Dear Mandioca.

I'm writing this so you'll have something to read over breakfast today. Being a much appreciated loyal reader (albeit one who never comments), I feel I must do something to help fill the devastating hole in your life that's been there since the computer died and our internet connection went down.

Telstra can't send anyone over till NEXT Thursday, so you might just want to read this very slowly. If you like, you can send them a nasty note and tell them how slack they are.

I can't post any of my award-winning mobile phone pictures today, so please have a look at Seth's. Being a photographer yourself, I think you might like will gasp at them. This is the link to his blog. When I visited it last week, I noticed his posts had mostly 0 comments. He's been blogging since 2007. How did we miss this fella? The fact that he may now be the most famous dogtographer on the planet gives a little blogger like me great hope. In case you've already seen his photographs, please ignore this paragraph and proceed immediately to the next.

You will need at least 20 seconds to do this fun quiz. I hope you have the time. I wanted to post it for Valentine's Day so introverts everywhere wouldn't feel so bad about preferring a quiet night doing takeaway in front of the telly over a 500 dollar romantic degustation dinner in town. But I'm obviously too late. The quiz is still fun though. I scored 19 out of 20. Can you guess which one I said 'NO" to? You can tell me how you did [hint] in a comment.

Now that I've written this riveting post, I just have to wait for the internet connection to pop up to publish it. Hopefully that will happen soon, before you finish your breakfast.

Much love, The Typist who is slowly going mad.

9th February.

Being a mostly industrious person, I started yesterday with a laundry load.

Then, I took Georgia out for her morning walk. We met the usual suspects at Mort Bay. Ted, already on his way home though it was only half six. Pearl, Darcy, Aggie. I noticed Georgia's back looked a little stiff so I was very glad she wasn't in the mood to play. She'd probably strained something from her mad game with Buddy the night before. She's not so young anymore, but I don't think she realises it yet.

When we got home, I hung out the laundry. The day had started a little wet, but the sky had turned a patchy blue and I was hopeful.

I made Georgia her breakfast but waited an hour before giving it to her.

I shook out the blankets and cushions, vacuumed the floor and rugs (yet again). Summer's almost over and our easy-care, short-haired dog is still shedding. Her fur is as confused as we humans are, by the weather this year.

I swept the yard and did some pruning. The constant rain has made the garden verdant and mushy. I'm a little over walking into sticky cobwebs and being slapped by wet branches and dangly jasmine tendrils every time I step into the yard.

By late morning, I decided I had to write something to remember the day by. I turned the computer on, it gave a little creaky groan, some green lights blinked a few times, then it died. I was a little perturbed by the timing.

At 11ish, Rachel turned up. I don't see much of her these days though we live in almost neighbouring suburbs. I used to see her at least 3 times a week at capoeira class. That was a lifetime ago, before 2 babies. A few days ago, she messaged me about catching up yesterday. She had no idea that it was a significant day though, curiously, she always seems to be there for me on days like that. We had a lovely Japanese lunch of teriyaki chicken and tempura vegetables washed down by miso soup. Then we went to a cafe down Darling Street for cake, coffee and a juice with the unfortunate name of crapple, which fortunately didn't taste like crap.

When I got home, I tried the computer again. It was still dead.

The Other Half came home and took Georgia in to work.

I watched a recorded movie called Shaolin and managed to fall asleep somewhere during one of the bloodbaths.

5 o'clock rolled round. I went to my 3rd capoeira class this week. My thigh muscles felt like sludge. I felt old and deliciously happy.

When I got home at 8ish, The Other Half was working on raising the computer from the dead. I was hopeful that I'd still be able to write something because the man knows how to fix everything. But by 10, he finally called it. Exact cause of death, still unknown.

I turned on his iPad, this iPad, and tried to connect to the blog. I got the message "Unable to connect. Server not responding."

I turned on my iPhone thinking I could manage a really, really short post on it despite my stubby fingers and long-sightedness. I got the message "Unable to connect. Server not responding."

I topped up the citronella oil in the aromatherapy burner, turned off the light, pulled up my blankie and went to sleep.

The 9th of February had, in the end, become just another day. My best guess is that someone up there was telling me it's time to move on. There are only 365 days in a year after all (366 this year), and if we keep remembering the bad sad days, soon we'll have no more happy ones left.

It'll take a few days to get a new computer up. Meanwhile, I'm typing this on The Other Half's iPad which strangely has no problem connecting me to anything today. I don't like the feel of it, it won't let me use pretty colours or adjust typefaces (or I have no idea how) and I have no access to my pictures. But at least, I finally get to say this.

Thank you Jordan. Love you.




11.25am. BREAKING NEWS!
After a wild goose chase and meetings with mysterious unnamed contacts, Nacho was finally returned to his family about 30 minutes ago and is apparently in good health. Click on their Facebook link in the last post if you want to see the sweetest, most awww-inspiring picture of the old fella.

February 10th is shaping up to be someone's Very Happy Day :)


P.P.S. at one-ish.
I'm sorry if I'm missing from your blog. Today, I seem only to be able to leave comments on those without word verification. I see the same word to verify on every blog - senita. Of course, it tells me I'm wrong when I type it.

So Jean, if you're reading this, I know Justus has been found! A good day, all in all.

Love, ingenuity and a lost dog.

This morning, I found a post on my facebook wall about a dog named Nacho.

He's 10, diabetic, requires medication and a special diet, has a shaved left leg from a recent operation and has been missing since 27th January.

His home is in Sydenham, Sydney which may be a long, long way away from where you're reading this. But I do believe in 6 degrees of separation and who knows who you may know, even if you're across the big pond.

The owners, Nathalie and Shaun, have created a facebook page so that they can keep friends and helpful strangers updated on Nacho sightings and what's being done to find him.

Nacho was last seen on Saturday morning, 3 long days ago, at the corner of Victoria Road and Sydenham Road.



I've read the ordeal of their last 11 days and am amazed at how much is being done to find him. This couple aren't just sticking a few posters on some lamp posts. Nacho is obviously very much loved and sorely missed. His medical condition makes it imperative that he be found quickly.   

If you're reading this, please consider sharing their facebook page or otherwise contacting anyone you might know who lives, works, walks or drives through this area. It might take a few minutes, but it'll mean the world to at least 2 people and 1 dog.

Importantly, add Nathalie and Shaun's numbers to your mobile phone contacts right now! so you can call them the instant you spot Nacho.

I think you must agree, it's high time for this old boy to go home.

***

And while we're on the subject -

* Some very sensible thoughts on how you can keep A NEW DOG from getting lost, from a lady who has a lot of experience in helping to find them :)

* And here is a site that has a lot of interesting information, ranging from lost dog behaviour to what you should do when you find a lost/straying dog.