Come See Beau Drag Jenni 3 miles This Saturday - For a Great Cause!

Want something really fun to do this weekend? Come check out this awesome family-friendly event on Saturday.  Brown Dog Beau and Jenni will be there to run the 5K!  Please come support us (you be able to find us...finishing last...!).

Did you know that this is the ONLY 5K in Delaware that allows a runner to participate with their dog?!?!  Who doesn't love that?

See some of the media coverage here.



Haven't yet heard about the amazing organization, PAWS for People?  Beau & Jenni are a new Pet Therapy Team - learn more about our Pet-Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services and how we 'lovingly provide elders, children and folks with disabilities individualized, therapeutic visits.'

• Interested in becoming a Pet Therapy Team?  It's easier than you think!  And so many people are in need!
• Know someone in need?  Learn about the places & people we visit or request a visit for your loved one!
• Can't become a team, but want to support our work?  See how you can still volunteer or donate.

Thursday Tip: Save Time - Color Code Your Keys

I adore little tips, tricks and hacks - anything to make me a little more productive and efficient and/or save a few seconds here or there...

How many keys do you have on your key ring?  What is your organization system for keeping them all straight?

How to Color Code Your Keys Using Nail Polish: 5 steps

If you get creative and create some really artistic keys - post the pictures here!

That's Why There are Working Dogs...Not Cats...

Hilarious!!!  I love it... I'm so surprised that Darby and Lilly never trained Beau to do this...
Enjoy!

It's Beginning...

As you can see... the Blonde's I-View Transformation is beginning... Please stay tuned as I continue to upload content over the next few days... Thank You!

STAY TUNED...

Blonde's I-View is about to undergo a major facelift...Please stay tuned to see the new Blonde's I-View. 

And feedback is welcome!!

TODAY: You & Stroehmann Can Help Fight Hunger in Philly

Well, after quite a hiatus I am back and ne'er a second too soon. I have an important initiative to let my dear readers know about. And, it's especially important, since National Sandwich day was this week.

Stroehmann Bakeries is again this year supporting the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger through an important initiative called Nourishing Neighbors. Last year, Stroehmann was able to donate more than $100,000 to GPCAH. This year, they hope to surpass that number.

How can you help? Easy as PB&J! Go to your local Giant TODAY and TOMORROW ONLY. Buy Stroehmann Dutch Country or King bread. 10 cents from each loaf will be donated to GPCAH. They in turn will help to stock the food pantries in and around the Philadelphia region. This means you directly, by making your favorite sandwich or French toast (yum!), help to feed a hungry neighbor. It could be your next door neighbor. Hunger in our area doesn't mean emaciated Ethiopian children. It means the dad who skips his dinner so that his daughter can eat that night. It means moms feeding "junk food" instead of fresh vegetables because that's all she can afford.

This is such an easy thing to do. Take the few minutes to run over to Giant and buy that loaf of Stroehmann. It may mean much more to someone else than you. Do it today! This chance ends COB Saturday.

And on Thanksgiving, remember to give extra thanks for what's on your table this year.




Full Disclosure: I work with Crane Communications who is the agency of record for Stroehmann Bakeries on this initiative. I feel lucky to be both personally and professionally involved in this effort. It's not often you get to lend your professional talents to a cause you believe in so strongly on a personal level.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Um, What?!?: 10% of Under 25s Think It’s Okay to Text During Sex

I think this graphic says it all, but if you want to read the full article in Mashable, here ya go:
10% of Under 25s Think It’s Okay to Text During Sex

For Mother's Day: A Profile of the Ultimate Mother - Carolyn Savage

Since Mother's Day is this upcoming weekend and I sit here, today, 3 weeks away from my own little one's arrival, I'd like to take a moment to honor someone who is an amazing role model for all mothers. 

Motherhood is defined as a sacrifice.  From the moment you realize that you are pregnant, you start making decisions, hard decisions because they are in the best interest of your child, and often these are made at the expense of what you want.  Sacrifice becomes an easy word to say and to live. 

Photo Courtesy of NY Daily News

Carolyn Savage has made the ultimate sacrifice and therefore wins the first-ever Blonde's I-View #1 Mom award.  Do you have a #1 Mom, you'd like to see featured on Blonde's I-View?  Send me the story!

Here's Carolyn's story - in brief:
Carolyn & Sean Savage went through IVF at the same time and in the same clinic as Shannon & Paul Morrell.  This was Carolyn's last chance at having another child, as doctors had told her due to her medical conditions it was no longer safe for her to try to carry a pregnancy. 

Soon after the IVF treatment, she found out she was pregnant - but not with her own child, with the Morrells.  There had been a mix up with the embryos and Carolyn was implanted with the wrong one.   No one could fault the Savages if they wanted to terminate, but that's not the hard decision Carolyn made.  She decided to carry the baby to term and then WILLINGLY hand over the child to its true parents, the Morrells. 

As someone who has been told that my pregnancy has been 'easy,' let me tell you - if this is easy, I wouldn't want to see hard.  Pregnancy is a marathon of stumbles and obstacles and I still don't understand why people think this is a good idea.  It's damn hard on a good day.  I see it more as a means to an end.  So, my respect for someone who was desperately trying to conceive their own child, with no luck, who would carry a child for nearly 10 months for SOMEONE ELSE, is beyond words.  Only a MOTHER could do something so selfless. 

You can read the story from the perspective of the Morrells here.  They were quoted on the Today Show this morning, saying that this book was written as a thank you to the Savages.

Republish: Barack Obama is NOT African-American

Blogger's Note:  I have chosen to republish this because I think there have been some very interesting recent comments made to it that my readers should have a chance to read and its been a year+ since its original publish date of 1/20/09.   And, I'm a spelling freak and found a spelling error that I just cannot let go...

Please be sure to read the comments...

I'm very frustrated by the expression of Obama as the first 'African-American' or the first 'black' man in the White House and all the hype around it.  I know I am likely to get slammed all over the blogosphere for saying it, but I need to.  It needs to be said.

What is this country coming to?  We profess to be so evolved now that Dr. King's dream has finally come to fruition.  My understanding of Dr. King's dream was that the black man in America would finally be recognized as an equal to the white man (in its most simplistic form).  It would be a day when America would not judge or define a man (blogger's note: I use the term 'man' as a gender neutral term in this post) by the color of his skin.  Isn't that what we are doing right now?  The media is reinforcing the color of Obama's skin at every turn and Obama is riding the coattails of this media hype!  This is not my understanding of what Dr. King wanted - its the exact opposite.

This country is all excited and whipped up into a frenzy about a 'Black' man in the office of the President.  Why aren't we excited about his talents and intelligence and quite frankly his youth?  Dr. King wanted America to judge a man based on the content of his character.  But, we are not doing that!  Why must the media focus on the color of his skin - does it make him more or less talented or a better or worse decision maker?  Isn't it actually demeaning him?  'Wow - a Black man is finally in the White House (as if he was somehow less qualified for the office than his competitors because of the color of his skin).  It's unbelievable to me.  We are REINFORCING the very stereotypes we've worked so hard to eliminate.

Obama is the American-born son of a WHITE woman and a BLACK man.  Doesn't that make him an American?  Not an African-American.  Had he been born in Africa, migrated here and became an American citizen, then he would be African-American.  Just because one parent was black that doesn't make him a black man - he is as black as he is white.  Isn't this the true American?  He is a physical definition of our country in its infancy - known to be a melting pot.  Isn't this EXACTLY what we're trying to achieve?  And Obama is the essence of it.  Why is no one recognizing this?  He has, in my opinion, united the races - he is an American of a new race - one that carries and plays on the strenghts of his ancestors, both black and white, before him.

The media doesn't talk about Tiger Woods as a black man - and what the black man has accomplished in the traditonally white world of golf.  We, in DC, don't talk about our mayor, Adrian Fenty, as an amazing black mayor (which he is, love you Mayor Fenty!).  He's just a terrific mayor.  What about Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice - they are typically remembered for their accomplishments, not that they were black or of African descent.  They are just great Americans.  Why can't they do this for Obama?

I challenge the Ameican media to start talking about Obama without referencing his race.  I doubt that you can do it, but that would be my dream (and apparently Dr. King's too).  A day when the media would judge President Obama based on his decisions and accomplishments, not on the color of his skin.  I wait and pray for that day.  I hope to see it in my lifetime.

I leave you with the words of Dr. King - it is clear and evident to me his meaning.  To the media - read it again.  I think you will agree with me.

"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today."

Why The Fed Gov't Is Closed for Snowmaggedon

Sen. Daschle's car gets stuck on Wisconsin Avenue during the snowstorm - and he was trying to push it himself! Being from South Dakota, you'd think he'd know better.... Just saying...

Click here to watch the video:
Raw Video: Fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle Stuck in D.C. Snowstorm

MadLibs at AdLibbing.org?

Nah - it's just me 'adlibbing' at the The Advertising Council's new blog, AdLibbing.  Check out what I had to say...

Here's my Bastille Marketing blog post about my guest blogging experience and here's the actual AdLibbing post on Launching a Successful Blog...

Let me know what you think!!!  This is a series I am doing for them, so feedback is welcome for what else you would include in the next post...

Minute Suites: Lay-over Luxury?

I have read about these Minute Suites and I'm thrilled to see that they have finally made it to the US. The thought of trying one out is motivating enough to make me lift my ban on flying through Hartsfield (Atlanta, GA). The only thing not addressed in this article is the availability of the suites. I wonder how many people will be using them and if you need to reserve ahead of time. Or maybe its just that I would use them every time that leads me to believe that there would be a wait to get one - at $30/hr - that wait might be only in my imagination.

If you have tried a Minute Suite, please leave a comment on your experience.

Minute Suites: Rest and Recharge, Airport Style – WebWorkerDaily
Between security hassles and being charged fees for everything but the oxygen we breathe on board a plane, air travel has become something to be endured rather than enjoyed. But a new service that recently opened in Atlanta Hartsfield airport, called Minute Suites, wants to serve as travelers’ oasis from the stress of life traveling the unfriendly skies...

The Minute Suites host on duty when I arrived, Michael, was cheery and welcoming despite the extremely early hour and my jet-lagged, exhausted demeanor. He lead me to my suite and gave me a tour of its amenities.

Minute Suites are 7ft x 8ft units that are entered through a sliding door. I was told the five suites are sanitized between each use. Each suite is furnished with a sofa that pulls out into a bed, and a desk with a chair. The suites could easily accommodate three adults or two adults and two children.

Be sure to read the WebWorkerDaily post for the full details...

Am I seeing double? Twins Separated at Birth? Part 2

As I wrote about previously, there are some people, particularly actors, that just appear to me to be so alike that I can't tell them apart....unless I see side-by-side pictures and even then, its apparent they were twins separated at birth...

Here is yet another example:

It's a Delaware thing...

While this video is 2+ minutes of a painful montage, it is worth sitting through it. It's a Delaware thing....

So cute...

This is easily the cutest, sweetest video about the unlikeliest of buddies.  As the story goes, a family discovered a motherless baby deer, nursed it back to health, and then released it.  Apparently the deer comes back daily to play with the family's lab.  Watch...

Still Joking...Kind of... Conan Selling Tonight Show on Craiglist

While the Late Night wars have been given new meaning lately, this takes it to a whole new level. Conan *jokingly* said on his show that he was going to sell the Tonight Show on Craig's List, while he still could. Funny, right? Except, as Adam Ostrow points out in his Mashable article, the listing is for real... or it was until it was recently flagged for removal. Read the article for the screen shot of the actual listing...

Conan Puts The Tonight Show for Sale on Craigslist

The Flu Ain't Over Yet - Its Nat'l Flu Shot Week

From the HHS website:

HHS Announces Nationwide Effort to Encourage H1N1 Vaccination During National Influenza Vaccination Week January 10 – 16, 2010

National, state, and local events will encourage more Americans to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 flu

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a nationwide effort to encourage more Americans to get the H1N1 flu vaccine during National Influenza Vaccination Week, January 10–16, 2010.

“This is a challenging flu season for millions of Americans and their families, and it’s not over yet,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “The H1N1 vaccine is safe, effective and the best way to prevent the flu.  We urge all Americans to protect themselves and their families by getting the H1N1 flu vaccine.”

From April 2009 until mid-November 2009, H1N1 flu infected approximately 47 million Americans and contributed to more than 200,000 hospitalizations and nearly 10,000 deaths.  Flu season is unpredictable and typically lasts until May.

“The window of opportunity to get the H1N1 vaccine is still open,” said Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC. “We do not know how many more cases of flu there will be in the coming weeks and months, but we do know that the H1N1 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself.”

Launched in 2006 as an annual initiative, National Influenza Vaccination Week brings awareness of flu’s risks and complications—and encourages vaccination—by designating each day of the week for an at-risk group or individuals who are in close contact with them.  So far, over 130 events are planned around the country, and more are being added.
Some scheduled events and initiatives are below:

National Influenza Vaccination Week

• Sunday, Jan. 10          Vaccination Week Kick-Off
  • Secretary Sebelius Visits 19^th Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC to urge congregants to get the H1N1 flu vaccine.
  • Faith-based and community organizations around the country urge Americans to get the H1N1 flu vaccine.
• Monday, Jan. 11:       Healthcare Workers and General Public Flu Vaccination Day
  • Health care workers and first-responders around the country urge colleagues and the public to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.
• Tuesday, Jan. 12:       Underlying Health Conditions Flu Vaccination Day
  • The CDC will hold a webinar along with the American Lung Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Cancer Society to discuss the importance for people with chronic health conditions to get the H1N1 vaccine
  • Secretary Sebelius and Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, Director of HHS’ Indian Health Service will hold a press conference call to announce new public service announcements (PSAs) on the importance of American Indians and Alaska Natives getting the H1N1 vaccine. 
  • Secretary Sebelius will also hold a press conference call to announce new PSAs urging African-Americans to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.
• Wednesday, Jan. 13: Children, Pregnant Women, and Families Flu Vaccination Day
  • CDC holds a bloginar on the importance of pregnant women getting vaccinated.
• Thursday, Jan. 14:     Young Adults Flu Vaccination Day
  • Secretary Sebelius attends roundtable discussion at Hunter College in New York City to discuss the importance of young people getting the H1N1 flu vaccine.
• Friday, Jan. 15:          Seniors Flu Vaccination Day
  • Secretary Sebelius and HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee attend a vaccination event at Congress Heights Wellness Center in Washington, DC and encourage senior citizens to get the H1N1 flu vaccine.
  • HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh, M.D., and Massachusetts Health Secretary JudyAnn Bigby attend a vaccination week event the State House in Boston.

Additional information on National Influenza Vaccination Week can be found at www.flu.gov/getvaccinated. 

NBC Confirms It Is Pulling Jay Leno From 10 P.m.

File this under: Don't Mess with a Good Thing. I know I watched Jay religiously at 11pm - now its all about which CSI or SVU re-run is on at 11.

NBC Confirms It Is Pulling Jay Leno From 10 P.m.

Puppy Parenting: Week One in Review

So, as many of you may know DRB and I have become the proud parents of Beauregard's Chocolate Penny aka 'Beau.'  He is a chocolate lab who we got from friends of ours' parents, The Haxthausens.  He is now 10 weeks old and over 15 lbs - and has a clean bill of health from our Dr. at Hockessin Animal Hospital. 

In the past week, all five of us (Beau, DRB, Lilly (Siamese 16 yo), Darby (Tabby 14 yo), and me) have had some major changes and adaptations, but over all its been a week filled with love, learning, patience and PUPPY!

Here are some of the things we learned/accomplished:
Transporting Pets - A long plane ride (including a lay-over in Houston) from Louisiana to Philadelphia makes for sad, scared puppies. Huge kudos to Continental Airlines for taking good care of him while on the flight.  And thanks to PetRelocation.com for putting me in touch with the right people at PHL to figure out where to pick him up!

Crate-training - not so much.  The first night we put him in the crate we borrowed from Odin's parents.  He howled for 3 hours straight, late into the evening.  My ear plugs worked pretty well to muffle the sound, but DRB had none and between the threat of the neighbors calling the police and the insanity created in your head by puppy barking, caused him to break down and let him out of the crate.  Under some good advice from a long-time dog owner/trainer, we started feeding him in the crate to get him to realize - crates are good!  That's where you get yummy food!

House-breaking is a process! - We thought we had him housebroken and during the week he was!  The weekend hit and as our schedule relaxed and became less rigid and routine, so did Beau's.  That didn't work out so well and resulted in some accidents on the kitchen floor.

Puppies need exercise! - I think we are both going to lose weight with this dog.  We are trying to take him on three long walks a day through our property and give him lots of "outside time" with playing in the yard.  We've started him on retrieving a chew toy after learning that sticks aren't very visible to puppies when they land far away in the grass.  We also took him on about a 3-4 mile hike on Sunday.  It included learning to swim, splashing in the Creek and following his new best friend Odin everywhere! 

Puppies are NEEDY! - Wow, having raised two cats, I didn't realize that little itty bitty baby puppies have lots of insecurities and need lots of love and attention.  Little Beau is quite a snuggle bunny and tries hard to be a lap dog.  Right now, we are letting him get a little lap time and carry time, but we will wean him off that as he gets bigger - which is soooo soon!

Many people have asked how the cats are adjusting to having the new addition in the house.  We took many precautions to be sure that the cats we able to acclimate slowly and didn't feel left out.  We have a puppy gate up separating the first floor from the rest of the house to give the cats "safe space" in their favorite area.  We are coaxing them down to the first floor by feeding them on the steps - where they can see Beau. 

They have quickly learned that the gate protects them.  Darby has ventured down to the landing and been nose-to-nose with Beau.  There was some hissing and Darby put Beau right in his place by smacking him hard right on the nose.  While I am sure it did not hurt and Darby doesn't have claws, it sure scared the little guy!  He yelped as if someone had stepped on his tail and then cowered between my legs for protection.  It was sweet.  Since Darby continues to venture back to observe the new family member, I'm sure each will get enough courage up to eventually become fine friends.  Lilly on the other hand has become completely content to rule the 2nd and 3rd floors and never leave her kingdom.

Well, its time to take him out again.  This week, we are learning to "ring the bells" when he has to go out.  Off to practice!  More next week.  Stay tuned...

But its just a box of rain...

I had a ball taking this quiz. I'm Terrapin Station. And, yes, for those of you who don't know - I am a Dead Head. There is just no other band quite like them.

Take the quiz. What song are you? Post it here!