A little lost

I'm a little numb and bruised today. It's not really a bad day, if you call saying goodbye to a furry friend and helping them move onto a less confusing, painfree life is a blessing and a gift we can give them. It's just kinda the speed it took, like a snowball rolling down a mountain. It's with a sad heart that I write her obit today.

Whisper: December 29, 1997 - September 12, 2011

Yes, she was aging fast. They always do once that process starts. Didn't mind carrying her up and downstairs; she'd actually resolved herself to her new role of demanding mistress of the house, lol. Take her out, plunk her onto the soft grass, give her behind a pat and gentle push and she'd do "her business", maybe run 'round for a bit and sniff all the neat yard smells, check the back gate area and warn the construction workers and passersby that she was the Queen of all she surveyed, then wander back to the patio and yip or whine until her servant appeared to usher her into her abode. She wanted her "dues" when and how she wanted them, lol.

Her arthritic discomfort was getting worse and the pills gave limited relief. Her hind end was getting weaker and she'd softly collapse occasionally then look a little befuddled. Her sleeps were longer and deeper. But boy, could that tail still wag and that body still enjoy the petting and scratching. And she was always right there at the door pushing her way thru the others and demanding her share.

Saturday night we went out to dinner and when we came back I thought she was "listing" a little. Her behaviour was a little more clingy and she was a little more unsteady on her feet. We both voiced our thoughts that her time was getting nearer and time for serious monitoring. The next day she seemed back to "her normal". I met with my eldest and tried to pave the way. I was met with denial and a cold statement that I'd never been forgiven for the passing of another favourite from about 7 years ago, Sheena. Sheena, the matriarch, was 17 years and one week when I had to make the decision for her/us. I was hurt. I've always tried to be honest with the kids (and myself) and do the best for the furries and them and pave the way for the facts of life and the gift (yes, it is that; as hard as it is and it HAS been hard over the years) of being able to help them to the Rainbow Bridge. Oh well. He (my eldest) and I went birthday shopping for something for his girlfriend and had a good day and I made sure I convinced him to factor in time to come home and make a card for his girlfriend and I'd drop him to work on time. It was my way of ensuring he see "his dog" while the opportunity was still there. Whisper was as good and healthy as an old, arthritic dog could be and was very happy to see him and get extra attention and treats. That tail was a-waggin'.

She had lots more smelly dog treats than normal that day, ate a huge dinner drenched in chicken bouillon and looked for more. Had her evening scratch and pet and outing and after two extra special dog cookies (rather than the 1/2 the dogs usually got for "bedtime-cookietime"), we all retired for the night.

I was awakened by my youngest son sometime around 1 a.m. Whisper was seizing. It was not her "normal" short epileptic episode (she'd started having small seizures at about age 8 and they lasted mere seconds to a couple minutes; they occurred sporadically about every few months and were not too momentous for her or us). This was something more and not pretty. I got her settled some, hubby awoke and looked after the both of us and we determined it was time. No time to wait 'til "regular hours".

Her last couple hours were calmer and with her favourite people and we said goodbye and let her go peacefully to the Rainbow Bridge. I am sure she is smiling and running freely again and painfree and lording it over all the others. The Queen Bee.

There is a hole in the household today. The three young-uns are a little unsettled as am I but we will carry on and each day will get better. Should be interesting what happens with the furbaby hierarchy now that the Queen Bee has passed on the torch. Very interesting .

Whisper? Waggy tail? Where's that waggy tail? Gooooood girl. We'll miss you, but know that you're painfree and happy and wagging that tail madly, dancin' and lookin' for your "dues".

~Shelley

Whisper

She's getting old, lol. The arthritis is getting the upperhand. We're now carrying her up stairs almost all the time. Very few exceptions. She can still make it downstairs most of the time. But she doesn't like to. And she doesn't like to get her feet wet in dewy grass or rainy grass, so she mostly goes on the patio stones. Each stone is 18" square, so by my calculations, the pic I took (one of her shorter trails, lol) is about 15'. Please let me decide on the signs for her needing to be a "downstairs" dog before she breaks her housetraining due to old age! Argh.

We had a four-legged visitor for a few days in August. He was busy as 6 month old pups are. The younger ones got used to him and would "tune him up" periodically. Pebbles just shrugged these times off and went about his merry way. He's a good pup. Whisper is 13-1/2+; she doesn't have to "put up with it" and doesn't. The photo shows her greeting Pebbles, lol. Thank goodness she is much slower moving as she ages .

~Shelley

Addendum to the A/C Saga

Eureka! Coolness! Sigh, what a feeling.

3 hours almost to the minute and they've packed up and left. Just in time, literally, for the torrential downpour that made me run to close the windows and the little bit of cool that wafted in from the sauna-like conditions outdoors.

I know... what a weany I've become, lol. Spoiled with my central a/c! Cool baby coooool. It's muggy and stifling in here. Mama's gonna melt .

~Shelley

It's hot!

There IS a difference between dry heat and moist heat. No doubt about it.

My central air has been broken, kaput, shot, dead, destroyed... busted, for just over 2 weeks now. It's been warm in the house, but with cooler nights, lots of room fans, closing everything down during the day, opening windows wide to catch any breeze... it's been bearable. Most days.

Fast forward to this week. Rainy and warm. Not too hot, but just enough to make a sauna with the moisture and the sun. As I type this, the sweat is glistening on my skin and trickling down my back. And I think it's only 20 degrees celsius outside and by the thermostat, 24 in here. Lordy! At some points over the last couple weeks, it got up to 26 and 27 degrees celsius in the house. Not great for sleeping even though it cooled down, but it seemed "livable". Weird.

But my saviours have finally come. The a/c installers are here and working away installing a new unit. Just in time 'cause it promises to be like this the next couple of days. YIPPEE! Never thought I'd be so happy to see a couple of sweaty guys, lol.

~Shelley

Gone...

In 60 seconds (or less, lol).

No email contacts. None. Zip, zero, nada, rien, blank, nothing, zilch, naught, nix, nil... BIG goose egg, lol. A rose by any other name.

Well, this could be a good thing, lol. I can't "talk" to anybody. Might get some stuff done. No news is good news...

ARGGGGGGH! It might mean... I've gotta pick up the phone!? Yup. That hardly-used "thing" on the wall. That chewer-upper of time. That prehistoric talking machine. Yes, I will have to do that as I have a Stampin' Up Party to decide upon (whether it runs or I cancel) and it's coming up... FAST.

Good news is my machine is back up and running and better than ever. There is a LOT that I must get used to, but baby steps. Brand new Microsoft 2010 Suite (including Outlook - full version, yikes; Word 2010 - do you have ANY idea how very different it is than the 2007?! And to think some are still using the version before that!?; etc.); full Windows 7 Pro version; Firefox... and the list goes on. Make me more efficient? Harrumph/choke/cough... we'll see . Oh ya, and the latest Adobe Reader, version 10. Wowsers... now that is different! Ooooh-la-la... all this for a woman who doesn't "do" change well, lol. Think I'm handling this quite well says she as she pats herself on the back .

~Shelley

And it begins...

ARGGGGGGGGH!

Well, I "rescued" my computer for a nominal fee instead of close to the $200 it would've taken to "fix" it at the computer "doctor". It was so badly infected, they couldn't even get it to connect to the internet.

So... nothing else but to strip it down and start over. Think my son was rubbing his hands together in glee (while also not-so-quietly smirking). I learned from one of the gurus there that my son was also right (sigh, lol). It IS possible to get Windows 7 working on the laptop despite what Dell has on it's site. I can say goodbye to the Windows Vista now.

Ya but... the changes! Most for the good. But some, well some, I think my son is just being punitive with me, lol. The list (and speech) of what I "can't" do with my computer is longer than what I "can" do (what is "allowable" by said son the "Technician"), lol. But... I will bow to his superior knowledge (for now) and try to work with what he's "allowing" me to have.

I am NOT allowed to use Internet Explorer as my browser 'cause he says it's too "hackable" or somethin' to that affect. Something to do with some angry "active x"?! Whatever, lol. So... I'm permitted to play with Mozilla's Firefox. Hey, it's kinda cute but the display... oooh-la-la it will take some getting used to.

I have no mail server 'cause he hated the old one (Windows Live Mail). Hey, I didn't like it either, having previously used Outlook Express, but danged if I can remember now what I didn't like about it heehee. Whatever, I need mail. As it is, ALL my emails that I've been "banking" are gone. All my passwords, memberships, stored "business"... gone. Sigh. No biggie. Good way to start fresh, right?! So, if someone reading this post knows they've sent me an email in the last while that's gone unanswered... send it away again, lol. We "think" he may have saved all my contacts (over 300) so here's hoping... crossing fingers 'til he gets home.

I've just spent the better part of a day downloading, reloading, finding... programs that I would like re-installed. That's a process in itself. I really should make a better list for future, lol. I also "played" online and tried to watch/download a couple videos. One I cannot capture 'cause it's Flowplayer and so I need to "use" the lesson now as it's disappearing to me by tomorrow (will be taken offline). Do you know how hard it is to follow along with a video lesson and NO SOUND?! OMGaaaaawd, I thought maybe my 'puter DID have an incompatability then with moving from Vista to the Windows 7 (Pro version might I add, lol). No drivers for the audio?! Argh!!! Nope, no worries. Son just hadn't got around to installing that particular driver. Whew. Will work on that one shortly.

So, so far so good. I've got my Adobe Photoshop Elements working, Adobe Reader, RealPlayer (that is one of the no-no's, lol, but my "hafta have" ). I've got the Microsoft Office suite installed. The anti-virus. The spy/malware programs I'm off to download now. Then I've got to put my "games" back on (Jewel and Solitaire) and my Painter Library program and hope that I didn't lose all that data. I did lose the Tips & Ideas Database, but no biggie, not sure I would've used it anyway (haven't to this point so... no sense in going back to it's creator to try to get new copy).

Yup, so far, so good. The sighs emitting from my chest as I do all this playing, well... just me talking and cursing and showering my 'puter with affection so it loves me again and behaves, lol.

~Shelley

My apologies to my "perfect husband", but...

Computers must be male. As soon as you commit to one you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have obtained a better model. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. Big power surges knock them out for the rest of the day. ~Author Unknown

Sigh, I'm not having much luck the last couple days so thought I'd give y'all a pick-me-up, lol. Now, you must understand, that my husband is excluded from the above statement as in my eyes, and that of a couple of my friends (so it must be so)... he's perfect. Yup. Not going to turn "that" model in, lol.


Now to my 'puter woes. My "pink, Vista" Dell 'puter is very sick. It (okay, "I") got a nasty piece of malware and it's invaded my poor sweet computer and messed up just about every little nook and cranny on it. So... it was off to the Computer Doctor (The Trailing Edge) yesterday for a complete head to toe clean-up that they assure me will fix my problem. The darn piece of malware I got? The Windows Vista Recovery evil little (cannot call it what I really want in public) piece of garbage. Have learned that hitting that little red "x" to get rid of the screen only encourages it! Sigh. Control-alt-delete is my new mantra and as quick as humanly possible. However, that being said, it is so NOT going to happen again. Right?! Could've got the dang thing anywhere. Even, I am told, on the most innocent of blogs just like this one. Sigh. These buggers are getting craftier and craftier. Sure hoping the mantra what "goes around comes around" is most assuredly so for the idiots who think these up.


And to my continued woes... I am using my old IBM T41. It used to be fine for me even tho' everyone said it was slow. Hmmmm, they have a point. I am over-typing the dang thing and my typing is not even half of what it used to be. It's clicking and growling away at me. It's not charging. It wouldn't turn on earlier. Just stayed in a vicious loop of the Windows Screen to lull me into believing it was just "loading". A plea to my computer-literate son got some mercy and clicking in the "bios", whatever that is, and he got it up and running with a crooked grin implying "geesh, Mom, do I have to do everything". Grrr, lol. It hates me. So... I am typing this quick post thinking it might be my last for awhile 'cause when this poor machine dies... I don't think anyone in the house is going to let me NEAR another computer [grin]. The computers hate me, lol.

This is going to be the longest next few days of my life, lol, until my laptop is back with me in working order. Sigh. It can't be soon enough.

~Shelley