Feeling a bit 'fragile' today

Might have to do with both the weather and the nice long walk through Perth Zoo yesterday. Jean did notice I was limping a bit but I didn't let it stop me from enjoying the day. So, all snugged up in freshly made up bed, under warm blankets. Have a DVD at the ready.

Ziggy is doing much better now. Doesn't seem to be compulsively licking her foot bald. Today, with Wing helping, Ziggy was 'supervising' us making the bed. That means with every different layer of sheet/blanket, we had to pick her up and put her on top of it. She was purring and seemed to be enjoying herself. Maybe Wing not waiting until she is yowling for his attention is working. :) She has always been a high maintenance cat, and she doesn't like to be ignored.

It's a toss up on which is stupider

Paul Ryan for saying Obama broke a promise to keep a GM plant open. Or the tea-bagger drones applauding him that refuse to remember that it was closed long before Obama took office.

GOP presidential campaign is a bucket load of false, seasoned with racist rhetoric, and garnished with flat out lies... AND they ostracize any honest republican who dares to call them out on their lies, or refuses to back up those lies.

Talk about art imitating life

Watched latest episode of "The Newsroom". I think I like this show as it rings true, and nails home some very valid issues.

Why has the states that have passed or in the process of trying to have passed, "Voter ID Laws" are all states where certain segments of the population won't vote Republican, and these ID laws prevent those segments from voting been allowed to get away with this? Republican drafted bills, republican passed, Republican Governor approved. Why isn't this being addressed even more vocally, louder, more often.

Why is the Tea-Publicans being allowed to buy this election by such underhanded, Un-American, methods.

Great weather for outdoor chores

So, today I weeded out my potted veggie/herb plants. Fed all of them, including the lime tree, fig tree, lillipilly and rosemary shrubs. I trimmed some branches of the fig tree, so it will grow upward, rather than out.

Weeded out all the gumtree seedlings sprouting in my potted lime tree. Then I noticed that the ants have set up aphids all over the blossoms/new fruit as if it was a frigging supermarket. Break out the organic bug spray and gloves. Much squishing where I could, spraying where I would end up tearing the blossoms off. After all the weeding, trimming, spraying, they all got a good watering (extra plant food for my rosemary, as it seems a bit scraggly)

Got a second wrist splint because the one I've been steadily using needs to be washed, and it takes a day or two for it to dry. I really don't want to have any setbacks on the improvement of carpal tunnel. Unfortunately, I couldn't find another one exactly like it. This one fits differently. It's taking some getting used to. Feels awkward, but I'm sure I'll get accustomed to it in due time.

You are forever among the stars now :( RIP

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dies at age 82.

(CNN) -- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 82.

"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures," Armstrong's family said in a statement.

Armstrong underwent heart surgery this month.

I will always remember as a child staying awake to watch you take those first steps onto the lunar surface.

RIP, Mission Commander Armstrong, you are now and forever among the stars. Thank you for inspiring humanity to look beyond what they could only see from their window.

Just when I was thinking about tossing them

Ziggy has decided to revisit and use the Cubby Cubes.



At least with her curled up in it, we know she isn't licking any spots on her leg until they're bald. :)

Oops, i went and did it this time

I think I annoyed my stepfather when I called bullshit on his "Obama making free speech a felony". He just sent me an email "Paul, Rachel and the kids are having the time of their lives in Hawaii."

That's his none to subtle way of saying "Paul told me he hasn't called you."

Wasted effort on his part as I wasn't expecting Paul to actually call me.

My step father keeps forwarding me emails whose source of information is FAUX NOISE. This time, it was some folderol about the Obama administration making free speech a felony. Of course FAUX said don't bother to check SNOPES or any other fact finding groups.

My step father keeps forwarding me emails whose source of information is FAUX NOISE. This time, it was some folderol about the Obama administration making free speech a felony. Of course FAUX said don't bother to check SNOPES or any other fact finding groups.

Why did FAUX say don't look it up? Because not only was it bullshit, but it also earned the "It's a lie" level of PANTS ON FIRE.

Next time he sends me another one of these Obama is a socialist emails, I'm going to tell him he had better stop taking his Navy Pension, then, because the Navy (all military, actually) is a socialist organization, and that he's sucking money from a socialist fund.

Now that the antiseptic wipes have been used, and wounds treated...

We gave Ziggy a bath, to clean the fur on the irritated leg. Unfortunately, Wing is a bit too tenderhearted when it came to hold her ( I showed him how to grip her front feet so she could get no leverage or scratch, but he didn't do it. She tagged him on the right side of his face, missing his eye, but snagging his lip. Cleaned, treated and all good.). I managed to clamp my arm over her, keeping her pinned to my side while leaving her back legs in the warm water to be laved with gentle soap, Ziggy squalling and complaining for all she was worth.

Plucked her out of the water and thrust her at Wing. He was ready, and wrapped her up in my terry cloth robe. I gave her a brisk rub down. During that, she managed to YOINK herself out of the cone. She got away by getting under the bed.


While she was under there, I attended to Wing's and my wounds.

I broke out what I had been holding in reserve; a pristine piece of plastic wrap for her to slobber over. She came out from under the bed and proceeded to get up on the wardrobe. We got the step ladder out, got her down, patted and petted, and put the cone back on. Hated do that to her again, but the last thing we need to do is have her lick that area raw again. She has sort of forgiven us. She is not hiding under the bed, has come to sit in this room with me and is enjoying a bit of a nosh.

Yes, I know my posts have been Ziggy-centric

But when you have a pet that is stuck in a cone (she still looks like a furry nautilus when walking backward) you kind of have to be a bit more umm in attendance. Shortly before 5am, I feel itty bitty feet walking up the back of my leg. Those steps ended on my butt, where she decided was a nice soft warm spot to sleep.

Her healing leg is itchy as all get out. Poor thing sticks her leg out and licks the inside of the cone. We take mercy on her, and gently clean the area was a warm wet cloth, and give it a big of a soft not abrasive rub. It seems to help.

So, small 4.5kg (not quite 10lb) kitty got me up before 5am.

Poor little muffin

Ziggy is still in the "CONE OF SHAME". But I have to say her back leg is looking much better. It's no longer red and inflamed. It's 'skin' colored with signs of healing aka flaky dry. And now it's obviously itchy as all get out. Wing and I noticed her trying lick it through the cone. So, we took mercy on her, and gently rubbed the area, and also washed it with warm water. She seemed much relieved.

In a few days, we should see fur starting to grow back, and when the happens, we will remove the cone. If she starts it up again, back comes the cone. That and a small bottle of rescue remedy to chill her out.

She's back in the Cone of Shame again

Now instead of rubbing chin raw, she has licked her back leg until she made a bald spot again. Instead of fighting with her to get some foul tasting topical ointment on it, which we have to catch and manhandle her to get done, it's the cone.

We've taken her to a vet, and there is no skin problem, or parasites. It's become a habit with her, and by using the cone/collar, we will try to break the habit.

Gardening done for today

Took my brand new weed trimmer and assaulted the overgrown weeds. Two battery recharges, three rounds and one blade change. Solar lawn lights are visible now and finally getting recharged. My hands and lower arms are sore from the vibrations of the trimmer, but a good friend suggested I get foam lined gloves to help mitigate it.

Ziggy managed to get the side door open, and snuck outside. I get up, look and spot the door opened about 3 inches. first thing that ran through my mind was "Oh $hit." I go outside, look to the left and there she is, standing in the middle of the potted lemongrass. I scooped her up (of course she squalled) and brought her inside.

I sat down, and watched her. She jumped off the sofa and headed to the side door. So, I got up quietly and watched her. She grabbed the lock peg on the bottom of the door, and pulled. Be damned if the door didn't start opening. I shooed her off, and checked the door. We have to make sure the door is fully seated in the door frame from now on, and we are planning to get her a belled collar with a name tag. It's not that we aren't being careful, it's that she is just that intelligent and sneaky. :)

That went well

About 2 months ago, on my way back from the dentist office, my bike and I took a fall due to uneven pavement (undermined from the torrential rains we had had for almost a week).

Today, the weather was nice, warm, and clear so I got my bike out, dusted it off, checked the tires and chain, grabbed my bike helmet and went for a ride. I didn't go far or for too long, just a few meandering laps of the neighborhood. Was I nervous about it? Oh hell yes. And that little idiot who decided to turn in front of me while he was driving his little ramped up 4 cylinder car didn't make things any less nerve-wracking.

I was able to work the hand brakes, and shift gears, so this is good. Was worried that the carpal tunnel would make it difficult or too painful to squeeze the calipers, but no problem. So, this means I can get back on my bike riding regimen. Yay!

It's not only the plans of mice and men that don't work out

Because of being on short rations of down time the past few weeks, I set out to get to sleep early last night. Got ready for bed early, warm jammies, nice dark room, relaxing atmosphere. Snugged up under the warm blankets.

Not two minutes after I was comfortable, my left leg was twitching with pins and needles from the hip to toes. I tried shifting in hopes that it was pressure related. No such luck. So I get up and walk around a bit until it abates. Back into bed, only to have it start up again. I had one twitchy leg, and one very annoyed by the twitching leg annoyed cat.

I know the twitching/pins and needles is actually a 'good' sign that the once damaged nerves are growing back, but why does it have to start when I'm trying to go to sleep?

It is helping

Been wearing a wrist splint for about a week to help with carpal tunnel. It's helping. I'm not having the numbness in my thumb and two fingers, and the feeling of having my palm skewered is muchly diminished. But the splint does make doing some things a bit awkward as it prevents the wrist from flexing.

Ziggy no longer wears the CONE OF SHAME. The spot on her chin has healed and is in no danger of ripping it open when she scratches. And like the last time she was in the cone, she is a bit more mellow and needy. Sure beats her snooty diva-ish behavior. :)

Seems to be set up now

Finished setting up my Sony Vaio. It's stripped down version (software-wise) of my desktop. I can use it as portable photo preview/editing machine, and to use it for travel. I did shut off the back lit keyboard, though. I know in dim situations it will come in handy, but don't need it on all the time.

There is an art exhibition at the PopUp Gallery in Subiaco, and yours truly has some of her photos on exhibit there.

Been a long week for me. Prepping for photo shoot, 6+ hr photo shoot, then processing the images. I was hoping to get 100 processed images, but I forgot to factor in that I would be making panoramas of 7 to 10 images, thereby cutting back the full amount of photos. Would like to go back to the school and get some more photos of the staff and volunteers. Will see about arranging that.

Well, Night all... not to be mistaken with Nytol.