Two Seconds on the Tube

Kona was a TV star again earlier this week, if even only for 2 or 3 seconds! We were invited to be part of a TV segment spotlighting the San Diego Humane Society's "Walk and Roll for the Animals" taking place this weekend. Don't blink or you might miss him. He'd be the big white Golden with the goofy smile on his face. They actually pan back and show him again toward the end of the segment.(Oh, I feel like such a stage Mom!)



And speaking of the Humane Society walk, this is going to be one crazy, super busy couple of days!

This afternoon Kona and I are going to head back to the VA. It will be our third visit there this week. We are going to go in a bit early today to see a couple of the hospice patients that are in need of a little extra TLC from Kona. Two gentlemen in particular are real dog lovers, and Kona's visit meant so much to them when we were there on Wednesday. I don't want them to have to wait another week and a half for them to see him again.

This evening I have another Gold party. I've had one for each of the last two nights, but they've been tough ones, and haven't made the minimum to be considered a "qualifying" party, which means the party totals were less than $1,000 and I couldn't pay the hostesses any commission. That happens every once in a while, and is very disappointing when it does. I'm looking forward to a strong party tonight though.

Tomorrow will start off nice and early with the Humane Society walk that starts at 7:30am. From there I'll go straight to a Meetup with the Golden group for some dog surf lessons and a beach fun morning. I won't be able to stick around the beach for long though, because I have two Gold parties tomorrow! One in the late afternoon and one in the evening. My fingers are crossed that they are both good ones.

Sunday I get to have a somewhat leisurely morning and I don't have a lot on my schedule until around 2pm when I have another party on the agenda. Maybe a quiet breakfast with Hubby and the kids, or a nice long with the pups. In the evening I have a conference call, which is usually about an hour long...then dinner and prep for the coming week.

Whew! I'm getting tired just thinking about it all! I hope your weekend is fun and full of adventure. I'll try to sneak in a post this weekend if I get a chance but I'm not making promises!

Pay it Forward - Today! - Updated

We are here with our friend Ricochet, an Official Paw (Pay)It Forward Day Ambassador in San Diego to remind you that today is the day where you can start to make a positive difference in your community!

And it's simple, really simple. Just go out and do something nice for someone else. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be expensive. Just a little something random, kind, and unexpected.

Buy the guy behind you in line at Starbucks his coffee....Leave the buck or two change you are getting at the dry cleaners and tell them to put it towards the next person's order...offer to take your neighbors dog on a walk with yours, or even send an email to a friend that you've been thinking about but have been too busy to write to and let them know they are important to you.

A simple, random act of kindness. Let's start a trend....let's start a MOVEMENT!

Here are even more ideas from the Pay it Forward web site on ideas of how you can Pay it Forward! (There is even a really cool card you can print out and hand out explaining the Pay it Forward concept if you'd like. Get your copy here.)

Donate your talent, time, skill, or money
Have a fundraiser car wash
Wash a friend's car
If you're a motivational speaker... be a guest speaker
Share your dance skills with some kids
Share your photography expertise
Volunteer for a local charity
Provide computer support to someone who isn't computer savvy
Assist with organizing a school event
Read to a child at the library
Pay the toll for car behind you
Cook a meal for a friend
Offer a homeless person a food voucher
Give a lottery ticket to a stranger
Treat a firefighter to a cup of coffee
Pay for the car behind you in a fast food drive-thru
Buy someones train or bus ticket
Clean someones house
Volunteer at an animal shelter
Pay for someones gas
Give flowers to a maid at a hotel
Send flowers to a retirement home
Buy movie tickets for the person behind you
Prepare dinner for a family in need
Invite the person behind you to take your place in the grocery line

Won't you take a couple of minutes out of your busy day, and make the day just a little nicer for someone else. Wouldn't it be awesome if someone did something like this for you? It can happen, and it will happen! It will start with me, it will start with you, and it will start with the people that we pay it forward to.


I hope you have a great day, and I'd love to hear how you pay it forward. I'll let you know what we wind up doing. I've got some fun things in mind.

UPDATE- I've done my three deeds, and even an extra - what a great feeling!

First of all, I stopped by my vet's office. I dropped off a 20 dollar bill along with a "Pay if Forward" card. I talked to my favorite Vet. Tech, TJ, and told her to put the $20 towards the next person who came in with a dog that was having a problem. Not just a regular checkup or shots, but something unexpected. I know it might not cover much, but it would be a pleasant surprise to someone who was having a tough day. I told her to give them the card, and to tell them to pay it forward. She'd never heard of "Pay it Forward" day, and thought it was awesome. She was going to make cards and start paying it forward herself!

Second, I stopped and bought myself a Starbucks Frap. with a gift card I've had in my wallet for a long time. I turned around and bought a $5 gift card, and then gave it back to the cashier to cover the person's tab behind me. I gave the cashier a "Pay it Forward" card, and told her to tell the lady behind me that her order had been taken care of and to give her the card. I stepped away, watched it all happen, and thoroughly enjoyed the result. The lady was shocked, and really happy. She stood there, read the card, and kept saying "This is so cool - this is SO COOL!" That was totally worth the $5.

Third, I bought a friend lunch. I called her and asked if she'd eaten, (I knew she probably hadn't) and bought her a couple of chicken enchiladas from our favorite corner Mexican joint. She wasn't expecting the call, or the favor, and she was very appreciative. I'm so glad I thought to call her.

Fourth, I got a $25 gas card for a young friend who recently lost his job. It's not easy to get around to interviews when you can't afford to put gas in your car, so I hope this helps to ease his burden at least a tiny bit. Thankfully he drives a small car, so it might get him close to a full tank. He too, was surprised by the gesture, and promised to pay it forward to others down the road.

The day is still early....and there is plenty of time for you to do something nice for someone! It sure has made me feel good!

Wordless Wednesday - Double Take

All to Ourselves!

We took a quick trip to the park last night after dinner. It was twilight, but just light enough for the pups to have a half an hour romp. Apparently everyone else must have thought it was too dark to be out...we had the park all to our self! The pups had a blast, even if it was a quickie trip. You can see by the smile on Jill's face that she was having fun!

Fun with Friends

In addition to a really busy week of general "stuff" around the house last week, and my gold party business, we were able to sneak out for a fun get together with some of our Golden friends Friday night. I organized a "Golden Only" Doggie Cafe at our local Humane Society. It was a blast! They had treats for the 4 legged and 2 legged guests, a picture booth with a spring theme, and even a "sit" contest. We had about 35 dogs and 30 people show up. How fun is that!

Here are Harley, Jack, Kona, and Jill.
What a lovely group!
Some of our blogger/Golden Group buddies! Do you recognize them?

Waiting for the festivities to start.

It is a great facility.

AJ is always such a great sport at these events.

Hubby and Jill get a quick snuggle in.

Sweet Jackie Boy!

A-Z Mondays, The Foodie Version, "N" is for Nonfat Fro-Yo!

I am an ice cream girl. I have never been a yogurt girl....until lately. Here in my little corner of paradise, a little shop called "Yogurtland" opened recently. "Whoopee" I thought. I'd rather go to Baskin Robbins...and then, one evening, under duress, with my arm twisted, I got talked into going to the yogurt place with the kids. There were all kinds of fancy-schmancy flavors to try, but I wasn't in the mood, so I grabbed a container, and plopped some "Nonfat Madagascar Vanilla" into it, and moved to the condiment bar. A condiment bar at a yogurt shop? You betcha! I sprinkled some brownie bites and some chocolate chip cookie dough chunks on my NONFAT yogurt, and I was in heaven!

(This is not what my yogurt looks like...none of the nuts, berries, or bananas on mine...just brownie bites and chocolate chip cookie dough chunks baby!)

What a mistake it was to ever step foot into that place. Seriously, after that first visit, I think we went back 3 or 4 times a week for at least a month! I've been trying to cut back drastically, and with pride I can say I didn't indulge in the delightful dessert even once last week....but I'm thinking seriously right now about going there for lunch! Ha! Ha!

If you'd like to see what other blogger foodies are doing for A-Z Mondays, be sure to stop by Jen's blog here.

Ricochet and the Mayor!

Our friend Ricochet has some pull around this town! Check out this article!


San Dieog Mayor Jerry Sanders signed a proclamation designating April 29, 2010 as Pay It Forward Day. By signing the proclamation, Mayor Sanders commends this observance to all our citizens, and calls upon Government officials, businesses, communities, health care professionals, educators, volunteers, and all the people of the county of San Diego to get involved.

Surf Dog Ricochet, the SURFice dog who surfs for fun, competition and charitable causes, while inspiring others with her charitable/Pay It Forward lifestyle, initiated the proclamation signed by Mayor Sanders. Ricochet will be at the Old Town Transit Center, 4009 Taylor St in San Diego at 8:00 a.m. on April 29th, encouraging people in San Diego county, as well as around the globe to perform random acts of kindness on Pay It Forward Day. She will also be "pawing" it forward by giving out dog biscuits to doggie commuters near the Transit Center.


Ricochet's surf coach, Robbie Nelson from Happy Barrels Surf School, will be accompanying her at the Old Town Transit Center where he will be giving out coupons for a free surf clinic, and then asking recipients to pay it forward with their own random act of kindness to someone else.
Two of Ricochet's fundraising beneficiaries, Patrick Ivison, the quadriplegic boy she raised over $10,000 for, and Ian McFarland, the six year old brain injured boy she raised over $6170 for, will be joining her in the afternoon as they "Paw" it Forward by delivering dog biscuits to area shelters.

Pay It Forward Day is a worldwide initiative based on the novel of the same name written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The premise of the story is about a 12 year old boy who did three good deeds for others in need. All he asked in return, was for them to pass on the good deed to three other people, and keep the cycle going.

The idea of Pay It Forward Day, is for people to do one good deed for three others. When recipients ask how they can re-pay the favor, which can be big or small, they should be instructed to pay It forward to three more people. With each good deed, the cycle of generosity and kindness will ripple across the world, making us all better people.

Pay It Forward Day is about all people, from all walks of life, giving to someone else, and making a positive difference. There are over 15 countries involved, hundreds of schools are participating, and thousands of people will be paying it forward across the world.

Ricochet was named an ambassador for Pay It Forward Day by founder, Blake Beattie, who says "Ricochet embodies what Pay It Forward Day is all about. She has done some wonderful good deeds and has made a real difference in the lives of many. I think we can all learn some powerful lessons from this amazing dog who has a heart of gold. It is great having Ricochet as an official ambassador of International Pay It Forward Day as she truly helps inspire the world - one good deed at a time."


Ricochet sincerely thanks Mayor Sanders for proclaiming April 29, 2010 as Pay It Forward Day, and she encourages all San Diego residents, as well as people from across the world to get involved! For more information on Paying It Forward, or to get involved in San Diego go to http://www.surfdogricochet.com/, or for the worldwide initiative go to http://payitforwardday.com/

How's that for being a "paws"-a-tive influence on our community! Keep it up Ricochet!

After the rain...

...there was the most spectacular rainbow! Pickle caught this with her cell phone camera on the way to school yesterday - AJ was driving. She said it was a double rainbow (although its a little hard to see) and the fullest, brightest rainbow she'd ever seen.

I agree.

Please don't forget that April 29th is Pay it Forward Day!

Paw (Pay) It Forward is Happening April 29th!

Hi Everyone! We wanted to let you know that our furry fundraising phenom friend is at it again - Surf Dog Ricochet the SURFice Dog is doing her good deeds once again! Check out the message I got from her Mom, Judy - and then please help us to spread the word by sharing this on your blog.

Hey Everyone!

Have you ever seen the movie "Pay it Forward"? It's about a 12 year old boy who did three good deeds for others in need. All he asked in return, was for them to pass on the good deed to three other people, and keep the cycle going.

Well, there's a "Pay It Forward Day" on April 29th, and Ricochet was asked to be an ambassador for it. So, she wants to know if you'd like to get involved? All you have to do is perform three acts of kindness for three people on April 29th, and then instruct them to pay the favor forward.

If you can pay this message on to your friends, post on your blog/Facebook page, etc... that will count for one good deed! , This will help get the word out, so the cycle of generosity and kindness will ripple across the world, making us all better people.

The link to her web page is here, and has all the information, including a new video she made about Pay It Forward Day.

There are over 15 countries involved, hundreds of schools are participating, and thousands of people will be paying it forward across the world. Will you join us?

P.S. Ricochet says dogs can "paw" it forward on the 29th, if your dog wants to get involved!

Thanks for your time - I hope you'll join us in paying (and pawing) it forward!

Not Something You'd See in San Diego...

...but how cute is this?

April Showers and Hail!

It may not look like much, but it's pouring and hailing here this morning. It was raining so hard earlier it woke me from a dead sleep! How dare that rain rob me of my beauty sleep. If I look rough around the edges later, don't blame me - it's Mother Nature's fault!

Seeing Triple?

It's not often that you see a yellow corvette zooming by you on the freeway....


it's even less often that you see two yellow corvettes zooming by you on the freeway...


but three? That's kind of strange, isn't it?

A-Z Mondays - the Food Version, "M" is for "McCafe Mocha Frappe"

I'm Sue, and I'm addicted.

I made the mistake of using a coupon to try a free "McCafe Mocha Frappe" not long ago. One sip was all it took.

Now every time I drive by the golden arches I stare longingly at the drive-thru line, and have to physically stop myself from turning into the parking lot. I am able to turn away most some of the time, and keep on my merry way. I do give in more often than I'll admit every once in a while, and allow myself this decadent treat. I know it is sabotaging my weight loss...but sometimes a girl needs what she needs.

And sometimes I need a McCafe Mocha Frappe!

If you'd like to see what other bloggers are drooling over this Monday, please be sure to stop by Jen's blog here.

Too Sweet For Words

Nasty!

Do people really buy this stuff?
I mean seriously, isn't it just like microwaved pig fat? I think I'm gonna hurl.

On the Job

Kona went to work today. We had our monthly visit at Gateway Gardens, a local senior home. He was a superstar today!

It's easy to see how much he loves this, isn't it? What a pleasure it is to do these visits with him!!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday - the Pups

These were all taken within the last week.

Harley says, "Momma, can't we please do something fun? I'm bored!"
"We're ALL bored!"
"I'll make you a deal...I'll bring you a shoe, if you let us swim..."

"Gee, I didn't realize you'd take me up on that offer...this water is a little cold!"

"We're up here, it's down there...now what?"

"I'll bring it to you if you promise to throw it again!"

"Why aren't you coming swimming?"

Jack is one good lookin fella!

"Shake, shake, shake.......shake, shake, shake, shake your booty!"

"It would be easier to pick this up if I had thumbs!"

"Hey Kona, you move fast!"

Sweet buddies!