September 2006 – Page 8

Code Green

Chrys and I got back from Port Alberni yesterday. If you read my entry a few entries back you’d know that we had to make a hasty run to Port Alberni to visit my grandmother in the hospital. She has been in and out of the hospital for several months now as she has a very nasty disease known as COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is essentially a combination of chronis bronchitis and chronic emphysema that causes blockages in the airways and lungs. It’s not a friendly disease at all and it almost always results in death or causes death via lowering the immunity to things like Phnemonia.

My grandmother has smoked fo years and years and years and has had emphysema for years, so it’s no surprise she got this but it’s hard to deal with. I’ve had a really special relationship with my grandmother all my life and she’s been more of a mother to me that me real mother has, so it’s hard to see her slowly dieing.

When we got to the island she had been stuck in her bed for 14 days and had not got out of the bed at all during that time. The Dr’s found a blockage in her lung and were convinced it was a cancerous tumor (she’s had cancer 4 times already), her lung was collapses and highly infected with phnemonia, so things were not looking good at all. Luckily they determined the blockage wasn’t cancer, were able to blow it out of the airway and now her lung is slowly reinflating and she’s taking in anti-biotics to kill of the phnemonia and fluid built up in and around her lungs. She took her first walk the day we showed up, a bunch more walks the next day and thankfully was let out of the hospital the day after (Fri). Things are certainly getting better, she’s not out of the woods by any means or doing great, but she’s out of the hospital (which she despises) and home again, which is where she needs to be and needs to stay.

I can’t believe she made it through this one to be entirely honest, I thought she was going to be gone for sure. I’m really happy she got through it, but it’s hard to get to excited when you know in the back of your head the end is getting closer and closer and can come at anytime now.

I’m just happy I have her for a little longer.

Learn more about COPD @ lungusa.org

We’re Back

We’re back! Everything went surprisingly well and we have a new kitty at home.

I’ll update more later when I’m not tired and a football game isn’t on. 🙂

Family Emergency

My grandmother has been in very rough shape for the past few months now and has been in and out of the hospital many times. Well, she was readmitted to the hopsital again last week and it doesn’t sound like she’s going to pull out of this one. Chrys and I will be leaving for Port Alberni tomorrow stay with my grandpa and visit my grandma in the hospital so we can try and help out and make everything as good as possible.

I don’t like admitting to this, I love my grandmother a great deal, second only to Chrys, and I think this is going to be the last time I get to see her alive. It’s really hard to think about. We’ve been through and done so much together in our life. She’d been more a mother to me than my own mother and it’s going to be really hard letting her go, but at this point, I do realize it’s for the better. She’s suffering and has no quality of life, it’s hard to let her go, but it’s time.

Chrys and I will be at the island tomorrow until sat without any internet access, and I’m not sure if I’ll be up to blogging on or saturday, I’ll have to see how everything goes. I’m hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, basically.

I’ll see you all later this week.

Rock Star Supernova Update

Each contestant sang two shows during tonight’s show: 1 original and 1 cover song.

Dilana takes to the stage first and sings “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who

My Thoughts: Not very good, really. There isn’t a way other than the original way this song was done to sing it and it just doesn’t work. I didn’t care for it at all, to be honest.

Dilana sings “Supersoul” for her original piece.

She rocked the song out with a torn calf muscle (ouch!) and she threw a lot of effort into the song. Dave Navarro said she had good crowd interaction but didn’t dig the original at all. Tommy Lee really dug the original and Gilby Clarke said the lyrics were to literal and she needs to play with the vocals more.

My Thoughts: I though it was pretty good, very catchy song, could hear it on the radio, though not really a Supernova kind of song.

Magni sings “Back in the USSR” by The Beatles

My Thoughts: I didn’t like it, his voice didn’t fit the song and I just wasn’t digging it.

Magni sings an original song he translated from his native Icelandic called “When The Time Comes”.

Dave Navarro says the cover was killer and the original was great. Tommy Lee says he saw the same performance for both songs and Magni responded by saying thats because he sang both of them (ha!). Gilby Clarke agreed with tommy.

My Thoughts: Not a great song originally, but it’s totally one that could grown on you.

Storm sings “Suffragette City” by David Bowie

Dave joins Storm on stage and rocks out on guitar for the Bowie classic.

My Thoughts: Horrible outfit, horrible song, horrible vocals, HORRIBLE!

Storms original song is “What the Fuck is Lady Like”, though she has to call it and sing it as “What the WHAT is Lady Lake” to appears the censors.

Tommy rocks out during the song and says he loves the original. Dave thought being on stage was great and the original was his favorite original from both season of Rock Star. Gilby said he liked both songs as well.

My Thoughts: This song was awesome! This is Storm at her absolute best, she has not been better before in this show and I loved the song. I didn’t like that it was censored, though it still sounded good. Uncensored, this song would be fantastic and is massively catchy. I loved it, really blew me away.

Lukas attempts a odd arrangement of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi

My Thoughts: Um… interesting, to say the least. I’m so-so on this one, all I can say is that it was certainly different.

Lukas then performs his original work called “Headspin”

Dave dug it and everyone else didn’t really comment or didn’t have much to say.

My Thoughts: It sounded like every other emo band on the face of the earth. Completely un-original, repetative, no message, crap lyrics, boring. To sum up in one word: EMO!

Toby gives “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers as shot.

My Thoughts: Crap. Give up on killers stuff man, you don’t have the voice for it.

Toby belted out an original song called “Throw it Away”

He does his usual run through the crowd, pops up in front of Supernova, rocks out hard and Tommy plays with his butt (to funny!). Dave said the song was instantly memorable and by the time he hit the second verse the entire crowd new the song and was rocking out right along with him. Gilby said he always managed to put the fun back into Rock n Roll and his performance rocked.

My Thoughts: Good song, I dug it, quite catchy. I’m digging Toby more and more as the show progresses, I think he’s got a real shot at this.

That’s it for tonights show! Make sure to catch tomorrow’s show to see who gets eliminated!

Big Brother Update: Will Eliminated!!!

Mike Boggie holds the HOH power going into tonight episode.

The former houseguests that were recently booted out and enjoying the costal vista of the sequester house got kicked out of that house too and sent to the Jury house. Looks like the Sequester house was in the path of a tropical storm/potential hurricane, sucks to be them.

Marcells and Howie are screaming and yelling and bitching and whining and crying and hissing at eachother, as usual. Howie really is a friggin’ whiney moron.

Danielle joins the crew in the Jury House to everyone’s amazement and while chatting it up and drinking wine in the kitchen Chicken George sneaks in the back door. Jedi numb nuts Howie flys off the handle and goes batty on Chicken George, yelling and screaming at him, calling him a fat ass and various other infantile things. What an idiot. That was the first time I’ve seen chicken george some what mad, it was surprising, but totally justified.

Back to the Big Brother house we go.

Erika doesn’t trust chill town at all and has finally seemed to realized she is getting played big time and makes her move to end the crazyness.

Dr. Will and Janelle sleep in the same bed for the first time this season where Janelletells Dr. Will that she has a showmance with him. Fools.

Power of Veto Competition:

The houseguests have to dig through goo finding pictures of former houseguests and throwing them on a star shaped board next to questions related to those guests. There are lots of ways to put the pics on, but only one specific order is correct.

Guess who wins? Yup, Janelle wins the Power of Veto yet again! That girl rocks the competitions.

Janelle and Erika chat and Erika is quite obviously fighting for her life as she knows they’re all after her next. She makes a promise on her mothers name that she won’t take Mike Boogie to the final two, but will take Janelle instead. The girls chat and chat and discuss what Chill Town has told both of them and finally look to be ready to gang up on the boys. Yay! Finally.

Eviction Ceremony:

Janelle, naturally, pulls herself on the block and Mike Boogie is forced to utter words he had hoped never to have to utter, putting Dr. Will up on the block in her place.

Janelle casts her vote and bam! Dr Will Is ELIMINATED! Finally!

Final Head of Household Competition:

All 3 houseguests must stand on the side of a volcanoe holding onto a key as long as possible. Boogie does the dumbest thing possible and jumps off the volcanoe, saying the two girls can’t take eachother, one of them HAS to take him. Bold move buddy, that’s gonna bite you in the ass.

The kicker is, Janelle took her hand off the key when boogie jumped off to turn and watch him stomp off and she was eliminated. Erika is the winner of Part one of the elimination challenge and gets a buy through the second round. The second round will happen Thursday and will pit Janelle against Boogie.

Final Eviction is Thursday, Sept 7th, 2006. Then after that, it’s all down to the Big Brother All Stars Season Finale on Sept. 12th, 2006.

Stay Tuned…

Suri Cruise Pictures Released!

Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show their face. Today the first set of believable pictures of Suri Cruise were released and have been spreading through the blogging community like wild fire. These ones look to be the real thing as they even include Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in the pictures.

I’m actually really disappointed to see these pictures being released, I even have to admit that Suri Cruise is actually kind of cute, and not at all the monster-zombie-alien-brain-eating-scientology-slinging creature I had expected and hoped for. I wonder why Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes waited so long to released pics is she’s this cute. One this is for sure, Vanity Fair has got to be super pissed these got leaked before the magazine came out, so much for premiering the pictures before anyone else. Sounds kind of familiar, can you say Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt style screw up?

Anyways, check out the Suri Cruise Pictures over at popsugar.

Rock Star Supernova Song Selection

Tonight song selection episode was pretty neat and featured an all out food fight, pool party and Storm willing running around the pool and diving in topless, she didn’t even do it to get a certain song, just for the hell of it. Naturally, the guys loved it.

This episode also featured a song writing clinic hosted by the ony and only Gilby Clarke. All of the musicians listened to the music for a new Supernova song and were required to write their own lyrics to the song.

Gilby Clarke sat down with Magni, let him sing the lyrics and wasn’t impressed at all. He was very disappointed with Magni‘s effort and Magni didn’t even come up with a title for the song. Gilby dubed the song “Camoflauge”.

Lukas came into this thing fairly half assed, though the half of his ass that came into it was really good. He had only written the first verse and chorus, so he was missing the second verse and Gilby had to help him write it. Even though Gilby had to help him write the second verse, he really liked what Lukas had as a base.

Gilby loved Toby‘s version and said it he had a much needed “fresh, young approach” and that his song was the “most complete” so far. It was pretty good, I look forward to hearing it.

Dilana had another rough time with this one, she even admitted that she came into the show expecting to be a singer and not a writer and that her writing isn’t very strong. Gilby agreed whole heartedly and called what she had written “cliche” and “predictable”. Things have not been going good for Dilana over the last little while. I have to admit, I’m getting worried.

I flicked back to Rock Star Supernova just as Storm Large was finishing her session with Gilby, so I have no info on her. Sorry guys. 🙁

Supernova also makes the announcement that the singers will be doing a full set on tomorrow’s show and will have to come up with ways of entertaining the crowd between songs. They’ll be performing their usual song selections for sure, and may even each get a shot to perform their version of the Supernova song, I’m not entirely sure on that though. If that’s not the case, likely the best lyricist will get to perform their version with Supernova.

Song Selection:

Lukas will be singing “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi.
Storm will be singing “(Not Fucking) Lady Like” by Storm Large (an original).
Dilana will be singing “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who.

I unfortunately didn’t catch what Magni or Toby would be singing either, though I’m pretty sure it wasn’t mentioned. They were to busy trying to hype the fact that Lukas and Dilana were fighting over “Behind Blue Eyes” and Magni goating Lukas into taking the Bon Jovi song.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a recap of the regular show and to see who is eliminated from Rock Star Supernova next!

Kitty Equipt

We are ready to rock for captain kitty. We’re probably picking him up Wednesday during the day. The adoption centre is only open 12 – 3 of all stupid hours, so I have to take a half day at work to go pick up the kitty. We went out today and picked up the last few things we needed to get prepped.

Kitty Supplies:

Litter Box – CHECK
Litter – CHECK
Poop Scooper – CHECK
Liter Box Liners – CHECK
4 Bags of Senior Cat Food – CHECK (it was on sale for like, $2 and it’s usually $11)
Kitty Food Scoop – CHECK
Kitty Brush – CHECK
Food and Water Dish – CHECK
Cat Carrier – CHECK
Cat Collar – CHECK
Toys – CHECK
Scratching Post/Cat Tree – CHECK
Nature’s Miracle Cleaning Stuff – CHECK

I think that’s everything. If not, we’ve got all the basics and then some ready for him, now all we need is him. We’re still deciding on a name too. His name at the West Vancouver SPCA is Felix, which I like, but he doesn’t respond too. If we got a male cat I wanted to call it Napolean, but he doesn’t fit a Napolean. The one floating around chrys and I’s minds right now is Rube. She likes Higgins too, but I’m not a big fan of that. This is harder then naming a kid. We already have kids names picked out for whenever that day, years and years down the road, should come. 🙂

Um, so yeah, we’re all set for Mr. Kitty. I just hope he doesn’t freak out to much on the trip home. We have to bring him home on the bus cause we don’t have a car or drive, so it’s going to mean 30 mins or so of bussing hell for poor mr kitty. He should be okay once we get him home and he gets to sniff everything and get settled in. Everything is all setup and just waiting for him to be here, so hopefully all goes well.

Support the West Vancouver SPCA.
Support the Vancouver SPCA.