I’ve been a bit busy lately, trying to juggle a lot of different plates — which, if you’re a klutz, as I am, can be pretty stressful.

The largest bits of crockery flying through the air are:

The Blog

As some of you were nice enough to notice, my blog has a new look, which I’m very excited about. Among other things, Frankie’s Excellent Adventure, otherwise known as my book trailer, is now far easier to see.

The blog is a work in progress, with new features being added — there will be a “Subscribe by email button” and access to archives, for example  — but I’d love to know what you think.

The Twitter Chat

Mary Doane  (@turtlelady81) and Hilary Lane (@fangshuicanines) have begun a fun chat series on Twitter every Monday evening devoted to dogs and the people who love them. It’s aptly called #dogtalk and I am going to be the guest tomorrow at around 9pm EST. The topic: My weird & wonderful dog, where we will discuss all the odd things we’ve discovered about our dogs (my biggest surprise, for example, was that cute little Frankie ate poop). Expect fun, but not necessarily answers. Even vets don’t really know why dogs eat poop, except that it probably tastes good to them.

To access the forum, just type in #dogtalk on Twitter or go on to Tweetchat site, which provides remarkably clear instructions.

The Trip

This coming Wednesday, I’m heading for Portland, Oregon on a travel writing assignment. Although I am not going to be taking Frankie with me, I am going to be scoping out dog-friendly spots (that won’t be difficult; Portland LOVES dogs). I’m also going to be doing a book signing at the Hotel Monaco on Thursday, March 4, from 4-6 pm, with proceeds from book sales and cocktails going to the Oregon Humane Society.

Leaving Frankie behind always involves a lot of stress, especially when it comes to finding a good pet sitter. I’ve discovered a very promising one — a former vet tech — through a friend, and tomorrow a guest post by a representative of Pet Sitters International will offer advice to people who don’t have a reliable network of personal advisers (a.k.a. friends and family).

The Contest

Because I’m not going to have much time to blog while I’m on the road, I’m going to leave you with the promised contest to win the much-coveted FURminator.

12 thoughts on “This & That”

    1. Why, thank you, on both counts. And I’ve been too busy with the juggling to tell you that I’m going to have lunch with Megan Morris thanks to you. You truly are the Friendship Doctor!

      For those dropping in on this comment, Megan Morris is the editor of Woman’s Best Friend, an anthology of short fiction by and about women and their dogs. I’m very excited to meet her, and also to meet Twitter pal and dog-game maker extraordinaire Denise Rothman (@darfinc)

  1. I like the new site look. And I’m looking forward to talking with you again at #dogtalk on Twitter tomorrow. I’ve really been enjoying the #dogtalk chats that I’ve participated in.

    1. Thanks, Lorie. And yes, I’ll look forward to chatting with you again too, although I just realized today that you were Dr. Lorie, a vet, so now I’m worried about saying dumb stuff ;-). Seriously, I love having dialogs with vets. I think Shawn Finch, another very accessible vet, will be there too.

  2. Love the new look for the site, everything is really easy to find. Have a great trip, I’ll be looking forward to your post on great doggie spots in Portland when you get back.

    1. I’m glad you like the new look and the video, Michele. As for bringing books to BlogPaws: Your wish is my command!

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