S.G. Blaise's Blog, page 2

(Imaginary) Conversation with Apollo

Apollo is very good at letting me know when he needs to go number two. Unfortunately, he is not very good on the follow through.

When I take him to the designated doggie area (special fake grass for this very purpose), he loses all his confidence.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Apollo asks, looking at me.

“I’m 100% sure.”

“Okay,” Apollo says and takes a few hesitant steps onto the grass. He lifts his paws as if he is walking on broken glass, while sniffing at certain favored spots.

“It ...

THAT’S A WRAP ‘23

I can’t help but look back at this year and feel grateful for all the experiences I had.

I would like to celebrate with you the many firsts this year brought: WonderCon ‘23; the first Grand Prize win for my debut novel; in-person panels; LA Book Festival; San Diego ComicCon; exhibit at Dragon Steel; first immersive booth at LACC that included amazing and talented cosplayers; the first award for the Best Medium Sized Booth at LACC ‘23. I still can’t believe these!

I confess that I have been large...

The Surprising Layers of Zeus

Zeus is a dog of many layers. He is the onion of dogs, really.

For example, he loves cleaning the carpet, one spot at a time. He does his very best. It’s not his fault that the spots he cleans become worse.

Another layer is being the neighborhood guardian. He takes this job seriously. Interrupting his 20-minute sunbathing in the chaise lounge (that only he uses these days) to let out a series of barks (one louder than the other).

Further, he considers himself Apollo’s caretaker. He always ensure...

Zeus’s Dreams

Zeus spends most of his time sleeping, at least these days. His dreams vary.

First, he dreams of his mom, wagging his tail. Maybe he dreams of other family members, but mostly of his mom.

Second, he dreams of playing ball, his little feet running in place, gaining super-dog speed and enjoying the speed for hours. In his dreams, Zeus never gets tired.

Third, he dreams of a never ending supply of the lamb flavored treat that his mom only gives him once a day. It’s his favorite treat (not medicine)...

Adventures with Apollo

Once upon a time, there lived an amazing tiny dog, named Apollo, in the small village of San Diego, CA. He loved his life and pranced around happily with his tongue hanging out.

He has heard tales of treasure (i.e. missing tennis balls) buried under the Mountain of Drawers (i.e. under Mom’s desk), over the treacherous Sea of Glass (i.e. the glass chair mat in front of the desk).

Apollo dreamed of the treasures for many decades (i.e. months), but never believed himself brave enough to cross the u...

Zeus’s Love

Zeus’s love is never ending and unconditional.

Every morning, when I greet him, he jumps up and down from happiness as if we hadn’t seen each other in forever (8 hrs is a looong time for a small dog).

When I look at him, he wags his tail to let me know he sees me too.

When I sit down on the ground to exercise, he brings his ball as it’s clearly playtime (many exercise times have been interrupted like this, but couldn’t have been helped).

When I leave for 5 minutes to take out the trash, he greet...

Apollo’s Story: When You Are Small

When you are small, like Apollo (he weighs 10 lbs and 10” long) the world can be a scary place.

Every morning, he dreads emerging from the protection of his crate as he knows he will be “attacked” and will have to endure horrific things (two rounds of eyedrops).

Breakfast helps, but he prefers to retreat into the haven of his crate most of the day just to be cautious.

Many things, like doors or stairs, prove to be very challenging for Apollo. Though he did conquer the doors, and learned how to c...

Morning Routine

Every morning, Zeus and Apollo have a routine.

First, Apollo goes to pee.

Now I know you are wondering, how could this be when Zeus is the alpha dog in the house?

No need to despair. This is an important strategic move on Zeus’s part.

How you may ask?

Because Zeus stands in line right behind Apollo, ready to move into the exact spot Apollo just marked. This way he is immediately takes care of the problematic area. He deploys the over-pee technique. Brilliant!

Sometimes this tactic involves stand...

Apollo in the Rain

My little dog hates rain. Hates it with the passion of a million burning suns. I am not exaggerating. He has a super sense. Even before a drop lands on his back, he knows it’s going to rain. Thus, he cannot take care of his nightly business (aka peeing).

Besides, everyone knows that no self-respecting dog pees in the rain. Period. No exception. #nopeeintherain

After a pleasant stretch of rainless days, the other night we had a light sprinkle. Nothing serious. Just teeny-tiny raindrops falling ge...

The Importance of Being Zeus

My little big dog, Zeus, takes his job very seriously. He is ON the second he wakes up, listening for outside noises for anyone who dares approach his territory (a 10-mile radius around HIS house). He promptly lets the obnoxious intruders know about his dislike of such intrusion by barking at the top of his lungs. (He recommends jumping up and down from hindlegs to ensure that the bark carries far in the eerie quiet of the early morning, so all the neighbors can enjoy the sound of his displeasur...