I'm going to start volunteering again. This time, I'm going to be doing it at a group called Pets without Parents, which is actually where I got Wally. It's odd -- I was just driving back from doing some extremely critical banking, spotted it but didn't remember it, and stepped inside to see their critters. It was only after I had already gone into the back room that I realized that, over 3 years ago, Martha and I had gotten Wally in order for her to have a cat (as she missed Ryan's cat). I remember, we were on our way to go somewhere else, stopped by once, spotted Wally, and I insisted she take some time to think it over instead of adopting him completely on impulse. About an hour later, after (I think) shopping, we were back, and she adopted him. Wally's original name was Pescho, and after getting him back to her place, we spent quite awhile thinking of a good name for him. Ahh.. memories. Now, of course, she actually has the cat that Ryan owned (Aubrey), along with a cat that I call Whist and another cat whose name I misremember. And I have Wally, as a kind of breaking-up gift. Again, as before, going into the place has the effect of getting me all choked up, and both this time and last became overwhelmed by emotion and became semi-confused. I don't know why, but when I'm feeling that way, which happens extremely rarely, I become nearly incapable of finishing a sentence, and struggle not to sound like an idiot. Hopefully I'll get better at dealing with this place while I'm volunteering there.

That reminds me, I need to start putting out ads for my computer tutoring service..

I registered a domain name 2 days ago. I now have dachte.org They did http redirection to my website, and mail redirection to my primary account. Huzzah. Of course, eventually I plan to actually get a server that it'll point to, but the way things are now is good enough for now. I guess I have a temporary money crunch to deal with before I can think about that though -- there's an upcoming O'Reilly Conference that I go to every year that I'm trying to prepare for, and getting everything paid for is going to eliminate every drop in my checking account and perhaps a small chunk of my savings. So far, I've been keeping my checking account at a nice, large, happy number (high enough to buy a moderately expensive computer). Conferences are expensive, especially when hotel and air are figured in. That reminds me, all prior years I went with my Father. This year, I think I want to go alone, but I'd like, when I have the vacation days for it, to go visit my grandmother in Texas with him. Unfortunately, this trip actually means I'll have negative vacation days for awhile (I'm borrowing). Maybe I should look into getting unpaid leave, and try to do it in fall -- I'd like to be able to spend about a week with her, and maybe to visit a bit with some other folks down there. Well, I'd best be off to this pet place.