Mary and Casey's Wedding

August 30th, 2010 was our friends Mary and Casey's Wedding Day.
Mary manages the doggy day care where we've been taking Dolly and Franklin for about 6 years. She's the most kind-hearted, caring, wonderful person you'd ever meet. She gives everyone a smile every day (even on the challenging days) and treats all of the dogs as if they were her own.
On Monday afternoon, August 30, a smart man named Casey took her for his wife at the court house in historic Annapolis. I(Rob) was fortunate enough to be there (taking a couple hours off of work). Mary looked stunning in her wedding gown and I got to play "usher" -kind of, while we were waiting for the groom and his family to get situated. I escorted Mary and her dad to the back door of the courthouse's chapel and watched them walk up the short aisle to the altar. There were about 30 people packed in that little chapel, and it was a short and sweet ceremony that brought some moist eyes in the crowd. When Casey was asked if he took Mary to be his bride he said loudly "Absolutely!" That's love! Congratulations Mary and Casey, and we wish you a lifetime of happiness! It was a wonderful ceremony. Here are the pictures:

Smiling on a Sunday

Our Dachshund Franklin and Weimaraner Dolly love the weekends when we're around all the time. They like following us outside, too and sniffing the perimeter of the yard to keep the evil squirrels and bunnies from invading their turf. We thought these pictures of them with goofy smiles would make you smile!

Saturdays are Meant to be Busy!

Saturdays always seem to be busy around the house.
MORNING STUFF - By 12 noon, we had already walked the dogs twice, Tom got a haircut, went to Lowes, swept and mopped the entire first floor, loaded the truck with construction debris, went to the dump, and had a Dunkin' Donut breakfast sandwich and coffee for lunch. Then the afternoon started!
- We've hired a great, hardworking perfectionist named Brian who painted our living room (photo below of picture and lamps), stairway and upstairs hallway, painted the master bedroom (photo below) and our sitting room, painted and installed 6 new doors we bought. He's been doing that over the week, and today he finished painting and installing the doors. (Photo below are the spray painted doors in our front yard). We hired someone to do all the painting, because Rob is not allowed to paint. Tom has seen Rob's painting skills and we'll just say they're not too good. Perhaps that's intentional? :)



AFTERNOON STUFF -The afternoon was just as busy as the morning. Tom did edging work in the yard while Rob mowed the lawn. Then Tom went on a weeding and gardening frenzy (see below), while Rob took the dogs (Dolly and Franklin) inside and bathed them (see photos below of Dolly in a towel, and Franklin in the sink!), cleaned their ears, and brushed their teeth. After the bath, Dolly and Franklin just had to crash! Rob also wrote a press release about his book and updated this blog...before going onto laundry and the next project!

Koch Foundation-Owns a Lot- Funds Right-Wing Causes

Tom heard a story today on NPR about the Koch Foundation and how it owns a lot of things, including companies that make products, and supports Right-wing politics.
SO... we will NOT be supporting them, their products or anything they put their hands on.
Here's the NPR Story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129425186
NPR STORY ON-LINE: The Brothers Koch: Rich, Political And Playing To Win
Chances are you've never heard of Charles and David Koch. The brothers own Koch Industries, a Kansas-based conglomerate that operates oil refineries in several states and is the company behind brands including Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Lycra fibers and Stainmaster carpet. Forbes ranks Koch Industries as the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. — and the Koch brothers themselves? They're worth billions.
And in the past 30 years, they've funneled more than $100 million into dozens of political organizations, many of which are trying to steer the country in a more libertarian direction. Among the organizations they've backed are the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank that has recently raised questions about climate change, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia — which one Democratic strategist called "ground zero for deregulation policy in Washington."ROB'S COMMENTS: Anyone that supports the Cato Institute has a right-wing, anti-science agenda. 97% of scientists world-wide KNOW that climate change is a reality. The other 3% are ignorant and have a right-wing political agenda. Period. I WORK with data every day that PROVES Climate change and global warming is a reality and has been since the Industrial revolution. No Question.
We don't need to support these ignorant people (the Koch brothers) to fund more ignorant people. They don't know ANYTHING about climate change, but support an anti-climate change view because of their political agenda. So, why can rich people who are ignorant of science support people with their uninformed scientific views? As a meteorologist, I'm disgusted with them and others like them.

WHAT THE KOCH WEBSITE SAYS: The Koch Foundation began with the vision of Mr. Carl and Mrs. Paula Koch in 1979. It was Mr. Koch's belief that he was "just a steward of the finances given by God to use on His behalf," inspired by the commitment he and his wife, Paula, made to founding the Koch Foundation. Thus, began a commitment by the Koch family to continue the vision of Mr. and Mrs. Koch in supporting evangelization efforts of the Catholic Church.
FAQS: The Foundation only provides grant awards to Catholic, non-profit organizations.http://www.thekochfoundation.org/faqs.html#faq2

What You Need to Know About the Egg Recall

What You Need to Know About the Egg Recall
Posted by Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on August 26, 2010 at 11:11 AM EDT
In recent weeks, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis has sickened hundreds of people across the country and has led to a recall of shell eggs. FDA, CDC and state colleagues have worked hard to review reports of illness, to link these illnesses to eggs, and to trace these eggs to the farms involved.
We have had a team of investigators on two farms in Iowa investigating the problem, and ensuring that contaminated eggs are not shipped. The FDA is monitoring the recall, including conducting audit checks at retail stores, wholesalers, and distributors to make sure the recalled shell eggs are being removed from the market.
To avoid the possibility of foodborne illness, it’s always the case that consumers need to handle eggs safely. That means they need to keep them refrigerated, wash their hands before and after handling, and cook the yolk and egg white thoroughly. It’s also important to wash cooking utensils and food preparation surfaces after handling eggs.
Consumers should go to FoodSafety.gov to check for the list of recalled eggs and to get related egg safety information, including details on how to handle and prepare eggs safely.
Eggs tainted with salmonella look, smell, and taste normal. If you have any question as to whether the eggs in your refrigerator are among those that have been recalled, please either discard them or take them back to the store. Check foodsafety.gov for updates on the recall and tips on what you can do to reduce your risk of salmonella from eggs.

Product Recall Website- to bookmark

Here's a great website that everyone should bookmark - ESPECIALLY if you have children. Every week there's some child-related product getting recalled.
The website is for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission who is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Part 2: Friends and the American History Museum

PART 2: We met our friends Dave and Laurie and their three cool kids (visiting from Massachusetts) on Sunday and toured the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, DC- then went on to enjoy the Smithsonian's American History Museum. Here are photos from that adventure... 1) Walking toward the front door (Tom wearing his "I can say What I'm thinking" tee shirt); 2) Tom showing Julia Child's kitchen - that was moved into the museum as a display! 3) Laurie and kids looking at Carol Burnett's drapery dress from her tv show skit/parody on the movie "Gone with the Wind." 4 & 5) Some great group shots facing the Washington Mall.

PART 1: Friends and the Old Post Office Pavillion in Washington DC

Months ago, our friends Dave and Laurie were planning a summertime visit to Washington, DC with their three kids: Nick, Matt and Emily. Tom helped them out with sights to see (he knows DC well), and the trip happened this weekend. So, we got to meet them for lunch at the Old Post Office Pavilion, where we took the elevator to the 12th floor and got some great views from the tower! Of course Tom and Rob had to take their now-famous "goofy face" photo from the tower with the Washington, DC background. There's a great family photo of Dave and Laurie and the kids in front of the bells from the Old Post Office tower here, too.
This is Part 1 of a 2 Part Blog. The second part will have pictures from our adventures in the American History Museum.
Here are the pictures from the Old Post Office Pavillion:

Political Signs Litter the Landscape / Short-term Memory Loss

It's only August and we've seen political signs all over the highway, sidewalks, and residental lawns. There are more political signs up now than housing sales and development advertisements. We notice that Md. Gubentorial challenger Bob Erlich (R) has more signs up than anyone else so early on.
What truly amazes me is the SHORT-TERM MEMORY people have in our state and the entire country! Bob Erlich was an awful governor in Maryland. People were happy to vote him out. He danced around every issue and raised taxes, and a LOT of taxes. He tried calling them "fees" instead. Here's an interview done by a local reporter this year:

**Nationally, the short-term memories of voters astounds me. They keep blaming the current president for the Deficit. HELLO!!!! When Pres. Clinton left office we had a surplus. When President Bush left office we had a RECORD DEFICIT (he wiped out Clinton's surplus), left us in 2 wars, a recession and horrible condition. The current president had to add to the deficit to provide job extensions and help bail out the auto industry (which has MOSTLY REPAID their loans and are now back on their feet). SO, why is it that people don't remember how we got to where we are today? I think the country needs Ginkgo Biloba to enhance their short-term memories.

Movie Night: Catwoman / Surprise Visit

Tom helped a friend for the last three days with his house down in South Carolina (long story), so Rob got to watch a movie that hasn't been on Tom's "To Watch List"- Jeff came over one evening and we watched Catwoman Its a new take on Catwoman (a villianess-turned hero in the comic books) as this film depicted Catwoman as a superhero It was released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004. This story features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, donning the Catwoman costume. The film has no ties to the Batman series other than the name "Catwoman." The film stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, and Alex Borstein. It was poorly received by critics and audiences. Jeff and I thought it was "okay" and could've been better if it stuck with the original character and a less revealing costume.
On Friday evening our friends Cary and Susan surprised Rob (Tom was in SC by then) with Dunkin' Donuts coffee, donuts and muffins! What a GREAT way to start the weekend. Good friends, a surprise AND Dunkin' Donuts coffee. :)

More "Dog Days" Photos of Summer

WAITING FOR DINNER - I took this picture of Franklin the Dachshund and Dolly the Weimaraner from my cell phone while they were patiently waiting in the kitchen for their dinner. I buy turkey and ham and mix it in with their dry food, and when they smell it, they sit up and pay attention!


"WHERE'S FRANKLIN?" - Our friend Amy's dog Emma stays over a couple of days a week when I (Rob) work from home. This week, Emma, Dolly and Franklin had an outdoor venture and all walked around. Franklin ran into the garden and was obscured by foliage when Dolly and Emma were searching for him in this picture!

A Great Story with Pictures Only

This is an incredible pictoral of a dog being rescued from a raging river from a bystander in 2008. I'm unsure what country this is from. See the whole series at: http://www.pets-n-people.net/vb/showthread.php?t=15613

(Thanks to Lynn C. for finding this!)