The last 24 hours have lived up to the unexpected times portion of this blog's title. Just about this time last night we received one of those dreaded calls, the night nurse wasn't coming and a replacement couldn't be found. So mom, who just got over a bad cough/cold, and I stay up until 2:00-3:00 in the morning until dad gets up and takes over. He then stays until the day person arrives around 7:00.
Therefore, we're all tired on no nurse days and are very thankful when the next comes in. After a short night, I was greeted by an ever increasingly rare busy day. Part of the busyness was due to going out for a scheduled hair cut, but it still cuts into the day.
After about a two week hiatus, one of my business partners calls to check on progress for a particular client's site I've been working on. This site is going on Wordpress, a web platform meant for blogging, so the client can do their own updates. Unfortunately, I have had little opportunity to work on the programming side of these sites, so it's a somewhat steep learning curve. Of course the theme we're using is not programmed how I would expect making it all the more difficult. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll need to bow out on this project to another programmer who has more expertise in the area. I of course don't like losing work, but it's in the best interest of the client.
Last weekend, I switched a different client's web host to another in order to provide better reliability. They use their own server for email though and it was messed up due to the switch. I had to again go to an outside source in order to get it fixed. You would think that after twelve years of doing web development that I could do these things, but apparently not.
I'm sure it's partially due to being tired, but tonight's Spanish review lessons also didn't go well. Only scoring a 90-93% on material I've already covered is pretty pathetic, in my thinking anyway. With everything combined, I start wondering if I'm really completely competent or just a good actor. However, I know that's temptation trying to take hold, so avoid such thinking.
Tomorrow I'm planning to attend a networking event with other local business people. Hopefully it will prove to be productive and I can get my name more in circulation. I have also had a few potential site contacts come through in the past week, hopefully a few will turn into actual business.
I know last time I said this post would be about chairs, but this felt more like today's topic. Look for chair information coming soon, hopefully.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Fall
Autumn is in full force in Iowa, as much as I hate to admit it. A lot of people say that fall is their favorite time of year, and I can't blame them for that. Trees turn colors and show a very beautiful part of God's creation. Where I like to go out for rolls (walks), it seems like everything is new again with different color that changes on every visit. For me though, fall means colder temperatures, and a foretaste of what is to come, winter.
It also means an end to my barefoot summer. Last week I went out train watching with my parents and whore shoes all day. It was a grim reminder of the season change and I could tell my body didn't like it. After getting home, my feet were swollen and had several red marks from their experience. The outing itself was enjoyable though, especially exploring roads around the rails we hadn't been to before.
One of these roads had an old wooden bridge on a dead end rock road that went over the tracks. It was a great place to sit because nobody would care that you were there and it offered a bird's eye view of the rails. The only slight problem is that the approaches on both ends were rather steep. This meant that on our return trip over the bridge, the van bottomed out and got stuck. It was a minor problem that didn't take much to get out of, but it made for an entertaining excursion.
The bridge was just outside of Boone, Iowa, the home of the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. They were using their steam engine last weekend while we were in the area so we could hear when we were in the country. Hearing the lonesome sound of the steam whistle in the distance made it seem like we were back in the days of steam when the Union Pacific Challengers and Mountains would have ruled the tracks. If I can get dad's memory card the videos, with background steam whistles, will be on my YouTube channel.
Speaking of fall, I'm starting to think my health might be doing the same again. For the past few weeks, I haven't been able to keep my lungs completely clear for anything. My nurses have been having allergy trouble, which I may be as well, but it's very odd to be so congested for so long. This week, I've had a few times that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Today is Friday and I have been wanting to get this entry in since Monday. The leaking bladder problems have also returned, thankfully not as bad as last time though.
In my next update, I need to talk about what's going on with my wheelchair. That topic could likely take a few posts, but I'll try to keep it down to one. The next few days look to be warmer again, so I'm hoping to get out and get some sun, barefoot of course, while I still can. Until next time!
It also means an end to my barefoot summer. Last week I went out train watching with my parents and whore shoes all day. It was a grim reminder of the season change and I could tell my body didn't like it. After getting home, my feet were swollen and had several red marks from their experience. The outing itself was enjoyable though, especially exploring roads around the rails we hadn't been to before.
One of these roads had an old wooden bridge on a dead end rock road that went over the tracks. It was a great place to sit because nobody would care that you were there and it offered a bird's eye view of the rails. The only slight problem is that the approaches on both ends were rather steep. This meant that on our return trip over the bridge, the van bottomed out and got stuck. It was a minor problem that didn't take much to get out of, but it made for an entertaining excursion.
The bridge was just outside of Boone, Iowa, the home of the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. They were using their steam engine last weekend while we were in the area so we could hear when we were in the country. Hearing the lonesome sound of the steam whistle in the distance made it seem like we were back in the days of steam when the Union Pacific Challengers and Mountains would have ruled the tracks. If I can get dad's memory card the videos, with background steam whistles, will be on my YouTube channel.
Speaking of fall, I'm starting to think my health might be doing the same again. For the past few weeks, I haven't been able to keep my lungs completely clear for anything. My nurses have been having allergy trouble, which I may be as well, but it's very odd to be so congested for so long. This week, I've had a few times that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Today is Friday and I have been wanting to get this entry in since Monday. The leaking bladder problems have also returned, thankfully not as bad as last time though.
In my next update, I need to talk about what's going on with my wheelchair. That topic could likely take a few posts, but I'll try to keep it down to one. The next few days look to be warmer again, so I'm hoping to get out and get some sun, barefoot of course, while I still can. Until next time!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Beginning to End and Back Again
In high school, mainly, I started to regularly read a portion of the Bible before I went to bed at night. This has been a habit that I've adjusted, but kept doing through the years. Last night saw the completion of another time through and tonight will have another start beginning with Genesis 1:1.
When I first started my reading, I only did one chapter a night. This is what I felt was a good pace and it stayed for a number of years. Sometime after high school, I went up to reading three chapters a night, and that has primarily been what I stay with. At that rate, it comes close to reading the entire Bible in a year. I do skip some nights though, especially when falling asleep, so it does take me more than a year to complete a cycle.
I haven't kept track, but this time through was likely my tenth or so complete reading. After all these years of study, you would think I would be an expert, but I'm not. I can recite much of the information and recognize several passages, but there are very few places I can give you the exact passage where something is found. For that, I often need to refer to a service like BibleGateway.com where I can search for a certain phrase. Unfortunately, one of my biggest problems is distractions, I can easily let my mind wonder away from what I'm doing.
This results in several verses being glossed over, but I can't remember what it was. Therefore, I may reread part of it again and possibly end up with the same problem. It's an area I continue to work on, but one that needs a lot of attention.
After my first few times reading from cover to cover, I started adding in a few requirements. A few times was reading every foot note that was referenced. Some of these did not agree with God's word, so they weren't always helpful. For this time through, I don't know that I'll add any requirements, but I will see how it goes and new things I learn!
When I first started my reading, I only did one chapter a night. This is what I felt was a good pace and it stayed for a number of years. Sometime after high school, I went up to reading three chapters a night, and that has primarily been what I stay with. At that rate, it comes close to reading the entire Bible in a year. I do skip some nights though, especially when falling asleep, so it does take me more than a year to complete a cycle.
I haven't kept track, but this time through was likely my tenth or so complete reading. After all these years of study, you would think I would be an expert, but I'm not. I can recite much of the information and recognize several passages, but there are very few places I can give you the exact passage where something is found. For that, I often need to refer to a service like BibleGateway.com where I can search for a certain phrase. Unfortunately, one of my biggest problems is distractions, I can easily let my mind wonder away from what I'm doing.
This results in several verses being glossed over, but I can't remember what it was. Therefore, I may reread part of it again and possibly end up with the same problem. It's an area I continue to work on, but one that needs a lot of attention.
After my first few times reading from cover to cover, I started adding in a few requirements. A few times was reading every foot note that was referenced. Some of these did not agree with God's word, so they weren't always helpful. For this time through, I don't know that I'll add any requirements, but I will see how it goes and new things I learn!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Politics
Let me start off by saying that I am NOT into politics. I've heard many times than Iowa's first in the nation status for primaries is a great honor, but not if you ask me. To me, it just means we're the first state in the nation to get annoying commercials and phone calls. If a candidate had me do their web site, it may be a different story, but that has yet to happen. This election though, seems to be extra annoying, the worst since I have been of voting age at least.
The phone calls and TV commercials have been constant for nearly a month now and will likely continue to get worse until November. I understand that the candidates want to get their positions in the public's eye, but the negative ads are probably the worst. If you pay attention to the news, which I do, it's easy to tell the false information from the true. Unfortunately, they both continue to be told no matter how many news reports go out.
My biggest problem with this current election is that I don't care for either of the presidential candidates. One is very against what I believe in social issues, and the other is a long way off in economic and health issues. If the two were combined, I may have a candidate I'd like, but with politics, I wouldn't guarantee it.
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I have more relief from health insurance problems than I ever have had in my life before. That's not saying I agree with all of its points, but it has made a large improvement over what previously existed. Those that want to overturn it unfortunately won't say what would replace it. If we go back to insurance plans with lifetime caps and high rates, I'll be back to watching the time tick down until I'm without coverage. In Iowa, that means a mandatory sentence of life in a nursing home.
I understand the idea of having a democratic election and congress, and think it's one of the better ways of having government. Unfortunately, as one of our early presidents warned, forming democratic parties could mess everything up. He was unfortunately correct, but did not offer a solution if they did form. The next several weeks could be interesting, but I can't wait until November 7 when elections are done.
The phone calls and TV commercials have been constant for nearly a month now and will likely continue to get worse until November. I understand that the candidates want to get their positions in the public's eye, but the negative ads are probably the worst. If you pay attention to the news, which I do, it's easy to tell the false information from the true. Unfortunately, they both continue to be told no matter how many news reports go out.
My biggest problem with this current election is that I don't care for either of the presidential candidates. One is very against what I believe in social issues, and the other is a long way off in economic and health issues. If the two were combined, I may have a candidate I'd like, but with politics, I wouldn't guarantee it.
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I have more relief from health insurance problems than I ever have had in my life before. That's not saying I agree with all of its points, but it has made a large improvement over what previously existed. Those that want to overturn it unfortunately won't say what would replace it. If we go back to insurance plans with lifetime caps and high rates, I'll be back to watching the time tick down until I'm without coverage. In Iowa, that means a mandatory sentence of life in a nursing home.
I understand the idea of having a democratic election and congress, and think it's one of the better ways of having government. Unfortunately, as one of our early presidents warned, forming democratic parties could mess everything up. He was unfortunately correct, but did not offer a solution if they did form. The next several weeks could be interesting, but I can't wait until November 7 when elections are done.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Vacation 2012
Two days ago, I dropped my parents off for a train trip out west. They arrived today in Sacramento and plan to spend about a week in the area before returning. My parents try to manage one extended trip every year and this one has been planned for quite some time.
Even though I don't go anywhere, it seems like a vacation for me as well. I get to try my own recipes, food experiments as I call them, and do what I want since I have more nursing hours. I don't much different that normal, but it is a nice break from each other.
In a few weeks, I'm planning to visit a friend of mine, Ken, in northern Iowa. He is a fellow quadriplegic, but does not have private insurance and was forced into a nursing home in 2000. To say the least, Ken's living conditions are not pleasant and he has a very poor quality of life. It's possible that I will one day end up with him, so I try to be a friend and visit and/or call a few times a year, but it's rare I remember. It's something I hope to work on in the coming months.
That is about all I have to report for now. I will see if I find any noteworthy recipes by the time my parents return.
Even though I don't go anywhere, it seems like a vacation for me as well. I get to try my own recipes, food experiments as I call them, and do what I want since I have more nursing hours. I don't much different that normal, but it is a nice break from each other.
In a few weeks, I'm planning to visit a friend of mine, Ken, in northern Iowa. He is a fellow quadriplegic, but does not have private insurance and was forced into a nursing home in 2000. To say the least, Ken's living conditions are not pleasant and he has a very poor quality of life. It's possible that I will one day end up with him, so I try to be a friend and visit and/or call a few times a year, but it's rare I remember. It's something I hope to work on in the coming months.
That is about all I have to report for now. I will see if I find any noteworthy recipes by the time my parents return.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Change
This year's odd weather continues in Iowa. We had cool temps during the Iowa State Fair, and now we're starting to catch up on our rain shortage. It's a nice change from the 100+ temps we had in June and July, but I'm hoping it doesn't signal an early start to winter. We were very spoiled last year, so a bad winter this year would be an unwelcome difference, at least for me.
One month ago today, a friend of mine from CHAMP Camp, Jordan Stephens, passed away after a long struggle with Pulmonary Hypertension. Jordan was like me in that his mind was fully functional, but his body gave him limitations. He did have full use of his arms though, which allowed him to do his own cares and live completely on his own for a while. The last year we were both counselors at camp several people kept calling him Joel, so we switched name tags for a day. Every time we rolled by each other we would greet with our new identity. I don't think anyone else noticed, but it was another fun thing that happened during the week.
In the 19 years I've been involved with CHAMP Camp, both as a camper and a counselor, we have lost several of "our kids" as we say. I was closer to some than others, but it isn't anything unexpected when living with a major disability. Jordan's passing wasn't unexpected either, but I guess the part that got me most was that it wasn't known. I found out about his death from a fellow counselor on Facebook four days later. I was then able to find his information online and get it to the people in charge of contacting all counselors.
That email went out two days after I sent the information, and the day of his visitation. That meant that for those that didn't know until receiving the email would had to have literally leave the minute they got the message to be present at the visitation. I'm sure this was the not case for most people that knew Jordan, but it just didn't seem right to me for some reason. When my time comes, I would hope that my friends through camp would be informed with plenty of time in advance. I guess it won't make any difference to me, but it's still the thought that counts.
In other news, I finally let the learning temptation take hold and I purchased the Spanish learning software. I've had for a little over a week now and I've been progressing well. I made an Excel spreadsheet that allows me to average my percentage on the lessons and I'm staying around 95%. When I'm doing the different activities, it goes well, but I don't know that I could produce much just on my own. It is somewhat fun, but I'm wondering if I'll ever get to use it much. During my hospital stay in February, I did have one sitter who spoke Spanish, but that was it. Maybe I can incorporate it into VMT somehow, but I will just need to see if God has a plan for this skill He is giving me as well.
Next week Monday is the unofficial end to summer, so enjoy this week everyone!
One month ago today, a friend of mine from CHAMP Camp, Jordan Stephens, passed away after a long struggle with Pulmonary Hypertension. Jordan was like me in that his mind was fully functional, but his body gave him limitations. He did have full use of his arms though, which allowed him to do his own cares and live completely on his own for a while. The last year we were both counselors at camp several people kept calling him Joel, so we switched name tags for a day. Every time we rolled by each other we would greet with our new identity. I don't think anyone else noticed, but it was another fun thing that happened during the week.
In the 19 years I've been involved with CHAMP Camp, both as a camper and a counselor, we have lost several of "our kids" as we say. I was closer to some than others, but it isn't anything unexpected when living with a major disability. Jordan's passing wasn't unexpected either, but I guess the part that got me most was that it wasn't known. I found out about his death from a fellow counselor on Facebook four days later. I was then able to find his information online and get it to the people in charge of contacting all counselors.
That email went out two days after I sent the information, and the day of his visitation. That meant that for those that didn't know until receiving the email would had to have literally leave the minute they got the message to be present at the visitation. I'm sure this was the not case for most people that knew Jordan, but it just didn't seem right to me for some reason. When my time comes, I would hope that my friends through camp would be informed with plenty of time in advance. I guess it won't make any difference to me, but it's still the thought that counts.
In other news, I finally let the learning temptation take hold and I purchased the Spanish learning software. I've had for a little over a week now and I've been progressing well. I made an Excel spreadsheet that allows me to average my percentage on the lessons and I'm staying around 95%. When I'm doing the different activities, it goes well, but I don't know that I could produce much just on my own. It is somewhat fun, but I'm wondering if I'll ever get to use it much. During my hospital stay in February, I did have one sitter who spoke Spanish, but that was it. Maybe I can incorporate it into VMT somehow, but I will just need to see if God has a plan for this skill He is giving me as well.
Next week Monday is the unofficial end to summer, so enjoy this week everyone!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
August Fun
There hasn't been much to report in the quad life, it has been pretty much business as usual. One change has been Iowa's weather, the heat has broken for much more seasonable temperatures and some rain!
One thing in Iowa in August is the Iowa State Fair. It's the last big event before kids return to school and is an event I always love going to. I can't exactly put my stick on why I like it, but I do. Getting to see much of the state's farm influence, animals and farm equipment, and just a day out of doors I guess. It's often too hot out to stay all day, but this year looks to be pretty nice. Hopefully I will report this year's fair findings on my next entry.
With the cooler weather, I'm also looking forward to another rail fanning trip this weekend. I haven't been up to the UP in quite a while, so that is my plan this time.
In other news, I finally broke down and got the Spanish learning software. I'm excited to get working on it, but I don't know that I'll get to use it much. Maybe I'll get to use it for work some, but I'm praying that learning will go well.
Until next time!
One thing in Iowa in August is the Iowa State Fair. It's the last big event before kids return to school and is an event I always love going to. I can't exactly put my stick on why I like it, but I do. Getting to see much of the state's farm influence, animals and farm equipment, and just a day out of doors I guess. It's often too hot out to stay all day, but this year looks to be pretty nice. Hopefully I will report this year's fair findings on my next entry.
With the cooler weather, I'm also looking forward to another rail fanning trip this weekend. I haven't been up to the UP in quite a while, so that is my plan this time.
In other news, I finally broke down and got the Spanish learning software. I'm excited to get working on it, but I don't know that I'll get to use it much. Maybe I'll get to use it for work some, but I'm praying that learning will go well.
Until next time!
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