I was watching a show last night about all of the stuff people (women, in particular) purchase for kitchens, like juicers, blenders, fluted tart pans, etc., that never end up getting any use.

Now, I'm probably as guilty as anyone of that particular sin. I have a blender that's been plugged in all of twice in the last two years, and my gigantic KitchenAid mixer (which I had to have because all of the really cool chefs on TV have one) frequently gets left on the sidelines in favor of my crappy (but light) hand mixer.

On the other hand, I love my Calphalon cookware and think it would have been a bargain at twice the price. And I'd sooner face the day without shoes than face it without my coffeemaker.

How about you? What's the best kitchen gadget you've got? Or the biggest waste of money?

So I was sitting there last night, looking at the "Head On" commercial for what feels like the 4,183rd time. They must be selling some of that stuff, otherwise they would have run out of marketing money a long time ago.

Anyway, it got me thinking about all of the ads and infomercials people see every day. Have you ever decided to buy something after seeing commercials for it over and over again? Bonus points if you bought something you never saw in real life, just from the way it looked or worked in the ad.

I looked at all of the cute pet pictures that were sent in for the contest, and I'm thinking about spending some bucks doing a little voting. As long as I'm spending, did anyone here enter their pet? Which one is yours?

So, I think I'd like to find a local group that can use an extra hand here in the community. Trouble is, I don't want to miss out helping a worthy group just because I didn't know about them.

So, does anyone have recommendations for groups that can use another hand? Does Main Street use volunteers? What about the public schools? Any animal groups looking for people?

I'm just looking for a place who is looking for people.

I love, love loooooooooooooove thunderstorms, so the mere mention that they might happen, especially given how how it's been, is enough to ruffle my fur.

Who thinks we might see a little sky-action today?

Well, no doubt about it --- it's hot!

I'm a very well-loved cat, and as such my parents keep me indoors all of the time. Plus, in weather like this they will leave on the air conditioning for me, even when they aren't home. Of course, they also leave on the TV or radio when they are gone for a while, so I'm not stuck here in silence.

How about you other pet parents out there? Do you do anything special for your pets when it heats up outside?