Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Moving day approaches...

It will be interesting to move again. I have rarely moved in my life. This will be the 4th time.

The last move was an odd one since I was leaving behind a lot of stuff. I was so ready to get out I didn't take everything I should have and a lot of it is still in boxes in my garage. I moved into an apartment that was about the size of my master closet on my last house! The new house is a decent size, so it will be so nice to stretch out.

The other major advantage I'll be gaining is privacy. I live upstairs in a 4-plex that I own. My tenants are really good, but the usual noises abound. I can hear them and they can hear me. If I get the urge to vacuum at 3AM I will now be able to!

I have always been the kind of person that knows exactly where everything is. I am still that way for the most part other than I will be sitting there thinking of something I haven't seen in awhile and then realize that I left it behind. I hate that. My ex, Paul, has been pretty nice about letting me get some of those things, but not all of them.

I decided a few weeks ago, to let it go and focus on the new things in my life and not look back. I have a lot to be thankful for. My friend Kristen sent me a nice email that helped me to re-focus and to look at things different. If you are reading this Kristen, if I didn't send a proper thank you, I am now! I got out of the relationship what mattered the most-my real friends, my sanity, and me. The rest can be replaced :)

And you thought a gallon of gas was expensive!

Wonder if this is true?

A roadrage solution? (Some language, not safe for work or if kiddoes are around)

Just when you think you have seen it all, you find something that proves you wrong!

Monday, November 29, 2004

Is it really almost December???

Where did the year go??

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I ate too much and bummed around all day. I went to Rick's family dinner for the first time and it turned out pretty good, I was a bit nervous of how my being there would be taken. Other than his Dad not saying one word to me or looking at me, it turned out great. I even made everyone who cooked sit down and eat dessert while I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen!

We got a lot more done on the house this weekend too. Now it is down to the painting and hardwood floors and then I get to pack, oh boy. Luckily I had a few friends offer, I repeat offer to help move! I didn't even have to ask so that was nice. I always try to help people move that need it, so maybe my moving day karma caught up with me :)

Rick's surgery is this coming Thursday, so I don't think we will get much done for a few days after that since I get to play nurse :O Now I just have to find my uniform and white comfy shoes! Do we still have to wear the white hat??!!

There is a summit on just about everything these days!

A great site for us bibliophiles.

Snow White moonlighting?

Watermelons can be huge, tiny, square, triangular, or have their own website.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Thanksgiving wishes

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday, Jeff

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Saying goodbye to an old friend



I had to put my dachsund Rudy to sleep today. He turned 13 in October. He was just tired and worn out with too many odds against him. It was full circle-the day I got him years ago he fell asleep in my arms on the way home and he did the same thing today. May a thousand angels be dancing around you right now. Sleep well old friend.

Monday, November 22, 2004

I want a new drug..

I'm never surprised by the inner workings of our Government, good or bad. But after reading about Vioxx being taken off the market after 27,000 deaths were linked to it and RU-486 getting a warning after 2 people died (not from the drug, but from secondary complications) I was upset.

Warnings about Vioxx had been pouring in from around the world for the last 2 years, warnings the FDA has ignored. I don't feel safe with this system, and felt less safe after reading news reports about why this could have happened.

The makers of RU-486 are based in France and thus aren't allowed to contribute money to any US presidential or other candidate up for re-election. Vioxx is a US manufacturing company and was pulling in about 2.5 billion in sales a year, and were large contributors to GOP campaigns.

Undoubtedly the nature of RU-486 and its use is a big issue, it was barred by the FDA for US use from 1989 to 1993. What if this wasn't an abortion drug from France but a cure for cancer? AIDS? Alzheimer's? These warnings after 2 unrelated deaths would have been a non-issue.

Another issue I read about regarding the FDA is a conflict of interest. Congress has required a "user fee" since 1992 from any drug company wanting a new product evaluated by the FDA. These fees make up more than half of the FDA's CDER annual $500 million budget. (CDER=Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) That makes the FDA seem a little too cozy with the pharmaceutical industry for my taste.

That compared to the hard data from when the "user fee" was introduced just makes it even more of a conflict in my eyes. From 1996 to 2001, the FDA issued about 480 cease-and-desist letters. In the last 4 years, the total has been about 130. Potentially harmful side effects have almost doubled from approved drugs during that time.

But like I said, I'm not surprised. I just feel less safe when I have to take a prescription that is supposed to help me.

Double standards on Drugs

FDA is flexing less muscle

This is off the subject but a well written blog entry about the election and those of us who were upset about it:

Stay

Friday, November 19, 2004

Best & worst case....

Rick's surgery is schedule for December 2nd. The doctor gave him the best and worst case scenarios.

Best case-non cancerous-day surgery, in and out.

Worst case-cancerous-radiation if it is localized, chemotherapy if it has spread to facial muscle and nerves and then they would have to take out portions of each leading to paralysis. Of course this is what he has in his mind that it will be, although I think getting something scheduled and setting it all in motion has eased his mind a lot. He was in a pretty good mood after todays visit.

The sun is finally out today-I'm going to go and enjoy it!

More oddities from the internets:

How would you like for this to be your job description?

Is America ready?

They never had toys like this when I was a kid!

So much bounty from nature.

I had to call my friend in Germany to see if this was a real product-it is! Not safe for work or if Kiddoes are around.

This could be really cool or really annoying.

T.G.I.F



Thursday, November 18, 2004

Putting on a brave face

I'm feeling much better today. We are supposed to have some partial sun tomorrow and then none again until Thanksgiving.



A week ago my significant other found out that he has a tumor. Tomorrow is the day we find out more from the ear nose and throat specialist. I'm trying to put on a brave face for him as he panics and worries-don't tell him that I'm doing the same. I'm trying to be positive and put on a brave face. I think it is working too well, he seems to feel that I'm not too concerned. I also think that he is more worried than he is letting on and I feel that if I start panicking openly to him it'll open that flood gate. We didn't get a thing done on the house today, being on edge about tomorrow. I don't think we will tomorrow either-depends on how the doctors visit goes. This has zapped our energy greatly.

On a positive note, all the news we have heard, and research we have done has been good about the kind of tumor he has. A good friend of ours had a family member with the same kind of tumor in the same place as his and she had day surgery and was back to work the next day. The tumor is near a facial nerve, but the risk seems minimal about any dangers to it and statistically this kind of tumor is 80% of the time benign.

Here is what the internets revealed today:

Big brother will be watching.

I wish I didn't feel like this was necessary to know.

I'm not buying it, sorry.

I can't even keep a small secret.

Be careful what you type.

Ever feel like you aren't clean enough?

I hope everyone has a good weekend.



Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Flying carpet?

I got a lot done on the house today. I did a deep clean on the bathroom that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a year or two and pulled up the tack strip in the two bedrooms that I took the carpet out of. The carpet layers must have thought this carpet might fly away since they used glue AND staples to hold the padding down as well as used 4 inch nails to hold down the tack strip. I cursed them the whole time! Sadly I will have to have carpet in one bedroom since it was an add on and there is only plywood. Bring on more tack strip and glue!

Alas, after I get all moved in, I have to renovate the apartment I am living in-my work is never done, I just want to get away from it all sometimes.

Here are some of the oddest of the odd stories I found on the internets today:
This story is too sad to be true, this story is too good to be true, this one makes me not want to swim ever again, and this one reminds me of Grandma's cookin.

I recently read a book called Feel the fear, and do it anyway-it was amazing. My friend Ginger told me about it and while I had never been big on self help books, this one changed my mind about a lot of things. It teaches you how to stop negative thinking patterns and reeducate your mind to think more positively. Even if you aren't a negative person but just live or work with one it's worth reading. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. I need to re-read it in fact! I might have not been so down on the carpet layers today!

This toy drove me insane as a child and now it is online!

Hope everyone has a good hump-day :)



Monday, November 15, 2004

Rainy days and Monday???

What a cliche that is! But it is rainy and foggy today which didn't make me want to do anything but laze around.

I did get some things done on the house today-I measured for all the things that were on my "to buy" list. I will get my butt over there tomorrow and work dangit. I did do a little bit of work-I work for a friend of mine that sells celebrity photographs on Ebay. Check it out if you are in the mood for celebrity candid photos, they have lots of them.

Here are a few interesting things I found on the internets today:

Ever wonder if plants grow better if you talk to them?

A man set himself on fire Monday just outside a White House gate and repeatedly yelled "Allah Allah" after Secret Service officers put out the flames and one held him facedown on the sidewalk.

How well do you know the locations of all 50 states? Try this interactive test to find out. I got 92% accuracy with an average of 11 miles off.

Who knew that this was a problem so widespread that it had its own organization? I guess I was lucky to escape this trauma as a child.

I'll leave you with another picture of my dog Petey.



Hope everyone had a good monday :)


Sunday, November 14, 2004

The Fog

I really didn't accomplish anything today other than make my bed. The snow has mostly melted but it was overcast and foggy which led me to laziness-at least that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

I got a lot of work done on the house yesterday. The kitchen is ready. The master bedroom is ready. The carpet is all pulled up. Tomorrow I will start painting and getting the hard wood floors ready for the sealer coat and do a deep clean on the bath. I'll post some pictures soon when I remember to take my camera over there. I hope to be in before the new year...2007!

If anyone happens upon this page please take a look at this website: A Journey to Me. It is a blog that my best friend created a year ago to kickstart her weight loss and personal journey-72 pounds lost in 14 months!! It is really an inspiration even if you aren't needing information on weight loss. She is also working on a novel and we can all watch its creation day by day-pretty good stuff! I'm exciting to see where its going.

Here is a picture of my dog petey that I thought I would share:

I hope everyone has a good monday! Here are some amazing wallpapers for your computer and a great place to find out if urban legends, rumors and emails are fact or fiction.




Saturday, November 13, 2004

Snow Day

Our forcast called for 6 inches of snow, I think we are going to get that and more. It is the fluffy flakes which I love. It is a great day to cuddle up with blankets and watch movies!

I went over to a friends house yesterday to un-hijack his computer. He had several things controlling his computer that he inadvertantly got by installing programs with spyware in them. He had 100+ instances of spyware and over 140 viruses. His computer is an up to date newer computer and it was running like it was from the dark ages. If you are having the same trouble, here are some great resources to getting rid of all that and claiming your computer back:

Answers that work-looking at your start up list

Great Downloads

Free Virus scan

More Great Downloads

Q&A Forum with lots of help


I am by no means a proffessional, but these places pointed me in the right direction and provided tons of valuable information and my computer is working pretty good right now. Leave a comment if you have any questions or need additional information.

Have a great day :)

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Creating a blog was easy.....

Writing one is hard! I decided today to create a blog, a journal. Not sure why. Several of my friends have them so why can't I! ? It will be just a peek in to my daily routine, my daily rut. Maybe someone will read this and learn from my mistakes.

I am currently remodeling a house. I have a long row to hoe to get it done (can you tell I'm from Texas!). Before I can begin on starting to paint etc., I have to clean it from top to bottom. It is pretty nasty with those smells that belong in places that shall not be named. I love hardwood floors and was very excited to find that the floors under the carpet were in great shape and just need a light sanding and a few coats of sealer. As I was scrubbing the nasty toilet today I had a horrible thought: first: that I was scrubbing the toilet, and second: after I spend a few weeks remodeling I have to pack my apartment (I'm living in one of my rental four-plexes) and move all my crap over! No rest for the wicked.

Just for fun, here is a link that I check out daily for news and fun:

linkfilter

Friday is here thank goodness!