I haven't logged in to any message boards or anything for a while lately and when I logged in yesterday, I found out that someone I knew here in town had died last week. I last saw her about a month ago when I delivered a package of things from a group of us. She'd been in hospital for three weeks at that point and I spent a bit of time with her and her sister. Because I didn't see the post that she'd stopped treatment and I don't read the obituaries, I didn't know that she died and so I didn't go to the funeral.
I feel very sad that I didn't log in to the board early enough to see that she had died. At the same time, I feel weird about logging into the board because the mets I have are stable and have been for so long. It isn't that it's too hard to deal with the death or the realities of the illness, although those can be difficult to deal with. No, I'm uncomfortable because I feel out of place since my disease and side effects are so much less worrisome than almost everyone else's.
There's only one other person I know of on the board whose disease is minimal and stable like mine and she almost never posts. I don't know how often she checks in - it's more often than I do, that's for sure. I guess I could check in without posting like she does but I have trouble making myself do that sometimes... well, most of the time.
I care so much for all of the people on the board and I want to be there for them, However, when I post a reply to someone who isn't doing well I feel like my words are really a bit empty, as though I'm one of those people who don't have mets who comment on people's posts when they're not doing well. I guess I could just not post on those threads and only post on threads where people are asking for good thoughts or prayers. Instead I've been avoiding the situation altogether, which I'm fairly certain isn't the best strategy.
I think I would be better if I were to try a new approach of checking more often but only posting when it's necessary. That way I could keep in touch with people and I'd know what's going on without trumpeting my long-term stable status.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Wagging tails
When we first brought home our little furry bundle of joy named Gozer she mostly kept her tail curled up over her back. When she wagged her tail she kept it in that curled position and kind of waved it back and forth a bit.
Over time, as she grew more comfortable and happier in the house, she started to straighten her tail when she wagged it. These days when she sees someone she likes - one of us, or the person who cleans for us, or the people at the vet's office - her tail goes straight out and wags back and forth with her (lengthening) tail fur waving.
Yesterday when we went to the vet's office she showed a whole new tail wagging protocol. She saw a cat there, you see... one that was on a leash and not in a carrier. We already knew that she liked cats: she raises her head when she hears a meow on the tv and if we say, "here kitty kitty kitty kitty" she rushes from the patio doors to the windows looking for the cat that we're calling. The other night she got a glimpse of the neighbour's cat and searched for it as long as we were standing there.
Knowing that she likes cats wasn't enough to prepare me for the way she wagged her tail when she saw one and could walk up and sniff it to say hello. Her tail went straight out and instead of going back and forth as in a regular wag, it went around and around in circles. It was hilarious to see her with her inquisitive ears and posture and this tail going around in full circles as wide as possible.
The cat didn't love her nearly as much as she loved it, of course. It hissed at her and crawled up onto food the display shelves to try to hide. Gozer still found the cat and tried to say hello some more (with a calmer tail) while the cat hissed at her and the cat's owner petted Gozer. The staff at the vet's said that people often surrender cats to them and since Gozer clearly loved them so much, maybe we could see if there was one that would accept her and we could bring it home? Oh, I wish that could happen - it would make me and Gozer so happy! Sadly, Ian's allergic to cats and even if he wasn't, he doesn't like them.
While we were at the vet's office Gozer got to play - really, she played! - with a dog who had just been groomed. That dog was so happy to see her that it wagged its whole back end, not just its tail. As cute as it was watching this dog wag its body, it was nothing compared to watching Gozer's tail go around in circles. We took both of them off of their leashes and let them play together and run around and they had a lovely time. I loved watching her play and behave like a real dog.
Over time, as she grew more comfortable and happier in the house, she started to straighten her tail when she wagged it. These days when she sees someone she likes - one of us, or the person who cleans for us, or the people at the vet's office - her tail goes straight out and wags back and forth with her (lengthening) tail fur waving.
Yesterday when we went to the vet's office she showed a whole new tail wagging protocol. She saw a cat there, you see... one that was on a leash and not in a carrier. We already knew that she liked cats: she raises her head when she hears a meow on the tv and if we say, "here kitty kitty kitty kitty" she rushes from the patio doors to the windows looking for the cat that we're calling. The other night she got a glimpse of the neighbour's cat and searched for it as long as we were standing there.
Knowing that she likes cats wasn't enough to prepare me for the way she wagged her tail when she saw one and could walk up and sniff it to say hello. Her tail went straight out and instead of going back and forth as in a regular wag, it went around and around in circles. It was hilarious to see her with her inquisitive ears and posture and this tail going around in full circles as wide as possible.
The cat didn't love her nearly as much as she loved it, of course. It hissed at her and crawled up onto food the display shelves to try to hide. Gozer still found the cat and tried to say hello some more (with a calmer tail) while the cat hissed at her and the cat's owner petted Gozer. The staff at the vet's said that people often surrender cats to them and since Gozer clearly loved them so much, maybe we could see if there was one that would accept her and we could bring it home? Oh, I wish that could happen - it would make me and Gozer so happy! Sadly, Ian's allergic to cats and even if he wasn't, he doesn't like them.
While we were at the vet's office Gozer got to play - really, she played! - with a dog who had just been groomed. That dog was so happy to see her that it wagged its whole back end, not just its tail. As cute as it was watching this dog wag its body, it was nothing compared to watching Gozer's tail go around in circles. We took both of them off of their leashes and let them play together and run around and they had a lovely time. I loved watching her play and behave like a real dog.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Our garden and backyard
Making changes to the backyard is going to take a long time and will be a lot more work than I thought it would be. Somehow I thought that we'd get a design and just go with it, but now I'm thinking that it would be a good idea to get more design ideas.
I think I mentioned that Sheridan had come by and drawn up a sketch for stairs and plants on the one side of our backyard hill, right? One of their contractors had come by on Saturday morning to talk to us about what we wanted. He'll be coming back to do some measurements and to develop a proper quote for that job. While he was very nice, he had trouble understanding the diagram and seemed more overwhelmed than excited about the project so we don't think he'll be the right contractor for the job.
Of course we don't even know if Sheridan's design is one we want! We went to the home show on Saturday to check out other landscaping companies and in looking through their portfolios and talking to them, we realized that we really need to do some more design consultations. We also need to think about the short- and long-term scope of the project, as we could do some work (like a set of stairs) this year followed by other projects in the coming years. Also, do we want to do work only on the one side of the waterfall, or do we want to eventually do something to the hill on the other side of the waterfall? Do we want to keep the patio we have, or replace it? So many questions!
Personally, I think that having a general plan for the whole backyard and a specific plan for just the one side - especially the stairs - for this year would be a good idea. That way, we have an idea about what the backyard will look like without committing to too much at once and we'll have a chance to get used to whatever is done first. Whatever we end up doing won't be cheap and we want to be sure that we'll be happy with our choices because it'll be difficult to undo the work once it's begun.
Clearly, finding a design and contractor is going to take some time. In the meantime, the garden we have will be enough to keep our attention. We spent most of yesterday afternoon working in the garden. It was a lovely day, if not as warm as the preceding week, and it was our last chance to get stuff done before the cold (some might say "normal temperatures") arrived.
Most of our hostas were over four feet in diameter (!) and we wanted to divide them so as to make them about a quarter of their size, as well as add some hosta cuttings Ian's mom gave us to add colour variety. It turns out that when you have a hosta plant that is four feet in diameter, the roots are ginormous: 16" in diameter and about 8-10" deep - and that's all solid plant mass. There's no way that I can divide these hostas by myself so because we were both prepared to work, that was the project we chose.
We started at the bed at the base of the hill near the patio where one of the evergreens had been removed last year. We took out one hosta and put a quarter of it in a new spot and then after digging up the other hosta, we realized that it was almost impossible to dig out a good hole for it because there were so many roots. At about four inches below the surface there's a geotextile to prevent weeds from rooting and about four inches below that, there's another geotextile and below that lower one is clay. The textiles prevent drainage and of course the clay doesn't drain properly so no wonder we get swamp-like conditions there.
Instead of mostly soil above the first textile, we found basically a solid mass of tree roots that could be pulled back and rolled as if it were sod. We decided that cleaning up that area would be a better use of our time so we tore out both layers of textile and got rid of the stump and its roots. Taking out a stump by hand is a lot of work! The trees and plants will thank us for all that work, however, because there will be room to spread and nutrients to eat once we add the soil that's coming next week.
We also plan to get rid of the mulch (possibly by incorporating it into the soil) and top up the soil on all of the beds. We might end up removing more of that textile and getting rid of some of the roots from the other trees that were removed as well. We also need to divide our giant silver grass which will be at least as much work as it was to remove the roots and textiles. On the bright side, the area that we cleaned up will be receiving some of that grass and it won't take much work to to get that bed ready.
The backyard will be gorgeous once we're finished working on all the planting beds. Hopefully we'll have some time to enjoy all that work before any construction begins. A girl can dream, right?
I think I mentioned that Sheridan had come by and drawn up a sketch for stairs and plants on the one side of our backyard hill, right? One of their contractors had come by on Saturday morning to talk to us about what we wanted. He'll be coming back to do some measurements and to develop a proper quote for that job. While he was very nice, he had trouble understanding the diagram and seemed more overwhelmed than excited about the project so we don't think he'll be the right contractor for the job.
Of course we don't even know if Sheridan's design is one we want! We went to the home show on Saturday to check out other landscaping companies and in looking through their portfolios and talking to them, we realized that we really need to do some more design consultations. We also need to think about the short- and long-term scope of the project, as we could do some work (like a set of stairs) this year followed by other projects in the coming years. Also, do we want to do work only on the one side of the waterfall, or do we want to eventually do something to the hill on the other side of the waterfall? Do we want to keep the patio we have, or replace it? So many questions!
Personally, I think that having a general plan for the whole backyard and a specific plan for just the one side - especially the stairs - for this year would be a good idea. That way, we have an idea about what the backyard will look like without committing to too much at once and we'll have a chance to get used to whatever is done first. Whatever we end up doing won't be cheap and we want to be sure that we'll be happy with our choices because it'll be difficult to undo the work once it's begun.
Clearly, finding a design and contractor is going to take some time. In the meantime, the garden we have will be enough to keep our attention. We spent most of yesterday afternoon working in the garden. It was a lovely day, if not as warm as the preceding week, and it was our last chance to get stuff done before the cold (some might say "normal temperatures") arrived.
Most of our hostas were over four feet in diameter (!) and we wanted to divide them so as to make them about a quarter of their size, as well as add some hosta cuttings Ian's mom gave us to add colour variety. It turns out that when you have a hosta plant that is four feet in diameter, the roots are ginormous: 16" in diameter and about 8-10" deep - and that's all solid plant mass. There's no way that I can divide these hostas by myself so because we were both prepared to work, that was the project we chose.
We started at the bed at the base of the hill near the patio where one of the evergreens had been removed last year. We took out one hosta and put a quarter of it in a new spot and then after digging up the other hosta, we realized that it was almost impossible to dig out a good hole for it because there were so many roots. At about four inches below the surface there's a geotextile to prevent weeds from rooting and about four inches below that, there's another geotextile and below that lower one is clay. The textiles prevent drainage and of course the clay doesn't drain properly so no wonder we get swamp-like conditions there.
Instead of mostly soil above the first textile, we found basically a solid mass of tree roots that could be pulled back and rolled as if it were sod. We decided that cleaning up that area would be a better use of our time so we tore out both layers of textile and got rid of the stump and its roots. Taking out a stump by hand is a lot of work! The trees and plants will thank us for all that work, however, because there will be room to spread and nutrients to eat once we add the soil that's coming next week.
We also plan to get rid of the mulch (possibly by incorporating it into the soil) and top up the soil on all of the beds. We might end up removing more of that textile and getting rid of some of the roots from the other trees that were removed as well. We also need to divide our giant silver grass which will be at least as much work as it was to remove the roots and textiles. On the bright side, the area that we cleaned up will be receiving some of that grass and it won't take much work to to get that bed ready.
The backyard will be gorgeous once we're finished working on all the planting beds. Hopefully we'll have some time to enjoy all that work before any construction begins. A girl can dream, right?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Second at-home denosumab injection
Today was the second denosumab at home day and I'm pleased to report that there were no problems with the home care nurse today. Well, except that she wore some kind of perfume or scent which is something I don't like and think should be banned, just as the wearing of perfumes or scents is banned in hospitals - but that's a post for another day.
The nurse called last night to determine what time this morning she was to come and while she showed up a half-hour late, she showed up. She even called before she appeared at the door to confirm the address because the address on my file was wrong. That address has been changed twice with the home care nurse people but the change doesn't seem to have stuck.
The nurse didn't do the injection: Ian did it under the nurse's direction. He did a fantastic job! The needle didn't hurt at all going in and the injection itself didn't hurt, either. When nurses do the injection it always hurts because they push the fluid in too quickly but Ian was able to go slowly enough that it didn't hurt. I was very impressed. I think Ian is going to do a great job at injecting my denosumab into me.
The nurse called last night to determine what time this morning she was to come and while she showed up a half-hour late, she showed up. She even called before she appeared at the door to confirm the address because the address on my file was wrong. That address has been changed twice with the home care nurse people but the change doesn't seem to have stuck.
The nurse didn't do the injection: Ian did it under the nurse's direction. He did a fantastic job! The needle didn't hurt at all going in and the injection itself didn't hurt, either. When nurses do the injection it always hurts because they push the fluid in too quickly but Ian was able to go slowly enough that it didn't hurt. I was very impressed. I think Ian is going to do a great job at injecting my denosumab into me.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Oncologist appointment and grooming
It's the first day of spring! To mark the new season, Gozer got a stylish new cut that makes her look trim and not at all scruffy. I saw my oncologist.
Today was my regular 3-month oncologist appointment. I didn't see my regular oncologist but the substitute that I saw in December. When I realized that I was seeing the substitute again I was worried that they'd transferred me away from my previous oncologist without telling me. I was quite upset in thinking that they might have done this. It's one thing to see another oncologist if the regular oncologist leaves the center for one or another reason but it's quite something else if the regular oncologist is still there and sends the patient to see another doctor without telling the patient, which is what I was concerned was happening.
I called the cancer center to find out why I was seeing the substitute oncologist and first I was told that my oncologist was still my oncologist but that I'd be seeing the other one, which left me feeling more worried although I tried not to dwell on those worries. Yesterday the nurse called to tell me that my regular oncologist was on vacation this week. Whew! To be honest, I very much like the substitute oncologist and would be happy seeing her regularly; my concern was that the changeover was happening without my knowledge. I was very relieved to find out that nothing is changing with respect to my oncologist.
Back to the visit. My CA 15-3 tumour marker has dropped to 32, which is back in the normal range. Yay!! This means that the pain in my lower back was most likely caused by slipping or being pulled on ice while walking Gozer. The oncologist also looked at the changes to my left breast and said that the bumps look nothing like skin mets. I already figured that my back pain wasn't mets and that the changes to my breast, as ugly as they are, are sarcoidosis. If my tumour markers had gone up, I'd have asked for a biopsy of the bumps on my breast but I'm not going to worry about that now.
I do wish I had a doctor who dealt with and treated my sarcoidosis but I don't know where or how to find one. I'd prefer to see a specialist close to my home, if possible, but my family doctor really only knows specialists in that city. I guess I could go to that doctor at the walk-in clinic I visited in the fall; he seemed to be very knowledgeable and might know a local specialist.
This afternoon while I was seeing my psychologist, Gozer got her hair trimmed in a "pet cut". She looks adorable. Her body and leg hair was clipped very short and her beard, mustache, ears, and tail were left longer. For the first time we can see all the little spots in her hair: she has three big dark grey spots and multiple little dark grey spots all over. She's so pretty! We took before and after pictures but they're still on the camera and I'll try to put them up tomorrow.
Today was my regular 3-month oncologist appointment. I didn't see my regular oncologist but the substitute that I saw in December. When I realized that I was seeing the substitute again I was worried that they'd transferred me away from my previous oncologist without telling me. I was quite upset in thinking that they might have done this. It's one thing to see another oncologist if the regular oncologist leaves the center for one or another reason but it's quite something else if the regular oncologist is still there and sends the patient to see another doctor without telling the patient, which is what I was concerned was happening.
I called the cancer center to find out why I was seeing the substitute oncologist and first I was told that my oncologist was still my oncologist but that I'd be seeing the other one, which left me feeling more worried although I tried not to dwell on those worries. Yesterday the nurse called to tell me that my regular oncologist was on vacation this week. Whew! To be honest, I very much like the substitute oncologist and would be happy seeing her regularly; my concern was that the changeover was happening without my knowledge. I was very relieved to find out that nothing is changing with respect to my oncologist.
Back to the visit. My CA 15-3 tumour marker has dropped to 32, which is back in the normal range. Yay!! This means that the pain in my lower back was most likely caused by slipping or being pulled on ice while walking Gozer. The oncologist also looked at the changes to my left breast and said that the bumps look nothing like skin mets. I already figured that my back pain wasn't mets and that the changes to my breast, as ugly as they are, are sarcoidosis. If my tumour markers had gone up, I'd have asked for a biopsy of the bumps on my breast but I'm not going to worry about that now.
I do wish I had a doctor who dealt with and treated my sarcoidosis but I don't know where or how to find one. I'd prefer to see a specialist close to my home, if possible, but my family doctor really only knows specialists in that city. I guess I could go to that doctor at the walk-in clinic I visited in the fall; he seemed to be very knowledgeable and might know a local specialist.
This afternoon while I was seeing my psychologist, Gozer got her hair trimmed in a "pet cut". She looks adorable. Her body and leg hair was clipped very short and her beard, mustache, ears, and tail were left longer. For the first time we can see all the little spots in her hair: she has three big dark grey spots and multiple little dark grey spots all over. She's so pretty! We took before and after pictures but they're still on the camera and I'll try to put them up tomorrow.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
More signs of spring
It isn't just warm temperatures that make for springtime.
What would spring be without ants? Especially ants in the house? You might remember that Gozer spread garbage all over the floor a little while ago. Well, last night we were taking her outside when we looked down at the carpet and there was this dark, fuzzy spot. I was really tired and my eyes weren't working but I thought that I saw movement in the fuzzy spot. Ian touched it and we saw that I was right: there was movement there. The little brown sidewalk ants had found a spot of leftover residue and were all over it.
There weren't nearly as many ants there as we had last year and there were no trails leading to and from the spot so we weren't too freaked out by the ants. We were annoyed, of course, because it was late and we were tired. We got out the vacuum and got most of them and them put out a trap. This morning we put out some diatomaceous earth mixed with icing powder in a closed margarine container with holes poked in it so that the ants will want to get in but Gozer can't get at the stuff. After all, ant traps and diatomaceous earth aren't good for dogs.
The number of ants we're seeing is slowly decreasing and they don't seem to have any trails leading to or from anything so I think we're going to be ok. I don't like ants in the house and the fact that we've had them two years in a row does not leave me feeling happy. We're fairly certain that the ants are coming through the patio doors somehow so we need to think about getting a new patio door put in to stop the yearly ant visit.
I'm much happier about the other harbringer of spring that we saw. You might remember that we had to prune a grafted tree outside our kitchen window last year. The rootstock had shot upwards and the grafted weeping part was all dead-looking. We know know what kind of tree it is because it's started to bud in a very special way, by forming the softest little catkins.... also known as pussywillows.
That's right - it's a pussywillow tree!!!! At least, the weeping part is a pussywillow tree; the rootstock is probably goat willow. I do love pussywillows because they are so soft and they remind me both of spring and happy times. When I was growing up, a house two down from ours had a huge pussywillow tree. I don't remember what happened to it (I think it was later cut down or died or something); I just have this memory of seeing it one spring and being enthralled by it. Somehow the few soft little pussywillows that have shown up - and the ones that are on the way - fill me with the same happiness.
What would spring be without ants? Especially ants in the house? You might remember that Gozer spread garbage all over the floor a little while ago. Well, last night we were taking her outside when we looked down at the carpet and there was this dark, fuzzy spot. I was really tired and my eyes weren't working but I thought that I saw movement in the fuzzy spot. Ian touched it and we saw that I was right: there was movement there. The little brown sidewalk ants had found a spot of leftover residue and were all over it.
There weren't nearly as many ants there as we had last year and there were no trails leading to and from the spot so we weren't too freaked out by the ants. We were annoyed, of course, because it was late and we were tired. We got out the vacuum and got most of them and them put out a trap. This morning we put out some diatomaceous earth mixed with icing powder in a closed margarine container with holes poked in it so that the ants will want to get in but Gozer can't get at the stuff. After all, ant traps and diatomaceous earth aren't good for dogs.
The number of ants we're seeing is slowly decreasing and they don't seem to have any trails leading to or from anything so I think we're going to be ok. I don't like ants in the house and the fact that we've had them two years in a row does not leave me feeling happy. We're fairly certain that the ants are coming through the patio doors somehow so we need to think about getting a new patio door put in to stop the yearly ant visit.
I'm much happier about the other harbringer of spring that we saw. You might remember that we had to prune a grafted tree outside our kitchen window last year. The rootstock had shot upwards and the grafted weeping part was all dead-looking. We know know what kind of tree it is because it's started to bud in a very special way, by forming the softest little catkins.... also known as pussywillows.
That's right - it's a pussywillow tree!!!! At least, the weeping part is a pussywillow tree; the rootstock is probably goat willow. I do love pussywillows because they are so soft and they remind me both of spring and happy times. When I was growing up, a house two down from ours had a huge pussywillow tree. I don't remember what happened to it (I think it was later cut down or died or something); I just have this memory of seeing it one spring and being enthralled by it. Somehow the few soft little pussywillows that have shown up - and the ones that are on the way - fill me with the same happiness.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Crazy warm weather
It's been so gorgeous outside, with highs around 20C, that we've been working in the garden. We were even able to get the waterfall going - and we were eaten alive by mosquitos while we filled it! You wouldn't even know that this is March since it feels more like May out there. We'd thought about spraying dormant oil on our fruit trees this weekend but the window has already passed for two of the five trees. Since all of the trees are close together, there's no point spraying dormant oil on some and not all of the trees.
Gozer has been enjoying the beautiful weather, too. We've been taking her outside with us when we're working because now that she's scoped out the whole yard, she likes to either sit and watch us or she likes to sit up at one of the corners of the property. One corner overlooks the park and she likes to watch the kids and dogs play there. The other corner overlooks the properties on the other side of us and she likes to watch the dogs over there.
Gozer is having a hard time getting used to this crazy warm weather. Her coat is quite long and curly and it's just too much for summer so she's getting a stylish summer cut on Tuesday. In the meantime, even though she's scruffy and a little dirty, we weren't planning on bathing her. However, this afternoon while we were visiting in Mississauga I took our cute little dog for a walk and she ended up getting super-muddy. I don't even really know how it happened; we didn't walk through any areas that were clearly muddy or anything but she was filthy.
She looks so cute after a bathWe took her home as she was and after dinner we gave her a bath. She's still drying off and she looks like a cute fuzzball! She'll look even better after her hair is cut. She'll also be more comfortable outside as long as this weather holds.
Gozer has been enjoying the beautiful weather, too. We've been taking her outside with us when we're working because now that she's scoped out the whole yard, she likes to either sit and watch us or she likes to sit up at one of the corners of the property. One corner overlooks the park and she likes to watch the kids and dogs play there. The other corner overlooks the properties on the other side of us and she likes to watch the dogs over there.
Gozer is having a hard time getting used to this crazy warm weather. Her coat is quite long and curly and it's just too much for summer so she's getting a stylish summer cut on Tuesday. In the meantime, even though she's scruffy and a little dirty, we weren't planning on bathing her. However, this afternoon while we were visiting in Mississauga I took our cute little dog for a walk and she ended up getting super-muddy. I don't even really know how it happened; we didn't walk through any areas that were clearly muddy or anything but she was filthy.
She looks so cute after a bathWe took her home as she was and after dinner we gave her a bath. She's still drying off and she looks like a cute fuzzball! She'll look even better after her hair is cut. She'll also be more comfortable outside as long as this weather holds.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Saving daylight
We switched over to daylight saving time (DST) this past weekend and even though the time change was only an hour, I'm having trouble adjusting to the time change. I'd been getting up at around 9 or 9:30am before this weekend and so far I've been struggling to get up by 10:30am.
This morning I had a dream where I could hear something that sounded like an alarm. I said to someone else that I only heard that sound when I was dreaming and my alarm went off, but I wasn't dreaming. And then I stopped and checked to see if I was dreaming and I concluded that I was definitely not dreaming. Well, of course I was dreaming: my alarm had been going off for about a half hour or so.
I don't even fully understand why we do this time change each year. I did some research and one reason they did it was so that people could take advantage of more daylight hours in the evenings and because someone thought that crime would go down. The thinking was that most crime happens at night - is that really true? I don't know. It may have been true back in the day but I don't know if it's true now. Also, what happens to those people who like the morning and not the evening light?
It was thought that traffic accidents would decline during DST because drivers wouldn't be driving in the dark as much. I don't know if that's still true once the accidents following the time change are taken into account. And what about the costs associated with changing the clocks? Our dependence on technology and computers has increased those costs dramatically over what they would have been when DST had first been introduced.
I don't know if the original thinking behind DST is still valid, which makes me question why we don't just abolish it. I did some research and apparently one reason it's kept is that DST saves energy since people need less power in the evenings. Of course that rationale was put forth in the days before air conditioners so I don't know if it's still true. I read that in one city in Indiana where DST had recently been adopted, no energy savings were found but people say that this city doesn't properly represent the rest of the US (or Canada, I suppose).
I did some digging, and I found that the main reason for keeping it is so that kids don't go to school in the dark in the winter. I went to school in the dark, but I also walked a few blocks to school on my own, and we're living in an era where kids don't have that kind of freedom. Some have proposed doing "double DST", or keeping the clocks in DST all year and then putting the clocks forward another hour in the spring. I would call that a "time zone change" myself, and I don't know how practical that would be.
To me, DST creates an artificial state that causes at least as many issues as it solves and I'd love to see it abolished. I'm willing to consider other options, like having fewer time zones across the country, if it meant that we didn't have to change the clocks ever. Maybe I'm just being cranky because I'm not sleeping enough because of DST.
This morning I had a dream where I could hear something that sounded like an alarm. I said to someone else that I only heard that sound when I was dreaming and my alarm went off, but I wasn't dreaming. And then I stopped and checked to see if I was dreaming and I concluded that I was definitely not dreaming. Well, of course I was dreaming: my alarm had been going off for about a half hour or so.
I don't even fully understand why we do this time change each year. I did some research and one reason they did it was so that people could take advantage of more daylight hours in the evenings and because someone thought that crime would go down. The thinking was that most crime happens at night - is that really true? I don't know. It may have been true back in the day but I don't know if it's true now. Also, what happens to those people who like the morning and not the evening light?
It was thought that traffic accidents would decline during DST because drivers wouldn't be driving in the dark as much. I don't know if that's still true once the accidents following the time change are taken into account. And what about the costs associated with changing the clocks? Our dependence on technology and computers has increased those costs dramatically over what they would have been when DST had first been introduced.
I don't know if the original thinking behind DST is still valid, which makes me question why we don't just abolish it. I did some research and apparently one reason it's kept is that DST saves energy since people need less power in the evenings. Of course that rationale was put forth in the days before air conditioners so I don't know if it's still true. I read that in one city in Indiana where DST had recently been adopted, no energy savings were found but people say that this city doesn't properly represent the rest of the US (or Canada, I suppose).
I did some digging, and I found that the main reason for keeping it is so that kids don't go to school in the dark in the winter. I went to school in the dark, but I also walked a few blocks to school on my own, and we're living in an era where kids don't have that kind of freedom. Some have proposed doing "double DST", or keeping the clocks in DST all year and then putting the clocks forward another hour in the spring. I would call that a "time zone change" myself, and I don't know how practical that would be.
To me, DST creates an artificial state that causes at least as many issues as it solves and I'd love to see it abolished. I'm willing to consider other options, like having fewer time zones across the country, if it meant that we didn't have to change the clocks ever. Maybe I'm just being cranky because I'm not sleeping enough because of DST.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Could it really be spring?
The weather went from super-windy and a little cold to absolutely gorgeous today. The temperature got up to about 16C - far above the 3C norm for this time of year - and the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was so beautiful outside and everyone and their dog and their baby was out enjoying the lovely weather.
Ian took Gozer out for a very long walk this morning and our poor little dog was tired for the whole day. It didn't help that we were out in the afternoon enjoying the spring-like weather and she ended up getting a little hot. She's still wearing her scruffy, long winter coat and it's way too hot out there for that. When we got home I gave her an ice cube to help her cool down a bit. She likes eating the ice balls off her feet so I figured she'd like a regular ice cube and I was right :)
It's going to be gorgeous this week with highs in the upper teens (Celsius). With it being so warm, I need to start getting the garden ready for spring. We've had good weather before now but it hasn't been this warm yet this year so it's a good time to get work done out there. I'm pretty sure Gozer won't mind hanging out outside while I do work. There's lots to sniff there and it'll be warm enough so that she should be comfortable.
I think it's time for her to get her hair cut in a lovely short summer style so that she doesn't overheat. She's also looking kind of scruffy no matter how often I comb her because her hair curls back together - and of course it curls differently in different places. She's always cute but she looks a little more refined when she has short hair.
I hope the weather stays at about these temperatures for a long time.. it would be so nice to go out and it not be too hot or too cold.
Ian took Gozer out for a very long walk this morning and our poor little dog was tired for the whole day. It didn't help that we were out in the afternoon enjoying the spring-like weather and she ended up getting a little hot. She's still wearing her scruffy, long winter coat and it's way too hot out there for that. When we got home I gave her an ice cube to help her cool down a bit. She likes eating the ice balls off her feet so I figured she'd like a regular ice cube and I was right :)
It's going to be gorgeous this week with highs in the upper teens (Celsius). With it being so warm, I need to start getting the garden ready for spring. We've had good weather before now but it hasn't been this warm yet this year so it's a good time to get work done out there. I'm pretty sure Gozer won't mind hanging out outside while I do work. There's lots to sniff there and it'll be warm enough so that she should be comfortable.
I think it's time for her to get her hair cut in a lovely short summer style so that she doesn't overheat. She's also looking kind of scruffy no matter how often I comb her because her hair curls back together - and of course it curls differently in different places. She's always cute but she looks a little more refined when she has short hair.
I hope the weather stays at about these temperatures for a long time.. it would be so nice to go out and it not be too hot or too cold.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Comedy festival
This third annual Waterloo Comedy Festival is on this weekend. We'd bought VIP passes some time ago that gave us access to the opening night Gala on Thursday and to one show each of Friday and Saturday. This weekend also happens to be the 20th annual University of Waterloo juggling festival and since Ian was asked to be in that show tonight (Saturday), we gave our tickets for tonight's comedy show to friends of friends.
We did go to the Opening Gala on Thursday and to the show on Friday as well. The Gala was held in a United church which is a very strange place to host a comedy show. Comedy is irreverent and usually inappropriate and listening and laughing to the jokes feels a tiny bit disrespectful while sitting in pews facing a big stained glass Christ figure and cross.
Chris Gibbs, a British citizen who's settled in Canada, opened and emceed the show. He was the funniest of the six comedians who performed that night. His humour was a bit self-deprecating and was a refreshing change from the usual sex, marriage, and dating jokes. The other two comedians in the first act, Rob Pue and Nile Seguin, were sort of funny. Nile Seguin had some strange jokes about being biracial and Rob Pue had an angry sort of energy about him; he ended his set with some strange joke about pumping athletes full of steroids so that when they competed their bodies came apart.
The second act started with another brief appearance by Chris Gibbs followed by Todd Allen, Sean Cullen, and Brent Butt. Todd Allen's funniest joke was about a big, fat cat he adopted named Steve but he took the joke a little bit too far into "I was calling for my cat Steve while wearing a bathrobe and slippers in a gay neighbourhood." Sean Cullen was sick and looked terrible, as though he needed to be in a hospital. He did a couple of songs and told some jokes but it seemed like he wasn't really trying to do his best. Brent Butt was funny in that self-deprecating way of his. He was funny, sure, but not as funny as Chris Gibbs.
Friday night's show was held at a club, or rather a normal venue. There were only three comedians which was also more like a normal show. First up was JJ Whitehead, a Canadian living and performing in the UK. He was so funny - at least as hilarious as Chris Gibbs - just in the way he told normal, everyday stories like what it's like to interact with a bank when the bank calls you. He connected with different members of the audience that poked a little bit of fun but wasn't insulting.
Next up was Steve Dylan, who didn't seem to be all there and who only really got going when he started talking about how much he loved drinking. The man is clearly an alcoholic and I just don't find alcoholic-type humour all that funny. The drunks sitting to the right of us loved those jokes, of course, but they were well-lubricated and ready to accept that kind of humour.
Lastly we saw Sean Cullen again. Unfortunately, he started with the same jokes he'd given us the night before so some people walked out. He did tell the jokes better the second time so it wasn't a complete waste of time, seeing him again. After he finished the first song he started new-to-us material which was fairly funny. He handled the drunks next to us very well although it was clear to everyone else that he was laughing at them and not with them. The drunks couldn't make such fine distinctions.
Of all the people who performed, Chris Gibbs and JJ Whitehead, were hands-down the funniest and I'd love to see them perform again. All in all, the shows were entertaining and I'm happy that we went. I'm sorry that we missed tonight but I'm ok with that decision. It was more important that Ian be at the juggling festival and it's better that Gozer not be left alone for the evening again.
We did go to the Opening Gala on Thursday and to the show on Friday as well. The Gala was held in a United church which is a very strange place to host a comedy show. Comedy is irreverent and usually inappropriate and listening and laughing to the jokes feels a tiny bit disrespectful while sitting in pews facing a big stained glass Christ figure and cross.
Chris Gibbs, a British citizen who's settled in Canada, opened and emceed the show. He was the funniest of the six comedians who performed that night. His humour was a bit self-deprecating and was a refreshing change from the usual sex, marriage, and dating jokes. The other two comedians in the first act, Rob Pue and Nile Seguin, were sort of funny. Nile Seguin had some strange jokes about being biracial and Rob Pue had an angry sort of energy about him; he ended his set with some strange joke about pumping athletes full of steroids so that when they competed their bodies came apart.
The second act started with another brief appearance by Chris Gibbs followed by Todd Allen, Sean Cullen, and Brent Butt. Todd Allen's funniest joke was about a big, fat cat he adopted named Steve but he took the joke a little bit too far into "I was calling for my cat Steve while wearing a bathrobe and slippers in a gay neighbourhood." Sean Cullen was sick and looked terrible, as though he needed to be in a hospital. He did a couple of songs and told some jokes but it seemed like he wasn't really trying to do his best. Brent Butt was funny in that self-deprecating way of his. He was funny, sure, but not as funny as Chris Gibbs.
Friday night's show was held at a club, or rather a normal venue. There were only three comedians which was also more like a normal show. First up was JJ Whitehead, a Canadian living and performing in the UK. He was so funny - at least as hilarious as Chris Gibbs - just in the way he told normal, everyday stories like what it's like to interact with a bank when the bank calls you. He connected with different members of the audience that poked a little bit of fun but wasn't insulting.
Next up was Steve Dylan, who didn't seem to be all there and who only really got going when he started talking about how much he loved drinking. The man is clearly an alcoholic and I just don't find alcoholic-type humour all that funny. The drunks sitting to the right of us loved those jokes, of course, but they were well-lubricated and ready to accept that kind of humour.
Lastly we saw Sean Cullen again. Unfortunately, he started with the same jokes he'd given us the night before so some people walked out. He did tell the jokes better the second time so it wasn't a complete waste of time, seeing him again. After he finished the first song he started new-to-us material which was fairly funny. He handled the drunks next to us very well although it was clear to everyone else that he was laughing at them and not with them. The drunks couldn't make such fine distinctions.
Of all the people who performed, Chris Gibbs and JJ Whitehead, were hands-down the funniest and I'd love to see them perform again. All in all, the shows were entertaining and I'm happy that we went. I'm sorry that we missed tonight but I'm ok with that decision. It was more important that Ian be at the juggling festival and it's better that Gozer not be left alone for the evening again.
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Our badly behaved dog
Our adorable, sweet little dog behaved very badly today.
I went into the kitchen after my bath this afternoon to find the kitchen garbage knocked over and pieces of trash strewn all over the floor. Beside the chair and farthest away from the starting point was tinfoil from when we made chicken fingers along with a plastic bag we'd used for coating potatoes. Gozer had ripped up the tinfoil into very small pieces, presumably to eat the chicken residue on them. I hope that she didn't eat any of the tinfoil but based on the number of little pieces all over the carpet I'm guessing that she did eat some of it.
Interestingly, a few hours later we discovered some chicken finger breading on her ottoman blanket. There was no tinfoil there and the crumbs were kind of hidden under some folds so we think she was saving them for later.
When she did this I knew that she thought she was hungry although she wasn't going to be fed for an hour or so. She'd also been in her crate for a couple of hours this afternoon and she'd been lucky enough to get a yummy pizzle treat (with a thing full of water) while there. She's done think kind of thing twice before and each time it's only happened when she's unsupervised. We don't see her making this mess; we only see its aftermath and so there's no way for us to correct this behaviour. Clearly we're going to have to get a garbage container that can't be tipped over and emptied.
Sigh. I know our little dog lived all by herself on the streets and had to search through garbage to eat but I wish she wasn't still using those techniques. I don't think she understands that she doesn't need to fend for herself anymore. Of course when she was on her own she got to eat whenever she wanted; she didn't have to wait for me to feed her like she does now. So maybe this isn't related to her life on the streets. Maybe she's just being bossy.
I went into the kitchen after my bath this afternoon to find the kitchen garbage knocked over and pieces of trash strewn all over the floor. Beside the chair and farthest away from the starting point was tinfoil from when we made chicken fingers along with a plastic bag we'd used for coating potatoes. Gozer had ripped up the tinfoil into very small pieces, presumably to eat the chicken residue on them. I hope that she didn't eat any of the tinfoil but based on the number of little pieces all over the carpet I'm guessing that she did eat some of it.
Interestingly, a few hours later we discovered some chicken finger breading on her ottoman blanket. There was no tinfoil there and the crumbs were kind of hidden under some folds so we think she was saving them for later.
When she did this I knew that she thought she was hungry although she wasn't going to be fed for an hour or so. She'd also been in her crate for a couple of hours this afternoon and she'd been lucky enough to get a yummy pizzle treat (with a thing full of water) while there. She's done think kind of thing twice before and each time it's only happened when she's unsupervised. We don't see her making this mess; we only see its aftermath and so there's no way for us to correct this behaviour. Clearly we're going to have to get a garbage container that can't be tipped over and emptied.
Sigh. I know our little dog lived all by herself on the streets and had to search through garbage to eat but I wish she wasn't still using those techniques. I don't think she understands that she doesn't need to fend for herself anymore. Of course when she was on her own she got to eat whenever she wanted; she didn't have to wait for me to feed her like she does now. So maybe this isn't related to her life on the streets. Maybe she's just being bossy.
Monday, March 05, 2012
2012 Academy Awards Red Carpet
Finally! Here's the Academy Awards red carpet post.
Interestingly, most of the women are not wearing black. It used to be that everyone wore black to an event like this but now people are moving away from that colour. It's a welcome change, I tell you, because the details of those black dresses could be difficult to see on the monitor. These days, the most popular dress colour family is the opposite of black: whites and pale beiges or pinks (aka "nudes"). Shades of blue are also everywhere on this red carpet and there are a few reds, purples, and greens to round out the colour spectrum.
Fabric-wise, allover sequins are making a strong showing, as are different textures within the same gown through the use of lace, tulle, chiffon, charmeuse, and velvet. Draping and origami-type constructions weren't as widely used as they have been over the last few as the trends have shifted in favour of embellishment over fabric manipulation.
Interestingly, most of the women are not wearing black. It used to be that everyone wore black to an event like this but now people are moving away from that colour. It's a welcome change, I tell you, because the details of those black dresses could be difficult to see on the monitor. These days, the most popular dress colour family is the opposite of black: whites and pale beiges or pinks (aka "nudes"). Shades of blue are also everywhere on this red carpet and there are a few reds, purples, and greens to round out the colour spectrum.
Fabric-wise, allover sequins are making a strong showing, as are different textures within the same gown through the use of lace, tulle, chiffon, charmeuse, and velvet. Draping and origami-type constructions weren't as widely used as they have been over the last few as the trends have shifted in favour of embellishment over fabric manipulation.
Three are two trends I'd like to see end: too-tight dresses and too-long hems. There are too many women at this event wearing dresses that show off their bellybuttons. This was a black tie event and to me, torsos that look like stuffed sausages have no place at such an event. I realize that this issue and the too-long hem issue arise because these gowns are borrowed and so can't really be fitted to the wearer. The idea is that the designer gets their name out there because their designs are being worn on the red carpet. Do they realize that they're also sending out the message that their gowns aren't flattering and that they're a tripping hazard? Do they care?
I'll stop ranting now. Let's have a look at all the pretty gowns after the jump.
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Walking with Gozer
Gozer took me to the Pet Valu store on Friday after we left the vet's. I think she takes me to places where she knows she can get treats because she gets treats from the vet's and from each pet store. Not only does she get treats but she gets lots of cuddles and attention, too.
At the vet's we saw that dog we'd seen before that we were supposed to meet some time. The dog is a bit aggressive towards other dogs and people; fortunately, Gozer didn't bark at all! At first she stood in front of me while surreptitiously leaning against me. Later on, she stood (hid) behind me. I took that as a sign that it was time to leave. Later on, at the pet store, we met another aggressive dog and Gozer behaved similarly: no barking but making sure she was either behind me or touching me.
I think Gozer has come to realize and trust that I'll protect her from the other dogs and that nothing bad will happen to her. I'm thrilled! It means that she really is comfortable in the house and with us. I have to be sure that she doesn't become a scared dog who hides behind her mommy - she still has to go out and meet other dogs.
The other dog we met at the vet's seems to be doing quite well. However, its owner is clearly still afraid of what the dog might do. If I can feel her nervousness, I'm sure the dog can feel it, too, and would want to try to protect her - possibly by biting other dogs or people (which is the very thing she's afraid of). I've encouraged the owner to take the dog to training so that she can learn to handle the dog but she doesn't want to do that, I don't think. This owner and I had talked before of setting up playdates for our dogs but I think I'd feel better if we start with walking the two dogs together. That way, Gozer could hopefully become more comfortable around the other dog and some of her good behaviour could rub off on the other dog.
I'm so pleased that Gozer is doing so well and has become so comfortable here. I wish every owner had such a happy dog.
At the vet's we saw that dog we'd seen before that we were supposed to meet some time. The dog is a bit aggressive towards other dogs and people; fortunately, Gozer didn't bark at all! At first she stood in front of me while surreptitiously leaning against me. Later on, she stood (hid) behind me. I took that as a sign that it was time to leave. Later on, at the pet store, we met another aggressive dog and Gozer behaved similarly: no barking but making sure she was either behind me or touching me.
I think Gozer has come to realize and trust that I'll protect her from the other dogs and that nothing bad will happen to her. I'm thrilled! It means that she really is comfortable in the house and with us. I have to be sure that she doesn't become a scared dog who hides behind her mommy - she still has to go out and meet other dogs.
The other dog we met at the vet's seems to be doing quite well. However, its owner is clearly still afraid of what the dog might do. If I can feel her nervousness, I'm sure the dog can feel it, too, and would want to try to protect her - possibly by biting other dogs or people (which is the very thing she's afraid of). I've encouraged the owner to take the dog to training so that she can learn to handle the dog but she doesn't want to do that, I don't think. This owner and I had talked before of setting up playdates for our dogs but I think I'd feel better if we start with walking the two dogs together. That way, Gozer could hopefully become more comfortable around the other dog and some of her good behaviour could rub off on the other dog.
I'm so pleased that Gozer is doing so well and has become so comfortable here. I wish every owner had such a happy dog.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Take the dog to work
Gozer went to work with Ian today. He's lucky enough to work in an office where dogs are allowed - even encouraged - to come in with their owners. I had metalsmithing class this afternoon and had planned on going again tonight; I didn't want to crate Gozer for all that time so Ian figured that he could take her into work. I ended up deciding that I didn't want to go to class again tonight but Ian stuck with his part of the plan anyways.
Poor Gozer couldn't figure out what was going on when we packed up Gozer's crate, her ottoman blanket, a few quiet squeaky toys, her water dish, her various leashes and harnesses, and some treats this morning. She was especially concerned when her crate was packed up because that's her crate! But then we put her seatbelt on and she relaxed a bit, knowing that she was going wherever her crate was going.
She was very excited and panting and pulling on the leash when we got to the office. Ian set up her crate and stuff and I left. I was a little worried about my little dog being in a strange place but I knew that Ian would take good care of her. We decided that she would stay there the whole day instead of me bringing her home after metalsmithing class because she was doing so well.
Ian's on a mezzanine level (the third-and-a-half floor) and Gozer's crate was set up so that she could overlook the desks below. Apparently she liked looking down over the people there when she was in her crate. She also spent time sleeping at Ian's feet and at the feet of his neighbour while resting her head on one of the spokes of the base of his chair. After getting up and coming back, he actually went to get another chair because he didn't want to move the one on which her head was resting. Ian called Gozer away so that he could sit in his chair again.
There are a lot of stairs at the office and having to go up and down each flight several times a day tuckered our little doggy out. When I picked the two of them up from work, her pace up the stairs was much slower than it had been in the morning. She was so exhausted! Between going up and down the stairs, exploring new areas, and meeting a ton of new people, going to work was a lot for her.
I'm thrilled that Gozer's day at work went so well because it means that Ian can take care of her without me being here. This is great because I plan to go to Edmonton at the end of April for a week or so and now I don't have to worry about Gozer - Ian can just take her to work while I'm gone. I wouldn't mind if he took her sometimes just for fun, too :)
Poor Gozer couldn't figure out what was going on when we packed up Gozer's crate, her ottoman blanket, a few quiet squeaky toys, her water dish, her various leashes and harnesses, and some treats this morning. She was especially concerned when her crate was packed up because that's her crate! But then we put her seatbelt on and she relaxed a bit, knowing that she was going wherever her crate was going.
She was very excited and panting and pulling on the leash when we got to the office. Ian set up her crate and stuff and I left. I was a little worried about my little dog being in a strange place but I knew that Ian would take good care of her. We decided that she would stay there the whole day instead of me bringing her home after metalsmithing class because she was doing so well.
Ian's on a mezzanine level (the third-and-a-half floor) and Gozer's crate was set up so that she could overlook the desks below. Apparently she liked looking down over the people there when she was in her crate. She also spent time sleeping at Ian's feet and at the feet of his neighbour while resting her head on one of the spokes of the base of his chair. After getting up and coming back, he actually went to get another chair because he didn't want to move the one on which her head was resting. Ian called Gozer away so that he could sit in his chair again.
There are a lot of stairs at the office and having to go up and down each flight several times a day tuckered our little doggy out. When I picked the two of them up from work, her pace up the stairs was much slower than it had been in the morning. She was so exhausted! Between going up and down the stairs, exploring new areas, and meeting a ton of new people, going to work was a lot for her.
I'm thrilled that Gozer's day at work went so well because it means that Ian can take care of her without me being here. This is great because I plan to go to Edmonton at the end of April for a week or so and now I don't have to worry about Gozer - Ian can just take her to work while I'm gone. I wouldn't mind if he took her sometimes just for fun, too :)
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