Normally I take the weekends as a time to unwind, refresh my brain, and get ready for the next week. Usually this is a doable thing. But, sometimes things get kind of nutty, and in those times there's not much to be done except deal with it and let all the other things you're supposed to do- like blog- fall by the wayside. My husband left on Friday for a weeklong business trip overseas. It happens, that's part of his job description. But it certainly provides for certain, shall we say, ... Read more »
Unforgettable: The story of Maverick
When you think of a champion show dog, the kind who eventually makes his way to the upper echelons of Westminster, a certain life arc comes to mind. A pampered pooch, born with much pomp and circumstance, raised lovingly by a person ready to groom them from day one for a life in the spotlight. A dog who knows little of pain and neglect, attended to like a celebrity from the get-go. And for the most part, you'd be right. Then again, Maverick isn't like most dogs. Sure, he started life with ... Read more »
Breading
And a merry Wordless Wednesday to my fellow grammar fanciers: ... Read more »
Sidetracked by grammar
I had this whole long serious post about the topic of owner relinquishments and why they were always a nightmare to deal with, but I got sidetracked from my mission when every single media outlet I could find that was talking about the case in question used, in some form or another, the word "euthanization." I've been seeing it in headlines in print and on the web with increasing frequency the last couple of years and it always makes my irises spasm with pain. Euthanasia, to euthanize: those ... Read more »
A whale of a tale
I haven't been whale watching since I was a kid. It seems counter-intuitive, seeing as how I live right along the path of the gray while migration, and I have a marine biology background, but I guess it's one of those things I keep meaning to do but never get around to. Just like people who live in Las Vegas never go to the strip, or those in LA stay away from Universal Studios, you tend to avoid the touristy stuff in the area in which you live. So when a friend of mine asked if anyone was ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: Eye Charts for Dogs and Cats from Local Paper Studio
Eye exams for animals are a little different than they are for people. Sure, you can examine the physical structures of the eye and evaluate its anatomic vigor, but figuring out just how well your pet sees is a little more tricky. We can't exactly sit them in front of one of those big eyeglass flippy things (I'm sure they have a name, but I never bothered to ask) and get the dog to tell us which is better: This, or....THIS? Nonetheless, the ubiquitous eye chart is synonymous with the ... Read more »
Dr V, purveyor of poisonous crafts and ideas
I like spending time with my family. We do crafty things, because they're fun and everyone enjoys them. One of our traditions, started back when my daughter was in kindergarten, is to make little Valentine's Day trinket boxes to send to school on Valentine's Day- a craft I found on the Martha Stewart website and immediately fell in love with. It's a cute craft- you take empty matchboxes, cover them with scrapbook paper and ribbons, and fill them with conversation hearts. It's simple, sweet, and ... Read more »
Trolled by travel
Veterinary work is an emotionally charged field. Rarely are people in an ambivalent, steady state sort of mind the way they are, say, at the gas station, or buying bananas at the grocery store. They are either happy because they have a cute young pet getting routine care, or stressed because their pet is ill/expensive/having surgery/waiting too long in the exam room. You get the picture. So I'm used to dealing with stressed and angry people. You have to be. There are ways to defuse ... Read more »
Westminster in pictures
I'm not sure if I'm bone tired, beyond tired, or jetlagged beyond repair. Any way you look it I'm even more incoherent than usual, thanks in part to some shenanigans during the travel home and a dearth of sleep. So, while I shuffle through all the pictures I took at Westminster, here's a few to kind of give an overall picture of the event. Like I said before, this was my first time alone on the DSLR with no training wheels, so they're not perfect, but I learned a lot. One, Westminster is a ... Read more »
West Coast Meets East Coast
Westminster was so much fun. I can't wait to go home and sort through all the pictures. For my first time there, it was an eventful experience. One, there was drama. There's always drama at these shows to begin with, it seems, but this year was extra dramatic. I know lots of you already know about the controversy about Westminster breaking ties with Pedigree, and all I can say for now is that I am going to do all I can to get a better understanding about what happened and report back to you, ... Read more »
I Love NY
I've made no secret of the fact that I was a little nervous about heading to New York by myself to watch the Westminster show. I mean, I'm no streetwise chick. I live in the burbs. The thought of hanging out by myself there scared me, because based on everything I was told I had come to expect the following: Bone chilling cold requiring layer upon layer of thermal undergarments Unhelpful scoundrels who would ignore me, scoff at me, or mug me Cacophony And all I have to say is this: ... Read more »
And they call it Puppy Love
Ah, New York. Land of frigid temperatures and, well, that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far. I have only one goal over the next two days, and that is to figure out how to get to Madison Square Garden from my hotel and maybe see some dogs. The rest is just gravy. Yesterday was fun. I woke up at 6 to take Brody to the Helen Woodward Puppy Love 5K, and about 5 minutes after I left the house it started drizzling. 5 minutes after that, it was pouring. Now, I looked up the weather report that morning ... Read more »
Feast or famine and the mental block of learning DSLRs
My life is a long series of monotonous daily routines punctuated by brief and terrifying moments of outright insanity. Take this weekend, for example. On Sunday, I'm running in the Helen Woodward Puppy Love 5K on the inaugural Team Iams with an ace group of dogs and friends. Brody and I are super excited. And by excited, I mean, Brody is excited for a long walk and I'm just now realizing I should have spent more time training and less time sampling Girl Scout cookies. No matter. I may ... Read more »
The Pawcurean Presents Lazy Man’s V-Day Treats
I love making treats for the pets, almost as much as I love things that are easy to make. Sometimes I'm in a complicated mood, and sometimes I'm in a lazy mood. This month, I'm lazy. As you know, I've started a torrid love affair with my dehydrator, using it to suck the water out of everything I can get my hands on in the house like a hydrophilic vampire. The chicken jerky treats went over very well, so I figured, hey, let's make some Valentine's Day treats while we're at it where I don't ... Read more »
Meet Joe. And get to know the word Esterilsol
Joe Tosini knows how to command a room. When he shakes your hand with an iron grip and leans in to stare you in the face, you know right away that whatever it is he's about to say, he feels it from his temples to his toes. "I used to be a preacher," he said to me, and I believe it. He has that ability to grab a group of people. I first watched him do it at an ACES session at the Helen Woodward Animal Center, when he was there to tell a group of animal rescue advocates from around the country ... Read more »
Them cookies are serious business, people.
One of the reasons many vets give for choosing their profession is, "I like animals better than people." It's not a good reason, mind you, and those with misanthropic tendencies learn to cover it up pretty quickly or else have a rotten career, but I will tell you from experience that well, it's true. I've been working on it. I actually get along pretty well with people, as far as I can tell. But every once in a while I experience one of those penultimate human experiences that I'm supposed to ... Read more »
Fashion Xanax
If I seem a little stressed in the next couple of months, I have a good excuse: we are going to try and sell our house. I say "try", because this is one of those housing markets when upon saying "I'm going to put my house on the market" the universal response is, "Well, good luck with that." We're staying in the area- after seeing all those pictures from Colorado this weekend I think it's safe to say I am actually quite content here in San Diego, thanks- and the decision is one that has more ... Read more »
We’re nominated for the Bloggies!
I was so, so excited to see pawcurious is a finalist in the 2012 Bloggies Best Pet or Animal Weblog category! It would mean SO much if you would take just a moment to vote for us. It would mean more than: a bucket of truffles a closet of Jimmy Poos a nice bottle of vintage Port Yes, it would mean that much. And to entice you further, I have composed more Bad Poetry: Roses are red, Violets are blue, Please vote for us, Even though you get nothing in return because I ... Read more »
