Tunes for Typing

Many of you might already be aware of this great link, but for those in the dark, Pandora.com is a free internet radio site where you can create customized radio stations. Create a station based on a favorite band or song, and Pandora will play that favorite tune or artist, along with similar music.

This site is bookmarked on my computer and my account is loaded with stations for every occasion. When I'm buried deep in a feature (like I was this week), I log on to Pandora and listen to my Mozart or Handel station for some non-distracting, brain-boosting tunes. Today, when I'm working on something a little more menial (typing up our Horse and Rider article index), I can enjoy jamming to my Fleetwood Mac station.

If you're an iPhone-toter like myself, you can also download a free Pandora application for your phone, plug in your earphones or vehicle auxiliary cord, and listen to your personalized station on the run. Perfect for long hauls, down-time at shows, or stall-cleaning sessions.

Unpaid Office Staff

Today on Juli Thorson's Horse Talk blog, Juli spotlighted some of Horse & Rider's canine staff members.

Even though Alana and I (along with our Art Director, Adam) are stationed in the Lake Dallas office, in an actual office building, we still get to bring our pups to work. It's one of the upsides to having a small staff. Luckily, we're all dog fanatics. Adam has yet to bring his pint-sized terriers in... although he has brought in his pint-sized human newborn, Holden.

While the dogs can be a distraction at times, like when Murphy has too much to "say" to the UPS delivery man or the dog's wrestling matches get a little too raucous (doesn't happen as often now that Happy is recovering from kidney-removal surgery and Addison's disease diagnosis), overall it's great to have the critters at work. There's a comfort that comes from having your dogs nearby, and a break to curl up on the floor with the pup is a welcome stress-reliever during deadline days.

Now that I've been lucky enough to experience the benefits, it'd be hard to work somewhere where I couldn't bring the dogs to work. All of you who also get to take Fido to the office, whether it's an indoor or outdoor one, know what I mean!

Happy (my dog, chocolate Lab) having some serious jealousy issues over the bone Murphy (Alana's dog, yellow Lab) is munchin'.

This rabbit has long since been destroyed.

An occasional visitor, my part-time receptionist, Striker. (He and Murphy are NOT friends.)