coke n pigeon

first the pigeon. yesterday was a very nice day (and a nice day to have off as well) so after a morning of errand running i decided to give "my" pigeon a little time in the fresh air and sunshine... he tried to fly away, but still too hurt to do himself any good, ran into the roof of the house and landed with absolutely NO decorum on the ground in front of the flower box. seeing as how he was feeling rather feisty, i decided to have a look at his feet (which we had assumed to be the only problem) and flipped him over. the poor thing was a MESS... yes, his feet were sore, one was injured, and his entire chest and part of his belly were covered with a mess of dried dead leaves, bird food, and errant feathers... where he HAD feathers. so, I decided to try to clean him up and see if I could assess the damage... at the same time, my mom was calling our local vet to see if they knew of any local wildlife refuges (I still hadn't heard from anyone i had already contacted) and they directed her to DNR's website where there was a list... from there my husband made some calls. bird is hurting... he has at least one place on his chest where the skin is worn away down to the muscle... that's where I stopped looking and started crying because i KNEW that he was beyond my reach.

the rehab lady came by last night at about 5, she looked him over, noticed that his feet were bad and the injury to the one... she saw the mess of feathers and mess, and she assured me that she would clean him up, give him some antibiotics and care and a nice safe place to recover, and that she thought that he would end up just fine after some very serious T.L.C.

i'm not sure she said that for any reason other than the fact that she didn't want to make me cry on my front porch in front of my newly 2 year old daughter... but after some serious soul searching on the matter, i find that whatever her reason, it helped me to feel better about the fate of the bird - - and about the fact that i cared. crazy bit is, while the bird is out of my hands, he's certainly not out of my thoughts.

* * * * * * * *

coke.
buggers - coke is a bunch of buggers.
i got all giddy by the prospect of hitting 150+ coke reward points today (i had been hoarding caps because, mostly, i had been too lazy over the past few days to enter them). i was even more geeked when reading my email i learned that i had been awarded 5 bonus points just for playing along.
then i went to my "wishlist" where the stuff i want is cataloged for me, along with the number of points it takes to actually get it.
ALL THE REDEEM POINT VALUES HAD GONE UP!!! by almost 50%.

yes, the rules say that coke can be a bunch of chickie-pop's and change the values at any time, but for f***'s sake... 50%!!?!?!?

i'm disappointed. at this rate, by the time i collect enough points to get what i had been hoping for, between redemption point increases and the stuff i want selling out, i'll be lucky if i can get a promotional door knob hanger that says "I drink coke" on one side and "Just Kiss me First" on the other.

frost-over

we had a cold night last night... i didn't get to survey any damage to the proud young greenery popping up in the freshly weeded / cleaned out flower boxes off the front porch, but i'm hoping they weren't too terribly smacked by the cold weather. i don't even want to think about the strawberries in the back. i'm just crossing my fingers that everything is hardy enough to endure the little cold snap.

i had my hairs cut last night... it's not sassy or anything that dramatic, but it's nice and light (for the summer) still long enough for a pony-tail if i get ridiculously lazy, and short enough to wear down without blinding me behind a curtain of hair. also i think it frames my face nicely, drawing the eye away from my second chin in favor of my eyes and cheekbones (both of which i very much prefer to the chins). with any luck i'll be coloring it a nice warm and bright summery color this evening or at the latest tomorrow, and i should feel like a presentable human by the party.

i've been struggling with some tensions in my life lately and many of them are taking up residence in my shoulders and back. i have spent the better part of the last few days stretching backward, pulling my arms up high and as far behind me over my head as i dare, desperately hoping for the relief of some small pop-corn popping to happen and relieve some of the stress... to no avail. i'm considering meditation...

I don't speak Pigeon

so i have no idea how he's doing. he moves around a lot more than he did when we first brought him in... for what that's worth. i have a fear, now, and founded i think, of his feet healing all wrong, but healing nonetheless and his being crippled by my well-meaning meddling for the rest of his life.

i almost killed myself Sunday night. ok, probably it wasn't quite that bad, but it felt like it. i poisoned myself with a migraine medicine. fortunately i think i managed to purge the bulk of it before it got into my system and caused my veins to completely shut down on me. needless to say, i'm sticking with Orudis (if i can ever find it again), Aleve, and if push comes to shove, Advil for the rest of my migrainy life.

i've been thinking, again, about how to make the most of my adventures in corporate america. like right now, i am pretty sure i have the opportunity to be taking some classes that could lead me to a new degree and having the course fees reimbursed. i know it would make me more valuable to my department and company, and i'm fairly certain that it would make me feel more valuable in general, but at the same time, when what i believe i really want to do with my time doesn't really have all that much to do with the degree i'd be getting (and there's no way for me to get a degree in what i'm leaning toward really wanting to do) it seems kind of sneaky to get the degree. at the same time, though, there's no guarantee that i'll ever be in a position to do what i really want to do (i have far too much debt) and maybe i should take the opportunity while it's still in front of me...

ah - the woes of having too many options. sigh... why can't i just realise how very VERY lucky i am?

life longs to live

oh GLORY it's the end of the week
- the day is sunny and warm
- my daughter is reportedly plesaed with the notion of mama being home tomorrow
- i got a lot done this week and made more than one person happy
- i got 2 minutes of surprise visiting time on an elevator ride with a long-ago co-worker who has since moved to amsterdam
- mom says she wants to do something FUN this weekend (i have visions of planting seeds and getting dirty in my head)
- i am still in denial about financial demands
- listening to radio io 80's instead of NPR for a week has done great things for my mood (who can ever get enough DepechDuranAntandXTC - - not to mention a liberal dose of Fad Gadget!)
- i have just over one hour left in my work day and i'm having a hard time breathing from the thrill of it all
- only two more thank you cards to write out for birthday gifts already received
- i have a lead on animal rescue/rehab for the pigeon...

oh my gosh - the pigeon!!!
a few days ago my dad found a broken pigeon in our basement walkout. i had assumed, based on the way he was talking about it that it was dead. the next day i went out to have a look and be sure he had disposed of it properly and lo! it's a living broken thing, miserable wet and cold. trying to get a drink from among the slog-water, off the concrete. we (my husband and i) brought him (how does one sex a pigeon?) some food and water and when i put the "tray" of food down, the poor thing used his wings and dragged himself up off the concrete and onto the tray. i HAD to ask if i could put him in a box and move him into the garage to rehab a bit - at least until i could find someone who could help him along. he's been eating and drinking and moving around some. i did some digging today and found a couple of places - none too close to home - where they help out wild birds... i just hope a pigeon counts. if not, i have no idea what i'm going to do.

ok - so that's my day in a nutshell...

hope you have a great weekend - and keep your fingers crossed for my "flying rat" ok?

thanks!

short

5 - - number of minutes between now and the rest of the afternoon to be spent in mind-numbing meetings, both of which will require my intellectual attention and input

29 - - the number of dollars in my checking account

3 - - the number of events requiring my financial input between now and the next pay day

1 - - the number of times i've felt like complaining today - even in the face of the numbers above.

it's my best day ever.

criminal

my cousin makes puppy chow, reindeer food, bunny chow - whatever you want to call it, it's chex and chocolate and peanut butter and powdered sugar sin. i'm on week three at the same weight - some would call it a plateau... i call it having got lazy with too much good food at my finger tips, and here i am with a quater cup of bunny chow that has NOTHING to do with traditional rabbit food sitting in front of me trying to figure out how to lock up the rest so that i can get to it tomorrow but not sooner.

if you can't tell, my will power has taken a significant nose dive (unlike the weight tracker line on my weight loss spreadsheet) and i'm struggling to find a way to get it back. i have actually even considered going bathing suit shopping with my mom to see if that can get my mind back on the goal, but i have a tendency to avoid extreme aversion therapy for as long as possible in situations like this.

so this is my plan for the day. i JUST put the quarter cup of bunny chow up where i can see it, but where i will have to reach to get to it... just to remind me, physically, of what i'm doing before i absent mindedly throw another 30 calories into my mouth. (30 calories is about a half a dozen grapes - or two squares of chow). i'm not going to deny myself the treat... i'm just going to have to stretch it out. i'm going to square up my diet today by having a hearty breakfast (possibly comprised of oatmeal, or maybe some low sugar fruitloops and savor the extra milk) and a decent lunch accompanied by a large salad. then, when i get home, i will make my daughter happy by playing outside with her - which will include at least a long walk, and possibly some hippity hopping. a smart dinner (though i still don't know what it will be) and, i think tonight, an earlier than normal bed time.

it's a nice plan. i will try to stick to it.

Monday Monday

dah dah, da de da dah...

so yeah, i looked up at my wall calendar this morning and found myself thinking, holy crap, is that thing right? did it adjust to weekday savings time without my knowing it? how can April already be half over, didn't those past weeks just drag by?

ok - truth be told, i'm only mildly freaked out by the time bend, i mean, really, who can't jump on to the whole "come on spring" feeling? i just worry that by the time i blink we'll be in full-swing-summer and i'll be wondering (again) where the time went.

next week is my daughter's second birthday. sometimes i look at her and just can't believe that i have this wonderful little person living with me... and while she doesn't understand many of the key concepts that makes sharing space a little bit easier, i have to cut her some slack, because some days, neither do i. besides, she's amazing, and her way of speaking makes me laugh.

it's a good day... well, it's going to be a good day... come hell or high water - - because i want it to be.

super-peeve-moodish

it's been raining again. they tell us that we can possibly expect sunshine this afternoon, but it was deeply wet this morning on my way out to the car, all along the drive, and from the car to the office.

i spent nearly $30 to fill my tiny gas tank this morning. stupid 50 mile drive to the office.

at least i can take my (cold) comfort in the fact that half of the rest of the state doesn't have to work today, so they weren't on the road to get in my way.

i spend a lot of time trying to think about the things i can do, love to do, and would possibly be able to do to make a living that didn't involve working for someone else in a big and far away building. i haven't come up with anything concrete yet. let me know if you come up with anything.

in the meantime, i'm just going to keep clicking and mousing my fingers to the bone.

memeshine

i've been tagged for a meme. check out kimba's blog for the rules if you're keen on participating... i'm not overly a fan of anything like chain letters, but i was already sort of trying to figure out what i was going to talk about other than the (beautiful) weather.

Lightning Seeds (All I Want) is playing right now (Radio IO 80's via iTunes). I like it.

Ok - - Meme time - - 6 oddities

- - i wear mismatched socks around the house because i've given up on finding their mates and it doesn't really matter cos no one is going to see them, point, and laugh

- - i love the smell of my cat's paws (except right when he gets out of the "potty box")

- - bubble baths make me itchy - not because of the soap, but because the water seems "dirty" with all that soap in it... i can't feel clean afterward without a shower to rinse off

- - i'm ocd about my paper cash - it not only has to be faced and in denominational order, but when i have (make) the time i also order it according to serial number

- - i hate washing my hair, and i hate the way it feels when it's first clean... i like it better on day two or even three after a wash the best (it's because it's miserably dry from too much chemistry)

- - i'd rather swim in the ocean than a pool

i'm 10 points away from redeeming my coke rewards points for a christmas gift for my mom. since this is about the time of year i usually start christmas shopping, i suppose it's pretty cool to get a head start without having to spend any money.

which is a good thing. i got paid today. i have a negative balance in my checking account (after paying the bills). yes, it's that flippin' miserable. yes, i know we reap what we sow, and i should have been born allergic to plastic just to be kept safe. i'm working on it. the real painful culprit here, though, is mine and my husband's car insurance which went up 19% and 17% respectively since last year. i got some lame response when i asked my agent what was going on... needless to say, i'm pricing elsewhere.

it's beautiful outside. and my work day is officially done.

i'm heading out to enjoy the loveliness and will hopefully have time to leave more tomorrow.

grey land

the sky is amazingly grey today... i thought it might clear up some as the day wore on, but not so much.

i wish i could be at home reading and having tea and curling up with my cat.

but i have work to do... i just mostly wanted to check in.

sproing

warm and sunny again... although - -
we're supposed to have thunderstorms tonight and possibly tomorrow too.

don't get me wrong, i have NOTHING against thunderstorms, i actually quite like them, but the thing is, i also like sunny days... and we've just started having them... at least just started having days that are sunny and warm (enough to be outside). and besides, i think the basement just stopped leaking enough to work on it, and lo! more rain.

but i'm not going to complain.

it's spring and the flowers are budding (as are the trees) and i got to spend the better part of two hours outside on the front porch in the sun with my daughter yesterday just soaking up the vitamin d and UV rays (which are known to kill bacteria) and just all in all enjoying the great outdoors.

and now i'm heading out to lunch... to which i will drive with my moon roof open and my best set of happy smile on my face.

opening day - woo hoo

i don't really like baseball, but there's something about the air on opening day... maybe it's just that there are so many people who are taking time off work that there's more air to breathe.

it's supposed to be beautiful today. maybe i'll take my computer out on the front porch, lock up the baby gate, and get some work done outside today. i'm going to be busy this evening, even though i'm not officially working from home, i have a lot to do, and it will just outright suit me a lot better to be doing it than putting it off.

i think they just turned on the air conditioning at my office... either that or the mother ship has just arrived to take us away. the whole building is humming like anything... it's sort of oogie.

i've only just recently realised how much i really enjoy a good salad (as opposed to a few leaves of hacked up iceberg and some carrot shreds). good healthy mixed greens (or as Q says, weeds), some chunks of carrot, celery, beet, radish, pea pods - - or even peas themselves - - and some peppers - bell or otherwise, just really get me going. i find myself thinking about adding things like fennel and jicima and there's always the spectre of fresh fruit as well, and my taste buds sort of light up. it's weird, is all... mostly just weird that i never noticed.

i'm suffering a very ramblesome brain today. i think it's possibly the promise of spring actually sprining and maybe even that in combination with the relative lack of structure my life has had over the past few (sick) weeks. timing and schedule have seemed very arbitrary lately, so everything else has sort of followed suit. it's not horrible... but it is somewhat unnerving.

sigh... i don't think i really have anything substantive to add

end of grouse

i'm not going to complain about my health anymore. i'll just let you all know when i'm feeling better. but before i'm entirely done on the subject of my snout and other ailing parts, let me just let you know that the ONE really cool thing that has come of my illness is that i can now sing along with Peter Murphy (both Bauhaus and beyond) and NOT feel like our voices don't match for crap... as a matter of fact, if i knew someone who was working on a P. M. cover CD, i might even be able to volunteer for a few voice overs... isn't that just the kickiest!?!

i've made the decision - again - just over a year later - that i want my hair cut again. i've realised that when i let it get long, all i do is leave it in a pony tail - ALL THE TIME - and never do anything that makes it look like I actually have hair. the flip side of this is that when it's short i often wear it in a headband or bandana, so there's not a lot of real difference in what i actually do with it, but i do know that when it's shorter, i have a tendency to want to have more fun with it. besides with summer coming (purportedly) it will be nice to have it shorter and more out of the way/off my neck.

baby and mom are taking a nap. hubby and dad are at work. i'm all alone again. i'm thinking of putting together easter baskets while no one is in the position of being able to interrupt me. i'm also thinking of scooping up the cat (also sleeping) and having a good ol' cuddle while i read some more of my book. ah the woes of decisions, no?

i'm also considering the pros of flipping over and continuing my zen-game of chuzzle.

have a great thursday y'all

sinus wave

ugh.
it's been over a month now. i've even gone through the crap of seeing the doctor and getting prescriptions. i just want to feel SOMETHING better than 70% healthy for more than a week.
and when the hell is the sun going to start doing its thing and brighten/warm my days already???

irate.

ok, pissy even.

and what did i do in my haze of illness? i agreed to take on some additional responsibilities at my office. i'm sure a big part of it was the promise of two additional vacation days (probably because i'll need them), but mostly i'm sure it's because my faculties are compromised by an overabundance of slime in my brain.

you'll understand, now, i'm sure, why i haven't been posting more regularly.