Among one's many obligations as parent to a school-aged child is that most universal of school experiences, chaperoning a school field trip. My number got called this week, when my second grader's class went to the zoo. She of course volunteered me, assuming- correctly- that this was the sort of thing I was up for (as opposed to the kindergarten trip to Sea World), and for the most part I was happy to do it. Until I heard it was going to be raining. Now, laugh all you want, but we San ... Read more »
Daily Life
How The Walking Dead made me a better blogger
Have you seen The Walking Dead on AMC yet? It's a horrible show about life after the zombie apocalypse. The undead have taken over, though no one really knows why. In one day, the world has been plunged into chaos, social norms no longer exist, and everyone has reverted to a state of primal survival mode. Every episode, someone is either shot, transformed into a zombie, or messily devoured in a graphic manner. It's the kind of show you have to watch from between your outstretched fingers lest ... Read more »
Don’t leave the vet in charge
I have a new Baking With Brody post ready to go that just needs a couple more pictures. I'll have it up this weekend, just in time for Halloween. So in the meantime, a corollary to yesterday's post: One of my tasks as kindergarten room mom, a job I grudgingly agreed to despite my better judgment, is to decorate the booth at the kid's Halloween carnival. I thought we would be provided with games and we would simply be in charge of manning it, but oh, no, we need to actually come up with an ... Read more »
Underachieving Moms Club
I am possessed of the vague and disquieting sense of disease that comes from knowing you are incredibly behind in everything you are supposed to be doing. Case in point: I promised my kids a month ago I would make them banana bread. I've tried three times, and every time I go to do it someone has eaten the bananas below the requisite number needed to make said bread. So they have been eating the Frankenberry cereal that one of the grandparents bought when we were in Africa for the past three ... Read more »
Bad Haiku Friday
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
If I get eaten
I took my kids to see the Lion King 3-D yesterday, which I would have done regardless but has special import to me now. I think that movie is what did me in for the Africa-lust back in high school. They were moderately impressed, though the overall response was, "Forget you lady. You're going there tomorrow. We have to go to school." Which, to be honest, is totally fair. They'll live. So anyway: Auf wiedersehen, my friends. Today, it's a plane to Chicago, then to Amsterdam, then to ... Read more »
Heartbeat
When the idea to finally go to Africa came up, I was admittedly a little daunted. It is, after all, an entire continent. So how does one choose where to go, assuming this may be the only chance you get to visit it? I'm thrilled to do the safari, of course, and get a glimpse of the Big 5 if I'm lucky: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, cape buffalo. But the deciding factor in going to Tanzania, the one need that pulled me there more than the desire to see the Great Migration or watch a lion take ... Read more »
Blackout
When the power went kablooey on Thursday, I figured the most lasting effect would be a resurgence of interest in knowing where we kept the spare batteries. It's never that simple, is it? Well, first of all, the local sewage treatment facility dumped 3.5 million gallons into the ocean, shutting down the beach and delaying the Surf Dog-a-thon to a day we absolutely, positively cannot make. Brody and I are so, so sad about that. Worse things have happened, of course, but we're still ... Read more »
Surf’s Up Bro! The Hang 20 Surf Dog Experience Part 1
It's a new day, the sun is shining, and this blog is up and running! YES! I can't think of a happier way to celebrate than to talk about our participation in the upcoming Surf Dog Surf-a-thon on September 11th. As you know, Brody and I have given surfing a shot a couple of times, but it's been very casual. So when Eukanuba asked if we would be interested in being sponsored by them to participate, I said "Heck yes!" and then, "But only if you don't have any performance expectations." ... Read more »
Tagg Takes DC
Yes. Well. I suppose you are looking at the new and spiffy site and thinking, boy, those were some subtle changes. Well, as tends to happen with these things, there was a little glitch in the proceedings so now we are looking at a weekend changeover. No one said progress was easy, right? This is what we call "building suspense." That's OK. I have a great post for Monday anyway. So in the meantime, join me on part II of the BlogPaws recap, why don't you? There are always many fun adventures ... Read more »
A Big Announcement
I have been waiting on pins and needles to make it, too. After much blood, sweat, and tears- mostly on the part of the magnificent Joelle at Moxie Design, I just watched- the new and improved pawcurious 2.0 is going to launch TOMORROW! ... Read more »
Fright Night (not the hurricane. The public speaking.)
I gotta tell you, I was admittedly nervous heading out to DC this weekend for BlogPaws. All last week the talk of the country was this mega storm that was barreling towards the East Coast, not for Florida but for the eastern seaboard exactly where we were supposed to be going. Some family members delicately suggested that I might reconsider going. And I said, no way, because it's BlogPaws and it's my favorite conference of the entire year and I can't not go. So I went, as did the majority of ... Read more »
Banner Day
It's National Dog Day. I am in DC bunkered in for the storm of the century with the greatest people in the world at BlogPaws. There is no one else I would rather weather Pawmageddon with. And it's my birthday. Like I said, banner day! I would love if you post something delightful in the comments today. Cupcakes, ice cream, puppies, otters, you name it. ... Read more »
