Diabetes and Byetta

In case the "Title" didn't clue you in... This is gonna be one of them-there "Diabetes-Related-Posts" so if this subject matter bores you... "Move along... Nothin' to see here!"

So I was diagnosed as Type 2 in December '07. I probably had "Metabolic Syndrome/Pre-Diabetes" long before that. But that's a separate rant that falls under "Why I don't trust Doctors" and best left for another time...

"It is what it is."

I now have a doctor that I *do* trust. She's an Assistant Professor at Stanford's Endocrinology Clinic. She's helped me make HUGE progress in the past 6 months - and I feel WORLDS better than I did!

Anyhoooo... Over the past couple-three years, I've gained an enormous amount of weight - no matter WHAT I did. Exercise more? Eat less? (Cut fat/Cut carbs/Eat Cabbage Soup/Drink Protein Shakes/Eat Nothing/Ad Nauseum).. Uhhh... Nothing worked!

Since my diagnosis, with the veritable cornucopia of pharmaceuticals I've taken, the weight-gain has not only continued, but increased at an alarming rate! I don't want to say exactly how much I've gained, so let's just say that it's A LOT!

Along with that, I am highly-highly insulin resistant. My problem is not that my pancreas can't produce enough insulin (it produces plenty, actually). It's that my body can't/won't utilize the insulin properly. In fact, about the ONLY thing about insulin that does seem to "work" for me, is it's ability to convert food (glucose) to FAT. Ohhhh yeah, it does that VERY well!

Doc switched me over to Humulin R U-500 which is 5x the strength of "normal" insulin. That actually metabolizes very well for me and I've definitely seen a HUGE improvement in my Blood Glucose [BG] numbers. I remain highly carbo-phobic, however. Carbs send my BG#'s thru the roof, but the U-500 insulin (in conjunction with *strict* carb restriction) works extremely well and I am happy to report that - as of February anyway - I am now a Proud Member of the "5% Club!" My last A1c came back at 5.7 (I'd started out at 11)! So "Yayyyy Me!"

The U-500 does work very well. And, in fact, my weight gain has *slowed* significantly. But... I'm still gaining!!! My hope was that if I got my BG#'s in-line, that the weight gain would stop and - maybe, just maybe - get replaced with weight LOSS, right?

Not so, Kemosabe!

Yes, I feel better... Yes, I have a *bit* more energy... Yes, I *have* increased my activity levels (from being a total slug [NOT by choice!] to being able to take the stairs at work and work in the yard)... I even took it a step further and started experimenting with cutting back carbs to ridiculously low levels (aimed for 20g or less, managed to maintain appx 40g/day) and cut back calories (aimed for 1300, managed to maintain appx 1600 cals/day)... I even started dialing back my insulin usage as far as I dared (to the equivalent of appx 300 units/day - which was as low as I could go without experiencing spikes) (and I've NOT been able to maintain that, I had to ramp-back-up to 390u/day). I worked on that DILIGENTLY for one solid month...

The payoff?! Ohhhh, I ONLY gained 7#!!!!

Words cannot describe.................................................

Anyhooooo... During my early-Feb appt with my endocrinologist, I expressed Extreme Dismay over my inability to lose weight - no matter what I did!

See, it seems I'm stuck in a Vicious Circle with my Insulin Resistance and High Insulin Requirements. It seems the more insulin I take, the more weight I'll gain. And the more I weigh, the more insulin I'll need. So add more insulin, gain more weight, and need still MORE insulin!

"Lather. Rinse. Repeat."

So we kicked around a few ideas and finally settled on Byetta (Exenatide). Byetta is an incretin mimetic that was originally derived from some sorta poisonous lizard. I don't claim to know a whole helluva lot about it (despite my Googling the hell out of it!), but the Bottom Line is - it seems to "play well" with T2 diabetics and helps with BG control. And one of it's side-effects is weight loss. That seems to (mostly) come from the fact that it slows digestion so you feel "fuller" for a longer period of time (but the downside to that is you might end up getting nauseous)...

It is not FDA approved for insulin-dependent diabetics, and it's not prescribed as a diet medication - but I've heard-tell of many insulin-dependent diabetics who have had WONDERFUL success on this medication (likewise, there are many who it hasn't worked for).

But since I seem to be a bit of an "Extreme Case," she agreed to let me try it. First, we wanted to draw more lab tests and make sure it wasn't contraindicated in my case. Plus, I wanted to do a bit more Googling...

Well, during my early-March appt, she wrote the prescription for it. She also warned me about side-effects (which are plentiful - and some sound pretty nasty, especially "Acute Pancreatitis!"), and gave me a list of things to "watch-out for." She basically scared the beejezus outta me!

I have found a good Support Board: Diabetes and Byetta

Anyway... I started the Byetta last Friday... One of the (many) things the doctor warned me about were hypos, so I dialed-back my insulin before I started it, and also ramped-up the carbs. I figured it was safer for me to run higher numbers initially and then tweak it from there.

I have posted to the D&B board, but I thought I'd also post my results here - in case there are any Diabetic "lurkers" out there who might find this interesting..

Here are my notes about starting Byetta @ 5mcg:

• I've had no stomach issues - other than a little burpy-gas, and I'm starting to get a bit more "brave" about what (and when) I'll eat after I take the injection.
  


• I can't say that I necessarily feel "full" faster - and certainly not over-stuffed after eating. But as long as I remain vigilant and eat *less* - I'm finding that I don't get ravenously hungry a couple of hours later. So I'm going to call that a "subtle" improvement (Meaning: I have to pay attention to it - NOT that it's an "insignificant" thing!).
  


• I haven't found any foods that "disagree" with me (yet!) - so I'm counting myself very fortunate (If I had to give up BBQ pork ribs... Arr! Don't go there!) (Of course, I haven't tried BBQ pork ribs since I've been on it!) (But when/if I do - it'll only be a couple of small ones!)
  


• I have been able to cut my insulin usage by appx 25% (from 390 units/day to 300!). My avg BG has risen slightly (avg 130 now - it had been in the 115-120 avg range before) - but I'm attributing that to increased carbs. I'm going to start experimenting with dialing the carbs back.
  


• I've had NO hypos. But I have had a few "spikes" over 170 - and one over 200 (again, carbs are to blame - and that was partially "by design" b/c I wanted to ramp-up my BG#'s while starting Byetta).
  


• Even when I do spike, it drops back and stabilizes pretty quickly. This is another positive improvement (previously, if I hit a 200+, I'd be sick, and my BG would be all-over-the-board, for a full 24 hours+ afterward)
  


• Yesterday, I had lunch w/a friend at a Mexican Restaurant. Tortilla Chips are like cocaine in that they're highly addictive... I also had a "real" margarita (with sugar and everything). Yes, I sinned. Yes, I spiked. No, I didn't suffer (Yay!).
  


• Normally, after sinning like that, I could expect to see a 3-4 lb. gain the next day - plus I'd feel like a Zombie. Today I felt surprisingly good, first thing this morning, ANNNNNNND... The scale (a very accurate model, BTW) actually showed a 1 lb drop! Yaaayyyy!!! (No, I don't intend to make a habit of it - but I'm happy to know I can indulge ONCE in awhile!)
  

Soooooo... I'm thinking and hoping that this IS gonna work for me! In fact, I think I'll even upgrade from "Guardedly Optimistic" to "Fully Optimistic!" I expect to stay @ 5mcg for a month (longer, if I feel comfortable with my progress). I'll probably upgrade to 10mcg at some point though.

And I'm still experimenting w/food (especially carbs) and insulin dosages. I'd like to get my avg BG#'s down a bit lower and need to figure out how best to dial-it-in (Obviously Mexican Food ain't the way go!)...

I've got Worms!!!

Ewwww... Ick!!! Right?!

Nahhh - Not in this case! I'm a Gardener, remember?!

See, last week when I attacked my compost bins and discovered an insignificant quantity of usable compost, I pretty-much decided that the "Old Fashioned" method of composting wasn't workin' for me (My Bad - but I just don't have the time, energy or desire to obsessively turn my piles every week)! Bottom Line: A dearth of earth is more work than it's worth!

Yes, I'll still maintain my bins, but I don't think I'm gonna get much in the way of compost...

At least not until somebody buys me a RolyPig!

So anyway, I went to the San Jose Composting workshop yesterday. I re-learned about "regular" composting, and learned *some* new-stuff about vermicomposting. Of course, I'd already Googled the hell out of it, and already kinda knew The Basics - but I figured it couldn't hurt to attend the workshop...

Plus, after the workshop, they sell "subsidized" bins to San Jose residents. So I picked up a Wriggly Wranch Worm Bin:


I also found a worm supplier who, as it turned out, was actually at the Workshop, selling his - umm - wares! He's a nice guy, very knowledgeable - and "local" to boot! And he responds to questions and emails quickly, which is always a "Plus" in my book! Anyway, I'd hoped to purchase some worms from him yesterday, but he was a very popular guy! Everybody was crowded around him (this was *after* the workshop, mind-you!), and it seemed as though he was conducting his OWN vermicomposting class! Had I been able to get close enough to listen in, I would've stayed...

Alas, I ended up leaving wormless! But I figured that was okay because I could assemble and set-up my bin - and just arrange to buy my worms from him directly at another time...

Plus P, a FaceBook Friend (and pal from the ceramics studio) said she could give me some worms from her compost bin...

So I emailed Jerry aka The Worm Dude (Cool site, definitely worth a look if you're interested in worm composting!), and he wrote back yesterday afternoon and said I could swing by today.

That was cool because P was also available. So I met WormDude Jerry around noonish and bought a pound of Red Wigglers (small composting worms - different from earthworms).

After that, I hooked up with P for lunch. We had a lovely late-breakfast at Aqui's and we discussed composting, and worms, and chicken sh*t, and rabbit poop while we ate our eggs, sausage and tamales! (Funny... All of the tables in our immediate vicinity were empty! :::shrug:::)

Nahhh... P is Good People and we had some good laughs! And she sent me home with a plastic bin o' worms and 3 swiss chard plants that will go into my raised bed.

Anyhooooo... Back to the worms: The Wriggly Wranch is identical to the Reln Worm Factory. It's a two-tray system that allows for "vertical migration" of the worms. When they fill the lower bin with castings, you encourage them to wriggle up to the upper tray (by giving 'em shredded newspapers to climb, and moving the fresh bedding and food to the upper tray), then you can remove the bottom tray, harvest the castings, and start all over again. It comes with a coconut coir brick that you soak in water and it expands like nobody's business. That's the worms' bedding. All you do is add worms and food! Adding shredded, moist newspaper (soaked for 24 hrs, then wrung-out) is also appreciated by the worms...

The main thing is finding the right location for the worm bin. Some people keep them indoors (but that ain't gonna fly with Rog!)

Around here, temps tend to be fairly worm-friendly (So sayeth The Worm Dude - and he's only a couple-three miles from me!). They'll slow down significantly during the winter months - but they shouldn't die. Summer temps can be deadly, however. And with the bin being black plastic, they can easily "cook!" Luckily, we have a breezeway alongside the house (actually, it's more like "hurricane alley" if you want to talk about 'breezes!'). It's a narrow walkway leading from the driveway to the back yard - with a fence on one side and the house on the other. It's situated on the NORTH side of the house and, literally, never sees direct sunlight.

Plus it's fairly close to the back door - and totally paved, right? No slogging through mud to discard kitchen scraps... In other words: Perfectomundo!

So the Wriggly Wranch is all set-up; my new worms are settling in; and I'd already started gathering kitchen scraps during this past week... I've actually got a plastic coffee can, lined with a biodegradable plastic bag (so I can toss the bag in the compost bin if things start to get stinky). It's sitting on the bar by the sink. And I've trained Roger to dump the coffee ground in there. Also any carrot peelings, lettuce leaves, "science projects from the back of the fridge" (provided they're strictly vegetative!), crushed eggshells and whatever get tossed in there.

To feed the worms, you bury a small amt of food in their bedding, in the corner of the bin. The worms will migrate to the food and convert it from kitchen waste to Super-Fertilizer. And I don't gotta do nuthin'! (Other than keep 'em fed and about as moist as a wrung-out sponge).

So I'm a Happy Composter!

And - just so's this post could be considered Educational - I will summarize what I've learned about vermicomposting here:

1. Composting worms are different from earthworms, You can't dig-up worms from your lawn and expect 'em to be happy in a composting bin. Buy some Red Wigglers or Night Crawlers. Personally, I'd recommend The Worm Dude (appx $25 for a pound of Red Wigglers -and yes, he ships).
   
   
2. Worm bins can be purchased or home-made. I'm lazy, so I opted to buy one, But you can Google Worm-bins and find a ton of ideas. Wood is a better insulator than plastic, but it will eventually break down.
   
   If you do choose to make your own bin, make sure you include screening or use super-duper small air-holes because you don't want to invite flies (or their larvae) into your bin...
   
   
3. Worms like "moderate" temperatures. They'll slow down in cooler temps (50's or lower), and they might die if exposed to prolonged freezing temps (under 32°F). Our temps can dip into the upper 20's, but that's only for short bursts. The worms will cluster together, but they can survive. Upper ambient temps: They can survive temps in the low triple-digits - but they won't survive in a black plastic bin subjected to direct sunlight (even if the ambient temps are only in the 80's).
   
   
4. Quantity of worms: 1-3 lbs will work for most families. It's just Rog and me here, so 1 lb should suffice. They'll consume roughly 1/2-3/4 of their body weight, per day. I have 1 lb of worms, so I can feed 'em roughly 1/2-3/4 lb of scraps per day (once they get settled in and happy). To start a bin, err on the side of "under-feeding" them - until they get settled in and you get a sense for what, and how much they like to eat.
   
   
5. Yes, they'll survive if you go on vacation for a couple of weeks. Under-feeding is better than over-feeding. Don't dump too much food on 'em before you go on vacation. You might kill 'em!
   
   
6. Worms are primarily bacteria feeders, they eat the food when it is all slimy and covered with bacteria (Tasty, yes?!)...
   
   
7. Once you buy 'em, if all goes well, you won't ever have to buy more... They're hermaphroditic (male and female) and they reproduce like crazy. They'll control their population, by themselves, based on the quantity of food and amount of space available.
   
   
8. Feed worms kitchen scraps by burying the food under one corner of the bedding. The worms will migrate to the food. By keeping the food in one corner (or moving it to a different corner), you can get a sense of what they like.
   
   Also, by keeping the food to one side or the other, that can help facilitate harvesting the castings. If you encourage them to migrate to ONE side of the bin, they'll stay there and not move until you start providing bedding/food on the OTHER side of the bin (that's especially useful if you're just doing a "one-level" bin. Mine is a multi-level bin).
   
   
9. It should take appx 2-3 months for me to get enough worm castings that I'll want them to migrate UP to the next level of the bin. Then I'll harvest their, umm, output...
   
   
10. Keep them moist. Spritz their bedding with a misty spray bottle if it gets dry. Their bedding should be like a wrung-out sponge. DON'T let the bedding dry out. DON'T dump, like, a Big Gulp's worth of water directly into the bed and DON'T let them sit in a puddle of water.
    
    Most likely, the kitchen scraps you give them should supply sufficient moisture on their own...
    
    
11. Worms Like: Damp shredded newspaper (not shiny paper, though - just newsprint), damp cardboard boxes (pizza boxes!), paper towels. Also: Kitchen scraps like lettuce leaves, peelings (potato, cucumber, carrots, etc.), melon rinds, rotten fruit (they won't eat the pits, but you can pick them out later), crushed eggshells (best if you whir 'em in a blender 'til they're like a powder - WARNING: Don't open the blender in the house if you do this! Take it outside b/c you'll get a cloud of eggshell dust). Eggshells are good because worms need "grit" to faciliate digestion. Toss in a couple of non pulverized eggshells, worms like to curl up in 'em like a bed! Old tomatoes, mushrooms, veggies, etc. etc. etc. Although... Some foods with seeds (well, the seeds themselves anyway) *might* not be palatable to the worms and could "hide" in your worm castings - meaning when you spread the vermicompost (castings+remaining organic material), you might end up with "volunteer" plants.
    
    Hint #1: The smaller the foods are to begin with, the sooner the worms can break 'em down so shred 'em fine.
    
    Hint #2: (Especially useful during winter when your worms may not be eating as much), if you freeze veggie matter (and store it that way for awhile) - it will tend to break down the molecular structure and help facilitate the process. Of course, you'll want to thaw it before you put it in the bin.



12. Worms Like - in moderation: Coffee grounds (and filters). Coffee is high in nitrogen and can heat-up the bin. Citrus (peelings or fruit). Highly acidic and can make for a very unfriendly environment for the worms.
    
    
13. Worms DON'T like: Meats, oils, dairy products, moldy bread, hot peppers. Paper towels with a *small* amt of grease - or pizza boxes - should be okay.
    
    
14. Harvest your vermicompost when it looks all black and fluffy. Apply liberally to your plants and they will THRIVE!

Okay, I think that about sums up what I know about worms! Wish me luck - and I'll keep you posted!

Tahoe Weekend and Miscellaneous Stuff...

I'm a Bad Blogger...

The fact is, I just haven't found much worth blogging about (again, my muses are avoiding me!).

We actually did take a three-day-weekend trek to the snow last week (Friday-Sunday). We've only been talking about it every freakin' year since we've been together (2001!). This year, we finally did it!

That probably should have provided a Ton o' Blog-Fodder, but I wasn't in much of a literary mood.

Ohhh, I s'pose I could b*tch about the cheesy accommodations (It was a "Budget Weekend" after all!). But that's just too negative...

Besides, when you're traveling with dogs (and yes, we were!), you kinda have to take what you can get, right?!

Nevertheless, I will opine that - if YOU happen to find yourself looking for a cheap, pet-friendly motel on Tahoe's North Shore, and you happen to stumble onto the Tahoe Inn... Make sure you read the Traveler's Reviews (at sites like TripAdvisor.com) and set your expectations accordingly!

My expectations were low - and I was not disappointed! Let's just leave it at that!

* * * * *
Okay, maybe not! Let's just take it half-a-step further, shall we?!

Once we returned from our Big Adventure In The Snow, I knew the dogs needed baths (Pretty [melting] Snow + Furry Little Dogs = Mud Galore!). I didn't jump on it right away, unfortunately.

The next day, Princess Annie (The long-haired Doxie) was biting furiously at her butt. I wasn't sure what was going on - but she was clearly in distress, I watched her when she went outside to "take care of business," and I took a look at her - umm - "output" and confirmed that everything was "OK" from that perspective. Yet she continued to chew at her butt, rolling on the floor, and whining most piteously...

Called the vet... Grabbed the first available appointment...

$129.00 later: I learned that Princess Annie is allergic to fleas!

"B-b-but! We don't have fleas!" I said, incredulously (*Certainly* not Princess Annie! She's Royalty, after all!).

"Well, didn't you say you were in Tahoe this weekend?" the vet replied "Where did you stay?"

"Ohhhhh sh*t!" I muttered. "I mean, 'Oh Darn!' We stayed at a cheap motel that allowed dogs!" (Adding new meaning to the term "Fleabag Hotel!")

So it cost me $129.00 to learn that we had fleas - and I *still* had to bathe ALL the dogs myself! And hit 'em all with Frontline!

"$%#&!"

Problem solved now. So it's all good...

Anyway - I really don't want to rag on the Tahoe Inn. "It is what it is." And they DO allow dogs - and they ARE reasonably priced. If they invested any money in the place and updated/upgraded it - they probably wouldn't allow dogs anymore AND their prices would undoubtedly go waaaaay up!

Anyhooooo... It was a good weekend and it was nice to get away!

* * * * *
Back to work on Monday - and my workload is definitely picking up now (which is a good thing - but I was kinda getting used to being lazy!). Days are starting to get longer - which is really nice! And we've had a break in the rain - which is also nice!

Since I've mostly been working-from-home, this gives me an opportunity to putter-around a bit in the yard.

I'm happy to report that most of the fruit trees are in bloom... The early-bearer peach is in full-bloom and leaves are starting to appear. The later-bearer is just starting to bud. My Satsuma plum already bloomed and most of the blossoms are gone now (Gee, I sure hope we had some bee visitations!), and the Santa Rosa Plum is in full-bloom. Not sure about the Apple or Cherry Tree... Haven't seen any blossoms yet - so maybe they'll start budding later (or maybe I missed it!)

...Last year's Daylilies are all planted now (Yay!), and I've got more of 'em on the way (bulbs or bare-root or whatever). Dayliles are clearly un-killable - so they're the PERFECT plant for the far-back fence...

My raised bed is just about ready for new veggie plants. I cultivated the surface of the soil and mixed in the rotted leaves and composted (bagged) steer manure. I also set-up wire fencing to keep my Darling Quadrupeds OUT of the garden this year!

ALL of my tomato seeds have sprouted and I have a gazillion tomato plants that will soon be ready for planting. In the meantime, I hooked up with a gardening pal and pawned off SOME of the seedlings!

I still need to finish constructing my self-watering tomato planters (One is "almost done!"). I think, maybe, I'll work on those tomorrow.

Nighttime temps are still a little too cool to set out seedlings - and the babies are definitely too young to go out (they've just barely started getting their first "true leaves"). They'll need to be hardened off in the next week-or-so. I'll probably move them out to the greenhouse and raise the thermostat - just a hair - so the heater will keep them from freaking out too badly at night! Although it'll still be a big adjustment going from the consistently-warm windowsill to the greenhouse. But less-so than sticking 'em straight in the ground!

My soon-to-be pumpkin-patch isn't *quite* ready yet. We need another couple of rainstorms, I think. And I'll need to drag out the rototiller and break-up the rock-hard clay that resides UNDER the mound of leaves/manure. Plus, the first couple of pumpkin seeds I'd planted never did sprout - so I started some more. Fingers are crossed that I didn't get a bad batch o' seeds! (eBay purchase, so "Caveat Emptor" right?!). So yeah, I started more pumpkin seeds, and some squash, and melons. Those are all in the windowsill and some are just starting to sprout...

Annnnnnnnd... Today's Big Job was turning the compost piles - both of 'em! And yes, that was a Big Job! I didn't do the greatest job of tending to them last year, unfortunately (Gee, I wonder why?! Couldn't be health-related :::sigh:::). So the quantity of usable compost was pretty disappointing. Only the very bottom layer ended up breaking down fully - so I'm definitely gonna have to buy bagged compost this year :-(

I may have to abandon the idea of composting on a large scale. But I am going to go to a Composting Workshop next weekend, and I will be buying a worm-bin so that I can at least use-up kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. Anyone in the San Jose/Santa Clara County Area can go to any of the workshops - for free - and pick-up compost bins - for cheap. Info here.

Another cool composting gizmo is here. I really want one. But I don't think it will work - as well as I'd like - for large-scale composting (of things like grass-clippings, leaves, etc.) as my bins. But my bins don't do a very good job, either, if I'm not willing to turn 'em and tend-to-them - ya know?!

* * * * *
I really hate that I don't have the "energy" to do this stuff! But I'm not gonna start another "Old-Lady-Whine" again :-x

Actually, I've got plenty to be happy about, health-wise. I had labs done in mid-Feb. My last A1C (for any Diabetic Readers out there who might understand and/or care!) came back at 5.7!!!! Yayyyyyy!!!! I *finally* made the "5% Club!" From 11 in Dec '07 to 5.7 in Feb '09 is pretty darned good, I think! Of course, I'm still taking insulin at levels that would kill most people - but I'm still happy with the improvement.

I just wish I had more energy! (and weighed about 100# less - which would undoubtedly help with the energy levels!).

Anyway - apologies for being a Bad Blogger. And apologies for a rambling and not particularly interesting post...

I'll try to do better!!!

* * * * *

FWIW: Here are some pics (and "Commentary!") from the Tahoe-Weekend Adventure!

ROAD-TRIP!!! Hwy 680 is GREEN:

Windmills over Altamont Pass: First Sighting of "Real Snow" on Interstate 80:

Pretty Snow:

Wiener Dogs' first romp in the snow: Our "Lovely Accommodations:" Groovy 1960's Can Light (I'm *positive* that my mom had a pole-light-fixture that matched this!):

Our Room Key (nevermind that we were actually in room 241!):

Princess Annie, enjoying a brew after a long drive:

My attempt at an Artsy-Fartsy shot. Icicles and Christmas Lights outside of a BBQ joint where we had dinner:

Drive around the lake on a perfectly gorgeous day:

Not-so-gorgeous drive home:

Stop 'n Go Traffic (Lotsa "Stop" - Not so much "Go!")

It's snowing!!! (And no, we aren't carrying chains - "Why do you ask?!")
Oh, because the snow might start to "stick" maybe???



Yeah, maybe!

But the trees were pretty!


Took us 2 hours to clear Donner Summit (a distance of 40 miles from Truckee) - and I was deeply regretting our decision to *not* stop at Mickey-D's (Coffee hit the bladder about 30 minutes into the Stop-N-Crawl-N-Stop-N-Crawl Traffic!). But we made it home safely (obviously!).

Rain, Rain Go Away...

See?! It didn't take long for me to start b*tching about the weather!

We've had about a week of non-stop rain. And, in that time, we've gone from something like "10% of normal" to "80% of normal" rainfall!

We've got a little Digital Weather-Station Gizmo rigged up in the backyard and Greenhouse and, according to DH, we've gotten something like 14" of rain this season - so things aren't as "dismal" as the prognosticators have indicated...

Funny: I was whining to Joisey Kathie today - about how I was sick of all this @#$% rain. She's been dealing with MONTHS of snow, right? So I didn't get a whole lot of sympathy (Hmph!). Hey - what can I say?! I'm (admittedly) a "Wimpy Californian!" One week of rain, and I turn into a Total Puss!!!

* * * * *
Today, we did get a brief break from the deluge. I actually saw a bright, shining orb in the sky - and the sky had patches of BLUE!

Oh! And there were dark spots under the trees... I think they're called "shadows!"

I was momentarily blinded!!!

Then, in a fit of sheer giddiness (Party Girl that I am), I went out to the back-gate in the yard and dumped a bag of steer manure on top of the rotting leaves that I'd piled on my soon-to-be pumpkin-patch (After I'd set-up a ring of wire-fencing - I *don't* need the dogs to be rolling around in wet, stinky cowsh*t!).

I hope to add compost to that whole area (probably buy a couple bags @ Home Depot, actually, since I'm quite certain I won't have enough of my own for that spot), then I'll drag out the roto-tiller and get that whole area ready for spring-planting.

Since that spot is highly visible, and I'm trying to maintain the "Tropical Vibe" in the yard, I'll plant big-leafed viney-stuff like squashes back there...

Then I wandered back to the "Secret Garden" (which isn't so "Secret" in the wintertime!). I couldn't help but notice the HUGE improvements in the soil back there, in general. See, when I first moved in (in 2001), you couldn't POSSIBLY go back to that part of the yard in wintertime because the clay soil was sooooooo soupy and nasty, you'd sink up to your ankles - and seriously run the risk of losing a shoe! That is NO exaggeration! Oh, and in the summer - it would turn to impenetrable concrete and CRACK!

The first 2-3 years here, I worked diligently on improving the soil in the ENTIRE (1/4 acre) yard. I'd concentrated most of my efforts in the "Garden" area. I created several mobile compost piles (well, "mobile" in the sense that every time I'd turn a pile, it would move about 3-4' - and since I had several piles going, there was LOTS of "mobility!"). And we'd purchased a rototiller from Sears - which saw PLENTY of use those first 2-3 years...

Anyway, I kinda had to give myself a "pat on the back" (much deserved, I think!) because I was able to walk ALL AROUND the garden - and my feet didn't sink into any sludge!

So the moral of the story is: Amending your soil is a VERY GOOD thing! The "Payback" may not be immediate - but it WILL come, AND it will STAY!

(Of course, you do need to keep on top of it, but maintaining it is a whoooole lot easier than starting from scratch!)

Honestly, I didn't pay a whole heckuva lot of attention to the ground in front of the back-gate. That was actually wise because we ended up having (literally) tons of heavy equipment going in/out of that gate during pool construction. That area is pretty solidly compacted now. So I'm working on improving that whole area. Even if the pumpkins/squash don't "thrive" there, this coming season, at least the "attempt" will help break-up and improve the soil (I think/hope!).

* * * * *
In other Gardening News: Temps are still pretty cool (40's, mostly). But I do have my tomato seedlings started in my Mini-Jiffy-Greenhouse in the bathroom windowsill. They've all sprouted and seem to be doing well. I've got appx 40 new baby seedlings (that will need to be culled back to 22!). My honeydew melon seeds haven't sprouted yet, but I'm confident that they will...

Once everything gets going fairly well, I'll spritz them with chamomile tea (which, I've discovered, does a FANTASTIC job of preventing damping-off!), then move them out to the Real Greenhouse - so I can start another batch of seedlings!

* * * * *
Yep - The Gardening Itch has definitely hit me! I can't WAIT for this rain to finish Doing It's Thing so the sun can come out and we can start ANOTHER Growing Season!

My muse has eluded me...

As far as the "rant"goes... Well, rants based on current events really do need to be delivered in a timely manner. And, given that I still haven't seen the ad that started the thing, I think I'll just shelve the idea, and say that the Campbell Brown video pretty-much summed up my feelings on the subject.

With the following side-notes:

I used to work in the Financial Services Industry (Not for WF - but another Big 'Un that's faring even worse!). My friend still works at the same bank and she did point-out that the TARP funds are NOT simply "hand-outs," but loans that must be paid back, with interest. And yes, it's true, most news reports don't really acknowledge that when they sharply criticize the banks.

Howsomever, I work in a different industry now. One that is also "feeling the pinch" of hard economic times (as we ALL are). My current company isn't "in trouble" or anything (not yet, anyway!), but it started instituting cost-cutting measures long before the - umm - fertilizer hit the fan. I mean, all non-essential business travel was cancelled - starting early last year. Merit Increases have been cancelled for this year - all with the stated "hope" that they *don't* have to institute workforce reductions (Gawd knows, MY fingers are crossed!).

And I remember, not all THAT long ago, going on semi-lavish "Teambuilding" trips and such. I joined the company long-after the TRUE Boondoggles had ended, but we did have a few "decent" events. One of the last ones, I believe, was in Lake Tahoe (which isn't all that far from here - and hotel rooms can be had "for cheap" during mid-week). Although, I do share Jon Carroll's general opinion about "Compulsory Teambuilding Events."

I don't mind hanging out with colleagues off-site, during off-hours. But on-the-whole, I'd much rather be off somewhere else. Rather than having the "Flavor-of-the-week" forced down my throat by the Latest 'n Greatest Motivational Speaker... (And don't EVEN get me started on those stupid Team-Building Games!!!)

:::whew::: Got THAT off my chest! Although not nearly as "colorfully" as I'd originally intended!

* * * * *
In other news: It's RAINING! Lots, in fact - which is good. And no real end in sight, at this point. So I figure it'll be about a week or two before I start whining about wanting to see the sun again - or booking a Cheap Weekend in Cabo or something!

Consequently, not much has happened in the garden... I did head over to Home Depot and picked up a couple of bags of steer manure, intending to toss 'em on the pile of leaves for the Pumpkin Patch. While I was there, I discovered they were having a special on Phoenix roebelinii - Pygmy Date Palms. Big clumps of trees in big pots for under $20. So I bought one, having NO clue where I was gonna put it (Yeah, like that's ever stopped me! It's an Addiction I tellya!). I managed to get everything unloaded from the truck and into the backyard, but that's as far as it got!

Well, at least with all this rain, it won't be too terribly difficult to dig a hole for it! Just gotta figure out WHERE!

I feel a rant coming on...

Even though I *try* not to blog about current events... I'm holding off 'til I see the actual ad myself...

Here are a couple links, as a preview:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2009/02/11/DD0T15QF26.DTL

Disclaimer to that one: Jon Carroll is a "Humor" Columnist, so I *do* take his commentary with the requisite grain of salt. Yet he raises some good points........

And:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/10/campbell.brown.wells.fargo/

More good points there, too.

We don't take the paper. But my mom does. I've asked her to sift through her papers - before they go out in the trash - and pull the ad for me, so I can read it myself.

Then, maybe, I'll rant about it! ("Oh, boy!")

Upside to the Downturn...

Jimmy Buffett Tickets went on-sale yesterday.

And, as always, I was online at 10:00am, on-the-dot, with two PC's in action, to purchase my tickets.

Now, my past experience with TicketBa$tard has left MUCH to be desired. In fact, where Buffett Tickets are concerned, I always end up getting screwed (okay, it is a self-induced sorta screw-ed-ness, but still!)!

I can logon to their website the very INSTANT that tickets go on-sale, and I can NEVER find decent seats!

And, boy, does it p*ss me off!!!

But, since it's Buffett, I sorta develop this "Tazz-and-her-Tennis-Ball"-like personna. It's like, I will simply die if I don't have Buffett Tickets!

So, I logon the very minute tickets go on-sale (with multiple PC's, as I've mentioned) and I grab the "Best Seats" I can find. Which are usually in the 200-section... Not Nose-bleed seats, but - honestly - not great!

Of course, they COST as much as the "right-next-to-the-stage" seats would, but I buy 'em just the same...

And I KNOW that TicketBa$tard "holds" better seats 'til about a week or two before the event, but I *still* buy the sh*tty seats because I. SIMPLY. MUST. HAVE. TICKETS!!!!

(It's a sickness, I know!)

Annnnnnddddd... Because I am a masochist, I peruse Craigslist, and eBay, and whatever scalper-sites I can find, trying to find better seats at a better price...

And, of course, I keep going back to TicketBa$tard...

Annnnnnndddd... Invariably, a week-or-so before the show, I *do* find better seats (in the 100 section) on TicketBa$tard, and I end up buying them too!

So now I've paid DOUBLE THE PRICE for tickets, right?!

I do try to unload the original tickets, but I *always* take a Significant Loss on 'em. (Don't get me started on my eBay rant, BTW. Let's just say that Craigslist is a better place to unload extra concert tickets and leave it at that!)

* * * * *
And to segue even further... A colleague of mine, a fellow Parrothead in the Atlanta GA area, *also* goes through similar pains to get his tickets. But in the South, it's even worse (Buffett's Phan-Base is positively rabid down there!). He's lucky just to find two seats TOGETHER! Period! (Atlanta Shows sell-out, 100%, in mere minutes!).

* * * * *
Well, yesterday when I logged on, my initial attempts - requesting "Lower Level" ONLY - returned a "No Seats Available" responses (GRRRR!!!), and when I opted for "Best Available" I ended up with with 200-section seats (AGAIN!!!). Not too terribly awful (4th row of the 200 section). So I started the whole Purchase-Process thing... But something made me hold-off on finalizing the purchase. I switched back to my work laptop and tried for "Lower Levels" again, and actually scored seats in Section 107!!!

Okay, not the GREATEST seats in the world, but certainly "good enough!" So I bought 'em!

Now this is the FIRST TIME, EVER - that I have scored "Lowers" on the First Try for a Buffett Show!!!

So color me Happy!

* * * * *
Going back to my Geohhh-juh Colleague: He, too, was able to score "Lower" seats on his first try - but he saw the final ticket price and got Sticker-Shock! He chose to "pass" on the tickets...

* * * * *
My theory is that there are actually LOTS of folks who *wanted* to go to the show, but when they saw the final tally (appx $300 for 2 tix), they gave-up their seats and THAT'S why I was able to score Good Seats for the Buffett Show.

Sooooo... That's the "Silver Lining" to the Dark Cloud of our current economic state!