Monthly Archives: July 2006

Abbie, the Wonder Dog: a eulogy

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Abbie, the Wonder Dog has been in my family since 1989. Last week, she was finally put down. This was one of those situations where you’re glad they’re finally at rest. Abbie was arthritic, totally deaf, partially blind, and had tumors under her skin all over her body. (Petting her felt creepy, but obligatory.)

I’ve been braced for the news that the family dog was dead since I went off to college in 1997. Some time after these pictures were taken, she lost sight in one eye, and a single tumor on one leg turned into lumps all over. I figured she wouldn’t last the next winter.

On July 4, 2004, my family became the incidental owners of a beagle (who we named John Edwards – we were feeling optimistic) and Abbie’s quality of life increased dramatically. Until then, she had the humans and the cats to amuse her. Now she had a friend of the same species.

Abbie lived WAY longer than any of us thought, and I think it was because John Edwards was around to keep her company. Finally, though, it became apparent that although she was a wonder dog, she wouldn’t live forever.

When I talked to my mom on the phone, she told me that Abbie had been put down because she had stopped eating and was walking sideways. I think we were all relieved that she was done being an old dog. I’m glad she was put down, rather than accidentally hit by Mom in her car, or Dad in a tractor.

“I think she lived so long because of John Edwards. She was too old to be much fun, but at least there was another butt to sniff,” said my mom, in a most empathetic tone.

In her youth, Abbie had a tendency to bring us “presents”. I’m sure a lot of pets do this, but when you live on a farm near the timber, you end up with really big, smelly presents on your lawn. I can’t tell you how many times I had to remove a cow placenta or deer bone from the front lawn so I could mow.

Abbie’s trademark was barking at vehicles that drove up the lane. It was like a farm-wide doorbell. We knew when someone was driving up, which is really nice when you live on a farm and aren’t used to a lot of random visitors. Plus, she was always friendly to whomever drove up. It was like, “Hey! Someone’s here! I’ll go smell them for you!”

I also remember a period of time when she was younger when she would carry kittens around in her mouth. I think this was a mothering instinct, but that’s not what you think of when you see a cat in a dog’s mouth.

Basically, she was the best farm dog a family could want (outside of actually being able to herd) and as you can tell by my sentimental words, she will be missed.

Now I understand comics too!

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I just read a 71434-0.html”>Wired article interviewing Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics. I had to read this book for a YA lit class, and boy howdy, it was effective. It explains the depth and breadth of comic styles and functions. If you ever need to know more (even if you know a lot) about comics, this is the book you need. And it’s in graphic novel form.

Anyway, the article I just read has McCloud explaining about the boom of webcomics, and how this affects the comic world, and then a nice overview of where comics are going, and one upcoming trend I find interesting – the family-friendly tween genre. Except I kind of hate the word tween, but that’s neither here nor there.

Pops is tops

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Hey all. My wallet (which I got in 1996 by trading my sister a scrap of paper or something) is falling apart. Long ago I took the rude-girl chain off, and it’s served me well lo these 10 years. It’s finally starting to fail, and I need a new wallet.

Does anyone have any good website suggestions? I’m thinking cute and big-eyed more than black leather and Dad-esque. I’d prefer small over large, especially since I only carry cash and small plastic bits. (Note to stalkers and thieves: I do not carry cash or small plastic bits.)

I saw this duct tape wallet,
duct tape wallet and the description warns that homemade duct tape wallets tend to ooze adhesive. I think I agree.

Then again a homemade duct tape wallet is much, much cheaper. Also, I like the idea RFID blocking, even though I don’t own anything with RFID tags. I think. It mentions paper money as starting to have RFID tags, so one can’t be too careful.

Anyway, this was mostly a chance to blather on about online shopping and RFID tags. Did I tell you about the time I talked to the 3M people at the ALA convention about their RFID tags for library books? It ended in a fisticuff.

No it didn’t.
Tonight, after finishing my cataloging homework,
I made myself a dish of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and peanuts. Just like dad.

I Need a Wallet, or One of those cry for the blogosphere to help someone choose something to purchase

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Hey all. My wallet (which I got in 1996 by trading my sister a scrap of paper or something) is falling apart. Long ago I took the rude-girl chain off, and it’s served me well lo these 10 years. It’s finally starting to fail, and I need a new wallet.

Does anyone have any good website suggestions? I’m thinking cute and big-eyed more than black leather and Dad-esque. I’d prefer small over large, especially since I only carry cash and small plastic bits. (Note to stalkers and thieves: I do not carry cash or small plastic bits.)

I saw this duct tape wallet,
duct tape wallet and the description warns that homemade duct tape wallets tend to ooze adhesive. I think I agree.

Then again a homemade duct tape wallet is much, much cheaper. Also, I like the idea RFID blocking, even though I don’t own anything with RFID tags. I think. It mentions paper money as starting to have RFID tags, so one can’t be too careful.

Anyway, this was mostly a chance to blather on about online shopping and RFID tags. Did I tell you about the time I talked to the 3M people at the ALA convention about their RFID tags for library books? It ended in a fisticuff.

No it didn’t.

What I learned today in school

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Here are two emails I’ve recieved – one to my gmail, the other to the chemistry library’s address.

“So, ” I said. “I’m not offering any to you, because this is the first
“Home I have none. Flock I have none. I am Outcast. And we fly now at is something mysterious and maybe even incomprehensible. I’ve handled quite research in the Visitation Zones?”

“It’s all right,” I said. “The path around is faster.” I tossed the subjective evaluation) one important difference: Lem’s approach and style please, you’re not a human being now, do you understand? You are a machine, toward the light?”

I don’t understand. Neither had attachments, nor did they have secret in-white-text words. I do think Wadsbone addresses this in his post Morr Wackee Spam.

Perhaps I should start collecting this stuff. I need an excuse to bind a book, and a book full of non-commercial spam might be just the ticket.

Update:
Make her mad. chantilly albania “”How many times, God damn it? Not that there was much to look at — the furnace, the remains of a coal-pile, a table with a bunch of shadowy cans and implements lying on it and to his right, up a way from where be was propped. “The knife. a few extras. The whisper of the axe. “Three times, counting the trip for the water. His mother and father had taken him to Revere Beach often when he was a kid, and he had always insisted that they spread their blanket where he could keep an eye on that piling, which looked to him like the single jutting fang of a buried monster. Annie was driven forward onto the floor with the burning stack of paper under her. communicant

Do they employ writers to come up with original text for these?
Today in LIS590NF (Information Books and Resources for Youth),
I watched a video on, and learned how to …

play the spoons.

That is why I love library school. That, and I can use the term “digital divide” in casual conversation with a straight face.

Spam isn’t all bad

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Here are two emails I’ve recieved – one to my gmail, the other to the chemistry library’s address.

“So, ” I said. “I’m not offering any to you, because this is the first
“Home I have none. Flock I have none. I am Outcast. And we fly now at is something mysterious and maybe even incomprehensible. I’ve handled quite research in the Visitation Zones?”

“It’s all right,” I said. “The path around is faster.” I tossed the subjective evaluation) one important difference: Lem’s approach and style please, you’re not a human being now, do you understand? You are a machine, toward the light?”

I don’t understand. Neither had attachments, nor did they have secret in-white-text words. I do think Wadsbone addresses this in his post Morr Wackee Spam.

Perhaps I should start collecting this stuff. I need an excuse to bind a book, and a book full of non-commercial spam might be just the ticket.

Update:
Make her mad. chantilly albania “”How many times, God damn it? Not that there was much to look at — the furnace, the remains of a coal-pile, a table with a bunch of shadowy cans and implements lying on it and to his right, up a way from where be was propped. “The knife. a few extras. The whisper of the axe. “Three times, counting the trip for the water. His mother and father had taken him to Revere Beach often when he was a kid, and he had always insisted that they spread their blanket where he could keep an eye on that piling, which looked to him like the single jutting fang of a buried monster. Annie was driven forward onto the floor with the burning stack of paper under her. communicant

Do they employ writers to come up with original text for these?

Perhaps better than Farm Hustle

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Kim introduced me to a site that has AMAZING games to play. They’re not as simple in rules as Farm Hustle, but it’s pretty cute, and much more engaging (rather than sitting glassy eyed in front of tiny pastel animals).

Plus I felt the need to provide an alternative to Farm Hustle, because I’ve been hearing reports of addiction. STEVE.

The site is called eyemaze.com, and I’ve been playing Grow Cube version 0. You have to figure out the order things should be added, and I haven’t figured it out yet, but every game I find myself surprised at what the intention of the item is.

Cube

I’m also a big fan of the game Tontie. You use the numerical keypad (so accountants will be really good at this, if I know anything about accountants) and each level introduces a new rule. So it’s like Whack-a-Mole, only with cute cyclopses. If you whack an empty space, you lose a little bit of your soul.