Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in kelliedru's InsaneJournal:

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Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
9:47 am	The Saga of the Fountain, with illustrations Last weekend the kidunit and I were at PetSmart and saw a kitty drinking fountain that was a new design, very slim, and quite inexpensive.  We'd always wanted to get one for the cats but were stymied by the fact that all the ones we'd seen were all too big to fit in the space where they like their water dish (in the bathroom between the toilet and the wall, yes, we've tried moving it other places and they don't like it), but this one was a lot narrower and we figured it would fit, so we bought one, took it home, and it fit in the space just fine and once hooked up was a lot quieter than we'd thought it would be, so yay! Now, both our boys are complete wusses.  They freak out at the slightest change to their environment (OMG a piece of paper!  OMG a wrinkle in the bedspread! OMG your PANTS!!  OMG the pizza guy!!!) so needless to say they were a bit weirded out by the fountain at first.  But after some encouragement they both were eventually persuaded to drink from it and we thought all was set.  Oddly, Riku (the gray one in my icon) who's normally the more skittish of the two was the first to accept the new dish.  Probably because he likes to drink out of faucets so running water was a Good Thing. Sora on the other hand was Very Suspicious of this new device, no doubt some sort of Fiendish Human Plot.  He took to sitting on the toilet staring down at the fountain like this: (You can just barely see the edge of the fountain down on the floor between the toilet and the furnace grate. And yes our bathroom is a hideous shade of turquoise.) You may notice in the above pic that we have a covered toilet-paper dispenser. This is because when he was a kitten, Sora used to play with the TP, unrolling it and shredding it so we installed the covered dispensers in self-defense.  Once he outgrew his fixation with TP, we got a little... lax... about putting the cover down (see below).  You see where this is going, right?  We went to bed that evening thinking all was hunky dory, because both kitties had, if reluctantly, drunk out of the new fountain.  When I woke up the next morning I could hear the fountain making a lot more noise than it had been the night before.  I just figured it was low on water, and got up to go fill it.  And proceeded to step into a huge puddle. ARGH!!!! Apparently one of us had left the TP cover up, and to express his displeasure with this new Infernal Device, Sora unrolled about half the roll into the fountain which made it overflow and clog.  The floor was wet, the bathroom rug was soaked, it was a complete mess.  I cleaned it all up, dug the wet TP out of the fountain, discovered he hadn't actually managed to break it, and reinstalled it.  Needless to say, since then we have been very careful not to leave the cover up on the TP.  Sora still spends quite a lot of time lurking on the toilet seat staring at it, but he is actually drinking out of the fountain regularly now, so we have hopes he'll eventually stop trying to destroy it.  All I can say is it's a good thing he doesn't have opposable thumbs. ;D (Sora, grumpily getting a drink from the new fountain.) You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/231949.html Current Mood: amused Current Music: Peter Gabriel, Digging in the Dirt (Comment on this)
Friday, August 12th, 2011
9:24 am	Ahahahah! Sort of relative to my Eureka post from earlier this week, this little bit from NPR TV blogger Linda Holmes actually had me cackling out loud. No, I don't have permission to copy it here but since I am linking and crediting, hopefully she won't be too mad. ;D Twenty Humble Suggestions For New Cable Network Slogans by Linda Holmes MTV: Hurry Up, Human Cloning! We've Got Plenty Of Snooki's DNA TLC: Next To These Appalling Moms, That Time You Accidentally Dropped Your Baby Isn't Really That Big A Deal Lifetime: Still Trying To Fill The Gap Left By Hours Of 'Golden Girls' Reruns USA: Ha Ha, We Can Make Successful New Hourlong Dramas And You Can't Bravo: Fighting The Real Enemy, Which Is Horrible Tiny Rich Women With Tans Spike: We Really Show A LOT Of Wrestling History: Patriotism, Gun Safety, And Pawn Shops, Pawn Shops, Pawn Shops! A&E: Two Of The Letters In 'Hoarders' Food Network: GRILL STUFF LOUD FAST CHEAP RIGHT HERE BOOM SMACKAROONIE CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT OWN: We're Not Here To Tell Anybody How To Live. Psych, We Totally Are TruTV: The Highest Percentage Of Squad Car Dashboard Footage Anywhere On Television FX: So Gritty It Will Polish Your Teeth WeTV: If We Don't Have It And It's About Absolutely Horrible People Getting Married, You Don't Need It Animal Planet: We Still Can't Believe We Didn't Think Of Shark Week SyFy: We Specialize In Shows You Will Hate Us For Canceling Hallmark: Everything You Need To Know About The World You Wish You Lived In Oxygen: We Have More Yellow Than That Coldplay Song 'Yellow' HGTV: Resent Your Surroundings 24 Hours A Day BBC America: We've Got Swoony Accents. You've Got Anglophilia. TNT: We Aren't The Ones Who Watched 'Franklin & Bash,' People You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/231900.html Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 11th, 2011
8:22 am	Really? I was just perusing NPR's newly-posted list of the Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books and while I have plenty of quibbles (Connie Willis all the way down at 97??) one of my top ones is the presence of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" at #63 - or frankly, on the list at all. Seriously, that was one of very few books I ever just gave up on. I found it slow, hyper-stylized, and mind-numbingly boring. Clearly, I missed something. Check out Glen Weldon's take on the list, he has some interesting things to say. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/231648.html Current Mood: puzzled (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
11:08 am	Rollercoaster So I heard last week that SyFy was going to give Eureka a shortened 6th season. Then yesterday they took it back and said nope, no 6th season, it ends at 5. Today, there's new news, apparently they get ONE episode extra, to 'wrap up.' One episode. Damn you cheapass SyFy execs. I'm going to miss that show. Thank goodness there are still a few eps for next year. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/231356.html Current Mood: cranky (Comment on this)
Friday, August 5th, 2011
1:19 pm	National Book Week It's National Book Week. The rules: Grab the closest book to you. Go to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status. Don't mention the book. Post these rules as part of your post. "Beside me, the old woman looked up and smiled; and the executive with the briefcase gazed at me unblinking, and the drunk shifted on his seat and awoke, and his eyes were bright and knowing as he watched me." You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/231037.html (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
11:06 am	It figures Doesn't it just figure that the US mainstream media has so far completely ignored the fact that some 40 people were rescued from that horrific Norwegian shooting spree by a married lesbian couple. Heaven forfend that LESBIANS be brave and heroic. /disgustedbymedia You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/230724.html (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
11:12 am	Vocabulary! I haven't spammed in a while, so I guess it's time. Found these links on a couple of people's posts, and being a logophile, had to follow! Test your vocabulary: http://testyourvocab.com/ I scored 42,200 words And I knew 27 of their 34 "hardest words", and just learned a bunch more since of course I clicked on the definitions of the ones I didn't know previously! Fun test! Yes, I know, I have a strange definition of fun. ;D You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/230500.html Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 9th, 2011
12:58 am	Wrong. Just... wrong Godspeed, Atlantis. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/230146.html Current Mood: sad Current Music: nightsounds (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
10:57 am	Updateyness Still here- still boring. :) Saw X-Men: First Class and Thor last weekend. Enjoyed XMFC way more than Thor, though Thor was still worth seeing. I loved Chris Hemsworth's Thor- he actually has great comic timing and it would be fun to see him in a romantic comedy. Where I had issues were the portrayal of Odin as a loving touchy-feely dad (SO not how Odin is shown in mythology), and in the convoluted confusing mess that they made of Loki's characterization and motivations. (And minorly, I will probably never be able to see Jaimie Alexander as anyone but Jessi from Kyle XY so her Sif didn't really work for me.) Heimdall really rocked, though. XMFC was a delight. Despite some quibbles with the "divorce" and some continuity issues between the first X-Men films and this one, over all the movie just held together better for me and was far more enjoyable. And with McAvoy, Fassbender and Vaughn all apparently agreed on a homoerotic reading of Charles/Eric, my slasher's sensibilities were definitely pleased. Not to mention that as someone who lived through the 1960's (yes, I'm ANCIENT!) it was fun to see where they got it right in set and costume design (especially loved the oscilloscope as part of Cerebro! Every '60s sci-fi device worth its parts needed an oscilloscope!) and also the attitudes toward women. It's actually got me reading fanfic again for the first time in ages. That said, I've found several new items for my semi-annual spelling and homophone rant! I have seen a lot of 'alot'* and 'alright' is not all right. Here are some of the new goodies: Bare/Bear - You bare your soul, (or possibly your body). You bear a weight or a burden (or you see a bear in the park!) You can have bare skin, or a bear-skin. ;D Feat/Feet - A feat is a noteworthy or extraordinary act or achievement, usually displaying boldness, skill, etc. Feet are those things at the bottom of legs which come into contact with the ground. Oh, and also a unit of measure. Rein/Reign - Reins are the things by which a rider controls a horse. To Reign is to rule over. You don't reign in your passions, you rein them in. Oh, and it goes without saying (I hope) that rain is water that falls from the sky. Wail/Wale/Whale - *Wail: to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry. *Wale: 1.a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip; welt. 2.the vertical rib in knit goods or a chain of loops running lengthwise in knit fabric 3. the texture or weave of a fabric. *Whale: any of the larger marine mammals of the order Cetacea. Whoa is not spelled woah unless you're deliberately using netspeak. (Courtesy of shayheyred) I'll have to try to remember the other ones and update my list. :D One other mild slash fanfic-related grumble-- can I just say how TIRED I am of the one-finger-two-fingers-three-fingers-cock thing? Seriously. It does not have to be done that way every single time!! *And if, like me, alot bugs you a lot, check out this link which was just pointed out to me in a comment by melodyunity. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/229980.html (Comment on this)
Monday, June 20th, 2011
9:46 am	Here be dragons! I have one more day in which I can use my Spring icon, so I shall. Though it doesn't feel very springy today, with temps in the 50's and snow overnight in the mountains! :) Watched the final ep of Game of Thrones s. 1 last night. I'm so pleased with how they've adapted these books for television- I have very few quibbles at all with what they've done (the main one being taking Tyrion out of last week's battle). The casting is fabulous, especially Jon, Arya, Tyrion, and Danaerys. On my first read of the books a couple of years ago I basically skimmed over Dany's chapters because I just didn't connect with her character at all, but Amelia Clarke has really fleshed her out and invested me in her story. Also, they did a great job with the baby dragons last night. I just wish we'd gotten a better look at all three of them, not just Drogon. Also watched the Falling Skies premiere. It wasn't bad- I'll probably keep watching it at least for a while, though I do wish it had been a tad less predictable. Props for a well integrated cast though, it's nice to see that not just white people survived the coming of the aliens. It did raise yet again a long-standing question I've had - in visual media, why is it that nearly everyone in post-apocalyptic societies wears fingerless gloves?? How did that get to be THE signifier of a post-apocalypse era? On the personal side, I did go ahead and file for bankruptcy- that is proceeding apace and I hope to soon have things resolved, which should improve my monetary situation a lot. Also, my mom is doing ok, though she's still having trouble adapting to the left-side weakness and has had a couple of falls recently, one where she gashed her head and had to have stitches and another where she broke her finger badly. She tends to forget that you just can't make sudden changes in direction when you use a walker, and she also tends to let her walker get too far out in front of her, which isn't safe. She's in assisted living now (a very nice facility- heck, I'd live there if I could!), which is expensive but it's good to know she has trained help at the touch of a call button if she needs it. We go over to visit her at least a couple of times a week to try to make sure she doesn't get too bored and lonely, but I have to say I am kind of miffed at her friends, very few of whom have bothered to come and visit her. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/229665.html (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
11:45 am	Dear TV Writers... There is this thing... it's called 'birth control.' You might want to read up on it. (Apparently unplanned pregnancy was the plot device of choice this season... it came up in Fringe, Hawaii 5-0, Bones, House (two even!!) and The Event. And that's just the shows I was watching. There may be more I am not aware of.) You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/229538.html Current Mood: irritated (Comment on this)
Friday, May 6th, 2011
9:32 am	Looking for an add-on I used to have a great Firefox add-on that let me right-click on an LJ (or DW) entry and expand all the comments, but it mysteriously disappeared last time Firefox updated itself, and I can't remember what the danged thing was called so I can't find it again to reinstall. Do any of you know what I am talking about and remember the name of the add-on? I used it ALL the time and I miss it a lot. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/229289.html (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
2:57 pm	Another step forward Just ran across this article: "Add Wiccans and Druids to the list of faiths that have their own chapel at the Air Force Academy. A circle of stones around an altar was dedicated on a hilltop above the campus Tuesday with earth-centered prayer and speeches about religious liberty at the academy, a school that has long faced criticism as a bastion for evangelical Christianity. (more at the linked article) That's pretty cool, even if it's sad that they have to put up surveillance cameras to keep people from vandalizing the site. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/229113.html (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
8:22 am	DW Invites For any of you worried about LJ stability, I have 14 unused Dreamwidth codes I'd be happy to share. Just comment on this post at either location and let me know if you want one. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/228690.html (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
4:14 pm	Northern Lights If you, like me, have ever wanted to see what the aurora borealis really looks like, but can't afford to go where you can see it... this is amazing: The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo. eta: don't know why it won't embed, but just click on the first link. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/228378.html (Comment on this)
Monday, March 21st, 2011
4:14 pm	Lemming You were born during a Third Quarter moon This phase occurs in the middle of the moon's waning phases, after the full moon and before the new moon. - what it says about you - You like to make up your own mind. You may find it hard to relate to mainstream opinions on issues, and you definitely don't always like what's popular. You can work out solutions and give birth to big ideas when left to yourself, and other people will be impressed with your conclusions even if they're not sure how you arrived at them. What phase was the moon at on your birthday? Find out at Spacefem.com You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/228141.html (Comment on this)
Friday, March 11th, 2011
11:13 am	March the 11th Okay, yes, there's still some of the old Due South love burning, so a quote appropriate to the day: They have called this day the Eleventh of March! And whomsoever of you gets through this day, unless you are shot in the head or somehow slain, you will stand at tiptoe when e'er you hear the name again, and you will get excited at the name March the Eleventh! We happy few, we few, we band of brothers. Our names will be as like household names. And those who are not here, be they sleeping or doing something else, they will feel themselves... sort of crappy. Because they are not here to... to join the fight, on this day, the Eleventh of March! -- Buck Frobisher, Due South, "The Call of the Wild" In a totally unrelated note, I'm sending {{{copingvibes}}} and as much good energy as I can to the people of Japan. What a nightmare. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/227841.html (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
8:20 am	Question and update Hey, do any of you know the title of and original performer of the song that was used in last night's Criminal Minds episode "Coda"? The one the autistic boy kept playing? I can send you a download link to an audio file stripped off the show's soundtrack if you're curious. I haven't posted in forever, mostly because I feel pretty overwhelmed by Real Life. Work continues to be difficult, they still haven't let us have our front-desk person back so office support for 35 faculty, plus about 90 grad students and 600 undergrads continues to be done by just two people- myself and my co-worker. I discovered that we're the lowest-staffed department in the college, despite the fact that we teach more Core student credit hours than any other department. I feel like we're being punished for being good at our jobs. Plus, state employees haven't had a raise in 3 years and on top of that, they're taking more out for our retirement, so essentially we've gotten pay CUTS. The kidunit got laid off in mid-November, the same week that Bluster passed away, and shortly after we found out about his autoimmune issues. His being laid off was not a result of his health issues, but they make him difficult to insure, and I am dreading his fast-approaching birthday when he will no longer be eligible for my plan. In the mean time, I can barely pay my own bills let alone his, so we're seriously considering bankruptcy. I wonder if a bankruptcy attorney will give us a two for one deal? My mother had another stroke about a month ago, and despite her showing all the classic signs of having had a stroke, it took the hospital 24 hours to actually diagnose one, by which time it was too late to give her the tPA like they did last time, so her recovery has been much, much slower this time. While the stroke fortunately did not affect her ability to communicate, she has left-side weakness/unresponsiveness which is responding only slowly to rehabilitation. They're letting her out of the hospital this weekend but sending her to a skilled nursing facility to continue rehabbing, in hopes that she will eventually be able to be independent, but it could be the best we can hope for is assisted. No matter what, she's going to have to sell her townhouse which is on 3 levels and completely unmanageable for her now, so that she can get an apartment in a senior living facility somewhere which can accommodate her needs. I have been spending much of my free time at the hospital with her trying to help keep her spirits up, and running errands and suchlike for her since she can't do it herself. Once I get home from that, I'm pretty much braindead and only good for staring at the TV. Fortunately a lot of my shows continue to please me- Chuck, Castle, the NCISes, Hawaii 5-0, Criminal Minds (though I am leery of this Prentiss arc, I fear the worst since I know she was on the chopping block at one point this year and may still be for all I know), Top Chef, and The Mentalist. I know everyone else is hating on Supernatural this season, but I'm sort of enjoying it, though I am willing to admit that may be because my critical thinking faculties have gone on hiatus due to stress. I was bummed that Fabio went home on Top Chef. He was my favorite, though I kind of knew all along he probably wouldn't win. Sucks that he went home because of a hamburger, though. You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/227650.html Current Mood: exhausted (Comment on this)
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
10:44 am	Things Ardent-muses and I were able to attend Bluster's memorial service, which was held at a beautiful small church. The priest clearly knew Bluster well and even mentioned her love for cats in the service. We conveyed the condolences made by Bluster's online friends to her mother, who seemed genuinely touched to hear how many friends Bluster had. It's still hard to believe she's gone. I also wanted to let those of you who've asked know that Bluster's kitties will be taken care of. Her vet came and got them as soon as he heard what had happened (except for Griz who was avoiding people, but they were confident they would catch him soon). The vet will probably keep Malcolm himself, and will find good homes for the other cats, making sure that the ones who need special care get it. Now, in an effort to try to get a bit back to normal, I have to pass on today's xkcd comic, because it made me laugh out loud for the first time in a couple of weeks: (Yes, I have a weird sense of humor.) You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/227345.html (Comment on this)
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
1:13 pm	Sad news about Bluster (Betty) Ardent and I were devastated to learn yesterday evening that Betty (Bluster on LJ) passed away earlier this week. We don't know details, but it was apparently natural causes. They are holding a memorial for her on Monday. If you would like a link to the obituary please email me at kelliedru at gmail.com and I will send it, I just didn't want to post it publicly. If you would like to make a donation in her name, I think one of the Humane Societies near her would be the perfect place, as she always said she was "one of those crazy cat ladies." Aurora Humane Society 1301 23rd Street, Central City, NE 68826 (402) 694-2738 (they don't have a webpage I could find) or the Central Nebraska Humane Society. I am going to miss her something awful. ETA: my son ran across this quote earlier today- it seems very appropriate. Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal. --William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude You can also view this post on http://kelliem.dreamwidth.org/227136.html Current Mood: sad (Comment on this)