Whenever I've lost someone close to me, I have the same dream within a month: in this dream, they return to me, healthy and whole. We have just that moment to be in each other's presence once more; and then they are gone. It has happened with pets, with my grandparents, and with my mother. It is comforting to think in some form, they are well. Then I wake up with a bittersweet taste on my tongue. In that brief moment it was real, my brain fooled into thinking they were there with me: ... Read more »
Christmas
A Veterinarian’s Holiday Wish
It's the holidays, and that means lots of things: peace on Earth, goodwill to men! Just kidding, it means cranky people fighting in the parking lot, someone getting shanked over the last PlayStation, and passive aggressive fruitcake gifts. I wasn't always this cynical. I, too, was once a merry-eyed elf with stars in my eyes and garland round my neck, until I worked long enough in veterinary medicine. Then I began to dread the month of December. It is a month of ill portents: Too ... Read more »
A Veterinarian’s Holiday Wishlist
I usually spend this time of year making up wishlists for dogs and cats, and with a new kitten in the house, there's plenty she could be interested in finding under the tree (though for her, the tree itself is present enough). But then I saw a few things that I just had to stick on my Amazon Wishlist, and because I thought they were awesome I thought some of you out there might find them awesome too. If you want to get that special vet in your life something that blows the lid off a "I love ... Read more »
A very merry holly jolly ho ho holiday
Visitors to Knott's Berry Farm, the redheaded stepchild of Anaheim amusement parks, are well familiar with Montezooma's Revenge, a nasty torture device masquerading as a roller coaster in the heart of jam-land. The ride is basically one long curlique. You get dragged up one side, shoot down through a loop, and zoom up a tower on the far side. You pause for one horrifying moment at a terrifying height, then slide back down the tower, backwards through the same loop, and then you crawl off to ... Read more »
Santa Baby
One of the little perks of doing what I do happens at Christmastime, when I get to go on Fox 5's local morning show with the Rancho Coastal Humane Society and present "A Dog's Holiday Wishlist." I don't have the video downloaded yet, but I'm working on it because it's really silly but also just fun. I'm with the anchor while each adoptable pet goes up to Santa. They (and by they, I mean one of the producers or camera guys behind the scenes talking in a goofy voice) tell Santa what they want for ... Read more »
Scenes from a holiday
The holidays are exhilirating. Well, for most of us, at least. Some find them merely exhausting. While others use them as a time to indulge in the most ironic of activities, such as opening a "Good Dog" ornament from under the tree and chewing it up. Indeed. Hope you all had a great one! ... Read more »
2011 Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide
It's not too late to grab some last minute goodies for your pup if you're like me and still scrambling to get things together between now and Sunday! If you're still looking for some ideas or stocking stuffers, here are the products I'm featuring this morning with Santa on Fox 5 San Diego's morning segment: 1. Halo Liv-a-Littles all-natural treats Freeze-dried treats are the perfect choice for those who like an all-natural, no filler sort of treat. Just freeze-dried chicken, salmon, or beef ... Read more »
A Very Macabre Christmas to You and Yours
Among the many things I inherited a love of from my mother, such as books and weird medical cases, are Christmas ornaments and crafting. Every Christmas since I was little, we would get an ornament in our stocking, and when I moved out, I took my collection with me. It's a lovely way to have a little nostalgia every December when we set up the tree. I have done the same for my kids, so when they are older they can survey their pile of Tow Mater and Barbie ornaments the way I look over my ... Read more »
Wordless Wednesday: Santa’s Little Helper
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Everyone’s a cynic
"Come to my store!" exalted my daughter, pulling me up the stairs. I obliged, wondering which of my possessions she was going to try to sell back to me this time. That one has always been possessed of an entrepreneurial spirit. " I have bracelets," she said, gesturing to an array of beaded items she had crafted using the bead kit she got for her birthday. "And neck-a-laces," picking up a pair of Mardi Gras beads she inherited at some point. I picked up a bracelet. "How much?" I ... Read more »
Black Friday Wishlist
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and managed to keep the pets away from all the good stuff! :) And now- da da duuuh.... let the holiday insanity commence! You can't pay me to go to the mall today. I don't care how good the sale is, it's not enough for me to deal with the scary elbow-y masses and the disheveled store racks and the fisticuffs in the parking lot. Plus, my sister is out visiting, and she has her shih tzu with her, and I think I need to get some pictures of her dog while ... Read more »
Well thank God that’s all over
Christmas is a bit of a surreal experience for me. That is by design. I was brought up in a house that transformed the day after Thanksgiving from a normal abode to a tinsel-filled glittery elftravaganza of kitsch, Rudolph figurines, and a sudden lifting of the No Sugar After 4 pm Rule. In short, December was magic. Now that I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old, I'm beginning to understand why my mom worked as hard as she did to create that. It is kind of awesome to see a little kid shriek in ... Read more »
And finally…on the twelfth day of Petmas
My heart pup gave to meeeeeee: Twelve Homemade Goodies! 11 Fuzzy Bellies 10 Bones for Chewin' 9 kitties hiding 8 Lights A-Glowing 7 screaming squirrels 6 cats a-playing 5 chewed up things 4 Strings of Lights 3 Puppy Loves 2 Playful Hounds And a dog having antler envy! The software I used to make the slideshow last year no longer lets you put in music, so I couldn't re-use my very favorite John Denver 12 Days of Christmas soundtrack, alas. No matter! I'll do it a cappella! ... Read more »
On the twelfth day of Petmas (am)
My brace gave to me: TWELVE DUCK FEET DANCING 11 Poopers Pooping 10 Awesome Accessories 9 puppy pillows 8 Mouths A-Mooching 7 pairs of flip-flops 6 Spoos A-Playing Five Bells that Ring 4 Decked out Pets 3 Posed Poms 2 Squeaker Toys And a wreath on the head of Moosie! ... Read more »
On the eleventh day of Petmas (pm)
My cuddlebugs gave to me: 11 Fuzzy Bellies 10 Bones for Chewin' 9 kitties hiding 8 Lights A-Glowing 7 screaming squirrels 6 cats a-playing 5 chewed up things 4 Strings of Lights 3 Puppy Loves 2 Playful Hounds And a dog having antler envy! ... Read more »
On the eleventh day of Petmas (am)
My sweethearts gave to me: 11 Poopers Pooping 10 Awesome Accessories 9 puppy pillows 8 Mouths A-Mooching 7 pairs of flip-flops 6 Spoos A-Playing Five Bells that Ring 4 Decked out Pets 3 Posed Poms 2 Squeaker Toys And a wreath on the head of Moosie! (This is the first 12 Days Photo to ever require a modesty patch! LOL!) ... Read more »
On the tenth day of Petmas (pm)
My sweet pup gave to me: Ten Bones for Chewin' 9 kitties hiding 8 Lights A-Glowing 7 screaming squirrels 6 cats a-playing 5 chewed up things 4 Strings of Lights 3 Puppy Loves 2 Playful Hounds And a dog having antler envy! ... Read more »
On the tenth day of Petmas (am)
My puppy gave to me: Ten Awesome Accessories 9 puppy pillows 8 Mouths A-Mooching 7 pairs of flip-flops 6 Spoos A-Playing Five Bells that Ring 4 Decked out Pets 3 Posed Poms 2 Squeaker Toys And a wreath on the head of Moosie! ... Read more »
