Thanks — it’s not really that bad, just a cold. It’s more irritating because it’s been hanging on for more than week and I’m really tired of my runny nose. 🙂
No recent baths. Just naturally fluffy at this stage. I just finished their outside run and hour ago, so they’re going to start living in the great out-of-doors (with a huge shed) from now on.
Luna rarely came inside the house before she had the pups. She only sleeps inside during the winter or when it’s raining. They really do prefer to be outside, given the choice.
The spot the pups are in now has the alpacas on one side and Luna on the other, with a large shed in it so that they can get out of the wind and rain.
This reminds me of pictures of human mothers breastfeeding 5 year olds. They’re getting a little too big, but they still get a lot of comfort out of it, I’d bet.
I think it’s a test of the electorate to see if they have the strength of character to overcome the height of winter doldrums and care about local elections.
Well, let’s put it this way – my Ward might end up with the highest turnout and that’s because our alderwomen retired and six people ran to replace her – so it was a hard fought race.
We had 26% turnout.
In wards where the alderman ran unopposed the turnout is sometimes about 10%.
And today was a sunny blue sky day. A bit cold. But sunny.
How very nice of you! I’m still wondering about the relative wisdom of that particular job application;-)
My mom left us early this morning. A lot of sadness and just pure exhaustion here. 91 years is a good long time, though and we are all grateful for that. The six-year-old granddaughter birthday party will still go on this weekend. That’s the direction we need to look, especially at times like this.
Thanks so much, all of you. Today, I’ll be doing those bureaucratic tasks one must do at times like these. Would like to get out some old photos and do some reminiscing as well.
My brother, his oldest daughter and I spent a few hours at Mom’s apartment tonight going through a lifetime of family treasures and photos. I’ll scan and post one of my favorites of her when I have a little more energy. Again, thanks for the good wishes. It helps.
Why yes, I do ascribe to the bale binding twine school of temporary construction. The panels are borrowed from the people next door. He works in construction and has lots of materials lying around.
After we’re down to just one puppy, and I’m fairly sure that one won’t get in to too much troubled when unsupervised, I’ll take the panels down and she can have the full run of Luna’s half-acre yard.
I’ve checked the Burpee Catalog and they’re not in there.
Of course, having made an outside puppy yard it rained all afternoon – creating a puppy quagmire. I checked them about an hour ago and although they were damp they were all piled up and asleep in the back of the shed.
Even though it’s raining Nina refuses to take her cria into the barn – in spite of my many attempts to bribe her with food.
Considering the alpaca’s ancestors evolved on the Bolivian Altiplano, and the Pyrs forebearers came from the French alps, I think they’ll all manage somehow.
We’re down to 30F right now, but everything is still turning green. Not too much longer until the grass starts to get out of hand, and me thinking someone really needs to cut that grass.
Sorry Andi, I fell asleep in my chair. I was up most of the night trying to move the stuff I can into Fmom’s room. I’m waiting on my bil to come over and help me move the heavy stuff. Fmom’s room is about twice as large as mine and has a full bath. Plus two closets. Just means I’ll be able to store twice as much junk. 🙂
that is very colorful, Andi. In Cleveland at this time of year, it’s hard to believe you are not in a black, white and gray world.
Owen describes a rail trip he took from the airport to downtown Cleveland a few years ago in Jan or Feb…it was all gray skies, dirty snow, abandoned factories, bare trees, and on a chain link fence a lone bright purple bra blew in the wind. I wish he had a camera.
Would I diss any place like Cleveburg? A poor old Southern boy like me dissing any place up North. God forbid! It’s no telling what I’d be called if I did that. 🙂
The weather down here is just about perfect right now. I’ve got the windows up in the house and it’s very comfortable. And to think, we had snow on Sunday. 🙂
I think we were in the mid 30’s last night. I’ll be the one jealous when summer get here. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to be wealthy so I can afford a summer and winter home.
All the critters seemed to have survived the night despite their lack of sense.
Luna kept getting me up in order to go check on the puppies, which only served to wake them up as well. Plus, Imogen is in Melbourne and I never can get to sleep at a decent hour without her.
I am so looking forward to an uninterrupted night’s sleep.
At least Hector seems to be having a fine morning. He’s clearly reclaiming the house as his personal territory.
He’s had very mixed feelings about the pups. Sometimes he just hunkered down in under the couch all day. Other times he would play noses with them through the slats of the nest box. Overall, I’d say he’s glad to have the run of the house again.
I’m taking the nest box apart today so we can put all the furniture back where it belongs. Hector is chewing on it right now. That boy loves him some pine.
Actually, I was thinking the same thing – only video. That’s assuming I can get Hector to stay in camera range for long enough to get a usable clip. Otherwise it’d just be clip of him bun-napping, which kinda defeats the purpose.
It’s overcast at the moment, but it might clear in the afternoon and give me some ambient light to work with.
Humans are nearly paralyzed during REM sleep. Dogs aren’t. Which is why you see them twitching so much. I don’t know, I might actually get some exercise if I acted out my dreams. Of course, I’d have to sleep by myself in a locked room. 🙁
I was thinking the same thing. There would finally be some truth to the “lose weight while you sleep” claims. Of course, I’d probably be one of those who eats cold mashed potatoes and entire pies in their sleep.
Giddy has had seizures and that looked too uncomfortably like them — especially the confused look at the end after hitting the wall. So I’m probably over-reacting.
Ah, the hound dog’s idea of heaven (and the perfect excuse to bark his head off, which I suspect is the real goal of the exercise) – a ‘coon up a tree.
Yay for good weather! Hopefully I’ll recover by then.
I have a fever of 100.5 despite tylenol and advil, sore throat, sore ears, slight headache, and an interview scheduled from 10:00 to 12:00. I feel doomed.
I don’t want to reschedule (I have a nice little binder of all my work put together, and a memory stick with the electronic copies to leave behind and everything), but I’m really sick. What to do?
I once went to a job with a very bad ear infection. The ear was closed up and the pain was awful. I really struggled through the interview, trying to concentrate despite the limited hearing and the pain and was amazed that I got the job. A few months later, I asked one of the people on the search committee why they chose me and they said (may not be an exact quote) “Everybody was really impressed with your intensity and attention during the interview.”
So maybe not doomed. OTOH, they might not feel kindly toward being given the flu. Plus it might not be safe for you to drive. Do you think they’d be willing to reschedule for tomorrow or Monday?
It was a little tricky getting all of the people in the building at the same time for the interview, so I’m hesitant to cancel (also, I think it would look bad). Of course, this job is an hour away making the drive even more of a pain in the neck.
I’m thinking about calling/emailing the recruiter for some advice. Like you said, nobody really wants me breathing on them with this…but then again, I would be happy to get this over with today.
I saw your comment on the photos above — I think that’s a wonderful to thing to do. I love, in particular, to look at pictures of my grandfather and me (he lived with us and I was 8 when he died). Even all these years later just looking at the photos gives my memories a wonderful immediacy.
Thanks to everyone for all the good wishes on my interview.
I did NOT get the job (copy supervisor at an ad agency that focuses on pharma business) because they are looking for someone with “more proven conceptual ability”. However, they were impressed enough with my scientific background and sample pieces that they (a) suggested that I would be an excellent medical director for them and that is a position they have discussed creating and just need a little more business to justify the expense, and (b) would I be interested in doing some freelance medical direction for them, possibly on site, as the need arises?
So, it wasn’t necessarily a total loss, and it was nice that they were so forthright about the fact that I wasn’t quite the fit they were looking for.
I always appreciate when the interviewer is totally up front with me. So, in the sense that they recognized your worth the interview went well and they didn’t lead you on.
And freelance is always good – but its a shame it has to be on site.
Actually, the on-site would be a plus in this instance, because it would be a valuable experience and add to my skill set (because it’s more promotional in nature).
Here’s a nice new and improved one, with puppy.
CBtY is still sick, with 101.5 degree fever…I’m afraid he’s going to infect the rest of us.
Oh poor CBtY — I hope you stay “pure”.
Have him look at the puppy pic a lot; that should cure anything.
I’m sorry you’re not feeling too well either. Does Jim bring home fun germs from school for you?
Oh yeah. And he usually just passes the germs on to me without getting sick himself since he builds up resistance.
You’d think all of that marching through yourwoods in all kinds of weatherwoulddothe samething. damn thiskeyboard…..
I don’t think you can get the flu from creeks, rocks, and tree trunks.
sorryaboutthekeyboard
no, i mean build up a resistance.
That’s the worst…a chipper, healthy carrier of disease, smiling as he passes along the latest mutations to the unsuspecting.
I hope that you feel better soon.
Thanks — it’s not really that bad, just a cold. It’s more irritating because it’s been hanging on for more than week and I’m really tired of my runny nose. 🙂
Andy Stern sent me this:
you mean he didn’t email me personally from his iPhone? harumph!
Boy do they have sharp teeth. And they are particularly fond of feet.
They look very fluffy in this picture, did they all have baths?
No recent baths. Just naturally fluffy at this stage. I just finished their outside run and hour ago, so they’re going to start living in the great out-of-doors (with a huge shed) from now on.
Luna too? All the time?
Luna rarely came inside the house before she had the pups. She only sleeps inside during the winter or when it’s raining. They really do prefer to be outside, given the choice.
The spot the pups are in now has the alpacas on one side and Luna on the other, with a large shed in it so that they can get out of the wind and rain.
I’m sure they will love it.
I love outdoor dogs. 🙂
This reminds me of pictures of human mothers breastfeeding 5 year olds. They’re getting a little too big, but they still get a lot of comfort out of it, I’d bet.
Luna still feeds them, but only a few times a day – as opposed to every two hours. I’ve cut way back on her food in hopes of drying her milk.
I’m hoping that she’ll have them fully weaned by the end of this week.
Squeaker.
Aww, what a face!
Oh lord that’s cute.
This makes a nice switch from watching local election returns. Puppies are cuter.
You have elections in March?
Yep. City elections. Mayor and Comptroller and 1/2 the Board of Aldermen (odd numbered wards this year).
This is the primary but since Democrats always win this is really the election.
It’s a test of the hardiness of candidates to run an election campaign in January and February 🙂
I think it’s a test of the electorate to see if they have the strength of character to overcome the height of winter doldrums and care about local elections.
Well, let’s put it this way – my Ward might end up with the highest turnout and that’s because our alderwomen retired and six people ran to replace her – so it was a hard fought race.
We had 26% turnout.
In wards where the alderman ran unopposed the turnout is sometimes about 10%.
And today was a sunny blue sky day. A bit cold. But sunny.
The only time I got into local elections was when Indianadem ran — it was fun voting for him.
How very nice of you! I’m still wondering about the relative wisdom of that particular job application;-)
My mom left us early this morning. A lot of sadness and just pure exhaustion here. 91 years is a good long time, though and we are all grateful for that. The six-year-old granddaughter birthday party will still go on this weekend. That’s the direction we need to look, especially at times like this.
Our thoughts are with you.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. All my sympathy to you and your family.
I’m sure she would want the birthday party to continue.
My thoughts are with your family.
get some rest, ID, and thanks for checking in with us. i’ve had you and your family in my thoughts/prayers. paz
I’m so sorry about your loss ID. My thoughts are with you and your family. Be sure to take care of yourself.
I’m so sorry for your loss, ID. my thoughts are with you and your family.
Thanks so much, all of you. Today, I’ll be doing those bureaucratic tasks one must do at times like these. Would like to get out some old photos and do some reminiscing as well.
Please accept my sympathies as well, ID.
Thank you for checking in with us.
Sincere condolences ID, to you and your family. Sending loving thoughts your way.
sorry to hear that ID. Strength and good thoughts to you.
ID – so very sorry for your loss.
My most favorite quote is:
Mayhaps a funeral among men is a wedding feast among the angels. (Kahlil Gibran)
I find it comforting to imagine this feast among the angels. I hope you might find some comfort too.
My brother, his oldest daughter and I spent a few hours at Mom’s apartment tonight going through a lifetime of family treasures and photos. I’ll scan and post one of my favorites of her when I have a little more energy. Again, thanks for the good wishes. It helps.
Sending much fluffy puppy and fuzzy cria energy in your direction.
Local Blogger just got elected to the Board of Alderman.
Oh. How. Adorable.
If I won the lottery I would be done there in a jiff (or 25 or so hours) to pick up and cuddle with that bundle of cute.
I keep telling you – you have to buy a ticket in order to win.
No it’s even worse than that — you have to buy a ticket with the winning numbers on it to win. Freaking unfair. 😉
Indeed. Which is also why I stay inside during lighting storms – I know which way my luck runs when it comes to the statistically impossible.
Until we come up with a better name for her.
Oh something else I to want to cuddle with.
Ah well, I guess I’ll go up to bed and see if Sniff or Bebo want to try to do an imitation.
Ta.
Goodnight to you and the pack (which includes Jim, of course).
Why yes, I do ascribe to the bale binding twine school of temporary construction. The panels are borrowed from the people next door. He works in construction and has lots of materials lying around.
After we’re down to just one puppy, and I’m fairly sure that one won’t get in to too much troubled when unsupervised, I’ll take the panels down and she can have the full run of Luna’s half-acre yard.
Looks like a puppies’ dream 🙂
Well, they’ve certainly gotten very dirty very quickly.
I have to seed my yard like and see if I can grow the same kind of ground cover. 😉
I’ve checked the Burpee Catalog and they’re not in there.
Of course, having made an outside puppy yard it rained all afternoon – creating a puppy quagmire. I checked them about an hour ago and although they were damp they were all piled up and asleep in the back of the shed.
Even though it’s raining Nina refuses to take her cria into the barn – in spite of my many attempts to bribe her with food.
We have such sensible creatures.
Well all the baby deer around here stay out in the rain — and snow and thunderstorms and hail — so I’m guessing it’s okay for the cria too. 🙂
Considering the alpaca’s ancestors evolved on the Bolivian Altiplano, and the Pyrs forebearers came from the French alps, I think they’ll all manage somehow.
click for larger
Morning/afternoon/evening all.
We’re down to 30F right now, but everything is still turning green. Not too much longer until the grass starts to get out of hand, and me thinking someone really needs to cut that grass.
Sounds like I’m going to get a spring pond picture pretty soon.
Sorry Andi, I fell asleep in my chair. I was up most of the night trying to move the stuff I can into Fmom’s room. I’m waiting on my bil to come over and help me move the heavy stuff. Fmom’s room is about twice as large as mine and has a full bath. Plus two closets. Just means I’ll be able to store twice as much junk. 🙂
that is very colorful, Andi. In Cleveland at this time of year, it’s hard to believe you are not in a black, white and gray world.
Owen describes a rail trip he took from the airport to downtown Cleveland a few years ago in Jan or Feb…it was all gray skies, dirty snow, abandoned factories, bare trees, and on a chain link fence a lone bright purple bra blew in the wind. I wish he had a camera.
Hi SN.
Gee after that wonderful mind boggling tour from the airport to downtown, I can see why you’ve missed the North so much. 😛
Are you dissing Cleveburg from there in Hooterville, FM? :0)
Would I diss any place like Cleveburg? A poor old Southern boy like me dissing any place up North. God forbid! It’s no telling what I’d be called if I did that. 🙂
Drive by good morning all!
Morning Boran.
Hi FM! Keep warm!
The weather down here is just about perfect right now. I’ve got the windows up in the house and it’s very comfortable. And to think, we had snow on Sunday. 🙂
I’m jealous. It was in the low single digits here last night.
I think we were in the mid 30’s last night. I’ll be the one jealous when summer get here. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to be wealthy so I can afford a summer and winter home.
Morning all.
All the critters seemed to have survived the night despite their lack of sense.
Luna kept getting me up in order to go check on the puppies, which only served to wake them up as well. Plus, Imogen is in Melbourne and I never can get to sleep at a decent hour without her.
I am so looking forward to an uninterrupted night’s sleep.
At least Hector seems to be having a fine morning. He’s clearly reclaiming the house as his personal territory.
hi keres! i wondered how hector was adjusting to the barbarian invasion…
He’s had very mixed feelings about the pups. Sometimes he just hunkered down in under the couch all day. Other times he would play noses with them through the slats of the nest box. Overall, I’d say he’s glad to have the run of the house again.
I’m taking the nest box apart today so we can put all the furniture back where it belongs. Hector is chewing on it right now. That boy loves him some pine.
Aw, what a good mom Luna is, wanting to check on them. Sorry it means you have to get up and let her go check, though.
We need some Hector photos! He’s been so neglected with all the new arrivals at your place. 🙂
Actually, I was thinking the same thing – only video. That’s assuming I can get Hector to stay in camera range for long enough to get a usable clip. Otherwise it’d just be clip of him bun-napping, which kinda defeats the purpose.
It’s overcast at the moment, but it might clear in the afternoon and give me some ambient light to work with.
Youtube of Hector — whoa!
Meanwhile, for those who missed this clip on Olbermann last night – Bizkit running in her sleep:
Oh, I hated how that ended! 🙂
I’m just a softy — I really feel sorry for the dog.
Humans are nearly paralyzed during REM sleep. Dogs aren’t. Which is why you see them twitching so much. I don’t know, I might actually get some exercise if I acted out my dreams. Of course, I’d have to sleep by myself in a locked room. 🙁
I was thinking the same thing. There would finally be some truth to the “lose weight while you sleep” claims. Of course, I’d probably be one of those who eats cold mashed potatoes and entire pies in their sleep.
Yeah, I’d probably raid the fridge as well. And possibly drive to the mini-mart for more chocolate when I finished what was in the cupboard.
Giddy has had seizures and that looked too uncomfortably like them — especially the confused look at the end after hitting the wall. So I’m probably over-reacting.
Sorry to hear about Giddy’s seizures.
Luna jumps up in her sleep and barks. Then looks around sheepishly because she has no idea why she was barking.
Thanks — she’s been on medication for years and doesn’t have them any more.
Hopeful was big on running in his sleep — not doubt treeing all the raccoons he never did IRL.
Ah, the hound dog’s idea of heaven (and the perfect excuse to bark his head off, which I suspect is the real goal of the exercise) – a ‘coon up a tree.
And here she is – barking in her sleep:
That poor thing must be exhausted…
I tried filming him under the couch, but it looked like some paramilitary night-vision training footage.
because they are bringing us warm weather (a high of 72 on Saturday!) for at least a week.
Morning/afternoon/evening all.
Yay for good weather! Hopefully I’ll recover by then.
I have a fever of 100.5 despite tylenol and advil, sore throat, sore ears, slight headache, and an interview scheduled from 10:00 to 12:00. I feel doomed.
I don’t want to reschedule (I have a nice little binder of all my work put together, and a memory stick with the electronic copies to leave behind and everything), but I’m really sick. What to do?
I once went to a job with a very bad ear infection. The ear was closed up and the pain was awful. I really struggled through the interview, trying to concentrate despite the limited hearing and the pain and was amazed that I got the job. A few months later, I asked one of the people on the search committee why they chose me and they said (may not be an exact quote) “Everybody was really impressed with your intensity and attention during the interview.”
So maybe not doomed. OTOH, they might not feel kindly toward being given the flu. Plus it might not be safe for you to drive. Do you think they’d be willing to reschedule for tomorrow or Monday?
It was a little tricky getting all of the people in the building at the same time for the interview, so I’m hesitant to cancel (also, I think it would look bad). Of course, this job is an hour away making the drive even more of a pain in the neck.
I’m thinking about calling/emailing the recruiter for some advice. Like you said, nobody really wants me breathing on them with this…but then again, I would be happy to get this over with today.
It’s a classic approach-avoidance conflict. I hate those.
I’m sucking it up and going. I’ll check back in this afternoon.
Good luck & hope you’re feeling better soon.
I saw your comment on the photos above — I think that’s a wonderful to thing to do. I love, in particular, to look at pictures of my grandfather and me (he lived with us and I was 8 when he died). Even all these years later just looking at the photos gives my memories a wonderful immediacy.
Good luck!
Best of luck, and feel better soon!
Good luck.
If they DO offer you the job you can feel really good about your interviewing skills.
And if they don’t offer you the job you can feel revenged by knowing that you gave them the flu.
Wishing you lots of luck, CG — & a warm cup of comfort on your return.
I thought Pudge the fish controlled the weather.
Morning everyone.
Thanks to everyone for all the good wishes on my interview.
I did NOT get the job (copy supervisor at an ad agency that focuses on pharma business) because they are looking for someone with “more proven conceptual ability”. However, they were impressed enough with my scientific background and sample pieces that they (a) suggested that I would be an excellent medical director for them and that is a position they have discussed creating and just need a little more business to justify the expense, and (b) would I be interested in doing some freelance medical direction for them, possibly on site, as the need arises?
So, it wasn’t necessarily a total loss, and it was nice that they were so forthright about the fact that I wasn’t quite the fit they were looking for.
Back to the drawing board…
Well drat. Do you want the freelance work? It sounds like it would be interesting.
My current advice: have some hot tea and lemon and take a nap.
I just finished a little bit of job hunting work, and now I’m going to have that hot tea and bed. 🙂
I second andi’s advice.
I always appreciate when the interviewer is totally up front with me. So, in the sense that they recognized your worth the interview went well and they didn’t lead you on.
And freelance is always good – but its a shame it has to be on site.
Actually, the on-site would be a plus in this instance, because it would be a valuable experience and add to my skill set (because it’s more promotional in nature).
oh, well then. Carry on 🙂
Well done you.
Thanks. I’m still underemployed, but at least they didn’t jerk me around or act as if I have nothing to offer.
I’m glad to hear that something may yet come out of this.