Gratitude is the Attitude Day 8
What am I thankful today as I continue this three week odyssey of gratitude and being thankful?
I'm thankful for still having options even though, for all intents and purposes, I don't really deserve any more options.
And let's just leave it at that for now.
Sep 29, 2009I'm thankful for still having options even though, for all intents and purposes, I don't really deserve any more options.
And let's just leave it at that for now.
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 7
Woops, missed a day yesterday again. For some reason I'm having a hard time staying on task.
A third of the way in and I'm still finding plenty to be grateful for.
Today's gratitude goes to my brother. I'm grateful that he took the time to talk with me at length the other day to try and help us get our financials sorted out. In the course of the conversation it came to my attention that I am very likely suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. He strongly and repeatedly urged me to seek a professional diagnosis and get started on some medication to help me out.
I have an appointment scheduled for this coming Monday, the soonest I could, and will look forward to seeing what it is like not having my mind pulled in fifteen directions at once.
So, thank you, Peter. I really do appreciate your efforts, your caring about me/us and your advice.
Sep 28, 2009A third of the way in and I'm still finding plenty to be grateful for.
Today's gratitude goes to my brother. I'm grateful that he took the time to talk with me at length the other day to try and help us get our financials sorted out. In the course of the conversation it came to my attention that I am very likely suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. He strongly and repeatedly urged me to seek a professional diagnosis and get started on some medication to help me out.
I have an appointment scheduled for this coming Monday, the soonest I could, and will look forward to seeing what it is like not having my mind pulled in fifteen directions at once.
So, thank you, Peter. I really do appreciate your efforts, your caring about me/us and your advice.
I Have, Metaphorically, Shot Myself in the Foot
So, among the many things I continue to learn about this current school clusterfuck that has seen me get laid off, lose my benefits, get hired back on a part time basis and the slow and painful metering out of my tech account permissions and authority, is that I have shot myself in the foot..
One of the ironic and maddening things I've recently learned is that, in order to save what job I now have, I completely screwed over the chance of getting back to the job I used to have which was out of reach anyway due to union bumping rules and seniority totem poles. Did that make any sense?
Let me see if I can slow it down and break it apart for easier parsing.
When I was laid off last June, I was told that I stood at an unlikely sixth position on the rehire totem pole based solely on the relative merits of the date that I was hired into the school district. Which meant, given the situation then, I was almost certainly not going to get hired back.
So, I scrambled a bit, worked out a deal with one of the schools that really likes me, we hired me back on a special contract basis that circumvented the union rules. The upside is that I have work and some money coming in. The downside is that I no longer qualify for benefits.
The even worse downside is that the special arrangement I worked out with my school has been replicated at other sites. So now other positions are opening up but they are all contract positions which cost the sites about half what the same position cost last year but deny the workers any chance of getting benefits because of it.
My choices were to leave the system as it was and not have a job at all this year or to create this new paradigm for my position and screw myself out of benefits. Both options kind of suck but at least the second one is going to allow us a little more breathing room to figure out what our next move will be.
It isn't ideal by any stretch and I'd better not get sick or hurt (unless its on the job) or we're in a very bad place. It sucks that the economy is in such a bad place that our district has had 10% budget cuts the last two years and then was told to chop another $10 million by December. And, tomorrow, I'll be meeting with another group within the district that is looking to hire me for a couple more days of the week. Which is great and all but I'd be alot happier about the whole situation if I could get some damned health insurance and benefits.
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 6
One of the ironic and maddening things I've recently learned is that, in order to save what job I now have, I completely screwed over the chance of getting back to the job I used to have which was out of reach anyway due to union bumping rules and seniority totem poles. Did that make any sense?
Let me see if I can slow it down and break it apart for easier parsing.
When I was laid off last June, I was told that I stood at an unlikely sixth position on the rehire totem pole based solely on the relative merits of the date that I was hired into the school district. Which meant, given the situation then, I was almost certainly not going to get hired back.
So, I scrambled a bit, worked out a deal with one of the schools that really likes me, we hired me back on a special contract basis that circumvented the union rules. The upside is that I have work and some money coming in. The downside is that I no longer qualify for benefits.
The even worse downside is that the special arrangement I worked out with my school has been replicated at other sites. So now other positions are opening up but they are all contract positions which cost the sites about half what the same position cost last year but deny the workers any chance of getting benefits because of it.
My choices were to leave the system as it was and not have a job at all this year or to create this new paradigm for my position and screw myself out of benefits. Both options kind of suck but at least the second one is going to allow us a little more breathing room to figure out what our next move will be.
It isn't ideal by any stretch and I'd better not get sick or hurt (unless its on the job) or we're in a very bad place. It sucks that the economy is in such a bad place that our district has had 10% budget cuts the last two years and then was told to chop another $10 million by December. And, tomorrow, I'll be meeting with another group within the district that is looking to hire me for a couple more days of the week. Which is great and all but I'd be alot happier about the whole situation if I could get some damned health insurance and benefits.
What am I thankful for on day six of the 21 day meme?
I'm thankful for my naturally positive nature and buoyant attitude. I may experience periods of being down in the dumps and bothered by life circumstances or some jackass driving like a jackass but I rarely stay in a bad mood for very long. I have a tendency to shed my crappy attitude and return to being a mostly happy guy without too much trouble.
Attitude counts for alot because it is the lens through which we view our reality. If you are angry all the time then the world is angry right back at you. I choose to be happy and the world is a much better place because of it.
Because Sometimes Things Really Are Better Left Unsaid
I'm thankful for my naturally positive nature and buoyant attitude. I may experience periods of being down in the dumps and bothered by life circumstances or some jackass driving like a jackass but I rarely stay in a bad mood for very long. I have a tendency to shed my crappy attitude and return to being a mostly happy guy without too much trouble.
Attitude counts for alot because it is the lens through which we view our reality. If you are angry all the time then the world is angry right back at you. I choose to be happy and the world is a much better place because of it.
There are plenty of things in one's life that are best kept to oneself. And then there are a whole host of other things that just don't need to be published on a blog for anyone and everyone to read since I really don't have any control over who logs in here to read my posts. Nor do I have any record of these visitors save cryptic IP addresses.
It is probably saying too much even to say this. Last week was a very tough one for me emotionally. I felt deeply let down by some people that are very close to me. Since then, my attitude has ranged from disappointment to abandonment to anger to fear and all points in between.
But because I'm a naturally optimistic person, this week is bound to be different. I've got plans to make things better regardless of external sources.
I don't know what's going to be the lasting effects of what happened last week but I do know that there will be some.
Onward and upward.
Sep 27, 2009It is probably saying too much even to say this. Last week was a very tough one for me emotionally. I felt deeply let down by some people that are very close to me. Since then, my attitude has ranged from disappointment to abandonment to anger to fear and all points in between.
But because I'm a naturally optimistic person, this week is bound to be different. I've got plans to make things better regardless of external sources.
I don't know what's going to be the lasting effects of what happened last week but I do know that there will be some.
Onward and upward.
Labels: life
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 5
What am I thankful on this beautiful Sunday morning?
I'm thankful that football season has started and the Forty-Niners are off to a good start on the season (though an awful start on today's game) and that has taken some of the attention off the whimper that the end of the Giants baseball season has become.
Football is fun to watch and even more fun to watch with a bunch of pals, some beers and a bbq going outside.
What are you thankful for today?
Sep 26, 2009I'm thankful that football season has started and the Forty-Niners are off to a good start on the season (though an awful start on today's game) and that has taken some of the attention off the whimper that the end of the Giants baseball season has become.
Football is fun to watch and even more fun to watch with a bunch of pals, some beers and a bbq going outside.
What are you thankful for today?
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 4
Today's Moment of Gratitude:
I'm thankful that my neighbor's are the ones having the big party for their three year old grandson and not me. With some 20 families invited, the pandemonium is going to reach epic levels shortly.
I'm also thankful that we got a chance to play in the Scooby Doo bounce house and get my boys all tired out. They are currently napping.
Sep 25, 2009I'm thankful that my neighbor's are the ones having the big party for their three year old grandson and not me. With some 20 families invited, the pandemonium is going to reach epic levels shortly.
I'm also thankful that we got a chance to play in the Scooby Doo bounce house and get my boys all tired out. They are currently napping.
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 3
Here we go with Day 3 of the Gratitude is the Attitude meme.
What am I grateful for today?
I am grateful for the happiness of my children. Grady is a wonderful child with a great smile who loves to have fun and laughs loudly. Sully loves to tell knock knock jokes that sometimes make no sense and turn into long rambling stories but he always laughs out loud when he gets to the end.
Sep 24, 2009What am I grateful for today?
I am grateful for the happiness of my children. Grady is a wonderful child with a great smile who loves to have fun and laughs loudly. Sully loves to tell knock knock jokes that sometimes make no sense and turn into long rambling stories but he always laughs out loud when he gets to the end.
Gratitude is the Attitude Day 2
Woops, looks like I forgot that I'd gotten on another meme boat in the madness of the last couple of days. Oh well, I'll catch up right now.
What am I happy for today?
Living in California where more days than not are awesome and beautiful and the beach is a ten minute drive away. Where I can ride fantastic mountain bike trails through the redwoods in the morning and then spend the afternoon on the beach with my family.
And there's the distinct lack of freeze your ass off winter.
Sep 23, 2009What am I happy for today?
Living in California where more days than not are awesome and beautiful and the beach is a ten minute drive away. Where I can ride fantastic mountain bike trails through the redwoods in the morning and then spend the afternoon on the beach with my family.
And there's the distinct lack of freeze your ass off winter.
Gratitude is the Attitude
A neat idea from Nutsy Fagan to post a reason to be grateful everyday for the next 21 days.
So, to kick off my 21 days of Gratitude, here's what I am thankful for today.
I am thankful for the health of my family. For having two healthy and happy little boys. A healthy and getting healthier wife. For my dog who, knock on wood, has been unhurt for a long time. And for our cat that was originally free and then ended up costing something $1200 in vet's bills in the first year and a half we had her.
And, of course, for my own health that I try to never take for granted. I exercise, I try to eat healthy food more often than not (though, as any regular reader knows, I have a weakness for In-n-Out Burger) and maintain a positive outlook on life.
So there you go. What are you grateful for?
How to Add Words to Your iPhone Dictionary
So, to kick off my 21 days of Gratitude, here's what I am thankful for today.
I am thankful for the health of my family. For having two healthy and happy little boys. A healthy and getting healthier wife. For my dog who, knock on wood, has been unhurt for a long time. And for our cat that was originally free and then ended up costing something $1200 in vet's bills in the first year and a half we had her.
And, of course, for my own health that I try to never take for granted. I exercise, I try to eat healthy food more often than not (though, as any regular reader knows, I have a weakness for In-n-Out Burger) and maintain a positive outlook on life.
So there you go. What are you grateful for?
One would think a smarty-pants smartphone like the iPhone would only have to be told a new non-standard word once to remember it forever and ever. And, actually, you'd be right but it is the method of inputing the new words that is the key here.
Using some apps like Notes to enter non-standard text will not work. For whatever reason, Apple has deigned to not allow some applications to update the dictionary database.
So how do you do it? Open up Safari and enter the words into a Google search and whammo, they are instantly added to your dynamic dictionary.
Seems simple enough but I don't get why you can't update this dictionary from any application much less any native Apple app?
Oh well, now we can all happily add all the delicious swear words we want and the auto-correct will no longer try to replace "fucking" with "ducking". And life will be oh so much better because we can swear more easily. Oh boy!
Good Stuff via Twitter
Using some apps like Notes to enter non-standard text will not work. For whatever reason, Apple has deigned to not allow some applications to update the dictionary database.
So how do you do it? Open up Safari and enter the words into a Google search and whammo, they are instantly added to your dynamic dictionary.
Seems simple enough but I don't get why you can't update this dictionary from any application much less any native Apple app?
Oh well, now we can all happily add all the delicious swear words we want and the auto-correct will no longer try to replace "fucking" with "ducking". And life will be oh so much better because we can swear more easily. Oh boy!
Labels: iphone
Contained within are some of the excellent links folks have posted on Twitter and I'm going to try and collect and share them with you.Report: Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on Twitter - I retweeted this post so it works!
The Global Debt Ticker - this will make you feel slightly better about owing $20,000 and then you realize just how ridiculously enormous this number is and then you'll feel sad.
FaceBook software accurately guesses on sexual orientation by profile analysis - small sample of tests so far but the software guessed ten out of ten the first time through. Does not work on lesbians or bisexuals yet.
Schwarzenegger: Far fewer than 100 state parks will close - I'd like to see that far fewer number as close to 0 as possible.
Amazing photos of a dust storm sweeping over Sydney via PetaPixel - these are some crazy photos!
All the Interbike you need to totally feel like you are missing out on the best and most awesomest bike show in North America (even if Gary Fisher thinks Las Vegas is a terrible place to hold the show and I agree).
Life Magazine feature on UCSC from 1970s - and you think its a hippy-dippy school now?
Labels: links
UFC 103 Predictions
Just finished doing my UFC: Ultimate Fighting Championship fantasy picks for tonight's event.
Short Summary: Franklin, Dos Santos, Kampmann, Kos, Griffin, Miller, Drwal, Miller, Oliveira, Story, Brilz, Matyushenko, dos Anjos.
Rich “Ace” Franklin vs. Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
Prediction: Franklin by TKO in Round 2
Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
Prediction: Dos Santos by TKO in Round 2
Martin “Hitman” Kampmann vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley
Prediction: Kampmann by TKO in Round 3
Josh “Kos” Koscheck vs. Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg
Prediction: Kos by Unanimous Decision
Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin
Prediction: Griffin by Unanimous Decision
Efrain “Hecho en Mexico” Escudero vs. Cole “Magrino” Miller
Prediction: Miller by Submission in Round 2
Tomasz “The Gorilla” Drwal vs. Drew “The Massacre” McFedries
Prediction: Drwal by TKO in Round 1
Jim Miller vs. Steve Lopez
Prediction: Miller by Submission in Round 2
Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira vs. Nick “The Carnie” Lentz
Prediction: Oliveira by Submission in Round 3
Brian Foster vs. Rick Story
Prediction: Story by Unanimous Decision
Eliot “The Fire” Marshall vs. Jason Brilz
Prediction: Brilz by TKO in Round 2
Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajac
Prediction: Matyushenko by Unanimous Decision
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rob “The Saint” Emerson
Prediction: Dos Anjos by TKO in Round 3
Update: I did pretty well in the fantasy league this time around scoring 172 points which was good for number 113 out of 18000 and change. And I picked 8 for 13 which is a bit above my average of just over 50%. It was a good night of fights too though there were a couple of questionable early stoppages.
Sep 18, 2009Short Summary: Franklin, Dos Santos, Kampmann, Kos, Griffin, Miller, Drwal, Miller, Oliveira, Story, Brilz, Matyushenko, dos Anjos.
Rich “Ace” Franklin vs. Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
Prediction: Franklin by TKO in Round 2
Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
Prediction: Dos Santos by TKO in Round 2
Martin “Hitman” Kampmann vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley
Prediction: Kampmann by TKO in Round 3
Josh “Kos” Koscheck vs. Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg
Prediction: Kos by Unanimous Decision
Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin
Prediction: Griffin by Unanimous Decision
Efrain “Hecho en Mexico” Escudero vs. Cole “Magrino” Miller
Prediction: Miller by Submission in Round 2
Tomasz “The Gorilla” Drwal vs. Drew “The Massacre” McFedries
Prediction: Drwal by TKO in Round 1
Jim Miller vs. Steve Lopez
Prediction: Miller by Submission in Round 2
Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira vs. Nick “The Carnie” Lentz
Prediction: Oliveira by Submission in Round 3
Brian Foster vs. Rick Story
Prediction: Story by Unanimous Decision
Eliot “The Fire” Marshall vs. Jason Brilz
Prediction: Brilz by TKO in Round 2
Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajac
Prediction: Matyushenko by Unanimous Decision
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rob “The Saint” Emerson
Prediction: Dos Anjos by TKO in Round 3
Update: I did pretty well in the fantasy league this time around scoring 172 points which was good for number 113 out of 18000 and change. And I picked 8 for 13 which is a bit above my average of just over 50%. It was a good night of fights too though there were a couple of questionable early stoppages.
Labels: mma, predictions, UFC
The Whackedness of Education in California
So I've slowly come to realize that I'm a mildly hot property in the school district where I used to used work full time. But the reasons for my relative hotness are kind of annoying and a good symptom of what's wrong with education in California in general.
I don't fully understand how the system is currently set up or even what to call my situation. But it skinnies down this, I can be hired on a contract basis to work at schools. My pay rate is set by HR and is even less than what I made last year. I do not qualify for benefits meaning no health insurance which saves everyone a huge chunk of money and puts my ass out in the wind.
Everyone benefits from this arrangement except for me. I get paid a little bit less and have no protection. I cost about half of what I used to cost to hire because of the loss of the benefits which has made me a hot property.
It is ridiculous that HR is setting my pay scale lower than it was last year. In fact, I think I'm going to ask them why this is so because it is ridiculous. I need to be making more per hour to compensate for the loss of my benefits.
I actually got in touch with HR yesterday to find out why my pay rate was lower and they investigated before letting me know that I should be, and now am, getting paid at my previous rate. Which is a nice little boost and every little bit helps. We're still not where we need to be but, because I'm one of those optimist types, I feel like we are moving in the right direction with all of our revenue irons.
But I sure would like the security of some health insurance so, uh, government types, why don't you get that universal healthcare thing sorted out and enacted, m'kay?
Sep 11, 2009I don't fully understand how the system is currently set up or even what to call my situation. But it skinnies down this, I can be hired on a contract basis to work at schools. My pay rate is set by HR and is even less than what I made last year. I do not qualify for benefits meaning no health insurance which saves everyone a huge chunk of money and puts my ass out in the wind.
Everyone benefits from this arrangement except for me. I get paid a little bit less and have no protection. I cost about half of what I used to cost to hire because of the loss of the benefits which has made me a hot property.
It is ridiculous that HR is setting my pay scale lower than it was last year. In fact, I think I'm going to ask them why this is so because it is ridiculous. I need to be making more per hour to compensate for the loss of my benefits.
I actually got in touch with HR yesterday to find out why my pay rate was lower and they investigated before letting me know that I should be, and now am, getting paid at my previous rate. Which is a nice little boost and every little bit helps. We're still not where we need to be but, because I'm one of those optimist types, I feel like we are moving in the right direction with all of our revenue irons.
But I sure would like the security of some health insurance so, uh, government types, why don't you get that universal healthcare thing sorted out and enacted, m'kay?
Labels: clusterfuck, education, employment
Birthday Shoutouts to my 9/11 Peeps
There are lots of pretty cool folks born today. Let's give a quick shout out to some of them.
Ludacris, Maria Bartiromo, Harry Connick Jr., Kristy McNichol, Tom Landry, Bear Bryant, D. H. Lawrence, O. Henry, Lola Falana, Brian de Palma, Ellis Burks and, let's see, who else, oh yeah, ME!
Of course, today has been permanently clouded over by the terrorist attacks in 2001 but it will always be our birthday first.
To celebrate, we are heading to the beach with the whole family including Nande, our over-sized wild dog. And next week I am planning on going sky diving over the Monterey Bay. We're also going up to San Francisco on Tuesday for the Giants game against the Colorado Rockies, I scored a great deal on some club level seats a couple of weeks ago!
Sep 10, 2009Ludacris, Maria Bartiromo, Harry Connick Jr., Kristy McNichol, Tom Landry, Bear Bryant, D. H. Lawrence, O. Henry, Lola Falana, Brian de Palma, Ellis Burks and, let's see, who else, oh yeah, ME!
Of course, today has been permanently clouded over by the terrorist attacks in 2001 but it will always be our birthday first.
To celebrate, we are heading to the beach with the whole family including Nande, our over-sized wild dog. And next week I am planning on going sky diving over the Monterey Bay. We're also going up to San Francisco on Tuesday for the Giants game against the Colorado Rockies, I scored a great deal on some club level seats a couple of weeks ago!
Milestones
In just about a half of an hour the day will turn from September 10th to September 11th and I will turn from 39 years old to a rather astonishing 40 years old.
I haven't really done much thinking about this major change but, when I do, I'm struck by the implausibility of it. It doesn't seem possible or normal or right or anything of the sort.
I don't expect to lose my mind and go running down the street buck naked to play in traffic or anything but the thought has, obviously, crossed my mind.
Forty years old.
I had no idea I'd live this long when I was a teenager. I had no idea I'd be where I am in my life at 40. It is a rather substantial shift from 30's to 40's.
I'd hoped to have been further along by now, I'd hoped to be more settled, I'd hoped for lots more than I've got right now.
But there is hope and then there is reality. I hope that I'll be able to make my hopes more of a reality. Everyday I live is another day to move forward, another day to work for a better tomorrow for me and for my children.
There's so much that I could say, maybe should say, but I won't. I hope I have a decent birthday tomorrow and that it leads us into a year of unparalleled growth, success, peace and happiness.
In the end, I hope. I have always been hopeful, its the doing that has oftentimes stymied me. I hope tomorrow is a better day.
Why We Need Government-Run Universal Socialized Health Insurance
I haven't really done much thinking about this major change but, when I do, I'm struck by the implausibility of it. It doesn't seem possible or normal or right or anything of the sort.
I don't expect to lose my mind and go running down the street buck naked to play in traffic or anything but the thought has, obviously, crossed my mind.
Forty years old.
I had no idea I'd live this long when I was a teenager. I had no idea I'd be where I am in my life at 40. It is a rather substantial shift from 30's to 40's.
I'd hoped to have been further along by now, I'd hoped to be more settled, I'd hoped for lots more than I've got right now.
But there is hope and then there is reality. I hope that I'll be able to make my hopes more of a reality. Everyday I live is another day to move forward, another day to work for a better tomorrow for me and for my children.
There's so much that I could say, maybe should say, but I won't. I hope I have a decent birthday tomorrow and that it leads us into a year of unparalleled growth, success, peace and happiness.
In the end, I hope. I have always been hopeful, its the doing that has oftentimes stymied me. I hope tomorrow is a better day.
Found via Amy's Google Reader Feed. Makes sense to me and not just because I need health insurance, no really, that's not the only reason. We need universal healthcare because it is the right thing to do for all Americans and will, in the end, save lives AND money (regardless of what the fear mongering owned by the insurance company party of NO reps would have you believe).
Labels: healthcare, youtube
Anytime I'm feeling like I need a reminder of why I am working and who I am working for, I can look at this photograph of the three most important people in my life. One of the things I really love about this photograph is that it captures not only my family but much of each of their personalities.
Grady is a ham. He's a happy-go-lucky kid who loves having fun, being a goof (I have no idea where he gets that from) and a great big smile.
Sully is more mischievous and it comes through in his smile. He is like an ambush predator in that he'll wait until the right moment to strike and will grab something of his brother's and run away laughing like a hyena the whole time. He's also a very, very sweet kid.
My wife is beautiful but doesn't particularly like having her picture taken. She'd also been working on trying to minimize a dent in the back door of the Escape so she wasn't really thinking about photos.
Grady actually asked me to go and get my camera to take this photo and I'm really quite happy that I did. This is my family, this is why I go to work everyday, this is who I am working for.
Sep 9, 2009
Grady is a ham. He's a happy-go-lucky kid who loves having fun, being a goof (I have no idea where he gets that from) and a great big smile.
Sully is more mischievous and it comes through in his smile. He is like an ambush predator in that he'll wait until the right moment to strike and will grab something of his brother's and run away laughing like a hyena the whole time. He's also a very, very sweet kid.
My wife is beautiful but doesn't particularly like having her picture taken. She'd also been working on trying to minimize a dent in the back door of the Escape so she wasn't really thinking about photos.
Grady actually asked me to go and get my camera to take this photo and I'm really quite happy that I did. This is my family, this is why I go to work everyday, this is who I am working for.
Labels: family
Experimenting on Animals
I've been doing some testing on my dog, trying to figure out a way to cut down on her rather nasty evening gas attacks. Nande sleeps on my side of the bed with her butt sort of aimed at me from the floor. She has, on numerous occasions, woken me up solely through her rectal emissions. And yes, you are right, that is rather disgusting. Its even worse when its happening to you.
So we've tried a few things to see about reducing her ability to stink me out of a deep sleep. The gas reduction tablets from Petsmart were a total waste, not only did they not work but she was supposed to eat three or more a day and the bottle held only like 30 or 60, I can't remember. The bottle also cost something like $8 and did nothing.
Somewhere along the way, Nande started needing a fish oil gel cap to help her deal with a dry skin issue. Which worked well on her skin but took her nasty farts and turned them up from a bad 8 to a pretty horrific 11. Very bad, very, very bad.
Then it dawned on me that her gas might improve if she wasn't getting a single large gut-buster meal in the evening. I started giving her a scoop of kibble for breakfast which meant she wasn't working so hard to digest the big meal. And, lo and behold, her gas has been reduced to levels that don't seem able to shake me from my dreams anymore! Its an REM miracle!
We've also taken to mixing in a scoop of yogurt with her dinner in the hopes that the live bacteria are helping to further reduce the gas.
So far, so good and the good part is that I'm not being woken up in the middle of the night with a nose full of stankass. And that's a very good thing indeed.
Happy Triple Nines Day
So we've tried a few things to see about reducing her ability to stink me out of a deep sleep. The gas reduction tablets from Petsmart were a total waste, not only did they not work but she was supposed to eat three or more a day and the bottle held only like 30 or 60, I can't remember. The bottle also cost something like $8 and did nothing.
Somewhere along the way, Nande started needing a fish oil gel cap to help her deal with a dry skin issue. Which worked well on her skin but took her nasty farts and turned them up from a bad 8 to a pretty horrific 11. Very bad, very, very bad.
Then it dawned on me that her gas might improve if she wasn't getting a single large gut-buster meal in the evening. I started giving her a scoop of kibble for breakfast which meant she wasn't working so hard to digest the big meal. And, lo and behold, her gas has been reduced to levels that don't seem able to shake me from my dreams anymore! Its an REM miracle!
We've also taken to mixing in a scoop of yogurt with her dinner in the hopes that the live bacteria are helping to further reduce the gas.
So far, so good and the good part is that I'm not being woken up in the middle of the night with a nose full of stankass. And that's a very good thing indeed.
Labels: dog fart
Today is 09.09.09 or, if you're European, 09/09/09.
Woohoo.
That is all.
Sep 8, 2009Woohoo.
That is all.
Was That So Bad?
So, today I got to not only listen to but participate in the showing of President Barack Obama's speech to the nation's children about the importance of school. I was the A/V nerd trying to keep the streaming feed from freezing up completely. Despite several emails from the technology department, oh the much beleaguered technology department attempting to function, requesting sites to not watch the video on their individual computers in their classrooms, yes, the stream got beat all to hell, froze several times and had to be fully refreshed.
But the speech, on the whole, was worth listening to and watching. All of the mud slinging and hand wringing by the "Right" was pretty much completely and utterly for naught.
The brainwashing was incredibly subtle and sounded alot more like "Work hard and don't expect success to be handed to you on a silver platter." And yet, there were people who were totally apoplectic about even the suggestion that our leader would even consider addressing the nation's children.
In talking about the event with a friend who happens to be a Republican (which I just found out about earlier today), his take was something like this, "It doesn't matter which party you belong to, this is our President taking the time to speak to our children, put aside your differences and listen to the man, he's got something to say."
And so, without much further ado. Here's the speech for your viewing enjoyment.
Sep 7, 2009But the speech, on the whole, was worth listening to and watching. All of the mud slinging and hand wringing by the "Right" was pretty much completely and utterly for naught.
The brainwashing was incredibly subtle and sounded alot more like "Work hard and don't expect success to be handed to you on a silver platter." And yet, there were people who were totally apoplectic about even the suggestion that our leader would even consider addressing the nation's children.
In talking about the event with a friend who happens to be a Republican (which I just found out about earlier today), his take was something like this, "It doesn't matter which party you belong to, this is our President taking the time to speak to our children, put aside your differences and listen to the man, he's got something to say."
And so, without much further ado. Here's the speech for your viewing enjoyment.
NWoTD - Retarculous
Retarculous - ridiculously retarded, as in, having access to healthcare by emergency room visitation even though this drives up medical costs and bankrupts the person with the health issue. This sort of thinking is retarculous. Glenn Beck is the poster child for retarculousness.
But of course this new word (and all the others I create) can be found in my Fictionarium for all eternity (or until they turn off the internets).
Sep 3, 2009But of course this new word (and all the others I create) can be found in my Fictionarium for all eternity (or until they turn off the internets).
Labels: nwotd
Catching Up
So I've been pretty busy over the last few days, between working at two schools and taking care of my two boys and doing multiple presentations and a training for Kyani, things have been moving pretty quickly. Which gives me little time to put thoughts to blog. Certainly not enough time to put coherent, well thought out thoughts to the blog, that's for sure.
But let's try to to catch up a little bit to share what's going on in my/our world.
Both the boys are now full engaged in and loving their preschool. Grady is old enough to have gone on to kindergarten, he's also bright enough to do it but he's not emotionally ready to make the leap. And, after many conversations with other parents, teachers and anyone else who cared to talk about it, we decided that it made more sense to hold him back a bit than to shove him into a full-on school setting. So he's now one of, if not the, oldest kids at the school. Which is fine by me and him.
Sully, who was exposed to the preschool last year, loves, loves, loves his school, his teacher and most of his classmates. He's a great group player, he engages in the circle time singing, he rides the trikes with gusto, he's just a very engaged little kid.
But he was also running a pretty good fever yesterday afternoon and into the evening so he's being kept on the sidelines today, much to his chagrin.
For my own part, I've been starting to settle into something resembling a schedule. I've got three days of work a week right now at two different schools. It has been a bit of a hassle to have to keep pulling on my old department for access, passwords and authority to do things but I understand where they are coming from as well as the fact that they are seriously (and woefully) understaffed now after the loss of more than half the department to the budget cuts.
By the way, our school district just found out last week that they are going to have to cut another $10 million from this year's budget. I do not have the faintest idea how this will be accomplished but I can all but guarantee that the fat cats at the top won't be suffering any pay cuts even though they get paid the most and do the least to actually educate the kids. My suggestion would be to cut any salary of someone making more than $150k by 10% and anyone making more than $75k by 5% across the board. How much would that save? How much solidarity would it show with those of us in the trenches? How likely would something like that be to happen? Not bloody. These are the same jackholes that voted themselves raises last October and then further voted to make those raises untouchable in the budget cut talks they knew were coming in the next year. Which is, of course, unconscionably scummy and lame of them.
Anyway, when I'm not working, my wife is so I'm on kid duty which is fine by me. The better her shop does, the better we all do. We're still looking to fill out the schedule there with an additional hair stylist and someone in the back room, either a manicurist, esthetician, massage therapist or waxer. Once we do this, the shop goes from being a net negative to a positive which would be just fine by me.
We are also putting in quite alot of time with our Kyani business. I drove up to Morgan Hill the other night for a training session. It was an Advanced Leadership session with some of the top people in the entire company and it ended up being immensely useful and empowering. I wrote up my notes from the session and posted them over on my Kyani blog. We also had a presentation on Tuesday afternoon before the training and then another one on Wednesday evening. We've got a couple of quieter days and then a big presentation on Saturday where we are hoping to sign up some distributors for our new star.
NWoTD - Creople
But let's try to to catch up a little bit to share what's going on in my/our world.
Both the boys are now full engaged in and loving their preschool. Grady is old enough to have gone on to kindergarten, he's also bright enough to do it but he's not emotionally ready to make the leap. And, after many conversations with other parents, teachers and anyone else who cared to talk about it, we decided that it made more sense to hold him back a bit than to shove him into a full-on school setting. So he's now one of, if not the, oldest kids at the school. Which is fine by me and him.
Sully, who was exposed to the preschool last year, loves, loves, loves his school, his teacher and most of his classmates. He's a great group player, he engages in the circle time singing, he rides the trikes with gusto, he's just a very engaged little kid.
But he was also running a pretty good fever yesterday afternoon and into the evening so he's being kept on the sidelines today, much to his chagrin.
For my own part, I've been starting to settle into something resembling a schedule. I've got three days of work a week right now at two different schools. It has been a bit of a hassle to have to keep pulling on my old department for access, passwords and authority to do things but I understand where they are coming from as well as the fact that they are seriously (and woefully) understaffed now after the loss of more than half the department to the budget cuts.
By the way, our school district just found out last week that they are going to have to cut another $10 million from this year's budget. I do not have the faintest idea how this will be accomplished but I can all but guarantee that the fat cats at the top won't be suffering any pay cuts even though they get paid the most and do the least to actually educate the kids. My suggestion would be to cut any salary of someone making more than $150k by 10% and anyone making more than $75k by 5% across the board. How much would that save? How much solidarity would it show with those of us in the trenches? How likely would something like that be to happen? Not bloody. These are the same jackholes that voted themselves raises last October and then further voted to make those raises untouchable in the budget cut talks they knew were coming in the next year. Which is, of course, unconscionably scummy and lame of them.
Anyway, when I'm not working, my wife is so I'm on kid duty which is fine by me. The better her shop does, the better we all do. We're still looking to fill out the schedule there with an additional hair stylist and someone in the back room, either a manicurist, esthetician, massage therapist or waxer. Once we do this, the shop goes from being a net negative to a positive which would be just fine by me.
We are also putting in quite alot of time with our Kyani business. I drove up to Morgan Hill the other night for a training session. It was an Advanced Leadership session with some of the top people in the entire company and it ended up being immensely useful and empowering. I wrote up my notes from the session and posted them over on my Kyani blog. We also had a presentation on Tuesday afternoon before the training and then another one on Wednesday evening. We've got a couple of quieter days and then a big presentation on Saturday where we are hoping to sign up some distributors for our new star.
Creople - (cree-pull) creepy people. Like this freaking nutter.
More new word goodness over in my Fictionarium.
Labels: nwotd