And a contusion on my left elbow and a mild sprain on my right wrist. Yesterday was 'have-a-nice-trip' day on Vicodin. Hey, I even watched a NASCAR race for the first time in my life. When you are on Vicodin, it seemed interesting!
This morning, some of the Vicodin side effects are showing up (nausea in particular) so I think I will cut the dose in half for the next couple of cycles. The instructions allow me to do that.
MaryR has been very helpful. First, she took me to ER on Friday night and brought me back. And, stopped in a couple of times on Saturday with food! Most appreciated. The key thing is that I need to wrap/compress the elbow contusion and that is virtually impossible to do that on yourself--at least for me it is. So MaryR has also done nurse duty by properly wrapping my elbow. Thank you!
All I can say about this whole thing is "Wear your helmet!!" My fall was basically caused by the front brake grabbing and on a bike, that can put you head over the handlebars--which is exactly what it did to me. I managed to do this in front of neighbors out walking their dogs. In fact, I was slowing down to stop and talk to them when it happened.
We didn't quite have the conversation I expected to have given I landed on my head with my bike on top of me. At first I was very concerned because I could not breath--had the wind knocked out of me. I then realized another neighbor had come out of his house--I managed to pull this stunt in front of the Doctor's house. He was firing questions at me and I know he was trying to determine if a call to 911 was necessary. Thanks to the Doc for making that assessment.
Anyway, I walked home while the original neighbor I had wanted to talk to walked my bike home. I called Ingrid who had one more client for the evening and MaryR. MaryR was able to come over and take me to the ER.
The rest is straightforward. X-ray confirmed a broken rib on the left side. Observations confirmed a contusion of the left elbow. Mild sprain of the right hand and a number of minor abrasions. The biggest issue is the Vicodin simply puts me in a parallel universe...Happy, Happy!
That's all for now!
p
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday Nite Pain
I managed to go head over heels on my bike tonight. No head or neck damage. I think I broke a rib, trashed my left elbow and sprained my right wrist.
I am in ER, have seen the doc and now waiting for pain killers, tetanus and a trip to the x-ray department.
Long night ahead.
I am in ER, have seen the doc and now waiting for pain killers, tetanus and a trip to the x-ray department.
Long night ahead.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Drinking from a fire hose
My company does its strategic planning in the month of August. And, as a strategy officer, I have to pull together a bunch of inputs from managers all over the world. Herding cats is easier. Long days--start at 8 or earlier and wrap up by 8 or so in the evening. Makes one tired.
Marge and Dave did invite me to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday. It was a blast seeing all of the old cars. Jaguar was a featured mark as was Ferrarri, Pierce Arrow and Alfa Romeo. I have to say these old cars are just so beautiful with their complicated lines and antique mechanisms. It was just a riot.
Ingrid, MaryR and I had a nice dinner on Saturday. It was full of laughter and story telling about the cruise. Ingrid brought the smoked salmon she had purchased in Alaska as the prime feature of the meal and we matched it with all sorts of fun stuff including some really nice champaign.
Saturday was almost exclusively errands and house duties. Laundry, ironing, shopping, etc. As my dry cleaner noted when I dropped in "It seems so strange to see you here without Mary. You two always ran your Saturday errands together." I really do appreciate his comment and it is true. And, the comment didn't send me into a grief depression either. My spirits are feeling pretty good overall.
This week is two concerts, a couple of dinners and time to work on my photos so I can post them here for you.
All in all, things are very good right now. One of my direct reports said today, "Your spirits are clearly much better so the vacation did you a world of good." I agree.
p
Marge and Dave did invite me to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday. It was a blast seeing all of the old cars. Jaguar was a featured mark as was Ferrarri, Pierce Arrow and Alfa Romeo. I have to say these old cars are just so beautiful with their complicated lines and antique mechanisms. It was just a riot.
Ingrid, MaryR and I had a nice dinner on Saturday. It was full of laughter and story telling about the cruise. Ingrid brought the smoked salmon she had purchased in Alaska as the prime feature of the meal and we matched it with all sorts of fun stuff including some really nice champaign.
Saturday was almost exclusively errands and house duties. Laundry, ironing, shopping, etc. As my dry cleaner noted when I dropped in "It seems so strange to see you here without Mary. You two always ran your Saturday errands together." I really do appreciate his comment and it is true. And, the comment didn't send me into a grief depression either. My spirits are feeling pretty good overall.
This week is two concerts, a couple of dinners and time to work on my photos so I can post them here for you.
All in all, things are very good right now. One of my direct reports said today, "Your spirits are clearly much better so the vacation did you a world of good." I agree.
p
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I'm back!
I didn't post because I was in Alaska on a cruise. I've decided to not post until after I return so that the house is not a target while I am traveling. And, cruise ships in the north Pacific do not have reasonably priced internet connectivity so I simply waited until I got home. I am home now.
The ship was the Holland America's Statendam departing Seward (aka Anchorage) and arriving Vancouver BC a week later. The ship stopped to view glaciers in College Fjord and Glacier Bay. It also docked and spent a day each in Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan.
The weather was pretty good overall with only one rain day and that was in Ketchikan.
I did travel with friends and we had a blast. I'll write more about that later.
Overall, I am feeling so much better. Being away, no concerns, spending time with friends was absolutely a great thing to do. When I picked up the dogs on Monday, Diane the Vet looked at me and said, "You look so much better, clearly you had a great vacation week." Well, she isn't a doctor but she does judge the health of most of her patients by simply looking at them so I guess that is a fully qualified medical opinion.
As is typical, I have a bunch of pictures. I'll post the link when I have them uploaded on the picasa website.
And, Idjit Dawg is just fine. She just doesn't have the typical doggie digestive system that allows her to consume fowl droppings--apparently a doggie treat according to the vet.
Later
The ship was the Holland America's Statendam departing Seward (aka Anchorage) and arriving Vancouver BC a week later. The ship stopped to view glaciers in College Fjord and Glacier Bay. It also docked and spent a day each in Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan.
The weather was pretty good overall with only one rain day and that was in Ketchikan.
I did travel with friends and we had a blast. I'll write more about that later.
Overall, I am feeling so much better. Being away, no concerns, spending time with friends was absolutely a great thing to do. When I picked up the dogs on Monday, Diane the Vet looked at me and said, "You look so much better, clearly you had a great vacation week." Well, she isn't a doctor but she does judge the health of most of her patients by simply looking at them so I guess that is a fully qualified medical opinion.
As is typical, I have a bunch of pictures. I'll post the link when I have them uploaded on the picasa website.
And, Idjit Dawg is just fine. She just doesn't have the typical doggie digestive system that allows her to consume fowl droppings--apparently a doggie treat according to the vet.
Later
Saturday, August 7, 2010
I've been busy...
No posts this week except for the medical issue with Idjit Dawg and goose poop. The Vet says she is fine and will, hopefully, avoid ingesting the same stuff again. I can only hope.
As for me, I have been very busy with a special personal project. I'll be able to report on that on Monday so watch this space as of Tuesday morning.
Otherwise, things are good and I'll be posting more soon.
P
As for me, I have been very busy with a special personal project. I'll be able to report on that on Monday so watch this space as of Tuesday morning.
Otherwise, things are good and I'll be posting more soon.
P
Monday, August 2, 2010
Idjit Dawg has passed her latest crisis
Amazingly enough, Idjit Dawg refused food last Thursday (both meals) and Friday morning. At that point, I called the vet and MaryR was kind enough to take Idjit to the vet's office. They took possession of her and began a battery of tests. We're talking blood tests and x-rays, hydration techniques and collection of anything she happens to "produce."
The bottom line is that the tests of blood and stool indicate she had ingested the droppings of some fowl--duck or goose--and her digestive system did not tolerate it at all. In fact, she was very sick, no energy, no barking, no irritating behaviors at all. She had become a lump with a wiggly tail. By Saturday she was back at 90% and the vet kept her so they could watch over the weekend.
The bottom line is that she is just fine. And, another "tiny" vet bill has been incurred. Smile...
The bottom line is that the tests of blood and stool indicate she had ingested the droppings of some fowl--duck or goose--and her digestive system did not tolerate it at all. In fact, she was very sick, no energy, no barking, no irritating behaviors at all. She had become a lump with a wiggly tail. By Saturday she was back at 90% and the vet kept her so they could watch over the weekend.
The bottom line is that she is just fine. And, another "tiny" vet bill has been incurred. Smile...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Minnesota Weekend Wrapup
I have been very busy with work and other things and just haven't had a chance to finish the last part of the weekend in Minnesota.
On Monday morning, I said goodbye to the Farmers and headed to Duluth. I did stop at the St Ben's bookstore and bought a shirt, a cap and a sweatshirt. Duluth is like San Francisco. It can be hot as you approach the city, but once there, it is cold. Rumor has it that San Francisco sells more sweatshirts per capita than any other city with the possible exception of Duluth. So properly equipped, I headed out for the port city.
As originally promised, I arrived at my hotel around 2:30. It was located on Canal Park which means it is in the heart of the area that has gone under massive updating in the past decade or more. Mary's sister Maureen aka Reenie and Tom arrived from their office about the same time I did. We had a great chat for a couple hours, talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.
We then headed out to the lakefront. I was prepared for the Duluth chill and instead it was actually warm, hot even. It seems that Duluth can get caught in a bit of an inversion layer that holds the heat in. Well, I was there on the day that had happened. Reenie's sons Morgan and Colin with his wife Erin arrived. We then headed over to another part of town undergoing a renovation and ate in an old factory turned cool (as in neat) restaurant.
When we got back to my hotel, the kids took off and Reenie, Tom and I walked the area. We were able to see a large cargo ship leave the Duluth harbor, go under the lift bridge and head out to the East and the Great Lakes beyond Lake Superior. There was quite a crowd of summer tourists just kinda hanging around watching the boats and ships pass under the lift bridge.
During our conversations, we acknowledged our loss and the way we miss Mary. Reenie was such a saint during Mary's last year with all the time she spent out here with us. And Mary truly appreciated it. So did I. The care, feeding and loving that Reenie provided was such a huge positive factor. I have found writings by Mary celebrating with great joy the reconnection with Reenie and truly wonderful meaning is had in Mary's life. It is so wonderful that connection did happen.
Tom and Reenie headed home and I headed for the sack. Unfortunately, although I was feeling tired, I just was not able to sleep. My guess is that the intensity of being with Mary's sister plus the lingering emotional excursions from the Farmers' weekend had my head and heart churning in a way I had not realized. Eventually, I fell asleep and I let nature wake me up. I did have to rush to grab breakfast before they shut down the food line so I did sleep. That is good.
I then sent messages to my sister (Sister Maureen) and to my cousin, Dr. Mary Jo to join me for lunch. We agreed on a place near Mary Jo's house and we met there at the appointed hour--about 1:30PM. We then spent the afternoon talking about this, that and everything. If you have read the blog about Mary's last year, you know Mary Jo was incredibly helpful in helping me with the funeral arrangements in St. Paul. It was good to see her again.
We then went to Mary Jo's house to say hello to her husband, Denny. We were inspecting movies her father, my uncle, had taken and were now in her possession. The film appeared to be in good shape so she was going to investigate converting the film to DVD and discovering who and what were recorded on them. All I can remember is that Uncle Coleman had a light bar that consisted of 4 or maybe 6 flood lamps and when he turned it on to record a movie, all we could do was squint. Which lead the adults to say to the kids, "Stop squinting." Uh huh. After a too short visit, it was time for me to head to the airport so I bid farewell and headed to MSP.
This was a really good visit. Spending time with my sister and then with her and our cousin Mary Jo was extremely good. Seeing Reenie and Tom and a couple of their offspring was a treat and something I want to do more often. The Farmer weekend was simply superb. There is no way to describe the warmth, loving and concern that group of 15 people expressed for me and well as sharing the loss of Mary.
Father Patrick's mass is among the most emotional experiences I have had since Mary died. Knowing how much she loved Father Patrick and how much his love and guidance had helped her in her life, I was absolutely breathless and tearful as he said the mass. And to be with this wonderful group of loving and true friends was truly spiritual and rewarding.
God Bless and Thanks to All.
On Monday morning, I said goodbye to the Farmers and headed to Duluth. I did stop at the St Ben's bookstore and bought a shirt, a cap and a sweatshirt. Duluth is like San Francisco. It can be hot as you approach the city, but once there, it is cold. Rumor has it that San Francisco sells more sweatshirts per capita than any other city with the possible exception of Duluth. So properly equipped, I headed out for the port city.
As originally promised, I arrived at my hotel around 2:30. It was located on Canal Park which means it is in the heart of the area that has gone under massive updating in the past decade or more. Mary's sister Maureen aka Reenie and Tom arrived from their office about the same time I did. We had a great chat for a couple hours, talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.
We then headed out to the lakefront. I was prepared for the Duluth chill and instead it was actually warm, hot even. It seems that Duluth can get caught in a bit of an inversion layer that holds the heat in. Well, I was there on the day that had happened. Reenie's sons Morgan and Colin with his wife Erin arrived. We then headed over to another part of town undergoing a renovation and ate in an old factory turned cool (as in neat) restaurant.
When we got back to my hotel, the kids took off and Reenie, Tom and I walked the area. We were able to see a large cargo ship leave the Duluth harbor, go under the lift bridge and head out to the East and the Great Lakes beyond Lake Superior. There was quite a crowd of summer tourists just kinda hanging around watching the boats and ships pass under the lift bridge.
During our conversations, we acknowledged our loss and the way we miss Mary. Reenie was such a saint during Mary's last year with all the time she spent out here with us. And Mary truly appreciated it. So did I. The care, feeding and loving that Reenie provided was such a huge positive factor. I have found writings by Mary celebrating with great joy the reconnection with Reenie and truly wonderful meaning is had in Mary's life. It is so wonderful that connection did happen.
Tom and Reenie headed home and I headed for the sack. Unfortunately, although I was feeling tired, I just was not able to sleep. My guess is that the intensity of being with Mary's sister plus the lingering emotional excursions from the Farmers' weekend had my head and heart churning in a way I had not realized. Eventually, I fell asleep and I let nature wake me up. I did have to rush to grab breakfast before they shut down the food line so I did sleep. That is good.
I then sent messages to my sister (Sister Maureen) and to my cousin, Dr. Mary Jo to join me for lunch. We agreed on a place near Mary Jo's house and we met there at the appointed hour--about 1:30PM. We then spent the afternoon talking about this, that and everything. If you have read the blog about Mary's last year, you know Mary Jo was incredibly helpful in helping me with the funeral arrangements in St. Paul. It was good to see her again.
We then went to Mary Jo's house to say hello to her husband, Denny. We were inspecting movies her father, my uncle, had taken and were now in her possession. The film appeared to be in good shape so she was going to investigate converting the film to DVD and discovering who and what were recorded on them. All I can remember is that Uncle Coleman had a light bar that consisted of 4 or maybe 6 flood lamps and when he turned it on to record a movie, all we could do was squint. Which lead the adults to say to the kids, "Stop squinting." Uh huh. After a too short visit, it was time for me to head to the airport so I bid farewell and headed to MSP.
This was a really good visit. Spending time with my sister and then with her and our cousin Mary Jo was extremely good. Seeing Reenie and Tom and a couple of their offspring was a treat and something I want to do more often. The Farmer weekend was simply superb. There is no way to describe the warmth, loving and concern that group of 15 people expressed for me and well as sharing the loss of Mary.
Father Patrick's mass is among the most emotional experiences I have had since Mary died. Knowing how much she loved Father Patrick and how much his love and guidance had helped her in her life, I was absolutely breathless and tearful as he said the mass. And to be with this wonderful group of loving and true friends was truly spiritual and rewarding.
God Bless and Thanks to All.
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