The Besttechie Cafe'

[thesidekickcat]

Hi folks,

Repeat today of last month's record temperatures. 104 here. More to come tomorrow. Ugg!!!

Mac, I hope you are feeling better! Did you break out in hives or have swallowing or breathing problems? Or if it was intestinal upset, perhaps it was food poisoning of some kind, so many things can go wrong with food, and in summer time especially spoilage can be a factor in many cases.

If it is a food allergy I hope that you find out what it is quickly before you have the same thing again and it affects you worse! They can be very dangerous!!! It wasn't the shrimp itself was it? Shellfish allergies can be deadly, like peanuts...in fact if it was at a oriental restaurant it could have had a peanut sauce too? Have you or folks or someone contacted restaurant to see what was in the food you had?

Now were you just slipping into your post about the girlfriend part waiting to see if we would notice? I noticed!!! Details please? Is it the gal you liked that was with your friend? Or??? Inquiring minds want details...all right...snoopy minds want to know!!!

Yikes everyone is having weather problems around the country!!! Stay cool and stay safe folks!!!

Pat

God bless everyone

[bozodog]

Mac, Mac, Mac. Come'on now..... spill it. What's with the bare mention of a girlfriend and *poof* you're gone again?

[TheTerrorist_75]

I need a mug of strong coffee. Maybe several. I am beat and burned. Laying up a 5' x 140' stone retaining wall the last three HOT days has taken a toll. No shade or breeze where the wall is going up. I am waiting to see how bad the rain storm approaching will be. Looks like flood warnings in the area I was planning on starting another wall today.

Mac has a new chick?! What's the scoop there pal?

[macmarauder]

i don't know what's wrong with my throat yet but i've got and appointment at the doctors this morning. basically my throat swelled up and got really soar. especially the very back where my nose connects and it hurts alot to swallow. there's alot of flem and it burns when i drink anythinng and forget about eating solid food. it's been like this since monday.

yes remember way back when i said that i was trying to date a girl and we tried to meet at the movies but she didn't show up. well she got stuck behind a traffic accident on the way there and she took me out mini golfing a couple weeks later and we've been dating ever since. she has alot of the same problems and issues as me and came from a similar background. i've nvever actually dated another geek/nerd, all my previous attempts were with women that were wanta be blonds. things have been going really well with her and we talk a ton, and we've gotten comfortable enough with each other that we tell each other anything. for some odd reason i don't get nearly as nervous around her as i do with other women. and she says the same about me. she says that i put out a different vibe than anyone else she's ever met. so this time i've decided that i'm not going to try and be what i think she wants and just be myself and if she can't like me for that then she's not for me. so that's what i've been doing and for some crazy reason that hasn't scared her off like other women yet. she actually likes alot of the eccentric goofy stuff that i do. she loves my puttering and building crazy things. when i have conversations with most other people and i talk about things i'm doing or have done i have to explain everything and most of the time i don't with her. she's a major computer geek and gamer and she took advanced physics in school, which truns me on for some reason btw. ohhh and she's half Turkish but doesn't look it at all and her name is Fatma.

yeah the weather has been crazy over here. it wants to storm almost every day and you can't tell which days it actually will.

[TheTerrorist_75]

Good find mac. Hope it works out very well.

[hitest]

Hey mac,

That sounds great, my friend:-) Your new lady sounds like a perfect match for you.

Fantastic news!!

your buddy,

hitest

[thesidekickcat]

Mac, I hope the Dr finds out what's wrong and treats it right. Doesn't really sound like any of the bad allergy attacks I've had though. Strep throat? Mumps? Sinus Infection? Let us know what it is Mac. As you may have guessed, I am praying for you to get well fast.

Your girlfriend sounds like a good match for you. Yep, just being yourself is the best thing to do in both the short term and especially long term. Trying to be something you aren't is way to stressful on yourself and the relationship, plus phonyness is a big turnoff for most people.

TT, sounds like you really nead to have weekend break from all that hard stone work. Give your muscles time to recuperate. I hope the rains don't cause any major trouble. Good grief so much rain this summer for the NE.

As for our weather, it's a bit cooler but muggy with a few sprinkles so far here today. 104 record high yesterday, and probably 76 or 77 for a record highest low temp. Was 108 at Hillsboro airport, hubby works at one of the Intel campuses over there.

Pat

God bless everyone

Edited July 22, 2006 by thesidekickcat

[robroy]

Glad to hear some things a finally going good for you. I hope the sore throat is something minor

[blim]

*happy dance happy dance happy dance for Macmarauder, happy dance for Macmarauder* I'm so glad that you and Fatma finally got together! I remember you mentioning her and she sounds like a keeper. My bet with the sore throat is post nasal drip. It hurts the back of the throat and can cause swelling.

Finally got "caught up" today on vacumming/freezer cleaning/laundry from the aftermath of our "Michigan Hurricane" and the 4 day power outage. Even managed to do some gardening! Helped the next door neighbor put her flowerbed back together after 3 huge walnut branches fell on it. Then the counseling, "the flowers WILL come back! In two weeks, you'll never know the 'hurricane' happened" Poor thing was in tears the night of the storm. I'm so proud of her--she bought a house with a beautiful but 3 year neglected back yard and she's worked her head off bringing it back to it's former glory, and she's never gardened. She has a sixth sense, though!

Liz

[macmarauder]

well the Doctor couldn't figure out what it was. i went to a clinic that my mother belongs to and signed up so it was a cheap visit and the people were very nice but it seams not as good as a real hospital. anyways they did a bunch of tests to check for the usual stuff, strep throat, mono, and what ever but none came up possitive. so they couldn't figure it. basically they just sent me home with a perscription for some generic medicine. which does seem to be helping btw. but it feels wierd taking pills again. 1 of the few advantages of being the physical freak that i am is that i'm usually really good at healing on my own and not getting sick in the first place. ohh and i'm not much of a bleeder at all. they pricked my finger to take a blood sample and wanted to suck it up with a tiny eye dropper thing but with only a pin prick i didn't bleed enough to get the size sample they wanted so it took them 3 trys. ahhhh well at least i'm finally starting to feel better and i can at least gulp soft liiquids again.

i'm probably loosing wieght from not having any solid food and little to drink but water, well i'll just have to work extra hard when i'm better to gain it all back.

FOOOOOOD

ohh i'm got the munchies right now. mmmm is that chocolate fudge cake your eating there?

yeah it's been very wierd for the both of us, this relationship has been so abnormal. there's just so many similarities and we fit so well together and we can talk for so increbibly long. so far we have yet to have a date that hasn't lasted less than 10 hours and sometimes we're just content to ly down and hold each other. so even though we've only been dating for about 2 1/2 months it feels much longer and some how we keep finding new stuff to talk about still. no rush for anything, we're just enjoying being around each other. anyways thanks for being so happy for me guys. thanks blim for the super happy dancing.

(happy dances with blim for a bit)

we've decided to throw out the so called rule book and just listen to ourselves cause niether of us are normal and don't follow the rules of the normal world anyways. the funny things is that i had completely given up on that and out of no wheres this happens. but i guess that's the way it happens.

[macmarauder]

*macmarauder randomly happy dances

well my throat is better now, i can actually swallow and even eat some food. what a concept, so crazy that it just might work.

*macmarauder grabs a big mac and scarffs it down

yeah it turns out that it was a throat/sinus infection.

*macmarauder chuggs a 2 liter bottle of cherry coke

it was soo bad that until the day before yesterday i couldn't even eat any solid food and llived off of milk and iced tea

*macmarauder rips open a bag of chips and shoves head into the bag with moth wide open

and for and for about 16 hours my throat swelled shut. i could barley breath but it healed and the antibiotics worked pretty good. slowy but they worked.

hold on for just a sec, i'll be right back.....

*macmarauder leaps accross the room and dives mouth first into a chocolate fudge cake

[bar5]

Hi Mac:

Glad to see you are feeling a lot better. You're almost back to your old self.

Oh no, batten down the hatches.

[thesidekickcat]

Sure am glad to hear you are doing better Mac!!!

Yep Barb, it sure does look like he's back to his normal wacky loveable antics....Yea!!!

Luv ya Mac!!! Hugs!!!

Pat

God bless everyone

Edited July 31, 2006 by thesidekickcat

[robroy]

welcome back to the real Macmarauder

[macmarauder]

ummmm i may have kinda got a little carried away there for a bit.

[rv56]

Sure glad you're doing better Mac.....good to see.

Ummm.....forgot to feed the mouse huh...

**rv munches on a chocolate chip cookie....hands Mac the cookie bag..."Dig in".

[JSKY]

Glad your doing better Mac. At least you aren't looking like your mouse.....I Hope!.....LOL

[robroy]

Ok, so what is happening here? Did everyone go on vacation without telling me? This place looks like it hasn't been used in weeks. Stale food everywhere and worst of all WHO DIDN"T TURN OUT THE COFFEE POT. It quit working now. so donations needed for a new coffee pot, I have $5 to start it off

[macmarauder]

*macmarauder walks in pushing a big floating box

hi robroy :0 , how you been?

*macmarauder leans on the big floating box and looks around

yeah i guess i let this place go a little bit

*macmarauder walks around picking up and while still talking.

i finished giving robo cheff his bimonthly tune-up this morning so we should be getting good food again. he started on breakfast before i left to pick up our new capachino & coffe machines. and the robot spiders were due for a recharge and should be done soon so they can help clean up in a bit.

*macmarauder plugs in the coffee machine and starts a pot.

i could use a hand installing the capachino machine if you got a few minutes. we might need a rocket scientist to understand these directions though.

*macmarauder puts down a plate of dog food with chunks of warm left over hotdogs in it next to the rocking chair for honey bunn

how is your wife doing robroy? has she been recovering well? what is everyone else up to?

i've been very bussy with a somewhat normal life. i fixed Pat and Sara's relationship and they're doing well. and i fixed things with my friends. and things with my girlfriend are great and i got a job 5 days ago. it's not much but it pays well and i don't hate it which is a big step up from the last 1. i've given up on trying to be a graphic artist until i go back and get that little piece of papper that says i know what i'm doing. it sucked too much to be told that i was good enough to get the job and even better than their regual guy but company policy won't let them hire someone who doesn't technically meet the job requirements of an arts degree. but that's ok, cause i think i'm going to save up and do what i've always wanted to do anyways. there's a pretty good film school in Aurora.

[hitest]

*macmarauder walks in pushing a big floating box

hi robroy :0 , how you been?

*macmarauder leans on the big floating box and looks around

yeah i guess i let this place go a little bit

*macmarauder walks around picking up and while still talking.

i finished giving robo cheff his bimonthly tune-up this morning so we should be getting good food again. he started on breakfast before i left to pick up our new capachino & coffe machines. and the robot spiders were due for a recharge and should be done soon so they can help clean up in a bit.

*macmarauder plugs in the coffee machine and starts a pot.

i could use a hand installing the capachino machine if you got a few minutes. we might need a rocket scientist to understand these directions though.

*macmarauder puts down a plate of dog food with chunks of warm left over hotdogs in it next to the rocking chair for honey bunn

how is your wife doing robroy? has she been recovering well? what is everyone else up to?

i've been very bussy with a somewhat normal life. i fixed Pat and Sara's relationship and they're doing well. and i fixed things with my friends. and things with my girlfriend are great and i got a job 5 days ago. it's not much but it pays well and i don't hate it which is a big step up from the last 1. i've given up on trying to be a graphic artist until i go back and get that little piece of papper that says i know what i'm doing. it sucked too much to be told that i was good enough to get the job and even better than their regual guy but company policy won't let them hire someone who doesn't technically meet the job requirements of an arts degree. but that's ok, cause i think i'm going to save up and do what i've always wanted to do anyways. there's a pretty good film school in Aurora.

Wow!!!!!!

Congratulations, my friend!! I'm so happy that things are going well with your friends and your lady friend! Wonderful news about the new job, man!!!!!

I'll give you a hand setting up the stuff mac.........now where did I put my phase modulator?

[bar5]

Hey Mac:

Glad to see your life is coming together with very happy results. Wish you the best in whatever you decide to do. Making up your mind what to do, sometimes is harder than actually doing it.

Now, get this place ready for the BT wacko's. Got any cold drinks here? Kinda hot today.

[bozodog]

Mmmmm, hot coffee and toast please. *scratches Hunybun a bit

Hey Mac, when did you find time to teach the robo-spiders to shine shoes? *nice job guys

[robroy]

ah expresso, haven't had a good cup in years heh

Wife is doing pretty good, she can do most of what she was doing before the heart attack but gets tired a lot.

Glad to hear things are going good for you Mac, its about time

well off to work I go

[TheTerrorist_75]

I have been very busy at work for the last month and a half. Some times I don't know if I'm coming or going. Today looks like a rain out. I just finished drawing up plans for two more jobs and figuring out the bids last night. I thought I was only going to help my ex-partner temporarily by designing and building this one major project and a smaller job, but it looks like I fell into a full time deal. So much for easing back into work. I don't believe there is one muscle in my body that isn't sore, but it feels great. My strength is returning and the weight is coming off fast. I may fall into another deal setting up pellet and coal burning stoves for the client I am doing the major project for, once the weather turns bad for outdoor construction.

I could go for some coffee and french toast, but I will have to wait until my bloodwork gets done a little later this morning.

Good deal mac!

[thesidekickcat]

Hi folks, long time no see!

I got a couple of coffee pots for my birthday (and a new sturdy three-step painters indoor step stool with large steps so I can see them clearly to keep me safe while watering hanging house plants!) so here's a new coffee pot to replace the nonworking one here, and a fresh pot of coffee is ready now, so pull up a chair folks while I tell you all what has been going on.

This has been a long hard summer, bookended with bad falls for both hubby and me.

I did the first one falling off a step stool the end of April, and hubby had to match me by falling off a ladder (attempting to take screen down on last outside window to wash) on Labor Day. Luckily he didn't break any bones, or rupture his spleen, or have a rib puncture his lung, or something damage his kidney etc by landing full brunt on his left side. Kaiser did plenty of x rays and a cat scan to make sure he was "only severely banged up" quoting the Urgent Care Dr. He was off work a week, and is still not fully recovered. I was finally feeling back to normal a couple of weeks before he fell, but while helping him in and out of bed etc my back is now hurting again. So we make a good pair trying to figure out who can do what around here. Ha!

As some of you know from reading my postings awhile back on G4, our beloved Siamese cat had to be put down Aug 7, the day after my BD. I have been so sad and depressed over it I couldn't even talk about it over here until now and even now I am crying as I write this in Wordpad this morning to post later.

We had tried all sorts of things to get her through her usual summer slump of not eating much etc, but even with round the clock feeding schedule, she just couldn't or wouldn't eat enough to keep her going. Also her seizure problem worsened and her joy of life went downhill along with her overall health. At the end she was very panicky over everything and/or nothing, and quality of her life was not good so broke down and made an appt at Vets for the Friday before my BD, but she gave us more time to say goodbye with a bounce back to almost normal for the weekend but the rally didn't last, so for her sake we had to take her in early Monday as she went downhill so fast. So hard to lose a beloved pet. We had her for 12 of her about 12 and half years, adopting her as a scared hungry injured stray roaming the neighborhood until she decided she wanted us as her folks (in spite of what our then 17 or 18 year old other Siamese wanted!). So now for the first time in way over 30 years we are without a cat, no dog either. Yet we don't want to get another cat for awhile yet but someday the right Siamese for us will show up somewhere sometime. So a very empty lonely house without our beloved little sidekickcat...yes she is the reason for my screen name as she felt she had to help/boss me when we first got this computer onwards... so hubby started teasing me about my sidekickcat helping me from 'her' chair next to mine and when I needed a screen name to sign up for TTV etc he said use the sidekickcat name and it seemed to work out just fine!!!

So along with recovering from falls (and other health problems), losing our beloved cat, doing lots of yard and house work, and taking care of garden and freezing fruit and putting up garden harvest, we have been busy. And the summer had so many days of high temperatures which were hard to bear for us and our cat, and lots of thunderstorms which still continue off and on though days and nights are now much cooler. Even had several days of smoke drifting over the mountains and down the Columbia River gorge from forest fires in Eastern Washington/Oregon so had to keep place closed up and have air conditioning on day and night in order for me to be able to breathe OK. So a hard summer all around. Finally getting back to normal weather for us with some rain recently, sure a welcome sight and sound!!!

So that's about all I can think of to report on for now. Sorry I haven't been around, finally figured out (after I got mad at a mod over something here) that I was just to upset and depressed to be on board anywhere for awhile. I tried but just kept getting more depressed so decided best thing was to take a break from computer until I could handle being in here without my beloved sidekick kitty being in here beside me.

I love y'all and have missed you folks.

Pat

God bless everyone