It's been a busy month so far. A big project going on at work, and major changes in the in-law arena.
In-laws first.
My father in law went from being a contrary, way too ambulatory pain in my wife's ass to a vaguely responsive nursing home resident that spends his days in a wheelchair. This is not really unexpected, as he has finally had a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimers, but this all happened in the space of 10 days. Gayle had to call an ambulance for him, as he'd fallen multiple times in one day, and was slurring his words, and she was afraid he'd had a stroke. He was in the hospital for about 5 days, then was placed in a nursing home in Paducah. We're trying to get him a bed in the western Tennessee Veterans Home, which is a VA approved nursing facility, and only about an hour and a half away from Memphis. We're hoping to get this done before medicaid kicks in, and they put a lien against all of the family assets, as the mother in law will still need resources to live, etc.
At work we're to the point of pushing the new Pacs client out to the xray techs to start getting used to. As I've written before, Pacs is the generic term for xray/mri/ct/etc image storage and manipulation. We're full on nearing the go-live portion of a project that has us moving images from 2 older systems to the new, and redirecting all of our xray/mri/ct/etc devices to store their images to the new servers. All in all, it's been actually fun. This is the part of IT that I really enjoy, so its been fun no matter the frustrations.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Well grounded cat
Ok, I really try not to fill this blog with pictures, especially of the boys. But this one was just too good to pass up:
this is Mikey hanging on to a PC grounding strap that is actually clipped onto the metal fireplace insert. I use it during the winter, as my cloth covered recliner builds up enough static electricity to stop your heart if you're not careful. I guess it just makes him feel safe and secure from static buildup!
How old?
This past Wednesday was my 55th birthday.
Damn.
My drivers license picture was taken on September 11th, 2001. In the 10 years since, I've gone from weighing 175 pounds and having brown hair with a touch of gray to 195 and a touch of brown in the dull gray. Obviously, I'll be getting a new picture this year. At least it'll match my carry permit picture.
Such birthdays tend to have you turn a bit in introspective, and so I've started writing up a kind of profit and loss sheet on where I am in my life. That being said, there's not a chance in hell of me allowing anyone to ever see that particular document. Such things are, while inevitable, something that should be only for the writer and maybe their therapist. If you're honest in such a document it'd be an exercise in sadism to allow anyone to read it. Maybe there's someone on this planet that are 100% satisfied with the decisions and random chance that has brought them to where they are in life, but I've never known them. On top of that, this sort of balance sheet is by definition the author's opinion, which may or may not have that much connection with reality.
I'll finish this post by saying that while birthdays are a good time to review where you've been, make sure that it's equally a good time to review where you're going. The time to admit that you are finally old and should pack it in is when only the past holds your interest, and the future is just something to endure.
Damn.
My drivers license picture was taken on September 11th, 2001. In the 10 years since, I've gone from weighing 175 pounds and having brown hair with a touch of gray to 195 and a touch of brown in the dull gray. Obviously, I'll be getting a new picture this year. At least it'll match my carry permit picture.
Such birthdays tend to have you turn a bit in introspective, and so I've started writing up a kind of profit and loss sheet on where I am in my life. That being said, there's not a chance in hell of me allowing anyone to ever see that particular document. Such things are, while inevitable, something that should be only for the writer and maybe their therapist. If you're honest in such a document it'd be an exercise in sadism to allow anyone to read it. Maybe there's someone on this planet that are 100% satisfied with the decisions and random chance that has brought them to where they are in life, but I've never known them. On top of that, this sort of balance sheet is by definition the author's opinion, which may or may not have that much connection with reality.
I'll finish this post by saying that while birthdays are a good time to review where you've been, make sure that it's equally a good time to review where you're going. The time to admit that you are finally old and should pack it in is when only the past holds your interest, and the future is just something to endure.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Oh, yeah....tropical storms
My travels to and from Dragon*Con took me from Memphis to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, then to Atlanta. The return trip was the same in reverse...all to pick up my sister in east Tennessee. The trip back took me into tropical storm Lee about the time I hit Nashville heading west. Heavy rain and wind wasn't helped by heavy traffic.
I bought a pair of clip on sunglasses a while back that are yellow tinted and mainly used on the shooting range. Well, I'm here to tell you that they work just fine to see through the spray and haze of heavy rain on the interstate. Even with their help, I probably had a good 15 mph cut off my average travel speed. However, as the rain was needed in most places, I can't really complain, especially since I made it home safely.
I bought a pair of clip on sunglasses a while back that are yellow tinted and mainly used on the shooting range. Well, I'm here to tell you that they work just fine to see through the spray and haze of heavy rain on the interstate. Even with their help, I probably had a good 15 mph cut off my average travel speed. However, as the rain was needed in most places, I can't really complain, especially since I made it home safely.
Dragon Con, Tendonitis and Tropical Storms
I went to Dragon*Con with my sister Lynn this weekend. Mother of all the gods, what a madhouse! From what I've been told, this was one of the best run Cons ever. That being said, if that was well run, I'd rather run naked through cactus than go to a poorly ran con.
Actually, it wasn't that bad...just huge crowds, the occasional rude behavior, and a lot of drunken behavior as the evening wore on. The costumes were amazing (including an Elvis Sith Lord!), and the panels I went to were entertaining. I sat in on panels with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter), the cast of the webcast "the Guild", the cast of SyFy's version of "Being Human", all of which were fun. I hadn't been familiar with "the Guild", which is the brainchild of Felicia Day. I guess now I've got to start watching.
I also watched a performance of the Atlanta Radio Theater Company doing old fashioned radio shows. I really enjoyed this (all comedies, of course), and it reminded me of the comedy troupe that I used to love to listen to...The Firesign Theater. They did the same type thing, with maybe just a touch more professionalism in the writing. I highly recommend their work.
I'm really not that much of a squealing fan type person, but here's a partial list of celebrities that I saw...
James Edward Olmos, Wil Wheaton, Nana Visitor, Nicole de Boer, Lance Hendrickson, Brent Spiner, Nicholas Brendan, Christopher Lloyd, Carrie Fisher, and a bunch more that were sitting around the celebrity room.
The only real downside to this weekend was that I had flair ups of both my tendonitis and sciatica, mainly Saturday morning during the DragonCon parade. I then discovered that I was on the wrong side of the street during the parade, and couldn't get to the main Con hotels. This was very annoying, and I'm sorry to say I kinda took some of it out on my poor sister. However, since this is the first Con she's been to where she got to go to all of the things on her "must do" list, she took it well. Once I was able to get off my feet for a while I got better, and finished the con on an upbeat note.
Without further ado, here's some pictures of the Con...
Sister Lynn as random Elf
Actually, it wasn't that bad...just huge crowds, the occasional rude behavior, and a lot of drunken behavior as the evening wore on. The costumes were amazing (including an Elvis Sith Lord!), and the panels I went to were entertaining. I sat in on panels with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter), the cast of the webcast "the Guild", the cast of SyFy's version of "Being Human", all of which were fun. I hadn't been familiar with "the Guild", which is the brainchild of Felicia Day. I guess now I've got to start watching.
I also watched a performance of the Atlanta Radio Theater Company doing old fashioned radio shows. I really enjoyed this (all comedies, of course), and it reminded me of the comedy troupe that I used to love to listen to...The Firesign Theater. They did the same type thing, with maybe just a touch more professionalism in the writing. I highly recommend their work.
I'm really not that much of a squealing fan type person, but here's a partial list of celebrities that I saw...
James Edward Olmos, Wil Wheaton, Nana Visitor, Nicole de Boer, Lance Hendrickson, Brent Spiner, Nicholas Brendan, Christopher Lloyd, Carrie Fisher, and a bunch more that were sitting around the celebrity room.
The only real downside to this weekend was that I had flair ups of both my tendonitis and sciatica, mainly Saturday morning during the DragonCon parade. I then discovered that I was on the wrong side of the street during the parade, and couldn't get to the main Con hotels. This was very annoying, and I'm sorry to say I kinda took some of it out on my poor sister. However, since this is the first Con she's been to where she got to go to all of the things on her "must do" list, she took it well. Once I was able to get off my feet for a while I got better, and finished the con on an upbeat note.
Without further ado, here's some pictures of the Con...
Sister Lynn as random Elf
Sister Lynn as Professor Trelawney (Harry Potter movies)
Darth Vol
Sister Lynn in Prof. Trelawny costume walking in the parade next to Voldemort
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Lethargy, sweet lethargy
It's 1:30 on a wonderful Saturday afternoon, and I'm partially drowsing to a Sci Channel show "What the Ancients Knew", featuring the Greeks. They're talking about the tricks used by the architects of the Parthenon to make it "look" like it's perfect. I wonder if they used the same tricks in the replica in Nashville. Even if you've been to the original, the replica is well worth going to. The huge gilded statue of the goddess in the middle is worth the trip, even if you don't go through the art gallery that the building houses.
The physical therapy session I had yesterday was interesting. I'd ran out of the pain patch, so the therapist plopped a cortisone patch on, which had to be held in place with tape. Today I've not had but maybe one litttle twinge in my tendon, which is very promising. I'll be seeing him daily beginning Monday, so that he can work on it a little bit more before I leave for Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. I'm really hoping that this makes DragonCon more enjoyable, and pain free.
The concert Thursday evening was wonderful. We had excellent seats and really enjoyed the performance. The musicianship was amazing, and the harmonies were exactly what you expect from Allison and the band. We ate at a "gastro-pub" called South of Beale a few blocks from the Orpheum Theater where the show was. The food was good, the service almost intrusive, but pleasant until I remembered that I'd left the tickets at home. So, we run for the car (which I'd already paid $15 to park) and rush home to get them, then back downtown. We got back in plenty of time for the show, and Gayle got to rag me about always rushing around and forgetting something important.
The cats are always bewildered when Gayle comes home. It takes them a few hours to remember that she's someone who belongs here. The best thing for me is that if i want to sleep in, like I did this morning (I didn't get up til 10am!) they split their time between trying to make me get up and bugging her to do the same.
The physical therapy session I had yesterday was interesting. I'd ran out of the pain patch, so the therapist plopped a cortisone patch on, which had to be held in place with tape. Today I've not had but maybe one litttle twinge in my tendon, which is very promising. I'll be seeing him daily beginning Monday, so that he can work on it a little bit more before I leave for Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. I'm really hoping that this makes DragonCon more enjoyable, and pain free.
The concert Thursday evening was wonderful. We had excellent seats and really enjoyed the performance. The musicianship was amazing, and the harmonies were exactly what you expect from Allison and the band. We ate at a "gastro-pub" called South of Beale a few blocks from the Orpheum Theater where the show was. The food was good, the service almost intrusive, but pleasant until I remembered that I'd left the tickets at home. So, we run for the car (which I'd already paid $15 to park) and rush home to get them, then back downtown. We got back in plenty of time for the show, and Gayle got to rag me about always rushing around and forgetting something important.
The cats are always bewildered when Gayle comes home. It takes them a few hours to remember that she's someone who belongs here. The best thing for me is that if i want to sleep in, like I did this morning (I didn't get up til 10am!) they split their time between trying to make me get up and bugging her to do the same.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Comfort is relative
Gayle's coming in for her monthly break today. This trip is early, as her birthday was Sunday, and our anniversary is Sunday, and I got us tickets to the Allison Krauss and Union Station concert tomorrow at the Orpheum. This means that we actually have the chance to eat downtown, as I get off work at 4, and the concert isn't until 8. So, we have a much larger range of possibilities of dining choices as opposed to usual.
Gayle has gotten acclimated to a much warmer environment since she's been living with her folks than what we used to maintain. I've upped the thermostat to 78 during the day, and 74 in the evening, and she'll still put on a sweater when she's here. Now, when she's not here, I jack the temp up to 82 during the day, and 73 in the evening, figuring that the cats don't pay rent, so they get no say in the temperature control. This has ensured that my electric bill has only been over $200 bucks once this summer.
Late on the 14th my achilles tendon decided to misbehave. The last time this happened I had 6 weeks of hell in a cast. This time I limped around, and finally even bought a cane to help walk (which help a great deal...even if it did elicit rude comments about old men and staying off lawns at work). I got in to see our leading foot doc at the clinic this past Monday, and got a pain patch which works, as opposed to ibuprophen which doesn't, and scheduled for physical therapy, starting Friday. That, along with a night splint to sleep in, beats a cast any time. This sort of service is a wonderful benefit of working at the clinic, especially since it seem that the older I get, the more I tend to break.
Next week I make my first trip to DragonCon in Atlanta. My sister, who is a regular attendee, is the reason for this. It seems like every year, she takes someone who has zero interest in SciFi or Fantasy, and that definately doesn't like to participate in the activities that are the reasons for going to such things. Well, when the lady that was going with her had to cancel, and I got invited, I figured I owed it to her to go and see if I couldn't make this one a DragonCon that she doesn't have regrets over. I do draw the line at paying large green for autographs, but I'll wait in line with her if that's what pops her cork. Since she already knows I'm a cheapskate, this will come as no surprise.
Gayle has gotten acclimated to a much warmer environment since she's been living with her folks than what we used to maintain. I've upped the thermostat to 78 during the day, and 74 in the evening, and she'll still put on a sweater when she's here. Now, when she's not here, I jack the temp up to 82 during the day, and 73 in the evening, figuring that the cats don't pay rent, so they get no say in the temperature control. This has ensured that my electric bill has only been over $200 bucks once this summer.
Late on the 14th my achilles tendon decided to misbehave. The last time this happened I had 6 weeks of hell in a cast. This time I limped around, and finally even bought a cane to help walk (which help a great deal...even if it did elicit rude comments about old men and staying off lawns at work). I got in to see our leading foot doc at the clinic this past Monday, and got a pain patch which works, as opposed to ibuprophen which doesn't, and scheduled for physical therapy, starting Friday. That, along with a night splint to sleep in, beats a cast any time. This sort of service is a wonderful benefit of working at the clinic, especially since it seem that the older I get, the more I tend to break.
Next week I make my first trip to DragonCon in Atlanta. My sister, who is a regular attendee, is the reason for this. It seems like every year, she takes someone who has zero interest in SciFi or Fantasy, and that definately doesn't like to participate in the activities that are the reasons for going to such things. Well, when the lady that was going with her had to cancel, and I got invited, I figured I owed it to her to go and see if I couldn't make this one a DragonCon that she doesn't have regrets over. I do draw the line at paying large green for autographs, but I'll wait in line with her if that's what pops her cork. Since she already knows I'm a cheapskate, this will come as no surprise.
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