Renaissance Woman

SBD

2011-11-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Yay, I read a book! I just joined the Literary Guild Book Club and got a box of books yesterday. So today I sat down with my kleenex (because I gots a cold) and read a book called "Thunder Dog". I can't say it's excellently written because it isn't, but what it lacks in literary ability it makes up in heart.

The book is about a man who is blind and his guide dog, a beautiful yellow lab named Roselle, who were at work on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. She led him down all those stairs to safety (they got out about 15 minutes before Tower Two collapsed).

It was a sweet book. It told how Mr Hingston (and his parents) refused from an early age to allow blindness to box him in, Educational about blindness and how sighted people need to approach and deal with people who are vision impaired. (Don't pet the dog! They are working).

This fall, Roselle won the first American Humane Society's Hero Award, unfortunately she passed away this summer.

Bijou and I both give the book two thumbs up (well, Bijou would if she had thumbs).

Writing

2011-11-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't wanted to write in a while. However, the mood is beginning to hit me. And since I have a nice new hot to trot version of Office (Professional) on my PC (thank you work for allowing us to purchase the software from MS at a ridiculous price) I have a copy of One Note which is a note taking/keeping program (and yes, I still write run on sentences--I don't believe in periods). I also have a germ of an idea (or a dorminate germ--sort of like the Andromeda Strain. Not the idea for the book, but rather the actual germ. I can't do Critchton). And unlike this entree, I can actually write a coherent sentence. ;)

Fairyland Parade

2011-11-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Parade is today. In fact, it should just be starting in downtown Boise now. Generally I don’t like parades. Don’t know why, just know I really hated getting drug to parades by my mom who loved parades. But a couple of thoughts about the Holiday Parade.

When I was a kid it was called the Fairyland Parade. Isn’t that a magical, Christmasy sounding name? But in the politically correct era the name was changed to the non offensive, generic, boring, stupid sounding “Holiday Parade”. Fairyland is not offensive to anyone. It’s like the Sugar Plum Fairies in the Nutcracker. Geez

Best memory ever of the Fairyland Parade was when I was in the second grade. We were standing right at the beginning of the route (at that time, right at the Capitol Building). My school, Garfield Elementary, had a little float. It was a cute little “toy” train engine. It went a half a block and died. They could not get the car underneath started again. My mom found this amusing. And anyone who knew my mom knows when she started laughing she couldn’t stop. I think she probably came close to wetting her panties. ;) Years later if you mentioned the little train float she’d start laughing.

Hopefully everything will go fine at this year’s “Holiday” Parade.

SBD- Review

2011-11-07T00:01:00.004-07:00

In Harm's Way--Ridley Pearson

In the early 90’s, I attended a writer’s conference in Boise. One of the speakers was Ridley Pearson who lives/lived in Sun Valley and writes mysteries. One of his comments that stuck in my mind was his discussion of advances. He had just gotten his first big advance $300,000 (yes, I remember the figure), he said he was very excited about it until his publisher told him, “I hope the book is worth it”

I tried one of his books then, I didn’t like it. A few years ago, he started a series of mysteries set in Sun Valley Idaho. Because of my loyalty to my state and because it’s fun to read of places I know (or know of, since it’s been decades since I was in Sun Valley), I read the first three and am now reading the fourth. They suck. The first one was dreadful, it read like it was off some computer “write your book” program.

One of the things that bothered me the most was the lack of description of the main character. I mean nothing about him. He had two daughters but I didn’t know if they were 3 or 18. Nothing about his physical being—and I don’t want or need an all points bulletin description of him, just something to get my head wrapped around the character. I now have a pretty good description of the character after 4 books, but it doesn’t matter, I have my own view of him, not the author’s view. In my estimation that is a gross error on the author’s part. The author had a chance to control my thoughts, he failed to do so.

Each book has gotten better, but still they miss the mark. For example, in this new one, the hero is heading home, debating as to whether or not to stop at another character’s house. He decides not to, the next paragraph he’s in his kitchen. No transition. It caused me to stop, reread the last two paragraphs before going on. What I consider the cardinal sin of a writer, pulling the reader out of the story.

I don’t know if these are typical of Mr Pearson’s writing or if it was ‘sign the contact and take the money and run’. He seems to be a well thought of author, but I think he’s highly overpaid.

Howie

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I still can't find my remote for the TV converter box. If I don't find it today, i'm going to have to buy a new converter box (this whole analog to digital thing still pisses me off). Anyway, this is the second week in a row that I haven't had Fox Pre Game Show. I am having serious withdrawal. I miss Howie Long.

Horse in the Backyard

2011-10-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

I live in a small town surrounded by a large city, Garden City Idaho is the red headed step child of Boise. Garden City has a colorful past, drinking, gambling, etc (and that was in the 40's). I don't mind living here, it's not the 'hood. But there is the issue of the horse. I'm going to be taking a poll and since I haven't any idea how to set one up here. Just comment.

I walk about a half mile to the bus I ride to work. I walk past a house on a corner. It's a small house with a small yard in a small group of houses (too small for CCR). Anyway, last spring, I was walking by the house and I hear a horse whinny. Not from a distance but like a few feet away. I peeked through the boards of the fence and looking back at me was a horse. Not a pony, but a full sized horse. Just about the time, the weather got warm, the horse left (obviously for greener pastures), Anyway, a couple of days ago, a horse returned to its backyard winter home. It's a different horse, this one is a bay, the other one was a chestnut. Here"s the question. Should I call the cops or animal control? I keep thinking maybe the people are saving it from the glue factory. But it's a small yard, I don't know how the next door neighbor stands it. It was only in the high 50's today, and you could smell horse and horse poop. I don't think it's healthy for the horse.

Anyway, anyone who cares please leave a comment. And if you're new, welcome to my blog.

I want my TV

2011-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sometime between when I turned on the TV Sunday to watch CBS Sunday Morning at 8 am and the beginning of the NFL coverage at 10am, I lost the remote to the converter box that switches my old analog TV to digital. Since the Broncos were playing the Dolphins on CBS, it was no big deal. The converter box stayed on and as long as I watched CBS everything was ok.

Sometime Monday, the electricity went off in my house because the radio I leave on so Bijou can listen to Rush Limbaugh was off and the converter box was off and needed to be reset. With the remote. It is now Wednesday and I CAN'T FIND THE CLICKER!!!!

Monday night I suffered through not having to decide between Castle and Hawaii Five O. Tuesday night, I missed NCIS for the first time in ages. Tonight is no big deal because there's nothing on. Tomorrow night, Person of Interest is on and FRIDAY, Peter Bishop is back in his own dimension on Fringe. I HAVE TO FIND THE CLICKER!!!!!

The dog refuses to tell me if she's seen the remote. I don't think she's eaten it--it doesn't look like her favorite treat, paper towels.

I have several options and most of them cost money. The cheapest and most rational is find the damn clicker. (No, I'm not having the dog Xrayed); buy a new clicker; buy a new converter box complete with a new clicker or buy a digital TV so I don't need a clicker. Yes, I like the last option the best, but I can't afford that one, so it's off to find the clicker.

Outfit

2011-10-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today I wore a wide brimmed black velvet hat, a chartreuse turtle necked sweater, just about the ankle black skirt, black mary jane sketchers and a gray fleecey hip length jacket. I looked like a cross between an old overweight Mary Englebreit poster and a well dressed refugee from Cold Mountain. As I head into the last two months of my fifties, I've gone past the red and purple.

The story of my heart attack

2011-10-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

So here’s the “gory” details. My fault, I hadn’t been paying attention to my blood sugar, so it gummed up my heart. Anyway, I basically felt fine the previous weekend. I went to the Goddess Fest, which is a big psychic fair. Alwas fun. I had a psychic reading, the woman doing the reading warned me to be careful of the left side of my body (cue to the theme to XFiles). Looking back, other than I think I was a little more tired than usual, there was nothing going on.

Monday morning I woke up with a really bad case of indigestion (very localized, right between my boobies) and I was exhausted, I barely had the energy to get out of bed to let the dog outside. So that was Monday. Called in sick to work and slept.

Tuesday morning, I woke up still felling exhausted and the indigestion was spreading a little. I figured I either had very bad indigestion and the flu or I was having a heart attack. So I had a neighbor drive me to the emergency room.

ER was a blur. I was signing in and I think I was pretty well out of it, because the next thing I knew I was being taken for an EKG. Oviously the reading sucked, because then I was on my way to the Cath Lab, wheeeeeeeeee.

The doctors/nurses/technicians in the Lab were very apologetic that they were going to have to remove my pants. I told them by then I really didn’t care. Side point—everyone asks me about the pain with the heart attack. There was no pain. Seriously, bad indigestion. When the doctors asked me what the pain was on a scale of 0 to 10. I said 2. That was it. Now numbing the groinal area for the angioplasty hurt. Not a “Oh my God, I’m going to die” hurt, but numbing a tooth ache hurt (I’m a weeny when It comes to needles).

So when the area was numb, they made a small incision in my femoral artery (that’s the big artery that runs from the heart to the leg) and began snaking a small line up the artery to my heart. Sounds horribly painful. I DIDN’T FEEL A THING. I thought they were still getting ready to start, and wham, it’s in my heart. On the end of the link was a little balloon that inflated and roto rotered out the artery. Then they left a couple of pieces of chicken wire called stents to hold open the artery.

I got to the ER about 8 am and was in my room about 9:30 am, that’s how fast it all was. My poor cousin Sue was calling trying to get information and she said everytime she called I was some where else on my tour of St Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Now the fun began, I had to remain still for two hours with the line still in my artery until it could be removed. THEN I had to stay still for six hours to make sure that the incision closed up. I had been given blood thinners and they didn’t want me to bleed out (neither did I). So I laid there for 8 boring hours. Didn’t do anything but watch TV. Thank God for the House and NCIS marathons on USA. (Yes, I watched House while in the hospital, doesn’t everyone?)

For the next three days, I basically laid there with IV’s in my arms, reading Brad Thor’s new book (Thank you Brandon for picking it up for me) and watched TV.

My cousin Beth babysat Bijou, so Bijou got to visit with Beth’s doggies and kitties. Thank you Beth! Went and stayed at Sue’s house for a couple of days, thank you Sue! Then I went home.

I have to have a doctor’s appointment within the next couple of weeks (yes, I’m putting it off for as long as possible because I hate doctor appointments). I’ve been warned I might have to go on insulin (I was on it in the hospital and the first week home). I thought the idea of giving myself a shot would be horrible, but it’s really no big deal. My eye sight keeps shifting. First week out of the hospital I couldn’t see a thing with my glasses. I guess when your blood sugar is high the body gloms onto fluids and it builds up. That plumps up the lens in your eyes. So when you reduce your blood sugar (with particularly high dosages of insulin) you dry out your body and your lens change. So then when your body begins to equalize the lens change again. Right now, I can see far away with my old glasses and close up with my new ones. I’m waiting until after my doctor’s appointment to go get a new pair.

So that’s the story. No pain, just indigestion and very very tired. No real medical drama (outside the first hour and a half) other than on House.

I'm Baaaack (with some random thoughts)

2011-10-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

After about three years, I'm back online. It's been an interesting last six months (I won't whine about the whole 3 years), I got a dog (the one and only Bijou who is a ten year old Lasha Apso), got a new job (Provider Service Rep at Molina Medicaid Solutions), and had a heart attack. Two out of three isn't bad.

Anyway, I am here. Happily heading toward sixty (two months, ten days). I'm also on facebook (who isn't?) as Sandy Oakes and on twitter (I haven't a clue what I'm doing) as IdahoAcorn. So I'll be back later when I really have something intelligent to say, but re editting this has drained my brain.