Category: T-shirts

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Blueper B at the Biltmore Estate and 3-5 of My 100 People Project

Today was our first whole day in Asheville.  We all slept a little late.  I guess we were tired from traveling yesterday.  Mr. Guy and The Lady planned for us all to go to the Biltmore Estate.  It is a great big place and we had to park and walk a little way!  



As we walked from the parking lot, well I didn’t walk, Mr. Guy told me all about this place. A long time ago, a man named Vanderbilt made a lot of money. He wanted a big house, like a palace. So he had this house built. He took the last part of his name and attached the word “more”. Maybe because he “built more house” than anyone. Mr. Guy said Biltmore is the largest house in the whole country. 


When I saw the house for the first time, it looked like a whole city to me!  I have never seen a house that big.  A little blue and orange furry monster could get lost in the place.  It was pretty, but also a little scary.


The reason it looks like a whole city is because there are lots of rooms and shops and restaurants in that building.  When Mr. Guy told me that there were shops, I got excited because I might get a new shirt.  The Lady and Mr. Guy said that we could go look for a shirt before we did anything else.  Yay!  We went into a shop that had lots of shirts for big monsters and people, but the worker said that they didn’t have any small enough for me.  That made me sad.  The Lady said that we could go look in another shop, a toy shop.  Surely a toy shop will have a little shirt for me because toys are for little people.  Nope.  They didn’t have one either.  I was now one really sad little monster.  But, I did have to smile when I saw some of my “family” at the toy shop.


When I saw them, I decided that it was silly for me to be sad.  True, I did not find a new shirt, but I have Mr. Guy and The Lady to take me places and love me, these guys just hung out in the toy shop all day.  I remember what that felt like.  Not good.  So, I became a happy monster again.

It was then time for us to go inside this great big house.  I was still not so sure about it, especially with things like this on the outside!


We talked and became friends.

The Lady had to put her camera away because they do not allow people to take pictures in this place. Oh well..we walked all around, up and down stairs from the basement to the third floor.  I’m glad Mr. Guy was carrying me, because now I know I would have gotten lost.  The rooms were big.  The ceilings were tall, the windows were huge, and the furniture was big.  I felt as tiny as ant in there.  This house was obviously not meant as a home for little blue and orange furry monsters, but it was kind of fun to look around.

Because the people didn’t let us take our own pictures inside, they had a picture taking person of their own who took our picture.  I thought that was very nice of them.  The Lady told me that we would have to buy their picture.  That didn’t seem right.  Th Lady always takes my picture and most of the time she makes me look handsome.  Why couldn’t she take my picture?  Mr. Guy tried to explain something to me about captive audience and consumerism.  I didn’t understand.  All I know is that they gave us a card and told us we could look at our picture at the end.

I liked the picture that they took because The Lady was in it with Mr. Guy and Me.  She is never in the pictures because she always takes them.  I told Mr. Guy that I wanted this picture of the three of us, so he bought it.  Tomorrow we will get it into my blog. 

There were two girls who took his money.  They were very friendly and asked all about me.  Because they were so nice, I asked if they wanted to be part of my Hundred People Project.  They said yes!  I guess because Mr. Guy bought their picture they thought it would be fun to be in our picture.


I am happy that people are helping me with my Hundred People Project.  I just want to show the world that there are nice people everywhere!

We ate lunch at a restaurant here.  It was yummy!  Ribs, pulled pork, chicken, collard greens, polenta, cole slaw, and pickles.  We were all too full to have dessert, so after lunch we went to the confectionery.  The Lady told me that “confectionery” is just a fancy name for candy shop.  The houses and the words are big here!  I have never seen so much candy!


We each got a little treat to have when we got home.  The lady who worked at the confectionery (I like saying that word!) was friendly too.  We talked to her for a long time and found out that she had lived in Texas!  She told us that she bought her wedding dress in Dallas, where we live.  The world is not such a big place after all.  I’m not sure that I can say the same thing about this house, though.  Her name was Amy and she was more than happy to have a picture taken with me!


Look at her smile!  She made me laugh really hard.  I sure like meeting all of these nice people!

Oh, and I finally got to see the mountains.  I like them because they are blue like me.


Mr. Guy said that if we see that at sunrise or sunset they might look blue and orange, even more like me!

I had a good day.  I hope that you did too!  Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses…or in a pinch, the petunias!  Speaking of stops we made another stop on the way back. There was one more shop, (there are lots of shops here). A nice lady in there helped find a shirt for me at another shop! They are keeping it for us until tomorrow.


Tomorrow we are going back to the Biltmore to see the gardens, where they have roses, petunias, and lots more flowers.  And, we will get my new shirt! So watch for Part 2 of my trip to the Biltmore tomorrow!

Until then…

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Adventure to Asheville!

We are going on a vacation!  Mr Guy explained to me that a vacation is a trip where you don’t have to do any work.  That is what makes this trip different from all the times that we went to Delaware.  This is also a special trip because The Lady and Mr. Guy are celebrating their anniversary.   I had to ask what that meant. They told me it is the date they were married 5 years ago, a long time before I came along. 

We are going to a place called Asheville.  The Lady told me that I will get to see mountains there.  I don’t know what mountains are because she said that there aren’t any near us in Dallas.  She told me that I will just have to wait and be surprised by what they look like.  We get to go on an airplane to get to Asheville!  I like planes. The people on them are always friendly.  I like looking out the window.  We will stop in Charlotte before we get to Asheville.  I have been there before.  

The Lady and Mr Guy said we will be able to work on my 100 People Project while we are on our vacation. I hope to get to meet lots of people. Mr Guy even made a special card for me to give to people if they have a picture with me! 


It tells them where to look for their picture and read about my adventures.  And, the card thanks them for letting us include them in my project  


I think we should always thank people who do nice things. 

To get ready we had to pack lots of things. Well, The Lady and Mr Guy packed lots of things.  They have big bags full of stuff. I am only a little blue and orange monster and I do not need to take much.I looked through my clothes and picked a shirt to wear on the airplane.  



The Lady said that I would get a new shirt, maybe two, in Asheville so I don’t need to take too many with me.  Mr Guy said I needed to take my fancy vest, that weird shirt with no sleeves, and a tie, whatever that is. 


He won’t tell me why I need these strange things. It’s a surprise he said.  It all makes me a little nervous, but I trust him. Oh, I also had to pack my fur brush so that I look like a neat monster.

So I am all ready to go. And I am excited!!!

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Decision Day!

Today was a very special day. At least that is what Mr Guy and The Lady told me. I am not sure I understand it all, but I do understand that what happened today is good. In a place called Washington D.C., a group of people called the Supreme Court made a decision, one that has taken them a very long time to make. That decision was to give all people the right to get married,  Some people think that only boys and girls should love each other and that it is wrong for two boys or two girls to fall in love with each other.  That is the part I do not quite understand. Why would someone not want two people to fall in love, get married, and be happy? Mr Guy and The Lady are happy. Everybody should be happy and not lonely. At least that is what this blue and orange furry monster thinks. 

One of the first t-shirts I got was this one. The Lady and Mr Guy told me that some people really hate the idea that some boys love boys and some girls love girls.  I love everybody!  I like my shirt. I don’t hate anything! I like the idea that love conquers hate. The Lady had to explain the word conquer to me when I got the shirt, so now I understand it. It means “to put away.” Putting away hate is one of the best ideas that I have ever heard!

And I found out Washington D.C. is sort of near Delaware where I came from!!!
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A Big Surprise!

Yesterday I shared about how I helped to make Mr. Guy’s birthday cake.  Today when I woke up The Lady and Mr. Guy told me that today was a special day; it is my birthday!  Well, sort of…

The Lady said that birthdays are the day that you come into the world.  I don’t know the exact day that I came into the world; neither do The Lady and Mr. Guy.  So we are celebrating the day that I came into their world.  It was one year ago today that Mr. Guy and The Lady walked into Kid’s Ketch toy store in Lewes, Delaware and decided that they wanted me to become part of their family.  That made me one very happy blue and orange furry monster!  I have been a lot of places and learned many things over the last year.

The Lady likes to take pictures so that she can remember her adventures.  I like to collect T-shirts from all the places that I visit.  They are kind of like pictures to me, but I can wear them.  Every time I put one on it reminds me of special place, or person, or both.


For my birthday, Mr. Guy gave me these funny white things that look like triangles with a crooked horn.  I said, “Thank you.” but I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them.  He told me that they are called “hangers.”  They are used to hold clothes so that they stay neat and you can easily find the ones that you want.  Before I got the hangers, all my shirts were in a basket that I had to dig through to find the one I wanted; then they all got unfolded.  That was not good because my monster paws don’t fold clothes very well.  Now that I know what they are for, I am very happy with my new hangers!  And, I have some unused ones so I guess Mr. Guy thinks I will get some new shirts this year!  I am doing a happy monster dance!

Speaking of new shirts, I also got one of those for my birthday.


 It says “THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”  That is exciting!

Even though I was adopted in Delaware, I actually live in Texas.  During the past year I have made several trips back and forth between Texas and Delaware because we were visiting The Captain, The Lady’s father.  He was sick during that time and died back in October.  Though I am usually a happy monster, that was a sad time.  I am glad that I got to go see The Captain several times.  We liked to watch baseball games together.  The Captain always cheered for the Philadelphia Phillies.  I have a Phillies T-shirt that reminds me of The Captain.


On our trips to Delaware, I also got to meet some of The Lady’s picture taking friends, Ms. Michele and Ms. Peggy.  I got to go some neat places with them while they took pictures.  Ms. Michele sent me my very first package in the mail, a University of Delaware T-shirt!  Every time I wear it I think about Ms. Michele, Delaware, mail, and, most importantly, friends.  Ms. Michele also gave me another shirt on one of our visits.  It is my “dirt shirt.”  It makes me think about Ms. Michele, playing outside, and chocolate.  Dirt and chocolate are the same color.


In between our trips to Delaware, I also visited San Diego, California; Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  That is a lot of traveling for such a young monster!  I have been on lots and lots of airplanes.  Sometimes the other people on the airplanes look at me funny.  Well actually, I think they are looking at Mister Guy and the Lady funny because they are flying with a furry blue and orange monster.  It doesn’t seem to bother them, though.  Mr. Guy always carries me and holds me and keeps me safe.  I am called a “lap monster” on the airplanes so I don’t get my own seat; I have to sit in Mr. Guy’s lap when we fly.

My people said that we will adventures on airplanes this year too, but that we won’t go back to Delaware any time soon.  That makes me kind of sad because I have friends there, but I am excited to visit some new places too.

After I opened my birthday presents this morning (the shirt and hangers), we went out for lunch at Taco Cabana.


I had chips and queso something new, street tacos.


I liked them because they were little and easy for me to hold.  The people there were really nice!  They wished me a happy birthday.  One of them was so nice that he got me thinking…I thought about this the whole time I was eating my tacos and decided “yep,” this is a good idea.  I told The Lady about me idea and she thought it might be fun, too.  So here it is.  I am going to try to have my picture taken with 100 new friends this year.  We’ll see how it goes.

Travis at Taco Cabana was #1.  When Mr. Guy ordered, Travis wanted to hear my story.  I told him that I was adopted one year ago today in Delaware and we were out celebrating my special day.  He smiled and said that his grandmother had lived in Delaware.  Like The Captain, his grandmother has passed away too.  After I ate my lunch and had thought about my idea, I went and asked Travis if would mind having his picture taken with me.  He smiled again and said, “Sure.  I would love to.”


He joked around with me for a few minutes.  That was a nice birthday present.  The Lady was not comfortable taking a picture of a stranger so this is not her best.  Hopefully with 99 more to go, she will get better!

When we got home, I got to have a special treat too, something that the Lady called a “cupcake.”  That sounded a little strange to me.  I thought I was going to have to drink my cake.  The lady said that that was not what “cupcake” meant.  She showed me that a cupcake was a cake that was the size of a cup, not a great big cake like the one I made for Mr. Guy.  Actually, my cupcake came from the grocery store.  I don’t think The Lady has recovered from our adventure making Mr. Guy’s cake yet.  That is OK.  It was a yummy cupcake.


Other than cake we didn’t do anything else special for Mr. Guy’s birthday.  For me, my people got things that they called decorations.  I had a funny hat that was shaped just like my horns so it fit on my head.


 They put this fire thing in my cupcake that kind of scared me.  I thought it might melt my fur so The Lady made the fire go away.  And, there were these big things that looked liked colored eggs that floated in the sky.  They were kind of fun.


The Mr. Guy doesn’t like them.  He told me that they are fragile like the eggs but if they break, they make a loud scary noise.  The only loud scary noise when real eggs break is from The Lady.

After all this excitement, I thought that my birthday celebration was over, but The Lady said that there was one more surprise.  She told me that there is someone who wants to be my pen-pal.  I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant.  I know that a pal is another name for friends and I like friends.  I know that a pen is something that you draw with, but only on paper.  (I learned that the hard way.)  But, I wasn’t sure how those two things go together.

The Lady told me that she has a new picture taking friend who lives way far away in Scotland.  Way far away was explained as ten hours on an airplane.  I understand airplane time!  Anyway, this picture taking friend also adopted someone like me and they too share adventures together.  My pen-pal’s name is “Stobbsie.”  Like me, he has a blog where he writes about his adventures.  Now we can write to each other and talk about all the things we do, places we go, and people we meet!  I am super excited!  Friends, old and new, are my favorite thing…except for maybe T-shirts.  No, friends.  Well, maybe T-shirts…Friends…Oh, I am having a monster conundrum I am going to have to think about this!  Anyway, The Lady is going to show me all of the blog posts that my new friend, Stobbsie, has written and then I am going to write to him!  I am such a happy and lucky little blue and orange monster!

Cupcakes!
T-shirts!
The Lady and Mr. Guy!
Friends all over the world!

What more could a monster want?

Thank you all who have made my first year so special.  I am looking forward to “THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”

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Friends, Dirt, and Chocolate Chips

Things have been very busy with my family lately.  Mister Guy and The Lady have made many trips to Delaware because a sad thing happened; The Captain, The Lady’s father died in October.  I was glad that I got to meet him.  He liked me though I think he thought it a little silly that Mister Guy and the Lady took me lots of places with them.   

I have not been able to come on all of the trips.  I understood.  I stayed in Texas with Offspring No. 1 and the other furry members of my family.  I missed Mister Guy and The Lady when they were gone, but I knew that they had lots to do and didn’t have time to pay a lot of attention to a furry blue and orange monster.

I am happy that I got to come with them this week for Thanksgiving.  The Lady and Mister Guy had some business stuff to take care of, but they also had time for some fun things.  I was excited when they told me that we were going to take a trip to Dover and I was going to get to meet Ms. Michele and Ms. Peggy.  I wrote about them earlier.  They are The Lady’s picture-taking friends.  Ms. Michele is my friend too.  She sent me a special package in the mail.  I have wanted to meet her in person for a long time!

Dover is the capital of Delaware so there are lots of important buildings there.  We met them at the library.  (Offspring No. 1 told me that the library is the most important building in any city.  I don’t know if I believe her.  I think maybe she just says that because she is a librarian.)  I didn’t care where we met; I just wanted to meet them.  And I did!  Ms. Michele and Ms. Peggy recognized me.  I felt so important.  They weren’t even embarrassed to walk around the state capital with me.  

We saw lots of old buildings and a nice lady walked around with us and told us about lots of stories about the early history of Delaware.  I learned a lot about the state from which I come.

We all had lunch together, walked around a little more to see the governor’s house, and then we went to have some dessert.  The picture takers were supposed to photograph dessert that day so they were all excited about pie and cookies and scones.

The only bad part of the whole day was that something was wrong with The Lady’s camera that day and none of her pictures came out.  She said that they were all fuzzy like me, but not blue and orange.  It makes me sad to not have any pictures from my day in Dover, but I have lots of happy memories.  Mister Guy and The Lady said that they will take me to see Ms. Michele and Ms. Peggy again and The Lady will do a better job with her camera.   

Fortunately, Ms. Michele sent The Lady a couple pictures from our day.  


The other thing that Ms. Michele did was bring me a new T-shirt!!!  She read my post about going to the playground and brought me a special playground shirt.  I love my new shirt!!!!  And, I am so happy that The Lady and Ms. Michele are friends because that makes it possible for Ms. Michele to be my friend too!


I haven’t had a chance to go to the playground in Lewes yet because yesterday it was cold and rainy and yucky.  I stayed inside where it was warm.  The rain makes my fur feel funny and I don’t have a raincoat.  

I did get to play in the yard today.  


There is a little building in the back yard that The Lady said used to be her playhouse.  She would play inside it when she was here visiting her grandparents.  


There isn’t much in there now, but I bet it was fun when she had toys in there. 

I discovered something new to play with – leaves!  We don’t have a lot of leaves in our yard in Texas, but here you can rake them into a big pile and jump and hide and play in them.  


It was so much fun!  And, I wore my special dirt shirt so The Lady couldn’t get mad at me for getting my shirt dirty.  It hides all the dirt!



It was still a little cold outside so we didn’t stay outside too long.  Plus, The Lady needed to go inside and make something called pie to take to The Aunt’s house for the Thanksgiving meal.  The Lady told me that most people have pumpkin pie with their Thanksgiving meal.  That sounded like a good idea to me because pumpkins are orange and I like anything that is orange.  Then she said that she wasn’t making pumpkin pie.  That made me a little sad until she said that The Cousin was making pumpkin pie so she was going to make a different kind, pecan chocolate chip.  That sounded interesting, but not orange.  I asked if I could help and the Lady said yes.  She told me that I could measure out the chocolate chips.  I have never had chocolate chips before so I didn’t know if I would like to measure them or eat them.  



Chocolate chips are kind of funny looking.  They look more like drips than chips to me and they are not the right color for food.  I decided to brave and try one anyway.  Much to my surprise, they tasted pretty good.  I tried another one.  And another one.  As I held them in my furry paws, the chocolate chips went from chips, to drips, to…mush.  I had a mess on my paws.  I looked for something to wipe them on.  Then I noticed…my dirt shirt was also chocolate colored!  I could wipe my paws on my shirt and The Lady wouldn’t even notice.  I found a perfect solution to my chocolate covered paw problem!


The Lady let me help her take the pie out of the oven.  


I have not had any yet because I was too full after eating my dinner.  I liked the sweet potatoes best because they were orange, but the turkey, dressing, green beans, and dumplings were really good too.  I will try a piece of pie tomorrow.

This week I have learned what it means to be thankful.  I am thankful for The Lady and Mister Guy, for my friends Ms. Michele and Ms. Peggy, and for my extended family.  I missed being in Texas with Offspring No. 1 and Offspring No. 2, but I will get to spend Christmas with them.  

I am one lucky furry blue and orange monster.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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I’ve Got Friends…and Mail!

Today was a fantastic day for this furry blue and orange monster.  Something happened that has never happened to me before.  I know, I am little and lots of things have never happened to me before.  I like to have new experiences!

I learned about friends!  Mister Guy and the Lady told me that friends are people who are not part of your family but are special people in your life.  They said that friends are people who do things for you and with you because they really like you and care about you.  I asked how I could get some friends.  They told me that I already had lots of friends.  I was surprised when the Lady and Mister Guy told me that.  How did I get friends?

The Lady and Mister Guy said that there are people who read my blog and though I have not actually met them, they are still my friends.  I learned that people can decide to be your friend based just on what you write in a blog or on your Facebook page.  That is kind of scary and kind of cool at the same time.  The lady and Mister Guy have some friends that they have met on Facebook and through Capture Your 365, the community of people who like to take pictures like the Lady.  Some of these people they have just met online and some they have met in person.

One of the picture taking people that Mister Guy and the Lady have met in person but I have not is Ms. Michele. I have seen her photographs and I have read about her on Facebook. She also sent me some messages on my Facebook page. While we were in Delaware in August, Mr. Guy and the Lady met Ms. Michele and another picture taking friend, Ms. Peggy at Fort Delaware. I did not go tthat day because it was threatening to rain. Blue and Orange furry monsters should not get wet.

Last week Ms. Michele posted on my Facebook page that she was going to send me a package. I wasnt sure what that meant, but Mr. Guy said that was a good thing, something that friends do.  Ms. Michele told Mister Guy and the Lady what she was sending, but they did not tell me.  They wanted me to be surprised.

The Lady and Mister Guy knew the package was supposed to come today. So when they went out to get the mail, they took me along. They told me to look in the mailbox.  Mailbox?

They explained to me that when people send you things, this person called the  mail carrier leaves the sent things in this box on the curb.  The whole thing seems very mysterious to me, but I did what Mister Guy told me to do;

I looked in the mailbox and saw that there was a white package with my name on it!  To Blueper B.  That’s me!

 I wasnt sure what to do with this white rectangle.  Mr. Guy said that there was a gift on the inside.  I secretly hoped that it might be a T-shirt, but it seemed an odd shape for a shirt. The  Lady explained that the enevelope was just to protect the special present that Ms. Michele sent me.  I felt better.   It could still be a shirt.

By this time, I was getting very excited!   I had never opened a package with something special for me inside.  Well, really I had never opened any kind of package.

I was so surprised!. Ms. Michele send me a t-shirt from the University of Delaware.

That is where her sons go to school. (There is that school thing again. I need to get to school.) But there was more!   She sent a card…

…with lots of happy faces on it and wrote a note especially for me!!

Ms. Michele said she is looking forward to meeting me next time my family and I are in Delaware. She also said she hoped I liked the t-shirt and the other things.

Other things??? Oh yes, she also sent me a University of Delaware button. They have the Blue Hens for a mascot. I think that is great.  Mr Guy said that people who are my friends know that I like blue.

Yep, blue and orange are my favorite colors. And guess what!! Ms. Michele sent me some stickers with orange and blue (and a few other colored) monsters on them. They are very cool.  The Lady said that now that I know about the mail carrier and the mailbox and packages and cards that maybe I can send a card or a package to a friend.  She told me that I could decorate the letter or package with my new monster stickers that way my friends will know that they are getting something from me.  Getting a package today from Ms. Michele made me so happy.  She sent things that she knew I would like.  Now I understand a little more about friends and what they do for each other.  I would like to send some packagaes to people and make them as happy as Ms. Michele made me today.

I am one excited blue and orange furry monster. Here are pictures of me in my new t-shirt and button, with my new stickers, and my card.

 I am going to wear my new t-shirt tonight to sleep in. But not the button, I might get stuck with the pin if I roll over.

Thank you Ms. Michelle. You are a really good friend!

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To Philadelphia and Beyond

So today was adventure day.  We got up early so that I could pack all of my T-shirts.  Well, the Lady packed them in her camera bag.  She said she is going to have to get a new camera bag for all of my shirts.  I think that is just her excuse to get a new bag.

I slept in the car on the way to the airport.  There wasn’t much to see but corn fields, a chicken processing plant, and a few old buildings.  I wanted to be wide awake when it came time for the ride on the airplane.

The one thing I don’t like about airports is going through security.  That is scary for a little blue and orange monster because they won’t let Mister Guy or the Lady carry me.  I have to go through the scanner tunnel.  Today was different.  The TSA people in Salisbury were the nicest agents I have ever met.  They smiled and talked to me.  They knew I was scared so they made sure I was nice and safe in my bin.  


See…I told you they were super nice.


When it was time to board the plane, Mister Guy carried me.  I was still a little tired.  



Sometimes I wonder what people think when they see him carrying me around.  I don’t warn people to laugh at him or make fun of him. Mister Guy told me not to worry about that.  People can say whatever they want.  It won’t change how he feels about me.



On the little plane from Salisbury to Philadelphia, we sat in the Exit row.  The airplane lady said that that was a very important place to be seated because we might have to help in an emergency.  She asked each of us if we were willing to perform such duties.  I said, “Yes!” And offered to show her that I could pull the levers and through the window out.  


She assured me that that was not necessary. So, I just looked out the window.


We had a long wait in Philadelphia before our flight to Dallas so we had lunch.  Then I asked the question.  “Can I have a new T-shirt?”  The Mister a guy wasn’t sure because I didn’t really visit Philadelphia; the airport didn’t really count, but the Lady said she thought getting a shirt would be OK.  I stayed with Mister Guy and the bags because I could not be left unattended.  The voice in the airport sky said that.  The Lady got me a special T-shirt.



While we were in Delaware, Mister Guy and the Captain, the Lady’s dad, watched a lot of something that they called baseball. That explains the special shirt I  got. The Captain is a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies. I could tell by the way The Captain and Mister Guy talked, that the Phillies are not too good at this baseball, but sometimes they seemed to do it right.  Last night they had to play a really long time to beat another team called the Youstin Astros, or something like that.  The Astros live in Texas, but I like the Captain’s team best because I got to watch the Phillies with him.



When it was time for us to leave Philadelphia, the plane had too many people on it so we had to wait for the next one.  Mister Guy said that was OK because we got to fly first class.  I didn’t know what that meant.  He said that I would have my own place to sit and we would get food.  That sounded good to me.  It also meant that we would get home to Dallas very late, way past a little blue and orange monster’s bedtime.

Because I was so excited to tell the story of my airplane adventures, Mister Guy and the Lady helped me write this post on the airplane. 



 I kept getting distracted because I wanted to look out the window at all the pretty clouds.  



When it got dark, I finished writing and now am going to go to sleep in Mister’s lap.  Goodnight!


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And Now Ships…

Yesterday the weather was cloudy, but there wasn’t any rain. So the Lady and Mister Guy took me out with them. We went to the Cape Henlopen State Park.  The first thing I saw was this sign.


Were they talking about me?  Am I a pet?  I wasn’t so sure I liked this place.  The Mister Guy assured me that I was not a pet; he said that I was family.  That made me feel good. 


The Lady wanted to get pictures of something called a lighthouse. At first I wondered if this was the opposite of a heavy house. When we got there and I saw it. I must be right! The house was in the middle of the water so must be light to float, right? 



It sure looked tall…and it was round! Did someone live there?
The Lady and Mister Guy explained that it was really a big tower with a light on top to help big ships find their way through the breakwaters without hitting the land. Someone might live on the bottom of the lighthouse to make sure the light went on at the right time. And, it is so tall so the light shines a long way!  I think that’s cool.
We got to see the beach too. I had already been to a beach. But there were not any belly dancers at this one! I took a second to sit on this bench. It is nice that someone put the bench here to help remember another person.  It is so peaceful here.  I bet the people who donated this bench come here where it is quiet and beautiful and think about the person they love and miss.
Then we went to the park shop and I got another shirt! Yay!  I love new shirts from the places I’ve been! This one is blue. Not MY blue, but blue. We went out to the woods and took some pictures.



 I got to play in a tree. 



Mister Guy showed me a pine cone and explained how the tree I was playing in came from a pine cone just like the one I was holding. 



It made me wonder if blue furry monsters come from blue fur tree cones.  The Mister Guy explained that I had my “I’s” and “you’s” mixed up…something about fir and fur confused.  He talked about phoning home or home phones…I didn’t quite catch it all.  That was too much for a furry blue and orange monster to think about on a Sunday afternoon in the park.
After that we saw another tower. This one was not a lighthouse. It was big and heavy and we could walk right up to it. 



We could even climb up inside it, up to the tippy top. Mr Guy read that there were a bunch of these towers in Delaware. They were built to let people watch out for the enemy in a war. He said it was called World War II. I asked what war was and he said it was when people got so mad that they started killing each other. He said that there have been two times that so many people were mad at each other that almost the whole world was fighting. These times are called World Wars.  There had been many smaller wars. In fact people are fighting each other right now in places far away.
That sounds bad to me, even if it is far away. Blue and orange furry monsters like everyone.   I then got scared and asked if people here could start killing each other. The Lady said sometimes they do. I did not like hearing that.
To take my mind of or fighting, we decided to climb up the tower.  I could see a long way. 



I understood how this tower was used. I was glad to hear it help keep fighting from happening here, but the idea of people killing each other still made me sad. Then I looked down I saw this message and it made me happy.  



There must be some people who are not angry.

We climbed back down…well, actually the Mister guy carried me all the way up and all the way down. 



Then we went to a place on the water that was not a beach. There was a place for ships to stop. It’s called a dock. And wow!  What a ship was docked there!  It was a cool looking ship with an anchor and port holes, and ladders…a ran right to it!


The Mister Guy smiled at me and then told me to turn around and look the other direction.

OH WOW!  This ship was much cooler.  It had a bigger anchor, more port holes, longer ladders, and great big sails!




I was told that this ship is a copy of a ship that existed a long time ago, one that brought people from far away to Delaware. But, they did not call it Delaware back then. Those people wanted to get somewhere they could live happily ever after…just like me.  I liked hearing that last part of the story. 

So, I had a very good day! It was fun, a little sad, but good over all.

And I got a new shirt!


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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Okay, there have been no trains, but there have been some cars, a trolley, and LOTS of planes…and airports.  My people seem to travel a lot.  When we met, they told me that they are homebodies, but I’m not sure that I believe them.

My very first plane ride ever was when we left Delaware to head to the place they call home, Dallas.  I was a little scared about this whole flying thing, but the Mister Guy told me it would all be good.  I was lucky.  Because I am considered a “lap baby” I got to sit in someone’s lap on all the flights home. Having someone hold me helped me feel not so scared.

Our first flight was from Salisbury, Maryland to Charlotte, North Carolina.

 This is a tiny airport with only one security checkpoint and two gates.  There were not too many people.  I was feeling like a brave blue monster.  Once we got all checked in, the Mister Guy took me to the window to show me what an airplane looked like.

I wasn’t clear on how that big hunk of metal sitting out there was going to get off the ground and fly through the air, but I believed my people that it would.  As a monster who is mechanically capable, born with a passion for putting things together and making them work, I was totally fascinated by this flying machine.

Our seats on the airplane gave me the perfect view of what the Mister Guy called the propeller.  He told me that that is the important piece that makes the plane fly.

I watched as we rolled down the runway, the propeller spinning faster and faster until finally we were in the air!  This was a kind of mechanical ingenuity that I have never experienced but would like to explore.

We landed in Charlotte where we spent the night so that the Lady Person could spend time with some of her college friends.  She had not seen them in twenty five years.  That is a long time!!!

In addition to putting things together, I am also a monster who also enjoys napping.  While my people visited with their friends, I enjoyed a quiet nap at the hotel.


After the excitement of my first plane trip, this was an appreciated nap.  I wish they had added to my T-shirt collection by buying me a Charlotte shirt (since I did sleep in the city), but not this trip.  I think they were too busy telling old stories to think about a shirt for me.  I forgive them.  They said that I could get one next time.

The next day, we flew home to Dallas.  This time it was on a much bigger airplane.  It had big jet engines that made it fly faster.  They were not as much fun to look at as the propellers on yesterday’s little plane.

We weren’t home in Dallas very long before it was back on another plane!  This time we headed west to San Diego California.  My people were attending a conference.  Our flight to San Diego left at 5:15 in the morning.  As I said above, I am monster that enjoys sleep.  They scooped me up and got me on the plane for this trip, but I remember very little of it.  5:15 in the morning is way too early for a fury blue monster to be photographed!

By the time we landed in San Diego, I was rested and wide awake.  The first thing I saw were these cool trees.

Texas and Delaware do not have trees like this, at least not that I have seen in my short life.

We took a van to our hotel.

I liked the van because it was blue!

The hotel where we spent the next week was huge!  It had tall buildings and lots of swimming pools, and restaurants, and lots more palm trees.  It was so big that it had its own map.  The Mister Guy and I looked at the map to make sure that none of us got lost.

My people were attending the NOAH (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation) conference.  Simply stated, that is a conference for those who have white fur.  Though I kind of stuck out with my bright blue and orange fur, the people with the white fur were really nice to me.  I guess they know what it is like to feel different from everyone around you.

When we went to eat, my new NOAH friends made sure I had my own seat and plate at the restaurant.  They wouldn’t let me have my own margarita, though.

They gave me water to drink, but I did get to have my picture taken at the bar.

 I got to ride on a trolley.   To do so, I had to have a fancy orange sticker.  I have I mentioned that I like orange?  I wasn’t too sure about that sticker on my fur, though.

The trolley ride was fun!  I liked it because it was open and I could feel and smell that salt water breeze blowing through my fur.

While me people attended the boring parts of the conference, well boring to a furry blue and orange monster, I napped and spent time at the pool.

 The people with the white fur kept talking about this stuff called sunscreen, that everyone needed to put it on when they were outside.  Do they not know what a mess that stuff is in my fur?  I think I have enough fur to keep from sunburning!

We spent a day touring Old Town San Diego.  We saw lots of historical sites and leaned quite a bit about the city, but my favorite stop was the candy store.  They had lots of orange jelly beans!

And, I also saw this interesting machine that dispensed candy.  I bet that I could make one of these and fill it with only blue and orange candies.

I enjoyed San Diego.  I was kind of sad to say goodbye.

The one thing that our hotel did not have was a San Diego T-shirt that I liked in my size.  The Lady and Mister Guy told me that they were sure that I could find one at the airport and they were right!

This one matches my fur perfectly!

It was time to get on another plane and head back to Dallas.  Well, not exactly straight back; we had a layover in Phoenix.

Since I have flown so much, I was not scared or overly excited about the day’s flights.  Life did get a little more interesting when we landed in Phoenix.  The flight we were supposed to be on from Phoenix to Dallas was super full.  The airlines people asked if anyone would mind giving up their seat and taking the next flight.  Because the Mister Guy and the Lady are nice people, and because they got free flight vouchers, they volunteered.  As soon as our original flight took off, my people were told that the next flight, the one we were supposed to be on, had been cancelled.  Things then got interesting.

Phone calls were made, people ran back and forth, hotels were booked and before I knew it, I was going to get to visit yet another city.  We flew from Phoenix to Tucson to spend the night and would then fly to Dallas the next day.  I thought, “Awesome!  Another T-shirt!”

I did get a T-shirt from Tucson…

…but in all the craziness of changing schedules in Phoenix, I missed out on that one.

Airports are funny places.  It seems like the humans are either super happy or really grumpy.  There is no “in the middle.”  I am glad that my people weren’t grumpy when our schedule changed.  They were happy because we got to have breakfast with some friends in Tucson before heading to the airport.

We met some other happy people in the Tucson airport.

I like making new friends.

We finally made it home safely and I have been resting from my big adventure because we are leaving again for another trip to Delaware next week.  It is a shame that I am a lap baby; I could be earning lots of frequent flyer miles!

The lady and I are going to try to do better about posting here.  I still need help with this blogging thing so we have develop a routine that works for both of us.

Thank you for reading our stories.  Stay tuned for more about our adventures together!


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Leaving Lewes

On my last night in Lewes, The Mister Guy and the Lady took me to the beach.  Though I had never been there before, they said it is a big part of the town.

 I wasn’t sure about getting sand in my fur, but I was willing to give it a try because the Mister Guy promised to carry me.

I think I like this guy!

It was almost sunset when we got there.   I liked looking at the water and the clouds…

 …and the seagulls…

 and…the…belly dancers???

 That’s what the Mister Guy called these women in fancy clothes dancing to a drumbeat on the beach.  I wasn’t so sure about them,

but he seemed to like them.  I guess I shouldn’t judge people by what they wear (or don’t wear).

I also was not so sure that the Lady would have been happy if she knew that the Mister Guy was spending so much time looking at these belly dancers.  Because I think I know what is best for him, I took his glasses so that I could see them and he couldn’t.

I am a thoughtful furry monster!

I don’t know about the belly dancer clothes.  They were pretty on those ladies, but I don’t think that they are appropriate for furry blue and orange monsters.  When I was in the toy store, all the humans, and a few dogs, would come in wearing these things that the Lady says are called “T-shirts”; written on them were names of the places that these humans, and the few canines,  had visited.  I thought that was kind of cool so I asked the Mister Guy and the Lady if maybe I could have a T-shirt from Lewes before we left.  The thing is, I only like blue and orange so I had to find one that matched my fur.  My people said that they thought having a T-shirt was a good idea and that they would help me find one of which I approved.

I think I like these people!  They said that I can collect T-shirts from all the places that I visit!  I am going to be the best dressed blue and orange furry monster around!

I met another furry friend on the beach.

Her people seemed very nice, too. I could tell that her people loved her and she loved them!

As the sun was setting, we left to go home and pack for our busy travel day the next day.  Since I only had the one T-shirt, my packing was easy.