It's been a while...

Almost a month. So many things going on - there's just no time to really sit and blog lately.

Been fighting a cold for about a week, but it finally did happen - so that's slowed me down. Been doing Christmas shopping and wrapping - something I usually get done by November. So, I've been a little stressed about that. Hubby just had shoulder surgery (for old injuries) so I've been taking care of him. His arm will be in a sling for about 3 weeks, so with that, everything for the holidays falls on my shoulders.

Do I sound stressed? Maybe a little?

Still haven't gotten into the holiday spirit - and at this point, just waiting for Christmas and then New Years... and then looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule.

I did manage to get to Downtown Macy's and check the little kittens and puppies at their SPCA display, and see the big tree in Union Square - those made me happy.

Hoping I'll be able to enjoy Christmas a bit more when it finally arrives. Pass the egg nog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I haven't been around for a while. Been keeping busy - lots of stuff has happened in the last few weeks, but it's all good. Christmas is looming around the corner already! Where did the year go?

Before all the activities of today starts, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm so thankful this year for my family and friends. My life wouldn't be the same without you in it. Life is good. I love you all.

What a month!

Sorry to be out of touch for so long. It's been a roller coaster ride with Monte and while it's leveling off a bit now, we're still in the middle of tests and trying to find out what we can do to make Monte comfy.

To spare the details about the endless vet visits, we're at a point where we've found that Monte is just not generating enough red blood cells. No one knows why. He has CRF and anemia is a symptom of it, but he's no where near that stage yet.

Monte gets a shot (at home) every other day for the next three weeks. We hope that this will help kick up the regeneration of blood cells. He's been eating more the last two weeks or so, and has gained back a pound. He's not as boney as he was before. We hope he'll continue to gain weight. He's more active and doesn't feel the need to hide all the time now. He's definitely more loving - nudging us, demanding some hugs.

It's good to hear those loud purrs again.

The GREAT news!

Monte does not have cancer! He does not have a tumor!

We brought him to a specialist on Thursday, and they confirmed it. Poor kitty has gone through two weeks of hell. Blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays...

The final analysis is that his own body is attacking his red blood cells. No one knows why, but that is why we were seeing blood in his urine, and why he was so sluggish.

He's on steroids now, and some other antibiotics - but we're seeing a whole new Monte now. He's eating again, drinking water, running around, and just so incredibly loving. We can't sit without finding him in our laps almost immediately. And just to hear the most divine music every day (his purr) - there are no words to describe it.

One more visit next Friday to see if he's gained some weight back and to check if the medications are helping his blood production.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for my little guy. He may be old (16 next month), but he's got some more time with us.

The Unknown

Well folks, Monte isn't doing too well. He's very tired (sleeping all day), and he's not eating much, so he's losing weight. He had a bad cold a couple weeks ago, and he's better from that already - but that didn't bring his appetite back. His whole routine/behavior has changed.

In checking something else online last week, my hubby read something about checking the cat's gums and tongue. Unfortunately, they were very pale - which means he could be anemic. I guess it's a common occurance for cats with chronic renal failure, which Monte has. When he was diagnosed back in March, he was at the very beginning stages of it. He had to be checked twice to be sure - it was so minimal.

We took him to the vet last week. They thought he may have a urinary tract infection - so he's on anti-biotics. Further tests of his blood leaves a question - and that requires more bloodwork and now an ultrasound and a full body x-ray.

I'm freaking out. Words have been tossed out there about the unknown... blood parasites, he may have had a stroke, cancer...

I know he's not leaving us right away, but the reality is there, and doesn't seem that far away anymore. What am I going to do without my Monte? He's everything to me. I held him in my arms today and made a determined memory of what it felt like. I want to keep every memory of him. How his fur feels, what his purrs sound like when I rest my head on him, that sweet meow of greeting when we walk through the door after work.

Cloud 9

Bad weekend. Still getting over a bad cold. Almost had bad news about Monte, but turns out he's OK. Long story short - we thought he had anemia (a common result of chronic renal failure). We took him to the vet and while they did confirm that Monte is mildly anemic, it's not the cause of his odd behavior and lack of appetite lately. Turns out he may have a urinary tract infection. My poor baby. He's on antibiotics now. Hopefully, he'll be back to his old self within a few days.

Why am I on Cloud 9 though? The day started out interestingly enough. Since I've been out of the office the last week, my coworkers took it upon themselves to totally load up my cube with cardboard boxes. A ton of them. Thanks guys.

So there I was for part of the morning, clearing out boxes and plotting revenge. Went for a late coffee run, and on my way back, who do I run into? Our beautiful Mayor, Gavin Newsom. HELLO GORGEOUS. I was so giddy, I couldn't take a proper picture. Luckily I grabbed someone close by and they took the picture for me. :)

I might as well go home. I'm useless today. He's just dreamy.

I'm married, but I'm not blind.



So all I can say is, "Thanks guys for messing up my office, and making me go for my morning coffee run late." HAHAHA!

Some things you just don't want to hear...

So cruel it is to come home from work and hear a dog outside my window howling and crying. My heart just went out the the little guy. New neighbors downstairs have a beagle and he was just tied with a leash to the gate of the patio area of that condo. Poor baby is totally whimpering.

I couldn't help myself. I went downstairs and stayed with him for a while through the gate. After he accepted that I wasn't going to let him out, he sat by me and I just pet him. He's a good little dog.

A security passed by and told me that the dog had gotten through the gate earlier today, but he wasn't sure if it was the owners or someone else had tied him to the gate with the leash. The dog had been crying for hours already.

While security and I were there, the owners came back. I felt like cursing them out, but I guess they didn't know the dog could get out of the patio area. It's not a small space - he would have had plenty of room to run around. His kennel was also out there and some toys - I think he would have been OK.

Maybe (hopefully) they'll put something on the gate to prevent him from getting out again. But it's so windy here, they really shouldn't leave the little guy outside all day anyway.

Found out yesterday that our new neighbors are smokers too. Can't tell them not to smoke on their own patio. How do I know they smoke? The smell comes straight into our unit. Isn't that lovely? It's 80+ degrees outside lately - can't exactly close our windows. No AC.

Makes me love my neighbors even more.

Sharing my birthday

Congratulations to one of my bestest friends, Josephine. She and her hubby welcomed baby girl, Kara, this morning. Almost at the same time as I was born. HA! And also Year of the Rat, no less.

Baby is beautiful (from her picture) and mom and dad will be heading home tomorrow.

Welcome Kara! I hope you will know one day how much you were loved before you even arrived. You have two wonderful parents and I can't wait to meet you.

The kindness of strangers

So, walking back from my usual morning Starbucks coffee run, my friend and I passed by two people hovering over something. Taking a closer look, it was a little yellow and black bird. I mean, if one wasn't paying attention, you could have walked right over it and not even know. It was so small. Poor thing was just sitting there. At first I thought it was a toy, but then I saw his little black eyes blinking. Poor thing - didn't know where it came from, but there is was on the busy downtown street - probably hurt, most definitely terrified.

The two people hunched over the bird said that they had called SPCA and were waiting for them to come collect the little guy. One of them went and found a box cover and then gently placed the little one in it. At that point, we could see that one if its poor little legs was kind of mangled. My heart just went out to that bird.

I personally wouldn't have known what to do. I'm glad there are still people in the world who notice the little things and have the big hearts to do what they can to help.

Business trip

I just came back from a trip to San Luis Obispo. We have offices down that way and I had to go through testing to pass security and get a special badge.

To make a long, hectic story short... I drove down Sunday afternoon, went through my testing on Monday, packed and was ready to go on Tuesday morning when I received a call that they needed to ask me some more questions. I managed to get the interview schedule for Wed morning.

Still - on Tuesday, I scrambled to find another hotel because the original one I was staying at was booked, and they didn't expect me to need to stay one extra night. So, I moved over to a new hotel - but not before getting a little lunch and managing to lock my car keys in the trunk of the car. Sigh... Luckily, my work sent someone from the office who got the door open and pushed that magical little button to pop open the trunk. WHEW!!!

The stay overall was very nice. The hotels were in Pismo beach and at my first hotel, I literally walked 20 feet and was on the powder soft sand. They even had a swing set - right there on the beach. There's nothing like being on a swing, feet brushing sand, and watching a magnificent sunset in the distance.

Anyway, it was a long drive, but I'm proud of myself for doing it. I've never driven that long a distance by myself before. I used to drive from San Diego to San Francisco all the time during college, but I always had people with me.

So good... but so bad!

We had a pot luck luncheon today at work. Oh my gosh... totally ruined my diet for the day.

I brought in Balsamic/Sesame chicken wings. Other tasty treats included two kinds of BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, Peking duck, chow mein, fried chicken drumsticks, Mongolian beef, salad, rice crispy treats, ginger spice cookies, lemon squares... Oh my gosh. I didn't even taste everything - I was too full. But now my bag is full of leftovers I'm bringing home for hubby.

Time for a nice long nap. Might as well. Not going to get any work done for the rest of the afternoon.

Is it just me...

...0r is this just such an inappropriate commercial? Have you seen the new commercials for this new company called Cash4Gold? Basically, you can sell your gold to them.

The commercial starts with a couple at the dining table. Suddenly, the man starts choking and I guess passes out. Instead of helping, the woman starts trying to take off the man's exaggerated gold jewelry. Then it goes to another scene of an old woman sleeping. She yawns and you see that she had gold fillings. Another woman comes in with a pair of pliers and makes it look like she's pulling those teeth out.

What the F***?

At first I thought this must be some joke commercial, but nope. They played it several times during the show I was watching.

Holy inappropriateness...

Batman: The Dark Knight

We watched Batman: The Dark Knight this weekend. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. There was just too much hype about Heath Ledger - and I was sick of hearing about him before I even saw the movie. I mean, they were talking about Oscar nomination before the movie was even released in the theaters.

Well, I humbly step back and I have to agree. Heath Ledger was awesome. I didn't know what to expect from him as The Joker, but man! He delivered it. He was freaky, funny, and just left chills going down your spine with his complete insanity.

The special effects of the movie were incredible as well.

The only gripe I have is... what is up with the way Christian Bale speaks when he's Batman??? Half the time you can't understand what he's staying - and it's just stupid. Did he do this 'growl' in Batman Begins? I don't think he did - at least not this bad.

Farewell Auntie Rosalie

Well, this is a depressing month... we just found out that my hubby's aunt passed away early Friday morning. She was a wonderful and caring woman. She was never without a big smile. We had celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this year.

We will all miss you auntie. You always treated me like your true niece, and I always thought of you as my true aunt. And you always will be to me.

Summer of movies

The shows are on summer break, so what better time to go to the movies? This is rare. I think we've seen more movies in the theater these past few months than in the last few years! They have some good stuff out there.

Iron Man - GREAT movie. Recommend to everyone. I love Robert Downey, Jr.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - It was ok. I like the other films better.
Sex and the City - LOVED IT! If you love the show - go see the movie. That's all I'm gonna say.

Now We're waiting for The Dark Knight to come out. I hope it's awesome, because the trailers have me on the edge of my seat.

As far as catch up DVDs...

Marie Antoinette - didn't like it, but I loved the costumes and the shots at Versailles.
Grindhouse - if you like mindless blood and guts, go for it. I didn't like it.
I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry - good, funny, another good Adam Sandler movie.
Knocked Up - predictable, but it's good. Not hysterical funny, but good.
Office Space - "Work Sucks" e'nuf said.
Ju-On: The Grudge 2 - once is enough, not necessary.
Shrek the Third - like the first two better.
Fracture - it was OK. Not necessary.
Disturbia - frustrating. So many other things the character could have done differently.
Seasons one and two of Dead Like Me - great show. Big plot holes that should not have happened. Waiting for the DVD movie to come out this year.

Starting to watch Wonderfalls. Only watched the pilot episode so far. Kind of like Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies style of show. We'll see...

Farewell to my grand uncle 15

I have a huge family. My dad's side is big (13 uncles and aunts), but on my mom's side, it's crazy big. We're talking 19 siblings in my grandfather's generation. To explain, my great-grandfather had 4 wives (older Chinese times my friends). So, it's 19 siblings divided among 4 women. I guess it shouldn't be too shocking - after all, there is that family in Texas who has 18 children and just the two parents. So, kudos to my dad's parents who had my 13 uncles and aunts on their own.

In Chinese, we don't refer to uncles and aunts by their names in a situation like this. You don't say this in English, but in Chinese we call them uncle or aunt followed by their birth order.

With all that said, I just found out from my mom that my grand uncle 15 recently passed away in Toronto, Canada. I didn't know him well, but as he was one of the closer brothers with my grandfather, I had the opportunity to see him more often than my other grand uncles and aunts.

My grand uncle 15 used to perform magic tricks for me. They were simple tricks, but as a kid, I was amazed - and every opportunity when I saw him, I wanted a new magic trick. I remember he gave me a Donald Duck doll too. I guess my memory of him is that he made me laugh, and he was someone who did things that boggled my mind - and in a way, I loved him for that.

I will miss you grand uncle.

Completely confused - but not anymore

I'm a big horror movie fan, but last night, I was just completely confused and couldn't sleep until I figured it out - you know, the important stuff in life keeps me awake.

Most people know that 'The Grudge' series of movies staring Sarah Michelle Gellar were produced by the same guy who did the original Japanese versions. Ju-On is the title of the Japanese version. Fine.

Only talking about the Japanese versions now. I've watched Ju-on many times (or so I thought). I read a synopsis of Ju-on 2 - which is about a film crew making some sort of show based upon the terrible things that happened in the house, and then of course, things start happening to the crew members and actors. But when I actually watched Ju-on 2, the story was completely different. It was almost like an extended version of part 1, and revolved around a student - many shots in his school and at his family's home. What? What about the synopsis I had read? Where was the TV crew? Not to mention it was a horrible, low-budget film. Nothing like the first Ju-on I had seen. Did they run out of money or something?

Then last night, they were showing Ju-on 2 on TV again. With nothing else on, I decided to watch it. This time, it was a much better quality film and it was about the TV crew. I was completely confused.

Anyway, after researching on the web at 2am, I finally figured it out.

There is Ju-on, and Ju-on 2. Those were low budget films that showed on Japanese TV. Then a few years later, they made Ju-on: The Grudge and Ju-on: The Grudge 2. So, I guess what happened is that I've never really seen Ju-on, but went straight to The Grudge and then saw Ju-on 2. And then last night it was The Grudge 2.

I'm sure I've confused everyone who's reading this, but I'm happy to report that I understand now. So, out of the 4 movies made, I have never seen the very first one - which I'm going to try to find today and watch.

This is all crazy making, that's what it is. And to top it all off, they're making The Grudge 3 in America, which will be based on Ju-on 2 (with the TV show storyline). There will also be a Japanese version called Ju-on: The Grudge 3 - but I have no idea what that story will be about.

Sex and the City

OMG - I freakin' loved this movie! I'm a big fan of the show, so I was a little worried that the movie would make a mess of how the stories left off. Surprisingly, it was very well done. I laughed, and I even shed a tear (or two). Kind of predictable story, but that's totally OK. I loved seeing my girls back.

Any SATC fan should not miss this movie.

Why does she do that?

I admit it. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. I've read all the books multiple times. I've seen all the movies in the theater and pre-ordered all the DVDs. I'm sad that the book series is over. Or so I thought.

First came The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Only seven handwritten copies in existence. Amazon.com paid £1,950,000 for it ($3,859,437.31). All proceeds go to charity. I guess it's nice that Amazon shows pictures of it on its website, and even has synopses of each of the five stories within.

Now, J.K. Rowling is writing a prequel - an 800 word story that will be auctioned off - again for charity. While it's very noble of her to make these huge donations, as a fan, I can't help but feeling a bit cheated by the whole thing.

I don't have $4 million to spare to buy a book. I can't compete in an auction to buy an 800 word short story. But I did have the money to contribute to J.K. Rowling's fortune (almost $400 million, folks). She didn't become one of the world's richest women without my help. I think I deserve a chance to read these additional tales too.

Wouldn't it have been better to actually publish these two books, and then donate the proceeds to charity? With her mass of fans around the world, she would have made much more than $3.8 million to donate.

Just my little gripe of the day.

Yes!

I finally got my blog looking close to how it used to be. I had switched internet carriers a couple of months ago and was having a hard time figuring out how to transfer all my images from my old service to the new one. Suddenly, the light bulb went on in my head this morning and I got it. Yea!

Speaking of memory...

I can't believe I forgot to share this! For those who have followed my blog for a while, you know I love to cook and that most of my recipes are based from one of my favorite chefs, Giada De Laurentiis. Back on February 19, I was lucky enough to find out (just in time) that she would be signing autographs at the Crate & Barrel here in San Francisco. I also lucked out that my boss is a total fan, and with his blessing, I took off from work with my mission. They don't let you bring in books to sign, so luckily there was one more cookbook of Giada's that I didn't have yet, so I bought that one, and another for my boss. After about 40 minutes in line, I was able to meet Giada!

She's so beautiful and just full of energy. She was either seven or eight months pregnant at that time, but she's so petite that it was hard to tell. I totally gave thanks to her for her show and making it easy for people to cook really good food.

Like I said, there few people whom I would go out of my way to see. I think I've managed to see two of my top three this year. Michael Ball is my last big one, but I'll have to trek back to London to see him. I heard he's back doing theater now - currently in Hairspray - so I may have my chance. Not like I can just drop anything and go, but knowing he's back on the stage means I'll have more opportunity one day.

Jogging my memory

So, I've been asked to tell a little more about Lea Salonga's concert - and I'm happy to oblige.

As soon as the Cache Creek self promotion video ended (tacky!), Lea came on stage and the magic began. She's so petite! For those who care, she was in a black sequins top with a long silk skirt. She was amazing - nonstop for over an hour and a half. Three encores! I kind of feel bad for the people who left after she first said "Goodnight" because they missed her last three songs, and most likely didn't know she would be signing autographs - which was announced after the last encore.

I can't name all the songs she sang, but some of my most memorable favorites include:

I Don't Know How to Love Him
I'd Give My Life for You
On My Own
Tomorrow
The Way You Look Tonight
You Must Love Me
Reflection
Imagine
Promise Me
A Whole New World (just a small sample of it)

There were a few jazz songs and one Filipino song.

I really wished that she would have sung Defying Gravity from Wicked, but hopefully, if she comes back to Northern California, I'll have a chance to hear her sing that live one day.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Seven years today. Time sure does fly when you're having fun - and what better way to describe our marriage. We have a lot of fun together. Not a day goes by that we don't make each other laugh. My husband still has that magic that makes me smile when I see him walking towards me, and I get the warm fuzzies when he's with me.

We celebrated tonight by trying the new steak house near our place - Epic Roasthouse. Oh my - it was so good. We definitely ate too much, because it's hours later and I'm still full!

Wishing my hubby a very happy anniversary, and many, many more years of fun for us.

Flawless

That's the only word that comes to mind when describing one of my singing idols... Lea Salonga. I guess most people in America would know her as the singing voice in Disney's Aladdin or Mulan movies.

I was first introduced to her talent when, at 17, she auditioned for the show Miss Saigon, and they had a documentary on the audition and production process. She's absolutely incredible. There are very few people in the world that I will make a special effort to see in person, and she is number one on my list. Unfortunately, most of her performances are in the Philippines.

My luck changed when I happened to check her website, and there it was in black and white. Lea Salonga would be performing at the Cache Creek Casino. Within 10 minutes, I had my tickets ordered and the long wait began for April 26 to arrive. Finally, tonight was the night.

My husband and I drove to Cache Creek and it was the most magical hour and a half in my life. She was perfection. I've never heard anyone sing so beautifully. Her voice is absolutely flawless. She sang some of my favorite Broadway songs and only boosted my already deep admiration of her talent.

To cap off the evening, she came out and signed autographs after the show! Seeing my idol within two feet of me, being her fan for over 20 years, it was an amazing moment for me. I hope she comes back again soon. I can't wait. Now that I know she'll sign autographs after the show, I'll bring my camera next time, and not just have fuzzy pictures from my camera phone. :(

Tired of driving

Life can only be described with one word lately - hectic. Too many projects, too many meetings, planning for more projects - planning includes more meetings. Lots of traveling. Yeah, I admit it. I'm pretty tired of driving from SF to Sacramento once a week for the past two weeks. I have a two night trip to look forward to next week. Which reminds me that I have to book my hotel there tomorrow.

On top of it all, there's my little baby, Monte. He's doing well. The new 'less protein' food wasn't really working for him, so we went back to his original food now. We're still giving him medications twice a day. We're trying to figure out how to incorporate the special food into his diet. He needs less protein, so that his kidneys don't have to work so much.

Some good news in the middle of all this chaos... my friend J is pregnant! YEA!!! All I can say is that it's blessing this baby is coming soon. It's been a rough road - and I'm waiting for the day I see that little girl in J's arms. With this good news, I somehow found time to knit again. A gift for the baby already.



Isn't it cute? I love the little frillies on the edges. It's the Miss Dashwood hat from Knitty. I first saw this on Kuky's blog. Totally fell in love with it, but didn't have any baby girls to knit it for.



Another sweater that I had started a long time ago, and totally lost steam, is this little number.



I first saw this sweater on Cosmopolitan Purls. My friend in Japan helped me track down the pattern book. I've changed the color from a beige and pink yarn, to the white and light blue. I had finished both sleeves, until I realized I had messed up one of them and couldn't easily fix it. So, it was frogged and I'm starting over. I think I got worn out from the switching back and forth between the color yarns to make the stripes. Anyway, I've got back a little momentum. Let's see if it will last through me seaming this baby up.

And now I leave off with this bundle of cuteness. Monte was very intrigued by this piece of bread that had a smidgen of BBQ sauce on it. You can kind of see it. He has both paws around my husband's hand and is pulling the bread toward him. SO CUTE!!!

Monte Update

The last week has been kind of a nervous time for us. Since we switched Monte's food two weeks ago, we found that he had a problem... well, let's say there wasn't much in the litter box.

Over a few days, he had no appetite and he wasn't drinking water. Poor kitty. So, we brought him to the vet again. After getting x-rays and going over various possibilities of what was happening, the vet decided to go the simple route first and just give him an enema.

That helped A LOT. Monte was pretty much back to normal after a few days of cleansing. He's got his appetite back, drinking water, and so now he's regular again. WHEW!!!

Yes, I'm happy to report that the litter box is in use again. I never thought I'd ever write words like that, but I'm happy. You feel so helpless when you see your furry baby so uncomfortable.

During the vet visit, we asked the question... does Monte really have kidney failure? And the sad answer is yes. It's at the very beginning phase of it, so we really won't see anything different in kitty - but over time, and we don't know how fast or slow this will progress, this will become something we'll have to do our best to make Monte's time with us as happy and as comfortable as possible.

On a less grim note, I'm currently in the middle of Earth Hour. I've got my laptop on battery mode, candles all around, no TV or radio or lights. It's actually very peaceful. The windows are open and I can hear the whoosh of the city around me. If something this simple can help the city save 10% worth of energy - I'm willing to do this again.

I've been going through a marathon of movies the past two weekends. I wanted to watch Resident Evil 3, but totally forgot what had been going on - so I re watched parts 1 and 2 again. Looks like they've left the door open for a part 4. I also watched Georgia Rule - only because Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman are in it. I don't like Lindsay Lohan, but I do admit she can be a good actress. I've enjoyed some of her previous films. Anyway, Georgia Rules, don't bother. It was boring and except for Jane Fonda's character, I didn't like anyone else.

Tonight, I started watching The Maltese Falcon, with Humphrey Bogart. I've only gotten through an hour and then I shut it off for Earth Hour. I'll get back to it later tonight.

Reality check

This is a story difficult to tell, so I've had to give myself a chance to absorb it before saying anything. About two weeks ago, Monte had a visit to the vet - at the time, after a urine test, the vet said that Monte could be at the beginning stage of kidney disease. WHAT!?!

I looked it up on the internet and my heart just fell. Apparently, kidney disease in older cats is very common - but it's also what will eventually take my little Monte kitty away from us. Could be a few months, could be a few years. Monte about 14 or 15 years old (we got him as a stray). I know he's had a very good life with us in the past 11+ years - he couldn't be a more spoiled cat. But this news really brought me down to reality that there is an end to our bliss together - and it's closer rather than farther away.

It took me a few days to realize that I was upset like he was already at death's door. I cried almost every time I saw him, and he really tolerated a lot of hugs and kisses from his mama. What a good kitty. I've now accepted that, he's OK right now. The doctor said his test showed that he 'could' have it, but it's so faint that it's barely begun. But it's there. This week, we switched Monte's wet food to a formula that doesn't require his kidney to do a lot of work. I guess they leave something out that normal cat food usually contains. He seems to like it. The vet also put him on an antibiotic for a month prevent infection. We think that's what's making him hyper. We cut that dosage in half last night.

Let me define hyper - waking us up several times at night by standing on the bed and yowling at us. Meowing at us several times a day and then leading us to his favorite toy so that we can play together (he never used to do that). He's just got a lot of energy suddenly - which is good, but he's very demanding. When he wants attention, he meows loudly for it. One thing that's pretty nice... he purrs a lot now. I mean, a lot! I've never heard his motor running like that when he's playing - but there it is.

So, all in all, there have been some changes in the house. Hopefully, we'll get down to a routine again (meaning, no more 5am wake up meows). He seems happy and is very loving. He won't eat any of his pills (stuffed into treats) anymore, so we have to do the kitty cocoon and stuff them in his mouth - but aside from that moment of unpleasantness, we're still a happy little family.


Latest update: The vet just told us to stop giving him the antibiotics for the next two days and see if he calms down a little. We'll see what happens.

Playful Kitty

Monte was in a really playful mood this morning. He NEVER does this - I'm so glad I caught it on video. It was so hard not to laugh and hold the camera steady.

And just in case you're wondering, we only use that pink blanket to protect our comforter from little sharp claws. It's from my baby days. I love pink but...

Educate me

So, someone didn't like what I said about Shannon Sylvia in my last post. Told me that I should "educate" myself before making comments. That Paranormal State was filmed a year before Shannon joined Ghost Hunters International.

Excuse me, "anonymous" out there. This is a blog of MY opinions. As a fan of these shows, I think it's silly seeing one person be the customer on one, and then an expert on the other - getting into arguments with more seasoned 'hunters' about debunking methods. And did you not read Shannon's biography on SciFi's own website? Honestly, I don't care about the fact that she was on both shows. It's stupid that, as it was so rudely pointed out to me, Paranormal State was filmed LAST year, meaning 2007, when according to SciFi she had already hired Ghost Hunters to her home in 2005, which led to her joining New England Paranormal - before she went onto Ghost Hunters International.

Aside from all this 'education,' there was no need to comment rudely on an opinion that I wrote on my own blog. It was an opinion about a TV show.

So, here's some education for you "anonymous." Happy reading.

http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2007/0112/Front_Page/003.html

From SciFi.com:
Shannon Sylvia, the newest member of the Ghost Hunters family, hails from Leominster, Mass., just outside of Boston. Shannon's experiences growing up in a small, historic town rife with paranormal activity sparked in her a strong interest in the field, and she has dedicated a great amount of time to investigating unexplainable incidents that for years plagued her parents' home, as well as her own.

Those domestic experiences with the supernatural led to Shannon's relationship with New England Paranormal. First hired by Shannon in 2005 to investigate the activity in her home, the group soon asked her to join their team. Since then, she has worked with the group on many cases throughout New England. She continues to take every advantage of opportunities to expand her knowledge of paranormal investigating by attending conferences as well as devouring countless books on the subject.

Totally weak!

When the show Paranormal State premiered, I had to watch it. It's about ghosts - of course, I'm going to watch it. But after about three episodes, I had to admit that I didn't enjoy it as much as Most Haunted or Ghost Hunters. So, I stopped watching.

Well, it's a week night. Nothing on TV. I checked Comcast OnDemand and 'hello' there are some episodes of Paranormal State. Thought I would give it another chance.

WEAK!!! In the episode about a condo building that used to be an old school house, the owner is the same woman investigator from the current season of Ghost Hunters International. Are you kidding me? At first I though, it couldn't be the same person. Why would a 'ghost hunter' need help from a group of college students to determine if her place was haunted or not? And the way she was acting on Paranormal State, she was like the victim who didn't understand about the ghostly sounds she and her husband would hear.

Yes, I looked it up. It's the same person on both shows. Totally weak!!! According to her bio for Ghost Hunters, she's been interested in the paranormal her whole life, ever since she experienced something when she was a kid.

OK, I know these shows are for entertainment only - but don't make it so painfully obvious and use someone from a popular show where the person is trying to disprove hauntings, to her being the 'victim' in her own home by ghostly children.

I take my TV too seriously, don't I? ;)

So Sudden

Thank you to everyone for your prayers about Tiny. Unfortunately, our little one has passed away. Again, cancer was the cause, and it had spread so fast we didn't really have time to prepare for anything. My parents took Tiny to the vet this afternoon, and x-rays confirmed that cancer has spread throughout her body. She was yelping in pain. They had to let her go.

As moms and dads to our little furry ones, this is the most difficult decision to make. It's not really a decision though - it's the right thing to do. It's just hard to say that final goodbye and to let go.

I was in jury duty today, so I was not even able to say goodbye. I didn't get to say goodbye... and that's the hardest thing to accept.

We will miss you Tiny.




Now they're both gone...

Say a little prayer

It's 2006 all over again. This time our other dog, Tiny, is sick. Dad called me tonight, very upset. Turns out Tiny has not been eating the last few days. Today, she was throwing up white foam, and her legs were cramping. What else could I say but, "Take her to the vet!" Of course, my parents didn't want to - because they were afraid that the vet would put her to sleep. Easier said than done, but it's not what you 'want', but what is 'right'.

If Tiny is suffering, then it's time to let her go. She is a couple years younger than Bubbles was, but this year she reaches 15. The same age that Bubbles was when he had to leave us. I'm not as close to Tiny as I was to Bubbles, but my heart is breaking just the same. I hope I've convinced my parents that taking her to the vet tomorrow, no matter the outcome, is the right thing to do. Even if they don't want to. Unfortunately, I've been called into Jury Duty, so I can't go over to my parents house as I'd like to.

The younger years... Cocoa, Chelsea, Toby, Tiny, and Bubbles.
(Cocoa has also left us. She was taken in by a family friend, and last year died suddenly from an unknown illness.)

This is MY year!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! This is MY year folks! Year of the Rat! Whoo hoo!!!



OK, so my picture isn't of a rat. It's of my very first pet ever. My hamster, Baby. He started out with the name M.C. Hamster (the person he was named after was BIG at the time, ok?) But after I brought him home, he was lovingly renamed "Baby" by my mom. Baby has long since left us, but his spirit still blooms in the rose tree in our backyard. This is my absolute favorite picture of him. And see? He's got his hands together like he's bowing for the new year. So, for now, and I'm sure Monte will understand, I have to post Baby's picture up to celebrate Chinese New Year!

Ready for a little Yelp?

My friend recently turned me onto a new review site called Yelp. I had never heard of it before, but now I'm hooked. I'm a writer at heart, but it's a calling that I've kind of put on hold for a few years now. It's hard to find inspiration for things to write about, but with Yelp, I can put all my opinions out there for all to see. Of course, they're just opinions about food and such, but it got my writing juices flowing again. I still haven't really established what style of writer I am, and how many different ways can I think of to describe a dish is good? This is a test for myself.

Check it out - Yelp.

A little OC in SF

Hubby decided that he wanted to go shopping today in Downtown SF. Wow - what a rare occasion. We put on our rain gear and headed out. We were running across the street from Barney's NY towards Macy's, and there was a group of people with their umbrellas who had reached the sidewalk before us - but then they stopped right there to wait for the rest of their group. I was annoyed because if they didn't move, I would have to go around the group to get off the street. Attitudes change when it's rainy and windy - I don't mind getting wet, but not when it's because other people are in the way.

Anyway, they moved, and as they were all walking into the doors of Macy's the sole man of the group of girls turned around as he had the door open for them, and it was George. I looked around the group of girls and saw Lauri. And then I recognized Ashley. For those who don't know, I'm a fan of the show The Real Housewives of Orange County. Lauri is one of the housewives who just married George this season. Ashley is Lauri's oldest daughter. The other girls were George's daughters, but I don't know all their names. I didn't recognize Mackenzie until later on, because she's now a blonde too. HA! A mini-celebrity family sighting.

We separated as they went upstairs and we headed downstairs for some food. After some yummy pizza from Wolfgang Puck's we headed up to the shoe department. And there they were again. They were taking pictures with some other fans. I walked around and looked at shoes a bit, then I bumped into them again while they were waiting in line to pay.

After seeing them three times within an hour, I decided to go over and talk to Lauri, who was standing aside with Ashley. She's so nice! Very down to earth. I congratulated her on her recent wedding and how beautiful it was, and she was so happy. Any newly married woman loves to talk about her wedding, and I love anything to do with weddings, so we had a good conversation. George joined in a few minutes later and we talked about where they would be going for their honeymoon and some of the other places they've been already. I decided that I didn't want to ask for a picture because it would be kind of awkward at this point. I'd rather just talk. I wished them well and we all headed in our different directions.

We're back home all nice and warm and dry now. It's been a good day. Got a new top, some make-up, and talked to a 'celebrity'.

New show du jour!

I've been turned on to Dexter! It's a Showtime original series, and we have HBO, so I have to catch up now. I'm only on episode 3 and I'm hooked! It's one of those disturbingly good shows. Dexter is a man who likes to kill - we see that this started from a very young age. His father basically trains him to use this 'urge' for 'good'. Dexter becomes a blood analyst for the Miami police, and usually ends up taking matters of dealing with murderers in his own sick way. Vigilante? Doing society a favor? Murdering with an excuse? You decide.

Another movie review. We recently saw The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law. For a 'chick flick' I liked it. Of course, it's predictable, but you're still left wondering at the end. I love Kate and Cameron - so maybe I'm biased, but I enjoyed this movie. Two women, during a rough patch at romance decide to go on Holiday though a house exchange service. So, Cameron flies to Surrey, England, and Kate flies to L.A. You'll have to watch to see what happens.

I'm not fat!

It's the bag that's too small...

What's cookin'?

ME! Yes, I've been trying new recipes and loving them!

I recently made Giada's Spice Bean Soup. Lucky it turned out to be delicious because there's so much of it. This is an 8 quart pot! The recipe says to let it boil - and I was like, "I don't think so!"



I had to change to this bigger pot after adding in all the veggies, and then realizing that I hadn't even added the broth yet and the pot was full! What gets me is that it didn't look like Giada was using that big of a pot on TV - and hers wasn't nearly as full as mine. Ah well - the more to enjoy. Towards the end, the soup became almost like a thick vegetable stew. Yum!

A while ago, I saw they were selling Sprinkles cupcake mix at Williams Sonoma. Apparently, Sprinkles are really big in LA. I had never tried them, but I'm always willing to try a good cupcake. I had never tried anything 'red velvet' either. So, I made my first purchase of red velvet cupcake mix.

First off, cover the mixer when you add in the dry mix. It gets EVERYWHERE. It's not like I turned on the mixer to full power. I only had it on setting 1 - but as soon as you pour in the mix, a haze of power is set free and just settles on everything. I've been wiping down all my counters and walls and all the towels are just pink. I love pink, but not when it stains my "supposed to be white and green" towels. I think I used up about 5 wet paper towels after that before they came away white. Anyway, the cupcakes turned out OK. I'm not in cupcake heaven over them. And red velvet turns out to be a light chocolate flavor - only red in color. OK - been there, done that. I found them a little dry - but I liked that they weren't too sweet. Maybe the ones made at the stores are better - probably, or they wouldn't be so popular. Those brown and red dots come with the mix.



And my last big culinary moment of the weekend, chicken pot pie! I used Nigella Lawson's recipe from her Nigella Express series. The only difference is that I didn't add the Marsala wine. It was delicious and very easy to make. There are a couple of things you have to prep, but once you have it, you just throw it all together. Add on a layer of pre-made puff pastry and you're done.




You see that extra piece of pastry sticking out near the bottom of the picture? Yeah, that was the first part to be eaten. :)

That's it. I've hung up my pot holders for the rest of the weekend.

That's Entertainment!

We recently saw the latest Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza. It is wonderful! Anyone who hasn't seen it should go. Except for one act that was kind of pointless, the other 2 hours of the show is amazing. As always the music and the costumes blow me away. I just don't understand how people can be so imaginative and creative - and just darn talented! I think Kooza is staying around in SF for a few more weeks, and then it is heading to San Jose. Catch a show if you can!

We've also been catching up on movies. I've finally seen Casablanca. I don't know. It was good, but I think my expectations were too high. Plus, I already knew how it would end, because one day it was on TV and I didn't know it was the ending and the 5 minutes I watch were literally the last 5 minutes of the movie. Darn. It was good though - Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous as always.

We also saw The Number 23, with Jim Carrey. It was different. I actually liked it. I guessed wrong at the outcome, so I guess that's good. It's a rental movie, definitely. Wouldn't pay $10.50 for it.

Last night, we saw Casino Royale, the latest James Bond. I was so confused at first because right from the start they talk about how James just got is "00" status. HUH??? Turns out this was supposed to backtrack as the 'first' James Bond story. That's why they couldn't use Pierce Brosnan. Ah... now I get it. It was very good! I really enjoyed it. Daniel Craig was excellent as Mr. Bond. And now, we have to wait for the next movie to see what happens! I hate it when they do that - but I love it too, because now I have something to look forward to. Next movie, we may just have to trek it to the theater.

I also found a new BBC TV show to watch. Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Don't you just love the title? It's a little more raunchy than Sex and the City used to be. It stars Billie Piper (from my fave - Doctor Who). She is, as the title clearly states, a call girl. But it's got a comedic quality to it that I really like. She does the Carrie thing (from Season 1) of narrating to the camera, or looking at the camera to express her feelings. It's funny, but serious, and not for children. Unfortunately, I only found 5 episodes that were uploaded. There are actually 8 episodes. Apparently, Billie Piper just signed on to do another season.

I also found out that this show is based on a book, that was based on a blog. I found the blog and found it to be very interesting reading. I don't know how people live like that - but to each his/her own. She's happy - who is anyone to judge, right? Check it out - Belle de Jour.

One week (almost) down, 51 to go

I'm still in denial that it's 2008 already. The week between Christmas and New Years flew by, and if not for the picture evidence, it would have been a blur. No, I wasn't drunk the whole week.

One of my best friends from college was up from LA for a visit (finally). With his visit came the excuse to party! Gathering the troupes, we had a wonderful (and surprisingly cheap) dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants. A short visit to our condo for champagne and dessert. A brisk walk to the perfect spot near the Bay Bridge for the fireworks with four minutes to spare. It was just enough time for everyone to have a quick swig (impromptu toasts) from the champagne we brought along. It was beautiful.

The next day was quietly enjoyed with my friend and watching reruns of America's Next Top Model. After realizing that there were only a couple of hours of sunlight left, we drove around the city - quick tours of Golden Gate Park, Sea Cliff, Pacific Heights, and a quick hike through Fort Miley. We ended off the day with a delicious dinner at 21st Amendment, and then a sad goodbye to my friend as we dropped him off.

Wednesday brought the first full day of work for me since mid-December. My goodness, the day sitting at the computer was LONG! Thank goodness, I only had to work Wednesday and Thursday. Friday was my regular day off (my schedule allows me to work an extra hour each day to get every other Friday off). I was lucky with the timing of this Friday because of the rainstorms. I did not want to have to wait for the train in that weather. I could only shake my head as I looked out the window at the strong winds that whipped through the trees, and the sheets of rain that pummeled our back yard dog walk area. Not surprisingly, I didn't see a single dog out there that day.

Today, I'm enjoying the first weekend of the new year. I've managed to keep my lazy butt in front of the computer the last couple of weeks and totally catch up on all three seasons of Ghost Hunters, and finish the rest of what I missed of Most Haunted (all seven seasons worth). I'm so proud...

Monday brings my first full week of work. Ugh...