Mrs B

I found it very interesting too. Regarding the muzzle, I'm not exactly sure what/how it worked. However I know someone quite well who works with Daniel Mills and I know without a shadow of a doubt that she could not work in a Department where there was any question at all about the treatment of any animal there - but I'm going to ask her tomorrow exactly how the muzzle thing works anyway! I would also say that both Tigger and Daisy have taken part in "research" at this University (not this particular project though) and they've thorough enjoyed "working" for humungous quantities of treats and games there - and on the one occasion that Daisy decided that she was very bothered by what she was being asked to do (which was to paw a lever to receive a treat, so nothing horrible), there was no question from either the University or myself but that she took no further part in that piece of research.

Hmmm. If I put two tumblers out and put food under one of them, I don't need to point, blink or anything for Tigger to "understand" which tumbler to go to! Mind you, he doesn't have the manners to nudge it and wait for it to be lifted for him either!

I think M&M have let me down - I think I am the wrong sex/size for their offerings this time. Things are so desperate I may have to walk down the High Street at lunch time anyway. I decided that maybe the dog walking boots were a stage too far, so swapped them for my heels. I truly cannot feel my feet, so after 10 days of not wearing heels anyway, I am tottering down the corridors because I'm walking on ice blocks! I think I would be much warmer poo picking at the Kennels!

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Does anyone know where is the best (cheapest, PeasyFundraising even better) place to get half decent thermals (would that be Helly's Hanson's or something?) Our office purports to be operating at legal temperature - however they have now admitted that whilst the thermometer says 70F/22C. it probably isn't because there are air blowers too - which blow cold air at the same time (taken them many years to admit this). Apart from which there's no heating on when we're not here so actually this morning it's only just reached "legal". OK, so I don't do cold, but I am supposed to be "office dressed" - which today goes undies, shirt, thick polo dog walking jumper, suit, thick socks and dog walking boots - oh and Mrs B's specially designed fingerless gloves - complete with unravelling fingers! This is not quite the impression I want to portray if I have to go and ask the MD or Directors for signatures. Anyway, in amongst that rant, I think that wearing thermals for the office, could be the way forward. (Not just me who's cold I hasten to add - perhaps we need to do some keep fit exercises every 10 minutes or so). Obviously this post has been written in work time in the interests of actually being able to get work done in the future!

Happy New Year. Hoping that by the time I am ready for bed, World War III will have subsided outside. Thank goodness for deaf dogs!

Tis so I can do that "FaceBook Challenge" and have all the information I need by sticking a card in the machine at one end, before sticking it in the machine at home to find out what I did. You did ask! And, as far as teaching Mr B is concerned, you taught him that you can't get a decent pint of Guinness in England! I'm hungry.

Actually, as a special treat, and to test general sobriety levels, here is the response .... The C2 Logo and chip have to face the two red/green LEDs on the OmniKey reader. (OmniKey logo is on the front of the reader.) When you insert the card there's a windows control panel program that will dispay what card has been inserted. Start --> Run type cmdiag.cpl in the run box. When you have the C2 I2C card inserted correctly the display from that diagnostic tool should look like: You can also test the OmniKey with ANY chip'n'pin bank card they will show up in that diagnostic control panel program. The driver I'm using on WinXP is http://www.hidglobal.com/driverDownloads.php?techCat=19&prod_id=188# click the " OMNIKEY3x21x86_for_R1_2_1_2.exe" link on that page. [That's a new website not http://omnikey.aaitg.com/index.php?id=69 like it used to be.]

Thanks, however have just revisited the site to find an answer has now been posted by the guy I expected to answer - I now need alcohol in order to be able to process the gobbledygook technical help, which will have to be tomorrow as I've unplugged everything now - however if all else fails I will be back! Mags, champagne, lovely. ChickenTikka, why don't you ring Cheryl at her 24/7 Call Centre with your problem coat - I'm sure she'd have a helpful response. RMF. Mr B is now drinking Horlicks. Just no hope for me!

I am wishing someone would answer my techy question on another Forum (that means it's absolutely obvious to anyone but me!) but they all seem to be doing other things. Anyone would think it was New Year's Eve! RMF. I can't actually remember when I last had an alcoholic drink. That seems wrong!

Morning. No snow here - but grey and raining. Trying to decide whether to go to the Gym to do a 1k TT erg - which will hurt, but will make me feel virtuous afterwards - or to turn out yet another cupboard. The urge to turn out cupboards doesn't visit me even once a year - and so far in the last fortnight it has visited at least four times, so does need to be taken advantage of! Of course, if I shift myself I could actually do both before Mr B comes home from work at 3-ish.

Mog, I have travelled for many many years on Christmas Day, and used to have a car that I had to fill up half way through the journey - year on year more and more filling stations are open, and as long as you fill up at a sensible time (think 9-5), you will be spoilt for choice on places to buy fuel from!

I know from experience that Fugees know everything. The supposed plan for today is to travel to Bury St Edmunds, leaving Lincoln probably early to mid afternoon. If anyone out there can give me any information on the road/weather conditions for the A1 from Newark down to Huntingdon, then A14 through to Bury St Edmunds, that would be really helpful and much appreciated. At the end of the day, if conditions are silly, we won't travel, however, I currently have the makings of an entire Christmas Dinner on board - from turkey to gravy, through vegetables and accompaniments, not forgetting Christmas pudding, mince pies, Christmas Cake ......... so a "non arrival" will mean having to try again tomorrow - not my favourie option, giving that I'm also in charge of cooking!

Morning. Just typed in here and lost my fantastic boring non message! Sorry, haven't been around much - work/PC/work/home/work ...... stuff! Currently doing the work stuff!

Mags and John, I will be thinking of you today, and hope that the whole day is a truly wonderful occasion, and everything you have dreamed of. And more special wishes for the rest of your lives together. Margaret, Graham, Tigger and Daisy PS I do hope Sirius behaves himself.

Thanks Mog. Let me know 'which' address you are sending it to, and a tracking number if possible. Mr B 'might' be doing something special for him ...... if he arrives in time.

And I'm fretting about the whereabouts of Sirius.

Sorry to read about this - I have/have had problems with both of mine being worried by other dogs - and absolutely agree with lots of sensible advice here. Don't make Izzie 'confront' her problem close up - no doubt you're afraid of something - heights, snakes, spiders ........ think how you would feel if someone made you go closer to your 'fear' than you wanted - I guess that is how she is feeling about 'other dogs' just now. Being that bit further away will seem much easier to deal with. Work out what Izzie's safe distance is, and don't make her do a sit, down, or anything if you think she is worried by something, again, would you want to turn your back on a snake, or whatever? If Izzie wants to go behind you, let her (hopefully you will have judged the distance so this is without growling) - good news for you if she thinks you'll help protect her. If she chooses to do a down, let her - it's her way of 'talking' to the other dog, and she will naturally be dealing with things. And yes, if you have helpful friends, especially if they have dogs who are not reactive, meet up with them too. Sounds as if your sister's dogs are pretty non-reactive. And just think about things as you are out and about - if on lead for example, just pass the lead from one handd to the other behind your back swaps the side of you she is walking on, so Izzie has you between her and other dogs - but try your best to make sure her comfort zone is kept. Not sure if you've had Izzie from a young age, but if you have, I am sure that the fact that she is a generally loved family pet will mean that she will soon overcome her fears. Don't you go worrying yourself, just come on her and have a chat.

Not a recipe, but for information ..... Vegetable oil would be a replacement for butter/margarine. And, assuming you are trying to do "gluten free", baking powder is usually (not always) gluten free - and I would expect this to be clearly marked on the packet. If this was for a human, I would suggest adding some xanthan - but I am pretty sure that for "dog" purposes, they just won't care (improves the texture somewhat). I'll have a look to see if I have any recipes later - although by then you will probably have been inundated! Am I right in thinking that chicken is the only protein that is tolerated?

Happy happy birthday. :partytime: Hope you have a lovely day.

Perhaps he needs Sirius to come and stay with him for a week .........

Hi Sparkly One BillyMalc - sorry, no way you'd catch me doing a run - well, perhaps if someone was paying hoooooge oodles of money to something I felt passionately about - but believe me, it would need to be serious oodles. So, back to the rowing - thought I'd give you more information - so prepare to skip to the end if you don't want to glaze over tonight. I have had to learn a new verb "to erg" - you see you don't "row" on in indoor rower, you "erg" (unless you're me, the rebel, when you just row anyway!) Of course, if you actually row you are OTW (On The Water) rather than OTE (On The Erg)! Lost you yet? And so to competitions. At the moment, I have the "Face Book Challenge" to do if I want - last month it was 250 metres, which took me a very painful 57.7 seconds which was forever compared to most folks - that's a straight male/female split, so fairly "unfair". This month it is a "how far in 2 minutes". Then I have my "virtual" team's intra challenge - which is 3 x 1000 metres, with a 5 minute 'rest' between each 1,000 metres, and the slowest one is the one to score - scoring is done according to the Nonathlon (see later) so is as fair as it can be. Then there is my team against the other virtual teams - that 10,000 metres - never done one of those before! We have to "float boats" - each boat is filled by memembers of the team who have completed the team, and must contain 5 people - one must be female (we're much in demand!), one a lightweight male (I think) and the others can be anyone! Fastest team members fill up the boats in order to give each team boat a ranking against the other team's boats. What else ......... oh yes, there's the Concept 2 Challenge Series - a mile for that one (1,609 metres) - that one is divided up according to age and sex but not weight, and I'm at the top end of my age category, and I've just scraped in at the beginning last month with a 4 minute row, so now score points every month for every event I complete this season. Last but probably not least is the "Nonathlon" - by some very complicated formula devised by someone who has a mathematical bent and probably nothing else to do, we score across ten events according to age, sex, and weight - so in theory I can compete on a level playing field against a 20 year old male heavyweight. Events - 500m, 1,000m, 2,000m, 5,000m, 6,000m, 10,000m, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, Half Marathon and Full Marathon. I can do these in any order at any time to suit myself between now and the end of the Season (I think this is the end of April or May 2010 - perhaps I should really find out!) Finally (if there is anyone out there!) there is the Online Log - basically you feed all your metres in, and, at the moment for example, our "Virtual Teams" are competing against each other in the Fall Challenge to complete as many metres as possible (we're 10th or 11th or something - but we do have someone in the team rowing virtually around the world in two years, so that helps). Individually, of course, this adds up towards your Million Metre Award and the like. :laughing smiley: :laughing smiley: If there's anyone still there ........... I'm still in training for my 500 metre race on 31st October. So far this week I have done a 5,000 metre session - very speedy 100 metres followed by 400 metre leisurelies x 10; a 200m, 300m, 400, 300m, 200m set of rows with 60 second rests in between each (absolute killer) and tomorrow I have 300 metre rows with 8-10 minute rests - to concentrate on using my legs I am told. Any questions?

Perhaps if Mr Sirius gets his furry butt over to Lincolnshire in good time, he can put in enough metres on the rower to be fit enough to row himself over to Ireland.

I yam finking that my pound of fat may well weigh the same as my pound of muscle, but perhaps just takes up a bit less flobby room. Lost an actual .75lbs - couldn't comment on any flob loss. Finding it tough going keeping the balance of food intake at the right level for training - because work demands at the moment mean that my training kit is in my car permanently so that when the chance arises I can just head for the rowing machine - so I always need to have enough of the right food in me to deal with that! Entered a competition for a Mr Wii Fit at work last month. Don't suppose I'll win that though!

If he's saved enough pawkit money I would volunteer to be his personal courier. Wedding of the Year is more important that me going red in the face rowing (although quantities of alcohol available may be around the same!)

Voted. Very difficult choice though.