Saturday, February 28, 2009
Yesterday I was happy that the surgeon said that nothing she'd seen or felt indicated a need for any further testing.
But.
Today I'm bothered by that, because it's not a statement that I don't have IBC. So I don't know that I don't. Know what I mean?
From the research I've done, if it's there, it's best to find it as soon as possible. The miserable survival numbers are because people let it go so long. By the time you see external indications, it's very serious.
The doctor said to contact her immediately if I have any further problem - which I am now hearing as, "if it's there, let's wait until it's more advanced." (Not that I really think she's saying that. What she thinks and says and what I hear can be quite different.)
I'm thinking now I'd prefer a biopsy followed by a negative reading.
Agh. Shoot me now.
.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
2288 Surgeon, Water
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saw the breast surgeon this afternoon. She looked at my films, took my history, poked and prodded, and was impressed with my general level of health. She says she sees no reason to do anything intrusive at this time. It was probably either a stress-related hormonal change, or a simple infection. However, if it happens again, I should see her immediately.
I asked, and the "chicklets" in the one mammogram frame are lymph nodes, and they look exactly as they should.
The plumber arrived with three helpers. They pulled the pump, and discovered that the real problem was not the pump (which is at the bottom of the well), but the pipe that comes up from the bottom. It had a large crack, and broke when they pulled it up. That added $500 to the parts list. Joy. But tonight I not only have water, I have hot water, too.
Now, excuse me while I go eat cake and ice cream, and find some pretty bauble for myself on eBay. A pretty, CHEAP bauble.
.
Saw the breast surgeon this afternoon. She looked at my films, took my history, poked and prodded, and was impressed with my general level of health. She says she sees no reason to do anything intrusive at this time. It was probably either a stress-related hormonal change, or a simple infection. However, if it happens again, I should see her immediately.
I asked, and the "chicklets" in the one mammogram frame are lymph nodes, and they look exactly as they should.
The plumber arrived with three helpers. They pulled the pump, and discovered that the real problem was not the pump (which is at the bottom of the well), but the pipe that comes up from the bottom. It had a large crack, and broke when they pulled it up. That added $500 to the parts list. Joy. But tonight I not only have water, I have hot water, too.
Now, excuse me while I go eat cake and ice cream, and find some pretty bauble for myself on eBay. A pretty, CHEAP bauble.
.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
2287 Water, and a certain lack of support
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The plumber just called. He'll be by to drop off parts and materials this evening, then back "first thing" tomorrow to get started. He promises I'll have water tomorrow evening.
I was supposed to meet The Man this evening. It's been two weeks since we last got together. Last week he was putting in a lot of overtime with the auditors. Yesterday he canceled this evening because his car has died (electrical system), and won't be fixed until probably early next week. I don't know how he's getting to work. He had a rental for a few days, but apparently not now. I haven't asked.
I have the appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, so I really did want to see him this evening. He's aware of the appointment, but I guess not how I feel. I haven't told him.
I'm beginning to think maybe we have a communication problem. Being male, he sees no problem. I don't push him for explanations all the time, and I don't dump emotional crap on him, and if he notices at all I'm sure he appreciates that. But, I'm beginning to think that's going to have to change. He's going to have to give a little more.
-----------------------
If you're wondering what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains, where the money's going, and would like to track it, go to Recovery.gov, where you'll find tracking information, progress reports, a breakdown of various purposes of the money, and, if you want it, the complete text of the actual bill.
------------------------
Following up on an earlier post, where Piper had advised me to sell some losing stocks, then buy them back after 30 days, to book a loss that we can apply against my taxes for the next few years - I didn't do it, for the reasons given in that post (near the bottom).
.
The plumber just called. He'll be by to drop off parts and materials this evening, then back "first thing" tomorrow to get started. He promises I'll have water tomorrow evening.
I was supposed to meet The Man this evening. It's been two weeks since we last got together. Last week he was putting in a lot of overtime with the auditors. Yesterday he canceled this evening because his car has died (electrical system), and won't be fixed until probably early next week. I don't know how he's getting to work. He had a rental for a few days, but apparently not now. I haven't asked.
I have the appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, so I really did want to see him this evening. He's aware of the appointment, but I guess not how I feel. I haven't told him.
I'm beginning to think maybe we have a communication problem. Being male, he sees no problem. I don't push him for explanations all the time, and I don't dump emotional crap on him, and if he notices at all I'm sure he appreciates that. But, I'm beginning to think that's going to have to change. He's going to have to give a little more.
-----------------------
If you're wondering what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains, where the money's going, and would like to track it, go to Recovery.gov, where you'll find tracking information, progress reports, a breakdown of various purposes of the money, and, if you want it, the complete text of the actual bill.
------------------------
Following up on an earlier post, where Piper had advised me to sell some losing stocks, then buy them back after 30 days, to book a loss that we can apply against my taxes for the next few years - I didn't do it, for the reasons given in that post (near the bottom).
.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2286 Cave House
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
There's a unique house for sale in Festus, Missouri. The eBay listing is here. The listing ends on March 11 or so (sooner if they get a good offer). If you go look, the photos in the middle of the listing may not show up - but there's more near the end.
The house is built into a cave. (Well, they call it a cave. Actually it's an old mine.) 17,000 square feet, spread over three chambers. The living area is in the front chamber. The second chamber is 40'x40', and makes a good party/game area. The third, or back chamber, is huge, and contains a stage where, back in the '70s and '80s or something, some well-known music groups performed. In the photos, the green-tinted tunnel-looking one is that third chamber. They really should have included a person in that photo for scale - the ceiling is over 20' high!
$300,000 can get you a very unique geothermal house.
.
.
There's a unique house for sale in Festus, Missouri. The eBay listing is here. The listing ends on March 11 or so (sooner if they get a good offer). If you go look, the photos in the middle of the listing may not show up - but there's more near the end.
The house is built into a cave. (Well, they call it a cave. Actually it's an old mine.) 17,000 square feet, spread over three chambers. The living area is in the front chamber. The second chamber is 40'x40', and makes a good party/game area. The third, or back chamber, is huge, and contains a stage where, back in the '70s and '80s or something, some well-known music groups performed. In the photos, the green-tinted tunnel-looking one is that third chamber. They really should have included a person in that photo for scale - the ceiling is over 20' high!
$300,000 can get you a very unique geothermal house.
.
.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
2285 Making pictures
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Some people have photos of themselves in their blogs. Others don't. I find that after I've been following a blog a while, if there's no photo, I make up a picture in my mind of what they, their significant other, and other cast members look like.
My mind works in strange ways.
I've been visiting the blog of a woman who is now in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. I decided the soon-to-be-ex husband was tall, with dark hair and a lot of beard stubble.
Today I found a photo of him.
He's rather short and dumpy, pale, with thin curly red-blond hair and a red complexion. My immediate thought was , "Well. No wonder."
Then I realized that was a strange thought, so I thought about the thought.
I have never found blond or red-headed men attractive. I don't trust a pale man. It's worse if their hair is curly. The curlier their hair, the less attractive I find them. In fact, if their hair is very curly, I will dislike them at first sight. This is a prejudice I can't seem to get past. It makes no sense. It's not a minor preference, either. It's visceral. Maybe it's something that happened when I was very young, or in a past life or something.
It's interesting that if their hair goes gray when they get older, then they become ok, trustworthy.
My preference has always been men with dark hair, and especially if they have dark eyes. Ex#1 had curly black coffee hair and brown eyes. Jay had soft fine hair the color of a glass of soda, and his eyes were so dark you couldn't see the pupils. Both of them I lusted after at first sight.
Ex#2 was blond, with green-blue eyes. I had met and married him at a time in my life when I was "off sex", and it pleased me that he seemed to have no interest in sex either. You know, when I think back on it, I'm not sure I ever really liked him at all. I think I married him because I was sure he'd never hit me.
All the guys I've ever been good friends with, or had a heavy crush on, have been dark haired and dark eyed. (And very intelligent.)
I guess The Man is the epitome of the dark man. His eyes aren't as dark as Jay's were, and he shaves his head (but he's still dark on top). But the sight of his face thrills me. The contrast of his arm against mine makes me melt.
I wonder why I have such an intense reaction to coloring.
(Point of reference - My father had straight blond hair. He was about 5'5", powerfully built, with very fair skin that never tanned and pale winter-sky blue German eyes. My mother, 4'9", had very dark fluffy hair, and huge round dark brown Welsh eyes. If I'm looking for anything, it wouldn't be my father, but my mother. That would be a neat explanation, but it doesn't have the "feel" of truth.)
.
Some people have photos of themselves in their blogs. Others don't. I find that after I've been following a blog a while, if there's no photo, I make up a picture in my mind of what they, their significant other, and other cast members look like.
My mind works in strange ways.
I've been visiting the blog of a woman who is now in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. I decided the soon-to-be-ex husband was tall, with dark hair and a lot of beard stubble.
Today I found a photo of him.
He's rather short and dumpy, pale, with thin curly red-blond hair and a red complexion. My immediate thought was , "Well. No wonder."
Then I realized that was a strange thought, so I thought about the thought.
I have never found blond or red-headed men attractive. I don't trust a pale man. It's worse if their hair is curly. The curlier their hair, the less attractive I find them. In fact, if their hair is very curly, I will dislike them at first sight. This is a prejudice I can't seem to get past. It makes no sense. It's not a minor preference, either. It's visceral. Maybe it's something that happened when I was very young, or in a past life or something.
It's interesting that if their hair goes gray when they get older, then they become ok, trustworthy.
My preference has always been men with dark hair, and especially if they have dark eyes. Ex#1 had curly black coffee hair and brown eyes. Jay had soft fine hair the color of a glass of soda, and his eyes were so dark you couldn't see the pupils. Both of them I lusted after at first sight.
Ex#2 was blond, with green-blue eyes. I had met and married him at a time in my life when I was "off sex", and it pleased me that he seemed to have no interest in sex either. You know, when I think back on it, I'm not sure I ever really liked him at all. I think I married him because I was sure he'd never hit me.
All the guys I've ever been good friends with, or had a heavy crush on, have been dark haired and dark eyed. (And very intelligent.)
I guess The Man is the epitome of the dark man. His eyes aren't as dark as Jay's were, and he shaves his head (but he's still dark on top). But the sight of his face thrills me. The contrast of his arm against mine makes me melt.
I wonder why I have such an intense reaction to coloring.
(Point of reference - My father had straight blond hair. He was about 5'5", powerfully built, with very fair skin that never tanned and pale winter-sky blue German eyes. My mother, 4'9", had very dark fluffy hair, and huge round dark brown Welsh eyes. If I'm looking for anything, it wouldn't be my father, but my mother. That would be a neat explanation, but it doesn't have the "feel" of truth.)
.
2284 Twenty-five Hubble Photos
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
More Boston photos. This time it's 25 photos from the Hubble space telescope.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/hubble_space_telescope_advent.html?status=complete
.
More Boston photos. This time it's 25 photos from the Hubble space telescope.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/hubble_space_telescope_advent.html?status=complete
.
2283 Amazing Photographs - 1
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
At http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/
12/the_year_2008_in_photographs_p.html you'll find the Boston Globe's news of 2008 in photographs, part 1 of 3.
All of the photos are beautiful, even the ugly ones. Well worth a visit.
(I had been unaware of many of the news items.)
.
At http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/
12/the_year_2008_in_photographs_p.html you'll find the Boston Globe's news of 2008 in photographs, part 1 of 3.
All of the photos are beautiful, even the ugly ones. Well worth a visit.
(I had been unaware of many of the news items.)
.
Monday, February 23, 2009
2282 An odd search hit
Monday, February 23, 2009
I was looking at my Sitemeter page and noticed that I had a visitor from Dubai. I figured that someone had found my recent post on economic conditions in Dubai.
Nope.
I had heard that Egypt and the Arab states held the highest rate in the world for porn-searches. Whoever this searcher was, his persistence was remarkable. He was searching for "boob touching photos", and found my mammogram post - on page 59(yeowch!!!) of his search results. That was a lot of sifting.
I hope I didn't disappoint him.
.
I was looking at my Sitemeter page and noticed that I had a visitor from Dubai. I figured that someone had found my recent post on economic conditions in Dubai.
Nope.
I had heard that Egypt and the Arab states held the highest rate in the world for porn-searches. Whoever this searcher was, his persistence was remarkable. He was searching for "boob touching photos", and found my mammogram post - on page 59(yeowch!!!) of his search results. That was a lot of sifting.
I hope I didn't disappoint him.
.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2281 Movin' on out?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
I started out on AOL Journals. When AOL decided to put advertising on people's "private" journals three years ago, a lot of people fled to different hosts for their blogs. The advertising didn't bother me much, but AOL Journals was very difficult to use, and many people who moved raved about other platforms, so I decided to check Blogger out. And I liked it. And I moved here, where I have been satisfied.
Back during the AOL advertising revolt mass migrations, some bloggers set up cross references for everyone who had moved, change of address files, so you could look up where your favorite AOL journals (now blogs) went.
This past December (I think - sometime toward the end of last year, anyway) AOL shut down AOL Journals entirely. People had like two months to move. AOL did provide a tool to transfer old journal posts to a new host, late, of course, being AOL, but it did work, and I used it to transfer my earliest entries, still on AOL Journals, to Blogger. They now exist as "Moraine", at http://thunderplaypen.blogspot.com/, and include entries from late June, 2004, to mid-November, 2005.
Unlike the earlier exodus, it doesn't seem like anyone set up a directory. I don't know where a lot of people went.
In most cases, something happened that showed a definite lack of forethought and planning. And downright stupidity.
Let's say the last gasp of AOL journals was midnight, December 20. Almost everyone who provided a forwarding address put it in their December 19 or 20 entry! Poof. Gone. If you didn't catch it, too bad.
Consequently, journalers who were used to having a few hundred readers a day, and 50 comments an entry, found themselves alone on a deserted island. Only a few of the faithful were able to find them.
And what's really jerking my chain now is that one by one they are giving up and shutting down their blogs. Because they feel abandoned? Because they miss the adulation? (It was a general rule on AOL that you left only happy, smiley, complimentary comments, because your AOL email id was on your comment, and if you got snarky at all, people could find your mailbox, and stuff it with vindictive. Apparently you had to say nothing argumentative in comments, but it was ok to send death threats in email. I never quite understood that.)
Anyway, I'm getting tired of people complaining that nobody reads them any more.
"Wah wah. I'm so unloved, so discouraged."
"I'm gonna quit. Right now. This is my last entry."
"Well, now! Ok, now."
"Pretty soon now...."
It's like they're begging for evidence they are loved. I wonder if it has ever occurred to them that it's their own fault, having not left a forwarding address.
Whatever. I guess it's all in one's purpose for blogging. I have maybe 20 folks who drop in from time to time, the cast of characters rotates, they come and go. Only a few leave comments, but that's ok. I think fewer than one in 5 readers of personal blogs, and one in 50 on professional blogs, ever comment. I don't need or want adulation. This blog is for me, not readers. I don't have many people-contacts during an average week, and being able to complain here means that when I do see live people, I can be all sweetness and light.
I don't know what other people's purposes are, but apparently getting recognition is one. Hey, if you wanted to keep your readership, you should have told everyone where you moved to. If you want to build a readership, advertise - leave intriguing comments on a lot of other blogs. Don't just sit there and whine.
My attitude is "Well, if you're quitting, ok. Bye. I'll miss you for a while." But I don't say it. Some of them have some interesting and thought-provoking posts, and that's why I read them. But I rarely comment, usually because I have nothing to add, and I find it difficult (and time-consuming, considering I follow close to 90 blogs and feeds at this point) to leave empty say-nothing comments.
-------------------------
The plumber just left. The pressure tank is fine. The pump is working, but it's just dribbling. I need a new pump. The history seems to be that the pump has to be replaced every 12 years. The house is about 25 years old, and this will be the third pump. The second one went in in 1996-ish. He's going to come back and pull the pump on Friday. It's going to cost $2,400, half parts and half labor. I gave him a check for $1,200.
Just doing my part to boost the economy. You're welcome.
.
I started out on AOL Journals. When AOL decided to put advertising on people's "private" journals three years ago, a lot of people fled to different hosts for their blogs. The advertising didn't bother me much, but AOL Journals was very difficult to use, and many people who moved raved about other platforms, so I decided to check Blogger out. And I liked it. And I moved here, where I have been satisfied.
Back during the AOL advertising revolt mass migrations, some bloggers set up cross references for everyone who had moved, change of address files, so you could look up where your favorite AOL journals (now blogs) went.
This past December (I think - sometime toward the end of last year, anyway) AOL shut down AOL Journals entirely. People had like two months to move. AOL did provide a tool to transfer old journal posts to a new host, late, of course, being AOL, but it did work, and I used it to transfer my earliest entries, still on AOL Journals, to Blogger. They now exist as "Moraine", at http://thunderplaypen.blogspot.com/, and include entries from late June, 2004, to mid-November, 2005.
Unlike the earlier exodus, it doesn't seem like anyone set up a directory. I don't know where a lot of people went.
In most cases, something happened that showed a definite lack of forethought and planning. And downright stupidity.
Let's say the last gasp of AOL journals was midnight, December 20. Almost everyone who provided a forwarding address put it in their December 19 or 20 entry! Poof. Gone. If you didn't catch it, too bad.
Consequently, journalers who were used to having a few hundred readers a day, and 50 comments an entry, found themselves alone on a deserted island. Only a few of the faithful were able to find them.
And what's really jerking my chain now is that one by one they are giving up and shutting down their blogs. Because they feel abandoned? Because they miss the adulation? (It was a general rule on AOL that you left only happy, smiley, complimentary comments, because your AOL email id was on your comment, and if you got snarky at all, people could find your mailbox, and stuff it with vindictive. Apparently you had to say nothing argumentative in comments, but it was ok to send death threats in email. I never quite understood that.)
Anyway, I'm getting tired of people complaining that nobody reads them any more.
"Wah wah. I'm so unloved, so discouraged."
"I'm gonna quit. Right now. This is my last entry."
"Well, now! Ok, now."
"Pretty soon now...."
It's like they're begging for evidence they are loved. I wonder if it has ever occurred to them that it's their own fault, having not left a forwarding address.
Whatever. I guess it's all in one's purpose for blogging. I have maybe 20 folks who drop in from time to time, the cast of characters rotates, they come and go. Only a few leave comments, but that's ok. I think fewer than one in 5 readers of personal blogs, and one in 50 on professional blogs, ever comment. I don't need or want adulation. This blog is for me, not readers. I don't have many people-contacts during an average week, and being able to complain here means that when I do see live people, I can be all sweetness and light.
I don't know what other people's purposes are, but apparently getting recognition is one. Hey, if you wanted to keep your readership, you should have told everyone where you moved to. If you want to build a readership, advertise - leave intriguing comments on a lot of other blogs. Don't just sit there and whine.
My attitude is "Well, if you're quitting, ok. Bye. I'll miss you for a while." But I don't say it. Some of them have some interesting and thought-provoking posts, and that's why I read them. But I rarely comment, usually because I have nothing to add, and I find it difficult (and time-consuming, considering I follow close to 90 blogs and feeds at this point) to leave empty say-nothing comments.
-------------------------
The plumber just left. The pressure tank is fine. The pump is working, but it's just dribbling. I need a new pump. The history seems to be that the pump has to be replaced every 12 years. The house is about 25 years old, and this will be the third pump. The second one went in in 1996-ish. He's going to come back and pull the pump on Friday. It's going to cost $2,400, half parts and half labor. I gave him a check for $1,200.
Just doing my part to boost the economy. You're welcome.
.
2280 Movies on YouTube
Sunday, February 22, 2009
YouTube.com now has full length movies. Free. I've wasted a good portion of today watching Alan Arkin in the 1968 role of Inspector Clouseau, at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njuxnadQhC8.
.
YouTube.com now has full length movies. Free. I've wasted a good portion of today watching Alan Arkin in the 1968 role of Inspector Clouseau, at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njuxnadQhC8.
.
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