Reality is a Collective Hunch

Why I Work for BJC

2009-09-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've recently taken a new position within BJC, so things have been a bit busy. However, the following story gave me a great reason to post.

My dad was recently seen at two of our facilities, which not only resulted in the identification of an unknown problem for him, but also indicated a genetic risk for our whole family.

Dad was originally sent to Northwest HealthCare by his internist at Christian Hospital for an MRI, because he was experiencing severe back pain. The MRI report identified a herniated disc, and his doc referred Dad to an orthopedic surgeon at Missouri Baptist Medical Center to evaluate the problem. When Dad met with the orthopedic surgeon, his back pain had subsided and the disc appeared to have moved back into place on its own. The surgeon said that, more than the disc, he was concerned about an abdominal aortic aneurysm that had been identified on the MRI.

Dad followed up with his internist, who performed a sonogram to look at the aneurysm. Because its size was nearing the point at which surgical intervention is recommended, he referred Dad to a vascular surgeon at MoBap. The vascular surgeon and his physician assistant explained the condition to dad, mentioning that it can be hereditary, and sent him for a CT scan to determine if surgery is necessary. The results should be in this week.

Dad is now the third generation of his family to develop this condition, and this knowledge will help my brother and I (who both have a genetic risk for cardiovascular problems from Mom's side of the family, as well) better manage our health. It was suggested that we both be screened for the condition at age 45, which is well below the suggested age for screening individuals without a family history.

Dad went on and on about how great his experiences were at both facilities. The staff were friendly, explaining everything to him and making sure he understood. They reassured him, and made the experience much less stressful. He says it's no wonder I work for this organization, everyone is great!

As his daughter, I am grateful to the staff for taking care of my dad and for identifying a problem that could affect our whole family. As a BJC employee, my first thought when dad said how impressed he was with the care he received was, "Well of course, you were at a BJC facility!" This is exactly the type of care patients expect, and it's great to see that we are exceeding their expectations!

Cakes!

2009-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

I like to cook. And bake - I looooove to bake.
The problem is that, at our house, it's just DH & me, and the dogs - who do their fair share of enjoying the yummyness that comes from the kitchen but, let's face it, they can only eat so much. I have, therefore, built up a list of people and departments at work that I can take goodies to, in order to limit the calorie buildup at our house.

I absolutely LOVE it when a special occasion arises that lets me flex my creative muscles - like birthdays! My mom used to decorate cakes semi-professionally (and was darn good at it, too!), so I use her "secret recipe" for the cake and had, for years, used her recipe for buttercream icing. But then something happened . . .

something terrible . . .

the powers-that-be changed the recipe for shortening to make it trans-fat-free! This may not seem too terrible, but in fact it turns mom's trusted recipe from yummy, stable icing into yummy, slide-y icing. Good for eating, not good for decorating. It's like watching a glacier melt over a milennia - sloooooowwwwwwwllllyyyyyy it slides off the edges. At first, I thought it was just me having a "consistency" issue, since cake decorating isn't something I do regularly and getting the icing just right is an art.

The first cake I did turned out relatively well - you can hardly tell there's any sliding, but the outline of the numbers didn't quite hold shape:

(this was especially cute because my boss loves the Cardinals & shared a last name with one of their players)

Then I read an article in a Pillsbury saying that the shortening was the culprit, but I did not pay heed. The next birthday:

Can you see the slipping around the edges? juuuuust barely, because I kept the cake in the fridge all night and, as I said, it happens slowly - so I didn't notice any slippage until the next morning, when it was too late!

So I went back to the Pillsbury book, which gave an "updated" recipe for icing that used meringue powder. When I bought the meringue powder, though, it had it's own recipe for buttercream icing -- both of these, of course, used different amounts of powdered sugar than mom's trusted recipe, and they both used WAY different amounts of meringue powder. So I used mom's recipe & guessed at the amount of meringue powder to use:

This was a cake for my personal trainer's birthday - the icing consistency was better, but not fixed completely.

Finally, I decided to just use the recipe that came in the meringue powder, from Wilton - because Wilton rules the world of cakes, cupcakes, icing, etc. This time, the result was much more awesome:
I take full responsibility for the slight bowing of the lines on the bottom edge - that's me, not the icing. Now I'm trying to decide what to do next - any ideas?

Cinco de Mayo = Tres de Oscar!

2009-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been a long time since I took Spanish, and the above isn't a good translation, but today is Oscar's third birthday! When we got him, he:

- was chunky
- wasn't used to long walks
- hated car rides (would sit and tremble)
- had a chronic medical issue that is too gross to mention
This is a picture from the very first walk we took him on - please notice how he is more "barrel-shaped" than "wiener-dog-shaped":

Now he:
- is wiener-dog-shaped
- loves to run and hike in the woods
- loves car rides more than Pepper does (and that's saying something)
- has had surgery to correct the medical issue and is noticeably feeling better

If you look closely in this picture, you can see that his tummy now tucks up the way it is supposed to, instead of being level with his ribcage:

He is, totally and completely, mommy's boy!

LOTS of pictures!

2009-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Now that you have a general idea of what the area surrounding my house looks like, come along and spend an afternoon walking around!

This is the front of our house:

Here is our custom-built (by Hubby), extra-large, stainless steel mailbox:

With the tulips I planted last fall:

Look down the road to the right:

And down the road to the left:

There are lots of cool things about living out where we are, such as . . .

. . . we have a tractor

We can burn stuff, and nobody cares. This used to be a pile of tree limbs from the yard:

And this will eventually be gotten rid of the same way:

Forget bags, we buy mulch by the truckload - mulching is my job!

AND we have a wood-burning boiler that heats the house and the hot water. This past winter, it saved us over $1,000 because we didn't have to buy propane - just chop wood!

Hubby built it himself - please note & appreciate how it matches the garage.

Something else I like about our home is that there are plenty of places for plants!

These plants were already there when we moved in . . .

My favorite shrub - gets beautiful pink flowers in the summer:

I love this lilac shrub - we had to seriously prune it (with a chainsaw) as it was terribly overgrown and blocking our view of the road, but it's come back beautifully:
See?

And this - this is the bane of my existence. It gets lovely white flowers in the summer, but it hasn't been pruned since who-knows-when, and the branches grow together in a huge twisty mess. I've tried three times to prune it with no luck - once I cut the branches, I can't remove them from the jumble - so we're going to have to chainsaw it, as well.

Here is something funny - these bricks were here when we moved in, I have no idea why, but Pepper has decided there is something living in this tree, so he spends an ample amount of time digging for it. He's now gotten it dug out enough that he can fit his whole body in the trunk, so I have dubbed it "Pepper's Secret Lair":

I have no clue what this shrub is, but it gets marvelous red flowers in the spring:

And finally, my favorite flower - the resurrection lily. It looks like this now:

but in awhile the leaves will die off and there will be nothing. Then, toward the end of the season, the flowers will show up:

They're also called "magic lilies" or "naked ladies."

As much as I love the plants that were here before us, I'm also quite proud of the ones I've added.

This is the first planting I did - it involved digging up a bazillion yucca plants and replacing them with Asiatic lilies surrounded by daylilies:

Here's another - hyacinths, tulips, and something else I've forgotten, surrounding St. Francis (who looks out for our weenie dogs!):

This is a trellis I built from tree limbs, to set off another area that I'd worked in - the plants were already there but they needed to be thinned out.

This year, I planted a climbing jasmine for the trellis.

I know it looks kind of sad, but if you look closely, you'll see there's new growth at the bottom - yay!

I have two more jasmine plants waiting to go up on these beautiful trellises that Hubby built for my birthday:

Notice the wonderfully beveled edges? Hubby does not mess around!

Here are some seeds I've started in pots - flower mixes for cutting:

and lettuce:

Speaking of growing things you can eat, here are some photos from my garden.

Hubby built the raised bed for me last year:

And in it, I attempt to grow such things as . . .

parsley,

oregano,

carrots (for the first time),

basil,

strawberries, which not only came back from last year (which they're supposed to do but I always worry),

but they've already got flowers!

This year, I tried my hand at potatoes:

Silly me, I didn't notice they'd sprouted until I looked at them next to a strawberry plant and realized it wasn't just an offshoot. See the difference?

However, something that also comes with living in the country is this:

Someone's been in my garden!!!

I wonder who it could be . . . oh, here's a clue:

Yup - Bambi and Thumper. Bambi has also been responsible for tipping my birdfeeder to spill out all the seed.

So I had to add some things to the garden:

Marigolds are supposed to be a natural deterrent, and they're pretty!

And to wrap up the garden tour, here's the view behind the garden on a cloudy day:

What else should we do this afternoon? Oh right - play with weenie dogs!

First, Hubby takes Pepper on a ride. Pepper LOVES rides - car, truck, motorcycle, 4-wheeler:

Oscar does not like the 4-wheeler - it's too noisy for him. But when it is turned off, he gets jealous if he doesn't get to sit on it with Dad:

After the ride, it's time to play fetch.

I've never seen a little dog move so fast - as soon as Pepper drops the toy, he's off and running:

He's just a little fuzzy blur:

He only stops to get a grip on the toy:

Or - on very rare occasions - to catch his breath:

Oscar, on the other hand, believes in the slow-and-steady method of fetch:

But occasionally, he will get mad:

This is Oscar being mad:

Can you see what he's mad at? Look closely in the upper right corner:

But once I shake the toy out of the tree, he's content. So content that he leaves the toy for something better - a stick!

Meanwhile, Pepper has discovered one of the many mole-holes in our yard, and is convinced that he is going to evict the occupant:

Yep, if he keeps digging, surely he'll get that mole . . .

He didn't have any luck, but we did end up with a Pepper-sized trench in the yard:

Oh well.

That wraps up this afternoon - after all this fun, it's time for some serious weenie-dog snoozing. Thanks so much for coming to visit!

A Virtual Visit To My House

2009-04-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

I live in the middle of nowhere.

Okay, not really, but comparatively.

This is a map of the area I live in:

Just to give you an idea of the layout:

The orange line on the left is 1/2 mile.
The yellow house is - you guessed it - our house!
Blue pin is my in-laws' house.
Red pin is the neighbor lady who glares at us - I don't know why, don't ask.
Green pin is the neighbor that I gave a lift to this winter when his truck got stuck in the ice.
The tree is the neighbors with the orchard.
The fish is the lake we fish in.
Yellow pin is where we will eventually build our house.
The pink pin is the neighbors who don't talk. At all. We stopped their dog from running out in front of a car, remarked on what a handsome dog he is, etc. -- nothing, not even a grunt.
Purple pin are new-ish neighbors who wave to us
Turquoise pin is the neighbor who helped me when my truck slid into a ditch (darn freshly-graveled roads)
And the purple line is one of our preferred dog-walking routes, at just about one mile long.

For the sake of comparison, here is a picture of my parents' neighborhoods, respectively. The orange line is, again, 1/2 mile; and the blue and purple lines are one mile:

Mom & StepDad:

Dad & StepMom:

Do you see all the neighbors, roads and signs of civilization they have? I've been there, done that & gotten the t-shirt. All things being equal, I will take my 90-mile roundtrip commute to work any day of the week - well, any day M-F, as fair trade for my lovely surroundings. Do I miss being able to order pizza? Yes. But I will exchange that for the sounds of owls and coyotes at night. Having to plan a weekly run to the grocery store (because it takes me 20 minutes to get there) is worth the look on the dogs' faces when we let them run - unleashed - through the woods while we hunt for mushrooms. It's not for everyone - but it works for us!

This past weekend, I took quite a few pictures of our home, yard, garden, etc., which I will post soon (like, as soon as I download them!)

Dear PETA: Get some perspective. Sincerely, Me

2009-02-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

As an example of the "one bad apple . . . " theory, I submit for today's reading pleasure PETA.

When I was at [tree-hugging-conservation-loving-hippie] college, we got a good laugh out of their "Eat the Whales" campaign and made the most out of their "Got Beer?" campaign, but seriously - these folks go so far on some topics that they totally turn folks off of the good points that they make. YES, there are plenty of places where animals are treated cruelly and YES we should put an end to that. But their self-proclaimed "uncompromising views on animal rights" turn issues into a black-or-white, right-or-wrong, all-or-nothing battle.

PETA wants things to change - okay, good for them, so do I (though not necessarily the same things). But as Jane Goodall said, "Lasting change is a series of compromises. And compromise is all right, as long your values don't change."

A few major issues I have:

PETA wants to ban the pit bull breed.
Tiffany says - sure, because that will stop dog fighting. NOT! Ban the bad guys, not the breed. And really, the number of dogs used for fighting that resemble pit bulls is amazing - go here to see if you can find the pit bull. Interesting, hmm? Would PETA like us to also ban the ~20 breeds that are often confused with pit bulls, too?

PETA hates zoos, saying they, "almost always favor large and charismatic animals who draw crowds and neglect less popular, but still needy, species," and that, "returning captive-bred animals to the wild is, in most cases, impossible."
Tiffany says - large and charismatic animals are an excellent way to get people into the zoo so that we can expose them to those less-known species. Great example -- at the Saint Louis Zoo, people may come to see the polar bears. While they are there, we introduce them to the less-known but more-threatened Malayan Sun Bear, which is actually the most endangered bear in the world. Or we get folks to care about "umbrella species," like elephants, and by preserving their habitat we also save a number of other species that share the habitat.

Tiffany also says - reintroduction of captive-born animals, if done correctly, can not only increase population levels and genetic diversity, but also provide excellent educational opportunities. Check out the collaboration between the National Zoo & Brazil to help populations of Golden Lion Tamarins.

More recently, PETA threw a fit because St. Louis Children's Hospital uses cats to teach its Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) class. The cats are sedated heavily and monitored by a veterinarian while people learn how to intubate infants. This is done four to six times a year, and after a few years the cats are adopted out. So yes, how dare they house, feed and provide veterinary care for these animals before finding them good homes, all while also teaching people how to save infants' lives while the cats are asleep! According to PETA, the cats would be better off euthanized. [sarcasm] That makes perfect sense to me. [/sarcasm]

What I want to know is this: let's say that, heaven forbid, one of these PETA folks' newborn children stops breathing. Do you honestly think they are going to ask the paramedic how they learned PALS? Do you really think they will say, "no, don't touch my child!" if the responder learned using a cat rather than a mannequin? Because seriously - if anyone I know stops breathing suddenly, I don't care how you learned to save them, just save them!

So here is the point of my rant:
By taking an "uncompromising" stand on certain issues, PETA alienates people who, like me, believe that problems are best solved through collaboration and cooperation. PETA gets no support from me, I choose to support those organizations who I believe really promote animal welfare - and that includes punishing animal abusers, not banning breeds; and promoting species survival and conservation. All species alive today are here because they've been able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. If PETA can't adapt to changes in society, they too face extinction -- and I can't say I'd be sad to see them go.

Pepper is 3!

2009-02-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

To start the week off on the right foot:

Pepper turned three yesterday! Here is what he looked like when he first came to live with us, in November of 2006:

He only weighed 10 lbs, thanks to having worms - here he is the following March:

Pepper deciding that he was coming on our honeymoon with us:

Pepper after vanquishing a snapping turtle - or so he thought, we didn't have the heart to tell him daddy vanquished it (legally, and with a license):

and Pepper with his best dog buddy, Oscar:

Finally Friday!

2009-02-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

It's Friday - yay! Time to wrap things up at work and begin planning for the weekend. I don't know about you, but this weeks seems to have been longer than usual.

Here is your assignment for the weekend - give it a try, I promise you'll start next week out on the right foot:
- Each day, be sure to write down three positive things that happened. Big, small, it doesn't matter. If, by the end of the day, you haven't reached three -- make something happen!
- Take 30 minutes each day to do something for you.
- Get outside and breathe some fresh air for at least five minutes each day.

That's it!

For today's positive item, I give you a little perspective:
If you were to condense the entire history of the Earth into 24 hours, with the formation of the Earth happening right at midnight and the present day being right before midnight strikes again, humans have been around for a whopping 34 seconds. Kind of makes waiting in traffic not-so-bad, hmm?

Have a great weekend!

Thursday: Headline Review

2009-02-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

I officially declare Thursday to be "Headline Review Day" here at Collective Hunch. Some of these may look familiar, others you may have missed.

Local News
New traffic woes - Apparently potholes, constant construction and road rage aren't enough - now we have to deal with zombies during our daily commute? I envy those work-at-home folks!

Two local dogs will be competing at Westminster, in an attempt to keep the trophy won by Uno last year in the area.

US News
Yesterday, the FBI announced that they are reviewing evidence in the 1982 Tylenol Murders. This case is only 6 months younger than I am, but it's comforting to know that "unsolved" doesn't mean "banished to the attic and forgotten about."

Your ex-wife was murdered, but that doesn't get her out of her lease - I predict a quick change of heart on the part of the landlord of the victim.

The Obama administration cancels Bush-era oil-drilling leases in Utah. Because, like it or not, oil cannot be our only answer to our energy issues!

World News
Germany offers its citizens $3,250 to ditch their old cars in favor of newer, environmentally cleaner ones. Das ist groß!

Politics
The President has imposed caps of $500,000 on executive pay at companies taking federal bailout money. He's a better man than I am - I agreed with Senator McCaskill when she suggested they should get no more than the President himself (and when she called them idiots for giving multi-million dollar bonuses knowing their companies were in trouble).

Crappy luck for the President, finding out that two more of his cabinet nominees had tax "issues." Bonus points to him for acknowledging that he "screwed up" and reinforcing that his administration does not have two sets of rules - one for the elite and one for us normal folks. People make mistakes, and they need to take responsibility for them. For some, it means simply paying back taxes and fines. For others, it means that plus not taking a cabinet position. At least they can step up and say, "this is my fault and I am taking responsibility for it." Unlike my former governor, who seems unable to take a hint.

Business
Signs of the time - I thought this list of 10 businesses that could be extinct within 10 years was interesting.

Tech/Science
Scientists in South America discovered fossils of the longest snake ever known.

It looks like the transition to digital TV will be postponed until June. This ticks me off, for the same reason that I was bothered in school when teachers would add "extra" work time (which was really just taking away time from something else) because some of my classmates complained about not having enough time to complete projects. It's also the same reason I'm bothered by parents who make empty threats to misbehaving children -- if you don't follow through, you're not effective. I went online & requested my converter-box-coupons, I went to Wal-Mart every Saturday until they restocked their supply. My theory - if something is important enough to someone, they will expend the effort to learn about it and take the necessary steps to conform. So what if people who - after listening to the "DTV is coming!" commercials for a year - aren't ready? In case of disaster, turn on the radio, get on the internet, go somewhere that has televisions! We were a "radio-only" society for over thirty years, I'm sure that people could survive without television again.

Health
Kudos to Bill Gates who, during a presentation on malaria, released mosquitos into the audience and said, "Not only poor people should experience this."

We all know exercise is important, but finding the time isn't always easy. Seriously, though - if the President and First Lady can find the time to work out, perhaps the rest of us should be reexamining our schedules for that block of time.

Just for Fun
Are those pigeons in your pants, or are you just happy to . . . oh, those are pigeons in your pants. A funny picture, yes, but a reminder that the black-market wildlife trade is alive and well.

Maybe you should open those letters from the local authorities . . . lest you be jailed for $30,000 in parking fines. Where the heck was this woman parking?

"Animal control, can I help you" . . . "Yes, I'm calling to see if someone could come help me find my 23-foot python?" Those sneaky little snakes - I wonder how long they've been plotting this escape? Luckily, they were found and returned safely to their owner.

Today's positive item:
Finally, dogs' "basking" behavior explained:

(originally from ihasahotdog.com)

Fun with Fowl

2009-02-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's post discussing some of my thoughts on health care, today I bring you something lighter and easier to digest.

I like to cook - I enjoy the idea of creating something delicious from things that, on their own, you wouldn't (or shouldn't) eat. In cooking, the whole is equal to more than the sum of its parts. In addition, cooking feeds the "people-pleasing" side of my personality. I like to take care of others - with a new entree or side dish, it's my husband who, bless him, will try almost anything once. With higher-calorie items, or those containing ingredients my DH dislikes, I feed the folks at work. They, as well, will try almost anything once and can often provide helpful feedback and alternative recipe suggestions.

One of my favorite aspects of cooking is finding a recipe that works, using it enough to get comfortable with how all the pieces fit together, and then experimenting with adding or subtracting ingredients. I was 26 years old before I roasted my first chicken (or turkey), and thanks to Good Housekeeping, I found a recipe that not only works, but is simple enough to allow for experimentation. Here are the basics, with my own modification:

Roasting a chicken
Buy a 4-5lb chicken (I buy mine fresh, but frozen would be fine, too - just let it thaw!) & get a roasting pan with a rack - the aluminum ones from the store work fine, but after a few times I just went out & bought my own. Spray the rack with cooking spray.

Set your oven to 450* F, and place the rack one level below the middle.

Take the thawed chicken out of the fridge - the ones I get already have the neck & giblets removed, but if yours doesn't, you'll have to remove them. Check both ends of the chicken, sometimes they are bagged separately (I learned that with my first turkey, which is why the bags are melt-proof). Drain the chicken & pat it dry.

Combine the following: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (or one clove crushed with a press).

Using your fingers and a knife, if needed, gently separate the skin from the meat of the chicken breast. Do this slowly and try not to tear the skin.

Take the olive oil/herb mixture and rub it under the skin on top of the chicken breast.

Using kitchen string (unflavored dental floss works as well), tie the chicken's legs together.

Combine 3/4 teaspoon salt with 1 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, rub all over chicken. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan, breast-side up.

Pour water into roasting pan just enough to cover the pan bottom.

Cover with an aluminum foil tent and cook for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes or until done. "Done" means that a thermometer reads 175* when inserted into the thigh closest to the body, but not touching the bone.

Lift the chicken from the roasting pan & tilt it so that the juices run out into the pan. Let the chicken sit 10 minutes before carving*. When you carve the chicken, there will be more juices - I carve on a plate or a plastic cutting board to allow for collection of these juices.

Pour juices into a sauce pan, skim off fat & discard. Add a little water if necessary, cook on medium for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve the chicken with the pan juices.

That's it! Now, here are a few ways to experiment:

- Replace the olive oil with 1 tablespoon melted butter. You can even add some pieces of butter under the skin on the chicken breast.
- Replace the herbs and garlic with different seasonings (use 1 1/2 teaspoons total). I've used a salt-free lemon pepper seasoning and a barbecue seasoning, both with great results.
- Use something other than salt and pepper to rub all over the chicken. When I used the lemon pepper seasoning on the inside, I used it as a rub as well.
- Stuff the chicken cavity with lemon slices
- Use a turkey instead! You'll need to change the temperature and cooking time as follows: Use a thawed 14-lb turkey, preheat oven to 325* F, cover with aluminum foil & cook 2 1/2 hours, remove foil and cook another 45 minutes or until done. "Done" means a thermometer inserted into the breast is 165* and the thigh next to the body but not touching bone is 175 - 180*. I did this for Thanksgiving this year (twice!) and it was a big hit, both hot and cold.

Don't have the time or inclination to put that much effort into a chicken? No problem - check out the recipe at right for "Joan's crock-pot chicken," from a friend at work. Super easy and absolutely delicious!

* I'm a firm believer that everyone should know how to carve a bird. Food Network has a good article with pictures here or a video of Alton Brown using a slightly different method here. Happy carving!

Positive thing for the day:

Joy is . . .

A wiener dog in the snow!

A Trip to the ER & Thoughts on Health Care

2009-02-03T07:12:00.001-08:00

I arrived home Saturday from my weekly grocery run to find my Dear Husband (DH) splitting and stacking firewood with his friends. As I unloaded the car, I noticed that he was splitting wood using only his left hand, holding his right arm close to his side. I asked, "What did you do to your hand?" His response? "I think I broke it."

A trip to the wonderful ER at Alton Memorial Hospital confirmed that he had, in fact, sustained a small "chip" fracture of one of the carpal bones in the right hand. Our experience at the ED was great - the triage nurse was very kind & explained how the ED was set up and why she was sending us through the South ER, the registration staff was nice and thorough, the doctor showed us the fracture on screen & and our entire time at the facility was only about one hour. Monday, DH visited an orthopedic surgeon for a follow-up visit. He now has a cast and orders not to return to work until after he revisits the surgeon in two weeks.

In all, this little incident cost us a few hours of our time, $100 for our ER co-pay, $20 for the orthopedic surgeon's co-pay, and another $20 for the follow-up. We'll end up paying 5% of the total radiology charges, but all told it's not much out of pocket, especially after the supplemental insurance DH has kicks in -- I have no complaints about our health insurance.

I wonder, however, what situation we would be in without the coverage we have. a quick search of msnbc.com yields numerous articles about disparities in health care coverage, rising costs and shrinking coverage. Combined with the seemingly-unending number of layoffs affecting our country these days, the number of people with inadequate coverage - or worse, none at all - keeps climbing.

There are multiple reasons why I care about this situation. Primarily, it's because I'm human, and the suffering of others bothers me. I find the thought of children without preventive care, elderly folks having to choose which medications are most important, or families having to declare bankruptcy thanks to an unexpected illness disturbing, if not disgusting.

Secondly - though definitely less empathetic - I don't like the idea of paying for a flawed system. I have no problem paying taxes to fund Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. I am a firm believer that our country should provide health care for its citizens when they are unable to work or have retired. My problem is with the way these programs compensate providers for services, and how privately-insured folks (like me) end up paying extra to subsidize care.

What am I talking about? The cost shift - sometimes referred to as health care's "dirty little secret" - in which private insurers pay more than the cost of care to make up for the fact that Medicare & Medicaid pay less than the cost of care. Let me break it down using data from the St. Louis Business Health Coalition's 2007 Health Care Industry Overview. For the sake of simplicity, we'll use round numbers to start with, and let's say my insurance company covers everything past my co-pay.

Let's start by sending me to the ER and supposing that the total cost of my trip was $1000. We'll use data from 2005, the most recent available in the BHC report.

In order to cover staff and other overhead, Alton Memorial Hospital (AMH) has a mark-up of 203.5%. This means that, when they put our bill together, the total charge for our trip to the ER is $2035. I paid a $100 co-pay, so AMH will bill my insurance company $1935. (For the sake of comparison, the mark-up at their closest competitor, St. Anthony's Health Center - Alton, is 251% and the mark-up at Tenet's Des Peres Hospital is 343.7%)

AMH is a member of the BJC HealthCare system. Their reimbursement rate from commercial insurers (like mine) is $1.38 per dollar charged. That means that when my insurance company gets a bill for $1935, they will cut a check to AMH for $2670.30. That's $735.30 more than the charge - and $1670.30 more than the actual cost of services. What the heck?

Here's what you didn't know - at the same time I was in the ER, so was Jane Doe - who's insured by Medicare. Jane's trip to the ER also cost $1000, she also paid $100 as a co-pay, and AMH also billed Medicare $1935. Medicare, however, reimburses $0.94 per dollar charged, which means that the check AMH gets from Medicare is $1818.90, which is $116.10 less than the charges and only $818.90 more than the actual cost of care. This leaves AMH $116 below what they need to minimally keep up with overhead and pay their staff - wherever will they find that money?

Oh wait . . .

Me.

Yep, they're going to take that extra $735.30 from my insurance company, subtract $116.10 to make up for the shortfall from Medicare, and they'll be left with $619.20 to put toward investing in new equipment, upgrading older items, community outreach programs, and writing off bad debt from folks who don't pay them at all.

So I help pay for Medicare (and Medicaid, which has the same reimbursement rate) through my taxes and through my health insurance? Do you see my problem with the system? I pay $50.30 per pay period for my health insurance - which I am not complaining about. That's $1307.80 per year. But based on what my company pays out to providers, I'm really paying $947.68 for my health insurance, and $360.12 to subsidize Medicare & Medicaid. As I said in the beginning, I have no problem paying taxes to fund such programs, but subsidizing them using my health insurance seems like a sneaky way to do it.

If you've read this far hoping for an answer to the problem, I'm sorry but you're out of luck. I think this topic, like many, is complex enough that everyone should research in order to make their own decisions. But here are some places to start:

Here is a link to the Obama-Biden health care plan. I think it makes sense, but I also think it will hit a lot of opposition from the Right. Big surprise.

In a Letter to the Editor of Modern HealthCare Magazine, Steve Lipstein, President and CEO of BJC HealthCare, states that the Blue Ridge Academic Group has offered a suggestion for

"the creation of a United States Health Board, legally chartered and established by Congress in a fashion similar to the Federal Reserve.

. . .

"The policy paper suggests that the enabling legislation transfer authority over the regulation and supervision of all health insurance from the states to a United States Health Board. Congress would set the guiding principles that would govern the Health Board’s regulation and supervision role including:
All citizens would have guaranteed access to insurance whether they are employed or not, rich or poor, pre-existing condition or not.
Premiums would be affordable, as would out-of-pocket cost-sharing.
"Americans would have choice of physicians, hospitals and insurance plans. With these principles as guideposts (similar to low inflation and full employment as guideposts for the Fed), the United States Health Board could use its power of regulation and supervision to achieve these desired outcomes."

The paper is available here.

Something I would like to suggest, however, is that no matter what anyone says, the question is never one of how to afford whatever changes are deemed necessary. The question is of how much it is worth to us - as a nation and as individuals - to care for our fellow citizens as we would like to be cared for. If we all looked at the uninsured child as our own, if we pictured our own parents or grandparents having to choose between medications and heat, if we visualized ourselves bankrupt because of an illness; I have a feeling we would find the funding to fix the system.

Today's positive item:
The area I now call home is famous as being the wintering home of bald eagles. What doesn't seem to get as much attention is the fact that, because we're right on the Mississippi Flyway, we also get tundra swans and American white pelicans. There is a remarkable feeling that overtakes me when I see this:

But I get another, different feeling when I look up and see this:
Or when I look out across the water to see this:

It took some pondering, but I think I finally realized what it is -- the realization that although it can be wonderful and refreshing to fly solo, above the noise and the fray, concerned only with your own needs; there are times when you need others to keep you company, make life easier, and watch over you while you sleep.

Hello 2009

2009-02-02T07:19:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in quite sometime, but the new year - complete with a new administration and my resolution to get back to a regular workout routine, have inspired me to get back online.

My goal for this revamped blog is to share my thoughts on a variety of topics, both big and small, that I find myself pondering. I intend to intersperse heavy topics (like health care) with lighter ones (like favorite recipes or gadgets), so you'll never know what's coming.

In addition, because I know how easy it can be to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of things we feel need "fixing" in today's world, I'll make a point to end every post with something positive, to help us refocus on the fact that change is possible if we are willing to work for it.

So here is my positive item for the day: visit this link to see the tiger cubs at the Saint Louis Zoo playing in their first real snowfall.

Upcoming topics:
- A trip to the ER & thoughts on the cost of health care
- Favorite recipes
- Wishes for Spring

Home Stretch 2006

2006-12-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are in the last throes of 2006. It's been a heck of a year for me, and I know it's been close to the same for some of you, too. Here are just a few items that stand out:

Some good things:

I continue to maintain my 40-lb weight loss, through a combination of the YMCA, changed eating habits, continued support from Jenny Craig, my family, and friends. I just joined the health center at work, so I'll be able to go on my lunch hour -- my quest for health continues!

I've finished 6 of the 10 classes needed for my MBA -- whoo hoo!

Some traveling during the months of March and April - snowed in during my birthday trip to WI; fun times in Bloomington with JK, and a flight to NC to see B before he shipped out -- he's back safely now, yay!

Started and have continued seeing the love of my life -- it's terribly, disgustingly cute -- and I've never been happier! We survived our first long-distance trip (to WI to visit M), his moving into & then buying a house, our first Thanksgiving, getting a PUPPY (who continues to be just SO cute!), and this weekend will have our first Christmas -- he was fabulous enough to install (not just buy, or have someone install, but he did it HIMSELF) a remote starter & keyless entry on my truck - wow!

Some difficult things:

The number one rough thing about this year - Grandpa passed away. I didn't really cry at the memorial service, and pretty much held it in until August when Mom called to say that she & Grams had scattered his ashes in the ocean. It happened again at Thanksgiving, I started thinking about how happy I was to have found someone who loves me as much as I love them, and how Grandpa would have really liked Speed, and . . . well, it just went from there. Both times, Speed just held me until I was done, knowing there's nothing he could do to "fix" it, but being there because I needed him. He's a keeper, I'm telling you.

Lots of sadness with the death of Steve Irwin -- I went to college telling people, "I want to be the Crocodile Hunter when I grow up," and it's sad to know that the world lost a great conservationist -- but I have faith that his family and friends, and those of us who appreciated his work will strive to keep it alive.

But to wrap up on a positive note:
The election wound up almost as well as I could have hoped, and my faith in the system was bolstered.

So here we are, folks -- the end to another year, but more importantly, the start to a new one. Take a moment to look around and remember the reason for whichever holiday you choose to celebrate -- family, love, joy, compassion, peace, harmony -- I wish you all of these and more!

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

2006-11-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings all-
it's been a bit busy since Election Day, but I hope everyone had a safe & happy Thanksgiving. My Turkey Day started yesterday, but does not end until Sunday: one of the benefits to having step-families is the guaranteed extension of the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays.

Guess what?

Speed (& I) got a puppy! Here, in all his cuteness & glory (and demon-dog eyeshine), I give you . . . Pepper!

Note the nose lick, courtesy of Speed's SUPERB timing.

And, because he is a GOOD PUPPY, here is Pepper sitting:

He's little, he's cute, he LOVES this tennis-ball-dumbell-thing Speed found at PetCo:

and he's ours!

Enjoy your weekend!

Everything But The Pony...

2006-11-08T06:33:00.001-08:00

Well, election day has come & gone -- I voted, did you?

If you read my last post, you've probably figured that I'm disappointed that Amendment 3 didn't pass -- and I am, truly. It was something that I truly believe would have helped cut down on smoking; however, this is how democracy works. The fact that it only missed by about 62,000 votes (which is 3% of the total cast) gives me hope that, eventually, my state will realize what's up. (on the same track, California's Prop 86, which would have raised taxes on cigarettes by $2.60 per pack, only lost by about 4.3%. And my state complains about 80 cents?!?

BUT, let's look at the positives -- here are some of things that PASSED in the State of Missouri:

Constitutional Amendment #2:
Constitutional amendment to allow any stem cell research that federal law allows (this one had a smaller margin than #3 had) -- three cheers for scientific progress!

Constitutional Amendment #7:
Constitutional amendment to require legislators, statewide elected officials and judges to forfeit state pensions following felony conviction or removal from office by impeachment or for misconduct and to allow voter referendums on pay proposed by a citizens commission (umm....duh?)

Proposition B:
Proposition to increase the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour, adjust the figure yearly to match the consumer price index and make other changes

And in my county, the Special School District got their tax increase.

In addition, it seems that (at this point), the Democrats have taken the House (227 seats to 194) and are sharing the Senate (49/49). We'll also have our first female Speaker of the House, California Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

All in all, I got everything I wanted, except Amendment 3 -- it's like Christmas morning, and I got everything I asked Santa for, except that pony...

ATTENTION MISSOURI VOTERS

2006-10-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

November 7th is fast approaching, here's a great bit from STLToday.com about why you should vote YES on Amendment 3:

Yes on Amendment 3
10/29/2006

Missouri will collect about $107 million in cigarette taxes this year. At the same time, Missouri taxpayers will spend more than $2 billion — much of it through Medicaid and Medicare — to treat people with tobacco-related illnesses like heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema. The overwhelming majority of the money will come from taxpayers who don't smoke.

Anti-tobacco groups, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart and Lung associations, doctors and hospitals, want to raise cigarette taxes by 80 cents a pack. That price hike would prevent many young people from taking up smoking; as it is, about one in five Missouri teens smokes. The tobacco tax revenue would provide money for anti-smoking campaigns in schools, increase payments to doctors who treat Medicaid patients and provide health care for the poor.

The tax increase, Amendment 3, is one of five ballot issues facing voters in the Nov. 7 election. It would raise Missouri's cigarette tax, now the second-lowest in the nation (behind South Carolina, a major tobacco-producing state), to about the national average.

Opponents of the tax, including convenience store owners and other retailers who sell tobacco products, argue that the amendment unfairly targets the poor. They've got it exactly backward. The tobacco industry unfairly targets the poor, and the poor suffer disproportionate harm because of it. The tax increase, in fact, would benefit poor people by giving them an additional incentive to quit smoking, by helping them learn how and by paying for some of the health care they need but can't afford.

The opposition is fueled by contributions from global tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, and from stores that profit by selling a dangerous and addictive product. Their campaign against Amendment 3 is marked by the same shameless half-truths and outright lies that characterized decades of tobacco advertising.

They argue the tax will cost Missouri billions of dollars in extra Medicaid payments. But their facts — it may invite lawsuits that might make the state dramatically expand Medicaid coverage — are as insubstantial as smoke.

Opponents allege the tax will unfairly force smokers to pay for health care provided to others. Once again, they've got it backwards. Cigarettes would have to cost about $7.75 a pack in Missouri just to cover the cost of smokers' health care now. Even an 80-cent tax hike won't bring them anywhere near that amount.

With breathtaking hypocrisy, opponents criticize backers of the amendment because lawmakers in Jefferson City — most of whom don't support the tax increase — used tobacco settlement money to balance the state budget, rather than fund prevention efforts. Opponents also say the amendment is too complicated. But it has to be to keep tobacco tax money from being used for other purposes — like balancing the budget — by short-sighted legislators.

Opponents imply, falsely, that the tax is backed by big drug and health insurance companies. It's not.

Unlike the taxes we must pay to help cover the cost of health care for those with tobacco-related illnesses, the tobacco tax is entirely voluntary. If people don't want to pay it, they don't have to buy tobacco.

To reduce the incidence of smoking-related illnesses, to keep more Missouri children from starting to smoke, to help smokers quit and to help cover the cost of caring for those already debilitated by smoking, vote Yes on Amendment 3.

A Brief Rant

2006-10-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

***Warning: reading or commenting on this post may result in a bunch of FBI guys showing up at your house with a warrant they don't have to tell you about, that you therefore can't complain about.***

I had to write a paper for my "Management Applications of Information Technology" class; something dealing with IT & ethics. I opted to write about the USA PATRIOT Act & the ethical dilemmas it creates. It's a 7-page paper, so I don't want to post it all, but I'm proud of it & want to share the intro & conclusion with you:

Adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787; the United States Constitution was established, “in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, ” and today remains the oldest working federal constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, protect the people’s rights by expressly limiting the powers of the government. Among the rights guaranteed are:

. . . freedom of speech . . . right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances . . . The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizure . . . [and assurance that] no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized .

Also described in the Bill of Rights are the rights to due process, trial by jury, and various rights afforded to individuals accused of crimes. The Bill of Rights was adopted because, “a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added ,” suggesting that our forefathers understood the need to regulate the power of government to prevent incursions upon the civil rights of the governed. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence states that the power of Governments is acquired through, “the Consent of the Governed,” and should be used to protect the rights bestowed upon them by their Creator, in the way that “seem[s] most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ” Thomas Jefferson once said, “The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object, ” and indeed the role and responsibility of Government should be to protect and increase the rights of the people, never to eliminate rights they have already been guaranteed. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) allows governmental agencies to unethically infringe upon individuals’ Constitutionally guaranteed rights, often using information technology to do so.

...[lots of facts to back up my assertion]...

Ultimately, the ethical dilemma presented by the USA PATRIOT Act is this: we live in an age of unequaled technology, which can be used for positive or negative effect. The USA PATRIOT Act allows our government to utilize this technology to monitor individuals’ actions for the specified purpose of combating terrorism. The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights exist to protect citizens from the misuse of governmental power and infringement upon their rights as individuals. In the struggle to protect citizens from acts of terrorism, those in power must weigh the need to protect the civil rights of both U.S. citizens and non-citizens. Questions must be raised regarding who is responsible for all aspects of data collection and usage; and how these individuals and organizations will be held accountable for their use of the data. When the data is incorrect, or is used wrongly, systems must be put in place to determine who is liable for the damage that may be caused. To quote David A. Keene, Chairman of the American Conservation Union, “the line should not be drawn at 'what is helpful for law enforcement,' but at what is needed to protect us while preserving the proper balance between preserving civil liberties and our nation's national security needs. " Ultimately, society must decide what uses of this information are ethical; however, when information is gathered and used without public knowledge, questions must be raised to determine if the ends justify the means. Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety, ” and citizens who willingly allow their government to use information technology to trample the civil rights of others should not be surprised when they find their own freedoms at risk.

Feel free to comment, or write your Congresspeople, or research.

NEW JOB and other updates

2006-09-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Arg - what is that now, three weeks? My apologies, it's been a bit busy. Here's a short summary:

I GOT A NEW JOB with the corporate offices of my hospital -- whoo hoo! Executive Services Coordinator in the office of the BIG president! More $$$, better hours, no holidays or weekends! I'm psyched, more later!

Grams' mammogram came back with "something" on it -- for a 25-year breast cancer survivor, that's a mega-depressing thing -- BUT, she had a biopsy, and all is well.

Then she had to put her dog to sleep -- he's the last real connection to Grandpa, I think, since they scattered his ashes in the ocean, so it's tough to deal with; but we are all doing what we can to be there for her.

Jenny Craig -- I'm holding steady between 135-140lbs, right where I want to be. Mom & Grams continue to lose, yay!

I'm still truly, madly, deeply in love with Speed. See how happy I am:

We have scheduled TEN WHOLE DAYS off work to just relax, beginning with a weekend jaunt to the Milwaukee area to catch up with M & JK. After that, we may go camping for a few days, who knows...

Lots of A's in school - yay me! Writing a paper (or should be writing a paper) on the ethics of govermental surveillance for my IT class (think USA PATRIOT Act -- shudder!)

Little bro home from school this weekend, family going out to dinner Friday night, whoo hoo!

Thinking of changing my car insurance carrier -- the little gecko says he can save me like $140/6-months -- does anyone have any experience with Geico? Thoughts, opinions?

That's about it, back to work I go -- in the immortal words of Tigger, ta ta for now!

Sad Day

2006-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

The world is mourning the loss of a great naturalist; a man who took us with him into the wild, to give us a better glimpse at the wildlife that he loved and tried to protect.

Here are a few quotes I thought were really good:

"'Rarely has the world embraced an animal enthusiast and conservationist as they did Steve Irwin,' Discovery Networks International President Dawn McCall said in a statement."

"The consensus of public opinion on the sudden death of the man we called the Crocodile Hunter is 'I’m shocked… but I know I shouldn’t be.' Steve Irwin waded into crocodile-infested waters, hauled poisonous snakes out from under rocks, and scaled trees in further search of things that send most people — and other animals — skittering in the other direction."

"'You need to come with me and be with that animal,' I once saw Irwin tell an interviewer on one of his Animal Planet specials, '…because if we can touch people about wildlife, then they’ll want to save it.

He then turned towards the camera, as I’ve seen almost no other celebrity do before in a soft-light interview. “Come with me!” he said, eyes wide. 'Come with me.'"

"Reports are now surfacing that Irwin, who was filming a documentary when he died, never saw the stingray that killed him until after it struck. His friend John Stainton told Australian media that the cameraman floated in front of the ray as Irwin swam alongside. The animal likely felt cornered. The barb swung.

If the camera hadn't been there, it may not have attacked.

But then again, if the camera hadn’t have been there, we likely would have never known Steve Irwin at all."

Pics

2006-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are -- the new & improved 136-lb me, and the new boyfriend -- aren't we cute?

and some of just me:

NEW BABY!!!

2006-08-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

From the Saint Louis Zoo website:

IT'S A GIRL!

The Saint Louis Zoo is proud to announce the birth of an Asian elephant baby this morning, August 2, 2006, just past midnight. Ellie, the Zoo's 34-year-old Asian elephant , gave birth to a 341-pound baby girl. Both mother and baby are doing very well.

This is Ellie's second baby and the first for the baby's father, Raja. Raja was the first elephant ever born at the Saint Louis Zoo. Now, at age 13, he's started a new family, with another baby on the way in February!

Mom and baby are currently off-display, but we will be adding photos and video of our new bundle of joy as soon as possible.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Go here to see a pic!

Updates On All Fronts

2006-07-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been awhile since my last post (but not nearly as long as we've been waiting to hear from Bert), you have my apologies, but you know how it goes -- work, school, work, school, try to sleep, attempt to have a social life, rinse & repeat. I present to you, then, a summary of what's been going on.

The new definition of a romantic gift is . . . are you ready for this . . . a programmable thermostat! Don't laugh, I'm actually serious. After weeks of noticing me manually adjusting the t-stat before I leave the house (love the feathered kids, but they don't need it to be 70* while I'm gone, their species is from freakin' Australia!); Speed not only bought, but installed a programmable t-stat for me. Added note of cuteness -- he got one with a nice, big display, because he knows I can't see when I have my contacts out. Awww.

In return, I got him this, which I find to be equally romantic. Trust me -- I volunteered to scrub the shower when he moved into the new place, while he & "the guys" were doing the heavy lifting -- ohmygoodness, it was almost as bad as the fridge (did I tell you about the fridge? the one that the owner said, "I got divorced in 1998 & that fridge hasn't been cleaned since"?). So, the mega-romantic shower cleaner was presented to him last night with the following statement: "this is for you, because I love you & I never want to scrub that shower ever again."

Other notes: it's recently come to my attention that my favorite Lab Boy says I'm "Extreme Left Wing" -- am I that bad? I haven't even tossed in a political post recently (okay, I haven't tossed in any posts recently, but still) -- that's okay, Labbie, you still rock!

Thursday afternoon, I took Speed to the Zoo after work so that he could witness the chaos & cacophony that is "song time" at Camp Kangazoo. If you've never seen it, you can't understand -- but if you have, you know what I'm talking about. He observed. He chuckled at me being goofy beyond belief. He didn't run away. Score!

Enough of that. Work is there -- not too busy, but I managed to tick off a few folks by suggesting that their customer service & teamwork skills could use some polishing, to say the least.

School -- I have my Marketing Midterm on Monday - cross your fingers. For a group project, I'm working with another bio-type-girl & some guy who's been in a few of my classes. Project: pick a real or pretend product & develop a marketing plan. Original idea was something like this which, Big Brother aside, could be very handy, especially in preventing/solving Missing Children cases. We LEFT CLASS Monday with the plan to brainstorm & come back to pool ideas after the midterm. Then I get a voicemail from the guy that says we have to change our plan (no details why), maybe "a store in the mall" or something.

HUH?!?!

Talked to other partner last night, apparently the guy has issues with the "implantable chip is the mark of the beast" suggestion (which I hadn't even thought of, nor do I really get; I mean, we implant pacemakers that have serial numbers, what's the diff?); & is suggesting that the "Christian School" we go to (which I picked because it's the cheapest accredited MBA program in St. Louis) might take issue with it.

IT'S A MADE-UP PROJECT, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!

However, understanding that all are entitled to their own opinions, and not wanting to step on anyone's bible-thumpin' toes; I suggested we rework it to be a pet chip, rather than a human chip. My frustration in this comes because the other partner & I had already invested a few days of brainstorming into this; and just scrapping the whole thing would be a waste of time that I don't have to waste. So -- pet chip. Much like the current AVID chip, crossed with a GPS transmitter & able to reference (or carry) the animal's vet & vaccination records -- anyone interested?

Since I haven't mentioned my quest with Jenny recently, you'll be glad to know I've been holding between 135-140lbs for about two months now (starting weight 179.2)-- my original goal was 135, and if I hit that, whoo hoo; however, I'm quite comfortable where I am & have noticed all that good stuff that comes with a 23% drop in body weight -- more energy, better blood pressure & cholesterol numbers, etc.

Okay, guess I'd better get back to work -- yay for Saturday Shifts with nothing but paperwork to do!

Cheers, y'all!

The Real Reason To Celebrate

2006-07-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Explosive Fun

2006-07-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo, got to blow lots of stuff up this weekend, yay 4th of July!

People, I have discovered the COOLEST way to light fireworks:

That's right, it's a TORCH. Push-button, nonetheless. Oh my goodness!

Lots of fun, more details later, but I'll leave you with something to think about:

Sparkler Bombs.

News Review

2006-06-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm off to IL this weekend -- Sunday officially makes 2 months since my first date with Speed, & we're going to do lots of playing outside (hopefully with minimal heat exhaustion, since it's supposed to be in the UPPER 90'S!!!). Not to leave you poor readers (all five of you) alone, however, I'm linking you to some news articles I've seen recently that made me either cheer or shake my head:

I think this vaccine is an awesome breakthrough; in cancer research in general and in women's reproductive health specifically; and I think that the age recommendation handed down by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is perfectly reasonable.

I think that anytime someone is going to give large amounts of money (and I mean REALLY LARGE) to groups that do good work, some groups just need to shut up. I mean, how does a group that "devotes the vast majority of its funding to combating disease and poverty in developing countries" "'spell doom for the families of the developing world'"????? Oh no! They want to give people money to improve quality of life! The horror!

I'm so glad that someone finally slapped GWB's hand & said "too far!!!"

I think the protection of Alaska's coral gardens is a great step for marine conservation.

This editorial by Sylvester Brown of the St. Louis Post Dispatch brought back great memories, because I'm a Missouri Scholars Academy alum.

Those are just some of the major things that have caught my eye this week -- happy 4th of July weekend, everyone, celebrate safely!

Saturday Afternoon Snippets

2006-06-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, at work, one hour left -- it's been SOOOOOO slow (knock on wood), I'm almost going crazy . . . er . . . crazier. I've finished all the paperwork, done a bit of homework, and done more than my fair share of internet browsing. Thus, I thought I'd provide an update on various things.

Speed and I spent all last weekend moving him into the house he's renting for a few months while he builds his. The rental is owned by the same old guy who calls me Trixie. The guy is 70 & hadn't occupied the house in over 6 months AND he's a mega-packrat -- ohmygawd, it was a good thing I went out; the boys did heavy lifting & I did heavy cleaning. One great quote from the old guy, "I got divorced in 1998 and that refrigerator hasn't been cleaned since!" Oh goodness. I scrubbed. And Shop-Vac-ed. And Windex-ed. And then I did it all again.

This week at work has been busy enough to keep me entertained, and with no free evenings to spend with Speed, sigh. We still managed to make all but one of our lunch dates this week (the joys of working in the same department) -- did I mention I got flowers last week? I SO got flowers for NO good reason -- mega points, especially because I can't really remember the last time a b/f got me flowers -- and it was a big ol' bouquet, too, just because!

Okay, it's disgustingly cute, I know, I'm sorry. No, I'm not. I'm quite enjoying myself. Speed's meeting me after work tomorrow (yep, he'll be rescuing me from another day of boredom) to go to mom's house for dinner.

On the school front, I have one more class in Business Economics - the final - Wednesday, then I'm done with this class, YAY! The teacher, albeit intelligent & into his subject matter, gets on my nerves. I DID get to give a presentation about how various economic theories apply to the non-profit sector, specifically, the ZOO; so that was cool. Next course is Current Issues in Marketing.

We're getting back into Overnight season at the Zoo, yay!

I read this article which makes me sad; but this one gave me a bit of hope, though I think it may be due to the fact that they either (a) didn't find oil there or (b) it's too costly to drill. Oh no! Cynical Tiffany got loose! Beat her back into the recesses of my brain . . . beat, beat . . . okay, I'm better now.

Anyway, that's the mega-big excitement (thrilling, I know), back to surfing I go....

Update

2006-06-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

So, today makes 5 weeks since my first date w/the new guy. I'm still keeping most of the details to myself (mwah hah hah) -- suffice it to say that he's pretty much everything my good friends would hope I'd find in a guy -- but here's a funny story.

New guy, who works in my department at the hospital, has earned himself the nickname "Speed," thanks to his penchant for driving various vehicles at speeds that would frighten your mother.

While out & about on a motorcycle ride Sunday, we ran into a guy that Speed is renting a house from; who had apparently heard about "the new girlfriend." Yes, he knew my name (because he'd asked about me previously), but when introduced he said, "oh, you're...Trixie, is it?" ha ha ha.

Super funny because that now makes us:
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...did you figure it out yet?
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Sorry, I had to!

Hanging In There

2006-05-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm still here.

Been a bit busy, as you might imagine. Grandpa's memorial went well, I managed to get through my whole 2.5 page rant, which got rave reviews -- they laughed when they were supposed to laugh & they didn't fall asleep. Things are getting back to the new version of normal.

My grown-up job office has been short staffed for the last three weeks; so that's been hectic. My Business Econ professor is ticking me off, I'm glad I only have 4 classes left.

On to the positives:
I finally broke 140. After 50 weeks, yay! I'm still hoping to hit my goal of 135 by the end of my year with Jenny Craig, although if I don't, I"ll still be good -- 40 pounds is 40 pounds!

Saw X3 on Sunday afternoon with C & M -- I liked it a lot, but be sure you stick around after the credits! Had dinner with Bert Sunday night, caught up on life & such things.

Saturday, I'm driving to Cape Girardeau for a certain someone's wedding. Since I'm only expecting to know him & the family, I'm making it a single-day trip, but it promises to be fun.

Perhaps most exciting, I have a new guy in my life. Yesterday made one month since our first date. That's all I'm saying for now, stay tuned...

What to Say...

2006-05-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

I've decided that it was a good thing that Grandpa wrote his own obituary. He was always the first to brag about us, but usually the last to tout his own accomplishments. His obit, in its entirety, reads as follows:

"Graf, Joseph L. May 8, 2006, age 77.

Beloved husband for 51 years of Lucille Ann (Schneider) Graf; father to Joseph C. (Anne) Graf and Cheryl A. (Mark) D'Harlingue; grandfather to 6; great-grandfather to 1; son of the late Joseph and Grace M. (House, Graf, Kraemer) Butz; brother to Charles (Marilyn) Graf.

Attended Mt. Pleasant Grade School, Cleveland High School, St. Louis Univ., Washington Univ., Bailey Tech School (Auto Mech). He was in the Air Force thirteen years, worked for Gusdorf and Sons, Prudential Ins., J.L. Distr. and as an auto mechanic, retiring in 1994.

Services: Memorial Service will be held at KUTIS SOUTH COUNTY Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd. (at Butler Hill) Sat., May 13, 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers please contribute to the charity of your choice."

It is, as he often was, simple, to-the-point, and with minimal embellishment.

I'm working up something to say at the memorial Saturday, so I'm going to start here.

The man I called "Grandpa" was and will remain the most influential male role model in my life. From him, I learned how to pitch without throwing "like a girl." He taught me the only card trick I can still remember; although he made it much more believable than I ever could. It's thanks to him that I can occasionally recognize the voice of Old Blue Eyes, and that I know to shift to 2nd gear when going down "the hill" in winter. In his own way, he impressed upon me the importance of evaluating a person based on their abilities and character, rather than their appearance or background. Most importantly, though, he taught me how a man is supposed to treat the people he loves. As much as he teased everyone -- including Grandma, and many of you will know what I mean when I say "Joseph, you're gettin' on my last nerve!" -- he always had our best interests in mind.

Grandpa loved his family more than words can adequately describe, and he never hesitated to make sure we knew it. The last thing he said to me was how proud he was of me, and how much he loved me. That, and to be careful on my trip to North Carolina.

I know he worried about me, like he did about all of us -- I've been told that's in the "grandparent handbook" they give out when the babies are born -- right along with the "parent handbook," I'm sure. Like parents, I believe that grandparents do the best job they know how to do, and Grandpa did it well. When I was away at school, he made sure that every time I came home, my car went in for an oil change -- "you take it into Joe Bess," he'd say, "don't worry about the bill, it's taken care of," and it always was. I still have a credit card in my wallet, Grandpa gave it to me when I left for school the first time -- six years ago this Fall -- "in case of emergencies, he said, use it if you need to, we don't even need to tell your mom." I may have used it for gas or a hotel room on the drive home a few times, but when I graduated & tried to give it back, he said "go ahead & keep it, just in case." I got a real, paying, grown-up job, and he said the same thing, "just in case." Grandpa did the best to take care of the "just in cases."

He retired in '94 largely because Mom, Little Brother & I were living with him & Grams, and we couldn't find a reliable babysitter. Figuring that he'd do a better job anyway (which was usually his line of thought -- that's where I get it from), he became our babysitter for the next year or so. He would make sure that homework was done and that dinner was made; took us on random field trips to the History Museum or the Arch, and would pack us up in the evening to pick Grandma up from work. He was always there, for us and for our friends.

I tried to call Grandma & Grandpa at least once a week when I was away at school, but there were times when I'd get busy and completely forget to do anything but go to class and sleep. About ten days into the cycle, I'd get "missed call" messages on my cell phone. Grandpa would call, but not leave a message, because he didn't want to bother me. I'd talk to mom, who'd say, "call your grandparents, they're worried about you but don't want to bother you." Now that he's gone, I wish he'd bothered me more often, or that I'd had more time to call him. I'd get random cards, and Grandma's cookies were always a big hit, but what touched me the most was when he'd call and say "I just saw something in the paper . . . I'll save it and send it to you." I have random clippings scattered throughout my folders from school; things that Grandpa thought I'd be interested in. No matter where I was -- and boy did he worry when I left the country for nine days -- I never wondered whether he was thinking of me, and I never considered that he wouldn't be there when I got back. Now that he's gone, those of us who knew him will take the lessons he taught and continue to apply them to our lives; and we will pass them on to the next generation. Grandpa wasn't the type of person to just fade away, it wasn't his style. He was my Grandpa -- and he will remain, as he always has been, a solid, strong, permanent fixture in my life.

Dealing

2006-05-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

My grandpa passed away last night.

Today would have been 8 weeks since his surgery; he's been in the ICU ever since. In one of his lucid/coherent moments yesterday, the doctors asked what he wanted, and he said he wanted to be taken off the machines. Most of the family was there -- little brother is up at school, he has finals this week; and the two youngest cousins were at home.

Some of you may remember my audio blog from March, where I mentioned that Grandpa's biggest reminder was that, if something went wrong, we had to call the Pasta House. So there I am last night in the hospital, everyone's crying, and all I can think of is "we have to call the Pasta House!" -- today, Mom mistakenly said "Olive Garden" & I'm like, "no, no, it's the Pasta House, whatever you do, it has to be the Pasta House!"

I'm not sure if I'll be blogging about this anymore, I'm trying to do what I've always done & be the rock for my family; while dealing with the loss of the most influential male role model in my life.

Of Travels and Finals . . .

2006-04-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, I'm headed to Bloomington. JK & I couldn't find a decent campground that allowed alcohol (& you KNOW one of the fun things about camping is being able to chill out w/a 6-pack around a campfire), and there's a high chance of rain, so we decided to grab a hotel room instead & partake of the nightlife in town. Not sure how much of a joke that will be, but it IS a college town, so I have hope. Saturday, we'll probably check out the zoo, maybe hike a trail in the state park if the weather's nice.

I had my Financial Management final last night -- I'm pretty sure that it's impossible for me to NOT get an "A" in that class, woot!

My next class, Business Economics, starts in about a week & a half. I think. Might want to check that out. Hmm.

Oh well. I have NO motivation to do anything work-related, but am trudging through data entry with the help of my new iPod. Did I mention that it rocks? Probably so, but I'll say it again. It rocks.

Later!

Wednesday Update

2006-04-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well, if J can do "half-assed Wednesday" posts, the least I can do is throw you something -- though I don't have a ton of excitement to share right now.

I've been mega-social the last few days -- Friday I went out for a few hours w/some Zoo folks, Saturday I went out with C & M for dinner & pool. Sunday I slept late. Monday I did the happy-hour thing with some guys from work, and Tuesday night had dinner w/another friend from the Zoo. That's like four times as much socializing as I normally do. I actually have plans to do the happy-hour thing again next week -- it's kinda nice to have some folks to chill out with after a hectic day @ work.

I'm going to Bloomington, or thereabouts, this weekend. My friend JK from Northland called & said "I want to get out of Milwaukee this weekend, let's do something." After establishing that I wasn't driving 6 hours up there, and he wasn't driving 6 hours down here, we decided to meet in the middle, maybe go camping.

My major excitement for the week: I bought an iPod nano. It SERIOUSLY rocks. 'nuf said.

Okay, I have a new book calling my name (Deception Point, by Dan Brown), so I'm outta here -- take care!

Saturday Randomness

2006-04-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

First things first: HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!

Okay, I'm at work. By working today, I was able to have last Monday off (to come home from NC) without using vacation time. It just means that I'll be sitting here in boredom till 3pm today. Joy.

Let's see, something you might enjoy:

I never knew court transcripts could be so entertaining, but if you share my interest in the whole evolution/ID "controversy" (which I fondly like to refer to as "Creationists trying to repackage a religious idea and teach it to unsuspecting youth under the guise of science"), you may enjoy reading the transcripts of the Dover, PA court case - the one where the School Board made teachers read a "disclaimer" about Evolution - which can be found here. This actually helped renew my hope in the future of science education, because before the court could even make a ruling, the voters had ousted all members of the Board who supported the "disclaimer." Power to the people!

My final exam in Financial Management is Thursday. For the Midterm, we were allowed one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, front & back, on which to copy formulas, examples, etc. to assist us on the test. Okay, understandable, I'm not a big fan of memorizing random formulas; in fact, in my Chem class in college, we were allowed a 3"x5" index card for each test -- but only ONE, so as the semester progressed, you either wrote smaller or left off the stuff you knew. Back to Financial Mgmt -- my GRAD LEVEL course -- we are now allowed TWO 8.5" x 11" sheets, front & back, for the Final. Come on, people! Good grief, isn't that a bit much? So, I'm taking my "page" from the midterm, shrinking it to 33%, and therefore getting almost two blank pages to write notes covering the last 6 chapters of material. And forget actually writing notes, I'm just copying & shrinking the PowerPoint slides from the review we did in class (because the midterm review was almost EXACTLY the same as the test, just with different numbers). I anticipate NOT stressing over this Final too very much.

Next class on my path to an MBA: Business Economics.

I still have not unpacked from my trip. All clothes in my suitcase smell of cigarettes, thanks B, so I'll be taking them & the rest of my wardrobe to the laundromat tonight.

5 hours left . . .

Trip Pics

2006-04-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back -- the trip was great, flights were a piece of cake, and it was awesome to see B again -- especially since he's scheduled to head to the desert sometime next month. Speaking of, here are some pics of the aforementioned best friend:
This is the look I get upon announcing that I'm getting my camera out...
This is from downtown Raleigh...

This is as close to a smile as I got out of him...

Standing in his doorway, obviously thrilled that I'm still snapping pictures...

And, perhaps the most disturbing (especially for those of you who know him), B in uniform this morning as we said goodbye...

More later, I'm off to veg out in front of the TV.

T-minus 24 hours . . .

2006-04-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

It's early.

Today is my "lucky" day of working the 6am-2:30pm shift at work. The upside to this is the "leaving at 2:30" part, which will give me time to go home & finish packing before class.

That's right, I said "finish packing," yay!

By this time tomorrow, I'll be patiently (or impatiently, probably), waiting for AwesomeStepdad to come pick me up & take me to the airport. My flight leaves at 9:30 CST, and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could, but my head might explode, so I'm trying to keep it in check.

The house is straightened, Mom will be checking on the feathered kids while I'm gone, all I need to do after work today is complete the packing process, go to class, and then try to get some sleep before beginning my adventure. Don't worry, I'll take pictures.

Have a great weekend!

Reading List

2006-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, Okay, I stole this from Jess. At least it prompted me to go buy a new book!

Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, place an asterisk* after the ones on your book shelf, and place (parentheses) around the ones you've never even heard of.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown* << the aforementioned new book
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams**** all FIVE books plus the extra “short story!
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
(The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger)
(His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling*
Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell*
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller* (started it . . . )
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien*
(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon)
~~Lord of the Flies - William Golding~~
~~Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen~~ (does watching the movie count?)
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling*
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
~~Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden~~
(The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini)
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut*
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
~~Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte~~
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
(Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides)
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
~~Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte~~
(Atonement - Ian McEwan)
(The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
(The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood)
(The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath)
~~Dune - Frank Herbert~~

Plus Jess’s add-ons:
~~Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austen~~
(Mrs. Mike - Benedict & Nancy Freedman)
(My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Piccoult)
The Illiad - Homer
(The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien)
The Girls Guide to Hunting & Fishing - Melissa Banks
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
(Age of Iron - JM Coetzee)
(Existentialism and Human Emotions - Jean-Paul Sartre)

And now, some from my own list (consider them bold & with a *):
Einstein’s Dreams – Alan Lightman
Contact – Carl Sagan
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff
Marley & Me – John Grogan
Swim Naked, Defy Gravity & 99 Other Essential Things To Accomplish Before Turning 30 - Colleen Rush
Wild Thoughts from Wild Places – David Quammen

In the Last 10 Days . . .

2006-04-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

A brief summary of what's been going on:

Last weekend started at 2:30pm on Friday; because I had worked the early shift at my grown-up job. I went home, took a nap, then went out with some friends. My plan was to have a diet coke, hang out a bit, & go home rather early, because I had to be at the Zoo at 8am Saturday . . . but when we got to the bar, W was ordering "another round" & the evening continued like that. We played pool (as much as I've played in the last month, you'd think I'd be improving more than I am), enjoyed random bar food (mmmm, pizza & waffle fries), & hung out; then I went home.

Saturday, I worked a Girl Scout program from 8am-330pm, then went out with some of my coworkers to the Cheesecake Factory ; then rushed back to work an overnight. Upon our return we found that the building we work in had NO WORKING RESTROOMS due to a sewer issue. Yipe -- 180 people and no bathrooms? Luckily, the emergency plumber-guys were on the scene, & had everything back to normal by 8pm. The program went really well, except for this awful group of mothers (their scouts were fine, the adults were terrible) who talked through the programs, weren't happy with ANYTHING, and then gave us negative reviews on their evaluations AND wanted a partial refund -- the nerve! Note: if you hadn't been TALKING through the whole class, you might have actually noticed that it is FAR above a "poor" rating! If I were my boss, my response would be thus: "The other groups who were with you seemed to truly enjoy & learn from the programs, in fact, you are the only group who's ever reviewed these instructors in a negative light. In addition, we offered to address your main issues, but you refused. In light of this, we are unable to offer you a refund." That's the PC me -- the real me is thinking of adding, "We will understand if you choose not to return in the future, in fact, please don't" Oh well.

After spending 26 hours at the zoo (with only the Cheesecake excursion as a break), I went home & slept till 7pm Sunday. Oh, and I got a really good sunburn. Good meaning red, painful, and noticeable. Since I'm working today (Saturday), I got a day off this week, so I took Monday & slept late, then straightened the house.

Thursday, I had my Finance Midterm. I've decided that the main problem with having the first two hours of class time alloted for the midterm (& then having class afterwards) is that I had to find a way to entertain myself for AN HOUR AND A HALF when I finished the test in 30 minutes. Oh well, I did homework. Joy.

As I was leaving work yesterday, Mom called. Grandpa had apparently become unresponsive, and didn't recognize Grandma. The hospital's first thought was that he'd had a stroke. I rushed to join Mom & Grams at the hospital, Gramps was asleep. They took him for a CT scan, which didn't show anything major. When they brought him back, he recognized us & even smiled at me trying to be my normal goofy self. Ending up unable to do the things he wants to do would be the worst thing possible for Gramps, but not being recognized to the man you've been married to for 51 years (their anniversary was Thursday, by the way) had to be horrible for Grams. BUT, we remain positive. Please continue to send good thoughts!

I got my tax refund today. Imagine my suprise when I saw the amount deposited to my account was $480 more than I'd expected! I checked the IRS website (which was actually very helpful), turns out I'd made a calculation error & they'd caught & corrected it for me -- WHOO HOO!

In less than a week, I'll be in NC (see last post) -- I'm going tonight to buy at least one new pair of shorts (because all mine are TOO BIG!), in hopes that the weather will be nice!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Words Cannot Describe the Degree of my Excitement

2006-03-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

I'm going to North Carolina!

Why, you may ask?

Well, it starts with my best friend, who's stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. This is, by the way, the town where Andy Griffith taught high school, and apparently could be the town that inspired Mayberry (which is why I never really worry about him getting into too much trouble.

The aforementioned friend will soon be shipping out to "the desert" for an unspecified amount of time. Actually, it probably is specified, but last time he went, they "specified" three months and it ended up being six, so take that as you wish.

On the phone the other night, I said "that's not cool; I wish I could fly out there to see you before you go," and he said "Seriously, Tiff, if you can figure out how to get here, I'll split the cost of the trip with you."

Baroo?

Never one to back away from a (not really spoken or implied but I'm treating it that way anyway) challenge, I hopped on the 'net & found a great deal on Expedia.com. I managed to change my schedule at my grown-up job so I'm off Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th WITHOUT taking any vacation time; and one of the wonderful folks I work with at the Zoo offered to take the overnight shift I had for that weekend. SWEET!

So, booked the flight, booked the rental car -- we are at t-minus 17 days and counting, yay!

And as an added bonus, my grandmother's brothers live about an hour from Goldsboro, so I'll be making a trip down to see them on Saturday or Sunday. Yay family!

Again, I'm SO psyched, I'm practically speechless -- and for me, that takes a lot!

*on another note, grandpa is doing better; the docs are slowly but surely weaning him off medications & machines; he's coherent & responsive, so thanks for the good thoughts, keep sending them our way!

Cheers!

A Few Bits of Randomness

2006-03-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I got back safely, whoo hoo!

Grandpa's in the hospital, he had his 3rd open heart surgery last Tuesday, while I was stuck in Hurley. Things were okay, then Friday they were really not okay & we thought we were going to lose him; but we didn't. His vitals are a bit better & he's now stable -- critical, but stable. So send good thoughts our way.

I did a whole lot of nothin' this weekend, except homework. Yay.

I'm dog-sitting Friday. "Murphy" is an 11-month old maltese/poodle mix, lovingly referred to as a "maltepoo" (long "e" sound there).

More homework this weekend. Yay.

My little brother's b-day is today, he's . . . 21. Anyone who's known him for a long time may now commence feeling old.

Out of nowhere, I got an email from a long-lost friend. Welcome back to the world, B!

Last but not least, I have a dinner date Friday. Whoo hoo, I'm trying to have a social life!

Home Sweet Home

2006-03-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Well, after being snowed in Monday, I attempted to leave Northern Wisconsin on Tuesday morning -- no prob, the snow had stopped, sun was out, main road in town was pretty cleared, I was on my way . . .

I got about 20 miles out of town, the snow picked up, road was covered in packed snow, and I did a 180* in my Ranger. I was quite happy to stay ON the road, thanks, and that the two big trucks coming from either direction saw fit to avoid squishing me. I pressed on to the next town (because it was closer than where I'd come from), & checked into the Days Inn in Hurley, WI at like 10am. I watched cable, watched the snow, took a nap, watched the snow, did homework, watched the snow . . . are you seeing a trend here? Bonus: shortly before the Truck Ice Capades, I saw a bald eagle flying above the trees that line the side of the road. Awesome.

By 8:00am Wednesday, the storm front was gone, the roads were cleared, and I headed home -- this just meant that I had to drive the whole 10-hr stretch in one day. Not my preferred method, especially by myself, but it was a beautiful day & I enjoyed the trip.

I hope everyone else's weekend/start to the week went well!

Snowed In!

2006-03-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, looks like no whirlpool suite for me! The snow started about 2am (or so I've been told), & it's still falling. There's probably 6-8 inches on the ground, it's still falling, and it's drifting! I've moved to a different res hall so as to spread the "Tiffany presence" around! Saw various professors that all miss me terribly (as well they should) & a lot of other folks that are still up here.

From the National Weather Service:

THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MOST AREAS ARE REPORTING SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 8 INCHES AT THIS TIME... HOWEVER A SNOW ACCUMULATION OF AROUND 14 INCHES HAS BEEN REPORTED NEAR GLIDDEN. AN ADDITIONAL 5 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 13 TO 18 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE SNOW BELT.

STRONG WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL ALSO CAUSE AREAS OF CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES WILL BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO IN OPEN AREAS... AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN ON ROADS.

TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN TODAY. THE COUNTY SHERIFFS IN WASHBURN AND ASHLAND COUNTIES HAVE CLOSED ROADWAYS. SNOW PLOWS ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE HEAVY SNOW BECAUSE OF THE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Well, since classes are cancelled (do you know what it takes to cancel classes in Northern Wisconsin?!?), everyone is off & hanging out. I have to get started on some of my (blech) homework for Financial Management. Ta ta for now!

Day 3 - the Day After

2006-03-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the North Country, where we have a Winter Weather Advisory -- according to the National Weather Service, we may get 4-6 inches of snow tonight, yay!

I got in to Ashland about 730 last night (after adding two more states and a handful of LIVE deer to my count), took a quick shower, then walked to the Deepwater with Dan, Travis & Dana, & met up with April, Bruce, Dusty, Molly, Tex, EJ . . . we played pool for at least four hours. Dan took pics, which can be seen here, despite the misspelling of my last name. More pics to come, since we're off to the Deepwater again tonight (hey, when you're in Ashland and want food & ambience (or ambiance if you prefer), you're limited on your options) -- we have more than $25 in quarters, and at $0.75/game, we're set for hours.

Slept in until about 1030, had brunch in the cafeteria (who'd have thought I'd ever do that again?), stopped to see cool Psychology professor Paul Norris, played on the computer a bit, then the boys gave me a lesson in bocce ball (pics here), followed by a trip to McDonald's (yes I splurged) because the guys said "we're not going out until 6? we're going to need to eat before then." Now we're chilling out in Dan's room, I booked a posh hotel room in Stevens Point for tomorrow night's trip home (last night of vacation, all to myself, I splurged on the whirlpool suite 'cuz I got a GREAT deal on it!).

More later, adios!

**As of 10:45, no snow, but up here that doesn't really mean anything.

Day 2 -- My Actual Birthday

2006-03-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings all!
Well, after sleeping 'til noon on Maria's couch after being out till like 2 or 3, I'm awake, bright-eyed and bushy tailed . . . or, I would be, if I had a tail . . . but bright-eyed nonetheless!

We're off to grab a bite, then to see the model for Maria's new condo, then I'm off to Ashland! Yay, another 6+ hour drive!

That's all for now, catch ya later!

Off I Go!

2006-03-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Made it safe to WI, met up with Maria & Justin, who's still obnoxious as hell but we love him anyway, I think . . .

Saw license plates from 15 states, about a dozen hawks, two wild turkeys & some not-quite-alive deer.

Tonight, it's off to the piano bar; tomorrow it's off to Ashland -- it looks like I'll once again be celebrating my birthday at the Deepwater Grille!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-03-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

*Note to the reader: I'm posting this early because I'm not sure if I'll have blogger access on my trip.

24 years ago, somewhere between 9 & 10am on March 11th, 1982, I entered the world at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. As I declare my birthday an official holiday, here are a few other cool things that happened on March 11th:

1818: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is published.

1861: The Confederate States of America adopted its constitution.

1888: A torrential rainstorm hit the East Coast. The rain turned to snow the next day and it became the Blizzard of 1888, the most famous snowstorm in American history. It caused more than 400 deaths. (not cool, but definitely cold)

1930: William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to be buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

1941: President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Bill.

1942: General Douglas MacArthur leaves the Philippines saying, "I shall return."

1985: Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. At 54, he was the youngest member of the ruling Politburo.

1990: Augusto Pinochet of Chile, dictator since 1973, steps down.

1990: A newly elected parliament in Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1993: Janet Reno won unanimous Senate confirmation to be the first female U.S. Attorney General.

Just a few famous people born on my birthday:
Douglas Adams (1952) -- the answer is...42.
Bobby McFerrin (1950) -- Don't worry, be happy.
Sam Donaldson (1934) -- Hold on, Mr. President!

Everyone should now celebrate!

Wednesday Night Audio

2006-03-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

My first audio post -- thanks for the idea, Labbie!

P.S. -- I've recently noticed that the above-mentioned Lab Boy & the marvelous Meme have added me to their links -- big thanks!

To-Do List

2006-03-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

I like lists. They help me to organize my thoughts & the things I have to do. With that in mind, here's my "to-do" list to prepare for my trip:

~~Drop laundry off~~
~~Pick up laundry~~
~~Visit the Cingular store~~
~~Dinner with the family for my birthday~~
~~Clean bird cages~~
~~Pack~~
~~Show Mom how to take care of birds while I'm gone~~
~~Get clothes from the tailor~~
~~Class~~
~~Get the Ranger's oil changed~~
~~Pack some (healthy) snacks~~
~~Skedaddle outta Saint Louis!~~

Coolest Thing I've Seen This Week

2006-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Yay, science! Check out this new species of crustacean discovered in the South Pacific:

Isn't it cute?

Get Your Science Right

2006-03-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

While driving to work this morning, I saw a bumper sticker that said "Darwin was wrong because; fish don't walk & Jesus is still alive."

Aside from the questionable punctuation & the fact that I don't remember Darwin saying ANYTHING about Jesus, this is right up there with the "If we evolved from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?" folks*.

So, for the "fish don't walk" people, I dug up some pictures:

If "fish can't walk," & these little guys aren't swimming -- what are they doing? Hmm....

Besides, if an octopus can do it, why not a fish?

*For the record if you haven't already heard, we didn't evolve FROM monkeys, we have a common ancestor that we share WITH the other primates. You have three types of teeth, opposable thumbs, short snout, comparably large brain, no tail -- you are an ape, accept it. Per the Saint Louis Zoo, "Chimps are our closest living relatives. In fact, we share 98.4% of our DNA with chimps." Say hello to your very distant cousin:

Headline Review

2006-03-04T09:40:00.001-08:00

Happy Saturday!

It is officially one week until my birthday, and where am I? That's right, at work! I'm chilling out at my grown-up job & while enjoying my grilled cheese sammich (my guilty pleasure when I have to work weekends, the cafeteria makes a great grilled cheese!), I was browsing the news pages. There have been a variety of good articles on various subjects the past week or so, so I thought I'd share a few that caught my eye:

Things that worry me:
(1) South Dakota's attempted total ban on abortion -- please, take my rights, it's not like I'm using them.

(2) The Supreme Court reviewing a total ban on late-term abortion, because the ban in question does "not include an exception for cases where the health of the mother might be at risk."

(3) The proposed Missouri House resolution that states that "voluntary prayer in public schools, religious displays on public property, and the recognition of a Christian God are not a coalition of church and state." Because if it's not, I'm not sure what is.

(4)Any city government (or any government at all, for that matter), who thinks they have the right to decide what constitutes a family. It would seem that the aforementioned ordinance, in addition to affecting the folks mentioned in the story, would also prevent gay couples from raising children in the city. Hmmm. I'll have to agree with this column, the answer to one board member's statement, "I don't understand why you as a woman didn't exercise your right to marry that man" is that it's NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. I have very vivid memories of close-minded people suggesting that my dad, brother, stepmom, stepsister & I weren't a family because we had different skin tones -- and my parents were married!

Things that I agree with:
(1) the conviction of six animal-rights supporters for "using a Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against a company that tests drugs and household products on animals." I'm not saying we should just randomly test harmful chemicals on animals, but what these people did went too far -- the information they posted contained "their home phone numbers, addresses and where their children attended school." When you put people's children at risk, you're seriously crossing the line. Your First Amendment rights allow you to rant & rave & assemble peaceably, but not to put other people in danger.

(2) As silly as it sounds, and as many other things we could be using legislative power for, I think requiring coathooks in public restrooms is a great idea.

(3) The woman who got whacked by an elephant after climbing into its exhibit. 'nuff said.

(4) Japanese scientists have found a method to get gasoline from cow dung. Given the stats in the article, the yearly dung production of Japan could create over 210,000,000 gallons of gas, which is enough for my little Ranger to drive the around the world (at the equator, of course) almost 200,000 times!

(5) The kids who built a soybean powered car, that can go "from zero to 60 in four seconds and get more than 50 miles to the gallon." Expect to see them all hired by big oil for large sums of money, and subsequently locked away in cubicles where no one will hear from them ever again.

Okay, enough for now, have a great weekend, and happy reading!

Friday

2006-03-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hum dee dum.

It's Friday which, if I didn't have to work this weekend, might lead to joyous shouts. But alas, it's my weekend to work in the office, so I was off yesterday instead. What did I do? Oh it was wonderful, let me tell you! I slept late, ate a bit of brunch, emailed in my final exam, then went back to bed until 3:30pm. It was marvelous. I took the treacherous pants to the tailor, along with another pair of pants, a skirt, & a dress. $62 later, it's STILL cheaper than buying new clothes. I chuckled, because one of the pairs of pants had already been taken in a few months ago, and are again too big. Yay me!

Then, I went to the YMCA & hit the stairstepper for 30 minutes. For the record, I have done 30 minutes of stairstepping FOUR TIMES this week, plus my 45-minute Aquacise classes on M & W. Double yay me!

After the Y, I rented & watched Yours, Mine & Ours (the remake) which was cheesy-funny; and Rent, which was AWESOME!

Sunday, I'm going to a birthday party for Jon's dog, who is turning one. As Jon puts it, "he can no longer be called a puppy & he gets big boy dog food!" Yes, it's a party, for a dog. Got a problem with that? I didn't think so! Yay puppy party!

I want to go home & go to sleep. But I have errands to run after work, including another jaunt on the stairstepper.

By this time next week, I'll be north of Springfield, IL, on my way to Milwaukee. Whoo hoo!

My Clothes Are Trying To Kill Me

2006-03-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my Jenny Craig meeting last night -- I lost another two pounds, for a grand total loss of 38.2!

This means that the pants to the suit I bought a just a few months ago are a bit loose, and therefore sit more on my hips than up at my waist. I did not think this was a big deal, until . . .

My pants tried to kill me.

Sure, they'll deny it, something about being inanimate objects, but I know the truth.

They plotted . . . and they waited.

I'm pretty sure my shoes were in on it, too -- gives new meaning to the term "accessory," doesn't it?

As I was walking down the four flights of stairs in the parking garage (which I do, every day, up to this point without incident), my heel caught in the hem of my pants (which is now hanging lower than usual) and ALMOST led me head-first into the concrete wall. I think it was only by sheer willpower that I stayed vertical.

Sheesh.

What a way to wake up!

My Life as a Cartoon

2006-02-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, I run across various comic strips that don't just speak to me, they scream. Here are a few that I find very familiar:

(Remove the "significant other" & just picture me talking to myself)

That one's just so darn funny because it's true!

Change of Plans

2006-02-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

After some thought, I have decided not to go on the trip mentioned in my last post. Not right now, anyway, I'm going to save it for a warmer time, maybe this summer. Instead . . .

I'm going to Wisconsin!

I've taken two extra days off work, and am going to go visit some friends from school. I'm leaving Friday, 3/10 to drive to Milwaukee. I'll spend Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night with my dear friend M (mentioned here), and hopefully catch up with JK as well. There has been talk of visiting the Milwaukee Zoo, and the basic catching-up that occurs when you haven't seen folks in awhile.

Sunday, 3/12, I may very well drive up to the frozen Northwoods to visit some friends who are still attending my alma mater. I can stay there Sunday night, visit a few professors Monday morning, then head back south. Stay Monday night at some random hotel, then back home to good ol' STL on Tuesday.

THAT, my friends, is the new plan!

Birthday Holiday

2006-02-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

In 17 days, I will be 24. That's right, March 11th is my birthday, and through the luck of scheduling, I actually have a 3-day weekend. I've been pondering what to do for said occasion. Skydiving? Nah -- too much cost for too little time. Day at the spa? Nay, I've done that before. A weekend cruise? Ummm...no, for various reasons including but not limited to price, time constraints, and having no one to go with. However, I think I've come up with something good.

I think I shall take a weekend trip away from it all. Here is my plan:

Friday, March 10th -- Leave home & enjoy a nice 5-hour drive to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That's right, I said Arkansas. Check into semi-posh hotel. It's a Best Western, but it has extra perks & an on-site restaurant! Get somewhat comfy, then head for a horseback ride with dinner. Back to the hotel to shower & do not much of anything.

Saturday, March 11th -- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to see big cats. Take lots of pictures, hang out there till I'm tired, then head back to town to find somewhere to eat. Meander along the main streets. Eat dinner somewhere fancy & spend a bit too much. I may visit this, tee hee, but will NOT be going here, lest my scientific background and addiction to FACTS get me in trouble.

Sunday, March 12th -- don't get up too early, have breakfast, do any last-minute shopping for stuff I saw the day before, then head home. 5 hours of rocking out in the car, just me & my CD collection.

If you get bored, check out the attractions here & let me know if there's anything you think I should look into.

Trip to the Zoo

2006-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to R for pointing me to the Slideroll website! All of the pics were taken by yours truly, so here goes -- take a trip with me to the Saint Louis Zoo!

View Photo Slideshow

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Bonus points to anyone who can name all of the animals featured (and "penguin" and "camel" are not enough information!)

Two Million for $2 Million

2006-02-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

Visit the website for the Saint Louis Zoo's Two Million for $2 Million Campaign.

From the website:
"The Saint Louis Zoo, along with 209 accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation, is seeking two million signatures to ask Congress to increase their wildlife conservation support to $2 million in 2006.

This petition asks Congress for $2 million to annually fund conservation and research programs for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, a highly successful wildlife conservation program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a proven record of success over the past 14 years. The programs have succeeded in maintaining or increasing key populations of some wild animals facing enormous survival challenges: elephants in Asia and Africa; rhinos in southern Africa, Indonesia and India; tigers in Russia; marine turtles in the Caribbean and southeast Asia; and great apes in east and central Africa.

Each of these species faces grave threats to their survival in the wild, and they need our help to protect them. Our goal is to increase the funding from Congress to $2 million annually for each of these species.

Help us send a message to Congress that you care about these imperiled species and want to help protect them in the wild. Please take a moment to “sign” this petition asking for at least $2 million for each of the wildlife species covered under the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums intend to deliver two million signatures to Congress on March 7, 2006"

Make a difference!

Alive & Kickin' . . .

2006-02-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

An update on a variety of things that are happening:

My Jenny Craig Quest continues, I'm now down 35.6 lbs! That leaves me 8.6 lbs to my goal weight, whoo hoo!

I had a job interview yesterday. It's in the same company, but with a different department. My boss suggested it, because it would provide a lot more opportunities for advancement than my current position does. Cross your fingers!

I have had five dates with the same guy. #6 is tomorrow. That's all I'm saying about that.

This may be the coolest thing I've heard or read in a month: ‘Lost World’ of wildlife found in Indonesia. Rock on! Now let's work to protect it so we have time to figure out what all is there!

I had my midterm in my first MBA class last night. 72 questions of the T/F, Multiple Choice, and Matchig variety, plus fewer than 10 short answer. I finished i 25 minutes, and that's WITH re-reading everything to double-check. We'll see how I did next week.

I didn't know that Darwin's birthday is Sunday. Happy birthday, Chuck!

Thing that most ticked me off this week: KSDK Channel 5 did an I-Team investigation on what they called "a dark secret at the Saint Louis Zoo." Ready for the secret? THIRTY YEARS AGO, we had chimpanzee shows. Was it acceptable then? yes, and lots of places did it. Is it morally reprehensible in today's world? heck yeah! The news "investigation" says this:

It's a past the Zoo President admits to, but doesn't like to acknowledge.

Here's just a part of what Zoo Pres. Dr. Bonner said:

"Wound up in animal testing?" "Yeah, exactly so," says Dr. Bonner. "How did that happen?" "Well, again going back historically, at a time when that was acceptable they were placing animals and really, probably not many from St. Louis. . . . Fault and responsibility are two different things, should we do everything we can to remedy that, even though it's not our fault, yes we should,"

To me, that sounds less like a lack of acknowledgment and more like a "we're doing what we can, even though our hands are legally tied in some areas," what more do they want?

The reporter spent a long time talking about this "dark secret" that's not really a secret, and then covers his tail by saying

"By the late 1980's, most zoos adopted strict guidelines set forth by the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan. Members, like the St. Louis Zoo, must abide by the plan's breeding and transfer recommendations, ensuring the chimpanzee's future.

Steve Ross from the Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is the coordinator for that program. He tells me, no chimpanzee today could ever be sold to a medical testing facility. He also says the St. Louis Zoo is held with the highest regard when it comes to caring for chimps."

Any mention of our new, state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar Fragile Forest Exhibit? Noooooooo!
Good Grief.

Okay, I'm done.

Adios!

Don't Bury Me Yet!

2006-02-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I suck. It's been . . . lemme count here .. January 10th . . . 30 days hath September . . . carry the one . . . 22 days since my last real post. Good grief! Here's an update:

*Back to school! I started my first MBA class on the 12th -- 8 weeks of Managerial Accounting, whoo hoo! It's not bad, keeps me busy and out of trouble with stuff that only care about because the professor tells me to care about it. Midterm is next week, joy!

*After a few weeks of worrying, it's been established that I am NOT dying. I had to have an extremely UN-FUN test done to see if I had cervical cancer or some such thing, but I do not. As of last week, I was PROBABLY not dying; as of yesterday I am DEFINITELY not dying. Yay!

*The Jenny Craig quest continues -- after 2-3 weeks of not-much-progress, my meeting yesterday showed a 2.2lb drop from the previous week, for a total of 34.4 lbs!

*The winter overnights at the Zoo are kicking back into gear, I've had two so far. This past Saturday, I got called in to work an overnight, I was there from 5pm Saturday to 10:30am Sunday -- I had just enough time to drive home, shower, change, & head back to the zoo because I'd already made plans to spend the day at the zoo with a friend. For those of you wondering, that means that between 5pm Sat & 5pm Sun, I spent 22 hours at the zoo -- for at least 17 of those, I was on my feet. Sunday, I was asleep by 6pm.

Gotta run, homework calls, love ya bunches!

AWESOME Commercial

2006-01-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Check out this link & watch the new Honda Civic commercial (you can skip the intro) -- if you were ever in choir, you'll really appreciate it!

Tortoise Pics

2006-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

I present to you a picture of my nephew with one of the BIG tortoises at the Zoo. I believe this one is a Galapagos, & weighs in at about 200-250lbs (the tortoise, that is -- my nephew is a Brandonn & weighs in at about 40lbs in this pic, if that.)

Aren't they cute?!?!?!

Here he is with two of our big guys -- Aldabras, I think, about 300-350lbs each:

Tagged by Jess

2006-01-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, here goes:
First, The Rules…

"The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says "You are tagged" (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours." Except that everyone I would tag has already BEEN tagged!

And, without further adeiu, here are my "habits"....

(1) I can't work in silence, I have to have background noise. Not just any background noise, mind you, but something that won't catch my attention too much -- for example, when studying for finals my Sophomore year of college, I played "Remember the Titans" over & over & over. Radio won't work, it's too random. I play the same CD over & over at work, to give me something to listen to while I do paperwork. I'll keep the same CD in for weeks at a time.

(2)Jess, don't feel bad -- I eat my gummies in color-coded pairs, too -- BUT I also save my favorite gummi worms (the red & white ones) for last. Best story about this is that, while driving to Northern WI with little bro, I set a R&W gummi on top of the steering wheel for like 10-15 miles while I finished the rest of the bag.

(3) I have bottles of diet soda EVERYWHERE. I cleaned out my car (not really, just threw trash away) & disposed of 4-5 bottles, in varying degrees of fullness. I hold onto them (or forget to take them out of the car), because in this weather they're almost guaranteed to be cold (albeit flat).

(4) When I take pictures, I take LOTS of pictures. Rolls & rolls, because I figure the more I take, the more likely some of them are to be good.

(5) I abuse my nails. I bite them, to the point of pain & occasional bleeding. I pick at them, & if I polish them, I pick off the polish & THEN bite them. The only things that keep me from doing this are (a) being REALLY busy or (b) having my nails professionally done, like, with acrylic -- cuz that's tough to bite, but after a few days, I'll pick at them until they come off.

That's my odd list, & like I said, I'm out of people to tag!

Cartoons for Science Nerds!

2006-01-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

Big Thanks to my friend Dan for sending me this link -- all my fellow science nerds out there will surely enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2006-01-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's been a bit, but let me catch you up on important stuff:

After 7-ish months on the Jenny Craig program, I am down 31.2 pounds! That's right, I managed to survive Christmas & New Year's and STILL lose! I've signed up for Yoga classes on Tuesdays, due to schedule changes that will keep me away from my normal Aquacise class.

I start classes next Thursday at Missouri Baptist University for my MBA.

I'm back on the dating scene (or at least trying to revive my social life) -- I have a date tomorrow night, & spent WAAAY to many nights last week out late with friends -- but got to catch up with a few who were in town for the holidays.

Those are the big updates, guess that's about it -- best wishes to all of you for a great new year!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hahahah, there, I said it!

Maybe it's because I'm older, but it seems that this whole "Happy Holidays vs. Mery Christmas" thing has gotten worse this year. I mean, hello, there were zealots waiting in the wings to SUE folks for saying "Happy Holidays." Good grief, Charlie Brown, what's the world coming to?

A few of my thoughts:
-I say "Happy Holidays" because it covers me from Thanksgiving until New Year's, & it's shorter than saying or writing "Merry Christmas & Happy New Year."
-The word "holiday" comes from Old/Middle English for "Holy Day" -- what more do you want?
-I'm not Christian. I'm not Jewish or Muslim, either, and I have friends of all faiths, so HH covers all circumstances, except for my athiest/agnostic friends, who don't mind, because they know . . .
-It's the point of wishing someone well that matters! Whatever you say, it's the sentiment behind the words that we should be focusing on!
-While the religious right has you focusing on "keeping the Christ in Christmas" (which you kind of have to do, or all you have is "mas"), you're not being outraged over CIA leaks, US soldiers dying in Iraq, gasoline prices, etc.

Things you may or may not know about other Winter Holidays:
-Hanukkah began at sundown on Christmas Day. I think this is a great coincidence. I looked up the History of Hanukkah, because all I was familiar with was the lighting of the menorah -- did you know that "in Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means 'dedication,' [and] the holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians." Hmmmm, that sounds familiar -- wasn't there another guy, like 165-ish years later, that had some issues with the way a temple was being used . . . what was his name again? Oh, right, it was JESUS! I love it when similarities like this are brought to light.

-Kwanzaa begins today, December 26th. Kwanzaa was established in the U.S. in 1966, and is "an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture," although the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa could help us all. They include: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work & Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.

-January 10th begins the Muslim celebration Eid-al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice, which commemorates Abraham's "willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son." Now, where did I hear that story again? Oh right, I heard it in the Old Testament -- did you know it's also in the Koran? In the Koran, Abraham's son is Ishmael, not Isaac, and he becomes the "forefather of the Arabs," but isn't the message of piety & sacrifice the same?

Okay, I'm done with my rant. I hope you've found some of it educational, at least.

Happy Holidays to All!

Well That Was Easier Than I Thought . . .

2005-12-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so when I wrote my last post, I was in a less-than-cheerful mood, heartbroke, blah blah blah. After some in-depth soul-delving, I came to a very important realization: this doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. You see, I was never in love with J. He wasn't in love with me, so it all worked out -- I didn't expect our relationship to last, I just didn't expect it to end the way it did. Hence the crying-sobbing-ness that occurred Friday night/Saturday morning. By Sunday, I was all good. I updated my Match.com profile, got a few hits, and I'm back in the "being single" groove.

Mega weird-ness: The very first hit I got on my updated Match profile was from a guy I went to high school with; apparently he recognized my photo right away. We went out Wednesday, caught up on what we'd each been up to, & had an absolute blast! Y'all know I can always use a new friend to hang out with . . . especially one who doesn't let me do all of the talking!

Anyway, it's now 11:30 pm the night before Xmas eve -- tomorrow is the big holiday shebang with my mom's & stepdad's families -- all together, in one place -- yipe! So I have to be awake & at mom's ready to be cheerful & helpful at 11am. That's not so much an issue, I just have to keep up my wonderful-cheerful-positive attitude until like 9pm, so I'll be all about the caffeine. Off to bed I go, happy holidays to you all!

. . . and to all a good night!

New Relationship Record: 6.5 Months & Done

2005-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well, at least I surpassed my famous 3-month rule, right?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, although not ready to put myself back on the market, I am single again.

Tiffany's big three "IF" statements:
IF I had asked how his last relationship (of like four years) ended, I would have known that it was because he moved from the East Coast to STL. That's all, no fights, it was amicable & they stayed friends.

IF I had asked how he felt about the aforementioned g/f, I would have figured out that, although he never expected to see her again, he still had feelings for her.

IF I had known that, I wouldn't have gotten as involved as I did. Trying to win someone's heart when they've already given it away is a lost cause.

Wish I'd known beforehand, because . . .

The aforementioned g/f is being transferred to STL for work. Go figure. Guess who loses out on this one? Survey says . . . me! Being the remarkably mature person I am, I told him that was "someone up there pointing you in a direction that you need to go, and since you obviously have stronger feelings for her than you do for me, that's what you should do."

Way to take the high road, Tiff, but that's not going to make it hurt any less.

Then I told him he was going to have to leave, because I didn't want him to see me cry. Which I did. Not a lot, I guess, but a lot for me. I don't cry often, it's one of those not-necessarily-healthy rules I have, see:
(1) Never let "them" see you cry (not sure who "them" is, but still...)
(2) Don't get too close to people, especially romantically, because it will hurt when they leave.

There are others, yes, but those are the two big depressing ones. For the otherwise-wonderfully-cheerful-optimist that I am, those are suprising to you, aren't they?

So I called my best friend B, who's in the USAF in NC (wow, lots of abbreviations there). He said, "Well, Tiff, I'll be home in two weeks and can track him down and inflict bodily harm..." I said no thanks, not needed, just tell me you love me & that you owe me a hug. B says, "done."

AwesomeStepdad called while I was on the phone with B, to ask a question about what to get Mom for Xmas, he says "so how are you?" & I said, "well, J broke up with me, so I could be better, but I'll be okay." He says sorry to hear that, we chat a bit, then hang up.

So then I text two of my guy friends to say something like "Who needs a boyfriend?" to MC(who assures me that he doesn't, but calls to check on me nonetheless & promises a night out for coffee & pie), & "Your gender sucks, and not in a good way" to JJK (who calls & says "well hey, yeah we had Hitler, but we had Gandhi, too"). While I'm on the phone with JJK friend, mom calls & says "open your door, some friends came to visit."

???

So I do, and on my doormat are sitting three large stuffed characters from Finding Nemo -- large & plushy. I think, "thanks mom," but this morning I find out it was actually AwesomeStepdad who got them & dropped them off. I guess between B, MC, JJK, my Little Bro, & AwesomeStepdad, the male gender doesn't suck.

The moral of the story, if there is one, is that Tiff ends up with a broken heart that will eventually heal, and realizes that even though one individual doesn't love me, I have many, many more that do.

Ode to Those Who Would Change the World

2005-12-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Something you may or may not know about me: before I got my "grown-up" job at the hospital, I applied to work with AmeriCorps St. Louis, one of the leading AmeriCorps programs in the country. I went on a week-long "Quest" journey in the middle of nowhere, to get to know the people who would be my coworkers and decide if this was really for me. Upon our return, and after much soul-searching, I decided that I was not at a point in my life where I was ready to commit to such a high level of service. I don't regret my decision, because I know that it was right for me.

Last night, I was lucky enough to be invited to a party with some of the AmeriCorps St. Louis members -- folks I haven't seen in 16 months -- so I went, if only to say hi to a few & find out what they've been up to.

First off, I am apparently not as forgettable as I thought I was -- although a few folks took a minute to reconcile my new haircut & smaller self, all of a sudden their faces lit up & they're like, "oh my god, how have you been?!?!?" Let me tell you about a few of these awesome folks & the work they've been doing.

A & JJ have been in the St. Louis public schools, tutoring the younger kids and/or mentoring the older ones. They haven't changed much, JJ still plays piano for his church & has become the music minister, he wants to go back to school when his period of Service is done, but he's not sure for what. A describes himself as "burnt-out" on the school system, but knows he's making a difference. He doesn't want to go into education full-time when he's done with the Corps, and will probably go to Mizzou to further his education, but he's not sure in what. Both of these guys were on my original "Quest" team, and it's good to see they still have the "change the world spark," even if it's tough to keep alive sometimes.

JW, AZ, S and others on the Emergency Response Team have spent most of their time in the Gulf Coast -- they've been rotating teams down there since 9/5, living out of tents for the first eight weeks. These folks have been responsible for everything from operating call centers to coordinating volunteers & donations, outreach, assessment, and reconnaissance to identify relief problems. To hear S talk about WHY he does what he does, click here. None of these guys have lost the "spark" -- I saw it in them 16 months ago, and I saw it still last night. In talking to them, I can tell they've seen things the rest of us can only imagine -- AZ quoted someone as saying that "what you see on TV [about the areas hit by Katrina] is like looking at the whole thing through a straw." He told me stories of showing new volunteers around the area, then sitting back & watching them take it all in, often not talking for hours after the tour. I heard discussion of the efforts to rebuild the areas, how the major contract is held by Halliburton - big suprise - and speculation that the New Orleans we see rise in the coming days will have a different look than the one washed away - both economically and racially. S & his friend J mentioned that the areas that people are pouring money into are coming back, but the 9th Ward still doesn't have people in it. JW is still his wonderful self, working in the AmeriCorps office to keep things running, and holding onto the great attitude he had when he pulled me out of knee-deep mud three times.

Ladies & gentlemen, none of these folks would ask you for any recognition; in fact, you could look at them on the street & not know the sacrifices they've made to do what so many of us are afraid or unable to do. S is going back to the Gulf Coast for the Christmas Holiday, JVW missed Thanksgiving with his family in WI to stay with those who have so little to be thankful for. A & JJ go into the public schools every day to do their part to make a difference. I couldn't make the commitment they have, but I do what I can to make the world a better place. This is an ode to those folks who will change the world, because for every dollar contributed, and every willing volunteer that wants to help, someone has to coordinate how best to put them to work, and these folks do it every day.

More importantly to me, none of these people judged me for taking a different path. JW introduced me to someone by saying "she started with the rest of us, and then she got a better job, we haven't seen her in over a year." AZ walked me to my truck last night & told me that I should pop in more often, ending the conversation by saying "once a part of the family, always a part of the family." I can't think of an extended family that I'd rather be part of, and I'm proud to be included with such an incredible group of folks.

SUCCESS!

2005-12-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

I did it -- 30 pounds in 25 weeks, averaging 1-2 lbs/week -- yay me! I even managed to LOSE weight over Thanksgiving! Bought some new clothes -- jeans, SIZE TEN, and a size 12 pantsuit that actually fits my chest!

That leaves about 14lbs to my goal weight -- whoo hoo!

That's all I really wanted to share, happy holidays to all!

Random Stuff

2005-11-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, here are some random things I have to share with you:

After almost 6 months on the Jenny Craig program, I am down Twenty-nine pounds! My plan is to hit 30 by Christmas, which will be a piece of (low-fat) cake & to be at my goal weight by my birthday in mid-March -- both are completely attainable.

I enrolled & registered for my first two 8-week sessions of classes for my MBA at Missouri Baptist University. I will be taking Managerial Accounting from January - March, & Financial Management from March - April. Tuition reimbursement forms have been turned in for work, so I'll eventually get some of the money back.

I have no clue what to get my little bro for Christmas. He already has most of the cool t-shirts from Northern Sun, maybe I'll try T-Shirt Hell. He's so freaking hard to shop for, I spend more time finding "the perfect gift" for him each year than I do on anyone else.

Today's story on how "little" details can change an entire story & a caution about making judgements without all the facts:
Apparently, yesterday my favorite morning radio show, Cornbread on WIL 92.3 got a call or email from an extremely unhappy parent wanting to share their story. "Parent" writes that their middle school child was in the lunchroom reading her Bible, when the Principal came over & said "you can't read that here" & ushered "child" to a semi-detention area "where she could read." This caused a lot of Anti-Principal ruckus with people talking about First-Amendment infringement & taking the separation of religion & state thing too far, "child" is being persecuted for her religious beliefs, etc. People called the school, complained on the radio, DJ said how it was unfair, blah blah blah.
This morning, another parent whose child attends the same school writes in to set the record straight. Apparently, students aren't allowed to have pencils, papers, or books OF ANY KIND in the lunchroom. Suddenly this goes from religious persecution by "the establishment" to a kid breaking the rules. Hmmmmm..... Parent2 goes on to add that Principal is wonderful & does a great job, & that the school board had already met & decided to allow kids to bring ONE book into the lunchroom. Problem solved, Principal was enforcing standard rules, and everyone else ends up with egg on their face. Props to the DJ for apologizing & then asking folks to please have all the facts before calling him with a story like this. When you're that noticeable, it's not easy to admit you goofed.

Okay, that's the end of the story, and the end of this post. I'm off to work, have a great day!

Happy Turkey Day!

2005-11-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, to make up for the sad elephant news, I am going to share with you a list of things for which I am thankful this holiday season. It's not comprehensive, I'm quite sure I'll forget a thing or two, but I think it's important to write it down -- try it!

Top Ten Things I am Thankful For (in no particular order):
- My wonderful family
- My awesome friends
- The fact that I have a job that I like, with people who are (for the most part) fun to work with, that pays the bills!
- My sweet "pretty birds" Chitter & Pod
- All other animals I'm lucky enough to share my life with
- My health, which has improved thanks to. . .
- The support of my family & friends in my weight-loss endeavors
- The great folks I'm lucky enough to work with at the Zoo
- The country I live in -- it's not perfect, and I'd prefer a leader who didn't look like a monkey*, but I have faith that we can all work together to make it what it's supposed to be
- My boyfriend (in a non-sappy way, thank you)

*My sincerest apologies to all monkeys, I meant no offense, but you know it's true.

Sad News

2005-11-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

Our baby elephant died in utero. As far as I know, Mom Elephant is okay. This is a sucky, unfair, sad end to a 22-month wait. The complete story can be found here. The dedication & compassion shown by the Elephant Keepers is another example of why we're one of the top zoos in the world. Please send good thoughts to the keepers & the remaining two pregnant elephants.

Zoo Babies!

2005-11-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

While those of us here in Saint Louis await the arrival of the first of THREE baby Asian elephants to be born between now & Fall of 2008 (be patient, it takes a long time to make a baby elephant -- twenty-two months!), I thought I'd share with you San Diego's Panda Cam, where you can catch a glimpse of their adorable baby panda, Su Lin.

More info to come when the first baby elephant (a girl!) arrives - which should be sometime this week!

Yay Spongebob!

2005-11-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thought you would enjoy this pic of the Halloween costume John & I constructed for him this season:

It was a great hit at his friends' Halloween party!

I've been holding out on you . . .

2005-11-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

I know, I know -- I've been absent, missing, elsewhere, distant -- things have been very busy, but I still love you. So, I present to you, a string of updates on various aspects of my life . . . and after that, a revelation I've been hiding.

Jenny Craig Update: 25 lbs as of my last meeting, more than halfway to my goal -- here's a picture of the new, smaller me:

Work Update: Work has been busy. I was in charge of organizing the first "Customer Service Appreciation Day" for my office staff, that went very well! Then, I was asked to assist with the display boards for "Maintenance Appreciation Week" -- everyone has said how awesome they look, pat on the back for me! 10/25 makes my one-year anniversary in my current position, and I really can't believe it's been a year already. My boss has suggested that I start looking for advancement opportunities within the company, but most if not all of the positions want someone with a business degree, which I don't have. Which brings me to . . .

School Update: I'm selling my soul for an MBA. Well, not really my soul, and in fact the hospital will pay $3,000 a year in tuition reimbursement, so it's a pretty sweet deal. I get a Master's degree, some "on-paper" business experience, and a chance for advancement where I am. Even better, since I'm not planning on staying here forever & I still plan on pursuing my PhD in Biology, I could then go to an organization like the Saint Louis Zoo & say "look, I have degrees that say I can manage animals, people, and money . . . hire me!"

Those are the current events, and now the promised revelation:
I've been seeing someone. That's right, I have . . . a boyfriend. We've been dating for 5 months which, for reference, is the longest relationship I've ever been in. He is, as my mother describes him, "smart, funny, and only slightly cocky," which is good, because it means that he can hold his own with me. Grandma says if he wasn't a little cocky, I'd eat him alive. He refers to my birds as "feathered noisemakers," but he still whistles at them because he knows they like it. He puts up with my sense of humor, and he has a puppy! That's all I'm going to share right now, but if you're lucky, more may follow.

Math is Fun!

2005-11-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Check this out. One of the guys @ work figured out how it works, can you?

Paint Your Pumpkin

2005-10-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently, every year my company has an inter-departmental pumpkin carving/decorating contest. One of the Supervisors said "hey, you're creative, you should do that for our department." Since no one else would have done it, I said "sure!" & proceeded to paint the pumpkin with skeletons in maintenance uniforms performing various tasks. I now present to you my entry for the Facilities Engineering department:

Much More Important Than Me

2005-10-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to celebrate the life of Rosa Parks, who passed away last night.

I find it slightly funny (but not "haha" funny) that the obituary has to remind people that Jim Crow laws were in place -- it's a dark spot on our history that we should never forget, but it's refreshing to know there are people in the U.S. who've never felt their direct effects.

If I could have just a tiny fraction of the impact she had on the world, I would be content.

Week 15 -- Halfway There!

2005-09-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my Jenny Craig meeting yesterday, & I've passed another milestone -- I have officially crossed my halfway point. No, scratch that -- I didn't just cross it, I broke through like a Mack truck going through a picket fence. Another 3lbs gone puts me JUST under 156 -- officially where I was when I went into college. It occurred to me that, in 6 more pounds, my driver's license will be telling the truth for the first time in . . . well . . . ever!

I literally had to pin the waist of my skirt today, to keep it from falling off my hips. None of my dress pants fit -- even the new ones I bought just a few weeks ago are kind of loose.

I have to buy new shoes for winter -- I put on my trusty black pumps this morning and promptly stepped right out of them.

My checking account is going to be screaming by the time this is over, but that's okay.

I'm more than halfway back to being ME!

Yay Me!

2005-09-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my Jenny Craig meeting yesterday, and after 14 weeks -- and for four of those I was sick, & pretty much let myself eat anything I wanted -- I have officially passed two milestones:
(1) I passed the 20lb mark. I have lost 20.4 pounds.
(2) I crossed the 160 threshold -- I am 1.8lbs away from my halfway point, and right about where I was when I went into my sophomore year of college.

Whoo hoo!

Read This Article

2005-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

So, I've been thinking lately about the attacks made on the president & how "George Bush doesn't care about black people," (according to rapper Kayne West), and I'm not sure that's the case. I don't think the problem is that Bush doesn't like black people -- I mean, he has Colin & Condoleezza, right? My personal opinion, take it for what it's worth, is that perhaps he doesn't like poor people. I say "perhaps," because I'm not completely sure that he even SEES them to begin with, and it is difficult to have an opinion on something you don't even recognize.

So, I encourage you to read the article The Other America, from msnbc.com. It makes a lot of good points, and includes the following immortal quotes:

From GWB's momma, Mrs. Barbara Bush: "So many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. So this is working very well for them." Umm, yeah, like being crowded into a hot dark hellhole with 10,000 other people would work well for ANYONE. I mean heck, the Audubon Zoo didn't even cram their animals into "safe" rooms during the hurricane -- and the animals apparently fared better than some of the folks in the Superdome. Sure, Mrs. B, I'm sure it's working well for them, I mean, it's not like they're human beings or anything.

The best quotes of all, however, come from Illinois Senator Barack Obama (& to quote my friend Jonathan, "I will quit my job to work on that man's presidential campaign" when it happens), and read:

"I hope we realize that the people of New Orleans weren't just abandoned during the hurricane," Sen. Barack Obama said last week on the floor of the Senate. "They were abandoned long ago—to murder and mayhem in the streets, to substandard schools, to dilapidated housing, to inadequate health care, to a pervasive sense of hopelessness."

and even better,

Obama, the only African-American in the U.S. Senate, says "the ineptitude was colorblind." But he argues that while—contrary to rapper Kanye West's attack on Bush—there was no "active malice," the federal response to Katrina represented "a continuation of passive indifference" on the part of the government. It reflected an unthinking assumption that every American "has the capacity to load up their family in an SUV, fill it up with $100 worth of gasoline, stick some bottled water in the trunk and use a credit card to check into a hotel on safe ground." When they did focus on race in the aftermath, many Louisianans let their fears take over. Lines at gun stores in Baton Rouge, La., snaked out the door. Obama stops short of calling this a sign of racism. For some, he says, it's a product of "sober concern" after the violence in the city; for others, it's closer to "racial stereotyping."

So, again, read the article The Other America, from msnbc.com. No matter what your socioeconomic status, it's eye-opening; but if you've never had to think or worry about your status, it's even more important.

GRE News

2005-09-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

First, let me apologize for being incommunicado, I've been fighting a nasty stomach virus for the past month, but it's almost gone.

I took my GRE (Graduate Record Exam) Saturday -- three little letters that will impact the next 5-7 years of my life, as I attempt to get into a PhD program in Biology.

Since the test was computer-based, I got my verbal & quantitative scores right there. Keeping in mind that (1) the minimum requirements for admission to, say, Washington U here in STL are 400 on each section (scale of 200-800) and (2) the average scores for folks intending to do graduate work in Life Sciences are 464 verbal & 568 quantitative, I got....

drumroll please...

610 verbal, 710 quantitative.

1320 total -- I'm not unhappy about this.

In addition, the first section of the Analytical Writing part required me to choose one of two topics to write an intelligent mini-essay about. I signed a form saying that I wouldn't tell you what the topic was, but I can tell you that it was directly related to my undergraduate degree. Major ego boost! I'm pretty sure that I rocked on both parts of that section (Thank you, Mehlville HS English Department!)

That's all -- just wanted to share.

I Had to, You See . . .

2005-08-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help it -- I had to. Didn't have a choice. It was inevitable, really.

I had to buy some new clothes.

Not much -- two blouses, and a belt.

A belt, people -- because my pants are too big for me. Losing six inches in the waist does that, you see.

Two new blouses, because I wanted them -- but more importantly, I got them at Target. I haven't been able to buy cute blouses at Target in I-don't-know-how-long.

I have Jenny Craig-ed my way out of the "plus-size" stores.

Yesterday, I found out that I have crossed the 160 lb mark -- somewhere I haven't been since my sophomore year in college.

Not only that, I'm 19.6 lbs lighter than when I started -- that's right, by next week, I expect to hit the 20lb mark.

YAY!

Argh!

2005-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just got an email through my Zoo Job -- one of the other Seasonal Instructors sending a copy of the now-infamous "let's all not buy gas for one day" message. Perhaps it's because I'm sick, but I really feel the need to be extra-irritable over this. For some nifty statistics on the gasoline situation in the US, see Robert's posting "I've Got Gas".

Here are my big issues with receiving this email:

(1) I figure that less than half the people who say they're going to avoid the pumps on 9/10 will actually do it.
(2) All the people who DO avoid the pumps will inevitably end up filling their tanks, probably the day before or the day after -- won't these "surges" counteract the "drop" you're hoping to create? Heck, if I worked for a gigantic oil magnate, I'd raise the price a few cents before & after the so-called "stick-it-to-'em" date {and what the hell kind of name is that?} and make a freakin' profit off all those people.
(3) Given, I've only taken two measly economics courses, but I'm thinking that in a situation of CONSTANT demand (in the long run, people NEED gasoline, even if they're not buying it right this minute), no one is going to "choke" on their supply volume.

Therefore, I'd like to offer my own suggestions for combating the recent rise at the pumps. None are really large-scale, fight Big Brother, Conspiracy Theory-esque, but feel free to avail yourself of any or all.

Tiffany's Ideas to Combat Rising Gasoline Prices:
(1) Walk.
(2) If it's too far to walk, ride a bike.
(3) Too far to bike? Take public transportation.
(4) Not available? Try carpooling.
(5) Have to drive by yourself? Trade in your freaking' gas guzzler and buy something more efficient (and by "more" efficient, I mean that it gets A MINIMUM of 23 miles to the gallon, because my Ranger can get 25).
(6) Fill your tanks in the evening.
(7) Drive with the windows down instead of using the AC.
(8) Write your legislators to push for funding for alternative fuels.

I think I shall patent that list. Everyone will pay me royalties when they walk. If I charge 10 cents per usage, it'll still be cheaper than 10% ethanol, right?

A New Ass

2005-08-26T04:28:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's only funny because I was reading it at 6:30 this morning, but I received the following email note from my boss at the zoo:

"Also interesting, we are getting a new male ass for the females. He is coming from Germany, but is in New York now and is on his way here. So, that's cool!"

The animal she's referring to is a Somali Wild Ass, now famous for being the animal that the lovable Shrek character Donkey was modeled after. We've had a male for some time (a little goofy, likes to run around his yard with a bucket on his head), then got in three fillies but, alas, they are too closely related to the male to be housed together. Hence, the new ass for the girls. Ha ha ha.

Just thought I'd share.

Because I love you.

Way to Go, Connecticut

2005-08-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

I just felt the urge to share with you this yahoo article about Connecticut filing suit against GWB's No Child Left Behind Act.

My thoughts on the NCLB Act (please read with as much sarcasm as possible):

~Yay, more bubble-filling! Today's kids DEFINITELY need to improve their bubble-filling skills.

~Whoo hoo, yearly testing! Because, you see, if you graph the results from yearly testing, they will be DRASTICALLY different from testing done every two years.

~I am SO in favor of requiring all this stuff without actually providing a means to fund it!

Here's an article that showed up in STLtoday.com today. But then again, why do we care what the TEACHERS think of this act, right? Not like they really have anything to do with education anyway.

I can only hope that the state of Missouri (which I love) follows Connecticut's lead. Do I see it happening? Not anytime soon with him in the governor's seat. He actually had me fooled when he vowed to restructure school funding in his State of the State address -- until he mentioned that he was going to give schools more money by taking that AWAY from early education programs & adoption subsidies. GREAT IDEA, really!

Okay, I'm done.

Thanks for listening.

Wedding Pictures!

2005-08-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Some photos of the wedding I went to last weekend:

All eight alumni (and one alumni-to-be) that made it to the wedding -- That's me in the center

Site of the ceremony

Bride & Groom cutting the cake

Who's That Girl?

2005-08-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

(((yawn)))

So I spent all day yesterday in the car -- we left Ladysmith, WI (site of the wedding)& drove 4.5 hours to Pewaukee, WI (site of my truck, which I left at friend Maria's house), then I drove home to Saint Louis. Whoo hoo!

Top 2 funny things from the wedding:

The bride, groom, & groom's mom didn't recognize me. Apparently, the looked at Maria & I & thought, "well, there's Maria, I wonder who that is she brought, and where's Tiffa-oh-my-god-she-cut-her-hair!" My new haircut got rave reviews!

Friend Ethan's quote, "Kids are too expensive to own." amen!

Week 8 Update!

2005-08-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, after eight weeks on the Jenny Craig program, I'm 16lbs lighter -- no significant weight loss this last week, BUT it was measuring time again -- in the last month, I've lost 10 inches, for a total of 16 inches in 8 weeks -- whoo hoo! I'm down a clothing size -- had to go buy some new clothes (joy!) and am totally psyched about seeing college friends at a wedding this weekend!

May I Have the Dictionary, Please?

2005-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

My interest in historical stuff got the best of me this morning, when I found this article on yahoo. It's pretty nifty information; however, about halfway through the story I encountered this:

The monastery, which is in the desert west of the Red Sea, was founded by disciples of St. Anthony, a hermit who died in A.D. 356 and is regarded as the father of Christian monasticism. A colony of hermits settled around him and he led them in a community.

Okay, if you don't yet see my point, read that last sentence again: "A colony of hermits settled around him and he led them in a community."

Just to make sure I wasn't going OCD over nothing, I double checked the definition of "hermit" and found these definitions.

Please tell me that you understand now why I went crosseyed reading that. A hermit is, by definition, a person who lives in voluntary seclusion. Doesn't having a colony/community de-hermetize them?

Just wondering . . .

2005-08-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hey all - thought you might enjoy this photo of me & my reptilian friend -- that's 350 lbs of pure Aldabra tortoise, baby!

Week 6.5 Update!

2005-07-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been a little busy recently -- my folks are out of town, so I've been pet-sitting for them, trying to keep up with all the critters (3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 snakes, 2 lizards, a turtle & a fish), and wasn't able to make my usual Tuesday meeting at Jenny Craig, but I made it in yesterday.

Due to the wacky schedule I've been keeping as of late, I have strayed from my meal plan -- although I've tried to balance my splurges by downsizing other meals and upsizing my activity level, but I was still worried & decided to cross my fingers for a 1 pound loss. So I stepped on the scale . . .

. . . and I couldn't believe it. 5.4 pounds! My consultant was amazed -- so was I! Whoo hoo! 16.8 pounds total, and I'm about 6 pounds from my halfway mark -- YAY!

As a reward, I'm taking myself out next weekend to buy a new outfit (aleady had to buy new bras) to wear when I go to Wisconsin for a friend's wedding. I can see it now: "Hi there, haven't seen you in over a year, yeah, I cut my hair off & dropped almost 20 pounds, how have you been?" Whoo hoo!

Me, last time anyone from school saw me!

Antidotes for Boredom

2005-07-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

While browsing the blog-world this afternoon, waiting ever-so-impatiently for 4:00 to come, I found the following interesting sites. Enjoy!

What Dog Breed Are You? found on Nerd Werd

More disturbing was this, found on Quality Crash Tests.

Curse You J. K. Rowling!!! (okay, not really)

2005-07-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

I got my copy of HP And The Half-Blood Prince last Sunday (7/17) and because I knew that once I started I'd be unable to turn back, used every last ounce of willpower to leave it closed until this Saturday. Good thing, too, because I read the whole darn thing, cover to cover.

Oh the betrayal! The anguish! How could [that one character] kill [that other character]? Or, was it just a cleverly planned & unavoidable-albeit-tragic-self-sacrifice?

Please, PLEASE JK Rowling, (and here I'm going to share what an utter HP fanatic I am), "accio laptop" and get typing! I need that last book!

On that note, check out this awesome website, Mugglenet.com, created & maintained by one of the few lucky enough to actually get an INTERVIEW with JK.

The Patriarchy Strikes Again

2005-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Okay -- it's Saturday, I'm at work, and just about NOTHING is happening. In an attempt to stay up-to-date on current events (even if they do mention him), I browse around msnbc.com, where I noticed the exciting headline "Weight gain in girls blamed on drop in exercise".

No kidding, really?

But here's what really got me: in a age where women and girls are sharing tips on how to maintain an anorexic or bulemic lifestyle (especially without your parents knowing, because they might actually CARE about your health!), this article ticks me off.

I know the authors, publishers, et al. mean well, but come on, people -- what about weight gain in boys? You can't tell me that all of the 9 million young people in the United States who are considered overweight are female -- that's not even probable!

This ticks me off, and I felt the need to share.

Anyone reading some of my previous posts will know that I've recently started to make some healthy changes in my life -- more exercise, better eating habits -- so it's not like I'm suggesting that obesity isn't a problem -- but please, people, couldn't we have broadened the study in question to include youngsters with Y chromosomes?

While I'm on that, a new article suggests that "U.S. children [are] healthier than ever, report finds" -- and here's a line they use to support that: "'The overwhelming majority of children — about 83 percent — are reported by their parents to be in very good or excellent health,' Dr. Edward Sondik, Director of the National Center for Health Statistics, told a teleconference with reporters.

Well duh! How many parents have we seen that are in denial over their child's health problem? Anybody else remember the "My 2-year old weighs 70 pounds but I let him eat anything he wants" parents from various daytime talk shows? Even if you don't, I assure you, they were there -- and their children were obese.

Thumbs-down for scientific studies that rely on qualitative surveys.

However, there is hope. Check out "this article" about how Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products are joining the quest to help kids eat better. Heck, we use TV characters to promote food that's not-so-good for us, it had ought to work the other way, right?

Thumbs up for Nickelodeon!

Week 5 Update!

2005-07-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

I had my weekly check-in with my Jenny Craig consultant, and in the last week I've lost . . . drumroll please . . . 2.4 pounds! Whoo hoo! That means not only have I surpassed the 10-pound-loss mark (11.4 to be exact), but I am also BELOW 170 for the first time in a year! I had to share!

I Got Tagged

2005-07-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Dammit -- thanks to J, I have been officially tagged with a meme. I am elated, because it gives me something to do (other than work) while I am at work on this lovely Saturday morning at seven-freakin-ten in the morning. Here I go . . .

The Meme: What ten events would you care to witness if you could travel in time and observe them.

In no particular order, I present to you my choices...

10. The creation of the universe, however it happened
9. The beginning of life, again, however it happened
8. The Gettysburg address
7. MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech
6. The event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs
5. The building of "the heads" at Easter Island
4. The building & subsequent rhinoplasty of the Sphinx
3. The last performance of all four Beatles
2. The 2nd Continental Congress & subsequent signing of the Declaration of Independence
1. Gandhi's civil disobedience campaign against the British in India

Yep, I think that's it. Let me know what you think!

Week 4 Update!

2005-07-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, after four weeks on the Jenny Craig program, I'm down 9 lbs. (last week I was off work & didn't stick with my plan, so no loss -- but no gain either!) I've also lost a little over 6 inches -- 2 from my chest (YAY!), 2 from my waist, and another 2-ish from my hips & abdomen. My clothes fit better and/or are starting to get loose -- my JC consultant said pretty soon, I'd be brainstorming ways to shrink all my clothes! This week, I'm refocusing on sticking to my planned menu & hitting the gym at least 3 times, plus I have a zoo overnight -- which means an evening of hiking around the park! More updates to come.....

Week Three Update!

2005-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well, after three weeks on the Jenny Craig program, I have lost . . . drumroll please . . . 9 pounds! Yay! This is my first victory on my journey to better health, because it is my 5% mark! It turns out that losing just 5% of your body weight can lower your risk of all kinds of health problems, including diabetes & heart disease. Check out this article on webmd.com for more info. Yes, ladies & gentlemen, I am 0.2 pounds away from breaking the 170lb mark, which I expect to do next week! I feel better, I have more energy, and my clothes fit better -- whoo hoo!

Just thought I'd let you know -- more updates to follow!

Major Life Changes!!!

2005-06-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for the last year I've kinda been muddling around, trying to figure out how to best acheive my personal & career goals. I've recently committed to some major changes that I beleive will help me get wherever it is that I'm going. Check it out:

*I've been going to the YMCA 2-3 times a week -- whoo hoo!

*Inspired by various people, including J, I joined Jenny Craig 2 weeks ago, and have dropped 7.2 pounds -- don't worry, it's more for health reasons than anything else (no "I want to be an anorexic supermodel" issues here, no sir!)

*I've decided to take a year off from school, get stuff in order, take my GRE, do some volunteering in the labs of some Biology Faculty at Saint Louis University , and apply to their PhD Program for Fall 2006

*Yesterday I got a haircut -- I went in & said "the perm, the color, it was me, it's not me anymore, cut it off!" So my hair is very short -- last time it was this short, I hadn't hit puberty yet & looked kinda like a boy, ask R, he probably remembers -- it's cute, I like it, and have heard nothing but good things about it.

*Planning for grad school means looking for ways to cut costs, so I'm planning on moving this January, someplace less expensive than what I'm paying now, but no leads yet.

The best part is, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I've been pondering all of these things for weeks now, and I finally sat down and made decisions -- and I feel GREAT about all of them!

Stay tuned for updates!