I saw my oncologist this past Friday. The best news is that my tumour markers are still holding steady at a nice, low 34. Yay!
However, my oncologist was quite concerned about the lymphedema I've got. It's still in my left hand and arm and it hurts when I try to do certain things like put my hand flat on a hard surface and straighten my arm, or bring my hand to be perpendicular to my arm, or if something puts pressure on a part of my forearm.
Then on Wednesday I freaked out a bit because my underarm felt strange. If I raise my bent arm to shoulder level, the skin just at the front of the skin is all dimply. If I raise my hand above my head and straighten my arm as much as I can, there are three ropey things in my underarm.
My oncologist looked at all this and told me that my breast (this is the one with morphea) is full of lymph fluid, as is my side, and those ropey things are lymph vessels that are showing up because there's so much fluid in the whole area (this phenomenon is known as "cording"). Of great concern to her is the fact that my morphea breast is pinker than usual; apparently when fluid builds up and sits there like this, a cellulitis infection can show up and it starts with pink skin. I'm to watch for pain in the area and/or a fever and they show up, I'm to head to the emergency department immediately.
Apparently the cancer center has a physiotherapist who specializes in lymphedema and my oncologist is referring me to this person. She's hoping to get me in urgently because of the cording and swelling everywhere. She also wants to see me in four weeks instead of our usual three months because if we can't get the fluid moving we need to scan to figure out what's causing the blockage.
Hopefully I can get in to see the physiotherapist and we can get the fluid moving so that I can use my arm and hand again.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Red Carpet
The Academy Awards ceremony isn't the end of Oscar night - there are many parties that go on before, during, and after the ceremony. The two biggest parties are the Vanity Fair and the Elton John parties. Many of the celebrities who walked the Oscar red carpet attend one or both of these parties and change their outfits to attend. You know what that means - more outfits to evaluate!
Of the two, I think the Vanity Fair party is bigger and more interesting so I've chosen to evaluate the outfits worn on its "red" carpet.
I've gone through these outfits quite quickly and haven't written nearly as much as I had written for the recent red carpet posts. I've also taken a rather irreverent approach that I hope you'll like. Shall we take a look?
Of the two, I think the Vanity Fair party is bigger and more interesting so I've chosen to evaluate the outfits worn on its "red" carpet.
I've gone through these outfits quite quickly and haven't written nearly as much as I had written for the recent red carpet posts. I've also taken a rather irreverent approach that I hope you'll like. Shall we take a look?
Sunday, March 03, 2013
2013 Academy Awards Red Carpet
And here it is - finally! My red carpet post from the Academy Awards. I probably could have finished this sooner if I'd worked on it harder but after being so busy over the last couple of weeks I wanted to take it as easy as possible this week.
There are quite a few interesting dresses on this red carpet which should be no surprise because not everyone knows how to dress to flatter their figure or colouring. I know there are stylists to help but not everyone uses a stylist and not ever stylist knows what they're doing.
There wasn't that much black on this red carpet which was a welcome change. White and nude are still popular colours and there were also varying shades of blue and a few reds which I really liked. There was a lot of beaded and sequin fabrics and embellishments which of course I love :)
Anyways, enough of me blathering on. Let's look at the dresses!
There are quite a few interesting dresses on this red carpet which should be no surprise because not everyone knows how to dress to flatter their figure or colouring. I know there are stylists to help but not everyone uses a stylist and not ever stylist knows what they're doing.
There wasn't that much black on this red carpet which was a welcome change. White and nude are still popular colours and there were also varying shades of blue and a few reds which I really liked. There was a lot of beaded and sequin fabrics and embellishments which of course I love :)
Anyways, enough of me blathering on. Let's look at the dresses!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
A couple of things
It's Oscar night! I'm watching the red carpet show and there are lots and lots of sparkly dresses. There are some non-sparkly dresses, too, of course, but embellishments are really trendy right now. I'm really looking forward to doing the red carpet post this week. I'd like to think I can get it done in a couple of days but let's be realistic - it'll take most of, if not the entire, week.
Today we planted our pepper seeds. We've bought pepper plants and planted them for the last two years but this year we decided to grow our peppers from seed for the very first time. We planted five kinds of seeds (three hot pepper and two sweet pepper varieties) in moist soil and they're sitting in their covered trays on the heating mat under a 24-hour light. Apparently peppers are tropical plants and so need the extra heat to germinate - at least that's the theory. We'll see if it pans out.
If for some reason this batch doesn't work out there will still time to grow a second batch. Our growing season is extended a bit with the greenhouse. We may do a second growing just for fun just because we can.
Tomorrow is the last day I have to get up early to drive Ian to work for a few days. I'm looking forward to sleeping in on Tuesday; I was up early this weekend to walk and feed Gozer. Not having to do anything Tuesday morning is very exciting.
Today we planted our pepper seeds. We've bought pepper plants and planted them for the last two years but this year we decided to grow our peppers from seed for the very first time. We planted five kinds of seeds (three hot pepper and two sweet pepper varieties) in moist soil and they're sitting in their covered trays on the heating mat under a 24-hour light. Apparently peppers are tropical plants and so need the extra heat to germinate - at least that's the theory. We'll see if it pans out.
If for some reason this batch doesn't work out there will still time to grow a second batch. Our growing season is extended a bit with the greenhouse. We may do a second growing just for fun just because we can.
Tomorrow is the last day I have to get up early to drive Ian to work for a few days. I'm looking forward to sleeping in on Tuesday; I was up early this weekend to walk and feed Gozer. Not having to do anything Tuesday morning is very exciting.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Almost overdoing it
These last few weeks have been exhausting for me. I've had something that I've had to do just about every day and I haven't had the kind of downtime that I've become accustomed to having. Because most of my activities have needed the car, I've been driving Ian to work and then picking him up afterwards.
That's not so bad, really, except that to drive Ian to work I get up when he and Gozer get back from their walk and then I don't have time to make coffee or anything before we have to go. I feel rushed then and then I get home and rush to have breakfast and get ready to do whatever I need to do that day. Lather and repeat the next day.
I know that most people do more than that every single day but I haven't been doing that much so I'm finding it exhausting. This morning I got up earlier and had breakfast and coffee before Ian got back from the walk and it was much better for me. I was able to putter around making breakfast and to relax before my day really started. I didn't know I needed that time but clearly I do.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I have to take care of Gozer because Ian's curling all day but other than that I'm going to be relaxing in front of the tv with Gozer. She's missed me being able to sit with her, too - she keeps grabbing her squeakies (including Snakey, her newest squeaky that she loves more than any squeaky she's ever had) and running downstairs to wait for me. We're both going to enjoy tomorrow.
Monday, February 18, 2013
All about Gozer
Gozer saw the veterinary ophthalmologist on Friday because the vet had spotted a cataract in her right eye a couple of months ago that has visibly grown since its first discovery. I've held off posting the results because I had trouble understanding the information. I'm not used to all of these technical terms, you see, so it took a while for me to do the research. Well, I was also working on the red carpet post.
Ok, that's it for anatomy! We weren't sure what to expect but it turns out that they do the same exams on dogs as they do on people, just with slightly different equipment. It would be hard to get a dog to put its chin on the chin rest, lean forward, and stay still, after all! The ophthalmologist uses hand-held versions of the people version and holds the dog's face still using the other hand.
One test that's different is that they check tear production by sticking a test paper under her lid. Apparently some people do get to have this particular test but it's not one that's done unless there are problems. Gozer's corneas were also dyed to check for damage to them and her pupils were dilated to see what's going on.
Her tear production is apparently normal and her corneas showed no damage at all. She definitely does have a cataract in her right eye located "medial equatorial and cortical (mainly posterior, though anterior also involved)" which I think means that it's in the cortex of the lens around about the middle mostly towards the back of the lens and spreading to the front. Since the cortex is composed of new-ish lens fibres, a cataract there means that it's new-ish and hasn't been there forever.
She has other issues with her right eye; in particular she has a "posterior synechiae at 3 o'clock and associated with a small hole in the iris at this point." The posterior synechiae is where the back (posterior) of the iris is stuck or adhered (synechiae) to the front of the lens capsule or membrane surrounding the lens. The ophthalmologist thinks that she had some kind of trauma to her eye when she was younger that caused the hole in the iris and the adhesion, and that these in turn somehow caused the cataract to form. I'm not exactly sure how that's possible but he's the doctor so he must know what he's talking about.
We've been given Ketorolac (0.5%) drops to put into her right eye twice a day forever to try to keep prevent the cataract from getting larger. Apparently as the cataract progresses it can leak lens fibers and that's bad. The ophthalmologist wants to see her in three months to see how she's doing. He didn't talk about surgery this time around.
I don't know if it helps, but here are diagrams of the canine eye and lens to help you visualize what's going on. Don't let the human-looking eye in this diagram fool you - this is definitely a canine eye:
And here's a picture of the structure of the lens itself. It's in the same orientation as in the diagram of the eye above. Notice that the curvature of the lens is different on each side - I didn't know that was the case, but apparently it is. It's amazing what a person can learn with a bit of research, huh?
The posterior (P) of the lens is the back of the lens facing the retina, the anterior (A) is the front of the lens against the iris, the equator (E) is the widest point from top to bottom of the lens, and the capsule contains the lens itself. The lens is made up of fibres that are constantly being replenished; as new ones are formed in the subcapsular cortex (SC), the older ones are compressed into the cortex (C) and the very oldest ones are compressed into the nucleus (N).
Ok, that's it for anatomy! We weren't sure what to expect but it turns out that they do the same exams on dogs as they do on people, just with slightly different equipment. It would be hard to get a dog to put its chin on the chin rest, lean forward, and stay still, after all! The ophthalmologist uses hand-held versions of the people version and holds the dog's face still using the other hand.
One test that's different is that they check tear production by sticking a test paper under her lid. Apparently some people do get to have this particular test but it's not one that's done unless there are problems. Gozer's corneas were also dyed to check for damage to them and her pupils were dilated to see what's going on.
Her tear production is apparently normal and her corneas showed no damage at all. She definitely does have a cataract in her right eye located "medial equatorial and cortical (mainly posterior, though anterior also involved)" which I think means that it's in the cortex of the lens around about the middle mostly towards the back of the lens and spreading to the front. Since the cortex is composed of new-ish lens fibres, a cataract there means that it's new-ish and hasn't been there forever.
She has other issues with her right eye; in particular she has a "posterior synechiae at 3 o'clock and associated with a small hole in the iris at this point." The posterior synechiae is where the back (posterior) of the iris is stuck or adhered (synechiae) to the front of the lens capsule or membrane surrounding the lens. The ophthalmologist thinks that she had some kind of trauma to her eye when she was younger that caused the hole in the iris and the adhesion, and that these in turn somehow caused the cataract to form. I'm not exactly sure how that's possible but he's the doctor so he must know what he's talking about.
We've been given Ketorolac (0.5%) drops to put into her right eye twice a day forever to try to keep prevent the cataract from getting larger. Apparently as the cataract progresses it can leak lens fibers and that's bad. The ophthalmologist wants to see her in three months to see how she's doing. He didn't talk about surgery this time around.
I don't know if it helps, but here are diagrams of the canine eye and lens to help you visualize what's going on. Don't let the human-looking eye in this diagram fool you - this is definitely a canine eye:
The posterior (P) of the lens is the back of the lens facing the retina, the anterior (A) is the front of the lens against the iris, the equator (E) is the widest point from top to bottom of the lens, and the capsule contains the lens itself. The lens is made up of fibres that are constantly being replenished; as new ones are formed in the subcapsular cortex (SC), the older ones are compressed into the cortex (C) and the very oldest ones are compressed into the nucleus (N).
We also took a picture of Gozer's right eye:
The green is the reflection of the pupil through the dilated pupil and the brown ring is her iris. The extra bump on the iris towards the bottom of the picture (her inner eye) and the little brown streaks coming from that are the adhesions or synechaie, I think. I think the white are between her pupil and that extra bump in the iris might be the cataract but I'm not sure. I'm not exactly sure where the hole in the iris is located.
In other Gozer news, before this appointment the vet did a blood and urine work-up. Since we don't know anything about Gozer's history we elected to do the geriatric blood panel because it gives more information. Overall, everything is ok. However, there are two results that are concerning.
First, they found triple phosphate crystals (also known as struvite crystals or magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals) in her urine. It's possible that she has a few bladder stones but since she's not having any problems urinating we're just going to keep an eye on her.
Second and more concerning is that her thyroid levels were low. I'm actually not surprised about this since starting early last summer she started having problems going on long walks to the point of having to stop and rest after about 40 minutes and walking very, very slowly after that. She also starts panting after going up the stairs - she really doesn't have much stamina. And then there's the little matter of the weight she's gained that she hasn't been able to lose. She's lost and gained the same 0.3kg several times over the last few months. All these signs point to low thyroid levels, or hypothyroidism.
We could have done a more comprehensive thyroid panel right away but since we had planned to waist for three months to re-do the main thyroid test, I decided that it would be better just to wait and see what happens. If her thyroid levels are still low (and I expect they will be), then we'll do the more comprehensive panel. Even if she does have hypothyroidism, she's managing just fine right now.
So I think that's it for now - our little Fluffybutt has a cataract and some possible health issues. I wish she was perfectly healthy but how many dogs out there are perfectly healthy? Besides, it's good to catch these sorts of things earlier, when there might be something we can do about it, then wait until the issues were affecting her and any treatment is drastic.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
2013 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
I know it's taken a while, but I think it's been worth the wait: here's the red carpet post for the recent Grammy awards!
One of the most interesting things about this red carpet is that CBS (the network that televises the show) sent out an email describing a dress code for the event, apparently in response to lawsuits about indecency on television. People were asked to :
Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible “puffy” bare skin exposure.I don't know how I feel about the dress code. I think it's ridiculous that many women feel they need to show off their bodies. On the other hand, I think if a woman is comfortable in her own skin, why shouldn't she dress in a way she likes? Then I think that I don't much like censorship in any form... but at the same time, I don't necessarily want to see everything a person has to offer.
Interestingly, it seems that no one was sent home to change even if they wore something that violated the rules. What's the point of a dress code that isn't enforced? That makes no sense to me.
Anyways, let's get on with the show. Happy reading!
Anyways, let's get on with the show. Happy reading!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The dryer saga continues
In last Saturday's episode of The Dryer Adventures, we were left with a rescheduled delivery date because the dryer hadn't been received at the distribution center. After we spoke with the distribution center and rescheduled the delivery for yesterday, we received the automated call from the delivery people indicating that they were on their way. Confused, since they weren't supposed to be delivering anything, we called the delivery number but they had no explanation for the call.
It turns out that the delivery people thought they still needed to pick up the dented dryer and they showed up to do that. Of course we sent them away because we don't want to be without a dryer.
Fast forward to yesterday, when we expected the delivery to arrive between noon and 5pm. I'd called the night before to confirm that they were not only delivering the dryer but also picking up the dented dryer because at this point I believe that could happen. Imagine our surprise when we received a call from our salesperson at about 9:30am to tell us that his manager informed him (on his day off) that the dryer hadn't been received at the distribution center.
Honestly, I thought that he and his manager had received the note from last week and didn't really believe that the dryer wasn't there again. I figured that the dryer would still arrive in the afternoon because how could it not have been received again? We had to take Gozer to the ophthalmologist that morning (more about that in tomorrow's post) and I left early so that I could be home by noon in case the dryer really was going to be delivered.
As it happened, I could have stayed at the appointment because the dryer really didn't arrive. At least no one came to try to take our dented dryer away! The department manager called yesterday afternoon to tell me that she is investigating the location of our dryer. She'd hoped to hear something yesterday but didn't think she would and she's off for the long weekend so she's going to call me back on Tuesday with the information. We have tentatively scheduled the dryer to be delivered this coming Friday between noon and 5pm and we'll reschedule it if necessary.
We'll see what happens. We'll have a new and undented dryer someday, I'm sure of it.
In other news, I'm working on the Grammys red carpet post and I expect to have it up tomorrow. I know, I'm slow, but you don't mind waiting, do you?
It turns out that the delivery people thought they still needed to pick up the dented dryer and they showed up to do that. Of course we sent them away because we don't want to be without a dryer.
Fast forward to yesterday, when we expected the delivery to arrive between noon and 5pm. I'd called the night before to confirm that they were not only delivering the dryer but also picking up the dented dryer because at this point I believe that could happen. Imagine our surprise when we received a call from our salesperson at about 9:30am to tell us that his manager informed him (on his day off) that the dryer hadn't been received at the distribution center.
Honestly, I thought that he and his manager had received the note from last week and didn't really believe that the dryer wasn't there again. I figured that the dryer would still arrive in the afternoon because how could it not have been received again? We had to take Gozer to the ophthalmologist that morning (more about that in tomorrow's post) and I left early so that I could be home by noon in case the dryer really was going to be delivered.
As it happened, I could have stayed at the appointment because the dryer really didn't arrive. At least no one came to try to take our dented dryer away! The department manager called yesterday afternoon to tell me that she is investigating the location of our dryer. She'd hoped to hear something yesterday but didn't think she would and she's off for the long weekend so she's going to call me back on Tuesday with the information. We have tentatively scheduled the dryer to be delivered this coming Friday between noon and 5pm and we'll reschedule it if necessary.
We'll see what happens. We'll have a new and undented dryer someday, I'm sure of it.
In other news, I'm working on the Grammys red carpet post and I expect to have it up tomorrow. I know, I'm slow, but you don't mind waiting, do you?
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Signing up to be an organ donor
Organ and tissue donors are always needed. However, the process to sign up to be an organ donor has changed a few times over the last few years. It used to be that we ticked off a box when applying for either our driver's licenses or photo health cards and the information was printed on the back of that card. For a while we filled out cards and kept them in our wallets.
Now there's a new organ donor registration process here in Ontario. We have to register online, through a ServiceOntario kiosk, or by mail with our health card number. I understand that this might make the process easier but it's frustrating that the process keeps changing. There are people carrying around organ donor cards who think they're registered but that's no longer true.
I strongly believe in being an organ donor. I don't know if my organs or tissues will be wanted because of the mets and the sarcoidosis but according to the frequently asked questions, a pre-existing medical condition does not preclude anyone from donating their organs or tissues. The final medical team will determine which, if any, organs and tissues can be used.
Therefore, I've gone ahead and registered as an organ and tissue donor. Wherever you are, if you want to donate your organs and tissues after you die - to give the gift of live and health to someone else - then be sure to register yourself. It also doesn't hurt to tell someone about your wishes.
Now there's a new organ donor registration process here in Ontario. We have to register online, through a ServiceOntario kiosk, or by mail with our health card number. I understand that this might make the process easier but it's frustrating that the process keeps changing. There are people carrying around organ donor cards who think they're registered but that's no longer true.
I strongly believe in being an organ donor. I don't know if my organs or tissues will be wanted because of the mets and the sarcoidosis but according to the frequently asked questions, a pre-existing medical condition does not preclude anyone from donating their organs or tissues. The final medical team will determine which, if any, organs and tissues can be used.
Therefore, I've gone ahead and registered as an organ and tissue donor. Wherever you are, if you want to donate your organs and tissues after you die - to give the gift of live and health to someone else - then be sure to register yourself. It also doesn't hurt to tell someone about your wishes.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Garments and prosthetics
I planned to work on a Grammy red carpet post today but I noticed that my arm was a bit swollen. I'd walked Gozer while Ian was away and at one point she pulled on the leash hard enough to hyper-extend my left arm. My original breast cancer was on my left side and they took out lymph nodes in my left armpit. When they take lymph nodes out from that location, lymphedema - or swelling - of the left arm is a side effect.
I've had lymphedema show up in my left arm before. Luckily, it's mild so my arm and hand don't swell up too much but when it does show up I wear a compression sleeve on my arm and a compression gauntlet on my hand.
So what does this have to do with hyper-extending my left arm while walking Gozer? Well, as the arm started to heal, it swelled up a bit. I noticed a bit of swelling yesterday before bed and was concerned enough to measure my arms. I don't wear the compression garments at night, though, so I made a mental note of the swelling and went to bed.
This morning my forearm and hand up to the knuckles were all swollen so that I couldn't fully bend my arm or close my hand. Out came the compression garments. I wore them while making dinner and learned a valuable lesson: if you chop onions without protecting the fabric compression gauntlet, that gauntlet will smell like onions.
In addition to wearing the compression garments I've been trying to massage my arm to encourage the lymph fluid to flow up the arm and down my side. Hopefully the swelling will subside and I can put away these garments. It wouldn't be so bad if they were my skin colour or even the same colour. There's a company out there that makes printed sleeves in a variety of patterns. I'm thinking of getting a set so that my arm will look interesting when I wear these garments. Since the lymphedema is rearing its ugly head, it would be prudent for me to wear the garments when I fly and I might like something a little more stylish.
In other news, although I was happy with the breast prosthetic that I bought, it's a little bit large and doesn't fit quite right. I've been thinking that it would be great to get one custom-made to be symmetrical and to fit to the shape that's there. It turns out that this is actually possible! There's a company in Toronto that makes them (and another company! it seems Toronto is at the forefront of custom breast prosthetics). I'm going to contact them and find out how long it could take and what kind of costs I'd be looking at. I'd love to be symmetrical again.
I've had lymphedema show up in my left arm before. Luckily, it's mild so my arm and hand don't swell up too much but when it does show up I wear a compression sleeve on my arm and a compression gauntlet on my hand.
So what does this have to do with hyper-extending my left arm while walking Gozer? Well, as the arm started to heal, it swelled up a bit. I noticed a bit of swelling yesterday before bed and was concerned enough to measure my arms. I don't wear the compression garments at night, though, so I made a mental note of the swelling and went to bed.
This morning my forearm and hand up to the knuckles were all swollen so that I couldn't fully bend my arm or close my hand. Out came the compression garments. I wore them while making dinner and learned a valuable lesson: if you chop onions without protecting the fabric compression gauntlet, that gauntlet will smell like onions.
In addition to wearing the compression garments I've been trying to massage my arm to encourage the lymph fluid to flow up the arm and down my side. Hopefully the swelling will subside and I can put away these garments. It wouldn't be so bad if they were my skin colour or even the same colour. There's a company out there that makes printed sleeves in a variety of patterns. I'm thinking of getting a set so that my arm will look interesting when I wear these garments. Since the lymphedema is rearing its ugly head, it would be prudent for me to wear the garments when I fly and I might like something a little more stylish.
In other news, although I was happy with the breast prosthetic that I bought, it's a little bit large and doesn't fit quite right. I've been thinking that it would be great to get one custom-made to be symmetrical and to fit to the shape that's there. It turns out that this is actually possible! There's a company in Toronto that makes them (and another company! it seems Toronto is at the forefront of custom breast prosthetics). I'm going to contact them and find out how long it could take and what kind of costs I'd be looking at. I'd love to be symmetrical again.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Weather and tv
We haven't had strange enough weather lately, I think. To make up for that, the temperature will rise through the night and in the next 24 hours we'll get freezing rain, rain, and snow on top of the snow we got on Friday. Wait a day and the weather will change again, I'm sure.
Ian's flight ended up terribly delayed on Friday. It was supposed to arrive at Pearson airport in Toronto at about 8pm. Instead, Pearson grounded all flights at their origins until 8pm (and later 9pm) because of the storm so Ian's flight sat on the tarmac for two and a half hours after he boarded - after it was already an hour and a half late.
When they finally landed, three and a half hours later than scheduled, there was no gate available for them so they sat on the tarmac for about an hour waiting for one. After getting gate information, the plane taxied to the gate only to find out that there was no ground crew to bring the plane in or get the baggage. The plane sat 100ft from the gate for over two hours waiting for ground crew to arrive. Ian finally made it into the airport just after 3am, over seven hours late, and he didn't get home until 5am.
At least he made it home. Other people's flights were cancelled and couldn't get home until today and he had enough batteries in his tablet, PSVita, and Kindle to keep himself entertained on the plane for the ten hours he was on the plane.
I'm watching the Grammys tonight. I missed the first half-hour because I was watching a recording but that's ok. The show is always entertaining what with the musical performances and all the musical people. It looks like people wore some interesting outfits and I'm looking forward to reviewing them in the next red carpet post.
Ian's flight ended up terribly delayed on Friday. It was supposed to arrive at Pearson airport in Toronto at about 8pm. Instead, Pearson grounded all flights at their origins until 8pm (and later 9pm) because of the storm so Ian's flight sat on the tarmac for two and a half hours after he boarded - after it was already an hour and a half late.
When they finally landed, three and a half hours later than scheduled, there was no gate available for them so they sat on the tarmac for about an hour waiting for one. After getting gate information, the plane taxied to the gate only to find out that there was no ground crew to bring the plane in or get the baggage. The plane sat 100ft from the gate for over two hours waiting for ground crew to arrive. Ian finally made it into the airport just after 3am, over seven hours late, and he didn't get home until 5am.
At least he made it home. Other people's flights were cancelled and couldn't get home until today and he had enough batteries in his tablet, PSVita, and Kindle to keep himself entertained on the plane for the ten hours he was on the plane.
I'm watching the Grammys tonight. I missed the first half-hour because I was watching a recording but that's ok. The show is always entertaining what with the musical performances and all the musical people. It looks like people wore some interesting outfits and I'm looking forward to reviewing them in the next red carpet post.
Friday, February 08, 2013
Snow snow!
It's a winter wonderland out there! A winter storm came through and dumped a ridiculous amount of snow on us. This evening the snow, when shovelled, was over Gozer's head! My rough measurement showed that we got about 15" or 16" (37-40cm) of snow but the news outlets are saying that we only got about 12" (30cm) we got a bit more: 17" (43cm). That's a crazy amount of snow to fall in just one day! I think the snow has stopped falling and is starting to drift now.
Walking Gozer has been an adventure today. This morning we had about 8" (20cm) on the ground and almost none of the sidewalks were cleared. We tried to walk on the sidewalk but I got tired trying to break a trail and she got tired bounding from spot to spot (although she looked super-cute doing it!). We ended up walking in the ruts on the road in the opposite direction as traffic. Fortunately there was almost no traffic out there so it was safe enough but we kept the walk short.
This evening's walk was also short because not all of the sidewalks were clear - some had only been shoveled once and some not at all - and there was too much traffic for me to feel safe walking her on the road. She was able to do all of her business this morning but not this evening so I might take her out before bedtime. She's looking a little more restless than she usually does so might benefit from going for a short walk. We'll see - it's supposed to be cold and windy out there and I don't really want to go outside. But it's not all about me, is it? :)
Our neighbour has a snowblower and he cleared our driveway this morning and again this evening. I'm really grateful to him for doing that because I can't shovel that much snow and Ian is out of town. He's actually on his way back right now although the weather has definitely interfered with his travel plans. He was supposed to be home by now but the flight out there was almost two hours late waiting to be de-iced and then his flight back sat on the tarmac for almost two hours. Apparently the Toronto airport is delaying inbound flights before takeoff because the of the weather.
At this point, Ian's flight is scheduled to touch down at about 11pm and be at the gate by 11:30pm. I hope that his flight isn't delayed any more and that he's able to get home tonight. If the roads are really bad then it might be better for him to stay at the hotel at the airport rather than trying to get home. Of course I'd rather he came home, and I know he wants to come home, but I want him to be safe, too.
It's supposed to be clear and not snow tomorrow so hopefully the roads and sidewalks will be cleared up. We're expecting our dryer to be delivered tomorrow and with luck it'll actually happen.
Walking Gozer has been an adventure today. This morning we had about 8" (20cm) on the ground and almost none of the sidewalks were cleared. We tried to walk on the sidewalk but I got tired trying to break a trail and she got tired bounding from spot to spot (although she looked super-cute doing it!). We ended up walking in the ruts on the road in the opposite direction as traffic. Fortunately there was almost no traffic out there so it was safe enough but we kept the walk short.
This evening's walk was also short because not all of the sidewalks were clear - some had only been shoveled once and some not at all - and there was too much traffic for me to feel safe walking her on the road. She was able to do all of her business this morning but not this evening so I might take her out before bedtime. She's looking a little more restless than she usually does so might benefit from going for a short walk. We'll see - it's supposed to be cold and windy out there and I don't really want to go outside. But it's not all about me, is it? :)
Our neighbour has a snowblower and he cleared our driveway this morning and again this evening. I'm really grateful to him for doing that because I can't shovel that much snow and Ian is out of town. He's actually on his way back right now although the weather has definitely interfered with his travel plans. He was supposed to be home by now but the flight out there was almost two hours late waiting to be de-iced and then his flight back sat on the tarmac for almost two hours. Apparently the Toronto airport is delaying inbound flights before takeoff because the of the weather.
At this point, Ian's flight is scheduled to touch down at about 11pm and be at the gate by 11:30pm. I hope that his flight isn't delayed any more and that he's able to get home tonight. If the roads are really bad then it might be better for him to stay at the hotel at the airport rather than trying to get home. Of course I'd rather he came home, and I know he wants to come home, but I want him to be safe, too.
It's supposed to be clear and not snow tomorrow so hopefully the roads and sidewalks will be cleared up. We're expecting our dryer to be delivered tomorrow and with luck it'll actually happen.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
More dryer adventures
Getting a new dryer has turned out to be less easy than we thought it would be. We thought that after the actual purchase went so well, the delivery would be a piece of cake.
Ha. The delivery people did get there on time, which was great. However, they were unhappy that Ian was reading the contract he was asked to sign and tried to pressure him into just signing it. Apparently they never drop anything, you see.
They do forget to deliver some parts, however, and they also forget to install the dryer properly. The dryer we bought was supposed to come with an interior drying rack and we didn't receive it. The dryer also has leveling feet, which they did deliver but which they didn't actually install.
As Ian was installing the leveling feet, he noticed a giant dent in the back of the dryer and scratches from the dryer being installed without the feet. The delivery people may not have dropped it but someone definitely did. Even though the dent doesn't affect the functionality of the dryer, since we paid for a new dryer I want a new dryer in perfect condition. I called customer service, explained the situation, and they were very accommodating. They said that they'd send a message to our sales associate and that he would arrange for a new delivery and for the current dryer to be picked up.
On Sunday I got a call from a different sales associate who said that our sales associate wouldn't be in until Tuesday but that he (the guy phoning) had ordered a replacement dryer and had requested an extra quality check before it could be delivered. He said to go ahead and use the dryer we got because they don't want us to be without a dryer. He said that our sales associate would call on Tuesday to confirm the delivery time - and here it is, just after 9pm on Tuesday, and I haven't heard from the sales associate.
At least the dryer, even with a big dent in the back, dries clothes quite well. Someday I hope we'll have a lovely new dryer without a dent or scratches on it.
Ha. The delivery people did get there on time, which was great. However, they were unhappy that Ian was reading the contract he was asked to sign and tried to pressure him into just signing it. Apparently they never drop anything, you see.
They do forget to deliver some parts, however, and they also forget to install the dryer properly. The dryer we bought was supposed to come with an interior drying rack and we didn't receive it. The dryer also has leveling feet, which they did deliver but which they didn't actually install.
As Ian was installing the leveling feet, he noticed a giant dent in the back of the dryer and scratches from the dryer being installed without the feet. The delivery people may not have dropped it but someone definitely did. Even though the dent doesn't affect the functionality of the dryer, since we paid for a new dryer I want a new dryer in perfect condition. I called customer service, explained the situation, and they were very accommodating. They said that they'd send a message to our sales associate and that he would arrange for a new delivery and for the current dryer to be picked up.
On Sunday I got a call from a different sales associate who said that our sales associate wouldn't be in until Tuesday but that he (the guy phoning) had ordered a replacement dryer and had requested an extra quality check before it could be delivered. He said to go ahead and use the dryer we got because they don't want us to be without a dryer. He said that our sales associate would call on Tuesday to confirm the delivery time - and here it is, just after 9pm on Tuesday, and I haven't heard from the sales associate.
At least the dryer, even with a big dent in the back, dries clothes quite well. Someday I hope we'll have a lovely new dryer without a dent or scratches on it.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Talking about our dryer
Our new dryer arrives tomorrow! I'm thrilled that we'll have a dryer that works so that laundry takes less time.
When we bought the dryer, the salesperson made arrangements for the delivery people to take our old dryer out to the curb to be picked up with our regular garbage collection. However, garbage collection is tomorrow morning and we don't want the dryer setting out there all week. Even if we were allowed to do that, but we aren't - bylaws prohibit us from putting garbage out in front of our house when it isn't our night.
Both Ian and I separately concluded that we needed to put the old dryer out at the curb tonight so that it could be picked up tomorrow. It took hardly any time to get the dryer out there; Ian mostly did it himself with me helping a bit to bring it down the stairs. Ian put the leaking cooler out there, too.
Imagine our surprise when both the dryer and cooler were gone within an hour! There are pickers that drive around the night before garbage day looking for good stuff and I guess our dryer and cooler qualified. I'm actually happy that they picked up the dryer because I'm quite sure it can be refurbished - I just didn't want to pay for it to be done. I also didn't want to see it go to a landfill. I don't love it when the pickers drive around (I find it creepy) but I do love that they took the appliances at our curb.
When we bought the dryer, the salesperson made arrangements for the delivery people to take our old dryer out to the curb to be picked up with our regular garbage collection. However, garbage collection is tomorrow morning and we don't want the dryer setting out there all week. Even if we were allowed to do that, but we aren't - bylaws prohibit us from putting garbage out in front of our house when it isn't our night.
Both Ian and I separately concluded that we needed to put the old dryer out at the curb tonight so that it could be picked up tomorrow. It took hardly any time to get the dryer out there; Ian mostly did it himself with me helping a bit to bring it down the stairs. Ian put the leaking cooler out there, too.
Imagine our surprise when both the dryer and cooler were gone within an hour! There are pickers that drive around the night before garbage day looking for good stuff and I guess our dryer and cooler qualified. I'm actually happy that they picked up the dryer because I'm quite sure it can be refurbished - I just didn't want to pay for it to be done. I also didn't want to see it go to a landfill. I don't love it when the pickers drive around (I find it creepy) but I do love that they took the appliances at our curb.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Small changes on the way
We bought a new dryer to replace our old one and it'll be delivered on Thursday. We'd hoped to get a dryer that matched our washer, which we bought when we moved into the house. Unfortunately, while the style of dryer is still available, the colour we have ("night sky blue") has been discontinued. We didn't want to spend a lot of time shopping for dryers so our choices were between getting a matching style but a non matching colour or the upgraded version of our current dryer.
We ended up getting the updated version of our current dryer because it has a hamper door. This means it opens downward and can be used as a platform for sorting laundry. We love this door because some of our tops have to be hung up to dry and we can plop the laundry on the door and pull those ones out. Our washer and dryer are in the mudroom coming in from the garage and trying to sort the laundry straight out of the washer ends up with laundry all over the dirty floor.
In other news, I'm an Auntie again! Ian's brother and his wife had a baby girl on Tuesday. It's quite exciting to have a little person in the extended family.
We ended up getting the updated version of our current dryer because it has a hamper door. This means it opens downward and can be used as a platform for sorting laundry. We love this door because some of our tops have to be hung up to dry and we can plop the laundry on the door and pull those ones out. Our washer and dryer are in the mudroom coming in from the garage and trying to sort the laundry straight out of the washer ends up with laundry all over the dirty floor.
In other news, I'm an Auntie again! Ian's brother and his wife had a baby girl on Tuesday. It's quite exciting to have a little person in the extended family.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A bit of this and that
Today was my first metalsmithing class in ages. I'd planned to go to the session last fall but I wasn't up to going to any of the classes. I feel like I'm doing a lot better and I've been looking forward to getting back into metalsmithing. Because I've done literally nothing at all with metal since last summer (except for one open studio session in December) I figure I'll start by just working on the class demos instead of working on any actual project.
A friend and I are also going to take an online class on making a felted cloche hat. We're going to dye our own wool and everything! My friend is also going to teach me some quilting stuff in exchange for me teaching her some sewing stuff. This year appears to be shaping up to be my most creative yet and I'm excited to see what comes out of it.
In less positive news, our dryer doesn't seem to be working. I went to put a load of laundry in the dryer and thought the light was burned out because it wasn't on. Unfortunately, the dryer wouldn't start so I ended up having to hang all of my laundry. I checked the breaker and it hadn't popped so we think electricity is going to the outlet but we don't have a multimeter to test it. Our contractor neighbour will have one so I'll ask him to check whether there's power at that outlet; if there is, then we're buying a new dryer. We wouldn't want to spend money on a dryer only to find out that the problem is with the outlet!
UPDATE: The outlet is working, so the problem is with the dryer. Sigh.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Going to the vet
It's freezing out there, with windchills around -25C which just feels cold. Gozer isn't getting very long walks because it's much too cold out there for her even if she did like wearing her booties and her coat fit her properly. Because Gozer is chubbier than she was last year her coat is a little bit snug and doesn't want to stay closed. I need to make a couple of velcro extenders for the coat because we don't have time to go and buy her another one and it's so cold that she's got to wear it.
This afternoon we walked to the vet's for her follow-up visit after finishing all those antibiotics. I thought about rescheduling the appointment but it isn't going to get much warmer until next week and I didn't want to wait that long to take her. So we trudged through the cold and wind to see the vet and it's just as well that we did.
Gozer's goopy eyes have cleared up - yay! - but her ear isn't completely cleared up so we have stronger drops for it once per day for the next nine days. We can go to the vet's for a checkup in two weeks if we want and I think we might want to do that.
The vet was able to express Gozer's left anal gland but Gozer did not want her right anal gland expressed at all, which leads the vet to think that there are still some problems there. We're just going to keep an eye on it for now and if she seems to have problems we'll take her to the vet. Because Gozer is so opposed to having the glands expressed, the vet might need to mildly sedate her to get it done so that she doesn't start associating the vet with the wriggling and pain and scary stuff.
Most concerning is that the vet thinks that Gozer's cataract in her right eye has grown since she discovered it only two weeks ago. There's a veterinary ophthalmologist here in town and the vet suggested that Gozer be referred for a check-up there. Even if the cataract turns out not to be not too big of a deal right now, the exam will provide a baseline. On the bright side, since Gozer is so young she might be a good candidate for cataract surgery. Not that I want to unnecessarily put her through surgery but I don't like the idea of her not being able to see out of that eye for the majority of her life. Of course these are decisions for another day.
Funny that Gozer's issues are all on the right side. I hope that her ear clears up because she's clearly uncomfortable with it. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we're looking forward to the day when it warms up here. We don't like being out in the cold.
This afternoon we walked to the vet's for her follow-up visit after finishing all those antibiotics. I thought about rescheduling the appointment but it isn't going to get much warmer until next week and I didn't want to wait that long to take her. So we trudged through the cold and wind to see the vet and it's just as well that we did.
Gozer's goopy eyes have cleared up - yay! - but her ear isn't completely cleared up so we have stronger drops for it once per day for the next nine days. We can go to the vet's for a checkup in two weeks if we want and I think we might want to do that.
The vet was able to express Gozer's left anal gland but Gozer did not want her right anal gland expressed at all, which leads the vet to think that there are still some problems there. We're just going to keep an eye on it for now and if she seems to have problems we'll take her to the vet. Because Gozer is so opposed to having the glands expressed, the vet might need to mildly sedate her to get it done so that she doesn't start associating the vet with the wriggling and pain and scary stuff.
Most concerning is that the vet thinks that Gozer's cataract in her right eye has grown since she discovered it only two weeks ago. There's a veterinary ophthalmologist here in town and the vet suggested that Gozer be referred for a check-up there. Even if the cataract turns out not to be not too big of a deal right now, the exam will provide a baseline. On the bright side, since Gozer is so young she might be a good candidate for cataract surgery. Not that I want to unnecessarily put her through surgery but I don't like the idea of her not being able to see out of that eye for the majority of her life. Of course these are decisions for another day.
Funny that Gozer's issues are all on the right side. I hope that her ear clears up because she's clearly uncomfortable with it. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we're looking forward to the day when it warms up here. We don't like being out in the cold.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
2013 Golden Globes Red Carpet, Part 2
Here are the rest of the red carpet outfits from the 2013 Golden Globes!
Enjoy all the pretty (and not so pretty) dresses after the jump.
Enjoy all the pretty (and not so pretty) dresses after the jump.
Friday, January 18, 2013
2013 Golden Globes Red Carpet, Part 1
It's been so long since I've done a red carpet post that I'd forgotten how long it takes to do one! While I haven't finished evaluating all of the outfits, I've got through almost half of them and figured you'd like to see my progress so far.
So here you go.... my first red carpet post in I don't know how long. Enjoy Part 1; the second part will be up tomorrow or Sunday.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Working on a red carpet post
I'm working on a red carpet post for the Golden Globe awards but it's not finished yet. I hope to have at least half of the dresses (out of about ninety) evaluated tomorrow.
I've actually been quite busy lately. I had lunch with a few friends yesterday that I hadn't seen for a while. One of my friends brought her ten-month old daughter with her. Apparently no one other than her mother can hold her... except for me :) I have a face that's proportioned like a baby's's face: round with features close together. I couldn't hold the baby for very long but she was comfortable with me for a few minutes, anyway.
I've been a bit tired lately because I've been up early to help Ian give Gozer her eye ointment and ear drops. Gozer doesn't mind the eye ointment, so much, but she definitely does not like getting the ear stuff squirted into her ear; she does not like it at all. Her dislike for the ear drops is mitigated by the pill covered in peanut butter treat she gets afterwards. Fortunately I only need to get up early for two more days.
Gozer and I have been going on walks in the afternoon because it's been so nice out. I think she's missed going on afternoon walks and we've both been enjoying the slightly warmer weather. Going on a longer walk in the afternoon when it's warmer is nicer than walking later when it's cold out. As well, she gets a chance to sniff more when she walks with me than when she walks with Ian (whether I'm there or not) in the morning or evening.
Hmmm, I feel like I've been really busy but it seems that I haven't done all that much. At least I'm doing something, right? Tomorrow you'll get to read my thoughts on the Golden Globes dresses!
I've actually been quite busy lately. I had lunch with a few friends yesterday that I hadn't seen for a while. One of my friends brought her ten-month old daughter with her. Apparently no one other than her mother can hold her... except for me :) I have a face that's proportioned like a baby's's face: round with features close together. I couldn't hold the baby for very long but she was comfortable with me for a few minutes, anyway.
I've been a bit tired lately because I've been up early to help Ian give Gozer her eye ointment and ear drops. Gozer doesn't mind the eye ointment, so much, but she definitely does not like getting the ear stuff squirted into her ear; she does not like it at all. Her dislike for the ear drops is mitigated by the pill covered in peanut butter treat she gets afterwards. Fortunately I only need to get up early for two more days.
Gozer and I have been going on walks in the afternoon because it's been so nice out. I think she's missed going on afternoon walks and we've both been enjoying the slightly warmer weather. Going on a longer walk in the afternoon when it's warmer is nicer than walking later when it's cold out. As well, she gets a chance to sniff more when she walks with me than when she walks with Ian (whether I'm there or not) in the morning or evening.
Hmmm, I feel like I've been really busy but it seems that I haven't done all that much. At least I'm doing something, right? Tomorrow you'll get to read my thoughts on the Golden Globes dresses!
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