for the love

NY, NY

2011-09-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, blogger, you've decided to start working again, albeit through a whole different process. Alrighty then.

Agility Training

2011-07-07T18:39:00.000-05:00

A thrilling read, eh Sonar?

Tin Foil Hat

2011-06-08T12:23:00.002-05:00

I'm wearing a tin-foil hat.

It's not what you think - not for any of these reasons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat

I'm bleaching my hair. The tinfoil is more easily recyclable than the plastic bag I usually use. We'll see how well it works.

Dear McDonalds

2011-04-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

Since you don't want my "unsolicited new idea" (http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcd_faq/unsolicited_new_ideas.html)

Then I will post it on my blog. I bought two of your toasted bagels, plain, and added my own hummus and sliced onions and peppers.
It was delicious. It really wouldn't be that hard to add a hummus-squirter in your stores. Think about it.
You could lead the healthy revolution. While you're at it, look at guacamole too. Burger King has a veggie burger. I'm having it my way there, why couldn't I be lovin' it at one of your restaurants?

NC Wildlife

2011-04-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

On my bike ride I found a deer antler. I brought it home for Sonar to smell, and she enjoyed it.

These frogs are BIG! I never saw the one in the background when I snapped the photo, that's how well it was camoflaged. I only thought I was photographing one frog! Imagine my surprise once I uploaded to my laptop!

This is a fireant nest *shudder*. These guys move very quick.

In a land of geckos, snakes, and big frogs... I totally thought this was a real living thing when I first spotted it. But rather than being a tiny holdover from the Jurassic period, it's of course just a toy Triceratops, who's had one too many run ins with the family dog, looks like. I picked him up and he was missing feet in addition to his horns. And part of his tail. I guess he was out exploring with whoever his owner is... and decided just to stay.

VEGAN ICE CREAM!

2011-04-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite thing! I found this link: http://www.choosingraw.com/this-post-will-change-your-life/ And the post did change my life! In short: freeze bananas, food process them (for a while, until they are awesome) Add PB or Chocolate (vegan or otherwise) or BOTH! And you have the closest I've come to ice cream since Jan 20, 2010! I even have an ice cream headache from eating it too fast! But I just checked my arteries and they're way cleaner!

Delivery!

2011-04-05T12:19:00.000-05:00

9 out of 10 cats agree: getting things in the mail is fun! 1 out of 10 cats did not understand the question due to extreme cat drowsiness and or extreme distraction due to hunger, interest in a fluttering object, the skin-willies, a random air current, or a passing thought of the vacuum cleaner.

Scenic-ness

2011-03-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

Oh look! NC State planted flowers for me!

Dad, this is that lake we walked by.

This is a dad shot.

So is this one. Note pines on one side and deciduous forest on the other side.

I love my bike.

2011-03-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

Why? Because I love my bike.

Look at all that orange!

Oh there is nothing nicer than this. Nothing.

Bike, resting.

Wolfpack Pride

2011-03-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

Alumni Center at NC State has some very cool statues.

I've seen that face before on Sonar...

Backs up to a pretty amazing overlook too!

Accomodating Swans

2011-03-17T19:21:00.000-05:00

Oh look, a pretty Swan in the distance. *sigh* I wish it was a little closer.

OH! Hello Swan. Thanks for swimming over here!

Um... what bread? I wasn't told....about....bread...yeah....

Well thanks for coming over anyways!

Mars Research at NC State

2011-03-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

Exploring the campus of NC State here, wait, they do WHAT here? COOL!

Oh, wow. Um. Michigan State... where's our brick bridges?

Yeah, I so rode down those steps! I was like "what, steps? Psh."

This is on campus. Very nice!

St Patricks Day Solo Ramble

2011-03-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

Walk, bike, and exercise your leashed dog to your heart's content, but don't you dare shoot your guns on your motorcycle. Or ride a horse. No horses and guns either. Or dogs and motorcycles.

Pretty lake views from the paved trail.

oooo, ahhhh

This turtle is large, this shot is very zoomed in from a boardwalk that was up pretty high. This turtle could probably remove your finger, if he or she was so inclined.

Deer Tracks!

2011-03-16T17:14:00.000-05:00

Found these tracks on a bike ride. Of course had to stop and photograph them.

Of course some had to be in Macro mode.

It was clearly more than one deer with some monster tracks, some medium ones, and some little ones.

Reuseit.com

2011-03-16T17:12:00.000-05:00

Drip drying my reuseable lunch gear from www.reuseit.com

Macro Maniac

2011-03-10T16:25:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't know, many cameras come with a "macro" setting that is great for very close up pictures.

Also in case you were wondering, I am completely obsessed with macro-style photos, and love taking them, staring at them, and framing them.

Macro shots of water and stones are an even bigger draw. I have no idea why, but I love them.

New Camera Day!

2011-03-10T12:20:00.000-06:00

Bike, looking epic on a street by my house.

Local horse, sneering at me.

Sonar and her beloved Kong

Spring flowers in bloom in Raleigh, NC

Goose Creek State Park

2011-02-28T18:53:00.000-06:00

Uprooted Tree

Ew ew ew ew ew

Roots laid bare on the sound.

A doggie footprint in the sand.

Idea taking shape

2011-02-11T16:52:00.000-06:00

Hammock Plus Dog Agility Tunnel... a new idea?

2011-02-11T15:51:00.000-06:00

Only in NC

2011-02-08T18:37:00.000-06:00

Meet the two turtles who share a body. Each turtle has it's own stomach and heart, and they of course eat separately, but they share a shell and probably a few other organs. Unlike the description, it's not a two headed turtle. It's two turtles with one body.
Yes, it makes a difference to me.

Winter Storm

2010-12-26T16:32:00.000-06:00

'Twas the day after Christmas

And all through the South

Not a Carolinan was stirring

But we left the house!

Awesome!

2010-12-23T18:04:00.000-06:00

Tibbs in the Breadbox

2010-12-23T18:01:00.000-06:00

I was waxing the grooves on this breadbox when Tibbs decided to be my official tester. The cat adores boxes.

Snowboarding 2010!

2010-12-23T17:48:00.000-06:00

Sonar and I stylin'

Gaurav and Sonar

Gaurav and Beck

The Mountain: Sugar Mountain, Boone, NC elevation 5300'
Vertical rise 1200' - the longest drop I've ever snowboarded! I had to stop 3 times on the run because my calves were SCREAMING!!!

House Across the stree update.

2010-12-23T17:43:00.000-06:00

Backyard: Still Awesome!

2010-12-23T17:41:00.001-06:00

Sonar loves to swing her Kong around and smack herself. Strange.

Smiley Dog!

Wicked Catch!

Okay, I love the backyard too!

House Next Door

2010-12-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

This is the house being built across the street.

North Carolina Ice Storm

2010-12-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

Photographed while walking home from friends house for coffee and chatting.

Finishing Touches

2010-12-13T13:00:00.000-06:00

Pin, Cut, Trim, and Add FLAIR! (That's my favorite part, if you can't tell.) Looks good, don't worry mom, I didn't glue it down.

Cosmetic Surgery

2010-12-13T12:59:00.000-06:00

He gets a Head and Butt-ectomy since both are a little "bulgy" and cartoonish.

He's born!

2010-12-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

Here he is (his rough draft...)

Stocking #4

2010-12-13T12:55:00.000-06:00

#4 Stocking is a 5 year old baseball player. So he needs a baseball player on his stocking. Here's the start...

First Week in NC

2010-12-08T16:21:00.001-06:00

Snow! Reminds me of home in the Midwest...

First Week in NC

2010-12-08T16:21:00.000-06:00

Snow! Reminds me of home in the Midwest...

First Week in NC

2010-12-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

First week: It snows.

Cosmic Yawn

2010-11-08T20:26:00.000-06:00

Genghis yawns, tearing the space-time continuum.

Glacier Lake

2010-10-01T00:43:00.000-05:00

Elevation: WTF I THOUGHT THE CAMPSITES WERE BEFORE THIS ft.

Xan Camping!

2010-10-01T00:42:00.000-05:00

Xan and I went camping/backpacking in Seattle. What a fun time! What a heavy pack! I had bruises. Dummy!

A chipmunk crawled in Xan's pack, made me scream like a girl, crapped in Xan's bag (the chipmunk, not me) and then proceeded to yell at me in his/her chirpy rodent voice for kicking him/her out of the pack. Ahhh, nature.

Above you see Xan and I lifting large rocks, Surprise Lake (elevation 4500ish feet) and Xan, smiling and looking all lawyerly-seattley-I-hiked-Alaska-aren't-I-coolish.

Tibbs in a Hammock

2010-10-01T00:38:00.000-05:00

I'm going Bicycle/Hammock Camping this weekend. In celebration, I made the cat a hammock. She loves it. I made two different designs, and she prefers this one. I think. She might just prefer that spot because it's so well-protected with the dog crate and all... Tibbs is rather strategic.

Drivetrain Snafu

2010-08-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

So, somewhere in the last 140 miles on my bike (105 of which was all one trip to Chicago and back, 12 hrs of riding, stopping, eating, etc) I lost 3 of the remaining 4 of my chainring bolts. Then on a quick 15 mile jaunt, the whole thing fell apart unexpectedly and I was suddenly up an interesting creek lacking a propulsion device. Literally. I lowered my seat and "kicked/ran/scootered" my way home after removing the chain. Thanks to a good buddy, all 5 bolts are now replaced and loc-tited this time. The adventure yielded at least 25 mosquito bites.

Nomming, Tibbs Style

2010-08-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

S-Dawg

2010-08-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

Sonar rockin' the hoodie of her favorite company: KONG. Has major style points- we'll find out if it has some function similar to the Thundershirt. www.thundershirt.com Sonar doesn't have a thunder/noise issue, but general anxiety issues... either way, she is CUTE!!! In this sweatshirt.

More Inland Surfing

2010-08-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

Inland Surfing

2010-08-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

So you surf in front of the wave created by the boat's wake. Once you get good at it, you drop the rope and just ride the wave. We're still beginners.

Gaurav Kayaking

2010-08-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm... kelp!

Woot!

San Diego Trip

2010-08-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Out on the Pacific Ocean.

On top of a 'mountain' at the beginning of our downhill-on poor bikes-adventure. Holy brakes!

Overlooking beach.

The boy on a fault line!

Cat Tent

2010-08-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

Sink Installation

2010-08-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Plumbers!

Tibbs investigating drain...

Cats helping...

Corvette Show

2010-06-27T12:19:00.000-05:00

Gaurav and I driving back from the Corvette Show.

Bloomington Gold

2010-06-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

Nom, non, nom.

2010-06-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

S-p-o-i-l-e-d

2010-06-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

Sunburn

2010-06-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

This picture is for my Mom, Paula, and Barb. I burned my shoulder. Oops.

BCLC Ramble

2010-06-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

We rode 30 miles! In orange!

Dissection

2010-06-16T19:51:00.000-05:00

Hi Mom!

2010-06-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Skinny Kitty

2010-03-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

Genghis, in 2005.

Old Picture!

2010-03-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

Young whippersnapper in 2005.

Food Reviews

2010-03-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

I chose this Dairy Free Penne & ChReese because my vegan-ness was craving Mac & Cheese. I didn't really need the gluten free part. The noodles were predictably a little grainy tasting. The "Chreese" was ok, and the whole thing was very filling. I aded salt and "steakhouse" grinder spices (ironically, right?) It was alright if you're dying for Mac & Cheese. Not thrilling though.

I like this rice milk a lot. I used it in the Mac & Chreese above. I've also drank about 3/4 of the carton already. Being an ex-cow-milk LOVER, this stuff it a damn good substitute. I also like Almond Milk, but this rice milk is fortified with quite a bit of Vitamin B12 (50% DV in a 1 cup serving, which is normally only found in animal products). The original and the vanilla are delicious.

Tried these instant (and vegan) refried beans. Not very good. Tried amending them with olive oil (for a fattier flavor) and some more onion powder and salt for zing. Mixed in a taco, probably alright, but plain... not cutting it. They taste so different from the ones I had at a Mexican restaurant this weekend that I'm convinced there's some kind of animal fat in the restaurant version. I've looked up the traditional recipe online and it calls for some kind of fat. Usually bacon. That would explain the deliciousness. Ah well. I'll try a freshly made version with olive oil at a later date. Perhaps I'll see some improvement.

Suckers

2010-03-09T20:48:00.000-06:00

One of two things is happening:

Smart Deli has created a fake turkey lunchmeat that is delicious enough to fool my animals, or, Smart Deli is actually packaging real turkey and fooling me into believing that it's not real. Seriously. That's a cat there eating Soy-based Turkey, and a dog getting pissed that the cat can get on the counter and she can't. All animals were allowed some Tofurky in the making of this blogpost. They loved it. Genghis stole a slice.

For the record, I thought it tasted glorious. Thoughtful chewing would reveal it's not real, but on a sandwich, you'd have zero idea it never gobbled a day in it's life on the Soybean farm.

Spring

2010-03-09T20:45:00.000-06:00

Means it's time to tune up the bike!

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

2010-03-07T16:57:00.000-06:00

Not these three...

New Earrings!

2010-02-22T17:50:00.000-06:00

From Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChevreFeuille

These are so cool! They look just like Sonar!!

Taste Test

2010-02-22T17:49:00.000-06:00

Homemade Almond Milk (Almonds, Water, Maple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Salt) vs Commercial Almond Milk (Vanilla Almond Breeze)

Almond Breeze: Creamier, Sweeter, vitamin enriched, more expensive

Homemade: Fresher, Watery-er, little bits of almond make my throat feel scratchy, less ingredients (Needs work, but pretty good.)

Sonar and her squash

2010-02-11T10:58:00.000-06:00

Sonar loves this new toy we got at REI. It's made of eco friendly materials, and it's recyclable. It also has a minty smell and bounces in really silly directions, which Sonar LOVES.

Billy

2010-02-08T23:25:00.000-06:00

This is Billy the Turtle. I moved him out of an on-ramp in Michigan a few years ago. How neat is he?

Glass Straw

2010-02-08T22:18:00.000-06:00

So I've been using the glass straws sold on www.reuseit.com for about 3 months now, and they are AWESOME. You'd think that they'd be weird, but they're not. They have a lifetime guarantee against breaking (will replace). They come with a neat little scrub brush to clean them out so they don't get gunky. I like drinking large glasses of water and warm soup through them. Yes, warm soup. What a nice clean way to eat soup without a spoon. Obviously only blended up soups work.

Thank You Kong

2010-02-08T09:32:00.000-06:00

Frozen Kongs = Peace and Quiet

This one had blended up mixed (frozen in a bag) veggies and applesauce, stuffed in and frozen over night, topped with a dab of peanut butter. Peanut butter is awesome. Sonar will do ANYTHING for peanut butter.

I made bread!

2010-01-24T20:04:00.000-06:00

Kayak would have LOVED IT.

Hi Bernard!

2010-01-22T22:29:00.000-06:00

Tibbs says "Hi Bernard!" How's Rwanda treating you? www.myspangledlife.blogspot.com

Almond Milk

2010-01-22T22:10:00.000-06:00

Feel free to flavor it as you please with dates, cocoa powder, carob powder or honey.
Makes about 5 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds
4 cups water
1 T. maple syrup
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pour mixture into a fine mesh bag or cheesecloth over a container, squeezing all of the liquid into the bag. Serve chilled as is or use in dairy-free recipes.

Tastes Yummy!

Chipatis

2010-01-22T22:08:00.000-06:00

So I'm practicing my Chipatis. They're a type of Indian Flatbread. It's just flour and water and then after that it's sort of an art. I didn't add enough water and I didn't knead the dough enough. Kind of tough. They're not Garv quality yet, but I inhaled them, as I usually do with anything made of carbs.

Dog TV

2010-01-22T22:06:00.000-06:00

Kong Frisbee!

2010-01-16T17:22:00.000-06:00

Xylitol Can Kill

2010-01-16T17:19:00.000-06:00

What can a couple sticks of gum do to a 85 lb Shepherd Mix? Bad stuff. Turns out, Xylitol ( a common sweetener in gum, candy, and even toothpaste) is 100x more toxic to dogs than the much-feared chocolate. Sonar and I found this out late on one recent Sunday night. We drove 80mph down I-94 to reach the Emergency Vet (whom we are overly acquainted with by now). They induced vomiting and found at least one stick of gum in Sonar's puke. They began an immediate Dextrose IV and began monitoring blood sugar and liver enzymes. She stayed for about 36 hours. Pretty scary. I'm really glad she's ok. And no, it wasn't cheap. But it was worth it.

Northern Michigan

2009-12-31T16:27:00.000-06:00

Beautiful road, wonderful sign, wild turkeys, and a whitetail. The deer was near a road we were driving down. I got the shot from out the truck window. Cool state, cool camera. I don't know if I could shoot that pretty deer.

Wicked!

2009-12-31T16:22:00.000-06:00

Crystal Mountain 2009 Trip. From top to bottom: me, the boy, Bro 1, Bro 2. Awesome trip guys. Thanks to the cottage folk!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T16:17:00.000-06:00

Guacamole for the party down the street we're attending. Pastry cutter rocks as a Guac-Mixer. See card with Africa on it in the background from www.myspangledlife.blogspot.com. Thanks! So cool!

Fond Memories of Summer

2009-12-13T21:50:00.000-06:00

Obnoxiously Safe

2009-12-13T21:46:00.001-06:00

So because it's a) winter and b) I get bored and c) It's dark out and d) I'm obsessed with this kind of thing.... I made a Super-Reflective cover for my messenger bag to make me obnoxiously visible when riding my bike in the dark. I bought this rad reflective tape off ebay (it's about 2" wide) and I salvaged the blue material from the floor of a beat up tent I bought at a REI garage sale for $10.00 and the strap webbing was mis-appropriated from somewhere along with the plastic clips. It's hard to see in the bottom photo but I also added two spots to hook flashing LED blinkies as well. It turned out pretty darn cool. I originally intended to stitch down all the reflective tape, but it's rather tape-y and doesn't like much to be stitched, so I let it kind of be flowy. And then I was going to stitch what you now see as tails on the bottom, but then thought "hey! flappy reflectives will only add to the visibility!" So I kept them as tails. We'll see if they're annoying or need to be trimmed. Since I am not the least bit OCD there's all kinds of crookedness to this if you see it up close, but, you'd have a hard time convincing me that there's any value in making something like this all neat and tidy. It's supposed to be distracting enough that drivers avoid me. Ergo, the more annoying, the better.

Thanks to the boy for modeling.

Am I a Hunter?

2009-12-10T11:43:00.002-06:00

So I've been mulling over the idea of learning to hunt deer.

Pros:

Sustainable Protein Source

Healthy Protein Source: Deer eating natural food is healthier than corn-fed cattle

Happy Protein Source: The life of a free, wild Deer (in a balanced population) avoids the suffering of cattle in feedlots, chicken in cages, and over-fishing of oceans/lakes.

Quick, Sanitary Death: A quick death with a high-powered rifle in the middle of a forest avoids the contamination issues of a slaughterhouse and the human/animal toll of repeated slaughter by a few people.

Transparent Complicity: Through the purchase and eating of meat, I've been complicit in plenty of animal death, but I've never personally had to be the responsible party. Does this take more responsibility? Maybe.

Cons:

I'm a wuss.

Deer are cute, they look like my dog.

They have big ears, and big soft eyes.

I feel incredibly guilty just thinking about killing another deer's mom/brother/sister.

What if my first shot isn't sufficient? What if my lack of skill causes suffering?

What if some other idiot hunter shoots me?

What if I shoot some other hunter?

Neither Pro nor Con:

I will have to learn to "dress" a deer.

I will have to learn to shoot guns (neat!)

Hmmm.

I made a sticker on zazzle.com:

2009-12-01T12:46:00.000-06:00

http://rlv.zcache.com/snowboard_live_life_now_sticker-p217362234871463194vpof_325.jpg

Countdown to Copenhagen

2009-12-01T08:31:00.002-06:00

Cap and Trade Video, Check it Out

http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

Also check out Chevron: http://chevrontoxico.com/

Fifty Needs a Home

2009-11-24T07:07:00.002-06:00

http://network.bestfriends.org/campaigns/pitbulls/13775/news.aspx

“He is the happiest dog you’ve ever met … he gets really excited about the world, and he loves everybody!” [-Pamela Abare-Newton, President of Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus (IDR+). And Fifty's current foster-mom] Dr. Augustin (the vet that fixed him up after he was shot) adds that Fifty’s injury will not in any way affect his longevity. It impacts “only his balance … and you can see that he has that. ... He’s running around!”

Rudyard Kipling

2009-11-13T09:07:00.001-06:00

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
But when we are certain of sorrow in store
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Rudyard Kipling

Mug pictures.

2009-11-09T22:23:00.000-06:00

Because I'm a freak for things like this. I know.

My Review of Aladdin eCycle Recycled and Repurposed Travel Mug

2009-11-09T22:20:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at REI

What to do with 28,000 lbs. worth of water bottles? That's what we found ourselves asking when we pulled polycarbonate bottles from the shelves due to growing concerns over BPA.

Lines up fine, is best mug ever!

By singletrackfarm from Northern Illinois on 11/9/2009

Gift: Yes

Pros: Bike with coffee, Awesome, Great for biking

Best Uses: Biking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I use the product to drink coffee and everything constantly. I buy coffee in the morning and then put the mug in my F-150 cup holder or in my lap (it never spills, EVER) or in my messenger bag side pocket while I ride my bike. I mix my drink by flipping the mug upside down and smirking. The lid is brilliantly designed, it has rubber to seal and plastic to hold the rubber. The gasket is both removable and replaceable, which means you can actually clean it, unlike other mugs. The lid is replaceable, see Aladdin's wonderful website. The lid lines up perfectly on mine and my husbands. I don't want to sound like a jerk but I think you have to be a little smarter than the lid. Maybe other cups are different but I know how to line it up for a left or right hand. It's pretty easy with practice. Did I mention it DOES NOT LEAK? Really. The only time you'll get some coffee out is if you fill it past the threads and then screw the top on. But duh, why are you doing that? Also- if you're having trouble with coffee flow, blow a little air into the tiny air hole. Sometimes it gets water trapped in it. The handle hooks well onto bike handlebars. It's the best mug ever. The lid screws on firmly, which is why it doesn't leak.

(legalese)

Project

2009-11-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

I put new tape on my handlebars. Sonar is impressed.

Still Missed.

2009-11-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

Click Me

2009-10-30T14:40:00.002-05:00

http://bitsofwisdom.org/2009/10/21/interesting/perception/

Momma Albatross(es) Feed Baby Chicks Plastic

2009-10-28T16:34:00.002-05:00

Plastic is not the answer. Recycling is not the answer.

http://www.midwayjourney.com/

http://reusablebags.typepad.com/blog/

http://www.reusablebags.com/vision.php?id=28

Wonderdog,

2009-10-27T16:04:00.003-05:00

Your frito-smelling feet, soft-floppy ears, nudging-persistant nose, goldeny-yellowy fur, bread-begging ways, sharp-startling bark, sniffing-wandering gait, big-fence jumping, many-bone hiding, rain-outside disdaining, brown-rabbit hunting, and all-heart stealing self will be sorely missed on this earth.

Here's to heaven filled with rabbits, sun-drenched fields, bread, people to brush you, puddles to drink out of, sausage pizzas, and a heart and lungs that won't let you down.

Save me a spot in the sun, and we won't need a leash.

Update on Snack Bags

2009-10-14T05:17:00.003-05:00

I took my first sandwich in the Snack Bags. I'm feeling a little befuddled. My bread dried out. Apparently the wonderful breathability of Nylon is allowing my bread to breathe. I was carrying the Snack Bag inside a cotton cloth lunch bag. I wonder: if I carried the little Snack Bags in an overall less breathable outside bag- like, for instance, one of the ACME workhorse shopping bags that has silicone in it (is that less breathable? I think so...) Or perhaps if my sandwich was more "snuggled" into the cloth lunch bag, like wrapped a little more instead of free floating- since you could fit about 3-4 pb & j's into one Snack Bag. Experiment time!

Also: so the picture of the bag holding water previous: the bag can only do that when the outside of the bag is dry. I believe this phenomenon has something to do with water tension. If the outside is dry, the bag holds water as though it were plastic. If the outside is rubbed with water, then water goes right through. I'll post pictures. It's fascinating.

Displeased.

2009-10-12T19:56:00.001-05:00

Off to the Vet.

The scoop: Tibbs has a heart murmur. Of course.

Rare.

2009-10-12T19:54:00.000-05:00

The Filling Begins

2009-10-11T22:37:00.001-05:00

Pie, You Are My Density!

2009-10-11T20:31:00.001-05:00

Just fulfilling a little string of my genetic code called: I BAKE PIES FROM SCRATCH.

Summer Downpour

2009-10-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

Sleeping and Eating like a Rockstar

2009-10-10T23:11:00.003-05:00

Here's the way his paw SHOULD look (and does now.) (Above)

Here's how Kayak's paw looked when swollen. (Above)

Sleeping like a rock now, his breathing is like a regular dog's.

He loves this couch. He jumps on it more now, hardly ever coughs, and almost NEVER wakes up right away when we get home.

The change came about 2 weeks ago. He started a new drug, called hydrochlorothiazide. He also went off his food for about 48 hours, wouldn't eat anything, so I gave him chicken and rice. He gobbled that up, and about 3 days after his vet visit, the swelling dropped, nearly overnight. He has been eating chicken, rice, yogurt, olive oil, and frozen mixed veggies and chopped apples ever since. I tried mixing kibble back in but it gave him diarrhea. So I'm cooking for him and he looks and seems to feel better than he has in the last year. I think the new drug combo is really great and the higher quality protein is really helping. I'm still concerned about the long term balance of nutrients though. He has a checkup in about a week, so I'm going to ask about the nutrition.