Great ads for college hoops fans

I admit to completely robbing this from a fellow blogger, but when I went to watch it again there was a follow-up ad. Enjoy!

Tiny dog essential: The step-in harness

I purchased the step-in harness pictured above from Trixie and Peanut a couple of years ago after realizing that tiny terriers A) do NOT like collars; and B) their hyper-overdrive tendencies make "harnessing" the dog quite a challenge.

On top of that challenge, Zoe is a bit of an oddly-shaped dog. She's just under 7 1/2 pounds; her height at the withers is between approximately 11 1/2 and 12 inches; and her body length is just over 14 1/2 inches (from base of neck to base of tail). In other words, she's skinny and long and she has the tiniest fragile neck.

I remember the first time I tried to walk her with a collar. Every time her retractable leash reached it's end, the slightest resistance had her smarting and glaring at me. She finally stopped and sat down, as if to say, "No more lady. You wanna keep going? Get this torture device off of me!"

Enter OUR love/hate relationships with various harnesses and MY love/hate relationship with Zoe's proportions. The traditional harnesses available at stores like Target and Wal-mart really don't fit. The buckles can't appropriately adjust to Zoe's size, so the fit is always awkward. Many times, such an awkward fit eventually leads to a broken harness.

Awkward fit aside, the task of getting the average harness on Zoe requires near superhuman strength and patience. You see, the average harness employs a bit of an over, under and through process that small, hyper dogs (and impatient owners) do not enjoy.

Yes, I suppose I could leave a harness on Zoe all the time, but her hair is fine and a harness tends to rub raw places on her skin, so I opt to remove it at bed time and/or after our morning walk. Putting the harness back on after I return home from work is the most challenging - for reasons that should be obvious to any dog owner!

Hence the step-in harness that I couldn't live without. Genius design. Even the most flailing of legs can be correctly placed in this harness. As you can see in the first photo, the harness is shaped somewhat like a figure 8. One leg goes left, one goes right, then a single buckle meets in the back just under the dog's shoulder blades and voila, you've got one comfortably secured dog ready for a walk. Again I say, genius. And they're not just for tiny dogs, but Zoe sure loves hers!

Lazy Sunday

The sun finally came out yesterday! Hooray! The weather was still a little wacky - lots of strong winds - but anything dry was VERY welcome. I guess the wind was my most recent excuse for not tending to my ailing lawn. Maybe next weekend...but only when there's no college hoops on the tube.

Zoe spent nearly the entire day in her usual spot - atop the fleece blankets (now basically hers) at the end of the futon. Note her annoyed look in the last picture. She was not in the mood to be photographed.





Things heated up when the Heels tipped off just after 5 p.m. Despite her best efforts, Zoe could not tune out my whooping and hollering and extra-loud clapping. Oh, and even though our lead was scarcely less than 12 points, there was still nervous pacing.

Veteran Bailey, who is somewhat used to mom's Tar Heel mania, joined me in my pacing. He gave me lots of high fives, too. I didn't want to get him too worked up, but he was marching around, tail wagging and jumping right along with me. Such a good boy!

The Heels advanced to the Final Four and will take on Villanova on Saturday. Bailey and I will both be front and center, leaping around the television, shouting and barking and looking for another victory!

Quick Syd Update

I haven't posted any photos of my lovely god daughter in several weeks, so I thought a little snapshot update was due.

Below you'll find Sydney - fifteen months - climbing the stairs to bed.



Despite our recent lack of interaction, I think she's coming around. I can't wait for her to start talking!

Desperately seeking sun

I am sick of the rain. My yard is saturated. My dogs are muddy, and one of them is constipated (she won't go out in the rain). I haven't been able to weed or plant. I've always hated rain, but I really hate it now!

How I wish I could end each day with a sunset like the one below. Photo taken by me on Mindil Beach in Darwin, Australia, the summer of 2001. Darwin was nothing less than paradise for me. Warm, quaint and simplistically beautiful, it has since become one of my most favorite places in the world.


Should you have the opportunity to visit Australia, don't just make a bee-line for Sydney. Yes, of course, go to Sydney, but don't overlook Darwin (including Kakadu National Park) or the Daintree Rainforest.

Ironically, there are a few months of the year during which the aforementioned places see nothing but rain. I was there during Australia's winter, so the most rain I saw was in Canberra, and I can't imagine it being any Australian's favorite city anyway!

Doggie Aid Suggestions?

I am a dog mommy in a bit of desperation looking for suggestions.

I no longer have the freedom to work at home “off-schedule”, so I am looking for advice as to what to do with my elderly dog, Bailey, when he shows signs of distress and I can’t stay home with him. (And no, I am not suggesting that I would in any way abandon Bailey).

Yesterday I had to begin boarding him on a daily basis so I can go in to the office. Let me be clear that Bailey is NOT in the “need to be put down” category. He is old, but all he requires is a little TLC, which I think he deserves! Unfortunately my only option is to take him to the vet during work hours when necessary.

But Bailey hates the vet – or I should say that he hates the uncarpeted floors – and yesterday was the first time I had to leave him alone with strangers in more than five years.

I admit to being extremely angry about my circumstances. I don’t feel that I should have to apologize for the fact that Bailey is not a HUMAN child, or that I can completely do my work from home (or anywhere else as long as I have my laptop). Bailey has still been my child for more than 11 years. His sickness and his pain are also mine. I can't allow him to just be swept away, but I also need a job.

Anyone else feel my pain? my anger? or at least have suggestions? I would appreciate any and all. Thank you!

He who carried film in his socks

I'm pretty sure we've all been asked the question, "If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?" (or something very similar). Ever since my 2001 fall semester of graduate school at Michigan State University, I've unequivocally answered: Larry Burrows.

Larry Burrows was a photographer for LIFE magazine from 1945 until his death in 1971, three months short of his forty-fifth birthday. While he did not like being called a war photographer, he had a knack for capturing the exquisitely poignant, yet often painful images of the Vietnam War. The following passage is published in "Requiem: By the Photographers Who Died in Vietnam and Indochina," likely the most cherished of all the books I own:

"He had been photographing in Calcutta when he heard that the South Vietnamese were poised to invade Laos. He flew back to the war he knew best and did what he always did: went to the front to find the action. Just before he died, Burrows behaved in a characteristic manner, risking his life to rescue a Vietnamese soldier from a burning personnel carrier. The next morning, in bad weather, Burrows and Kent Potter of UPI, Kiezaburo Shimamoto of Newsweek, and Henri Huet of AP were aboard a helicopter headed into Laos. The pilot lost his way, flew over enemy gun positions, and was shot down. LIFE managing editor Ralph Graves called Burrows 'the single bravest and most dedicated photographer I know of.'"

One of my favorite professors at MSU had the opportunity to work alongside Larry during the Vietnam War. To hear about Mr. Burrows first-hand, especially from McWhirter (the aforementioned professor), was amazing, albeit heart-wrenching for the most part. His passion was reporting, but that never got in the way of his humanity. He carried countless soldiers off of the fields, did his best to lay cover when necessary and never compromised what it was in his heart to do - keep America informed - openly, honestly and accurately. His actions always reflected those of a man far more interested in the preservation of life and LIBERTY - whether or not it would prove to be his own.

For me, the most memorable of Burrows' photo essays was published in the April 16, 1965 issue of LIFE magazine. I proudly own an original copy. “One Ride With Yankee Papa 13” was a fourteen-page, black-and-white spread that followed a mission of seventeen helicopters, four of which were shot down. A great deal of blood was shed and life lost.

One of the last photos is captioned, “In a supply shack, the tragic and frustrating mission over, Crew Chief James Farley weeps.” I cry every single time I look at it.

I’ve always envisioned Burrows as a quirky, Jeff Goldblum sort of look-alike, with more compassion for humankind than anyone I’ve met thus far. He is, indeed, the one person I would request to meet above all others if given the chance, and I would do my best to NOT ask him what it was like in Vietnam. His pictures have shown me enough - both what I didn't want to see and what I had to see.

And yes, he was known by his peers as "the man who carried film in his socks."

The photo above was copied from http://www.art.com

The joys of baby sitting

I had the privilege of spending Saturday night with the Rhodes girls while their mommy and daddy went out to celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary. As an extra bonus, the Heels played at 5:45 pm, so I got to watch the game on the Rhodes’ enormous television! Best friend Kerry sent me a text after our win and asked if I was able to watch much of the game since I was otherwise occupied. I told her that on the contrary, Katie is a huge Tar Heel fan – even at 5 ½-years-old – so she and I watched the entire game rather intently!

In fact, we even watched Dook play afterwards, Katie yelling “Dook is puke!” the whole time. Ella not so much as she is barely one-year-old, but she is the best baby ever – just like Katie was – and safely entertained herself almost the entire evening.

Katie said some of the sweetest things to me while I was there. She makes baby sitting fabulous fun and gives me such a morale boost. Wouldn’t hearing the following make you feel wonderful?

"I wish you were part of my family."

"You’re the funniest girl I’ve ever met."

Getting paid, and having the following notation on the check, "For being awesome." makes me want to baby sit Katie and Ella all the time!

And the Oscar goes to...

I admit to going to the movies about once a year – and that’s if I’m lucky. Prime example: the last movie I saw in the theater was “The Dark Knight”. However, despite my limited big screen viewing experiences, I am very much a film aficionado. I take the Oscars very seriously. In fact, I remember telling everyone I knew that if Rachel Wiesz didn’t win the award for best supporting actress for “The Constant Gardener” at the 2006 awards, I would boycott all movies (in theaters) for at least two years. Thankfully I was spared, for Rachel was dutifully recognized for her amazing portrayal of Tessa Quayle.

The following are those from the past whom I feel were seriously robbed of that little golden Oscar statue:

1993: Leonardo DiCaprio for his portrayal of Arnie Grape in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” I have nothing against Tommy Lee Jones, or “The Fugitive” but DiCaprio acted circles around Jones in my opinion. Hands down, DiCaprio should’ve won. "You're hiding huh?"

1996: Ralph Fiennes for “The English Patient.” Really, can anyone watch that film with a dry eye? And that’s not the point I’m trying to make as far as the Oscar-shun. Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas could’ve made anyone, anywhere, believe that their love was magical. The acting was TOP-notch.

1998: Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan." This is one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. I was balling within the first 10 minutes (think soldier looking for his arm, finding and picking it up and then looking for cover).

I have since watched "Saving Private Ryan" on network television at least five or six times, and every time I watch it I am drawn in..right up to the end. (My semi-secret ENORMOUS crush on Ed Burns doesn't hurt).

2000: I can’t believe Denzel Washington wasn’t nominated for “Remember the Titans.” I adore that movie, and honestly believe that ALL boys age 16 and under should be required to watch it at least once. Washington shone above the “period message,” leaving me with the memory of an inspirational coach who overcame adversity - when no one else WOULD - more than anything else.

2004: Kate Winslet for her portrayal of Clementine Kruczynski in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” I really don’t care for Jim Carrey, so I expected to hate this movie outright, but I was pleasantly surprised that I LOVED it. It’s a quirky movie that I could see falling into the hate category for many, but as I said just before, I loved it. Kate was fabulous as blue- green-haired, slightly neurotic Clem. She and Carrey really clicked together well on camera. Again I say, she was ROBBED of that Oscar! Good thing the Academy made up for it this year by awarding her for her role as Hanna Schmitz in "The Reader."

Remembering Jax

Jax was the first dog I adopted on my own. I found him at the Orange County Animal Shelter, where his crate was labeled only, “K-9 Mix.” There were so many dogs barking, scratching and jumping to get my attention, but one little brindled boy sat calmly in his crate, shaking ever-so-slightly with excitement. I was intrigued and asked to be let into the cage to “meet” the dog whose name would be Jax.

I crouched down and put my hand out for him to sniff. He eased over slowly, and when he came within a paw-shake away from me, he lowered his eyes and put his paw on my knee. I was instantly in love. Jax came home with me on December 31, 1997.

I adopted eight-week-old Bailey in February of 1998. Jax was understandably apprehensive at first, but he and Bailey soon became the absolute best of friends. They were inseparable and even slept curled up around each other every single night.

Unfortunately when I began graduate school in 2000, I was also working at least two, sometimes four jobs on top of classes. I felt it unfair that I had so little time to spend with Jax and Bailey, but I knew I would never consider giving either dog up to just anybody. Enter my dear friend Mark, who I knew loved Jax.

My parents drove Jax down to Mark after a visit to Michigan in the fall of 2000. Bailey was depressed for weeks as was I. I felt horrible, but knew Jax would be happier with someone who could give him more attention. The silver-lining on the deal was that I knew I’d see Jax again, as Mark and I were, and still are, very good friends.

Each time I saw Jax afterwards, it was apparent that he remembered both Bailey and me. We enjoyed a few reunions before Jax left us (I have photos, but no way to scan them as they have been scrapbooked).

Apparently Jax was twice as old as I was told at the time of his adoption. Before that time, he had suffered major trauma that left harmful scarring and compacted his abdomen and surrounding organs, although he never showed signs of distress. This damage was made evident after Mark’s vet did an ultrasound. Mark put Jax to sleep in early 2003.

I keep the three photos posted here in a frame on a shelf in my bedroom. The far left and middle photos were taken when Jax first started showing signs of illness. The far right photo was taken hours before he was put down, hence the shaved belly. Mark and I exchanged photos - he sent me the three in the frame and I sent him several more humorous shots from happier times. I remain immensely grateful to Mark for loving Jax and caring for him through such a difficult time.

Bailey and I will never forget Jax, or how much Mark loved him!

Review: Land’s End Women's Reversible Quilted Long Down Coat

I purchased this coat for myself in January, largely because my voluntary participation in Land’s End's customer surveys led to an accumulation of a fair number of $5 gift cards. Add a free shipping promo and I was in for a nice bargain.

Despite my 3-year residence in mid-Michigan, I’d never owned a really warm coat. I guess I’d always gotten by on layers – layers upon layers of clothes. When I ordered this coat I had vivid visions of being toasty warm – even dreamed about it. I could not wait for my dreamy down parka.

I do love the coat. I do. Even if it weren’t a fabulously perfect shade of Carolina blue (you can’t really see that in the online photo), I’d still love the fit and the warmth. Unfortunately there is an infuriating design flaw that has rendered me insanely irritated on more than one occasion.

The offending feature is as follows: “Two invisible side pockets and two-way front zipper.”

The front placket includes an underlying snap panel – seven snaps total. The snaps need NOT be joined in order to close the jacket. Herein lies my problem. I prefer to only zip my coat closed. However, the zipper tends to catch on the inner “extra” placket where the snaps are with annoying frequency.

Could this not have been prevented? I mean honestly, even if I lived in Wisconsin I don’t think I would take the time to first snap my coat and then zip it up. Closed is closed. Closed times two without an entire extra layer doesn't make a coat warmer! But what do I know? I've lived in North Carolina for all but approximately seven years of my life.

Expert or not, I must admit to loving my "Reversible Quilted Long Down Coat" - even if I occasionally (hmmm...actually often) want to rip the damn thing to shreds!

Four days of rain + two dogs make Tracey an unhappy girl

As our trusty, always accurate (wink, wink) weather forecasters predicted, the rain finally ended yesterday.

Unfortunately it seems that there is a chance for more rain on Thursday. Only 1.5 days rain free! ARGH! Three inches of rain between last Friday and Monday the 16th is certainly more than I could ever wish for, especially in light of the fact that I have two dogs who must be taken outside to relieve themselves.

Walking any dog in pelting rain is never fun, but most people don’t have a Zoe to walk. A Zoe who refuses to leave the shelter of our house or the porch in order to do her business. She instead turns and looks at me as if to say, “Whatever! I’m not going out there!”

I, being equally stubborn and refusing to make a fool of myself by trailing her with an umbrella, find myself in such situations with a self-constipated doggie. It is not fun.

Bailey on the other hand, is a champ. He has always been a poop-on-demand kind of dog. No muss, no fuss. When necessary, Bailey can be completely and sufficiently walked in about two minutes. It’s one of a hundred reasons why mama loves Bailey!

Aside from dog-walking blues, my yard has been completely taken over by the weed monster. I’m gonna need some serious sunshine to dry out my lawn before I can effectively attack that problem, and it looks like that needed sunshine isn't anywhere in sight.

As children sing, “Rain, rain go away! Come again some other (far away) day!”

Pamper your eyes

Last Christmas my best friend gave me a Lavender Eye Cover by Nature Creation, and I have certainly put it to great use. She thought it could be used to remedy my migraines, but I'd rather smell nothing when one of those bad boys hits my head.

Instead, I like to get my eye cover out of the freezer just before I go to bed and put it over my eyes while I drift off to sleep. Before sleep comes I usually flip it over a few times to make the coolness of the pack last. It is super-soft and fits comfortably around my head with the attached elastic band - unlike some of those gel-filled raccoon-eye packs that are made of thick plastic and attach with velcro.

Not only does the eye cover smell heavenly, but the herbs honestly appear to make a difference in my perma-baggy undereyes. (Remember, I don't sleep much, so the bags are hard to chase away).

The woman from whom Kerry bought the eye cover told her I should keep it in the freezer when it's not in use as the herbs will stay fresher longer. I'd keep it in the freezer anyway because the cover being cold is a big part of what I love about it. I keep mine in a ziploc bag.

For an at-home relaxing sensory journey, get yourself one of these Lavender Eye Covers. You'll be dreaming of floating through lavender fields in no time!

A temporary sigh of relief

Both Bailey and Zoe recently had their annual check-up at Park Vet. Zoe, five-years, went first and received a glowingly clean bill of health:

Zoe Report
•Weight down a touch: from 7.56 to 7.3 pounds
•Parasite-free
•Heartworm/Lyme/Ehrlichia-free
•Teeth look great! (she lets me pick at them with dental tools)
•Rabies vaccine good through 2012
•Total cost including six months of Heartgard: $163.49

Bailey, almost 11 1/2-years, went Thursday and we got off to a bad start. Bailey's weight fluctuated rather wildly from 2002-2003. At his heaviest he topped out at 67 pounds - thanks to Jodi and Kelly's generosity with treats! Until Thursday, his lowest weight had been 42.10.

Bailey's weight on 3/12/09: 39.9 pounds. Dr. Geyer was not happy.

Although I managed to convince her that Bailey would be better off without a dental scrub this year, she was concerned about his weight. She even let him go without a due vaccine (Da2PPv Booster, which in my mind is not necessary anyway).

I ordered a senior blood panel for him and crossed my fingers.

Bailey Report
•Weight down from 46.6 (3/18/08) to 39.9 pounds
•Parasite-free
•Heartworm/Lyme/Ehrlichia-free
•Liver & kidneys functioning at normal levels
•No ketones or protein in urine, glucose levels normal
•Electrolytes, cholesterol, white blood cell count, thyroid: normal
•Rabies vaccine good through 2012
•Total cost including six months of Heartgard: $215.74

As you can see by the above information, Bailey appears to be perfectly healthy - PHEW! When my vet called yesterday and greeted me with "I've got good news about your boy!" I almost cried. However, she also told me about a boxer that came in the day before us. They found THREE tumors, each bigger than a baseball, via an ultrasound. The kicker: the dog's blood work was perfect.

So, she explained some diagnostics we could do, but we both agreed on increasing Bailey's food intake over the next 5-6 weeks and then re-checking his weight.

Bailey seems perfectly happy and healthy (other than the weight drop) so attempting to pack on a few pounds seems reasonable. Should he fail to gain weight, we will have to dig deeper for the cause.

Meanwhile, Bailey will be in hog heaven as the treats will flow freely and the dinner bowl shall runneth over!

Winter photos from Maria

I don't usually brag, but I think my niece and "doggie-in-law" below are exquisitely beautiful. Abby's big blue eyes and innocent gaze paired with Casey's regal demeanor does the trick for me - but hey, I'm biased.

I particularly love Casey's "powderface" photo.