Excuses

I used to try and post a little something on Sunday anyway when I would visit one of my favourite sites - Post Secret what else? This past Sunday/ day before yesterday I didn't have time. I was busy recording some music for my friend's daughter who is here staying with a host family. On Sunday afternoon we met up because the family was taking her to a bullfight. Yes, I know bullfighting is part of Spanish culture, but not every foreign visitor to Spain is as enthusiastic about it as Hemingway was (or one of my former colleagues) and not especially a 13-year-old child. I haven't heard anything but I hope she got through it all right. There are lots of places that I would deem more suitable and educational like the Prado Museum. Another friend of her mother's took her to Segovia on Saturday and she got to see the famous Aqueduct. On Friday they're going to the beach, so I'll call before she goes to wish her a good holiday.
I've got in the habit of seeing which number visitor I am on Post Secret. For July 27th I was number 156,482,633. I've just finished reading two of my horoscopes. Here's my Chinese one for today:

Ox Horoscope for July 29, 2008

This is an unpredictable day where almost anything could go wrong for you. You might have trouble making a financial commitment that you had promised someone. You may be accident prone, especially while you're angry with someone else. Your love partner could be fickle or aloof so try to keep a low profile.

A great one, huh? Well, I'm going to take its advice and keep that low profile and get on out of here. Happy Chicken Tuesday and hope the rest of the week is better for everyone.
 

The Tech Commandments

Hair Bands and Used Condoms

The weekly edition of snopes.com is full of interesting and mostly true stories like the real computer virus that comes in the form of an e-mail supposedly from UPS. Recently Lanie was talking about a certain type of hair band which is no longer in fashion. I'm including the link to snopes, which for some strange reason you may have to copy and paste in your browser. It may be the theme that I'm using, but I've noticed that other people's links don't work either. Anyway, I'm glad that my hair is too short to put up. Just hope the junk I put on my hair doesn't contain used sperm! lol

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/hairband.asp

Looking for Coolness

This is Zara's favourite spot when it's nasty hot - in front of the door, She even slept there last summer after she'd had her knee operated on and was wearing that horrible bell collar. At least in this photo she's looking at the camera and she's got nice pretty paws because I took her to the vet's for a bath and to be groomed the other day, plus she got her annual injections which she never feels. Lucky thing! At the moment we're both basking in an air conditioned flat. I hold off putting it on as long as possible, but at about 3 pm I took Zara out for a quick pee and there were already eggs frying on the pavement - not really though there could have been.

 Sitting out on the terraces of bars is popular here in the summer. Knock, knock on wood that we can do that and not get eaten alive by mosquitoes or other bugs.There's one near my house that I always pass on my way to do my Saturday afternoon shopping. When I went past there a few minutes ago, there was nobody sitting outside. People would probably go there tonight, however they're usually closed on Saturday night.Places around here do good business during the bullfighting season or whenever there's a concert in the bullring. We've had two nights of the Red Bull X Fighting, which is really stunts on motorcycles - an amazing show. Everything has been so loud. We couldn't see it but could hear it and, of course, the people who come out afterwards. Do you know that Madrid is one of the least noisy cities in Europe? Not so sure I believe it. Anyway, nothing is on at the bullring for tonight, which is good because my friends and I are going to the Chinese and Zara doesn't like noise. I'm not sure what I'll eat because the heat takes my appetite away. Hope everybody is having a good weekend and staying cool. 

Light of my Life

Not too long ago one of my contacts, Pat (Clootie Dumpling), posted a photo of some of her favourite things atop her refrigerator. I was thinking about doing the same, but then I thought I have so many favourite things that it would just look like a pile of junk at a flea market, at least to most people. Although this photo doesn't do justice to its simple beauty, this light is my favourite and so it's the 'light of my life'. What I most like about it, apart from its function (some lights are more for decoration than for lighting purposes), is that it comes apart easily for cleaning. Oh yes, there are big, heavy, ornate chandeliers. As a matter of fact, the previous owner had such a chandelier, but to me it looked so out of place, too big for the room that it was in.

Well, that's the story of my light. BTW, I still remember how much I paid for it (in pesetas anyway). Hope everybody has a good week. I'm off to Post Secret as always.

 

Substitute for Toilet Paper

Here's a funny secret though it's not mine. I try never to be without TP. Today I was visitor 152,700,153!

Doctors and the English Language

I don't know if this has been posted on here before, but it is painfully funny.

Doctors' Comments On Patient Charts:

    * "Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year."

    * "On the 2nd day the knee was better and on the 3rd day it disappeared completely."

    * "The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1993."

    * "Discharge status: Alive but without permission."

    * "Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year-old male, mentally alert but forgetful."

    * "The patient refused an autopsy."

    * "The patient has no past history of suicides."

    * "Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital."

    * "Patient's past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days."

    * "Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch."

    * "She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night."

    * "She is numb from her toes down."

    * "While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home."

    * "The skin was moist and dry."

    * "Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches."

    * "Patient was alert and unresponsive."

    * "She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce."

    * "I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy."

    * "The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead."

    * "Patient has two teenage children but no other abnormalities."

    * "Skin: Somewhat pale but present."

    * "Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen, and I agree."

    * "By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart stopped, and he was feeling better."

    * "The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane ran out of gas and crashed."

    * "When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room."

    * "Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing."

    * "The patient will need disposition, and therefore we will get Dr. Blank to dispose of him."

    * "The patient expired on the floor uneventfully."