Gonna make this garden grow

Here's tonight's tomato harvest!!

I think I'll harvest some of my basil and make bruschetta for my guests this weekend!

Roger and the Lock

Oh, Roger! Why do you do these things?!

I came home for lunch today. I don't get to do that every day, so I was pretty happy about it. That quickly changed when one of my more random, less probable fears was realized: Roger had locked himself into my bedroom.

As you can see, to lock the door is a simple flick of a switch and presto, privacy. However, to unlock it, one must turn the porcelain knob from the inside. On my side, the living room side, there is only a hole above the knob for a "key." Now, I know from my many years as an amateur babysitter that responsible parents keep the key on the frame above the door for just such an occurrence. However, I am not one of those responsible parents. Also, I don't even have a key for it.

After trying such genius materials as a pen cap, paperclip, and screwdriver, I ran down to Marla, who once again saved the day, this time by lending me a wire coat hanger. I was able to pop it open, and Roger smiled and danced, oblivious to the peril he had so recently been in, wondering only why I had waited so long to open the door.

And that, Matt, is why I go home at lunch.

Green Drinks 7/29

Last night Alex and I attended the monthly gathering Green Drinks at the Skinny Pancake. Held all over the world, Green Drinks is a social/networking evening for environmentally-minded people to have a beer, meet new people, and connect with friends. The Burlington event is held at the Skinny Pancake on the last Tuesday of the month starting at 530pm. A local green company hosts, meaning they pay for the first $100 in drinks and circulate through the crowd spreading their good word.

At first we stuck together exclusively, finding it too daunting to invite ourselves into one of the many already-in-progress conversations surrounding us on the patio. We chatted about KSV's own green group, and the upcoming commuter challenge. But then a familiar face caught my eye, and soon enough we were having our own lively and animated conversation with Ellen Shapiro, owner of the Champlain edition of the publication Green Living. I had worked with her frequently at a time when we both worked for different companies, and she was happy to hear of my career move and satisfaction with my current position. I told her a bit about KSV's green group, and she happily offered to run any press releases we have on the efforts and changes we're making.

This month's sponsor was Green Cab VT, a taxi service with a fleet of bio-diesel, hybrid, and electric cars. Alex pointed out that our company has a designated cab service for getting to and from the airport, and it might be possible to switch to Green Cab. I was able to sit down with owner Charlie Herrick, who gladly told me about vouchers KSV could buy - a possible solution for emergency rides home in our upcoming commuter challenge.

The energetic and committed owner is also looking to expand his offerings to include local courier services to Burlington. Since they don't have to pay the ever-increasing costs of gasoline, Green Cab will be a cheaper option. Sometimes, it IS easy being green!

Portions reposted on the KSV Blog Unplanned

Roger and the Window

Now that I live safely on the second floor, I invested in a window fan to help keep my place tolerable during the hot weather. I put it in the bedroom window and use it at night - it really does the trick!

Roger stays at home in my room while I'm at work. He's very well-behaved, never chews up my shoes or barks out of boredom. But I guess he finds ways to entertain himself.

One morning several weeks ago, I was at work and our downstairs neighbor Marla called me. I almost didn't even answer, I assumed it was house stuff that could wait. The call went something like this:

"Oh hi Marla, yep I'm at work. Yeah, heh, busy as usual. What's up? He's crying and barking? Hmm, that's unusual--hanging OUT OF THE WINDOW?!? - YES OF COURSE, I'M ON MY WAY!" (insert running noises here)

I immediately ran the two blocks home, expecting to see my little dog somehow stuck halfway out the window - or flying through the air in a daredevil leap. Marla was in her robe in her driveway looking up at my window as I neared, and there was Roger, proudly standing on the window sill, smiling at us.

I bolted up the stairs and into my room. He was so happy to see me! I was just trying to get my heart to stop pounding. He had somehow managed to knock the fan out of the window back onto my bed, push the window sash all the way up, and knock the screen out onto the ground below!

Needless to say, I now remove the fan every morning and lock the window before leaving for work.

Recommended Reading

I don't remember how I first stumbled onto the Diggin Food blog, but I love it! The lofted veggie garden entry is what first drew me in, and I stayed because it's all good stuff. Makes me want to turn the whole yard into a vegetable garden.

A very important introduction

Roger McKenna
Birthday 10.16.06
Adopted 4.16.08
60lbs of pure awesome

So long-time readers may notice my blog description has been revised from "Advertising - Environmentalism - Feminism - Friends" to now read "Advertising - Environmentalism - Feminism - Roger." Roger is my dog. He's my best friend, and he certainly gives me a lot of material to work with and adventures to blog about! When I mentioned to some coworkers that I had a blog, they insisted that Roger Stories needed to be on there. I've got some catching up to do!

Roger was adopted as a housewarming gift to myself in April '08 from HSCC, when he was 1.5 yrs old. I'd been volunteering at HSCC for over a year, waiting for the right dog to come through, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect! He's a Catahoula Leopard dog, which happens to be the state dog of Louisiana. Like most of the people who ask me about him, I had never heard of the breed. I did a little research before going to meet him. I don't know why they're not more popular up here - he's exactly what I was looking for!! - athletic but not hyper (able to chill at home all day, then go romping around in the evening and hiking on weekends); bonds really closely with his family; webbed feet for swimming; loves and needs human interaction. The very first time we met, I knew he was my dog. We had a paw-jama party later that week, and the very next day I spent my lunch break filling out the paperwork and we've never looked back.

From what I've pieced together from his medical records, he was in at least two different shelters in Florida, then transferred up to VT. Before he and I found each other, he had been adopted by another family here in VT, and lived with them for about 6 mo. He nipped at their young daughter a couple times when she cornered him for a hug, but their loss is my gain. It's only been about 10 weeks, but I can't imagine my life without him! He's always happy to see me, protective and very lovey and cuddly. Roger is mellow for such a young dog, and for the most part, well-behaved. I continue to be amazed at how clever he is.

JC Penney's "Speed Dressing"

I'm still trying to decide what I think about this ad! It certainly isn't clear whether they plan to be having safe sex, and that they are going through such thorough preparation means the daughter hasn't discussed - or maybe discussed and not OKed - it with her mom...

Here's some of what AdWeek had to say about it:

JC Penney Co officials are upset about a racy, fake ad on YouTube in which the retailer appears to be endorsing teen sex, and they are blaming the company's ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. The ad surfaced on the internet after winning a prestigious international advertising award at Cannes.

While the ad could anger parents who shop at Penney, it also has the potential to make the retailer seem "sassy, fun and irreverent" to teens, said Alan Siegel, chief executive of New York strategic-branding company Siegel + Gale. "It's not going to reflect well on the brand in Middle America, but the ad is nicely done and the people in it are attractive; young people in New York and LA will get a kick out of it," he said.

twitter update!

So I spent some time searching for other twitter users since none of my friends are on it yet! I tried 'Vermont,' 'Burlington,' 'dogs,' and finally 'dogster' - jackpot! (For those of you not in the know, Dogster.com is the social networking site for dogs - yeah, really.)

My profile picture is of Roger, but I'm tweeting as myself. The search results for 'dog' and 'dogster' seemed to be a mix of either that or people actually tweeting from their dog's POV. There were tons of users with their dogster profile listed as their personal website, and Roger and I made friends with a 'houla girl and her mom!

Tweet!

I'm exploring the secret world of Twitter! Are you on it? Find me and 'follow' me, and I'll follow you back. Barack Obama and I are following each other!!
While my use will not be directly work-related, I am interested and just for my own information, will be researching the ways that it has and can be used as a PR/marketing tool.

Sunblock safety concerns

Summer's here and we all want to avoid sunburn and of course skin cancer. So just slather on sunscreen before you head outside, right?

Well, not just any sunscreen. With no mandatory, comprehensive sunscreen standards in place, products vary widely in safety and effectiveness. And did you know that SPF ratings only cover UVB rays, which cause burns, but not UVA rays, which raise skin cancer risk?

After 30 years of debate, the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. Companies are free to make their own decisions on everything from advertising claims to product quality. FDA now stands in direct violation of a Congressional mandate requiring the agency to finalize sunscreen safety standards by May '06, flouting not only Congress but also consumers, who are reliant on sunscreen to protect their health.

Search EWG's sunscreen safety database to find out what's safest and most effective for you and your family. This database is the result of 18 months of research, and they found that 4 out of 5 of 952 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns - leading brands were the worst offenders! Find out what's safest and most effective for you, then go have fun in the sun!