley?

Hope you have a good day.

Love,

AL-E B.

Playing ball with an E.Collar

This video makes one wonder how innovative and creative some dogs can be. Well, this is our Mr. AL-E Zabeth playing with gusto even with the cumbersome Elizabeth Collar. All you have to do now is say 'Ball' and AL-E will go sniffing and looking for the ball. Next is play time. Watch and enjoy the show.

Al E's new toys from Europe

Of course I cannot resist getting things for my boy and nearly bought him a special Doggy Beer but knew mommy would not approve, so bought you things that you will enjoy and make Al E the coolest dog in the neighbourhood.

Al E Baba new bling bling personalised collar; who am I? I am Al E B.

A dog ain't cool with just bling bling. So Al E is also getting cool sunglasses.

Al E will also get this nice big bright green ball where I can fill some treats in and when it rolls around, some treats will come out.

Drinking and Jolly run

Hi daddy,

Today is the 3rd day after my surgery. I can runabout and it feels good. However, mommy won't take me out for a walk. Apparently, I am grounded for 2 weeks. Sigh!

Love and sloppy kisses,
AL-E

Meal Time

Hi Daddy,

You probably have seen this video in mommy's blog. I thought it would be nice to upload here as well.

The darn E.Collar gets in the way whenever I attempt to eat. So for now mommy feeds me. It is kinda nice to eat from mom's palm, soft & yummy.

Love,
AL-E

Potty on the second day-Post Surgery

Dear Daddy,

It was so very so painful and difficult to pass motion for the first time after surgery. Finally, I did it and mommy was so happy.

Prior to this, mommy was so concerned and she was talking to Dr. S on what to do with my condition/situation. They were talking for so long and I have never seen mommy frowned so much...Then I just did it and everything is well.

Daddy, please tell mommy not to frown so much, otherwise she may need BOTOX treatment soon...Ha ha aha akwakakakakakkaka.

Love, hugs and lots of kisses,
AL-E

Post Surgery

Dear daddy,

I hope you are well and thank you for all your call, concern and prayers.

I am so very tired and drowsy (and still feeling hurt...).

Mommy has been taking of me every other hour. I have no appetite, so mommy is hand feeding me (she feeds me water by using a spoon and my meals by hand too...so nice of mommy).

I have been fixed with an Elizabeth collar which is darn bulky and cumbersome. I wish mommy would take it off.

Ms. J dropped by which was nice. Unfortunately all my plea to get Ms. J to undo my E. Collar was in vain...

Daddy, I wish you were here, at least you would be on my side and undo the E. Collar (I really do not like this fashionable collar around my neck. Whoever invented it...so ugly and bulky....looks more like a lamp shade to me).

Mommy looks tired and a little crappy but she has not raised her voice like usual. In fact, mommy has been very kind, gentle and nice (except that she would not undo the E. Collar).

Okay, I wanna go sleep now daddy. I love you too.

Love and hugs,

AL-E

p.s. Picture of me without the E. Collar was taken in the morning prior to the surgery. Do I look cool daddy?

Evening walk-Feb 24th

Hi daddy,

Watch me walking with mommy by the beach. Mommy won't let me set foot in the sea water though. Sigh!

Enjoy the show.

Cheers,
AL-E Baba

Evening run on the beach

Hi daddy,

How are you? How is winter? I wish I could visit you and experience winter weather (snow, rain and all). Do dogs in Netherlands wear jackets in winter time? Have you seen any English Cocker Spaniels?

Mommy took me for a long, long walk today. I 'penatlah' today...but happy.

I saw so many joggers (old and young). Most of the male joggers smiled at mommy and I barked at each and everyone of them. But mommy kept saying 'no' to me. Mommy also asked me to 'shut-up' or 'stop' and 'sit-down' when I barked at people. What's wrong with mommy? I am just trying to protect mommy. Sigh!

After the long walk by the beach, mommy wiped all my legs, face and mouth with a towel. Mommy said I got too much sand in my mouth. Of course I get sand all over my face and mouth because I got to sniff at every other item on my way which includes the sand, small crab, dirt, grass etc. etc. etc. I am gundog after all !!! Then, mommy blow dry my wet ears and legs (so noisy!). Sigh!

Oh, by the way, mommy let me sniff your 'unwashed' shorts (All your other unwashed clothes were washed by dada earlier. Dada said it not good 'feng shui' to keep dirty clothes. So all was washed and pressed.) I wanted to chew and sleep on your shorts but mommy took it away. Sigh!

Mommy takes me for a walk daily (sometimes twice, in the morning and evening). I love going for a walk...Mommy walks and I try to run as much as possible. That is why I am so lean and strong. You want to know something, mommy is so crappy about being overweight and complains to me every other day. I pretend not to hear her whenever she talks about her weight issue. Normally, I go to sleep when mommy talks because she talk non-stop. Sigh!)

I miss you daddy. I love too.

Cheers, hugs and sloppy kisses,
AL-E

p.s. Now you know why I 'SIGH' so much in my sleep. Take care daddy. You are always in my thoughts and dream(s).

Feb. 20th- All about Pretty

Dear Daddy,

Today I am so happy. I got a new friend.

I met a new girl next door and she is so gorgeous and nice too unlike C at the kennel. Her name is Pretty. She is also a lot bigger than me although much, much younger you know. Pretty is only 4 months old and she is so sweet.

Pretty let me sniff her all over and did not push or run away. Then, Pretty sniff me a bit. But that G so jealous one, barking away at Pretty, mommy, Mr. & Mrs. TS and the world wide world in general.

I also met Pretty's real mommy and daddy. They are so nice. They love my coat and complimented on it. Thank you for taking care of me so well mom and dad (also dada)....I am so grateful to all of you.

Daddy, you take of yourself ya. Eat and sleep well. I miss you soooooo much. But then I have mommy here to play with. We always take an evening walk and sometimes play on the beach. I also love playing catch ball with mommy. Sometimes mommy is crappy and so strict with me (don't know what got into her) but overall mommy is the best mother in the world. Every morning I give her sloppy kisses so that she wakes up early (otherwise she does not wake up ...even when her alarm rings. Her alarm rings at many intervals one....Headache lah! She keeps her mobile alarm so out of reach...Sigh!).

Oh, before I forget, I weigh about 12.5 kgs now. Yeah. Mommy feeds me Science Diet now. It is so yummy (for now). Mommy also gives me other stuff like oven baked dog biscuit, oven baked lamb biscuit, dog pizza with cheese (so far ONLY one piece...I love it but mommy is so stingy...), barbecued bones, regular bones and dog milk & carrot bar (mommy is careful to give the milk & carrot bar - she gives a little at a time and only if I manage to get the ball that she purposely hide...sometimes mommy can trick me one...).

But mommy don't like to play blanket like you do daddy. Dada too. They both don't let me play with blanket. All dada's fault. He told mommy that there won't be any blanket left if they let me play with it. Not nice lah....You come back and play blanket with me ya...Then if torn, you get me new one (green colour, my favorite)...

By the way, both mommy and I can't wait to see you.

Bye for now.

Love, kisses (lots of sloppy ones) and hugs,
AL-E Baba

Another letter to my boy

Hi Al E Boy,

It has been exactly 4 weeks since I left you in Miri with your Dada.

Now Mummy is there to care for you.

I miss you every day, a lot.

I see that you have become a little hairy as well as big compared to when I left you.

I hope that you enjoyed my postcard that I sent to you.

I wish that one day, we can all be together as a family and you can frolic freely everywhere like I see dogs over here.

I know that in your heart and in your mind, you miss me too and wondering where I have gone for so long.

I look at your pictures and our family pictures everyday to remind me of what I have left behind.

I yearn to be close to all of you again soon.

I am sad to be here alone but happy to have the opportunity.

Somehow, although you do not speak English, I ave a feeling you have an understanding of how we feel .... and I hope we have an understanding of how you feel.

Take care of yourself and take care of Mummy and Dada while I am away the next few months.

Love always,
Your daddy.

The Boss

Well, today dada had gone out for a little longer (maybe a couple of hours) and left AL-E at home in a smaller confined area (Note: The L shape area).

Guess what, AL-E has had managed to jump over the divider... It is so mind boggling...How the heck dd he manage to do that.....I am gob-smacked for words.

When dada got home, AL-E was waiting for him at the door. The alarm didn't go off....???

AL-E the BOSS. I need to get a permanent divider done (with fixed doors)...

Dear Al E

Dear Al E,

This is your daddy. I am not sure if you have fully understood, but I am going to be away at least until middle to end of May. I am working in Netherlands.

I will unfortunately be missing your 1st birthday and really hoped that I could be there. At the same time, everyone will be missing my 40th birthday.

I have been reading about your antics and giving Dada a big headache. I do hope that you will behave yourself a little more and take it easy on Dada. He is the only person taking care of you for another 2 weeks or so.

Mommy will be back on February 11 and take care of you after that.

However, we are hoping that Dada will come and take care of you again during your birthday so that Mommy can visit me.

I really miss you a lot.

I wish I could bring you here in Netherlands. You will really love it here because dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere, in the hotels, in the shopping areas, in the trains, trams and busses, in some restaurants and shopping areas.

There are many types of dogs here but most are very well behaved. As such, you have to behave yourself as well.

I promise to bring you some nice toys from this country, maybe some clogs and windmills for you to play with.

Until I see you in a few months, please always remember that I love you so much and you will always be in my heart always, next to Mommy and Dada.

Take care and be well.

Yours always with a million hugs and kisses,
Daddy

Gained Weight

Spoke with one of AL-E's young and pretty godmother today i.e. Ms. Jo Udang. According to Ms. Jo, our boy, AL-E has gained weight (a lot) and is really heavy to carry.

Ms. Jo went over to see/play with AL-E.

Oh well...I guess Dada has done his part in making AL-E into a Guju puppy...wonder if he fed AL-E any tepla or rotli or bakhri....

Dada's tired

Spoke to dada this afternoon. Poor thing, his crown dropped and an appointment is scheduled with the dentist tomorrow.

AL-E has been monkeying around and keeping dada too active. Apparently, all these small adventures and AL-E's antics has taken a toll on dada (Note: On the phone dada complained of palpitation and mentioned that he somewhat is not able to play with AL-E all the time. AL-E is too darn active for dada....Oh well, managed to assure him it is alright, as long as he gives some attention to AL-E.)

The Culprit

According to Dada's findings & report, all evidence points to our little imp, AL-E Baba.

Well, AL-E is getting really smart, cheeky and naughty at the same time. I suppose he is also a little restless because mommy and daddy is away (and wondering when will they both be back).

New antic

Dada decides to go downstairs but guess what? The house key is no where to be found.

Poor dada...He was getting really anxious looking for the house keys (otherwise cannot get out of the house. Not only the front door & grill needs key but the alarm must be turned off too). So, dada was really sad and thought that he was really getting old, being forgetful, loosing his mind etc. etc.

Nevertheless, dada searched the whole house and after an hour of so found the keys hidden behind the curtains (in-between the railings in the living room. It was right at the back behind the side table).

So, guess who's the culprit? (Clue: There are only two persons living in the house, dada & AL-E). Go figure.

Dada and Al E

I left Miri for KL yesterday. Already missing Al E for the past few days and very glad that Pappa or Al E's Dada (grand father) is there taking care of him.

Sarah will be back to Miri in mid February but I will only see him in May/June time frame.

So, what antics has my boy been up to while with Dada.

Dada left him upstairs while he went down to do some laundry. Maybe it took max 45 minutes or so. When he returned upstairs, there was torn paper everywhere, torn paper from Al E's toilet, torn paper from the table and money flying everywhere, thankfully not eaten.

Al E gets very very anxious when left alone, and I guess he saw mummy leaving with big bag and daddy packing big bags and he just went berserk.

Last night, after arrival and settling in the KL home, I called my dad around 9:15 to see what they (Al E and dada) were up to.

Apparently Al E was sleeping and Dada was also going to sleep.

This morning I found out Al E was just pretending to sleep. He did not let Dada sleep until past 1am and wanted to play. I guess Al E also wanted to watch Obama's inauguration - after all Al E being black would be a staunch Obama supporter.

So, they stayed up till past 1am watching history unfold.

This morning, Dada was smart enough to take Al E downstairs with him.

Oh well, another day in the chronicles of Al E and Dada. I wonder who is the master and who is the servant.

Think about it?

Melancholic

Sigh, sigh .....more sigh............missing my AL-E so much.....

I wish I could speak to him over the phone. Oh well, at least he is with dada.

Such is life...

Missing our boy

Being back in the city has its perk(s). However, missing my little AL-E does not gather me any perks. The house feels cold and empty. I am feeling rather miserable, lost and melancholic.

Nevertheless, I know our boy is in good hands. AL-E will have all the love, care and activities with his dada (granpa Kishor is in Miri, taking care of AL-E and enjoying the sea-breeze-hopefully.)

I also hope some of our regular friends will find time (in their ever busy schedule) to pay a visit to our humble home in Miri. I am sure both AL-E and dada will be thrilled.

Oh well...

My favorite chewables

Our little boy, AL-E Baba is very fond of taking his vitamins. Upon recommendation from his vet, we feed AL-E the following items on daily basis:

1. Vi-Sorbits by pfizer (The label says chewable meat flavored tasty vitamin-iron tablets for dogs.)
2. Coatex capsule (This capsule mainly contain fish oil, borage seed oil, vitamin A & D3.)

Item 1 is his utmost favorite and item 2 being his least favorite. Initially, we had to push item 2 down his throat. However (good news), my dear hubby managed to teach this little fella to download item 2 without being forced. How he did, makes me wonder.....even when I was a little girl, I used to hate taking fish oil (Scott's Emulsion) - both my parents had a hard time getting me to even like fish oil with orange flavor (Harlyborange-I am not too sure of the spelling here!).

Apparently, the trick is to ONLY give AL-E item 1 (Vi-Sorbits), if and when he finishes up his Coatex Capsule. And this, AL-E does with lighting speed. Within split seconds he swallows his Coatex Fish Oil Capsule and will be begging for his Vi-Sorbits.

Well done to both of you (Note: To both AL-E and hubby).