Getting close

Oh Yeah! What a great dinner suggestion from K. Egg and Salomi on toasted bread. Wow! Follow it up with a Swiss Cake and some vanilla ice cream. Good stuff. That should hold me over until the morning. I hope.

Anyways, I am now a day away from my surgery to correct the hyper parathyroid condition that I have. I have not been told yet what time to show up Wednesday. They will probably tell me late tomorrow. I already know that I cannot have any food or drink for eight hour prior to the surgery. That SUCKS. I can only hope my tummy does not go into pain splitting mode from hunger. But, we shall see. So far, I have been very fascinated by this whole process I've been going through. Recall, that this whole thing started when I commented to my doctor that I simply could not stay awake during class (college) or during my attempts to study. Over the last four months, there have been a multitude of blood test, a radiology scan, a cat scan, x-ray's, and a 24 hour urine test to determine (and verify as best as possible) that I have hyperparathyrodism. So here we go. Wednesday is the day.

What looms beyond the surgery? I will be very interested to find out. Will I not be as tired? Will my metabolism subside? Will I gain improved memory and comprehension skills? Are there other side effects that I have not noticed until post surgery and reflection? I don't know. Facing this unknown has made an interesting journey and I look forward to seeing where it leads.

Way Cool

Yeah man, its been a way cool day. (1) the weather was a little warmer today. You know what that means? SUMMER! (2) I've felt pretty good today after a great nights sleep. (3) I've had word that the folks I met Saturday night for the Spring Crawl thought I was a way cool guy. (4) I've actually accomplished some stuff at work today. Sort of atoning for Friday's semi-quasi day.

So, where does that leave me now . . . Good Question! Oh, I know, split this work joint for the day. Adios Amigos.

Visit mom

Okay folks, back from apleasant dinner at mom's place. Dare I say that I ALMOST forgot it was Mother's Day. How did I remember? Well, usually, on the way out the door, mom and I hug. Well today, she gave an extra long and all around different hug. It got me to thinking! Is today Mother's Day? I had to ask. Sure enough. So today's parting hug was a good deal longer. Felt good all around.

So, while there, we got to talking about some relatives. Mom informed me they have a of Shit-zu dog. Yeah, that's what I said. Asking mom, did you say - Shit-zu? Sure engough. Never heard of such a dog, but hey, it works for me! Now the funny part is it came a cross as a bad word. Amazing for my mom. GO MOM! Now, lets set the record straight, shall we? Shih Tzu is a type of pure breed dog. GO MOM!

Other than that, a calm, uneventful afternoon. Awesome for a man and his toothpicks. Ha.

Toothpick please

Ahhh, toothpicks come in handy for a variety of functions. Such as picking your teeth, as the name implies. Also, making stick figures. Cleaning dirt out of tight corners. Testing to see if a cake is done baking. Sticks for tiny ice tray Popsicles. And their current use, eyelid props. Yes, the many uses of toothpicks. I'm sure you can add more to the list.

Eyelid props you say. Yes indeed, for last night was a good time had by all at the Spring Crawl. Hung out with good people, saw several different bands, and saw a variety of interesting people (but we won't go there). And what time did we all go to bed last night? And what time did WE all go to bed last night? ummmm. I tell ya what. When I remember, I'll let you know. Okay?

So, what does today behold? NOT MUCH. Shower, rest, take a stroll outside, and go to see my folks. Originally, they were going to come to my place, but my brother is a bit more bogged down with homework than he realized, so I'm heading up there since time is on my side. So that's where I'm headed with a little shopping along the way.

Ready to GO

I'm all set to go out tonight. Got the shower done, got the car washed, and finished up a lot of other chores I've needed to do. Now it's time for a world renowned Mighty power nap, and then get the ball rolling just a bit after 5.

So, to ya all out there, what ever your planning tonight, hope it's a BLAST! Cheers.

Plan'en ta party

All RIGHT! It's Friday night! Hang'en at home giving the body a well deserved rest from last night and, simultaneously, giving it a rest before tomorrow night. That's right, the Spring Crawl happens tomorrow night. Starts around 5:00pm, ends around ???. Expect a late one folks. Expect some good'ol times. Expect a large crowd. And best of all, expect not to remember much of it! Ya know what Iaa mean. Anyways plan is to meet up with K. around 5:30 to grab some grub, then head over to one of her friends house who just happens to live right in the heart of downtown. We won't have to worry about parking and we'll have an emergency crash pad if things get out ah hand. All I require is a flat spot to lay and ah clear path to the bowl.

On a warmer note, today was the yearly maintenance on the building chiller at work today. Now the chiller helps the air conditioners do their thing. Well let me tell you! That lab got fucking HOT! I don't remember it getting this hot in the last several years of cleaning being done. WOW. And those that know me, know that's its got to be 80 in the shade before I even start to feel comfortable. Let me tell ya it was hot. Next year, take the day off I say.

Well, back to chill'en folks. Cheers!

Change of plans

Well there is nothing like starting the day off and then having a wrench thrown at it. I was all ready to start a project this morning. I was getting suited up to go into the lab and then it hit me . . . Oh MAN. I gotta dice with this guy at 9:30. Shit. I made this realization around 8:45 and I really cannot start the project and quit midway if ya know what I mean. So I did some semi-quasi useful stuff until then. But then, the guy shows up with a "I'll be ready in about 10 minutes." Okay man, that's cool. Thirty five minutes later . . . So I'm now eating lunch and will get the original plan started after I take a walk outside to suck up this awesome weather.

I will have to say that, for now, I'm functioning quite well despite last nights sleep deprivation. You see, K. invited me over for chow. While out for chow, I locked my key's in the car! AAA to the rescue! Thankfully, K. had her cell phone. After all that excitement was over, head over to her place to chat a bit. THEN, someone turned up the heater! Ice please.

Battle Field!

Directions to Target location. Check.
Area map. Check.
Body armor. Check.
Stress management skills. Check.

I'm go'en in folks. I have Wal-mart in my view port. I'm go'en in for one thing and one thing only. They have this vanilla wafer cookie that I REALLY like. And I can't find the damn thing anywhere else. Probably because it is made exclusively for Wal-mart. That sucks. Wish me luck!

Over and out.

We're all SET.

Got tickets.
Got date.
Ready to go. That's right, Id be happening Saturday night. The Alibi Spring Crawl. Music, expensive food, expensive liquor, expensive everything! But hey, it's all part of the fun. Plus, you leave a little lighter. The Crawl happens twice a year. Once in the Fall and Spring. It happens downtown in the nightclub hot spot. It happens on a Saturday. Forget Church, recover Sunday. One ticket gets you into a boat load of clubs, each playing three to five different acts throughout the night. It starts early, around 4 or 5. And if every ones lucky, the weather will be great! A section of Central will be totally blocked off. There are places for both over and under 21. That's right, bring the family, cut the kids loose, and party hardy. You know where I'll be this weekend. Ready, set, GO!

Today's weather outlook? Awesome! Blue skies all day long. A little windy in the afternoon, but otherwise . . . Now, let's all pray together for the weather to be like this on the weekend. Saturday night please.

IBS
When the future is uncertain, close your eye's, and find it.

Doors

IBS
What lies behind any untouched door is always a mystery. The path to going through that door begins with turning the knob.

Post What?

Creating a blog post consist of clicking on the words NEW POST. Then your suppose to type something of some nature. Whether it be some random stuff or things more meaningful to you. Well as I sit here typing away after following the above directions, I find myself typing neither. I seem to currently have nothing in particular to talk about. So what's a person suppose to in this situation ? (1) Post nothing. That's right. Don't even allow yourself to get to this point. Then your not drawing blood from your scalp while you scratch it in hopes of some topic coming to mind. (2) Search for a topic on the web. That's right. News topics can make interesting sidebars not to mention ruffling the feathers of a LOT of your fellow blog readers. If your up for defending your fort, post news. (3) Talk about your day? (4) Talk about stuff that's PISS'EN you off. That's right again. No holds bared. (4) And when you've hit a point like where I'm at in posting some pointless stuff, simply give up.

Cheers ALL.

Virginia Tech back on track

Folks, I simply MUST comment on an article from MSN's web page on the students returning to class at Virginia Tech and also morning their loss. (1) They released 33 balloons in the air for those who passed away. I AM SORRY folks. Thirty two balloons for those who's lives ended tragically - YES. One balloon for the Asshole. NO. Fucker fucked himself and deserves on remembrance from us. (2) Ah prayer flag for the Asshole? Dear God. (3) Why does it take a tragedy of this nature to bring people together. We should ALL be together with respect for each others talents, strengths, weaknesses, and differences. The following note was placed next to a stone symbolizing the Asshole. Although specific to a group of people, it DOES apply to everyone.

“Cho, you greatly underestimated our strength, courage and compassion. You have broken our hearts, but you have not broken our spirits. We are stronger and prouder than ever. I have never been more proud to be a Hokie. Love, in the end, will always prevail. Erin J.”

Wind + clouds = the great indoors

Except for this morning, haven't stepped a foot outside. But now, alas, I must venture out to leave this place called work. I think I would enjoy this walk even if it was a hurricane. Well, cooking dinner didn't happen last night due to the thrill and excitement of my new toy. Plus, what I ate around 6pm didn't go over very well. No runs to the bathroom or anything, it just didn't feel quite right. So I opted for a grab-bag of this and that around 9:30pm. Worked out. So that means I'll be cooking tonight and be more in the mood to. And in case your wondering, sleep replaced bliss around quarter to 11 or so.

Did these clouds and wind bring along an electrical devil this morning? There were several pieces of equipment down in the lab, and the problem (except for one) of all was each of the outlets they were plugged into on various power strips went bad. Not that the entire power strip was bad, just these plugs all of a sudden. Pull cord, put into another outlet on the same strip. Good to go. The other plug that went belly up was on the back of an equipment panel. Count'em, four plugs went bad. ODD.

Random Word
I've been had - Yep, since I'm at work and I don't have my trusty old fashioned hard bound Webster's dictionary handy, so I decided I'd look at a dictionary on the web. Would you believe you can get a daily word emailed to you at this cite! You'll also get a lot of other shit mailed to you as well, though. But hey, could be the thing for ya is your a shop-a-holic.

IBS
Never trust the word FREE. What you give, and receive, should not need labels or words.

It's **IN** and **WORKING**

It's up and running folks!

My new toy is put back together, and operational. The sound? Like - WOW man. Totally awesome! The only new discoveries I've made is that some of the contacts aren't making due to age and oxidation buildup. So I'll have to pull it some time down the road and give a good electronic spray cleaning to the circuit boards and switch contacts. One other problem is the two phono inputs are way to sensitive to be used as sound inputs from my CD player and DVD player. So I'll need to shop around for a signal attenuator to drop the level. Other than that, it's look'en good.

Now excuse me while I return to bliss.

The Scene

Picture it: my new toy taken apart and scattered on the table. Clean, folded cloths scattered around the living room. Target shopping bags and related crap scattered in strategically located places in the living room. The scene is painted. So! GUESS what I did today? How'd you know? Must be psychic.

After a some good times last night with K., the mission today has been to replace the burned out lights in the new toy. The new bulbs had to be soldered in, but that wasn't too bad. Done! All I got to do is finish putting it back together and swap it with my current amp. Next: laundry. Done! Put it away man. Next: break Take a load off for a short break. Next. Internet safari. Check email, do this post. I still have to download drivers for the new thumb drive I bought today. Thank god I can download drivers for Win 98. Yes my old system is still here. On the plus side, the 1 gig drive was on sale for17 bucks. Bargain? Will do some other surfing later tonight. Then dinner. Got stuff, will cook.

New toy

Hey folks, just online surfing a bit and thought I would drop in for a line or two. Not really in the mood to post, as was last night. But HEY!!! I have an excuse for last night. See, I was busy playing with my new toy! It is a console type stereo. You know, the old style with big knobs, analog display, flywheel on the tuning knob that keeps the position indicator moving after you've given it a hefty twist. Oh yeah! And hey, the price was right too. FREE! Yes, right from the apartment dumpster. Went to take some trash out and it was like, [low tone voice] "what do we have here?" Hence, the evenings project began. See if it works. Yes. Pop the cover, clean the dust bunnies, fix the tuning dial assembly, and then sit back and enjoy the nostalgic sound clarity. I'll replace my current amp with this one. All I have left to do is fix some of the burned out lights for the front display.

The only downside to last nights excitement is I let my tummy cry a little longer that I should. By the time my tummy knocked me upside the head, I was so frazzled, I just wolfed that shit down. Not good on an empty, angry stomach.

Other than that, it's overcast today and and the wind has gotten an early start. I had waffles this morning and now that were on the subject, guess what? I think I'd better eat something here before it gets too late. But first:

Random Word Pop Quiz - Impious

IBS
Putting off today will lower your potential for tomorrow.

Your presence

Well, I'm getting ready to leave work and just wanted to comment briefly on this mornings post. While listening to the radio news, there where several stories regarding the Virginia Tech incident. One story began to focus on the lives that where touched by those who passed away. Basically, memories told by friends and the like. And that got me to thinking. While the media wraps its little finger around us, we tend to think of how a persons life affects others when a tragedy of this nature happens or when someone close leaves us. Perhaps some of you think about this when hearing stories about innocents lost via a criminal act or losses due to the war in Iraq. Again, most likely when we see or hear a media blurb.

While this is a depressing figure, it got me to questioning how many people actively think about how THEY affect other people. How the positive (or negative) actions WE take affect those around us and how we might be remembered when we cease to exist. For it seems as if one's presence is only truly appreciated when we can no longer experience what they had to offer.

Priceless Touch

IBS
In time, pennies become dimes. Dimes become dollars. Dollars become priceless. Never underestimate the value your presence has on others, for in your passing, the effects of your touch become priceless.

Weight Gain?

Just WHAT are some way's to gain weight?

- OD on Peanut M&M's?
- Eat something sweet with every meal?
- Eat four meals a day?
- After being active at work, plant your ass once home?

Has NOT seemed to work for me. In two weeks, I've managed with drop three pounds without even trying - as measured between doctor visits. I'm sitting at 108.5. I'll have to try ice cream next.

Mark your calender

The date is set folks. I saw the surgeon today and after discussing a few things have a date set for surgery in two weeks. That is, on Wednesday, May 2. Best case scenario, I'll arrive and leave the same day. Worst case scenario - let's not go there. This should be interesting. I did have to sign some paperwork. One of which states that if I die on the operating table, the hospital is not liable. And I was asked if I had ever made a will. Nope. I cannot eat or drink for eight hours before the surgery. I guess I'll just have to think about the grassy knoll while my stomach cries.

IBS
Live for tomorrow, for the ball you roll today, picks up momentum tomorrow.

Oh Hummmm

That pretty much describes the mood at the moment. Work was busy today. I'm been trying to fix a piece of equipment over the last few day's. Turns out I've been chasing a sub problem that may be causing the equipment failure. But turns out I've been spinning my wheels. Frustrating. I've learned a lot about the system in the process, but alas, the quest has been to fix it rather than take a detour. At least I've got some other idea's. And at least I've discovered some events that should be happening that are not. So hopefully this will help lead a solution.

Well, on the horizon tomorrow is the doctors appointment with the surgeon who specializes in this hyperparathyroid operation. This will be the initial consultation. Meet-n-greet. "Hi, how are you?, I'll slit your neck here," that sort of stuff. That appointment will be at 11:00. On the plus side, it's at the hospitals Women's Hospital. Oh Yeah!

What else, what else. Well we all know Virginia Tech Asshole sent a package of stuff to NBC. What a field day for the media. At least we know some of his motives now. And like that atones for the suffering he has imposed. Bullshit. I wonder if nations response to protect places of education will feel like post nine-eleven. We'll see. But of course, it's hot news now. What happens in a week or two. The news flash is over and not near as exciting anymore. Time for the media to move on and the nation to emotionally dwell on something else.

Enough ramble on that topic. Other than that, just attempting to fight off the urge to take a nap. Tomorrow will find me getting an early start. I've got to run a process on an equipment set before I head off to the hospital. I SHOULD be in around 7:30, but since snails are stiff competition for me on most mornings, we'll have to see.

Random Word
Palfrey - a saddle horse other than a war horse : a ligh easy gaited horse suitable for a woman.

Cheers folks

Tuesday night tid-bits

Movie Review : Black Snake Moan - Just saw it at the bargain theater. Review? It ain't gonna happen folks. After my dismal attempt at Ghost Rider, I'm keeping my day job. I'll leave you in the safe hands of Roger Eberts movie review. My overall opinion - enjoyed the movie. Especially - Chrissssstiinna. Ice please.

Evening walk - What a nice night weather wise. Got home and just couldn't resist a walk around the neighborhood. Although this wimp still needed a medium jacket, the wind was calm and the stars are out. Come'on summer!

School - Saw several advisers today. First biology. Prospects are good to get in. The of the 1200+ (yes, 1200+) students that have declared biology as a major of minor, half are pre-med students, which makes getting into the introductory courses tight. Once past that, your in pretty good shape. The picture looks good for getting into graduate school as well. Next, I'll have to talk to some of the professors about getting a tour of the labs and get a real idea about what the work would be like. Next, my advisor in electrical engineering. Nothing much said here. My assigned advisor for next semester was there, but turns out that she had another meeting to go to at the time that I scheduled to meet her. So I got shifted over to R. Head advisor for the EE program. Since we had already discussed things quite extensively via email and a previous impromptu meeting, she is simply going to remove my hold for registering and I'll just let her know where I'm going. See this and that post for more on that front. Finally, the psychology advisor. Highlights - (1) the only thing a BS degree is good for is to be used in conjunction with another degree, (2) there is no masters program, (3) you need a PhD to do anything in the field, (4) of the 200+ people who applied for graduate studies last year, only 13 where accepted, (5) social work is the only field that is in high demand right now. Although the psychology department is average among the nation, they are among the top in the nation for studies in neuropsychology. See, they got some fancy tool that helps a lot.

Break - hold that thought while I get something to eat.

Overdose - Speaking of food . . . I think I almost OD'd on Peanut M&M's during my late afternoon snack. Ya know, I suffer from One Calls for Another syndrome.

New Computer - Talked to the guy who is building my new system. We went over configuration options and generals about the system. He's going to order parts, should be ready in about two to three weeks. And then, . . . I'll say goo . . .Oh let's don't go there again.

Celebration - and I forgot to invite you to celebrate with me yesterday. So let's celebrate now, shall we! YES. I am so down right happy that the local radio station has FINALLY drawn their winner for this New You for the New Year contest. Now we can get some piece from the daily speech spats about this great chance to get $10000 dollars in cosmetic surgery from local hospital X. A tummy tuck here, liposuction there. Throw in a titty-boost for good measure. I just can't see the point. Great technology for folks that have a disfigurement of some sort, but the perfectly normal and healthy? Trust me, I've used my freedoms given me by this nation to change the station on a great number of occations.

The End - It's about time I ended this post. Relax just a bit while I eat a bit more, then hit the sack. Cheers!

Tuesday morning tid-bits

Wake up: Around 4:30. Never really did go back to sleep.

Breakfast: Cereal with buckwheat groats. Poptart. Orange juice.

Radio: Listening to NPR news on the radio. Yes, a lot of talk revolving around yesterday's unfortunate incident at Virginia Tech. But more to the point here, one of the sponsors for the news was the American Psychology Association. Interesting timing.

Bills: Last night, got next months bills ready to go (except for one I'm still waiting on). I think I broke a record for getting them out the door. Yes, way early. Was just some odd mood I was in last night.

Random Word
Impious - not pious : lacking in reverence or proper respect (as for God or one's parents) : irreverent.

The Road

IBS
No one knows where the road of life will take you. All you can do is look back and see where you have been.

Ah Sign

Your all aware that several of my post have me grappling over my disappointing performance at school this last semester. This weekend, I was reading the description for a show that airs on the local public radio station . The show is called New Dimensions. Just missed it as this topic just aired on Saturday. I was reading the description on Sunday. Here's the program description:

New Dimensions. Discovering Your Greatest Opportunities With James Swartz. James Swartz has studied seventy of the world's most successful people to learn why they become such great achievers. What choices did they make that put them at the forefront in their chosen fields? Are there patterns we can identify that will help us attain great success in our own lives? The answer is yes. But the strategies that worked for these luminaries may surprise you. In fact, Swartz discovered many common traits that you'll find encouraging. For example, you're never too old, dismal failure is often followed by extraordinary achievement, and taking time off might turn on your greatest inspiration. Best of all, achieving your greatest success may be easier than you expect. Program #3187.

Is it a sign?
(I'll hunt down the source later.)

What an ASSHOLE!

Virginia Tech is on the map for a reason no place should make the list. Okay folks, chime in here - what an Asshole! I tell ya, it's bad enough that someone would chose to take their own life, but if ya just gotta do it, DON'T be taken anybody else with ya. All those innocent lives, devastated families, lost dreams, bewildered friends, unknown contributions to society. What a travesty.

I'm sure we'll be hearing about this for some day's to come. We'll be hearing about similar past incidences, how they recovered, what's become of them. Not to mention analysis on what prompted this, how COULD it have been prevented, what was the state of mind of the gunman, and the list goes on. And here's a special request to the media, please keep your fucking microphones and camera's AWAY from the affected families. We all know what they are going through. Please let them grieve in peace.

Random Words

I thought I'd start something odd. Random Words from the dictionary. I've always known that my spelling was quite bad and have become more aware of it since starting this blog. You see, the dictionary has been warming my lap on just about every post. Sure, the bloggers spell checker has helped a lot, but doesn't know ah damn thing about grammar when it comes to words that have multiple meanings based on the context of their use. And although I have a technical background, by general vocabulary is probably right on par with a majority of the nation. Which happens to be the seventh grade (don't quote me, that number just rings a bell form some news story I heard some years ago).

So how this will usually work is I'll pick a random page and a random word from the dictionary. If the word is already common. I'll pick again. Got it! So let us head back to school. The word for the moment is:

Tacit - 1: expressed or carried on without words or speech. 2a: implied or indicated but not actually expressed <~consent> 2b: (1) arising without express contract or agreement (2): arising by operation of law<~mortgage>.

Recess

Wasting Time

Topic: Food Grater

Food graters grate, well, food. So, therefore, they should do just fine grating salt pork. Right? Folks, don't try this at home. What sounded like a good idea at the time does NOT make the grade. After this grater sitting on my counter top since Thanksgiving of, OF - 2005, I finally bit the bullet and made an attempt to clean it.

Method: Hot boiling water in a sauce pan.
Results: Absolutely, positively, not happen'en Mission Control.

I thought boiling water would melt the fat off the grater. Nope!

Plan B: Now that it's soft, use a tooth pick to remove it from grates.
Results: Absolutely, positively, not happen'en folks.

Turns out that there's too much of the shit on there, and it's hard to remove it from the holes. After all this work, the funny part is that I'm trying to clean it in preparation for making a donation run to Goodwill. This item cost $2 to $3 bucks at the store and I tried to do the right thing. Outta teach me, huh.

Conclusion: Don't mix graters and salt pork. SAVE your TIME. Trash it instead.
Time wasted: 35 minutes.

Salt Please

Eh, I was out today and got hungry (surprise, huh), so I ran over to Sonic for a bite. I grabbed a hamburger and fries, ketchup and salt. "Before I add salt to the fries, I'll check'em out first." WOW! I think I had some fries with my salt. The fries I got must have been at the bottom of the pile. That is, after several batches. Salt granules where on my fingers after every bite. And not just lightly powdered either. With that intake, I think all continue the salt festival with popcorn in a bit. Again, a little popcorn with my salt is the usual theme. And not just any salt, Jolly Time salt.

Well the day has been very nice. Nothing but blue skies. Supposedly, the weather channel (my mom) says there's another storm moving in this week. Too bad. But then again, that's typical of April New Mexico weather. The saying around here is, "Don't like the weather? Wait two hours." Didn't fluctuate that much today, but the wind did start to pick up around 1 or 2pm. What I'm waiting for is my favorite month's of the year - July and August. Oh yeah! Nice and HOT.

Other than that, not too eventful of a day. A condition I'm still not quite use to since bailing on school. Anyways, in closing for this post, here are some final thoughts . . .

IBS
If you cannot change the circumstances, change your perspective.

Anal Mighty : The Shower Stall

Yeah, I'll admit in some respects, I'm male by nature, female by trade. So, the shower stall you say. Here's the deal. After each shower, the stall has to be ran over with a squeegee, then wiped with a sponge. The Bub gets the same treatment. And on top of that, water knobs and such get wiped down as well. How long does this take me? Don't know. I've been to scared to time it. And just how the HELL did all this start? Well you see, somewhere around 1340 A.D., I was cleaning the stall when it was very dirty. It took me almost two hours to clean that sucker. I was like, "There's gotta be a better way." Hence, anal was born. Now it takes me a fraction of the time to do a major clean. But the next question that begs is, "Do you really save any time doing daily wipes vs. one painful clean?" Again, I've been too scared to time it. Merry Maids. Take me away . . .

LIghten up man

Eh man, snap out of it!

Gotta give it to "Your Hand" from Pink to pull me out of a mode. Several repeats are highly recommended.

Average Blog Reader: "What a boring blog. No pictures."

[Mighty]: Well keep yer pants on man! Cause when Iaa get maa nuew compota and DSL setup, I'll be good to go! I got my newest toy about a month ago. A digital camera. That's right folks. Upgrade from 35 mm, single print, matte finish to digital delight. It's a Sony DSC-W50 Cyber-shot. When I get my new computer, I'll even be able to download the damn pictures from the thing. You see, my darling is aging, and, it's just not like her. She use to be able to keep up with the big boy's. Over the years, though, she's been giving up on life. The doctor's don't know what to do. I may have to put her to sleep. She's been a great friend over the years. Except for a few big arguments, she's always been there for me. I will miss her. She'll always have a special place in my heart. I hope to find a good landfill. One that will provide piece. Silence. Low odor. Wildlife viewing opportunities. Let's practice the moment by holding a moment of silence . . . That's better.

When I pull the plug. I'll do so. With grace. digni . . . tissue please.

Research

M: SO . . . Whud you do Friday night?
JD: Not a damn thing. wasted the night away more or less. And you?
M: Research!
JD: Oh ya. What kind of research?
M: Looked into psychology and biology as potential moves away from electrical engineering?
JD: Say what?
M: Oh yeah. Found a couple career information sites on psychology and biology. Pretty informative. Looks like both fields could even blend in with each other. Could primarily go psychology with a few fingers in biology to become neuropsychologist. Could also do the reverse to become neurobiologist. Depends on which field you want to be involved more in.

JD: Okay man, whatever!
M: No man, not whatever. There's even an emerging field that combines electronics and biology. I can still be a NERD.

JD: Ya don't say. I tell ya what, keep your excitement to yourself. I'm outta here. Before I leave, question: are you sure you want to leave electrical engineering? It's been your stubborn dream for so many years now."

M: I know. Still need to give it some thought.

Got ah buddy?

So it's the end of a workday and it's time to hit the road jack. Head home and chill right along with the weather. Been cloudy, rainy, and cold all day long. Outside. That is. Good thing this wimp wore his heavy coat.

So I'm going to nag about a work related inconsistency that's bugging me. Upper management is attempting to re-enforce the buddy system in our facility. During regular operating hours, users of our facility may do their work alone. Due to the fact that there are more people around to find you in the event of an accident. During non standard working hours, you must have a BUDDY with you when working (qualified buddies must meet certain requirements) to cover you in the event of an accident.

So, some users have requested the right to enter the facility after hours alone if they are only going to use basic analytical tools of no harm (well, hold that thought). But upper management has said NO because WE cannot know for sure of the user will be an honest soul. Allow me to state that the use of basic solvents constitutes a hazard, requiring a buddy.

So, here's my gripe. Apparently, STAFF is allowed to enter the facility alone to do basic stocking and routine checks. Two of these routine activities include handling liquid nitrogen and filling solvent bottles. Hmmm. Is staff more competent than the most experienced user? Is staff somehow immune to accidents?

So I posed the question to two upper level folks via email. Decipher these responses . . .

[Mighty]
Just FYI. I'll be informing A. that the buddy rules apply to his work as well. (A. is staff)

B.'s comment:
As long as A. is not operating facility equipment, he will be allowed in the facility without a buddy.

R.'s comment:
If A. is running equipment and doing so after hours, then I would agree. But, if he is stocking chemicals, supplies, etc. then I don't agree.

I followed up with this response to both (including in the body the above comments).

[Mighty]
Ahh, but stocking chemicals entails a potential hazard. Also filling the LN2 tank on the SEM is also potentially hazardous. Stocking wipes and acid gloves are about the only two other non-hazardous activity.

We'll see how popular I am on Monday.

What I really wanted to say was:

[Mighty]
Regarding the buddy system, does this mean staff is somehow privileged? Does staff have substantially less accidents that any general user? What I want to avoid is users seeing staff doing activities that require a buddy for them, and then asking, "Where's STAFF'S buddy!"

Hope I didn't wear y'all out.
Cheers

One minute, fifty seconds

That's how long it took me to log onto the web on dial-up. Blazing right along at the speed of . . . something, well okay, 56K! Well when Iaa get maa nuew compota, en Iaa yupgraad maa fone suhvisss tuh hii sped, then Iaa be mov'en. Til then, dial-up, 56K. You'd be surprised how you can get used to it after a while. You just have to change your perspective of time. You know. Open a new web page, take a bathroom break. Go to a page that has a lot of photo's on it, take a nap (wait - my personal coach has suggested I try not taking naps) or maybe a walk around the block. Download a file, start it before you go to bed. You know the drill. Buut when Iaa get maa nuew compota . . .

Okay, so what's new here? Not a damn thing. During mental down times at work today, I've contemplated a potential move away from the electrical engineering field, then spent some time after work browsing the subjects. Possibilities, possibilities. psychology, chemistry, biology, computer science. Now the question to ask myself is, "What types of activities do I enjoy doing at work?" "Throughout my working career, what activities have a tended to gravitate to given the opportunity?" And, "Should I stay technical/scientific or no-holds-bared approach?" Things to ponder. Even I have to give it more thought. So . . .

23 minutes, 7 seconds. The time its been since I started to log on. So where's hi-speed coming from? Quest I tell you. DSL. After considering DSL and cable, I'm going DSL. I'm currently with MCI phone service. I pay around $45 / month for a service I rarely use. All part of their Neighborhood plan. Well Quest is offering basic phone service for $13 / month with long distance at 10 cents a minute. Hi-speed kicks in with $30 / month, and I figure another $10 - 15 / month for taxes and surcharges. So I'll only be out another $10 - 15 a month from what I'm ALREADY used to paying. Sounds like a plan to me!

Let's see - 29 minutes, 36 seconds. I guess I'd better head off to bed. While some folks seem to have problems falling asleep, I tend to have problems say'en awake. Go figure.

Adios
[Spell check, formating, and dictionary - 34 minutes, 33 seconds.]

Something fun for a change

1. go to www.google.com
2. click on "maps"
3. click on "get directions"
4. type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box) (at the top)
5. type "London" in the second box (the "to" box) (at the top)
6. click on "get directions"
6. scroll down to step #23

Blog Beginnings

Why do we start blogs? Sometimes friends encourage us. Maybe it's part of a popularity contest. Perhaps your searching your inner soul. And then again, it could be "just because."

Where do I stand?
What's been beating me recently?
Ponder this . . .

IBS
Intelligence. Drive. Motivation. Comprehension. Personal excellence. Who owns these qualities? Who has the right to possess them? - Know what you are. Know where you are. Know who you are. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses. Know yourself. - Then you will own these without effort.

Odds -n- Ends

For starters, Dr. P. suggested I might be "getting old before my time." Does this style suit me?

On another front, I was flipping channels earlier and ran across PBS. They had a Celtic music show on. Guess WHY I was watching thus pleasant music show? That's right - Pledge Drive. And then they claim you can watch quality programming just like this throughout the year with your (the viewers) support. NOT. They do have quality programming, I'll admit, but they tend to pull out all the stops during a pledge drive. Apples and oranges I say.

On the flipside, I've been hearing this ad on the radio selling homes. Buy now and we'll give you an extra garage (making a three car garage) for free. For a LIMITED time only . . . Sounds like a ploy to me. Is the glass half full or half empty. If it's half empty, then they probably have built homes that they are trying to get rid of. If the glass is half full, then MAN, I'd better get ah jump on this shit. This deal might not be around for very long. -- Sure enough, at the end of the ad, the smooth, quite, fast talking voice says "offer applies to existing homes only." ONLY! Sucker.


IBS
Act now! This**IS** your second chance.

The Response

Here is the response from the academic advisor regarding my previous post.

R.
Hi, [Mighty]:

Thanks much for letting me know what is going on with your situation.

I am wondering if you are suffering from some kind of anxiety or depression and need to make an appointment with your primary care or family doctor to see if you could even be anemic. Maybe that is what is holding you back from retaining information, falling asleep in class and just in general not being very productive.

I do think it is a good idea to take some time off and evaluate your goals. Maybe engineering is not the right field for you if you are struggling with Math and Physics, because engineering is so very rooted in both those disciplines and engineers work with both the rest of their lives. If you can't get a good grasp on them now, then it worries me that you may have difficulty in struggling later on when it comes to finding a job or keeping one.

The time limit on classes doesn't really apply here for undergrads, but as I mentioned, if the curriculum changes during the time you are off, then there will be different classes to take and that may take more time for you to complete your degree at that point. This could cause more frustration on your part.

I am also worried that if all you take is one or two Humanities or Social Science classes and only get Cs or just about that, then the Probation and Suspension Committee may look at that as "not making progress towards his degree" and does have the authority to suspend a student for not making progress towards the degree. That Committee is looking to see if a student is taking the real ECE courses that apply towards the Bachelor of Science in EE degree, which constitutes making progress towards the degree, even if that student is only taking one class every semester, at least it is in engineering itself and is definitely making progress towards the degree.

One class a semester would not normally be anybody's concern, but since you are on Probation with the School of Engineering, then it may become a problem is that class is just a Humanities or Social Science, Fine Arts or Foreign Language class, even though those are definitely needed on the curriculum. If an A or B is achieved in those classes, then, of course, that constitutes "making progress towards the degree". But I have definitely seen in the past where if a student continues to take one class each semester and gets only Cs, then the Committee will either continued that student on SOE Probation or suspend for a semester.

I hope I have answered some of your questions and concerns; but I would start with a visit to a family doctor and get some blood work done to see if you are anemic and go from there.

Stop by if you want to discuss this more in person.

Take care, [Mighty], and get some rest and sleep - maybe you are not sleeping well either, with worry or anxiety or even breathing problems. If you have allergies or asthma, that will affect your sleeping patterns and of course, will make you drag around all day long -

Let me know what else you need -


[Mighty] (my response to her)
Thank you for the input. It is appreciated. In regards to the probability that my problems are the result of a medical issue, this is a very high possibility. After three months of various testing with Lovelace, I have been diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism. Diagnosis was initially conceived in February, and subsequent test have tested positive for this condition. There are many potential side effects of this condition. The most common being fatigue and tiredness. Other common side effects include problems with memory and concentration. It is difficult to know how much these conditions are truly having an affect on my academic performance verses the other potential that my brain just isn't wired for the EE program. I think it is obvious, though, that tiredness is affecting me. Obviously, I don't know how long I've had this condition, so it is difficult to know how many months (or years) my academic performance may have suffered as a result.

Any way's that's sort of a "health" update for you just to let you know. I've got an initial consultation appointment next week Thursday with the surgeon who specializes in this area (surgery is the only "cure" for this condition, especially at my "young" age).

Anal Mighty : Dishes

Well the evening is rolling on. After what seems to be a now regular activity after getting home from work, napping, I changed many of the music CD's I've got in my car "wallet." I've had that setup for quite some time. It will be refreshing to have a change of musical options in the car. Dinner tonight was two slices toasted bread with a filling of an egg and a slice of salami. On another note, I've got my appointment set to for the initial consultation with the surgeon who specializes in the hyperparathyroid operation. That will be on April 19th. So the next mission is Dishes!

Something I'm pretty anal about. Here's the scoop. All dishes must be pre-rinsed. Greasy dishes MUST have a pre-wash with soap and paper towel. Now the official washing can begin. Washes progress in the following order (deviation rarely accepted): glasses, silverware, utensils, glass bowls, pots and pans, then skillets. Now we pause. Dry the glasses, outside and rim only, and set on the stove to dry overnight. Dry pots, pans, skillets, and glass bowls. It is, acceptable, to allow the silverware to air dry. Now we move on to washing the plates, bowls, misc items, and finally, plastic containers (from all those leftovers, yummmm). Afterwards, plastic containers are "shaken" to sling off water. Air dry. I've got it down to a science.

So without further delay . . .I'm off to battle. - Cheers.

Where the rubber meets the road

Well over the last few semesters of my education working toward a BS in Electrical Engineering, progress has been rather frustrating. The fact that I'm working full time and doing school part time is not helping much, but as life goes, that is the path I have embarked on. A friend K. had suggested that there may be a time limit on the number of years to complete a degree. So here are a few questions and corespondents with R. Head advisor for undergrad studies for the EE program.

[Mighty]
Is there a time limit in which to complete a degree? And for that matter, do classes start to become obsolete, or no longer count toward your degree after X number of years have passed?

R.
There is really not a time limit, but if the program changes, then a student could be behind by having to change to a newer curriculum when they come back. Are you thinking of stopping out for awhile?? Let me know how you are doing. Thanks much, R.

[Mighty]
Not doing well academically. Unfortunately, this semester is over for me and I'll be in the process of evaluating my goals once I get over my personal disappointment of having an unproductive year academically. Reason for the question is that I have had a couple of friends who graduated from other universities that had specified time limits on how much time you could take to complete a degree once that is your declared major. One person also had to take a few classes over at the end before he could graduate because they had passed the universities time limit for a class to be considered in good standing.

As it stands, I'm probably looking at another seven years to completion at my current pace. That is, if I can regain the competence to complete two classes each in the Fall and Spring (making four classes a year).

"Are you thinking of stopping out for awhile??" Undecided. I admit that I'm having three difficulties at the moment. These being issues with math (which quite frankly, has been a problem for a long time), and problems in comprehending and remembering the material. For the last two (more now that I think about it) semesters, I've also had major problems staying awake in class and also during study times. VERY frustrating. Trust me, caffeine has not helped much. Wakes me up a "little," but then I cannot seem to focus (mind races).

As of now, seeing how math has been a major problem for me, I'm considering taking only one class each in the fall and spring of next year. These being my last two general arts and sciences classes. Then, on the side between now and the Fall of 2008, plow through the math and physics books to try to improve my comfort level with these subjects. Perhaps that will ease my difficulties with the upper level classes for which I foresee math being a much bigger player than in the first two years of the EE program.

Now, what is your honest opinion of what I've stated above? Do you believe that this is it is feasible to maintain my current course of action? How successful have others fared that have been where I'm going?
______
Film at 11.

And Who. Are. You?

Ever had a message on your answering machine from someone you have not heard from in a very long time and wondered "why are you calling me?" "There's got to be something in the background. Surely this can't be a friendly "Howdy" with a little BS thrown in." Well folks, it happened to me tonight. And the best part is that it WAS simply "Howdy." I called her with some reservation that truly ended on a positive note. Indeed a good feeling when most such calls have some other motive. I'll have to mark this one in the books.

Failure

IBS
"There is no such thing as failure. Only disappointments to analyze and then conquer."

On a seperate note . . .

. . . what the hell have I been up to today? Well I thought I would get a head start on shopping by heading out the door around noon. I had several stops to make and expected this endeavor to eat a good portion of the afternoon. All I really ate was time. That is the wasted time to even drive to these places. This town pretty much shut down today. I don't think I've ever noticed it before, but thin again, I don't think I've ever tried a shopping spree on Easter Sunday. I did manage to pickup a few pairs of new jeans at Sears, so it wasn't a total waste, but statistically, it was. Or was it? Hmm.

The rest of the afternoon became a challenge of deciding how best to kill time. I know, let's take a walk to the park. Stayed there for a short bit, but was somewhat crowded with the Easter Party Groups. Head back to camp. I know, let's wash those new jeans, piddle on the computer, and ponder other things. Then an afternoon nap unexpectedly killed about 90 minutes. Put away the pile of music CD's that had been scattered around the apartment and then a telephone chat with K. Dinner followed (see previous post) and here I am.

I have noticed one thing though since I more-or-less bailed on school for the semester. That is, what do I do with all this free time now? It is hard to realize just how much working full time and going to school part time keeps me so busy. Much to the point of sacrificing any development of personal interest. A very strange feeling to find myself staring at four walls indeed.

And "what's for dinner?" - yeah yeah, like, real creative!

3/4 cup barley flakes (cooked) (pepper and garlic salt to taste)
3/4 cup french style green beans
Yoplait yogurt
Beverage: Ice Tea (eh yo! keep yo hands OFF the tea now)
Dessert: Surefine Fudge Mint Squares (this is brand X of Keebler product)

Cook barley flakes as directed (3:1, water:flakes, bring to boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes). Open can of green beans. Warm on stove or in microwave. Serve. Enjoy yogurt by peeling back top foil. Spoon feed.

What's for breakfast?

Waffles
Eggs
Spaghetti (with All Purpose Szechuan Hot and Spicy Sauce)
Beverage: water
Dessert: Felodipine 10mg

Waffles
2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks, well beaten
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Mix dry ingreadents. Mix liquids together (except egg whites) in separate bowl. Pour and mix liquids with dry only until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Bake in hot waffle iron.

Eggs
Scramble eggs in bowl Cook in medium heat skillet.

Spaghetti
Place pre-cooked spaghetti in medium heat skillet. When warm, mix in hot sauce to taste.

Water
Source: Rio Grand aquifer. Filtered with Britta water filter.

Desert
Felodipine 10mg. One pill with or without meal (this is high blood pressure meds folks - don't try this at home)..

Movie Review: Ghost Rider

Just saw the movie at the second run bargain theater. Not bad. Short review: Movie based on comic book series. See it if you want to be entertained. Although by nature, there are some laws of physics that are defied in the movie. Hey! I know I know, and I agree with you. Its entertainment. And for character development, it is required, but other parts could have been less dramatized. One thing I didn't pick up on was what happened to the graveyard caretaker in the end? I lost track of him somewhere.

Overall, good fun!

Inspirational?

The morning has arrived and it's already almost noon! Though I'd pop on to throw out some inspirational bull shit for your Saturday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a sucker for this sort of stuff. So consider yourself warned! So here's your IBS for the day:

IBS
"Common sense is not so common."

Okay, maybe not so inspirational, but food for thought non-the-less.
Cheers

My fortune in a cookie.

Well I had Chinese for lunch today, so let's see what my fortune for the day is:

The belief you desire is within your heart.

Hmmm. Can someone translate this for me?

On the lighter side . . . Just rolled off the couch a while ago from a slumbering nap. Wanted to cook something, but just feeling a bit too lazy, so I've went with an old standby (actually pretty popular lately), ah peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an additional surprise inside. This could be spaghetti, oats or some other grain, or maybe cottage cheese. Hit the spot. Just now really waking up after zone moving for the last 30 minutes or so.

I don't see much else happening tonight, so Good Night from slumber land.

And here comes surgery.

Well, looks like I'm on my way to the slicing table after seeing the endocrinologist today. Here's some background info. A few weeks before Christmas, I went to see the doctor regarding an issue with an erratic heart beat. While I was there, I got on the subject of some other odd issues I'd been dealing with and wondered if it was just me or if it might be something else. These issues included: seeming to be overly tired a lot, inability to stay awake in class (I'm working full time while taking classes part time), an inability to stay awake as well as concentrate while doing homework in the evening, and a few other things that I'd noticed that tended to make me sleepy, such as having a bright light shine in my eyes at an angle (like ceiling lights), and dry eyes from air conditioning systems.

Doc said he didn't think it was anything, but lets run a few test just to be sure. After multiple blood test, a 24-hour urine screen, a radiology scan, x-ray's, and a CAT scan, the results are in folks . . . apparently I've got hyperparathyroidism. One node (there are four of these glands) in the lower left corner of my thyroid. Three of the test don't leave much of a doubt that this is the case. So my next move is an appointment with the top notch surgeon (who specializes in this surgery) at Lovelace to meet-n-greet and talk things over with her. I'll make that appointment Monday.

I have some reservations about this, but at the same time find it VERY interesting. In doing some research into this condition, most (reputable) sources will tell you that symptoms will vary from person to person and that you amy experience no symptoms to many and in variing degree's. One source made the claim that in many cases, taking care of the problem is "a life changing event." Now I'm really curious.

Good Morning?

Is it really necessary in the workplace anymore? First you hit the receptionist who brightly says "Good Morning!" Two minutes later you walk by her again. She's got a look that says 'fuck off' unless you need something. This response is consistant with others you meet on your way to the desk. SOME co-workers almost tell it like it is. A good morning to them is met with a snicker or nothing more than a groan.

I have contemplated many mornings whether I should say Good Morning. Or simply. Fuck you too.

Another interesting word is "Hi." But I think I'll leave that one for later.

Want a new computer? First give me your wallet.

Well folks, I broke down today and placed an order for my new computer. I handed a check for (oh God) $1600 to a friend that has a side business doing - guess what - computer stuff. He really knows his shit. Why is it that when I look at those assembly line, prefab computers lining the shelves of CompUSA, Office Depot, etc., I cringe at the price tag. $600, $1000, . . . Like, that's expensive! But then I feel fine (OK, not that good) about paying what I have for this system? Hmmm. Maybe 1) it's custom built, 2) tech support is easily accessible, 3) this system might last me through the next five to eight years (even longer if I bleed it like my current computer), 4) will handle Vista (yeah I'm not stupid, I'll wait a year or two for the bug deacon), 5) when my computer says "I'm not feeling well, but I think I know what is wrong with me and I can probably fix myself if you place my instillation CD in the drive," I'll actually have the disk to do it. 6) Its going to be an AMD chipset which is gonna blow Intel.

So. What am I upgrading from: an Etower 433MHz, 128M ram, two 4 gig hard drives, and by golly, a 56K modem! Windows 98SE, 800x600 screen rez (Hey you, I still operate there!).

What's the new system gonna have? Film at 11.

I'm I done yet!

Oh man. What a day. Started out somewhat slow. Went to today's class (at UNM) for probably the last time. Only real reason for going was to get my exam back. But alas, they were not graded yet. The instructor did work out the solutions to the exam today, which satisfied me enough to gracefully close out the class. Don't care about getting the test back now. Satisfied. Ever walk into a class and have your mind go into sedation? The perfect analogy is Window's "Starfield" screen saver. Lean back, stare into the void. Your mind registers very little. Ears hear the hum of the propulsion engines. Ahhh yes. When class is over, your instructor ask, "Are there any questions?" Fuck yes!! "Like, can you start over from the beginning?" Let me tell ya folks, NOT gonna happen. I"ll have to spend more time on this state of mind later, but in the mean time . . .

What a day! After class, scooted back here to work, slammed some lunch and got started assisting in a major clean of one of our metal evaporators. Bead blasting the shielding. Oh Boy daddy! I can't wait to get started. Fortunately, my fellow co-worker was around to help (he initiated the work order/request). So while he bead blasted, I cleaned the innards of the chamber. Oh boy daddy! Mind you I started about 12:00, finished about 6:45. There was a small break to deal with other stuff and then a late afternoon snack break to keep my angry tummy at bay. But other wise . . . Oh daddy, I can't wait till it's done. Should be finished tomorrow morning. My co-worker will start early by starting to re-install the shielding. Thank God.

Anyways, I was going to make a pit stop at the store on the way home, but I think that's going to have to wait. It's nap time folks. I hope the carpet has some give where I land.

A time to heal.

This one goes out to a close friend of mine who is grieving this evening from the loss of a very dear friend two years ago. For this I say . . .

Take your time my dear.
Pace yourself, and time will take care of the rest.
Seek the inner strength that you have relied on for so many years, and you will be all right
Know that as many join you in your loss, many will join you in your joy.

Take care of yourself, and the rest will take care of you.

Good night To You and may the morning begin anew.

Did I miss something?

After a scant four hours of sleep last night (I wonder how that happened), I've actually managed to function pretty well today. Most of the day has been spent fixing a vacuum pump in the lab. The boring part came later in the day when I did some paperwork at the computer. Pert near put me to sleep. On the lighter side . . .

I just realized that starting this blog thing was on April 1. April fools day. Did you avoid the April Fools day gotchas by following these simple rules:

- Avoid all contact with the human species.
- Avoid all contact with the human species.
- Dodge the phone.
- Stay indoors.
- Watch no TV, hear no radio, see no light.

If you didn't do so well on the checklist, start practicing now for next year. Scoring 4 out of 5 will put you in pretty good shape.

First time for everything.

Well, under the encouragement of a friend, I'm getting this blogging thing under way (even though I'm at work and should be doing, uhh, work).

So let's start by saying that I'm feeling better today. I've been down the last few days with a cold of some sort. Hey, I was actually able to breath last night! OK, on the couch, at an angle, head cocked to position X within +/- 1 inch. But hey, it was breathing non-the-less. Slept a lot more than I did on Friday night (perhaps only three or four hours). I partially attribute popcorn to the cure. Heavily laden with Jolly Time Buttery flavor popcorn salt. I tell ya, having a little popcorn with my salt was great! Kill that nasty cold.

Let's not knock on wood too early, okay.