O-ring headaches

O-rings come in many different sizes and thicknesses. You wouldn't think that a little rubber thing like this would be the cause of so many problems. But for me they have been the root of two of the most stressful work days I have had since I started working for this company.

Let me provide a little background for those of you who are new to my blog or who have been slacking on reading my archives (shame on you). I work in the injection molding industry. Specifically, the company I work for makes medical devices. Really small, cutting edge type stuff that can be put inside the human body. These devices are bio-absorbable, meaning that over time the moisture and heat in your body slowly dissolves the polymers used. Which is great because in the old days you had to have one surgery to implant such devices and another to explant them. With this stuff only the first surgery is necessary. Anyway, I digress.

We have a 500 piece order of a certain product that needs to be shipped tomorrow to our main customer in Florida. But it's not gonna happen. This run will ruin a perfect 18 month string of 100% on time delivery and (in most cases 120%) quantity of pieces ordered.

Normally the production schedule is planned out well enough in advance to allow plenty of time for manufacture, inspection, packaging and shipment. We were originally scheduled to make this order at the end of October.

After taking the time to set the machine up (a lengthy, time consuming process) in October, we started the run. But somehow the mold got severely damaged shortly after start-up, so we had to stop. Once we took the mold out it had to be sent out for repair, which it was that same day. That took until this past Monday when we got the mold back. What a crappy job they did!!

So on Tuesday we put the mold back in the machine and hoped to get some of the run in and finish it today, so that inspection, etc. could happen today and Thursday. After we got the mold installed we intended on running until we discovered the leaks.

With these machines running at such high temperatures it is necessary to have coolant running through both parts of the machine, which are the barrel (where the material gets heated) and the mold itself. Much to our dismay the o-rings in the mold went bad. So we replaced them. They leaked again. After going through about 10 sets of o-rings yestreday we thought the problem was fixed.

Oh no.

Assuming we had conquered the mountain, we began today with every intention of running all day and into the evening. So we started everything up again this morning. Four shots (a shot is what is produced during one cycle of the mold closing, injecting material and opening to reveal the molded product) into the start-up phase we discovered more leaks in the same places.

After what turned out to be a day's worth of unsuccessful attempts to correct the problem, we're down to ONE LAST HOPE.

In the morning, one of my co-workers is going to pick up an epoxy that we had frantically reserved from a local company tonight (for pick up tomorrow) that we hope will seal the leaks long enough to complete the run, which should take about 10 hours if all goes well. What adds to the problem is that our yields from the machine are horrible with this particular piece. Last time we ran it (in Nov. 2004) we had a 67% yield. Which is to say that one third of the shots we make will be garbage. At this rate, we'll need to make 665 shots to get 500 good pieces. If this epoxy stops the leaks, that is. And these figures don't even consider the amount of rejects that will be found during the secondary inspections. Once the run is done the mold will be sent out for more work, so the next time...

With any other type of injection molding, a coolant leak here or there would be no big deal. But because these babies go inside a human body, the coolant effectively contaminates the pieces, if contact is made with it.

Writer's cramps

I'm having writers cramps tonight in a vain attempt to come up with something creative, so I went thru some of the stuff taking up space in my computer's hard drive. This is what I came up with. Enjoy.

To Kill an American

My grandmother forwarded this to my email:

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.

An American is English, French, Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.

An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim.

In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best of everything - the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.

Hitler did.

So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.

But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

God Bless America!

George "Dubya" Bushwhacker, MAN OR APE?

Sometimes words are not necessary...

Top 10 things going thru the mind of Dubya

I "borrowed" this from a blog I found recently and thought it was funny.



Courtesy of "The Late Show with David Letterman"...

10. "Damn, Al-Qaeda"
9. "Am I that hungover?"
8. "Wish I'd thought of an exit strategy"
7. "It was easier to get out of the national guard"
6. "Hey, at least I didn't throw up like daddy"
5. "I just heard Oprah's going on Letterman"
4. "I know how to solve this problem -- tax cuts for the rich"
3. "I hope this doesn't hurt my chances of getting reelected"
2. "I need another five week vacation"
1. "Talk to Condi about invading China"

I love this movie

Brings tears to my eyes every time, no matter how many times I see it.

Which movie am I talking about?

Well there are a few movies that I have this reaction to. In what has become a "soon after Thanksgiving is done" tradition for me, I watched this. And I'll probably watch it a few more times during the holiday season to help me get into the Christmas spirit.

I have to give props here to one of my old college roommates, Steve, for introducing me to the magic that is this film.

Celebrity news from People.com

Fifth Season Of ALIAS Will Be Its Last.

Jennifer Garner has apparently gone on her last spy mission: the star's ABC espionage drama, Alias will air its final episode in May.

Garner, who is expecting her first child with husband Ben Affleck next month, played the butt-kicking, globe-trotting Sydney Bristow for five seasons. Though she still donned disguises and foiled the bad guys this year, her sexy spy persona was hampered a bit by her clearly growing belly.

"No more short skirts or high boots," an Alias source told PEOPLE. "She's just too big!" But Garner's real-life pregnancy was written into the script and instead of camouflaging her condition, she continued to vamp it up until Nov. 18, when she went on maternity leave.

Alias's ratings have sharply declined since it moved to a tougher time slot on Thursdays this season. However, in classic Alias style, ABC promises the show won't "wind down as it comes to an end." Instead, "it's going to rev up, and we're going to make it the event it deserves to be," ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson said in a statement Wednesday.

As for Garner, she has her biggest adventure of all still to come: motherhood.

---

Simpson, Lachey Splitting Up

Jessica Simpson, 25, and Nick Lachey, 32, are going their separate ways, the couple announced in a statement Wednesday. "After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways," the statement says. "This is the mutual decision of two people with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other. We hope that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

Reports that their union was in trouble began surfacing last October following a wild bachelor party attended by Lachey. The couple denied those stories, with Simpson telling PEOPLE: "Our relationship is better than it's ever been." Over the winter, the pair spent much of their time apart while Simpson was in Louisiana filming her movie debut as Daisy Duke in Dukes of Hazzard and Lachey worked on solo music projects.

But the couple reunited in the spring and shot down persistent rumors of a marital rift as they were seen out and about shopping, cuddling and clubbing together. Still, by July more reports surfaced that the marriage was kaput. Jessica's father and manager, Joe Simpson, stepped forward to defend the couple. "Do they fight? Hell yes, they fight. Have there been moments when Nick has wanted to leave Jessica or Jess has wanted to leave Nick? Absolutely," said the elder Simpson, explaining that the squabbles were not to be interpreted as a sign of major trouble in the union. "(It's the) same with me and my wife," Joe insisted. "If fighting is a sign of divorce, then we're all going to get divorced. My wife and I have been married 27 years. We've been at the edge of divorce for 26 of them."

For her part, Jessica said that while she and Nick occasionally were seen squabbling, "You don't want to marry somebody who's just like you. So there are always going to be conflicts. An argument now and then is good. It means that we're communicating." And yet, the stories of a Simpson-Lachey rift continued to circulate. On Aug. 3, New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams went so far as to print that the couple had "hired divorce lawyers, already drawn up divorce papers, even actually signed divorce papers" – prompting Lachey to respond publicly.
Cohosting TV's Live With Regis and Kelly with Kelly Ripa the day of Adams's item, Lachey said that everything was "absolutely wonderful" in his relationship with Simpson. He also denied being jealous of Simpson's movie career.

The pair first met at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1998, when Lachey was still a member of the pop group 98 Degrees. He said what really made him fall for Simpson was seeing her perform. "I watched her sing and saw the way people responded," he said at the time. Within weeks of meeting her, he was telling fellow band members, "I'm going to marry that girl." In February 2002 Lachey chartered a yacht in Hawaii and proposed to Simpson as the sun set on the Pacific. They married in a lavish ceremony on Oct. 26, 2002, in Austin, Texas. Their new life together – mostly spent at their home in Calabasas, Calif. – was chronicled on MTV's reality series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. Before getting married, the couple briefly broke up in 2001 then decided to reunite after Sept. 11. "Nick was patiently waiting for me to grow up a little," Simpson told PEOPLE at the time. "I knew that I never, ever wanted to be away from Nick for the rest of my life."

PSALM 100

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

NKJV

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

My mom had this given to her by someone who got it in their e-mail.

A TURKEY STORY

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop.
Then he sat me down and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;
His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of BLACK NOVEMBER.

"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three.
Soon you'll be thick where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.
And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head."

"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald 'n pink,
and scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink.
And then comes the worst part," he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing."

I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
and decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked.
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High roughage salads, juice and diet cola.

And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes.
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed.
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death.

And sure enough when BLACK NOVEMBER rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound.
So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap.
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap.
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
and smiled at me and said: "Christmas is coming..."

Wicked Good Slippers - part II

If you'll recall, on November 14th, I bragged on my favorite slippers from LL Bean. Since I praised LL Bean's awesome return policy, I was asked to post some before and after pictures to prove to you, the general public, that I was not kidding. So without further ado:



Exhibit A) These are the slippers I sent back last week. Notice the worn heel on the inside and the curl on the top left slipper.



Exhibit B) This is the box slippers #3 came in, which I used to return them last week.



Exhibit C) The stupendous LL Bean Guarantee.



Exhibit D) My new invoice, with handy postage paid label attached for future use in about two years from now.



Exhibit E) Wicked Good Slippers #4 fresh out of the box.
Oooohh, aaaaaah!

I probably could have picked them up a few days ago, but it's
been about a week since I've checked my mailbox, due to
several mitigating factors...

Shades of Grey

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll notice I've made some changes.

Since I couldn't figure out how to fix my sidebar problem (changed the template too much while trying to fix the error), I decided I'd go for a new look.

The shade of green I was using with the old template was not my favorite, even though it was appropriate for my blogger name, so we're starting fresh with a new template.

I've spent the evening restoring my links and general site maintenance, while watching the movie Real Genius. I added a link for this in the sidebar as well as for another book I've started reading at work during lunch.

I got rid of the traffic counter I was using so I can replace it with a better one.

Tomorrow we'll get back to our regularly scheduled look at the comedy which is my life. ;>)

Count Your Blessings

My kids and I went to church today for the first time in a month, now that my kidney stone issue is behind me. It was great to be again in the company of so many other Christians. Non believers will not and cannot understand how uplifting this is. One of the songs we sung today is the name of today's post. As I did with Amazing Grace in a previous post, I encourage you to listen to it here, as you read the words below:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Refrain

Even though the music, by Edwin O. Excell is a simple tune, the words, written by Johnson Oatman, Jr., are no less profound. The hymn was written in 1897 for a children's songbook.

My pastor today took a break from his current speaking on the book of Acts, and instead focused on some of the Bible verses that deal with science. Understand, be did not say that the Bible is or shoud be used as a science book. He did note how interesting it is that the Bible mentions certain facts of science that man has "discovered" in the last 500 years or so. I invite you to grab a Bible and look up the following verses and see if you can "discover" what scientific fact is being referred to (most are in the Old Testament):

Genesis 1

Job 26:7

Isaiah 40:22

Isaiah 43:16

Job 38:16 and Genesis 7:11

Job 28:25

Job 38:19

Job 38:24

Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 and Job 38:25-30

Genesis 22:17 and Jeremiah 31:37

Leviticus 17:11

1 Corinthians 15:41

Keep in mind that Genesis was written between 1485-1445 BC, Leviticus suggests it was written in the same time period as Genesis, but probably not before. Isaiah was written sometime before 681 BC. Ecclesiastes is credited to have been written by King Solomon, which dates the writing of the book in or prior to 931 BC. Jeremiah wrote during the reigns of Josiah (640-609 BC) thru Zedekiah (598-586 BC), which means it was pribably written somewhere in the reign of Zedekiah. Consensus among historians is that Jeremiah's scribe Baruch edited the final manuscript sometime after Jeremiah's death. 1 Corinthians was written by Paul in 55 AD. And Job is considered to be the oldest book in the Bible, with the events taking place around the time of Abraham. Some consider Moses to be the author but that is speculation. Who actually wrote it is not known.

Assistance needed

I'm in need of some technical assistance regarding my blog, since I am a novice when it comes to HTML.

Before my post on the Wicked Good Slippers, my profile description and links ran parallel to the current post. From that post forward you must scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see all of my links & stuff (which is dreadfully annoying).

I went trough the blogger help topics, but could not find a solution.

I'd like to be able to fix the template HTML without redoing the whole thing. However I'm afraid I'll make things worse if I attempt it on my own.

So any help you all might provide would be, well, helpful.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he
was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For
each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in
the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to
the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before
him, he looked back at the footprints in the
sand. He noticed that many times along the
path of his life there was only one set of foot-
prints. He also noticed that it happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the
LORD about it. “LORD, you said that once I
decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all
the way. But I have noticed that during the
most troublesome times in my life, there is only
one set of footprints. I don’t understand why
when I needed you most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied, “My precious , precious
child, I love you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering, when
you see only one set of footprints, it was then
that I carried you.”

Author Unknown

This has ALWAYS been one of my favorite poems. If you are a person of faith, you will find this to be so true.

Alias 5.7: Fait Accompli

.A very pregnant Sydney chats with a university chancellor in Rome while Renee Rienne tries to break into the building's underground storage facility. Syd feigns exhaustion and asks for a glass of water, affording her the chance to steal and duplicate one of his key. She sends the template to Renee electronically. Renee soon finds Dean's package - and another man about to steal it. She kicks his butt, grabs it and meets Sydney outside.

In her apartment, Sydney discusses with Rachel the mysterious keycard that is meant for one port among billions. Delivery men arrive with Sydney's baby's crib yet to be assembled. She sadly reveals to Rachel how she envisioned this moment to be very different from what had turned out. She leaves the crib disassembled.

After Sloane receives word from Nadia's doctor that she has no hope for recovery, he gets a call from Gordon Dean demanding his keycard. Later, Sloane apologizes and confesses to Jack and Sydney that he had been working with Dean. When Jack asks him what changed his mind, Sloane admits that he was hoping that Dean could help find a cure for Nadia. Now that he knows she's untreatable, he is more than willing to help them bait Dean with the keycard.

In a racetrack at Dubai, Tom and Dixon take out Dean's men while Sloane hands Dean the keycard. Suspicious, he takes Sloane hostage. The APO team loses track of them when the track's PA system jams their transmissions.

Rachel finds them in an empty stable and knocks Dean unconscious with a shovel. When Syd interrogates him, he says the keycard will grant them access to his anonymous boss' communication hub. After revealing that the card will expire in 12 hours, Dean offers to work with them in exchange for immunity and protection. Syd injects him with a drug to encourage him to talk more freely.

Meanwhile, Sloane meets with a man named Ehrmann, who asks him to eliminate Dean. Sloane refuses. On cue, Sloane's receives a phone call regarding Nadia's condition. He arrives at the hospital to see Nadia waking from her five-month coma. She begins convulsing, however, and must be injected with a sedative and returns to her comatose state.

In the APO office, Dean reveals that the communication hub is located on top of the Glenheim Tower, and says that the watchman can help. He also apologizes for killing Michael Vaughn and warns Syd that his bosses have plans for her.

In Seattle, Dixon and Tom arrive at the tower and plug the access keycard in a port. As they uplink to Marshall, he discovers that many of the organizations in the database are part of global governments. Marshall is then locked out of the system and presented with a riddle. Syd recalls that Dean mentioned a "watchman" who can help.

Sloane slips inside Dean's interrogation room. Dean says he has the access code and can help take down Prophet Five, but Sloane forces him to swallow a cyanide pill. Syd discovers his corpse.

Sitting inside a car, Peyton and Ehrmann drink to her success. He confirms that she now has Dean's operations and warns her of double crossing them. Ehrmann gets out of the car briefly and meets with Sloane, who confirms the assassination. When Sloane asks when Nadia will be cured, Ehrmann says that they will need more from Sloane -and points out that Sloane now has hope for Nadia's return. Frustrated and helpless, Sloane watches him leave.

In Sydney's apartment, Jack helps Sydney build her baby's crib. Sydney says that taking down the 12 sources making up Prophet Five will be a challenge since they are embedded inside a global government. Jack remains encouraging and tells her that they've already started their long journey.

---

Prophet Five is apparently bigger than Gordon Dean. Nadia may yet survive. Sloane is still evil. The plot takes another twist.

The next episode, in three weeks, will mark the return of one of Alias' coolest bad boys. David Anders is back playing Sark, whom we last saw at the beginning of season four. What part he has and how big his role will be remains to be seen.

Apparently ABC has decided to move ALIAS back to Wednesdays, as it was last season. Its new time slot is at 10 pm, starting December 7th. I'm assuming they did this because they realize that even a show as good as this can't beat out the monster that is Survivor. (I've never understod the appeal of reality television shows like Survivor, which seems stupid to me. Oh well.) It's kind of interesting. Last season Alias was on at 9 as a lead in to Lost on Wednesdays. In three weeks, Lost will be the lead in to Alias.

So the next Alias update will be on Pearl Harbor Day.

Which Peanuts charachter are you?

You are Rerun!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

"Relax... and don't forget to breathe, OK?"

That is what the nurse said to me this morning as she prepped me for the "quick" procedure of removing the stent from inside my body. This stent, you'll recall, was inserted into the passageway between my kidney and bladder during the surgery I had last week.

I had been dreading this day since last week, but also was looking forward to it as well. Dreading it because I knew I would be awake when the doctor pulled the stent out. Looking forward to it so I could rid myself of this constant overwhelming urge to pee.

When they called me into the room that the procedure would be performed in, I shuddered. It seemed like a mini-operating room. The nurse had me sit down on a chair while she gave me an antibiotic and asked me some questions, including did I have to pee. I said no, thanks. Then she had me sign a form giving the doctor permission to perform this procedure. I readily and happily signed it.

She instructed me to remove all of my clothing from the waist down, save for my socks, and lie on the table *pointing to the table*, then to cover my mid-section with what looked like a large piece of two-ply toilet paper. She would come back in a few minutes to "prep" me, she said.

All the "prep" in the world would not - could never, have prepared me or will do justice to what followed.

As I lie on the semi cold table (was the table REALLY cold, or was I just freezin' from being nekkid from the waist down with such a flimsy thing covering me???) waiting for the nurse to arrive, I'm thinking, OK, I can do this no problem. Next thing I know she's come in the room, all business-like, removed my toilet paper and added a few more layers but with strategically placed holes in the middle of them.

Then she instructed me to put my hands behind my head so she could create "a sterile environment" by swabbing my _ with some orange goo and attaching some clippy thing to it. Then she pumps me full of some local anesthetic (WAY too little in my estimation) which she cheerily tells me I'll be glad I have. I naively nod and say OK, still not knowing the horror ahead.

She tells me that she'll be back in five minutes with the doctor so they can do the deed. Five minutes never lasted so long. Actually it turned out to be, I think, 20 minutes, as there was someone or something else the doctor had to see to first. Anyway, it seemed like forever.

While I'm waiting with nothing to do, hands behind my head, freezing my you know what off, I'm thinking: "Did they forget about me?" and "Am I ever going to get out of here alive?" and feeling like I REALLY did need to pee, now. But I couldn't get up to do so and probably wouldn't have been able to if I did. So I just lie there, with these thougts swirling around in my head and that sensation that I had to go.

FINALLY, the doctor and nurse reentered the room, apologizing for the delay, saying it was unavoidable. After some small talk the doctor did whatever he needed to do with his instrument thingy, inserting it inside my _.

The nurse reminded me to not forget about breathing, after which the doctor immediately said, "Are you ready?" as his arm, instrument in hand, came wooshing back behind his head.

WHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

The longest thirty seconds, minute (whatever) of pure pain and undescribable feeling followed.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

"See, we're all done, now. That wasn't so bad, was it?" said the doctor as an evil grin took over his face. He put down his tool and headed for the door. On to the next victim, I thought.

I smiled (I think), said thank you and turned my attention to the nurse who unclipped the thingy from my _ and wiped it and that with two moist cloths. Then she had me sit up and showed me the stent which she pulled from the trash can, so I could see what it looked like. Then she dropped it back into the trash can and pointed to the toilet, suggesting strongly that I try to pee. Then she said I could get dressed and leave. No one would bother me and I could take as much time as I liked.

"Wonderful." was the only intelligent thing I could think of to say, and I mumbled it out loud as she closed the door behind her.

As I sat on the hopper, willing myself to pee in an area I could still not feel nor control, I noticed a box of white rubber gloves in a rack on the wall two feet in front of me. There were other things in the rack of course, but seeing the gloves got me thinking...

Ladies, I can probably say with authority that the sensation of this all would be entirely different for you, but none the less traumatic to be sure.

Guys, do you want to know what it felt like?

No?

Too bad, I'm going to tell you anyway, since it's my blog and you've read this far...

Picture a little white and blue rubber snake, 14 1/4" long by 1/16" wide, with curls on either end suddenly and forcefully being whipped out of a tube not much larger than the width of the snake itself. At the same time, picture this tube attached to your body, with all of the nerves alive, well and functioning properly.

As for the sensation, well, let's just say I'll leave THAT up to your imagination.

My advice: Do what I'm now going to do, which would be drink lots of water to flush your body and prevent yourself (myself) from having to go through this (again).

After I left the medical building, it was about 10:30. I had been there for almost two hours. The next three hours was pure hell for me, as I felt the need to glue myself to the toilet for the rest of the day, because I still felt the pain, pressure and need to pee but felt like I couldn't control it. (Fortunately I did but it didn't feel that way at the time.)

But I muttered through it, doing some errands in between going back to my apartment for lunch, so I could go home and feel squidgy in private for the rest of the day. Which I did and was.

And that was how my morning went.

What was my brilliant thought, you ask? Well, see for yourself.



No, I'm not keeping it as a souvenir. That would be gross, never mind extremely unsanitary. Photographic proof is all I need to go along with the memories...

Trust me on this, ok?

Wicked Good Slippers - part I

In the last post, I mentioned my "around the house" clothes. These are loose fitting pants, not jeans or sweats or pajamas. But that's not what I want to bring to your attention here.

I want to brag on these babies. My favorite slippers.



These slippers are soooo comfortable! You can get them here. Now you can say, "I'm not paying THAT much for a pair of slippers!!" But let me tell you, these are worth it, and so is buying from the company that sells them, LL Bean.

No sales pitch. True story. My ex gave me a pair of these slippers for Christmas almost six years ago, based on my (HINT) suggestion.... After about one year of wearing them every day while not working or sleeping, I naturally wore them out.

LL Bean has a reputation of replacing for free, any worn out item that they sell or if you are just dissatisfied with the item AT ANY TIME. So I sent them my soleless slippers and they sent me a second, brand new pair for free. They even sent me a check reimbursing me for the $3 something I spent on postage to send them back! Can you believe that?

It gets better.

Eighteen months later I wore the second pair out from constant use. So I sent them back to LL Bean, again. Shortly they sent me a third pair of slippers - again at no charge. They also sent me another check for the postage plus a self stick postage paid return label for the next time.

{Oh, before I forget - at the same time I returned pair of slippers #2, I also returned to them an LL Bean River Driver shirt that had worn out from about five years of wear and washing. They sent me a new shirt, free, in a new color, since the one I was returning wasn't made anymore. If memory serves - that shirt I, or my ex more likely, got from the Salvation Army, in a second hand thrift store. LL Bean still replaced 'em fer nuttin'.}

I'm wearing, as I write this, my third pair of these Wicked Good Slippers. These now are also at the point of being worn out. The inside of the slippers, when new, has a soft fuzzy, bunny fuzz-type lining. Not mine. I've worn them down to the bare leather sole.

Will I return the third pair? You betcha I will. Sooner rather than later, methinks.

Though I must add this disclaimer: DO NOT carry heavy, unwieldy objects down ANY flight of stairs while wearing these slippers, becasue the sole is smooth and offers NO traction whatsoever.

My brother experienced this the hard way, after I convinced him he ought to get some of these for himself. Almost threw out his back, he did, falling down the stairs, heavy object landing on top of him awkwardly.

Waaay too soon

This is going way too far. Guess what was on television tonight, eleven days BEFORE Thanksgiving?

A Christmas special!

As my daughter was flipping trough the channels, fifteen minutes before bedtime, she flipped onto WTBS, and they were showing, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." What's up with that?!?!?!

Now don't get me wrong. I love that special. It is a classic. It makes a great children's book even better. I'll look forward to watching it in December. But puhleeze don't show it (or any Christmas special, for that matter) so early. It sort of reminds me how stores tend to put Christmas decorations up shortly after Halloween is over.

---

We didn't go to church today, for the fourth Sunday in a row. **BECAUSE** I'm still feeling sore, what with that stent still inside my body. Fortunately it will come out on Tuesday morning. The only place we went today was the grocery store, and that was just before lunch. I started feeling it while we were out. So when we got back, I put my "around the house" clothes on, so I could feel more comfortable. Aaaaah nice.

Sunday is football day. So I put on the Patriots game, which they won, 23-16, in a place that they don't often win. That would be Miami. Weird things usually happen to the Patriots when they play in Miami. See last season's game here for a great example of what I mean. Then I watched the post game wrap up, much to my kids' displeasure.

By this time it was 5:30. Time to oversee the shower and bath for my kids.

Because my kids are here with me tonight, it was my night to pick their movie. So I chose the classic "Wizard of Oz", which recently came out on a special edition DVD. Great stuff. My kids don't watch that movie very often, which is why I picked it. They have a tendency to pick the same movies every weekend, which gets tiring for me, since I have to watch it too. I only have one television here in my apartment, which is in view while I play on the computer.

While the movie was on, I was reading some old posts on one of the blogs I've linked to. Wow. Very moving and very powerful stuff. Now, I've got the Sunday night game on, but I'm not really watching it. I think I'll go and read. I've got several books I've started and have yet to finish.

See you all tomorrow.

Saturday visit to the parent's house

Today my kids and I went down to my parent's house for the day, since most of my family has not seen me in the last three weeks. We had a nice visit, even though they were busy. They use their weekends to do all of the stuff that they have no time to do during the week.

There was another reason why we went there today as well. My dad and I like to go here. My kids have gone with us the past two times and were looking forward to going again today. The next time we will be able to go is on April 1, 2006. So I've stocked up on a few more bits of reading material to last through the winter. I did pretty good budget wise. I had a list of several items that I wanted to check out. Most of these items I put aside for a future date and some I didn't even look at for fear of temptation to spend more than I really should.

The only thing I wavered on amounted to just under half of the total I spent. I found a really cool four volume Bible, which is in English, Hebrew and Greek, with the text side-by-side. I also found the exact same thing in one large volume, with smaller print and for half the price. I ended up buying the four volume set, since the one volume edition was rather large and unwieldy. I can't read Hebrew or Greek now, but would love to learn someday. In any case, each language looks neat on paper.

Once we got back to my apartment, I gave my kids dinner and we settled in to watch a movie. Tonight is my daughter's choice, as is every Saturday night, and she chose Cinderella. When the movie is over, I'll read to them another chapeter in a storybook on dragons that we've been trying to get through.

Then they'll go to bed and I'll watch something for me, or maybe read a book, since I have some new choices....

So what did I do tonight? I flipped between the NC State vs. BC football game on ESPN2 (BC won 30-10) and Police Academy on one of the pay movie channels.

I'd forgotten just how funny the original Police Academy is. Several times I found myself laughing hysterically & other times I rolled my eyes at how dumb (but still funny) some of the jokes were. Police Academy 2 & 3 were ok, but after that the series just became flat out stupid.

What pattern is your brain??

I saw this on Carla H.'s blog. I liked the answer I got, so I thought I'd steal it.....

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is an incubator for good ideas, it just takes a while for them to develop. But when you think of something, watch out! Your thoughts tend to be huge, and they come on quickly - like an explosion. You tend to be quiet around others, unless you're inspired by your next big idea.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Alias 5.6: Solo

Sydney and Rachel watch a scared family behind a two-way mirror. Rachel gazes at them sadly, and talks about the guilt that she feels for putting them in danger. Syd assures her that putting them in the witness protection program is the best way to ensure their safety. Rachel goes inside the room and embraces her family.

Later, Sloane reports to Dean that Rachel's family is in the protection program. After Dean makes it clear that Sloane should be prepared to kill them, Dean tells Sloane to find a weapon designer named Janos Vak using APO resources.

In the briefing room, Jack heads a meeting and lets Sloane speak. By "using" Rachel Gibson's debriefing, Sloane recommends that they find Janos Vak, a Hungarian who specializes in weapon targeting software. Since Vak is currently working on a software program that can intercept and redirect missiles, and Dean has been trying to locate him in the past, Sloane suggested that Vak can be used to bait Dean. Jack also shows them a photo of an Algerian arms dealer who had a meeting with Vak and who can give them a lead. Syd suggests that Renee Rienne can help with penetrating the Algerian underworld.

After Renee infiltrates a warehouse in Marseilles and acquires intel on Vak, Sydney presents this information to the team. She says that Vak met with a Chinese official named General Liem Song, who is having an engagement party at a Chinese Consulate in India. Dixon adds that Song keeps an encrypted copy of his contacts in a safe in his room and this should lead them to Vak.

With Marshall and Rachel waiting in a van, Syd attends the engagement party with Tom. Realizing that General Song is not leaving his room, Dixon creates a scene by proposing to the bride-to-be. With the busy guards, Syd slips into General Song's room, tranqs him and starts to bypass the safe.

When Marshall says that there is too much shield in the building, Rachel volunteers to set a relay antenna near the garden to boost the signal. After Rachel plants the relay device and Syd was able to get the contents in General Song's safe, Rachel is caught by a guard. With surging panic, she turns and runs away. Tom helps her and knocks the guard out.

Sloane meets with Gordon Dean, who is furious that APO acquired significant intel from the consulate. He demands that the decrypted data be given to him later that day.

At the APO office, Dixon tells Sydney that they have located Janos Vak at an oil platform facility in the middle of the South China Sea, and adds that Jack is sending Rachel to this mission. As Syd expresses her opposition in this decision, Dixon adds that the government has suspended all shore leave except for a "female companion" every other weekend for Vak. Nervous and embarrassed from the last mission, Rachel listens to Dixon and Sydney's advice and prepares for her first mission alone.

Sloane meets with Dean and gives him details on the next mission. Dean then meets with Peyton and assigns her to get the software herself and advises her to kill Rachel if they cross paths.

Dressed as a prostitute, Rachel arrives at the oil facility. A few minutes after entering Vak's room, she drops her lipstick that was supposed to be Vak's tranquilizer. With Syd's guidance, Rachel improvises and seduces Vak. After tying him to the bed, Rachel downloads the program from Vak's computer.

Peyton arrives at the facility and upon realizing that the original software had been destroyed, she runs after Rachel, who is making her way to the heli-deck for extraction. She confronts Rachel who in turn expressed her anger about Peyton's betrayal. When Peyton urges her to hand the data over at gun point, Rachel starts rummaging through her bag and finds the hair brush equipped with an ice pick that Marshall built. She jams it into Peyton's shoulder and they exchange blows. Just then, the Chinese guards start shooting at them. Dixon arrives in time and picks Rachel up with the helicopter as Peyton jumps to the sea.

In another meeting, Sloane refused to give Vak's software to Dean, saying that Dean had tried to kill an APO agent. In response, Dean pointed out that he decides how to run their operations. As Sloane stood his ground, Dean mentions Nadia and uses her to convince Sloane.

Inside her apartment, Sydney sits in a rocking chair that she bought from a toy store, where, for a brief moment, she wistfully watched a father take care of his child. She then plays an old mission tape that Marshall handed to her before she left. With the sound of Vaughn's voice playing, she holds the tape close to her belly.

---

Last week ALIAS was not on. ABC chose to show Pirates of the Caribbean instead. So now I resume my Thursday evening ALIAS update & commentary.

Mia Maestro was listed in the guest star credits this week and made a cameo appearance in the last two minutes of the show tonight. It's nice to know her charachter isn't dead yet, and that the possibility remains that she'll get better and return to her role as Syd's sister and APO member. Too bad her love interest from last season was effectively written off. I still don't like the way they killed off Vaughn (Michael Vartan's charachter). Maybe they'll invent some brainwashing scheme and work in that his being shot many times was a set up. Or maybe they'll pull a Dallas/Newhart thing and this season will end up being a dream.

Huh??

I just had to share this with you. The sheer stupidity of it is amazing...

How about that

I just got home a few minutes ago from work and my weekly Wednesday meeting and was greeted with this sign on the front door to my building:

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ON FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 11TH, THE PARKING LOTS WILL
BE PAINTED BEGINNING FIRST THING IN
THE MORNING.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT
PARK ON ANY OF THE PARKING LINES. THE
CONTRACTOR WILL BE ABLE TO WORK
AROUND VEHICLES, AS LONG AS YOU ARE
NOT PARKED ON THE LINES.

YOUR COOPERATION IS GREATLY
APPRECIATED. THE PAINTING WILL MAKE
YOUR PARKING MUCH BETTER WITH
WINTER JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENT WHO
SUGGESTED HAVING THIS DONE. (SEE
WE LISTEN.)

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE
CONTACT MANAGEMENT AT 603-555-5555.
THANK YOU.

I am happy to say that I was the resident who made this suggestion!! Two and a half weeks ago I was irritated that I couldn't find a parking space near my apartment because other people were double parking and taking more space in the lot than they actually needed. So I dropped off an anonymous suggestion to the complex management that this be done. Much to my delight they actually listened to me!!

How am I feeling today?

EXCELLENT.

Let me run down the events of yesterday for you:

My mom and I arrived at the hospital right at noon, as we were supposed to. After I checked in, I found a seat in the waiting room and pulled out a book that I had brought, expecting to have a long wait.

A little after 1:00 PM they called me in to the prep area, where a nurse went over some information with me and had me sign some release forms. She told me that the doctor had just called and that he was on his way. There were no emergencies to deal with and no one scheduled ahead of me, so it looked like I'd be going into surgery on time (or as close as hospitals get to on time), which was good. She then hooked up the IV to my left wrist (last time it was hooked up to my right wrist).

The same anesthesiologist came over and asked me if I had any questions, which I did not. Shortly after the doc came over to say hi. He asked me if my medical history had changed since last time (jokingly, since I was there a week ago) and also if I had any questions for him, which I did. I wanted to know if the surgery was sucessful, would he take the stent out during the procedure. He said that he would, but it might be necessary to put another one in there. The reason escapes me now, but I said ok lets do it.

The anesthesiologists came over that would actually be with me during the surgery came over and explained to me what they were going to do. They also asked me if I had any questions, which I did not.

By this time it was probably a little after 1:30 PM. The nurse who would be assisting the doc during surgery came over and introduced herself. She and the two anesthesiologists wheeled me down several corridors thru several automatic doors into the operating room, passing the waiting doc on the way. They raised the bed I was on and asked me to slide over onto the surgical table, since I was not yet out of it. The table was metallic and had a big x-ray type machine hovering over top with big bright lights all around.


Then they started administering one anesthesia....and a bit of a stronger one....


I woke up what seemed to be minutes later in the recovery area, still a bit groggy from the experience.

My mom told me that the doc said that the surgery was successful, that he was able to blast the stone and actually was able to flush most of it out. I still may pass some remnants of it in the next few days. I do still have a stent in me and the doc said that he'd be able to take that out during a short office visit next week, once some of the inflammation and swelling goes down. I hope I'll be able to see the pieces of the stone when I go in next week.

After I woke up, I'd say it took me about an hour or so to regain my bearings in the recovery area before I was able to be discharged.

We made a quick stop at the grocery store on the way back to my apartment, and walked in the door just in time to catch the 6:00 PM news. My mom stayed here with me last night for precautionary reasons, as suggested by the hospital.

I was still a bit tired, but got my second wind during the big football game, and didn't end up going to bed until after 2:00 AM. I didn't need to take any pain medication before going to bed last night, which was nice.

---

I took the day off today, as a recovery day, which is good. I'll probably take some naproxen later today, because I'm still a bit sore. Other than that, I'm in good shape.

So it'll be back to work and the regular routine for me on Wednesday.

I'm going to try to become a more frequent water drinker now and in the future to help prevent more stones. I'm more likely to produce them now that I've had one.

Before I end this post, I must say thanks to my mom for all of her help yesterday, and in the last few weeks. I also appreciate all of your concerns, thoughts and prayers for me as well. I can't tell you how imortant that was for me. So thanks. :>)

Here we go again

So today I go back to the hospital for my second kidney stone surgery, scheduled for the same time in the same hospital with the same doc performing the surgery. The same instructions I was given last week apply this week with the only exception being that I'm allowed to drink water or apple juice as late as 10:00 AM this morning. I'll wager I could have done that last week as well, but I was never told it was ok.

If you will recall, last week I went in for the initial surgery but it was not completed. The doc discovered that the passageway between my kidney and bladder was very narrow, and he couldn't easily fit his camera or laser up there witout doing damage to my insides. So he inserted a small stent, which this week has been working to widen that passageway. Now it should be possible (I dearly hope) for the doc to blast the stone into small enough bits that I can pass it out and be done with this whole thing.

See you all on the other side with details of how it went.....

Slay the Dragon

That's the task the Indianapolis Colts face on Monday night at Gillette Stadium.

In this instance the dragon is the New England Patriots.

Can it be done? Certainly. Anything is possible when you're talking football.

Is it likely to happen this time? Possibly, but I wouldn't count on it.

Don't get me wrong, the Colts are a good team and have been for the past several years but they have not been able to beat the Patriots. Period.

Peyton Manning came into the NFL in 1998. His lifetime record vs. New England is 2-10 including playoffs. He is 0-7 lifetime playing in Foxboro. The last time the Colts won a game in New England was 1995. The last two seasons these teams have played four times, two of those games were in the playoffs.

Something happens to the Colts when they play in Foxboro. They are like impostors wearing Colts uniforms. They forget the fundamentals, or something.

Not to mention that the Patriots have owned the Colts primarily since they moved out of Baltimore in 1984.

This season's matchup features the last undefeated team (7-0) vs. a struggling team (4-3) looking to find enough healthy bodies to play a full 60 minutes.

The Patriots have played arguably the hardest schedule in the first seven games than any team in history has had to. We're talking about Oakland, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, San Diego, Denver & Buffalo. Four playoff teams from a season ago and three of those games on the road, where it's much tougher to win..

Who have the Colts played? Houston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Baltimore. One playoff team from a season ago and that team at home.

If the Colts are ever to beat the Patriots, now is the time. When the schedule was released in April, this was singled out as one of the marquee games of the entire season. It has been written (not by me) that the Colts, in order to get to the Super Bowl, must win this game. Or at the very least to have a home game in the playoffs vs. the Patriots IF that's the way it works out.

Most "experts" have picked the Patriots to lose this game, primarily because of the amount of injuries to key players that the Patriots have had to deal with this season. Not me. I'm not an expert, meaning I don't get paid to analyze football games. What I do know is this: Given the recent history between these two teams, the psychological advantage belongs to the Patriots. Is that enough for the Patriots to win? No, but it certainly helps.

You (Colts) have to show me that you can come into Foxboro and actually win a game, first, before I'll pick you. Play 60 solid minutes of football in your personal house of horrors and slay the dragon. Then you'll get the respect you're looking for from me.

Until you prove otherwise, I must go with the champs.

My prediction: @ PATRIOTS 35, Colts (-4) 24

Advanced Degree Test

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Weirdness Test

You Are 30% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

Random nonsense

I took today off from work and don't have to go back now until Wednesday. My second surgery got bumped up one day, from Tuesday, Nov. 8 to Monday, Nov. 7, which is great. The sooner I get this done with the happier I'll be. Though I hope I'm home in time to see the great game on MNF this week. Which of course is my New England Patriots hosting the Indianapolis Colts. More on that later in the weekend.

Tuesday I'll use as a recovery day post surgery and post anesthesia. I'm not doing too bad right now, except for slight ache in the kidney/stomach area and an overwhelming constant urge to pee, which is incredibly annoying.

I tried eating some quesadillas & baked potato with cheese tonight for dinner, but after a few bites, decided I wasn't hungry for that. My appetite isn't what it should be these last few weeks. I'll probably have some cereal & maybe a cup of tea later.

I'm not sure what I'll do tonight. Watch a dvd? read? go to bed early? I don't know. Earlier today I watched a few episodes of the Dukes of Hazard season 1 on dvd which was cool.

My amazon.com order came on Thursday, with Alias season 4 and SW III in it. This afternoon for my only errand I returned Alias season 4 to Wal-Mart, because it was less expensive from amazon. I decided to keep the extra copy of SW III, since it would cost me as much in postage to return it as I saved buying it cheaper at the store. So now I have it listed on ebay. Hopefully someone will buy it since it is brand new.

It is unusual tonight that my kids aren't here. They normally would be, but the ex is having an open house for her friends tomorrow afternoon and she wanted them to be there for it & help her set up. So I'll pick them up around 5 ish tomorrow and they'll spend most of Sunday with me, which will be nice. Usually Friday and Saturday nights they have the run of the television until they go to bed.

Well, that's all for now. Time to decide how to spend the evening....

Free Meat and Bull Semen

I saw these stories in today's edition of boston.com, which is really the Boston Globe online, and I thought it would be fun to share them with y'all..

Man kills buck with bare hands in bedroom
Associated Press - November 2, 2005

BENTONVILLE, Ark. --For 40 exhausting minutes, Wayne Goldsberry battled a buck with his bare hands in his daughter's bedroom.

Goldsberry finally subdued the five-point whitetail deer that crashed through a bedroom window at his daughter's home Friday. When it was over, blood splattered the walls and the deer lay dead on the bedroom floor, its neck broken.

Goldsberry was at his daughter's home when he heard glass breaking. He went back to check on the noise and found the deer.

"I was standing about like this peeking around the corner when the deer came out of the bedroom," said Goldsberry. The deer ran down the hall and into the master bedroom -- "jumping back and forth across the bed."

Goldsberry, about 6-feet-1 and 200 pounds, entered the bedroom to confront the deer and, after a brief struggle, emerged to tell his wife to call police. After returning to the bedroom, the fight continued. Goldsberry finally was able to grip the animal and twist its neck, killing it.

Goldsberry, sore from the struggle, dragged the dead animal out of the house.

"He got kicked several times. He was walking bowlegged for a while," Deputy Doug Gay said.

At this time of year, a buck that sees its reflection in a window often charges, believing it is fighting off a rival, Gay said.

Goldsberry had the deer butchered.

"He's in the freezer," the man said before walking to the kitchen and showing off pounds of freshly wrapped venison.

See for yourself, here.
---

Thief steals $75,000 worth of bull semen
Associated Press - November 2, 2005

WOLFSVILLE, Md. --Someone stole $75,000 worth of bull semen from a Frederick County farm, the sheriff's office says. Eric Fleming said the six small canisters of frozen semen taken from a liquid nitrogen tank represented four to five years of collection work.

He said he had planned to sell it and use the proceeds to expand his breeding herd of shorthorn beef cattle.

"I'm so depressed about this that I probably will get out of the cattle business," Fleming said Tuesday.

He said he found the semen missing from an outbuilding on his Stonewood Acres farm in northwestern Frederick County Sunday night.

Fleming said the canisters held the semen of 40 to 50 bulls.

As always, the link is here.

Let's talk about drugs, ok?

I'm not talking about illegal drugs. I'm talking about drugs you get from a pharmacy, drugs that are prescribed by a doctor.

Specifically, I'm talking about the myriad prescription drugs that I've been prescribed in the last 2 1/2 weeks. When I got up this morning, I was actually amazed to see seven prescription drug bottles in my bathroom. I've never had so many prescription drugs at my disposal at the same time.

So I'm going to share with you what these drugs are, and what they're supposed to do for me, according to the information given me by the pharmacy.

1. Oxycodone and Acetaminophen (Percocet): This medicine is a combination of a narcotic and acetominophen used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Narcotic pain-relievers work by binding to opiod receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and acetominophen decreases the formation of prostaglandins, therefore reducing pain. This medicine may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

2. Naproxen: This medicine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to relieve pain and swelling (inflammation). It is also used to treat headaches, muscle aches, backaches, tendonitis, bursitis, dental pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis or gout. Naproxen may be used to reduce fever, or relieve minor aches and pain due to the common cold or flu. It may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. This medicine works by blocking the enzyme in your body that makes prostaglandins. Decreasing prostaglandins helps to reduce pain, swelling and fever.

3. Metoclopramide: This medicine is a gastrointestinal stimulant used to treat gastroesophageal reflux and erosions/ulcers of the esophagus. It is also used to treat nausea, vomiting, heartburn, prolonged fullness after meals, and loss of appetite in patients with diabetes (diabetic gastropareisis). It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

4. Hydrocodone (Vicadin): This medicine is a combination of a narcotic and acetominophen used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Narcotic pain-relievers work by binding to opiod receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and acetominophen decreases the formation of prostaglandins, therefore reducing pain. This medicine may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

5. Phenazopyridine: This medicine is a urinary tract analgesic used to relieve pain, burning, and other discomfort caused by infection or irritation of the lower urinary tract. It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

6. Oxybutynin Extended Release (Ditropan XL): This is a long acting form of oxybutynin that is used to treat overactiva and urinary conditions. It relaxes the muscles in the bladder to help decreaseproblems of urgency and frequent urination. Oxybutynin belongs to a class of drugs known as antispasmodics. This medication is also used to treat children 6 years of age and older who have an overactive bladderdue to certain nerve disorders (e.g., spina bifida).

7. Sulfamethoxazole with Trimethoprim: This medication is a combination of two antibiotics used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections (e.g. middle ear, urinary, respiratoryand intestinal infections). It is also used to prevent and treat a certain type of pneumonia (pneumocystis-type). This medication should not be used in children less than two months of age due to the risk of serious side effects.

Fun, don't you think???

It pays to shop around

Today I went to the store to pick up my copy of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. Of course last week, I ordered it from Amazon.com for $15.98 because I figured I wouldn't find it for less elsewhere. But I did.

That cursed Wal-Mart had it for $14.something. But they also had a package deal, for $19.98 which I scooped up (had to give in to the dark side to get it) It still is Episode III but it comes with an extra bonus DVD with even more extra fluff that I love. So now, when my Amazon.com order comes this week or next, I'll be returning the copy of Ep. III to them and returning my previous purchase of ALIAS season 4 to Wal-Mart, because I got that for less on Amazon.com.

I can sense a day coming soon that will see me watching all six films in consecutive order, just because I can. You're welcome to join me for over 13 hours of Star Wars fun, just bring your own popcorn.

---

So after yesterday's not so complete surgery, I'll be back to do it all again next Tuesday. This time with more successful results, I hope.

The doc gave me a prescription for pain or irritation in the lower urinary tract, which I filled today, thankfully. This will help ease the burning sesation when I pee and also dilute the pain of two foreign objects in my body. The original kidney stone and the stent that was inserted yesterday.

And I thought just having the stone was painful....

I will be so glad when this is all behind me.

I just realized that I haven't had anything to eat or drink today. Looks like an early supper for me.

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Today marks my official one year anniversary of living here in this apartment, even though they let me move in over Halloween weekend last year. How time flies....