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Monday, September 16, 2024
skystuff
03:43 PM - 09/16/2024
The topic: Finally, some fall like weather
----------------------------------------------
I took this on the evening of the sixth. The sky was actually that color, there was a fire in Mexico.
This is probably the best photo I've ever taken of the moon after sunset. We were in our gravity chairs, getting ready to watch for satellites (one of our relaxing things to do).
otherstuff
04:51 PM - 09/16/2024
The topic: Life goes on update..
----------------------------------------------Well, I was pretty frustrated with Jingles' reaction to his meds, the furosemide in particular. It's a diuretic and he peed so often I was getting tired of doing laundry to wash his bedding (he peed in his sleep) and the door mats. There has always been a pee pad in the living room, by the sliding door that's always open for critters to go in and out. When he'd stand on that, he'd stand on the edge and the urine would run under it. Thank goodness there's just a concrete floor, but cleaning was getting very tiresome.
I bought doggie diapers. They're just like long sanitary pads, they wrap around him. They worked, but I hated that he was wearing them twenty-four hours (changed as needed). I took the diaper off in the morning and started taking him outside every couple of hours to pee. I'd wake him up and take him outside. Before we went to bed, I'd put a diaper on him.
I guess something connected in his head that he needed to go outside to pee (like he'd be doing before the meds). And it's good now. His bed isn't available to him, but there are some blankets he can lay on. And since he's diapered at night, he's back in bed with us. This has only been for four days, but twice the diaper was dry. So, progress there.
Fury is still here. His coughing is getting more frequent and the bouts last a little longer. Aside from that, he seems to be happy and doesn't show any signs of discomfort (knock on wood).
We almost got another cat last week, the cat kept getting constipated, the owner didn't want to have to deal with giving medication for the rest of the cat's life (he was four years old) and the kitty was relinquished to our vet. We were asked last Tuesday if we would consider adopting him, knowing he was special needs. We said we would.
Because he'd been constipated for so long, he'd quit eating. He had a feeding tube put in last week and I guess was doing okay, but Thursday (we were supposed to get him on Friday, with instructions on how to care for him) evening, at the vet's office when they were medicating him, he started panting, had a seizure and they couldn't resuscitate him. It was upsetting.
Now that the sun is down earlier (a little after seven) we've started watching movies on the patio at night again. I've upgraded some of the equipment and will do an update on that soon.
And that's about it for now.
Have a great evening!
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
graphicsstuff
07:10 AM - 09/17/2024
The topic: Morning photo
----------------------------------------------We upgraded our security cameras this past month. Better picture, more options.
This morning, the moon was setting over a nearby hill and I took some snapshots using the Blue Iris app. I use this to view all of the cameras and motion videos.
Another fine moonshot - the moonset was awesome!I tweeked it a little using Topaz Denoise AI. I like it.
This camera is on the roof and sends a photo up to the weather page every fifteen seconds. The camera is a Reolink camera. After we got this, I bought another one for the front of the house.
I took a few snapshots and I'm going to see if I can make it into some sort of smooth timelapse movie. Wish me luck!
entertainmentstuff
05:14 PM - 09/17/2024
The topic: Now, the theater update
----------------------------------------------I first posted about our little home theater back in September 2021. Some things have changed. It looks like the only things that haven't been upgraded are the screen and the stand. And it looks like the images from Amazon are broken. That's a shame. I ain't fixing it.
Earlier this month, it was dark enough, early enough that we were able to actually watch a movie. The Fall Guy. The picture was good, but I still had a problem with the sound, even though I was listening through headphones.
Now, our setup is such that the screen is not visible from anywhere but the patio. This was the optimal place to attach it (more detail in the original theater post, linked above). We use headphones because sound carries. We don't want to offend the neighbors with expletives and the headphones block out the ambient noise (street noise, barking dogs - not our little angel, planes - we're close to a small airport, you get the idea).
But the first two projectors we had weren't the highest quality and the sound was muffled on both of them. (The Bluetooth never sounded good.) It wasn't clear, at least to me. It didn't bother Brian at all, but I was never happy with it.
So, I got this new sound amplifier/splitter. The first problem was the cables to the headphones and the projector used 3.5mm male ends. This splitter takes 1/4" adaptors. (Fortunately, I had some of those, I just had to find them.) But the sound still wasn't acceptable. I started to research different projectors since that's where the sound problem originated. And I found one. It was spendy (for us), but I still have some of my IRA money (I cashed it out last year) and since our source of entertainment now (since COVID) is television or the little theater, I figured I should go for it.
As well as the new projector, I got shorter cables with the proper ends for the splitter to the headphones and projector. And I got new volume controls. These might seem redundant since the splitter/amplifier also has volume settings for four different headphones, but I figure it would be a lot more practical to have the volume control at the fingertip instead of having to reach under the projector stand to make changes. And they were cheap.
I was pleasantly surprised with the projector. The first "yes!" moment was the auto-focus. I would think if you had something that had a dedicated space, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but at the end of movie watching, we tear everything down and put it away. The auto-focus makes short work of getting the picture perfect. The second was the sound settings. It has an equalizer! And the sound is spot on, crystal clear! And the icing on the cake is it has a very good warranty.
"For any questions, our 24/7 after-sales email support, 2-year Money Back guarantee, 3-year Repair, and Lifetime Technical Support are at your service."The first movie we watched with the new projector was Horizon: An American Saga. The picture blew me away. I didn't have to adjust any of the settings (and there are quite a few). I'm looking forward to more movies this season.
The original stand
The stand facing the screen - to make sure I had it set up correctly, i used different acrylic pens to mark the top of the table and
the stand legs. I used a black Sharpie to mark where the table needed to be on the cement, because it gets moved a little
The projector case
Inside the case - the projector is protected, There is also room for the Roku, both remotes and wires
The Roku attaches to the back of the projector via HDMI and USB (for power) (Goose is on the chair)
Storage for extension cord, headphones, amplifiier/splitter and connections
Headphones connected to the amplifier/splitter
Close up
Volume control
The back of the projector
The front of the projector - it also has a decent lens capRoku - https://amzn.to/4eq0DfZ
Projector stand - https://amzn.to/3MN3W4S
Headsets - https://amzn.to/4gqO4Tr
Adapters - 3.5mm to 1/4" for the amplifier to headset and projector - https://amzn.to/3XN35aO
Headset amplifier/splitter - https://amzn.to/47rFKPj
Volume controls - https://amzn.to/4dce2az
Projector screen - https://amzn.to/3zdeCH7
cables HDMI - https://amzn.to/3zcyKJv
6 ft cable for headset to splitter - https://amzn.to/3Xxu8Wc
3 ft cable for splitter to projector https://amzn.to/3Xxyyg1Projector - https://amzn.to/4d7PHCx
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
videostuff
07:48 AM - 09/18/2024
The topic: New category!
----------------------------------------------Since we now have five security cameras, not for humans, but critters, I figured I might start sharing some of them here and it would be nice if they had their own little room here at the cathouse diary.
So, here we are. This is a video I took earlier this year, with an opossum and a coyote. After viewing this video, I did some research and when threatened, opossums will play dead. Of course, most of us already know that from that saying "playing 'possom'.
But what I didn't know was that they also release a foul smell from their anal glands, a smell of death.
Watch the video...
Spoiler: the opossum lives.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
mrs. crankypants
11:46 AM - 09/19/2024
The topic: Door to door solicitors
----------------------------------------------They annoy the bejeesus out of me. They won't take "no" for an answer.
We have a sign out front listing all the types of people who might knock on the door that we don't want knocking on our door. Magazines, solar, heating and air conditioning, religion, etc, etc, etc). One guy told me he wasn't soliciting. "Oh, I was talking to your neighbors", "Don't you remember me, I was here a few months ago and you told me to come back later"...honestly, hell will freeze over before I tell any salesperson to come back later. He said he grew up in this neighborhood. I asked him what street had he lived on. Crickets. He had no answer. Yeah, just what I thought.
Well, UPS dropped off a package earlier this week, and right behind him was a salesman. I didn't see the salesman before walking out the door to check the package. And he starts talking.
I shake my head and before he has much of a chance to speak, I tell him, firmly "No, not interested". Mind you, I had no idea what he was selling, but I'm almost seventy-one years old and I seriously doubt anyone who knocks on my door has something to offer that I want. At this point, I know what I want and I know how to get it. Just go away.
For the first time in my life, I looked at the guy and I shut the door in his face.
Sorry, not sorry.
entertainmentstuff
11:58 AM - 09/19/2024
The topic: Entertainmentstuff or Disneystuff?
----------------------------------------------I'm going with the category "entertainmentstuff".
I've been a member of the Disney Movie Insiders website for years before it was Disney Movie Insiders. They had reward points for buying stuff or going to Disney movies. In the past couple of years, they had little contests where you could get points, could also get points for just clicking on the link in the newsletter and just going over there. Somehow, I managed to rack up almost nine thousand points. I never got much from them, a few Blu-Ray movies. A long time ago I got a Disney-themed umbrella that had Mickey gloves, Mickey shoes, and Mickey shorts on it. They were white until they got wet, then they were yellow, white, and red, Pretty fun.
But they never had much that I wanted to get. So, the points built up.
They're closing it out. As of December, it will be no more. And I had those points.
I scrolled through the movie offerings and ended up with ten new to us Disney movies, all Blu-ray and some even have digital codes as well. Nice.
We have hundreds of DVDs and Blu-ray disks. And I figured it's a shame we never watch those, it would be nice for our little outdoor theater. So, I got a mini Blu-ray player to add to the headset box to watch outside! It will be here today.
(I have to stop this, I'm whittling down my IRA funds...)
Sunday, September 22, 2024
entertainmentstuff
03:17 PM - 09/22/2024
The topic: It isn’t often that nice surprises happen, but…
----------------------------------------------This sure was one. I've had Fandango since before it was Vudu, back when it was called Ultraviolet. You could take a DVD disk to Walmart (if the store had this capability) and for a small fee, they'd check to see streaming availability and you'd have the streaming video added to your Vudu account. The first movie we did this with was Tin Cup. It was in 2012.
Then they just became Vudu and recently, Fandango bought them out, now it's called "Fandango at Home".
When I first started getting movies on Vudu I made use of the D2D option. We have a lot of movies on disk and I thought this was just great. And Vudu used to have these little programs they'd run on Wednesdays where you could get rewards added to your account (monetary) that you could use towards purchasing a video. One of the programs was watching one of their free movies. The freebies have commercials. But that ended a while ago.
At this point, we have close to seven hundred movies on Fandango. Some were only available on SD, most are HDX, and, when they were affordable (which means under $10, not the $24 or $19 they start out at), UHD 4K.
Anyway, this morning I got this notice and I'm happy with it. Especially with the new projector. Upgrading some of the movies to UHD at no cost to me! Yay!
Friday, September 27, 2024
healthstuff
06:31 AM - 09/27/2024
The topic: What a week
----------------------------------------------Earlier this month I got it into my head to start taking fiber supplements. Ever since my gall bladder surgery back in 2011 things haven't been right with my intestines.
For instance, things that didn't bother my stomach now do like alcohol. The discomfort from a couple of margaritas was unbearable and not worth the buzz. So, I quit. And Brian did, too, because he didn't want to drink alone. Not that we drank that much, but it was nice to sit outside and watch the sunset, you know? I still miss those times. Tuna fish. Tomato soup. Grilled cheese sandwiches.
I quit eating after six in the evening. So many changes. The reflux got pretty bad and I'm on daily omeprazole pills (prescribed).
Well, this has all played havoc with my, uh, how to put this delicately...bowel movements. They are not consistent. We quit walking a couple of years ago because we'd be half a mile from home and it would hit me. Uh, oh, we have to hightail it home right now. The enjoyment of walking up and down a hill with butt cheeks squeezed tightly together was one of the lowlights of my life.
I mentioned it to my doctor last year and she mentioned a colonoscopy. Yeah, no. The procedure itself isn't a problem, the prep is. Not so much visits to the bathroom, but I was hungry. My last one had me in the kitchen crying because Brian was making a peanut butter sandwich and it smelled so good. I was standing at the stove, stirring some brown water. The can said "broth", but it was really just brown water. It was nasty.
Anyway, I get it into my head (yeah, another one of these great ideas that never pan out) to start taking fiber. Pumpkin seeds (yummy). Fiber gummies (yummy). Cut back on bread (not a problem for me at all).
I did this for a couple of weeks. I was amazed that I wasn't as hungry as I had been, I was feeling fuller and wasn't eating as much. This made me happy.
Until last Monday.
You know how fiber is supposed to regulate? Well, uh, it can also go either way. Constipation or diarrhea are another couple of alternatives.
Sunday, I had a big breakfast. I had a half of a sandwich for lunch. I had two slices of pizza Sunday night. My morning bathroom schedule produced nothing. Monday I had horrible heartburn. It wasn't reflux. I thought maybe I just needed a big burp and what has helped me since my twenties was baking soda and warm water. I did burp, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't much better Tuesday. Everything was still just sitting somewhere between my neck and my butt. Tuesday I figured I'd just clean the system out of anything stuck in there. I didn't eat. I took two Dulcolax laxatives. Later in the day, I was feeling a lot better. Wednesday, I was almost back to normal.
I haven't had a fiber gummy or handful of pumpkin seeds since last Sunday.
Yeah, I found out why it's advised to start slow with fiber. I hope I learned my lesson.
healthstuff
07:34 AM - 09/27/2024
The topic: Great news!
----------------------------------------------Brian had a follow up MRI yesterday, to check the progress of the kidney removal.
He was told he'd get results in two to three weeks, but if you've signed up for the Kaiser dashboard, sometimes you see them more quickly. It's not like the doctor has this stuff in a "to do" pile, but results are input usually same day.
And his were back.
No cancer! Some stuff was found to be part of the normal aging process, nothing to be concerned about. So, yay!
Saturday, September 28, 2024
entertainmentstuff
07:20 AM - 09/28/2024
The current weather is Foggy as all get out!
The topic: Network (1976)
----------------------------------------------Someone mentioned this on Facebook this past week. He said the message was still timely. It's in our Fandango at Home library.
Brian had never seen it. We watched it last night.
It is a 1976 movie and boy, did it hit home. Really had nothing great to say about the media, all about the ratings, rage sells, etc, etc, etc. How people lose themselves and how easily manipulated they can be. From IMDB:
A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about mass media for its own profit
Sound familiar? And this all before social media.
Just amazed at how some things remain the same. And sad. There's a little bit of sadness as well.
Monday, September 30, 2024
otherstuff
12:48 PM - 09/30/2024
The topic: Productive weekend
----------------------------------------------Back in 2022, I ordered the television series "Northern Exposure" from Amazon. It wasn't cheap since I got the set from outside of the U.S. Why? Because the U.S. version didn't have the original soundtrack. A licensing thing. I ripped the shows to a hard drive and we watched them on the NAS I run from my Plex machine.
We quit watching a couple of episodes into the final season because we just weren't feeling it any longer. We knew that Rob Morrow was leaving and the storylines just didn't grab us.
I've been trying to finish it and this past weekend, I had eight episodes left and I finally did it. I finished the series.
One down.
In the garage, where my craft supplies are stored, there was an area where I would just dump stuff instead of putting it away. Well, I got that cleaned up.
That's two.
Earlier this summer, I bought a Glimmer machine. It was quite a bit less money than it is now. This is a foiling machine and I'd seen some cool things people were doing with it. One of the most helpful tools is washi tape. Washi tape is low adhesive, very easy to remove and the heat from the machine won't hurt it. The washi tape holds the cardstock and die in place. I knew I had a lot of it, but I couldn't find it anywhere.
After putting stuff away, I happened to see the box it was in. It was in plain sight. I have no idea how I missed it all of the times I looked for it. But I found it. So, yay!
That's three.
And I know I've mentioned making automata crafts. A couple that I really liked needed rubber bands. The first one I made was a dinosaur. The second was a duck rowing a boat.
Since I had no rubber bands, I ordered a bag of assorted from Amazon. Finished the dino.
A couple of months later, I started on the rowboat. I couldn't find the rubber bands. I ordered another bag. Finished the rowboat.
Well, when I pulled out the storage box that had the washi tape, what do you think was on top of it? Yep, the rubber bands.
They are now all in one bag and easily accessible.
That's four.
My intention with the automata is to take video of them in action and share them online.
But, it was a good weekend.
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lisaviolet is seventy something, married with no kids, takes care of lots of cats, likes taking photographs, loves Southern California weather and spends altogether too much time avoiding her responsibilities.
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