Ross E. Lockhart's Blog, page 83

Small Dog Social: April 3, 2011

We're back from this month's Small Dog Social at Our Best Friends (yep, we're Small Dog Socialists--wanna make something of it?), and I've just posted the best thirty of my 474 photographs at Photobucket, Facebook, and the Our Best Friends homepage. Click on through and have a look!

My tweets

Sat, 15:39 : RT @JMMcDermott: Running out of time at SFSignal's free eBook giveaway! NEVER KNEW ANOTHER for just a couple more hours! http://tinyurl. ... Sat, 15:47 : We're wandering down to Wondercon today. Whoopie! Whee! This Tweet was brought to you by the letter W. Sun, 01:37 : Adult Beverage: Simpler Times Lager. Cereal on the nose; Frosted Flakes on the tongue. Creamy. Corny & boozy. Brassy. http://t.co/nqeoF1u

Maddie Entertains Herself..

Maddie entertains herself at home while we're at Wondercon. Photo by Randy.

My tweets

Fri, 18:03 : RT @gavreads: RT @sfsignal: Free eBook: NEVER KNEW ANOTHER by @JMMcDermott: http://sfsignal.com/11567 #FreeFiction Fri, 18:04 : RT @JMMcDermott: You only have one day to visit SFSignal for a free eBook of Never Knew Another! www.SFSignal.com Fri, 18:09 : Avoiding the Internet today, lest something imaginary get my hopes up. Case in point: http://t.co/76CjwEM Sat, 02:48 : Jan and Randy are out; Charlie's been scratching at my back door, worried, so I'm hanging out with him in the backyard, keeping him company. Sat, 02:51 : ...and working my way through a Drake's Hopocalypse Double IPA, which is hoppy to hell and back. Sat, 03:01 : Charlie headed home, so I did too. Now watching the Giants/Dodgers game with Jennifer, figuring I'll read awhile. Book or manuscript? Sat, 04:06 : The Dark Moon reigns & we just woke a slumbering sylvan sprite surrounded by five waterfalls. #sworcery

Hannah

Maddie and I got the news yesterday after we got home from the City. Randy met us at the gate. "Mercedes stopped by," he said. "Hannah died..." He was choked up by the news, tearing up, strongly affected. "I didn't really even know the dog," Randy explained, holding Charlie the Dachshund tightly in his arms. "But it's just so sad."

For thirteen years, Hannah the Brussels Griffon has been the official greeter at Our Best Friends, shadowing Stephanie throughout her days at the store. Most days, customers would be greeted by Hannah's affable bark and shaggy, friendly face, her stumpy tail wagging as she met them at the door. Those who knew Hannah well recall her as a clever, amiable little beast, as likely to opine on matters with a happy bark as she was to offer you a scrap of plastic wrap in exchange for a treat. She was one of Maddie's best friends.

Over the last year or so, Hannah's health declined, ultimately robbing her of her mobility. But she seemed content to nap in the office as her understudy, Emma Parsley, ruled the roost, taking on her "big sister's" role as Official Store Greeter. The passing of the torch of office has seemed inevitable a few times over the year, but Hannah hung in there, as if she had one more thing to say, one more lesson to teach. She must have finally had her say, as early yesterday morning, Hannah peacefully passed away in her sleep.

Today, Maddie and I were at the store, a pall of silence hanging overhead. It seemed too quiet without Hannah there. Someone had set up a few photographs, a painting, a vase of flowers in Hannah's memory. I recall the number of Fridays over the last few years when someone came into Our Best Friends and, seeing Maddie and mistaking one little dog for another, said, "Hello Hannah." Today, neither Maddie nor I can think of a higher complement.



Hannah with Moose, 2008

My tweets

Wed, 14:11 : RT @TeresaFrohock: Alex Bledsoe talks about Miserere http://nblo.gs/g2uRF Wed, 14:11 : RT @PeterG1990: io9 book club: This month we read Kameron Hurley's novel God's War. Jump into comments to get started talking ab... http ... Wed, 14:11 : RT @NSBposse: The Night Bazaar: My Influences: You know, as a small aside before I get started, it occurs to me that I'd make ... http:/ ... Wed, 14:12 : RT @hprw: RT @ahugoshep: When Winston Churchill was asked why he didnt cut #artsfunding to help the war effort he replied 'what are we f ... Wed, 14:13 : RT @NSBposse: The Night Bazaar: The Stories We Didn't Read: Hey, it's Bradley's release week! That means free books! Just comm... http:/ ... Wed, 14:13 : RT @KameronHurley: Hey, I talk about books at The Night Bazaar! Also, if you comment there, you get to enter to win free books! http://n ... Wed, 15:24 : RT @bbeaulieu: Fantasy Book Critic Reviews The Winds of Khalakovo. Robert Thompson, the creator of and one of the primary reviewers at h ... Wed, 21:33 : RT @winnie3k: Featured book at my library! Squee @stinaleicht! http://twitpic.com/4f2zzl Wed, 22:41 : Been staring at computer screens since six a.m. Figure it's time to give my eyes a rest, go look at reality a while. Or maybe read a book. Thu, 01:39 : Picked up dinner tonight at Afendi's Turkish Grill (the mezza plate), and there's plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. I'll call that a win.

My tweets

Tue, 04:23 : Swamped with work, so taking time out to enjoy Wilum Pugmire's The Tangled Muse, which arrived in today's mail. A decadently beautiful book. Tue, 14:32 : Just entered a competition to win a shiny new iPad 2, courtesy of @ipadappstorm! - http://enva.to/dRoGxY

My tweets

Thu, 15:44 : RT @thexmedic: Much to my surprise I have finished reviewing novel copyedits a day ahead of schedule. Thu, 17:29 : Umbrella destroyed by winds. Should have chartered a boat to work today. Fri, 02:44 : Wait... why am I referring to myself in first person? I thought our story was told in second person? #editingoversight #sworcery Fri, 05:01 : RT @the1console: Friends of S:S&S EP - here's the App Store link that might momentarily topple the bird thing, you know what to do: http ...

My tweets

Wed, 18:19 : RT @civilianreader: From earlier: Interview w.Brad Beaulieu, Author of "The Winds of Khalakovo" http://goo.gl/fb/UCFPp @BBeaulieu @Night ... Wed, 20:55 : RT @thexmedic: @lossrockhart Hey check this out - Tor.com linked to Erik's breakdown of the No Hero cover http://bit.ly/h8CNs8 Thu, 01:20 : RT @SarahWilder: My review of Kameron Hurley's God's War. http://www.sarahwilder.com/2011/03/gods-war/ #goodbooks Thu, 01:21 : RT @emperorhand: I'm currently reading "God's War" by Kameron Hurley. Its premise is one of the most interesting I've read in SF in quit ... Thu, 01:41 : Spotted a sign reading "pummelos" at the grocery store, got my hopes up. Unfortunately, the sign was a lie; they were merely blood oranges. Thu, 05:43 : We got The Megatome & we are the smartest. #gotmegatome #sworcery

My tweets

Tue, 15:46 : RT @JMMcDermott: Today, I would like to send a shout out to my @NSBposse crew for great links oft' related to @nightshadebooks authors a ... Wed, 01:41 : RT @JMMcDermott: My thoughts on the eBooks for a dollar thing going around: Products are worth what folks'll pay for them. Manners are f ...