Wicked Awesome Pics

In 2008 the people of the commonwealth of MA decided that dog racing was cruel and voted to ban the practice. No matter how you feel about dog racing, the problem with the outcome of this vote was no one really thought through what would happen to these dogs once the tracks closed in 2010. I've been impressed with all of the publicity that the track closings in WI, MA and AZ have attracted recently and the great job Twitters, Bloggers and other greyhound groups have done banning together to try and get these dogs out of the now defunct racing kennels and into final homes. I also love the fact that they point out that many of the animal activists that were once picketing and lobbying for the closures are no longer there to help with the actual "saving" of the animals.

I firmly believe that we all give to a cause in our own way. I discovered Lisa Prince-Fishler of Printz Photography through a posted link on Twitter. She donated her time and talents to capture the journey of a group of volunteers taking a group of greyhounds from the now closed Raynham/Taunton track to their adoption group. To say this series of photos are amazing is an understatement. For those of us who have participated in hauls, washed those pups, removed hundreds of ticks, watched as they relax as the fleas fall off for the first time in forever, and finally discover the comfort of a soft bed, Lisa really captured this transition in a greyhound's life and the people who take the time to make it happen for them. Thank you, Lisa.

Faux Pas

It has happened to all of us. You make a visit to the ladies room to freshen up. Plump up your lips with your new hot lipstick. Make sure you don't have any left over dinner stuck between your teeth. Re-fluff your hair. Maybe apply a little perfume in a few key areas. You've checked and rechecked yourself before you make your way out of the powder room fortress back to whatever or whoever is waiting for you.

Half way back to where ever you might be going you catch someone whisper and glance your way. It only builds your confidence. Yes, you look good tonight! You see another person give you a second glance. Whoo hoo! After a third person steals a look, paranoia begins to stir.

Is everything zipped? Check.

Did you tuck your skirt into your pantyhose? No - whew.

And then it hits you. A sudden glance behind you reveals the the truth. It's not the way your rear looks in those hot new $150 jeans that everyone is whispering about. It's the toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your knock-off Manolos.

Roxy thinks us humans have it easy. At least when toilet paper gets stuck to us, it's usually on our feet. Not on our face.

Dog To Dos

I'm the kind of girl who likes to break rules. OK, not really but I like to pretend that I am. If you ask me knowing that I'll just break them is a good excuse for not making New Year's resolutions. I mean, I know I could always eat better, exercise more, lose weight - the usual suspects - but I could make those commitments anytime of the year and I never do, so what's the point of doing that on January 1.

This year I am starting a new tradition. I have compiled a list of to dos for 2010 as far as my girls are concerned. I thought I'd post them here so the universe would have a record of it. So in no particular order:

Attend Sandy Paws: everyone I've talked to tells me the greyhound shopping there is fabulous. I think my debit card is aching as I type this.

Attend an Agility Workshop: there is so much to learn and you can learn something new from each handler you talk with. I'll take any suggestions from all you agility pros out there... Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Run at an Agility Trial: this may not be with Roxy. This may not even be during competition. It could be during a practice match. I would just love to have Roxy (and myself) confident enough to perform in public.

Find a Great Place to Take the Girls to Run: yes, we have a huge back yard, but I'd like to find a fun place to take them to run on a regular basis, especially since Seka is back to her OCD ways about her ball.

Go Back to Mountain Hounds and Beach Bound Hounds: we loved these events and hope that Trina and Kristen meet us there too!

Teach Seka to Sit: yep. This is a big goal. But if Samson the hippo can open his mouth on cue, Seka can put her bum on the floor.

Check back with me in a few months and we'll see how far I've come in accomplishing any of these off our 2010 to do list. It's fun to plan fun things. But unlike traditional New Year's resolutions, the follow through should be just as fun.