Gah. I think the power adapter on my laptop just said "Enough is enough. I quit. My time is up." I'm more than hoping it's not an adapter unique to my laptop. We're planning to replace the laptop in August, so I don't really want to be spending money on parts to keep this one running in the meantime.
Hopefully, given the amount of computer gear we have squirrelled away, we'll already have something that works. Of course, I'll never hear the end of how if Scoob had uncluttered like I wanted, we wouldn't have the part we needed.
Anyhow, the battery light is getting dim, and the screen is starting to fade to black. And I had a whole flurry of posts to do.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Link Purge
Once again I've been sitting on a number of links that I've either been too busy to post, or I can't really come up with a way to tie them together. I may need to make the purging of links a monthly event, though it probably needs a catchier name.
There are all things I found interesting on some level, or they just made me laugh.
Here's a comic on over-exertion. I'm with the cat.
A while back, I guess it was really only a month ago, when the Swine Flu frenzy was kicking up, I commented on how, due to illegal immigration, closing down the border with Mexico wouldn't be a feasible solution for containment. Later I found this infographic on where legal immigrants come to the United States from.
Sometimes, you just need to state the obvious.
I'm not really sure what this sign is warning me of, cow-tipping revenge? tm-tm has a whole set of crazy sign photos on flickr.
We've been passively house hunting for a few years now and we know that when we're finally ready to move, we'll need to sell this house. Here's an interesting article on using a blog to sell your home.
In a related vein, here are a few things web workers should consider when relocating. The comments are pretty informative too. Obviously for web workers, connectivity is going to be important. Here's an article that looks into whether or not broadband connectivity fosters job growth in rural areas.
Not really related to moving so much as location, I ran across this infographic on water sources for major U.S. cities.
There are all things I found interesting on some level, or they just made me laugh.
Here's a comic on over-exertion. I'm with the cat.
A while back, I guess it was really only a month ago, when the Swine Flu frenzy was kicking up, I commented on how, due to illegal immigration, closing down the border with Mexico wouldn't be a feasible solution for containment. Later I found this infographic on where legal immigrants come to the United States from.
Sometimes, you just need to state the obvious.
I'm not really sure what this sign is warning me of, cow-tipping revenge? tm-tm has a whole set of crazy sign photos on flickr.
I thought this eco-friendly pizza box design was pretty ingenious. One of those "Why didn't I think of that" things.
We've been passively house hunting for a few years now and we know that when we're finally ready to move, we'll need to sell this house. Here's an interesting article on using a blog to sell your home.
In a related vein, here are a few things web workers should consider when relocating. The comments are pretty informative too. Obviously for web workers, connectivity is going to be important. Here's an article that looks into whether or not broadband connectivity fosters job growth in rural areas.
Not really related to moving so much as location, I ran across this infographic on water sources for major U.S. cities.
Graduation Season
I've been out of school for a number of years now, and not having any children in school myself, the graduation season seems to sneak up on me each year. Last week I mentioned that I'd been away for my sister's junior college graduation.
This week I received an invitation to my second-step-cousin's high school graduation also up in Humboldt. Or is that step-second-cousin, or second-cousin-step? I dunno, she's my step-mom's sister's oldest daughter's daughter. I call her and all her first cousins little cousin--though seeing as how she's now the 5th of the little cousins to graduate high school, I may need to rethink that, but some of them are still little. (Turns out I'm totally wrong, she's my step-cousin once removed.)
Graduation is June 12th, and I'm not sure if I'll go, we'll see how life plays out. I would actually kind of like to. The whole extended step-family thing can be a little awkward, even after 35 years, and she's always been one of the kids that makes me feel welcome rather than tolerated. So, like I said, we'll see.
In other cousin once removed news, my other cousin's bundle of joy arrived May 17th! Both baby and mom are safely home now, and everyone is adjusting to the new addition. My mom and grandma (now a great-grandma!) are making the trip to Portland to visit. Some eighteen-odd years from now, it'll be her turn to graduate high school.
Isn't she adorable. (No, that's not a question.)
Anyhow, keeping with the graduation theme, I ran across this Dilbert strip. On one level, it's a pretty cynical take on things, but on another level it's a good reminder that we're all the same.
For those folks trying to choose a major or career, here's a helpful career-planning infographic illustrating the amount of fame you can expect to achieve in a variety of careers along with the amount of skill necessary for each.
And lastly, to prepare you for the future, once you graduate college, your college will beg you for money. Incessantly. I think I've finally got my university off my back. Here's how Alex D. Reid handled it. (The original is posted here, but I was experiencing some speed issues while on their site and the fact that the letter is posted over two pages just compounded the problem, so I've reproduced it here.)
This week I received an invitation to my second-step-cousin's high school graduation also up in Humboldt. Or is that step-second-cousin, or second-cousin-step? I dunno, she's my step-mom's sister's oldest daughter's daughter. I call her and all her first cousins little cousin--though seeing as how she's now the 5th of the little cousins to graduate high school, I may need to rethink that, but some of them are still little. (Turns out I'm totally wrong, she's my step-cousin once removed.)
Graduation is June 12th, and I'm not sure if I'll go, we'll see how life plays out. I would actually kind of like to. The whole extended step-family thing can be a little awkward, even after 35 years, and she's always been one of the kids that makes me feel welcome rather than tolerated. So, like I said, we'll see.
In other cousin once removed news, my other cousin's bundle of joy arrived May 17th! Both baby and mom are safely home now, and everyone is adjusting to the new addition. My mom and grandma (now a great-grandma!) are making the trip to Portland to visit. Some eighteen-odd years from now, it'll be her turn to graduate high school.
Isn't she adorable. (No, that's not a question.)
Anyhow, keeping with the graduation theme, I ran across this Dilbert strip. On one level, it's a pretty cynical take on things, but on another level it's a good reminder that we're all the same.
For those folks trying to choose a major or career, here's a helpful career-planning infographic illustrating the amount of fame you can expect to achieve in a variety of careers along with the amount of skill necessary for each.
And lastly, to prepare you for the future, once you graduate college, your college will beg you for money. Incessantly. I think I've finally got my university off my back. Here's how Alex D. Reid handled it. (The original is posted here, but I was experiencing some speed issues while on their site and the fact that the letter is posted over two pages just compounded the problem, so I've reproduced it here.)
Dear College,
You and I parted ways a few years ago. It was amicable. I gave you four years of my life and thousands of dollars, and you gave me a piece of paper saying that I graduated from you.
I was to understand that this was the end of our business together. However, shortly after we parted ways, you asked me, quite insistently, to join your Alumni Association. Though your pitch, which involved access to your library and various other offerings, did not blow me away, I joined your Alumni Association as a lifetime member. At the time, I remember thinking, “I can now put college behind me and go out into the real world.”
However, recent events force me to ask for some clarifications about your intentions. For the last six weeks, you have been calling me daily at 7pm, asking for a donation. I have told you time and time again that I have no desire to give you money. Yet, your representatives continue to call me, seemingly unaware of this fact.
So allow me to set the record straight. I am not able to give you money right now because the degree I bought from you is worthless. The value it holds on my resume is nothing more than the cost of the ink used to print it.
The feeling I experience when I think about the four years and thousands of dollars I paid for it can best be described as a sort of “savage betrayal.” Sometimes, the anguish it causes me is so paralyzing that I am unable to do much else but lie in bed all day and masturbate.
So no, I cannot give you any more money, as the degree I purchased from you is barely earning me enough money to pay for my daily expenses, let alone your lofty ones. Furthermore, even if I were in a position where I could afford to give you money, I certainly would not. I find your aggressiveness off-putting and, quite frankly, I think you are nothing more than a common, rotten charlatan.
Please cease and desist or to put it bluntly, stop begging me for all my fucking money. It's pathetic.
Sincerely,
Alex D. Reid - Class of 2007
Despite what Mr. Reid says, a college degree is not worthless. Go to school, kids.
Here's a great comic strip site about life in academia, PhD (Piled Higher & Deeper). Check out this strip about how research gets misreported by the media.
Friday, May 29, 2009
More Fun with the Lady Doctor
I had my follow-up appointment with the gynecologist this morning for that biopsy. She warned me it would be uncomfortable, but Holy Mother of God, she didn't tell me (until the moment it was happening) that it would feel like 5 months worth cramping at once! Oh, and the bonus? The cramping will stay with me, at a 1 month level for about 3 -4 days, by which time I'll be ready for the main event, the real cramping.
So yea me, approximately 7 days of solid, hard cramping in my future. The upside (there's always an upside), at least for Scoob, is that I won't be all PMS-y for the first few days. It's times like this I wish we had a hot tub.
On the more medical side of things, she said that visually, everything seems fine, but she's still sending in the tissue for biopsy. I should have more news in a week or so.
So yea me, approximately 7 days of solid, hard cramping in my future. The upside (there's always an upside), at least for Scoob, is that I won't be all PMS-y for the first few days. It's times like this I wish we had a hot tub.
On the more medical side of things, she said that visually, everything seems fine, but she's still sending in the tissue for biopsy. I should have more news in a week or so.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sotomayor Nominated
President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court this morning! I've already noted that I think Sotomayor is the best choice from the field, but we'll see how the vetting process goes.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Around the World in San Jose
Well, we did it again. We went to San Jose yesterday with our neighbors and spent the entire day bopping around from place to place and had a great time. We went to the San Jose Flea Market a few weeks ago, which was like a trip to a Mexico street market; this weekend we went to Vietnam, then Mexico again, and wound it all up with a great Mediterranean dinner.
We started off with lunch at the food court in the Grand Century Shopping Center at Story Rd. and McLaughlin Ave. I know, food court fare doesn't sound all that special, but this isn't your typical mall food court. I used to live not far from this area and back then this was a Mexican neighborhood with a lot of gang activity, but now it's a Vietnamese neighborhood, and I have no idea what the gang activity is anymore.
Scoob learned of this place from a co-worker. The shopping center is your basic Asian shopping center, like a Lion Center, and was full of jewelry stores it seemed. But the food court was something else. There are about 8 food vendors all selling Vietnamese food. I ordered a pork sausage thing and it came with rice wraps that you have to soak in water to make pliable, a heap of fresh herbs, and a peanut sauce.
Our neighbors ordered a shrimp and pork crepe that you wrapped in lettuce leaves with another heap of herbs. There was also a tofu and noodle soup with a beautiful red broth and Scoob ordered a fried duck soup. It was all extremely good. Our neighbors and Scoob each ran into someone they knew there. Whoever knew a food court could actually be a destination?
In addition to the jewelry stores and the food court there were also a couple of shops selling dried and pickled things. You name it, they've got it, and it's either dried or pickled. Our neighbors bought some dried fish skins and baby crabs. The crabs were just like munching on little crackers! I bought a piece of deer jerky and some smoked octopus. There was also a bakery at the entrance to the shopping center where we got these green waffles. I've already forgotten what they're called, but they are aromatic and lightly sweet.
Okay, enough of Vietnam. How do you get from Vietnam to Mexico in 5 minutes? Head east on Story Rd., cross Hwy. 101 and you're there. We then headed north on King Rd. to the Mexican Heritage Plaza. There used to be a museum in the plaza but now there's just a gallery, and there was no exhibit running, so it was pretty quiet, though they were clearly planning to host a graduation party later in the day. We walked around the plaza and took pictures of the interesting tile work.
And this cute mariachi sculpture.
From the Mexican Heritage Plaza, we headed to downtown San Jose with every intention of going to the Tech Museum or the San Jose Museum of Art, and although we did step into the Museum of Art (where I got my favorite photo of the day)
the Fanime convention was also downtown this weekend and the people watching trumped staying indoors with the Warhol exhibit (see what I mean? Note: I didn't snap this shot.)
We hung out at a cafe and just watched all the colorful costumes and characters stroll by. Afterwards, we headed to Castro St. in Mountain View. The quirky, new-agey East & West Bookstore is still here as well as the GBI bead store I remember going into years ago. Castro Street has changed a lot over the years. Most of the store fronts have been spruced up and there are a lot more restaurants than I remember.
We wound up our day with a Mediterranean dinner at Cafe Baklava where I ordered the vegetarian dolma, Scoob had lamb shank (the sauce was incredible!), and our neighbors ordered fresh trout (which was super good) and shrimp kebabs.
All in all, aside from the parking ticket, it was a wonderful day with lots of great food and great company!
We started off with lunch at the food court in the Grand Century Shopping Center at Story Rd. and McLaughlin Ave. I know, food court fare doesn't sound all that special, but this isn't your typical mall food court. I used to live not far from this area and back then this was a Mexican neighborhood with a lot of gang activity, but now it's a Vietnamese neighborhood, and I have no idea what the gang activity is anymore.
Scoob learned of this place from a co-worker. The shopping center is your basic Asian shopping center, like a Lion Center, and was full of jewelry stores it seemed. But the food court was something else. There are about 8 food vendors all selling Vietnamese food. I ordered a pork sausage thing and it came with rice wraps that you have to soak in water to make pliable, a heap of fresh herbs, and a peanut sauce.
Our neighbors ordered a shrimp and pork crepe that you wrapped in lettuce leaves with another heap of herbs. There was also a tofu and noodle soup with a beautiful red broth and Scoob ordered a fried duck soup. It was all extremely good. Our neighbors and Scoob each ran into someone they knew there. Whoever knew a food court could actually be a destination?
In addition to the jewelry stores and the food court there were also a couple of shops selling dried and pickled things. You name it, they've got it, and it's either dried or pickled. Our neighbors bought some dried fish skins and baby crabs. The crabs were just like munching on little crackers! I bought a piece of deer jerky and some smoked octopus. There was also a bakery at the entrance to the shopping center where we got these green waffles. I've already forgotten what they're called, but they are aromatic and lightly sweet.
Okay, enough of Vietnam. How do you get from Vietnam to Mexico in 5 minutes? Head east on Story Rd., cross Hwy. 101 and you're there. We then headed north on King Rd. to the Mexican Heritage Plaza. There used to be a museum in the plaza but now there's just a gallery, and there was no exhibit running, so it was pretty quiet, though they were clearly planning to host a graduation party later in the day. We walked around the plaza and took pictures of the interesting tile work.
And this cute mariachi sculpture.
From the Mexican Heritage Plaza, we headed to downtown San Jose with every intention of going to the Tech Museum or the San Jose Museum of Art, and although we did step into the Museum of Art (where I got my favorite photo of the day)
the Fanime convention was also downtown this weekend and the people watching trumped staying indoors with the Warhol exhibit (see what I mean? Note: I didn't snap this shot.)
We hung out at a cafe and just watched all the colorful costumes and characters stroll by. Afterwards, we headed to Castro St. in Mountain View. The quirky, new-agey East & West Bookstore is still here as well as the GBI bead store I remember going into years ago. Castro Street has changed a lot over the years. Most of the store fronts have been spruced up and there are a lot more restaurants than I remember.
We wound up our day with a Mediterranean dinner at Cafe Baklava where I ordered the vegetarian dolma, Scoob had lamb shank (the sauce was incredible!), and our neighbors ordered fresh trout (which was super good) and shrimp kebabs.
All in all, aside from the parking ticket, it was a wonderful day with lots of great food and great company!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Summer
Well this week has just flown by and I have no idea where all the time went.
But on the plus side, we started summer hours at the office today. So from now through Labor Day weekend our office will close at 1:00pm on Fridays. Wheeee! Our company has observed summer hours for at least as long as I've worked there, but with all the economic setbacks (no hiring, pay freezes, layoffs, benefit cuts) we were more than a little apprehensive that we might not have summer hours this year and we might actually have to work.
So today was the first day of summer hours and what did I do? I stayed at the office until almost 3:00, went grocery shopping on my way home, and brought some work home for the weekend. Now that I stop to think about it, staying 2 hours after is about what I do every workday. I generally leave the office around 7:00. Still not cool though, that on our first half-day I ended up staying. Though it's not as if anyone made me; I just had stuff to do. Anyhow, my plan is to give it a couple weeks then talk to my boss about maybe just working from home on Fridays.
I hit the jackpot at the grocery store today. I'm always telling mom that I cruise the short-date bin in the meat department just to see what's there. Sometimes I can find a really good deal on a nice cut of meat, but since I'm normally doing my shopping after I leave work at 7:00, there's usually not much to choose from. Well today I got there around 4:00 and picked up a few things—some pre-seasoned chicken and veggies for fajitas, New York style jalapeño sausage, and a seasoned tri tip. All at 30% off!
I almost didn't pick up the tri tip, because even though it said it was seasoned, the package didn't say what the seasoning was. So it was kind of a crap shoot. I figured mystery spices are probably a safer bet than mystery meat, so I said what the heck. I cooked that for dinner tonight and it was yum yum de-lish! Though I probably still couldn't tell you what the seasoning was.
Oh, and I got some Rooster Sauce!
I read an article about it in the New York Times a couple days ago, which got me thinking about how much I do like the sauce but normally only use it at a restaurant.
Scoob didn't understand why I bought that because we have Tabasco, Chalula, and Tapatio in the house already. But there's a difference between Mexican-style hot sauces and Asian-style hot sauces, and sometimes you just want one or the other. We're currently out of our favorite chili paste (good stuff, when we replace it I'll post a picture because I can't tell you what it's called since the entire label is in Chinese). When Scoob wentto replace it, the store was out and he bought something different, but it's just too hot. I like it, but even a tiny amount makes my lips feel like they're bleeding and it completely overpowers the food. In some situations that ain't a bad thing, but I think it's intended more for use in food instead of on food.
Another interesting read, was this article on the economics of poverty. Not exactly earth-shattering new information, but a nice reality check that things for the Wayward house are not as bad as they could be.
I also liked these motivational-style posters of Mark Twain. I particularly like the ones for Verbalization and Options.
Lastly, this item at Amazon had me laughing so hard the other day. The customer reviews are just crazy out there.
But on the plus side, we started summer hours at the office today. So from now through Labor Day weekend our office will close at 1:00pm on Fridays. Wheeee! Our company has observed summer hours for at least as long as I've worked there, but with all the economic setbacks (no hiring, pay freezes, layoffs, benefit cuts) we were more than a little apprehensive that we might not have summer hours this year and we might actually have to work.
So today was the first day of summer hours and what did I do? I stayed at the office until almost 3:00, went grocery shopping on my way home, and brought some work home for the weekend. Now that I stop to think about it, staying 2 hours after is about what I do every workday. I generally leave the office around 7:00. Still not cool though, that on our first half-day I ended up staying. Though it's not as if anyone made me; I just had stuff to do. Anyhow, my plan is to give it a couple weeks then talk to my boss about maybe just working from home on Fridays.
I hit the jackpot at the grocery store today. I'm always telling mom that I cruise the short-date bin in the meat department just to see what's there. Sometimes I can find a really good deal on a nice cut of meat, but since I'm normally doing my shopping after I leave work at 7:00, there's usually not much to choose from. Well today I got there around 4:00 and picked up a few things—some pre-seasoned chicken and veggies for fajitas, New York style jalapeño sausage, and a seasoned tri tip. All at 30% off!
I almost didn't pick up the tri tip, because even though it said it was seasoned, the package didn't say what the seasoning was. So it was kind of a crap shoot. I figured mystery spices are probably a safer bet than mystery meat, so I said what the heck. I cooked that for dinner tonight and it was yum yum de-lish! Though I probably still couldn't tell you what the seasoning was.
Oh, and I got some Rooster Sauce!
I read an article about it in the New York Times a couple days ago, which got me thinking about how much I do like the sauce but normally only use it at a restaurant.
Scoob didn't understand why I bought that because we have Tabasco, Chalula, and Tapatio in the house already. But there's a difference between Mexican-style hot sauces and Asian-style hot sauces, and sometimes you just want one or the other. We're currently out of our favorite chili paste (good stuff, when we replace it I'll post a picture because I can't tell you what it's called since the entire label is in Chinese). When Scoob wentto replace it, the store was out and he bought something different, but it's just too hot. I like it, but even a tiny amount makes my lips feel like they're bleeding and it completely overpowers the food. In some situations that ain't a bad thing, but I think it's intended more for use in food instead of on food.
Another interesting read, was this article on the economics of poverty. Not exactly earth-shattering new information, but a nice reality check that things for the Wayward house are not as bad as they could be.
I also liked these motivational-style posters of Mark Twain. I particularly like the ones for Verbalization and Options.
Lastly, this item at Amazon had me laughing so hard the other day. The customer reviews are just crazy out there.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Weekend
I meant to post this before I went out of town this weekend so y'all wouldn't waste your valuable blog reading time here while I was gone, but things got a little hectic before I left Friday afternoon and I didn't quite get to it.
So guess what, I was out of town last weekend at my sister's junior college graduation.
That's her giving us the double thumbs up while exiting the gymnasium. I clearly need to work on photographing things in motion. I actually kind of like this shot, though.
Anyhow, Scoob stayed home and I did the 230 mile drive up to Humboldt County and back on my own. Other than the part where I had to deal with rush hour traffic getting out of town on a Friday, the drive was enjoyable. The hills are still green, all the grass will turn golden in a few weeks, and we had gorgeous weather.
I got to hang out a bit with my sis and meet her new cat, Boogey.
And hang out with mom and dad and their new dog, Bunjee.
Yep, it was a pretty good weekend. The drive home was damn hot. The thermometer hit 100° just before I cut across the bay coming home. Even though I made sure I was drinking water, I think I still got a bit dehydrated. And of course I had the sunroof open, so I got a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders.
Anyhow, I got home, hit the shower, and promptly took a nap on the living room floor. But now I'm up, blogging at you, doing laundry, and getting ready for the week.
Exciting, huh? Aren't you glad I shared all that?
So guess what, I was out of town last weekend at my sister's junior college graduation.
That's her giving us the double thumbs up while exiting the gymnasium. I clearly need to work on photographing things in motion. I actually kind of like this shot, though.
Anyhow, Scoob stayed home and I did the 230 mile drive up to Humboldt County and back on my own. Other than the part where I had to deal with rush hour traffic getting out of town on a Friday, the drive was enjoyable. The hills are still green, all the grass will turn golden in a few weeks, and we had gorgeous weather.
I got to hang out a bit with my sis and meet her new cat, Boogey.
And hang out with mom and dad and their new dog, Bunjee.
Yep, it was a pretty good weekend. The drive home was damn hot. The thermometer hit 100° just before I cut across the bay coming home. Even though I made sure I was drinking water, I think I still got a bit dehydrated. And of course I had the sunroof open, so I got a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders.
Anyhow, I got home, hit the shower, and promptly took a nap on the living room floor. But now I'm up, blogging at you, doing laundry, and getting ready for the week.
Exciting, huh? Aren't you glad I shared all that?
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Lady Doctor
**warning** Any dudes not comfortable talking or reading about a woman's tender bits in a nonsexual way should just leave now.
So hey, yeah, now that we're all in the right frame of mind, I finally had my annual last week with an OB/GYN. Actually, I guess she was just a GYN because her receptionist informed me when I made the appointment that the doctor was no longer handling pregnancies and if I had the nerve to get pregnant, I'd have to find another doctor. Okay, she didn't quite say that, but you get the general drift.
Anyhow, there was a moment when I considered hanging up and finding a different doctor, because I do hope to get pregnant at some point, but I was already 3 months late in getting my annual and I'd already done my research (it would be helpful if the doctor kept her info up to date, I'm just sayin') , and with the whole health care coverage switch at the start of the year I figured I'd better just make the appointment and deal with switching doctors later.
So last week was the big day! On the up side, I worked from home that day because I knew I wasn't going to want to drive to work and sit at my desk in an office after having my tender bits prodded. The downside, I had to have my bits prodded. I don't care how often doctors say there are no nerve endings in there and I'm not really experiencing any pain, I'm freaking experiencing pain. Thankfully, this doctor never said anything like that.
Anyhow, at my last annual I had screened positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) and the Kaiser folks called (even though I'm no longer on Kaiser) to make sure I didn't forget to re screen. There are roughly 100 different types of HPV and normally our immune systems will deal with the low-risk HPVs and when you re screen, it will be gone. It's the 15 or so high-risk HPVs that we have to worry about. These types can lead to cervical cancer.
The doctor called me at work yesterday and informed me that my pap came back abnormal and that I'm still screening positive for HPV. So I sat there at my desk thinking, "Okay, I need to change that call sheet I filled out for the doctor because I've changed my mind and I really don't want to receive news like this while I'm at work."And then I sort of put it out of my mind.
Scoob was a dear when I got home, though I could tell he didn't really quite know what to do or say. He's one of those folks that warning was directed at. He's all about the hooha until it gets clinical. Even though I could tell he was uncomfortable, he tried, and that's what counts. There was much hugging and cuddling, and that's never a bad thing.
Oh, and apparently I hadn't put it out of my mind as much as I thought. I started and finished an entire bottle of wine.
By. My. Self. Ouch. Yeah, today was not fun.
I've scheduled an appointment for a biopsy at the end of the month. The doctor said to take a couple of Advil before I come in because it will be uncomfortable. Okay, hey, I take Advil before my paps and I still think those are uncomfortable, so what the hell does that mean the biopsy is going to be like?
Screw ibuprofen. Daizepam would work. That's what the dentist used when removing my wisdom teeth. There was no anxiety (nope, none whatsoever) going in for surgery and I have to say I was pain-free for a good 6 - 8 hours afterwards too. Aside from the fact I kept waking up during the surgery asking to see my teeth, that seemed to work well.
So hey, yeah, now that we're all in the right frame of mind, I finally had my annual last week with an OB/GYN. Actually, I guess she was just a GYN because her receptionist informed me when I made the appointment that the doctor was no longer handling pregnancies and if I had the nerve to get pregnant, I'd have to find another doctor. Okay, she didn't quite say that, but you get the general drift.
Anyhow, there was a moment when I considered hanging up and finding a different doctor, because I do hope to get pregnant at some point, but I was already 3 months late in getting my annual and I'd already done my research (it would be helpful if the doctor kept her info up to date, I'm just sayin') , and with the whole health care coverage switch at the start of the year I figured I'd better just make the appointment and deal with switching doctors later.
So last week was the big day! On the up side, I worked from home that day because I knew I wasn't going to want to drive to work and sit at my desk in an office after having my tender bits prodded. The downside, I had to have my bits prodded. I don't care how often doctors say there are no nerve endings in there and I'm not really experiencing any pain, I'm freaking experiencing pain. Thankfully, this doctor never said anything like that.
Anyhow, at my last annual I had screened positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) and the Kaiser folks called (even though I'm no longer on Kaiser) to make sure I didn't forget to re screen. There are roughly 100 different types of HPV and normally our immune systems will deal with the low-risk HPVs and when you re screen, it will be gone. It's the 15 or so high-risk HPVs that we have to worry about. These types can lead to cervical cancer.
The doctor called me at work yesterday and informed me that my pap came back abnormal and that I'm still screening positive for HPV. So I sat there at my desk thinking, "Okay, I need to change that call sheet I filled out for the doctor because I've changed my mind and I really don't want to receive news like this while I'm at work."And then I sort of put it out of my mind.
Scoob was a dear when I got home, though I could tell he didn't really quite know what to do or say. He's one of those folks that warning was directed at. He's all about the hooha until it gets clinical. Even though I could tell he was uncomfortable, he tried, and that's what counts. There was much hugging and cuddling, and that's never a bad thing.
Oh, and apparently I hadn't put it out of my mind as much as I thought. I started and finished an entire bottle of wine.
By. My. Self. Ouch. Yeah, today was not fun.
I've scheduled an appointment for a biopsy at the end of the month. The doctor said to take a couple of Advil before I come in because it will be uncomfortable. Okay, hey, I take Advil before my paps and I still think those are uncomfortable, so what the hell does that mean the biopsy is going to be like?
Screw ibuprofen. Daizepam would work. That's what the dentist used when removing my wisdom teeth. There was no anxiety (nope, none whatsoever) going in for surgery and I have to say I was pain-free for a good 6 - 8 hours afterwards too. Aside from the fact I kept waking up during the surgery asking to see my teeth, that seemed to work well.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Holy Frijoles, Twinkly Black Bean Bake
When lunchtime rolled around on Sunday, I realized I didn't have a plan. No big surprise. I don't typically plan specific meals for specific days unless we're talking about something like Thanksgiving, in which case my plan is to be at mom's. But even when I don't have a plan, I generally have a clue. I was fresh out of those on Sunday too.
As I was rummaging in the cupboards I came up with something I thought would be passable, would use up some of the ingredients Scoob had leftover from making menudo during the week (yeah, I so didn't touch that), and wouldn't reveal to Scoob that I had still not gone grocery shopping.
What I ended up with was something far better than passable. Scoob even had seconds for lunch and wanted it again for dinner. I had the last bit of it for lunch at the office today. Of course, since I didn't think it was really going to be any good, I wasn't exactly writing down measurements or instructions, and I certainly didn't go to the trouble of giving it a name. So for lack of anything better to call it, I dub thee Twinkly Black Bean Bake.
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Directions
I have to think this was pretty healthy—black beans=high fiber, high protein, low fat; no added salt; and not a ton of cheese.
As I was rummaging in the cupboards I came up with something I thought would be passable, would use up some of the ingredients Scoob had leftover from making menudo during the week (yeah, I so didn't touch that), and wouldn't reveal to Scoob that I had still not gone grocery shopping.
What I ended up with was something far better than passable. Scoob even had seconds for lunch and wanted it again for dinner. I had the last bit of it for lunch at the office today. Of course, since I didn't think it was really going to be any good, I wasn't exactly writing down measurements or instructions, and I certainly didn't go to the trouble of giving it a name. So for lack of anything better to call it, I dub thee Twinkly Black Bean Bake.
Twinkly Black Bean Bake
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15oz can of diced, peeled tomatoes
- 5 small corn tortillas (2 quartered, 2 whole, 1 cut into thin
- in strips)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- ½ Tbsp dried onion
- ½ Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
- 1 poblano chile
- cooking spray
Directions
- Char the poblano chile over an open flame then place in a sealed container to sweat for about 15 minutes. Once the pepper has had a chance to sweat, the charred skin should slip off easily. (This is the time consuming bit.) Seed and dice the poblano.
- While the poblano sweats, preheat the oven to 375°.
- While the oven preheats, dump everything except the tortillas, cheese, and cooking spray in a bowl and mix well.
- Spray an 8in x 8in baking dish with the cooking spray
- Place a layer of tortillas in the bottom of the dish using one of the quartered tortillas (fitting the corners into the corner of the dish) and one of the whole tortillas in the center. Spoon about half the contents of the bowl on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle about half the cheese over the top.
- Repeat, making a second layer. Sprinkle the thinly sliced tortilla over the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
I have to think this was pretty healthy—black beans=high fiber, high protein, low fat; no added salt; and not a ton of cheese.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mothers Day
Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there. This is for you.
Around here, this is what's known as the Mothers Day poppy. Okay, okay, so only mom and I call it the Mothers Day poppy. When mom was still living in San Jose, she asked for one of these, a Matilija poppy, for mothers day years ago, and in the Bay Area, it begins blooming around Mothers Day. I saw my first open poppy bloom on this past Wednesday.
The Matilija poppy typically likes a hot, dry climate and when mom moved to Oregon, she transplanted part of the Mitilija poppy to see if it would take. Thankfully, she didn't move to the soggy Willamette Valley and it seems to like her area just fine, only it now blooms a few weeks after Mothers Day.
Around here, this is what's known as the Mothers Day poppy. Okay, okay, so only mom and I call it the Mothers Day poppy. When mom was still living in San Jose, she asked for one of these, a Matilija poppy, for mothers day years ago, and in the Bay Area, it begins blooming around Mothers Day. I saw my first open poppy bloom on this past Wednesday.
The Matilija poppy typically likes a hot, dry climate and when mom moved to Oregon, she transplanted part of the Mitilija poppy to see if it would take. Thankfully, she didn't move to the soggy Willamette Valley and it seems to like her area just fine, only it now blooms a few weeks after Mothers Day.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Vacuuming Sucks
Vacuuming sucks. It always has. But then again, I guess it should, because if vacuuming didn't suck, you wouldn't be vacuuming. But vacuuming has always been my least favorite household chore, so it sucks in that way too. I think it's mostly the noise that bothers me. When the vacuum cleaner comes out, I want to run and hide like the cats do.
I'd rather scrub our toilets than vacuum. (Notice I said our toilets. If I were cleaning someone else's house, I think I'd have to rank vacuuming as more pleasant than cleaning the toilets.)
Anyhow. The Hoover Windtunnel we bought a few years ago has reached the point where it is more trouble than it is worth. Scoob and I both have longish hair, combine that with the hair from two cats and we've been burning through belts every third time we vacuum for about the past year. Lately though, it has gotten to the point now that we cannot even fully vacuum a single room in the house without burning through the belt.
Not only do we need to replace the beater bar belt frequently, there's also the lovely burnt rubber smell that lingers in the house for hours after vacuuming whether or not the belt breaks. You know, that's just not the smell I'm going for when I clean house.
Since we know long hair is often a problem, ever since we bought the machine we've made it a habit to clean the beater brush after every vacuuming session. I have even taken to getting on my hands and knees to use an old hair brush to brush the carpets before using the vacuum. Vacuum cleaners are supposed to make cleaning easier not more complicated.
Anyhow, Scoob and I decided today that it's time to cut our losses with the Hoover and buy a new vacuum. I started doing some research online today, but given how long it took us to actually purchase the Hoover, there's really no telling how quickly we'll buy the replacement. Given our issues with storage space, we'll probably go with another upright model. I think we're leaning toward a Dyson, but we're still considering the options. However, I find it very unlikely that we'll be getting another Hoover.
Have any of you had a vacuum that you've particularly loved or hated? Please share.
I'd rather scrub our toilets than vacuum. (Notice I said our toilets. If I were cleaning someone else's house, I think I'd have to rank vacuuming as more pleasant than cleaning the toilets.)
Anyhow. The Hoover Windtunnel we bought a few years ago has reached the point where it is more trouble than it is worth. Scoob and I both have longish hair, combine that with the hair from two cats and we've been burning through belts every third time we vacuum for about the past year. Lately though, it has gotten to the point now that we cannot even fully vacuum a single room in the house without burning through the belt.
Not only do we need to replace the beater bar belt frequently, there's also the lovely burnt rubber smell that lingers in the house for hours after vacuuming whether or not the belt breaks. You know, that's just not the smell I'm going for when I clean house.
Since we know long hair is often a problem, ever since we bought the machine we've made it a habit to clean the beater brush after every vacuuming session. I have even taken to getting on my hands and knees to use an old hair brush to brush the carpets before using the vacuum. Vacuum cleaners are supposed to make cleaning easier not more complicated.
Anyhow, Scoob and I decided today that it's time to cut our losses with the Hoover and buy a new vacuum. I started doing some research online today, but given how long it took us to actually purchase the Hoover, there's really no telling how quickly we'll buy the replacement. Given our issues with storage space, we'll probably go with another upright model. I think we're leaning toward a Dyson, but we're still considering the options. However, I find it very unlikely that we'll be getting another Hoover.
Have any of you had a vacuum that you've particularly loved or hated? Please share.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
This Week So Far
This picture pretty much represents what this week has felt like so far.
I feel like I'm getting caught up in details. They're not unimportant, but they're overshadowing the larger and more pressing issues, like the bridge being out ahead.
I feel like I'm getting caught up in details. They're not unimportant, but they're overshadowing the larger and more pressing issues, like the bridge being out ahead.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A Justice for All
Supreme Court Justice Souter has officially announced plans for retirement following the current court term and the search for candidates to fill the vacancy on the bench are underway.
The difference between justice candidate chatter now as opposed to in February, when Justice Ginsberg underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer, is that we know for certain that an Obama appointment to the Supreme Court is eminent whereas in February it was speculative. And surprisingly, or not, conservative talking heads have already begun their partisan spew before any nominations have been made. Gah.
The media is tossing about several names for the shortlist, though the White House has not officially commented on any of them. In the running are:
Jennifer Granholm (Governor of Michigan)
Elena Kagan (Solicitor General)
Harold Hongju Koh (Dean, Yale Law School)
Kim McLane Wardlaw (Federal Justice, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals)
Janet Napolitano (Secretary if Homeland Security)
Deval Patrick (Governor of Massachusetts)
Johnnie Rawlinson (Federal Justice, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals)
Sonia Sotomayor (Federal Justice, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals)
Kathleen M. Sullivan (Professor, Stanford Law School)
Leah Ward Sears (Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court)
Diane Wood (Federal Justice, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals)
I hope that the Obama nominee will be a moderate and I still think that Sotomayor is the best choice for nomination as I think she'll appeal to both sides of the aisle.
It's interesting that Senator Spector switched party affiliations last week trading in his well-worn R for a shiny new D. Specter is quoted as saying "I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party." His voting record supports his statement.
Specter's new party alignment, along with the anticipated confirmation of Senator Al Franken from Minnesota will give Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate, which all but ensures any Obama nominated justice will be confirmed by the Senate.
The difference between justice candidate chatter now as opposed to in February, when Justice Ginsberg underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer, is that we know for certain that an Obama appointment to the Supreme Court is eminent whereas in February it was speculative. And surprisingly, or not, conservative talking heads have already begun their partisan spew before any nominations have been made. Gah.
The media is tossing about several names for the shortlist, though the White House has not officially commented on any of them. In the running are:
Jennifer Granholm (Governor of Michigan)
Elena Kagan (Solicitor General)
Harold Hongju Koh (Dean, Yale Law School)
Kim McLane Wardlaw (Federal Justice, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals)
Janet Napolitano (Secretary if Homeland Security)
Deval Patrick (Governor of Massachusetts)
Johnnie Rawlinson (Federal Justice, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals)
Sonia Sotomayor (Federal Justice, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals)
Kathleen M. Sullivan (Professor, Stanford Law School)
Leah Ward Sears (Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court)
Diane Wood (Federal Justice, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals)
I hope that the Obama nominee will be a moderate and I still think that Sotomayor is the best choice for nomination as I think she'll appeal to both sides of the aisle.
It's interesting that Senator Spector switched party affiliations last week trading in his well-worn R for a shiny new D. Specter is quoted as saying "I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party." His voting record supports his statement.
Specter's new party alignment, along with the anticipated confirmation of Senator Al Franken from Minnesota will give Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate, which all but ensures any Obama nominated justice will be confirmed by the Senate.
Spastic
Memo to April:
"April showers bring May flowers" means that you keep your showers to yourself once May starts.
May is off to a soggy start here, and so far I've been flat on my back for most of it. Last May-June I was having sharp chest pains that would last about 3 days. The pain usually went away after a large yawn or stretch would cause something in my sternum area to pop. Then I had an episode where the pain had been constant for about 2 weeks despite much popping in the sternum, and I finally went to the doctor.
The doctor said it was costochondritis, a swelling of the cartilage in the rib area, wasn't anything serious, told me to take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, and set me up with some physical therapy. The physical therapist was great and I gradually got better. Turns out that the costochondritis was being triggered by a muscle spasm in my back. Cutting to the chase, my back muscle has been spasming again and that's why I'm mostly out of commission.
Yesterday I started taking cyclobenzaprine I had left over from when I pulled a muscle in my neck a few years ago. It definitely brought some relief and I'm sure taking the day off from work and sitting at my desk helped too. Today I'll switch to over-the-counter stuff and see if I can maintain some level of relief.
Scoob has convinced me to see the doctor again. I'm not looking forward to it, mostly because I'm navigating Blue Shield now instead of Kaiser. Oh, and my company uses Blue Shield of Tennessee, so anything I do winds up in an out-of-state provider process. My company has offices in at least 6 states, but we all have to use the BS of Tennessee because that's where the Human Resources office is located. At least I think that's their rationale.
"April showers bring May flowers" means that you keep your showers to yourself once May starts.
May is off to a soggy start here, and so far I've been flat on my back for most of it. Last May-June I was having sharp chest pains that would last about 3 days. The pain usually went away after a large yawn or stretch would cause something in my sternum area to pop. Then I had an episode where the pain had been constant for about 2 weeks despite much popping in the sternum, and I finally went to the doctor.
The doctor said it was costochondritis, a swelling of the cartilage in the rib area, wasn't anything serious, told me to take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, and set me up with some physical therapy. The physical therapist was great and I gradually got better. Turns out that the costochondritis was being triggered by a muscle spasm in my back. Cutting to the chase, my back muscle has been spasming again and that's why I'm mostly out of commission.
Yesterday I started taking cyclobenzaprine I had left over from when I pulled a muscle in my neck a few years ago. It definitely brought some relief and I'm sure taking the day off from work and sitting at my desk helped too. Today I'll switch to over-the-counter stuff and see if I can maintain some level of relief.
Scoob has convinced me to see the doctor again. I'm not looking forward to it, mostly because I'm navigating Blue Shield now instead of Kaiser. Oh, and my company uses Blue Shield of Tennessee, so anything I do winds up in an out-of-state provider process. My company has offices in at least 6 states, but we all have to use the BS of Tennessee because that's where the Human Resources office is located. At least I think that's their rationale.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)