CynaraJane's Xanga

Not Counting Today

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:20:59 GMT

I said this coming week will be better. The week is supposed to start on Sunday, right? I'm going to say it will start on Monday...the start of the work week, because come hell or high water this week will be better than last week, and today has not been the greatest of days.

One of the things that has not been great is I have been getting the Blue Screen of Death for the past week:

I will be trying to figure out what's wrong tomorrow. I think one of my cooling fans is going out. Not sure which one, though. I hope it's not the one on the power supply, or the one on the processing chip, and I hope my hard drive isn't getting ready to crash...if that's the case I may be out of commission for a little while.

I'll be back when I'm operational again...

Next Week Will Be Better

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:31:33 GMT

I'm keeping it positive. I have to.

No joy in getting a doctor's appointment for Marisa yesterday, so I did the next best thing (the only option left to us at the moment)...we went to the E.R.

This is a brand new facility we went to, an annex of sorts to one of the major hospitals we have in the area, in a very nice suburb not a half a mile from where I grew up.

Over the last year I had seen that they were building this gorgeous place, and I knew it would house some sort of medical facility (like doctors offices and such) but I didn't know until my sister told me yesterday that the building also housed an Emergency Room. This E.R., she was told by a friend, had no waiting time, which is amazing considering you can spend the better part of a day (or night) at the main hospital's ER just to get into an exam room. I thought it was worth a shot to check out this rumor.

When we walked into this place it was like walking into the Ritz Carlton. It was truly palatial:

We got back to an exam room in less than five minutes. Marisa was triaged, and in the span of less than an hour was examined by a very nice, young female doctor. The doctor ordered a test for Mononucleosis after confirming that her infection was not bacterial, and ordered a n injection of a steroid to reduce the inflammation, along with Tylenol 3 with Codeine.

We were to wait the hour and a half that it took to get these test results back. No matter, at least we had a flat panel TV to watch in the exam room:

Marisa was diagnosed with Pharyngitis after the test for Mono came back negative. We were in and out of the ER in less than 4 hours, which is amazing to me. And it was the first ER I've visited that I was actually sorry to leave. Heh. The meds she was given started to kick in before we left, and she finally was getting some relief from the pain.

I felt the earth move this morning!

An earthquake, centered all the way in Illinois, near the Indiana border, was felt here in the Miami Valley. It's not the first tremor I've felt here, but it's been a while...and this one was the biggest I've ever felt in this area. I was the only one up in the house at 5:38 AM, but I don't think anyone believed me until it made the news.

And we had a big aftershock just a little while ago.

(ETA: No damage here, though. We're all okay and safe!)

Have you ever felt an earthquake?

The whole week has flown by. I just don't know how it could go as fast as it did. I haven't gotten half of the things done I've needed to, and I've promised some people some things I haven't been able to deliver on...you know who you are...and I'm sorry. I will get to it. I just couldn't yet.

This Is Themes Thursday

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:04:03 GMT

At some point today (or this evening?) The Xanga Team has posted on the Xanga Team blog, and on the Xanga Front Page (under "From the Xanga Team") that I am the Featured Themes Designer for this week.

I am honored that they would ask me to participate. Thanks, Xanga Team!

That's my special news for the day.

The link to my themes site CynaraJanesThemes is always available, however.

I'm going to have to take DD#2 to see a different medical professional today. Her ear hurts really badly, her throat is very swollen, and I am certain that she needs antibiotics for a bacterial infection.

How is it that when a rapid strep test comes back as negative that it is automatically assumed that the infection is then viral? (To my semi-trained mind it just means it's probably not strep). It seems to happen a lot. I understand that the medical powers that be want to shy away from over prescribing antibiotics, but it is inconvenient and expensive to have to go to two different places and pay an arm and a leg both places - - not to mention causing undue pain and distress to make my child suffer any longer in the condition she's in without proper diagnosis and treatment. Can't they just get it right the first time? I know, they aren't all seeing and all knowing...I am as her mother. They should listen to me more. Ha! [ /rant ]

That said, I am pretty sure we won't be going back to the grocery store urgent care place any time soon.

I am off to call the doctor...

Be back later.

I Shouldn't Be...

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:06:01 GMT

on here right now.

Marisa is still not feeling well (not at all). The NP says it's viral (I disagree, but I'm just the kids mother) and allergy related (seems to be the popular diagnosis), and I have my hands full tending to her needs.

Not to mention the fact that I have my son and nephew bouncing through the house and in and out the door. Thankfully they are well, they're just very active...and hungry all the time.

I won't be getting around here much today. Just wanted to let you know, in case you miss me.

I do have something really special coming up tomorrow, so hang tight...I'm going to try to get on track enough to be able to post about it tomorrow. See you then!

Feels Like a Monday

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:25:26 GMT

But it's Tuesday.

So I'm a little tired and frustrated today.

DD#2, Marisa, is sick, again. I don't know what's up with all this illness, but enough already! I'm going to have to get her into see the doctor, and that is never an easy task. I'll probably end up taking her to the grocery store...err...urgent care at the grocery store (see last post for more on that).

DS, Jaden, is with his dad this afternoon. His dad wanted to keep him longer than he's supposed to today, and I usually allow for those wishes, but I've got too much on my plate today to wait around. His dad is usually not punctual anyway, and more than half the time he calls me to come and pick him up, because he got busy. Whatever. Not like I have anything important to do, right? But, ohh...let me ask for special consideration with him and his schedule and it's a whole different story. I won't get into it, but it is part of my 'tude at the moment.

Usually during stressful times (which I might add happen all too often) I hunker down and do some Themes for Xanga. It's relaxing to me. It's therapy of sorts...and affordable! It also keeps me drug free (prescription drugs, I mean...the legally acquired kind). I did a custom theme recently for a Xanga friend. It turned out nicely, I thought, and I was stoked that I figured out how to make the background of the posting area and the side modules semi-transparent. I thought I would do some similar themes and upload them to the themes directory soon, but I really hated the way the thumbnail turned out in the theme directory:

It looks awful, and I guess that's because of the type of image I had to use to make these areas semi-transparent. Take a live look at this custom layout (notice the background when you scroll, visible through the post and modules), by clicking here or by clicking on the image below:

So, taking a look at those things, the thumbnail and the site, you can see that no one would ever even click on the thumbnail to check it out, right? Frustrating.

I have to run to the post office and drop off some mail. It is but one thing on my list of many things to do today. I must make some headway so I can watch American Idol tonight.

What do you do when you're frustrated?

ETA: John commented that the thumbnails look like that because they are generated in IE6, and IE6 doesn't support PNG transparency. I use IE7, which was not the most popular browser edition when Xanga implemented themes. Perfectly understandable that Xanga would choose the most popular browser to do the thumbnail captures. It also means that the theme with the semi-transparencies will look like utter crap to some people on the live site. Heh, I'll just wait to introduce those until a later date. Hopefully that will happen.

Half Naked at the End of Aisle 22

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:36:51 GMT

Remember toward the end of the month last month, when I wasn't feeling my healthy usual self? Well, the worst of it went away, but since then I've been feeling a bit congested in my lungs, having sneezing fits, and having to use my inhaler quite frequently. Yesterday family members urged me to go to go to a new little urgent care thing...located in the grocery store, at the end of aisle 22 (which happens to be close to the freezer section).

I got there late in the afternoon because I dragged my feet all morning. This place closes at 4:00 PM on Sundays. I got there about 3:30 PM, and signed my name on the list of people waiting to be seen. I was the only one there. I took a seat in the tiny little waiting area and waited for the Nurse Practitioner to come out of the one exam room they have so she could examine me, prescribe some drugs, and send me on my way. I didn't think it would take long because the sign on the wall said it wouldn't:

The sign lied. I sat for some time in that tiny room while shoppers whisked by with their carts, some stopping near the entry to the waiting area long enough to remark to their significant other or friend about what kind of things they might do in this urgent care office next to the pharmacy at Kroger:

"Oh, I wonder if they do AIDS tests here, too?" was the best remark I heard. Another lady walked by and remarked to her husband about the name of the NP on the door, and how she had worked with her and had wondered where she had gone when she left wherever it was that they worked. She also said she'd wait to say hello to her if it wasn't already after 4:00 and they were closed. After 4:00?!

No signs of the NP the whole time I'd been sitting there for over 45 minutes. I should have gotten up and left at some point, it was sort of boring sitting there that long. There weren't any magazines in the waiting area like they have in a doctor's office. But fortunately for me I found the plexiglass panel in the exam room door mesmerizing, and I hadn't even been given any drugs yet:

Finally, out walked two young ladies and then the Nurse Practitioner. She smiled and said to me, "Oh my, it's after 4:00! We close at 4:00."

"Yes, I realize that. But I've been waiting here for over 45 minutes." She stepped over to the sign-in sheet to check my story.

"Oh, I see! Well, come on in, I'll take you. Let me just turn off the light out here so no one else straggles in..." Straggle, lady? I've been here for almost a half an hour before closing time. 5 minutes before closing time is straggling. Almost 30 minutes is enough before closing time to not be considered straggling.

She was thorough in her exam. So thorough that she wanted to check my lungs for pneumonia by tapping on my chest, back and front. This required me to disrobe down to my underwear from the waist up. So, as she starts tapping after I'd stripped I started laughing.

"What's funny?" She asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking I'd never been half naked at the end of Aisle 22 at the grocery store before." She chuckled politely.

She really took her time asking me questions and checking nearly every hole in my head for signs of infection. Ultimately she came to the conclusion that I'm suffering from some heavy duty allergies, wrote me some prescriptions for oral and nasal steroids and I was finally on my way.

What is the strangest thing you've ever seen at the grocery store?

A Pirate's Life For Me

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:32:34 GMT

I'm taking the rest of the weekend off...from Xanga...sort of. I won't post again until Monday.

I do have things I have to do on here...I have several Custom Themes I've promised to some peeps, and I need to get on them (the Themes, not the peeps!).

I also have deck swabbing to do 'round the ship. I don't know how this happens...I'm supposed to be the Captain, not the scullery maid, aren't I? Ha!

The crew 'round here is also requiring my attention. Can't let my crew down...that wouldn't be very captainy of me, now would it?

Carry on...see you soon!

Love,

The Pirate Queen

ETA:

I received this comment from letseewhatthiswilldo:

arent pirates murderers, thieves, and rapist's?

I'm linking this post of mine from a while back to help explain the pirate persona I've adopted on Xanga.

In addition, I'd like to state that I would only murder someone in self-defense or defending the life of a loved one. As of yet I have never had to kill anyone. I hope I never do. I am not, nor have I ever been a thief, nor a rapist.

Please, if we could all remember not to take everything so literally, huh?

Thank you,

Lisa/CynaraJane/The Pirate Queen

Tee Party

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:00:44 GMT

UPDATED at bottom!

Look what the mailman brought me today:

A few days ago there was a tab on the front page of Xanga for merchandise. I clicked on it and was really excited that I could finally get a shirt with "Xanga" on it. I was going to leave a link so you can get a nifty Xanga Tee Shirt, too, but the tab is gone now! Maybe I'm missing it somewhere, but I don't even see any link to it on the front page. Anyway, I'll be sporting my new Xanga Tee this weekend for all the world to see.

I'm thinking of offering CynaraJane shirts soon...

Would you be interested in a CJ shirt?

How about a Xanga shirt?

ETA: Thanks to LaQuesta, here's the link to the XANGA GEAR!

This is a crazy thought...could the Internet be obsolete soon? Have you heard of The Grid?

This Little Piggy

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:02:50 GMT

I sent a photo to TheGreenPanther for her "Footprints: A Project" last night. It's of mine and my sister's feet (the theme this week seems to be sisters, huh? Pretty much...)!

I've never liked my feet, although I know a lot of people who say all feet are hideous to them, and revolting. Feet don't gross me out, generally.

Do feet gross you out?

Finally!

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:26:48 GMT

Is sprung, has sprung...however you want to say it...it's finally happened and I couldn't be more pleased!

I stopped about a block away from my house to take a photo of the tree below. They were fast shots as the person's neighbor was outside looking at me like I was going to...I dunno...steal the tree or something. I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but it's real showy and beautiful right now. Do you know what kind of tree this is?

My sis is coming over in a few minutes. We're going to watch Idol Gives Back tonight together. I'm going to show her the post I did today before this one. If she doesn't kill me I'll be back later...

ETA: Here's a closeup of the flowers on the tree above: