bad owner

Man, my Labrador Retriever is the stupidest dog I have EVER owned. Not in the sense that he has no intelligence, but in the sense that he doesn't give flip about anybody or anything. He has zero discipline (though he is most EXCELLENT at refraining from using the bathroom in his crate). I'm giving him until two years old before I make any real demands. In the meantime, the primary rule is that he use the bathroom in the designated area. He's been very good at pooping there. But since I gave him more freedom the past few days (the fence being almost halfway up and the vinyl mesh sufficient barrier), he's taken to urinating where ever. So back on the leash he goes.

I am reminded of the English trainer's motto: There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Sorry, I forgot her name. OK so I may be a bad owner, but in comparison to all the German Shepherds I've had and the Golden Retriever, he IS the stupidest (most disobedient) of them all. And no, there isn't enough time and space to list all the stupid things he does.

knock down furniture

Need furniture that you can knock down flat for transport? Check out Playatech. It's fun for folks like myself for whom "some assembly required" = fun.

oops

Oops. I have just now noticed that I have comments on my blog. Apparently I forgot to update blogger where to send comments. Sorry folks, that I have not responded. I'm so used to my blog having no response that it was just business as usual for me. I wonder how far back I have to go?

Can you believe I am still working on that one section of the fence? I had stopped working on the house to concentrate on the fence. And yet it is still not done.

A while back, I had finished the post extensions. It was done with hand tools. You can see it installed. Definitely not as good as I had hoped, but it's the best I can do with what I have. Oh, and I did have to buy a bunch of tools for working this project, but I tried not to spend too much money, hence the hand tools.

Also, I had to replace one of the poles. Both my fence and the neighbor's was fastened to that pole. Anyhow, it took a day but I got it done.

I have most of the rails up and have started installing the pickets. I have discovered that the pickets are not "square," resulting in gaps between them. It's been like a puzzle figuring which two boards adjacent to each other would result in the smallest gap. With about 1/3 of the pickets up, I am now trying another route. I will shave off (hence shape the picket) the pickets where needed to give me less gap. So basically, the pickets will be shaped to fit the one next to it. I have also discovered that the pickets I have put up have shrunken. I know I had put them up right next to each other, but the ones I've put up weeks ago now have no points in which they touch. So undoubtedly, they have shrunken. The wood filler which I had put in the holes and sanded down are now bulging out, since the wood around it has shrunken. If imperfections are "character," this fence has plenty of character.

"no" to the death penalty

One person stood up the other night, admitted to probably being a bad Catholic, and expressed that they support capital punishment. This person has had a loved one murdered.

First off I must say that I cannot begin to imagine this person's pain and suffering.

The Church says that everyone has the right to act per their conscience. Corollary to that is every person who is able has the responsibility to search for truth, to research the matter and to pray on it.

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I don't think there can be greater injustice than what happened to Jesus. Yet he didn't seek capital punishment.

"Well, I'm not Jesus."
Right. But he's our model.

On a different occasion, I heard from Kerry Max Cook who was wrongly convicted and was on death row. His was a brutal experience. Our justice system is imperfect. In fact, I bet every human institution is imperfect. Anyhow, it means that every now and then, we throw somebody on death row who is innocent. Kerry said he'd like the perps to fry too, but having his mom or sister fry alongside the perp is a price he isn't willing to pay. Having the death penalty means that you or any of your innocent loved ones may be on death row and wrongly executed. It's like having a bear trap that every now and then traps a toddler, but you take that risk because you want the bear.

Sparky

Sparky. Hit the link to see Sparky in action. Aw...

Makes me want to start collecting push puppets.

big crucifix

No, you're not Catholic

person A: I thought you said you were a member of St. xx (Catholic church).
person B: Oh, yes, I'm a member of both St. xx (Catholic church) and (names a protestant church).

hmm...

no baker

Happy Memorial Day to all.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday.

It's official: I'm no baker. I attempted a cake this morning, and it's a total disaster all around. The cake should be moist, but I don't think it was supposed to be gooey. I make the icing from scratch and it's running. The icing I put on the side of the cake is slowly puddling at the bottom. We're off to the movies and we'll need to pick up desert on the way back.

I will attempt beer can chicken when we come back. Hopefully it won't be a disaster. But we have a back up: hot dogs.

kids in church

received in an e-mail...

3-year-old Reese :
'Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little boy was overheard praying:
'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys...'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One particular four-year-old prayed, 'And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, 'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?' One bright little girl replied, 'Because people are sleeping.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, 'Ryan , you be Jesus !'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. 'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.
'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said, 'Did God throw him back down?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, 'Would you like to say the blessing?'
'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.
'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said, 'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'

best for burns

Last week's exterior house repairs earned me sunburns on the back of my legs. Which reminds me that I should do a product endorsement. Folks, I don't think there is anything better on the market than Campho-Phenique for healing burns. I burnt my finger once on a hot pan, and this medicine cleared it up in no time flat (less than week, pain gone in one day). That was the incident that by which I discovered this remarkable product.

It does say not to put it on large areas of your body. I slathered it on my calves and thighs anyways. The sunburns healed right away.

I don't think it's much good for anything else. Just burns.
For healing skin (such as cuts), Neosporin is the best.

From now on, I am not working outdoors in shorts. Pants it will be. Until my memory fails me again.

just running errands

So what do you do while waiting to enter the convent? Live. It's not like there is a choice to do anything else.

Yesterday my car got new shocks and struts. It deserves it. The car odometer rolled over 100,000 miles recently though I can't remember whether it was this week or last week. This would be the first time ever that the shocks and struts were replaced. Today I took it to get its new tires installed. I had purchase those tires back in October last year, receiving them in November. That took at least two hours at the tire shop. My car is all nice and stiff now. It's not a cushy ride; it never was--it wasn't ever designed for that. But it's wonderful peace of mind knowing that my tires and shocks/struts are in decent condition.

After taking the car, it was time to take the dog to the vet. He has a hot spot, ear infection, bacteria in his stool, and the doc wants me to up his food quantity. So now I have to give him Benadryl, antibiotic, and ear ointment. Upping his food is easy. The pills are easy. His bath would be inconvenient; actually getting to scrub his hot spot (on his tail) would be difficult. Putting ointment in his ear is TOUGH.

After those two errands, I decided not to work on the house. I'm just so tired. I played on the computer a bit then I washed the dishes; it's approximately a week's worth of dishes.

love tools?

Do you love tools like I do? Check out the Toolmonger blog.

The only reason I don't have more tools is because I don't have that kind of moolah. Since I have to work on the house I've had to get some more tools. I now have two different kinds of pry bars and have added a hand saw to my collection. I do not own any power tools except a drill.

Here's a list of basic tools that everyone should probably have (aside from the office scissors, flashlight, and pencil). Even if you don't know how to use it, it'd make the job easier for someone to come help you.

hammer (c'mon, tell me you have one) - one for small jobs and one for big jobs
tape measure
set of screw drivers (flat and phillips)
set of tiny screw drivers
set of pliers (plain, needlenose, and channel)
level
hack saw + blade
hand saw
box wrenches
ratchet wrench and socket set, metric and english
power drill and basic bits (buy specialty bits as you need them)
tool-grade extension cord (14 or 12 gauge cord)
a variety-pack of sand paper
some sort of block (such as scrap wood) you can use as a sanding block
electrical tape
variety-pack of electrical connecting nuts
fasteners:
small nails for hanging small things on the wall
medium nails for quick fixes
variety of plastic wall anchors and associated screws

plusses:
circular saw and general purpose blade
locking pliers
wood glue
hand-file (wood file)
clamps
hex wrenches
pry bar
stud finder
multimeter
luxury item: torque wrench

if you're going to be painting:
paint roller (choose right nap for your wall) and roller frame
trim roller and frame
paint roller pan
HIGH QUALITY sash brush
paint can opener
caulk gun
scraper
sanding sponge
wood filler
spackling
fiberglass wall repair tape
putty knife - 4"

someone else has a list here

I might update this list from time to time

OLLU fire

I was very sad to see on the news last night the image of huge flames bursting from a building at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio, Texas.

http://www.ksat.com/news/16181762/detail.html

See their website if you wish to make a donation towards rebuilding. The main building is what burnt.





I thought for sure all was lost of the old buildings there. Minutes later when I learned that the fire was prevented from spreading to the convent side, I was soooo relieved. I am glad the Sisters of Divine Providence (and everyone) are ok, and glad indeed that their Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel is not affected. It is the most beautiful chapel ever. If you come to San Antonio, this chapel is a must-see.

Still, it is sad. Though the Sisters don't own the University anymore, OLLU is their heritage, they still freely access OLLU and several of the Sisters teach and work at the university. There is so much history in the building that burned. It was such a tribute to the goodness and providence of God working through the Sisters through the ages.

Yes, I would agree that it needs to be rebuilt. But not a replica. Those who knew what it was would tire of telling people that it's not the original. Those who didn't know the original would feel cheated -- it looks like the original but isn't the real thing. Aside from the architecture and workmanship, what made that building spectacular was that it was the original and that it had stood since 1895.

So to rebuild is not to replicate the building, but to re-born the same spirit that produced that building: to build the best that architecture, engineering, and materials could offer at the time and make a building that would be a marvel to behold and which would last for ages. The facade of the original building is still standing. I would preserve that facade and incorporate it into the new building. I would need a great architect to elegantly meld the past (the facade) to the best of modern architecture. In that way, a great piece of the past could be preserved. And of course, the new building would need to be energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

That's my two cents.

too busy

Sorry. This has been a no blogging blog.

house = repairs = less time, less money

The contractors who screwed up the fence also screwed up somewhat on the house fascia, specifically the caulking. So I'm alternating between trying to work on the fence and trying to work on the fascia. The caulking they put up is already cracking and leaving gaps. Removing the caulk is taking me a very long time. After removing the caulk would be applying primer paint. Then new caulk. Painting eaves is no fun at all. Caulking will be a challenge since I cannot do a continuous strip, having to stop, get down, move the ladder, and restart. I haven't attempted the caulking yet (I have one section where it's ready for new caulk). After the caulk dries, I can then apply the paint.

Work is still as stressful as ever. Just deadlines. And lots of work. And truthfully, I'm only doing it for the money. As seen on a bumper sticker: I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.

video success

Yesterday I was able to make my first video DVD. This was a huge accomplishment for me.

I have a PC: 2GB RAM, Core 2 Duo processor, the cheapest NVidia video card for Vista, and Windows Vista Ultimate. Last year I had purchased and installed a TV tuner card, the Hauppauge HVR1600. We don't have cable. The card allows me to grab digital TV signals over the air (OTA).

Anyhow, the antenna signal comes through a cable which I connect to the tuner card. In Vista, I go to Media Center then I think I had to go to "Tasks" then "Settings" and somehow get it going on recognizing the TV tuner card. Once that's done, I as able to recive TV signals in Media Center and program the computer to record certain shows for me. The programming is like "record this show" -- I don't know if I can program it to record at xx time, xx channel. Anyhow, the programing by show worked ok for me.

Media Center records in dvr-ms format. The tricky part for me was finding where the recording went. It's in c:\Users\Public\Recorded TV. Once I knew that, I can open Windows Movie Maker (it came with Vista Ultimate), select to import video then go find the recording and import it. With Windows Movie Maker I can cut out segments of video if I wanted to. In this case I did because what I wanted on DVD totaled 4 hr 5 min. I wanted it less than 4hrs so that I can be sure I didn't have any problems fitting it on 2 DVD's. Windows Movie Maker also allowed me to combine the 1hr video with the 3hr video, and then split it at the "2hr" (or wherever you want to split it) mark. So I ended up with two projects - the first half for the first disk and the second half for the second disk. Once I finish messing with the video - and save it, I select the "publish to DVD" option.

Up comes a message that says it will close the project and open Windows DVD Maker. Select OK and Windows DVD Maker comes up. It had options for creating menus but I didn't mess with any of that. I went with the default and went on to the option to burn DVD. Some several hours later (go away, do something else), the first DVD is finished. I repeat in Windows Movie Maker for the second half - "publish to DVD." It will prompt to close Windows DVD Maker, after which it will re-open with the new project. Go through the same process and several hours later, the second half DVD is produced.

Voila. Digital OTA TV to video DVD.

I did save the project each time, hoping that it won't go through the several-hours long conversion the next time I want to burn a copy. I haven't test this.

I did have an audio sync problem with one of the clips, but it sync'd back up at the next clip. There is a way to shift the audio clip relative to the video, but I didn't mess with that this time around.

Media Center interface is cryptic to me. It's weird and takes some getting used to. But video quality was excellent, and the recording seemed reliable (no stopping at random, it recorded at the designated time, and no time was lost in resetting between recordings). Overall, it went smooth except for having to find where the recording went. Next I will have to figure out which files I need to keep: I now have the original recordings of the two shows, three Win Movie Maker files (the whole shebang and then the split 1st and 2nd projects), and two Win DVD Maker projects.

slow progress on fence

The LAMLand blog seems to have disappeared. I've waited for some time now to see if it comes back and it looks like it is not coming back.

Last week I finished taking down the fence. However, Guppy wants one of the corner posts replaced - namely the one by the gate. This post is supporting both our section and our neighbor's section and the last folks that worked on those sections did not replace the post. The folks that I've mentioned this to has told me it's going to be a real adventure (to put it nicely) to remove that post. Since I don't have the time this weekend to deal with that, I haven't started. However, I did purchase its 10-ft replacement. Getting that 10-ft pole into my car was an adventure, but I made it.

We do have some pickets that have not been installed. In other words, they've not had holes in them. I've started staining them in the few hours I can find here and there yesterday. The ones that I've had to rip off the fence will need some repair before I stain them.

party Sunday

Big weekend for the Dominican Sisters of Houston, as part of their 125th anniversary year-long celebration

It happens to coincide with the Grand Opening of a new park down town, an event which also looks like much fun.

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Old news, but last week there was much ado around the new cathedral. And for good reason. Cathedrals don't sprout up every day, or even every generation; it's a very rare event. This one is located on the corner of St. Joseph and San Jacinto (St. Hyacinth). Cool, eh?

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Me, I gotta fit in some time to work on taking down the fence (still). We have to go check out some boarding kennels (two in mind). It's for doggie when we take a brief trip out of town a little later.

Doggie is better. He knows the bathroom routine. He's not demanding. I try to give him playtime (on leash) every evening. I'm not demanding either; we've not worked on any commands for a long time. He's still crated much of the time. We look forward to a time when he can calmly join us, and crate will be by his own option.

e-cards

Credo Christian E-cards worth checking out

link courtesy of LAMLand

fence nightmare

This is NOT how I want my fence built.

Here, you see that the fence posts are too short. Fence posts should be as tall as the fence (for this kind of fence). At least a third of the post should be in the ground to support the stresses above ground. I bet they buried at most 2ft.

Also the top rail should be 6 to 7 inches from the top of the picket. You see here that there is waaaay more than that in this construction.




Here are front and back pictures of a splice in the top rail. Looks kinda ok from the front, but from the back you can clearly see that it's sagging already.






Now we have a case of too long: the nails are too long for the 2x4 when nailing to the shorter side. But they didn't care and used the nails anyway and proceed to "knock them down." That is unacceptable.





The pickets are spaced too far. The objective is to have a privacy fence. Furthermore, with age, the pickets will shrink and the gaps will then be even larger. You see some warping already and this has been up only 1 week, though it rained practically all week.




Here's a piece of creativity. A 2x4 is ROUGHLY ripped along its length to approximate 2x2's and loosely nailed to the bottom of the rails. It's a piece of crap and really does nothing other than waste 2x4's.




I will splice 4x4's to the poles using a lap joint to bring them to proper height, though I will not correct how much of the pole is buried. I will then place a top rail at the proper height. I will move the middle rail to approximately middle. I will add proper 2x4's approx 6-7 inches from the bottom of the pickets. I will stain my wood before installation where possible. Right now I have to take the fence apart. I've spent all afternoon taking down one span of pickets. I'm having to gouge into the middle 2x4's to get at the knocked down nails. The nails to the top rail are just tearing through my pickets when I pry the pickets off. There is no other way for me to remove the pickets. I will do my best to save my pickets; I am considering wood filler of some sort. Once taken down, I will flip the 2x4's so that the gouged side will be covered by the pickets. Since the rails will all be in positioned differently from what they have here, all the mounting holes will be "new." I will use screws as that would not require a partner on the other side to counter the hammering. The neighbors will appreciate that since I'm making lots of noise in taking this fence apart. This has been a nightmare and it's going to take alot of effort to fix.

same story: tired and busy

I've been absent from blogworld because I'm crazy busy, which also means sleep-deprived. The dog. The Chrism mass, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, the following sunday mass because I was up for my volunteer gig. We're still having to go to Skip's house every week to pick up mail and make sure nothing is awry. The Dominican volunteer gig is suddenly time-consuming.

We've a contractor at the house to do some repairs. The head guy and I kinda clashed this morning and they picked up and left. So I guess the correct term is we HAD a contractor. Not the first time. Years ago we let a flooring guy go and it was up to me to finish the job (which I didn't quite finish). So now the task of caulking and painting is on my plate, as well as re-doing the fence they were working on and patching where they didn't do it right. And since I get to re-do the fence, it means that I can stain the pickets before they get put up (the second time). It's going to be a real challenge to get those fence boards off the fence. I'd say my summer is cut out for me.

It's a whole story with the contractor, but I doubt you'd want to hear it.

Doggie got neutered last Friday. This week his main task is to stay calm and sedated. We have the famous "ace" pills for that.

I'm swamped at work and deadlines are just passing by. I don't think they'll let me keep missing the deadline, as in I better get that scheduled work done. Being sleep-deprived and unmotivated does not help.

We did also help a friend move this past Saturday. We provided transportation for the boxes but no labor. It wasn't much but we didn't start until after midnight (so technically it was Sunday morning) and Gumby was tripping down memory lane since the friend is moving to Gumby's old stomping grounds. We didn't get home until after 3 a.m.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all !!!

Holy Week

Wishing everyone a most blessed and meaningful Holy Week.

not tough enough

We got a dog bed for doggie. Knowing his propensity for chewing, we went with one from K-9 Ballistics. I put it in the crate for him. Doggie wrestled that bed as if were another dog. The first thing that went was the K-9 Ballistics logo. And within an hour, he had chewed the teeth off the zipper and was into the stuffing. So I took it out and sewed the top to the bottom every 2 inches or so, covering the zipper. He broke those threads in no time flat. So I took it out again, this time I sewed the top to the bottom, all the way across that side, in three separate thread segments. That lasted about a day, whereupon he broke through one segment and was sufficiently satisfied with that since it was enough to let him pull all of the stuffing out of the bed. When I have time, I will sew it up again. This time I will put in two rows of threading and again in three segments. Eventually, we might try a Dura-Bull bed. Right now, I am determined to get some use out of the $80+ investment. In fact, when he stops chewing (I'm assuming he will), I will replace the zipper.

sick

Sick as a dog. I started getting sick yesterday and I'm still sick today. I'm totally exhausted. I won't be able to make the Dominican dinner. :(

busier with doggie

Busy. How do people with kids manage to keep their schedules? I'm so whipped.

Doggie had first vet visit this past Saturday. Vet did not favor the raw diet approach and pointed me to www.petdiets.com . I'm so tired I'll take any excuse to drop the raw diet. I have a bag of Iams ready to go.

Doggie is so big I often forget that he's a pup. This past Saturday was also his first time to run around the house unleashed. Eventually he went off to a spot he thought was out of the way and attempted to potty. I got him out. It didn't occur to me that he doesn't know how to ask to go out, nor does the know that he's NOT to do that in the house.

He has an infection in one ear. Applying ear ointment to that cyclone of a dog is a real challenge.

Doggie loves his Doggie Hoots toy. I thought he would tear it up in one sitting, but nope. That toy is still intact after three separate encounters. He's normally like a bucking bronco anyways and with this toy, he' like two bucking broncos. Sometimes it's hilarious but I know it's not going to be funny if he flings his toy into our supper.

Anyhow, because he's such a destructive force, he doesn't get to come out of the crate unless I have him on a leash. So he doesn't get out much. And when he does, he takes alot of my time because I do want him to have some time to run and play.

We ordered his pet tag last night.

In a few more weeks he'll be back to the vet for the follow up and to be neutered.
-----------

Tomorrow I have spiritual direction. Friday I have dinner with the Dominicans. Right now I'd like some zzzzz's. But I have to take doggie out one more time. in the cold and rain. and mud. and I still have to wash his bowls.

the other Seeking Something

I must have a twin some where. Years ago I walked into a gas station to pay for my gas and the cashier said, "Weren't you just here? Didn't you just pay already?"

Another time I was in a restaurant and the waitress said she thought I was her former boss, where she used to work. She said I looked like her.

A few months back I was at a drugstore and the cashier asked me, "Did you run the marathon?" (There had been a marathon, one of the city's big events, just that weekend.) "No." "You look like the lady they showed on TV."

And tonight the waitress at the Mexican restaurant thought I was the lady that drove one of the city's transit buses. hmm ... well I have *dreamed* quitting my job and go drive a UPS truck, doing the mindless job of delivering boxes upon boxes upon boxes ... (I'm kinda stressed out these days).

And these are just the instances I can remember. I think there has been a few other times.

coconut

In my foray into raw eating, I have discovered the young coconut (photo). And here is one way to open one. I have also discovered that zuchini is not bad; it's mild like cucumbers. And that papaya tastes sort of like cantaloupes, and that they need to really ripen for me to enjoy. Butternut squash is a different animal; it's hard like carrots. I don't yet know how I might enjoy a butternut squash in its raw form. But the young coconut is a real gem of a find, along with the Asian grocery store that stocks it.

Timberkits

Timberkits is absolutely marvelous. Check out the U.S. website for videos.Check out the UK website for the story behind them.
http://www.timberkits.com/
http://www.timberkitsus.com/store/index.asp?default=1

recommended dog training

It's been a soggy week; doggie didn't get to go out much. But we did get some training in. For bull-headed dogs, I highly recommend the Koehler method of dog training foundation longe line work. (On the webpage, it starts at "The Foundation" heading. It's not all contained there but that's the gist.) This has absolutely magical results.

I DON'T recommend it for ALL dogs. We've had a Golden Retriever and a very good German Shepherd dog and those two did not require this. For puppies, I'd recommend a more friendly method. But if you have a difficult dog on the leash, big or small, who couldn't care less about you, nothing beats this method.

Doggie and I have had 4 sessions of this. I don't follow it exactly since I don't have all that space. Also, I'm not home to regulate his water intake and we typically start as soon as I'm home and changed into my "anti-muddy dog" clothes. But the method works nonetheless. According to the webpage, 2 more sessions should do it. The sessions are already becoming less eventful. Guppy came out last night to see what I was doing. He did give a few tugs and that helped with the demonstration. I've used this method when I first started training dogs and by experience, I repeat that I do NOT recommend the method for ALL dogs.

As far as following the rest of the method. I probably won't. For one, I no longer have the book and have forgotten. Another reason is that I'm not that disciplined a trainer. I just get to a point where the dog and us can live peaceably together and I quit. No polish to the training.

06/08/2012 update: I no longer recommend this method.

more plumbing

The faucet handle in one of the bathrooms has been broken for a few weeks now. In the same bathroom, the toilet tank has been leaking water into the bowl, causing it automatically refill every so often. So today I worked on those things. The toilet flapper replacement is easy enough. The tub faucet is a new adventure for me. Replacing the handle would not be good enough, since the reason it broke was that we needed the strength of a bull just to open the valve and get a flow of water. So what got replaced was the faucet cartridge (photo) as well as the handle. After three trips to the hardware store to finally get the right parts (first trip a guess, then a trip for the correct cartridge, then another for the correct handle), all is now well with the bathroom.

vocation retreat (sticky)

Hearing with the Heart - A Weekend Retreat: Friday, February 22, 2008 $125.00
7:00 PM-10:30 AM (086-023)Register
Presenter: Debra Farrington

What are God’s desires for your life? How do you know what God hopes for you? Discerning God’s will for your life isn’t just for major crossroads moments; it’s something you can use everyday to be more in tune with God. Come discover some of the ways in which you can learn to listen for God more deeply - with your heart - in both the ordinary days as well as the extraordinary moments when big decisions loom. This retreat will include quiet time for pondering. You may wish to bring a journal.

Friday, February 22 - Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday evening 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. • Saturday 9:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m • Sunday morning 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Cost: $125.00

Retreat Leader: Debra Farrington is a popular retreat leader and award-winning author. She has written eight books of Christian spirituality, including Hearing with the Heart: A Gentle Guide to Discerning God’s Will for Your Life. Her website is http://www.blogger.com/www.debrafarrington.com

finally

I finally took down the shrub Christmas lights outside. That concludes the undecorating effort. Weather was bad yesterday, but today it is beautiful.

vote for a hospital

Please vote for a hospital of choice to receive a fun center courtesy of Colgate.

Voting ends March 31st

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/CommunityPrograms/Starlight-Starbright-Childrens-Foundation.cvsp

Thanks.

raw

Our dog is on a raw food diet.

By chance I stumbled upon proponents of raw diet for humans too. Apparently eating a raw diet helps the body to heal itself. Google it for yourself and see.

It started with a toothache out of this world. I was looking for relief. Eventually the internet links got me to raw diets. I think it's worth a shot. My dentist said the tooth would have to be extracted, that it's already loose and the body has rejected it. Once I can chew again (after this regimen of antibiotics and pain killer), I will attempt the raw diet. It'd be great if the body can heal the dentals. I'm supposed to return next week for the extraction; I'm going to stave it off to see if I can get some healing instead.

All those with health problems (i.e. you're taking pills), please investigate the raw diet.

doing well

Doggie is doing well though he's taking up all my off time. He's quiet in the crate and has never soiled it. He's urinating regularly in the designated bathroom area, though the hasn't learned NOT to urinate elsewhere. He doesn't potty much, but so far it's been in the bathroom area. He still pulls on the leash but we can work on that. He more readily tries the food I put down for him (raw meat diet). His supplements came in yesterday (kelp powder, alfafa powder, vitamin C powder, fish oil, and we already vitamin E), he's well on the way to a good diet. Twice he's been allowed on a leash next to me while I eat my dinner. He must learn to ABSOLUTELY NEVER put his nose anywhere near my food. Even the cats understand that my dinner time is sacred; they don't EVER mess with me whenever or wherever I'm eating.

*fog*

Still here. Just really swamped. I seem to be in a constant fog of fatigue; that is, it seems to be the story of my life. It's after midnight and I still have yet to take my shower. Then I really need to work on some stuff for work.

There was a meeting with the Dominicans this past Monday--a continuation of the volunteering I had signed up to do. But I skipped the meeting because I had to go take care of the dog. I have spent a huge amount of time dealing with dog stuff. I sure hope it gets easier, it's been exhorbitantly time-consuming. Oh, and the "start-up" costs have been significant too even though there *are* some things that we didn't have to buy anew, thanks to having had previous dogs.

We now have the added task of taking care of Skip's property. Gumby has seen to it that the utilities are straightened out (oh boy, more bills). Security is a concern. There is not anything particulary valuable in that house, but thieves won't know that until after they've broken in. We'll need a faucet lock to prevent others from stealing the water. We also need to make regular treks to pick up mail and to check on the property. Further down the line would be to go through the stuff and schedule times for relatives to come in; they want to claim their stake. There will likely be meetings with legal people because we sure don't know now to figure all this out.

big dog

We just got a very big puppy. Physically, he's pretty much full grown, but else he's still a pup to me. Some puppies eventually grow to be big dogs. And people who don't know how to handle dogs eventually relegate their dogs to the backyard. That was the case for him. We're going to help them out and take the dog. This big fella is not going to get to rule our backyard like he did with his previous owners. He's going to be in the house with us. And he's going to have to learn some manners. He was barking up a storm in his crate this morning. He did it again after I took him out just now and put him back. But he's already quiet now. And he's already thinking twice about jumping up on me. It's not out of him yet but he's getting the message. We're off to a very good start.

I'm waiting for the sun to warm us up a bit more then I'll give that stinky dog a good bath out on the driveway.

crazy busy

yeah, crazy busy. At work. At home. I have no idea what's been on the news. I finally got more than 3 hours of sleep last night. I'm so out of it. Our Christmas decorations outside are still up. I had simply unplugged the lights so they don't light up. I'm hoping next week will be better, with the funeral behind us.

making arrangements

We've been busy with funeral arrangements. We met with the funeral director on Friday afternoon. Then left there to get clothes for Skip's burial and gather what few photos skip had for printing in the program. Yesterday morning we were supposed to meet with the pastor of the church where funeral services will be held. We were very late and the meeting didn't happen but we looked around. Then the remainder of yesterday was spent working on the contents and layout of the program. It's not finished yet;still working on it. Today we've not revisited the funeral activities; maybe we will resume later tonight after the MLK mass with the bishop. We have to deliver the requisite things to the funeral director on Tuesday, with viewing for approval on Thursday. Then visitation Friday night. Funeral this coming Saturday morning.

Spidey

I've been eyeing Spidey since before Christmas. I was hoping the price would drop after the holidays, but it did not. I finally went ahead and nabbed him yesterday. Here he is on top of the TV along with my mini Pokey and Gumby, and a quarter for size reference. Ain't Spidey cute?

modern

I've finally subscribed to DSL. I have the connection up and running, but this is definitely not the final configuration, with wires going everywhere. I don't know yet know how I'm going to do the wiring. I don't know if this service comes with POP3 mail. But gee, it's fast.

ouch

Skip passed away this morning. Guppy is displaying incredible self restraint, talking to people, making calls and doing business. Skip is Guppy's best best friend in the whole wide world.

gripe

Skip's been in the hospital for a month now. We've spent all waking hours at the hospital this past weekend, with Guppy typically staying overnight. I had to forego my church volunteer gigs with apologetic last minute notices when Skip was moved to ICU Sunday morning and I had to be there to clear out the room of personal belongings. The drive between home and hospital takes half an hour with no traffic.

I've cleaned out Skip's fridge. Any left overs must be at least a month old. I threw out all the eggs, and I think all the bread.

I was tired Monday morning and seriously considered not going to work, but finally went anyway. I was hoping to not have to make the hospital run on Monday night but ended having to do so. I stopped by Skip's house and pulled the now full trash can out curbside for pick up. Guppy and I both went home later that night. I skipped dinner in favor of sleep. Guppy headed back to the hospital at 6am.

Tuesday I left work early to go to spiritual direction. Afterwards I headed to the hospital. In the rush hour traffic, crawling at 10mph on the freeway, it took me an hour even though the distance was 1/3rd less when coming from spiritual direction. Again, I checked Skip's house; the trash has not been picked up. Hopefully trash day was not Tuesday and hopefully trash will be picked up soon. I stayed at the hospital while Guppy went home, not to rest but to figure out Skip's bills. Then Guppy returned at quarter to 4am and I go home to actually pay the bills online (Skip is not technically proficient).

We had been paying Skip's bills with "bill pay" through online banking. Long story short, this time I log in and there was no bill pay option; the bank had decided that there were no qualifying accounts. So I go set up an online account at each organization/company for each bill that needs to be paid (there were five). Those secure services are not particularly fond of my dial-up speed and it takes a lifetime. I can set up online accounts for every bill except one: the credit card. I don't have the card; and the account info is not on the bill (for security reasons).

I've been up since 3:45am. I know Guppy probably has had at best one hour of sleep. I'll call Guppy at 7am and in the meantime, I go wash up. So I call Guppy, who has copy of the credit card bill with the intent to dispute the late charge in the course of the day. Guppy calls the credit card company and they want all this info. What sense does that make when we're only trying to PAY the bill, not make a purchase? At this point, Guppy is ready to close out the credit card.

It's been a hassle. We're tired. We're grumpy.

As for Skip, there is a chance that Skip will recover. Blood transfusion was completed. IV fluids were administered to restore electrolyte balance. Antibiotics were administered. A day later, IV fluids are no longer required. The feeding tube is still in. Skip is conscious at times, but not able to talk or move much. Temperature is still unstable; sometimes the fever returns.

Now I better get ready to go to work. Obviously I won't be at work by 8am; I'm still at home playing with Blogger.

No Name Meme

Seen at LAMLand.

1. Do you wear a name tag at work? Name tag, no. ID badge, yes.

2. What kind of car do you drive? Japanese make, automatic transmission, four door.

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? Gordita Supreme.

4. Have you ever had a garage sale? Nope.

5. What colour is your iPod? Don't own one or any other MP3 player.

6. What kind of dog do you have? None at the moment, but have typically had German Shepherds.
7. What's for dinner tonight? Take-out from a Mexican restaurant.

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Communion wine yesterday. Else I typically don't drink alcoholic beverages.

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? You mean, like calling someone 'cause I'm sick in love? I'm not admitting to that. Stupidest thing is I lost it once.

10. Last time you were sick? Weeks ago, maybe. But really bed-ridden sick just when I had to report for jury duty some months ago. Fortunately, I was not selected.

11. How long is your hair? Short.

12. Are you happy right now? Right now? No. Sleepy.

13. What did you say last? "hospital" (I was answering a question.)

14. Who came over last? Probably our neighbor. We generally don't have company.

15. Do you drink beer? No.

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? No.

17. What is your favourite key chain on your keys? Don't have a favorite, really.

18. What did you get for graduation? High school-I remember a paperback Thesaurus, a Jane Austen novel, a Sherlock Holmes out of print book, and a pen & pencil set.

19. Whats in your pocket? Nothing right now. But when I'm out, it'd be keys and a pocket knife.

20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook? Who is Dane Cook?

21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No.

22. What DVD is in your DVD player? nothing

23. What's something fun you did today? Surfed the web

24. Who is/was the principal of your high school? Mr. Anderson, RIP

25. Has your house ever been TP'd? No

26.What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? cats

27. What are you listening to right now? nothing

28. Drinking? nothing right now

29. What is your favourite aisle at Wal-Mart? maybe tools, though their selection isn't great

30. When is your mom's birthday? Nov 4

31. When is your birthday? mmm

32. What's the area code for your cell phone? mmm

33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? This shirt is one of the freebies from an event.

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? Not right now.

35. How many states in the US have you been to? 6

36. What kind of milk do you drink? I don't.

37. What are you going to do after this? hopefully, go to bed

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with? Guppy

39. What is your favourite fruit? Oranges

40. What about your favourite dessert? Jell-O

41. What is something you need to go shopping for? Can't think of anything at the moment. Doesn't mean that there isn't something we're short of.

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives? My last name, yes.

43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive? I don't know.

44. Do you like pickles? They're ok.

45. How about olives? Ok.

46. What is your favourite kind of gum? Juicy Fruit.

47. What is your favourite kind of juice? Maybe Cranberry mixes.

48. Do you have any tan lines? Not right now, but have had rather embarassing bicycling tan lines (right above the knee, basically).

49. What hospital were you born in? I haven't the faintest idea.

-end-

obedience

One time, Guppy found our dog with a cat in his mouth. I wasn't there, but I can just imagine his face: a stupid expression that's really funny, and expectant eyes, knowing that Guppy disapproves and not knowing what to do next. It's perfectly natural for our dog to go after the cat (not our cat), but we his owners command that he not do so. Sometimes it's normal for dogs to dig, but the owner disapproves.

I see it the same way with God. There are things that would be natural for us humans, but God has commanded that we overcome certain natural inclinations.

For me, a natural inclination is laziness. Really, it's quite natural.

Sansa Clip

I got a Sansa Clip 2GB music player for Guppy, and another also for Guppy to give to a friend. I've been working with it this afternoon. It charged in around 4 hours or less, I didn't really time it. I put about 20 CD's on it, not erasing whatever music it was pre-loaded with. It shows to be 339 songs. I have Windows Vista Ultimate and have had no problems with the Clip. I also downloaded and installed the firmware update, the download link can be found in the Sandisk forums. I would post links here but I gotta run off to mass. The thing sounds great to me for the little time I've had it. FM radio was good too. Audio recording was rather low volume but do-able. Unfortunately, it also records the noise associated with handling the Clip and the button clicks. Over all, I think it's a good buy for $50 and am quite satisfied for my first impression.

my job scares me

I got a promotion. And a pay increase to go with it. Thanks be to God. I'm also scared. Because a promotion also means more responsibilities (and less of the slacking that I was doing quite well). I have to remind myself to hold my manager's judgment in higher esteem. If my manager sees it fit that I should have this (which I had not asked for nor anticipated), then I should at minimum respect that judgment. Anyhow, dear God, you've given me this opportunity; please see me through and let thy will be done.

been out

I was on retreat this weekend as part of one of my church volunteer gigs. I just got back, and man, I am tired. I must have been on a high and am now crashing. Maybe I'll conk out in a bit here. I will attend evening mass at the Cathedral later.

2007 Yr in Review

Apparently this is a tradition at LAMLand. I'll post the questions here for your perusal. I might fill them in eventually.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? For the first and probably the last time, we went to the holiday lighting on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. It was friggin' cold standing out there with the crowd as we wait for the boats to parade by.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I can't remember whether I even made any resolutions. I don't plan to make resolutions for 2008.

3. Lose anyone this year? I suppose I did. I attended two funerals.

4. Where did you go that you haven't been before? Denver, Colorado

5. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? none. nada. can't think of any dates. can't think of any event that may be seared into memory.

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year? surviving the year

7. What was your biggest failure? I can't seem to consistently get to work by 8am.

8. Hardest decision I made: to "get up and go" each morning

9. Best decision I made: to "get up and go" each morning

10. Compared to this time last year, how did you think the year went? About the same, I suppose, except that this year I can take vacation time during the holidays. Last year I had just started on the job.

11. What do you wish you'd done more of? reading, bicycling

12. What do you wish you'd done less of? being so irritable

13. Did you fall in love in 2007? goodness, no

14. What was your favourite TV program? none

15. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? no

16. Mistake I won't make again next year: attend a Dominican event and not seek out my Dominican Liason to at least say "hello"

17. Personal change I am proudest of: Uh, I am not aware of any change. There's still plenty of room for improvement!

18. Who did you miss? hmm...not anyone, I don't think. There may have been moments where I miss some of the Sisters I've met and my pastor. Oh, yeah, I did miss my dog at times.

19. Who was the best new person you met?

20. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:

21. Most difficult situation I resolved:

22. Strangest moment of the year:

23. Insight of the year: Silly of me to even consider "disappearing" until such time as I am ready to enter the Dominican community. If I am to discern at all, I need to discern WITH the community and not away from them. That was made very clear to me in a dream (just an ordinary dream) I had.

24. Top News Stories That Caught My Eye This Year: Daniel DiNardo = Cardinal! You da man, Dan. I love you and I look forward to your leadership.

25. New Year's Resolutions for 2008: same as always: don't make promises I can't keep (that includes not making resolutions)

Never having to say goodbye

You never have to say "Good-bye" to Jesus.

bible in a year

For those who are thinking about reading their bible in one year, that link there is a possible plan. It doesn't go straight through the bible as if it were a book that you can read front to back, cover to cover. Instead, it has Psalms or Proverbs included daily--you do not want to read those books straight through. Good Luck. and no, I never said I would attempt it.

Another, more sophisticated way to attempt it is to read "themes" -- where OT readings tie in with NT and yet still maintain continuity (unlike liturgical daily readings) ... not sure that exists, actually.

If any of you have a recommendation for a good audio bible (NRSV preferred), please let me know. And no, I don't want the "Faith Comes by Hearing" version.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S to all!

lesson learned

I learned something new: vegetable oil CAN go bad. And here is a suggestion for everyone else: when a dish (like cornbread dressing) does not come out right for Christmas dinner, don't turn to the cook and say, "Can we have [that dish] for New Year's?"

Our vegetable oil is very old. So old, in fact, that it no longer has its label on the bottle. I suspect that it's more than ten years old. All I used it for was to oil the pan. It made the cornbread yucky. I suspected that the final product would be yucky as well, but went ahead and added the finely diced bell peppers, celery, and onions to the mix and hoped for a miracle. I didn't have time to make another cornbread. Alas, no miracle on the cornbread dressing. Out to trash it goes.

Maybe I'll attempt it again for New Year's, but I have to get over this one first.

As for the oil, it will go to trash at the next trash pick up.

Else dinner was fine with ham, mustard greens, and sweet potato casserole.

------
We did go to a mass at my parish earlier. I was working it so I didn't take communion. Except for one hiccup, I think I did well and had fun. Oh thank you so much, Holy Spirit! I did get to see my pastor and we gave each other a big Christmas hug.

Now Gumby and I are off to the cathedral for midnight mass.

getting into Christmas a little

Skip got moved to a better hospital room. See, I told you Guppy is a squeaky wheel.

Yesterday the morning was spent at a rehearsal for one of the Christmas eve masses. Then the afternoon was spent running from one store to another, looking for things to get for skip and things with which to decorate skip's hospital room. I got slippers, gripper-bottom socks, and cotton crew socks for skip.

For the decorations, I bought 4-ft Christmas tree with lights (finally found after checking three other stores), a wreath with Santa sitting in it and with a "Merry Christmas" sign across the top, small red ornaments for the small tree, and a foot switch to turn the tree lights on/off. It pretty much took all afternoon to get all the stuff. It's Guppy's ideas, but I did the running around.

We went to the hospital last night and put up the decorations and try the socks and stuff. The slippers will need to be returned. Else everything seems ok. So over all, things are well on that front.
--------

Today after mass I went grocery shopping for items for Christmas dinner. Since I don't know how to keep mustard greens fresh, I worked on them the minute I got home. So I'm finished with cooking the greens. I've just finished putting up the lights outside (just the shrubs and around the door). I won't decorate inside. I need to bake some cornbread for the cornbread dressing next. I'm just taking a breather here.

it's been an odd week

To my handful of faithful readers, I hope that you have enjoyed the lack of posts on this blog as it means that you can skip right over it onto another blog. The holidays are so busy, it helps to not have to stop and read.

Guppy has been at the hospital looking after someone, henceforth referred to as "Skip." Guppy had taken Skip to the hospital Sunday night, stayed all night in a wing that had no heating on a night where the temperature outside dipped to freezing. The next morning Guppy was enjoying some friendly sparring with Skip. After lunch Guppy suggested that Skip get some rest so they settled down. Minutes later Skip mumbled something, reached for Guppy then passed out cold--as in gone, no vital signs. Guppy went banannas, yelled for help, ran for a doctor who was at the time on the phone. Guppy slammed the phone and dragged the doc. Long story short, Skip was rushed to ICU and was rescuscitated. I was at work but left after Guppy called for me to come. Skip is okay now.

Skip was moved out of ICU on Wednesday, and moved again today to another hospital for acute care. Anyhow, Guppy has spent many hours at the hospital with little sleep or poor sleep, and hardly any food, only what can be bought from the vending machine. I was there Monday night and Wednesday evening. Guppy is not home at the moment, but hopes to be home tonight. Guppy hates the hospital room for Skip, saying that our cats have better amenities. Skip has not had dinner since the transport folks came at the same time as dinner. This other hospital brought soup and crackers for Skip after Guppy informed them of the situation. In the meantime, the fire alarm has gone off and the hospital is in lockdown; the air has been turned off. Also, the admitting papers are not yet done. This is the stuff that happens when you're poor and old. But I suppose we ought to be grateful that hospital care is even accessible.

Oh, and yes, Guppy is definitely a squeaky wheel. Do not think that things go unsaid. The broken heating was worked on the next morning. The non-working TV in ICU waiting has been replaced. Guppy has visited the CEO of the hospital. The machine that they had to beat to make work will not be used on Skip. But this new hospital is a different story, it's another battle. They did the move late in the evening (right at dinner time) after saying that it would be mid-morn, and then again that it would be mid-afternoon. Getting to the hospital late, on a holiday weekend, who is there to handle complaints? Nobobdy. And it will be nobody for the next several days. And that's probably how they planned it.

------------------
We do our Christmas cards together. This means that the cards are not done at all. It'd be a miracle if they get out by Christmas.

I know that Guppy wants me to get some PJ's for myself. I went to Target since they had some on sale, and also Kohl's since I still have a Kohl's card with some money on it. I have yet to find anything at Kohl's that I'd want to buy. I did see a PJ set I liked but the sizes start at "large." I did not see anything I wanted at Target. Flannel PJ's are nice, but here in Texas we have more Summer than Winter. So as is typical of my solo trips for clothes shopping, I came home with nothing. Really, I sleep just fine in t-shirt and shorts.

my 2008 Saints

I finally got around to picking up my Saints:

Sts Cosmas & Damian

Pray for pharmacists’ & physicians’ right to conscience

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Mt 5, 10]

Thank you, Lucy.

moving bicycles

There's a charity in town that gives away thousands of bicycles each year. Last week I headed to town to help them build the bicycles. However, when I got there, I never even got a chance to so much as touch a tool. Instead, they needed to have the hundres of bikes that are already built arranged properly--this is called "staging." The bikes had to be arranged to facilitate inspection/readjustments and truck loading. Well, so much for having some fun.

Anyhow, I was there to help so if that's what they needed, then ok. That's unfortunate that it was so inefficient. Had they set it up when they started, then the bikes would've been staged as they were built. Furthermore, the volunteers were scattered about in separate pockets ... so it turned out that the rows of bikes neatly arranged behind me just minutes before was eventually moved forward and rearranged. That's called "rework" meaning "time and effort was wasted." I was part of the arranging minutes before. The guy in charge was part of the moving the bikes forward. Well, it's all volunteer work.

no poison

It rained pretty hard this morning. I decided not to go to mass. But on the other hand, the morning rain was good for what I wanted to do later: remove poison oak from among my shrubs.

I put on long pants, a long sleeve shirt, a shower cap, and two layers of latex gloves. I also treated my face with Tecnu before heading out to look at the shrubs. I dug around in the "flower bed" in which the shrubs grew, going from one end to the other. Thank God it wasn't super long; I think it's a row of 4-5 shrubs.

I didn't see anything that qualifies as poison ivy or posion oak. I did remove three regular oak seedlings; two by the roots. The third one had a surprising large root, approximately 1-inch in diameter though its growth above ground were small. It grew right up against the shrub trunk, so close in fact, that I wondered whether it may have grafted itself. I was unable to remove the root and resorted to cutting it about 2 inches below the ground.

I know nothing about maintaining a "flower bed." But I tried to disturb the idyllic existence of the weeds there. I dug into the ground and tried to turn over the top layer of dirt. I think farmers to that to their fields; for what reason, I don't know. I hope to kill off the weeds. I hope too that the shrubs are strong enough to not be affected.

So I guess it wasn't poison ivy or poison oak that got me. Maybe I'm allergic to the sap from the shrubs themselves. I do trim the shrubs (I did today), but I usually don't handle the cuttings. Anyhow, it doesn't really matter. I'm plenty happy that there is not poison ivy or oak growing in the yard.

don't you hate it when...

arrrgh. The tool set that I purchased at a sale price of $10 at Radio Shack was seen at Wal-mart today for $5. The only difference, as far as I can tell, was that it didn't have the snazzy Radio Shack packaging (a card-paper box with color photo).

Patron Saints 2008

Seen at LAMLand: "The Pious Sodality of Church Ladies blog has offered to select patron saints for the coming year for all who request them"

Swing on by and join the fervor!

slow progress

Since last summer to now, I've paid over $10K towards my student loan. It has reduced the principal owed by approximately $8K. Sigh. I've many miles more to go. God willing, I'll step up the progress a bit more next year. Dear Jesus, thanks for the job, but I sure don't like my job and it's a struggle just about every day to keep it up. Grant me the grace, Lord, to be more appreciative.

Christmas cards

OK, I didn't get to the poison oak. I was hardly at home at all yesterday. So the evil in my yard gets to live at least another week.

Guppy and I spent quite some time looking for Christmas cards. I suppose we're being picky again. We'd like for it to look good, of course. But primarily it has to say "Merry Christmas" and it'd be nice if it said "Happy New Year" too. The huge selection was mainly "Season's Greetings," "Happy Holidays," or something benign like "Let it snow!" or "chill."

Finally yesterday evening I was in a Christian store (read, "protestant"). I had never been there, had never even thought to look for one. It just so happens that they were a few doors down from a Hallmark that we scoured. Lo and behold, there were some candidate cards. As expected, the verses, when present were from KJV or some similar version. That's ok. I grabbed a design with three kings. Side note: the Bible never said there were "three" kings. There was also one box of some sort of collage that Guppy really liked. Unfortunately, there was only one box so I grabbed that one.

I never thought it'd be so difficult to find Christmas cards.

gift shop

Shopping for Christmas giving? Don't forget the Hunger Site. There's a gift shop there too with unique items.

bobble head

Although I don't own any, I like bobble head figures. Preferably mini bobble heads. I don't like them too big. I came across this site that seems to be giving away free bobble heads (one per address, while supplies last). You can even choose a Jesus bobble head or Pope Benedict XVI bobble head. I opted for the Pope and eagerly await the goods.

There also exists a Pope Innocent III action figure (not necessarily on same site -- you'd have to do an internet search for it). It looks very well made.

much better

Day four since my encounter with poison oak and my welts are almost imperceptible. In fact, if you didn't know it, you'd think it's my normal color. Yesterday I awoke with a slightly swollen face. Who needs botox when you can just use poison ivy? Pink cheeks and full (puffy) lips overnight! Guppy said I looked as if I had a stroke. Naw, I don't think it was that bad.

Guys have it worse. You see, as you shower, that stuff flows downwards. And sometimes it touches the family jewels. And when those things itches, I imagine it's pure hell. I don't know guys, maybe coat those things with vaseline before you shower twice with Tecnu?

I was fortunate that it never developed into weeping sores. I attacked it with everything I had. Tecnu to wash it off (twice the first time, again the next day). Calagel to coat it and ease the itch. One capsule of Benedryl each night to limit the allergy reaction. Day three I scrubbed with St. Ives apricot exfoliating scrub. It makes sense that if that stuff locks onto skin cells, then try and get those skin cells off. I was much redder after scrubbing but it sure felt good to scratch the itch.

This weekend I plan to don some plastic and attempt to remove the offending plant. Maybe I can spray the shrubs with dish detergent afterwards to try and wash the stuff off.

poison stuff

Poison oak, poison ivy, or sumac, whatever the case, I seem to have been in contact with it. Saturday evening, after my shower, I went outside to take some clippings from our shrubs to have something green for our advent candle holder. Later that night, I started itching but didn't pay it too much attention. Before going to bed, I saw that I had welts. hmm. Was it reaction to detergent on my fresh clothes? Was it something I ate? Anyhow, I took a Benadryl, applied some Benadryl gel and headed off to bed.

Sunday morning the welts were still there, in fact, they seem to have spread. While brushing my teeth, I'm thinking, "maybe it's poison ivy." I have no experience with the stuff. I slathered on some Benadryl gel and ran off and did my usual Sunday things. Later at evening mass, I was just itching all over. Guppy said I better get something for poison ivy at the pharmacy.

So we stopped at a pharmacy. After some browsing, I opted for Calagel packaged with a sample of Tecnu. It turns out that the poisonous oil is potent and persistent and cannot be easily removed from the skin. Just a little of the plant residue is enough to cause a breakout. I hope I had not spread it to others from my hands at the sign of peace. Getting home, the clothes and the bedding went to wash, the greenery that I brought in yesterday went to trash, and I worked on scrubbing the stuff off of my whole body.

Further reading on the web today indicates that these lovely itchy welts are going to be a 2 to 3 week experience. Oh boy. The Tecnu is most effective within the first 8 hours of exposure; I didn't get it until more than 24 hours later. The best thing at first exposure is to wash, wash, wash. Well that didn't happen because I went out AFTER I had had my shower.

Day 3 and some of the welts have gone down. I had been relatively itch-free until this evening. Even after applying Calagel (after another shower with exfoliating scrub, dry off, apply Tecnu, rinse Tecnu off, dry off again). The gel dries on and then flakes off like lots of dandruff. The exfoliating scrub was supposed to go with spermicide (n??-9). From reading on the web, the spermicide might do the trick. I have no experience with spermicide and didn't see any at the grocery store that I wanted to buy. Oh well. I took another Benadryl. Let's see how things look in the morning.

stressed

I've been stressed out this week with deadlines at work. I brought some work home and hope to find motivation and energy to do it for a Monday deadline. I dislike being micro-managed and it's more difficult being that I dislike my job. Ok, end of whining.

I was at a Dominican event last night. That was nice. I enjoyed seeing the OP's. I didn't linger afterwards because I was tired and ready to leave. So wonderful that we are all capable of being pleasant for a few minutes. I don't know if we all would be that pleasant the next hour. :)

The Dominican events continues this Saturday morn but I was not able to attend due to other obligations.