Explorations » Pets

Higgs, broken (again)

Eric Small — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:08:08 +0000

* WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 5292 * So the cat broken another bone. Actually, the same bone. Apparently the metal bar put in place after the last time was being a bit too inflexible and putting pressure on the bone with each jump. Time gave way to pressure and *snap*, break #2.

So the cat has had surgery again, the plate removed, and a new “fixation” put on for the new break. This one’s external so it’s non-permanent. But it’ll be another 6 weeks or so of kitty hell. There were considerations for a amputation so the cat is lucky, I guess.

Here in the picture I took Quark to the vet for a visit. He was confused. And back at home again, he’s once again acting like I must never ever leave his side. Apparently this is how he freaks out with the other one missing. Perhaps afraid I’m going to make him leave too if he misbehaves? He’s never purred so much ever.

- Eric Small, pet daddy

Two Books

Eric Small — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:25:34 +0000

* WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 5211 * * WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 5213 * Do you like re-reading books you’ve read before? I do. Sometimes it’s just nice to lay back and re-experience a good story you’ve read a number of times before. I just finished these two favorites from my pretty large Star Trek collection. The first is about the Enterprise being whisked across the universe through an invisible “gate” … then having issues when they can’t get back. There’s war and philosophy – exactly like good science fiction should have.

The second is a follow-up to the first, but this time, the Enterprise is investigating the gates to once again save the Federation. And once again, they get stuck far, far, FAR from home. And there’s once more a mysterious enemy that threatens the mission.

Together these two kept me busy for about a week. And I’m sure I’ll read them again in times to come. They bring me back to my youth, whilst also taking me away to the future. You can’t beat that!

– Geeked out in Sci-Fi, Eric Small

Go Cubs (or at least to Cubs.com)!

Eric Small — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:00:47 +0000

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

* WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 4613 * Among the many proud jobs I’ve had the pleasure of working on, was the original (read, first) cubs.com web site. Back in 1996, when the corporate Web was just being birthed still, I was at the Tribune Media Services company within the grander Tribune Company. I had a cubical in the historical Tribune building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, facing out over Navy Pier on Lake Michigan. It was beautiful, truly. As one of the first hires working on web sites, I was picked to work on the new Cubs.com site. It didn’t hurt that I had successfully created an automated sports scores publishing mechanism, which we ultimately integrated on the live copy of the Wrigley Field scoreboard you see above. I worked with my friend Valerie Nozick as the primary on the content side, me being on the technical side. And we did it in the matter of a couple months.

It was a proud time and set me firmly on a course of success in the Internet industry. And like it or not, I have been a Cubs fan ever since (shhhhh) ;-)

See more of the screen captures here: Cubs.com photo album

- A Proud Internet web site papa, Eric Small

East Bound and Down

Eric Small — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:57:05 +0000

An old favorite. Something of a Pick Me Up tune, and a bit of a theme song the last couple months as we worked to wrap up the project at work for our 3/11 launch date.

East Bound and Down from YouTube

Your Sing-Along buddy, Eric Small

Pets

Eric Small — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:08:25 +0000

* WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 3046 *I heard someone once say they wouldn’t ever own a pet, because they didn’t feel the need to exert their dominance over another creature. Sounds pretty horrible. As I’m sitting here having just been teamed up on and forced into feeding my two cats by constant crying and sniffing and walking on and kitty-poking, I kinda wonder who’s dominating whom.

More than that though, they’re now sprawled out on the floor as I prepare for another work day, simply preparing to find the best places to nap for the day. It’s comforting to know these “creatures” are enjoying the ultimate comforts of kitty life — because of me.