Minnesota flight Touched down 11 pm Barely made it home. Talked to many vets Dr V humor for sure An acquired taste Chimpanzee pictures Illustrate key components Of Facebook success For we are all chimps Funny, nasty, kind and cruel And want to be loved. Vets perhaps confused But get the "warm fuzzy thing" 'Be Marty Becker.' Strangely not nervous Though 300 people stare They liked the chimp pics. Will be back to posting in complete ... Read more »
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Pets Add Life
Sometimes, when my husband is in a state of deep REM sleep, I'll lean over and whisper, "Boston terrier....so cute....so fun...." I keep hoping that over time this subliminal advertising will take and he'll wake up, stretch, and say, "You know what? I think we should get a Boston terrier." It hasn't happened yet, but hope springs eternal. The Pets Add Life campaign from the American Pet Products Association is aimed at people like us, who are itching for an excuse to add another pet to our ... Read more »
That’s my Girl
Last week, my daughter's Girl Scout troop was decorating t-shirts for Halloween. Now, ever since we've gotten back from Africa the only thing my little Jane Goodall can talk about is all the animals we saw, and when can we go on another safari, and can she please come. She even made me a picture book of drawings of all the animals we showed her. She was not even scared when I told her we came across a giraffe that had been eaten by a lion on the side of the road. She is, for sure, my ... Read more »
Like Mike
Remember those "Like Mike" commercials with Michael Jordan? They were cute enough, I suppose, but the idolatry of sports figures never really went over well in my head. Every time I saw that commercial or one like it, I would scratch my head, think about all the people I knew who had done so many more extraordinary things, and wonder how come he gets to be the hero of so many hearts. Now that I have kids, it's even worse. I want them to admire innovators, humanitarians, advocates; scholars ... Read more »
Announcing Blogathon 2011!
I take a break in my regularly scheduled safari recap to make a very special announcement. That, and the overwhelming task of sorting through the meat of those 8000 photos we took in Africa is going to take a bit. I want to take the time to share the chimp experience with you all properly, especially considering the insanely dramatic turn of events after we left with the assassination of the alpha male and all. I am super excited about this year's Blogathon. I mean, I'm always excited about ... Read more »
Ask Dr. V: headgear and flat pets questions answered!
As you watch this I will be delirious with jet lag in the middle of a 25 hour flight home. This is an appropriate topic for such antics. ... Read more »
The Unsolicited Advice Patrol Strikes Again
Before I left for the trip, I found myself in my local petstore stockpiling food for the pets so my parents wouldn't be stuck trying to figure out what they needed to buy. The dogs are easy, but Apollo's been on the same venison diet for four years now, and they don't always have a lot of it in the store. So I'm in there, minding my own business, when I see one of the employees in an apron edging her way over. I try to avoid her eyes. "Hi there," she says, eyeing the 24 purple cans I've ... Read more »
Ask Dr V: Nutrition, rotation diets, and high protein
Today I'm showing Part 2 of the Ask Dr V series. I believe, though I haven't checked it against the itinerary, that I should be on my way to the Ngorongoro Crater as we speak. Unless a chimp shoved me off the mountain earlier in the week, in which case these pre-published videos will be on a whole new level of macabre. Which, by the way, my shade would find utterly hysterical. ... Read more »
We all have our talents
I volunteer in my kids' classrooms on a quasi-regular basis. I do it because they need the help, not because I have a great deal to contribute to the average 5 year old. Yes, even now, they still scare me. The first time I went in, the kindergarten teacher had several tasks for me to choose from. One, pull a bunch of papers out of some books and then sort them. Admin stuff. Two, call the kids back one by one to work on writing their names. Uh oh. Interactive stuff. I never know what to do ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: a very special souvenir
Yes, for my big Africa trip I have a giveaway Tuesday item from the trip. I don't know what it is yet, since I haven't bought it, but I'll make sure it;s an actual item from Tanzania and not something from the duty free shop at the airport on the way home. (I was so pleased to finally have a reason to drag my Zoo Vet Barbie out of the garage. I think I will have some adventures for her when I get back, no?) To enter, you simply guess what is the first cool African mammal I will see on the ... Read more »
