Pets at play

I have absolutely no energy to post anything new. Here're a couple o videos of pets at play in our dog park in Illinois. And yes, there's my Bentley, with his Napolean complex, wanting to join the big boys.

I ... can't ... keep ... up

Myspace, Facebook, Yahoo, hotmail, gmail, yelp .... HELP.

There're too many socializing I'm doing these days, that like my messy house, I need to start cutting back on collecting stuff.

I know the day would come that I will be giving up one of these, and myspace is it.

Some of my friends have defected long ago. Blogger has been the drawing power to Karen, Gen V, Jeremy, Amber. It's time I make the move too.

I think you guys will like it. We are able to link to each other's blogs, and more importantly, stay connected to each other's lives.

I don't think I'll be as illustrious as Jeremy to be posting digests in myspace. For one, I don't roam the Web enough to cull interesting bits of news. Secondly, I'm not as diligent in my blogging. So I hope my loyal friends who want to continue to be filled in on my sometimes exciting life to continue giving me your feedback in http://thenewllow.blogspot.com/
I'll be checking in every once in a while, but I'll be phasing myself out and cancelling my account before long.

See you in blogger.

I've no business in politics

I simply don't understand how the great minds of politics work. And I totally lack any diplomatic overtones and savvy networking skills. The latter, I got to get a handle on. I'm in sales now, damnit.

Anyway, the hot news today is that Hillary conceded to Obama. And there's suggestions in almost every news outlet that suggests she hopes Obama would make her his running mate?

Seriously, I can't even get a colleague I can't get along with to willingly shake my hand after a confrontation and resolution with the boss. So how can someone who has played such a nasty game of backstabbing campaign hope that she would be selected as VP? The gall.

This was an opponent who took every opportunity to put him down for his lack of experience, and now she wants a part of his campaign?

Is this how the big boys and girls play the game? Am I so innocent to hope hat one day, there'll be decent public servants who are in this for the country and not themselves? Was there ever a simpler, more honest time in politics anyway, ever? Geez, I'm so naive.

- 30 -

Patrick: If you think it's bad now, imagine what it must have been like before 1804, when the Vice President's office went to the person who got the second most votes for president. Poor John Adams had to put up with having as a VP Thomas Jefferson, a man from an opposing party who, as we all know, would go on to follow him and become the country's third president.

It's been said that on many levels, Hillary and Obama have more in common than they do differences. If they can just remember that, then it should be possible for them to put aside their personal distastes. WEll, one can dream, anyway....

Christina: Nope, unfortunately there was never a simpler more honest time, at least in this country.

The stupid thing that nobody seems to realize is it doesn't matter whether we elect Obama, McCain or Zippy the Pinhead to be president. Even the Apostle Paul couldn't get things done in this country if and when there is an opposition party in control of Congress. Look how little the Democratic majority Congress has gotten done.

We really need more than one party in this country. But that's not going to happen in our lifetimes. I also doubt I'll ever see a woman president.

Jeremy: I'm beginning to think a bloody insurrection might be the only way to change, but that's usually when I haven't had my coffee in the morning. :P

I can't handle my fame

The subject line is in jest, but it doesn't stray from the point that I have friends who constantly wants to do stuff with me. And I don't know how to turn them down. When I do, I feel rotten.

I made a friend here about a year ago, and she's the most caring, sweetest gal. Her husband is wonderful and we as a couple get along well. It's difficult to find another couple whose significant other you like. So I cherish them, and once in a while, involve them in our weekend or late-week activities.

That said, she has a habit of constantly wanting us to join them at meals, weekends (we don't agree on most of the food. Let's just say I'm a bit more discerning or picky, go to their home etc. And she's constantly instant messaging me on the most mundane goings-on in her day.

We. I, need alone time to ourselves. I've turned down enough invitations that I feel I'm giving her the cold shoulder. But I'm not. I just can't afford to spend on eating out constantly. And they don't cook, so they eat out a lot (hence, happy hour).

Sometimes, I just want to be with Mark and be alone. Sigh.

I'm sure you have had similar situations. How did you handle it?

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Bob: Basically, she is under your "when I have time" friend.

I am typically very honest about my priorities, so I do not pretend like I even like to entertain. Most of my friends know that I hate to go out and spend "useless" hours chatting about "mundane" stuff.

Most of my entertainment has an agenda attached, either for biz or some child's birthday. The rest I just turn down.

AND SOON THEY STOP ASKING!!! ha ha...yeah, I feel out of the loop sometimes, but hey, better than miscommunication right?

I am not a popular guy, but at least my friends know when THEY CALL ME, they will get the help they need!

It is funny, becos my friends call me when their wife is delivering, their child's sick, they need school advice, they need biz advice...BUT NOT when they have parties going on. Jeez...but I prefer it this way!

I hope your friend understand the "real" you. I've known you since I don't know when, so I guess I know that you are not exactly the "entertaining" sort and needs to put in an effort to be around friends and relatives. Sometimes, you just have to show your "true" self.

Me: I don't want her to stop asking, I just want her to stop asking every few days, every week....

Karen: why should you feel bad!? and you said she is nice and asks nicely... and when someone asks, they expect either a yes or no... so you really don't need to explain yourself. just say you have plans already... easy as that. you don't need to explain what you're doing, with who are why she's not invited. sometimes, people just like to hang out at home with absolutely nothing to do, doesn't she know that?!

sms her mundane things you do lol! stuff like 'just laying here naked with mark and enjoying every second of it' - or 'gonna' go take a dump and thinking of you' hahahahaha! i'm sure she'll cut down her sms's to you lol! if she doesn't, i'll give you more awful suggestions :D

Me: Shit! She'll love the mundane stuff. She does that to me all the time. It's worse than twitter content!

Not a good idea!

As for explaining myself, cuz she will follow up with wanting to know specifically what I have in mind. I always truthfully tell her I'm tired. I am.

She has cabin fever, so she likes to go out. grrrrr

John: If you don't go out with these people you're a horrible person and everyone will know it.

Dan: First -- be honest with them. If you can't afford to go out, say so. If you two want to have a "you" night at home, say so. Don't start making weird excuses and then get caught up in a tangled little web.

Second -- keep including them in your plans. They obviously enjoy hanging around y'all as well, otherwise she wouldn't be texting you and calling all the time.

After that, just let it roll. They'll eventually figure out how you work and things will be fine. Or they won't, and minor drama will ensue, and you will hastily cut yourself away from it. Because you hate drama (and who doesn't?).

Me: OMG, I tell her that I can't afford ALL THE TIME!! She says that her husband wishes she's more like me, in the frugal sense. LOL.

Yeah, I've quit responding to the IMs. I told her that I don't pay for unlimited texting, and I'm already close to mid-way with her incoming ones and I'm less than 3 weeks away from my billing cycle!

I do include her in the plans, just not all of them.

In the interest of knowledge ...

I tried to resist, thought I fought the good fight but I lost. I’m sadly another registered number in the Facebook network.

I put off friends’ invitation with the valid reason I don’t need another site to login to and update.

Like M, the reason I joined was in the interest of learning more of the everchanging or everadapting internet. There’s just no escaping it.

So, see you there.

Gaming is just not my thing

I'm now a Wii owner. And it is MY game; M doesn't find it as kickass as his computer gaming.

The last time I was serious about any computer gaming is back in the late 70s, early 80s when Atari and some handheld heavily-pixelated graphics device were popular. I wanted the Wii because I played it once at a friend's place and I really enjoyed the tennis. That comes in the Wii sports console, but I wanted to try other games. As I'm not very coordinated with those switch-multitude-weapons games, I borrowed Super Paper Mario from a colleague,thinking I should begin slow. It's afterall jumping and running.

Wow, am I behind the times. It's so much more complicated that I have to consult cheats on the Web. I've only logged in 6.5 hrs of play and already, I'm frustrated and ready to give up. Thank goodness I didn't buy it.

Don't be surprised if I decideto sell the console after a year. Who wants first dibs?

I'm OCD --- can you believe that!!!!

I finally succumbed and made an appointment with a dermatologist. The reason - I'm suffering from the effects of Chicago's winter -- DRY HANDS.

I can't believe it when a simple loose skin on my finger that I love to peel spiraled into an obsession when more showed up on my fingers and palms. It got to the point that I would peel till I bled and my fingers started to hurt. Suffice to say, I stopped. But the skin got worse and moisturizing seemed to make it slightly better (to look at) but it didn't heal. The fingers now were rough, clenching my fingers felt stiff and I lacked the ability to grip.

Friends and M were telling me to stop each time I reached to peel or tear or bite a loose piece of skin. I stopped my obsession, knowing it was not helping. As my fingers started to heal, they also looked stretched and scaley, like a mummy, and inflamed.

I finally made the appointment yesterday to the dermatologist. I was getting fearful it might be some sort of fungus (a hand's version of athlete's foot, if you will) and I needed an expert's opinion on it.

He diagnosed it as a simple case of dryness. Then he asked me how times I wash my hands in a single day. I computed quickly in my head the shower, face-washing, dishwashing, toilet visits and came up with "at least 10." He told me to reduce it, that I shouldn't be washing my hands that much. I asked if I was bordering on obsessive disorder compulsion and he said yes. I couldn't believe it. Those were regular rituals, I said. He told me that I should also take shorter showers and use less hot water as the latter can be very drying. It all makes sense but it requires a complete turnaround in my lifelong habit.

Here's a few good advice:
1. Use hand lotion for hands, don't use regular moisturizer. I understood that immediately. In my initial self-remedy, I moisturized my hands liberally and they felt wet. The reason: the first ingredient in all non-hand moisturizers is water!
2. Buy a pair of white clothed gloves and put them on at night after moisturizing.
3. Don on gloves while washing dishes by hands.
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Christina: Wow! I had no idea of all this stuff about hand dryness. I have chronic hand dryness and now I see that part of the problem is I use my regular moisturizing (body) lotion on hands as well! didn't know there could be a case of washing hands "too many times." I wash mine at least eight or nine times a day because since I live with dad and he has compromised immunity, we have to be ultra-clean! I hope your condition improves! I really don't think you have true OCD, though. I've known OCD folks and they wash hands like 20 or 30 times a day and can't touch anything almost without having to wash or sterilize their hands. Glad you went to the doctor!

Me: Yeh, what is he going to say about you and your dad's situation! How about dem doctors who have to scrub like crazy?