Monday, January 23, 2006

yes, it's been 10 days...

...since my last post. Been kinda distracted. First I get sick, and generally hated life in the interim. Now, Mom's in the hospital, had to be taken by ambulance. There's some problem with her heart, and the doc still isn't sure what. This morning she got a pacemaker. So, blogging will be, uh, light until things get back to normal.

In the mean time, here's Noah on my new Celtic Tree of Life bedspread.

Friday, January 13, 2006

the storm

The Storm


Lightning dances and flashes through the clouds
Thunder rumbles in time to the dance
Spinning through the leaves, the winds flutter or rage
Softly, gently, the rain kisses the earth
Soon the kiss becomes smothering
The elements merge
Earth and Water
Fire and Air
In nature's dangerous symphony

Thursday, January 12, 2006

a point in time catblogging

Since due to being mildly sick with the Huntsville Stomach Flu, time has become very fluid for me. I'm not going to assume that while composing this that I'm in any particular point in time.

Callie is doing the same.


Dude, this is some really good 'nip. Ya got any munchies? I'm just going to lay here for a while and look at the swirly colors.

I swear it's catnip, and I haven't been smoking any of it. Honestly.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

uh, this is kinda late

It's Wednesday. That may not be suprising to you, but is is to me. I've had the Huntsville Stomach Flu since the weekend, and a couple of days simply evaporated for me. So, I'll get down to it. The Carnival of the Cats is up at Pages Turned. I'm sure you knew that already, but hey, time has become very non linear for me.

Also the Friday Ark went up on Modulator, and will go up again in 2 days. That is, if time continues in the same progression for me as it does for the rest of the world.

Monday, January 09, 2006

new post at the alcove

For those of you who have been waiting, I have a new post at The Oubliette's Alcove, where I wax philosophical, and give a lesson in Augury. I finally made a new post. Yay me! Enjoy.

Friday, January 06, 2006

friday catblogging



Callie desperately tries to get the ball out of the toy.

a rant about my health

Note: I try to keep this blog in the PG to PG-13 range, but the following post is rated R for language. You were warned.

Now a lot of this won't be new for any of you who have been paying attention to my medical health over the past 8 months or so, but I feel the need tonight to have a nice good rant and get some things off my chest. I have some sort of fucking neuropathy (which simply means "nerve disease") that is causing vertigo, loss of coordination, memory problems, and even amost seizure like episodes of severe vertigo that include tinnutis and visual disturbances. So, this all started one afternoon in April when I was at work, I became so dizzy that I could barely walk to my car when I snuck out early. Now, my job title was Emergency Response Team Coordinator, and I am a fucking EMT, I've sent people to the hospital for less than what I was experiencing. Yes, it was a case of do what I say, not what I do.

I've been to several different doctors and had all sorts of fucking tests run, it's not an inner ear problem, an eye problem, MS, or Lupus. The most likely culprit is a vitamin B-12 deficenicy that was at it's peak about 2-3 years ago. A severe deficenicy can cause demylenation of the nerves, a degredation of the protective sheath around the nerves, causing all sorts of nervous system problems, depending on where the damage is. In my case, it's central nervous system, meaning whatever the hell is wrong with me affects my brain.

Yes, I have fallen a few times, and seriously injured myself twice, both my left arm. Ya know what? I haven't broken a goddamn thing, all soft tissue injuries which with time, narcotic painkillers, and one round of physical therapy, I healed. My shoulder is nearly to the point where I can't tell I nearly had to have surgery on my left rotator cuff.

And even better, I seem to be adjusting to the nerous system problems, or else finally accepting them. Whichever, I haven't had a fall since October, and I'm just getting used to not being able to remember shit in the short term. Things could always be worse, right, I mean I could be a vegetable, right?

Update 1/7/06 - I've had 2 MRIs, a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), tests on my ears to rule out inner ear proplems, and bloodwork. Only the bloodwork showed anything interesting, everything else was normal, and the bloodwork only showed that I have an autoimmune disease. Big shock there, I have 2 of them actually - Crohn's Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis. I would have been truly shocked if that particular test had also been negative.

Monday, January 02, 2006

what i was doing on new year's eve

That's right, I was out starwatching.


Orion and the star Sirius (bottom left). Sirius is the brightest star in the night-time sky. Only our sun appears brighter. To the top-right you can see the horns of Taurus, the bull.



Taurus and the Open Cluster M45, the Pleiades. To the right is Perseus, the Greek hero who slew Medusa.

If you click on the images, you will be lead a Flickr page that has the constellations, stars and such are labeled.

carnival of the cats - new year's edition

The year's first edition of the Carnival of the Cats is up and running at at Elms in the Yard, hosted by Rahel, Her Ladyship, and Missy. I think I missed the deadline, but you can still go there and enjoy the furry kitty goodness. And if you were wondering what I had submitted, it's Eep on her new window kitty bed.

Also, if you want more goodness of the critter kind, there's always the Friday Ark at Modulator. Once again, a wonderful line up from the animal, and occasionally vegetable and mineral kingdoms.

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