nerdygirl's New Writeups

Mitral valve prolapse (thing)

2003-01-29T06:33:37Z

While it is true that there are generally no restrictions on activity or diet, there are plenty of things a person with MVP can do to reduce and possibly eliminate symptoms.

The most common symptom, or at least the most recognizable one, is the "fluttery heartbeat" sensation, which is caused by Premature Ventricular Contractions, or PVCs. Some things that have been linked to this are: stress, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, carbohydrates, and lack of sleep. By cutting down on these things, or cutting them out altogether, the PVCs can sometimes be controled. If this doesn't work, beta blockers may be prescribed to help regulate heartbeats.

Also, people who have been diagnosed with MVP occasionally complain of dehydration, and have said that loading up on fluids has helped to reduce or eliminate symptoms.

An echocardiogram may be used to diagnose MVP. This is done with the same machines that are used for ultrasounds so that expectant mothers can see…

Salmon-tot kebabs (thing)

2003-01-11T20:14:47Z

When I was invited to participate in a friendly Iron Chef competition, I was excited. The e-mail invited us to also submit a suggestionf for the secret ingredient; I had but one thought: tater tots. The secret ingredient should be tater tots.

Sadly, they chose salmon. It then became my goal to combine salmon and tater tots in the same dish, which actually worked out rather well. I brainstormed with a former co-worker of mine, and came up with the perfect plan.

We decided to be Team Alabama (the new soverign country of Alabama) and make tater tot and salmon skewers, also known as Salmon-Tot Kebabs.

I was a little daunted when we showed up (late) because everybody else really went all out and had two or three dishes and a wine or beer to serve with their courses. We had salmon and tater tot sish kebabs and PBR. We put little Alabama state flags on the end of the skewers, though, so at least they looked festive.

We lost the iron…

Dream Log: January 5, 2003 (thing)

2003-01-09T02:26:05Z

Stockard Channing was in my house, talking on the phone. I was beginning to regret letting her stay at my house -- she was rude and seemed to think she was doing me a favor just by being here. I was going out of town, though, and there was no way to get out of it.

Then, I noticed that the door that leads from the kitchen to the garage was open, and the garage door was wide open, as well. This meant that she'd let my cat out, and I got really pissed off.

I went out and found my cat, and brought him back inside.

"You can't let my cat out," I tried telling her. "He can't go outside." She just rolled her eyes at me and gestured that that she was on the phone and shouldn't be interrupted.

It was getting close to the time I would have to leave, and Stockard Channing was going to let my cat out. This worried me, and I kept wishing she would just leave.

What's Up, Tiger Lily? (thing)

2002-07-19T16:37:14Z

What's Up, Tiger Lily? was Woody Allen's directorial debut. For this movie, he purchased a Japanese spy film and removed the sound track entirely. He then dubbed it over with a script of his own. In this new script, the "plot" most certainly has nothing to do with the original. (Think MST3K.)

The original film was called Kagi No Kag, which translates to Key of Keys. I can only guess at the original plot line; it was certainly something more along the lines of a James Bond film than what Allen turned it into: a bunch of gangsters fighting for possession of an egg salad recipe.

If you watch this movie, bear in mind that "plot" is in quotes. The idea behind the movie is far more brilliant and giggle-worthy than the reality turned out to be (in my humble opinion). On the other hand, I think it's definitely worth watching (if you have beer and don't hate Woody Allen). There are a few jokes that still strike me as funny,…

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader (thing)

2002-06-30T20:33:51Z

Ex Libris is a wonderful collection of essays by Anne Fadiman. The essays all spring forth from Fadiman's absolute love for books, and it's hard not to catch her excitement. She describes her best birthday present: fourteen pounds of books from a used book store. She tells us of the huge commitment she and her husband made after five years of marriage: marrying libraries. This involved merging all the books from their separate book cases into one combined library.

Perhaps my favorite essay out of this collection is the one titled Inset a Carrot. The subject of this essay is proofreading, and I completely related to the Fadiman family's compulsiveness in this area. "Me too!" I excitedly scrawled on the margin, as Fadiman described her family proofreading menus in a restaurant. "Oh, I know," I groaned inwardly as she told of her brother's dissatisfaction with a technical book he was reading -- they're the worst for typos.

Fadiman has a…