We got a last minute invitation to Captain Chantelle's house for the Grateful Gluttons dinner and Halloween planning. We had dinner ahead of time at Young Augustine's and got to Chantelle's in time to listen to the planning of this Halloween's float.
Two things are constants now on Halloween: The Marching Skeletons and the bluegrass band, composed of various Grateful Gluttons. This year's new theme is "Tiki Terror!" Perhaps the Tiki Gods are angered by how we are treating the earth, with the gulf oil spill, etc. There will be future discussions on fund raising events and sales to buy materials for float building and costume making.

Speaking of Young Augustine's, we had such a good dinner that we decided we must go back soon with friends who haven't tried it yet, especially so John can have other beer-snobs to share in the joys of the huge selection of drafts and casks. And the fries cooked in duck fat, of course.

I tried to set up up a group dinner there on a Friday night within the next month but things are too busy already. Every weekend is starting to fill up again, starting with the big party at the House of Cats. Then various people are out of town for business. Then the geeks have DragonCon all Labor Day weekend. Then it's holidays from Halloween through New Years and beyond.

So we are going to meet for dinner at Young Augustine's tomorrow evening. It's dinner only, so we're hoping it will not / can not possibly be a late evening - much like the Buford Highway Restaurant Crawl nights, without going to a separate place for desert.

motherly concern

Now, if only Doris would poop. She has not done so since yesterday. Too much poking and prodding? The new antibiotics? How long is too long for a cat?

I do not think I will be returning to my night class next week. Paying too much and not getting enough out of it. I think I might still have better things to do with my time. Or does that make me a quitting quitter?

07/28/10 Update:
She finally pooped this morning - and she seems to be a lot brighter today than she has in a while. She's taking her meds with no problems so I'm a bit relieved for the moment.

more on the ill and bothered

The aching old Dutch man came home early today with his aching back, ready to stretch out on a heating pad and be as immobile as possible. Doris' vet phoned shortly after he got home and said that, although her other tests came out normal, her white count was extremely high on her blood test and they wanted to make an x-ray soon. I took her in immediately for two x-rays and more tests. They gave her fluids, an injection of antibiotics, and more or the oral antibiotics to be given daily at home for two weeks. If nothing else is wrong with her, I'll take her back on Wednesday for a re-check. Hopefully the antibiotics will help whatever is going on inside her. They found no masses (no obvious cancer) on her x-ray.
Tonight, is the second of the photo classes I signed up for. As much as I don't want to go now, it's paid for so I guess I should give it one more shot. I feel it's just a lousy waste of time, unfortunately, but maybe tonight will be better.

Eating a quick dinner of dumplings now while MonsterMustDie is watching a Godzilla movie on DVD.

not the best day I've had

I started the day going to my doctor for a blood test. Kinda a personal mortality check.
Then I worked for a grand total of only four hours at my redundant job - one I'm still very grateful to have for the health insurance to pay for things like blood tests and doctor visits, but not paying enough to live on or even buy groceries some weeks.
Found out today that a friend of mine had died. I found this out from the local Yahoo news, not from any of our mutual friends. A boxer, I guess she died as well as any of us would want to, in the ring doing what she loved, in her prime.
I got home and found my cat lethargic and with one paralyzed pupil. Took her to the vet (nothing wakes her up like being placed in the carrier and taken to the doc) and found out she is indeed now blind in one eye. This happened in the few hours I was at work today. They are still trying to figure out what's gone wrong with her. Her blood pressure is normal. High blood pressure, I'm told, is a very common cause of cats going blind. Her's is normal. There is no sign of rupture in the eye. They took blood tests, gave me a week's worth of antibiotics for her and I'll take her back in a couple of days for a re-check.
And now, I have to put BioFreeze (R) on the old dutch man, whose back is aching. Lets cross our fingers that it's not his kidneys.

Chaz has a message for Jeep.

R.I.P. baby bunny

Trusting rabbits are not long for this world.

This was a rabbit that was not afraid of anything or anyone. I could watch it eating clover or grooming its ears just five feet away from where I was standing.
I was weeding near the mailbox today and found the tiny rabbit in the grass at the curb. By its location, I'd guess it was hit by a car. I kinda knew this rabbit would not survive long but I thought it would have been death by cat instead of car.

R.I.P. baby bunny

Trusting rabbits are not long for this world.
I was weeding near the mailbox today and found the tiny rabbit in the grass at the curb. By its location, I'd guess it was hit by a car. I did not think this rabbit would make it but I thought it would have been death by cat instead of car.

hmmm... I think I have a new business idea.

I am stuck at home with the electrician here today and we're out of coffee!
I wish I could just order hot coffee to be delivered to my door today. If children can have ice cream trucks going through the neighborhood, why can't there be coffee and espresso carts outside for adults? It would be great to have hot coffee to go just cruising slo mo around the hood. Or maybe lattecicles on hot summer days when I still have to remain conscious. Oh yeah, the neighborhood Java Wagon. I can see it now, especially in a suburb like this with lots of home businesses and stay-at-home parents.

*sigh*

Summer has arrived.

It is already oppressively hot this morning. Weather forecast has it being this way all week, into next week. The air outside feels heavy - that is the best way to describe it. I also managed, despite slathering on sunscreen, to get sunburned this weekend walking around the Art-B-Que in Decatur, which adds even more to that summery feeling. Time to go underground and become a creature of the night again. Not that I mind - I like creatures of the night! I am fine as long as I have AC during the day. I think the best days for outdoor activities are behind us until the return of autumn.

taking in the last of spring

Sunday, we had been planning to make it to Monster Bash this year but decided not to go after MonsterMustDie had an accident at work that has left him too lame for much standing around or walking for the next few weeks. Instead we had an impromtu gathering of friends on the back porch for grilled food and refreshments. Everyone decided to bring a little something even though we didn't ask anyone to, so we had lots of good eats and drinks. There are still some leftover chocolate mint cupcakes from Urban Cannibals in EAV and fresh grilled asparagus in the fridge, as well as my home made guacamole and tzatziki sauce (which I put on my spicey sausage/dogs). We're planning on cooking and eating leftovers tonight. We have a bad habit of letting leftovers and extra veggies go to waste in this house and I'm planning on avoiding that this week, saving money by using what we already have.

I know the money we save tonight and tomorrow will no doubt be spent on the Restaurant Crawl this week anyway, but I do what I can.

Another thing someone brought to the house on Sunday was an enormous, very fragrant, magnolia blossom that has been in a coffee cup of water since then and still smells great, though by this morning its petals are starting to brown. Lots of sweet things blooming outside between the magnolias in neighbors yards and several roses and gardenias here at Rancho de WereMonster. Top that with the fact that I made lavender lemonade on Sunday that I still have a bit left of and it's amazing no one here is complaining to me about their allergies in this very floral environment. Makes me feel all girly. :)

a Sunday

We did not go to MonsterBash at the Starlight Drive-In today and invited a few friends over instead to hang out on the porch with food and drinks and conversation.
Had a mishap feeding and giving Doris Kat her medication tonight when MonsterMustDie went ahead and gave her meds and did not tell me. I did not know until after I had already dosed her myself and was heading downstairs to feed her and noticed how much food
was in her bowl already. So she got twice her dosage of steroids today.

So far tonight, Doris seems to be okay, though now she is quite awake and very affectionate at a time she is usually down for the night.
MonsterMustDie has called it a night and is in bed. I am finished cleaning up the kitchen and have also captured an freed large beetles
and one huge spider tonight. Doors are locked. Lights are out.

Update:
Doris is just fine and showed no signs of being double-dosed other than not coughing once on Monday. Just as active and hungry as ever. We decided not to dose her at all on Monday.

many of my friends and family are unofficially unemployed

The economy is still so hard on so many, it’s important to distinguish between entrepreneurial zeal and self-employed desperation.

- Robert B. Reich

in need of occupation

Still looking for work. This week has been fruitless.

I've gotten a few replies to my resume, but all have either been 1. We're not looking for graphics people, but look at all these commission sales positions! or 2. You are over-qualified for the position we have. Nope. Can't hire you because we know you will not stay if we do.

I'm going kind nuts for lack of activity. Even the garden does not really need me this week - it's doing just fine and needs more time to grow and ripen/bloom. Plants are happy. Bees are happy. I am bored.

wikipedia

The internet can be a wonderful disinformation engine.

... from Neil Gaiman's journal...


I just hit a strange ethical dilemma.

I followed a link on, um, something in American Gods, to its Wikipedia entry. And read an entry about something that I'd made up (because it fitted, because it worked, and because I didn't think anyone would mind) that cited a reference book that talked about the thing I made up. The reference book was written some years after American Gods was published, and the person who wrote the reference book has obviously cribbed a little information from American Gods.

The last time, some years ago, I'd checked the Wikipedia entry, it was accurate, and noted that the thing in question had started in American Gods. Now all reference to me and to American Gods has gone. It now has, after all, a reference book link. And something that I made up has become, to all intents and purposes, a fact.

I pondered fixing it. I'd need to do a blog entry clarifying exactly what I made up and what I didn't in this thing, to allow someone to do a fix, so they could link to that. (I can't just fix the Wikipedia entry. It doesn't work like that: someone would just revert the change, dismiss it as "original research" or point out that there IS now a reference book reference. I'd need to cite chapter and verse over here on the blog, or in a book, to give the Wikipedia entry something to link to.)

But really, there's probably a very useful lesson in there somewhere about what facts are. And I quite like the idea that something that I made up has wandered out of a book and into the real world. It seems very appropriate for that particular book, as well.

So my ethical question is...

...should I tell? Would you?