I'm always bowled over by people's creativity:
And I love the music they used for this!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
comics and postponements
Sigh. If only my biology textbooks had been written as comics like this one. It looks far more interesting and engaging. Imagine one of these for physics!
Graphic novels really are taking off lately. A lot of classic literature has been adapted for the genre: Edgar Allan Poe, Treasure Island, Call of the Wild, H.G. Wells, even Macbeth, as well as the previously mentioned Pride and Prejudice. I just wonder how close they keep to the original. That's why I can't listen to abridged audio versions of books - I want the whole story please.
I've read that DTV conversion may be delayed because not enough people have their entertainment systems set up for it. It was defeated in the House vote, but it's not entirely dead yet. It sounds like the percentage of people not ready for it is fairly small, and most TV stations are ready to switch on February 17th, so a delay would mean they'd have to keep analog going along with digital, which sounds expensive. Part of the problem is the backlog of people who applied for the DTV converter vouchers and haven't received them yet. I suspect another part of the problem is procrastination. It isn't like the deadline hasn't been well advertised. Ads and commercials all over the place. What are people waiting for?
The only problem I had was the poorly written instruction booklet that came with my converter box. I had to e-mail the manufacturer twice to get clarification. Since my brain is so tuned to plain language for my job, I wince especially hard when I read things supposedly written for the masses that assume the masses have telepathic abilities that will magically make them understand badly written content.
The other postponement, which I think is a good one, is the CPSC's proposal for a one-year stay of testing and certification for components in children's products. This law was going to bankrupt small business crafters almost overnight because it was too broad. These crafters can't afford to pay for the kind of testing that large manufacturers use to certify that their products are safe for children. They need an alternate safety check that keeps them in line with the law but lets them make a living too. I've got a lot of friends who were on the brink of closing up their virtual shops and having their creativity squashed solely because of this law. I'm glad they've got a little breathing room so that a more reasonable plan can be worked out.
Graphic novels really are taking off lately. A lot of classic literature has been adapted for the genre: Edgar Allan Poe, Treasure Island, Call of the Wild, H.G. Wells, even Macbeth, as well as the previously mentioned Pride and Prejudice. I just wonder how close they keep to the original. That's why I can't listen to abridged audio versions of books - I want the whole story please.
I've read that DTV conversion may be delayed because not enough people have their entertainment systems set up for it. It was defeated in the House vote, but it's not entirely dead yet. It sounds like the percentage of people not ready for it is fairly small, and most TV stations are ready to switch on February 17th, so a delay would mean they'd have to keep analog going along with digital, which sounds expensive. Part of the problem is the backlog of people who applied for the DTV converter vouchers and haven't received them yet. I suspect another part of the problem is procrastination. It isn't like the deadline hasn't been well advertised. Ads and commercials all over the place. What are people waiting for?
The only problem I had was the poorly written instruction booklet that came with my converter box. I had to e-mail the manufacturer twice to get clarification. Since my brain is so tuned to plain language for my job, I wince especially hard when I read things supposedly written for the masses that assume the masses have telepathic abilities that will magically make them understand badly written content.
The other postponement, which I think is a good one, is the CPSC's proposal for a one-year stay of testing and certification for components in children's products. This law was going to bankrupt small business crafters almost overnight because it was too broad. These crafters can't afford to pay for the kind of testing that large manufacturers use to certify that their products are safe for children. They need an alternate safety check that keeps them in line with the law but lets them make a living too. I've got a lot of friends who were on the brink of closing up their virtual shops and having their creativity squashed solely because of this law. I'm glad they've got a little breathing room so that a more reasonable plan can be worked out.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
right, this tagging thing...
So I've never been cyber tagged before. I don't know how I've managed to escape it until now. I've seen a lot of tag entries on people's blogs. Guess it's my turn. Angel and Steph seem to think so.
Anyway, 25 random things about me... At least I think it's only 25. Do I have to write 50 things since two people tagged me? Forget I asked that.
1. I had three majors in college. In my defense, they all related to each other and got increasingly more specific. I started as an art major, then got interested in photography, and so switched my major to that. Then I discovered that the kind of photography I liked best was the more candid and spontaneous style rather than the contrived style, so I drifted into a photojournalism course, which led to my final major, which was journalism. One of the best decisions I ever made.
2. It's really hard to be an introverted journalist. That's why I don't do it and write other things instead that let me stay more introverted.
3. My very first published journalism article was about a chili pie fundraiser. It appeared in the TWU Lasso. It was an accident that I wrote the story and got it published. Another reporter couldn't do the story for some reason, I think she'd double-booked herself. I happened to be in the newsroom at the time (I was the paper's photographer), so she asked if I'd do the interview and write the story, and she said I could have the byline. I figured it was a one-time thing. The editor had other ideas. I became an unofficial reporter for the paper.
4. I don't consider myself Catholic anymore, but I still remember from Sunday School that the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. And I love that Lyle Lovett named one of his albums after three consecutive books in the Bible: Joshua Judges Ruth. It's a great album.
5. I drew a really, really good picture of a pterodactyl in first grade, and it seriously alarmed the teacher. The next best thing I ever drew was a self portrait in college when I was really sick with bronchitis and high as a kite on the meds for it. I look ghostly in the portrait, and it's eerily accurate.
6. I never had cats as pets until I moved out on my own. Louise was my first cat, and a great starter cat.
7. I learned to knit when I was 11 or 12. I learned to crochet when I was 30. I keep notes on patterns in a spiral notebook. My maternal grandmother did the same, although I did not know this until my uncle sent me some of her craft stuff, including her notebook. Her handwriting looks just like my mom's.
8. I can't eat dairy or wheat. I miss real ice cream and cheesecake and bagels and real pasta.
9. I made up words or commandeered words to suit my purposes when I was learning to talk. If I thought you'd done something stupid, I was likely to call you a "dumb jootch." When we lived in Japan, I called all the Japanese people "domos." They would say "domo" a lot, which means "thank you."
10. I have one biological sister and 7 step-siblings.
11. I was addicted to Dr Pepper in college. I went to college in Texas. Dr Pepper is bottled in Dallas. You couldn't look anywhere for all the Dr Pepper soda machines.
12. My dad went with me to my first Tori Amos concert when I was 18. Brave man.
13. I was an ugly baby. Ask my mom. She will confirm this.
14. The TV character I most closely identify with is Betty Roberts from Remember WENN.
15. The book character I most closely identify with is Anne Eliot from Persuasion. A close second would be Thursday Next.
16. I believe string theory is a huge key to the Theory of Everything and that Michio Kaku and Brian Greene and all their friends will figure it out eventually.
17. I only drink breakfast tea in the morning. Even though it's just black tea, and I 've no idea why it's called breakfast tea, drinking it at any other time of day just seems wrong.
18. I want to learn to play all the Bach cello suites, the theme from the Angel TV series, and the opening cello piece from Wings of Desire.
19. I never liked The Simpsons until I saw the episode where they explain why there are no pictures of Maggie in the photo albums at home. They're all in Homer's office. I love their Halloween episodes, too.
20. I only watch Family Guy for Stewie. I mute all the other scenes.
21. If I were braver than I am, I would follow Tom and Barbara Good's example and become self-sufficient.
22. Is it really so weird that I first read Little Women in the fourth grade? Lots of people have told me that this is not normal. I read Dostoyevsky and Solzhenitsyn when I was a teenager. I KNOW that was not normal.
23. I think Europe had the right idea keeping train travel popular. I much prefer traveling by train to traveling by plane. I suspect this makes me old fashioned.
24. I get car sick riding in the back of cars, especially limos. Sucking on candied ginger sometimes helps to settle the stomach.
25. I still think the best way to fall asleep is to have someone read to you or to listen to an audiobook.
Anyway, 25 random things about me... At least I think it's only 25. Do I have to write 50 things since two people tagged me? Forget I asked that.
1. I had three majors in college. In my defense, they all related to each other and got increasingly more specific. I started as an art major, then got interested in photography, and so switched my major to that. Then I discovered that the kind of photography I liked best was the more candid and spontaneous style rather than the contrived style, so I drifted into a photojournalism course, which led to my final major, which was journalism. One of the best decisions I ever made.
2. It's really hard to be an introverted journalist. That's why I don't do it and write other things instead that let me stay more introverted.
3. My very first published journalism article was about a chili pie fundraiser. It appeared in the TWU Lasso. It was an accident that I wrote the story and got it published. Another reporter couldn't do the story for some reason, I think she'd double-booked herself. I happened to be in the newsroom at the time (I was the paper's photographer), so she asked if I'd do the interview and write the story, and she said I could have the byline. I figured it was a one-time thing. The editor had other ideas. I became an unofficial reporter for the paper.
4. I don't consider myself Catholic anymore, but I still remember from Sunday School that the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. And I love that Lyle Lovett named one of his albums after three consecutive books in the Bible: Joshua Judges Ruth. It's a great album.
5. I drew a really, really good picture of a pterodactyl in first grade, and it seriously alarmed the teacher. The next best thing I ever drew was a self portrait in college when I was really sick with bronchitis and high as a kite on the meds for it. I look ghostly in the portrait, and it's eerily accurate.
6. I never had cats as pets until I moved out on my own. Louise was my first cat, and a great starter cat.
7. I learned to knit when I was 11 or 12. I learned to crochet when I was 30. I keep notes on patterns in a spiral notebook. My maternal grandmother did the same, although I did not know this until my uncle sent me some of her craft stuff, including her notebook. Her handwriting looks just like my mom's.
8. I can't eat dairy or wheat. I miss real ice cream and cheesecake and bagels and real pasta.
9. I made up words or commandeered words to suit my purposes when I was learning to talk. If I thought you'd done something stupid, I was likely to call you a "dumb jootch." When we lived in Japan, I called all the Japanese people "domos." They would say "domo" a lot, which means "thank you."
10. I have one biological sister and 7 step-siblings.
11. I was addicted to Dr Pepper in college. I went to college in Texas. Dr Pepper is bottled in Dallas. You couldn't look anywhere for all the Dr Pepper soda machines.
12. My dad went with me to my first Tori Amos concert when I was 18. Brave man.
13. I was an ugly baby. Ask my mom. She will confirm this.
14. The TV character I most closely identify with is Betty Roberts from Remember WENN.
15. The book character I most closely identify with is Anne Eliot from Persuasion. A close second would be Thursday Next.
16. I believe string theory is a huge key to the Theory of Everything and that Michio Kaku and Brian Greene and all their friends will figure it out eventually.
17. I only drink breakfast tea in the morning. Even though it's just black tea, and I 've no idea why it's called breakfast tea, drinking it at any other time of day just seems wrong.
18. I want to learn to play all the Bach cello suites, the theme from the Angel TV series, and the opening cello piece from Wings of Desire.
19. I never liked The Simpsons until I saw the episode where they explain why there are no pictures of Maggie in the photo albums at home. They're all in Homer's office. I love their Halloween episodes, too.
20. I only watch Family Guy for Stewie. I mute all the other scenes.
21. If I were braver than I am, I would follow Tom and Barbara Good's example and become self-sufficient.
22. Is it really so weird that I first read Little Women in the fourth grade? Lots of people have told me that this is not normal. I read Dostoyevsky and Solzhenitsyn when I was a teenager. I KNOW that was not normal.
23. I think Europe had the right idea keeping train travel popular. I much prefer traveling by train to traveling by plane. I suspect this makes me old fashioned.
24. I get car sick riding in the back of cars, especially limos. Sucking on candied ginger sometimes helps to settle the stomach.
25. I still think the best way to fall asleep is to have someone read to you or to listen to an audiobook.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
rabbit's stopped running
Oh dear, just read that John Updike died today.
I didn't like everything he wrote, but I've learned that's okay. He kept writing anyway. That's the best lesson I've learned as a writer.
I didn't like everything he wrote, but I've learned that's okay. He kept writing anyway. That's the best lesson I've learned as a writer.
story overload
***link-heavy warning***
It's snowing, and there are a lot of stories about:
Pride and Prejudice is going to be a graphic novel, and zombies are sold separately. If the latter were ever filmed, I could see Simon Pegg as either Mr Bennett or Mr Collins, possibly Mr Bingley.
The Witches of Eastwick is going to be turned into a TV series. Loved the book. Film was good. Not sure what I think of the TV series idea. I mean, isn't that what Charmed was for? I guess this could be the more grown-up version. We'll see...
Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal, and it's going to be a film with Neil Jordan writing and directing, and if they include a song by Neil Finn and/or Neil Young (I admit to leaning toward Neil Finn because I'm partial to his solo albums and to Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" is my favorite song EVER...sorry, babbling...) or perhaps a cameo with Neil Armstrong, then it will definitely break the curse, and there will always be a Neil when you need him.
Coraline film is out next Friday, although no mention was made in Neil G's three minutes on the Today Show, er, today.
I've just discovered Nathaniel Parker's audiobook versions of the Artemis Fowl series. His character voices are superb! I'm about a third of the way into the second one. Great stuff to knit to.
I read most of Q's Legacy in the waiting room with Em last Friday. Now I need to go get 84, Charing Cross Road, as I'm so intrigued by the back story (apparently, there's a film version with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins). The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street isn't as easily available, so I'm going to have to dig a bit to find it.
I think my next read will be London by Edward Rutherfurd to refresh my knowledge of the history of the place before I visit in October. I'm considering a trip to Ireland in 2010, so his Ireland books may prove handy, too.
It's snowing, and there are a lot of stories about:
Pride and Prejudice is going to be a graphic novel, and zombies are sold separately. If the latter were ever filmed, I could see Simon Pegg as either Mr Bennett or Mr Collins, possibly Mr Bingley.
The Witches of Eastwick is going to be turned into a TV series. Loved the book. Film was good. Not sure what I think of the TV series idea. I mean, isn't that what Charmed was for? I guess this could be the more grown-up version. We'll see...
Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal, and it's going to be a film with Neil Jordan writing and directing, and if they include a song by Neil Finn and/or Neil Young (I admit to leaning toward Neil Finn because I'm partial to his solo albums and to Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" is my favorite song EVER...sorry, babbling...) or perhaps a cameo with Neil Armstrong, then it will definitely break the curse, and there will always be a Neil when you need him.
Coraline film is out next Friday, although no mention was made in Neil G's three minutes on the Today Show, er, today.
I've just discovered Nathaniel Parker's audiobook versions of the Artemis Fowl series. His character voices are superb! I'm about a third of the way into the second one. Great stuff to knit to.
I read most of Q's Legacy in the waiting room with Em last Friday. Now I need to go get 84, Charing Cross Road, as I'm so intrigued by the back story (apparently, there's a film version with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins). The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street isn't as easily available, so I'm going to have to dig a bit to find it.
I think my next read will be London by Edward Rutherfurd to refresh my knowledge of the history of the place before I visit in October. I'm considering a trip to Ireland in 2010, so his Ireland books may prove handy, too.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
crocheting my bit
I've started going to a Saturday morning knitting group meeting at Savage Mill. It's a great group of people with all kinds of backgrounds in Life and Knitting. About half them are my age, too.
Yesterday, I sat near a woman who was learning the knitting basics from another woman. The teacher was very patient with the new knitter and didn't mind not being able to work on her own project. Another woman showed up wearing the first sweater she had made ten years ago. It was big on her - baggy with sleeves rolled up - but it was a pretty blue with silver buttons, and she was obviously proud of it enough to wear it.
Sometimes, the group makes projects for charity. The latest one is scarves for military veterans. The National World War II Museum has a program called Knit Your Bit, which is similar to the Red Cross knitting campaign that was popular during World War II. They provide knit and crochet patterns that are easy to follow. With the current craft renaissance, this program, along with others like Head Huggers and Warm Up, America, is doing really well. Makes sense, really. Knitters and crocheters are doing what they love to do, and their efforts help others.
Plus, these projects help with stash-busting. I crochet much faster than I knit, and I had a bunch of scrap yarn left over from other projects, which was enough to complete a scarf last weekend:
And there's still enough scrap yarn for a second scarf that I started this morning:
And although Joe-the-office roomie isn't a military veteran (that I know of, anyway), I did make a scarf for him recently, and since we're on a crocheted scarf theme here and it would be nice to have three pictures in one blog entry, say hello to:
It's nice and long and looks swell with his winter coat. We just need to get him a TARDIS to complete the look.
I'm STILL working on Angel's crocheted babette blanket. All the squares are done, and I've started sewing them together, but the squares must be reproducing because the pile of them doesn't seem to get any smaller, even though the blanket is getting bigger. I didn't know yarn could do that.
Yesterday, I sat near a woman who was learning the knitting basics from another woman. The teacher was very patient with the new knitter and didn't mind not being able to work on her own project. Another woman showed up wearing the first sweater she had made ten years ago. It was big on her - baggy with sleeves rolled up - but it was a pretty blue with silver buttons, and she was obviously proud of it enough to wear it.
Sometimes, the group makes projects for charity. The latest one is scarves for military veterans. The National World War II Museum has a program called Knit Your Bit, which is similar to the Red Cross knitting campaign that was popular during World War II. They provide knit and crochet patterns that are easy to follow. With the current craft renaissance, this program, along with others like Head Huggers and Warm Up, America, is doing really well. Makes sense, really. Knitters and crocheters are doing what they love to do, and their efforts help others.
Plus, these projects help with stash-busting. I crochet much faster than I knit, and I had a bunch of scrap yarn left over from other projects, which was enough to complete a scarf last weekend:
And there's still enough scrap yarn for a second scarf that I started this morning:
And although Joe-the-office roomie isn't a military veteran (that I know of, anyway), I did make a scarf for him recently, and since we're on a crocheted scarf theme here and it would be nice to have three pictures in one blog entry, say hello to:
It's nice and long and looks swell with his winter coat. We just need to get him a TARDIS to complete the look.
I'm STILL working on Angel's crocheted babette blanket. All the squares are done, and I've started sewing them together, but the squares must be reproducing because the pile of them doesn't seem to get any smaller, even though the blanket is getting bigger. I didn't know yarn could do that.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
february 6th can't get here fast enough
This is the creepiest and yummiest of all the Coraline trailers I've seen:
Friday, January 23, 2009
"...this porridge was just right"
Mark Bittman's porridge recipe is awesome (scroll down about a third of the way). And I just happened to have some Scottish oats in the cupboard, along with a canister of Irish oats that I'd forgotten about. It only took about 10-ish minutes to make this morning, and I have enough left over to refrigerate and heat up over the weekend. SO much better than the instant oats. I only used 4 cups of water, but next time, I'll probably add the extra half cup, as I like my oatmeal creamy rather than stiff.
I added a generous dollop of brown rice syrup (you could use honey or maple syrup instead) and some dried cranberries. Yummy!
I may try his bread pudding recipe, too (it's right before the porridge recipe). I assume it would work with gluten-free bread.
I added a generous dollop of brown rice syrup (you could use honey or maple syrup instead) and some dried cranberries. Yummy!
I may try his bread pudding recipe, too (it's right before the porridge recipe). I assume it would work with gluten-free bread.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
air and simple gifts
I'm really taken with this piece that Yo-Yo Ma played with Itzhak Perlman and Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill right before Mr Obama took the oath of office. I listened to it once in real time this morning, and again in a re-run this evening.
I can only think it's because I'm perking up my ears again to cello music in preparation for starting lessons in the next few months. My ear has been tuned in to cello music for awhile now. I can pick it out in all kinds of stuff I hear on the radio and in movie and documentary soundtracks and even in commercials. It's the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice. It's like the three bears - the pitch and timbre are not too high, nor too low, but just right.
Anyway, this John Williams piece reminds me a bit of Appalachia Waltz, which Yo-Yo Ma played with Mark O'Conor and Edgar Meyer back in the mid-90s (the whole album is great, but that's my favorite piece on it). It has the same dreamy, meditative, summery quality that lets your mind happily wander. I love not only listening to Yo-Yo Ma play but also watching him play. He loves to play the cello. He loves to talk about the cello. He loves to teach people to play the cello. You can tell when you watch him. And don't even get me started on his Bach cello suites. I could go on for days...
I can only think it's because I'm perking up my ears again to cello music in preparation for starting lessons in the next few months. My ear has been tuned in to cello music for awhile now. I can pick it out in all kinds of stuff I hear on the radio and in movie and documentary soundtracks and even in commercials. It's the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice. It's like the three bears - the pitch and timbre are not too high, nor too low, but just right.
Anyway, this John Williams piece reminds me a bit of Appalachia Waltz, which Yo-Yo Ma played with Mark O'Conor and Edgar Meyer back in the mid-90s (the whole album is great, but that's my favorite piece on it). It has the same dreamy, meditative, summery quality that lets your mind happily wander. I love not only listening to Yo-Yo Ma play but also watching him play. He loves to play the cello. He loves to talk about the cello. He loves to teach people to play the cello. You can tell when you watch him. And don't even get me started on his Bach cello suites. I could go on for days...
Monday, January 19, 2009
no books for kids?
This. Is Just. Stupid.
First it was going to drive small-business crafters out of business by the thousands. Now, it's going to keep kids from reading.
This law is getting way out of hand and it's not even in effect yet.
First it was going to drive small-business crafters out of business by the thousands. Now, it's going to keep kids from reading.
This law is getting way out of hand and it's not even in effect yet.
Friday, January 16, 2009
lyra's fever is down
Thanks all for asking. The vet said to finish out her antibiotics. They still don't know what caused it - it was either viral or a side effect of the distemper vaccine she had the week before the fever started.
New furnace is still working and still noisy, but can't complain since I have heat again.
I'm glad for the three-day weekend. I have an essay to write for grad school, but otherwise, it's a lot of knitting and crochet and movie watching and tea drinking with two healthy cats for company.
Listening to re-broadcast of Sir Terry Pratchett's Mort on BBC7. Love Geoffrey Whitehead as Death. The voice is perfect and makes the one-liners all the more hilarious.
Also eating rice noodles.
New furnace is still working and still noisy, but can't complain since I have heat again.
I'm glad for the three-day weekend. I have an essay to write for grad school, but otherwise, it's a lot of knitting and crochet and movie watching and tea drinking with two healthy cats for company.
Listening to re-broadcast of Sir Terry Pratchett's Mort on BBC7. Love Geoffrey Whitehead as Death. The voice is perfect and makes the one-liners all the more hilarious.
Also eating rice noodles.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
furnace needs to be replaced
I'm still smarting a bit from the cost, but it will be installed tomorrow and will be more energy efficient. The old one lasted more than 30 years, so it's had a good run.
How the nice repair people are going to get the old one out and put the new one in should be quite a scene. It's in a small, narrow closet, and my condo is on the fifth floor. Furniture will have to be moved out of the way for a start.
Hopefully, what I'm going to have to spend on it will be reimbursed by my tax return and company bonus, so it's only a temporary wound.
In other news, Lyra is a smidgen more alert today, and I had a cleaning frenzy that resulted in culling the contents of two lateral file drawers, a desk cupboard, three book cases, and a CD tower. I'm sure it's the acupuncture. The cleaning urge has regularly occurred the day of or the day after a needle session.
How the nice repair people are going to get the old one out and put the new one in should be quite a scene. It's in a small, narrow closet, and my condo is on the fifth floor. Furniture will have to be moved out of the way for a start.
Hopefully, what I'm going to have to spend on it will be reimbursed by my tax return and company bonus, so it's only a temporary wound.
In other news, Lyra is a smidgen more alert today, and I had a cleaning frenzy that resulted in culling the contents of two lateral file drawers, a desk cupboard, three book cases, and a CD tower. I'm sure it's the acupuncture. The cleaning urge has regularly occurred the day of or the day after a needle session.
an animal favor
But not for mine (although good energy and thoughts are always appreciated). This is for my aunt's dog, Elvis:
Hello Dear One...
I am sending this email out to try to circumvent some of the story-telling, and ask all of those fabulous people who care about me to send their prayers and good thoughts. Tonight I found out that my sweet rottie, Elvis, has inoperable cancer. Most of you know him and know what a silly head he is...and nothing has changed. If you were to come over right now, you'd never guess his body is riddled with tumors.
My request is that you pray, or send thoughts, or energy, or do whatever you feel to do, so that his remaining time here is pleasant and painless, and when it is time to go, it will be easy for him.
He's been my best friend and companion for so long that I have a hard time picturing life without him. It could be a few days, a few weeks, a few months, no one knows. These past 11 years with him have been amazing. He has never lost his puppy personality and he saved my life twice. Dogs just don't come any better.
I found a bump in his belly a couple of weeks ago. The vet said we should watch it after the aspiration showed nothing. It didn't change for the better,so I decided to have it removed. Today we went in for routine bloodwork to prepare for the surgery. The vet suggested we go ahead with the lung x-rays while we were there, then we wouldn't have to do them the same day as the surgery. There won't be any surgery now as his lungs are filled with golf-ball sized tumors.
We are going to treat him as holisically as possible, and keep him comfortable. There is hope that we can stem the growth-rate of the tumors, but little hope of a cure. I will not put him through chemo or anything that will hurt him.
I appreciate your support and care. You have always been there for me when I needed an ear, and I hope throughout the years, I have been there for you. I am grateful that you are in my life and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Since we don't know how long he will be with us, if you would like to stop and see him, just call me and we'll have a visit!
I know they are meant to have the life span they have. I can logic my way through this with the best of them...and reality is just plain lousy sometimes. If you can add my roommate, George, to the prayers, that would be great too. As you know, he lost his beautiful son, Isaac, to brain cancer 2 years ago. And while seeing Elvis through to the end of his life isn't even in the same universe of pain, it is still something I wish he did not have to go through because he has grown quite attached to Elvis. More grief is not really something George needs in his life right now, as you can imagine. I thought perhaps Isaac just really needed a great dog, so he's asking for Elvis. Wouldn't that be sweet?
Thanks for listening. Thanks for your support. Thanks for your shoulder.
Love!
VAL
I hope she won't mind me posting this. I know she's getting support from friends and family, but hey, there are tons of animal lovers out there, so the more good energy and thoughts, the better, right?
Hello Dear One...
I am sending this email out to try to circumvent some of the story-telling, and ask all of those fabulous people who care about me to send their prayers and good thoughts. Tonight I found out that my sweet rottie, Elvis, has inoperable cancer. Most of you know him and know what a silly head he is...and nothing has changed. If you were to come over right now, you'd never guess his body is riddled with tumors.
My request is that you pray, or send thoughts, or energy, or do whatever you feel to do, so that his remaining time here is pleasant and painless, and when it is time to go, it will be easy for him.
He's been my best friend and companion for so long that I have a hard time picturing life without him. It could be a few days, a few weeks, a few months, no one knows. These past 11 years with him have been amazing. He has never lost his puppy personality and he saved my life twice. Dogs just don't come any better.
I found a bump in his belly a couple of weeks ago. The vet said we should watch it after the aspiration showed nothing. It didn't change for the better,so I decided to have it removed. Today we went in for routine bloodwork to prepare for the surgery. The vet suggested we go ahead with the lung x-rays while we were there, then we wouldn't have to do them the same day as the surgery. There won't be any surgery now as his lungs are filled with golf-ball sized tumors.
We are going to treat him as holisically as possible, and keep him comfortable. There is hope that we can stem the growth-rate of the tumors, but little hope of a cure. I will not put him through chemo or anything that will hurt him.
I appreciate your support and care. You have always been there for me when I needed an ear, and I hope throughout the years, I have been there for you. I am grateful that you are in my life and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Since we don't know how long he will be with us, if you would like to stop and see him, just call me and we'll have a visit!
I know they are meant to have the life span they have. I can logic my way through this with the best of them...and reality is just plain lousy sometimes. If you can add my roommate, George, to the prayers, that would be great too. As you know, he lost his beautiful son, Isaac, to brain cancer 2 years ago. And while seeing Elvis through to the end of his life isn't even in the same universe of pain, it is still something I wish he did not have to go through because he has grown quite attached to Elvis. More grief is not really something George needs in his life right now, as you can imagine. I thought perhaps Isaac just really needed a great dog, so he's asking for Elvis. Wouldn't that be sweet?
Thanks for listening. Thanks for your support. Thanks for your shoulder.
Love!
VAL
I hope she won't mind me posting this. I know she's getting support from friends and family, but hey, there are tons of animal lovers out there, so the more good energy and thoughts, the better, right?
are you awake?
I am. It's 4:30 am. I'm awake because acupuncture does that to me - I sleep so deeply that I don't need as much sleep as usual. Also, the heater is making weird noises, and it woke me up. Today and through the rest of the week, it's going to get colder, so a heater on the blink isn't a good idea. I do have space heaters, though. I just don't want to leave them on while I'm away from home, but I don't want the cats to freeze either. I can't afford to put them in a boarding facility until the heater is fixed because I've spent so much money at the vet's in the past three weeks.
This was supposed to be my good and fun year, wasn't it? Not such a good start, I think.
Still, could be worse. I could have had breast cancer at 28, like this woman does. Not sure I'd be able to be as amusingly snarky as she is about it.
This was supposed to be my good and fun year, wasn't it? Not such a good start, I think.
Still, could be worse. I could have had breast cancer at 28, like this woman does. Not sure I'd be able to be as amusingly snarky as she is about it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
mystery
Lyra's blood work came back normal, and they looked for everything. The vet said she's seen three other cats with exactly the same symptoms: high fever, low energy, otherwise fine. Sounds like something viral. This worries me a bit as I have another cat, and I don't want him catching whatever she has. In fact, Tristan has taken over greeting-mistress-at-the-front-door duty.
The vet gave me some different antibiotics to give to Lyra. They're supposed to be chewable, but they're really hard, so I snapped them in half to make it easier for her. I have to take her back on Friday, and they'll re-check her temperature. They're getting to know me by sight at the vet's these days. And of course, Tristan is due for shots and a check-up at the end of the month.
Since the gloomy weather and the sick cat have got me feeling gloomy and sick, which I'm now passing along to readers, here's something fun: Hugh Laurie singing "Mystery" in his best Sammy Davis, Jr. voice. I may just watch an entire DVD's worth of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, just to keep the laughs going.
The vet gave me some different antibiotics to give to Lyra. They're supposed to be chewable, but they're really hard, so I snapped them in half to make it easier for her. I have to take her back on Friday, and they'll re-check her temperature. They're getting to know me by sight at the vet's these days. And of course, Tristan is due for shots and a check-up at the end of the month.
Since the gloomy weather and the sick cat have got me feeling gloomy and sick, which I'm now passing along to readers, here's something fun: Hugh Laurie singing "Mystery" in his best Sammy Davis, Jr. voice. I may just watch an entire DVD's worth of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, just to keep the laughs going.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
cat health
It started on Wednesday night. My tuxedo cat, Lyra, always greets me at the door when I come in. Always. It is one of the few things in life that I can count on. But on Wednesday night, she didn't. Instead, I found her sleeping on my bed. She barely acknowledged me. Normally, she's alert, active, feisty, and engaging in races with my other cat, Tristan. Wednesday night, she barely moved.
On Thursday morning, when she still hadn't left the bed, I called the vet and took her in. They took her temperature and realized she had a fever of 104.5 (this would explain why she slept on my bed since it's cooler in my bedroom than it is in the main living area). Normal temperature for a cat is about 100.5 to 102.5 or thereabouts. Even a change of two degrees, which doesn't sound like much, is major in cat health. The vet gave her an IV under the skin of fluids to help her cool down, and also gave her a shot of antibiotics. Lyra is not the most cooperative at the vet's, growling and squirming, but the vet and the tech understood that and managed anyway. The vet told me to call on Friday afternoon and update her on Lyra's progress. If there wasn't any progress, I was to bring her back in for blood work.
When I got her home, Lyra immediately went to her food bowl and chowed down. She walked around a bit and spent the rest of the day in and out of my bedroom. I kept an eye on her the next day as well. She seemed a little more active, so when I called the vet on Friday, she was pleased that Lyra seemed to be improving and didn't think I needed to bring her in again. No idea what caused the fever. She had a vaccination the previous Wednesday, but if there were any side effects from it, they probably would have shown up in the days immediately after the shot, not a week later.
Yesterday, she spent most of the day in the living room with me and was eating and drinking a little more. I usually give her her asthma pill in a bit of chicken, but since she's not had any asthma attacks lately, I've just been giving her the bit of chicken. She and Tristan both come to the kitchen when they hear anything that sounds like a bag with chicken in it. She was even more eager for it this morning.
I grew up with dogs, and Lyra and Tristan are my second and third cats, and yet, I still don't feel like I have a good handle on pet health. They all get different things, nothing repeats. Louise, my first cat, had a heart murmur, thyroid problems, and stomach cancer. Hunny, my dog, had arthritis, ear infections, and a tumor on her spleen. Tristan had digestive problems when I first got him, although he's fine now, thank goodness. And Lyra has asthma and now this fever. So the worrying goes on, and anyone who knows me knows my worrying can easily get out of control. At least my boss, who is also a cat person, understood my need to work from home Thursday and Friday.
Lyra still seems droopy and she doesn't want to play with Tristan at all. I don't know how long it takes for a cat to recover from a fever, so I can't decide if I should take her back to the vet tomorrow or not. I guess I have to do some more wait and see.
On Thursday morning, when she still hadn't left the bed, I called the vet and took her in. They took her temperature and realized she had a fever of 104.5 (this would explain why she slept on my bed since it's cooler in my bedroom than it is in the main living area). Normal temperature for a cat is about 100.5 to 102.5 or thereabouts. Even a change of two degrees, which doesn't sound like much, is major in cat health. The vet gave her an IV under the skin of fluids to help her cool down, and also gave her a shot of antibiotics. Lyra is not the most cooperative at the vet's, growling and squirming, but the vet and the tech understood that and managed anyway. The vet told me to call on Friday afternoon and update her on Lyra's progress. If there wasn't any progress, I was to bring her back in for blood work.
When I got her home, Lyra immediately went to her food bowl and chowed down. She walked around a bit and spent the rest of the day in and out of my bedroom. I kept an eye on her the next day as well. She seemed a little more active, so when I called the vet on Friday, she was pleased that Lyra seemed to be improving and didn't think I needed to bring her in again. No idea what caused the fever. She had a vaccination the previous Wednesday, but if there were any side effects from it, they probably would have shown up in the days immediately after the shot, not a week later.
Yesterday, she spent most of the day in the living room with me and was eating and drinking a little more. I usually give her her asthma pill in a bit of chicken, but since she's not had any asthma attacks lately, I've just been giving her the bit of chicken. She and Tristan both come to the kitchen when they hear anything that sounds like a bag with chicken in it. She was even more eager for it this morning.
I grew up with dogs, and Lyra and Tristan are my second and third cats, and yet, I still don't feel like I have a good handle on pet health. They all get different things, nothing repeats. Louise, my first cat, had a heart murmur, thyroid problems, and stomach cancer. Hunny, my dog, had arthritis, ear infections, and a tumor on her spleen. Tristan had digestive problems when I first got him, although he's fine now, thank goodness. And Lyra has asthma and now this fever. So the worrying goes on, and anyone who knows me knows my worrying can easily get out of control. At least my boss, who is also a cat person, understood my need to work from home Thursday and Friday.
Lyra still seems droopy and she doesn't want to play with Tristan at all. I don't know how long it takes for a cat to recover from a fever, so I can't decide if I should take her back to the vet tomorrow or not. I guess I have to do some more wait and see.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
tricot machine
I came across this on craftzine.com. This is stop-motion animation gone mad and brilliant. Craftzine says there were more than 700 panels knitted for this three-minutes-and-change piece.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
three women
Sylvia Plath's poem was originally performed as a radio play. It's now going to be done as a theatrical play.
Unfortunately, it's only going to have a five-week run. I'd have definitely gone to see it in October if it was still showing.
"Three Women" was written in the last year of her life, as were the Ariel poems, which were the first pieces I read by her when I was a teenager. I remember my 9th grade English teacher taking me aside and telling me she was "worried" about me when she saw me with my copy of Ariel. Plath's double tragedy is that not only did she commit suicide, which also cut short her amazing writing career, but her writing and her suicide became forever entwined. I wasn't reading Ariel because she killed herself, I was reading it because it was stunning writing and made me appreciate poetry and word choice and word rhythm far more than I had previously.
You can brush it off and say her double tragedy was her own fault, but get inside the mind of someone struggling with depression before you do so. Read her journals, for instance (the unabridged/unedited version). She wrestled with it for a good decade before her suicide. She had psychotherapy and even electroshock therapy. This is not the history of someone who let depression take over without a fight. And considering that her husband had more or less left her for another woman and had gotten the other woman pregnant, and Plath was caring for their two children by herself, if she hadn't been depressed by that, she would have been inhuman. And if she was good at anything, it was being fully human and writing about it, however painful.
Unfortunately, it's only going to have a five-week run. I'd have definitely gone to see it in October if it was still showing.
"Three Women" was written in the last year of her life, as were the Ariel poems, which were the first pieces I read by her when I was a teenager. I remember my 9th grade English teacher taking me aside and telling me she was "worried" about me when she saw me with my copy of Ariel. Plath's double tragedy is that not only did she commit suicide, which also cut short her amazing writing career, but her writing and her suicide became forever entwined. I wasn't reading Ariel because she killed herself, I was reading it because it was stunning writing and made me appreciate poetry and word choice and word rhythm far more than I had previously.
You can brush it off and say her double tragedy was her own fault, but get inside the mind of someone struggling with depression before you do so. Read her journals, for instance (the unabridged/unedited version). She wrestled with it for a good decade before her suicide. She had psychotherapy and even electroshock therapy. This is not the history of someone who let depression take over without a fight. And considering that her husband had more or less left her for another woman and had gotten the other woman pregnant, and Plath was caring for their two children by herself, if she hadn't been depressed by that, she would have been inhuman. And if she was good at anything, it was being fully human and writing about it, however painful.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
indulgences
***link-heavy warning***
The Lewis family accessories have been delivered to their intendeds. Steph says the hat covers her whole head, which is a good thing. If it didn't, I'd be a bad knitter. Joe-the-office-roomie's scarf approached TARDIS length, but I didn't want him tripping over it or getting it caught in doors, as that would also make me a bad crocheter. And Julia is hopefully well-stocked with hats now. (I've really got to remember to take pictures of finished pieces before they go out into the world, so I can post them here.)
Now I'm working on a sweater for Belle, my sister's dog. Store-bought sweaters don't fit her well, and I found a pattern that should work well for her.
I've seriously gorged on reading lately, too. Finished Eternals, Stitch-n-Bitch crochet and knitting books, Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, and some more of Oscar Wilde's letters (aren't you proud of me? It's been awhile since I've mentioned Oscar; oh, and BBC7 is broadcasting a reading of The Canterville Ghost; there's a good version on Librivox, too - sorry, couldn't resist).
I've also indulged in a lot of blog reading in the early morning while I drink my hot water with lemon juice (liver cleanser). I never cease to be amazed at the lovely stuff available on the interwebtube:
The Lewis family accessories have been delivered to their intendeds. Steph says the hat covers her whole head, which is a good thing. If it didn't, I'd be a bad knitter. Joe-the-office-roomie's scarf approached TARDIS length, but I didn't want him tripping over it or getting it caught in doors, as that would also make me a bad crocheter. And Julia is hopefully well-stocked with hats now. (I've really got to remember to take pictures of finished pieces before they go out into the world, so I can post them here.)
Now I'm working on a sweater for Belle, my sister's dog. Store-bought sweaters don't fit her well, and I found a pattern that should work well for her.
I've seriously gorged on reading lately, too. Finished Eternals, Stitch-n-Bitch crochet and knitting books, Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, and some more of Oscar Wilde's letters (aren't you proud of me? It's been awhile since I've mentioned Oscar; oh, and BBC7 is broadcasting a reading of The Canterville Ghost; there's a good version on Librivox, too - sorry, couldn't resist).
I've also indulged in a lot of blog reading in the early morning while I drink my hot water with lemon juice (liver cleanser). I never cease to be amazed at the lovely stuff available on the interwebtube:
- insect and bird art
- dolores the sheep
- black apple prints
- beautiful drawings
- peter h reynolds illustrations
- kikiverde - the tagline says it better than I could; I just may make the pincushion for my mom as she into ladybugs
- tea cozies like you've never seen!
- possibly the most colorful blog I've ever come across, and there's beeyooteefull yarn there too! I've been perusing this one as much for the photos as for the writing
Sunday, January 4, 2009
holiday withdrawal
I do not, repeat do not, want to go back to work tomorrow. And for a full week! Yuck! It's amazing what you get done when you have some time off for yourself. I got tons of laundry done, started catching up on my reading and yarn projects, made several pots of soup and a couple of loaves of banana bread, set up my DTV converter, took out the tape deck I never use so I can give it back to my dad, and gathered the ten references I need for an essay for my nonfiction grad course.
Oh, and I finally found a frame big enough for my Study in Emerald poster. Now I've just got to haul the thing to work and hang it up. Joe-the-office roomie has wallpapered with data dictionary stuff, and I only have one medium size-ish watercolor painting up, so I needed to find something else to contribute to our eclectic decorating sense.
Hmm, not sure what I think of Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who yet. Doesn't seem like there's as much variety in the Doctors these days as there used to be. Oh well, wait and see his episodes and then decide.
Oh, and I finally found a frame big enough for my Study in Emerald poster. Now I've just got to haul the thing to work and hang it up. Joe-the-office roomie has wallpapered with data dictionary stuff, and I only have one medium size-ish watercolor painting up, so I needed to find something else to contribute to our eclectic decorating sense.
Hmm, not sure what I think of Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who yet. Doesn't seem like there's as much variety in the Doctors these days as there used to be. Oh well, wait and see his episodes and then decide.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
new year, new template, new revolutions
I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying out new templates for this blog. Really, it shouldn't be so difficult to find one you like, download the xml file, and then upload it to the template page on blogger and have it actually work both in Firefox and in IE. However, there appear to be rather a lot of bugs in templates more often than not, and I've no patience to fix them.
I'm not entirely sold on this template yet, so let me know what you think of it. I'm also considering changing the name of the blog, so suggestions are also welcome about that, too.
This year's revolutions:
fun stuff
I'm not entirely sold on this template yet, so let me know what you think of it. I'm also considering changing the name of the blog, so suggestions are also welcome about that, too.
This year's revolutions:
fun stuff
- take cello lessons - really going to do it this year; I've let other things get in the way, which has gotten on my nerves (maybe I should re-name this blog "rumored cellist")
- repaint and wallpaper doll house - outside will be blue-gray with white shutters and a dark red door
- join Saturday morning yarn group - I made it to the Thursday night art group exactly once last year mainly because I let work get the better of my time; hopefully, I will be more successful with this group
- knit or crochet something different - cables? intarsia? mittens? socks? sweater?
- indulge in all the books I've put off reading because of grad school - I kept buying books last year, even though I knew I'd have to put off reading them; it's definitely a reading year
writing
- write another novel - I feel a children's book coming on
- revise and send off novel/thesis to agents/publishers - I've treated myself to an online subscription to Writer's Market and I've got a list of agents
- participate in NaNoWriMo in November - a two-year hiatus is long enough
health
- get off Lexapro - really nervous about this as I've heard some horror stories about the withdrawal symptoms of getting off SSRIs
- lose Lexapro weight - this will be the hardest of all my revolutions this year
- follow Karen-the-acupuncturist's protein and greens advice - hopefully this will help with the weight loss
- try EMDR therapy to prevent the panic attacks - eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy; Karen-the-acupuncturist recommends it, and she's tried it too
money
- save money for London trip
- replenish savings account - most of it went to grad school last year
- pay extra on mortgage - hopefully getting a raise this year, so I should be able to do this
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