Boxerish Beau – Page 3 – …on the B.L.

Blog + Dog

2019! Off We Go

January 2, 2019 RaeAnna

Here is a series of Beau pictures. They’re all perfect and very much us.
Enjoy Beau’s stream of consciousness.

*The wretched hat is placed upon the head.*

20190102_152617(0)-02.jpeg — I said, “I. Don’t. Like.”

20190102_152642(0)-03.jpeg — I don’t like the rain. I don’t like the hat. The treats are hardly worth this.

Is this a good enough pose? I look stupid. Is my expression conveying that?

20190102_152810(0)-02.jpeg — Why did the dog cross the road? To get away from you.

Won’t you leave me along, devil woman?!?

There. We look good. Here’s my sweater | My hat/leg warmers | Mom’s hat | Mom’s Sweater | Mom’s scarf | Mom’s jeans | Mom’s boots | I’m done.

Beau and I wish you a Happy New Year!!! I can’t believe it’s 2019 already. Holy wowza!

We spent our New Year’s Eve with family in the Chicago area. A very low key night surrounded by the people we love most. My 63 pound dog was miniaturized by her 170-ish pound Great Dane cousin, Dexter. They snuggled on the couch along with a tiny, old girl, Ana, and three cats. It’s a big couch, but four people, three dogs (totalling 200+ pounds), and three cats is cozy. We celebrated with food and an Avengers movie marathon. We know how to party hard.

We said our goodbyes to family and friends in Chicago yesterday. My grandparents live directly on the way from Chicago to Texas, so we stopped in for lunch. Then, we were convinced to stay for a few days. Working from home, I can do this.

I visit my grandparents in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas often. I haven’t been since the end of May. One of the first things Grammy said when I walked in the door, “I was wondering what happened! You’ve been gone sooooo long.” For awhile, I was here almost every month. After the I love you and I missed you’s were exchanged. “You’re staying the night.” Then my grandpa, aka Poppy Walt, wanted to take us out to dinner. And Grammy said, “No, they’re staying a few days. She has nowhere to be.” I guess I’m staying for a few days. Not that I or Beau are complaining. They live in a gated golfing community, and their backyard overlooks a fairway, a lake, and some mountains. REAL shit hole, I tell you.

Since we drove over night, Beau was cozy in her backseat blanket cuddle puddle for nine and a half hours. When we arrived, she was so happy; she loves it here. There is so much space to run around in their woodsy backyard, and the big house has lots of sniffs to find. The rain dampened her high spirits, but life isn’t perfect.

I couldn’t resist taking these cute pictures. I found her sweater, hat, and leg warmers at Target. She HATES the hat. I won’t lie: she is not a fan. At least, she hasn’t transferred her hat hatred to me as the hat-putter-onner. She really likes the sweater though. It’s warm and snug. The leg warmers helped her bear the rain, surprisingly. I’m still in a festive holiday mood, so I donned one of my go-to red sweaters, my favorite red scarf (budget version here), and a white hat. I also live in my grey Aldo boots, and these jeans. Seriously, these boots are the best. For otk boots, these are an incredible deal! Beau is for sure the cuter of the two. Although, she got her beauty sleep… I drove through the night.

Not a bad start to 2019. Rang in the New Year together in Chicago. Day 2 and 3 will be in Arkansas. Day 4 will be home to Houston. Ruff life. We’ll see where else 2019 takes us on our travels!!!

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xoxo,
Beau. Mom Sucks.

I’m going inside. This was not my favorite.

Blog + Dog, Style

Christmas Jammies

December 12, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

2018121271521338462533314 — Beau and I are lounging by the Christmas tree in our pajammies. Her Fleece Jammies | My Jammies | Truck Throw Pillow | Plaid Throw Pillow

I live in jammies. Since I work from home, there is very little motivation for me to put on clothes or makeup.

I look forward to Christmas jammies all year long. Beau even loves her Christmas jammies. I don’t know about other dogs, but this one loves wearing clothes. I think she knows she look pretty. When the temperature dips below 60°, Beau NEEDS to wear a sweater or something. She’s a Houston dog. She also has really thin, white fur. So the layers are necessary, or she’ll shiver herself skinny.

I saw Beau’s jammies at Target one night for $9.99 and had to buy them. I’m not exaggerating, she loves wearing them. This morning when I grabbed them out of the closet, she did an excited hot lap around the house before sitting down at my feet and sticking her head through the head hole. She even picked up her paws for me. I would take the credit and say she’s well trained (she is), but she just loves wearing clothes. She’s kind of a diva that way. Even though they are around her back legs too, she still loves putting these on. They are fleece and fit her perfectly. They are so warm. She wears them outside and inside.

I’m also obsessed with my onesie. I almost never buy any one-piece items of clothing because I’m so tall. They never fit, and it ends up looking like a frontal and traditional wedgie. I’m in love with Old Navy right now because they have clothes in tall sizes. AND they fit. At 5’10” I can actually wear this waffled onesie comfortably with a little extra room. It also comes in a green stripe, but the buffalo plaid works for Christmas jammies and all year round!

Beau actually wears sweaters all year long inside. It helps her anxiety; it’s like a big hug. We have quite the assortment of puppy clothes because of it. I’m always on the lookout for a cute one to add to her collection. Of course, she doesn’t wear her clothes outside 90% of the year in Houston because it’s too damn hot.

Also the Christmas throw pillows in the background are on clearance! Hurry!!!

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xoxo,
Beau + RaeAnna

DSC_1003_2 — Beau says goodbye til next time!

Blog + Dog

Working From Home

November 28, 2018 RaeAnna

Beau staring down the mean camera! | Pajamas (I live in them) | The Nutcracker | Quilt | Throw | One Day in December | Alaskan Holiday | Christmas Camp | A Christmas Revelation | Mug

I’m a freelance literary translator, editor, and writer. People think it’s a glamorous job. It’s not, but I’m ok with that perception! In reality, it’s not even as pretty as the pictures, but they’re pretty accurate.

Beau is the best assistant and partner I could possibly ask for. When she came into my life, I was in pretty bad shape. My health wasn’t great, so working outside of my home was impossible. Even working from home was impossible some days. It became a blessing when Beau came home. She needed round the clock attention because she was in a rough spot emotionally, physically, and health wise. I was freelancing enough to get by.

After almost a year of being home with Beau, I started looking for more employment because money. I was lucky enough to find a consistent freelance project, which has allowed me to stay home with Beau. I am absolutely floored. I love being at home. I love spending my whole day with her. I love not wearing pants. I love not having to be up early in the morning or go to bed at a responsible time.

Protecting me from the demon camera! We set up the tripod and used a remote, so it was “acting of its own accord” in her eyes.

My office is my home. I work a ton. I mean a shit ton. Beau and I have a schedule, which we stick to it aggressively. We wake up whenever she wakes up. Around 9:30. Then we go outside, take a walk, make coffee, have breakfast, and settle into the couch. We work until dinner time, which is any time between 7:00 and 10:00. Beau goes has a run around fest around 11:30. She’s a night owl like her mom. Then the energy monster gives up, and the snoring ensues. I then work solo until 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning depending on when I pass out.

Usually, we work from the couch. In May, we invested in a king sized bed. I’m living in the lap of luxury, I’m aware. Now with a big enough bed to spread out, we work from there a lot more often. Especially when we’re feeling lazy or under the weather. I’m one of those people who actually makes the bed every day. I may not shower every day, but the bed is made with pillows and throws.

Beau is always by my side. Her face usually nestled into my thigh. When she gets antsy, she’ll paw my hand away from the laptop keys, so I can better pet her. Every few hours, we head out to our little dog park to run around and stretch our legs. She likes to run around and throw toys at me. I’m not kidding. She will literally throw toys at my computer. She’s even closed it once or twice. Most of the time. We just snuggle as I work. She likes to be as close to me as possible. Sometimes in my lap. Even if the whole couch is open, she wants to be squished in next to me. I love it.

I would get lonely at home all alone without her. I’ve always, always, always been a dog person. Honestly, being a stay-at-home dog mom is the best thing ever.

XOXO,
Beau + RaeAnna

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She is the most precious thing in the whole world! Happy Wednesday!!!

Blog + Dog

Packing Strategy

November 14, 2018 RaeAnna

Beau is not sure what is going on!!! Luggage || Pajamas

I love traveling. I adore it actually. Whenever I road trip, Beau comes with me because she can! It’s not so easy to take a sixty-ish pound furball of anxiety on an airplane; although, I would if I could.

In the short almost two years I’ve had Beau, she has been to more places than a lot of humans. To name a few, she’s seen Hollywood, Washington D.C., Chicago, Minnesota, Arkansas, and played in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. I am amazed at how well she does in the car. There has never been a bad car trip for us, so she continues to accompany me to all the fun places I go. She’s so spoiled.

This trip, Beau is at home. I flew, and she can’t come with. It’s a bummer because she loves playing with the horses we see in Minnesota. Although being a Texas pooch, she’s not too keen on the cold weather of the North.

Packing is the biggest challenge for us. The moment Beau sees a suitcases open on the bed, she knows things are happening. Anxiety starts to build. Pacing happens. The shakes ensue. Whining creeps into the apartments newly tense atmosphere. Laying on clothes is inevitable. At the worst of it, climbing into suitcases may occur. I end up taking a good amount of Beau-fur with me because of this tradition.

I have found a way to curb Beau’s anxiety as much as possible. She must not know I will be doing any packing until the very last minute, whether she is coming with or not. This usually means, I will start packing an hour before I need to leave, which is frustrating to my planning-obsessed-self. If I start any earlier than absolutely necessary, Beau will be too anxious to sleep, eat, or go potty. Not healthy.

I like to pack several days in advance. This way, I don’t over pack, under pack, or forget anything vital. It puts me at ease when everything is organized and dealt with. Ha! Not anymore! Dog mom life. Now it’s a hurry, hurry, hurry. Throw everything in as quickly as you can with lots of pauses to give love to the anxiety riddled pupper. It’s complete chaos, but it works for us, I mean, her.

Anyways, that’s a teeny amount of insight into what an ordeal it can be. I haven’t seen Beau in four days, and I miss her so, so, so, so much.

xoxo
Beau + RaeAnna

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Blog + Dog

Closet Anxiety Attack

November 7, 2018 RaeAnna

Just so you know, these pictures were taken this morning. She was in a very good mood with a wagging tail and being bribed with treats. Lots of treats. I would never invade her privacy or exploit her during an anxiety attack. She’s very good at putting on the sad puppy eyes for treats; it’s a boxer trait.

Sometimes, the only place to go is the closet.

Beau is a rescue dog. Honestly, she is the best dog I have ever had, and there have been a more than a few. I brought her home almost two years ago. The first year was a little rough, but so worth it.

As a rescue, she has a lot of idiosyncrasies. With time, she has gotten more comfortable and less tightly wound. The evidence of her struggle during her formative years is always evident, though. The kitchen is a difficult place for her. Everything is terrifying. I love being in the kitchen, so we have bad days sometimes. Usually, she sits on the couch watching me or curled up on my feet on a comfy rug.

Last week, I was cooking dinner in the kitchen like I usually do. Beau was sitting next to me on her rug. Her back leaned up against my calf. I had one of the bottom kitchen cabinet doors open to grab a pan out; it was situated in front of my legs. The stove made a clicking noise every once in awhile, which is usual. This day, the clicking noise triggered something in Beau. I felt her start to shake. Her shaking became stronger over the next minute. She stood up and pushed her way between my legs crawling into the cabinet. I stopped everything I was doing to sit down next to her.

Giving the camera her signature side eye.

I put her sweater on her because it helps make her feel safe. I held onto her tight. Like in people, when there is weight pressed on her body, it help calms her anxiety. She likes to be in enclosed spaces where nothing can sneak up on her. As someone with PTSD, I understand this more than she knows.

She crawled out of the kitchen cabinet shaking violently and ran to the closet. She crawled as far into the corner as she could under all the clothes and on top of the shoes. Luckily, I managed to get the shoes out from under her. We sat there for twenty minutes. She shook and shook and shook. She cried. I held onto her. She was so scared. She even peed a little; it’s not abnormal during her severe anxiety attacks. It breaks my heart every time. She was curled into my body as far as she could. We both cried in our own ways. Her breathing started to quicken, and I had to help slow it down. Her shaking slowly eased up.

When she started to pace, I tried to find somewhere else we could sit down. She was not comfortable anywhere in the house. So we went outside. Beau needed to run the shakes off. So we ran and ran and ran around the apartment complex until her tail started to wag again.

Her anxiety attacks have become a rarity now. They happen every few months instead of every few days. They don’t usually last more than a few minutes, but this one was a particularly bad one and lasted over an hour. I still don’t know exactly why it happened because nothing was out of the norm.

Beau is such a sweetheart. She is the light of my life. Sometimes, all I can do is hold her and love her as she fights her own demons. As a rescue and a former abused animal, these things are part of our life.

xoxo,
Beau and RaeAnna

Blog + Dog

Starbucks

October 24, 2018 RaeAnna

Starbucks is a beautiful thing. We love it because the service is always good, the drinks are Starbucks, they treat their employees well. Oh, did I mention there is one right next to my apartment? Convenience factor is high.

When I adopted Beau, one of the first outings was to Starbucks. Beau had a hard life, and she deserved Starbucks. If you’re not in-the-know, Starbucks has puppaccinos – or puppy-lattes depending on the location – perfect for your puppy friends. What is it? Whipped cream in a cup. Honestly, I’ve thought about getting one for me. How much do they cost, nothing.

We go on a frequent enough basis, many of the employees know Beau. I’m pretty unnoteworthy, but Beau is memorable. They remember her cute face!

Beau is very neurotic from her years of abuse. There are so many things she is terrified of. Including straws. EXCEPT the green straws. The green straws mean Starbucks. Starbucks means puppaccinos. If, for some catastrophic reason, there are green straws in the house without a puppaccino, Beau whips out her sassy teenager attitude. Dogs are red-green colorblind, so she must have a system for being able to tell… She’s a smarty-pants.

Anyways.

Today was grey and kind of rainy, which has been the case for a week, so I haven’t been able to take Blog + Dog pictures I wanted. So we walked the 532 steps to Starbucks to cheer up my rained out pooch.

xoxo, Beau and RaeAnna

xoxo,
Beau and RaeAnna