Saturday, May 31, 2008

Star Trek Saturday

Years back I used to spend part of my Saturdays watching the various Star Trek episodes (TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager) along with Babylon 5. I do miss them. So I am posting this. This cracks me up. My favorite Monty Python skit paired with Star Trek. It is short, but I love it.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Friday Cat Blogging

Sunlight:


Twilight:



Fostering cats can be emotionally taxing at times. But it is worth it when I get an email like this:

Subject: Twilight & Sunlight

Hi there! I just wanted email you quickly to let you know that the girls are GREAT!!! Unfortunately I've been unable to find my USB cable for my digital camera, so I can't send any pictures at the moment! These girls are awesome. They adapted beautifully to our home and are the most affectionate cats. We really love them!!! My other cats adjusted nicely to the girls. In fact, Tommie (my other cat) & Sunlight wrestle each other every morning. It's quite funny to watch.

Just wanted to say thanks for raising some great cats & just know that they're very much loved here!!!


Sunlight and Twilight were two kittens I rescued, fostered, and got them adopted through a great rescue organization. After a few years, they lost their home and needed to look for a new home. I once again had to foster them. The total fostering time was about 6 months. I came to think of them as my own cats until I was contacted that a family was interested in adopting them. I brought them to the adoption center to meet the adoptive family. I could tell they were a perfect match for the cats. I shed some tears after the adoption process, but the look on the adoptive family's faces told me that this was meant to be. They could not have found a better home. The email above only confirmed my thoughts on the matter and made me feel like it was all worth it at the end. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that I could give so much joy and love away.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Star Trek and Fraiser

For those that enjoyed Star Trek and Fraiser (as I did):

Salvation for the Skin



It seems like I got various bites last week. Photography has a price and usually it is my skin that pays that price. I am fond of wetland flora and so are things that like to bite me. Even going out in drier areas has plenty of biting things.

It is not at all unusual for me to come home with anywhere from 50-100 bites on me from various things. Although at the moment, I don't have that many bites on me, I am still suffering from the bites I endured from doing photography this past Saturday. What my current bites lack in quantity, they have more than made up in terms of quality of intensity.

Hence, I love IVAREST. Great stuff. Has been my dermal salvation. The main lovely ingredients are Calamine 14% W/W , Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride 2% W/W. It is the best stuff I have discovered OTC. As a result, I am able to sit at my desk and work on my dissertation and not be all itchy and scratchy--because, there are just some places it is impolite to scratch in public.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Out of Kilter


At the moment, I feel out of sorts. Physically, mentally, and emotionally I feel out of kilter. I am not sleeping well, my dreams are weird, I am tired, feel depressed, and have a bad case of writer's block (not good when writing a dissertation).

I am thinking if I implement some physically activity in my life, perhaps that should bring things back in balance. So, I am going to go back to my love of inline skating. As often as I can, I will be off to Edgewater Park after my day at the lab and skate by the lake (except on weekends since I hate the crowd there). This should also help my weight loss efforts.

When I lived in Pittsburgh, there was a community that was big on inline skating. I skated with a group several times a week. I loved it. I even did a race (15K). And somewhere, out there, exists pictures of me after the race (as I had to pose with my medal for photographers). Although I think I am (or was) good, that was about 10 years ago. I would like to try to do a race again at the end of summer, but it is hard to say if I have enough time to properly train for something like that. At the very least, whatever I do accomplish should prove to be good for me.

I realize that is going to take some effort when at the end of the day I usually feel like collapsing. But hopefully, the effort will pay off. Perhaps this time, my horoscope for today may be right:

To find the harmony you need right now, you need to sacrifice a little bit.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Unbelievable


As someone who is on a diet, I have to watch and count the calories I consume. Making sure that the output of calories is greater than the input of calories. Sometimes, I am greatly surprised at where extra calories creep up. Things you think should be good turns out to be high in calories. That is why I found this article interesting.

However, I am also surprised at finding out how many calories and fat is lurking in something that I know is bad. Case in point is the Heath bar milkshake from Baskin Robins. The article states the following:

Baskin Robbin’s Large Heath Bar Shake (32 oz)
2,310 calories
266 g sugar
108 g fat (64 g saturated)

Let's look at America's Worst Drink in numbers:

73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake.
66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains.
11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake.
8-12: The average number of minutes it takes to consume this drink.
240: The number of minutes you’d need to spend on a treadmill burning it off, running at a moderate pace.


All I can say is OMG. I am definitely staying away from that stuff. That is more calories than I am supposed to consume in one day. Working on a dissertation simply just does not burn off that many calories...

Revenge of the Pink Bubblegum

A while back I posted on joys of giving one of my foster cats, Siouxsie the pediatric, bubblegum flavored amoxicillin. Well, it turns out that all three foster cats have the same respiratory tract infection. This means, all three cats get the pediatric amoxicillin.

The three cats all hate the pink bubblegum amox. Twice a day, it is the battle of the wills. Quite frankly, I think the cats are winning. I used to think that giving cats liquid medication was "easy peasy". I greatly underestimated how much a cat hates bubblegum flavor.

Twice a day, for three cats, I have to pin down a squirming mass of fur and inject liquid medication in her mouth. To compound matters, said squirming mass of fur has claws. Yes, I am sporting some battle wounds from this. Twice a day, I get scratched and bubble gum medication gets dribbled and spewed on me. Sometimes I think I end up wearing more of the pink bubblegum medication than I manage to get down their throats. I have also learned the hard way that I need to keep my mouth closed during the medication process instead of speaking soothing words to said squirming mass of fur. Yes, the stuff has wound up in my mouth as well.

So, suffice it to say, I am starting to develop a bit of an aversion to pink bubblegum scent and flavor.

Which brings me to interesting point. I found some shimmering flavored body lotion, body mist, and lip gloss in a bag tucked away in the recesses of my bedroom. I bought it a few years back thinking it might be something fun to wear on a date. Tucked it away and forgot about it--until now. The scent and flavor? Bubblegum.

Suffice it to say, I don't think I am going to be wearing it any time soon...

Monday, May 26, 2008

Dreams, Candle Flames, and Reflections

I really like this song:


The Hungarian version is a passionate reflection. I especially like the imagery of what translates to "the hot tears of the candle flames".

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Way I Am

To be loved for who I am would simply be magical. Perhaps one day..

*Sigh*

Which is why I like this song so much:

Friday, May 23, 2008

Friday Cat Blogging

Meet the Toyger:

All my cats have been rescues (with the exception of my first cat that my parents got me when I was little and it was one of those "free to a good home"). I go by the adage of "Don't breed or buy while homeless pets die". The adage is to empasize getting a cat from a rescue organization if you want a pet and not allowing cats to breed in order to contribute to the pet overpopulation problem. There are so many very loving cats in need of a good home (I know since I foster some of them). So many of these wonderful loving cats are needlessly euthanized because their only crime in life is that they were not able to find a good home. It really makes me angry. It also breaks my heart as I have three cats of my own and love them dearly. I know first hand what wonderful creatures cats can be.

However, I can't help but admire the beautiful creation of the Toyger. The coloration and striping pattern is nothing short of stunning. It does seem like a lovely breed. And who knows? Perhaps those bozo's who insist upon owning and attempting to keep a wild cat (tigers, and such) might just be happy to have a lovely domesticated cat such as a Toyger? Because in my opinion, wild cats are just that, they are wild and meant to stay that way. They are not there for our pleasure and we should not inflict our desires for confinement to their detriment. It seems like the Toyger offers the best of both worlds. The look of the wild with the tameness of the "puddy-cat".

For more information on the Toyger, look here.

Monday, May 19, 2008

La Luna

Ah. It would seem that tonight is a full moon. In honor of it, I am posting a video of Sarah Brightman singing La Luna. I hope you enjoy her voice as much as I do.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Hungarian Sundays

Sundays have traditionally been for me the day to get in touch with my Hungarian side. Usually I listen to the Hungarian programs on the radio and allow the Hungarian part of me to emerge.

For your enjoyment, here is a video of a dance from the Kalotaszeg region in Hungary:

Friday, May 16, 2008

Friday Cat Blogging

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Pink Lips and Bubblegum


One of my foster cats, Siouxsie is currently sick with an upper respiratory infection. Most likely viral, but she has to be on pediatric amoxicillin. The amoxicillin is being used as a preventative measure because cats very frequently will develop bacterial infections from this.

Siouxsie, does not like the pink bubblegum flavored amox. Can't say I blame her. After all, the pediatric amox is not manufactured with cat palates in mind. But she is pretty good with taking the liquid meds. The only problem is that since she does not like the stuff, some of it does tend to dribble out and stain her white fur around her lips. So, she ends up with pink around her lips. I can't help thinking that she reminds me very much of the child who gets into her mom's pink lipstick and has it smeared around her lips from improper application.

It looks cute and it amuses me. Who would have though a sick cat would be a highlight of my week?

Friday, May 09, 2008

Friday Cat Blogging



Just goes to show you that a cat can have good table manners!

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Thesis Hell

I have officially entered Thesis Hell.

They say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In my case, it is paved with data.

I have the deadline of submitting a first draft of my dissertation by the end of June. Somehow, I must write about a chapter a week.

I have written four pages today. Only a hundred or so more pages to go. Oy. This is going to be so very painful...

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

A Competitive Streak

I have to confess, that at times, I do have a competitive streak in me. Yes, for the most part, I am easy going, but I also like to at times prove people wrong.

One of those people happened to be my brother-in-law.

A few years back I attended a Hungarian event here in the city which he happened to be the organizer. Early in the evening he made the comment to me that I cannot dance a proper fast Hungarian Csárdas because I was born here in the U.S. and not Hungary. I did not say much to him other than perhaps he should consider that he might be wrong. As the evening progressed he grabbed me by the arm as I was making my way over to the dessert table (a table laden with luscious Hungarian desserts) and suggested we dance. So we did. I also decided at that point to prove myself as a Hungarian dancer.

I kept up with the music through the entire piece. My brother-in-law? Well, about 3/4 through he could barely stand. The more he stumbled, the faster I danced. I held my own through the entire piece. At the conclusion of the music, he could barely make it back to the table. He had to spend the next half hour resting. He rescinded his statement about me not being able to dance a proper fast Hungarian Csárdas. He also said that he has no intention of ever dancing with me again because he can't keep up.

Me? I just went back to my original course of heading towards the dessert table.

Here is a video clip of the same music I danced to. The video is old, but the music is good:

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Very Accurate


Yep, this is actually very very accurate of my thoughts and feelings through the years...
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