It Lives!!!

The DSl is in, it works!! Life is good!!

Something different

2 posts in one day? What is going on with him. I grew up overseas and my folks loved to travel so I have been to the following places.......



create your own visited country map

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

FINALLY!!!!

It's happened, it's (almost) true. The phone company told me that we have DSL available in my neighborhood. Neighborhood? I live in the f***ing country with nary a soul to be seen!! Drool, slobber I can't wait!!!! Well, to be realistic it won't be true until I can connect. It will allow me to be more productive when it comes to blogging and I will be able to post pictures to my hearts content. That after promising all of you (2 of you?, 1 of you?) that I would post this or that and then never do it. It's too much trouble and risky to post from work. Well, we'll see. If the modem arives on time I should be on byThursday night.

Kennel was slammed for Thanksgiving. We had sooo many dogs you would not have belived it. We did exceptionally well and we have offically decided that this is no longer a hobby......

Some pics, finally

OK, so I know that I am slow but here are the before pic of the back yard. I will post the after in a day or so (suuure they say)

Coming Soon!!!

Ah, vacation looms!!! Sunday we're off to spend a glorious week doing nothing but acting like the grown-up kids we truly are!!. I have purchased, and hold right here in my grubby little hand two, 2! park-hopper, all locations tickets for Disney, muhwahahahahaha. I am so pysched for this I can't stand it. I feel like a 8 year old the week before Christmas, I CAN'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE!!! Oh, God, won't this week end!! On a more serious note, it appears that we have all bases covered. 2 extremely trustworthy friends to housesit, employees to cover the kennel, time off and we're almost at lift-off.

The roof is finally done after some judicsious hollering at the roofing company. If they only communicated it would be sooo much better. It looks awesome! he desck is finsihed and the coping around the pool is installed. Jimmy is supposed to be at the house today to talk about the garden/hole in the concrete portion of the deck. Size, fucntion etc. I think we want to do a water garden in that spot. It would look awesome! Anyway, I do have some pics of the deck being built and some before pics of the roof so those will be coming. I want to have the entire series ready for you at once......

I will probably not post again until after vacation (surprised?!?!?).................see ya!!

Ha, Finally!

Well, yesterday was the first day that we actually had both the roofers AND the landscapers working! Who-ho! Conversation between the roofers and my wife

2 pm Wife "You aren't leaving now are you?"
Logan (roofer) "naw, just have to go and pick up some material that they delivered to the wrong job site."
Wife "OK then, see you later"
end of story, end of Logan, of course he didn't come back!

645am this morning 'doorbell rings, dogs go nuts, cats run helter skelter'
landscaper "could you bring the dogs in we're here to work"

Now which would you have the most faith in? Hmmm??

I PROMISE TO POST SOME PICS SOON (sure the general public says, and the goverments here to help us....................)

Wow, 2 posts in one day?!

Just trying out some stuff, look at the bottom of the page at the pictureviewer thingee, pretty cool, huh? Just doesn't have any place for captions...............those are on flickr........

Hmmm

Your Deadly Sins

Sloth: 60%

Wrath: 40%

Envy: 20%

Gluttony: 20%

Greed: 20%

Lust: 20%

Pride: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 26%

You will get bugs, because you're too lazy to shoo them off. And then you'll die.

How Sinful Are You?

Roof, Kennel and Backyard

We are going through another spurt of growth here.

We are finishing the kennel. Those of you that have kept up(?!) know that we had only the east side and back of the kennel finished. We had to turn away biz for the 4th weekend so we decided to go ahead and finish it out. Awesome! We now have 34 runs (plus cages etc) so are now the biggest kennel in Alachua county!. We also decided to finish out the floors in the runs. We had originally put linoleum in the common area in the back but have since decided to run it into the runs so the dogs have NO bare concrete to deal with. It really makes it look neat and clean. The shade covers arrived for the outdoor portions so once the awning guy comes and finishes our entranceway we will be done!! At least until we build another..or...We went and looked at another kennel that may be for sale shortly. There are only 4 in the county and if we were to buy this one we would have 1/2 of the kennel space in the area! Anyway, I digress, it was such a dump that I'm surprised that they do as well as they do. Well, one reason is that the kennels themselves are in the back of the property and the owner will not allow vistors to that part. No wonder, it looks like Cambodia during the genocide. It would take a LOT of work to get it up to standards. Well, we'll see.....

We're having a roof put on the house. We were discussing what still needs to be done at the house and we are always taking about the roof and the backyard. For having 11 acres we do not use the backyard. It's the dogs domain and not really people friendly. We had a hardscape archietect out to give us some ideas and he came up with a great plan. We signed the contract on Sat and he will start soon as the roof is done. We're also having the leaky roof fixed. Since we never, ever want to have to deal with the roof again we decided to go with a metal roof. It will be sooo nice not to see the hodge-podge mismatched roof again. I will definately post before and after pic of both projects. Gotta run, work calls.............

Its August already!!

Lets' see. A tropical something headed this way (maybe). It's hot and we have gotten almost no rain. Other news................

OK. one by one. Chris is sort of headed this way. Its on the track to hit us but it's way too early to panic, or is it? I'll check the generator and make sure we're set. I remember 8 days of no power (actually it was only 4 until I found the gennie) but it sucked nonetheless. All the food in two freezers melting. We ate bbq, the dogs had bbq, steaks, bratwursts, pork, chicken you name it. I was never so sick of bbq in my life. Water pouring out of the afore mentioned freezers on my wood floors, showering by dipping from the pool, sudsing and rinseing. Oh, I did forget to mention that the well quit working in the midst of all this? Don't forget we live in the country and the only service we get is power and phone. The rest is on us. Septic, Direct TV, dial-up internet, you have heard that from me before, check earlier....Anyway, It pays to be ready.

It's been hot, maybe not as hot as some of you, 100 degrees in NY this week! Man oh man, not the place to be. I remember summers in Queens at my grandmothers and the heat and humidity, and it was only in the high 80's and low 90's. I can feel the sweat just thinking about it.

We have been full at the kennel, I mean flat out busy since the middleof June. We have started putting in the runs on the other side. That will give us a total of 34 runs, 10 stainless cages (for the teeny dogs) and the cat room. We'll be the biggest kennel in Alachua county when we're done. We're actually thinking about building another one (or buying, don't want to say too much..) on the other side of town. We are putting on another employee, a part timer, high school kid, but still....I can't believe how well we're doing. We have decided that I will stay here at my sucky day job for a while yet. We'll review how things are every 3 months and re-asses. I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face. Other than that it's been business as usual, run run run!!! ta!

Whoohoo another update

Things are finally slowing down at the kennel. It's both a relief and a shame. We had an outstanding run these last two weeks or so. We had many dogs, many customers and whew!!! Our part time help, bless her little soul, worked 45 hours last week. She's on vacation this week, it probably came at a good time for her. She doesn't complain at all and works hard but I could tell she was looking for a break. She'll be back on he 17th and she won't have that many hours until the next holiday (Labor Day?).

Carolyn and the girls are down from NY and it's nice to see them all. It's too bad they don't live closer. I know that Dolly would like to see them more often. At least they stay for several weeks at a time.

Dollys' sooo happy with her palm trees (pic last post). I can't wait until they grow a bit. Oh and we're getting an awning for the front of the kennel so it doesn't look so institutional. Pics when that occurs. later then...................

July 4th Weekend

Well it's been almost 8 weeks since I quit smoking and except for one slip I've been doing good. I really was beginning to think I would never quit. Looks like I actually did it. Congrats to me. It feels good. I haven't put on too much weight, a few pounds at most. The kennel is doing awesomely well. We have 43! dogs in there for the holiday! That's a lot of feeding and walking. It's paying off though, We're doing much better than I had ever imagined. We have had the fence guys out to measure and price the other side of the kennel. We will ultimately have an additional 16 runs. That will give us the grand total of 34 runs. Thats almost doubling our capacity. Better start thinking about an additional employmee or so. The pace is brutal but it comes in spurts aroung the holiday. Gotta run, dogs to walk!! A pic of Dollys new palm trees....

Still going

Now on day 7! Tommorrow will be a week smoke-free. I'm doin' pretty good. No more Valium, I don't need it. Sometimes I miss it though....but I will not be chokin' my life away. Let some one else be the statistic!

5th day

Well it's been 5 days without tobacco. Doesn't seem so bad but boy do i sure want one sometimes. Not that I have a nicotine craving, it's more like a habit (no pun intended). I was used to 1)having a smoke after lunch 2) having a smoke while walking the dogs 3) having a smoke when I couldn't stand this damn job one more minute. So now I have to find something else to do. Drugs are out (damn!!), I don't drink anymore......so what do i do? contemplate the trees, road........a little frustrating really, I guess I miss the whole effect of smoking, the pack, the lighter, the way to light up, holding the cig. It's going to be hard but I'm determined to do it. I am much stronger than a little tube of an addictive, health destroying herb. I mean if it's herb I wanttttt..............

Time to Quit!!!!

Smoking that is. After reading some interesting (frightening) stuff on smoking (tobacco that is). I am taking the plunge. I have had only 3 drags (guilt-ridden ones at that) since Friday night. Pretty good, between my welbutrin and valium I have killed no-one yet and it doesn't seem that bad. I really miss the times I smoked. For example after lunch was a time for reflection (and a couple of butts), walking the dogs was time for reflection (and a couple of butts). Sounds really stupid when you put it in words.

Why you might ask. Well it started with a cold about 6 weeks ago. Turned into bronchitis and just sat there. Everyday and night cough-cough-cough, spit, hack sniffle. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. So off to the Dr. Mr Doctor sir, I have cold that won't go away. Do you smoke? is the FIRST thing he asked. Damn....OK, explained to him that I had tried before, was going to try again etc etc etc. He perscribed an inhaler, not your ordinary kind. You know albuterol, puf ever few hours etc. Oh no, this one has directions on the side for people with EMPHYSEMA and serious lung related ailments. Now you gotta understand I am turning 50 this year and have beeen smoking since I was 15. Let's do the math...35 YEARS! Well, if that aint a looong time. Seems like that's enough time to do some serious damage. So I start thinking, a little shortness of breath, a little chest pain, too much hackin' and coughin'. Hmmm....If I'm going to put anything in my lungs I want it to be fresh air or dope. So I have chioce, I can either really try and stop or I can keep on and die relatively early. I have a lot I want to do so I'm gonna quit. So now it's been almost 3 days and I'm not doing so bad.

Wish me luck, wish me success, so far I'm doing OK...

7 weeks later......

Well it's been a looong time since I posted. Really too much going on. Kennels doin' great, we even had to hire a part-timer to help. Otherwise we have been really busy. We moved buildings at work and are now in Dilbert-land. Oh joy. I'll try to post again before August.....

Fur trade

Check this video that Stacey pointed me to. It's really disgusting that people (any people) can act this way toward animals. Stuff in Korea is equally as bad. I try to avoid all Korean and Chinese products for this reason. If I see those "cute" little furry trinkets in stores I will complain to the manger about them and threaten (DO!) stop shopping there. I will not be a party to this kind of tourture. There is enough horror and terror for animals as well as people just in nature, I see no reason for this to continue.

Although I find that PETA is a little over the top in some respects I support them for the animals sake. God Bless our little friends and for the tourtured amoung them may they find peace over the Rainbow Bridge. May those that steal animals for this and other practices rot in a special hell.

I lok forward to the day that meat for human consumption is grown in cloning vats so no animals are ever killed for consumption. Although I do eat meat (I tried the veggie path, I just couldn't do it!) I try to ensure that the meat I do eat is from "humane" sources. I wonder if there is really such a thing. I support most strongly any measure to ensure the mitigating of the
terror that many of these animals must feel. I must say that I feel a bit like a hypocrite writing this. I can't help it, I want to do more. I write a lot of letters and give money to those I can.

Going out of Town!!

Kennels slow. Mel will watch house, kennel, animals etc. What a jewel she is. I mean who else would stay at our house, look after the kennel, (walk dogs, clean up shit etc). Not to mention feeding (at last count not including paying boarders....13 chickens, a horse, a donkey (brand new rescue!), four racoons, 5 dogs and a number of cats. AND clean(and I mean windows and floors and bathrooms and cat boxes etc) and plant and garden and, and , and........whew, makes me tired just thinkg about it.

Anyway, we're going to Ft Lauderdale to go to the Tut Exhibit (http://www.kingtut.org/). I am really excited about this. Gave Dolly a Valentines present (ain't I just the thoughtful hubby!!) that she's crazy about. I mean cats and Egypt how could I go wrong. More later and maybe pics!, I know, promises, promises.......


The Present!

Even more

More from those folks in the Middle East

Tensions rise in Denmark-Iran row

Several hundred Iranian protesters showed their anger at Denmark

Denmark says it holds Iran responsible after its Tehran embassy was attacked by hundreds of people protesting about cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Several hundred angry Iranians hurled stones and fire bombs and were forced back by police with tear gas.

The attacks came as Iran said it was cutting all trade ties with Denmark.

The anti-Danish protests have been repeated across the Muslim world, and have led to at least five deaths in Afghanistan and one in Somalia.

Many Muslims are angry at the publishing of cartoons of Muhammad in a Danish paper.

Islamic tradition explicitly prohibits images of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.

The cartoons published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten, and since reprinted in Norway and other European countries, included an image portraying Muhammad with a bomb in his turban.

With tension rising:

Hundreds of Muslims gather on Tuesday in Cotabato, the southern Philippines, demanding Denmark punish Jyllands-Posten

Norway demands compensation from Syria after its embassy in Damascus was set on fire on Saturday

The Turkish and Spanish prime ministers make a joint plea for respect and calm in an article in the International Herald Tribune

In Indonesia, protesters target the Danish and US consulates in Surabaya, the country's second-largest city. Protests are also held in the capital, Jakarta

Shops and businesses across Indian-administered Kashmir close after a general strike is called in protest at the drawings.

Trade pressure

On Monday evening a crowd of about 400 demonstrators bore down on the Danish embassy in Tehran, which Denmark had closed the day before.

They burned Danish flags and chanted "Death to Denmark".

CARTOON ROW 30 Sept 2005: Danish paper publishes cartoons 20 Oct: Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM 10 Jan 2006: Norwegian publication reprints cartoons 26 Jan: Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador 30 Jan: Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology 31 Jan: Danish paper apologises 1 Feb: Papers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain reprint cartoons 4 Feb: Syrians attack Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus 5 Feb: Protesters sack Danish embassy in Beirut Cartoon row: Your views Do economic boycotts work?

The embassy gate and two trees caught fire, before Iranian police intervened, forcing the protesters back with tear gas.

At least nine protesters were hurt, police said.

Denmark's foreign minister, Per Stig Moeller, told a Danish radio station that he would hold Iran responsible for any damage to the embassy, and was asking for security guarantees for its citizens still in the country.

But Mr Moeller said he could do little about the trade embargo, under which Iran has banned all Danish imports as well as any other business dealings.

Iran currently imports $280m (£160m) worth of goods from Denmark each year. That works out at about 0.3% of Denmark's total exports.

Some 200 protesters took to the streets in the Afghan capital Kabul

Denmark's embassies in Damascus, Syria, and Beirut, Lebanon were set on fire by protesters at the weekend.

Earlier on Monday protesters attacked the Austrian embassy in Tehran, breaking windows and starting small fires. Austria is the current president of the European Union.

Tehran has already recalled its ambassador to Denmark and has also summoned the ambassadors of Denmark, Norway and Austria to express its anger.

The offending cartoons first appeared in a Danish newspaper last September.

Last week the row escalated after a number of European newspapers republished the pictures, saying they were defending freedom of expression.

And some more.....

Last Updated: Tuesday, 7 February 2006, 11:29 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Blair warning to Iran on weapons

Western powers suspect Iran's nuclear ambitions are not peaceful Iran is making "a very, very serious mistake" if it thinks the international community will allow it to develop nuclear weapons, Tony Blair has said. But the prime minister insisted that the potential for military action against Iran "is not on our agenda". He told the Commons liaison committee that the problem could be dealt with by "peaceful and diplomatic means". The United Nations nuclear watchdog has voted to report Iran to the Security Council over its nuclear activities. Mr Blair told MPs: "There is a real concern about Iran at the moment - there has got to be - not just on nuclear weapons, but in respect of their support for terrorists." But he insisted that "Iran is not Iraq", in an attempt to allay fears about future military action. However, when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes comments that "Israel must be wiped off the map", it increases concern about whether Iran can be trusted not to develop nuclear weapons, he said.

Boy do I feel safe........

More.....

If you doubt what I've been saying look at this article for the BBC.

Last Updated: Tuesday, 7 February 2006, 11:18 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Iran paper seeks cartoon revenge

Some of the angriest protests have been in Tehran An Iranian paper is holding a contest for cartoons about the Holocaust, to retaliate against the publication of images of the Prophet Muhammad. Hamshahri says it wants to test the boundaries of free speech, echoing the reasons European papers gave for publishing the caricatures. There have been protests about the images across the Muslim world, where they are seen as insulting and racist. One showed Muhammad, whose image is banned in Islam, as a terrorist bomber. "Does the West's freedom of expression extend to... an event such as the Holocaust or is this freedom of expression only for the desecration of the sanctities of divine religions?" the best-selling paper said in its announcement. It also asks for cartoons covering "America and Israel's crimes and plundering". Iran's conservative rulers are supportive of so-called Holocaust revisionist historians, who argue that the systematic slaughter of Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II has been exaggerated for political ends. Hitler formula Graphics editor Farid Mortazavi, who announced the contest, challenged Western newspapers to publish the Iranian cartoons as they did the European ones. As the row has escalated, Tehran has cut trade ties with Denmark because of the cartoons, first published there last September by the conservative Jyllands-Posten newspaper, and recalled its ambassador in Copenhagen. Hamshahri is offering gold coins to the best 12 artists - the same number of cartoons that were commissioned by Jyllands-Posten. It claims to be "keeping its distance from vindictive or irrational conduct" and says full details will be published on 13 February. The dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish human rights and educational organisation, condemned the competition. "They're following the classic formula of Adolf Hitler, which says if there's a problem, it's the fault of the Jews," said Rabbi Marvin Hier in an interview with AFP.

These people are not rational, and the're trying to build nuclear weapons. Be afraid, be verry afraid.

Enough is enough

OK so I know I haven't been blogging lately. Although there's plenty going on I just can't seem to be as motivated as I once was. It's OK, this is really for me. I alos noticed that almost no-one is reading. Well there's not much to read if you don't blog ne's pa? Anywho, I wanted to comment on this muslim stuff that's going around. I spent many years living (and growing up) in the middle east, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and parts east. My Dad worked for oil companies so we went where the work was. Not a bad life at that time (60's and 70's). Servants, extra-territorial protection etc. I grew to like many of the arabs that I met and became great friends with many of them. I knew then (even as a stupid youth) that they were different. They think a little differently and have a different set of morals values. That all being said I don't recognize what is going on there. These people are becoming dangerous. For years I supported the Palestinains right to self-determination and thought (still do) that they got a raw deal. I never supported their terrorism and was appaled at the Olympic hostage mess and all the hi-jackings in the 70's and 80's. But I still think that the Isreali's are high handed and do exactly what they accuse everyone else of having done to them. I recognize that they are there are not going away and we all have to live with that.

Lately I have been seeing statements from the middle east about the "war against the west", the "crusader actions in Iraq and Afghanistan". Now we have aluntic in Iran trying to build the "Sword of Allah" and making all kinds of weird remarks about the west, the jews and now this stuff about the cartoons. These perople are dangerous! We have tendency to dismiss them as luntics but these people are willing to blow themselves up to prove a point. It's been a long time since Christians "martyred" themselves. I'm begining to agree with my dear wife that these people need to be dealt with. We can wait until a suitcase nuke (Iranian made?) goes off in Denmark, or France or New Jersy or we can start to take these people seriously. Credit to George W., he has kept them fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of Chicago and Chattanooga but for how long? The rhetoric from Osama and Co is that they are planning a strike in the US.

I am begininng to belive that we are already at war with Islam, we just realize it (well, most of us). We tend to dismiss it as radicalism and lunacy but these people are serious. Burning the Danish embassy, occupying the EU offices in Gaza, Mr Lunatic in Iran saying that they have a right to do anything they want. Rhetoric about the "evil crusaders", suicide bombings in London, In Irag and now in Afghanistan.

These are people to be afraid of. Think of this way, It is you that they want to kill. You that they want to convert to Islam. Don't give that "oh sure" stuff. Look through the comments of the leaders. One of their stated aims is to Islamisize the west. They are a real danger and if we don't get our priorities straight we'll all be at the mosque together.....or dead, your choice.