Fond Farewell to the Wizard

Yesterday we lost our 6-month-old kitten, Ozzie. We had lived with him for about 4 months.

He had developed ascites, fluid in his belly, about 3 weeks ago. After reading about the causes of this condition online, none of which are treatable, and not being absolutely certain it was not just fat (he was still eating like a horse), I decided to live in denial until he showed other signs of illness.

Those came about this week. Wednesday evening he had trouble jumping up on the sofa, and I vowed to take him into the vet the next day. Unfortunately, he was minimally responsive the next morning. I rushed him to the Animal ER where feline infectious peritonitis , an incurable condition, was diagnosed.

Within an hour he died via euthanasia while I stroked his head and whispered about what a good cat he was.

Between this event, a visiting professor, and my people patients, my time online to blog has been a bit limited.

Goodbye, Ozzie. We didn’t have you long, but we loved you bunches.

Use Me

I get a daily mailing from Pink, a web-site (formerly a print magazine) dedicated to women in business. One daily email included the following on shameless promotion via bloggers (excerpt below):

February 17, 2010
Get Blogged About

“Social media and blogs are just as important as traditional media outlets now,” says Amy Binder, president of the $12 million PR firm, RF|Binder Partners. “Some companies don’t want to talk to bloggers, they are afraid of what they’ll say. But they’ll say it anyway, even if they don’t talk to you. That world exists and you can’t ignore it. There’s not one company out there that can afford to ignore online media.”

Bloggers can be your best advocates, says Binder, not only in boosting your branding but protecting your business. Her best tip? Read blogs. “You need to know who is most influential, and who is most substantial. And bloggers take it personally if you pitch them and you’ve never read them.”

So how do you get bloggers to write about you?

WebMarketCentral.com, ModishBlog.com, InformationWeek, BuildaBetterBlog.com and Understanding Marketing suggest strategies like pitching to their niche and becoming a user before you pitch.

Which bloggers are best to pitch in your industry? Check out Technorati for the most commented blogs and Quantcast for most viewed.

The influence of a blog is assessed by page views and comment numbers. A thriving blog brings in readers who care and want to discuss the content. In the excerpt, they are called “users” rather than “readers” because of the interactive nature of the blogosphere.

I write these posts for me. Writing helps me think, and it gives me an outlet for anger, humor, and awe. I put it out here on the web because I hope it will make someone else think as well. I also hope my users feel free to comment, even if they want to tell me I’m an idiot! And if they want to do that peudonymously or anonymously, so be it!

This week I have finally gotten analytics into my blog. I will now be able to see how many people are looking at my stuff, among other wonderful, googley things. I hope I can make this blog better for me and for my users. Oh, it will remain a collection of whatever catches my fancy, but I will know more. And for a researcher, data rules!

Another Lame-Ass E-Card Post

OK, I was out-of-town last weekend and picked up the clinical service Monday morning. I wanted to have some easy posts ready, especially given the festive start to the week: Valentine’s day, Presidents’ day, and Mardis Gras.

I promise this will be the last someecards post for awhile (“When you care enough to click send”). I couldn’t resist this one. Someone once told me that you know you are old when you realize no one would pay to see you naked.

I’m so there. Gravity is a persistent and aggressive foe.

Today It’s Good To Be Fat

Mardis Gras = Fat Tuesday.

Party today because tomorrow starts that fast in the wilderness.

Let the good times roll.

Sentimental Holiday Greetings

Happy VD, Everyone!

Note: that line was much funnier when they were called venereal diseases instead of sexually transmitted infections.

Ah, the good old days!

Two Opposing Forces On A Road Trip

We are in the Twin Cities so my son can see the University of Minnesota. He wants to study engineering, and he (finally) narrowed his list to about 10 campuses.

After living in Minneapolis many years ago, I am interested in seeing the campus. The boys have consented to having me along for this first college visit.

I am needed to referee, I am sure.

See, my husband is interested in things like the buildings, the library, and the academic programs:

My son also wants to ascertain the level of shenanigans and collegiate fun (which hubby considers unimportant):

It may be a long weekend in our car…

More Thoughts From The Movies

The Gift

I always try to tell my kids something they can easily purchase for me when a gift is necessary. This past Christmas I suggested the DVD of Julie & Julia, a movie I never got to the theater to see.

On Christmas morning I found out both of my offspring had wrapped this one for me. My son described his sojourn to get that which his mother wanted. He traipsed from store to store, and had to “shove” a rather large woman to get the last copy at Best Buy. My daughter had just picked it up at Target where “they had, like, a million copies.”

Needless to say, I kept the one from my son.

The Movie

Reviews of the film raved about the Julia portions, especially Meryl Streep’s performance (big surprise there), but found the Julie segments wanting. I would agree that the story of Julia Child and her book for us “servantless Americans” soared, but the depiction of Julie Powell cooking and blogging her way through the tome also hit home for me (and who doesn’t love Amy Adams?).

Watching the movie got me thinking, because I used to cook. Not just throw stuff on the table, but plan real food prepared without a microwave. That stage of my life hit the yuppified 1980’s, so my culinary bible was not Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

The Book

On a shelf in the kitchen, where I keep the tattered cookbooks I use the most, sets an original copy of The Silver Palate Cookbook. A 25th anniversary edition is now available with color photos; my copy remains black and white, with line drawings and hospitality suggestions in the inner margins.

I remember coming home from work as a resident physician, telling my husband to eat some chips, and then conquering a wonderful, complex dish from its pages (after a much needed trip to some gourmet specialty shop). Cooking could be risky and creative, but no one ever died (unlike my day job).

I realized that with my youngest child 17 and ready to leave the nest, I could do some more recreational cooking again. I pulled my book off the shelf, and it fell open to Mediterranean chicken salad. This mixture of chicken breast, nicoise olives, tomatoes, and olive oil not only pleases the palate, but also provides a packable lunch and some of the best chicken stock you will ever use.

I am still exploring my cookbook again, often with Meryl/Julia playing in the background.

The Blog

If you are reading this blog, then you know that I am familiar with the world of Julie as well. This part of the movie did not get respect in reviews. My spouse cannot understand why I spend anytime online blogging (or tweeting, or anything else), and it seemed that many of the reviewers felt the same way.

During the film we also meet Julia’s pen-pal, Avis De Voto. Their first face-to-face meeting is depicted in the move, but Julia wrote volumes of letters to Avis before they actually met. Julia Child found a friend through written correspondence; how is that different from the friends I have found online?

Admittedly, many of my tweeps use pseudonyms, so I do not know their real-life identities. But how much does a real-life name matter when you need to bitch about your job or shout out a triumph? Not that much.

The Conclusion

I have watched this movie “several” times now, often while preparing some complex dish. I see the parallels not only between the movie’s characters, but also with events in my present, absolutely non-fictional life. And I blog about all of it here.

Bon Appetit!