The BDP Blog

Come See Us At The Chicagoland Family Pet Expo!

2008-02-03T05:11:00.000-08:00

BDP will be attending the Chicagoland Family Pet Expo at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, IL, March 14-16, 2008. We're in Booth 356, right next to the Events Arena on the first level. Come meet Kristi, Dana, Ang, Ericka and Laura from our staff, as well as Karma, Odin, and Java, our wonderful big dogs! BD, our traveling mascot, will also be there!

We'll be there to raise awareness on behalf of big dogs worldwide, educate the public, and raise money for big dog rescue groups. We'll have BDP Shop merchandise on sale for a discount, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit big dog rescue (name of the exact organization to be determined).

Stop by and say hello!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Holiday Sale at Karma Charms!

2007-11-15T00:34:00.000-08:00

We are really excited about this! Everything, even new items, on sale for 10% - 15% off, at Karma Charms! They've got everything you need to spice up your big dog's wardrobe, from handmade to order martingale, buckle martingale or side release dog collars (even up to 40" for the really big dogs!), to custom designed collar charms to give your pooch a bit of bling, to luxurious velvet leashes, and don't forget to pick up a handmade artisan ID tag with gemstones for the ultimate in custom elegance.

Just click the banner below to start shopping and get your dog's Christmas gifts!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

New Items In BDP Shop!

2007-11-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

Our graphic designer, Ang of Ankyworks Design Studios, has been hard at work creating new designs for the BDP shop, and we're pleased to introduce the new line of funny, and yes, cheesy, breed specific t-shirts and gifts for owners of multiple dogs - the "Can't Have Just One" line. Taken from a very successful advertising campaign by Lay's Potato Chips "Betcha can't eat just one", we have added the Great Dane (Cropped Ears) in 6 colors, and will be adding more breeds almost daily, so if your breed isn't available yet, keep checking back, or contact us and let us know, so that we can get it added faster!

Check them out here: Great Danes Are Like Chips - Can't Have Just One!

And a sneak preview:

Remember that all proceeds from the BDP Shop are to benefit dog rescue organizations worldwide and keep our site running.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

My New Halloween Duds

2007-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I went shopping today. I felt I needed something a little more snazzy for the upcoming holidays. So I bought myself an orange pumpkin sweater with fuzzy boa neck and sleeves. I had to get up really early this morning to send Zach off for his first day of school. It was a little chilly in here first thing so I donned the sweater and am enjoying a cup of hot Darjeeling while I check my email. If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Off To The Races!!!

2007-08-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I arrived at Lora's house on Friday. I made my first trip out to the horse track to win a little spending money for my adventures here in Ohio. Turns out I am not very lucky and am going to have to find alternate means of funding for my adventures. (I saved a betting ticket as a souvenir at the track and it is in my suitcase) I bet horses 1, 3, 5 and 8 in the box superfecta... wouldn't you know that 1, 3, 5 and 9 won! The payout was $17,800...!!!!! I almost FAINTED!!!!!!!!!!! I got to celebrate a 45th wedding anniversary with the family at the table next to us. Here I am with Judy Renner and her daughter Kelly Renner (you can see hubby Don in the back). They were really good sports and gave me cake! I also confided in Lora that I get REALLY BORED when I am in between destinations. So she bought me 2 little dog toys to play with in my carrier... She felt so silly buying them with a 10 pound box of LARGE treats for her big doggies. There are XS toys and just my size. If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Times Square

2007-07-27T03:04:00.000-07:00

So Anna kept her promise and took me out during her lunch hour in Manhattan. We started by going to Times Square. She's so lucky, she works a couple of block from it! Here is me by a fire hydrant on TIMES SQUARE! What's not to love!! I asked if we could go visit the recent steam explosion that happened a few days ago, but Anna didn't think the asbestos would be very good for either of us. She also tried to keep pictures to a minimum because she said she felt a little silly photographing a stuffed dog (who is she calling stuffed???) while walking by herself. I think people have seen stranger things there, honestly. I really wanted a picture by Underdog and the little dog from the Legally Blonde Broadway show. I got both! She also felt the need to snap a picture of me with a beer advertisement! At least it's light beer, right? Then we went into the M&M store. Its HUGE!! It's 3 floors, with allll kinda of chocolatey treats. Anna got me an awesome collar tag from there, as my New York souvenir. This is my by the giant M&M by the door, and also the Tag she made for me. Since we both had strong chocolate cravings, we stopped by the Hershey store. WOW!! When her lunch hour was almost over, we started to head back, but me took the scenic route and passed Radio City Music Hall (where Anna's graduation was as well). We also passed NBC studios, which I don't think is that famous, but they have Jelly Belly by the pound, which Anna can't get enough of. We also hit Rockefeller Center. Too bad it's not Christmastime and we didn’t get to see that HUGE tree. It's still pretty nice there in the summer, they convert the ice skating rink into a café. Then was passed Saks 5th Avenue, but Anna said they don't accept dog bones as payment there, and it wouldn't make much sense for us. But I got a picture right out front! We got this picture primarily to catch a glimpse of those Yellow Cabs. I wanted to chase them sooo bad!!! Anyway, New York was AWESOME. I can't wait to see what I'm going to get to experience next!!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

The Big Apple!

2007-07-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

I finally got to Anna's house after a short stint at the Post Office. Mika was delighted to have a new friend that smelled like Dog. She climbed right into my traveling case. After all the introductions, I had a few days off. Anna told me she was really busy trying to find a job, so I wasn't too mad at her. Plus she made it up to me by taking me to world famous Coney Island today! We walked along the boardwalk, which is 2.5 miles long and travels alongside the beach. Here's me demonstrating how endless it looks. The weather wasn't too great, so none of the pictures are very bright. Better than nothing, right? We stopped by the aquarium and I got kissed by a HUGE fish that made me feel like I was only 6 inches long! I wanted to go in but Anna said we have a lot more to see, so on we trekked. By the way, I was sitting comfy in Anna's purse the whole time. Here's a random picture I wanted to take on one of the multiple gazebos by the beach. We finally reached Astroland, home of the Cyclone! I really wanted a picture by the rocket ship, but I needed a little boost to be tall enough. I got to see the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone! The cyclone looked REALLY scary. Everyone was yelling soo loudly. Maybe it's because it's so old and they are afraid of it falling apart under them. I got to see Nathan's too!! The first one ever built, almost 100 years ago. I wanted a corn dog soooo bad, but Anna didn't think it would go over too well. I got some pictures next to Mika by the beach. Even SHE makes me feel tiny! Finally, we walked by the Parachute Jump, which is no longer working, but it's a landmark. It's HUGE! I can only imagine what it must have been like to jump off the top when the ride was still working. Anyway, today was lots of fun, despite the weather being pretty cloudy and humid. I hear I might be going to Manhattan next week to see Times Square. I can't wait!!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Adios España!

2007-06-05T02:30:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day in Spain. We went to the store and picked up my crate so that I can travel safely without worries that something might happen to me, and got everything ready for me to head off to Italy to meet Marissa. I was a little sad, because Dana’s cat Santi had gotten lost yesterday and we found him today but he didn’t feel well, and I just wanted to stay with him and cheer him up. Furby, on the other hand, found this quite hilarious and laughed at me! I took a nap with Karma while Dana addressed the giant envelope that she put my crate in, and packed some BDP cards for Marissa. I also met my cousin, Buddha, the giant Mastiff plushie. I swear, he’s lifesize, as big as Karma! I said goodbye to the girls, the cats and Karma and packed my bags. I’m off to see Rome with Marissa and her family! I had a great time in Spain and can’t wait to see where I go next and what wonderful fun I will have on my adventures! If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Day At The Circus

2007-06-02T01:30:00.000-07:00

Today was so exciting! Remember that sign for the circus that I saw earlier when I first arrived in Spain? Well, I was thrilled to find out that Dana and the girls were going to take me! Dana told me it’s not a huge thing like the 3 ring circuses in the US, but it still sounded like a lot of fun. We got there, took our seats, and the first thing we saw was…. get this…. TIGERS! They are SOOO big in real life, and this one big male kept growling at the trainer. He was really LOUD!

Next we saw a trapeze artist. He climbed way up high in the air, and did the most amazing thing - he stood on his head on the swinging trapeze! I covered my eyes because I was so afraid he was going to fall, but he didn’t!

Then we got to see a pack of camels and some neat looking cows from Africa called Watusi. They have really big horns and one decided he didn’t like the camel very much and poked him in the rear end with his horn and made him fall from the little step he was standing on. That wasn’t very nice!

I was really happy to see the small herd of Norwegian Fjord horses that came next. The interesting thing about these horses is that the breed is one of the world’s oldest and purest breeds, and they retain the primitive markings of their ancestors including zebra stripes on the legs and a dorsal stripe that runs down the neck (through the mane), back and tail.

Then that trapeze guy came out again and did a little show of how he can balance on his head on top of two chairs stacked on top of each other. Again, I just KNEW he was gonna fall, but he didn’t! Amazing!

My favorite part of the whole circus was the elephants. They are really BIG, but seemed friendly. One elephant did the neatest trick. She walked across a balance beam, turned around and went back, then stopped in the middle and turned herself around right there in the middle of the beam! Then they did an intermission, and during the break they let people take their pictures on top of the elephant. I wanted to do it so bad, but Dana said that all you get is a small Polaroid, poorly lit, and it costs 10€, so I settled for having my picture secretly taken in front of the elephant.

After the break, we snuck into ringside seats and got to see juggling, clowns, and the coolest 13 year old contortionist. She bent herself like the pretzels I saw in Germany! It looked painful but she did a great job!

I had a blast at the circus and afterwards I was tired. When we got home, Spain was playing a soccer match against Latvia to qualify for the European Cup, so we watched that (Spain won!!) and then I went to bed. What a day!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

It’s Pizza Time!

2007-06-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Dana was sick the last couple of days and in the hospital, so I just hung out at her place until she was well enough to come home. She came home yesterday afternoon, and today she took me to the pizzeria under her apartment. It’s called Pizzeria Iiwi and the BEST smells ever come from there!

They have great stuff on the menu, from Pizza Margarita (cheese pizza with fresh oregano) to Pizza Marinera (with mussels, shrimp and tuna) to traditional Spanish sandwiches called Serranitos.

All the pizzas are hand made with fresh ingredients, right before your eyes, and cooked in a stone oven. Believe me when I tell you that they are the BEST!

We ordered a Pizza Vegetal (veggie pizza), a Pizza Carbonara (with cream, bacon and oregano), and a special pizza called the Pizza Yanqui (”Yankee” pizza, here in Spain they call Americans “Yankees” no matter where in the US they come from) made exclusively for Dana, with pepperoni, chicken, sun dried red peppers, extra oregano and HOT chili peppers. It was DELICIOUS!

I even got to have my picture taken with the pizza chef!

If you’re ever in San Pedro de Alcántara, in Southern Spain, you HAVE to stop by Pizzeria Iiwi!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Viva España!

2007-05-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

Today I had a lot of fun! I went with Dana’s girls Nati and Nina to school. It’s kind of a long way but I got to see a lot of Dana’s town along the way. On the way home, I saw a giant poster for the circus. I really hope they take me!

Then I stopped to call Kristi, but there was no answer. Has she forgotten about me already?!

Then the most exciting thing happened. I met 3 Spanish Mastiffs! A mom and her two 5 month old pups. They were really friendly, but their person wouldn’t let them come out of the fence to play. We sniffed and shook paws and then Dana and I continued on our way.

I got to see the park where Karma goes out to do her business. It was full of small dogs, which means Karma can’t go out just yet. Wouldn’t want to step on one and accidentally crush it, Dana said.

Dana’s neighborhood is nice, you can see the ocean from here! And you guys will never believe this, but there is a Salsa Club directly under Dana’s apartment! Dana says on Fridays and Saturdays you can feel the floor move and you have to turn the TV up louder because the salsa music penetrates the walls. I can’t wait to hear it!

Dana took me to the post office and then we went to the supermarket. I got to meet the butcher, who said he would love to hold me but his hands were messy and he didn’t want to get me dirty. I did get to check out all the yummy meats and sausages and chorizos, and I watched while he filleted our chicken breast.

Then I saw this HUGE leg thing surrounded by cheeses. Dana said it was a “jamón”. It’s a typical Spanish food.

Then on the way out we stopped for fresh baked bread and they had the yummiest looking desserts. I kept asking Dana for this coconut roll cake and she said it was too sugary for me. That sucks!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Sad Goodbyes and Happy Trails

2007-05-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

Today was sort of bittersweet. I had to say goodbye to Kristi and Martini and thank them for showing me such a great time in Germany and Belgium. I will miss them!

But then I found out that I got to go with Dana back to Spain and was really excited to see a new place. We got on a monorail at Frankfurt Airport because we had to change terminals. Once we got to our terminal, we waited for the bus to take us to the other airport. It was far away and it was very cold and raining. I slept most of the way on the bus.

Once we got to the other airport, we checked our bags and waited for the plane. I was a little disappointed when we boarded because they made an announcement that it was prohibited to take any pictures on the plane and especially of the staff. They said if they caught you taking pictures they would take your camera away until the end of the flight. I didn’t want Dana to get into any trouble, so I just snuggled down for the ride.

Once we landed, we got our bags and headed outside to wait for our ride home. Spain was warm and sunny, not at all like the weather we left behind in Germany!

We arrived at Dana’s house, unpacked, and I got to hang out with Manu and watch him work for a bit. Then I settled down for a nap because I was all tuckered out!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Dachau - A moving experience

2007-05-27T01:48:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up checked out of the hotel & drove to Dachau, a small town just outside of Munich. This is where the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is located. It was very interesting to see & very sad to think that so many people lost their lives there during World War II.

I didn’t take any pics of just me in the memorial & camp area because Kristi & Dana didn’t think it was appropriate. Out of respect, I agreed & thought that it would be best if I just stayed in Kristi’s bag while we were there. Dana did take a few pics of Kristi looking at things & you can see me too. It took about 4 hours to do the audio tour, go through the museum, & see the film. It was a very moving experience for all of us.

Martini took a nice black & white pic of me by the sign near the bus stop as we were leaving. He said that I looked a little sad, & I told him that I was reflecting on what I had seen. He said we must never forget so that it never happens again.

From Dachau, we got on the autobahn & headed for Frankfurt. After a few hours, we were there & checked into the Steigenberger Hotel near the airport. We got a really nice suite - too bad we could only stay one night.

We went to find some dinner. The restaurant we ate at was called NYC in the very trendy Sachenhausen Area of Frankfurt. We had some fantastic hamburgers – they ground the beef for them right before cooking.

I was tired & everyone else was too, so we headed back to the hotel. We had to get up early to catch our flights in the morning. Kristi still had to organize the suitcases, & I needed to get ready to travel with Dana back to Spain.

I had so much fun traveling with Kristi & Martini! I can’t wait to see where I get go, & what I get to do next!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

BMWs and Meat - What more could a dog want??

2007-05-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to see BMW World Headquarters & the BMW museum. They had a lot of very cool cars & motorcycles in there. There were all different kinds of cars: very old, very fast, limited editions, etc. A few of the cars were close to 100 years old! I sat in a really old one with Dana & Kristi, & we had our pic taken.

From the museum, we went back down to the Marienplatz to experience the market area & shopping! It was great - there were people everywhere. They had fresh fruit & vegetables, breads, meats, & handmade wares. Dana & Martini took tons of pics.

I found out that Saturday is the big weekly shopping day in most of Europe. Almost everything is closed on Sundays so that people can spend time with their families & friends. People will go to the market every few days to buy a few items, but in general, they don’t shop like we do in the US. They don’t “buy in bulk”. This is mainly because they don’t have the space to store it all. Their refrigerators are about the size of a large dorm fridge with a separate freezer about the same size. They don’t have a lot of cabinet space in their kitchens for storage either. This means that most of the food that they eat is made from fresh ingredients. Yum!

We then headed for the regular shops to buy some souvenirs for Nati, Nina, & Gaby. Kristi & Dana found some cute clothes for the girls in a department store called C&A. We found a traditional Bavarian cow bell for Kristi’s mom, & some cooking utensils in WMF that Kristi can’t get back at home.

When we were done shopping, we went back to the hotel to drop off our bags & get cleaned up for dinner. We went to eat at a really neat place called Churrascaria Brasil at La Villa im Bamberger Haus.

It was similar to the churrascarias that Kristi & Martini go to in Chicago. They serve meat that has been seasoned & roasted over an open flame then the “gaucho” carves it at your table right off the big skewer! We had 5 different kinds of meat: turkey, chicken, sausage, pork, & beef. It was so good!

Martini, Dana, & Kristi all had special Brazilian drinks called caipirinhas. Dana had never had them before, but I think she really liked them because she had 3!

For dessert, there were fried bananas with chocolate sauce & sprinkled with coconut & slices of flaming pineapple. The gaucho came to our table with the pineapple on the skewer, poured a brandy sauce over it, & then lit it on fire! I was a little scared at first, but Martini made sure I wasn’t too close & my fur didn’t get singed. We all had a great time.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Munich & Passau - Cities Full Of Life

2007-05-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up & went on a tour of Passau. Gisela was a tour guide before they moved to the U.S. 10 years ago, & she gave us a fantastic tour and a lot of information about the city. Kristi wanted to make sure that she got it all right so she took notes along with the pics.

Passau is a beautiful city! It has three rivers flowing around & through it. The Inn is the largest by volume – it has the most water in it, & the Ilz is the smallest. The Donau (Danube) is in the middle, but it’s the longest & goes all the way to the Black Sea.

There are 17 churches in Passau - 15 are Catholic & 2 Protestant. We got to go into the biggest one St. Stephens. The sign on the wall of the courtyard said no dogs, & due to the fact that this was a religious place, I thought it would be better if I stayed in Kristi’s bag. She took some great pics for me.

Gisela said that St. Stephens dates back to the year 409 A.D.! The church has parts that consist of romanic, gothic, & baroque architecture. There are 3 distinct architecture styles represented because it took 300 years to build and burned 2 times in the process.

Inside the church there is a massive organ that has 17,388 pipes. They range in size from 2” to 24’ in height. The pulpit where the Bishop speaks from is plated in gold.

The ceiling is beautifully painted & was done by 3 Italian painters that were unknown prior to this painting. I think they did a great job! The dome directly above altar is higher than the rest of the ceiling & is called the “Ascension to Heaven”. The inside is surrounded with angels.

We left the church, walked through town, & looked at some stores. I even got to try on some “lederhosen”! We then went to have lunch across the river in Austria at a nice restaurant called Café Blaas up on the mountain. The view was spectacular! I could see all of Passau & The Bavarian Forest.

After lunch, Martini, Kristi & I left for the Munich Airport to meet Dana. While we were waiting inside, there were several canine friends walking around with their guardians also waiting to pick people up.

Dana arrived, & I was so excited to see her! She looked exactly like the pic of her & Karma from BDP. We all then headed for K & K Hotel & unpacked our bags. Kristi & Dana had gifts & things for each other, & I got my very own BDP green collar with a tag that says “Paws for Peace” on it. I love it!

Martini wanted to go to the original Hofbräuhaus for dinner, so we headed to the U-bahn (subway) & went down to the Marienplatz (town square). There were street performers in the square. One looked like a fountain. He was painted silver & actually was squirting water!

We found the Hofbräuhaus & got a seat in the Biergarten. There was beer, music, singing, & pretzels as big as your head! We had so much fun.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Bronze Leonbergers

2007-05-24T04:06:00.000-07:00

Tante Annelise made us breakfast in the morning before we had to leave. I took some pics of the view from her balcony & her beautiful flowers. Her garden was full of them, & they smelled so great! She gave Martini a bottle of homemade Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps), & Kristi got a box of her favorite Lindt chocolates.

On our way out of town, we found one of the Leonberger statues. There was an exhibition a few months ago, & several different artists competed in it. After the competition, the statues were scattered throughout the town to be displayed different parks & squares.

I was really excited to see the statue & to be able to take a pic with it. It looked just like Jade & Nani - I can’t wait to show Denise!

We decided to stop at the Smart car dealer. They had the coolest thing in their car lot a Smart car “vending machine”! Smart cars are coming to the US in late 2007. They are very small & really cute. Martini’s dad sells them at his Mercedes dealership in Victoria, BC. Kristi said she got to drive one when she went there to visit last year. They really look like fun!

We arrived in Niederpretz, a small villiage outside Passau, around 3:30p.m. Helmut & Gisela were so happy to see Martini & Kristi! They moved back to Germany in November 2006 after Helmut retired from his position as President of ZF Sales & Service North America. We were their 1st visitors from the U.S. since they moved.

I got to play out in the garden & the wheat field behind the house while Helmut grilled dinner. Then Gisela took me around the house & showed me her “dogs”. There was Lady, a Cocker Spaniel, sleeping on the porch, Fritze, a Schnauzer, sitting in the hallway, & Pluto stuck to the window of the front door.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Friedrichshafen, Stuttgart, Leonberg

2007-05-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

We checked out this morning, & the nice girl at the desk gave me a rubber duck! It says SEEhotel on the side. He’s very cute.

We went to ZF so Martini could drop off his security badge. I had my pic taken in front of the main building. I couldn’t believe the facility was so big. Martini said that was because this is headquarters for ZF worldwide.

After leaving Friedrichshafen, we headed for Stuttgart & Leonberg. We stopped along the way in a small town called Rottenberg for lunch. It was an old town right on a river with really nice traditional buildings. There was a church there that was from the 15th century in the town square! We arrived in Leonberg around 3pm. We found the Parkplatz (parking garage) & drove in to park. Martini followed the signs & it went down, down, down. When we finally got to the parking area, the temperature had dropped almost 20º F & it was dark! We walked up the circular staircase & there were animals painted on the walls. One section had all different dogs. Later on we found out that the garage was originally used as a bomb shelter for the town.

We walked around the Marktplatz (market square) for awhile & looked in some stores. Kristi was so excited to find earrings at Juwelier Morweiser that matched a necklace that Martini had bought her on a previous business trip. I was happy to make another friend there. He was owned by the jeweler & came to work with him. How fun would that be to go to work with your owner daily?

Martini’s cousin met us & took us to his Tante (Aunt) Annelise’s house. We had cake & coffee, & then Kristi showed everyone the wedding pics on her computer. Everyone enjoyed the pics, & even though they don’t speak English, we managed to explain who everyone was. We had some dinner & went to see Martini’s cousin Frank’s new house. It was very nice. Frank took us out to a biergarten (beer garden) in the Marktplatz. The weather was very clear & warm, & I could see lots of stars.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Zeppelins, Oh My!

2007-05-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today, Kristi & I went hunting for a plug adapter for the computer. Unfortunately, Martini took the adapter to work, & Kristi used up the battery on the laptop downloading my pics & blog. The concierge at the hotel had one for converting everything else to Europe, but not a plug from the USA.

We walked all over town for about 2 hours. We went to all these places that the hotel said would have it, but no luck. Finally on our way back, we found one in a little electronic store around the corner from the hotel. Go figure.

Martini came back from work, & we all went down to the lake for a stroll. We saw some more canine friends, but they were exercising so Kristi just snapped some quick pics.

Martini then said he had a surprise for us. We got in the car and drove a little ways out of the town to an air field. There we got to see the Zeppelin! Martini said it was very expensive to ride around, 300€. It landed & picked up new passengers then took off again. It was so big!

A friend of Martini’s invited us to his home for dinner & drinks. It was a very nice house with a little yard & pond in back. I thought about a swim, but didn’t have my suit & towel. So I decided to take a rest out on the patio instead. It was a very nice night.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!

Stadtmitte, oh what fun!

2007-05-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Martini had to go to work for some meetings during the day today. Kristi & I went out on our own to explore the town.

We walked down to the Stadtmitte (town center) to do some shopping. We found at outlet store which made Kristi very happy. She bought a cute shirt & an embroidered jacket for only 55€ (about $70).

We had ice cream for lunch down by the lake. It was sunny & warm, & there were lots of people & canine friends wandering around. I looked through the telescope that they had there, & I could see Switzerland & the Alps on the other side of the lake.

Everyone that we met was really nice. Kristi doesn’t speak German, & they tried hard to communicate with us in English. When in doubt, we did a lot of pointing & hand gestures. We met Martini back at the hotel & had to go to dinner with some corporate people. I got to come along, but needed to stay in Kristi’s bag. Martini said that the gentlemen may not understand why I was there, & he didn’t know if he could explain it to them well enough in German. I told him not to worry, I totally understood.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving a dog a bone! All bones are for charity, to help hungry dogs everywhere!