Ten on Tuesday...

Yeah, I get that it's actually Wednesday...but it's also been more than month since I updated so this is by far the easiest way to do this!

1. We recently had a very successful fundraiser at Art Buzz - if you're not familiar it's great for a girl's night out (though men are welcome too). You BYOB and they provide the canvas, paint and inspiration. You leave with a painting...and a slight buzz depending on your drink of choice :-) We chose the painting, filled the class and Art Buzz graciously donated more than $300 to our rescue group! Check them out at http://www.artbuzzbirmingham.com/. My blue dog original below:

2. We spent six days in the San Diego area with my sister and brother-in-law during August. The weather was amazing (no wildfires or earthquakes = amazing to me!) and we had a great time.

3. It was nice to have a break from the dogs, although we owe our dogsitter an astronomical amount of money. Our dogs are pets, but managing a small herd is also a part time job. It was nice not to think about feeding times, pooper-scooping or medicine. We did get to have fun with my sister's dog though - Ozzy is a hoot:

4. We spent the better part of one day at San Diego's Wild Animal Park. I was super excited but I had no idea it would be as incredible as it was. Learning about their captive breeding programs and their endangered animals...I could have spent the entire week there!

5. I also go to visit with a few friends while on the west coast - two I'd met, and two I'd not met before. Pizza with Sam and Brandon and the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Melissa and Chris. Boy there were some total freaks out there...!

6. Hollywood was followed by a night at Knott's Berry Farm. I could have done without one of the two rollercoasters I rode, but it was quite entertaining to hear my husband and brother-in-law screaming like little girls!

7. We got a call from our dogsitter near the end of our trip and I cringed when I saw her number come up on my caller ID. She generally only calls when there is a problem. And when there's a problem, it's generally bad. But this time (thank GOD!) she was calling because she had exciting news about Lily - Lily willingly went for a walk with her husband! Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Okay....that's a big deal because...?" Lily is, among other things a fruitcake. Even on her behavior meds, she loves me, Brandon and our dogsitter. She tolerates our vet. That's where it ends with her. So her going on a walk with a man she's only met once before (and she didn't particularly care for him then!) is HUGE in LilyWorld.

8. We returned just in time to start scrambling for Hurricane Gustav. Thankfully, we're far enough north that our biggest concern is usually evacuee traffic, but I spent last Saturday in Mobile. Several of us drove the shelter vans down to help evacuate their adoption floor. 41 dogs and 11 hours later, we made it back home. We weren't able to clear the entire shelter, but we did our best and made the load a bit lighter for the employees who braved the storm at the shelter.

9. Birmingham did receive it's fair share of evacuee traffic. The hotels are full and the Red Cross has at least three large shelters set up. I spent a few hours yesterday in the Civic Center parking deck helping care for dogs that came in with the shelter evacuees. For the approximate 200 families staying at the Civic Center, we had dogs from three families. THREE. How many people left their pets behind? How many felt they didn't have a choice? Didn't we learn anything from Katrina?

10. And finally a hilarious picture of Ralphie sporting his business casual look (the tie and collar say business while the lack of pants says casual):