So, yeah.
I just paid for my classes.
$830.
I signed in to get my online log in stuff, and it really hit me; classes start next Monday.
Holy shit. This is real.
*mild panic attack*
I won’t even go into the fact that my textbook for Anatomy is $150, used.
So James finally went and got his tattoo! He decided on a koi with some cherry blossoms and a chrysanthemum, and Malia‘s design was perfect. For the first sitting, she took care of all of the outline, and I think that it looks great! He was such a trooper… he did complain as it got towards the end, though. I was honestly surprised that he took it as well as he did!
Also, James and I have talked in the past about getting the same tattoo, like kanji for love or something like that, and I asked Malia if she would do a part of his tattoo on me, so that we would have the same thing to show our love and commitment. She took three of the cherry blossoms, blew them up a bit, and behold:
I got tattooed too! I really WAS NOT planning on this, but I am really glad that I got it; I really feel like by having something like this, albeit subtle, we have something that we can share and show our love for each other. It isn’t a ring, but it is definitely a symbol of our commitment and love for each other, and I personally love it.
I do, however, think that I may be slightly addicted to tattoos!!! Oh well… I guess there are worse things, eh?
(FYI: Malia is one of the artists at the awesome Ink and Dagger Tattoo Parlour, which is where I have been getting my red panda tattoo from Russ. I highly recommend you go here to get all tattoo work, because Russ and Malia are the best!)
Yesterday, I registered for two classes: Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with lab), and Intro to Statistics. Much to my surprise, and sheer delight, I was able to register for both of them as online classes!! I knew that statistics was offered as online, but imagine my delight when I found out that anatomy was as well! Now, I only have to go to the school one night a week!
Rock!
Now… the nerves really will set in… I haven’t been in school in years! Yikes! Wish me luck!
This weekend, my awesome cousin came for a visit, and we had a blast. Photo strolls with Deb, brunch with Deb, Anne, Syd, and the girls, and hanging out with friends and watching movies. Yesterday, I took off work, and we braved the aquarium, because our initial plan of taking pictures at the botanical gardens was a no-go; the gardens are closed on Mondays. Overall, it was a great visit, and it just makes me wish that I lived closer to my real family. There aren’t many of them, and I would certainly love to be able to see them more often. Either way, the weekend was a warmly welcomed great time. Also, she completely hooked me up with a new lens for my camera; in exchange for a ticket to come visit in the future. Done and done!! Now, I definitely have to practice shooting with my new Canon 70-300mm IS lens! It is the bomb! Thanks cuz!
Something else interesting from this weekend: this weekend was my mother’s birthday, Saturday to be exact. While the fact that it was her birthday isn’t that interesting, I do find it kind of telling that my father and sister planned a huge surprise party for her, and guess who wasn’t even invited? Yup. That’s right. Now, I am sure that they just told themselves that I probably wouldn’t be able to make it anyway, but, isn’t it the minimum amount of courtesy to simply extend the invitation? I mean, it would have at least shown that there was some level of consideration for me; but alas, I should have expected what I got, because it is more of the same. Perhaps this is a symbol that they too are moving on? Soon, I suspect that the traditional calls on birthdays and other holidays will fade into silence; much like any other gestures of having anything to do with my life at all. Interestingly enough, my sister called (on Saturday) to remind me to call my mother, to which I said that I was going to do so later; after the party had begun. That way, I could say my piece about happy birthday this and that, and do what I am sure she really wanted; let her get back to her life, and leave her alone. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Maybe next year, I won’t even bother to call at all. Funny, I doubt they would even notice. Oh well… such is life, eh?
Today seems to be dragging a bit; perhaps I have a case of the “Mondays”? Either way, I can’t wait to get home this evening. Ah, relaxing… the joy of life.
A few jumbled, scattered, smothered, and covered thoughts for you to swish around your brain today:
Because everyone else is doing it, here is my “personality” profile; which is based on some pretty random questions. I expected pretty much everything, I have done a Myers-Briggs before, so nothing too unexpected, I guess… One thing I did get excited about, was that Nurse was listed as one of my career matches; maybe I should have taken this little test while I was in college? Either way, that is good to know that it will mesh well with my “advocate” personality style. I don’t really think these things are 100% accurate, but I do see how they can be pretty good generalizations.
All I have to say, is BWAHAHAHAHA!: Paris Hilton loses her $60 million inheritance because of her dumb ass behavior. Her grandpa is like, look Paris, too much ass, drinking, and going to jail is tainting my name, so you aren’t getting my dough! I wonder if she will have to work and earn money like the rest of us? If so, I fear for her, because I have seen the Simple Life, and if she has to rely solely on her “skills” (or lack thereof), she is royally fucked. I don’t think that she would even be able to get enough money to buy food for herself, if she actually had to work for a living. Poor, poor Paris… However, we all know that she will come out on top somehow; people like her always do for some reason.
Just because there are some people that still think the people of Iraq are all “Islamic extremists” out to kill us, which has nothing to do with any of our actions against them, their land, or their way of life; here’s more compelling evidence that all we are doing over there is making things worse (for us and them). I don’t get why pointing out the obvious stain that you made on the rug, and suggesting that it be cleaned up, is such a “radical” and “scary” observation and strategy for change. The shit has more than hit the fan, and it is pretty crystal clear that there are more and more people, who are just getting more and more angry at us for the very reason illustrated in the article; we are doing more harm than good, and always have. I have an idea, why not stop doing all that “destruction and death” mumbo jumbo, and focus on what we are SAYING really matters; helping the people of Iraq and ending terrorist plots against the US? I suggest this, because we are currently not doing that at all, and instead, our presence is making it worse; both for the Iraqis, and for us, because we are giving them more and more reasons to hate us. Another “revelation” courteous of the “omg this is so fucking obvious” news.
I was thinking as I was driving in to work this morning that I want to start what I hope will be something of a regular here: weekly music suggestion(s), that we share, explore, and recommend to each other. I am always hungry for new music, and often times, it can be hard to find. So, in the spirit of getting this thing going, I am going to recommend a few selections for you to check out this week. As evidenced by today’s selections, the recommendations do not necessarily have to be “new” as in “just out”; if it is new to you, it counts as new! Also, if it is something that you have heard and like, maybe it will just make it a rediscovery for you!
Here’s your music suggestions for this week:
Imogen Heap: Speak For Yourself (I popped this back in the CD player this morning on a whim, and was reminded at how fantastic this disc is!)
SIlversun Pickups: Carnavas (this CD is so awesome; I wish I would have discovered it sooner)
And sort of in the middle of the two: Great Northern: Trading Twilight for Daylight (fyi… this is a myspace link, which I am convinced is the only reason that myspace should even exist: marketing) (This IS new, and I am currently listening to/getting into it. Initial listens are definitely yielding a positive vibe… I am feeling that same little tingle in my body that I get when I hear Silversun Pickups… it’s a good thing.)
This whole “music sharing” idea was further pushed by my stopping by a little CD shop during my lunch break, and my finding Jude’s King Of Yesterday CD in the $1 bin. I had heard the song “King of Yesterday” on Felicity years ago, and remembered that I really liked it, and so I picked up the album. Always good to check out new things, right?
Now that you have your “Music Assignments”, hook me up with some suggestions too; this ain’t a one way street bitches!!! Bring on the music! Bring on the noise!
Tonight, we were supposed to go and see the Indigo Girls at the Botanical Gardens, but once the rain started pouring outside, I figured it would be best to try and find someone else to take these “rain or shine” tickets off of my hands. It sucks, because who wants to go to a concert, knowing that it is raining before they even show up?! Not us!
Well, we were lucky enough to have someone get back to me through craigslist, and she is buying the tickets from me! (Crossing my fingers that she is legit and actually shows up).
I am losing about $30 in the whole ordeal, but at least we will be able to enjoy the night dry and happy; rather than sopping wet at the show. I am sure it would have been fun for me a few years ago, but not now… maybe I am just getting old? Either way, I will be sure to look next time I buy concert tickets for an outside venue, and make sure that they aren’t rain or shine tickets.
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.
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!
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!
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…
