September 2008 Archives

Am I the only person who is absolutely apoplectic with the idiots in Washington?  Both sides too!  I've been doing my best to try to learn as much as I can about this whole financial melt down and I've come to the conclusion that it's so deep and so complicated that it's virtually impossible to really understand all the intricacies of it.  Which is probably why I've heard so many people blame the "failed Bush/McCain financial policies" for the current mess.  THAT is why my brains are slowly dribbling out my ears. 

Bush Derangement Syndrome is so out of control, that the Obama Kool-Aid drinkers can't see his role in this whole mess nor can they give McCain credit where credit is due.  To be fair, it's not all their fault, the mainstream media is doing everything in its power to keep painting McCain as the one out of touch and to keep covering up Obama's deep ties to Fannie & Freddie.  So unless a member of the Obamanation actually seeks out the truth, they will continue to operate under the delusion that he is God-like and sent from the heavens to solve all their problems.

I know it sounds like I'm in love with McCain, but I'm really not.  His position and failure to seize this opportunity is maddening to me, but the hypocrisy of the Democrats and the media is forcing me to up my meds!  Personally I'm  happy that the bill didn't pass.  When you're talking about spending $700 billion, I'd prefer that Congress take its time and not just ram it through.  Thank Goodness they're taking the time to actually THINK about this one!  On the other hand, watching Pelosi get bitch-slapped like that was most satisfaction I've gotten in at least a week.

Along those lines, I'm posting links to some articles (both long & short) that give some pretty good explanations of this mess.  I'm also posting a link to a video for those of you who either can't read or can't be bothered reading.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0917/p09s01-coop.html?page=1

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMouthPeace  I don't know how long this link is going to be up; there seems to be an issue about copyright infringement with the music.

Lastly, I don't know how many of you bothered to watch any of our representatives pontificate about this, but God bless Ron Paul.  I know he's a little extreme, but he's one of the few that actually said anything that made any sense!  Probably why he'll never be President.

On the Sophie front, we got her labs back and her kidneys are failing.  From what I understand it's pretty common, so she's going to have good days and bad days and eventually the bad days are going to be more frequent than the good days.  I've become an expert at administering sub-cutaneous fluid injections in cats and managing to get all the pills down her throat that are required.  I've also learned to manage to get by on little to no sleep and finding where cats go to perform various bodily functions when they're too tired to get to their litter box. 

So some days I'm optimistic and others I'm convinced she's not going to wake up.   The emotional and physical roller coaster is taking its toll, but I look at every day with her as a blessing, so I'm not complaining.  Thank you for all your kind emails and comments.  I sometimes feel somewhat stupid for being in such emotional upheaval over a 4 1/2 pound cat, but it's nice to hear from those of you who know exactly what we're going through.  So thank you for that.

Okay, I'm done venting.  See ya on the radio tomorrow!

Well, I'm happy to report that Sophie seems to be perking up.  She had been on a medication that she apparently had a reaction to & it was really making her sick.  Doug was smart enough to look on 1800petmeds.com for side effects of the drug and when he read it, he called me and told me to stop giving it to her.  The side effects read like a list of all her symptoms.  Luckily she was only on it for a day and a half, but that was still 4 doses.  It seems that she now has all of it out of her system and is slowly getting back to her old self.

My neighbor Cathy turned me on to cats & lamb baby food.  Apparently it's really easy for them to digest and she (Sophie, not my neighbor) seems to love it.  So we're trying to get her back above 5 lbs and if lamb baby food will do it - then so be it.  I'm still feeding her every 2 hours and she's still getting her IV, but if her latest kidney tests come back a little better, we may be able to cut down on the IVs.

In other news, I'll be in for Spencer on Wednesday, October 1st.  His show airs from 2p - 3p eastern time.  You can hear the show on Sirius channel 145 or XM channel 168 or via the internet by going to: http://www.foxnews.com/radio/index.html and clicking on "Listen Live".

In the political arena, I have to say that this is the first election that I am actually surprised by the blatant lies going around about both candidates.  And I'm surprised by the venom I'm hearing when people disagree on the candidates.  People are really taking this personally.  So along those lines, I'm suggesting you check this out: 

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=306978378974502

It's a pretty educational look at Fannie & Freddie.  And while you're there, you can check out some more recent editorials.  I found them helpful in understanding this mess.  Although I still don't know why it's my responsibility since I really had nothing to do with it.

Before I finish this, I'd like to thank everyone for their very nice e-mails about Sophie and thank you for your prayers.  I promise to keep you updated.  Also a HUGE thank you to EB who took the time to make me a new, Jersey-centric banner for this page.  Despite being a NYer, he still respects my love of NJ.

Don't forget to watch the debates tonight and I'll see ya on the radio next week! 

Well, good news & bad news.  Sophie came home with us on Friday and was pretty lively most of the weekend although it's clear that she's sick and showing her age.  I've been in charge of getting the pills down her gullet and Doug & I have been tackling the IVs together.  She gets fluids every other day and they usually perk her up, but she HATES getting them - I can't blame her.

Last night though, she went downhill.  She ate really well yesterday afternoon and then stopped eating.  She even turned her nose up at her favorite treats.  Around 4am, I heard her get up and she just went in the hallway and sat.  If you've ever had a sick cat, you know that that is not a good sign.  So I followed her around and she went and hid in the living room.  I wound up getting a blanket & pillow and I laid on the floor where I could see her & she could see me and eventually she came over and curled up next to me.

A little while later she got sick & vomited a lot of fluids.  She's been drinking a lot of water and in her quest for water last night, she went to jump up on the bathroom sink.  Fortunately she realizes that she just can't make that leap anymore and instead chose to jump on the toilet first.  Well, the lid was up and the poor thing fell in the toilet and was just standing there with her head & front paws out of the water.  Good thing I was being an over-protective mommy, otherwise I don't know how long she would have been in there.

We wound up taking her to the vet's this morning and she's down to 4 lbs. 9 oz., so they changed her meds and we're hoping that perks her up.  Unfortunately she doesn't seem to be doing much better and we'll probably wind up back at the vet's tomorrow.

Sorry for the sad news.  Needless to say, nothing else is going on.  I caught a nap this afternoon and Doug watched her, so I'll probably be on the night shift again tonight.  Luckily Doug's been on vacation, but he goes back to work tomorrow.

I'll keep you updated.

Sorry for taking so long between posts.  There have been so many things I've wanted to post about, but I just haven't had the time.  How 'bout this, I saw an article in the paper about a fundraising walk ('tis the season!) to raise funds for people with food allergies!  Really?!  Have we solved all the other problems and this is all that's left?  Doug was affectionately calling it "Parents Against Peanuts", which of course, amused us for quite a while.  I know I'm going to tick someone off with this, but if your kid is going to drop over because there's a peanut within 50 feet then that is Darwinism, plain & simple.

The house is moving along.  We got a new designer and I LOVE her!!  Her name is Susan Rosenthal.  You might have seen some of her work in NJ Monthly.  If you're ever in the market, she is a dynamo and she has taken the reins and just kicked everyone's butt and finally some decisions are being made.

Along those lines, my friend Sherry & I went up to the Wolf/Sub Zero distributor up in traffic country in northern NJ yesterday. Sherry is the friend we all have who would be a professional chef if she had the chance.  If you don't have a friend like that, I highly recommend getting one.  They LOVE to cook and will keep you well fed.

Anyway, since I'm picking my appliances to Sherry's specifications (after all, she's going to be the one using them most of the time), I thought it best if she had the chance to check them out before I bought.  If you're ever considering buying a Wolf or Sub Zero product, go to their website, put in your zip code and check out the classes being offered at the nearest dealer location.  This was a cooking class and it was really helpful.  They showed all the different types of appliances they make and cooked all sorts of foods to show the possibilites.  So not only was it really informative, but the food was delicious.

Of course since nothing I do goes without a hitch, I accidentally got off the Parkway at the wrong exit and wound up on Rt. 35 south up in Holmdel (instead of in Shrewsbury).  If you get the Asbury Park Press, you know there was a horrific accident on 35 in the southbound lanes by the Evil Clown.  So Middletown's finest had 35 closed in both directions and forced us on to a side street with no further instructions.

Someone decided to go in to the Kohl's mall and of course all the subsequent cars followed him.  This led to an endless conga line of lost drivers wending their way through the insanity to the far end of the mall, down the side (in the hopes of there being a side road on which to exit and get back on 35 south), and around the back of the mall which brought all of us back to the entrance where we could get back in line to do it again.

Our only other choice was to get back on 35 north and go all the way back to the Parkway to backtrack.  Sherry had her GPS which we followed for a short distance before we realized that Bitchin' Betty (her nickname for her GPS) refused to acknowledge that 35 south was closed and proceeded to direct us in an endless circle around the Dunkin' Donuts in the island.

We eventually made it home via Chapel Hill Rd., but we probably could have walked faster.  Sherry very poetically compared it to a Hope & Crosby musical - without the music.

On a sad note, our cat, Sophie, is in the hospital.   We came back from a party Saturday night & she didn't meet us at the door as is her habit.  When she didn't surface at all, we went looking for her and couldn't find her anywhere.  Doug was on call & had to get some sleep, and I wound up literally all night searching everywhere for her.  I still can't figure out where she was.

When Doug got up at 5am & turned the shower on, she somehow managed to stumble in to the bathroom for their morning ritual.  We knew something was wrong with her, so I picked her up & put her on our bed & went to get her some water.  While I was gone Doug heard a thud and found her on the floor.  She had fallen off the bed and couldn't get up.

By the time we got her to the vet that morning, she was down to 4 lbs. 13 oz (she's normally between 5 lbs. 10 oz and 6 lbs.), couldn't stand, had high blood pressure and her kidneys had all but shut down.

The wonderful people at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital have been taking incredible care of her & she's doing a little better, but she's far from being out of the woods.  We don't know if she's ever going to come home again, but we've been blessed with her for 16 years.  She's never been sick before, so if this is it, she's lived a pretty good life and we hope she's gotten as much love and enjoyment from us as we've gotten from her.  So Doug & I have been taking shifts at the hospital sitting with her in the ICU.  I don't know if it makes her feel any better, but it's therapeutic for us.

Here are some pictures of her in her "room".

Before I get to your "must watch TV" for this weekend, I have to add some things to my brief commentary on Sarah Palin's speech.  So far, my biggest beef with her is the absolutely idiotic names she picked for her kids!  Is she kidding me?  Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper & Trig?!!  Let me guess........she and the Mr. sat down and said, "Let's name our kids something different".  So they picked their favorite sport in high school, their favorite town, favorite tree, favorite gift from The 12 Days of Christmas & worst subject?!!  Thank God they're done having kids!  Imagine the torture they could inflict though if they adopt!!  They must be stopped!!

I also have to comment on Cindy McCain.  She is absolutely beautiful and is a stunning, classy dresser.  But I think her dress on Wed. night actually burned my retinas.  She looked like Kermit The Frog in drag!  Speaking of stunning, McCain's mother is gorgeous!!  There is no way that woman is 96. 

Now, while you're home battening down the hatches tonight, I thought you might want to catch The Bill Moyers Journal on PBS.  They did an in depth report on the recent deployment out of NJ and they spent a lot of time talking to ARMS.  ARMS should sound familiar to most of you since that is the military support group that I work with and have hit you up in the past for Christmas presents for the kids, help with packing care packages and donations.  The show will air on all PBS stations nationwide.  For us here in the NY/NJ area, its Channel 13 at 9:00 pm tonight -- but your local station might run the show at slightly different times. To find out when it's airing in your area, go to http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html click on "TV Schedule", plug in your zip code, and it will tell you when it's airing.  They did a lot of research and are showing how the deployment affects the families left behind.

Speaking of TV, I'm scheduled to be on the Fox News Channel this Sunday (the 7th) at 4:20pm eastern time.  Again, the Fox News Channel is not your local Fox affiliate.  It's the station that runs Hannity & Colmes, Greta van Sustern, Bill O'Reilly, etc.  You need cable or satellite to get it.  The hit runs during the regular newscast, so if you tune in at 4:20, you may not see us until 4:23 or so.  The hit is short, anywhere from 4 - 7 mins.  Of course, this is guaranteeing the biggest loss of power in the northeast since the last blackout.  So have the candles ready.

Enjoy your weekend and keep your powder dry! 

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend.  We went to a birthday party here in town, which was nice because we didn't have to fight the Bennies on the roadways.  Then on Monday our neighbors invited us out for a cruise on their boat.  It was a gorgeous day and we went out the Shrewsbury around Sandy Hook and out in to the ocean.  We are so lucky to be close enough to NYC to see that skyline when we want to.  I guess I often take it for granted - although that doesn't mean that I wouldn't prefer a NJ-centric skyline for my webpage.

After our cruise, we came home, Doug lit up the grill and we sat on our deck enjoying a nice dinner.  As we were eating, the wind shifted and started coming off the ocean.  It was like someone opened a door to the Shore and that wonderful smell of salt, sand & fish came in.  Then Thunder Road came on the radio and it was the perfect end to a perfect Jersey Shore summer.

Of course we all know that even though Labor Day is the "official" end of summer; the best weeks at the Shore are yet to come.  There's nothing like being in the ocean in October.  It's rare, but it does happen.

I've been thoroughly enjoying the conventions.  I love watching people make total asses of themselves - and I'm not talking about the politicians - I'm used to that.  I'm talking about the delegates with the ridiculous outfits (what's up with the hats?) and middle-aged, white people trying to dance.  Please.  Don't.

I thought Sarah Palin kicked some serious butt last night.  I was very curious to hear what she was going to say.  Let's face it, she's an unknown and as I was watching her, I said to my husband, "She's going to run for President in 2012".  I thought she was excellent.

On the webpage front, I'm going to try to get the hubby to help me work out some of the bugs.  I can't get any subpages to publish, hence no pictures, no professional page, etc.  I also can't figure out how to see if anyone has tried to comment, so I can't approve or dump 'em.  If you've tried - thank you.  Anyway, try to bear with me while I master yet another web program.