Cocoa goes to the vet

Cocoa's had an ear infection for the past few weeks. It sounds worse than it is. Mostly she's just been flapping her ears and scratching at them. We've been treating her ourselves here at home but since the problem hasn't resolved itself we finally brought her in to the vet. For the first time since we adopted her.

We lined the backseat of the car with our old airbed, and kept the windows closed so she wouldn't try to hang her head out the window. Previous experience has taught us that when she does this she will also place her paws on the windowsill, scratching the paint through the clearcoat.

She was exceedingly well-behaved throughout the visit, whimpering slightly only when the doctor's otoscope probed a little too deeply into her infected ear. For the most part she was friendly, curious and agreeable. We learned that she:

- weighs 68 lbs.
- has an ear infection.
- does not have heartworm, or any other worms for that matter.
- isn't particularly photogenic.
- needs her ears cleaned daily till the infection-related excess wax production stops, then 2 to 3 times weekly thereafter.
- just needs a newfangled drinking water additive to keep her teeth clean and plaque-free.

$261 for shots, checkup, treatment and 4 meds. And a doggie treat.

blow-my-brains-out bored

That slightly uneasy, back-of-the-head feeling that I might be a little left of sane
is back and I leapfrog from one thing to the next: my
self-help books on finance, artistic recovery, life lessons; my
haphazard music collection -- R & B, rock, classical music, various soundtracks;
TV, internet, radio, magazines... There is

no hope in sight. Brick walls
at every turn. No
driver's license. No
car of my own. No
money in the bank. No
bank approval. No
credentials, no
training, no
experience. No
clue, really. And
is it me, or
does everybody cuss now?

Frenetic. Desperate. Exhausted. Indifferent. Discouraged.
And still waiting.

need a backpack?

Yoda Plush Backpack, $39.99 at Think Geek

Via PopGadget.

This was just LOL funny.

Target.com has my costume back in stock!

It should arrive sometime next week.



Adult Deluxe Wonder Woman Costume

Two points:

1. Yes, I am well aware I lack "Wonder Woman" proportions. I don't care. I've always wanted to be her and, by Hera, I will be Diana of Themyscira this Halloween.
2. No, the Wonder Woman we've known and loved didn't wear a skirt. But there is no way in Hades I am showing up for work in star-spangled, belted granny panties.

Now all I need is a flesh-colored tank or leotard so I don't need to go bare-shouldered. I wonder if my tan tee will do.

patrick qualified for the local amateur league team!

Cyberathlete Amateur League

And to think, he's only been playing CounterStrike for the past six months. Fabulous.

red shoes on my mind

I've decided I want to be either Dorothy or Wonder Woman for Halloween, so I have an excuse to wear red shoes. Spent a good deal of time browsing for something appropriate. No lookalikes yet for the ruby slippers, but if I could blow $500 on Halloween accessories, my money would be on these babies:


Casadei 2743 (Sangria)
$542.95 from $1082.95 thru Friday, 9/22.

~*~*~*

I also like:


Jimmy Choo Suede Open-Toe Pump
$650.00 at Bergdorf's
Suede and snakeskin in a luxe ruby red. What's not to love?


~*~*~*

Etro Open Toe Bow
$498.95 at Zappos

~*~*~*


RSVP Zoe
$99.95 at Zappos
Every girl deserves romantic red roses.

~*~*~*


Bruno Maglie Maille
$144.99 from $289.99 at Shoes.com
I like the contrast of bordeaux suede against beige patent trim.

~*~*~*


Caligarius Alanda
$144.99 from $322.99 at Shoes.com
One day these shall replace my Rampage D'Orsays.

~*~*~*


baby phat I Love BP Canvas
$85.95 from $88.95 at Zappos.com
i know, I know, I'm sorry. I think these are fabulously trashy.
~*~*~*


Nine West Glorielle
$79.95 from $82.95, Zappos.com
Seriously sexy red patent strappiness.

~*~*~*

Okay, so maybe the Baby Phats aren't all that bad.



Pleaser USA Romance 04
$33.95 at Zappos.com

Red marabou. Lucite heel. A manufacturer called "Pleaser USA". You know what they're for. Happily, they're only $33.95, you'll only have to wear them for a minute, and this pair guarantees he'll be willing to overlook at least two dozen shoes in your burgeoning shoe collection.

tapped out

Sometimes things get a little tight, push comes to shove and it is necessary that you switch to survival mode: focus on the task at hand, block out everything else and concentrate on getting by. But if you stay too long in top gear you find you no longer know how to downshift. Having put all your energy into surviving, you find you no longer know how to live -- you merely exist. And by "you", I am of course referring to me.

Everything is shades of gray again. If it weren't for the dog I need to walk, I would not see the light of day, nor breathe fresh air. Former interests have taken a dull hue. I'm still ranked #1 in my trading game, I like a few new shoes on Zappos, and -- on friends' recommendations -- I'm currently exploring the musical works of Rob Thomas and Luther Vandross. The iPod has reordered my downloads in such a way that MatchBox 20's "Back 2 Good" (sic) is followed by Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me", which feels a bit schizophrenic.

The "Kill Bill" series, which Patrick and I never caught, is on TV this weekend. I'm also holding "V for Vendetta" and "Full Metal Jacket" from Netflix.

inventory in two days.

i've purposely avoided mentioning work, if only to feel that I've escaped it completely once i clock out and go home. I never really do, of course. Been dog-tired lately. I just want it to be thursday.

last week i took a poll,

the sole question being: "What are the top three things I do well?"

Survey says:
1. Dress.
2. Talk.
3. Sing.

In that order.

I must say I was surprised. First mention was almost always fashion-related (dress, walk, shop), followed by social skills (carry conversation, laugh, keep an open-mind, sense of humor, pleasant attitude).

The purpose of the sampling was to figure what else I might be doing. Not surprisingly, not one person mentioned retail or sales. Taking the top two response groupings, I would have to say that such a person would probably do well in fashion- or broadcast-related fields. Which is so not me. I think.

I would have answered:
1. Write.
2. Sing.
3. PA's (scripted)

secret sorrows of a PC widow

i haven't done any real gaming in months.

in that time Patrick has taken up CounterStrike, qualifying for and ascending to the top rankings of a local clan. This past week he's begun "scrimming", i.e., clan-versus-clan shootouts. Last night he didn't go to bed till 5 a.m., then slept till noon.

I just got up from a nap and realized that what's supposed to have been "my" day went to the computers: him with his gaming, me with my music. I recorded "I Don't Know How to Love Him", from "Jesus Christ Superstar", but for some reason I can't upload my audio files to my media blog. Spent the rest of the day listening to a lot of Luther Vandross, of which "Dance With My Father" and "Buy Me a Rose" almost brought me to tears.

It occurs to me now that my music is his gaming: something we live and breathe though we do not profit by it, nor seek to explore it in a professional capacity. Yet as much time as we've spent at these things -- our whole lives, really -- we are no closer to happy, fulfilled lives that embrace our interests.

Luther fulfills my need for a serenader, but I eventually worked my way to my classical/classical-crossover collection: Charlotte Church's smiling notes (ok so she doesn't exactly ring clearly, but the songs hint at it), Josh Groban's vibrant baritone, and of course the Three Tenors' rousing "O sole mio".

I'd heard Josh Groban's "All’improvviso amore" (Closer, 2003) and wasn't particularly impressed. But I came across this translation and found the lyrics to be sheer poetry:

Love, unexpectedly

The wind blows softly
This night changes my destiny
I know that my heart will be surprised again

Life holds more meaning for me now
If I look at this immense sky,
The moon
Will be
Illuminated with my love…

Unexpectedly, love,
Like the sea,
Floods my heart and soul
And it will save me
As naturally as breathing does
With each breath I take I speak of you

Now, everything has changed
I breathe of you in the universe
Your eyes light up the darkness

Suddenly, love,
Like the sea,
Fills my heart and soul
And it will save me
As naturally as breathing does
For it will be true love
That heals the heart
And give me light within

Music: David Foster and Paul Schwartz
Lyrics: Frank Musker and Kaballa
English translation: Pristine Ong and Germane Ong
Snagged from the "Just Josh Groban" website.

What Fall Shoe Should You Wear?

You Should Wear Animal Print Shoes

You have a brash personality, and you aren't afraid to wear something outrageous. You're the exact personality designers design for - so enjoy yourself!

What Fall Shoe Should You Wear?

~*~*~*

Me, brash? Ha. This of course refers to my deviant shoe personality, which does not always reflect my temperament. Sometimes they contradict, because I'm trying to be ironic or because I'd hoped to pull myself out of a funk with a fun pair of shoes. Or sometimes my shoes say more than I feel, because I'd chosen them early in the morning, before I'd really had a good bead on my day.

Re: the previous post-

It's one of those things i know but constantly forget: i.e., that too many people choose to say stupid things rather than say nothing at all.