My “bad” and total cholesterol are good. My “good” (HDL) cholesterol is in the 30s, a bit low. My triglycerides are at 269, mildly elevated. “Exercise and diet.” Quel surprise….
My “bad” and total cholesterol are good.
My “good” (HDL) cholesterol is in the 30s, a bit low.
My triglycerides are at 269, mildly elevated.
“Exercise and diet.” Quel surprise. Perhaps I won’t mention this to Margie until after we go out to dinner tonight …
On the bright side, my PSA test normal/negative.
And that’s probably more information than you wanted.
According to the Life Expectancy Test, I should die on Sunday, 11 May 2042 at 11:18:53 AM. Mark it on your calendars. Of course, that’s based on various bits of…
According to the Life Expectancy Test, I should die on Sunday, 11 May 2042 at 11:18:53 AM. Mark it on your calendars.
Of course, that’s based on various bits of dietary and lifestyle suggestions that may or may not be accurate. But, still, it’s a target to shoot for. I’ll be 81 then, which means I’m just over the top (having lived 15,048 days) and beginning my long slide down into oblivion (in 14,663 days). Wahoo!
Better start to work on that to-do list …
(Via Trance Gemini)
Maybe I won’t need Katherine some day … There’s been a long-standing ethical argument over a hypothetical fat pill. If you could just take a pill and lose weight, without…
Maybe I won’t need Katherine some day …
There’s been a long-standing ethical argument over a hypothetical fat pill. If you could just take a pill and lose weight, without Virtuous Exercise and Mortifying Restraint Amongst the Desserts, would that be an ethical thing to do?
I’ve always thought that was a silly question.
And it may be moving beyond the hypothetical.
Discoveries made at the University of Dundee are helping in the development of drugs that fool your body into thinking that your are actively exercising even when you are not, and may help in the fight against the current increase in the incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
As much as 5% of the Scottish populace might have Type 2 diabetes, but because of its health effects, it’s being credited (indirectly) with up to 10% of health expenditures. So, see? It’s all ethical because it’s out to save tax money! Right? Right? Am I right here?
So … um … wonder when trials will be starting in the US? Just out of intellectual curiosity, mind you …
(Via Boing Boing)
I’ve been going to bed frightfully early, at least somewhat in reaction to getting up at 5 a.m., which counts as early to rise. And we’re comfortable enough to be…
I’ve been going to bed frightfully early, at least somewhat in reaction to getting up at 5 a.m., which counts as early to rise. And we’re comfortable enough to be considered wealthy, and I like to think I’ve got at least a 12 or 13 in Wisdom.
And, according to my doc, I can add in “healthy” to make the set complete.
232 lbs. (no gain since my last appointment, huzzah), pulse 68 (good pulse all over), BP 120/80. No funny skin things, no organs out of place, no suspicious bumps or lumps.
Aren’t physicals fun?
Still have to go into the lab, since I forgot to fast 8 hours before my appointment.
Woo-hoo! These weren’t due until the end of next week, but since Kara (of Sanity Denied) and I exchanged questions (and answers) so soon, I might as well post these….
Woo-hoo! These weren’t due until the end of next week, but since Kara (of Sanity Denied) and I exchanged questions (and answers) so soon, I might as well post these. Besides, Blogger Insider took a break last fortnight.
Here are Kara’s questions and my answers. Hit her site for the reverse.
1. I went back and read your archives. I was really enthralled by the way you seemed to post and update exactly how you felt at each moment durind the terror of 9/11. I think a lot of people’s blogs from that day stand as an incredible monument to their feelings and the powerful emotions of that day. Do you ever reread that section of your archives, and if you do, what are your feelings?
I’ve been intentionally not going back and rereading things until I get to some major anniversaries. The 24th of this month, for example, is six months since I began blogging, and I’ll probably do something then. And when we get around to 11 March, I’ll probably go back and reread them.
Well, that’s not 100% true. I had cause to go back and take a quick look, and it was interesting watching my emotions bob up and down that day, and the few days following — lots of anger, but also lots of trying to intellectualize the whole thing.
All I know is that I’m glad I have the blog, because, frankly, I don’t remember much of those couple of days.
2. How is your New Year’s resolution coming along?
Heh. Well, my pants have been feeling a little loose. I’ll know tomorrow, because a few days after New Years I was in at the doctors and was Officially Weighted at 248 … and I’m going in tomorrow and we’ll see what they say.
I was just noticing that, in trying to keep Katherine from ruining her appetite for dinner, and so not giving in to her desire for snacks, I’m also perforce not snacking, which is probably a Good Thing. Scratch that — I know it’s a Good Thing.
3. What is the most unexpected or suprising experience you have had as a
parent?
As a global thing, just the incredible time sink it’s been. I look back on those feckless days of, “Sigh, here we are in the afternoon on a weekend with just nothing to do. Let’s hop in the car and drive someplace,” and marvel.
As a specific thing, it was probably the first time Katherine climbed out of her crib (during an afternoon nap), toddled downstairs, past where I was sitting at the breakfast table (within eyeshot, if I’d turned my head), went out to the living room, got a knick-knack, and walked back to me and … I finally spotted her. “Gah!” (That was me, not Katherine.)
4. What was your first meeting with Margie like? There has to be a good
story behind all that love!
Actually, Margie and I met in college, introduced by a friend of ours who was running a D&D game and invited us both to it. We were friends then, good friends, and stayed in touch through the various intervening years (and a marriage on my part, where Margie was one of the bridesmaids, as she was also a friend with my now-ex).
So I don’t remember much of that first meeting. Certainly it was not memorable in terms of anything interesting happening, but it was memorable in that we met playing That Evil Demonic Game (which, in fact, is where I’ve met probably 90% of my friends).
Now, asking her out for our first date … there’s an interesting story. But that’s not what you asked. 🙂
5.Tell me more about NaNoWriMo, and how you conquered it.
National Novel Writing Month, a/k/a “Take November, Wad It Up Into A Little Ball, And Throw Any Non-Writing Activities You Had Planned Then Into The Trash.” I conquered it by (a) being someone who writes a lot as part of his job, (b) deciding I would do something fun, not profound, (c) deciding I would not go back and revise lest I never get past the first chapter, and (d) having a wonderful wife who let me sequester myself upstairs for a couple of all-day catch-up fests. Having a friend who was also doing it helped, too, since that made it a bit of a competition.
6. Name your top five places to visit on the web (not weblogs).
In terms of frequency of visits? Amazon, Google … er, SpamCop … um, RefDesk, … damn, I really don’t go that many other places these days, besides blogs. The Rocky Mountain News, the Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo News, and the Wall Street Journal as news fodder for my blog.
7. Do people “in real life” know about your weblog, for instance, people
from work or extended family members? Have they ever reacted negatively to
anything you’ve blogged about? If so, how did you deal with it?
My folks know about it, and read it — my mom does, at least. I’ve mentioned it to my in-laws, but they’re not much into Web stuff. Most of my local friends know about it. I don’t know that anyone at work knows — but I assume that they can find it, so I’m always very discreet about work-related stuff (especially anything involving managing or HR or stuff like that).
So far I’ve not had any negative reactions from anyone from those arenas — but I endeavor at all time to be inoffensive, so …
8. Do you consider yourself an “artist” or a “scientist”?
Tough one. I’d probably say artist, if pressed — but I try to apply logic and reason to the things I do, esp. at work, as well as creativity.
9. Favorite book?
Urg. I hate this question, if only because I read voraciously, and I only tend to read what I enjoy (reading is entertainment for me, not education). So I’m drawing a blank here. I can tell you what I’m presently reading, which is Which Lie Did I Tell? by William Goldman, one of his books detailing his career as a screenwriter. Vastly entertaining and an interesting introduction to the screenwriting trade.
10. The answer is… 16. What is the question?
“When did you learn to drive?” “What’s four squared?” “What base is hexidecimal?” “How many comic books are in the bag you just picked up from the comic book store?” And we’ll leave it at that.
Yet another installment of the Friday Five. 1. Have you ever had braces? Any other teeth trauma? I’ve had both tremendous luck and lousy luck with teeth. On the lousy…
Yet another installment of the Friday Five.
1. Have you ever had braces? Any other teeth trauma?
I’ve had both tremendous luck and lousy luck with teeth. On the lousy side, I went through extensive orthodonture from before junior high (I believe) all the way through high school. Retainers. Braces. Headgear. More retainers. Some incredibly painful rubber thing with metal gripping knobs to wear at night that made tears come to my eyes to put it on (“No thanks, dear, I’ve done the S&M thing and only got straight teeth out of it”).
And then I had to have bunches of wisdom teeth removed (not that I seem to lose substantial amounts of wisdom by doing so, not having much to begin with) after college.
(My orthodontist was Dr. John King Wong, who was very nice, very knowledgable, and who had a bad case of dandruff. One of the occupational hazards of being a dentist is having clients who have nothing better to do than to stare at you for prolonged periods of time.)
On the tremendous side, though my teeth were a higgledy-piggledy mess in their placement, they were and are extremely healthy in and of themselves. I had two cavities around 7 or 8 years old, and that’s all I’ve ever had. I try to brush twice a day, but I seem to be one of those folks with good enamel, thank God.
2. Ever broken any bones?
Nope. Not a one. Well, maybe a toe, not long ago. But never any broken legs or broken arms or stuff like that. Not a very athletic kid, which helped, I suppose.
3. Ever had stitches?
Heh. Two inguinal hernias, in the 3rd and 4th grade. (The result of which is that, instead of learning to play kickball with the boys, I got to learn folk dancing with the girls. Go figure.) Also a few stitches on my forehead where a sebacious cyst was removed a year back.
4. What are the stories behind some of your [physical] scars?
Well, I mentioned the ones above, though the hernia scars disappeared years ago. I still have scar tissue on my right knee (and a “football injury” pain there when it rains) from where I skidded out on my bike when I was probably in the 5th or 6th grade. It was my introduction to hydrogen peroxide, and probably should have netted me some stitches. I have some scars on my knuckles from scrapes where I picked at the scabs (in my younger years). And then, of course, there’s my facial complexion, which consists of not a small amount of scar tissue.
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
Friday night: Margie’s off at D&D tonight, and I’ve been working on my blog stylesheet and watching Dragnet videos.
Saturday & Sunday: Nothing planned. Off to buy a bed for Katherine, some headphones for my cell phone, some Gorilla Racks for the basement, and some mulch for the side yard. We’ll probably end up being more socialbe than that sounds. Tomorrow morning is My Saturday Morning with Kitten, so I’ll be up early (and, likely, blogging).
When you have a viral infection, your body produces interferon. Interferon is also associated with memory loss, learning problems, and “neurotoxicity.” That would explain a lot about what’s been going…
When you have a viral infection, your body produces interferon.
Interferon is also associated with memory loss, learning problems, and “neurotoxicity.”
That would explain a lot about what’s been going on with me over the past week …
This page compares interferon effects with Down’s Syndrome, and suggests that excessive levels of the chemical (or unusual sensitivity to its uptake) might play a role in such developmental problems.
No, really. Until now, most doctors and nutritionists have rejected the idea as a myth. But Dutch scientists have found that eating a meal boosts the type of immune response…
No, really.
Until now, most doctors and nutritionists have rejected the idea as a myth. But Dutch scientists have found that eating a meal boosts the type of immune response that destroys the viruses responsible for colds, while fasting stimulates the response that tackles the bacterial infections responsible for most fevers.
Margie, after hearing I was going home yesterday, very, very kindly started the wheels rolling for a doctor’s appointment for me. I went, they poked and prodded and made sympathetic…
Margie, after hearing I was going home yesterday, very, very kindly started the wheels rolling for a doctor’s appointment for me. I went, they poked and prodded and made sympathetic noises, and basically shrugged and said, “Yeah, that sort of shit is going around.” Thanks.
They also plied me with lots of antibiotics (not that it’s likely amenable to them, probably being viral, but I’ve been symptomatic long enough that it’s allowed) as well as some eye drops (since my eyes started getting goopy).
Enough details of my physical well-being for you?
Well, as of right about now, I’m actually feeling not bad, except that my head’s really stopped up. Well, at least, relatively not bad. Seriously considering going to Doyce’s game tonight (where I will hopefully not “share the love”).
And I’m blogging. Which is usually a positive sign.
Well, I seem to be on the road to recovery, after having been essentially laid out since late Sunday night. Bleah. The most damnably annoying thing about being home, sick,…
Well, I seem to be on the road to recovery, after having been essentially laid out since late Sunday night. Bleah. The most damnably annoying thing about being home, sick, is that you don’t usually feel well enough to do all those things you would love to do if you were actually playing hookie.
Evil virii camped out in my throat and Eustachian tubes, and then kept playing with the thermostat. When I started getting over that yesterday, suddenly my stomach started acting up.
Bleah.
But feeling better.
Now I’m only three weeks (further) behind in everything.
Special commendation to Margie, who’s had the misfortune of being just slightly less ill than I’ve been, and so has taken on the bulk of the Spouse/Kid care for the past few days. Hopefully, with my feeling a bit better (not well, mind you, but better), I’ll be able to take over some (or all) of that load.
And still am. No new posts until I feel coherent and/or well enough to do so. Wouldn’t want to pass on a virus ……
And still am. No new posts until I feel coherent and/or well enough to do so. Wouldn’t want to pass on a virus …
Daughter is screaming, It is way past her bedtime. Where’s the Tylenol? Heh. Except that Katherine is slowly getting better. Margie’s the one who’s hacking like a three-pack-a-dayer, and in…
Daughter is screaming,
It is way past her bedtime.
Where’s the Tylenol?
Heh. Except that Katherine is slowly getting better. Margie’s the one who’s hacking like a three-pack-a-dayer, and in the last hour (yes, love, I know, I should have come to bed sooner) I’ve been feeling slightly feverish, scratchy-throated, and generally moogy.
Hmmm. Where is that Tylenol?
(Poetry via Sekimori)
Well, Katherine had a low-grade fever last night. This morning it was much higher. Though some kiddy-Advil has brought it down a bit (and turned her from Lethargic Lass to…
Well, Katherine had a low-grade fever last night. This morning it was much higher. Though some kiddy-Advil has brought it down a bit (and turned her from Lethargic Lass to her normal Squiggly Self), we’ve got a 9:10 appointment with a Kaiser doc to get recommendations and stuff like that.
So prognosis for our leaving today? 40%.
The New Year is the official date for doing Resolution-type thingies. I am rarely good at these, but I think I will give this a try. I will lose weight…
The New Year is the official date for doing Resolution-type thingies. I am rarely good at these, but I think I will give this a try.
I will lose weight in 2002.
I have two friends who have gone from heavy to slim (though one managed to be “helped” through diabetes). I’ve been concerned about being a bit on the heavy side of late. So I will lose weight.
Really.
I think the way I will do it is simply to eat less. I will simply take a little bit less than what I want. I will not eat between meals. In particular, no “just got home, gonna nibble” snacks, or “dinner’s been a while back, now for some dessert before I go to bed.”
Let’s see how that works. I think it’s doable.
Starting tomorrow.
In the meantime, I hope the New Year brings you all happiness, prosperity, joy, fulfillment, and greater success than my resolution will likely have. God bless us, everyone.
You will have better memory. Science proves it. The investigators found that older adults who drank a 12-ounce cup of regular coffee before taking a memory test performed better than…
You will have better memory. Science proves it.
The investigators found that older adults who drank a 12-ounce cup of regular coffee before taking a memory test performed better than their peers who drank decaffeinated coffee. Not only did caffeine drinkers have higher scores on the test, which was given in the morning and afternoon, but they did not show any decline in memory throughout the day.
Test scores declined significantly between morning and afternoon in people who were regular coffee-drinkers but consumed decaffeinated coffee for a day.
(Via Blather)
As speakeasy observes, the national obsession over anthrax, when AIDS has killed, and will kill, millions, is unfathomable. I have been lucky enough to not have anyone close to me…
As speakeasy observes, the national obsession over anthrax, when AIDS has killed, and will kill, millions, is unfathomable.
I have been lucky enough to not have anyone close to me die of AIDS, so I can’t speak to that personal aspect of it. But I will say this about the subject:
AIDS is largely avoidable. Indeed, aside from folks who have to receive transfusions, it’s almost entirely avoidable.
The most sure way to avoid it is to not have sex. That is followed by avoid sex with anyone who (a) is having sex with others, and/or (b) has had sex with others in the past, and has not yet tested clear. In other words, abstinance. Or, failing that, monogamy (and “trust but verify”).
Short of that, and if you are willing to play Russian Roulette, at least use a condom. Yeah, they’re not the greatest thing since sliced bread in the sensation department, but they’re a hell of a lot better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. And they beat the hell out of getting AIDS. Really. Read about it. Look at the pictures. It’s a bad, bad thing to happen to you. And you can avoid it.
But condoms are still a risk. They don’t always work. If folks can get pregnant using condoms (and they do), than HIV can be spread with them (and it can). Operator error. Material failure. It can happen. Just not as easily. Really.
And abstinance is not impossible. Believe me — I know. And even if it is (which it isn’t), there are things you can do to cut your risk dramatically.
So do it. Really. Unwanted pregnancy is a Bad Thing. STDs are Bad Things. And AIDS will kill you, and/or your partners, in a very costly and gruesome fashion.
It only takes one time.
Don’t be stupid.
Dave: Feeling better today, a bit snuffly, but the long nap yesterday and the decent sleep last night have refreshed me. Felt well enough to go up and rake aout…
Dave: Feeling better today, a bit snuffly, but the long nap yesterday and the decent sleep last night have refreshed me. Felt well enough to go up and rake aout eight bags of leaves on the front porch. Good thing I’m recovering, too, since I have IT dignitaries coming into the office over the next few days. Not my direct bosses, but still Influential People.
Margie: She’s about a day behind me, so today is her day to take a long mid-day nap.
Katherine: Feeling a lot better (evidently early aspects of this illness were part of why she was so fractious at night — she’s doing much better there, too). Very snotty, and a bit clingy, but a world better than a week ago. She’s also vocalizing like crazy, lots of different sounds. Makes us wonder if she’s going to be one of those kids who, when they start to really talk, talk in actual sentences.
I’ve been fighting off something for the past several days. A little scratchy throat. Ah, I thought, a day later, that’s just post nasal drip. Change in the weather. Leaf…
I’ve been fighting off something for the past several days. A little scratchy throat. Ah, I thought, a day later, that’s just post nasal drip. Change in the weather. Leaf mold. That went on for a few days (and restless nights).
This morning, it’s worse than ever. My head feels like it’s swollen to twice its normal already-inflated size. There’s a pressure on the front of my face that makes me want to babble like Joyce, except I don’t have the energy to do so.
I’m seriously considering calling this a sick day, since my ability to concentrate lasts about as long as it takes me either cough or snort. I’m torn, because I’m behind on some deliverables at work, for a variety of reasons, and the little guy in red tights with a pitchfork sitting on my shoulder is not going to take “I’m sick for an answer.” The only one who can fight that guy is my muse, and she’s waist-deep in mucus right now.
Bleah.
And the worst part is, as any time one is feeling so bad one has to stay off of work, is that I don’t even feel good enough to do anything fun during my “time off.”
Besides, whenever I bend over the keyboard, I … drip.
I get an annoying little rash on my finger. No, this isn’t yet another self-indulgent blog post about some minor ailment. In hot weather, my left ring finger is susceptible…
I get an annoying little rash on my finger.
No, this isn’t yet another self-indulgent blog post about some minor ailment.
In hot weather, my left ring finger is susceptible to some sort of rash or minor fungal hoohah. This has the incredibly annoying (to me) result of my being unable to wear my wedding ring for more than a day or two at a time, let I get the major itchies. That’s a real shame, for a number of reasons.
First of all, my wedding ring is my symbol to the world that I was lucky enough to net a Gem Amongst Womankind, to wit, Margie.
She’s mine, all mine, you hear me! Bwah-ha-hah!
It’s also, to be fair, a nice piece of jewelry, from John Atencio, which is a jewelry store and design company here in Denver. (John Atencio was also, coincidentally, the brother of the wife, Elouise, of my first boss at the company, JimLo. None of which I knew at the time. I jokingly asked Jim, when he told me, if I should have dropped his name to get a discount. He indicated they probably would have increased the price.) It’s actually unique, since the “default” for the ring is yellow gold, and we got it done in white gold (which took them two tries to cast correctly).
Very spiffy, kind an abstract wavyness to it. I enjoy wearing it. When I can, dagnabbit. Since its a solid, wide band, it tends to create a wide area of compressed skin, heat, and moisture. Which then leads to a recurrence of that rash again.
Okay, enough with the rash.
So, anyway, during those times when I can’t wear my wedding ring because of you-know-what, I’ve taken to carrying it in my wallet. Which is kind of nice, too.
Margie, of course, ended up with a family heirloom ring that I couldn’t afford even today. Yeesh. What a deal.
I have another ring I wear, too. Margie got it for me as an “engagement” ring, of a sorts — a lighter, silver, Celtic knot sort of design. Made on the Isle of Skye, if I recall my Wireless catalog correctly. I wear that one a lot more often, on the right hand, sort of as a compromise.
Rings are about the only jewelry I wear. Well, I also have a medallion, with a Celtic knot on the obverse, and a Northwest Indian design (eagle and raven, I believe) on the reverse (symbolizing the joining of two houses) which I got at a Rennfaire some time ago. Margie has a similar one, with the same reverse design. I wear it all the time.
The only other jewelry I can see wearing would be an earring, since that seems to have become marginally acceptible for men. On the other hand, I work for a rather conservative engineering company, so that might draw a few odd glances. And I hate needles, which means the whole piercing thing is pretty sketchy for me. And, finally, I would worry that it would be (or would appear to be) one of those Desperate Attempts By Guys In Their Forties To Try And Look Cool Again, which would be mortifying.
(That’s one reason why I never grew the ponytail back after the wedding. Especially with the thinning, to put it politely, of my hair, it would have looked too much like one of those Desperate Attempts By Balding Guys To Try And Make Up For It By Growing A Ponytail.)
I’m so vain. I probably think this post is about me.