Here’s a wish I wish for me
A simple life where I could be
A writer of stories for a fee.
Alas, though it’s not my key
For paying bills and buying tea
So words you’ll get if I see
Less time spent on bended knee

Sorry Folks. I tried to work “Pee” into the mix but couldn’t fit it in!

It feels like YEARS since I’ve written anything meaningful! Too much work, too much Facebook, not enough creativity flowing through my brain.

Whenever I’m going to write a “recap” post, I usually go through my calendar and look at all the fun stuff that’s happened. I have several calendars, color coded for easier perusal. In preparing for this post, I switched to the “Fun Stuff” Red calendar…and cried. Oh sure, there’s some red dots scattered here and there, but at an infrequency that’s embarrassing.

There’s nothing I can do about it, except embellish my tales, one at a time. Creative license and all that.

So, lets start the first story sometime In march, where I found myself ready to take on the responsibilities of dog ownership once again. I’d been searching through the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County website looking for a young, female, shepherd pup that i could add to my life. meeting with a volunteer from the organization, I told her my plans were to adopt one now, train it, then adopt a second one later as I had my heart set on having two dogs.

Wouldn’t you know though, just that week they had a bonded pair come into the shelter. Found wandering around a SoCal town, a female German Shepherd and a male Doberman, both about 3. Neutered (and spayed), well kept, trained but incredibly, not microchipped or tagged. Meeting with the approval of the organization, almost a year to the day after losing my last four legged companion to cancer, I became the proud momma of two beautiful dogs that outweighed and outmuscled me. I named them Isobeau and Navarre after characters in the movie LadyHawke.

I thought my last dog was big, but now I realize she was just fat. A big dog is one who has to go to his knees to crawl out of the Large Size dog door. A big dog is one that requires the Extra Large dog door that practically cuts your back door in half to install. Of course, a large size dumb person can easily crawl in through the door. A large size smart person would wonder what kind of monster was going to crawl out.

And while my last dog often times took food off the counter, pushing it to the back of the counter usually solved that issue. But a big dog can rest his head on the counter while having all four feet on the ground. That required a whole other food saving strategy, namely, a large fridge and higher cabinets.

I also discovered they loved to jump on my couch on the inside, and my jacuzzi cover on the outside to bark at anyone walking a dog. If they weren’t so scary looking, it would have been funny. To see two monster dog heads peering over a 6 foot fence had everyone (except me) intimidated. Eventually, I was able to break them of that habit.

The couch thing took some trial and error. Eventually I settled on the latest fangled couch saving gadget, called, The Dog Gate. A Tall Dog Gate. 41” from top to bottom, installed 6 more inches off the ground for a total height of 49” just to keep the ever athletic dogs on the other side. Because not only were they jumping on the couch, they were leaving snotty nose smears all over my windows, ripping my curtains and damaging the pillows on my couch. When they weren’t sleeping on them. Or on my bed. With this miracle of modern fangled gadgetry, they can wander my kitchen and office and the whole of the great outdoors covered in my property taxes. I can rest assured that I won’t be coming home to any couch disasters.

Walking them together was a treat. Or so I thought until they spotted their first squirrel. {SQUIRREL? SQUIRREL?} Now Cesar Millan says that you should be calm and assertive with your dogs. Both are an impossibility when your dogs are dragging you down the sidewalk, up a tree, while they’re barking and you’re laughing. I realized they needed a bit more training in the dog walking area and as time consuming as it is, they each get walked 1-2 hours a day separately. Squirrel sightings still get them all excited, but all four feet remain on the ground right by my side.

Another quirk they have is to steal my shoes and slippers. They don’t do anything destructive with them though. It just seems they need something to cuddle up with when I’m not home. I just wish they would learn to put them back when they’re done with them.

All in all, it’s good to have the 4 legged furry variety of family back in my home.

Filed under: My Menagerie Tagged: Cesar Millan ]]> http://vitasenzalimiti.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/what-in-the-world/feed/ 0 Mikki settled in http://vitasenzalimiti.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/dear-anderson/ http://vitasenzalimiti.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/dear-anderson/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:15 +0000 Mikki http://vitasenzalimiti.wordpress.com/?p=1041 Continue reading →]]> Enough already with Donald Trump and the “birther” controversy! With only 25% of the American people doubting the President was born in Hawaii, LET IT GO. They probably believe in UFOs too and most likely don’t watch your show. The other 75% of us (or at least me) don’t want to hear about it anymore. We want you and the others in the “sane” stream media to stop chasing the news and start directing it.

“AC 360” your way into those Congresspeople already in office. Start investigating what happened to the efforts to rebuild New Orléans after Hurricane Katrina, what happened to the promised billions BP was going to pay victims of the oil spill. Get Nungesser back on the line.

While that all is brewing, I’d also like to know what Congress is doing about any reasonable attempt to fix Corporate Welfare, income taxes, and about bringing jobs back to America before we turn into a 3^rd world country.

If you have some time, check up on Sean Penn and the Haitians. Maybe you can find out if all those promised billions in funds have been divvied up and distributed. Maybe show us some footage of the completed hospitals, schools, housing for the people, with running water and electricity.

Find out what’s going on with T Boone Pickens and his ideas for alternative energy.

Find out what Congress is doing about runaway CEO pay.

Find out what Congress is doing about punishing those responsible for the financial meltdown.

Find out what Congress is doing about changing laws to prevent another financial meltdown.

Find out what Congress is doing about reviving the middle class.

Find out who in Congress is taking what money from which lobbyists.

There are hundreds of stories out there that need covering more than Donald Trump and the many times resolved birther movement.

Get in front and COVER THEM!

As you haven’t heard from me in a while, I figured I’d share with you a few of my resolutions that are intended to make me a better person.

1.

Hmm. Let’s skip that one and head straight to

2.

Okay, not much luck with that one either. Maybe I’ll just fill you in on last year’s happenings and to hell with any improvements!

A steady constant has been the monthly outings with the ladies to the local golf courses. I have added my twist to scoring, as regular scoring is just too complicated, with bogies, eagles, birdies, doubles, triples and par. Simplifying, if I end the day with as many balls as I started, I call it “par”. More balls, under par; less, well you get the idea. Last year, I was on par for par. The best part of golfing, anyhow, is the socializing!

I continue to play softball, although much slower than ever. You can still see hints of my former blazing speed when the batter hits the ball right back up the middle. I still manage to get all my body parts and major organs out of the direct path of the ball. My shortstops really appreciate the extra field they have to cover. They say it keeps them in shape.

When I can muster up the energy after a long day at work, I head out to a few local clubs to listen to some music. My regular monthly outing is to a local coffee-house to listen to NetteRadio‘s latest showcase. The artists vary, but the acoustic music in the coffee-house setting is right up my alley. Occasionally I’ll head up to hob nob with the Beverly Hills crowd to listen to Justin Grennan and the Project, a smooth rhythm and blues band.

Rounding out my cultural education usually involves my yearly sojourn to Laguna Beach with good friends to see the current conception of Pageant of the Masters. No matter how many times I see this show, I am completely amazed at the artistic vision to take live models and seamlessly incorporate them into masterpiece renditions.

Another long anticipated venue was the latest Cirque du Soleil to hit the area. The tickets were purchased more than a year in advance, but it was worth seeing! Next January is Michael Jackson’s Immortal Tour. I hope tickets are still available!

Work has taken over much of my life, and the physicalness of my job (not to mention my advanced years!) leaves me little energy for much else. I guess I should be thankful that business is steady, but Calgon is no longer able to take me away! I did muster up the strength to attend a photography class at the local college. Learning how to enhance my photos with software was it’s purpose. Hopefully by Spring, I’ll be able to get back out there and put all my new-found knowledge to work making my art.

In October, I took an extended vacation to travel around the United States in my car! The intent of traveling in October was to attend my high school reunion. It was an extraordinary journey that came to being as a minor protest against airlines and their “charge for everything” idiocy. There is something to be said for non violent protests, as the trip not only got me back in touch with Mother Nature, but back in touch with many of my childhood friends.

The weather cooperated too, for in a 25 day trip, my convertible’s top was up for only 2 HOURS! I was able to see the astonishing colors and sites of Bryce Canyon, fall foliage across the nation, and gorgeous vistas in the Rocky, Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Smokey Mountain Ranges.

The best part of the journey, though, was the time spent with family and friends, all across the nation. The generosity of spirit of the friends I hadn’t seen in 10-30 years who opened their homes to me, putting me up, feeding me and sharing advice on other sites to see was immense. A special thank you to Bryan and Tracy, Cher, Doug and Sue, Joann and Charles, and Lisa. And a sad farewell to Mike. Time has gone by but the joyful memories linger.

Spending time reminiscing with high school friends, relishing the memories of youthful play reinforced my belief in a charmed upbringing. Being home during my birthday month also meant being home to celebrate with my family. Morning kisses from my nephews, Sister’s apple crisp on the stove, Mom, pleased with her technology upgrades and a dinner or two to celebrate the start of another birth year all part of my cherished memories.

I hope this note finds you happy, healthy and looking forward to a year filled with the same.

And I hope your New Year’s Resolutions are as simple as mine, because you’re all perfect just the way you are!

Last Chance to Earn 1.25% APY on a 3-month, FDIC-insured CD
On new deposits of $25K or more by 11/8/10.

This was the latest offer by my online stock trading company. By my calculations, investing $25,000 with their CD would get me $25,078 after 3 months; $25,315 after 12. I can earn that by not going to Starbucks for two months.

Without tying up 25 k.

It’s probably an invasion of a million different laws for them to actually look at my stock portfolio before sending me such a ridiculous offer, but a small peek should tell them that $25,000 invested my way for one year would have grown to $42,500.

That’s right, my average annual return is 65%. Since I’ve started investing? 99.13% return on my investment. I can buy a Starbucks franchise!

If I only drank coffee…

Since my last check in, I’ve sold Ameristar Casino, Healthways Inc, HRPT Property Trust and Vasco Data Security, under-performers all. Then used the money to buy up more shares of Activision, DreamWorks Animation, Rosetta Stone, Discovery Communications and…STARBUCKS!

Netflix has consistently been my top earner, holding the largest ROI spot all year, jumping 262 points in the past 6 months to sit at 571% ROI.

My biggest loser? FUN (Cedar Fair). Not to worry though! As long as my returns are up I’ll be having Fun!

Stocks 2010

Last semester was the  black and white film class. I did eventually remember how to load the film, change the batteries,  locate all the dials…oh, and actually take pictures. The class was okay and I learned how to better use my camera’s features, but the most important thing I learned was that I despise film cameras. The class was a pre-requisite to any of the other photography classes offered at the college so I had to take it to move on. I got an A in the class and an A in the lab, but I cheated as much as possible. Mainly by taking my film to professional development company. I even decided to skip one assignment, as it involved buying a toy camera and the film to accompany it and I was over spending money for something I despised.  Fortunately, the last few assignments could be done on a digital camera and printed with the school’s digital printers.

I did relearn several of the features of my camera that I had forgotten about and therefore improved my photography. The hardest part of the class was dealing with my classmates. I do believe several of them enrolled in the class as part of the work release program from prison. Seriously!

I’m already into my second semester of photography. This is the semester where we learn how to use Photoshop to enhance our digital photos.  As we learn each new tool,  it has become more and more fascinating to see what can be done to enhance digital photos. Photoshop is so complex that I think that each menu could be taught in its own semester. The Help pdf is over 700 pages.

This class had a slow start, as there were more than 30 students in the class.  Critiquing photos became a nightmare.  Six hour classes turned into five-hour critique classes with an hour for lunch.  I think it was about the fourth week (so 24 hours into the semester) when we finally learned a software package.  I like the instructor though. He’s organized and uses technology as it should be used. The syllabus and homework assignments were all posted online and he had us all open a flickr account to post our assignments. (mine is www.flickr.com/photos/mikki_popovich. It’s hard to tell the befores and the afters on some of the assignments though.)

As with the last semester, the hardest part for me again are my classmates.  There are no criminal types, fortunately, but there are a few misfits.  The first being “The Licker”. This man is obviously a smoker, because he smells like cigarette smoke and breath mints.  I think from years of cigarette smoking he burned out his salivary glands, and therefore spends the entire class trying to water his mouth by licking. The sound is similar to your pet grooming themselves while you’re trying to watch TV.

The second misfit is “the know it all”.  She is always interrupting to impart all her knowledge, experience and wisdom.  Often times, she knows more than the teacher, or so she thinks.  Her favorite lines are “I was just going to say that”, and “I was just thinking that.” One time she did not upload the assignment until after the teacher had already critiqued everyone else’s photos.  When it was her turn to be critiqued, amazingly, all of the  teacher’s corrections were already incorporated into her work.

The last annoyance is the one I refer to as “the dinosaur”.  This is a woman who decided to take a digital photography class without knowing a thing about computers.  And I mean not a thing. She does not know what software is,  she does not know what a hard drive is.  She does not understand what a flash drive is.  She does not know what menus are nor does she know what icons are. How does somebody sign up for digital photography class and not even understand what “digital” is? You have to have some inkling of computer software just to get the photos off your camera! The teacher had to tell her he could no longer tutor her in computer technology.  She would have to find her computer knowledge elsewhere. She’s dropped the class.

It’s not hard to understand why, when the teacher asked the class if anyone was interested in shooting people, I raised my hand. I soon realized he meant shoot them with a camera.

Round about the fourth week, we went from 30 students to 15.  Now we have six.  This is fine with me because the class moves along rather quickly and leaves more time for open lab. I am very excited about using Photoshop and have ordered the newest version along with an instruction manual.  I also found that Costco can print photos at professional levels, as long as you download their print profiles into Photoshop. But just in case, I bought myself a used printer on craigslist.

For the summer semester, there is only one class offered for photography and it is a class I have already taken. Hopefully California’s budget crisis will not affect the school system and there will be more classes offered in the fall semester.

(this post was dictated using Nuance software)