24 June 2012
Computer Fun and Blue Lobsters
24/06/12 06:20
The big news this week is that I got a new computer. It looks pretty much like my old computer, the major difference is that it has a larger screen and weighs a couple of pounds more. Well, that and the faster processor and better display and most importantly the ability to play Portal2 and Limbo. We ordered it last Friday. I tracked the computer on line and plotted it’s location hour by hour on a map at my desk as it went from Shanghai to Memphis TN, to Hamilton Ont, then to Vancouver, then Sydney and then onto the truck for the trip up the island to where Marsha signed for the box. Not that I was obsessive or anything. It’s taken a couple of days to get it configured and running with all of my old files and software. Then I had to rebuild my old computer and set up all of Marsha’s files and software on it for Marsha to use. Her old computer had developed a good number of problems and needed to be replaced. Upgrading mine and giving her my old one was the most efficient way to get her an improved system. Really, it was.
One thing I did have trouble with was moving Marsha’s files to my old computer. They just wouldn’t transfer. After trying several different methods without success I used a technique I came across a few years back. I renamed her computer ‘Titanic’ and then it had no trouble synching.
We took the cats into the vet for their yearly checkup last weekend. Overall they are in good shape except for a couple of things. By an amazing coincidence Marsha’s cat Geiger has bad teeth and my cat Momiji has bad eyes. They say pets and owners get to be alike but this is a bit ridiculous. We’re making an appointment to get Geiger’s teeth cleaned. Momiji on the other hand is stuck. Retina damage from before we got her means that her vision is restricted to fuzzy shadows and motion, so she is now an obligate indoor cat. She wouldn’t have survived on the street. She’s very fortunate that we adopted her when we did, something I keep telling her. We also discovered something amazing, to us at least. They have cat blood banks. We’re going to take Geiger in to donate in the next couple of weeks. What we get out of it, other than Geiger being very happy about being able to help his fellow cat, will be that they are going to do a full blood workup. All the tests we’d normally need to pay for before they do his dental surgery will be done for free. Not a bad deal overall. Momiji can’t donate. She’s too small and they don’t want cats that have had a litter for some reason. By the way dogs can also donate blood. This weekend the SPCA had a clinic for reduced rabies shots, microchipping and such. They also were doing blood typing for dogs at this event.
Yesterday we had a few people over to celebrate the various anniversaries this month. We can really tell that this is a small town. Everyone around here seems to know everyone else through clubs or jobs, or classes, etc. Coming from Minneapolis where you can work in the same building with people you’ve never met, we find it surprising. The party went well. It poured overnight and looked very threatening in the morning. Then about an hour before showtime it cleared off and was gorgeous from 1:00 on. Then around 5:30 a front moved in, the sky turned threatening, and rain started again. At that point though, the party was winding down so it couldn’t have been more perfect. A few hours of good food, wine, beer, and conversation. Barbara made us an anniversary card which was beautiful. All in all a fun afternoon, but not for the cats whom we had locked in the downstairs bedroom for the duration. Didn’t want them to escape or get traumatized.
A few final thoughts:
I read a week or so back that Burger King has introduced a Bacon Sundae. That’s right, a soft serve ice cream sundae with bacon on it and in it. What, was there a question of them being NOT kosher enough?
You know how lobsters are red? Well actually they are mostly mud red-brown with varying amounts of algae green when they are caught but red as soon as you clean them up. Well, recently they caught an electric blue lobster off of Nova Scotia.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/11/a-catch-straight-out-of-the-deep-blue-sea/
These are an amazingly rare mutant. Most lobstermen never see one.
Speaking of rare mutants:
How can you tell if a vegetarian has become a zombie?
He shambles around mumbling
Graaaaaiiiins….
Doug & Marsha
PIX: We forgot to include pictures of our bikes last week. Here they are. They're not impressive but I'll clean them up and they'll look OK. The next two pictures are some decoration we put on the railing on the deck. They are banners from Nanaimo. They look good and most importantly they keep the cats from wandering away. Lastly, why of why doesn't Momiji get a sore neck from sleeping like this?
One thing I did have trouble with was moving Marsha’s files to my old computer. They just wouldn’t transfer. After trying several different methods without success I used a technique I came across a few years back. I renamed her computer ‘Titanic’ and then it had no trouble synching.
We took the cats into the vet for their yearly checkup last weekend. Overall they are in good shape except for a couple of things. By an amazing coincidence Marsha’s cat Geiger has bad teeth and my cat Momiji has bad eyes. They say pets and owners get to be alike but this is a bit ridiculous. We’re making an appointment to get Geiger’s teeth cleaned. Momiji on the other hand is stuck. Retina damage from before we got her means that her vision is restricted to fuzzy shadows and motion, so she is now an obligate indoor cat. She wouldn’t have survived on the street. She’s very fortunate that we adopted her when we did, something I keep telling her. We also discovered something amazing, to us at least. They have cat blood banks. We’re going to take Geiger in to donate in the next couple of weeks. What we get out of it, other than Geiger being very happy about being able to help his fellow cat, will be that they are going to do a full blood workup. All the tests we’d normally need to pay for before they do his dental surgery will be done for free. Not a bad deal overall. Momiji can’t donate. She’s too small and they don’t want cats that have had a litter for some reason. By the way dogs can also donate blood. This weekend the SPCA had a clinic for reduced rabies shots, microchipping and such. They also were doing blood typing for dogs at this event.
Yesterday we had a few people over to celebrate the various anniversaries this month. We can really tell that this is a small town. Everyone around here seems to know everyone else through clubs or jobs, or classes, etc. Coming from Minneapolis where you can work in the same building with people you’ve never met, we find it surprising. The party went well. It poured overnight and looked very threatening in the morning. Then about an hour before showtime it cleared off and was gorgeous from 1:00 on. Then around 5:30 a front moved in, the sky turned threatening, and rain started again. At that point though, the party was winding down so it couldn’t have been more perfect. A few hours of good food, wine, beer, and conversation. Barbara made us an anniversary card which was beautiful. All in all a fun afternoon, but not for the cats whom we had locked in the downstairs bedroom for the duration. Didn’t want them to escape or get traumatized.
A few final thoughts:
I read a week or so back that Burger King has introduced a Bacon Sundae. That’s right, a soft serve ice cream sundae with bacon on it and in it. What, was there a question of them being NOT kosher enough?
You know how lobsters are red? Well actually they are mostly mud red-brown with varying amounts of algae green when they are caught but red as soon as you clean them up. Well, recently they caught an electric blue lobster off of Nova Scotia.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/11/a-catch-straight-out-of-the-deep-blue-sea/
These are an amazingly rare mutant. Most lobstermen never see one.
Speaking of rare mutants:
How can you tell if a vegetarian has become a zombie?
He shambles around mumbling
Graaaaaiiiins….
Doug & Marsha
PIX: We forgot to include pictures of our bikes last week. Here they are. They're not impressive but I'll clean them up and they'll look OK. The next two pictures are some decoration we put on the railing on the deck. They are banners from Nanaimo. They look good and most importantly they keep the cats from wandering away. Lastly, why of why doesn't Momiji get a sore neck from sleeping like this?