Gotta Get In Tune With Sailor Moon

The past few days have been very busy and very tiring. I've had several post ideas, but have not been able to execute any of them. It doesn't help that I have gotten into a couple of Animal Crossing: Wild World games over Wi-Fi. Ay-yi-yi. So, just a few random bits and bobs for now.

In case anyone is wondering, Cosette is doing fabulous! She barely has any head tilt at all now. And she is as feisty as ever, which is quite a relief.

I'm going to do another NaBloPoMo challenge. It's gone monthly, instead of just being confined to November. There is a theme for March, which is lists. I love lists, so I think that will be a fun challenge. To keep it interesting.

As usual, when words fail me, I give you HAMSTER (with broccoli).

Bullet The Blue Sky

• We threw our annual shindig for the Oscars last night and it seemed to be a success. We had a nice, laid-back crowd of 40 or so in our tiny home, watching in various rooms. It was a good mix of people, food, and snark. Even though some were missing.
  

• Tomorrow is my 13th anniversary with E. We are going to Largo to see the lovely Anna Waronker perform. It's been a few years since we've seen her live, so I'm really looking forward to it. And Largo is one of our favorite places for music in L.A.
  

• The terrible weather, complete with downpours, that we had over the weekend was replaced by blue skies today. Hooray for that and for my very green back yard that has thrived in the recent rains.
  

Anything Ragged Or Rotten Or Rusty

Since when did Oscar The Grouch fall out of favor with the young ones? I have long been an Elmo fan (before it was cool, thanks to much younger siblings), but I've also always had a fondness for the grumpy guy in the garbage can. And his pet worm Slimey too, of course.

We've only been to three stores total, but neither E nor I could find any sort of Oscar merchandise. What's up with that? When there were Sesame Street products at all, it seems the only characters available are Elmo, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and sometimes Big Bird. Not only is Oscar missing, but what about Bert and Grover and Telly and Snuffy and even Zoe? The Count?

So, who is/was your favorite character(s) from Sesame Street. I'm sure many of you had one or some as kids and maybe different ones as parents.

Nerd Alert!

I'm not feeling up to doing much of a post, but I wanted to let at least a couple of my nerdier readers (you know who you are!) about E's new blog, Retinal Rivalry. As the name suggests, it is 3D related. It does give me a little thrill to come home and have him ask me, "So did you see my new blog entry?" I've been bugging him to start one for awhile. This one will obviously have a niche audience, which is okay. There will be lots of content in the way of photos, video, and projects. So, if you are into that kind of thing, grab your red-cyan anaglyph glasses and head on over.

Help Me Obi-Wan Kylenobi, You're My Only Hope

I turned 18 right before the 1988 Presidential election and was very excited to participate. I vote every chance I get and do feel like it's a civic duty. I understand there are a lot of excuses people have to not bother. I do think if our system was less complicated and uniform across states, there might be a higher turnout. I do believe that if you don't vote, you can't complain.

My youngest brother turned 18 a few months before the last Presidential election. Even though I live across the country, I did what I could to help him get registered and he didn't get it done in time. I was disappointed.

Politics is a rather sticky wicket in my family for some very good reasons that I won't go into. The issues range from apathy to staunch conservatism. I have hope that some of the next generation will get involved and take part in the process. I spoke to the youngest one tonight and begged him to vote. He was actually knowledgeable about the candidates and I might have gotten through. I have several months to work on him. I did leave him with this thought, "Just think about it this way. You could cancel out your grandmother's vote," which gave us a good laugh.

It's not about imposing my views onto my brother, but to open up a discussion and encourage him to be a part of the process. I'm a little optimistic. He truly is the best hope at this point.

Peeves (No, not the poltergeist from Harry Potter)

• At least 40 people have not responded to a party invite. The party is in less than a week. (Not aimed @ folks who just sent an email!)
  

• Our neighbors had some landscaping done. The gardeners' BIG truck broke down and is parked in front of our house--where I usually park. We found out from a different neighbor.
  

• I'm having some sort of what seems like an allergic reaction. Lots of itching, bumps, redness, etc. Ugh. I took Benadryl, so I'll hopefully be sleeping soon.
  

• I occasionally see someone (another adult) and get excited to note that I'm taller than they are. I then remember I'm wearing shoes with a very thick sole. There are a lot of other shorties.
  

• In spite of my best efforts not to, I find myself laughing at the absurdity that is Family Guy. I avoided it for a long time. A primary reason for this is the chin testicles. I swear.
  

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Updating the look of the blog a bit, so no time for a real post. Some of my links are still outdated and/or wonky, but I'll be fixing them soon.

Happy Hamster Day!

Two years ago today, I got my very first hamster. E has always been a thoughtful and generous gift-giver and this one was incredibly amazing. I'd developed this obsession with the fuzzy little rodents, and having been denied having them as pets as a kid, he indulged me. So sweet.

I feel lucky that Ami, initially thought to be a girl, but who is definitely a boy, is still with me. He's as fat and cute as ever. Luckily, he survived my first attempt at handling him. He was so wiggly that I got nervous and dropped him. Several feet to the floor. Ugh. I guess hamsters bounce.

So, now I'm more obsessed than ever with adorable little hammies and even published a poetry and photo book inspired by and starring Ami. One of these days I'll photograph the collection of the hamster toys, etc. that I've been collecting and displaying on a shelf in my bedroom.

Happy Valentine's Day to E, Ami, Cosette, Little Guy, Rusty, friends, and family. I *heart* you all! (Or at least most of you!)

Exactly 14 years before he gave me the hamster, E gave me a ring. : )

(Some Of) The Weekend In Photos

Not much time to blog right now. A couple more things from my weekend:

Dying Knights



Rose Bowl Flea Market, where we learned THIS!


A duck pond themed birthday party for 1-year old twins.

It was a beautiful, summery weekend. I'll be happy if the weather continues. Cosette continues to improve, which is also a wonderful thing.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Knot (+ Cosette Update)

We attend many cool events at Machine Project in Echo Park, and have even been known to participate from time to time. Last night was no exception, as E was one of eight semi-finalists in a speedcabling competition. There was also a lecture on the mathematics of knots, some of which I followed and some of which went clear over my head. We were also treated to a talk by Jason Brown that was as entertaining as it was informative. If you've never heard this guy speak, you are missing out. Not only did we learn about the man for whom Wilshire Boulevard was named, but we participated in a "Rainbow Connection" sing-a-long that was accompanied by the theremin. Pretty awesome stuff.

E did not progress to the speedcabling finals, but he had fun. It was an intense contest and, as someone else proposed, possibly the most athletic event that has occurred in the space that attracts nerds and geeks.

On a completely different note, thank you for the comments, emails, and phone calls regarding Cosette. It's been stressful, but she is doing better. While she still has a head tilt, it is not nearly as pronounced. The nystagmus (back and forth eye movement) is also better. We've been keeping her confined, initially in her crate and now in our hallway that is blocked by doors and a baby gate. She is still unsteady on her feet and wobbles and circles, but is falling less. The plan is to keep her safe at this point though, so I carry her outside in her crate every so often so she can potty and lie in the grass, which she really enjoys.

02/08/08

It's a relief and a good sign that Cosette's personality has remained intact. She was definitely more "out of it" two days ago, but never lost her appetite and has been quite affectionate. Today she returned to being downright feisty, which I could not be more thrilled about. She's just frustrated at not being able to go wherever she wants to right now. I keep telling her, "It's for your own good," but I'm not sure she's buying it.

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby Right Round...

I've been a little stressed out lately. One of the stressors has been Cosette, our 15-year old American Eskimo dog and her repeated trips to the vet. I'm sure this is par for the course for a geriatric dog. The things plaguing her recently have been relatively minor, thank goodness.

This afternoon at work, I returned to the department after being outside with a kid. I was tracked down and told one of those things you never want to hear, "Your husband called. It's an emergency." I got in touch with E, who said, "It's Cosette. I think she's had a stroke."

Even though I was shaking and on the verge of tears, I managed to call the vet, whose office closes early on Thursdays. They said if E could get her there soon, they'd stay open for him. I informed them that he is severely allergic to cats, which poses a problem as they have a resident feline. (Hence the reason why I do all of the vet excursions).

Click to see larger image

The short ending to the story is that Cosette most likely did not have a stroke. She seems to have a vestibular issue going on, possibly a side effect of the antibiotics she's been taking, or quite simply what is called "Old Dog Vestibular Disease." That would explain the falling over, walking in a circle, and head tilt E observed. So, we're trying some new medication and watching her. E occasionally suffers from vertigo, so he relates to what she is hopefully going through (versus something more serious).

Another clue that Cosette probably did not have a stroke it that she hasn't shown any personality changes. She's sleeping now and we're keeping a close eye on her. I don't know how you parents, with actual human children, do it. I get pretty worked up over my four-legged ones.

Sarah Connor*: "If you're gonna be a hero, you gotta learn how to drive stick."

I can drive stick. If I was an actor, I'd be able to list that under "Special Talents" on the back of my head shot. I sort of didn't have a choice but to learn. For years, my parents only drove cars with manual transmissions. When I was learning to drive, at age 17--late bloomer, I suppose--my mother was driving a manual MINI VAN! I'm not kidding. It's the car I practiced driving the summer before going away to college.

I think it was on my Thanksgiving break of my freshman year that I was surprised with a hand-me-down (x 2) car. The little silver Toyota Celica had been my uncle's and then passed on to my grandfather, who gave it to me. It had a stick shift, of course. Having not driven for several months, I had to learn this vehicle's clutch.

My sister and I love to laugh about the time I was going to drive her to the mall in my "new" car. We got to a four-way stop not far from the house and I could not go again. I kept stalling. I think there were construction workers watching nearby, who may have laughed. Then again, that just may be an embellishment of the tale. Anyway, what I do remember is my younger sibling laughing and giving me so much shit that when I did finally get going again, I made a right turn, instead of going straight, and drove her ass back home. Laugh at me and no mall for you.

The Celica did not even make it through my full four years of college. It was a great car, but didn't handle well in the snow. That simply could have been driver error though. When I graduated and bought my first real new car, I chose a Honda Civic with a manual transmission. We lived in Florida at the time and it's flat as can be there, so no problem. I drove that car the entire cross-country trip to L.A. as E doesn't drive stick. Once I was driving on varied terrain and in stop-and-go traffic, I really started wanting an automatic. I had a weekend job that brought me up that big hill on La Cienega to Sunset, which was the worst.

So, I traded the Honda in for an automatic and have not looked back since. If I absolutely HAD to drive a stick, I could. The skill came in handy one night at the old gym we used to go to. The parking lot sloped down--toward the L.A. River!-- and this young woman could not get the shiny red car she was driving backed out of the space. She kept inching closer to the fence. She was exasperated and worried, "My dad is going to kill me!" So, I got in and backed her manual transmission car (or was it her dad's?) out for her. It's nice to know I can still do it, but I don't think it would be by choice, even if it does mean better gas mileage.

*TV's Sarah Connor, that is.

Broken

When we bought our house eleven years ago, we splurged on a big screen TV. E had always promised himself that if he ever owned a home, it would have a nice big television. It's a somewhat bulky rear projection set that we knew would not last forever. It up and died last week. I'd proclaimed many times that I could never have a smaller screen.

While we have settled on and even purchased a new bigass TV*, we have to figure out what to do with the old one. If it can be repaired, we may do that and donate it to a non-profit film organization. Or we may just sell off some of the parts. Anyway, the garage seemed like a nice holding spot in the meantime, but oh yeah, the garage door broke recently too. What seemed like a simple DIY repair is not and will involve hiring someone.

At least my broken dog, Cosette, is healing nicely. Her leg wound is healing, although she did start licking it again in spite of bitter spray. I've had to do some home bandaging. She continues on antibiotics for a bladder infection, but is perky and feeling well.

*Same size screen (56 inches), as our den is fairly small and anything bigger would just be obnoxious.

Patchwork Post

I took lots of photos yesterday, but have not been able to edit them yet.

I found the Puppy Bowl to be cute for a brief time, but kind of monotonous. Just like real football, I suppose. I did fall for Justin, the Westie.

Since our main TV died this past week, we continued our search for its replacement today. We've mostly settled on a model and are pricing.

Apparently my mother worries about me and I should talk to her on the phone for longer. (Info via step-dad via SMS. He can do that?)

I'm so addicted to Animal Crossing: Wild World that when I saw an orange (the native fruit of Dorkland) on the street today, I wanted to pick it up to sell it to Tom Nook. (D will get this).

E and I are actively planning to have our annual Academy Awards party. I'm working on the evite and guest list. For now, it's an If-They-Hold-The-Oscars shindig. Hence the need for a new TV. Stat!

My five days off are coming quickly to end, as I'm back to work bright and early in the morning. While not as productive as I'd hoped, they were good. Lots of good times with various friends and E.

Please Send Water

Anyone else notice the drought here on my blog lately? I'm parched. While I try to come up with some material, I do continue to post daily photos on my photoblog. There is one month's worth up now, which you can access by clicking the project 365 label. Also, I occasionally contribute to justJENN's Inside My Target Cart blog. My latest post there is merely a partial reposting from here though. Lame-dash-o.

I could post lists upon lists of all the things I should be doing beside fretting over a boring blog. I'll save that for another day though. The way things are going around here, I may actually have to resort to just that.