I took my first road trip this weekend and let me tell ya, I was born to travel! My mom was going to visit her friend Erin in Chicago and, of course, couldn't leave me behind----she's lost without me! So Friday morning I got to go to the office with her so we could leave directly from there to start my big adventure. I like Mom's office, the people there adore me and I get lots of attention. I was a tad on the bark-y side and got into some trouble, but hey, I was going on my first road trip, I had a lot to say. We finally got on the road about noon and the sun was shining right in my eyes, so I just hopped on mom's lap and made myself comfy between her and the car door, using the armrest for my head. If I'm not going to wear sunglasses, I need to make adjustments!

So off we went, driving and driving and driving. My mom made a big deal when we crossed the state line into Kentucky. Whatever. I guess it is kind of cool to think of being in another state, but really I just wanted to nap. We took our first rest stop trip in Kentucky. I was glad to get out of the car for awhile and there was a cute Dalmatian in the dog walk area that I could tell wanted to play with me. I hopped out of the car and ran towards him, but his mom pulled him the other way. She was totally no fun. We walked around for a bit and I peed, but that was all I was going to do. So much to see and smell, my mom should feel lucky I did that. Back in the car we went. I chewed on my new chewy toy for a bit. It is supposed to make my coat shinier and softer, like that is necessary—but it's fun to chew on. After chewing I fell back asleep. No idea how long I slept, but I think I missed driving into Indiana. My mom stopped for gas in Indiana and left me in the car—it was horrible. For at least 2-3 minutes I lost sight of her. I surveyed the car and determined I had enough food to last a couple of days, but water would be hard to come by as there was no way I could twist off the cap of the water bottle. I suppose I could've chewed it open, but with me losing my baby teeth and such, my chewer isn't what it used to be. Luckily she came back and all was well. We drove more, well, I rode, Mom drove. I felt bad not being able to contribute, but my legs are simply not long enough to reach the peddles, plus I had no idea where we were going.

We stopped at another rest area in Indiana. It was right by a dairy farm and it smelled bad—worse then my brother's litter box EVER smells. But it got my sniffer going and I guess all that manure made me have to poop. So I did my poop dance and did my business and I was ready to get back on the road. Mom gets so excited when I poop outside, I feel like I should praise her when she uses the bathroom at home, but I don't really see what the big deal is with either thing. The next thing I remember we are FINALLY getting out of the car. It was kinda foggy and the ground was wet, luckily Auntie Erin was there to get me over the puddles and hold me. I tried to go pee, but I simply couldn't focus. All the sounds and smells of the city were too much for me to

handle. So we went upstairs and I got to see Erin's new place. It seemed cool, I don't know a lot about such things, but the lighting worked for me and the hardwood floors were fun to slide on. Next Erin called her sister Katie and she and Kristen (Erin's sister-in-law) came over to hang out. Oh man, Katie has the cutest girl dog ever! Her name is Strudel and she's a long-haired dachshund with the most lovely dark blond hair and the cutest, most nibble-able ears EVER. We chased each other all over the house for a long time. She let me catch her most of the time. They kept saying she was kinda "easy" but I don't know what they were talking about, those short little legs ran FAST and just because she would lay down on her back and let me drag her by her ears didn't seem like it was THAT easy. Humans.

Phew—that was a lot for one day. Here is a picture of me on the trip to Chicago.

I'll write about the rest of the trip later. I have to go chew some stuff.