Lucky

Who was it who invented the term 'first world problem'? I admire their clarity, vision and perspective. The last few weeks have been incredibly stressful to me, work issues mainly, responsibilities, things that have to be negotiated for other people's benefit, in the workplace. I know it's nothing compared to the living misery of most people and other creatures for that matter all around the world every moment. In fact, in most cases I can rationalise that I'm not making terrible decisions - just taking too long to make them. Which is probably just being cautious. It's worrying though that I keep waking up with a start sometime just before 5 am. Except this morning, when I woke up with the alarm and Bela meowing to have his breakfast, which he often does. If he's the cat who threw up on the doorstep yesterday that probz explains his hunger. Last night was a late one as I was moderator at a marvellously curated film night at the Boyd House where four excellent films (one from Oslo Davis, two explorations of Aust modernist architecture from Traces Films and the classic 1954 Your House and Mine from Peter McIntyre) were shown and the films' directors spoke about each one. Then Mia and I went to Noodle Kingdom and got huge plates of food. Noodle Kingdom is good. It is such a chain that there are two round the corner from each other Russell St - Bourke St. I liked the mixed tofu/vegetables I had because it had celery - classic old fashioned Chinese Australian food ingredient - but also some very good fungi. We didn't get back till 12:20 though and I was up at 6 to restock the vomiter. Two more days till I go to Finland. That's a metaphor - look it up.

in the long term, not great

She has been diagnosed with lymphoma - well, 'diagnosed' is perhaps not entirely the right word. Let's say they're pretty sure that's what it is. We had a choice between chemo and steroids and chose steroids as the least worst of the choices. She has responded really well to the initial pills (the whites) and is about to go onto the daily blues, whatever they are. She has been happier in the last week than the whole previous month. So, that's apparently a positive. The chemo was almost certain to be more life extending but who wants to make a highly-strung, nervous little dog spend days in a clinic at the end of an IV drip? Either way it's apparently incurable.

update on charlie's health

... it's not looking good, she has an intestinal growth of some sort. But it could be lymphoma. Or it could be some other kind of inflammation. We'll know in a day or two.

Charlie's health

Charlie's health hasn't been great over the last month. At the end of March she was limping a bit, which meant a trip to the vet who suggested an inflammation, but it wasn't clear where. Since then, mainly because she has such reduced appetite, she's had blood tests and fluid taken from her spine (this last has meant a crazy shaved patch on the back of her head so she looks kind of like she has a pageboy). She has a high white blood cell count, which suggests she's fighting an infection (or cancer, but who wants to think about that) but still, the major problems are lack of appetite and probably some surreptitious vomiting (we're not sure how much of this is going on, however). She has lost quite a bit of weight as a result.

That said, she'll still happily go for walks, etc. This afternoon, she was very keen to walk (even doing her old trick of opening the back door with her paw) and then once we were in the park, rolled herself totally in shit so she was not just coated, she was armoured in it. I had to wipe her with newspaper, then sponge her with warm water, then douse her with water in the back garden, then wash her in the bath, then dry her and wash myself. She was really happy about her bath, as well (though in truth she probably would have been happier to be allowed to smell faecal longer).

Our vet, who is usually good, doesn't know what's wrong with her, and this afternoon I called another vet surgery who said if I was worried I should bring her in but reading between the lines from their point of view the real worry was that she might become dehydrated. But she is drinking a lot of water.

She's 9 years old, which is fairly old, but she's always been pretty hearty up till now, so I'm feeling positive.

(This is Charlie a few days ago. I have another picture of her happily covered with faeces and leaf pieces, but I thought that was a bit too special). 

Update 2:46 AM the next day: Charlie ate her dinner with gusto, and did not vomit. She might be turning a corner. She is sleeping on the couch next to me as I type this and we are watching Rage. 

2013 - the year so far

your feedback is important to me

or, Why I moderate comments these days:

Some were practical, of course, but others were psychological and emotional. Anna had been looking through my phone while I was naked. Her father, Bruce Paltrow, produced the critically acclaimed TV series that is considered the precursor to many medical shows today, St. Also visit my page: free pub quiz answers...

Upon returning to the starting line, the first player must pass the sugar cube to the next teammate in line and so on. I've played Nancy Drew for years and even her saccharine personality is more 3D than Lindsay or 'Linds') as she calls herself. Now, one of my co-workers was applying to the Secret Service and I knew that I was down as a reference for her. Also visit my webpage lowes...

By dividing up the party at several peoples houses you make it easy on yourself. I've played Nancy Drew for years and even her saccharine personality is more 3D than Lindsay or 'Linds') as she calls herself. You Divide everyone at the party into two groups, or tribes. Feel free to surf to my webpage ::

It is through the use of this medium that they wish to make in roads in the communications market. As a matter of fact, there are some news stories that have made such a strong impact on the society that some of them have even won accolades. Several news reports, writers, and analysts play a crucial role in the development of global news undoubtedly. Sometimes local PR can attract better business for you than an article in Indian media. Until I was five I lived with my mother's younger sister Dorothy and my grandmother, who told me before she died that my mother had received letters from my father for some years after bringing me to New York. Here is my homepage... 

This post presents clear idea designed for the new people of blogging, that in fact how to do blogging. Visit my web blog ...

Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't appear. Grrrr... well I'm not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog! Also visit my blog ...

I am not philippines but i'm a good commenter

This website was... how do I say it? Relevant! ! Finally I have found something that helped me. Thanks a lot! Feel free to visit my web page...

apparently not every parent, making it a directive to avert obvious bulkiness where tail coat are tucked. You'll hold extra hard cash on these takes any hopes of retaking the Senate to pass by laws � to compel. 46-inch touch screen adorning the new knowledge they pauperism to potty discipline your minor for using their custody afterwards. Luckily for us right after his mom and shaver end up apologizing to but departure to maintain to accomplish potty training as ofttimes. potty training is not a plaything. mental picture Mamma standing and urinating on Bid

You still have to expert all of those other guitar chords so as to engage in very easy popular music. So you want to learn how to play the piano. These hail every little thing played getting rid of barely the sophisticated keys, so you ought to keep effective toward crush extra listed below barely a limited area of time.

I loved as much as you'll receive carried out right here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this increase.

I believe what you published made a lot of sense. However, consider this, what if you were to write a killer headline? I am not suggesting your information isn't solid, however what if you added a post title to possibly get folk's attention? I mean "wefwections" is kinda boring. You should glance at Yahoo's front page and see how they create article headlines to grab people to click. You might try adding a video or a pic or two to grab readers excited about what you've got to say. Just my opinion, it would make your blog a little livelier. Look into my site ... 

amusements

This kind of thing seems to represent a low ebb in Australian cinemas... I don't know why I thought that, because the more I look at it the more amazing it seems. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie is the only  just one of the really interesting films here (in terms of its context, and the way it's promoted) though it is most unusual to consider what the promotion of an Andy Warhol film in a mainstream cinema might mean. Although I should not make pronouncements on Family Life* which I've never heard of and it's surprising to think it lasted 6 months at the Rivoli Twin 2, but that's nothing compared to Bedroom Mazurka's extraordinary success. And look at the late shows.

So I guess essentially the Village Cinemas are finding most profit in either porn or films that some can take for porn, and in the case of Barry McKenzie, bawdy satire.  They should have a 40th anniversary of 1973 day at Village, and rerun all these films for one day only at whatever of the cinemas still exist... except I just looked through them again and almost none of them do... where the hell was the Albany?!**

This is interesting in context of the above.

* It's either this or this (probably more likely the second one, a Ken Loach film).
**220 Collins Street, apparently, but I still don't remember it at all.