It's dog show time! Raise the WOOF!

With Halloween planning behind us and 98 candy bars to sneak from my kids before Christmas, my thoughts turn to one of my favorite clients, an event I've been working on since I was a wee PR agency pup back in 1991: the Bay Colony Dog Show.  

One of the nation's largest American Kennel Club shows, this doggie diva-filled haven for pooch worshippers is exhausting and exhilarating and really, really eclectic.  If you know not of dog shows, over 2,000 purebred dogs compete each day for "Best In Show" honors, and you can see dogs that look like your rasta-lovin' friend Jamal, your snooty Paris-Hilton wannabe cousin Ashley, and your big, fat, slobbery, lovable Uncle BEEP (censored to protect whatever familial relationships I have left).  

I love to holiday shop for the coolest, kookiest doggie items - stuff you would expect to be there, like professional grooming supplies, but also stuff you never even knew dogs had to have - like a rhinestone pin that says "Best Bitch," or a doggie leather jacket with "#1 Stud" on it. You can't find holiday presents like that at Macy's or Marshalls, that's fur sure. 

And if you haven't seen Chris Guest's "Best in Show" trot like a long-legged Weimeraner to Blockbuster this minute).  Run, don't trot.  "God loves a terrier..."  Hysterical.  It's on YouTube... check it out.

Fanciest title I've ever earned: Chief Dream Officer

Yesterday I completed training and became my own "Chief Dream Officer". I am dreaming to do more writing, perhaps writing the next Great American Novel (or at least something worthy of reading in the bathroom).  I love writers who have a keen sense of observation, and then apply their sense of humor to let others know what they find interesting in life.  I'm going to set up a writing desk - apart from my work area - and get to it, gosh darn it.  

What is your dream?  How can you find more joy in life? What makes you get up in the morning beyond adult obligation and the chemical lure of caffeine?

Fall fever

Apples and festivals and crafts, oh my!  Fall in New England is simply stunning, nothing short of miraculous.  The colors are breathtaking, the farms are bustling, the people are bundled in new sweaters and still-stiff jeans.  I missed you, beloved wool mittens and furry boots and my slightly flamboyant striped scarf... welcome back.  Field trips to the corn maze, the smell of wet leaves, picking out the "perfect" pumpkin...

Take a deep breath and breathe in all the glory that fall has to offer. Now get back to raking.

Are you ready for some football?

It's the first week of August. Some families are going on vacation. Other families are beating the "I wanna go see Space Chimps again" blues by taking "staycations" and camping in their backyards.

Me? I am getting indoctrinated into the wide world of sports. Pop Warner football (for my son) and cheerleading (my daughter), to be exact. Somehow I got suckered into being the team mom, too... and it ain't no "bring oranges and call for pizza at the end of the season" job.

Thoughts? Advice? Stories of your own about the joys of Pop Warner? Share 'em by clicking "comment". I could use words of wisdom...

ah, summer!

Breathe in the Fresh Air, Help the Fresh Air Fund

I'm outside these days as much as possible, relaxing on my deck, getting fresh air and enjoying the suburban life with my kids. Unfortunately, not everyone has this luxury.

The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer vacations to New York City children from disadvantaged communities since 1877, and there are 200 children who need to be placed with host families for this August. Since all prospective host families need to be screened and vetted by the end of July, these 200 children may miss out on an invaluable experience.

Please host a child or help us get the word out that we need folks who can welcome a child from the city into their homes next month, especially families who want older children and boys.

Email angie@freshair.org or call 1-800-367-0003 -- ask for Angie. If you want to help but don't live in these areas - BLOG about this program, tell your friends, recommend someone, or DONATE.

Sometimes just doing something good is a breathe of fresh air in itself.

Pecha Kucha: Chatter + Design = Precision

Okay, I admit it: I adore PowerPoint. I like the instant slide show capability without the overhead slides, and that I can use it instantly for work or for personal stuff like photo slideshows.

But I get wordy. I use too much copy on one slide. My longest presentation was sixty slides... most of those were boring.

And then along came Pecha Kucha. It sounds a bit like the Latin number in "Dirty Dancing." No, wait, that's the pachanga. Nobody puts PowerPoint in the corner...

Pecha Kucha means "chatter" in Japanese, and is the art form of creating slide presentations that are 20 slides, 20 seconds each, no more than six minutes and 40 seconds. Less is more, get off the floor, we'll hear no more. I have corporate clients whose introductions are longer than that, all backed by one slide titled, "Introduction".

Get down with the PPT at parties in your city where you can experience the fun that is Pecha Kucha. Don't forget your laser pointer. Now off to my pachanga lesson.