Life is HOT in the city! 

As people flock to theaters to see the movie Sex and the City, Willamena is taking you around NYC to show you how she lives it up.

CHECK BACK SOON for Mena's tour- PLUS vote on whether your dog is a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, Miranda or MUTT- a mix of them all!

Also, find out about Willamena's Manolo Pawniks, doggie cosmos and where she gets tail!

Cinco de MENA (x2)

In honor of the 5th of May, and Willamena having just turned ten, we continue the celebration with Cinco de Mena (x2.)

The Menu for Mena consisted of pulled pork, (actually a dried pork dog treat from the Texas company Merrick) and Mena-Colladas!

Mena also loves left-over take out from Mexican restaurants, especially the chips. She rarely gets a doggie bag, though. Not just because its not really good for her, but also because there usually isn't any food left!

For people who find themselves in Manhattan looking for a margarita or Mexican food, don't listen to the pundits! There are plenty of delicious places to fiesta in NYC.

Starting with a new favorite this year,
Mole.

Mole is on Allen Street just off of East Houston. The restaurant is family owned. The wife is from Mexico City. She created the chipotle pork tacos at her other restaurant, Taco Taco on the Upper East Side on Second Avenue near 90th.

1. Mexican Radio.
19 Cleveland Place

For those looking for stuffed jalapenos hotter than you'll find in Texas, this is your place. They aren't on the menu, you have to ask for them. The margaritas are strong; they also offer a jalapeno marg.

2. Santa Fe.

73 W 71st St, Btwn Columbus Ave & CPW

This is more southwestern cuisine than Mexican, but the Margaritas and salsa can't be beat. After just two, you'll be ready for a siesta.

3. Los Dados.
73 Gansevoort St at Washington St

A hot spot in the Meatpacking district. Mexican for when you need to feel trendy.

4. Baby Bo's Cantina
627 2nd Ave. Btwn 34th and 35th

From what I remember, the margaritas and salsa are good.

5. Cafe Frida
368 Columbus Ave, Btwn 77th & 78th St
This isn't a place where you get chips and salsa when you sit down. You have to order them. But the tacos you roll yourself are worth the sacrifice.

6. Diablo Royale.
189 W 10th St, Btwn W 4th & Bleecker St
The steak soft tacos are devilishly delicious. Beware this place is usually packed at night. The keeper of Otis, Willamena's boyfriend, had her first margarita ever here!

7. El Rey del Sol
232 W 14th St, Btwn 7th & 8th Ave
Fresh Fruit margaritas are great. Try the grapefruit margs. Beware the tamales. They are vegetarian- all corn meal!

8. Zocalo.
Three locations. But I've only eaten at the one at Grand Central Terminal.
Headed to Connecticut? Ask for a margarita on the rocks to go.

9. Tehuitzingo
695 10th Ave(between 47th St & 48th St)
(212) 397-5956
This is the place to find your family-made tacos. No pretension, and very little English.

The plush cake sings "Happy Birthday To You" when Mena bites down on the sensor. She only likes toys that sing or make some kind of noise. A squeaky center, however, is not enough. If it is a stuffed bear, then it better growl like a bear. Or it sits untouched.
My shoes never made noise! Why was she so obsessed as a puppy?
I guess that was puppy-dom. Those days are long gone as Mena turns 10! We've been celebrating all month. Actually, the celebration got started late, so we're extending the fun into the 5th of May. Cinco de Mena. X 2.
We'll see if she will wear the sombrero.
However, I'm told like a typical kid, she doesn't like her new coil bed. She loves getting on mine, so ???
She always ends up on her old bed. I know, I need to get rid of it, and put it in the back of my car where she sits like I planned.

In celebration of Willamena's 10th birthday, here are some puppy pictures.

Mena Turns 10!

Top O' the Morning!

People keep asking what Willamena is doing for St. Patrick's Day.

If you remember, she celebrated last year with tours of Irish Bars on the Upper East and Upper West Sides of Manhattan. (I'm sure she left some out, send me the ones you like!)

Since St. Patrick's Day falls during Holy Week this year, maybe McMena will tour New York City churches. As you can see, she already made a stop at Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

New York City is still planning on having it's parade as usual on St. Patrick's Day, March 17tth. But because of Holy Week, Ireland's bishops have shifted the feast day to Saturday, March 15.

Here is how other areas are reacting to an early Holy Week and Easter.

The First Day of Six More Weeks of Winter.

Whether the ground hog saw his shadow yesterday or not, we still have to wait until March 20th for Spring to begin.  Groundhog day also just happens to mark the half-way point of Winter. People around the world celebrate the day as Candlemas.

For those wanting spring-like weather to consume our last half of winter, too bad Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. 

However, Staten Island Chuck and Chuckles in Manchester, Connecticut did not see their shadows.

Because I'm not looking forward to six weeks of cold and snow, I'd love to think that these two rodents closer to me than Phil, are correct, except, that the rat dog herself, SAW her shadow. 

We were walking west on 79th street just out of Central Park, and there is no question: Six More Weeks of Winter.

FOUND: BUTTON. Black. Please contact...

New York City. Home of "be careful with your wallet. Wear it around your neck on a cord and tuck it in your shirt so no one will steal it."
The place where the mentality is "each one for himself."
"If you can make it here you can make it anywhere."
I just have to say that New York City isn't living up to it's billing lately.

I enter into testimony a button. Yes. A button. This faux-leather covered, less than an inch, black button. It fell off my long overcoat a few days ago. When I got home and realized it was gone I was upset. UGH! I lost a button!
It was the bottom button and I was wearing the coat without it. And with the past two days warm temperatures, I didn't even wear the coat yesterday. So basically I had forgotten about my tragic loss.
UNTIL TODAY WHEN I FOUND IT HANGING ON THE GATE OF A DOG PARK FOR ME. My button. It must have fallen off my coat in the dog park. Someone saw it in the gravel-ish wet-ish litter-box-ish terrain and thought "A button! Someone lost this and will be looking for it!"

When you lose a button you immediately deal with the fact it is gone. Unless you have saved the extra button that came with it upon purchase, you are just without a matching replacement button. But not in New York City. Seems living here if you lose a button, someone will find it and place it in one of the free doggie poop bags and tie it to the gate of the dog park for you to find and bring to the corner dry cleaner to sew back on.

A button.

And I surprised when my drivers license, credit card and business card that all fell out of my pocket while walking along Central Park South on THANKSGIVING following the parade were returned to me. The lady that found them ended up seeing me on the street looking for them nearly an hour after they were lost and yelled out, "Heather?"

But a button? I mean, I am very appreciative, I just think it is hysterical! I finally have good luck, and it's wasted on finding a button?

New York City come on!

Happy New Year from Times Square in New York City.























The sun was shining bright just after noon when people were already gathered and camped out in Times Square. To keep Mena from squinting in her annual New Year's Eve pose, she needed sunglasses.
She went earlier in the day last year. Click here to see last year's NYE.

More New York City Holiday Fun
After a stop at the Plaza on 5th Avenue, who can resist a vist to Tiffany's a few blocks away along 5th? Willamena always seems to find her way right to the front entrance, so we call it Sniffany's.

NYC Holiday lights - just a few.

For people who love the consumerism of the holidays, these blue and red lights adorn the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle. They constantly change colors, one segment of each star at a time.

It is well known that holiday shopping builds a hunger for borscht.

What better place than the Russian Tea Room to fill that craving?

Plus looks like you could even get your shot for next year's Christmas card out of the way. (Since everyone else goes to Rockefeller. Pooey.)

Who doesn't love the legs of the Rockettes?

The show outside and around Radio City is almost as festive as the show.

Across the street, red ornaments are stacked in a fountain.

Less than a block away, a toy train lights up 6th Avenue.

And of course, every year, tall nutcrackers line the UBS building.

WILLAMENA WANTS IN THE ACTION AS A FILM CREW PREPARES A SCENE ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE.

Remember when I went on vacation and Willamena had her headshots done by her babysitter? Well, I should have had one with me this morning as I had to pull Mena away from this set.

But even my tugs weren't successful. You'd think that along with setting the scrims and adjusting the lighting for the driver side of this Toyota Matrix, they were grilling bacon.

Mena even got a pat on the head from one of the gaffers. I said, "she wants to be in it." He responded, "she should be!" Even one the guys taping an interview with someone working on this set, turned the camera on Mena's persistance to stay and watch.

Then Mena saw that someone was getting in the truck that was going to pull the Matrix along Broadway for the shoot. She was about to jump in.

I was told they were shooting for a movie called "Three Girls."

ROCKEFELLER GRINCHES!

Now that Willamena is back in New York City from her white Christmas New Hampshire visit, she wants her typical NYC Holiday pics.
However, security is the grinch this year.
The security guard in this picture was on his way over to say get away, "no dogs." She didn't understand considering this area is a public sidewalk.
She came to this side because she had just been chased away by another security guard by the angels.
That is where the people from NBC take pictures at no charge. You are given a slip with a website and number. You can view your pictures on line and order if you wish. There isn't any pressure. It's a great holiday shot. BUT NO! I asked if that was a new policy, the guard said dogs have never been allowed. Prior today, it has never been an issue. Look at last year's photo. It was taken by a tourist offering to help us out. There was security everywhere, but we weren't told to leave.
Maybe it's for the best. Because of the embarrassing exile, Mena now wants to find unusual places to take NYC Holiday pics. She promises to have them posted before the New Year.

ALL MENA WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS WAS A MINI-ME-na.

Actually I just wanted a picture of the two together, possibly with their paws up to their lip.

But with all the food and holiday treats around, Willamena didn't want anything to do with another dog.

Instead, she spent the day guarding the tree, anxiously awaiting the moment she would get to finally rip into her gifts.

Which, as you can see, she did a good job of as soon as Christmas morning arrived.

She was even transformed into Santa-Paws.

Unwrapping gifts wasn't the only activity the holiday hound jumped into.


She was thrilled to run down this hill right next to the sledders.

She slept well that night, with plenty of time for sugar-plum kitties to dance in her head.

Hope you're having a howling happy holiday!

Supermena No. 1
Click comic to enlarge

This Halloween:

"Supermena in Metropolis."


The newshound is a direct descendent of Krypto, Superman's dog from Krypton.

She was at work at the Daily Planet when duty called.






A tourist was about to go Uptown instead of Downtown on the 1 at Columbus Circle.

She rushed back to meet deadline, but was still caught on cam by Jimmy Olson.

It isn't easy finding a phonebooth in Metropolis anymore. Not like back in the days of 1950s Marvel.
Another task on this all hallows eve, to wiggle some walk room between strollers on the sidewalk.

Before heading back to The Fortress of Solitude, Supermena meets up with Supergirl.
TO BE CONTINUED...

Willamena the newshound takes off her Clark Kent glasses, abandons her notepad and leaves her camera in the apartment this Halloween.

Instead, she will fly high over Metropolis to reveal her true identity:

SUPERMENA!

I guess I get to be Lois Lane.

TOUR NEW YORK CITY WITH ME.

It's summer in New York City, and the sidewalks have been hot. Willamena has been taking a little break from her tours lately because night-time pictures don't come out as well.

But once again, she promises she is working on two for you. Here you see where she will probably begin her Seinfeld tour. After this shoot, she ordered the "big salad."

The tour that is being expedited is her "beatnik" tour. It will be in celebration of 50-years in print for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."

While you wait, please re-visit Mena's prior tours of New York City.

As a Met and Yankess fan, she took you to places to eat hot dogs at the beginning of baseball season.

http://heather-kovar.blogspot.com/2007/04/play-ball-eat-dogs-willamenas-new-york.html

In March, she celebrated St. Patrick's Day with tours of both Upper West Side haunts and Upper East Side Irish hangouts.

Also be sure to check out the Willabeast's Haunted Tour.

The Willabeastie had a great time at the Beastie Boys concert this past week.

Summer Rocks!

Willamena has been trying to keep it indoors during the day in the heat. But when it cools down at night, you can't stop this hot dog. Here she is at Summerstage back on July 16th listening to the Decemberists.

Tonight she is prepping her ears for the Beastie Boys. She also has her blanket, bottle of water, bag of treats, camera and digging paws ready for the event in Central Park.

No problem if you forget to bring your own libation. Even people outside of the actual Summerstage area have vending. "Amstel, Coors light, COLD water!"