June 4, 2013 · 7:00 am

OTAT in OK

Second Chance

This past weekend, from Thursday to Saturday, I traveled down to Moore, Oklahoma with several other volunteers from One Tail at a Time, the dog rescue group where I act as the Volunteer Coordinator and sit on their Board of Directors.

We traveled down with a van full of donations from our awesome volunteers and spent a day volunteering with the Animal Resource Center and Second Chance Animal Sanctuary. And the best part? We pulled six dogs (four from Second Chance and two from the Central Oklahoma Humane Society). All of the pups where already at the shelters prior to the tornado, which freed up space for the many displaced pups from the storm.

This was definitely the trip of a lifetime and I am so happy that I went and was able to be a part of it. The devastation in Moore was unreal and I can’t imagine what it was like to live through that. On Friday, when the second storm rolled in, we were able to take shelter with some of the kindest and most welcoming people I have ever met. The generosity shown to us is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

Read more about our trip and see more photos on OTAT’s Facebook page!

Toby

LittleChi

Cats

Devastatioin

Nina

June

(All photos c/o One Tail at a Time)

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May 29, 2013 · 7:00 am

Where I’ve been. Part 2.

gin 2

Over the past few weeks, my mom was out of town several times, which meant Chick and my childhood pup, Ginger, got to spend some time together. Oh, and I learned what’s it like to commute into the city from the suburbs via the train every day. It is tiring, let me tell you. I also learned that Metra, unlike the CTA, runs on time, and once you miss one train, the next one won’t come riding up in a few short minutes.

gin 1

chick and gin

We also traveled back to Madison for a weekend for a college graduation and despite the traffic, Chick was loving the joy ride.
road trip

And can you believe that just one week ago, Chick celebrated one year with us? Time sure does fly.
chick one year

I also celebrated Mother’s Day with my mom with an outing to Birchwood Kitchen, a great neighborhood joint, and to the Chicago History Museum where I completely fell for Vivian Maier’s black and white photos of Chicago during the 1960s.
mother's day

photo exhibit

And one more photo of Chick because she looks like a model. Well, a model pup. :)
chick model

(Black and white photo by Vivian Maier, c/o the Chicago History Museum.)

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May 28, 2013 · 8:00 am

Where I’ve been. Part 1

aon view
[I could get used to this view, as seen from the 69th floor of my building.]

aon view 2
[Now that it's warm out, lunches outside are a must.]

The past two months have flown by. I guess starting a new job will do that to you. My days have been filled with early morning runs and walks with Chick, just in time to jam myself onto a packed El car and ride downtown to work. I swear it feels like we’re all sheep being herded to and fro. But I’m not complaining because I’m into the Loop in 15 minutes, with a 10 minute walk to my building. Things could be worse.

So far I have nothing but good things to share about this new job. And luckily for me, I’m also still doing a bit of freelance work for the old place, which however, does mean less time here on this space. But here are a few snapshots of life lately.

Sun 2

chick
You can’t tell by today’s gray skies and cool temps, but it’s finally starting to get warm, which means Chick has been enjoying some sun.
ride the drive
Warmer temps also mean the start of bike riding season for me, as I am a fair weather friend and only ride when temps allow. Over the weekend I kicked it off with a ride down Lake Shore Drive with my dad.

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April 1, 2013 · 7:45 pm

Easter treat

dog park (image)
I felt a little guilty about not being able to take Chick along for Easter yesterday like I was able to at Christmas so since the sun was shining and it was above 30 degrees, we headed out to the dog park for a special evening treat. She was the littlest one there, of course, but that didn’t stop her from exploring. She didn’t make any new friends, but she also didn’t let the big guys get to her. Way to go, sweet Chick.

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March 28, 2013 · 7:00 am

Throwback Thursday

throwback

My sweet pooch Frasier when he was no more than a year old. Now at 14, his eyes are just as piercing, if only with a few more gray hairs around his face. It’s so crazy to watch how much your pooch has grown over the years.

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March 26, 2013 · 8:00 am

Representing

snood

Simmons

On Friday, Chick, along with adoptable Kuma from One Tail at a Time, took a trip out to Oak Lawn to hang at Simmons Middle School to talk to the kids about humane education. Chick was on her best behavior and let dozens of students pet her, Kuma represented pit bulls in a positive light and lots was learned about the importance of spaying and neutering your pet. Not to mention the kids had the time of their lives. There’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up when they see a pooch.

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March 25, 2013 · 8:00 am

Getting better

sociabull

Yesterday we took Chick on her second Sociabulls walk and I’m happy to report she did much, much better! She kept up pace and because we’ve been practicing our leash walking skills (somewhat) she was able to listen and focus so she could stay on task. I think this bodes well for future outings. Good job, Chick!

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