Contemporary Inuit Art

The Texas Tech Museum has a temporary exhibit on Contemporary Inuit Art http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/exhsch11.html.  It is very interesting, but a little sad. The Canadian Government "settled" the Inuit from their nomadic way of life. However, they later made a fairly generous treaty or pact with them, but it is based on the Inuit not being nomads.

The good news is that the Inuit art contributed to their transition to a more settled way of life.  And, their contemporary art still reflects traditional values.

Russian Hacking

So, my blog is being regularly viewed by Russians, who view it more than people in the United States do.  I have no delusions about that: I suspect and have suspected that it is Russians who do automatic trolling looking for sympathetic blogs to enlist or convert people to their ideals.

I think that the Russians do not get that from me, and I wish they would stop checking on me. I am not a disillusioned American, and while I execute my Constitutional rights to express my opinions, whether or not they agree with the prevailing sentiment of the political power currently in control of the Congress, the Executive Branch, or the Supreme Court, I am not a dissident.  I am a total believer in the governmental due process as ensured by the Constitution of the United States of America. And I am a total believer that I am allowed to express my opinion, no matter how it aligns with the powers that be, without repercussion.

The recent news story about the Russians hacking into banking accounts and obtaining information about Americans http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fbi-probes-russian-hacking-attacking-u-s-banks-report-article-1.1919940 concerns me.  Is this rogue Russian hackers? Is this government employed hackers who are out to intimidate or otherwise defile the American public or business community?

I am not sure these questions will be answered.  I will monitor my bank accounts to be sure they are not pilfered by the Russians. Or if they are, I can inform the bank in a timely way.

I am so sorry that international politics is so inimical. We are better than that.  Instead of war, bombing, incursions, sanctions, we should be trying to figure out how we can all get along and promote safety and security throughout the globe.

Eating Better

Sake did not eat well last weekend, well it started a week ago last Thursday and progressed.  She was eating, but not well. Monday morning I took her to the vet. She had only lost .3 of a pound, so that was good.  They gave her a shot and said her mouth did not look too bad.

That was consistent:  She hid from me and resisted going into the crate.  We just took the top of the crate off in the exam room. Sake was not debilitated, so she was not compliant.  But she did let me pet her when I took her home. It was 3 weeks since I had brought her into the vet, and she was not as sick as she had been the last few times I took her into the vet.

Sake did not start eating better until Wednesday evening, but there was quite an improvement then.  That was actually not bad.  When this first started, Sake would respond to the injections the same day.  Until the past couple of times she was given an injection. More recently, it would take 2-4 days to work, so this response was better than the last couple of times.

This Saturday, she has asked for food four times: I fed breakfast late, and she asked for food 3 other times.  Because she asked for food mid-afternoon, I did not put food out at "dinner time."  The boiled chicken she likes dries out quickly, and I saw no reason to put some out until she was ready to eat it.  So, we did that 3 times today.

Mid-afternoon, Haiku asked for a treat.  I gave some to her and Taki at the same time:  I hate to be ugly, but Taki has gained too much weight, so I do not respond to her requests for treats. But if Haiku asks, they both get treats.  I think that they have that figured out.

They did get dinner, but again, late, because they had later afternoon treats.

I am just thrilled that Sake is asking to eat and eating better than she had been.

Update

Yet another of the files that I could not transfer from my old laptop to my new laptop was my reading list.  Not my Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/ list, but the list that I keep that I print out and is portable and travels with me when I go to the library.

So, tonight, as I was watching football, I updated this list.  It was not difficult to do, but it was time consuming.  I used the last printed version of my list, and the Fantastic Fiction http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ website.

While most of the books on my list are fiction, and are mysteries, there were several that are non-fiction.

I have books that are due tomorrow at the library.  I will return two, as I did finish reading them, and renew two. I probably will not check out any more, as one of the two books I have left is a slow read. But, since this is a three day weekend, maybe I should check out one more book, as I will be reading some Sunday and Monday.

Don't Make Me Stop This Plane!

If you are of a certain age, (a child of the 1950s or 1960s) you may have heard your father, most likely, say: "Don't make me stop this car!"  When you and your family were on a drive, maybe with a fried for one or more of the children of the family, and some sort of squabble or down right fight broke out, your father would have said: "Don't make me stop this car!"  (to administer discipline/punishment.) Although your mother would have been along, she probably did not drive, and she probably was not the family disciplinarian.  In my family, "Don't make me stop this car!" was seldom heard, but if it was, it was all that had to be heard.

Well, the 21st century version of this happened on a commercial airline flight: United Airlines Flight 1462 from Newark, NJ, to Denver, Co. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/26/knee-defender-fight-united-flight-diverted/14609109/. Two passengers got into a squabble, and the captain of the plane diverted the plane to Chicago, divested the plane of the trouble makers, and continued on to Denver. 

In my opinion, the captain made the right move.  The Transportation Security Administration treated it, not as a criminal problem, but as a customer service problem.  I agree with that. The other passengers were inconvenienced, the plane was late, and there was probably a monetary loss to the airline.

I will admit that there have been moments in my life when I have behaved childishly, even with a stranger.  I regret those moments, and try to learn from them.  I try very hard to remember to be polite, and doing the right thing is never wrong.

The two passengers highlighted in this story behaved as children, and were treated as children.  They should be ashamed of themselves, and they should apologize to their fellow passengers, United Airlines, and the American public.  We are better than that!

It was a Hot, Grey Day

Well, really, it was not always a grey day, but when I left work about 5:30 PM CDT, the sky was greying over.  There looked to be some pockets of storm clouds, but mostly it was grey cover, clouds with no depth or catalyst for rain.

It was very still, very humid. The air was heavy. And stifling.

An hour or so ago, I thought I saw a flash.  Well, maybe.  Then, I heard the thunder.  And, later, there was some sprinkles, but no real rain.

The thunder continued, the lightning seems more frequent.  The rain is sparse. 

This is West Texas.

There is Something in the Air

So, after some rains earlier in the summer, it turned very, very dry.  Now, the last week or less has had some humidity with slight chances of rain. We have even had some sprinkles. This is the condition that leads people to complain of congestion and possible allergies.  The amount of rain does nothing more than stir up the dust.  It may help the plants but not much.

I have slept with my windows open a couple of nights, or sat out late reading a couple of nights.  I have had some nasal congestion, but mostly, I notice my eyes look puffy, like I have been crying (I have not.)  My eyes even feel like I have been crying. This is frustrating, because my eyes feel gritty, dry and hot.  Normal saline eye drops do not help. I found my Similasan http://www.similasanusa.com/ eye drops in my little 3-1-1 bag from when I flew in June.  I was referred to Similasan by an optometrist.  That helps better than regular saline solution.  I just forget to get them out.

I know I do all the wrong things for my eyes:  I spend too much time on the computer. I read in dim light. And, I can feel the irritation to my eyes when I am at the pool.  But that is life. I try to do better.  But I do not. 

The LifeStyle Center at Covenant

So. I have written about my joining the LifeStyle Center and accessing the pool for my physical therapy exercise program.

I went today. I finished my time at work, and left early. I had meant to put my pool bag in the car, but forgot to do so.  I went home, checked the cats and the mail, and went on to the LifeStyle Center.

One of the mystery book club members showed up after a while, and her friend showed up after that.  As we got talking, her friend is a Chaplain at Covenant Hospital. The Chaplain's husband works at Montford, and she volunteers on the weekends at Montford.  I told her I was a board member at Catholic Charities, and she was excited to hear that.  I told her I was not a practicing Catholic, and the book club member suggested I join the Episcopal Church. 

There is truth in the 6th level of interaction. We all seem to know each other some how.  This was a nice interaction.  These two people regularly exercise in the pool on Friday.  If I can get finished with my time early on Friday afternoon, I will be able to join them.  That is neat!

Taki is Teachable

With Sake being ill, and eating so sporadically and so finicky, I put out multiple choices for her at each meal.  I do not know what she might want, so I offer her from 3 to 5 selections that she has chosen in the past. She may eat well, or not.  When she does not, I try another selection and another selection.

Taki started off underweight, and she is still small of stature, but she has ballooned in her weight.  Most recently, well, over the last many months, she has really gained weight.  Because she has discovered all of Sake's uneaten food.  She does not go for the livers, and if the chicken gets too dry, she does not go for that, but she likes milk, canned patés, preferring turkey to chicken, while Sake prefers chicken, and Taki likes the Fancy Feast Chicken Florentine.
 
I am not home to police who eats what during the day, so I know Taki goes after the selections Sake eschews. Because, I see her do it when I am home during the day.

I have decided to do what I can to decrease her intake.  She and Haiku both like "treats" before their meal (dessert comes first?). I encourage this in Haiku, because she has been traditionally thin.  I attribute this to her early months when her nutrition was poor.  She generally eats okay, but has certain preferences, and she likes treats.

I have decided to try to decrease Taki's intake in small ways.  So, I have been giving her fewer treats than Haiku gets.  Well, this lead to Taki nosing Haiku away from Haiku's dish. Which was not fair to Haiku, and not my intent.  So, I have started putting Taki in "time out" while Haiku finishes her treats.  Then when Haiku is done, I let Taki eat the rest. And when she is let out of "time out." she races to the eating area, and eats Haiku's leftovers.  We have done that every day this week, except tonight.

Tonight, after Taki was done eating, she went to the side and sat, and watched Haiku eat.  When Haiku was done with her treats, she did not immediately go to the dish, but waited until I told her she could eat treats! 

I have decided that Taki is not dumb.  She is slow to learn, and I believe, very willful. She has to be willful to have survived her first few days of life. I will never forget the first morning I had her.  I had scabbed together a way to feed her the kitty formula I purchased, and fed her over night, but not well.  The bottle nipples were too stiff, and the eye drop too small.  But we managed.  Well, the next morning, I got up and was in the bathroom, and Taki dragged herself crying to where she heard noise.  She was hungry!  She is a survivor!
And, she can learn!

Repetition

Okay, so I did a piece tonight on cast iron cookware. And, when I labelled it, I discovered I did a similar piece in October of last year.  So, if it was a good idea a 10 months ago, it was a good idea tonight.  Sorry.

Cooking with Cast Iron

I do not remember exactly when I became enamored with cooking with cast iron, but it was the late 1970s or early 1980s.  By the time Lisenby and I were married, I was sold.

I knew about seasoning cast iron before using it.  If you purchase a piece of unseasoned cast iron, it comes with directions about how to season it.

I did not understand about cleaning cast iron.  I am so grateful to Sue Lisenby, my mother-in-law, for teaching me about that. 

Sometimes, you can just wipe out the cast iron piece, and that will work.  But sometimes, you really do have to clean the cast iron.  Sue taught me to boil water in the cast iron vessel, let it cool, and clean out the piece.  Then, if you need to, you can  reheat the piece and season it with oil or lard.

I have made some mistakes. Sometimes, I put too much oil or lard in the vessel, and then it sits and gets rancid.  I tried cooking with such a vessel before cleaning out the rancid fat, and that was a big mistake.  It does not take much to clean out the rancid fat, clean out the vessel, and put fresh oil or lard or shortening in the vessel.

Sometimes, I wipe vessels out and take the protective layer off, and it looks rusty.  Sometimes, I leave the past cooking grease in the vessel, and just leave it until I need to use the vessel again.

There are many variations on seasoning, re-seasoning, and using cast iron cook ware.   I use various methods depending upon the vessel and the situation.

But, I really like cooking with cast iron.

Haiku Takes a Stand

Haiku is the very mild mannered cat who very seldom complains.  She has stopped grooming, and I am trying to work on her mats.  She used to tolerate that, but no longer does.

Earlier tonight, Sake wanted some fresh food, and I accommodated her. Later, Haiku asked for a treat.  If I give her a treat, I have to give Taki a treat.  I give less to Taki than Haiku because of the weight difference in the cats.  Well, tonight, Taki finished her treats and moved over to get Haiku's.  Often Haiku will just slink away.  Tonight, she slapped and hissed at Taki.  So, Taki came with me and we let Haiku eat in peace.  Good for Haiku.

Being Poirot

I am watching PBS, Being Poirot, http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/aug/15/being-poirot/.  I am actually watching on KTTZ. I am a great fan of Agatha Christie, and Hercules Poirot.  I hate that the series has ended.  I really enjoyed the 2008 Murder on the Orient Express. I wish KTTZ would rerun the Poirot series.  Hmmm. Maybe they will.

Beef Liver is a Blessing

I while back I wrote about Sake really liking beef liver. And, how I thought I would have to take her into the vet because she did not respond to the latest injection she had received. But finally, she started eating.

Well, she is still not eating well. But, she is grooming. And, she is eating a little. Mostly chicken, beef liver, and drinking some milk.  She has asked for food 4 times today.  Only once when I gave her beef liver and chicken did she not eat, although she drank some milk.  This is encouraging to me.  I do not know how long it will last, but it is encouraging to me for as long it will last.

My First Day

So, I had my evaluation at the Covenant Life Style Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx yesterday.  It was not worth $20   The trainer reviewed my record, took my picture for my ID card, and asked me some questions.  Since I was very clear that I did not want to use the exercise equipment, or walking track, the trainer did not put me through any of that (bless him. He had a job to do, but he did not make me do something I did not want to do.) 

I was surprised that they did not ask my to pay for my membership that day.  They will bill me a pro-rated amount.  The membership fee is assessed monthly, at the beginning of the month.

I had taken a tour before, but it did not include into the pool area, or woman's locker room.  We went into the pool area, discussed the rules and resources, and he sent me into the woman's locker room.

They said my ID card would be ready for me the next time I went to the center, even if it was Saturday.  So, when I showed up Saturday, the same desk clerk was there and remembered me by face but not name, and the trainer happened to be at the desk, and my ID card was there.

As you can imagine, I was a little uncertain about my plan and first day.  But I set myself in a corner of the pool and was able to do my exercise program without interfering with anyone else.

I saw various styles:  As I did, some others put their stuff on the edge of the pool. Others put their stuff on benches.  The rules say we need to wear ID cards in the pool area.  No one did. Some brought their ID cards in, but left it with their stuff.  I wondered about that.  I did wear my ID card at first, but when I got to the exercises that would put it under water, I took it off, and put it with my stuff pool side.

They have noodles and kick boards (or paddle boards) for exercise.

There were some lap swimmers. Some people were doing programmed exercises, some were doing random stuff.

The doors were opened to the outside. 

Near the end of my routine, I started to get cold.  They said the pool was heated, and it was, but not as warm as the therapy pool I was used to.  I am wondering how this will work in the winter.

I talked to one lady about our pool experiences.  I do not want to be snobbish, but I am not looking for a pool buddy.

A couple of my co-workers are interested in my experience.  I will be glad to report to them.

Don't Ever Say Never

Last fall, I had to go to my primary care physician for the first time in many, many years, probably 5 or more.   When they asked me about my other medical activities, I told them just my yearly physical with the gynecologist, who worked with my PCP to get an authorization for a colonoscopy some few years ago.  The nurse practitioner said not to say anything, because I would jinx myself, and she was right. 

I have been to the doctor more times total in the past year, than I have been in the last 37 that I have lived in Lubbock.  Wow!  It is an aging thing. It is like taking your car in for a tune up and the mechanic finds a plethora of other things wrong with the car.  And, some of my doctor visits are to keep the insurance company happy, instead of letting my provider manage my care!

So, last June, when I was in New England for a family reunion, one of my nieces asked about opportunities to go to the beach in Lubbock. Of course, those are limited unless you travel some distance.  She asked about pools, and I acknowledged there are public and private pools people can use, but I am not much for chlorinated pools.

Well, I came back to Lubbock and started physical therapy. The physical therapist decided to try something different than what we did the first time.  We did pool therapy. It was amazing to me what a positive result I had from this exercise!  So, when the insurance visits ended, I decided to join the Covenant Life Styles Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx. 

So, although I do not really like a chlorinated (or brominated) pool, I am willing to use it if it helps my health, and keep me from needing surgery for my back/sciatica problem.

Microsoft Outlook: Grrr

So, I am using Microsoft Outlook for my primary email program.  Suddenlink is my Internet and email platform provider, but I choose  to download my email to my computer via Microsoft Outlook.

When I first set up Outlook, my emails would disappear!  I could not figure it out.  Eventually, I figured out how to use Outlook and not lose my emails.  Or so I thought.  Today, I downloaded several emails, but did not process them, as I have to do for my main email, but not the secondary email.  I deleted them from the Suddenlink email program, but then, the unprocessed emails disappeared.  I sent them again, and again, they disappeared. So, because by then I had deleted the emails from my Suddenlink account, I could not resend them to my email. But they were still in my "trash can" on Suddenlink, so I copied and pasted the body of the emails I wanted, and sent them to myself.

Lesson learned, I will need to be sure that have downloaded and processed the emails before I delete them from the Suddenlink mail box.

Taki's Trip to the Ark

The veterinarian I use is Sonja Lee, DVM, and her associates at The Ark Animal Hospital http://www.arkhospitalforpets.com/ in Lubbock.  If I have not told you the story about why I use them, I will, some other time.

But, today, I had to take Taki in for her yearly vaccines.  Since Sake has been going in so frequently for her mouth infection, the vet tech asked me about her first.  I told her she had not eaten during the week well, but her eating had improved over the weekend.  So, then we put Taki in an exam room.

Well, this adventure did not start well.  Taki is super sensitive about any changes in the aspect of the cat carriers, so I decided not to move them before I tried to load her into one for the trip to the vet.  That was a mistake.  She overpowered me and ran away, but into the computer room, where I could contain her, and capture her, and take her back to the crate. But, before I did so, I changed the aspect of the crate so it was still not really visible, but I could get her into it. Or so I thought.  The second attempt was not much better than the first.

I decided I could not disguise my attempts to put Taki in the crate, so I put it on the bed. Take had fled to the spare bedroom, but because Sake was under the bed, staking her territory (God bless her) Taki had little place to hide that I could not access.  I got her into the crate.  She cried  and complained all the way to the vet's office. She became surprisingly quiet at the vet's office.

When we got into an exam room, she did not want to come out of the crate, but after the vet tech left the room, I was able to remove her from the crate (They were okay with taking the top off the crate, no exam, and just vaccinating her.) Unlike Sake, Taki is not vicious about her visits to the vet. She is just scared, and I can manipulate her to behave enough so they can examine her before they give her the yearly vaccinations.

And, so they did give her a precursory exam. She did some hissing, and when the second injection was done, she growled and howled.  We let her get into the crate, and that was that.

When we got home, and I let her out of the crate, she let me console her.  And, when I got home from work tonight, she was at the garage door, waiting for me.  No longer angry or upset.

I hate that the cats are so upset by going to the vet. But the folks at The Ark Animal Hospital do everything they can to accommodate my wayward pets. For which I am grateful.

It Must Have Been the Prayers

The regular reader will have read my blog of August 4, 2014, in which I explained that I took Sake to the vet 2 weeks after her steroid and antibiotic injection that was supposed to last 4 weeks. It helped some, but by Friday, August 8, 2014, she was almost not eating again. It was the morning before I went to work. I was at my wits end and I did something horrible:  I took some of my grape flavored Anbesol http://www.anbesol.com/ and rubbed it on her gums.  She was very angry with me for doing this.  But she ate.  I do not know what the correlation was. But she ate.  A very little.

I was so sure, when I went to work on Friday, that she would not eat over the weekend, that I did everything I could to get my work done and ahead for the next week, in case I needed to put Sake down. (I knew I would need some time off, if I had to put her down.) One of my coworkers, bless her heart, asked about emergent care for Sake over the weekend, should it be necessary.  I told her it was in place. Several of my other coworkers offered prayers.

Well, Friday night, Sake did not eat well.  I ran errands, and let her rest.

Saturday morning, Sake ate. Not well, but better. And she continued to eat over the weekend. She eschewed the chicken, but liked milk, and beef liver.  On a whim, I purchased Fancy Feast Liver and Chicken Classic (paté).  She has not liked paté in the past, but she ate it over the weekend.  I offered it to her on Sunday, and it was a hit.  I offered her more on Monday morning, and she ate well. Monday night, she ate real chicken and asked for a second serving, which she got! Later, she ate some of the beef liver that I had mashed and put out for her.

I do not know how long this revival will last, but I will take it for as long as it does. It must have been the prayers! Thank you, to all who have prayed for Sake. And me.

The Monuments Men

I am reading the book, The Monuments Men http://www.monumentsmen.com/books-movies/the-monuments-men by  Robert Edsel  with Brett Witter. This is the book upon which the movie was based. 

Earlier this year, I saw the movie, The Monuments Men http://www.monumentsmen.com/. It was a good story, but a little disjointed.  But, you got the message.

As is usually true, the book is better than the movie. But this book is dryer and even more disjointed than the movie.  In the movie, you got the sense that the efforts of the Monuments Men were disorganized and disjointed, and they really were not sure what they were doing. Well, in the book, this is so obvious.  It is a wonder that they accomplished anything. That they did is a tribute to the character of the men charged with the task of saving the art and cultural treasures of Europe.

It is so sad that the German Nazis tried to confiscate and destroy the culture of Europe.  It was understandable:  They wanted the best for themselves and they wanted to obliterate the rest that was not the best, and not German, or Aryan. It was their way of disrespecting the rest of Europe, denigrating Europe, and demeaning the identity of the peoples they "conquered."

There are important lessons in the book and movie. Lessons about respecting our history, our culture, and past histories and culture. Lessons about respecting the right of nations to have museums that safeguard and exhibit this history and culture. Lessons about the fact that private individuals have the right to amass treasures of art and culture that also pay tribute to our history and culture. Lessons about what can go amok when a government, or a faction puts itself above the law of civil rights and respect for human rights.

The book came out in 2009.  I am not really good about keeping up with what new books are coming out.  I happened to be at the movie theater and saw a trailer for the movie. If I had not seen the trailer, I am not sure I would have heard about the movie or the book. That is a lesson to me, I need to do better informed about what books are being written.

Rain? Really? I Think Not!

It was a beautiful day today. The sky was bright blue with some clouds.  It was hot, but not bad.  There was the potential for scattered thunderstorms today. When I was out early in the morning, I could not see it. When I left the house in the early afternoon, I could see cells developing around us.

I ran errands, the last of which took me near Slide Road and South Loop 289.  In the store, I heard the thunder and saw the lightning, as I was checking out.  I walked to the car with big water drops falling on me.

As I got into the car, the sky opened up. The rain was hard and heavy.  I drove east, and within a mile or mile and a half, there was no sign of rain. Of course, it never rained at my house.

I watered my trees last night.  I think I let them get too dry earlier this summer.  I hope they survive.

PBS Fundraising

It is that time of year, faithful viewers, fund raising on your local PBS http://www.pbs.org/ station. My local station is KTTZ http://kttz.org/channel-5. It is affiliated with Texas Tech University http://www.ttu.edu/, after a brief and, and in my opinion, stupid dissociation. 

Tonight is music night:  we saw big band programming, and now we are getting "malt shop" music programming. Sometimes I call in to make a pledge, to get a promotional gift, since I know I am going to probably spend the money, anyway.  But mostly, I just watch the show.

I send a monthly donation to both PBS and NPR http://www.npr.org/. I do not usually pledge.  For a couple of reasons.  I work for Texas Tech, and once a year, my employment "contract" from Tech indicates it is not a guarantee of employment, should funding become unavailable.  So, I figure why should I make a commitment to Texas Tech when they cannot make a commitment to me?  The other reason I do not pledge is because I am going to send money, anyway, so I do not need them sending me paperwork to remind me.

A few years, after the fundraising period, I would get a pledge notice, even though I did not pledge.  I would return it to them and tell them I send a donation regularly, but if they do not leave me alone, I will stop sending a donation. It feels like they are being greedy by sending me a pledge notice when I do not pledge.  I think that is poor customer service. 

The thing about pledge week is that the programming excitement and quality is at a higher level than most other weeks of the year  But, over the :years, I have found myself watching more and more PBS programming.  I admit it, I am hooked on "Downton Abbey" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/ or http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2720864/It-s-Downton-confidential-Fresh-scandals-new-secrets-s-sneaky-peek-Series-5.html.  I like Doc Martin  http://www.pbs.org/programs/doc-martin/, also.

Years ago, I become hooked on Masterpiece Mystery http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/mystery/index.html , especially "Hercules Poirot" and "Miss Marple."  Some of the others did not do much for me. But I did like Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/primesuspect6/. 

I am not so enamored of no commercial interruptions:  some times I need the break.  But, I have the TVs set so I can move around the house and keep up with what is happening.

So, the point of this is to also encourage you to donate to PBS if you watch their programming.

Drum Corp International

So, tonight was the broadcast of Big, Loud and Live  http://www.dci.org/schedule/ , a live presentation of the preliminary Drum Corp International tournament finals http://www.dci.org/about/ on Fathom Events http://www.fathomevents.com/event/.

Not familiar with Fathom Events?  Neither was I until earlier this year. They offer opera and ballet, as well as sporting events,the drum corp events, and who knows what else. According to a colleague, who did not know I liked drum corp, they have been offering the drum corp events for a couple of years, at least. They basically satellite beam an event into a movie theater. 

The first time I went to such an event, it was when Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me ? http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/ aired by satellite.  That was in the spring of 2013. 

Earlier this year, I went to an Fathom Event of Drum Corp International.  It was a taped version of their opening event.  Which is where I discovered that my colleague liked drum corp. 

I think this is a wonderful option for Lubbock and other locations around the country to receive various events.  I will pay for what I want to view.  It is very much like pay-per-view on TV, a little more expensive, but in a wonderful large screen, large sound setting.

Passwords Being Hacked

Well, there was a big news story about passwords being hacked by a group in Russia http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/05/technology/security/russian-hackers-theft/index.html.  It got my attention, and I changed a crucial password.  The reason this got my attention is because in the statistics regarding my blog, I am getting a very large number of "hits" from Russia, 123 for example, compared to 1 or 2 from other places.

There is some thought that it may not be as serious as it could be, but why take a chance.  So, I did not.

Haiku Likes Envelop Glue

Have I written about this before?  I think I probably have.  Haiku likes the adhesive on envelopes.   So much so, that if there is an envelope on the desk or table, she not only licks at it, she bites at it.

She did this tonight.  I was working on a project, and was surprised by her behavior, but really, I should have known better.   I was just  being lax.

The End of PT and Other Medical Issues

So, the physical therapist at Spectra http://spectraphysicaltherapy.com/ was surprised when we asked for additional sessions a couple of weeks ago, and were granted two more from my insurance, United Health Care http://www.uhc.com/live/uhc_com/Assets/Documents/landing.html.  So, that gave me an additional pool session, and a final "wrap up" session today.  As with the last PT series, I had gained remarkable strength and range of motion in my right leg. But unlike last time, I had also gained amazing pain relief.  My therapist and  I attribute this to the therapy that I was doing in the pool. It was amazing how much it helped me.  I could not believe it: It was like the difference between night and day in what I could do.

It may be a combination of PT, and a slower than expected response to the epidural sterocortisone injection I receive in late May.  And, an ongoing response to the Celebrex that I take daily. But, I believe it was the pool therapy that helped the most.

Well, sure enough, the insurance company has contacted me and said I need to try another, less expensive medication for pain relief. Of the three they suggested, ibuprophen, meloxicam, and naproxen, I have tried ibuprophen and naproxen over the counter, with no success. While I am not opposed to trying meloxicam, I am a firm believer in "if it's not broke, don't fix it."  So, I will negotiate with my provider regarding how best to respond to the insurance.

Additionally, in the same vein of "if it's not broke, don't fix it," I have decided that if water therapy was working at PT, then I can continue doing some of the same on my own.  I have explored the possibility of joining the Lifestyle Center at Covenant Hospital http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx.  I did a tour, and picked up the application material. I discussed my plan with Robert at Spectra, and he agreed it was a good plan, and suggested I set a goal of two times a week: manageable, and he acknowledged that too much of a goal is self defeating.  He was so much in agreement with the plan, that rather letting me rely on my memory of the exercises I did in the pool, he gave me a copy of the regimen I had been following!  Wow! What an affirmation for me that this is the right thing to do.  Thank you, Robert!

I still need to contact my doctor and get the appropriate documentation from her.  I am not usually a procrastinator, but I wanted to discuss this plan with my PT before enacting it.  As it turns out, that was not a bad plan, because now I can address the insurance/medication issue and the medical documentation needed for the Lifestyle Center at the same time.

This is one of those situations in life in which I believe things happen for a reason, and in this case, we can see the reason.   I am excited about going forward in my life with these options available to help me with my health.

I Am So Blessed

The regular reader has read about the ongoing health struggle that one of my cats, Sake, has had. She has a mouth infection. The veterinarian's office, The Ark of Lubbock http://www.arkhospitalforpets.com/ has been so gracious and helpful. They put up with her bad attitude. And now that we are doing injections every 2-3 weeks, I go in with Sake, she gets an injection, maybe from the vet, maybe from the tech, and they only charge me for the injection, not even an office visit.  They tell me the injection is long lasting, up to a month, but if I call at two weeks, and say Sake is not eating, they give her another injection.  This time it was three weeks.   I think the beef liver stimulated her a little, and she ate even though she was hurting.

I can call and say Sake has stopped eating, and they tell me I can bring her in right then. That, too is a blessing.  So, I did that this morning.

Tonight, when I got home from work, Sake told me she was hungry and ready to eat.  She ate a little chicken, drank some milk, and licked some cheese.  She ate very little, but in that one meal, she ate more than she ate on Sunday.

Just a few minutes ago, she asked to eat, and I gave her some freshly cut up chicken. She ate about half of it, but that is good compared to yesterday.

I went into work late, notifying my supervisor and co-workers that I would be late in hopes of getting into the vet this morning.  I am so blessed.  My co-workers all ask about my cat.  They even ask in between vet visits, knowing this is an ongoing problem.  Their understanding and support means so much.  Most of them have pets, and understand how pets are family. Which helps. 

Bless my co-workers. 

 

Reading

I am trying to read a book a week this year. I am doing fairly good at this, but have run into some snags in the plan.  A couple of times, the book I was reading took me longer than a week. During the month of July, I did not read much because I was spending so much of my time getting my new computer and printer set up.

I am trying to mix non-fiction in with fiction, and most of the non-fiction books I have read are much slower to read than the fiction books are. But, I am working on this.   I had one book I renewed from the library, and still did not finish reading. But I can check it out later and finish it.  I want to. It was just a slow read, and during July, it was hard to focus on reading.

I enjoy reading. Sometimes, other things distract me.

Taking a Nap

Since I was young, probably in junior high school, I have had a problem with taking naps.  I wake up disoriented and frightened.  I hate the feeling.

Well, this has been an unusual weekend. I went out Friday night, and because I get so hyped up when I go out, it was after 2 AM before I could fall asleep.

Well, this messed up my Saturday schedule and I slept in. But I was able to get my errands run, and stuff done around the house.

Sunday morning, the cats were insistent I feed breakfast at about 6 AM.  I did not think that would be a problem, as that approximates our regular schedule.  But late Sunday afternoon, after I did housework and yard work, I crashed and took a nap.

When I woke up, it was 7:17.  I thought:  "okay, I can get to work close to my regular time."  Then I realized that the bed was unmade.  Hmmm. It was only Sunday evening. And, I was still in the process of doing laundry.

I hate the disorientation that comes to me when I take a nap.  Because of the environmental cues in my house, I was able to orient myself quickly, which helped a lot. But, I hate the feeling.

The First Friday Night Art Trail

Lubbock has done an interesting thing to promote the arts and entertainment venues in Lubbock. I do not think it is unique to Lubbock, but it is fun. They have developed the First Friday Art Trail http://www.ffat.org/.  Basically, this is a group of galleries and entertainment venues that offer specials on the first Friday of the month, and the galleries stay open until 9 PM.  Even the Texas Tech Museum, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/event.html, which is a few miles from the main venues, has gotten into the act.

Some venues offer food and drink for sale, others offer free samples. Some offer live entertainment. Much of this occurs in the Depot District http://www.visitlubbock.org/business/Attractions/274 which is primarily a privately funded re-vitalization effort to improve downtown Lubbock, and provide art, music, entertainment, dining and what have you venues.  In the summer, it includes a farmer's market http://lubbockdowntownfarmersmarket.com/. 

However, another part of the trail includes the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts http://www.lhuca.org/. This organization has spearheaded an arts awakening in Lubbock  The Center has grown, as has various off-shoots:  The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra http://www.lubbocksymphony.org/ has a home and gallery in the area. The Lubbock Moonlight Musicals http://lubbockmoonlightmusicals.org/DinnerTheaterMap.html does their dinner theater productions in the area.

The city offers a free trolley service between the two venues between 6 PM and 9 PM.  But, if you miss the last trolley, you are stuck, and some of the neighborhoods between the two venues are unsavory.

As we visited both the Depot District and the Underwood Center venues, and returned to the Depot District, it occurred to me that the City of Lubbock needs to develop a corridor between the two areas. It is about a mile. The corridor needs to be well lit and populated with businesses that would attract people who are interested in art, music, drama, literature, entertainment and sports fields.  Shows happening every night, galleries open regularly, pay TV sports events, and make it safe to walk between the two venues with lights, businesses and activity, as well as police presence as needed. It does not need to be a straight line. It does need to be really safe.

Well, this is just an idea. I sent it on to the mayor.

Who knows.

Mail Merge and Other Functions

This new software is really baffling to me. Because I have 90 days of free technical support from Microsoft, I am definitely using it.  I think I will look into the Microsoft 360 program, because if what I read was correct, for a minimal fee each month, I can get ongoing support.  Including, they "take over" the computer, and fix things without my having to do anything but sit there.

Well, my most recent headache has been mail merge.  I have set up mail merge files for now three times.  The first two needed to be edited and try as I might, I just could not figure it out.  I had instructions printed out from Microsoft, and still could not figure it out. Tonight (before midnight) I spent about an hour trying get it to work, according to the instructions 

Twice I told myself I was too tired, and I would do it tomorrow, twice, I went back to it, because I am just stubborn enough to want to do it.  Well, finally, instead of using the instructions from Microsoft, I tried it the way it would have worked on my old laptop. Within just a few minutes, I had it set up the way I wanted it.  Doesn't that beat all?