What the hell was I thinking?

I feel like I've been in a sterile room more than I should have been in such a short time. The fact of the matter is that I have. I have been very negligent with my doctor visits since switching employers and selecting my insurance. Two weeks ago I decided to get my act together and go for a regular checkup, which then followed routine exams just to make sure all was still as it should be. To my misfortune a filling came lose, and I decided to have that taken care of right away as well. That short visit to the dentist resulted in a follow up appointment for a root canal procedure.

That day was today! As you might have noticed in my previous post I had just recently visited the hospital lab for blood work. I feel as if I am falling apart. In the sense of total openness and since I'm sharing this info already, you should know that I have an ear infection as well! I think had I not made that first appointment to see my doctor none of these nuisances would have occured. Damn Murphy and his stupid law. I hope nothing else goes wrong. I wonder what my optometrist will tell me when I call to make an appointment to visit him?

Outrageous Hospital Costs

I went in to the hospital lab today to get a routine bloodwork run for me and had to register to access the lab. As I waited for my receipt I took notice of the hospital posted fees. Thank goodness I do not have to pay the full price of hospital fees. They are insanely high! These are just the general ones, eveything adds up.

Success After The "Sign Our Save Out Lake Petition"

A few weeks ago I posted a link for you to learn and hopefully sign a petition for BP Amoco not to dump pollutants into Lake Michigan....In just a few weeks, you and more than 50,000 other concerned citizens stood up for the Great Lakes by signing our online petition, telling BP to stop their plans to dump more toxic chemicals into Lake Michigan.

Clearly, BP heard the message.

On Thursday, CEO Bob Malone announced that BP was reversing its decision to increase dumping in Lake Michigan. This is a watershed moment for the Great Lakes and for all of us who have fought to protect and preserve Lake Michigan.

THANKS!

Play Fighting

Who says dogs and cats can't get along?

Photosynth Prototype

Not familiar with Photosyth? You have to see this video. Navigation looks very similar to iPhone. The adoption of photography and method to view is amazing. This is truly great technology...
With Photosynth you can:

Walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle.

See where pictures were taken in relation to one another.

Find similar photos to the one you're currently viewing.

Send a collection - or a particular view of one - to a friend.

Seamlessly zoom in or out of a photo whether it's megapixels or gigapixels in size.
Learn more at http://labs.live.com/photosynth/

No Trust

As I rode up the elevator to my floor I looked at the latest news headlines that display in a small monitor within the left elevator pane. One of the headlines noted another recall for toys from Mattel from a Chinese manufacturer, for the second time in two weeks. I couldn't help but to indulge in my conspiracy theory habits. I wondered if there could be a motive for the Toy company to place such negative focus on the eastern country? Perhaps they want to end contracts for cheaper labor elsewhere?

This time the recall was for concerns that children will swallow magnets attached to toys. There has been no injuries or illnesses reported by the "defective" toys. Could Mattel simply want to gain approval by placing a recall before the public raises an issue in an effort to prove they are "concerned"? Why take such a loss? I'm not buying into this just yet. I think there maybe a third party mixing up deals in the background to cause this. - Anyway just some insight into my curious mind.

The Jay Leno Photo Booth

These always make me laugh...

Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

I must give this kid credit. At first my thought was, "This girl can't dance. She's just jumping around all over the place." Imagine dancing like that at a club? First of all you know there would be no room. Second, people would think you are beginning to go into a seizure of some sort. I've been told to be a pretty good dancer, hey I'm still a club kid. I know I have rhythm but I don't think I would bop around like this. After watching the entire video I I fold. It makes sense and believe it goes together. If anything it's kinda funny and I like the song. Enjoy...

If interested see the latest sampled video from Kanye West - slower pace with typical Kanye twist. The Daft Punk lyrics (Four words) beat out Kanye's but his mixture sounds pretty damn good.
www.kanyewest.com/?content=video_stronger

I'm not a big fan of Kanye, but when I saw this video barely last week I loved it. Especially seeing Tokyo in the backdrop. Japan is high on my list of places that I plan to visit. Well done Mr. Hype Williams!

Sign the Save Our Lake Petition

The Chicago Park District continues to collect signatures for a petition which asks the Governor of Indiana, the USEPA, and BP North America to protect, not destruct, Lake Michigan. Go here to sign a petition online. Thank you!

PARK DISTRICT URGES PUBLIC TO HELP “SAVE OUR LAKE” FROM INDUSTRIAL SLUDGE
The Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago are urging concerned citizens to sign a petition to “Save Our Lake.” Click on a link below to sign one of these online Save Our Lake petitions: Senator Dick Durbin & Congressman Rahm Emanuel Congressman Mark Kirk Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn Environment Illinois Sierra Club Click here for a hard copy of the petition. With the approved expansion of BP’s Whiting Refinery by way of state regulators circumventing environmental laws, a considerable amount of pollutants will be polluting Lake Michigan, the very source of Chicago’s fresh water. “The Chicago Park District works hard to manage our lakefront beaches and keep them clean for all Chicagoans and visitors to enjoy,” said Timothy J. Mitchell, Superintendent & CEO of the Chicago Park District.

“Clean, fresh water is an essential human necessity that we require to sustain a healthy lifestyle. We are urging concerned citizens to help by signing this petition that helps preserve and protect this valued natural resource, so that future generations can use and enjoy its clean water.

For more information about how you can help “Save Our Lake” please call 312.742.4775 or email Janis Taylor"

Baby Hysterical Laughter

I saw this video on a short TV report on I think it was Inside Edition. I came across it again in You Tube and the clip still made me laugh. Go ahead watch it for a few seconds I bet you will crack a smile as well. I think I can count on this clip to cheer me on any day.

Instant Messaging

I love the latest little widget AOL came out with. I've added an AIM® WIMZI™ Widget to this blog and also to my Chicago Photos photoblog so anyone can send me a message while I am online. I had my first visitor conversation earlier today. A complete stranger came across Chicago Photos and sent me a message, basically letting me know that he liked my pictures and enjoyed my site. It turns out the guy was originally from Chicago and had to move away eleven years ago to Seatle. He found my site via a Google search and remenisced his past via some of my pics. So it is a little vain of me! SOo what?!!

I'm looking forward to chatting with friends from this blog, and getting to know my visitors from my photoblog and hearing how they found out about the site. Go ahead, check out the message window in the right hand frame, if you see that I'm online send me an instant message!

Can't Sleep

What happens to me when I fall asleep around 9:30pm? I wake up at 3:30am and cannot fall back asleep! I woke up tried gong back to sleep, struggled for half an hour and finally got out of bed. I've added pictures, made a few posts, played solitaire. It is now two hours later and I am about to get ready for work. (sigh)

Home

For my out of town friends I finally posted some pics of my place on flickr. See the full set. I think I am pretty much done with all the furniture. This week I ordered some pictures that I've taken and plan to have them framed and mounted on my bare walls. You will have to come visit to get a look when I add those in.