Miss Maggie

We recently adopted a Chihuahua, and named her Maggie. What we DIDN'T know was that she was sick. VERY sick. Shortly after we got her, she started having problems, so we took her to the vet. The vet said she was all good, but needed to gain some weight. Three days later, at 2 in the morning, we were rushing her to the animal emergency clinic. In the first 30 minutes we were there, her heart stopped beating, and the vet had to perform CPR.

That's right....CPR.....on a Chihuahua.

So little Maggie was diagnosed with Canine Parvovirus. Parvo is an especially nasty virus that pretty much kills dogs dead. She was given a 30% chance of survival and had to be hospitalized for about a week. Unfortunately, the vet isn't open at night, and the emergency clinic isn't open during the day, so we had to pick her up from one and transfer her to the other each morning and evening.

After a week in various clinics, vets offices, hospitals, etc., we finally got to take her home. She was literally nothing but skin and bones. She lacked the strength to stand up on her own and had to be hand fed with a syringe. HAPPY DAYS!

It's been a few days and she's starting to regain her strength, but still has an upset tummy. She's eating on her own again, and is starting to regain some of her weight. We're encouraged by her progress, and hope that we NEVER have to go through anything like that again.

What's really crazy is that she had her Parvo vaccine before we got her. Apparently she didn't get it soon enough.

Here's some pics of Miss Maggie (the gold plated dog) for your viewing pleasure. http://picasaweb.google.com/jcataffo/2008JunMaggie

Where Science and Imagination Meets Brats of All Ages

If there was one thing that Celebration IV was missing (besides the orginal cast) it was PROPS! I turn into a four year old at the sight of any cool scaled models, and I was really looking forward to seeing the original ILM props at CIV. Apparently, they forgot to bring them.

To their credit, there was a small room with a smattering of concept art, various versions of Vader's lightbright chestplate and a few random costumes. The highlight of the room was a voting booth that allowed you to cast your vote as to what color Han Solo's parka was in The Empire Strikes Back.

Next to the voting booth was the parka. I think the results may come back somewhat skewed.

Luckily, there's an exhibit touring the nation that brings the props to the fans. It's called Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. In my case, the tour has a scheduled stop about five miles from where I work. Fort Worth isn't the biggest city in this part of the nation by a long shot, which is why I live here, so I was pleasantly surprised that the tour made a stop here.

The exhibit was fantastic. It had the Tantive IV, the Millenium Falcon, the X-Wing, and every other prop you could hope to see. Check out my pics to see more.

Celebration IV

WOW!!!!

I've just returned from the biggest Star Wars geek-fest EVER! Celebration IV in Los Angeles. It was fantastic. Check out my pics here.

Five days of Star Wars is enough to overwhelm even the strongest Sci-Fi constitution, but I endured, and I WANT MORE!!! I was fortunate enough to meet Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Don Bies, Lorne Peterson, Jay Laga'aia, Seth Greene, Seth McFarland, and so many more.

CIV was nothing like I expected. I thought the participants were all going to be the ubergeek type and the event to be disorganized and difficult to navigate. The folks at GenCon (although not the friendliest people) were very organized and efficient and the fans were a BLAST!

My favorite part of the event was the part I thought I'd like the least. That would be the Q&A panels for the celebrities (like Carrie Fisher). The actors were all very funny and personable. They answered even the most absurd questions, and were a genuine treat to see and meet. I only wish I could have made it to more of the panels, but I had to choose between Droid Building 101 and Carrie Fisher. (Don't tell the droid builders, but there's really no contest.)

I even got to see some exclusive footage as well as props from the upcoming Robot Chicken Star Wars Special as well as the Family Guy Star Wars Special.

My only lament is that I didn't get the exclusive I wanted (Yoda and R2 Maquette). For three days in a row, Gentle Giant sold out of them WHILE I was standing in line. After that, I decided EBay would have to do (even if it means paying twice what the damn thing's worth.) Oh well, such is life

A Wicked Evening

After six months of eager anticipation, battling 75 mph winds and torrential downpours, I can say with confidence that I've seen one of the best musicals ever written. It was lively, witty, and filled with irony. From the opening act (which was delayed due to lightning strikes that took out the power) to the closing act (which was further delayed due to more power failures) I was hooked. The music was fantastic and storyline very well written. I'd highly recommend anyone (young, old, guy, girl, etc) to see it.

Typical of my life, the comedy started long before the play began. In keeping with tradition, there were a number of near catastrophes including a storm of biblical proportions and an unplanned detour (in other words, we went the wrong way). Even so, it was fun, and made the night even more memorable.

It started with me having a bad day at work (I'm quite certain all my adventures start out this way.) I was late getting home, and therefore late leaving for dinner. There was a Tornado Warning on the radio for a nearby county, quite fitting given that we were going to see a muscial based on the Wizard of Oz. I payed the warning no attention, and rushed to get home so I could change and we could head to dinner. We ate at a nearby restaurant, and halfway through the meal the sky darkened, and the monsoon began. The rain didn't fall so much as it streaked at a near horizontal tragectory.

After we finished eating, we decided to sit the storm out. We still had two hours before the show, but the weather report wasn't promising. Then, lightning struck, and the power went out. Fortunatley, we'd already paid for dinner, so we were free to go. Unfortunately, we had only one umbrella the size of a postage stamp between us. I ran headlong into the rain toward the car assuming Johnny would press the button to unlock the door from the safety of his umbrella as he casually strolled along behind me. He claims he tried repeatedly, but I still don't believe him.

The drive to Dallas was equally exciting. Lightning streaked across the sky as we passed overturned vehicles too large to escape the gale force winds in excess of 75 mph. Ditches were filled beyond capacity, and water was collecting on the roads. Although a bit trite, we laughed when we passed a mobile home which had been blown off of a trailer and was resting on the side of the road. There were no ruby red slippers to be found.

We took a bit of a detour getting to the play (we went the wrong way) and ended up getting to the play later than we would have liked. Adding insult to injury, we had to park in Outer Mongolia and walk in the rain to the performance hall. Johnny went to find our seats, and I went to find a bathroom. It just so happened that the nearest one involved descending a flight of stairs. Normally, this isn't too terribly inconvenient. However, on my way back up the stairs, lightning struck and the the power went out. I fell face first barely catching myself in the dark. The people behind me got a good laugh when the lights came back on a few seconds later.

I rushed back to my seat only to find out that the power outtage had caused the audio equipment to reboot, delaying the show. You heard it right folks, they had to Reboot Oz.

At this point, I was ready to go home. I was wet, irritated, and in a bit of a bad mood. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut and my desire to flee to myself. The show finally went on, albeit a bit later than expected. There were a few more power outtages spurring a few more Oz Reboots, which only added to the comedy of the performance.

It was a fantastic show, and I highly recommend anyone to go see it.

April Snooze

Well, April was fun...

There was a hail storm that destroyed my roof. That's gonna cost a bundle. Insurance will cover most of it, but the deductable is nearly $2000. Geez...

Then there was the hole in my roof left by the hail storm. It started raining outside, and I noticed it was also raining inside, right into my tub fortunately.

I also got a letter from my mortgage company. It's time for my interest rate to adjust, so I have to refinance to avoid that. There's another few thousand dollars.

So, I'm gonna be poor for a while, which is no fun, and rather inconvenient since I have a vacation planned at the end of the month.

Oh well...better luck next year.

Bodyworlds

As a follow up to my previous Bodyworlds post, I thought I'd share a story with you written by Johnny who accompanied me to the event.

What to say about Bodyworlds? It was certainly a fascinating and intriguing exhibit. I had heard little about it when I saw that it was coming to Dallas. I was barely prepared for the magnitude of the displays. You have certain expectations going into an exhibit that features real human bodies. I had expected the exhibits to be locked up in glass cases and for there to be an odor about the place.

There was no such odor and the exhibits were placed right out in the open where you could get a close look (and even touch them) though no one did. The elaborate displays were unexpectedly pleasing to the eye and very tastefully done, preserving the dignity these people once felt.

Some exhibits were in glass cases, these usually consisted of internal organs displayed individually throughout the exhibit. Some organs were displayed as normal healthy organs, while others were in various stages of disease and illness. I must admit, looking at the organs with severe cancers or disease was a bit unsettling. I had to take a breather every so often, it became somewhat overwhelming.

The highlight of the adventure came when we arrived in the reproductive system displays. Various reproductive organs were proudly displayed in glass cabinets. Rob decided to bypass the feminine organs. Out of some morbid curiosity, I suppose, I ventured over to the "fruits" of femininity. While glancing into the case I noticed a young boy about the age of 11 or 12 glaring at one of the organs with a puzzled look on his face. He inched closer with increasing bewilderment. I noticed he was looking directly at the display of a woman's vagina (separated from a body, of course). He turned to his mother maintaining his confusion and said, "Mom, what is that? (pointing) An old man's ear?" The mother gently leaned down with a somewhat amused expression and whispered into her son's ear. While I couldn't hear what she said, the child's reaction confirmed my suspicions. His eyes approached the size of dinner plates and exclaimed, "EEEEWWWW!!!"

It was at that point I could contain my laughter no longer. I sped out of the room in search of Rob to share what I had just witnessed. The exhibit as a whole was fascinating, entertaining, informative, and breathtaking. I applaud those people who gave their bodies willingly to further the knowledge of humanity. I will have to admit, however, it will be a long time before I am able to refer to a woman's vagina as anything other than an old man's ear!

R2-D2 and the Shiny Dome

Even the Post Office is getting in on the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars. On March 28, the U.S. Postal Service will preview the design of a commemorative stamp based on the Star Wars movies. I guess I'm actually going to have to buy stamps.

At any rate, it makes for a good photo opportunity. I think I identify most with the little astromech. After all, we both have lots of gadgets, a shiny dome, and our best friends are gay.