Kelly Fishing for...

Fishing for....a summer to fall wardrobe

My late summer/early fall wardrobe begins to arrive today, provided UPS continues its spotty service in Queens. And my decades long love affair with JCrew continues...

Fishing for...Father Figure

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  Thanks for making sure I turned out normal and for still being the best man I know.

Fishing for...spring

Is it spring yet?  I want to wear a skirt and have bare legs, eat outdoors with my dog at a cafe, take the dog and a bottle of wine to the park, toss my parka way in the back of the closet, wear white pants, wear white shoes, go jogging without layers of thermal, go to Prospect Park's dog beach, go to New Orleans for Jazz Fest 2008, march with Savvy in the NYC Tartan Day Parade, worry about sunscreen because there's actually sun, sit outside and eat my lunch, solve all the problems in the world and find world peace....well, not all of these really are about spring, but when I strain for optimism, I really bend that way.

Fishing for...love in all the right places

I was going to do a Valentine's Day post, but instead I was the recipient of one so nice I could never compete.  Thank you to Ann and everyone over at Scottish Terrier and Dog News! You made me so very happy, I'm so glad you came into my life! (Neil Diamond)

Happy Valentine's Day Percy!

Fishing for...fashion forward

Thank you again, JCrew. You've given me hope that spring is actually coming with the incredible new Italy-themed spring catalog.  Today I purchased (with gift cards from the holidays - Tom don't freak out):

and

pencil skirt, but in white

perfect for spring, summer, etc.

tomorrow, more on what I still want to obtain from the catalog, just as soon as I lose 5 lbs.

Fishing for...Sundance

As always, Andrew O'Hehir's account of this year's Sundance Film Festival on Salon are highly informative and entertaining..and make me glad I'm not there in person.  With the exception of one film screening.  I can't wait to see "Trouble the Water" and hope it keeps Katrina alive in the minds of Americans.  If we're headed into a recession, the people who lost everything in 2005 and are still floundering today will need our help more than ever.

Fishing for...entertainment where I can get it

I think everyone knows how much I love television.  Sometimes I wish I was one of those people that goes on long hikes, sits around in coffee houses with smart friends talking about novels and politics, takes classes in raw food cooking and hits new art shows at the local gallery.  But, let's face it, that's not me and I'm pretty much OK with that.  I have hay fever when hiking, I find people who talk novels or politics pretentious and humorless, art shows bore me and I like my carrots cooked, dammit.  In fact, while you're at it, hold the carrots and make it fried chicken and french fries.

The person I am is someone who has most episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" memorized, who, as a child, wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer so much it hurt, who will leap into a passionate argument about the unfair cancellation of Andy Richter's last show "Andy Barker PI" with anyone even remotely interested (or, let's face it, not interested at all). 

So I think you can imagine what the writer's strike is doing to me.  I'm so desperate to be entertained that I've been watching marathon sessions of "What Not To Wear" on TLC and videos of puppies on "You Tube".  I'm not upset with the writers, they are doing the right thing and I even teared up at the WGA head's speech on Letterman's first night back.

But I've found some new consolation, a new place to cry, laugh, etc... The striking writers and other sympathetic parties are all contributing essays about their work and the dark, crazy reasons they do it at a web site called "Why We Write".  I can't recommend it enough, so check it out.

Why We Write

Fishing for...canine motivation

Pictured: Savvy sitting on the sofa cushions, staring at me. 
Can't you see the manic look in her eye?  Thinking "Get up, do something, for God's sake!" 
Notice TV on over her shoulder.

I just found this quote on a Yahoo group I belong to:

"If you're interested in matching your mind with the most intelligent kind of beast I have ever encountered, get yourself a Scotty dog. He'll get bored very fast, and it will require all of your personal power and intelligence to keep up with him. You might find a good friend."    - By Dr. Frederick Lenz

I really appreciate that.  Especially this week.  Tom's on business in Minnesota until Friday, so I'm alone with Savvy.  She seems to think that 30 minutes spent sitting on the sofa staring at the TV is a huge waste of time, never mind the three hours I usually like to spend a night.  I'm trying to tire her out so I can watch "American Idol".

So we run outside in the 30 degree weather.  We run at 6:30 am and then again when I get home at 5:45.  She's out the door like a bullet, and when I don't open both the front door to the apartment and the main building fast enough, she leaps onto her hind legs and paws at it and beats her front legs in the air like a race horse.

It leads me to suppose....Maybe I wanted dogs in my life for more than the fact that I love them?  Maybe somewhere deep down, buried under the lazy girl who loves big, dirty martinis and long hours of mindless television is a more ambitious, active person.  The kind who wants to take long walks, maybe even hikes.  The kind that bounces out of bed early in the morning to stretch, do some sit ups and eat a healthy, organic, locally grown breakfast.  But I hate that kind of person so much I have to get the dog to bring it out of me.

That said, I'd give anything right now to sleep an extra 30 minutes a night.

Fishing for...interracial dog socializing

This is an actual photo from Saturday (Savvy, center).  The dogs stayed like this for
about 5 seconds, so congrats to organizer Monica for getting this shot.

Savvy has had her very first dog playdate, found on Meetup.com.  Saturday was "Wine, Cheese and Terriers", held at the super-chic new Animal Haven Soho location.  Not hard to get me to go anywhere with "wine" or "cheese" in the title, but the terriers part was obviously a big draw.  It turned out to be entirely West Highland White Terriers, or "Westies".  Savvy was outnumbered for sure and not hard to find in the crowd, but enjoyed embarassing me as she attacked each and every white dog, in turn.  I had to actually pull long strands of white hair out of her mouth at one point.  There was also an ugly moment towards the end where they all got together and backed her into the corner of the room.  I could just see her face over the sea of white dogs, but other than that it was a good time for all.  The evening ended with about half the group heading down to the Soho Grand, where adult beverages are sold and the incredibly kind and patient staff tolerates crazy people who bring their dogs into five star hotels.

I will post more photos to Flickr.  I will also come back with a post and photo of Dixie, an adorable 4 year old Westie now up for adoption at Animal Haven.  She had to spend the first four years of her life locked in a tiny cage in a puppy mill, churning out litters of puppies for profit.  Now she's free and some very lucky family should take her home and love her strenuously to make up for this horrible treatment.

Fishing for...the coolest borough in NYC?

Darn right we're the coolest.  Go Queens!  Either that, or maybe we're just afraid Con Edison will turn off all our power for 10 days straight right in the middle of a 90 heatwave again. 

From CSR Wire "Queens Named Coolest Borough in New York City"