Chit Chat in VOLTVILLE Thread #2 :)
- Thread starter Imagine
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Yeah, it is sad. He was a big wig at Bell Labs in Holmdel. Very smart guy and now he's just existing. It's hard to watch that happen to someone so filled with mental vitality.
Lizzie, I'm sorry to hear about Penny, but you seem to be accepting it pretty well. I'm sending vibes to you that you won't feel too sad.
Congratulations on the Nevada / Glitch switch. I hope he'll work out better for you. He looks cute. Such a long tail! I agree that you need to get him gelded and probably that you shouldn't turn him out with Wiseguy till you do. Some stallions get along with geldings just fine, but many do not. And the time away from each other but able to see each other is good for getting them together later.
Congratulations on the Nevada / Glitch switch. I hope he'll work out better for you. He looks cute. Such a long tail! I agree that you need to get him gelded and probably that you shouldn't turn him out with Wiseguy till you do. Some stallions get along with geldings just fine, but many do not. And the time away from each other but able to see each other is good for getting them together later.
The latest tutoring report.
The 3 originals all didn't do their homework till I came. I guess that was because I took them out yesterday, though I think they wait till the last minute anyway.
I took the younger boy first, since he fell asleep last time. I thought maybe he needed a nap, and if he goes first, he could sleep afterward, though his brother and sister said that he does this whenever he's bored and wakes up again the moment things get more interesting. So I will have to work on keeping he lessons lively enough to keep him awake.
The girl almost finished Chapt. 3 of The Jungle Book, though she petered out just before the end of it. I think next time, we can read to the end of the chapt. Then I'll ask her if she wants chapt. 4, though I think she'll say she does. She is very proud of herself for reading something so challenging.
The boy told me that he is going to work in the restaurant in front of the house, which means not back in the kitchen. He is aspiring to answering the phones. I think he'd be good at it, since one problem calling a Chinese restaurant to order food is that the people on the line have such heavy accents that it's hard to understand them. So I said this to him, and I said that I could coach him on diction so he's clearly understood and other things he might have to learn to answer the phones. Her seemed really interested in this, and I think it'd be a wonderful teaching tool with a definite end to his getting better at English. He tends to be sloppy, and I think having to write down addresses and phone numbers accurately would really inspire him to get his act together. I think he can do it, he just needs a reason, and here it is. If only his parents will agree! I think I'll speak to his mom, though I told him to ask her what he needs to learn so we can practice it. We can work on spelling the street names in Ithaca and the names of surrounding towns, for instance. We can look at the area on a map and get a good idea of how the neighborhoods and addresses relate to each other. Maybe it's not English per se, but it's useful, which may mean more to him, and it's a good education, too.
I believe in putting kids to work. I don't mean the child slavery that caused all the restrictions, but I do think that kids can learn a job at his age, and they should be allowed to stat doing it, not kept useless. I think all that is a kind of education, too.
When my daughter was about his age, I didn't want to let her stay at home nor did I want to pay for a babysitter, so on school holidays and summer vacation, she worked helping me at the publishing company I worked at. She would deliver proofs to the editorial dept. and I remember when I suggested that she call for a FedEx pickup, she was all worried that they wouldn't believe a kid. I said she sounded very grown-up on the phone, and no one could see how young she was. We rehearsed what she'd say. Then she took a deep breath and did it. It worked! No one accused her of being a child, and the messenger came and got the package. I think it gave her a sense of power kids don't usually have.
She at age 11 or so got so good at being my assistant that when I finally hired a real assistant, a college grad, I had my daughter show her around and instruct her on how to do things. That assistant didn't last long, and I wonder if it was because she realized even a smart child could do her job. But my point is, most kids 11 or 12 can do a lot of the lower-level jobs we ask college grads to do as entry-level positions.
So I said the first thing he needed to do was improve his diction. He asked what diction meant, and I said it's how clear you talk so other people can understand you. On the phone, this is really important, I explained. And he agreed that his mom, who answers the phones now, could hardly be understood. So we did the reading aloud, paying particular attention to diction. He did well but fell back into lazy, sloppy speech, and I alerted him and he perked up and spoke more clearly. I sure hope this actually comes to something for him.
The I went to the new girl. She gets distracted easily and argues with me, and she also tries to engage me in conversation to avid work. I lectured her about it today. It is getting out of hand. And today, since the kids used the stones they had accumulated, everyone got individual containers, which means they start fresh. They all did poorly in that regard, and I said that they had to have stones that filled the container before they could go on a trip. If one child fills his or her container first, she or he can wait for the other one to catch up or else go with someone else with a full container. So if the new girl wants to go with the old girl, then she has to keep up with doing homework and cooperating during lessons.
The 3 originals all didn't do their homework till I came. I guess that was because I took them out yesterday, though I think they wait till the last minute anyway.
I took the younger boy first, since he fell asleep last time. I thought maybe he needed a nap, and if he goes first, he could sleep afterward, though his brother and sister said that he does this whenever he's bored and wakes up again the moment things get more interesting. So I will have to work on keeping he lessons lively enough to keep him awake.
The girl almost finished Chapt. 3 of The Jungle Book, though she petered out just before the end of it. I think next time, we can read to the end of the chapt. Then I'll ask her if she wants chapt. 4, though I think she'll say she does. She is very proud of herself for reading something so challenging.
The boy told me that he is going to work in the restaurant in front of the house, which means not back in the kitchen. He is aspiring to answering the phones. I think he'd be good at it, since one problem calling a Chinese restaurant to order food is that the people on the line have such heavy accents that it's hard to understand them. So I said this to him, and I said that I could coach him on diction so he's clearly understood and other things he might have to learn to answer the phones. Her seemed really interested in this, and I think it'd be a wonderful teaching tool with a definite end to his getting better at English. He tends to be sloppy, and I think having to write down addresses and phone numbers accurately would really inspire him to get his act together. I think he can do it, he just needs a reason, and here it is. If only his parents will agree! I think I'll speak to his mom, though I told him to ask her what he needs to learn so we can practice it. We can work on spelling the street names in Ithaca and the names of surrounding towns, for instance. We can look at the area on a map and get a good idea of how the neighborhoods and addresses relate to each other. Maybe it's not English per se, but it's useful, which may mean more to him, and it's a good education, too.
I believe in putting kids to work. I don't mean the child slavery that caused all the restrictions, but I do think that kids can learn a job at his age, and they should be allowed to stat doing it, not kept useless. I think all that is a kind of education, too.
When my daughter was about his age, I didn't want to let her stay at home nor did I want to pay for a babysitter, so on school holidays and summer vacation, she worked helping me at the publishing company I worked at. She would deliver proofs to the editorial dept. and I remember when I suggested that she call for a FedEx pickup, she was all worried that they wouldn't believe a kid. I said she sounded very grown-up on the phone, and no one could see how young she was. We rehearsed what she'd say. Then she took a deep breath and did it. It worked! No one accused her of being a child, and the messenger came and got the package. I think it gave her a sense of power kids don't usually have.
She at age 11 or so got so good at being my assistant that when I finally hired a real assistant, a college grad, I had my daughter show her around and instruct her on how to do things. That assistant didn't last long, and I wonder if it was because she realized even a smart child could do her job. But my point is, most kids 11 or 12 can do a lot of the lower-level jobs we ask college grads to do as entry-level positions.
So I said the first thing he needed to do was improve his diction. He asked what diction meant, and I said it's how clear you talk so other people can understand you. On the phone, this is really important, I explained. And he agreed that his mom, who answers the phones now, could hardly be understood. So we did the reading aloud, paying particular attention to diction. He did well but fell back into lazy, sloppy speech, and I alerted him and he perked up and spoke more clearly. I sure hope this actually comes to something for him.
The I went to the new girl. She gets distracted easily and argues with me, and she also tries to engage me in conversation to avid work. I lectured her about it today. It is getting out of hand. And today, since the kids used the stones they had accumulated, everyone got individual containers, which means they start fresh. They all did poorly in that regard, and I said that they had to have stones that filled the container before they could go on a trip. If one child fills his or her container first, she or he can wait for the other one to catch up or else go with someone else with a full container. So if the new girl wants to go with the old girl, then she has to keep up with doing homework and cooperating during lessons.
Lizzie, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I'm glad that you had the past couple of weeks to say goodbye, and that her last days were happy ones - it could've gone so much worse - I'm relieved that she went peacefully. Loss is always so tough, but it doesn't mean they're gone. I still look up at the sky and smile at my dad every single day.Good morning Voltmaniacs.
Yesterday was a busy day of getting Nevada to his new home and picking up the new guy named Glitch.
Then, just before sunset yesterday, Penny passed away. Penny had a wonderful morning of playing with the toy, having venison with her breakfast, snapping at a stinkbug and barking at the goats. I found her laying by the front door around 2pm and noticed she was non-responsive although she was still breathing. I moved her to the big dog bed and we covered her with a blanket to keep her warm.
It was a miracle that she came back after her first episode of passing out. I feel that the last couple of weeks were a gift. We had the opportunity to spoil her rotten, let her eat junk food and pet her and love her. We played toy often and she was the best toy killer on the planet. She got to run outside and bark at the goats and I didn't even tell her "enough with the barking"
Strangely, as we wheeled Penny in the wagon to the North Forty for her burial, all the critters watched solemnly. The goats, Wiseguy and Glitch the new horse all watched quietly as the three dogs we have left followed us. The dogs look very concerned as we gave Penny a proper burial.
We will miss her. Thank you all for being so kind when I found out Penny was very ill. Again, the last couple of weeks with her were a miracle. I am very fortunate to have had the extra time to spend with her.
On a brighter note, look for photos of the new guy and an update on how Wiseguy is doing without his buddy Nevada later today.
I loved that little ray of sunshine. The light of my life, as I called her. Penny made me smile every day. Ten years of happiness on four short legs. Penny is gone but she will never be forgotten.
Glitch is gorgeous! I hope his personality doesn't match his split coloring.
I'm have a cup of caffeine myself this morning.
Geez, we really need to pull it together if we are going to be ready for the big hunting trip.
Geez, we really need to pull it together if we are going to be ready for the big hunting trip.
moanin', Volties.
My day started out with waking up at 4:30 to Mrs. Awsum asking Bo what was wrong. He had woken her and she took him out for a walk and he did his usual business, but drank a lot of water when they came in. Then he laid down at the foot of the bed trembling/shaking/shivering. We decided to take him to the emergency vet, NorthStar, and he had a problem going down the few steps of the side porch and couldn't get into the Jeep. He did get into Mrs. Awsum's car but with some difficulty.
Anyhow, he's in ICU and on broad spectrum IV antibiotics. He is running a fever, has an elevated heart rate and his white cell count is high. Xrays didn't show anything abnormal nor did a "hands on" examination. He'll be getting an ultrasound of the abdomen this afternoon and, if that doesn't show anything abnormal, an ultrasound of the heart as well.
To top it all off, Mrs. Awsum is on Jury Duty and got called for today.
Sandy, having a goal like that may be the incentive the boy needs to really apply himself. Kids working, or at least having some measurable responsibilities is something that is sorely lacking in todays world.
My day started out with waking up at 4:30 to Mrs. Awsum asking Bo what was wrong. He had woken her and she took him out for a walk and he did his usual business, but drank a lot of water when they came in. Then he laid down at the foot of the bed trembling/shaking/shivering. We decided to take him to the emergency vet, NorthStar, and he had a problem going down the few steps of the side porch and couldn't get into the Jeep. He did get into Mrs. Awsum's car but with some difficulty.
Anyhow, he's in ICU and on broad spectrum IV antibiotics. He is running a fever, has an elevated heart rate and his white cell count is high. Xrays didn't show anything abnormal nor did a "hands on" examination. He'll be getting an ultrasound of the abdomen this afternoon and, if that doesn't show anything abnormal, an ultrasound of the heart as well.
To top it all off, Mrs. Awsum is on Jury Duty and got called for today.
Sandy, having a goal like that may be the incentive the boy needs to really apply himself. Kids working, or at least having some measurable responsibilities is something that is sorely lacking in todays world.
I certainly pray that he gets better. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in, and they will find out what made him vulnerable to such a sudden and overwhelming infection.
Poor Bo. That is so worrisome!
And then to have to go to jury duty on top of all that. Poor Mrs. Awsum.
It does sound like the boy will enjoy having something "important and worthwhile" to do.
And then to have to go to jury duty on top of all that. Poor Mrs. Awsum.
It does sound like the boy will enjoy having something "important and worthwhile" to do.
@awsum140 Sure sorry to hear about Bo. We had a similar experience with our Rottie about 10 years ago and it turned out to be some kind of undetermined poison. We had no idea of what it was or where she got it since she hadn't been off our property. I hope he's going to be ok. I know how much you guys love him and how he's taken care of.
moanin', Voltilians.
We're finally getting some rain and it looks like a lot more will be coming. We hardly had anything for over two months and voluntary water restrictions were in place so it's a nice thing to get wet for a change.
Bo is responding to the antibiotics. His temperature and heart rate are down and his appetite seems normal as well. The troubling thing is that so far they can't find out why it was up in the first place. Xrays showed nothing, ultrasounds showed nothing and there's no sign of infection visible on his body. They're doing a test on his right hind leg, bone tap which doesn't sound like fun, to check there. He had an ACL repair when he was a pup and it is a chronic problem with developing arthritis in the joint. They're also going to do an echocardiogram to check his heart valves, just in case the infection is there.
I have to admit I miss my shadow.
We're finally getting some rain and it looks like a lot more will be coming. We hardly had anything for over two months and voluntary water restrictions were in place so it's a nice thing to get wet for a change.
Bo is responding to the antibiotics. His temperature and heart rate are down and his appetite seems normal as well. The troubling thing is that so far they can't find out why it was up in the first place. Xrays showed nothing, ultrasounds showed nothing and there's no sign of infection visible on his body. They're doing a test on his right hind leg, bone tap which doesn't sound like fun, to check there. He had an ACL repair when he was a pup and it is a chronic problem with developing arthritis in the joint. They're also going to do an echocardiogram to check his heart valves, just in case the infection is there.
I have to admit I miss my shadow.
Good morning, Voltmaniacs.
Poor Bo. I bet you do miss your shadow. Sending get well thoughts to Bo.
I miss my shadow, too. Penny was a good dog and a real character.
We got a lot done yesterday. The camping gear is straightened out. I need to go shopping for camping food on Friday. It will be nice to go to the wilds of Nevada and it does look like the weather will reasonably nice for our trip!
The veggie garden is pretty much cleaned up. The neighbor and hubby helped. We maneuvered some alfalfa bales into a square and made a squash bunker. That should keep them looking good for quite some time. We hung the pepper plants up to let the peppers finish ripening in the shade cover shed. I have a few more vines to feed the goats over the next couple of days.
We left the taters in the ground although I am wondering if I should put some loose straw on top to make sure the taters that are close to the top don't get frosted.
The new horse, Glitch, seems to be doing well in his new home. He seems a bit defensive over his food. He put his ears way back once when I was near his food dish. Nothing too horrible but we are making sure we don't make him feel threatened over his hay. I am standing near the pen for awhile after feeding him so he gets used to someone hanging out near the feed. He is not putting his ears back as much and is relaxing more while he is eating.
I gave Glitch apple slices for treats while I touched his halter with the lead rope yesterday. I would like him to come when whistled at and hook up with no problems. That is definitely a good first step.
Glitch totally turned around with his hind end facing us a couple of times while Crystal and I were leaning on the rail. Pretty sure that says "Hey, don't mess with me, I am afraid of you and I might kick." Of course, he didn't kick and he does seem like a nice guy. This has been a big change for him. Before he was in a backyard with a six foot wooden fence he couldn't see out of and now he is in an open round pen. He has been pretty calm really.
Poor Bo. I bet you do miss your shadow. Sending get well thoughts to Bo.
I miss my shadow, too. Penny was a good dog and a real character.
We got a lot done yesterday. The camping gear is straightened out. I need to go shopping for camping food on Friday. It will be nice to go to the wilds of Nevada and it does look like the weather will reasonably nice for our trip!
The veggie garden is pretty much cleaned up. The neighbor and hubby helped. We maneuvered some alfalfa bales into a square and made a squash bunker. That should keep them looking good for quite some time. We hung the pepper plants up to let the peppers finish ripening in the shade cover shed. I have a few more vines to feed the goats over the next couple of days.
We left the taters in the ground although I am wondering if I should put some loose straw on top to make sure the taters that are close to the top don't get frosted.
The new horse, Glitch, seems to be doing well in his new home. He seems a bit defensive over his food. He put his ears way back once when I was near his food dish. Nothing too horrible but we are making sure we don't make him feel threatened over his hay. I am standing near the pen for awhile after feeding him so he gets used to someone hanging out near the feed. He is not putting his ears back as much and is relaxing more while he is eating.
I gave Glitch apple slices for treats while I touched his halter with the lead rope yesterday. I would like him to come when whistled at and hook up with no problems. That is definitely a good first step.
Glitch totally turned around with his hind end facing us a couple of times while Crystal and I were leaning on the rail. Pretty sure that says "Hey, don't mess with me, I am afraid of you and I might kick." Of course, he didn't kick and he does seem like a nice guy. This has been a big change for him. Before he was in a backyard with a six foot wooden fence he couldn't see out of and now he is in an open round pen. He has been pretty calm really.
Lizzie, sounds like Glitch will work out with a little time. He's probably still nervous from the move to your place and being in the wide open spaces for a change.
Update on Bo.
He's back home and everything seems to be under control. He will be on two antibiotics, orally, for a week and I expect that to play havoc with his tummy. He's a big, strong, stoic, protector with a two cent tummy. He's still a little "out of it" from the IV and they were giving him "pain meds", methadone. Maybe I'll check in there.....WOW!
Two of the tests were cultures for bacteria so we have to wait until next week to get the full Monte on them. The preliminary stuff on those two tests also looked normal. We're all starting to wonder if he didn't pick something up when he had the surgery in July for bloat. He hasn't really been himself since then and that could be the source of the problem.
Update on Bo.
He's back home and everything seems to be under control. He will be on two antibiotics, orally, for a week and I expect that to play havoc with his tummy. He's a big, strong, stoic, protector with a two cent tummy. He's still a little "out of it" from the IV and they were giving him "pain meds", methadone. Maybe I'll check in there.....WOW!
Two of the tests were cultures for bacteria so we have to wait until next week to get the full Monte on them. The preliminary stuff on those two tests also looked normal. We're all starting to wonder if he didn't pick something up when he had the surgery in July for bloat. He hasn't really been himself since then and that could be the source of the problem.
Congrats on your medal Rave and completing the walk!
Awsum140, love the mod! it looks good
Sorry Bo is not feeling well I hope he is ok and gets better soon. I have such a soft spot for big dogs (I actually love all sizes....who am I kidding! Lol) after getting to experience the friendship of my Ram He was the best December 22nd will make a year hes been gone. I cannot believe hes been gone this long...I still think about him every day and cry over his loss some days. I think I will always miss him
Renolizzie, I am so sorry about Penny. I am glad she had a wonderful morning before she went. Such a miracle for sure to get to spend the extra time with her and with her still herself. Yay on the new horsey! He is a handsome lil fellow!
Awsum140, love the mod! it looks good
Sorry Bo is not feeling well
I hope he is ok and gets better soon. I have such a soft spot for big dogs (I actually love all sizes....who am I kidding! Lol) after getting to experience the friendship of my Ram He was the best December 22nd will make a year hes been gone. I cannot believe hes been gone this long...I still think about him every day and cry over his loss some days. I think I will always miss him Renolizzie, I am so sorry about Penny. I am glad she had a wonderful morning
before she went. Such a miracle for sure to get to spend the extra time with her and with her still herself. Yay on the new horsey! He is a handsome lil fellow!
Sure glad to hear Bo is better Awsum. I'd also hate to have your vet bill lol. Our Zelda's bill on that poison incident was around $5,000 including the emergency vet and our vet. We just paid it and were grateful she didn't die. Sure was a close one.
maonin', Voltville.
Looks like we're scheduled of a hurricane, or should that be personcane to be PC? It's definitely cooler today but it's still wet outside from lots of moisture streaming northeast that isn't associated with the personcane. Lots of wind, too. Now, the computer models are showing it staying further off the coast rather than coming ashore on the southern NJ coast around AC. I'll be battening down and making sure the generator is in proper running condition, just in case.
Yeah, we could have bought a pickup truck with what the vet bills have been, but he's worth it. His appetite is back to normal, at least it was at breakfast, and that's a good sign. He's taking more meds than the both of us combined and, thankfully, takes them all with his food so it's not a fight to get them into him. It's nice having him following me around the house and snoozing nearby. Funny how pets become such an integral, and important, part of life.
Looks like we're scheduled of a hurricane, or should that be personcane to be PC? It's definitely cooler today but it's still wet outside from lots of moisture streaming northeast that isn't associated with the personcane. Lots of wind, too. Now, the computer models are showing it staying further off the coast rather than coming ashore on the southern NJ coast around AC. I'll be battening down and making sure the generator is in proper running condition, just in case.
Yeah, we could have bought a pickup truck with what the vet bills have been, but he's worth it. His appetite is back to normal, at least it was at breakfast, and that's a good sign. He's taking more meds than the both of us combined and, thankfully, takes them all with his food so it's not a fight to get them into him. It's nice having him following me around the house and snoozing nearby. Funny how pets become such an integral, and important, part of life.
- Status
Similar threads
