Girl Friday

This One's for the Kitties

I got a new tattoo, guys!

Of course it's an homage to my precious Felicia:

But it's also a tribute to all the cats in my life. Cats that I had growing up, cats of my friends and family, my brother-in-law's cat Elvis and all the cats I've loved but never met in person, specifically those I've helped through donations to various animal charities over the years.

One charity I've been donating to for quite a while is The Wildcat Sanctuary. They rescue big cats like tigers and cougars that have been purchased privately and kept in tiny cages or under otherwise abusive conditions all their lives. The Wildcat Sanctuary is just that; a quiet place where these amazing animals can live out the rest of their lives peacefully and happily, among over 100 other rescued big cats.

Minnesota law is unfortunately a little lax when it comes to private ownership of big cats (read more about that here), and The Wildcat Sanctuary also rescues these animals from other states (even Canada!), so our need for the Sanctuary is ever-present. Right now, they're in need; they're facing a long winter with lower than average donations, so I'm asking you to flip the cats a few bucks to continue to feed the nutritious food they need to stay healthy.

You can easily make a donation via PayPal or credit card, sponsor a cat, mail a check directly to The Wildcat Sanctuary, buy a ticket to next month's Jungle Boogie (the annual fundraising party with dinner, drinks, dancing and a silent auction) or donate items from the Sanctuary's wish list.

To see what goes on at The Wildcat Sanctuary and to meet some of the residents, check out their YouTube channel. Because The Sanctuary does not believe that animals should be exploited and mistreated for commercial, entertainment or amusement purposes, they are not open to the public. However, at the last two Jungle Boogie events that I attended, guests were able to bid on a one-time visit to see the big cats in their special habitats.

Good News

The Star Tribune made me smile today, twice:

Minneapolis to pay bar $201,000 to settle lawsuit

Part 1: COOP DREAMS

The first story, which you may not have been following if you're not a Northeaster, reports the culmination of a nearly two-year battle between Gabby's Saloon & Eatery and the City of Minneapolis. The City has been trying to strongarm Gabby's into shutting down, using shady tactics and imposing restrictions on the restaurant when, in fact, the restaurant has done nothing wrong. The headline is a bit misleading, though; the City has to cover all of Gabby's legal fees ($175,000) since the beginning of this mess, as well as pay back a $25,000 penalty it levied on the restaurant, with $1,000 interest.

Gabby's decided to drop their additional civil rights lawsuit which, to me, says that they decided to take the high road. That, or they had no tangible proof that the City was trying to shut Gabby's down because of the patrons. (After dark, Gabby's turns into a predominantly black, hip hop nightclub). It probably sucks living across the street from a nightclub, but that's both the beauty and the hazard of living in Northeast. There's a bar on nearly every corner, and you just have to put up with the bar-close noise. Plus, Gabby's has been there a long time. Probably longer than many of the folks who live there now.

"COOPS DREAMS" is first in a series in the Home + Garden section of the paper. It profiles a couple of urban chicken keepers, namely their pleasure (fresh eggs) and pain in the ass (dick neighbors) of keeping chickens in the city. I'm not interested in getting chickens where I live -- my landlord might say I'm already pushing it with the giant compost container in the back yard -- but I was happy because one part of the article encourages people to adopt chickens from Chicken Run Rescue as opposed to commercial hatcheries, the fowl equivalent of puppy mills. Many of  Chicken Run's hens and roosters are rescued from illegal and extremely inhumane cock fighting operations, so you're really giving them a second chance at life. Not only do they give you their eggs in return, but you also reap the benefits of an expedited compost heap, which the chickens love to scavenge, and some excellent garden fertilizer.

Thank you again...

... to everyone that attended Pink Elephants. I just got word of the grand total collected at the event and we raised $1,178.00 for Home for Life!

Stay tuned for details on our next event. Restauranteurs and GMs, feel free to offer up your space on a Tuesday night. We'd love to do a doggie patio party this summer.

Happy Earth Day

You already know what I'm going to say, right? Oh hell, I'll say it anyway.

Animals are for petting, not eating.

MSPIFF, MNFW, Buy Me These?

Okay, this week is a little overwhelming with both the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) and MN Fashion Week going on. How is one expected to get anything done otherwise?

Pick up this week's vita.mn if you haven't already for a nice rundown of many of MSPIFF's films. The story's online too, of course, but it's nice to sit down with the paper and map out your movie plan of attack. There are a few food-themed selections this year that I'm anxious to see, like "Secrets of the Grain" (which I'm about to miss tonight but can catch again Thursday) and "The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World", a documentary about The West Lake Restaurant, its owner and employees (almost 1,000 of them).

I'm also pumped to see the new Gael García Bernal comedy, "Rudo y Cursi," which will be presented by director Carlos Cuaron.

I honestly have barely had any time the last few days to go over the MN Fashion Week schedule and commit to any events. Plus, it's kind of the 11th hour of planning my own event a week from tonight (Pink Elephants at La Belle Vie, got your tickets?). What's everyone hitting up? What should I definitely not miss?

My sister sent me a link to Mohop sandals yesterday. They're animal-friendly and eco-friendly, not to mention incredibly versatile:

How versatile? Each pair comes with 5 interchangeable ribbons which can be tied in numerous ways so you can customize them depending on your outfit (and there's certainly nothing stopping you from buying your own ribbon to further expand your choices). The sandals also come in 9 different styles, all ergonomically designed to be the most comfortable pair of summer heels (or flats) you own.

I'll take a pair of the High Cherry Wedge Platforms in a 9, please.

Oh, Hello

Is it really Wednesday already?  Where do the days go.

If you're not busy tonight and you want to catch a great short film, come to the Oak Street Cinema.  Team Red Card Production -- yes, the same team that brought you the award-winning short "Shades of Orange" -- participated in the 24 Hour Film Race last weekend and our 3 1/2-minute masterpiece will screen tonight, along with 25 other submissions.  The reel starts at 7:00pm, so get there early to buy tickets.

I think we're going to grab a beer at Stub & Herb's afterwards, to either celebrate another round of awards won or bitch about the injustice of not winning because people just don't get us and our art.

Another reminder that tickets are on sale for Pink Elephants, the animal charity event brought to you by Johnny Michaels, vita.mn and me.  Spots are limited, so reserve yours now.

If you want to pretty up for Pink Elephants, go see my friend Jen at the Beauty Room.  She's offering 20% off all of her services (facials, scrubs, waxing, massage, etc.) for the months of April and May.  She's also doing a package deal on her vitamin C facial and body scrub: only $155 if booked together, or just $124 after the 20% discount.

How You Know We're Related

A snippet of conversation in the car yesterday between my 6-year-old nephew and me:

"Lexi, do you know about the chupacabra?"
"Mmm-hmm. Why?"
"Does it kill dogs?"
"No, just goats."
"Goats?"
"Yeah, that's what chupacabra means. Goat-sucker."
"Goat-sucker!"
"You're a goat-sucker!"
"Your mama's a goat-sucker!"

My 6-year-old nephew dropped a "your mom" joke on me. I strained to think of a prouder moment.

"That's Grandma you're talking about."

Pink Elephants: A Mixer and Sampler for Charity

The details are finalized!

Pink Elephants, brought to you by vita.mn, Johnny Michaels and me:

• Tuesday, April 28th from 6:00-9:00pm, in The Lounge at La Belle Vie

• $30, includes free vegetarian appetizers and 2 complimentary signature cocktails

• 100% of the event's proceeds go to Home for Life long-term animal sanctuary

Win tickets or register for the event here.  Sooner rather than later, as tickets are limited.

Guys, You Probably Shouldn't Be Swimming Around In That

Mallard couple swimming in the flooded Fridley Petco parking lot today.

Pink Elephants

Congrats to Jessica for naming our animal charity event.  She almost had me with "Petable Potables," but "Pink Elephants" won out in the end.  It's cute, it's retro, it's appropriate.  And of course I love pink elephants.

Stay tuned for details about the event.