Welcome to that time of year when we take stock of our lives and what we want in the future. And I also think everyone thinks that whatever year is ending is good riddance and a horrible year, and come on New Year! Bring it on!! But this year had some doozies in it, which I'll talk about later.
For right now, I'm going to talk about me and my year. January brought about new changes, that I actually worked towards. At that time, I thought it was perfectly fine to just survive until the next concert. Take my medicine and survive. But this year, I changed my reality. Changing my sleeping around to actually being awake during the day to starting to swim when a YMCA opened in the county. Now I get up 3 days a week at 5:00 a.m. to be in the pool anytime between 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. - and I usually get out 2 1/2 - 3 hours later. I swim laps and attend a water exercise group. And I love it!!
For those of you who know me well, a year or two ago, 5:00 a.m. was when I would go to bed. I'd wake up a few hours later, stay awake for an hour, and then head off for a nap. I also would not leave the house if I could help it. Talking on the phone - calling businesses - was something else I refused.
I went so I would get out of the house and talk to other people. To drive there by myself, especially when I was so afraid. And I honestly thought that this would only act 2-3 days and I would quit. I have missed I have missed around seven days...swimmer's ear, tropical storms, and construction were the reasons. I have never stayed home simply because I didn't feel like going, and in fact, I have even gone when it was in the middle to high 30s out. The pool has a retractable roof but they are just only now close to finishing it. I really can't remember when I haven't blown something off, so this is a major change. Water also has a calming benefit, and indeed, it has become a bubble for me when I'm swimming laps before class begins. I shut out anything except the sound of the water moving around my body and moving. And I think exercising has definitely stabilized my moods more.
Losing weight is fun. I did before I started losing and now pictures and there was a noticeable change. But there's a catch, though. My clothes. Some pairs of shorts or pants I feel like a teenager who lets his pants droop halfway down their ass.
 |
| Late Summer 2016 |
 |
| Late Winter 2015 - That's Chopstick, a Chinese Alligator. |
One thing I didn't anticipate was the expense. Two suits wore out so I bought from a more expensive chlorine-resistant swimwear company. Then there is ear plugs, nose plugs, goggles, swim caps, beach towels, and a snorkel and mask. And the other stuff I need: Chlorine Remover shampoo, conditioner, soap, special swimmer's body lotion, coconut oil to put in my hair to help repel chlorine and a leave-leave in conditioner. And also, DryEars ear canal dryer and a mix of 50% alcohol and 50% white vinegar for my ears. Another expense is going through the numerous water bottles that I have murdered because I'm a klutz and drop everything.
And now for the "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." portion, at least for me personally. Though this happened in 2015, I resigned my position of Secretary of the herpetological society I belong too. I had not been there for months and the club deserved a present Secretary. My absences continued for most of this year. Only lately have I tried to put an effort into going to the meetings.
On July 4th, I went to give my 12-year old ball python water and found he had passed away. I was devastated. Ralphie was my first snake and I've had him since he was 4-months old. I didn't notice anything wrong with him and he was young in ball python years...they can live for over 40 years. I really miss him. He was a very sweet snake. No matter what I did - helping his shed, sticking him in water, taking off retained eye caps, he put up with it and I never heard a hiss out of him. On cool nights I would take him out of his tank and wrap him around my neck. He felt good, and he would stay around my neck because it was warm. When he moved in his little accordion manner, he was also giving me a massage. He also taught me that yes, he did know who his Momma was. At a vet visit, he was probed for a fecal sample. He didn't like it and was very pissed. When he was placed in his container, I was thinking of "He is a pissed off snake and he may bite me." it was "OMIGOD, WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY BABY." I reached in and comforted him. He didn't do anything, but the second the doctor came back in to finish her exam, his mouth flew open again. That's the only time I saw him mad.
I'm positive he has been welcomed by all of my furry and human family that have passed on and he's giving out a lot of neck massages.
Ralphie Gardner
November 5, 2003 -
July 4, 2016
 |
In November, I FINALLY found a supplement for reptiles that could be syringe fed, which was perfect for my bearded dragon Stewie. He never would eat something that didn't move, no matter how hard I tried, and though I could keep him on superworms, he wouldn't eat them all the time. He loved the stuff right off. In fact, he was so enthusiastic, he bit the tip of the feeding syringe off and swallowed it. He had done that before, and he passed it just fine. So I did what I had done before - warm water baths and mineral oil down the hatch. A couple of weeks went by and I thought that it must have passed and I didn't notice it. He was eating - and pooping - just fine. That is, until Thanksgiving weekend. On Wednesday morning I cleaned up what I thought was diarrhea, but looking back, it could've been vomit. On Thanksgiving, I fed and gave him a bath. I saw him straining but nothing would come out. When we got home, he had vomited again. The next day I planned on calling the vet, but they were closed for Thanksgiving weekend and there are no other vets that see reptiles in the county. So I didn't feed him anything and gave him baths all day long. He seemed okay considering the circumstances but when I woke up Saturday, he was gone. I think the syringe tip either was moving around and lodged somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract and/or it caused peritonitis. He was only five and again, I was heartbroken. However, I'm glad that I didn't make it to the vet because if he had had surgery he would've been in a lot of pain. Beardies essentially walk with their bellies touching the ground and the incision would've been there. Stew was also the second dragon that I had bought as an adult who didn't like vegetables, and who had died early. It was very painful. I'm sure he and Ralphie are keeping each other company.
Stewart Gardner
October 28, 2011 -
November 26, 2016
Later on that day, I managed to rally enough energy to go to the reptile group's meeting. The talk was going to be on sea turtles and I had a child to pick up. At the end of October, I decided that I was ready to get another ball python. I figured that I would just go to a store, even though I hated the idea of it. My friend John offered to look at the Repticon show in Tampa to see if he could find one. I wanted a baby, that was a boy (I'm always worried that if I had a female, she would get egg-bound. They produce eggs even if they haven't mated and they get stuck.) John found me the perfect little boy for me. He said that he had a kink in his tail and was a couple of months old. We planned to get together at the meeting (why I had to go, though I was pretty depressed.) John breeds reptiles, so he had room to house him for the two weeks. And during that time he ate, shed, and pooped.
The minute I saw him I was in love. That little kink in his tail turns out to be a cute little cinnamon roll (I call it a cinnabon) at the end of his tail. It's adorable! The only thing about it that I worry about is getting all of the shed skin off when he sheds. So his cinnabon bum requires a little more scrutiny. Not the slightest problem.
Ralphie had been named for the Earnhardt men. Dale Sr.'s father was Ralph, and actually, both Dales' first names are Ralph. I wanted to continue to use the Earnhardt name, so his name is Earnhardt. And I call him Earnie. The streak of NASCAR names for my reptiles carries on.
While I fell instantly in love with him, I can't say that he feels the same for me. At the meeting, the first time I held him, I thought he was a stinky snake. Actually, he decided to musk me. In defense, snakes can eject a vile white substance that stinks to high heaven. So I scrubbed my shirt and sprayed it with perfume so no one would faint when I was near. When I got him home, I weighed and measured him. The weighing was easy because he was in a little ball (the reason why they are called ball pythons.) The measuring was a little more difficult, as I had to stretch out that little ball. So he musked me again, but he also ate, which is unusual for ball pythons. They are timid and easily stressed enough to not eat. But not my boy. Now hopefully soon he will learn the docility that his species is known for.
It is generally believed that a kinked tail with snakes is genetic, and therefore people won't breed them. This seems to happen (along with other defects) with "designer" snakes. There are over 5,000 color and pattern morphs with just ball pythons alone. Each color or pattern change has occurred as a genetic mutation, and breeders will mate "morphs" in order to get a strong lineage with that gene in it. And they also inbreed. Earnie might be the product of a genetic mutation gone awry. And this will probably make no sense to you, but here goes. Earnie's mom was a normal, wild-type color. His father was a whole other ball game. He was what is called a "Calico Dragonfly." He is a combination of the following morphs: pastel, calico, fire, and pinstripe. I don't know much about morphs and genetics (except some are absolute stunners.) But I believe that if he had not been born with a kink in his tail he would've either have been over $100.00 or held back as a breeder. But as long as they kept him with that kink they were losing money for caring for him, therefore, the breeders either give them away or sell them extremely cheap. And he is beautiful. From what I can tell, his colors are more calico. Not that I care.
You can see his cinnabon bum more clearly down below on the far right side.
Not that I don't like morphs, like I said, most are real stunners, and if I had the money, I would be in trouble. And I also have a morph. My 12-year old Kenyan sand boa is anerythristic, meaning he can't produce the colors red or orange. It just so happens that normal colors for a Kenyan are black and orange.
Having decided that I just have rotten luck with bearded dragons, I decided to buy a lizard I have always wanted, a blue tongue skink. There was a guy that was a part of our reptile group that bred him but I didn't remember his name. I did some major researching on the computer and could only find wholesale reptile facilities that sold them, and did not treat the animals well. So I called up my friend Vicki and we went to the Orlando Repticon show, which is MUCH smaller than Tampa Repticon. In the whole building, there was one. A wild-caught male of unknown age. And that was the only blue tongue there. However, another member of our reptile group, Bill, had a table there and he gave me the name of the guy who bred them, and who usually has a table at the show but didn't this time. His name was Ray. I thought he was a small-time breeder, but actually, he has a huge breeding population. Blue-tongue skinks give live birth and "only" to 5-18 babies (average) a year. Whereas egg-laying lizards can lay a huge clutch, sometimes two or more times a season.
Anyway, I messaged Ray on Facebook, emailed him, called him, called him again and finally got a hold of him. I try not to be a pest, but Bill had told me that he would be at the Christmas party our club holds in conjunction with the Florida Turtle and Tortoise Club (Ray sells turtles and tortoises too!) and I was going to be there. So neither of us would be inconvenienced if he brought the skink to the party.
He had one Northern Blue-Tongue skink baby. And she had my name on her. I say "she" but really her sex is unknown. Ray thinks it's a she. However, blue tongue skinks are hard to sex, even as adults and sometimes requires an x-ray. I don't need to know the sex of an animal I'm not going to breed that badly.
And of course, I fell in love with her right away. She was 6-months old when I got her and was all hiss and vinegar. She even bit me that night...it didn't hurt, but still...it's the thought that counts.
I needed a NASCAR name. I wanted Burton, after Jeff and Ward Burton, but I was referring to her as a female. So, like I always am doing (researching that is,) I looked it up. Females are 1,240 times to be named Burton than males. I also wanted Burton for another reason. When John told me about Earnie, my friend mentioned that I should get another snake and name him "Burt" so I could have "Burt and Earnie." So now I really do have Burt and Earnie.
She is a character, this one. She is getting used to her home but hisses if I come too near it. Once she is out of her tank she is fine. She loves exploring. She has already shed...and it didn't look like she was until she started pushing her shed off. I was wondering why she was pushing, nudging, and rubbing so bad when I had her out and low and behold! I made sure her little feet and leg shed came off. Her legs are much smaller than her body and you have to be careful.
And, like Earnie, I feel guilty about her as well. I couldn't stand to look at Stewie's empty tank, so I got her within two weeks. So I feel that I didn't love him enough to honor him before "replacing" him.
Burt. Yes, she does actually have a blue tongue and stunning orange eyes.
And just so he doesn't feel left out of the reptiles, Here is Elliott, my 12-year old Kenyan sand boa. He isn't that big, only 17 inches...but he's a sweetie and very passive when I hold him. A very pretty limp noodle.
Elliott. He is an anerythristic, meaning he can't produce the colors red or orange.
I am so very honored to have my reptiles and to get the opportunity to see Burt and Earnie grow up. I'm keeping detailed notes on them, recording weight, length, what they had to eat, if they pooped, observations on their behavior. It will turn into baby books of a sort. And it's a smart thing to do so you can figure out any problems down the road. I never had one before on either Ralphie, Stewie, and Elliott. I knew when they ate if they pooped, and what they needed. Now Elliott has a book as well, for the middle-aged snake. I found out that he had grown 4 inches since the last time I measured him 10 years ago!! I am absolutely fascinated by them...recording silly things like seeing Earnie drink from his water bowl (I'd only seen Ralph do that a handful of times) or a particular time that Burt showed curiosity for and I just found adorable.
Our cats are fine - and healthy. I heard that the scientific community is trying to come up with a latin binomial name for Phinney that roughly translates into "beached whale" or (cannot see feet) or (I can't reach that itch.) The boy needs to be put on a diet but with three other cats, I'm not sure how it would work out. Ideally, just feed them canned food would be good, but Teige and Olivia will be ten next month, and Phinney and Simon nine the month after. They probably wouldn't go for it. So they're big, incredibly cuddly and soft spoiled brats. And they too, I look at with fascination. When they are sleeping together and are in the same position, or they stretch their front leg and it curls around their head. There isn't much that I can't find absolutely adorable.
The most annoying thing about 2016? The mystery of the missing iPod. I had it driving home from the Y, but beyond that it remains a mystery. We've searched in weird places, and will be searching them again. It made it home, that much I know. I'm ready to hire a hypnotist to help me find it. It's been MIA since June when I first started going to the YMCA and was coming home tired from exercising.
Now, let's get more generalized. The Election, and the shock, and the blaming...I have written about this before. Yes, Trump is everything people say about him and I'm not thrilled to have him in the White House, but that's what's going to happen and we have to accept that - unless, of course, he threatens the Constitution, overturns laws that have to do with discrimination and race, starts a war, etc. Then we protest and do whatever we can to stop him.
Democrats really need to stop blaming everyone else for the loss of the election and start to look at themselves - and own up to it. I'm a Democrat and I can clearly see what happened. If you are a Democrat and are in denial about any responsibility the Democratic Party - or Hillary Clinton's campaign might have to the massive ass-kicking we got this year, then you are acting very Trumpian. And I bet you have complained about that same character flaw in him. You know, how he's never wrong, never admits to a mistake and always finds someone else to blame for those mistakes? One word: hypocrite.
Yes, I look towards his presidency with trepidation. But I also have to have hope. I don't think people can live without that. And you know, I want him to succeed, as long as he isn't succeeding at the expense of this country and our freedoms. If he succeeds, it means our country is succeeding.
Before anyone is a political party member, they are an American. We need to stop acting like bickering children and unite under that fact.
This year was AWFUL for celebrity deaths, and quite a few affected me deeply. January and December seem to be the worse. In the first eight days of 2016, we lost David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Glen Frey. David Bowie (69) and Glen Frey (67) are music icons. Not were, ARE. They both blazed a path in the industry that will forever affect music today. I first saw Alan Rickman in "Prince of Thieves" and adored him as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise.
Antonin Scalia's death showed just how low Republicans would go to not allow President Obama a Supreme Court pick. Something I found unconscionable. Harper Lee wrote my favorite book, "To Kill a Mockingbird." A book that no child should go without reading. Nancy Reagan - I was happy that she moved from this world to one where she was reunited with the love of her life, President Ronald Reagan.
April brought a kick in the gut. Prince. PRINCE! I wrote a blog on his death and how it affected me (go check it out.) He was a major part of my childhood and so incredibly talented.
In May was Alan Young. He played Wilbur Post in "Mr. Ed." Having found the show on a channel the last couple of months, I have enjoyed a truly funny show that was just slapstick comedy with none of the technologies available today.
Muhammed Ali - I don't watch boxing, so I'll take it on faith that he was a great boxer. He stood by his convictions, to the detriment of his career. He stood by his religion. To this day I wonder how many Americans with Islamophobic leanings are his fans. Here is an article on him, because yes, his advocacy is that important to this country.
June 28th marked Buddy Ryan's death. He was the Defensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 1985 when they won the Super Bowl. That time is very clear in my childhood. It's my Grandpa teaching me about the game because it would be the "only time in your lifetime" that the Bears would go to the Super Bowl. My Aunt sitting at her kitchen table wearing a headband and sunglasses like Jim McMahon, the businesses that just shut down for that Sunday. My Step-Grandma talking about what a cute butt Walter Payton had, and Grandpa meandering to the kitchen where the women sat to watch the game because the men were boring.
November brought Leonard Cohen, Janet Reno, Florence Henderson, and Fidel Castro. Another musical icon, the first woman to serve as the U.S. Attorney General, the all-American Mom of the all-American family, and one revolutionary dictator who defied America and brutalized and murdered his people who outlasted ten American presidents.
Finally December. First was John Glenn, who was in the U.S. Navy and also a Marine who served in WWII and Korea, an aviator, engineer, astronaut who was with the Mercury Seven program and became one of the first to orbit the Earth three times and went up again in 1998 in Space Shuttle Discovery. After he retired from NASA and the military he also went on to serve as a Senator from Ohio.
Now the three doozies. On Christmas, George Michael was found in his bed, having apparently passed away from heart failure. Again, another major player in my childhood. He was genuinely humble and generous. Right now, charities and people he has helped are coming forward. While we were judging him for his sexual preferences, he was making a real difference in their lives. He didn't want credit, insisting on remaining anonymous. The music industry and the media can really be shitty. But he took the hits and shared the bounty.
Carrie Fisher passed away on the 27th. This one devastated me most of all, I think. And yes, I wrote a blog on it the day after. From what I've read, she was on life support from the time she was taken off the plane and the family made the decision to turn it off. I hope she didn't feel pain. In one of her books she said she wasn't afraid of death, but of dying. My thoughts went to Debbie Reynolds, her mother. I knew they were close and no one should lose their child. It broke my heart to hear that she suffered a stroke at her son's the day after Carrie passed away. I can't imagine what their family is going through, and they have my heart and prayers with them. I guess Debbie Reynolds couldn't face a life without her daughter and is with her now. There is going to be a joint funeral.
Continuing on, have you ever noticed that the news rarely reports positive stories? In fact, it's so bad that studies have shown that people actually believe things are worse than they really are. I commonly hear people say things are more violent than ever. No, actually, I don't think so. I think that we are exactly as violent as we were from the dawn of time. No more, no less. It's just now we have instantaneous news, that is often reported before confirmed, 24-hour news cycles, and perhaps the worst, social media. The big news is "fake news." Well, hasn't there always been fake news? It was called "propaganda." And yes, people have always fallen for it.
 |
| Don't let the door hit you on the way out! |
Is the Internet and social media causing people to become more violent or unduly influence them? No, I don't think so. There has to be something inside a person that predisposes that person to be violent. And there is often a lot of signs shown in childhood. I don't get off on watching violence and I don't look up websites that explain how to make a bomb. However, I'm always reading my email or checking Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Internet may help a person to see or get what they need to commit violence faster, but it won't stop them from committing a violent act. John Wilkes Booth made a very detailed plan to assassinate President Lincoln. It took awhile to get the plan together, his partners in crime and the perfect timing, but he did it. If his associates were more reliable, then Secretary of State William Seward and Vice-President Andrew Johnson would also have been killed. Adolph Hitler did not need Facebook to commit the Holocaust. And neither did the Allies need it to really know what was going on. We knew about the Holocaust almost from the time Hitler started killing innocent people.
SO, I specifically looked up things that were accomplished in 2016, because not everything was bad. We were just fooled to believe that.
2016 - Random Good Things - 2016
♥ CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES, BREAKING THEIR CURSE!! ♥
♥World Health Organization announced the eradication of the Measles in North, Central, and South America.
♥ Harriet Tubman will be on the $20.00 bill.
♥ Scientists announce that the hole in the ozone layer is beginning to heal.
♥ Slightly fewer deaths due to armed conflict. (Slightly is better than none or an increase.)
♥ Death due to the Boko Haram in Nigeria is 95% down due to the Nigerian forces retook territories.
♥ Emissions from carbon and other Greenhouse Gases has stalled for the third year in a row despite the quickening increase of economic growth.
♥ Connectivity in poor countries has increased, especially with smartphones.
♥ Population growth is slowing. The UN reported more women have access to contraceptives in undeveloped countries.
♥ Though it is too early to tell is homicide rates are down in the U.S., it can be said about El Salvador, which is the most murderous country in the world, is down 50%.
♥ Sri Lanka is now malaria-free.
♥ Death rates fell in developed countries from cancer.
♥ The giant panda has been taken off the Endangered Species List.
♥ The manatee has been taken off the Endangered Species List.
♥ For the first time in one hundred years, tiger populations are on the rise.
♥ An international agreement ended the legal trade of the pangolin.
♥ Experimental Ebola vaccine has been developed and testing shows 100% efficacy.
♥ Child mortality is down.
♥ Most species of humpback whales have substantially increased and are off the Endangered Species list.
And here's the link for a lot of these. I'm tired of typing!!
And finally, as the clock moves closer to the end of another new year, and I realize I better get this published before midnight, I want to wish each and every person reading this a blessed New Year, filled with hope, love, laughter, faith, beauty, and bliss.
No comments:
Post a Comment