Recovery from triple by-pass surgery..

The Adventure began one September morning during a stress test at the insistence of my Cardiovascular Doctor.  A test I  was barely able to finished, even though I thought I was in the best of shape for age 62.  The Doc said to get a catheterization- we need to shoot some goo into your heart to see whats up. 

So while recovering from having a long rod stuck up through my groin and into my heart, the Cath Doc says, "blah, blah, blah, Critical, blah, blah blah- urgent blah, blah blah"- I was still coming out of the anesthesia, but my wife Leigh got the picture and after I pealed her of the ceiling we started down the path that leads me to heart surgery two weeks later at one of the best Hospitals in the world with fantastic Doctors and wonderful Nurses and great food, well maybe not great food.   As it turns out my heart is great, but the pipes needed replacement parts. I needed a double bypass according to my Doctor. 90% blockage.... A great adventure huh? It was interesting, two weeks before this, no sighs, no symptoms. 

The surgery was a success.  It was supposed to be a double by pass but turned into a triple by pass (buy two get one free).  

So Now I'm in recovery and looking at six plus week of no fun. Yes, every day I'm getting better. I'm now up to 20 minutes walks around the neighborhood. I think the stairs between the basement and second floors have actually help speed up my recovery. Leigh chauffeurs me anywhere I need to go. And that's a blessing, I can't drive for another six weeks. But like a colleague of mine who also went through heart surgery said, each day I can do a little more. I want to thank you all for you thoughts and prayers over these passed few weeks as I merger from the dark side of the moon. With out your support, I think would not be as far along as I am.

Spine Enhancement 2.0

All is well.  On Thursday afternoon, 19 April, I arrived in prep room.  It seems I needed a spine or rather a spine adjustment.  Doctors at the Anne Arundel Hospital Spine and Brain Institute plunged two IVs the size of fire hoses into my arms (one simply as a backup) and asked me count backwards from 10.   I got as far as "What?"

Three and a half  hours later I woke up in the recovery room with several pink elephants in surgical gowns milling  about my bed making sure I was comfy.  (nice)  That night and for the next day I was on morphine drip and Vicodin (happy day).  For details on the surgery see below.

Most of Friday was spent being peppered with vital sign checks and frequent walks around the 5th floor using my geriatric walker helped by the elephants who overtime morphed into penguins and really did extremely well at managing the pain (sorry I had no fish).  

Saturday, they wheeled me to Xray to see what they did and after a good long laugh the penguins asked me if I wanted to stay one more night and I said morphine?  They laughed... NO! I stayed anyway, Who doesn't like being pampered . 

Now, I can honestly say the numbness and pain in my leg and burning in my foot is gone after 2 1/2 years so the operation is a success.  (back pain from surgery not withstanding)

Come Sunday morning the penguins had morphed again into  short haired alley cats who pranced around the ward and seem to ignore me  except  to check occasional vital signs.  (which by the way I’ve not seen so low in 20 years, 121/69 wow). They replaced the new high tech 'foam bandage' from the operation located in the middle of my back with a simple gauze and tape that day.  Now, I'm not sure what part of hell they obtained this new kind of 'foam' bandage from.  I might as well have been getting a wax job across my furry back.  If I had known of the oncoming bandage drama, (which they conveniently kept secret), I might have preferred to stay a gimp for the rest of my life.  

Several Alley Cats would  on occasion prance into the room, look at their kitty watches,  and tap their kitty paws on floor and say 'anytime your ready Mr. Meow'  So with one final sigh and Vicodin, I said yes and wham!  Wheel chair throw, IV yank, flurry of papers to sign, brief training about back braces, exercise  and something about the use of the tongs they gave me were not meant for use on the grill.  Then with a "here's your hat what's your hurry" I'm down at the main floor lobby waiting for my Stage Coach.  

Home at last-is another story.  But throughout all of this I can only say that none of the successes of this adventure would have been remotely possible without my own personal Care Giver, Leigh my wife.  She was my guide at my side, my Border Collie  (always keeping me and the nurses in line) my Spirit, my Hero.  She is my Love, and truly my Adventure.  But I still think the pink elephants were cute.

Credence

Scammer seeks the helpful

The following was reported to the police but I've added a few more thoughts in ( ) as well since the submission.

To: Anne Arundel Police Department
Eastern District : 3700 Mountain Road
Pasadena, Maryland 21122
Phone: (410) 222-6145




Subject: Scammer in the Jumpers Hole area.

Sirs,
This is to inform you of a suspected scammer operating in the Jumper Hole and Rt 2 area. White male about 5'7" 150lbs, light build, short light brown hair, 18-23 years. See attached picture. (could be just about anybody since white males that age and build are common, this one in particular was bright peppy with a nasally raspy voice, made you want to clear your own throat or blow your nose or something)

On Sept 28th at about 5:30pm, the young man (in the photo) approached me as I was filling my car with gas at BJs Warehouse gas station near Jumpers Hole and Rt 2. The young man said he needed money to by a gas can and get gas for his mother's car stranded and out of gas (didn't say where). His mother was supposedly talking to him on his cell phone "they" seemed to be in a hurry. He sounded frantic almost to tears because he said no one at the station would help him, he only needed 7 dollars. He sounded very convincing. (in a mournfully frantic sort of way) I gave him $20 (in pity) to cover the can and some gas, feeling I had done a good deed (silly me).

The young man proceeded to leave the station but instead of going into BJs to buy a gas can he crossed the parking lot heading North beyond the Weis grocery store (WTF over?). I drove over to him and asked him were he was going with the money. He said the car and his mom were at the Shell station at the corner of Jumpers Hole and Mountain Rd. He asked if he could have a lift. (great 'tap dance') I felt no threat, I agreed. (hook line and sinker) During the drive over, he proceeds to tell me his story of how they pushed the car into a parking lot. (insert mournful violins) The Shell station was closed so he bought a jug of milk at BJs and poured it out thinking he could fill it up with gas, but the attendant at BJs said no (well duh). As we approached the intersection of Jumpers Hole and Mountain Rd, he pulls his (heart skips a beat) cell phone out of his pocket as if it were vibrating, then said his mother was at the Rite Aid across the street where she found a cheaper gas can.

I dropped him of at the Rite Aid and watch him go in. Suspecting foul play but hoping for the best, (little angel Credence on one shoulder, devil Credence on the other, yak, yak) I pulled off to the side and waited for a few minutes then drove back to Rite Aid to find him walking North across the shopping center towards the Sun Valley Liquor store. (devil Credence vindicated)

It was only then that I believed my suspicions were true and I became convenienced he had scammed me. ( with a tear in little angel Credence's eye) I drove over to him and at that moment, (with power and rage, I fumble with my camera, almost dropped it) I took the attached picture of him with my phone camera and told him I would remember him (I know, I should have said something like "I'll be back" w/Arnold accent) he did not respond, he didn't try to defend his action, (he cocked his head a little and) just gave me a thumbs up (huh? Cornered, I guess he was just as much at a loss of what to do as I was, one of those pregnant moments). There were several other young men there and feeling uncomfortable I then drove out of the area and home (with tail between my legs, nursing my dignity).

'Hind-sight is 20/20.' Thinking about it, his story was full of holes (well double duh) but he was a pro. Very polite, non-threatening. (Oscar material) He works on your pity. I can only imagine I am one of many victims who have been scammed by him as he cases BJs and other public areas to hustle his money. I realized I have been ripped off, and that there is nothing I could do about. Given this episode I suspect he may have a record with his picture on file. (The police have the un-doctored version)

I just thought this might somehow be useful to you.

Lesson Learned!

very respectfully

(Credence)

The Internet and Ouija Board

So what about that Ouija Board? Common belief is that it’s an occult thing. Two people placing their hands on a ‘hockey puck’ like device on top of a cardboard place mat with a bunch of numbers and letters. They ask a question and the hockey puck suddenly moves around the board to spell out the answer with both participants adamantly claiming not to be moving it. Occult? What if its something else? The subconscious minds of the players coming together to form a third distinct subconscious mind. A Spock mind meld so to speak, but as a third and distinct consciousness. Extrapolate that to the Internet. So, what if the Internet could become a third consciousness as a result of all its participants?

Could the Internet be a collective interactive mind of the masses? Is Facebook but one portal through the key board - like placing your hands on the Ouija hockey puck? What will happen when the collective mind becomes sentient?

Mathematical Formula for Credence Theorem (CT)

by Alec Slayden March 16 at 4:36pm

CT = Story +/- Truth

or


for Subject = abs(Truth) + 1
CT = Story * Subject

Written in a single line as:

CT = Story * (abs(Truth) + 1)

which means if the truth is zero it will not affect the story, and if it is not zero, it will amplify the story whether it is positive or negative. abs() is a function for the absolute value of a number, effectively making negative numbers positive, and we add 1 to make sure we don't multiply the story by zero.

This is also defining CT as being equal to the amplified story. If you wanted you could define it as a function USED on a story

CT(Story) = Story * (abs(Truth) + 1)

This would be a little more accurate in context, but it would not be as easily received since some aren't familiar with functions F(x), and might mistake the left-hand side as being CT * Story, which wouldn't necessarily make much sense.

Because of this, it would probably be a little more hypocritical to choose this option over the previous one, since it would be letting accuracy get in the way of the expression.

So I suggest
CT = Story * (abs(Truth) + 1)

There may be a better way using something other than basic algebra, but I don't remember much in the ways of mathematics.

GERMANY UPDATE: beer, beer, beer.. bought new suitcase-not worth it-EURO/Dollar; Heidelberg to Frankfurt, missed train transfer, no snow, yah!, rain dout! Suitcase wheel broke too, heavy, no escalators, damn! . Frankfurt to Washington, airport parking lot"where's my @#$% car?!" hour, @#$% suitcase; traffic, 3 hours; Dulcaw pub-hi sweetie; beer beer, beer..home

Highlights of week so far in Germany: Left home for airport; snow; Washington to Frankfurt-turbulent no sleep; Frankfurt to Heidelberg, missed train; wheels on suitcase broke- had to carry-heavy; walked to hotel, snow; walked to conference; snow; jetlag sleepy; presented briefing; network failure, ruined demo-presentation on stag in front of hundreds- tap dance; walked back to hotel; snow; beer; beer; beer; beer...