Vegas won the "what shall we do for the 30th anniversary" contest.  It wasn't much of a contest, really.  Vegas is close, relatively cheap, and one of those places we've been talking about visiting for quite some time.

I'm approaching the packing slowly, in the hopes the cats won't get the fact that we're leaving until I pull the suitcase out.  Last time I went away (WHC) someone peed on the bed.  Perhaps in protest, I'm not sure, but don't want to take any chances!

Interestingly enough, if one looks at the 10-day vegas weather forecast, one notices that for the three days we'll be there (11th-13th) the temperature will be well under 100!  Whew.  I'm relieved.  Extreme heat makes my legs worse and I expect to do some walking while we're there.

Our hotel is supposedly haunted by the guy who built it.  Although he only frequents the presidential suite and the gardens.  Not likely I'll be near the former, so this is good.  We don't have too many activities planned -- I made a reservation for dinner at a top-rated restaurant and we hope to visit the Shark Reef, the Bellagio Fountains, the Eifel Tower and King Tut's Tomb in the Luxor.  I've not yet decided how much money to allot for gambling, but it won't be a whole lot.  I have horrendous luck; EMC does a little bit better, or at least he has in the vegas airport slots.  I don't expect we'll be winning the boys their college education, but the dreaming is always the best part.

Not much else to talk about -- YMC is playing Rock Band drums right now.  Probably time for me to start that laundry.

I did get my hair "done" before the trip.  Just some highlights.  And I got my bangs back.  I really do like my face much better without seeing my forehead.  It makes me feel younger. 

Tags: anniversary, las vegas
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: anticipatory
Current Music: John Hiatt - Loving A Hurricane

A fine Richard Thomspon song.

But I've not been having a great week.

Leroyella, my last "from the pond" fish died, shortly after I went out and bought two new fish to keep her company.  I guess she didn't want company.  Or it was her time, anyway.  Or the other fish brought some sort of sickness with them.  Or a thousand other things that might have gone wrong.  The tank does need cleaned.  In fact, I bought a new one (differently shaped and acrylic) so we'll see.  If I'd known she was going to die, though, I might have saved myself some trouble and some money on all of it.  Oh, well...

And the college loan situation is not going well.  I just don't understand all the options.  Both of the guys have been turned down for non-cosigned loans.  And I'm afraid that our cosigning for both of them will f with our credit rating even more than it is alread f-ed.  On Tuesday, I'll call a loan broker or two (provided I can find one that does something other than mortgages) to see what we can do.  But both of them have turned in their intent to register (MMC to UCLA and YMC to UC, Santa Barbara) so that's done.  Always, when the question of money or credit comes up, I feel anxious and guilty.  Like if I were a better person, we'd be better off.  I know, I know, but that's how it goes.  And that's how I feel.  Bleah.

Been cold here.  And rainy!  In May!  Some nights we've even had thunderstorms.  Tres cool -- I always loved storms and especially now when they're such a rarity.

Today I plan on cleaning off the balcony.  It gets much less use now that I'm not smoking (it's been over half a year now.  Wow!) but I still like to sit out there every so often.  Don't want to fight the dead leaves/bugs/spiders for a seat, though.

After that, we're going out for an early dinner (belated Mother's Day and Birthday) to the King's Head Pub.  I will most likely have the Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich.  Yum.

We don't do anything special on Memorial Day -- any graves we might be tempted to visit are clear across the country.  EMC's father died on Memorial Day.  So many years ago now. 

And speaking of so many years ago, we have a 30th wedding anniversary approaching.  I think we need to do something special to celebrate, but what???

Anyway, I need to get moving.  Again, thanks to all for the birthday wishes.

Tags: college woes, eating out, fish, holiday, weather
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Richard Thompson - I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life

We didn't really do much to celebrate the old 55th.  Is okay...yesterday I was moving slowly due to a bad night's sleep the night before.  Today we'll probably head out for a little shopping trip.  A new cat box and some more clumping litter.  (I bought the extra-large one of these and am amazed how easy it is to clean.  I'm also amazed that the cats will use it.  Maybe this will eliminate the need to pee on other things.  ARGH!!)  I also want to see if I can get a new goldfish to keep poor lonely Leroyella company.  Maybe even a new fish tank, who knows?

I received all my gifts last Sunday (we tend to do a combo mother's day/birthday due to their calendar closeness...)  I did get an AeroGarden which is pretty cool (although the lights are distractingly bright,) some chocolates, and two books (Jim Butcher's new one and Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic.  And so the day went.

I already have tiny seedlings coming up in the herb pods of the new aerogarden.  Cool.  Will take some pictures when I can, so we can compare to what I hope it will look like when filled with thriving plants...

It's unseasonably hot here in LA after a fairly long run of gloomy and relatively cool days.  The apartment has AC, though, so no biggie.

Other than that, I'm still debating what the next writing project will be.  I should probably just open all the files and see what hits me the most. 

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!!!!!!!

Tags: aerogarden, birthday, writing
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: damp
Current Music: Mary Chapin Carpenter - This Is Love

Our old house here in LA is up for sale again:  See it here.  I've never liked what they did to the front of the house (that fence closes everything in...) but the inside looks great as does the backyard.  ::sigh::  Now if I only had $899K to buy it.

Actually, at this point, I'd probably buy something completely different if I had the $$.  I've kind of adapted to the ease of apartment living.  And although I miss the yard, I'm doing okay.  So...

We did see some condos nearby that were to die for (new constructions, top of the line finishes, etc...)  At first I "rejected" them since there wasn't enough room on their balconies to sit down comfortably and have a cigarette or two.  However, I don't smoke now and don't have to organize my life around the habit!  Still, those condos are pricey and we're not in the market just yet.  Maybe next year.

For now, I really need to pull myself out of the funk I fell into writing/finishing TSFD.  And write something else.  I'm just not sure what to write.

Should I go back to the vampires and give Lily another book?  Or Vivienne?  Work up a new proposal for The Presence?  Or for Comb Out Your Dead?  Or Inside Out? 

Ack!!

Tags: apartment, wasatch house, writing
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Don Henley - The End of the Innocence

If you still have a mother, do give her a call at the very least. 

Hope all the mothers I know have a good one...this, of course, includes those who are mother to creatures of the four-legged type. 

We'll have a low key day here.  MMC will probably do most of the cooking (he's a pretty good chef...) and YMC will probably do the dishes.  EMC is still not 100% so he'll not have to do anything.  Except maybe drive to the store.  Or not.

I'm expecting to be gifted with one of these AeroGardens.  Of course, it's a combo b-day (which is next weekend) and Mother's Day gift, so who knows when/what I'll actually get...

Not much else to report on, really.  YMC finally won GTA4, so I have nothing to watch to keep myself amused.  I kind of miss Niko, despite his violent propensities.  Although I dissolve into giggles at some of his antics -- repeatedly bumping into people in the subway station (especially on the stairways) can really reek havoc!

Both the younger MCs have been accepted to UCLA for the fall semester...and the YMC (who wants to major in anthropology) was also accepted at UC Santa Barbara and UC David.  Decisions, decisions.  Now, of course, the big issue is where will they get loans that don't involve us co-signing for them.  (Our credit sucks...)  I guess it will all work out -- I'm trying hard not to stay awake at night and worry about it.

Cats (or perhaps only one cat, Isis) are still peeing on the throw rugs in the bathrooms, despite the use of AntiIckyPoo.  ::sigh::  I guess it's just going to be one of their tricks from now on.  At least they're only peeing there and not elsewhere.

Basically, life as usual...


And behind the cut, a meme:

( Read more... )

Tags: family, holiday, meme
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: Ani Difranco - Little Plastic Castle

EMC managed to get to work today (with a ride from a coworker) so I think he's feeling better. That BPPV is a bitch!

And as promised, a survey (behind the cut.) Snurched from nihilistic_kid

( Read more... )

Tags: meme
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: Eh
Current Music: Robbie Schaefer - Stupid American

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV?  Me neither!

But EMC and I spent the entire day and almost the entire night in the emergency room to find out he was suffering from it.  Basically it's a viral infection of the inner ear which makes one so dizzy that they can't stand or walk or even sit up.

He and I loaded into a cab around 11am per doctor's phone instructions and headed for an appointment with a clinic who then referred us to the ER, who kept us guessing from around 2pm to 2am, until one confident doctor entered with the above diagnosis and sent us home.  YMC had taken a taxi over to help me out earlier in the evening (when they'd said they were going to keep him overnight) so he was there to help me spring the EMC, get the prescriptions and call the taxi.  We got home a little after 4am.

I'm dead.  But still have to keep going, since EMC can't really do much of anything until this clears up.  Probably 3-5 days.  Or at least hope.

Of course, we won't be heading to San Diego on Sunday as planned.

Instead I get to play nurse and learn all about taking blood sugar readings (as his blood sugar was sufficiently high due to adrenaline (or so said confident doctor) produced from panic from vertigo.  A new skill for me.  Wheee!!

Although based on the incompetence of some of the ER nurses, it's a tough one to master.  Sort of.

Anyway, I'll be here. 

I posted this as a comment in my last entry, but thought I should repeat it here.  Comment threads sometimes get hard to read...

Now that I can read the doctor's notes sent home with me:
I'm apparently supposed to read information (presumably included in my surgery release packet, but sadly not) about erythema (probably due to my very blotchy skin, due to lymphedema which said doctor probably didn't know about...) and also about the ileucecal valve. I looked both of these up on the internet, but have no real idea how it relates to me particularly. So I'll have to wait until my regular doctor gets the results to find out what this all means. Plus he'll have the scoop about the biopsy results.

Until them, I'm not really worried.

EMC and I leave for San Diego on Sunday -- he has a risk managers convention scheduled down there so I'm tagging along. Oooooh, wild times!  Those insurance people sure know how to party.  (Actually, that's not really a falsehood...)

Heh.

Tags: health, vacation
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, office
Current Mood: still woozy
Current Music: Don Henley - Everybody Knows

I had some medical procedures today, from which I returned home drowsy and woozy.  Something (or several somethings) were clipped and sent for biopsy.  So who knows.

It's going to be a weird few weeks anyway, so we might as well pile it all on.  I'm sure, though, that ultimately everything will be just fine.  Or not.  For now I'm just enjoying the drugs...

Tags: health
Current Mood: wheeeeeeeeee

There was  the day before WHC, during which one of our oh-so-lovely cats decided to pee on the new select-comfort bed.  Delightful, the bed that is.  But I spent that day pre-treating, soaking, washing and drying (the mattress pad takes about four hours...) the bed lines before I could wash any of my clothes.  It was very late when I got to bed and very early when I woke to go to the airport.  I was fairly grouchy the first few days of the con, but relaxed a bit after that.  Waves and hugs to everyone I saw there, including roomies barbara_ferrenz and screamingeyes.  We had fun.

The day after I got home the wonderful cats did it again (ARGH!!!)  I washed the thick cushy mattress pad again, but didn't put it back on the bed this time, thinking that maybe this was what attracted the cats.  It's specially treated to maintain its coolness (you know, that elusive coolness of the pillow in the middle of the night...) and maybe that smells like "pee-here" to the cats.  We'd bought a waterproof mattress pad (not padded) after the first incident, so the mattress is fine.  But I still hate cat pee where it doesn't belong.  For what it's worth, I don't think either of them is sick, they're just kind of pissy every so often.  Imagined slights and wars.  Cats. 

Yesterday the two younger MCs and I cleaned up the house a bit to make it guest worthy.  The ever-wonderful debg arrived around dinner time (chicken/corn enchilladas with beans and a southwestern salad) and we've had a good time, kicking back and chatting.  She'll be here until Sunday and promises to cook something special tonight.  Saturday night we've reserved for ElCholo.  Yum.  Yum!

Cleaning lady comes today, but I'm quite sure she'll find lots of things to clean despite our work yesterday. 

Not much in the way of other news.  Really.  Horse (despite his stubborness about not wanting to load all my old data and music) has been behaving very well.  On the whole, I'm pleased.

Tags: computer, guests, whc
Current Location: HorseWithNoName, Office
Current Mood: not bad
Current Music: Richard Thompson - Turning Of The Tide