Many of you know I've been working in the pet industry for quite awhile. In fact over the past 13 years I've had the opportunity to work with a number of truly interesting people. For example, folks like Harrison Forbes, host of the syndicated radio show Pet Talk and author of pet book Dog Talk. Or Andi Brown, author of The Whole Pet Diet and founder of Halo, Purely for Pets. Or recently when I was a guest on Marc Marrone's show "Petkeeping" on the Martha Stewart Living channel, he was an in... Read Full Story
While we were on our fabulous Aegean Sea cruise, we had a professional pet sitter take care of our three kids at home in Palm Springs. We had decided to hire a new pet sitter after mounting concerns regarding our former pet sitter. Looking back, I'm not sure why we never switched sooner. Several years ago, we were warned by a friend who had used our former sitter that they had returned home early and found the pet sitter in their pool, having been at their home. (she was only supposed to be w... Read Full Story
Yesterday all three kids went to the grooming salon for a much needed bath, haircut and mani-pedi. They enjoy going to the day spa, its fun to be with other dogs (and cats), enjoy a soothing massage and generally be pampered. Surprisingly, Owen doesn't mind going at all. His groomer, Ruthie loves to groom cats and he can sense it. He just sits there on her table and doesn't even try to move or run away. She just has a way with cats I suppose. Anyway, by the time they all returned home, they h... Read Full Story
In my spare time, I've been contributing to a new site on Facebook called Generation Natural Pet. It's a site for people who want the best for their pets and want to hear and learn from other pet parents, share information etc. The site's mission is "to promote and celebrate optimal pet health and happiness through Natural, Organic and Holistic Products." I'm a member of The Generation Natural Pet Council along with others who are contributing information and ideas to help other pet parents ... Read Full Story
Today is the final installment of my Aegean Sea Cruise blog series. It has been a terrific cruise- everything you hope for in a vacation. I spent most of yesterday relaxing, napping and reading. In fact I finally finished the book I had been reading, so I was especially pleased with myself. At dinner we said our farewells to table-mates, with whom we've dined nearly every night for the past two weeks. I went back to my cabin to finish packing and just chill out. John went to the final show of... Read Full Story
Today is our last full day aboard the Grand Princess ship. We are still at sea, sailing the beautiful and shimmering blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. I’m reading “My Life in France” by Julia Child, and what a terrific book so far. It was the final book written by the venerable cooking expert known as The French Chef, and more importantly, author of numerous best selling cookbooks including “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. I can almost hear her speak the words I am reading, with her... Read Full Story
We’re at sea today, sailing north back to Rome. Last night it was a perfect night, I left the balcony doors open to enjoy the sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep. Today it is warm and sunny, a perfect day to relax on deck by the pool and relax. I still have many photos to share from our two days in wonderful Egypt, so here goes. First, a few photos from the dinner cruise we took along the River Nile:above: a blurry photo of "Scarabee", the dinner cruise boatabove: I've had a lot of fine wi... Read Full Story
We reached perhaps the pinnacle of this entire cruise, Egypt. It was the first time I’ve set foot on the African continent, so it was exciting for me in many ways. Our ship arrived in Port Said, Egypt after a full day at sea. We drive from port Said to Cairo as part of a secure caravan with police protection, and soldiers armed with guns. The nearly three hour drive was mostly open desert sand, with occasional developments here and there along the way. We elected to take a private tour, and ... Read Full Story
Part of the cruising experience of course is enjoying life on the ship. Being “foodies” one aspect of ship life is the variety of food and dining options on board. For example, we tend to prefer the dining rooms for our meals instead of the buffets, In addition to the dining room options, most ships typically offer a few specialized restaurants as well. The Grand Princess ship offers Sabbatini’s (Italian), and The Painted Desert (Steakhouse). You can also have private dining on your balcony, ... Read Full Story
