Just about every Sunday my mom takes me to the Downtown Dog Lounge. She works out in her gym while I get a good workout with all the other dogs. It’s nice being around my own species. Cats just don’t play well with others.

I like the name, Dog Lounge better than “doggie day care.” Much more fitting for a Canine Urban Princess – a CUPPIE – like me. And let’s face it. Half the time I’m lounging around on the couch when my mom comes to pick me up.

“Did Gracie play? Was she good?” My mom asks these questions every time.

“She’s always good,” they say.

Now, those folks know how to treat a dog. Here’s my adopted Big Sister Summer. We adore each other.

“Gracie, you’ve come a long way for an adopted rescue mutt,” my mom said when she took this picture.

Hah. I’m just achieving my destiny.

Here’s Cathy’s fashion consultant, Elle, the manager of Peridot, where Cathy bought her winter hat, coat dress, and cool handbag.

Elle won’t let Cathy leave the store with something that looks bad on her. Thank goodness. After all, my reputation’s on the line when we’re out walking together.

Elle has good taste in dogs as well as clothes. I love her dog Scout. And see how she’s rubbing my butt in just the right place? Mmmm. That woman knows the way to a canine heart, even without feeding me treats.

My fashion-challenged mom shops with me at Peridot. My job is to tug my leash when we go past the store, so she’ll go in and look around. She’s getting inspired by all the new fashions.

Cathy is very proud of her parka, which she claims is at least 15 years old. She refuses to buy another winter coat.

Fortunately, she is looking into buying some new blue jeans, because she wants to show off her new body. If you’ve been following this blog, you know she went on a special diet and has been exercising 3 or 4 times a week at the gym. And we walk…and we walk. We’re both in great shape.

“Yes, maybe I could get more clothes,” she tells me. “But I have no place to wear them. I work at home and my only social events are held at the dog park. So I spend my clothing budget on you, your dog walker, your treats, and …oh yes, your vet bills when you eat junk.”

Time to change the subject. And now you see why I’m going naked. If Mom isn’t buying herself a new winter coat, you can bet I won’t get one either.

My mom  doesn’t shop much. But she likes to visit Peridot, a store close to where we live in Lower Queen Anne. It’s pronounced “perry-dough.”They have very trendy clothes.I like Peridot because they always make me feel welcome. Sometimes the manager brings her dog, Scout, one of my favorite neighborhood dogs.

Cathy likes Peridot because the staff keeps her out of trouble. Here she’s wearing her winter hat, which they advised her to buy. Usually she grabs whatever’s on sale and covers her ears. She gets a lot of compliments on that hat.

I like that hat too. All that delicious wool. And those buttons! I could chew a whole morning on those buttons.

My mom said, “Gracie, if you eat this hat, you are going right back to the pound.”

Yeah, right. First of all, I wasn’t in a pound when Cathy adopted me. I was in a foster home. They won’t take me back.

Anyway, who’s kidding who? I know Cathy won’t send me anywhere. After all, Ophelia’s still here, after 5 weeks of force feeding, a big vet bill and a long sojourn in our laundry room. And she’s a useless ball of fur, not a hard-working dog like me.

But just in case, I haven’t so much as nibbled that hat. For one thing, Cathy is getting better at keeping woolly tasty tidbits out of my reach.

Not to worry. Cathy’s socks will tide me over to next winter.

Las t Saturday my uncle Lance drove Cathy and me to the Woodland Dog Park in Seattle. That’s my mom’s favorite dog park. She says it reminds her of the forest primeval. It’s very Northwest — all those tall trees.

I like Woodland because so many nice dogs go there. There’s always someone for me to play with. Here I am playing with another dog who understands how dog parks work. You can tell we’re speaking the same language. I’m saying, “Let’s play.” He is saying, “Sounds good! What kind of game do you have in mind?”

My mom was disappointed because my Uncle Lance refused to be photographed. “I’m very camera shy,” he said.

More likely he’s ashamed to be seen in our company. I can’t say I blame him. I mean, everybody wants to be seen with me, but my Mom isn’t exactly a fashion model. You’ll see more in future posts.

We were all very cold so we didn’t stay long. Thank goodness! I went home and slept for 12 hours straight.

See this terrific piece of feline furniture? My mom grabbed it when someone was moving out and left it behind. She washed the cushions in our washing machine (thank goodness – who needs fleas?).

Creampuff likes to sit on the top. But our newest housemate, Ophelia, has claimed the lower opening for her very own. She spends hours there, watching the rest of us.

“Better than under the bed,” my mom says. “And better than the laundry room, too.”

You have to look closely but do you see that black and white blur? Yes…that’s Ophelia, fully recovered from liver disease and her traumatic time in the Animal Shelter.

And (in my opinion) winner of the Most Useless Household Animal award.

Yesterday I went to the Dog Lounge while Mom worked out at the gym. Summer was so happy to see me! She went back to the pen area and we played…and played.

When Mom came to pick me up, Summer said, “So soon? Does she have to go now?”

“Summer,” said Mom, “I will leave Gracie to you in my will.”

I like that idea, although Mom’s not ready to croak yet.

That night I was totally wiped. Thursday my Uncle Bob filled in for Aunt Sara. He believes in long runs in the park. Then Sunday…so I curled up in a tight ball and fell asleep on my Mom’s bed.

Mom woke up and noticed I hadn’t moved. She reached over to pat me. “Hmm… Gracie, you feel cold. Are you still alive?”

I didn’t budge. Here’s an opportunity to shake up my mom. She’ll get all worried. She’ll be so relieved to realize I’m alive, she’ll grab a handful of treats for me. Yum. I can just taste that peanut butter.

Alas, Mom has become tough.

“Gracie, I can’t do anything tonight. Hope you’re around tomorrow morning.”

Then she went back to sleep and I did too. Sure enough, this morning I bounced off the bed, all ready to begin our morning walk and eat my breakfast. Then it was time for another nap. Another busy day in the life of a CUPPIE.

This is me doing what I do best…and helping my mom test the “upload photo” feature of the blog.

My mom just read me an article in the Wall Street Journal – a newspaper filled with articles about business and finance. Nothing to do with me.

“Retail stores are screening new hires with personality tests,” she said. “Hoghwash!”

I agree. Suppose I had to answer those question before getting adopted.

“You would like a job that is quiet and predictable.”

Yes! I love my routine. Every morning Cathy takes me for a walk as soon as we wake up. Then I snooze till noon. We have another walk. In the afternoon we go for a longer walk. And just before bed we walk again.

Twice a week I go to the park with my Aunt Sara – yaay! And Sundays I usually go to the Dog Lounge while mom works out.

Who would want more excitement? Not me, for sure.

“Other people’s feelings are their own business.”

No way! When my mom is tired or feeling under the weather, I snuggle up next to her and look adorable. I stop chewing socks for at least ten minutes.

When we meet strangers who need a dog fix, I’m right there.

You didn’t ask me about the cats’ feelings. Sorry, not my job.

“You feel nervous when there are demands you can’t meet.”

Hah. So I can’t do a perfect “down.” Or I can’t take my mom to see the fireworks. Big deal.

True, my mom said, “Gracie, if you chew my new wool winter hat, I will send you right back to the pound.” No way. I’m here forever.

“In school you were one of the best students.”

Yeah, right. Two trainers told my mom, “Gracie will always keep testing you. You’ll have to keep working with her.”

So I was a “C” student in obedience school. A lot of presidents were C students. So were some Kings of England. For a CUPPIE – a Canine Urban Princess – I’m perfectly educated.

“In your free time, you go out more than stay home.”

In my free time, I sleep.

Enough questions. Speaking of free time, mom, we need to go for our noon walk.

My mom just read me parts of this book, Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Changed the World.

It’s a pretty good book. Dewey was tossed into the book return chute one cold snowy evening. The library staff adopted him, with permission of the Board. He became a star attraction of the library and the town. Library attendance rose dramatically and people all over the world learned more than they ever wanted about Spencer, Iowa.

Of course the Board got nasty as Dewey got older. At once point they considered appointing a committee to oversee Dewey’s last days. The current Board won’t let the library adopt a cat, although several candidates have come forward.

What’s wrong with people? Can’t they see how much a cat or dog can add to their lives?

When Cathy first adopted me, she could bring me to the Uptown Espresso coffee shop in Belltown. I would snooze by her side as she drank coffee, ate something that was tasty (but not good for her), and worked. Then the Seattle Health Department decided dogs were hazards. We were all banished. Cathy doesn’t go there anymore unless she’s meeting somebody for coffee, usually on a Friday while I’m out with my Aunt Sara.

People loved me in the coffee shop. One man in a wheelchair used to look for me. One woman brought me a muffin. Cathy wouldn’t let me eat it. Apart from my delicate digestive system, she said she deserved the muffin more than I did. “I’m responsible for having such a great dog,” she told me as we walked home.

Life goes on. My mom says a movie about Dewey will appear sometime, with rumors of Meryl Streep playing the librarian.

What if they made a movie about me? My mom’s favorite actresses are all British: Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and Helen Mirren. She likes actresses who look like they’ve experienced life.

Okay, I bet we won’t be in a movie in this lifetime. Anyway, if we were, our newest housemate Ophelia would steal all the good scenes.