Monday, January 31, 2011

Mystery Shoveller And Traffic

The mystery shoveller has struck again!  It again snowed this morning starting about the time I left and ending sometime around noon.  When I got home a bit ago the whole walk, steps and driveway were shovelled, except for a small bit in the middle of the driveway.  I did not surprise anyone off, but there is some ice in that area so I wonder if the mystery shoveller slipped and said 'enough'.  I, oddly, talked to 4 different neighbors on the street when I got home and, of course, no one saw a thing.  Hmmm.  Well, there will be more snow in the next few days so I guess we'll see if it happens again!  I'd like to know who to thank!

In another odd happening lately, my traffic has jumped significantly lately to well over 30 hits a day average for this past week and a half.  Hi everyone!  Set a spell, take your shoes off.  Seriously, I get a lot of hits because of my pic dumps and as far as I can tell some popular site must have linked to the 'People In Animal Costumes' pic dump since that seems to have drawn the most attention lately.  Also, if you ever make it to the bottom of this page you will have noticed a few trackers in the right column.  Those were added early New Year's Day and are kind of neat, I think.

Well, thanks for visiting and if I find out who you are, mystery shoveller, you're going to get the biggest most heartfelt 'thank you' you've ever received!

*Update:  Today's shovelling was done by my father in law.  But he is still adamant that he did not do it the first time, and with more snow coming we'll see what happens!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Cat Who Lives In A Tree


via here and here

Friday, January 28, 2011

Teach Me How To Raji



...9 more days              GO PACK GO!


The original 'Teach Me How To Bucky' here.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

PT And A Mystery

Only gained a small amount of degrees of knee bend again this week, despite all my exercises and miles on the recumbent exercise bike downstairs.  Yet it is progress, no matter how slow.  I have gained strength in my damaged quad muscle yet I'm still hobbling around on my cane.  Shovelling snow now would be difficult for me, and perhaps not smart, but not impossible. 

This morning we received a couple inches of snow, starting with my morning commute and ending sometime before lunch.  Both my wife and I went to work all day and did not get home until this evening, yet when we arrived home we found the entire sidewalk, steps and the whole driveway shovelled.  Now, neighbor Dave would have used his snow blower, my wife's dad says he didn't come over and do it and neighbor Jane's sidewalk wasn't touched.  We can't think of any friends who, first, had the day off or, second, would be thoughtful enough to do something like this for us.  No offense to any, just saying that this isn't something most people would drive over to do, at least not for these few inches, but I may be mistaken. 
 
So, it seems we owe somebody a huge thanks for clearing all that snow for us, and actually doing a great job of it, too!  I'll let you know when/if the mystery gets solved!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Boy Least Likely To

It was a normal day today, during a normal week at work.  I listened to a few podcasts straight through in the morning, then after lunch I usually rock out anywhere from AC/DC to Megadeth to Zodiac Mindwarp, but today I felt different.  Not sad, just maybe a little melancholy.  Why?  Well, I think maybe I've learned to care a little less at work.  Go along to get along.  Sigh.  So, anyway, this afternoon I listened to The Boy Least Likely To's two albums.  They have an innocent, soothing sound.


And I can't forget this fun little ditty!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Happy Day

Happy Birthday to my brother, I hope you get a great present in 12 days!
This would be even better if your name was Brian!!

Monday, January 24, 2011

A Brand New Car!

Well, brand new to me, anyway.  I traded in the truck this evening and bought a smaller used car, an SUV, actually, which is still technically a car, legally.  Got it?  I don't.  (Not the car pictured.  No real details will be posted here, I'm still keeping some semblance of anonymity.)  Way back when I bought my old truck (a bigger SUV) I really wanted this small SUV but just couldn't afford it.  I just liked the way it looked and the reputation of the company.  I've never really wanted a certain make/model when car shopping before.  Money was the number one factor in my mind most times.  I'm really not a car person, usually.  Anyway, Mrs. Scoakat has driven another model of this make for several years and we have had no major trouble, only maintenance.  Now, several years later I can afford a nice used one so I finally got what I originally wanted!  Yea Me!  And thanks to Mrs. S, without whom none of this would be possible!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

NFC Champions!

Packers Win!

Da' Bears Still Suck!

If the Packers had happened to lose...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

32 Became 12...

...became 8, became 4...
...become Super Bowl participants.  The Packers play the Bears tomorrow afternoon for the right to go to Super Bowl XLV.  I will be a little keyed up all day and either ecstatic or crushed by Sunday evening.
Go Pack Go!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Brent Favre - What Should I Do?

I vote for the 'just go away' option.  At least for a while.  Please?

via

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

100 Degrees Of Knee

Just got home from PT.  Only gained a few degrees again.  I'm in a crappy mood.  I know you may tire of hearing about my rehab and doctor appointments but that is what I got right now.  I can't do the things I want and when I can my wife has a list for me as long as my arm.  That's enough for now.  I need an attitude adjustment in liquid form right now, and I don't care how I feel in the morning.  Ta.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Best Cee Lo Green Cover

This is the best Cee Lo Green cover you will see, if not hear!  nsfw

X

Hmm, the video became restricted.  I guess you'll have to take my word for it and see it here.
via

Monday, January 17, 2011

Snowy Happy Monday

The drive home from work today took almost twice as long as normal due to the snow that continues to fall.  I heard 3 to 5 inches but that's what it looked like when I got home and it is still expected to continue snowing overnight.  My wife also arrived home safe but once again toils outside shovelling our walks and driveway.  She's been real good about it, though.  I tried shovelling on Saturday, that was much less and the real light fluffy stuff.  I managed to clear the front walk, the stoop and the sidewalk, using the shovel as my cane.  Eventually I had to go in and sit down because, while I am getting better with my right leg, my left leg is still holding up most of my weight and can do so only so long at a time.  Kate finished it for me in short order.

I feel bad that my wife has had to do so much that I used to do for us, but for a while now I've been able to do more and more and I'm sure I'll be able to return to full duties soon.  I would take a pic of the snow but it is already dark out.  Enough rambling, I should just grab my favorite sweater, sit in my rocker and shake my cane at the TV.  You damn kids!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

You Need To Get Off Facebook

A bit longer than the non-music videos I usually post, but of course I don't post anything not worth watching...  Enjoy!  You might even get convinced to ditch facebook, if you're one of them!!

via

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Tuesday's X-Ray Follies

There's a funny story about those leg x-rays earlier this week.  Luckily, I was the first appointment of the day.  When they were ready for me they suggested I change into shorts but, just like last time, I convinced them to just let me pull my pants down around my ankles for the x-rays.  I told her how it is a big pain yet to get a shoe on my right foot and besides, I was wearing clean drawers and was not shy.

So I get all set on the x-ray table and she goes to turn on the machine. Now, you know how it shines a light with the crosshairs where they intend to take the picture?  The light bulb was burnt out.  I spent over a half hour laying on that table while they would take a picture, check it to see how it looked, then move the machine accordingly and try again.  All while stopping to make and get calls to see about fixing the bulb.  So most of the pics were not exactly centered well, but with all the pics they took they got everything covered.

Later in the exam room, the doctor finally came in and apologized for all the trouble.  A major backup was happening in the x-ray department (again, I'm glad I was first!).  They even had trouble with the computer program to view the x-rays so some of the pics he couldn't make screen size, like the one on the right in the earlier post.  I did notice, however, that half the pics showed my package plain as day.  Really, I don't think she had to take that many x-rays that high on my leg under any circumstances.  Maybe she liked it?  Hahaha.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Corn Nuts Radio Ad

Absolutely hilarious! Kind of like the Johnson commercial.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Leg X-rays

I know I've described it pretty accurately, but pictures speak louder than words.  Here is the leg I broke on August 27 as of this morning, over 4 months later.  These pics are taken with our new camera of the x-rays as shown on a computer screen at the doctor's office.  Click the pic for the large version. 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Pic Dump 25

It's that time again!  Another regurgitaton of what I found interesting for one reason or another in my recent internet travels.  Discretion advised after the break. Enjoy!


The Packers play the Eagles in a playoff game later today...  GO PACK GO !!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Updates, Medical And Otherwise

Finally, eh?  Where the hell have I been?  Well, I have no excuses other than I just got a slow start to the new year.  With so little evening daylight we have been going to bed at about 8:00 anyway, throw in holiday strife, a few medical appointments and general cold weather laziness and all of a sudden we are more than a week into 2011!

I hope everyone celebrated the new year safely.  I had fun, mostly.  Drama happened that I didn't understand and took personally at the time, but I'm happy to say I later found out I was just collateral damage and not the target!  Still, I will pay better attention and not trust some friends word so much in the future maybe.  After all, by our age we're supposed to be the professionals on amateur night* (among other times) by now.  That's all I'll say about that here.

Medically speaking, my knee bend has only increased to 96 degrees, but I found out that I can just fit on the recumbent exercise bike we have downstairs so I will hook up the TV down there this weekend and try to spend some time on the bike to try to loosen up my knee some more.  Maybe a little bit every day after work.  Also, I had another MRI on Tuesday morning followed thereafter by an appointment with the neurosurgeon (plenty of waiting room time in between, of course).  The disc herniation is actually fractionally smaller than my last MRI about 3 months ago and the nerve medication has been working satisfactorily so far.  Enough so that even though the surgeon said that the bulging is enough that he would operate if I said so, but as long as the medication can stave off the pain my body still may re-absorb it.  Now, let me pause and consider this.

This first started acting up on me last June or so, giving me enough pain in my arm to not be able to lift it above my head long enough to tape or paint a bathroom and interfering with my work, progressing to limit me in all aspects of my life.  I tried drugs, muscle relaxers and pain meds, and had an appointment scheduled with my doctor about it when one day I came home from work and horrifically broke my leg.  Ignoring the leg for this moment, one doctor tried a mild steroid that was less than ineffective, then I progressed through a few different appointments, an MRI, and my first consults with the neurosurgeon.  Now, back then they wouldn't do anything because of my recently badly broken leg.  No surgery on my neck while I can't walk and no strong steroids while my bone is still healing, so I suffered with this nerve pain in my neck and arm while trying to concentrate on healing my more serious injury.  In early December I had another appointment where I said Help Me a little stronger and was given this pain medication that took two weeks to get started but has finally given me some relief.

The point is, had I not broken my leg I would certainly have had surgery on my neck several months ago.  Now, being forced to wait, I have some hope that the bulge may be reabsorbed some more, maybe enough to not cause me any symptoms and no surgery will be required.  That would be my 'best case' scenario, otherwise surgery is just delayed.  I'll determine that in the next couple of months.


*New Year's Eve.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

How To Confuse An Idiot

I loved this, you should look!

I'm off to a slow start to the new year.  I'll take the time to post something more substantial soon.