The Holly and Ken Show

What I want for my birthday.....

2011-02-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'll take one of these please! GO STEELERS!

Happy New Year 2011 !

2010-12-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T17:56:00.002-07:00

Ston gets a present

2010-12-25T14:35:00.001-07:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

So many memories

2010-12-13T21:38:00.002-07:00

Kay Francis Hendrickson Tucci Olszewski, age 71, of 24435 Hwy 408, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403. A lifelong resident of Cambridge Springs, Kay was born on March 9, 1939 and was the daughter of Edward and Francis May Hendrickson. Kay was married on June 21, 1980 to her loving husband and companion, Leo Olszewski.

Kay was truly an amazing mother, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt and friend. Known by her great grandson, Tino, simply as “Great-Mother”.

Kay adored flowers and was an avid gardener who belonged to the Cambridge Springs Garden Club. Strangers would sometimes stop while she was working in the yard and tell her how beautiful her flowers were. Kay was also known for taking many photos. Her children often referred to her affectionately as “Kodak Kay”. She leaves behind many dozens of photo albums full of memories for her loved ones. Kay also liked to collect Cobalt blue glass and never passed up a garage sale.

She loved the water and spent many winter months over the years in Florida on the beach with her beloved husband Leo. They also had a summer place on Lake Erie where she enjoyed walking along the shore collecting drift glass, building bonfires and watching sunsets. When her grandchildren Devon and Dillan were little, they named Lake Erie “Big Water Wow”, which it will forever now be known.

She doted on her grandchildren whom she loved dearly and who adored everything about her. Some of her favorite things to do with them as they were growing up were playing miniature golf, flying kites, blowing bubbles, trading knock-knock jokes and other riddles, sled riding and making snow angels. She always remained a child at heart.

She never failed to send a greeting card to friends and family members for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. (She may have been solely responsible for keeping Hallmark in business.)

Most people are lucky in life if they have one best friend, Kay had many, many, “best” friends-JoAnn Kolin, Janet O’Sullivan, Lorraine Fosburg, Maxine Green, Linda Bogda, Elsamae Bundy, Betty Hamilton, Toni Thomas, Nita Tyner, Judy Novak, Joan Angelo, Nancy Farkos, Alice Hale, Judy Lewis, Lillian Lenhart, Sis (many are friends of 40 years and more.)

Although she enjoyed all holidays, Christmas was her absolute favorite. She baked a huge variety of cookies making sure everyone got their favorite kind. She was especially famous for her hard candy. Decorating cookies with her was a holiday tradition for her nieces and grandchildren.

Kay was preceded in love and peace by brothers Gene and Alan and sister Sylvia. Kay is survived by brothers Guy and wife Lorene Hendrickson of Leavenworth, IN and Ed and wife Vicki Hendrickson of Cambridge Springs, PA

Kay leaves behind son Steven and wife Kathleen Nowak-Tucci and grandchildren Genevieve and Tyler Tucci of Atmore, AL. Leo and wife Debby Olszewski, and grandsons Leo and his wife Rachel, and David and his finance Gail Hunt, all of Cambridge Springs, PA. Daughter Beth Tucci-Butler and husband Richard and grandchildren Devon and Dillan of Pittsburgh, PA. Daughter Susan and husband Fernando Medina of Dallas, TX. Gary Olszewski and wife Diane, of Cambridge Springs, PA. Son Michael and Kim Tucci of Venango, PA; Janell Tucci of Pittsburgh, PA and grandchildren Stephen May of Grove City, PA, Lia, of Colorado Springs, CO, Tiara and Michael II, of Venango, PA. And one great-grandson, Santino Tucci, of Colorado Springs, CO. Marilyn Shorts-Dine (who was like a daughter to her) and husband John and their children Cindy Marie and Brenda Sue who called her Grandma Kay.

Family and friends are invited to call Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 at Van Matre Funeral Home in Cambridge Springs. In lieu of flowers and to help celebrate Kay’s love of Christmas, the family asks that you bring an ornament to hang on the Christmas tree when you come for visitation. Funeral services will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Cambridge Springs on Thursday at 11:00 a. m. with Reverend David Poulson, pastor of the Church officiating. Burial will be in Venango Cemetery. Memorials may be given to Hospice of Crawford County, 448 Pine Street, Meadville, PA 16335 or Helping Hands of Cambridge Springs, % Jay Aklin, 125 Prospect Street, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403.

Unfortunately, her nieces were not included: Heidi Hendrickson, Kimberly Charles, Holly Hendrickson, Amber Hendrickson, Katie Hendrickson, and Jessica Hendrickson

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2010-12-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Wish I was there....

2010-12-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

How Marijuana Got Mainstreamed - TIME

2010-12-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

How Marijuana Got Mainstreamed - TIME

Hard to Swallow

2010-11-03T18:59:00.001-06:00

Just sayin'

2010-11-03T18:54:00.002-06:00

Medical Marijuana Advertising Boosts Newspaper Revenue

2010-10-06T13:13:00.002-06:00

New Fuel for Local Papers: Medical Marijuana Ads
By JEREMY W. PETERS
COLORADO SPRINGS — When it hit the streets here last week, the latest issue of ReLeaf, a pullout supplement to The Colorado Springs Independent devoted to medical marijuana, landed with a satisfying thud.

Forty-eight pages in all, it was stuffed with advertisements for businesses with names like Mile High Mike’s, Happy Buddah and the Healthy Connections (which enticed potential customers with promises of “naughty nurses” to tend to patients’ needs).

A full-page ad in ReLeaf costs about $1,100, making the publication a cash cow for The Independent, which has used its bounty from medical marijuana ads this year to hire one new reporter and promote three staff members to full time.

The paper has also added a column called CannaBiz that follows news from across the country; its author is the new marijuana beat writer.

What would happen in the many communities now allowing medical marijuana had been a subject of much hand-wringing. But few predicted this: that it would be a boon for local newspapers looking for ways to cope with the effects of the recession and the flight of advertising — especially classified listings — to Web sites like Craigslist.

But in states like Colorado, California and Montana where use of the drug for health purposes is legal, newspapers — particularly alternative weeklies — have rushed to woo marijuana providers. Many of these enterprises are flush with cash and eager to get the word out about their fledgling businesses.

“Medical marijuana has been a revenue blessing over and above what we anticipated,” said John Weiss, the founder and publisher of The Independent, a free weekly. “This wasn’t in our marketing plan a year ago, and now it is about 10 percent of our paper’s revenue.”
It is hard to measure what share of the overall market they account for, but ads for medical marijuana providers and the businesses that have sprouted up to service them — tax lawyers, real estate agents, security specialists — have bulked up papers in large metropolitan news markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver.

“This is certainly one of the fastest growing industries we’ve ever seen come in,” said Scott Tobias, president and chief operating officer of Village Voice Media, which publishes alternative weeklies across the country.

Alternative weeklies are not the only publications raking in medical marijuana lucre. Dailies like The Denver Post and The Bozeman Daily Chronicle in Montana are taking advantage of the boom and making no apologies.

“My point of view is, for the moment at least, it’s legal,” said Stephanie Pressly, publisher of The Daily Chronicle, adding that the paper generates about $7,500 a month in advertising from medical marijuana businesses. “The joke around here is that it’s a budding business.”
Newspaper publishers saw an opening for medical marijuana advertising after the Obama administration said last fall that it would not prosecute users and suppliers of the drug as long as they complied with state laws. Though many states have made legal allowances for medical marijuana for nearly a decade (the total now is 14 and the District of Columbia), that decision freed more people to market and sell it as a medical product.

Advertising demand for the drug grew so quickly in Village Voice Media’s Western markets that the company started publishing supplements late last year. It gave them cheeky names like “Chronic-le” in Denver and “The Rolling Paper” in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County. The tag line in Denver displayed underneath a smiling, sauntering, sandal-wearing cartoon joint reads, “Your Guide to Medical Marijuana. Enjoy.”

In Colorado, where people have likened the explosion of medical marijuana to the state’s 19th-century gold rush, the market for ads and information about the drug has been especially strong. The summer 2010 issue of The Chronic-le, at 48 shiny pages, included features like “Toke of the Town,” a summary of the latest marijuana-related news, and a roster of the nearly 250 stores in the Denver area that sell marijuana.

Mr. Tobias said that in Denver money from advertising for marijuana-related businesses has totaled 15 percent of the weekly Westword’s revenue this year and nearly 40 percent of its classified advertising revenue. A small, eighth-page display ad on one of the paper’s glossy inside pages can cost $550.

As other advertisers pulled back, spending by marijuana-related businesses has filled the gaps, Mr. Tobias said. “There were less jobs, so there was less employment advertising. The rentals and real estate market collapsed to some degree, so there were less ads for those,” he said. Medical marijuana, he added, “is a welcome revenue stream.” In the California papers, marijuana revenue is smaller, but it still provides a boost. It totals 8 percent of The OC Weekly’s revenue; at The SF Weekly it is 5 percent.

But the drug is more than just a profit center for Westword. It has become a journalistic staple for the paper. Westword’s editor, Patricia Calhoun, has attended public hearings on marijuana laws and live-blogged about them herself. Articles about marijuana on the paper’s Web site remain one of its biggest draws. “I said the industry is growing faster than the coverage is,” Ms. Calhoun recalled. “So we really ramped it up.”

Last year Westword hired a part-time marijuanacritic who goes by the pseudonym William Breathes. The paper insists on keeping his identity a secret. Mr. Breathes, 29, a graduate student who was a reporter for a daily paper in the Denver area before being laid off, proudly claims to be a living, breathing (and smoking) example of the economic benefits of medical marijuana.

“It’s created journalism jobs — well, at least one,” Mr. Breathes said. His work, published in Westword’s “Mile Highs and Lows” column, now includes more than just smoking marijuana, which he said he uses medically for chronic stomach problems. He also reports on services, like a video chat forum for marijuana smokers who want company when they light up, and he blogs about marijuana-related news.

The explosive growth of the medical marijuana business has some worried about the ultimate buzz kill: that the bubble is about to burst. In Colorado Springs, where liberal marijuana policy has run head on into the city’s active community of social conservatives, voters will decide next month on a ballot initiative that would ban medical marijuana sellers in unincorporated areas of El Paso County. In Montana the Legislature is expected to take up proposals to more strictly regulate medical marijuana use, including limiting the amount of the drug a patient can buy each month.

At The Missoula Independent, where medical marijuana advertising now makes up about 10 percent of the paper’s revenue, there is concern that the spigot may soon tighten.
Matt Gibson, The Independent’s president, said marijuana businesses have helped carry the paper through a rough recession. “It’s been stressful for us for several years,” he said. “There’s no question that they’ve been good for our business. And we’re worried about 2011, if the state revises the statute, which it appears is all but certain.”

Indeed, in the latest issue of ReLeaf, many of the ads have a fire-sale quality to them. One medical marijuana provider offers five free joints to new customers, another promises buyers a free pipe packed with marijuana and a free week of yoga, making the headline on an article a few pages later all the more foreboding: “Tightening regulations, crowded market make for dicey days.”

Prepped and ready

2010-09-26T17:17:00.003-06:00

Here's what we have spent every weekend this sumer doing: putting new trim on the house. It is now ready to be stained/painted. Pics of the finished product to come....

Cool Site of the Month: Google Sightseeing

2010-09-22T18:50:00.002-06:00

Want to tour the world without getting out of your pajamas? Then check out Google Sightseeing.

Check out such fine places as Centralia, PA, which has been on fire for decades; Prypiat Ukraine, which was abandoned after the Chernobyl explosion; or shipwrecks in the Moroccan desert.

This Cat...

2010-08-29T17:08:00.002-06:00

is 14 years old and sleepy. Happy birthday!

Medical Use of Marijuana Costs Some a Paycheck

2010-08-28T09:37:00.010-06:00

By JENNIFER MASCIA - New York Times

Residents in 14 states and Washington can now appeal to their doctors for prescriptions for medical to help them with their pain.

Their employers, however, may not be so understanding.

In some cases, workers have been fired for failing drug tests despite having prescriptions saying, in effect, that what they are doing is legal according to the laws of their states.

Though the number of such cases appears to be small, they are exposing a new legal gray area, with workers complaining of rights violations and company officials scratching their heads over how to enforce a uniform policy for a drug that the federal government has not recognized as having a legitimate medical purpose.

“The current state of affairs puts employers in a very difficult situation,” said Barbara L. Johnson, an employment lawyer in Washington. “But the reality is that there are no federal guidelines like there are when dealing with other types of prescription medications.”

Some workers have learned about this legal quandary first-hand, at the cost of their jobs.

Nick Stennet, 20, has a congenital disorder called Poland’s syndrome, which left him without a chest muscle on the right side of his body and with a right hand with fingers substantially shorter than those on his left.

Doctors prescribed one or two inhalations of marijuana each night before bed to relieve severe muscle stiffness and shooting pains in his arms.

Mr. Stennet said he told the human resources manager at the Home Depot in Hilo, Hawaii, about his prescription when he was being hired. But after his drug test came back positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active chemical in marijuana, he was out a job.

“Why would they send me down there when they know I am going to test positive?” he said. “I feel like they put me through ridicule when it was so avoidable.”

Steve Holmes, a Home Depot spokesman, said the company followed federal guidelines for its drug policy. Employees are allowed to take a leave if they choose to use marijuana to combat the side effects of treatment for a serious ailment. When they return, however, the THC must be out of their systems.

“It’s a safety issue for us,” Mr. Holmes said. Cynthia Estlund, a professor of labor and employment law said that only one state that had legalized medical marijuana had taken the additional step of saying explicitly that it was unlawful to fire someone for using a lawful substance.

At the same time, Ms. Estlund said, “Nothing in the law tells employers what to do, so they don’t have to fire them under federal law.”

That is the objection raised by Scott Michelman, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of his client, Joseph Casias.

In 2008, Mr. Casias, a father of two who medicates with marijuana to relieve the pain of inoperable brain and sinus cancer, was named associate of the year at the Wal-Mart in Battle Creek, Mich. But when he injured his knee last year, company policy required a drug test. The positive result cost him his job.

In June, the A.C.L.U. filed a complaint in state court on his behalf, citing wrongful termination. He is seeking reinstatement and damages.

“The cancer is not what’s keeping him from earning a living — Wal-Mart is,” Mr. Michelman said. “There’s actually no law to require Wal-Mart to do what they did.”

Greg Rossiter, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said: “This is obviously an unfortunate situation all around. But we have to consider the overall safety of our customers and our associates.”

On the broader legal question, Mr. Rossiter added: “As more states allow this treatment, employers are left without guidelines.”

Only the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act offers protection to medical marijuana cardholders for students, employees and tenants. Michigan’s law does not compel an employer to make accommodations for marijuana consumption “in any workplace” or for “any employee working while under the influence of marijuana,” according to the legislation.

While that addresses marijuana smoking at work or just before work, the Michigan law does not speak to what employees can do away from work. Mr. Michelman of the A.C.L.U. said he believed that there was no gray area and that federal law does not govern the relationship between a private employer and an employee.

“There is only one law governing this situation, and that’s Michigan law,” he said.

John Vasconcellos, a California state senator who was a leading advocate for medical marijuana legislation there, said lawmakers had not anticipated such a collision of state and federal law in employment practices.

“I think they’re hiding from common sense, and they’re hiding from the science that shows it might help their employee be more healthy and feel less pain,” Mr. Vasconcellos said of companies that fired employees with medical marijuana registry cards, prescriptions or endorsements from doctors.

In Colorado, the right to use medical marijuana for a debilitating medical condition is protected by the State Constitution — though with limitations — making it unique among states where it is legal. But Brandon Coats, 30, a phone operator at Dish Network who has used a wheelchair since he was paralyzed in a car accident 14 years go, was fired after a random drug test came back positive.

Mr. Coats’s doctors had recommended medical marijuana to control his involuntary muscle spasms and seizures after prescription drugs were no longer effective for him. A few puffs before bed allows him to work comfortably the next day, said his lawyer, Michael Evans.

Mr. Evans said that Mr. Coats — who, he said, had consistently received good performance reviews — was terminated for conduct that was legal and outside of work.

In an e-mail, Francie Bauer, the company’s corporate communications manager, said: “Dish Network does not comment on the specifics of employee matters. As a national company with more than 21,000 employees, Dish Network is committed to its drug-free workplace policy and compliance with federal law, which does not permit the use of marijuana, even for medicinal purposes.”

The issue has not worked its way through the Colorado courts.

Some companies have begun to recognize marijuana as a legitimate therapy. Jian Software, based in Chico, Calif., recently consulted with the National Organization of Marijuana Reform Laws, or Norml, in an effort to institute a drug policy that accounts for the medicinal use of marijuana.

This is necessary, said R. Keith Stroup, legal counsel for Norml, because the courts have not yet held that medical marijuana users enjoy “a legally enforceable, fundamental right” to smoke.

“Employers in states that have legalized the medical use of marijuana under state law unfortunately remain free to fire employees who test positive for THC,” Mr. Stroup said in an e-mail. “It is terribly unfair to these patients, but at this time it is not illegal.”

A Dutch City Seeks to End Drug Tourism

2010-08-17T20:54:00.004-06:00

By SUZANNE DALEY - New York Times

MAASTRICHT, the Netherlands — On a recent summer night, Marc Josemans’s Easy Going Coffee Shop was packed. The lines to buy marijuana and hashish stretched to the reception area where customers waited behind glass barriers.

Most were young. Few were Dutch.

Thousands of “drug tourists” sweep into this small, picturesque city in the southeastern part of the Netherlands every day — as many as two million a year, city officials say. Their sole purpose is to visit the city’s 13 “coffee shops,” where they can buy varieties of marijuana with names like Big Bud, Amnesia and Gold Palm without fear of prosecution.

It is an attraction Maastricht and other Dutch border cities would now gladly do without. Struggling to reduce traffic jams and a high crime rate, the city is pushing to make its legalized use of recreational drugs a Dutch-only policy, banning sales to foreigners who cross the border to indulge. But whether the European Union’s free trade laws will allow that is another matter.

The case, now wending its way through the courts, is being closely watched by legal scholars as a test of whether the European Court of Justice will carve out an exception to trade rules — allowing one country’s security concerns to override the European Union’s guarantee of a unified and unfettered market for goods and services.

City officials say they have watched with horror as a drug tolerance policy intended to keep Dutch youth safe — and established long before Europe’s borders became so porous — has morphed into something else entirely. Municipalities like Maastricht, in easy driving distance from Belgium, France and Germany, have become regional drug supply hubs.

Maastricht now has a crime rate three times that of similar-size Dutch cities farther from the border. “They come with their cars and they make a lot of noise and so on,” said Gerd Leers, who was mayor of Maastricht for eight years. “But the worst part is that this group, this enormous group, is such an attractive target for criminals who want to sell their own stuff, hard stuff, and they are here too now.”

In recent years, crime in Maastricht, a city of cobblestone lanes and medieval structures, has included a shootout on the highway, involving a Bulgarian assassin hired to kill a rival drug producer.

Mr. Leers used to call the possibility of banning sales to foreigners a long shot. But last month, Maastricht won an early round. The advocate general for the European Court of Justice, Yves Bot, issued a finding that “narcotics, including cannabis, are not goods like others and their sale does not benefit from the freedoms of movement guaranteed by European law.”

Mr. Leers called the ruling “very encouraging.” Coffee shop owners saw it differently.

“There is no way this will hold up,” said John Deckers, a spokesman for the Maastricht coffee shop owners’. “It is discrimination against other European Union citizens.”

If Maastricht gets its way, many other Dutch municipalities will doubtless follow. Last year, two small Dutch towns, Rosendal and Bergen op Zoom, decided to close all their coffee shops after surveys showed that most of their customers were foreigners.

The situation has not made for good neighborly feelings. Many residents of border towns criticize Belgium, France and Germany for tolerating recreational drug use but banning the sale of drugs. “They don’t punish small buyers,” said Cyrille Fijnaut, a professor at the University of Tilburg law school. “But they also don’t have their own coffee shops, so that leaves us as the suppliers. Our policy has been abused, misused, totally perverted.”

As business has boomed, many of the Dutch coffee shops — dingy, hippie establishments in the ’80s and ’90s with a few plastic tubs of marijuana on the shelves — have become slick shops serving freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee in fine china.

The Easy Going Coffee Shop has a computer console at the door where identification documents proving that customers are 18 or older are scanned and recorded. Tiny pictures on driver’s licenses are blown up to life-size on a screen, so guards can get a good look at them. Behind the teller windows, workers still cut the hashish with a big kitchen knife, but all sales are recorded on computerized cash registers.

Mr. Bot’s ruling last month is only an early step in determining whether Maastricht can enforce a Dutch-only policy. A final ruling by the full court is expected by the end of the year.

But Mr. Bot’s finding, a veritable tirade on the evils of drugs, surprised many legal scholars, who expected the European Union’s open market rules to trump any public order arguments, as they have in other cases. Sweden, for instance, which has a long history of struggling with alcohol abuse, was obliged to take down most of its anti-alcohol laws restricting store hours and sales, as they were seen as impinging on free trade.

Polls show that a majority of the Dutch still believe that the coffee shops should exist. But the Netherlands once had 1,500 of them; now, there are about 700. And every year, the numbers decline, according to Nicole Maalste, a professor at the University of Tilburg who has written a book on the subject. “Slowly, slowly they are being closed down by inventing new rules, and new rules,” Ms. Maalste said.

Much of the criminality associated with the coffee shops, experts say, revolves around what people here call the “back door” problem. The government regulates what goes on in coffee shops. But it has never legalized or regulated how the stores get the drugs they sell — an issue that states in the United States that have legalized medical marijuana are just beginning to grapple with.

In recent years, the tremendous volume of sales created by foreigners has prompted an industry of cultivating cannabis and other drugs within the Netherlands — some estimate that it is now a $2 billion a year business — much of it tangled in organized crime and money laundering operations, experts say.

Advocates for legalized sales and coffee shop owners argue that trying to restrict foreigners will only encourage them to buy illegally in the streets. They also say that coffee shops have other selling points: they pay 450 million euros a year in taxes and provide thousands of jobs.

Mr. Deckers, the shop association spokesman, said coffee shop owners were so skeptical that the European Union would allow restrictions on sales based on nationality that they encouraged the city to get a ruling on the subject. They doubt Mr. Bot’s arguments will stand. “We know he is wrong,” Mr. Deckers said.

Five years of Colorado-ness

2010-08-10T22:57:00.001-06:00

We've been Colorado residents for 5 years now. Where did all the time go?

August Site: Anthony Bourdain's Alternate Universe - Travel Channel

2010-08-02T20:23:00.000-06:00

Anthony Bourdain's Alternate Universe

Watch Tony mock himself and others in his online alternate universe.

Ken Is Now Employed

2010-07-27T21:20:00.000-06:00

Ken got a job!!!! YAY!!

That is all.

July's "Check this out" site

2010-07-11T12:25:00.003-06:00

crap at my parents house

The goal of Crap At My Parents House is to pay homage to all of the weird crap that everyone's parents have. Please help in this project by submitting anything you deem funny, weird, odd, unique, strange, absurd, ridiculous or just plain terrifying.

You can submit using the "submit" tab or by emailing crapatmyparentshouse@gmail.com, or drop us an email to say "hi"

Flower beds

2010-06-29T21:45:00.001-06:00

Two flower beds mostly complete. Like 4 more to go.

Things cats do while you are sleeping...

2010-06-28T20:38:00.001-06:00

Kitten Mittens!

2010-05-21T22:33:00.002-06:00

In honor of our Paradise Cove Trivia Team: Kitten Mittens!

Go Speed Racer

2010-05-19T20:42:00.002-06:00

This weekend we took a little trip to the new indoor carting facility here in Denver, Speed Raceway. We had previously purchased Groupons that included our license plus 3 races for $30, which comes out to less than 1/2 price. It is located all the way out in the southeast corner of the metro, which feels like you are driving to Kansas.

Since it is indoor, these are electric powered carts on a tight, indoor track that can hold about 10 carts at a time. The races are 12 laps and are based on time instead of passing, which means that you have to try to steal a glance at the scoreboard as you go around to see your position. You can still pass other people, but since you all enter the track at different times instead of from a grid, it is hard to tell who is actually winning!

My times started in the 29 second range and decreased by about a second per race til I was just above 27 seconds. The secrets to my hot lap was to gun it on the straight to the start/finish line and spin out, wasting the next lap.

Ken started at the 26 second mark and stayed there for all 3 races.

I was apprehensive at first because I was unsure how the tires would stick and they do not have power steering, so you need to put a little effort into it in the corners. Plus braking with my left foot does not come naturally.

Overall, it was a pretty decent time, but it could get expensive super fast at $20/race. They have leagues you can do, but that is a bit too steep for our pocketbooks.

Gratuitious Cat Pictures

2010-05-08T16:13:00.002-06:00

Light Rail is coming!

2010-05-03T21:06:00.001-06:00

The new light rail bridge was installed over 6th Ave this weekend...watch it happen in 1 minute.

Happy Tolerance Day!

2010-05-01T17:08:00.002-06:00

Today we celebrate the 5th anniversary of tolerance day. It has now been 6 years since we first met and amazingly, we are still together. 2004 seems like a long time ago.

More marijuana

2010-04-24T21:00:00.003-06:00

Don’t Call It ‘Pot’ in This Circle; It’s a Profession

By JESSE McKINLEY - NEW YORK TIMES

OAKLAND, CA. — Like hip-hop, health food and snowboarding, marijuana is going corporate.

As more and more states allow medical use of the drug, and California considers outright legalization, marijuana’s supporters are pushing hard to burnish the image of pot by franchising dispensaries and building brands; establishing consulting, lobbying and law firms; setting up trade shows and a seminar circuit; and constructing a range of other marijuana-related businesses.

Boosters say it is all part of a concerted effort to trade the drug’s trippy, hippie counterculture past for what they believe will inevitably be a more buttoned-up future.

“I don’t possess a Nehru jacket, I’ve never grown a goatee, I’ve never grown my hair past the nape of my neck,” Allen St. Pierre, the executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said. “And I don’t like patchouli.”

Steve DeAngelo, the president of CannBe — a marketing, lobbying and consulting firm here — will not even use the word “marijuana.” Calling it pejorative, he prefers the scientific term “cannabis.”

“We want to make it safe, seemly and responsible,” Mr. DeAngelo said of marijuana.

That extends to his main dispensary and headquarters, the Harborside Health Center in Oakland, with its bright fluorescent lights, a clean, spare design, and a raft of other services including chiropractic care and yoga classes. On a recent Friday, the center was packed, with a line of about 50 people waiting as the workers behind the counter walked other customers through the various buds, brownies and baked goods that were for sale.

“If we can’t demonstrate professionalism and legitimacy, we’re never going to gain the trust of our citizens,” Mr. DeAngelo said. “And without that trust, we’re never going to get where we need to go.”

The ultimate destination, for many supporters, is legalization. Californians will decide in November if that is where they want to go, when they vote on a ballot measure that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana.

Regardless of the outcome, CannBe says it expects to expand its business model nationwide to become what admirers say will be “the McDonald’s of marijuana.”

The for-profit company is made up of four proprietors of nonprofit dispensaries and their lawyer. Mr. DeAngelo calls them an “A-team of cannabis professionals.”

In late March, it helped lobby the City Council in San Jose, the nation’s 10th-largest city, to pass ordinances regulating dispensaries, a crucial step toward a legitimate industry. And last week at a cannabis conference in Rhode Island, Mr. DeAngelo was diversifying his product line, introducing a kind of “pot lite” with less psychoactive agents than regular marijuana and thus popular with what he calls “cannabis-naïve patients.”

John Lovell, a California lobbyist who represents two major police groups that oppose legalization, scoffed at the notion that marijuana proponents were cleaning up their act or gaining traction with the public, citing a recent decision by the Los Angeles City Council to sharply curtail the number of medical marijuana dispensaries there.

“They are a neighborhood blight,” he said. “Here you have dispensaries that have cash and dope. So, duh? Is it any surprise that they’ve been magnets for crime?”

But advocates call that characterization unfair and outdated.

“This is an emerging business opportunity, as it would be in any other area,” said Ethan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which favors legalization.

In California, dispensaries already employ all manner of business gimmicks to survive in an increasingly competitive market. West Coast Cannabis, a trade magazine, has dozens of advertisements for daily specials, free samples, home delivery, gift certificates, scientific testimonials, yoga classes, hypnotherapy, Reiki sessions, coupons, recipes and, of course — being California — free parking.

There are also new schools and seminars that can be used as credit for required continuing education classes for doctors and lawyers.

That includes the Cannabis Law Institute, which was certified last month by the California state bar. It was co-founded by Omar Figueroa, a graduate of Yale University and Stanford law school, who is hosting a seminar in Sonoma County in June that promises to teach attendees about “this fascinating area of the law.”

Mr. Figueroa, who said he was voted “most likely to fail a Senate confirmation hearing” at Stanford, said he was earning a good living in marijuana law, but was in it for the experience. “My passion has always been cannabis,” he said. “It’s the world’s most interesting law job.”

But it is not just California. Business is also booming in Colorado, which has seen an explosion in the number of dispensaries in the last year. That rapid expansion has alarmed some authorities and sent legislators scrambling to pass new regulations, but has been a boon for law firms like Kumin Sommers L.L.P. in San Francisco, which has merged with Warren C. Edson, a lawyer in Denver representing about 300 Colorado dispensaries. Mr. Edson said many of his clients were curious about decidedly staid fields like workers’ compensation, tax withholding and occupational safety.

“There’s this real Al Capone fear that they’re going to get our guys, not on marijuana, but on something else,” Mr. Edson said, referring to how Capone was eventually charged with tax evasion rather than criminal activity.

The federal government continues to oppose any decriminalization of the drug. And while the Obama administration has signaled some leeway when it comes to medical marijuana, raids on dispensaries and growers by law enforcement agencies are still common — even in California, where the industry effectively began in 1996, with the passage of the landmark Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana.

Today, rules vary widely in the 14 states that allow medical marijuana, and a final vote on legalization is pending in the District of Columbia. Some states require sellers to prove nonprofit status — often as a collective or cooperative — and all states require that patients have a recommendation from a physician. But even those in favor of medical marijuana believe that the system is ripe for abuse or even unintentional lawbreaking.

“Almost all the dispensaries in California are illegal,” said William Panzer, an Oakland lawyer who helped draft Proposition 215. “They’re sole proprietorships, not collectives.”

Mr. Nadelmann’s organization, the Drug Policy Alliance, says it does not take a position on whether those who sell the drug should be nonprofit or not. But he added, “The key people involved are not becoming personally wealthy.”

CO and NM Differ on Medical Marijuana for PTSD

2010-03-24T17:24:00.002-06:00

By DAN FROSCH

DENVER — A decade ago, Colorado became one of the earliest states to legalize medical marijuana. Its neighbor New Mexico did so more recently. But that does not mean the two Western states agree on all the medicinal merits of cannabis.

Both states allow marijuana to be used to treat the symptoms of a variety of diseases, like AIDS and cancer. When it comes to treating post-traumatic stress disorder, however, New Mexico says yes to medical marijuana, while Colorado’s answer is a resounding no.

Those differences were highlighted this week in the Colorado legislature, when a State House committee on Monday narrowly defeated a proposal that would have directed the Department of Public Health and Environment to consider whether marijuana should be used to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Ned Calonge, the chief medical officer for the health department, which was against the proposal, said psychiatry departments at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Denver and the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver agreed that marijuana should not be recommended for treating the disorder.

“There is no evidence of efficacy of marijuana for treatment of PTSD in the medical literature,” Dr. Calonge said Tuesday in an interview. “In fact, the published literature suggests that such use leads to addiction and abuse of other substances.”

At the same time, he said, some clinical evidence supports the drug’s effectiveness in treating those conditions for which medical marijuana is already approved in Colorado. “I think we’ve set the bar pretty low,” he added.

But supporters of the Colorado proposal cited New Mexico as an example to follow. In that state, the Health Department came to a drastically different conclusion. In January 2009, a medical advisory committee recommended that post-traumatic stress disorder was an eligible condition for medical marijuana treatment.

In its report, the committee acknowledged that were no specific clinical trial data regarding the use of marijuana in treating the disorder. But the committee noted that when smoked, marijuana could help relieve anxiety associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, and cited a number of psychiatric and pharmacological studies.

The secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, Dr. Alfredo Vigil, signed off on the recommendation a month later.

“There are hints and some indications in the medical literature that there are components of cannabis that might be helpful to some people with PTSD,” Dr. Vigil said Tuesday in an interview, adding, “All of these states are going out on a limb, trying to determine from a medical, clinical point of view, what seems reasonable.”

Currently, more than a quarter of the 1,376 patients approved for medical marijuana in New Mexico have PTSD, more than any other condition including cancer, according to the Health Department. It is unclear how many are veterans.

To qualify, a patient needs a referral from a primary care doctor or a psychiatrist along with documents from the psychiatrist certifying that the patient has the disorder.

The debate over PTSD came as Colorado’s legislature grapples with how to regulate the dispensation of medical marijuana throughout the state. Since the federal Justice Department announced in the fall that it would not prosecute people who use marijuana for medical purposes in states where it is legal, shops have sprung up all over Denver selling medical marijuana, ostensibly to only those who have a doctor’s prescription.

“If there is any legitimate use for any medicine to treat PTSD, we have an obligation to consider it,” said State Representative Sal Pace, a Democrat from Pueblo, who introduced Colorado’s proposal.

Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for the legal regulation of the drug, said he was disappointed in the Colorado vote, particularly given New Mexico’s policy. He noted that many antidepressants prescribed to veterans with PTSD have a range of potentially serious side affects, whereas medical marijuana is comparatively benign.

Mr. Pace said he hoped that the Health Department or the legislature would reconsider using marijuana to treat PTSD symptoms.

“I’m not a doctor. I’m not a psychiatrist. I can’t judge myself whether this is legitimate medicine,” Mr. Pace said. “But if we can’t even open the door to that discussion, then we are potentially prohibiting medicine to a needy class of citizens.”

The Story of Stuff

2010-03-10T18:44:00.002-07:00

The Story of Stuff

You really need to watch this video. It will make you want to go live in a cave. Forever.

Now, do this:

10 Little and Big Things You Can Do

1. Power down!
A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less.
Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues.
At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard.
Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy.
Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community).
The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH!
Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm.
Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials.
Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less.
Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.

Denver and Medical Marijuana

2010-03-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Postcard from Denver

Time Magazine

Walk into the basement showroom of the Colorado Patient Coalition, a marijuana dispensary located in a small medical plaza on the northern outskirts of Denver, and your nostrils fill with the same pungent odor that once stank up your college roommate's underwear drawer. But the visual cues are at odds with the Steppenwolf playing on the sound system: a uniformed security guard leans by the door, while grass is displayed in neatly labeled jars under glass. Along one wall is a large, horizontal one-way window, behind which, one assumes, are eyes sharper and brighter than those of the clerks and customers.

Fourteen U.S. states have voted to allow medical marijuana since California first legalized it in 1996; Colorado voters did so by amending the state constitution in 2000. But with drug possession still a federal offense, it wasn't until the Justice Department said in October it would refrain from prosecuting medical-marijuana cases that dispensaries began to proliferate. In Colorado, particularly, they've found fertile ground: when the first dispensary opened in the capital three years ago, it didn't even have a sign in the window. Today, according to an estimate by the Denver Post, the city has more pot shops than it does Starbucks, and twice as many as it has public schools. (See pictures of cannabis culture.)

Denver is struggling to rein in its mushrooming number of pot stores. On Jan. 11, the city council passed an ordinance prohibiting on-site consumption of the drug and barring dispensaries from setting up within 1,000 ft. (300 m) of a school.

But getting marijuana off Coloradans' minds might be tougher. The state has a waiting list 20,000 names long for the medical-marijuana cards that users must show at dispensaries. It's difficult to turn on local radio or TV without hearing about pot. Realtors assess how dispensaries affect local property values. Veterans debate pot's usefulness in treating posttraumatic stress disorder. In November, Westword, Denver's alternative weekly newspaper, hired a pot critic.

Ricky Miller, a 50-year-old veteran who lost a foot in a medical mishap, still struggles with pain. "You get up in the morning, you sit on the edge of the bed, and you reach for your medicine. I use a water pipe," he says of his daily routine. "If I try to stand up without my medicine, I won't make it." For Miller, who volunteers at the Colorado Patient Coalition, medical marijuana is as necessary as his hospital bed, scooter, handicapped-access ramp and special lift chairs. And like them, it was recommended by a Veterans Affairs doctor. "Durbin Poison is a nice med. It won't wipe you out," Miller says to a young woman who has just walked in the door, sounding like a clerk in a high-end department store.

"What will wipe you out?" she demands.

"Sour D," Miller replies. "Guaranteed."

Like many in his field, he appears to sincerely believe that every customer is truly ill and will benefit from cannabis' medicinal properties. Yet the encounter puts into focus what many critics of the dispensaries allege: that they are increasingly the destination of choice for healthy folks who just want to get high — "18-year-olds breezing in and complaining about headaches," as a patient advocate describes them.

Colorado's legislature is in the process of making things tougher for both customers and dispensaries. The state senate passed a bill that would require 18-to-21-year-olds to get approval from two doctors before allowing them access, and there's legislation afoot to require all dispensaries to be run as nonprofits. As of Feb. 8, Denver requires dispensary owners to undergo background checks, submit security plans and spend $5,000 in licensing and fees. Denver's 484 dispensaries already charge sales tax, which means that — financially, anyway — the city isn't hurting from their presence. In at least one way, they're even driving business: a dispensary security guard — an off-duty cop whose wife uses marijuana to alleviate symptoms of fibromyalgia and who declined to give his name — says he is starting a security business that specializes in protecting pot shops. "There's a niche," he says with a shrug.

So, we have turned into the Amsterdam of North America. I am finding this debate to be extremely interesting and will continue to post articles about the use of medical marijuana, as I am curious to where this is all going to end up. Particularly since we will be voting for a new governor this year.

Congrats Apolo!!

2010-02-28T10:56:00.002-07:00

Apolo Ohno finished the Olympic games with 8 medals! More than any other American in Winter Olympic history! Thanks for an inspiring Olympics!

(and yes I realize that he only has 7 fingers up here)

Cabin Fever

2010-02-20T20:03:00.002-07:00

Holy hell February is boring. I am pretty sure that I have done absolutely nothing for at least a month now. Well, besides cleaning, and laundry, and cleaning, and laundry....oh my god it doesn't end.

I am still trying to decide on a color to paint the kitchen and we may have finally agreed on some tile for the backsplash. We might get this done this year. Maybe.

Ken is still looking for a job and doing the grad school thing and I have been busy at work. Out roof is still not complete and I am really tired of arguing with the contractor about their poor work. Exciting.

There is absolutely nothing new to report. Nothing. I am going to go crazy.

Support Doctors without Borders in Haiti

2010-01-14T22:11:00.001-07:00

Need to blog more

2010-01-13T19:38:00.002-07:00

I decided to look back to olden days and saw that I used to blog often. And most of it was actually pretty good. I am not sure that anyone actually reads this damn thing so maybe I should write something really inflammatory and find out!

I'm a little busier than usual right now, as the beginning of the year is pretty much hell for everyone in the pharmacy industry. I will start the updates soon!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T16:32:00.002-07:00

Mr Coyote got a frozen raccoon carcass for Christmas!

Watch out behind you!

Christmas dreamin' Esme

Someone is not excited about wearing a hat, despite how cute it is.

Hornitos Repasado!

Duquesne or CU? New hoodies!

It was a cold and snowy Colorado Christmas this year. We had a random coyote sighting, as he was storing his raccoon carcass next our fence. Though money was a bit tighter this year, we still got some great gifts. I am guessing that Ken liked the Hornitos tequila the best.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Gonna get drunk on Christmas

2009-12-24T10:25:00.001-07:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Christmas Wish List 2009

2009-12-21T22:02:00.002-07:00

Dear Santa,

Here is our list of Christmas wishes for this year:

Holly -nothing to break (please)

Ken - a job

Winston - pizza crust! (like always)

Brutus - a live tuna in the bathtub

Esme - a tattoo and some hair product

Thanks Santa! See you Friday!

Groupon - get one!

2009-11-29T15:53:00.002-07:00

So I am newly addicted to Groupon.com. Every week day is an amazing deal for your city that you can purchase for a gym, restaurant, hotel, club, bar, merchandise, massage, teeth whitening, bikini wax, etc. They have had some great deals on restaurants and yoga classes, though I have only been able to take advantage of some of them.

They have a minimum number of people needed to participate for the deal to be on, but it always happens as far as I can tell. Once you purchase the certificate, it becomes available in your account usually within 24 hours.

I have 3 restaurant coupons currently awaiting my use, and a few that I am sorry that I missed out on. This is enabling us to try some new restaurants without spending too much money, since we only have one income right now. There are just some nights when takeout just doesn't cut it anymore.

Also, if you click through my link above, and you end up buying a groupon, I get some credit in my account, which would be awesome. Any little bit helps!

Rest in Peace, Uncle Alan

2009-11-28T12:13:00.005-07:00

Alan Mark Hendrickson

Alan Mark Hendrickson, age 51, passed away on Friday November 27, 2009 at the Golden Living Center, Cambridge Springs, Pa. after a brief illness. A lifelong resident of Cambridge Springs, he had lived at the Golden Living Center for the past three years.

Born on January 10, 1958, he was a son of the late Edward Hendrickson and Frances May Hendrickson. Alan was widely known in his community of Cambridge Springs. A graduate of the Blue Barn School in Meadville in 1978, Alan was employed by Vallonia Industries in Meadville.

He was a member of the Oasis Club of the Association of Retarded Citizens of Crawford County and participated in the Special Olympics in track and field, swimming, bowling, basketball, and soft ball for which he won numerous first place ribbons and awards. Alan especially enjoyed the holidays, dancing, watching videos, music, and doing crafts at the Golden Living Center. He also enjoyed camping with his mother in their RV at Farma and at Brookdale Camp Grounds where he had many friends.

Although considered disabled, Alan's condition of Down's Syndrome allowed him a disposition completely free from feelings of hatred, animosity, or spite for anyone or anything, unconditionally. His innocence, love of life, and loving nature will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be sadly missed by his sister, Kay, who was very close to him and whom he loved very much.

Family members surviving Alan include two brothers - Guy Hendrickson and his wife, Lorene of Indiana and Ed Hendrickson and his wife, Vikki of Cambridge Springs; a sister - Kay Olszewski and her husband, Leo of Cambridge Springs. Nieces and nephews include - Steve Tucci; Beth Tucci-Butler; Susan Tucci; Michael Tucci; Holly Yee; Amber Litzel; Katie Hendrickson; Jessica Hendrickson; Doug Caldwell; Rick Caldwell; Alan Caldwell; Heidi Hendrickson; Kim Charles. Great nieces and nephews include - Jenna Tucci; Tyler Tucci; Devon Butler; Dillan Butler; Stephan May; Tiara Tucci; and Michael Tucci. He was preceded in death by a sister - Sylvia Hendrickson and a brother - Gene Hendrickson.

Friends may call at the Van Matre Family Funeral Home in Cambridge Springs on Saturday from 7-9 and on Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral services will be held there on Monday at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be in Venango Cemetery. Memorials may be given ARC of Crawford County, 222 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335 or to the Special Olympics, P.O. Box 273, Meadville, PA 16335.

A special thank you is extended by the family to Marilyn Boughton and to all the nurses, aids and kitchen staff whom he loved and who took such good care of him.

I'll always remember how much he liked to dance to Michael Jackson, watch the Muensters, and drink pop. Rest in peace.

Octizzard

2009-10-28T21:04:00.004-06:00

We are up to 14.5 inches of snow so far. And it is going to continue snowing until tomorrow evening.

Something to Ponder

2009-09-10T21:21:00.002-06:00

So last week, I started having back pain. It was a bit sharp but intermittent at best. I didn't really think anything of it. Then my pee started to smell weird. It just didn't smell like pee anymore. I thought maybe I ate something that made it smell different and it would go away shortly. It also seemed a bit orangey. I figured I was just a little dehydrated, as I don't particularly care for water and I live in an arid climate. Nothing to worry about.

Until midday Saturday, when my back started to really hurt, particularly in the kidney area. And I was feeling a bit warm. This has happened once before and I ended up in the ER, after puking repeatedly in the Health Services office at college. Feels like a kidney infection.

Since it was Saturday, thus limiting access to my physician, I figured we be ending up in Urgent Care, since this wasn't a life or death emergency. On the way there, I remembered that a new clinic had been built in a nearby grocery store. Hopefully, it would be open (as it was almost 5pm), or I would give the one at Walgreens a try.

My main motivation behind this was 1.) $15 copay vs the $35 copay at urgent care (being frugal) and 2.) I probably wouldn't have to wait very long, as they never seem that busy.

Ken pulled in the parking lot and I ran for the store. Luckily, they are open until 6:30! And there was no waiting (except for Ken). So after filling out all the paperwork I got a visit with the nurse practitioner. She a pretty thorough exam and then took a urine sample to check. The urine sample came back somewhat inconclusive, but I got my much needed antibiotic. And the pharmacy was just a few steps away, where I had it filled for $4.

So about an hour and $19 later, I was going to live.

Had this been 100 years ago, the kidney infection would most likely have been lethal. I would've wallered around in bed with a tremendous fever and severe back pain, the only treatment of being sucked on by leeches, draining my much needed blood, and having cold compresses placed on my forehead. After a week or so of this, most likely I would become septic, go into shock, and expire. Depending where I lived and how much money I had, I might have had access to some aspirin, but no real antibiotics.

Instead, I have to take a pill twice a day for 10 days. I didn't even miss any work.

I'm not saying that our current health care system is the greatest (it's not), that insurance companies care about people over profit (they don't), and pharmaceutical companies aren't using Americans to finance their drug development (they are). But Saturday I was glad that I could be seen quickly, cheaply, and efficiently (even if it was in a grocery store) and get an effective treatment to make my problem go away quickly.

One hundred years ago, my family would've been picking out my coffin.

This is why I get pissed about people who complain about their copays at the pharmacy. You are about to spend $10 for something that will prolong your life. $10!! That's a hell of a deal my friend.

4 Years

2009-08-04T21:57:00.002-06:00

Four years (and 242 posts) ago today we arrived in the glorious state of Colorado.

Since then, we have become full-blooded Coloradans. We bought the obligatory bicycles, bicycle rack, camping equipment, and Subaru. We've learned to hike and ski at altitude, not to honk at cars all the time, and enjoy sunshine and green chili. We know what real Mexican food tastes like, what champagne powder feels like under your skis, and what golf ball size hail sounds like on your roof.

We've added another cat to the family, a new Ninja, and been through a job or two. All in all, we've had a pretty good time. Hopefully we will get to stay here for the foreseeable future, unless they really need us back in Barcelona.

The view from Lisbon

2009-07-29T21:45:00.001-06:00

Lisbon was stunningly beautiful and we had a fabulous hotel room terrace to take it all in.

">Map

Madrid, Spain

2009-07-27T22:15:00.001-06:00

Map

A tour of Barcelona

2009-07-25T00:07:00.001-06:00

Hell of a Hail Storm

2009-07-21T21:46:00.003-06:00

Last night at about 10:20pm, all hell broke loose in the sky over Denver.

Straight line winds, golf ball size hail, and a small tornado swept through the metro. Usually we do not get rotation in our storms due to our proximity to the mountains. Last night was a rare exception.

The hail come down nonstop for what seemed like an eternity as we cowered in the basement. Not 30 minutes earlier, we had been outside walking Winston, no wind, no lightning, nothing. The sound of all the hail hitting our house and the trees was super loud, so I am not sure if we heard a tornado or not, but it was intense.

Once it stopped, there was an inch or so of hail on the ground, along with more leaves than you could ever count. The smell of aspens and evergreens hung thick in the humid air. As you can see in the pictures, a hazy fog lifted off the freezing piles of hailstones, creating a creepy atmosphere.

It was amazingly quiet, except for the sound of someone's car alarm and fire sirens in the distance. I still haven't heard many birds.

This morning revealed leaves smeared over every outside surface, mounds of hail, and a broken garage window, which shattered glass over our cars and garage floor. That was pretty much the extent of our damage. Luckily no trees came down, but all ours are about stripped naked. And my garden and annuals were pulverized into the ground. Sigh.

MotoGP Catalunya Photos

2009-07-19T19:02:00.001-06:00

Amsterdam Photos

2009-07-16T21:58:00.001-06:00

Some fab pics from Amsterdam. They don't let you take pictures in the Anne Frank House or the Red Light District.

Map

Photos from Paris

2009-07-12T20:14:00.001-06:00

Here are our photos from Paris!!

Map

Photos from Versailles

2009-07-06T19:46:00.002-06:00

This is from our trip out to Versailles, home to the famous palace and gardens. It was an interesting contrast to Windsor Castle, which was immaculate compared to Versailles, which looks a bit rundown.

Here's the map.

Photos from London

2009-07-04T18:55:00.003-06:00

View in a map

Many of the places that we went in London did not allow photography, such as Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and the interior of Windsor castle, so we don't any photos of our visit t them. There is much more to come, as we do have some video to post and of course, the story of our race across Europe. I'm making progress!!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T12:11:00.004-06:00

Enjoy these pics from last night, then go drink some beer and blow some shit up. American-style.

Working on it...

2009-06-28T21:57:00.002-06:00

So we've been back a week now and I haven't posted any pictures. I am trying to get them together and a synopses of our travels.

We had a really good time despite the fact that we were basically racing from city to city in our quest to get in as much as possible. We must've walked 10 miles per day. I've also learned that I cannot stay away on a train whether it's hundreds of miles or 10 miles. Something about it just puts me to sleep.

I would say that my 2 favorite cities were Barcelona and Paris. I could probably live in either, because the food was great in both, though a bit pricey.

Hola from Madrid

2009-06-17T08:19:00.001-06:00

Here's what we did this morning!

I got a new hat!

2009-06-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

Got a new hat to wear in the blistering Catalunyan sun at the race yesterday. More pics soon, as Ken is taking a siesta.

European Preview - Barcelona

2009-06-05T16:33:00.002-06:00

Barcelona

2 reasons to visit Barca - first, it looks pretty awesome.

2nd - MotoGP

We will be at the Circuit de Catalunya for the MotoGP races on the 13th and 14th.

European Preview - Madrid

2009-06-04T20:20:00.001-06:00

Bullfighting, Tapas, and the Prado

European Preview - Paris

2009-06-03T22:20:00.000-06:00

Paris, City of Light

European Preview- London

2009-06-02T21:12:00.001-06:00

Fish and Chips, anyone??

European Preview - Amsterdam

2009-05-28T19:14:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh, Amsterdam. Should be interesting.

European Preview - Lisbon

2009-05-27T21:03:00.002-06:00

I will post some previews of where we will be going in Europe.

Today: Lisbon, Portugal

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T11:12:00.004-06:00

Hope that you have the day off with some nice weather. You should probably get some yardwork done.

We have been busy planning our trip to Europe. Every plane, train and hotel is finally booked and now we are working on what exactly it is we are going to do in each city.

The places we have chosen are:

London, UK

Paris, France

Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Barcelona, Spain
Madrid, Spain

Lisbon, Portugal

We will be trying to document our trip for you to see as we go. And since we will be about 8 hours ahead, you will get to see everything right after we do it. Hopefully I can figure out an easy way to document everything!

Next weekend we will be at World Superbike in Salt Lake City again, so expect more pictures soon.

Happy Tolerance Day!

2009-05-01T21:57:00.003-06:00

Can you believe that it has been 5 years?? And we are both still alive. Amazing!

Spring Cancelled

2009-04-17T17:07:00.002-06:00

Adding to the common misconception that Denver is a.) in the mountains and b.) snows year round is this miserable Spring snowstorm. Unlike the last storm that ended early, this one really is going to give us at least a foot of precipitation.

It started as rain last night and switched to snow this morning, and back to rain around lunch. My company decided to close at noon, so I headed out in the slush back to Lakewood. It was what we called in PA a "wintry mix" on the way home with some graupel thrown in for good measure. I was thinking however that when the temp drops tonight, the roads are gonna be icy, whether the snow comes or not.

I came home and took a nap. When I woke up, the outside looked like this:

(video taken with my new LG Vu)

The satellite keeps going out because the snow is so heavy it is blocking our reception. Luckily the dish is on our back porch rook and we can just step out and wipe it with the broom.

The snow is the kind of heavy wet snow that back in PA would get us a warning not to walk under the pine trees because a branch may come crashing down and instantly kill you. Yeah, that kind of snow.

The foothills are expecting up to 4 feet of snow (they already have 2+) and I think that if it keeps up at the current rate, we will see something like 18-20 inches by tomorrow at noon. It is suppose to last that long. We should probably go get pizza and a movie before it becomes too difficult to travel.

And the lights keep dimming a bit. Not a good sign.

What's Really Wrong with America

2009-03-31T22:15:00.002-06:00

Watch Frontline's Sick Around America and you will understand.

As one of the people that is uninsurable in the private market, I hope that this will someday change and health insurance will be universal instead of a privilege.

Incoming!

2009-03-25T21:44:00.002-06:00

Denver could see up to 15 inches of snow!

A large winter storm is currently inbound and the snow total prediction recently jumped from 6 inches to up to 15 for the metro. Damn! Of course, this is actually somewhat common here, as March is one of the snowiest months and we've only gotten about 15 inches total so far for the year.

So tomorrow should be interesting. If only the snow didn't hinder the drive to the slopes, which have received over 1.5 feet of snow so far this week, we would be there.

Friends (well, almost)

2009-03-17T21:41:00.000-06:00

The newest family member

2009-03-08T10:47:00.003-06:00

Everytime that I go to Petsmart, I always stop and check out the kitties that are available for adoption. In January, I went to our usual store and there was this cute grey kitty, who performed a little show of rolling around and talking to me. I liked her immediately, but wasn't sure that we needed another kitty right now. Mr Brutus enjoys being in charge.

Two weeks ago, I had to go back to Petsmart to get the big bag of wheat litter that I use (all natural, doesn't have to be strip mined and smells better too) and that cute little grey kitty was still there.

I really couldn't believe that a cat has nice as her was still waiting for a home. Now, I was forced to really think if I wanted to bring her home or not, and what was I going to name her?

So, for a week, I thought about what it would mean to bring another kitty into our family. Winston and Brutus have been together for over 4 years now and we have a good dynamic going. Plus, Bru is 12 years old now and set in his ways. But he has always been good when living with other cats over the years, be it at my parents or with my roommates. I talked with Ken, I talked with my mom. And I finally decided that this kitty did not deserve to live in a wire cage in a Petsmart store any longer. I could afford to spend some money so that she could have the kind of home that she deserved. So last Sunday, we brought her home.

She had been at the Table Mountain Animal Shelter since late September. Six months! This poor kitty had been an owner surrender and no one had wanted her for 6 months. Her shelter name was 'Cuddles'. Yuck. She is a beautiful Russian Blue and deserved an unusual name to go with her unusual good looks.

She has bright green eyes and thus, I kept thinking of Jade or Jada. I wanted something less common then that. Then I thought of Esmerelda, Spanish for emerald. And the cute little nickname for that is Esme (like Esme Cullen in the Twilight series). And I like names that end with an e sound. So, Esme it is. Or Esmers.

She is getting more and more accepting of us, though her and Bru don't quite get along yet, they are growing more tolerable of each other. Winston doesn't seem to notice, except for when she runs (which is a lot) and he wants/does chase her. She is extremely affectionate and loves to be on your lap, or chest, or head. She particularly loves Ken. How could you not? Plus, she joins me in being the only other female in the house. And I guess that she is also technically Asian, like all the others, since Russia is in Asia.

I think that she will be a fabulous addition to our family and I will get more pictures up once she stops hiding under the couch/in the closet/under the bed so much. Plus, she is damn fast and despite her getting all her shots yesterday, it didn't seem to slow her down much.

Choo-choo!

2009-02-03T20:25:00.008-07:00

We decided to take the Ski Train to Winter Park this year (of course this was before Ken got laid off) and see what all the fuss was about. We woke up early on the 24th and hauled our asses downtown to Union Station to board the train for a prompt 7:15am departure.

Our only other previous train ride was the Royal Gorge Train (aka The Drunken Train to Nowhere) so we were excited. Upon boarding, we got a delicious breakfast sandwich and settled in for the 2:15 ride up the Rockies. Our path was only 50 miles, which is only 11 miles shorter than the drive, but apparently was actually shorter timewise than if we chose to drive. This was partly due to the 11 inches of snow and counting that had fallen overnight, partly due to the increased traffic that wanted to taste these freshies. Also, you have to go over Berthoud pass, which is notorious for avalanches.

After snaking up the sides of some steep mountains, seeing Denver covered in clouds, and some dramatic alpine scenery, we spent the last 15 minutes in the dark of the Moffat Tunnel getting our gear on. Immediately on the other side of the tunnel is the base of Winter Park resort and the train stops here for your skiing convenience. It was also announced to us that we need to get our stuff and get off the train, because the train needs to get out of the way of the incoming Amtrak.

So, we spent a fluffy, powder filled day atop Winter Park and Mary Jane mountains, where we met our friends John and Erin, relishing some fabulous fluff. It was a bit warm, but snowing heavily. At one point, the visibility was so poor that I could barely see more than a foot in front of me. And my goggles were dripping with melted snow. But still, it was pretty damn fun.

Tired, sore and a bit wet, we headed back to the train for our 4:15 departure back to Denver. After a few pics and the removal of our wet gear, we grabbed a beer and some nachos and watched the mountains roll by as the sun set over the Rockies. It was beautiful and relaxing after a hard day on the mountain. I wish that it was affordable enough to take every weekend, until then we'll just enjoy it every so often. Hopefully with the same amount of powder awaiting us again.

GO STEELERS!

2009-02-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

New Year, New Job

2009-01-13T20:38:00.002-07:00

In an effort to relieve stress and get some of my life back, I have changed jobs. So far, so good. My commute is shorter (like 1/3 of the previous time) and for now, I am much less frustrated. My ideal job would involve working from home, but I doubt that is ever going to happen, but I can hope.

I'm back working for a large company where I hopefully will not be micromanaged and have an increased possibility for advancement or at least more than one career path. Luckily, it is not any type of chain retail and there is no Medicaid! And no holidays or weekends.

Unfortunately, Ken was let go from his job last week, so he needs a new job too. We've kind of seen this coming for awhile, but there was always hope. If you need an RF engineer in the Denver metro be sure to drop us a line. I know one that is available.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T13:09:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas from Colorado. It's a warm, sunny day here, though we have snow on the ground. I have posted this mornings pics already (------>).

You'll see the fabulous gifts that we received, including my Harvey's Seatbelt bag and more Holly Yashi jewelry. Ken got some new tools, tool box, Penn State sweatshirt, and a digital photo frame.

We'll be eating broiled lamb chops and playing Guitar Hero World Tour all day. Hope you have a good one!

Subaru boo-boo

2008-12-15T22:07:00.003-07:00

The Subaru (and Ken) got into a fender bender this morning on the way to work with some moron that spun out in the snow. So the WRX is going to the shop tomorrow to get assesed. It will be needing 4 new tires on top of the body work. Hopefully the frame isn't bent. So we'll see if the Suby makes it or if we will be getting a new car.

Pho shizzle

2008-12-01T21:52:00.002-07:00

Ken and I have discovered a fabulous new food known as "pho". It is a vietnamese beef broth noodle soup of deliciousness! I have seen the pho restaurants (usually called Pho followed by a number, like 24) scattered throughout the Denver metro. Denver has a fairly large Vietnamese population, so this may explain the popularity.

We decided the other weekend to finally give it a try as we noticed a pho restaurant near our house. And it is fantastic! Seasoned with basil, cilantro, hoisin sauce, jalapenos, and hot chili sauce, it is a tremendous combination of flavor over beef and noodles. Plus it comes in huge portions and is fairly cheap.

It reminds me a bit of saimin, the Hawaiian noodle soup we had on Kauai, but better. And I am hooked. I'm just sorry that I didn't get around to trying it sooner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T11:25:00.002-07:00

We'll be hanging out most of the day and then I want to go to the movies. I just finished reading Twilight, so now I can see the movie. And I might make a pumpkin silk pie. Exciting stuff.

Bushes be gone!

2008-11-16T18:38:00.002-07:00

Here is our reclaimed yard after 2 17ft Uhaul truck loads of bushes were cut up and hauled away. Next Spring we will get to have grass and flowers! Yea!

Seriously, I think that our backyard has doubled in size. Now, just a few trees need to come down and a little concrete work and we'll have the best yard in the neighborhood.

Riding out the storm

2008-10-28T16:46:00.002-06:00

As you all know, the stock market has been tanking for like the last month, which means that there are a lot of good bargains to be had, if you are not spending all your money on gas and groceries. Fortunately for me, I decided to jump into investing in stocks yesterday, instead of my usual play it safe mutual fund investing. Talk about good timing. My orders posted early this morning, right before the Dow started to jump. As it climbed to to almost 900 points, it's second best day ever, so did my stocks. I only put in $450, but you have to start somewhere. Here were my choices:

Coca-cola (KO) - the iconic softdrink maker
General Electric (GE) - what don't these people make?
Hain Celestial Group (HAIN) - Celestial Seasonings and other organic products
Meridian Bioscience (VIVO) - lab and testing supplies with double digit profit
Target (TGT) - they sell everything and make money doing it while offering decent employment
Kansas City Southern Industries (KSU) - Railroads, transportation of the future!
True Religion Apparel - (TRLG) - high end clothing and jeans
CVS/Caremark (CVS) - Rxs and pharmacybenefits management in one nice profitable package
Medtronic (MDT) - anything that's electronic and can be inserted in the human body, plus some

The requirements for selection were:
near their 52week low
not rated a sell
and most of them produce dividends

I am keeping this in a non-traditional IRA so that I don't have to pay capital gains taxes, which is sweet. Early retirement, here I come!

For you, Western PA

2008-10-26T08:40:00.003-06:00

For all you ignorant gun-clinging, bible-thumping Western Pennsylvanians. Enjoy!

Click here if you can't see it.......

How to Save a Life (or what I did on my trip to PA)

2008-10-14T20:23:00.005-06:00

Since I had a bunch of vacation time to burn, and I hadn't been home in 3 years, I decided that I should take a visit. My plan was to stay for a week and do some small town stuff, but there were other plans in store for me.....

On Saturday, September 20th, my dad's heart decided to stop.

My mom and I got a phone call at my parents' business from a family friend, saying that my dad had collapsed in the backyard. We then heard the police scanner go off requesting an ambulance to our house for a possible cardiac arrest. I took off in one vehicle and my mom in hers, racing the mile or so to their house.

I arrived first, to find my dad unconscious and blue, lying in the grass. He was obviously not breathing, so I flipped him over and started CPR. My mom arrived less than a minute behind me and started rescue breathing while we waited for the ambulance. Luckily the local volunteer ambulance service arrived within 10 minutes with the automatic external defibrillator and we were able to shock him. While the shock didn't work the first time, we start getting some spontaneous breathing, and after the second shock, he was stable enough to be loaded into the ambulance.

We headed to the hospital and waited anxiously for him to be brought into the ER. The wait seemed endless, as he had become conscious during the ambulance ride and was fighting putting the tube down his throat. So after a little sedation, a paralytic, and a breathing tube, the ER physician was able to get his heart into sinus rhythm with a defibrillator and some lidocaine.

They rolled him into the ER, where they did a head CT to check for a stroke, and it came back negative. In the mean time, we asked the MD to call the helicopter service to move him to the top heart hospital in the region. They did a chest CT, burned the all the films to a disk and we got ready to load him on the helicopter. Then he was off to Erie via Lifestar.

We got to the hospital after a quick stop to change our grass stained clothes and he was awake, though unable to talk due to the tube in his throat. The MD wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but he would have to stay in the hospital for awhile until they could figure out exactly what caused his heart to stop.

Several days and a cardiac catheterization later, it was determined that he had had sudden death syndrome, which is when the heart jumps into an abnormal rhythm where it cannot sustain life. No blockages, no stents needed, despite 50 years of smoking. Luckily, our CPR had saved his organs until we could get his heart rhythm back and now he has an implanted defibrillator to monitor his heart and help to prevent any further issues.

He got to come home from the hospital the following Friday, and has been slowly recuperating since. He has also quit smoking, which will help. And the broken/bruised ribs that we gave him during CPR have started healing. His defibrillator has a wireless feature that allows it to transmit over the phone during the night so that it can be monitored for abnormalities.

So I got to extend my vacation an additional week and a half, spending most of that time either at the hospital or filling in at the store. Not much of a vacation, but still better than a funeral.

Greetings from Erie International Airport

2008-10-04T12:47:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting here in Erie Int'l airport in Erie, PA, awaiting my flight to Cleveland and on to Denver. Where have I been, you may be asking yourself. Let's say that it has been a long month or so. I bought a new Sony laptop in July and it promptly broke at the end of August, so I had been computerless until it was fixed and returned to me on 9/17. The next day, I left to fly back to Erie to visit my parents for a week. Unfortunately, I have long story to tell about my extended vacation here, but I am returning to Denver today. It's been a long 2 weeks or so. But my next stop is Cleveland, and the wifi is not free there, for whatever reason. But I promise to update soon, once I get back and see how Ken, Winston, and Brutus are doing with all their Holly deprivation.

2 Years and counting..........

2008-08-31T22:08:00.002-06:00

The Donkey Show

2008-08-23T17:31:00.004-06:00

Ah, the time as arrived. Denver has been madly preparing for the DNC, fixing fountains, closing streets, and making up rules for protestors. Thursday night is going to be a complete madhouse, as they are closing I-25 downtown during rush hour for Obama's speech at Invesco.

We haven't done this in 100 years, so if we screw it up, try to act surprised.

Stay updated here.

And if I need to post bail for protesting a little too hard, I'll have Ken throw up a link so that you can contribute. I don't want to spend the night in Denver County Jail, though JeffCo might be alright....

The Olympics are giving me a complex

2008-08-14T11:22:00.002-06:00

Seriously, I am now feeling particularly fat and lazy after watching all these swimmers. Damn them! And all I do is sit on the couch and watch them compete, which is not helping with the fat and lazy part. I don't really like the track portion, so perhaps once that starts I will be able to get off my fat and lazy ass and actually do something athletic.

Plus, they are on til like 1am here, which is totally keeping me up. Yes, I am blaming the Olympics for making me fat, lazy and sleep deprived. Next up: the DNC causes nausea and hearing loss.

Fire on the mountain!

2008-08-04T21:46:00.004-06:00

The big, open, grass covered "mountain" park near our house caught on fire today during a lightning storm. Since it has rained/snowed less than 4 inches so far this year, the grasslands are brown and dry, allowing the fire to spread quickly. Fortunately, no one was injured and no houses burned down.

I could see the smoke 21 miles away at work and the smell hit me at about 10 miles on my way home. We had actually looked at houses over near the park and various other open space areas, and now I am glad that we chose not to live near any. I would be going crazy trying to get home to save my pets and belongings from the raging inferno.

You can click here to see a photo gallery of the fire. It is supposedly contained at this point, but the smoky air was absolutely rancid and acrid earlier this evening. And that's enough excitement for today.

102 degrees

2008-08-01T13:42:00.001-06:00

It's currently a balmy 102F here. And 5% humidity. I'm gonna go cook something on the hood of my car.

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

2008-07-30T21:57:00.002-06:00

Saturday was the Colorado Dragon Boat festival, which I believe to be the largest dragon boat festival in the nation. They race these big, dragon shaped boats on Sloan's Lake, full of about 20 people paddling in unison to a drumbeat.

It appeared that there were several different types of races and age classes, along with lots of fabulous food and asian decor to purchase. While it was really hot, it was still pretty cool.

Ken goes to Utah so I spend the night with John Mayer

2008-07-21T16:20:00.003-06:00

Yeah, that's right. Ken totally went to Miller Motorsports Park to ride his motorcycle in the hot desert that is Utah. So I went and spent the night with John Mayer. And the Dave Matthews Band. And 100,000 other people in a field in Commerce City. Not an scandalous as it originally sounded, but still a good time.

The Mile High Music festival was this weekend. A gathering of tons of food, music and hippies. Oh, and on Saturday, old hippies, as Tom Petty was playing. Of course, I was there to see John and DMB jam it out and they were pretty fantastic. And enjoy warm $8 Bud Light. Don't forget that part.

Still, it was a good time despite the 100 degree heat (it's a dry heat). Supposedly this will be a yearly thing, though doing it in September when the weather is cooler wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Woman of international mystery

2008-07-21T16:05:00.003-06:00

This came in the mail today. Watch out world, the US has given me free reign to travel abroad! Especially you countries that allow US citizens to stay for less than 90 days without a visa!

So, maybe I am not going to jaunt off to some foreign land anytime soon, but it is good to know that I can if I choose. If only I lived closer to Canada, I would give this baby a test drive with it's fancy embedded technology and check out the summer weather in Alberta. Oh, to live 2 hours from Niagra Falls again!

I actually got this in anticipation of going to Europe next year. I really wanted to go this year but with buying a house last year, we were a bit tapped out and went to Vegas instead. I already have my time and money banked for next year so I had better get to planning. And Ken had better get his passport or I'll be leaving him in Denver.

How does your garden grow?

2008-07-12T13:45:00.003-06:00

My garden is coming right along in the hot Colorado weather.

I am expecting tons of squash and tomatoes, while the peppers, beans and peas aren't looking as good as I hoped. I tried a new type of tomato plant this year and now I am afraid that it is going to completely take over the garden. The thing is huge.

We've already enjoyed some cherry tomatoes and the green peppers and hot peppers are getting close to ready. I treid soybeans but they didn't come up, so note to self for next year.

I'll probably do a much better job next year, but if you need some zucchini, let me know. There is going to be more than we can eat. I suppose that I can make some zucchini bread! Yum!

Has anyone seen June?

2008-07-01T10:47:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning and noticed it's freaking July already. Damn! And I haven't posted anything. Perhaps I will get a chance when I get home tonight. I need to show you the no good that we have been up to.....

Akitas are not subject to the time/space continuum

2008-06-12T10:01:00.002-06:00

Though not well known to humans, some Akitas appear to have the ability to transport through time and space at will. I believe that we have one of those that has the gift.

Yesterday, it was discovered that the wallet Ken placed on the kitchen table this weekend was in fact the same wallet that had mysteriously dissappeared the day before his birthday in 2005. The wallet contained all missing items from 3 years ago, along with $6 and some receipts dated 1/04/05. Either this wallet has grown legs and been trying to track us down through 2 moves across several states and 3 years, or Winston has learned to transport. Perhaps after all the recent time and money spent fixing him up, he felt like he owed us something and maybe that wallet might have some money in it that could be used to pay for his care. Either way, the fact that it recently dropped out of thin air and onto our kitchen table is puzzling. And somewhat creepy.

Oh the Hilarity!

2008-05-28T13:25:00.001-06:00

Got an Rx today for a physician with the name of

wait for it.............

Seymour Weiner, MD

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

That goes in the hall of fame for sure!

Winston gets pemphigus and we go broke

2008-05-20T16:01:00.002-06:00

Okay, so we are not totally broke. We just feel like we've been taken to the cleaners by the Denver metro veterinarians.

AT 10 days into antibiotic treatment, I called the vet and politely explained that the antibiotics didn't seem to be doing anything to clear up Winston's nose, that I thought that it was pemphigus, and could we please give the poor guy some steroids. He looked like hell and we hadn't even gotten to the point yet where he couldn't walk. But no, the vet just said that there was nothing that we could do, she wasn't giving me steroids and that we had to wait until they could do a biopsy, which would be another week. I don't claim to be a vet and I am not trained in diagnositics, but I knew something was really wrong and she did not have one iota of compassion or urgency. Apparantly she did not hear the part where I said "the antibiotics are not working, it must something else, like pemphigus".

Why did I guess pemphigus?? Well, Winston's nose looked exactly like all the pictures of dogs with pemphigus I searched on the internet. Also, every place I looked specifically noted that this disease is most commonly seen in Akitas. Last time I checked, Winston was utterly Akita.

Honestly, I didn't really get ticked until the following Saturday when we took him into see the same vet and despite the fact that he could barely hobble his 80lbs into the office, she could've cared less and proceeded to charge us $25 to clean his ears (which were and are still full of bloody scabs from pemphigus pustules) and $ 15 to look in his eyes. What exactly is included in the "exam fee" that they charge?

So we left on a wing and a prayer that we was going to make it until the biopsy on Monday. He was one of the sickest dogs that I had ever seen and I felt horrible knowing that there wasn't anything that I could do for him except buy overpriced ear ointment to rub in his ear canals. So, I gave him some freaking aspirin so that we could get a little relief until I could convince someone to give me some prednisone (being the good law-abiding pharmacist that has easy access to steroids that I am).

Anyway, Monday Winston continued his downward slide, luckily it was in the vet office where a new vet was able to see the urgency of the matter and he got to go to the hospital overnight, followed by an evaluation and biopsy at the dog dermatologist office.

The biopsy recently came back as pemphigus, which is an autoimmune skin disorder often seen in Akitas. It will require him to be on steroids for now, until the immunosuppressants take hold, and then he will be on those for life, which will require some frequent blood tests for now. He is currently taking about 12 pills per day of various things, which means he gets to enjoy lots of hot dogs. Once we got the steroids on board, he has gotten so much better. Sunday night he finally asked us to go for a walk, the first time in 2 weeks!

So things are looking up for Ston and he is almost back to his normal self. And we are singlehandedly keeping the vets of Denver in their Beemers. Thanks, pemphigus.

Poor, poor Winston

2008-05-14T16:46:00.005-06:00

Winston isn't doing so hot. The poor guy even had to go to the hospital overnight Monday because he's so ill. He won't let me take a picture of how bad he looks, so I'll just have to explain.

Currently, we are awaiting the results of several blood tests and 3 biopsy sites, but the conclusion is that he has an autoimmune dermatological disorder. Whether it's lupus or pemphigus, we hope to find out soon. This weekend he couldn't even walk and had a horrible fever. Tonight we start him on some steroids, so hopefully that will help. He also has an eye infection, ear infection, a skin infection and multiple, multiple open bleeding sores on his ears, feet, and nose. In other words, he feels and looks like hell. Poor guy. Plus he has been shaved on both front legs so that he could have IVs, so that also looks horrible. He has had a rough couple of weeks, but I think that we are out of the woods now. Thank goodness for the "free money" from the government, because it is going straight to the veterinary hospital.

In other news, Ken has finished his first semester of grad school. I wasn't sure that it was ever going to end and it sure made for a long fricking winter. (Of course, it's not done snowing here yet, more on that later.) This was the first weekend that I spent time with Ken in months, as he has been slaving away in the lab at CU or staring at his laptop. We'll see if this continues in the fall semester, because it totally sucks. As big of a fan I am of higher education (I think that it should be almost free for everyone), this makes me not want to recommend it to anyone that can't commit and go full time.

And it is going to snow again tomorrow. Seriously, I thought that it was Spring. I guess that we will have to turn lemons into lemonade and think about hitting the slopes this weekend, since A-Basin is still open.

Photo update

2008-04-26T12:33:00.003-06:00

So, no yardwork today, since it is snowing. You can see the remnants of the bush we cut down last weekend. That is where our new vegetable garden is going to go if it ever stops snowing.

And our yard was supposed to get aerated yesterday, but the company never showed up, so I now I will have to take my business elsewhere. I wasted a ton of water watering the yard in anticipation of this being done when I got home from work yesterday. Try, try again.

And this is the updated living room picture. Since I took this picture, we have added a little more decoration and new blinds for the window and the patio door. Hopefully we will get to do the woodwork and trim in the upcoming months. All we need now is a flat screen plasma tv.

Winston has an infected nose, confirmed yeaterday by the vet. Poor guy has been digging at it for awhile, but now he's on antibiotics for 2 weeks, so we'll see how that goes. He must not be feeling too great as he is not even out enjoying the snow today.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice and sunny, so maybe some yardwork will get accomplished tomorrow. I can only hope.

Pennsylvania reveals its prejudices

2008-04-24T15:41:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, PA finally made the decision that I have have always wondered about: who is more hated by Pennsylvanians', women or African-Americans? (My guess was right, by the way.)

Seriously, I knew this was going to be a hard choice for a state who's southern border is the Mason-Dixon line. And is the 2nd oldest population only to Florida, where many old Pennsylvanians spend their winters.

I was curious to see which predjudice was going to wear off first. Since the bible and gun clinging residents of PA voted for John McCain, I find it interesting that Hillary won and I now have my preliminary answer (and some racial riots in York were probably prevented). The true answer will come in November when we see if a traditionally highly-unionized Democratic state will still vote for a black man, a white woman, or will become Republican to support the familiar rich old white guy.

Missed it by 5 years

2008-04-11T16:00:00.004-06:00

The new movie out today, "Smart People" was filmed in lovely Pittsburgh, PA. The house they used for the family's house in the movie is 411 S Graham St. I lived at 304 S Graham St for a year and probably walked/drove by there daily. That would have been cool to see. Maybe meet some famous people.

It reminds me of the time that Kevin Smith was shooting "Dogma" in Pgh at Carnegie Mellon University. Myself and a bunch of friends went wandering the campus in hopes of finding Matt Damon, but no such luck. Someday I will meet a celebrity. Someday.

Oh, and something about this picture makes me sick, and it's not Dan Onorato's half-bald head.

I should probably stop reading the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

I sure am glad that I do not live in PA right now. I can't imagine being inundated by all that campaign crap all the time. I suppose that my turn will come when the DNC happens in August. I have been trying to come up with a way to make some cash off of this gathering of 50,000 people. Let me know if you have some ideas and we can work out a deal. And if you need a place to stay for it, I have some room and the price is negotiable, depending on whether you want to sleep on the floor with Winston or in the basement.

Unabashed monetary solicitation

2008-03-27T17:23:00.003-06:00

Ok, pony up! I will be participating in the Crohns and Colitis Foundation fundraising walk on May 10 at the Denver Zoo. You can make an online donation towards my goal of $100 by clicking here. You can even use a credit card if you like, no minimum required. It is a 2 mile walk through the Zoo, so if you want to join me, even better. Thanks for your help!!