NaBloPoMo

Giving Up: The Death of a Monitor (17 of 31/52 of 274)

March 17, 2009 by kathi

Today’s title is courtesy of Denora: thank you!

As much time as I have spent around computers of all sorts ever since the prepress industry moved from hot type to computerized cold type on mainframe and minicomputers in the late 1970s, this is something that has never, ever happened to me before today. I have had numerous monitors fail on me, of course, but never in flammable fashion.

I was preparing to do some updates to the operating system on our Snap Server. The updates were downloading and I was reading information and instructions for the update when the image on my screen blurred, contracted, expanded and then disappeared. As it disappeared, I heard a “pop” and white smoke started wisping out of the back of the monitor.

I immediately unplugged the power strip and thankfully the smoke started subsiding rather than proceeding into full-blown ignition and combustion. Shortly, all that was left was a slightly nasty burnt-plastic smell. It wasn’t even as bad of a smell as burnt popcorn in the microwave, so on the scale of emergencies this was maybe a 0.7. Didn’t even make it to a 1, let alone a 10.

I am somewhat afraid of electricity, and I also have a fear of accidentally setting something on fire and somehow having it torpedo my firefighter husband’s career. I could just see the headline: Firefighter’s wife sets Bill Kurtis’ office building on fire. This is a perfect Chicago headline, by the way. It blames fire or police for something, and also drops a name.

I spent the rest of the work day using an ancient 14″ monitor and suffering eyestrain. A new monitor should be arriving at work shortly after I do tomorrow. Not a moment too soon!

That was probably the most exciting thing that happened in my world today, sadly enough. Oh, except for the wonderfully nice weather. I got home in time to enjoy at least a little of it with the Rottweiler wrecking crew. Good thing, too, as rain is on the way tomorrow.

I can’t wait to see what might almost catch on fire tomorrow!

There’s one (hopefully only one) every month (16 of 31/51 of 274)

March 16, 2009 by kathi

Sorry, but it is inevitable. There are some days that I post just for the sake of posting and keeping my NaBloPoMo alive for the month.

Today I left straight from work to pick up Axel and also to catch up on what happened at the shows over the weekend. Everyone is now home where they belong. After everyone got settled in for a late dinner (dogs, cats and humans all), followed by some outside time for the dogs, it is now pretty late.

Just enough time for a short post that doesn’t say too much of anything.

Giving in (15 of 31/50 of 274)

March 15, 2009 by kathi

I generally try to keep a positive attitude, but I am giving in to some negativity today. I’m disappointed that Axel and his pal Jules didn’t do better at the Kentuckiana dog shows this weekend. Not disappointed in them (they are wonderful dogs and must never ever think that they are not), but just that they didn’t get their turn in the spotlight on this go-around.

For me to feel that way about Axel’s showing is not even right, because he wasn’t supposed to even be there, let alone win anything. So for him to bring home even one ribbon (which is what he is doing) is over and above what he was originally supposed to be doing, which is being at home and wrestling with his sister Freya in our own back yard.

Jules is very young still, and her time will most definitely come, probably sooner rather than later. I just wish it could have started this weekend.

If you refer back to Tuesday’s post, I was inconveniencing most of my circle of dog friends just to ensure that Axel didn’t break the major and thus ruin his good karma. Sometimes I am just too impatient about waiting for that good karma to cycle around.

Speaking of bad karma, I did not think I could hate Mayor Daley any worse than I already do as the wife of a Chicago firefighter. I was wrong. On Saturday he spoke out in favor of a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance which is currently in committee, and on which a vote was postponed this past Thursday.

Understand that I am not against spay/neuter. I am against government making the decision to make it mandatory, and against government involvement in a decision that really belongs with pet owners and their veterinarians. Especially in a time when the city of Chicago has so many other critical challenges to face, the idea that this ordinance would be pushed partially as a solution to gang crime and dogfighting is so ludicrous it makes me laugh even as I should be crying. Yeah, I really see gangbangers being affected by this one. They don’t abide by the laws on the books now, such as registration and leash laws which are underenforced. And obviously committing felonies doesn’t bother them if they are fighting dogs in the first place.

If you are a pet owner in Chicago and haven’t yet done so, please check out AKC’s bulletin on the ordinance and send your letter against it before it comes up for a vote again. If you are reading this blog and think that mandatory spay/neuter is a good idea… why are you even here?

Giving up calories (14 of 31/49 of 274)

March 14, 2009 by kathi

Freya went to the vet today for her annual immunizations and checkup. She is a favorite at the clinic and basks in the adoration of the staff whenever she visits. She received a clean bill of health, except for the approximately 10 pounds she has put on since she was spayed 2 years ago. She weighed in at 92 pounds today. Her ideal weight is somewhere between 82-85 pounds, which is how much she weighed the last time I showed her, and on her spay date.

It is apparently not a myth that a dog’s metabolism may slow down somewhat after spaying or neutering. However, that did not happen with any of my prior Rottweilers, so this is a new experience for me. I’ve had much more experience putting needed weight on a dog, rather than taking it off.

Quite honestly, I could stand to lose about the same amount of weight, so the first thing we’ll do is add some walks of the exercise type rather than the wandering type. I don’t want to cut back on Freya’s food, nor change it right now. She gets 2-2.5 cups a day, which according to the vet’s calorie analysis today, would be about right for her current food. She has a very mild case of IBS, and after one entire summer of experimenting with many different foods to find one that worked well for her, I’m not eager to repeat the process.

One thing we’ll have to do is cut back on the treats. Like most Rottweilers, Freya is extremely food motivated, so training time involves treats as well. This is not going to go over well.

To add to the fun, Axel needs to put on a few pounds during his break from the show circuit. I have always hated that whole deal where show weight is about 10-15 pounds heavier than working weight for a typical adult male Rottweiler, but I have to admit that he does look good at his show weight.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a canine fat transformer, so I could just take those pounds off Freya and give them to Axel?

Nothing for Axel at today’s show, so please hope with me for at least one day of Axel love on Sunday. He’ll be home either Sunday or Monday, win or lose, and then I win since everyone’s home again!

Kittyweiler (13 of 31/48 of 274)

March 13, 2009 by kathi

I never thought I’d have a more doggy cat than Random. Random was a large gray tabby cat that I owned from the time he was about 3 months old until we finally lost him to the effects of chronic renal failure at age 16. He was very affectionate, would come when you called his name, and he’d have actual conversations with me every morning while I was getting ready for work. He was a very doggy cat, especially compared to our more typically aloof girl cats.

Oliver has far surpassed Random’s dogginess and taken it to an art form. I’m sure it was because he was raised by a Rottweiler. I sometimes catch him eating food out of the dogs’ bowls, occasionally at the same time as a dog. He wrestles with the Rottweilers as if the size difference doesn’t matter.

Here he is, trying out a Rottweiler-sized crate and believing it to be just right.

Oliver is also fascinated with money. Well, who isn’t, really. But again, he takes it to an art form. When Dan was counting up the proceeds from a club event, Oliver sat nearby, and you would swear he was counting the money right along with Dan. Oliver would not leave until the task was complete.

Right now, Oliver is helping me write this post. He’s pressed hard against my left arm, making it a bit difficult to type, but he’s determined to help me get this done and complete yet another NaBloPoMo day in March!

Axel show update: nothing for today, and nothing for his pal Jules. Hoping for better days tomorrow and Sunday; please think good thoughts for the team!