glittergirl's blog...

happy creepy valentine's...

2012-02-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

creepy film trailer

2012-02-13T11:49:00.003-05:00

Griffin was on TV!

2012-02-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

life goes on...

2012-02-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

i filled out charlie's paperwork. the adoption fee is $150. i sent a check for $250. that's how much griffin cost, and i felt like i wanted to sort of pay tribute to him.

griffin is gone and now we have charlie. there will never be another griffin, and charlie is his own dog. life goes on. sometimes painful, but so much joy.

Pumpkin & Sausage Soup

2012-02-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

16 ounces country style sausage
1/2 cup onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
15 ounces pumpkin, canned
5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons of butter

Salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

Over medium heat brown the sausage breaking into small bits. Drain fat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and mushrooms and saute until vegetables are cooked.

Add the canned pumpkin and the broth, stirring to mix well. Cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream, sour cream and water.

Servings: 8

Notes: Per 1-cup serving: 376 calories. 15 grams protein, 32 grams fat (14 saturated) and 9 grams carbohydrate (2 grams dietary fiber). Rich in Vitamin A, Thiamin and B12 and one serving has 63mg of calcium.

More pics...

2012-02-11T04:38:00.001-05:00

i work on the viaduct...

2012-02-09T09:26:00.001-05:00

i love working in such an interesting area of cleveland. this is the blog post i wish i'd written about the superior viaduct.

cleveland is so cool!

FRAP!!!!!!!!!

2012-02-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

my dad: random thoughts and images

2012-02-07T14:03:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to blog about my dad for some time now. Especially since most of my friends and my husband never got a chance to meet him.

I started making a list of things I wanted to say about my dad while I waited in the doctor's office today. The list was off the top of my head & in no real order.

I wanted to talk at length about the items on this list, but instead, I'm just posting the list "as is".

Here's a link to a poem I wrote about one of my earliest memories.

Born in KY, dad died when he was 5
His stepdad was a mean, abusive creep
Two 1/2 brothers born (and spoiled)
Moved to cleveland
Dropped out in 8th grade
Triple heart bypass in late 30's
Then marathon running at my age
Husband never met him
"Gone" to me after high school
Memories:
   Riding on motorcycle
   Driving through the hills of KY listening to Jim Croce songs
   Fishing at Harpersfield
He built a van/RV hybrid and won some award
I used to stick his socks between his toes when he napped on the couch and he'd pretend to wake up and flip out (this always made me laugh!)
Jack and the beanstock falling arm (a bedtime ritual when I was like 3 years old.)
Before he married my mom he worked for a circus & was a volunteer firefighter
He was a race car driver & won tons of trophies in the late 60's/ early 70's
Wood worker
Nice to my friends, helped them buy cars, learn to ride motorcycles
Tried to save stray dogs and baby birds that fell out of their nests

updates on charlie...

2012-02-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

charlie and gilly like to play like crazy. he lets me hug him and pet him. he even snuggled with my in bed over the weekend! he loves to steal our shoes and carry them around (something griffin used to do.) he brought dan's giant boot into bed at one point!

he's still very shy about letting people touch him. we're giving him time and lots of love.

charlie and gilly are great dogs and it's so fun to see them play.

random pics of random things (mostly dogs, as usual)...

2012-02-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

the president and his wife are so cute!

2012-02-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

charlie's story...

2012-02-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

Here's Connie's tale of how she caught & saved Charlie:

I saw him wondering down the street on East 55th in a shit neighborhood. He had a horrible collar and bolt attached to him (was probably living on a chain). I chased him for hours and couldn't get him. He would eat out of my hand but then run when I tried to grab him.

It started raining and I started crying and he finally laid down in an empty lot exhausted. Still couldnt get him. It was getting dark so I went home and got some straw and plywood and made him a shelter. I went back in the morning and he was still there! I couldn't believe my luck!

Then I went to the kennel and got a trap and trapped his furry little ass! He was real shy but has since come out of his shell and is a little snuggler! A very calm dog for being so young.

He has only been in foster care for a couple weeks but has shown HUGE improvements. If he knows you he loves you to death! Very excited to see me when I visit him. I took him to Petco today and he is always very curious to meet people and will go right up to them but he doesn't like people to pet him right away . . . he wants it when he is ready. I took him to my mom's also and she ignored him and he went up to her eventually and wanted to be petted. Even my mom who is not a dog person said "he is going to be a really good dog for someone!"

And now, he's a good dog for us!

charlie- day 3

2012-01-30T08:58:00.002-05:00

i got to hear charlie bark for the 1st time today! he & gilly chased off a herd of deer. they've been playing all morning. now they're taking a nap. here's a LINK for where i'm posting their photos.

these 2 photos best display the dynamic duo.

charlie & gilly actin' crazy- day 1

2012-01-29T13:41:00.001-05:00

this isn't my best work, but i like the song and for his first day, charlie is having a blast!

the pool and my bed head...

2012-01-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

i woke up this morning to some awesome bedhead. then i drew a pic of me taking a photo of my awesome bedhead. crazy!

here's the pool where i swim. i love the pool, as you may have gathered.

ginger lemon tonic

2012-01-27T10:50:00.001-05:00

Begin each morning with this comforting and cleansing Lemon-Ginger tonic. The Lemon-Ginger tonic will increase your energy and work to detoxify your stressed digestive system. In addition, this tonic has a cleansing affect on the liver, and increases the production of bile to clear any backlog in the common bile duct. .

2 lemons, washed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 cups boiling water
honey or artificial sweetener to taste

In a teapot or saucepot combine lemon slices, grated ginger and boiling water. Cover let steep 10 minutes. Pour tonic through strainer to remove solids. Drink warm adding sweetener to taste. Garnish with lemon slices if desired. Be sure to drink all three cups. This is best first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else.

bad photo challenge

2012-01-26T10:21:00.000-05:00

Why do I love to create horrible photos of myself? This one is quite something...

swimming...

2012-01-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

i leave the house on cold, snowy mornings, to get my fix. i wait outside the ugly concreate building at 5:55am, waiting for them to open the doors. sometimes i go on my lunch hour when i'm working from home. i go when i'm sick, when i'm tired, when my car's buried under a foot of snow.

i love to swim. doggy paddle is my signature stroke. sometimes i float on my back (see the drawing above). i love the feeling of floating while the water swirls around me.

there are different kinds of "pool people". there are the times when it's "open family swim" with families and kids. i avoid those times as a rule. there are early morning "adult lap" swimmers, athletes, mostly men in speedos and latex swimming fast & hard, splashing everyone, hogging swim lanes. i go when necessary.

my favorite time to swim is during "senior water aerobics" lunch hours. the pool is suddenly filled with chatty old ladies. some walk with canes or even walkers. they walk down a special ramp to get into the pool. once they hit the water, they are transformed. they start laughing, giving friends a hello hug, trading recipes, or gossiping about the older gent who swims slow laps around them. they are like a beautiful gaggle of geese!

i think the water feels so good because it's forgiving. those ladies leave their canes by the side of the pool, and suddenly they can walk without pain. we all float. we move. and it feels lovely.

my favorite part of the pool is the point where the floor of the pool starts to drop off. going from 3 feet, 4 feet, 6 feet. i love walking down that steep ledge and feeling the moment where my feet leave the floor and i start to float...

men's fall 2012 collection...

2012-01-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

these are real photos of the recent men's wear fashion shows. i can't wait to put dan in some of these awesome outfits. i'll need to get his "creepy face mask" measurements.

even more pics

2012-01-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

more pics...

2012-01-23T07:54:00.000-05:00

Weird Times...

2012-01-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

recent photos...

2012-01-19T11:23:00.000-05:00

things i do with the free internet and free apps...

2012-01-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

how we sleep...

2012-01-16T03:44:00.003-05:00

trying...

2012-01-12T12:49:00.003-05:00

i know i've been all super excited and wound up about my recent weight loss attempts. i'm constantly blabbering about how much i love swimming, and i'm actually enjoying eating better.

but i'm also "trying" to just do better in general. i want to do better at work, at home, and in life. i want to sit around less. i want to be kinder and more patient. i want to be brave enough to try new things. strong enough to admit when i'm wrong.

i don't know... i just want to make some effort to do better in every aspect of my life. i'll still make mistakes and do the wrong thing, but if i just keep trying, things can only improve.

just call me little miss sunshine!

of course when the usual PMS hits in a few days, i'll hate myself and everyone else. but one day of pure hatred and crippling sadness a month can't be all that bad.

stuff...

2012-01-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Interesting photo trick...

2012-01-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

Crab!!!

2012-01-08T08:43:00.001-05:00

how have i not seen this movie?

2012-01-04T18:26:00.001-05:00

swimming!!!

2012-01-04T15:26:00.002-05:00

2011 year in review, 2012 plans...

2012-01-01T08:56:00.002-05:00

when i look back at 2011, i see 2 major events: getting my "dream job", and loosing griffin. so i guess 2011 feels... bittersweet.

in 2011 i finally worked with my doctor and a rheumatologist to diagnose my health problems. so i was diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia in 2011. good to know what was causing the pain. great to find medicine that helps with the pain. but the side effect of increased appetite has me gaining almost 20 pounds since the fall.

in 2011 i was able to finally stop taking ambien. it took a few weeks of brutal "rebound" insomnia and some horrible withdrawal symptoms, but after 10 years of taking this medicine, i was done with it. i think going off ambien was one of the hardest things i've ever done.

i have since then learned a ton of rules about "sleep hygiene". no naps, make the bed every morning, staying off the iPad if i wake up in the middle of the night, no coffee after 10am, etc... i also got a king-sized tempurpedic bed and that made a huge difference.

i really did find my dream job. i feel so lucky to work with incredibly smart, hilarious people who really care about doing an amazing job, but also know how to have fun. we work hard, play hard, and it's an amazing place to be.

and griffin... i still miss him every day. i have found some peace with his passing away, but i miss him. it's been hard, but getting to focus on gilly has been wonderful. she's doing better with jumping on people and is thriving. she's a real joy.

so for 2012, it's simple. i plan on enjoying the people around me, kicking ass at work, and getting healthy. i will be posting on the "weightloss weirdos" blog often. and i will stop and smell the flowers!

i want to be a confetti tester!

2011-12-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

what i talk about...

2011-12-30T07:25:00.001-05:00

this is a representation of the 41 words i used most in my tweets. the top words are love, gilly & awesome. is anyone surprised? LOL! of course insomnia. husband, & coffee make an appearance.

looking at this cloud of tweets, it appears that i'm pretty happy, that i love my dog, and i talk about food and music quite often. that sounds about right.

steps to being healthy... (baby steps)

2011-12-27T03:37:00.003-05:00

i've never been good with my diet or exercise. and now, the medicine i take for fibromyalgia has increased my apetite, and i'm gaining weight. the medicine works wonders for the joint pain, so i don't want to stop taking it.

so i've resolved to do a few things:

1. the 5 day pouch test- this is a 5 day restrictive diet, specifically for people who've had weightloss surgery. it's a liquid diet for the first 2 days (mainly protein shakes) and then soft protein based food. The theory is that by doing this, the small stomach created during gastric bypass will shrink back to something close to the original size.

as part of the 5 day diet, there is no caffeine or alcohol allowed. 5 days without my morning coffee or evening wine. i have to start cutting back on these things slowly, to prepare for the 5 day diet.

after the 5 days, i need to follow the original weightloss surgery rules: protein first, lots of water, exercise, and limited carbs (just vegetables and fruit.) and no snacking.

i've ordered protein shakes and a cookbook with recipes specific to weightloss surgery people.

2. exercise: i've always hated exercise. treadmills are so boring. and with the fibromyalgia and arthritis, it's hard to walk sometimes. the only exercise i've ever liked is swimming. so i've done some research and found 2 facilities nearby that offer pool passes for indoor heated pools. i'm going to check them both out this week.

3. acupuncture: i'd like to give this another try. especially for insomnia. (as i write this post it's 3:15am.)

4. yoga 30 day challenge: this is something a few of us at work are going to try. the goals are to eat at least one vegetarian meal a day, do 15 minutes of yoga, and 15 minutes of meditation. i think it will be fun to do this challenge with my work friends.

5. dan & gilly: i want to take gilly on more walks. i want to cook healthy meals for dan. i want us all to be in good health.

i feel like 2012 can be the year that i focus on my health, and make big improvements. as long as i keep taking baby steps, i'll be in better health.

the art of the crab...

2011-12-24T13:51:00.002-05:00

crabby chore guy....

meet crabby gift wrapping husband!!!

a year in work fun...

2011-12-19T19:22:00.001-05:00

us...

2011-12-17T04:20:00.001-05:00

a few of my favorite things...

2011-12-15T03:35:00.001-05:00

besides mentos, lip gloss, and wine, i love my job. check out my pics from our holiday party.

FREAK OUT!!!!

2011-12-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

iPad photo fun...

2011-12-09T04:30:00.001-05:00

vodka jello

2011-12-08T08:10:00.001-05:00

From the internets:

This mold was one of my early recipe attempts and I did not write down the recipe… it was more of an experiment. But I can tell you that for any jello mold creation you want to use 25% less water than the package says for preparation to get a firmer mold. And you can replace some of the water in the preparation with other liquids. So in this case I used 3/4 cup boiling water to prepare a 3 oz package of lime jello. Stir for 2 minutes until all the granules are dissolved. Then stir in 1/2 cup cold tonic and a 1/2 cup cold vodka. If you want to suspend fruit in your mold, refrigerate the jello until it thickens to a gel and then stir in the fruit and spoon it into the mold. I used blueberries, but I think mandarin orange slices or sliced strawberries would be excellent. With fruit the yield will be about 2 cups. To make more, just double the quantities.

dorks....

2011-12-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

ridiculous...

2011-12-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

an atheist's xmas tree...

2011-11-29T09:42:00.003-05:00

i am an atheist. and i celebrate xmas, sort of, in my own way.

as a child i never believed in santa or god. i don't know why. it was just something hardwired in my brain. i've spent years pondering things. searching. reading. studying various religions and philosophies. and in the end, i just do not believe in god, or any higher power.

so why put up an xmas tree? well, it's a happy childhood memory for me. i always loved putting ornaments on the tree, and the beautiful lights. and as an adult i LOVE the pink xmas tree my friend rachel gave me. only now i decorate my tree with weird dolls, glittery things, and whatever dan adds to the tree. it's pretty and makes me happy.

as i've gotten older, i've become stronger in my convictions, but also less adamant. i don't feel the need to change anyone's mind, or to proclaim my beliefs. my beliefs are mine and while i'm happy to discuss these things, i don't force it on anyone.

i also choose to respect other's religious convictions. in fact, i support them in their freedom to worship, and to believe in whatever makes sense to them. i will even bow my head in prayer if sitting at a dinner table with people who pray. a few years ago i wouldn't have done that. but now it feels right to me.

i say "happy holidays" or "merry christmas" when i feel like it. or when someone says it to me. it's fun to take this time of the year to be extra warm, polite, and to make people happy.

i try to take time to appreciate my family & friends. i also try to commit random acts of kindness. i make a pot of coffee at work even if i'm not drinking it. i clean up after someone who's made a mess and left it behind. it's stuff like that makes me feel good, and i think that is the spirit of "the holidays".

i do feel like i need to continue to speak out when religion is being included as part of the government. i need to vote to show my support of candidates that want to keep religion out of government, out of schools, etc...

so, there's my rant on being an atheist, putting up an xmas tree, etc...

3 generations of yawning... (updated with 4!)

2011-11-27T17:31:00.002-05:00

dan was able to get all 4 dogs yawning, including a much better shot of gilly. this makes me giggle!

wide awake!

2011-11-26T05:29:00.002-05:00

i've been sleeping better. the awesome tempur-pedic helps. fibromyalgia meds help. but i still wake up super early most days. which is ok, because i can catch up on laundry, facebook, etc...

i can also find goofy pics of myself. see above.

i have found that if i wake up super early, it's better to just get up and do something instead of laying there, trying to force myself asleep.

gilly: the only dog?

2011-11-23T14:14:00.004-05:00

we've been debating the pros and cons of adding a 2nd dog to our home. (we started this conversation way before griffin even got sick.) we always said that we'd always be a multi-dog home.

so now it's just gilly, and... she seems ok. a little subdued at times. but she seems ok.

we did take her to a dog park on sunday, and seeing her play with other dogs was amazing. i'd forgotten how much that girl likes to play!

so we're considering a 2nd dog. a lovely little girl, close to gilly's age & temperament. we'll see how that goes. we're both prepared to welcome another dog, or to say "not right now".

here's a blog post by a dog training expert who gives reasons to keep it to one dog. it's interesting because it's good advice that you don't usually hear from "dog lovers".

here's a blog written by a dog training expert who is an expert at multi-dog households.

photos of things in november...

2011-11-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

click here to see the usual pics

click here to see my work thanksgiving party pics...

click here to see the rest of the west side adventure pics...

oh deer...

2011-11-22T17:01:00.002-05:00

the cabinet of curiosities...

2011-11-19T12:37:00.003-05:00

2011-11-17T15:23:00.001-05:00

INGREDIENTS

Ice cubes

3 ounces (1/4 cup) vanilla vodka

2 ounces (1/4 cup) crème de cacao

1/4 cup whole milk & heavy cream

2 dashes of pumpkin pie spice

Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the vanilla vodka, crème de cacao, heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice and shake well.

Strain the cocktail into the glasses. Add whipped cream and a dash of spice. YUMMY!

finished!

2011-11-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

losing a member of the pack...

2011-11-15T12:51:00.004-05:00

rachel & wayne lost their dog eiko last night. it was sudden. he was a beautiful german shepherd who was by wayne's side day & night. he was also an accomplished escape artist who was able to sneak out of windows and magically appear in the driveway!

when i met him, it was when i was house sitting. i let myself in the door and he sort of lunged and growled at me. he was a protector and doing his job. i tried telling him i was there to feed him, and when he saw that maubee was happy to see me, he backed off.

he was a great companion to wayne, rachel, donna martin, numerous cats, junior, and many others. he liked to sleep on rachel's side of the bed, to be near to his beloved dad wayne.

he will be missed.

brandywine - 4th time...

2011-11-13T14:06:00.002-05:00

we spent our 4th weekend at brandywine inn, in the back "carriage barn". we got to see louie the dog, the goat, and the innkeepers (george & katie) who are really the best part.

brandywine pics here.

we also visited a few cemeteries. it was such beautiful weather, perfect for an old cemetery visit. we found one with the most interesting brick work. really strange and beautiful and crumbling.

cemetery pics here.

we had a good time, but so happy to be home with gilly!

happy 11-11-11...

2011-11-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...

Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?

Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.

Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?

Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?

Marty DiBergi: I don't know.

Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?

Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.

Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.

Marty DiBergi: Why don't you make ten a little louder, make that the top number and make that a little louder?

Nigel Tufnel: [pauses] These go to eleven.

typical pics...

2011-11-05T13:50:00.000-04:00

ok, back to laughing about stupid shit...

2011-11-03T17:52:00.000-04:00

griffin...

2011-11-02T13:59:00.006-04:00

well, the sad day has arrived, and griffin is no longer with us. we tried 3 different types of chemo and none worked. he went downhill fast. it was hard to take, but i'm glad he only had a few bad days and that we knew when it was time to let him go.

but let's remember the great times we had with the "old man puppy"! he was a big, shaggy, clumsy dog who thought he was a lap dog. he was full of joy. he had glorious eye brows.

ah hell, i've got 6 years of photos, blog posts, and videos. i tried to celebrated griffin every day, and i'll continue to do that with gilly and the next dog, and the next...

click here to read dan's thoughts on griff.

click here to watch a really sweet video of gilly & griffin.

click here to read the 30-odd posts i wrote about griffin, with tons of photos.

click here to watch griffin eat a stolen cucumber.

click here to watch griffin rip up a stuffed toy (while cleo watches on).

click here to read my thoughts on loving (& losing) our beloved pets.

and here's the ad that started it all... a fitting end to this post:

goofy dogs...

2011-10-31T10:19:00.002-04:00

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.

the usual...

2011-10-30T18:37:00.000-04:00

the barn, fall leaves, stuff that i like.

update on griffin & the cancer... part III

2011-10-29T08:38:00.003-04:00

(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...

2011-10-29T07:14:00.006-04:00

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!

enjoy...

2011-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

and good again...

2011-10-26T16:00:00.004-04:00

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...

2011-10-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

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!

the 70's were ugly

2011-10-25T10:56:00.005-04:00

the hackathon- day 3

2011-10-23T12:32:00.004-04:00

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!!!

the saddest most starving pit bull in the world...

2011-10-22T11:32:00.003-04:00

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!!!

my weird stats

2011-10-21T13:40:00.001-04:00

hackathon!!!

2011-10-21T11:56:00.003-04:00

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.)

random things that make me larf...

2011-10-20T12:38:00.002-04:00

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!

the saddest news story (the horrible things we do to animals)

2011-10-19T07:04:00.005-04:00

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...

bad news story

Aw...

2011-10-17T07:20:00.001-04:00

tattoo part 2

2011-10-14T19:52:00.001-04:00

part 3 will happen in a few weeks!

this is so wrong that it's right on!

2011-10-14T19:51:00.000-04:00

this makes me giggle.....

2011-10-11T13:05:00.000-04:00

update on griffin & the cancer...

2011-10-07T17:31:00.003-04:00

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...

2011-10-07T10:26:00.003-04:00

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!!!

1/2 way done....

2011-10-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

I never get tired of clouds & power lines...

2011-10-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

updates on things in life...

2011-09-27T08:11:00.004-04:00

griffin is doing well with treatment. the prednisone makes him a little more "antsy" then usual, but he seems good, happy, content, etc... he likes the new king sized bed that is low to the ground.

speaking of that, i LOVE the new bed. it's really helping with the insomnia. i've been off ambien for a month now, and it feels great. i still don't sleep like a normal person, but what's normal? not me!

i'm including some pics of my favorite things: glittery stuff, a well made latte, meatball pizza and eggs in a nest.

eggs in a nest, at cracker barrel, was a nice discovery. it's something i remember my grandma making for me when i was little, maybe 4 or 5 years old. it was my favorite breakfast for years and a happy memory of my grandma.

in other news, dan turned 40, our 5th annual dotditwell party was a blast, and the barn roof restoration is complete! next up, the well cover is being created and i'm going to have the bathroom painted pink.

good times!

dotditwell 2011: some photos in the wrong order

2011-09-26T13:25:00.011-04:00

gnomes...

2011-09-26T12:56:00.003-04:00

see more gnome pics here.

more tattoo progress.... flower colors!

2011-09-24T09:51:00.003-04:00

working with carol.....

2011-09-22T11:50:00.002-04:00

typical stuff

2011-09-20T18:19:00.003-04:00

beautiful pink clouds at sunset

gilly

the simple meds making griffin feel so much better

i don't know how to sleep

2011-09-19T02:25:00.004-04:00

it's strange, the ways in which i do not sleep. i've been off ambien for close to a month, and my body can't seem to recall how to sleep.

here's what happens:

9pm- go to bed

10pm- fall asleep

1am- wake up

(here's where i try to follow the rules about not turning lights on, no tv, etc...)

1:30am- wide awake

(here's where the pain and itchy skin feelings start)

2:00am- tv on. hoarders, cnn, bra infomercials

3:00am- skin feels like bugs crawling underneath, zaps and tingles

3:30am- stomach ache and IBS kicks in

4:00am- try to lay down and sleep again

5:00am- start to fall back asleep

6:00am- alarm goes off

(sinking feeling kicks in)

i've tried to use CBT tools to help me get the insomnia under control. i practice relaxation techniques and all kinds of positive "self talk".

i follow all of the "sleep hygiene" rules as well. lights are off, no music, no iPad in bed, etc...

we finally took the plunge to go from a queen to a king sized bed, and i got the tempur-pedic "cloud" bed i've wanted. i'm hoping this helps. the bed is highly recommended for people with chronic pain disorders like fibromyalgia.

i guess i need to just give it time. not sleeping won't kill me. it sucks, but it could be worse.

silverware....

2011-09-18T14:24:00.000-04:00

bread cats...

2011-09-16T11:44:00.001-04:00

2 super awesome videos

2011-09-15T18:39:00.001-04:00

i might have a "type"...

2011-09-15T15:38:00.002-04:00

crabby white guys with goatees and a twisted sense of humor.

i can't wait for snow & dogs in snow...

2011-09-15T14:49:00.001-04:00

links to photo albums...

2011-09-13T14:49:00.002-04:00

click here to see barn repairs

click here to see creepy dolls

click here to see work pics

tv, movie, music recommendations...

2011-09-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

how to enjoy sundays...

2011-09-11T11:02:00.000-04:00

1. sleep in

2. make a big breakfast, lots bacon, coffee (humans only), more bacon

3. nap

4. play

5. nap

griffin... our cancer journey begins....

2011-09-09T18:42:00.000-04:00

i wanted to give everyone some info on what's been going on with griffin.

he's lost a lot of weight recently, and we noticed the lymph nodes in his neck were swollen. took him to the vet on tuesday and they told us it was cancer.

it's lymphoma. advanced. but the vet told me about an oncologist vet in perry (just 20 minutes away) who is one of the best in the country.

the vet

the cancer

i took griffin today. they confirmed that it's advanced (stage 4) lymphoma. but the good news is that his heart is strong, and dogs with this cancer have a really good prognosis for feeling better.

the treatment we decided on is not the most aggressive. it's not chemo injections. we're trying daily prednisone with a low dose chemotherapy in a pill we can give him at home.

the prednisone will make him feel better. he'll gain weight and energy. it will give him weeks or months of feeling good.

the low dose chemo will fight the cancer. he could have another 6 months of good times!

the medication is only $200 a month, won't make him sicker, and so we're going to give it a try. if he's suffering at all we'll know it's time to stop.

but for now, we're going to see how this goes. a few more months of good times, playing with gilly and being spoiled, that's something to be happy about.

tattoo drawings

2011-09-09T10:49:00.001-04:00

some of the lines are drawn for the tattoo artist, to guide him, but they won't be part of the tattoo, fyi.

get tough....

2011-09-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

life is tough. things are difficult. money problems, health problems, bad news, etc.... but for today, i've decided to just "get tough", suck it up, nut up, etc... i'm going to get through shit and then if life gets worse, i'll get through that shit too!

“women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible and live long lives” - maya angelou

"get tough or die" - johnny cash

"when life hands you a lemon, say "oh yeah, i like lemons. what else you got?" - henry rollins

time to NUT UP!!!!