#Diplodog

[sgiandubh]

Not only a Greek celebration...

... but also this gentleman's fifth birthday, totally on purpose:

The official name is Paco, but absolutely everyone calls him Bebe (Baby), which is enough to give you an idea of his true colors. I raised and educated a cat, not a Pointer/Retriever mix: lazy, cantankerous and chatty. But also pot-of-glue affectionate and always terrified by the Cypriot Ambassador wife's chihuahua (next door).

On his first visit to the vet, the next day after we rescued him from an olive grove by the sea in Kiato (of course Peloponnese, where else?) a week before Christmas, the good doctor P. just had to write a date of birth in his passport:

'He's about two months old.'

'Oh, good Lord: a Scorpio dog. OK. Put October 25, then.'

'Why?'

'It's Army Day in Romania. He's my evzone guard.'

'Ha! Αυτό το αγόρι είναι Έλληνας (This boy is Greek). I'll write October 28.'

'Huh? Ohi Day?'

'Ακριβώς (Exactly)'.

So there's that. Ohi Day it is. I don't know who rescued who, in this story, to be honest. But I bet any rescue dog parent will tell you the same thing, won't they?

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Mummy's little helper at Bauhaus today #DiploDog #instapets #instacute #dogstagram #pomstagram #instapoms #poms #pomeranians (at thediplomaticwife.com)

[sgiandubh]

Speed Bonnie Boat

The irony has not escaped me, that Baby and I finally made it back home on the 278th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden. Of course, nothing of this was planned - how could we? it's way above our heads, literally -, but didn't we laugh, Baby and me and Shipper Mom, finally content to have all the menagerie in one place, now cracking at its seams with unpacked boxes, tchotchkes, and irrelevant shite (why did I even pack this?).

You know this land is your land, when you finally start to see this, through the windshield: the glorious canola fields of the Deep South, near the Danube - my grandma's feisty, quick-witted and generous people's territory.

Uncharacteristically, I realized I came to Athens on a very unlikely Dubliner autumn and went back home on a very unlikely early summer April. Helps with the overall surreal impression:

All the roads leading to Rome, we can almost say "Hello, the house" in this pic. Smack dab downtown, where everything happens:

And then, the Jihad, between Lola the corgi and Baby the 'beige' (Greek passport says so) lab. This old lady is not really thrilled:

And for much of the rest of the tired, yawny human evening, the state of play was protracted war and a difficult Yalta negotiation of sorts:

Pasha ran in the shadows of the kitchen corridor. Nothing to report yet and unable to document properly: at night, all cats are black, says the Chinese proverb.

I have roughly two months to make this happen. For now, they can work with staying together in the same room and I think the one who's going to offer a truce is the Greek. With all this, I forgot to pour myself that Laphroaig. #Silly

'Carried the lad who's born to be king/Over the sea to Skye...'

PS: To all of you who offered their warmth and thoughts and even prayers, let it be known you are deeply loved by all of us. This land is also yours, my house is your house. No questions asked. We're good people. You will always find a spot for the outlander at a Romanian table and we like them long and boisterous. Mark me.

[sgiandubh]

Plot twist

Life is, indeed, like a box of chocolates - as Forrest's Momma used to say. You never know what you're gonna get.

I will be thrilled to share more details about my next diplodestination, as soon as it becomes official.

Here is a hint, though:

An offer I could not refuse. An offer one could never refuse.

Not happening tomorrow, though - Government is a slow elephant, not a kangaroo. Allow six months tops. Oh, the places we'll go!

Thank you for not speculating in the comment thread. Why spoil all the fun? My lips are sealed. :)

[sgiandubh]

LOL... she was also unhappy with Sam's absence from that event in Germany and his presence at the Glasgow event. In fact, she is never satisfied with absolutely anything about him. A tremendous smell of despair and rejection... https://www.tumblr.com/maximumwobblerbanditdonut/747778111526092800/1-hour-is-the-average-flight-time-from-paris-to?source=share

"The evidence doesn't lie, people do." 🙄 🙄 🙄 Jesus...calm down, woman...

Dear Calm Down Anon,

To quote The Genius:

Read her lips, people: she's been thinking about it.

I am currently in my book-invaded room, with boxes all around me, Baby the Diplodog taking roughly 3/4 of my king-sized Provence bed. I am also thinking, but the thoughts I do think might be of a more trivial nature:

don't forget to phone Lola (and now Baby)'s vet for a meet & greet appointment

get new, Romanian plates for Zorba the Car

phone the MFA and send back Greek Diplo plates with the customs' clearance

phone the MFA to get back my gasoline, accommodation and luggage shipping expenses

phone Mr. Zhou, my Chinese acupuncturist. My neck is killing me.

manage to tuck in four luncheons in town, three let's get some drinks and another two drop by for a chat - until Sunday

To obsess about S's Hyrox Rigmarole I and Rigmarole II is a bit much, when you have things to do, in real life.

This is also very enlightening, I think:

This is the kind of vindicative crap I just hate to read. People who write this particular kind of vindicative crap (or who paint a filthy portrait of you, publicly, to their friends of friends, just to seem RIGHTEOUS) are probably the same kind of people who would have sent anonymous letters to the Gestapo, telling them those very nice neighbors across the street are hiding Jews in their attic.

In her case, the plea is just ridiculous. Like the planet would give a flying fuck about some amateur competition's stats. Sure thing, it's childishly disingenuous of S to do that (if he did it). But as far as I know, these are not the Olympic Games or something. And even if a Hyrox Glasgow zealot would blacklist S, I think he and the fandom would survive it.

That woman's life must be so empty, even the echo in her parlor took some days off.

[sgiandubh]

Roadtrip

With Baby the Diplodog. We are midway, at the 🇧🇬 border, where they can whip a mean tortilla at 7 am, if you ask nicely enough 😉 .

Tonight, we are finally dining home.

[sgiandubh]

Oh my god! Who cares?! I know the troll across the street doesn't have a life outside of her blog and her obsession with Sam and anyone who breathes in his general direction. I did not believe that about you.

Dear Did Not Believe Anon,

I never said you did, honey? Or did I?

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, they give us a teenie-tiny something to chew on and all hell breaks loose! Anons galore, activity ↗️, murdered dinner and unhappy Diplodog, sulking.

As for *urv, I wish her many happy returns of the day. On Mars.

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

We were eating at Ixthys a Korean imbiss near WinterfeldtPlatz, right across the church, last week and the bells started chiming. For the very first time we saw #DiploDog howl. It was so cute coz he just kept howling at the church bells with his hoarse little voice. ☺️ #instacute #TDWinBerlin2015 #instapets #poms #pomstagram

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Today is the first time in 2015 that we can leave windows (or in this case our door) open! Its 18 degrees and sunny outside - perfect temp! We pay a lot of money for to get this temp in the tropics so I'm totally loving it! And it looks like #DiploDog lives it too ☺️ #thankful #goodmorning #DiploHome #TDWberlinspring

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

#DiploDog is totally in love with his new dog food. The first time we gave him a piece, he thought it was a treat and ran away with it! 😜 (he never did this with any of his old dog food brands) I've been looking for higher quality dog food that isn't just loaded with fillers. We are trying out German-made family owned company, Josera. So far the high quality packaging with zipper and the great smell - like yummy cookies - with natural antioxidants, none-GMO ingredients and sustainable company values have made a great first impression. What are your favorite premium non-big-name dogfood brands? Please share! #dogfood #instapets #instapoms #dogstagram

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

All tuckered out! 😜 #DiploDog #instacute #petstagram #pomstagram

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Someone loves eating snow ☺️ #DiploDog #TDWinBerlin #TDWberlinwinter

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Look who I caught snoozing in bed earlier today! 😚 I don't blame him - the weather has been so cold, gloomy & wet! So nice to sleep and dream about sunshine and beaches 💛 #DiploDog

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Someone wasn't too happy to have a bath 😝 #DiploDog (Check out the #aquasana shower filter @ocmominmanila!)

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Who needs a stuffed toy when I have the real fluffy deal? ☺️ #DiploDog #thediplomaticwife

[thediplomaticwife-blog]

Hey guys, have you missed me? Been on bed rest and decided to go offline for some real R&R. So thankful that its sunny today and #DiploDog and I are enjoying the view ❤️ Wishing everyone a wonderful 2015!!! 😘