Author: Elaine

Bathrooms, Bleh, Reprise

In Bathrooms, bleh I whined about painting our bathrooms. Last night, I finally finished Jack’s.

More than ordinary procrastination had kept me from finishing his bathroom. I had some joint aches this weekend, especially in my left thumb and elbow. Among other things, I thought the painting I did on Thursday might have caused them. (Fishing ice out of drinking buckets with my bare hands probably didn’t help.)
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Houdini

Over the years, Hap has demonstrated a certain facility with opening latches, even the supposedly horse proof ones. He has learned to rattle them until they open. Taking him to overnight events was always a challenge as we had to decide whether we had to Hap-proof the accommodations.
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Why Open Source Software / Free Software

I’ve been a supporter of OSS/FS for years, and used what I could even before I finally made the switch to GNU Linux this fall as my desktop operating system. This long article, Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS)? Look at the Numbers!, not only gives the standard reasons for migrating, but provides numerical support for doing so as well.

Do I think that desktop Linux is ready for the masses? Judging by one or two recent questions I have been asked by people (who unfortunately think of me as some sort of computer expert) I am not sure that Windows is ready for the masses.

Never Leave a Meeting Early

Never leave a meeting early when they are holding elections.

This coming weekend, the science fiction club to which Jack and I belong are sponsoring a science fiction convention called “COSine”:http://www.rialto.org/cosine/ here in Colorado Springs. Friday night, I attended the last COSine meeting before the con, but left before the business meeting of the club itself, which was holding annual meetings.

I was elected secretary of the club. I thought this was curious since I rarely attend more than one or two meetings a year. Jack explains that the plan is for someone to take minutes, which I will then put on the web. I actually had volunteered to maintain the club’s website.

I am reminded of WSFA in DC which was notorious for years for electing people as secretary and then never seeing them for the duration of their term. I think I broke this trend the year they elected me secretary.

Sunrise

sunrise20040109.jpg
Because of the trip to the vet, I had to feed early yesterday morning during a beautiful sunrise.

Fantastic Voyage

Thursday night, I was helping my trainer by feeding the horses at her barn. She has been suffering from a bad cold, so I had done quite a few of her chores for her that day.

Her oldest horse, Havoc, had been having problems since Sunday. Although he didn’t show other signs of colic, he had become very reluctant to eat. My trainer had the vet out to see him Monday morning, who diagnosed a possible case of choke. (This happens when the horse gets something stuck in his esophagus. Even after the blockage passes, it can leave the area bruised and inflamed.)
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