Big Whoop

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Yesterday, in between writing an article for a fancy pants magazine and dog-walking (because we’re nothing if not glamorous), I learned that The Rufus Files had been nominated for not one BUT TWO blogging awards.

In 2017 at the Myrtle Beach convention,  I attended the awards banquet to represent Colorado Pet Pantry which had been nominated for Best Cause Blog. I sat with other nominees, like Bryn Nowell of A Dog Walks Into A Bar and Alison Reeder of Sarcastic Dog –  and learned how freaking hilarious they are. I watched as people accepted their awards with genuine gratitude and sincerity.  We didn’t win, but we got the Pet Pantry’s name and mission out there which went a long way. I will also admit to bothering every single vendor to ask for food donations. They were all very good sports about it despite me being a smiling pain-in-the-ass.

This year we’ll be meeting in Kansas City, and while KC may be no Redneck Riviera, we’re going to have a blast. I’m staying with my buddy Molly who has been stalwart in her support of my writing AND my dog-having. Back in 2013, she came to my house every single day for three months to check on Sophie at lunch while I was at work.  She moved to Kansas City the following year creating a huge hole in my world of both dog-loving and normal friends.

I am really excited about seeing Molly and her family, and I’m simply giddy at the idea of seeing my BlogPaws pals. Heather Wallace of Bridle and Bone, Beth Cherryholmes Miller of Wagtown Woofs,  and Aimee Jurenka of The Lazy Raw Feeder will be there, and they are also nominated for awards this year! Aimee and I are going to have a red-carpet shoe-off so we can strut our stuff in some fancy heels. I have already found some sparkly heels, but they are not at an ankle-breaking height, so I may lose some style points.

The big question now is whether Sophie accompanies me on this trip. She gets pretty excited at big events but we may just give it a try. Walking down the red carpet with a layer of dog hair on my dress could be fun.  Rufus, on the other hand, would get me barred for life from BlogPaws. He means well but he would be scared of all of the people and bark, and he’d get very excited by the other dogs and annoy the crap out of them. But as soon as BlogPaws creates a category for “Most Ridiculously Inappropriate Dog At a Large Event,” we are there with bells on.

While I try to make a living from writing, this particular blog has been strictly a labor of love. We have not yet gone the sponsored influencer route where we get paid for reviewing products because I prefer jotting down the challenges and delights of having these two critters. Also in this house toys get shredded to bits within minutes, and different foods can cause noxious emissions or worse. What works today may not work tomorrow.

The BlogPaws community has been extremely helpful to me and I am grateful to have this group of goofballs and dog&cat nerds in my life. Having a writing platform to share my thoughts, fears, observations, and eight million dog pictures has been a wonderful outlet for me.

See you all next month in Kansas City, party animals!

Published by Amy Hempe

I'm a writer and teacher who lives in Colorado. I ride horses and play with my dogs when I am not writing.

16 Thoughts

  1. A very big congratulations on the nominations! I’ve met a couple of the bloggers you mentioned here and couldn’t agree with you more. Paws crossed that Sophie attends with you. Hope to meet you at a future conference!

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  3. Congratulations!! I’ve been wanting for years to attend BlogPaws but it’s always so far away from me. I keep hoping that maybe someday it will be a bit closer to my area.

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  7. Congrats on your nominations! I agree that Alison and Bryn are some of the funniest people around! I also love the idea of a shoe off – though I’m notoriously clumsy so probably not a good idea for me to participate because it would surely turn into a fall-on-my-face-off

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  12. Congrats on your nominations! Also, kudos to you for using the opportunity to spread the news of Colorado Pet Pantry. I volunteer with a local animal welfare group that has a pet food pantry too.

    You make the BlogPaws conferences sound fun! So far, they’ve been too far away and/or I simply can’t justify the cost in our family budget. Maybe one day….

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  13. Congratulations on being a finalist in not one but two categories. Wish you the best! Not attending BP this year unfortunately however will be following all the attendees journey online. Good luck!

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  15. Congratulations on being a finalist in two categories! It sounds like you’ve made some great friends and connections through BlogPaws. I hope the vendors will be happy to share again this year!

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