The ortho said it was a non-articulated fracture of the radial head. I have a hairline fracture of the elbow-end of my radius. He left me in the splint with instructions to take it off at least twice a day and do range of motion exercises with my elbow and wrist.
It's doing pretty well so far. I did go in yesterday to have my wrist double-checked because it hurt really bad on Friday. No damage there but the swelling and inflammation are putting pressure on the wrist causing the pain.
Sleeping has certainly been a challenge but the worst has to be typing. I type a LOT for my job and doing it with only one hand is inefficient and tedious. Plus, I have to look at the keyboard and that doesn't do my neck any good. Mousing with my left hand is a little shaky and inaccurate but it's relatively easy.
800mg Motrin tablets help with the pain but they've started upsetting my stomach so I've had to cut back on those. I'm avoiding the Lortabs unless I REALLY need them.
The big bummer is that MS had a free XBox Gold weekend this weekend and I wasn't able to participate. :(
that's enough typing for now.
Showing posts with label Well that sucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Well that sucks. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Elbow
The elbow is a joint roughly in the middle of your arm. The elbow-joint comprises three different articular surfaces that are enveloped by a common synovial membrane. The design of the elbow is critical to ones ability to articulate the arm and some movements of the wrist.
I broke mine early Saturday morning.
There was a tornadic storm approaching and I went into my home office to disconnect my backup drives and take them into the shelter with me. On my way back, I plowed right into a baby gate we put up to limit the nocturnal movements of our dog. My most prominent thought, but certainly not my only thought, on the way down was, "save the drives!"
The drives took an impact, but were thankfully undamaged, and so did I. I distinctly remember face-planting because I felt it and I saw it - there were some sparkles, like lightning, in my vision at the time of impact. Amazingly, the only remnant of that particular blow are some scratches on the right lens of my glasses.
After the falling part was complete, I lay there for a few moments. My wife came out of the bedroom, saw me, and asked if I was alright. My answer came as a groaning, "no."
My left leg lay across the gate where I had hit it. I could feel the burning sensation of the three-inch abrasion on my shin. My kneecap also throbbed slightly with the pain of impact. I lifted my head and removed my bent and scratched glasses. I lifted my left leg and tried to push the gate away with my right leg. It wouldn't budge.
I somehow managed to sit up and was clutching a sore right arm in my left. I extended it tentatively. It felt very stiff but moved without too much additional pain. I wiggled my fingers. Okay there. I flexed my wrist. A little better than the elbow extension but stiff as well. When I tried rotating my wrist was when the sharp, intense pain hit. I exclaimed to my wife, "I think I broke my arm."
The volume of rain and approach of tornado-producing storms prohibited us from going directly to the hospital. We spent at least an hour in the shelter/closet listening to the track of the storm on the radio and watching the radar images on my iPhone. When the rotating portions of the storm had weakened or taken a different track, we got in the car and headed out.
4 x-rays, 2 consults with the doctor, a pain pill and an arm splint later, my knee was just bruised but I had cracked one of the bones in my elbow. It's been an interesting, semi-difficult and loooong 48 hours. It feels like it should be Wednesday or so, not Monday.
More later after my appointment with the orthopedist.
I broke mine early Saturday morning.
There was a tornadic storm approaching and I went into my home office to disconnect my backup drives and take them into the shelter with me. On my way back, I plowed right into a baby gate we put up to limit the nocturnal movements of our dog. My most prominent thought, but certainly not my only thought, on the way down was, "save the drives!"
The drives took an impact, but were thankfully undamaged, and so did I. I distinctly remember face-planting because I felt it and I saw it - there were some sparkles, like lightning, in my vision at the time of impact. Amazingly, the only remnant of that particular blow are some scratches on the right lens of my glasses.
After the falling part was complete, I lay there for a few moments. My wife came out of the bedroom, saw me, and asked if I was alright. My answer came as a groaning, "no."
My left leg lay across the gate where I had hit it. I could feel the burning sensation of the three-inch abrasion on my shin. My kneecap also throbbed slightly with the pain of impact. I lifted my head and removed my bent and scratched glasses. I lifted my left leg and tried to push the gate away with my right leg. It wouldn't budge.
I somehow managed to sit up and was clutching a sore right arm in my left. I extended it tentatively. It felt very stiff but moved without too much additional pain. I wiggled my fingers. Okay there. I flexed my wrist. A little better than the elbow extension but stiff as well. When I tried rotating my wrist was when the sharp, intense pain hit. I exclaimed to my wife, "I think I broke my arm."
The volume of rain and approach of tornado-producing storms prohibited us from going directly to the hospital. We spent at least an hour in the shelter/closet listening to the track of the storm on the radio and watching the radar images on my iPhone. When the rotating portions of the storm had weakened or taken a different track, we got in the car and headed out.
4 x-rays, 2 consults with the doctor, a pain pill and an arm splint later, my knee was just bruised but I had cracked one of the bones in my elbow. It's been an interesting, semi-difficult and loooong 48 hours. It feels like it should be Wednesday or so, not Monday.
More later after my appointment with the orthopedist.
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
How We Got Screwed At Sears.com
My wife ordered a small storage building with home delivery from sears.com in mid October to replace one that was damaged in a thunderstorm.
Two weeks later she called to find out why the shed had not been delivered yet. She spoke with online services who dropped the call trying to transfer her to e-commerce. She called back and her call was dropped *again*. She was finally connected with e-commerce who attempted to pass her back to online services. Can you imagine her mood at this point? It gets worse.
She managed to keep the agent from transferring her and found out that the order had simply not been completed. When he tried to re-establish the request with delivery services he found there were no more available in the warehouses for them to deliver.
To his credit he managed to work a refund and reorder of the same product for home delivery but it encumbered over $600 of our liquid assets until the refund completed processing. I literally had to wait until the refund was deposited to go buy groceries.
She received notice that the shed was to be delivered Monday, November 7. Nobody showed, nobody called, we just didn't have our product. She called to check the status and was given a revised delivery date of Wednesday, November 9. Guess what? Nobody showed up to deliver our shed. Nobody called us. We received no email. We got nothin' just like before.
When my wife called delivery services to find out why our shed had not been delivered she was told the order had been cancelled. When she inquired why, she was told it was cancelled by online services and delivery services had no idea why. After being transferred to online services she was told, by a supervisor, they had no idea why it was cancelled and she needed to talk to delivery services.
This is a completely unacceptable way to do business. Not only are we both quite angry that our hard-earned money has been jockeyed around and we do not have the product we paid for - twice, we are extremely disgusted with the lack of customer service from a company as large as Sears. I thought we were ordering a product from a trustworthy source but that seems not to be the case.
Would I recommend sears.com to a friend, family or colleague? There's not a chance in hell that's going to happen. As a matter of fact, I doubt I will shop at Sears retail locations.
Two weeks later she called to find out why the shed had not been delivered yet. She spoke with online services who dropped the call trying to transfer her to e-commerce. She called back and her call was dropped *again*. She was finally connected with e-commerce who attempted to pass her back to online services. Can you imagine her mood at this point? It gets worse.
She managed to keep the agent from transferring her and found out that the order had simply not been completed. When he tried to re-establish the request with delivery services he found there were no more available in the warehouses for them to deliver.
To his credit he managed to work a refund and reorder of the same product for home delivery but it encumbered over $600 of our liquid assets until the refund completed processing. I literally had to wait until the refund was deposited to go buy groceries.
She received notice that the shed was to be delivered Monday, November 7. Nobody showed, nobody called, we just didn't have our product. She called to check the status and was given a revised delivery date of Wednesday, November 9. Guess what? Nobody showed up to deliver our shed. Nobody called us. We received no email. We got nothin' just like before.
When my wife called delivery services to find out why our shed had not been delivered she was told the order had been cancelled. When she inquired why, she was told it was cancelled by online services and delivery services had no idea why. After being transferred to online services she was told, by a supervisor, they had no idea why it was cancelled and she needed to talk to delivery services.
This is a completely unacceptable way to do business. Not only are we both quite angry that our hard-earned money has been jockeyed around and we do not have the product we paid for - twice, we are extremely disgusted with the lack of customer service from a company as large as Sears. I thought we were ordering a product from a trustworthy source but that seems not to be the case.
Would I recommend sears.com to a friend, family or colleague? There's not a chance in hell that's going to happen. As a matter of fact, I doubt I will shop at Sears retail locations.
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!
I live in North central Oklahoma which is just shy of smack dab in the middle of the United States. Oklahoma is known for Native Americans, the Dust Bowl, the musical of the same name, Will Rogers, and tornadoes. Oklahoma is not generally known for its seismic activity.
On November 5, 2011 I experienced my second earthquake (the first one was only a few months before that). It was the largest in Oklahoma history (M5.6) and was centered about 60 miles from where I live. Last night, November 7, 2011, I wondered if I should start preparing for the rapture. Imagine this: A massive line of severe thunderstorms stretches diagonally across the state. We are experiencing light hail, lots of lightning, extreme wind shear and large, landscape-gouging tornadoes. This was weather we only normally see in May if we see it at all. Then, at 8:46 PM, my house started to vibrate. At first, I thought it was the storm but quickly realized I had heard no thunder – and to shake my whole house I would have heard it. This one was a M4.7 very close to the epicenter of the M5.6 we’d had on Saturday.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, I heard on the radio this morning that an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier (1,300 ft. wide) was due to “dart” past the Earth between the earth and the moon. This is supposed to happen TONIGHT!
The last two earthquakes to produce tsunamis actually shifted the magnetic axis just a bit. One of the 2012 doomsday shows I was watching on the Discovery Channel several months ago theorized that the Mayans predicted a polar reversal. Normally this would occur over the course of thousands of years but here’s my take on what’s going to happen.
Asteroid 2005 YU55 (that big ol’ honker that’s going to “dart” past tonight) will pass close enough to the Earth to suck some of the atmosphere into its wake. This will in turn disrupt the electromagnetic field (affecting most forms of communication currently available to us). Through an additional series of lunar gravitational events and other geomagnetic excursions, the magnetic poles will invert in a matter of days or weeks rather than in thousands of years. It’s already happened to the sun. Its magnetic poles reversed in February of 2001.
Once the polar reversal is complete, we can look forward to super volcanic activities (bye bye Yellowstone), massive earthquakes (hello New Madrid), Tsunamis and nasty hurricanes all culminating in THE NEXT ICE AGE!
Please, someone, tell me WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO!!??
For those who want more, ask me about my Hurricane Katrina theories (my friends will know what this means)
On November 5, 2011 I experienced my second earthquake (the first one was only a few months before that). It was the largest in Oklahoma history (M5.6) and was centered about 60 miles from where I live. Last night, November 7, 2011, I wondered if I should start preparing for the rapture. Imagine this: A massive line of severe thunderstorms stretches diagonally across the state. We are experiencing light hail, lots of lightning, extreme wind shear and large, landscape-gouging tornadoes. This was weather we only normally see in May if we see it at all. Then, at 8:46 PM, my house started to vibrate. At first, I thought it was the storm but quickly realized I had heard no thunder – and to shake my whole house I would have heard it. This one was a M4.7 very close to the epicenter of the M5.6 we’d had on Saturday.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, I heard on the radio this morning that an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier (1,300 ft. wide) was due to “dart” past the Earth between the earth and the moon. This is supposed to happen TONIGHT!
The last two earthquakes to produce tsunamis actually shifted the magnetic axis just a bit. One of the 2012 doomsday shows I was watching on the Discovery Channel several months ago theorized that the Mayans predicted a polar reversal. Normally this would occur over the course of thousands of years but here’s my take on what’s going to happen.
Asteroid 2005 YU55 (that big ol’ honker that’s going to “dart” past tonight) will pass close enough to the Earth to suck some of the atmosphere into its wake. This will in turn disrupt the electromagnetic field (affecting most forms of communication currently available to us). Through an additional series of lunar gravitational events and other geomagnetic excursions, the magnetic poles will invert in a matter of days or weeks rather than in thousands of years. It’s already happened to the sun. Its magnetic poles reversed in February of 2001.
Once the polar reversal is complete, we can look forward to super volcanic activities (bye bye Yellowstone), massive earthquakes (hello New Madrid), Tsunamis and nasty hurricanes all culminating in THE NEXT ICE AGE!
Please, someone, tell me WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO!!??
For those who want more, ask me about my Hurricane Katrina theories (my friends will know what this means)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
iPhone WiFi Sync FAIL
My first "real" MP3 player was a 2nd Gen Microsoft Zune. I also have a Zune HD. Both of these devices have WiFi sync that works without a hitch so I was thrilled to hear that iOS 5 would include WiFi sync. When I first set it up it worked beautifully. Since then, however, it has been hit-and-miss with mostly a miss.
Fail number one: If you leave that checkbox enabled next to "Open iTunes when this iPhone is connected" you will A) drain your battery faster when you're on WiFi with the iTunes host and B) won't be able to make iTunes go away for more than a couple of minutes on the host. What happens is that as long as you're on the same network, these two keep a connection to each other as if you had the cable plugged in but weren't syncing. It causes the phone to constantly tell the host it's plugged in, thus actively using WiFi and draining the battery, and causes iTunes to re-open every couple of minutes because the phone has been "plugged in." The Zune software can distinguish between a wireless and wired connection and only auto-launches on a wired connection. On the Zune, if you want to keep the system available for WiFi sync it's easy enough to do because the Zune software isn't such a RESOURCE HOG as iTunes.
Fail number two: If I go into Settings > General > iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, most of the time the phone doesn't see the host as "online" and can't complete a sync. This occurs even if the aforementioned checkbox is left enabled.
What's the point? Why would I want to leave a feature enabled that rapidly drains my battery, annoys me on the host system and doesn't work most of the time? Apple, I would give you an F for Fail but you did make a good effort to enable the feature so I give you a D for Doesn't Work.
Note: I did not include the iPad in this rant because I sync my iPad with my laptop, which is off most of the time, and do not know if the functionality is similar.
Fail number one: If you leave that checkbox enabled next to "Open iTunes when this iPhone is connected" you will A) drain your battery faster when you're on WiFi with the iTunes host and B) won't be able to make iTunes go away for more than a couple of minutes on the host. What happens is that as long as you're on the same network, these two keep a connection to each other as if you had the cable plugged in but weren't syncing. It causes the phone to constantly tell the host it's plugged in, thus actively using WiFi and draining the battery, and causes iTunes to re-open every couple of minutes because the phone has been "plugged in." The Zune software can distinguish between a wireless and wired connection and only auto-launches on a wired connection. On the Zune, if you want to keep the system available for WiFi sync it's easy enough to do because the Zune software isn't such a RESOURCE HOG as iTunes.
Fail number two: If I go into Settings > General > iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, most of the time the phone doesn't see the host as "online" and can't complete a sync. This occurs even if the aforementioned checkbox is left enabled.
What's the point? Why would I want to leave a feature enabled that rapidly drains my battery, annoys me on the host system and doesn't work most of the time? Apple, I would give you an F for Fail but you did make a good effort to enable the feature so I give you a D for Doesn't Work.
Note: I did not include the iPad in this rant because I sync my iPad with my laptop, which is off most of the time, and do not know if the functionality is similar.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
This Pisses Me Off!!
My accident has generated a few inquiries from law firms offering to help me in my time of need. I expected this. What I didn't expect was that they would use scare tactics. Pure, simple, unapologetic, nasty, bottom-feeding, blood-sucking, scare tactics.
The first scare letter came less than a week after the accident. it started off like this...
I got another one from another law firm today. Here's a tip to all you scummy slimeballs who would be the first to go should we enact Shakespear's plan - Fuck you! You will never get my business for pulling bullshit like that.
The first scare letter came less than a week after the accident. it started off like this...
It has come to our attention that there is a lien against you in Payne County for unpaid medical bills.Really!? In less than a week!? Before I've even had a chance to receive a bill?
I got another one from another law firm today. Here's a tip to all you scummy slimeballs who would be the first to go should we enact Shakespear's plan - Fuck you! You will never get my business for pulling bullshit like that.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
One Hell Of A Week
I don't want to say much about the accident itself except that my vehicle made contact with another vehicle while I was making a right turn. I was wearing my seat belt. The air bags did not deploy. We're 99% sure nothing was broken or fractured but I was jostled about quite seriously. Here's what went through my head.
What happened? You were in a car accident. Okay... Turn off the vehicle. [I turn off the key and take my foot off the brake. The car starts to roll slightly] Put it in park... that's good, now you can take your foot off the brake.
Okay, am I hurt? Are you? Let's see, I felt my right shoulder get wrenched pretty good. My arm was numb down to the elbow for about 30 seconds but it's OK now. My shoulder and the right side of my neck hurt. Yes, I'm hurt but not too bad, apparently.
I should go check on the other guy. Make sure he's alright. No, you shouldn't. You should stay right where you are. Are you sure? First, you are partially in a traffic lane and you would be opening your door into traffic that is already moving around you. That's just not safe. Second, you don't know the exact extent of your injuries. Right.
...
There's something else... Oh, I should call my wife and tell her I've been in an accident. Shouldn't you call the police first and report the accident? Yeah, right, police first. Would this be considered an emergency? Just get your phone out and dial 911 - this qualifies. [I reach back to pull my phone out of its case and my arm is stiff and sore] Yep, wrenched that pretty good. [I report the accident and request medical assistance as well]
How bad is the damage, I wonder? Don't concern yourself with that now. I'm not concerned, just curious. You should at least wait until the police arrive so it will be safe(er) for you to exit the vehicle. Okay, you're right.
Oh, wait, I still need to call the wife. [I call and inform her of the accident and describe where it hurts. The police show up so I tell her I will call her back in a few minutes.]
The officer takes my license and insurance information. He asks if I was the one who requested the ambulance and I tell him yes. He tells me to sit tight and wait for the EMT crews to arrive... which I do.
I won't bore you with the details of how I told six people my name and DOB and told four people where it hurt before we left the scene. Because I complained of neck pain, a fireman got into my back seat and held my head until the ambulance arrived. They then proceeded to wrap me in one of those rigid C-Collars (not fun, not comfortable) and helped me out onto a back board. I went from looking at the dashboard to looking at the sky. The other vehicle was obscured by a sign and the corner of a building so I was ignorant of many details when I left the scene.
Note: While the fireman was holding my head, I used my bluetooth speakerphone to call the wife back and tell her to meet me at the hospital.
The E.R. finally took me out of the C-Collar because I had no centerline pain and eventually sent me home with some Rx painkillers for my shoulder. I had already taken off Tuesday and Wednesday to finish a home improvement project (which didn't get done for obvious reasons) so I used those days to convalesce and my wife drove me to work on Thursday.
I had training Thursday morning so I clocked in, did a quick email check, and headed to the training room. I got signed in to the computer in the training room, looked over my email a bit more, and got signed into the class. As I sat there, the lower-left part of my back started tightening up. I shifted around and made a comment to myself about how terrible these chairs were.
As the instructor started the class and was having everyone introduce themselves since we were all from different areas, my back went from tight to sore to uncomfortable to downright hurting. I was fidgeting in my chair quite a bit and could find no relief. I figured I needed to stand up and possible walk for a bit. I excused myself but standing did not abate the pain. A passerby saw me exit the training room and lean against a counter and asked if I was alright... I said no.
The occupational health nurse was called, a wheelchair was brought, and I was taken to the nurse's office where I answered questions for an incident form she was filling out and awaited my wife whom I had called to come get me. As I sat there, the pain went from an 8 (out of 10) to a 6 and I thought things were clearing up... oh, they were just getting started.
The wife arrived and I got into the car. We were discussing whether to go home (65 miles away) and see the family doctor or go back to the E.R. 5 miles away. Since the pain had started to increase slightly, I suggested the E.R. might be the better course of action. Before we got out of the parking lot and onto the highway about a 1/4 mile down the road my pain threshold had gone back to an 8. By the time we got to the end of the on ramp, it was up to a 9. In very short order, it hit 10. I had a stabbing pain in the lower-left quadrant of my back and I could actually feel the muscle tightening in short, forceful spasms that cranked it up to 11.
Once the car stopped my agony abated a bit. I got wheeled into a triage room where I told 3 or 4 people my name, DOB, and where it hurt. My vitals were taken and I was wheeled to a treatment/exam room. I was back down to a 7 by this time.
The short version of the rest of this story is that my pain level moved between 6 and 10 for the next 30 minutes or so while I was examined and questioned again about my name, DOB and injury. I was writhing so much my wife was afraid I was going to fall off the gurney. I eventually received a shot of Adivan and another of Morphine and Benadryl. They were both given IM so it took another 20 minutes for them to take effect enough that I could get into a wheelchair and back to the car.
Since then I've been dealing with pain and tightness in various areas of my back as well as having my right arm randomly go numb along the inside all the way down to my index finger.
As if that wasn't enough, the mother of a close friend went into the hospital early this week. She had been experiencing some episodes of confusion and having her legs collapse out from under her which the doctors speculated might be small strokes. Sunday or Monday, she became disoriented and was not recognizing her children. They took her to the hospital and it was suspected that she'd had a brain bleed.
They performed surgery the next day and induced a coma for a couple of days after to keep her from moving about or even coughing or sneezing and mucking things up. We received a report that she had opened her eyes and glared at one of her children on Friday but that has apparently been the only sign of recovery.
We just heard that she experienced some sort of cardiac event over the weekend and the doctors are not confident she'll wake up on her own. They have her on a ventilator/respirator but can only leave it in for another couple of days before it does damage to her throat. The next step would be to perform a tracheotomy for the respirator and insert a feeding tube. They have advised the family that doing so would likely only serve to bring her unnecessary discomfort.
The family is going to speak with the doctors tomorrow and make some tough decisions.
Like I said. It's been one hell of a week.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Awwww Rats!
Some say life is a rat race. I couldn't agree more. The last few weeks have certainly made me feel as if I am running around a maze just hoping I'll stumble upon the exit. I was shoved into the maze and the door was locked behind me. I have run into and overcome a few obstacles, run into a dead end or two, and found new obstacles to overcome. At the moment, my future is in the hands of others. I can certainly choose a direction but whether or not the obstacles are lowered or doors are unlocked is completely out of my control.
I was involuntarily released from my employment on August 20. The short version is that my direct supervisor and I had communication difficulties. These difficulties led to unspoken expectations on both sides and preconceived resentments on both sides. The end result was that by the time we realized this and started to work beyond the obstacles the damage had been done and I could no longer be effective in my position. I was in the position for two years. The story is, of course, much deeper and much more detailed but when you boil it all down, those are the basics.
My aunt passed away on September 12th from what started as breast cancer. She had been in remission but they found tumors in her spine and pelvis. In the end there was one in her brain, too. My mother had gone to visit after she had been taken to the hospital and was on a respirator. My dad couldn't go since he had broken his leg and had almost no mobility. The wife and I spent the last part of August in KC helping him get around then I went back over Labor Day for a couple of days because I was the only one available.
I've been fighting a mistake in my dismissal that caused me to be unable to apply for any jobs at my previous place of employment. That part got resolved on Wednesday but it also caused me to be denied unemployment benefits. Now that it's corrected on one end, I'm waiting to hear on the benefits appeal. It's so frustrating having to take a potato and wait.
Looking for jobs is depressing and distressing. Most of what I'm finding in my field (which ain't much at all compared to 3 years ago) is for application developers - which I'm not. Some others are scaring me off because they're above my skill level. Most of what's left is call center work which I would prefer not to go back to. It's hard to find two jobs a week to apply for under those circumstances.
Overall, though, we are re-normalizing. We have more meals at home. We think twice, then reconsider and finally have to make a fourth go-round before we buy anything (bathroom tissue is always a yes). I ended my garage sale habit on August 21st. I would like to say I'm getting a lot of projects done around the house but between the traveling and the appealing and the job searching there just hasn't been time. I'll get a round tiut one of these days and make things happen. I already got part of the kitchen cleaned up.
My mood is pretty good. I tend to be optimistic about things. Even though I got fired I still learned a lot of indelible lessons about me, about my abilities, and about where the shortcomings in my performance hindered me (I plan to work on those). It has come to me, though, that with all of the roadblocks I stumbled across my destiny no longer lies at OSU and there is a high probability it no longer belongs in Stillwater.
Time will tell but we know this time not to move too far from our support system - that didn't turn out so well the last time we did that.
I was involuntarily released from my employment on August 20. The short version is that my direct supervisor and I had communication difficulties. These difficulties led to unspoken expectations on both sides and preconceived resentments on both sides. The end result was that by the time we realized this and started to work beyond the obstacles the damage had been done and I could no longer be effective in my position. I was in the position for two years. The story is, of course, much deeper and much more detailed but when you boil it all down, those are the basics.
My aunt passed away on September 12th from what started as breast cancer. She had been in remission but they found tumors in her spine and pelvis. In the end there was one in her brain, too. My mother had gone to visit after she had been taken to the hospital and was on a respirator. My dad couldn't go since he had broken his leg and had almost no mobility. The wife and I spent the last part of August in KC helping him get around then I went back over Labor Day for a couple of days because I was the only one available.
I've been fighting a mistake in my dismissal that caused me to be unable to apply for any jobs at my previous place of employment. That part got resolved on Wednesday but it also caused me to be denied unemployment benefits. Now that it's corrected on one end, I'm waiting to hear on the benefits appeal. It's so frustrating having to take a potato and wait.
Looking for jobs is depressing and distressing. Most of what I'm finding in my field (which ain't much at all compared to 3 years ago) is for application developers - which I'm not. Some others are scaring me off because they're above my skill level. Most of what's left is call center work which I would prefer not to go back to. It's hard to find two jobs a week to apply for under those circumstances.
Overall, though, we are re-normalizing. We have more meals at home. We think twice, then reconsider and finally have to make a fourth go-round before we buy anything (bathroom tissue is always a yes). I ended my garage sale habit on August 21st. I would like to say I'm getting a lot of projects done around the house but between the traveling and the appealing and the job searching there just hasn't been time. I'll get a round tiut one of these days and make things happen. I already got part of the kitchen cleaned up.
My mood is pretty good. I tend to be optimistic about things. Even though I got fired I still learned a lot of indelible lessons about me, about my abilities, and about where the shortcomings in my performance hindered me (I plan to work on those). It has come to me, though, that with all of the roadblocks I stumbled across my destiny no longer lies at OSU and there is a high probability it no longer belongs in Stillwater.
Time will tell but we know this time not to move too far from our support system - that didn't turn out so well the last time we did that.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Universal Suckage
A couple of months ago my father broke his leg. He had mobility problems to begin with so it all but incapacitated him. He's doing much better now but still has to use a wheelchair to move around for the most part.
This precipitated my sister having to postpone her wedding so that he would be able to attend. It also meant that my mother had to take FMLA leave in order to take care of him on a day-to-day basis.
This would not have been so terrible in and of itself but my aunt, my mother's only sister, who has battled breast cancer in the past, found out that her cancer had returned, it was in several locations, and it was in her bones.
We knew that she was going to be fighting an uphill battle but it turned difficult a lot sooner than we had expected. She was in and out of the hospital shortly after her diagnosis with dehydration and minor infections. To top it off, the meds she is taking for treatment and pain cause her so much confusion it jumbles memories around in her brain.
Turning a little closer to home, several of you already know that I have been having difficulties at work. It all finally came to an end last Friday and I was dismissed. This was not unexpected and I'm actually OK with it. What I'm not okay with is because of the process they followed and the official reason they cited, I have been put on a restricted list. I had to ask twice myself before someone finally explained that it meant I am ineligible for any jobs in the OSU system for at least a year.
Yesterday, I sent an appeal that included a four-page letter and thirty-one pages of supporting documentation. All I asked for was to be removed from the restricted list and to have the official reason for dismissal changed.
I have been trying not to think about it. I have been trying to be patient and let the process work. The problem is that when you put something like that together, you have to think about all of those things that you feel were unjust or incorrect and you can't help but be agitated and it takes a lot of effort not to be angry and bitter (stressful in and of itself).
Earlier this week, my aunt went back into the hospital with a pretty serious infection. The infection did not seem to be related to her other conditions but required immediate and aggressive attention either because of the type of infection or a compromised immune system due to the medications she was taking.
At any rate the infection was not responding much at all to the medication and her kidneys started to shut down. They believe that she had a stroke (or suffered some other type of cerebral event) yesterday afternoon and there was talk of whether she was going to make it through the night.
Besides being her sister, my mother is her medical advocate. Mom was on the phone most of yesterday with family, doctors, and airlines. She caught a 6am flight to Vermont to go be with her family and her sister.
I guess it's a good thing I'm unemployed for the moment because that means I am available to assist dad until my sister, who was planning on coming up next week for just that purpose, can take over.
Injury, unemployment, illness, and stress. I just figure the universe is getting all of our family suckage out of the way in one concentrated burst.
Friday, June 04, 2010
I DON'T Have To Have That
My wife came up to visit me in my office at the end of the day today. She came by to tell me that she had just come from the bank and my debit card had been disabled. There were about $700 in charges made at gas stations and a Walgreens in and around Warren, MI. The two largest charges were at Walgreens for $306 and $311. What the hell can you buy at Walgreens that costs that much? I suppose it could be pharmaceuticals but wow.
The bank gave me paperwork I need to file a claim for each transaction. I have to do due diligence and contact the merchants, notify them that it is a fraudulent charge and ask if they will reverse the charge. I have to document what the merchants tell me and what action was taken, if any. What a pain.
My best guess is that my number was somehow captured from an online transaction. I don't use my card very much to begin with and don't shop online with great frequency (I'm too much into that instant gratification thing). When I do use it online, it is with familiar companies such as Amazon, Newegg, etc. I'm pretty sure I know where it happened.
I was cruising the deals.woot list last week and saw a USB cable that had 7 different ends, including iPod, mini and micro USB, Nokia, and Sony-Ericsson. Once I added shipping, the cable was about $7 so I ordered one. The site was called I Have to Have That (ihavetohavethat.com or ihtht.com). I had never ordered from them before but I saw a lot of their deals on the deals.woot list in the past. I didn't even think twice. In fact, I bought some dog biscuits from one of their partner sites a few days later.
My products arrived in a timely manner and I am satisfied with them for what I paid. But that is the only place I have shopped recently that I can even imagine would have skimmed my number. Oddly enough, the charge for the cable hasn't come through yet but the dog biscuits have. Of course, this is the last time I will ever shop I Have to Have That and, in the future, I will always use PayPal if that is an option.
Just because I'm mildly paranoid now, I also went through and changed all of my passwords for email, Facebook, etc. and scanned my systems for viruses.
The bank gave me paperwork I need to file a claim for each transaction. I have to do due diligence and contact the merchants, notify them that it is a fraudulent charge and ask if they will reverse the charge. I have to document what the merchants tell me and what action was taken, if any. What a pain.
My best guess is that my number was somehow captured from an online transaction. I don't use my card very much to begin with and don't shop online with great frequency (I'm too much into that instant gratification thing). When I do use it online, it is with familiar companies such as Amazon, Newegg, etc. I'm pretty sure I know where it happened.
I was cruising the deals.woot list last week and saw a USB cable that had 7 different ends, including iPod, mini and micro USB, Nokia, and Sony-Ericsson. Once I added shipping, the cable was about $7 so I ordered one. The site was called I Have to Have That (ihavetohavethat.com or ihtht.com). I had never ordered from them before but I saw a lot of their deals on the deals.woot list in the past. I didn't even think twice. In fact, I bought some dog biscuits from one of their partner sites a few days later.
My products arrived in a timely manner and I am satisfied with them for what I paid. But that is the only place I have shopped recently that I can even imagine would have skimmed my number. Oddly enough, the charge for the cable hasn't come through yet but the dog biscuits have. Of course, this is the last time I will ever shop I Have to Have That and, in the future, I will always use PayPal if that is an option.
Just because I'm mildly paranoid now, I also went through and changed all of my passwords for email, Facebook, etc. and scanned my systems for viruses.
Monday, May 31, 2010
0 for 3
I received some cash for my birthday earlier in the month and had been eying some flash-based camcorders that record to an SD memory card. I'm not sure if I really want to invest the money because I'm not sure I will get that much use out of it. I have a compact 8mm camcorder that actually works pretty well that mostly collects dust.
As I was examining different models in my price range, I remembered that I have wanted a graphics tablet for digital photo work for quite a while but they've always been out of my price range. Since digital photography has become so popular Wacom, the company that is pretty much the top dog in pen-based input devices, has finally introduced a consumer product line - Bamboo. The most recent models are under $100. Our local office supply store had a couple in stock so I got one.
With most of my birthday money invested in the tool I know I will use, the idea of a "real" camcorder kinda fizzled. But I was still jonesing for something so when I saw that Big Lots had one by Jazz for $50, I thought I would give it a try.
I went to our local store several times over the next 3 weeks and they were never in stock. If I was in Tulsa or OKC, I would stop by one of those stores and got the same result. I thought I was resigned to never being able to get one when I saw one by Vivitar at BigW for $50. Eh, worth a shot.
The image quality was about what I expected. It had decent controls and a few options here and there. I wasn't looking for much for $50. What I found out was that when I zoomed in (digital zoom) the audio sounded like I was fast-forwarding a CD. Totally unacceptable so I exchanged it for another.
The second Vivitar would wig out as I was zooming but stabilized once it stopped. I can live with it. I wasn't looking for perfection for $50. But when I had nephew #1 record nephew #3's graduation and saw that parts of it had the scrambly audio, I returned the second one for a refund and put my remaining birthday money back into the drawer.
I get ad previews for Big Lots and saw that on Sunday and Monday, they were selling a Jazz camcorder (not exactly the same as the one previously advertised) for $25. I was in. I showed up on Sunday when they unlocked the doors, they had 6 in stock, I was the first to request the case be opened, and they were cleaned out before we walked out the door.
I have been playing with this thing for two days. The quality is similar to that of a cell phone camera (from 15 years ago). But I don't care. I don't expect much of anything for $25. It records audio and video fairly reliably. I'm happy. Until today.
I was goofing around with it most of the day. I didn't drop it. I didn't bang it around. I just picked it up, turned it on and hit the record button. I recorded three videos about me cleaning up the house (I know, really lame [REALLY lame!] but I wanted to play with my toy). When I picked it up to record the 4th segment it wouldn't come on. The tally light next to the power button came on but that's all she'd give.
I thought maybe the batteries were low (I hadn't used it THAT much but you never know) so I recharged them. I got the green light on the charger, reinstalled the batteries and pushed the power button. I was enthusiastic when I heard the startup chime and the startup screen came on the LCD but that's where it stopped.
I'll test it with some alkalines (some stuff is picky about rechargeables) but I'm pretty sure it's going back for a refund. If so, I'll just hang on to my money and get something when I've saved up enough to do so. :(
As I was examining different models in my price range, I remembered that I have wanted a graphics tablet for digital photo work for quite a while but they've always been out of my price range. Since digital photography has become so popular Wacom, the company that is pretty much the top dog in pen-based input devices, has finally introduced a consumer product line - Bamboo. The most recent models are under $100. Our local office supply store had a couple in stock so I got one.
With most of my birthday money invested in the tool I know I will use, the idea of a "real" camcorder kinda fizzled. But I was still jonesing for something so when I saw that Big Lots had one by Jazz for $50, I thought I would give it a try.
I went to our local store several times over the next 3 weeks and they were never in stock. If I was in Tulsa or OKC, I would stop by one of those stores and got the same result. I thought I was resigned to never being able to get one when I saw one by Vivitar at BigW for $50. Eh, worth a shot.
The image quality was about what I expected. It had decent controls and a few options here and there. I wasn't looking for much for $50. What I found out was that when I zoomed in (digital zoom) the audio sounded like I was fast-forwarding a CD. Totally unacceptable so I exchanged it for another.
The second Vivitar would wig out as I was zooming but stabilized once it stopped. I can live with it. I wasn't looking for perfection for $50. But when I had nephew #1 record nephew #3's graduation and saw that parts of it had the scrambly audio, I returned the second one for a refund and put my remaining birthday money back into the drawer.
I get ad previews for Big Lots and saw that on Sunday and Monday, they were selling a Jazz camcorder (not exactly the same as the one previously advertised) for $25. I was in. I showed up on Sunday when they unlocked the doors, they had 6 in stock, I was the first to request the case be opened, and they were cleaned out before we walked out the door.
I have been playing with this thing for two days. The quality is similar to that of a cell phone camera (from 15 years ago). But I don't care. I don't expect much of anything for $25. It records audio and video fairly reliably. I'm happy. Until today.
I was goofing around with it most of the day. I didn't drop it. I didn't bang it around. I just picked it up, turned it on and hit the record button. I recorded three videos about me cleaning up the house (I know, really lame [REALLY lame!] but I wanted to play with my toy). When I picked it up to record the 4th segment it wouldn't come on. The tally light next to the power button came on but that's all she'd give.
I thought maybe the batteries were low (I hadn't used it THAT much but you never know) so I recharged them. I got the green light on the charger, reinstalled the batteries and pushed the power button. I was enthusiastic when I heard the startup chime and the startup screen came on the LCD but that's where it stopped.
I'll test it with some alkalines (some stuff is picky about rechargeables) but I'm pretty sure it's going back for a refund. If so, I'll just hang on to my money and get something when I've saved up enough to do so. :(
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Bothered
I am in Kansas City for my nephew's graduation. When the day's activities were done we were heading back to our hotel and stopped for gas at a Quik Trip. I filled the tank and the wife went inside to get herself a bottle of milk. When I finished feuling the car, I pulled up into a parking space with the intention of going inside, meeting the wife and getting something for myself. She was waiting for me so I just got out with the intention of going inside on my own.
As I got out of the car a man standing next to his car asked me if I might help him. He didn't appear dangerous or anything so I stepped over. As I did so he raised his hood and started telling me his woes.
He started by saying that he was having trouble with his fuel pump. I thought he was going to ask if I knew anything about how to fix it but he was asking the wrong guy if he needed that. He continued telling me that he was trying to get home to Columbia but didn't know anybody in the area and couldn't get anyone at home on the phone and didn't have money for gas and... He seemed genuinely distressed but acted as if he was just going to keep rambling on. Finally, I asked, "What do you need?"
"Anything. Any help you can give me." and started going through his list again. He mentioned gas 2 or 3 times. I told him all I had was a couple of dollars but he was welcome to it and I handed it over. He thanked me and I went into the store.
As I was walking in, one of the clerks was standing with the door open and was on the phone. I heard her say, "he's in a red cap. Yes. Now he's getting into the car and leaving."
The gentleman I had been talking to (who was wearing a red cap), got into his car, had a bit of trouble starting it, then left. He just left. I got taken.
Now, it doesn't bother me that I got taken for a couple of bucks. It wouldn't have bothered me over $5 or $10. It's just money. I will err on the side of charity every time. What bothers me is that people feel the need to do that to make money. Is he a con man? Is he out of work? Is he really having difficulty but just doesn't want to get hassled by the cops? I just feel like I gave him my money under false pretenses and it just doesn't sit right. I just pray that whatever the reason he is doing this gets resolved and he can go on with life without having to do this.
As I got out of the car a man standing next to his car asked me if I might help him. He didn't appear dangerous or anything so I stepped over. As I did so he raised his hood and started telling me his woes.
He started by saying that he was having trouble with his fuel pump. I thought he was going to ask if I knew anything about how to fix it but he was asking the wrong guy if he needed that. He continued telling me that he was trying to get home to Columbia but didn't know anybody in the area and couldn't get anyone at home on the phone and didn't have money for gas and... He seemed genuinely distressed but acted as if he was just going to keep rambling on. Finally, I asked, "What do you need?"
"Anything. Any help you can give me." and started going through his list again. He mentioned gas 2 or 3 times. I told him all I had was a couple of dollars but he was welcome to it and I handed it over. He thanked me and I went into the store.
As I was walking in, one of the clerks was standing with the door open and was on the phone. I heard her say, "he's in a red cap. Yes. Now he's getting into the car and leaving."
The gentleman I had been talking to (who was wearing a red cap), got into his car, had a bit of trouble starting it, then left. He just left. I got taken.
Now, it doesn't bother me that I got taken for a couple of bucks. It wouldn't have bothered me over $5 or $10. It's just money. I will err on the side of charity every time. What bothers me is that people feel the need to do that to make money. Is he a con man? Is he out of work? Is he really having difficulty but just doesn't want to get hassled by the cops? I just feel like I gave him my money under false pretenses and it just doesn't sit right. I just pray that whatever the reason he is doing this gets resolved and he can go on with life without having to do this.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
My Evil Twin
Remember last January when I killed my evil twin? Remember how I said they're like trick birthday candles? Guess what - he didn't die. He went to work.
My evil twin has been doing my job for the past 18 months. I had no idea. He took over and acted in a manner that I would be appalled to notice in anyone else. Seriously. My name is mud right now. I basically got put on notice a couple of days ago. That's never happened to me. I am embarrassed to even outline the situation so don't ask - I mean it. I won't tell you. Yes, it's that bad.
I am alternating between self-loathing and being angry at my boss. I got dropped into a vacuum and have gotten almost zero feedback. When I have, it's almost always been negative. This maelstrom of conflicting emotions is why I haven't been around here or on FB much.
I'm trying to work through it but it has brought on a LOT of self doubt. I'll be back when I've worked some of this out.
My evil twin has been doing my job for the past 18 months. I had no idea. He took over and acted in a manner that I would be appalled to notice in anyone else. Seriously. My name is mud right now. I basically got put on notice a couple of days ago. That's never happened to me. I am embarrassed to even outline the situation so don't ask - I mean it. I won't tell you. Yes, it's that bad.
I am alternating between self-loathing and being angry at my boss. I got dropped into a vacuum and have gotten almost zero feedback. When I have, it's almost always been negative. This maelstrom of conflicting emotions is why I haven't been around here or on FB much.
I'm trying to work through it but it has brought on a LOT of self doubt. I'll be back when I've worked some of this out.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
It's Always Something Stupid
I have never broken a bone in my life (knock wood). I've never really significantly strained anything but I have known people who have. If you see someone in a cast and ask them what happened, you will get one of three answers. 1) It's some sort of post-surgical immobilization. 2) It's a sports-related injury. 3) It's really stupid. You will sometimes hear a combination of 2 and 3 but what you will almost never ever hear is something heroic.
The story usually goes something like this: "I fell off a 3-inch step and fractured my ankle." or "I thought it would be a good idea to take a flying kick at a trashcan... that happened to be bolted down."
So, the dog and I play this little game. (now, don't get ahead of me) He's a total wuss. I can act like I'm chasing him and he'll run into the bedroom and squeeze himself under the bed. He 'bounces' while he does it so he's not really afraid of me.
Anyway, I was playing this game with him last night and was chasing him into the bedroom. I turned the corner to go into the bedroom and I must have kicked my left leg out for balance or something. My two smaller toes connected with the door jam of the laundry room... hard.
It didn't hurt a whole lot at first but that changed quickly. I spent most of the day hobbling around and, just to make the wife stop saying, "are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?" I went to the doctor and confirmed that my toe is not broken. It's bruised pretty damn well but it's not broken. The only positive thing is I got some 750mg Aleve pills out of it.
The story usually goes something like this: "I fell off a 3-inch step and fractured my ankle." or "I thought it would be a good idea to take a flying kick at a trashcan... that happened to be bolted down."
So, the dog and I play this little game. (now, don't get ahead of me) He's a total wuss. I can act like I'm chasing him and he'll run into the bedroom and squeeze himself under the bed. He 'bounces' while he does it so he's not really afraid of me.
Anyway, I was playing this game with him last night and was chasing him into the bedroom. I turned the corner to go into the bedroom and I must have kicked my left leg out for balance or something. My two smaller toes connected with the door jam of the laundry room... hard.
It didn't hurt a whole lot at first but that changed quickly. I spent most of the day hobbling around and, just to make the wife stop saying, "are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?" I went to the doctor and confirmed that my toe is not broken. It's bruised pretty damn well but it's not broken. The only positive thing is I got some 750mg Aleve pills out of it.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Comment Bankruptcy
I've tried to find a way to preserve my Haloscan comments. I did find one person that did it but it involved Python scripts and wasn't exactly step-by-step. I have to remove them from the blog because Haloscan is shutting down.
I decided it wasn't so bad to lose my historical comments and reverted to Blogger comments. I have the comment dump from Haloscan so if anyone ever comes up with an easy way to import them I can still do that. I've thought about switching to Disqus and may still do so but for now, Blogger it is.
I decided it wasn't so bad to lose my historical comments and reverted to Blogger comments. I have the comment dump from Haloscan so if anyone ever comes up with an easy way to import them I can still do that. I've thought about switching to Disqus and may still do so but for now, Blogger it is.
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