New Digs

Here's "Call Me Maebe," a newborn horse at Lollypop Farm.  She was less than 24 hours old when this was taken.  What a great event to have around the office!


Speaking of events, here's the new wall that went up in the lobby to protect visitors, staff, and volunteers from the construction.


ATTENTION!  New cat sanctuary being built behind this wall!!!


It's been a long time since this office was this spotless.  Our old workspace will be a good space for others in the near future.


Goodbye old friend!


Hello new friend.  Here's my new workspace.  Still waiting for some new supplies to come in and complete the space.  But, it's shaping up and it's very exciting to see some of this renovation and expansion at Lollypop Farm come to completion!
That's all going on right now.  Been very, very busy lately with all kinds of projects.  So, it will be nice to watch some Modern Family (and possibly Lincoln) tonight.  Adios!

Lollypop Farm Construction Update

Here's a little update on the construction going on at Lollypop Farm!

This is the foundation for the new "cat patio."  Where the auditorium is now will become the new cat room.  The cat patio will be a place for cats to look outside and for people to look in.  Endless entertainment!


This is the new Training Center wing.  


It won't be long before the new Clinic will have walls going up!  We just set a new record of 54 spay/neuter surgeries today with only three operation tables.  So, the quicker this is up the more animals we can help!


The new barn!  It's so shiny and red!

We can do great things for the animals of Greater Rochester with your support.  Our next big event is below.  I hope you can join or donate!

Barktoberfest

September 22, 2012, Lollypop Farm from 8:30am to 3pm

http://www.lollypop.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1029170&supid=332003083

The Things I Spend My Hard Earned Cash On...

Not what I intended to pick up the last time I went to Target.  But, this was a bargain.  Benji: The Deluxe Collection with three movies and 3 TV episodes!  


Went down to the Corn Hill neighborhood to check out the art festival.  


Nothing like free food samples.  And yes, it was delicious enough to fight this mob to get to.


The construction at work continues.  He's a pic I stole from the Lollypop Farm facebook page.  They busted through the walls of our current vet clinic as a part of building the new clinic.  

Good stuff and good times...

The Death of Playoff Beard

Oh playoff beard.  You were a shooting star that had to leave us too soon...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playoff_beard


April showers bring May flowers.  April snow is just miserable...


A beautiful January morning at Lollypop Farm...


Luna watching me make copies


Luna watching Emmy Lou from a distance.  


Emmy Lou and Luna decided they were not friends.  So, Luna will find a new office to call home.  And yes, Luna is what made my desk so messy...


On a happier note: PUPPY!!!!

How Many Milestones Can You Cram Into a Week?

My start date at Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester was moved up a week. So, I've been very, very busy the last few days.  Let's start by giving everyone my new contact information:

Mike Kraus

Annual Giving Manager

Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester

585.223.1330 x244

MKraus@Lollypop.org

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus 

And now for the blog!

Rochester Americans (Amerks) vs. the Binghamton Senators.

Nice shot of the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial



This goal judge is probably the most stoic man in all of minor league hockey...



FIGHT!



WHO WANTS A T-SHIRT OR FRISBEE!!!  WHO DOESN'T!!!






It was the Moose's birthday on the 13th.



Takes a shot...



Then took a shot...



Lemoncello in East Rochester.  Pretty good sandwiches near our apartment where we met up with Sarah and Pete for lunch



If I said this was the craziest thing I saw while looking at open houses this past week I would be lying.  There was lots of great artwork in many homes.  There was one home that had more faux rocks, paneling, and other similar things on the walls than I knew existed.  If only I could have taken pics...



Megan fulfilled a V-Day tradition of mine, which is the February 15th candy buying spree.  If I have kids, they will be very confused when we celebrate x-mas on Dec. 26th, Easter Monday, and so on...



What?  You've never seen a Valentine fish in a tux before?  What means love to you?



My first car.  A 2008 Nissan Versa.  It seems my days of riding public transportation are over.  At least it's bright white and has bike tires...


That's it for now.  Let me know if you need a pet because I know where you find one...

The Cats of Minor League Hockey

This is Moxie the Desk Cat.  I've been volunteering at Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County (http://www.lollypop.org/), which is a wonderful organization.  They have all kinds of animals out there from cats, dogs, goats, chickens, horses, snakes, turtles and I'm sure much, much more.  I have to say that I've never had pets at work before, but they are great co-workers.



DiBella's is a local sub shop chain (Friends and family: they have one in Ann Arbor, MI if you want to try).  Some really good stuff.  Megan and I went there for the first time last week after a young professionals get together downtown because so many people showed up that we weren't going to eat.  In Chicago, you're lucky if 15 people show up for a young professional event.  Here in Rochester, there were nearly 1,000.  It was pretty intense and we were wholly unprepared for that.  So, we had subs instead.



HOCKEY!!!!  HIT HIM!!!!  For Christmas, Megan got me a ticket package for the Rochester Americans (Amerks for short) (http://amerks.com).  They are a part of the American Hockey League (AHL) (they play the Grand Rapids Griffins on 1/26).  They are an affiliate of the Florida Panthers .



DEAL OF THE WEEK:  Two Zweigle Hot Dogs (Red Hots), Four Molson Canadians, Only $6.  



The Amerks played against the Lake Erie Monsters out of Cleveland.  



FIGHT!!!



He was alright, but it looked like they were selling a lot of hockey equipment at a yard sale.



Intermission entertainment!  It seemed that they put kids from the ages of 4-6 out there.  One kid was the best.  He would skate, stop hunched over, skate, fall, skate, stop hunched over, repeat.  It took him the whole intermission to get to the other side of the rink and then the coach carried him off the ice when the Zamboni was ready.



Not sure if this ended up being a goal...



This is R. Thunder.  You would think he's the main mascot, but he isn't.  You will see him next.  



This is the Moose, which is the main mascot of the Americans.  I guess they got him from a local radio station and somehow it became permanent.  I think their mascot should be something like George Washington with a black eye and a missing wooden tooth.  Just a thought...



Oh the Nutty Bavarian.  



"Don Stevens is the man of the hour (but not this hour)."  He's their play-by-play announcer.  So, I have no idea what this is about...



BEER GUY!!!  Famous in the Bell family.  So, the next time you see Megan you should ask her about the "Beer Guy Wedding."



The American Spirits with the Moose.  It seems they are looking for new cheerleaders and if you are interested, visit http://amerks.com/fan/spirit/.  



GENNY LIGHT!  The local brew of choice.  Interestingly enough, they don't seem to serve it at the War Memorial at Blue Cross Arena; they just advertise there...



THANKS MEGAN FOR A WONDERFUL DATE!  I'll see you there for game 2: against the Manitoba Moose (again the Moose is the Amerks mascot, which seems more Canadian)



More cold and snow recently.  It's been bitter, but not nearly as bitter as we've gotten use to in Chicago.  So, we took a walk to check out the snow and all at Linear Park (aka Channing H. Philbrick Park) in Penfield, NY









Ducks found something good to eat



My "National Geographic shot"


That's it from the hamlet of Rochester.  Not too much going on in the next week.  Just volunteering at Lollypop, Megan's going to New York for a conference this weekend, and job hunting.