I'm Kindling

I bought a Kindle from Amazon a couple of weeks ago and it is fantastic. Reading has become more difficult for me over the last couple of years, partly due to the optic nerve damage and nystagmus from my MS. I have a hard time tracking words on a page, especially when I'm tired, so often I have to re-read passages to get everything. I've started so many books in the last couple of years and not finished them because it was becoming so frustrating and difficult to read.

Sam and I had been thinking about picking up large print books but that just seemed depressing. And there wasn't a good selection of books from which to choose.

When the Amazon debuted the Kindle in November 2007 I was intrigued. I added it to my Amazon Wish List and took it off a couple of times over the last year. It seemed like a lot of coin to pay for an ebook reader and I wasn't sure if it would help. Well, I took the plunge a couple of weeks ago with the help of a $50 coupon and a couple of gift cards and I'm back to the books.

Some of the great Kindle features are the variable text size options, built in dictionary that you can access from the page you're reading, built in web browser and access to Wikipedia, and an MP3 player so you can listen to music on headphones while you're reading. The books are delivered wirelessly to your Kindle within a minute of ordering them from Amazon's website or the Kindle store on the Kindle. If you have Word, text, jpeg, tiff, gif, or PDF files you would like to view on your Kindle you can email them to Amazon and they will format them for the Kindle and send them to your device. How cool is that?

One of the best features is being able to download the first chapter of any book so you can see if you like it. There's something nice about being able to thumb through a book in a bookstore and being able to read the first chapter of a book is a pretty good substitute.

There are several online sources of free ebooks and you can download those to your PC/Mac and transfer them to the Kindle via USB connection. I've found alot of the classics on Feedbooks.com and now have dozens of free books on my Kindle. The Kindle holds about 200 books so I'm fine for now but if I start to run out of space I can insert an SD card to add storage.

There are dozens of newspapers and magazines that you can subscribe to for regular delivery or individual issue download. I'm enjoying a two week free trial of the New York Times delivered every morning. I'm not sure if I'll keep it but I may download the Sunday edition if we don't pick up a paper copy.

The Kindle screen is easy to look at for long periods of time. I've spent a few hours reading several times over the last two weeks and haven't experienced any eye fatigue or headaches. Yea! I'm about halfway through The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and am thoroughly enjoying my reading time.

I'll post an update on my Kindle use in a month or two. So far it's love at first Kindle.

Phonebanking for Obama

A few days days ago Sam & I signed up to phonebank for Obama. We had a morning soccer game to watch yesterday morning (Arsenal vs Stoke at 10am, miserable result) so we signed up for the 1pm to whenever shift. We were going to meet a fellow Arsenal fan at Jovita's Mexican Cafe on South 1st to make our calls, with mobiles and chargers in hand.

We arrived at Jovita's just after 1pm to find an empty parking lot and Jovita's doors locked. I thought, "You've got to be f'ing kidding me!" We decided to head over to the Obama headquarters on I35 to find another way to help out and when we arrived I asked to talk to the person who organized the Jovita's phonebank. When we found her she said she was surprised that there were people showing up with the same obervation, that they'd gone to Jovita's only to find that it was closed. She had listed the wrong day on the Obama sign up site, it should have been Sunday.

Come on people. There's too much at stake to make this kind of clerical mistake when people are signing up to spend their weekends trying to help out.

But I digress. We got our phone call scripts, tips on what to say and what not to say, and lists of registered voters in battleground state North Carolina. I called area codes 910 (the Fayetteville area) and 828 (the Charlotte area). I mostly got voicemails and I left detailed messages reminding the voters that if they hadn't yet voted that yesterday was the last day of NC early voting and reminded them of NC polls' hours on Tuesday.

About half of the people I spoke with had already voted which was great to hear. Three of the people I spoke with were McCain supporters; one woman's reponse made me chuckle to myself. I'd called to speak with her daughter who was out but when I said that I was a volunteer with the Obama campaign she almost gasped and said "Oh hon, we're really not interested at all. No, but I thank you for the call." She was trying so hard to be polite, which she was, but I could hear the disdain bubbling up. I thanked her for her time and wished her a lovely weekend.

The voters on the list were listed by address so couples and families were grouped together. I got to one couple and asked for "John" or "Jane". It was John who answered and after I got through my introduction he said that he had already voted but his girlfriend hadn't and he said that I needed to speak with her. He passed the phone to her and she sheepishly admitted that she hadn't voted yet and she sounded surprised when I told her that this Tuesday was election day. She committed to voting and we verified her polling place so she knew exactly where to go. I asked her if she would need a ride but she was fine, they were within walking distance. Yea, one more vote!

We may go phonebank again this afternoon although I'm tired and behind on house chores. We may try Jovita's this time since we know they'll be open this time around. The final push... we've got to do it.

Si, se puede.

I Love This T-Shirt

I need to get this shirt. Sam and I are those dog walking-dog poop
picking up people.

Get Out the Vote

Early voting in Texas started on Monday and I was in line at the local Randalls to cast my vote. If you don't vote you may be subjected to this ridicule. So go vote. Please.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This is what I find myself humming starting mid September. Why?
Because my favorite apple, the Honeycrisp, is available for the next
few months. It's the best apple. Ever.

Sam and I were in the market this afternoon and I sang that Christmas
song to him as I bagged my prized apples.

This is one of the most wonderful times of the year. Get them while
you can.

Sent from my iPhone

More Photos

On day two we ascended the space needle and enjoyed the 360 view of Seattle. It was a bit hazy so none of my photos were remarkable.

Then we went on a boat tour of Lake Union and Lake Washington. The weather was sunny and warm so both lakes were full of sail boats, motor boats, kayaks, canoes and water planes. There was so much traffic on the lake that a small sail boat crashed into the rear of our boat. The small boat and its passengers were fine. We saw the Sleepless in Seattle floating house.

Then we headed downtown and had a late lunch near Pioneer Square. After lunch we made our way over to the Square and went on the Underground Tour. I was very interested in doing this tour BUT I was very nervous about having a claustrophic panic attack. I thought I was going to let my mother and sister go without me while we were waiting but I decided to give it a shot. After we were underground and walking through the tunnels under the city I started to freak out a little bit but I kept my head down and started taking photos of everything. I just focussed on my camera and then we were done about 90 minutes later. It was a great tour, our guide was very informative and funny but more importantly I survived!

This is how I felt a few times when I thought about being under the city

Original wall covering from old Seattle

A storefront from old Seattle

Original Seattle plumbing: wooden pipes

Photos from Trip

Two weeks ago tomorrow I met my mother and sister in Seattle for a girl trip. Our flights arrived in Seattle within half an hour of each other so we collected our bags and met the car service which took us to our hotel in the Queen Anne Park neighborhood.

Once we settled in our room we called the Show Me Seattle tour group and the van picked us up for a three hour tour of Seattle. Our guide/driver Bob was very informative and entertaining. One quip that cracked me up was his comparison of his van with the quack tour amphibious vehicle. He said we could do that run into the harbour but it would be the only run. On this tour we stopped at small park in the beautiful Queen Anne neighborhood and we had this breathtaking, incredibly clear view of downtown Seattle with Mt. Ranier in the background.

ABC News: Food Rules: Labels Must Now Give Origin

ABC News: Food Rules: Labels Must Now Give Origin

This is a good start given the recent melamine contaminations in human and pet foods.

First Photo from Trip

This photo was taken on the way to Cathedral Grove with my iPhone's
camera. The grove was gorgeous. I'll post more photos when I get home
tomorrow. ttfn

Another Emmy

Paul Giamatti just won for lead actor in a mini series. He was fantastic as John Adams!

Yet Another Emmy

John Adams just won Best Miniseries!

Fantastic!

Two more Emmys for John Adams

Tom Wilkinson has just won an Emmy for his portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in John Adams. Also nominated in this category were Stephen Dillane (who played Thomas Jefferson) and David Morse (who played George Washington) and while I'm disappointed for them I'm happy about Wilkinson's win. He can do anything.

Another Emmy for John Adams, Kirk Ellis wins Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, etc. It's unfortunate that they cut to commercial when Ellis started to make a brief political comment. Give me a break people. Let him have a full minute to say something.

First Emmy for John Adams

Yea! Laura Linney just won an Emmy for her portrayal of Abigail Adams in HBO's "John Adams." I hope this is the first of many for "John Adams" this evening.

A Disappointing Dinner at Crave

Sam and I had a disappointing dinner at Crave tonight which I've quickly posted on Yelp.

Recent reviews by Eileen J.

What's this?

Thinking About My SIL

My sister in law, my brother's wife, found out yesterday that she has cervical cancer.  She's just a year younger than me.  It seems early, the lesion is the size of a button, but it's going to be a burden on them until it's removed and they get the all clear.  They were planning to try to get pregnant soon so I hope this doesn't interfere with those plans.  My brother would be a great dad.

Sending good thoughts and energy to Christine....

Testing

So this is how you blog from an iPhone.

Sent from my iPhone

Tonight's Dinner

I'm making one of my favorite quick recipes for dinner tonight, creamy goat cheese pasta with roasted asparagus. This is another recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and tv program.

I use olive oil or a spread such as Smart Balance instead of butter. I wouldn't use the Smart Balance with flax oil though because it can't stand up to the heat. Sometimes I'll add a tablespoon or two of dijon mustard which adds a nice flavor.

Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta
1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Here's what to do:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.

While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

Yum.

New Coke Commercial for the Olympics

I unapologetically love the Olympics. I love the opening ceremonies, the human interest stories, the triumphs, the daily medal counts and the countless events.

And I've always loved Coke's Olympics commercials. They didn't disappoint me these games. This ad with Yao Ming and Lebron James is very clever: the display of each country's culture, the playful competitiveness and the cool music. Good job.

Quote for the Day

Since we dodged another tropical storm bullet yesterday and today I thought this would be a good quote for the day.

What sky! What light! Ah in spite of all it is blessed thing to be alive in such weather...
—Samuel Beckett

More Tysabri problems

Tysabri is a fairly new MS treatment and differs from the other treatments in that it is a monthly infusion rather than a self-adminstered injection. Tysabri was fast-tracked by the FDA because the clinical trial results were incredible. Tysabri became available in 2004 and was pulled in March 2005 because of three deaths due to PML, progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis.

The way Tysabri works is that it makes the blood-brain barrier sticky so that the confused and rogue white blood cells are unable to cross the barrier to damage myelin in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. While this is remarkable there is danger that the central nervous system is somewhat vulnerable to infection, such as PML, because those same rogue fighter cells are unable to get to the infection to help fight it. And this my friends, is very dangerous.

After further review by the FDA Tysabri returned to market in July 2006 and it's been adminstered without incident until late yesterday when news broke after the US markets closed that two additional cases of PML have been diagnosed. One patient is at home and the other is in the hospital. I couldn't find any additional information about their current condition. I hope they recover quickly and completely.

Investors are skittish about the news and the stock has taken a beating this morning. This shouldn't be reason to pull Tysabri again but it should underscore the risk involved with powerful drugs.

Summer TV Guilty Pleasures

Around 4pm on Tuesdays I start to get a little giddy. Why? Because I know in a few hours I'll be giggling at someone's attempts to run across four big balls.

We don't watch reality tv, not that we've made it a rule to live by but what isn't trash tv usually seems to be pretty addictive and we don't need that distraction. BUT, this summer we are hopelessly addicted to Wipe Out and I Survived a Japanese Game Show. We laugh so hard during Wipe Out, not only are the contestants' wipe outs funny but the hosts' comments are hilarious. John Henson cracks me up with his sign-off, "Good night and big balls." We find ourselves cheering for contestants on Japanese Game Show and envious of the rewards given to the winning team.

I don't know how long these shows will last but I'm enjoying them for the moment.

Funny Bumper Stickers

We got a kiwi 2008 Honda Element three weeks ago and love it. It's very spacious inside and is a pretty smooth ride. There are two hilarious bumper stickers for the Element: "You're being passed by a toaster" and "Screw Aerodynamics." I laughed out loud when I saw both of those.

Our green toaster or as I like to call it sometimes, the green hornet:

Xbox 360 Commercial - Water War

This is one of my favorite commercials ever. I love the song (The Teddy Bear's Picnic), the idea of a huge neighborhood water balloon fight, and the way this was filmed. My favorite bit is at 53 seconds when the little boy is taunting someone and a split second later a water balloon explodes next to him.

All of the Xbox 360 ads from this campaign were very entertaining but this one is my fave. Enjoy.

Another Anniversary

For the last five years sometime during the first week or so of July I stop in my tracks and think "Oh my gosh, my MS anniversary is coming up." For some reason it takes my breath away. No matter what I'm doing whether I'm walking Rusty, reviewing a portfolio's monthly returns at work, inspecting a fresh peach at the market or folding laundry in the bedroom, I pause and relive that afternoon.

A friend forwarded a link to a NYT article last week where the writer described his heart attack as "one of the moments in his life that defined his life, as if he'd crossed an invisible 'before and after' line and realized nothing would be the same." For me it's been like that.

I think about how when I woke up that Friday morning I had no idea how my life would change forever. I think about how sad I was, just incredibly sad, for so long. During the phone call with my neurologist's office everything instantly seemed hopeless and meaningless. I remember thinking how unfair it was: I was 32 and supposed to be going to grad school, not learning how to give myself an IV of solumedrol to halt my latest relapse or evaluating the available MS injectible treatments to try to slow the disease progression. But after a while you figure out that life is fair, it can just be unlucky.

Despite the crappy card I've been dealt I have been lucky with the treatment I've received. I was lucky to find a research-oriented neurologist and lucky to have participated in the Campath clinical trial. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that it looks like everything is going to be ok.

So tomorrow is my sixth MS anniversary and first blog anniversary... happy anniversary to me.

Emmy Nominations

The Emmy nominations have been announced and I'm delighted to see that HBO's "John Adams" received 23 nominations. The entire cast was fabulous, the costumes were beautiful, the cinematography was flawless, and the script and sets were incredible. It was a fantastic miniseries and I recommend it as a rental to everyone.

My new favorite comedy 30 Rock received 17 nods. My favorite show Lost received seven nominations, including Michael Emerson as Ben. He plays Ben so well; the bad guy that you can't quite hate.

I'll throw this out to the universe. It would be great if all of the Emmy gift bag recipients would put their goodies on eBay and donate the funds to the various relief organizations who are helping in China, Myanmar, Africa and areas here at home.

Benini Sculpture Ranch

Sam, Rusty & I visited the Benini Sculpture Ranch last Saturday and it was a fun outing. An incredible collection of large scuplture are strewn about this 140 acre ranch near Johnson City, TX. LBJ used to own this ranch and it is now owned by Benini, his wife Lorraine and their foundation.

You can stay in your air conditioned car and drive through the ranch to admire the art or you can park and stroll through the hills and experience the scupltures up close. A visit to the ranch is a great day trip from Austin. Here are a few photos from our visit.

An Age Old Question Properly Addressed and Answered

Yes, I'm a firm believer in toilet paper being hung over rather than under. It tears better, it hangs better and is just more aesthetically pleasing. A friend sent me this link last week where the author has effectively used science to prove that the tp should hang over, not under. Yea!

Their brilliant conclusion:

Restroom attendants, janitors, maids, facilities crews, and responsible
toiletowners take note: Don’t use the under-hung method for your toilet paper
rolls. It leads to the destruction of our precious resources and the pillars
of civilization as we know it!

Look at Who's on My Side

If Paris Hilton is on my side then I've got nothing to worry about. ;-)

Seriously though, her heart's in the right place and any press is good press, right? Good for her for helping out with some MS fundraising.

A Nice Morning

We went to Butler Park this morning for our morning walk with Rusty and it was very nice. It's been cooler since yesterday afternoon so we wanted to enjoy the break in the heat. We strolled around the many sidewalks, walked around the reflecting pool in front of the Palmer Events Center and enjoyed the early morning view of downtown Austin coming to life. Below is a shot of Rusty resting after his walk.


After about an hour of strolling around we went around the corner to Flip Happy Crepes for a delicious breakfast. It was a busy scene this morning at the crepe airstream which was great to see. I love seeing a small business enjoy such success.

It's starting to warm up now and we're praying for rain. Come on rain gods, give us a good dousing.

The Pain of Addiction

What I thought was a brain tumour turned out to be the pain of addiction.

Saturday morning I got up early (5:45am) to walk Rusty and get him settled before I had an 8am portrait session with a newly engaged couple. In a hurry to get to the site early I didn't have any coffee or juice, my two morning beverages. The shoot ran long and I had a couple of errands to run before heading to the local Honda dealership to purchase a new car so I missed breakfast, lunch and all of the hydrating opportunities in between.

Around mid afternoon I felt like I had a spike going through my temple so I took a couple of Tylenol with a big glass of water. No effect. Early evening I took two more Tylenol with two big glasses of water thinking I was dehydrated. No effect. I went to bed early on Saturday because of the pain and the fatigue of car-buying stress, and hoped that when I woke up Sunday morning I would feel rejuvenated and pain free. No dice. My head hurt just as badly.

Then the lightbulb went off. I had had no caffeine on Saturday and to be exact, I'd had no caffeine since Friday morning. So I ground the Ethiopian coffee beans we get from Aster's and started the coffeemaker posthaste. I quickly drank two mugs of coffee and within an hour I was fine.

Oh my gosh. I only drink coffee once a day which is a large mug in the morning. I don't drink soda or iced tea anymore. I may have a cup of green tea in the afternoon but I don't think I consume a sufficient quantity of caffeine to warrant such a reaction. How could my body respond to the lack of caffeine in such a cruel manner?

The lesson learned here is to set the coffeemaker timer the night before a morning photo shoot and bring the travel mug with me.

I love the Wii Fit Step Plus

I did this Step routine for an hour on Saturday and my legs and bum are very sore today. I love my Wii Fit!

RIP Tim Russert

Incredible. I can't believe the news that Tim Russert has died. I shared countless Sunday mornings with him and always enjoyed his presidential election coverage.

He never seemed to have an agenda and I think he was always fair with the guests on Meet the Press. He wasn't argumentative but in a civil manner he called people out when they contradicted themselves. He was the consummate professional.

Godspeed.

Whew

I picked up a Wii Fit Sunday morning and love it. I just spent 50 minutes hula hooping, doing a downhill slalom, heading soccer balls, and doing yoga poses. It's great fun.

It was no surprise that my balance wasn't great. My balance was shot to $hit about six years ago with my first bad MS relapse but hopefully it will improve with the Wii Fit's assistance.

The game seems pretty encouraging as you improve and does a good job of tracking your progress. Sam hurt his back over the weekend but I hope when he's feeling better that he'll enjoy this new toy also.

SATC the Movie

Hope and I saw SATC the Movie yesterday afternoon and it was delicious. It's been four years since we saw Carrie disappear into the NYC crowd answering a call from John, Mr. Big, and I was very excited about seeing another chapter in the lives of the SATC women.

The movie took us on a wonderful ride, filled with humour, sadness and love. I laughed out loud at so many lines and scenes, especially when Carrie exclaimed that Charlotte had Poughkeepsied herself. I got a little choked up when Steve made his confession to Miranda, when Big left Carrie at the library, and when Charlotte explained her reasons for stopping running.

The friendships seemed more grown up. Samantha seemed more maternal, taking care of her girls, and I think she had the best lines of the film. All of the women seemed more settled down, as 40-somethings trying to find themselves again after finding love. For Miranda it was still a hang up about living in Brooklyn, telling Steve that she changed herself for him. For Samantha it was the focus of her life changing to Smith Jarod over the previous five years, as she told someone that she said Smith's name over fifty time a day compared to uttering her own name just a few times.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film for so many reasons. The clothes, shoes and bags were great and the city of New York was beautiful as always. I was disappointed to see so little of Harry but as it was the movie was over 2 hours long so maybe there are a few Harry scenes on the cutting room floor.

I must also comment on how strange it was to see so many women, in groups, at the theater. Sam & I had brunch at The Steeping Room earlier in the day and there was a group of 15 women there taking tea before they headed to the theater. I can't recall another event that's given women an opportunity for a day, afternoon or night out like this. Very cool.

A Lovely Weekend

We met friends for dinner at Flip Happy Crepes last night for dinner. Sam & I had been there a couple of times before and we knew that they can get quite busy so I suggested we get there just as they opened, at 6pm, in order to find a good table.

As we were leaving the house to meet our friends I thought I'd made a big mistake in choosing our dinner time because it was still in 90s and the air was heavy. It was quite warm for the first 45 minutes or so that we were there but we were chatting with our friends, enjoying some beer and wine. Then as the sun started to disappear it turned into a lovely evening. A cool breeze started to blow and the huge pecan tree we were sitting beneath offered protection from the weakening sun's heat. That seemed to spark our appetites and we hurried over to the groovy Airstream trailer to place our crepe orders. Mmmh, they were absolutely delectable.

I take Rusty for his morning walk around 6am while it's still cool. As he's getting older I think he's less tolerant of the heat as he really slows down when we're playing in the heat. As we were walking around our neighborhood this morning a lovely strong cool breeze met us face on and it was glorious. All of the trees' leaves started to flutter and the scent of honeysuckle clusters floated through the air.

I tried to really take it in because it'll be stifling hot very soon and cool, delicious smelling breezes will be a distant memory.

David Beckham Goal From Half Way Line, 1996

Becks scored this incredible goal while playing for ManU in 1996.

Next,check out his similar goal in May 2008.

He's wicked great.

Beckham 70 yard goal for the LA Galaxy, May 2008

He scores a similar goal 12 years later.

Streaker at LA Galaxy vs Vancouver Whitecaps Match

Watching a streaker run across the field at a football is great fun. Watching David Beckham aim the ball at the streaker is hilarious. Enjoy.

A Good Week for Animals

This week was a good week for animal protection and welfare.

First, the Interior Dept announced that polar bears would be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. This listing closes the loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act which allowed trophy hunters to kill polar bears for sport. Pigs. But I digress. Now if we could get some strong legislation to address global warming then we'll really be helping these majestic creatures. Their hunting grounds are rapidly disappearing.

Second, the HSUS reached a settlement with the publisher of animal fighting magazine "The Gamecock" that ads for illegal fighting animals and accouterments will be excluded from publication. Another part of the settlement was that the magazine would not be sold on Amazon until the publication was in compliance for one year. I can't believe that Amazon would allow this magazine to be sold via its site, really. I understand the first amendment issue but why would Amazon allow the sale of a magazine that promotes an illegal and atrocious activity.

Finally, yesterday the Senate overrode the president's veto of the Farm Bill, which brings guarantees more protection for animals here and abroad. The Farm Bill bans the import of puppies from foreign puppy mills, makes any form of animal fighting a federal felony and has greatly increased the allowable fines for Animal Welfare Act violations. Yea!

A Sign of the Times?

I filled up my car's gas tank a few days ago and noticed something unusual: even numbers on each pump. I could discern the total amounts paid on about four pumps and the amounts ranged from $5.00 up to $20.00. None of the amounts were enough to fill up a tank, unless someone were driving a scooter or riding lawn mower. It seemed obvious that people were putting the amount of gas in their tank equal to the paper money in their pockets.

For some reason I felt a bit guilty when I swiped my credit card and let the tank fill to capacity.

Have You Voted Yet?

On this morning's to do list is tons of laundry, talking Rusty for his a.m. walk, and voting. To kill two birds with one stone Rusty, Sam and I walked over to our polling place so I could place my vote for Austin City Council Places 1, 3 and 4.

As he usually does, Rusty added a little excitement to the walk. We need to cross the Mopac overpass to reach our polling place at HP Elementary and Rusty, who always carries a ball on his walks, dropped his ball when we were near the top of the overpass and it rolled at record speed to the bottom of the hill. So off we went running after the ball so it didn't roll into the storm drain and I carried it until we reached the hill's bottom at the other side of the overpass. Fool me once, Rusty.

We made our way to HP Elementary and Rusty & Sam waited outside while I went in to cast my vote. I always ask the polling place workers how the turnout has been and today's response was that it's been dismal. Surely people care about what happens to our city. Surely people understand that any progress in public transportation, preservation of neighborhoods, affordable housing, etc. is up to the council.

I don't think we can complain about decisions made by the council if we don't show up to vote.

Desperate Times in Burma

The situation in Burma is going from bad to worse. At least 60,000 are confirmed dead and the number is expected to exceed 100,000. But thanks to the fear and short-sightedness of the Burmese government the survivors may not be survivors for long. For over a week the people were lucky enough to survive have been searching for clean water and food and are being denied supplies brought in over the last several days.

The United Nations, the World Food Programme, other NGOs, and many governments have offered aid and some have already made drops of supplies. But these assets have been confiscated by the Burmese government who will also not allow aid workers to assist in the distribution of supplies. There are piles of food and water and the government will not distribute them to its desperate citizens.

How can this be happening? How can the Burmese government just sit on the relief supplies while its citizens desperately need the aid? We can only hope, pray, meditate, whatever you do, that the government will come to its senses and accept the aid that is being offered to them.

Seal - Amazing [OFFICIAL video]

I love Seal and love, love, love this song.

Miraculon

I'm going to preface this post with a short disclaimer. My experience with Campath (alemtuzumab) was part of a clinical trial and while the trial's results have been presented to the FDA this drug has not yet been approved for the treatment of MS. I'm not claiming that my experience would be typical of anyone else's outcome. I'm not an agent of the drug manufacturer or any interested parties.

I entered a clinical trial in January 2004 to test the chemotherapy Campath on MS patients who had experienced a failure of treatment, namely one of the interferon injectibles. Campath is a chemotherapy currently FDA approved for treating leukemia and lymphoma. The name Campath comes from Cambridge Pathology where the treatment was created.

Each person in my trial group had been on one of the interferon treatments (Rebif, Avonex or Betaseron) and each of us had experienced a worsening of symptoms while on one of the disease modifying treatments. Each of us received a week of Campath infusions in January 2004 and we received another round of infusions in January 2005.

I had the month 51 appointment with my neurologist last Thursday. The appointments have month labels that signify how many months since we started this clinical trial. My appointment went well and my neurologist gave me an update on Campath news and trials that are going worldwide.

He told me that almost everyone who has received campath has developed some sort of thyroid disorder, either hyper- or hypo-thryoidism. I've developed Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which causes hypothyroidism. One of my friends in the trial developed Graves disease which is a result of hyperthyroidism. Another side effect has been a problem with blood platelets, ITP. The ITP, of which two participants died, seems to have been somewhat limited and now that we know the symptoms to look for we can catch it early and treat it successfully.

The outcomes have been extraordinary for almost everyone. Before the trial began each participant was tested for disability and assigned a score based on the EDSS scale. My neurologist said that almost everyone who has received Campath has lowered their EDSS score, or disability level. Everyone's symptoms have diminished since the trial began and most importantly, there has been a remarkable reduction in the relapse rate. He jokingly referred to Campath as "Miraculon"... MD humor.

He told me about a trial that tested Campath against one of the interferon injectibles and those results have been incredible. Similar to my trial's results the group receiving Campath experienced an improvement in their disability score and no new disease activity. The group that received the interferon continued to worsen, experiencing relapses and MRI activity. And from personal experience I can tell you that the interferon injections burn like mad and are painful, leaving areas of skin necrosis, so to have the worse outcome is just adding insult to injury.

The Phase III trials have begun the recruitment process, which means thousands of MS patients worldwide will be able to receive Campath. This phase's results should be reviewed by the FDA within a couple of years and hopefully the drug can be fast tracked to become the next MS treatment.

I would strongly recommend this treatment to anyone who is considering it. I'm not so lucky to have MS but I am pretty lucky to have been part of this study and to have received Campath.

Nike: Take It To the NEXT LEVEL (Full Length)

This commercial is awesome!

Black & White Falls

A B&W version of one of today's photos.

How Does it Relate to Me?

One of the photography courses I'm taking right now is Personal Expression in Photography. This week's assignment was to compose a list of things you are passionate about, narrow that list to one item and photograph it as it relates to you. Mmmh, ok?

One of the items on my list was water and I've always enjoyed images (moving and still) of moving water whether it be crashing waves, rushing river, waterfalls, etc. For my assignment I took some photos of the water feature in Zilker Botanical Gardens, in the prehistoric garden. Now I have to figure out before 7pm Monday evening how it relates to me.

Any Women Doctors in the House?

This week I sent a message to Rep Lamar Smith about H.R. 5534, the “Bear Protection Act of 2008,” via his "Contact Me" page on his website and I was very disappointed to see the following salutation choices:

Dr. and Mrs.
Miss
Mr. and Mrs.
Mrs.
Ms.
Dr.
Mr.

For some reason whoever set up this page didn't think that the choice of "Mr. and Dr." was necessary. I made reference to this slight in my message and I hope to see an update soon.

Taking Tea at The Steeping Room

04450006, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

I took my new old camera to tea with me last weekend. We like going to The Steeping Room for brunch on the weekends and we usually get the tea service with lapsang souchong chicken salad sandwich and goat cheese with olive tapenade sandwich. The sandwich looks like it's oozing mayo but it's soft goat cheese.

It's a lovely cafe and both the teas and food are very good.

The Old Country Pub

04450003, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Not really, this is Fado's patio from street level. They've done a good job though in making it look authentic. Another photo from the AE-1.

My New Camera

04450005, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

I just got an old Canon AE-1 off of eBay and am trying to get the hang of the fully manual 35mm camera.

I took this photo of Sam last Saturday morning outside of Fado where we'd just watched our Arsenal beat Reading 2-0. The kick off was at 6:45am so this was taken around 9am; nice diffused morning light.

How Not to Cook an Egg

This video gave me the ugly laugh.

Our New Charge

This is Harley, a one year old golden who is in GRR's care. His foster family is on vacation so he's staying with us for two weeks. Poor Harley is heartworm positive and received his second treatment last Monday. The treatment, which I believe is doses of arsenic, is painful and his activity is very restriced as there is danger of the dead heartworm breaking apart and traveling to the lungs.

He seems to be doing well and enjoys the limited yard trips. He's a very sweet and beautiful boy.

Sam

Sam, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

This is handsome Sam as we were waiting for our breakfast at the Hill Country Cupboard in Johnson City. I bought a cookbook in the cafe's giftshop area and it's full of old Texas and Hill Country recipes. We made a chess pie from the cookbook and it was deelish.

giddy up

giddy up, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Sam & I explored the barn at the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. The smell of saddles and hay is wonderful.

quaint living

quaint living, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Another image from the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm.

cottage window

cottage window, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Sam & I went searching for wildflowers around Johnson City a couple of weekends ago and stopped by the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. This image is from inside the kitchen in the cottage.

A House Full of Heathens

I just overheard Sam tell his mother that we did not go to church this morning for Easter but rather we went to the pub to watch our Arsenal play Chelsea.

Heathens

Our beloved Arsenal lost to Chelsea this morning. It was a painful, ugly defeat. Maybe we lost because we didn't go to church this morning.

Heathens

We went to Costco after we left the pub this morning to buy a few things. The parking lot was a ghost town. Oh yeah, it was Easter Sunday.

Heathens

Then we went to the local market to get ingredients for dinner and a few staples. Again a ghost town except for a few cars circling the parking lot. Other heathens.

Heathens

Cool Pepsi Ad with Soccer Superstars

Current soccer greats Beckham, Fabregas, Henry, Ronaldinho and Lampard are in this ad. There's another footballer in the ad but I'm not sure of his name. I love Fabregas blowing a kiss to Henry.

On top of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia NP

On top of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia NP, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

The mix of colors around these rocks appealed to me when I was on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park and I liked the tufts of grass and red wildflowers struggling to survive on the rocks.

For the Obama Fans

Black Guy Asks Nation For Change

The Daily Show's Broken Arrow

Great clip from last night's show.

MS Awareness Week

This week is MS Awareness Week (10 - 17 March) and the NMSS has announced a program called Seven Days of Action. They're easy actions too, just check them out.

TODAY: Click "Submit" here. • Show your commitment to the
MS movement.

TUESDAY: Take action. • Contact your members of
Congress about supporting important MS research. Go to
www.nationalMSsociety.org and look
for the Society's action alert.

WEDNESDAY: Sign up for Walk MS or Bike
MS. • Already signed up? Ask two friends to join you.

THURSDAY: Tell your friends. • Spread the word. Every
voice matters. Look for our email today and pass it on!

FRIDAY: Volunteer. • We make it easy for you to get
involved.

SATURDAY: Make your mark. • Make your mark against MS
and share it with the world, or tell your story on the Face of MS.

SUNDAY: Support the Society. • Every donation moves us
closer to a world free of MS.

My friend Becky is doing the MS150 bike ride from Houston to Austin in April, again. If you've got a few bucks sitting around please consider sponsoring her. Click here to donate: http://www.ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=209984

park in bath spa, england

park in bath spa, england, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

I love being able to blog from flickr. My sister and I spent two weeks in Ireland and England in May 2001 and this is one of the photos from my day in Bath Spa. My digital camera at the time was a Kodak DC210 which was a gift from Sam. It took pretty good photos for a one megapixel camera.

Ode to Costco

I love Costco. I love their products, the way the stores are set up with nice wide aisles and high roof (I'm claustrophobic so a high roof is nice), their staff is always pleasant and helpful, and the prices are just right. I love their food court pizza, coffee that's roasted right in the store, rotisserie chicken, fruit and vegetable selection, increasing selection of organic items, wine and beer selection, and the nice surprises you can find in their book, dvd and clothing aisles. One such surprise was Karen Neuberger pajamas for $29 compared to the $69 I paid at Nordstroms.

I was in Costco yesterday to pick up a few things and I discovered that they're now carrying paper towels and toilet paper made of recycled paper, 80% post-consumer recycled paper to be exact. I was so pleased. And they also carry my new favorite laundry soap, Wintree, which doesn't contain any weird detergents or scents.

If they would just start carrying Barilla Plus pasta and Burts Bees bath products.

Oh Costco, how I love thee.

Best Wishes to Eduardo

Sam & I are huge Arsenal F.C. fans, in fact we're borderline obsessive fans. Yesterday morning one of our players, Eduardo da Silva, suffered a horrific injury resulting from a sloppy but dangerous tackle in Birmingham City. The tackle and resulting injury was so upsetting that Sky News and Setanta Sports, the two broadcasters, refused to replay it.

There's been speculation that Eduardo's injury could be career ending which would be an awful tragedy for someone so young, talented and passionate about soccer. I could hardly think of anything else most of yesterday. Yes, I know, obsessed.

There is some better news this morning. A Croatian news source (Eduardo was born in Brazil but has Croatian citizenship now and plays for the Croatian national soccer team) has said that initial reports of three fracture in his leg were exaggerated and that there was only one break. His prognosis is better than initially believed. I pray that he'll have a full recovery and will be back on the pitch much sooner than expected.

Good luck Eduardo. You're in our thoughts and prayers.

Whatcha Smilin' At?

rusty looking handsome, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Rusty looks relaxed and happy in this photo. The bald spot on his front leg was from his IV for his oral surgery last spring.

Another Quick and Easy Dinner

We had a couple of friends over for dinner last week and I served one of my favorite quick suppers: mushroom ragout over polenta with a side of wilted spinach and tomatoes. One of our guests was not a fan of mushrooms but she enjoyed this dish; it's really quite good.

A few changes I made: instead of broiling the polenta I served it soft after stirring in a small amount of parmesan, I used 16 oz of button mushrooms and 8 oz of portobellos, and since I used a few extra ounces of mushrooms I made a little extra sauce by using a bit more tomato paste, water, rosemary and balsamic vinegar. The polenta is a bit labor intensive because it must be stirred constantly so if you don't fancy being stuck in front of the stove top you could buy a log of prepared polenta to slice up and broil.

These dishes' recipes are from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. I enjoy the magazine and the PBS show which is on Saturday mornings in Austin. They have a fantastic section every month called "All in One Bag" where a week's worth of menus with the shopping list is provided. The week's meals share ingredients which helps keep the food costs down. This is one example of the All in One Bag. Another bonus is that they try to use seasonal ingredients: good for your food's carbon footprint and your wallet.

interesting intersection in quebec city

interesting intersection, originally uploaded by EileenInAustin.

Let's give blogging from flickr a try. I took this photo when I was in Quebec City with my mom and sister in October 2006 and it's one of my favorite photos from our trip.

This intersection in Quebec City really appealed to me. I liked the monochromatic background and the pop of the red, yellow and green in the foreground.

Props to Austin

Wayne Slater of The Dallas Morning News is speaking with Chris Matthews on Hardball right now and they're talking about Obama's and Clinton's chances in Texas. Slater started speaking about the political leanings of the larger cities in Texas, Dallas and Houston, and went on to call Austin "the liberal capital of America."

Woo hoo. We're just a whole bunch of liberals here in Austin. Take that NYC. ;-)

Give Me a Break

Come on immune system, give me a break.

I've received two rounds of chemo (Jan 2004 and Jan 2005) as part of a clinical trial to evaluate a new MS drug. The treatment, Campath, has had fantastic results as an MS treatment but there have been some long term side effects. One being a drop in platelets which has caused a few deaths due to brain hemorrhages and another is thyroid disorders. To catch these side effects we have bloodwork done monthly (my veins are tired of this already) which checks our platelet levels and our thyroid hormone levels.

My thyroid levels have come back abnormal the last few tests so off I went to see an endocrinologist. I had more bloodwork done and an ultrasound done of my thryoid and both confirm more autoimmune activity, this time Hashimoto's thyroiditis which has caused hypothryoidism. I really haven't researched this because I'm just fed up with going to the doctor, getting unfavorable news, getting bloodwork done, toting paperwork and MRI films around... just fed up with it. I'll take the tablets they gave me this morning but I'll read up on this later.

I know it could be worse. I could be in a wheelchair or blind from my MS and I know there are worse conditions/diseases out there than MS but seriously, after six years of this I'm tired of hauling my happy ass up to Round Rock every three months to see my neuro where I'm treated like a number, getting blood drawn at least once a month, going for MRIs, and just the constant presence of my MS and its symptoms.

So to my immune system, I ask of you, can you just give me a break? Leave my brain, my spinal cord, my optic nerve, my thryoid and all of my other organs alone. Just go after the bad stuff. Please.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

It's a little drafty in here today. I donated a pony tail of my hair to Locks of Love yesterday and I don't have much hair left now. This was my third hair donation to Locks of Love and it's pretty cool to think of my hair being part of a wig for a young child.

I wish Sam and I had taken before and after pictures of my hair because it's a pretty dramatic change.

A Walk in the Woods

One of my favorite books, "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, is being made into a movie by Robert Redford. How exciting! I've lent this book to many friends who've also become Bryson fans.

I love Bill Bryson's books, another favorite is "In a Sunburned Country". Bryson's storytelling style and dry wit make for "laugh out loud" reading. In his travelogues he cleverly peppers his hilarious tales with interesting and relevant historical facts. Known for his travel books Bryson has also written several books on science and the history of the English language which have been well received by academics and critics.

I truly look forward to seeing "A Walk in the Woods" on the big screen. It is a delightful book.

Warm January Afternoon

It was unseasonably warm this weekend so we took Rusty down to Lady Bird Lake, fka Town Lake, this afternoon and he enjoyed some mid-winter swimming.

Am I Bovvered?

My sister Maureen introduced me to The Catherine Tate Show, a comedy sketch program on BBC America. It is hilarious! Catherine Tate plays multiple characters on the show and my favorite is Lauren. This is one of my favorite Lauren skits. Lauren's famous line is "Am I Bovvered?" or in French "Suis je Bovvered?".

This is another good Lauren skit. And even Tony Blair got in on the act.

It's well bad.

Deelish and Easy to Make

I made this last night for dinner and we had the leftovers tonight. As with most recipes I made a few changes: I added a cup of shredded carrots in step 3, doubled the garlic and ginger and used chicken stock rather than vegetable stock. We have a great rice cooker which I used as recommended in the recipe: for cooking the rice and steaming the carrots, peas and chicken. I roughly chopped cilantro, peanuts and scallions for toppings. Sam found some chutney in the fridge and had some pickled beets on the side.

Recipe source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/indonesian-rice-bowl.html

This simplified version of the rijsttafel table, a popular full-rice meal in Indonesia, looks incredibly festive served with all the condiments.

Rice
1 cup Thai jasmine rice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2½ cups fresh or frozen petite peas (2 pounds fresh unshelled)
2½ cups shredded, sautéed tofu (or organic chicken)
½ cup hot vegetable stock

Sauce
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, white parts only, minced (chop the green tops for garnish)
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish

Condiments
Separate small bowls of chutney, sliced bananas, raisins, unsweetened shredded coconut, minced fresh cilantro leaves, mandarin orange segments, chopped applies, plain yogurt.

1. Make the rice. If using a rice cooker, coat the rice cooker bowl with non-stick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle. If cooking in a pan, follow the cooking directions on the package.
2. Make the sauce. In a medium-size saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until the mixture achieves a sauce-like consistency. Cover and keep warm.
3. When the rice is ready (if using a rice cooker, when it switches to the Keep Warm cycle), sprinkle the peas and tofu on top of the rice. Close the cover and let set for 20 minutes.
4. Transfer the rice mixture to a warmed serving platter with sloped sides. Pour the hot stock and peanut sauce over the rice. Stir gently to combine the peas and tofu with the stock and peanut sauce. Sprinkle with the green onion tops and peanuts. Serve immediately with a choice of condiments.

A Movie Filled Weekend

Sam & I saw three movies over the weekend which is almost as many as we saw in total last year. Well, not quite but last year was not a big theater year for us.

We saw "Cloverfield" with a friend Saturday afternoon, "The Water Horse" with friends Sunday afternoon and a sneak preview of "U23D" IMAX last night. Cloverfield was good, The Water Horse was great and U23D knocked my socks off.

I've been a fan of U2 since I was 11 or 12 years old, so for more than a third of my life, and went to my first U2 show when I was 15. I love, love, love them. I thought the idea of watching a concert in 3D seemed pretty cool but it was almost as good as being at the show. I got goosebumps during my favorite songs and was just completely engrossed in the film. Sam was less than enthusiastic about going to the show last night but he was completely sucked in also.

Any U2 fans out there should definitely check it out. In Austin it's showing at the Bob Bullock IMAX theater.

Rusty is Seven

According to the paperwork we received when we adopted Rusty from GRR he turns seven this month. Seven years is middle age for a golden of his size and we hope he's with us for a very long time.

I took this photo yesterday afternoon. I bumped up the saturation and sharpness in Photoshop which is something new for me. I guess I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to photos and I will usually just crop a photo a bit.

Finally, Something that Works

I was at my neurologist's office last week and one of the doctors who was standing too close to me with his uncapped black ballpoint pen in hand made a nice long black ink mark on the sleeve of my bright yellow blouse. I thought that was the end of my blouse because I've never had luck with ink stain removal. I've tried ideas that I've read online (rubbing alcohol, hairspray, laundry pretreatments, etc) and absolutely nothing has worked. I lost a favorite pair of pants a couple of years ago because of a pen that sneaked its way into the laundry.

A friend who is a big Real Simple fan suggested I check Real Simple's website for an idea. Here's their answer to the ballpoint ink dilemma:

Put glycerin on the spot, then treat with a detergent like Woolite and very little water. Gently rub to form suds and rinse.

I got a bottle of glycerin from the drugstore, rushed home and followed their instructions. I was very skeptical but when I pulled my blouse out of the dryer the next morning there was no hint of black ink anywhere. It was a miracle!

Real Simple has a comprehensive stain removal guide here. I'll be keeping this guide handy.

An Entertaining Burns Supper

Sam and I attended the Silver Thistle's Burns Supper this evening. For over 200 years Scots around the world have celebrated Robert Burns's birthday with a Burns Supper. The suppers are fantastic to partake in: there's great music and dancing, entertaining speakers, and of course, the haggis. The guest speaker this evening was Ed Miller, a native of Edinburgh who is a local celebrity, and it's always a pleasure to hear Ed speak and sing.

This evening we were entertained with great stories and jokes, of which I had to share two jokes.

What's the difference between Mick Jagger and a Scot in the Highlands:
Mick Jagger sings "Hey you, get off of my cloud."
A Scot in the Highlands says "Hey MacLeod, get off of my ewe."

About midway through the ceremony there is a salute to the lasses and a response to the laddies. During the exchange we were entertained by this joke:

A Scottish mom was going to return to the workforce after her kids had grown up so she went to her doctor for a physical. When her husband returned home from work she shared her physical's results with him. "My doctor told me I have the body of a 20 year old and the heart of a 16 year old." Her husband responded "Did he say anything about your 50 year old ass?" to which she responded "No, he didn't ask about you." LOL I laughed and laughed at that one.

I'm Old

I feel like a geezer who is stumped by technology. I set up a Facebook page yesterday and first, Google sent friend invites to most of the people in my address book which I wouldn't have done, and second, I just accidentally send an e-card to all of those people which I'm not an e-card sender. So I wonder if I look like a stalker to all of these people. How embarrassing.

I Can't Wait

I can't wait for the new season of Lost to begin, two weeks from tomorrow. It's been a long wait but I'm hopeful Damon Lindelof & Co. have been hard at work on good stories and scripts.

I have so many questions... argh! I can't wait to find out:

-who is on the ship that is off the island's coast especially since we know that it's not Penny's ship
-who is Jacob
-what was going on with Kate and Jack in the flash-forward episode
-how does Naomi have a photo of Penny & Desmond
-who was in the casket in the flash-forward episode
-what is the deal with Richard who doesn't age
-why do some people see deceased persons from their past: Ben seeing his mom, Jack seeing his dad
-what healed Locke and Rose, and does Rose also have a special relationship with the island & possibly Jacob
-was a plane really found near Bali, like Naomi claimed
-where are Walt and Michael, and what's up with Walt
-what's up with the monster smoke and the voices that we heard in season 1

Last fall I enjoyed two new shows on NBC which starred a couple of actors from hit HBO shows: "Life" with Damian Lewis of "Band of Brothers" and "Journeyman" with Kevin McKidd of "Rome". Life is a much better show but Journeyman was entertaining to watch.

I also got hooked on Heroes last fall. I missed the first season so I watched season 1 on dvd last summer and thanks to DVR I got caught up on season 2. What a fun show! "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

But I digress... two weeks until Lost begins.... let the countdown begin.

Florida Sunset

Sam and I spent Christmas with our families in Florida. My youngest brother took me out onto one of the local lakes in his new boat and I took these photos of the beautiful sunset. Florida sunsets are the most beautiful in the world.

Our Rusty Boy

Sam and I went to Santa Fe, NM last fall and we brought our golden Rusty with us. While having Rusty with us limited some of the things we were able to do we had a great time being together. This is one of my favorite photos from our trip.