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Good point. I needed to read this. While I really want my shelter to win the makeover or at least one of the cash awards, it really is a group effort, and I can't neglect my own pets and th rest of my personal life and responsibilities by spending hours on here.

Right on! I love that zootoo limits the points. I makes the whole point of the site, well, enjoying our pets! Zootoo wouldn't exist without people who were nuts about animals, and it's great to have a community to share, where people will actually look at all your pics and videos and not think you're bonkers! Without limitations though, there is less opportunity to get those pics, videos, and stories we put in our journals. I spend lots of time with my pets, the foster cat, and I am at the shelter for at least a couple hours a week (on top of petfinder). I'm glad there were improvements made since the last round - and I hope more are made. What a great community!

And what I have learned is that I must have done something right to have such a wonderful and caring daughter. The animals of Jersey City and I are blessed to have you as a part of our lives. Though there are some tough areas in the city, we are fortunate to be in a place where we can make a difference for the animals and the community! And we are making a difference whether we win or lose this contest.

You have learned alot, you are doing it for the dogs...good for you

I think you're right. I'm much more relaxed about the contest this time around. (That's probably helped by the fact that my computer is down and I have to got to the library to get on) I do try to do two journal postings a day when we're in a contest period - if I can find good material. Sometimes it's actually hard to do a posting because I've wandered off.

FYI - I have not had good luck with book reviews staying on Zootoo so now I just review them on my journal. (Or I hope too) I read this really funky snake book recently that just attracted me for some reason - I don't even like snakes.

This is the first time I'm really interested in the shelter makeover contest. Last time I didn't really get into it and really didn't spend much time on the site. My mom is the director of Liberty Humane which is the shelter in first place right now so i've decided to spend parts of my day doing this for her. This makeover would mean the world to my mom and she and her employees work so unbelievably hard to maintain their "shelter" which is no more than a converted garage with too many pets that we wind up all having to foster sometimes. I live 215 miles away from the shelter and have two foster kittens just because there is no other place for them to go. For those of you who haven't been to Jersey City, NJ, you aren't missing much. It's a bad neighborhood with a lot of TERRIBLE dog fighting owners (hence our OVERWHELMING number of pitbulls brought in on a daily basis) so this shelter really needs the help. Recently the big animal shelter in town was shut down due to bad conditions/animal cruelty and my moms shelter took ALL of their animals skyrocketing their number of animals. So maybe I post comments, journals, pictures etc just for the points, but I'm sorry I don't feel guilty doing it because I AM doing it for the love of animals and to give the ones in Jersey City a better life in the shelter.

I am more the Alice type myself....curiouser & curiouser....The shelter contest..I'm over it. I chose an underdog shelter close to the area that I'm from and with me being it's only active supporter....nothings going to happen. Why waste the effort and get the panties in a wad . I have my own furry people that need me more.
I'm too busy out racking up the "life points". Taking the dogs to local critter oriented events,trying to socialize my former hunting beagle,enjoying time with my geriatric great dane,letting my pocket size rat terrier be the big dog on campus... And providing tangible usable items for the local animal shelters. If I can't give them a make-over...I can make things a little more comfy or easy for the beasties while they are there. So I'm cherishing the small things . Cant' ask for better than that.

"I quite agree with you. And the moral of that is: Be what you would seem to be, or if you'd like it put more simply: Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise."
~~ The Duchess in Alice in Wonderland

I started out planning to add my comments about taking the time to enjoy the site but I have to tell you first that I just finished Ken Fosters' book Dogs I Have Met and the People They Found - (he also wrote Dogs Who Found Me )
Both such wonderful books and I thought someone might want to read them :)
And while I have no "good" china ( just Corelle in this house ) I loved the descriptions below - from egg cups to cabinets - it all sounds beautiful ...
I also wanted to say that I do agree that this time around I think taking it slow, taking deep breaths every day and actually enjoying the contest will be what it's all about - I do intend to work hard - my shelter is in desperate need - but I no longer have the time, patience or fortitude to do what I did last year..
I love to read the journals and frequently spend so much time reading I don't take the time to comment , but I don't want to lose that portion of Zootoo - it's where we have all connected and gained friends and support and fun..
So thanks for this journal - it's a wonderful reminder to slow life down to the pace that is comfortable and cozy - like that favorite worn robe or pair of slippers...
Sheila

I enjoyed the journals over the summer and hope that people keep doing them in the same spirit and not just for points. The lap top makes it easier to jump on and stay there so I hope that I don't get to addicted to checking in to see where things are. I have just about run out of stuff to review and I don't think that I will have any videos in the near future so I will just keep reading and babbling

I've read everyone's comments and agree with so many of them. Even though I've got so much to do at the moment around the house, I keep coming back and checking Zootoo several times a day. I'm not trying to earn mega points like last time, and unfortunately haven't earned that many at all. I'm logging on to see how my Zootoo family is doing. That's the reason I return to the site. You may not know that I've read your journals because I don't always write a comment, but I do care about what happens in the lives of some of the very special people on this website.

The pressure of the competition is off of my shoulders, a little of the guilt remains, but the insanity is definitely not worth it.

Enjoy life. It's far too short to be wasted killing yourself over earning points that are meaningless in the real world. Earn life points for yourself--look at the world around you, embrace those you love whether they're two-footed, four-footed, feathered, finned or scaled.

Hugs to everyone.

my doc has been sent to me by god to punish me for somthing but it cackfired I REALLY LOVE HIM my piper is just a gift in anyway, shape or form

I do feel like it's a bit of a chore to make sure I've earned points in every area. I'm tired of posting lame videos just to earn the points. My cats do cute things everyday but I don't always have the video camera in my hand when they do it.

I think that joining zt at the last part of the 1st contest made me step back,take a breath, and regroup before I even had the chance to wet my feet.There was so much ugliness on here,that it was kind of frightening.
I could totally understand the passion, the cause,the desperation,etc.,in all the shelters that need so much help,and I felt so bad and remembered thinking "Why can't they split the million" between the top 20?I just wanted to help every one that worked so hard,I guess.
Anyway,I think that when it became ugly,people(in general) began to lose all the positive reasons of why they were here. I think that when that happens,your whole life becomes distorted,and out of control.
I guess what I'm getting to,is that it's good to hear that people have learned from the experiences that they've gone through,seen,etc. You don't ever have to give up the cause,but when you began to lose your self as a person,and things start getting out of control in your own life,it's hard to remain focused,and realize that although the contest needs to be taken serious,it also has to be something that you're enjoying.
If you're killing yourself,if you have your personal life stretched so thin,if you're fighting and purposely flagging and doing other mean behaviors,then you have lost the reason of why you came here.-I personally came to meet other animal loving friends,to gain knowledge,to hear of what's going on in life around me.I wanted to hear the causes,and to find tools that could help me change/or better enrich the animals lives.I came here to try and make a difference,even if it is a small one.
I came here to enjoy.lol
I wanna hear about the walks,and read about the great places that people live,and the wildlife that they share it with.I like the slow moving simple way of life!!!
I'll stop myself now before I end up writing a journal on yours!lol

I agree . . I also think sometimes we are so worried about getting points that people don't take the time to really read and comment on journals and really communicate with one another which I think is the fun part.

I agree. It is about the friends.

I agree with you. I wasn't here for the first competition, but when I first got on ZT in July I spent a lot of time...it was so addictive. I've managed to get a better balance lately, which is better for me and the girls.

PS - I also LOVE to read non fiction. The last book I read was Dog Days by Jon Katz. I really liked it and will do a review if I can ever add it or ZT adds it for me.

Nice to hear from you Martha and Carol!! ;-)

Very funy...the consequences of the 1st zt contest! Not so funny was becoming a compulsive obsessive type while adding points. Everything else in my life was neglected. I won't let that happen this time. If you don't hear from me for weeks it'll be because I've taken a break in order to ward off any repeat of that behavior! But yes, the new contest will be so much better and this time enjoy eachother without a thought as to "competition". We have some major things in common...our love of animals and this planet.
..also painting, photography, antiques, books :) :)