USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

Oh and good morning everybody. I dozed off around midnight I think watching a movie and when I got up and sleepily shuffled off to bed, I didn't even think about the vigil list. It had not changed though.

 

[Montrovant]

Still keeping busy and dealing with age related issues on top of that. Just over a week ago I started seeing light flashes in the corner of my left eye at night then noticed what they call 'floaters' (dark nebulous strands) in the same corner during the day. Contacted the VA for an Opthalmology consult and a couple of hours later one of the call nurses contacted me, asked my symptoms then instructed me to get to the VA ER asap, thought I might have had a mini stroke. I knew it wasn't a TIA but she planted the bug in my brain so latter we went to the ER and checked in. Well, being a Monday it was packed so after waiting in a treatment room for an hour I finally told the nurse I knew it wasn't a TIA and that I was wasting their time and the doc simply put me in for a consult. The next morning Opthalmology called and I was seen that afternoon, confirmed there was no TIA just age related, slight detachment of the jelly-like “vitreous” from the retina (not a retinal tear or complete detachment).
Don't know if I mentioned it but they finally did a MRI on my right shoulder (the one I landed on in my driveway) and it's definitely messed up, have an Ortho consult later this month.
Other than that the wife started her new job on Monday, only part time (3 days a week) but with a very good hourly rate that even with only 3 days per week will bring in more a month than I do on disability literally doubling our income.
My projects are what's keeping me busy, making more of those wrist cuffs I posted a while back (for sale), stripping down pallets for the wood, making another vest plus some leather work including a replacement for my belt that's starting to come apart. On top of that there's laundry, dishes and the general never ending cleaning as well as the wife's to do list.......

You are definitely on the list for wellness issues as well as the wife's employment situation in your long transitional process. But if the job produces sufficient income for the two of you, I would prefer a 3-day work week to a full time job unless there are less attractive factors related to that.

Speaking of age related issues. . .

Some months ago the vision in my right eye went to hell and that scared me a lot. My ophthalmologist looked at it and immediately sent me to their retina specialist center where I was diagnosed with what they said was an occlusion or swollen blood vessel behind my eye though some initial bleeding had apparently stopped. So followed three eye injections spaced over the next three months which cleared it up entirely--the vision in that eye returned to normal. Just a bit of swelling recurred a month ago so I had one more injection that the doctor thought would probably do it. I'll have to have it checked periodically but the doctors tell me they are really encouraged at the prognosis. So we'll see.

I'm actually about to start reading about coding for eye conditions.

There is much about modern medicine that I hate, but much more for which I am grateful. I am grateful that many medical conditions that were once pretty much fatal can now be healed or corrected or stopped in their tracks. Just like there are many conditions of the eye that resulted in blindness that they can now prevent or make well.

I've often said I would love to return to the America of my childhood and youth, but only if I could take today's medical knowledge and skills with me.

And it is a bit humbling to think that probably in another 50 years or so, today's medicine will be considered primitive. I imagine having the ability to diagnose and heal as it is on the Starship Enterprise.

My daughter wants to be a surgeon. Just a few days after my surgery, I was connected to so many tubes and monitors that hampered my ability to shift in bed or talk. I understood the need for all of it, but I was frustrated. I told her, “When you are a surgeon, make sure you understand that your patient isn’t just a healing meat slab. But someone going through a huge range of emotions.”

Amen to that. Working in hospitals for so many years put me in close contact with a lot of surgeons. And of all the medical world I have found them, while so very gifted and blessings to those they need them, to be mostly arrogant, pompous, impolite jerks with the bedside manner of a storefront mannequin.

But my surgeon previously mentioned was not that way. Not only did he restore my quality of life, he probably significantly lengthened it, and he treated me as a person, not as a patient. He generated so much trust that I had zero anxiety through the whole process and he explained everything to me following so I had zero anxiety following the process. On my final followup visit with him, he gave me a hug. That was special.

So yes, I pray that your daughter will be that kind of surgeon.

I haven't had to deal with that sort of medical treatment, but I tend to think of the surgeons as technicians and bedside manner not being high on the list of important qualities, while nurses are the ones who must be able to interact well with patients on a personal level. That is driven almost entirely by media, as again, I haven't had to be hospitalized or have any sort of surgery. I do know a number of nurses, though, and get the impression from them that they are really the personable ones, while the doctors and surgeons are very hit-or-miss as far as ability to connect to or sympathize with patients.

Of course, while I'm perfectly capable of getting along with people of various types, I tend to prefer not interacting with strangers, so that colors my perception of what is important and for whom.

 

[Gracie]

NOOOOO!!! Summer kicked Spring to the curb and it's HOT! 80 today..and will be this whole week. Last year this time, we moved up here to rain, layering clothes to keep warm and in general..COLD. This year? It's gonna be a bad summer, I think. Super hot. Miserable. Continuing to live in our rooms because he has no air conditioning. At least we do back here.

Meanwhile...a mobile home might be coming up available. Cheap. Just don't know how cheap. Could be 500 bucks to 4K. Gotta wait for the park managers to inspect it, then they will let us know if they will sell it, for how much depending on its condition, or tearing it down. What will be, will be, I tell myself. For now...we just stay back here and wait.

 

[Montrovant]

NOOOOO!!! Summer kicked Spring to the curb and it's HOT! 80 today..and will be this whole week. Last year this time, we moved up here to rain, layering clothes to keep warm and in general..COLD. This year? It's gonna be a bad summer, I think. Super hot. Miserable. Continuing to live in our rooms because he has no air conditioning. At least we do back here.

Meanwhile...a mobile home might be coming up available. Cheap. Just don't know how cheap. Could be 500 bucks to 4K. Gotta wait for the park managers to inspect it, then they will let us know if they will sell it, for how much depending on its condition, or tearing it down. What will be, will be, I tell myself. For now...we just stay back here and wait.

It's 45 here right now. Even if I were still in Tampa, it's only 65 there. I guess Cali is particularly warm this winter.

 

[Gracie]

NOOOOO!!! Summer kicked Spring to the curb and it's HOT! 80 today..and will be this whole week. Last year this time, we moved up here to rain, layering clothes to keep warm and in general..COLD. This year? It's gonna be a bad summer, I think. Super hot. Miserable. Continuing to live in our rooms because he has no air conditioning. At least we do back here.

Meanwhile...a mobile home might be coming up available. Cheap. Just don't know how cheap. Could be 500 bucks to 4K. Gotta wait for the park managers to inspect it, then they will let us know if they will sell it, for how much depending on its condition, or tearing it down. What will be, will be, I tell myself. For now...we just stay back here and wait.

It's 45 here right now. Even if I were still in Tampa, it's only 65 there. I guess Cali is particularly warm this winter.

Yes...it's hot all over Cali. Even home (the beach) is in the 80's.
I have the fans blowing cuz the window air conditioner is still in the garage.

 

[Montrovant]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

 

[Foxfyre]

NOOOOO!!! Summer kicked Spring to the curb and it's HOT! 80 today..and will be this whole week. Last year this time, we moved up here to rain, layering clothes to keep warm and in general..COLD. This year? It's gonna be a bad summer, I think. Super hot. Miserable. Continuing to live in our rooms because he has no air conditioning. At least we do back here.

Meanwhile...a mobile home might be coming up available. Cheap. Just don't know how cheap. Could be 500 bucks to 4K. Gotta wait for the park managers to inspect it, then they will let us know if they will sell it, for how much depending on its condition, or tearing it down. What will be, will be, I tell myself. For now...we just stay back here and wait.

It's 45 here right now. Even if I were still in Tampa, it's only 65 there. I guess Cali is particularly warm this winter.

There is a strong La Nina pattern in the Pacific and that almost always translates to a warm dry winter for the southwest and west. It will break down sooner or later, but right now the pattern seems to be totally stuck.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I really do love you guys.

And we continue to pray and/or send good vibes and/or positive thoughts and/or keep vigil for

Harper (Save's granddaughter),
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
Nosmo's mom,
Rod, GW's partner,
Kat's sister,
The Ringels in difficult transition
Dana, Foxfyre's friend recovering from heart transplant
Mr. and Mrs. Gracie in difficult transition and wellness for Gracie,
Mr. and Mrs. Peach174 for full recovery from setback,
Strength and stamina for gallantwarrior in his relocation project,
Ringel's injured shoulder and general wellness,
Drifter for the best job ever,
ricechickie for trouble free healing and wellness,
BigBlackDog for comfort and effective treatment
Sherry's Mom for treatment to be successful, and wellness for Sherry's daughter,
Sixfoot for an accurate diagnosis and wellness,
And for our students, job hunters, others in transition.

And the light is left on for Noomi, Freedombecki, Esthermoon, and all others we hope are okay and will return to us.

Sometimes it is comforting to know that there is so much more to know than what we know.

 

[Gracie]

The locals are saying March can be tricky. Seems like summer, flowers bloom, then BAM! In march, a snow storm. I hope its like that next month. We need a snow pack and rain. Otherwise, this place will be one big tinder box.

 

[SeaGal]

Going to be some changes at my place. Before long I’m going to bring the 5th wheel up to the house, completely unload it, clean it up good and put it up for sale. Mrs. BBD has told me that her camping days are over. I guess all good things come to an end sooner or later. She says when we travel from now on she wants to stay in a hotel. Somebody is going to get a great deal on a 2016 31 foot Wildcat model 282RKX 5th wheel camper! It was fun while it lasted!

I am with Mrs. BBD. Camping is great unless the mom/wife/lady friend or whatever is the one doing all the cooking in a cramped motor home or on the campfire, doing all the clean up, making sure provisions are laid in for the duration, and you still have floors to sweep, beds to make, the stove, sink, fridge, bathrooms etc. to clean up. Even when the guys help with all that, the women usually are more attentive to the details. Plus just setting up for the camping trip takes a lot of effort, packing, toting, of stuff you don't need or want in a nice hotel.

Even visiting friends or family isn't always so much a vacation for the wife as she feels obligated to help with the cooking, setting the table, clean up, making beds in the morning, etc. even when the host family doesn't expect that. The guys never seem to feel the same degree of obligation.

So yeah, these days a vacation with a nice, clean motel room with all the amenities and maid service, and meals in a restaurant where you don't have to cook or clean up, is much more appealing to me than camping or even spending time up at the cabin where we have to pack in everything we use, clean the cabin and pack everything out when we leave.

Still I have enjoyed camping over the years very much and still love to go see people. But sometimes we just need a bit of pampering ourselves.

I know I'm a couple of days behind - but one little 'agree' checkmark just doesn't do my response to your post justice. Can I add a big 'ol AMEN!?!

In our younger years mr sg and I lived for 2 years in a 16' travel trailer without a working shower, toilet, refrigeration or a/c. We had to use public facilities...and kept cold food in a cooler until my grandfather gave us a 1940's era frig, which I promptly painted orange.

I know that todays camping accommodations are far more luxurious - but as you pointed out - it's no real vacation for the ladies. That's one reason why a cruise is such a relaxing change of pace. Most women never fully retire - they still have laundry, cooking and cleaning to do, so a break from those activities is a 'real' vacation.

On the other hand I don't relish eating out for every meal or a hotel stay for more than a couple of nights either. We've found that renting a house at our destination and using it as a base for explorations is ideal, and often no more expensive than a multiple night hotel bill. I still cook some and do some laundry, but the main housekeeping is done by someone else before and after our arrival.

 

[ricechickie]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

My daughter called me in a panic when she looked up her finals grade and found out she failed her bio final. She was so confident, thought she did fine. She didn’t understand it. I told her she’s intelligent enough to know if she did well or terribly on the final, and she needed to call the professor and ask about it. She just cried, said she didn’t know, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor after all.

I insisted she call the professor. Her final grade didn’t match the rest of her class grades.

She called me back an hour later. It was a typo.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Ringel05]

The locals are saying March can be tricky. Seems like summer, flowers bloom, then BAM! In march, a snow storm. I hope its like that next month. We need a snow pack and rain. Otherwise, this place will be one big tinder box.

You are in the mountains, probably the most sudden and unpredictable weather changes on the planet and yes, the whole west needs more moisture. Right now we're all looking at a potentially high danger level fire season.

 

[Ringel05]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

My daughter called me in a panic when she looked up her finals grade and found out she failed her bio final. She was so confident, thought she did fine. She didn’t understand it. I told her she’s intelligent enough to know if she did well or terribly on the final, and she needed to call the professor and ask about it. She just cried, said she didn’t know, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor after all.

I insisted she call the professor. Her final grade didn’t match the rest of her class grades.

She called me back an hour later. It was a typo.

I love typos, typos as sooooo much fun, they occasionally are able to produce the same cardiovascular result as a spirited exercise session.......

 

[ricechickie]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

My daughter called me in a panic when she looked up her finals grade and found out she failed her bio final. She was so confident, thought she did fine. She didn’t understand it. I told her she’s intelligent enough to know if she did well or terribly on the final, and she needed to call the professor and ask about it. She just cried, said she didn’t know, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor after all.

I insisted she call the professor. Her final grade didn’t match the rest of her class grades.

She called me back an hour later. It was a typo.

I love typos, typos as sooooo much fun, they occasionally are able to produce the same cardiovascular result as a spirited exercise session.......

I had a good talk with her about faith in herself.

 

[Montrovant]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

My daughter called me in a panic when she looked up her finals grade and found out she failed her bio final. She was so confident, thought she did fine. She didn’t understand it. I told her she’s intelligent enough to know if she did well or terribly on the final, and she needed to call the professor and ask about it. She just cried, said she didn’t know, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor after all.

I insisted she call the professor. Her final grade didn’t match the rest of her class grades.

She called me back an hour later. It was a typo.

I love typos, typos as sooooo much fun, they occasionally are able to produce the same cardiovascular result as a spirited exercise session.......

I had a good talk with her about faith in herself.

I think I'm like her, I get easily stressed about my choices and ability to perform when something goes wrong in school. I shouldn't, for a number of reasons; so far I've gotten As in all of my courses, and I'm not planning on getting into a career that seems to be especially difficult, but I'm a pessimist.

 

[ricechickie]

Just got done with a test in my coding class.....I submitted the test, scrolled down to check my score, and it's a D. WTF? I wasn't sure about 2 questions, but otherwise I was pretty confident! I'm not happy I have gotten a couple of Bs on tests in the class, now a D?!

Well, I went through the questions and the answers which were given as correct. For 3 questions, I have the correct answers, but they were still marked wrong. Those 3 questions being correct would put me at an A. I also got 1 out of 3 parts incorrect on another question, and I'm not really sure it should have been wrong. I sent the teacher an email, hopefully it will get corrected soon.

I was starting to flip out before I saw that the questions seem to have been graded incorrectly.

My daughter called me in a panic when she looked up her finals grade and found out she failed her bio final. She was so confident, thought she did fine. She didn’t understand it. I told her she’s intelligent enough to know if she did well or terribly on the final, and she needed to call the professor and ask about it. She just cried, said she didn’t know, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor after all.

I insisted she call the professor. Her final grade didn’t match the rest of her class grades.

She called me back an hour later. It was a typo.

I love typos, typos as sooooo much fun, they occasionally are able to produce the same cardiovascular result as a spirited exercise session.......

I had a good talk with her about faith in herself.

I think I'm like her, I get easily stressed about my choices and ability to perform when something goes wrong in school. I shouldn't, for a number of reasons; so far I've gotten As in all of my courses, and I'm not planning on getting into a career that seems to be especially difficult, but I'm a pessimist.

I’m like her, too. Or I guess I should say she’s like me. I’m learning to have faith in my abilities. I’ve had pretty solid evidence over the years. It sounds like you do, too.

 

[Ava]

Super Bowl Sunday! We are having guests and we are all divided on which team we are rooting for. In one way, I want to see the Pats pull it off again but in another way I want to see the underdog have it's glory day. So I am just going with, "may the best team win." The frigid weather may have an unexpected influence on the outcome.

 

[Montrovant]

Super Bowl Sunday! We are having guests and we are all divided on which team we are rooting for. In one way, I want to see the Pats pull it off again but in another way I want to see the underdog have it's glory day. So I am just going with, "may the best team win." The frigid weather may have an unexpected influence on the outcome.

They're in a heated dome, so I wouldn't expect the weather to be much of a factor. I'm actually a bit disappointed by that, as an Ice Bowl type Super Bowl could be fun.

 

[Ava]

Super Bowl Sunday! We are having guests and we are all divided on which team we are rooting for. In one way, I want to see the Pats pull it off again but in another way I want to see the underdog have it's glory day. So I am just going with, "may the best team win." The frigid weather may have an unexpected influence on the outcome.

They're in a heated dome, so I wouldn't expect the weather to be much of a factor. I'm actually a bit disappointed by that, as an Ice Bowl type Super Bowl could be fun.

Well, I knew about the dome but questiond the efficacy of it during the game in these temps. I'm with you....would love to see it without the dome. lol. Can we say, "slippin' and uh sliddin'? lol