30 Days Of NYC Memories – Day 3: Movies in Bryant Park

| mattkarr

So much activity happens just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Times Square over in Bryant Park. One of the first activities I took advantage of when I was poor and unemployed in NYC was the free movies shown in Bryant Park each Monday, hosted by HBO.

01 - HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival - Photo by Bryant.jpg

Timeline goes like this:

<5:00pm – Get in line to enter the park. One line for people with Bags, One line for people without bags.

5:00pm – Bryant Park Lawn opens to the public

5:05pm – Individuals in “no-bag” line enter the park through security and find a lawn spot

5:15pm – Bryant Park Lawn is completely Full

6:00pm – Individuals with Bags finally enter park through security

6:01pm – Individuals from “bag” line join friends and begin drinking wine/beer and eating snacks

——

——

——

——

9:00pm – Movie Starts, beverages continue thru the end.

The key to success was to get there early and get a spot and save enough room for everyone expected to come. Plus a few others, just in case. We would bring wine (a box, because 5 bottles is too heavy) and food into the park and have a nice picnic. Its gotten even more popular over the last couple of years, but the crowd is great and (mostly) friendly.

One of the best parts of the evening, after sitting around “socializing”, is when the vintage HBO Feature Presentation intro begins and everyone gets up and dances before settling in the the next two hours, watching a movie in the middle of NYC, underneath the stars (that you can actually see).

Live For Fun, Spread Joy, Visit Bryant Park!

30 DAYS OF NYC MEMORIES – DAY 2: WALKS AND NYC DOG PARKS

| mattkarr

When I moved to NYC I brought along with me my own little nugget, Trixie. She was 3 years old and had not been with me for even a year when we moved out of spacious, yard and lake filled Michigan, to the concrete jungle of Brooklyn. As she nears her 10th Birthday, I really am impressed with how she has adapted to the change. A big difference with Brooklyn was the amount of time we got to spend together alone just wandering the streets during our walks. In Michigan, you can let your dog in the backyard for their daily discretion. In BK, you have to get out and walk those little ones, and Trixie gets walked three times a day. Each day we were meeting different people and neighbors, and now when we walk down the street, its a daily occurrence to hear kids and adults yell out her name as we walk by and run up to say hello.

SubstandardFullSizeRender

Our walks and trips to the dog park became great times for us to spend one on one, and also a time for me to think or reflect while Trix did her best to find every spare chicken bone she could. As our time in New York went on, we changed apartments and found ourselves migrating closer and closer to dog friendly parks. The sub-community of a dog park is like none other. A mini-NYC-melting pot, the personalities were as diverse as the dog breeds, yet everyone, humans and dogs alike are interacting and socializing. Surrounded by cats most of her life, Trixie has always enjoyed running around with other dogs, if to nothing more than try and coerce dogs to stop fighting. Always a lover that one.

Dogpark SummerDog Park Fun

I know that our future holds many more walks and dog park visits (we even have a dog run area in our new apartment complex), but now we can open our options to include trips to the lake, hikes in the smokey mountains, and time spent together outside a 2 miles radius of our home. Ah, the joys of car ownership!

I’m pretty sure this a good representation of how Trixie feels about walks.

Live For Fun, Spread Joy, and Love!

30 Days of NYC Memories – Day 1: Roof Top Parties

| mattkarr

30 days from today will be my last day in NYC. It has been a roller coaster of sheer craziness and awesomeness over these last seven years, and showing up in the city in August of 2008, I could not have been prepared for the experiences that I would accumulate. The people I have met, the jobs that I’ve worked, and the activities that I’ve done will stay with me forever.

The next month will quite possibly be the busiest of my life. Even before I get in that moving truck and head south, I’ll be wrapping up and leaving the job I have known for the last 3 years, officially starting my 31st year of life on this earth, and, most excitedly, getting married to the man who stole my heart (call the cops!).

But before I go, I’m going to take each day and share a photo and memory of my time in this one-of-a-kind city.

Memories: ROOF TOP PARTIES

Only in New York could climbing up 5+ flights of stairs to access a rooftop be considered a privilege but with limited apartment space, no backyard, and and sometimes killer views, many parties ended (and started) high above the streets. The first month I lived in NYC we threw a birthday part for our roommates and hauled a full keg up to the roof. The party epic and the friends new, it set off what would be a wild ride and many rooftop gatherings over the years to come.

MAtt Amory Roof Top Party
Rooftop Party with Matt and Amory
Carrie Rooftop Bday
Carries B-Day Celebration in Chelsea
Matt and Bridget Roof Time
Brdget and Matt have a rooftop heart to heart

Live for Fun, Spread Joy, Party (safely!) on Rooftops!

What’s for Dinner: Inch-o Ladas

| mattkarr

Ya, I know it’s not spelled correctly, but you know exactly what I meant! Enchiladas my be difficult for me to remember how to spell (why does two L’s look wrong, but one doesn’t seem enough?) but they are super easy to make! They have become of one my regular go to dinner meals when I’m too tired to google search anything else. In all honesty, if I’m THAT tired, I’m ordering a pizza, because google search is probably the easiest thing to do besides just sit there and make up facts (which I sometimes do and call them “Matt Facts”).

If I’ve got some juice in my energy tank and 15 min to prep (plus 20 to bake), I know these will hit the hunger spot and give me something for much tomorrow. A 2for1 special!

Ingredients:

6 Whole Wheat Tortillas (You can use regular, but Whole Wheat makes the extra cheese OK in my book)

1lb Ground Turkey

4 oz Shredded Cheese (1 cup)

1 can of Black Beans

1/2 Onion (chopped)

1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)

1 cup Frozen Corn (Run it under cold water just to knock off the ice and thaw)

1 can of Enchilada Sauce (Red or Green. Or you can make your own! Decisions Decisions)

Tools:

Casserole dish

Stove top Skillet (the higher the sides the better)

Something to stir with (I like large spoons)

Aluminum Foil

large spoon

Step by Step (Day by Day)

1. Preheat your oven to 400 Degrees

2. Throw that ground turkey in the skillet and cook it up on your stove top! When its just about cooked, throw in the chopped onion and pepper and mix the whole thing together. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until the veggies start to soften.

3. Toss in the black beans and corn and mix mix mix. Let cook for 2 minutes (really, thats it!)

4. Once the mixture is heated through, turn off the stove and grab your tortillas. If you have a pastry brush, you can brush a little of the enchilada sauce on one side of each Tortilla. If not, no big deal. I’ve done it both ways and guess what? It don’t/doesn’t matter one way or the other! Also, pour a little of that sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Just a splash!

5. Take a scoop of your meat mixture and plop it just below the center of the tortilla. Fold over both sides (left and right) and then roll from the bottom so that each side is sealed. Takes a little practice. Even tonight I had to re-teach myself….cuz I’m an idiot.

6. Set each filled/rolled Tortilla in the casserole dish with the seam down to keep it from opening. Repeat 5 more times or until the dish is full.

7. Pour the remaining Enchilada sauce over the top of all of the rolled tortillas and throw the cheese on top.

8. Cover with foil and bake for 20 Min. Remove from the oven (yo, its hot) and let sit for 5 min. You can also top with avocado chunks or chopped green onions. DAMN, I just remembered I had green onions in the fridge. Oh well!

9. Scoop out and enjoy! You can also freeze these before you bake them and enjoy them later in the week. Makes a great next-day lunch as well!

FullSizeRender
OK, so maybe added just a bit more cheese to this batch. Sue me!

Live for fun, Spread Joy, COOK!

Star Struck on the 4 Train

| mattkarr

It is not an uncommon occurrence to see people who are famous in NYC. My original belief was that they all lived out in Hollywood and only came to NY to get a taste of real weather while they researched a role. Then I started to see photos of Sarah Jessica Parker walking her kids to school and Tom Hanks hogging seats on the subway, and I quickly realized that there is a higher celeb population in NY than I thought.

Over the last six years I’ve seen my fare share of celebrities, and even been knocked into by a couple (*Cough* Maggie Gyllenhaal *Cough*), but celebrity watching has never been a sport of mine. I have known people who’s only joy seem to come from the celebrities that they spotted on the street or at their work, and while at times I, admittedly, got caught up in the excitement, I eventually fell back into my general opinion that celebrities deserve their privacy and that I personally was no better if I happened to see one outside of a movie or TV screen. I am far more likely to stop a stranger on the street and tell them that I liked their jacket than I am to stop a celebrity and tell them I like their latest movie.

This past Saturday, however, I had a run-in with someone who I couldn’t help but say hello to.

Let me set the scene:

Saturday afternoon: I had just left the dentist, my oh so favorite place to go as you may know from my instagram, only in a semi amount of pain when I wandered down into the subway at Grand Central Station-42nd Street. Always the mad house (seriously, the MTA needs to get their act together on the 456 trains), I maneuvered my way halfway down the platform and found a nook on the side of a stair well to stand in. Looking up at the countdown clock, it said the next 4 train was going to be local. “Local?! What the hell.” The slight ache in my jaw wouldn’t tolerate the local downtown, but as the train pulled in, I noticed the train itself said “express”. My hopes were confirmed when the announcement came that the next stop would be 14th street. I jumped on.

As I stood in the door, a man standing in front of me motioned to an older lady with beautifully coiffed hair as to offer her a seat (although he was standing and the train was completely full). The woman smiled at him and waved her hand as to say “I’m fine” and that’s when I got a good look at her, locked eyes, and quickly, nervously and immediately turned away. I thoughts I recognized her immediately, but everyone in this city has a doppelganger running around.

After locking eyes with her twice, I decided that I had to say something to her so I leaned in and said with a nervous voice: “Excuse me, are you Ms. Windsor?”. “Yes”, she replied with a smile.

Edie Windsor

I was standing in front of the one and only Edie Windsor. The woman who single-handedly took on the United States Supreme Court and who’s fight ended the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that stated that the government would only recognize marriages between a man and a woman. She herself had been a victim of discrimination when her wife, Thea Spyer, passed away and she was ordered to pay $363,053 in federal estate taxes on her inheritance of her wife’s estate, a fee she would not have to pay if Thea had instead been a man and the United States had recognized their marriage. Both New York residents, they had been married in Toronto in 2007 after a 40 years together.

Now, when it comes to US Weekly or InTouch magazine’s “standards”, Ms. Windsor is not your typical celebrity, but to me, she was the best kind of celebrity. The work that she had done would have the biggest impact a person could have on another person: a truly life changing one. She had made me a full citizen in the eyes of the United States Government and without her, my upcoming marriage, although legal in NY, would not be deemed “whole” or “real” in the eyes of the United States.

Edie and Thea

I mustered up the courage to continue, “I want to thank you for everything you have done for me, this country, and all of us who live here”. Her face lit up and she grabbed my hand and held it softly. “My fiance and I are getting married this May, and it wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for you. Thank You.” “Oh I am so glad!” she exclaimed and she asked me my name. I told her and went on to tell her that Tommy and I had been asked by LOGO TV to be part of a thank you video that played at the LOGO awards this past December when her and her lawyer Roberta Kaplan were honored. “Send my best wished home to your family” she said, still holding my hand. The man who I thought was with her, slightly standing between us, turned out to be just another strap-hanger and looked curiously at us and our conversation. I realized that most people on the train probably had no idea who they were in the presence of. I felt like I should yell “Don’t you know who this is?!”, but instead I stood there, looking into her beautiful and kind eyes and holding her hand.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at 14th street and I realized she was getting off. As the doors opened, I stepped off the train to make way for departing passengers (because it’s the considerate thing to do!) and as she stepped off the train, I held out my hand once more to help her off. I thanked her once again, she smiled and nodded, and disappeared into the crowd.

What were the chances that I got onto THAT train and THAT car? Not to mention my always prompt dentist had been 15min late in seeing me. I decided that it had been fate.

It’s not everyday you meet the woman who guaranteed your right to be treated like an equal citizen and not like second-class one and its those moments, and her specifically, that I will never forget.

Here is the portrait of Tommy and I from when we taped our video at City Hall for Ms. Windsor and Ms. Kaplan:

image1

Live for fun, Spread Joy, Celebrate Love!

XO

The Glass Slipper Cuts the Deepest

| mattkarr

I had hoped that this blog would be filled of glowing remarks about the new Disney movie Cindrella or at least gushed over the special effects of the live action remake, but instead, because I was not allowed in the theatre, I will give you the story the unfolded before the movie even began.

In full disclosure, it was my ultimate decision not to go into the theatre, but it was based on principle. This is my story:

*BUM BUM*

First

On February 28th, my fiance received an invitation from Fandango to attend a pre-screening of the new movie Cinderella at a yet to be disclosed movie theater in NYC. Always the fan, he quickly responded and shortly after received confirmation for the March 10th showing at the AMC Lowes Village 7 theater south of Union Square. Tommy and I were no stranger to special screenings as we have been to no less than 5 between the two of us over the last few years through Time Out, Fandango, and other promotional opportunities. One of those movies was The Proposal, also distributed by Walt Disney Studios, which will be important later in this story.

After coming back from a week long Walt Disney World vacation in the fall, to say our love for Disney was at an all-time high would have been an understatement. We even spent part of Christmas Day seeing Into The Woods, along with half the US population.

515pm

*BUM BUM*

Since this was not my first time at the rodeo (literally I’ve been to many rodeos – as a clown – a story for a different day) I know that you don’t get anything for free. In NYC, if something is going to be free, you need to get there early and wait in line and pay with your time. This was no different. Despite the pouring rain, I arrived outside of the theater at 5:15pm to guarantee us seats. Free showings, like TV show tapings, do not have enough seats for the number of confirmations they give out to guarantee that it will be a full house, so its important to get their early to make sure you even get in.  I was about the 15th person in line when I arrived. A family with two adults and four children arrived behind me and I overheard the mother say that they would be letting people in at 6pm. Wow, lucky break! The show was not scheduled to start until 7pm, and normally theaters do not let you in until about a half hour before. So I stood there in the rain patiently, waiting for my fiance to arrive and to enter the theater, reading my book, The Happiness Project. I quickly mastered the art of turning pages while holding a book and an umbrella at the same time.

545pm

*BUM BUM*

At 5:45pm, my knight in shining armor arrived with sandwiches in hand, our dinner on the go, while we waited in line. I informed him of the rumor that they may let us in at 6pm, and since the rain had only started to fall harder, we hoped the rumor to be true. The sandwiches were delicious! I mean, my man can make one amazing sandwich, just one of the qualities on his long list. Since we would rather eat the garbage than throw it on the ground, Tommy walked to the corner and disposed of our trash. Fed, only slightly soggy, and excited, all we had left to do was wait.

627pm

*BUM BUM*

We realized that 6pm had come and gone and now it was 6:27pm. I said to Tommy “Time flies when you’re having fun!” referring to the fact that the past half hour had seemed to go by quickly even though we had hopes of getting out of the rain at 6pm. It was then that we saw a man walking down the line making some sort of announcement to the crowd.

“AS YOU ENTER THE THEATER YOU WILL HAVE TO HAND OVER YOUR CELL PHONE TO SECURITY. PLEASE HAVE IT OUT AND READY”

Tommy and I looked at each other and almost instantaneously and at the same time said “No way.” I followed up with the statement that there was no way in hell I was going to hand over my iPhone6 to a stranger. This thing is by far one of the most stolen items in NYC and not to mention, costs $750. With a speed of light, we both whipped out the confirmation page that we had both printed out, because we are just that overly prepared. Re-reading though it, there was no mention as to confiscating cell phones. Of course you can’t go in and film the movie, but the page stated that if you were caught recording with your cellphone, you would be booted (obviously).

Now to say that Tommy and I are audience experts would be an severe understatement. I am an Equity Stage Manager and know all too well the dangers of cell phones in a crowd. In addition to the many pre-release showings we have been to, we have also attending 10 different live show tapings from The View to The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, and have gone to no less (and no joke) than 50 Broadway shows. In fact I already had my cell phone off in my pocket in preparation for the movie (gold star for me).

This phone was not leaving my person. I considered all the options of where to hide it. In my sock? Down my pants? Then I realized, why should I have to hide it and why should I cheat the system when I am not doing anything wrong? We stayed in line, if nothing else, but to honor the 1 hour and 12 minutes that I had been standing in line.

640pm

*BUM BUM*

We walked into the theater quickly as the line started to move (we were near the front after all) and approached the table where two friendly Fandango shirted staff members sat checking people in. Alphabetically lucky, Tommy was at the top of the list and quickly after we were headed towards the security table.

Now, I’ve been in this city for over 6 years and have worked enough special events to know that this “security” was hired from an outside agency and had little to no training or certification in anything except showing up. You can’t just throw a sport jacket and a clip on tie on someone and call them security. I mean, you can, and they did, but I wouldn’t trust them to keep me or my belongings secure any more than I would leave a child (or MY child, my iPhone) sitting on a subway tracks. Looking ahead, I saw that each phone was being put into a ziplock plastic bag and placed in a box. That’s it. THAT was the security guaranteed for my most expensive possession. I’m not even convinced that it was a box, but yet a child’s booster seat that had been flipped upside down. Side note: Parents were already asking for booster seats for their kids to which they were told “We only had a limited amount and those are gone”. Welp, I can point you in the direction of an extra, but it’s full of cell phones. Sadly (for them) customer service at this event was not my job.

I walked up to the table and simply explained that I would not be handing them my cell but that they were welcome to check and make sure that it was off, memorize my face, have me do a “promise dance”, whatever they needed to do to let me in without handing over my valuables. He simply stated “Unless you give me your phone you are not going in.”

I am not one to argue with someone who had simply been given orders to follow, so I walked away from the table and up to the nearest Fandango shirted employee. I explained my concerns and she agreed, but also looked like a deer in headlights. I knew that I would need to speak to someone even higher than her. She said “I can try and see if I can find the Disney rep if you’d like.” “Absolutely,” I responded. “I would appreciate that.” I wished I had gotten her name, but not a single person was wearing a name tag, not even, surprisingly, those part of “security.” Off she disappeared into the theater.

650pm

*BUM BUM*

We saw this young lady walk from the theater to the lobby and back and forth at least 6 different times, only once stopping to say “I haven’t forgotten about you, I just can’t seem to find him”. While we waited we watched a man with a hand held metal detector barely wave it over people as they entered. THIS was the security that I was to trust? It was clear I could have been dishonest and hid the phone and been fine, you know, except for my morality.

After 10 minutes we realized that the entire line and crowd had entered the theater leading us to believe that the theater was now going to be full and we would get last pick of seats, even though I had been one of the earliest to arrive. I should also mention that there were many Fandago shirted people around (the young woman previously mentioned included) that were taking photos…with their cell phones. I looked over and spotted the young lady speaking to a Fandango shirted colleague of hers, a tall curly haired gentleman in the lobby area. She seemed to have given up the search, but yet had left us standing there. Looking doubtful that we would get seats by this point, I walked up to her and asked “Is it a lost cause?” “Oh I am so sorry, I couldn’t find him anywhere” she responded. The curly haired man quickly said “The Disney Rep? He’s been everywhere. I’ll go get him for you.” Not 30 seconds later, the Disney rep walked into the lobby with the curly haired man and the young lady disappeared, never to be seen again (In this story I mean. She wasn’t kidnapped or anything, although with the “security” in this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if she had been).

Our converstaion with the Disney Representative went exactly like this:

Me: Hello, My name is Matt and this is my fiance Tommy.

(*hand shake*)

Max: I’m Max

Me: Hi Max. We have a bit of an issue. We simply cannot hand over our cell phones because they are much to valuable and it cannot be guaranteed that they will be safe.

(Max begins shaking his head in agreement)

Me: If it had been listed on the email confirmation that they would not be allowed, we would have made other arrangements, but I stood in line for nearly an hour and a half in the rain, and only 10 minutes before you let us in was there any mention of confiscating cell phones. There weren’t even signs posted anywhere.

Max: I completely understand. But this is Disney policy and it has been this way for 10 years (Cue Proposal pre-showing flashback)

Me: We should have been informed that before we stood in the rain waiting to enter. Its absolutely ridiculous.

Max: None of the other people have a problem giving over their cell phones.

Matt: Well I suspect that it is because if they didn’t they would have screaming kids on their hands, but you’re about to have a screaming 30-year-old on your hands. (He continues to shake his head… never missing a beat, nodding.) And please stop patronizing me by standing there shaking your head in agreement when you are not willing to do anything.

Max: I’m not. I’m sorry. Right after this event I will be creating a report and I will be sure to include your concern.

Me: Well, how does that help resolve this situation right now? We were completely misinformed.

Max: I don’t know. There is no way you are getting into a Disney movie with a cell phone. I’m sorry there is nothing I can do.

Me: Of course there is! You can allow us into the theater!

Max: And what if the movie gets posted online?

Me: Listen, this moving comes out next week (I was wrong it comes out on Friday….even worse), I could go down to Chinatown and buy it tonight if I wanted to. I have no intention of filming this or any other movie. With ten years of putting on these events, I hardly doubt this is the first time that someone has had a problem with turning over their cell phone. If this has always been the policy, why isn’t it stated in the confirmation?

Max: Most of the families here have come to all of the Disney events so they know the policy already.

Matt: So I’m being punished for being new?

Max: You’re not being punished…..

Matt: Yes, I am. I followed all the rules. I arrived early as suggested. I stood in the rain for an hour and a half to guarantee entry. You threw a new rule at us last minute and because you are offering no other options but to hand over our cell phones and we are declining, we are not allowed to enter.

Max: You are welcome to enter but you have to turn in your phone.

Matt: How about this? You give me your credit card and I will give you my phone. At the end of the movie we can switch back. That way, I have something of value of yours, and you have something of value of mine. Would you agree to that?

Max: No.

Matt: Interesting. So you are not willing to give something of value of yours to a stranger, but you expect me to just hand over something of mine. See how that doesn’t seem fair?

Max: (Silence)

Matt: Are you going to be able to help us or not? We just want to see the movie.

Max: No.

Matt: Well I want to thank you for your time.

(*Handshake*)

Matt: What’s your last name?

Max: Dxxxxxxk.

Matt: Thank you for your help Max. Actually, I take that back because you were absolutely no help.

(END SCENE)

So Tommy and I left. Back into the rain and off to the subway to head home. Cell phones in our possession where we could guarantee their safety.

So where does that leave us? Well, mostly just disappointed, to say the least. I may forgive, but I will never forget, and I know that the only power I have to fight back with is with my hard earned dollars. Now, Disney is a huge company and I highly doubt they will care if I no longer attend their movies, Broadway shows or theme parks, but as a company that has built its reputation on bring happiness to people across the world, they absolutely should.

It turns out that Max does not even work for Disney. He did, as an intern, but now works for an outside agency.

Seeing this poster on my way home summed it all up for me:

subwaycellphonesafety

Life for Fun, Spread Joy, Stand Up for What You Believe!

Trixie’s Winter Ensemble: Do’s and Don’ts

| mattkarr

Is it here?! Has spring really popped its head out from whatever hole it has been hibernating in for the last few months? Yesterdays “heat wave”, a balmy 48 degrees, brought out the best in everyone’s mood, even after we lost an hour of sleep as our body’s adjusted to daylight savings time. Soon we will be reaching in our closets for our spring and summer ensembles, but first it would do us much justice to look back at the outfits that really set a fashion trend this winter.

While NYC fashion week has come and gone, the most important collection of the season did not walk down any runway, but instead down the avenues of Lafayette and DeKalb. Of course I’m talking about the stylings of Trixie Lou, fashion trend setter and 9yo Black Lab.

After a grueling winter last year armed only with a coat, Trixie was determined not to be caught with exposed paws again (how scandalous!) this season. Her coat that she had been gifted years before was barely enough to cover he belly (not because of fat she insists, but because of “severe design flaw” with its Velcro flaps). Whatever enthusiasm people save from picking up litter in the streets, they save for spreading salt on the sidewalks, a welcomed task, but brutal on the tender feet of our beloved four legged friends. And this was not just regular salt, but heavy duty, sometimes actual pea gravel sized salt, and it was causing hell on her manicure.

So what’s a girl to do? First thing was first: Boots. A trip to Petco and her loyal owner scooped her up a pair for stylish (but not too flashy as to keep a low profile on the streets) pair of dog boots that had a solid rubber sole and elastic sock-like sides. Securing with two velcro straps these would surely keep her pedi-paws dry and salt free.

Petco Dog Boots
Orig. $29.99, now on sale (shocking)

From the look of them, they would be perfect, but once they were headed toward her feet she knew that this would not be a cinderella story. There were three main problems with the design of this boot. 1) They were difficult to put on. Essentially the boot is one large sock, and Trixie has much too busy of a schedule to take 10 minutes to get her boots on and that damn Carpal Pad kept getting in the way. Many times her paw wouldn’t even slide in all the way. 2) The velcro was study until it became loose, and if any snow got onto the strips, they would not re-secure. Once they got snow on them, they were done for that walk. And 3) they didn’t stay on. If you were able to get them on, and the velcro stayed secure AND didn’t get snow in them, than they would simply fall off as she maneuvered through snow and pathways. Walks started with all four feet securely inside and she was lucky to have one on by the end.

IMG_0039

So the search continued. Never one to get discouraged, Trixie looked at the first pair and thought “what would make these better?”

“First”, she thought, “a zipper would help with the process of getting my feet into the bottom of the boot. also if the boot was shorter, perhaps that would help with agility, and keep them from coming off so easily.” She had her gullible owner do hours and hours of research on her behalf since she lacked the thumbs for Google searching and he stumbled upon a pair from a website called ______________* where she immediately saw a pair that she liked.

lifeful-dog-rainy-season-durable-highly-water-proof-nonslip-outdoor-shoes-hemmed-by-superfine-fiber-synthetic-leather-triple-closure-by-plastic-snap-hook-adjustable-elastic-velcro-strap-and-fron_159356-2
Cost: $36.00 — Points for style

A triple threat! Zipper front from the toe to the top, velcro security in the middle and a pull string at the top. There was no way that these suckers could come off! Or so she thought. It turned out to be true that these were much easier to put on and to secure. The velcro was even much better and would re-secure even after getting snow on them, but even with those improvements, the buggers would not stay on. Many walks started with four and ended with one, or even none. Now her still gullible but slightly more agitated owner was left with the responsibility to pick up her clothing AND her unmentionable deposits as they walked each time. In weather down into the single digits, that last thing someone wants to do is crouch down and try to put a boot back on while bundled up in their own winter protective gear with an energetic dog desperate to play in the snow. After a few tries to guarantee it was not human error, it was clear that these boots, although much more impressive looking and fashionable, were no better than their Plain-Jane predecessors. and with winter nearing an end and warm weather on the horizon, she decided to cut her losses and move on…barefoot. She could have stuck with them since some protection was better than no protection right? I think the girls on 16 and Pregnant would beg to differ.

However, this season was not a complete disappointment when it came to Trixie’s fashion risks. True love came in the form a new coat. But not just any new coat. A TARTAN coat, a true homage to her beloved owner. This coat was superior to its predecessor in many ways. Higher neck to protect from rain and snow, full stomach coverage to reduce undercarriage soakage, and even little straps to go around her hind legs to keep the back from blowing up in strong winds (If this girl is going to flash, she needs to be paid).

Trixie and her coat in action and on the hunt!
Trixie and her coat in action and on the hunt! No Paparazzi please!

And so the season closes, bootless but with a great new formal coat hanging in her closet. Will she give up on boots all together? Only time will tell, but she hopes that her story will help other dogs out there when making their decision on what fashion they choose to rock. Sometimes, function trumps fashion. Not always, but sometimes.

Trixie wants to make one last point:

“Just remember, whatever you decide to wear, make sure the first thing you put on is your confidence, then it doesn’t matter if you are one boot short of a college walk of shame, ain’t nobody gonna hold you down. Now get out there and play in that snow! DIBS ON THE YELLOW STUFF!”

Live for fun, Spread Joy, Look Fabulous!

*The name of this site has been censored so that you do not purchase from them as they have terrible customer service and even worse return policies. OK, it was Baxterboo.com