Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Sports Geek In Me

Here's the sports geek that I have become:  I really enjoyed this little article, A (forgotten) drive for the ages, on Green Bay's game-tying drive at the end of their loss to Atlanta on Sunday.  In fact, this blog is one of my daily reads,  Kevin Seifert's ESPN NFC North Blog (also listed on the right).

Monday, November 29, 2010

College Pranks

I just laughed myself silly at this!  More hereVia Bit and Pieces

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Pic Dump 23

It has been over a month and a new computer since the last Pic Dump.  These go back a bit but I'll start collecting again and have some fresh ones for next time.  In the meantime, here's what I have, dumped just for you!  Remember to click the pic for original size and discretion may be advised after the break.  Enjoy!

Here's a pic of when my wife and I met, just as I was about to introduce myself!  Lucky her!

Neglected

I feel that I have been neglecting this space lately.  I have been dealing with things in real life and have not been able to share those things effectively here.  I guess we all have our moments.  Time to clean house?

Our New Computer is all set up and running.  Even with OpenOffice we had trouble opening old files.  So we hooked up the old computer yesterday and moved what we wanted to Google Docs.  Done.  I still don't know why file types are always changing and never compatible.  I have finished moving all the music that I want into itunes.  Almost 12,000 songs!  That means almost 8000 audio files I have are either comedy, audiobook, or old radio shows saved for a day that may never come.  All I can think of now that is left to do is to find a long term antivirus solution.  I need to take a closer look at AVG.com to find the actual free (not trial) version, but I'm still open to suggestions in the comments!

Physical Therapy is still weekly, except this coming week unless there is a cancellation.  I only gained 2 degrees at my last appointment, I was very disappointed.  I had been hoping to get off the crutches and walker very soon, but that looks like I was being too hopeful.  I was lectured a bit on what could happen if I try walking too soon and reminded that there is still bone filling in, I am not yet healed.  Rehab has it's ups and downs, and I'm in one of the downs right now.

For The Holiday, Kate went to her sister's house, I was left home with football and basketball games on TV.  More good football and basketball was on yesterday.  Today is another football day with the Badgers playing for a championship and possible Rose Bowl.  And tomorrow, Sunday, is Packers game day with the Badgers playing for their own tourney title in basketball on Sunday evening.  I love this time of year!
Tomorrow our house is the gathering place for food, friends and football.  Just good people, good food, good fun, good times, etc.  I don't expect anything out of the ordinary other than I may end up paying more attention to the football game than my wife would like.  It is the Packers, after all!

Winterization of the house and yard are finished.  A couple weeks ago I had a buddy help me by cleaning my gutters.  Kate and I managed a few details outside and in the garage.  But for the most part, my neighbor had an umemployed friend of her brother's help her clean up her yard last year and this year.  I saw him out last week and cut a deal to get my yard cleaned up for winter.  He was a real nice guy and he got all the leaves and dead plants cleaned up, lawn mowed, and everything removed.  I even got him to run and get me a new battery for my truck, which died since I haven't been able to drive it regularly.  It was worth the 80 dollars I paid him, I was pleased.  All that is left that I can think of, are a few more windows to cover in plastic for the winter.  I can manage that.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Gobbles!

HAPPY 4-DAY WEEKEND THANKSGIVING!!


Happy holiday, all.  I know I've only been back to work for a short time but I'll take the long weekend!  Mostly messing with the new computer and boring stuff happening here lately.  We do have things happening over the next few days, though.  Football, friends, football, food, football and I got to get some damn shopping done, online mostly this year, I think.  I had PT again last night, that post and what else I'm doing coming later this weekend.  Ta.


Monday, November 22, 2010

Our New Computer Is Up and Running!

The new computer is all set up and running!  I have spent much of the last couple days, in between football games and sleep, trying to figure everything out... - I'm nowhere close to having this thing figured out yet.  I have successfully moved over all the files that we needed, got itunes up, running, and about a third filled, ipods successfully transferred as well.  I've been getting most of the programs I need and fine tuning the look of things to my liking.  Some minor issues are coming up, so there may be a few questions for Mr. Dan, though!  My mom's bf seems to be a good resource that I may use again (and again, and again..lol).

Windows 7 Home Premium is interesting, a sleek new design with alot of bells and whistles.  All new stuff to figure out yet.  I downloaded Google Chrome since I used to use that, and liked it, a couple years ago after it was first released.  But not since I temporarily melted our last computer over 2 years ago (all was saved with pro help).  I haven't had a chance to even look at that yet though, so I'll stick with IE until I'm more comfortable with this machine.

All that and I have still made the time to keep up on most all my regularly read sites.   Speaking of,  see ya'!
 
 
P.S.  For the question of Thanksgiving, we will be staying in town and hosting Thanksgiving for friends, orphaned and not.  Thank you.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Computer Roulette

Okay, this is it until probably early next week.  We're going out tonight, then tomorrow morning I will be moving files to the external hard drive.  The Wisconsin-Michigan game starts at 11:00 am, so when that's over I'll be unplugging everything and hooking up our really old computer to grab what I want that's still there.  Then I will be hooking up the new computer.  I plan on getting AVG Internet Security (free version) and Spybot Search & Destroy as protection.  If you have any better ideas now is the time to tell me!   Then iTunes will have to be downloaded again and I will start from scratch re-adding files, resubscribing to podcasts, etc.  This is how I will probably spend most of the rest of the weekend (except the Packers-Vikings game on Sunday, of course).  I'm sure there's an easier way somehow, but I actually look forward to a fresh start and hopefully, given time, getting everything into iTunes like I never have before.

Have a great weekend!
Wish me luck!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

65 Degrees

It would be nice if it was 65 degrees outside but it may be an anomaly if we see that again this year.

No, 65 degrees is how far my knee was able to bend at physical therapy earlier today.  That's 17 degrees more than 2 weeks ago.  The strength in lifting my leg in different ways has improved as well.  I wish the progress was faster but progress is progress after all.  Hopefully I'll learn more how I'm doing, well or slow, tomorrow; I have an appointment to see the orthopaedist for a checkup on my progress.  No matter how well or slow I am, I do know that I have 5 mores weekly therapy sessions scheduled and I'm pretty sure there will be more.

The first thing the therapist said when he came in was that he noticed I contacted the neurosurgeons office about my neck again.  They don't want do jump into another cortisone shot because the last one worked so poorly for me, so they started me on another round of a stronger oral steroid.  I started yesterday and the good news is that it seems to be helping.  Anyway, the therapist moved us to a different room with a traction machine to stretch out my neck.  so I let it pull on my head while he was working over my knee trying to stretch my quad and patellar tendons.  Those are the ones that are tight and not letting me bend my knee.  But enough.

I find myself having to rearrange my evenings now that I'm back to full time at work.  I don't get as much internet time so again, some things must be sacrificed.  Also why I'm planning the big computer switchover between 2:30 pm Saturday and Noon on Sunday (between the football games).  Mainly some of the inane sites that I visit for mindless entertainment will be put aside for slow times.... including that damn Bubble Shooter Game

I do apologize if you are sick of hearing about my injury, but that's what I do here: Write about me!
Out!

P.S. Don't spend too much time on that damn game!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Well, I Tried...

Monday, November 15, 2010

Bitch, Bitch, Bitch

Well, I like to portray things as looking up more than they are, I guess.  Now that I cancelled my neck appointment the pain worsens.  I'm trying to find out from work when I can take off for more surgery without jeopardizing my job.  My leg is just not bending any further and I have been doing all of my exercises.  I tried getting in the truck but with my height and the non-bending knee I just can't fit yet, let alone drive.  A supervisor at work today asked me if I missed them.  I told her I missed them just as much as they missed me.  That's how little I think of them in that corporate-by-the-numbers workplace.  No one cares.

On the upside lately is that my wife bought a shower mat so I can now bathe myself by myself.  The new computer showed up Saturday afternoon (but still won't be hooked up until next weekend).  And my internet problem seems to be all fixed.

I'd trade all the good just to be pain-free for a change.  Thanks for listening.  Normal posting shall resume shortly.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

CKY - Knee Deep

Here is some fan-filmed footage of CKY opening their concert that I watched on live webcast from The Rave a week ago.  Yes, the song only has one line:

Some people don't know,
Don't know what is wrong
So they're knee deep,
Knee deep in sorrow.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Everything Updated

This past week I left a 'where are you/I hope all is well' comment on an esteemed fellow blogger's site since he hadn't posted in a while. Meanwhile, I let a whole week go by, a long time for me, without posting anything here.  It turns out work has kept him away lately, but I have no excuse.  So let's catch up, shall we?
Briefly...
  • I had another physical therapy appointment yesterday.  There was not much improvement in bending my knee, but I have improved in strength and can put about half my weight on my leg when walking with crutches now.
  • The new computer has not arrived yet. If it arrives during the week next week I think I will still wait until the weekend to set it all up. I want to drag an old computer out of the closet and grab the files off of it that I want first, then when we're all set up with the new computer I will have 2 old ones to recycle.
  • I had an appointment next week to go over and schedule my neck surgery but I just cancelled that for now. Although the cortisone shot only partially gave me relief I am approved for two more if I need them so I may have that done again if it starts to get worse. The goal is to not have surgery until after the new year and before the end of March (so I don't have to use up all my vacation time for the year on recovery).
  • My internet connection ticks me off sometimes by dropping out briefly several times a day. This happened before and when I called to complain the tech basically called me a liar. So I got even more mad and cursed him out, but mysteriously it didn't happen again for several weeks. Now it has been happening again for quite some time now and I have just been dealing with it until today. This time I got a much nicer guy on the phone and someone will be out tomorrow to look things over. No charge.
  • On Wednesday I went from 4 hour workdays to 6 hour workdays. Next Wednesday I am back to full time. I am glad the orthopaedist is easing me back into work. Going back on a Monday straight to 8 hour days would have been a bit of a shock to my system, I think.
That's about it for me.  How are you - yes you!  See where it says 'comments' below?  Feel free to give it a click!

Friday, November 5, 2010

A New Computer, Therapy, And A Webcast

I just bought a new computer online to be delivered hopefully by the end of next week.  Earlier this week on Monday my Mom and Dan took a day off work to come up and see me and so Dan could give me some computer advice.  I felt guilty that they took a day off but they assured me that they had time they needed to use up.  By the time they got here I had pretty much decided that my hard drive may be starting to deteriorate and it may just be time for a new computer.  So that's pretty much what we talked about and looked at online.  I started by choosing a mid level computer and going through the options of what I need on it.  I have no idea what all that gobbledy-gook means so it was nice to have the assurance that I'm getting what should be a more than adequate machine for our needs.  Thank you, Dan!  I did make a few changes, mainly in the sale packages, to get the same thing plus an extra drive for about 30 bucks cheaper.

I had another physical therapy appointment yesterday afternoon.  Boy was I sore last night!  Though I did alot of exercises that he had given me to do I hadn't done as many in the past week because of discomfort in my leg.  I did  get to 48 degrees, though.  That's 8 more degrees than I could bend it 2 weeks ago.  Any progress is good I guess.  He said to just wait until I get to about 70 degrees then he can really start to work me over!

And lastly, happy Friday to all.  A great big thank you for everything to my wife, still holding our household together while I heal.  Tomorrow some socializing with friends and some relaxing.  Tonight I will be watching a CKY concert at the Rave in Milwaukee, live webcast here.  Have a nice weekend!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

TMOS Animation Commercial

Here's a shameless plug for one of my favorite radio shows/podcasts, The Mike O'Meara Show!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Back To Work

I started back to work on crutches today, 4 hours.  First time I wore pants since they were cut off me on August 27th!  I got all my passwords back and my desk restocked in short order.  All went well, but I'm all for easing back into it.  I'll be back to full time in a fortnight.  Soon enough.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Proud Uncle Alert!

Lindsey and James

Addy and Owen