Author: duane

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post ultrasound sydney update

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So, we had the ultrasound done yesterday… $400 to find out, wait for it… Nothing. That’s right, there isn’t anything abnormal with his abdomen, stomach, nadda. However, it may have been worth it to spend the $400, because when I got into the vet’s office yesterday morning, (I wanted to stick around and talk to them so that I could tell them a few things that I wanted checked out) Sydney was transformed into his old self. Wagging his tail, jumping up into my lap, and full of energy. Maybe he was faking it? Maybe he was a little sick, and just didn’t feel like eating? Either way, after we picked him up yesterday afternoon, he proceeded to eat treats (without having them crushed first), walk around, wag his tail, jump up on the couch, and everything he normally does.

He is also eating out of his bowl on his own, without being coxed into it. I am not sure if it is a case of “don’t take me back there, see, see!, I am good! nothing to worry about!!!”, or if he really is getting back to his old self, and it was more of an episode, rather than something actually wrong. I hope that it was definitely just a little bout of upset tummy, or something minor, and I am glad that he is getting back to normal. It’s funny, because it is almost like we took him in, and got our old Sydney back. I just hope that his eating improves, and he gets back to normal. He even wanted to play with his toys last night! What a little stinker, eh? I honestly don’t care what was going on, so long as he is better, and a happy, healthy little dog. Thanks to everyone that had kind words and well wishes; it really means a lot to know that people were thinking about us!!!

Totally unrelated to Sydney’s health drama this week, we had/have a bit of a situation at the house… Basically, a few days ago, we saw an injured cat slink its way under the deck; before we could do anything to help it/stop it. A day or so later, we were greeted with that all too familiar smell of rotting carcass when we walked our of the front door, and I was sure that the damn cat died under the porch, and we were going to have to endure that smell for at least a few more days (my cat used to drag us “presents” under the porch when I lived with my parents… yuck). The situation comes into play when yesterday, we walked outside to do something, and James exclaims, “Oh my god! There’s a dead cat in the koi pond!”. Sure enough, the carcass of that cat was tangled in the net of the pond, COVERED in maggots and flies. I almost threw up. I told James that it had to be gotten out of there ASAP, or it would kill all of the fish, and he sprung into action. He managed to clean out most of the “debris”, but I noticed this morning that there are still a ton of maggots in the pond, and we seriously need to figure out how to get them out of there so they don’t kill the fish. I am glad that the dead cat smell is gone, but jeez… that is not the alternative plan of action I was expecting; nor the one that I wanted. Yuck!

The whole cat scenario, which, by the way, is our third serious cat incident since we have lived at our house, totally echoes (although, not on the same threat level) what Lori and Brian when through this morning; people that neglect animals, and don’t get them spayed and neutered are just AWFUL fucking people. Seriously, if you don’t intend to get an animal the care that it needs, provide it with food and shelter, and make sure that it isn’t unnecessarily breeding animals that you have no intention of taking care of, you are at the very minimum, a despicable person. Perhaps we should call animal services more than we do, but honestly, they are so picky about what they will do, it really makes it more of our problem than anything. I just wish people weren’t so neglectful, and by association, cruel. It’s an animal dammit, it NEEDS you. Don’t get one if you don’t plan on taking care of it. UGH! /endrant.

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excuse me, is that YOUR blower?

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I didn’t think so!

Yesterday evening, I went outside with Sydney to watch him while he went potty, and I noticed that the handles on the shed were broken off, and hanging on by a little piece of plastic. Naturally, I thought, “well James has gone and broken this damn thing!”, so I asked him. Nope, turns out, he had just been in the shed about an hour before, after which, he went to the gym, leaving me and Sydney at the house.

While he was at the gym, someone came around the back of the house, jumped over the fence, and used a huge pipe to smash the handles off of the storage shed. We looked, and all we could see that he had taken was our leaf blower. Naturally, we were pretty freaked out, and we went back and looked at the footage of the theft from the security cameras. We got a visual of the criminal, and mulled over whether or not to go through the process of filing a police report; because when things have been stolen in the past, they have been very “oh well” about it.

We decided against filing a report at that time, and instead, James headed to Lowes to get some materials to make a new lock and securing mechanism (since the handles had been completely smashed off). Before he came home, the phone rings, and James quickly tells me that I need to call 911, because the guy is back! I had all of the lights in the back of the house off, so when I called 911, I walked back there, and sure enough, I could see him right at the fence (on the outside at this point), getting ready to jump into the yard!!! Needless to say, I was REALLY freaked out, and the 911 operator was listening to the whole scenario. I described the guy to her, and she relayed that message to the cop that was on the way.

The guy must have seen James’ car, because right as James came up the road behind our house, the guy stopped his plan of breaking back into the shed, and bolted. I couldn’t see where he went, and James took off (against my wishes) to find him. I stayed on the phone with the 911 operator until the cop arrived a good 20 minutes later. By then, James had seen a local man in the neighborhood that is well known for cutting people’s grass, and asked him if he knew the guy; and he did! Now, we know the guy’s name, and we relayed all of that information to the police.

You would think with that much information, they would act on it, or at least follow up, but nope; all he did was take a police report. While I am glad that the guy was “caught in the act”, and wasn’t able to steal anything else, I am still a little mad that he got away with it scott-free. I was also surprised at how ballsy it was for him to come back the same day, especially considering that we now know that he lives nearby. Hopefully, it is the last we will see of him; but if he does come back, the lock will be a lot more difficult for him to break this time around.

Things like this really freak me out, because it just makes you realize that there are people out there that will just take whatever they want, and they don’t care that it doesn’t belong to them. It was also creepy that I was home BOTH times he came to the house. I am just glad that it was only a petty theft, and that the whole thing is (HOPEFULLY) over.

In other news, my tivo has been shipped, and should arrive in 6 business days. ROCK! Speaking of ROCK, I beat the medium mode on GH: Encore last night where I got 5 stars on each song on the first try. WTF?! Either it is much easier than the other GH games, or I am a lot better… or both. Either way, it is a fun game, and I look forward to getting into the Hard mode next. I am disappointed that you can’t buy new songs, but GH:III is right around the corner, and hopefully, not to far out. I can’t wait for that game!

all about me, happenings, mixed media, near and dear, show the love, the catch-all-egory

buying things will take your mind off of it…

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So James and I came home from the vet frustrated with our situation yesterday, because we really weren’t getting much in the way of answers from the people at Banfield. With our frustration, we called to speak with the vet, and honestly, she took about 15 minutes to really talk with me, which did make me feel better. She told me that we need to get the x-ray and the ultrasound, and if those don’t show anything, we need to do an endoscopy. We are taking it one thing at a time. X-ray and ultrasound are currently scheduled for Thursday, and hopefully, we will know more then.

I honestly hope that it is nothing. She thinks that it might be an ulcer or something similar, and if so, there is medication that he can take that will make him better. She also informed us that we needed to try and make him eat, which we were actually successful with last night. We are trying different types of wet dog foods, really anything, to get him to eat. We found a treat he likes, and honestly, if that is what he will eat, I will buy a bunch of it to get something in his stomach. He is still weak, but he definitely seemed better after eating last night. Also, he isn’t yelping as much anymore either; which is a great sign. Thanks to all of the well wishes and thoughts you guys, I really don’t know what I would do if anything happened to my baby, and I really hope that he will get back to his old self sooner, rather than later. I am just praying he gets better soon. I will give updates about the tests on Thursday when we get them done.

James and I were driving home from the vet yesterday, and honestly, we were just silent in the car, because we were so worried. The call with the vet changed a lot of that, but we are still concerned, and can’t think of much else. So, like the good little consumer, I have turned to a little well-timed retail therapy to help take my mind off of this week’s situation. Coincidental to these events with Sydney, two products that I have been urning for came out today:

The NEW Tivo HD receiver (the much more reasonable $300 version)
and
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I have my confirmation order number for the tivo (after getting rejected by the website, and having to call in, sit on hold, get rejected by the system, and having the customer service person (who was really sweet, and actually called back and gave me confirmation) complete the order and call my back), and I am going to pick up GH during lunch. Is this enough to make me not worry about my little man? Absolutely not. However, it really does make me feel a little bit better; even if it is momentarily.

Tonight will be some shredding at my place, and hopefully, we can get little man to eat a little more. Hope everyone is having a good day. Now, WHEN will my new tivo arrive!! HURRY!

the catch-all-egory

update on sydney

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cutest dog on earth, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

He’s still not feeling well, and frankly, we don’t know what’s wrong with him. Today, James and I are going to see if we can take him in for an ultrasound and possibly, an x-ray. His blood tests and fecal tests were normal, yet he isn’t improving, and still doesn’t want to eat.

We keep feeding him boiled chicken, like the vet suggested, but he won’t eat very much of it at all. I am honestly just scared for him, because we can tell that he has lost weight; and with a dog this small, any weight loss is not good.

This is pretty much my primary concern right now, and my current obsession; I really hope that my little man gets better soon. Please keep him in your thoughts and whatnot, because he definitely loves a little support.

I will update with new information as I get it. Here’s hoping that it is just a little cold or something like that, and it will pass. I have faith that he is going to get better soon… whether he wants to or not!

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giving in, one web app at a time

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Nikki recently joined facebook amongst the others; and alas, so have I. Not only that, I find myself on twitter, yelp, flickr, livejournal, netvibes, and a host of other great web apps. I still never gave in to myspace, which I have say, is not something that I am ever going to join, EVER.

With that being said, facebook is pretty awesome; there is a ton to actually do and look at. I foresee lots of time spent on there. At least it is another corner of the internet that can entertain me. I have added links to my profiles at twitter, livejournal, facebook, etc in the “more than just a blog” column on the right over there; so go, check it out, and add me as a friend if you so desire.

I am not going to post those links in this post (even though that would probably be convenient) because I am lazy. Also, I listening to the Silversun Pickups (again), and the song “Well Thought Out Twinkles” may be one of the best songs EVER. Seriously. Awesome.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday, well, at least as relaxing as mine has been. Now… only to decide whether to go or not to go to the gym…

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RIP Tammy Faye

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I just wanted to write out a few thoughts, and offer my condolences to the family of Tammy Faye; a kind, gentle, beautiful, honorable, and wonderful soul. Tammy, you will be missed. You embraced the gay community, despite the hate the Christian community wanted you to push onto us. You helped people see that we were just people, just like everyone else, and there was no need to hate us because of who we are; and we love you for that. I personally am saddened by her loss, because it is saddest when the world loses someone who truly understood love and compassion; and did not discriminate how she shared it.

May you rest in peace, you sweet, beautiful soul.

I am just glad that you no longer have to suffer, because you definitely deserve eternal happiness; as you have been a shining example of what true Christianity is supposed to be about: acceptance and love.

Thank you for caring about us; I hope that you know that we certainly cared for you in return.

You will be missed, Tammy Faye.

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thanks and thoughts

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I wanted to say thanks to everyone that sent well wishes and stuff the other day; I was just in a weird spot, and I honestly was thinking too much for my own good. I have this incredible ability to let something minuscule turn into a huge festering thing in my mind, all because I focus too much on it. I am working on that, but it is part of what I learned in how to deal with people when I was growing up. Some of that stuff never goes away, and you just have to deal with it; perhaps that is why I find that I do get let down when I expect too much from people. My parents were good at letting me down, and yet, I naively always believed that the next time, they wouldn’t; which unfortunately, almost always ended in disappointment. I am working on getting out of that, but for now, I can only go at this pace. Thanks for listening, understanding, and being here.

Sydney is doing better, although he is very lethargic and doesn’t want to move around much. I am hoping that by the end of the weekend, he is back to his normal, energetic self. I don’t like seeing him in any pain, because he really is my “baby”, and I love him so much. I am just glad that his tests came back normal, and it appears to just be a case of upset tummy. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts about him, as well.

Other than that, there isn’t really much going on in the way of “stuff” right now. I am still in a little bit of a weird place, as it was pointed out to me that I was being a little snippy at lunch with James. I was constantly on his case about his driving, because, well, he is a very easily distracted person anyway, and I really didn’t want anything to happen to him or his car. I guess sometimes, good intentions come out bitchy. Oh well… perhaps it is the rain today? Who knows… I just know I am glad that it is Friday.

Finally, a few links with some scattered thoughts:
— Surprise! A negative review of “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” from a gay website. While I don’t really care one way or another about the movie getting good or bad reviews, it always makes me wonder about people who watch movies and criticize them, when it is clear to everyone else that the movie is going to contain the very elements that the critic negatively goes on and on about. Obviously, this movie is going to use borderline or outright negative gay stereotypes and bad humor to poke fun at what most American men see to be an uncomfortable situation; a simulated homosexual relationship between two straight men. While it may be distasteful and possibly a negative reinforcement (but probably not, since GLAAD gave it a thumbs up), if you don’t want to hear the negative gay jokes, don’t go see this movie; problem solved. I do have to say though, that I think Kevin James is absolutely adorable, and I don’t think that his part in this dumb movie will change any of that feeling from me.
— Cheney will be in charge while Bush goes under for a routine colonoscopy. I would really have loved it if the news outlets had gotten creative, and came up with creatively disgusting titles to supplement this story. However, I for one don’t know how they are actually going to get in there, with that big stick shoved up his ass, and all.
— I saw this clip of Tammy Faye when she was recently on the Larry King show, and it honestly just breaks my heart to see someone so sweet and genuinely wonderful suffering like that. Hell, I don’t like seeing anyone suffer, but Tammy Faye is good, and she totally has had our backs for a long time, showing the world what a true Christian should be like. Additionally, her son has turned out to be accepting and loving as well; not to mention, kind of hot. I love you Tammy Faye, and I hope that you are not suffering, and that your final days are peaceful and happy. You have been there for the gays, and we definitely thank you for your love, kindness, and support. If only there were more like you, Tammy Faye.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I am going to do my best to relax, finish the paintings I am working on, and spend time with my family (James, little Sydney, and some friends if they are interesting in hanging out). Now, I’m off to get some damn wine… I have been Cabernet-ing it up this week; I see no reason to slow up now!

all about me, hmm interesting, is it just me?, near and dear

I think that I expect too much sometimes

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Perhaps all of the time.

I think that I get my feelings hurt, or am disappointed, because I expect too much. Is it possible, that I put too much thought, guilt, worry, or anxiety into relationships, so much so, that I inadvertently cause the situation to go all weird? I wouldn’t think that this would be the case, because if it were, it would be the standard; and it isn’t.

I mean, I really don’t think that I do any of this outwardly, or even on purpose, but for whatever reason, I feel like there must be something that I do that makes people change. It is the only solution that I can come up with, although, it is really the only one that I can truly substantiate if it is reality. Again, I probably am over-analyzing things, but what if I am not? What if there is something that I do, something small, that causes these changes in my relationships with other people?

Maybe I expect too much. I don’t think that I do, but maybe I do… Maybe that is more of the problem than the actual situations that I find myself in from time to time; expecting too much will always mean that I am the one that is let down. I don’t know how I find myself here all of the time, but here I am, and it really upsets me. It really breaks you down to feel this way so much, and very rarely gain any resolve for the situation.

So why do I keep doing it? Why can’t I stop thinking for one minute, and just let things travel on their own? I honestly don’t know, but I know that I have always been this way, and if it is the problem, it is more than frustrating; it is debilitating and very upsetting, especially because it is unconscious. I want to just exist in a place where I am involved with people that understand me, and I don’t spend a lot of my time over-analyzing actions, words, or the lack of either. I don’t think that it is paranoia, because I am definitely experiencing it; but I do think that it could be that I expect too much sometimes.

I’m just going to put on my headphones, listen to some music, and try to forget myself for a little while. I am clearly thinking too much this morning. To top it all off, Sydney isn’t feeling well, and we had to take him into the vet yesterday for an IV and some tests. After they brought him out, I was holding him, and he just pissed all over me; without warning. Poor little guy. I just hope that he is feeling better soon… I know that my wallet would be happier as well.

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a boring tuesday

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Today has been painfully boring; meetings and not much else.

I still find it incredibly strange that people still deny that our involvement in the process of globalization has, in some ways, affected the situation we find ourselves dealing with in the middle east. If you cannot holistically grasp the concept that America is not all bread and butter, and in the many years that we have been stomping around carrying our big stick, that we have smashed a few houses, and gotten pretty dirty in our quest for wealth, then there is no need to argue with you anymore, because you will never understand the truly holistic nature of the situation. I suggest, for people that find themselves in this place (lacking the ability to wrap your brain around the FACT that America is partly to blame for the fact that we are so hated by so many in the world) take a few courses in anthropological theory, applied anthropological methods, and read up on the epistemological backbone of cultural anthropology. It may change your world (hopefully). If not, continuing to believe that you are right (that there is only one, or two reasons that we are hated and are being threatened), then there is no need to continue to bring that argument here; I got it. Move on. I am going to continue to share my opinions in a rational, holistic, and thoughtful manner, and this is obviously not something that you will be able to understand, comprehend, or agree with. Strange? Yes. Have to continue listen to it? No. Feel free to state your opinions if you wish, but realize, that just because I don’t buy into A+B=C, realizing that there is also a D, an E, a W, and a Y (not to mention potential others) that contributes to the answer, it doesn’t make my ideas radical or incoherent; it shows that I have the ability, and frankly the duty, to think about things holistically, searching for the entire meaning before I act on what I believe to be the cause of a problem.

Other than that, I have been entering in my DVDs on this website called DVDSpot, which I heard about from Brian. This is pretty cool, because it is another way I can organize and keep track of my growing collection, which shows statistics, and is downloadable. It is also pretty cool that the website lets you put in reviews (slowly… I know I know), and even estimates your collection’s value. Neat stuff. All free too! Thanks for the heads up Brian! When everything is entered, I am sure that I will add a handy dandy link over in the links section, so stay tuned!

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monday ramblings…

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Not much going on today, other than slowly trying to get into the week, after a delightful weekend. We hung out with friends on Friday and Saturday, and had dinner with a lovely couple last night, one of which was someone that James met this summer. They were quite nice, and I look forward to hanging out with them again. We don’t know very many long term gay couples, so it is good to meet one more.

I went shopping at Garden Ridge yesterday, and got a lot of awesome decorator things… I think that the decorating bug has bitten me a little harder than I expected. I will be posting some pictures of the new decorations when things are all put together and posh like I like them.

Other than that, there isn’t much to say, but I do have a few thoughts on a few things. Check these out:
Iraq’s Prime Minister says we can leave anytime; they don’t need our help. He also agrees with me, that our presence is driving more people to join up with al Qaeda. Do we still think that our presence is in their best interests? It’s becoming clearer and clearer each day that we are there to take something that we want; which is sickening. Come on America, when are we going to actually be decent people, and act like the “example” of “democracy” that we are shoving down the throats of every oppressive government in the world? We have got to practice what we preach before we will get anywhere that we could ever consider a positive place.

To sort of piggy back on that thought, I guess it is true that diplomacy is actually a viable option, one that should be explored before war. Apparently, since we came to an agreement that we were both comfortable with, North Korea decided to shut down their nuclear reactor. No more threat of nuclear weapons for N. Korea? It is probably not that simple, but it is a good step; one that we came to with agreement, and more importantly, peace. Why don’t we try something like that with Iran? I mean, a lot of the reason they are so angry with us, is because of our presence in Iraq, so perhaps we should start listening to what is going on in that region. Perhaps if we stopped talking long enough to listen, we could get somewhere… peacefully. Here’s hoping.

Not that I really needed another reason to think of him as completely despicable, and completely devoid of the ability to consider the real needs of American citizens, Bush is promising to veto a bill that would increase funding for providing uninsured children with health coverage. Interestingly enough, this will come at no expense to anyone other than smokers, many of whom, in my opinion, owe a bunch of these kids health care anyway; I know my parents smoked right in my face my whole childhood, and I am not at all in doubt that this is at least somehow linked to my bad allergies. I can almost guarantee that there are kids out there that are affected even more negatively by smoking parents; who would be paying for the uninsured kids out there that aren’t lucky enough to have parents wealthy enough to pay for health care.

If, by adding a tax to cigarettes, more children can have access to health care, can you please explain to me HOW is this a bad thing? Seriously, if you can give me one viable reason as to why this is bad in any way, let me know. (Just so you know, “more people will take advantage of the system” is a BS answer, before you try to shove that one down my throat again; there are regulations, standards, and qualification requirements on this program, which should eliminate MOST of the “free loaders”. That kind of mentality (which is apparently where the Bush camp is coming from) really makes me wonder why people don’t have more faith in those that are less fortunate in this country. Just because someone is poor doesn’t automatically make them a crook, a freeloader, or someone looking for a free ride or a handout. Have a little faith in people!). I for one, hope that he considers that these children are in this uninsured situation because of the way our economy works against the working class, and the poor; but I am sure that some one will be quick to step up and call them lazy assholes, rather than acknowledge that situations and circumstances are different for everyone, and not every homeless person is too lazy to get a job.

What has happened to our country, that we have lost all faith in people’s ability to be good? Do we live in such a culture of fear and hate that we will always blame, rather than consider the circumstances? Perhaps that is part of our problem in Iraq… and unfortunately, people all over the world see that we are being like that; whether we want to acknowledge it or not. I just wish things could be better; because I know we are capable of it.

Ugh… I guess that is a lot of thought for a Monday, but alas, there it is. Hope your day is going well!