Paws For A Cause

This past Sunday, I participated for the second year in a really fun charity event: Paws for A Cause. It's a great twist on the usual run/walk a 5k for charity. Instead of going on your own, running a 5k, and getting a t-shirt, you bring your dogs, walk a 3k, and get bandanas for the animals. Last year the event was a 5k, but due to heat and distance a lot of dogs were wiped out early, so this year it was held in April instead of June and was limited to a 3k. This proved to be a perfect distance for Max and Layla, who slept away the rest of the afternoon.

The Dude and I were also lucky enough to be joined this year by Nujoud, Zara, and their dog Lotus. Zara has learned the word for "dog" and would occasionally point to one and inform us of its presence, despite the fact that we were constantly surrounded. She also enjoyed taking the free dog treats and feeding them to whoever was nearby. I think Max and Layla both fell in love! I had a great time not only with my own friends and pets but getting to see all the other dogs, which ranged from some type of miniature chihuahua (which literally disappeared in the grass when it squatted to pee) to three gorgeous Great Danes from the Great Dane rescue of Southeast Texas.

If you live near me, I hope you can make it next year. Even if you don't, suggest a dog walk to your favorite charity. I think it's a great fundraising idea!

I did my best to take pictures with one hand while the other hand was being yanked out of my arm by Max, who was making his best effort to sniff every dog in the area. Good times!

The Amazing Tiffany Aching

Note: I wrote this entry after reading the first two books in the series but never published it. I've since read the last two books as well and enjoyed them just as much. Pick up the first one and I know you will love Tiffany and the Nac Mac Feegle as much as I did! Thanks for the recommendation Audrey!

The Wee Free Men, Terry Pratchett
This was another Audrey recommendation and what a good one it was! I loved the matter of factness of the main character, nine year old Tiffany Aching, who reads fairy tales and thinks witches get short shrift. She won me over early on when she used her little brother as bait for a monster and attacked it with a frying pan. Soon enough she encounters a six inch tall, red haired blue skinned man, one of the "Nac Mac Feegle" or Wee Free Men. The Nac Mac Feegle were the highlight of the novel for me as they inject great humor as they go about their "stealin, drinkin, and eatin." The unlikely alliance between Tiffany and the Nac Mac Feegle becomes critical when she has to rescue her little brother from the Faerie Queen. As soon as I finished this I was ready for more!

A Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchett
A Hat Full of Sky is the next adventure for Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. Tiffany still longs to be a witch and gets the opportunity to train and learn how to use her great natural power. Unfortunately that power is a draw for bad as well as good and Tiffany has to learn who she really is in order to save her own life. The Wee Free Men are once again at their best, and Mistress Weatherwax, the most powerful witch in the world, is unexpectedly as humorous a witch as I have ever read about. I actually preferred this to The Wee Free Men, but I'd still recommend reading both for the sheer fun of them.

For those interested in more, the next two books are Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight. They were both great reads. Also, Audrey reviewed all four books as well...check out her reviews!

Bibliovermis - The Wee Free Men
Bibliovermis - A Hat Full of Sky
Bibliovermis - Wintersmith
Bibliovermis - I Shall Wear Midnight

A Fine Piece

Russian Winter, Daphne Kalotay
I had seen this book recommended a number of times and it did not disappoint; I devoured the entire novel in one (long) day! The story revolves around Nina Revskaya, a ballerina in the Bolshoi Ballet during the Stalin era who now lives in Boston. She has decided to auction off some of her extraordinary jewelry collection. Each piece recalls for her a story or an event in her life. The auction house is surprised when an anonymous donor comes forward with an unusual necklace which is a clear match to earrings and a bracelet donated by Revskaya. Nina clearly knows something about it, but refuses to speak to Grigori Solodin, the necklace's mysterious donor. As the story of Nina's life unravels, so too do many of Grigori's beliefs about himself. The novel touches on many themes and subplots but they are woven together beautifully.

Note: This book is one that counts toward my efforts in the Chunkster Challenge. If you're interested in a long read, check out some of the other reviews!

Pretty Pretty Pictures

Every few months (and sometimes even more often!), NASA releases stunning images from Hubble or other missions. I remember when the Horsehead nebula was discovered and a family friend working on the program gave me a color 8x10 of this iconic image before it was released to the public. It hung in my bedroom for years!

Of course, if I go out into my backyard (or even look out the window from the Space Station), I am not going to see these beautiful, colorful images. This video is a great look into how they go from black and white to eye popping color.

Historically Hardcore

With all the distractions in the world, it can be hard to get kids (and even adults) excited about going to a museum, which is why I think these ads for the Smithsonian are so amazing. What's even more amazing is that they were created for a class and that the Smithsonian asked their logo to be removed. I think the museums need to hire the talented designers (Jenny Burrow and Matt Kapler) who created these ads!

Happy Campers

The Dude, Max and I all enjoy camping, but Layla hasn't had a chance to try yet because my Civic couldn't fit all four of us and the necessary gear. Luckily for her we recently got a new and bigger car so we didn't waste any time before hitting the road!

Because it's a new car, we got a fancy new cover for the backseat so that Max and Layla wouldn't mess it up. It acts kind of like a hammock so you end up with a flap between the two front seats. The dogs immediately realized this was prime chin rest territory and spent the whole ride angling for the best space. They seemed to like the sun roof as well.

I got a lot of reading done and tested out some of the new gear I got for a trip to the Grand Canyon later this year. Unfortunately the area we were in has been very dry so there was a burn ban, which meant no campfires. This was a crushing blow for the Dude. Luckily for him the so-called "Supermoon" was out this weekend so he could spend his evenings watching Layla try to protect us from everything that moved even as she fell asleep. All in all, it was a great weekend!

It's March Madness, Baby!

Like so many other Americans, I know next to nothing about college basketball yet still take great joy in trying to fill out a winning March Madness bracket. Over the years, I've sometimes been reasonably well informed (having watched throughout the season) and sometimes been completely clueless (having watched less games than I can count on my fingers) and it seems to have no affect on my success, or lack thereof.

Which is why this year I am going with a new, foolproof method of predicting the winner. I'm all in!



P.S. For the record, I know this puppy is correct because it shows Penn State winning its first game!