And the contest winner is…

By Edie Jarolim | Published: December 14, 2009

This was tough. Really tough. I was wowed by the thoroughness of many of the comments — not to mention the graciousness of all of them. Not a single person said anything mean about me or Frankie that I had to remove. In fact, you were all wonderfully encouraging about my writing (Frankie’s adorableness was a given).

I knew the picture issue would come up.  So this is an explanation, not an excuse. I’ve mentioned the camera curse before  (see Our Doggies, Ourselves). Sure enough, in keeping with the curse tradition, my camera was stolen (along with my laptop and a bunch of other things. But still…).  I did buy a new one, finally, and you all inspired me to take it out on the trail yesterday to practice. I didn’t get a good picture of Frankie, who rarely moves far enough away from me when we’re outside to get a full body view, but I was able to capture a handsome fox terrier who belongs to Jim, one of the trail regulars.

Frankie's acquaintance, Chuy

Frankie's acquaintance, Chuy

So I promise, more pictures.

I once had a Twitter button but it fell off and I don’t remember how to sew it back on.

Okay, I’m procrastinating. Like I said, it was really tough to choose a winner, and I thank you all for your contributions. It came down to three finalists, Rebecca, Pat Steer, and GoPetFriendly, listed here in the order in which they submitted their comments. They were all immensely useful in their specificity about technical issues. But I finally chose Pat — yes, you can call me Edie, and I’ll call you Pat — because:

  • I liked her referral to another site that described the pain of the process of revamping a blog.
  • She was the first one to help me make the connection that putting a Twitter feed on my blog functioned as a substitute for blogging every day. I’d always thought it was redundant, and a bit of overkill — do my blog readers really have to know what I thought about the ending of Dexter? — but suddenly that little “click” went off: Ah, more content on my blog without having to blog. That’s a good thing. It does mean I’ll have to be more conscious about my tweeting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, either.
  • She has just finished three — count ‘em, three! — blog revamps and really needs a bit of humor in her life, which I hope Am I Boring My Dog will provide (Oh Favorite Niece  — a.k.a. Only Niece Who Reads My Blog –  is that still too much of a plug?)

Incidentally, I just checked out Pat’s revamped Dog Trainer’s Log site, which I linked to with her name, above. It looks amazing, so she is also an inspiration. Hmm… How about I let you use Pimp My Blog for a ProBlogger discussion, Pat, and I use the same WordPress theme as you used?

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Weekend Win-a-Book Contest: Blog 911

By Edie Jarolim | Published: December 12, 2009

Life lessons are sometimes ambiguous. Yes, my failed foray into bells-and-whistles SEO/SEM technology taught me that there’s no substitute for solid writing and communication with readers. A blog is only as good as its content and its bond with a like-minded audience.

But it also made me aware that it’s tough to reach that like-minded audience without user-friendly blog technology. I definitely need to update Will My Dog Hate Me.

Thus this new contest, which will run for the weekend: The morning of December 12 through the evening of December 13. Go to the comments section and tell me what works for you on this blog — literally and figuratively — and what doesn’t. How I can improve the format — social media buttons? page length and post length? feeds? — and the content. Tell me what you’d like to see more of, what could go (except for Frankie). Share features from your favorite blogs, including your own, that I might consider adding to mine.

Amazon copyThe person that sends the most thoughtful/useful comment(s) — there’s no need to stop at one — who makes it clear that he or she has given this some real thought,  wins a copy of Am I Boring My Dog. Just in time for the holidays. I’ll inscribe it to the people — and dogs — of your choice, and send it directly to you or to its intended recipient.  If you’re in the U.S. or Canada, I’ll send it first class, not book rate. (Sorry my UK and Aussie pals; in your case it’s slow boat!)

Of course I reserve the right not to publish anything nasty. Mean comments about Frankie are immediate disqualifiers.

Is this a way to get people to read my blog? You bet — and an easy, low tech way at that. But consider the bonus, if you’re a blogger. It’s a good exercise in considering what you like on your own blog, what does or doesn’t work for you.

Incidentally, I was going to call this contest “Pimp My Blog,” but thought I might be pushing my luck, given my recent “What Would Frankie Do?” post. So there’s another topic to consider commenting on: Where do you  — that is me — draw the line between being interesting and opinionated and being offensive enough to put off people who might benefit from your opinions if they were presented differently?

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Frankie Doodle Jarolim, the early years

By Edie Jarolim | Published: October 10, 2009

It’s funny. I still think of myself as a novice dog owner. My new book, Am I Boring My Dog, is written from the point of view of someone who’s recently been there, worried about that. But posting the details of my latest contest made the fact that five years have passed since I adopted Frankie (in October 2004) sink in.

I suppose my continued sense of freshness and awe — not to mention insecurity — is a result of coming to dog ownership later in life, a time when we don’t always take new experiences for granted. Or in stride.

Also, I’ve often said adopting Frankie after years of hesitation about getting a dog was a leap of faith. I imagine, then, that my experience is akin to being born again, with all the newfound zeal that involves. In this case, it even includes talking in tongues: I’ve been known to bark and whine at Frankie, in misguided attempts at communication (I must have a lousy canine accent because he never responds in the way I’d like).

And the more I learn, the more I see there is to learn.

But I digress. To mark the fifth anniversary of adopting Frankie, I’m going to look back at some of the highlights — and lowlights — of our years together. I’ve given up predicting exactly where this will go, or just how long I’ll pursue this thread.

To start at the beginning with a teaser: This is the picture — sent by my friend Rebecca, at the time with Arizona Schnauzer Rescue – that changed my life.

Resistance is futile

Resistance is futile

Frankie is about 5 years old here. I’d always figured I’d get a new model dog, but that notion flew out the window too when I saw that little face.

By the way, for those who are wondering how Frankie came by his first two names, see What’s In a (Dog’s) Name?

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Celebrating Dog-tober: A New Contest!

By Edie Jarolim | Published: October 8, 2009

I’ve been in the doldrums lately — post partum after my book birth? too many publications I used to write for hitting the chopping block? — and have decided I know the cure: Contest! This one will be a bit less cerebral than my earlier What Books Would Bore Your Dog competition but just as much fun. And the prize(s) will be the same, a copy of Am I Boring My Dog.

The timing is perfect. There are five interconnected events to celebrate in October.

– The sixth-month anniversary of my blog (started April 12).

– Adopt a Shelter Dog month

– The five year anniversary of adopting Frankie

– My birthday

– Halloween

Therefore I’m going back to the blog’s original mandate, that I would provide a place where people would feel no shame about dressing their dogs — provided, of course, that the clothing was comfortable and the pup willing. Indeed, this blog’s name, Will My Dog Hate Me, is short for Will My Dog Hate Me If I Dress Him (which was an alternative title to Am I Boring My Dog).

So to celebrate sharing my life with my own fashion forward rescue pup, I will award a copy of my book in five categories, based on a selection of the costumes that Frankie wore in the book trailer:

Western chic

Western wear Frankie

Western wear Frankie

Biker chic

Bad to the bone Frankie

Bad to the bone Frankie

Continental/Euro chic

Ooh la, la!

Ooh la, la Frankie!

Cross species or bad visual pun chic

Bad pun Frankie (Bunny, Easter Island -- get it?)

Bad pun Frankie (Bunny, Easter Island -- get it?)

Space chic (for some reason, I don’t have a still for this particular outfit, so I will be forced to post the entire book trailer video, heh, heh. Look towards the end, with Frankie wearing the tin foil Martian antennae)

The only rules: The dog must have been a rescue, and the costume must look like it’s not tormenting the dog. A good back story is an asset: Send any info you like about your dog’s name, age, story… I will give extra points for home made costumes, in keeping with the spirit of several of Frankie’s best looks. Continental Frankie’s beret, for example, was created by a pair of underpants belonging to one of the videographers secured in the back with a safety pin. (Hmmm. Should I be giving away trade secrets….?)

Oh yeah and no pugs dressed as spiders in the cross-species category. I’ve seen far too many of those, and though I adore pugs — and don’t mind spiders — it’s a cliche by now.

I learned something from my last contest: There’s no predicting how many entries there will be. So I’ll just say that I’m planning to post the entries throughout the rest of this month and that the contest will end on Halloween.

I’m also not sure about all the technical aspects of this but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Send jpegs to me at writestf at mac dot com with the subject line: Dog-tober Contest.

Have fun!

Update: I’ve  just been reminded that it’s Bo Obama’s birthday, another Dog-tober event to celebrate — and very apropos to this contest, since my first post was about Bo’s fashion sense. Many happy rrrrr–eturns!

Also posted in Am I Boring My Dog, Dog humor, Dog video on YouTube, Pet dressing, Special occasion dog wear | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Meet my latest book reviewer: What a dog!

By Edie Jarolim | Published: October 6, 2009

I’m afraid I don’t have time right now to get into a thorough discussion of how — and under what circumstances — dog is a pejorative term. I trust that everyone who reads this blog is aware that, ignoring any linguistic conventions, I consider being compared to a canine the ultimate compliment.

So I was thrilled when I discovered that the latest reviewer of my new book, AM I BORING MY DOG, was in fact a dog.

Meet Tucker the Wonder Dog, who shares a home with Kath Usitalo, one of the winners of my What Books Would Bore Your Dog contest (if you need a good laugh, check out the entries).

tucker-frankie-book_4756Tucker writes:

There’s lots of useful stuff in this book, like tips on health, from minor ailments (see note above about eating just about anything) to serious stuff like Frankie’s diabetes, baths (NO!) and how to play (YES!).

And on every page Frankie and Edie manage to tickle our funny bones (bones?!).

If you have a dog or are thinking about getting one run (run? I’m ready!) and buy this book! Neither you or your dog will be bored.

For the rest of the review, see The Great Lakes Gazette blog.

Incidentally, the timing for this review couldn’t be better, as I’m gearing up to start a new contest, one that involves pictures rather than words and goes back to this blog’s original dog dressing mandate.

Stay tuned.

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Contest winners, book reviewers, storytellers

By Edie Jarolim | Published: September 9, 2009

First, the contest. The people have spoken! The final two winners of the What Books Would Bore Your Dog? contest are:

Bone Free by Joy Catamson, submitted by Kath Usitalo

and

Mastering the Art of French Poodles by Julia Styled, submitted by Ellen Perlman.

Congratulations, Kath and Ellen! As soon as I have copies of Am I Boring My Dog to send you, I’ll be in touch for your contact information. Those who want to see all the astoundingly clever entries should go to the original contest blog post; the other winners are noted in  posts after that.

As it happens, I know 5 out of the 7 winners personally, three from my former life as a travel writer, one from my graduate school days (see the “Books” and “Academic Manque” sections of www.ediejarolim.com). I say this in the interests of full disclosure. And to provide credibility and context for the fact that I do not, repeat, do not, know dog trainer Eric Goebelbecker, who posted this amazing video review of my book on his Dog Spelled Forward site and on Amazon.

It’s true, I did mention on Twitter that I would be his love slave, but I said that after I saw the review. And since he lives in New Jersey and I’m in Tucson, his wife — and Frankie — can rest assured that I was just being hyperbolic, as I often am.

Finally, I am spending good parts of today talking to myself aloud in a more formal fashion than I ordinarily do because tomorrow evening Frankie and I are going to take part in the Odyssey Storytelling series at the historic Hotel Congress in Tucson. It’s Silver Linings: The Gratitude Show and I’m going to be telling the story of how Frankie’s diabetes led me to write a dog book. But don’t expect uplift — or optimism — from me on a regular basis. Bah humbug.

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And the contest winners are … Part 2

By Edie Jarolim | Published: September 1, 2009

Am I Boring My Dog books onlyAnd the prizes continue. It turns out that I had two more small-group winners, i.e., entrants who might have won for more than one title:

Jo (a.k.a Wigglebums), who had three titles that I particularly liked:

Go Poop Up on the Mountain by James Baldhound

Catch! 22 Times!! by Joseph Holler

A Good Bone is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Cavalier

Karyn Zoldan, who won for

A Tail of Two Shih-Tzus by Charles What-the-Dickens

Gone with the Wee Wee by Margaret Itchell

The Gassy-stronomical Me by M.F. K-9 Fisher (a bit obscure, I know, but irresistible to a foodie).

Between these two and the three group winners mentioned in the last post, that’s a total of five.

Now here’s the good news and the bad news. I just can’t decide on the final two (or even five). So I’m opening it up to you, in a poll. You can vote for yourself if you’re listed here, but the poll is set up so you can only make three selections from any one computer. I don’t have books to send out yet anyway. And I really need to get some work done.

To that end, I’m setting a deadline: A week from the contest’s start: Wednesday, September 9.

Which Book Would Most Bore a Dog?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

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And the contest winners are…. Part 1

By Edie Jarolim | Published: September 1, 2009

Am I Boring My Dog books only As I’ve mentioned several times, the quality — and quantity — of the entries to the What Books Would Bore Your Dog? contest went beyond my expectations. As a result, I was able to stick to my original dictate. That is, I gave priority to submissions that included a play on both book title and author’s name because there were so many entries that qualified. Recognizability was a key factor too; though some of the more obscure titles gave me a chuckle, I tended to choose books that the average educated person who read the “classics” in high school and college or who reads popular bestsellers would be likely to recognize.

And, remember, my rule was to award only one book per person (or, in one case, per family). The result was the elimination of a great many worthy contenders.

So, without further ado…

Marcia Taylor submitted 59 — count ‘em! — book titles. The range of her entries, from classics to contemporary, prose to poetry, was vast, and a great many titles were outstanding. I’m going to list only my top ten favorites (doubling up on multiple books by the same author); you can check out the rest on the comments section of the contest.

A Farewell to Paws /The Old Dog and the Flea, by Ernest Hemingwoof

Bury It Where It Lays/ Slouching Towards Veterinarian, by Joan Piddle-on

Boneo & Chewliette/Hambone by William Barkspeare

Look Boneward, Angel, by Thomas Woof

Peeing and Nothingness, by Jean Paul Barke

Catipus Rex, by Dogocles

Because I Could Not Stop to Poop by Emily Bit-your-son

Linda Tagliaferro, Fred Thorner, and another relative who wishes to remain anonymous. This wife and husband team and the nameless person they’re related to submitted a total of 43 entries — and also submitted the best trivia fact related to one of the titles, which I will mention here. Again, because the number and quality were so great, I’m shortening my list of favorites.

(I Like to Watch the) Rabbit Run, by John Pupdike

Chairman Meow’s Little Red Book

Dog Day’s Journey Into Bite by Eugene O’Heel

Love in the Time of Distemper, by Gabriel Garcia Barquez

Of Mutts and Mastiffs, by John Steinbark

Pup from Slavery: An Autobiography of Booker T-Bone Washington (here Linda pointed out that the “T” in Booker T. Washington stands for Taliaferro — a distant family link?)

The Picture of Doberman Grey by Os-cur Wilde

The Scarlet Setter by Nathaniel Pawthorne

Valerie Wood wins for her two author series, which I will replicate in their entirety.

Among the most famous works of Ima Flanders are:

Dr.No…NO! NO!! (my favorite)

You Only Bark Twice

Cod-dinner

Octopussies!

The Dog with the Golden Bun

Dogbones are Forever

Waterball

Liver and Let Die

From Husky with Love

Moonrover

The Sharpei Who Loved Me

And the famous Beagle sisters produced:

Woofering Heights, by Emily Jane Beagle

Jane Airedale, by Charlotte Beagle

Agnes Greyhound by Anne Beagle

The Terrier of Wildcat Hall by Anne Beagle

Ok, those are the group winners — congratulations! Please contact me and let me know to what address you would like the book sent. On to the even more difficult task of choosing individual winners…

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Am I Boring My Dog contest: Some teaser stats

By Edie Jarolim | Published: August 31, 2009

Am I Boring My Dog books onlyYes, the book contest is over and I’m going through the list of submissions. I won’t announce the winners until tomorrow, but I’ve done some preliminary sorting and have come up with the following interesting (at least to me) information:

Total number of entries: 219

Greatest number of entries from one person: 59 (others will be glad to learn that this person is eligible to win only one book so those titles have been separated out from the others)

Most popular author to riff on: Charles Dickens (Charles Kittens, Charles What the Dickens, King Charles Spaniel Dickens, Charles Lick’ems). I’m not counting the oeuvres of Ima Flanders (Ian Fleming) and Jingles (a.k.a. Jane) Austen, submitted by individuals.

Most popular title to riff on: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez  (Love in the Time of Cats and Dogs, Love in the Time of Distemper by Gabriel Garcia Barkquez, Love in the Time of Dog Collars by Gabriel Garcia Muttquez)

Five most popular topics in book titles: Bones, poo, pee, barking (woofing/rruffing, etc.), and wolves.

Revision: Cats are more popular than wolves in the book titles. I must have blocked that.

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The best medicine

By Edie Jarolim | Published: August 29, 2009

One of my favorite books about animals is Tell Me Where It Hurts, by Dr. Nick Trout. Compressing a great many cases into one day of veterinary ER drama, Dr. Trout’s book is not only passionate, well written, and poignant but it explores our central frustration when dealing with illness in animals: They can’t express themselves.

Tell Me Where It Hurts

I’ve been thinking a lot about that book today because Frankie is in a veterinary hospital, being prodded and poked and hooked up to IVs. He got himself there by vomiting voraciously (on my rugs and in my bed, where else?) and pooping prodigiously (happily, in my backyard).

This is worrying under the best of circumstances, but when diabetes is involved it becomes even more complicated: You have to balance the need for insulin with the need not to cause hypoglycemia by giving shots on an empty stomach.

Then there are the pancreatitis, liver problems, urinary tract infections… all conditions associated with diabetes, all rather worrying.

But until I get medical answers — which won’t be until tomorrow morning at the earliest — I’ve decided I like the suggestions that several of my friends on Facebook made about the causes of Frankie’s disease:

  • That he is nervous about the imminent publication of my book. My nervousness tends to manifest in overeating rather than in vomiting and diarrhea but sympathy symptoms do not have to be identical.
  • That he is suffering from air sickness as a result of all that hot air balloon travel. Given his latest venture, into the oxygen-deprived atmosphere of outer space, I don’t think that’s an unreasonable hypothesis.

The entries that people have been sending in to my Win A Copy of Am I Boring My Dog contest have also been restorative — to me, if not to Frankie. So keep ‘em coming.

Also posted in Canine diabetes, Dog books, Dog health, Responsible dog care | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments