Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
How my pack inspires me
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
My new photo book
Click here to view this photo book larger
Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous travel photo album at Shutterfly.com.
SHUTTERFLY asked me to remove this. Sorry.
If you want to see a picture of it, comment below and I'll post a photo of the actual photo book.
SHUTTERFLY asked me to remove this. Sorry.
If you want to see a picture of it, comment below and I'll post a photo of the actual photo book.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Remembering 9/11
I may be mistaken, but I am pretty sure this is the first time since "the" 9/11 that the anniversary has been on a Tuesday. Eleven years ago today, it was a Tuesday morning, warmer than today, but similar weather-wise other than the temperature. I remember there was hardly a cloud in the blue, blue sky as I set out on my daily dog walk with Hobie, then just under two years of age.
We had said goodbye to the elderly Timba in May of 2001, on Memorial Day, when she died not-so-peacefully under the Christmas tree in our back yard. After that, we named our yard Timba Memorial Park, in her honor. So, this was, and would be, my only few months alone with Hobie -- from May 2001 to November 2001 when we adopted Hector and ten years of fun ensued.
Hector, as I've repeated ad nauseum, was born on September 4, 2001, just a week before 9/11. On that awful day, I knew there was a litter of puppies and one would belong to us, but I hadn't seen them yet, and wouldn't know which one was ours until several days after 9/11.
That beautiful Tuesday was the same as any other day for me and Hobie. Gil slept in, and Hobie and I went for our 2-mile walk. I had been on Weight Watchers for a while and had lost around 25 pounds. I felt good. I loved walking with my dog, all over town. I was in great shape and felt fantastic most of the time. I had some chronic aches and pains (mostly migraines), but didn't have full-out fibromyalgia yet. When we got back from our walk, I made coffee and headed up to my desk in my office room to do my email and watch "Live With Regis and Kelly" -- having been a huge fan of Kelly Ripa since her days on "All My Children".
When I turned on the TV, at 8:45, a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers, and it wasn't yet clear that it was deliberate. In fact, at first glance, I thought it was a small, single engine plane that had gone off-course and hit the building. Looking back, I now think, well that was dumb, dummy! Who the heck flies a small plane in the middle of downtown Manhattan? But I guess that's what denial does to you.
After watching for a few minutes, I realized this was something much more. I immediately called Michael at our office at the student travel company. "Turn on the TV!" I said, "It looks like a plane hit the World Trade Center." Michael replied, somberly, "Terrorists."
I went downstairs and turned on the big TV in the living room. That woke up Gil, asleep next door in our bedroom. He came out, groggily rubbing his eyes, "What's going on?" I pointed at the TV, "I don't know. A plane hit the World Trade Center." I still didn't want to believe what Michael said, but I remember the look on Gil's face; he knew it was bad, too.
We rushed in to the office, tearing ourselves away from the TV at home, to which we were glued. The entire day was spent at work, gathered around the various televisions we have in the building, a lot of us crying, way too much speculation (we only heard details as they unfolded).
I remember, it was a Tuesday. We had recently made the important decision to open up a west coast office for the travel company, and had brought six young men and women to Massachusetts for training. They arrived here on September 8th and 9th, the weekend before 9/11. Their first day of training was Monday, September 10th. By Tuesday afternoon, September 11th, it was clear that this event had changed the travel industry, at least temporarily, enough for us to abandon the idea of staffing a full office in California. However, nobody would be flying home for many days. We had a traveling group stranded in France because planes were grounded.
While I did not personally know anyone who died on 9/11 (the closest person would be a man who lived in our small town whom I knew of but did not know personally) this day impacted the travel industry in ways which we are still feeling today. Parents stopped putting their kids on airplanes, at first because of the acts of 9/11 itself, then because of the wars, then, the economy. I refer back to this day often, hearing myself begin sentences with "Since 9/11...." Yes, I will never forget, for my own selfish business reasons, but mainly for the thousands of people who died such horrible deaths that day, and the thousands of others who rescued, cleaned up, and put back to together our fine neighboring city of New York. I still cry every time I think about them and what they had to go through. The rescuers and responders are now, if still alive, suffering from health problems. We have not nearly stopped seeing the long-term effects of this event that is marred into our brains.
I met our puppy, Hector, on Friday, the 14th of September. My co-worker and I were so upset that week and we needed to get out of the doom and gloom of the office for a while. We went to see the puppies. There were only a couple left who were not already spoken for. I chose Hector because of his beautiful markings. I had wanted a female, having heard that to have two male dogs together was a no-no. It wasn't true. I spent the best 10 years of my life with Hector. I associate 9/11 with my dog. He was not only born right before 9/11, he also died, ten years later right before 9/11. His life was sort of book-ended by the terrible day, and it's 10-year anniversary.
Here we are, a year later, and it is hard to believe 11 years has passed. Hobie is still going strong. We now have two more dogs. The travel industry has changed, but we are slowly seeing small improvements and we're going strong, too.
This is just a regular American, remembering 9/11. We will never, ever forget.
We had said goodbye to the elderly Timba in May of 2001, on Memorial Day, when she died not-so-peacefully under the Christmas tree in our back yard. After that, we named our yard Timba Memorial Park, in her honor. So, this was, and would be, my only few months alone with Hobie -- from May 2001 to November 2001 when we adopted Hector and ten years of fun ensued.
Hector, as I've repeated ad nauseum, was born on September 4, 2001, just a week before 9/11. On that awful day, I knew there was a litter of puppies and one would belong to us, but I hadn't seen them yet, and wouldn't know which one was ours until several days after 9/11.
That beautiful Tuesday was the same as any other day for me and Hobie. Gil slept in, and Hobie and I went for our 2-mile walk. I had been on Weight Watchers for a while and had lost around 25 pounds. I felt good. I loved walking with my dog, all over town. I was in great shape and felt fantastic most of the time. I had some chronic aches and pains (mostly migraines), but didn't have full-out fibromyalgia yet. When we got back from our walk, I made coffee and headed up to my desk in my office room to do my email and watch "Live With Regis and Kelly" -- having been a huge fan of Kelly Ripa since her days on "All My Children".
When I turned on the TV, at 8:45, a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers, and it wasn't yet clear that it was deliberate. In fact, at first glance, I thought it was a small, single engine plane that had gone off-course and hit the building. Looking back, I now think, well that was dumb, dummy! Who the heck flies a small plane in the middle of downtown Manhattan? But I guess that's what denial does to you.
After watching for a few minutes, I realized this was something much more. I immediately called Michael at our office at the student travel company. "Turn on the TV!" I said, "It looks like a plane hit the World Trade Center." Michael replied, somberly, "Terrorists."
I went downstairs and turned on the big TV in the living room. That woke up Gil, asleep next door in our bedroom. He came out, groggily rubbing his eyes, "What's going on?" I pointed at the TV, "I don't know. A plane hit the World Trade Center." I still didn't want to believe what Michael said, but I remember the look on Gil's face; he knew it was bad, too.
We rushed in to the office, tearing ourselves away from the TV at home, to which we were glued. The entire day was spent at work, gathered around the various televisions we have in the building, a lot of us crying, way too much speculation (we only heard details as they unfolded).
I remember, it was a Tuesday. We had recently made the important decision to open up a west coast office for the travel company, and had brought six young men and women to Massachusetts for training. They arrived here on September 8th and 9th, the weekend before 9/11. Their first day of training was Monday, September 10th. By Tuesday afternoon, September 11th, it was clear that this event had changed the travel industry, at least temporarily, enough for us to abandon the idea of staffing a full office in California. However, nobody would be flying home for many days. We had a traveling group stranded in France because planes were grounded.
While I did not personally know anyone who died on 9/11 (the closest person would be a man who lived in our small town whom I knew of but did not know personally) this day impacted the travel industry in ways which we are still feeling today. Parents stopped putting their kids on airplanes, at first because of the acts of 9/11 itself, then because of the wars, then, the economy. I refer back to this day often, hearing myself begin sentences with "Since 9/11...." Yes, I will never forget, for my own selfish business reasons, but mainly for the thousands of people who died such horrible deaths that day, and the thousands of others who rescued, cleaned up, and put back to together our fine neighboring city of New York. I still cry every time I think about them and what they had to go through. The rescuers and responders are now, if still alive, suffering from health problems. We have not nearly stopped seeing the long-term effects of this event that is marred into our brains.
I met our puppy, Hector, on Friday, the 14th of September. My co-worker and I were so upset that week and we needed to get out of the doom and gloom of the office for a while. We went to see the puppies. There were only a couple left who were not already spoken for. I chose Hector because of his beautiful markings. I had wanted a female, having heard that to have two male dogs together was a no-no. It wasn't true. I spent the best 10 years of my life with Hector. I associate 9/11 with my dog. He was not only born right before 9/11, he also died, ten years later right before 9/11. His life was sort of book-ended by the terrible day, and it's 10-year anniversary.
Here we are, a year later, and it is hard to believe 11 years has passed. Hobie is still going strong. We now have two more dogs. The travel industry has changed, but we are slowly seeing small improvements and we're going strong, too.
This is just a regular American, remembering 9/11. We will never, ever forget.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
"Paw It Forward" to Give Jobs to Individuals with Special Needs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
If the goal is reached, the pet treat company will use the investment to hire three individuals through its partner, Aditus, Inc., an organization that provides community-based employment and other services to Intellectually Disabled Individuals.
“Paw It Forward” to Give Jobs to Individuals with Special Needs
The Barkers Dozen seeks crowdsourced funding to hire three special needs individuals.
Aug. 9, 2012 — CHICOPEE, Mass. — The Barkers Dozen, an organic and eco-friendly dog treat company based here, launched “Paw It Forward”, a 30-day campaign to raise $10,000 in crowdsourced funding, in efforts to give a steady paycheck and vital career skills to three special needs individuals.
If the goal is reached, the pet treat company will use the investment to hire three individuals through its partner, Aditus, Inc., an organization that provides community-based employment and other services to Intellectually Disabled Individuals.
Social responsibility and giving back to its community is central to The Barkers Dozen’s mission. It has partnered with Aditus to bake and package its treats since 2011, and currently, all treats made by The Barkers Dozen are handmade by Aditus participants.
“Seeing the joy on one employee’s face when he got to open his first bank account, or another’s excitement when she bought her favorite recliner to watch television, are experiences that I can’t even begin to explain,” said President/CEO and Founder of The Barkers Dozen, Shawn Sherry. “Now it’s up to everyone to help me make this happen for more individuals in our community who want to be out there working, if they could only be given a chance!”
With the new employees’ help, the company will also be able to create three new flavors of organic dog treats. After the Paw It Forward campaign closes, The Barkers Dozen will collaborate with Paw It Forward investors to determine the three future varieties.
In addition, those who make a pledge to support the Paw It Forward project will receive a gift based on their level of support – from 50% off any order, to a year of free organic dog treats from The Barkers Dozen.
The Barkers Dozen is managing the Paw It Forward project through Indiegogo.com, a social crowdsourcing website. The campaign runs through Sept. 9, 2012, and is accessible here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/201673?a=1021062.
Available in select pet boutiques, upscale retailers and grocery stores — as well as online through The Barkers Dozen Virtual Bakery and Online Store — the current lineup of organic pet treats includes: Barkers Family Chicken Treats, Barkers Carrot Treats, Barkers Dozen Barkscotti, Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Treats, Cookie Cakes and The Big Dipper. Also available are a variety of Sampler and Seasonal Gift Boxes, and custom-made cookie jars and gift baskets.
###
About The Barkers Dozen:
With the goal of providing Homemade Organic Pet Treats that everyone could afford, The Barkers Dozen was founded in 2009. In the midst of the 2008 pet food scare, company founders Shawn Sherry and Anthony Newman saw an opportunity to start an organic dog treat business where customers could feel safe and secure about what they fed to that loyal member of their family.
The Barkers Dozen treats use the highest-quality, human-grade organic ingredients and are made in a variety of shapes and sizes to satisfy any furry friend. The gourmet dog treats are made on demand and in small batches to ensure the freshest product possible for customers, without artificial preservatives. Feeling a responsibility to the world in which we all live, its packaging is renewable or recyclable.
In 2011, Sherry assumed sole ownership of The Barkers Dozen, following a year of historic growth. Later that year, continuing its belief in social responsibility, The Barkers Dozen began utilizing staff from the Aditus group, a non-profit which helps those with special needs to be able to enter the work force. In addition, The Barkers Dozen donates a portion of its profits from every sale to two animal shelters in its local market.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Black Cat Appreciation Day, August 17th
In honor of Black Cat Appreciation Day, here are just a few of the black cats we've known and loved. Especially Mr. Kitty, our "favorite" if there can be such a thing.
Black cats are often overlooked in shelters and rescues (so are black dogs), and have been given a bad rap with all that "crossing your path" baloney.
Give a black cat a chance! If you're thinking of adopting, don't skip over them at the shelter. If you see a black cat cross YOUR path, maybe, just maybe it's a sign of good luck.
Here are our black beauties:
Black cats are often overlooked in shelters and rescues (so are black dogs), and have been given a bad rap with all that "crossing your path" baloney.
Give a black cat a chance! If you're thinking of adopting, don't skip over them at the shelter. If you see a black cat cross YOUR path, maybe, just maybe it's a sign of good luck.
Here are our black beauties:
Mr. Kitty (ok, yeah, he was allowed on the table!)
Mr. Kitty, we loved you so, and still do
Love Kitty at Long View Farm
Love Kitty at Long View Farm
The famous "Ratsky" Princeton, Mass. On top of my Ford Galaxie 500 oh yeah
Slippers (aka Hendrix), Framingham, Mass.
Slippers on my childhood bed at my parents' house
Tux, the Electric Bullet, our latest blackie
Bullet poses for what will become the cover of my book MTAITW
A more recent pic of Tux/Bullet
Saturday, August 4, 2012
1944 WWII memorabilia for Vol 2 of "More Than Anything in the World"
Teaser/spoiler! Here are some of the cool documents and keepsakes my parents kept from 1944. These scans will be part of Volume 2 of their journal "More Than Anything In The World" which should be available soon on Amazon, B&N and for Kindle and Nook shortly thereafter. The journal/memoir is being self-published by yours truly via amazon.com's "createspace" self-publishing module. Volume 2 will consist of letters written by my parents during 1944 and the beginning of 1945.
Volume 1 is already available on amazon.com, B&N and for Kindle and Nook if you haven't read it yet.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/more-than-anything-in-the-world-k-s--mueller?keyword=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller&store=allproducts
Where Volume 1 was romantic and heart-rending, Volume 2 deals more with WWII and some very cool stuff happens such as my parents getting the chance to live together in San Antonio, Texas after many months of separation. Unbeknownst to them at the time, my dad would be deployed to Europe at the very end of 1944, so those months in San Antonio turned out to be precious time spent together which would be followed by over a year of separation.
My father was fortunate to not be in a combat position; he worked in an intelligence outfit instead and was a stenographer and typist. The outfit moves through England, France, Belgium, and finally Germany, where they ended up staying for several months after the war ended. In fact, they were the only outfit to have that assignment in Germany, much to my parents' disappointment -- everyone else got to go home, except for the 15th Army.
On the way to France from England, the ship carrying the men was torpedoed, and sank. Everyone on the ship survived except for a couple of men. I have had the fantastic experience of "meeting" one of my father's comrades (now 89 years old) who was one of the very last soldiers to jump ship as the hull disappeared beneath the waters of the English Channel. This guy searched for my dad for nearly 70 years, and finally "found him" (me) thanks to the internet. We've struck up a great pen-pal relationship and have enjoyed getting to know each other and reminiscing about my dad and other things. How cool is that? We have not talked by phone because he lost over 60% of his hearing when the ship was torpedoed and has a very hard time talking on the phone. Which is all right with me, because I am "so not a phone person". It works out great for both of us!
I am beyond grateful to my mother for never throwing anything away! Here are some scans of some treasured memorabilia from 1944 that will be viewable in Volume 2 of MTAITW:
Volume 1 is already available on amazon.com, B&N and for Kindle and Nook if you haven't read it yet.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/more-than-anything-in-the-world-k-s--mueller?keyword=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller&store=allproducts
Where Volume 1 was romantic and heart-rending, Volume 2 deals more with WWII and some very cool stuff happens such as my parents getting the chance to live together in San Antonio, Texas after many months of separation. Unbeknownst to them at the time, my dad would be deployed to Europe at the very end of 1944, so those months in San Antonio turned out to be precious time spent together which would be followed by over a year of separation.
My father was fortunate to not be in a combat position; he worked in an intelligence outfit instead and was a stenographer and typist. The outfit moves through England, France, Belgium, and finally Germany, where they ended up staying for several months after the war ended. In fact, they were the only outfit to have that assignment in Germany, much to my parents' disappointment -- everyone else got to go home, except for the 15th Army.
On the way to France from England, the ship carrying the men was torpedoed, and sank. Everyone on the ship survived except for a couple of men. I have had the fantastic experience of "meeting" one of my father's comrades (now 89 years old) who was one of the very last soldiers to jump ship as the hull disappeared beneath the waters of the English Channel. This guy searched for my dad for nearly 70 years, and finally "found him" (me) thanks to the internet. We've struck up a great pen-pal relationship and have enjoyed getting to know each other and reminiscing about my dad and other things. How cool is that? We have not talked by phone because he lost over 60% of his hearing when the ship was torpedoed and has a very hard time talking on the phone. Which is all right with me, because I am "so not a phone person". It works out great for both of us!
I am beyond grateful to my mother for never throwing anything away! Here are some scans of some treasured memorabilia from 1944 that will be viewable in Volume 2 of MTAITW:
Hula girl stationery used by my mother's cousin Bob who was stationed in Hawaii
Dependency benefits form
Birth announcement of one of my cousins
V-mail from my father announcing his mailing address to be used while he is overseas
Announcement of death of my great aunt, Elsie Walsh
Western Union telegram announcing the passing of Elsie Walsh.
Sent to my parents while they were in San Antonio, Texas
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