Sometimes I get the urge to revisit some of the music I listened to back in the 80's (and maybe early 90's). More specifically, stuff from the Boston music scene during that period. I guess while I was in high school, I kinda somehow got into the whole local music scene. Just to give you an idea, here's a sampling of some of my faves.
Enjoy!!
O-Positive
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Duck Rescue!
I know it's just a slide show, but the fact that these little guys were rescued was just awesome! Lucky Ducks!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mid-Week
For some reason, I find more often than not that I am more likely to post on a Wednesday. I don't know why.
Anyway, the weather has been quite nice in recent days. I should look into getting some stuff potted up, but with the weather forecast for this weekend it might not be so easy. But we'll see.
It seems that out little group of MG fans are falling into a bit of health issues. One has issues with her head. Another has issues with her lungs. And another just has some issues that need to be dealt with. I have my own issues with my knees, but that won't stop me from going. It might stop me from jumping up and down though. Is it all just a case of bad timing or what? Anyway, we'll just wait and see what happens. I think we will dub ourselves the Invalid Groupies. Or, maybe not. XD
Anyway, the weather has been quite nice in recent days. I should look into getting some stuff potted up, but with the weather forecast for this weekend it might not be so easy. But we'll see.
It seems that out little group of MG fans are falling into a bit of health issues. One has issues with her head. Another has issues with her lungs. And another just has some issues that need to be dealt with. I have my own issues with my knees, but that won't stop me from going. It might stop me from jumping up and down though. Is it all just a case of bad timing or what? Anyway, we'll just wait and see what happens. I think we will dub ourselves the Invalid Groupies. Or, maybe not. XD
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Ants!
Well, the other day I came home to discover that ants have infiltrated the home. They were finding their way in via the patio door. After dispatching the ones I could see with the vacuum, I googled to see what home ant repellents can be had. There was ground cinnamon. I have ground cinnamon. So I sprinkled some of that all along the track of the patio door and sprinkled cinnamon where ever they might be able to get through. I wanted a barrier to stop these pests! Then later I squirted a little bit of dish detergent. It had orange extract which is suppose to be a repellent of sorts for ants. Whatever works!
I eventually got some stuff with diatomaceous earth. This is a "safer" and chemical-free way to dispatch these things.
This morning, I went over to the nearby nursery to look for plants. This season, I figure I'd use the planters an place them around the patio/deck. I picked up a few perennials to plant in the front of the house.
Later this afternoon, I weeded the front yard a bit. I mowed the grass there. I cultivated the earth around the plants that were coming up. It looks like there's at least 3 hostas in the front. There's a dark purple plant as well. I saw this one at the nursery, but I don't remember what it was called.
I think I did alright today.
I eventually got some stuff with diatomaceous earth. This is a "safer" and chemical-free way to dispatch these things.
This morning, I went over to the nearby nursery to look for plants. This season, I figure I'd use the planters an place them around the patio/deck. I picked up a few perennials to plant in the front of the house.
Later this afternoon, I weeded the front yard a bit. I mowed the grass there. I cultivated the earth around the plants that were coming up. It looks like there's at least 3 hostas in the front. There's a dark purple plant as well. I saw this one at the nursery, but I don't remember what it was called.
I think I did alright today.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Random Tuesday Thoughts
Ball players are like rock stars. They have their female fans and following.
Recently, there were reports about Roger Clemens dalliances with a 15 year old back when he was 28 years old and married. Now comes allegations that he had a fling with yet another woman. This kind of reminds me of the movie "Major League" where a few of the celebrating players were partying it up with some hot chicks. These ball players are very well paid and very visible personalities. In some cases they're seen as heroes of the diamond. It's no wonder some women will go after them just as some women go after rock stars.
Anyway...
Frozen chicken wontons. These were not as good as this other frozen wonton I bought. the chicken ones were like over-processed chicken filling. The other ones I've had were, I think, of the same brand, just different flavor. I guess I'll have to try again.
Depending on what's happening this weekend, if I get my BSG DVDs from Amazon this week, it might be a BSG marathon weekend. I know that it's also Mother's Day weekend. I was thinking of maybe a small bbq on Saturday if I get around to checking on the state of the grill. We'll see. Maybe I'll just shoot off a few emails just to see who's around and interested.
I've still got a bin full of stuff I packed from the bathroom lying around. I need to sort through all of that. Since I haven't really had a need for anything in there recently, then I assume that at least half the stuff could be thrown out.
The entertainment unit that could not be moved up to the top floor has been put up for sale. I still need to take a photo to go with the ad. I suspect that it will have to be partially taken apart in order for it to be moved more efficiently and safely. I don't any more dings in the walls around the stairs.
Fussy eaters. Blue Sh*t has turned his nose up at Medi-Cal Reduced Protein after deciding in the end he prefered the Prescription Science Diet k/d with chicken. Then I decided to get some regular k/d for him to try. He seemed to prefer this over the k/d chicken. However, he will eat the k/d chicken if it's fresh out of the can. Go figure.
So enough babbling for now.
Recently, there were reports about Roger Clemens dalliances with a 15 year old back when he was 28 years old and married. Now comes allegations that he had a fling with yet another woman. This kind of reminds me of the movie "Major League" where a few of the celebrating players were partying it up with some hot chicks. These ball players are very well paid and very visible personalities. In some cases they're seen as heroes of the diamond. It's no wonder some women will go after them just as some women go after rock stars.
Anyway...
Frozen chicken wontons. These were not as good as this other frozen wonton I bought. the chicken ones were like over-processed chicken filling. The other ones I've had were, I think, of the same brand, just different flavor. I guess I'll have to try again.
Depending on what's happening this weekend, if I get my BSG DVDs from Amazon this week, it might be a BSG marathon weekend. I know that it's also Mother's Day weekend. I was thinking of maybe a small bbq on Saturday if I get around to checking on the state of the grill. We'll see. Maybe I'll just shoot off a few emails just to see who's around and interested.
I've still got a bin full of stuff I packed from the bathroom lying around. I need to sort through all of that. Since I haven't really had a need for anything in there recently, then I assume that at least half the stuff could be thrown out.
The entertainment unit that could not be moved up to the top floor has been put up for sale. I still need to take a photo to go with the ad. I suspect that it will have to be partially taken apart in order for it to be moved more efficiently and safely. I don't any more dings in the walls around the stairs.
Fussy eaters. Blue Sh*t has turned his nose up at Medi-Cal Reduced Protein after deciding in the end he prefered the Prescription Science Diet k/d with chicken. Then I decided to get some regular k/d for him to try. He seemed to prefer this over the k/d chicken. However, he will eat the k/d chicken if it's fresh out of the can. Go figure.
So enough babbling for now.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Trying to normalize
It's been approximately 3 weeks since I moved into the new digs. Adjustments have not been too difficult once some of the familiar things in life have been put into their places or have found their places in this home. As I might have mentioned, the cats seem to have adjusted to life here pretty well.
This evening I had my 3rd yoga class. It's going pretty well. I'd like to see how I can continue with yoga over the summer. The recreational center doesn't have any yoga classes over the summer but our instructor does have some classes scheduled at her own studio over the summer. I will have to take a closer look at her schedule to see how feasible it is. If not then I might check with my cardio instructor about her yoga classes and where/when they are.
As for my outdoor cardio classes, it's been going pretty well. I'm trying not to miss too many other classes since the week of the move. I still need to make up for 3 missed classes. I think I can do it. I did cardio last night and I think I will go again tomorrow evening. My goal is to be in better cardio shape than I was last year by the time I go in for my annual physical. I think I can do it.
This evening I had my 3rd yoga class. It's going pretty well. I'd like to see how I can continue with yoga over the summer. The recreational center doesn't have any yoga classes over the summer but our instructor does have some classes scheduled at her own studio over the summer. I will have to take a closer look at her schedule to see how feasible it is. If not then I might check with my cardio instructor about her yoga classes and where/when they are.
As for my outdoor cardio classes, it's been going pretty well. I'm trying not to miss too many other classes since the week of the move. I still need to make up for 3 missed classes. I think I can do it. I did cardio last night and I think I will go again tomorrow evening. My goal is to be in better cardio shape than I was last year by the time I go in for my annual physical. I think I can do it.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Egad!
Wow! Has it been almost 3 weeks since I last posted something here? Yeesh! Time certainly flew! Then again, I have been in the throes of unpacking and getting things in order around the house.
Some "highlights"...
The leather sectional I bought from Ikea was delivered on the 15th. However, after the delivery guys unwrapped, put it together and left, I noticed what looked like a blown-out seam on the back of the right side of the sectional. It's as if something had impacted that part of the sectional. A friend of mine who saw the damage also made note that the frame of the couch seems to be impacted along that line as well. So I called Ikea, described the damage and was given 2 options: 1) take pictures and get discount based on damage seen in pictures, or 2) get a replacement.
At first I thought about the discount, but decided that in the end that would be more trouble than it was worth and went for the replacement. The replacement was delivered on Friday. No damage on this replacement.
Other than that, it's been nothing but unpacking and putting stuff away. there are still some things not unpacked yet. It was kind of decided for me that the Mac Pro be situated in the mezzanine. As my friend mentioned, it would be like my own private space. It's actually rather nice and cozy up there now. I have the other leather couch up there. I've got the bulk of the bookcases up there plus the smaller LCD TV and cable box. The older Poang chair and Sumo beanbag are there too. It's indeed very cozy up there. On Friday, I had a couple of friends over for dinner and some TV/movie. Afterwards, we went up there to chill and stuff. It was quite comfy!
There will be a need to get some painting done. I myself haven't had time to do it. A friend of mine has said that she'd help choose the colors and paint for me. So far, it was suggested that in the living room, an accent color would be put on the stair side of the room. All of the bedrooms will need to be repainted for sure. The mezzanine will also be repainted. My friend suggested painting some flowers on the side of the wall that meets the stairwell. I think the whole painting thing will take a while, but I'm not in a big rush.
Over the weekend, I picked up a few things for the yard. I got a rake, a hedge trimmer and this ecological lawn care kit. Since it was nice and sunny yesterday afternoon, I decided to clean up some of the debris in the backyard and rake up the loose bits. Hopefully this will encourage some grass to start growing. I will have to look at the booklet for the lawn care kit to see what I will need to do next. The next couple of days will be very wet with rain, so I don't think I will be able to do much in the meantime.
I haven't done anything with the front of the house yet. I might do a little bit of cleanup next weekend if the weather is good.
Other than that, I am slowly settling into a routine in the new place. The cats seem to have gotten accustomed to their new surroundings. I think they have explored all of the rooms. I'm sure they will find their favorite spots to nap.
Anyway, I should be back on some regular schedule soon. In other words, I should be updating the blog more frequently. :)
Some "highlights"...
The leather sectional I bought from Ikea was delivered on the 15th. However, after the delivery guys unwrapped, put it together and left, I noticed what looked like a blown-out seam on the back of the right side of the sectional. It's as if something had impacted that part of the sectional. A friend of mine who saw the damage also made note that the frame of the couch seems to be impacted along that line as well. So I called Ikea, described the damage and was given 2 options: 1) take pictures and get discount based on damage seen in pictures, or 2) get a replacement.
At first I thought about the discount, but decided that in the end that would be more trouble than it was worth and went for the replacement. The replacement was delivered on Friday. No damage on this replacement.
Other than that, it's been nothing but unpacking and putting stuff away. there are still some things not unpacked yet. It was kind of decided for me that the Mac Pro be situated in the mezzanine. As my friend mentioned, it would be like my own private space. It's actually rather nice and cozy up there now. I have the other leather couch up there. I've got the bulk of the bookcases up there plus the smaller LCD TV and cable box. The older Poang chair and Sumo beanbag are there too. It's indeed very cozy up there. On Friday, I had a couple of friends over for dinner and some TV/movie. Afterwards, we went up there to chill and stuff. It was quite comfy!
There will be a need to get some painting done. I myself haven't had time to do it. A friend of mine has said that she'd help choose the colors and paint for me. So far, it was suggested that in the living room, an accent color would be put on the stair side of the room. All of the bedrooms will need to be repainted for sure. The mezzanine will also be repainted. My friend suggested painting some flowers on the side of the wall that meets the stairwell. I think the whole painting thing will take a while, but I'm not in a big rush.
Over the weekend, I picked up a few things for the yard. I got a rake, a hedge trimmer and this ecological lawn care kit. Since it was nice and sunny yesterday afternoon, I decided to clean up some of the debris in the backyard and rake up the loose bits. Hopefully this will encourage some grass to start growing. I will have to look at the booklet for the lawn care kit to see what I will need to do next. The next couple of days will be very wet with rain, so I don't think I will be able to do much in the meantime.
I haven't done anything with the front of the house yet. I might do a little bit of cleanup next weekend if the weather is good.
Other than that, I am slowly settling into a routine in the new place. The cats seem to have gotten accustomed to their new surroundings. I think they have explored all of the rooms. I'm sure they will find their favorite spots to nap.
Anyway, I should be back on some regular schedule soon. In other words, I should be updating the blog more frequently. :)
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
What has been going on??
Well, in case you haven't noticed, I have not updated my blog as frequently as I normally do as of late. As most of you know, I have been in the throes of packing for the big move, which is TOMORROW! I am currently living amongst piles of boxes and utter chaos. Today is my last chance to finish packing before I actually panic. Of course, I am up early because a particular feline demands to be fed.
For now I can only update you with the state of packing. The kitchen is probably 90-05% done. The office is about 75% done. The bedroom does not require as much. Then there's all the little baubles and tchotchkes left lying around. They'll probably all end up in the miscellaneous items box.
*sigh*
Almost there!
For now I can only update you with the state of packing. The kitchen is probably 90-05% done. The office is about 75% done. The bedroom does not require as much. Then there's all the little baubles and tchotchkes left lying around. They'll probably all end up in the miscellaneous items box.
*sigh*
Almost there!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Mid-Week Funny
Okay, so I have not found it actually cited on PC Magazine's own site, but I still think it's rather funny.
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This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It's PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.
***********************
Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George
Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants ... which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and
Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately,there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep.
Always. . .
Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin , TX
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The week that was
Well, I got home alright early Monday evening. This was after the plane had a bit of a false start at the start of take off. It was a bit unnerving when you hear the engines rev up for take off, the plane starts to move and then you hear the engines die down and the plane turns off from the runway. The pilot announce on the PA that they had some sort of power indicator light go off and they had to check it out. He said it'd be a few minutes.
So a few minutes later, we make our way back to the runway. This time, the engines revved for a few seconds then died down. Uh-oh? Not really. I guess they wanted to test it out for a few seconds to make sure the power light didn't go off or something. Then we inched forward a little bit and then we actually did take off this time. Whew!
The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Customs at the other end was uneventful. Got my bag and made my way towards the exit and the taxi stand. On the way to the taxi stand, a man came up to me to ask if I wanted a taxi. Instantly knowing that this was probably an unlicensed hack trying to find a fare I immediately waved him off and sternly said "No!". When I got to the lineup for the taxis, I looked back and saw that he snagged himself a fare. Good luck buddy. Maybe I should report this to the airport. I don't think it's fare to the taxi drivers who take the time to get their airport permit and are licensed hacks.
Anyway... I came home to a "gift" from BS on the bed. :-p So guess what had to be laundered first. *sigh* So I had no choice but to make sure that the "facilities" were cleaned to his liking.
The next day, I'm back at work. That evening, I decided to be lazy and picked up a roast chicken at the supermarket on the way home. I gave BS his g/d as usual but he wasn't eating all of it. He'd have a few mouthfuls and that was it. When I took the chicken out, of course he wanted some of that! I gave him a couple of ounces of the stuff. He ate most of it. So that was Tuesday.
Wednesday evening, again, he wasn't eating everything. On top of that I noticed that he seemed to be straining in the litterbox. Uh oh. Was he constipated? Later in the evening, as I was trying to get to sleep, he would not settle down. Both he and Jum would usually jump into bed with me and settle in under the covers next to me. That evening however, BS was just absolutely restless. He'd get out from under the covers and pace around the bed. Eventually he made the motions as if he was getting ready to do a number. Nuh uh! Not on the bed! So I got his attention and drew him away from the bed.
By now it was about midnight. I was tired and I wanted to sleep. However, someone didn't want me to sleep because he would not settle down. Thinking that it might be the constipation, I called the emergency vet hospital to find out what I should do. Mistakingly thinking I said that he had problems urinating they suggested I bring him in to get checked out because if it were his kidneys then it could become fatal. Pee, poop, either way he was having issues. So I changed out of my PJs, managed to shove Mr. Blue into the carrier (he would not go in willingly) and away we went.
I think there was one other patient before us, so we waited a little before we saw the vet. The vet checked him out. She said we'd need to take some x-rays to see what's going on inside because she did not feel any hardened stool inside him. So it was back in the waiting area to wait while they zapped BS for x-rays. A little later they called me back in to show me his insides. She showed me where his lungs were, which were okay. Then the next blob, she said is his stomach. BUT, what's weird is that it's appearance seems to indicate that he has air in there as well as air in the intestines. She said that this is not normal. Uh oh. She suggested that he stay over night for fluids (because he was a bit dehydrated) and for blood tests to see what was going on. I figure, well, I've already brought him here, might as find out what's wrong with him.
The next day, I get a call from the vet tech saying that BS was stable and that the vet would call me later with more information. Whew! I guess that was good? Anyway, a couple hours later, the vet calls. She said that BS has chronic renal insufficiency that was complicated by acute uremea. Her prognosis was reserved at best. This did not sound very good at all! She suggested trying an IV fluid treatment for the next 48 hours. I think the only risk here is with the heart murmur he has. I figure, if there was a chance he can pull through and recover, I'd give it to him. So I okay'd the treatment. If anything came up before the next daily update they would call.
So that evening, I was a little jumpy whenever the phone rang. Twice it rang, but they were telemarketers. The third time it rang it was just Videotron toe confirm my move. The rest of the evening was quiet, which I guess was good. No news is good news?
The next day, just before lunch, the vet called sounding less somber than before. It seems that BS is responding very well to treatment. They started to feed him as well. They would do another set of tests later that night to see how he's progressed. Yay! But I guess we're not totally out of the woods yet!
Yesterday, I get the update that BS's numbers have improved a lot! His creatinine levels are still slightly elevated so they'd like to keep him one more night on the IV treatment. Okay.
Today, they called to say that he's well enough to go home but that he will require some meds for a little while. His diet will be restricted to low protein. He will need sub-q fluids every other day to help things along as well. I arranged to go pick him up between 12 and 1PM.
I went to get him. He seemed quite affectionate and talkative, as usual. The vet tech had with her a bag full of stuff for him. He's got 3 different medications he needs to take. There is a bag of fluid, giant syringe and needles for the sub-q fluid therapy. There was also a week's supply of low-protein foods, both medi-cal and k/d (so, whichever one he prefers). YOiks!
Of course he meows the entire way home. His homecoming was mildly received by Jum who was quite enjoying herself while BS was away. She was able to have my attention all to herself. However, she will be due at the vet soon for her teeth cleaning! Just you wait little missy!
In the meantime, I think BS is still trying to adjust to being back him. He's been wanting to be in high places since he got home. I don't know why is that. He was constantly cleaning himself for a while there. He was probably trying to get that vet smell off of him. I know he's been wanting to sleep but he just would not relax. I managed to give him his dose of metronidazole. He ate just about all his food. Then I gave him the clavamox. So far so good. Tomorrow morning, he will be getting all three (the third is fortekor).
Monday, after work, he will be getting some sub-q fluids. This ought to be fun. :-p
So a few minutes later, we make our way back to the runway. This time, the engines revved for a few seconds then died down. Uh-oh? Not really. I guess they wanted to test it out for a few seconds to make sure the power light didn't go off or something. Then we inched forward a little bit and then we actually did take off this time. Whew!
The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Customs at the other end was uneventful. Got my bag and made my way towards the exit and the taxi stand. On the way to the taxi stand, a man came up to me to ask if I wanted a taxi. Instantly knowing that this was probably an unlicensed hack trying to find a fare I immediately waved him off and sternly said "No!". When I got to the lineup for the taxis, I looked back and saw that he snagged himself a fare. Good luck buddy. Maybe I should report this to the airport. I don't think it's fare to the taxi drivers who take the time to get their airport permit and are licensed hacks.
Anyway... I came home to a "gift" from BS on the bed. :-p So guess what had to be laundered first. *sigh* So I had no choice but to make sure that the "facilities" were cleaned to his liking.
The next day, I'm back at work. That evening, I decided to be lazy and picked up a roast chicken at the supermarket on the way home. I gave BS his g/d as usual but he wasn't eating all of it. He'd have a few mouthfuls and that was it. When I took the chicken out, of course he wanted some of that! I gave him a couple of ounces of the stuff. He ate most of it. So that was Tuesday.
Wednesday evening, again, he wasn't eating everything. On top of that I noticed that he seemed to be straining in the litterbox. Uh oh. Was he constipated? Later in the evening, as I was trying to get to sleep, he would not settle down. Both he and Jum would usually jump into bed with me and settle in under the covers next to me. That evening however, BS was just absolutely restless. He'd get out from under the covers and pace around the bed. Eventually he made the motions as if he was getting ready to do a number. Nuh uh! Not on the bed! So I got his attention and drew him away from the bed.
By now it was about midnight. I was tired and I wanted to sleep. However, someone didn't want me to sleep because he would not settle down. Thinking that it might be the constipation, I called the emergency vet hospital to find out what I should do. Mistakingly thinking I said that he had problems urinating they suggested I bring him in to get checked out because if it were his kidneys then it could become fatal. Pee, poop, either way he was having issues. So I changed out of my PJs, managed to shove Mr. Blue into the carrier (he would not go in willingly) and away we went.
I think there was one other patient before us, so we waited a little before we saw the vet. The vet checked him out. She said we'd need to take some x-rays to see what's going on inside because she did not feel any hardened stool inside him. So it was back in the waiting area to wait while they zapped BS for x-rays. A little later they called me back in to show me his insides. She showed me where his lungs were, which were okay. Then the next blob, she said is his stomach. BUT, what's weird is that it's appearance seems to indicate that he has air in there as well as air in the intestines. She said that this is not normal. Uh oh. She suggested that he stay over night for fluids (because he was a bit dehydrated) and for blood tests to see what was going on. I figure, well, I've already brought him here, might as find out what's wrong with him.
The next day, I get a call from the vet tech saying that BS was stable and that the vet would call me later with more information. Whew! I guess that was good? Anyway, a couple hours later, the vet calls. She said that BS has chronic renal insufficiency that was complicated by acute uremea. Her prognosis was reserved at best. This did not sound very good at all! She suggested trying an IV fluid treatment for the next 48 hours. I think the only risk here is with the heart murmur he has. I figure, if there was a chance he can pull through and recover, I'd give it to him. So I okay'd the treatment. If anything came up before the next daily update they would call.
So that evening, I was a little jumpy whenever the phone rang. Twice it rang, but they were telemarketers. The third time it rang it was just Videotron toe confirm my move. The rest of the evening was quiet, which I guess was good. No news is good news?
The next day, just before lunch, the vet called sounding less somber than before. It seems that BS is responding very well to treatment. They started to feed him as well. They would do another set of tests later that night to see how he's progressed. Yay! But I guess we're not totally out of the woods yet!
Yesterday, I get the update that BS's numbers have improved a lot! His creatinine levels are still slightly elevated so they'd like to keep him one more night on the IV treatment. Okay.
Today, they called to say that he's well enough to go home but that he will require some meds for a little while. His diet will be restricted to low protein. He will need sub-q fluids every other day to help things along as well. I arranged to go pick him up between 12 and 1PM.
I went to get him. He seemed quite affectionate and talkative, as usual. The vet tech had with her a bag full of stuff for him. He's got 3 different medications he needs to take. There is a bag of fluid, giant syringe and needles for the sub-q fluid therapy. There was also a week's supply of low-protein foods, both medi-cal and k/d (so, whichever one he prefers). YOiks!
Of course he meows the entire way home. His homecoming was mildly received by Jum who was quite enjoying herself while BS was away. She was able to have my attention all to herself. However, she will be due at the vet soon for her teeth cleaning! Just you wait little missy!
In the meantime, I think BS is still trying to adjust to being back him. He's been wanting to be in high places since he got home. I don't know why is that. He was constantly cleaning himself for a while there. He was probably trying to get that vet smell off of him. I know he's been wanting to sleep but he just would not relax. I managed to give him his dose of metronidazole. He ate just about all his food. Then I gave him the clavamox. So far so good. Tomorrow morning, he will be getting all three (the third is fortekor).
Monday, after work, he will be getting some sub-q fluids. This ought to be fun. :-p
Monday, March 24, 2008
A little more from Boston
Well, I finally made it home. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it because just as the plane was revving up it's engines and started it's take off run, it turned its engines down and turned off the runway. O.o The pilot came on and said that they saw some thing go off related to the power and wanted to check it out. A few minutes later we taxi'd back to the runway and away we went. Needless to say, I was a little bit worried, but we made it here with no incident.
Last night's performance by Matthew Good we pretty good. After seeing him perform 2 weeks ago in SF, I can see that his illness has taken a bit of a toll on him. He started out sounding a bit rough around the edges but his voice smoothed out after the first couple songs. Aside from a couple of near misses in a line or two, he performed pretty well under the circumstances. Despite how he may have felt that evening, he gave it his all. The crowd wasn't bad considering it was mostly a college crowd. You had a few "older" folk like myself at the show. There was one girl somewhere not far behind me who was a bit loud and probably inebriated. I think it was during "Strange Days" that she blurted out quite audibly "Is that his new stuff?" O.o I think I bunch of us turned and glared at her for being a bit boisterous. Finally, at some point, someone told her to STFU. Aside from that the crowd wasn't bad. You had your usual shout outs and lame attempts at witty remarks, but overall it was a decent crowd.
Matt was gracious enough to meet some of the fans to hung around after the show. I know he didn't have to if he wasn't up to it, but being the trooper that he was and not wanting to disappoint folks, he did meet with us. He wasn't quite his jovial self that he was 2 weeks ago, but he was very polite in meeting people and obliging in signing things and having his picture taken with fans. I didn't need to have another photo of me and Matt, but I took one of Matt and Mike. Mike was very happy to see Matt perform in the Boston area, since one never knows when Matt might swing by this neck of the woods again.
All in all, it was an entertaining evening. Matt did his best and I don't think he really disappointed many people. His banter was a bit on the light side but he even admitted he was not his usual witty self. NLX who opened for Matt, did a great job and performed quite well. I will have to check out her albums. They were also selling limited editions of a silk-screened poster promoting the Cambridge, NYC and Philly dates of the tour. I picked one up and Matt signed it.
I think bro and I got home around 1AM. Bro had to get up at 6 for work. I felt a little guilty but he said he had a good time. I feel bad that Minessa couldn't have gone to the show. Who knew that frozen fish bit? Anyway, one day she will get to see Matt perform.
Meanwhile, here's a couple of videos I took when bro and I drove into town on Saturday. :)
Last night's performance by Matthew Good we pretty good. After seeing him perform 2 weeks ago in SF, I can see that his illness has taken a bit of a toll on him. He started out sounding a bit rough around the edges but his voice smoothed out after the first couple songs. Aside from a couple of near misses in a line or two, he performed pretty well under the circumstances. Despite how he may have felt that evening, he gave it his all. The crowd wasn't bad considering it was mostly a college crowd. You had a few "older" folk like myself at the show. There was one girl somewhere not far behind me who was a bit loud and probably inebriated. I think it was during "Strange Days" that she blurted out quite audibly "Is that his new stuff?" O.o I think I bunch of us turned and glared at her for being a bit boisterous. Finally, at some point, someone told her to STFU. Aside from that the crowd wasn't bad. You had your usual shout outs and lame attempts at witty remarks, but overall it was a decent crowd.
Matt was gracious enough to meet some of the fans to hung around after the show. I know he didn't have to if he wasn't up to it, but being the trooper that he was and not wanting to disappoint folks, he did meet with us. He wasn't quite his jovial self that he was 2 weeks ago, but he was very polite in meeting people and obliging in signing things and having his picture taken with fans. I didn't need to have another photo of me and Matt, but I took one of Matt and Mike. Mike was very happy to see Matt perform in the Boston area, since one never knows when Matt might swing by this neck of the woods again.
All in all, it was an entertaining evening. Matt did his best and I don't think he really disappointed many people. His banter was a bit on the light side but he even admitted he was not his usual witty self. NLX who opened for Matt, did a great job and performed quite well. I will have to check out her albums. They were also selling limited editions of a silk-screened poster promoting the Cambridge, NYC and Philly dates of the tour. I picked one up and Matt signed it.
I think bro and I got home around 1AM. Bro had to get up at 6 for work. I felt a little guilty but he said he had a good time. I feel bad that Minessa couldn't have gone to the show. Who knew that frozen fish bit? Anyway, one day she will get to see Matt perform.
Meanwhile, here's a couple of videos I took when bro and I drove into town on Saturday. :)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter
So here I am in the middle of Malden, MA. It's a little blue-collar suburb just a little bit north of Boston and about 10 minutes from Logan Airport. It's convenient to some of the major highways and roadways in the region. I have been spending this Easter weekend with my folks.
I got in Thursday night after a short flight out of Montreal. The actual flying time was about 44 minutes. I don't know why we were taxiing around YUL for almost 15 minutes before we actually took off. The airport really isn't that big! In any case, this bit of taxiing got us into Logan at about the scheduled time anyway. The flight, in general, was uneventful.
Friday was a work day for most people here. Being that Good Friday is considered a religious holiday, a lot of companies here are not obliged to give people the day off. I don't think the government offices give that day off either. So I just hung around the house and played with my little niece and nephew.
Saturday, we went to Jin's on Rte. 1 for some dim sum. For some reason my nephew was upset over something and through a bit of a tantrum. His sister did not seem to be having any issues and quietly ate her dumplings and drank her juice. Eventually, my sister took her son out to the car with some food (he likes this particular fried thing). She was about to go home with him but managed to calm him down in the car and he ate. My mom got an order of noodles for my brother-in-law to take to sis. Other than that, dim sum was pretty good.
After eating, bro and I went over to Work N'Gear to check out some Carhartt jackets for women. I'm not sure what possessed me to look into these jackets, but I felt the need to have one. They're quite durable and they last for a very long time. My brother has one and it's aged quite well. I found a medium in a sand color. It's a zip-up with velcro flap closure down the front. It's not bad and it fit well. I was hoping to find this other model that's got this sherpa lining. The store closes at 8PM, so bro suggested that we head into town to see if there's anything we can find down there.
We decided to just bite the bullit and park at the Pru parking lot. I figure we shouldn't have a problem with finding something to buy to get the parking ticket validated for discount parking. I did find some stuff at the Body Shop. I think it was more than enough for the parking.
I hadn't really walked around the area in a while, so we got out onto Boylston Street and walked ab it back towards Copley Sq. From there, we got back to Newbury Street and walked up that way. Funny, how over the years, there were times when that seemed like a long walk. Now, it really doesn't seem like much.
It's interesting to see what shops are still there or not on Newbury Street. It's sad to see that the spot where they sold these gargoyles is no longer there. There was a "Space for rent" sign in the window. They had been there for over 15 years. I guess times change. The Faerie place is still there. It's a bit more commercial and sunny. They've only been there for several years.
With the internet and iTunes, alot of the used music stores are now gone. Mystery Train is no longer there on Newbury St. So much ahs changed over the years. My bro says that the only used music place he knows of now is in Harvard Sq.
We went to Newbury Comics. I've always liked going into this store. There's a variety of interesting knick knacks. Since I've been gone they've expanded and now have stores in a number of locations. However, for me the real Newbury Comics will always be the one on Newbury Street. :-) Well, the one located in The Garage at Harvard Sq is a close 2nd.
While we were walking around the Pru Shopping area, we noticed an inordinate amount of people dressed up in various types of costumes. When we got off the elevator from the parking garage, we first encountered a bunch of people waiting to get into California Pizza. Just beyond that crowd, I spied me some people dressed as Star Wars characters. I was like, "Uh oh. Just what's going on here today?" It turns out that there is some sort of anime convention happening at the Hynes Convention Center not far. Ack!
So needless to say, everywhere we went we saw folks dressed up either as their favorite anime character, or even video game character! There were plenty of Naruto and Dragonball related outfits. I think at some point I was ready to get out of there for some air!
I think after spending a couple of hours in the area, we figured it was time to start heading back. I think it was somewhere around 3:30-4PM when we left. The parking cost us $12 instead of $34 (OUCH!), but it sure beat going around in circles looking for a place to park. Sometimes, you just need to splurge a little bit. I don't think I can deal with paying fro parking like that on a daily basis though!
Since we didn't find any Carhartt jackets in town, we went back to the other place. We found the jacket. I tried it on again. The zipper on one wasn't behaving very well, so I tried on another one that had a better working zipper. I took the jacket to the cash. The salesperson rang it up and said it was $55! Apparently, the coats were 50% off! Well, that was a great deal! Hmm.. I hope I don't look too butch in it. :-o
So that more or less brings us to today, Sunday.
I got in Thursday night after a short flight out of Montreal. The actual flying time was about 44 minutes. I don't know why we were taxiing around YUL for almost 15 minutes before we actually took off. The airport really isn't that big! In any case, this bit of taxiing got us into Logan at about the scheduled time anyway. The flight, in general, was uneventful.
Friday was a work day for most people here. Being that Good Friday is considered a religious holiday, a lot of companies here are not obliged to give people the day off. I don't think the government offices give that day off either. So I just hung around the house and played with my little niece and nephew.
Saturday, we went to Jin's on Rte. 1 for some dim sum. For some reason my nephew was upset over something and through a bit of a tantrum. His sister did not seem to be having any issues and quietly ate her dumplings and drank her juice. Eventually, my sister took her son out to the car with some food (he likes this particular fried thing). She was about to go home with him but managed to calm him down in the car and he ate. My mom got an order of noodles for my brother-in-law to take to sis. Other than that, dim sum was pretty good.
After eating, bro and I went over to Work N'Gear to check out some Carhartt jackets for women. I'm not sure what possessed me to look into these jackets, but I felt the need to have one. They're quite durable and they last for a very long time. My brother has one and it's aged quite well. I found a medium in a sand color. It's a zip-up with velcro flap closure down the front. It's not bad and it fit well. I was hoping to find this other model that's got this sherpa lining. The store closes at 8PM, so bro suggested that we head into town to see if there's anything we can find down there.
We decided to just bite the bullit and park at the Pru parking lot. I figure we shouldn't have a problem with finding something to buy to get the parking ticket validated for discount parking. I did find some stuff at the Body Shop. I think it was more than enough for the parking.
I hadn't really walked around the area in a while, so we got out onto Boylston Street and walked ab it back towards Copley Sq. From there, we got back to Newbury Street and walked up that way. Funny, how over the years, there were times when that seemed like a long walk. Now, it really doesn't seem like much.
It's interesting to see what shops are still there or not on Newbury Street. It's sad to see that the spot where they sold these gargoyles is no longer there. There was a "Space for rent" sign in the window. They had been there for over 15 years. I guess times change. The Faerie place is still there. It's a bit more commercial and sunny. They've only been there for several years.
With the internet and iTunes, alot of the used music stores are now gone. Mystery Train is no longer there on Newbury St. So much ahs changed over the years. My bro says that the only used music place he knows of now is in Harvard Sq.
We went to Newbury Comics. I've always liked going into this store. There's a variety of interesting knick knacks. Since I've been gone they've expanded and now have stores in a number of locations. However, for me the real Newbury Comics will always be the one on Newbury Street. :-) Well, the one located in The Garage at Harvard Sq is a close 2nd.
While we were walking around the Pru Shopping area, we noticed an inordinate amount of people dressed up in various types of costumes. When we got off the elevator from the parking garage, we first encountered a bunch of people waiting to get into California Pizza. Just beyond that crowd, I spied me some people dressed as Star Wars characters. I was like, "Uh oh. Just what's going on here today?" It turns out that there is some sort of anime convention happening at the Hynes Convention Center not far. Ack!
So needless to say, everywhere we went we saw folks dressed up either as their favorite anime character, or even video game character! There were plenty of Naruto and Dragonball related outfits. I think at some point I was ready to get out of there for some air!
I think after spending a couple of hours in the area, we figured it was time to start heading back. I think it was somewhere around 3:30-4PM when we left. The parking cost us $12 instead of $34 (OUCH!), but it sure beat going around in circles looking for a place to park. Sometimes, you just need to splurge a little bit. I don't think I can deal with paying fro parking like that on a daily basis though!
Since we didn't find any Carhartt jackets in town, we went back to the other place. We found the jacket. I tried it on again. The zipper on one wasn't behaving very well, so I tried on another one that had a better working zipper. I took the jacket to the cash. The salesperson rang it up and said it was $55! Apparently, the coats were 50% off! Well, that was a great deal! Hmm.. I hope I don't look too butch in it. :-o
So that more or less brings us to today, Sunday.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Almost Mid-week Update
I went to California.
I tasted some wine.
I bought some wine.
I was in Sonoma County.
I visited San Francisco.
I saw Matthew Good perform at the Cafe du Nord (see previous post).
I flew back to Montreal.
I flew in first class from San Francisco to Chicago.
I was stuck in the back of the plane from Chicago to Montreal.
I was on a training course last week.
I was almost put to sleep all last week.
Some days, the instructors did not let us go until after 5PM.
They didn't let us go until almost 6:30PM on Thursday.
Friday was the St-Paddy's Day pub crawl.
I had four half-pints the entire evening.
I got home late.
I slept in Saturday.
I did not do much Saturday, except fret over Matthew Good's health with a few other people.
Matthew Good posted about how he was doing.
We were mostly relieved.
I caught up on some stuff around the house Sunday.
I WoW'd somewhere amidst all of this.
I had my review Monday.
I wasn't entirely happy with the outcome, but there's a bit of a story behind it.
Logically, it made sense.
The course of action was reasonable and was accepted.
Today is Tuesday.
I had a glass of French pinot noir with shish taouk takeout.
Wooooo!
Tomorrow will be Wednesday.
I lead such an exciting life.
I tasted some wine.
I bought some wine.
I was in Sonoma County.
I visited San Francisco.
I saw Matthew Good perform at the Cafe du Nord (see previous post).
I flew back to Montreal.
I flew in first class from San Francisco to Chicago.
I was stuck in the back of the plane from Chicago to Montreal.
I was on a training course last week.
I was almost put to sleep all last week.
Some days, the instructors did not let us go until after 5PM.
They didn't let us go until almost 6:30PM on Thursday.
Friday was the St-Paddy's Day pub crawl.
I had four half-pints the entire evening.
I got home late.
I slept in Saturday.
I did not do much Saturday, except fret over Matthew Good's health with a few other people.
Matthew Good posted about how he was doing.
We were mostly relieved.
I caught up on some stuff around the house Sunday.
I WoW'd somewhere amidst all of this.
I had my review Monday.
I wasn't entirely happy with the outcome, but there's a bit of a story behind it.
Logically, it made sense.
The course of action was reasonable and was accepted.
Today is Tuesday.
I had a glass of French pinot noir with shish taouk takeout.
Wooooo!
Tomorrow will be Wednesday.
I lead such an exciting life.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Sleepless in Canuckistan
Yeah, well. I gotta remember not to have any coffee, nevermind an espresso, late in the day.
Alright. Going to try to go to sleep. Again. :p
Alright. Going to try to go to sleep. Again. :p
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Much overdue update
Ok.. It's been a few days since I wrote anything. I guess I can't really come up with any real excuse other than sheer laziness. :-p
I didn't strain myself over the weekend other than go to my cardio workout on Saturday. I really needed to do it since I hadn't gone in about a week since my cold. I'm pretty much over my cold. So that's some good news. I think the multi-prong attack of ColdFX, Emergen-C, Sudafed, Tylenol and soup helped shorten the cold's life-span.
On Sunday, I got myself into a little trouble. A friend of mine kinda nudged me into it. I had nothing better to do sometime so I guess some sort of distraction was welcomed. I bought into World of Warcraft. :-p I think I will leave it at that.
To be fair, I have not become an addict yet. I know that there are some things that I need to get done and I will get done. One of these things is to complete the online course that I enrolled in almost a year ago. Of the 4 courses required for this particular certificate, I have only completed one. The second languished for some months but I think I have finally completed it. I've gone ahead and started the 3rd course. Gosh darn it, I will get that certificate in Systems Administration!! Therefore, before I even *think* about logging into WoW, I will work on my online course. I want to put in at least 1-2 hours each night on the course. I will stay the course!
I hope. :)
In 8 days, I will be flying out to San Francisco. I will be hanging out with my friend J who dragged me into the WoW thing. She and I will try to do some of the touristy things around the Bay area. We're also going to go catch Matthew Good at the Cafe du Nord. I think it will be fun. Just how much trouble can two girls get into?
Some people annoy me. Within the company there is another person with a name similar to mine. The difference is that her last name is spelled with an "e" and mine with an "a". This is enough for some people to accidentally email me stuff that was meant for her. Now, I've been the polite and professional sort and have forwarded her any misdirected mail as well as cc'ing the original sender. Usually the sender will reply with an apology. However, not ONCE has my evil Doppleganger replied back with nary a "thank you". Hmph. I believe this person is suppose to be a project manager or something. Well, she hasn't been very professional in replying. Next time, and this was suggested by my director after I told him the story, if I receive any email meant for her I will ask if she's ever received anything meant for me. If I don't get a reply to that, well now, I don't think I'll be forwarding her anything further.
Okay, that was my small rant for the day...
This weekend, my friend M suggested that we go to the Montreal High Lights Festival All-Nighter, la nuit blanche. I think it will be fun. I don't know how far I can make it, but we'll see. :-)
I didn't strain myself over the weekend other than go to my cardio workout on Saturday. I really needed to do it since I hadn't gone in about a week since my cold. I'm pretty much over my cold. So that's some good news. I think the multi-prong attack of ColdFX, Emergen-C, Sudafed, Tylenol and soup helped shorten the cold's life-span.
On Sunday, I got myself into a little trouble. A friend of mine kinda nudged me into it. I had nothing better to do sometime so I guess some sort of distraction was welcomed. I bought into World of Warcraft. :-p I think I will leave it at that.
To be fair, I have not become an addict yet. I know that there are some things that I need to get done and I will get done. One of these things is to complete the online course that I enrolled in almost a year ago. Of the 4 courses required for this particular certificate, I have only completed one. The second languished for some months but I think I have finally completed it. I've gone ahead and started the 3rd course. Gosh darn it, I will get that certificate in Systems Administration!! Therefore, before I even *think* about logging into WoW, I will work on my online course. I want to put in at least 1-2 hours each night on the course. I will stay the course!
I hope. :)
In 8 days, I will be flying out to San Francisco. I will be hanging out with my friend J who dragged me into the WoW thing. She and I will try to do some of the touristy things around the Bay area. We're also going to go catch Matthew Good at the Cafe du Nord. I think it will be fun. Just how much trouble can two girls get into?
Some people annoy me. Within the company there is another person with a name similar to mine. The difference is that her last name is spelled with an "e" and mine with an "a". This is enough for some people to accidentally email me stuff that was meant for her. Now, I've been the polite and professional sort and have forwarded her any misdirected mail as well as cc'ing the original sender. Usually the sender will reply with an apology. However, not ONCE has my evil Doppleganger replied back with nary a "thank you". Hmph. I believe this person is suppose to be a project manager or something. Well, she hasn't been very professional in replying. Next time, and this was suggested by my director after I told him the story, if I receive any email meant for her I will ask if she's ever received anything meant for me. If I don't get a reply to that, well now, I don't think I'll be forwarding her anything further.
Okay, that was my small rant for the day...
This weekend, my friend M suggested that we go to the Montreal High Lights Festival All-Nighter, la nuit blanche. I think it will be fun. I don't know how far I can make it, but we'll see. :-)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday
Well, I think I am about 90% over my cold. There's just some snifflies left and a slight cough that is also going away. So I think it's looking better for this weekend.
I plan on having a few friends over for hot pot tomorrow evening. I'm evening contemplating going to my cardio class tomorrow morning since I missed it all this week. I need to get back on track and keep going. I've even registered for the Spring session already. The days and times I wanted were almost full! Whew! Good thing I looked into registering last night.
Spring is just around the corner! Uhm, yeah right. Kinda hard to imagine that when the windchill the past couple of days has been around -20C! Brr! I think today we'll get a reprieve from the colder weather in exchange for about 2cm of the white stuff. Oh well. Can't have everything.
Meanwhile, I've got to get my ass in gear and start collecting boxes for packing. I need to start cleaning up the office and the closet in the back. I'll probably start doing this after I have my little soiree tomorrow. I'll also need to start doing address changes for things like magazines. I'll also need to contact the utilities and services too. Hm.. I should probably put together a checklist of things that need to be done.
I plan on having a few friends over for hot pot tomorrow evening. I'm evening contemplating going to my cardio class tomorrow morning since I missed it all this week. I need to get back on track and keep going. I've even registered for the Spring session already. The days and times I wanted were almost full! Whew! Good thing I looked into registering last night.
Spring is just around the corner! Uhm, yeah right. Kinda hard to imagine that when the windchill the past couple of days has been around -20C! Brr! I think today we'll get a reprieve from the colder weather in exchange for about 2cm of the white stuff. Oh well. Can't have everything.
Meanwhile, I've got to get my ass in gear and start collecting boxes for packing. I need to start cleaning up the office and the closet in the back. I'll probably start doing this after I have my little soiree tomorrow. I'll also need to start doing address changes for things like magazines. I'll also need to contact the utilities and services too. Hm.. I should probably put together a checklist of things that need to be done.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Two and a half hours
This might as well have been this morning's presentation I had to sit through.
Actually, this Chicken presentation is more entertaining.
Actually, this Chicken presentation is more entertaining.
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