My wife Michelle (also known as Cindy... it seems to depend on her mood - they're her first and middle names) has finally decided to come back into the blogging world - sniffle! I'm so happy!
While my posts tend to be offhand little quips, hers are well thought out and carefully composed. You can find her new blog here.
Go! Read! Comment!
Showing posts with label Cindy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cindy. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Another 'Who Knew' Incident
On Sunday Cindy woke up with some shoulder pain, which by Monday had turned into difficulty breathing, which by Monday night had turned into shooting pains in her side/chest.
Since she was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure back in February, we rushed her to the nearest emergency room.
Turns out, she has pneumonia. We had been sure it was something to do with her heart. Pneumonia didn't occur to us, since everyone knows the symptoms for that are coughing up phlegm, fever, chills, and so on.
But it also causes difficulty breathing and chest pain, which were her only symptoms (so far). They hooked her up with some IV antibiotics and sent us home with a prescription for more. I'm really glad we went to the doctor when we did.
Since she was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure back in February, we rushed her to the nearest emergency room.
Turns out, she has pneumonia. We had been sure it was something to do with her heart. Pneumonia didn't occur to us, since everyone knows the symptoms for that are coughing up phlegm, fever, chills, and so on.
But it also causes difficulty breathing and chest pain, which were her only symptoms (so far). They hooked her up with some IV antibiotics and sent us home with a prescription for more. I'm really glad we went to the doctor when we did.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Poppy Goodness
Over a year ago, my sister gave me an ear of popping corn - Uncle Ozgood's, to be specific.
The ear sat in my cupboard so long because it was with the oatmeal. I only spotted it while I was preparing breakfast, which meant that Cindy was either sleeping or half-asleep, and in no mood to enjoy popcorn popping right off the cob.
Finally I remembered the cob one evening. You're supposed to use the paper bag that comes with the cob, but what's the fun in that? I plopped the cob in a glass bowl and let the microwaves bombard it like some sinister Soviet Military Cold War test. It was really fun to watch the kernels bursting right off the cob, though there was a lot of steam which made it harder to see.
I can honestly say this was the most entertaining two minutes I've had with a microwave since I discovered what happens to marshmallows when you 'nuke' them.
The ear sat in my cupboard so long because it was with the oatmeal. I only spotted it while I was preparing breakfast, which meant that Cindy was either sleeping or half-asleep, and in no mood to enjoy popcorn popping right off the cob.
Finally I remembered the cob one evening. You're supposed to use the paper bag that comes with the cob, but what's the fun in that? I plopped the cob in a glass bowl and let the microwaves bombard it like some sinister Soviet Military Cold War test. It was really fun to watch the kernels bursting right off the cob, though there was a lot of steam which made it harder to see.I can honestly say this was the most entertaining two minutes I've had with a microwave since I discovered what happens to marshmallows when you 'nuke' them.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Cardiologist Appt Today
The appointment went well, we asked a long list of questions. I audio recorded the whole thing, because you can never jot notes as quickly as you'd like.
Most importantly, they won’t know if Cindy needs any implanted devices or invasive procedures until they’ve had three months of monitoring on her current medications – they will reassess at that point. They signed a form which gives her the next few months off from work (luckily she will get full pay from her company during this time).
We found out she can and should have light exercise, that we should feel no pressure to move from our second floor apartment to a first floor one (we might move anyway… Lake view? Patio? Vaulted ceilings?). Thanks to my Army brat upbringing, I’m ready to move every two years and it’s been four years. I'm itching to move, even if to a different apartment in the same complex.
I mentioned my frustration with the blood pressure monitors, and they suggested that if I bought a manual cuff, they will teach me to use it at the next appointment, which will be in April – so that’s cool.
All in all, good information, good appointment – many questions were answered.
Most importantly, they won’t know if Cindy needs any implanted devices or invasive procedures until they’ve had three months of monitoring on her current medications – they will reassess at that point. They signed a form which gives her the next few months off from work (luckily she will get full pay from her company during this time).
We found out she can and should have light exercise, that we should feel no pressure to move from our second floor apartment to a first floor one (we might move anyway… Lake view? Patio? Vaulted ceilings?). Thanks to my Army brat upbringing, I’m ready to move every two years and it’s been four years. I'm itching to move, even if to a different apartment in the same complex.
I mentioned my frustration with the blood pressure monitors, and they suggested that if I bought a manual cuff, they will teach me to use it at the next appointment, which will be in April – so that’s cool.
All in all, good information, good appointment – many questions were answered.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Grumble
The hardest part of Cindy's condition is not knowing exactly what the condition means for her, for me, and our lives together.
They discharged her with two or three pieces of paper, not the five DVD's full of PDF's I was hoping for.
I have a million questions - what is a person's life expectancy when they have CHF? Should she be exercising at all? Should we forget about having kids? Should I buy her a wheelchair? A Segway? Should she plan to keep her job? Look for less stressful work? Plan to end her work career now and spend the rest of her life on disability? What should she be eating - low sodium, obviously but beyond that?
I can find many answers online, but I'm no doctor and how would I know if an answer is applicable to her exact condition? We have an appt on Monday morning - I hope for his sake the doctor has booked us out for a few hours.
They discharged her with two or three pieces of paper, not the five DVD's full of PDF's I was hoping for.
I have a million questions - what is a person's life expectancy when they have CHF? Should she be exercising at all? Should we forget about having kids? Should I buy her a wheelchair? A Segway? Should she plan to keep her job? Look for less stressful work? Plan to end her work career now and spend the rest of her life on disability? What should she be eating - low sodium, obviously but beyond that?
I can find many answers online, but I'm no doctor and how would I know if an answer is applicable to her exact condition? We have an appt on Monday morning - I hope for his sake the doctor has booked us out for a few hours.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
oh yeah the blog thing
Things are busy busy, I'm giving the house an all-over purge and cleanse since we need an apartment inspection before we can move to a first floor apartment. Busy days, long dreamless nights.
Cindy is doing pretty well, all things considered - she's only had one bad day in a week, which I think is great.
I've purchased two different blood pressure cuffs for her, both fit fine, but neither one will give a reading on a consistent basis, five times out of six will simply error out rather than give a reading (they work every time for me...) so I'll be buying our third blood pressure monitor today.
Cindy is doing pretty well, all things considered - she's only had one bad day in a week, which I think is great.
I've purchased two different blood pressure cuffs for her, both fit fine, but neither one will give a reading on a consistent basis, five times out of six will simply error out rather than give a reading (they work every time for me...) so I'll be buying our third blood pressure monitor today.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Update - Cindy
This is her 4th day at home after the whole hospital spree. She's doing well, and we're actually leaving the house today. Leaving the house is a bigger deal because of our steep, steep steps. We're working on moving downstairs.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
We’re Back!
On Wednesday 2/18/10 Cindy was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and was admitted to a hospital in Ocala.
Her symptoms started out slowly and simply, perhaps a month before 2/18/10. She was short of breath, and easily tired. Next, it became obvious that something was wrong with her tummy – it went from its usual playful squishiness to a harder and harder consistency, until it was like clay. If you pressed a finger into her tummy and then let go, the imprint would remain for fifteen seconds or more.
Turns out she was retaining at least 25 pounds (that’s three gallons, folks) of extra water. Once admitted to the local hospital, she was put on drugs to lower her heart rate and blood pressure, blood thinners, and drugs to force her body to shed the excess water, which she accomplished in four or five days.
The local hospital was doing a lot of arm-waving and throwing lots of acronyms our way. She would need an AICD, she would need a VAD, she might need a heart transplant.
On Sunday she was transferred from our local hospital to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida (Gainesville) where they continued the treatment.
Shands cardiologists tell us Cindy has low thyroid hormone levels and an enlarged heart (left ventricle), which should be manageable with medication - they discharged her yesterday, one week after she checked in to our local hospital.
We still don’t know for sure what the future holds, but we have been very fortunate to have a lot of support from coworkers, friends, and family.
So the moral of the story is: If you have difficulty breathing for no good reason (walking from the living room to the kitchen), and seem to be retaining water, get to an emergency room!
Her symptoms started out slowly and simply, perhaps a month before 2/18/10. She was short of breath, and easily tired. Next, it became obvious that something was wrong with her tummy – it went from its usual playful squishiness to a harder and harder consistency, until it was like clay. If you pressed a finger into her tummy and then let go, the imprint would remain for fifteen seconds or more.
Turns out she was retaining at least 25 pounds (that’s three gallons, folks) of extra water. Once admitted to the local hospital, she was put on drugs to lower her heart rate and blood pressure, blood thinners, and drugs to force her body to shed the excess water, which she accomplished in four or five days.
The local hospital was doing a lot of arm-waving and throwing lots of acronyms our way. She would need an AICD, she would need a VAD, she might need a heart transplant.
On Sunday she was transferred from our local hospital to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida (Gainesville) where they continued the treatment.
Shands cardiologists tell us Cindy has low thyroid hormone levels and an enlarged heart (left ventricle), which should be manageable with medication - they discharged her yesterday, one week after she checked in to our local hospital.
We still don’t know for sure what the future holds, but we have been very fortunate to have a lot of support from coworkers, friends, and family.
So the moral of the story is: If you have difficulty breathing for no good reason (walking from the living room to the kitchen), and seem to be retaining water, get to an emergency room!
Monday, February 08, 2010
They named it J-Lo!
Last night my sister Michelle (who lives in Cleveland) sent me the following news story.
This news takes place in my local area of Ocala, Florida and is about a chicken with two rear ends.
Cindy and I hadn’t even read the story yet, and we began discussing it based on the link text. Being the kind-hearted gal she is, Cindy felt sorry for the chicken. Being the ever-hungry devourer of egg and fowl that I am (they call me El Voraz Devorador de Pollo), I wondered if this hexed hen could lay twice the normal number of succulent eggs.
Since the chicken appears to be the result of a natural mutation, I don’t feel any special pangs of sympathy for the critter – it’s not as if it’s the unfortunate result of a diabolical gene-splicing experiment gone wrong.
If this hen and others like it could be bred with similar roosters, we might end up with super egg-layers within a few short delicious generations.
After reading the story, we discovered the chicken does not lay two eggs at the same time (which apparently is better for the chicken, since twice the eggs would mean a calcium deficiency – but could we not give the chicken supplements?).
Raising half the number of chickens means fewer to care for while maintaining the same egg production - this should equal more resources for the chickens, and hopefully better conditions, more elbow room (wing room?) in the pens, and etc.
Thoughts?
This news takes place in my local area of Ocala, Florida and is about a chicken with two rear ends.
Cindy and I hadn’t even read the story yet, and we began discussing it based on the link text. Being the kind-hearted gal she is, Cindy felt sorry for the chicken. Being the ever-hungry devourer of egg and fowl that I am (they call me El Voraz Devorador de Pollo), I wondered if this hexed hen could lay twice the normal number of succulent eggs.
Since the chicken appears to be the result of a natural mutation, I don’t feel any special pangs of sympathy for the critter – it’s not as if it’s the unfortunate result of a diabolical gene-splicing experiment gone wrong.
If this hen and others like it could be bred with similar roosters, we might end up with super egg-layers within a few short delicious generations.
After reading the story, we discovered the chicken does not lay two eggs at the same time (which apparently is better for the chicken, since twice the eggs would mean a calcium deficiency – but could we not give the chicken supplements?).
Raising half the number of chickens means fewer to care for while maintaining the same egg production - this should equal more resources for the chickens, and hopefully better conditions, more elbow room (wing room?) in the pens, and etc.
Thoughts?
Monday, February 01, 2010
Self Diagnosis
I've spent less time daydreaming lately, which means I've had fewer of my random ideas. I don't know if this is due to the many hours of podcasts I've been listening to. The podcasts are like documentaries, which means I'm paying attention and following along as compared to half-listening to music while my mind wanders.
Maybe I'm distracted by the uncertainty of our current situation - whether Cindy will stay in her current career or take some time off to discover something new and whether we'll be moving or staying here in central Florida.
It's probably a combination of many factors.
(Speaking of podcasting, Cindy and I ran a test on Saturday night connecting both of our phone headsets to her iPhone using a splitter and recording some sample audio - I uploaded the file to the PC and discovered it's pretty darn clear and good quality, considering it's just a phone doing the work of connecting both of us - I was expecting that one of us might have good quality while the other did not. Now all we have to do is research our first topic!)
Maybe I'm distracted by the uncertainty of our current situation - whether Cindy will stay in her current career or take some time off to discover something new and whether we'll be moving or staying here in central Florida.
It's probably a combination of many factors.
(Speaking of podcasting, Cindy and I ran a test on Saturday night connecting both of our phone headsets to her iPhone using a splitter and recording some sample audio - I uploaded the file to the PC and discovered it's pretty darn clear and good quality, considering it's just a phone doing the work of connecting both of us - I was expecting that one of us might have good quality while the other did not. Now all we have to do is research our first topic!)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
75/25 Hope & Fear
This is going to be an interesting year. We're feeling 'done' with Florida and talking about applying for jobs nationwide, finding something worth moving for, and making a move.
Personally, I'm thinking Seattle, but any city on the west coast would make me happy. The idea of going back to Los Angeles is a soothing one, but wouldn't it be more interesting to move somewhere new?
But why not go with what you know? I had good fortune in Los Angeles - I met Cindy, we went from no car, crummy jobs, and a small studio apartment in a questionable neighborhood to good jobs, two cars, and a nice apartment in a great area. (Some might say probably correctly that all that good stuff was thanks to Cindy, not Los Angeles.)
Still, We've done CA and it would be fun to shake things up a bit. I lived in Ft. Lewis, Washington as a kid and it's a beautiful area with great weather. Seattle is the most bike-friendly city in the US - I'm picturing a cute little downtown apartment that allows me to bike to work.
With all the software companies in the Seattle area and my experience with software, jobs for me will be a lot more plentiful than in Ocala Florida, 'Horse Capital of the World'. Jobs for Cindy will be more plentiful too - with all that rain, the culture is dominated by coffee and books.
It's exciting and a little scary to think our lives might be thoroughly juggled in the near future.
Personally, I'm thinking Seattle, but any city on the west coast would make me happy. The idea of going back to Los Angeles is a soothing one, but wouldn't it be more interesting to move somewhere new?
But why not go with what you know? I had good fortune in Los Angeles - I met Cindy, we went from no car, crummy jobs, and a small studio apartment in a questionable neighborhood to good jobs, two cars, and a nice apartment in a great area. (Some might say probably correctly that all that good stuff was thanks to Cindy, not Los Angeles.)
Still, We've done CA and it would be fun to shake things up a bit. I lived in Ft. Lewis, Washington as a kid and it's a beautiful area with great weather. Seattle is the most bike-friendly city in the US - I'm picturing a cute little downtown apartment that allows me to bike to work.
With all the software companies in the Seattle area and my experience with software, jobs for me will be a lot more plentiful than in Ocala Florida, 'Horse Capital of the World'. Jobs for Cindy will be more plentiful too - with all that rain, the culture is dominated by coffee and books.
It's exciting and a little scary to think our lives might be thoroughly juggled in the near future.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Keen!
If you can believe it, I have convinced my shy good lady wife Cindy to agree to a fun little project - podcasting.
We're both going to come up with a list of topics, then choose one from her list and one from mine, and create at least two podcasts.
Inspired by our odd neighbor, my first topic idea is: What should a person do if they think a neighbor is up to no good?
I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation, so I'll keep you posted!
We're both going to come up with a list of topics, then choose one from her list and one from mine, and create at least two podcasts.
Inspired by our odd neighbor, my first topic idea is: What should a person do if they think a neighbor is up to no good?
I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation, so I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Blurred Buggy
You can't quite tell - but that's an orange hourglass on a big scary spider, a Brown Widow, which has made our kitchen window her home.I'm sure my Australian readers, dealing as they do with a myriad of poisonous critters on a daily basis ("Oh dear. Poison scorpions in the breakfast cereal again - ah well, they are crunchy and full of protein, after all.") will chuckle at the idea, but Cindy is a bit rattled at the arrival of this uninvited guest, and has made several complaints to the office. They have politely ignored her.
I've offered to take care of the little critter, but she'll hear nothing of it. She's named her Fred(rica) and almost seems to enjoy keeping a daily eye on Fred - at least this way she knows where she is. Until of course, Fred has thousands of babies...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Soap & Glory!
In my top five list of Principles to Live By:
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
While dutifully carrying the hand-basket for my good lady wife through the girly depts at Target the other day, I came across a fun new brand (well, it’s new to me) of cosmetics called Soap & Glory.
These people do not take themselves too seriously. Yay!
Check out the website – (it's being redesigned right now, but you can look at the products through this Target link.)
It looks like they had a lot of fun with vintage-style fonts and photo’s, and most of all with naming the products.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
While dutifully carrying the hand-basket for my good lady wife through the girly depts at Target the other day, I came across a fun new brand (well, it’s new to me) of cosmetics called Soap & Glory.
These people do not take themselves too seriously. Yay!
Check out the website – (it's being redesigned right now, but you can look at the products through this Target link.)
It looks like they had a lot of fun with vintage-style fonts and photo’s, and most of all with naming the products.
Monday, August 31, 2009
How was my weekend? Well...
Cindy managed to get herself into some trouble.
No, of course not! My good lady wife is always a law-abiding citizen.
Turns out, Cindy's sister Tammy is going into forensics. We all had a chance to get printed, it was fun. Apparently all my prints are typical except for my left pinkie, which has some more rare 'Accidental Whorl' action going on.
Forensics would be cool to study - but I don't know that I would want to do it as a job - calls at 3am to tag and bag a stiff might be fun the first couple times, but after that? Not so much.
No, of course not! My good lady wife is always a law-abiding citizen.
Turns out, Cindy's sister Tammy is going into forensics. We all had a chance to get printed, it was fun. Apparently all my prints are typical except for my left pinkie, which has some more rare 'Accidental Whorl' action going on.
Forensics would be cool to study - but I don't know that I would want to do it as a job - calls at 3am to tag and bag a stiff might be fun the first couple times, but after that? Not so much.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Happy Birthday, Catalina Kurilko!!
Three years ago, we brought home a sweet cat named Lina who's been a very welcome addition to the household.
She was two years old when we brought her home, so she's five now - I've read that a well-cared-for cat could likely live for 15 years or more. So she's stuck with us for another decade at least. She's been pretty healthy up to this point - when she first came home, she had three cracked teeth and needed oral surgery, which she promptly received - I think it ran about $500.
I'm the one in charge of feeding, and I give her very careful portions. Perhaps I very slightly underfeed her, but if she lives longer as a result, then it was worth it. She's not skinny by any means, and the vet is always very pleased during checkups that she's a svelte kitty.
I'm recognized by Lina as the litter-scooper, food provider, water freshner, and scratching-post maintenance engineer. I get my share of affection, but nothing like what Cindy gets.
Lina adores Cindy! This is the follows her from room to room, constantly in her lap, sleeps on Cindy's face kind of love. One of Lina's favorite pass times is to stalk Cindy near bedtime, when Cindy is walking to and fro in a repeating pattern of checking this and that before bed.
Cindy is a lot of fun to stalk (bwa ha ha!), as she always lets loose with a very satisfying squeal when attacked. Unfortunately, Lina doesn't just bat Cindy with her paws, but attacks the shins and ankles with her claws to bloody result.
I try to explain to Cindy that she's encouraging this behavior by behaving like prey, and also by allowing Lina to playfully bite whenever they're playing.
I should mention here that Lina does not stalk me - she tried once or twice, but I chased her around the house, barking and growling like a hunting pit bull for about 10 minutes and she got the idea 'Daddy is not prey'. I also do not allow biting of any kind, however playful.
Happy Birthday (month) Lina! Here's to another 25 years!
Love, Daddy
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Labels Tabulation Extravaganza
Do you guys ever look at the labels list that's compiled for your blogs?
It's interesting to see which things I talk most about...
Real Life Conversations (37)
EtchCo Inventions (19)
Cats (17)
Cindy (10)
Credi-Bull (9)
Florida (7)
Music (6)
Potty (5)
Actual Job Postings (4)
How odd that I talk about the cat more than my good lady wife...
It's interesting to see which things I talk most about...
Real Life Conversations (37)
EtchCo Inventions (19)
Cats (17)
Cindy (10)
Credi-Bull (9)
Florida (7)
Music (6)
Potty (5)
Actual Job Postings (4)
How odd that I talk about the cat more than my good lady wife...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
When will I learn?
Cindy and I always agree on each spending X amount on Christmas. Then she spends X + $50, and I'm scrambling to catch up, each year. Here I am, the week before Christmas, in the same boat once again.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Commiserate with us
Cindy has Jury Duty today, first time ever.
She does her damnedest to avoid interacting in any kind of bureaucratic process, if just on the slight chance a sudden bout of Tourette's will seize her, loud cries of "CONTEMPT!" will follow, and she'll end up in the pokey.
It's about 50/50. Wish her luck.
She does her damnedest to avoid interacting in any kind of bureaucratic process, if just on the slight chance a sudden bout of Tourette's will seize her, loud cries of "CONTEMPT!" will follow, and she'll end up in the pokey.
It's about 50/50. Wish her luck.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Yay!
Most of you will remember my intrepid better half, Cindy of Vicarious Living.
Thanks to my frequent pestering and your kind words in missing her, she's posting again!
She's a lot busier than I am, so I don't know how often she'll be posting, but yay, there's new Vicarious Living! She'll be guest-posting on Etch-A-Sketch Attention Span from time to time as well!
~~~~~
Don't forget to submit your entries for
It certainly seems that Kato is in the lead... But will he be victorious? Will you just LET him win?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)