Little ALPHAlpha and Bailey + more doggie biscuits coming

I did not shape Zoe's hair for the photo below, but her hair is so pliable and can be so much fun. I've turned her into the Heatmeiser from The Year Without a Santa Claus many times.



I love the fact that Bailey so generously shares his uber-comfy bed with Zoe.



Gonna be making more doggie biscuits this weekend. They've been a hit! My friends have even suggested I start a doggie biscuit business, but I don't see that happening.

I tried to find St. Patrick's Day cookie cutters, but no luck. Guess I'll stick with the hearts. I encourage my dog-owning friends to try the recipe, as all of my four-legged friends LOVE them!

Join the millions who have chosen (RED)

If there are folks out there who haven't heard of (PRODUCT)^RED, I must first wonder what rock you've been hiding under. Second I must suggest learning more about this highly successful business model that has raised millions for the Global Fund, specifically to fund African AIDS programs.

Essentially, (RED) partnered with several brands to create licensed (PRODUCT)^RED products and services. Brand examples include Apple, American Express, GAP, Dell, Starbucks and several others.

The concept is easy: buy a (RED) product and you contribute to the fight against AIDS in Africa.

The Join (RED) site used to offer a calculator tool that allowed you to determine how much your purchases contribute to the fund, but unfortunately it appears to no longer be there. Nevertheless, I believe I've been a pretty good supporter. My (PRODUCT)^RED purchases include:

• (1) ipod shuffle
• (5) t-shirts: one of which has the following printed on the inside hem, "This (PRODUCT)^RED shirt = 2 weeks of AIDS medicine in Africa"
• at least 1/2 dozen Starbucks drinks

So, while I don't have a lot of spare change to throw at charities, (PRODUCT)^RED has allowed me to contribute by other means: the ipod shuffle was a birthday gift for my best friend and most of the coffees were purchased using a gift card I received for Christmas.

Random side note about the t-shirts for those who are interested: I prefer boxier-fitting shirts (these days that means that my size 2 to 4 body requires an X-Large to be comfortable), so all but one of my (RED) shirts are men's shirts, size x-small or small. These are perfect, although I should mention that I have unusually long arms and rather broad shoulders. Regardless, these are the softest shirts you will ever wear.

I was inspired to write this post in support of (PRODUCT)^RED after reading a letter from Bono, one of the co-founders of (PRODUCT)^RED, on the (BLOG) RED site. Read the letter here.

If the letter doesn't inspire you to run out and buy (RED), maybe the following will:

• $13 provides one month of antiretroviral meds for one person
• $157 provides one year of antiretroviral meds for one person
• $40 provides 15 HIV rapid tests
• $26 covers the cost of providing medication to a pregnant woman to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child
• thus far, more than 2,500,000 people have been impacted by HIV & AIDS programs supported by (RED) purchases

Bono's letter closes perfectly, "(RED) is not asking you to flock to the stores for the sake of it. But if you find yourselves browsing, we are asking you to choose (RED) where you can—for the sake of those who can’t ask you themselves."

How Clean Is Your House?

I found this book by Kim Woodburn & Aggie MacKenzie on the bargain shelf at Barnes and Noble a couple of years ago. As I'm a bit of a germaphobe, I snatched it up and immediately pored through the pages.

How Clean Is Your House? has since become my go-to source for cleaning. It is worth far more than the $4 I paid for it. The authors are cleaning geniuses.

Top perks:

1. The book is divided up by room: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc and describes in great detail what is best for each cleaning task and why.

2. The authors' "tools of the trade" are not only effective, but CHEAP.

Before reading this book, I wouldn't have known what "washing soda" is (approx $4.50 per 3.7lb box). Just a bit of this stuff will keep your washing machine clean (trust me, unless you've got a VERY expensive machine, your clothes aren't really getting clean), your disposal clean and serve as a superior grease eliminator anywhere in your house.

I've been given strange looks when purchasing denture cleaning tablets, but they are wonderful for cleaning a porcelain bowl, removing a stubborn stain on your carpet or eliminating limescale on any household surface.

I can tell you with 100% confidence that you can maintain a wonderfully clean home by keeping the following products on hand: White distilled vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, washing soda, concentrated dishwashing detergent (ie. Dawn), lemon juice or whole lemons, coarse salt and good old-fashioned bleach.

As it turns out, the most simple methods of cleaning are truly the best!

Daily Humor

A lot of people keep things at their desk that make them smile or laugh: pictures of loved ones, quotes, knick knacks, etc. When my assistant (I love reminding people that her name is Jennifer Garner) comes across a name that makes her laugh, she writes it on a post-it and puts it on her computer monitor. Since we work with authors from all over the world, she's found some downright hilarious ones. Keep in mind that some of these are only funny when mispronounced.

For example, I'm sure Dr. Takeshita should be pronounced (tä'k•ä•shē'•tä), but of course we pronounce it (tāk•a•shĭt•a). You get the idea.

Here are some more of our favorites. I'll let you use your imagination as to the pronunciation:

•Dr. Bizzarro
•Dr. Boobis
•Dr. Crapo
•Dr. Madhu Dikshit
•Dr. McWeeney
•Dr. Plopper
•Dr. Richard Wang (a.k.a. Dick Wang)
•Dr. Stanko
•Dr. Sitthichok Puangthongthub

I realize that our poking fun at strangers by butchering their names is a bit juvenile, but sometimes a little immaturity keeps the day-to-day a lot more tolerable!

In fact, I'll even be a good sport and share my two favorites for my name, as spoken by the security guards on-site. I'll preface this by saying that yes, they are reading my name from an online directory where it is spelled correctly.

My last name should be pronounced (glā'z•ě•nûr), but somehow Glazener becomes Glavenora and Glavinator (a.k.a. The Glavinator). Where did the "V" come from?

As you might imagine, I get a lot of "I'll be back!" jokes.

Quote of the day

"Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color."

-author unknown

Sweet Dream Bailey

My sweet boy, deep in slumber at casa de Burleigh.

Doggie drive-thru

On my way home from my aforementioned doggie duties over the last week+, I went through the drive-thru at Burger King to get a grilled chicken sandwich as a late lunch. With way too much stuff packed in my car (a lot of it has been there for weeks), I was forced to put Zoe's crate and Bailey both in the extreme rear of my CR-V.

Under such circumstances, Zoe is virtually blind - she can't see out of the car and can't see me - this is a recipe for disaster.

When Zoe barks (which is often for a marginally good reason), Bailey barks. The significant difference is that Bailey barks in no particular direction. In fact, he usually barks in the OPPOSITE direction of what causes Zoe's barking. He's sweet, but not the brightest bulb.

So, as I made my way through the drive-thru at BK, Zoe let out a few gruffs. Bailey followed suit with extremely loud barks, all as I'm trying to order. I laughed it off and pulled around to the payment window. I received a smile from window #1, where my payment was accepted, and pulled forth to window #2.

Bailey began to frantically bark. I turned around and asked him, "what's up with you?" as if he could understand me. Then I started to think, this is taking quite a while for one freakin' chicken sandwich.

Then the store window opened, and while I was expecting my food, a BK employee says, "Excuse me, but I'd like to ask you a question about your German Shepherd."

As soon as I heard "German Shepherd" I pretty much tuned him out. I vaguely remember the mention of alternative coloring (gray vs. black/brown). Maybe that makes me a dog snob, but despite others' misinterpretation of Bailey's breed, I can definitively state that he doesn't look, nor behave, in any way like a German Shepherd.

I politely waited before interrupting the BK employee to say,"he's not a German Shepherd, he's a Norwegian Elkhound." (Blank stare and "what?" look followed). Of course I'm thinking, can I just have my chicken sandwich and be on my way?



Be honest. Given the photos attached here (Bailey top left; random German Shepherd center at end of post) would you think Bailey is a German Shepherd?

Please keep in mind, too, that the average weight of a German Shepherd is between 62 and 95 lbs. Over the last 5 years, Bailey's weight has ranged between 42 and 48 pounds.

Upgrade

I received my new phone yesterday as part of Verizon's "New every two" program. I got the LG enV² and I love it. My main reasons for choosing the enV² were:

1. it fits in my Abitax case. Having to give up that case was in no way an option.

2. It has a QWERTY keyboard with real keys. I do not like the touch-screen keyboards (like the LG Dare). Easier texting was the main reason I upgraded. In fact I adored my previous phone (LG VX8300), but texting on that phone was so cumbersome. It could take me several minutes to compose a simple two-line message!

3. I received rave reviews from two of my co-workers. They said the battery life and reception are fabulous and those two things are very important to me.

Anyone thinking of upgrading any time soon should certainly consider the enV². However, I would not recommend purchasing the phone (at least to my budget-conscious friends) without a discount option as the retail price is $279.99. I only paid $32.01 and that included free overnight delivery.

Random Perk

For those of you who don't know me or anything about my Norwegian Elkhound, Bailey, I can tell you this post is dedicated to my 10-day escape from one of his most annoying neuroses.

Bailey is absolutely terrified by the beeping noises that sound from my oven - when I turn it on, when I adjust the temperature, when I set the timer (both adjusting the temperature and timer require several beeps unfortunately), when I turn it off. We're not talking about a mild cowering in the corner, oh no. Oven beeping brings about a full-on panic attack: uncontrollable shaking, loss of bladder control, extreme yelping and a strong desire to flee the house at all costs. He becomes obsessed with the door as if he can will it opened with his eyes. Any attempt to take him outside in this state runs a high risk of shoulder dislocation. It is beyond frustrating.

While I am guilty of exaggeration at times, the aforementioned description is not over-done. In fact - likely warranting an entirely separate post so I won't expand much here - in order to test my smoke alarms monthly I have to put Bailey outside in my car. Even one tiny low-battery beep turns Bailey into a vibrating freak show.

Enter oven-using vacation by way of dogsitting at a home with a quieter oven that has a dial for setting the temperature, and therefore doesn't require a beep per 5 degrees of heat! Hurrah!

I have been taking full advantage of said oven privileges. I baked home-made dog biscuits, I've made pizza several times, and I made mini brownie muffins (had a photo, wanted to include it, but blogger was not having it). It is really sad that I avoid foods/meals that require a standard oven because my dog is such a pansy. Doggie valium/prozac anyone?

Smartdog

I give you the Emma STORM: low-tech e-mail reader. No contract required.


Maybe the pet dander and perpetual dog-walking is making me loopy.

Who Knew?

...that new tires could make a girl so giddy?

I LOVE my car, but my care of it (service, oil-changes, etc.) is strictly no muss, no fuss. I can't remember the last time I washed or vacuumed it, despite the Norwegian Elkhound that frequents the "back back" seat. When I was told after my last oil-change that I'd soon need new tires, I thought, "ok, sure, I'll get to it eventually."

On Tuesday I purchased my second set of tires for my 1997 CR-V (really the third set if you include the original tires that came on the vehicle). Odometer reading at the time of Tuesday's purchase: 141,900. I think that's pretty okay, considering that the alignment has been "acceptably out of range" since I was hit by a drunk driver in 1999, I've suffered one slow-leak and one flat tire, and I spent a little over three years on Michigan roads where I annually traveled approximately three times more miles than I do in NC.

I drove away on my new tires feeling like I was in a brand new car. What a difference new wheels can make without even splurging!





I got four BF Goodrich Premier Touring tires, P205/70R15 at Costco. Total cost for installation, scrap tire disposal, life-time rotation and balance and 5-year road hazard warranty: $379.19, and the whole process only took about 45 minutes.

My car now rides beautifully. Any revival of the beloved CR-V is greatly appreciated!

A Mighty Heart

Read the book, then saw the movie. For those interested in Daniel Pearl's story, I strongly recommend following the same path. Had I not read the book first, I would've found the film a little frustrating - it is a very fast-paced film, with several key players sharing similar names, if not multiple identities.

Not to take sides, but having seen the film I am convinced that Angelina Jolie was the far wiser choice to play Mariane Pearl. I like Jennifer Aniston, but she never could've done the role true justice.

I read the book and saw the film more than a year ago, but the story was recently brought back to mind because "A Mighty Heart" is currently playing on Showtime, so I watched it again Sunday.

As I said earlier, I can understand viewers who might not like the film if they have no prior knowledge of the history of the event. Maybe that's a poor excuse. But from the perspective of one who has read Mariane's book and followed the public record regarding Pearl's death, I can say that without a doubt "A Mighty Heart" is one of the most powerfully realistic accounts of a driven journalist's fate in a post 9/11 climate.

To be a journalist should not be a death sentence - regardless of to whom or where your voice reaches.

Hazel or Green?

I've always described my eye color as hazel, even though my drivers license says GREEN, which incidentally is the rarest of eye colors.



Most of the time it depends on what color I'm wearing, but under the most bland of circumstances, I perceive my eye color as "Grazel."

What would you say?

Quick note on UNC vs. Miami

Ty Lawson rocks!

That second half was a nail-biter. As I texted my friend who was at the game, "Holy 3-pointers!"

Way to go Heels!

America's Favorite Serial Killer

I adored Michael C. Hall as David Fisher on Six Feet Under, but as Dexter he is beyond fabulous, and Hall is from Raleigh, North Carolina to boot!

Dexter follows Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst with some serious issues and an interesting "code." In short, he’s a serial killer who only kills those who deserve to be killed: rapists, murderers, molesters. ie. those whom would likely be on death row or imprisoned for life anyway. (And yes, it is just a TV show, so although I do love Dexter, I am not in any way condoning his behavior).

I blazed through seasons 1 and 2 via iTunes during the summers following each season’s airing, and just last night finished season 3 thanks to Robert who saved the episodes for me on his DVR. A HUGE bonus for dog sitting Emma!

Don’t worry, you’ll find no spoilers here. This post is meant only to be a suggestion to all Dexter-virgins to find a way to view past seasons and pick up with season 4, which I suspect will premiere sometime this fall on Showtime.

Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter (Hall's real-life wife, but his sister on the show), David Zayas and James Remar all deserve honorable mention for superb acting in this series. Highly recommended - Dexter won't disappoint!