Preparations

Next month, I'll be spending almost the entire month in Cary, NC for training on the Siemens' Espree MRI. Of course, this couldn't have come at a worse time for my backyard pond project as well as my new puppy project, but what can you do when you're at the mercy of the Federal Government?

On the up side, Denali has been showing progress on her training. Currently, I've been trained to recognize when she needs to relieve herself and have taken appropriate action. Good job, Denali! As far as what I've been able to teach her, it has been limited to coming to me if I shake her treat can. I then have to give her a treat, so I think she might be acting in pure self interest- capitalist little pig!

I picked up a couple of books for my upcoming trip: George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as two Ann Coulter books How to talk to a liberal (if you have to) and Treason. I may pick up Thomas Sowell's book Basic Economics, but I'd really like to pick up his book Black Rednecks and White Liberals, which is out of print. I'm sure I can find it on Amazon. And lastly, I need to look up Walter E. Williams' offerings and see what I'd like to read from him - I absolutely love his weekly column.

So, the reading is taken care of; I'm planning on taking my bike, so I'm sure I'll be able to keep busy with that as well. I may be able to find a piano store or something like it where I can practice my two songs. And, of course, I'll be taking my laptop to play Freelancer, Diablo, and the like. I doubt I'll fire up World of Warcrack, but who knows.

Now, the new puppy nonwithstanding, I have not had the urge to play any computer games in the past week. And I haven't...played any computer games in the last week. It's kind of weird to have been nearly joined at the hip for over two years (I can count on my digits the number of days I didn't play World of Warcrack) to my computer, and now it really holds no appeal for me. I reckon it's that whole circle of life thing. That, or the nuclear waste in my pond is starting to affect me.

Either way, it's total win for me!!