"I'm not dead!"

Warning:  No interesting "content" here - just a whole lot of rambling!  If you're looking for something useful, then "Move-along...  Nothing to see here!" Ahhh...  When all else fails, you can always fall-back on Monty Python - amiright?!
Jeez, look at this place!  A bit dusty, wouldn't you say?  I simply *must* talk to the housekeepers about that!

Yeah, sorry for the hiaitus.  It actually wasn't planned - Quite the contrary!  I was rather looking forward to having a simply STUPENDOUS summer or - at the very least - an insanely productive Garden Season.

Sadly, it just didn't work out that way.  I kind-of had a somewhat Crap-Tastic Summer.  And - like my mama always told me - "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."  I think I've mentioned this before (on the outside chance you are a regular-reader here!), I want this to be my Happy Place to yak about gardening, and cooking, and canning, and "Wild Hairs" and funky projects, and artsy-fartsy stuff, and basically anything that brings a little happiness into my world.

Sadly, Old Age - and all of it's annoying accoutrements - seems to be rearing it's ugly head (and I don't remember ANY OF THIS being mentioned in the handbook - dammit!).  Between my beloved hubs - who had knee-replacement surgery earlier this year (and is now facing complete tooth-extraction - "Hello, False-Teeth-in-a-glass on the night-stand!")...  And then me with all of this irritating (and indescribably Itchy and Painful) skin condition bullsh*t...  Well, let's just say that I might have set my expectations just a leeeetle bit too high when it came to Summer's Glory.

:::sigh:::

I don't want to whine tooooo much here, so I'll try to keep it brief (HA!).  To be honest, hubbies TKR procedure when extremely well, and he is well on his way to a full recovery.  But my skin condition (which is NOT psoriasis - and the doctors reached this conclusion because.... [drum-roll please!]...  It doesn't respond to ANY psoriasis-treatments - HAYYY!!!), well, let's just say that my skin condition continues to plague me and *still* seems to NOT respond to ANY treatments WHATSO-F**KING-EVER!

After two (count 'em: TWO!) overnight stays at two different hospitals (First was our local E/R.  The second was Stanford Medical Center - because my dermatologist didn't know what else to do with me!), well, I think we FINALLY got my doctor's attention, anyway...

I really-really-really don't want to rant about this, here (Ohhhh, it is sooooo tempting!  But what good would it do?!  Nada!).  Anyway, the bottom line is: I have been, pretty-much, a shut-in ALL SUMMER LONG.  And by shut-in, I mean - sometimes I am in such miserable shape (read: PAIN) that I haven't even been able to walk out to the patio to water my plants, let-alone make my way back to the garden.  Canning? Fugeddaboudit!

Thankfully, we have awesome neighbors and friends who were willing to pitch in, when things were at their bleakest.  So there's THAT (Bright Side!!!)

So that is my lame (but honest) excuse for disappearing (and Thank You - O' Long-Time-Blog-Follower - for "checking up" on me!  I never realized I even *had* followers!  I know I've got 'readers' - but I suspect they are mostly Hit-And-Runs looking for recipes (Ironically, my '# of visitors' reports are higher since I've stopped posting - go figure!).

Anyway, I shall make an honest effort to spend a little more time here.  I'll start posting recipes again, and maybe throw-together some kinda Summer Recap (such as is!). And, lastly:

No Whining!!

"Talk" soon!

-QT

AAAACCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spotted in Wal-Mart this afternoon:

Yes, today is September 18. 

It's not even Autumn yet, ferchrissake!

"WTF??!!"

That is all.

(Whine) I think I hate Humira :-(

So I decided "To hell with it" and I'm gonna cancel my doctor's office visit, next week, to "learn how to inject" Humira.  Puh-LEEZ!!!

I watched the video on the Humira website, and also watched a couple of "independent" YouTube Videos on "How to Inject Humira Painlessly."

I'm calling "Bullsh*t" on those videos!

Now don't get me wrong.  I am *extremely* well-versed in injecting medications, k?  In the "Early Days" of my diabetes diagnoses - with my EXTREME case of insulin-resistance - I was taking upwards of 15-20 injections of "standard" insulin PER DAY (NO EXAGGERATION, k?!!!).  Lantus and Novolog (or maybe Levemir and Humalog, I can't remember), in "pen" form (meaning you had to "Dial-a-Dose").  And the dosage levels were  SO high, my body wasn't able to properly absorb the insulin, right?

So now I take Humulin-R U500 (which I have to draw out of a vial, using a syringe).  It is 5x the strength of "normal" insulin - which means I only have to inject 1-2x/day.  I also take Byetta (which is in "pen" form) also 1-2x/day.  And actually, now, my diabetes is mostly under-control (Yay).

Anyway, I know ALL the tricks for subcutaneous injections (i.e. letting the medication reach room temperature, finding a nice "meaty" [read: "fatty"] spot for injecting, etc.).

So, normally I inject my abdomen with insulin and Byetta (different "sections" of my abdomen.  And there is PLENTY of abdomen to choose from!).  I'm actually not wild about "thigh" injections but, since the Humira package said I shouldn't inject in a spot that already had a rash...  Well, I had to go with my thighs.  And, evidently, there are supposed to be fewer "nerve-endings" in the thigh so it should be LESS painful, right?!

F**king WRONG!!!

So I took the pens out of the fridge and let 'em reach room temp.  Took about an hour...  I followed the video instructions on both the Humira site, as well as the "PAINLESS" YouTube videos.  So, you're not supposed to inject into "muscle," you're supposed to find a "fatty" part to inject, right?  NO SHORTAGE of fatty parts on my thighs - Trust me!!!

Well, that sh*t felt like the Fires of HELL when I injected it.  Hooooly sh*tsnacks!  And I had to take TWO injections for the first dose.  Ow-Ow-Ow-Ow-OWWWWW!!!

"Sum-un-a-BEEEETCH!  SHEEEEET!!!!"

And now I feel a little nauseous.

Man, this SUCKS!!!

I hope I don't get any more bad reactions to this sh*t.  And I'm gonna have a HELLUVA time convincing myself to "keep this up!"  Thankfully, the next dose isn't for another 8 days (and only ONE shot).  Then it's every-two-weeks after that.

IF this sh*t works, it MIGHT be worth it.  If it doesn't - I'm gonna be P*SSED!!!!

Okay.  End Rant............

xoxo

-QT

Happy Labor Day / Summer Recap (and Rambling Miscellany)

Wow.  Looks like I've been "silent" for awhile.  Oops!

Actually, I was in a bit of a "funk" and I've spent an inordinate amount of time with the vampires (labs), doctors' appts and sh*t (and had some frustrating, rant-worthy moments that I'd just as soon not share here).  On the plus side:  I am up to Day #15 of Being Able to Walk Without a Cane - Yippeeee!!! (and NO THANKS to the doctors for that particular "miracle!").

So, "Warning:" There might be some bummer/whining ahead... But I think I'll end on a Happy Note (at least I hope so!).

The source of my funk is twofold (and I don't intend to dwell on it - too much!):  First, it's the end of summer - and that's always a Funk-full time for me ("Back to School" Sales starting in July are *almost* as offensive - to me - as Christmas Sh*t going up @ Home Depot in September!).  Suffice it to say that the abrupt disappearance of brightly colored Flip-Flops and Inflatable Pool Floaties - and their immediate replacement with Orange-and-Black Sh*t..?  Well, it just bums me out.

The Second Part of the "funk" is related to the fact that 2012 has been dubbed my "Lost Summer."  All this psoriasis sh*t, that rendered me a virtual invalid (quadriplegic, even!), has prevented me from truly enjoying the season.  I went swimming exactly ONCE  - and Good-Gawd did I pay for it!  It totally f**ked-up my skin and no quantity of gooze (Rx or Natural) could soothe it!

On the plus side: We did hold a record number of Pool Parties this year.  So that was nice!

Lastly, the Garden has been a bit of a disappointment this year - but that's not a TRUE source of "funk."  Fact is, there were many days that I couldn't even walk out to the backyard (I wish I was exaggerating!) to check on the garden.  A lot more fruits ended up rotting on the ground, this year.  And I feel bad about that (last year I harvested and jammed damn-near EVERY fruit from our trees - and then some!).

Anyhooooo...  I planted a Record Number of 'mater plants this year and got, well, SQUAT!

This was Saturday's Harvest:

Respectable, yes...  But hardly a Record-Breaker!

Turns out my "Volunteer" tomato plant (in the Paste-O-Rama bed) was a Kellogg's Breakfast (those would be the big, orange maters on the left).  I'm glad the Volunteer "came through" because the Kellogg's that I planted this year didn't produce diddly!  The mid-size red 'maters are Early Girls (from Home Depot).  And the little black/red ones are the new variety: Indigo Rose.  I have to say that the Indigo Rose has been surprisingly-prolific.  But they are more like salad tomatoes (slightly larger than cherries - not suitable for preserving).  If you decide to try 'em, make sure you wait 'til the bottoms turn red before harvesting - otherwise they taste weird!  

Stephanie Stupice of the Finny Farm looked like she started-off okay ("consistent" early-bearer), but then she fizzled out (whereas last year, Stupice kept producing consistently thru the end of September, last year!).  Colin Copia (also a Finny 'Mater) has Blossom-End-Rot (never had that happen before!), so I haven't harvested anything noteworthy from that plant.  

The rest of the plants have been...  Well, disappointing! 

The Paste-O-Rama Bed?  I only got the one Speckled Roma (second one from the top, center).  And by the time I harvested it, well...  It was "past-due" (Oops!).  I'm still holding out hope that we'll get a few more "Dog Days" and the 'Maters will shape-up and start producing like they're s'posed to!

It's been a weird Tomato Year.  Friend-Finny got her plants in early, and didn't have a banner year.  Friend DV (who claims *I* am the "Gardening Goddess") also got her plants in early, and she's had tomatoes up the Wazoo (She STOLE my "Title" - Damn her!)  (But neither of us got Zukes - Go figure!) I got my maters in "late" this year and...  Well...  It's just not been a good year for me.  Likewise, Good-Neighbor-B: I gave him a few seedlings, and he purchased several of his own.  ALL of his 'mater plants DIED.  So, if I had an "abundance," I'd be pawning them off on neighbors but - alas - that's just not the case!

So: Bottom Line, I guess I *won't* be putting up jars-and-jars of spaghetti sauce, as planned, this year (which sucks because my Basil Plant is threatening to take-over my kitchen!).

But...  In looking back...  I did manage to put up a batch of Peach-Spice Jam, a Blueberry/Peach Spice Jam, Plum-Spice Jam, Mixed-Fruit Compote (a little too spicy!) (if you decide to tackle it - cut back on [or eliminate] the cloves!), and a couple of batches of Sweet Corn-Apple Relish (Yummmmm!!!) (Good-Friend P made a similar batch using pears instead of apples - plus she added Cumin, which gave it a more "Mexicany Flair!").  Gotta make one more batch before summer ends!  And my Finny Fridge Pickles (which were pretty good - albeit inconvenient to eat with all the mini-chunks of other stuff).  And I discovered that they make Plum-Pitters (which are mighty damned handy!).  I dehydrated a batch of pitted plums in my dehydrator but - I have to sadly admit - that wasn't a particularly successful endeavor...

Annnnnd, I made a couple of Stupendously Delicious Cherry Pies using Giordano Farms fresh cherries!  And an Orgasmic Peach-Pie with our Very Own Peaches!

Now that I'm looking at The List of Accomplishments I'm feeling a tad less "Useless" and "Funk-Full!"  I guess I really did accomplish a fair amount this summer - in spite of my (ahem) "handicap!" (Again, I wish I was joking)

I definitely want to put-up another batch of Corn Relish this year.  And I think I may have a few ripe apples ready-to-pick.  Might try my hand at canning applesauce or - mmmm! - Cranberry Applesauce!  And I've simply GOT to whip-up a batch of Deepika's onion jam! (That's right up there with Corn-Apple Relish, in my book!  Freaking AMAZING!!!)

I never did put-up any Strawberries this year (::::gasp::::).  I know my other neighbor, K, wants to learn how to make All-Natural Jams so maybe I'll luck out and find a migrant farm-worker standing on the corner - one of these afternoons - with boxes of fresh strawberries.  If so, I'll pick-up a box and invite my neighbor over and I'll try to whip-up a batch using either Agave or Honey as a natural sweetener...

I've still got a few empty jars stashed in the garage.  This WILL NOT do!!!  I think there's still time to correct that situation!  Then, there's the South Bay Canning Club's Annual Exchange, so I'll get to sample more New and Exciting Stuff!  And "steal" new recipes for next year...  So, yeah, I think the empty-jar situation will resolve itself!

In Other News:  Good-Friend-P convinced me that I shouldn't deprive myself of Clay-Play Time (which, truly, IS my source of stress-relief).  Doc (#4) told me "No working in ceramics" b/c it *might* irritate my skin.  Well, P convinced me that I should give it a try with rubber (vinyl, actually - not Latex) gloves.  I complained that it wouldn't provide the "tactile experience" that I craved, and P argued that "Surgeons are 'tactile' and they manage to operate with gloves..." (and Joysey-K later argued - truthfully - that "Surgeons have assistants to hand them their tools!").  Anywaaaaaayyyyy...  This weekend was the first time that I attempted Clay-Play with vinyl gloves.

I managed to log appx 4 hours in the Tiki-Shack, over two days, this weekend and - while it wasn't TRULY satisfying - it was "acceptable."  Truthfully, I don't have my usual "dexterity" with gloves, and detailed-work (and grabbing for tools) really is kinda frustrating.  Plus, the gloves - despite being skin-tight - do tend to loosen-up in the fingertips and leave weird wrinkle marks in the clay.  But I managed to compensate by using a semi-dry sponge for the "press-in" work.

I limited myself to Super-Simple-Stuff like soap-dishes and plain trays.  Didn't want to "challenge" myself and felt I needed some "Instant Gratification" to get myself back into the groove...

Honestly?  It really felt GOOD to get back in the studio, and it really DID help to lift some of my "funk."  The Tiki Shack really *is* my "Happy Place" and I need that "Escape" from time-to-time.  So I think I will make a concerted effort to go out there for at least a few hours, every week.  I'm not in any Competitions to be the Bestest/Greatest Ceramic Artist Evar, but I really do like to CREATE sh*t.  And doing so really does make me happy!  So, by golly, I'm gonna DO IT!!!

Latest Works-In-Progress:

Beaten-bowl and Starfish paperweight

Started a few months ago (and subsequently neglected).  They are fully-dry (bone-dry) and ready for bisque - but I don't have enough "stuff" ready to warrant a firing!

Tray and 2 soap-dishes I started yesterday...

They need to dry a bit more, then I'll trim and clean 'em up

Fresh, brandy-new soap-dishes I started today

Again, they need to dry more, then I'll trim the edges and clean 'em up.

Anyway...  Even though I didn't feel well-enough to go for a swim this weekend.  And I wasn't "up for sailing" (Hubs went solo, early yesterday-morning.  But I met him in the late afternoon and "hung-out" on the boat for a few hours), I don't feel like this Labor Day Weekend was a total loss.  I am THRILLED that I actually DID make it into the Studio and PRODUCED some sh*t.

So, all-told, I'd have to say it was a pretty-good Holiday Weekend - even if I didn't make it into the pool (which is now covered - :::sigh:::).  And, in looking back at my Summertime Accomplishments, maybe it wasn't such a Bad Year, after all...

So that's me ending my post on a Happy Note!

Hope your summers were - if not BETTER than mine - at least AS GOOD AS mine, k?!!

Thanks for "listening!"  And here's hoping that things will IMPROVE!!!

-QT

Recipe (kind-of!): Home-Made Hard Lotion Bars (Plus Psoriasis Woes)

I know I have alluded to my "Psoriatic Challenges" in previous posts, and I'm debating whether to add another category/sub-heading on my blog for "Psoriasis."

On the one hand, I really don't want this to be a place where I come to b*tch about how crappy I feel (And trust me when I say "I feel REAL crappy - almost all of the time!"), but OTOH, there seems to be a dearth of info out there in internet-land about how psoriasis-sufferers "cope."

Ehh, I guess I can add the sub-heading and see what happens.  But I DON'T want this to be an ongoing "theme." (Hell, I just want it to f**king STOP ruining my day-to-day life!!!)

Anyway...  I am trying a variety of "things" to see what might help.  I am on numerous prescription salves/ointments/creams/blah-blahs (mostly steroidal - which doesn't thrill me);  I've been thru NUMEROUS dermatologists (I'm up to Derma-Doc #5 now); and I've tried several different treatments (we're getting ready to move-up to "Biologics" aka "Immune-Suppressants") ("Yippee F**kin' Skippy!").

Pretty much, treatment of psoriasis seems to be mostly a Crap-Shoot:  "Try this for a few months..."  "Did it work?"  "No."  "Okay, try THAT for a few months..."  "Did it work?" "No."  "Okay, let's move over to THIS for a few months..." Lather (with unscented/hypo-allergenic whatevers). Rinse. Repeat.

I've ALMOST lost track of all the "Try This" medications (No, I do know what I've tried!).  The worst part is the intervening "few months" between each "experiment" - where I have been rendered a virtual invalid.  P*sses me off - more than you can imagine because I am NOT - I repeat: NOT - a "sedentary" person!

Oops.  This is bordering on "Ranting" now, isn't it?!  Okay, I'll stop :-)

So ANNNNYYYYWAAAAAAYYYYYY...  Every once in awhile, I feel like I need to "take a break" from all of the pharmaceuticals ('cuz, honestly?! All that sh*t is POISON, IMHO).  I've made several trips to our local Health Food Store (a little Mom 'n Pop shop - that I really, really like), and I've elicited gasps of (horror?) from the store owners when I remove my gloves and show them my hands... (and let's not *even* talk about my feet, which are "barely-functional" for walking appx half of the time).

I had a helluva time finding any Aloe Vera Gel products that didn't contain alcohol (Alcohol on open sores?! I think NOT!), so I bought my own Aloe Vera plants.  I have tried a few herbal/all-natural preparations and I will say that they don't AGGRAVATE the condition (and I *can't* say that for the pharmaceuticals!), but they don't do much to improve it either.

So somehow, somewhere along the line, I stumbled onto a "recipe" for all-natural, hand-made hard-lotion bars.  And I pinned it for future reference, right?

Well, last night, I decided to make-up a batch of hard-lotion.  I decided to keep it simple for the first batch and pretty-well followed the directions to-the-letter from this site, and this site.

I procured most of my ingredients from Glory Bee Foods.  Again, I get no "spliff" for posting, but I'm happy (so far) with what I got!

I did not do a pictorial step-by-step - this time around (since I didn't know what the hell I was doing and had NO clue if it would work), but I *am* including a photo of the final product, at least!

I measured-out 3 oz. each (by weight) of:

• Coconut Oil
• Cocoa Butter
• Natural Beeswax

Now my beeswax came in a BIG 1 lb "chunk" and cutting it was a challenge - to say the least!  Not sure if I'd go with "granulated" - or if I feel like investing-in (and storing) a dedicated cheese-grater for making my own granulated beeswax.  I *knew* I wanted super-pure beeswax with no funky fillers, so I went with the 1lb chunk.

Cocoa Butter, likewise, was "challenging" to handle since it was basically a solid mass in a jar.  I ended up removing the lid and plunking the jar into a pot of boiling water on the stove so I could melt and pour it out.

Coconut Oil was easy.  It's like Crisco Shortening and very easy to scoop out of the tub!

Anyway, I combined equal amounts of all three ingredients into a 1 QT Pyrex  Measuring Cup.  I set a large-ish pot of water on the stove and brought it to a boil, then placed the Pyrex Cup into the boiling water (think "Poor-Man's Double-Boiler, right?!).  Key point here:  You DON'T need a lot of boiling water in your water-pot.  I over-estimated and ended up with boiling water splooging-out all over the stove top!

Sadly, I can't give you exact measurements, but you only need an inch (or so) of water in the bigger pot because - DUH! - it will "rise" when you put the Pyrex cup in it! (Damned Physics!).

Alternatively (and this would probably be the better solution - if I decide to make this on a regular basis), I'd like to purchase a solid-glass 2 QT saucepan from the local thrift-store and just dedicate it to things like Lotion- and Soap-making (and if I ever decide to move more into home-made soap, I would also like to buy a dedicated immersion-blender for that purpose).  I went with the Pyrex measuring cup because glass SHOULD clean-up easily and the cup can still be used for cooking.  Had I opted for one of my Teflon saucepans, it probably would have been ruined...

Anyway, I started out with the large-ish pot of water.  Brought the water to a boil on "High," then stuck the Pyrex cup with oils/butters inside of the Pyrex measuring cup.  I lowered the heat to "Low" and stirred 'til everything melted.  The beeswax (which was chopped into LARGE chunks) took the longest to integrate (or dis-integrate - depending on your perspective!).  Once everything was a nice, liquid consistency, I grabbed an oven mitt to remove the Pyrex Mixing Cup and poured everything into a Silicone Mold (I think it was a Wilton Candy Mold).  9 oz. of "stuff" yielded 4 "bars" of hard lotion.

I really like the Silicone Mold because it was SUPER-easy to pop the lotions out, the next day.

Now I didn't add any scents or other "additions" this time around.  I wanted to see how a Bare-Nekkid Batch would come out.

First Impressions?  Very nice!  It's kind of like a "greasy" chap-stick (and, in fact, I really like rubbing it on my lips - to tell you the truth!).  When you rub the bar in your hands, it melts and coats your skin, quite nicely.  It *does* take a little while to soak into your skin, but - honestly - I like it!  It is VERY soothing, after it soaks in. (Until it soaks in - you might want to avoid opening the sliding GLASS door! lol) (But it beats the HELL out of some of the Rx ointments I've been using - where I feel like I'm leaving an Oil-Slick behind, EVERYWHERE I go!!!).

Anyway, I really *do* like it.  I especially like that I can - not only recount - but PRONOUNCE all of the ingredients in this lotion!  "Beeswax, Coconut Oil, and Cocoa Butter!"  (Compare that to "Tocopheryl, blada-blada" "Humunha-Humunha" and F, D &C Red #5!")

So, I'm gonna give myself a 1-week "Pharmacological Break" and just stick with this stuff.  No, I don't expect a "cure" - but I KNOW it won't make things any worse!  Then I'll go back to the NASTY-Rx Stuff and hope for the best...

Next time I make this:  I think I'll go for a 50/50 mix of Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter (Shea Butter, evidently, is more "sticky" in texture so, hopefully, slightly less "greasy?").  I may also look into adding Chamomile Essential Oil (it's supposed to be very soothing), and I might also cut the Coconut Oil with Aloe Vera Oil.  Lastly, I'll try to "squirt" part of the batch into lip-balm tubes because - honestly - this stuff is THE BOMB as far as Lip Balms go!

Sorry for the incessant rambling this last couple-three posts, but, well, that's "where I'm at" these days!!!  Hopefully things will improve at some point and I can go back to more "CONTENT!"

xoxo

-QT

CRISIS AVERTED!

Yep.  ANOTHER rambling post! (I *swear* we'll get back to "regularly scheduled programming" at SOME point!!!)

Firstly - not that I'm gonna WHINE nonstop - I'm still experiencing some significant psoriasis woes.  I mention this only because it is kind of a Key Point in today's post...

Secondly - Other "background info:" Hubs is traveling on business.  He left, yesterday afternoon, to stay at a hotel near the SFO airport on a "Park-N-Fly" deal.  He'll be in Tel Aviv, Israel for appx 1 week (and NO - I do NOT like him traveling to the Middle East - but what're ya gonna do, right?!).

And thirdly/fourthly - Other "background info:"  Dynah - who I'd pictured here - is a Key Player in today's "Drama!"

Here she is again:

Yep.  She's mama's little Einstein!

And this also factors into the story:

The "original" shed (not to be confused with the newer Tiki Shack/Studio)

Okay...  There's all the background info!  Now, onto yesterday's DRAMA, which is basically a copy/paste from an email I'd sent out to my aunt...

Ha!  Today I had a bit of a Mini-Crisis with one of my dogs which - now that it's over - is actually pretty amusing!  It most-assuredly WASN'T amusing at the time!

See, I just started some new medication for my skin condition which makes me SUPER-DUPER tired and weak (but I should, eventually "acclimate" to it - and if it helps the skin condition, it will be worth it).  Hubs was actually worried about leaving me for his business trip to Israel - but I assured him that I would "get by" and - worst case - if I needed help, I do have helpful neighbors and good friends that I could turn to.

Well, shortly after he left, one of my dogs went missing!  It was Dynah, my little wire-haired doxie (and definitely "Mama's Girl").  Now she couldn't have gotten OUT of the yard, but she was very well-concealed.  I kept calling and calling her - nothing!  I got the dog-cookie-jar and shook it - nothing! (but the other two were MOST eager for cookies!). 

Now the funny thing is, if either of the other girls goes into hiding, I just call Dynah and say "Where's Annie (or Tazz)?!" and Dynah will lead me right to the errant hound (Dynah "rats 'em out!" every time).  Well this time I asked Tazz "Where's Dynah?" and Tazz just brought me to her tire (her favorite throw-toy).  Tazz was too interested in playing fetch, so I turned to Annie "Where's Dynah?!"  Annie just kind of looked at me like I was nuts!

Well, then I started to panic. "DYNAH?!!  DYNAH?!!!" 

Eventually, I heard a muffled-but-panicked bark - coming from UNDER the porch of the shed. 

Not sure if you remember our "little house"/shed out back, but there is a porch on the front of it and - knowing that we have little dogs - I made sure everything was constructed in such a way that the dogs couldn't get UNDER it.  So HOW she got trapped under there is anybody's guess!  But what WAS clear was that she couldn't figure out how to get out - and she was really freaked-out!  And, since she is "my baby" - I was pretty freaked, too!

So I go into the garage and grab the drill and a phillips-head screwdriver bit - thinking I could simply undo 6 screws to remove a plank, and help pull her out.  Unfortunately, all I succeeded in doing was stripping the screw-heads!  And at that point, I was getting REALLY exhausted (and frantic).  Sun is starting to set.  The dog is shrieking piteously at this point.  And I can't get her out!

I went out front to see if my neighbors are home.  Nope.

I ended up calling my good friend, P, IN TEARS (and I am decidedly NOT what you'd call a "Drama Queen" - but I was feeling pretty desperate at that point).

"Hi.  Umm. [snif snif] Are you busy right now?"

"I'm just starting to cook dinner.  Why are you crying?"

I managed to choke out a few details about how one of the dogs was trapped under the shed and I couldn't get her out.

"I'm sending C over - right now!"

So I sat on the shed-porch, trying to calm Dynah (and myself!) down, and waited for "Rent-A-Son Services" C (Priscilla's son) to arrive.

Bless his heart - it took him less than 5 minutes to unscrew and remove a plank, retrieve the dog, replace the plank, FIND where she had dug an "access trench" and block it off with a big ol' cement block, AND give her a belly-rub!

CRISIS AVERTED!!!

I feel extremely fortunate to have such good friends.  I really HATE having to ask for help - but it's nice to know it's there when you need it!

So yeah, in hindsight, it makes for a pretty amusing story.  But - at the time - I was a freaking basket-case (and, honestly, probably more p*ssed-off over the fact that I couldn't "fix it myself" than anything else).

More Radio Silence... (aka Weekend Fun - Followed by Whining)

Yeah, so a couple weeks ago I whined a bit about my psoriasis woes.  Then, about a week later, everything cleared up (purely coincidentally - after seeing a new dermatologist.  We hadn't changed anything with the pharmacological stew I was taking).

So then I had, like a WHOLE WEEK where I was able to walk and function like a Normal Human Being (Hey!!!).

News Flash:  I *like* walking and functioning like a Normal Human Being!

Welllllll...  Unfortunately, that didn't last nearly long enough.  It *did* last long enough for me to eradicate the rotting plum population from the garden, thereby sparing our party guests from having to swat flies away from their BBQ dinners (Yay!).

And I *did* manage to prunify 15# of plums - and learned that "prepping" tart fruit by soaking in a lemon/water mixture results in even TARTER fruit.  Yuk!  Not sure what I'm gonna do with the resulting plums, but I might try soaking them in a Sweetener/Water solution to "reconstitute" them before using them in various recipes (i.e. maybe pork roast? Stuffed chicken breast? Dunno yet!).  But they are decidedly *not* Snack-Worthy!

Annnnnnd....  In the meantime, I have ALSO discovered that they do make "Plum-Pitters" / "Plum-Stoners" - similar to Cherry-pitters, only larger.  I bought this one on Amazon.  Too late for this year's harvest, but maybe it will prove useful NEXT year!  If so, there will be MORE jam (and - maybe - less b*tching) next year!

Annnnnnd...  I made ANOTHER Orgasmic Cherry Pie!  This time, I followed my recipe EXACTLY (including cutting back on the Almond, and bumping up the Vanilla).  FAN-F**KING-TASTIC!!!  Even our BBQ Guests raved about it (and I *hope* they weren't "just being polite!").  Another addition?  Clear Sugar Sprinkles on top of the pie (basically coarse granulated sugar - but it's in the "sprinkles" section of the baking aisle of the grocery store).  Made it even "prettier!"  Shame I didn't take a picture, huh?!

Anywaaaaayyyy...  My hands/feet held-up pretty well and were "flare-free" until around Friday afternoon.  I managed to get my grocery-shopping done in a semi-hobbly fashion.  But by Saturday morning (the DAY of the party), I was starting to feel like a friggin' mess (which p*ssed me off - more than you can imagine!).

I was really-really glad I hadn't overestimated my Hostess-With-the-Mostess skillz.  I did opt for pre-made Macaroni and Potato Salads (and - to be fair - Smart and Final does sell a most delicious "Sliced Home-Style" Potato Salad).

I kind of regretted "passing" on the pre-made/pre-chopped fresh veggie platter - but I had a 'Frigerator-Full of fresh organic veggies!  And, besides, pre-made Ranch Dip totally sucks - out loud, even!

So my June Cleaver Duties were limited to prepping burger fixin's (lettuce, tomatoes, onion slices); making fresh dips (Ranch for the veggies; Onion for the chips); Chopping fresh organic veggies for the crudités (which is Fancy-Schmantzy French for chopped-up carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchinis!); and the Pièce de résistance: Fresh-baked Orgasmic Cherry Pie!

Everything else was pretty-much Grab 'n Go: 3 bags of potato chips; couple cans of Bush's Baked Beans; pre-formed burger patties (fresh, not frozen!); a package of kielbasa, and some boneless-skinless chicken breasts.  And buns, of course!

So Saturday morning was spent on the aforementioned prep items:  Stand for 15 minutes to do some prep-work, then sit for 20.  Stand for 15, sit for 20.  Lather, rinse, repeat!

There was "Outdoor" prep-work to be done as well: Windexing the table and bar-tops, sweeping leaves, and general "Straightening-up" but I was conserving the "Finite Number of Footsteps" I was allowed that day.  And I think hubs *might* have given me the 'Stink-Eye' - a time or two - when he caught me "sitting!"  Oooops!

Anyway...  Long Story Short (Too Late!): The party was a success.  Hubs' friends are super-cool, super-fun people and they swam in the pool.  Then we laughed and drank, and ate, and sat around socializing til late into the evening!  We even got to use our Propane Patio Heater (no clue if it's the same kind or not - we've had it awhile!).  It did a phenomenal job of keeping us warm, anyway! (We *don't* get pleasantly warm summer evenings here in No' Cal!) (But - OTOH - we don't get eaten-alive by skeeters either!)

As they were getting ready to leave, I glanced down at the kitchen table and spotted: "Oh sh*t!  We didn't eat any pie!!!" So I made everybody sit down and eat a slice and - like I say - got Rave Reviews!

So yeah - fun party!  And I really wish we did this sort of thing more often.  In fact, we DO have a "Neighbor Party" on the calendar for mid-August.  And I'm thinking of setting up another "Couples Party" at some point in the not-too-distant future because - Seriously! - It *is* a lot of fun to have people over (Yeah, it's WORK too - but!  Totally worth it!) - and we have the Ultimate Party Yard so it seems a shame to waste it.

I'd LOVE to go back to throwing big "Themed" Parties - like I used to do when I had a Family. (We'd usually do Hawaiian/Luau Themed Food and such).  But Burgers and Dogs seem to work just fine, too - and not NEARLY as much work!

Nevertheless - even though we kept it pretty low-key - I totally "paid for it" on Sunday.  My friggin' feet were a mess-and-a-half, and I was confined to the recliner all day - just so I could keep my swollen feet propped up. :::sigh::: (And I'm *still* pretty ouchy - even today!)

Oh well.  Whaddya gonna do (besides p*ss and moan, right)?!

It really does suck, though.  On the Plus (?) Side:  We are back to "being robbed of summer" so I don't feel too terribly awful about not spending Every Waking Moment outside.  OTOH, it's starting to be Harvest Season and that is the Absolute Best Part of Gardening: Wandering around the garden, every afternoon, checking on your harvests, picking what's ready, and *hoping* it makes it into the house.  Trouble is, it hurts too damned much to wander out that far :::sigh:::

Sorry - I think I said that this blog is s'posed to be my Happy Place and - well, right now, I'm not doing a very good job of it, am I?!

Here's hoping that the latest batch o' Toxic Drugs will have better results than the last batch................

:::sigh:::

Radio Silence = Not feeling well...

:::sigh:::

My biggest fear in life - thus far - has been that I would turn into one of those "Old People" who, when you asked "How are you?" would reply with an HONEST response!!!

I don't wanna go there so....  Suffice it to say that - when I go "silent" for awhile - it means I feel like sh*t!

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling "Pretty Okay" and actually managed to log some serious Studio Time (Yay!).  In the meantime, I went for a follow-up visit with my dermatologist who "upped" me to a particularly NASTY exfoliating topical ointment/treatment.  The minute I applied the topical-ointment-du-jour, my hands burned like I'd stuck them into a vat of boiling acid (I couldn't get my hands into a sink fast enough!) and I have, since, broken-out in itchy hives/scales over 70-80% of my body.

JAY-ZUS!!!

Hubs thought it was sunburn - and offered to slather me in Aloe.  Unfortunately, no.  It's now turned into full-blown guttate psoriasis.

:::sigh:::

So..........  Long story short:  I have "fired" my last dermatologist (#4 - IIRC), and I am now seeing a NEW dermatologist (one who is listed as being a member of the "President's Council" of the Psorisasis Foundation).  I did express that "I mean no disrespect to the doctors at Stanford Dermatology..." (yada-yada) "But...  The bottom line is, I am not getting better, I am GETTING WORSE" (as I broke into tears in the doctor's office - talk about f**king embarrassing!!!).

Anyway...  I am going in to have more labs drawn (Yippy-Skippy).  And I think we're gonna start with immuno-suppressants (like they give to transplant patients - Double-Yippy-Skippy).  Hopefully - one way or another - we'll achieve SOME kinda relief...

In the meantime, since this ISN'T my place to whine about health-woes, I may stay kinda "quiet" for the time-being...

However, since this IS supposed to be my Happy Place, I WILL post about Garden Updates and/or Awesome Recipes I encounter!  This weekend?  Santa Rosa Plums are ripening LIKE FREAKING CRAZY!!!  So far, we've been eating a couple-three fresh-plums - straight off of the tree.  In the next week I hope to cobble-together a pie, or some kinda cobbler.  Or I might make more jam - who knows?!!

For the time-being, I am "Laying Low" and just trying to get through the day.........................

Thank GAWD I telecommute full-time (otherwise, I might HAVE to go out on disability or some kinda nonsense!).  And, honestly, my insanely-busy workload - of late - has actually been a Godsend because it gives me something to FOCUS on (besides my otherwise MISERABLE state!).

Anyhoooooo....  Sorry for being such a BUMMER, but that's my (lame, but accurate) excuse for being an Absent-Blogger!

More later (I hope)!!!!!

-QT

New Droid...

Well, after much flailing and gnashing of teeth, I finally joined the 21st Century and upgraded my 1st Generation Droid to the new Droid RAZR 16G...

Oooh!  It's Purple!
(Last photo taken with Old Droid!)

Old Droid was just getting increasingly "buggy" and required fairly regular "Battery-Pulls" to re-boot after a freeze-up....

Simple things like taking pictures and uploading to FB were just getting frustratingly annoying - or annoyingly frustrating! (including the phone "completely forgetting" that it had *just* taken a picture).  Many-many cuss-words were uttered and I finally decided "To Hell With It" and ordered a new phone, online, from Verizon Wireless...

Now I'm supposed to get an Employee Discount (b/c my company has some kind of "arrangement" with Verizon), and a "Customer Loyalty Discount" and a whole bunch of other Happy Horsesh*t...

The Droid RAZR 16G was "on special" and "My Price" was supposed to have been $69.99, right?

The other contender was the Samsung Galaxy Nexus - and it was cool.  I mean, I saw it "up-close-and-personal" in the Verizon Store - but it didn't totally "Take my breath away" (plus, the GUI was just different-enough that there would have been a "learning curve!" :::GASP:::).  The Galaxy Nexus was *not* as deeply discounted - so I opted for the RAZR.  I also contemplated the RAZR MAXX - but pricing on that was outrageous.  Screw it.  Just go with the RAZR...

Okay, well, mini-rant here...  Dear Verizon:  DON'T tell me you're giving me a Super-Duper-Stupendous Deal unless you are prepared to deliver, k???  Apparently the "regular" price for the phone (as listed on their website) was $149.99...  "On Sale" for $99.99 - but with my "Loyalty" discount, I get $30.00 off, so $69.99.  Sounds good, right?

Well, THEN they add-in a $30.00 "Upgrade Fee" (thus negating the "Customer Loyalty" Discount!).  I'm not sure WHAT happened to my "Employee Discount" but then, with taxes (on the Full-Bust-Out-Retail-Price of $599.99 - WTF?!!) (NOT clearly-stated on the website, I should note!), I ended up paying $149.49.  Or exactly fifty cents LESS than the Advertised Price.  Gimme a break!!!

Sorry - didn't mean to rant - but srsly, Verizon?!  Don't bullsh*t me, okay?  If the price is $150.00 - then just f**king say so!!!

Honestly, I don't mind that I paid $150.00 for a new Smart-Phone.  I DO mind that you TELL me I'm gonna pay $69.99 to "lure me in" - but then charge me full-price anyway...  I'm not stupid - I *hate* deceptive advertising practices...

And, had I not been SO fed-up with the old phone, I probably woulda pitched a b*tch and tried to get the "Final Price" a tad closer to the $69.99 "Advertised Price" (Which probably would have necessitated a trip to the Verizon-store - and I wasn't up for that).

To be fair...  Prior to my upgrading my phone, I received an email from Verizon - promising me a "Totally Free" Accessory for my phone (Snap-on case, or Screen Protector).  Well, the stuff for the OLD Droid wouldn't fit the NEW Droid, so I emailed them.  Turned out that NEW Droid wasn't part of that "Totally Free" Accessory Offer, but they ARE honoring that and will allow me to pick a protective case for my new phone.  So that is a "partial" offset to my pissed-offedness!

Annnnnnywaaaaaayyyy...  End of Rant #1!

Sooooo....  Rant #2:  I received my new phone a couple-days after ordering...  I'd left a note on the door for Fed-Ex - with my signature - so FedEx would leave the package on my doorstep.  Yay Fed-Ex, they DID!

So I excitedly opened up the package and read thru the set-up instructions.

Now I *did* have the presence of mind to download ALL of my personal files off of my old phone, to my PC (pictures, videos, music files, ringtones, yada-yada)...  The only thing I couldn't find was my Contact List.

Now, I did know that First Generation Droid was *not* compatible with many of Verizon's "proprietary" apps (which, honestly, I kinda liked!) (and that's a Big Reason why iPhone was never "on the table" for me - too proprietary!).  That included "Back-up Assistant" so there didn't appear to be an "Easy" way to transfer my contacts from my Old Droid, to the New...

I'm here to tell you: The Instructions provided by Verizon really-really-really sucked!

There was some sorta bullsh*t (directed from their website) where I needed to "Export" the contact list from OUTLOOK in csv format.  That's all very well and good except that I DON'T HAVE an Outlook Account set-up.  And when I tried to initiate the Export from my phone, it put it into vcf format (Outlook), and it included email addresses from about 400 years ago (and very few phone #'s, actually).  Now, I know that Droid relies heavily on your Google email acct - but the people I EMAIL from gmail are definitely "different" from the people I "call" on a regular basis...

Well, long story short (Too Late!), I ended up setting-up a dummy Outlook acct on my PC (no email associated with it), and I keyed in all of my important contacts into Outlook.  This, actually, was a good opportunity to do some "clean-up" since...  Well, my mom is no longer with us, so I don't really need to keep her in my Contact List, right?  Then I followed the instructions (from the Verizon site) to export the csv file, then I IMPORTED it into Google Mail, Contacts.

Well, SURPRISE!~  All of my original "Contacts" actually DID reside - with phone#'s intact! - in gmail's "Contacts." If you look on your GMAIL screen, there's actually a "drop-down" where it says "GMAIL" (directly under where it says "GOOGLE"), and THAT'S where your phone's "Contacts" reside - Duhhhh!

So, after I'd imported my new Contact List into Gmail (using their "Import" feature), I ended up with duplicate contacts - but, in the end, it was fairly easy to "clean-up" my contact list...

Anyway, it took me two days to get the Contacts squared-away, but when it was all said-and-done, it was fairly easy to "Activate" the phone, on my own.  I *really* didn't want to go to the Verizon Store and "don my Blond Hat," to convince them to do it for me - although I'm sure they would have.  But - given my experience with *my* company's I/T Dept, I was reasonably sure they'd find a way to f**k it up! (I definitely did NOT want the 400-yr.-old email contacts added to my phones contact list!!!)

And I am pretty "rabid" about NOT syncing ALL of my contacts (Facebook and multiple email accts).  I maintain "multiple personalities" online and I *don't* want everything smushed together!

Now one thing that *did* freak-me-out when I first fired-up the phone (and synced my "Contacts" from gmail), the phone ALSO added all of my Facebook Contacts.  No-No-No-No-Noooo!!!  But I *did* figure out how to suppress the FB contacts from my "Phone Numbers" list...

Bottom Line:  Setting up the phone really wasn't very intuitive - and the instructions from Verizon really sucked-eggs.  Thankfully, I was able to figure it out...

I'm guessing that the Verizon Store would have (reluctantly) taken care of it (but I think they work on commission, so be prepared for push-back!). Nevertheless, if you're considering an upgrade, you're not entirely "on your own..."

Once I got the phone set-up, I have to say that - overall - I am pretty happy with it.  The GUI is slightly different from the First Generation Droid, but not too difficult to figure out.

Features that I like:  

• Once I got it hooked-up to our WiFi, I can actually play any music that's accessible on the network (i.e. stuff on my hard-drive on my laptop in the house).
• Picture Quality seems vastly superior to Old Droid.  And uploads to FB happen almost instantaneously.
• 4G speed is definitely far-superior to 3G (although I worry about them over-subscribing and slow-downs in the future)
• Bluetooth uploads:  I can take a picture with the phone and upload it to my hard-drive on my laptop via Bluetooth (a little slow - but less of a pain than plugging in the usb cable)
• So far, so good - no freeze-ups (but NO clue what I'm gonna do when/if that happens - the battery is NOT removable)
• Most of the apps I use, appear to have come pre-installed (Yay!  But I *did* make a list before I shut-down the old phone)
• Some of the Verizon-specific apps are also pre-installed (not sure if I like that - we'll see).  VZNavigator ($fee) is on the new phone, but I think I'll stick with Google Maps/Navigator (FREE!).
• I'm guessing (hoping) that the memory is expandable (looks like there's a mini-SD card slot)
• Can watch Netflix Movies on the new phone (that's actually pretty cool!)

Downside:  I'm worried that the battery is NOT user-replacable... We'll have to see how that pans out.  Right now, I am fully charging and discharging the battery, a few times...

Anyway - overall, I am pretty happy with the new phone.  I hope I can say that 6-months from now!!!

I'm having a Pity Party - And no one's invited! :-P

(Warning: Whining and Rambling and Ranting ahead!)

I'm prob'ly gonna lay low for a few days b/c I feel like sh*t again...

Hubs and I took Friday off because we were supposed to go to Strictly Sail - a sailboat show up at Jack London Square up in Oakland (the part of town where, hopefully, people *don't* get murdered regularly!).

I've always enjoyed the show because *I* think it's FUN to crawl around on boats that we could never, EVER afford! (Hubs doesn't share my enthusiasm for multi-hulls - but he *would* like, someday, to buy an offshore-suitable monohull boat, in the 30-35-foot range).

And, afterwards, we always make our annual side-trip to Forbidden Island - only THE coolest Retro-Style Tiki Bar EVAR!!!

Welllll... The rainy-monsoony weather on Friday postponed our Strictly-Sail Adventure 'til Sunday. But in the meantime, my freakin' reptilian psoriasis decided to flare-up again - in a BIG way! So bad, I decided to contact my dermatologist, and ask for direction on what to to to prevent it from getting any worse...

Now, I absolutely do NOT want this blog to become a place where I piss and moan about health issues. Hell's Bells! I'm only in my 40's - but I feel like a friggin' octogenarian sometimes!

Nevertheless... I feel compelled to rant just a *teeny* bit!

Doc was so concerned that she scheduled me for a follow-up app't ASAP. So I spent a couple of hours - on my Day Off - at the Stanford Dermatology Clinic. In an Exam room with not one - but TWO nurses and... Not one... Not two... But THREE doctors all looking at my hands and feet and scratching their heads simultaneously while (quietly) muttering acronyms amongst themselves.

GAWD I hate that!!!

The long-and-the-short-of-it is: They think, maybe, my home phototherapy unit (Narrow-band UVB) might be "out of calibration" and maybe, just maybe, this isn't a psoriasis-flare. It *might* be that I am badly sunburned. In other words: 1) No immediate relief in sight. 2) I need to get ahold of the manufacturer of the phototherapy unit and make arrangements for a Tech to come out and re-calibrate the machine. 3) I need to stop phototherapy IMMEDIATELY (which was the ONLY thing that *had* been working - prior to this) and 4) I need to go get a bunch of blood-tests to rule-out anything more insidious and they *might* consider changing my treatment plan...

:::sigh:::

Bottom Line: Doc says "Stay off your feet" and "No Boat Show for you." Also: (it goes without saying) "No Gardening," since I can't stand - let alone walk. And she'd already told me "No Clay-Play" a few weeks back (nevermind that it hurts my feet, too much, to even walk out to The Shack in the backyard!)...

I am bummed in a Big-Time, Major-League way....

Today was PERFECT weather for garden chores. Sunny, kinda breezy, but definitely NOT too hot. Hubs did the whole Mow-and-Blow thing, then he headed up to the boat to tackle a few "Prepare for Launching" chores. I spent the day in the recliner (buried under weenie dogs), watching Netflix and generally feeling sorry for myself.

I broke, briefly, when P stopped by to drop off my birdhouses from the workshop a coupla weeks ago. Then we wandered out to the studio so I could give her bisqueware from my last firing.

Birdhouses - complete!

I'm happy with them (In spite of my Pity-Party Mindset :-)

I whined and moaned to her about my "Pity Party" and she tried to be reassuring, giving me a hug and saying "This will pass" (and that's true). But, really, I am pretty p*ssed-off at LIFE at the moment. I mean, ever since my Diabetes Diagnosis, I've given up a WHOLE lot of stuff that was Very Important to me - PERMANENTLY.

I gave up my horse - because I just didn't have the energy to care for him anymore. I've given up SCUBA diving because, quite frankly, after my last black-out (WHILE diving!) I just don't think I want to drown to death. I've given up motorcycling because I've lost my edge (but I'm still clinging to hope that maybe, someday, I'll be able to do it again. MAYBE. So I have kept my bike!). And now? Friggin' psoriasis is preventing me from pursuing my ceramic "art" (Okay, probably more "therapy" than art - but still!). Yeah, I *could* wear gloves - but the whole thing about Clay-Play is the "tactile" experience, right???

Anyway... I'm kind of in a semi-dark place right now. No, I'm not going to get sucked into full-on depression... I'm actually more "Pissed Off" than "Bummed" at the moment (and that's probably healthy) (I guess!).

And hubs - bless his heart - is *trying* to be understanding and I have to give him credit for that. But he's got that whole "Engineer-Mindset" and still seems to think that there *must* be a solution ("No, dear. There isn't! Believe me - if there was, I'd be pursuing it! Psoriasis is a chronic condition FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CURE!"). I had warned him, early on in our Dating Career, that I rarely get sick - but when I do, it is generally something "out of the ballpark!" (and he is finally starting to believe me!)

Diabetes isn't rare, but the case *I've* got requires insulin at levels that would KILL any other diabetic (and I had to go thru NUMEROUS doctors before they figured that out!). Psoriasis isn't rare, either. But the case I've got has the staff at Stanford University puzzled...

And the beat goes on..................................................

Anyway - I "entertained" myself today by watching documentaries and yada-yada on Netflix about "Alternative Medicine." A couple of the shows I watched talked about Juice-Fasts so maybe, just for sh*ts and grins (:::eye-roll::: at my sick pun), I might give that a try. I get a refrigerator-full of fresh, organic veggies delivered every-other-week - and I *do* have a juicer, so maybe I'll give that a "go." (Yes, another sick pun!)

Can't hurt, right? Quite honestly, I DON'T want to add more pharmaceuticals to my Daily Diet if I can possibly help it (and the drugs that the Doc is suggesting have a veritable boatload of side-effects that probably won't "play well" with my current "conditions")...

We'll see. In the meantime, I am just "hanging in there" and trying to make the best of an otherwise miserable situation. :::sigh:::

-QT

P.S. Bee-Trapper didn't make it out on Friday - but he should make an appearance next week. So, hopefully, the Bee-Saga posts (infinitely more entertaining) will return soon!

Two weeks, and counting...

Jeeeeeezus! When will this end???

Too sick to even complain at this point! How freakin' sad is that???

Happy Friggin' New Year!

Okay, I've been down-for-the-count for the past week and a half with - what started out as - a *really* annoying head-cold, but has now morphed into "The Black Death" (I swear!!!).

Hubbie's been down with it, as well. So we are planning a regular Rockin' Party of a New Year's Eve. That is, if you call clutching a box of Kleenex and snarfing down glassfuls of Alka-Seltzer Severe Cold & Flu Medicine a "Rockin' Party!"

And - Just For The Record: It is a VERY BAD THING when Hubs and I are sick simultaneously. Very-Very-Bad, indeed. In fact, I may be driven to create a new - anonymous - blog where I can rant to my heart's content (Hubs knows of this blog, so I cannot "share freely" here!).

Reader's Digest Version of "The Rant Du Jour" is that Hubs and I have very different ways of dealing with illness. Generally speaking, I prefer to hole-up in the guest room, buried in several layers of feather-beds and down-comforters. I tune the TV to something mindless (used to be HGTV, now I'm more into American-Pickers, Storage Wars and Pawn Stars re-runs). I keep a box of Kleenex handy, and a trash-can (raised out of the dogs' reach - otherwise: Ick!). And I take slugs of Ny-Quil 'til I'm damn-near comatose.

Pretty much: My approach is to TRY to hole-up in a corner someplace and sleep-it-off 'til it goes away. And I try to MINIMIZE INTERACTION with all other sentient beings...

Hubs, OTOH, wants EVERYONE (Okay, well, "Me") to know just how miserable he is. And, for the most part, he shuns any and all advice that I might offer (hence, I no longer offer advice). That would be okay, except that if I *don't* offer advice, he starts ASKING for advice so that he can, then, shun it.

"My head's all stuffed up and my ear feels plugged. What should I take?"

"Antihistamines"

"Those space me out. I don't want to take antihistamines."

Repeat that conversation over-and-over-and-over again, inserting different medications/vitamins/homeopathic remedies/ad nauseum for each exchange...

There's more to that particular rant, but I'm gonna stop. Like I say, he reads my blog and I think I need an anonymous blog for that stuff... But suffice it to say, with ME being sick at the same time (and wanting nothing more than to hole-up in a corner and be left alone), it was kind of a Toxic Situation...

Add to that the fact that I am soooo plugged-up, I really can't lie down comfortably (without feeling like I'm about to drown in snot) ("You're welcome!"). Well, I've been forced to enter the "Communal Zone" because, quite honestly, the recliner is the only place where I can rest and breathe comfortably. And that, of course, means that I have to interact with the Spousal Unit (who is miserable and wants everyone to know it...). Yeah, it's been a really crappy coupla weeks!

It got so bad, I had to order groceries online, for delivery (we were running out of "essentials" - including Kleenex *and* TP - Eeek!!!). Yesterday, I desperately wanted to make a vat o' Chicken Soup and figured I'd run over to Lucky's to buy a hot rotisserie-chicken. I got as far as putting (semi) clean clothes on and scrawled out a list... But when I actually considered the EFFORT it would take to pick-up my purse and walk-out-to-the-car... (Oh Gawd - THEN face the MASSES at the grocery store... NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!)

Well, it was more than I could comprehend, so I went online to place an order thru Safeway. Unfortunately, I couldn't order Rotisserie Chicken online - but I did get spaghetti fixins'.

So, New Years Eve Dinner will be spaghetti with meat sauce (and the sauce includes a quart of my Frozen Squozen 'Maters!). Now, with my Smeller and Taster being broken, I have no clue how everything will taste - but Hubs can't smell/taste either so nobody can complain, right?

Unfortunately, Safeway did NOT have a couple of key items (heavy cream being the most important one - oh Gawd, can't drink coffee without heavy cream!) so I ended up having to run out to Lucky's anyway :::sigh::: (Me and the Entire Population of Suburban San Jose!). I got my cream *and* my rotisserie chicken. So chicken soup will be blorping in the crock-pot tomorrow!

And we did replenish the supply of Kleenex and TP, so we're good there. We even got a couple of Duraflame Cheese-Logs for the wood-stove. And Hubs *did* go to CVS earlier this week and loaded up on OTC Cold Medicines (I've developed a new-found love for Alka Seltzer!). So I think we're pretty-well "set" for tonight.

Man, this is a FAR CRY from New Years' Eves past... I don't even want to think about it ("Getting Old" and all that sh*t!!!). No, this is just a Super-Crappy Cold and sh*t happens, right???

Furthur (a Grateful Dead band) is playing the Civic Auditorium in SanFran tonight (we did do NYE at their show a few years back). They're broadcasting it on Sirius so Hubs has rigged it up to the stereo in the family room. I shall claim my space in the recliner, curl up in my Snuggie and attempt to stay awake 'til midnight!!!

PARTY ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(or "Kill Me Now!!!")

Hey - Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and feel a jillion times better and it *will* be a Happy New Year! (Hope springs eternal!)

Happy New Year!

Cleverness versus Cursedness

So... For the most part, I've managed to hold my annual Winter Blues at bay by participating in a fair number of "Nesting/Cooking" type of activities: Lights are up. Tree is up. Most of the Christmas Gifts have arrived and are wrapped.

...And we had the First Annual Gathering of the South Bay Canning Club at my house, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and had a fun "Hen-Fest" kinda day (sans testosterone - DH took refuge on the boat that day!!!). I scored a boatload of yummy jams and chutneys and whatnot - in addition to pawning off some of my Excess. I call that a "Win-Win!"

Last week, Cool Neighbor E left a bag of home-grown blood-oranges on my doorstep (Yay Neighbor!), and I still had a couple of bags of fresh cranberries in the fridge - so I made Orange-Cranberry Marmalade (more on that in a separate post).

And - with all of this fresh, home-made jam - well, I *had* to drag out the Bread Machine (Sorry, I'm not so overcome with "Domestic-Nesty-ness" that I am willing to knead and bake my own bread!)...

But, mostly, I attribute my staving-off of Seasonal Affective Disorder to the fact that I've been spending sooooo much time in my Studio (aka the "Tiki Shack o' Perpetual Summer"). It is damn-near impossible to be depressed in my bright and "sunny" (okay overly-bright-fluorescent-lit) beach-side shack!

Every afternoon, after work, I've gone out there to squish clay, or sand-down my works-in-progress, or (::::gasp:::) glaze stuff. It truly is my own private li'l sanctuary. That's why I built it (err - "had it built!") and it's TOTALLY "Doing it's job!"

OTOH - there've definitely been some "Things" happening that are trying to STEAL MY HAPPINESS - dammit! One thing, in particular, has actually been semi-successful in putting me into a funk. I don't want to go into the details here - but it has to do with some "lingering financial/tax/legal issues" related to mom's estate and the sale of her house. And, unfortunately, it looks like I might be left "holding the bag" (to the tune of several thousand dollars) on that one. Sadly, that particular development has put me into a Very Dark Place...

Annnnd... It's been my experience that Negativity begets even more Negativity (not to get all Ooky-Spooky New-Agey on yer @ss or anything).

I'm certainly no Pollyanna. In fact, I'm generally pretty "cynical" in my view of the world (but - I like to think - in a humorous kinda way). For the most part, I *try* to be a "Glass is Half-Full" kinda gal and, overall, I think I can safely plagiarize Joe Walsh and claim that "Liiiiife's been gooood to me so faaaarrrr..."

But this particular speed-bump has been difficult for me to get over. And I'm working through a pretty good-sized chunk of anger over some - shall we say - "inequities" that have occurred in the recent past ("Justifiable anger" - I should note). This latest development has kind of turned into the proverbial straw...

Anyway, since I can't simply "blow it off" - I've been letting myself go to that Dark Place because the only way to deal with it is to, well, acknowledge it and "Deal with it!"

So, for the past week, I've been kind of letting it simmer (steam?) just under the surface (Warning everyone around me that "I'm dealing with sh*t" in the hopes that they'll, mostly, back-the-hell-off!).

So that's a whole lot of words that expressed Almost Nothing! Heh! But it's kind of the backdrop to my Story Du Jour!

So anyway... Night before last, I had dragged out the Bread Machine and decided to bake a fresh, tasty loaf of Honey-Oat-Sunflower-Wheat bread (again, recipe in a separate post). Evidently, it's been awhile since I baked bread because the "freshest" yeast packet I could find had expired back in September. Nevertheless, I sallied forth, and dragged out my bread flour, wheat flour, yeast, yada-yada, yada-yada, and dumped everything into the Bread Machine to let it work it's magic.

Wellllll, I ended up with a rather - shall-we-say - "compact" loaf of bread that could have easily shattered a window. Or broken a toe if you dropped it. And *something* (I don't know if it was the flour or the oatmeal or sunflower seeds) had obviously gone bad because it smelled funny and tasted even worse! (How do you f**k-up bread???) It made a rather loud (and none-too-satisfying) "thunk" when I dumped it into the garbage can. :::sigh:::

So the next day, I dumped the old flour, oatmeal, and remaining sunflower seeds into the trash and ventured out to Snob Hill. They've got a fairly comprehensive selection of organic "bulk" stuff. So I procured replacements to the aforementioned ingredients.

Forgot the honey though, dammit! (but I did have *just barely* enough for one more loaf!!)

When I got home, I decided I'd try it again. Set-up the Bread Machine on the bar between the kitchen and living room and let 'er rip.

Later that afternoon, I was on a mind-numbing conference call. One that, fortunately, I didn't have to be an "Active Participant" in. So I was able to multi-task!

I got the Most Brilliant Idea of using my Netbook (which has a built-in camera *and* spends most of it's life out in the studio) as a kind of "Remote Thermometer" (actually, more like a "Baby Monitor") so I could supervise the kiln's firing progress without having to run out to the backyard every hour...

(Okay, in case you forgot the blog-post title, we are now - FINALLY! - approaching the "Cleverness" part of my post!)

So I dragged my Netbook into the house and futzed around with the webcam-software to figure out how to capture images. It took a fair amount of futzing, but I got it to work (Yay Me!). Then the more "challenging" part was "How do I get my Laptop to ACCESS my Netbook's webcam software remotely?" I tried using Windows "Remote Desktop" but I couldn't get it to work (one machine is running XP and the other is running Windows7 and I have NO clue how Hubs has the Home Network set-up!). Not sure exactly what the problem was - but I just couldn't get it to work. And besides, I think someone needs to be *at* the Remote Machine to allow access. And - with the remote machine being in the Studio - well, that would kinda defeat the purpose, right?

It's a good thing that my mind-numbing conference call was a LONG one!

Then I did some Googling... (and yes, the conference call continued!)...

Long Story Short ("Too Late!"). I ended up setting up a dummy Skype account on my Netbook. Actually, it's a "real" account (to Skype) but only *I* know the account name - and the "dummy" account will ONLY accept calls from my "real" Skype Acct. I was able to tweak the settings so that it will automatically answer, and display video, when my "real" Skype Acct calls it.

End result: I can Skype my Netbook and look at the display of my kiln-controller (which shows current temperature) at any time. Yayyy Meeee!!!

So, after the conference call ended ("FINALLY!!!"), I set-up the Netbook in front of the kiln and aimed the camera. Trouble there was: The Netbook needed to be set appx 10" from the kiln in order to be able to read the display. The kiln can throw-off a whole lot of heat (it gets up to over 2000*!). I do have a cheap Logitech USB web-cam so I installed *that* software. I can tape the El Cheapo webcam to a stool next to the kiln. End result is the same: I can view the temperature in real-time, but I probably won't mind so much if I accidentally melt a $30.00 web-cam! (I doubt it would happen, but why risk it?)

"Success!!!"

(This snapshot was taken with my laptop - in the house - from the webcam - in my studio!)

So Big-Time "Yay Meee!" In fact, I was soooo tickled with myself I posted it to Facebook *and* emailed DH (who was in So-Cal on business). DH, as I'm sure I've mentioned, is an Electronics Engineer/Geek Extraordinaire - and our In-House IT Guru. And, it is assumed that I, being the wife, am utterly and completely devoid of any kind of "Technical Skills" (nevermind that I am a Business Systems Analyst/Software Designer, by day). Hell, even *he* was impressed that I figured that out - "All By Myself" (okay, maybe with a little help from Google!)...

Well, I think I used up what little "Good Karma" I had left because - let me tell you - it was all downhill from there!!!

So, I've got a fresh loaf of Honey-Oat-Wheat-Sunflower Bread kneading and rising in the bread-machine on the bar (must'n't forget about that!), and I've been running back-and-forth to the Studio. I'm contemplating doing a bisque-firing so I can crank-out some more Christmas Gifts: I still have a few ornaments to fire; a couple of "Christmas Craft Projects" for the neighbor's kids; Some bowls and Snack-Trays that might make nice gifts; and a handful of "Leftover Clay Critters" that I'd squished out of, well, Leftover Clay Blobs...

So I wander back to the Studio to start loading the kiln, and DH calls me to check-in from SoCal. I walk through the door and flip the light switch. "Sh*t!" One of the ceiling light fixtures is dead. "Well THAT sucks!!!" No warning, either. Just 20 minutes ago, it was working fine. Now it's completely DEAD.

Bear in mind, I'm teetering on the precipice of my "Dark Place" and it really doesn't take much to push me over the edge, so that really got me kind of irked. Hubbie's wanting to tell me alllll about his rental car (Mustang V6 convertible) and all the minutiae of his day, and all I can do is think about how peeved I am that "I'm sitting in the dark in - what's SUPPOSED TO BE - My Sanctuary!"

So I'm looking up at the non-functional light fixture, and Hubbie's yammering-on about how the seats and dashboard of the Mustang compare to his Camaro (and I'm registering, roughly, 70% of what he's saying). Then I notice that the plastic diffuser/cover thingie is coming off of the other overhead light fixture, so I grab a broom and use the handle to try to squish the cover back into place "Uh huh... Really? Yeah, they *are* kind of Retro, aren't they?"

Then: CRASH!!!

The diffuser/cover falls to the floor and SHATTERS!!!

At THAT point, I wanted to cry.

(Okay, just so you're up-to-speed, we are in the "Cursedness" part of the post..!)

(But wait! There's more!!!)

So DH wisely infers that, maybe, it would be best to cut the conversation short (after he said he was sorry I was having a bad day - which I *did* appreciate!) (He also suggested an Electrician).

Okay... So then I go in search of a replacement Diffuser/Cover online. No luck.

Then I hop in the car and drive over to Home Depot to procure new light-bulbs (even though I don't think that's the problem) and see if I can find a new Diffuser/Cover. Light bulbs, I found. Diffuser? No such luck.

So I bought a brand new light fixture - figuring we could cannibalize it for parts...

When I returned home, I encountered a rather strange plastic-melting smell. WTF???

Welllllll... While I was at Home Depot (a whopping 15 minutes!), the bread-machine decided to commit suicide. See, when it's in it's "knead" mode, it kind of vibrates (not unlike the washing machine during it's Spin Cycle). Well, somewhere between "kneading" and "baking" the damned thing *walked* off the edge of the counter and fell to the floor - spilling a partially-baked (but very well-risen) loaf of bread onto the floor. Then to add insult-to-injury, it CONTINUED TO BAKE. The plastic-melting smell came from the plastic-hinges where the lid attaches to the machine.

Fortunately, I discovered it while the plastic hinges were still malleable-enough for me to put it back together (and yes, it still works). More fortunate still: I discovered it before it had a chance to trigger our smoke detector (which would contact ADT, who, in turn, would contact the Fire Department), or worse...

At that point, I pretty-much decided that running the kiln would be a Very Bad Idea. In fact, all I really wanted to do was go to bed (and try to avoid injury!!!).

"Tomorrow is another day!"

Soooo... This morning, after a fitful night's sleep, I awoke and tackled work email. I had one lengthy conference call that I would be leading, so I figured I'd print out my documentation ahead of time.

We have a Fancy Schmantzy Wireless Network printer. I figured I'd try to save paper and print "duplex" to the Fancy Printer... Couldn't get the work machine to communicate with the wireless printer :::sigh::: so I emailed the documents to my personal email. Kind of a pain, buttt.... Bring up the documents on my personal machine and send 'em to the printer.

Printer-F*cking-Jam!!!!

So, I wander into the bedroom to attempt to "gently" un-jam the printer - only to leave a small corner behind. Rebooting the printer resulted in, yes, ANOTHER printer jam!

There's some fancy on-board video-tutorial on how to un-jam the printer, but when you follow-it, it kicks out even MORE warning messages ("Yada-Yada Cover is Open!") and, pretty-much, every message: Be it "Printer Jam" or "YaYa Door is Open" or whatEVER results in a Notification-Email to DH...

JeeeeeZUSSS!!! It was only two 3-page documents ferchrissake!!!! Turned into a nearly hour-long ordeal as I dismantled the machine and extricated torn-up confetti!!!

(In the end, I printed them on my crap-tastic local printer. Screw the trees!!!)

By this time, I was pretty-much fit-to-be-tied (and "Oh, yes" - I got an email from Hubbie inquiring about what was going on with the printer).

"Kill me now!!!"

Well, by the time the afternoon rolled around, I decided to TOTALLY tempt fate and started ANOTHER loaf of bread. THEN!!! I went out to the studio - again!

I decided to throw caution to the wind and fired-up the kiln... Went to hit the wall switch to turn on the exhaust fan - only to discover that it, too, was dead. This means it's NOT the light-fixture, but something electrical. I flipped all of the circuit-breakers (including the Main Panel), and re-set the GFI. Still, the light and fan are not working. I've called the original electrician and he will be out, tomorrow, to fix it.

I'm still moving forward with running the kiln (since those circuits are independent of everything else) and monitoring it closely on Skype!

Annnnnd... I *did* manage to successfully bake a loaf of bread without burning the house down.

So maybe, just maybe, my Karma is turning back around again!!!

If I never, ever post again - it means I probably self immolated! It's been nice knowin' ya!!!