Mornings at 221B Baker St.

Wow… it’s been a while since we’ve heard from Watson… And for the most part, I’m to blame.  Rest assured, Watson’s been busy busy busy…. Not just in mentoring two new pups (Winter and Haru) but also since we’ve started a crusade of sorts to get more people involved in Dog Sports.  

Yup.  You read right… Dog Sports.  

Watson, Winter and Haru have teamed up with a few other dogs (just like the Avengers only furrier) to combat the complacency of dog owners… And so we sort of banded together and gave ourselves a cool name… (we’re working on the super hero code names as we speak)… and started doing dog sports and telling everyone about it…

But that was just the tip of the iceberg…  See, the problem isn’t just inspiring people to get into dog sports… in a matter of months, we reached a bunch of people and planted seeds of inspiration … the problem was or rather is… getting people started… So they’re inspired.. .then what? where do they go? how can they get started?

The problem was the inaccessibility of it all… And that led us to meet the nice people of Busy Paws.  So yes, we’re quite BUSY of late… Our weekends (or rather every other weekend) have been spent planning and helping new aspiring dog handlers get started in dog sports.  

You can follow our adventures in Facebook by liking our fan page Urbansports K9. You can also see all the good volunteer work being done over at the Busy Paws Group page.

Yes… we’ll be writing more soon.  Got some cool ideas for spin-offs as my two pups have personalities that don’t really fit the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle universe…  

January 2012 would be remembered for a lot of things in 221B Baker Street (here in Fairview).  It marked the 2nd year of life for Watson, our beloved resident.  And it also marked what i could probably call the Game of Thrones.  (or more aptly a Song of Fire and Ice)

It so happened that two new characters took residence in our abode at 221B.  Two beings whose personalities are as different as Fire is to Ice.  

The first to arrive was a little Oriental Furball named Haru (Spring).  Just like Fire, Haru was a blazing red and had made Watson (also a red husky) look more brownish in comparison to the crimson that he carried.  Haru was a Shiba Inu, he of the cute foxy-looks.  The smallest of the Nihon Ken, he carried a fiercely confident disposition which immediately caught the respect and curiosity of Watson.  (“A walking chew toy.. hmmm…”)

But the second resident was a hulking white blur.  ”Winter is coming” we echoed to everyone who could hear.  And as ominous as the Stark’s warning was, no one was prepared for the sight that bounded through our doors.  He was massive for a 3 month old pup, with fur that well dwarfed Watson’s.  He was a polar bear waiting to be unleashed. And he was smiling.  

And so begins our Game of Thrones.  Watson, being the oldest, is now maester to two pups trying their best to annoy the living hell out of the other.  Haru, the fiery young dragon with the short fuse (or mayhaps he’s a little impish lion).  And Winter the playful direwolf.  

How this all plays out, only time will tell…. Stay tuned. :)

“Where is he?” Watson wonders…  ”It’s already 12 midnight and he’s not home. What happened to Sherlock (or master or whatever “pet” name Watson has for me)?”  

He looks at Daddy’s mom and wonders why she’s coaxing him back into the room and into bed as if nothing was wrong.  ”But everything is wrong… Grandma… he’s not here yet.”  

Watson camps out by the front door and waits… all the while wondering where daddy was…

—-

Daddy (me) was on a plane to the US.  It’s not the first time I’ve been on a plane and not the first time I’ve gone to the US.  But it’s the first time Watson would experience me being away for more than a night or two.  This time, I’ll be away for two weeks.  And all the while I’m wondering if Watson will resist sleep in his bid to wait for my return.  Will he resist eating as well.  

The rational part of my brain understands that at some point, his survival instincts will kick in… exhaustion will provide him with a restless sleep… while hunger will ensure he’d eat.  He’ll be ok… my mind tells me.  It’s only two weeks… and he has tons of people at home to keep him company.

—-

Two days later, I receive an update from my mom.  Watson had decided to initiate a search party for me.  He camps beside my car — sniffing the door handles and the trunk and begging to come in.  My mom gives in and asks that the driver take him to the gas station.  Upon returning, Watson was not satisfied that the search yielded no Daddy… and so he proceeds to camp in my car for four hours. All this while Pacquaio was trying to survive Marquez’s onslaught.  

—-

Throughout the week, I hear news that Watson is lonely. That he howls and waits still — a scene from Waiting for Godot… touching and tragic at the same time.  He has waited for me every night for a week.  

I wonder how long he’d do so… whether he’d summon some Hachiko-like loyalty and wait for as long as it took… or will he be jaded and cynical… and forget me like I seemingly forgot him.

—-

Finally I arrive after two weeks away.  I asked Mom to have Watson in the car to pick me up.  But he refused to enter the SUV that Mom used to pick me up.  He’d rather ride my car… And so in a fit of stubbornness, he chose to stay behind.  Maybe thinking that any other car is a betrayal of trust… 

—- 

The door opens and a stranger walks in.  Watson smells him from afar… somewhat familiar and yet different.  The air of him seems all wrong.  He smells of fresh pine, tinges of snow (what is snow? he thinks… and yet some deep memory passed down from ancient ancestors tell him it’s the white stuff that he ran in), strange dog scents (a maltese? bloodhounds? GSDs?)… and yet something altogether familiar as well…

It took him 30 seconds to sift through all the smells and layers… It’s daddy. He’s home!

And his tail, so still awhile ago, starts to wag.  

It was a weekend of fun, festivities and fur as Furkids and Furparents alike trooped to NUVALI for the Better Dog Games.  Teams from as far south as Bacolod, Cebu and Davao made the trip to face the fledgeling Manila team in a series of friendlies - Disc Dog, K9 Nose Work, Rally Obedience and the Coup-de-grace Event, Agility.

Disc Dog

Chardy of Team Manila struck first blood as his borders, Yuri and Cheska, showed that there was no disc too high or too far that they wouldn’t catch.  Unfortunately as this event was too late in the day (for both days) Watson and I had not witnessed the feat.  But underground videos have been leaking on Facebook of how his dogs caught the disc.  (Videos have also been spotted of how Ali, a talented GSD, made sure her handler, Raine, came out looking good).

Agent 007, Yukon, ruled Rally O as did Hunter.  CJ (CJ!!! CJ!!!!) stole the show though for entirely different reasons… well he was cute… and well…. “obedient?” hehe…

But it was the two other events that Watson and I were most interested in.

Agility —- ahhh the waterloo.  A year ago, Watson and I showed the world that huskies can play to a different rhythm as we decided (not as a team mind you… hmm… ok so maybe he decided) that there was more than one way to go through the agility course… and his way was apparently more interesting and fun.

So with much envy and anticipation, we watched from the sidelines as teams from Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and even Malaysia compete in what i still see as the pinnacle of fun dog events.  

Manila was bannered by the Shelties (Pasha and Raja), Natasha the Golden Ret, Eddie the tire destroyer, Kahati and of course Chardy’s dynamic duo of Yuri and Skye.  

But the South clearly dominated this affair with their vast arsenal of Collies, JRTs and aspins (?).  Dutch, Ryan’s Border Collie, was a lean mean jumping machine who even trained on the tarmacs of Cebu Airport… if that’s not an indication of how loaded this team was, i don’t know what is.

But despite all that thunder, it was little CJ, again, who stole the show. The cute fluffy one showed that speed and accuracy are things to be in awe of… but nothing beats cute.

K9 Nosework

Ahh.. finally we come to the event we’ve worked and trained so hard for.  The ninjas were out in full force for this.  Yukon (Agent 007) was a monster early on… showing that nice guys need not finish last in any event. (he did finish first in Rally O).  Milo (the PacMan from the South) was equally up to the challenge and kept abreast of Yukon every step of the way.  Percy was a hyper dynamo.Hershey was simply Super and Ready Set Jett! showed that 

one could indicate with flair and even newbies Eddie and Shania showed that with perseverance and heart, one could cram their way into a good finish.

But the weekend belonged to the fluffy cute ones… as Wilma Wunderpantz proved the quickest nose in the WEst.  Overcoming insurmountable odds, the  dog formerly known as Courage and powered by veggies showed that one could zoom in on the scent against the big boys and win it all.

Oh and where were we in all this? Watson did extremely well in ORT and felt that
was good enough.  He entertained the crowd by sprinkling his way through the trials.  But in his defense, he looked extremely handsome and happy doing it.  

As our Jedi Master Raine always says… with Watson you never know who’s coming to the party - the good Watson or the bad Watson.  Well good Watson came to Nuvali on Saturday.  Bad Watson probably felt envious of the whole thing and decided he wanted in on the action too.

But after all was said and done, it was a fun weekend for both man and dog.  Thanks to everyone who made it happen.   

(PS I borrowed pics of Nosework from Rolly Ceballos and Marla Nicandro as I wasn’t allowed to take pics because we were competing)

Typhoon Pedring ravaged Luzon today and as super typhoons go, Metro Manila was not spared from the rampaging winds and endless downpour. I guess, I am one of the lucky ones.  Our house (and our subdivision) is usually spared from untoward incidents like man-high floods, flying GI sheets that can behead unknowing bystanders, crashing billboards and other possible permutations that could go wrong.  I am even luckier in that I had opted to take a leave for the day… True, it probably turned out wasted, since I was stuck at home the whole day, but I was spared of possible traffic or just plain anxiety of the commute.  

So despite being imprisoned in my own home, I had steeled myself up for a day of Watson, the little Rollan-Lugapo kids (Gaby and Rafy), home-cooked food, a day with Mommy, Chay and Jay, and my Xbox (and i had tons of games untouched or unfinished that I could renew a love affair with). So, despite the possibility of a postponed Finals game for Ateneo (the reason for my leave), I had my back up plan all lined up.  

Except I didn’t foresee the day long black out.  Or that I failed to fully charge my phones, laptops, and IPADs.  The rains also meant that Watson had to stay indoors - and if you’ve ever owned a husky, you know that is a dreadful proposition both for furparent and furkid.  

It took only 2 hours before my Mac conked out.  The IPADs lasted an extra two hours.  Then… nothing, save for the howl of my wolf who wanted to go out.  

In the absence of any technology whatsoever, we resorted to the oldest form of social networking - good old-fashioned story telling.  We drummed up old stories of Daddy, finding an eager and unadulterated audience in Gaby, who had never met him.  It was the story of the jacket in Hong Kong, the earthquake in Baguio, the missing plastic leaf in Saisaki. There were stories about Mommy too… The goat (Kambing) in HKG, the soup that cost as much as dinner, and so on.  There’s something about old stories… oft retold… that seem to come alive with each retelling.  New details are remembered (or perhaps added) and the story lives in new generations.

I sometimes reflect that this is probably how legends started… with simple stories told in the pitch dark, and the absence of any other activity.  Simple stories that are oft retold…. until, to paraphrase Barney Stinson, they gain a life and truth of their own and become.. Legen… wait for it… dary! 

Watson was little more than a toddler - 4 or 5 months of age when Watson and I first set eyes on him and his person.  He was massive, a giant - both literally (he dwarfed his person, a wisp of a lady) as well as figuratively - his body of work and accomplishments cast a huge shadow on all that sought to follow his footsteps. He was a golden-haired Titan of Greek mythology - both intimidating and inviting as well. Watson and I had heard of Cash and his exploits from the accounts we found on the web. But to see and meet The Golden Retriever in the fur still took our collective breaths away.    

We’ve only known him for a little over a year. A year is but a short span of time for us persons, yet for Watson and his kind, a year is a lifetime in itself — or seven years if some pundits are to believed.  And through that year, we’ve seen Cash best Watson in every task we set out to do together.  He was the better athlete (agile and obedient as he weaved through the agility course), the better detective (constantly raising the bar in Nose work) and the better gentleman (who did little to trouble Kris during walks… save for brief hand-brake moments).  Yet, instead of being a nemesis to our tandem, Cash and Kris served as our inspiration - constantly raising the bar for what performance limits human and furkid tandems could break.  They blazed trails and challenged boundaries.  

Cash and Kris also served as beacons of how pure and absolute human and furkid relations could be.  I have yet to see a pair so bonded unconditionally. Kris was the perfect picture of devotion to a furkid.  And Cash was her mirror.  Equally loyal and loving.  

 Watson had looked forward to more adventures, with talks of Ninjas and Superheroes.  Sadly, last Friday, Cash had passed on to the Rainbow bridge after a full life filled with adventures and unconditional love. 

We will miss our classmate so much.  He was a drink buddy, a walking companion, and so much more.  We hope that we could continually be challenged to reach what he had achieved - a life full of accolades and adventures, and more importantly a life full of love.

To Cash, thank you for the moments you made us laugh, made us smile and inspired us. You will live in our hearts and minds.

To Kris, we are really sorry for your loss. I have only known your boy for a short time and am so grateful that he has touched my life as he has.  Know that Watson and I are here for you if you need anything.  

(picture of Watson, Cash and Hershey during Ninja practice)

My heart bleeds Blue… The Royal Blue and White of the Ateneo Blue Eagles that is. And anyone who knows me knows how fiercely loyal my family members and I are to the Blue and White.  But I am a fan of good basketball too… And a part of me does feel sorry that ADU did not make their fairy tale trip to the finals.

The other Blue Bird (the Falcons) should’ve, in my opinion, been in the Finals.  They pose the biggest threat to the Blue Eagles.  In all honesty, the season record should’ve been 0-2 in favor of the Falcons, as the first game’s fourth quarter collapse does not do this team justice.  They are bigger and more experienced.  And they have the best coach not named Norman Black.  They were the number one team on defense and played a disciplined game… such a far cry from Falcon teams of old that relied on perceived talent and so filled with egos.

Unfortunately, they lost their season the day they stopped ADMU from its sweep.  The high of beating the Eagles Black and Blue and stopping a 29 game losing streak was the highlight of their season, when it should’ve been seen as just a step toward the real prize. 

I’m saddened that this little team that could, that was not as richly funded, that was the perennial underdog, wilted when it counted most.  I feel sorry for Leo Austria, most of all.  He made the most of the tools and players he had. 

Too bad, since I think this is their best chance of a championship appearance.  I don’t believe that they’ll win it all though… as I think it would still be the Eagles who would take it all home.  

Sorry Falcons.  Maybe next year….