Rudy will be heartbroken when he finds a new home.
23 December 2004
Rudy loves them, too.
A new kitten brought to our house by his Mom.
Rudy will be heartbroken when he finds a new home.
Rudy will be heartbroken when he finds a new home.
21 December 2004
My email friends
I'm surprised at how many people I know with odd names:
- Magnetism F. Wilcox
- Manicured H. Rapine
- Thoughtful H. Parboiled
- Blunderer T. Alvin
- Seemingly Q. Buford
- Algebra K. Peacetime
- Butane B. Dilly
- Fri T. Sundries
20 December 2004
First Lady Laura Bush's Recipe Box
From WHITEHOUSE.ORG. Now this looks like a <gag>tasty</gag> turkey!
17 December 2004
Bush Signs Intelligence Bill Into Law...
Does that mean that he's now required to have some?
Bush Signs Intelligence Bill Into Law (washingtonpost.com)
Bush Signs Intelligence Bill Into Law (washingtonpost.com)
29 November 2004
19 November 2004
My karma's gone to the dogs
As I prepared to leave work yesterday evening with thoughts of how much studying I'd be able to get done at home, the spousal unit called to say that a very friendly beagle had met her as she was headed out to meet the boys! She had a collar, but no tags, and wanted to play.
Instead of coming home to a drink & study time, I came home to 3 smallish monsters tear-assing around the back yard.
Yes, she's sweet, and cute (and needs a bath, big-time!), but we can't say no, & we're not willing to send critters to the county pound where they'll be put down after a week or so.
But I really didn't have the energy to supervise three dogs, & she is an "everything chewable off the floor" dog. They finally wore themselves out & crashed, but I got almost nothing accomplished at all.
This morning, we're going to try and set up foster care for her through the woman that gave us Rudy this summer, or get her to another shelter nearby where she'll have a better chance of her owner finding her, or of being adopted.
Oh.. and then there's the momma cat and her little boy who met me on the steps the other evening... .
Instead of coming home to a drink & study time, I came home to 3 smallish monsters tear-assing around the back yard.
Yes, she's sweet, and cute (and needs a bath, big-time!), but we can't say no, & we're not willing to send critters to the county pound where they'll be put down after a week or so.
But I really didn't have the energy to supervise three dogs, & she is an "everything chewable off the floor" dog. They finally wore themselves out & crashed, but I got almost nothing accomplished at all.
This morning, we're going to try and set up foster care for her through the woman that gave us Rudy this summer, or get her to another shelter nearby where she'll have a better chance of her owner finding her, or of being adopted.
Oh.. and then there's the momma cat and her little boy who met me on the steps the other evening... .
17 November 2004
13 November 2004
Another great idea
Imagine walking into your favorite coffee shop -- not Starbucks -- and the camera at the door recognizes you as a regular, and prints your order for the barrista, with some leeway for you to not get that if you so desire.
My original idea was for a book of "mugshots" of regulars & their orders to be kept behind the counter, but the geek in me pushed it a little farther.
Just as long as we can keep the government out of the private databases of facial recognition!!
My original idea was for a book of "mugshots" of regulars & their orders to be kept behind the counter, but the geek in me pushed it a little farther.
Just as long as we can keep the government out of the private databases of facial recognition!!
04 November 2004
Overheard in a voting line
"i think all the ones with the white headphones are voting for kerry."
Courtesy of Tequila Mockingbird.
Courtesy of Tequila Mockingbird.
01 November 2004
The price of aging
Before we left town last Saturday, I dropped one of the girls off at the vet so that she could get her antibiotics through the weekend, and be ready for her dental surgery today.
The vet called to tell me that she's doing fine, but that they had to take out three teeth; both of her upper canines, and one lower molar. The vet assures me, though, that Mushin will be able to continue to hunt... she'll just have to hold tighter with her paws :)
She'll be 10 years old sometime next spring, and continues to have a steady supplement of mice, rabbits, voles, bats, & flying squirrels in her diet, some of which she brings in to share with the puppies!
We'll pick her up this afternoon, and nurse her through what will surely be a somewhat painful recovery.
It will be good to see her, though, since I haven't seen her since Saturday morning -- I wonder how long it will take her to forgive us?
The vet called to tell me that she's doing fine, but that they had to take out three teeth; both of her upper canines, and one lower molar. The vet assures me, though, that Mushin will be able to continue to hunt... she'll just have to hold tighter with her paws :)
She'll be 10 years old sometime next spring, and continues to have a steady supplement of mice, rabbits, voles, bats, & flying squirrels in her diet, some of which she brings in to share with the puppies!
We'll pick her up this afternoon, and nurse her through what will surely be a somewhat painful recovery.
It will be good to see her, though, since I haven't seen her since Saturday morning -- I wonder how long it will take her to forgive us?
30 October 2004
The Worst Trip Ever...
Maybe the worst drive to C'ville ever!
We were almost to Natural Bridge, not quite half the way, when Rudy got sick in the back seat. I am so glad we bought the seat covers! That doesn't help the stink, though.
We stopped at the next exit to clean up at the gas station there, & while I did that J walked the boys in a field.
About the time that I was done, she came over & said, "BlackJack rolled in a pile of shit!"
So now we have a dog covered in crap, & a car that smells like dog vomit... . What a great combination, eh?
We found a hose & washed him off as best we could with paper towels.
Thankfully it was a nice day, because we drove the next 100 miles with the windows down, & the worst smelling non-farm vehicle in the state.
The boys got baths after our arrival, but if we hadn't been going for a family birthday, I would have just turned around & gone home!
We were almost to Natural Bridge, not quite half the way, when Rudy got sick in the back seat. I am so glad we bought the seat covers! That doesn't help the stink, though.
We stopped at the next exit to clean up at the gas station there, & while I did that J walked the boys in a field.
About the time that I was done, she came over & said, "BlackJack rolled in a pile of shit!"
So now we have a dog covered in crap, & a car that smells like dog vomit... . What a great combination, eh?
We found a hose & washed him off as best we could with paper towels.
Thankfully it was a nice day, because we drove the next 100 miles with the windows down, & the worst smelling non-farm vehicle in the state.
The boys got baths after our arrival, but if we hadn't been going for a family birthday, I would have just turned around & gone home!
23 October 2004
A Helping Hand
We're spending the day helping M* run his graduate experiment on freshman engineering students.
These kids are, for the most part, very focused.
If this random group is representative, then the freshman class is one quarter women ? and about half of those are pretty darn cute, especially the little blonde in the corner with the blouse off the shoulder thing goin' on...
When testing the first set, two of eight bridges failed, but as one of the girls whose bridge failed noted, "At least it's pretty!"
And they wonder why it took women so long to break into the engineering field?
Ah, they've just discovered the caffeine & sugar... Things should pick up ;-)
These kids are, for the most part, very focused.
If this random group is representative, then the freshman class is one quarter women ? and about half of those are pretty darn cute, especially the little blonde in the corner with the blouse off the shoulder thing goin' on...
When testing the first set, two of eight bridges failed, but as one of the girls whose bridge failed noted, "At least it's pretty!"
And they wonder why it took women so long to break into the engineering field?
Ah, they've just discovered the caffeine & sugar... Things should pick up ;-)
10 October 2004
07 October 2004
05 October 2004
04 October 2004
02 October 2004
seen on campus
A young couple walking hand in hand down the sidewalk.
Each carrying on separate conversations on their cell phones... .
Each carrying on separate conversations on their cell phones... .
07 August 2004
On the Road
Day 4...
Mom gets to go home this morning!
J. was great & stayed @ the house "being domestic" while I'm here with Mom waiting for all the paperwork, etc. before
My sister will hopefully arrive in town within the next couple of hours, & we get together on what needs to happen over the next few days while she's in town.
The doc said that Mom will probably be in her brace for up to 4 months before getting it off, which is going to make it hard for her to get around.
I'm more worried about her trying to get up and down the steps since she can't move her head up & down to see.
Mom gets to go home this morning!
J. was great & stayed @ the house "being domestic" while I'm here with Mom waiting for all the paperwork, etc. before
My sister will hopefully arrive in town within the next couple of hours, & we get together on what needs to happen over the next few days while she's in town.
The doc said that Mom will probably be in her brace for up to 4 months before getting it off, which is going to make it hard for her to get around.
I'm more worried about her trying to get up and down the steps since she can't move her head up & down to see.
06 August 2004
On the Road
Day 3...
Mom is still in the hospital, but it looks like she will be able to go home tomorrow.
There was talk of transferring her to a rehab unit for as long as twelve days, but now it looks like she can have home-care come & do PT every other day or so for that time.
My sister will be up tomorrow, & I'm sure she'll have her hands full trying to keep Mom from doing too much.
It's hard for me to see Mom having such difficulty, but she'll have much less pain when all is said & done.
The biggest positive, I think — aside from fixing her spine — is that she finally has to stop smoking. Unfortunately, she can't use the nicotine patches, either, & has to stop 'cold turkey'.
J has been wonderful to have here, staying over @ the hospital the 1st night & giving Mom a soothing foot massage last night. She's at Mom's house working on the first dinner we haven't eaten out!
We're hoping to get all the shopping done that we need to in the morning, too.
Mom is still in the hospital, but it looks like she will be able to go home tomorrow.
There was talk of transferring her to a rehab unit for as long as twelve days, but now it looks like she can have home-care come & do PT every other day or so for that time.
My sister will be up tomorrow, & I'm sure she'll have her hands full trying to keep Mom from doing too much.
It's hard for me to see Mom having such difficulty, but she'll have much less pain when all is said & done.
The biggest positive, I think — aside from fixing her spine — is that she finally has to stop smoking. Unfortunately, she can't use the nicotine patches, either, & has to stop 'cold turkey'.
J has been wonderful to have here, staying over @ the hospital the 1st night & giving Mom a soothing foot massage last night. She's at Mom's house working on the first dinner we haven't eaten out!
We're hoping to get all the shopping done that we need to in the morning, too.
05 August 2004
On the Road
Day 2...
J stayed with Mom last night, & I'm grateful, as was Mom.
I'm sure J will need to catch up on her sleep, though I got a little more sleep than the night before.
J stayed with Mom last night, & I'm grateful, as was Mom.
I'm sure J will need to catch up on her sleep, though I got a little more sleep than the night before.
04 August 2004
On the Road
Day 1...
We're at the hospital waiting while Mom is in surgery. There are two procedures one from the front to replace the bone, & one from the back to put in a hinge to replace the torn ligament.
The entire operation is expected to take almost six hours, (it's been about two hours already).
The first update from the surgery nurse was positive, & we'll get those every hour or so.
J. has gone back to the house to walk the dogs & have a nap; she'll be back here later after mom is awake.
I still haven't gotten much sleep, though, & I'm definitely feeling it.
On Monday, we were both up late working on things & only got about four hours of sleep.
After driving for a couple of hours yesterday, J. took over & I expected to drop right off.
Alas, 'twas not to be. I dozed for about 15 minutes and that was it.
We got in late after a couple of delays — including a stray dog (more on him later) — and only got about 5 hours of sleep last night.
I'm hoping to catch a little snooze here in the waiting room, but it's looking doubtful with all the comings & goings and noise.
!! It's 2:50, and the first part of the surgery is done. They're in the process of getting everything switched around for the second part.
I'm sure that when this is all done and I'm rested, the enormity of this whole deal will catch up with me... .
We're at the hospital waiting while Mom is in surgery. There are two procedures one from the front to replace the bone, & one from the back to put in a hinge to replace the torn ligament.
The entire operation is expected to take almost six hours, (it's been about two hours already).
The first update from the surgery nurse was positive, & we'll get those every hour or so.
J. has gone back to the house to walk the dogs & have a nap; she'll be back here later after mom is awake.
I still haven't gotten much sleep, though, & I'm definitely feeling it.
On Monday, we were both up late working on things & only got about four hours of sleep.
After driving for a couple of hours yesterday, J. took over & I expected to drop right off.
Alas, 'twas not to be. I dozed for about 15 minutes and that was it.
We got in late after a couple of delays — including a stray dog (more on him later) — and only got about 5 hours of sleep last night.
I'm hoping to catch a little snooze here in the waiting room, but it's looking doubtful with all the comings & goings and noise.
!! It's 2:50, and the first part of the surgery is done. They're in the process of getting everything switched around for the second part.
I'm sure that when this is all done and I'm rested, the enormity of this whole deal will catch up with me... .
03 August 2004
On the Road
We're on 40 West on our way to stay with my mom while she has surgery.
She fell a couple of months ago, & after going around with the doctors, finally getting someone to do an MRI.
It turns out she has two cracked vertabrae ? C7 & T1.
I really hope that I can catch up on my sleep tonight after we get there.
She fell a couple of months ago, & after going around with the doctors, finally getting someone to do an MRI.
It turns out she has two cracked vertabrae ? C7 & T1.
I really hope that I can catch up on my sleep tonight after we get there.
24 July 2004
more new things
We've learned a little more about what mixes BlackJack has in him today. It turns out that his new toy doesn't float, so he stuck his head under the water and started blowing bubbles, just like a big, silly black lab! And upon closer inspection, he definitely has webbed feet.
That goes a little further towards explaining why he's such an oddly sized dog &emdash; too big to be small, and too little to be medium!!
That goes a little further towards explaining why he's such an oddly sized dog &emdash; too big to be small, and too little to be medium!!
22 July 2004
McCain for Vice President?
Speaking at a rally in San Diego on Sunday, Sen. McCain had this to say about the vice presidency:
I spent a number of years in a North Vietnamese prison camp in the dark and (was) fed scraps, and I don't know why I would want to do that all over again.Somehow I gather that he's just not too excited about that position!
14 July 2004
13 July 2004
Belief-O-Matic
From BeliefNet.
My results:
Number 1, of course, but you can read more here.
My results:
- Mahayana Buddhism (100%)
- Unitarian Universalism (97%)
- Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (93%)
- Theravada Buddhism (89%)
- Liberal Quakers (88%)
- New Age (88%)
- Neo-Pagan (87%)
- Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (85%)
- Taoism (85%)
- New Thought (82%)
- Hinduism (77%)
- Scientology (76%)
- Bahá'à Faith (66%)
- Jainism (63%)
- Orthodox Quaker (58%)
- Secular Humanism (56%)
- Sikhism (50%)
- Reform Judaism (48%)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (47%)
- Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (38%)
- Jehovah's Witness (35%)
- Nontheist (31%)
- Seventh Day Adventist (25%)
- Orthodox Judaism (24%)
- Islam (19%)
- Eastern Orthodox (12%)
- Roman Catholic (12%
Number 1, of course, but you can read more here.
08 July 2004
'Tis the Season
Over the last few days, the wife & I have picked almost a pint of blackberries each day from the bushes just off of our back deck!
They've made their way down from the fence at the top of the hill over the last 6 years, and even though they are a bit of a pain to have right in the yard, it is so worth it.
BlackJack liked the black raspberries when they were in season, but the blackberries are a little too tart for him. He stil tries to help, though, occasionally grabbing one off the lower part of a bush and then dropping it after he gets a taste. Such a good little helper!!
There's going to be some tasty cobbler soon....
They've made their way down from the fence at the top of the hill over the last 6 years, and even though they are a bit of a pain to have right in the yard, it is so worth it.
BlackJack liked the black raspberries when they were in season, but the blackberries are a little too tart for him. He stil tries to help, though, occasionally grabbing one off the lower part of a bush and then dropping it after he gets a taste. Such a good little helper!!
There's going to be some tasty cobbler soon....
07 July 2004
12 June 2004
Life in Reverse
I think we did it backwards last night... .
We had some really hot sex, followed by a movie, then dinner?!
We had some really hot sex, followed by a movie, then dinner?!
08 June 2004
update
Good news! We found out today that Stray puppy #2 (see below) found a new home. It's always a nice feeling when someone takes in an abandoned pet & makes them feel wanted.
Now if I could just find a nice firm blonde to do the same for me. =)
Now if I could just find a nice firm blonde to do the same for me. =)
31 May 2004
Dogs, dogs, dogs…
How do they find us?
Over the weekend, we had not one, but two temporary dogs to look out for.
The first, a pretty brown husky, had slipped from her person's car in a parking lot on Saturday and wandered across a busy street near downtown. It took four people following her for about ten minutes to finally get a hold of her and we gave her a drink. The number on her tag had been disconnected, which sent us into a state of worry about what to do with her. The dog got a little antsy as we waited and wondered, so my wife took her for a walk ∼ yes, I keep a spare leash in the car (as well as puppy and cat treats). Luckily my wife happened across someone who knew the dog and its owner, and we tracked her person to a nearby hair salon. (whew)
Number two wasn't so easy. This morning I looked out the back window to see a medium size black dog with a docked tail looking around.
With some coaxing (and a biscuit) I got a hold of him, and could see that he had had a collar on, but must have slipped it. It was obvious, too, that he was fairly young, maybe seven months, but was going to grow into a monster. As we watched him, we figured he was possibly a husky | german shepherd mix. We closed off the back porch, and let BlackJack out to play with him ∼ a bonus for everyone. I made numerous phone calls through the day, but couldn't find anyone looking for him, so we reluctantly brought him to the city animal shelter. They do have a good partnership with a local group that takes care of animals that have been there for more than a few days, so I do feel confident that he'll either find his original home, or get a good new one.
It was pretty clear that he hadn't had much obedience training, but he was very sweet and eager to please, like all good puppies!
Over the weekend, we had not one, but two temporary dogs to look out for.
The first, a pretty brown husky, had slipped from her person's car in a parking lot on Saturday and wandered across a busy street near downtown. It took four people following her for about ten minutes to finally get a hold of her and we gave her a drink. The number on her tag had been disconnected, which sent us into a state of worry about what to do with her. The dog got a little antsy as we waited and wondered, so my wife took her for a walk ∼ yes, I keep a spare leash in the car (as well as puppy and cat treats). Luckily my wife happened across someone who knew the dog and its owner, and we tracked her person to a nearby hair salon. (whew)
Number two wasn't so easy. This morning I looked out the back window to see a medium size black dog with a docked tail looking around.
With some coaxing (and a biscuit) I got a hold of him, and could see that he had had a collar on, but must have slipped it. It was obvious, too, that he was fairly young, maybe seven months, but was going to grow into a monster. As we watched him, we figured he was possibly a husky | german shepherd mix. We closed off the back porch, and let BlackJack out to play with him ∼ a bonus for everyone. I made numerous phone calls through the day, but couldn't find anyone looking for him, so we reluctantly brought him to the city animal shelter. They do have a good partnership with a local group that takes care of animals that have been there for more than a few days, so I do feel confident that he'll either find his original home, or get a good new one.
It was pretty clear that he hadn't had much obedience training, but he was very sweet and eager to please, like all good puppies!
30 May 2004
Just strange
What kinds of things will make a waiter look at you funny?
For starters when two people of average size split a meal. I mean actually share the entree. Nutritionists & dieticians go on and on about how portion size affects obesity in America. And it's not cheap to eat out, either. With that in mind my wife & I often share a meal, as much to save money as to minimize our leftovers and growth.
Last night we shared an appetizer — chicken quesidilla, and then the entree — a 12 ounce Sirloin that was,admittedly, quite tasty. Having a 12 ounce steak on the menu makes it seem like a pretty normal serving, yeah? But how many folks out there actually eat that type of portion (and live past 50 to tell the tale)?
We still took enough home to split the remainder for lunch today! No wonder America is obese!!
I will admit that maybe we deserve the funny looks when we split the daquiri with the appetizer, thought it was served in a pint glass that would have done either one of us in, and the beer we split with the steak — again, a pint of lager.
And talk about huge, we split dessert, some incredibly to die for chocolate cake. Took some of that home, too, and had part of the remainder after lunch (though my wife was the real dessert, and still have a bit left for after dinner tonight.
So for our $50.00 we got four individual meals, with dessert… . Not too bad, I suppose.
For starters when two people of average size split a meal. I mean actually share the entree. Nutritionists & dieticians go on and on about how portion size affects obesity in America. And it's not cheap to eat out, either. With that in mind my wife & I often share a meal, as much to save money as to minimize our leftovers and growth.
Last night we shared an appetizer — chicken quesidilla, and then the entree — a 12 ounce Sirloin that was,admittedly, quite tasty. Having a 12 ounce steak on the menu makes it seem like a pretty normal serving, yeah? But how many folks out there actually eat that type of portion (and live past 50 to tell the tale)?
We still took enough home to split the remainder for lunch today! No wonder America is obese!!
I will admit that maybe we deserve the funny looks when we split the daquiri with the appetizer, thought it was served in a pint glass that would have done either one of us in, and the beer we split with the steak — again, a pint of lager.
And talk about huge, we split dessert, some incredibly to die for chocolate cake. Took some of that home, too, and had part of the remainder after lunch (though my wife was the real dessert, and still have a bit left for after dinner tonight.
So for our $50.00 we got four individual meals, with dessert… . Not too bad, I suppose.
19 May 2004
Poetic spam
I received this incredibly moving poem in my email today:
Believe me.
You may give her flowers and presents.
You may take care of her and love her.
But the best you may make for is to be the #1 10ver.
C1a2li3s will help you. Get er[ect[10n whenever you want.
Did I mention that it moved me to throw up?
Believe me.
You may give her flowers and presents.
You may take care of her and love her.
But the best you may make for is to be the #1 10ver.
C1a2li3s will help you. Get er[ect[10n whenever you want.
Did I mention that it moved me to throw up?
18 May 2004
10 May 2004
ahh...
Weellll.. Seems that dogs actually cannot get poison ivy, and BlackJack has a bacterial infection that he picked up running through the wet grass somewhere.
:-(
:-(
He went where?
Now.. I've known for a long time that if your dog rubs on poison ivy, the oils can rub off on you.
But I've never seen a dog actually get poison ivy!
I noticed a little bump on BlackJack's belly on Friday, and thought maybe some bugbite was irritating him. Then yesterday morning, we found them all over his cute little belly, and realized what it was.
We're off the vet momentarily to get a cortisone shot, and probably some more Benadryl for the itching.
Poor guy; I guess that's the disadvantage of those short little legs.
But I've never seen a dog actually get poison ivy!
I noticed a little bump on BlackJack's belly on Friday, and thought maybe some bugbite was irritating him. Then yesterday morning, we found them all over his cute little belly, and realized what it was.
We're off the vet momentarily to get a cortisone shot, and probably some more Benadryl for the itching.
Poor guy; I guess that's the disadvantage of those short little legs.
07 May 2004
04 May 2004
Stonehenge Lives
Stonehenge - Aotearoa.
For millennia people have gazed in awe at Stonehenge, often totally unaware of how structures such as this were used. Stonehenge Aotearoa will be a full-scale working adaptation of Stonehenge that is intended to inspire New Zealanders young and old, to explore and experience for themselves how technologies of ancient times were used, and still can be used, to give practical and detailed information on the seasons, time and navigation.
For millennia people have gazed in awe at Stonehenge, often totally unaware of how structures such as this were used. Stonehenge Aotearoa will be a full-scale working adaptation of Stonehenge that is intended to inspire New Zealanders young and old, to explore and experience for themselves how technologies of ancient times were used, and still can be used, to give practical and detailed information on the seasons, time and navigation.
29 April 2004
Full Text of the 'al-Qaeda memo'
The full text of the intelligence briefing of 6 August 2001, declassified on 10 April 2004.
18 April 2004
05 April 2004
Walmart screws customers
Okay, not a shocking headline to most. But it made sense after my mortgage payment failed to clear the bank last Friday!
Seems that April 1st & 2nd (an April Fool's hack, maybe?), Walmart's computers triple charged Visa & Mastercard customers.
Along with the triplicate charges, I also received $50 in fees from the bank, and -- before the facts were in -- a tongue lashing from the spousal unit concerning my fiduciary irresponsibility!
After calling the hotline set up by Wally World (I can see the non-English speaking call-center employee now, sitting at a desk with a red phone on it), they agreed to cover the bank fees and send a $25 gift card for said SuperScrew Center.
Seems that April 1st & 2nd (an April Fool's hack, maybe?), Walmart's computers triple charged Visa & Mastercard customers.
Along with the triplicate charges, I also received $50 in fees from the bank, and -- before the facts were in -- a tongue lashing from the spousal unit concerning my fiduciary irresponsibility!
After calling the hotline set up by Wally World (I can see the non-English speaking call-center employee now, sitting at a desk with a red phone on it), they agreed to cover the bank fees and send a $25 gift card for said SuperScrew Center.
31 March 2004
Affiliations
Sensei & I often discuss the pros & (mostly) cons of having our dojo on the university campus.
The biggest frustration we have, of course, is the constant turnover in students.
That we give them a good foundation for them to go on with is nice, but the fact that we produce so few yudansha can be a letdown.
Were we to move our dojo off campus into town, I believe that our numbers would go up, & that we would have more long term students.
That gets to the part that is frustrating for me, personally.
The way we are structured under T. Shihan, it seems very difficult for anyone to go beyond Sandan in the American schools.
Our only Yondan, who is now not training due to health problems, received his promotion after an extended trip to Japan to train at the xyz hombu. And since T. Shihan does all yudansha promotions himself, unlike a fair number of other organizations, there seems very little long term room for growth.
I don't worry about this for myself, but I do feel that if we start gaining students who stay at the dojo for 10 or 12 years (as I have now), that they will feel frustrated when they hit the tatami ceiling, and look for somwhere else to train.
The biggest frustration we have, of course, is the constant turnover in students.
That we give them a good foundation for them to go on with is nice, but the fact that we produce so few yudansha can be a letdown.
Were we to move our dojo off campus into town, I believe that our numbers would go up, & that we would have more long term students.
That gets to the part that is frustrating for me, personally.
The way we are structured under T. Shihan, it seems very difficult for anyone to go beyond Sandan in the American schools.
Our only Yondan, who is now not training due to health problems, received his promotion after an extended trip to Japan to train at the xyz hombu. And since T. Shihan does all yudansha promotions himself, unlike a fair number of other organizations, there seems very little long term room for growth.
I don't worry about this for myself, but I do feel that if we start gaining students who stay at the dojo for 10 or 12 years (as I have now), that they will feel frustrated when they hit the tatami ceiling, and look for somwhere else to train.
26 March 2004
19 March 2004
Quandary
Some background info: a couple of years ago I had a supervisor who it turns out was having an affair with one of my co-workers -- she was his supervisor also. While a couple of folks may have had vague suspicions, I don't think anyone knew it was going on.
She was also a fellow student in a martial arts class, and was missing one night a week or so, telling us she was taking a class through the local YMCA, which is not uncommon for people to do.
Well, everything blew up eventually. She had told her husband that she was travelling to a martial arts seminar with me and my wife, then staying overnight. Of course, she was spending the night with her lover, and her husband happened to call me a couple of days later to ask about it. So I was the guy on the phone with him when his wife's affair came to light.
Now I've inadvertantly found out that two of the married folks in our office are probably having an affair, though of course I don't know for sure. And the question is do I keep my nose out of it & hope it blows over? Or let them know that other people might be finding out...? I have no idea.
She was also a fellow student in a martial arts class, and was missing one night a week or so, telling us she was taking a class through the local YMCA, which is not uncommon for people to do.
Well, everything blew up eventually. She had told her husband that she was travelling to a martial arts seminar with me and my wife, then staying overnight. Of course, she was spending the night with her lover, and her husband happened to call me a couple of days later to ask about it. So I was the guy on the phone with him when his wife's affair came to light.
Now I've inadvertantly found out that two of the married folks in our office are probably having an affair, though of course I don't know for sure. And the question is do I keep my nose out of it & hope it blows over? Or let them know that other people might be finding out...? I have no idea.
17 March 2004
Long Day
Today looks like it probably won't be a great one. On top of trying to finish two projects in the office -- and being distracted by Dave Barry's efforts to help us get more done in the office -- my mother-in-law is going in for a biopsy today on a mass they found in her pelvis over the weekend. No one thinks that it is malignant, but she told J that she does expect to have to have a hysterectomy. I'm not sure if that will be soon, as in the next couple of weeks, or sometime this spring, but certainly, we'll take some time off to help her recovery.
And the vet called yesterday to let us know that Cyrano's ashes are back at the clinic whenever we're ready to come for them. I'm sure that won't be as easy as it feels like it will be.
In our house there we have a small altar set up, and it seems to be filling up with containers of our pets' remains. Cyrano's will be the fourth. We've talked about combining all of them into one urn, which I seem to remember being a tribal custom from somewhere in South America, though I could be wrong. Either way, I like the idea of them being all together again.
And the vet called yesterday to let us know that Cyrano's ashes are back at the clinic whenever we're ready to come for them. I'm sure that won't be as easy as it feels like it will be.
In our house there we have a small altar set up, and it seems to be filling up with containers of our pets' remains. Cyrano's will be the fourth. We've talked about combining all of them into one urn, which I seem to remember being a tribal custom from somewhere in South America, though I could be wrong. Either way, I like the idea of them being all together again.
15 March 2004
Oops!
Okay, so I may have been in a bit of a hurry this morning when L. asked me to re-install Outlook since she's been having calendar issues with the server. And I may have been a little distracted by my mother-in-law's news of a mass found in her pelvis that she'll have to have biopsied in the next few days.
But, it's still my problem that a possibly huge quantity of saved mail & info was lost. It's hard not to think that she is exaggerating some, as she often does, but I do still feel pretty bad about it; that's pretty much a rookie tech support mistake that I haven't made in years! And I'm sure I'll have to take some flack for it, as well, but I'll just have to choke it down and get on with other work.
But, it's still my problem that a possibly huge quantity of saved mail & info was lost. It's hard not to think that she is exaggerating some, as she often does, but I do still feel pretty bad about it; that's pretty much a rookie tech support mistake that I haven't made in years! And I'm sure I'll have to take some flack for it, as well, but I'll just have to choke it down and get on with other work.
11 March 2004
Cyrano
As I've thought more about Cyrano over the last day or so, I realize that he was ready to go and had been letting us know in his own way. Over the last few weeks, we had been seeing less & less of him as he stayed by himself, usually in a nice warm spot in the closet.
J mentioned on Monday morning (just after he had died) that she had dreamed about him, & that he had seemed like his old self. I find that comforting, & I hope that he didn't feel that we were making him stay longer than he wanted by giving him special diets, fluids, etc. to keep his strength up.
The tag from his collar is on my key chain next to his best friend's Solomon's, & though I miss them both, I'm happy to know that they're able to cuddle & give each other baths again like they used to.
I'll have to find a picture of them together to post.
J mentioned on Monday morning (just after he had died) that she had dreamed about him, & that he had seemed like his old self. I find that comforting, & I hope that he didn't feel that we were making him stay longer than he wanted by giving him special diets, fluids, etc. to keep his strength up.
The tag from his collar is on my key chain next to his best friend's Solomon's, & though I miss them both, I'm happy to know that they're able to cuddle & give each other baths again like they used to.
I'll have to find a picture of them together to post.
09 March 2004
For Cyrano
- Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
My feline masseuse and good buddy Cyrano has been sick for a few months now with CRF (Chronic Renal Failure), and we lost him Sunday night.
The part that hurts is that we didn't find him until this morning. Apparently, on Sunday when the weather was nice, he got into my wife's car through the sunroof, and I didn't see him when the weather turned and I closed it!
As cold as it got on Sunday night, I'm sure he just fell asleep and didn't wake up. At least I hope so -- it would break my heart to think that he was trying to get out and couldn't!
We started looking for him Sunday evening, & by last night had pretty well figured out that he had gone off somewhere to die.
Then this morning as she was getting into her car, I could see him underneath and behind the passenger seat; J's very upset, because that means he was in there yesterday when she went to work! But he's always been hard to find because of his dark coat, & we used to call him the stealth kitty :)
But I know he's getting a nice bath from his buddy Solomon again at the rainbow bridge after being apart from him for too long.
04 March 2004
Hard Times
I realized last night how concerned I am becoming about Cyrano as he continues to lose weight. He's almost 10 now - as old as Solomon was when he left us...
But I'm sure he will know what's best for him.
But I'm sure he will know what's best for him.
07 January 2004
Shiner
Winter is back, with a vengeance.
It was 11 degrees this morning, so I figured I'd let the cars warm up a bit before we each went our separate ways to work.
I started mine, then got out to start the wife's. It was so cold (how cold was it?) that I was wearing my heavy mittens, which slipped off the car door as I closing it and turning around at the same time.
The result? A nice shiner under my right eye where the corner of the door caught me hard enough to draw blood. The cold numbed it for a while, but by lunch, I was really able to feel it, and it hurts like hell!
It was 11 degrees this morning, so I figured I'd let the cars warm up a bit before we each went our separate ways to work.
I started mine, then got out to start the wife's. It was so cold (how cold was it?) that I was wearing my heavy mittens, which slipped off the car door as I closing it and turning around at the same time.
The result? A nice shiner under my right eye where the corner of the door caught me hard enough to draw blood. The cold numbed it for a while, but by lunch, I was really able to feel it, and it hurts like hell!
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