HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

What is this mysterious spectre? No, its not a Titanic-exhibit-gone-creepy.  Rather, it’s the new Ghost Ship at Morey’s Piers. Nope, no rotating midway Viking ship here, but rather an interactive haunted house. For your next volunteer amusement park “thank you” or wish granting trip for teens, there is finally something more at the park for those not of the faint of heart, but the too faint of stomach or faint neck for roller coasters.

I have a completely different travel style than my parents do.  Of course, I take my dogs along, which is different, but the pace is different too.  When I was a kid, my dad was Mr. Itinerary.  We crammed so much into a four day weekend.  In fact, I don’t know quite how we saw the highlights of four different states in a weekend once.  These weren’t New England states, either.  All I can remember is petting some horses and then being cranky and tired the rest of the time.  When I go on a trip, I build in plenty of time to rest, or to spontaneously discover a few things along the way.  It is not uncommon at the end of the night for me to end up back in my room, flipping around on the television to unwind.  I don’t watch much television, but that is one of the times when I do.  The pool usually gets ignored while I decompress.

In Hong Kong, there is a show called Professor Paws Pet Cadet, featuring the Dr. Dog program, where well mannered and well trained dogs act as ambassadors for their species, as well as animals in general. Since the SARS outbreak, and the way pets were treated, they need all the human friends that they can get.  It is supposed to be a fascinating show.   Of course, we can’t see it over here, but if I was sitting in a hotel in Hong Kong I could.   I was just sort of joking around about it, but at a party this weekend, my cousin who has traveled the world told me that Hong Kong is a great place to visit if you have never been to Asia. Of course, she speaks three languages and has traveled the world, so she can always find someone to chat with.   When I read that the Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific was going on, she was really pushing me to go.

I still shook my head, but I did then read that I could potentially get a hotel room for less than less than what I would pay here.  There are hotel rooms available for as little as $84 a night in Hong Kong, and for as little as $30 in the other Asia Pacific localities. Where have you heard of Accor hotels before?  The own Motel 6, among many other properties.  There don’t appear to be any Motel 6 locations in Hong Kong, but the sale makes you sure think you have snagged a similar bargain at their other properties.

My cousin went on to say that if I was nervous about going to Asia because of the language barrier, and didn’t want to be insulated within a tour group, Hong Kong was definitely the place to go.   In some ways, the laws are more similar to home, and there is enough international business where if I got really lost or stuck I could probably find someone who spoke English.  Of course, I always try to learn the language of where I am at, enough to get around, but sometimes you have an unusual situation far beyond your knowledge of asking to be directed to the bathroom or airport.

Who knows.  If I go, and am lucky, maybe I can go to a taping of Dr. Dog, or to lend a hand some how.

I better hurry, because today is the last day of the sale.

Life magazine now offers an online photo gallery of some of their most famous, and some of their least seen, but intriguing images.   There is small gallery dedicated to children and their pets over the years.   The little boy and skunk photos dates to 1952.  It is unclear whether the skunk is a pet, which I certainly don’t advise giving a child today, or he is at a petting zoo.   Either way, it is a cute photo.   There are other photos dating from mostly the 1940s-1960s of children with dogs, horses, cats, fish and more.

There is an additional photo gallery of celebrities and pets.  There is a group of Celebrities with Tiny Dogs, and you will recognize many modern starlets there.  In fact, the collection does have some older photos, but is very heavily weighted towards the recent.   However, the Celebrities with Large Dogs features a larger assortment of Hollywood stars, many from the classic era of film.  A young Elizabeth Taylor plays with her dogs, Shelley Winters is on vacation with her dog in 1949, and dating from a bit later, Adam West appears with his Great Dane.  Could it be that small dogs are more of a fad now?  Small dogs are great, but the stars of yesteryear knew that big dogs rocked just as much.

Have you found any other great pet photos in the Life gallery?  I have had a great time looking around at them so far.

On January 16th, the Doobie Brothers will play at the Detroit International Auto Show Charity Preview.   The preview gives attendees an exclusive look at this year’s auto show with a cocktail in their hand.  Attire is Black Tie, and the event runs from 6 PM until 9 PM.  Ticket sales are divided up between several area children’s charities, and over the years, millions of dollars have been raised for worthy causes.

Tickets are $400, of which $390 is tax deductible as a donation.  Attendees will be treated to a special performance by the Doobie Brothers right at the show!  In addition, attendees will receive a ticket to a concert by the Jonas Brothers over the weekend as complimentary.  The Jonas Brothers will open up the remainder of the tickets to their local fan club, but Charity Preview participants receive them as a special “thank you.”   Because people are more reluctant this year to shell out money for an event, the group graciously agreed to be used as an enticement to generate sales of tickets.

So let us recap what you get:

You get to see the Jonas Brothers.  I looked up regular ticket prices and their next concert is $105.93 – $138.03 a pop
As far as the Doobie Brothers, their tickets run $40-$70 depending on venue and how far back you are
So we are running $145-$208 right there.
Regular ticket to the auto show $12 each
Champagne you will consume at the event – Anywhere between $8-100 depending on how many and the quality

Okay, if purchased seperately, you are already running in the $320.00 range, and that is way before you factor in any appetizers or  hors d’œuvres, or figure in what you would have had to have paid to check your coat at a regular event.

In addition, you get to write off $390. So, they are actually paying YOU to come to the Charity Preview. Isn’t that generous?? You get to claim honors as the good guy or good girl, yet YOU are being paid to come and be treated to music and tickets and champagne, and the chance to walk around in that dress or tux you never get to wear.

For all of the accountants out there, I know the statement is not true. It really usually means you will get $195.00 off your taxes at the end of the year (half of $390.00), which could be a refund or a tax deduction. So, really when you factor everything out, you are really only spending $100.00 or less for the whole hootenanny. You still come out AHEAD though compared to the wonderful time you have. Still, think of it as them paying YOU because you won’t have to think about the picky detail until NEXT year. Whoop-de-doo.

To purchase tickets to the Charity Preview, please CLICK HERE

You have probably seen this video already, as it has been circulating. I don’t know if this one has gone quite “viral” yet, but as I saw it twice, I am sure that it is on its way.  I had injured myself (more on that later) so was feeling pretty sorry for myself. This video cheered me up.  I hope it does the same for you. Sit back, and watch carefully…

I wonder how the ever talented Daisy the Curly Cat would review this video.  She certainly has some fun ones of her own.

Surely this kitty will get invitations from around the world for a job with the Secret Service, a permanent residence at a Shaolin Temple.  The follow up video would be Crouching Kitty…Hidden Dragon.   Or maybe on Her Mewjesty’s Secret Service.   I have to quit while I am ahead.

The Sproutwells have a new episode on Youtube.  I mentioned before about their little dog Phyto, who I cannot decide is supposed to be a watermelon or not.   At any rate, he is adorable.   In this installment, the father, who happens to be a banana married to a head of Romaine Lettuce (the beautiful Romaina!), comes home to find the nosey neighbor over as well as the new member of the family.  

The Sproutwells are a promotional tool to raise awareness of freshfunds. I have signed up for the site and it is really easy. You just look for point emblems on specially marked Fresh Express salads, as well as a Chiquita product or two.  You can use the points to win prizes or bid auctio-style on some pretty cool stuff.  What’s more, is you can use your points to donate to charity! Staying healthy is what is going to help you save the world everyday, right?

I think that these last two episodes of the Sproutwells also remind people to take care whe selecting a pet, or bringing one home.  It is so important that he/she is the right fit for your family, or vice versa.   Since the only Fruit and Vegetable family in town have adopted a doggie that looks like a watermelon, I call that a match!

My dog, Ollie, is really funny sometimes.  He barks at dogs on television, which is understandable.  However, you can put a line drawing of a dog on tv and animate it and he somehow oddly still recognizes it is supposed to be a dog.   My husband tries to quiet him down by explaining that its  a”TV Doggie” and therefore not actually here.

I wondered to myself.  If the Flintstones’ “dog” was a dinosaur, what kind of pet would a vegetable have?

The Sproutwells just added a dog, Phyto, to their family.  He looks a bit like a baby watermelon to me.  I think its so cute the way his little tongue keeps flopping.   He reminds me of my Ollie.   My dogs actually really like their carrots and little bits of watermelon, so I don’t think they would do well at the dog park together.

They say there are only a few plots in the dramatic universe: Innocence to Experience, The Quest, Fish Out of Water, Man/Woman vs. Self, etc.    One new Fish Out of water Story is actually a Vegetables Out of Garden Story.   The sproutwells are a family of fruits and vegetables living life among humans.

Freshfunds.com is behind this series of cartoons.   When you buy specially marked Fresh Express and Chiquita products, enter the code on the item and you will start racking up Fresh Points.  You can make donations, bid on weekly auctions, or win prizes with your points.  Right now, bids are being taken on a Wii Fit.

I am glad I found this, as I happen to have a salad bag in my fridge right now that is almost used up.   I could have thrown valuable points in the trash!

I just know if Ollie was sitting on my lap at the moment, he would be barking like crazy at the “Watermelon TV Doggie.”

My boys are going crazy right now.  They are running around the living room and barking.   Why?  It’s Puppy Games time.

Animal Planet follows up the popular “Puppy Bowl,” the alternative programming to the Super Bowl that is targetted towards dogs.   The popular “bowl cam” is back too.  To honor the Olympics, Puppy Games 2008 features rescued puppies (available for adoption from shelters and rescues) “competing” in such events as Soccer, Gymnastics, and Swimming. Goldfish serve as judges, and they all gave the most recent competitor perfect 10’s.  I won’t spoil the “outcome of the games.”
Some of the competitors are a Boston Terrier pup named Zim, representing the United States in gymnastics (on the balance beam).  Mena, the Shih Tzu from China is also a main competitior.  Among the rest of the Olympians is a Beagle mix representing the Great Britain, a Sheltie representing Scotland, and many more. Mine of course are hoping that Germany is participating in the Puppy Games, as they like to cheer on other dachshunds.

Tune into Animal Planet right now, or check your local listings all throughout the Olympic games.  Read HoundsGood for further sports coverage.

My husband was a limo driver for a couple of years.  Not only does the profession snag you some extra spending money, but it also presents scenarios that you will probably talk about for years.   He usually found that driving people to concerts or other events were the easiest jobs.   That was until the night the Spice Girls came to town, and he wildly underestimated the demographic of the group.  A limo was reserved for a mom, her 6-7 year old and eight of her screaming friends.   They were so excited, that there was chocolate smeared all over the interior, melted fruit candy between the seats, and being subjected to hearing the CD of the group they JUST saw ten minutes ago looped around and around.

I hope my New Jersey friends fare better than when the Radio Disney concert series at Morey’s Piers.  I can just imagine with the frenzy over Hannah Montana tickets this year, it will be equally a mad house for competitive parents. Luckily, some of these shows are free to the public, but that just gives more incentive to push to sit in the front.  You can check the kids in to one of the Cape May hotels so you won’t have a long sojourn.  Of course, there are plenty of other things to do in New Jersey, like going to the water parks, or attending a number of other Wildwood events, but most kids I suppose who skip that for a chance to see Raven-Symone.   At least she is a respectable young lady.

So, if you are a parent, get yourself down to Morey’s Piers right now!  On the other hand, if your idea of entertainment is having a picnic basket full of wine coolers while reclining on the lawn of an outdoor ampitheater and chattering with cultured friends, stay away….stay far away.

The other day, I was talking to someone about instances of meeting celebrities. 

A few years back, my husband had a second job as a limo driver.  On occasion, he drove some celebrities.  Two of them were Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Floyd Mayweather, Sr. He always mentioned that Junior was courteous, and Senior was also gracious, but definitely a colorful character.   They always had a million other people in their entourage.

It was very curious to me that the dad would leave his son and go work for Oscar de la Hoya.  I guess he was out for his own career and that had outweighed the priority of his immediate family.  Business is business, I suppose they would say in the boxing world.  Things got even more interesting when he dumped La Hoya and started training this new boxer, Justin Jones. 

The resemblance between him and the Mayweather family was uncanny. They got a DNA test at the Jones’ request and they discovered Jones was a Mayweather, too! It all sounds like fodder for a daytime talk show.  I am surprised there has not been a “made for tv movie” by now.  I wonder how many more Mayweathers are out there.   Maybe Oscar and Floyd are really half brothers, but they don’t know it yet.   Maybe that is the hook the boxing world needs, and advertise the story line during soap operas.

I am sure De La Hoya/Mayweather tickets will fly when they match up.  It has been narrowed down to September 13 or September 20.    I am not really sure what the appeal of watching people beat eachother senseless is for a few minutes, but they sure get paid well for it.