Happy adoption anniversary, Pearl! (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

Hard to believe that it was a year ago today that Lady Jaye and I brought Pearl home. A lot has happened since then, but Pearl has gotten along fantastically with Porter and Rosie. There were some rough spots: puppy squirts, eating two DVDs whole, and refusing to jump in the bed even though she’s [...] Posted in: pearl , pups

Avian reapers (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

My dogs are making the world safe from the avian flu, one bird at a time. Posted in: pearl , porter , pups , rosie

I’m off to NYC, so … (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

I’m up in NYC on business for the day, so no real updates. Here’s a nice shot of Porter and Pearl cuddling up on the couch:

Posted in: gibberish , pearl , porter , pups

The Best and Worst Gibberish Gadgets of 2007 (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

I buy a lot of stuff, and sometimes my highest hopes turn out to be the biggest disappointments. I’ve evaluated the things I’ve purchased last year, with an eye to what I use on a regular basis that Gibberish readers may use often as well. Sure, I “use” my Keltec PF-9 every day when I carry it, but most of you don’t have carry permits and its appeal is not as universal as this year’s winner. Here’s a look back at the best and worst gadgets covered on Gibberish in 2007.
(more…)

Posted in: games , gibberish , hardware , pearl , porter , pups , review , rosie , xbox

They’re totally worth it. (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

I’m going to take a job that puts me back in the Washington, D.C. area. I’m not 100% sure I’ll be moving, but chances are very high. Having three dogs makes searching for a place to live more difficult, especially when most of the places nearest to where I’ll be working are high-rise apartments. I searched properties for about two hours and walked downstairs to find this:

No matter how big of a pain in the ass it is to find a rental that will allow three dogs, or to find a home with a fenced in yard, damn they are worth it.

Posted in: pearl , porter , pups , rosie

Dog day afternoon (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

Last Saturday we hosted the second annual reunion for Rosie and her litter mates. Last year the reunion was at a public dog park, and it was way too hot for everyone. This year we had the benefit of shady oak trees, a doggie pool, and air conditioning. As a big improvement over the year before, there was dog cake. More on that in a second.
(more…)

Posted in: pearl , porter , pups , rosie

Canine update (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

Three weeks after her adoption, Pearl has fit into the family quite nicely. After being afraid of her for the first week or so, Rosie has taken to Pearl like a true big sister. The two are mostly inseparable now. They cuddle together, run outside together, and do chores together, such as digging a bomb shelter in the backyard for mommy and daddy. Pearl now weighs in at 24.4 pounds, up over six pounds since we got her.

Pictures after the jump.
(more…)

Posted in: pearl , porter , pups , rosie

Pearl’s Harbor Day (Gibberish is my native language (DrFaulken)) by drfaulken

Our beagle-hound mix Porter is turning three in August, while Rosie the Mystery Mutt is turning two. Given our penchant for pacing our children out a year at a time, we thought it was a good opportunity to go looking for another puppy. I know that three and two isn’t very old. However, we didn’t want to wait until Porter and Rosie were “real” adult dogs before we adopted a new family member. We wanted to make sure our two dogs would be able — and willing — to help us raise whomever we brought home. I remember how much easier it was to train Rosie about “inside” vs “outside,” “upstairs” vs “downstairs,” etc with Porter along to show her what was what.

On Saturday the 23rd, Lady Jaye and I drove up to the Washington DC Animal Rescue League, which has been in existence since 1914. WARL has a marvelous facility, which was recently renovated to the tune of four million dollars. The privately-funded shelter features classical music and climate controlled conditions for all of the animals. There is an on-site vet facility complete with operating room. The dog section of the shelter had a waterfall and soft lighting. WARL felt more like a meditation center than an animal shelter. The techniques seem to work; this was the only shelter I’ve ever been to where every dog wasn’t barking at the top of its lungs.

We had to take Porter and Rosie with us for an interaction interview, so we all piled in the Montero and took the two hour drive up to the heart of DC. We sat in the lobby for about an hour before someone could speak with us. In the meantime, Lady Jaye sat with both of our kids while I went in to talk to a border collie mix pup named Nicole.
(more…)

Posted in: pearl , pups