it's Freddie Girl!

Boxthinking

Click comic to enlarge...

Today's songs were picked...just because I like them.  I couldn't decide which one to use so you get two songs today.

SONG(S) OF THE DAY..."A PLACE TO BE" and "NORTHERN SKY" by Nick Drake

FUN WORDS TO SAY...SNARKY!

SNARKY...definition...sharply critical, cutting, snide, cranky, and irritable.

 Okay, you have to admit...SNARKY is just a fun word to say. And when somebody says or does something "sharply critical", "cutting", "snide",  or is simply "cranky" or "irritable" toward  you, it just takes some of the "ickiness" out of how it makes you feel to use the word SNARKY. Think of it as a "comfort word". For instance...say like, oh, I don't know...okay, you're thinking that you are lookin' good in your new collar and bandana, and then somebody looks at you with that "look" on their face and says..."you're not REALLY gonna wear that ARE YOU?" Then you get that kinda warm feeling all over and then you start feeling kinda stupid...yeah, you know what I'm talking about. So you usually just say it under your breath or to somebody else after THEY leave, something like..."WELL! That was a pretty SNARKY thing to say!" And then you're thinking that you should have said something TO THEM like "WELL, that was a kind of "not nice" thing to say, and GET THAT SNARKY LOOK off your face!" But most well mannered individuals don't ever communicate that to whoever made them feel..well,like some word I'm not allowed to say. So now YOU have become CRANKY, and IRRITABLE...and YOU are likely to do something SNARKY to somebody too! SNARKINESS BREEDS SNARKINESS! Excuse me...LIGHT BULB MOMENT! Soooooo, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED HERE? I'm thinking maybe we should all TRY TO BE A LITTLE LESS SNARKY. Or at least try to use a little more tact when being SNARKY, maybe just be SNARKYish. But, everybody is going to be a little SNARKY at one time or another...so let's just look at the positive side of this. It gives us all the opportunity to use the word SNARKY...and that is a good thing. Why you ask...BECAUSE IT IS A FUN WORD TO SAY!

SONG OF THE DAY..."NOTHING EVER HURT LIKE YOU" by James Morrison

I'm Feelin'...

Mommie was telling me that when she's feeling just "KINDASORTA" it makes her feel better than "kindasorta" to make herself go out and do something...something that she "kinda" wants to do, but "sorta" doesn't really want to either.  So...this past weekend was the big street festival in our town.  They have lot's of bands, and food, and arts and crafts.  And it's REALLY CROWDED too.  We missed out on Friday and Saturday night this year which made us "kindasorta" sad.  We really wanted to go, but really didn't feel like getting caught up in the crowds either.  Plus other things just came up and we ended up not going either night.  We had never gone on Sunday afternoon, so this year we did.  The band ORLEANS that had a bunch of hits in the 70's played later in the day.  They did the song "STILL THE ONE"...you know, the song that goes" we're still havin' fun, and you're still the one".  And they also do a pretty song called "DANCE WITH ME".   They have a new drummer who used to be in Elton John's band...and he had a "mysterious resemblance" to DR. JOSH!  Makes me wonder...is my vet a "real ROCKIN' DOC"?  You never know...he looked a lot like him.  Who knows what you will see at a good street festival.  Orleans was really good and we had a good time.  And the bonus was, we made friends with the nice lady we stood next to at the concert.  Let's just say "A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL"!

You know what else Mommie says helps get her out of a "kindasorta" mood?  NEW SHOES.  That usually always works for Mommie...and if they are on sale...all the better.  So we are going to make that the song of the day...."NEW SHOES" by Paolo Nutini.  Enjoy...and if you can't find a concert or street festival to go to...GO BUY NEW SHOES!

SONG OF THE DAY..."NEW SHOES" by Paolo Nutini

Mommie Is Still Practicing!

Hey everybody, SURPRISE!  It's actually a NEW POST!  Does that make me two for two?  I don't really know what that means exactly but it seemed like a good thing to say. Remember last time I told you Mommie was learning new stuff and new ways to do our blog and comic strip?  Well, she is still practicing and today I thought I would show you some of the stuff she's been practicing on.  Mommie used to just draw the strip exactly like you would see it.  But she's been going to the Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society for a while and all the nice cartoonists there who REALLY know what they are doing,  have been helping Mommie out with some "tweaking".  So now she is learning how to do more stuff on the computer and putting the strip together a different way.  Now she is taking each drawing of me frame by frame and putting it in strip form. More recently our strips have been frame by frame but reading downward.  Anywhooooo, Mommie practiced doing this with drawings she already had of me and we wrote some new captions on them, "just for the heck of it". You might also notice the "tweaking" of the drawing of me too.  She's been experimenting with how to get me "just the perfect color" for the web and for reproduction in print and stuff.  So here is the "practice strip".  You can help us out by letting us know which way you like it best.  The way it is today, you will probably have to click on it to make it big enough to read.  Frame by frame downward is big enough without having to click.  Um, okay...here it is.

"Watcha think"?  

We'll bring more stuff to you later, but for now let's get to the song of the day.  Actually today I'm gonna give you a song...PLUS a BONUS SONG!   Yay!  I'm really liking a group called Gomez today.  You are getting their songs "Airstream Driver" and "See the World".  Hope you enjoy them!

Have a good one....love, Freddie Girl and Mommie

SONG(S) OF THE DAY..."AIRSTREAM DRIVER" and "SEE THE WORLD", by Gomez

Earth Day

Song of the day..."IT'S ABOUT TIME", by John Denver

I'm Just Saying...(game shows)

Hey peeps! Well, what has been running through my mind today? I bet you are all just sitting around with baited breath waiting to find out. Okay, here's something. Mommie was flipping channels on TV on the other day and one of those game shows was on. In the beginning they introduce all the contestants one by one, and each gets to say a little something about themselves. I don't know if one of the requirements to be on the show is that they all have to have "Stepford families" or not, but COME ON. I mean, it's like they all start by saying "I'm married to my BEAUTIFUL wife", or "my AMAZING husband", and "I have three AWESOME children!" Do they...DO THEY REALLY? I'm waiting for that ONE CONTESTANT to come on the show and say "my husband is a real BLEEEEEEEP...and those kids! WHAT WAS I THINKING!" I'm sure that will never happen, but you wonder if that is sometimes what they really want to say. They are all soooo excited, they have to be "jacked up" on caffeine and decongestant or something...they HAVE to be. But then again, what do I know? I'm just a dog. I guess I'd be all "jumpy and screamy" if I had the chance to win a million dollars in front of a gazillion people on television. That could buy a lot of "meatballs"! Oh, but what if you are really stupid on the show and screw up on a really easy answer. Then all the late night comedians will be making fun of you on THEIR show, and you'll be the headline on everybody's internet homepage. You will definitely get MORE than your fifteen minutes of fame. AND THEN... some network executive might notice you and THEN you wind up on some "REALITY" TV show where you have to eat bugs and swim with snakes or something...AND if you are good at it...YOU WIN A MILLION DOLLARS! I think if you really want to WIN a million dollars, it might be better to just be as smart as you can be and try not to freak out on the show, rather than having to "consume" or "roll around with" all kinds of stuff that make you "hide your eyes" when you see them on the documentary channel. OR, you could just work hard and do what you do best....and maybe the million dollars will come to you anyway...I'M JUST SAYING!

SONG OF THE DAY..."MONEY FOR NOTHING" by Dire Straits

FIRST ANNUAL VETERINARY APPRECIATION DAY!

WOO HOO!  Veterinarians everywhere...HAVE A HAPPY, HAPPY DAY TODAY!  Today is your day!  They say "every dog has his day"....not sure exactly what they mean by that, but TODAY IS YOURS!  We APPRECIATE you every day, but like we mentioned in the post before....we thought TODAY would be a great day to CELEBRATE YOU!

Okay, Mommie and I are the one's that came up with this, so it's kind of like our own private holiday...but WE are gonna celebrate this holiday EVERY YEAR on APRIL 10TH,  so who knows if we spread it around...THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

So THANKS AGAIN Dr. Josh, Dr. H., and Doctor Bell who took care of me when I was just a pup, and a bunch of other doctors I had to see along the way.  HAVE A GREAT DAY!   love, Freddie Girl

Thank You Dr. Josh (and all the other veterinarians in the world!)

Hey everybody! We decided to have our own little holiday in honor of Dr. Josh and all the VETERINARIANS in the world. It's our blog, so I guess we can do whatever we want to, right? I'm gonna let Mommie tell you more about it...oh, and also THANK YOU to all the VETERANS who have taken care of us too! Thanks, love, Freddie Girl

Hi everyone. Thank you very much for reading our blog. As many of you may know or remember, the real Freddie Girl passed away last year on April 10th. It was a very, very sad day for me, so this year I decided to do something kind of "in honor" of my Freddie Girl. I can't express how much I miss her, but I do think she had a hand in sending my new puppy Oliver to me. He is a wonderful little cockapoo who could never take Freddie Girl's place, but he has a new special place in my heart just for him.

Freddie Girl lived to be 14 years old and I know I would never have had her for that long without the love and care of her veterinarians. So on April 10th, I thought it would be a good day to thank Dr. Josh (and Dr. H.) and share that appreciation with all the other wonderful veterinarians in the world. We invite you to join in and show YOUR appreciation to the SPECIAL VETERINARIANS  in your pet's life.

When I checked to see if there was already a holiday to celebrate veterinarians, I did find that WORLD VETERINARY DAY is held on April 25th this year. It is always the last Saturday in April. You can find more information on this at www.worldvet.org. Their purpose is to encourage practitioners to use the occasion of World Veterinary Day to promote the profession by holding open-door days, visiting schools, and showing clients and the public at large how veterinarians touch everyone's lives on a daily basis.

 So, not to infringe on an existing holiday, I thought we could still have a VETERINARIAN APPRECIATION DAY, to compliment World Veterinary Day. WVD involves time being donated by the veterinarians to show what they do and love...so VETERINARIAN APPRECIATION DAY could just be a day for all of us who already know and respect what they do...to simply say THANKS (and maybe throw a little gift or a card their way). 

This also coincides with NATIONAL PET MONTH which is April 4th through May 4th. April seems to be a good month to celebrate our pets and the people that love and take care of them. I hope you will join me in giving THANKS to all the VETERINARIANS in your world. 

I'm planning on making this an ANNUAL EVENT to be held EVERY YEAR on APRIL 10TH. So, if you are reading this, feel free to pass the blog address (itsfreddiegirlcomics.typepad.com) on to all your friends and family, and anyone else you think would be interested. Either way, thank you for reading and if you get a chance, say a BIG THANK YOU to your pet's doctor for taking care of your beloved best friends! Have a great day!      Love, Mommie (and Freddie Girl)

SONG OF THE DAY..."Fix You", by COLDPLAY

(pun "kind of " intended )   :-b

STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW!

Hey everybody...Mommie and I thought it might be kind of neat every now and then to share stuff with you that we find interesting....so that's what this column will be about.  We'll share the links with you at the bottom of the post so you can read the real story.  I'll just kind of summarize things for you.

So, we were reading in one of the newsletters we get about this thing called the "cuddle chemical".  It's some sort of hormone called oxytocin that goes up when mommies look at their babies...kind of like a love drug.  Well, they found out that the same thing happens in humans when they look into the eyes of their puppies and kittens! So, they tested people when they played with their dogs for 2 and half minutes...some of them kept making eye contact with their dog and the other people were instructed not to look into their dogs eyes.  Turns out the people that made eye contact had a 20% rise in their oxytocin levels and the other people's levels actually went down.  This oxytocin stuff is supposed to make your stress go away, breed trust and just lift your spirits in general....pretty cool, huh?  Soooooo, now I know when I do something that might make Mommie "not so happy" I just have to make sure I look her right in the eyes for at least 2 and a half minutes....then I'm home free!  Then Mommie will just melt instead of being mad at me....although Mommie melts when she looks at me anyway 'cause I'm just so darn cute...at least that's what Mommie tells me all the time.

Here are the links to the real story so you can read all about it for yourself...

www.newscientist.com/dognews and www.woofreport.com

Check them out and have a great day!  Love, Freddie Girl

Fun Words To Say... BOONDOGGLE

BOONDOGGLE...As a noun it means "work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value", or "a public project of questionable merit that typically involves political patronage and graft". As a verb it means "to waste money or time on such projects".

(edited on Wednesday at 3:41, just  'cause I felt like it!)

I was gonna talk about the meaning of the word boondoggle and why I chose that word, but quite frankly....how much can you really say about BOONDOGGLE? Turns out it is more fun to say than to talk about! So, hey, EVERYBODY SAY IT WITH ME!  Come on, it will be fun...BOONDOGGLE, BOONDOGGLE, BOONDOGGLE! But, admit it,  you gotta love the word because it has "DOG" in the middle of it.  Mommie said that there was some stuff going on now that the new President is having to deal with, and some of the newspeople have used the "boondoggle" word when referring to all that.  I'll have to check with my "newsie" friends, Preston and Ogelthorpe and see what they have to say.  Anyway, every now and then we will have a new "fun word to say". 

Now, let's use the word "boondoggle" in a sentence...

I think Sebastian is just trying to "boondoggle" me into thinking he is sooooo important by having to talk on his cell phone and check his messages all the time!

Song of the day..."SHOW ME WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR" by Carolina Liar

A Whole Lotta Green!

Song of the day..."HOLIDAY" by Green Day

Soooo NOT Into You!

Song of the day..."GOTTA BE SOMEBODY" by Nickelback

Job Insecurity!

Song of the day..."LET ME BE MYSELF", by Three Doors Down

 -------------------------------------------------------------------Just a couple of things....Once again, thank you to alphainventions.com for showing our blog on your blog and for bringing us sooooo many new readers. Thank you readers, please come back and visit, A LOT!

Also, Mommie is experimenting with color, so bear with us until she gets it figured out. Sometimes I might look paler than other times, and sometimes darker.  Today is more of a pale day, but consider it a work in progress, that you get to witness.  It's kind of hard to decide, considering I'm a black cocker spaniel, how dark to draw me....we still want you to see me, and not just a black ink spot!  Thanks for your patience while Mommie is "tweaking" the artwork.

Have  great weekend everybody, and keep checking in on us!  Love, Freddie Girl

Stay Tuned!

 I picked two songs for today just because I like them, they don't really go with any theme or anything today...just because I like them.

Okay, here's what else I'm thinking. As I've told you before, I really love listening to music and our upcoming strips and columns will be dealing a lot with music. So, Mommie and I heard a rumor a couple of weeks ago that Etta James was not all that thrilled with Beyonce singing her "signature song" AT LAST, at the Inaugural Ball. I had been thinking about this before, but more after hearing that....what songs just SHOULDN'T BE COVERED? I have been making my list, but what do you think? Which songs do you think should not be allowed to be covered, even though they probably have been already, and even though they sounded pretty good, they just kind of belong to a particular artist that is mostly known for doing that particular song? Think about it and leave me a comment with the NAME OF YOUR SONG and THE ARTIST'S NAME that did it, that you DON'T think SHOULD EVER BE COVERED, or SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN covered. I'll see how your ideas compare with mine, and get back to you later. Now that we have a few readers, I hope you will think this is fun and participate. Thanks in advance, and we'll see you later. Love, Freddie Girl

SONGS OF THE DAY..."I'D RATHER BE WITH YOU", by Joshua Radin and "BLUE EYES" BY Timmy Curran

Christmas In Blogland!

Hi everyone, indulge me for a moment while I praise a guy named Cheru Jackson who invented alphainventions.com. It is because of this genius that many of you are seeing this post. Like I said, I have no idea how they ran across my blog, but Mommie and I really appreciate the exposure you are bringing us. We REALLY, REALLY, REALLY appreciate all of you who have clicked on our site from seeing it on ALPHAINVENTIONS.com. We are going to work sooooo hard to make our blog the best it can be, and also to update it as fast as we can. We would love to hear from ALL of you. Just click on the comment link at the bottom of each post. We will TRY to reply back to each and every one of them if you would like.  Also, if you would like to get to know us better by reading back to the first comics and posts, just click on the ARCHIVES, or you can also click where it says subscribe to our feed near the bottom of the links, and read from the bottom up. Sorry this is so informative, but Mommie recently redesigned the blog so there wasn't so much scrolling.

Oh, I almost forgot...SONGS OF THE DAY!  The first song is for alphainventions.com...."YOU TO THANK", by Ben Folds, and the second is for all our readers...something we hope you will do when you click on our blog..."STOP AND STARE", by One Republic (although we hope you will do more than stare).

Thanks again....stay tuned.....please????  Have a great day, love Freddie Girl and Mommie

Songs of the day...."YOU TO THANK", by Ben Folds and "STOP AND STARE", by One Republic

Say No To Chocolate...I Don't Think So!

Song of the Day...LOVE SAVE THE EMPTY, by Erin McCarley

Crows Leave Footprints On Your Face!

I picked the Bob Dylan song "Forever Young" for Mommie, one because it is one of her favorite songs, and also because I know that Mommie hopes everyone will always see her as being forever young...in spite of that old crow and his "gravity robbing" friends. Mommie said she's not sure about that saying about the "older you get, the wiser you get", but you do find yourself understanding the concept of gravity much better. And what's up with those "crow's feet" anyway. We lived in this other state before, I won't tell which one it is because I don't want to offend those who live there and like it a whole lot more than we did. Mommie called it the "collagen killing" state because it was so hot and it was just relentlessly sunny all the time...except for the daily 15 minute thunderstorms. It's also a popular state for older people to move to, and Mommie said everybody just looks 65, they are really 35, because of that collagen thing again. Don't misunderstand, it's a lovely state with a lot of lovely nice people, it just didn't suit Mommie's red hair and fair skin...but I think the crows are really attracted to fair skin. Mommie and I were also noticing that when women get crows feet and wrinkles everybody just talks about how old they look, and how you should do something to get rid of them. But when men like George Clooney get crows feet around their eyes, people talk about how cute they look with that "crinkley, smiley, eye thing". Why is it that wrinkley eyes are just endearing on men? Oh well. Mommie isn't exactly thrilled about the getting older bit, but it sure does beat the only other possible option. So, Mommie just figured out she might as well just keep laughing and enjoying life, and maybe people won't notice the road map of life that has started showing up on her face. So, here's to all the wrinkley, smiley eyed women out there....may you stay FOREVER YOUNG! 

SONG OF THE DAY...."Forever Young" by BOB DYLAN

Mommie's Turn

Hey everybody, and thank you Freddie Girl for letting me tell people why we haven't been around for awhile. Well, you see the picture above? That is why I haven't gotten much done for the last couple of months. His name is Oliver and he was born August 30th last year. He is a Cockapoo, part cocker spaniel, part poodle. I had a poodle growing up and Freddie Girl was a cocker spaniel. I thought...they were both great dogs, so let's just combine the breeds. They were both girls and Oliver is a boy...I had been warned that having a boy would be a totally different experience, yet loving and rewarding. I didn't realize how much work he would be. Let's just say he was "born to be wild"!  And THAT he is....WILD, but very, very sweet at the same time.  It's been a long time since I had a puppy, and I don't recall Freddie Girl being so full of energy.  Don't get me wrong, she had her moments, but Oliver, WHEW!  He is five months old now and calming down a little, and the baby teeth are falling out.  Boy are they sharp, Chicago Cutlery would be envious. I thought about asking Dr. Josh if he could just pull them all and let me bottle feed him until the new ones came in.  He didn't quite go for that idea.  Pair that with the endless energy, and sometimes he just looks like a "BOUNCING BALL OF TEETH"!  Oliver, of course like all puppies, is really into chewing, but he gets so passionate about it, his chewing turns into bites.  But he is a HAPPY BITER, not a vicious biter.   He is so excited just to be alive he wants to SINK HIS TEETH INTO EVERYTHING!  Mostly me, I am his favorite chew toy!  We have been going to "puppy school", really to TEACH ME!  What worked for Freddie Girl doesn't necessarily work for Oliver.  They tell me Oliver is really smart and he has the makings of a PERFECT DOG....if I can survive puppyhood!  

I don't mean to sound like I am complaining, I LOVE HIM more and more every day!  I knew I needed a dog that would be sweet like Freddie Girl, but different...so I wouldn't feel like I was replacing her.  I knew that when I did get another dog, he would be the PERFECT DOG for me.  And that is what Oliver is!  I am really looking forward to him growing old with me.  When he isn't being wild, he likes to cuddle and when he looks up at me with those adoring eyes, my heart melts.....and then he bites my nose!

So....that is pretty much what I have been up to for the last couple of months, and also why the blog suddenly went missing.  I've heard this from other dog owners, and it's probably not a really good excuse, but Oliver can't stand for me to be on the computer or the phone.  He usually gets incarcerated in his crate while I have to be on one of them....but I am what most people call a "softy".  So until I become one with a cold, cold, heart and make him stay in there until I get things done....I have been coming to Starbucks every day to get the blog back up and running.  Say what you will about Starbucks, but MY STARBUCKS is the best one in the world.  I have made some really good friends with the people that work there and with my neighbors who come in for their daily caffeine fix....and I appreciate them for letting me come and spend my time with them.

Okay, like Freddie Girl told you, we're working on a system to bring something to you on a pretty regular basis.  If you are reading this, we sure would love it if you could tell some of your friends about us, and then maybe they could tell some friends, and so on and so forth.   Freddie Girl helped me pick out a couple of "songs of the day" to welcome Oliver, and the "Theme From Cheers" is for my friends that work at Starbucks.  I always wanted a place around the corner like Cheers where everybody knows my name.  And now I do....I even have my little table, next to the electrical outlet, where I can hopefully get some blogging done.  Just call me "Norm"!

Oh, and for those of you that have inquired about whether Oliver will become a part of the "it's Freddie Girl" comic strip....I don't think so.  Freddie Girl's comic strip will continue to deal with Mommie, Dr. Josh, Preston & Ogelthorpe, Sebastian, and a lot of new friends...and of course her "Music Hound" career.  Oliver deserves his own comic strip...he is already hilarious.  So someday, Oliver will be the star of his OWN comic.

Thanks for listening and reading....and now, your songs of the day!  Love, MOMMIE 

SONGS OF THE DAY....

 "Bouncing Around the Room" by PHISH ..."Crazy In Love" by SWITCHFOOT.... "Theme from Cheers" by SOUTH

Sneakin' Back In...Part 2

Hey....everybody say "Yay"!  Did you say it?  Okay, I'm sayin' Yay 'cause I'm actually doing another post like I said I would.   Mommie's will come tomorrow because I have more to say from yesterday's....and the blog is called "it's Freddie Girl" not "Mommie's Blog"!

Well, first of all I forgot to say that I hope you all had a happy holiday season, since I kind of disappeared for it.   And also, kudos to everybody that voted in the Presidential election, and for those of you that didn't....I'm sure you had a good reason not to, like maybe you weren't old enough or lots of other stuff.  I kind of left you guys saying that when it comes to politics I'm a "watcher" not a "doer", but that was just about running for office...not voting.  I, of course, had a good reason not to vote....well, I'm a dog, and they wouldn't  let me.  Now that things have changed maybe it won't be too long before I can vote too!  We can always hope, right?

Now...I just wanted to do a little "music hounding" about why I picked the song "You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals for our first song of the year.  When we listened to the words, they inspired Mommie and me to really work hard this year to chase our dreams.  The first line of the song is "Wake up kids, we've got the dreamer's disease"....which if you've got to have a disease, that's not a bad one to have, I think.

It goes on and here are some more of the lyrics to the song:

But when the night is falling

And you cannot find the light

If you feel your dream is dying 

HOLD TIGHT

You've got the music in you

Don't let go

You've got the music in you

One dance left

This world is gonna pull through

Don't give up

You've got a reason to live

Can't forget

We only get what we give

There's a couple of more phrases but I'll give you the ones that hit me more and made me think....

But when the night is falling

And you cannot find a friend

You feel your tree is breaking

Just bend

Don't let go

I feel the music in you

Fly high

What's real can't die

You only get what you give

Don't let go

One dance left

It's a cool song and it just motivated me to get started back on our blog.  We only get what we give...it wasn't getting done with us just sitting around.   And when it seems like the world is about to fall apart, just go with the flow and ride it through.  Everything will be okay.   Don't let go, I feel the music in you....music just helps Mommie and me get through the day...and we are going to share a lot of music with all of you with our "song of the day".  

We didn't know that much about the NEW RADICALS other than they sang this song we liked so we did a little research.  Well, it turns out that the group that made this great song that made Mommie and me get up and continue to "reach for the stars" is what they call a "ONE HIT WONDER"! Pretty ironic, huh?  But, I guess they did catch their dreams with this one great song, and then maybe it wasn't fun for them anymore.  So, when they call you a "one hit wonder" and talk about you like you are failure after that...you shouldn't jump to those conclusions.  You can have lots of dreams, and if you achieve one of those goals, and then find out that's not the dream that makes you happy...it's okay to move onto another.   Maybe the REAL DREAM is to just be HAPPY!

Thanks for listening...Mommie will be on call tomorrow with some explanations as to why we have been missing in action for awhile.  Have a good weekend, love, Freddie Girl

Sneakin' Back In

Yeah, sorry I haven't been around much....like I said, I'll let Mommie take the heat for that one. I'm sayin' this like there is actually somebody around to be tellin' it to. But if there IS SOMEBODY out there please tell your friends we are back and we are gonna try really hard to have something everyday. Even if it is just a new song every day...THAT we are definitely planning. I'm really into music too, so I'm planning on doing a lot of MUSIC HOUND columns for you. I've got a lot I want to fill you in on. Maybe I can turn some of you onto some new artists you don't know about. We have a lot of stories to tell you, so there will be lots more Dr. Josh, Preston & Ogelthorpe, Sebastian and a whole slew of new buddies you will meet. So hang in there with us...we want to be a FUN part of your day...EVERYDAY! Thanks a bunch, love, Freddie Girl!

SONG OF THE DAY:  "You Get What You Give" by the NEW RADICALS

It's Freddie Girl...Music Hound!

Hey again everybody.  Hope everyone is having a good day.  If you haven't noticed before from my "ipawd" playlist, I'm pretty much a MUSIC HOUND.  Mommie and I LOVE listening to music and we have it on ALL the time.  So we thought it would be cool to have a little column where I could talk about music we like or don't like, and the people that make it, and stuff like that.  I really hope YOU like it...but either way, I find it fun! 

First of all, have you ever thought about how some of those bands come up with their names?  Like...DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE...what were they thinking?!  Maybe one of the members had a bad night with his girlfriend, so he says to her..."Honey, let me call you a cab."  And then he mumbles to himself "yeah, DEATH CAB".  Pretty cruel on his part I might add.   But then she gets downstairs and...ooh, ooh, what if they are in New York, and she gets downstairs and she see's the cab he called, and on the other side of the street is CASH CAB!  So Cutie, wanting to be fair to the cabdrivers, gets in the DEATH CAB, not knowing that it is the death cab.  I think you will agree with me when I say..."CUTIE was havin' a BAD DAY!"  So then the boyfriend, trying to sound cool to his friend says "yeah, I called DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE!"  Then the friend, who is having a "shallow" moment and not realizing the impact of a cab called DEATH CAB...says "hey, that would be a great name for our band...DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE!"   I know, probably not...I'm just sayin'.

The name DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE actually came from a song written by Neil Innes and Vivian Stanshall.  It was performed by their band, BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND in the 1967 BEATLES film MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR...according to Wikepedia.  Who knows what was going on in their heads!

And what about the band WEEZER?!  Can you say ASTHMA?!  Nah, I don't have a clue how they came up with that one.

Now on to a song I'm liking pretty much...that I didn't want to like.  It's "ALL SUMMER LONG" by KID ROCK.  Okay, the reason I didn't want to like it is because when it starts you are hearing "SWEET HOME ALABAMA" and you are thinking, "oh, c'mon Kid, don't tell me you are doing a cover of LYNARD SKYNARD's song."  Even though it has been done before, I still consider that "sacred ground".   THEN, I'm hearing what sounds like WARREN ZEVON's  "WEREWOLVES OF LONDON", and I thought "you are REALLY treading on FORBIDDEN TERRITORY now Kid!"  BUT...you keep listening to it and you realize it's not a cover song, it's more of a song ABOUT those songs...and the good times he had while listening to those songs.  And if you have seen the video...Kid had a PRETTY GOOD TIME!  So....you did good KID...ROCK on!

Well, kick back, enjoy some tunes, dance to your own drummer...and just have a "chillin' good day"!    Love, your "music guru" Freddie Girl!

THREE SONGS TODAY!

"FOR WHAT REASON" by Death Cab for Cutie

"PORK AND BEANS" By Weezer

"ALL SUMMER LONG" by Kid Rock

Oh, what the heck....here's TWO MORE!

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA" by Lynard Skynard

"WEREWOLVES OF LONDON" by Warren Zevon

Identity...Mydentity!

Song of the day..."EVERYBODY'S CHANGING" by Keane

Politically Correct Panic!

click to enlarge
Song of the day..."TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS" by Ottis Redding

No Cone!

 click to enlarge

 Song of the day...

"I SHALL BE RELEASED"

                            by The Band 

Well...Dr. Josh told me I HAD to wear this "cone" thing on my head for 2 WEEKS! And I said, "YEAH RIGHT...I'm wearing it for 2 MINUTES, MISTER....'cause you're taking it off of me RIGHT NOW!!! Then Mommie scolded me. Then Dr. Josh told me it was for my own safety. MY OWN SAFETY! What am I gonna be doing? Going up in the Space Shuttle or something, for Pete's Sake. Since when do I need protection going to my food and water bowls? Okay, I will admit that I might have run into a wall or a chair sometimes when Mommie throws "fluffy bone" or "Pig" for me to catch...but that's just because I'm too busy focusing, and Mommie doesn't throw so good. But still, I don't think that's any reason to go all "hard hat area" on me. Hey, maybe that's it, maybe Dr. Josh meant for my safety while I'm working at my fertilizer business. They are putting up this big new building next door to where we live. Maybe they want ME to help with their landscaping. I bet that's it 'cause I saw a sign the other day that said "hard hat area". Now that would be cool. So, now I'm thinking I should apologize to Dr. Josh for my being so cranky...but I'd like to see HIM wear a cone on HIS head for 2 weeks. Aaaaw, sorry. There I go again, sometimes I just can't control myself. Anyway...Mommie said we've had to come see him so much lately, we're lucky he doesn't leave SKID MARKS running for the door when he sees us coming. I guess I can deal with being a "conehead" for 2 weeks...and I'll apologize now for any future crankiness.

Working Like a Dog!

click to enlarge

Song of the day..."IT'S IN THE WAY THAT YOU USE IT"                                                         by Eric Clapton

 I got the idea for my company, "FGP&P", one day when I was out doing my "business" and Mommie said, "WOW, that's some pretty good fertilizer there, Freddie Girl!" So I thought to myself, that's what I can do! And I'm good at it too! I have a VERY HIGH level of production. I like to carry my stick with me when I go to work so people will know that I'm on the clock. Everybody knows that I'M IN CHARGE because I'm the one carrying the big stick. Unfortunately, sometimes duty calls in the middle of the night and I have to wake up Mommie or Daddy to take me to work. Daddy gets a little cranky when I have to wake him up to take me and he mutters some 4 LETTER WORDS. I'm thinking that when he does that he is talking about my fertilizer. The ingredients must be TOP SECRET because then he tells me to NEVER EVER repeat those words. I'm also thinking Daddy might be in the same line of work as me because I have heard him say those same 4 letter words when he talks about HIS job! I also know that my formula is HIGH QUALITY because Mommie would occasionally have to take samples to Dr. Bell. He was the Director of Quality Control at FGP&P. Where we live now, it is a farther walk to work and sometimes I just can't contain myself! I am so anxious to get working! There is a lot of concrete on the way and apparently my fertilizer is just TOO POTENT for it. Mommie has to get it picked up ASAP! Now she carries some kind of apparatus with her (it looks like a frying pan to me, but what do I know), but now she can catch it before it hits the ground. I am now offering a liquid formula that is a FABULOUS weed killer. Unfortunately, if I don't aim exactly right, it kills the grass too. HELLO! Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the fertilizer?!! It's such a vicious cycle being in business. Well, as I mentioned before, over the years my formula has become much stronger, NEW AND IMPROVED, I guess you could say. I focus on and investigate every blade of grass individually to make sure I fertilize in the area that needs it the most. Then Mommie IMMEDIATELY collects it in a bag (because it is so potent), and we go make our deposit in the HUGE BIN in the parking lot. Then the Quality Control Department here picks it up in a big truck. When I get home after a good job, Mommie gives me a bonus of either 'meatballs" or "puppysicles" (Daddy just calls them cubes). Getting a bonus really motivates me to work harder because after about an hour...I'M READY TO GO BACK TO WORK! I know some people get really tired after a hard day's work, but not me...I'M NEVER POOPED OUT!

And Here's Sebastian!

 click to enlarge 

Song of the day... "THE PUPPY SONG"  by Harry Nilsson

 

ALL ABOUT ME, ME, ME! Well, where should I start? Oh, I know....I'll start with Mommie wanting me. Well, my people Mommie and Daddy had a little tough luck with the people babies, so Mommie decided that she wanted a puppy like me. Mommie wanted me for a long time and when Daddy got...yet, ANOTHER set of golf clubs, he decided Mommie might be happier if he went ahead and started looking for me. So, I was born on December 12th and I was the baby of about 10 other puppies! I was the only black cocker spaniel in the whole bunch! Everybody else was blonde...go figure. I'll save the blonde jokes for you. So, of COURSE I was the cutest and stood out in the crowd...WELL, IT'S TRUE! (just kidding...not really). No offense to the relatives though, although I haven't seen ANY of them since! Then on New Year's Eve, Mommie and Daddy came to see us. It was dinner time and since I was the littlest I didn't always make it to the dinner table in time to get any food. I knew that the lady that took care of us would bring me a bottle soon, so I just went back to my little corner. Then my new Mommie picked me up and said "this is just the sweetest little puppy! And look at those eyelashes! They are soooooo long!" Mommie knew that I was the one for her and she didn't even pick up any of my brothers or sisters. I kind of liked her too, at least I knew she had good taste! It was love at first sight for all of us. So, we had to wait a couple of weeks before I could go home with my new Mommie and Daddy, and I just couldn't wait! Then one day Daddy picked me up and took me home to Mommie. It was GREAT! They had already picked out my new name. I'm named after some golfer...Fred Couples. I think that since the reason they got me WHEN they did had to do with golf clubs, it was only fitting that they name me after Mommie's favorite golfer. She thinks Fred Couples is cute. Plus she always said that if Fred Couples were a puppy, he would be a cute little black cocker spaniel like me. They say TIMING IS EVERYTHING...so I'm glad Daddy decided to get new golf clubs when he did. If he had gotten them earlier, I WASN'T BORN YET! And if he got them later, I might be living with OTHER PEOPLE! I'm sure there are lots of other nice people in the world...but I'm REALLY HAPPY living with MY peeps! More ME later...love, Freddie Girl!