Alone in a Room Full of GULP Dog People

Posted in Animals, Career, Cats, Humor, Me Me Me! by Marci

This past weekend I started on my path to doing pet therapy work on a volunteer basis. This means that I took an all-day class on the human component of a therapy animal team. The class is offered by Pet Partners and is the first step in becoming registered to do animal therapy with your pet – you know, visiting people in hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, schools, prisons, and other places where people can benefit from having a visit from animals. I’m SOOOO looking forward to being a part of this!

But did you know that the vast majority of therapy animals are dogs??? The course instructor had never taught anyone who wanted to use their cat as a therapy animal, but Pet Partners certainly supports it. To the instructor’s credit, he did his best to answer my cat questions and even invited me to attend a cat evaluation the next day, which was also very informative.

Please don’t get me wrong – I really do like dogs, but obviously I am a cat person. And I like dog people too, but obviously, I am a cat person. I was a little nervous about ~~being trapped with~~ hanging out with a bunch of dog people for the entire day, but they really were friendly and nice, just as I expected them to be; I just didn’t know how much I would have in common with them. And to be fair, cat people can be kind of weird, too. But man, they sure do get passionate about various breeds and talking about the differences between all the various types of doggies! This made me think, just as there are personality differences between breeds, surely there are personality differences between dog people and cat people. So I did a little investigating. And here’s what I found:

Interesting, yes? And for those of you who want a little more detail, I found these stats from DeathandTaxesMag.com:

I don’t know how true these figures are, but they sound about right to me. Perhaps this can be best illustrated by the following video, which has been floating around for a while, but I love it:

Hmmmm…on second thought, perhaps using cats as therapy animals might be a bit more challenging than I was expecting. So, if you have any hints or advice for me, feel free to let me know. Anyone? Anyone???

14Mar2014

Fine Art Felines Friday: Gato De Los Muertos by Laura Barbosa

Posted in Animals, Art, Cats, Entertainment by Marci

I’m starting a new Fuzzy Undertones feature today: Fine Art Felines Friday! Every other Friday (my “extra” day off of work, coincidentally), I’ll be posting a piece of fine art that features a cat in some way or another, and tell you a little about the artist. I stumbled upon today’s featured painting just by googling around the Interwebs, and what made it stand out in the crowd was its bright colors and style. I LOVE Day of the Dead art, so this painting, Gato De Los Muertos by Laura Barbosa, really caught my eye. In browsing through Laura’s work online, I found her art to be colorful, abstract, emotional and very textural, and I really connected with her style. Check out her website if you’d like to see more!

Zero to Hero: Done and Done!

Day 30 of Zero to Hero is complete! A lot of the program was “behind the scenes”; i.e., not actual blog posts, which I enjoyed. It made me think a lot about how my blog and brand is presented, and helped me solidify what I want my blog to be. I’ve got some great ideas in the works, which I’m very excited about. But now on to the next blogging adventure: April’s A to Z Challenge! I’ll be blogging every day in April (except for Sundays), with each day corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. I even have a theme, which shall be revealed on March 21. Stay tuned!

Good advice indeed…

If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats. – Lemony Snicket

10Mar2014

Why do YOU blog? Please tell me!

Posted in Blogging, Writing by Marci

I’ve been doing a bit of thought about a post I’d like to write soon, and I’d very much like your insight. Why do we blog? There are many reasons why I have a blog, but I’m trying to figure out just why so many of us put ourselves out there for the world to see. So I’m interested in what you, fellow bloggers, are getting out of the whole blogging experience! Please take part in my easy-peasy poll and/or leave a comment to tell me: why do you blog, and what is your ultimate goal? Participants will be kindly thanked by me mentally sending you a box full of the cutest hypo-allergenic kittens in the world (assorted colors and sizes)!

9Mar2014

Round Two: Another Post about Bras – Let’s Get Ready to Grumble!

Posted in Blogging, Complainments, Events and Courses, Healthy Perspectives, Humor, Me Me Me!, Women by Marci

Wow – we ladies certainly love our boobs, and have strong, loud and opinionated voices when it comes to protecting our options. Whether it’s breast-feeding in public or the injustices brought about by ill-fitting and unflattering breast support, it seems that, when it comes to boobs, we’re ready to rumble. Or grumble, more like. In fact, the post I wrote about a month ago called “Bra Shopping: Not as Titillating as I Had Hoped” was my most commented-upon post ever, since starting this blog back in 2005. I received a lot of comments through Facebook, and was even offered custom assistance from a personal shopper who works in the lingerie department at Nordstrom’s. Thank you so much for reading my rant and telling me how you feel regarding your own bra-shopping experiences!

Looks like I’m not the only one confused.

When it comes down to it, bras are pretty confusing. Not the concept, of course – just give us something comfortable and pretty that can help stabilize our ta-tas. Where this becomes troublesome is in the details. For example: Why the awkwardness – why is the clasp in the back? Why so few sizes that are either pretty or sexy; do the physics of bra construction prevent the use of color, sparkles or texture? And why the discomfort? Why, oh for the love of god, WHY is METAL WIRE with STABBY ENDS a component of ANYTHING that comes near our boobs? Where did we go wrong???

In addition to the problems I outlined in my previous post, a number of you wrote about issues that seem to be common when we go to the lingerie department. Here are a few of your comments:

Linda wrote: “besides color and poor construction, why does almost every bra out there in larger sizes have padding in the cup???” I know, right? It seems like most “every day” bras now come standard with padding or are push-ups. That’s not my idea of every-day comfort.
Amy echoed the above sentiment and added “I need a strap that doesn’t roll but hopefully doesn’t look like something out of a 1940s Sears catalog”, and I agree!
And Jessica also made a very good point about cost: “I take great issue with the fact that all the cute, frilly bras in the smaller sizes are always so much cheaper. I realize that it takes sturdier construction to hold up a larger chest, but come on. When they are three or four times the cost of all the other bras out there and still plain black, neutral or white that is just absurd. It is not that much extra fabric.”
But it’s not only the more curvy girls among us who have complaints; I heard quite a bit from the smaller ladies as well. Susan wrote, “Try shopping for 36A, also known as the 36nipple. I do not want an underwire, I want comfort…is that too much to ask?” Yes, yes it is, Susan. Just. Too. Much.
And it’s not even just the women, the men have something to say too. Ken passionately stated, “This injustice will not stand! I want everyone to have fun underthingies that fit. Seriously, why aren’t the manufacturers responding to the market that clearly needs a product? Do it for the boobies!” Thank you, Ken, for your (ahem) support!

The fact is, we women like to think that every single one of us has broken the mold in some respect. We like being individuals, unique, interesting, different from everyone else. And when someone tells us that we have to force our boobs into something that is, well, molded to a few specific shapes and sizes, that rankles us to the core. Truly, when I look back upon the history of the bra, I can’t say I’m excited for the future. If they haven’t listened to us by now, when will they?

Well, I guess we’ve got priorities. At least it’s pretty!

8Mar2014

New Roller Derby Rules Roundup: WTF???

Posted in Blogging, Events and Courses, How to Play Derby, Roller Derby by Marci

Oh, duuuuude! Just when I thought everything was getting squared away – I’m checking off my Minimum Skill Requirements (I leveled up from red to yellow!), got 24 laps in 5 minutes (on my way to 27 in 5!), and missed only ONE answer on my WFTDA written test (and that’s up for debate, really) – they had to do it. Starting April 1, the new WFTDA rules go into effect. Wait?!? What new rules??? Well, unlike me, YOU’RE not going to worry about it too much, because I’ve been doing some homework for you. I’ve scoured the Interwebs and found some resources for you to help answer all the necessary questions you’re sure to be asking yourselves right now (e.g., 30-second penalties? Flopping? Single point of transfer for star passes?). So are you ready to put your learning panties on over your helmet? Good! Head on over to these sites to get all the details about the new rules:

WFTDA’s New Rules Site: Get the summary of new rules from WFTDA here.
You Should Be Watching More Roller Derby Footage: The major WFTDA/MRDA rules changes in gifs. There’s a link for each rule change!!! Awesome site!

But if you want to know what people are saying about the rules changes – whether they like them or not and how they are changing the game, check out these blogs:

Derby Life: Top 10 impacts of WFTDA’s New 30-Second Penalties
Little Anecdote: Frisky Sour gives her opinion of the new WFTDA rules.
Great Call, Ref!: Thoughts on the new rules by a roller derby referee.
Roller Derby Jesus: The confessions of a promoter and life observer.

Ahhhhh. Now that my panic attack about the new rules is over, I hope that we can just all calm down a bit. It’s not really that big a deal, right? Cool. I’m going to grab a white Russian and watch The Big Lebowski. Again. And while I’m at it, why don’t YOU leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the new rules? Thanks!

3Mar2014

Gallery post format: no photo glue or decorative scissors required!

Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Events and Courses, Hobbies, Tips and Tricks by Marci

The other day, as part of the Zero to Hero program, I published a post in a “new to me” format. The new format was a gallery post, which arranges a bunch of pictures that you specify in a grid that is attractively laid out to highlight your photos. Today’s post is a follow-up to that post, which (if you remember) was called Kitty Derps, starring my cats in their most candid moments. Awwww! So cute! I really liked the gallery format, so much so that I used it on my new page, My Fuzzy Family, to feature my pets that are gone but not forgotten (in addition to the presently living ones, of course).

The reason that I chose to explore the gallery format is because I’ve always been drawn to layouts and organization in print media. I used to be a cartoonist, and after that, I had my own ‘zine (the Goyal Talk Times). I LOVED arranging panels and pages to make eye-pleasing visual arrangements featuring both text and illustrations. More recently (oh, the last fifteen years or so), I ventured into scrapbooking, and then went all-digital the past several years. I use Photoshop Elements to design my pages, then get a hard-bound book of my pages for each year printed through Shutterfly. Everything is organized and arranged just so! I go through phases of digital scrapbooking mania (it takes a lot of creative energy), but I’m always happy with the product. Want to see a few of my favorite pages? Well shucks…here you go, then!

So there – you’ve learned another little nugget about my anal-retentive personality – graphics have to be done just so, and when things aren’t arranged perfectly, it really bugs me. That’s why the gallery format post is so wonderful – you don’t have to line anything up yourself! Just pick out your photos and they are all sized, spaced and placed just how you want them. Just like magic!

And you don’t even have to lug around a big craft tote full of paper, templates, scissors, glue, stickers, glitter and all the other madness that scrapbooking entails (unless you’ve gone digital, of course)!

3Mar2014

Taking Bets Now: How Long Will I Last in the 30-Day Ab Challenge?

Posted in Challenges, Humor, Roller Derby by Marci

Recently, several of the ladies in my roller derby league (the Storm City Roller Girls) have been doing 30-day fitness challenges. Last month it was squats. This month: the 30-day Ab Challenge. To be sure, off-skates strength and endurance training are an important component of being physically fit and will make you a more successful skater for your team. So why did I join this month’s challenge? It sure wasn’t because I love situps. Maybe it was the camaraderie? A temporary moment of delusion and hope? I can’t figure it out.

Anyway, here is the challenge. Today is March 3. My 30-Day Ab Challenge to YOU is this: successfully guess how long I last in the challenge, and you will win a prize. The prize will most likely be a virtual box of kittens (all the cute, none of the poop).

Some things to consider:

It’s day three in the challenge, and I had to do days 1 and 2 (in addition to day 3) today. I might not be the most dedicated person taking part in this challenge.
I might be somewhat pessimistic about this challenge. In fact, I might have to call shenanigans on this whole thing. Because if I make it to the end of the month and my abs don’t look like the ones pictured in the challenge, I will be crushed. Someone will have to pay for my lost time and dashed hopes.
This is generally how I feel when I do situps. I’m the one on the right:

So join in the fun and maybe win a box of [virtual] kittens! Leave a comment with the date you think I will get to in the challenge; i.e., if you tell me that I will last through the 10th, the 10th will be the last day I actually do the exercises. Rest days don’t count – pick a day with actual exercise. And because I can be somewhat sporadic, but still in it, I will keep track and let you know at the end of the month how far I got into the challenge. Ready? Go!!!

Kitty Derps

You might not believe this, but my cats are not always completely photogenic. I’d say, that on average, it requires about 10 derpy photos to get one good photo of any one of my cats. So here’s my gift to you: a gallery of my kitty derps. Don’t tell Jesse, Sam, Momo, Oliver or Abbey, because 1) they will be very embarrassed; 2) they might exact revenge by posting a gallery of Marci derps (and there are many, I tell you); and 3) they might kill me in my sleep. They have tried before; I am lucky to be here.