I am sitting in the Urologist's office recording this post with my favorite web blog editor ecto.
I went back to the surgeon this morning due to an unusual occurrence with my "schlong." Without going into any detail at all, to keep what's private, private, the surgeon took a look and decided that I should be referred to another specialist. He managed to get me an appointment today - the same day - which is great, but as you may know has it's own particular drawbacks. The biggest is that they have to "fit you in, " which being interpreted means, WAIT...
After a time the pee-pee doctor comes in and lets me know that what I have is a thrombosis of a vein. That means that the blood has clotted and will just have to be reabsorbed into my system - it may be months. Great.
I love surgery and the resultant complications.
WH
4.26.2006
4.22.2006
Prom Night
It's prom night in Aiken. Both high schools, Aiken High School and South Aiken High School, have prom on the same night. It's actually a good idea for a community BUT a bad idea if prom dates go to different high schools, which is the case with our daughter and her boyfriend. If you are new to the blog I have to explain that they have the same name - Jessie and Jesse. The "ie" Jessie is my daughter.
The weather here in Aiken has been scattered thunderstorms all day long. The weather broke long enough to take these pictures. I have to say that they are a sharp couple, and the black prom dress really "pops" alongside the cream colored tux.
Ready for Prom
Corsage
It's been a crazy day. I had to take the dogs to get them microchipped and registered with the city of Aiken. It was interesting to see how the dogs reacted to a WHOLE BUNCH of other dogs. They actually did well, except for the guys sticking a large hypodermic needle under their skin on the back of the neck for the microchip. Both dogs had to be muzzled and Cinnamon (our Chow mix) showed teeth to a 13 year old who was helping by scanning the chips once they were implanted. He kept pointing his finger in the other dogs faces if they reacted to his passing a beeping hand-held scanner over their back. Cinnamon took issue with his challenge (as did I) of the pointed finger. I instructed him to back off and not point the finger in her face - I really wanted Cinnamon to teach him but that wouldn't have gone over too well - teeth in his hand and all.
Anyway, Jen is at a Mary Kay make up party tonight - hahahahaha - and I am home taking care of two traumatized dogs.
WH
The weather here in Aiken has been scattered thunderstorms all day long. The weather broke long enough to take these pictures. I have to say that they are a sharp couple, and the black prom dress really "pops" alongside the cream colored tux.
Ready for Prom
Corsage
It's been a crazy day. I had to take the dogs to get them microchipped and registered with the city of Aiken. It was interesting to see how the dogs reacted to a WHOLE BUNCH of other dogs. They actually did well, except for the guys sticking a large hypodermic needle under their skin on the back of the neck for the microchip. Both dogs had to be muzzled and Cinnamon (our Chow mix) showed teeth to a 13 year old who was helping by scanning the chips once they were implanted. He kept pointing his finger in the other dogs faces if they reacted to his passing a beeping hand-held scanner over their back. Cinnamon took issue with his challenge (as did I) of the pointed finger. I instructed him to back off and not point the finger in her face - I really wanted Cinnamon to teach him but that wouldn't have gone over too well - teeth in his hand and all.
Anyway, Jen is at a Mary Kay make up party tonight - hahahahaha - and I am home taking care of two traumatized dogs.
WH
4.20.2006
Back In The 'Windoze' World...aaahhhhhhh
I have started working for a friend who sells real estate here in Aiken. He is the same friend who owned the health club that I managed before I started working in Charleston, SC at the doctors office.
Tom, my friend, is fairly disorganized so he has asked me to help him set up his office and get him computer dependent. He has been out of town at a seminar so I have been doing busy work.
One of the coolest programs that he is using is Top Producer, a very cool and extensive web-based real estate program. There are many benefits to the program and I have been running through DVD tutorials and getting the interface set up.
UNFORTUNATELY he has a Windoze PC that "a friend" has helped him set up. I'll tell you what that means - that means that I have spent the last FIVE fucking hours scanning, removing, updating, and all around fixing his Windows 2000 operating system.
The friend had installed a virus program that had effectively blocked ALL of the Microsoft updates for the past year or so. As you can imagine, the computer has been running VERY SLOWLY and Tom has had to perform a manual shut down and restart every 3 or 4 days - JUST TO GET IT TO RUN NORMALLY.
I have downloaded 6 separate programs to remove malware, spyware, trojan horses, root kit infestations, and other all around boogers. In fact I am creating and posting this blog while all of this scanning, etc takes place. FUN, FUN, FUN!!
I am looking forward to actually getting to work after this necessary silliness is over with.
Windows is starting up *AGAIN* so I have to go.
WH
Tom, my friend, is fairly disorganized so he has asked me to help him set up his office and get him computer dependent. He has been out of town at a seminar so I have been doing busy work.
One of the coolest programs that he is using is Top Producer, a very cool and extensive web-based real estate program. There are many benefits to the program and I have been running through DVD tutorials and getting the interface set up.
UNFORTUNATELY he has a Windoze PC that "a friend" has helped him set up. I'll tell you what that means - that means that I have spent the last FIVE fucking hours scanning, removing, updating, and all around fixing his Windows 2000 operating system.
The friend had installed a virus program that had effectively blocked ALL of the Microsoft updates for the past year or so. As you can imagine, the computer has been running VERY SLOWLY and Tom has had to perform a manual shut down and restart every 3 or 4 days - JUST TO GET IT TO RUN NORMALLY.
I have downloaded 6 separate programs to remove malware, spyware, trojan horses, root kit infestations, and other all around boogers. In fact I am creating and posting this blog while all of this scanning, etc takes place. FUN, FUN, FUN!!
I am looking forward to actually getting to work after this necessary silliness is over with.
Windows is starting up *AGAIN* so I have to go.
WH
4.17.2006
From The Easter Weekend
The following are pictures from the past weekend. As mentioned in the previous post Jen, Jessie, and I went to visit two colleges in Georgia: Emory and UGA. Jessie loved both of the presentations and these two are her top choices. Now comes the work of applying, financial aid information, testing, planning and all of the factors involved in picking and attending a college. This next year should be the best year in Jessie's life - as it should be for any senior! No worries but classes, friends, and whatever else you want to do.
This is a picture from the campus of Emory. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves a great deal.
Jessie At Emory
This next picture is of Jason and Candace in Hopeland Gardens. Jessie was the photographer and I have to say that she did a great job. This is one of over 70 pictures. Here is a link to the whole set at my .mac site.
They are in love and are talking about plans for marriage. It is a rewarding thing to see how Jason relates to Candace and see how well he treats her. Jason is beyond his years in maturity (as is Jessie) with regard to relationships. I am so proud of my kids.
Jason and Candace
I hope that you had a good weekend with family and friends. Mine was excellent.
WH
This is a picture from the campus of Emory. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves a great deal.
Jessie At Emory
This next picture is of Jason and Candace in Hopeland Gardens. Jessie was the photographer and I have to say that she did a great job. This is one of over 70 pictures. Here is a link to the whole set at my .mac site.
They are in love and are talking about plans for marriage. It is a rewarding thing to see how Jason relates to Candace and see how well he treats her. Jason is beyond his years in maturity (as is Jessie) with regard to relationships. I am so proud of my kids.
Jason and Candace
I hope that you had a good weekend with family and friends. Mine was excellent.
WH
4.14.2006
Weekend Touring GA Colleges
This weekend we are off to visit colleges with my daughter Jessie. She is a rising senior and in the process of discovering where her next educational foray will occur.
This afternoon we are scheduled at UGA in Athens, GA. This will be interesting for me since I lived in Athens back in the early 1980's. The city has changed much in the past 20 years. I will try to find some of my old haunts and homes where I lived.
Tomorrow we are visiting Emory University in Atlanta, GA. This is Jessie's first choice at this point. We are excited to go with her and be part of this process.
Jason and Candace are coming to Aiken this weekend as he has a 96 hour leave. We'll get to see them Saturday evening, Sunday, and Monday before they leave to go back to Jacksonville, NC. Jason is finishing his Squad Leaders Course in the next few weeks. In June he leaves for more training on the west coast. On one hand it's exciting for him that he gets to expand his knowledge, on the other all of the training prepares him for his next tour out of country that starts in September.
Finally, I am teaching again this Sunday - Easter. I'll be touching on the resurrection as it relates to the Kingdom. We should have a good weekend.
Hope that you and yours have a great weekend too.
WH
This afternoon we are scheduled at UGA in Athens, GA. This will be interesting for me since I lived in Athens back in the early 1980's. The city has changed much in the past 20 years. I will try to find some of my old haunts and homes where I lived.
Tomorrow we are visiting Emory University in Atlanta, GA. This is Jessie's first choice at this point. We are excited to go with her and be part of this process.
Jason and Candace are coming to Aiken this weekend as he has a 96 hour leave. We'll get to see them Saturday evening, Sunday, and Monday before they leave to go back to Jacksonville, NC. Jason is finishing his Squad Leaders Course in the next few weeks. In June he leaves for more training on the west coast. On one hand it's exciting for him that he gets to expand his knowledge, on the other all of the training prepares him for his next tour out of country that starts in September.
Finally, I am teaching again this Sunday - Easter. I'll be touching on the resurrection as it relates to the Kingdom. We should have a good weekend.
Hope that you and yours have a great weekend too.
WH
4.12.2006
News Flash! Document Shows No Holocaust Took Place
AP News Release - A major historical foundation has released the results of a decade long study of a document, proven to have been composed in 1949, that calls into question that a holocaust actually occurred. In fact the document sheds light on the possibility that the Third Reich was actually beneficial to the world and existed to better humanity.
What would you think about about such a document?
After reading the Gospel of Judas (translated text found here) this is the feeling that I had. The fact that this is a document that is legitimately from around 130 A.D. does not mean that the contents are accurate. This document gives no credible or reliable information with regard to historical Christianity as seen and written in the eyewitness Gospels. The comparative numbers of texts is just too convincing on the side of The New Testament. Literally tens of thousands of uncials and miniscules of the Gospels compared to this text of The Gospel of Judas.
Remember, just because something is actually old, does not make it true. Or in other words, we don't determine truth by looking at a watch or calendar. Go to the sources. Study history. Don't bite the conspiracy "hook" that is constantly being dangled in front of our faces. Look for truth. It's hard work but rewarding.
I love a good mystery. The Da Vinci Code is a good read. It's just not good history. Last note on this: when the Da Vinci Code movie comes out, remember that it is as close to the truth as Oliver Stone's JFK. Good movie, bad history.
WH
What would you think about about such a document?
After reading the Gospel of Judas (translated text found here) this is the feeling that I had. The fact that this is a document that is legitimately from around 130 A.D. does not mean that the contents are accurate. This document gives no credible or reliable information with regard to historical Christianity as seen and written in the eyewitness Gospels. The comparative numbers of texts is just too convincing on the side of The New Testament. Literally tens of thousands of uncials and miniscules of the Gospels compared to this text of The Gospel of Judas.
Remember, just because something is actually old, does not make it true. Or in other words, we don't determine truth by looking at a watch or calendar. Go to the sources. Study history. Don't bite the conspiracy "hook" that is constantly being dangled in front of our faces. Look for truth. It's hard work but rewarding.
I love a good mystery. The Da Vinci Code is a good read. It's just not good history. Last note on this: when the Da Vinci Code movie comes out, remember that it is as close to the truth as Oliver Stone's JFK. Good movie, bad history.
WH
4.11.2006
Talk About Fun - Make Your Own Book For Dummies
Here is a link to a sign generator that will enable you to create a "Book For Dummies" for your own specific cause.
Considering my recent surgery my newest book is here:
Pete's "Fixing Your Hernia For Newbies"
Have fun!!
WH
Considering my recent surgery my newest book is here:
Pete's "Fixing Your Hernia For Newbies"
Have fun!!
WH
4.10.2006
The Gospel Of Judas - Redux
As many of you have heard or even seen last night on the National Geographic Channel, there is a Codex (book) that has been released to the general public that supposedly gives new information on the person of Jesus and His relationship to Judas. The document reveals that Judas was actually the hero of the betrayal of Jesus and his act of betrayal was supported and encouraged by Jesus.
The sad thing is that many Christians will spend more time denouncing this "release" than studying it. Knee jerk reaction isn't the answer to responding to those who are investigating and promoting this document. There is value in looking at the facts and studying the Gospel of Judas. The main value is that we get to see Gnosticism in a reliable ancient document. By reliable I do not mean that the contents are true (or false). By reliable I mean that it a genuine document of antiquity - around First Century.
While I have done some study on this, others have done a much better job of scholarship than I ever could have done.
Here are some links for you to study and be informed rather than be stupid and speak to others about something which you haven't really looked into. The first question that you should ask when real dialogue starts on this issue is, "what have you studied on the issue?" And you should ask the question of yourself first.
National Geographic Web site for Gospel of Judas
Mark Roberts report on the Gospel of Judas
PDF link to the English and Coptic Translation
Mark Daniels blog (Many great links to other studies on The Gospel of Judas)
John Reynolds
Albert Molher
Boston Globe Article
(Basic disclaimer: That fact that the above are posted does not mean that I agree with all the author's of the sites promote. The links are for you to look at the Gospel of Judas and relevant information for your own study and information.)
I believe that as a follower of God I should be able to discuss and share information relevant to my faith in an intelligent and systematic manner. This gospel has gotten the attention of many people who are asking questions about God, Jesus, and Christianity. Who is going to answer those questions?
WH
The sad thing is that many Christians will spend more time denouncing this "release" than studying it. Knee jerk reaction isn't the answer to responding to those who are investigating and promoting this document. There is value in looking at the facts and studying the Gospel of Judas. The main value is that we get to see Gnosticism in a reliable ancient document. By reliable I do not mean that the contents are true (or false). By reliable I mean that it a genuine document of antiquity - around First Century.
While I have done some study on this, others have done a much better job of scholarship than I ever could have done.
Here are some links for you to study and be informed rather than be stupid and speak to others about something which you haven't really looked into. The first question that you should ask when real dialogue starts on this issue is, "what have you studied on the issue?" And you should ask the question of yourself first.
National Geographic Web site for Gospel of Judas
Mark Roberts report on the Gospel of Judas
PDF link to the English and Coptic Translation
Mark Daniels blog (Many great links to other studies on The Gospel of Judas)
John Reynolds
Albert Molher
Boston Globe Article
(Basic disclaimer: That fact that the above are posted does not mean that I agree with all the author's of the sites promote. The links are for you to look at the Gospel of Judas and relevant information for your own study and information.)
I believe that as a follower of God I should be able to discuss and share information relevant to my faith in an intelligent and systematic manner. This gospel has gotten the attention of many people who are asking questions about God, Jesus, and Christianity. Who is going to answer those questions?
WH
4.08.2006
'laxin At Home
This Saturday finds me at home kicking back and watching some golf that is being played across the river in Augusta. The storms have passed and the 4.5 hour delay is over.
I was up early and took the dogs to get rabies shots in the rain.
Jessie was home this morning and we watched Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a good movie. A bit long but still good.
My "chitlins" are healing up just fine. The incision site is still swelling at night. There is still some discomfort and pain but the progress is going as expected. I see the doctor Tuesday and go back to work on Wednesday. This has been a long break and I am getting some cabin fever.
Tomorrow I am teaching. I have been on a series about the Kingdom of God and all of us have been learning about and experiencing the Kingdom. Many people are understanding and starting to realize that what happens during the week is more significant than making Sunday the DAY that we focus on. Meeting together as a community of faith is critical, and we should be meeting on other days other than Sunday - the Sunday gathering is important, but it shouldn't necessarily be the high point or most "spiritual" day of our lives.
My concern is that there has been a disconnect for many people who are followers of God. There is the danger of a dualism in our lives - Sunday we act one way and the other days another. There is a type of "incongruence" between actions and attitudes on those "church" days and the others. One of the refreshing things about our church is that people are not afraid to say, "man, I'm hung over from last night." There is no fear of judgement or ridicule. That's the way it should be.
Our main challenge should be a pursuit of a consistent "presence of mind" concerning God and His kingdom and being alert to an invitation to get involved in what is going on around us that brings others and ourselves into a better understanding and experience of His kingdom.
WH
I was up early and took the dogs to get rabies shots in the rain.
Jessie was home this morning and we watched Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a good movie. A bit long but still good.
My "chitlins" are healing up just fine. The incision site is still swelling at night. There is still some discomfort and pain but the progress is going as expected. I see the doctor Tuesday and go back to work on Wednesday. This has been a long break and I am getting some cabin fever.
Tomorrow I am teaching. I have been on a series about the Kingdom of God and all of us have been learning about and experiencing the Kingdom. Many people are understanding and starting to realize that what happens during the week is more significant than making Sunday the DAY that we focus on. Meeting together as a community of faith is critical, and we should be meeting on other days other than Sunday - the Sunday gathering is important, but it shouldn't necessarily be the high point or most "spiritual" day of our lives.
My concern is that there has been a disconnect for many people who are followers of God. There is the danger of a dualism in our lives - Sunday we act one way and the other days another. There is a type of "incongruence" between actions and attitudes on those "church" days and the others. One of the refreshing things about our church is that people are not afraid to say, "man, I'm hung over from last night." There is no fear of judgement or ridicule. That's the way it should be.
Our main challenge should be a pursuit of a consistent "presence of mind" concerning God and His kingdom and being alert to an invitation to get involved in what is going on around us that brings others and ourselves into a better understanding and experience of His kingdom.
WH
4.06.2006
Squawk Box Trading Game
So, while I'm stuck at home I have started finding other things to do...
Honestly, today is the best day of my recovery so far. My incision doesn't hurt near as bad as in previous days, and the swelling at the surgery site is less and less each day. I walked a mile yesterday and have no ill effects.
Back to the main post: as I mentioned, my In-laws were visiting this past week. They left this morning and should be home any minute now. My father-in-law, Bob, is a pretty savvy financial guy so in the mornings he watches some of the stock market channels. One of his favorite shows is CNBC. Just this week they started a contest on their early a.m. program Squawk Box (6-9a.m.) - it is called the CNBC Squawk Box Fantasy Portfolio Challenge and the Grand Prize is a 2006 Maserati Gransport. Basically you get $1,000,000 fake dollars and the one with the most "virtual" money at the end of the contest period wins the car.
Here's the funny part. I signed up and made an immediate mistake with my first stock purchase. Instead of putting in 7500 shares of AAPL I hit an extra zero.
Two things happened:
The freaking stock shot through the roof and earned $99,000.00 in virtual bucks. Can you hear the hum of the Maserati in the driveway? Just kidding. Anyway, it was fun. Especially since I made a stupid mistake that paid off in the contest.
Check back at the end of May to see how I ended out.
WH
Honestly, today is the best day of my recovery so far. My incision doesn't hurt near as bad as in previous days, and the swelling at the surgery site is less and less each day. I walked a mile yesterday and have no ill effects.
Back to the main post: as I mentioned, my In-laws were visiting this past week. They left this morning and should be home any minute now. My father-in-law, Bob, is a pretty savvy financial guy so in the mornings he watches some of the stock market channels. One of his favorite shows is CNBC. Just this week they started a contest on their early a.m. program Squawk Box (6-9a.m.) - it is called the CNBC Squawk Box Fantasy Portfolio Challenge and the Grand Prize is a 2006 Maserati Gransport. Basically you get $1,000,000 fake dollars and the one with the most "virtual" money at the end of the contest period wins the car.
Here's the funny part. I signed up and made an immediate mistake with my first stock purchase. Instead of putting in 7500 shares of AAPL I hit an extra zero.
Two things happened:
- The other two stocks I wanted to purchase essentially (I got 1 share of one company)went right by, and,
- Over 16,000 shares of my stock ended up being Apple - all but the one share of TOO.
The freaking stock shot through the roof and earned $99,000.00 in virtual bucks. Can you hear the hum of the Maserati in the driveway? Just kidding. Anyway, it was fun. Especially since I made a stupid mistake that paid off in the contest.
Check back at the end of May to see how I ended out.
WH
4.05.2006
Macs Now Do Windows - Who wudda thunk?
This morning Apple Computer announced they are releasing the beta version of Bootcamp, allowing Mac users who have a new Intel powered Mac to boot into EITHER Windows XP or Mac OS 10.4 (known as Tiger).
The next release of operating system, called Leopard (10.5), will reportedly allow the user to have the Mac OS AND Windows XP running at the same time without rebooting.
This provides great appeal to users who are considering a switch from Windows.
The stock immediately jumped over $4.00 per share. Go Apple.
WH
The next release of operating system, called Leopard (10.5), will reportedly allow the user to have the Mac OS AND Windows XP running at the same time without rebooting.
This provides great appeal to users who are considering a switch from Windows.
The stock immediately jumped over $4.00 per share. Go Apple.
WH
4.04.2006
Could Be A Kernal Of Truth Here...
I saw this piece from Bill Maher on a blog from Jon Reid to which I have an RSS feed. If you are "attack sensitive" as a follower if God I would steer away - he gets pretty sarcastic - he is a comedian.
I found that some of what Bill said was thought provoking, especially the part about paranoia. And, remember that Jesus can take care of Himself:)
WH
I found that some of what Bill said was thought provoking, especially the part about paranoia. And, remember that Jesus can take care of Himself:)
WH
4.03.2006
Update On All Sorts Of Stuff...
The Atom API problem at Blogger has been fixed. Kudos to those folks who worked long and hard to get this one right. Now I can get back to posting with my favorite blog editor ecto.
Apple has updated Tiger to 10.4.6. The fix addresses all sorts of bugs and networking issues as well as adds support for new phones in iSync. My wife's RAZR V3c was seen and added to iSync. That's cool.
Bob and Jody are here and, as always, we have a great time with their visit. There is always stuff to talk about.
The Atlanta Braves opened in LA today with an exciting win - 11-10.
I'm feeling better as I recover from my surgery. I am off from work until April 12. That will give me plenty of time to heal up, get caught up with reading and sleep, and do some brainstorming for the business idea.
We are watching Flight Plan and getting ready for the NCAA Basketball Championship and 24 (Thanks to TIVO we'll be able to see both).
Oh, and all of my plumbing is still working correctly. YEAH!
WH
Apple has updated Tiger to 10.4.6. The fix addresses all sorts of bugs and networking issues as well as adds support for new phones in iSync. My wife's RAZR V3c was seen and added to iSync. That's cool.
Bob and Jody are here and, as always, we have a great time with their visit. There is always stuff to talk about.
The Atlanta Braves opened in LA today with an exciting win - 11-10.
I'm feeling better as I recover from my surgery. I am off from work until April 12. That will give me plenty of time to heal up, get caught up with reading and sleep, and do some brainstorming for the business idea.
We are watching Flight Plan and getting ready for the NCAA Basketball Championship and 24 (Thanks to TIVO we'll be able to see both).
Oh, and all of my plumbing is still working correctly. YEAH!
WH
4.02.2006
Happy To Poo!
For those of you who are disgusted with any mention of "poop" this is a good time to STOP reading...
There. I am, however, supremely excited. You see, after a surgery in which they fool around with your guts two oppositional things take place:
Well, yesterday I took a few doses of Senokot and this morning, volia! Now that's how I spell relief. So now I can eat, take pain pills, and have normal bowel movements. Life just doesn't get any better!!
On a related note, since I have some abdominal swelling I thought that I could find a pair of those maternity jeans that have the "expanding" panel in the front. How weird would that be?
Just kidding. I'll just wait it out until I can fit back into my jeans.
Jen is off to church and her 'rents (Bob and Jody) are on the way up for a visit this week. They should arrive in the late afternoon for a 4 day stay. I'm sure that I'll have more to post later in the day.
Last note - for those to whom it applies, change your clocks. It is officially Daylight Savings Time. Here is a link to the time.gov site for the exact time.
WH
There. I am, however, supremely excited. You see, after a surgery in which they fool around with your guts two oppositional things take place:
- Your "innards" say, "Shut down, Shut down." They go into "high alert" and cease, for all practical intents, to operate normally.
- The doctor gives you pain killers that are opiate based. These pain killers are ALL known for one very specific side effect - constipation.
Well, yesterday I took a few doses of Senokot and this morning, volia! Now that's how I spell relief. So now I can eat, take pain pills, and have normal bowel movements. Life just doesn't get any better!!
On a related note, since I have some abdominal swelling I thought that I could find a pair of those maternity jeans that have the "expanding" panel in the front. How weird would that be?
Just kidding. I'll just wait it out until I can fit back into my jeans.
Jen is off to church and her 'rents (Bob and Jody) are on the way up for a visit this week. They should arrive in the late afternoon for a 4 day stay. I'm sure that I'll have more to post later in the day.
Last note - for those to whom it applies, change your clocks. It is officially Daylight Savings Time. Here is a link to the time.gov site for the exact time.
WH
My Blog Atom API Is Busted (and so is yours)
Bad News. For the past months I have been using ecto to post to my Blogger blog. Previous to that I used Mars Edit. Well, it seems that as of 3/31/2006 something has changed here at Blogger so that virtually ALL 3rd party blog posting tools have been rendered useless.
There is a thread here that discusses the issue. Short story - all editors that use the Atom API (which is what Blogger uses) cannot connect with their blog site. Bummer.
So that has me running to Firefox to post blog entries - not as slick or familiar as ecto but it will do in the interim, while the folks at Blogger fix the problem.
WH
There is a thread here that discusses the issue. Short story - all editors that use the Atom API (which is what Blogger uses) cannot connect with their blog site. Bummer.
So that has me running to Firefox to post blog entries - not as slick or familiar as ecto but it will do in the interim, while the folks at Blogger fix the problem.
WH
4.01.2006
Post Surgery - LFD
LONG F******G DAY!
Yesterday I was up at 6ish and got ready to go to the hospital for my hernia surgery - Jen got up later (still pretty early for her). We arrived at 7:45 a.m. and started the pre-op routine. The last time I had an admission to the hospital was back in 1995 for a torn ACL. That's also the last time I had to fill a prescription.
I love the gown - you know open back and all. The fact that they have the rooms at 55 degrees F and have you take all of your clothes off and put on a paper thin, cotton, open-backed gown should give you a clue that this experience is not about your comfort:)
Funny things that happened:
1. The nurse came out and called for "Patel" instead of "Peter" - that got me concerned. After this I double checked that they had me there for a hernia operation NOT open heart surgery or amputation.
2. They had me write "yes" on my right thigh with indelible ink so that they would not cut the wrong side. The "Y" is still there.
3. As I was waiting in the pre-op "cubby" room (a room with three solid sides and the front with draw curtain on it), a family came down the hall and one member walked into my "cubby" and didn't notice that I was not the person they came to see. THAT was embarrassing for them. She realized I wasn't her sister, mumbled something and walked down the hall. Her other two family members just broke out in laughter.
4. On their way out back past me I called out, "didn't you want to stop in any see me on the way out?" - they laughed nervously and sped up
5. The nurse kept talking about giving me "happy juice" - she was all about the "happy juice". In fact, since they were running late I had to ask her to HOLD OFF on the "happy juice" until later. I think she wanted to see if I would say anything stupid while I was "happy"
The operating rooms were backed up a bit and my 9:45 surgery time came and went. I can't tell you exactly what time I actually went to the operating room since the "happy juice" had begun to take effect - I think that it was close to 11 a.m. (Jen will give me the correct time on this once she reads the blog).
I woke in recovery - I use the term "woke" loosely. Faded in is a better term. I was getting all sorts of attention from sweet talking southern nurses when I realized that everyone left me and ran across the room. Later Jen tells me that someone was in for rotator cuff surgery and they had a heart attack DURING the surgery. Those of you who know Jen, know that I was glad that I was out of surgery when she heard about that incident. I hope everything turned out o.k. for that person and his family. We didn't hear anything else.
I can't remember what time I came out of surgery - I will guess it was close to 12 noon. Jen was allowed to come back at around 1:30. My throat hurt from the intubation and I my back was sore. I have a 3 inch incision running north and south on my lower right abdomen (I was going to post a picture but that would be too gross). There are no sutures, no bandages, no dressing. The incision is closed with dermabond, very cool stuff that is basically super glue for incisions and wounds.
The good news was that I didn't throw up (or remember throwing up). Now came the great part - all I had to do was pee and I could go home! I tried and tried, and tried, and tried. NO LUCK. In fact, I tried so much that the people in the recovery area to the left of me were cheering me on and very interested in my progress (Later Jen told me that the husband asked if I had had prostate surgery since he was possibly facing some in the future).
Well, as you can guess, something happens to one's bladder when they play with your "chitlin's". There was swelling of one sort or another and I had the URGE to pee, I just didn't possess the ABILITY to go. I heard the words that strike fear onto the heart of any man - catheter.
The thought of a tube going in where things should only go out, particularly that part of one's anatomy, and the whole process being done by a female nurse brings all sorts of potential problematic issues to the conscious mind. My answer was to shuffle off to the bathroom yet one more time telling Jen that I was locking the door and not coming back until I had gone (or that I may even lie about it - on the heels of that thought, as if she knew my intent, the nurse called out "don't flush, I have to make sure").
Sadly, I was unsuccessful and as I returned to the bed I saw the catheter kit on the table. I won't detail the process and experience but I was relieved - in more ways than the obvious pressure on my bladder - once the procedure was over.
That being finished I was released to go home - it was now close to 5 p.m. One last note from the hospital. In the recovery bay next to mine (not the guy with the prostate concerns, but the one on my right) I heard a young girl crying. I asked the nurse what was going on and she told me that the Mom had had knee surgery and was having a hard time with recovery - vomiting, pain, etc.
I then asked if Jen and I could pray with them. The nurse asked and they said yes. After apologizing to the daughter for my "death breath" we prayed for God's peace to come on the daughter and for the Mom to be comforted. I love that kind of thing. "Let Your Kingdom come, Lord." Great prayer when you don't know what to pray.
We returned home and I rested - my plumbing is still off. I was up every hour last night TRYING to pee and accomplishing little. Things are better this morning and I hope to be back to normal by the end of the day.
I have showered, had a cup of coffee, and a vicodin. Now to REST today. A hard thing for me to do. As you can tell by the length of the entry, I already have way too much time on my hands.
WH
Yesterday I was up at 6ish and got ready to go to the hospital for my hernia surgery - Jen got up later (still pretty early for her). We arrived at 7:45 a.m. and started the pre-op routine. The last time I had an admission to the hospital was back in 1995 for a torn ACL. That's also the last time I had to fill a prescription.
I love the gown - you know open back and all. The fact that they have the rooms at 55 degrees F and have you take all of your clothes off and put on a paper thin, cotton, open-backed gown should give you a clue that this experience is not about your comfort:)
Funny things that happened:
1. The nurse came out and called for "Patel" instead of "Peter" - that got me concerned. After this I double checked that they had me there for a hernia operation NOT open heart surgery or amputation.
2. They had me write "yes" on my right thigh with indelible ink so that they would not cut the wrong side. The "Y" is still there.
3. As I was waiting in the pre-op "cubby" room (a room with three solid sides and the front with draw curtain on it), a family came down the hall and one member walked into my "cubby" and didn't notice that I was not the person they came to see. THAT was embarrassing for them. She realized I wasn't her sister, mumbled something and walked down the hall. Her other two family members just broke out in laughter.
4. On their way out back past me I called out, "didn't you want to stop in any see me on the way out?" - they laughed nervously and sped up
5. The nurse kept talking about giving me "happy juice" - she was all about the "happy juice". In fact, since they were running late I had to ask her to HOLD OFF on the "happy juice" until later. I think she wanted to see if I would say anything stupid while I was "happy"
The operating rooms were backed up a bit and my 9:45 surgery time came and went. I can't tell you exactly what time I actually went to the operating room since the "happy juice" had begun to take effect - I think that it was close to 11 a.m. (Jen will give me the correct time on this once she reads the blog).
I woke in recovery - I use the term "woke" loosely. Faded in is a better term. I was getting all sorts of attention from sweet talking southern nurses when I realized that everyone left me and ran across the room. Later Jen tells me that someone was in for rotator cuff surgery and they had a heart attack DURING the surgery. Those of you who know Jen, know that I was glad that I was out of surgery when she heard about that incident. I hope everything turned out o.k. for that person and his family. We didn't hear anything else.
I can't remember what time I came out of surgery - I will guess it was close to 12 noon. Jen was allowed to come back at around 1:30. My throat hurt from the intubation and I my back was sore. I have a 3 inch incision running north and south on my lower right abdomen (I was going to post a picture but that would be too gross). There are no sutures, no bandages, no dressing. The incision is closed with dermabond, very cool stuff that is basically super glue for incisions and wounds.
The good news was that I didn't throw up (or remember throwing up). Now came the great part - all I had to do was pee and I could go home! I tried and tried, and tried, and tried. NO LUCK. In fact, I tried so much that the people in the recovery area to the left of me were cheering me on and very interested in my progress (Later Jen told me that the husband asked if I had had prostate surgery since he was possibly facing some in the future).
Well, as you can guess, something happens to one's bladder when they play with your "chitlin's". There was swelling of one sort or another and I had the URGE to pee, I just didn't possess the ABILITY to go. I heard the words that strike fear onto the heart of any man - catheter.
The thought of a tube going in where things should only go out, particularly that part of one's anatomy, and the whole process being done by a female nurse brings all sorts of potential problematic issues to the conscious mind. My answer was to shuffle off to the bathroom yet one more time telling Jen that I was locking the door and not coming back until I had gone (or that I may even lie about it - on the heels of that thought, as if she knew my intent, the nurse called out "don't flush, I have to make sure").
Sadly, I was unsuccessful and as I returned to the bed I saw the catheter kit on the table. I won't detail the process and experience but I was relieved - in more ways than the obvious pressure on my bladder - once the procedure was over.
That being finished I was released to go home - it was now close to 5 p.m. One last note from the hospital. In the recovery bay next to mine (not the guy with the prostate concerns, but the one on my right) I heard a young girl crying. I asked the nurse what was going on and she told me that the Mom had had knee surgery and was having a hard time with recovery - vomiting, pain, etc.
I then asked if Jen and I could pray with them. The nurse asked and they said yes. After apologizing to the daughter for my "death breath" we prayed for God's peace to come on the daughter and for the Mom to be comforted. I love that kind of thing. "Let Your Kingdom come, Lord." Great prayer when you don't know what to pray.
We returned home and I rested - my plumbing is still off. I was up every hour last night TRYING to pee and accomplishing little. Things are better this morning and I hope to be back to normal by the end of the day.
I have showered, had a cup of coffee, and a vicodin. Now to REST today. A hard thing for me to do. As you can tell by the length of the entry, I already have way too much time on my hands.
WH
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