Archive for August 2008
Changed the way I list layout credits
August 17, 2008 | 
Author I changed things up a bit. I wasn’t posting credits right away because it took me a while to search for the links to the kits…esp if they were freebies.
So, I’m going to just list the name of the designers and/or the store they come from…I’ll also add the name of the kit if I know it.
If you’d like a link for the sites, please leave me a comment with your email address. I won’t publish it, or will edit the address out…and I’ll email you the link or post a reply comment.
I want to give credit, but right now I’m not organized enough to have the links handy.
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We’re Too Young For This!!!
I had to go to the pharmacy to get my husband and my scripts. He had 6 for me to pick up, plus his Lovenox shots and I had my two. It was 66.00. Good Lord! I know we’re lucky too, because we have fairly low copays for our scripts…but still. We’re in our early to mid 30′s and we’re spending over 60 dollars on prescriptions?
This is not counting the pain meds my husband is on, or the 1500mg of calcium he takes everyday or the aspirin he takes or even the iron and multivitamin.
There are plenty of people with his disease who have to take more medications than he does, so we are thankful that he’s only on what he’s on and I know it’s what’s keeping him alive and relatively clot-free, but still I didn’t think that I’d be sorting out my husband’s medications at this age.
He keeps forgetting to take his morning shot too…sometimes he forgets both the morning and night ones. Which then leaves him at risk for a clot…which usually shows up in the form of a TIA or mini stroke.
This disease is no joke. People don’t understand and they don’t get that he looks perfectly fine…maybe a little tired, but he’s really sick and it’s life threatening. And it’s also not going away, won’t get better and we don’t know if it’s hereditary.
I’m running out of things to say when people ask why we haven’t or when we’re going to have kids. I want kids. I really do, but I’m so afraid of passing this mess on to a child. What this disease does to babies and little kids is just horrible. I don’t want to risk that.
When I tell people that they look at me like I just landed from Mars. What part of babies having strokes scares the shit out of me don’t people understand? I can only handle one sick person in my life and my husband’s mind and memory are so bad that I don’t think I could even trust him to care for a child alone.
I haven’t put the idea out of my head completely. But right this moment, this is where we stand on the issue. I wish people understood my fears and the risks and would just mind their own business about it. We may change our minds later down the line. We still have some time. Who knows what the future holds.
So today I spent 66.00 at CVS and then spent 45 minutes getting the pills and shots ready for the week. Hopefully the new system will help him remember his shots. If nothing else, I will keep track of them myself and know exactly how many he’s doing in a week.
And maybe, just maybe, now that he’s back on all of his meds…he’ll start feeling a little better.
The Hubs’ Man Crush and other Randomness
My husband has a huge man crush on Dale Earnhardt Jr…good ole, #88. It’s his newest obsession. We must have all things with Amp, 88, or DEJ as I call him on it! And we need to get little toy cars, hats, shirts, jackets, bbq covers, license plates…etc!!! Good Lord!! I think he’s more in love with this guy than he is me! heh… Geez, I hope not anyways. lol
Credits:
hehe…he may not be too happy with me when he sees that!! oh well…it’s SO true. He has a total man crush on DEJ.
On a similar note…today was the Woodward Dream Cruise. Basically, it’s a HUGE classic car show on a road and it stretches for miles and miles. Cars go “crusin” and there are about a million people there. If you are into that thing you will know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re not…well it basically looks like this:
I took this photo last year on Friday, but it’s the same on Saturday. Anyway…my Dad and any “real” car guy spends just about the whole week on Woodward with their cars. My dad got interviewed by the local newspaper on Tuesday!!
This got long fast…drank an amp tonight (part of the man crush is keeping amp in the house heh) and omg…never again. I’m all hopped up on the caffiene!!! haha
I should add picture credits for this post: Dale Earnhardt Caricature & Pict of my Dad and Elijah
Sunday’s Insecurities and Dreamweaver Woes
I really try to be who I am and be proud of that and everything – not worry about what people think about me because they don’t matter. I try to be that way – always.
Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes I feel like a little girl who’s so unsure of anything in this world and generally it’s due to dumb dumb things.
Like today, my husband went for a walk in the early afternoon. He went alone and didn’t ask me to come or didn’t take a dog with him. He said he was going to go walk around the park we used to live by a couple times and then come home. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, right?
Well my husband and I have been together for a LONG time and a lot has happened. There have been betrayals and lies told and all has been forgiven…but never forgotten. So when these oddities come up out of no where…like a walk out of the blue…I start to get all paranoid like he’s lying to me and doing something behind my back or he’s leaving to go talk to someone.
Do I really think these things are going on? Of course not. But I cannot keep these feelings from cropping up when incidents like this happen! I wish I could.
And yeah, I know that it’s odd behavior and I should trust my gut and all of that…but I also know that if something is going on, I WILL find out sooner or later. Plus, i’m the type of gal who has always said…”if you don’t want to be with me then there’s the door.” I’d rather be alone than with someone who doesn’t want to also be with me.
So, I asked what was up when he got home and he said nothing. I hope he’s telling the truth. I trust him about 99%…but there’s still the lies from years ago that linger in my head.
Ahh well, all will reveal itself if there is something going on. It always does!
On to Dreamweaver. I love computers and everything, but when it comes to html, unfortunately, I am a hack and don’t know enough html to not use a WYSIWYG website editor.
So I have used Microsoft Frontpage for years! Everything worked well with a few little snags here and there, but I’ve always been able to get around them.
For some reason Frontpage stopped working for the APSFA webmaster stuff that I do. I don’t understand why either. I think it may have something to do with my new firewall but even when I disabled it, FP still would not work.
So I’ve been trying other WYSIWYG programs. I tried an Adobe program called “Contribute” which worked for a couple pages, but I couldn’t get to the html to edit it. I didn’t really play with that program for too long to look for it either. I kind of knew once I used it a couple times that it wasn’t really what I was looking for.
Dreamweaver is closer to what I need. I got it to upload, but now I’m having a problem with one of my pages. I cannot see anything in the WYSIWYG part, but the html is all there. I need to figure out what is making me not see it. I’ve been playing with it for hours, with no avail.
That’s been my Sunday so far…oh that and the dishes. YUCK…I seriously hate doing dishes so they always wait until we have so many and they are SO nasty…it’s dumb, but I just hate doing them.
No layouts today unless I need a break from Dreamweaver – which I may later on…I’m stumped.
Stormy Saturday
It’s a yuck day today…big thunderstorms rolling through. And our internet is messed up. I guess the cable company is having internet issues in all of Michigan and they couldn’t give me an estimated time it would be fixed. It’s so stupid too, because I can’t get on any blogger pagers but my own, and I can get on MySpace but not into the support forum for my husband’s disease. I don’t get it. I’m sure they will get it going soon.
So…since I can’t do my webmaster duties for the APSFA, and I’m totally avoiding cleaning the nasty kitchen, I’ve been working on some layouts.
On the Scrapmatters blog, they have “Template Tuesdays” and they were talking about nicknames and posted a template freebie. I couldn’t wait to use that and what a cool idea because all of our animals go by their nicknames more than they do their real names!
I did Malcolm aka “Mooshy’s” for the template challenge:
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Papers & Elements by Thao Cosgrove @ Scrap Girls
Then I did Alex aka “Fanna’s” next:
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Papers & Elements from ABC Run kit by Digitreats or add on kits by various
And then I made Onyx aka “Missy Girl’s”:
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Papers & Elements by Kay Miller Designs
Here is Razzle aka “Yidda’s” page:
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Papers & Elemets from Felty Cat & Dog kits by Calico Designs
Alpha by Misschifis @ scrapmatters
Kitty tag by Major Tigger Scraps
Here’s Topaz aka “Puppa’s” page:
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Papers & Elements by Kay Miller Designs
And finally, here’s Jellybean aka “Beans” page. I wanted to make her page all girly because she is SUCH a little prissy girl. I am convinced all girl cats are this way because of her. haha
Credits:Template by Sya @ scrapmatters
Most Paper & Elements by Jessica Edwards (glitter also)
I tried to use different pictures in these layouts because I know that I’ve been using some of the same ones over and over. You’d think with over 5 gigs of pictures on my husband and my’s picture site, I could find some different pictures to use! lol But I have my favorites!
So basically I spent the day digiscrapping! lol…actually, I did a few other things…but mainly I scrapped. It relaxes me.
I need to look up the credits for all of these and then post them. I also need to go back and post credits for the other ones that are missing them. I’ll work on that.
Untitled
I don’t know if anyone out there is reading this or not. I’d like to think that someone is! I keep getting hits, but it’s mostly my pet entries…which is just fine.
With those entries, I’m trying to educate the masses on pet foods and help people make educated choices. The food recalls lately have been pretty scary. And yeah, I know that in the past dogs and cats were fed dog/cat chow for x amount of years and they lived a good happy life. I think times have changed and I really think that the ingredients going into the foods are different than they used to be. I could go on and on…so I’ll get down off the soapbox. 
On a similar note though…and then I swear I’m done…I ran across this article when I was reading my blogs tonight: Pet Dogs Can ‘Catch’ Human Yawns
And a blurb:
Yawning is known to be contagious in humans but now scientists have shown that pet dogs can catch a yawn, too.
The copying activity suggests that canines are capable of empathising with people, say the researchers who recorded dogs’ behaviour in lab tests.
Until now, only humans and their close primate relatives were thought to find yawning contagious.
The team – from Birbeck College, University of London – reports its findings in Biology Letters.
Yawning, although sometimes a response to extreme stress, is more often a sign of tiredness; but the reason for why yawning is catching is not fully understood.
Isn’t that interesting??!
I still haven’t had time to get into making a scrappy page. Maybe tomorrow night. I came home from work tonight and the hubbs was sleeping on the couch. I didn’t want to wake him because he’s usually a donkey when I do that, so I just went to lay down with the dogs. I fell asleep and woke up at 7:00pm! Whoops! I quickly fed the animals and then started my online routine.
I had a nice little email saying I got 3.00 in my paypal account from a survey company I do surveys for…woo hoo!!! and so with that burning a hole in my account, I went scrappy kit shopping. I got these two from Digitreats.
I have been really into these kits. I love the bright colors in the JUMP kit, and the SKIP kit has nice soft girly colors. I got the ‘G’ kit because I love the frame and it has the Grandparents paper. And I got the felt kit because I like the idea of having a notebook. I can’t wait to use them, I just need to get some inspiration. I should browse the net and see other people’s layouts and see if it doesn’t spark some ideas.
I need to get going here for the night…gotta make something for lunch and give the puppa his pills. He’s gone 99 days seizure free!! I’ll have to make him a little graphic tomorrow!
Paranormal State
For whatever reason these two episodes of Paranormal State are really creeping me out tonight. I’m usually ok…a little freaked, but I’m almost physically scared with these two…not sure why. The 2nd one just began too…got another 20 minutes to go on it yet!
It also may be because there’s some dam fly flying all around my head and you you my house is overrun by cats and they are always active this time of night!!
I just hope this creepy feeling goes away when I go to bed or I will not be able to sleep!
I haven’t had time to make any scrappy pages, but I’ve downloaded tons and tons of freebies lately!! Digiscrapping artists are awesome for offering so many freebies!
Rawhide-Danger In Disguise (article)
I found this great article on Rawhide bones for dogs on the CupOFdog blog.
We used to give our dogs rawhide, but since going raw they only get marrow bones or dried trachea to chew on.
Here’s a little snippet of the article:
Rawhide, that chewy treat available in almost all pet stores (and some grocery stores, I have noticed) is a hotly debated dog treat, one of the most common treats in the pet industry. Is it safe? What are the issues? Let’s explore.
How Rawhide is Made
Rawhide is the dried out raw hide of an animal. Rawhide chews are usually made from bulls, pigs, cows and sometimes horses. The hides are obtained from slaughterhouses, as they are a by-product, un-edible for humans. The hide is scraped of all meat, hair and fat. Originally, Native Americans used rawhide as a material in cabin and boat construction becauseSkinning a Pig of its extreme durability.
Here’s the link to the whole article: http://www.cupofdog.com/2008/08/05/rawhide-danger-in-disguise/ I think the article is worth a read.
Rawhide can be dangerous. Be careful and if you chose to give it to your pooch(es) please don’t do so unsupervised.
Here’s a link to some alternatives to rawhide for chewing: http://www.k9rawdiet.com/Treats-for-Chewing-c-5.html
Rachael Ray’s Dog Food
This was posted on a forum online. Here’s the link: http://forums.dogfoodproject.com/
After “Lassie Natural Way Dog Food” and Disney-endorsed “Old Yeller“, here’s the next product that attempts to ride on nothing but a famous name:
Rachael comments:
Look, we all want the best for our furry family members. And that’s exactly why I worked with experts in pet nutrition to create Rachael Ray Nutrish. My Isaboo loves food and treats made with simple, natural ingredients. So, what are you waiting for? Take a look around. See just how good these foods are and learn a little more about my pet charity, Rachael’s Rescue.
Let’s have a look at the ingredient list of these “simple, natural” foods:
Rachael Ray Nutrish Beef and Brown Rice
Beef, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Iron Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid
This “beef” formula actually contains more chicken than beef, more corn and soy than rice, a larger proportion of grain and soy ingredients than meat ingredients, generic animal fat, corn gluten meal as a cheap protein booster, and more salt than dried peas, tomatoes or carrots.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken and Veggies
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Oxide, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid
Again, the major part of this food consists of grain and soy, we also see the generic animal fat, corn gluten meal as a cheap protein booster, and more salt than the touted “veggies”.
These “delish” creations are brought to you by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, part of Dad’s Pet Care, a major sponsor of the “Dogster” community, which also makes a number of other, poor quality lines of pet food.
As a reminder, here’s a list of ingredients to avoid – these are not present in quality products!
