See February 9, 2006 entry for my newest.

I'm going to semi-recreate my post from Feb. 9 here.  



See there.  I'm singing on song no. 7.  Wow.  Exciting.  

Hint: Don't accidentally save over your journal entries.  It's really frustrating.

So, I've been thinking about getting an MP3 player for a few weeks and yesterday I became obsessed with finding one.  I went to Best Buy, and a few other stores in South Austin and couldn't find what I wanted.  I went home and looked around on the Internet, intending to just order something online.  I ended up driving back up to North Austin to Fry's Electronics where I purchased a Creative Zen Micro MP3 player.  It's a pretty cute little player.  However, since I am technology retarded, I wasn't able to figure out how to upload music to the player last night.  I think I may have done something wrong while loading the software.  I HATE loading software on my computer.  So, when I get home today, I'm going to spend some time trying to figure out where I went wrong.  If anyone else has a Creative player and is familiar with the software, etc., let me know.

It's an overcast/rainy day in Austin.  Blah.

Total # of Jumps: 194

I talked to my friend Todd Townsend (via instant messenger) for the first time in over a year on Tuesday night.  Two long lost friends (Tommy and Todd) found via IM.  It makes me happy.  If anyone I know wants to send me their IM name, I'll add you to my Buddy List and maybe we can talk, too.

I made it to the gym on Tuesday.  I worked out for about an hour.  I'm heading out there again today after work.  There's something satisfying about having sore muscles from working out.  I like it.

I've been recording some vocals for my covers album.  If anyone has any song suggestions, let me know.

I'm feeling slightly unsettled today.  I can't quite explain it.  It's almost like a little touch of foreboding.  Weird.

The End.

I'm starting to think about buying a house here in Austin.  Houses are expensive.  I don't make a whole lot of money.  Not a good combination.

I've been doing some kind of serious looking for the last couple of weeks - of course I haven't even been preapproved for a loan yet.  Having always believed in not spending money I don't have, my credit is somewhat non-existent.  Got to work on that.  Although I'm going to continue looking to see what's available out there, I've kind of decided to put off the urgency of actually buying a house.  As I was creeping into panic mode on the phone with my mother yesterday, she reminded me that I "don't have to do this, don't have to do anything" in reference to house-buying.  This is true.  Financially it's a good and bad idea.  Good in the longrun, bad in shortrun, i.e. mortgage payments will more than likely much more than the rent I'm paying now.  Sigh.  Does anyone want to be my roommate and pay half the bills? 

I'm going to slow down for now and look into part-time/freelance jobs to bring in a little extra $$ to put aside.  I don't know if I'll actually follow through with getting a 2nd job, but it seems like a good idea.

Being an adult really sucks sometimes. 

As I've mentioned before, weather in Texas is fuuu'd up.  This past Saturday, the temperature was in the low to mid-eighties.  Today it didn't get above 30 degrees and the wind chill factor brought the temp down to the teens and twenties.  Brrr...  My office postponed opening until 10 a.m., and actually ended up shutting down altogether because of the weather.  There were countless accidents because of icy roadways and schools all over Austin were closed.  I did end up driving to work so I could email myself some stuff I could work on at home.  I start my Xmas vacation next Friday and I've got way too much to do to just sit around being cold in my apartment.

I saw Ben Folds at the Bass Concert Hall in November.  It was spectacular.  I'll probably expound on the experience at a later date, but I'll repeat...it was spectacular.  I really enjoyed the opening band - the Fray - as well.

In other news, I think I broke the pinky finger on my left hand a few weeks ago.  I've had it taped up for most of the three weeks, but I was still trying to bend and flex it for the first week, not realizing that I was only reinjuring it by doing that.  If it doesn't seem to be much better in the next couple of weeks, I'll go to the doctor.  My elbow on the same arm has been kind of jacked up for a month or so, too.  I'm falling apart in my old age.

Sigh.  Time to go to bed. 

I've joined the YMCA.  I'm taking swimming lessons twice a week for the month of October.  I've been to two classes so far.  It's going pretty well.  I wouldn't drown if I got thrown in a pool - I took swimming lessons when I was little and swam all the time - but it's been a long long time since I've spent time near a pool.  I'm learning the correct way to breathe and do the strokes and what not.  The hardest part so far is getting in the pool.  It's an indoor pool and the water is around 82 degrees (which sounds warm to me) but it's really not that warm at all. 

I'm finally going to get to see Ben Folds in concert.  He's playing a show in Austin on November 20.  I bought my ticket in the first half-hour that they went on sale.  I'm excited.  I'm also contemplating going to see him in Houston on Nov. 18.  Those tickets aren't on sale yet.

I miss Kiska.

Total # of Jumps: 156

Back again for a quick update.

Austin has managed to avoid all effects of Hurricane Rita so far.  We haven't even gotten any rain from it.  Even Houston - which evacuated about 80 billion people - survived with minimal damage.  Poor Louisiana - they took the brunt of it again.  Damn those hurricanes.

In other news, work is slowly draining my lifeblood.  I have been exceptionally bored lately.  It's not that I don't have a lot to do, but those things I need to work on are long, involved, and sometimes ongong projects.  I do much better with "tasks" that I can start and finish in days or hours.  As I tell myself weekly, at least I have a job.  I'm hoping this slump I find myself in will be over soon.

In skydiving news, I made my 151st jump weekend before last. 

In general, nothing noteworthy is going on with me lately.  I'm boring again.  Maybe I'll have something exciting to report soon.

Until then...

Total # of Jumps: 151

It's been forever since I've posted here. 

Today is as good a day as any to post a quick update.  I'm 31 today.  Old. 

I've had an okay day.  I was taken to lunch with my supervisor - Grover - whose birthday was yesterday.  We ate lunch and then played video games at Dave & Busters.  This evening I was taken to dinner my good friends Nyleva, Eric, Athena, and Gerald. 

My brother called me a few days ago to wish me a happy birthday because he was going to be on the river (he leads white water rafting tours near Lake Tahoe) for a few days.  My mom called me twice, and my sister and nephews called to wish me well, too.

I miss my Kiska-dog.  It's bizarro to think that this is the first birthday I've had in 15 years without him being around.  Sad. 

August 7 is the 1 year anniversary of my first tandem skydive.  I made my 100th skydive in June in Granbury, Texas.  I made my 120th jump last weekend in San Marcos.  That's a lot.  I also finally received my freefly suit last month.  I'll figure out how to post a picture so everyone can see how coordinated I am.  My suit colors match my rig.  I've been told I'm a "gear queer."  I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

My brother - Joe - came through Texas at the beginning of May and spent a week with me.  I hadn't seen him in over three years.  We had a really nice time.  He came with me down to San Marcos and made his second tandem.  He did his first when he turned 30 - that's part of what prompted me to do it when I turned 30.

Hmm...I guess that's all I've got to say for now.  I'll post more as it comes to me.

Total # of Jumps: 120

May 18, 2005

To my friends,
 
Over the past 15 years, most of you have had the great pleasure of meeting and spending at least a little time with Kiska, a.k.a the Magic Luck Dragon.  It is with deep sorrow that I tell you all that Kiska has moved on to Doggy Heaven.
 
Kiska spent Saturday night at my good friend and neighbor's apartment and when she took him home Sunday around 11 a.m., he was perfectly fine.  The only hint that something could possibly be wrong is that he didn't take the treat she offered him.  I arrived at home around 6:45 p.m. on Sunday and saw that Kiska had been ill in the living room and bedroom.  He was on the bed and I was immediately concerned by his demeanor.  He seemed to be in some pain and was not at all himself.  I called my neighbor, Laurie, and we took Kiska to the Emergency Vet Clinic around 8 p.m.  They ran some blood work and other tests and started him on IV fluids.  Kiska spent the night at the EC and I picked him up Monday morning and took him to his regular vet.  They continued to keep him on IV fluids and gave him morphine to counter his pain.  The vet wanted Kiska to have an ultrasound to try and find out what was going on with his belly because I didn't want to put him through the exploratory surgery the Emergency Vet suggested.  I picked Kiska up after work on Monday - he had been sick at his stomach again and begun to vocalize his discomfort.  I took him back to the Emergency Clinic so he could be monitored overnight and so his pain could continue to be treated.  I picked Kiska up at the EC yesterday morning and he didn't look very good at all.  He was unresponsive, probably due in part to the fact that he was on a lot of pain medicine.  I left Kiska at the vet with instructions to call me if anything changed.  His ultrasound was scheduled for 10:30 a.m.  Around 11 a.m. Dr. Spitz called me and suggested that I come back to the clinic.  The ultrasound showed that his prostate was enlarged and herniating through his intestines, his intestines were so inflamed and swollen that nothing could really pass through them, and he had pancreatitis.  I immediately left work (many thanks to my bosses - Grover and Tajauna) and went to the vet.  Dr. Spitz said Kiska's was not a surgical case and that we had been providing all the correct treatment.  I sat by Kiska's side for the next couple of hours, with him periodically vocalizing but not really moving otherwise.  He continued to be adminstered morphine and diazepam (valium).  Around 1:30 p.m. I told Dr. Spitz that I'd come to the conclusion that I had to let Kiska go.  It was a difficult decision, but Dr. Spitz agreed that we'd done everything we could and that further treatment wouldn't guarantee anything.  We spoke about it for a few moments and he went to finish up with his other patients before we got started. 
 
At approximately 2 p.m. I was still sitting beside Kiska and waiting for Dr. Spitz.  I was looking around the room at the Vet Techs and what they were all doing when I noticed Kiska's head move out of the corner of my eye.  I turned to face him and lifted the blanket that was covering him and saw that he had stopped breathing.  I called for one of the techs and she rushed to get Dr. Spitz and it was over that quickly. 
 
Kiska was proving to me one last time how absolutely incredible and wonderful he was by taking the decision out of my hands.
 
Kiska is being cremated and his ashes will be returned to me.  I plan on making a memorial jump and scattering a portion his ashes on his birthday if not before.
 
As all you who have met Kiska know, he was a very special and unique being who you couldn't help but love.  I know without a doubt that there will never be another like him and no one could ever take his place.  He will always be the standard by which all others are compared.  Kiska was born Oct. 23, 1989 and came into my life a couple of month later.  He left me May 17, 2005, but he will continue to be a part of my life forever.
 
While this is obviously going to be a huge and difficult adjustment for me, I'm going to do my best to be grateful for the time I had with the Kiska dog instead of mourn the loss of him.  Besides, as you can see from the attached photo, he makes a damn cute angel dog.
 
-Liza