DOES YOUR CAT POTTY OUTSIDE THE LITTER BOX?

If so, you are not alone.  Several years ago, concerned that so many people got rid of their cats over inappropriate pottying issues, I wrote my first ever veterinary newspaper article on the topic.

Unfortunately, I'm still seeing people with the same problems.  So I keep writing articles, hoping to "save" somebody.

Here's a potty smorgasboard.  This is how you discover what your cat wants.  However, there should be a covered box in the mix and varied locations to be complete.





Here's a good example of a covered litter box.  Just kidding, this is just funny, on several levels.





It's very important to keep the litter box clean.  This means scooping at least once daily, and dumping the litter, cleaning the box, and putting in fresh litter once a week.



For more info on the topic:

http://www.postbulletin.com/life/lifestyles/pet-vet-eliminate-some-common-causes-for-cats-avoiding-litter/article_1f803dcf-d149-5dd6-9ebb-6a94d53ae63a.html

- Dr. Ann M. Anderson
(aka Ann M. Noser)

PLOT



Plot drove this novel at top speed. 
All the characters were despicable! 
But I loved the book anyway...

vs. CHARACTER




driving force: 
charming character

driving force: 
plucky character

Two important bookish questions to ponder:

1)  Which is more important, plot or character?
2)  Does the reader need to LIKE the main character/s to enjoy the story?

I'll use the last three books I've read (pictured above, all highly recommended) to consider these issues.  (I realize I'm not impressing anyone here with my obscure tastes, since all three have enjoyed wide popularity--but I think they provide good examples).


Liking the main character:  Do I have to?

 Normally, I do have to like the main character to enjoy a movie or a book.  For example, despite widespread acclaim, I absolutely hated the movie THERE WILL BE BLOOD.  I can agree that Daniel Day Lewis is an amazing actor,



but the character he played was a horrible man.  I wanted to punch him when he left that little boy on the train.  No.  Worse than that.  I wanted him to blow up into a thousand burning pieces.  Especially after he took away three hours of my lifespan that I will never get back.  I never want to hear anything about that movie again...but my husband loved it so much he quotes it on a regular basis...so I am out of luck.

HOWEVER, I loved the book GONE GIRL, and I didn't "like" one single person in it.  They all were so awful to each other, but I couldn't stop reading.  It didn't seem to matter that I didn't like anyone, and I didn't know who exactly to root for.  The plot grabbed me by the throat and forced me to turn page after page until the rollercoaster ride ended.

And about that ending...are you with the majority who wanted more?  I expected more.  I expected blood...ala Daniel Day Lewis style.  But perhaps the quiet end is intentional.  Isn't it true that a person's imagination is always worse than the real thing?   Gillian Flynn cleverly left it up to our imagination, all the while hinting at more to come...

Just after I read GONE GIRL, I discovered the wonderful HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET.  Henry Lee (the main character) was patient, faithful, and honorable.  I wanted to know him for real (as opposed to the characters in GONE GIRL...if I saw them in person, I'd run away screaming).  I rooted for Henry from page one and cheered him on the final page.  It's a lovely book.  Please read it.

Another great character driven book is GIRL IN TRANSLATION, which is listed as fiction but is partly autobiographical.  It's an education on immigration back in the era of American Chinatown sweatshops (before everything was made overseas in actual Chinese sweatshops, but that's another sad story).  I rooted for Kimberly Chang until the ending, where (ironically because she was always so smart through out the rest of the book) I thought she acted very stupidly...and selfishly.  But don't let that stop you.  It's still a great book.


To answer the question is plot or character more important--my answer is:  it depends.
It depends on the book and it depends on the reader. 
Some people only like to read mysteries--so they must enjoy plot over character.
Others enjoy romance novels--so they must prefer character over plot.

I'm just happy I can enjoy both kinds of books--plot or character driven.
But not if the characters are mean to kids, then they can go to...

(sorry Daniel Day Lewis, no hard feelings, okay?)



Here he is in the background, enjoying a good book, in one of my all-time favorite movies ROOM WITH A VIEW (based on the novel by E.M. Forster, which is the best of both worlds--both character and plot driven).





WRITING FOR MAGAZINES

Since I'm working on another article for RunMinnesota, I thought it would be fun to revisit the piece published last fall.

See the title RUNNING REVISITED?
That's me!

In February of 2012, after a decade of not running, I signed up with Team in Training to run a half marathon in memory of my late father and raise money for leukemia/lymphoma cancer research. 

Signing up was the easy part.

The rest looked like the picture below.

And I mean the girl dressed in yellow, in case you were confused.

Because I was "torturing myself for a good cause" (that's a quote from a friend of mine), I had a lot of support.


 

Here's a link to read the magazine on-line.  My article is on page 14.

http://runmdra.org/index.php/read-runminnesota/251-september--october-2012


The goal of the article was to inspire others to do the same--get in shape while raising money for worthy causes.

Instead, my body totally fell apart and I had to start all over again, rebuilding my hips and legs from step one.

That's what the article I'm currently writing is all about:  getting the right shoes, physical therapy, and (my favorite topic, of course) Pilates/yoga.





Which leads to my next question:
Why do so few men practice yoga?

And now I have to laugh at myself, because it's SO FREAKING HOT OUTSIDE that I haven't run in almost a week. 

An awesome friend sent this card to me once in college.
Best.  Card.  Ever.

But I have done yoga.  Indoors.  In air conditioning.  Where the sane people live.  :.)

DOES YOUR DOG HAVE THUNDERSTORM PHOBIA?

Mine does. 

When the thunder crashes...



her sanity dashes...



and she comes to me looking for relief.




To read more on the subject, here is a newspaper article I wrote for the Post-Bulletin:

http://www.postbulletin.com/life/lifestyles/pet-vet-you-can-help-your-pet-control-fear-of/article_a46b17fe-54ad-5031-997b-8796c200238a.html


Good luck and good day!

OOH, BABY, IT'S HOT OUTSIDE!



As a veterinarian, it makes me cringe to see people out biking with their pets running alongside in the middle of the day in the summer.  Heat stroke is a serious condition.  As part of my mission to help pets, I write a newspaper article every summer on just this topic.  Be smart.  Be careful.  Be kind to your pets.

http://www.postbulletin.com/life/lifestyles/pet-vet-be-a-cool-pet-owner-protect-your-pooch/article_bdc080fd-2b5d-5454-9e11-62c383b13d2d.html

Mile 26.2 - WRITING MARATHON STATS

26.2 days of writing tips, coping tips, and emotional support
13,000 word count
4 pictures of Christopher Plummer
5 references to The Princess Bride (at least 5, there could be more)
repeat praise of the poem Desiderata, C.S. Lewis, and my critique group

And an excessive number of cute animal pics like this one!

That's it in a nutshell.
Thanks for reading!

Mile 26 - SEMI-DEEP THOUGHTS ON BLOGGING

I started blogging to join a Twitter/online writing contest. 

Then I volunteered at the Med City Marathon.  For three hours I froze my butt off (May in Minnesota--gotta love it), got rained on, and really had to pee.  The event inspired me, not to run a marathon (at least not this year), but to write one instead.




The plan:  I'd blog every day about writing for 26.2 days.  About halfway through, I thought I'd run out of topics, but I just kept going and here we are at the end--almost.



Blogging is weird.  It's like a diary that you want others to read.  Twenty years ago I wouldn't have done this.  I never told anybody anything--so closed off it wasn't good for my mental health.

Now I have the opposite problem--I can't shut up.

I've heard I'm supposed to have a inspirational goal for my blog, kind of like a theme song.
This dead president sums it up in one sentence:



Yes, I write.  Of course I want my books to be published.  I can't live if I don't have goals.

But since I have more in my life than writing, my blog will reflect this.  The writing marathon is over.  Be prepared for any topic to follow.

My hope is that this blog will help others put up a good fight.  If you're having trouble getting an agent, making enough breastmilk to feed your son, or dealing with a miscarriage--I hope my words help you through your struggle. 

Just like C.S. Lewis said:



Hang in there.  The clouds will disappear.