The times they are a changing my friend...

It has been too long!
"What on earth have you been doing with yourself Archie?" I hear each and every one of you cry! "We've missed you!" I know, I know and I'm sorry. It's a busy life being a dog and now Elly is at home, well my social life is just blooming. I have company more often, I get more walks and I have even made a few friends. I love the extra attention I'm getting although I do think I am putting on a few pounds. It's getting very hot over here and I just can't walk as far as I could before so I'm feeling a little porky. Don't get me wrong, I am still devastatingly handsome...I've still got it!

So what has been happening since my last post? So much! Elly has finished work, as I said, and she seems very happy and relaxed. James and Elly went on holiday to South Africa for a week and I went to stay with my friend Jon. I had a lovely time. I was a 'city dog' for a week. I got to walk up and down the Corniche and got lots of admiring looks! Jon and Helen are lovely, I enjoyed staying with them very much, although their friends were talking about dogknapping me! I'm not sure I liked the sound of that!

Granny and Poppa were here when I came home from Jon's, which was lovely. I enjoy their company very much and it's a bit of variety isn't it? Poppa and I like to walk together and Granny cooks some lovely smelling things! I do hope they come back soon.

I know I was talking about putting on a few pounds but Elly (don't tell her I said so), is looking bigger by the day! She has a huge belly now, I can hardly get my chin rested on it! She keeps pointing to it and tells me to bark, I haven't a clue what she's on about though. She really should do some more exercise or she'll end up a right porker, (again, don't tell her I said so!). I think she's returning to the UK soon, which is nice for her, I know she is very hot now (aren't we all?). I wish she could take me, I miss the hills and the Water of Leith, I think she does too. But I think I will be staying here. It's OK though as Priya will look after me - she's a good friend and fusses over me a lot. James will be around too, I believe, and we'll still go on our runs. I hate them, but I know they're good for me!

We've had loads of visitors. Jill and Gerry were here a while ago. I love them too, they make a fuss of me as well. I heard they had missed me so much that they got a dog of their own! Not as handsome as me, but I've seen her on Skype - she's quite cute (in a sisterly kind of way that is!).
Thomas came over too and stayed. He got a good tan and kept Elly company while James went to work and then James and Thomas visited Doha one night - very adventurous!

We have just had our last lot of visitors - the Scrimgeours! All in all I enjoyed their stay but it wasn't without it's dramas! When they first arrived I was very excited as they're about the same size as me - 'Great! Friends' I thought, but they made a lot of noise and ran away. I couldn't understand it - I just wanted to be friendly. However, the next day they seemed to be a bit more friendly and I got a few pats and strokes. Things got better from then on; Alastair cuddled me lots and Cameron was so generous, he shared his bottle with me and fed me every time he ate - such a generous boy! He was a little over enthusiastic in his cuddling sometimes and kept stealing my bed, but I didn't mind, perhaps he's part dog?
I know Elly was sad when they left the other day so I gave her some cuddles to make her feel better. I'm sure it's not long before she sees them again.

Also, I heard Elly talking about Jane and Tom! I think they're coming for this weekend. I'm very excited that Aunty Jane is coming, she's great. Although they're bound to be going out the house loads and leaving me behind, coming in late and being silly. Some people! Maybe they'll have a BBQ - they're great...always plenty of things falling on the floor at a BBQ!

So, as I said, it is getting hotter and hotter here and I believe it is set to increase even more. I don't know what I'm to do. I will just have to continue lounging around the house and hope the air-conditioning doesn't break-down. I've been doing some reading as there are plenty of new books in the house and they have loads of pictures of cute babies. I like babies, I hope we get one soon. They smell good and they share their food with me. Mmmmm....food. I can't stop thinking about it. It's a dog's life. I'd better get back to my snoozing. I'll be back soon, I promise.
Until the next time.
Over and out.

Archie


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Abu Dhabi at last!

Dearest blog followers - I have arrived!

Well, that wasn't so bad. One minute I was in my box and it was cold and then I slept a lot and the next thing I know I'm seeing Elly and James at a brand new front door. The doors look different but furniture is the same. How lovely it was to curl up on the old sofa again next to Elly!

So far, this place doesn't seem so bad. It's a lot warmer than the UK but not too hot, it even rained this week! I have a nice park opposite my new house and I've even made new friends already. Neesha is a Springer Spaniel, who speaks English, and enjoys a good old run around like me and my new friend Monty arrives from the UK tomorrow. I've heard he's a bit of a rascal but I'm sure I'll soon show him the ropes, I know how to behave. I have been showing off my obedience skills to everyone and everyone here thinks I'm just great! I am getting so much attention it's fabulous. Priya, who looks after me when Elly and James are working, is lovely and she plays with me and pets me loads as well.

I do wish that Elly didn't have to got to work - I think she wishes it too some days! They get up super early here and I have my breakfast with them just after 6 in the morning! Poor Elly always looks so tired but she tells me that the school is very nice and when she gets paid at the end of the month it will all be worth it! Maybe she'll even buy me a new harness.

So, the house is pretty fancy. We have 3 bedrooms and more bathrooms than I can count. The garden is really lovely, apparently they put the grass down especially for me which was nice of them. I don't really like spending time out there by myself, I do prefer it when other people come out and play with me but I am pleased I have somewhere to run around all the same. I did get caught out the other day though when this water came shooting out of the grass and surprised me! It comes on automatically you see and I didn't see it coming and I got soaked. Elly couldn't stop laughing; I really wasn't amused.

I saw an old friend the other day. I recognised him as the nice man who looked after me every now and then and took me to see some rugby once. I was very confused but James explained that Jon had moved here from next door to us in Cowan Road because his girlfriend Helen was working in Abu Dhabi. So now I have my dog-sitter back! Bonus. It's just like Cowan Road - except warmer.

Elly says she will post some more photos of our new house soon for people to see where we live. I am usually to be found on the sofa, curled up or sprawled out (sooooo comfortable!).

More news soon I hope. Elly and James seem very relaxed and happy. They don't go out as much as in Scotland, which I like because I see them more, but they seem very happy and are always smiling which is nice.
Until my next instalment bloggers...Archie xxxx

A Month in Abu Dhabi

It’s freezing here and there’s snow in Sussex! Unheard of! However, I have been a very good dog and have been learning how to behave properly. Jill and Gerry are very strict and they are keeping me busy, training me everyday and teaching me how to behave, which apparently is very important where I’m going.

Elly has been in AD for nearly a month now and I miss her terribly. The whole process of getting me there is really painful (literally) I’ve been poked and prodded and the paperwork is giving poor Gerry a real headache. I’m sure it will be worth it because even though I do love being here by the seaside it’s supposed to be pretty nice over there and they’ve chosen a house especially for me as well!

Speaking of the house, the first one they wanted fell through after waiting for 3 weeks. They’ve got another one but it appears that everything takes quite a long time to process and Elly is stressing out about whether they will be in by the time I arrive on January 13^th. Their furniture arrives on the 21^st and they also only get 5 days free storage; after that they have to pay a daily charge, so it could prove to be a bit expensive! Elly says she keeps repeating the matra “Keep calm and carry on!” I’m sure it will all work out.

Elly has told me that she is really enjoying Abu Dhabi. She got to explore quite a bit when her friend Helen came to stay and they visited the huge Mosque (3^rd largest in the world) and enjoyed the open top bus tour of the city. James and Elly had great fun in Dubai at the Rugby Sevens and spent time with Poppa and Granny. The shopping is apparently AMAZING in Dubai. Elly says she is going back for Christmas Shopping this week!

Elly has also got a teaching job! After pondering the idea of being a ‘Lady of Leisure’ for all of about 5 minutes she was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and a local International School was looking for two term’s Maternity cover. She prepared a lesson to teach a year 7 class and had an interview with the Principal, Secondary Head teacher and Head of English. She must’ve done pretty well because they didn’t offer her two term’s work, they offered her a Permanent job! All very exciting. It is a full-time English teaching post in a new school that already has an excellent reputation. So, only 2 more weeks of holiday and then it’s back to earning the pennies (a jolly good thing with all the money they’re spending over there.) Check out Al Yasmina International School on a Google search!

Elly says that living over in AD is a funny mixture of East and West. You have very interesting paradoxes like the shopping Malls are full of shops like Zara, Next, Mango and New Look selling Western style clothes but then the women who are shopping there walk around in their full-length black Abayas. She has been dressing more conservatively out of respect and also not covering shoulders and knees feels weird.  As the bus tour said, “beach wear is for the beach”.

There is a wonderful mixture of ethnicities, particularly in the school she’s going to teach in, but there is also a huge divide between rich and poor. Anyone working in the service industry are from places like Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia and Indonesia, they work hard for little money but they have their work permits here and many send money home to their families. It makes you wonder what their lives must be like at home to live so far away. Their quality of life here must be better than there, surely?

So, there is an interesting class system, the Emirates being top dogs! You see an incredible amount of wealth; the type of wealth you usually only see on TV. Elly and James said they have seen more ‘Super cars’ than in a whole series of Top Gear! James got particularly excited when they saw two Buggati Veron parked next to each other outside a hotel Elly said there was no accounting for taste when she saw an apple green Lambourghini parked outside the Mall.

So, Elly is filling her days with going to the Gym and spending far too much time on Facebook from what she’s told me. The weather is lovely she says; a balmy 27 degrees on average and nice and cool in the evenings and mornings. Neither James nor Elly feel very festive although they did sing some carols at the British Embassy on Saturday! All a bit strange. With green parrots shrieking in the background!

They celebrated their first wedding anniversary this week and had (yet another) meal out! No wonder they need to work out so much! Thank goodness they did get married otherwise they’d never have got me!

Hopefully the next time you hear from me, I will be telling you all about AD myself and the new house and friends I’m going to meet over there. They already have one friend lined up for me; he’s a young one though, a black spaniel called Marmite. I’m sure I’ll soon show him the ropes!

Haircuts and goodbyes

Well, she left me...again and I have a very smart haircut! I look incredibly handsome even if I do say so myself (and everyone has told me so as well!) so I'm a little put out that she left so soon!

However, I know it won't be for long. I am very happy down here in Sussex. After a wonderful time with Poppa and Babs I am now visiting my other Grandparents for a while. I have to say the weather is much better down here than in Drummore. Crikey! The wind in Drummore was pretty awful, I really didn't like going out in it. Down here I can be on the beach in a matter of minutes and it is nowhere near as windy as Port Logan Beach. I miss the seaweed though. That was fun to eat and run around with in my mouth!

So, Elly has gone. I was expecting it. The suitcases were out again. They always make me a little nervous because it means that either I'm going somewhere or Elly or James is! And I knew it would be Elly because she was a bit stressed out running around and doing stuff. We did manage to have a few good walks and some lovely cuddles though before she left. She left early in the morning on Thursday and Gerry drove her up to Heathrow to catch her flight. I could see she was sad to leave me but also really excited about seeing James again. I know I'll be there soon too.

Elly called to check on me from Abu Dhabi and to say she'd arrived. I mean she had arrived! Lucky so-and-so got upgraded to First Class! What a way to start her new life abroad! Starting as she clearly means to go on...In Style!!!! James collected her from the airport and they have settled in to the apartment above where James works. It sounds quite nice (although I wouldn't like it as there's nowhere to run around!) there's a supermarket and coffee shop, a gym and offices.
Today they looked at areas to live and they think they've found somewhere (more on that another time). She did harp on a bit about some fancy hotel they had coffee in this morning, at something called Yas Island Grand Prix Circuit. I have no idea what that is but I'm sure I'd find it very boring! She seemed to be pretty impressed with it all.

Elly said she is enjoying it so far and she is so happy to be with James after all this time. I miss him too - when do I get to come?

My first birthday

Well, now I am a fully grown 1-year old I felt that I had enough suitable vocabulary and wealth of experience to share with you as I embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Am I entering Crufts I hear you cry? Am I in training to be the next 'One woman and her dog' act on Britain's got talent? No, it is far more exciting than that - I am about to move to the Middle East to live.
I am not sure how long this adventure will last, I am not sure what my house will be like, I am not even sure how long I will be there, but I do know that I will be living with James and Elly so it shouldn't be too bad!
I am not entirely sure where Abu Dhabi is and it sounds a bit peculiar to be honest. I've heard that it is pretty hot, so I am a little concerned that I won't like it. They'll really need to cut my hair before I go as I am a little bit shaggy at the moment. Really, you'd have thought that they'd have got my hair cut for my birthday!
So, we've left Edinburgh. I was sad to leave, I did really like living in Cowan Road, especially the new house. I miss my friends at Harrison Park because we used to run around together loads. However, I have had a lovely time in Drummore. I enjoy the garden; helping with the digging and running on the beach. I have loved spending time with Granny and Poppa; I get a lot of love from both of them and seem to make them smile quite a lot.
So, the furniture is sitting in a container in Kent apparently and won't arrive until December 21st, this is a major bummer for me because the sooner the furniture arrives and James and Elly get settled into a house, the sooner my journey can begin.
Where will I be in the meantime? I hear you ask. Yes, I am doing a bit of a UK tour; spreading my Puppy love. Right now I'm still hangin' in Drummore with Poppa and Granny while Elly spends some time with Cameron and Alastair in Beeston, then I'll join them at the end of the week (staying in a few hotels on the way I think!). Next Sunday Elly is going to take me to my next favourite place...Felpham. I really love it there by the sea which is good because that's where I'll stay until I have to go on the plane to join Elly and James.