Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

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

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

Why didn’t I think of this before?

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Apparently one bad commuting day was not enough. This one started off with my car displaying the low tire pressure indicator light. I am happy it did this in the garage, rather than several miles down the road.

There were several contraptions featuring air hoses scattered about the garage, so fortunately my husband was still home to tell me which one to use (note to self: later, ask if we really need that many things with air hoses). The one I needed was tucked out of plain sight, recharging so it would be ready when we needed it:

The air compressor part of this device solved my immediate problem quickly and my commute was saved for the day. But why didn’t I think of having this thing with me on my out-of-town dog show trips? Especially since some of those were during the dead of winter, when low batteries and low tires definitely have a high chance of happening. This is why I am not the person you want to have around in case of a real emergency; I never think of these things!

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 22 of 31)

Update: CLEAR 4G Wireless Internet

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You might have seen where I started a free trial of CLEAR’s 4G Wireless Internet service at the beginning of the Fourth of July weekend, when our Comcast cable internet had some downtime (once again, contrary to the phone support person’s opinion, the problem was not our modem).

I’m happy to report that the two-week trial period of CLEAR’s On-the-Go mobile service went very well. The software installation was quick and super easy on all of the laptops we wanted to test: two running Windows Vista, one running Windows XP, and one running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. We tested service in several locations in the city of Chicago and in a few suburban areas. I can report that signal strength and speed were good in the spots where we would most need to use the service. My husband and I both liked the service enough to keep it, so the service was upgraded to a 2 On-the-Go bundle.

During our trial period, I also took some time to check out comments online from other Chicago area CLEAR users. Most of the negative reviews seemed to be about the home service or weather-related downtime. My only experience with the home service is in the Honolulu market, where my mom has used it for almost three years. When we helped her set it up, modem position in relation to the windows and electronic equipment in the room was very important. We have not personally had those issues with the mobile modems in Chicago. We also had several stormy days during the trial period, and our connectivity did not appear to be affected.

CLEAR’s home service is not yet available at our address, so we will also be keeping Comcast cable internet unless we find a better solution. We will most likely cancel our other wireless internet service as soon as that contract expires.

I also want to mention Marcos, the sales associate I spoke to at CLEAR’s Harlem-Irving Plaza kiosk. He was friendly, professional, and very quick in getting me set up and on my way, both in my initial visit and when I went back to upgrade to the 2 On-the-Go bundle.

So far, I’m a satisfied new CLEAR customer, and also glad that Comcast has given us no problems since the outage I mentioned at the beginning of the post.

I have not received compensation for this review, and neither I nor my husband has any connection to CLEAR except as paying customers. Our CLEAR contract is at the standard rates and promotions offered in the Chicago metro area during July 2010.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 21 of 31)

Kittyweiler: video optional

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Last week, I told you about Oliver’s forays into the back yard for fresh air and bonding with his Rottweilers. I also posted a few photos to a Facebook album and got several comments about how everyone’s leash-trained cats didn’t want to actually walk, or even move, while on leash. This was our experience, too. Here, watch for yourself:

Of all of the video attempts, this one showed the most motion. I think it was caused by an insect. A still camera could have almost recorded it; video seemed totally optional with the lack of action.

I took a little time to search out some tips on getting your cat to actually walk on leash. I am not very hopeful at what I found. Most of the how-to tips suggest getting your cat to follow you for treats. Even a kittyweiler like Oliver is not the most food-motivated life form unless you’re talking some really gross and smelly food that will not be fun to use as a lure. But sure, let’s give it a try. Watch for more video… unless my hands are too slick from fish slime to hold the camera!

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 20 of 31)

I don’t like Mondays

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I want to shoot the whole day down.

I know I risk sounding somewhat psychotic, but that’s how my morning and evening commute made me feel. The parts of the day that didn’t involve the commute were fine. Nothing to write home (or sadly, write here) about, but nothing bad either.

The commute, however, started out in my own alley with a blindingly stupid bitch (human) walking three canines (I don’t know if they were dogs or bitches) singlehandedly causing a traffic jam by my garage. The only time all day that more than two living beings were even in the alley at the same time, and she turns it into a cluster. Good going.

The Cloak of Invisibility was also spread over my car at this time, so once I finally got to the highway, I was apparently invisible to people attempting to merge into traffic. Then once I got to the parking lot, I am behind an even more blindingly stupid individual who doesn’t realize that if she moves her car up just a couple of feet, it’s still approximately where the lot attendant wants it, and then the ass end of my van won’t be blocking the sidewalk and hanging out into traffic. But, no.

The commute home was just as bad. Since the Cloak of Invisibility had not blown off the car yet, two extremely large commercial vehicles, which to my knowledge are not even permitted in the express lines of the highway, seemed blissfully unaware of my existence as they drifted much too close for comfort. It was such a relief to finally get home and see my alley completely free of any human, animal, or inanimate obstacles.

I don’t want to stay negative, but there’s been a lot of sadness lately. I just want to send out some thoughts of love and care and hope to some of my friends who have very recently gone through the losses of some special canine and feline family members. The Rainbow Bridge has just welcomed some much-loved critters and reunited some long-separated pals. It seems so unfair that such wonderful spirits can stay here with us for only such a very short time, and yet we are stuck with some humans who are not wonderful at all for many decades.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 19 of 31)

Unidentified Flying Objects: Axel and his frisbee video

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As promised a couple of weeks ago, here is the finished version of Axel’s soon-to-be-famous frisbee video, featuring guest appearances by Freya and Oliver!

I’m getting a little more comfortable with iMovie. I didn’t go out yesterday to buy the “Missing Manual” book, but I’m pretty sure I do want it. I know I’m not taking full advantage of the program and it seems like the fastest way to get up to speed would be to do some reading before and during experimenting. I’m still debating whether to get the printed version with one of my Amazon gift certificates, or order directly from O’Reilly to get the print + ebook combo package.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 18 of 31)