Spring PSA for Owners of Dogs that Swim

This is a friendly reminder (warning) for those of you with dogs who love to swim.

I created this file <------- three years ago after a horrific swimming incident that happened at Lake Mohegan in Fairfield.

We take Hogan for a walk every weekend morning and it usually involves a dip in the lake or further upstream in the Cascades. Our typical M.O. was a quick towel dry and then to let him "air dry" in the backyard after we got home.

To make a long story real short...after one particular weekend of swimming (it was spring and there had been a huge rainstorm and subsequent run-off), he developed a severe rash under his ears and around his neck and collar area. These "hot spots" spread very rapidly if undetected, and because of all that fur, we had no idea what was happening underneath. I noticed a lot of seeping (wet fur) that smelled really, really bad. So off we went to the vet.

As a result of the infection, the vet had to remove the fur from all of the infected areas. The result was what you see above -- a hairless, naked rat! Poor fella! Thanks to oral and topical meds, he healed quickly, but it took several months for his hair to grow back.

It turns out the whole thing could have been prevented, and that's why I'm posting this reminder. Our vet told us to simply rinse Hogan with the hose and towel dry him every time he swims. Bathing too frequently isn't good either. I suppose the rinsing would have been a simple and good practice to follow all along, just something we --and the poor ol' pooch-- had to learn the hard way.

So don't let this happen to you (or your dog, for that matter)! Rinse your dog every time after swimming! Then let him air dry in the yard!

THIS is Jeopardy!

I've been a lot of places in the world, but I'd never been to Las Vegas --a place where, by the way, if you haven't been to a lot of places in the world, you can see 8 of the world's top ten sites (Eiffel Tower, Pyramids, NY, NY ...you get the point).

Martha (see Top Chef story below) was one of the floor managers for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and she invited me to come visit Vegas during the show. The trade show itself was darned impressive -- 1.8 million square feet of show floor -- one of the largest there is!!

The Sony television folks unveiled their new Jeopardy! set as part of CES, and as such they held the taping of Jeopardy! Torunament of Champions one evening during the trade show.

Being VIP guests because of Martha's role with CES, we had tickets that allowed us to see them tape the first two rounds (but we're sworn to secrecy about the winners)!

Johnny Gilbert came out to "warm up" the audience before Alex and the contestants got underway. I managed to snap this shot just before Johnny told us "no photography, please." The entire production was really impressive, with almost no flaws and therefore, little for show editors to do after the fact. It was quite the contrast to the "...Millionaire" taping we attended when Amy was a contestant years back (let's not talk about that...grrr).

The Tournament airs March 16 and 17. Look for us in the opening shots when they pan the audience!!

Party Conversation, Part Deux

I don't think this story stands on it's own... Please read Part One for context.

Now, back to that trip to nowhere...

Thanks to status, I was upgraded on my first two legs (Hartford to Atlanta, Atlanta to Phoenix). Things went completely according to plan. I arrived at Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) just after 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time (EST -2 hrs.) and without incident.

The gate area was dead, so I went out into the main terminal to find an open restaurant, bar, store (maybe a souvenir from my trip?) or something to kill time on my 3-hour layover. Most everything was closed. So I found a seat and read my TIME magazine. At some point I dozed off (after all, it's now almost midnight my time).

Suddenly, I woke up, almost in a panic, and felt extremely thirsty. Across the way was a coffee stand, where I headed for a cold drink. By the time I got to the cashier, I felt very lightheaded and faint. I quickly grabbed my Diet Coke and found a seat at the nearby food court. Immediately, I blacked out. My head started ringing, I could only see spots, I was profusely sweating and couldn't catch my breath. I put my head between my legs and tried to pull myself together.

An eternity seemed to pass (at least 3 or 4 minutes) and instead of getting better, my symptoms got worse and worse. By this point, my shirt was wring-able with sweat. I knew that I was in trouble. I looked around but didn't see anyone who looked like they could help. I managed to get myself up and made eye contact with the guy who just sold me the soda. "I need medical help," was all I could manage before falling to the floor.

I sat there, on the floor in the food court, for a couple of minutes with my head resting on a chair. A cleaning lady came over and told me that the paramedics were on their way. She graciously handed me my soda, but I still didn't have the wherewithal to get myself back up into the chair.

A couple minutes passed and 4 EMTs showed up. First, they got me into the chair and started with the thousand questions (any medical history? chest pain? are you pregnant?) and getting my vitals. My heart rate was all over the place...like crazy. Blood pressure was low, low, low when it's normally perfect. They were puzzled and couldn't figure me out (not a surprise), so they decided to call for transport -- yes, an ambulance. In the mean time, they asked me to lay on the floor (in the food court, no less). Before they could help me to the floor, I fell out of the chair. But once I was on my back with my feet propped up on the medical bag, most of the symptoms subsided.

By this time, the entire Phoenix fire rescue department (must've been a slow night) had arrived at Sky Harbor Airport. At least it seemed that way. The crew took more vitals and asked more questions, but by this time the sweating and head-ringing had calmed down considerably. My pulse was still erratic and I was still very weak. So they told me that they couldn't clear me to get back on the airplane -- now my flight is about 45 minutes from boarding (this is not a recommended way to kill time on a layover). They recommended that I go to the hospital for evaluation. So I did.

Here it is: (can't get a really cool video of the St. Lukes Health Center ER to upload...bummer)

Long story short...I was diagnosed with dehydration and vertigo. What happened: When I fell asleep in the chair, my neck was cricked in such a way that it cut off blood circulation to my head. That led to all the other stuff.

I was in the ER for 2.5 hours, taking in 2- 350cc bags of fluids. They put me in a cab at 3:30 a.m. MST and sent me right back to the airport.

I was fortunate that Delta had a 5:55 a.m. flight with a good connection through ATL that delivered me right back to Hartford (with First Class upgrades on both flights)by 3:05 p.m. and with my 2009 SkyMiles status secured!

Definitely a trip worth taking!!!

Cocktail Party Conversation, Part I

When there's a lull in the conversation at your upcoming holiday party, here's a story you can tell about one of your whacky friends...


Earlier this week, I took a trip to nowhere.

Here's why: It's November, and my Delta SkyMiles account is incredibly close to the next elite status level, but still a few miles short. Status is based on actual miles flown in a calendar year(not credit card miles or any other bonus miles). This year's actual miles flown earn status for all of next year. It's different than total mileage balance -- where I have still a huge amount of credit. Mileage balance gets you free tickets, but status gets you SO much more.

With elite status, baggage fees (and most other fees) are waived, you get priority boarding and baggage handling, can bypass security lines in most airports (except Hartford, which really bothers me), get free or discounted lounge access and -- perhaps most significant -- get automatic priority upgrades from coach to first.

I've enjoyed status with Delta for almost 15 years, and I'm fortunate to get upgraded on almost every flight I take (which is a lot). Upgrades used to mean just priority boarding (guarantees overhead bin space) and a roomier seat, but with the airlines charging for everything now, being upgraded means even more. First class passengers don't have to pay for blankets or pillows (up to $7 on most airlines), headphones for the movie (a bargain at $2--and only if you don't have your own), food (Delta offers a full menu starting at $2 for a bag of peanut M&Ms), and drinks ($7 in coach vs. free and free-flowing in First).

So now, back to my trip to nowhere. I was about 1,200 miles short of achieving status, with no further travel plans through December. I realized this a few weeks back. So I found a hole in my schedule and started searching for farthest-and-cheapest-flights. Don't believe what you read about ticket prices. I found a round trip from Hartford (cheaper parking than my New York airport options) to Phoenix for $138, so I booked it.

My plan was to depart Hartford 3:00 p.m. on Monday, connect through Atlanta, and arrive Phoenix 9:30 p.m. Then I had a 3 hour layover and a 12:30 a.m. red-eye back through Atlanta, delivering me back to my short-term parked car promptly at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. It was a BRILLIANT plan that would earn me free pillows for all of 2009.

That insanity, in and of itself, should give you at least one good cocktail party conversation this holiday season...