A skeptic's hell
I sure can sympathize...
Boy on a Stick and Slither 5/21/09
May 21, 2009
It's my Remy!
or mom's Mariah...
Sandusky 5/20/09
Dogs on Thursday: Piles of Pups from Mochimochi Land
I don't have any pics of my pups, or even of my mom's girls (who were just here visiting), but fortunately, Anna in Mochimochi Land saved the day with her "Piles of Pups" announcement. Click on the link to be taken to the store. You better believe I've already bought the pattern. :-) I've purchased her patterns before, and can say that they are well designed and easy to follow.
Baby Giraffe-araffe
I don't have the code to actually embed this video, but if you click on the link, you'll see a video of the cute little baby giraffe from the Como Zoo who had to stay at the U Large Animal Vet Hospital recently. I even know a 4th year vet student who had the opportunity to work with this little guy. So cute.
May 5, 2009
If I had all the money in the world....
Just discovered jewelry maker Wendy Brandes. Normally large rings and things don't do anything for me aesthetically because I can't wear them well. But there is something about her work that I just love.
Here are some of my favorites:
Wendy is a fan of British royalty, so she's also up on her history, which is particularly cool. She has a lot of entries on her blog regarding Henry VIII and his wives, as well as the contemporary designer world. Pretty interesting reading.
April 30, 2009
Walk for Animals -- There's Still Time
The Walk for Animals is this Saturday, May 2. There's still time to donate if you can.
We recently had to take our Great Dane, Payton, to the U Vet Hospital for a collapsing episode (I blogged about it here). While we were talking to the doctors, the staff, and even other people, I was so thankful to know that I'm in a position to take care of my "kids." Many people aren't, and choose to either surrender or euthanize (or even simply abandon) their pets when the animals get "too expensive."
Please consider supporting me by making a donation so that this shelter and others can continue to help lost and lonely pets. You can make your donation online by simply clicking the link at the bottom of this message. If you prefer to support a different shelter, let me know, and I will make a matching donation to the Walk in your name.
Thank you!
Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://events.animalhumanesociety.org/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1022941&pg=personal&fr_id=1080&et=mqSr9l54BEb_oWjr8uxq-g..&s_tafId=10251
April 27, 2009
Transforming Higher Education
I really like this editorial in the New York Times. I knew a long time before I finished my Ph.D. that I was being trained in a narrow and framented area. I've been able to parlay my degree into other areas of higher ed than teaching, but I have no delusions about my worth in the private marketplace.
One of the ideas I particularly like in this essay is a "problem-based" education. One of the top things we hear from conferences and administrators and grant underwriters is the need for more interdisciplinary study. I tried to argue in my dissertation (until my committee made me take it out because I wasn't writing about curriculum revision per se) was that American literature in all of its aspects is better understood when taught with non-American literature and global history. How can you really understand contemporary Native American literature unless you know the history from which it came? Wouldn't it be much more interesting to read works by non-American authors at the same time as reading things by the Puritans when they first landed?
The study of literature could very easily fall into a "Communications" problem-based curriculum. I'm good at spelling, grammar, and vocabulary not because I majored in English, but because I have always been a voracious reader. Multi-disciplinary studies is the best way to ensure that liberal arts has a future.
Unfortunately, my brain cannot begin to think about what it would take to transform higher ed following this type of model. A student and I were talking about K-12 education the other day, and reforming that probably means razing the entire system and starting fresh. I have a feeling that this type of higher ed reform would be about the same; Taylor's vision could lead to a streamlining of colleges and universities like no one has ever seen before, and I seriously doubt he'll have much buy in. But I'm behind it, for what it's worth. :-)
April 24, 2009
Another day at the doggy hospital
Update: The test results came back negative for Addison's. That's good, right? But what it means overall is that we have no idea what caused his episode, when it might happen again, or if there's anything we can do to prevent it. What I do know is that I really don't want to have to carry 100 lbs of scared, collapsed Great Dane to the car again. /update
My poor puppy-boy, Payton, spent another day at the U Vet hospital yesterday. Everything seems more or less fine now, but we may be looking at atypical Addison's disease, which is not something I've spent a lot of time thinking about. I just thank Dog that we have the financial means to perform the tests required and follow through with treatment. So many dogs are surrendered or euthanized because their owners, not necessarily through any fault of their own, can't afford testing and treatment for different and unknown problems.
It started around 6:30. I was in the shower, and the hubby was feeding and outing the kids as normal. He said that when the dogs started to come inside, he noticed Payton's hindquarters veering to the right, almost like he was coming in sideways. Hubby had to help him up the 3 or so stairs leading into the kitchen, and then Payton collapsed; he lost motor control of his rear end.
When I got downstairs, Payton was lying on the 2.5 x 4 (-ish) rug we have at the base of the stairs. I could move his right leg (he was laying on his left haunch, so I couldn't access that leg), and he didn't seem to particularly be in pain, but he was definitely stressed. He was alert, and upset that he couldn't join us when we were both upstairs getting dressed (I literally got out of the shower, threw on a towel, and went downstairs). Trust me...when your dog collapses, alert is still a very good thing.
As I was talking to the emergency clinic, Payton attempted to join me in the dining room...I think he was heading toward one of the futons in the couch where he likes to relax. He struggled over to the rug, moving his front feet fine, but his hind end was very droopy and uncontrolled. When he could get both rear legs underhim, it was like he had no strength to raise his hips or really stand. He also had a lot of tremors; hubby says he was spasming all down his back initially, but I saw most of the tremors in his haunches. We had to carry him to the car, but the clinic fortunately had a cart to bring him in with.
The first diagnosis was Fibrous Cartilage Embolism (FCE), where a piece of cartilage gets into the blood stream and acts as a blood clot. Here's where the real $$ comes, because the best/only way to really determine this is through an MRI. So, we left him at the hospital again, where he was transfered to the neurology unit (Wobbler's was another possibility, but since a) this was a sudden episode and b) his symptoms in the initial exam were more localized on the right side, they ruled this out). Which meant that now the waiting started.
We finally got to bring him home around 3pm. He had actually mostly recovered by the time the neurologist saw him (in the initial exam, he recognized when his left rear foot was set the wrong way, but not the right rear foot), and was walking around, had good spatial sense, and no signs of pain. So the neurologist recommended having him sent to the cardiologist. There they determined that everything really looked pretty good, but that his heart was smaller than it should have been, which means that not enough blood was circulating which led them down the Addison's direction. Now that I've done more reading, I'm pretty comfortable with this diagnosis. If the tests come back negative for Addison's, though, we're more or less at a lack of explanations.
But, everything else considered, we're happy that he's more or less healthy, that we got a good chunk of our initial estimate downpayment back (MRIs ain't cheap and the hospital requires a deposit of 75% of the high estimate before they'll continue), and that we have the time and money to take care of our kids.
April 22, 2009
Welcome to Minnesota [Nice]
I tend to be a "I calls em as I sees em" kind of person, which can lead to some injured feelings, but I do try to be honest. It's just that not everyone wants honesty all the time...I'm having to learn how to be "honest" while preserving sensitivities as well. Today's "Boy on a Stick and Slither" pretty much represents my take on "Minnesota Nice."
April 21, 2009
Yarn Harlot humor
I love this post by Stephanie McPhee about a sweater knitting escapade. Take your time reading it...her humor is certainly lovely.
But beyond that, I just died when I read one of the comments: "That sounds a bit like my rabbit agility students last night trying to guide their rabbits through the course. To go left, put your right foot out to tell the rabbit to also go left (away from the foot), only this means you have to remember both the direction (left) you want to go and to use the opposite (right) foot. My poor beginners were having issues - "is it 'go left use right foot to guide', or 'go right use left foot to guide'? Luckily, most of the grade goes to the rabbits, who generally did just fine. :)"
Turns out there is such a thing as rabbit agility:
Who knew?
April 10, 2009
Singing pooch accompanies himself
I've seen and had dogs who sing. Payton will occasionally sing to sirens or bagpipes. But I haven't seen many that accompany themselves with their singing:
April 7, 2009
Walk for Animals--and Contest
For the past 4 (5?) years, the kids and I have participated in the Animal Humane Society's Walk for Animals. I generally participate in two charity events each year, the Walk and the MS Allianz 30/60 bike tour. While I will probably still do the ride, I am only actively soliciting donations for the Walk, the event that is closest to my heart.
I am asking for your help to support my fundraising efforts. I read stories every day of the animals that have been found abandoned because their owners don't think they can afford to keep them. Too often people forget that pets are lifetime responsibilities; this type of fund-raising event is one way that I can help give animals a voice in our society. The pets in our lives give us a lot. Help me help to give back.
If you feel like you have anything you can even, even $5 or $10, the animals and I will deeply appreciate it. Click to link to my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://events.animalhumanesociety.org/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1022941&pg=personal&fr_id=1080&et=5u8LV5_suEDv4dxdoC77Xw..&s_tafId=10251
I'm gonna run another little contest with this one. If you support me, let me know, and I'll add your name to a drawing for goodies! I'll add more prize options with more donations, so the more people who donate, the better your opportunity to win gets!
Playing Dead
Our friend Lucy will play dead. Point your "finger gun" at her and say "Bang," and she'll go into elaborate death throes before collapsing.
Here is a different take on "play dead" from Letterman's stupid pet tricks segment:
April 6, 2009
New Artwork
I haven't shown any of my artwork recently, but I have done some. Click the thumbnails below for a much larger image. I had to use the scanner at work, which isn't the best of scanners, so there are some flaws that are simply a result of the scanner.
When I first saw Bill of the Birds' tri-colored heron picture, I knew that was one I wanted to paint. I'm no Julie Zickefoose when it comes to watercolor, but I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out.
I had a similar thought with Birdchick's wood duck picture. I wish I could make my water colors mimic that irridescence the feathers really have, but again, I'm pretty happy with this one overall.
Finally, this is just a very quick, and not-completed pencil sketch of Kaya, a Dane from Australia whose blog I've been following. I was surprisingly devastated to learn that her people had to let her go after a very sudden illness. I don't plan to do any more work on this one, but I do love how her face came out for just a quick sketch.
Dog stealing blanket from cat
Such a cute video:
Check out the big, contented sigh at the end. :-)
Contact Me
dtisinger [at] gmail [dot] com
