03.05.04
Coming Appart
Last week I found a very small loose screw in my pant pocket. Try as I may I could not figure out what the screw fell out of. Today I found a small spring. I fear that I may be falling apart.
02.16.04
Still Upset over 9/11
Over the weekend I watched Bowling for Columbine (2002) and became very upset at various parts during the movie. I am not sure exactly why other than because the filmmakers were trying to get an emotional reaction out of me. Today the lunchtime conversation with my co-workers turned to the attacks on Sept 11 2001 and I again became quite upset. Just thinking about that day bothered me so much that I had to leave the lunchroom and then the building. I have the feeling that walking away is equitable to ignoring a problem and that there is something there I need to ruminate on and come to terms with, but I also believe that at work is probably not the best place for that bit of self-exploration. When the time comes I should re-read The Lion’s Den: Why 2001 was an upsetting year. and see what I learn but that time is not today.
02.13.04
Confessions of a Buffy Addict
I don’t need Buffy… I can stop anytime… really!
After a glut of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that started with a two season marathon viewing during the January ice storm and was followed by the first season of Angel I figured it was time to take a break. I called my pusher and got a fresh shipment of season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine thinking I would watch it, them maybe move on to season 4 of The Sopranos (from the library) and then seasons 3 and 4 of Red Dwarf (currently on order from amazon.com). Well I watched The Sopranos and started in on Deep Space 9 but it was not very long before the first symptoms of Buffy withdraw started to set in (pacing around the house, wondering who Dawn is, shaking of the hand, wanting to see Willow smile, etc…) I thought I was stronger than this but last night I broke down and watched “Buffy vs. Dracula” and “Real Me” the first two episodes in Buffy season 5. All I can say is… I feel MUCH better now.
02.09.04
The Trick Is…
Sometimes when all is not well in the world I have to remind myself of the trick.
01.08.04
Snowed in with Buffy
Picture by Michael Burton
The snow and ice storm that hit Portland on Monday has not abated. I have been stuck at home for four days now. I just went outside and found that what looks like deep snow is in fact deep snow with a thick layer of hard to break ice on top. Looks like I will be here until the Thaw. No-one knows when exactly that will be but there is hope that it may start this afternoon. I just popped outside to see if I could help this fellow move the van he abandoned two days ago. He has dug enough snow and ice out around it that he is going to try and movie it once the ice on the windshield melts out with the heater… I think he will get out of where he is but am not sure how far he will get after that.
On the bright side of things being snowed in has turned into Buffy Fest ‘04. I finished Season 3 two days ago and have a good start on Season 4. I am absolutely loving this show… it goes to prove that good writing goes a LONG way.
07.23.03
Life without water
Yesterday morning I was dealing with emergencies at work when I got a phone call telling me that water was seeping up through the floor in the garage. I had Sara shut off the water to the house at the main Valve. I used my lunch hour to make phone calls and had to call 9 plumbers before I found one available to examine the break the same day. The plumber came out and told us we would have to use a jackhammer to break up the floor and then dig the 3 feet down to the pipe so it could be exposed for a patch… either that or pay him $800 to dig and fix. I made a decision to live without water for a day and take care of it the next morning.
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06.11.03
Friendster.com
My friend Amy just sent me a link to the new community network building site http://www.friendster.com/. I went ahead and set myself up with a profile. Still not sure what to make of the connected site. It could turn out to be fun, or then again it may turn out to be another opportunity for advertisers to advertise to me. If you want to go ahead and set yourself up with an account, then link to me.. who knows what connections might come of it.
04.29.03
Dental Plan .. Lisa Neds Braces
After spending countless days at work, pouring over details of my project’s plan, all I can hear whenever my project manager said ‘project plan’ is:
“Project Plan… Lisa needs braces”
04.23.03
Three doses of Novocain
During my last dental cleaning my dental hygienist noticed a hole had developed in one of my fillings. Yesterday I went in to see my dentist and have it fixed. It has been a long time since I sat in the dentist chair. As Dr. Price gave me a shot of Novocain I thought of mentioning to her that in past I have had to have extra shots before I am anesthetized, and then never fully. I decided to let the session go in case it was some error in the part of previous dentists that had caused problems. That was a mistake.
After letting the shot sit for a few minutes Dr. Price began drilling out the old filling and quickly hit a nerve. I squirmed. She stopped, asked how I was feeling and gave me a couple of extra shots. Her assistant handed me a magazine to read while the painkiller settled in. After a few minutes the doctor set to work again, and quickly got another yelp out of me. A bit surprised she stopped her drilling and again set to work administering Novocain. This time she gave me five short shots to specific parts around the gum. We sat for a few minutes more until I could feel the numbness up my cheek and through the gum line.
After being given what felt like as full a dose as I could get, Dr. Price set to work on the tooth again. This time it was a while before I again felt the pain. It was not as sharp or intense and it took longer to feel it, but there were definitely some uncomfortable moments through the procedure, specially as cold air came into the hole before it could be filled.
Now, I am left wondering why. Why is it that even with extra injections of Novocain placed in precise and strategic places by a professional I trust, my jaw could not be convinced to not feel any pain? I am 6?3? tall and presume most drug dozes will need to be increased to account for my size… but three doses of Novocain? Am I really that sensitive? Am I somehow immune to the stuff? I remember as a kid I used to have a very keen sense of hearing (headphones in high school took care of that) and I have always been very sensitive to smells and tastes. Is there any relationship? Is there a way to find out? I have asked a couple of doctors about this and had them look at me as if I were a dunce, but have yet to hear any answers.
03.16.03
Sara Photo Album
I have added a new album to the picture gallery for pictures of Sara. I think she is very beautiful and very photogenic.