This one is a hard one to write. I'm a mess, and so is ttk--about 2 hours ago ttk accidentally stepped on Tasha, our black cat. She bolted out the window, then he heard her yowling in the garage, and it sounded bad, so he came and woke me up, and brought her in to me. I took one look at her, panting, body cool to the touch, and said EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. Then I told him she was probably not going to make it.
She died at the vets.
She's gone. We're burying her now.
We're going to bury her in with Needles.
I go help dig. And cry some more.
TTK is going to stay home tomorrow and we are going to do our best to comfort each other and keep me from cutting. Klonopin and hiding in bed are both in the plans.
It was an accident, a total accident, where she ran out from something she was hiding under, straight under his foot. But we both feel guilty--I had stuck the crap in the hall that he couldn't see her behind, and well, you know why he feels guilty.
One of her nicknames had become "S&M Kitty" since every night ttk had to shove a pill down her throat, which she fought quite admirably, drawing blood frequently. Then, 10 minutes later, she would be all over him and purring like a mad thing.
I love you, my sweet tough dog-taunting black cat.
I go cry more.
-me
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Ahh, Memories...
Lincoln Park Pirates
from the Steve Goodman LP "Somebody Else's Troubles"
The streetlamps are on in Chicago tonight,
And lovers a'gazin' at stars;
The stores are all closin', and Daley is dozin',
And the fat man is counting the cars...
And there's more cars than places to put 'em, he says,
But I've got room for them all;
So 'round 'em up boys, 'cause I want some more toys,
In the lot by the grocery store...
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.
We break into cars when we gotta,
With hammer and pickaxe and saw;
And they said this garage had no license;
But little care I for the law!
Our drivers are friendly and courteous;
Their good manners you always will get;
'Cause they all are recent graduates
Of the charm school in Joliet.
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.
And when all the cars are collected,
And all of their fenders are ruined,
Then I'll tow all the boats in Belmont Harbor
To the Lincoln Park Lagoon;
And when I've collected the ransom,
And sunk all the ones that won't yield;
I'll tow all the planes that are blocking the runways
At Midway, O'Hare, and Meigs Field!
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
Now citizens, gather around,
And I think it's enough, let's call his bluff,
Let's throw the bum out of town!
Transcribed by Rich Kulawiec, rsk@ecn.purdue.edu
http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Goodman_Steve/Miscellaneous/Lincoln_Park_Pirates/70648.html
from the Steve Goodman LP "Somebody Else's Troubles"
The streetlamps are on in Chicago tonight,
And lovers a'gazin' at stars;
The stores are all closin', and Daley is dozin',
And the fat man is counting the cars...
And there's more cars than places to put 'em, he says,
But I've got room for them all;
So 'round 'em up boys, 'cause I want some more toys,
In the lot by the grocery store...
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.
We break into cars when we gotta,
With hammer and pickaxe and saw;
And they said this garage had no license;
But little care I for the law!
Our drivers are friendly and courteous;
Their good manners you always will get;
'Cause they all are recent graduates
Of the charm school in Joliet.
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.
And when all the cars are collected,
And all of their fenders are ruined,
Then I'll tow all the boats in Belmont Harbor
To the Lincoln Park Lagoon;
And when I've collected the ransom,
And sunk all the ones that won't yield;
I'll tow all the planes that are blocking the runways
At Midway, O'Hare, and Meigs Field!
To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
Now citizens, gather around,
And I think it's enough, let's call his bluff,
Let's throw the bum out of town!
Transcribed by Rich Kulawiec, rsk@ecn.purdue.edu
http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Goodman_Steve/Miscellaneous/Lincoln_Park_Pirates/70648.html
Monday, August 20, 2007
I adore this poem.
anyone lived in a pretty how town
by e. e. cummings
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain
From Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Used with the permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. Copyright © 1923, 1931, 1935, 1940, 1951, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust. Copyright © 1976, 1978, 1979 by George James Firmage.
by e. e. cummings
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain
From Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Used with the permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. Copyright © 1923, 1931, 1935, 1940, 1951, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust. Copyright © 1976, 1978, 1979 by George James Firmage.
This just appeals to me...
Apparently this was a Christmas song parody written up in Mad Magazine ages ago...I haven't been able to verify the truth of this, so take it with the grain of salt you would for most things you read on the internet.
It's sung to the tune of "It came Upon a Midnight Clear"
"It hangs down from our chandelier;
We have no idea what it does.
Its shape is weird and
It drips with goo,
And lets off a high-sounding buzz.
It grows a couple of feet each day,
And wiggles with kind of a twitch.
We keep it 'cause it's a present from
A visiting uncle who's rich!"
Heh.
We've been tapering me off of the steroids, and there's definitely a tradeoff: as I decrease the steroids, the blood has come back and the pain has increased, but damn I feel so much more functional and sane.
I cleaned the rodents, I did 3 loads of laundry, i learned a new crochet stitch, and I'm actually posting in my blog.
Did I mention that I am down to 150 pounds? Not a diet I recommend to anyone, but it feels good to be lighter...
It's sung to the tune of "It came Upon a Midnight Clear"
"It hangs down from our chandelier;
We have no idea what it does.
Its shape is weird and
It drips with goo,
And lets off a high-sounding buzz.
It grows a couple of feet each day,
And wiggles with kind of a twitch.
We keep it 'cause it's a present from
A visiting uncle who's rich!"
Heh.
We've been tapering me off of the steroids, and there's definitely a tradeoff: as I decrease the steroids, the blood has come back and the pain has increased, but damn I feel so much more functional and sane.
I cleaned the rodents, I did 3 loads of laundry, i learned a new crochet stitch, and I'm actually posting in my blog.
Did I mention that I am down to 150 pounds? Not a diet I recommend to anyone, but it feels good to be lighter...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Approval Finally...
The Remicaide Nurse called today, and my insurance company has approved 3 treatments of Remicaide (and at $2,400 a visit, that's saying a lot!)...my first appointment is next Wednesday! Yay!
I'm down to 151 pounds, which would be great if I had lost it through diet and exercise, not diarrhea and blood and tissue and constant nausea and pain. Now we just need to get me off the steroids before I go into psychosis...and so we can get rid of all these evil symptoms that go along with the steroids--MAJOR dizziness, mood swings and some serious depression, severe body/hand weakness (such that I run out of breath and have to pant for air if I try to talk on the phone and walk around at the same time).
Here's a description of the disease I just found that is incredibly accurate:
Everyone who has been calling me has been asking about my health, which is understandable, but I'm so tired of talking about it!
(Which is probably why I haven't been posting about it...plus the profound depression kinda gets in the way of EVERYTHING.)
TTK and I discussed it at length, and decided last week since the Remicaide was pretty much guaranteed to happen, we would start an INCREDIBLY slow taper off of the steroids since they are destroying me...
which is probably why I have energy today and yesterday, and am posting, and feel better than I have in months.
I've also started crocheting as I felt way too limited by the Knifty Knitter and always working in the round. Plus the dizziness has kept me homebound (I am NOT driving a car like this!) so I've had a lot of time on my hands and not much strength to do chores...
Right now I am making monsters, for my neice (who just turned two). I am basing them on the amigurumi concept, and I'll talk more about this whole craft thing in another post. :-)
I'm down to 151 pounds, which would be great if I had lost it through diet and exercise, not diarrhea and blood and tissue and constant nausea and pain. Now we just need to get me off the steroids before I go into psychosis...and so we can get rid of all these evil symptoms that go along with the steroids--MAJOR dizziness, mood swings and some serious depression, severe body/hand weakness (such that I run out of breath and have to pant for air if I try to talk on the phone and walk around at the same time).
Here's a description of the disease I just found that is incredibly accurate:
About Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames the large intestine (colon) only. Symptoms may include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramps, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.
Everyone who has been calling me has been asking about my health, which is understandable, but I'm so tired of talking about it!
(Which is probably why I haven't been posting about it...plus the profound depression kinda gets in the way of EVERYTHING.)
TTK and I discussed it at length, and decided last week since the Remicaide was pretty much guaranteed to happen, we would start an INCREDIBLY slow taper off of the steroids since they are destroying me...
which is probably why I have energy today and yesterday, and am posting, and feel better than I have in months.
I've also started crocheting as I felt way too limited by the Knifty Knitter and always working in the round. Plus the dizziness has kept me homebound (I am NOT driving a car like this!) so I've had a lot of time on my hands and not much strength to do chores...
Right now I am making monsters, for my neice (who just turned two). I am basing them on the amigurumi concept, and I'll talk more about this whole craft thing in another post. :-)
Friday, August 3, 2007
Poor Sweet BattleAxe...
Needles died last night, in ttk's arms.
She put up a good fight the last few months but it was time for her to go...she waited until ttk got home last night, and died less than an hour later.
10:18 pm.
Funny how you notice the little things like that.
He made a simple but beautiful box for her, and for now we'll bury her in an oak half-wine barrel until we have our own home. Then, she and all the other little ones will be buried in their own home. Our own home.
Sweet Battleaxe, I will miss you.
She put up a good fight the last few months but it was time for her to go...she waited until ttk got home last night, and died less than an hour later.
10:18 pm.
Funny how you notice the little things like that.
He made a simple but beautiful box for her, and for now we'll bury her in an oak half-wine barrel until we have our own home. Then, she and all the other little ones will be buried in their own home. Our own home.
Sweet Battleaxe, I will miss you.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Romance...
He brought me flowers!!!!
Real, live, flowers!
Without having to be prompted, even!
Long-stemmed purple tulips. :-)
I didn't even know that tulips grew so long!
Funny thing was trying to find a vase--we've purged so much that the only thing I could find was a latching jar that had popping corn in it.
As I was arranging the flowers in the jar, TTK came in and said, "huh, I would have thought you would use something from your glass jar collection," and pointed upward.
DUH!!!!
So now they are beautifully arranged in my vintage Chemex coffeepot. :-)
eeeeee! He brought me flowers!!!
If I could have sex, he would so not be able to walk today...l
Real, live, flowers!
Without having to be prompted, even!
Long-stemmed purple tulips. :-)
I didn't even know that tulips grew so long!
Funny thing was trying to find a vase--we've purged so much that the only thing I could find was a latching jar that had popping corn in it.
As I was arranging the flowers in the jar, TTK came in and said, "huh, I would have thought you would use something from your glass jar collection," and pointed upward.
DUH!!!!
So now they are beautifully arranged in my vintage Chemex coffeepot. :-)
eeeeee! He brought me flowers!!!
If I could have sex, he would so not be able to walk today...l
Monday, July 9, 2007
Ow.
Ick.
Just got one of my molars ground down and prepared for a crown.
Have I mentioned I hate tooth issues?
The procedure was horrible--I can't breathe through my nose when my mouth is open, so I had to hold my breath, wave a hand and gasp for air, then hold my breath again, for an hour and a half.
Not fun.
Just got one of my molars ground down and prepared for a crown.
Have I mentioned I hate tooth issues?
The procedure was horrible--I can't breathe through my nose when my mouth is open, so I had to hold my breath, wave a hand and gasp for air, then hold my breath again, for an hour and a half.
Not fun.
Monday, June 11, 2007
ARRRGH--Broody chicken!
Small prelude: when chickens go broody, they stay on the nest all day and night, and leave it once a day to eat and poop...consequently the poop is a MASSIVE one. Now on to the story...
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of them have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get them over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so, I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our
yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, the chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
I can't pull the eggs, since they're gonna hatch any day now...not counting
my chickens before they hatch, but I am now waitng for about a dozen and a half chicks to be running around the yard...
Anyone want a chick or two?
Note to self: Next time, search closer!
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of them have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get them over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so, I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our
yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, the chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
I can't pull the eggs, since they're gonna hatch any day now...not counting
my chickens before they hatch, but I am now waitng for about a dozen and a half chicks to be running around the yard...
Anyone want a chick or two?
Note to self: Next time, search closer!
Friday, June 8, 2007
More on the Shakiness
One thing about this shakiness: it feels like my whole nervous system, not just my hands...it manifests itself in my hands, but it's kind of like if you whack a stick in the middle, the vibrations go all the way down, and increase as they reach the ends...
This, combined with the dizziness, is really making me want to cut. I'm reining the urge in as hard as I can, though, because I know EVERYONE around me will freak, and probably take me off the steroids immediately. But...
nnnnn... cutting... control...
nope, nope, nothing to see here, I didn't say this, didn't happen, nope nope nope...
This, combined with the dizziness, is really making me want to cut. I'm reining the urge in as hard as I can, though, because I know EVERYONE around me will freak, and probably take me off the steroids immediately. But...
nnnnn... cutting... control...
nope, nope, nothing to see here, I didn't say this, didn't happen, nope nope nope...
Baby cornsnakes!
Woo!
11 little spaghetti strings...several already all hissing and striking, as if they were real snakes, heh.
11 little spaghetti strings...several already all hissing and striking, as if they were real snakes, heh.
Dizzy
Okay, this dizziness is really driving me crazy. I know I *just* complained about it a few days ago, but considering how bad it's gotten, it bears repeating.
DIZZY DIZZY
DIZZY
~.,~-"`~
DIZZY
DIZZY
DI Z Z Y D I Z z Y d i Z ZZ Y
DIZZY DIZZY
DIZZY
~.,~-"`~
DIZZY
DIZZY
DI Z Z Y D I Z z Y d i Z ZZ Y
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Side Effects
Well, I've been on the budosenide for 3 weeks now, and things are not really getting better...the side effects of the steroids are *almost* overwhelming (if they were overwhelming, then I'd get off of them pronto...):
The shaky hands thing is what's really getting to me--that, and the dizziness/short of breath/if you stand up or move too fast you are going to pass out...
Shaky hands make for difficult typing. I find I have to curl my fingers under and use my knuckles for control when I am trying to use my trackball...
Dizziness makes for scary moments of the Oh-shit-I-am-going-to-pass-out variety. I find I either have to sit down abruptly (which really sucks when you're in the chicken coop!) or lean on something until the wave passes and I can move (SLOWLY!) again.
Short of breath is scary because I don't really seem to be doing all that much when I start having to gasp for air. Just talking on the phone or carrying in a load of laundry is enough to do it--I can't lift ANYTHING and this has added more reasons to why I don't drive anywhere.
Actually, the shakiness isn't just in my hands--it seems to be stemming practically from my spine and going down all my limbs. Can you say "NOT FUN!!!"?
The worst part of all this? My UC does not seem to be getting better. I'm still experiencing the urgency, the frequency, and the PAIN. I've had friends say, "Why don't you just wear Depends or something when you go out, instead of staying at home?"
Well, we're not talking about a tiny amount, here, and we're not talking about solids. I am not about to go somewhere and risk having an accident, Depends or not! Just HOW would I clean myself up in a public restroom? I can't exactly stand at the sink in my altogether, washing myself down... I would much rather stay home, near my own private facilities, thank you. Even visiting friends is scary, because what if I have to use their bathroom? It's not like a wave hits and is over--sometimes it's 10 minutes of pain and blood and spasms...then yeah, I want to go out and talk more with someone after that, right.
Frankly all I want to do after an episode is curl up into a little ball and cry...and at home, I feel free to do that.
This weekend should be interesting, since we are going to try to go to a Crohn's-Colitis Patient/Family Symposium in Sacramento on Saturday: 2 hour drive, 6 hour event, 2 hour drive back. I dunno about this...but if anyone is going to be understanding, it'll be this group of people.
Sigh.
The shaky hands thing is what's really getting to me--that, and the dizziness/short of breath/if you stand up or move too fast you are going to pass out...
Shaky hands make for difficult typing. I find I have to curl my fingers under and use my knuckles for control when I am trying to use my trackball...
Dizziness makes for scary moments of the Oh-shit-I-am-going-to-pass-out variety. I find I either have to sit down abruptly (which really sucks when you're in the chicken coop!) or lean on something until the wave passes and I can move (SLOWLY!) again.
Short of breath is scary because I don't really seem to be doing all that much when I start having to gasp for air. Just talking on the phone or carrying in a load of laundry is enough to do it--I can't lift ANYTHING and this has added more reasons to why I don't drive anywhere.
Actually, the shakiness isn't just in my hands--it seems to be stemming practically from my spine and going down all my limbs. Can you say "NOT FUN!!!"?
The worst part of all this? My UC does not seem to be getting better. I'm still experiencing the urgency, the frequency, and the PAIN. I've had friends say, "Why don't you just wear Depends or something when you go out, instead of staying at home?"
Well, we're not talking about a tiny amount, here, and we're not talking about solids. I am not about to go somewhere and risk having an accident, Depends or not! Just HOW would I clean myself up in a public restroom? I can't exactly stand at the sink in my altogether, washing myself down... I would much rather stay home, near my own private facilities, thank you. Even visiting friends is scary, because what if I have to use their bathroom? It's not like a wave hits and is over--sometimes it's 10 minutes of pain and blood and spasms...then yeah, I want to go out and talk more with someone after that, right.
Frankly all I want to do after an episode is curl up into a little ball and cry...and at home, I feel free to do that.
This weekend should be interesting, since we are going to try to go to a Crohn's-Colitis Patient/Family Symposium in Sacramento on Saturday: 2 hour drive, 6 hour event, 2 hour drive back. I dunno about this...but if anyone is going to be understanding, it'll be this group of people.
Sigh.
ARRRGH--Broody chicken!
(small prelude: Some of you know this--when chickens go broody, they stay on the nest all day and night, and leave it once a day to eat and poop...consequently the poop is a MASSIVE one. Now on to the story.)
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of htem have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get htem over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, a chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
It's a little much to hope that the eggs will hatch in time for me to bring chicks to the potluck, sigh.
Note to self: Next time search closer.
Second note to self: Trim mint and bring to potluck. Heh. Mint tea anyone?
-cobalt
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of htem have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get htem over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, a chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
It's a little much to hope that the eggs will hatch in time for me to bring chicks to the potluck, sigh.
Note to self: Next time search closer.
Second note to self: Trim mint and bring to potluck. Heh. Mint tea anyone?
-cobalt
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Momma's home.
I just talked to her about 2 hours ago--she's back in her nest, with a new medication, and a horde of small dogs that are so happy she's back in her nest. :-)
Apparently it wasn't a stroke--it was a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. A TIA "is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply" which sounds really damn scary, but it doesn't do as much damage as a full-on stroke. http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/index.htm
So she's quitting smoking...YAY!
whew.
Apparently it wasn't a stroke--it was a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. A TIA "is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply" which sounds really damn scary, but it doesn't do as much damage as a full-on stroke. http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/index.htm
So she's quitting smoking...YAY!
whew.
Friday, June 1, 2007
I just talked to my Mom...
And she sounds good. A little teeny bit slurry, but she said that she was actually able to eat with her right hand...she wants to go home tomorrow (of course!) but the drs will probably keep her for a few days.
It was amazingly hard to get her to talk about what happened--she kept asking me about ME and how I am doing!
I asked another question about how she was every time she tried to get the conversation onto me, and FINALLY she told me about what happened.
What she described was a lot worse than Amber had made it seem--Momma said she was curling her hair when she got dizzy...when she tried to walk into the bedroom, she couldn't get her body to walk straight but instead kept peeling off to the left.
When she reached the bed, she couldn't climb in, but kind of fell in instead. Amber just happened to call at that time, thank goodness, and when momma reached for the phnoe, she couldn't push the on button with her right hand. She said she could see the button, and see her hand, but she couldn't get her hand over to the button.
Scary.
When I mentioned that TTK wanted us to fly down immediately, she told me "Absolutely not. There's no need."
I agreed, saying that I would rather come down and see her when she was NOT in the hospital.
She got to have an MRI, which I told her is like "Having a band play african drum rhythms on the outside of a trash can--while your head is IN the trash can."
That got a laugh. :-)
I am going to call amber tomorrow and get an update.
It was amazingly hard to get her to talk about what happened--she kept asking me about ME and how I am doing!
I asked another question about how she was every time she tried to get the conversation onto me, and FINALLY she told me about what happened.
What she described was a lot worse than Amber had made it seem--Momma said she was curling her hair when she got dizzy...when she tried to walk into the bedroom, she couldn't get her body to walk straight but instead kept peeling off to the left.
When she reached the bed, she couldn't climb in, but kind of fell in instead. Amber just happened to call at that time, thank goodness, and when momma reached for the phnoe, she couldn't push the on button with her right hand. She said she could see the button, and see her hand, but she couldn't get her hand over to the button.
Scary.
When I mentioned that TTK wanted us to fly down immediately, she told me "Absolutely not. There's no need."
I agreed, saying that I would rather come down and see her when she was NOT in the hospital.
She got to have an MRI, which I told her is like "Having a band play african drum rhythms on the outside of a trash can--while your head is IN the trash can."
That got a laugh. :-)
I am going to call amber tomorrow and get an update.
Scariness.
My mom just had a stroke.
My siser called me 2 minutes ago to tell me they're at the ER...but that momma is mostly ok.
My sis had called my mom to make plans to go shopping, and momma was slurring and complained of being dizzy. Amber called my aunt Nyla immediately (Nyla's a PA) and told her...Nyla called momma, then called Amber back (A was already in the car by this time, heading over there) and said "ER. Now."
The Drs confirmed it was a stroke, and though she was feelig better, they are keeping her for a few days to run some tests as it's very likely it could happen again in the next few days.
Momma is having trouble with her right side movement, but is lucid and already acting like it's no big deal.
I told Amber "Do NOT let her pretend nothing happened! You know how she is..."
Amber agreed, and said momma was already telling her to fix some lunch, go get gas in your car, etc. before she agreed to go to the hospital.
I want to move down there...I miss my momma and want to be near her.
This really scared me. I go now to check on airline flights and pack an overnight bag, just in case.
My siser called me 2 minutes ago to tell me they're at the ER...but that momma is mostly ok.
My sis had called my mom to make plans to go shopping, and momma was slurring and complained of being dizzy. Amber called my aunt Nyla immediately (Nyla's a PA) and told her...Nyla called momma, then called Amber back (A was already in the car by this time, heading over there) and said "ER. Now."
The Drs confirmed it was a stroke, and though she was feelig better, they are keeping her for a few days to run some tests as it's very likely it could happen again in the next few days.
Momma is having trouble with her right side movement, but is lucid and already acting like it's no big deal.
I told Amber "Do NOT let her pretend nothing happened! You know how she is..."
Amber agreed, and said momma was already telling her to fix some lunch, go get gas in your car, etc. before she agreed to go to the hospital.
I want to move down there...I miss my momma and want to be near her.
This really scared me. I go now to check on airline flights and pack an overnight bag, just in case.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Short?
strange note: TTK is sitting next to me, programming, and I heard him mutter "short testicle zero."
?
I asked him WHAT he just said, and he looked at me from waaaay back in his brain as he tried to come back to humanland and translate what I said...then he answered "short test equals zero."
I started cracking up and told him to mutter it, very fast...he did, bemused, and shook his head like "what?" so I told him what I thought I had heard...heh.
?
I asked him WHAT he just said, and he looked at me from waaaay back in his brain as he tried to come back to humanland and translate what I said...then he answered "short test equals zero."
I started cracking up and told him to mutter it, very fast...he did, bemused, and shook his head like "what?" so I told him what I thought I had heard...heh.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I Hate This.
Okay, I hate this.
Side effects? I don't know.
But, I'm dizzy. REALLY dizzy, and when I stand up or bend over I feel like I am going to pass out. This is not just today, either--it's happened several times in the past few weeks.
Another thing is my hands are shaking. You know when you've had so much caffeine that you can berely type?
THAT kind of hand shaking, although add a complete lack of hand strength in there as well.
I don't like this!
I keep hitting the F keys on the top of my keyboard by mistake, and Apple has them all mapped to some really weird behaviours, like all the windows retreat off the edges of the screen, including the active window, so all of a sudden you're staring at your desktop picture. Then I have to figure out which one I hit and hit it again, to revert.
Another side effect which is just *delightful* is I've been having night sweats. Serious, soaked to the skin wake up freezing night sweats. ICK!
I've also taken to sleeping on the couch because ttk's cat Needles, the old decrepit thing, has developed this new technique of cruising the bed, in order to avoid Fancy. (she's blind as a bat, and if she gets too close to Fancy Fancy will explode from under the covers in a loud high-pitched yapping lunge, to keep from getting stepped on.) So now Needles makes her way from the foot of the bed along the very edge, my edge, and then proceeds to walk across my face, throat, or forehead, to get to ttk. She then walks across HIS face to get to his chest. Mind you, she's doing this 4-5 times a night as she's gotten really restless in her ancientness. And every time she wakes me up, often when I've barely gotten to sleep (another side effect is I've been unable to sleep for more than 3 hours--I finally took a Klonopin last night and actually SLEPT for 9 hours!)
Other news: Fancy found a loose board on the back fence and was busily trying to pry it up so she could get into the neighbor's yard and die. Can you say "little brain?" When ttk got home yesterday evening, we walked the fence line and boarded up any holes or loose spots we could find.
We have a bunch of shares or MPWR stock, which we've been trying to get AWAY from Merrill Lynch and to our new brokerage (cf 2 posts ago) so we could sell some...it finally made it over Monday, so we sold a huge chunk at $14 a share...then Tuesday it shot up to $18 a share. Of course!
No use counting chickens and all that, but I was still pretty irritated with our crappy timing. Since I'm pretty much irritated at everything right now, that's not saying much, but still it would have been nice to have that extra $4 a share...
More later--I seem to have gotten back into the desire to post...
Side effects? I don't know.
But, I'm dizzy. REALLY dizzy, and when I stand up or bend over I feel like I am going to pass out. This is not just today, either--it's happened several times in the past few weeks.
Another thing is my hands are shaking. You know when you've had so much caffeine that you can berely type?
THAT kind of hand shaking, although add a complete lack of hand strength in there as well.
I don't like this!
I keep hitting the F keys on the top of my keyboard by mistake, and Apple has them all mapped to some really weird behaviours, like all the windows retreat off the edges of the screen, including the active window, so all of a sudden you're staring at your desktop picture. Then I have to figure out which one I hit and hit it again, to revert.
Another side effect which is just *delightful* is I've been having night sweats. Serious, soaked to the skin wake up freezing night sweats. ICK!
I've also taken to sleeping on the couch because ttk's cat Needles, the old decrepit thing, has developed this new technique of cruising the bed, in order to avoid Fancy. (she's blind as a bat, and if she gets too close to Fancy Fancy will explode from under the covers in a loud high-pitched yapping lunge, to keep from getting stepped on.) So now Needles makes her way from the foot of the bed along the very edge, my edge, and then proceeds to walk across my face, throat, or forehead, to get to ttk. She then walks across HIS face to get to his chest. Mind you, she's doing this 4-5 times a night as she's gotten really restless in her ancientness. And every time she wakes me up, often when I've barely gotten to sleep (another side effect is I've been unable to sleep for more than 3 hours--I finally took a Klonopin last night and actually SLEPT for 9 hours!)
Other news: Fancy found a loose board on the back fence and was busily trying to pry it up so she could get into the neighbor's yard and die. Can you say "little brain?" When ttk got home yesterday evening, we walked the fence line and boarded up any holes or loose spots we could find.
We have a bunch of shares or MPWR stock, which we've been trying to get AWAY from Merrill Lynch and to our new brokerage (cf 2 posts ago) so we could sell some...it finally made it over Monday, so we sold a huge chunk at $14 a share...then Tuesday it shot up to $18 a share. Of course!
No use counting chickens and all that, but I was still pretty irritated with our crappy timing. Since I'm pretty much irritated at everything right now, that's not saying much, but still it would have been nice to have that extra $4 a share...
More later--I seem to have gotten back into the desire to post...
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