So my doc's office called me back today, stating that if my back continues to bother me, I could make another appointment... Um..well yeah, that's just it. The whole reason I wanted the MRI in the first place is that my back pretty consistently--as in ALL THE TIME--bothers me. So I'm going in next Wednesday. Probably little point in that, as I don't think there is really anything Dr. G feels like she can do. I think I found a Physical Therapist to try--they are close by and the website looks nice; maybe they will get me going in the right direction.
In more fun news, I get to pick up my new glasses tomorrow! My first new frames in...a really long time. Like 5 years maybe? If our digicam was working, I promise I would have photos to show you, but alas, it has taken a dive into the shallow end of the pool. I'll at least post a link to a pic when I get the exact model. This might be them (click on Black--that's the right colour, at least). I don't really recall.
So now I need a new hair-do to go with my new specs. *sigh* I hate having to find new people to take care of me every few years. It's a terrible drag.
At any rate, that's all I have to blather about for the moment. Gotta work at the butt-crack of dawn, so I'm going to head towards the realm of sleep.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Vindication!
....never felt so unsatisfying.
I left work yesterday evening to find the following message on my phone: "This is so-and-so from Dr.Whatsit's office. Here are the results of your MRI: You have a small protrusion at L4-L5 and mumblemumblemumble degeneration at L3-L4 and L4-L5. Again, you have a small protrusion at L4-L5 and garblemumblestaticmumble degeneration at L3-L4 and L4-L5. If you have any questions, call us at......"
Um. Hell yeah I have questions! Questions like "What are you going to do about it?" Questions like "When will the doctor see me to fix it and make it better?" and "What the hell kind of degeneration do I *really* have?"
So yeah. I have some actual physical issues with my back. Concrete evidence that the pain is not all in my head or just some wierd muscular aches. But the main question remains, and looms a bit more menacingly now....What can I do about it?
I'll keep you posted.
I left work yesterday evening to find the following message on my phone: "This is so-and-so from Dr.Whatsit's office. Here are the results of your MRI: You have a small protrusion at L4-L5 and mumblemumblemumble degeneration at L3-L4 and L4-L5. Again, you have a small protrusion at L4-L5 and garblemumblestaticmumble degeneration at L3-L4 and L4-L5. If you have any questions, call us at......"
Um. Hell yeah I have questions! Questions like "What are you going to do about it?" Questions like "When will the doctor see me to fix it and make it better?" and "What the hell kind of degeneration do I *really* have?"
So yeah. I have some actual physical issues with my back. Concrete evidence that the pain is not all in my head or just some wierd muscular aches. But the main question remains, and looms a bit more menacingly now....What can I do about it?
I'll keep you posted.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Magnetic Fields
There's nothing really like a ginormous, super-high-powered magnet whirling away mere inches from your body.
I'd read somewhere online that fully loaded pallet jacks had been sucked into the mouths of MRI machines, so when the technician told me I could set my locker key down on a table just a few feet from the machine, I kinda figured I was done for. Visions of projectile keys--aimed at my skull--floated in my nervous head.
I escaped such an ignominous fate; I suppose the newfangled machine I was in was geared down a bit--or maybe the key was made of some fantasically metal-like, yet non-magnetic material... The key stayed in its place on the little plastic table. One hazard avoided.
I also got to leave my (also apparently non-magnetic) rings on my fingers and toe. I did notice, though, a not-so-faint tingling sensation in my fingers during each little session. During the time that I rested my hands on my chest or belly, I could certainly feel that tingling through my body. I fully expect the doctor to call me up and say that they have to re-take some of the images due to some mysterious jiggling of my innards. Jiggling innards=blurry images. The technician told me so, right after he offered me a tissue--concievably to stem my constant sniffling (hello? have you met me? oh. no you haven't. I sniffle. A lot.)
So I'm laid out on a plastic-y bed-ish sort of thing, complete with a comfy pillow and a wedge for under my knees. I get squishy earplugs, because the machine is hella loud. A big half-circle cage thing goes down over my torso, effectively strapping me down and placing me in mummy position (arms at my sides or crossed in front of me--my choice, and changeable during 5-10 second breaks during the procedure). The tech places a white washcloth over my eyes..."To keep out the blowing air--kind of like on airplanes--the engineers didn't account for that bit of discomfort" and explains the noisiness that is about to ensue. There will be 4 (or was it 5) short sessions of the MRI machine doing its thing. A few minutes here, a few minutes there. Between each session, he'll give me a little signal that I can twitch or change arm positions or sniffle. As long as I'm *COMPLETELY* still while the machine is running, it's all good.
The first session is short--piece of cake. There is a chirping sound from the machine that, if I keep my eyes closed (and why not? can't see anything through the washcloth anyway), I can almost imagine that it sounds a little like a bird twittering in a lovely pastoral scene. Nevermind the clicking, humming, buzzing business going on around my lower back. I stay in the same position for the second session, which is four minutes. Four minutes doesn't seem like a long time, but when you've been lying in the same EXACT position for the previous 3 minutes, things start to get....itchy. I can now feel every individual hair on my head an body, and every follicle is demanding the attention of a fingernail. I repress the urge to scratch, take some deep breaths (slowly, so's not to do undo jiggle-damage), and manage to stay still. By the time four minutes pass and I get another short break, I know that I cannot succumb. If I do, I'll never be able to stop.
The next pass is another four minutes, and I've lowered my arms to my sides for this one. Big mistake. They almost immediately started to fall asleep, as they are wedged against the bars of the cage. Perhaps the frustration of this is what triggers me into a near panic over the thought that, not only can't I move my arms, I can't sit up or *really* move in any other manner either. I don't really consider myself claustrophobic, but I hate large crowds, and I have serious issues with being "pinned" in any way, so I had some serious issues with the idea that I was pretty much at the whimsy of the MRI tech watching from the other room. What was I going to do, wiggle my feet at him if I needed to get out? I take a few more deep breaths and get a hold of myself. It's only a few more minutes, after all.
Indeed, shortly after my short little dance with a panic attack, I hear the machine wind down. But there is no reassuring tin voice from the other room. Several very very long seconds pass, and I start to panic again. Did he step away to use the toilet? Did a bomb threat evacuate the building? How the hell am I going to get out of here if he doesn't come back? I'm sure isn't more than 20-30 seconds, but it feels like days before I hear him say that the next pass would be 5 minutes. Five Minutes. I cross my arms over my chest this time. Slightly more comfortable than having them at my side, but with the added fun of the possibility that they might slide down at any moment. I spend those five mintues concentrating very hard on keeping my arms in the same position on my chest, panicking just a little more, and wishing like hell that someone would come along and scratch the side of my nose.
Finally, five minutes is up. I doze off a time or two. I am getting the hang of it, and getting more and more freaked out. Genious, the way our bodies and brains are programmed! One more short session, and I am free. I concentrate on the bird singing behind my head, and wonder what the technician thinks of my feet, which were bare and nasty and pointed directly at his seat in the other room. I try to peek out from under the washcloth a few times, to no avail. I can see nothing because there is a giant white plastic tube a few inches from the washcloth. They tend to obstruct your vision.
I wait again for the tinny voice from the tech, but instead I feel myself starting to move out of the tube. Suddenly, there is light, and the washcloth is lifted. My plastic cage is unlocked, and I am encouraged to sit up. I immediately scratch (nearly) every inch of my skin--my head, my face, arms, legs...it all itches like I'm covered in BEES (props to Eddie Izzard). But I'm done.
The images will be sent "upstairs"; the folks there will read them and then call my doc with their findings. My doc will then call me and I'll get the watered down version of what's going on in my lower back. I hope that I get to see the images at some point, if for no other reason than it would be super cool to see inside my body. That, and some answers.
I'd read somewhere online that fully loaded pallet jacks had been sucked into the mouths of MRI machines, so when the technician told me I could set my locker key down on a table just a few feet from the machine, I kinda figured I was done for. Visions of projectile keys--aimed at my skull--floated in my nervous head.
I escaped such an ignominous fate; I suppose the newfangled machine I was in was geared down a bit--or maybe the key was made of some fantasically metal-like, yet non-magnetic material... The key stayed in its place on the little plastic table. One hazard avoided.
I also got to leave my (also apparently non-magnetic) rings on my fingers and toe. I did notice, though, a not-so-faint tingling sensation in my fingers during each little session. During the time that I rested my hands on my chest or belly, I could certainly feel that tingling through my body. I fully expect the doctor to call me up and say that they have to re-take some of the images due to some mysterious jiggling of my innards. Jiggling innards=blurry images. The technician told me so, right after he offered me a tissue--concievably to stem my constant sniffling (hello? have you met me? oh. no you haven't. I sniffle. A lot.)
So I'm laid out on a plastic-y bed-ish sort of thing, complete with a comfy pillow and a wedge for under my knees. I get squishy earplugs, because the machine is hella loud. A big half-circle cage thing goes down over my torso, effectively strapping me down and placing me in mummy position (arms at my sides or crossed in front of me--my choice, and changeable during 5-10 second breaks during the procedure). The tech places a white washcloth over my eyes..."To keep out the blowing air--kind of like on airplanes--the engineers didn't account for that bit of discomfort" and explains the noisiness that is about to ensue. There will be 4 (or was it 5) short sessions of the MRI machine doing its thing. A few minutes here, a few minutes there. Between each session, he'll give me a little signal that I can twitch or change arm positions or sniffle. As long as I'm *COMPLETELY* still while the machine is running, it's all good.
The first session is short--piece of cake. There is a chirping sound from the machine that, if I keep my eyes closed (and why not? can't see anything through the washcloth anyway), I can almost imagine that it sounds a little like a bird twittering in a lovely pastoral scene. Nevermind the clicking, humming, buzzing business going on around my lower back. I stay in the same position for the second session, which is four minutes. Four minutes doesn't seem like a long time, but when you've been lying in the same EXACT position for the previous 3 minutes, things start to get....itchy. I can now feel every individual hair on my head an body, and every follicle is demanding the attention of a fingernail. I repress the urge to scratch, take some deep breaths (slowly, so's not to do undo jiggle-damage), and manage to stay still. By the time four minutes pass and I get another short break, I know that I cannot succumb. If I do, I'll never be able to stop.
The next pass is another four minutes, and I've lowered my arms to my sides for this one. Big mistake. They almost immediately started to fall asleep, as they are wedged against the bars of the cage. Perhaps the frustration of this is what triggers me into a near panic over the thought that, not only can't I move my arms, I can't sit up or *really* move in any other manner either. I don't really consider myself claustrophobic, but I hate large crowds, and I have serious issues with being "pinned" in any way, so I had some serious issues with the idea that I was pretty much at the whimsy of the MRI tech watching from the other room. What was I going to do, wiggle my feet at him if I needed to get out? I take a few more deep breaths and get a hold of myself. It's only a few more minutes, after all.
Indeed, shortly after my short little dance with a panic attack, I hear the machine wind down. But there is no reassuring tin voice from the other room. Several very very long seconds pass, and I start to panic again. Did he step away to use the toilet? Did a bomb threat evacuate the building? How the hell am I going to get out of here if he doesn't come back? I'm sure isn't more than 20-30 seconds, but it feels like days before I hear him say that the next pass would be 5 minutes. Five Minutes. I cross my arms over my chest this time. Slightly more comfortable than having them at my side, but with the added fun of the possibility that they might slide down at any moment. I spend those five mintues concentrating very hard on keeping my arms in the same position on my chest, panicking just a little more, and wishing like hell that someone would come along and scratch the side of my nose.
Finally, five minutes is up. I doze off a time or two. I am getting the hang of it, and getting more and more freaked out. Genious, the way our bodies and brains are programmed! One more short session, and I am free. I concentrate on the bird singing behind my head, and wonder what the technician thinks of my feet, which were bare and nasty and pointed directly at his seat in the other room. I try to peek out from under the washcloth a few times, to no avail. I can see nothing because there is a giant white plastic tube a few inches from the washcloth. They tend to obstruct your vision.
I wait again for the tinny voice from the tech, but instead I feel myself starting to move out of the tube. Suddenly, there is light, and the washcloth is lifted. My plastic cage is unlocked, and I am encouraged to sit up. I immediately scratch (nearly) every inch of my skin--my head, my face, arms, legs...it all itches like I'm covered in BEES (props to Eddie Izzard). But I'm done.
The images will be sent "upstairs"; the folks there will read them and then call my doc with their findings. My doc will then call me and I'll get the watered down version of what's going on in my lower back. I hope that I get to see the images at some point, if for no other reason than it would be super cool to see inside my body. That, and some answers.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Takin Care of Business
I finally went to the optometrist today. I have had insurance for over a year now, but have dragged my heels on going for no other reason than I was overwhelmed with the choices in doctors. No one I knew could recommend anyone, so I was taking wild stabs in the dark. Earlier this week (birthdays always seem to spur me into action on these things) I finally sucked it up and just *picked* a doc. The office is close to where I do grocery and other shopping, I am familiar with the area, and I didn't know much else.
As it turns out, I picked a winner! I walked in, filled out some paperwork and was told that I could have a seat or look around. Of course I had to look around, as I've had the same (and apparently woefully out-of-date) frames for about an eternity now. The girl at the front desk immediately jumped up and asked if I knew what I was looking for--I gave her a few of my preferences, she shut me down (I was thinking I wanted to try frameless, but I hate nosepieces...turns out you can't have one without the other..go figure), and showed me some alternatives. I tried on about 10 or 15 different frames, but I ended up choosing the first or maybe second pair she showed me. This girl was good!
The doc was great too; a lot of fun to talk to, and of course seemed to know his eyes. My prescription has changed another fraction of a blip--good to know I'm holding steady--and I'll get to pick up my new specs in about a week. Wheeha.
Tomorrow...da.da.da....I'm going in for an MRI on my lower back. I complained (and cried) enough to my primary that she asked if I would like to have one. HELL YES. Hopefully they can tell me why I'm in pain every day of my life and can barely get out of bed some mornings. I'm a little nervous about it, as well as being excited as all get out. I'm excited that they might figure out what's going on so I can get it fixed, and afraid that they will find nothing visibly wrong and not know what to do with me. The horribly twisted part is that, after taking my ride (and crash) last Saturday morning, and hiking/climbing Bell Rock on Sunday, my back has felt better this week than it has in a long time. Obviously a sign that I *don't*, in fact, need to "moderate" my activity. I need to get out MORE! The Primary also prescribed physical therapy for my back and knee, so after I find out what's going on, I'm going to get that set up so I can get muscled up and avoid further injury.
Hooray for all those years of running track, playing soccer, swimming, and mt. biking.
As it turns out, I picked a winner! I walked in, filled out some paperwork and was told that I could have a seat or look around. Of course I had to look around, as I've had the same (and apparently woefully out-of-date) frames for about an eternity now. The girl at the front desk immediately jumped up and asked if I knew what I was looking for--I gave her a few of my preferences, she shut me down (I was thinking I wanted to try frameless, but I hate nosepieces...turns out you can't have one without the other..go figure), and showed me some alternatives. I tried on about 10 or 15 different frames, but I ended up choosing the first or maybe second pair she showed me. This girl was good!
The doc was great too; a lot of fun to talk to, and of course seemed to know his eyes. My prescription has changed another fraction of a blip--good to know I'm holding steady--and I'll get to pick up my new specs in about a week. Wheeha.
Tomorrow...da.da.da....I'm going in for an MRI on my lower back. I complained (and cried) enough to my primary that she asked if I would like to have one. HELL YES. Hopefully they can tell me why I'm in pain every day of my life and can barely get out of bed some mornings. I'm a little nervous about it, as well as being excited as all get out. I'm excited that they might figure out what's going on so I can get it fixed, and afraid that they will find nothing visibly wrong and not know what to do with me. The horribly twisted part is that, after taking my ride (and crash) last Saturday morning, and hiking/climbing Bell Rock on Sunday, my back has felt better this week than it has in a long time. Obviously a sign that I *don't*, in fact, need to "moderate" my activity. I need to get out MORE! The Primary also prescribed physical therapy for my back and knee, so after I find out what's going on, I'm going to get that set up so I can get muscled up and avoid further injury.
Hooray for all those years of running track, playing soccer, swimming, and mt. biking.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Good Times Are Over!
Or....life imitates art. A friend of mine at work was telling me about her friend's bachelor party, and the unfortunate circumstance that led to three of the guys being arrested for..."questionable" activities--on the streets of Mexico, no less. I laughed so hard that I had to gasp for air, and wouldn't you know it? The little gnat thing that had been plagueing the breakroom went straight down my throat.
Well that's how my day went yesterday.
Well that's how my day went yesterday.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Finally, Sedona
Today, a bonus birthday day, we went to Sedona. I've been wanting to get up there for ages, but our schedules just never seemed to give us the opportunity. Going forward, we will *make* time to get back, because DAMN. The pictures don't really do justice to the event of driving from the relatively bleak and rolling desert to the south into the gloriously huge formations of red rock--surrounded by trees, no less! It was breathtaking, and not a little overwhelming.
We didn't really have a plan, so we asked for a quick, easy day hike. We were directed to Bell Rock, which is one of the places I'd read about and wanted to visit at some point anyway. Supposedly, Bell Rock is the site of one of the major Votices in Sedona, but I have to tell you that I didn't feel particularly inspired or charged up in any way. Mostly I just felt a little dizzy. Especially after we hiked to the base of the rock and then decided to "go up a bit". We probably went about halfway up, and I would show you the photos to prove this, but dork that I am, I forgot to charge the digi-cam battery, and it went *poof* after I took the first photo from the parking lot (Just Google search "Bell Rock Sedona" and click "Images" and you'll get an eyefull). Anyway, we found a nice sitting rock at our half-way point and just sat and enjoyed the amazing views for a while before heading back down.
We were home by 2pm, and napping on the couch by 3:30. I think the heat and the climb just sucked the energy right out of us, vortices be damned. It's just a bit past 6pm now, and my splendid birthday weekend is nearly over. I love busy weekends like this--they leave me exhausted, but they seem to last so much longer than a weekend spent sleeping in and sitting around the house. It feels like I've had a week off from work. More cramming should be done!
Sadly, for the rest of the evening, the only cramming that will be done will be laundry into the machine! : D But there will be more days off, and more hikes, and more mini-adventures and exploring. Yes.
We didn't really have a plan, so we asked for a quick, easy day hike. We were directed to Bell Rock, which is one of the places I'd read about and wanted to visit at some point anyway. Supposedly, Bell Rock is the site of one of the major Votices in Sedona, but I have to tell you that I didn't feel particularly inspired or charged up in any way. Mostly I just felt a little dizzy. Especially after we hiked to the base of the rock and then decided to "go up a bit". We probably went about halfway up, and I would show you the photos to prove this, but dork that I am, I forgot to charge the digi-cam battery, and it went *poof* after I took the first photo from the parking lot (Just Google search "Bell Rock Sedona" and click "Images" and you'll get an eyefull). Anyway, we found a nice sitting rock at our half-way point and just sat and enjoyed the amazing views for a while before heading back down.
We were home by 2pm, and napping on the couch by 3:30. I think the heat and the climb just sucked the energy right out of us, vortices be damned. It's just a bit past 6pm now, and my splendid birthday weekend is nearly over. I love busy weekends like this--they leave me exhausted, but they seem to last so much longer than a weekend spent sleeping in and sitting around the house. It feels like I've had a week off from work. More cramming should be done!
Sadly, for the rest of the evening, the only cramming that will be done will be laundry into the machine! : D But there will be more days off, and more hikes, and more mini-adventures and exploring. Yes.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
It's mah birthday! It's mah birthday!
So today I'm 36. I gave myself a couple of really nice new scrapes on my right forearm and right shin, after taking a bad line on my bike ride this morning. I took the middle line in a gully full of sand, slid off to the side and caught my pedal, which threw me far and long into the rocks. Good Times! (the worst part of it all, truthfully, was when I got home and Russell demanded that he clean me up...the hydrogen peroxide stung a bazillion times worse than the original scrapes!)
I rode for about 3 hours this morning, with some complete strangers I hooked up with via a yahoo email list. I've just spent a fair amount of time trying to find some online photos of the trails we rode, to no avail. Suffice it to say that there was a lot of loose gravel, a boatload of nasty cholla, and more mini-whoop-de-dos (aka MOGULS!) than I ever care to ride again in my entire life. However, there was also miles of amazing scenery, a huge rock outcropping shaped exactly (from a distance) like a Gorilla, a teensy little horny toad (so cute!), and an amazing sense of "I DID IT" at the end of the ride. More, please!
This afternoon, Russell and I went out for lunch and then to a little specialty chocolate shop I had heard about. We then came home and took a nap on the couch. I think that was my favourite part of the day so far! I played some Tomb Raider and ate some Ice Cream Cake, and tomorrow we're going up to Sedona. What a fine birthday weekend!
(As far as the previous dreaming post goes, I wish I could say that the day following the dreams was filled with a sense of resolution and contentment, but alas, after marathon snoozes like that, I'm always more groggy than usual from having slept too much, and full of brain fog. I guess I have a lot to work out!)
I rode for about 3 hours this morning, with some complete strangers I hooked up with via a yahoo email list. I've just spent a fair amount of time trying to find some online photos of the trails we rode, to no avail. Suffice it to say that there was a lot of loose gravel, a boatload of nasty cholla, and more mini-whoop-de-dos (aka MOGULS!) than I ever care to ride again in my entire life. However, there was also miles of amazing scenery, a huge rock outcropping shaped exactly (from a distance) like a Gorilla, a teensy little horny toad (so cute!), and an amazing sense of "I DID IT" at the end of the ride. More, please!
This afternoon, Russell and I went out for lunch and then to a little specialty chocolate shop I had heard about. We then came home and took a nap on the couch. I think that was my favourite part of the day so far! I played some Tomb Raider and ate some Ice Cream Cake, and tomorrow we're going up to Sedona. What a fine birthday weekend!
(As far as the previous dreaming post goes, I wish I could say that the day following the dreams was filled with a sense of resolution and contentment, but alas, after marathon snoozes like that, I'm always more groggy than usual from having slept too much, and full of brain fog. I guess I have a lot to work out!)
Friday, April 28, 2006
The Problem with Sleeping, and other Complaints
Sometimes I wish I could just avoid dreaming. Last night I went to be early, thinking I'd wake up super refreshed and have hours and hours to get stuff done before I have to go into work this afternoon. Well apparently my subconcious had other ideas, because I was dreaming fervently all night long. When Russell's alarm clock went off, I hit snooze and went back to the dreaming. 3 times. When he got up, I got up to use the ladies room and promptly went back to my dreams. When he left for work I mumbled goodbye and collapsed back into bed. The dogs whined in protest, but still I dreamed on. Finally, at 10am, I forced myself up and out of the man-eating, dream inducing comfort of a big empty bed. 12 hours, I think?
What were these dreams about? I can't really say. Not that they are super secret or anything...just that it's all a foggy blur of odd snippets. Superhero-lasering giant "prison boxes" off the walls and ceiling of some hangar type place, releasing other super heroes and the odd bad guy or two. Finding some tiny glowing treasure chest filled with gelatinous goo. Showing that treasure to Angelina Jolie (she was one of the super-heroes I rescued, you see), and having her gasp in horror and throw it back to me, shrieking "Why are you showing that to me? I don't want it! Hide it!" I still don't know what it was.
In another part of the dream, Bucket was a shape-shifting hound, and apparently when he is disguised as a Daschund, he can't perform the "stand" stunt quite as well. Although it was much easier for him to become entangled in my knitting (which I don't do).
There are more and more odd snippets to all this, and for some reason I wanted to continue watching this bizaare montage more than I wanted to get up and face the day. It's gloomy and cloudy, after all. And I have to work tonight, closing with just 3 other people.
And it puts me one day closer to 36.
What were these dreams about? I can't really say. Not that they are super secret or anything...just that it's all a foggy blur of odd snippets. Superhero-lasering giant "prison boxes" off the walls and ceiling of some hangar type place, releasing other super heroes and the odd bad guy or two. Finding some tiny glowing treasure chest filled with gelatinous goo. Showing that treasure to Angelina Jolie (she was one of the super-heroes I rescued, you see), and having her gasp in horror and throw it back to me, shrieking "Why are you showing that to me? I don't want it! Hide it!" I still don't know what it was.
In another part of the dream, Bucket was a shape-shifting hound, and apparently when he is disguised as a Daschund, he can't perform the "stand" stunt quite as well. Although it was much easier for him to become entangled in my knitting (which I don't do).
There are more and more odd snippets to all this, and for some reason I wanted to continue watching this bizaare montage more than I wanted to get up and face the day. It's gloomy and cloudy, after all. And I have to work tonight, closing with just 3 other people.
And it puts me one day closer to 36.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Points of interest
1) Despite taking about 20 hours to defrost, I'm chalking up Monday's adventure in Refrigerator Defrostation as a Good Thing. Beverages are actually cold now, not just vaguely cool. It's a wonder we didn't suffer constant food poisoning. Our immune systems are probably nigh invulnerable at this point.
2) V for Vendetta is a damn good movie. However, Natalie Portman should NEVER, EVER again take a role which requires her to fake an English accent. *shudder*
3) I've discovered a positive side to those silly little nearly-invisible cell-phone ear/mic things: I can now talk to myself as much as I want (and that's a lot) and hardly anyone looks at me askance! They all just assume I'm chatting away to someone on the phone!
2) V for Vendetta is a damn good movie. However, Natalie Portman should NEVER, EVER again take a role which requires her to fake an English accent. *shudder*
3) I've discovered a positive side to those silly little nearly-invisible cell-phone ear/mic things: I can now talk to myself as much as I want (and that's a lot) and hardly anyone looks at me askance! They all just assume I'm chatting away to someone on the phone!
Monday, April 03, 2006
DIY Lies!
So I probably haven't mentioned it here, due to the utter mundanity, but our fridge hasn't really been, well, *cold* recently. And when I say "recently", I mean for about the past year. When my folks were here a couple weeks ago, my dad suggested that the several inches of ice that had accumulated in the freezer--and that were threatening to take over the fridge--might be a source of our non-cooling woes and that a defrost might be in order.
So.
I went online and read a couple of pages of info on defrosting the fridge. Pretty straightforward stuff. Empty all yer goods into coolers, unplug and/or turn off the fridge, open up the doors, and let The Thaw begin. They did mention having towels ready. They did mention that it could take up to 8 hours. They did NOT mention that water might actually flow from *under* the fridge and flood the floor of the kitchen. They did NOT mention that this might go on for NEARLY TWELVE HOURS. Small wonder the cooling mechanism was out of whack--it was apparently gummed up with an iceberg along the lines of that which sunk the Titanic.
Anyway. I haven't done much all day aside from babysit that fiasco. Good times.
So.
I went online and read a couple of pages of info on defrosting the fridge. Pretty straightforward stuff. Empty all yer goods into coolers, unplug and/or turn off the fridge, open up the doors, and let The Thaw begin. They did mention having towels ready. They did mention that it could take up to 8 hours. They did NOT mention that water might actually flow from *under* the fridge and flood the floor of the kitchen. They did NOT mention that this might go on for NEARLY TWELVE HOURS. Small wonder the cooling mechanism was out of whack--it was apparently gummed up with an iceberg along the lines of that which sunk the Titanic.
Anyway. I haven't done much all day aside from babysit that fiasco. Good times.
Out of the mouths of babes...
So over the weekend I was working the register when an older couple (grandparents?) with a young (4-5 years old) boy came through my line. The little boy handed me his Pez dispenser, part of the Disney Princesses series--Cinderella, which I thought was mildly peculiar, but hey, whatever, right? I played with Tonka trucks and Lincoln Logs when I was little. I take Cinderella, ring her up and hand her back to him.
At this point, things get a little...surreal. He lovingly cradles this Pez dispenser one little hand, tracing her "body" with his fingertips and says loudly "Just look at her beautiful breasts! They are so beautiful! And look at her lovely necklace..." It was all I could do to continue ringing the rest of their purchase without doubling over with laughter. I think I was as surprised by what he said as by the manner in which he said it--like he was a 40 year old wanna-be art connoisseur. To their credit, the adults with him did not make a big deal of it. They neither reprimanded him nor laughed or acted embarrassed. We exchanged that smile reserved for those special occasions when no words will suffice, they paid, and they were on their way.
I told a co-worker of mine--who happens to be gay--about it later in the day. His response? "That kid is TOTALLY batting for my team."
At this point, things get a little...surreal. He lovingly cradles this Pez dispenser one little hand, tracing her "body" with his fingertips and says loudly "Just look at her beautiful breasts! They are so beautiful! And look at her lovely necklace..." It was all I could do to continue ringing the rest of their purchase without doubling over with laughter. I think I was as surprised by what he said as by the manner in which he said it--like he was a 40 year old wanna-be art connoisseur. To their credit, the adults with him did not make a big deal of it. They neither reprimanded him nor laughed or acted embarrassed. We exchanged that smile reserved for those special occasions when no words will suffice, they paid, and they were on their way.
I told a co-worker of mine--who happens to be gay--about it later in the day. His response? "That kid is TOTALLY batting for my team."
Friday, March 31, 2006
Lemming!
I am a lemming. I turned on the television this morning so I could occupy my eyes and ears while I did some ironing. It was early and all of my "regular" channels were still broadcasting infomercials, so I had to resort to the "left hand of the dial," so to speak.
The first show I happened upon was on National Geographic, and it was called The Dog Whisperer. Now, I've seen this guy before and been pretty impressed with what I saw, so I put the clicker down and watched two episodes of the show. Good stuff. Mostly stuff that I knew from reading countless training guides and dog psychology books and going to training classes and what have you, but it was enough of a refresher to inspire me to spend about 2 hours this afternoon working and playing with Bucket and Delilah. Heaven knows they need it!
The next couple of shows I watched were on the LOGO network, which is apparently a new Gay and Lesbian channel, courtesy of MTV. Great. Can't wait to see stupid game shows and reality shows pitting this population--already under fire from "the outside"--against each other. Anyway, the shows were about cycling--Lifecycle, to be specific. It profiled some of the riders, showed the ride, and talked about the origins of the 7 day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money to fight and cure Aids. Now I'm all fired up to ride more, and do some kind of epic ride, complete with overnight camping, huge backpacks and support crews along the way. I would have even gone for a ride today if I hadn't been spending all that time with the dogs. :)
The third show I watched (hey, I had a lot of ironing!) was some sort of gardening rescue show. How to make your ugly duckling yard into a thing of beauty kind of thing. I pulled a few weeds in the yard after I walked the dogs, and I planned on which bushes I need to trim. See how tv affects me? I am playdough in the hands of network execs.
Insert witty closing comment here. I gotta go get ready for work and don't have time to come up with one of my own....
The first show I happened upon was on National Geographic, and it was called The Dog Whisperer. Now, I've seen this guy before and been pretty impressed with what I saw, so I put the clicker down and watched two episodes of the show. Good stuff. Mostly stuff that I knew from reading countless training guides and dog psychology books and going to training classes and what have you, but it was enough of a refresher to inspire me to spend about 2 hours this afternoon working and playing with Bucket and Delilah. Heaven knows they need it!
The next couple of shows I watched were on the LOGO network, which is apparently a new Gay and Lesbian channel, courtesy of MTV. Great. Can't wait to see stupid game shows and reality shows pitting this population--already under fire from "the outside"--against each other. Anyway, the shows were about cycling--Lifecycle, to be specific. It profiled some of the riders, showed the ride, and talked about the origins of the 7 day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money to fight and cure Aids. Now I'm all fired up to ride more, and do some kind of epic ride, complete with overnight camping, huge backpacks and support crews along the way. I would have even gone for a ride today if I hadn't been spending all that time with the dogs. :)
The third show I watched (hey, I had a lot of ironing!) was some sort of gardening rescue show. How to make your ugly duckling yard into a thing of beauty kind of thing. I pulled a few weeds in the yard after I walked the dogs, and I planned on which bushes I need to trim. See how tv affects me? I am playdough in the hands of network execs.
Insert witty closing comment here. I gotta go get ready for work and don't have time to come up with one of my own....
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Fatty on my mind
I discovered the Fat Cyclist through my ofttimes misguided loyalty to MSN.com. Well there is now a voting competition for Best Blog of the Week, or somesuch, and Fatty is giving away phat loot to anyone who will vote for him. One of his competitors was so entertained by his blog that she is throwing her two incontinent cats into the prize pot. Don't you owe it to yourself to vote?
Fat Cyclists and phat loot aside, I had a pretty cool day today. I was able to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts (including the chocolate covered, creme filled minions of satan) that the Bossman brought to work...AND I saw some of the Corteo folks in the store.
I was up front and espied a rather familiar looking young guy at one of the registers. I stared him down for awhile, not sure if my brain was making up stories so that my body and mouth would make a fool of me. As he turned to walk out the door, however, I noticed a badge/lanyard hanging down his back. It very definately had the Cirque du Soleil sun imprinted on it so, caution to the wind...I walked casually (ran) over to the door and greeted him eloquently (mumbled "something something CORTEO!"). He nodded and smiled (looked terrified and visibly shuddered), I complemented the show and thanked him for a wonderful performance (stuttered and drooled a little), and he walked away (tried very gallantly to disguise his dire urge to FLEE). Ahhh...a brush with fame. Yeah. It was a good day.
Fat Cyclists and phat loot aside, I had a pretty cool day today. I was able to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts (including the chocolate covered, creme filled minions of satan) that the Bossman brought to work...AND I saw some of the Corteo folks in the store.
I was up front and espied a rather familiar looking young guy at one of the registers. I stared him down for awhile, not sure if my brain was making up stories so that my body and mouth would make a fool of me. As he turned to walk out the door, however, I noticed a badge/lanyard hanging down his back. It very definately had the Cirque du Soleil sun imprinted on it so, caution to the wind...I walked casually (ran) over to the door and greeted him eloquently (mumbled "something something CORTEO!"). He nodded and smiled (looked terrified and visibly shuddered), I complemented the show and thanked him for a wonderful performance (stuttered and drooled a little), and he walked away (tried very gallantly to disguise his dire urge to FLEE). Ahhh...a brush with fame. Yeah. It was a good day.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Breaking All the Rules
In a recent post, one of my favourite co-denizens of the web, Fat Cyclist (yes, I've mentioned him before on numerous occasions, but I think he's entertaining enough to warrant multiple plugs) wrote up his three main rules of Blogging:
Don’t blog about blogging. Writing about the consternation you are experiencing because you have nothing to say is an excellent exercise, which you should then immediately delete without showing to anyone, ever.
Be about something. If your blog is about your entire life, it will probably be interesting to your family and closest friends (I’m being generous by including your closest friends in this list), and nobody else.
Write often. Don’t make people come back and read the same thing over and over. I mean, really.
I'm pretty sure I've never followed any of them with any real dedication.
I got a little intimidated about all the professed changes I'd be making--and embarrased that I hadn't figured any of them out (the first clue to my failure might have been NoviDavid's comment in the last post...pointing out my true incomprehension of all things HTML or otherwise web-coding related!). So I put off posting. Now I'm not even sure where my book is. I think it's buried under the mounds of papers, game manuals, and recyclable water bottles currently cluttering the top of the desk.
So. No new changes for this post. But here are a few exciting things we've done in the past week.
Shopping! I went last Monday for the first time in ages. I shouldn't really be allowed out of the house when the shopping mood strikes. I don't go often, but when I do, I end up spending money on silly things like new underwear, the DVD box set of Keen Eddie (hey, Suncoast was going out of business, so it was 40% off!), and a headlamp that I'm keen to attach to my bike helmet for summer night rides. I also picked up a gourmet carob brownie and some sweet little heart shaped cookies...for the dogs! I found a nice little shirt on clearance at Dillards, and oogled some shoes that I just couldn't justify.
Corteo! We went to see the show on Wednesday night. I think I purchased our tickets last November or something, so I got 2nd row seats. It was amazing, as all Cirque shows are. I smiled and laughed so much that my face hurt, and we both left feeling a little more inspired to get into shape (not that we'll be swinging from chandeliers anytime soon, but still...). If you've never seen a Cirque Du Soleil show.... do it.
Oblivion. It finally, finally came out. We picked it up for the PC, as Microsoft is being stingy with the XBox 360's, and who needs another console anyway for the one game that looks to be any good. Oh, and it is! Elder Scrolls was probably the first game that I got hooked on as an adult, and this just carries on in that vein, but in much better, and more beautiful ways. If anything can break my addiction to WoW, it will be this game. That said, the only thing that would currently make it better would be if it was online so I could chat with my friends. :D
Finally, yesterday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Faire. It's certainly not the same as going to our "home" faire in Kansas City, but it was still lovely to walk around holding hands and shop at all the goofy little craft shops. We caught bits and pieces of a few shows, and then watched the final joust, which was an abomination. I think the blood packs they used were the most impressive bit in the entire show. It wasn't painful for us to watch, however, as we were laughing our heads off through the entire thing. I mean, when you completely miss a pass, and have to swing your lance around behind your head to unhorse a guy (AND IT WORKS)...well it's pretty much a farce at that point.
Pooped as we were from walking around in the hot sun all day, we came home and watched a couple of episodes of Lost (only two remain of the first season DVD set. Oh noes!) and retired to the loft to lose ourselves in video games.
It's been a good week.
Don’t blog about blogging. Writing about the consternation you are experiencing because you have nothing to say is an excellent exercise, which you should then immediately delete without showing to anyone, ever.
Be about something. If your blog is about your entire life, it will probably be interesting to your family and closest friends (I’m being generous by including your closest friends in this list), and nobody else.
Write often. Don’t make people come back and read the same thing over and over. I mean, really.
I'm pretty sure I've never followed any of them with any real dedication.
I got a little intimidated about all the professed changes I'd be making--and embarrased that I hadn't figured any of them out (the first clue to my failure might have been NoviDavid's comment in the last post...pointing out my true incomprehension of all things HTML or otherwise web-coding related!). So I put off posting. Now I'm not even sure where my book is. I think it's buried under the mounds of papers, game manuals, and recyclable water bottles currently cluttering the top of the desk.
So. No new changes for this post. But here are a few exciting things we've done in the past week.
Shopping! I went last Monday for the first time in ages. I shouldn't really be allowed out of the house when the shopping mood strikes. I don't go often, but when I do, I end up spending money on silly things like new underwear, the DVD box set of Keen Eddie (hey, Suncoast was going out of business, so it was 40% off!), and a headlamp that I'm keen to attach to my bike helmet for summer night rides. I also picked up a gourmet carob brownie and some sweet little heart shaped cookies...for the dogs! I found a nice little shirt on clearance at Dillards, and oogled some shoes that I just couldn't justify.
Corteo! We went to see the show on Wednesday night. I think I purchased our tickets last November or something, so I got 2nd row seats. It was amazing, as all Cirque shows are. I smiled and laughed so much that my face hurt, and we both left feeling a little more inspired to get into shape (not that we'll be swinging from chandeliers anytime soon, but still...). If you've never seen a Cirque Du Soleil show.... do it.
Oblivion. It finally, finally came out. We picked it up for the PC, as Microsoft is being stingy with the XBox 360's, and who needs another console anyway for the one game that looks to be any good. Oh, and it is! Elder Scrolls was probably the first game that I got hooked on as an adult, and this just carries on in that vein, but in much better, and more beautiful ways. If anything can break my addiction to WoW, it will be this game. That said, the only thing that would currently make it better would be if it was online so I could chat with my friends. :D
Finally, yesterday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Faire. It's certainly not the same as going to our "home" faire in Kansas City, but it was still lovely to walk around holding hands and shop at all the goofy little craft shops. We caught bits and pieces of a few shows, and then watched the final joust, which was an abomination. I think the blood packs they used were the most impressive bit in the entire show. It wasn't painful for us to watch, however, as we were laughing our heads off through the entire thing. I mean, when you completely miss a pass, and have to swing your lance around behind your head to unhorse a guy (AND IT WORKS)...well it's pretty much a farce at that point.
Pooped as we were from walking around in the hot sun all day, we came home and watched a couple of episodes of Lost (only two remain of the first season DVD set. Oh noes!) and retired to the loft to lose ourselves in video games.
It's been a good week.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
My Brain isn't Big Enough
I try to wrap it around stuff like this, but it just won't go. I think perhaps it may have to do with the fact that I'm currently wasting valuable brainspace thinking about things like:
1) The fact that Delilah is in a yapping match with the dog behind us and may someday soon manage to climb the sheer block wall, with all the carnage that entails.
2) The fact that Bucket is very likely to vomit in the next 30 minutes or so due to the huge quantity of grass he's been grazing.
and,
3) What exactly is the deal with John Locke? (yes, we've been sucked into this extravaganza of suspense and mystery--we got the first season on DVD and are now panicking as to how we will cope when we are finished with this set, since we can't watch the show on telly and the second season won't be out for months.)
Friday is another day off for me, so perhaps I can clear out some time and meditate some brainspace free for some self-inflicted code torture.
1) The fact that Delilah is in a yapping match with the dog behind us and may someday soon manage to climb the sheer block wall, with all the carnage that entails.
2) The fact that Bucket is very likely to vomit in the next 30 minutes or so due to the huge quantity of grass he's been grazing.
and,
3) What exactly is the deal with John Locke? (yes, we've been sucked into this extravaganza of suspense and mystery--we got the first season on DVD and are now panicking as to how we will cope when we are finished with this set, since we can't watch the show on telly and the second season won't be out for months.)
Friday is another day off for me, so perhaps I can clear out some time and meditate some brainspace free for some self-inflicted code torture.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Small Victories
So I've changed the template completely so that I can follow along with some of the stuff the book shows as examples. I'm pretty sure my site will be ugly as hell for some time, while I figure all this out. I have figured out how to change the colour of the main header, the font style and colour, and how to add my favourite links to the sidebar (FINALLY!). I will fiddle with it more and more in the days to come, but right now I feel like my eyeballs are the size of grapefruits--and they are covered in sandpaper. Now I know why coders are nuts.
In other news, I nearly drove off the side of the road (not really mom, calm down!) yesterday on my way to work. There was SNOW in the mountains. The tips of the McDowell Mountains to the east were dusted with the white stuff, but to the north they were completely blanketed. It was such a beautiful sight! Snow! Within my field of range, and without using special 500x zoom optics! Fantastic.
And now, since it is my day off, I must go attend to that Stuff To Do list I created. I'll have to add "Fiddle with my Blog" to it now, since I've just spent about an hour doing just that. :D
In other news, I nearly drove off the side of the road (not really mom, calm down!) yesterday on my way to work. There was SNOW in the mountains. The tips of the McDowell Mountains to the east were dusted with the white stuff, but to the north they were completely blanketed. It was such a beautiful sight! Snow! Within my field of range, and without using special 500x zoom optics! Fantastic.
And now, since it is my day off, I must go attend to that Stuff To Do list I created. I'll have to add "Fiddle with my Blog" to it now, since I've just spent about an hour doing just that. :D
Sunday, March 12, 2006
10 Days and a New Impetus
It rained yesterday. My first Saturday off with Russell in...oh....a lifetime. We were going to go out to the Arizona Renaissance Faire, but decided against paying $40 to go shopping in the mud and muck. "The Show Must Go On" they say, and it does, but having as much experience as we both do with faires, we knew that we'd have to sort of have an "in" to see the best stuff. Without that inside edge, we would have just been wandering from dry booth to dry booth looking at hand woven jumpers and odd leather accoutrements. Another time perhaps.
We used our day off instead to shop in more comfortable conditions. My very best friend gave us a B&N gift card for Christmas, and we had yet to spend any of it, so away we went to the nearby shopper's paradise. We were quickly seduced by the thought of California Pizza Kitchen (which just happens to be across the way from B&N), so didn't spend the requisite 3 hours in the bookstore. I did, however, pick up a book that I'd seen a few months ago. This book is going to help me overcome my blogging blahs. It's going to make my blog bigger and better and more fun to write and much more fun to visit. But not today. Today I have to work.
But thanks, Kimbra!
We used our day off instead to shop in more comfortable conditions. My very best friend gave us a B&N gift card for Christmas, and we had yet to spend any of it, so away we went to the nearby shopper's paradise. We were quickly seduced by the thought of California Pizza Kitchen (which just happens to be across the way from B&N), so didn't spend the requisite 3 hours in the bookstore. I did, however, pick up a book that I'd seen a few months ago. This book is going to help me overcome my blogging blahs. It's going to make my blog bigger and better and more fun to write and much more fun to visit. But not today. Today I have to work.
But thanks, Kimbra!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
TechnoHate and Stoopid Pet Tricks
More and more recently I see people with those wierd little ear things hooked on their heads. They yammer away on their cell phones, but you don't really know it until you see the wierd little ear thing. Usually I just think they are nuts and talking really loudly to themselves (what is wrong with technology that we can create an mp3 player the size of a stick of gum that will hold 40 hours of music, but we can't make a microphone substantial enough to rid the world of cell phone shouters?).
From time to time I think maybe I should get myself an ear thing. I mean, the lady that works janitorial maintenance for our business complex was chatting away happily (and not, as I originally thought, to herself) as I left work today. Everyone seems to have them; why not me?
Here's why, and I'm glad you asked: I hate cell phones. I've ranted about them enough before in regards to other people's use of them, but here's this. I also hate MY cell phone. Despite all claims to its being so handy and portable, it never seems to be in the same room with me. If it IS in the same room with me and it happens to ring, it's a wrong number or work. OR the room I happen to be in is a room with very poor reception, so I find myself pacing around the house looking for that perfect spot. It's just a poorly functioning pita. While it serves its purpose and tends to make me feel a little more secure when I'm on a long road trip or mt. bike ride, it definitely doesn't warrant its own accessories.
And on another entirely different note, I taught the dogs to jump in a carboard box today. They'll do anything for a treat. After our "training" session, I worked in the yard for a bit and would periodically look up to see Bucket staring me down from inside the box, clearly waiting to be rewarded. He's clever in his own ridiculous way.
From time to time I think maybe I should get myself an ear thing. I mean, the lady that works janitorial maintenance for our business complex was chatting away happily (and not, as I originally thought, to herself) as I left work today. Everyone seems to have them; why not me?
Here's why, and I'm glad you asked: I hate cell phones. I've ranted about them enough before in regards to other people's use of them, but here's this. I also hate MY cell phone. Despite all claims to its being so handy and portable, it never seems to be in the same room with me. If it IS in the same room with me and it happens to ring, it's a wrong number or work. OR the room I happen to be in is a room with very poor reception, so I find myself pacing around the house looking for that perfect spot. It's just a poorly functioning pita. While it serves its purpose and tends to make me feel a little more secure when I'm on a long road trip or mt. bike ride, it definitely doesn't warrant its own accessories.
And on another entirely different note, I taught the dogs to jump in a carboard box today. They'll do anything for a treat. After our "training" session, I worked in the yard for a bit and would periodically look up to see Bucket staring me down from inside the box, clearly waiting to be rewarded. He's clever in his own ridiculous way.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Good Reason
I've been gone for a while, yes, but my Very Good Reason is that my parents were in town for a week! I was far too busy chillin' on the couch watching the olympics and shopping in wondrous new places to sit down and write anything. So here I am, playing catchup like the procrastinator I am.
We did watch a lot of the olympics--who didn't? (be honest--you watched some of it!) Ice dancing mostly, with a few Giant Slalom and Super G events tossed in. Some bobsledding, Snowboard Cross...it just made me miss winter that much more. And, by the way, it wasn't even super nice for the week my folks were here. It was barely 70 degrees most days; we had to wear long sleeves and/or JACKETS! Of course for them that was just fine; when they left home it was about 20 degrees and snowing/icing. I guess it's all relative.
Anyway, aside from Olympic marathons, we did our fair share of endurance shopping. Found some great bargains in some shops and paid more than is reasonable for .salsa at other shops. I got to see a lot of stuff that I've never even seen, even though it's right down street from where I work. Hopefully it was entertaining for the 'rents as well.
On of the "things" we did was go to Fountain Hills for the Great Fair--an arts and crafts fair of epic proportions. Fountain Hills is a hoity toity commununity just east of Phoenix, and I only knew where it was because the McDowell mt. Park has its main trail head there. I'd heard tails of a giant fountain downtown, and I imagined something like the fountains I'd seen in Kansas City--big ornate productions with more spouts and statues than height. However, people claimed to be able to see this fountain from various points on the bike trail (which is several several miles away), and I even overheard folks talking about seeing it from the air as they flew into Phoenix. Hmmm...So we pulled into the downtown area and come across this huge lake (my dad scoffed at it being referred to as a lake--remember that he lives by one that covers 25,000 square acres--but he forgets we're in the desert here, and a puddle of water might be considered a pond if it lasts more than a week). This lake was, oddly, bordered by several Saguaro cacti. It was also home to a wierdly retro-mod orifice of sorts:
I'm clever enough to have understood that this must be the fountain everyone was talking about, but where was the water? I was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to see it, but whatever. It's just a fountain, right? A while later someone looked up and Lo! WATER!
I'm not sure of the validity of the statement, but we heard someone say that it's about 300 feet tall. Who says the desert is dry!?
We did watch a lot of the olympics--who didn't? (be honest--you watched some of it!) Ice dancing mostly, with a few Giant Slalom and Super G events tossed in. Some bobsledding, Snowboard Cross...it just made me miss winter that much more. And, by the way, it wasn't even super nice for the week my folks were here. It was barely 70 degrees most days; we had to wear long sleeves and/or JACKETS! Of course for them that was just fine; when they left home it was about 20 degrees and snowing/icing. I guess it's all relative.
Anyway, aside from Olympic marathons, we did our fair share of endurance shopping. Found some great bargains in some shops and paid more than is reasonable for .salsa at other shops. I got to see a lot of stuff that I've never even seen, even though it's right down street from where I work. Hopefully it was entertaining for the 'rents as well.
On of the "things" we did was go to Fountain Hills for the Great Fair--an arts and crafts fair of epic proportions. Fountain Hills is a hoity toity commununity just east of Phoenix, and I only knew where it was because the McDowell mt. Park has its main trail head there. I'd heard tails of a giant fountain downtown, and I imagined something like the fountains I'd seen in Kansas City--big ornate productions with more spouts and statues than height. However, people claimed to be able to see this fountain from various points on the bike trail (which is several several miles away), and I even overheard folks talking about seeing it from the air as they flew into Phoenix. Hmmm...So we pulled into the downtown area and come across this huge lake (my dad scoffed at it being referred to as a lake--remember that he lives by one that covers 25,000 square acres--but he forgets we're in the desert here, and a puddle of water might be considered a pond if it lasts more than a week). This lake was, oddly, bordered by several Saguaro cacti. It was also home to a wierdly retro-mod orifice of sorts:
I'm clever enough to have understood that this must be the fountain everyone was talking about, but where was the water? I was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to see it, but whatever. It's just a fountain, right? A while later someone looked up and Lo! WATER!
I'm not sure of the validity of the statement, but we heard someone say that it's about 300 feet tall. Who says the desert is dry!?
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