Sunday, July 27, 2008

Randomness

Randomness Part 1

Baby Gulls

There is a seagull's nest on the building of the roof next door. The babies are hatched and walking around now. They look like fuzzy little Cadbury Malt Easter Eggs (tm) roaming around on the roof. They never really leave the nest except to run to greet the parents who throw up food for them. It's cute and disgusting all at the same time.

Regrettably, I do not own fantastic enough glass to get good, clear, close up shots of the babies so these photos are kinda shitty. But it was the best I could do, unless someone wants to sponsor my purchase of a 400mm!

They are pretty darned cute though. Maybe I can convinced the landlord next door to let me get on the roof?

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Randomness Part 2


Tweed, on a chair!

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Randomness Part 3

Fireworks

The annual "Celebration of Light" is here again already. Blech. I won't repeat my litany of complaints (loud, crowded, noisy, messy, knife fights, "WOOHOO"ing to all hours of the morning, terrified dogs - oh wait, I listed them again! Oops) about the fireworks, I will just tell you that IMO, I am ashamed to admit, the US (Saturday night) kicked Canada's (Wednesday Night) Pyrotechnic Ass. Yeah, as far as fireworks go, America's were really cool.

I took photos on both nights, but as the prospect of editing them seems tedious to me, I decided not to bother. I don't have a tripod so the photos often do not come out really well, and fireworks photos are not really my "thing" ... I suspect they are boring to other people as well. So I will just offer the one composite I put together of the progress of a Fireball from last night's show:

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Randomness Part 4

Sport spontaneously eats

Don't get *too* excited - Sport has sporadically over the last few weeks voluntarily consumed food, so this may mean nothing. However, it was pretty cool this morning to see him take his place in the food bowl line and eat an entire meal, un-coaxed by me, out his own bowl. He even wandered around and licked the other bowls when the dogs were done. He not only ate, but showed definite enthusiasm for eating.

He seems to like raw beef - but not raw hamburger - so yesterday I bought him several pounds of raw beef from Surrey Meats where I usually buy my turkey necks from.
Hopefully he doesn't go off raw beef or I'm stuck with oodles of the stuff.

"Oh hai ... Where's the beef??"

The next obstacle, assuming Sport keeps eating, will be to see if he gains weight and condition as well. Eating in and of itself is not quite good enough. Fingers crossed.



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Randomness Part 5

Piper on a chair too!

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Randomness Part 6

Critical Mass, July 2008

On Friday I hopped on Joelene and rode up to the Vancouver Art Gallery to participate in this month's edition of Critical Mass Vancouver. It was pretty fun. We rode all over the city; hipsters, doorknobs, families, freaks and even some spandex cowboys tagged long - there were maybe a thousand cyclists along for the ride.


I expect it was pretty usual:

lots of bicycles

Lots of really pissed off people in cars screaming obscenities at the cyclists (though my one experience with corking was positive, and the two cars I was corking were driven/stopped by friendly, supportive people). This is not a political blog, but this cyclist would like to remind motorists that Mass only happens ONCE a month. She also reminds motorists that when you are stuck in a traffic jam due to something vehicular, you do not

A) try to run over other motorists in your rush to go somewhere
B) get out of your car and threaten the lives of other motorists for being in your way or
C) get of our your vehicle and walk up and down the sidewalk telling people they are assholes while clapping your hands sarcastically (this means you CANADIAN POSTAL SERVICE WOMAN ON THE CAUSEWAY) ... so maybe don't do them at Critical Mass time.

But if you do in fact engage in these activities normally in traffic jams, the Food Lady is sorry to say that you are, sadly, a total douche.

One girl crashed her bike badly in Stanley Park (where was her helmet? Mine was on my head, where it ALWAYS is - even if I am going for a laid back Sunday cruise around the seawall, my helmet is strapped to my noggin! /end lecture)

And I learned the hard way that the Causeway through Stanley Park is not, as I had thought, a meandering flat land, but actually a constant, punishing incline... at least for me it was. IOW, Food Lady needs to do more climbing, as this is her very weak cycling area.



I would also like to thank the nice young man who invited me to come play something called "Bicycle Polo" on Thursdays for his generous invitation ... but I'm totally not doing that!!


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Randomness Part 7

Sport stole Tweed's spot in the bedroom last night. Tweed was very put out.


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Randomness Part 8

3WAAW gets another blog award, this one from MuppetDog





RULES
Here are the rules for the Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 Award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated.

The problem? The Food Lady does not read "at least 7" other blogs with any regularity. The Food Lady lists her favourite blogs on the right hand side of this site, and those are pretty well all she reads. The Food Lady is also lazy, and doesn't feel like going around nominating other blogs for awards - she has to go buy a new Fifa (tm) and take the dogs for a run.

So The Food Lady humbly suggests to the makers of these awards that the rules not be so stringent! A top 3 pay-it-forwards would be sufficient! For Heaven's Sakes!! (that one was for you, Fi!)


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Randomness Part 9, an addition

Newer, better Fifa (tm) joins the 3WAAW household

Went back to the used sporting goods store today. There were some new, used Fifas (tm) and I picked out a real beauty:

The fellows at the store were nice enough to let some air out of it for me, and then let Woo come inside and test it, so we would be sure he would not try to drown himself for the second time this weekend.

Fifa the Fourth (tm) was a big hit.

And not just with Wootie. Piper likes it too.

Woo teaches Fifa(tm) a lesson it won't soon forget!

Tweed wants nothing to do with the scary soccer ball.

*snicker*

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not-quite-free-association-type comments:

Three cheers for Sport eating! (If, Heaven forbid, he decides he doesn't like beef after all, stew freezes really well. Just a thought.) Fewer cheers for Sport's bedroom-spot-stealing antics. Perhaps he feels that old bones get first dibs on carpet?

As a non-cyclist with several cyclist friends, I generally try not to get irritated with people on bikes. It's sometimes hard, like when I'm in a big hurry, but I usually succeed. Except when they start breaking traffic laws: running red lights/stop signs, riding on the sidewalk or the wrong side of the road -- those things annoy me. Ditto not signaling turns.

Your helmet is ALWAYS on your head? How do you wash your hair?

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear Sport has found something he likes to eat! He must be regaining a little of his mojo if he's stealing spots and playing on the beach, but his health problems still sounds pretty serious. Does he still smell funny, or have clean living and a nurturing atmosphere turned that around?

Unknown said...

Shut Up! Goshdarnnit. Oh fiddle dee dee.......

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Americans are really good at big flashy explosions that have no long term effects :-)

And I'm an American so I can say this....

The Border Collies said...

"How do you wash your hair?"

Wash it? Pffft. I just put it in pigtails. Witness from some random person's photostream on Flickr, where I found a photo of me at Critical Mass! I'm in the lower middle of the photo in the pink tank top.

Anonymous said...

I love it that you capture your dogs in so many moods - Tweed on the chair looks so sweet and Piper on the chair, for once, doesn't look about to burst into Mad Teeth

I hope Sport's eating bodes well but even if it doesn't turn things around for him it does mean he is getting to enjoy his food again and that must warm your heart.

Biggie-Z said...

Yay Sport! Is he still smelly?

The NYC something-akin-to-Critical-Mass ride only happens once a year and people still get pretty freaked out by it. But atleast we don't get yelled at by motorists.

dogzoomies said...

I almost didn't think that was Piper in the Randomness photo, her ears are down! Thought you were sneakin' another dog in there. She looks so not evil!

*Sending more good healin' vibes to Sport*

The Border Collies said...

As a non-cyclist with several cyclist friends, I generally try not to get irritated with people on bikes. It's sometimes hard, like when I'm in a big hurry, but I usually succeed.

As a sometimes motorist, I also get annoyed with cyclists who are in my way. I think that's because I am a self absorbed human like most other humans. My needs are always the most important ones. Cycling has helped me to be more tolerant of cyclists on the road when I am driving. I still pass them, but I give lots of room. And frankly, other motorists are much more annoying than cyclists for me.

"I hope Sport's eating bodes well but even if it doesn't turn things around for him it does mean he is getting to enjoy his food again and that must warm your heart."

It's pretty cool to see! He is still enthusiastically eating his beef and this morning some raw liver. he is also still as skinny as a rail, but we will see what happens. If he can gain some weight and handle having his teeth fixed up, it could go well. I am still suspicious of his kidneys though.

"Does he still smell funny, or have clean living and a nurturing atmosphere turned that around?"

No, he still REEKS. Blech.

Anonymous said...

People on bikes run the gamut of human characteristics as do motorists.

Aggressive/oblivious/polite.

I was out riding last week when I came upon a guy riding his road bike for exercise (like me). He was about my speed, and I figured I'd catch him at the next red light and see if he might like someone to ride with. Then he blew through the just turned red light (the end of a very looooong yellow, so he easily could stop.) Immediately scratched the idea of riding with him. Kind of like the cute guy who you dig, until he turns around and you see the Hooters tee shirt.

Love the photos of Piper. May the fifa live long!

Sport vibes!

Anonymous said...

Have you had Sport's kidneys tested? I wonder if it was his teeth that kept him from eating and the antibiotics are now kicking in. If it is his kidneys, diet is important and sub-Q fluids could help. I know you know all this - just muttering across the void. And wishing for him. If you need $$$ for care for him I would be happy to help.

The Border Collies said...

"People on bikes run the gamut of human characteristics as do motorists. "

This is so true. And I find the ones who WOOSH past me on the left without so much as a "bye your leave" and scare the bejezus out of me are almost as bad as any car that cheezes me off!

"If it is his kidneys, diet is important and sub-Q fluids could help."

I'm not doing the sub-q / special diet thing for sport, if his kidneys are shot. Everyone has a limit of how far they'll go to save their dogs, and what they think is kind or just or fair. I don't like to judge other people for the measure they take for their beloved pets, but I will say that for me, personally trying to get a few more months out of an elderly animal with a terminal illness with things like round-the-clock care and sub-q fluids is not the right decision.

Additionally, I made a promise to myself - and to Sport - when I brought Sport home that anything done to treat him would be minimally invasive. I offer him a home to die in, but I won't get financially and emotionally involved in a life-or-death struggle with him. Although Sport is sweet, and deserves to have kindness in his end stages, I do not "love" Sport like he is one of my own. Practically speaking, I do not have the resources to do these things for Sport - financially, emotionally, or personally (ie in terms of time). Also practically speaking, he is a dog who has outlived most other dogs of his breed, so anything he has left now is gravy in my opinion.

I hope he enjoys his time with me and I hope I can make him comfortable until his time comes, but for a dog who is well into his 16th year, this is really the most I can offer him. It's been a bit of a struggle, but I try not to feel too badly about that decision.

Morally, I think we sometimes value life too much or so much that it becomes political for us - in the peace of my mind, I know that Sport would rather go for a romp in the field and then pass in happy exhaustion, as opposed to laying around feeling sick and being force to eat to sustain a life barely worth living. Or maybe what I mean is it's how *I* would rather go ... and since I am the only voice Sport has, I can only speak to how I feel about it.

Anonymous said...

I admire and envy your ability to do for dogs what you would want for yourself. Sport doesn't *look* 16 so it is hard to remember he is and that making his last days as good as they can be is what it is all about. I did not mean to push the boundaries even though I did. Still wishing for more good days for him.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dogzoomies. That is NOT Piper, beaming like a buffoon in the blue chair. Those are veritably Happy Teeth (tm). And sharing the new Fifa with Woo?? We think not. We may not always be perfectly attentive, but we're not falling for that, Food Lady.

EvenSong said...

Hi, new visitor here (from Food for Founder link). Wanted to check on Sport--glad he's feeling a little better.
Have you ever looked at the "jolly balls" for fun and games? My old Aussie and current Greyhound rescue both have a ball (snicker) with them! They bounce really funny and unpredictably, and can be grabbed by the "handle" (though Sandy's jaw sometimes gets momentarily stuck in the handle's gap). Cheaper than you're soccer balls, too, I think, and can't be popped, either.
Just a thought.
Good wishes to Sport (and the others, too).

Anonymous said...

Just love love love Tweed on the chair. That doggie can do no wrong, just gotta love everything he does.

Anonymous said...

I'm having 3WAAW withdrawals. Hope everything is okay with you...