Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in The Moo's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, June 4th, 2009
2:51 pm	Moo-ving my site With geocities about to close at some as yet unspecified time, I have gone ahead and moved my site (The Moo-niverse). The old location is still up and running and will stay until Geocities closes it. In the meantime, those who care and those who have been kind enough to put links to me on their own sites, please take note. The new home of the Moo-niverse is: themoo.uskeba.ca I betcha we should be hearing more and more of you making announcements like this soon, eh? The Moo (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
12:45 pm	Happy Birthday Jesus Hello listlings and a Merry Christmas for those to whom this wish applies. It has been The Moo's habit, every Christmas, to repost a birthday ficlet I once wrote for Jesus. No, Jesus, didn't request a moo-fic but this idea just came to me one day. The fic is a little bit irreverent, but it is meant with affection. Now, The Moo is not a Christian, but the story of Joshua ben Joseph (as his name might have been rendered in his own society) is certainly a compelling one. And think of the similarities to our Benny: A young man goes into his Father's line of work, he's a little out of touch with the society around him, the Father is not on this earth but talks to him anyway, the young man is a little more virtuous than the average bear (a Yogi Bear reference for those who are old enough to remember). And if he just happens to go around talking in parable a lot . . . hee hee. Oh dear, the intro is longer than the ficlet. One last warning - there is a season four reference - dialogue that comes out of Say Amen, sort of. If you are among those who think that whole surreal season didn't really exist . . . be warned accordingly. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Winter Solstice, Pleasant Festivus for the Restivus. ******************** Joshua ben Joseph was spending this quiet winter afternoon the way he spent most quiet winter afternoons, (except the Sabbaths, of course) at work in his step-father's carpentry shop. It was his birthday but Joshua's mother and step-father weren't planning anything special. His culture didn't celebrate birthdays. Chanukah had come and gone and the next really big festival wasn't until Purim. Anyway, Joshua, turning eighteen today, was too grown up for the childish antics of Purim. As he was busy working away on repairing one of his neighbour's milking-stools, Joshua heard a familiar Voice. "Hello, Son." "Oh, hi Dad." "Working hard? You look tired." Joshua put down his tools with a sigh. "Not tired, Dad, not physically. It's just . . . " "Well?" Joshua never had trouble talking with his Father the odd time He started up a conversation but today something was troubling him and he wasn't sure Dad would take it well. "Dad, You know You once told me I should go into my father's line of work. Well, Joseph's been really patient and he teaches me the best he can, but I just get the feeling I'm not cut out for carpentry. I mean, look at this stool – it's all a mess. I can't even hammer in a nail straight. I like to obey You but, I just don't think I'll ever be anywhere near a half-decent carpenter." "There was amusement in his Father's Voice. "Did I tell you to be a carpenter? Think, Joshua. You're eighteen now, it's time to get to work. Your real work." "Carpentry. Joseph's a carpenter." "Joseph is your step-father. I meant My line of work." This was a curious thought for young Joshua. He never really thought of his Father having "work" as such. But, whatever it was, it had to be better than carpentry. And, Joshua had been having the feeling that people in town, actually all over, weren't paying Dad and his precepts the kind of attention Joshua thought they should have. "What would I do?" "Just tell 'em stories, Son. You know how to do that." "Stories about sin?" "Sin is good. Well, no, sin isn't good. I didn't mean it that way. I mean sin is good to tell a story about. Except, Son, it's not the best thing to tell a story about. People like to hear stories about familiar things. Okay, sure, sin is familiar to them but . . ." Joshua waited and didn't interrupt. Dad had a tendency to ramble. He had all the time in the universe at his disposal so it wasn't like Dad needed to take care to be succinct. " . . . thing is, Son, I've got all the time in the universe so I tend to ramble. I don't talk much to people anymore, it tends to confuse them. I was thinking you could talk to them for me. Tell them what I want them to know in little stories. Not about sin all the time, necessarily. You don't have to scare them off. Tell them about familiar things, but with a moral, see?" "Telling stories for a living?" The young men of Nazareth didn't have a lot of spare time on their hands. Regular days were filled with work, prayer and Torah study. But on the Sabbath, when no work was permitted, Joshua and some friends liked to sit around and tell each other stories they had made up. In fact, Joshua spent some of the mindless carpentry hours thinking up stories to tell. But it wasn't something he'd thought of doing seriously. "It may grow into something bigger eventually," his Father suggested, cryptically. "OK, Dad. I'll give it a try." End. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
10:01 pm	Remembrance Day CTV and a couple of radio stations have been doing Holocaust remembrance thingees together with Remembrance Day thingees. I approve of this heartily! Holocaust denial is running rampant. England has edited it all out of the textbooks in fear of offending certain . . .well . . . groups of people. It's horrifying. The Holocaust happened. Shame on the deniers. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 29th, 2008
10:22 pm	I never do this . . . but. . . . How evil are you? (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 11th, 2008
8:48 pm	Writer's Block: 9/11 What were you doing on September 11th, 2001? How do the events of that day hold meaning for you now? View 500 Answers It was my first week of work at my new job in Vienna. Everyone in the office was jabbering about New York and not being able to get more information. At first I was annoyed. Nobody was working and I felt (hee hee like Cartman) that nobody was respecting my au-thor-ee-tah. Then people told me more and I realized it was a serious world event. Nobody could log onto CCN for news - it was just overwhelmed. So, the moo had the idea to go to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) news and spread the word for people do do that. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
9:29 am	I'm baaaaaack Been away for a while but I find now I miss this forum. So, to catch up briefly: - the exercise I've been so proud of . . . heh heh . . . the cardiologist says it is way not enough. - my blood sugars are worse. The endocrinologist is going to try to add a new medication. - this is all so depressing it is hard to keep a positive attitude. However it has been a kein ayin hara nice summer in terms of moo-activities. We're not taking a long trip this year. So, in April or May I went on a long weekend writing retreat. In July I went to an 8-day training program for religious lay leaders Also in July Julia's theatre group put on a play of mine Last weekend I went to RCW139. Ah, what at time. More of that to come. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
11:43 pm	Excercise It has been The Moo's fate to have all the exercise programs she has been all be essentially ineffective. Haven't been able to tell why I pumped and ran and biked from time to time and didn't improve my wind, weight or blood sugar. However. . . Now that I am doing weights again at the cardio clinic I have some shoulder and back exercises with weights. I note after about 3 weeks of these that I don't have pain in my upper back anymore. Kein ayin hara. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
7:29 pm	Tomorrow McGee will be one year old tomorrow. My precious no longer looks like the puppy in this icon, but like a grown man. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 13th, 2008
10:05 am	oy McGee So I left a BBQ chicken on the kitchen table. And while all the family was elsewehere, McGee managed to pull it off the table onto the floor and polish the whole thing off. Will have to be more watchful of when he jumps up on kitchen chairs and teach him not to do that. Funny thing is, both he and Milo sit immobile on people's laps while the people are eating at the table and the dogs don't touch anything from plate, fork or hand. Amazing. We thought it was only Milo's ability but here is brand new McGoo-McGee doing the same. A wiener dog trait? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
9:28 am	oh dear, forgot my McGoo In my list of 2007 doings, I forgot to add that we acquired another puppy love. McGee, the picture attached is what he looked like at 6 months and this month he will be a full year old kein ayin hara. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, January 4th, 2008
6:53 pm	Review 2007 I've let 2007 go without as much journalling as I used to, but it has been a relatively eventful year for the moo-family. Younger subunit: Graduated with extraordinary distinction from her undergraduate degree and has come home from Europe. Now living at home and going to graduate school. Has terminated a long-lasting romance but of her own free will. Older subunit: Continues graduate school and living at home. Has also terminated a long-standing romance of her own free will. Mister Moo: nothing huge that didn't also involve the rest of the family. The Moo: diagnosed with severe angina in March, heart surgery in October, got designated "bilingual" at work in November (which will in the future allow moo to do audits in French, thereby spending more time in Montreal - which is a good thing - kein ayin hara) the Moo and Mister Moo together: bought a new country property in April, went on a long driving trip to celebrate 30th anniversary in September. All the Moo-family: bought out the house we were renting in December. There, duly recorded. PS. I have no real intention to do any more real estate deals. We had quite a time rushing around to close the December deal before the end of the year, at the request of the seller (on the advice of her accountant). (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 17th, 2007
7:57 pm	Hello LJ World I think it has been a few months. I survived my bypass. The surgery was almost 2 months ago now. I'm not taking hardly any pain medication anymore. Most days I don't even nap. Still not sure when I'll want to go back to work though. It may be a while before I post again and sorry if I've missed peoples' important announcements. I certainly won't be able to read back all these months. Take care, all. (17 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 29th, 2007
10:36 pm	new fic announcement For those who may remember a moo-fic three years ago called Victim. Heavy duty Benny bashing, h/c with Ray V as the c. On the longish side. For a birthday on Two Axes I've written a brief sequel/continuation. May get around to continuing the continuation some day. Anyway - if you haven't read the original Victim and want to, it is on my site here: http://www.geocities.com/themoo37/shannontest.html The continuation contains a lot of exposition for those who don't want to bother with the first one. So if you haven't read Victim and intend to, DON'T read this continuation first. Do the original first. But the continuation makes sense if you don't read the original, as I said, because of all the exposition. Anyway, the new one is here: http://www.geocities.com/themoo37/victim2.html (Comment on this)
Monday, July 16th, 2007
11:47 am	Latest Health Update Well, let's see: Have abandonned going to Weight Watchers for now, just too gangs-all-here for me to support at the moment and also (how depressing) been off diet for a month, maybe more. Result: back to D/A/D plus 7 in weight. Actually when I dared get on the scale on the weekend I expected worse. So, on my merry rounds of starvation again. I've set myself a final goal of D/A/D minus 8, so a total of 15. Doesn't sound like much, does it. On The Moo's tiny frame it is lots and considering the slow rate at which I lose . . . oy . . . And what is really charming is that none of the doctors are really bugging me about weight. I figure I'm about 20 pounds overweight, give or take. But I figure it can't hurt. Less strain on heart and may help blood sugar. May not, but then at least I will be able protest . . ."But, I'm not faaaaaaat." Have finally been able to connect to the kinesthesiologist (exercise specialist) and made appointment to start a supervised program in the middle of August (kenn ayn nehora I'm still alive by then). This is being done because my cardiologist does not want me exercising without supervision. I had complained to him that I didn't feel the exercise I was doing was doing any good. He told me not to do ANY until I saw the kinesthesiologist. In the meantime I saw a nurse practitioner who assured me that notwithstanding the lack of apparent results, I was most assuredly NOT wasting my time all these years of the treadmill and bike. That felt a little better. Spent a week at Love-of-the-Land with Mister Moo and the boys (i.e. my two precious doggies). McGee is settling into life in the Moo-household. He still has no concept of any kind of obedience. The class I intended to take him to was cancelled. Have to find a new class. Vacations are not healthy for The Moo, though. All symptoms: blood sugar, pains, you name it, were worse the week of vacation. Do not respond with questions, I will not provide any more information than the above. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 2nd, 2007
8:45 pm	McGee Well, an internet picture that is identical. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
8:17 pm	We have news!!!! There is a new addition to the Moo household. His name is McGee. Another miniature dachund to be a playfellow for my sweet man. Well, that's being poetic. Sweet man precious puppy-love doesn't necessarily want another dog in the house, but, tough. The connection to the Robert Service poem about Sam McGee is co-incidental but fortunate, because Moo and Mister Moo both like that poem. His name comes from the 19th century politician D'Arcy McGee. His former owner named him D'Arcy but the Moo family was not pleased with that name. Little 5-month old D'Arcy didn't seem to be answering to his name anyway so we grokked to change it. McGee seemed to be a natural extension of D'Arcy and it begins with M, as all names in the Moo-family are required to do. McGee is what they call "black and tan" which means he is all black except for brown patches on his face, on his tush, and he has brown feet. He still has baby teeth which are in the process of falling out. When he is fully grown we are informed that he will be just marginally smaller than our other precious. We shall see. McGee still has over-sized puppy feet. McGee is a good name for squealing . . . Mc Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 10th, 2007
7:25 pm	New Pic The Moo and The Man. Nuff said. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
7:52 am	Testing I've been away from LJ for so long . . . TYK to Yeungmaisu for mentioning that other people have been having woes here. Seems I'm not one of the ones suspended. Not that I expected I would be. Sorries to net friends for being absent. Nothing dire, just distracted. More later. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 12th, 2007
5:52 pm	Another of memes which I normally never do. Click here to create your own painting. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 4th, 2007
9:31 pm	Younger subunit Has received from her university a prestigious leadership award. This pleases us. And it should be noted that older subunit in her day also won leadership award at her university. I don't think I had an LJ at that time in which to brag about same. Good form, subunits! (4 Comments |Comment on this)