lisaviolet's diary

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

otherstuff
09:45 AM - 08/01/2012

The topic: Cameras are up!
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I can’t connect the remote control for the backyard camera to this computer, I have an adapter I bought years ago and found out yesterday it’s counterfeit and the drivers don’t work. Ah, well.

I ordered a PCI serial port card from Amazon, it should be here tomorrow. Had a heck of a time getting the cameras all running on one computer and the weather station keeps burping. I got rid of a bunch of programs that run automatically, am seriously considering uninstalling the virus software since there won’t be any surfing on that computer (way too slow).

After I get sharing enabled on Brian’s new computer, I’ll transfer files over to that one from the old one (where the cameras are now), then delete them off of the camera computer and defrag the hard drive.

I transferred CUTEFTP 7 Home to it this morning, couldn’t activate it, said I’d used it on too many computers. I had considered not shutting any of the cameras down, just letting them all run, but there’s nothing to see in the middle of the night. So, I need the automatic FTP capability I get from CuteFTP to upload the “see ya tomorrow” graphics for the cameras.

Meh.

Today I get a new external hard drive case and I’ll see if there’s anything special on the old hard drives from my Gateway. I pulled the hard drives and now what’s left of that computer can go to the computer graveyard. I’m done with it.

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Thursday, August 02, 2012

otherstuff
11:48 AM - 08/02/2012

The topic: And it’s done!
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The serial port card got here this morning, I pulled out the modem card from the computer and put the serial port card in its place. There was room for two more PCI cards, but I’m not going to hook this system up to a phone. Not even planning on using this computer for internet surfing or anything. It’s just for the weather station and cameras.

I did keep having a problem with a message that I should use a 2.0 USB port because it’s faster. I couldn’t figure out why I was getting this message. After testing different cables, I switched out the hub and the message stopped. Don’t know why the Rosewill hub that states it’s a 2.0 hub right on the front isn’t being seen as a 2.0 hub, but it wasn’t. I’ve got an old Targa hub in its place and it’s working nicely.

So, cameras on, backyard cam remote works (yay!), Brian likes his computer (I still need to set up the Zebra thermal printer on it and figure out why Roboform isn’t automatically filling out forms), but that’s all stuff that can wait.

So, I’ll be taking a shower after I drink this ZipFizz, then do paperwork and pay some bills. Then start catching up on other stuff. I should be finished with computer maintenance for a while.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

catstuff
10:36 AM - 08/15/2012

The topic: Back from the vet
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A couple of months ago, Spot was in urinary distress. Well, I don’t know if that’s quite how to explain it, but he spent a little bit of time in the litterbox, with driplets of urine and a little bit of time cleaning himself.

Not the “OMG I’m blocked, I can’t pee, I’m gonna die” distress, it didn’t seem major like that. Watching him closely in the hours that followed, he seemed to be back to normal. No repeated trips to the litterbox, no face stuck in his crotch cleaning himself. I figured “maybe a bladder infection” and started him on amoxicillan. He got two pills a day for eight days. He was fine after that. Well, after the first time I saw him having problems, I didn’t see it again.

Until it was time for “kitties in” on Sunday night. He was doing it again. And this time, he was louder. Like it really, really hurt. One of the things the vet showed me a long time ago was how to gently roll the area in my fingers, which might break up crystal type formations that could be causing a blockage. I tried that and Spot absolutely was not thrilled with my administration. I got him in the house, he went to the litterbox and pooped. Then he had some dinner and some water. Then back to the litterbox where he peed a tiny bit. Enough so that I knew he wasn’t blocking. But it was still scary, Brian and I both got dressed (we were in our “next stop - bed” attire) and got the carrier out. But Spot seemed fine the rest of the night. The next day, he was okay. And yesterday, he was okay. I started him on Baytril Sunday night since that’s what Charlie had been on. I thought that maybe he had a bladder infection that the amoxi didn’t get rid of. We knew that the best thing for Spot was a trip to the vet, though. To get to the bottom of the problem.

This morning, Spot was doing the same thing. It was early enough, I was able to get an appointment for this morning. The vet checked him over, Spot’s bladder was empty. The vet figures there’s something environmental that’s stressing him, causing this to happen. He said it could possibly be the weather. He thinks the crying is because of inflammation, it hurts for him to pee.

So, Spot got fluids at the vet’s office. He’ll get fluids tomorrow and Friday. 120cc. He’s back on amoxicillan, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. And he’ll be getting buprenex twice a day for three days, starting this morning. He’s already gotten this morning’s dose, he’s pretty relaxed right now.

Let’s hope this is the end of it. Poor kitty.

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