Conference vaxcat::ef97

    I hate it when there is a badly timed power dip. An hour later and I
    could have left for the weekend.

    Jamie.

    Jamie,
    
    We have this funny feeling it was more of a power surge considering
    the number of PC's and displays that blew their fuses.
    Ofcourse it completely threw off our timing for the SEPS migration
    this weekend.
    
    Charles

    The first sign of Friday going bad was about 14:00. I had just got an
    externally logged call on my screen reporting a TK85 had eaten a tape
    and wouldn't give it back. The interesting part of this call was the
    little snippet of information telling me the TK85 was located in their
    branch office in Istanbul.

    I was pondering on what to do with this call when suddenly all the
    lights went out and their was silence as all the fans whirred to a
    stop. Just as fast the power came on again and every computer started
    to reboot.

    My workstation couldn't find a server to boot from and using a VT220 on
    the LAT I discovered that the main computer room still seemed to be
    dead.

    Eventually they managed to get the telephone system running and the
    rest of the room got back to work running on the "Paper" system. The
    work I do requires a complete working computer system and so I was left
    cooling my heels.

    I drifted down to the computer room and looked in through the window.
    Half a dozen people were gathered around the power cabinets looking
    ruefully at the innards. From where I was standing I could see two of
    the 3 meters were registering zero while the third was showing a more
    normal reading.

    I returned upstairs with the news that 2 phases were out and we would
    have at least an hour's wait. As it turned out it was two and a half
    hours before our application was running again and I could dump the
    troublesome call on to the hardware queue and head, belatedly, for
    home.

    The next sign of problems ahead was the rather large number of cars
    waiting at the traffic lights. The reason was soon clear, the traffic
    lights were stuck.

    People were risking it in the turn left and turn right lanes but the
    two straight on lanes had dinks who would rather sit and look at a red
    light until they ran out of fuel, than run it.

    Eventually I managed to get into the left lane and use it to get to the
    front and run the red. I needed to get some stuff from the hardware
    store and got behind a woman driver who didn't believe in driving
    faster than a walking place and cunningly hogged the road so no one
    could overtake her.

    In the store it took an assistant about 10 minutes to track down the
    item I wanted and my temper was rising. I get out and find that once
    more I am behind a slow moving driver. I suppress the urge to scream
    and eventually leave the main road to run down all the back roads to
    the ferry.

    By now there will be a queue for the ferry and, as out regular 15 car
    ferry is out of service and its replacement (10 cars) will have made
    the queue longer.

    Actually I just had to wait for one crossing. I drove onto the ferry
    and as the guy came round to clip my card I wound down the driver's
    window. The window disappeared into the door with a thump and the
    handle turned uselessly.

    I drove home, late, cold and cursing. Naturally rain was forecast so I
    had to stick a plastic rubbish bag over the missing window.

    Saturday's plans of going to the big permanent flea market just north
    of Utrecht had to be cancelled as I had no car. However the nice man at
    the local garage fixed it for 50 guilders and I did get a lot of work
    done on the bathroom ceiling, which is now almost finished. 

    Jamie.
                                                              

    Charles,
    Be very careful when mentioning the SERPS upgrade!
    
    I could send hours talking about the problems I've had this morning,
    but I'm to knackered to do so
    
    gerbil$ready_to_strangle_a_system_mangler

    Gerbil,
    
    We had 2 production clusters in UTO back up and running by Saterday
    afternoon, applications tested and all.
    So, what's wrong with SEPS (or the system mangler)?
    
    Charles
    

    Actually I just had to wait for one crossing. I drove onto the ferry
    and as the guy came round to clip my card I wound down the driver's
    window. The window disappeared into the door with a thump and the
    handle turned uselessly.


Ooh...that happened to me once too.  Not nice.  Not nice at all.

//atp

� The window disappeared into the door

That happened to me as I was sat next to the door
of an old train. The window  dropped with a great
crash and sent glass flying as it shattered. No one
was hit by glass so no injuries.

Simon

    Charles
    
    Oh little things, like RDB was upgraded on one machine but not another
    so when the overnight batch jobs tried to replicate the data they
    crashed.
    
    The cluster alias for the Notes server was set to false so I was unable
    to get at all my Restricted Notes conferences
    
    and my Favourite
    
    *all* PC and WWW users to the live database were rejected
    Why?
    
    Becouse the System Mangling department didn't know that the
    SQLSRV$CONFIG.DAT file existed and so hadn't moved it to the new System
    Disk
    
    It's a damn good job I used to be an RDB DBA or they'd still be
    buggered
    
    gerbil$live_saver

    I have this funny feeling that not all system manglers in Nijmegen
    bothered to read some documentation or tried to find out how the
    upgrades on the test systems went.
    On the other hand, maybe we just had the better team ;-)
    
    Charles

Last night, having some free time, the Misses and I watched a film on TV.
Specifically, we watched "The Fugitive" on ITV.  Watching the TV is something
we very infrequently find time for, and even when we do watch a film we
normally rent a tape from the local video shop.

I had completely forgotten how insufferably annoying advert breaks during a
film are - they completely break up the thread of a story.  And to make
matters worse, there was a short piece of film, showing activity in a cinema,
at the start and end of each commercial break.

This experience has made sure that I'll stick to renting films on video!

regards,
//alan

    
    Get cable, or a satellite dish.
    It might be expensive in the short term, but think of all the money
    you'll save not renting videos.
    
    Julie.

    That is one of the few good things that I can say about Dutch TV. They
    do not interrupt the programs with commercials. These come in the gap
    between programs.

    Jamie.

    No cable Jamie?
    The Dutch commercial stations interrupt their commercials for bits of
    program.
    
    Charles

    We are a bit too far out of Buren for them to run the cable to us.
    Barbi has a satellite dish, but not a digital decoder, so it only gets
    rubbish. Therefore we are left with Ned I, II and III.

    Jamie.

�   Get cable, or a satellite dish.
�    It might be expensive in the short term, but think of all the money
�    you'll save not renting videos.

The adverts on SKY 1  and other channels are even worse. I reckon they
must almost be twice as long as ITV. Not only that, for some programs,
eg Startrek, you get some intro story, about 2 minutes, then the intro
title series and then some more story then  about 2 minutes later more
adverts.

Simon (I like noce straight edges)                                    ^

    
    Yes, true, but you don't get adverts in the middle of a film, and films
    is what he was talking about.
    
    Julie.
    

Cable / Sky

We probably watch maybe three films per month from our video shop. 
We tend to keep busy doing other things.

I think our local video rental emporium can count on our business for a few
years to come!

regards,
//alan

    I wish I had time to watch TV!
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    
     Australia is advertising Hell for me. There are breaks every
    seven (Approx) minutes, throughout all programs of all types.
    
     The plastique of American daytime TV invades every hour of
    Australian programming and the droning tedium and fakeness of
    it all usually gives me lots of good laughs. The really sad
    thing about it is that the public LOVE it.
    
     The worse adverts of all are the "Infotainment" ones.
    
     I now watch TV for no more than 1 hour a day and therefore only
    see something like thirty minutes of advertising (Not including
    product placement in the actual TV programs). It has reached the
    point where I genuinely prefer washing the dishes to having my
    brain washed by this garbage.
    
     A/.

    
    	see here, andy hobbs!!!
    	i won't take that sitting down!
    
    	
    
    
    	i'll just take it...
    
    

    While it is Stateside,
    
    the only difference between cable and broadcast TV I have seen is by
    not having cable I onlye have commercials on 4 stations, and begging on
    two (PBS) instead of the same on 25 and 5 stations respectively.
    
    i save about $27 US by not exposing myself and kids to the other mess.
    
    meg

    Oh Dear,
    	I spend a large amount of my time these days in front of the PC at
    home, working on various projects for the Company.
    
    	To help me stay sane I have installed a TV receiver in the PC and
    I've run the cable from the kit downstairs to it.
    
    	The new VB5 has a nice little monitor window ont he bottom right,
    just the right size for the TV window	;-)
    
    gerbil$multi_tasking

    We have two really hot patches. VAXLIBR06_070 and ALPLIBR05_070.

    As I was off on Friday there were at least 10 requests waiting for one
    or both. By lunchtime I had worked off these 10 and the 5 or so other
    requests that had sneaked in during the morning.

    I return from lunch and there is one customer who wants TEN copies on
    TEN TK50s.

    SCREAM!!!!!!

    Jamie.

    Jamie,
    
    Those patches don't really need to be installed until around midnight
    on May 18th...
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    Yes Laurie, you know that and I know that. But out there are hundreds
    of customers who are reduced to gibbering wrecks thinking that the
    millennium bug is arriving about two and a half years early.

    Blind panic is not a strong enough term to cover the situation.

    Jamie.

    Donchya luv it!
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    Here's a piece of hacked together DCL, to make making the patches an
    easier feet up affair.
    
    Feel free to modify the command procedure and/or mail me with constructive
    criticisms.
               
    We've sent ****** millions of them (well >10) from the UK CSC.
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    Chris :-)
$! **************************************************************************
$! * MAKE DELTA TIME PATCH PROCEDURE					    *
$! *									    *
$! * Author 	: Chris Sumner						    *
$! *									    *
$! * Date   	: 15-APR-1997					      	    *
$! *									    *
$! * Input  	: p1	The tape device (with or without :)                 *
$! *	      	  p2	ALPHA or VAX (Either VAX or ALPHA kits, you get the *
$! *			option to copy the one later on)		    *
$! *									    *
$! * Description : The command procedure will do the following:		    *
$! *    1) Allocate your chosen device.                                     *
$! *    2) Prompt you for input, which gives you time to put tape in the    *
$! *       device physically.   					    *
$! *    3) Initialise device (you may see a medofl message here, the DCL    *
$! *       handles it).							    *
$! *    4) Mounts the device.						    *
$! *    5) Copies your chosen machine_types kit (with /Log).		    *
$! *    6) Gives you an option to put the other machine_type on afterwards. *
$! *    7) Confirms kits are on the tape (with $dir command). 		    *
$! *    8) Waits for input before deallocating the device.		    *
$! *									    *
$! *	$@make_delta.com device-name machine_type			    *
$! *    device-name = e.g. AMI6$MKB0:           machine_type = ALPHA or VAX *
$! *	e.g. @MAKE_DELTA.COM AMI6$MKB0: VAX				    *
$! *									    *
$! *    Note: The label is DELTA.					    *
$! *									    *
$! * Modification History : Now excepts BOTH as p2 to enable VAX & 	    *
$! *			     Alpha kits					    *
$! *									    *
$! * Example 	: @make_delta,com AMI6$MKB0 VAX  			    *
$! *									    *
$! * References : OpenVMS DCL Dictionary:A-M 				    *
$! *									    *
$! * Comments 	: To Chris Sumner (KERNEL::SUMNERC), x3667                  *
$! *									    *
$! **************************************************************************
$!
$SET_UP_SYMBOLS:
$ ESC[0,8] = 27
$ CLEAR=ESC+"[2J"
$ SS$MEDOFL = 420
$!
$MAIN_LOOP:
$ set on
$ set noverify
$ on error then gosub ERROR_HANDLER
$!
$ write sys$output clear
$ write sys$output "********************************************************"
$ write sys$output "* MAKE_DELTA.COM V1.1				   *"
$ write sys$output "********************************************************"
$ write sys$output
$ write sys$output "Device>    ''p1'"
$ write sys$output "Arch type> ''p2'"
$ gosub CHECK_PARAM
$ gosub ALLOC_DEVICE
$ write sys$output "*** INIT_&_MOUNT_DEVICE ***"
$ gosub INIT_&_MOUNT_DEVICE
$ write sys$output "***     MAKE_PATCH      ***"
$ gosub MAKE_PATCH
$ write sys$output "***    CONFIRM PATCH    ***"
$ gosub CONFIRM_PATCH
$EXIT_HANDLER:
$ write sys$output "***   DISMOUNT DEVICE   ***"
$ gosub DISMOUNT_DEVICE
$ write sys$output "***  DEALLOCATE DEVICE  ***"
$ gosub DEALLOC_DEVICE
$FINAL_EXIT:
$ write sys$output "***         EXIT        ***"
$EXIT

$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * CHECK_PARAM Checks the input parameters are complete and valid	    *
$! **************************************************************************
$CHECK_PARAM:
$ if (p1 .eqs. "")  .OR. (p2 .eqs. "")
$ then
$   write sys$output "Please ensure you pass both parameters"
$ endif
$!
$! Check for : after device name
$ if f$locate(":","''p1'") .ge. f$length("''p1'")
$ then
$   p1 = "''p1':"
$ endif
$!
$! Check directories and files exist
$ vaxlibr_avail = f$search ("tima$tools:vaxlibr06*.*",1)
$ alplibr_avail = f$search ("tima$tools:alplibr05*.*",2)
$ if  (vaxlibr_avail .EQS. "") .AND. (alplibr_avail .EQS. "") 
$ then
$   write sys$output "The files you require are not available on this system"
$   goto FINAL_EXIT
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * ALLOC_DEVICE, Allocate Device if it exists and isn't already allocated *
$! **************************************************************************
$ALLOC_DEVICE:
$ dev_exists = f$getdvi("''p1'","EXISTS")
$ if dev_exists .EQS. "TRUE"
$ then
$   dev_alloc =  f$getdvi("''p1'","ALL")
$   if dev_alloc .EQS. "TRUE"
$   then
$     write sys$output "Device ''p1' Already Allocated"
$     goto FINAL_EXIT
$   else
$     alloc 'p1
$   endif
$ else
$   write sys$output "Device ''p1' DOES NOT EXIST, please check and re-enter"
$   goto EXIT_HANDLER
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * INIT_&_MOUNT_DEVICE  Initialize and Mount the Devic		    *
$! **************************************************************************
$INIT_&_MOUNT_DEVICE:
$ write sys$output "***** P L E A S E    I N S E R T    T A P E ******"
$ write sys$output "***** I N    D E V I C E   ''p1' *****"
$!
$ write sys$output "" 
$ read/prompt="Is tape ready (Y/N) ? : " sys$command ready
$ ready_or_not = f$edit(ready,"TRIM, UPCASE")
$!
$ if ready_or_not .eqs. "Y" 
$ then
$   gosub INIT_DEVICE
$   gosub MOUNT_DEVICE
$ else
$   gosub not_ready
$   goto INIT_&_MOUNT_DEVICE
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$!
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! *  MAKE_PATCH    Copy kits to tape					    *
$! **************************************************************************
$MAKE_PATCH:
$ machine_type = f$edit("''p2'","TRIM, UPCASE")
$make_another_patch:
$ if (machine_type .NE. "ALPHA") .AND. (machine_type .NE. "VAX") .AND. (machine_type .NE. "BOTH")
$ then
$   write sys$output "Pass ALPHA, VAX or BOTH as your second parameter !!"
$   goto exit_handler
$ endif
$!
$ if machine_type .eqs. "ALPHA" 
$ then
$  gosub alpha_patch
$ endif
$!
$ if machine_type .eqs. "VAX" 
$ then
$  gosub vax_patch
$ endif 
$!
$ if machine_type .eqs. "BOTH" 
$ then
$  gosub vax_patch
$  gosub alpha_patch
$ endif 
$!
$!
$! set verify
$ if machine_type .NE. "BOTH"
$ then
$   read/prompt="Put another copy on the same tape (Y/N) ? : " sys$command another
$   another = f$edit(another,"TRIM, UPCASE")
$   if another .EQS. "Y" 
$   then
$      read/prompt="Alpha or VAX (ALPHA/VAX) ? : " sys$command machine
$      machine_type = f$edit(machine,"TRIM, UPCASE")
$      goto make_another_patch
$   endif  
$ endif
$! set nover
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * CONFIRM_PATCH    Perform DIR to screen to confirm patch is on tape	    *
$! **************************************************************************
$CONFIRM_PATCH:
$ write sys$output "***** Confirming patch is on tape *****"
$ set verify
$ dir 'p1
$ set noverify
$ write sys$output "********************************************************"
$ write sys$output "* Label is DELTA					*"
$ write sys$output "* Chris Sumner accepts NO responsibility for the    *"
$ write sys$output "* correctiveness of this patch kit			*"
$ write sys$output "********************************************************"
$RETURN
$!
$! 
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * DISMOUNT_DEVICE Dismount Device if it's mounted			    *
$! **************************************************************************
$DISMOUNT_DEVICE:
$ dev_mnt = f$getdvi("''p1'","MNT")
$ if dev_mnt .eqs. "TRUE"
$ then
$  DISMOUNT/UNLOAD 'p1
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * DEALLOC_DEVICE   Deallocate Device	if it exists and is allocated	    *
$! **************************************************************************
$DEALLOC_DEVICE:
$ dev_exists = f$getdvi("''p1'","EXISTS")
$ dev_alloc = f$getdvi("''p1'","ALL")
$ if (dev_exists .eqs. "TRUE") .AND. (dev_alloc .eqs. "TRUE")
$ then
$    read/prompt="Press any key if you are ready to Deallocate ''p1'" sys$command fin
$    DEALLOCATE 'p1
$ endif
$ show device 'p1
$RETURN
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * M I N O R     S U B R O U T I N E S				    *
$! **************************************************************************
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * INIT_DEVICE- initialize device as soon as it's available		    *
$! **************************************************************************
$INIT_DEVICE:
$! check tape is really ready
$ init_cnt = 0
$ gosub CHECK_TAPE_AVL
$ set noon
$ wait 00:00:30  !give tape a few seconds to load as it generates the following
$! 		  errors otherwise %X107528EC & %x107501A4 ? 
$init_loop:
$ INIT 'p1 delta
$ if $status .EQ. SS$MEDOFL
$ then
$   write sys$output "''p1' currently offline, wait 30seconds & retry"
$   wait 00:00:30
$   if init_cnt .GE. 10
$   then
$      write sys$output "Problem Initializing ''p1' - ''$status' Exiting"
$      goto EXIT_HANDLER
$   else
$      init_cnt = init_cnt + 1
$      goto init_loop
$   endif
$ else
$!  Catch all for Initialize
$   if ($status .NE. 1)  .AND. ($status .NE. SS$MEDOFL)   
$   then
$      write sys$output "Problem Initializing ''p1' - ''$status' Exiting"
$      goto EXIT_HANDLER
$   else    
$      write sys$output "''p1' Initiailized"
$   endif
$ endif
$ set on
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * MOUNT_DEVICE - Mount device as soon as it's available    	    	    *
$! **************************************************************************
$MOUNT_DEVICE:
$! check tape is really ready
$ set noon
$ mnt_cnt = 0
$mount_loop:
$ mount 'p1 delta 'p1
$ if $status .EQ. SS$MEDOFL
$ then
$   if mnt_cnt .GE. 10
$   then
$      write sys$output "Problem mounting ''p1' - ''$status' - Exiting"
$      goto EXIT_HANDLER
$   else
$      mnt_cnt = mnt_cnt + 1
$      write sys$output "''p1' currently offline"
$      wait 00:00:30
$      goto mount_loop
$   endif
$ else   
$!  Catch all for Mount
$   if ($status .NE. 1)  .AND. ($status .NE. SS$MEDOFL)   
$   then
$      write sys$output "Problem Mounting ''p1' - ''$status' Exiting"
$      goto EXIT_HANDLER
$   else    
$      write sys$output "''p1' Mounted"
$   endif
$ endif
$ endif
$ set on
$!
$! Wait until device has been mounted before continuing
$!
$ chk_mnt = 0
$ck_mnt_loop:
$ dev_mnt = f$getdvi("''p1'","MNT")
$ if dev_mnt .eqs. "FALSE"
$ then
$   wait 00:00:10
$   chk_mnt = chk_mnt + 1
$   if chk_mnt .GE. 10 
$   then
$      write sys$output "Problem mounting ''p1' - ''$status' - Exiting"
$   endif		
$   goto chk_mnt_loop
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * CHECK_TAPE_AVL  Check device is availble 				    *
$! **************************************************************************
$CHECK_TAPE_AVL:
$ avl_cnt = 0
%check_avl_loop:
$ media_ready = f$getdvi("''p1'","AVL")
$ if media_ready .eqs. "FALSE"                    
$ then
$   wait 00:00:10
$   avl_cnt = avl_cnt + 1
$   if avl_cnt .GE. 10 
$   then
%     write sys$output "''p1' not available"
$   endif		
$   goto check_avl_loop
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * NOT_READY - Incase tape is not in device		      		    *
$! **************************************************************************
$NOT_READY:
$ read/prompt="Do you wish to quit ?  (Y/N) : " sys$command quit_ans
$ quit = f$edit(quit_ans,"TRIM, UPCASE")
$ if quit .eqs. "Y" 
$ then
$   goto EXIT_HANDLER
$ endif
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * VAX_PATCH								    *
$! *************************************0************************************
$VAX_PATCH:
$ set verify
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070_CVRLET.TXT 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.A 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.B 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.C 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.D 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.E 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.F 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:VAXLIBR06_070.G 'p1 /LOG
$ set nover
$RETURN
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * ALPHA_PATCH							    *
$! *************************************0************************************
$ALPHA_PATCH:
$ set verify
$ copy tima$tools:ALPLIBR05_070_CVRLET.TXT 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:ALPLIBR05_070.A 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:ALPLIBR05_070.B 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:ALPLIBR05_070.C 'p1 /LOG
$ copy tima$tools:ALPLIBR05_070.D 'p1 /LOG
$ set nover
$RETURN   
$!
$!
$! **************************************************************************
$! * error_handler							    *
$! *************************************0************************************
$ERROR_HANDLER:
$ exit_status = $status
$ write sys$output "An error occured - Exiting - Status ''exit_status'"
$ goto exit_handler
$RETURN
    

    
    	don't you have anything BETTER to do with your time, chris?
    
    	HAVE YOU FOUND WILLY, YET!?!?!?

    > don't you have anything BETTER to do with your time, chris?
    Nope.  I'm currently enjoying a sad life.  I want to come over to the
    states for a while and work, but I'm not sure my manager will buy into
    that idea, especially if I sight my only reason to be "meeting American
    girls".  Life not fair, huh ? Denise ?
    
    >HAVE YOU FOUND WILLY, YET!?!?!?
    Found him.  He's back at oracle.  [email protected] or
    [email protected]   something like that.
    
    
    Chris

    
    you want to work here!!?
    
    if that is what is keeping you from coming here (not a good 
    enough reason for your boss)... i'm kinda glad you can't.
    like we need another love-starved furriner around here!
    
    what do you mean willy's back at oracle... did he leave?
    get me his phone number please... i need to talk some sense
    into that hull-ish head of his.
    

    >Here's a piece of hacked together DCL, to make making the patches an
    >easier feet up affair.

    Here is the piece of DCL code that I use to write the Delta time
    patches. Not quite as sophisticated as yours but it works.

$ ini/over=(acces,exp,ow) mua0: patch
$ init mua0: patch
$ mount mua0: patch
$ copy *libr*.* mua0:*.*/log
$ dismount mua0:/unload

    Jamie.

    >Not quite as sophisticated as yours but it works.
    Cheers Jamie, the money's in the internal mail,
    
    ::DENISE
    Why else would I want to visit the states ?  Oh actually, can youy send
    some root beer through internal mail ?
    
    Chris :-)

    
    	chris,
    
    	come and get your root beer yourself...
    	what do i look like, a postman, fer chrissakes!?!?!

    Not so much a postman, more a dispatch rider.
    
    :-)

    It's the leather duster and goggles that get to me.
    
    Andrew

    
    	ooooh andrew,
    	underneath that cold, stiff facade beats the heart
    	of a truly passionate man. you devil.

    denise, don't tell everyone, I've got my image to think of.
    
    Andrew

    I think you blew that long ago Andrew.
    
    Balders

    As far as I'm concerned, at least, Mr. Dodds' image is quite untainted.
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    
    	indeed it is, laurie, except when he chooses to let his
    	hair down.
    	but i'm not supposed to talk about that, right andrew?

    There's less and less every day...
    
    Andrew

    
    	dear gawd, andrew, please don't say the parting is going
    	further and further to the side...
    

    
    Our horse is ill and will possibly die.
    
    I thought it was pretty horrible when Kiaran and Liam went through
    the pnemonia and related stuff later last year and to date, but at
    least with the kids everyone tries to help and the doctors will go
    to great lengths to make sure death doesn't happen.
    
    Last night, I had the crappiest, lonliest most disturbingly helpless
    time, standing in a stable with Lady going into pain spasms which
    were on occasion so bad that she threw herself on the floor in agony
    and kicked about. Half a tonne of thinking (Albeit a little slowly),
    feeling animal having fits. Sod all I could do. Nobody (Even the guy
    up there who knows SO MUCH about horses that we call him 'Horsadile
    Dundee') could tell us whether she'd die, or if we could do anything
    useful.
    
    Both vets in the area had their mobile phones turned off (Evidently
    earn too much to give a toss at night time) until 0900 today.
    
    Diagnosis is 'Sand colic' - a blockage of the bowel caused by taking
    in too much sand while gluttonously trying to pick up single strands
    of fallen hay from the dry dusty sand that makes up the floor of the
    yard she is in.
    
    95% death rate, they say. Vet was happy to pump a couple of gallons 
    of petroleum jelly (Or somesuch) through a nose tube into her gut
    in an effort to "blow it clear".
    
    If anyone out there prays for other people or animals, do it now
    please. And if anyone has any idea what to do, say it now please.
    And if anyone has an inflatable vet, send it now please - I have
    a bicycle pump.
    
    Whine over.
    
    A/.

All the best to you and your horse, Andy.

I remember seeing my dog writhing in some spasm, just before we took him into
the car to be taken to the vet's place and put down.  It was pretty horrible.

regards,
//alan

    Bummer, Andy, bummer. 
    
    ATB, Laurie.

    
    Thanks for the mails and replies.
    
    Since the time of writing, Lady has made an almost complete 
    recovery (Explosive reaction to the stuff the vet pumped in)
    and is now back to behavioural normality (I.e. eating all the
    time, pushing out 'processed results' and having enough left
    over to bounce around a lot).
    
    We're down to sixty-seven dollars (One week after pay day) and
    have the largest vet bill to come, but we're all alive and fit,
    living in paradise and getting better at it every day.
    
    Just another chance to test our priorities and come out better
    for it.
    
    Andy/.

    Thank goodness she recovered.
    
    Jamie.

    re .92
    
    glad that Lady is okay again.
    
    A long time ago when I worked on at the Irish National Stud in Tully, I
    had a foal to look after with a kind of colic. The foal could not pass
    the myconium so we had to milk ther mare and pour petroleum jelly mixed
    with mare's milk down him. I also had to put my finger up the other end
    :-)
    
    The foal recovered much as Lady did, but the nice thing was the
    reaction of the mare in this case. She was very distressed while the
    foal was ill, and I was continually trying to reassure her. When the
    foal recovered she was delighted and made great friends with me.
    
    ..Kevin..  
             

    Andy,
    
    Wow, it's brilliant that Lady has recovered.  I reckon these things are
    sent to test us and make us realise how special certain things in this
    life are to us.
    
    CHARLOTTE

    
    Yeah, the number of times we've had to assess priorities in the
    last two years has caused me some considerable amusement (Usually
    AFTER the event) and has really pulled our family life into good
    order.
    
    With the long term plans we have involving lots of horses, this
    has been an interesting lesson and a decent test of our resolve.
    
    Now we're really focused.
    
    Chubby Pom April update soon out, for those who're keeping up.
    
    http://cscnw410.stl.dec.com/andy/mainpage.html (Link at the end
    of the page to the updates).
    
    Andy/.

    Bloody Exchange...
    
    Laurie.

    
    I quite like it !
    
    Julie.