Category: Jack

What NOT To Do

Here is a little heads up to you all. Many of you think you are computer savvy, and some of you probably are, but as time goes on, the rotten people who write viruses that attack and disable computers get more and more cleaver, and before you know it, your machine is down and out.

A few days ago Hubby mentioned that our Norton Anti-virus had come up for renewal and when he clicked to do it, it zapped out the Norton Anti-virus and supposedly installed Norton 360. It took three days for Hubby’s laptop to come to a crashing halt! Full of viruses and I am completely unable to get into the system to remove them.

So, on Monday Hubby’s machine will go off to the laptop hospital to be repaired.

One thing I discovered during my talk with the technician at the shop, is that this is a new and bad virus that tricks people into giving their credit card information. If you click Yes, it will bring you to that page, and the infection begins. If you click no, it closes the window, but the infection begins jamming up your computer. So yes is yes, and no is yes as far as the virus people go! The only way NOT to infect your machine is to hit the X in the top right corner of the box.

I got the desktop computer set up for Hubby but he does not have a compete address book or current bookmark folder on it. I am hopeful the technician can recover all his information.

My advice to all, please be careful!

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Meanwhile, the laptop drama kept me busy and I didn’t get any extra de-cluttering done today. I am hoping to get back to work tomorrow on things.

Snow….

I slept amazingly well on Saturday night. Sometime around 4 o’clock I heard the telltale sign that we’d had a good snowfall. I heard a snowplow truck go down the road below our home. I recall smiling, as I snuggled with the dackels and Hubby and fell back to sleep.

When I woke at 7:30 I grabbed the camera so when I let the dackels out I could take some pictures. They were so happy to see snow. Especially the girls!

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Left to right are Anneliese, Arnie and Greta.

The girls played and played, but Arnie soon got pretty wet and headed back toward the door.

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There is a certain excitement that comes with the first substantial snowfall. I feel it and so do the pups. Last night I stood outside before I went to bed, in the snow. I just stood alone as the snow fell all around me and I listened to the silence! If you have never seen snow, or been around it you will not know what I am writing about. But when the snow has covered the ground and it is snowing heavily the snow dampens the sounds around you. So when you stand in your yard, alone all you can hear is the most wonderful silence in the world.

Later in the morning I decided to take all four dogs out for a little romp in the snow. Fritz is so good, as he never leaves your side, or if he does, he comes right back when you call. At six years old he is a great dog!

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The three dackels were excited and trotted right up our driveway. Suddenly Anneliese saw something by the edge of the woods, and off she ran.

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We all made it back on the driveway and walked along a little bit more. Then I called for them to come back and as you can see, only three of them listened. Yes, Anneliese was off chasing snow bunnies, I think!

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So once the three dogs were up near the house I turned to find Anneliese. That was pretty easy. She was coming back through the woods, looking very much like the mighty huntress that she is!

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She followed me up to the house.

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We found Arnie at the door waiting for us, looking just a little cold!

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Hubby had started a fire in the hearth so we all came in and enjoyed the warmth. Between the snow, the fire, and going out to the Town Christmas party I really felt in the holiday spirit!

Puppies and People I Love

Sunday was a weird day. Some rain, some sun, but lots of play times. We took the pups into the back yard as often as possible and allowed them to run us ragged! While they did that Anneliese, Arnie and Greta all worked at teaching them all the things that proper doggies know.

If you would like to see the pictures to identify which pups are which, you can go over to my flickr account and see them here.

I also used the day to catch up on some laundry, some puppy room cleaning, including washing more of their soft toys, and cooking my sweet Hubby special meals to celebrate Father’s Day. I also gave him a book I knew he would love. It’s  “The Berlin Candy Bomber” by Gail Halvorsen . He is the World War II pilot who dropped chocolate down to the children of Berlin during his flights into the city during the Berlin Airlift. Hubby actually knew Gail when he was based in Berlin, and played racket ball with him. He loved the book! And I am guessing the cooking too!

Also a big Happy Birthday to my favorite cousin, Janet! You are  more like a sister to me than a cousin. How lucky I am to have you in my life! Go on over and wish her a Happy Birthday!!!

Janet B-day

Okay, So We’re Getting Old!

Hubby asked me to find some papers that he’d left lying around since before my Dad’s funeral. Hubby is like that. He has trouble with paper control and usually he believes that I have thrown away his paper.

And usually he is right.

So, I started to look in all my usual places. Like the trash. Oh, Gag! I do not handle stinky old trash very well, but since I had to find these papers I had to look everywhere!

I searched high, I searched low (can’t get any lower than the garbage!). Nothing. I went through my file box, which you all might recall is very full, all the time, because I hate to file. Nothing!

I went back down to the garage to the old garbage and began to search again. Gag!

Then, a mere 1 hour after I started to search for these important papers, it hit me! I suddenly knew where they were.

I went to the stairs and started up, my knees shaking with excitement and nearly buckling under me. I ran down the hall to the office and pulled open the file drawer and there, filed nicely and neatly in a new folder, just as HUBBY HAD INSTRUCTED ME, were the two documents that he needed.

I can’t totally blame Hubby for this fiasco. After all, I was the one who made out the file and placed the papers in it.

Then I started to laugh. I’ve admitted to a short term memory problem and now Hubby must as well.

I wonder if they have service animals for this. Maybe we could train Arnie. All I would have to do is say, “Arnie, where did Mummy put those papers?” and he would run to the file box and point with his nose!

Oh I am just laughing like crazy!

Happy Easter everyone!

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Home

Hubby picked Anneliese and I up at the airport last night. The flight from JFK to Boston was delayed, so we got in late. I was exhausted! Anneliese was too.

Hubby brought the other three dogs, and although I was concerned about all the craziness in the car affecting Anneliese, it turned out that all was well and it gave all the dogs a chance to get used to each other before we got home.

The flight from Berlin to JFK was fabulous. I had a good seat, a pleasant seatmate and Anneliese was a dream. And surprisingly, the Captain that flew me over also flew me back! Small world, yes?

Today her heat is easing up, and this is a little bit of an indication that perhaps she is pregnant, although we will not know for another month.

It was tough to say good-bye to Uschi.

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I will say that the airport staff was so nice to both Anneliese and me. Do you see my green brocade suitcase? It held up just fine thus, I think I will have this K-Mart special a little longer!

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However, it is good to be home and to be sleeping in my own bed with my own pillow.

Today was laundry day, but the rest of the day I kicked back and didn’t do too much. I am hoping for a longer night sleep tonight (I was awake at 2:30 this morning), waking and feeling like my old self again!

I hope to be visiting everyone else’s blogs this week. I’ve missed hearing what’s going on with you!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Goodness

I was driving home today after Weight Watchers, and as I drove up the hill and got to the top where I could see the vast mountain range before me, I thought for a moment how very beautiful it is. Did I have my camera with me? No, but trust me on this one, it was beautiful!

We have a real strong cold front here, but with that has come clear skies. The visibility has been fabulous. I could see the mountain range where Hubby and I ski, and do you know what?

Hubby skied today! For the first time since his stroke. I was nervous about his going up there, but he had been cleared by the doctor, and off he went. He met up with some friends of ours and skied with them. He had a great time!

It did make him just a little bit tired, and after he had a nice hot lunch he fell asleep in his chair, while reading obscene jokes that come in his email each day. There are a large network of retired pilots who seem to work quite hard at passing along jokes. I admit, some of them are a real hoot!

Things are getting back to normal and I’m happy. It makes my heart fill with joy to see Hubby off doing his thing, whether it is skiing or just puttering around in the yard.

We are so lucky! Thank you, God!!!

Therapy

I put Hubby to work today. Yesterday he mentioned that he’d like me to make him a Splenda (sugar free) Apple Pie. I was too tired to make it last night, but this afternoon I had him up and peeling apples for the pie. I think he enjoyed using his New England Apple peeling, coring and slicing machine. It certainly was good therapy, with a tasty payoff!

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Once he filled the bowl with sliced apples, I mixed up the Splenda and spices and put them into a pie shell and baked it. We’ll have it for dessert tonight after dinner.

During the day today the pups played and were enjoying their usual good life, when the phone rang and it was Mr. UPS Man. He was at the top of our driveway and had a box of goodies for the doggies. I drove the Jeep up and picked up the box, then came back and let each of the dogs have a fresh, yummy basted bone!

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As you can see, Anneliese really enjoyed hers! lol!!!

I noticed as I was getting the picture of Anneliese that I was being watched. I turned around slowly and then backed up just a little.

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I mean, how cute is this? Mr. Arnie tends to be my model. He is sort of a ham that way, and has been since he was just a little guy.

It was a nice day, a quiet day and I was happy about that. Later this week things will get busy with doctor’s appointments and the possibility of more snow, so it was nice to have a day of rest.

Quiet Day

I woke up early on Wednesday and after surveying the horrible weather and the cancellation of nearly all schools in the state, I decided I wasn’t going to attempt going to Weight Watchers. I later discovered that they’d canceled the meeting, so I had no reason to feel guilty.

Hubby slept 11 hours last night! I finally decided to make him some breakfast and wake him, but he came out and sleepily had his meal and read the paper.

He’s doing okay. He says he just feels tired. I know I sure am, and nothing serious has happened to me! All his appointments were made for his post-hospitalization care, and things are settling down.

He read his email, watched TV and did what I told him (I have been terribly bossy all day long!) and I am grateful.

I did manage a trip to the Post Office to get the mail and surprisingly little was there. I could have stayed home!

The dogs are thrilled to have Hubby here and take turns showering him with love. I plan another quiet evening tonight, and hopefully I will sleep better than I did last night.

Thank you all for your love and your prayers and for your good wishes. They really mean a lot to me, and to Hubby too.