Hope

Today, I stood outside on this cool Fall day and listened to Barack Obama speak. I was so excited to walk up and get in line to secure my post, that I couldn't even wait on my co-workers to join me. I impatiently went on without them. Senator Obama is as genuine in person as he is on television. The crowd of thousands listened quietly and intently as he shared his hope for this country. He has enough hope to pull us all on board and save us from this sinking ship.

Whirl

Long time, no blog. Welcome Fall! Early voted, new foster dog, Walk for Hope, Fur Ball, First Friday trolley ride, Cher came down for my birthday, Jules and Petey in Bark magazine, weekend gig as a barista...some of the highlights since my August post. My brain doesn't always recollect in proper chronology or priority hierarchy, so I may have missed a few I'll remember sooner or later.


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For Bark readers, please check out the bottom center of page 24 in the September/October issue of Bark, and you'll see our Smiling Dogs Jules and Petey. (Photo courtesy of Petey's Dad, Jay Shapiro) For Jay's birthday, we took Petey, and his daughter Kate, and has some wonderful photos taken of Petey, and the three as a group. There is a portrait place at the Cary mall, and we went before the mall officially opened. Petey enjoyed the mall, and wished he could have shopped after the photo shoot. ;o) It's wonderful to have a professional portrait of handsome Petey, and I encourage all to get portraits of their pets.

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For my birthday, Cher came down and we had girl fun...revolving mostly around watching the first season of Californication on DVD. "David Dochovny, why don't you just love me?" It was perfect sister fun. And shopping, of course. I wish I'd have blogged right after that weekend, because we had such a good time, and I was so sad to see her leave.

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I walked with some friends again in this year's Walk for Hope. Largest walk ever with more than 3,000 in attendance, raising more than $400,000. This was the second time I walked with girls from work. Reason and I did the walk two or three times many years ago. Back then, I joined Alice Eure on the Donna Mason show on WPTF. I remember my sister Linda, who lived here at the time, asked me not to use my real name. I was on the show, as a person affected by emotional illness, promoting the walk, and stressing the importance of research into the causes and effective treatment of mental illness.

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This year I was finally able to volunteer for the SPCA of Wake County's annual fundraising "Fur Ball." I've wanted to help for years, but my schedule never allowed. This year's auction raised more than $250,000. It was a lovely event held at NCSU's alumni center on Centennial Campus. I worked the pet room where all the pet-related items were featured. My favorite were the Doggles, packaged along with a doggie life vest. Doggie goggles, how fun is that!! I'm envisioning that Dr. Seuss book, "Go, Dog, Go!" What a roar!

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Jay and I took the free trolley ride for October's First Friday event. We enjoyed dinner at 518 West and then jumped on the trolley at the intersection of North and Glenwood. Rode over to the fun thrift shop "Stuff" and visited the neighboring gallery, too. It was a quick First Friday, but fun nonetheless. Back on Glenwood, we swung into the Local Color gallery.

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Humphrey is our current Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue foster dog. Unfortunately, Mr. H. is heartworm positive, so he won't be able to find his new forever home for at least a couple months. He looks so much like my dog Jules. He is slightly larger, his head is chunkier, and he is more yellow than she is, but you have to look twice to be sure if it's H. or Jules.

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I've been working for a couple months on Saturdays at Garner's Swift Creek Coffee House. Gas money, and I wanted to learn how to pull expresso shots!! I get to meet my neighbors that I don't know, say hello to those I do know, and learn something new. I generally work with a wonderful young dude, Bryce, who has been my barista guru. He tells me I pull a great expresso shot!! Remembering all the flavored, phoo-phoo drinks is quite another story.

Did I say vote? I took advantage of early voting yesterday. I understand that I'm among more than one million North Carolina voters who have as of today.