Monthly Archives: January 2012

kitten toys

Is there a pet or child alive that doesn’t love the box the toy came in better than the toy? Or just any box for that matter?

The kitten brothers are no exception. The photo shows a three-box construction that got the boys through their early kittenhood. They play outside it now since they are too big to enter it comfortably, but there was a time…!

Yeah! The kittens defended this fort to the death many a time, much kitten fur was lost, but I think this eyesore is just about ready for the trash bin.

“Just about ready for the trash bin” means it was trash weeks ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to toss part of the kitten brothers’ kittenhood! How ridiculous! They are boxes that are trash, having served a purpose or two.

That’s Andy, above. You can see those characteristics of a smoke Persian that makes them such a pretty cat: the silver hair in the black, the black points and band across the shoulders. Dougy’s pelage shows something of this Persian variation, but he is darker overall.

Speaking of pleasure, here’s another favorite Kat of mine, Kathleen Battle, singing a favorite Handel aria of mine.

Pages2Type

Dear me! That will connect me with one of the more brilliant people I’ve “met” on the Internet, Pages2Type, or Scott Perkins if you prefer. IF I figure out how to do it.

All I want is notification each time he up-dates his blog, a rich source of wit; insight into capturing of your muse- erm, how-to-write advice; and that greatest of all gifts from a writer to someone who aspires to write, a great example to study, his writing!

That HTML coding, I believe it is, is supposed to do something like that. But it doesn’t. More work to do!

UPDATE AS OF 7 June 2013: Here’s the link to Scott Perkins excellent blog –

http://www.pagestotype.com/

header

I changed the header on this blog. I have no issue with the old header. I always liked its playful quality. I just felt a need to move beyond it.

The new header is more moody, perhaps, or thoughtful. That’s a bigger part of me than the playful side. I know it bothers people sometimes when I say this, but it is exactly how I feel: I like being alone, but hope people don’t confuse that with being lonely! Besides, with two Persian kittens running around, growing up on me, I haven’t time to be lonely!

My commitment for 2012 is to swamp my blog with new videos, photos, and comments. I recently dropped out of Daily Booth to free up time for this, not to mention remove myself from the company of some tedious people.

I note there are many people on Daily Booth I still make the effort to stay in contact with because they are brilliant, imaginative, thoughtful, beautiful, articulate, mature people, the sort of people I enjoy and hope to have in my life.

Finally, I feel a need to spruce this old home up after a long spell concentrated on Daily Booth boothings. It suits me better here. It takes a bit of effort to play with me here, so I know that only the best of the people I’ve met on the internet will take the time. Of course, I’m on Facebook and google+ (which baffle me). I’m not exactly in hiding.

HERE IT IS FOR ONE LAST TIME!

andy is the tough cat

Andy had more health issues longer than his brother Dougy. In turn, he is the less kitten-like, more serious of the two.

Where a “cartoony” song matches Dougy’s interaction with me in the last blog, Andy’s interaction with me in today’s video leaves me a bit sad. He missed out on his “childhood”, by and large, to a serious amoebic infection.

A melancholy Mendelssohn piano piece matches best with the video showing him while he plays for keeps, not fun in the way Dougy plays. He drew blood!

Yet, if you approach him the right way, at the right time, he is a little purr engine, a happy little boy. Remember the video of Andy in the window?

Dougy is easier to love; Andy needs my love more.

become a cat

You can learn from cats if you pay attention.

My boys, Andy and Dougy, for example, have a way of taking over my computer desk that says, “Pet us and have the benefits of reduced heart rate and blood pressure!”

The attached video shows what happens when Andy and Dougy save the day.

Voila! Slower heart beats and lower blood pressure. Good boys!

GPA?

The name of this blog is based on a nickname for people with the disease used by one Wegener’s Granulomatosis support website: “weggie”. “Weggie” suggests someone living with the disease in any stage rather than a WG patient, someone who never breathes air outside a clinic or hospital.

Those who determine such things as what to call a diseases recently began calling Wegener’s “granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s)”, with the added “(Wegener’s)” until everyone gets in line with the new name. “Granulomatosis with polyangiitis” is a bit of a mouthful, yes!? So the generally received way to speak of it is as GPA. Drop the “(Wegener’s)”, or it becomes GPA(W).

I’m a bit confused, so I looked up Wegnener’s granulomatosis to try to better understand why one might rename a disease. Here’s what Wikipedia had to say:

“In 2006, Dr. Alexander Woywodt (Preston, United Kingdom) and Dr. Eric Matteson (Mayo Clinic, USA) investigated Dr. Wegener’s past, and discovered that he was, at least at some point of his career, a follower of the Nazi regime. In addition, their data indicate that Dr. Wegener was wanted by Polish authorities and that his files were forwarded to the United Nations War Crimes Commission. Finally, Dr. Wegener worked in close proximity to the genocide machinery in Lodz. Their data raise serious concerns about Dr. Wegener’s professional conduct. They suggest that the eponym be abandoned and propose “ANCA-associated granulomatous vasculitis.”[16] The authors have since campaigned for other medical eponyms to be abandoned, too.[17] In 2011, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) resolved to change the name to granulomatosis with polyangiitis….”

Wow. Dr. Wegener was a Nazi? Or one of those doctors a little too close to the death machine of the regime, and liking it? Damned if I want to be a “weggie” now! But I am. Till death.

Call the disease “Giuseppe” or “Jack”, it’s still what it is and it does what it does. Though I don’t care to glorify a Nazi doctor in any way, I won’t redefine myself as “guppaboy” or something equally obscure on the off chance that someone hearing I have the disease (WG) might think I somehow honor Nazis or this doctor by speaking his name out loud each time I say what I have.

Doesn’t “GPA” mean Grade Point Average anyway?

So, rather than confuse everyone by changing the name of this blog, it will continue to be “weggieboy’s blog”.

Dr. Wegener, if not his alleged crimes, is dead and buried. The disease continues to have huge impact on those who have it, medically, financially, and emotionally. People still die from it, though new treatments assure more and more of us live reasonably normal lives. (That is “new normal” lives, as in “within the parameters newly defined by the disease, as it stabilizes”.) Few know the disease as “Wegener’s granulomatosis”; fewer know it as “GPA”. The cause and cure for this disease still are unknown, though, thank God, it is treatable with mostly positive if variable results.

I don’t know. In a way, the disease probably should be named after an infamous Nazi doctor. It, too, isn’t very nice.

You can find out more about vascular diseases at this website:

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cecilia

If you’ve read my posts over the years, you know I love Baroque opera. Among the great stars currently singing is Cecilia Bartoli. If you want evidence to support that, watch this incredible encore:

I just about had to stand up so I had to sit down, I was so overwhelmed. Bravissimo, Cecilia, bravissimo!

window on new worlds

Andy recently discovered windows. It’s part of becoming an adept climber, I suppose, but more a typical bit of Andy’s approach to his world: He is an explorer! Because it’s there! Because it’s higher than where he is!

Sometimes exploring causes Andy problems, such as this morning, when I noticed it was time to feed the kittens, and important cat event of the day.

I pushed the lever on my recliner forward, only to miss the “thunk” it makes when it closes fully. Instead, I heard a sickening “mrow!”, my first notice that Andy had turned my blanket-draped footrest into a kitten hiding place from which he attacked his brother Dougy.

Andy discovers the bliss of fresh laundry. Bad kitty!

I’d heard the thump-thump-thumping of running kittens earlier, but missed that one set of legs, at least, stopped under my chair.

Gad! The kittens know the inside of the veterinary clinic because they've spent more time there than at home. Andy in particular has spent more time there than here, though his health is much better now. Crushing Andy in my chair was the last thing I needed to happen.

I chased after him, trying to detect any lameness or hurt. When I finally caught up with him, I rubbed him all over (except his tummy- he attacks hands!) to determine if he had any broken bones or soreness. He seemed OK. I would watch him closely throughout the morning for signs of internal injury or death.

Um. Yeah, I worry about this one alot more than I do his robust and thriving brother, Dougy!

All’s well, as you can tell from this “happy Andy” video, taken later this morning, when Andy climbed onto the bathroom window sill. Only one thing bothers me now: Where has Dougy been all day? He’s been very, very quiet…!

2012

Here it is. Kind of under-whelming. I do hope it is better than 2011, much better than 2010, maybe as good as 1971 or 1972.

I slept through 12 midnight in my time zone, and many others, I fear. This cold has a strong grip on me, but is getting better. In line with the energy allowed me by the cold, I probably won’t do a great deal today, and, mostly, that will be under covers or stretched out on my recliner.

Oh, the kitten brothers did wake me up in time for kitten breakfast, 5 AM, which I thought was mighty thoughtful of them. I hate to sleep through kitten breakfast time!

I caught up on my e-mails, which are more international now. Many of the international friends I made on Daily Booth wanted to have a way to maintain contact with me, which is great!

I did like the international quality of Daily Booth. I was one of those kids, growing up, who had several international penpals, people who enriched my life in many ways by opening my mind to their music, lifestyles, values, cultures.

I had penpals in Indonesia, England, Switzerland, and Germany. The latter two spoke German, of course, and that influenced my decision to take German when I began university studies. Having studied German, in turn, made 1971 and 1972 primo years!

It is easy, as an American, to feel like one is at the center of the universe. Having international friends helps broaden that perspective. Gad, that sounds predictable! But it is true.

It’s a bright, sunny day where I live. OK, it’s only 22 degrees F (-3 C) at 10:01 AM, with a predicted high of 37 (+3 C), but it looks inviting, lovely outside, a perfect way to begin the year!

It is inviting indoors, too, apparently, because Andy just stretched out for a snooze in the sun on my computer desk shelf!

Speaking of the kitten brothers, they turned six months old today.

I don’t make New Years resolutions generally. I do have one this year, though: Try to reduce my use of exclamation marks! Oops! Damn it! Well, I will try to tone down the excitement. Erm…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Years, and may you have a bright and sunny day this first day of 2012!