When it rains, it pours...

Well, the family is facing another health issue.

Late last week my sister, Sherry, had surgery to do some internal reconstruction. The surgeon found a tumor in her bladder. It is definitely cancerous. We don't know the definitive results of all the tests they ran after she got out of surgery, but we do know that her lymph nodes are clear.

The belief is that the tumor is a superficial one that has not yet invaded the muscle tissue. She spoke with one of her doctors today, but not the urologist, so we don't have definite answers, but should know on Tuesday what the situation is. It is sounding like superficial, but we just don't know for certain.

The good news is that about 20 years ago she worked for an up and coming urologist that was really making a name for himself. She was his right hand in establishing his research office. He is now a well known specialist, author of several books, pioneered some approaches, and is chief of surgery at a hospital in NY along with a professor and many other titles. She is going to call him to get his personal referral to a urologist in Texas that he thinks is the best available.

So, at least she will be able to get a top notch urologist to take care of her.

Here is hoping the tumor is only superficial and not invasive.

Positive vibes folks, positive vibes.

Exxon Mobil shatters US record for annual profit

Well, well, well.

Who wants cars that don't use oil?

Certainly not the execs and board at Exxon.

a quote from the article:

"HOUSTON – Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a U.S. company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell 33 percent from a year ago.

The previous record for annual profit was $40.6 billion, which the world's largest publicly traded oil company set in 2007."

Imagine if the people of the USA had a wee bit more of that money in their pockets. A reasonable profit for Exxon and a reasonable price at the pumps. They could use it to "spend, spend, spend" and spread it around a little bit more and maybe, just maybe, a few more people would still be employed and the wheels on the capitalist bus would still be turning instead of sitting still waiting to dry rot.

"you lack focus/direction/x"

I have heard this from a few people in my life and suspect it is on the tips of many people's silent tongues. Those people who don't, in my mind, GET IT, so to speak.

Never have I seen such a succinct phrasing...

"...pushed by an anthropological mind that shoots out in all directions when engaged..." Small 1998. Our Babies, Ourselves.

Yes, organically holistic unable and unwilling to put blinders on when life is so complex and interesting. I prefer to shoot out in all directions, thank you very much.

I am, btw, thoroughly enjoying the first chapters of above referenced book - of course it echoes my mindset on culture and childrearing. kinda like someone took my thoughts and gave them academic validation through managing to get the book published. In some ways that approach to privileging ideas sucks, but it is working for me at the moment...

there is a particular anthropologist reading this blog that might consider checking the above book out of the public library and adding it to the commute reading shelf...

ok, back at it...

ummm... Starbucks or bust

Ok, you know those companies you love to despise - right or wrong---

well, guess who is going to start making trips to the local Starbucks?????

Get this:

Starbucks high calorie choices
- Venti with whole milk

Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate - whip 790

Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème - whip 750

Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate - whip 740

Signature Hot Chocolate - whip 690

Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème - whip 670

Iced Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate - whip 660

Tazo® Green Tea Frappuccino® Blended Crème - whip 650

White Hot Chocolate - whip 640

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino® Blended Crème - whip 630

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® Blended Crème - whip 600

So, there is a particularly skinny mother of mine that is gonna become a Starbucks addict!


We are headed to the airport to pick up a couple of friends who went to DC - primarily for an uncles funeral at Arlington, but also to attend the inagural festivities... we are looping outta the way to hit the Starbucks enroute to pick them up - so she is gonna be sucking on at least 600 calories on the ride to the airport...

then we are going out for lunch after leaving the airport.

Goal? Fatten little skinny minny back up!

42 and the Story of Stuff

forty-two

42

XLII

٤٢

degrees people! on Friday. This evening we are to hit about 38 and Friday, glorious friday, my popsicle behind might actually thaw a bit... conflicting reports on temps over the next week. Some places forecast a relatively balmy period of low 40's and other say bitter winter is coming back. Anyway, I am taking my day of over 40 and will be happy with it even if it is the only one for a while!

Boy had I forgotten the "hope of spring."

So, Mom is on the rebound!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to see Danny Glover speak tonight and then on Friday I am taking mom out for a short outing. She gets tired real easy right now, it'll take a while to get her strength back, but she will.

So, for those of you who have not seen the Story of Stuff - it is 20 minutes long - here is a link to the video: http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html (it is available in 11 languages).

Move over JFK...

America seems to have a new prince.

He's charming.

He's debonair.

He's handsome.

He's articulate.

He's intelligent.

He's multicultural.


I didn't intend to be a tvaholic today.

In fact, I had no plans to watch at all.

Then about 10:30 am I realized how important this was to mom, and how this was probably the first MAJOR event that she was going to experience without Dad there.

Dad would have been taping every second of every station broadcasting the event. That was Dad. He has endless video at the house of the Loma Prieta earthquake and aftermath. He has endless hours of videos of many big news events. He has thousands of VHS tapes. My dad, the cameraman.

So, at the 11th hour I jerked on my boots, didn't bother to tie them and bolted out the door headed for mom's. I drove well over the speed limit to get there before 11. I watched the inauguration with her until they left for the luncheon.

I kinda got sucked into his boyish charm and infectious smile.

It was also nice to hear sentence after sentence come out making sense and with all of the words in the right order.

When I got home, the TV ran until 11:30 pm.

I listened as reporters talked to older black Americans who sadly never thought they would see this day.

I listened to the young people of the country express that now anything was possible for them, that feeling of total invincibility.

Not that naive feeling of a young kid, but the feeling racing through young adults, already experienced enough with life to know they are not invincible. Yet, today, they knew they could do anything.

Be anything.

I know that feeling. I have had that feeling as an adult.

Something happened that night, in rural northern CA, under a blanket of stars, barefoot in the dirt, making tobacco offerings in honor of my native ancestors, beating that drum, raising my voice to the cosmos, purging my most closely guarded secrets to total strangers, invoking the energy of the goddesses, all the while feeding and stoking the fire that I would help rake into a bed of hot coals.

It was a workshop at a women's music festival in Hopland. It consisted of four hours of ritual ceremony that culminated in my firewalking. A workshop that I was not interested in attending, but went to, in support of two others who intended to walk.

That feeling changes lives.

Somewhere in a moving box in the attic I have a green index card with a rubber stamped image of a dragon. On it, on that night, I wrote the words "I walk on fire, I can do anything I desire."

It changed my life in the years that followed: it permanently altered the course of my life.

Millions of people had their firewalking ceremony today.

May all those young people realize their new found potential.

Here's to you, Mr. President...

the hot coals for a nation,

nay,

world of young hearts.


Hey... he is the son of an anthropologist.

Frightening Thought

I cannot believe I just had this thought.

Really and truly astonished by it.

Maybe I should get my Ph.D.

Not right now, of course... I am still way up to my eyes in dual masters degrees.

Not sure I actually need one, but I just realized that if I could teach cross cultural child studies that I would be good at teaching that.

I am in a class called Early Childhood Social Development and in reading classmates discussion board posts, realize just how much need there is. I am really enjoying responding to them and helping them see how ethnocentric their views are. Many take our culture's practices to be the "natural" and correct way to raise children. Many are human development majors. I kinda fear for the world's children since what "works" (ok I could debate this for hours on end) for American children is not an exportable plug and play package, yet people (the 'authorities") are starting to do that. Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Think about how the Missionaries impacted cultures around the world. Exporting our approach to correct child rearing practices is just as frightening.

I could probably teach with my master's in anthro, but to get an elusive tenure track position, I would have to have the Ph. D. It won't happen. I have too much going on in my next 10 years to add that to it.

I am just astonished that I actually considered it without that knee jerk "no freakin" way response.

I am, actually, gulp, highly focusing on getting a Federal job. What makes it frightening is that here in Dayton, most of the Federal jobs are very tied to the military and I am not a big fan of killing people or supporting the killing of people. Yes, I know my tax dollars pay for the military and the execution of prisoners, but still... anyway, it makes the absolute most sense if I can find something that will meet my needs for pay and job satisfaction. It will also allow me to transfer back to CA if I am not retired before coming back. I kinda hope I will be retired, because that will mean that mom will have lived into her late 90's (if she is healthy, I very much want that). If I am retired it won't matter, but if not, I can transfer and then retire with a government pension along with (or in place of SS).

Ok, back to my studies. Just needed to purge that Ph.D thought!

Birds hit plane??? or Plane hits birds?

To my mind those are two different things...

Birds are naturally in the air. Airplanes are there because we elect to put them there, so I am thinking that the news about the birds hitting the plane in DC really should be stated that the plane hit the birds.

anyway, it is little things that work to frame and reinforce thought processes that really peeve me.

Damn birds, what the hell are they doing trying to fly where humans want to be?

Silly creatures.

Anyway... plumbing is fixed and it is a whopping 3 below at noon.

Brrr

Snuggie still wants me to let him outside. He went out this morning when it was about 9 below, but I made him come in after about 5 minutes.

he'll just have to pee and poop in the box or on my rugs...

A tale for your amusement...

Greetings my warm clime network!

Update on mom before the story starts:

So, mom has not been well, sort of since about xmas. She was bit by her male cat and when we went to the dr. she got the required antibiotic and also another rx that apparently was to help her gain back the 9 lbs she lost (mom cannot afford to lose any weight and struggles to gain a pound a year, literally).

Well, she started having runny BM's and some mean gas pains, so the dr cut the antibiotic in half. That helped, but then it got worse again. She went on the BRAT diet supplemented with gatorade. Well, she had lost another 4 pounds and was down to just over 108 pounds. So the stubborn old cow finally agreed to go back to her dr.

So, the story starts...

I woke up around 4 am and the bedroom and bath was much colder than usual. It was about 0 outside, but the furnace was running fine. Well, I laid in bed worried about mom until 7 am. I got up and went into the bathroom, leaned down to turn on the hot water to start the shower and nothing. Cold water? Nothing.

F F F. So, my mind is now whirling. My garage is warmer than mom's basement. If my pipes are froze... so are hers. She has serious BM issues and no toilet is not good at all. So I toss on something warm and head down into the basement and open the door that leads to the garage.

Bitter blast of artic air hits me in the face and I notice that I have a nice big opening out to the driveway where the damn garage door is supposed to be blocking my view. The door apparently bounced back open last night when I closed it about 6pm and had been allowing negative temperature air into the garage all night. All my bathroom pipes are exposed in the garage ceiling.

Yes. Are we having fun kids?

Well, ok I am relieved because this means mom's pipes are probably fine and I just have to deal with mine.

Well, I get breakfast, feed the cats and clean up some to go to mom's because she promised she would call the doc first thing when they open at 9 am (yes, 9 am).

It snowed on Wednesday, so I knew I had to shovel the walks, so I spent a few minutes fiddling with the hairdryer on the pipes, but decided mom getting to the doctor was more important. So, I turned off the main water supply to the house and left for mom's.

I started shoveling and then sweeping the walks. Thanks to my totally awesome Gordini Dry Max waterproof mittens that I bought for snowboarding (and gave up when I nearly snapped my neck) my fragile little digits stayed nice and toasty. My bum, however got a wee bit chilly even with the extra pounds I have added on for winter insulation.

I went inside and Mom had already talked to the doctor and the doc said "get over here" so we went the to doctor and I told the doc that I was highly suspicious of the coincidence betwee the celexa rx being started and the BM issues (mom has no other meds - was supposed to be on an osteoporosis med, but stopped taking it a couple of years ago - we corrected that) so it seemed odd that it would be anything else.

Well, she told mom to stop taking the celexa (the dose is very low, so according to her, no danger of serious side effects from mom just stopping cold turkey). I am sticking real close by anyway...coming off an anti-depressent seems like a risky period especially for a grieving widow. Although mom maintains she is not depressed, just lonely.

Well, we left the dr.'s with a rx for a stronger anti-diahrhea (sp???) than you can get over the counter (those and the otc gas pills were not touching her problems). We went to the Cub grocery store mom and dad always use for meds. They did not have it in stock. They nicely called the Walgreens down the street. They had them, yippee.

So, we went over to Walgreens with a very tired mommy. She went in to get the rx and I went to the autostore next door.

Ohh. yeah, forgot to say her car battery was completely dead. I tested it at less than a volt and when it takes 12 to start the car, well that ain't gonna get it. So the fellow at the autostore needed to know the size of the engine. Apparently there are 2 different engines for the 2002 civic. Great. No, I did not know the engine size, but I will from now on!

So I go back to the Walgreens and she is at the pharmacy window. Walgreens lost the contract with the insurance provider that covers mom's meds, so even though they have those pills, we can't get them. Nice. She suggests the Target down the road.

We arrive at Target. I do the paperwork cause mom has never taken an rx there, and mom goes to the snack bar to sit and see if there is something she might feel like she can put in her poor tummy. The clerk says it will be ready at 12:05. that was about 20 minutes. So I go and sit with mom, who decided that deep fried chicken fingers was what she wanted to try. Well, I arrived just in the nick of time. I guided her to a more tame ham sandwich (sans cheese and spinach) and she ate nearly half of it.

Just as I was going back to the pharmacy (deep in the bowels of the target) they paged mom to the pharmacy. Not good.

Well, turns out they don't have the medication on hand either!

You know that saying about don't shoot the messenger? Well, I was the messenger and I was a wee bit worried about approaching mom with that little piece of paper instead of a bag. She was not amused and was exhausted already.

I had the good sense to ask them to call another pharmacy that I knew would take mom's insurance and to verify that they had 90 pills in stock. They did. We went. They filled the rx and when I opened that bag on the way out (mom stayed in the car with the motor running) and nearly hurt myself laughing.

I have never seen such a large bottle of pills in an rx bottle. The damn thing must be 6 inches tall! Mom got a good chuckle out of it when I showed it to her, then she wondered how she would swallow them. She did...

So I took dear mommy home, she went straight to bed and I cleaned her kitchen while she napped. After she woke up and was at least as fine as she has been, I went home to let POOR SNUGGIE outside.

Now little boy went out for like 3 minutes at about 7:30 this morning and I am sure he made no deposits. It was about 3 (time and temp) when I got home and he had been in since 7 pm the night before. He went out, came back, went out and came back all in the span of about 15 minutes. He then jumped on the back of the couch and looked out the window.

I decided I needed to deal with my plumbing issues. I go downstairs and turn the water main back on and can see a steady stream of water pouring from a pipe right behind the car. Ok. there is a shut off valve on that pipe. So I shut the main back off, get the little ladder, go over to the side of the car to reach up to shut off the line valve. The side of the car is freshly wet... huh???

There are no pipes above that part of the car. So I shut the valve off, turn the main back on in hopes that the water will stop flowing and I can at least use the toilet or the kitchen sink or something. No such luck. Apparently the leak was before the line shut off. But I did find where the water came from that was spewing on the side of the car! There is an indoor garden hose spiggot and that wee little copper pipe split open.

So, I call the plumber. Now, remember that we have had below 0 temps and, well, for you lifetime warmlanders, pipes freeze, lots of pipes freeze. Plumbers are BUSY as all get out. I joke around with the plumbers wife and she says they'll call me back when she knows something.

OK, I have been sucking down DDP all day. My toilet does not have enough water to rise above that little neck part and I have no idea when they will be coming. Willie is a committed guy and they will work 24/7 and not charge overtime rates. Crazy man. So I am pretty sure he will be here tonight, but it literally may be midnight when he calls asking, can I come over now?

Well, I was giving the TumbleFur gang some attention and just happened to notice Snuggie enter the liter box closet in the office. Wow.

I don't think he has used the liter box since the first day he was allowed outside after we moved to Kia Rio. I am happy that he is wise enough to piss in the warm instead of doing it at 5 degrees.

About five minutes later I happen to glance in the office and see him hunkered down over my favorite red prayer rug I brought back from Iran. It is in the office enroute to the liter box. He was pissing on it.

Now. I have a cat pissed soaked persian prayer rug and NOT a drop of water. I tossed it out on the front porch and wiped the floor down with the enzymes for animal oopsyies and then went out in the freakin 5 degrees to pour it on the rug. I went back out 5 minutes later to blot it and was not happy to see the hand dyed red blotting off on my white terry work towel.

Can't leave the cat piss smell in it or might as well just shred it and put it in the liter box, so I just toss the rug over the porch rail and come inside.

Can't wash my hands though. No water. Cat piss, enzymes and I used up all my hand sanitizer back when I was going to the park to pee before I got the john installed.

Nice.

So, HOW IS YOUR DAY?

Gotta run, I think the plumber is here... yippee. Gotta go, gotta go.

The state of things

well, from the files of

"what bites":

I just finished creating 2 new folders under the "resume" folder.

One of those new folders is titled "BA resume."

Now, with a certificate in nonprofit management, a nearly completed masters in organizational management and a nearly completed masters in applied anthropology, why on earth would I have a resume that is titled BA resume?

cause.

cause I can only find jobs that either "desire" a bachelors degree, or that don't even mention it, or a few that require it.

So, if I am honest about it, I won't ever get in the door.

so, I am applying for the few jobs I see open that do not require medical skills, engineering skills, or are a bank teller, sales account manager, or semi-truck driver, and that I think I can reduce my resume far enough to get an interview.

Here is the hard part.

I have to talk in that interview. I screwed up the one interview I had, by failing to speak at the same level I wrote the resume. This is only the second time in my life I have interviewed for a job and not been hired. I don't like that feeling...regardless of the job tasks.

so, we'll see if I can keep my trap shut and not really talk about my experiences beyond maybe redesinging the office filing system and saving money on supplies or something like that. yea.

well, I better get back at it... there are not many of them out there so I have to be vigilant. My days of being able to "not really work" are rapdily approaching...

put good vibes to the universe for me!

My heart is heavy

I just got word that my dear friend Kelley has lost her dad. He died in his sleep yesterday afternoon. He was too young, she is too young.

Kelley is one of the absolutely most amazing, sweet, wonderful, loving, geniune and sincere people I have ever had the privilege to know.

It pains me that she must go through this far too early in life. I had the pleasure of meeting her dad, mom and sister on a visit they made to SF. Totally delightful, fun and enjoyable people to be around.

Well, I am just sitting here crying for her and her family, with that familiar feeling of ones chest caving in on their heart.

If you have any spiritual practice, please include love and support for the Clements family.

Kelley, sweetie, I love you.

Costco or BUST !!!!!!!!

Yea!!!!

There is a Costco here, AND, it is conveniently located on the way to Jungle Jim's!

There isn't one here in Dayton, and given my life these last 6 months, I didn't bother to check around to see if there was one anywhere around.

Well, I just checked, longing for my Costco TP and those bulk packages of Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausages, and

Yipee!

An update on life here:

20 degrees and about an inch of snow on the ground - grass & leaves still poking through, but it is fairly white out there.

Got my hairs cut today. Lucky enough to find a stylist the first time out. I have seen her several times now and still happy with it, so feel lucky about that.

Mom is sick. She has a virus that is going around here. She has lost ANOTHER 2 pounds since December 15th, making her weight 110 pounds. This time last year she was at a chubby (for her) 121. It takes her about a year to gain a pound (literally) so we have our work cut out for us. When she is fully recovered from this virus, she is supposed to be pounding 3 Ensures (or Boosts) per day plus her normal meals. I was working on stretching her pea sized stomach before she got sick, now we are set back even farther...

some bad news in the family. My mom's niece (her youngest brother's youngest daughter) was killed by her 20 year old son back in mid-Dec, but the murder was not discovered until Jan. 4th when her body was found. Last time I had any real contact with her was when we were in elementary school. She lived in Chicago and we would visit when we visited my mammaw. Mom saw her occassionally over the years, but it was not a close relationship. All the same the situation is horrible and it is one more emotional hurdle for her.

Classes have started back up and I have a bit more focus and energy than last quarter. I feel that bit of depression has subsided some and now I am just dealing with feeling cold all the damn time - ooh for the hot flashes, but I suppose they are still about 5 years away... so, I am adding cayenne, chili flakes, tumeric and liberal amounts of garlic and onions to my diet. They are all suppose to help with circulation.

This is how my bed looks about every afternoon between 3 and 5 pm. Yup, the walls are still NOT painted and I'll probably wait for slightly warmer weather....



and, this is how it looks mid-morning as I attempt to job hunt and do homework:




well, I need to get back to my reading about pygmy infants in Zaire, so I'll sign off hoping this finds you all doing well.