Busting Balls And Hanging Spiders

I know with a title like that you’re wondering what the hell Nick is up to this weekend. But I promise you, it’s not as violent as it sounds.

I’m always happy to share news about products that we find useful, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also tell you about ones that turned out to be a bust. In a blog a while back, I told you about the herding ball I got for Alli and how much she enjoys it. There’s no question that she goes after it like all get out, and it wears her out quickly.

Unfortunately, the ball, which was advertised as being indestructible, even for active dogs like German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, turns out to be very easy to destroy. Within the first couple of days, it developed a leak, and then another leak, and Terry and I spent one evening putting ten patches on the ball. Even then, it still leaked.

I filled it up yesterday, and Alli had a great time chasing it for an hour or so, but then it looked like this. In reading reviews of different herding balls on the market, they all claim to be tough enough to withstand a sabertooth tiger, but the truth is, none of them I’ve found will last for very long. I guess it’s back to the drawing board on that.

Now, as for the spiders. I don’t like them. I don’t like them as much as I don’t like snakes. There’s an old legend that people swallow spiders in their sleep that kept me awake for days after I first heard it. Fortunately, that’s not true. And even if it were, I’m talking about a different kind of spider.

Terry picked up some spider plants a while back, and re-potted them into hanging baskets and she’s been looking for someplace to hang them so the cats don’t destroy them. We decided to hang a couple of them outside on hooks near the front porch yesterday. Those are the kind of spiders I can handle. And they are outside of the house, so I won’t have to worry about swallowing them in my sleep, just in case those legends really are true.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is a copy of Philly Warrant Unit by lifelong friends Tristin Kilgallon and Mark Fusetti who grew up on the same block in Philadelphia. I featured Tristin in this week’s Author Spotlight. Though life led them down different paths, their bond endured, and years later, they found themselves working side by side in the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Warrant Unit, a specialized team tasked with locating and apprehending wanted fugitives in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.

Their book isn’t a traditional cover-to-cover read. It’s a powerful collection of short stories, true accounts that reflect the intensity, tragedy, danger, and dark humor that come with the job. Some of the stories will make you hold your breath, while others might break your heart, or make you laugh out loud. But you can be sure that all of them will give you an authentic look at a world rarely seen by the public. Whether you’re interested in law enforcement, true crime, or just want a raw, unfiltered look at the streets of Philadelphia through the eyes of two men who lived it, this book is for you.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?

And finally, here’s a chuckle about different balls to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – Don’t fall in love with someone’s potential.