/me bounces around randomly, chocolate spilling out of his magic hat...

/me sees all the red print and raises it a yellow emotive icon.

Fuzzy Logic prints in black just to be awkward

/me pokes her nose in to see what is going on......

Hopefully things will calm down soon (or, at least calm down some) so that I can start posting more.

Hope everyone is doing well!

YIPPEEEE! KG's home!

/me tries to work out who has been the most naughty...

Tiggz spilling chocolate!
JavaBean running off and not being around for ages and ages!!!
fuzzy logic and GM, well, need i say more?

/me considers this long and hard

i think that after JavaBean has had time to recover, it is time to put all of these very naughty people into the spanking circle!

let me tell you a story about how work went today.

last week, in a mad and desperate panic, i was adding extra features to program A. it is a program for doing complex searches, and it takes instructions, so it knows what to do. it is needed very urgently.

Wednesday last week the powers that be decided program A's instructions were to complex to test, so a whole new program, program B, would be written for the job.

this was already mostly written, so this didnt sound to bad an idea.

well, i get into work today, and they are trying to test program B. however, it does a complex thing, so the only way to test it is to write the instructions for program A and see if it produces the same output, since program A has already been tested.

what this means is, instead of just doing program A, which was to complex, we need to do both program A and program B, cos this is, apprently, simpler

oh, it gets better!

5 people have been assigned to do this job, cos it is so urgent, so they all need to start writing instructions for program A. only one of them really knows how to do this! one of them can hardly use UNIX, let alone vim, the text editor having only just joined the company last week!

so, it has now reached the point where program B requires that people who really arent qualified to produce the complex rules for program A have to do this, in order to test program B.

/me is wondering how much sense this really makes

the people who know how to use program A, me and one other could have produced the "far to complex" rules for program A by now if we had continued on our origional plan.

instead i spent all day bouncing from desk to desk giving all these new people a major "in at the deep end" training course on how to write rules for program A.

it doesnt help when 2 of them dont seem to be very good at algebra...

/me decides i need to look for some chocolate now

/me thinks feline needs a new job

Mmmm, what kind of job could feline be perfect for...
/me thinks......***idea***
/me has the perfect job for you - but you have to wear a uniform

KarmaGirl pokes her nose in to see what is going on......

You're back!!! ***SMOOCH***

p.s. can we have the nurse's uniform back? feline needs it for a new job...

Fuzzy Logic has the perfect job for you - but you have to wear a uniform

OOPS... fuzzy... that is only half a uniform!

/me speculates fuzzy must still be wearing the other half!

let me tell you a story about how work went today.

what this means is, instead of just doing program A, which was to complex, we need to do both program A and program B, cos this is, apprently, simpler

feline decides i need to look for some chocolate now

/me orders up TWO TONS of chocolate for feline.

That won't near be enough, but you can build a castlw with it, and HIDE!

feline tries to work out who has been the most naughty...

/me thinks since we had a KG sighting, we need to lure wolfie back! HE hasn't been here in ages and ages. And that OC too!

Sorry I have not been keeping up lately and haven't kept up with all the shenanigans. Just can't cope with the upcoming season too well. What's been going on? Well I don't like to be an old poop to often but in here I can unload. Right feline? To start. Granny (99) is at the hospital with pnuemonia, after XRays were taken she was diagnosed with breast cancer and probably won't make it through Christmas. My favorite Uncle Warren (one whom I'd go to if in trouble) has relapsed Cancer. Everyone thought he'd beaten it, but it's come back with a vengence, and instead of anymore treatments has decided to "pass on". Last my old cat (23) has decided he too wants to "pass on". The Vet has said it won't be long. Less than 2 weeks, maybe. It's strange how we set priorties. Chevron my cat has been by side for all this time and now with all that going down he's leaving me. He's been through thick and thin with me for all this time and now he's leaving me.......... . I'll be back later.
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(((((Old Crab))))) What a tough season. I am sorry to hear all that is going down. Its going to be tough facing all those losses at once. They must have all been very good friends, to choose to leave together like this. But that doesn't make it easy for you.

Thanks GM. Yeah it will be tough. I've my aged parents who themselves are in poor health living here and I have to take them to see Granny everyday. My mum is fighting that quilt feeling - what could be done to save Gran and all that. She's being given Zoloft to fight the depression. My grandkids of course are getting on everyones nerves, Christmas and spoiled kids. They don't understand death like adults do of course.Fighting medicare and insurance co. My Uncle, well it's his choice. I can only agree with him. My cat well, he's always been here, sleeps by my side, eats at the table with me, watchs me take a shower, it's like losing a best friend. Anyway. I've got to remember it's all just transitory and hopefully we'll all be together again someday. The reason for the season and all that. Thanks again. >

Well, you always have good friends here, OC. No matter what, you can always come here and unload.

I think it is real common for people to experience guilt when it comes to people and pets that you love dieing. I think guilt is a feeling that is not all that far removed from helplessness. There is really nothing anyone can do, yet it is human nature to try to find some thing. And sometimes the only thing to find is something in the past, that is maybe not fully remembered.

Not too long ago, many people in my family up and died. Though they were 'elderly', they chose to do that all within a couple of weeks in spite of the fact that they were living in different states and had no communications. I had a lot of torment, and then when the world kind of fell apart like it did... to tell you the truth I started to feel a little glad that they didn't live to see that. Also, even though Mom was in the crowd that took the great exodus that year, I have a sense that she is here still. And trying to do right by my sister (which has been incredibly hard) I have a good feeling that I have been a good daughter to my mom. It is kind of like a memorial, and a closure. When that work is done, I can move on. I am confident of that. So it is that your mother might also find comfort at some point in the future. And though those people and pets will soon be gone, you will have an opportunity to 'do right by them' to the best of your ability. And in time it will be of some comfort. Once they go, the love doesn't die. It remains and is a comforting thing.

You take care of OC, OK?

BTW, cats being the mystical creatures that they are, I wouldn't be at all surprised if another one adopts you sometime soon. Kind of like it was somehow 'arranged".

Good night GM. Tommorrow I go into the attic, taking a day off, and I'm dragging down all the Christmas stuff and I'm going to try and get the tree up and the lights on the house. See you sometime again this week, same time, same channal, whatever. I'll end this nite with my old familiar Battle Cry-----

Grand Raspberries to all to all a goodnite.

OC, I am amazed that you still have your Grandma!  99!  Wow!  What a full life!  A 23 year old cat?  Must be one old soul you have there!  They say that bad things happen in 3's, I just feel bad that you are getting them all at once with 3 souls that are so dear to you.

In another thread of bad news, Pat (T-Man) lost his mother-in-law to a massive heart attack.  He lived in the same sub division as her (to be close to his wife's parents) so the family was very close.  If I remember correctly, she was only in her early 60's.  I've known Pat, his wife and his two children for many years, and I feel so sorry for his family.  She was so young.

On the bright side, though, my sister-in-law announced on Thanksgiving that she is two months pregnant, so I will have a new niece or nephew in the summer!  Also, my poor little puppy who has cushings disease is responding very well to treatment and is currently showing no signs of organ involvement.  He's only 7 years old, so hopefully we can prolong his life a few more years with (expensive) medicine.  Other good news- we sent some more "back-up" material to the co-lo yesterday, so, hopefully, WC will get restored faster.  And, the fourth good news (trying to counter balance as much of the bad stuff as possible) my alopecia areata (hair falling out) which returned a few weeks ago has decided to go back into remission and my hair is starting to grow back (YAY!).

Grand Raspberries back at you, OC!  And, I will keep you and your family in my thoughts through the holidays.

/me speculates we need some synchronization training.....

NOW we have OC, GM, KG... but FL, Feline, WS, and Tiggz... they have come up missing!

And especially that wolfie, he's really, really missing.

/me thinks feline better quick get some kind of circle going.....

hey i am here!

/me waves at Kona.

KG, here is a link for Maddie!
http://www.viva-graphics.com/graphics/tamanimals/index.html

Hi. Got flu again. Not well. Throat is that rough I sound like Barry White...

/me goes away to be miserable....

Hi KG. Thanks. Your an inspiration like GM. Everyone seems to be having problems this season. Saw you at the toon thread Kona, hi back anyway. Got to go with Ma and Pa Kettle to the hospital today and tell Gran that she can go back to the nursing home or to the hospice. I shudder at the prospect, but its time to make some sort of decision. The Doctor has already said that she has to be informed of her condition and be given an expected date of....you know. If it were up to me I wouldn't tell anyone when I think they're going to die. My Aunt phoned today and my dear Uncle Warren has gone into some sort of coma and won't make it for another week or so. Time to get the old Dress Suit out and prepare to go to Boston for a funeral. GM please no more cats! I have 4 more cats that live outside and another one that my daughter brought with her when she moved in temporarily 3 years ago! Plus 2 old hounds. 3 cows. Between 10-14 chickens (depending on if the cats are hungry) and 3 tanks of fish. I've almost decided to change my nik to - Sad Sack. No. All this too shall pass.

Grand Raspberries to all and to all a good night. >

*Sigh* OC, I agree with you about Gran. She has lived long, and judging by her grandson she has lived well. She certainly has earned the privilege of passing in peace, without fear or worry. Some, with heavy responsibilities should probably be told so that they can set their affairs in order. But a woman your Gran's age, she knows.

If we don't see you before Boston, know that our thoughts and best regards go with you. We will keep your place here safe and warm.

OK, no more cats. /me speculates that some cat will either listen or not to that idea, and then make its own decision.....


Sounds like you are a life loving man, OC, what with all those animals and the good earth to till!

Well hi, GM. Didn't think you were here or wouldn't have Raspberry'd out. Thanks. I know you'll keep my place warm and cozy. I'll leave the keys to the Treehouse to you when I leave. If I leave. There's alot of things that on a farm that just can't be left alone. Planting and all. Secret farming stuff. Don't want to let on as to how easy it really is. The cats are self maintaining most of the time. The fish are not. The dogs can go to the kennel because I don't trust my friend Pint to take care of anything and I won't impose upon neighbors that live way over yonder.

http://www.millan.net/funp/80/friends.html

Fuzzy Logic goes away to be miserable....

/me reaches out and nabs Fuzzy and drags him back to be miserable in full view of his friends.... where we can keep an eye on him and scold him for not getting this year's flu shot!

/me ***RASPBERRY'S* OC's direction.

Sounds like you live in near-eden. I'd offer to watch the dogs but the airfare is a little steep, plus quarentene... by the time they finished with that they would have forgotten everything else!
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