I’ve read a couple of interesting articles the last couple of days.

One was about removing the Big Three from tech life (Microsoft, Google and Apple)

I started on that process quite a few months ago. Switched to Linux, closed my Facebook account, and I don’t own any Apple products, so that’s fine.

I also wanted to start working on getting my THC mail up and running and using it as my main mail account, instead of my gmail so that I can move away from them. That would be cool.

I’ve been reading about Android replacements as well.

I also read an article about how Google plans to slice up Google+ – not sure how that will work or how they will section it up and how it will affect the general user, like moi.

Hopefully I will be more “detached” from it all by then, so it won’t really affect me too much.

Gina got very very sick last week Thursday. I had to rush her to the vet. She’s not well still, but getting better. I tentatively hope.

Next article I need to read is about handling easily stressed dogs – that wasn’t the issue, or why she was sick, don’t worry! – because Gina is now 6 years old (on the day she got so sick 🙁 poor girl) and she gets so stressed with my interactions with Azzie (who I have to constantly “deal” with – stopping her from doing stupid things, EATING EVERYTHING, barking at everyone and everything and yanking my arm out my socket) that she is now incredibly tentative on walks. She lags behind, at the end of her lead, or just stops dead as soon as I correct Azzie, or she THINKS I will correct Azzie (when actually I’m just watching Azzie to make sure she’s just SNIFFING and not looking for crap to eat) and she _watches_ me constantly, to see if she can anticipate my reactions. It’s stressing her out so much 🙁 So I began an experiment this afternoon – took her on a walk on her own (I do take them down individually in the early morning hours, for their first toilet break of the day, and again in the evening for their last toilet break before bed as I found that she got so sidetracked or put off by Azzie darting all over and making me drag her all around that she either forgot she needed to poop, or would just hold it because she was too stressed to poop – either way, not a good thing) Just a short walk, 10 minutes of alone time with me. It seemed to work well. I took Azzie first (as usual) and she was also rather well behaved on the walk: perhaps because she had my FULL attention and didn’t feel the need to do stupid things to attract it, I suppose. And then I took G out and the transformation in her was quite profound. She was happy, her tail remained UP the entire walk and she bounced around and wanted to play with the plastic bottles we’d walked by earlier in the day. She didn’t poop, but that’s ok – she doesn’t go much when just being fed chicken (which is what she is eating at the moment because of the tummy issues) – as she seemed just much happier.

So from tomorrow, I will take them together on our long walks (because doing two long walks would be inefficient and silly, and I’m not sure Azzie would be very happy to be left alone for that long anyway) and then the rest of the walks I will take them individually. Just short walks. See how G manages.

I’m hoping it will boost her confidence in me, and in Azzie, and that her stress levels will drop.

Also – I will begin posting here a lot more, instead of on G+ – especially if that will be hacking it up and I will lose what little “audience” I have.

Right. And on that note – it’s time for the Last Walk of the day. Hoping that if G poops, it’s better than earlier 🙁

Night night, chickens.

OH! Almost forgot! Started on my Linux course 🙂 So far, going very well. Can’t wait for the next section to start!