I sat up and watched everything until I knew we were on the highway then I lay down to wait for the fun stuff to come. I was very good and didn't even whine or pout when we didn't stop for breakfast. We drove for many minutes and I dosed on and off and then something terrible happened. It got really dark and started to rain and I couldn't see where we were going. I got scared when there were bright flashes of light and big booms. I whined and asked Mommy to hold me but she said no I was safer where I was. I was sooo scared you would not believe it so I scrunched over towards Daddy so I could touch his shoulder and hide my face if I wanted to. I just knew the end of the world was coming I got so scared I had one of my wheezy attacks and Mommy had to help calm me down and help me to catch my breath. Thankfully it finally got light again and I saw that the road was still there and that the world had not ended after all. I was so relieved and exhausted! I slept for a while until I was rudely awakened by a mean doggie that was hiding in MY car! I woke up to its barking and growling and barked back as hard as I could and then looked around to see where it was. I couldn't see it but I heard it again, uh oh, was it coming from under my seat? I was VERY brave and carefully I edged over and peeked over the side of my seat, no doggy there but where was it? At this point I realized BOTH Mommy & Daddy were quite rudely laughing at me. Then I saw Daddy push a button on the car and heard the doggie bark again, they were making fun of me it was on the radio! I was very insulted and turned around and gave them the cold Puggy shoulder until we got to the hotel, whoo hoo room service coming up!

Once we got into the room & I had checked out the bathroom with it's neat-o indoor pool and selected which bed was MINE, I get first dibs on the beds since I am a goddess. To select which bed would be mine I had to pull the covers back and bounce on the pillows (to make sure they were soft enough for my tender self don't ya know) I then announced I was ready for room service. Mommy had Daddy settled on His bed and was getting the luggage in when she came in with some bags that smelled suspiciously like take out. I looked at daddy and said what's up with this? I get room service! Daddy said nope no room service tonight it's take-out or nothing for us my girl. I pouted for a while but then I decided to go ahead and eat after all I have to keep up my strength for the rest of the trip don't I? Without me to supervise and navigate who knows where we'd end up!

In the morning I was raring to go; I knew the day had to have some super great stuff in store for me since we were on a trip. I helped Mommy pack everything back up and then we hit the road again. Once we were in the car I was waiting and trying to be patient, where was breakfast! I get breakfast in the car on a trip, it's a Pug RULE and not to be broken without dire consequences I'm a goddess and have special powers to make those that displease me pay Big Time! After a while just when I was feeling faint from hunger Daddy remembered the RULE and we stopped for breakfast. Mommy got me a sausage biscuit not that I got any of the biscuit & she got Daddy one with sausage & egg but I didn't get any egg either that is so unfair! When I acted finicky about this fact she told me quite rudely that if I didn't want if that was fine with her she's be more than happy to give me doggy food. Doggy food on a trip? Sacrilege! I get yummy stuff on trips not doggy food! Well some doggy food but I really like the nibbles I get of other stuff better. Once I was finished eating I settled down to ponder the weightier issues of the day like when was supper and would it finally be room service? This trip was off to a rocky start but I knew if I closed my eyes and concentrated hard enough I would be able to make it pugform to my high Puggy standards.

When we got to the hotel I rushed to help Mommy unpack it was so great another room with room service this time I just knew it! I was so excited!

Then I got the bad news for the 2nd night in a row, no room service! I was M A D I put on my biggest pouty face and glared at Mommy I AM SUPPOSED TO HAVE ROOM SERVICE! Mommy left, I think she was feeling guilty for being such a bad Mommy and mistreating ME, her baby, so horribly. When she came back she had some bags, hmm well if there was no room service to be had then may be I'd better check just what was available. I got a bowl of doggy food, YUCK! I like my doggy food at home but not on a trip, luckily my daddy is a much better parent than my Mommy and he snuck me some of his chicken, YUM almost as good as room service. After we had eaten I sat Mommy down and had a face-to-face talk with her about just how things are supposed to work on a trip. I was very serious and told her she was a bad Mommy and that I expected there to be some improvements in her Momminess right quick. I think she understood but I will keep you updated.

Well morning came bright & early & I was ready to GO. Mommy put me in the car while she loaded in the luggage and all, see how good I am I am very patient. I think my talk has done wonders. Once we get back on the road Mommy brings out a surprise, Puggy cookies! Yum I even get to have 4 whole ones I am so special my talk the night before definitely got her to thinking about what a terrible Mommy she was before. I LOVE MY Puggy cookies they are scrumptious. Mommy says they are even pretty good for me considering. I have told Mommy to put them on my WebPage so that all of you can have them too and know how great they are. She said she is working on it; she is sooo slow I may have to take matters into my own paws. We didn't have long to drive today and then when we got to Rochester NY we checked into our room and guess what?

Room Service! At first I didn't believe it I thought they were just fooling me after all anything could be under those bowls right?

Well Mommy took of the lid and I got to smell the food, smelled kind of funny to me. What was this, fish? Yuck, She KNOWS I don't like fish and what's this green stuff? Vegetables? I prefer carrots not green fuzzy stuff that looks like a weed not food. Mommy says there's a piece of chicken in there for you too so I take my time and check it out some more, I don't see the chicken but I have my eye on that strawberry, yummy!

All of you Puggies out there that have never had room service pay close attention now I am going to tell you how it works so hopefully you'll get some yummies too. First of all you HAVE to have a hotel room why I am not sure but you can't get room service at home. Second Your Mommy has to look at colorful pieces of paper (these are fun to chew on when she's not looking but be careful you don't want to get in trouble while on a trip or it's no goodies for you.) Then she picks up the phone and tells room service what she wants, hopefully before this you have pointed out on the pretty papers what you want so you'll get something yummy too. Then comes the hardest part you have to wait for a "in a minute" until room service knocks on the door. I am not quite sure how room service knows where we are but I think they know about me and so know to bring me MY room service. You know the greatest thing about room service? It's FREE no green papers or pretty shinny things are needed, Mommy just scribbles on a piece of paper and we get the food! I know how to do my pawtograph so I bet I could get room service even if she weren't there! Now if you have been paying attention you will get to eat lots of yummy stuff, hopefully your mommy doesn't order fish, Yuck! I like chicken, beef, carrots, fruit and even sausage sometimes. Mommy cuts MY food up for me and puts it in MY bowl on MY placemat and then when we are done eating I help Mommy put the tray in the hall for them to come and pick it up. After dinner I conked out so not much else happened it sure is hard work driving 1300 miles I bet Mommy & Daddy don't appreciate just how much I do on trips. I feel like I pedaled every mile there; all by myself I was so wore out.

We had to get up very very early the next morning "YAWN" and go to the festival. I was very excited but got tired out real fast telling Mommy how to put everything up is very tiring. I get to sit in MY stroller and watch everything and then when I get tired I can snuggle down and take a nap right there! Mommy has MY water bowl where I can reach it and I have my very own fan, well 2 actually but it was kind of cool that day so I only needed 1. In fact it got kind of chilly at one point & I tucked my little toes and nose into my paw blanky to keep them warm. We had room service again that night and I finally woke up and wanted to play in the middle of the night but Mommy was just laying there and no matter how hard I hit her with the baby she would not get up and play, she is so mean. She said to me that those of us that sleep all day should not expect the others that actually do work to play all night. Now I wonder what she meant by that? I mean I worked all day, being cute takes a lot of effort during long days outside and even you (being the oh so cute puggies that you are) must admit I am super cute!

The next day was pretty much the same except that Mommy said she had a surprise for me, I wonder what it could be? I thought maybe it was the fact that I got to walk around the festival that morning and then that maybe it was that I got to ride on an empty cart back to the tent. Or I was wondering if it was all the people I got to meet that morning but Mommy said no just wait and you'll see. I got to see several doggies but they were all bigger than me and even though I told mommy I could take them she wouldn't let me go over to see them up close. Daddy said I could go provided of course I was OK with being breakfast for them. I though it over and even though I know I am super tender and yummy (Mommy thinks so too cause she is always kissing me and stuff) I decided I didn't want to be some other doggies breakfast and stayed where I was. By now I had walked blocks & blocks and gotten to ride a cart had breakfast met lots of people and doggies so I was tired and settled down to sleep the day away. I think Mommy lied about the surprise. I was dozing away the day (just between you & me festivals can be so boring) keeping cool with my fan when suddenly Mommy wakes me up. I'm like huh? What? What's going on?

Mommy said there's a lady here to meet you she's one of your Pugpals and she came to just see you! I was still half asleep trying to figure out why if she were one of my pugpals she didn't have fur so I just kind of sat there and blinked at the nice lady. She said she read about me and everything. She told me her Pug girls were at home because it was too hot for them at the festival, it was kind a warm by then and I just wanted to go back to sleep I tried to lay my head down on Mommy's arm but she wanted me to wake up, once again I'll state she is a MEAN Mommy. She said her name was Ceil and that she had 2 Pug girls named Ascii & Whizzy. She was kind of stressed out because one of her girls Ascii I think, (I was tired ok?) had just gone to the doctors for a cancer check and she was worrying about her. I don't know what cancer is but I do know several of my Pugpals have had it and it's not any fun at all so we all have to get together & think super positive puggy thoughts that she will be ok. She was also worried because her kitty was sick and I'm sure Ascii & Whizzy were upset too since they had to be nice to the kitty cause it was sick & not pick on it! My Mommy was kind of stressed too can you believe she was super nervous about meeting Ceil? She is so silly! I heard her telling Daddy how worried she was that Ceil would like us, MY Mommy is really kind of a shy person when it comes to meeting people she's never met before, she says email is so much easier why I don't know but she does. So any way Mommy was sitting there holding me and I know it's MY job to be the center of attention and help break the ice but I was just sooo sleepy. Mommy was trying to not act goofy but not succeeding very well, let me tell you when she gets nervous boy oh boy, and she thinks I act silly sometimes. Any way about the time that Mommy finally gets up the nerve to ask Ceil if she wants to hold droopy ole me and get her picture taken we get interrupted, I told Mommy later that if she had taken any longer I would have been entirely gray and a lot more than droopy! She was not amused and told me if I had an issue with her handling of the situation I should at least deign to wake up next time and not sit there like a little lump. So in the end I didn't get a picture with MY Pugpal once I woke up that night I was very upset and told Mommy she needs to do better. But I am working on a drawing of My Pugpal and I. I am quite the artist as you can see I think I am even better than Mommy. I took Mommy to task and told her next time to warn the person that she is meeting that unless I decide to be awake & charming Mommy is kind of goofy and tongue tied. Mommy said I was a brat, but I know she didn't mean it she was really looking forward to meeting Ceil but just has a hard time meeting new people. When I got home I emailed Ascii & Whizzy (Ceils little girls) and guess waht? They said their Mommy was shy too! Can you just picture it? 2 super shy people from opposite sides of the country meeting on strange ground with only 1 little sleepy Pug to break the ice! If it weren't so pitiful I'd laugh (snort snort wheeze wheeze), but then Mommy might smack me from being snotty so it'll just be a secret little joke for us Puggies to share and snicker about when we nap (Mommy shy giggle giggle, shy what's shy mean? I think it is something we Puggies most definitely are not!). But now the next time Mommy says she'll meet someone you'll know to come with YOUR Mommy to help break the ice or I won't be held responsible! (Jeez the stress I am under!)

Well the show finally got over and we were back on the road, boy let me tell you was I happy, shows can get sooo boring but traveling is fun! We got to go to another hotel room and even though we didn't get room service it was still fun because it was on the 2nd floor! I'm a Florida Pug and we don't have many steps so it was fun to go up and down though Mommy was worried cause even though she can carry me up and down them she can't carry Daddy but I watched and even though he went really slow he did fine so I don't know what she was worried about.

The next day we got started early because we were heading for South of the Border! We had one more night to get through before we got there so I was super good and patient. I also figured it was best that I catch up on my sleep so I'd be ready to party!

I was so very good and then finally morning arrived and we were off, only 3 hours until South of the Border! I had a hard time not asking Mommy, "Are we there yet?" every couple of minutes. Any of you that have ever traveled up or down I-95 probably have seen the big yellow billboards for it. I have stayed there before and it is lots of fun.

Mommy was talking about all the fun stuff we were going to do together and then guess what? Daddy's office started calling, bad news and more bad news. Mommy was getting all tense and funny looking and then Daddy talked to the Dean and the worst thing happened, No overnight at South of the Border, I was all Boo Hoo, but Mommy tried to be sunny and bright and said well maybe next time, but Daddy said we can still stop for an hour ok? Mommy & I were like OH GOODY!

We pulled in & Mommy & I flew literally flew out of the car; first we did a kamikaze shopping spree at the hat store where I got a sombrero, a red cowboy hat and a cute little pink hat. I have been promised an outfit to compliment each of these so I'll keep you posted. I have told her I want a little red vest WITH fringe and a white skirt AND I told Daddy I want a little set of holsters with tiny little gun thingies. Won't I look spiffy in that? I also want a pair of cowboy boots but Mommy says she'll have to think about those. Do I need to tell you how mean she is?

After we shopped, oh did I tell you I got to go INTO the store and try all the hats on? It was so fun the ladies were oh you have to try this one on and this one. I had lots of fun. Na na nana na I'm a Pug NOT a Doggie!

Then we went outside and took some pictures, do you see any kind of theme appearing in the pictures? I seem to be getting shoved into a lot of mouths don't you think? I mean maybe it was just my imagination and all but I am wondering if maybe they were trying to get rid of me. I was very good though and did just what I was told so mommy wouldn't let the animals swallow me.

I also met a doggie that I think understood just how hot it was and we got to talking and I asked Mommy if he could come with me since he didn't have a Mommy but she said he had to stay there, I wonder why? He could have sat in the back seat with me. All in all I loads of fun even if it was for only an hour besides which it was really hot too so I was more than ready go when it was time.

Back in the car I drank lots of water and then Mommy gave me a surprise! I got my very own little Pedro dolly. I pulled off his hat and then his sashes and when I started taking off his shirt Mommy stopped me and put everything back on. Oh boy a new game! So I started all over and when he was nekkid I dropped him on her shoulder and she dressed him again so I could do it all over again I did this lots & then fell I asleep.

I woke up hours later and we were still driving, Daddy said we'd get home by 10pm with any luck since he had to go into the office first thing in the morning so we drove and drove and drove and drove, I thought we were never going to get home, ever.

We stopped a couple times & while we were resting I got to meet some new people, at one place Mommy & I were walking on the grass when we heard, PUG! Screeched from across the parking lot and here came this lady running towards us. She was so happy to see me, I looked at Mommy, "do I know her"? Mommy shook her head no and then introduced me. The lady was all the way from California where she had 2 Pugs of her own and she missed them tons so was super excited to meet me. I told Mommy to give her one of MY cards so she could see my website and maybe not miss her Puggies so much while she was gone. After that we drove some more & I was so ready to BE home but I tried to be a good girl any way.

Then just when I thought we'd never get there we pulled into the driveway and Mommy said home at last I was so happy I howled! When I got inside I ran around and around making sure all my toys were ok, after all the kid had been alone with MY stuff! I then crawled up into my Puggy condo with Pedro and took a nap, after all I was tired 750 miles is a long way for a little Puggy girl to drive in 1 day and you all know I am the navigator so it's tons of work for me.

Well that's my story & I'm sticking to it. Heeheehee! I had lots of fun and got to meet lots of people and see lots of new things, I hope you enjoyed my adventure and maybe even learned a bit about traveling puggy style.

Puggy Kisses & Happy Tail Waggles,
Didee