Pets on Vacation

Since I don't have a pet (or live plant), I am free to travel anywhere, any time I wish, but many of my friends have pets and must plan their trips by factoring in someone to pet sit or find a place that will accommodate pets. Even Oprah has based her stays at certain hotels on whether or not they will allow her dogs to stay with her, so places which cater to pets on vacation are an invaluable service (her hotel chain of choice is the Four Seasons).

Best Friends Pet Care has boarding facilities all over the US from San Diego to Florida, with concentrations in popular family destinations, like Walt Disney World Resorts in Florida. They offer a wide range of choices from private doggy suites to cozy kitty condos. For a small daily fee they will even give one on one private play times tailored for your pet from active ball tossing to cuddling for older pets. If you live near one of their locations, you can also take advantage of their doggy day camp, grooming and training options.

If reincarnation exists I want to come back as one of Oprah's dogs, or at least as a dog who gets to stay at a place like Best Friends Day Care.

My Virtual Puppy

I have never wanted a dog; even as a kid, the joys of playing with and petting a dog were far outweighed by just the idea of having to pick up dog poop everyday. I enjoy other people's dogs because I get all the benefits of a pet without any of the responsibilities. I now have a virtual puppy (which is about all I can handle), named Godiva and have been enjoying her so much, I wanted to share how I got her with anyone else who wants a virtual puppy.

By now nearly everyone has either a Facebook or Myspace account or both (I have both under the user name Elainetravels). My friend Darrin (a real friend, as in I actually have met and known him for more than 10 years) on Facebook introduced me to his virtual puppy, Dagwood, and asked me to adopt him, which in turn introduced me to the application Pokey created by Bonehead Labs. The application is slightly different on Facebook and Myspace, with the Facebook version offering more choices of puppies, and more general possibilities for play, so if you want more options, sign up for the Facebook version. Although the application takes awhile to load, once it is loaded, you can play smoothly (it has trouble loading on Firefox, but works fine on Safari or Explorer with the latest Flash Player).

In both applications, you can pet, play with (throw a frisbee or a tennis ball), feed, and decorate your pet's environment. (I have made my puppy an indoor pet with a nice bed and cute doghouse.) You get credit (bones) for having your puppy catch what you throw, for feeding your puppy, and for petting or feeding other pups. You can also earn bones by buying products or doing an endless customer survey, but I prefer simply having the puppies go fetch bones.

I learned that even even with a virtual pet, you must give it water and food every day, or it will get very thirsty and hungry. I guess even a virtual pet requires some responsibility, but that's ok because my virtual puppy is poop free, and that is only possible in a virtual world.

Good Kitty Helpers

I must begin by saying that I am allergic to cats. When someone who owns or lives with a cat comes near me, I sneeze and my eyes water. There are times when my allergies awaken to the mere presence of a coat or sweater of someone who has been in contact with a cat.

All that being said, I like cats (and dogs) and I would like them to be happy and comfortable even if they can not be in my home. Diane told me about a cat she rescued and helped (but could not keep) with an organization called Fix Nation. They will neuter a feral cat (for free) and provide you help in trapping (and releasing) a feral cat for neutering. Feral cats actually help keep the rodent population in check, so helping a feral cat can lead you to a happier life (and fix nation happily accepts donations).

Stray Cat Alliance is another cat care organization whose motto is to create a "no kill nation"; they provide a free neutering service and adoption help for stray cats. For every cat lover who can not adopt another cat but would like to help it find a good family, stray cat alliance is a great resource.

No need to become a cat lady or cat man; there are organizations which can help keep the cat population in check and provide good homes for them. Being feral isn't a bad thing as long as it does not breed into overpopulation and disease.

Help a cat today and you could prevent a rodent infestation tomorrow.

Chillow

If you or your dog overheats, then you might want to check out the chillow. It's a cooler for your pillow that you fill with water (it absorbs into the material) and put inside your pillowcase. It does NOT need to be put into your refrigerator or freezer; you simply fill it and leave it in your pillowcase. It will gradually warm up to your body temperature as you sleep on it, but when it does, you can flip it over or put it aside for a few minutes to get a cool surface again.

This is great for pets with heavy fur coats (like big Saint Bernards who live in sunny Southern California) or for men who tend to overheat (with or without a furry coat on their bodies). This is also a great idea for women who are having problems sleeping with their hot flashes in the night; it's a cool alternative to freezing out your bed partner with the air conditioning set to 50 degrees (not to mention that it will save you money).

Think of the chillow as the yin to the yang of a hot water bottle.

My Oldest Bob

It is my old friend Bob's 50th birthday this year and I hope the next 50 will be filled with as much fun and good food as we have had since we have known each other. Bob is probably my oldest friend; I met him 28 years ago at the first job I had after I graduated from college. Through nearly three decades of life, we have both held a variety and plethora of jobs, moved several times, been married and divorced (Bob is now remarried with a child and a dog), and shared nearly every Thanksgiving together. Just as in life, our Thanksgiving traditions have evolved and improved with experience.

I cooked for our first Thanksgiving group, but ever since then, Bob has been the lead chef (his latest job is F & B manager at the Del Rey Yacht Club). Even though his first turkey was roasted with the giblet package still inserted inside the neck cavity, the fact that he managed to feed 30 people was laudable enough for us all to return year after year. Last year he had the aid of two of us as sous chefs and managed a four course meal worthy of a five star restaurant (with no giblets left in the turkey), complete with printed menus and four dessert choices. Because everything was made from scratch by hand for our family of friends, it was the best of all meals.

I think the best meals are like the best old friends; they are held together by the shared love of those who are willing to do the work of creating and maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship.

Happy Birthday Bob!

Therapy Dogs

I have been afraid of dogs nearly my entire life; when I was about 5 years old, (a very long time ago) a big German Shepherd chased me on my way to school and I had to hide between a tree and a fence to get away from him. Since that experience, I have been so afraid of dogs that I would cross the street if someone with a dog (on a leash) was walking towards me on the sidewalk.

Gradually I got to know some dogs (it seemed most of my friends owned dogs) and I grew to realize that some were gentle and kind (just like people). I finally progressed past my fear enough to pet a dog after I had known her for a few months. Eventually I even got comfortable enough to befriend a great Dane (who weighed as much as I do); he used to sit on me to show his affection for me.

Today I may still be a bit reserved when meeting a dog, but I allow my senses to tell me whether he is friendly or aggressive instead of automatically assuming he will try to bite me. It's been a long process, but I've met some wonderful dogs along the way who have taught me that my first experience is not the only experience possible. I got "dog therapy" from the calm and friendly dogs who taught me through their presence how to trust a dog.

I learned today that there are Therapy Dogs who go to disaster sites, nursing homes, and childcare facilities to help with the emotional, physical, and social well being of people; they bring joy and love to people who either can not receive it from other people, or don't receive enough of it from other people.

Dogs are wonderful healers and teachers, after all, it was the kind and gentle dogs of my friends who have taught me how to overcome my fear of the one who chased me decades ago.

More You

To continue yesterday's inspirational theme of friendship, some friends are furry or feathered; your friend maybe a dog, and we can learn how to live happier lives by simply observing and behaving like our friend. Alan Cohen has a book called, "Are You As Happy As Your Dog?" which is a fun and insightful read on how to live a happier life. Simple things like, "dream with your feet moving" and "dig where the real bones are", or "don't settle for mush" are rules humans could apply to make life more fulfilling. Friends don't have to be human to be helpful.

A friend is someone who not only sees you for who you are (even when you don't), but someone who encourages you to become more of who you are by challenging you to grow and learn even if it is uncomfortable.

Old Little Tokyo in Los Angeles

Little Tokyo is hidden East of downtown off the 10 freeway, but with the advent of lofts that have become live-in art galleries and the infusion of the in-every-mall chain stores, Little Tokyo is transforming into an eclectic mix of old character Japanese and new homogenized anywhere USA. No one needs a guide to the name brands we already know, so today it's about the old characters which are still around and are the reasons this area is called Little Tokyo.

There is the Japanese bread bakery that people drive miles to come to from the west side of town, (even with traffic that can make the 10 mile drive an hour long commute). Yamakazi has its' roots in Japan, but the breads are baked here, and the quality of their simply sliced white bread screams, "Eat me!" If you want to try one of their typically Japanese sweet breads, try their cream pan or melon pan. They are famous for something they call Sugar Toast; it's a dessert, but it wants to be called something else (shhh!).

There is the landmark Japanese supermarket Mitsuwa, in the huge nearly empty shopping center, but go just for the market to peruse the produce, fish, and sauces which come directly from Japan. Yes, some of their fruit and fish are flown in from Japan. Some of the packages and cans are marked only in Japanese, but most have pictures, and store staff will translate if you need them to tell you whether you are looking at a sauce made from fish or sauce for fish. If you are very adventurous, just buy it and try it! Shopping here gives you an idea of how immigrants feel coming here to the U.S. where everything is in English and they must figure out if the tuna is for people or cats. There are many stores within the market, making it a mini shopping center within itself, such as: the Apple Bakery, with whipped cream strawberry cakes; Little Tokyo Cosmetics for all things Shisedo; Daikichi Sushi for lunch boxes of fresh sushi; and Fugetsu-Do for fresh mochi and bean paste sweets.

The art of handcrafted pottery is becoming extinct, but there are still a few places like Utsuwa, which sell old-fashioned plates, bowls, cups, and pots that are hand made, glazed and painted. Of course most of the pieces are from Japan, where craftsmanship is still regarded with respect, and where people prefer the quality of a well thrown bowl to one which is mass produced. The hand made ones are heavier, all unique (since each is hand glazed, no two are exactly alike), and have a feel that is as different from the Made in China pottery as stainless steel is to tin cutlery. After buying a few pieces I decided to buy a set of dinnerware, including a matching sake set at Utsuwa. Everyone admires the quality of this set and they always ask where I bought it. The pieces are not more expensive than fine china (and much more durable), but they do cost quite a bit more than the sets made in China that every college student starts out owning. These pieces are the grown-up upgrade. Utsuwa offers a loyalty program where they stamp a card with your repeat purchase amount and offer store coupons when the card is filled; a good way to build your dish collection with a discount.

Some good old restaurants remain, like East, which has a little bit of everything from sushi to tempura, teriyaki, and salmon specials on Monday nights. If you can't decide what you want, just to go to East restaurant and order a combination.

Finally if you are tired and don't want to drive home after your day in Old Little Tokyo, get a room! The Kyoto Grand Hotel got a recent $8 million dollar renovation to send you off to dream about your adventures in lush surroundings. Oyasuminasai (Good Night).