random: April 2006 Archives

Due to the unsual circumstance this morning (having to do with the vast quanity of food consumed by the dogs yesterday afternoon), I was a bit later than usual heading to work this morning (ok, so it was 90 minutes later than usual).

On top of running late, I get out to the car and realize I'm probably not going to make it to work with out filling up. I pull up to the pump shortly after this lady in a Buick Regal. She's getting out at the same time as me and proceeds to tell me how cute my car is.

Now I love my car, but cute? Ok maybe a little.

Six months later and I still can't remember I need to unlock the little door to the gas tank. So back around my car to unlock the door all the time thinking about the compliment I just got on my car. Back around to unscrew the cap and Buick Lady says it's almost like my car is diesal, it's got a soft purr to it. Awe. I actually really do love the sound of my car. At first I thought it was a bit loud, but it's grown on me and it's got a good sound to it.

By this time I'm checking out the kind of car Buick lady is driving 'cause she really doesn't look like she'd be into cars. I've finally started to get gas and I look up and see buick lady who is pulling out some cards and standing across from me. All I see in big gold letters is "The Book of Mormon" and it looks like she's going to talk to me again. Now may be a good time to put my credit card back in my wallet which is in my car.

While I'm putting my credit card back in my wallet Buick Lady finishes pumping. My pump shuts off and I go back around, put the nozzle away, screw on my gas cap, and get my receipt. As I'm starting to walk back around my car, Buick Lady who has been sitting partially in her car for a minute or so holding some cards or paper asks me if I'm interested in family history. I tell her no. And then I tell her to have a nice day.

54% seems to be the maximum amount my laptop battery will charge to.

54% is the point the charging light turns green.

54% is 3 out of 4 lights on the battery.

54% doesn't allow for acceptable time away from an outlet.

Think it might be time for a new battery.

I really need to get an eraser that produces less crumbs.

When I do development, everything gets written out on paper ahead of time. Yeah, I know we all laughed and said yeah right when our CS professors used to make us write things out before starting to code. I was one of those people too. But now that I'm out in the real world, not only are my project plans hand written, but they're written in a narrative form.

That's what I'm doing now and my desk has an ever growing pile of eraser crumbs forming. The thing about the crumbs is they aren't all that easy to get rid of.

I'm also using the same brand mechanical pencil that I've used since high school. I think I may have had this particular pencil since high school. Gotta love the Zebra pencils.

It's definately been a two post morning.

So I come downstairs to see the guy I'm supposed to call anytime after 6 sitting outside our house. (I had every intention of calling him first thing this morning, but with the hurry up and take me out trips, it slipped my mind.) I IM Chris to tell him that this guy is "stalking" me. Of course joking, but probably not the right words to use when Chris saw someone on our street being taken out to a police car in handcuffs this morning. I made sure Chris was ok with the repairs that had been made right as the guy rang our doorbell. Signed the papers and off to work.

So the guy that Chris saw in handcuffs 90 minutes or so prior to my departure... Well as I drove by the police were still present at the scene. And it looked like the crime scene was at work on a vehicle. I wonder what he did.

And on an entirely different note, why didn't anyone tell me there was a Coach outlet opening up at the Leesburg Outlets?!?!?

I awoke this morning at 4 am to heavy panting and lots of pacing. Yup, it was Berkley. Yup, it was about the same time Cisco started his I have to go out dance on Monday. But unlike Cisco who we know will hold it, with Berkley, if he's a dancin' you better be a movin.' At least it's not freezing outside anymore.

So Berkley might be getting what Cisco had. I thought he was based on his performance in agility on Wednesday night. But then yesterday he seemed okay, so I thought maybe we were in the clear. Maybe not. Well, for Chris' sake, let's hope he's not getting sick.

In other news, I left Cisco's agility class early yesterday too. We had a less than spectacular first run. I know bad runs are par for the course with Cisco, but something just was way off yesterday. The whole situation was just more frustration that I wanted to deal with. We got nothing constructive out of it and well, if I wasn't getting anything out of other than frustration, it's not going to do me any good to stay.

Enough about the dogs, this weekend we're hosting dinner at our house on Sunday. Mom and Dad brought over the ham yesterday when they came over to wait for furniture to be delivered. Speaking of furniture, it came unassembled. It only took practically the whole evening to assemble. I'll post pics eventually.

For some reason it's been a LONG week. Maybe it's that most of last weekend was spent at the Super Pet Expo. Maybe it's the time change and I haven't fully adjusted. Who knows.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Sleeping in (well only a little since I have a 9:30 meeting tomorrow), spending some time working on the projects I want to work on, I'm supposed to see my friend Kelly (guess I should probably e-mail her and figure out a time), and maybe I can find time for a nap on Sunday....

Tonight Cisco and Berkley have their first private agility lesson. I've never done this so I don't know what to expect. I'm hoping to get some ideas for what exactly we should be working on at home. Now that the time change has happened, it's light when I get home and I have time to work them out in the yard. I'm just at a loss for what to do with them.

Have I mentioned my obsession with Flat Coats? Dawn and Eagle are in Berkley's class. She just had a litter of puppies about 2 weeks ago.

• My dogs are awesome. We were short a few dogs for a few shows, so both of mine put in a full weekend of demo-ing obstacles and full courses.
• Great Danes are beautiful dogs. There were so many of them all weekend. It was great to see
• We met two Berners. They were half brother and sister. Their names: Mason and Dixon. Love it.
• People suck. Not sure what was up on Saturday, but everyone seemed really short and not very nice.
• One of what seems to be a hot item this weekend: strollers for your little dog. Yes for $100 you too could be pushing Fido around instead of carrying him. Funny you think? There's is a whole website for just pet strollers.
• The most unusual items this weekend:
  1. The Poop Tent for those dogs that don't like to go in the rain. (Sorry Cisco, you're not getting one, you're just going to have to deal.)
  2. Poop Freeze. They were one of our sponsors and I think it was Sunday before Cameron managed to say it with a completely straight face.
  3. This Angel Wing thing, that from what I was reading allows you additional time to say good bye to your deceased pet. Warning: Link may be disturbing to some viewers.
• I had never seen a Sugar Glider before. Interesting little critters.
• We talked to someone who offers herding lessons. My friend Yvette and I might split a private lesson to see if our dogs (her Mic, and my Berkley) have any interest in it what-so-ever.
• I wish I remembered the name of the pretzel guy. His chocolate covered pretzels were most excellent.
• Apparently showing up to a pet expo with your hot tubs gets you lots of jokes when the other building at the expo center is hosting a hot tub expo.
• Another people suck comment. Why can't people clean up after their dogs?!?!? If my dogs went inside a building I'd be horrified. I watched time and time again as owners let their dogs go inside the expo center. Not only did they not attempt to correct the behavior, they just walked off and left the mess. We won't even talk about the grassy area outside the hall.