Tag Archives: working group

Barking 9 to 5…

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It just so happens that today is Take Your Dog to Work Day. It’s also National Dog Party Day. I guess if you’re going to work hard, you should play hard too!

Lucky for me, I usually work from home on Fridays… which means that I can take Bella to work with me today without having to actually take her anywhere. Given that Bella gets carsick in a rocking chair, this situation is ideal. We’ll have our own version of Paw-fice Space right here at home – Bella takes her Floor Patrol duties very seriously.

Now, to the Linkmobile!

  1. Today’s punny pet names take their inspiration from 9 to 5: Polly Parton (for a bird), Dane Fonda (for a Great Dane pup), and Gilly Tomlin (for a fish).
  2. Oh, I can’t help myself. Here are a few more: Molly Parton (for a fish), Jane Fawnda (for a deer), Lily Tomcatlin, and Billy Tomlin (for a goat).
  3. Next, check out this great slideshow of dogs participating in today’s festivities.
  4. Among the offices celebrating Take Your Dog to Work Day? The gang at Richmond International Raceway. (I bet Bella’s glad that I don’t work there!)
  5. Over at Peggy’s Pet Place, Kelly the pup has taken to the keyboard to tell us about her canine career.
  6. Sugar the Golden Retriever has donned some “office” attire today as well. (Looking good, pal!)
  7. What if your office is a boat? Something Wagging tells us about Schmitty the Weather Dog, and inspires me to watch “I’m on a Boat” too many times.
  8. The Poodle and Dog Blog gets into the act with this interesting story and clever post title: Dog on a Hot Thatched Roof.
  9. Wondering how to work out the logistics of bringing your dog to work? Never fear. The Pet Health Care Gazette has some great tips.

Sure, it sounds cute… but should we be concerned? Will human workers soon be replaced by a cadre of clever canine professionals? It’s happened before.

That deep thought brings us to today’s video. This dog seems to love his job more than most people I know.

Don’t worry cat lovers, I haven’t forgotten you. Bunny’s Blog tells us all about taking your cat to work.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I confess that I sang “9 to 5” the entire time I was writing this post. It’s going to be in my head all day now. It’s enough to drive me crazy if I let it. (See what I did there?)

So, tell me… have you ever taken your dog (or other pet) to work?

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One more reason to love a herding dog…

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So, another Friday is upon us.  Let’s get to it.

  1. Your punny pet names: Colin Furrell and George Bernard Paw.
  2. Self-promotion alert… I finally updated my oft-neglected baking blog.  Even more surprising?  I updated it twice!  Check out my recipes for Green Beer Cupcakes and Spotted Dog.
  3. Speaking of recipes, I want to try this recipe and make my own Shamrock Shakes.  I do not, however, wish to replicate any of these cakes.
  4. Need a smile today?  Then check out this post about dog people.  Trust me.
  5. March Madness is here once again.  Not into basketball?  No problem! Check out Go Pet Friendly’s Best City for Pet Travelers Tournament instead.
  6. This next one is unrelated to the month of March or St. Patrick’s Day, but I just had to share.  Behold, a basic truth about Nutella.
Finally, here’s your video for the week… I’m loving this ad from Guinness:


What are your plans for St. Patrick’s Day?  I’ll be having a few friends over for dinner and beer.  Can’t go wrong with that, in my opinion. Well, unless you’re this guy.  (Might as well end today’s post on a beer-related note.  So, enjoy these videos of animals burping.  You’re welcome.)
Have a great weekend!
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Corgis (and Ryan Gosling)… in… space!

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Before we get into the usual Friday linkage, I wanted to take a moment to thank the veterans who have served our country.  We owe them a great deal.  As always on this holiday, my thoughts go to the poem “In Flanders Field” – those verses say so very much.  If you have a chance, I also recommend you check out these amazing and inspiring photos from a new book on canine soldiers.

Now, it’s time for your usual installment of No Frown Friday…

  1. We begin, as always, with punny pet names, this time with a farming twist: Billy Goat Idol.
  2. Take an iconic album cover.  Insert adorable kitten(s).  Achieve awesomeness.  (Bonus punny pet name: David Meowie.)
  3. Also awesome?  Puppies running in slow motion.  You know I can’t resist puppies having a Chariots of Fire moment.
  4. Apparently the Internet is all about giving me plenty of slow-mo dogs this week.  Thanks, Internet.
  5. This next one’s not slow-mo, but it’s fantastic… talk about a unique dog.
  6. Now it’s time to answer an age-old question.  Forget puppies versus babies, the real cute-off is between puppies and Ryan Gosling. (I’m beginning to think Gosling needs his own category on the blog.  Oh, fine – here you go.)

Another topic that makes frequent appearances?  Space.  So, without further ado, I give you this week’s video:  Corgis… in… space!



 (If you can’t get enough space, go watch Nyan Cat too.  Someone should come up with Nyan Gosling Cat.  Get on it, Internet.)

That concludes your regularly scheduled linkage.  Before I go, you should know that a pretty cool event is going on in blogland this weekend – it’s a Blogpocalypse!  A group of wonderful bloggers will be participating in a blogathon to raise support for various causes.  I hope you’ll check them out.  (If you do, you might even see a guest post from me over at My Brown Newfies!)

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Snappy wordplay and a K9 Kamp giveaway!

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It’s Friday… thank goodness!  (Now I know why it’s always said the other way. IF…TG is not really as catchy as TGIF.)

As always, it’s time for some fun links to send you into the weekend.  As a bonus, today’s post includes information about a K9 Kamp giveaway!  Read on, friend…

  1. This week’s punny net name: William Snakespeare. (Bonus puns: Mount Ruffmore and “Is it tea you’re looking for?”  That second link will show you my new favorite thing. I want one. Seriously.  It’s possible I wrote a few verses of that song this week… you know I can’t fight the music.)
  2. It’s been a big week for punny songs over here.  Newly added to my catalog?  “Hakuna Manatee” (it means no worries, in the inlets and bays) and “Hakuna Fritatta” (I was at a work brunch and couldn’t stop humming it to myself).  
  3. Also, here’s a special one for you Days of Our Lives fans – “Hakuna Marlena.”  (It does, in fact, involve references to that time she was possessed.  Now she has a “Satan-free… philosophy… Hakuna Marlena.”)
  4. Moving on… here’s Hero, the dog-shaped hot dog steamer.  There are no words.
  5. There are, however, words for these cake pops that look like my favorite cartoon character. Those words? Awesome and adorable. 
  6. Speaking of cake, I finally posted a new recipe on my long-neglected cupcake blog.
  7. I have a friend who has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Snoop Dogg.  I have a feeling she would appreciate this next link.
  8. Looking for a pet-friendly hotel?  How about a hotel that has dogs on staff and helps pets get adopted?  As you wish.
  9. If you got the Princess Bride reference in that last item, then you’ll love this (fictional) version of Monopoly.  (If it were real, it would be currently fighting that Lionel Richie teapot for the title of my favorite thing.)
  10. This photo just made me smile.  However, this one led to a fit of giggles that I still haven’t quite gotten over. Wordplay!

Photobucket As you know, I’ve been participating in K9 Kamp for the last few weeks.  Today, I’m the featured blogger at Peggy’s Pet Place – swing by to check it out.  In addition, K9 Kamp is giving away a set of hand-crafted, eco-friendly Fetching Sticks from Molly Products. You can enter by heading over to Peggy’s Pet Place or on this blog after the jump…



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Does your dog "help" you rake leaves?

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It’s almost that time again… soon the leaves will change and start to fall from the trees, which means lots of raking in my future.  Last year, I think we ended up raking enough leaves to fill 75 bags.  Yes, we have a lot of trees…

Raking leaves always makes me think of my childhood dog Scotti.  She loved to chase leaves.  We’d rake up a pile, and then Scotti, my sister and I would jump into the pile and play for hours.  Those are some of my favorite memories.

Last year was our first autumn in the new house.  We were no longer in an apartment, so Bella got her first exposure to this whole raking thing.  We tried to convince her to play in the leaves, but she wasn’t very interested.  We even (gently) tossed her into a pile of leaves, but she didn’t see the fun in that.  I’ll just have to live vicariously through videos of dogs playing in leaves instead:

Tell me… does your dog play in the leaves or “help” you with the raking?

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BlogPaws Episode 7: This is the end

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When last we saw our intrepid heroine, she had just finished lunch on the last day of BlogPaws.  What adventures await her in this installment?

After lunch, it was time to head to my final session.  I chose one entitled “Copyright Basics for Bloggers & Staying Out of Trouble with the FTC.”  Obviously, I’m not here to give you legal advice, but I am happy to share some resources so you can learn about copyright, product reviews and contests.  These sites will provide you with some handy information:

  • To learn more about copyright law, visit the U.S. Copyright Office.  There are a few angles to consider here, including learning the basics about when your work is copyrighted and protecting your own work.  There’s also a handy page intended to help you unravel the mysteries of copyright law, whether you’re the creator of the content or wondering how and when you can use someone else’s content on your site.  (On a related note, I love a government agency with a sense of humor – this FAQ was my favorite.)
  • Speaking of using content you didn’t create, you may want to check out the Creative Commons website.  You can search this site for creative works that you may be able to use on your blog – visit here to learn about how content is licensed and how you can use it.  You can also find some Creative Commons work on Flickr.
  • Before you do any product reviews on your site, it’s important to know the rules of the road, especially if you’re receiving free products to review on your site.  Visit the FTC website to find out more.
  • If you want to run a sweepstakes or contest on your blog, there may be legal issues related to running a promotion.  For an overview of the issues, take a look at this article.
  • Finally, for a wealth of info, you can also check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Legal Guide for Bloggers.

After this session, I finally managed to meet Sharon from Grouchy Puppy, thanks to some help from my pal Kim over at This One Wild  Life.  Sharon was on my must-meet list, but we hadn’t managed to make it happen yet.  While I chatted with a few bloggers, including Sharon and Diane from To Dog With Love, we were treated to a special presentation:

No offense to anyone else, but I’m pretty sure that Cosmo was the cutest speaker at the conference.

After this adorable presentation, Sharon, Diane and I did what many bloggers do with downtime – we had a photo shoot!  Sharon (and Cleo’s proxy) posed for a few shots with Cosmo.  This shot was my favorite:

Sadly, the end of our photo shoot also meant the end of my BlogPaws adventure.  Irene was fast approaching, so I headed home to spend the evening hanging out with Bella and hoping my power wouldn’t go out.  (Spoiler alert: my power did go out.  However, it went out at 2:30 A.M. and was back before 10 A.M., so I won’t complain.  I don’t think Bella even noticed.)

Well… that’s all, folks.  (I’m at a bit of a loss – what will I ramble about now that this series is done?)  I had a great time at the conference and met some absolutely wonderful people.  I hope you enjoyed these recaps – if you want to read or revisit any of my BlogPaws 2011 coverage, you can do so by clicking here. 

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Today, we remember

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years.  It’s a day fixed in my mind – I remember exactly where I was that morning. I had an early class and returned to my on-campus apartment to find my roommates watching the news, horrified by what they were seeing. While trying to process what was happening, some made panicked phone calls to loved ones who worked at the Pentagon (less than 20 miles from our campus). Others checked on the status of friends and family in New York and DC, hoping they were okay.

I don’t even know what else to say about the tragedy that unfolded that day.  Words don’t seem to be enough.

However, I want to share this video from the archives – it’s from The Dog Files, and although I posted it last year, I think it’s just as powerful today.

Bless all the heroes – both human and canine – who were there that day, as well as those who continue to work tirelessly on our behalf.  We are forever in your debt.

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BlogPaws Episode 5: Blogging with the stars

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Previously… I ate some cheesecake and finished the educational portion of Day 1.

After learning about various bloggy things, the first day of sessions was over.  It was time to head back out into that big lobby and chat it up once again before our screening of Spooky Buddies.  Luckily, I quickly encountered Kim from This One Wild Life, who was kind enough to allow me to be her wingwoman (wingblogger?) for the evening.

We grabbed a glass of wine (farewell to my final drink ticket) and some popcorn (in my book, wine goes with anything) while we waited for the evening’s festivities to get underway.

After mingling for a bit, the doors opened and we headed inside.  We picked up some movie snacks and grabbed a seat a few rows from the front.  Little did we know that the rows in front of us would later be removed and we’d be in the very first row… not that I’m complaining, but it was somewhat unexpected.  Anyway, Kim and I chatted for a while about this and that – it was like hanging out with an old friend.  (Kim, feel free to correct me in the comments if you thought it was more like hanging out with an annoying person who won’t go away… I kid, I kid.)

Here’s the coolest part… not long before the movie began, Kim and I checked our Twitter feeds (hey, it’s a blogging conference) to find out the results of the Petties (it’s like the Oscars, but for pet blogs).  Be the Change for Animals (which Kim co-founded) won for Best Cause Blog!  It was a pretty amazing moment – and fortunately, the BlogPaws photographer happened to swing by at the perfect time and get it on camera.

(Check out her acceptance speech – Be the Change for Animals donated its $1,000 to Best Friends Animal Society.  Pretty great, huh?)

Not long after that, it was time for the movie premiere of Spooky Buddies – BlogPaws was the first press screening in the country.  I’ll admit, I’ve never seen any of the other movies in the franchise, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

The basic story – the five main characters (a.k.a the Buddies, a group of five adorable Golden Retriever puppies) encounter the legend of the Howl-oween Hound and must stop Warwick the Warlock’s evil plan before it’s too late.

The movie was cute… not necessarily one I would have sought out on my own, but I definitely think kids would like it.  I actually enjoyed it – there was something about the crowd (including dogs barking at the screen) that just made it a fun experience.  Here’s the trailer:

Obviously, I’m not the only blogger writing up her thoughts on her Spooky Buddies experience these days.  For a few more, go visit Bocci’s Beefs (and find out how many stand-ins each puppy had on set), My Tail Hurts from Wagging So Much (for an interview with the director), and The Chronicles of Cardigan (for a firsthand account of what it was like to watch the movie with your pups). 

After the movie, it was time for a Q&A session with the director.  I have to imagine that working with kids and puppies is quite the challenge, but he really seemed to enjoy it.

Once the Q&A ended, we had the opportunity to get our photo taken
with one of the stars – an adorable puppy dressed in a bunny costume. 
The photographer wasn’t very quick on the draw – which didn’t work so
well when a tired puppy was involved.

In the interest of getting these
photos done quickly so that the pup could get out of his duds and take a
nap, Kim and I did our photo as a duo.  Once I have a copy, I’ll
definitely share it here.

Once that was all done, Kim invited me to crash a Greenies happy hour that she was invited to attend at the hotel bar.  I was a bit hesitant, but I’m glad I let her talk me into it.  I had a fantastic time chatting with Doreen from Doggies and Stuff, Jess from Indy Dog Blog (a party crasher like me), and others.

Eventually, it was time for me to say goodnight and head home.  After I got home, I snuggled with Bella and caught up on Project Runway.

One day down, one more to go.  I was able to attend the second day, but I did end up ducking out a bit early due to the hurricane. Never fear, I still have lots to tell you.

Up next?  More sessions, some great speakers, a photo shoot or two, and meeting up with some more of my favorite bloggers.

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