Mena Goes Window Shopping in NYC

In case you missed all the holiday window dressing in Manhattan, Mena stopped to sniff out a few of her favorites.  

 Henri Bendel.

The display on 5th between 55 and 56 includes a purple puppy. It is a very regal, royal theme. A sign on the window says the dresses will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Bloomingdales
Lexington @ 59th

In celebration of Tony Bennett's holiday song CD, Bloomingdale's has decorated a window for each of his songs. To the left, Mena enjoys the open sleigh in "Jingle Bells."

Below are the windows "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Santa Claus is Coming To Town."

Barney's
Madison between 60th and 61st

Peace and Love! Barney's wants you to have a Hippie Holiday! Mena is posing as one of the "Ladies of the Counter Coulture."

The store is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign. Artwork by children of the East Harlem School is for sale. 100-percent of proceeds benefts the art program there. 212-876-8775 X304. 

 Bergdorf Goodman

5TH Avenue @ 58th

You can't start the new year without a calendar- so welcome the calendar girls of all seasons.

Here we see Winter and Autumn. Beware the men's store across the street; beasts and animals peer out in designer duds.

A few other window dressings you can still get out to see this holiday season include the snowflake light show at Saks Fifth Avenue. 5th between 49th and 50th. The display was inspired by the new book by Mike Reiss "A Flake Like Mike."

Lord & Taylor, 5th @ 38th & 39th, is dolled up in animated Yuletude themes, and the theme of the ever popular Macy's, 34th @ 6th & 7th, is "Yes, Willamena, there is a Santa Claus."

(Well, it may actually be Virginia, but that brings us to Mena's Christmas night sighting.)

Here, she saw someone's mommy kissing Santa Claus in Central Park! And this doesn't look like like Ms. Claus. Looks more like Mistress Claus!

Christmas Morning In Central Park.
The unwrapping of presents comes a little later in the day!

All Mena Wants for Christmas...

Mena loves opening gifts. But as you can see by her face in this picture from about three years ago, Mena was very upset by what she unwrapped. Clothes? Yuck! So while Mena loves her long walk in the park and cute collars, don't masquerade one as a "gift."

She much prefers anything that is edible or makes some sort of animal noise or squeaks when you chew on it's belly.

Mena learned how to open gifts back in 1998. The next Christmas, when I returned home from work, she had successfully opened all the presents under the tree. Now she has learned to wait.

Don't think she doesn't know that gift opening season is here. A few days before Thanksgiving, she was rummaging through her basket of stuffed squeaky toys, and pulled the one out from the bottom that she hasn't touched since she opened it last Christmas. When that one somehow disappeared the next day, probably under the bed or couch, she pulled out the only other holiday themed toy in her basket. SHE KNOWS. And is expecting to unwrap soon!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!



Willamena didn't make it out to the parade itself like in previous years, but she did make it for the big clean-up. 

It was a feast for the beast today. There were bagels everywhere! 

Check out this whole bagel with cream cheese on Broadway.

Obama Dog Update:
In his first media conference yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama spoke on getting a dog. He said it is a "major issue."

He said his preference is a shelter dog. (Yah! Willamena's advice must have crossed his desk.) Someone from Illinois did vote in her poll below.

However, since his oldest daughter has allergies, he said the criteria for his selection is that the dog be hypoallergenic.

With a shelter dog, you really never know what you are going to get, much less can be sure it's hypoallergenic.

Obama said "but obviously a lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me."

So I guess we'll have to re-do the poll of hypoallergenic dogs.

Presidential Pooch

Barack Obama promised his daughers a dog as soon as the election was over, win or lose!
Now that he is America's President-elect, the choice for the next White House dog can't be an easy one.
When one is chosen, you know there will be many cameras flashing in the animal's face.
Willamena thinks Barack Obama should take in consideration how well the family dog would photograph.
White doesn't always work on camera. The dog could look washed out, as while acts as a spotlight and reflects light.
Mena says a black dog wouldn't photograph that well, either, considering black absorbs all light, the dog just wouldn't "pop."

As for yellow, it works in any light! (Just look at Mena's pics.)

Willamena wants to point out she isn't "breed-ist," she just wants the Presidential Dog to look his/her best.
For this one, Mena endorses a yellow, female, mutt or rescue dog.

Cast your vote in the following poll:

Online Surveys & Market Research

This Halloween, The MUTT-ADOR fights the Bear Market!
After visiting her Bowling Green Bull friend, Mena set out bear hunting in New York City. 

Willa in Philla!

Congrats Phillies fans on winning the World Series
for the first time in 28 years.

Looks like the Curse of William Penn was broken last night
as the Phillies took the Rays 4-3.

The curse was supposedly put in place when a skyscraper
built in 1987 exceeded the height of William Penn's statue on top of Philadelphia City Hall.
(That's the building behind the clothes pin.)

So maybe the Eagles will finally win a Super Bowl.


Again, Congrats!
However, as much as Mena enjoyed munching cheese-steaks,
she remains partial to the NYC "DOGS."
Check out her NYC tour of hot dog hot spots.

If you are headed to Philly on Halloween for the championship parade down Broad Street, here are some haunted spots to explore.


Now discover some of Willy's other Philly favorites.



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Of course "feeding the beast" is the number one priority, so we head to South Philly for the two famous must-eat-at places, Geno's (1219 S 9th St) and Pat's (1237 E Passyunk Ave)

Both of these cheese-steakeries are dog-friendly because all the seating is outdoors. What's better, they are across the street from each other; so you can grab one from each and compare. Both are open 24-hours.














You have to look closely at the picture to the left. Mena is standing as close as dogs are allowed to the Liberty Bell. Click to enlarge.
Enter at Market between 5th and 6th.


To find Ben Franklin's grave, take 5th Street north past Commerce to Arch. You'll find people still throw pennies on his grave. How is that saving?



Mena NOSE money. She sniffed out the United States Mint which is just about a half block block north of Franklin's grave.


And what is a visit to the City of Brotherly Love without stopping at Love Park?
If you wanted to walk from the Grave at Arch street, it's about 12 blocks west on Arch.

Robert Indiana is the artist responsible for LOVE.
Mena also enjoys NYC's own LOVE.

The Willabeast Haunts Philadelphia!



Having already sniffed out some of New York City's Haunted hot-spots, (Click here to see the NYC tour) the Willabeast headed to Philly for some frightening fun in the City of Love.

View Larger Map
The tour begins where you might want to wind-down and warm-up with some hot spiced wine,
City Tavern.
1. City Tavern
138 S. 2nd Street






According to it's website, City Tavern was originally constructed in 1772 and George Washington, among other dignitaries, ate here. In 1948 Congress commissioned the historically accurate reconstruction of City Tavern.
Maybe that is what upset the ghosts that allegedly roam this historically themed restaurant.
Legend says a former waiter was the unintended victim of a bar room duel and to this day, he moves table settings. Drink enough spiced-wine, and you might see a specter in a bloodied white shirt fall to the floor before disappearing.


2.St. Peter's Church Cemetery
4th & Pine Streets

In a quaint residential area, this grave is considered the city's most haunted spot. There is a nice bench or two to relax and watch the locals as they walk their dogs through this pet-friendly spot.
One of the stories even has a ghost dog roaming this graveyard.
A horse-drawn carriage charging through the church and center of the graveyard is a reported sighting. Others say restless Native American chiefs roam the grounds.


3. Independence Hall
520 Chestnut between 5th and 6th streets

Ghosts are believed to inhabit this historical site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed in 1776.
Check out this tourist's blog if you don't believe ghosts hover here.
You just might see Benjamin Franklin, who has been seen in and around Independence Hall looking at documents he helped write.
According to Mike Tait who runs the Spirit of '76 Ghost Tours, in the 1990's, security guards watching a monitor saw someone standing in a room on the second floor. A guard walked up into the room and reported on his walkie-talkie that no one was there. To his shock, he was told that the man appeared to be standing right in front of him.


4.Eastern State Penitentiary
20th Street & Fairmount Avenue

It's not even rumor this place is haunted. It's website states ghost sightings nearly as fact. Pained former prisoners are said to haunt this 172-year-old former state penitentiary.
Even a dog named "Pep" was sentenced to life here. Some say it was for killing the governor's wife's cat in 1924, other records show the dog was donated by the governor to up morale.
Haunted candlelight tours are given here.

The Willabeast enjoyed these haunts of Philly. Come back soon for her cheesesteak eating and monument tour she likes to call "Willa in Phila."

MENA the MUTT- ADOR!

What is SCARIER than this past week on Wall Street?

So for Halloween, Willamena has chosen to go as a Muttador. (She is part mutt, part labrador- get it, mutt-ador?)

She is hanging out with the Bull at the entrance of Bowling Green Park because she wants to remind people to remain bullish in this tough time.

She actually has plans to hunt some BEARS this Halloween. So she will actually be Mena the bear fighting Mutt-ador.

The day Mena visited the bull, Friday, October 10th, 2009, The Dow Jones swung by more than a thousand points before closing down 128 at 8451.19, ending the worst week the Dow has even seen.

Which is why it wasn't an easy task getting near this bull. The real fighting was the crowd. The street was lined with TV News trucks and cameras. Tourists, maybe even New Yorkers, crowded around the bull to touch his parts for good luck.

New York's Funniest Reporter

Willamena is a big fan of touring New York City,  but sometimes can get aggravated by all the "strangers" trying to pet her. 

She is excited that a joke about HER will be told in the upcoming fundraiser/comedy competition New York's Funniest Reporter by her very own roommate, Heather!

Mena is prepared to make sure you laugh at the joke! Not that you wouldn't anyway...

Here is a page put together by the producer of the even to promote Heather. 

Tired of the bar scene?

It's not often you meet someone as cute as this guy at your local watering hole.

Willamena has been invited to attend and write about  a new event in New York City,  Speed Dating: Doggy Style. 

Described as a combination dog walk speed dating event, you date ten people as you walk with your dog.

Drooling Over Football Season
Willamena is ready!

She loves the beer, wings and nachos that accompany the pigskin parties. Oh, she loves pig ears too.

She made a quick stop at the NFL Kickoff Party in Columbus Circle today.

However, since nothing says football like 90-degree New York City streets, she decided to check out the stage and scene from the 4th floor of the Time Warner Center. 

From Central Park you could hear the entertainment; which tonight includes Usher and Keith Urban, but you couldn't see the stage.  From inside the gates at Columbus Circle you can see and hear the event, plus stay and watch the game.

Tonight Willamena plans to watch from the comfort of her own spring coil doggie bed as the defending Super Bowl Champs, the New York Giants, take on long time rivals,  the Washington Redskins.

There may even be pig skins.

If you click on Mena's picture and look closely, you can see all the people lined up along Central Park South for the Kickoff event.

Call her Willa in Phila, Silly Willy in Philly or just Mena on Market, NYC Dog had fun sniffing out the sights of the City of Brotherly Love.
Check back soon for her tour!
She also found some haunted sites. Remember the Willabeast's Haunted NYC tour?
Soon she will show you some bone-chilling spots of Philadelphia.
And yes, she ate plenty of cheesesteak.

Backyard Birthday Bash
Willamena's backyard, Central Park, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of it's design this year.

Instead of a bouquet of helium balloons --that would only get stuck up in the trees anyway-- the Central Park Conservancy and City Parks & Rec joined with AeroBalloon to offer rides in this large helium-filled balloon through August 22nd.

Visitors go up, up -- up 30 stories -- but not away. The balloon is tethered.

See more pictures here.

Willamena hasn't gone up- she prefers to stay grounded. Actually, she's always trying to get at the core of the park. She'd dig her way that direction if she had her way.

You can go skyward everyday 10am to 10pm until August 22nd. The location is Cherry Hill, on 72nd street. It costs 25-dollars for adults and $17.50 children.