I've been listening to the radio at work lately - the station plays stuff I like, and it keeps the rhythm of the headers from causing random tunes to get stuck in my head. I had the "Gilligan's Island" theme stuck once for 3 days. I wanted to kill Bob Denver - except he's already dead.
Anyhow - this station has commercials - like all of them - and I'm beginning to remember in excruciating detail why I don't watch Television.
For instance - the tire commercial (Tyres to those with alternative spelling). The concept is fairly simple - you buy 3 tires, they give you 4 for the price of 3. Not exactly rocket science. Not only that, but they don't force you to send in for a "rebate" - they just charge you less at point-0f-sale.
So.... Why do they have to have a smarmy salesman and a menopausal former cheerleader * shouting back and forth about this for SIXTY FULL SECONDS????? You can get the message accross in less than 10. All I can say is - I won't be buying tires from NTB anytime soon, because if they think their customers are that stupid that they have to scream at them repetitively - I don't EVER want to be one of their customers.
McDonalds is still advertising their ghastly sweet tea....**
Some guy who does not identify himself lists a bunch of mattress brands and styles that his advertiser wants to sell people - and then says "And that's the style I've got at home" - as if I would care what some complete stranger has for a mattress on his bed...
The in-water boat show.... featuring "Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel". I kid you not. He even has his own website
No wonder the Republicans think they can sell us McSame - apparently advertising for the terminally STUPID has positive impact...
*I am basing this description solely on the quality of their voices.
**Prior Rant on this topic is here
150 days
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Good Stuff
So last night I decided to be "creative" in a low-fat, low cholesterol, kinda-sorta healthy-ish way. The result was a skillet chicken stew that was very yummy.
Yummy Skillet Chicken Stew: (Serves 2)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast - cubed 1" pieces
4 slices Turkey Bacon - cut into 1" chunks
1 8" long x 1-1/2" diameter zucchini, cut in 3/4" circular pieces then quartered
6 small red potatoes, cubed 1" pieces
1 medium onion - cubed 1" pieces
8 larger-size button mushrooms - quartered
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. lemon-pepper spice
Heat Olive oil in skillet over low heat. Add garlic and onions, saute' until fragrant.
Add chicken, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, sprinkle with spices and drizzle soy sauce over all.
Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally for 45-50 minutes.
Excellent with a fruit salad.
152 days
Yummy Skillet Chicken Stew: (Serves 2)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast - cubed 1" pieces
4 slices Turkey Bacon - cut into 1" chunks
1 8" long x 1-1/2" diameter zucchini, cut in 3/4" circular pieces then quartered
6 small red potatoes, cubed 1" pieces
1 medium onion - cubed 1" pieces
8 larger-size button mushrooms - quartered
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. lemon-pepper spice
Heat Olive oil in skillet over low heat. Add garlic and onions, saute' until fragrant.
Add chicken, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, sprinkle with spices and drizzle soy sauce over all.
Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally for 45-50 minutes.
Excellent with a fruit salad.
152 days
Monday, August 18, 2008
Eurgh
Saturday was the company picnic. It was just lovely. A perfect day, all the kiddies were zooming around playing on the bouncy castle and blowup firetruck slide, I got to meet C's new baby daughter who is too cute for words, and sat breifly in the sun and ate chicken and potato chips (crisps) and slices of jumbo sub-sandwich.
I got home and did laundry and then just collapsed.
Yesterday was also quite nice, if a bit hotter, and I got more done around the old house, but about 6:30 I started feeling kind of ughhhh... and spent some time every 1/2 hour until well after midnite communing with the commode.
It kind of makes me wonder just how much water is in me, and how much I can lose before getting "dehydrated".
Anyhow, things seem better now, so maybe it was just a little fluke.
154 days
I got home and did laundry and then just collapsed.
Yesterday was also quite nice, if a bit hotter, and I got more done around the old house, but about 6:30 I started feeling kind of ughhhh... and spent some time every 1/2 hour until well after midnite communing with the commode.
It kind of makes me wonder just how much water is in me, and how much I can lose before getting "dehydrated".
Anyhow, things seem better now, so maybe it was just a little fluke.
154 days
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Phone Calls
Calling lots and lots today. Fortunately NOT collections calls, although those are going to have to be done again soon. No - the company is switching banks, and I have to call EVEYBODY who auto-deducts and giving them new bank info - or getting forms to fill out to give them new bank info.
The first lady I spoke with started to freak out when I began to ask her about how to change the account information. I think she was afraid that I had some complaint and wanted to cancel it, or that they'd deducted multiple times or something. She was all flustered and cutting me off before I could finish my sentance - so I waited a bit then told her "whoah! Hang on! We LIKE the service - but we'd like to continue it and if you don't let me change bank accounts, this one will be gone and you'll not get paid!" Then she calmed down and we got it all straight.
After that, I started to preface my "attack" with "You take the money directly from our account and WE LIKE IT A LOT!!!" I got laughed at a lot, but at least I didn't have any more customer service reps having a stroke trying to anticipate negative interactions!
158 days
The first lady I spoke with started to freak out when I began to ask her about how to change the account information. I think she was afraid that I had some complaint and wanted to cancel it, or that they'd deducted multiple times or something. She was all flustered and cutting me off before I could finish my sentance - so I waited a bit then told her "whoah! Hang on! We LIKE the service - but we'd like to continue it and if you don't let me change bank accounts, this one will be gone and you'll not get paid!" Then she calmed down and we got it all straight.
After that, I started to preface my "attack" with "You take the money directly from our account and WE LIKE IT A LOT!!!" I got laughed at a lot, but at least I didn't have any more customer service reps having a stroke trying to anticipate negative interactions!
158 days
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Sewmouse Post-Monday Report
First things first - Mindi update:
Well, there is certainly something wrong with Mindi - but we won't know for a bit exactly what. The vet wants to do blood tests and stuff - and he wants to take x-rays. I'm ok with that, but it is expensive, and I need to wait to get my next check before I can spend all that much. He did do a preliminary check, and he says she is certainly walking wrong, and has a problem in her LEFT hip (I always thought it was the right) - which could be old-age related, or could be something worse. Won't know 100% until they get results back.
Mindi and Kili travel quite differently. Kili keeps poking her nose out of the vent holes in the box and maowing at me furiously. Mindi, however, hunched herself down with her face in the corner where there are no holes at all - and wimpered only when something happened to jostle her. Kili can't WAIT to get out of the box at the vet - I had to DRAG Mindi out, having had to turn her around first, since her butt was facing the door.
Vet agrees Mindi is too fat. Also agrees there's not much I can do about it given Kili's eating habits and their age. He does, however, approve of their food.
Got my final OK from Dr. Brad. Back is back where it belongs, no pain, so all is good.
I even took a walk last nite over to the pool to see how the new lighting and stuff is coming along. Apparently someone in the area went around and "keyed" a bunch of cars (running something metallic like keys or nails along and scraping off paint), so the Association and the police are working on ways to keep the vandals at bay.
Fortunately, the little blue Neon did not sustain damage.
The festival was ok. I ate before I left, which was a good thing since everything there would have probably been "heart-attack-on-a-stick" or worse for me. There were no t-shirts for sale that I saw. The warmup band for the main stage wasn't too bad, but I didn't stay for the main act (Ides of March) - mostly because I can't possibly figure out how a one-hit-wonder band can play a whole set, when they only had one hit - and how many times can you listen to "Vehicle" before it becomes irritating? No photos as the camera batteries were dead.
Tonite I'll stop at Costco and buy DRUGS - and at 1/2 price books to feed my addiction.
160 days
Well, there is certainly something wrong with Mindi - but we won't know for a bit exactly what. The vet wants to do blood tests and stuff - and he wants to take x-rays. I'm ok with that, but it is expensive, and I need to wait to get my next check before I can spend all that much. He did do a preliminary check, and he says she is certainly walking wrong, and has a problem in her LEFT hip (I always thought it was the right) - which could be old-age related, or could be something worse. Won't know 100% until they get results back.
Mindi and Kili travel quite differently. Kili keeps poking her nose out of the vent holes in the box and maowing at me furiously. Mindi, however, hunched herself down with her face in the corner where there are no holes at all - and wimpered only when something happened to jostle her. Kili can't WAIT to get out of the box at the vet - I had to DRAG Mindi out, having had to turn her around first, since her butt was facing the door.
Vet agrees Mindi is too fat. Also agrees there's not much I can do about it given Kili's eating habits and their age. He does, however, approve of their food.
Got my final OK from Dr. Brad. Back is back where it belongs, no pain, so all is good.
I even took a walk last nite over to the pool to see how the new lighting and stuff is coming along. Apparently someone in the area went around and "keyed" a bunch of cars (running something metallic like keys or nails along and scraping off paint), so the Association and the police are working on ways to keep the vandals at bay.
Fortunately, the little blue Neon did not sustain damage.
The festival was ok. I ate before I left, which was a good thing since everything there would have probably been "heart-attack-on-a-stick" or worse for me. There were no t-shirts for sale that I saw. The warmup band for the main stage wasn't too bad, but I didn't stay for the main act (Ides of March) - mostly because I can't possibly figure out how a one-hit-wonder band can play a whole set, when they only had one hit - and how many times can you listen to "Vehicle" before it becomes irritating? No photos as the camera batteries were dead.
Tonite I'll stop at Costco and buy DRUGS - and at 1/2 price books to feed my addiction.
160 days
Friday, August 08, 2008
On to the Weekend.
So! Today is Friday, I've been tolerably good all week, so I am going to try and do somehting fun and different this weekend.
My "reward" for being "good" this week is going to be a nice pedicure/manicure - but I'm also going to take a bit of a plunge and go out to a street festival alone. Usually I have SOMEONE to tag along with, but nobody else wants to go this time, and I figure if I'm really gonna BELIEVE in my own independence, I need to do stuff like this without being codependent on someone else.
So I'm going to the Addison Community Days thingywhatzit. They have been setting up all week right along my route to work, and yesterday I tried to get a photo of the neat and tidy rows and rows of Portapotties (at LEAST 2 dozen) and Trash Wheeliebins (many more!)... But they had put up a fence along the roadside that has green plastic to keep people out and hide the festival from the street.
There are carnie rides and games, live music, dancing shows, and a lot of food vendors, along with all the portapotties and trash cans.
I remember really enjoying going to these kinds of town festivals when Amanda was dancing. After the dance company was finished, we would walk around and look at the fest before going home. The weather promises to be nice, so either Sat. afternoon or Sunday I'll go and check it out.
164 days
My "reward" for being "good" this week is going to be a nice pedicure/manicure - but I'm also going to take a bit of a plunge and go out to a street festival alone. Usually I have SOMEONE to tag along with, but nobody else wants to go this time, and I figure if I'm really gonna BELIEVE in my own independence, I need to do stuff like this without being codependent on someone else.
So I'm going to the Addison Community Days thingywhatzit. They have been setting up all week right along my route to work, and yesterday I tried to get a photo of the neat and tidy rows and rows of Portapotties (at LEAST 2 dozen) and Trash Wheeliebins (many more!)... But they had put up a fence along the roadside that has green plastic to keep people out and hide the festival from the street.
There are carnie rides and games, live music, dancing shows, and a lot of food vendors, along with all the portapotties and trash cans.
I remember really enjoying going to these kinds of town festivals when Amanda was dancing. After the dance company was finished, we would walk around and look at the fest before going home. The weather promises to be nice, so either Sat. afternoon or Sunday I'll go and check it out.
164 days
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Mindi, Oatmeal, Storm
Mindi Update:
I can't get into the vet until Monday nite. Considering she's been acting goofy like this for a while, I think she'll survive until then. (Bah - hopefully she'll survive anything, the little cuddlebunny).
Vet's office was funny - "Do you want to know her name?"
"We already know it"
"She's never been there..."
"Oh! Which one is this then?"
"This is Mindi"
"Ah yes, we saw Kili before. What color is Mindi?"
"She's Kili's littermate - you'd have to know them to tell them apart"
"Oh, so Siamese Mix, then?"
"Yes - Siamutts." (Receptionist chuckles)
"How old?"
"Umm... I dunno - what do you have down for Kili? They were littermates"
((*I silently chuckle* ))
It is finally starting to feel like Late July/Early August. We still haven't had the annual drought. The backyard jungle is still jungly.
So my Dr. got back the test results from my bloodtests. I'm otherwise ok (considering what they already knew), but the cholesterol is all fardleschnockered up. He wants to put me on pills, but I don't want them. Personally, I think I can oatmeal my way back to normal - during the 3 months while Leandra was so sick, I was eating almost nothing but cheese-sticks, string cheese, bulk cheese and red meat. Almost no veggies or fruits. (Yes, yes, yes, Croila! I know! 5 a day...) My blood sugar went flying around the walls and up to the ceiling and I'm not in the least surprised to find out the cholesterol got effed up too. However.
Lipitor and other cholesterol drugs have VERY BAD side effects on your liver. No thank you. Oatmeal and fish sounds better than losing liver function. I have to fight with the Dr. about this still, however. And quite honestly? I need that rather the same as I require an additional nose.
Or a husband. (*chuckle*)
So there was a storm. BIG storm. Loud thunderboomers. Apparently there was quite a bit of damage in No. Indiana. (at the risk of having John swat me.... How could they tell?) The insurance agencies are all advertising on the radio for their people to call them to make claims. Why? This is strange. Perhaps this is their way of finding out who files claims so they can discontinue their insurance???
I only got ONE adrenaline-rush wakeup from the storm. One of those CRACK... BANG!!!!! lightening strikes near the house. The rest of it was rather quiet rumbling and flashes - soothing and I slept through quite a lot of it. Wild weather is something I really don't mind unless I get too much of the adrenaline-rush type boomers. Those I'm not as fond of. I have a dear friend who loves storms too. He'd have loved this one.
166 days
I can't get into the vet until Monday nite. Considering she's been acting goofy like this for a while, I think she'll survive until then. (Bah - hopefully she'll survive anything, the little cuddlebunny).
Vet's office was funny - "Do you want to know her name?"
"We already know it"
"She's never been there..."
"Oh! Which one is this then?"
"This is Mindi"
"Ah yes, we saw Kili before. What color is Mindi?"
"She's Kili's littermate - you'd have to know them to tell them apart"
"Oh, so Siamese Mix, then?"
"Yes - Siamutts." (Receptionist chuckles)
"How old?"
"Umm... I dunno - what do you have down for Kili? They were littermates"
((*I silently chuckle* ))
It is finally starting to feel like Late July/Early August. We still haven't had the annual drought. The backyard jungle is still jungly.
So my Dr. got back the test results from my bloodtests. I'm otherwise ok (considering what they already knew), but the cholesterol is all fardleschnockered up. He wants to put me on pills, but I don't want them. Personally, I think I can oatmeal my way back to normal - during the 3 months while Leandra was so sick, I was eating almost nothing but cheese-sticks, string cheese, bulk cheese and red meat. Almost no veggies or fruits. (Yes, yes, yes, Croila! I know! 5 a day...) My blood sugar went flying around the walls and up to the ceiling and I'm not in the least surprised to find out the cholesterol got effed up too. However.
Lipitor and other cholesterol drugs have VERY BAD side effects on your liver. No thank you. Oatmeal and fish sounds better than losing liver function. I have to fight with the Dr. about this still, however. And quite honestly? I need that rather the same as I require an additional nose.
Or a husband. (*chuckle*)
So there was a storm. BIG storm. Loud thunderboomers. Apparently there was quite a bit of damage in No. Indiana. (at the risk of having John swat me.... How could they tell?) The insurance agencies are all advertising on the radio for their people to call them to make claims. Why? This is strange. Perhaps this is their way of finding out who files claims so they can discontinue their insurance???
I only got ONE adrenaline-rush wakeup from the storm. One of those CRACK... BANG!!!!! lightening strikes near the house. The rest of it was rather quiet rumbling and flashes - soothing and I slept through quite a lot of it. Wild weather is something I really don't mind unless I get too much of the adrenaline-rush type boomers. Those I'm not as fond of. I have a dear friend who loves storms too. He'd have loved this one.
166 days
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
To vet, or not to vet...
Something is wrong with Mindi, the fat kitty.
It could just be that she's old and has arthritis or something - but she's been favoring her right hind leg, and instead of trotting down the stairs, she hops like a bunnyrabbit.
Lately when she goes to lay down, it becomes a major production number, very slowly lowering herself to the floor as if it were painful.
I know I have to take her to the Vet. I'm actually afraid of what he/she will tell me, however. I can't afford to spend 1000's of dollars on a cat - but Mindi is such a honeylove - she cuddles, she looks up into my face with those big blue trusting eyes... she slobbers all over my shirt...
Ok, the slobber part isn't all that great, but she's done it like forever. And she's not so far gone that she couldn't knock over the trash can while I was eating dinner and try to steal the skin from the salmon filet...
If it's something bad like cancer, I'll have to have the vet put her down. I went through that horror with Sasha, and I'll not allow vets to chop hunks off my cats anymore.
167 days
It could just be that she's old and has arthritis or something - but she's been favoring her right hind leg, and instead of trotting down the stairs, she hops like a bunnyrabbit.
Lately when she goes to lay down, it becomes a major production number, very slowly lowering herself to the floor as if it were painful.
I know I have to take her to the Vet. I'm actually afraid of what he/she will tell me, however. I can't afford to spend 1000's of dollars on a cat - but Mindi is such a honeylove - she cuddles, she looks up into my face with those big blue trusting eyes... she slobbers all over my shirt...
Ok, the slobber part isn't all that great, but she's done it like forever. And she's not so far gone that she couldn't knock over the trash can while I was eating dinner and try to steal the skin from the salmon filet...
If it's something bad like cancer, I'll have to have the vet put her down. I went through that horror with Sasha, and I'll not allow vets to chop hunks off my cats anymore.
167 days
Friday, August 01, 2008
Connectivity Issues
3 minutes of connectivity - modem resets.
5 minutes of connectivity - modem resets.
20 minutes of connectivity - modem resets.
25 seconds of connectivity - modem resets.
1 minute of connectivity - modem resets.
This is a bit of a bitch, especially when you are trying to accomplish something online that requires surfing from page to page in short-order.... or trying to play a little bit of WoW.
So yesterday I contacted Comcast to find out if they can fix it. Got a really nice gal on their "chat in realtime" online feature (from work!) (yes, my boss knew...) and she said it should fix up just as soon as I got home and rebooted everything. Cool beans.
Got home, rebooted everything, went downstairs to have dinner, came back upstairs - no connectivity. Modem reset. 2 minutes of connectivity....
So I called from home, and talked to a really nice guy who said it was something "in the line"' and they'd have to send out a techie. I asked if it was possible if the coax had been damaged, would that maybe cause it? He said yes. I told him not to send anyone until I had a chance to check the cable inside the house, as I can replace that myself.
Cats. Chewed. Almost THROUGH.
*le sigh*
So tonite on the way home I will stop at the CompUSA store and pick up some coax cable, and then I'll see if the problem was this - or something more yet.
I wonder if there is a nice Korean restaurant anywhere near my house....
171 days
5 minutes of connectivity - modem resets.
20 minutes of connectivity - modem resets.
25 seconds of connectivity - modem resets.
1 minute of connectivity - modem resets.
This is a bit of a bitch, especially when you are trying to accomplish something online that requires surfing from page to page in short-order.... or trying to play a little bit of WoW.
So yesterday I contacted Comcast to find out if they can fix it. Got a really nice gal on their "chat in realtime" online feature (from work!) (yes, my boss knew...) and she said it should fix up just as soon as I got home and rebooted everything. Cool beans.
Got home, rebooted everything, went downstairs to have dinner, came back upstairs - no connectivity. Modem reset. 2 minutes of connectivity....
So I called from home, and talked to a really nice guy who said it was something "in the line"' and they'd have to send out a techie. I asked if it was possible if the coax had been damaged, would that maybe cause it? He said yes. I told him not to send anyone until I had a chance to check the cable inside the house, as I can replace that myself.
Cats. Chewed. Almost THROUGH.
*le sigh*
So tonite on the way home I will stop at the CompUSA store and pick up some coax cable, and then I'll see if the problem was this - or something more yet.
I wonder if there is a nice Korean restaurant anywhere near my house....
171 days
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
New Things
Obviously many of my "old things" havent' been working. The DR. wants to put me on cholesterol meds and I plan to fight it. The possible side-effects scare the bejebus out of me. I know he means well, but after 3 months of eating horribly - almost all red meat, soft buns and cheese - while Leandra was sliding downhill, I'm really not overly surprised to find out that my cholesterol and triglycerides are a bit out of whack.
So yesterday I went to the market to get lunch, instead of a drive-thru. I bought a big salad with loads of fresh veggies on it, another bag of cherries, some OatNut bread (I love oatnut bread...) and this cereal that I can't remember the name of it, but it had flaxseed and pumpkin seeds in it.
Now, to be honest, my first thought was UCK. I love pumpkin pie, but pumpkin cereal sounded cloying and unpleasant. However, it was labeled "Organic" - which has certain labeling restrictions as opposed to "all natural" and stuff like that - so I figured, WTF, right? Flaxseed is supposedly good for the heart and arteries, so I'll try it. I'll try ANYTHING once. (Except gross stuff like brains or tongue...)
It was GOOD! They had these little puffball things in it that kind of resembled rice krispies, and it tasted rather cinnamony, which is nice. There was enough crunchy/chewy balance to make it great with just a bit of milk on it. So, this is a "new thing" that I'll probably have more often.
I need to find some kind of exercise to do too. My bike has flat tires (again!) and I'm too puffy and wheezy to run, too broke to join a gym and too Raphaelite to be seen in a swimsuit outside of my Dad's retirement village.
174 days
So yesterday I went to the market to get lunch, instead of a drive-thru. I bought a big salad with loads of fresh veggies on it, another bag of cherries, some OatNut bread (I love oatnut bread...) and this cereal that I can't remember the name of it, but it had flaxseed and pumpkin seeds in it.
Now, to be honest, my first thought was UCK. I love pumpkin pie, but pumpkin cereal sounded cloying and unpleasant. However, it was labeled "Organic" - which has certain labeling restrictions as opposed to "all natural" and stuff like that - so I figured, WTF, right? Flaxseed is supposedly good for the heart and arteries, so I'll try it. I'll try ANYTHING once. (Except gross stuff like brains or tongue...)
It was GOOD! They had these little puffball things in it that kind of resembled rice krispies, and it tasted rather cinnamony, which is nice. There was enough crunchy/chewy balance to make it great with just a bit of milk on it. So, this is a "new thing" that I'll probably have more often.
I need to find some kind of exercise to do too. My bike has flat tires (again!) and I'm too puffy and wheezy to run, too broke to join a gym and too Raphaelite to be seen in a swimsuit outside of my Dad's retirement village.
174 days
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