Rediscovery

OMG LJ still exists! :)

2009-09-13T16:57:36Z

Ok, I know I've been awful about this...mostly I just post on twitter now.

3 weeks and counting til the cruise. cruise, hotel, and shore excursions have all been covered. Need to call boarding house on Monday to take Sasha (I really should not have procrastinated this!!!!!!).

Started taking a class at MCC for work. Hopefully with any luck next semester I'll take 2 classes. I really need to get hustling on this.

My arthritis has been acting up a bit again. Need to get to the gym regularly and do the exercises for it.

Ok, that's my life in a nutshell.

*waves*

Just a quick(ish) post before I move along....

2009-04-10T15:03:25Z

First off is directed at the local ladies who read this: Want to hit a Mary Kay skin care class/party with me? It's in Mesa near Alma School and Baseline at the Mary Kay center. Sat April 18th, 10am. They want us there 15 minutes early. A bit about it...they do like this mini-facial skin care thing and then a little makeup. It's fun...they give out prizes. Yes Mary Kay is a bit pricey, yes they do try to sell you stuff, yes they want you to become a sales consultant person. But you don't have to buy or do anything. Just come down, hang out, and have a little fun girly time!!! Eyes bettyshouse, darklingfae, & prettynhtpink...this does mean you too! It also means all of you locally!
Llet me know if you are interested/will be coming. Just comment or drop me a line on my phone. If you don't have my #, you can send me a text via my userinfo page, just tell me who you are so I know.

I have 2 things to say about the production of Cats that is in town right now. It's all about the alien furries from the heavyside layer. sorry. some of the set pieces looked like UFOs/Alien spacecrafts. I know Grizabella's accent into the heavyside layer should be an emotional scene. But I could barely keep from laughing out loud. 'Grizabella, the alien furry, could no leave her Jellicle furry convention without some Yiffing. Having had her Yiffing, she ascends to her homeworld, sated for another year.' I amused myself greatly with this. *shakes head*
Either way, Cats was awesome. I really enjoyed it, though I still havent' decided if I think the tap dancing is well coreographed fake or real. I am leaning twoards fake.

There were other things....
Ah well...

Late for work now.....TA!

Writer's Block: GIP (Gratuitous Icon Post)

2009-03-29T17:55:09Z

I never get to use this Icon because no one is ever that stupid around me! rawr. But it's awesome! Of course there are others, because I have 120 icons and well can't use all of them all the time.

Firefox 2.????? had an add-on that would randomly assign a userpic when I commented or posted through Firefox. It was awesome. It hasn't been updated for Firefox 3 though. Makes me sad. I want random userpic selection!!!!!!

Welcome to another Episode of 'Adventures in Johnny's health' or 'How is Johnny doing today?'

2009-03-01T14:47:58Z

According to the vet's clinical analysis and the Lab's pathologist (who looked at his labwork), not only is Johnny's anemia non-regenerative, but he should not be showing any signs of improvement. On the contrary, he should be dead. Basically what the results show is that Johnny was barely alive when I took him in and his body was doing NOTHING to help/stop/etc what was happening.

He has improved by leaps and bounds. He is still improving more each day. No muscle car purring yet (that is my 'we are out of the woods' sign) but he's now getting up off the ground. For the last week or so Johnny hasn't gotten any higher than his litter box. Last night he jumped up on the low rung of their cat tree AND this morning he came and joined me on the bed. *squees*
Anyway, last night in my joy of seeing him on his cat tree, I took some pictures. Since it was a darker corner, I decided to try using the flash on my camera phone. The results were amusing to say the least!

"You know, we are so glad to have Johnny back with us. But I'm a little concerned about the fact that he glows in the dark since that run in with the radiation"

"Uh oh! I don't think he likes having pictures taken of him. The hairs are standing up on my arms and it's getting rather warm in here. Why is there a bluish dot on my chest? Maybe we should just back away slowly?"

"Panic!!!!! Johnny just went Nuclear. OMG! OMG! OMG! We're all gonna die! OMG"

"Whew! We're safe. He is aparantly placated by treats. Good to know. I fear the day when we are out of treats. *shudders*"

Anyway, I do hope he continues to improve and get better. *hugs* to everyone for the kind thoughts and messages.

A state of the Johnny note...

2009-02-28T02:33:37Z

So...it's complicated.

Official diagnosis: Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) with SEVERE anemia.

I have a few more questions for the vet that I'll get answered tomorrow hopefully. I was given a recommendation of Blood Transfusion or Euthenasia. *sighs* She is being distinctly unopen to alternative treatments or therapies so far.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is doing better than he was. Still rather anemic (his usually pink & black nose is grey & black) I would guess, but in addition to my force feeding KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement...something nutitional with a high caloric count that is easily administered), he ate his regular food a bit today. he's been up and moving...drinking water from his bowl...eating treats, being responsive...he even played a little. He's also grooming himself right at this minute (first time in DAYS!!!). I've also started an Iron/B vitamin suppliment to see if that will help boost his red blood cell production/count.

What I need to know from the vet is this: is the Anemia regenerative or non-regenerative. Most of the websites I saw said FeLV usually causes non-regenerative due to how it works in the bone marrow. BUT!!! Some sites didn't say or said otherwise. Also, if it was non-regenerative a blood transfusion would only help him for like 1 week and then he'd need another.

So must find that out. I also want to check on Erythropoetin or Anabolic Steriod treatments....Both encourage the body to create red blood cells.

Either way, not giving up hope yet. Just taking it day by day. As I get more information I can figure out what to do. For the moment, Euthenasia is off the table until Monday. I want to at least see if he'll recover. Plus, FeLV has 2 stages. If he's in the first stage, his body could develop antibodies for it and he could become darn near perfectly healthy. If it's the second stage, he can still be happy and not wasting away sick. Most folks when their cats contract FeLV automatically euthenize, so there is no real data for recovery/treatments/long term effects.

So while I am not ruling out Euthenasia entirely at this point. I really want to see if my baby boy will get better on his own. he's a tough boy, I know he'll do his best!

Also, the FeLV test came back for Sasha as negative, though they recommend her being retested in about 2-3 months to make sure.

A younger Johnny in a drawer:

Johnny now:

Voice Post

2009-02-27T18:58:49Z

Poor kitty...

2009-02-26T05:32:48Z

Johnny has been a sick kitty. Took him to a vet, which of course meant that despite being unwell he had to act just as feral as he usually does. They had give him anathesia just to examine him.
No fever but there is chest congestion. He is pale, gums are pale, and he's not really eating. Nothing in his digestive system is blocked though. So they drew blood. 10+ pokes and 3 legs later, they had the blood they needed. Poor baby.

They gave me some antibiotics to give him and some food that hopefully he will eat. I really hope the antibiotics make him better but since he didn't have a fever they don't think it's an infection.

I'm terrified of what the results of the blood test might be.

I want my pain in the butt, fire engine purring, rough playing baby boy back.

*worries*

Sizzling Stars Batman! I've been nudged!

2009-02-24T06:29:18Z

Ok, so I've been bad and haven't posted. Shame on me!

Just mostly working and trying to get over this cold of doom. 2 weeks, 1 round of anibiotics, daily Mucinex, uber cough syrup of doom, and I am STILL sick. WTF?

Had to file my taxes via snail mail....Federal has been recieved and waiting for the deposit to hit. State hasn't even acknowledged reciept of return. Meh. Want money now. Speaking of taxes...it always suprises me that others are suprised/pleased to be getting money back...like it is an unusual or abnormal thing. I've never not gotten money back. Once I only got $50 back from the state, next year I bumped up my withholding. I don't know. The idea of having to pay money at tax time is completely foriegn to me. Ah wells.
Which reminds me, I'm getting nearly $600 back from state. Time to drop it down a bit, plus could use the funds better on a monthly basis. Must figure out what the current percentage is so I can drop it down.

I have been staring at this open post for an hour or so...dunno what to say. whee.

been watching Dollhouse on hulu. makes me wish I had my TV hooked up to a cable stream so I could watch it on my TV, but then I'd get hooked again on the OMG number of shows I OMG can't live without OMG (or something like that! lol). It's not bad on hulu but the waiting for it to buffer is annoying. So Dollhouse...Not bad. I liked the first Episode better than the 2nd. I intend to keep watching for now.
Ugh, want Cold Case on DVD!!!!!! Want, want, want. Even without the soundtrack, cause I realize the soundtrack is what's stopping it. But come on....GIMME GIMME COLD CASE!!!! It's the one show I really miss that I can't get my fix with Netflix! *pout*

Goal for this year: save up at least $5,000. Hopefully next year that tax break will still be there and can get a house! *hope*hope*hope* maybe not....dunno. I'd like to see this housing market bottom out and the credit start flowing more for sure....

Anywho....I has a twitter. I tweet and such. I don't follow all the time. I turn my updates off at night and sometimes on the weekends. Depends on how much I feel like being bothered by it or if I remember to turn them off or on. I seem to be a celeb follower. Will, Brent, & LeVar are hilarious. Solieil is cute. Dr Drew is interesting, his wife more so. I had to drop Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry...They just tweet too much! OMG, they will spend 2 hours replying to tweets...and they post them by the hundreds in this time frame. It's like GAH!!!!!! So yeh....RDA needs twitter. His would be awesome to read, I swear! Speaking on Celebs on the web, LeVar's blog is most interesting. Of course I get a real kick out of it because he does audio readings of his blog entries which all end in his Reading Rainbow line. It's like a trip down memory lane with each blog post. Much with the awesomeness.

Saw Coraline 3D. Was awesome. the 3D still needs a bit of perfecting IMO. The blurriness anytime anything moved too quickly just really got to me. Currently in the middle of several books. I blame this for why I haven't finished either. Mulitple books at once is a bad influence!!!!!!!!!! Or something.
Called up the Production manager for KNIX and complained because on the Ben & Matt morning show they were doing the film review thing. The girl who's always the sidekick asked "Isn't it a Tim Burton film" to which they replied 'yes, it is a Tim Burton film" *insert murder death kill rawrs* I tried to call them up and correct them on air but they were not answering. So I just called the corporate line and told them that they owed Henry Selick an apology because Tim Burton had NOTHING to do with Coraline. yeh. Ah wells.

Need more books. Totally bummed that I forgot about the VNSA booksale. BAH! Didn't remember until Friday which was of course 1 week too late. rawr.

It's late...I should be in bed before I turn into a pumpkin or something.

P.S. I love you lots ngtmagicks. thanks for the flowers. they really made my day better. *snuggles*

I think my geek score just shot through the roof...

2009-02-06T23:44:01Z

Ok, so you all recall the 'd20 of Awesomeness' yes? Well, Wil Wheaton just blogged about it!!!!!!!!!

*squee*

http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2009/02/one-of-the-most-awesome-things-ive-ever-signed.html

Oh the pain! My head, it hurts!

2009-02-03T02:38:59Z

Srsly. Awesome and OWWWWWWWWWWW at the same time.

I can finally share the most awesome geeky birthday present EVAR!

2009-02-01T17:04:34Z

Please welcome the 'd20 of Awesomeness':

Full list of signatories (sounds so...official...or something) :)
Full List of Signatures: Whilce Portacio (Spawn artist), Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century), Brain Holguin (Spawn writer), Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: TNG), Karl Kesel (Superman artist), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: TNG), Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: TNG), Peter Mayhew (Star Wars), Richard LeParmentier (Star Wars), Terrance Zdunich (Repo: Genetic Opera), Bill Moseley (Repo: Genetic Opera), Todd McFarlane (Spawn creator & CEO McFarlane Toys), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Chase Masterson (Star Trek: DS9), Me! (girlfriend), doty (friend), sgazer_1 (friend), malkcontent (friend), & luckygangrel (friend)

Click Here for More Pictures of the Awesomeness

Happy 35th ngtmagicks, I love you so much!

Superbowl???

2009-01-26T04:39:41Z

So, anyone have any plans for the Superbowl? I has no TV, so no superbowl at my house. :(

I has a twitter now.

2009-01-25T23:12:43Z

https://twitter.com/ginnedupdame

feel free to follow, or comment with yours so I can follow you!

Ok awesome gift update

2009-01-25T19:00:14Z

the list now includes:

Brent Spiner
Chase Masterson
Todd McFarlane
Brian Holguin
Wilce Portico

yays. I promise to post a picture when its done. First to enlist some help from the gaming group.

VNSA Booksale Reminder

2009-01-25T18:51:07Z

Its Feb 14th and 15th!!!

Wow...

2009-01-24T00:47:06Z

Comicon has been interesting. Last night I was a little worried that this was going to be the most boring convention ever, and to a degree it is. But time managed to fly today between 4 panels and running around trying to figure out who to have contribute to the awesomest birthday present EVAR!

Here's the contributory list so far:
Wil Wheaton (who thinks I am an awesome girlfriend)
Marina Sirtis
Gil Gerard (who shares Mike's birthday!)
Karl Kesel
Terrence Zdunich
Bill Mosely
Lou Ferringo
Richard LeParameter (I know I just butchered that)
Peter Mayhew

I think I'll quit after I see if I can get Chloe/Carol Masterson and Brent Spiner on board. Or I may get Brent to contribute some other way....*eg* Oh and still have to get McFarlane. hehehehe *eg*

Then again, maybe not. This is getting incredibly pricey. meh. I don't know what I expected, but costing this much was not one of them. Ah well.

My savings, she is gone and the birthday present is not complete. geh.

I die of cute nao plz?

2009-01-20T05:13:25Z

Click refresh. Every click is a different lolcat.

Been clicking for over an hour...about to die from the cute. It kills with the cute and the funny.

ack.

Kelloggs food recall

2009-01-19T17:19:31Z

Hey folks,

Wanted to make sure you are all aware as I haven't heard anything about this in the news, and only found out through work (we carry some of these products).

http://kelloggs.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=232

Kellogg Company today announced a voluntary recall of certain Austin® and Keebler® branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and select snack-size packs of Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

See link for list of items affected.

Look ma! A lemming!!!

2009-01-18T21:32:16Z

Osiris

Two sides to your personality, fiery but fragile, often indecisive.

Colors: male: yellow, female: green
Compatible Signs: Isis, Thoth
Dates: Mar 1 - Mar 10, Nov 27 - Dec 18

Role: God of the afterlife
Appearance: A green-skinned man wrapped up like a mummy, wearing the Atef crown and holding a crook and flail
Sacred animals: bull

What is Your Egyptian Zodiac Sign?
Designed by CyberWarlock of Warlock's Quizzles and Quandaries

berrybuzz @ 2009-01-17T00:35:00

2009-01-17T07:35:18Z

I feel the weight of....I don't know what....bearing down on me. I have been feeling incredibly sick lately. Stomach, back, head.

Mostly though I've just been at a loss for words. It's like i'm just waiting for whatever all this crap is building up to.

I'm not unhappy...don't get me wrong. I really have nothing to bitch about. things are fine. So why am I not fine?

I had meant to say something with all this. it was going to go somewhere when I downloaded Semagic again, but I've lost it. ah well.

maybe another time.

Writer's Block: Doctor Who?

2009-01-08T02:37:54Z

Eddie! Eddie would have been fucking awesome. Or a girl. A girl would have rocked.

Be in a better place, old friend

2009-01-08T01:48:17Z

I just heard on several friend's lj about a friend passing.

This sucks, but he had been sick for as long as I've known him. I know he and I didn't talk much these last few months, last time I called him he could barely speak and was in a bad spot.

*sighs* At least he is at peace and not sick anymore. But it sucks too cause he was younger than I am and damn, that's just too young still.

Rest in Peace Josh. Your redheaded presence in the world will be sorely missed.

Services will be held on Saturday at 1:00 pm in the afternoon at the Mesa Jaycee Courtyard, 640 North Center Street in Mesa.

Josh is the one on the left. Yes this picture is VERY old. It's the only one i have though.

Hello again LJ land

2009-01-06T02:04:22Z

See? This is me trying to post more.

So the tooth that broke off? I had the remaining root bits extracted today. Not fun, not fun at all.

My tummy, which was already not the happiest of campers, is really, really not happy now because of all the blood that's been swallowed.

Ok, ok, TMI I know. I'll drop that subject.

I can't wait for the Star Wars Game tomorrow night. Should be lots of fun *eg*

I'm also going to post this question to azjournal but referals or whatnot from friends is always best:

Anyone know a good legal advice sort of thing that's cheap? I have a few questions on the divorce paperwork that I think push too far into the advice side to be answered by the self-help folks at the courthouse.

meh.

Yes, I am alive...

2009-01-04T06:39:12Z

Things are good and bad. I am sick, my stomach has been acting up a lot lately, my depression is kicking up, my tooth broke off!!!, yadda, yadda, yadda...

The good, I has a job, 2 wonderful kitties, and a guy who loves and adores me (I love and adore him too!!!!)

I'm about as caught up on LJ as I am going to get.

I think soon as I finish cleaning the apartment I am going to dig out the Trivial Pursuits and start the LJ game back up....maybe...hopefully?

I don't know if I have any New Year's Resolutions. Just seems like I'd be setting myself up to fail. I need to file the divorce, I need to loose some weight, I need to feel better about myself.

Something like that.

Sorry about no Xmas cards this year. Just didn't happen. Of course, neither did decorations or much of anything else.

I should post my 2008 book list but I fear it is woefully incomplete...

2008 Book List
1.Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
2.Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
3.Storm Front by Jim Butcher
4.Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
5.Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
6.Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
7.Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
8.The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton
9.Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton
10.The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton
11.Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton
12.The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton
13.Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
14.Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton
15.Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton
16.Narcissus In Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton
17.Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton
18.Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton
19.The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
20.Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton
21.Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton
22.Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey
23.Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
24.The Giver by ?????
25.Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
26.Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
27.The Scandalous Miss Howard by Nan Ryan
28.The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton
29.Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson
30.Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

If there were others I have forgotten, but that's a pretty complete list for the year.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and a safe New Years. I will try to post more often!!!!

Oh, anyone know anyone who might be interested in a near complete set of Hamilton's Anita Blake series in Paperback??? Harlequin is in hardback and I don't have the last book, but I have all the others.

Bettie Page Died..

2008-12-12T19:50:14Z

Bettie Page, pinup favorite whose photos helped energize the 1960s sex revolution, dies at 85

12-12-2008 7:57 AM
By BOB THOMAS

LOS ANGELES (Associated Press) -- Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controversial photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.

Page was placed on life support last week after suffering a heart attack in Los Angeles and never regained consciousness, said her agent, Mark Roesler. He said he and Page's family agreed to remove life support. Before the heart attack, Page had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia.

"She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality," Roesler said. "She is the embodiment of beauty."

Page, who was also known as Betty, attracted national attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure in bikinis and see-through lingerie that were quickly tacked up on walls in military barracks, garages and elsewhere, where they remained for years.

Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses.

"I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society," Playboy founder Hugh Hefner told The Associated Press on Thursday. "She was a very dear person."

Page mysteriously disappeared from the public eye for decades, during which time she battled mental illness and became a born-again Christian.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but refused to allow her picture to be taken.

"I don't want to be photographed in my old age," she told an interviewer in 1998. "I feel the same way with old movie stars. ... It makes me sad. We want to remember them when they were young."

The 21st century indeed had people remembering her just as she was. She became the subject of songs, biographies, Web sites, comic books, movies and documentaries. A new generation of fans bought thousands of copies of her photos, and some feminists hailed her as a pioneer of women's liberation.

Gretchen Mol portrayed her in 2005's "The Notorious Bettie Page" and Paige Richards had the role in 2004's "Bettie Page: Dark Angel." Page herself took part in the 1998 documentary "Betty Page: Pinup Queen."

Hefner said he last saw Page when he held a screening of "The Notorious Bettie Page" at the Playboy Mansion. He said she objected to the fact that the film referred to her as "notorious," but "we explained to her that it referred to the troubled times she had and was a good way to sell a movie."

Page's career began one day in October 1950 when she took a respite from her job as a secretary in a New York office for a walk along the beach at Coney Island. An amateur photographer named Jerry Tibbs admired the 27-year-old's firm, curvy body and asked her to pose.

Looking back on the career that followed, she told Playboy in 1998: "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."

Nudity didn't bother her, she said, explaining: "God approves of nudity. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked as jaybirds."

In 1951, Page fell under the influence of a photographer and his sister who specialized in S&M. They cut her hair into the dark bangs that became her signature and posed her in spiked heels and little else. She was photographed with a whip in her hand, and in one session she was spread-eagled between two trees, her feet dangling.

"I thought my arms and legs would come out of their sockets," she said later.

Moralists denounced the photos as perversion, and Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Page's home state, launched a congressional investigation.

Page quickly retreated from public view, later saying she was hounded by federal agents who waved her nude photos in her face. She also said she believed that, at age 34, her days as "the girl with the perfect figure" were nearly over.

She moved to Florida in 1957 and married a much younger man, as an early marriage to her high school sweetheart had ended in divorce.

Her second marriage also failed, as did a third, and she suffered a nervous breakdown.

In 1959, she was lying on a sea wall in Key West when she saw a church with a white neon cross on top. She walked inside and became a born-again Christian.

After attending Bible school, she wanted to serve as a missionary but was turned down because she had been divorced. Instead, she worked full-time for evangelist Billy Graham's ministry.

A move to Southern California in 1979 brought more troubles.

She was arrested after an altercation with her landlady, and doctors who examined her determined she had acute schizophrenia. She spent 20 months in a state mental hospital in San Bernardino.

A fight with another landlord resulted in her arrest, but she was found not guilty because of insanity. She was placed under state supervision for eight years.

"She had a very turbulent life," Todd Mueller, a family friend and autograph seller, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "She had a temper to her."

Mueller said he first met Page after tracking her down in the 1990s and persuaded her to do an autograph signing event.

He said she was a hit and sold about 3,000 autographs, usually for $200 to $300 each.

"Eleanor Roosevelt, we got $40 to $50. ... Bettie Page outsells them all," he told The AP last week.

Born April 22, 1923, in Nashville, Tenn., Page said she grew up in a family so poor "we were lucky to get an orange in our Christmas stockings."

The family included three boys and three girls, and Page said her father molested all of the girls.

After the Pages moved to Houston, her father decided to return to Tennessee and stole a police car for the trip. He was sent to prison, and for a time Betty lived in an orphanage.

In her teens she acted in high school plays, going on to study drama in New York and win a screen test from 20th Century Fox before her modeling career took off.