Riba Rambles:
Musings of a Mental Magpie

Posted by Lis Riba at 4:12 PM

It must be spring.

This morning, Costco had various ornamental plants for sale, including strawberries, lilacs and rosebushes.

And then I let out a gasp when I saw they were selling Christopher Marlowe English roses.

Initially, Ian said no, because we're not terribly good gardeners, and we'll only kill it.

But I said that not only was that okay, but a dead Christopher Marlowe rosebush was actually rather fitting.

Besides, there was a small chance that it wouldn't die. Rather, it might mutate into a William Shakespeare rose, which are also quite lovely.

Unfortunately, Costco is selling rosebushes in bundles of two, and I was far less interested in the variety of roses they paired with Marlowe.

I tried quipping to Ian that, "Oh well, a rose by any other name still smells as sweet..." but he disagreed with that generalization, because different breeds of roses have quite different scents, raising questions about what Shakespeare knew (or didn't) about horticulture.

From there we digressed into Dorothy Parker ("You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.") and the conversation devolved into pure silliness.

I posted more pictures of the Christopher Marlowe English Rose last Valentine's Day.

Posted by Lis Riba at 3:58 PM

An obituary seen in this morning's Globe commemorates:

Abe Coleman, 101, a Polish-born professional wrestler promoted as the "Hebrew Hercules" and "Jewish Tarzan" and credited in the 1930s with popularizing the drop-kick move

Read the rest

Sounds like a fascinating guy...

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:04 AM

Hallelujah!

For all my friends who've been sporking 300 (or avoiding it in horror):

[Here's a link to the video for those who can't handle embedded video.]

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:58 PM

For a less cute look at Boopsie, Ian's posted the latest from the vet.

Right now, we've got a choice between:

1. treating her for the probable condition -- but if we're wrong, we've wasted time in getting her the right treatment, or
2. going thru lots of expensive tests to reveal a more accurate diagnosis.

We've left messages with the vet to find out if we take option (a) and that's not Boopsie's problem, how long would it take before we realize we're on the wrong track?

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:25 PM

Oh, meant to mention that I've updated my weblog template, to accomodate changes in "New" Blogger and in my commenting software.

While I was republishing the entire site anyway, I took the opportunity to fix a few broken links in older pages.

I didn't realize that Blogger would treat those edited pages as new for the purposes of the RSS feed. My apologies to those reading through LiveJournal or other aggregators.

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:00 PM

Ian's been teasing me a bit about my new cell phone.

I still don't like the telephone aspects of the device (too many years working tech support gave me an aversion to talking on the phone), but I'm quite delighted by the combination of digital camera, email, text messaging, and internet access...

I can now phone in blog entries from anywhere...

I suppose the ability to receive calls and being accessible to other people can just be considered a necessary evil for the other features I'm enjoying...

Posted by Lis Riba at 9:30 PM

Further photos from my phone:

Posted by Lis Riba at 9:35 PM

While flying to and from Florida, I flipped through the SkyMall catalog, and came upon a product whose concept was sound, though the context was lacking.

Signals sells "pre-spaced, pre-cut quotations" which can be applied to walls and "look as if an artist painted them on."

They offer six quotes, two from Shakespeare.

And though they're described as "meaningful words," I'll attest that the meanings behind the Shakespearean quotes aren't quite as they appear.

Sleep perchance to dream

Might make a nice decoration for the bedroom...

...until you look at the context and realize what kind of rest Hamlet was referring to:

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause

Well, it certainly gives me pause.

Reminds me of the old nursery rhyme, "If I die before I wake..."

The catalog offered one other Shakespeare quote, seemingly perfect for a kitchen or music room.

If music be the food of love... play on

Again, though, the continuation of the quote makes it a much less appetizing sentiment:

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

Um, yeah...

I didn't look too closely at the other quotes, but I hope anyone who puts up these decorations understands what they're saying. Do you think the creators were aware? Maybe this is their way of mocking the pretentions of their customers...

Posted by Lis Riba at 9:09 PM

Another occurrence this week: I have joined the ranks of the cellphonically equipped.

My phone is actually off my parents' plan, which feels somewhat awkward, but since they have several-thousand unused minutes per month, it's effectively free and much more convenient for them.

This also means it has a Florida area code, but it's in the Cingular network, which makes calling free from any other Cingular cell phone.

For fellow New Englanders who don't have free dialing, you can always call my phone just long enough that I get your number and then I can call you back.

No, I'm not going to blog my number. I don't want to open myself up to spammers telemarketers. If you want me to know your number, drop me an email or leave me a comment with it. Can't guarantee I'll call you -- five years of tech support have given me an aversion to phones which I still haven't overcome, though I need the convenience of the cell.

Meanwhile, I've been playing around with converting MP3s into ringtones, trying to find something that sounds right. Right now, my ringtone is based on the Buckaroo Banzai theme, but I don't quite care for it. I've been trying to find good copies of "Journey of the Sorcerer" or the Doctor Who theme...

Posted by Lis Riba at 7:56 AM

Gentle Readers,

We have a minor dilemma, and I am in need of your assistance with a matter of etiquette.

My mother wishes to gift us with some monogrammed linens.

However, Ian and I didn't change our names upon marriage nor hyphenate. In fact, we have precisely no initials in common.

My mother is pressing me for an answer, and we haven't the foggiest clue how to combine our initials into something relatively esthetic.

If we just combine the initials of our surnames: O & R, it merely looks indecisive.

Adding in our first initials, IO and either ER or LR gets busy and often looks word-like (and incomprehensible).

What's a modern couple to do?

Any suggestions?

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:35 PM

Of course, the greatest downside of this trip was returning to increasing reminders of my elderly cat's mortality.

Excerpting a message from the friend watching over her, after a vet visit:

Boopsie's lost more weight. Two weeks ago, she weighed, I think [The vet] said, 6.3 pounds. Today she weighs 5.8 pounds.

I'll just interrupt to point out that there was a period when Boopsie was overweight and weighed nearly sixteen pounds. For a while, we kept her weight steady at about 12 pounds, and when she dropped to 9, that was considered the good healthy weight. For those who remember Persephone, the twisted black kitten who lived downstairs, that was a six pound cat. It seems unhealthily light for a cat as big as Boopsie...

But I digress.

[The vet] thinks the loss of appetite and weight are related to Boopsie's kidneys, but wants to be sure. If the problem is her kidneys, [the vet] said it's reaching the point where you need to decide whether you want to treat her kidney disease or not. "Treat her kidney disease" basically means start hydrating her subcutaneously. However, before her kidney disease can be treated, Boopsie needs a cardiac workup because she has a pronounced heart murmer. One of the risks of hydration therapy in cats with heart conditions is that you may accidentally overload the heart. This can result in congestive heart failure. So [the vet] says that the next step is to figure out just what is going on with Boopsie's heart, and that means an ultrasound exam.

I haven't seen Boopsie since we got back, but she's scheduled for an echocardiogram tomorrow, at which point Ian will pick her up.

Some further information in a later e-mail as test results came back:

The chemistry tests [the vet] did today came back looking good. In fact, the one that measures her kidney function has improved since the last time.
<snip>
  So, it's not Boopsie's kidneys that are making her sick. Nor does it sound like it's her thyroid. At this point, [the vet] doesn't know what it is. It could be a reaction to the methimazole*, but she won't know that until she gets the additional lab test results tomorrow. She does think it's a good idea to go ahead and get the cardiac ultrasound. In fact, she thinks that it may be a good idea to do an abdominal ultrasound as well. The reasoning is that if it's not her kidneys, and if the cardiac ultrasound doesn't provide an explanation, then it's got to be something else, and the next place to look is the abdomen.
<snip>
  For the moment, at least, I take this as good news. If her kidneys are doing better, then there's at least a chance that whatever is making her sick can be cured, rather than just treated.

There's nothing I can do from here or for now, but... well... I worry.

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:05 PM

I have returned.^† Back to the land of the bean and cod.

The reason behind my sudden trip to Florida was a happy one -- my brother and sister-in-law had a son, so my parents once again were hosting a bris.

And much to our surprise and delight, Ian and I are godparents to a second nephew.

The bris followed much the same ritual as the last one, and was conducted by the same mohel. Only difference is that this time I held the baby during the opening remarks, and Ian got the kid drunk.

For the record, here's the blessing we were asked to give:

GODPARENTS PRAYER

Eternal Gd, Ruling Spirit of the Universe, as we present our Godchild, Jacob to be entered into the Covenant of Abraham, we pray:
May Jacob live a Jewish life and grow as a true son of Israel.
May Jacob's life be filled with joy and happiness.
May Jacob's life be filled with warmth and love.
May Jacob's life be filled with the joy of his Jewish Heritage.
May Jacob's life be filled with health of body and spirit.
May Jacob's life be filled with wisdom and insight.
May Jacob's life be filled with laughter and humor.
May Jacob's life be filled with the knowledge that he is precious to his extended family, and to all who respect and cherish his parents

Amen. 

Later during our visit, Ian tried to teach our first godchild, Nate (now three years old) how to say "It's Jake's fault,"* I say we're well on our way to having quite the influence on the kids.

^† Or will have, by the time I've posted this entry; I'm writing it on the plane home.

^* First of all, I stopped Ian before Nate caught on. But more adorably, Nate was heard several times referring to Jake as "my baby" -- which bodes well, at least initially, for sibling relations.

Posted by Lis Riba at 9:42 AM

I've unplugged the cable from my mother's machine to log in while I can.

My hours in the airport and on the flight were by no means a total loss.

I finished, not one, but two books:

• Patenting the sun: polio and the Salk vaccine by Jane S. Smith, which I bought ages ago, and never had the block of time needed to finish, and
• As the Romans do: the delights, dramas, and daily diversions of life in the Eternal City by Alan Epstein, a paeon to Rome by an American who moved to the Italian city

I hope to make Ian read the latter, because -- like an earlier book we shared, Phil Doran's The Reluctant Tuscan -- it does a remarkable job at conveying a love for Italy and explaining the appeal.

The As the Romans Do website includes the author's recommendations for local venues, and he actually conducts private tours. I will probably email him for some suggestions regarding Jewish sites in and around the city.

Currently, I'm reading The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, about a 1858 event in the Papal states. A Catholic servant secretly baptized the young child in the Jewish family where she was working. When this was revealed, the Church took the child away to be raised Catholic -- a sadly common occurrence. The difference this time is it became an international cause celebre. I haven't finished the book, but it looks like this may directly pave the way for the unification of Italy and the end of the Pope as a temporal ruler (turning him into the almost-purely spiritual ruler he is today, controlling no territory but Vatican City).

Fascinating.

However, I do sometimes wish my reading tastes lent itself more towards mass-market paperbacks, rather than the multiple weighty hardcovers I've been shlepping around...

My ability to be online is somewhat limited this week, so if anybody has written or read anything of particular interest, please forward me the links.

Posted by Lis Riba at 8:50 AM

I don't always read the daily comics, but two in today's paper that I think you readers will appreciate:

First, Pearls Before Swine, in which Stephen Patsis continues his public "rivalry" with Get Fuzzy.

More biting, was today's Lio: For Worser or Best, which takes on many of Lynn Johnson's plot developments that have readers of FBOFW so ticked off..

PS: In other recent comics, I quite appreciate Carol Lay's most recent WayLay for its look at modern librarians.