Pawcurious Picks: Top 5 Posts of 2012

I like retrospectives. It’s a good opportunity to reminisce on what we did well (travel!) and perhaps those things we did not do so well (remain patient during the arduous relocation process, for example.) I’m glad the year is done. All’s well that ends well, but man was it a slog for a good portion of the year.

Like all things in life, the year’s end is bittersweet, with a good thing and a bad thing I need to write about. But not today. Today, it’s a day to reflect. And lest I spend the entire day grumbling about the countless wasted hours I spent circling the neighborhood with a carsick dog while a parade of looky loos rummaged through my underwear drawer, let us instead remember the good things about 2012. Here are my favorite posts from the year:

1. Elegy for Carl

 My grandfather very much reminds me of Carl from Up. In this post, I talk a little bit about his story, from surviving the Nazis during WWII to his retirement in Massachusetts, and how he motivated me to take on Mt. Meru in Africa.

2. Three Dumb Things That Dog Owners Do

It started an unexpected debate, but that shows to me we’re still in a state of disagreement in general about what constitutes Good Dog Owner Citizenry. I still stand by all three, by the by.

3. The Most Interesting Dog in the World

Because sometimes you just need to goof off, and if you do, Brody’s your guy.

4. Emails and Spam

This was the year I stopped being a free-for-all writing machine for anyone who wanted to send me free samples. One, it’s exhausting, and two, it’s boring. This is the official Battle Cry for Professional Writers, except in Dr. Seuss format, which I guess makes it a little less acerbic.

5. Going Rate for the Blond: 20 Cows Plus Shillings

I had a tough time picking between this or Uncomfortable Naked Massage as my favorite travel story of the year, but this one wins. I’m not sure why it didn’t get more comments- I think the post took a while to gain momentum and a lot of people figured it was a nice tribute to my co-volunteers and nothing more. Those that stuck through to the end got to read about the pimped out Maasai chief who tried to purchase me and take me home to his hut. He was a tough negotiator, too.

 Any ones I missed? I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year! Thanks for being here!! mwah!