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We were in the garden yesterday, taking photos for eBay. I tried to take a photo of Robbi and she quickly turned away. She is camera shy to say the least!
Anyway, I got this - and I think it proves that she is absolutley gorgeous from any angle!
Richard
Having just sold my semi-pro and professional Canon MiniDV camcorders this last week, we decided that it would be a shame not to document the trip over to the states especially now that we are going on the Queen Mary 2.
So after lots of "ooo-ing" and "ahh-ing" I bit the bullet and order a Sony HDR-HC3E HDV 1080i Camcorder.
This thing is SMALL!!!, it will fit quite easily in the palm of my hand (I have big hands, but it will also fit in Robbi's too!) and also quite easily into a handbag.
As soon as it arrives (2 to 5 days) I will get some practice in with Denny and Charlie. Its about time Charlie made his debut on the LCD screen!
This is the sight that greets us on the Thames Path Walk in Sonning.
Its ok putting dog waste bins for us to use, but it might be worth emptying them now and again!
I was having a chat with the neighbour this morning, and we got on the subject of previous marriages. It seems that he, like me, was married once before too.
"Oh yes Richard, I can honestly say that my ex-wife is indeed an angel."
I just had to reply, "You lucky sod, mines still alive." 
We only have seven whole weeks left in the UK now, and we have having to get a move on with regards the clearing out of items that we cannot simply take the the USA with us.
Up until about a month ago, I was under the impression that I was able to take my prized BMW 540i with me, but that all changed last week when I spoke to the importer who had to give me some bad news.
Although my car matches the US models in almost every respect there was one slight issue, the fact that my steering wheel is on the correct side (the right!). It seems that the car would indeed pass all of the other tests, but due to the fact that it was right hand drive they would only be able to import it if I agreed to put it through a crash test! Then, if it passed, I would then be able to import another RHD BMW 540i without any problems. Talk about stupidity!
Anyway, I decided to not start a bureaucracy fight and have decided to let my pride and joy go. It's going to be a shame as I really enjoy driving it and it handles like a dream.
My other prized possession is the bike, which Robbi hates anyway. The Kawasaki ZZR1100 which I have lovingly treated to quite a few discreet modifications over the years, has to go too. Oh well. Perhaps I am now at the age where a Harley will do as opposed to a 170mph rocket!
Caught this little snap shot of Denny today.
He was sitting in his favorite spot in the garden watching the day go by. Everytime I catch him in these candid moments it just bring back so many memories of his dad, Samson.
That's my boy!
When I started the new Denny and Charlie site I wanted it to be something special, somewhere were the fun and special times of our new adventures could be shared and enjoyed with all of our international friends. Unfortunatley something has been eating away at me now since I heard about the detoriation in the health of Samson, who you now all know passed away on the 13th May 2006.
My ex-wife has constantly refused to let me see Samson since she took him away over 3 years ago when she decided she wanted a divorce. The fact that Samson was OUR dog never really swayed her from this stance and the hurt and pain has had to sit on my shoulders all this time. The divorce courts in the UK deem animals to be "personal property" and as such will not get involved in allocating them to either party in the divorce - so the fact that she took them on that sad day meant that they were classed as "property in her possession". I did not have a chance on the day we settled in court, she walked away with everything she took - whether she had paid anything for those items or not. The pain just needed to end for me; the false allegations of "harrassment" were just too much and I had to get it over with. She walked away with all the dogs.
Since 2003 I do not think a day has gone by where I have not thought about those dogs. Granted, its a bit difficult not to when you have their photos on the wall and they are the wallpaper of my work PC, but I miss them so much that I still have moments where my resolve fails.
Our move to Texas means that I will never have the chance of seeing my pugs again, so I made a request to my ex-wife to see if I could have a visit on neutral ground. I was told this would not be good for Samson due to his health and I "backed off".
A few weeks later, when I heard Samsons health was failing and the inevitable was due to happen I made several requests to my ex-wife to pay him a visit and say my goodbyes - I did not want anything special, just to hold him for a while so he remebered my smell, and to talk to him so that he remembered my voice. I asked nicely, through the PugVillage forums private messaging. I got no reply.
Eight days after that message I learned, through the PugVillage forums, that Samson had died. She did not even have the courtesy to contact me and let me know, it was actually 2 days after he had gone that I found out when I logged on the forums. Devastation set in. It was one of the days when I was working from home, and the remorse and pain that set in on that day is still with me. Hiding my feelings is now a skill I have mastered, but this one is peeking through every now and a again.
What could I do? My previous emails and private messages were ignored, I could not attempt to email her again, the lack of a reponse would just increase the pain for me. So I bottled up the feelings and threw myself back into my work. My ex-wife hates me, that is taken as granted by all that know her and all that know me; but I have to say that the feeling is not mutual. My feelings for her are private and I am not writing this to openly flog and humiliate her.
Samson was very very special to me, and I want people to know that. My tribute to the little guy has been viewed over 500 times now - and the emails and PM's I have received are nothing but spectacular. Thank you all.
Closure is something that the majority of us need when big issues affect our lives; and I am not any different. So I offered an olive branch to my ex-wife. My final attempt to put aside our differences and forget the past and the bad things we have done to each other. The fact that this was ignored is what has pushed me to writing this entry in to what should be a HAPPY blog. I feel that the story needs to be told.
Its now 11:30pm at night and I have left the side of my loving and gorgeous wife, Robbi, to get this off my chest, as I cannot sleep. This evening I have been the grumpiest and most miserable bastard anyone would never wish to meet, all because of this situation that cannot be resolved. Will this help me overcome this grief and give me closure? I very much doubt it.
Finally, i will share that olive branch with you. It comes from the heart and it was well meaning and 100% honest, just not seen that way by the original recipient.
It's time...As far as I am concerned it is now time to put aside our differences for good. The loss of Samson has made me realise how insignificant all our petty disagreements have been.
I hope you got a chance to look at the little video tribute I did for him, so far over 300 people have watched it - his name and memories go on.
I have over 200 photos of him, including ones of when he was a puppy...and some 2p coins from under the dishwasher - his favorites from playing shuvapenny... some still have his teeth marks in them. I want to make a framed photo of the guy with a 2p suspended with it.... as a memory to him. As a hand of friendship I would like to do one for you too, would you accept this as a final peace offering from me?
I am so sorry you had to make the decision to let him go, I cannot imagine the extra pain that must be causing you - expecially with the pain I am experiencing right now.
Please - lets put everything behind us, lets close this once and for all. I would like to bring Denny down to see you, you can see so much of Samson in him now it's uncanny. We would like to bring some flowers and the Pug statue from the old garden, the one Samson used to sit beside.
Again. Sorry.
Sorry to all of you for burdening you with my pain.
Richard
Not much to say other than this video is a true representation of my feelings for my departed friend.
The file is 4 Megabytes in size, so if your on a slow connection please be patient while it downloads and buffers.
If you have problems playing Windows Media, then you can also view the video on Google Video.
Richard
We have been sent a couple of photos from Cunard showing the facilities for our precious Pugs.
The Inside Play Area The Outside Play AreaThe Kennels
Here is the information we got from Cunard about costs and visiting times on-board. The prices are VERY reasonable when compared to Air Freight (and also the emotional cost!)
We are able to transport cats and dogs on Queen Mary 2, but we can only do this on transatlantic crossings. All animals travelling with us must meet the following conditions.All pets must be:
Fitted with a microchip
Vaccinated against Rabies
Satisfactorily blood tested
Issued with an official PETS certificate or
...official PET passport or
...3rd country certificate
Treated against ticks and tapeworm (certificate required) We are unable to carry the following breeds of dog due to size:
Afghan
Curly Coated Retriever
Bloodhound
Gordon Setter
Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound)
Great Dane
Briard
Greyhound
Irish Wolfhound
Irish Setter
Mastiff
Deerhound
New Foundland
Doberman
Pyrenees
St. Bernard
Saluki
Weimaraner
Bull Mastiff
Malamute Kennel prices for 2006 have been confirmed as follows:
£170 per small upper cage - 30" x 35.5" x 27" (L x W x H)
£280 per large lower cage - 30" x 35.5" x 36" (L x W x H) Pets are not permitted in passenger areas and must remain in the kennels for the duration of the cruise, however, guests are more than welcome to exercise dogs themselves.
The kennel opening times are usually 07:30 - 09:30 / 11:00 - 12:00 / 15:30 - 18:30.
As a lot of our friends and fellow Pug people may know, we have been trying to secure flights for Denny and co for your upcoming relocation to the USA. Well, a lot of those people may also know what a right royal pain the in the BUTT that has been.
On Wednesday last week we were at our highest levels of desperation when the pet shipping company told us thatwe may not be able to ship the Pugs until September due to airline temperature restrictions. What!??? But we are scheduled to move into the new house in July - there was just no way that I would leave Denny and Charlie behind for 2 months. It felt like large boulders has been put on my shoulders, I just sank into my desk and started thinking the worst.
Over a year ago we had tried to secure a place on the Cunard QM2, but were told that they were stopping the Kennel facilities on board due to lack of use, this was the reason why we had to opt for flying the guys. We had tried several other cruise lines at the time and were led down dead end routes when trying to get confirmation that pets were allowed. We gave up.
On Wednesday I did a Google search for "pets transatlantic" and up came a new article about Cunards Pampered Pets Programme. I quickly pulled myself out of the slump at my desk and my heart started to pound (not for the first time this year!!). I called Robbi at home. Robbi was a little dissmissive, as was I, but she gave Cunard a call. All was looking good, the press release was indeed correct and pets were once again allowed on the QM2 for Transatlantic crossings. Cunard confirmed that Pugs were one of the breeds they would take but also mentioned that they only had 12 kennels on the ship and they would have to see if they had space. The wait was intense, I failed to do any work that afternoon!
When I eventually got home that evening Robbi and the dogs were waiting for me on the porch of the house. Robbi did not look happy - in fact she looked a little glum! I thought the worst and asked "no space then?". She laughed and said "yes" as she ran into my arms. Wicked!
The Pugs are going on the Queen Mary 2!
"For pets crossing the Atlantic aboard Queen Mary 2, the luxuries abound"VALENCIA, CA February 15, 2006
Long accustomed to cosseting travelers in the lap of luxury, Cunard is now extending its expertise to the four-legged friends of its Queen Mary 2 passengers. Recognizing the growing trend toward traveling with pets, the cruise line has made noteworthy enhancements to its Pets on Deck program, including adding a range of pet-friendly services and amenities such as fresh-baked biscuits at turn-down; a choice of beds and blankets; and even a QM2-logoed coat.
Queen Mary 2s kennel program is overseen by a full-time Kennel Master who takes care of daily pet care responsibilities such as feeding, walking and cleaning the ships 12 spacious kennels. As part of the enhanced program, traveling dogs and cats also receive a complimentary gift pack featuring a QM2-logoed coat, Frisbee, name tag, food dish and scoop; a complimentary portrait with pet owners; a crossing certificate and personalized cruise card. Other pet perks include:
extra comfortable pet beds in two sizes
healthy gourmet cookies for dogs and cats baked fresh
daily and offered at bedtime
fleece blankets
assortment of dog and cat toys
cat posts and scratchers
selection of premium pet foods from top brands.
For some Cunard passengers, transporting their pets safely and comfortably is a top priority, and having them cross the Atlantic onboard QM2 is far more desirable than flying them between continents, said Carol Marlow, president and managing director of Cunard Line. And now our passengers pets can truly travel in real style.The kennels and adjacent indoor and outdoor walking areas are open throughout the day, enabling passengers to spend significant time with their pet. Reservations for the kennels may be made at time of booking, and are based on space availability. The kennel fee ranges from $300 to $500.Taking good care of its passengers beloved pets is a long and illustrious Cunard tradition.
The lines friendly pet policy dates back to the maiden voyage of the Britannia in 1840, when three cats were on board. Since then, circus elephants, canaries, a monkey and even a boa constrictor have traveled Cunard. Widely considered the line-of-choice by generations of celebrities, Cunard has also transported a surprising number of notable pets. Mr. Ramshaw, the worlds only trained golden eagle, made at least 21 transatlantic crossings on mid 20th-century liners; Rin-Tin-Tin, star of 36 silent films, traveled on the Berengaria; and Tom Mix and Tony, stars of the 1930s western series Miracle Rider, regularly trotted up the gangway. (Tonys hooves were even fitted with special rubber shoes to prevent the horse from slipping.)In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor brought her pampered puppies on board the original Queen Mary and exercised them regularly on the ships sports deck. She even ordered special meals for them from the fish chef. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor also traveled with a beloved pup and, at the Dukes behest, Cunard installed a lamp post beside the kennels.
Queen Mary 2 is the grandest ocean liner ever built. There are 1,310 suites and cabins available in degrees of style and comfort ranging from pampered elegance to almost unimaginable luxury in the ships famed Grill-level accommodations. Queen Mary 2 brings together like-minded travelers who relish the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable White Star ServiceSM, fine dining, sophisticated adventure and legacy of historic voyages and transatlantic travel.
If you would like to know more about taking your Pugs accross the pond, then here are the details of the person you need to contact:
Dani Page
Customer Assistance Pets Administrator
Carnival UK
Tel: 023 8065 7789
I learned some sad sad news this morning, unfortunatley not from the source I would have liked to hear it from.
Samson, my first Pug, died on Saturday after years of suffering from many an ailment. He died peacefully in the arms of my ex-wife at his home in Harwich.
Samson brought a lot to my life, and he changed me in so many ways. I just wish I could have said goodbye to him before he left this life for a new one at the Rainbow Bridge.
So long my friend, I will see you again. You are always welcome in my dreams, don't be a stranger.
I noticed that the camera was showing a whole lot of nothing over the weekend, so I decided to do something that we geeks generally do not do - read the manuals!
It seems that with a little firmware upgrade the camera was able to do "motion detection" in a more proficient way that it was out of the box. So upgrading I did go and now the camera is only updating when something happens. Much better than lookng at an empty driveway!
Don't worry, Tigger and Munchkin seem to be setting the thing off on a regular basis!
Richard
We now have he new camera installed and working. The picture quality is much better then the Logitech unit we were using and best of all it's wireless. This means we can put the camera anywhere we like as long as it's in range of the router.
At the moment we have it sat in the summer room, which is at the back of the house - but this weekend I may move it under the canopy to give it a little more chance of "action".
Richard
We were proud of ourselves last night, we did a lot of background work on the site and even got the camera working, but this morning it seems like the camera has given up on us.
I was monitoring the camera this morning, and noticed that most of the images coming back had a pink cast to them, and it now turns out that the CCD seems to be failing. This is indeed a shame as this the camera that was intending to use in the USA to keep in touch with the folks here in blighty.
So I have bit the bullet and ordered a dedicated network camera which should arrive in the morning. A Panasonic BLC30 Wireless IP Camera
"The BLC30 network camera lets you view real-time images over the internet. You can monitor your home or office from a distant location using a PC or mobile telephone. Panasonic's network camera even features a built-in Web server function, so the camera does not have to be connected to a PC.The BLC30 is very easy to setup, IP address setting, Port Forwarding and DDNS will be setup automatically with setup CD-ROM.
The lens can be panned (moved horizontally) or tilted (vertically) from a remote location via a PC or mobile telephone.
The built-in sensor detects infra-red rays emitted from a heat source, such as a person, and sends a signal to begin recording. The camera can also send an e-mail to your computer or mobile phone with the captured image attached.
The camera can view images in light as low as 1lux. It has the ability to switch to colour night view mode automatically when the subject becomes dark.
With one press of a button, privacy mode can be turned on ensuring that images from the camera cannot be seen."
Its been nearly over 25 years since the launch of the first Space Shuttle on April 12 1981 - a day after it was due to launch on my birthday, April the 11th.
Something about that day has stuck with me, and my interest in the Shuttle Space program has stayed strong even to this day. But not once back then did I ever think that I would be some day living a stones throw from the Mission Control center at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Its amazing how your life pans out, even if you really do not plan for it.
When myself and Robbi made plans to move back to the USA at no point did we ever think we would be considering moving to Texas, far from it. We were making plans to move back to Florida, and perhaps even South Carolina. In fact we even started to make plans to rent in Charleston.
Things just a dramatic change of direction when I happened to stumble across a website listing the undervalued areas of the United States, and one of the places on that site was Houston. We started to browse Houston real estate websites and quickly found that we could easily get 50% more house for our money. We looked at each other and we knew just what the other person was thinking. What did we have to lose? We have no real ties in the USA, well I certainly do not, that required us to live in a certain state. We both have skills that are in demand right across the USA, and we have the ability to adapt. Houston it was to be.
Looking back it seems like it was only yesterday that we made that decision, and now we are only a month and a few weeks away from finally making the move into our new home in Seabrook, Texas.
Could I be a luckier man? Not only do I have two of the most adorable Pugs in the world, but I also found my soul-mate and love of my life. And now to top it all off I have the opportunity to live the dream that started such a long time ago.
The dream is not fully complete though, there is still a part of me that dearly wants to be part of the Space Program. The dream of becoming a Shuttle Commander I gave up a long time ago, so I don't mind settling for a job in the IT department.
Can you imagine the email address? Cool! 
This makes me very happy as I have invested a lot of money over the past few years on a wide selection of Dynax Lenses and ancillary equipment.
I honestly thought that when Konica Minolta annouced it was ceasing production of the Dynax SLR that I had wasted a lot of money. Lets just hope that this latest Sony marvell will be what we all wanted from Konica Minolta.... A full frame CCD Digital SLR with a minium of 8 Megapixels.
Sony Press ReleaseSony Marks Entry Into Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera Market With New Symbolic Alpha Sub-Brand
SAN DIEGO, April 19 Sony has established a new brand name, Alpha, for its digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) cameras that will be launched worldwide this summer. Meaning beginning and essential, the symbol alpha embodies the spirit of Sonys approach to the D-SLR market. Under this sub-brand, Sony will produce a complete camera system of accessories and lenses to enhance the enjoyment of photography. The Sony Alpha (TM) mount system of cameras, lenses and accessories will integrate advanced electromechanical technologies that are key to D-SLR performance, the versatility of the well-established Maxxum (R) lens mount system, and Sonys renown in imaging devices and technologies. These include CCD and CMOS imaging sensors, as well as other image processing technologies, in addition to overall product miniaturization. People who have already made investments in many of Konica-Minoltas lenses and accessories will be able to take full advantage of Sonys new D-SLR cameras.
"We are expanding our product portfolio to build upon our leadership position in the digital imaging business, said James Neal, director of marketing for digital imaging products at Sony Electronics.
I have to be honest, I thought that the USA would be a little bit further ahead in the technology race with regards broadband internet connectivity, but how wrong I was!
As I intend to continue on the self-employed track when we get to the USA, I have been for the past week been trying to organize business class internet connectivity for the new house. First of all may I just say that ALL of the cable providers in Houston are charging what I consider to be ripoff prices for a service I can get in the UK for around £39 a month. All I wanted was 8meg down and 1meg up with a static IP address, and the quotes are coming back in the region of $600 to $700 a month! And if I want another 5 IP's on top of that I am looking at another $100 a month. In the UK you can get 8meg down cable with 768k up for £39 from a company called NTL. It uses the same cable as their TV service, as all the services in Houston do. Why the ramp up in price? It all uses the same cable, whether its business class or residential. And what is all this nonsense about a 2meg cap on the residential service? Sheesh!
Next step was to look at ASDL. Yet another shock. It seems the new house, as it is on a subdivision on a lake, is a little too far from the exchange (13000 FT) to achieve a speed any greater that 1.5meg down. That's something I have to live with, but when I asked the provider about the possibility of telcos upgrading to ASDL Max as we have just rolled out in the UK - I was told that was not on the cards. ADSL Max is a boon here for us, we only had 1.5 meg a month ago due to distance from the exchange, and now we get about 4.5 meg after switching.
Anyway, it looks like we will have to go for the ADSL and stick with co-locating the servers with a company in Houston, which should be about 75% cheaper than paying for business class cable! We have opted for www.OpLink.net as they seem to be getting lots of good reports from many of the broadband forums.
Now, all I need to do is sort out some telephones lines and HDTV! Wish me luck!
Richard
Well this is it, the all new Denny and Charlie Towers in Seabrook, Texas.
We are really looking forward to getting moved in and settled, and we are sure Denny and Charlie will just love the size of the place. At just under 3000 square feet the house is more than twice the size of the little 2 bedroom rented house we are living in at the moment, in fact I am sure the garden here is about the same square foot as the house in Seabrook.
We have a private pool with waterfall and night lights, as well as a nice double garage for a couple of cars (or a car and a boat!!!). And just across the street from the house we have a private boat ramp, community BBQ area and changing rooms.
We will post more photos in the weeks to come as our plans for the move progress.
Richard
We have had several photo shoots this year, but these photos have to be my favorities.
Charlie of course is looking his usual innocent self while Denny, as always, puts on his cute face in front of the lense.
Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a Pug named Denny. He lived in Denny Towers with his friend and companion Richard. They had a fine and wonderful life together and enjoyed many adventures – all of which were chronicled on Denny’s personal website then named www.OnePug.com
One day a plane from the USA arrived carrying a lady named Robbi. Robbi came to live with Denny and Richard and join their family. Some months later, on a bright summer day, Robbi married Richard and officially became Denny’s new mum.
Richard, Robbi and Denny began to have new adventures which included relocating to a new (temporary) Denny Towers. It only seemed right that Denny too needed a new companion to join him so, soon after the move, they welcomed a new member to their family – little Charlie. Now there were two pugs.
More changes have occurred since, including the purchase of a new home in a new land. In this strange place called Texas, Richard & Robbi have found a new home for the family. Denny & Charlie Towers has been secured and is awaiting the arrival of its new occupants this summer.
As so many changes have occurred, it seemed time for www.OnePug.com to retire and a new site to be created to showcase these truly remarkable pugs. That site, www.DennyandCharlie.com you now see before you.
We hope you enjoy hearing of our Pugs adventures as much as they enjoy sharing them.
Richard, Robbi, Denny and Charlie