Great Big World Out There

sick like dog and tired as hell

Rules are simple: Xs next to movies you've seen, and if you've seen more than 85, you apparently have no life.


( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 5

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving -MAS
( ) Flubber (original only)
Total so far: 6

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 10

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(x) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans -- who doesn't love a GOOD sports movie???
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 14

() Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremacy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled (original only)
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 17

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 21

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways \
( ) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 30

(x) X-Men -- I *heart* Patrick Stewart
(x) X2
( ) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid .
( ) Freaky Friday (original only)
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions -- surprisingly mesmerizing
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 40

( ) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(x) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Kippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
Total so far: 44

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring -- who doesn't love Lord of the Rings????
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 50

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History
( ) Three
Total so Far: 51

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 53

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
(x) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 56

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 56

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 63

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police -- this movie is freakin' awesome. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal
Total so far: 68

( ) Battle Royale
( ) Battle Royale 2
( ) Brazil
(x) Contact
( ) Cube
(x) Dr. Strangelove
( ) Enlightenment Guaranteed
( ) Four Rooms
(x) Memento
( ) Pi
( ) Requiem for a Dream
(x) Pulp Fiction
( ) Reservoir Dogs
( ) Run Lola Run
( ) Russian Ark
( ) Serenity
( ) Sin City
( ) Snatch
( ) Spider
(x) The Sixth Sense -- I found this movie surprisingly funny. I enjoyed.
( ) The Village
( ) Waking Life
( ) Zatoichi
( ) Ikiru
( ) The Seven Samurai
( ) Brick
( ) Akira
Total so far: 73

end of the year

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
- Traveled to Australia
- Paid for a first class ticket to Australia
- Viewed active volcanoes

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't recall making any, I should check.  Other than the writing every day thing, which actually turned out quite well - I've nearly managed it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
United States, Mexico and Australia.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
MSc. Done.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- August 20, my nephew's birthdate.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I did not quit my degree.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I did not finish my degree.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Back, neck, the odd cold or flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A groovy photo from Sydney, framed on my wall for $500.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My dog.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
They who must not be named.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel, travel, and more travel.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Australia.
- finishing my degree.
- my doggie will be ok after handing buckets of cash to the veterinary orthopedist.
- Cheese.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
12 days of australia

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
happier, fat.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
- travel.
- resting.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
- Frittering time away on the Internet
- working

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
At home.  It was lovely.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No.

22. How many one-night stands?
eww, none.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
I am drawing a complete blank.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

25. What was the best book you read?
Outlander, Diana Gabaldon

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Colbie Caillat

27. What did you want and get?
A new tv.

28. What did you want and not get?
A house.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Enchanted

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 34, and I cannot recall what I did.  I think I might have worked late to finish a final report.  My work ethic, it is alive and well.  Esp. when prodded by deadlines.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A finished degree.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
It fits, so I wear it.

33. What kept you sane?
Family.

34. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Keifer Sutherland, I suppose.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The coalition debacle.  I was a country away, but still disgusted with the shenanigans OF ALL CONCERNED.  I missed the beginning of the incident, so I didn't get why everyone was so pissed at Harper for trying to reduce expenses.  Then I learned the facts and was properly disgusted with Harper.

36. Who did you miss?
My brain.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
My parents entertaining friends in California.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
If it looks like a jerk, talks like a jerk and acts like a jerk, don't be surprised when the jerk adds in asshole.  These things go together.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Umm, lame.  So no.

off to Calgary

My poor doggie needs extra help to recover, if she can in fact recover from her injuries.  Poor, poor doggie.

Anyway, there is a place in Edmonton that specializes in orthopedic issues, but they aren't open til Monday.  I'm not letting my doggie wait that long, so we're off to Calgary where the clinic there will squeeze us in since we're travelling from Edmonton for a consultation.

We have a room and with any luck we'll get there in time to watch the end of the hockey game. 

poor doggie

So, the doggie has a dislocated elbow (I suspected as much).  They were able to reduce the joint and it appears to be in decent shape - one of her collateral ligaments appears to be damaged but apparently with rest that should be ok.

She is, to quote my vet, 'rather beat up.'  Poor thing.  I would love to keep her in the house to keep a closer eye on her, which would have worked with just the pelvic problem, but she can't do stairs with the elbow dislocation. We had kind of already decided on the shop for her rest period, but it's definite with the latest development.  I petted her goodbye this morning and was prepared for a call from the vet saying it would be best to end suffering. 

The prognosis isn't dire, but she needs lots of TLC.  My poor doggie.  If she has a decent chance of recovery with some close attention from us, I am willing to do it.

I am a little afraid of the vet bill, last night's visit was over $300 with an xray and they had to do a couple to be sure the elbow joint was back in place. Plus all the kennel fees and so on.  It was too late to bring her home tonight, so she spent the night in hospital. 

You know, she's done something like this every couple winters for the past several years.  One year it was an emergency run after a nasty kick from a cow on Christmas eve.  That time I got her to the vet within 30 minutes of the accident and the vet was absolutely thrilled - the damage was basically a shearing off of the skin in a big flap on her leg, so he could stitch up the area easily, which isn't always the case because people often wait or don't see the injury or what have you. 

Then the TPLO 3 years ago, and the jet-setting ways of my dog began.  She's such a good dog.  Gentle, funny and good company.  I am pleased, as are the rest of the family, that she's got a chance of recovering.  I've got her bed all set up outside, I will have to get another cinch of some kind for supporting her hind legs.  I think I got rid of the last one - I should have known we'd need it.

&&&

We had a little party for Anna tonight.  Opened presents and ate cake.  Watched the hockey game (flames won).  I did some stats again today, I am paralyzed with them at the moment because I am adjusting my model in such a way that I want some advice from my committee before I go too far down a road I cannot defend.  Perhaps I could write up the analysis both ways; submit both versions to them and see what they say.  I can't get in contact with most of them since they are off at Christmas (I could be as well but I chose to keep working) so that could be my best option.  It would make for an interesting comparison - the differences in interpretation resulting from the structure of the model, your random terms, and so on. 

I won't even start talking about principle component or factor analysis.  I have a hell of a hard time wrapping my brain around those statistical techniques - even when I google principle c0mponent analysis for dummies the results are above my head.  If only I hadn't so promptly forgotten my matrix algebra; perhaps I wouldn't feel quite so dumb. 

my poor doggie

My dad was out with the dog tonight, she was chasing the calves around, as she loves to do.

She got kicked and the vet tells me she has a broken pelvis.  Should recover in 4-6 weeks with total cage rest.  Whoo, cage rest again. I can deal with cage rest. Except. As we were putting the dog back in the car, I thought her front leg looked a little odd.  I didn't think much more of it once she kind of pulled in back underneath.

When I got the dog home, my dad helped me move her into a kennel out in the heated shop - last time she was on cage rest we had to keep her in the house because she had no fur on her leg and couldn't handle the cooler temps out there.  This time she's all furry and should be fine.

Except for that front leg.  My dad thinks it looks broken, I think it is dislocated but we're both rather dismal about my poor doggie's chances.  Dad will take her back to the vet in the morning and with luck, we'll get good news. 

I don't want to put my doggie down, but I won't let her suffer either.  I'm kind of glad my dad will take her in to the vet again tomorrow morning, I'm totally on the side of 'do whatever, I want my puppy alive!' when it isn't always reasonable.  My dad has a more practical view of things.

We all love this dog, so no matter what, this whole situation sucks.  I've got her all set up on a heated mat out in the shop, she's got food and water within reach and we'll see what happens.  I hope it is just dislocated and she'll be ok. 

I hope. 

because I am tired and sick

Things I've done in bold, things I want to do in italics.  seen so many places...

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped - with my bad luck at daredevil stunts, this is a no-go
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (off the Australian coast)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar - (in Copenhagen)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

happy new tv to me

I am a big fan of my new tv.  Love the lovely high definition hockey game that we seem to be winning. 

Lovely family dinner today, lovely indeed.  Am so tired now I cannot stand, so I laze about in my bed watching random programs in high definition.  I am told this prediliction will pass, but at the moment I am mesmerized by the sight of scholarly tomes in the crispest of relief.

I am so tired, I must go to sleep.

merry merry merry

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter that I forgot to cook my potatoes.  It doesn't matter that the house was still kind of a mess. 

That Sarah screamed until I laid down with her so she could sleep doesn't matter.

The lovely gifts I received don't matter.

We had a lovely day today, all my family.  That's my kind of Christmas.

holidays

I am ready to crack out the Christmas movies and dance about readying myself for Christmas.  I have a veritable shitload of gifts to wrap - so many that I had to buy more stinking wrapping paper.

I had several stops to make this morning. 

Liquor store for wine - check
hangers at crappy tire - check
recycling depot - check
bank - check
bread and milk - check
fruit basket for my cousins to give my grandma, they cannot pick it up as they are stuck in Las Vegas - check
gift certificate for high speed internet for my sister and brother-in-law - check
generally good Christmas cheer - check

I am home before noon and I must say, the stores were not that crazy.  Happy day!  I needs must plug in a remote control toy for my brother so it can charge and I can then wrap it, but otherwise I am doing quite well.  I've got the rugs in the washer, enough hangers to hang everything I couldn't hang last night and the Christmas tree is playing on my tv.  I made fun of the Christmas tree channel when I first saw it, but it has grown on me.  Pretty music and a nice tree.  How can you beat that?  Perhaps the fireplace channel for some.  I'm a tree person myself.

With that, I must dash off and dance about readying myself for Christmas.  Happy Christmas to all.

much money spent today. I got a new star choice HD receiver, got it home, plugged it in, would not turn on.  Gaah.  So back to the store and much suckage avoided because I went after 9.  It wasn't that busy. 

I am tired, my house is a mess, I cleaned the floor only to have someone dump their muddy boots upon it, I still have shopping to do, I am tired. I must still wrap.  I must lose my mind and then find it once more.

I have nhl centre ice once more, it was a deal and I like deals.

I've been cleaning for days with no visible effect.  This tires me even more.  i give up.