Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

The tenth issue of The Total Rottweiler Magazine is being put to bed even as I type.

Hmmm, do they still say “put to bed” for sending a publication to the printer? The printer is here in Illinois, just two hours southwest of me. But I won’t be arranging for a courier or driving flats or film to the printer myself. Our editor Jane is in British Columbia, finishing up last-minute page corrections and uploading them to the printer’s server. I’m doing the final check and approval on those pages as she finishes uploading them. Everything is done online.

During the 17 years I have been in Rottweilers, many breed specific publications have come and gone. I still have fond memories of the original TRQ — The Rottweiler Quarterly. It may have often been way behind schedule, but the original owners always made good on subscriptions and advertising payments, one way or another. I can’t say the same for subsequent owners, and there are a few other now-defunct Rottweiler publications that out and out screwed over their subscribers and advertisers.

So I’m not surprised there was a place for us — so many others have bailed, some with honor and others without any class at all. And I’m not surprised that Jane has been able to keep the magazine going. She is one of the most determined people I’ve ever met. Her past life in accounting didn’t hurt either. I think a lack of knowledge in that area is what sent some of the other magazines to an early demise.

But it really did sneak up on me that we are just now finishing up issue number ten. Feels like a real accomplishment to hit that number!

(NaBloPoMo | April ’11: 3 of 30)

These days, I spend less time reading fiction and more time reading about the art of dog training and the science of software. Or should that be the science of dog training and the art of software? Anyway. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror remain my favorite fiction genres, and I have a special fondness for my favorite authors’ short story collections.

One of these is Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors* and one of my favorite stories in that collection is “The Price.” If you have ever had a special animal (especially a homeless stray) seek you out, especially at a time when it was least expected yet most needed, you’ll understand why I love this story, and why I totally understand Christopher Salmon’s quest to make it into a CG film.

This is special in another way, too. This is a labor of love by a fan, who has the full support of the author (who is not taking anything for himself), and hopefully will come to the life with the help of other fans. Like me. And you? Click on the link below the video to go to Christopher’s Kickstarter page. Help out if you can, and think good thoughts whether you can or not. I so want to see this made!

*If you are wondering about the other short story collections I like, in no particular order, they are Stephen King’s Night Shift, Roger Zelazny’s The Last Defender of Camelot, Ray Bradbury’s The October Country, and William Gibson’s Burning Chrome.

(NaBloPoMo | November ’10: 4 of 30)

I’m going to take off the rest of the night to read. And by read, I mean read an actual book and an actual magazine, not read things online.

The book is Innocent, by Scott Turow. I probably should have reread Presumed Innocent since it’s been years since I’ve read it or seen the movie, and Innocent is its sequel. I’m enjoying it so far, but I have the nagging feeling I’d be enjoying it even more if I had a clearer recollection of the characters and incidents from the earlier story.

The magazine is The Total Rottweiler Magazine. If you remember that I am the magazine’s volunteer proofreader and copyeditor, you may be wondering why, since I’ve seen it already. It’s a totally different experience to read it for enjoyment rather than being focused on spotting errors. It’s not solely the electronic vs. paper thing either, although it is nice to hold a printed copy in my hands and smell that newly-printed smell.

So what are you reading offline these days?

(NaBloPoMo | October ’10: 15 of 31)

The last few pages were approved at a quarter to eight this morning, and The Total Rottweiler Magazine is now at the printer!

As many of you know, I am involved with the magazine as a volunteer proofreader and copyeditor. I’m also “in charge” of the quarter-page stud dog, brood bitch, upcoming youth, and promising puppies ads, as well as the candid shots pages.

It really is a great magazine, with coverage of Rottweiler shows and sports from all over the world. To give you an idea of the wide variety of events and subjects covered, check out this issue’s contents. So I hope you don’t mind the occasional post here devoted to promoting the heck out of it!

If you love Rottweilers like I do, please check out the website, follow TTRM on Twitter, “like” TTRM on Facebook, and I hope you will subscribe!

I am a member of The Total Rottweiler Magazine’s editorial board; it is an unpaid position. In exchange for my work on the magazine, I do receive advertising space and a complimentary subscription.

(NaBloPoMo | October ’10: 4 of 31)

I spent the evening reading instead of writing since I have an e-book that’s due back to the library in just a couple of days. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson, combines cryptography, geek culture, and World War II vintage historical fiction into a very long, but still readable and enjoyable mix of past and present stories. I hope I can renew it if I have to. I read pretty fast, but it is really long.

I want to do a proper review of my Sony Reader, now that I’ve been using it regularly for a couple of months. I should also do a full review of Cryptonomicon once I’m done with it since it does fit in both the “Computers” and “World Domination” categories here!

I also have two murder mystery novels to review. Who knew there were not just one, but several, murder mysteries featuring at least one Rottweiler in a non-killing role? Not me, until very recently! Look for my take on Rottweiler Rescue: a mystery for dog lovers by Ellen O’Connell, and Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton in the near future.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 9 of 31)

“You’re heading for I-90,” said Wednesday. “Follow the signs west for Madison.”*

That’s a route I’ve driven many, many times. And there are quite a few other familiar places in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, one of my favorite books. What’s not to like about a story that takes you all around the vast Midwestern wasteland, to places where the old gods have been living for all these years, and to an inevitable clash between the old and the new?

I’ve mentioned before that I am nobody’s fangirl, and that I really don’t have much emotional investment in anything that I’m not personally involved with. I don’t rabidly adore any sports team or celebrities. My only slight departure from this was going to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show fifty-plus times (heh, you didn’t know that about me, did you), but that was more about hanging out with my psycho emotionally-invested friends than being truly involved myself. I helped a couple of people sew some pretty authentic-looking costumes (you didn’t know I could sew, and actually very well, either, did you) and that was really my biggest fun. Oh, and time warping, but only people with no soul would think that time warping is not fun.

But back to American Gods and the fact that there is going to be an American Gods weekend. On Halloween weekend. OMG! At The House on the Rock. OMG!!

Like many who have lived in this sector of the vast Midwestern wasteland for any length of time, I’ve visited the House on the Rock. It was sort of unintentional as the destination on that trip was supposed to be Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. I did end up at the intended destination, but was definitely glad to have taken the detour to see the strangeness and the wonder of the House on the Rock.

Wasn’t it worth it, worth anything, to say that you had ridden on the World’s Largest Carousel?*

The World’s Largest Carousel is one of the attractions at the House on the Rock, and plays an important role in American Gods. Normally, no one is allowed to ride the carousel, but reportedly a few lucky attendees of the American Gods weekend will be able to do just that.

Like I said, I am nobody’s fangirl. But if I could ride the World’s Largest Carousel, that might even change.

*from American Gods © 2001 by Neil Gaiman

(NaBloPoMo | April ’10: 6 of 30)

My original plan for advertising in the first 2010 issue of The Total Rottweiler Magazine was to celebrate the titles that Axel finished in January, particularly his AKC Championship.

Well.

Since my new AKC Champion is like one of those children who, while nice-looking in person, always has a goofy expression, closed eyes, head turned to the side, or what have you when it comes to photographs, I did not have the variety of shots, nor a decent head shot, for a nice elegant new champion ad.

So here is what is running instead. Behold the beauty… and the goofiness… that is Freya and Axel.

click image for full-sized PDF version

We also took the opportunity to promote Axel’s niece, Chassis (Precious Gems European Cut). I predict a successful career ahead for this young lady!

click image for full-sized PDF version

(NaBloPoMo | March ’10: 20 of 31)