oh. my. God. and i thought finding someone’s Lee Press-On Nail in my pasta salad (see "Chicago-Style Fly In My Soup") was traumatic. some poor lady found an actual finger in her bowl of chili! here’s my favorite quote: a Santa Clara health official stated that the vic "had some kind of emotional reaction [duh, you think?] and vomited." at least i was only reduced to tears. (see article below)
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J was kind enough to send this e-Bay link for an "Official Chicago Winter Parking Space Placeholder" mentioned in Chicago Living Tip #33. the bidding is over now, but here’s a preview of one of the many that were offered:
contrary to what your human may think, you do not need to do anything: "Hopper, you need to keep your butt down when you pee so it doesn’t go all over the place."
wrong, human. i don’t need to do anything.
i feel bad for not having posted more regularly, but i’ve become thoroughly addicted to Neopets. it’s a virtual pet site where you can have up to 4 pets, play with them, feed them, take them to the different worlds of Neopia, or have them fight against other Neopets in the Battledome. by playing the computer games on their site you earn Neopoints, which is Neopia’s currency. you’ll need plenty to be able to do all kinds of fun things with your pet.
VeqRiin is my Korbat, and she’s in training for the Battledome. we haven’t been very successful, sad to say.
Larasitad is a Kacheek. every day he stands in line at the Faerieland Employment Agency hoping to get a job to help pay VeqRiin’s tuition at the Mystery Island Training School. it’s almost like real life: i study martial arts; Brian works and pays the tuition. honestly, i didn’t consciously assign VeqRiin’s and Larasitad’s roles.
i’ll tell you one thing: my Neopets are much better behaved than my real pets! to get your own Neopet click the button. there’s also a button in the sidebar and a banner at the bottom of this page. my username is neobloggo. if you sign up, look me up and send me a Neomail!
Images: (c) 2004 Neopets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used With Permission
i made it to the chiro on Monday with Brian. according to the doctor, i have what he calls “flabby butt syndrome,” which means that my butt muscles aren’t developed to where they should be because when i walk, my strides are too short. so he gave me some exercises to do every other day. i did them for the first time last night, and let me tell you, i was nearly in tears because of the pain. it was excruciating.
in fact, when i woke up yesterday morning, my back was killing me so there was no way i was going to go to martial arts. that depresses me more because i want to go, but i can’t.
i saw the pdoc today. he said that pain plays a big factor in terms of contributing to people’s depression. so like, who wouldn’t be depressed if they were in this much pain? that makes me feel a little better, sort of. anyhow, beginning tomorrow i’m taking an increased dose of Wellbutrin.
the pdoc also encouraged me to go to PHP if i can. Brian is going to check with his insurance, etc. and the hospital to make sure everything is in place. the doctor said that i need to get out of the house for a few hours at a time instead of just an hour or so here and there. he hopes to have me back working in the fall. that thought scares me. i mean, what work would i do? the idea of teaching seems so foreign right now.
i finally remembered to call my therapist today to reschedule an appointment. haven’t heard back yet, though. Friday i’m back at the chiro’s and at the pdoc in two weeks. Monday i have a follow-up appointment with the ENT. this is why i try to blow off going to doctors for as long as i can–it seems like i’m always at one healthcare provider or another.
i’ll end with good news: since my last pdoc appointment i’ve lost 7 lbs.!!! yay!!!!!
Last week, Ratty asked for suggestions in terms of reading the EU, and I offered to post about how I got started. It was only less than 2 years ago that I started reading the Star Wars novels, and I had no idea which book to read first, in what order, etc. At Borders one night I read the back cover of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, decided that it sounded good, and bought it. Little did I know that it was the first EU novel ever written. It’s also the first volume of the Thrawn Trilogy. I was hooked.
I can’t remember which book I read after devouring those first three, but at some point I decided that I had to read in chronological order, not by the book release dates, but by the order of events. That didn’t work out. There’s so much out there and even now, more authors are adding to the Clone Wars era, which I’ve grown to love. I’ve read as early as the Old Republic days when the Sith were out of touch with the Republic up until Luke and Mara get married. I haven’t even cracked the New Jedi Order series, which is after Luke has rebuilt the Jedi (I guess).
At first I was determined not to buy the comic books, until I came across references in the novels to events that occur in the comics. I bought an issue from both the ongoing Republic and Empire series and again, was hooked. The comics begin during the Golden Age of the Sith Empire, during which the dark Jedi had already been banned from the Republic. They’ve lived on Korriban for hundreds of years until brother and sister Gav and Jori Daragon stumble upon their planet. This Old Republic era, which is 5,000 years before A New Hope or, as in Star Wars: The Essential Chronology, which is how I date my collection, 5,000 BBY (before the Battle of Yavin).
Most back issues are still available, but the mini-series and even the Republic and Empire series are available as trade paperbacks. These are a lot easier to find and what I started reading at first until I decided that I prefer individual issues. The publisher, Dark Horse Comics, has also re-published some of the old Marvel series, I believe.
The recent children’s novels (9- to 12-year-olds?) are the Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, and Young Boba Fett series (scroll down the link’s page). I’ve read all of Jedi Apprentice, which chronicles 13-year-old Obi-wan’s time as Qui-Gon’s Padawan, and Young Boba Fett, which begins around the time of AOTC, I think (it’s been a while). These can get tiresome because the writing is aimed at like, 12-year-olds. If you click on the links you can read excerpts and see for yourself, but I’m a sucker for backstories, and Fett and Obi-wan are two of my favorite characters. Jedi Quest begins when Anakin is 14. He bugs, which is why I haven’t read all of them yet, but I’m sure I will. There’s also the Young Jedi Knights but I don’t know much about that series, and they were published long before these three.
Steve’s Star Wars Timeline is the best, most accurate and up-to-date chronology of the entire EU canon. He even updates it when the newest comics come out.
I don’t think it’s necessary to read the comics, novels, and “young readers” novels, but it can only enhance your EU experience.
Edit, 3/23/05, 1:12pm - Thanks, Soyunperdedor, for pointing out that Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was published before the Thrawn Trilogy.
contrary to a widely held belief, there is no City law stating that you can reserve the street parking spot from which you toiled to dig your snowbound car by placing 2 old kitchen chairs with each end of a broom set on the seats.
well, i didn’t go to either the chiropractor or the therapist today. i just couldn’t get out of the house. my depression is getting worse. it’s getting harder to get in the shower and get dressed. i even have the car today and i thought i could drive the whole four blocks to Starbucks to get a latte but i can’t seem to even do that.
i’ve been feeling this way for the last week or so, and i’m afraid it might be because i’m not currently on a mood stabilizer. the pdoc increased the dosage of my Wellbutrin, but i’m not supposed to do that until my current script runs out, which it hasn’t. i did call his office and the receptionist said he would page the pdoc.
i’m considering going into a PHP again. there’s a hospital just down the street from where Brian works that has one, and my doctor knows some of the pdocs there. Brian and i could drive to the ‘burbs together if i end up going. i just hate that whole stupid intake process where you fill out all these forms, rate your moods on this ridiculous handout that asks some of the same questions three or four times (”on a scale of 1 to 5 are you generally happy?” “on a scale of 1 to 5 are you generally sad?”), and then rehash your whole psychiatric history.
but if it’ll help me get out of this funk i’ll do it. i can’t stand feeling this way anymore. it’s taking a lot out of me just to even post this entry, requires too much thinking. then the negative thoughts come pouring in: i’m a loser because i’m not contributing anything to society because i’m unable to work; i’m nothing but a burden on Brian (he rescheduled my chiropractor appointment for Monday afternoon and plans to take a half day off to take me there himself); and so on and so forth.
the moment your human gets up from his/her seat, even for a minute, keep it warm for them. keep it warm for them even after they return. don’t budge.
