Monday, July 30, 2007

I must apologize for the long links list.

The 'Interesting Websites' one in particular.

Blogs are personal websites, and mine is a particularly dull one that has few visitors.

So it's mostly here for my enjoyment.

It's also useful.

With the high speed internet, we got rid of Compuserve, which meant I lost every favorite I had there. I don't want to have another favorites list here, I'm not sure why really, it doesn't matter.

So the links lists act as my favorites - especially since I'll be switching computers in less than a month. It's nice to have them saved online, where I can always find them.

I started before we got rid of Compuserve, because Compuserve got a little weird, and had to be reinstalled or something, so we lost all our favorites and Becky lost her the user account she was using at the time, though it still existed - she had to log on as a guest to get it.

Becky's favorites are saved to her desktop - she can just click on an icon and instantly be at MySpace! She's too worried about what her idiot friends might do, though, so she's not always logged in. It's usually one guy who's not really her friend, he just hangs out with everyone. he got a number from her cell and harassed this girl, one of Becky's coworkers. So she's keeping herself logged out.

That's it.

I think the links provide a short picture of my interests, but then, so does everybody's.

The TV show "Murder"

It's a new original Spike TV reality show.

Very little is on TV on the weekends, besides movies and baseball.

And lots of CSI on one particular channel.

So I've seen the commercials for the show "Murder" too many times to count.

When I first saw these, I was horrified and disgusted. They didn't reveal much information in the commercials, besides that it's real people solving real crimes - in a competition, no less!

I couldn't believe it was legal, letting ordinary people solve homicides, or work at it anyway.

When I started seeing the commercials, I didn't have internet access (or a computer), and I just now got around to looking it up online.

There aren't many reviews, just basic articles from TV websites, like this one or this one.

Seeing that was such a relief - I hoped they were recreated crimes that the contestants would be working on, not real, unsolved ones.

The commercial made it sound like the contestants were not only competing with each other, but with actual detectives.

They're not, at least not that I can tell. The detectives already solved the case, or another one did. These cases were all solved through forensics, just like CSI.

In this article, the executive producer said they looked through archives to find cases solved through forensics, not confessions and eyewitnesses, like most actually are.

Yeah crime shows are fictional, they make it seem like every case can be solved in an hour or two, but another bit, one I've known for a long time, is that most murders aren't that complex. Though you have to give kudos to Law and Order for giving a date at most scenes, showing that the "order" part takes a long time.

Not so for CSI, of course. The worst about CSI? Jerry Bruckheimer. He also does the Pirates movies! And Johnny Depp hasn't been in any CSI. For shame.

But still.

The show Murder turns my stomach.

But people will watch - everyone loves a good mystery.

I still have no idea how to use the new camera.

But hey - Becky washed her cell phone!

Seriously - it was in her Sonic apron, and that thing should be washed hourly, however, when it is, most of us are ready for bed, especially the worker bee herself.

She's got a new one, it's all cool and stuff, but it's not, not really.

Mine's so old it's not for sale at any store anymore.

And speaking of cell phones, every company is lying about its coverage. I just spent four days at NaCoMe, in Pleasantville, Tennessee, near Centerville. I've looked at the directions, I stayed awake the whole bus ride home, but I still don't know where we were.

Nobody got cell service. I think once girl got a call through to her mom on Monday while on the seesaw (at the top, of course), but that was it.

Why go to a place when I don't know where it is?


Frosh Camp!

I went to the first session, which was Monday the 23rd to Thursday the 26th. It was so short, but so long, in a good way.

It was awesome - nobody really fought, despite the cabin rivalries (ours was invaded Tuesday evening - our theme was America, "war were declared").

I don't think we've ever felt that comfortable around strangers - any of us.

I know I haven't.

I can't explain it.

But hey - if your school offers anything like this, do it. It is so worth it.

Ours really was - only 40 bucks, and we got transportation from the university to the camp, food three times a day, and a t-shirt on Thursday morning. There was a canteen open Tuesday and Wednesday during free time, operated by people who worked and lived out there, and the prices weren't too insane, according to those who stood in line.

When I went Wednesday, I didn't see anything I needed, and the line was too long.

However, there was no line in front of a cooler... filled with watermelon slices! Free watermelon on a summer day in Tennessee in July.

So cool.

We had counselors who were our parents and aunts and uncles. "Uncle Dad!" was not unusual. So we had a family. We competed for breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I only got cold cereal, so the wait never bothered me.

We were dead last Monday night in the dinner competition. Each one involved us singing for food, then yelling while the exec board deliberated. There were 12 cabins. The yelling made no difference.

And we didn't win the family Olympics, the boat race, and our flag... was not there at the judging, because somebody told me it was okay to leave it behind! There was thunder and lightning, hello!

Not that it would have mattered, we lost the thing on the top that would hold the damn thing up, so...

However, a lot of fun all around.

Our counselors all did superlatives Wednesday night. I got "most interesting stories" and when I asked when I told a story, Alexis (one of my moms) told me there was nothing specific, just that I always had something interesting to say, every time I talked.

That's awesome.

The weather refused to cooperate with us.

Tuesday afternoon, around 3pm, swimming was scheduled in the lake for those who wanted to swim in an icky lake. (Me, me, me, me!) Tuesday was the 3rd day of my patch, so I ripped it off before the Olympics and put on my swimsuit (another thing - short shorts, tank tops, bathing suits, no worries about how fat I looked or what others thought - that was amazing), because we could swim after the Olympics.

Which was very good. We were up on this clearing that was a plateau of sorts, and the sun beat down. I wasn't doing any of the games, so I ran for the shade. I had on my black Rolling Stone flip-flops (most of the week, I wore my tennies until lunch on Wednesday, but it was too hot by then, and too uncomfortable) and the soles were as hot as asphalt!

So, we're all hot, and let's swim!

Clouds rolled in. And rolled out.

Then more came. With thunder, lightning, and rain.

So no swimming.

Wednesday afternoon, it happened again. During the boat race! (Cardboard and duct tape - we came in first the first time, and never sank)

And when we got into Memphis around 1pm Thursday, it was raining again.

I have a doctor appointment today, and we're going to cut the dose of the patch. I'm not sure by how much, but it's time.

Except for the pain right now, I don't know where it's from.

Dixie and Mikey got their haircuts. They look awesome. Poor Mikers has a bald spot on his shoulder, the vet says from constant scratching, but hair is growing back on the spot.

A couple days ago, 3 of Becky's guy friends showed up while mom was taking her to work, to bother Becky and play basketball. (They left to go bother Robert within 15 minutes.)

I told Dixie to kill, and she didn't. She never does. She walked up to all 3, wagging her tail, ready to be pet. Even the one I didn't recognize.

Last Wednesday, we got DSL. The DSL guy brought more than new gadgets and whatchamacallits, he brought bad news - we had a virus.

We got the computer fixed at a local business place for one hundred bucks. It was supposed to be back by Friday, but wasn't. It was back Thursday, though, and it's so cool.

Videos load like that!

And nothing crashes, except sometimes yahoo won't respond. Whatever.

Not anymore.

We've got security software and high speed internet, and we are cool.

School starts next month!

I'm nervous as hell of course, I don't know my roommate, she doesn't know me, but sometimes that's better, because as long as she's not a sociopath, she's as worried about offending me as I am her, unlike if we knew each other for years. I plan on saying on the first day (Wednesday the 22nd! Honors students and others move in early) that I have hang ups about this, this, and that, rather than biting her head off when I didn't tell her.

That makes sense, right?

And hey, I'll have friends on campus. I don't feel I made any specific friends, just that I was comfortable and friendly with so many people that will be at school with me next month.

I relaxed enough to leave my purse at the cabin more and more, and to get up at all 3 sessions on Wednesday, and really come out of my shell.

The mixers weren't even bad! We had to go, but I slept through Wednesday night's - dinner really disagreed with me - cold school pizza. Stomach was so upset, I was too much pain, I had to lay down. I woke up just a few minutes before the party ended. I told Alexis what was wrong, and she said she'd tell somebody else (whoever was in charge of her) and I fell asleep.

But the first 2 were a lot of fun. There tables, chairs, games, and balls outside the hall, so those of us that didn't want to dance had a cool alternative. (Seriously - no humidity, few bugs once the sun went down.)

I spent more time inside Tuesday night, dancing as best I could to this (you're in Tennessee, you have to!) and just shouting along with familiar favorites.

There was no AC, just a huge fan and every window open. And some people complained about the heat, but nobody danced outside. And you could definitely hear the music outside, so whatever.

We were told to bring shower shoes, I think my flip-flops count as shower shoes, but I never wore them in the shower. I've never worn shower shoes in any shower at camp or the Y or any pool, and I've never had problems because of it. I got athlete's foot one time, and I don't know how, but it was not because of shared showers.

Plus, my feet would probably put a pedicurist's grandkids through college.

That's it.

High-speed internet rules, Memphis is too damn hot, and cable's pretty cool too.

And the dogs rule. Dixie killed a cockroach last night - I saw one crawling on the hall wall across from the laundry room alcove. She didn't see it, so I knocked it down with a fly swatter. It ran under the dryer.

Mom opened the alcove's doors, and Mikey growled at those.

Then Dixie moved the stool in front of the dryer after trying to fit underneath it.

She gave up on that avenue after pawing at the dryer for a bit. Mikey got a trophy, though, an old-fashioned feather duster. So dumb looking, but it was his dammit!

Naturally, he started destroying it, and he still wants it.

Dixie's cockroach came out later by the vent from the dryer, next to the pantry, and part of the wall that makes up the laundry alcove.

After she killed it, Mikey took it.

And refused to give it up.

I threw it out around 9 this morning.

I wanted to go upstairs and sleep, but I couldn't leave dummy and his kill.

He kept pawing at it and jumping away from it, he's too funny.

I hope to make more posts, but I'd have to have something to talk about, wouldn't I?

Sunday, July 15, 2007

I will try to get new pictures of the dogs.

Especially after Dixie's haircut!

Becky broke our old one while taking pictures, and our new one has lots of fiddly settings, especially for what kind of light the picture is in, and I don't understand it at all.

I just want bright flash, or no flash.

I hope to get it sorted out, I mean, I'm from the computer generation! I'm supposed to know how to build one of those things.

I swear, they think because you don't hunt and peck to type and you can find the close button on a window, you're an expert!

I'm not!

Wickett has lost 20 pounds - in one day!

I'll sell you the secret if you want.

Haircut.

He went from a dust mop to a naked little elf dog, so cute.

However, he didn't get a bandanna this time.

No pictures, he looks the same every time.

The offer free boarding, and the grooming drop off time is always 7:30 in the morning, so we dropped him off at 2pm Monday and picked him up at 4 Tuesday. I paid, and he doesn't care.

He was too funny.

Monday, there was another small dog there, sitting with a mother and daughter on the bench. I held onto my shadow puppy and stood.

He was shaking most of the time, and he didn't even bark back when the other dog barked at him!

I waited a while, and then took his leash and collar out to the car.

Leaving the building, of course, brought out the groomer. She adores him, but he hates her, at least in front of us and the general public. He's putty in the backroom. His first groomer was her son, but he moved to another vet way out of our way, so he's stuck with the evil lady for now.

When we came back in, the claws came out, and he climbed higher up my shoulder, like he was going to escape or something.

She wanted to touch him, and then he growled. She laughed and left.

Then a male ... intern... guy... not a vet, not a person at the desk, just someone who takes the dogs to the back grooming/boarding area and brings them back.

Normally, he loves men, especially strange men.

Not last Monday. Mom told me how to hand him over, and I did. She said butt first - so I pried him off my shoulder and thrust him at the man, back first, so he was facing me. The guy thought Wickett needed a strange woman to dognap him, but I said no, he really does like guys better.

Once he was out of my arms, I was gone.

Tuesday afternoon, after Jeopardy (I won. No Jeopardy on Wednesday because there was breaking news that had to break at 3:30! The news starts on Jeopardy's channel at 4, couldn't they have waited?), we went back to get him.

I went in, just like before.

First I paid, after waiting a while.

Then I relaized I needed a receipt.

Then they relaized that I was dogless.

Then nothing happened.

Then one of the desk ladies went back to get him.

My guess - he looked so different, they didn't think Wickett Trumpets was the same Wickett Trumpets I wanted.

People who saw him the day before did not believe it was him, I didn't until we got home and I had a bad hold on him getting him out of the car, then I knew for sure.

Same old crab, just too darling for words!

Dixie is finally getting her summer cut Thursday. Daily, she sheds more hair than on Wickett and Mikey's body - without being brushed. She shakes, wintercoat flies. She gets up, clumps of blonde gray hair on the ground.

I'm paying for Dixie's - I was quoted $45, so I'm expecting $50. I paid $38 for Wickett's, 3 or 8 bucks more than the quote, but they make miracles happen, so it's worth it.

Mikey is a knotty mess. His ears in particular. Wickett's ears were knotted as well, but you couldn't see them, because he's the shadow puppy.

You can see Mike's. Becky's paying for his. He'll come home a naked elf dog. His mixed-up curls will be gone for now, but the texture still changes at the spots.

Wickett and Mikey have to be groomed about ever 3 months. I just looked at the date for my post about the microchips, and those were done when the boys were groomed. In late February or early March!

Dixie, on the other hand, only needs it once a year. She does not become a different dog with her long hair.

I can't wait to see Dixie all summered up!

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Mikey and his Fight with Gravity


He lost.

My blog's rating.



But I started it when I was 17!

And I like cussing online, I don't do it in real life, unless really pissed.

My favorite part is this:

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

  • pain (11x)
  • hell (6x)
  • pissed (4x)
  • dead (2x)
  • abortion (1x)


Pain is a bad word? Or is the occurance of the word a sign I like to inflict pain on others or myself?

Crazy.

Saw this here - I can't believe my blog is filthier than his!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Wickett and his Red Collar


He still has that collar on, under too many inches of hair.

He's getting a haircut next week, because his hair grows obscenely fast, and gets incredibly knotted.

He'll come home with a poofed tail and a cute bandanna. This time, I want it as close as possible to his mouth, because that thing is like a beard on a crusty old man who thinks bathing or showering with soap and water, or cutting hair will kill him or something.

Wickett certainly acts like a crusty old man, though the term 100% of bloggers with Ewok/Gremlin/dishrag mix dogs prefer the term "crab monkey".