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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 12 February 2000 (Week 7)

Tuesday, 14 May 2002 18:03

Sporadic reflections that recount the events of my life

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Saturday, 12 February 2000

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No update

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday, 13 February 2000

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Sorry to not have done an update for the last few days. I had the week from hell last week and spent most of Saturday recovering. I am confidant that today will be the start of a better week. 

This morning I gave Bob his routine haircut. It all started back when he was going to the barber. He would go maybe every three months or so. With his hair, it would just get long and curly. I kept threatening him if he did not go get a haircut, I would do it myself. So, one night he said to do it. I got out the scissors and gave him a haircut. His hair is pretty easy to cut.

I bought a cape and one of those electric hair buzzers and now I give him his haircut every month or so. 

I posted my initial reaction to The Vision of Emma Blau by Hegi on my favorites page. I am about half way through the book now. I have concluded the German and Russian writers are very similar in style. Very dark with melancholy characters who often have disturbed personalities. When I read Hegi's first book, I could not decide who she reminded me of in her writing. With Vision, I have decided her style is reminiscent of Günter Grass and in particular The Tin Drum.

While Bob does the laundry, I will get the house cleaned up. I want to watch the race and the golf match this afternoon. We went from winter to spring. Tonight there is a chance of severe weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monday, 14 February 2000

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Happy Valentines Day.

Malcolm is now about four and half months in dog age and about four years old in human years. For readers who have not raised a puppy they grow a set of puppy teeth shortly after they are born. The teeth are thin and razor sharp. At about four to six months they began to loose those teeth to be replaced with their adult teeth. Much like when a baby is teething their first set of teeth. That is why puppies chew on everything. The teething also makes them so miserable they do not know what to do with themselves, but look for trouble and if housebroken will break training.

We are now going through the whining and barking equivalent of a five year old whining and crying and throwing tantrums.

We have now had about an inch of rain on the already soaked ground from all the snow. The yard is a soggy mess. I tried to do a little yard work Friday. I had an area between two bushes that I wanted to dig the sod out and replace with mulch. I moved the sod to a spot around a large oak tree. The roots have gotten so high out of the ground it makes mowing over them hard. With all the wet weather, it is a good time to do that kind of project. I raised the ground level around the roots with the sod and dirt and then threw some grass seed out. 

It was nice to get out and putter around the yard and get a project done. I spent part of Saturday morning puttering around the basement. I fixed a broken hose connector and cleaned up my work bench area. I try to keep things put away and organized during the winter months and get everything ready for spring. 

I am off to the gym and do a drugstore run. Work this afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday, 15 February 2000

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Last night was the first three hours of coverage of the Westminster Dog Show. I am not much of a show dog person, but I enjoy seeing other breeds. The big dogs and medium size dogs actually look pretty much like pets except very clean and well groomed. Some of the toy and small breed are pretty cute and have such a big boy attitude you can't help but like watching them strut around the ring. 

They showed a real nice piece on service dogs and a pretty red and white BC playing Frisbee. David Frei always does a good job encouraging viewers to choose a dog to fit your lifestyle and not just because you like its looks or what it does on TV. When they were showing the Terrier Group, Bob was trying to decide which one was Daisy, Dr. Keyboard's dog. Poor Daisy, she was about five different Terriers. Bob would say " that's Daisy" every time they showed a small, long haired dog. Bob, like me, knows his big dog breeds, but not the small ones.

Watching the race on Sunday, I finally got to see the new Budweiser commercial with the Border Collie. I had heard about it from my BC friends. The AKC just started recognizing BC's in the show ring. Until then, they could only compete in the obedience parts of the show. Most BC owners are not thrilled about this, because it hurts the breed. They need to be bred to work, not show. But, I own a BC for a companion dog and feel that there can be both. It is just that the AKC tends to ruin a good breed when people start trying to breed them for show. Every BC born has the working instinct, but does not make a good working dog. That is how they end up in rescue or as pets.

Tonight will be the second three hours of the Westminster. Best in show always goes to a small dog, because they are just more popular. But I still enjoy the show.

Off to play golf with my dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday, 16 February 2000

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The BC in the Westminster was a pretty dog. Looked a lot like my Duncan all groomed up. I was pleased to see he made second place and I actually liked the little Corgi that won. Not real pleased with Best In Show. I was pulling for the Corgi or the Bassett. 

Not much going on. Bob is working furiously to get his book finished. He is writing my input devices chapter that I roughed out some material on. 

Yesterday afternoon we did the library visit and dinner outing. It was our day after Valentine's day dinner celebration. 

Today is gym and grocery day. That kills most of the morning. I will be around this afternoon to take care of dog and mom needs to give Bob time to work. CBCR is having a board meeting this Saturday at one of the volunteers here in Winston. I need to do a few things to get ready for that. I have hit another wall working on the web site and need to see if I can jump over it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thursday, 17 February 2000

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Marcia Bilbrey, one of the NetWidows received a wonderful birthday present from hubby Brian; a set of Blackadder tapes. We too love Blackadder. I gave Bob a set for Christmas a couple of years ago. We watch them about once a year a few episodes at a time usually during the summer when TV viewing is worse than the regular season. Marcia and Brian may need surgery to repair the splits in their sides if they watch too many in a row without taking a break. I usually laugh so hard I cry when we watch them.  

We went from spring to winter over night. Yesterday was 60 degrees. This morning it is 35 with a wind chill in the 20's with a prediction of freezing rain by tomorrow morning.

I am off to the gym for my stretching class and to run a couple of errands. Tonight is flyball night for Duncan and Malcolm. Malcolm is too young to start jumping yet, but he gets to go along and play with the other dogs. As a pup he needs socialized around large groups of people and dogs. Duncan does not run with the team but I practice the jumps with him and he too enjoys running around playing with the other dogs. 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

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Friday, 18 February 2000

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Now that I work at home I have twice as much professional reading to keep up with. I spent most of Thursday afternoon reading my on-line sites. I have five or six library related sites that are either on-line journals or other librarian's sites. Several are book sites for me to keep up with forthcoming titles. 

Then I have favorite sites that I read for pleasure or information. In addition to the NetWidows and their husband's sites, I read Steve Tucker's site,  and the NASCAR and Jayski's racing site. To keep up with the golf world I read the PGA site. Some of the professional and fun sites I hit daily and other weekly depending on how much time I have.

In hard copy, I take several professional journals that are related to membership in their organizations. I try to read the computer magazines to keep up with that world so I can help Bob. At least with the hard copy reading I can do it while watching television. I try to read my fun reading in the den, but I still tend to read my professional journals sitting at my desk in work mode. 

The dogs had fun at flyball last night. Duncan ran all four jumps one way. Next week I will start him on running toward the box and back down. 

It will be a nasty rainy day but at least we did not get the ice. I will work at home this morning and do my library volunteer stuff this afternoon while Bob does the system backup on my machine. 

 

 

 

 

 


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Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson. All Rights Reserved.