You never sausage a place, part 2

Pedro at South of the Border

I really am not the type to steal headlines because, well, it’s not right and, honestly, I think I come up with pretty good ones of my own. But I’m stealing this one, for yet a second time, because it’s just so dang meaty.

Credit goes to the ad folks/billboard writers for South of the Border in Dillon County, South Carolina, which is absolutely one of the tackiest tourist traps known to humankind. It’s on I-95, just south of the NC line, I’m proud to report. Because as a North Carolinian, I’m glad it’s not in my state.

Thirty years ago I thought it was kinda cool in its kitschy-ness, but now I think it’s just kinda sad. Not to mention discriminatory against Hispanics, with its Pedro mascots and billboards that often mock Hispanic pronunciations. (“Cool eet with Pedro.”)

Petite Roxy on top of giant wiener dog statue (Click to ENLARGE)

But, it does have its brilliant moments. Other than its “You never sausage a place” billboard, my favorite South of the Border offering has to be this giant wiener dog statue, which Wessel spotted next to the hot dog stand on the 350-acre complex. My sweet little Roxy (“the foxy doxy with moxy”) was game to hang out atop the humongous hot dog because she agrees there are certain photo ops that simply should not be passed up. And so she posed, with relish.

Weigh-in 3 for Biggest Loser: Wiener-Dog Style

Sabrina is downright svelte these days! Her latest weight is a mere 13.6 pounds, which is exactly what she was back in September before her excursion in obesity. She’s lost 4 pounds since we adopted her from Dachshund Rescue of North America in early March. That’s a whopping 23 percent loss in her body weight!

While I thought Briner the Wiener’s ideal weight would be around 12 pounds, I’m thinking now that it’s more like 13. She’s a sturdy girl, with a big chest and head, a head she loves to rest on people’s laps. Her favorite lap apparently belongs to her “Opa,” Karel, who with “Oma” Francis visited from the Netherlands a couple weeks ago. The minute he would sit on the couch, Sabrina was there, ready to snuggle.

Sabrina’s diet tips? The usual. Less food and more exercise. She loves to run on her own in the yard, and enjoys getting out for a walk, especially when she goes with sister Roxy the Doxy and gets to be led by Oma and Opa. While Roxy is the almost-perfect little heeler, Sabrina feels the need to stop and sniff at everything. Opa indulged her in these detours quite a bit. In fact, I think he kind of fell in love with Sabrina.

When I take her out, however, she can get very stubborn, running on her lead one minute and then sitting down and refusing to budge the next. It’s the oddest thing. And it’s not because she’s tired, as she’ll pop back up when she’s good and ready and start trotting about again. I think she’s just asserting herself, something I can relate to. 

The Biggest Loser: Wiener-Dog Style

As you might recall, we adopted a new/old wiener dog from Dachshund Rescue of North America. Her name is Sabrina, and our pal Kristin, aka Krispy, has come up with the wonderful nickname of Briner the Wiener, which goes well with Roxy the Doxy, our other sausage dog. As we’ve already divulged, Sabrina is a porker.

And so, we begin The Biggest Loser, Wiener-Dog Style. We figure that Sabrina should weigh about 12 pounds. When Diane hoisted her up into her arms and onto the scale, Briner the Wiener clocked in at a hefty 17.6 pounds.

Let the losing begin!

Next week we’ll detail Sabrina’s diet and exercise regime, as well as post her first results. While you’re waiting, have a snack in Sabrina’s honor, because she sure as heck isn’t getting many!

Daisy, Daisy…

A December bicycle ride with Wessel in Florida along the always-relaxing 45-mile Pinellas Trail between Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg brought a wiener-dog sighting! As my cycling pals know, if I’m tooling along and spot a dachshund, I yell out “wiener-dog stop” and everyone must brake. They indulge me only because it doesn’t happen often. We met Daisy “walking” with her parents on the paved trail. They live in Largo, but I didn’t get their names because I didn’t have a pen and paper. Bad, bad journalist….

Daisy is 12 and doesn’t like to walk, so her Dad carries her. Seems to me that if Daisy walked off a little of her extra weight, she might enjoy walking more. It’s a vicious cycle. Daisy has some vision problems, as well, but she clearly sees how much her humans love her. My Roxy (the foxy doxy with moxy) is also 12 and a black-and-tan miniature, but she’s in excellent shape, praise be to Dog.