Tag: dog

October 8, 2006
Mom told me she had this funny thought about when I go over to Dorothy’s house (you know, Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz) and meet her dog Graham. Graham is going to say, “Why do you keep saying ‘Dorothy’?”

And of course I will reply with, “Because that is her name.”

After a few rebuttals back and forth (which I hope doesn’t turn into a fight) Graham may come up with “I knew it! My Mom is leading a double life. The first clue should have been when she came home smelling like you! By day, my sweet, innocent Mommy Kim. By night, well, I don’t know what the heck she does with you! But she’s had your stink on her for weeks now.”

Me: “I hear people say I may be going to have an identity crisis. Do you think that is what is happening to Dorothy-Kim?”

Graham: “I don’t know what that is. Let’s play.”

Isn’t my Mommy funny? Everyone knows my friend’s name is Dorothy!

LexiToto

October 5, 2006
I keep adding things to my part as Toto, as the audience notices and responds. I have, however, decided to leave one thing out, and Mom has finally stopped trying to make me do it, because I am not going to do it anymore. Period. End of discussion. Those trees scared me. They walk around and dance and act entirely not like trees. Well, they got in my way after I skipped – well I try to skip – with Dorothy and the Lion and the Tin Man and the Scarecrow across the stage. It is the third time I sort of skip down the proverbial yellow brick road during the play. The first two times went fine. Then that third time those trees, oh those nasty moving trees, got in my way and it scared me and I will not do that again when they are on the stage. Absolutely, positively not.

LexiToto

October 2, 2006
I am the star. That’s what everyone says. They say I steal the show, but honest, I didn’t steal anything. I just run out on the stage (at least most of the time) when Mom says, and get treats, and run off, back to Mom who is always there waiting for me. Now I have found that I can go down the front stairs and off the stage into the audience. That’ a hoot. Mom seems kinda freaked out when I get back, though. She says she can’t see me and isn’t sure if I am coming back. I know when I have to be back for when the good witch points at me and asks if I am the witch – how silly! I haven’t missed my cue yet.

And those monkeys – oooooh I don’t like those monkeys. I run as fast as I can when I see them coming and Mom picks me up. But then she hands me to one of the monkeys! So last time they came after me, I ran into my kennel off-stage where I would be safe. When I came out of my kennel, thinking they were all gone, Mom picked me up and handed me to one of them again. I don’t know how I am going to stop her from doing this. Doesn’t she know they are scary??

Lexi the star

September 22, 2006
I am having such a great time at the theater, both on-stage and off. I try to think of something new to do every night as well as on Sunday afternoon. I pay close attention to how the audience reacts so I will know if I should do it again next time. When Dorothy and I go back onstage after the house has landed in Oz, all the little kids called Munchkins sneak out around the edges of some fake plants and start giggling. I have started running and barking at them, and they giggle harder and run back behind the plants. Everyone in the audience laughs a lot when I do that, so I have kept it in my role as Toto.

One day before the show opened I went to an upstairs place back behind where the audience will be sitting. Mom kept telling me to bark by saying my word, free! She said they were recording me and I should bark as much and in as many different ways as I wanted. All I have to say to that is BARK! BARK! WOOF, WOOF. RRRRRRARRR. So in the scenes where I am supposed to bark, the audience hears the recording. Who knew that when I did a little improve that it would sound different! A few people actually asked if some of my barks were recorded. I wasn’t sure if I should feel embarrassed or proud…

Lexi the Thespian

September 15, 2006
Last night the show opened and I got to perform on-stage for the first time ever! It was a Thursday night and there were a lot of older people, which was great, since I really relate to that age bracket. I have had lots of practice with my Grandma, after all. Dorothy was about to take me out on stage with the old-looking new leash she had gotten for the part when Jeffery the director said, “No. We aren’t using a leash.” You should have seen the looks on both Dorothy and my mom’s faces. Dorothy took a deep breath and I think Mom started praying. No one knew what I would do since I had never been able to show them that am a born actor. We had rehearsed a lot and I knew my part and did it. When I first ran out to Dorothy on cue, and the audience breathed a collected sigh of “Awwwwww,” that sealed it. I knew I had found my calling. I would have done anything to hear that again. Then when I stole the hot dog from the stick like I was supposed to do and everyone laughed, I knew I loved this job more than anything. Dorothy had treats hidden in her socks and gave me lots of them during the play. Mom helped by always waiting off-stage where I was supposed to run when it was time and she always had a treat for me too. I think I am in heaven.

LexiToto the happy Schnauzer

 That’s me in the middle

 September 4, 2006

You should have seen me at the Annie Awards just before the show opened. I wore a white tux collar and red bow tie – I just knew clothes were going to enter into this at some point! Mom says it was, after all, a black tie affair. So where does this red bow tie come in? Mom wore a red gown to match my red bow tie. I worked the crowd. Pet me, feed me, adore me. And they did. Mom managed to ruin it a bit when she stood up on a chair and warned everyone, “Do not give any ham to the schnauzer.” After the social hour in the lobby, I sat on Mom’s lap for the awards in the auditorium – the one where I will be performing. At first, all the clapping, yelling and hooting bothered me. After about 20 minutes I decided it didn’t matter and settled down to watch the awards, even taking a little nap at the end. Then back to the lobby for dessert! I found the cream puff table and stood with my front paws on it, looking longingly at the treats – not without reward! The director is extremely impressed with my behavior, everyone’s reactions to me and my reactions back to them. What does he expect? When I am nice everyone feeds me treats and pets me. Isn’t that what life is all about, anyhow? So Mom says I don’t have to wear any more clothes during the play. That’s good. Now, if I could just get rid of those darned flying monkeys.

Woof, woof!

LexiToto

  August 28, 2006

When I was a young pup and having a great time chewing to shreds my potty paper, who would have thought that some day I would be a feature in a newspaper?  Yep, there I am, posing so beautifully with Dorothy on the front page of the Lifestyle section of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

I sure hope some puppy doesn’t peepee on my picture.

LexiToto

August 19, 2006

I got to go back to the Theatre Center and got interviewed. I tried to answer some of the questions but I think the lady only wrote down what Mommy said. I had my picture taken a bunch with Dorothy. I decided I like having my picture taken and posed very nicely outside right next to Dorothy’s red shoes. All of her they got in the picture was her red shoes. Ha, ha, won’t she be surprised! The camera lady said I was very photogenic. What’s photogenic?

Maybe the lady will give some of the pictures to my Mommy and she will put them on my web page.

I followed Dorothy everywhere during rehearsal. I was soooo excited to see her. She came over to my house last week and played with me. Then she came back another day just to take me for ice cream. I wonder how she knew I love ice cream best of all? She is my special friend now. I heard her talking to Mommy about coming to see me again. She is going to come pick me up from my Grandma’s. Dorothy said something about taking me on TV with her. That sounds so silly. Why on earth would she want to be on a TV? I hope I don’t have to sit on the TV. It is up a little too high and I might fall off. I am not a cat, you know.

I love rehearsal now. I get lots and lots of treats. And lots and lots of petting and “good girls”. But especially lots of treats. Everyone is very impressed that I bark when Mommy tells me. Once she remembered the right word to tell me to bark, I understood and now I bark every time she says it. It goes back to me learning to “stay” while we were at the park. First Mom would tell me to “heel,” then “sit,” then “stay.” When it was ok for me to get up again, Mom would say, “free!” The first thing I would do when she said “free” was to jump up and bark, then take off running. So now when Mom wants me to bark, all she has to do is say “free!”

It is late and I want to go to bed now. I always get a treat at bedtime!

Woof, woof! (And a special woof at the witch’s old hat!!)

LexiToto