Pug Totem

It's been a long time since I've done a drawing for Illustration Friday but as soon as I saw the topic "totem," I immediately wanted to do a pug version!

Hope everyone has a happy Friday the 13th and a great weekend!

No Shame

I haven't done one of these multi-image drawings in a while!  I was worried that I didn't have anything more to say about pugs.  Oddly enough I finally got my inspiration for this topic by Sunny's NSFW pose this morning.  I had to censor the image for safe viewing (see below).

I don't normally censor the girls' photos, but this pose just was asking for it, and when I used an app to tap on that star sticker (just doing that made me chuckle), I couldn't resist posting it.  Somehow adding the star makes this photo look dirtier - it draws attention to Sunny's lady parts.

One of the things that always cracks me up about my pugs is how they have no shame and they do whatever they want.  They don't care how they look, sound, or smell.  If they want to toot, they toot.  If they want to lick, they lick.  If they have to poop, why yes they'll just pop a squat right next to you and make uncomfortable eye contact as they make little grunting noises.  But their lack of self consciousness is also what makes them so great.  When they're excited to see you they show it with their entire wriggly bodies.  Who cares if you're on a conference call, they want to give you slurpy kisses!  Sunny and Rosy always make me smile and laugh no matter how bad a day I'm having - and this is why my pugs make me so happy.

9/11

Yay Friday Dance!

Yay it's the Friday before a long weekend here! Sunny and Rosy are celebrating with their happy dance, inspired by the happy feet dance of a well known and beloved beagle.

I can't help but update the way I draw based on real life and it makes me sad to now add some gray to the bottom of Rosy's muzzle. Stop aging so quickly Rosy! It's ok - they love me and my premature gray hairs and I love their lil graying muzzles.

Fear Leads to Anger

So I've been needing some inspiration lately and sadly it came in the form of a stressful morning today with the girls acting very badly! Rosy has some fear aggression with some of the big dogs that live near us. Some of them she loves and others she goes crazy at and sinks low to the ground and then lunges at them. It doesn't help that there are some dogs that are aggressive as well and instigate the growling fights.

This morning we came out of the elevator and were surprised with one of the unfriendly big dogs right at the door. It snapped at us and Rosy went ballistic. And anytime Rosy loses it, Sunny snaps at and pushes into Rosy to regulate her. So this is all going on as my other neighbors walk by shocked. By that point the instigating unfriendly dog has been pulled into the elevator so all people now see are two crazy pugs. They didn't start this mess but it's still embarrassing when people who don't know the situation walk by thinking I have crazy pugs (I do, but it's only ok for me to say that!). After that, Rosy wasn't feeling any other dogs today and snapped at one her own size and then refused to eat breakfast. So not a good start to the day at all. I know part of it isn't her fault, but I do still need to work on Rosy's interactions with other dogs. Sunny simply ignores mean dogs and walks away, but now that we have Rosy Sunny usually gets involved trying to keep Rosy in check.

The drama never ends with these two.

Pain in The Wrist

I haven't been posting as much recently for a few reasons.  The main one was that I got super busy at work over the summer and was working long hours and didn't have much energy to put into new drawings.  I did post occasionally when I got an idea, but I try not to post here just for the sake of posting and so if I don't have any good ideas I just don't post.  I'm also hitting a pug drawing block, which has happened to me in the past a couple times. 

All of this is coinciding with my trying to figure out what I want to do with this in the future.  I've been thinking about whether I should branch out into non-pug drawings like I did in the beginning, or keep trying to think of new ways to do pug drawings.  I guess I'm just stuck in a rut lately.  I haven't taken a long vacation for a while and I think I'm just having some mental burn out from everything.

Another big reason for the decrease in posts, especially in the past few weeks, is that I've developed tendonitis in my right wrist and so holding a pen for too long can make my wrist ache and after a while I get some weakness in my fingers.  Even doing this simple drawing made my wrist ache and I had to put on a splint afterwards.  My tendonitis is most likely tied to the long hours I've been spending at work recently, but I bet that another cause is lugging around my two fat pugs, as shown in this drawing!  I kid, I kid!  Sorta.  It also doesn't help that my right wrist is Sunny's favorite chin rest.

This is the splint I've been wearing recently.

It does not come with pug magnets (sadly).  I just had those handy and thought I'd pugify my splint for the photo! But the pug fur decorating the splint and stuck in the velcro is there for always!

All I Want To Do

I am by nature an extreme introvert.  I can make it through social situations ok for the most part but inside I'm cringing and constantly worrying about whether I sound like an idiot.  I do much better in small group or one-on-one situations and absolutely detest large gatherings where everyone is mingling and making small talk.  I'm the worst at small talk.  I'm also terrible at gauging when someone is trying to leave me or making a graceful exit.

Anytime I have concentrated social activities, whether it's with strangers, friends, or family, I need a certain amount of down time when I can just veg, relax, and do whatever I want to do.  This time is sacred to me!  Of course, these rules do not apply to my pugs and I never get tired of their company!  (well almost never).

For the most part, I'd be a super happy camper if I could just spend my days lounging about in my pajamas, eating yummy food, reading a good book, and snuggling with my pugs.  I've been dreaming about this a lot lately especially since I haven't had a summer vacation this year and I'm feeling burned out.

Unconditional Love

My sister commented on how old Sunny looked in one of the photos I recently posted on my Facebook page and that got me super sad to think about how much Sunny has aged since I got her three years ago.  She'll be turning 9 this October.

My sister and I have always had very different philosophies in how we view aging and death, which often used to lead to huge fights when we were younger because she would want to talk and plan for what would happen after various family member's deaths (she loves to plan for everything and her Google calendar, which she works on years in advance, would frighten you with its color coding and details).  I, on the other hand, would essentially stick my fingers in my ear and go LA LA LA, STOP (metaphorically, but sometimes literally). But I do have to come to terms with the fact that dogs don't live as long as humans, no matter how much I wish they did.

I can never understand why people dump their dogs at shelters once they get old.  I suppose when a lot of people get adorable little puppies they often don't think about how short a dog's life span is and how several years later they'll have to take care of a senior pug that will likely require more care and medical expenses.  But I love senior pugs!  That's when they're at their best - they're super sweet and love to nap and laze about.  I think senior pugs are my spirit animals because I am by nature a lazy person who loves to eat and nap. 

So since a pug Neverland doesn't exist (how awesome would that be?!), I'm looking forward to growing older with my pugs, both the ups and the downs.

Every Night

Every night the girls have at least one fight/play session, almost always instigated by Rosy.  Sometimes Sunny is tired and she just yawns as Rosy gnaws on her drumstick.  But last night Rosy was being particularly annoying and after a certain point Sunny had enough.  Quick as lightning the tussle migrated to behind me and as I turned around I saw that Sunny had Rosy pinned on her back against my cushion!  (I would've drawn it the way it actually happened, behind me, but then you wouldn't be able to see their full battle!)  They quickly made up afterwards and soon were snoozing and tooting next to me on the couch.

When I first got Rosy I was always fretting about the girls' interactions.  But now I've had them long enough to know that there's nothing for me to worry about.  They have these play/fights, and if they ever get to be too much Sunny will execute her famous walrus attack and heave her massive body against Rosy.  Every now and then Sunny has to exert her alpha position.  It's been a loooong time since I've actually had to break up a fight.  So now most nights the girls are going at it on the couch on or next to me and I just ignore them as I watch TV and am on the computer, getting bumped into and scratched by their nails. 

I Love You Dyson

If you had told a younger me that 10 years later a vacuum would bring me so much joy, I would never have believed you.  But I just got a new vacuum and it is life-changingly awesome!  I can't believe that I get so excited now about household appliances.  But having two nonstop shedding pugs will do that to you!

I previously had a Roomba which I really liked at first.  It's easier in lots of ways and it can go under furniture because it's so small and low to the ground.  But it kept getting stuck on my chairs and I ended up having to clear a room of all small furniture before turning on the Roomba which got to be a pain.  It also has a very small bin which would quickly fill up with pug fur so I had to empty it repeatedly.  And I didn't feel like the suction was that great for carpet.

A few weeks ago the battery just started dying and wouldn't hold a charge.  So I decided to use this as an opportunity to upgrade and I got a Dyson animal (compact version). It was pricy but omg is it amazing!  The suction power on this is so strong that you can feel it when you try to push it along carpet.  And afterwards my carpet had never felt so clean before!  I think the Roomba did a good job of getting surface fur, but it didn't have the power to get the furs deep within the carpet fibers.  The Dyson is also super light weight and relatively easy to maneuver.  And you can turn the handle upside down and use it as a suction hose or with various attachments. 

I always resisted Dyson because of the high price and their stupid commercials (I know it's a stupid reason to dislike a product but I've always hated their commercials ever since that first one where the man is just talking about the mechanics of something and you can't even tell he's talking about a vacuum!), but this is by far the best vacuum I've ever used.  I can quickly vacuum a room moving things as I go and end up with a spotless floor!  It's about as loud as a hairdryer (nothing like the vacuum cleaners from when I was younger that would make me and my dogs go upstairs to my bedroom as my mom vacuumed).  I think if you have a bigger house with carpet the full size Dyson animal may be a better fit since the bin is bigger and the cord is longer.

Anyways, behold my new Dyson and the pug fur it trapped (this was from my living room (carpeted) and kitchen).

Rosy does not like the new vacuum but she can't bear to be separated from me so she alternated between scurrying after me and running away from the vacuum with her tail down.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Tired

My posts have been sporadic lately because my work has gotten crazy busy and I've been burning the midnight oil quite a bit. A couple days were almost like law firm hours and I was dying! I can't believe I used to work those hours all the time.

There was one stretch near the end when I kept getting the same driver each night as I left the office anywhere from 10pm-4am. One night in the middle of a big closing,  I was going home at 4am to shower, take out my contacts, and then come back to the office for a 5:30am conference call (which everyone else ended up forgetting about except for another poor associate at a law firm), and the driver asked if I worked a night shift. I told him no and that my working hours start in the morning. He was shocked and asked me, "Why do you work such crazy hours?" and all I could say was, "I honestly don't know."

The last straw was when I worked every day of December, including Christmas! I was on vacation with my family and I was miserably working in my sister's bug-filled basement as I could hear the happy Charlie Brownish muted murmurs and footsteps of everyone having fun upstairs. Not too long after that I started looking for a new job and planning to leave NY.

So even though I complain now and am so tired I'm doing the sleepy head bob like the pugs in my drawing, it's still better than what my life was like 4 years ago. Not to mention that I was also pugless those years!

Sorry this post is so long and rambling. My brain says it's time for more caffeine!

Food Thief

Never leave your food alone with a pug.

Camera Phone

True story. I always have to pretend to look for one when really my entire photo gallery is filled with Sunny and Rosy.

And this is one of the reasons why I am a crazy pug lady.

Pure Bliss

For Rosy (and to a certain extent, Sunny), belly rubs = pure bliss.

Off / On

There's really no in between with Sunny and Rosy.

To Chase or Not To Be Chased

Yesterday the girls were full of energy and were chasing each other around my apartment. And by chasing I mean really Rosy chasing Sunny around. While I think this is one of the things that must go through their heads, don't feel too bad for Sunny because I think she secretly enjoys it sometimes. Most of these chasing zoomies are actually instigated by her! I guess she just likes being the chasee and not the chaser.

And here's a video of their craziness from yesterday.

Two Left Feet

My second oldest sister also has a pug and one of our favorite discussion topics is our dogs (obviously). One day she asked me if either Sunny or Rosy ever walked with legs on the same side moving in the same direction because her pug walks funny like that. Actually she said it in a way less clear manner and I just thought she was talking crazy talk. It was only a few weeks later as I was walking my dogs and watching Sunny sashay down the sidewalk that I realized what my sister meant. Sunny walks normally sometimes but most of the times she does this rolling sashay that is caused by her walking with her left and right legs moving in the same direction on each side. My mom calls it Sunny's "sexy walk."

All dogs have two left feet of course, but some just move in different ways! Sashay, Shantay!

Pugs v. Roomba: Pugs Win!

My roomba recently died. It put up a good fight but it couldn't stand up against Sunny's and Rosy's double pug fur attack.

Well, At Least They're Not Begging.

Well, at least they're not begging anymore!

I stumbled across some moleskines on sale a week ago and saw a storyboard one that I hadn't seen before. I thought it would be fun to do some two panel drawings.  In the past if I had multiple panels I'd draw it by hand but I'm terrible at drawing straight lines (even with a ruler) so having these pre-drawn helps a lot.

Dancing Pugs

Work has been rough and I got some disappointing news on another front.  So I did some quick sketches of dancing pugs to cheer me up because what could be jollier than silly dancing pugs?