please ignore my annoying chatter. i like this video (shot on my iPhone at 6:30am) because you see gilly being silly in the morning, and griffin is chilling. dig it.
October 31, 2011
October 30, 2011
October 29, 2011
update on griffin & the cancer... part III
(my all time favorite pic of griffin. much fun being had!)
well, we've tried 2 different chemo meds (pills administered at home) along with daily prednisone, and we're back where we started. the cancer doesn't seem to have spread or gotten worse, but it's not going away. he's lost more weight and now weighs a few pounds less then gilly. (being on prednisone, he should be gaining weight.)
so we're trying a 3rd kind of chemo, this time an injection. it's just a shot on the back side, every 2-3 weeks. the vet oncologist thinks this one might help. we go back in 2 weeks to see the vet and figure out if it's working.
griffin is an old dog with cancer. that's just the situation. he might get better for a while if this 3td attempt works. all we can do is keep on having fun, spoiling him (bacon!!!) and accept that this is all part of life.
the human pin cushion & HST...
2 unrelated things:
acupuncture: i had my first acupuncture session. i'm hoping it will help with my chronic insomnia and fibromyalgia pain.
it was a strange experience. the room is kept extra warm. the doctor (my acupuncture dude is an actual doctor and chiropractor!) explained that the needles wouldn't hurt. he showed me how small they are. having been tattooed recently, i can say i have no fear of needles.
he put the needles around my ankles and calves, then the wrists. for some reason the left wrist needles hurt, some sign of imbalance. he then put needles behind my ears (those are for insomnia), my forehead and the top of my head.
i laid there in the warm room for about 5 minutes, then he came back to "tweak" the needles. after another 10 minutes he removed the needles.
he did a 2nd round of needles all over my back, and kept the ones behind my ears in the longest. he also gave me some advice about fibromyalgia and how to adjust my diet (skip the fried, spicy, hot foods). of course i'm cooking bacon as i type this. at least he said wine is fine!
i'm going to continue these sessions for the next 2 weeks, 2-3 times a week. it can't hurt! well, maybe a little... but no pain no gain, right? i think i slept a little better last night. and the feeling after the session was amazing. i felt so relaxed and... i just felt good.
someday i will ask the doc about the chart and why anyone would need a needle in their taint! (i snapped a pic of the chart months ago and my sick coworkers have been talking about it ever since. another reason i love my job.)
hunter s. thompson: i have been feeling a strange wave of nostalgia for the old degenerate lately. i don't know if it's because "the rum diaries" is coming out. i'm excited to see the film, but sort of sad, because it's the last of his works to be published.
i never met the man, but in college i did apply to be his assistant. he accidentally shot one of his assistants (she was only grazed and continued to work for him). i guess i dodged a bullet. har har har!
ok, enjoy these pics!
October 27, 2011
October 26, 2011
and good again...
as soon as i posted that last blog about griffin, he came flying into the room with his favorite toy. we went outside for a while and he even went into his "man cave" (the deep hole by the basement window) and dug around.
i thought we need some levity so i put gilly's cute winter sweater on him. he looks so cute!
good days, not so good days...
well, we're going back to the oncologist vet on friday. it seems like the 2nd chemo med isn't working. griffin isn't gaining weight and he's more tired these days.
he's really tired and out of it in the mornings (but who isn't?) when i get home from work he's pretty wild and he still plays with gilly.
we won't know anything until friday. for now we're just trying to keep a close eye on him, and to have fun whenever possible.
i made bacon today and he ate a piece. he actually almost bit my hand off trying to get to it. just like the good old rude griffin of days gone by!
p.s. gilly snuck into the kitchen later and ate an entire plate of leftover bacon cooling on the counter. if she has a stomach ache right now, i don't feel bad for her!
October 25, 2011
October 23, 2011
the hackathon- day 3
here is a facebook folder chock full of photos i've taken over the last 3 days. we've been working at an amazing facility (shaker launch house). i've had fun with my awesome coworkers, and we've gotten so much work done. but i'm missing the husband and dogs and can't wait to be home.
of course it's right back to work monday morning... so basically i'll be working 12 days in a row without a break. thankfully i can work from home for a day or 2.
it's such a beautiful fall day. i need to be off the computer and out with dan taking pics of fall leaves and old cemeteries!!!
October 22, 2011
the saddest most starving pit bull in the world...
gilly's best "please feed me...." sad look.
too bad she's about 5 pounds overweight and had just eaten a large rawhide. also notice the food in the bowl.
gilly is a drama queen!!!
October 21, 2011
hackathon!!!
so starting this evening, i am attending a "hackathon" for work. everyone is going out to dinner after work, and the right to the shaker launch house to spend the entire weekend coding and developing (hopefully) awesome new software.
here's a great definition of a hackathon.
"A hackathon is an event when programmers meet to do collaborative computer programming. The spirit of a hackathon is to collaboratively build programs and applications. A hackathon refers to a specific time when many people come together to hack on what they want to, how they want to - with little to no restrictions on direction or goal of the programming."
most of our company is meeting this weekend to try and produce some amazing new technology. it feels exciting to be a part of this. if we meet our year end goals during this weekend, we will be rewarded with the entire thanksgiving week off.
so i'm working about 20 hours extra this week. i will really miss dan and the dogs. at least i get to come home and sleep in my own bed and say hello to the creatures i live with.
i still love this job. i work with amazingly talented, smart people who are also a lot of fun. i get to work from home 1-2 days a week. i have a great boss and and amazing QA team.
so no bitching. i'm going to do everything i can to make this hackathon a great experience!
go team! (hehehehehehe... i totally drank the koolaid at this job.)
October 20, 2011
random things that make me larf...
this is christina agulera at a recent concert. yeah!
i love work and i love filet o fish!
this is bjork at a recent concert. yeah!
October 19, 2011
the saddest news story (the horrible things we do to animals)
i'm sitting here drinking coffee, working from home, waiting for plumbers to arrive. there is a breaking news story about a wild animal farm with animals on the loose. the owner was found dead and the the police have shot and killed at least 25 of the animals overnight.
i am sickened by the entire story. first of all, OH has the weakest laws concerning exotic animals. there are "exotic animal farms" all over OH. these should not be allowed. these animals should be left in the wild. or at least in zoos with proper care.
there have been so many stories in the news about wild animals, owned by people, who attack and maim or kill humans. in these cases, it is 100% the human owners blame that people were injured. they should not be allowed to own wild animals.
a lion should be living in africa, not in OH is some fucking cage.
so today, there are at least 25 beautiful wild animals that have been killed, all because some human thought they could cage them and own them, and profit from them.
here's an updated link to the news story. so sad...
October 17, 2011
October 14, 2011
October 11, 2011
October 7, 2011
update on griffin & the cancer...
well, griffin has been on treatment for a month. he was doing better, but we noticed the lymph node swelling coming back. we took him to his wonderful oncologist and indeed, the lymph nodes are a bit swollen and he's lost a pound. they had hoped he'd gain weight on the prednisone.
the good news is that we are just figuring out treatment, and there are other chemo meds to try. we're starting a new one tomorrow.
griffin is still better these days, he's got his spring back in his step, and he plays with gilly again. and last weekend he almost grabbed a roast chicken out of the pan. so i think he's improved and back to his normal, food stealing self.
so it's not great news, but not bad news. it's....news.
:)
why i love my job...
this is a total inside joke, but basically it's a herbie mann tattoo on sly stone. one of the guys i work with photoshopped this.
i love my job because i work with creative, funny, and twisted people. i love spending time with them. i look forward to seeing them on mondays. that is a rare and wonderful gift.
and never forget, herbie mann RULES!!!
October 5, 2011
October 1, 2011
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