Getting Used to a New Computer

After my barely four year old Dell desktop decided to bite the dust, I got myself a new laptop. It's shiny, new and really nice..love it. The old computer is now at the repair shop, and I'll get it back later, after spending about $250 to get it fixed. I was going to forget about it but then I found out that my trusted graphic programs, all very expensive years ago when I bought them, no longer work when loaded into a new computer. Uuuuuugggh!! Computers, if it's not one thing, it's another!

So, in about a month I get the old computer back, and I'll be back in business at least on it. Till then, I get to play with my laptop, not doing much in the way of productivity but at least I can chat with friends, check my email and research things. I'm not complaining, as my business is set up to run itself, and I just collect the money..still, it's nice to be productive. I will make myself useful one way or another with the new computer in time and opening my wallet yet again to fork out big bucks for the professional Adobe products I use so much. I knew it was only a matter of time before the old programs became obsolete on new equipment, and now that milestone has been reached. Actually, I stretched their use out for at least five years longer than I'd expected to, so all in all, I did well.

At least I'm online. I am happy to be reconnected after being forced to be computerless for a few weeks. It was like going back to the pre-technology days, before computers were the norm. A dark and dismal place I would prefer not to return to :D
Time to go look at the prices of new programs. I'll get it together sooner or later. Note to self: Always have a backup computer ready to go with work software at the ready at all times! Until I get that old computer out of the repair joint, it's kind of a welcome break to just have fun online, and not work compulsively all the time for a change. I haven't played Solitaire in awhile..guess I'll indulge myself..time to be non-productive in style, with a super-fast processor and tons of memory.

On Saving Good Horses From Becoming Dog Food

Lately I've been thinking about getting a horse. Having had one as a child/teen, I want to do the whole thing over again, even if I am middle-aged. Instead of getting a horse the normal way (have a reputable trainer go find a suitable one), this time I plan on getting a horse eventually from rescuers who go to save perfectly good horses from the idiotic and barbaric kill auctions, who send horses to slaughter. Horses are "thrown away" there from the racetrack, taken there when irresponsible owners don't care and just want the horse out of their lives, and from various other places. It doesn't mean the horse is bad, or has poor conformation/manners. Horses with famous bloodlines, purebreds and more end up at these terrible places.

For a few hundred bucks, you can bail a horse out of these places and then take it home to quarantine (to make sure it is fully healthy) before putting out with other horses. Some rescuers bail out and quarantine horses themselves, such as:

Voice For Horses
http://www.voiceforhorses.org/adoptapp.htm

Having looked at all the photos of available horses, and being quite picky about what horse I would want, I see many very lovely ones who are young, sound, with great looks and manners. It makes me so sad that these lovely animals end up in places so sinister and deadly. I think it is a good way to find a horse and at the same time, save a life. With the economy being as bad as it is, those who worry about affording a horse can find this way of getting one a lot less expensive than paying many thousands of dollars for one through a trainer. With love, patience and maybe some training, rescue horses are rehabbed every day into family pets, show animals too. It just pays to be vigilant in knowing what you want and checking out the animal in person if possible. Calculate how much it would cost to board, vet, shoe and care for the horse. Make sure you can afford it, because owning a horse costs plenty of money on an ongoing basis.

These animals deserve people who love them, not to end up in dog food. If you want a horse, then consider going to the auctions such as Sugarcreek in Ohio, Camelot in New Jersey, and others or talking to nonprofit horse rescue agencies who go to these places. It's well worth the risk.

So, I'm watching and waiting for the right horse opportunity to come up. I am patient and taking my time. I want a big, young to young-ish hunter/jumper type who moves well, is sound and beautiful. They are at the auctions, lots of them. One will be mine, it's only a matter of time.

Example of a horse in the Camelot auction:



683 - QH gelding, 15 hh, buckskin, 3 white socks, barrel racer, fast, 10 yrs old, registered ranch horse, nice turns, dead broke, nice turns $550


This is Camelot Auction:
http://www.nj-feedlot-horse-rescue.com/availablecamelot.html

My New Website is Up and Running

It's been a busy month here at my studio, as I tackle a few different projects at once.
First of all, I have a new website (yes, I broke down and got myself a site and domain)! It's a work in progress as I keep updating it but here is what it looks like so far:

http://twopurringcats.com

So far, the site shows some of my many products and a pictorial backround on me. It will have much more content of different kinds, as I go along.


Other recent news..my products are going to be given out to the celebrities at the ESPY awards held in the near future at the Playboy mansion in California. I'm busy assembling the products that will be sent there, as someone will be there for me, I'm not going.

Here's a few photos given to me by mom over the weekend, from the past..


Note the very big hair, lol.

Here's a few from my Mexico days:







I am gladly out of the tropical heat now, firmly planted back in Ohio. It is wonderful to be home. It feels good to slow down and stay put for a change. I love small town life. NO drama, craziness (the polar opposite of living in Florida) and horse stables everywhere. I will start riding again when I have the time. For now, it's non-stop work on my business, which I really enjoy doing.

"Beau"

"Fluffy"

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Worried About my Sick Kitty

Today I left my sweet 14 year old cat Fluffy at the vet to be operated on. He has an infection in his mouth that has spread to his throat, from a bad tooth, the vet says. She says that she will check for "worse things" while operating on him, and that "no news is good news". She will call if she finds anything else. She told me to have hope, and that they will see what is up.

I just am so worried. Old cats can die from anesthesia issues, and I pray that he makes it. I felt so bad, but she assured me I was doing the right thing to leave him and let them do what they need to do. It's so hard to leave a beloved pet, a family member of many years, in the life and death care of a vet. They were very nice at the hospital, it is very close by to me and I will pick him up tomorrow if all goes as planned. It is scary, and I'm trying hard to not feel panicky because he's a good cat and deserves a long life.

The vet said that 14 years is about the average life span of most cats, and that I shouldn't blame myself for this. I brought him in as soon as I saw that the infection was worsening. He still eats and is alert, but is in pain. He is in good hands and I must trust them. I have trouble with trust in general, always have. But vets are trained professionals and they know what to do. I will not jump to conclusions and will keep an even head about it. It is hard, and I will get through this.

To get through the anxiety and depression, I work on my art. As long as I am calm, the art flows freely. It is extra important to me as an artist to keep myself as relaxed as possible. Classical music and doing relaxation exercises taught to me by therapists in the past help. I am devoted and loyal to those I love, and if any of them get sick then it rocks me to my core.

To me, animals are as important as (and sometimes more important than) humans. Most humans pretty much aren't trustworthy, from my experiences. Animals are fully genuine. They love us unconditionally without judgment and cruelty. These pets of mine have been loved the same way back. They don't know fear or worry because I have been only loving to them. My childhood was full of high drama, fighting and anger due to uncontrollable forces around me. Animals were my refuge then, as they are now. I pray Fluffy recovers and lives out his life for many years to come.

My Day at the Cleveland Clinic

Today I went to the Cleveland Clinic to have a specialist look at my bad back. I have been mired in lumbar spine problems for the last two years, after waking up one day in January, 2007 unable to move due to sharp pains running down my legs (sciatica). I couldn't walk for quite a while, and had to pay someone to get my groceries. It was a huge ordeal that turned out to be a bulging lumbar disc and sciatica at that time. The doctor in Florida loaded me up with really strong prescription drugs so that I wasn't in horrifyingly bad pain at all times. Physical therapy caused horrible back spasms that set my progress back for awhile so I stopped that. It was scary, not to mention being alone was tough as well. Medical professionals in Florida weren't great, didn't care and were basically rude and distant when I needed them the most. The Florida doctor was at a reputable medical building/hospital system but he was cold and told me that the next step was hyperdermic needles in my spine if the drugs didn't work! I never went back after that. I recovered very slowly in months but my back has always hurt badly since.

Fast forward to now. I do not need a cane or other devices to walk but it hurts to be on my feet for long, standing and walking is very painful but I do it. My desk chair has been replaced with a overstuffed, lumbar reinforced recliner. I have special pillows to sit on, to help ease back pains while drawing here at my desk. I have a TENS unit (electric stimulator that physical therapists use) and it has helped some, too.

Moving back to Ohio, I was so happy to come home to my normal family doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, and the extremely high quality healthcare that they give. He recently referred me to the back specialist who is personable, caring and fully capable of helping me overcome the back problems. He explained my X-rays in depth to me, and it was interesting to learn that I have a lot of arthritis in my spine, that the bone spurs are there too but aren't the issue. The main issue is stenosis/spondlyosis, from what I gathered, that means the narrowing of the passageway inside my spine (basically the nerve current in the middle of it). So, I will be spending lots of time in pools, in different kinds of therapy, one-on-one with a reputable physical therapist at a state-of-the-art facility close to my place. I welcome it, to help make my body more conditioned and less sore. From what I gather, it's a long process but the doctor is optimistic that I won't need surgery so I am totally encouraged.




It's so strange, since my parents and grandparents don't/didn't have back pain like this. I used to take moving freely for granted, carrying many bags of groceries at once, never worrying about the spine at all. Years of horseback riding didn't seem to bother me, either (pre-back pain), and I plan to ride again asap even still. My X-rays show that I have basically no cushion between my lowest two vertabrae, it wore off. Replacing that cushion hasn't been invented yet, but someday, long in the future, it will probably be figured out. Yeah, when I'm too old to care at that point. So, I trust the Clinic to fix my spine problems the best that can be done. It is so wonderful to have great healthcare again. With help from my wonderful doctors and therapists, it will be a fight I plan to win. Thank you, Clinic. I plan on fighting aging and pain every step of the way!

Oh, and by the way, the Official Cleveland Clinic Greeters (dogs) are a wonderful addition. Petted a Dalmatian and an Irish Setter as I waited for my X-rays. My parents and I really enjoyed them, too. Greeter-dogs, a great way to diffuse tension during medical tests, etc, a good thing.



Cleveland Clinic
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/default.aspx

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