Don't Just Sweat, Be Smart About the Summer Sizzle

Office people, listen up.  Although I am a college-educated man in his early 30's, who works in what's called a professional industry in that "white collar" sense, I am a guy who must cope through one cantankerous summer season after another.  And this is Texas; it's like this every year.

I sympathize with construction workers, street repair crews, caretakers of lawns and anyone else who must be outside during the hottest parts of the day.  I, too, have to endure the endless heat, the rising temperatures, and the excessive sweating, all while wearing long sleeves, a tie, sometimes a suit coat and wool suit pants.  Even Spider-Man must do it, and he's got crime to fight!

But for all the woes of a weather situation we'd rather not succumb to, there is some bright news.  Take the month of August off!  Make flip flops mandatory during the summer months.  Cart a snow cone machine with you and name the flavors after all your favorite indoor-working friends.

Honestly, you can't do any of those things.  But you can compromise and hydrate yourself thoroughly throughout the day.  Make it a point to cool off often by sitting down in the shade, nearest building with a lobby or car with the cold AC cranked.  For the love of pete, crack your car windows when you're not inside and never ever leave a child or pet inside a car when you have an errand to run.  It's not worth it, even if you're gone for only a minute.

Summertime affords us the opportunity to vacation, enjoy the beautiful rivers and lakes, and take time to get outside and soak up some vitamin D.  But do it wisely and the weather will change before you know it.  (Well, it is Texas, but it's bound to change at some point).

Sex Columnist Turns to Blogging About Living Well on Less

Laura Roberts got used to Tex-Mex when she moved from Montreal to Austin. Good thing, because Roberts, a self-prescribed cheap ass, says it's pretty cheap. She likes places like Juan in a Million and Torchy's Tacos because of the inexpensive options on the menu. But she doesn't stop with restaurants. She and her husband found a gym for cheap, too. Sure, it may not have the spa and sauna treatment, but she says it's got the weights and the old fashioned treadmills needed to get the job done.

And grocery stores. Yes, it's where we all tend to spend a lot of money. Roberts like Sprouts.

"They'll give you a personal coupon, they're like 'here's a free candy bar,'" she said. "I'm like yes! Sweet!"

Roberts loves a sweet deal, and no doubt it's even better when there's a sweet treat involved. Check out the story about how to save some dough, and then check out Roberts' blog, Shoestring Austin, for some guaranteed recommendations on saving some cash.

Pet Group Finds Difficulty in Saving Dogs Against Distemper Outbreak

 The no-kill animal advocacy group, Austin Pets Alive!, is concerned a distemper outbreak could take the lives of pets if they're not protected.

The organization reports distemper cases began popping up in February.  63 dogs have come down with the virus out of the 461 dogs pulled from Town Lake Animal Shelter.  Austin Pets Alive! says in a typical year, only a handful of cases are seen in a whole year. 


Each case is expensive to treat.  Austin Pets Alive! says its spent $10,000 caring for sick canines, and they desperately need more money to continue treatment efforts.  "The only available treatment is extremely expensive.  Each dog costs us hundreds of dollars just to treat pneumonia but we are a No Kill Organization, so we are going to do what it takes to save their lives, especially when we know we can save 90 percent or more," stated a post by the organization on its web site.

"The standard routine dog vaccine given at vet offices is almost 100 percent effective in preventing this horrible disease.  Unfortunately, not enough people realize the importance of this inexpensive vaccination and now the disease is out of control," the post stated.  It's extremely important to get your dog vaccinated.

Distemper can lead to death and attacks an animal's nervous system.  Symptoms include severe pneumonia and a high fever, but by the time a pet owner notices the signs, it may be too late.

APA says it is working with a local vet clinic, White Angel Veterinary Hospital.  APA says the immediate benefit is that these dogs get to survive, instead of dying in this terrible way.

The largest risk group, according to APA, are puppies, dogs who do not receive vaccination against distemper, and dogs who aren't immediately vaccinated after arriving at a shelter.

What You Can Do

1. APA asks for your donations by calling, donating online, or mailing in a check.  The goal is $30,000 to treat all of the dogs before the outbreak ends. 

2. Vaccinate your dog either by going to your regular veterinarian or by contacting Emancipet and Animal Trustees of Austin to receive a free vaccine.

3. Sign up to foster with Austin Pets Alive.  "We need help caring for our affected dogs and we don’t have enough fosters to get them the care they need while they recover.  We provide all the care, the foster just provides a safe warm environment."

"We hope that Austin’s public will not turn their back on shelter dogs, and will be more likely to adopt and donate after hearing about their needs and the trials they have been through just to survive and find a home. Most dogs are not affected and should not be passed over for adoption."

Pet of the Week: Duke Needs a Home

Duke, the basketball team, is the popular team that just won the NCAA Final Four, earning the title of National Champions.  Duke defeated a lesser known team, Butler, by a narrow margin Monday night.  Duke's win over Butler is another reason why the Duke program has so many fans and support from across the country.

But another Duke, this time the dog, is hoping he will be just as popular with people of central Texas as he looks for a new home.

Duke is up for adoption through Austin Pets Alive!, which is an organization that works tirelessly to find pets good homes.  It advocates for animals just like Duke who are perfectly adoptable, but often may need special care because of previous conditions.

On its web site, Austin Pets Alive! explains that Duke almost had no hair when volunteers first met him because of a condition called entropian.  This caused his eyelids to roll in and his lashes to scrape against his eyes every time he blinked.  Doctors operated on his eyelids through a surgery, and now all of his hair has grown back because of a hypo-allergenic diet.

Be sure to check out Duke, and the video below, because he's in need of a home... no, a family... to love him and care for him like he deserves.