RyanOlshan.com: Personal

Work is hazardous to my health

Ryan Olshan — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:33:00 GMT

According to the below sign by the front door where I work, coming to work is hazardous to my health.

Ian Doogal McDuff

Ryan Olshan — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:08:00 GMT

At the moment, I'm fostering a 5 month old puppy I've named Ian Doogal McDuff. He's very well behaved for a puppy and he's housebroken, likes cats, and isn't chewing up my house. I'm still torn between adopting him or continuing to foster him. He's a little shy, but with time will come out of his shell.

In Memory of Lucky

Ryan Olshan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:43:00 GMT

On September 4, 2007, I adopted a Cairn Terrier mix from the Carson Animal Shelter. At the time, he was estimated to be 15 years old. While at the shelter, they amputated his front left paw because they suspected he had radial paralysis. He was filthy and covered in fleas from head to toe. He was underweight and only had a couple of teeth left in his mouth which were rotting and had to be later removed. The poor guy was a mess and I turned him around with excellent care and spoiling him rotten. He was so spoiled that he went on a company trip with me to Las Vegas in November 2007. Every once in a while he would get sick and went on antibiotics that appeared to help. However, each time he got sick it got progressively worse. Over time, his appetite and energy level started diminishing and he started losing weight and muscle mass. Last week, he took a turn for the worse and crashed and as a result had to be hospitalized. He survived and the day before yesterday started defecating a black tarry stool. I took him to the vet yesterday and they discovered he had an enlarged liver which was pushing his organs out of place and causing discomfort. The vet estimated that Lucky had two weeks to live. When I got home from work tonight, he hadn't eaten much of his food and could only walk five feet before collapsing. I decided that it was time for him to cross Rainbow Bridge. As I cried and held Lucky in my arms as he died peacefully tonight, I thought back on all the good times we had. I am forever grateful that I was able to give him the best 7 months of his 15+ years of life and would do it over again if given the opportunity.

RIP Lucky. You will always have a special place in my heart and we will meet again on the other side.

Photos of Lucky: http://flickr.com/photos/ryan_olshan/tags/lucky/

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Debt free and proud of it

Ryan Olshan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:35:00 GMT

Like many people, I made the mistake of over using credit cards. Around the time I moved to Virginia last year, I racked up over $9,600 in debt. I'm proud to announce that today I paid off the remaining ~$1800 and I'm now debt free. It's a wonderful feeling and a mistake that I will never make again. Better to learn this younger in life than way down the road.

Steve, Don't Eat It!

Ryan Olshan — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:45:00 GMT

If you haven't read Steve, Don't Eat It! you don't know what you're missing out on. Some guy named Steve blogs about his experiences eating and drinking stuff that would make your average person cringe, such as potted meat and prison wine. Fine dinning at its best.

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php

Animal update

Ryan Olshan — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:17:00 GMT

Frankie recovered well and her sutures were removed on Saturday. Apollo, one of my newly adopted cats, started losing fur around his muzzle and on his ear. He was put on the following medications for the next 10 days:

>> Clavamox 1.2cc AM (1), PM (1)
>> Tritop Topical #1 Units AM (1), PM (1)

Three days ago Lucky got sick, so I took him to the vet yesterday. They took x-rays and did blood work. After the blood work was processed, they thought the cause was an infection in his mouth which might result in antibiotics every other month due to recurrence. He's on the following medications:

>> Antirobe 25 mg AM (1), PM (1)
>> Soloxine 25 mg AM (1), PM (1)

If you have any urgent messages for my furry kids, you can email them via me at ryan[dot]olshan[at]strongtypes.com. I'm posting their medications because I usually store it in a Word document on my PC, since it helps to have a record of past and present medications, but in a few weeks or months from now it may be hard to remember what medications they were on and this blog entry will help as it will cause no delays for a veterinarian needing to know this. They can just look at this blog entry.

Frankies recovery

Ryan Olshan — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:39:00 GMT

Frankie has been recovering well. She was a little grumpy when she first came home, but settled right down. The vet called yesterday with some good news. The tumorous growths on her nose and paw aren't cancerous, so she won't have to undergo any further treatment.

Frankies surgery

Ryan Olshan — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:15:00 GMT

Today, my 6 year old cat Frankie is undergoing surgery to remove a small skin tumor on her nose and a larger one on her front paw. Her brothers Lucky, Apollo, and Tiger are eagery awaiting her return from the vet later this evening.

A new Lucky

Ryan Olshan — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:58:00 GMT

I previously posted about Lucky, a 15 year old dog I adopted. He's now a new dog and looks cute after yesterdays haircut. I've posted pictures of him here.

FamilyGuyNow.com

Ryan Olshan — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:30:00 GMT

If you're a Family Guy fan like I am, then you'll love FamilyGuyNow.com. You can watch fulll length Family Guy episodes there for free.