bad things, good things

I'm getting really annoyed with computers. The glamor has worn off. I hate Zimbra. I'm not overly thrilled with Microsoft Office 2007--I don't know who thought those freaking "ribbons" were more intuitive than the old Office but they were WRONG--it was just Microsoft wanting to sell new software. Now I see they're about to take Windows XP off t he market, so you HAVE to use Vista, and I haven't heard one good thing about Vista. I can no longer listen to NPR music or program playbacks because I have dial-up, and they've changed the program that runs that stuff so it won't work on dial-up. Thanks, NPR. Glad I didn't give you guys money last week--I need it to pay for broadband. Grr.

That being said, I'll change the subject. All my white hyacinths are blooming this year, and they're beautiful--glowingly white. There are also pink and blue ones, not planted by me, blooming now too, and the fragrance is out of the world. I love the scent of hyacinths. I have some garden pictures; I'll try to get them up tomorrow.

I've been able to get the dogs out twice each evening this week--I take them out for an hour as soon as I get home, bring them in at 5:30, feed them at 6:30 and take them back out at 7:30. I'm pushing it a bit--there really should be a little more time between exercise and food to minimize the danger of bloat, though neither of my previous bloat dogs had been exercising or eating when they bloated. At any rate, they're happy to be out, and that makes me happy.

I've put the garden cart and a giant plastic pot in one corner, and Taenzer is having a blast smashing her ball into them. Somehow she manages to get the ball behind the cart, and then she has to figure out how to get it back. Mental exercise. :) She's happy to have her two new tunnels, too. She rolls the ball through the tunnel under the tree, but not the one by the garage, which is weird. Timber mostly sits or lays in the grass and chews on his ball, but once in a while he trots over and bashes Taenzer's ball with his ball, which is pretty funny.

Taenzer has a new game, too: She uses whichever jolly ball Timber isn't chewing on to bash her hard plastic ball with--sort of like doggy baseball. Clever girl.

Poor little Timber's seasonal allergies are acting up. He did so much licking of his legs and feet and scratching last night that I gave him a Claritin, which I think helped. I've been putting lanolin on his poor dry little nose, too, which helps a little--of course he licks it right off. I try to give him something to eat right after I put it on so it has a chance to sink in a little before he licks it off.

Speaking of legs, I've been keeping up with my exercises, and my knees are feeling much better. It could also be the weather--they're sensitive to the weather--but I'm so happy to be feeling better. Now if I could just lose 50 pounds, so they wouldn't have so much to tote around. I weigh more right now than I have in the past six years, which is no doubt why my knees started giving me trouble.

I'm working on three pairs of socks. Now that it's warmer I can do small knitting outside again, so I'm working on the basketweave sock when I'm sitting with the dogs. I'm working on the spring lace sock in the living room, and should finish the first one tonight. and I went back to the Flickering Flames socks and am working on the 2nd one at night in the bedroom. One of these days I'm going to have three brand new pairs of socks to wear--can't wait!