pet connection

Hot dogs don’t float. That’s what we learned today during the bobbing for hot dogs competition at the second annual Darcy FUNDay to raise money for research into causes of and treatment for mitral valve disease in Cavaliers and other dogs.

My husband and I founded the Darcy Fund almost two years ago after losing our 6.5-year-old tricolor Cavalier to MVD. With the money raised from today’s event, it’s brought in more than $16,500 so far, which is being used to finance studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Edinburgh.

Approximately 45 Cavalier slaves brought their dogs for a day of contests–Best Costume, Best Trick, Race to Owner, the aforementioned bobbing for hot dogs and more–a raffle and silent auction and a potluck picnic. Author and pet “edu-tainer” Arden Moore spoke about cooking for dogs and the importance of weight control, all the while handing out samples of her Marvelous Mutt Meatballs to Maui the Cavalier, who kept nosing his way into the presentation in the hope of sneaking a snack. He was well rewarded.

Some of the Cavaliers tried out a mini agility course set up by Audrey Pavia, who competes in the sport with her Corgi, Nigel. Nigel was there as well, and I was disappointed Audrey didn’t enter him in the costume contest: Cavalier disguised as Corgi. Nigel’s been a good friend to our dogs over the years; he might have been able to pass. Normally I’m not in favor of dressing up dogs, but I have to say that the sailor girl here and the therapy dog/belly dancer and French sophisticate were pretty darn cute.

The silent auction and raffle raised more than $700, on top of the more than $1,000 in entry fees, about $400 more than last year. Winners went home with a set of two Cavalier art books, crates and carriers, gift certificates, books on training, treats, health and behavior, a couple of fancy wrought-iron dog beds, grooming equipment and a lot more. I don’t know who was happier, the people who won or my husband, who has patiently put up with all of this stuff piling up in our condo over the past year. He entered Harper in the “shortest ears” contest, then refused to enter any others after realizing that winning might mean taking items home again. (more…)

I’m done.

Signed a lot of books, met lots and lots of wonderful people. I only got one signed book for myself, though: Christopher Hopkin’s “Staging Your Comeback: A Complete Beauty Guide for Women Over 45.” He was signing next to me, and he was such a warm and funny man (plus he and his equally charming partner have Whippets!) that I had to have the book. I got a signed copy for Christie, too, although she, of course, always looks fabulous and needs no help.

Now, you may think the Oprah makeover guy is the most exciting celebrity I met, but you would be wrong. Very, very wrong.

I also bumped into John Scalzi, who is one of my all-time favorite bloggers, as well as a wonderful essayist, humorist and sci-fi novelist. Also: Animal-lover, of course (dog and cats; one cat is named Ghlaghghee, and no, I do not know how to pronounce that)]. He and I go way back: He was at the Fresno Bee when I was at the Sacramento Bee. We both worked for AOL. We both wrote “… For Dummies” books when the Dummies world was new. He was just walking in one direction, and I was walking in the other. We bumped into each other, almost literally.

John is very cool. Not Kindle cool, but the everlasting kind. John will be cool long after the Kindle is so yesterday.

I also met Carl the Rottweiler, of the “Good Dog, Carl” children’s books. Carl (he’s actually like the fourth Carl) is handsome, friendly and exceptionally well-mannered, and he has the trick repertoire of a circus dog. Good Dog, Carl!

So who was I most excited to meet? Christopher, John or Carl?

Not even close: Carl the Rottweiler, of course. I wish I’d had my camera.

Tomorrow: Dog fun in Pasadena, and then the long … drive … home.

Two things I know this morning, here in Los Angeles:

1) I hate trade shows. Sorta. Actually, I love to see everything an industry has to offer — whether it’s pet supplies or books — all in one place. But all the people, all the schmoozing, all the selling exhausts me to the point of tears. Honestly, I would rather spend 14 straight 12-hour days writing than two hours of meet-and-greet. I’m a shy person!

2) I love the Fugly Horse of the Day blog. Clueless, careless and greedy breeding practices in horses, just as in dogs and cats. Plus snark out the wazzoo. Don’t breed if you’re in it for the greed. Wha-hoo, and happy B-Day Fugly.

Time to go put on the happy face and sign books, twice this afternoon. I do love meeting pet-lovers, which is the only saving grace. And I learned something yesterday: People used to put pics of their kids and pets in the wallets. Now, the pics are on their cellphones. Progress.

Oh, and I am so getting a Kindle. Coolest gadget ever. “Totally RAD!” in the words of the sales guy at the Amazon booth. And he was right!

Just a quick note to let you know that a TV crew is on their way to my house to interview me about Kyrie’s struggle with drug-resistant staph (MRSI) … they also interviewed my veterinarian. This was prompted by my column on SFGate.com yesterday, which has generated an enormous amount of email from people dealing with MRSI in their pets, as well as an unprecendented number of reprint requests.

However, the reporter wasn’t all that interested in me. She just wanted to make sure that Kyrie would be available for the cameras. So the fluffy one is all shiny and brushed, and sitting in regal splendor on the sofa waiting for her close-up, Mr. DeMille.

I’ll be back soon with the full report. And if I can get my about-to-be-replaced computer’s faltering USB interface to see my digital camera…. PICTURES!

For now, this totally silly one of Kyrie as a puppy will have to do.

UPDATE: It’s not exactly correct in its details, but here’s the video clip of the report, with lots of great camera time for Kyrie! If anyone knows how to save that video, I’d be very grateful!

Also, photos under the jump!

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Book Expo America is the nation’s biggest publishing industry trade show, second largest in the world. This year it’s in Los Angeles, and it starts today. Our publisher, Health Communications, Inc./HCI, has a big booth, of course, and the focus of their efforts this year is the “Ultimate” book series, which include the three books Dr. Becker and I have been working so hard on this spring, along with our co-authors. (The publisher has a bound galley of the dog book ready for the show, along with “samplers” of the other books.)

I was planning to fly down this morning, but I am fried. (We finished the books around 6 a.m. on Tuesday.) So I’m going to spend today hanging with the pets and leisurely doing a little laundry and then pack to go.

With my flight canceled, I’m choosing to drive tomorrow instead of fly today. Maybe crazy, but I wanted to switch. I’ve logged a lot of sky time in the last couple years, and it’s ugly up there. Volkswagen gave me permission to take this week’s DogCars.com test car, the Jetta SportWagen, on the road trip. (Usually reviewers have the vehicle for a week, and are not to put more than 500 miles on it.) I’m hoping the drive will be a little mental “reset” button for my tired mind, and I’m grateful the Jetta is pretty fuel-efficient.

It’s six hours door to door, which means eight hours with traffic, probably. I’m having lunch Friday with my college buddy Russ Stanton, who’s now the editor of the Los Angeles Times. (I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around that. I mean, he was always smart, hard-working and talented, but Editor of the Los Angeles Times? Wow.) Then I have to run to the first of the book-signings in the L.A. Convention Center, one on Friday and two on Saturday.

This is just for the industry … like everyone else, we’ll be trying to impress the buyers from bookstores and from the big retailers like Target and Costco.

Signings late Saturday afternoon, and then if I have any energy left, I’m going to drive home Saturday night. More realistically, I’ll crash in the hotel room the publisher has provided and drive back early Sunday morning.

And then … I swear … no travel for a long, long time. I wanna stay home with my pets and my garden!

Pupdate: I just found out that my friend Teresa is competing all weekend at an agility competition in Pasadena (Teresa has Jazz, written about here, and also Sprint, the fastest agility dog in the world and sister to my girl McKenzie.) So … looks as if I’ll be spending Sunday morning at the park next to the Rose Bowl!