Harmony

L-Archie; R-Dixie

I love how they point their heads in the same direction when they are lying down.

Dog Breeders' Code Words

The Babys' Old Home

What does a dog breeder really mean when he describes the father of his latest litter of pups as one that "loves to run, loves the water and is a good retriever"? On the surface, the dog seems playful and fun.

But what the breeder really means is that the dog is high-energy, wild as hell and bounces off the walls. See, the breeder who bred Archie and Dixie described those two dogs' father as a dog who loves to run, play in the water and loves to retrieve. I didn't pay much attention to that descriptor before I got the two puppies.

However, when I met the litter's father, I saw a dog that was pure energy. I asked the owner if I could pet the dog. He said yes. But he warned me not to throw the stick that was in the dog's mouth too far or else the dog may jump over the rock pond and land on rocks. Apparently, the father had done just that in a previous vigorous bout of play.

I wondered what the hell I was getting my brother and mom into. Dixie is a wild one like her dad. In contrast, Archie is a gentle soul. He's so damned sweet.

Random Thought:Not Seeing a Play at the Theater Because You Read It

How many times have you ever heard people smugly say that they didn't see a movie because they "read the book." You can hear the condescension in their tone at the very idea of having to do something as low-brow as watching a movie.

But have you ever heard people say that they didn't go see a play in the theater because they "read the play?" I've never heard anyone say that.It would sound idiotic, for example, to refuse to watch a Shakespeare play in the theater because you "read it."

All Aboard!

Archie didn't take it well when my brother left today. Dixie, on the other hand, faced his departure with a stiff upper-lip.

Just after noon, my brother started getting ready. He showered, packed and brought his things out to the kitchen. Surprisingly to me, Archie knew my brother was going bye-bye. The reason I think he knew was that earlier in the day when my brother went out the side door (our "main entrance") Archie did not try to go out with my brother.

But when Archie saw my brother's suitcase in the kitchen, he walked outside with my brother. Archie went to my brother's SUV and waited. When my brother opened the backdoor, Archie looked in and walked passed it. He did the same thing when the hatch-door opened: looked but walked-by.

However, when my brother opened the driver's door, Archie took a look and jumped in. He wanted to go bye-bye with my brother. It  broke all of our hearts. My mom was standing on the driveway and was reduced to tears. My brother told Archie to get out, which he did.

Meanwhile, Dixie was sitting in the den eating her bone. My brother had already said good-bye to her. Dixie barely lifted her head up when my brother reached down to hug her. She kept eating her bone. She's a stoic girl!

3 Pounds in 10 Days

That is how much weight Archie gained from the time he and Dixie were neutered and the time Dixie's stitches were removed. This is like a Jenny Craig Commercial, but in reverse.

Archie didn't need to go the the vet because his stitches would dissolve and therefore not need to be taken out by a vet. I wanted to see how much he weighed.

He seemed like he was getting bigger. And I was right. He's getting to be a big boy. Rapidly he is losing is puppy features. At a glimpse, he looks like grown-up. He's getting to be a man.

He weighed 58.2 lbs last Friday. Dixie gained 1lb and now weighs 48lbs.

Dixie Can Swim . . . Finally

But Archie still can't.

My brother came up for the weekend. Today, he went swimming. The dogs were already whipped into frenzy while he was standing at the pool's edge. When he jumped in, they were going nuts. Dixie kept running up and down the pool while my brother swam laps. He kept pleading for her to get in. Dixie lied at the pool's edge and slapped at the water with her paws. But she wouldn't take that big step.

My brother grabbed her and put her in the water. She first swam to him and then to the steps after my brother guided her. Dixie got out. Archie was waiting for her. He bit her legs and growled. Dixie kept running up and down the pool.

The next time she got in, she stepped off the edge and swam to my brother and then the steps. Except when she got to the steps, she did not get out but turned around and kept swimming. She did several laps with my brother. He would get a big lead on her when he pushed off the wall. However, Dixie quickly caught up to him. She can swim pretty damn fast now! No longer does she slap at the water and splash around. She scoots down the pool and gets her body pretty high.

In contrast, poor Archie still can't swim well. When my brother put Archie in the water, Archie splashed heavily and went to the nearest edge of the pool instead of going to the steps at the shallow end. I worry Archie will fall in with no one around, will tire himself out trying to get out the wrong way and subsequently drown.

Archie Collapses

Dear gentle readers, don't worry. Archie is fine. This is about the way Archie lies down in his own clumsy and klutzy way.

Archie is not graceful by any measure. He's big-boned and heavy-footed . When he runs, his movement looks more like a work-horse's plodding trot. This is in contrast with Dixie, his sister. She has more delicate features. Dixie's movement appears sprightly and lithe. At times, instead of running or walking, Dixie prances.

Before I describe how Archie lies down, I'll try to describe how a dog lies down. Normally, a dog will make a tight circle around the resting space which Archie does. Then a dog will put its rump on the ground in somewhat seated fashion followed by putting the rest of its body on the ground.

This is where Archie differs from the others. Archie has a unique way of laying down. He will collapse on the ground, his body making an audible and characteristic "thud" when it hits the ground. He bypasses the "sitting stage" and goes right to the ground. Not only will he make a big thud but his collar will "jangle" as well. I know without looking when Archie has layed down.

Random Thought From Childhood:Moon Covered in Snow

When I was a kid, I thought the moon was covered in snow. The moon is white;snow is white. It made perfect sense to me. Further, I thought the moon was a fun place to visit since it was covered in snow. After all, during snow-days in grade school, I always had a good time. The moon looked like a big playground.

Fortunately, I kept this strange thought to myself. And I was able to figure out quickly that the moon was not covered with snow, or at least on the light-side. On the light-side, the moon is well over the boiling point of water. So, I was able to figure out that the whiteness I saw on the moon was not snow.

But I wasn't totally let down. I was still intrigued by the moon because gravity there is 1/6th what it is on Earth. I thought since people would be so light on the moon, jumping on the moon would be like jumping on a trampoline.

Advice to 2L's

In a nutshell: don't work on an graded project with a 3L. In my 2nd year, I had an assignment where our grade was given to the group as a whole that we worked in. We worked in groups of 2. Our professor paired me with a 3L. I ended up having to do all the heavy-lifting. The guy was slack as shit.

I don't know if his effort was because he was a 3L but I suspect it was. He once commented that it took him over 4 days to respond to an email because he was "busy." (I'm just a 2L myself. Like I'm sitting around yanking it)

I hope he was an outlier. I'm no gunner but if your performance affects another's grade, decency and common courtesy should compel one to put in at least a half-assed effort.

I Think Dixie Misses My Brother

Dixie's Bed

In the last two nights after I say it's time for "nighty", Dixie has gone to the room my brother sleeps instead of mine or my mom's. My brother got the bed last year because the old bed, a twin bed, hurt his back after a night's sleep. He got a regular sized bed so that now when he makes his biannual visits to Raleigh, his back won't hurt when he sleeps.

But now Dixie wants to sleep in that bed. This differs from her habits in the last week and a half; she has either gone to my room or my mom's. But now she goes to my brother's bed. After I finish brushing my teeth, I have to get her and lead her to my room where she otherwise sleeps soundly.

She's a smart girl. I know she remembers where my brother slept when he was up here. I wonder if her getting in that bed at night signifies that she misses my brother.

Can I Sue Dixie's and Archie's Breeder For Breach of Warranty?

These dogs can't swim for crap. Archie fell in the pool yesterday. My mom witnessed the whole thing while I was inside. I heard her call my name. She needed help because Archie had trouble getting out and her broken arm has not fully healed.

Even though it took me a minute to get out, Archie was still at the pool-side struggling to get out but with no success. He still does not know how to get out by the steps at the shallow end. He was crying in fear in his futile attempt to get out. It was so pitiful.

Before I grabbed his collar and lead him to the steps, I could hear and see him pounding and splashing away at the water. Watching Archie try to swim is like watching Frankenstein do ballet. Archie makes Father look like Michael Phelps by comparison. The big difference though is that Archie is genetically built to swim and Father was not.

Who the hell were these breeders who has Labrador Retrievers that cannot swim. I wonder if I can sue him for breach of warranty.

Dixie's Achilles Heel

Dixie's least favorite toy

My brother used this word to describe Dixie: fearless. When he would take her to the dog park, he said, Dixie would approach all dogs without hesitation or fear. It didn't matter how big the dog or ferocious the breed. Dixie would swagger up to them and initiate aggressive play.

Today, we found out her fear: a stuffed toy. The toy is shaped like a gorilla and when squeezed, makes an angry sound like it's going ape-shit. Archie loves the toy. The toy scares the hell out of Dixie.

I noticed today for the first time because the babies snuck into the closed-off living room and found a reserve of  dog toys. They got the gorilla toy. After Archie had bit into the toy setting off the noise-maker, Dixie stood still, cocked her head to the side and stared at the toy.

Normally when she sees Archie having fun with a toy or whatever, Dixie sees that as an invitation to take it away and to play. But now, she refused to go near it.  At one point, she even took a frightened leap back when Archie had set it off. She made me laugh.

The poor baby was scared. Fearless, my ass!

Random Thought:Are There Any Bookstores In Knightdale?

I was thinking about this the other day when I took the babies to be spayed by our vet in Knightdale. I don't think they do.

Corporate Snakes

The patio is circled in red.

I saw an ominous sign during my orientation week when I started out at GSK. It's hard to believe that just over 10 years ago I started employment at GSK. At the start, I was happy to be there and back in NC.

On the fourth day of orientation, I had lunch with the director of the department that I was assigned to. There were only 3 people that dined with us. The third person was a chemist like me except he was hired straight out of school.

The director seem like a nice enough guy on the surface. I don't remember much about that day or what was said. I do remember the director telling me that I'd find "more opportunities at GSK than at other companies." That was a goddamned lie. People at my level were treated like technicians or automatons: the children were to be seen and not heard. But that is not the point of this story.

The most distinct memory of that orientation lunch is what I saw. We dined on a patio outside the cafeteria. Towards the end of the meal, I looked over the director's shoulder and saw a 4-5ft black snake slithering across the patio.

I immediately thought "Oh shit, that is an ominous sign." It would have been crazy for me to leave that company then and there merely based on something similar to a ploy seen in a "B movie." However, maybe my life would have been better off had I left.

It turns out the snake-sighting was indeed ominous.

• How was I supposed to know things wouldn't work out? 
• How was I supposed to know my first boss would be an asshole who would undermine me when he went to breakfast with the senior scientists and talk shit about me then? 
• How was I supposed to know that my co-workers on my first project would deliberately leave off a key aspect on the synthesis of a certain heterocycle resulting in me spinning my wheels for 2 months, leaving me to look incompetent?
• How was I supposed to know my co-workers would be assholes? (Actually, I had a hunch about this one but failed to heed the hunch. During my interview, I saw more flags than at the U.N. except all of them were red. I wanted to be in NC so bad that my better judgment was clouded.)

An Angel with a Dirty Face &A Pure Heart

Before

After

I told my mom not to let the babies out late yesterday afternoon. They had dirtied their faces earlier in the day. I caught them in time before they went too far.

 Did she listen? Let the evidence speak for itself.

We needed the hose to clean them off.

Doritos Coated Chicken Filets

I've improvised a Chicken Parmesan recipe. Instead of using bread crumbs and marinara sauce, I use crushed Doritos crumbs and salsa. Otherwise, the recipe, technique and cooking method is the same as when I cook Chicken Parmesan.

I dipped thinly sliced chicken breast filets into beaten eggs and put them in Doritos crumbs. I cooked the filets for 25 min at 350 degrees. I put salsa on the filets and then a mixture of four cheeses (Some type of "Mexican Cheese"). I cooked an additional 10 min at 350.

It tasted pretty good. A couple of people at the house thought so, too. But you never know if people getting free food say they like it because it's free and as a result are being polite.

Possible Problems Pending

Mark, I Love You (1980)

TV Movie  -  100 min  -  Drama

6.3

Your rating:

  -/10 

Ratings: 6.3/10 from 17 users
Reviews: 2 user

Kevin Dobson plays Hal Painter, a distraught widower caught in a bitter custody battle with his late wife's parents over his 10-year-old son, following his plans to remarry and move off to California with the boy.

An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Does anyone notice a common thread in the movies above? If you said "custody battles" then congratulations because you were right.

My mom has become attached to Dixie, my brother's dog. She agreed to take care of Dixie while she recovered from being spayed. My mom worried about Dixie being alone in my brother's condo all day while he was out working. It's not an irrational fear because Abby had complications after her procedure when an infection developed around her staples. Further, the vets said Dixie had indeed been chewing at her stitches after she got out of surgery. Having someone around all day who could look after Dixie was a safe and cautious choice. So Dixie is here in Raleigh.

Here is the problem: my mom is starting to fall in love with Dixie. She laments over Dixie having to go back to Atlanta and spend all day alone in my brother's condo. It breaks my mom's heart.

To make things worse, my brother really loves Archie. He's a sweet dog--very loving. I think if he had a bigger place he'd campaign to keep Archie.

The longer Dixie stays here, the harder it will be to separate Dixie from my mom.

Random Thought From My Childhood:The Moon Followed Me Home

Start of Trip in Raleigh. I suck at nighttime photos.

Where I-40 ended at Randleman Rd.

Our exit from I-85 to home, S. Elm-Eugene.

When I was a kid of around 6 while my family was going back to Greensboro after spending the weekend in Raleigh, I thought the moon followed me home.

I remember looking directly to my right as we were going down Glenwood Ave. and seeing the moon directly to my right. Back then, we had to use I-85 to Durham where we exited onto US-70 all the way to Raleigh. I-40 ended in Greensboro back then.

What astonished me was looking out of my window when we arrived in Greensboro and seeing the moon exactly where it was to my right as it was in Raleigh. I truly thought the moon followed me home.

The Babies are back, safe and sound

After

Before

The vet spayed Dixie and neutered Archie without any troubles. I picked them up in mid-afternoon.

First I had to pay the bill, over $800. My mom promised to repay me but she has had 3 bounced checks in the last month, so there may be problems. Oh well, I will get more points on my credit card's frequent user program. Paying the bill first also gives the owner a chance to make a quick exit.

If we paid last, we would have to keep two revved-up labrador puppies under control at the counter. This way, we were able to scoot out of the building once the vet finished giving me post-op procedures.

The vet said Dixie had to wear an e-collar because she was chewing at her stitches. I found out Dixie weighed 47lbs and Archie 55. I was surprised Dixie weighed so much. She's getting to be a big girl.

I waited in an examination room while the vet tech went to get the babies. Both of them were happy to see me and they were happy to see each other. They whined, cried, kissied and jumped up on me and each other. The vet tech helped bring the babies to the car. My hands were full with a dog as well as paperwork for registering their microchips at Petslink.com.

Less than 5 minutes after the vet told me not to let the dogs jump, Archie jumped into the car after I opened the hatchback. The vet tech lifted Dixie and put her in the car. We went on our way. I was worried Dixie would get car sick but she did OK.

We made it home and they used the bathroom in the side yard and went inside.

Archie seems peppy. But Dixie is a little tired with droopy eyes.

Archie Is Now a Gelding

And Dixie was "fixed" this morning. The vets said they are doing OK, so I can pick them up later this afternoon.

My Cat Is More Obedient Than My Dog

Last night as I was about to go to bed, I called Archie to come back with me. At first he refused to go but then he simply ignored me. He gave a few "quick wags" of the tail and put his head back down. He refused my commands. I was a little pissed because he was supposed to have been trained by professional dog trainers. Surely they taught him the command "come here."

Before I went back into the living room to physically retrieve him, I told him to "come here" one more time. The response I got was surprising; Dodo stepped off the table onto the armchair. The cat was going to come to me and not the dog.

It's kind of screwed up when your cat is more obedient than your dog. I guess I should be happy to have a special cat. He's a pretty white cat.

Dixie Is Lightning In a Bottle

I don't know how my brother kept Dixie under control at his condo. Dixie is a raw energy: a dynamo. If she is not biting or jumping on Archie, she is on the watch for her next adventure. She watches. She picks up on every noise she hears. You can see the focus and deliberation in her eyes.

The dog does not stop. She wants to run and play all the time. True, she does stop and lay down at times. But I wouldn't say she is resting or taking it easy. Instead,  she simply gives up and lies in wait until the next event pops up.

Random Thought:Mandatory Gratuities = Oxymoron

If a restaurant automatically includes a tip on a customer's bill, the payment is no longer a tip but instead a surcharge.

The Bitch Is Back!

Dixie's a good girl but I liked the title.

 Friday night, I went to Greensboro to pick up Dixie and Archie. My mom is well enough to take care of Archie. Dixie will be spayed this week. We thought it would be best to have the procedure done here in Raleigh since someone will be here all day to monitor Dixie while she recovers. Abby had problems after she was neutered when she developed an infection around the staples.

Since my brother was driving up from Atlanta to visit his friend in Greensboro, I did not leave Raleigh until after 7pm. There was no use going earlier since the dogs wouldn't be there until later. By the time I got into town, it was dark so I didn't have to look at the tired and neglected buildings in east Greensboro.

I hadn't seen Archie in over 2 months. He was supposed to be trained and have calmed down. The first thing both of them did was jump up on me. Archie started whining. I think he recognized me. However, not only did they jump on me but they both lunged at my face. All I could think was that there was going to be some ass-whippings if this was a sign of things to come.

My brother was staying at a friend's place. I hung out for  a few minutes. We then put the dog's cages in the car along with their blankets and food. We collapsed Archie's cage and set it on the floor. We kept Dixie's cage intact because she liked to sit in it during a car-trip.

After we let them use the bathroom, I left. By the time I rolled out onto Wendover Ave., about a mile away, Dixie started whining. I think she missed my brother. She only whined a minute or two. I started talking to her and singing to her in an attempt to console her.

Dixie went into her cage and fell asleep. Archie started out the trip on the passenger side in the front seat but within minutes, Archie had climbed in the back, laid down close to Dixie and also fell asleep. They kept sleeping all the way to Raleigh. Even when I was back home and had parked the car, I had to wake them up to get them out of the car.

Dixie Jumped In the Pool!

Dixie & Archie

Today, Dixie jumped in the pool. She wasn't pushed in and didn't fall in. She crouched down an leaped at me while I was standing in the shallow end. Dixie can swim but not gracefully. What's worse, she doesn't know how to get out of the pool. Instead of going to the steps at the shallow end as we have coached her to do, Dixie goes to the nearest side and futility tries to climb out, tiring herself out in the process.

Around 10 minutes before she jumped in, Dixie was sitting by the pool-side, pawing at the water, attacking it with her paws and sticking her nose underwater blowing bubbles. She is really interested in the water. During one of these episodes, Dixie fell in the pool. I then grabbed her collar and led her to the steps.

Wanting to entice them in, I took off my shirt and got in the water. It was cold but not Lindley Park in May Cold. Archie extended his paw at me and put it on my shoulders. He was curious but not enough to get in.

But Dixie showed a heightened interest in the situation. I pleaded for her to get in. After a few minutes, she crouched down and jumped at me. It wasn't quite a hearty jump like Abby did but it wasn't a sissy jump like Andy. I pointed her to the steps and she made a straight line for them. She got out only for Archie to be waiting to attack her.

Hopefully, she'll be able to swim with ease in a few weeks.

Tell Us What You Really Think, Gov. Perdue

Old State Capitol

The outgoing governor said that "we look like Mississippi" in her response to NC voters voting on Amendment One that will only recognize marriages between one man and one woman.

It's one thing for Bill Maher to lambaste us. He's not the state's head executive, and besides, he's an uncouth, no-class, asshole.

I always thought Perdue was a lightweight. Nothing she has done since she has been in office has showed me otherwise. This latest  event where she attacks her own citizens puts the icing on the cake.

I have no doubt her comment will be used by Republicans later in this election season. Bev is the gift that keeps on giving.

http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/11093721/

Random Thought

I hate people who hate.

Random Thoughts From My Childhood:Street Repairs and Buried Cars

When I was a kid, I thought that in those patches of dark asphalt for street repairs was where they buried old cars.

"Why Don't People Steal Toilet Paper from Public Restrooms?"

I saw a question in a blogger's profile that intrigued me. I came across this person's blog while I was reading this article at yet another blog. The article was about the writer's 10 favorite law student blogs. As of now seven out of ten of those bloggers have either shut down, stopped posting or "privatized" their blogs. Only three of them still post regularly. I'd give a direct link to her website but the person would think I'm a loony stalker-type.

Here is the question: "Why don't people steal toilet paper from public bathrooms?" I have several theories. 

First and foremost, no one wants to put something in their bag, backpack or whatever that has been touched by someone else's shitty hands. It's bad enough having to touch shit-contaminated objects but we comfort ourselves and rationalize touching the public restroom toilet paper at all by noting that we will be touching the toilet paper with our own shitty hands. It's as if the shittiness cancels each other out. Also, no one wants to walk around with a shit-ass. We have to use the toilet paper but we don't want to bring home the shittiness.

Second, taking a roll of toilet paper is physically difficult. Those suckers are really locked-in there. I know this not because I've tried to steal toilet paper. I know because I've tried to turn the roll around so that the toiler paper will roll out from the top. It drives me nuts when it comes out from the bottom. When I've seen that in a public bathroom, I've tried to change the direction by first taking the toilet paper out and rotating it 180 degrees. Believe me, those things are secured in there. You almost have to rip the damn roll out to get it out.

Third, who the hell wants toilet paper from a public restroom? It's like sandpaper. It doesn't absorb well. It just plain sucks.

A Movie About a Mid-life Crisis Gave Me a Mid-life Crisis

A movie about a man's midlife crisis has sent me into a midlife crisis. I'm talking about the movie, 10. I watched about the first thirty minutes of it the other day (I've seen it many times before). The movie centers on Dudley Moore's midlife crisis.

I doubt many of my classmates have ever heard of the movie "10." The odds any of them ever hearing of Bo Derek are long. The odds of them who have ever lusted after Bo Derek are even more remote. I still think Bo Derek is pretty damn good looking. The odds that any of my classmates would find her attractive today are astronomical.

When I was growing up, guys in my age-group had posters of one of these women: Farrah Fawcett or Bo Derek. I had a Farrah Fawcett post but I really liked Bo Derek better.

I thought Dudley Moore's character was 50 in 10. He was fretting about his dotage. He was not 50 but 42. I'm now 44.

Bob Costas Interviewing While Standing

Among the many reasons Bob Costas may enjoy hosting the Kentucky Derby, Costas may especially enjoy interviewing the jockeys because he can stand while doing so. It seems like he does almost all of his interviews seated, maybe because it draws attention away from his height. He must feel like a center for the Knicks when he's interviewing a jockey.

Mad Men Being on the "Right Side" of History

I love how guilty white liberals who write Mad Men have continually been trying to portray the cast as being on the right side of history. Look at the way they have treated issues such as race, sex and smoking. You can almost hear the writers thoughts about how they wouldn't have done what the "silent majority" had done or not done in the early and middle part of the twentieth century.

This bothers me for a few reasons. First, it's as if they are trying to rewrite history. They are trying to exculpate themselves from the ugly warts and moles in our history by saying "Not me. I would have been a champion for the liberal cause du jour."

It also bothers me because they are overlooking, ignoring or even justifying the cast's otherwise boorish, back-biting and socially unacceptable behavior by attributing redeeming features to them from the writer's value system. It doesn't matter if Don is a dick to his friends, coworkers and wife. The man can be a liar, two-timer and a poor husband and father, but all is forgiven if Don champions the causes of the liberal cause du jour.

Hell, almost the whole damn case has personality problems and social hang-ups. Yet they are not vilified but instead glorified. It's amazing how the Mad Men writers go out of their way to make anyone right-of-center look ugly and boorish.

The show is at year 1966. Vietnam has begun to pop up. I think we'll be getting our belly-full later this season or possibly the next about Vietnam.

I'm starting to think Mad Men has jumped the shark. The show has become a convenient vehicle for the writers to project their views about current events onto the a show based in the 60's.

Random Thought:The Last TV Show In Black and White?

Earlier today, I was thinking of what and when was the last TV series on a major network to air in black and white. (And I'm not talking about dream sequences or flashbacks.)

My Six Hour Exam Lasted Just Over Five Hours

I took my last exam for my second year yesterday. The exam was scheduled for 6 hours. I knew that going in. What I didn't know was what the word limit was going to be other than the fact that we would have a word limit.

3000 words sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. I got there around the 5 hour mark. I spent 10 minutes reviewing the exam and printing it out.

It's all over but the crying now.