Officially Technological
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Flu
I get the flu shot. I'm a firm believer flu shots. I've gotten the flu several times in my twenty-something years, and one year, I got tired of it and started getting the flu shot. Winter has been better ever since. My winters had become so painless, it was like I was one of those girls in a pretty white sundress with embroidery dancing through meadows full of daisies. I haven't gotten the flu, significant colds, etc for years. It's been beautiful.
You've heard, haven't you that the 2007/2008 flu shot only covered against one of two strains that were going around this year? Yeah, well... I got the other one. >:( Gr. Maybe once I'm over being so mad that I got the flu, and that I had to sleep sitting straight up on the couch, and that I couldn't get relief from any remedy, and that my nose is now so full of sores that it's painful to touch, I'll write about something cheerful, like how wonderful it was to see everyone this past weekend, and how lovely Jon and Amy's wedding was, and all.
You've heard, haven't you that the 2007/2008 flu shot only covered against one of two strains that were going around this year? Yeah, well... I got the other one. >:( Gr. Maybe once I'm over being so mad that I got the flu, and that I had to sleep sitting straight up on the couch, and that I couldn't get relief from any remedy, and that my nose is now so full of sores that it's painful to touch, I'll write about something cheerful, like how wonderful it was to see everyone this past weekend, and how lovely Jon and Amy's wedding was, and all.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Pinky and The Brain
So, I have a new theory about Sam and Maggie. And I'm sure you've all guess by now which is Pinky and which is The Brain. However, unlike Pinky and The Brain, I think Sam has successfully orchestrated a mutiny.
It all started when we got Mags. Since getting suckered into getting a Jack Russell, I promised that my next dog would be of the more laid-back variety. Not that I don't like Sam, because I do. I just thought that too many Sams in one lifetime might raise some questions about my mental well being, and whether or not I was masochistic, suicidal, or both. So, when we talked about getting another puppy, it was always in the context that we would get a mild-mannered dog, like a Golden Retriever. Sam listened, feigning (kind convincingly) ignorance. Meanwhile, Sam acted badder than ever to ensure that we would get "an easily trainable" puppy.
Enter Maggie. I think when Sam saw Maggie he chuckled to himself, "he. he. he." This puppy was perfect. She was sweet. She was adorable. She was oh so malleable. He said to himself, "I shall train this silly puppy to do my evil bidding by using that 'pack mentality' crap that puppies these days are falling for." So, Sam spent the next month being as surly and snotty as possible. Poor Maggie (the little sucker) fell for it hook line and sinker. The more he barked at her, the more determined she was to convince him to like her. Now, she is nearly 3 times his size and is his very devoted slave.
Sam is careful to not like her too much, even though she's his only furry friend (his animal relationships to date have not been very successful), but Brian and I knew we were duped when last night Sam and Maggie were very quietly (read suspiciously) commiserating in Sam's room. Every time I called Maggie, they both came. I called Sam. They both came. I gave Maggie water, they both drank it, cheek-to-cheek (this is what made me the most nervous as they have never been able to share anything in the past without barking being involved). I think they're staging a coup. Let's just say Maggie and Sam being in each other's confidence doesn't make us feel very comfortable. Especially since neither Brian nor I speak Dog. So, I'm attaching pictures of the two culprits. That way if you see them on the news, you'll know where to find them (but you have to split the reward money 50/50, because I gave you the tip).
It all started when we got Mags. Since getting suckered into getting a Jack Russell, I promised that my next dog would be of the more laid-back variety. Not that I don't like Sam, because I do. I just thought that too many Sams in one lifetime might raise some questions about my mental well being, and whether or not I was masochistic, suicidal, or both. So, when we talked about getting another puppy, it was always in the context that we would get a mild-mannered dog, like a Golden Retriever. Sam listened, feigning (kind convincingly) ignorance. Meanwhile, Sam acted badder than ever to ensure that we would get "an easily trainable" puppy.
Enter Maggie. I think when Sam saw Maggie he chuckled to himself, "he. he. he." This puppy was perfect. She was sweet. She was adorable. She was oh so malleable. He said to himself, "I shall train this silly puppy to do my evil bidding by using that 'pack mentality' crap that puppies these days are falling for." So, Sam spent the next month being as surly and snotty as possible. Poor Maggie (the little sucker) fell for it hook line and sinker. The more he barked at her, the more determined she was to convince him to like her. Now, she is nearly 3 times his size and is his very devoted slave.
Sam is careful to not like her too much, even though she's his only furry friend (his animal relationships to date have not been very successful), but Brian and I knew we were duped when last night Sam and Maggie were very quietly (read suspiciously) commiserating in Sam's room. Every time I called Maggie, they both came. I called Sam. They both came. I gave Maggie water, they both drank it, cheek-to-cheek (this is what made me the most nervous as they have never been able to share anything in the past without barking being involved). I think they're staging a coup. Let's just say Maggie and Sam being in each other's confidence doesn't make us feel very comfortable. Especially since neither Brian nor I speak Dog. So, I'm attaching pictures of the two culprits. That way if you see them on the news, you'll know where to find them (but you have to split the reward money 50/50, because I gave you the tip).
Monday, February 11, 2008
What I Have Been Doing & Why I Haven't Blogged
At first I hadn't blogged because I was doing pleasant things. The kind of things you don't want to interrupt with creating and the inevitable spell-checking that would then ensue. The "pleasant things" I refer to is vacation. In the middle of January Brian and I went up north to sit at Uncle Bill and Aunt Genie's cottage on Lake Michigan. It was very fun and very quiet, and we got to see Grandpa and Barb quite a bit, and go swimming (inside) and watch it snow, and watch the first three seasons of "Lost" (which before then we hadn't seen and our friends keep telling us to watch).
Then, when we got home, we had unpleasant things keeping us from blogging. Sam, for an example. Turns out when dogs get old, they get clingy, and when their owners go on vacation they take it personally and then have "accidents" (more like "on purposes") all over the house, and bark for hours after going to bed.
Then last weekend, Brian went on the Sunday School Ski Retreat and left me home alone with a couple of my friends and a huge stack of movies and popcorn. It was a lot of fun except after going out to eat, one of my friends got food poisoning and had to go home early. :( But then, we had our annual Super Bowl party on Sunday evening, and Brian got home in time to enjoy it, so that's nice, but still, way too busy to really sit down and blog.
Then this past weekend, Brian and I were on the Valentine's Dinner committee at church, so every night last week was taken up with some activity for that. And when we got home on Wednesday, we were welcomed by a thick, damp stench, and soaked carpet. Turns out 10 or so inches of rain doesn't do your drains any favors. So, Friday morning before work, we (by "we" I mean Brian) were pulling out the carpet and padding and bleaching the sub floors. Gross. It smells almost normal now, and in the long-run, it will be nice to have clean carpet down there (the carpet we had down there was a little gross anyway after the incident where Sam tore up a bag of garbage on it).
Then on Friday, we were getting ready for the V-day dinner, and I was slicing green peppers and took off about half of the pad of my right thumb with the slicer. Which you can image (since I probably got down to the muscle), ached and ached, and bled and bled. It was bleeding through three layers of band-aids (the only thing I could find at the fellowship hall) at a time and I thought I would have to get in cauterized, but it turns out that when you stop bumping it, it has a chance to clot.
On Saturday we were back to doing pleasant things. I slept for a long time after breakfast (probably until 2 or so), and when I woke up Brian and I decided to pretend it was Valentine's day, so we went out and got dinner and a movie and walked around the mall and such. It was nice and quiet.
I have about a zillion projects I should be working on, but I think I'm going to wait until after the new carpet is in to worry about any of them. So, I guess that's all. Now, that I've caught everyone up on what is happening in the life of Brian and Julie, I think my next post will be free to be much more entertaining, and much less a summation of the lives of two people over the course of the last month.
Then, when we got home, we had unpleasant things keeping us from blogging. Sam, for an example. Turns out when dogs get old, they get clingy, and when their owners go on vacation they take it personally and then have "accidents" (more like "on purposes") all over the house, and bark for hours after going to bed.
Then last weekend, Brian went on the Sunday School Ski Retreat and left me home alone with a couple of my friends and a huge stack of movies and popcorn. It was a lot of fun except after going out to eat, one of my friends got food poisoning and had to go home early. :( But then, we had our annual Super Bowl party on Sunday evening, and Brian got home in time to enjoy it, so that's nice, but still, way too busy to really sit down and blog.
Then this past weekend, Brian and I were on the Valentine's Dinner committee at church, so every night last week was taken up with some activity for that. And when we got home on Wednesday, we were welcomed by a thick, damp stench, and soaked carpet. Turns out 10 or so inches of rain doesn't do your drains any favors. So, Friday morning before work, we (by "we" I mean Brian) were pulling out the carpet and padding and bleaching the sub floors. Gross. It smells almost normal now, and in the long-run, it will be nice to have clean carpet down there (the carpet we had down there was a little gross anyway after the incident where Sam tore up a bag of garbage on it).
Then on Friday, we were getting ready for the V-day dinner, and I was slicing green peppers and took off about half of the pad of my right thumb with the slicer. Which you can image (since I probably got down to the muscle), ached and ached, and bled and bled. It was bleeding through three layers of band-aids (the only thing I could find at the fellowship hall) at a time and I thought I would have to get in cauterized, but it turns out that when you stop bumping it, it has a chance to clot.
On Saturday we were back to doing pleasant things. I slept for a long time after breakfast (probably until 2 or so), and when I woke up Brian and I decided to pretend it was Valentine's day, so we went out and got dinner and a movie and walked around the mall and such. It was nice and quiet.
I have about a zillion projects I should be working on, but I think I'm going to wait until after the new carpet is in to worry about any of them. So, I guess that's all. Now, that I've caught everyone up on what is happening in the life of Brian and Julie, I think my next post will be free to be much more entertaining, and much less a summation of the lives of two people over the course of the last month.
