HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

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.