I think I opened this account about two and a half years ago. I actually have several online blogs for a variety of reasons, but tend to post on my MySpace profile where I have a fair following of readers. However, aside from the fact that MySpace holds very little relevance to keep my interest as a website, they've also changed their website format, making things painfully annoying for me when I make a blog post there.
So here I am today, posting on Blogger instead. This will be my new main blog. :)
There's a lot going on right now. I'm gearing up to begin teaching a new class. I'll be teaching what I've labeled an "Eclectic Pagan Studies" class. I've had a list of people waiting for me to teach a class on Wicca. However, I've been in the midst of my own studies for the last 4 years with a new coven in a secret tradition of Wicca. I will graduate come this Candlemas (Feb 2nd - Yes, that's Groundhog's Day to the non-pagan types) as an Elder High Priestess of this tradition. I'm an ordained priestess in 2 other traditions of Wicca and as my current coven's tradition takes 4 years I was not ready to teach anyone this year in that particular tradition. I also wasn't particularly enthusiastic to teach the other two traditions. Not that I don't like them, I just didn't feel a strong pull to teach only one tradition. I did, however, have a great desire to teach a variety of pagan traditions that I've incorporated into my own personal spiritual practice over the last 28 years.
Upon deeper reflection I decided to teach a pagan class that incorporated learning about a variety of pagan religions, traditions, histories, mythologies, rituals, various divination practices, energy work, healing modalities, etc. We'll be going on field trips to experience different group's rituals, lectures, exhibitions, and festivals. I have people coming in to speak on various topics of which they are more experienced in than myself. To be sure, the class will be extensive. The entire point is to expand knowledge.
I was planning to start with a small group as this class in it's topic and structure are new and different, but I now have 13 students. I have another handful of potential students waiting for the next round of classes to begin and we haven't even started this round yet.
I'm positively excited about starting these classes in January! It seems that just before I finish one journey, I'll begin a new one.
On the flip side of new beginnings, I have a less than happy new beginning. Last week I took Big Boy kitty to the vet. He'd been loosing weight. He was a ginormous, but sturdy, 30 lbs. He dropped down to 21 lbs in a rather short period of time. Turns out he'd been having a mild respiratory ailment and just recently developed diabetes. I had to give him a liquid antibiotic, eye ointment, and insulin shots every 12 hours. He didn't seem too bothered by the shot, did not care for the liquid, but absolutely did not like the eye ointment. His antibiotic and eye ointment treatment is complete and he's noticably better, but of course I need to continue on his insulin shots.
Understand, BBk doesn't camp out at the food dish, and I'm very particular about what they, he and his siblings, eat. He and his brother are both very large structured cats. His brother, Edmund, is 20 lbs. BBk's front paws are as wide as 3 of my fingers across.
The vet said that we caught his condition pretty early on and that if we get his weight down that it is possible he can naturally reverse his condition. She seemed very optimistic about it. :)
She also prescribed a food change. Low fat, high fiber Science Hills prescription diet. Stuff's not cheap! A 10 lb. bag is $28. Currently the kids all eat a turkey and oatmeal diet because I took them off of corn. It seemed to help greatly with some skin issues they were having and my allergies to them. However, the new SH food, the first ingredient is chicken-by-product, then corn. I'm not too happy about that, but I'm going to give it a try to see how they do. I've been slowly mixing the food ratio between the two from the turkey/oatmeal to the SH over the last week. In a few more days it will shift to all SH. I noticed all of the cats are now eating less. Much like humans, cats don't like diet food either. *bleah*
Tomorrow I'm going to take BBk into the vet to get his blood work done and see if the insulin has been helping or if they need to adjust the dosage. *fingers crossed*
There's also been a slew of recent drama going on all around me. To be honest, I don't feel like blasting it across the intarwebs even though it might be entertaining to those not directly involved. Hehe. In the end, it's just not worth the hassle. If people want to be silly, cause conflict, stir shit up, and create ridiculous and unnecessary drama, they can go do it elsewhere. I'm totally bored with it.
Otherwise, all is moving along, just as it should be, and the world keeps on spinning...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A Review - Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie
I saw the series a while back and was really looking forward to this film. However, after it came out I didn't hear anything good. I ended up seeing it anyway. Here's my opinion about the film.
Admittedly, I love the series, but like all films, whether from books, comics, or tv they don't quite make it as you would expect or hope.
My issues with the film are many:
1. Terrible acting. I'm not sure if it was the choice of actors or the inability of the director to give them good direction. There's a point when Aang, Sokka, and Katara end up in a prison camp with earthbenders. Aang tries to get the people motivated to rebel. The guards are just standing there while the people begin to fight, like they were waiting for an invitation. Everyone is slow to react. It's just pitiful. And that's only one example of many bad acting/direction issues I had.
2. Forced relationship dynamics. Though this was a rehash of all of season 1, they push you immediately into trying believe that there is a much stronger bond between characters than they actually develop in the film. If you've seen the series then you already know who means what to each other, but here they try to get you to believe a deep bond exists between characters that have just met. I wish they'd allowed things to develop/unfold more naturally.
3. Poor martial arts. For gosh sakes couldn't they have found kids that actually had a grasp of martial arts? It hurt me to watch them do all these stiff, choppy movements on screen. It totally wasn't a secret that there'd be martial arts in this film! You'd think they'd have spent some time with a good choreographer to teach these kids. Maybe it just wasn't in the budget?
4. Not so special effects. So where exactly did the budget get spent? The special effects were atrocious! There was one scene where Aang was in the village of the Northern Water Tribe, he's doing jumps and kicks across the screen. He's not in "Avatar state", he's still himself. It looks as though he's been imprinted upon the movie in the background, but no one bothered to change the lighting to help blend him back into the scene. It stuck out like a sore thumb and it didn't make any sense to me at all. There were a few other times where I though, "WTF?!?" but fortunately I wasn't as annoyed by this through the whole movie as I was the first three issues.
5. Color. Why were all the bad people brown? I know there was already a big issue made about this. Everyone in the Fire Nation was either Indian or Middle Eastern. While I'm totally glad they're in the film (Hollywood needs to add more color to it's films!), but why were all the "heros" white? The entire Northern tribe was white too! However the Earth tribe that was at the prison was Asian. What the heck was that about?
6. Characters. I felt that Sokka was too serious and a little too old. He wasn't funny at all. Aang was impulsive, but not really playful. I think some of the details that make these characters so endearing were missed.
7. Can you say "franchise"? I guess M. Night Shyamalan assumed that no matter how crappy his version there'd be a second film. There's no ending. I heard after the fact that people knew about it. It's supposed to be a "cliffhanger" type ending, so it's not really an ending, but I didn't think it was much of a cliffhanger anyway. It ends right where season 1 ends.
8. The end, finally! I'm the kind that stays through all the credits. I like to read to see who did what. I have friends that work in various aspects of the industry and I love finding their names in the credits or just reading the unusual names you find. I did not stay for the credits. I just wanted it to end. I felt like it went on and on and I was expecting it to end on more than one occasion, so when it finally did I was ready to get the hell out of the theatre.
Overall the film feels rushed and messy. I feel M. Night Shyamalan doesn't pay enough attention to the whole film and how it comes together, nor to some of the details that could make a film like this shine.
So to sum it all up:
Admittedly, I love the series, but like all films, whether from books, comics, or tv they don't quite make it as you would expect or hope.
My issues with the film are many:
1. Terrible acting. I'm not sure if it was the choice of actors or the inability of the director to give them good direction. There's a point when Aang, Sokka, and Katara end up in a prison camp with earthbenders. Aang tries to get the people motivated to rebel. The guards are just standing there while the people begin to fight, like they were waiting for an invitation. Everyone is slow to react. It's just pitiful. And that's only one example of many bad acting/direction issues I had.
2. Forced relationship dynamics. Though this was a rehash of all of season 1, they push you immediately into trying believe that there is a much stronger bond between characters than they actually develop in the film. If you've seen the series then you already know who means what to each other, but here they try to get you to believe a deep bond exists between characters that have just met. I wish they'd allowed things to develop/unfold more naturally.
3. Poor martial arts. For gosh sakes couldn't they have found kids that actually had a grasp of martial arts? It hurt me to watch them do all these stiff, choppy movements on screen. It totally wasn't a secret that there'd be martial arts in this film! You'd think they'd have spent some time with a good choreographer to teach these kids. Maybe it just wasn't in the budget?
4. Not so special effects. So where exactly did the budget get spent? The special effects were atrocious! There was one scene where Aang was in the village of the Northern Water Tribe, he's doing jumps and kicks across the screen. He's not in "Avatar state", he's still himself. It looks as though he's been imprinted upon the movie in the background, but no one bothered to change the lighting to help blend him back into the scene. It stuck out like a sore thumb and it didn't make any sense to me at all. There were a few other times where I though, "WTF?!?" but fortunately I wasn't as annoyed by this through the whole movie as I was the first three issues.
5. Color. Why were all the bad people brown? I know there was already a big issue made about this. Everyone in the Fire Nation was either Indian or Middle Eastern. While I'm totally glad they're in the film (Hollywood needs to add more color to it's films!), but why were all the "heros" white? The entire Northern tribe was white too! However the Earth tribe that was at the prison was Asian. What the heck was that about?
6. Characters. I felt that Sokka was too serious and a little too old. He wasn't funny at all. Aang was impulsive, but not really playful. I think some of the details that make these characters so endearing were missed.
7. Can you say "franchise"? I guess M. Night Shyamalan assumed that no matter how crappy his version there'd be a second film. There's no ending. I heard after the fact that people knew about it. It's supposed to be a "cliffhanger" type ending, so it's not really an ending, but I didn't think it was much of a cliffhanger anyway. It ends right where season 1 ends.
8. The end, finally! I'm the kind that stays through all the credits. I like to read to see who did what. I have friends that work in various aspects of the industry and I love finding their names in the credits or just reading the unusual names you find. I did not stay for the credits. I just wanted it to end. I felt like it went on and on and I was expecting it to end on more than one occasion, so when it finally did I was ready to get the hell out of the theatre.
Overall the film feels rushed and messy. I feel M. Night Shyamalan doesn't pay enough attention to the whole film and how it comes together, nor to some of the details that could make a film like this shine.
So to sum it all up:
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Monday, September 7, 2009
RSVP
I deal with RSVPs on a regular basis. Between my multiple Meetup groups (I'm in 21 groups total including the 7 I organize), party and ritual inviations, I have to respond to an average of 7 events a week. No, I'm really not kidding about that.
Over the years I have found that most people assume RSVP means to respond only if you are attending. I'd like to take a moment to inform folks, that is not exactly true.
"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" or "respond if you'd please". In Western and European culture, it is often considered rude to not reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining.
I have seen, on rare occasion, invitations that ask invitees to RSVP only if they plan to attend. However, in 99% of the invitations I send or receive that is not the case.
On occasion I have discovered that people will wait to respond at all because they are uncertain if they are able to attend the event. I can understand this, especially if there is only a Yes or No response. However, if there is a Maybe option, perhaps its best to respond with that and then change your response accordingly when you have a more firm idea regarding your attendance.
In some cases, such as Meetup events, it is also an option to change your RSVP, as much as you like, prior to the event. If you were a Yes, but discover you are unable to attend, you can change to a No. However, this may be different with an event such as a wedding where the head count is very necessary as the bride and groom have to pay for each person. So to change your response at the last minute can be costly for them.
This can also be a problem if the event, such as on Meetup.com, has a limit to the total amount of attendees. Often this is due to the venue accommodations. When a person RSVPs with a Yes, but they aren't able to attend and doesn't change their response or notify the organizer of the change, this takes away that available seat for someone who would have been able to attend the event. I have heard many Meetup organizers who create these type of events (often at restaurants with limited seating) complain about this type of rude behavior. I don't blame the organizer for being upset.
Currently I have an event listed through Evite.com. An unfortunate issue with this web invitation service is that sometimes the sent invitation gets lost in the receivers spam filter. I'm not sure why this happens, but it does. So when individuals receive the invitation, but do not click on the invitation link I am never certain if they ever received the invitation. When they do click on the link I am able to see that they did receive the invite and looked at it. When this happens, but they still don't respond with a Yes or No I am less inclined to be concerned about it. I figure they know about the event, but just didn't care enough to respond. I feel less inclined to send further emails or make phone calls.
If they have not clicked on the link and looked at the Evite, my concern is that they never received the information at all and might have liked to have attended the event if they had known, so I go that extra mile to make sure they're aware.
So if you receive an invitation to an event with an RSVP request on it, please take the time to respond with something. :)
Over the years I have found that most people assume RSVP means to respond only if you are attending. I'd like to take a moment to inform folks, that is not exactly true.
"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" or "respond if you'd please". In Western and European culture, it is often considered rude to not reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining.
I have seen, on rare occasion, invitations that ask invitees to RSVP only if they plan to attend. However, in 99% of the invitations I send or receive that is not the case.
On occasion I have discovered that people will wait to respond at all because they are uncertain if they are able to attend the event. I can understand this, especially if there is only a Yes or No response. However, if there is a Maybe option, perhaps its best to respond with that and then change your response accordingly when you have a more firm idea regarding your attendance.
In some cases, such as Meetup events, it is also an option to change your RSVP, as much as you like, prior to the event. If you were a Yes, but discover you are unable to attend, you can change to a No. However, this may be different with an event such as a wedding where the head count is very necessary as the bride and groom have to pay for each person. So to change your response at the last minute can be costly for them.
This can also be a problem if the event, such as on Meetup.com, has a limit to the total amount of attendees. Often this is due to the venue accommodations. When a person RSVPs with a Yes, but they aren't able to attend and doesn't change their response or notify the organizer of the change, this takes away that available seat for someone who would have been able to attend the event. I have heard many Meetup organizers who create these type of events (often at restaurants with limited seating) complain about this type of rude behavior. I don't blame the organizer for being upset.
Currently I have an event listed through Evite.com. An unfortunate issue with this web invitation service is that sometimes the sent invitation gets lost in the receivers spam filter. I'm not sure why this happens, but it does. So when individuals receive the invitation, but do not click on the invitation link I am never certain if they ever received the invitation. When they do click on the link I am able to see that they did receive the invite and looked at it. When this happens, but they still don't respond with a Yes or No I am less inclined to be concerned about it. I figure they know about the event, but just didn't care enough to respond. I feel less inclined to send further emails or make phone calls.
If they have not clicked on the link and looked at the Evite, my concern is that they never received the information at all and might have liked to have attended the event if they had known, so I go that extra mile to make sure they're aware.
So if you receive an invitation to an event with an RSVP request on it, please take the time to respond with something. :)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Cat Care Email
This came in tonight from my friend Angela who took care of my kids today since I'm still in Oregon and Dad wasn't home either.
Hi Yvonne,
I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked with your cats today because my allergies went haywire. I've been scratching my face all day. Ugh. Anyway, I gave them all food and checked their water. It smells like someone isn't using the box but I didn't see where they were going to clean it up. The box only had two piddle clumps and smelled fresh so I skipped policing their commode in lieu of breathing. I only saw Big Boy, Ed, Fluff, and Jackie. I was afraid to look under the bed for Einstein because I think they were plotting to smother me if I got on the floor. I just know Big Boy and Ed were waiting for me to get low enough for them to get on my back. From there, they would eat my body. You would have found chew remains of me, stuffed under the bed, but not that far because I don't see cats making that much of an effort to conceal the body :-)
I also didn't see Bob or Little One but I did check and call for them. I didn't see Tortellini either, but I can walk by him and not see him since he kind of blends in.
I hope all is well when you get home. Hope your trip is going well. See you Wednesday.
Ange
Yeah, my cats are pretty lazy. I doubt they'd even bother to try to pull her remains under the bed.
Hi Yvonne,
I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked with your cats today because my allergies went haywire. I've been scratching my face all day. Ugh. Anyway, I gave them all food and checked their water. It smells like someone isn't using the box but I didn't see where they were going to clean it up. The box only had two piddle clumps and smelled fresh so I skipped policing their commode in lieu of breathing. I only saw Big Boy, Ed, Fluff, and Jackie. I was afraid to look under the bed for Einstein because I think they were plotting to smother me if I got on the floor. I just know Big Boy and Ed were waiting for me to get low enough for them to get on my back. From there, they would eat my body. You would have found chew remains of me, stuffed under the bed, but not that far because I don't see cats making that much of an effort to conceal the body :-)
I also didn't see Bob or Little One but I did check and call for them. I didn't see Tortellini either, but I can walk by him and not see him since he kind of blends in.
I hope all is well when you get home. Hope your trip is going well. See you Wednesday.
Ange
Yeah, my cats are pretty lazy. I doubt they'd even bother to try to pull her remains under the bed.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
44 odd things about me that you probably didn't think you needed to know
1. Do you like blue cheese?
Of course I do! It's cheese!
2. Have you ever been drunk?
Not since last weekend.
3. Do you own a gun?
Quite a few. Along with lots of shiny sharp pointy things.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Lime. That's Bryce's fault, actually. Lol! It was his favorite, because it was green, so we had it a lot growing up. It soon became my favorite too.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, not before, but sometimes during. I have been known to make some doctors uncomfortable. Some love that I'm so well informed about my situation/condition and ask lots of questions. However, there have been a few who didn't like this and were a great deal less than professional about things as a means to "even the playing field". One physically assaulted me because he couldn't handle my reason for denying a harmful procedure he himself was abusing, while another used to yell at me because he also didn't understand why I was denying having a harmful (not helpful) procedure done. My denying the procedure meant they couldn't get extra money from my insurance. It also meant that unlike many I'd met who were not only NOT relieved of the issue the procedure was supposed to alleviate but also permanently crippled and disfigured, I'm fully functional and have no permanent physical issues. Needless to say, those men are no longer my doctors.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I loves them! Especially the "Chicago" style dogs at Portillos. Mmmmmm...
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
"White Christmas" (1954)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water, it's the first thing I drink.
9. Can you do push ups?
Not currently. Broken arm kinda makes that difficult, and I never mastered the one handed push-up.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
It's a sterling silver brooch (41mm) with a beautiful interwoven design of Odin riding his 8 legged horse, Sleipnir. I have a matching pendant as well. I bought the pendant first many years ago and the ex bought me the brooch at Koroneburg Faire a couple of years ago. It's one of the few things he did right. ^_^
Of course I do! It's cheese!
2. Have you ever been drunk?
Not since last weekend.
3. Do you own a gun?
Quite a few. Along with lots of shiny sharp pointy things.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Lime. That's Bryce's fault, actually. Lol! It was his favorite, because it was green, so we had it a lot growing up. It soon became my favorite too.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, not before, but sometimes during. I have been known to make some doctors uncomfortable. Some love that I'm so well informed about my situation/condition and ask lots of questions. However, there have been a few who didn't like this and were a great deal less than professional about things as a means to "even the playing field". One physically assaulted me because he couldn't handle my reason for denying a harmful procedure he himself was abusing, while another used to yell at me because he also didn't understand why I was denying having a harmful (not helpful) procedure done. My denying the procedure meant they couldn't get extra money from my insurance. It also meant that unlike many I'd met who were not only NOT relieved of the issue the procedure was supposed to alleviate but also permanently crippled and disfigured, I'm fully functional and have no permanent physical issues. Needless to say, those men are no longer my doctors.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I loves them! Especially the "Chicago" style dogs at Portillos. Mmmmmm...
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
"White Christmas" (1954)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water, it's the first thing I drink.
9. Can you do push ups?
Not currently. Broken arm kinda makes that difficult, and I never mastered the one handed push-up.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?It's a sterling silver brooch (41mm) with a beautiful interwoven design of Odin riding his 8 legged horse, Sleipnir. I have a matching pendant as well. I bought the pendant first many years ago and the ex bought me the brooch at Koroneburg Faire a couple of years ago. It's one of the few things he did right. ^_^
11. Favorite hobby?
Collecting crystal skulls. I have nearly 70 of them, from tiny to rather large, made from various stones and semi-precious gems carved by artists around the globe. I began collecting them in 2000 after meeting Max, the Crystal Skull. They all occupy the ancestor altar I have set up in my living room. I have also used them for their magickal properties to enhance spells and other magickal workings.
12. Do you have A.D.D.?
Definitely. Some times things are worse than others, but I think... hmmm, I need to do laundry... anyway, I know I have a very hard time not... ooooh shiny!! Damn, I think I need to go to the store. I forgot I needed... Did I ever mention I used to be a cheerleader for Buddha? I think I'm hungry. Oh, hey isn't tonight light saber fight night with the OC Star Wars club? Oh that was yesterday, huh? Anyway, yes I think I do.
13. What's your favorite shoe?
I have well over 200 pairs. Yes, I believe I am related to Imelda Marcos. Anyway, my most frequently worn pair are my black on black cat head mary janes. I have three other pairs of cat heads: black cat heads on red shoes, black cat heads on white shoes, and pink cat heads on black shoes.
14. Middle name?
Yep, I have one.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
Going to Tune in Tokyo tonight and figuring out what I want to wear, getting the ritual together for the movie I'm filming in March, and singing a Flogging Molly tune in my head.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Water, sprite/7up type soda, more water. I stay clear of caffeine because it makes me ill, and despite this past weekend and some of my parties, I really don't drink very much overall. With that in mind there are very few drinks I will have when I go out.
17. Current worry?
My next project: "Honoring the Ancestors"
18. Current hate right now?
Hate is such a harsh word and I can't really say I "hate" anything. I greatly dislike a lot of things though. I greatly dislike the state of limbo my broken arm and pending surgeries put me in.
19. No number 19
Hey, where'd it go?
20. How did you bring in the New Year?
It was awesome! Eileen and I went to the middle of freakin' NO WHERE, east of here, to celebrate Joe's 40th birthday and catch up with Jeff, Carla, and Paul all of whom I hadn't seen in about 7 years. We were all buddies from school, but Jeff, Joe and I were also all staff writers for different rock magazines back in the early '90s. My OCAG crew called me and all wished me a Happy New Year too. It was fantastic! :D
21. Where would you like to go?
Japan, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Italy, Spain, Peru, Brazil, and Germany.
22. Name three people who will complete this:
Seriously, do I have to? Meh. I greatly dislike these kind of questions.
23. Do you own slippers?
Yes.
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
A white OC AIDS Walk t-shirt.
25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?
I sleep on 600 count sateen sheets and love 'em! But regular satin sheets... never have.
26. Can you whistle?
Indeed, I can, and when I do the cats come. Go figure.
27. Favorite color?
Deep purple - It's my hair color
28. Would you be a pirate?
How dare ye ask me such a question. O' course I be! I be th' Queen o' the pirates in these parts! Besides, the ninja club was full the month I tried to join. o_O
29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Whatever's stuck in my head at the time. Pop, rock, chorale, pagan.
30. Favorite Girl's Name?
Sophia, Isabella, Yumiko
31. Favorite boy's name?
Matthias, Octavius, Thorstein
(no, I really can't just pick a single favorite name)
32. What's in your pocket right now?
I'm not wearing anything with pockets.
33. Last thing that made you laugh?
The most recent set of comments my friends posted on my PantheaCon photos.
34. Best bed sheets as a child?
Clean. And might I add, what a weird-ass question!
35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child?
Falling from the roof and breaking my tail bone. whee!
36. Do you love where you live?
Love? Hmmmm... I've lived here for 18+ years now. It would not have been my first pick, but it could have been far worse. Besides, I'm still in OC and for that I am happy.
37. No number 37
FAIL!
38. Who is your loudest friend?
That's easy: Jason, the self-proclaimed "Omnipresent Mouth". I use him to quiet the crowd when I have announcements and such.
39. How many dogs do you have?
Um... reminder, I have cats. They don't seem to be terribly fond of dogs. However, I have been contemplating getting a British bulldog or a Corgi. They're just so damn cute!!!
40. Does someone have a crush on you?
Apparently a few. o_O
41. What is your favorite book?
Really, just one? In case you haven't noticed I don't do well with picking just one favorite. Fine! One of my faves at random: "The Birth of the Chess Queen" by Marilyn Yalom
42. What is your favorite candy?
Hands down: English Toffee. I love that buttery sweet taste. (Oh wow, something I was actually able to just pick one for!)
43. What song do you want to be played at your Funeral?
Geez, I have an entire playlist! It includes Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Flogging Molly, Home Made Kazoku, & Tyr.
I have hopes my funeral will be an open funeral pyre (loaded with fragrant herbs), outside - perhaps in a big open field (not exactly viking style - no boat burnings please), at dusk. I hope my friends will feast, drink plenty of mead and beer, have good tunes playing, and party all night in my honor. That would be quite awesome. :)
Is it strange that this is what I have wanted for my funeral for as long as I can remember? If it is, I don't really care.
44. Favorite Sports Team?
The Anaheim (not Los Angeles) Angels.
Is it strange that this is what I have wanted for my funeral for as long as I can remember? If it is, I don't really care.
44. Favorite Sports Team?
The Anaheim (not Los Angeles) Angels.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
To Pin or Remove?
To Pin or Remove?
As most of you might be aware, I broke my arm last November, but in case you’ve not heard let me give a quick recap:
Nov. 6: tripped on broken pavement in Los Angeles
Nov. 7: saw my Dr. in OC, discovered it was broken and in need of surgery.
Nov 10: had surgery to repair break to neck of radius near elbow with a plate and screws
Here are the two posts I made regarding the fall and an update:
That really wasn't part of the plan...
Originally I thought I’d busted my ulna, but in fact it was my radius. I snapped it at the neck and compacted the head of the radius back onto the rest of the bone. A ‘T’ shaped plate and 4 screws were placed in to hold it properly within the elbow and so the break could heal.
I wore a splint for 2 weeks after the surgery. Once it was removed I was sent off to physical therapy for 3 more weeks. I went in for a check up with the surgeon in mid Dec. only to discover what we hoped would not happen. The bone wasn’t healing.
At first look over my X-rays the surgeon was visibly unhappy. He decided for good measure to take a second set of X-rays. Unfortunately, the news from this set seemed worse than the first.
Because of the nature of the two bones in the lower arm (ulna and radius) they rotate over each other as you rotate your arm palm up to palm down. This motion was too much for the plate and twisted it and began to pull out the single screw on the lower part of the ‘T’ shaped plate from the longer part of my bone. At the same time the lower part of the bone slipped out of position by rotating on the single screw. So now the plate and pulled screw rub under the muscle and tendons in my arm. It actually feels really gross and entirely unnatural. So any chance I get I make someone put their hand on my arm and I rotate it. It’s sick, but I love seeing their reaction. :P
I’m not entirely sure what the rules are regarding bones and the way they heal, but because it was less than 6 weeks since my original surgery my surgeon, Dr. D., wanted to wait, in hopes that with a splint back on the inability to rotate my arm would then allow the bone to heal. A second surgery was definitely going to happen, but when and what for was up in the air.
In the best case scenario the bone would heal and a second surgery would be done to remove the damaged plate and screws which were originally intended to be permanent.
In the worst case scenario the plate and screws would be removed, pins would be put in place as well as cadaver bone tissue (Yay, zombie elbow!). This meant I would then have to be in a cast for several months and when all was done I would have limited mobility and range of motion. (boo!)
zombie elbow...
So the splint was placed back on for 3 more weeks and the surgery would be pending.
Last Friday, Jan 16, the splint was removed. (Yay!) This past Monday I went in for a CT scan. I brought the CD home to check out the images. Honestly I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. 136 images of... bleah??? It looked cool to just hold the arrow key down and watch it rotate through all the images like an animation, but it looked more like a Rorschach test to me.
Today I went to see Dr. D. The CD the hospital gave me with the CT scan was not what he asked for. I guess they didn’t burn to the CD some different type of images that he requested so he said he would go to the hospital tomorrow or Friday to see it for himself. However, he did speak at length with the Dr. who did the scan and was told there was more bone scar tissue, but that the bone is not connecting.
This was bad.
So we discussed my options. My hope was that the bone would just heal already and the plate and screws would be removed, end of story. Now the pins have been moved up as the best case scenario.
Best case: remove plate and screws, place in several pins, add almost-dead guy tissue, cast for months, have physical therapy for several weeks, then have a 3rd surgery to remove pins. At this point we’re talking 5-8 months of having to deal with this.
Worst case: remove plate and screws, replace radius bone head with metal and hope the bone grows and heals. I wasn’t given any further information about length of healing time and what it all meant, but it didn’t sound remotely good.
Dr. D. thinks it’s possible that the plate is preventing the bone from connecting. That even if it’s just a millimeter too far it’s strong enough to keep the tissue from connecting and healing.
I did ask if he thought there might be another reason the bone wasn’t healing. I began to wonder if we should seek some other medical reason for my bone failing to heal properly. He said he felt there was not a medical reason, it was simply because the bone was not close enough to heal.
He asked me if I’d been in pain and reminded me to not take Advil, aspirin, or any of the other OTC pain meds because they are blood thinners and will prohibit the growth of bone. Yes, I’m in pain, but it’s something I can cope with, usually… provided someone doesn’t hit me, or grab my arm as they so often have done regardless of splint, sling or my simply being protective of it. So if you see me, do not touch my left arm or shoulder whatsoever.
Funny thing, he said it was “a lot like going to church.” I don’t get a Christian vibe off of him by the way, he’s definitely more a man of science than faith, but I thought it was funny, understood how he meant it, and agreed with his reasoning.
Sadly this won’t be too new to me. When I lost use of both of my hands for a year back in 2000… yeah, that was a fun time in my life, I went to an acupuncturist who would put anywhere from 20-90 needles in my hands, arms, shoulders, neck and back. She’d add little electrodes to several. I’d take them as high a setting as I could stand ‘em and lay there for 45 minutes, 3 times a week for 3 years. Wheeee! So fun.
As most of you might be aware, I broke my arm last November, but in case you’ve not heard let me give a quick recap:
Nov. 6: tripped on broken pavement in Los Angeles
Nov. 7: saw my Dr. in OC, discovered it was broken and in need of surgery.
Nov 10: had surgery to repair break to neck of radius near elbow with a plate and screws
Here are the two posts I made regarding the fall and an update:
That really wasn't part of the plan...
Originally I thought I’d busted my ulna, but in fact it was my radius. I snapped it at the neck and compacted the head of the radius back onto the rest of the bone. A ‘T’ shaped plate and 4 screws were placed in to hold it properly within the elbow and so the break could heal.
I wore a splint for 2 weeks after the surgery. Once it was removed I was sent off to physical therapy for 3 more weeks. I went in for a check up with the surgeon in mid Dec. only to discover what we hoped would not happen. The bone wasn’t healing.
At first look over my X-rays the surgeon was visibly unhappy. He decided for good measure to take a second set of X-rays. Unfortunately, the news from this set seemed worse than the first.
Because of the nature of the two bones in the lower arm (ulna and radius) they rotate over each other as you rotate your arm palm up to palm down. This motion was too much for the plate and twisted it and began to pull out the single screw on the lower part of the ‘T’ shaped plate from the longer part of my bone. At the same time the lower part of the bone slipped out of position by rotating on the single screw. So now the plate and pulled screw rub under the muscle and tendons in my arm. It actually feels really gross and entirely unnatural. So any chance I get I make someone put their hand on my arm and I rotate it. It’s sick, but I love seeing their reaction. :P
I’m not entirely sure what the rules are regarding bones and the way they heal, but because it was less than 6 weeks since my original surgery my surgeon, Dr. D., wanted to wait, in hopes that with a splint back on the inability to rotate my arm would then allow the bone to heal. A second surgery was definitely going to happen, but when and what for was up in the air.
In the best case scenario the bone would heal and a second surgery would be done to remove the damaged plate and screws which were originally intended to be permanent.
In the worst case scenario the plate and screws would be removed, pins would be put in place as well as cadaver bone tissue (Yay, zombie elbow!). This meant I would then have to be in a cast for several months and when all was done I would have limited mobility and range of motion. (boo!)
zombie elbow...
Last Friday, Jan 16, the splint was removed. (Yay!) This past Monday I went in for a CT scan. I brought the CD home to check out the images. Honestly I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. 136 images of... bleah??? It looked cool to just hold the arrow key down and watch it rotate through all the images like an animation, but it looked more like a Rorschach test to me.
Today I went to see Dr. D. The CD the hospital gave me with the CT scan was not what he asked for. I guess they didn’t burn to the CD some different type of images that he requested so he said he would go to the hospital tomorrow or Friday to see it for himself. However, he did speak at length with the Dr. who did the scan and was told there was more bone scar tissue, but that the bone is not connecting.
This was bad.
So we discussed my options. My hope was that the bone would just heal already and the plate and screws would be removed, end of story. Now the pins have been moved up as the best case scenario.
Best case: remove plate and screws, place in several pins, add almost-dead guy tissue, cast for months, have physical therapy for several weeks, then have a 3rd surgery to remove pins. At this point we’re talking 5-8 months of having to deal with this.
Worst case: remove plate and screws, replace radius bone head with metal and hope the bone grows and heals. I wasn’t given any further information about length of healing time and what it all meant, but it didn’t sound remotely good.
Dr. D. thinks it’s possible that the plate is preventing the bone from connecting. That even if it’s just a millimeter too far it’s strong enough to keep the tissue from connecting and healing.
I did ask if he thought there might be another reason the bone wasn’t healing. I began to wonder if we should seek some other medical reason for my bone failing to heal properly. He said he felt there was not a medical reason, it was simply because the bone was not close enough to heal.
He asked me if I’d been in pain and reminded me to not take Advil, aspirin, or any of the other OTC pain meds because they are blood thinners and will prohibit the growth of bone. Yes, I’m in pain, but it’s something I can cope with, usually… provided someone doesn’t hit me, or grab my arm as they so often have done regardless of splint, sling or my simply being protective of it. So if you see me, do not touch my left arm or shoulder whatsoever. The Dr. did prescribe darvocet for pain management, but I haven’t taken any yet.
He’s also decided to have me use a “bone growth stimulator”, sounds kinky, don’t it? Well, essentially I get to electrocute myself for 45 minutes a day. He doesn’t hold a lot of stock in the belief of this type of therapy, and honestly in this case, neither do I, but he also said it couldn’t hurt.
Funny thing, he said it was “a lot like going to church.” I don’t get a Christian vibe off of him by the way, he’s definitely more a man of science than faith, but I thought it was funny, understood how he meant it, and agreed with his reasoning.Sadly this won’t be too new to me. When I lost use of both of my hands for a year back in 2000… yeah, that was a fun time in my life, I went to an acupuncturist who would put anywhere from 20-90 needles in my hands, arms, shoulders, neck and back. She’d add little electrodes to several. I’d take them as high a setting as I could stand ‘em and lay there for 45 minutes, 3 times a week for 3 years. Wheeee! So fun.
Anyway, the plan as it stands is to wait another month. I’m supposed to wear my sling when I go out, and I’m not allowed to push use of my arm. It is possible to over use the arm and snap the plate. Apparently the plate is really intended to be a metal band-aid to hold the bone in place just long enough to heal.
I was already dreading a 2nd surgery. I was glad that with the first one I didn’t have too long to wait. It was my very first major surgery and I was scared to death, but I got through it ok. This time I’m not only looking at a 2nd, but also a 3rd and we have no dates set for any of it?!?! My life is on hold and I’m totally freaked out!
I guess I pulled The Hanged Man from the deck...
I was already dreading a 2nd surgery. I was glad that with the first one I didn’t have too long to wait. It was my very first major surgery and I was scared to death, but I got through it ok. This time I’m not only looking at a 2nd, but also a 3rd and we have no dates set for any of it?!?! My life is on hold and I’m totally freaked out!
I guess I pulled The Hanged Man from the deck...Although The Hanged Man would once most likely have been interpreted as a punishment, somewhere along the way it came to symbolize a change of perspective, new points of view and spiritual revelations – the card shows physical immobility and restrictions, but freedom and power of the mind. Other than that, the Hanged Man may signify a sense of being caught in between two opposites and a time of suspension, when you don’t really feel you have your two feet on the ground.
Now keep in mind, the very same day I went to my first physical therapy I was also laid off from my job. Though I’d been looking and had a few interviews, none of them panned out and I don’t know what to do now with not just 1, but 2 more surgeries to look forward to, plus having my left arm casted for months! This puts a major crimp in my ability to work. I keep hoping a 3rd, better option becomes available.
My logical brain says, “It is what it is and I’ll get through this like I always do.” My emotional side says, “Fuck this crazy shit! Why is this happening?!” I mean when you think about it, I've been walking around for over two months with a broken arm... and it will be AT LEAST another month before anything additional is done.
Life keeps marching forward, even when we aren’t sure or even ready to. I feel that everything in life teaches us some kind of lesson. I’ve been trying to figure out what the lesson here is, other than to “watch where I’m walking”. Heh… of course, what if that really is the fucking lesson here? Watch where you're walking... Frankly, I think it's more like the Hokey Pokey at this point.
That's what it's all about!
Now keep in mind, the very same day I went to my first physical therapy I was also laid off from my job. Though I’d been looking and had a few interviews, none of them panned out and I don’t know what to do now with not just 1, but 2 more surgeries to look forward to, plus having my left arm casted for months! This puts a major crimp in my ability to work. I keep hoping a 3rd, better option becomes available.
My logical brain says, “It is what it is and I’ll get through this like I always do.” My emotional side says, “Fuck this crazy shit! Why is this happening?!” I mean when you think about it, I've been walking around for over two months with a broken arm... and it will be AT LEAST another month before anything additional is done.
Life keeps marching forward, even when we aren’t sure or even ready to. I feel that everything in life teaches us some kind of lesson. I’ve been trying to figure out what the lesson here is, other than to “watch where I’m walking”. Heh… of course, what if that really is the fucking lesson here? Watch where you're walking... Frankly, I think it's more like the Hokey Pokey at this point.
That's what it's all about!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas is for the Dogs
Christmas Eve
I should be blogging about other things right now. I’m way overdue for an update regarding my arm, but honestly, I’m so sick of talking about it and telling people what happened I’m just not motivated enough right now.Instead I’m going to blog about more recent events.
Last night I attended a party at my dear friend William’s home. He hosts an annual Christmas Eve party… kinda funny when you think about it… we’re not Christians. Anyway, I arrived late. I wasn’t feeling well; issues regarding my arm and things related to it. As I expected might happen due to my late attendance, some of the folks I really wanted to see like Natalie and Carol were leaving shortly after my arrival. I was still fortunate enough to speak with each of them, get hugs and wish each of them warm holiday happiness.
I also immediately noticed a guy I did not recognize. He seemed to be watching, perhaps wondering who I was just the same. I wanted to talk with him, we smiled here and there, but I was often pulled into other conversations.
Eventually I located an open chair, the house was packed, so I chose to perch myself there, safely out of the way from potential pain to my arm; again, way overdue on that medical update.
Angela came over and sat next to me. She’d given me a holiday gift… OMG it was TOTALLY AWESOME!! She made me a Jayne hat!! You know, Jayne Cobb from Firefly?!?! I totally wanted one and she was a total darling and made a super cool soft fuzzy red one for me. :)
Sitting in the back of the room gave me the ability to see everyone. I saw someone walk past into the kitchen that I didn’t recognize. I asked who it was only out of basic curiosity. You know that saying? Curiosity killed the cat? Well curiosity killed my night!
The guy heard someone say his name so it was explained I asked who he was and I was being informed. He must have taken that to mean I was interested. I wasn’t, but he didn’t care. He informs me he makes swords as a hobby. Completely non-sequitur! I wasn’t asking him anything, but he really wanted to have a conversation with me. I have to give the guy credit, he was assertive and for a short while I thought it was cool. Next he showed me this steel ring he’d made, called it his "Freedom ring". He then informs me he’s married, says his wife is crazy (literally) and wishes she’d die. *rolls eyes* Yeah, ok buddy, thanks for the info, but this is a really bad tactic for impressing a girl… I’m just sayin’!
For THE REST OF THE NIGHT the wife hater parked his ass next to me and was very bold and blatant about his interest in me. The feeling was not mutual. I was just as bold back though. I listened to his story about his wife being crazy, and it’s very possible she is, but for me that was not my concern. All I saw was a man, who was upfront about being miserable in his marriage and looking for some action outside. I’m sorry, but clear up your mess at home before even considering bringing anyone else into the fray and I basically told him as such. I told him to shit or get off the pot. If he’s so damn unhappy, end the marriage. His reasons were financial. He said he was waiting for her to get a job so he could afford to leave her and claim alimony. Again, not really impressing me.
Fortunately I had both Angela and her husband Jeff nearby so I could be “distracted”. He really made a serious effort to dominate my attention that night. Made comments about how he wanted me to drink more to lower my inhibitions and that he lived close by. There was a comment about my cleavage, which he checked out quite a bit, and some reference to my screen name (surpise). Seriously, WTF?!?!
I didn’t want to cause any drama at the party so I didn’t react to a lot of comments. I was also doing my best to not give any indication of interest on my part, and did not offer my contact info or ask for his. Eventually I believe he got the hint when the rest of us were getting ready to leave and I stayed back with Angela and Jeff.
I’m not remotely interested in dating a married man and most especially one who hates his wife, openly announces he wishes she were dead, but is to much of a wuss to actually leave her. Just pathetic!
Christmas Day
I woke up Christmas morning to the sounds of screaming and breaking glass.My next door neighbor has a violent temper. I have no idea what happened, but around 9am I heard him yelling at someone, most likely his invalid father, saying something about the dog, then I heard the dog yelp a lot as it was thrown out of the house into the backyard. I can see his yard from my bedroom window. The noise died down so I fell back asleep. 2 hours later it sounded much, much worse. More breaking of things, yelling, screaming, dog yelping… this time I witnessed the dog being thrown out of the house. It seemed as though my neighbor was kicking it to get it to go outside.
I debated on what to do. My neighbor has been violent before and damaged my personal property by slashing my tires, injured my cats resulting in the death of at least one, as well as bragged openly about using a shovel to kill a raccoon in his yard. Getting the police involved can bring violence on my home, property, cats, or my dad. I’m just not interested in dealing with another one of his violent outbursts.
About half an hour later I heard him yelling again, going out the back door and yelling at the dog to get out of the yard. He literally kicked the dog out of the yard through the side gate. I heard it yelping again. I saw it running down the main driveway of our complex. At this moment I tried to talk to my neighbor and was met with a slamming door.
I got dressed and went after the dog. I was afraid it would get run over and hurt. I found it running down the road in the next neighborhood across a main street. Because of my arm I couldn’t lift it so I had to keep coaxing it back to the complex. Once we got back to the complex it wouldn’t budge. I could see it didn’t want to go back to my neighbor’s house, and I totally didn’t blame it, nor had any intentions of returning it into the hands of an abusive person. I brought it into my yard. For now it’s safe, but I fear what my neighbor might do to it or me if he finds it here. I can’t keep it. My cats are very unhappy and I’m allergic to dogs. So I’m hoping one of my darling friends might find it in their hearts to give this sweet pup a new and safe home.
It’s really a cute and playful dog. Looks a bit like a Pyrenean Sheppard mix. Its legs are shorter and perhaps has a shorter nose. It seems to understand basic commands of sit, stay, come, and heel. It’s also a total love bug and might lick you to death if allowed. I did not check to find out what sex the dog is though.
So if you’re interested in it, let me know asap.
I did call the police. I spoke with someone there, but it was Christmas and I suspect a lot of people were off work there. I fully explained what I witnessed and my concerns. I was afraid if a cop showed up my neighbor would do something bad to me, dad, or my cats. The woman I spoke with suggested I come into the station to file a report on Monday. My main concern is safety for the dog, me, my family, and home.
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