Always Playing Catch-up

Many of my blogging buddies have mentioned putting their blogs on hiatus, or maybe giving up altogether. I feel just the opposite -- I'd blog more if I had the chance -- but I'm still struggling through the endgame of work deadlines. Because I'm a writer, the last thing I've wanted to do with my allotted 30 seconds of free time is to write some more.

I'll miss you all if you decide to take vacations from blogging, but I'll be here. Come on back and visit from time to time, won't you?

Rave Review

From the Better-Late-Than-Never files: Greg received a very nice surprise this week. The latest issue of The New Music Connoisseur contains a review of the 2004 ACA American Music Festival. In the article, the author said some very nice things about Greg's piano suite Le tombeau de Honegger, and even referred to its rhythms as "delicious" and "irresistible."

Understandably, that review has made his week. It's the only one we've seen for last year's concert, and we searched everywhere online. Now we can't wait for the review of the 2005 concert and his Water song cycle.

Greg's planning to play at least a couple of movements from the Tombeau at the next MCF concert, if that ever gets off the proverbial ground.

Found and Lost

I managed to find the Yahoo News article entitled Your Witty Little Blog Could Get You Fired, but the story itself has expired from their pages. You can probably search for it if you would like to read it.

Anyway, that article further reinforces my need to stay mum on the specific details of my job. Not that I don't have plenty of colorful and not-always-PG-rated things to say about it, but I'd do so anonymously and through another blog provider (assuming I ever had the time). Although I work for a company that actively encourages its employees to keep blogs, the tone of employee blogs is universally chirpy. One gets the sense that it would be impolitic to address any real issues, even on the internal-only blogs that customers and external media never see.

As If By Magic

You'll have to forgive me for beng so amazed at my very own self. I've been filling my 30 free seconds per day with more knitting, and I'm about four inches shy of finishing the hood on my Fletcher sweater. I'm not sure what else I was expecting to see, but: the thing actually looks like it might grow up to be a real garment someday!

In spite of all my careful plans and my anal-retentive checking of the gauge every two stitches, though, I still managed to run out of yarn this close to the end. How the heck did that happen?! I've ordered an additional skein in the same colorway and lot as the rest of the sweater, and should have it in a couple of days. Hate when that happens.

I said, "Lie Down!"

Seamus had a restless week at obedience class this week. We practiced long downs, and he grew bored with the waiting and kept getting up. I'd put him back in his place each time, but he just wasn't in the mood to wait around that day. He did beautifully on the rest of the exercises, even the weaving through the other dogs and their handlers. Guess he was just in the mood for a little action.

Cathy, his breeder, says that CKC (the Canadian Kennel Club, not that other CKC!) is typically a bit slow with registration changes. She suggested that if I want to enter him in any AKC events, that I apply for an extension for his foreign registration and then enter the show anyway. I might do that, but with the amount of time I've spent working this summer, we haven't done any training outside of obedience training. We haven't even tried herding together yet. I'm continuing to scan the Net for local CGC tests, though. We have to start someplace.

The local obedience club is holding a rally obedience seminar in October. It seems like a long time from now, but even if we manage to succeed in Novice before then, we can always try the Advanced and Excellent courses. That assumes that we've managed to overcome Seamus's off-lead issues by then.

He's still not really into coming when called unless he knows there's something in it for him that's a better deal than whatever else is drawing his attention. I've taken to carrying a pocketful of dog treats everywhere I go and calling him at random intervals. When he comes, he gets a goodie. This works well enough in the house, and even in the garage (where the car always holds great potential for the dogs because we go for Rides!). I'm not confident yet that the same scheme would work in a situation where the "stakes" are higher (such as if he gets loose), but that's what practice is for.

He has been very good at doing random sits and lie-downs while we're walking. This is a great improvement over where he was a few weeks ago, when he would lunge and bark at every motorized vehicle that passed us on the street (even tractors). I'm pleased at this little advance; if I can parlay that into a reliable stop in the presence of sheep, Seamus could be a kick-ass little herding dog. We shall see.

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