Well, it’s official. The first ever Around the Hydrant poll closed this weekend, and “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” came in as the least-favorite Christmas carol – by two votes. Just edging out Barbara Streisand…by a nose (couldn’t resist!)

Makes the timing of this article from the Chicago Tribune perfect.

Looks as though another media research group embarked on a mission to determine radio listeners’ favorite and least favorite holiday tunes – in an effort to help the 366 stations in the U.S. currently playing only Christmas music determine what will keep listeners tuned in.

This latest study by Pinnacle Media Worldwide highlighted Hydrant readers’ least favorite song:

What to do about ‘Grandma’?

“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was widely disliked, but it also was loved by many others, with very little middle ground. Elmo Shropshire, 71, half of the duo Elmo & Patsy…says the song has sold “well over” 10 million copies since San Francisco radio station KSFO first aired it 28 years ago. Shropshire told The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi: “A lot of younger people say it’s not really Christmas until they hear it.”

A truly polarizing tune.

As for Porter, we know he doesn’t like The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells”. But what’s his favorite?

After spending Thursday night running through 9 inches of new, fluffy snow, and trudging through the 8 inches of wet white stuff that fell overnight Saturday, I’ll bet it’s “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”!

Well, it’s official. The first ever Around the Hydrant poll closed this weekend, and “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” came in as the least-favorite Christmas carol – by two votes. Just edging out Barbara Streisand…by a nose (couldn’t resist!)

Makes the timing of this article from the Chicago Tribune perfect.

Looks as though another media research group embarked on a mission to determine radio listeners’ favorite and least favorite holiday tunes – in an effort to help the 366 stations in the U.S. currently playing only Christmas music determine what will keep listeners tuned in.

This latest study by Pinnacle Media Worldwide highlighted Hydrant readers’ least favorite song:

What to do about ‘Grandma’?

“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was widely disliked, but it also was loved by many others, with very little middle ground. Elmo Shropshire, 71, half of the duo Elmo & Patsy…says the song has sold “well over” 10 million copies since San Francisco radio station KSFO first aired it 28 years ago. Shropshire told The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi: “A lot of younger people say it’s not really Christmas until they hear it.”

A truly polarizing tune.

As for Porter, we know he doesn’t like The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells”. But what’s his favorite?

After spending Thursday night running through 9 inches of new, fluffy snow, and trudging through the 8 inches of wet white stuff that fell overnight Saturday, I’ll bet it’s “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”!

Well, it’s official. The first ever Around the Hydrant poll closed this weekend, and “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” came in as the least-favorite Christmas carol – by two votes. Just edging out Barbara Streisand…by a nose (couldn’t resist!)

Makes the timing of this article from the Chicago Tribune perfect.

Looks as though another media research group embarked on a mission to determine radio listeners’ favorite and least favorite holiday tunes – in an effort to help the 366 stations in the U.S. currently playing only Christmas music determine what will keep listeners tuned in.

This latest study by Pinnacle Media Worldwide highlighted Hydrant readers’ least favorite song:

What to do about ‘Grandma’?

“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was widely disliked, but it also was loved by many others, with very little middle ground. Elmo Shropshire, 71, half of the duo Elmo & Patsy…says the song has sold “well over” 10 million copies since San Francisco radio station KSFO first aired it 28 years ago. Shropshire told The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi: “A lot of younger people say it’s not really Christmas until they hear it.”

A truly polarizing tune.

As for Porter, we know he doesn’t like The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells”. But what’s his favorite?

After spending Thursday night running through 9 inches of new, fluffy snow, and trudging through the 8 inches of wet white stuff that fell overnight Saturday, I’ll bet it’s “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”!

Meet Porter, originally uploaded by jessimacaah.

I have a dog. My first dog. He became a member of my family just over eight months ago and life hasn’t been the same since. For starters, I spend a lot more time hanging around fire hydrants.

My dog doesn’t blog. He doesn’t know how to use a computer. (An explanation of why/how he uses Dogster and DogBook will follow in a later post…) He can’t keep in touch with his pals the way I do. So what does he do? He sniffs butts and visits hydrants.

I once heard someone equate the fire hydrant to a sort of message board for dogs. I like to think of it as the canine equivalent to the office water cooler: A central meeting place that serves more of a social purpose than you’d think an object designed for holding water would or could.

So it is that every time my pooch takes a break from a brisk walk to sniff a hydrant or lifts his leg to mark one, he’s not just prolonging his time outdoors or relieving himself – he’s checking to see which of his friends, or adversaries, have been around recently and letting them all know “Porter was here.”

Yup – these are the things I think about now that I have a dog.

Which brings me to why I’m starting this blog. I think of it as the online, human-readable extension of the doggy fire hydrant messaging system.

I’m serious.

The vision for this blog is still very much a work in progress. For now, I see it as a way for me to explore and share the curiosities I encounter in this new world of dog ownership. Along the way I hope to give voice to the trends, news, ideas and controversies that I imagine would drive conversation for dogs around the hydrant.

You know, if they could talk…