Wednesday, December 05, 2007
So how did today go?
Well, nothing like I had planned. I ended up going to work despite the fact that I had someone covering for me. The snow was piling up outside and I really wanted to hibernate. But knowing five computers at work weren't working I just couldn't loaf in good conscience. I went to work. M took Emma to work with him to play for a while and then the plan was to bring her to me so I could take her home by nap time. He even brought the inflatable sled along so he could take her sledding on the sidewalks.

It's a good thing I had someone covering me because I spent (no exaggeration) two and half hours on the phone with two different nice men in India. I know most Americans roll their eyes when they get outsourced technical support, but I have to say both of these guys were very nice and did the best they could. Out of that time spent on the phone I got exactly one computer up and running again. What I DID get out of the time spent was a free upgrade to Norton Antivirus 2008. That solved the problem on that one computer. The problem with the other four is that it's impossible to remove Norton from them. And none of them access the internet so I can get the free upgrade download. So from here I figure I'm going to have to reinstall Windows on all those computers. Sound like fun? Don't you wish you were me? I figure that's about two solid days in lost productivity for me.

Anyway, I pushed the envelope. Emma and I finally got home for lunch around 1:40 p.m. The drive was hateful as hell. The slop on the road was the consistency of butter and traction, forget it. I had the grip of death on the steering wheel and was literally going below 20 mph in some places. We did get home in one piece.

I then spent three solid hours doing a calligraphy job for someone. I will never do this again. They are certificates that require like nine lines of information. The pressure to make no mistake is so intense I can't take it. I don't need stress like that in my life. I was cursing myself vociferously for ever agreeing to do the job in the first place. Good thing I'm getting paid.

Finally, after all that fun I vacuumed. It was weird vacuuming without dogs laying down more hair just a soon as I passed by them. I came across the strangest thing on the floor that really drove home the implications of the absence of the dogs. There was a cut up piece of pizza on the floor from last night's supper. This was a picture of life without mobile trash cans. Kind of scary.

When M got to work this morning he called the SPCA folks and the local radio station to put out the word that our dogs were missing. I know some folks heard it on the radio because someone reported spotting them yesterday at noon. M was up late last night driving around looking for them. He had no luck.

As M was getting ready to bathe Emma tonight we finally got the call we were hoping for. Someone had caught Beaker and they were trying to lure Jake to them but he wouldn't come. These folks live right across from the same dumpster area where the dogs were spotted yesterday. M turned over bath duties to me and took the truck to go collect the dogs. He got back with them shortly after 9:00 p.m. Beaker was limping a bit and Jake came straight in the house and went for the water, then his bed. Then when I came in to the computer he followed me and collapsed at my feet. He's shivering away now. I'm not sure if it's from cold or adrenaline.

I feel most sorry for Beaker. I picture him as the dumb little brother who went along for the thrill and had no idea what he was getting into. I think he's traumatized right now. No one yelled at them or fussed at them, but Beaker came straight in the house and this is as far as he got:


Funny dog. He collapsed on that spot and hasn't moved since. Jake moved to his bed in the living room when I went in there to talk to M for a minute. Now M is zonked out on the couch. I think everyone is relieved that the trauma of separation is over.

We got five inches of snow today.