Explosive Diarrhea.
"Isn't that a cool term?"
"Yes, but it isn't a cool problem."
"No, but it's a damn funny problem when it's someone else's problem."
"That is very true..."
That was a phone conversation I had with a friend near the start of the year. I came home from work as usual and when I opened the front door...
PWHAM!
It hit me, "What is that smell?"
Our youngest dog had had explosive diarrhea in her crate. Poor thing. I have no idea how long she was standing in her crate trying to avoid her own mess, but she had made quite the mess. It was on the walls, on the tile (her crate is in the kitchen), and on the carpet several feet away. Her crate has a tray in the bottom of it (so she isn't standing or lying on the wires), so she was doing her best to avoid putting her feet into the foul ooze.
I called the Girlfriend to let her know the situation... she told me it couldn't be *that* bad and to clean it up and call the vet. I didn't bother clean it up, but simply put the crate out in the front yard (as it was the shortest distance to go), confident no one in their right mind would steal anything covered in shite, and put the dog in the Jeep.
I met the Girlfriend at the vet; we got some antibiotics for her and headed home.
We walked into the house... and the Girlfriend then realized that when I said "Explosive Diarrhea" I meant it.
We cleaned and bleached for a few hours and then went to bed.
Why am I sharing this story on my blog? Last week this happened again... on a MUCH smaller scale. However, looking back on it now the girlfriend and I can laugh about this whole thing. Despite being about poop; I find this story quite amusing and back in February I would have never expected to have experienced "Explosive Diarrhea" twice in one year.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
I Don't Think We Are in Kansas Anymore...
I've been traveling quite a bit recently. In the last 30 days or so...
10 Days in Portland for Work
1 Day in Arizona for a Photography Seminar
3 Days in Northern Arizona for Camping/Photography
3 Days in California at Disneyland
Still to come in the next few weeks:
3 Days in Southern Arizona for Photography
4 Days in Utah for Camping/Photography
I'm enjoying these trips, but it's a lot of them in a short amount of time and all of them are occupying my weekends. I'm beginning to miss having a weekend where I don't have anyplace to be or anything to do. I realize most of these trips are of my own choosing, so I have no one to blame but myself.
I really liked the isolation while camping in Northern Arizona (pictured here). It was a huge contrast to the following weekend when the Girlfriend and I went to Disneyland during the Spring Break season. Ugh. Never again will we do that. We had a lot of fun, but there were long lines for everything.
I still want to plan at least two more trips for this year. I want to take another trip with the Girlfriend (most of the trips above have been without her) and dogs. It's always fun to have our dogs along. I would also like to take a trip with my dad. We do one every year and I don't want to make this year an exception. I'm still not sure what the destination will be for either trip; however I'm certain it will be fun.
10 Days in Portland for Work
1 Day in Arizona for a Photography Seminar
3 Days in Northern Arizona for Camping/Photography
3 Days in California at Disneyland
Still to come in the next few weeks:
3 Days in Southern Arizona for Photography
4 Days in Utah for Camping/Photography
I'm enjoying these trips, but it's a lot of them in a short amount of time and all of them are occupying my weekends. I'm beginning to miss having a weekend where I don't have anyplace to be or anything to do. I realize most of these trips are of my own choosing, so I have no one to blame but myself.
I really liked the isolation while camping in Northern Arizona (pictured here). It was a huge contrast to the following weekend when the Girlfriend and I went to Disneyland during the Spring Break season. Ugh. Never again will we do that. We had a lot of fun, but there were long lines for everything.
I still want to plan at least two more trips for this year. I want to take another trip with the Girlfriend (most of the trips above have been without her) and dogs. It's always fun to have our dogs along. I would also like to take a trip with my dad. We do one every year and I don't want to make this year an exception. I'm still not sure what the destination will be for either trip; however I'm certain it will be fun.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Beware of Dogs?
Last night we took Scout and Bandit to their first session of dog agility training. I don't think the Girlfriend and I had laughed that hard in a long time! We had a blast. The boys were by far the oldest dogs in the class (everyone else was less than a year old). We are looking forward to next week's class.
On a totally different note... some people just suck.
I hate people sometimes...
On a totally different note... some people just suck.
I hate people sometimes...
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Big Brother is Watching
I got a call Monday night from American Express. They wanted to verify some recent charges to my card.
“Oh, that’s easy I haven’t used my card since the middle of last week.”
The security rep from American Express tells me that there is a total $327.68 of suspect charges. She cancels the card and then begins explaining the next steps… and… nothing…
Damn cell phone dropped the call! (I don’t have a regular telephone, only a cell).
Sunva…
I call back… the Security and Fraud Department is now closed? They close at 8pm. It’s 8:01pm.
F*&#!!!
I call the 1-800 number on the back of the card. Now the real fun begins… I get their “after hours” customer service.
I explain the situation and that I was on the phone and got disconnected.
“So then, how may I help you Mr. Cummins?”
“Ummm what happens next? What do I do? How do I get a new card?”
He explains to me that the card has been canceled (I knew that and told him that initially) and that in a few days I can call them back and file a fraud claim and refute the charges.
What?
“Call back and file a fraud claim? You people called me. You identified the charges first and I confirmed I did not make them. Why do I need to call back and open a fraud claim?”
“These charges are pending, so we cannot do anything with them right now.”
“How about you decline them and start the fraud claim now…?”
“Sir, these charges are pending…”
You can see where this was going. I’ll be calling them back today.
*Sigh* At least I’m not liable for the charges and they caught it early.
It’s at times like these when it is nice to have “Big Brother” watching.
“Oh, that’s easy I haven’t used my card since the middle of last week.”
The security rep from American Express tells me that there is a total $327.68 of suspect charges. She cancels the card and then begins explaining the next steps… and… nothing…
Damn cell phone dropped the call! (I don’t have a regular telephone, only a cell).
Sunva…
I call back… the Security and Fraud Department is now closed? They close at 8pm. It’s 8:01pm.
F*&#!!!
I call the 1-800 number on the back of the card. Now the real fun begins… I get their “after hours” customer service.
I explain the situation and that I was on the phone and got disconnected.
“So then, how may I help you Mr. Cummins?”
“Ummm what happens next? What do I do? How do I get a new card?”
He explains to me that the card has been canceled (I knew that and told him that initially) and that in a few days I can call them back and file a fraud claim and refute the charges.
What?
“Call back and file a fraud claim? You people called me. You identified the charges first and I confirmed I did not make them. Why do I need to call back and open a fraud claim?”
“These charges are pending, so we cannot do anything with them right now.”
“How about you decline them and start the fraud claim now…?”
“Sir, these charges are pending…”
You can see where this was going. I’ll be calling them back today.
*Sigh* At least I’m not liable for the charges and they caught it early.
It’s at times like these when it is nice to have “Big Brother” watching.
Monday, March 3, 2008
"I'm Not Dead Yet..."
I really should've gone running instead of taking pictures of my running shoes...
Originally uploaded by dcumminsusa
I started.
A couple of quick updates:
My weight still hasn't changed, but my running has improved. This tells me a couple of things. On one hand my cardiovascular health must be better than it ever has been.
Why?
Because currently I can haul my jigglin' self around for 8-9 miles at a reasonable pace every weekend. In the past I weighed less and had a more difficult time running that kind of distance. My heart rate is also approximately at the same level it was when I was 20lbs lighter; meaning my heart/lungs aren't straining to move the heavier me. To me those are good things. If you are REALLY interested
you can see the my running routes, paces, distances, etc on my Motion Based web page.
The fact that my weight has not gone down confirms that I have not been disciplined in what I have been putting down my gullet. I'm consuming just the right number of calories... to maintain my weight. If I was consuming too many my weight would go up and if I was consuming less calories I would be experiencing some weight loss.
I had a physical about two weeks ago. Everything looked good and my doctor was impressed that someone my age is taking an active interest in their cholesterol and blood pressure. I still need to get my blood work done so I know all those specific numbers. I plan to get that done tomorrow.
I'll have some more posts coming soon...
The picture above is of my running shows, heart rate monitor, and workout towel. Click on it for the details.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Pork Chop = Love
Another Rambling Thought...
The other night the phone rang while I was at work:
Girlfriend: "I'm leaving now, I'll be home soon."
Me: "Ok, I should be leaving soon too. I just need to finish up one thing."
Girlfriend: "On your way home can you pick me up a Sonic drink."
(Sonic Drink is a term we use to refer to her drink of choice from Sonic Drive-in's)
Me: "No."
Girlfriend: "Why not? Don't you love me?"
Me: "Yes, but love has nothing to do with a Sonic Drink. One does not need a Sonic Drink to have love nor does one need love to have a Sonic Drink. The two are mutually exclusive."
Girlfriend: *Laughs*
I stopped by Sonic on the way home, because unfortunately I would actually have to drive out of my way not to drive right past one on the way home.
Later that night after dinner, our youngest dog Daisy was trying to lick the juice of our plates from our pork chops as we loaded them into the dish washer.
Girlfriend: "Daisy you like pork chop?"
Me: "No, she's never had a pork chop. Just like she's never had your Sonic Drink. As far as she is concerned the two are the same. Pork Chop = Sonic Drink. Since she has no frame of reference for a Pork Chop, a Pork Chop could be the same as love for that matter. So based on Daisy's limited experience a Pork Chop = Love."
This got me thinking about just how much our opinions of all sorts of things that seem totally unrelated shape who we are and how we perceive the world. Then I got to thinking about my friends' kids. Their kids are a virtual clean slate... no frame of reference on so many things. It's hard for me to imagine not having at least a small inkling of an opinion on something the first time I experience it because I immediate (subconsciously) start to relate it to some other experience I have had.
Where am I going with this post?
I don't know... but I do know in our house right now... a Pork Chop equals Love.
The other night the phone rang while I was at work:
Girlfriend: "I'm leaving now, I'll be home soon."
Me: "Ok, I should be leaving soon too. I just need to finish up one thing."
Girlfriend: "On your way home can you pick me up a Sonic drink."
(Sonic Drink is a term we use to refer to her drink of choice from Sonic Drive-in's)
Me: "No."
Girlfriend: "Why not? Don't you love me?"
Me: "Yes, but love has nothing to do with a Sonic Drink. One does not need a Sonic Drink to have love nor does one need love to have a Sonic Drink. The two are mutually exclusive."
Girlfriend: *Laughs*
I stopped by Sonic on the way home, because unfortunately I would actually have to drive out of my way not to drive right past one on the way home.
Later that night after dinner, our youngest dog Daisy was trying to lick the juice of our plates from our pork chops as we loaded them into the dish washer.
Girlfriend: "Daisy you like pork chop?"
Me: "No, she's never had a pork chop. Just like she's never had your Sonic Drink. As far as she is concerned the two are the same. Pork Chop = Sonic Drink. Since she has no frame of reference for a Pork Chop, a Pork Chop could be the same as love for that matter. So based on Daisy's limited experience a Pork Chop = Love."
This got me thinking about just how much our opinions of all sorts of things that seem totally unrelated shape who we are and how we perceive the world. Then I got to thinking about my friends' kids. Their kids are a virtual clean slate... no frame of reference on so many things. It's hard for me to imagine not having at least a small inkling of an opinion on something the first time I experience it because I immediate (subconsciously) start to relate it to some other experience I have had.
Where am I going with this post?
I don't know... but I do know in our house right now... a Pork Chop equals Love.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Whoa
Warning: This is one of my rambling posts. No photography or "I'm fat" stuff here.
A few weeks, er months ago my best friend Greg taught me a life lesson I don't think I will ever forget. He did it and I'm certain he didn't know he did.
Let me say American's have it good. I would say we are spoiled. I feel that way about us. I am not hoping we change and I am just as much a part of it as the next person. I look around me... I live in a small, but nice house. I have a good job that pays well. I have a good immediate family with my parents and the girlfriend's parents nearby. I have enough money to afford the computer I'm using to make this blog post and I have enough money to purchase the gear that has allowed me to make my photographs. I'm rarely hungry for longer than 3-4 hours and I would be willing to say that I have yet to experience real hungry like so many others in the world.
My friend Greg some months ago was describing to me how he had just bought a game for his Nintendo Wii and noticed it had a bug. He contacted the game manufacturer who then proceeded to question how he had his Wii connected and how he was playing his game. This is the equivalent of anyone in the general population telling Stephen Hawking that he needs to double check his math. Greg was quite upset that the game manufacturer refused to acknowledge the issue. Then he told me if his biggest problem in life was that his game for his Nintendo Wii wasn't working then he's got it pretty good.
Since then there have been three or four times I have started to get agitated about something of similar caliber. Then I remember Greg's words...
I've got it pretty good.
A few weeks, er months ago my best friend Greg taught me a life lesson I don't think I will ever forget. He did it and I'm certain he didn't know he did.
Let me say American's have it good. I would say we are spoiled. I feel that way about us. I am not hoping we change and I am just as much a part of it as the next person. I look around me... I live in a small, but nice house. I have a good job that pays well. I have a good immediate family with my parents and the girlfriend's parents nearby. I have enough money to afford the computer I'm using to make this blog post and I have enough money to purchase the gear that has allowed me to make my photographs. I'm rarely hungry for longer than 3-4 hours and I would be willing to say that I have yet to experience real hungry like so many others in the world.
My friend Greg some months ago was describing to me how he had just bought a game for his Nintendo Wii and noticed it had a bug. He contacted the game manufacturer who then proceeded to question how he had his Wii connected and how he was playing his game. This is the equivalent of anyone in the general population telling Stephen Hawking that he needs to double check his math. Greg was quite upset that the game manufacturer refused to acknowledge the issue. Then he told me if his biggest problem in life was that his game for his Nintendo Wii wasn't working then he's got it pretty good.
Since then there have been three or four times I have started to get agitated about something of similar caliber. Then I remember Greg's words...
I've got it pretty good.
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