We are back and I'm back to work

To busy to detail right now but the RDCV is we returned home Friday evening, BSU is much improved, some homework remains to be caught up. And the job has piled up nicely. More tonight. Thank you for your kind words and prayers.

OK, the long version of last week's saga...

As noted I got an early morning wakeup call to tell me that the BSU had gone from being an Urgent Care patient to an Emergency Room Patient and hospital stay patient overnight. Her diverticulitus had gotten out of control and she was being given morphine for the pain and having all foods and liquids restricted.

Surgery was on the lips of the ER docs.

That's a really bad thing...

So I grabbed the earliest possible Southwest Airlines flight and got myself to Oregon. Spouse was being tended to by a couple sisters when I finally arrived but she was glad to see me, if a little bit surprised.

Long story shortened considerably- lots of waiting, as usual when anyone is in the hospital. The staff doc was not so anxious to start cutting as the ER doc and so he advised lots of meds and patience.

With the exception of fielding the phone calls from the United Nations angrily claiming that antiobiotics promised to tsunami victims was disappearing up the Spouse's arm, there was nothing to do but let the meds and the prayer have their affect. Which both did in respectable time. She was finally allowed gelatin on Wednesday lunch and a soft meal for dinner and regular food for breakfast on Thursday morning while the wonderful staff prepared for her discharge in the afternoon.

I rode the Portland Max light rail out to the airport, rented a car and drove back to sweep my bride away from the hospital and out to her home town and medicinal outpost of St Helens. The car turned out to be a 2004 Cadillac Deville for just $5 more than the sub-compact I intended to rent! What a sweet car! But never mind that...

We rested up at one of the sister's and entertained a couple more Thursday evening for a bit then caught a good night's rest, (my first since Saturday night), and then took the Caddy back down highway 30 to 84 east and the airport without incident. We were home safely Friday evening and glad of it!

So thanks again for all your kind thoughts and prayers and words. They are appreciated. BTW, the sister that the BSU went to visit before her lung cancer surgery? The cancer has spread to both lungs and her lymph system. Very bad news for her. She's hurting and angry and scared. Not surprising I suppose.

Anyway, homework's done for tonight and its time for The Tonight Show and Headlines!

Update on the BSU's medical circumstances

Surgery probably is not in the cards, at least for the immediate future. She is responding to the heavy and multiple doses of antibiotics and the inflammation seems to be lessened today. The bowel blockages seem to be slowly resolving as well.

She's hungry. She really would like some food but she is getting only enough water to allow her to swallow meds that can't be ordered to fit through her IV. Nada. So she is complaining a little bit about that. And she's hurtin if she tries to move around too much but the morphine keeps her sleepy most of the time.

The staff here at Good Samaritan seems to be in competition to see who can provide the best and most care. Every time I checked on her last night, one nurse or another was fussing with her, checkin her vitals or giving more meds or something. No wonder she's tired. But the staff really does sem wonderful and helpful. They even pointed me towards the coffee pots that are always fresh and free!

Anyway, while the hospital stay isn't over, the crisis does seem under control. I don't expect her to be out of here until tomorrow at the soonest.

Thanks for all your kind words and prayers.

Emergency surgery pending

This morning's 6AM phone call was NOT good news. BSU's sister called to say that my spouse did not make it through the night without being rushed to the ER. She's getting some morphine for the pain, antibiotics to fight back an infection and consultation about surgery as I write this. If she can get stabilized enough, she wants to get back to Utah before surgery, if not, it will be in Oregon, today probably.

The diagnosis is diverticulitus right now, its an inflammation of the bowel and treatment usually means removal of the offending portions. This is a bad thing because you really need all of it to process and absorb the nutrients from food and she has already had some of her bowel removed 11 years ago for the same problem. So she's got none to spare already and loosing more could seriously restrict her ability to lead a normal life.

I'm at the airport now. I couldn't get on the first flight out so now I've a couple hours to kill waiting for the next one. Sisters are standing by to piuck me up at the airport in Portland.

Those of you inclined, please offer a prayer for my spouse today. Her name is Sunday.

Posting may be limited for the next few days while I tend to this urgent medical matter.

Dear CapitolOne- Please Stop!

Attention, Mr P. Taylor Jamison

Sir, your exciting offer for a new CapitolOne Visa Platinum card is very kind and I appreciate that you appreciate my business from my current Visa cards.

BUT PLEASE STOP THE INCESSANT SPAMMING OF MY MAILBOX WITH YOUR INVITATIONS TO GET ANOTHER CARD!

I mean it, dammit! Your junk mail invitations to apply online or by telephone and have a new Visa credit card in 60 seconds or less are the single biggest contributor to my junk mail pile! No kidding, I'm getting no less than 3 offers every week in my mail box, 2 for me and 1 for my spouse. Before Christmas, from Thanksgiving on, I think the quantity was no less than twice that amount and all from CapitolOne.

STOP SENDING YOUR WORTHLESS MAIL! I got it already that you want me to go further into debt with your company's name on it, but give the mailman a break, won't you? Save your company all the printing costs and postage that is going straight into my recycle bin. I don't want any more credit cards!

I don't believe that if I called for my new credit card that I would really get one and the two I have already are just fine, thank you very much. If you want to show me some real appreciation, just consider raising my credit limit on one of my cards by two hundred bucks. I really doubt that you'll do that either, which only proves my point about the continued and continual promise of more cards which flood my mailbox.

What a hassle. I understand it, from a business POV, but from my personal POV, CapitolOne's incessant junk mailings are just too much. Completely over the top with the repetitiveness and false promise. I was keeping count of the number of invites that arrived, it was up beyond 30 when I lost count. If I had requested a card from each invite, how many to you think this lameass company would have issued to me before cutting me off?

"What's in your wallet?" Hell, I would need a backpack to carry all the plastic if I would have responded to and received a card from each of their offers !

When it rains, it pours...

This has nothing to do with the weather by the way, but you probably knew that already. On the weather front, ours here in the Wasatch valley is sucking right now and has sucked for 10 days. All that snow that's pounding the midwest and east coast skipped right over Utah and lasnded on those folks back east. Sorry 'bout that. Our weather has been controlled by a high pressure zone this past week & a half causing the valley to be locked into a fog bank. Its an inversion that happens every year but this one is reaching for a new record for the number of days to sock us in.

Its depressing, this fog. The temps stay almost the same, day & night, sometimes only varying 3-4 degrees from the low to high temp and that has hovered just about freezing. Anyway, its a drag. Much better would be a 2 or 3 day storm that would drop feet of fresh snow on the mountains then depart leaving behind bluebird skies, unlimited visibility and lots of sunshine to get out and play in the snow.

But apparently that's not happening this week.

What is happening this week, that started last week is all about the BSU. She is presently on a short notice trip to Oregon to visit with one sister who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Sister is having surgery on Tuesday. The BSU fretted all last week, made flight arrangements, fought with the other sisters, changed her flight twice and made it to Oregon finally on Saturday- where she had to be escorted off the airplane and pushed in a wheel chair though the airport to catch her ride with one of the sisters.

Today she went to the Urgency Care Center where she was told that she should have just gone straight to the Emergency Room... Of course this professional medical advise came after spending most of today waiting to be seen in the Urgency Care. (Kind of makes a joke of their name I suppose...)

So tomorrow she spends more time it a hospital waiting room to determine if she has a "simmering" appendix or just a painful attack of diverticulitus. Either way she's miserable and hurting and they don't give out pain meds because they don't want to mask pain that would be an indicator that something has gone wrong.

And of course, depending on tomorrow's medical decisons, I may have to be jumping on an airplane towards Oregon myself to be with my bride while she has surgery of her own. Argh!

In other highlights, our brown dog Sandy found a way to break a toe out in the yard yesterday. I think she tried to climb the chainlink and concrete fence separating her from the neighbor's dog since there was some words between them and she was acting like a tripod immediately afterwards. She is still limping tonight and she has one toe that seems to cause her to wince when I touch it. I suppose she will need medical attention tomorrow as well though I don't think there's much to be done. She is getting doggie aspirin to help with the swelling and pain.

I got to go to the gun show yesterday and bought myself a new Swiss Army knife since my last one was left with some hippies during son Noah & Lily's summer road trip last July. This time its the pretty transluscent blue sided model instead of the regular red plastic scales. It really is too big for slacks but I just can't give up the habit of having a swiss army knife in my pocket every day.

And I did homework and studied for a test most of the day today.

Blog Roll Updates

Not only did I categorize my blog roll last night into those blogs I can read from work and those that the network filter geeks have blocked me from perusing while I eat my lunchtime bag of microwave popcorn, but I've also added a new blog to replace one that fell off a few weeks ago. Oddly enough, through no prior intent, I just now realized that Functional Ambivilent, is written and produced by a blogger from the far left coast of our great country, just as the last blog dropped from my list was.

How's that for karma?

Anyway, go on over to Tom's place and say hello. Check him out, he's a pretty smart guy and I like what he has to say- most of the time.

And Tom- you had me at "panties."

I've become a scooter consumer advocate

and a 1 man advisory panel for all things Vento. They have an apparently lackadaisical attitude about truth in advertising, which we already knew due to the disparity in the R4i Phantom engine sizes as I have previously reported. Now I've been given a teeny little tidbit of information regarding their apparent apathy about selling uncertified scooters in the USA.

There may be legal action pending, so I can say no more right now concerning the circumstance. Hell, I'm still waiting for the details! I was able to provide 2 email addresses for employees of the Environmental Protection Agency that are in positions to hear and register compliance problems to the person that contacted me. I hope there will be details in the future that can be released to the world.

I guess its time for me to finish up the complaint form that I started to the Utah Consumer Protection Division. Now that I have a digital camera again I could do the tear-down and measurement of my scoot's displacement without too much trouble.

Vento Phantom Update

Although I could not find a representative sample tonight in my visit referrals list, its interesting that I am getting nearly one visitor every day to Wasted Electrons after they Google Vento Phantom scooters. So I guess I'm ever so slowly getting the word out about the Phantom's missing 25cc.

I even received an email tonight asking if my address was still good, somebody wants to ask me about Vento, and the emailer said they were having a problem with Vento. Maybe they will write back tomorrow.

Rumor on the web has it that Vento may actually be putting the real 150cc engines in the 2005 models. They have updated their website to show a bore and stroke that adds up to 150cc. Their online parts catalog is still incorrect though.

I've been too busy to be tinkering with my scoot though it has been nearly warm enough to be riding this week. The weather's been almost reaching the 50 degree mark in the afternoons- very weird! But soon I'll be spending for the big-bore kit to make my scoot be an actual 150cc and I'll be ready to go for spring.

I'm also looking at an alternative exhaust pipe and muffler for my Vento. I've removed the muffler to tinker and that thing is heavy! It must weigh 10 pounds and it seems restrictive as hell. There are a couple places to buy pipes, this one at MotoVento is pretty popular. (You have to click the Speed Shop button to see the pipe). I'm actually looking to use a SuperTrapp muffler and perhaps having a new exhaust pipe bent to match the current one. I want to use the 3" chrome internal disc silencer about half way down the page.

I still need a lawyer that wants to represent every Phantom R4i purchaser in a false advertising suit...

Busy busy busy!

I'm telling you what- I've been busier than ever on the job since the first of the year, crazy busy! Everybody wants their program handled RIGHT NOW and they all think that their program is the only one I'm responsible for.

Which is NOT true, I'm actively juggling 5 different programs right now and they all on in the air. There are a couple more just spinning in place on the side table, I just have to watch to see they don't fall off.

And my boss wants charts, lots more charts. Charts to explain, in detail, each of the programs that I'm juggling and trying not to drop. So I can juggle or I can make charts but I can't do both in a normal day's work.

What to do, what to do? Be listening for the crashing sounds while I get busy making charts...

School's back in full swing and so far this online Macroeconomics class doesn't seem too hard. I can't say I'm learning anything but at least I'm getting my work turned in on time and getting decent grades for it. Accounting class at lunch is much the same as last term and almost all the classmates from last term are in this class with the addition of 3 new folks. I've already met with one of them last night for an overpriced coffee and some tutoring to assist in getting them up to speed. She's going to do great now that she understands the instructor's methods a little better.

So, how's your day been?

Ya'll Watch This! Hold my beer, will ya?

I thought this was a male-only affliction but apparently women aren't immune. Another bad idea gone awry.

Molly Jerman, 23, of Cape Coral died Sunday. While attempting a handstand, she toppled over and dropped to the hotel patio, according to the Lee County sheriff's department.

Just before she fell, she had called out to a friend, "Watch to see what I can still do," a police report said.

Friends, don't try this at home.

Weekend update- except I'm too hurt

I really did intend to sit down tonight and regale you with stories of skiing and car show trips and getting to hold my grandbaby Astin. But I'm hurting too bad to care.

Its my back and I hurt it sitting in the sofa at the kid's house, while I got to hold Astin! Somehow, getting out of that low-slung and too deep couch I managed to wreck my lower back.

So blogging and homework is delayed tonight. Sorry 'bout that. I do have pictures for later though- tomorrow night, I promise.

So keep checking back.

I changed my profile picture tonight

Its a self portrait and yes, this picture includes my other cat, Wasatch. She is sitting, ok, draping in her very favorite place in her entire world- my shoulder. She will jump, from the floor or from the nearest high object, unasked or invited up onto my shoulder just as soon as I get in the house after work each afternoon. And she will stay there just about as long as I can stand it.

This picture is actually pretty typical of our posture while I'm wasting away the hours in the Palatial Wasted Electron World Headquarters and Ski Gear Closet. I took some pictures of the room but I wasn't too impressed so no posting them for now.

Anyway, it time for the Tonight Show! More tomorrow.

I need to see the balloons! More Balloons!

Today would be the day then, Wasted Electron's second birthday. Two years is a long time for me to stay working at something so completely voluntary and devoid of financial renumeration, so I admit to being a little bit proud of this admittedly minor achievement.

I've also noticed that I do much ranting than I did in the beginning and even those early rants never expressed the level of animosity that I thought I felt about stupid events and people. I mean, how long has it been since I called somebody a DUMBASS? Weeks. Its been weeks since I pointed out the dumbass of the day. Bruce over at mASSBACKWARDS has been doing a pretty fine job of that for me recently if you haven't checked him out. Does this mean there is fewer people worthy of the title? Not hardly. I've just been less willing to point them out.

So WE has mellowed and become a (nearly) daily update to my own life's circumstances with minor commentary about the world outside the Zion Curtain. And I suspect that this humble blog might stay in the "close-to-home" mode for the foreseeable future while I pursue continued employment and higher education while balancing a happy home life and a regular routine of appointments designed to keep my BSU's mental health on an even keel.

Thanks to all of you for continuing to come around to visit. I'll keep trying to make WE as interesting as possible and maybe I can get back to some of my original intent, talking about life, guns, autos and motorscooters. And more catblogging! I owe you a picture of my other cat and she has been bugging for equal time after I posted pics of her brother a while back.

Now- more balloons! I want to see all the balloons!

How about that- the Dean's List

Friend Karen left a congratulatory comment on the previous post about me being on the Dean's list. I didn't even know there was a Dean's List. But there it is, my name, on the list if you scroll down far enough.

How's about that? I've impressed myself!

Blogroll updates pending

Aaron the Liberal Slayer has got about 1 more day on my blogroll before I dump him for somebody new. He's apparently discovered the need for employment and has placed a list of his skills and employment requirements on his page.

I hope he finds work. And I wish he ould get back to blogging. But I understand that eating and paying the mortgage takes priority.

But if he doesn't post something soon I'll find somebody new to take his place.

I haven't quit

but I have been rather apathetic about blogging for a couple days now. Work last week was remarkably busy, everyone sat on their demands until after the holidays, then dropped their requirements on my desk all at once.

Typical. But I was busier than normal by a long shot and actually was pretty successful spending other people's money on some interesting projects. And I have another project that will be taking up an immediate and inordinate amount of my time over the next couple weeks trying to beg for money for a new program.

And school starts again Monday. This term I am taking my first online class, (Macroeconomics) and so I've been looking at the requirements this morning. For a social butterfly like myself, taking a class alone, in the opulent Wasted Electrons World Headquarters and Ski Gear Closet will be much more difficult than being in a classroom.

But I've got to stay on track, right?

I should be skiing but Noah can't go as he is recovering from his wisdom tooth extractions on Friday. And I just don't feel like going by myself. So today I'm heating up my workshop for a bit of tinkering and then homework when outside gets too cold.

Did you know that the Wasted Electrons 2nd birthday celebration is this week? Gifts will be humbly accepted with thanks. Especially this one.

Just another reason to hate AO Hell...

I've tried 3 times today to send email to my sis, using the email address that she used to contact me. And each time it has been returned as undeliverable... I though perhaps after the 2nd try that it was because I had attachments on the email, so the 3rd time I just included the text in the body of the email.

That one failed too.

Good Grief!

U.S. Marine Declared Deserter

I know what's going to be the top story on tonight's local news! It will be this story about U.S. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun who has, according to this article has flown the coop to Canada. It will be local news because Hassoun and his family are from Salt Lake City.

Anyway, this story has been stinking like 3-day old fish since the beginning and even my beloved spouse believes that this guy is guilty. Now it seems that he has made a statement by his activity that supports her belief.

Cheerleader Tossing!

Found on Dave barry's blog tonight. You really have to first see the movie clip, then play it frame by frame to see the slow motion.

Then consider just how many young nubile body parts could have been badly injured or broken if this trick had gone awry... Scary, really.

Another blogger joins the fold!

This time they really are related to me! Everybody, (ok, both of you) go say hi to my baby sis Melanie and her hubby Mark at GR NASCAR NUTS. There's a explanation of the name over there. Give them some encouragement and maybe they'll stick around awhile here in the blogosphere.

And encourage them to run away from that 2nd Amendment hating AOL for their service provider...

Who wants to take a ride?

In my younger days, I owned and tried to race a 250cc shifter go-cart. It was (to me) really, really fast. That said, I'm not too certain I'd take this Suzuki GSXR 1100 powered cart out for a test drive. Here is the link to the creator of this rocket's page with build-up pictures. Unfortunately the link to the video doesn't seem to be working.

Anyway, that thing looks just a little scary to me. But given the chance and the proper room to run it, I might just give it a thrash!

BTW, Jalopnik.com is a new car blog web site that I just discovered the other day. Its sponsored by Audi, which I won't hold against them, and its chock full of cool and oddball automotive news. Check it out.

One more thing I found tonight at Jalopnik, a kit car to fit a Mazda Miata so that you can build a M1Stang. Which the company makes clear is NOT derived from any other automobile and any resemblance to another automobile is purely accidental. Uh huh...

Wel I got half done...

The outside decorations are down. Not everything is put away but everything's inside. I've not started on the inside stuff yet.

I did get 3 guns cleaned though. Which reminds me- I forgot one! The Kel-Tec needs cleaned too.

But now I'm cold and tired.

Christmas present pictures

Now that I've got my digital camera, I can try all kinds of fun blogging stuff! This is the BSU's necklace rack that I built for her.


This is Uintah, my blogging assistant.


Here's another catblogging picture, now that I figured out (finally) how to get thumbnails from Photobucket!

Oh yeah, football!

Today is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl which is significant here behind the Zion Curtain since the Runnin Utes are playing in their first major bowl.

I may even watch it while taking down the decorations.

Happy New year!

2004 is past, today starts a new year so I guess that calls for some resolutions... What to do, what to do?

Well, first of all, I'm putting away all the Christmas decorations. Today. Which means climbing on the house roof in the new snow. The tree and all its quickly falling needles is going outside to the curb. All the ribbons and bows and candles and lights are going back into the big cedar chest until next year.

I need to set a routine for going shooting this year. Yesterday Noah & I went to Impact Guns for an hour or two of shooting and we had a very good time. Just like we always have a good time whenever we go shooting. So one of my resolutions is to go shooting with Noah routinely on a schedule we both can count on.

School remains a priority as far as resolutions go, I suppose. Two classes per term without fail until I either graduate or drop from exhaustion. Either way, I've got to stay focused.

I should be skiing, but the boy's not here and Brian's not available and I just don't feel like going up by myself. I also haven't tried snowboarding yet this year, concussions have a way of giving me pause for further exploits without some real, paid training. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

I am going to build a new computer this year too. This clunker, while functional, can't last forever. There's not enough memory or processing power to do all the things I like to do, so its gotta be replaced. I think I'm gonna do it like Johhny Cash, bringing it home one piece at a time. Already this morning I dug out another old machine that's been clogging up my laundry room for a couple years hoping that it might at least be a suitable case to start building on. Its not. The dang thing is destined for the landfill-recycling center and I'll gain a bit more room in my laundry room.

Which is another priority this year- cleaning out the laundry room. It has gotten piled up with car books, camping gear, tools that should be in the shop and just general clutter. That cleanup program actually started yesterday.

That's it for now. Maybe more posting later today.