I just couldn't bring myself to do yet another "Holiday Safety Tips" post. You all know the drill. lots of dogs run away so mind the fireworks and check their tags Keep them cool Mind the leftover food For me, the last one is the problem we seem to deal with the most. We have limited fireworks in California, so the sound isn't usually a big deal, and the dogs are pretty good at seeking out shade when it gets warm, but man, the food stealing is going to forever be the Achilles heel in ... Read more »
Daily Life
Come, all ye sinners, and participate in the blog
Someone who shall remain unnamed stole a rather sizeable piece of chicken off someone's plate yesterday. By the time the transgression was discovered, the chicken was long gone and one food allergic cat was smacking his lips in a self-satisfied grin. For a bit, at least. Lest you wonder how rapidly the symptoms of a food allergy can come on when a pet ingests an offending allergen, I present to you Mr. MangeLegs: That silvery glimmer over his shoulders is reflected light, but that grey ... Read more »
Happy World Oceans Day!
June 8th is World Oceans Day. How fantastic is that? I love the ocean. It's impossible to live in San Diego and not think about it on a regular basis. I run by it, glide over it in a kayak, fret about great whites coming to eat me in it, and yes, even go in it sometimes. I even got PADI certified in college when I was studying marine biology, but I didn't keep up with diving because, well, not a lot of good diving in Davis when I got to vet school. Fear of sharks aside, there is ... Read more »
World’s Worst Obligate Carnivore
Every once in a while I do something strangely domestic, like spend an afternoon making marshmallow Legoman head pops for my kid's birthday. I am not one who normally functions in that realm of aprons and the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, so this is, like, a big deal. For me to spend an afternoon with my printed out instructions from Bakerella and a Michael's bag, that represents a big commitment. So needless to say, I was very protective of these marshmallow pops. They have to make ... Read more »
Happy Memorial Day
A happy Memorial Day to all of you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the men and women and families who give so much so that I can do things like to go my mother in law's beautiful yard and take pictures of the dog. We have it pretty good here. ... Read more »
Snakes on a patio
As regular readers will know, I've been on a hiking kick lately. I can't tell you how much fun Brody and I have had exploring the region together, despite my persistent and uneasy fears about mountain lions that my friend who has spent months researching said lions has done nothing to dissuade. Her only input was, "get an airhorn," and, "you're not running, are you? Because then you look like prey." No matter, it's worth it. Better to go out in a flame of glory and be eaten by a cougar than ... Read more »
Pie eatin’, dog and kid abandoning mom here
I opened Facebook on Mother's Day morning, shortly after my chubby fingered kiddos brought me (and Brody) toast and eggs in bed, and saw this oft-repeated quote: "A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." And I sighed. I really don't like that quote. It's like what we talked about on Friday all over again. Hey, unless you're cutting off your limbs and giving away all your pie and raising free range ... Read more »
It’s a hard knock life
I have Annie on the brain. My daughter's community theater debut is in four days, and between now and the end of the month, this will be all I have going on. Annieannieannieannie. They worked their little keisters off on it, though, and it's spectacular, so I am very proud. When the casting call went out for Sandy, they were looking for three things: scruffy terrierlike mutt takes direction well mellow And of course, Brody is none of those things, so he was out, but they did find ... Read more »
Have a Happy Mother’s Day- and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise
A few days ago, my friend Dorian at Catster pointed out a rather mean-spirited post over at Huffington Post entitled, "Pet Parents are NOT Moms." I am trying to give the author the benefit of the doubt here; maybe she intended it to be sort of tongue in cheek. She starts by pointing out all the sometimes over the top things we do in the name of love- and I get that, been there, bought the membership card- but the overall tone of the post just skewed off left and went straight to mean. And that ... Read more »
Where the Wild Pups Are
RIP Maurice Sendak, a true visionary. Where the Wild Pups Are The night Brode wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another His mother called him "Wild Thing!" and Brody said "I'll eat you up!" so he was sent to bed without eating anything. That very night in Brody's yard a forest grew, and grew until the ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around And he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year, ... Read more »
5 Ways to Be Kind to Animals This Week
It's Be Kind to Animals Week! Did you know that? You may know the American Humane Association best as the group that oversees animal use during filming and bestows the "No Animals Were Harmed" disclaimer at the end of shows and movies, but they are very involved in advocacy for not only animals, but also children- society's most vulnerable members. Anyway, they started this special week and it's a lovely opportunity to step back and reflect on what we are doing right, and what we could be doing ... Read more »
Stay bloodthirsty, my friends
I couldn't figure out why every single babysitter on our list turned us down for Saturday , and then I realized- oh, it's Cinco de Mayo, otherwise known as A Good Day for Tacos and Cervezas here in San Diego. No self respecting college kid would be at home. In honor of the occasion, I'm going to whip up some Brody's Surf Shack Fish Tacos, crack open a Dos Equiis, and oh yes, put a sombrero on the dog. *cue music* He walks himself...because no one can do it better. Cats hate him ... Read more »
A brief deviation
I'm not really a football fan. Let me say that from the start. I married a hardcore Chargers fan, so I tolerate it out of necessity, but it's never been a game I had an attachment to. But I was a Junior Seau fan. I grew up in Oceanside, Junior's hometown, and our little town couldn't be more proud of his success. He would come to high school pep rallies. He took care of his family and friends and neighbors and was actively involved in philanthropy. You couldn't find a single person willing ... Read more »
The Realtor, by Edgar Labby Koe
Once upon a midday dreary, home from working, weak and weary, Staring with resentment at the “For Sale” sign perched near the door, While I Facebooked, blogged and Tweeted, on the sofa, softly seated, Suddenly I felt quite heated, heated staring at the floor. “Tis an old juice box,” I muttered, “sitting crumpled on the floor- Garbage there, it makes me sore.” Ah, so clearly I recall that it was in the chill of fall, And each separate messy creature wrought its carnage on the ... Read more »
Dr V at the movies: Chimpanzee- GO SEE IT!
As you all know, I am a chimpanzee fan. I had planned my bucket list trip to see chimpanzees before this movie was ever announced; I've toyed with the idea of making primate medicine a career; I got emotional and weepy when I heard Jane Goodall speak for the first time. I don't think I ever posted this snippet from October because it looks like a bad outtake from Blair Witch: Africa, but my eyes were THAT WIDE because it was seriously that cool. So needless to say, I had high expectations ... Read more »
This is why I don’t travel with family
Passengers on a flight from Detroit were held aboard a plane at Chicago's Midway Airport for more than two hours after a female passenger was suspected of having monkeypox, officials said Thursday. The woman had been travelling in Uganda, according to officials, though they didn't say when. She boarded a flight from Detroit to Chicago and while on baord, developed a rash. A family member told flight attendants that they suspected this woman had monkeypox, so the Chicago Fire Department called ... Read more »
Ticky Tacky Town versus Crazy Town
This weekend we went and looked at houses. We can't make any offers until our current one sells- SO HURRY UP SOMEONE AND BUY IT- but we can at least get a good feel for where we want to live. We're moving with two priorities in mind: lessen my husband's commute, and get us into a good public school district. To that end, there are two communities we are considering. Ticky Tacky Town is made up of little boxes on the hillside, and they're all made of ticky tacky and they all look the same. ... Read more »
House Hunting: Go on, look. I dare you.
Well, we've done it. Our house is on the market. I hope it sells quickly, because we've whipped the place into show-perfect condition and trust me, I can only sustain this for a very short amount of time. The pressure of the constant running around after two messy little primates dripping crumbs and two fuzzy big canines shedding fur and one giant ape dripping socks is just a whole lot for one person who isn't that fond of housekeeping to begin with. Every time someone wants to come through ... Read more »
