Tuesday, July 31, 2007

video conferencing

I've been driving myself nuts over the past several hours researching what is required to do some video conferencing. Because I'm not particularly technically oriented (that's putting it mildly) I need equipment which is very easy to use. I think I found what I need and it actually sounds very doable, which is kind of scary. ;-)

I'll almost certainly blather on about this adventure as I gather all the equipment and attempt to get it to work (that should be an adventure in its self).

Monday, July 30, 2007

Mitzi -- sickie

My oldest cat, Mitzi (she's in her late teens) was feeling puny this weekend and stopped eating. She has chronic upper respiratory problems and also kidney disease, but for the most part those things are under control. Except for this weekend when the respiratory infection got the better of her. Luckily I have antibiotics, pedialyte, and nutri-cal (low volume, high calorie paste) so I managed to keep some nutrients going into her while the antibiotics had a chance to work. She really did not like me forcing her to eat the paste and drink some of the pedialyte solution and if she had felt better I would have been in world of trouble!

I was thinking I would take her to the emergency vet Sunday, but she seemed a bit perkier when I got up and she also seemed to want to eat. Since I felt she had improved I waited a bit longer (the emergency vet is only a short drive -- maybe 15-20 minutes and is open 24 hours a day) and sure enough in the late afternoon she started to eat! That's always such a relief. She hasn't eaten a lot yet, but just being interested in it and actually eating are big steps forward. I probably still will call my regular vet and get an appointment for her in the next couple of days because she might be a bit dehydrated (that's a problem with cats with kidney disease) and need some extra fluids. I think the last time she had something like this she also got a shot of antibiotic and a B vitimin shot. It couldn't hurt for her to get a little once over anyway.

She still sounds pretty stuffed up, but is resting much more comfortably now than she has in several days. She might be a Hell Cat Bitch, but I like the little heller.

Monday, July 23, 2007

ugh

I'm in the process of shortening my aunt with down syndrome's new pants. Not only do I suck at stuff like this, but it's making my eyes cross too. And being the bright child I am, I bought five pairs I have to do this to. I have one leg of one pair done. Ugh.

The shortest pants I've ever been able to find (that work for her -- she has that typical strange down syndrome build and is very short -- her inseam is only about 22-23 inches) still need to be shortened by at least 4-6 inches. I actually looked at capri pants in tall sizes, but the longest I could find had inseams of only 21 inches. I figure Di has enough against her without wearing high water pants. Besides, she's a bit of a messer when she eats (if I don't watch her carefully she will eat anything with her fingers and can end up with food absolutely everywhere), so her clothes have to be very much wash and wear.

She does know better than to do that although down syndrome people who are also profoundly retarded -- as she is -- tend to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms as they age. Apparently most of them over 40 do show significant Alzheimer's-like symptoms. Di is 57 and definitely isn't as sharp as she used to be. That's actually a huge understatement -- she hit her highest point at about 21 and has been regressing ever since. Although she was supposed to have the intellect of a 5-7 year old, she did learn to read and write, and even could do rudimentary book reports (meaning she could recount the story line, but she had no concept of meaning) when she was in school. Now her writing skills are limited to writing (printing, actually) her first name -- which she now misspells (she misses either the i or the a, spelling it either Dine or Dane instead of Diane), and she will generally only do it once, so you better know what you want signed or you are shit out of luck! After that she just makes some lines. I think that bit is more to do with her stubbornness though, because she does have a bit of a "you can't make me" attitude sometimes, which can be funny or frustrating, depending on when she pulls it. She can still read some things, but it is pretty much limited to individual words on signs (she doesn't see very well either). I doubt she understands what most of the words she can read mean.

Overall, she's like a young child, but without the potential or the curiosity (not having curiosity is actually a good thing because she doesn't get into things like a child would -- that's a big help). For instance, personal hygiene. She doesn't do it. I bathe her, wash her hair, comb her hair, brush her teeth, everything. I dress her. She will take off her underwear and put on new ones -- if I tell her to, hand her the new underwear (properly aligned), and nothing distracts her. Same deal with her regular pants. I have to put her socks on, but if I had her boots (high top light hikers for ankle support) one at a time, she will put them on (although sometimes she puts them on the wrong feet), but I have to tie them. And I have to stand right there...if I go into the bathroom to put things away, she stops what she is doing and sometimes will start removing what she has just put on. I have to put her bra, shirt and sweatshirt (if needed) on for her. However, when she needs to go to the toilet, she goes on her own. She even does it at night (her bedroom is right next to the bathroom and I put up a baby/pet gate to keep her from going anywhere else). And she does this so consistently that I rarely use adult diapers on her. Trust me -- this is a wonderful thing. I would much, much, much rather clean her, dress her, cut up all her food (except pizza, cake, and ice cream in a dish -- she does just fine with those), help her up and down any steps, etc., etc., than have her be incontinent or unable/unwilling to go to the toilet when she needs to.

And now I have the second leg of the first pair of pants hemmed (wrote a little, hemmed a little -- that helped keep me going), so I can hit the hay.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

I didn't want to be that unique...

Funny how SK's blogs such as today's seem to make everyone so happy -- everyone except me. I mean I couldn't help but smile as I read it -- it was incredibly sweet, loving, and exuded contentment. And the Kilbey erotica...you have to get a kick out of that (I bet his rankings would go up if his description included "literary erotica!"). But by the time I got to the end a wave of overwhelming sadness washed over me and is still lingering. Usually I re-read the blog a time or two, but I doubt I'll ever read this particular one again. I don't want to feel that feeling again.

I've been checking the comments to see if anyone else seems to have a similar reaction, but no such luck. I guess I'm the only one. Lovely.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

My Loki



This is my little cat Loki. He arrived a little over three years ago. Most of the strays that would find their way to me were fairly young -- usually between six months and two years, but Loki had obviously been around the block a few times. His back teeth seem fairly decent, but his front fangs are all broken off or worn down and the for the most part the little tiny front teeth are just gone. He doesn't seem to have any problem eating though. He has a lot of scars on him (not as many as BOC though) from numerous cat fights; has a silver dollar sized scar on his back right before his hips that won't grow hair (the fur around it covers it though, so it isn't too noticable); and he still has either a BB or shotgun pellet just under the skin in one of his front legs. The vet said as long as the pellet didn't bother him to just leave it, so we have. Shortly after he arrived he got into a fight with one of my other cats who managed to scratch his eye. I had to take him to the vet to get his eyelids stitched closed so it could heal (he got his shots and got neutered at the same time, so it was a big vet visit for Loki!), and when I brough him home I couldn't very well just let him back out (this was when I lived in a rural area), so he came in to live with me. The eye healed well, although it is a bit cloudy from the scar tissue.

He's not a cat who likes to be picked up or held, but he does love to snuggle when I sit or lay down or work on the computer (he's a real pain in the ass when I'm on the computer sometimes, but he's so cute I can't really get mad at him). He doesn't really trust anyone else and usually disappears when anyone else comes into the house, but he thinks I'm wonderful and will come running up to me. He's a very sweet, but very funny little cat.

When I was trying to name him I had some other names I wanted to use, but when I sat on the porch and called him by those names he gave no reaction at all. Well, that's not exactly true -- he would look away and refuse to look at me when I called him by those names. Finally I said "Loki" and he immediately turned my way with this "You called?" look on his face. I couldn't help but laugh, and that pretty much settled the name thing. I figure it fits him -- with all his scarring and such I figure he certainly had gotten into his fair share of mischief.

See the little bright green cat toy between Loki and the cat carrier in the picture? That's Loki's first ever toy and still, three years later, his favourite. :-)

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Horsing Around



Sorry the image is so small. It was from an old scanned snapshot and when I tried to make it a bit larger it pixallated. :-( It looks better when you click on it. Not much, if any, larger, but more clear.

I just bought a bunch of glass supplies, partly to make a horsehead panel like the gray one pictured above (the arts coop I'm in is doing a group show with a horse theme for August). If I have the time (and inclination) I might also make the chestnut horse too. I just think the gray one is more striking, but they appeal to differet people (depending on what breeds they like), so it's kind of nice to have a couple.

I ended up spending over $300 on supplies to make a panel that's not worth that. Typical. Of course I bought stuff I won't use on that panel but will use for some other things I'm planning. And I can make several of the same horse panels or many smaller suncatcher horseheads (which are more apt to sell). I know if I could just get my studio properly set up I could probably find several of the things I just ordered, but I figure it's better to just get the stuff I need and get working (my brother, who owns the house, is supposed to be installing various lights and outlets and such so I have the things I need to set up a work area, but that's not really happening). In having to do everything in a temporary setup it limits what I can do, but if I wait for him I'll never get anything done. I can't really complain about him though considering how much of a slug I've been over the past few years. I'm pleased to be feeling like working on this stuff again -- I just hope I come up with things I like (and then that other people will like them enough to buy them ;-) ).

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

avatar, etc.

I finally put up an avatar for this thing today. I think it's kinda cute anyway.

One of the good things about my current pc being in the shop was that when I used my old one I found some pics of some of the stained glass pieces I've done. I'm going to try to put a few up. Most are small -- suncatchers, really -- 'cause I'm lazy and find making large windows etc a pain in the ass. They take a lot of space, they require more structural support, they are hard to transport, and generally they are commissions and I have to admit I'm not terribly fond of dealing with many of the type of people who are in the market for that type of thing. Hell, I feel like slapping the women (embarrassingly, it's almost always women too) who expect every piece of art or fine craft they buy to match their sofa or match the decor in their bathroom. They can't seem to understand why making a custom piece to match their fucking sofa or the room they take a crap in doesn't make me deliriously happy. And what is it with the people who see my work -- say at an art show where I have a lot of it out -- tell me how much they just love the style and colours and techniques...and then ask me to do something absolutely, completely different? I don't get that at all. Sometimes it's all I can do not to blurt out "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Well, now that I've ranted a bit, I guess I should show a few pics. ;-)



I called this one "Connecting Circles" and I saw it as the two circles -- one filled with cool colours and one filled with warm colours -- colliding and creating the center which is a mixture of both and also has dichroic and iridised glass to give the feel of more intense energy. The piece was not solid -- you could poke a finger between the pieces. I quite enjoy doing these because they are very free form. I've made several pieces of this style (this was the only connecting circle one though).



Don't mind the people in the back -- they didn't seem to comprehend that they would show through the glass.... :-) This one was actually a commission -- the only commission I enjoyed making. The woman saw several of my celtic pieces at a show and asked that I use one as the center (it's larger in this panel than the original) and then make a border similar to the celtic serpent/seahorse thingies I had (shown in the bottom photo).



Some Frank Lloyd Wright/mission style inspired pieces. These I quite liked too -- usually I really love bright, strong colours, but I always thought these looked elegant. I will most likely make some of these types of pieces again.



A couple of celtic-y things. The triquetras I make in several colours -- both solid and multi coloured.



Just a little sampling of the types of things I made. The pieces on the front are candle holders.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

last.fm is no longer my friend :-(

You know my pc problems over the past two weeks? To the shop twice. Well... turnes out last.fm was the culprit. It was pulling 97% of my processor capacity. The other 3% was trying it's little heart out, but just couldn't do it. It wasn't technically locked up, but it was doing all other tasks so very slowly the effect was the same. Upon startup the pc would get to a certain point and just stop. It wouldn't do anything for 10-15 minutes -- sometimes longer. Then it would suddenly have a little burst of energy and would proceed a little further then stop again.

Before I took it in the second time I managed to get it all the way through the startup, got online, got to one of my email accounts where I looked at my inbox and one email, then turned off the computer through "correct" channels (rather than just hitting the fucking switch). Just that took over two hours. That was obviously unacceptable.

The wild thing is the program wasn't even actively running (it's a program to track what you play on your media players such as itunes, and Windows media player) when the computer guy found it pulling so much processor capacity. And it couldn't do that all the time since I've had it on my pc since late April without this type of thing happening (although I did have a few problems with websites not responding -- I never realised it was because of that) and many other people have run it for years with few if any problems. Apparently, though it can cause problems for some people, and I got to be one of those lucky souls.

The pissy thing is I really enjoyed that program, but the problems I had with it aren't worth the hassle, so I won't be using that again.

On the plus side -- my pc is currently running beautifully. :-)

Thursday, July 05, 2007

huh

A few entries ago I mentioned some paintings Steve sent me that got smeared in transit. I noted I was able to fix up all but one...well apparently I'm better at this art restoration than I thought because everyone I've shown the piece to -- including Steve (I sent him the pic the photographer took) -- thinks it looks just fine. In fact the photographer told me she couldn't figure out which one I thought had problems at all.

I have to admit it makes me feel good to know I was able to get it looking so good. And after not seeing it for a week while they were off getting photographed when it came back it did look better than I remembered. Still, I wanted to make sure it looked ok so I emailed Steve the image to look at. He's usually a very harsh critic of his own work, so since he thinks it looks fine that's great news to me. I think the reason I was dissatisfied is that I had stared at it so closely for a couple of hours while I was cleaning up the smudges. I guess I got caught up in looking at the trees and misse the forest so to speak.

So the result is that it's going up with all the rest of this batch and we are going to charge full price (which is still quite reasonable) for it. Yay!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

More BOC

Now BOC is coming around twice a day most days -- generally at night -- to eat and get attention. When I go out to feed him now he generally waits on the bench for me to come over and pat him a bit. He seems to really like it, letting me scratch on his cheeks, under his chin, and his face -- even his nose. And he will rub on my hand and sometimes up against my legs. This last time he even let me rub his belly. And he's learning to trust me when other things startle him -- the other night the neighbors were making a fair amount of noise and he went under a bench on the deck. So I brought over his food and sat on the bench and just talked soothingly to him. Sure enough he came over to his dish and ate. :)

I don't think he's really been able to trust people much, which kind of makes me sad, but for a cat on his own, wariness is probably a big part of staying alive. He really is a sweet cat though. I quite like him. Ultimately I would like to have him trust me enough to come live inside, but I'm not sure that will ever happen. But at least he know he can come here for good food and I'm going to make little warm shelters for him (and LBC if he wants one) for the winter. I'll do what I can to improve his life.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

wah!

My PC locked up on me early Sunday morning and nothing I did made any difference. So it's at the shop getting straightened out. Probably a virus even though whenever my virus protection runs scans it always shows everything ok. Apparently something got past that (which from what I understand isn't all that uncommon). So the pc is supposed to be back by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, I'm using my old pc which is hooked up to **gasp!!** dialup. It's amazing how fast you forget how slow dialup is. And I used to be perfectly happy having dailup. Now it's driving nuts! Granted, it's not as bad as having no internet at all. I'm still able to pay my bills, email, post to various boards, read Steve's blog (although getting the comments section to open is tricky -- that can be a good thing though...), check ebay, etc., so it's not really a huge hardship. However, I just picked up the most recent batch of Steve's paintings from the photographer last night and trying to upload those images (even with them being low res) on dialup is daunting. And even putting in the PayPal shopping cart buttons is a pain in the ass this way.

I just cooked a frozen pizza for Di and me and am going to kick back, eat the pizza and watch a movie -- I think it's going to be The Full Monty -- and then see how I feel about giving the uploading a try.