(no subject)
Dec. 26th, 2020 12:23 amMy old dog, Lady, is 16, at least. We got her in 2005 or 2006, and she was already at least a couple years old, and had been used in a puppy mill, probably.
Last year around this time, I nagged my dad to get her to the vet, because she had very bad skin and kept on scratched to the point she was howling. We figured it was because the next door neighbour was renovating, and we noticed she howled less when she was in the back of the house. We also got her some wet dog food and some supplements for her arthritis. Also, because she's older and has a weaker immune system, the regular microscopic flora and fauna on her skin has been going out of control, which resulted in the irritated skin.
This year it's been a see-saw of good and bad health, and as my dad goes back to being the cheapskate he is, buying only dry dog food and not the medicated wet food, she's become even more arthritic.
She's figured out that when she wants to be taken out, she can howl and one of us (i.e. ME) will come down to take her for a walk so she can pee, though we have to do it in time or else she'll pee in the driveway or on the road, rather than on the grass. She has trouble getting up because the tiles on the driveway are very slippery, and when she gets back, she usually just.... sliiiiiides down... on her front paws, as if she's given up on life.
When we took her to the vet last week the vet said that aside from muscle atrophy on one side (because she keeps sleeping on one side), some old-age arthritis, and a heart murmur, she seems to be mostly healthy. She gave us some painkillers and some glucosamine, and told us to try not to surprise the dog so much. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't like being touched, and if she doesn't see us coming, she jerks up in surprise. Since she's also deaf as a post now, we can't exactly call out to her to let her know we're coming.
This week I noticed with a bit of alarm that at one point while walking home, she began to hunch over, like instead of walking straight up, she was at half height with her shoulders down, looking a bit like a house gecko. I thought she found a comfy spot on the grass and let her lay down for a bit.
Today, the same thing happened, but on the road. I had been hoping to do our usual route of going down the road and back, but she could barely handle 20 meters before she just started plodding SO SLOWLY I was like "ok fine we'll go home." A few meters from the front gate she began that weird gecko walk again, and this time I stopped completely to pet her and she just slumped to the ground. I pet her for a bit, and let her lay down for a moment, and then eventually she got back up to make it back to the front gate.
There's a bamboo frame chair in my room, part of a set that's been in my family for decades that my mother refuses to give up for reasons (it's still good, it's been with us so long, of course we have space who cares if it's crowded, why won't you use it, etc). There's a shallow cushion on it, and it's not as soft as I'd like it to be, but I pulled it out and wrapped it in some leftover flannel from a bedsheet I've been using for sampling. My dog sleeps under a bench on the front porch, and I've managed to stuff the cushion under the bench and put her on it. We'll see how much she likes it. I hope she likes it and it makes her more comfortable!
Last year around this time, I nagged my dad to get her to the vet, because she had very bad skin and kept on scratched to the point she was howling. We figured it was because the next door neighbour was renovating, and we noticed she howled less when she was in the back of the house. We also got her some wet dog food and some supplements for her arthritis. Also, because she's older and has a weaker immune system, the regular microscopic flora and fauna on her skin has been going out of control, which resulted in the irritated skin.
This year it's been a see-saw of good and bad health, and as my dad goes back to being the cheapskate he is, buying only dry dog food and not the medicated wet food, she's become even more arthritic.
She's figured out that when she wants to be taken out, she can howl and one of us (i.e. ME) will come down to take her for a walk so she can pee, though we have to do it in time or else she'll pee in the driveway or on the road, rather than on the grass. She has trouble getting up because the tiles on the driveway are very slippery, and when she gets back, she usually just.... sliiiiiides down... on her front paws, as if she's given up on life.
When we took her to the vet last week the vet said that aside from muscle atrophy on one side (because she keeps sleeping on one side), some old-age arthritis, and a heart murmur, she seems to be mostly healthy. She gave us some painkillers and some glucosamine, and told us to try not to surprise the dog so much. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't like being touched, and if she doesn't see us coming, she jerks up in surprise. Since she's also deaf as a post now, we can't exactly call out to her to let her know we're coming.
This week I noticed with a bit of alarm that at one point while walking home, she began to hunch over, like instead of walking straight up, she was at half height with her shoulders down, looking a bit like a house gecko. I thought she found a comfy spot on the grass and let her lay down for a bit.
Today, the same thing happened, but on the road. I had been hoping to do our usual route of going down the road and back, but she could barely handle 20 meters before she just started plodding SO SLOWLY I was like "ok fine we'll go home." A few meters from the front gate she began that weird gecko walk again, and this time I stopped completely to pet her and she just slumped to the ground. I pet her for a bit, and let her lay down for a moment, and then eventually she got back up to make it back to the front gate.
There's a bamboo frame chair in my room, part of a set that's been in my family for decades that my mother refuses to give up for reasons (it's still good, it's been with us so long, of course we have space who cares if it's crowded, why won't you use it, etc). There's a shallow cushion on it, and it's not as soft as I'd like it to be, but I pulled it out and wrapped it in some leftover flannel from a bedsheet I've been using for sampling. My dog sleeps under a bench on the front porch, and I've managed to stuff the cushion under the bench and put her on it. We'll see how much she likes it. I hope she likes it and it makes her more comfortable!
Foster pup
Oct. 22nd, 2016 11:29 pmI have been fostering a puppy! My friend Xio found him in her yard, scared and skittish but still tame enough to lure into her apartment. She was too frazzled to keep him around, so I offered to take him in, since I have some limited experience with handling dogs. Also because he is so dreadfully adorable. I bathed him the first night I got him, he pooped on my carpet. He's had a couple of accidents peeing in the house since but not in the last couple of days! Not only that but he's gone from being super scared of all the things to being relatively calm, and he's even a little playful now. He really just needed a stable place with regular food and walks.
The first morning after I took him in he snuck past me out the door and his idea of playing was goading someone to catch him, which is annoying because this also freaks him out!!! I had to follow him a bit and we went around and around a laundry room. He wouldn't let me get close and I couldn't tell how close he would let me get until too late. Finally I went around the other way and he saw me coming from the direction he was NOT expecting so he froze and let me pick him up. Since then I've been more careful about him being near the door. He is otherwise really good about being left home, as long as I've given him a really long walk beforehand.
I took him with me to the bank on Friday afternoon, and he just walked and walked and walked, even though it was incredibly hot out. This dog has got some kinda stamina. I'm tempted to walk him some 5km just to see how long he'll go. He was avoiding grass for a time, preferring pavement, but now he's enjoying being on the grass and gambols a little, even. I'm very pleased with the progress he's made in the couple short days I've had him. He finds himself a little place to sleep whenever I'm in the room (a shelf of mine, usually, or a crowded corner) but when I get up to leave the room he has to follow to investigate. Even so, he won't come when called, and he doesn't really bond well. He doesn't mind being cuddled but he hasn't instigated it.
He's also not great with big crowds of people--we came across one today while walking on campus and he froze on the middle of the pavement and wouldn't walk some more. I had to nudge him to the side before he was comfortable walking past them. But he is much better than before with strangers. We've also had encounters with other dogs and he at least shows some requisite curiousity about them instead of just running away!
A professor Xio knows is interested in taking him, so we're waiting to hear back from her to see if her family's into the adoption. Xio's also put up Craigslist ads looking for the original owner. Our theories are that the pup either ran away or was abandoned. I'm leaning towards abandoned, considering that Xio found him in her yard and she lives in a house right by the foothills around here which have COYOTES. I'm pretty impressed by how he's survived. But we do think he was owned before: he's good with a leash on, and he's really tame, and he knows how to climb staircases. He's also been relatively easy to housetrain, and I suspect it's because he HAS been housetrained before, once upon a time.
And he is, all told, really adorable! He's really small, with wiry hair on his back. I think he's part dachshund, at the very least. I'm super tempted to adopt him myself, but as long as my schedule is such a see-saw, I don't really have the wherewithal to take on a puppy as young as he is (he's supposed to be about 7 months) and train him the way he ought to be trained. So if there's someone who wants him and has experience with difficult dogs, he should go with them! I'm just glad I got to foster him and help him settle down and come out of his shell a little. The professor was very impressed by him. Fingers crossed puppy gets a home soon! She'll let us know by tomorrow night what the verdict is, and if so, she'll get him on Thursday.
(Xio has been calling him Simon... I just call him "pup pup." I'm very creative.)
The first morning after I took him in he snuck past me out the door and his idea of playing was goading someone to catch him, which is annoying because this also freaks him out!!! I had to follow him a bit and we went around and around a laundry room. He wouldn't let me get close and I couldn't tell how close he would let me get until too late. Finally I went around the other way and he saw me coming from the direction he was NOT expecting so he froze and let me pick him up. Since then I've been more careful about him being near the door. He is otherwise really good about being left home, as long as I've given him a really long walk beforehand.
I took him with me to the bank on Friday afternoon, and he just walked and walked and walked, even though it was incredibly hot out. This dog has got some kinda stamina. I'm tempted to walk him some 5km just to see how long he'll go. He was avoiding grass for a time, preferring pavement, but now he's enjoying being on the grass and gambols a little, even. I'm very pleased with the progress he's made in the couple short days I've had him. He finds himself a little place to sleep whenever I'm in the room (a shelf of mine, usually, or a crowded corner) but when I get up to leave the room he has to follow to investigate. Even so, he won't come when called, and he doesn't really bond well. He doesn't mind being cuddled but he hasn't instigated it.
He's also not great with big crowds of people--we came across one today while walking on campus and he froze on the middle of the pavement and wouldn't walk some more. I had to nudge him to the side before he was comfortable walking past them. But he is much better than before with strangers. We've also had encounters with other dogs and he at least shows some requisite curiousity about them instead of just running away!
A professor Xio knows is interested in taking him, so we're waiting to hear back from her to see if her family's into the adoption. Xio's also put up Craigslist ads looking for the original owner. Our theories are that the pup either ran away or was abandoned. I'm leaning towards abandoned, considering that Xio found him in her yard and she lives in a house right by the foothills around here which have COYOTES. I'm pretty impressed by how he's survived. But we do think he was owned before: he's good with a leash on, and he's really tame, and he knows how to climb staircases. He's also been relatively easy to housetrain, and I suspect it's because he HAS been housetrained before, once upon a time.
And he is, all told, really adorable! He's really small, with wiry hair on his back. I think he's part dachshund, at the very least. I'm super tempted to adopt him myself, but as long as my schedule is such a see-saw, I don't really have the wherewithal to take on a puppy as young as he is (he's supposed to be about 7 months) and train him the way he ought to be trained. So if there's someone who wants him and has experience with difficult dogs, he should go with them! I'm just glad I got to foster him and help him settle down and come out of his shell a little. The professor was very impressed by him. Fingers crossed puppy gets a home soon! She'll let us know by tomorrow night what the verdict is, and if so, she'll get him on Thursday.
(Xio has been calling him Simon... I just call him "pup pup." I'm very creative.)
(no subject)
Dec. 15th, 2014 12:05 am- Finished grading the exams today! All of them. They were painful. I haven't counted the grades yet but not sure if I should since there were a couple of questions which I'm not sure about. I might calculate them all anyway then hand it off to the prof for her to double-check if she wants.
- Starting my blouse today. Wow these are some big sleeves. I'll have to learn how to gather this time, oh dear. I've never made a blouse before so this should be interesting.
- Checked my worm bin today. Turns out just dumping a crapload of frozen stuff into the bin is not great--it went anaerobic and smelled really weird. I can't tell what the hell caused the smell... most of it seemed to come from the eggshells. There's some other stuff which I'm sure contributed to it, but I have no idea what. I removed pretty much everything that smelled remotely strange, and found a few dead worms as well, which makes me sad. Also one which I think would have developed protein poisoning (they get this weird "string of pearls" effect... because their bodies can't process the protein) and moved it to a safer side of the bin.
I'm not sure how much of it is just stuff that shouldn't have been in the bin in the first place, and how much of it is that there is kind of a profusion of stuff for it to breathe properly. I'll go poking around in a couple more days to find out.
- Starting my blouse today. Wow these are some big sleeves. I'll have to learn how to gather this time, oh dear. I've never made a blouse before so this should be interesting.
- Checked my worm bin today. Turns out just dumping a crapload of frozen stuff into the bin is not great--it went anaerobic and smelled really weird. I can't tell what the hell caused the smell... most of it seemed to come from the eggshells. There's some other stuff which I'm sure contributed to it, but I have no idea what. I removed pretty much everything that smelled remotely strange, and found a few dead worms as well, which makes me sad. Also one which I think would have developed protein poisoning (they get this weird "string of pearls" effect... because their bodies can't process the protein) and moved it to a safer side of the bin.
I'm not sure how much of it is just stuff that shouldn't have been in the bin in the first place, and how much of it is that there is kind of a profusion of stuff for it to breathe properly. I'll go poking around in a couple more days to find out.
(no subject)
Nov. 21st, 2014 08:55 pm- This morning I found a calico kitty nomming on stuff I left outside. I've seen her before, and while she doesn't look incredibly underfed (unlike patchy kitty last year who was so thin I could see her ribcage) she ate with a gusto that I don't think she would have if she had an owner. She seems really skittish, although I think with time I could get her to trust me. We'll see.
- I wrote 2000 words this afternoon during the write-in.
- PK and I went to JoAnn's and I fretted about stuff. There's a 5-piece sewing roller which I'm tempted to get, and it'll be on sale in a couple of days, about $80 cheaper than it usually is. I bought some embroidery thread and an inordinate number of beads. Also some cheap fabric, which I think would make a great bra for Nisi when I finally figure out the pattern for her bra. I also went to the kids' craft aisle and got some alphabet beads. I want to make a necklace that says "FEMINAZGUL" because I think that will be amusing. Uhm. I used a $50 off for a >$150 purchse coupon. I suppose I really should stop doing that and use the stuff I buy.
- Dinner tonight was leftover chicken meat, mixed with alfredo sauce and cheese, and dinner rolls I forgot I had. I attempted some baked potatoes but apparently I am a failure and forgot to soak them first so they are pretty much ruined now. I'll do better next time.
- I wrote 2000 words this afternoon during the write-in.
- PK and I went to JoAnn's and I fretted about stuff. There's a 5-piece sewing roller which I'm tempted to get, and it'll be on sale in a couple of days, about $80 cheaper than it usually is. I bought some embroidery thread and an inordinate number of beads. Also some cheap fabric, which I think would make a great bra for Nisi when I finally figure out the pattern for her bra. I also went to the kids' craft aisle and got some alphabet beads. I want to make a necklace that says "FEMINAZGUL" because I think that will be amusing. Uhm. I used a $50 off for a >$150 purchse coupon. I suppose I really should stop doing that and use the stuff I buy.
- Dinner tonight was leftover chicken meat, mixed with alfredo sauce and cheese, and dinner rolls I forgot I had. I attempted some baked potatoes but apparently I am a failure and forgot to soak them first so they are pretty much ruined now. I'll do better next time.
Worm harvesting!
Nov. 16th, 2014 10:51 pmI said to my friend Rubato yesterday, everything feels like it takes so long in Southern California. It's so exhausting. I wake up to do one thing and suddenly it feels like that's the only thing I can do all day. Part of it for me is the suburban sprawl. But I don't know, it feels strange, that I'm so unproductive here.
Anyway, the highlight of today! Was harvesting my worms' poop for the first time, officially! I've done it before, of course, as part of the outdoor adventure, but this is the first indoor one. Pictures of the process here. I distributed some of it in my garden, and have some leftover in a clear plastic tub. Because my bin was really damp, there were these little mites being part of the ecosystem, and they have been coming out of the dry castings, confusedly wandering along the walls of the plastic tub.
Rubato also drew me a Chinese steampunk earthworm mascot yesterday which appears to be becoming the theme of my life: blending all my hobbies together. I'll go to JoAnn's sometime to see what I can find for making a plush worm XD
My eyes are kind of sandy, and I think it's because I wore eyeliner yesterday. I've noticed this in the past where if I wear eye makeup for protracted periods of time, my eyes are super sandy the next day and it just feels like I'm sleepy although I'm probably not.
Anyway, I also did laundry, and it's exciting when I do laundry. Laundry is so great. Even better, when I got the laundry out of the dryer, I decided to pour it all on my bed and burrow under it, pulling my comforter on top to maintain the temperature. As one does, as an adult, right?
I had a very strange dream of being a butler-robot forced to accompany my mistress back in time to nurse her mother through her birth. Then giant robots attack and the baby escapes with the father, but I have to watch the mistress and mother die. And there is a causal loop occurring, and each time the deaths escalate in violence until my character tries to break the causal loop somehow. I don't know if it happened because I woke up because a crazy crab robot was trying to kill me and I noped out of the dream!
(Before that there was another dream about a sea captain who ignored this girl and her pet something on a raft, then on a boat, because she was some sort of bad omen, and then suddenly all the ships he and his crew came across were ghost ships, and his crew began mysteriously dying, until he finally decided to rescue the mystery girl, who then recruited him to go on some land-locked mission with her. I don't really know how this transitioned into the time travel giant robot explosions, sorry.)
I actually got out to the grocery store, which was fairly impressive. I actually have a whole chicken from my last trip to 99 Ranch which I'm going to put into the crock pot tomorrow, and I also bought some lasagna things... gonna try making lasagna sometime this week for the first time! The catfish nuggets I bought, though, smelled a little funky.
Anyway, the highlight of today! Was harvesting my worms' poop for the first time, officially! I've done it before, of course, as part of the outdoor adventure, but this is the first indoor one. Pictures of the process here. I distributed some of it in my garden, and have some leftover in a clear plastic tub. Because my bin was really damp, there were these little mites being part of the ecosystem, and they have been coming out of the dry castings, confusedly wandering along the walls of the plastic tub.
Rubato also drew me a Chinese steampunk earthworm mascot yesterday which appears to be becoming the theme of my life: blending all my hobbies together. I'll go to JoAnn's sometime to see what I can find for making a plush worm XD
My eyes are kind of sandy, and I think it's because I wore eyeliner yesterday. I've noticed this in the past where if I wear eye makeup for protracted periods of time, my eyes are super sandy the next day and it just feels like I'm sleepy although I'm probably not.
Anyway, I also did laundry, and it's exciting when I do laundry. Laundry is so great. Even better, when I got the laundry out of the dryer, I decided to pour it all on my bed and burrow under it, pulling my comforter on top to maintain the temperature. As one does, as an adult, right?
I had a very strange dream of being a butler-robot forced to accompany my mistress back in time to nurse her mother through her birth. Then giant robots attack and the baby escapes with the father, but I have to watch the mistress and mother die. And there is a causal loop occurring, and each time the deaths escalate in violence until my character tries to break the causal loop somehow. I don't know if it happened because I woke up because a crazy crab robot was trying to kill me and I noped out of the dream!
(Before that there was another dream about a sea captain who ignored this girl and her pet something on a raft, then on a boat, because she was some sort of bad omen, and then suddenly all the ships he and his crew came across were ghost ships, and his crew began mysteriously dying, until he finally decided to rescue the mystery girl, who then recruited him to go on some land-locked mission with her. I don't really know how this transitioned into the time travel giant robot explosions, sorry.)
I actually got out to the grocery store, which was fairly impressive. I actually have a whole chicken from my last trip to 99 Ranch which I'm going to put into the crock pot tomorrow, and I also bought some lasagna things... gonna try making lasagna sometime this week for the first time! The catfish nuggets I bought, though, smelled a little funky.
(no subject)
Oct. 27th, 2014 10:01 pm- Today I got to campus around 9.30 and wrote about two more pages of stuff for my prospectus! I feel very proud of this. Then I made it out to sit on the balcony of the grad student lounge, which I think is an optimal spot for listening to the noontime Monday recitals of the UCR Bell tower. I wrote a couple more pages there and ate lunch.
When I went back to my office, I got stuck trying to figure out what next? I've already identified the problem and given a brief rundown of steampunk community history, now how to articulate what I want to do next in a way that makes sense, is rigorous and doesn't sound like I'm spreading myself too wide? How to account for marketability factors, consumer culture, utopian enterprise and lack of political rigor all at once?
- At some point I gave up and wrote about 600 words of a story for![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
qian's anthology instead. I'm very surprised that I'm thinking of an actual plot.
- I ran into a friend while walking home and we chatted a bit which was cool. She was excited to hear about the Clockwork Couture signing, and offered to drive me! Road trip yay! (Burbank is like two hours away, ahaha ugh.)
- I messed around at home for a bit, then went to do a spot of shopping. I bought myself a plant mister, some wine glasses, and some more hummingbird drink. The mister I just put together... it's a 2 gallon thing like my watering can and it works okay, I guess? I can see how it is a huge benefit over the watering can because the water is definitely not compacting the soil at all now. On the other hand, it takes foreverrrrrrr. Like, I think I could practically sit in a lawn chair, read in one hand and just spray with the other. I might even finish a couple of short stories before I even get to a quarter of a gallon. The nozzle part is also vaguely phallic so while I was spraying that one spot, it felt like a lot of dick waving. It's ridiculous. I shall do this lawn chair thing this weekend, just to see how long it takes for me to finish spraying a gallon.
- I also checked on the worm bin... I guess the worms really don't like lemongrass! They're also taking their own sweet time eating their bedding. The peat moss they came in is kind of mixing up the whole mess--not a bad thing, but it makes them hard to find. I do hope they're surviving (the few I saw were definitely alive) and eating well. What worries me is that most of them seem to be at the bottom of the bin, and worms are supposed to be surface feeders. It's all good; that's more time for me to collect more material for feeding them.
I did use the mister on the bin though, just to dampen the bedding on top. Hee hee.
When I went back to my office, I got stuck trying to figure out what next? I've already identified the problem and given a brief rundown of steampunk community history, now how to articulate what I want to do next in a way that makes sense, is rigorous and doesn't sound like I'm spreading myself too wide? How to account for marketability factors, consumer culture, utopian enterprise and lack of political rigor all at once?
- At some point I gave up and wrote about 600 words of a story for
qian's anthology instead. I'm very surprised that I'm thinking of an actual plot. - I ran into a friend while walking home and we chatted a bit which was cool. She was excited to hear about the Clockwork Couture signing, and offered to drive me! Road trip yay! (Burbank is like two hours away, ahaha ugh.)
- I messed around at home for a bit, then went to do a spot of shopping. I bought myself a plant mister, some wine glasses, and some more hummingbird drink. The mister I just put together... it's a 2 gallon thing like my watering can and it works okay, I guess? I can see how it is a huge benefit over the watering can because the water is definitely not compacting the soil at all now. On the other hand, it takes foreverrrrrrr. Like, I think I could practically sit in a lawn chair, read in one hand and just spray with the other. I might even finish a couple of short stories before I even get to a quarter of a gallon. The nozzle part is also vaguely phallic so while I was spraying that one spot, it felt like a lot of dick waving. It's ridiculous. I shall do this lawn chair thing this weekend, just to see how long it takes for me to finish spraying a gallon.
- I also checked on the worm bin... I guess the worms really don't like lemongrass! They're also taking their own sweet time eating their bedding. The peat moss they came in is kind of mixing up the whole mess--not a bad thing, but it makes them hard to find. I do hope they're surviving (the few I saw were definitely alive) and eating well. What worries me is that most of them seem to be at the bottom of the bin, and worms are supposed to be surface feeders. It's all good; that's more time for me to collect more material for feeding them.
I did use the mister on the bin though, just to dampen the bedding on top. Hee hee.
(no subject)
Oct. 22nd, 2014 11:09 pm- I got my worms! They actually arrived on Thursday but no one had left me a notice. Good thing USPS Tracking was pretty easy, and I went to the office this morning to ask about any packages. They've gone into the new indoor bin I've prepped. I can't tell if the mold is good or bad because the Internet is evenly split; on one hand, it says mold is bad, but on the other, it also says that fungus growth is good and helps break down the stuff for the worms to eat more easily and they don't necessarily eat the scraps directly, or something.
I'm trying very hard to resist opening the bin to have a look see... it's covered with a hand towel so it can breathe and there's minimal evaporation. I'll give them a week and then check!! In the meantime, I better start eating more plant material so I have something to feed the babies.
- I've found that handsewing is pretty great to do when listening to a podcast! I've finally been intently listening to Night Vale while stitching on my rank braids for my Star Trek blouse. There's something about having something visual to deal with that's kind of mindless while listening to something else. I've tried to listen to Night Vale while laying in bed (can't do it at the computer because then I'd just end up reading other things and lose focus on it) but that just made me fall asleep. I also can't machine sew while listening to stuff either; that takes up too much concentration. Thus I am finally up to #17! Which is ten more episodes that I have been able to muster.
So... I might try to take up more embroidery, maybe?
- I blew through editing today! Also sent out and received contracts.
- I made pork and potatoes tonight. I'm using the tiny potatoes. I am trying to be good and eating a new kind of starch to give my diet some variety.
- I shall turn in early tonight.
Here is a random Takarazuka Revue video:
I'm trying very hard to resist opening the bin to have a look see... it's covered with a hand towel so it can breathe and there's minimal evaporation. I'll give them a week and then check!! In the meantime, I better start eating more plant material so I have something to feed the babies.
- I've found that handsewing is pretty great to do when listening to a podcast! I've finally been intently listening to Night Vale while stitching on my rank braids for my Star Trek blouse. There's something about having something visual to deal with that's kind of mindless while listening to something else. I've tried to listen to Night Vale while laying in bed (can't do it at the computer because then I'd just end up reading other things and lose focus on it) but that just made me fall asleep. I also can't machine sew while listening to stuff either; that takes up too much concentration. Thus I am finally up to #17! Which is ten more episodes that I have been able to muster.
So... I might try to take up more embroidery, maybe?
- I blew through editing today! Also sent out and received contracts.
- I made pork and potatoes tonight. I'm using the tiny potatoes. I am trying to be good and eating a new kind of starch to give my diet some variety.
- I shall turn in early tonight.
Here is a random Takarazuka Revue video:
(no subject)
Aug. 26th, 2014 02:59 pmI meant to make some calls but I can't because the dentist visit has left my mouth numb and I have to chew down on a piece of cotton.
Anyway, while we were on the way to send the maids to the shop, at some point on the frikkin' highway my brother looks out, pulls the fuck over, pops out of the goddamn car and then comes back in to hand me a little orange kitten. The little fucker then proceeds to clamber off my lap, because I'm trying very hard not to touch it because allergies, and hide in the air-conditioning vat.
At some point we determine that it has fleas up the wazoo, so when we get back to Subang, we start looking for a vet, and end up in the SS18 animal clinic, with Dr. Bala. He's been there for years and years. Roy asks me what the cat's name should be, since we have to enter a pet's name. "Orange," I say. It's a nice, descriptive, gender-neutral name. He sprays Frontline all over the kitty, and we watch as the fleas jump off or otherwise clamber all over kitty's face. Dr. Bala tells us to bring the kitten in when we're ready to give it some vaccinations, and he gives us some stuff to shoot into the cat's mouth, some immune system boosters.
We sneak the kitten back home. Roy picks one of the styrofoam boxes outside and my mother is in the dining room, so I take the kitten round to the back instead, where Roy lets me in. We put the kitten in the back bathroom, where my mother almost never goes into. Some whispered conversation with my dad out of Mom's earshot. Dad, Roy tells me, becomes reminiscent of Edward Munch's The Scream. Roy heats up a pau and digs out the meat in it for the kitten (it's three months old, the doctor thinks, and so it ought to be old enough to be weaned!), then we head to Parade for my dentist's appointment.
So now we have a kitten in the bathroom, sitting very quietly not doing anything, and we have to go check on its flea situation in a couple of hours.
It's also very cute, very sweet thus far. We haven't been able to trot it out to play with it, but it seems a pretty sedate kitty. Once we get its shots done, we'll see how it turns out.
The point is, though, we can't keep the kitten, since I'm allergic, so's my brother, and so's my mom. If you know anybody who can give it a forever home in the Selangor area, let us know.
Anyway, while we were on the way to send the maids to the shop, at some point on the frikkin' highway my brother looks out, pulls the fuck over, pops out of the goddamn car and then comes back in to hand me a little orange kitten. The little fucker then proceeds to clamber off my lap, because I'm trying very hard not to touch it because allergies, and hide in the air-conditioning vat.
At some point we determine that it has fleas up the wazoo, so when we get back to Subang, we start looking for a vet, and end up in the SS18 animal clinic, with Dr. Bala. He's been there for years and years. Roy asks me what the cat's name should be, since we have to enter a pet's name. "Orange," I say. It's a nice, descriptive, gender-neutral name. He sprays Frontline all over the kitty, and we watch as the fleas jump off or otherwise clamber all over kitty's face. Dr. Bala tells us to bring the kitten in when we're ready to give it some vaccinations, and he gives us some stuff to shoot into the cat's mouth, some immune system boosters.
We sneak the kitten back home. Roy picks one of the styrofoam boxes outside and my mother is in the dining room, so I take the kitten round to the back instead, where Roy lets me in. We put the kitten in the back bathroom, where my mother almost never goes into. Some whispered conversation with my dad out of Mom's earshot. Dad, Roy tells me, becomes reminiscent of Edward Munch's The Scream. Roy heats up a pau and digs out the meat in it for the kitten (it's three months old, the doctor thinks, and so it ought to be old enough to be weaned!), then we head to Parade for my dentist's appointment.
So now we have a kitten in the bathroom, sitting very quietly not doing anything, and we have to go check on its flea situation in a couple of hours.
It's also very cute, very sweet thus far. We haven't been able to trot it out to play with it, but it seems a pretty sedate kitty. Once we get its shots done, we'll see how it turns out.
The point is, though, we can't keep the kitten, since I'm allergic, so's my brother, and so's my mom. If you know anybody who can give it a forever home in the Selangor area, let us know.
(no subject)
Jun. 25th, 2013 12:54 amSo today I managed to keep patchy kitty indoors all day and went out to deal with some health insurance stuff. I also rearranged my bookshelves! I have fewer books than I thought. With everything more neat, I can put up the fuu with a good conscience. Gotta vacuum first tho.
My Pap came back with abnormal results AGAIN but I'm hoping this won't mean another colposcopy. Sigh.
= Patchy kitty is very respectful of my sleeping time, it seems. She doesn't come into my bedroom whenever I'm sleeping in it, despite a wide-open door. This doesn't mean she doesn't take the chance of sleeping in my bed, but she def knows she's not supposed to be there because when I see her in it she jumps off. She doesn't like being on laps and she tolerates being held for a couple of minutes, so sleeping with patchy kitty is obviously not going to be A Thing, and I am OK with that. Mostly, she lies down maybe a feet or two away from my chair while I'm at the computer.
- The bad thing is I can't leave the door open because other cats make her nervous still, and I don't think she realizes that other cats aren't allowed in this apartment against her wishes, so she runs out instead. So I'll have to wait awhile before I I can have my door open again. In the meantime, I open the windows, and the orange tabby comes yowling at it for food sometimes.
- Patchy kitty also appears to be much more inordinately fond of wet cat food than dry cat food. Which to me is just another reason to make sure she gets re-homed properly. (Or at least out of here.)
- Her wounds are healing quite nicely even without my intervention! They're scabbing over well, so I apply neospirin when I can get her to sit still, but in general I don't think she needs my help at all. I think she just needs a break from getting chased by the other feral cats, since she's not feral enough to defend herself.
Anyways, enough about patchy kitty.
So I don't know why Comment Is Free is a thing I subscribed to on my new Old Reader account, especially when articles like this one exist and this is a lot of commentary on a man's private life with no real relevance to the world except that he runs a very big media corp?
A Defense of Kanye's Vanity: The Politics of Black Self Love -- I thought this was really interesting.
Neuroscientists have possibly identified how fibromyalgia works! Articles from Yahoo, NDJ World, Medical New Today and News Medical.
My Pap came back with abnormal results AGAIN but I'm hoping this won't mean another colposcopy. Sigh.
= Patchy kitty is very respectful of my sleeping time, it seems. She doesn't come into my bedroom whenever I'm sleeping in it, despite a wide-open door. This doesn't mean she doesn't take the chance of sleeping in my bed, but she def knows she's not supposed to be there because when I see her in it she jumps off. She doesn't like being on laps and she tolerates being held for a couple of minutes, so sleeping with patchy kitty is obviously not going to be A Thing, and I am OK with that. Mostly, she lies down maybe a feet or two away from my chair while I'm at the computer.
- The bad thing is I can't leave the door open because other cats make her nervous still, and I don't think she realizes that other cats aren't allowed in this apartment against her wishes, so she runs out instead. So I'll have to wait awhile before I I can have my door open again. In the meantime, I open the windows, and the orange tabby comes yowling at it for food sometimes.
- Patchy kitty also appears to be much more inordinately fond of wet cat food than dry cat food. Which to me is just another reason to make sure she gets re-homed properly. (Or at least out of here.)
- Her wounds are healing quite nicely even without my intervention! They're scabbing over well, so I apply neospirin when I can get her to sit still, but in general I don't think she needs my help at all. I think she just needs a break from getting chased by the other feral cats, since she's not feral enough to defend herself.
Anyways, enough about patchy kitty.
So I don't know why Comment Is Free is a thing I subscribed to on my new Old Reader account, especially when articles like this one exist and this is a lot of commentary on a man's private life with no real relevance to the world except that he runs a very big media corp?
A Defense of Kanye's Vanity: The Politics of Black Self Love -- I thought this was really interesting.
Neuroscientists have possibly identified how fibromyalgia works! Articles from Yahoo, NDJ World, Medical New Today and News Medical.
Things in my Tabs + Kitty
Jun. 22nd, 2013 12:43 amGot an email from Dr. L today reminding reviewers for SF Studies that reviews are due Aug 1. AUGH! I thought it was due end of August! So I've read the first three essays in the antho I'm s'posed to review, plus read the introduction and all. It's Steaming Into a Victorian Future and it's not bad so far.
I woke up late, though, so I didn't get out to the insurance office to ask questions like I wanted. Oh well. In the email I got my copy of Dark Matter and instructions for my sleep test! I like mail very much.
The patchy kitty that has been making itself comfortable in my apartment has popped abscesses. I don't know how long they've been there; I saw the gray tabby chase her off the other day and it sounded vicious. The wounds seem to be healing well, but I don't want to take any chances in her getting bullied again, so I'm keeping her indoors for now. I'll put her in the bathroom tonight and get a litter box and other cat supplies tomorrow, plus some peroxide and polysporin for her wounds. My allergies are not happy but whatever. I'll just wash my hands a lot and limit picking her up.
Anyways, links.
Do Unpaid Internships Lead To Jobs? Not For College Students
Ellen Oh on why being a POC author sucks sometimes. A nice change from Cindy Pon's ridiculous behaviour towards fans the other day.
Kickstarter's apology. I thought it sounded great but the more I re-read it, the less I like it.
Wikipedia's List of names in English with non-intuitive pronunciations WHAT ENGLISH HOW WHY and white people make fun of non-white names?!
I woke up late, though, so I didn't get out to the insurance office to ask questions like I wanted. Oh well. In the email I got my copy of Dark Matter and instructions for my sleep test! I like mail very much.
The patchy kitty that has been making itself comfortable in my apartment has popped abscesses. I don't know how long they've been there; I saw the gray tabby chase her off the other day and it sounded vicious. The wounds seem to be healing well, but I don't want to take any chances in her getting bullied again, so I'm keeping her indoors for now. I'll put her in the bathroom tonight and get a litter box and other cat supplies tomorrow, plus some peroxide and polysporin for her wounds. My allergies are not happy but whatever. I'll just wash my hands a lot and limit picking her up.
Anyways, links.
Do Unpaid Internships Lead To Jobs? Not For College Students
Ellen Oh on why being a POC author sucks sometimes. A nice change from Cindy Pon's ridiculous behaviour towards fans the other day.
Kickstarter's apology. I thought it sounded great but the more I re-read it, the less I like it.
Wikipedia's List of names in English with non-intuitive pronunciations WHAT ENGLISH HOW WHY and white people make fun of non-white names?!
Got started on my ETST paper. The exegesis are coming along. I should be done with them by tomorrow. I hope. My Kristeva one is really fun :D It was a good productive day. Overall, I am feeling pleased with myself, despite still feeling overly fatigued when I get home and slightly overwhelmed still.
I got to see the doctor about my sniffles, and she prescribed me a nasal spray, so we'll see how that works. She says the inside of my nose is def swollen tho. She also told me that California is the worst place for allergies... I don't know anything about that, but when I got allergies in Canada, they usually manifested in hives. I think I would rather be ugly than sneezing and unable to function as a result. Then she sent me for a blood test to see about allergies. The nurse was slightly incompetent at finding my veins. Hopefully it will work out.
Dr. HM stopped by my office to ask me what I'd like to do in the SEA Lit seminar he's teaching next quarter. I'm in it. Apparently so are three other students, although I have no clue who. Chichi tells me that apparently Dr. HM complained about it, saying it'd be more fun if it was just me XD He's so great; I always have a good time chatting with him, and despite not doing any science fiction, he's super supportive of my work. It's very weird because he's very text-based, and I'm very theoretical. Still, he seems far more on board with what I'm trying to do, and not as concerned with making me write towards an academic career.
I proctored two students who couldn't make Thursday's final today (that was when I got started on my paper). Before we got started, I had a good chat with one of them, who's a student of mine. She's very quiet in class, but outside of it, pretty smart! We had a great conversation about race and racism, and it makes me wonder why she's a pre-business major, when she was obviously so much more interested in Ethnic Studies classes. Oh well. She hugged me before she left. I hope she does well.
So, the grey tabby that has been visiting me also has a ginger tabby friend (I call them Grey and Tabby respectively). The other night while I was giving Grey some treats, I offered some to Tabby. Tabby is so super-skittish, any sudden moves scare him away. So it's been hard getting close to him. However, this time, he came close enough that I could toss some treats his way and he didn't run. And then he came close enough to eat treats out of my hand. Yesterday he did it again and he let me scratch him behind the ears. He is REALLY DIRTY though... He's starting to look into my window when he passes through my garden too. Progress! This is the first time I've really made progress with an animal like this.
I just wish my compost heap showed the same progress. Gotta remember to be patient with composting... it takes time for things to break down but they will...
I got to see the doctor about my sniffles, and she prescribed me a nasal spray, so we'll see how that works. She says the inside of my nose is def swollen tho. She also told me that California is the worst place for allergies... I don't know anything about that, but when I got allergies in Canada, they usually manifested in hives. I think I would rather be ugly than sneezing and unable to function as a result. Then she sent me for a blood test to see about allergies. The nurse was slightly incompetent at finding my veins. Hopefully it will work out.
Dr. HM stopped by my office to ask me what I'd like to do in the SEA Lit seminar he's teaching next quarter. I'm in it. Apparently so are three other students, although I have no clue who. Chichi tells me that apparently Dr. HM complained about it, saying it'd be more fun if it was just me XD He's so great; I always have a good time chatting with him, and despite not doing any science fiction, he's super supportive of my work. It's very weird because he's very text-based, and I'm very theoretical. Still, he seems far more on board with what I'm trying to do, and not as concerned with making me write towards an academic career.
I proctored two students who couldn't make Thursday's final today (that was when I got started on my paper). Before we got started, I had a good chat with one of them, who's a student of mine. She's very quiet in class, but outside of it, pretty smart! We had a great conversation about race and racism, and it makes me wonder why she's a pre-business major, when she was obviously so much more interested in Ethnic Studies classes. Oh well. She hugged me before she left. I hope she does well.
So, the grey tabby that has been visiting me also has a ginger tabby friend (I call them Grey and Tabby respectively). The other night while I was giving Grey some treats, I offered some to Tabby. Tabby is so super-skittish, any sudden moves scare him away. So it's been hard getting close to him. However, this time, he came close enough that I could toss some treats his way and he didn't run. And then he came close enough to eat treats out of my hand. Yesterday he did it again and he let me scratch him behind the ears. He is REALLY DIRTY though... He's starting to look into my window when he passes through my garden too. Progress! This is the first time I've really made progress with an animal like this.
I just wish my compost heap showed the same progress. Gotta remember to be patient with composting... it takes time for things to break down but they will...
Wildlife help?
Jun. 9th, 2011 07:56 pmI found my cranky baby today (I can tell the different! The fussy one has a lighter-coloured tail, and his tail's not as fluffy. He also responds to Said. This one's the wilder one who bites me, and has a more peppery-coloured tail). She was making a lot of noise and looking kinda out of sorts (and bit me) and hates any kind of movement, it seems, because I brought her in to feed her and trying to take her outside just got me the worst squirrel angry yelling I've ever heard from any creature I've ever encountered of this specie. When I took her back outside, she refused to go back into the tree and kept on making noise and sat on the far edge of the branch looking really visible.
Because I have no idea what squirrel noises mean, I bought her inside to calm her down, and she spent her time eating out of my hat. But she's still making noises. Even when I cuddled her and got her to calm the fuck down she was still making noises. I know squirrels make a lot of noise naturally but Said didn't make this much noise, and apparently, according to a neighbour, she was still making noises even while out in the wild, which can't be healthy.
I don't understand what's going on. She's not tame enough to allow a cuddling but she did anyway, which is not like her at all. I think she's sick or something? I can't tell.
She's curled up in my hat on my desk right now and caterwauling every time I move into her line of vision, but otherwise falling asleep. I don't know what to do =(
Because I have no idea what squirrel noises mean, I bought her inside to calm her down, and she spent her time eating out of my hat. But she's still making noises. Even when I cuddled her and got her to calm the fuck down she was still making noises. I know squirrels make a lot of noise naturally but Said didn't make this much noise, and apparently, according to a neighbour, she was still making noises even while out in the wild, which can't be healthy.
I don't understand what's going on. She's not tame enough to allow a cuddling but she did anyway, which is not like her at all. I think she's sick or something? I can't tell.
She's curled up in my hat on my desk right now and caterwauling every time I move into her line of vision, but otherwise falling asleep. I don't know what to do =(
(no subject)
Jun. 7th, 2011 11:16 amThe squirrels are gone.
I put their cage out into a shadowy spot, and there was a truck being noisy and they got so upset I just opened the cage door and there they went.
It's for the best anyway, since the cranky one bit me hard enough to draw blood yesterday and the fussy one is all about hiding behind my books and pooping on my floor while on my shoulder.
Now to console myself with things from the Internet.
I put their cage out into a shadowy spot, and there was a truck being noisy and they got so upset I just opened the cage door and there they went.
It's for the best anyway, since the cranky one bit me hard enough to draw blood yesterday and the fussy one is all about hiding behind my books and pooping on my floor while on my shoulder.
Now to console myself with things from the Internet.
Squirrel things
May. 17th, 2011 09:58 pmI made a tag on Tumblr of all my squirrel posts thus far. So you can see pictures of their progress if you want. I'm not very good at taking pictures everyday but oh well. I won't see them for the next two weeks! It feels a bit strange.
There are two of them and you can't really tell them apart from the pictures, but the fussy one (the first one I found, and the tamer one, also tentatively named Said for peeing on my Peshawar Lancers book) has a lighter brown tail, whereas the cranky one (the second one I found which bit me when I first picked it up, tentatively named Spivak) has a more peppery-looking tail (and since it's a bit bigger, also has a bushy tail, although Said's tail is starting to get a bit bushy too). I imagine when I get back I won't be able to tell them apart at all, which makes me a bit sad.
Anyway. Squirrels! I'll be better prepped if there's a next time.
There are two of them and you can't really tell them apart from the pictures, but the fussy one (the first one I found, and the tamer one, also tentatively named Said for peeing on my Peshawar Lancers book) has a lighter brown tail, whereas the cranky one (the second one I found which bit me when I first picked it up, tentatively named Spivak) has a more peppery-looking tail (and since it's a bit bigger, also has a bushy tail, although Said's tail is starting to get a bit bushy too). I imagine when I get back I won't be able to tell them apart at all, which makes me a bit sad.
Anyway. Squirrels! I'll be better prepped if there's a next time.
(no subject)
May. 16th, 2011 11:47 pm- I got a two-storey cage for the squirrels today. There'll be a cuddle cup coming in sometime soon for them. Man, these squirrels are pretty fucking spoiled for brats that won't even stay in my home. I'm a bit worried about the smaller one, though. It doesn't eat a whole lot of formula compared to the larger one, who gobbles up that stuff like there's no tomorrow, and it gets pushed around a lot. One of the upper PhD students is going to take care of them for me when I'm gone. I'm going to ask her whether she wants to come to my house, or if I should bring them to her.
I took them outside this weekend since it was so beautiful out, but they freaked out and one ran to hide in the bushes. Then they hide under my scarf. And one of them wandered over the book I was reading, and peed on it. Since it IS Stirling's Peshawar Lancers, which is pretty colonialist in content, I was pretty gratified. Fuck yeah postcolonial squirrel!
- Went to Erin's for her birthday, too. I think there's something to be said for having peers around the same age. Most of my MA cohort are fresh out of undergrad, but I never realized how much difference a few years can make.
- My presentation for this Friday just needs a few tweaks. My supervisor gave me some awesome feedback on it (my supervisor, though, is generally awesome) so I should be okay.
- My paper for Saturday, though, needs to get filled in (I've already got an outline. It's such a damn messy book).
- Ugh, apartment cleaning before I go.
- My itinerary in the States this time is as follows:
May 20 - 22 - Somerset, NJ, Steampunk World's Fair
May 23 - 26 - NYC - chillin' with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
melissagrey but she's a workin' girl, so if anybody wants to hang out during the day, let me know
May 26 - Steampunk Bible signing!
May 27 - 30 - Madison, WI, WisCon
May 30 - June 5 - Surprise, AZ to visit my cousin. She has this thing called school during the day, so if anybody wants to hang out during the day, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Cripes this is a long time.
I took them outside this weekend since it was so beautiful out, but they freaked out and one ran to hide in the bushes. Then they hide under my scarf. And one of them wandered over the book I was reading, and peed on it. Since it IS Stirling's Peshawar Lancers, which is pretty colonialist in content, I was pretty gratified. Fuck yeah postcolonial squirrel!
- Went to Erin's for her birthday, too. I think there's something to be said for having peers around the same age. Most of my MA cohort are fresh out of undergrad, but I never realized how much difference a few years can make.
- My presentation for this Friday just needs a few tweaks. My supervisor gave me some awesome feedback on it (my supervisor, though, is generally awesome) so I should be okay.
- My paper for Saturday, though, needs to get filled in (I've already got an outline. It's such a damn messy book).
- Ugh, apartment cleaning before I go.
- My itinerary in the States this time is as follows:
May 20 - 22 - Somerset, NJ, Steampunk World's Fair
May 23 - 26 - NYC - chillin' with
melissagrey but she's a workin' girl, so if anybody wants to hang out during the day, let me knowMay 26 - Steampunk Bible signing!
May 27 - 30 - Madison, WI, WisCon
May 30 - June 5 - Surprise, AZ to visit my cousin. She has this thing called school during the day, so if anybody wants to hang out during the day, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Cripes this is a long time.
In point form
May. 11th, 2011 11:01 pm- The baby squirrels are doing well. They were really cold last night for some reason. I figured this out when they weren't their usual fussy and cranky selves. Picked them up before I went to sleep and found them so unnaturally cold, so I cuddled them under the comforter for the night. I did not crush them. But then I discovered one of them had pooped during the night, and the fussy one was fussing off to the side of my bed and when I reached out for it, I noticed it was a bit damp on the underside. Sat up to find pee. Ah well. At least it doesn't smell.
I can't find a caretaker for them, which bothers me, since I leave in a week for 16 days. That's two weeks! I'm going to buy them a cage and fill it with stuff so they can amuse themselves, making them low-maintenance. I tried to sucker Kasim into taking care of them while Erin is gone but he's a cat person for a reason.
Lots of people love seeing them though. There's something about two sleeping squirrels that makes people want to stare at them for very long minutes.
- My squirrels eat grapes almost exclusively at this point. I feel really bad about this. They're supposed to also be eating birdseed and stuff, but I'm guessing grapes are their favourite because they don't have very large teeth yet. Besides, grapes are tasty. And it is kind of hilarious to see them eat because they sort of straddle the grapes and sit on them like some sort of circus balancing act, and eat.
The fussy one has taken on a caramel-filled chocolate egg too. Messed up my table, but so worth it to watch. Caramel on its fingers and whiskers and all.
Erin very kindly bought kitten formula for me to feed them with, because it has protein and other good things like that. They've totally snubbed the bottle, so I'm going to try used teabags soaked in the formula.
- Also, I bought some barley and put it in a cloth bag, microwaved it, and now the squirrels happily sleep on it without needing to cuddle up on me. <3
- I have almost everything in for my late PhD application, except for my reference from Dr. Chakraborty! *crosses fingers* If the last two spots don't get filled at the end of the month, I have a shot of getting in. And I would really like to get in, because frankly, I don't really feel like another year looking for work that I'm not sure I can find a job to fill.
- Symposium on the 20th. Haven't even started work on the presentation. No more than ten minutes on our project. I'm probably just going to do stuff related to my proposal.
And the next day, academic panel at Steampunk World's Fair. Am analysing Peshawar Lancers for that. I think I have enough material. Oh man, ya'll, this is a terrible book.
- I'm looking for places to move out to because there's NO WAY I am staying in this here fucking basement apartment. Every place seems to be available for mid-May or June, though =/ There's this gorgeous, gorgeous place that I doubt I have a shot of getting into, but it's available only for June. My lease ends at the end of July. I'm going home for August, and coming back for September, on the off-chance I get into the PhD program. I don't know. I might just stay long enough to apply to various places, and then pack my shit up and go back to Malaysia for the year.
- Steampunk Bible signing in NYC on the 26th!
Date: 26th May
Time: 7pm
Venue: B&N Booksellers, 2289 Broadway
- So it turns outyiduiqie, qian and myself are in Steam-Powered 2!! This is significant! Because all three of us are Malaysians, and we are all in different continents! Isn't that nifty? What are the odds? Muahaha!
- I suck with boy stuff =(
I can't find a caretaker for them, which bothers me, since I leave in a week for 16 days. That's two weeks! I'm going to buy them a cage and fill it with stuff so they can amuse themselves, making them low-maintenance. I tried to sucker Kasim into taking care of them while Erin is gone but he's a cat person for a reason.
Lots of people love seeing them though. There's something about two sleeping squirrels that makes people want to stare at them for very long minutes.
- My squirrels eat grapes almost exclusively at this point. I feel really bad about this. They're supposed to also be eating birdseed and stuff, but I'm guessing grapes are their favourite because they don't have very large teeth yet. Besides, grapes are tasty. And it is kind of hilarious to see them eat because they sort of straddle the grapes and sit on them like some sort of circus balancing act, and eat.
The fussy one has taken on a caramel-filled chocolate egg too. Messed up my table, but so worth it to watch. Caramel on its fingers and whiskers and all.
Erin very kindly bought kitten formula for me to feed them with, because it has protein and other good things like that. They've totally snubbed the bottle, so I'm going to try used teabags soaked in the formula.
- Also, I bought some barley and put it in a cloth bag, microwaved it, and now the squirrels happily sleep on it without needing to cuddle up on me. <3
- I have almost everything in for my late PhD application, except for my reference from Dr. Chakraborty! *crosses fingers* If the last two spots don't get filled at the end of the month, I have a shot of getting in. And I would really like to get in, because frankly, I don't really feel like another year looking for work that I'm not sure I can find a job to fill.
- Symposium on the 20th. Haven't even started work on the presentation. No more than ten minutes on our project. I'm probably just going to do stuff related to my proposal.
And the next day, academic panel at Steampunk World's Fair. Am analysing Peshawar Lancers for that. I think I have enough material. Oh man, ya'll, this is a terrible book.
- I'm looking for places to move out to because there's NO WAY I am staying in this here fucking basement apartment. Every place seems to be available for mid-May or June, though =/ There's this gorgeous, gorgeous place that I doubt I have a shot of getting into, but it's available only for June. My lease ends at the end of July. I'm going home for August, and coming back for September, on the off-chance I get into the PhD program. I don't know. I might just stay long enough to apply to various places, and then pack my shit up and go back to Malaysia for the year.
- Steampunk Bible signing in NYC on the 26th!
Date: 26th May
Time: 7pm
Venue: B&N Booksellers, 2289 Broadway
- So it turns out
yiduiqie, qian and myself are in Steam-Powered 2!! This is significant! Because all three of us are Malaysians, and we are all in different continents! Isn't that nifty? What are the odds? Muahaha!- I suck with boy stuff =(
The butterfly didn't make it =(
Jan. 16th, 2010 09:43 amWent to check out the pupa this morning. No familiar still caterpillar on the roof. Lots of ants. =(
