Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Rottweilers. Computers. Cameras. World Domination. Not necessarily in that order.

Rottweilers.
Computers. Cameras.
World Domination.
Not necessarily in that order.

Disruption in the routine

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The July 2009 NaBloPoMo theme is “routine”

The new target date for Freya’s first Rally Obedience trial is now set in stone. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but I did mail in our entry last week for a UKC trial on July 25. So I definitely need to take a little time tomorrow to set up a training routine for the next three weeks. I’ll be trying to fit in any available run-throughs, fun matches, and drop-in classes. With the freakish weather that we’ve had lately, I also want to have both an outdoor plan and an indoor plan each day for home practice sessions. There’s not much space to practice in the house, but there are still a number of exercises that don’t need much space to practice: call front and finish, 270° and 360° left and right turns, spirals, sits, and downs.

I was going to start today, but the Fourth of July caused a huge disruption in our routine. I complained the other day about jagoffs who insisted on starting the holiday fireworks days ahead of time. I am not un-American, and I usually do not get overly bent out of shape about noisy celebrations until midnight or later. But my normally quiet neighborhood sounds like a war zone tonight. People are blowing off fireworks that are loud enough to set off car alarms, which they have, a half dozen times since nightfall. I’ve heard quarter-stick and maybe even half-stick sized “booms” tonight. Nothing that loud is legal in Chicago.

It’s almost midnight and there are still fireworks going off. The air is still thick with smoke. I am asthmatic, although it barely bothers me these days: except on New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July. I really don’t want to go out there and breathe that stuff, and I wouldn’t, except that the dogs have to go out before bedtime. I don’t really want them breathing that stuff either, but they definitely need a potty break. Neither of the dogs is actively fearful of fireworks, but Axel feels he needs to protect me from whoever is shooting at us. That gets a little stressful for both of us.

Needless to say, the early evening hours when we would normally train outside were not particularly conducive to learning or practicing today. I really hope the neighborhood jagoffs have used up all of their fireworks. Since it’s still the weekend, I’m concerned that their inconsiderate jagoff selves will choose to continue blowing off fireworks for one more day. None of them seems to have blown off a finger or set their own garages on fire, so karma hasn’t come around yet either.

I’m doing something I never do, and am hoping for rain and lots of it. I didn’t get my wish tonight, and it’s not looking good for tomorrow.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 4 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 161 of 274)

Finally FURminating!

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I know I’m very late to the party on this one, but I finally have a FURminator de-shedding tool. I wish I hadn’t waited so long, as it is really the perfect grooming aid for the lovely Freya and her Undercoat of Doom. The model I got is one of the new ones, the FURjector, which has a push button to eject the fur from the blade. It comes in only one size, 2.65″ wide, which corresponds with the original medium size, for medium and large dogs.
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When we were researching dog breeds, one of the big huge lies that we were told was that Rottweilers do not shed very much. Did I mention this was a big huge lie? Apparently “very much” is measured differently on whatever planet that Rottweiler owner was from. I’m glad I don’t remember who it was that told me that big huge lie.

Rottweilers have many endearing qualities, so the shedding was not a deal-breaker. Our grooming tool of choice up until now has been a traditional shedding blade, which is a pretty effective tool that is quite inexpensive. This one has survived all six Rottweilers to date.
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Some of our Rottweilers have had very little undercoat. Axel really doesn’t have much. Freya is another story. Her Undercoat of Doom is probably the source of most of the dog hair that buries itself into the carpet and upholstery. We used the shedding blade on both dogs the day before the FURminator arrived. The FURminator removed quite a bit of additional undercoat and dead hair from Axel. But we couldn’t believe how much more it got off Freya. And remember, this is after using the shedding blade!

An additional bonus is that it didn’t cost any real dollars. Though I was hugely disappointed that ThankYou Rewards no longer offers Amazon gift certificates as a redemption choice, they do offer rather a wide range of pet-related products, and the FURminator was one of them.

A definite “four paws up” for the FURminator. Next time maybe we’ll follow the trend a bit sooner.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 3 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 160 of 274)

Fireworks and jagoffs

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I grew up in a time and place where fireworks were completely legal, and considered essential to many ethnic and non-ethnic celebrations. My paternal grandfather supposedly knew pyrotechnics, how to make the fireworks and how to get the different colors and effects, but it was not something any of his sons picked up on.

As an adult, I still enjoy a quality aerial display. One memory that sticks with me (good thing, too, it’s something I could never have photographed) was of a July 4 many years ago. I was riding my motorcycle, heading home from the Chain o’ Lakes to the north side of Chicago. I left as darkness was falling, which was not the safest time to leave, but it turned out to be the most spectacular time that day as I saw part of just about every fireworks display in every town between Fox Lake and Chicago as I headed home.

What I do not like is the jagoffs who insist on blowing off fireworks starting three or four days before, and continuing to three or four days after New Year’s Day or the Fourth of July. What I hate even more is the even bigger jagoffs who try to scare kids or animals with said fireworks. It’s been 15 years, and I still get mad when I think of one of our neighbors who purposely lit off a firecracker to scare our 4-month old Rottweiler puppy. His life really hasn’t gone well in the years since then, and you know what, karma is a bitch, isn’t it?

I feel lucky that none of our past or present dogs or cats are seriously frightened of fireworks. Even that puppy got over it quickly and she grew up to be one of the most rock-steady dogs I’ve ever had. The ones who are slightly afraid are fine as long as we don’t make them come out from under the bed against their will. Freya and Axel are convinced we are at war and that they must defend our home and yard from incoming attacks. Needless to say, they spend a lot of time indoors until the “war” is over. Thanks, guys, but I wish you would listen to the part about “there is no war here.”

It’s still only the second, and some of the neighborhood jagoffs are already blowing stuff up. I know it’s wrong, but I really am hoping something bad happens to them. I will not feel sorry for any of them who get burned or blow off one or two digits, and I just hope no innocent bystanders get hurt in the process.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 2 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 159 of 274)

Another month, another NaBloPoMo

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Another month has begun. It is July 1, and temperatures have ranged from the high 50s to low 60s throughout the day and night. That’s right, July, in Chicago. I don’t think record lows were set, but it hasn’t been this cold on July 1 since the 1930s. So much for global warming.

I’ve been participating in NaBloPoMo for most of this year, which means I’ve written something here every day so far this year, except during the month of February.

I’m still not totally convinced that I have enough to say, or rather, enough worthwhile and interesting things to say, to blog daily. But as I read through the information glut that is 2009 on the web, having nothing worthwhile to say doesn’t seem to stop most people from saying it anyway. So I’m certainly not alone, and unlike some of those people, at least I spell most of my drivel correctly. So there.

NaBloPoMo has an optional theme every month, and the July theme is “routine.” That’s something I’m finding difficult to apply to blogging, although I know it will help me once I do. Unfortunately, so far my so-called blogging routine consists of watching the 10:00 PM news, flailing around for an interesting topic to write about (sometimes the news helps with this, but not usually since I’m not a political or current events blogger), and trying to put together a couple hundred mostly coherent words before bedtime.

Could use improvement, huh? Maybe we’ll run with that “routine” theme and work on getting some better routines in place for blogging, dog training, and computer maintenance this month.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 1 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 158 of 274)

Li hing mui margarita lost in the vast midwestern wasteland

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I’ve never seen a li hing mui margarita in the wild anywhere in the vast midwestern wasteland. And we do have a few bars or restaurants here where you’d think they might be hiding.

I don’t think they are as popular as they used to be in Hawaii either. On our last trip to Honolulu in February, I was horrified to find out that the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s beachside Mai Tai Bar no longer serves them. How can the famous pink hotel cut a pink drink from its menu? That is just plain wrong.

Oh. Li hing mui is Chinese preserved dried plum. It’s sweet, sour and salty.

There are still a lot of recipes for li hing mui margaritas available online, and I did think far enough ahead to buy some li hing mui powder on one of our Honolulu trips. It took a while to go through the recipes as I was simply not interested in anything frozen with extra fruit.

My days of tequila shots are far in the past, and even the “correct” margarita mix that is 50% tequila just doesn’t work for me these days because it makes it too easy for the Rottweilers to knock me over. Although it might be a surprise to anyone who knew me back when, I picked a recipe that ended up being only 20% tequila: Homemade Li Hing Margarita from House of Annie.

I did make my own sweet and sour mix, too, but with Rose’s Lime Juice and ReaLemon instead of fresh squeezed juices. My tequila was Jose Cuervo Silver (my favorite is actually Herradura Silver) and my orange liqueur was Cointreau.

So my drink ended up being:

2 oz. sweet and sour mix
1 oz. Jose Cuervo Silver tequila
1 oz. Cointreau orange liqueur
1 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice
1/4 tsp. li hing mui powder (this goes in the drink; what goes on the rim is extra)

I like to mix some kosher salt with li hing mui powder for the rim of the glass. I know not everyone agrees with that, but it was my drink.

And it was really good!

(NaBloPoMo | June ’09: 30 of 30 | 75% Challenge: 157 of 274)