Archive for December, 2006

SSA & Unemployment Updates; No Sleep For Me

Wednesday, December 20th, 2006

[audio:http://bloggochicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/ssa-appointment.mp3]

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Game Ten, ?06 – ?07: Tigers Orange 2, the Frozen Snappers 7 (second game)

Monday, December 18th, 2006

Save!
Save!
Click to see the original, enlarged version.

I finally figured out how to make circles in PSP, but I obviously don’t know how to make it just an outline instead of filled in like that. The black thing is the puck, not the end of my stick, since I’ve retaped my blade with white instead of black tape. Makes it a lot easier to see the puck.

Game 10 StatsAt least we didn’t lose as badly as the last time we played the Frozen Snappers (12 – 3), but this time #3 was playing as #32, and I believe #25 was playing as #1, though I could be wrong about the latter. Of course they kept passing the puck to #32, just like last time. I’m a little irked that their goalie’s save percentage ended up being higher than mine, but I made 35 saves! She only made 15. Actually, I’m very happy with my performance on Saturday, especially since I haven’t completely shaken this cold. One of my teammates who used to be a goalie ’til she hurt her knees, and a White team member who’s a goalie mom gave me a few tips at practice on Thursday, and they worked!

Hasek FlopThese were things I’m just not used to doing, but I did my best to incorporate them into the game and I stopped the puck. One was to hold my stick still even when the puck hit the blade instead of trying to redirect it; the other was to sit perfectly still when the puck’s underneath me somewhere, even if I don’t know exactly where. That way, the refs will blow the whistle. At one point, I even did a Hasek flop, which I never thought I was capable of doing, right on top of the puck. And yet, these women kept hacking at me! Katie “Schweigs” (Boba Fett to my Darth Goalie–that’s her in the top left corner BTW–blue pants, white helmet) had to yell at them to stop at one point. They ought to rethink their team name and consider calling themselves the Lumberjills. ;) Too bad Brian didn’t get any shots of the times that happened, but Henry has it all on video. (~) He just needs to figure out how to upload them! :d (image from ESPN.com; read about the skate-in-the-crease controvery here–it’s the 5th one on the page of “Worst Calls in Sports History”) Speaking of bad calls, apparently the refs made a few Saturday night, like blowing the whistle when the puck was still two feet in front of the other goalie.

Also, according to my teammates, these women play rough and dirty and were just plain mean (with the exception of #18, who complimented me nearly every time I made a save). So I take back what I said about them being nice the last time we played them. The final score doesn’t reflect anything–we were the better team in sportsmanship, positioning, and passing the puck. We don’t have any puck hogs, that’s for sure! Well, we have two more games against the Lumberjills Snappers this season, and no matter what the scores may be, we’re still throwing those fish back into the pond they came from. (*)

See the latest game pics here.

Try, Try Again

Saturday, December 16th, 2006


I actually started playing this last spring, but then I had the ECT and completely forgot where I was in the game, other than the fact that my character was Nairb (get it? ;) ) the Elf Assassin and that I was a Dark Elf or, Dunmer. I really wanted to finish it before starting Oblivion, but I started anyway, was scared out of my wits by one of the monsters (I was alone in the apartment at the time), and resolved to finish Morrowind before playing Oblivion.

Unfortunately, I’ve barely touched the Xbox all summer, mainly because I’ve been frustrated by my memory loss and cognitive difficulties in relearning what all the buttons and stuff on the controls are for. That part seems to have improved, as I started a new game yesterday afternoon and played until 6:00 a.m. But I have insomnia, remember. :(

Obviously, KotOR has been put on hold, mainly because I’ve played it so many times, at least with a female character, that it’s just kind of borrrrrrrring. I’m sure I’ll go back to it, but probably not for a long time.

Friday Cat Blogging No. 43: Pointless

Friday, December 15th, 2006

This picture was actually taken around October 2004 when all we had was the camera phone. Heh. As far as digital cameras go, that’s all we have now! Anyway, Brian and I bought the cats this fancy sofa covered in nice, scratchable carpeting. What does Hopper choose to relax in? The frickin’ shoe box! Maybe it was my fault for placing it right next to the kitty couch. Actually, they’ve probably used it off and on since then, but no one has even gone near it since we’ve moved to our current apartment in June.

So you other cat parents out there: do you even bother buying stuff for your cats? (We still do — those Okey Dokey Pokey Balls are particularly popular.) And if so, do they use them?


Angelo says: More pet pics are available for your viewing pleasure at this week’s Friday Ark. If you post your own pets’ photos, leave them a trackback or comment and you’ll be listed there, too. And remember — they don’t limit pictures just to cats!

No Stormtrooping After All & Other Updates

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

Which is probably good. My CM got me an appointment for next Wednesday, so we’ll be going to the SSA office then.

See more progress on: apply for disability


Saw the pdoc today. He took me off Trileptal because it’s too expensive without insurance, so now I’m back on Tegretol (carbamazepine), which is available in a generic form and thus, a lot cheaper. He told me to forget about the Lunesta and wrote a script for 50 mg. tablets of generic Benadryl, which are cheaper than bottles of 25 mg. tablets. At least I know the stuff works. Shit. Maybe I just jinxed myself.


Still physically sick, and though I have the sniffles I’m not so achy. I don’t really feel like going to practice tonight, mainly because I feel too down, but I know I’ll end up having fun. I am worried about getting sicker, though, because I want to be 100% for Saturday’s game. But I think the worst of it’s over.

I’m sorry that I still haven’t been reading blogs. I’ll get there, though. Soon, I hope because I hate it when my Bloglines is like, jam-packed! :(