I’m looking to get tickets to the reunion of one of my favorite shows… MTV’s The State at San Francisco’s Sketchfest. This is the first reunion in 12 years for the comedy group. The bad news is that I found out about it after the tickets were already sold out. I’ve been keeping an eye on Craigslist (very popular in San Francisco) as well as Twitter for possible tickets. I’m starting to use their Facebook, but I think everyone is going to be there.
If anyone can connect me with two tickets for $150 (total), I’ll send them a $30 Ebay Gift Card or Amazon Gift Card (receiver’s choice).
Some other thoughts that I have this week:
- Adopting a Dog is Difficult – My wife and I are looking into adopting a dog. We thought we’d go to the animal shelter for an hour on Saturday and learn how it works. It turned out to be a 5 hour round trip, including a two-hour wait to see a counselor. I understand that they want to match up dogs with the right people, but the process is more invasive than applying for a job. Considering that there are about 20 animal shelters around me, I’m not sure we are going to have the energy to work with more than one of them.
- Fage Greek Yogurt – We picked up some of this yogurt at Costco at a price of $7 for 32 ounces. At that price, you’d expect it to be good. It’s better than good, it’s tremendous. It’s almost like sour cream, but with no fat and 20 grams of protein per 8oz. The problem that I have is that at a $1.75 a serving it’s fairly expensive. We’ve looked at how to make our own Greek yogurt, but it’s not as good nor does it have 20 grams of protein per serving. If anyone has a place to pick up Fage (or similar brand) Greek Yogurt cheaply, let me know. We are going to give Trader Joe’s a shot to see if they have a good price.
- Let’s Make a Deal – One of my guilty pleasures is catching the old-school Let’s Make a Deal on weekends on Game Show Network. I’m probably just weird, but seeing people win Oldsmobiles and kitchen appliances that would be considered extremely ugly today is entertaining. The costumes are nice touch as well.
Onto the Links…
Money Writers:
- Brip Blap talks about how to judge compensation for new job seeking grads.
- My Dollar Plan writes Donating Bodily Fluids for Cash.
- Frugal Dad asks would you sell all material possessions for debt freedom?
- Wonder how to keep your job while unemployment is on the rise? Generation X Finance gives some pointers.
- Million Dollar Journey looks into how Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF) work.
- Digerati Life posts on family life in America: report on lifestyle, economic trends from the trenches.
- Money Smart Life writes best hybrid cars.
- The Sun’s Financial Diary publishes lazy portfolios built with ETFs.
More Financial Posts:
- Mighty Bargain Hunter asks what to do with those state quarter maps?
- Free Money Finances posts some rules of thumb on when to replace old appliances.
- Five Cent Nickel gives his the #1 tax tip for 2008.
Thoughts on adopting a dog: I’ve adopted 2 cats and neither had that long of a process — although both required a short interview. This was in the Concord area. Try the SPCA, though their animals might have minor problems like fleas, or a different local shelter.
http://www.sfspca.org/home.shtml
http://www.petfinder.com/ <– Shows pets from all the local shelters.
-Erica
The dog adoption process is long for a reason. They are trying hard to make sure that dog does not come back. They are not going to let you have a high energy dog if you are lazy, and vice-versa.
Plus, you would be surprised at how many people adopt dogs for the wrong reason. Fighting is one of them. And some people still think that dogs belong tied up outside. The adoption place wants to make sure this does not happen.
But, all places have their own way of doing things, some are very intense and some just want the dog out of there. So, you really should go to some of the other places.
You could also look online and see if they have their application so you can fill it out ahead of time.
It does make sense that the process is long and we appreciate it. We just wish there was something equivalent to the Clear card that airports have for real life.
My wife has military security clearance and often has background checks on her. I write about personal finance, which makes it humorous when they ask us if we know about the costs of a dog. I should have brought my over-prepared spreadsheet :-).
Lastly, since I work from home, I’ll be with the dog almost all the time making it an almost ideal situation for the dog. The only downside is that we are a first time dog owners, and that’s the first thing that we say.
I suppose I find it humorous that we could have a child easier than a dog. That’s not exactly fair as I’m comparing the apples of natural childbirth vs. the oranges of adopting a dog.
we’ve adopted 2 cats and the process took less than 20 minutes once we picked one out. crazy.
i recently tried Fage for the first time and it is definitely an acquired taste. i liked to mix in some sugar free rice pudding, raisins, cinnamon and splenda. i can’t stomach it plain quite yet. it’s definitely pricey though.
I volunteer at the local humane society, and understand both your complaints with the process as well as the shelter’s reason for it. Basically you are being punished for all of the other unprepared people there. Its too bad that when they are that busy you can’t make an appointment to see the counselor.
Also – Fage is amazing. I love it with local honey. I too am very interested in a cheap way to get this yogurt.
I suggest you try the Santa Clara County shelter in San Martin. You can park, go in, and walk the kennels. If you see an available dog you like, a staff member will take you and the dog to a play yard to get acquainted. The adoption process is simple and should take about 20 minutes after you fill out the form. Plan on at least half an hour meeting and playing with each dog that interests you.
If it’s a long drive, look at the available dogs at http://www.petharbor.com first. Put in the zip code 95046 and then check the box for Santa Clara County Animal Care. You should also look under the “I lost my pet” section to see if any of the found dogs interest you. They are held for approximately 5 days before being put up for adoption.
San Martin is a small shelter serving the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, but the process is low key and you can spend as much time as you want with each dog you are considering. The selection of cats is outstanding (cats generally stay until adopted) if you are looking for a cat.
Occasionally dogs are available through the Friends of the San Martin Animal Shelter (FOSMAS) foster homes. Check the available FOSMAS animals at http://www.petfinder.com.
Congrats on adopting a dog in need! I understand your frustration. But as someone involved with animal rescue, I also understand the shelter’s reasoning, as others have said above. Those applicants who I feel just so-so about always end up breaking the adoption agreement or returning the animal, so I have learned the hard way to screen people as carefully as possible and go with my instincts. In the end, you’ll be matched with the right dog for you and your family, and it’ll all be worth it!
I’m glad the shelters are screening their applicants, most are so overworked they don’t have the time or energy. If everyone cared for a dog like you will, there wouldn’t be a need for shelters! They simply want the best home for the animal and a good fit for you. If you are a “lazy man” a hyperactive dog would not fit your lifestyle very well. I have three wild and crazy boston terriers, they are not the right dog for quiet households. I hope you find a great furry companion.