Furry Friends Support

Sun., Oct. 5, 2008

A big supporter of animal rights, I was happy to participate in the 3rd Annual Humane Society Walk for the Animals in Washington, D.C. I volunteered at the registration table before the event, so I wasn't able to bring my own three doggies. However, I wore a button that showed I was walking in their honor. As the crowd grew, there was a sea of doggies of all sizes and breeds. The energy level was high and not surprisingly, the dogs were experiencing sensory overload. Activities prior to the walk included doggie yoga, an agility course, contests for owner-look-alike and best dressed canine and a microchip clinic. There was a cute doggie water station. The band Redline Addiction provided great live music. My friend Karina joined me for the one-mile scenic walk around Constitution Gardens. The only disappointment to a majority of the attendees -- the walk was too short. There were approximately 2,000 participants and more than $97,709 was raised. The Humane Society is continuing to collect donations until November 7.

Vino Birthday Party

Sat., Oct. 4, 2008

Our core group got together to celebrate our friend Eric's birthday at Tarara Winery in Leesburg, Va. (Chhayal, Chris, Pascale, Mary Lou, Seetal and Amelia). We kicked off the festivities in the wine tasting room. A staff member guided us through the tasting experience -- helping us identify the unique flavors and understand the complexities in each vintage. We choose to participate in the Featured Selection, which included five wines: 2006 Charval, 2007 Rosé, 2005 Cabernet Franc, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and Non-Vintage Wild River Red. After the tasting we headed over to picnic tables overlooking a lake to have lunch and enjoy some bottles of wine. It was a beautiful autumn day. The house dog Shadow, a sweet black lab, came over to greet us. Everyone brought a different item to contribute to the picnic. On the spot Eric cut tomatoes and stuffed them with homemade chicken salad. The spread looked like something right off the pages of Martha Stewart Living. We ended the afternoon with a delicious chocolate birthday cake Chhayal made from scratch.

Comic Relief

Thurs., Sept. 25, 2008

My friend Eric, along with two of his friends Pascale and Mary Lou went to see Kathy Griffin perform at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. We had great seats smack in the center. It was Kathy's first performance since she won her Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program for her work on 'My Life on the D-List'. Her material focused on a lot of behind-the-scenes dirt from the Emmys and politics -- not surprising considering the location and it being an election year. Her show lasted about an 1 hour and 45 minutes and was solid entertainment. A nice and well-needed laugh break from the stress of everything in the news.

Natural Wonder

Sat., Aug. 30, 2008

I went on a brief weekend road trip to my hometown. My cousin and his wife knew I had never participated in the sites of Niagara Falls, even though I lived in Buffalo the first 22 years of my life. One of those things where you take your surrounding for granted until you are no longer living there. They took me to the Cave of the Winds and Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls on the American side. The Cave of the Winds was a blast! Mother Nature provided us with a gorgeous day. We paid for our tickets -- the fee included a yellow disposable slicker and a "fashionable" pair of foam sandals. We then joined a looooong line and patiently waited to enter. You take a quick elevator ride down inside the cave walls. You then take a brief walk thru the cave to the outside. You definitely want to be wearing your slicker at this point because you are sprayed with water shooting off the rocks. The views and colors of the Falls are SPECTACULAR as you climb up and down the red wood stairs, getting as close to the sides as you dare!!! I had a really great time.

Side Note: The sandals are provided to tourists so they can keep their own shoes dry and the sure-grip soles of the sandals prevent slippage on the wet scenic decks. Afterwards you can place your sandals in a large bin. The recycled sandals are given out to individuals who are in need of footwear locally, nationally and internationally. The sandals are distributed by members of the Project Angel Shoes Distributor Partnership Program. In May 2008, 65,000 pairs of sandals were donated to individuals in poverty-stricken Haiti.

Behind-the-Scenes of an American Legend

Photo by Chhayal

Mon., Aug. 18, 2008

My friends Chhayal and Eric took me on a mini road trip to York, Pa., to tour the Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations Factory. It was an item on my life list and their goal was to help me cross it off. I was SUPER excited!!!

We pulled up to the sprawling 232 acres of Harley-Davidson property and secured our tickets. The one-hour factory tours are free, but tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Upon entering the H-D facility you walk through a mini museum, a floor room area where there are a variety of motorcycle models you can sit on and a gift shop.

Tour time!!! There were 17 people in our group. Our guide's name was Larry and his security controller sidekick was Ray. Larry has been a H-D tour guide for the past seven years (he was super knowledgeable about the company and motorcycles). Before we could proceed, he instructed all of us to put on our provided safety goggles and headset. Our cameras were temporarily collected, because no photos are allowed to be taken inside the factory. The tour began with a 10 minute video on the history of H-D. Next, we entered the factory. We learned there are approximately 3,100 factory employees. From 1973 to 1998 all Harleys made came from this factory. Today, all Harley Touring motorcycles are made at this location. The tires they use are supplied by the Dunlop Factory in Buffalo, N.Y., (that's right, my hometown!) It was fascinating to see the process of how they blend traditional skills done by men/women with new robotic technology to build such beautiful objects. In Larry's opinion the two coolest jobs at the factory (besides his), are the roll testers and the auditors. The two roll tester guys take each bike and ride them under simulated circumstances for about 1.5 miles at approximately 65 m.p.h to make sure the motorcycles are 100 percent ready before they to go shipping. The auditors pull completed bikes out at random, test drive them on the road and rate them. The scores are then given to the employees so they know how well they're doing as part of in-house quality control. After witnessing these work stations in action, I'd have to agree with Larry, they are awesome jobs!!!

Whether you are a motorcycle enthusiast or not, I would highly recommend taking this manufacturing and assembly tour. It's a guaranteed once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Southern Exposure

Rascal Flatts

Small sample of the lawn crowd.

Sat., July 26, 2008

My friend Chhayal had lawn seats to see Rascal Flatts' sold out show at Nissan Pavilion and invited me to come along. My first reaction was to reply nooooo way! After all, classic /alt rock are in my blood. But being open-minded, I decided why not go see what a live country performance is like.

We met up with a zealous group of 14 acquaintances in the parking lot at the venue a few hours beforehand and tailgated. Making sure our tummies were well-lined to handle our cool summer beverages. Many of the people I spoke with said it was their third or fifth time seeing the band in concert. It was a beautiful summer night -- perfect conditions for an outdoor show. The crowd was very enthusiastic. Taylor Swift was the opening act -- not impressive. Later in the evening after the sun went down Rascal Flatts took the stage and boy what a performance they gave! Even though I only recognized two songs, I shockingly enjoyed myself. Their voices were impressive and their energy was contagious. Overall it was a really fun experience. Would I do it all again? You bet your banjo I would.

For Those Who Have No Voice

Carol Leifer

Sat., July 19, 2008

The Taking Action for Animals 2008 conference put on by The Humane Society of the United States was held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City this weekend. I wasn't able to attend the overall conference because of previous commitments, but I was able to attend the banquet dinner. The dinner was hosted by comedian Carol Leifer, writer for 'Seinfeld,' 'The Larry Sanders Show' and 'Saturday Night Live' and co-executive producer of 'Rules of Engagement.' Speakers included Congressman Earl Blumenaur (D-Ore.), 2007 Humane Legislator of the Year and Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of HSUS. Approximately 500 people attended the banquet, which loosely began at 7:15 p.m. Vegan fare was served, not my personal taste, but a respectful choice given the circumstances.

Carol's presentation was informative and entertaining. It was obvious she was well-prepared. She gave an update on advancements continuing to be made in California with the closing of puppy mill supplied pet stores. Congressman Blumenaur was up next and although his speech was sincere, it was very looooong winded. Last to speak was Wayne. Similar to Carol, Wayne's speech was passionate and inspirational. He said, "...it's not a question of animal behavior, it's a question of human behavior and not so much a question of animal rights, but human responsibility. ...we don't invent new standards and expect people to conform to them, we remind our fellow citizens what they already know to be true, and seek to hold them to their own standards of respect and compassion."

The 3rd Annual Humane Society Walk for the Animals is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5 at the Constitution Gardens in D.C. You can bet I'll be there with my rescue dogs in tow!