I Love You Man – Me and the Doods.com

A Positively Positive Walk with Henry

It always seems that when you’re walking a dog, you make a lot more connections with other people. With a dog Henry’s size it’s an adventure because it’s so hard to ignore him.

A woman driving by yelled from her car, “I just want to hug him.” An older man commented on how much Henry had grown since the last time he’d seen him a few months ago. Then he kind of whispered, “Im really a cat person but Henry is a star.”

A jovial woman standing in her driveway waved us over so that she could meet Henry. She and her husband had seen us around the neighborhood. Explaining that her husband was a “jokester,” she shared that whenever they spotted us he’d ask, “Whose hair do you think looks better today, hers or the dog’s?”

ELBEE Definitely Henry’s

As we were heading down the hill from her house, a car started slowly backing up next to us, making me kind of nervous. Then the driver’s window rolled down and the woman behind the wheel said, “I didn’t mean to scare you but my kids wanted to see your dog.” As she lowered the back window, I saw a little girl and her brother smiling and waving to Henry. Of course I had him wave back and play peek-a-boo.

ELBEE She can’t help herself.

Henry spotted a group of workmen and tugged on his leash to go greet them. Since I had heard some Spanish, I told them his name was Enrique. As we were chatting, one of them said to his friend, “se parece a su perro,” she looks like her dog. They were surprised when I started laughing. Of course I told them about being in I Love You Man with Charley, my first look alike dog.

ELBEE She let them think she was an actress.

On a different positive note, Henry worked his first official “gig” at UCLA. He met with a group of high school students interested in careers in the health care field. They were there to learn about the healing power of the human/animal bond. Jen, the manager of PAC gave a great talk and showed a very moving video but the kids’ smiling interactions with Henry said it all.

A Short Sweet Encounter

Anyone who walks with a dog can tell you that canines will lead to more human interactions than you’ll have when you’re walking alone. Not only do they attract people, but somehow lead to more open conversation. I was out with Stanley and Gus when a man started laughing and asked if I knew that our hair looked alike.

ELBEE Do you think she could possibly resist telling him about “I Love You Man,” her one claim to fame? FYI they made fun of her for looking like Charley.

Another, who sort of recognized me from the neighborhood, stopped to tell me that a few years ago his wife had been in the hospital at UCLA for 59 days. She’d had several dog visits and they’d meant so much that he still had their trading cards.

I especially want to share one really sweet encounter I had when I was walking with Henry. It was a little moment but with the news being so depressing, anxiety provoking and sad, aren’t those positive little moments exactly what we need right now?

ELBEE She better pick things up. I’m getting stressed just reading this.

We passed two men who were detailing a car on the street. They waved as we went by. Then as I walked a bit further past their big, black truck a boy of about twelve jumped out of the passenger seat. With a huge grin on his face he said “I love dogs! I’ve always wanted a dog!”

He was just drawn to Henry. As he petted him, he kept telling me how much he wanted a dog. It was a warm day so I took out Henry’s water. I noticed the boy watching closely and smiling as Henry drank out of his bottle so I asked if he’d like to hold it for him. I got an enthusiastic “yes!”

He told me that his name was Vladimir. He also proudly shared that he had an app on his phone that let him order food for all of them. I was so impressed by his sweetness and his kind demeanor. Henry, who’s a cautious judge of character, was completely taken with him.

We stood in the shade and chatted for around ten minutes. When Henry and I had to leave he was disappointed but totally understood. As I started up the hill, he called out “Have a blessed day.”

Confessions of a Stage Mom

In the spirit of honesty, I admit that this post is a blatant attempt to get votes for Gus in L.A.Magazine‘s cutest pet contest.

https://www.lamag.com/petfest/

ELBEE I would say desperate attempt.

Surprisingly, the oldest daughter, not the biggest fan of the Doods, texted me an article about the contest. I wondered if she was developing a soft spot for them.

ELBEE No. She bet a friend that her mother would be all over it.

When the daughters were growing up, I was more of a yelling from the sidelines kind of mom than a stage mom. Being an uncoordinated nerd who never played a sport, I loved cheering them on.

ELBEE She’s lucky she never got red carded at a soccer game.

When they were taking gymnastics, I got so carried away that I signed up for a class they were offering to delusional over-involved moms. To tell you how badly it went, I gave myself a black eye jumping off a mini-trampoline.

Technically I guess you could say that I first became a stage mom when I started bodybuilding. I brought the daughters to all the competitions, hoping they’d become my stage children and give me an extra push.

ELBEE Is she kidding? That’s a mom on stage not a stage mom. Those poor daughters.

It was only after the Doods came into my life that I became a true stage mom. I remember the exact day that it happened. I was walking with Charley, the gentle giant, my first therapy dog.

We passed a small crew that was filming random dogs and their owners for movie trailers. They asked if they could film me and Charley crossing the street. After thinking about it for two seconds I said “sure.” When we finished they gave me an envelope with fifty dollars. I still have it. Dog stage mom was born.

Among other things, Charley went on to do a featured cameo in I Love You Man, an appearance on Pit Bulls and Parolees, and an ad for Bedhead Pajamas. Somehow I even found him an agent.

I never got an agent for the others but have jumped at every opportunity for them to be in magazines, the news or on TV. Stanley, at not even two, filmed a show to be aired on Animal Planet. When they have photo shoots at UCLA, I am totally stage mom, primping and preening them.

This week I realized I’d really gone to the dark side. I received a spam call saying that I was going to be served an arrest warrant the next day whatever that meant. The creepy recording added that if I wasn’t served then, I’d be served at the sheriff’s station with law enforcement and media present. My first thought was,” wonder if I can bring Gus and Stanley.”

VOTE FOR GUS EVERY DAY TO MAKE THIS STAGE MOM GO AWAY

https://www.lamag.com/petfest/

ELBEE I am actually embarrassed for her.

People Say the Darnedest Things!

Walking alone I get an occasional hello, usually if I smile at someone first. When I walk with the Doods, people will say almost anything. The presence of the dogs seems to break down all sorts of barriers and filters. A man passing us on the sidewalk looked a little concerned about the dogs. I said “Don’t worry they’re friendly.” To which he relied, “I wasn’t worried about the dogs. I was worried about you.”

ELBEE That was classic. It’s so entertaining to watch everything from up here.

A middle-aged homeless woman asked if the Doods were friendly. Yes, I’m judging. She was disheveled, wearing a tattered dress that was hanging off her shoulders, one shoe and one slipper.

ELBEE Okay, I’ll give her that one.

After I reassured her, she sat down with them and started sharing a lot about her life. When she was younger she got in some sort of trouble and was given community service at a dog rescue. I was expecting her to tell me that it had been such a positive experience. Unfortunately, one of the dogs she was brushing bit her.

ELBEE That was a terrible story.

One morning I was strolling down a quiet residential street with Gus and Stanley and we were all, for whatever reason, extremely copacetic.

STANLEY Is that bad?

GUS I’m not sure.

ELBEE Oy vey!

A woman walking a medium sized Doodle on the other side of the street wanted to bring her dog over to visit. Enjoying the peace and quiet, knowing that Stanley would get overly excited and want to run around, I politely asked her not to.

She ignored me and came running over with her dog. Sure enough, Stanley wanted to play and started doing the puppy bounce. That’s when the woman told me, in the most condescending voice, “Apparently your dogs are hyper. Mine’s not.”

GUS Hey, I’m innocent.

I admit, she had ruined my mood. Fortunately a few minutes later we met a woman who said that Gus and Stanley should win the “dog beauty award.” Then as she was petting the two of them and Stanley began leaning against her, she remarked, “he’s so soulful.” My day was back on track.

Recently the dogs and I ran into a woman who’s a neighborhood regular. We’d always waved and said “hi” but never really chatted. Suddenly she stopped me and said, “I’ve wanted to ask you something for the longest time. Were you and your dog in I Love You Man?”

When I modestly answered, “Yes, we had a small cameo,” she exclaimed “Are you kidding? That was an iconic moment!”

ELBEE I’m not sure if I’m having a bigger issue with “modestly” or “iconic.”

As a side note, Elbee is back in my posts because he brings a certain rhythm and joy to my writing. And let’s face it, he is a talking dog.

I’ve Got Friends in High Places

It’s no secret that the mountains are my spiritual, tranquil and creative space. Now it seems that I have a much better social life up there too. Since I’m not much of a “go to lunch” person, it makes sense that I would have a lot in common with other people out hiking. Note to the daughters: I said hiking not wandering.

ELBEE The jury is still out on that one.

We “regulars”run into each other so often that we greet each other like long lost relatives. Yolanda and Francisco, a fun couple, always stop to take pictures. Sandy, a young mom who hikes after she drops her kids at school, tells me that I’m her inspiration.

ELBEE I hate to burst Pack Leader’s bubble but that may have been an age crack.

Then there’s Kim, who does what I think is Tai Chi on an overlook but who always calls out encouragement. I promised a friend I’d mention the long haired shirtless runner we’ve nicknamed “Fabio” for obvious reasons. Yesterday I commiserated with Ted who lost his Labrador Retriever a short time ago. He told me that recently when he and his wife were watching I Love You Man, he saw me and Charley and said, “hey, that’s my hiking buddy.”

ELBEE The cameo that will live on in infamy.

Last weekend I went hiking with Gary, who is like a son to me. His mom was my dearest friend Eileen who passed away years ago, way too soon. It was a perfect day so we ran into several people in my mountain circle of friends. After a ton of enthusiastic greetings and “where are the dogs?” Gary jokingly remarked, “You should run for mayor of the mountains.”

At first I laughed but then I realized that maybe he was right. Politics is a wide open field right now and women are at the forefront. I could suddenly hear John Denver singing “mountain mama” but I could change it to “mountain grandma” as I made my ascent. I knew my constituents. I knew the issues. I could get rid of litter, open more trails to the dogs. I was a shoe in for the job

ELBEE News Flash! I think mayor of the mountains is an honorary position. On second thought, this might be perfect for me! Doesn’t the honorary mayor need an honorary press secretary? I speak three languages, Dog, English and Spanish plus a few words in French. I’m good in front of a crowd. I’m popular. I’m photogenic.

On the other hand, I have strong opinions and am pretty outspoken. Come to think of it, maybe I should be mayor of the mountains. I would even throw Gus a bone and let him be my honorary PR guy.

The Bowser

As Elbee and I were “making rounds” at Providence Hospital, a young man named Holden came running down the hall to ask if we would visit his younger brother. When we got to the room we met Fred and also their mom Amanda. Turns out that all three were total animal lovers!

With Elbee on the bed cuddled next to Fred, the hospital room seemed to disappear as we told stories and showed photos of our dogs. Both of the boys were planning to become veterinarians. Holden had even studied videos on You Tube so that he could deliver their dog’s puppies. Now that was impressive.

As I occasionally do when talking about the Doods, I mentioned that Charley was in the movie I Love You Man.

ELBEE Occasionally?? She has gotten more mileage out of that cameo than some actresses have gotten out of their Oscars.

Okay, so maybe I do drop it into conversation every chance I get, but their reaction was beyond anything that had ever happened before. The three of them stopped talking, stared at me, and then shouted “OMG you’re the bowser!” The level of excitement in the room skyrocketed.

ELBEE For those of you who have not seen her “blink and you might miss it” cameo in the movie, I’ll explain. Jason Segal’s character points at Pack Leader walking with Charley and calls her a “bowser,” his name for people who look like their dogs.

As I stood there in disbelief, thrilled that my 15 minutes weren’t up, Amanda started quoting lines from the film. A few years ago she had been very ill and feeling really down. A relative offered to bring her a movie that would cheer her up. That movie was I Love You Man.

As she watched it over and over, it became a big part of her healing process. She even showed it to the boys when they were old enough to see it. Our whole interaction was so much fun. For a brief period, the stress of being in a hospital was gone. I may have made their day but they definitely made mine. I was truly touched to have been a small part of something that was so significant to them.

Dogs Do It

I was the soul of discretion in my last post about the Thanksgiving chaos at our house. I left out a whole issue. I’m talking about humping, yes humping.

ELBEE Again with the issues. And why is humping an “issue?”

Nicole, the middle daughter and the one who actually likes them, opened that door. She shared a photo that lit up Facebook.

THE DOODS We have mixed feelings about this. We admit that we’re partly proud but also just a little embarrassed. Is there no privacy? We’re also confused. Why is Riley so disinterested?

RILEY Hey, I’m old. I have better things to do…like sleep.

My son-in-law Jay commented that he recalled my “well trained Doodles” humping Nicole and was curious about why I hadn’t included that in my Thanksgiving post. He also wanted to know if they encouraged that sort of behavior in the hospital. Come to think of it, I don’t know UCLA policy on dog humping. I also wonder if this once again puts me out of the running for mother of the year.

This is the same son-in-law photo bombing his wife Danielle in this picture, although it could easily be her sister Jennifer. They look a lot alike and feel pretty much the same way about the Doods. Well, Danielle is a little more tolerant although she did say, and I quote, “They were trying to attack me.”

THE DOODS Are you kidding?” Attack” is not in our vocabulary. To be fair, we may have been trying to hump her.

If I’m going to be completely honest, I did have a major humping episode with Charley during the filming of I Love You Man. Charley was having a diva moment and was shutting down, tired from all of his “fan” interaction.

The assistant director asked permission to get him fired up. Do you see this photo? That’s what happened. No, we were not dancing.

CHARLEY Excuse me, but where is the appreciation for getting her on the gag reel?

Pit Bulls, Parolees and a Doodle

Charley has quite the resume, especially for a dog. He was in the movie I Love You Man. He’s been in several parades.

He’s been on TV, in magazines and newspapers. He worked at an academy awards gifting suite.

He was even in the Bedhead pajama catalog.

CHARLEY I regret that I’ve never been asked to do a radio interview. I actually think I could pull it off.

What few people know is that he was on the tv show Pit Bulls and Parolees, a program about a woman who rescues Pit Bulls and has parolees help train and rehabilitate them.

ELBEE I’m sure Pack Leader was wondering if there was an audience for her blog in prison.

During our episode a parolee was testing a large Pit Bull to be a therapy dog. Charley and I were there as the neutral dog team. It’s the exercise in the Pet Partners evaluation where the two teams approach, the handlers greet each other, and the testing team then walks on by. The dogs aren’t supposed to show more than passing interest in each other.

Unfortunately, Fido, the Pit Bull and Fred the parolee (fake names) failed the test. After walking by, “Fido” circled back to get Charley. A big no no.

CHARLEY I was terrified. I’m a lover not a fighter.

Since the producers knew the outcome, when they were editing the show, they made a big dramatic deal about the neutral dog exercise coming up. “Fred” had to say how nervous he was about it. It was like the obligatory part of a cooking show where someone says, “this is a disaster.” As they went to commercial, they had a shot of big, scary Charley with a kind of Jaws music playing.

CHARLEY It was humiliating, almost as humiliating as this shirt.

After “Fido” failed, they went to “Fred” for reaction. He commented that the big, fluffy white dog had been their downfall. Maybe I should have used fake names for me and Charley instead.

Fortunately he was a very sweet parolee and said he totally understood. Hey, maybe he would like my blog.

Ready for Our Closeup

Being in the Hollywood Christmas Parade and doing my fabulous wave was a huge moment for me, especially since I grew up in Syracuse, N.Y. where I’m not even sure if they had parades. What could be better? I’ll tell you what…being in a Hollywood movie!

I received an e-mail about a casting call for dog/people look alikes. That was almost too easy. When I showed up with Charley, the casting director burst out laughing and called me a “bowser.” I wasn’t sure whether or not to be offended. I mean, had I gone too far wearing a royal blue shirt and putting Charley in a royal blue scarf? Was it all the product I’d put in our hair?

Turns out that it was a very good thing. A few weeks later we were called and asked to come down to the Venice Boardwalk for filming. A return to the site of my bodybuilding glory and prior 15 minutes of fame! Coincidence? I don’t think so.

GUS I’m the new kid on the block and I’m confused. Who or what is that?

CHARLEY I wish I could explain but there are just no words. And this is our self-appointed pack leader. I’m concerned.

The first day we arrived, I had to park in the main lot with all of the extras, walk quite a distance and then get on a bus to go to the location. Once we got there, Charley took over. Within a few hours, everyone from catering to extras to crew knew Charley and assumed that I was his leash holder. People were actually waving to him and calling out his name. He was thriving on the attention. I was surprised he wasn’t giving out paw prints.

I don’t know how he did it, but somehow we went from being extras to having a “major moment,” as a friend called it, in I Love You Man, a DreamWorks picture. Charley probably had his own major moment with the director while I was picking up his dog poop. And they call people with umbrella holders, “divas.”

In our cameo, we’re walking along the beach when our co-star Jason Segel points us out to our other costar, Paul Rudd, and says, “Look at those two. You know those people who look like their dogs? I call them bowsers.” Okay so we weren’t exactly costars, we were a punchline. My daughters were so proud.

What I probably shouldn’t over share is that my wonderful dog and I ended up on the gag reel. By the time we filmed our scene on the second day in Venice, my diva dog was worn out from interacting with all his fans and wasn’t in the mood for his close up. The assistant director asked if it was okay to get Charley a little pumped up. I stupidly said, “sure.” He got him so pumped up that Charley stood up on his hind legs, wrapped his front paws around me and started humping me.

Charley: Just because I’m a therapy dog doesn’t mean I don’t have a sense of humor. That was perhaps one of my finest moments.