Say What?

Another post that won't see the light of day until I've retired. I began a cluster headache cycle at the beginning of October that went into the first week of November. I came off the prednisone (30mg max) and was doing fine until this past weekend when my headaches returned. This follows a pattern I experienced 3 years ago when I had two cycles close together. I took some time yesterday morning to go through my training diaries where I record details of my headache cycles along with the number of meds taken. A couple of the cycles caused me concern because I never want to relive those days. The one from 3 years ago and another from 2003. In each of those cases, I thought the headaches were done but they came back stronger than they'd been. 2007 was probably my worst year because I'd lost my medical during the initial phase only to get it back and then have the headaches return. We were in the middle of the imposed contract days with tensions running high and I didn...

Rachel rolled into town Tuesday night after classes, ahead of what was looking to be some nasty weather for Wednesday that never materialized. She and her roommates along with some friends had their own Thanksgiving dinner at their place before saying goodbye for the long weekend. She was excited to be home because many of her friends were also going to be in town and it would be the first time they'd be back together since leaving for college. Plus, she was going to be able to see Amy, her 4-year-old sister. Amy thinks the world of Rachel and it must seem like ages to a little kid that age to be apart for even a couple months. "Rachel...look at me when I'm talking to you!" Hmm...Rachel is pretty sure she knows where she got that from. Too funny. I've been hearing for years about Keith's deep-fried turkey and finally got a chance to experience it this Thanksgiving.  I was told it's not greasy and I had no reason to doubt it but still, I had to try it ...

As I came into work yesterday, the guard at the gate asked me if anybody had ever told me that I look like Bryan Cranston from Malcolm in the Middle? "I've heard of the show," I told him but "no, I've never been told that." I made a point as I found a parking spot to remember the actor's name so I could look him up later. Years ago my sister used to say that I reminded her of Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains. There was a time when Rachel thought I looked like Brian Littrell from the Backstreet Boys. I'm not sure what to think? A few days ago one of my coworkers suggested I change my Facebook profile picture to Dale Gribble from King of the Hill. And so I amused Leslee and the few people who 'liked' her post on my wall and did as she asked. I'm glad they weren't making comparisons to Howdy Doody or Alfred E. Neuman. I only managed one ride on my bike this past week: the Hampton loop . My riding has slowed to a near halt but I...

Winter arrived Saturday in a rather big way with 8" of wet, heavy, heart-attack snow. My 1986 Simplicity snowblower takes "heart-attack"  out of the equation . Tammy and I had plans to spend a few hours perusing a craft fair at Canterbury but bad roads changed all that. I'd been watching the forecast and spent most of Friday outside putting up our Christmas lights and finishing what little yard work I had left. I suppose it's possible the snow will all be gone by this time next week and I'd have another shot at getting it all done but it's nice to have all my outdoor jobs finished for the year. I also appreciated being able to get the lights hung while it was still warm enough to do it without gloves. We're entering a new collaborative period at work between labor and management called WE; an acronym for Workforce Engagement. It's a program designed to give each and every worker a voice in the direction we're headed as an organization; at...

...did you ever wonder what the lyrics meant? Wonder no more . Mom celebrated her 82nd birthday last week and I don't think the significance of that day was lost on anyone close to her. With the deteriorating trend of her heart's health, I think there's little chance that she'll live to see another. I'd love to be wrong. Jackie and Jerry invited the family over to their home last Sunday to celebrate with Mom. It was an especially nice time and the weather couldn't have been better. Not everyone chose to be there for her and that to me was unfortunate. Some day I'll expand here on the dynamics of my family, but not now. I brought our pups with me and they had a free-for-all in the backyard with Gracie, Tucker, Nell, and Diesel. Whenever there's a get-together at Jerry and Jackie's, you can be sure that you're in for some fantastic eats and this day was no exception. Jackie is without question the Martha Stewart of our family and I mean t...