mittenmusings

Operation Tuna

..and no, this has nothing to do with Bill Parcells. Heh heh heh.

Gus has been lovin' the tuna diet. The vet gave the go-ahead for me to boil some potatoes and mix them into the fish. Yummy yummy in the dog tummy! The pooch is still a bit lethargic, but the antibiotics he's getting are pretty strong. Plus, some of the tests that have come back to the vet are signalling some sort of secondary bacterial infection. This poor little dog.

The very good thing is: he's eating, drinking and not barfing. He did, however, do the Most Gross Dog Thing I have ever seen this morning. I'll spare the details, unless you are a sucker for grossness...

Hang in there 18 more hours, bud...

Gus is currently holding court by the pantry where is food is kept. He's doing the "dissatisfied snort," then the "piteous gaze" at the pantry where the food is.

Sorry pookie, I am under strict orders: no food till noon tomorrow.

However, this is the first interest he's shown in food in days. I'm feeling pretty encouraged.

Tummy troubles, part 2

We have returned from the vet; Gus and I are really tired! I am reclining on the couch (and posting via the magic of wireless LAN), and Gus is snoozing on the floor.

Gus recieved a great deal of fluid while he was there. They also gave him a heapin' helpin' of antibiotics, steroids, and an antiparasitic. Whew! He was a very, very good patient for all the poking and prodding that was done. The techs also took samples up the (and from the) wazoo. Hopefully one of the tests will shine a little light on what is going on.

The vet was most concerned with the fact that Gus cannot even hold down liquid. I am to withhold food and water till noon tomorrow, then give him a small amount of water and tuna. Gus is gonna be beside himself! The vets and the techs say that tuna has been a great diet for dogs with IBD. If he needs a little more bulk, they suggested mixing in some boiled potato. Mmm mmm good.

If he can't hold down the food and water tommorow, we'll be hauling our butts back to Southfield, and Gus'll have to have a little stay in the doggie ICU. I am really, really hoping it doesn't come to that.

Tummy troubles on the mend...

Gus and I are headed back to the vet today. We have an appointment with an internal medicine vet, who met with us briefly yesterday. I think that these folks are going to really be able to help Gus out. Our regular vet has been great up till now, but these new folks have some seriously kickass facilities, like an operating room that looks like the set of ER. Seriously.

That sizzling sound? Oh, that's my credit card...on fire from overuse. :)

Those of you out there who are not "animal people" may not really understand the depth of concern and love I have for my poochie. Frankly, before Gus came into my life, I really didn't get it either! It is like any other relationship, in that you care for one another day in, day out. You become attuned to easch others' mannerisms and quirks. You make each other laugh.

To all of you who have left lovely comments, thanks so much.

Tears soaking my pillow...

Gus has been very sick since the weekend. The vets and I are in agreement that it is a manifestation of his IBD. Poor poochie is dehydrated and thin. He received fluids at the vet yesterday, but threw them all up overnight (a six foot wide pool on my kitchen floor...ew).

I am so very, very worried.

See, Gus is my pal, and has been for a long time. He was 12 weeks old when he came into my life. He cried and cried the first night, so I slept on the kitchen floor with him. We have loved and cared for each other ever since. He comforted me when my dad passed away. I have rubbed his tummy till his leg twitches. He was a faithful friend while my first marriage dissolved. I gave him extra lovin' when "his" LC moved away and broke his little poochie heart. He let me whisper secrets into his floppy ears. I brushed him with the special wooden brush that makes him close his eyes and sigh. Gus stayed up late with me while I was finishing my degree and cramming in just...one...more....statistics problem.

I am sad and scared. I want my little buddy to feel better. Right now I am marking every single minute until the various vet offices open. Gus is sitting right next to me on the couch, snoozing. His warm behind is scootched right up next to my hip.

I do not want to experience life without that feeling quite yet.

File under: TMI

We just came back from a great bike ride: 26.5 miles, average speed of 16.5. I had an epiphany about a third of the way through:

"Wow, cycling is a lot easier now that my thighs don't slap my gut anymore."*

It really is the little things, isn't it?

*I've lost 11 lbs since June, bringing me back down to a fighting weight of 127.

"The people in your neighborhood"

I went on my thrice weekly three mile walk this morning. Gus the Wonderdog usually accompanies me on the first mile. I drop him off back at the house and continue onward without him. Stuff I noticed while out walking:

* A fierce MinPin named....Tiger
* Two kids out on their Slip 'n' Slide. I had no idea they even made the SNS anymore!
* Scooter, the barrel-shaped yellow lab from down the street, was walking his people and "his" new baby in her stroller.
* The most adorable couple giggling and eating tomatoes like apples off their tomato plants.
* One very, very unsteady rollerblader. No helmet, no pads. (sigh)
* Many ducks in the pond. There were no fuzzy baby ducks anymore....they've all grown up, I suppose.

Although I really enjoy cycling, I also like the low-tech nature of walking. It gives me an opportunity to nose around the neighborhood and get fitter. When I am on my bike, I am usualy whizzing by things too fast to really, truly appreciate them.

Autumnal

Well, we had planned to go the Art Fair today, but I was just not in the mood to be herded like cattle through the streets of Ann Arbor. Nor was I in the mood to be overcharged for bottled water, or bashed in the shins by strollers. Plus, it's almost chilly today. The past three days have been above 90 degrees, and then whammo, today it's barely 75. I guess it is better to be coool than sweating, but geez, it's quite a change.

All the job leads, etc. have had me feeling really up and down lately. I am trying to not get too excited, since I have been anticipatory before and things have fallen through. It is certainly a defense mechanism. Is there anything wrong with that? It is really hard for me to get all pumped up and sell myself and then have to come down (aaaaaaaaah) to my regular, mellow, Bikenstock wearin' life. I am an INTJ on the Myers-Briggs, so self-promotion is really not my thing. I'd rather let a stellar portfolio or glowing references light the way for me, rather than me holding the spotlight on myself.

Ooooh...shiny things! Must investigate!

You're a Beagle! You're small, athletic, and
intelligent, but easily distracted.


What kind of dog are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I usually don't post quizzy doodads, but I thought this one was right on the money.

The one where Lisa blathers on lots of subjects...

There are a lot of things going on here in the Mitten! The adage "when it rains, it pours" couldn't be truer for me this week.

Hi-ho, hi-ho- on interviews I go:

Yes, it is true. I have three, count 'em, three interviews scheduled for next week. I am confident in my chances for two of them, but the third is a wild card. I am in the process of brushing up on my behavioral interview responses, as well as making sure my references have all been alerted. ("Remember, say I worked hard, but don't oversell it; I don't want to live there!") I was also plowing through my closet today, and realized that all my grownup suits are made of wool or silk. (sigh) I am going to get a suit this weekend.

Oh. The. Excitement.

Now see, I really do not like clothes shopping at all. When I do go out to buy clothes, if I find something I like (and that fits) I will buy it in every color that I like. I also own only one pair of dressy heels. They are black, and I wear them with all my grownup suits. I have other heels of course, but they are for "special occasions" only.

Married but not dead, people....but on with our story...

So I am going to have to go to the Mall. Not the local mall, which is 13 minutes from my house, but the far-away mall, which is almost an hour away. Why is this? Because thousands of people from all over are coming to The Ann Arbor Art Fair this weekend, and parking at my local mall.

Aaaah, the Ann Arbor Art Fair...

Oh, we're gonna go, of course. We'll be there tomorrow afternoon with the teeming hordes of gawkers. Every year, we go with the intent of finding an object d'art to hang over the fireplace in our living room. This summer marks three years that we have been living in our home. The space above the fireplace? Oh yes, still quite blank. My husband and I have differing views on "decorating." We are both fussy, and stubborn. It should be a fun afternoon!! Actually, I really enjoy the Art Fair. The people watching alone is priceless. So what that we can't find art for over the fireplace....nor can we find a cheap place to park...nor can we really afford much of anything...it is still fun. And there will be ice cream (swooooooooon!).

I haven't had ice cream since May

Ice cream is my all-time, hands-down, not-even-a-contest favorite food. I love it. We cannot keep it in the house. Oh, I try to keep myself in check. We have these little tiny bowls that we use for a reasonable serving. "Oh, this'll satisfy me," I always think. But then, after clacking my spoon on the bowl and licking the remnants that I can reach with my tongue, I always sigh and think, "Oh, one more little bowl won't hurt..."

This is repeated until the entire container is gone. And it really doesn't matter what kind it is: Ben & Jerry's or crappy store brand, I have absolutely no self control when it comes to ice cream. It's like heroin in my freezer, calling to me..."C'mon, Lisa...you know you want me...me love you long time..."

But, darn it, I've been on a Diet

I have lost 11 pounds since June 7th. I am doing a pretty radical diet, and it's called: "Eating Less, and Exercising More." I have been using a computer program to track every friggin' morsel of food and drink that passes through my lips. I also track my walking, cycling, and other activities. My daily goal is to keep a certain calorie deficit every day. I decided to lose some weight when I pulled out my shorts for the summer and realized that I couldn't button them very well. I could get them to close, but that poor little button was under something like 5 G-forces. I feel better and look better. My shorts fit better now too. I'm not really hung up on the number. I just wanted my pants to fit.

OK, that's it from me for now. As the lovely Anne of fishbucket says:

My life of leisure may soon come to an end...

I just received an email from a woman for whom I performed many HR consulting jobs over the past few years. She knows of a couple of opportunities locally....and asked if I would be interested.

Hell, yeah!

I will write a bit more about my chosen profession in the near future. Here's sorta the condensed version:

I know that HR folks are often some of the most reviled (and not revered) folks in an organization. I like to think of myself as a one-woman revolution, trying to change that. It's a tough spot to be in: keeping management happy with a healthy bottom line, as well as doing what is right and necessary for employees. Mainly I deal in the area of benefits and compensation. My last consulting gig was for a supplier to the Big Three. They were rolling out a new benefits package to a workforce that had, on average, a reading level of about 3rd grade. Newspapaers are written on a 5th grade (usually) level. It was a fascinating challenge, and I loved being able to provide that crucial information to a group of folks who otherwise might not have "gotten it" had I not come in.

OK, blathering is over. Off to redo my resume' and bask a little.

If I had the cash...

...I'd buy this for the keeper of treppenwitz.

...I'd provide Heather with unlimited webspace and bandwidth. And a bag o' biscuits for Chuckster.

...I'd buy the lovely weese one of everything from here.

...I'd send Gina on a monthlong trip to here, and take care of her bills while she was gone.

What would you do for your fave members of the blogosphere?

When Work Ain't a 4-Letter Word...

Something that I have neglected to mention is that both of my girls, LC and MB have earned promotions at their respective jobs. I am bursting with pride for the both of them. LC is fairly new at her current workplace, and I am very impressed that the powers-that-be there have seen her potential. MB has been sloggin' away in the trenches at her job for almost 5 years. All of her hard work and dedication seems to finally be paying off.

My husband has a second phone interview with a potential new employer this Wednesday. He is so excited! I am over my jealousy over his good fortune. Really. Instead, I am proud of his initiative and his talent. Sometimes I forget, or take for granted, how far he as come both in his personal and professional life. I also forget how hard he has had to work to get where he is today.

So, what about me? Well, I received an email from an acquaintance over the weekend that went something like this:

"Reason I am emailing also is that I may be leaving my post here and I want to make sure that if we need a replacement for me, they get a great person. You were the first person that I could think of. Let me know if this is something that you might be interested in. I'm actually up for a promotion and I should know Monday or Tuesday."

Wow. I was truly, honestly stunned and touched to receive this email. I am really rooting for her to get this promotion, not because it might be a windfall for me. Really...I mean that. This woman has always impressed me with her tenacity, and willingness to work quite fervently toward her goals. I know that she loves working for this particular company, and I am glad they are (hopefully!) going to acknowledge her potential.

I think I have now covered the employment of all members of our family. Well, all members except for Gus the Wonderdog....who is currently enjoying his new assignment of "Grinder of Dogsmell into the New Area Rug."

Bad Nerd, and a Tangent

OK, I am officially a doofus.

I just realized that I can get books from other libraries in Michigan through my local public library. Who knew?

(Here's the beginning of a tangent)

I am very, very fortunate to have a great local library right down the street from me. Brandy dandy new, too! Good to see the ol' tax dollars going towards something useful. I have great respect for the folks who are running the library. They do NOT filter their Internet access on the public computers.

Now, you may say, "My goodness! What about children and porn and such?" Well, let me tell you, the staff does a fabulous job. There is always a library staff member situated near the computers. They will ask children who are on their own where their chaperone is. The computers are in an open public space. As far as I know, there have been no problems.

I get rankled when I hear about "monitoring software" to protect children from things that are inappropriate for children on the 'net. Where are the parents? When my niece and nephew, both 8 years old, were visiting, I told them in no uncertain terms that they were NOT to surf the Web unsupervised. I locked down the computers with passwords, etc. They were STUNNED. "But Mom and Dad let us...we both have computers in our rooms." Um, no. Not in my house. It is a parent's perogative, I think, to teach their children what is appropriate and acceptable consumption, no matter the media. Period. Not the government, not software.

And by the way, I had to deal with the incessant whining the whole time the kids were here. I told them that it was good to "unplug" every now and then from electronics. We went to the library and read books to each other. And they enjoyed it. Hhhhmmmmph! Thank goodness for the library.

(End of tangent)

Anyhoo...the book that I reserved is:

The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, by James Surowiecki.

Whew! There's a mouthfull. I've enjoyed reading his analysis in the New Yorker for years, and am looking forward to reading this book. There's a great writeup here as well, that piqued my interest further.

Of course I left my heart there...(Part 1)

...how could you not?

I am having difficulty finding the right words with which to describe my vacation in San Francisco. I have returned to Michigan totally relaxed and refreshed, which I think is the hallmark of a great trip.

Our itinerary was a nice mix of knockin' around on foot and being total tourists on a tour bus. We arrived late on Saturday night, after the usual rigamarole at the airports. Our hotel was a Kimpton property, so I knew it was going to be comfy and nice. I have never slept in a better hotel bed than the one we slept in in San Fran.

Sunday
We went on the Powell/ Hyde down to Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf. On my first day, I was surprised by the weather. I mean, you say "California," and I think hot and sunny. San Fran? Um, noooooo. It was cool and foggy each morning, with the clouds breaking about noon. Highs were in the 60's/ 70's, and the air was dry.

Sunday was the 4th of July, and there were people everywhere down by the water. When we arrived, at about 10am, some brave souls were already staking out spots for the evening fireworks display. We wandered around, ate lunch, ogled the touristy crap, and made our way back to the hotel for wine hour. Dinner was a little tough to swing, since a lot of places were closed for the holiday, but we ended up at a yummy sushi/ yakitori place. I had sashimi and a spinach "salad," hubby the vegetarian had a veggie sampler. MMmmm mmmmgood.

Monday
Every time we travel, my husband and I plan to work out. We have a national membership to Ye Olde Gigantic Fitness Chain, so I suppose this is something we could do. We always pack and plan with good intentions: "Honey, did you print out the schedule of spinning classes?" However, I have yet to actually exercise on a vacation we have taken together. Monday morning we were supposed to workout, but I was sooooo tired! I think that all the excitement and travelling finally caught up with me.

The only other item on our agenda was a ballgame at SBC Park. I was a little rusty on my public transportation skills. I had to (gasp) ask the info desk attendant what train to take. Even after we wandered downstairs in the MUNI station, we heard a heavenly voice from above:

"For the people looking for train to the ballpark, take the blah blah blah train."
I looked up; the attendant had been watching our meandering asses on the closed circuit camera. Just write a "T" on my forehead and call me a tourist.

The park was beautiful, the beer was cold, the game was so-so. The pitcher for the Giants was awful. The first inning was like batting practice for the Rockies. Six runs....yikes! We left in the middle of the ninth inning. Barry Bonds wasn't playing (of course). Ah well. It was still great to take in an MLB game in a new park. Very, very nice.

I was still fairly tired, so after we ate dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall Thai place, we went to bed early.

I am hoping no one reading this was hoping for a travelogue chockful of "And then we went out to the fetish club and drank with the Hell's Angels till 3am" If that's the kinda blog you need, go read over at Jimbo's Place. Woo hoo (fanning self). That boy knows how to do San Fran.

But I digress....

Tuesday
Oh yah, it was a total tourist day. We had booked a bus tour to go to: Muir Woods, Sausalito, and Alcatraz. We started the day by going over the very fogged in Golden Gate Bridge. This shows how foggy it was. Yikes! It was like pea soup.

The highlight of the day, and of the entire trip was Muir Woods. It is a National Park dedicated to to the memory of conservationist John Muir. The park contains many, many uncut stands of old growth redwood. To call these trees majestic is hardly adequate. I was stunned by how tall they are! I could easily have spent an entire day in the forest, hiking and oohing and aaahing. This picture of me standing in front of a tree gives a little perspective of how large they are. It was quiet and serene. I felt honored to be there with the trees. They were stately and rustling. Just lovely.

We went into Sausalito for lunch. Sausalito is a ritzy-ditzy town. Apparently you need a lotta bucks to live there. You also need to wear a sweater tied around your neck and perfectly pressed Ralph Lauren coordinates. It reminded me of Newport, RI but on a smaller, newer money scale.

The last stop of the day was on The Rock. What can I say, really...it is a horrible, terrible, dirty, inhumane place. Thank goodness Bobby Kennedy closed it down in the 60's.

Off to the vet...

Soooooo, I just picked up Gus the Wonderdog from the kennel, and he appears to have a raging case of pinkeye (conjunctivitus).

Lovely.

Here is a pic to show you how both he and I are feeling right now:

Grumpy, grumpy, grumpy....

I have returned to Michigan...

...and am a tad jetlagged.
Will post pics tonight or tomorrow.

Edit: I have posted a few pics over at Flickr. Click on the previews at right to see 'em.

On vacation till July 12th!
Keep an eye out for fresh pics over here--------------->

Oh my bags (aren't) packed; I'm (not quite) ready to go...

Today is day #2 of floor installation. Everything should be done by lunchtime, which means a fun-filled afternoon of cleaning and furniture moving. Woohoo!

Housekeeping notes: I've added a "Recent Photos" module over on the right of the site. It is hosted by flickr, a site where you can host/ post photos. Click on any of the pics to be magically transported to my photo album over there. I am going to try it out from San Fran. We'll see how it works! As always, feedback is appreciated.

Alrighty...off to do laundry, dishes, yardwork, dog grooming and packing....

I'll be sure to wear flowers in my hair...

We've done a lot of travelling recently, to Kansas and Texas to visit family. However, we all know that going to visit family (or having them come visit you) does not constitute vacation. Oh, we love our families...don't get me wrong. But there is a sense of being on one's own best behavior that does get tiresome.

So, Rand and I are going to San Francisco on Saturday for an entire week. We booked this trip months ago, and I am SO EXCITED. I have never been to the West Coast. Heck, I think that Kansas is superfar West. We went to Colorado last summer so that I could see "real mountains," not the dinky bumps that I grew up with in New England. Now I'm gonna get to see the West Coast. To me, it is akin to visiting another planet.

We are staying in a swanky hotel near Union Square, though I doubt my credit cards and I are going to be burning though any of the chi-chi stores nearby. Coach? MaxMara? Puh-lease. Gimme a good sex shop, music shop, or gallery and I am happy as a clam.

Of course, we are going to do the touristy things, visit Alcatraz, see the SF Giants play, take a day trip to the Napa Valley. But there will be plenty of time for relaxing and knocking around the city during the day, and partaking of the nightlife in the evening. I'll be taking the digital camera, and my laptop (WiFi at our hotel....sah-weeeet!), but I don't DARE to promise pics from the road. I will promise plenty o' pics when I get home, however.

Dearest readers, please feel free to suggest places to visit in SF in the Comments. Don't be shy...

I'm Floored!

The wonderful thing about owning a home is being able to tweak and design and decorate it. It's yours, after all. It's not a landlord's, or an apartment complex's. What you do is yours, not a freebie for the next tenant.

We have been embarking on a few house projects this year: kitchen and living room painting, linen closet cleaning, sump pump replacement, yardwork up the wazoo....etc. The latest in this long line of improvements:

Ta dah....(click below to enlarge image) Hardwood floors in the living room.

We've been talking about doing this to the living room since we moved in here three years ago, and finally (thanks to a great bonus from hubby's work) we are getting to do it. It's looking even better than I thought that it would. It really does add "warmth," just like all the brochures said it would.

The big debate now: area rug or no area rug? Aaaaaahhhhh the excitement never ends here in the Mitten.

Update: We have in one vote for an area rug from the lovely deb. Oh deb...you have no idea the celestial alignment that will have to take place to get us to agree on a rug. I am looking forward to nekkid floors for awhile.