Cooper Brown Dog

I was in the backyard cutting the grass when I spotted a wounded young Blue Jay by the fence. Michelle determined that we needed to rob a buzzard of a meal, so we gathered up the bird and headed to the Harris County Wildlife Rescue Center that she found online. What a lucky Blue Jay.

It turns out that the Rescue Center is right next door to the Harris County SPCA. It's the place where they teach dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens to look sweet, loving and healthy. It’s kind of like a Zoo except the visitors get to take home one of the exhibits. The visitor also gets to drop $175.00 for the privilege.

A full blooded mutt ended up at the house on Woodbriar doing his best cute puppy impersonation. We decided to call him Cooper. Bubby Kitty took one look at Cooper. Bubby Kitty then arrogantly shot Michelle and I his favorite WTF is this look. Later that evening Bubby Kitty walked slowly and deliberately over to Cooper so he could quickly deliver a firm right hook to Cooper’s face. Thankfully, Bubby Kitty had decided claws were not needed to convey his message. The message was clear. It was simply "I was here first and I will be here last unless you bow before me". Cooper sat there, frozen with fear. Bubby Kitty turned and walked away, ass held high with feline contempt. Good. They seem to be getting along.

A few days later we followed the SPCA instructions and took him to a vet. The SPCA said they would pick up the first $500 except for parvo. I asked the the nice young Aggie vet what mix he thought Cooper is and he said Cooper is just a good ole brown dog. He also said Cooper has parvo and recommended a $2,850 hospital stay with a 50/50 shot of Cooper living. No guarantees. No refund. Turns out that parvo is a horrible puppy and budget killer.

On my left, a vet with an estimate. On my right, Michelle about to drown in tears . That attached in four days? Yep. Behind door #3 was a $800 Cooper Brown Dog do it yourself home repair kit complete with antibiotics, IV fluid, and anti vomiting meds. The only thing missing was a shot of Stoli for dad.

Cooper in more ways than one owes his life to the Internet. The same Internet that led us to the wildlife rescue center next door to his adoption training center led me to a breeder discussing how to get a puppy past parvo. This is where I found the most important prescription for Cooper. He needed to have someone give him the will to live. This is exactly what Michelle and I spent a long weekend giving him. After three days of pills, sub cutaneous IV fluid injections, beef broth, pedialyte and love The Cooper Brown Dog decided he liked this world after all. When he bounded into the vet for a follow up, the assistant that helped us got all misty eyed on me. There wasn’t a dry eye in the lobby. A poster pup for parvo survival was born. Even Bubby Kitty found it in himself to give Cooper a little rub and a purr.

Cooper is 18 months old now. He has destroyed 7 pillows, 3 paint brushes, 6 shirts, 4 sets of sheets, 2 bed spreads, a remote control, and dozens of puppy proof toys from Petco. Apparently, this is our reward for saving his life. I guess the $975 first week wasn’t enough for the pet gods.


Cooper loves long walks in the evening, almonds, and chasing Bubby Kitty. He hates baths, dry food, and being left alone. He doesn’t bark much, he loves everyone, and he is over joyed everyday when we come home from work.

He is our little Cooper Brown Dog.

Sir Lance-A-Kitty

There are many forces affecting our daily routines. The weather, business obligations, social & family obligations, and various other little surprises are among the common ones for many of us. At my house, there is another force to be reckoned with. I’m talking about the ungrateful hair ball hacking arrogant ass that lives with Michelle and I. He happens to have us exactly where he wants us.

His real name is Anejo. A few years ago Michelle and I were on the back porch after work one evening sipping on a premium Anejo Tequila made by Herradurra when a weak little meow sound rolled over the fence. Michelle meowed back and within minutes there was a gray and white cat sitting with us on the back deck. It started to rain, so inside the cat came. Like morons, we gave it some milk because he looked hungry. This cat had just expertly secured a new home. We named him Anejo in honor of our fine Tequila and the influence it had on our decision making as this cat descended onto our lives.

Anejo quickly showed us that yes he is warm and affectionate. He also showed us that even though he is a vagrant from the street he has certain standards and food palates for his new providers to provide. Greg dubbed him Slum Cat Millionaire one evening. The cat had nothing. Anejo hit the cat lottery, but doesn’t really seem to be very concerned with being thankful for his good fortune. He is only concerned with making sure the Fancy Feast Elegant Medley's are flowing in a timely manner.

Michelle calls me Bubby. She calls my son Austin Little Bubby. Anejo became Bubby Kitty. There are many days where the name seems to work. He does respond to his name around feeding time, or when it is raining outside and he would like a warm dry towel and bed to sleep in. He seems to forget his name when I would like for him to get off the roof on the brand new Maxima in the garage.

It was this display of prissy arrogance that led me to call him Sir Lance-a-kitty. He is to be treated as royalty or the fabric on the high back chair will be clawed into a fuzzy pile of shreds. Chairs, shoes, or clothes are high priority targets when a Sir Lance-a-kitty entitlement is delayed in its delivery.

In the morning I intentionally make coffee before feeding his heinous just to piss him off. He starts in on me by biting my ankles. This shifts to purring and rubbing as he senses I am almost done with the coffee and ready to prepare his meal. Bubby Kitty eats, and waits outside by the chair for his Throne to arrive with a cup of fresh brew. He likes for me to sit at a certain angle so that he can lay on my lap, I pet his head, drink my coffee while he stares at the birds on the fence fooling himself into believing he could actually catch one. He'd really rather send one of his servants to do that dirty work for him.

Anejo gets fed twice a day at the same time. He is annoyed when the timing is off, and this pleases me. At first his reminders are playful and cute. The reminders become increasingly condescending should any delay become longer than a few minutes. This cat has his routine to keep. Therefore, my daily routine revolves around his. Exactly where he wants me.

The Little Prick.

Cheers! Scott

Go Figgle

Not only do I admire the inventor of the Ginger Figgle, but I appreciate all things fig. Michelle and I were walking Cooper last evening and as we approached our street I noticed that our neighbor has a beautiful fig tree in their front yard. Not only do they have a fig tree, but it happens to have figs almost ready to pick. Now I’m excited, but also surprised. I am surprised because the day before Chef Greg (my brother) said its a little late for figs when I inquired about why I can’t find a fresh fig at the HEB. I had given up on this awesome looking dish that Michelle found for us to make on the grill. It was fresh figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto grilled on a oak plank for a smokey yummy sweet spicy creamy happiness. Greg, the chef, had pooped all over my grilled fig parade.

But there are the figs. In my neighbors yard. All this time and I never noticed them before. I’ve walked by this house easily 200 times in this last year. Never not one time did I ever see a fig tree in their front yard. I’m so excited.

I don’t really know these folks. I’ve waived from the street. One evening me and Cooper said hello as they were pruning a different tree. The woman of the house loved Cooper. He is a lady killer after all. I’ve talked to the man of the house when he was in the driveway working on his bright red BMW. I asked what happened to the gorgeous silver Sting Ray that used to be in his driveway. He sold it. Got the BMW instead.

So there you have it. Sexy sport cars sucked all the attention out of me. It took a renewed love affair with figs to finally see their fig tree with figs ripening (sorry brother, I think everything is late this year).

Now I have to go down there to my neighbors house and hope to catch the man working on his car. I then have to devise a way to move the conversation to figs from BMW’s. It would be easier to take Michelle with me. She will storm the front door to directly ask them if we can have some figs instead of just letting them drop on the grass for the yard crew to clean up next week. Sadly, it looks like the final resting place for many of these figs will be a Hefty 40 gallon lawn bag unless I rescue them.

The whole fig thing started a few months ago. Back in March I believe it was. Events that took place in March ultimately led me to the Ginger Figgle and the great fig find down the street.

So back in March, we started a project, with Cooper's help, to take out two flower beds and sod them over. We then made a new and bigger flower bed along the fence. As of July the new sod looks grassy and the new flower bed looks flowery. Only problem is that the Loquat tree AKA Japanese Plum didn’t like the raised bed or its new neighbors. It slowly croaked. It wasn’t pretty. Michelle and I watched as this poor tree died a slow miserable death. Finally in early June I cut what was left down which this left this blank spot in the far back right corner of our yard. What to do, what to do. After several evening discussions Michelle and I decided that a fig tree would be cool.

Michelle went back home to Panama City Fl for a extended vacation. Lots of friends and family to see. She made one sales call so I could pay for the 10 day trip. She had a lovely time and one day while visiting her grandmother she learned that they had made some cuttings of the Dudley Fig Tree. The Dudley Fig Tree is famous in Panama City, FL. It's fed 4 generations of Dudley's. Seems the main tree was feeling sickly after many generations so they took some cuttings and by god they rooted.

About a week after Michelle returned from her month long vacation she received a UPS package with two Dudley fig cuttings. They found their way into a pot under our oak tree that guards the pool and I will be a son of a bitch if they aren’t sprouting out new growth. Soon there will be Dudley Fig Trees in two places in the house on Woodbriar.

With figs on the brain while scanning my newest issue of Food and Wine the Ginger Figgle jumped off the page at me. This was on the heels of an episode of Top Chef Masters where they chef’s had to match a dish with a Stoli Cocktail. The Ginger Figgle caught my eye. Funny episode too if you hadn't seen it.

So what began as a backyard improvement project months ago has brought me to the Ginger Figgle. Now I'm ready to grill some fresh ones while sipping on this marvelous martini. Just go to find some fresh figs.

The Ginger Figgle Martini:


The Line Up
2 - 3 thin slices fresh ginger
5oz good vodka
2 bar spoons of fig jam
1oz freshly squeeze orange juice
Fresh ice

The Fixin Part
Place ice and some water in 2 martini glasses to let them chill
Muddle ginger and fig jam in a cocktail shaker
Fill shaker with ice
Add OJ
Add Vodka
Cover and give it a healthy shake for about a minute
Pour ice water out of chilled glasses
Strain shaker while pouring
Garnish with wedge of Orange
If you have a fresh fig, place a wedge in with the drink


Cheers! Scott

2's Day

Back to work. Feels good actually. I am rested after a fairly common Forth of July weekend. Had the grand kids over one night. Cleaned up some puke and poop. Made me appreciate my dog Cooper more. His poop, in the yard, is easily scooped with a shovel. The grand kid's is spackled up the crack of their ass and in some cases halfway up their back. When Parker and Ethan are 4 and 6 I'm all in as a grand dad. Until then, I'm keeping it as day visits with at least one parent in the near vicinity. Just kidding of course. Grand kids are good for the soul.

Had my brother Greg, his 1 year old son Kai, and my mother over on the Forth for BBQ and swimming. That turned out nice. With all the recent rain and cloud cover the pool temp backed down to a refreshing 84. Very pleasant. The burgers and dogs felt about right for this day.

Got sucked into a movie over the weekend called Julie / Julia that turned out to be a gem. Julie blogged about completing, in a year, every recipe in Julia Child's book. Meryl Streep knocked it out of the park with her Julia Child part. My favorite scene was Julie and her husband watching Dan Aykroyd's skit of Julia Child where he accidentally cuts himself deboning a chicken. The other thing I like about this movie as that everyone has either a martini or a glass of wine in their hands all the time. This movie also gave me an appreciation for blogs. It made me want to find a good topic to blog about. So here goes the trial balloon.

A random picture of my dog Cooper to test my uploading skills.

Speaking of martinis. I perfected the Ginger Figgle Martini. An absolutely yummy summer cocktail. Its spicy and sweet. With properly chilled vodka in a perfectly chilled martini glass, I have to say it is among my new favorite cocktail.

I expect a quiet week. It's summer. Lots of folks on vacation. That is a great idea.

Cheers! Scott