I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I think Athenamama stands a very good chance of being mentioned in an upcoming edition of the local newspaper.
A while back I responded to an advertisement in the Ventura County Star concerning a possible article about people who have multiple pets. (If you weren't aware of this, I do in fact have multiple pets.)
A few days ago the nice young man who is writing the piece contacted me by e-mail asking for an interview over the phone. We had that interview last Friday night, and I think there is a better than good chance that Athenamama will be mentioned.
We mainly discussed what it's like to own three dogs and three cats under one roof. We also talked about Athenamama, and what I write about here. We also talked quite a bit about Athena, which actually makes me pretty happy.
So, if the article does mention myself or Athenamama, I will of course be sure to link to the online version of the story for all three of my readers to enjoy. I just wonder how I am going to pay for the extra bandwidth once I become famous. I guess I will just hope that I become rich before I become famous.
Stay tuned!
Posted by Jeff at October 23, 2006 7:00 AMGood for you! But, take a word of advice. Don't trust reporters -- especially the hacks at the VC Star. The reporter could write a story that mocks you or doesn't show you in the best light. That's what happened to my friends Paul and Wendy. The Star wanted to do an article on couples with disabilities and contacted my friends through the local ARC office. The reporter made some very inaccurate and unintentionally hurtful comments in the article. Reading it made Wendy cry. The article wasn't well-researched and expressed biased opinions that were far from what had been stated before the interview.
Several months later, the Star identified Wendy's brother as a "transient" in another (unrelated) article. Her brother grew up in Ventura. His entire family lives in Ventura. How he could be a transient is beyond me. I wrote the editor an angry letter over that one.
Anyway, be careful. The reporter may have already figured out an "angle" that may not be in your best interests.
Posted by: Fritz at October 23, 2006 3:52 PMThanks for the advice, Fritz. The guy seemed honest enough, but you're right, he could paint me as a crazy "cat man" who takes on more animals than he is able to care for. But, it was fun, and I saw an opportunity to get my name in print, so of course the ego boost over road any thoughts of impropriety on the part of the writer.
In any case, I can't wait to read the article, and if it is unflattering to the point of lies, I will certainly let the Star know how I feel.
Posted by: Jeff at October 24, 2006 12:56 PMWay to go! In the past I had a website dedicated to my Lhasa Apso, Tiki. The site was mentioned in a dog magazine and I was quite amazed at the number of visitors that resulted from the one article. Tiki has since pasted on and the website nolonger is online.. but I still have the magazine and the article. It is a real keepsake.
Posted by: Coll at October 25, 2006 10:34 AM