Bifurcate In The Road

Forever Home for Little Dog

kmilyun — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:27:45 +0000

A couple of weeks ago we noticed that the gal who lived next door had not been around for awhile. Nothing new around here as folks come and go. But then we realized that her little dog was in the backyard. The poor little thing was sometimes without food and water and spent a lot of time whining at the back door. Then a small cold and windy storm came in and the little thing only had a small cat carrier with a by now very wet towel tossed inside for shelter. We tried and tried but could not get the back gate open as it was blocked with garbage cans and other stuff. I finally settled for tossing some dog food over the fence and filling the water bowl over the fence with the garden hose.

A few times the little dog would be out having dug under the fence and I would catch her and squeeze her back through the gap I could open in the gate. Then I would put bricks in the holes she dug. Once in a while we would hear someone over there but never could catch them. Some days the dog was there and others not. The dilemma – how can you call the animal protection to come help the dog when you never no when it will be there? And calling any authority in the neighbor hood is not exactly the safest thing to do because if the people figure out who called – well it usually is not a good thing.

Then at the beginning of last week when KRP came home from work the little dog was out running around and came up to her car door when she started to get out. The dog must have recognized the sound of KRP’s car because she was there to greet her anytime she was next door. Food and water, get the back yard gate pulled open, and put little dog back in the yard. This became the routine. One of us would see her running around and get her and put her back in the yard.

The other morning last week I finally managed to catch the people who were stopping by there. They were apparently doing the best they could trying to watch the place and take care to the dog. The gal who lived there was moving out and apparently was not the greatest at taking care of animals. No? really! . They said the girl was his sister and they had gotten stuck with trying to deal with the dog but between work and all it was just too hard for them. That they new the situation was not fair for the dog. They were trying to do the right thing but . … anyway I suggested that perhaps they might like to find a good home for the little dog. Whew they agreed

I sent the picture in the upper left that a snapped with my phone to a few friends that I knew with the caption “I need a home” and followed up with phone calls. Within hours I had a prospective home. Then the games began. Each time the people were suppose to bring the dog to me so I could take her to my friends they pulled no shows. Once they even told me they had to go get the dog and would be right back. I stayed home all day and they never showed.

We all decided that it was to emotional and well rather crazy so we stopped communicating with them and hoped the little dog would be OK.

Friday when I had just stepped out of the bath the door bell rang. Half dressed I went and peeped through the peephole and saw – oh my the gal that was watching the house holding – yes a little dog! I hollered through the door to hold on and got Catfish and Annie secured and finished dressing. Within five minuets I was in my truck with a little cat carrier and its precious cargo. I zipped out of the complex pulled over and called my friend. “Are you ready?” “you mean they finally brought the dog over!” “yes – I am on the way over now”.

I have keen sense of smell and the kennel and dog stuck! I mean STUNK! Oh my you poor little girl just hold on we are going somewhere where you will be loved and cared for. I talked to the little dog till we got there. Then I realized that in my hurry I had not even put on a bra. Yes Webster I know I is little anyways .

I waited in the truck while my friend got ready and we headed out to the vets. I figured the first thing we should do would be to make sure the dog was not micro chipped and perhaps really belonged to someone else. No chip. So I drove my friend to the store where she purchased a new collar and leash and some dog soap! We got her back to her home and I gave the little dog a bath. It was quite the affair the two of us (my friend has MS also) giving this little dog a bath. KRP and my friend Miky came over and we all had dinner and made sure everything was going well. When we got home KRP and Miky opened the camper of my truck to get the carrier out to give back to the folks from next door and they about lost it. Oh my gosh your truck smells oh my how did you stand that smell going out to deliver the dog. Can you say lots of air freshener was sprayed and I guess today I will let the cab air out.

Yesterday my friend took her back to vet where she got a check up and all her shots. The three of them are a cute family I think (my friend has an older dog also). She has named the little dog Corkie. Corkie is just the sweetest little girl. She was trained somewhere along the line as she will not jump up and the furniture unless you say it is ok. She spent her first night sleeping on the bed and my friend said if she moved the dog immediately moved over needing to be in constant physical contact with her.

Here is Corkie dog with her new forever family:

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Another Fix – Xbox

kmilyun — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:23 +0000

One of the biggest things I about having MS that is really, really getting on my nerves is being broke all the time. Anyone reading this that is fortunate enough not to have a freaking chronic illness – no life on disability is not grand.

I know I post a lot about this broke or fixing something but what the heck else can one do? Stuff breaks and wears out (not talking about our aging bodies here) it just does. I modern piece of electronics only last so long. Furniture is not built as sturdy and cars – I swear my old 65 Chevy is still on the road (I know who owns it now) but newer cars just wear the heck out and they rattle a whole lot more as they age.

When things cease to function I used to be able to just pay someone to fix it or go buy a new one. Now that is no longer an option. It takes money. Those of you no longer able to work and have to rely on disability insurance probably know what I mean. So here I am broken stuff and if I want to have it I have to fix it – oh gasp.

I have always been pretty good at figuring mechanical things out. I figure take it apart and see what makes what do whatever it does. When I was a kid I dismantled my clock radio and wired it up to some speakers and then my tape deck. I remember taking my parents console stereo apart and trying to wire my tape recorder up to it so I could hear my music I recorded off the clock radio – ugh you know I sort of remember it really worked well but my parents did not see it the same way I did – opps. My brother did not like the alarm I made for my bedroom door with a health kit.

Now I have a hard time taking stuff apart with all the tiny screws and my numb arse hands. Then my pea brain forgets what I was doing so I have to draw little pictures and label all the screws. Very annoying.

So today I was playing my new Xbox game and the dang machine made some funny noises and then the message on the screen read – disc unreadable – well all be &**)&^%%^$^ . I ejected the disc to find it all scratched up. This is not a good thing. One I really get into my games and now I can not play it wah wah and two my xbox is broken. So after pouting about I called around and found out the cheapest one was 199.00 – OH NO!

And this brings me to the point of this post : while MS has led to my being broke and my little fingers and brain don’t works so hot at times – I found something out – if I thing real hard about it I could say the MS has made me a better tear it apart and fix er up gal . I would never have bothered to even attempt to take a stupid xbox apart if it were not for MS. I mean really? why would I when I could buy a spiffy newer one. The new xbox 360′s have built in wi fi even!

Ok after all the bitching and moaning – yeah pouting did not garner any sympathy on the monetary front – Catfish and I went about tearing the thing apart. I now am very aware that I should have cleaned out the fuzz bunnies at least once or twice in the five years I have the thing. Did you know that fuzz bunnies can kind of cling together and form hard little dust balls?

How do you take the cover off an xbox to get to the insides well it is not easy but youtube and all the nice kids on there were nice enough to show me how. To really get to things you have to unclasp the top from the bottom, remove the sides and unscrew the inside from the bottom outside. Fuzz removed before photos taken as well I would not want the silly thing to be embarrassed or something.

Then there I was staring at the DVD drive ummm ok there it be. Turns out it just pulls up out of there.

And yeah that is a Indiana Jones Lego game playing but hey when testing why toast a good game when you can chance it with the kids game! It works! Now I just need to find another copy of my Mass Effects.

Well there you have it my big attempt and crediting Multiple Sclerosis for something good.

What I Did All Day – Xbox Fantastic 4

Birds and Bats Nearby

kmilyun — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:07:28 +0000

A bit ago I captured this American Bittern in the classic pose. I almost missed it when walking by. When they sense an intruder they freeze and point their bill up. Their brown streaks on the front of their breasts blend into the vegetation real well. If this one had not been calling before it saw or heard me I never would have seen it. This is the first one I have photographed so I was pleased. They make this sound that almost sounds like the water pump. Hard to explain it.

I decided I wanted to jazz up Darwin a bit so I looked around for a window sticker. I figured out real quick that local box stores no longer carry much in the way of case modification stuff. Window stickers, custom fan grills, and anything other than basic case lights are only available online. I have never ordered anything online other than software. If I need something from somewhere like amazon I have my friend order it for me that has an account with them. I know hard to believe in this day and age but I dislike buying things online. I like holding and looking at things before spending my money.

I find it funny really that many people I know tell me oh get that online it is cheaper. Well to me not really. One of the items I purchased used to be available in a local store for about 12 bucks. Online it cost 10. Ok, saved two bucks. The other items cost 10 and nine dollars about what they sale for other places that actually carry them. So I saved a couple of bucks and some gas but the shipping cost 9.88. And I still had to drive the PO box to pick it up. Best I can figure I had to spend more, wait longer, and hope when I received the items they were really what I though they were. And if a local store actually still carried them I could perhaps ask a clerk there some questions if I had them.

So there you have the first box of stuff I ever ordered online – proof I really did it as my pals will not believe me!

I am not sure why I wanted the sticker and fan grill but hey I have them now . I also bought a sound module I might use in the scout case.

I almost picked the All Your Base Are Belong To Us sticker because I had been researching all the new implications of googles new privacy policies. I figure they really have not changed much they just re worded them in such a way that most folks should be able to understand them better. Any one who believes they can surf without being tracked now days without really putting some effort into it is well living in the past. It think I might go google what to do when you win millions in the lotto or something and see how many spams I get trying to sell me ocean front mansions tee hee . ….

Well off to see if I can download the version of Wumpus we used to play. Do you smell a Wumpus? Bats nearby . …

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Dawin Lives To Compute Again

kmilyun — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:07:39 +0000

Now I just need to work on cable management a bit. The new power supply I purchased was a total dud. It started making funny noises yesterday morning so I removed it and took it back to the store. I spent yesterday morning researching power supplies. I decided to go with a NZXT HALE80 850-M – I know TMI.

I picked up a new rear fan while I was at the store. The one that was in the case when I got it really was loud and a silly speed switch on it. Running the fan speed control from the MB it is silly to have manual control because you need to leave it on high and sometimes the board can not control the speed of the fan correctly. Now I have good positive air flow and the ambient case temps are way down – yeah.

One of these days I should probably remove the CPU heat sink and fan and turn it around the correct direction. I just really dislike applying thermal paste.

What I have learned about power supplies:

Don’t assume the one installed originally is the correct size

Don’t be a tight wade and buy the the bare minimum required watt PS as I did last year.

Don’t ever ever buy a crap Raidmax 1000 gold cert because well talk about a fast death (four days) and after reading test results done by those who do such things…. mistake trying to save some bucks.

It takes ~ 5 mins to remove a power supply and a few hours to install a new one – go figure?

Always have spare’s for the teenie tiny screws otherwise I spend 20 mins hunting through the carpet – twice.

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Sort of, Kind of, Maybe?

kmilyun — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:33:08 +0000

Well I am almost afraid to say that I think I have finally gotten all the computers back up. The my pal Darwin (i7 machine) has been hanging in there and passed all the stress tests I can throw at it. The Scout build finally received the attention long over due, and the old XP machine is still plugging along. After much brain drain they are now communicating with each other again. I am not sure if it was something I did or if they just decided they wanted to chatter away in bits and bytes.

The semester started so I am back to going to PE each morning. Tuesday we just filled out the usual legal forms etc.. There is all sorts of construction on the campus going on and it makes parking an adventure that pegs my frustration meter into the red. It was nice to see some of the folks that are regulars there – guess I am one now too.

It is raining tonight after a long dry spell I am enjoying the first rain smell. Catfish is cuddled up next to me waiting for the chow call. Annie dog – and yes I know this sounds so – so well anyway she ate our lotto ticket LOL. KRP bought one yesterday. It is a good thing none of the numbers came up. First time I was glad the ticket was a loser.

Keeping Busy – sort of

Update for Now

kmilyun — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:02:04 +0000

Many things have been keeping me from posting. The first – crazy computer problems.

The computer my friend gave me last year had a slight break in a seem of the case. It apparently ripped further from the weight of the top graphic card. The card shorted out I think? Any way I removed the card and am running off the other one. When I removed the card I pulled the power and ugh oh my bad the cmos battery was dead so . … nuff said about computer one.

I have not turned on computer two for over a month maybe longer. When it booted up the virus program refused to run or reinstall. I finally gave up on messing with it and did restore of the computer. Ha ha the virus program still will not install. So next thing on the list is to contact the vendor – oh happy joy joy .

I am thinking I need to save up and buy a new case, get the first graphic card tested, etc.

We have made a couple of trips since I last posted. One to the Vic Fazio Wildlife refuge with my friend Mikey and another to the San Pablo refuge area with KRP.

If I ever get my computers up and running properly I will post some pics. I just spent the last few days backing up everything since my last back up. It took 39 DVD’s for the pics from 2011 and four for what I have for 2012. I so need to remember to backup the photos when I get them off the camera. Procrastination bit me in the arse so maybe I will remember to do it!

I have been experimenting with different ways to feed the little birds outside my front window. I can not put up a bird feeder – one it against the association rules – two the kids just tear them down. I made some little seed things using dried bagels. I coated them with peanut butter and then rolled them in seeds. The birds loved them but the kids pulled them down. When I put a pan out with seed the gardeners removed the pan and tossed it. If I remember to bring it in every Tuesday morning it might work? The man who was feeding the birds and squirrels died last month so I have been trying to take over as they are used to having some extra food provided.

Catfish has been doing good lately. He has taken to sitting on the bed and watching out the window. He barks at other four legged creatures and people as they walk by. He still comes into the room here and sleeps at my feet. The good thing is that he has been eating better and not getting sick – yeah! Annie is her usual self – all lab LOL.

Hope to post more later. Take care.

On A Cold Gray Day

kmilyun — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:26:59 +0000

Same-o Same-o

kmilyun — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:26:11 +0000

Well from my reader I am finding the usual slow down that happens this time of the year now days. I guess many are out and about shopping and spending time with live friends and family.

There are so many movies on that play on the ground hog day theme. Where the main character find themselves reliving one day over and over and over . … again. Eventually they figure out what they must to do to correct the timeline and end the perpetual do loop they are stuck in.

In real life we can learn from our mistakes, perhaps choose to become a better person but we do not get a do over. The mistakes I have made though the years are still there. Gosh it would be so awesome to get to go back and fix something’s but then again how would that alter who and where I am today? Ummm

Then I find many post where the main topic is lists. The evil to do lists with different spins on the subject. From if only I could remember where I left the list to how wonderful it is to work down my list. Really? The spirit of the season has been relegated to lists? Yes, I remember my parents and grandparents planning out the big meal. They did make a shopping list so hopefully they had all the proper ingredients on hand. My brother and I made Santa a list and eventually we figured out that it was more to help our distant relatives . … but I do not remember all the stress over these lists. Guess I led a sheltered life.

Maybe I look at it all differently now. I can not just jump in the car and fight the holiday crowds. I really do not give a rats arse if I get a super duper present nor do I really have the money to buy someone else one. While old friends hold party after party each year my invitations become less and less as I save my energy for Christmas day. And so it goes.

Online acquaintances are a different deal. Many just disappear this time of the year and some reappear. I really do not have many folks I converse with daily. The evil empire makes sure I am home alone most days so I am getting fairly good at entertaining myself. Once in a while someone hollers road trip or has time to go somewhere. So I guess that is why I post some of pics I took? as it is usually the only time I got out and about. We all can only post what we know or what is going on in our lives.

Ground Hog Day anyone? Repeat?

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I once was young – really

kmilyun — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:39:22 +0000

ok so on the left is me at Christmas a few years ago

Just in case you had any doubts I think I came by my smart arse character honestly.

Oh yeah here is one to cheer up my pal – she will know as I promised to show this to her – I used to be kinda cute sort of maybe?:

I liked to hike,fish, ski, ride, and well . …

so that is my big post for the day.

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One Dollar

kmilyun — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:14:58 +0000

This video has been making the rounds on some of the social networks. just in case you missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DXL9vIUbWg