Jerusalem Gay Parade & Doggie Tummy Rubs

G'day Pals,
Last week my mum went to the gay parade in Jerusalem to show support for her friends and for human wights. She said it was her scawiest experience of 20 years working in the Middle East, and she's wowked in Sywia, Egypt, and Lebanon! Thewe were 9000 police to pwotect 5000 marchers. In the middle of all of this there was still woom for a doggie to get a tummy rub! She took the photo cause every time she sees a dog she thinks of me and she misses me. I pwoud of my mum for standing up for wights, even though I'm not suwe what they awe. My mum says she's a little jealous because she's had a blog for 9 months and I've had one for 3, and I have as many hits as she does. If you want to visit my mum's blog it's at http://lahconfidential.blogspot.com/
She's coming home in 3 weeks! Hooray!

Ready to Pawty for Maggie

Ben Ben & Girl Girl invited me to a really cool Pawty for Maggie, Queen of So Cal. My mum is still not awound to help me come up with a weally good costume. You should see my pal, Asta up over, she looks like a queen herself. So, I'm stuck wearing my sexy, smokin hot nursie outfit. I'm catching a ride wif Girl Girl in her car on the way to pick up the other Asta in New York (I hope Asta's dwess will fit in the car) and then we are off to California. I'm weally excited because I've never been to California, but my mum and dad are fwom there. I didn't know how Girl Girl would fit all of us in herw car but she managed. Girl Girl, took this cool photo of all of us in the cawr & put it on her blog. There's nothing like a woad twip! I'm hoping we can swing by Jackson's and pick him up to be our date!
Pawty On!

Jackson's Dweam Team

G'day Pals, Those of you who have kept up on our fwiend Jackson's medical pwoblems know that the 2 Asta's had to get him away fwom hussie nurse Clarissa. Jackson came to his senses and now the 2 Asta's and Janie are taking good cawe of him! Doesn't Janie look gweat in her nursie uniform? We wait on him hand & paw. Janie gives him cookies, and the 2 Asta's give him smoochie kisses and cuddles. Doesn't he look gorgeous?

Me & My Dad

G'day pals, this is me giving some licks to my dad in our patio. I know he loves me, but he has a hard time taking care of him self with mum gone, and more trouble taking care of me, so I am still with the Figgs (not to be confused with Tad's mean sister Fig) where I'm getting runs and tummy rubs from Ellen and playing with my 4 cairn mates: Zarra, Judah, Violet and Jasmine. My foster mum Mandy says that Ellen has been a good influence on me, and I like to be cuddled more now (Jackson, where are you?), instead of jumping around all the time. That's good because my mum is coming home in just over a month, and that means I get to come home too!

I'm Ready for my Close-Up Mr. DeMille!

I've been tagged for celebrity look-alike by Goofy, so I have to show myself next to a famous celebrity that I look like. This was really a difficult choice. My first thought was to choose Anna Nicole Smith or Marilyn Monroe, but I think I most look like Skippy, who played Asta in the Thin Man movies. Can you tell which is which?
I'm tagging Opy, Bogart, & Toto, too!

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me!/Improving the Aussie Cork Hat

G'day Mates, My mum just returned to Jerusalem from her week in Cyprus and is tired from partying with all her friends. However, we were distressed to read that my cultured pal, Asta Urbanista in New York (New York City?) has had some trouble with flies, and one of them was so gigantic that she was pewtrified with fear and had to call for help! Crikey! Mates, we have lots of flies down here, and to help keep 'em away we wear these cork hats. So, I got my pal Asta urbanista to try with of these beauties. Don't you all think she looks Faire Dinkum? And, cuter than the funny man. The dangling corks scawe the flys away, but the only problem is that the corks are more annoying than the flies, but at least they aren't scawy! My new cairn pal Scruffy had a weally good suggestion for impwoving the cork hats. He thinks we should have treats and bones dangle fwom the hat instead of the corks. Snicker's Ma suggested dangling vermin would be fun for us doggies. And, Fee suggested having dangly treats on the anti-itch cones. I think that all of these ideas could be a big impwovement!

8 Things About Me/ Away for a Week

First off mates, my mum is going to Cyprus for 5 days tomorrow, so she won’t be able to help me blog till next Friday! 2nd of all, Billy tagged me to tell you 7 or 8 things about me that you don’t know and I've tagged Koobuss, Janie the Painie, and Bussie.
8 things about Asta:

1. This is my “humble” home, a 19th c. church that’s now a house.

2. My dad’s (in the photo) nickname for me is P-Asta, short for Pain in the Asta.

3. When I was a puppy, I chewed up some of my dad’s CD’s.

4. I used to bite my mum and dad’s ankles when I was a pup.

5. My favorite game is rope toss!

6. I have my own door so I can come and go as I please.

7. I can jump from the top of the sofa to the dining room table and get lots of treats!

8. My mum’s nickname for me is Asta Baby.

Tagged By Asta Up Over!

I've been tagged by Asta up over and the new game of tag involves posting a photo of myself in a silly situation. The problem is that I'm in Melbourne and mum is in Israel and this is the only photo she has of me that is unusual. I am sitting on Billy's shoulders and he his carrying me around. Mum carries me this way too! Billy is Mandy's son and Ellen's brother. Two years ago, when the Figgs were having drinkies with mum and dad, we all got locked out on the patio and Billy climbed into the house through my doggy door and let everyone in. Now that would have made a funny photo! Since there are two photos here you have to guess which one is of me and Billy and which one is the Moscophoros from 460 BCE Athens. I'm tagging Billy, Tadpole, and Girl Girl cause they're 3 of my funnest pals. xxx Asta

Bronson’s Story: A Happy Ending

Some of you have asked me about my new pal Bronson. He belonged to a friend of a friend of Mandy, from Mandy’s work. Mandy and her family are whom I’m living with till mum comes home. When Bronson’s mum moved to a new house she couldn't have a dog with her and she looked and looked for a new home for him. Bronson almost became an orphan, but then Mandy found a new home for him with Trevor who works with Grant. Grant is Mandy’s husband and the hooman dad of my 4 cairn mates: Zarra, Judah, Violet and Jasmine. Here Grant is offering us a treat, but I'm getting it cause I'm a fasty. He He. So anyway, Trevor gave Bronson a new home and now he has a big new family of hoomans to play with: Trevor and Jo and their kids Stacey, and twins Tara and Samantha. I hope I will get to see Bronson again in the future, but I don’t know because his new family is keeping him busy!

Billy Tummy Tagged Me!

My favorite Shih Tzu and Canadian, Billy, tummy tagged me! Mum doesn't have any pictures of my sleeping and she can't take any cause she's still away. This is Ellen, and she spoils me rotten, while I'm waiting for my mum. She takes me running everyday and she gives me these tummy rubs! See how happy I look? Mum is worried that now I won't want to come home with all of these nice tummy rubs. Now, I've tagged Tadpole, coy Sophie Brador, and Luna!

We Will Miss You Fu Fu

My mum and I are fairly new to the dogs with blogs world - just 1 1/2 months, and we only got to know little Fu Fu bear a short time ago. FuFu and his blog quickly became our favorite and mum and I checked it all the time. We feel very blessed to have known little FuFu, even for this short time, and it seems like we have known him for ages. He gave so much joy to us and to so many people, and even though he lived a long hamsterrier life, his time here for us was just too short. We were shocked, stunned, and saddened to learn about his passing. We are grateful to have known him for just this little while. He always made us laugh and feel happy. Mum has had a couple of hamsterriers in the past, but Fu Fu was really remarkable: he could drive a car and he was a superhero! He brought many dogs together through his magic. Mum checked his blog even more than I did!

Then Came Bronson!

G’day Mates,
Mum and I are real excited cause her friend Mandy who is taking care of me while mum digs up old bones sent her some new photos of yours truly. I’m especially excited because in addition to the 4 cairns that belong to the Figgs, we had another dog staying with us for the last few days. This is my new mate, Bronson. He's a Maltese Terrier and he's really cute just like my Malteaser friends Bella, Scrappy, Snowball and Toby! We had a fun few days flirting and playing bitey face. Bronson had a bit of a haircut and he’s looking handsome - don't you think? Now he’s going home.

Happy Birthday Mum!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, mates! After recovering from the wine and cheese paw-ty, my mum took some time to celebrate her B-day yesterday! Unfortunately, I'm in Oz and mum was celebrating with her mates in Jerusalem. Dad sent mum a dozen roses and then she went to the famous American Colony Hotel for a drink (or 2). This photo shows mum last summer (my winter) when she was digging on Crete. She's holding the excavation director's terrier, Hercules. Mum doesn't take me to her digs, because then I would have to go through quarantime for 30 days to get back into Australia. Mum says quarantine isn't much fun. I would like to try archaeology because I dig all the time in the garden. I think I'd be a really good archaeologist - much better at it than mum is, but she says I'm not allowed to chew the bones. What kind of archaeology is that???? So, I'm stuck in Melbourne playing with the 4 cairn terriers and going walkies with Ellen. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention - my mum is jealous that my blog gets more hits than hers does!

My Koi

Butchy and Snickers named a Koi after me. I'm sooo honored!

I'm A Paw-ty Animal

Mates, I had a great time this weekend at the Dogs With Blogs Wine and Cheese Paw-ty. I don't know what was better: talking to all of my old friends or making so many new ones. Mum and I are still recovering, but we plan to vist our new friends blogs real soon. In the meantime, I found out that there is a special beer made just for dogs! I hope it becomes available in Australia soon!

Asta's Thin Man Movie Clip

G'day Mates, Mum found a link to this video of the original Asta on the wire fox terrier list. Thanks to Dean-O and his mum for posting it! Enjoy! Asta

My New Routine!

G’day Pals,
I’ve been pretty busy, since I’ve gone to stay with the Figgs, while waiting for my mum to return from the Middle East. Although my life has become pretty routine, it’s never dull. When I’m not surfing at Bell’s Beach or Torquay, I spend most of my day in the yard with the Figgs’ 4 Cairn terriers. Keeping them in line all day is pretty exhausting!
My favorite Cairn is Judah because he likes to play. Right now, our favorite game is tug-o-war. Everyone in the house thinks we’re very funny because we both growl very loudly when we are pulling on a toy! So far we’ve only broken one toy, but we will try to do better and break lots more. Judah is getting older and he is pretty worn out, by the end of the day. I think he’s having a birthday paw-tay this week when he turns 8 and his mum Zorah is nearly 15!
I used to sleep on Billy’s bed everynight, but now I’ve made a switcheroo and I sleep on Ellen’s bed because she has been taking me for a run every night along the local creek! Given that Ellen is a teenager with a busy social life, it’s really nice of her to spend so much time with me.
When we walk everyone stops to ask Ellen what kind of a dog I am. I always have a good bark about this because it’s so funny and I love being the center of attention on my walks! I moved to Melbourne from Brisbane because there aren’t many Fox Terriers in Australia.
With all of this activity, I try to sleep in most mornings. Now that it is fall, I will probably stop surfing soon and the mornings are a lot cooler. Mandy, always has to get me out from under Ellen’s doona (comforter) now for my morning pee, but afterward I run straight back to bed and hide under the covers for another hour or so, until the kids go to school, then I start my work day on guard dog duty!

How Many Asta's?

G'day Mates,
FuFu wanted to know how many Asta's there are. There are currently 2 in my Blogosphere, but I know from your e-mail that there are many more. I hope they will all drop in for a visit, but at the moment there's me and another Asta I talk to all the time and she lives in New York. In order to distinguish myself I sometimes use my full name: Asta La Vista, Baby or refer to myself as Asta down under and to urbanista Asta in NYC as Asta up over. I like to jump in my little pool and splash around, roll in the mud, and dig holes in the ground and bury my pig ears - I'm hoping to be an archaeologist like my mum. Asta up over is more cultured. She likes to play the piano and speaks many languages, and she has just decided to become a surgeon! But despite our different interests we are mischief loving WFT's. There is a link to her web site below. We are both named for the WFT called Asta in the Thin Man movie series, and I both of our humans like to drink martini's - just like Nick and Nora in the Thin Man. I don't drink because I'm the designated driver, but mum wants to teach me how to mix a martini - shaken, not stirred, of course.

The Dropbears and the Bunyips

Mates,
The drop bears have also been a big problem here in recent days. I haven't said much because I know Billy has been worried that they would leave Australia and head toward Canada. The Bunyip's haven't caused as much trouble because they stay in their Billabong's mates, and with the drought here in Melbourne, they just haven't been around. I know they may look like cute lil' koalas, but look at the teeth on this beauty, Crikey!

Action Girl

G’day Mates,
Sorry I’ve been out of touch. Crikey! I can't believe it's been 2 whole weeks since I've made a proper post. Life is really full on for me. As you know, I’m staying with my mum’s friends until she gets home in July, and I really miss her. My normal household is usually just 2 people, so it’s really easy to let mum and dad know that I’m the boss.
Now, I’m in a house with 2 adults, 2 teenagers, and 4 cairn terriers. Keeping everyone in line has been a full-time job! Sometimes they just don’t understand that wherever I go, I’m used to being in charge. So, I have to put all of these folks in their place, let the other doggies know that I'm the alpha, and guard the house!
I’ve always been a pretty active little gal as you can see in this baby picture of me playing with Benny. Crikey! He's got the same colors, but those aren't terrier ears. Lately, I’ve been getting out and taking lots of long walks with Ellen and Billy, and I've been splashing around in my pool a lot because summer is almost over here. So, it's been working, walking, splashing, and taking charge!