I roasted a turkey today. I got a 14 pound turkey from work just before Christmas. I had it thawing the fridge for a few days and got it ready to roast last night. Woke up early this morning and popped it in the oven. By the time I was done sleeping, shaving, and showering, the Turkey was ready for breakfast! I know, strange. While it was cooling, I even made gravy - that's a first time for me.
This afternoon I boiled some red potatoes (unskinned, of course) and mashed them. What a feast! Of course, Teo wanted me to give him some of the turkey. I've now got 3/4 of the meat frozen, as well as half the gravy. I'll be eating this turkey for weeks.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Re-starting
Okay, I haven't posted crap in ages, almost a year. My plan is to get restarted and continue.
Today is a really cool day. First, just before Christmas I bought a 37" Visio HDTV. I got it from Target as part of their pre-Black Friday sale, and saved over 25%. Then I bought a low-end home theater system with up-converting DVD player. OMG. I'm watching the first Star Wars movie and it's totally immersing. Super sharp (that's the upconverting thing) and totally rocked by the sound (that's the home theater thing). The sound is like being in the theater, with the sound all around you. Totally cool.
Enough for tonight.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Finally Clear Skies
The clear skies really have a double meaning, both literal and figurative First, the literal. I stopped by the house I'll be living in come this Friday and picked up my mail. More on the house later. However, for one of the few days since I got here, the skies were clear, and as I drove east on Boyer to the house, I could see the mountains through the gap in the trees, and the snow on the mountains. It was a beautiful site, looking out at the Blue Mountains. Pretty neat. Whatever else you might see in Indiana or Minnesota, there just aren't sites like that.
I'm looking forward to moving this next Friday, 26 February. The house is going to be really nice and the updates the Crawfords (Debbie and Mike) are working on will make it really special. The bath is being totally re-done, with a new tub, new tile bath surround, new tile floor, it's going to be small but wonderful. The outside is going to be fabulous, though it is a very small space. The north fenceline is going to have three large raised planters where I can plant veggies and peppers. They will be fed by the same sprinkler system so all I will have to do is weed, fertilize, and harvest. The little bit of open area is going to get new sod, watered automatically by the sprinklers.
I'm also looking forward to getting my bicycles back, especially with the weather so moderate here. With the days around 50, I could be out riding, and I'm looking forward to that.
You know, you can always write or call me.
I'm looking forward to moving this next Friday, 26 February. The house is going to be really nice and the updates the Crawfords (Debbie and Mike) are working on will make it really special. The bath is being totally re-done, with a new tub, new tile bath surround, new tile floor, it's going to be small but wonderful. The outside is going to be fabulous, though it is a very small space. The north fenceline is going to have three large raised planters where I can plant veggies and peppers. They will be fed by the same sprinkler system so all I will have to do is weed, fertilize, and harvest. The little bit of open area is going to get new sod, watered automatically by the sprinklers.
I'm also looking forward to getting my bicycles back, especially with the weather so moderate here. With the days around 50, I could be out riding, and I'm looking forward to that.
You know, you can always write or call me.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Week One of Work
Oops, guess I stopped blogging this past week. I was talking with Samantha this morning and she pointed out that I hadn't posted anything in the last week, letting you'all know how things were going. So, I'm going to try to do a better job, but I can't promise I'll do well.
The week at work was pretty good, about what I expected. The workplace is way, way less stressful than the companies I've been working in the last 10 years. I also found the dress code extremely relaxed. I started the week in dress slacks, a dress shirt, and no tie. I was over-dressed - my boss doesn't dress like that. I can be well dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a golf shirt or sweater. This makes "business casual" look formal and stiff.
There were other interesting things I found out. The company offers zero cost health insurance, though it includes a $25 co-pay, a fairly high annual deductible and max out of pocket. They also offer plans with lower risks, but higher costs. I like the free version - since I won't be tight for money, I'll be able to cover any hospital costs if they occur.
The company fits well with the progressive northwest. They have bike storage lockers (like a bike rack but protected from the elements), an on-site fitness center, 10% discounts at the local YMCA, lots of cool stuff.
Teo and I have been having an interesting week, but it will get much better when we get to our permanent house. I have to take him out for a walk 3 times per day, each time taking 15-20 minutes. When we get to the house, with the fenced yard, I'll just have to open the back door for him to run through. Sure, once a day, I'll take him out for a walk, but that's only once per day. In the mean time, Teo spends a lot of time cleaning himself, almost like he thinks he's a cat. I think he misses Sidney and Wiggles.
I'm not sure when I'll be moving into my permanent house - either Friday the 19th or 26th. I'll have to take the day off work to direct the movers, then I'll have the weekend to unpack and try to get things organized before the work week. If it's the latter date, I'll end up a few days over the 30 days temporary living allowance the company gives me, but I can work that out - either the company will cover a few extra days, or I'll have to come up with some money.
I also have to go back to Indiana for my bankruptcy hearing on 11 March. But, once I get past the move, the hearing, I should be coasting. The weather will be warming, Spring will be here, life will be good.
The week at work was pretty good, about what I expected. The workplace is way, way less stressful than the companies I've been working in the last 10 years. I also found the dress code extremely relaxed. I started the week in dress slacks, a dress shirt, and no tie. I was over-dressed - my boss doesn't dress like that. I can be well dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a golf shirt or sweater. This makes "business casual" look formal and stiff.
There were other interesting things I found out. The company offers zero cost health insurance, though it includes a $25 co-pay, a fairly high annual deductible and max out of pocket. They also offer plans with lower risks, but higher costs. I like the free version - since I won't be tight for money, I'll be able to cover any hospital costs if they occur.
The company fits well with the progressive northwest. They have bike storage lockers (like a bike rack but protected from the elements), an on-site fitness center, 10% discounts at the local YMCA, lots of cool stuff.
Teo and I have been having an interesting week, but it will get much better when we get to our permanent house. I have to take him out for a walk 3 times per day, each time taking 15-20 minutes. When we get to the house, with the fenced yard, I'll just have to open the back door for him to run through. Sure, once a day, I'll take him out for a walk, but that's only once per day. In the mean time, Teo spends a lot of time cleaning himself, almost like he thinks he's a cat. I think he misses Sidney and Wiggles.
I'm not sure when I'll be moving into my permanent house - either Friday the 19th or 26th. I'll have to take the day off work to direct the movers, then I'll have the weekend to unpack and try to get things organized before the work week. If it's the latter date, I'll end up a few days over the 30 days temporary living allowance the company gives me, but I can work that out - either the company will cover a few extra days, or I'll have to come up with some money.
I also have to go back to Indiana for my bankruptcy hearing on 11 March. But, once I get past the move, the hearing, I should be coasting. The weather will be warming, Spring will be here, life will be good.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Home Sweet Temporary Home
Teo and I slept in this morning and took a leisurely drive up to Walla Walla. Heck, a drive of a little over 200 miles, over less than 3.5 hours, was a walk in the park - the engine barely got warmed up.
Southern Idaho and Ontario, OR are definitely in the high plains, you can barely see mountains in the far distance. However, as I headed out of Ontario, I started climbing, and climbing, and was in the middle of some beautiful mountains again pretty quickly. The entire drive up the northeast of Oregon was in and out of mountains, through long valleys, then right over the top of the Blue Mountains, descending a 6% grade for over 6 miles to Pendleton, OR (yup, home of the famous Pendleton woolen mills). I left the freeway there and wandered north into Washington and the condo Key Tech had rented for me.
This is a gorgeous condo, and it will be perfect for me and Teo for the next month. The downstairs is small but one huge great room of about 30 feet by 15 feet. Half of that is kitchen, with a table for two, fully equipped kitchen with all appliances (including coffee maker and coffee), with a high counter facing the living room and three bar stools.The downstairs is ideal for weekend getaway place, or for one person living for a month. Oh yes, there is also a half-bath, so I don't have to run upstairs.
The upstairs has two bedrooms - one with twin beds and the other a queen. The bath is compact, but fully equipped. Across the hall from it is a washer and dryer, compete with laundry soap. I'm in absolutely great shape for the next month until I can move into the house on Boyer Avenue.
We're halfway to my desired Super Bowl - the Colts beat the Jets and now we just need to Vikings to beat the Saints.
Southern Idaho and Ontario, OR are definitely in the high plains, you can barely see mountains in the far distance. However, as I headed out of Ontario, I started climbing, and climbing, and was in the middle of some beautiful mountains again pretty quickly. The entire drive up the northeast of Oregon was in and out of mountains, through long valleys, then right over the top of the Blue Mountains, descending a 6% grade for over 6 miles to Pendleton, OR (yup, home of the famous Pendleton woolen mills). I left the freeway there and wandered north into Washington and the condo Key Tech had rented for me.
This is a gorgeous condo, and it will be perfect for me and Teo for the next month. The downstairs is small but one huge great room of about 30 feet by 15 feet. Half of that is kitchen, with a table for two, fully equipped kitchen with all appliances (including coffee maker and coffee), with a high counter facing the living room and three bar stools.The downstairs is ideal for weekend getaway place, or for one person living for a month. Oh yes, there is also a half-bath, so I don't have to run upstairs.
The upstairs has two bedrooms - one with twin beds and the other a queen. The bath is compact, but fully equipped. Across the hall from it is a washer and dryer, compete with laundry soap. I'm in absolutely great shape for the next month until I can move into the house on Boyer Avenue.
We're halfway to my desired Super Bowl - the Colts beat the Jets and now we just need to Vikings to beat the Saints.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Closer Than I Thought
Yesterday's post said that I planned on staying in Ontario, OR tonight, and that I'd be just 4.5 ours away. Well, I read things wrong - I'm only 3.5 hours from Walla Walla! I also screwed up on the time zone change. I thought I'd be in the Pacific Time Zone now, but since Ontario is so close to Boise, the time zone line takes a jog around Ontario. So, if I leave here around 9:00 in the morning, I'll get into Walla Walla before Noon! I'm almost there.
The drive today was as different from yesterday as you could imagine. Yesterday was across the Midwestern plains, and driven in a warm fog. Today, I could tell things were going to be different the minute I stuck my head outside. There was some blue sky showing, with lots of clouds, and very stiff winds. As I headed west I started driving west from Cheyenne, I started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. By the time I went through the pass east of Laramie, I was at 8640 feet. The mountains and the winds kept up all the way across Wyoming. I figure the winds were close to 30 miles per hour.
When I hit Utah the clouds got thicker and lower, and the short stretch from the border to Odgen was magnificent! Unfortunately, as I got north of the city, I ran into the first of two snow squalls. They didn't slow me down much, but they did make things pretty darn messy, and the clouds were so darn low I couldn't really see the mountains. By the time things cleared up, I was into Idaho where the snow was better than 2 feet deep and things were getting flat (and dark).
Teo was a great traveler again today, just chilling in the back seat. When I got into Ontario, I ordered a pizza. Even a medium pizza was more than I could eat alone. So, I wondered if Teo would like pizza? Well, for reference, the fastest I've ever seen anyone eat pizza was my good friend, Cornelius Powell (Corn). Teo is faster! He slammed that piece of Pepperoni Pizza down in no time flat.
More tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be blogging about the upcoming Super Bowl between the Colts and Vikings.
The drive today was as different from yesterday as you could imagine. Yesterday was across the Midwestern plains, and driven in a warm fog. Today, I could tell things were going to be different the minute I stuck my head outside. There was some blue sky showing, with lots of clouds, and very stiff winds. As I headed west I started driving west from Cheyenne, I started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. By the time I went through the pass east of Laramie, I was at 8640 feet. The mountains and the winds kept up all the way across Wyoming. I figure the winds were close to 30 miles per hour.
When I hit Utah the clouds got thicker and lower, and the short stretch from the border to Odgen was magnificent! Unfortunately, as I got north of the city, I ran into the first of two snow squalls. They didn't slow me down much, but they did make things pretty darn messy, and the clouds were so darn low I couldn't really see the mountains. By the time things cleared up, I was into Idaho where the snow was better than 2 feet deep and things were getting flat (and dark).
Teo was a great traveler again today, just chilling in the back seat. When I got into Ontario, I ordered a pizza. Even a medium pizza was more than I could eat alone. So, I wondered if Teo would like pizza? Well, for reference, the fastest I've ever seen anyone eat pizza was my good friend, Cornelius Powell (Corn). Teo is faster! He slammed that piece of Pepperoni Pizza down in no time flat.
More tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be blogging about the upcoming Super Bowl between the Colts and Vikings.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Great Day of Travel
Unfortunately, I've got no great way to measure my travel except by Google Maps estimated drive times. My desktop runs MS Streets & Trips, but this netbook doesn't have that. So, I am using the estimated driving times from Google Maps (GM) to measure my progress.
Thursday, I drove for just a little under 5 hours, and covered a distance that Google Maps said was 5:30. Okay, good starting reference. Google Maps puts the entire trip at 35:10, though I obviously move faster than Google Maps predicts. Today, I started out from St. Charles, MO around 8:20 and drove until almost 9:00 (8:00 local time). In that 12:40, I covered what Google Maps (GM) said was 14:00. Whatever, I'm now in Cheyenne, WY.
Here's the really great part. I've covered 19:30 GM hours out of just over 35. So, I'm over halfway there. (55% actually). Assuming things go reasonably well tomorrow, I plan on driving just over 12 GM hours and staying in Ontario, OR. That would be only 87% of today, so it should be totally doable. That would leave me less than 4.5 hours into Walla Walla on Sunday. That's a good thing, so that I can arrive well before 3:00 PST so that I can see the VIkings beat the Saints and go on to their 5th Super Bowl (and what will most assuredly be the Colts third Super Bowl, and their second loss).
Today was another good day of travel, though the weather was pretty marginal. The temps hung in the mid to high 30's, but there was fog the entire way. It was foggy all the way across Missouri, it was foggy in Iowa, it was foggy all the way across Nebraska, and the fog cleared about 20 miles outside of Cheyenne. Fortunately, the fog was of the type where you could see plenty well enough to drive fast safely. There was a good half-mile of visibility, but it was depressing. Teo again rode well in the back seat attached to his cable. We had a few walks at rest areas, but not really enough. I owe this puppy when we get to Walla Walla.
I"ve covered a lot of states in my travels so far. I was in 3 states on Thursday (IN, IL, MO), 4 states today (MO, IA, NE, WY), will be in 4 states tomorrow (WY, UT, ID, OR), and 2 states on Sunday (OR and WA), for a total of 10 states on this trip. Great explore, great fun, sort of.
I finally heard from the person in control of my temporary living in Walla Walla. She sent me an email at 5:12 (I"m not sure what time zone that 5:12 applies to, but at least I've got something) giving me the address of the condo and the security code for the garage. Once inside, I obtain the keys and garage opener (after living in downtown Madison for 17 years, I almost asked, what's a garage?). I'll be in temp living fro up to a month, then moving into my permanent home.
For the record, should anyone want to mail me anything, my new permanent address will be
950 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Thursday, I drove for just a little under 5 hours, and covered a distance that Google Maps said was 5:30. Okay, good starting reference. Google Maps puts the entire trip at 35:10, though I obviously move faster than Google Maps predicts. Today, I started out from St. Charles, MO around 8:20 and drove until almost 9:00 (8:00 local time). In that 12:40, I covered what Google Maps (GM) said was 14:00. Whatever, I'm now in Cheyenne, WY.
Here's the really great part. I've covered 19:30 GM hours out of just over 35. So, I'm over halfway there. (55% actually). Assuming things go reasonably well tomorrow, I plan on driving just over 12 GM hours and staying in Ontario, OR. That would be only 87% of today, so it should be totally doable. That would leave me less than 4.5 hours into Walla Walla on Sunday. That's a good thing, so that I can arrive well before 3:00 PST so that I can see the VIkings beat the Saints and go on to their 5th Super Bowl (and what will most assuredly be the Colts third Super Bowl, and their second loss).
Today was another good day of travel, though the weather was pretty marginal. The temps hung in the mid to high 30's, but there was fog the entire way. It was foggy all the way across Missouri, it was foggy in Iowa, it was foggy all the way across Nebraska, and the fog cleared about 20 miles outside of Cheyenne. Fortunately, the fog was of the type where you could see plenty well enough to drive fast safely. There was a good half-mile of visibility, but it was depressing. Teo again rode well in the back seat attached to his cable. We had a few walks at rest areas, but not really enough. I owe this puppy when we get to Walla Walla.
I"ve covered a lot of states in my travels so far. I was in 3 states on Thursday (IN, IL, MO), 4 states today (MO, IA, NE, WY), will be in 4 states tomorrow (WY, UT, ID, OR), and 2 states on Sunday (OR and WA), for a total of 10 states on this trip. Great explore, great fun, sort of.
I finally heard from the person in control of my temporary living in Walla Walla. She sent me an email at 5:12 (I"m not sure what time zone that 5:12 applies to, but at least I've got something) giving me the address of the condo and the security code for the garage. Once inside, I obtain the keys and garage opener (after living in downtown Madison for 17 years, I almost asked, what's a garage?). I'll be in temp living fro up to a month, then moving into my permanent home.
For the record, should anyone want to mail me anything, my new permanent address will be
950 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362
A New Hope
Actually, that was the name of the first Star Wars movie, but here it applies to me, and a new opportunity to forge a new life, while retaining the best from the old life.
Read the other post from this day - I got divorced yesterday and will be filing bankruptcy tomorrow. Bummer. However, Nancy and I are determined to remain friends, good friends, and we've re-discovered that friendship this past month. Quite probably, we will have a better relationship divorced than married. The bankruptcy is a bummer as well, but it will give me a chance to start a new financial life. So, both legal actions are actually, in many ways, good things.
One thing that is definitely a good thing is that I will start working next Monday at Key Technology in Walla Walla, WA. Google them, you'll understand what they do. I've rented a house already, that I will move into the latter part of February (Key Tech is paying for a month of temporary housing). It will be wonderful for me and my dog (Teo came with me). It's got one bedroom upstairs, a huge living room with fireplace, a large eat-in kitchen - those alone might be enough space. It's got a laundry room with washer and dryer supplied, a huge second bedroom with wood floor that I will use as an office/family room (family of one person/one dog - it has a deep window well/egress, so it can be classified as a second bedroom), and a large storage room (think 9X25) with concrete floor that will be Teo's room during the day, but will also be my workshop room. All 3 rooms have doors, and hard surfaces. Teo can stay in his room during the day, then hang out with me in the family room when I'm home.
Oh yes, there is a yard. While the yard isn't large, the landlord is responsible for all yard maintenance. There is a huge brick patio with a bubbling fountain. They were still working on the backyard when I saw it on the 11th, but we talked about how I did grow things/garden and used my gas grill a lot. When I talked to her today, she said that she was adding raised planters around the edge of the patio so I could garden in them. And, she thought a nice complement to the grill would be a fire pit, so they were putting that in as well. Wow! The whole backyard is fenced in, so Teo can go outside without a run out line or anything. Plus, the whole place is one house down from a city park where we can go walking, getting Teo (and me) exercise.
I came home from my house hunting trip and immediately consulted the one person I knew who was best at decorating spaces - Nancy. Armed with a full layout, semi-accurately dimensioned, Nancy helped me decide which furniture to have the movers bring along. It was really good that I found such a great space, as there were several great pieces of furniture Nancy and I had obtained over the years that she couldn't use in her little apartment, and I hadn't thought I could use in what I expected to find. For example, the dining room table that we have shared holiday dinner over the last 8 or 10 years, was probably going to go into storage at best. All those wonderful memories of wonderful dinners enjoyed over that table, to be lost. Instead, I've got a place for that table, and the chairs that kinda go with it. The same goes for our wonderful couch, that has been slept on by so many visiting friends, as well as most of our kids. It will make a wonderful couch in front of the fireplace. Yes, that will be a great place to cuddle with someone special... that's probably a space that will go unused for quite some time.
Even the bankruptcy is a good thing. I'll be free of most of my debt, Sure, there is $35K of student loans, plus another $17K of joint debt that Nancy and I will work on together, but gone are the crushing payments for the house in Madison, including the ginormous heating bills, and other utilities. When I was making 55% more than my new job will pay, we were making all payments, with maybe a couple hundred dollars extra. With my new job,m albeit it much lower paying, I'll have nearly $1500 each month after paying my bills. Sure, having a trashed credit rating is bad. However, if you don't need credit, or plan to use credit, it doesn't matter.
Enough of that. I left Madison with my puppy (Teo, my 9 year-old puppy) around a quarter to 5 this afternoon. Teo has his kennel with him in the backseat, but he is restrained by a cable locked into the LATCH point, so that he can't get forward and bother the driver (me!). For the first day, he rode very well for the first 5 hours. He's a smart dog, and energetic. I tried to move our stuff into the hotel first, and did, but he was all excited and it was tough. Tomorrow night, I'll take him for a 15 or 20 minute walk before I try to move stuff in, it will be much more mellow.
Anyways, I made it partway today. Google Maps makes the whole trip as 35 hours. but they underestimate the travel speed, but do not include stops. They pretty much balance out. My plan is to travel from 8 to 8 every day (12 hours). That would have brought me into WW late in the evening the day before I started work. Instead, by knocking off 5 hours this afternoon, if I can get another 12 each day the next two, I'll wander into WW 2 or 3 in the afternoon, with plenty of time to move into my temp housing, and for Teo to settle down/and in.
For the record, we're in the Saint Charles, MO Motel 6 tonight. All Motel 6 hotels accept pets, are dirt cheap, and provide minimalist lodging. It's perfect for my puppy and me.
I'll post again tomorrow on our continued progress.
Read the other post from this day - I got divorced yesterday and will be filing bankruptcy tomorrow. Bummer. However, Nancy and I are determined to remain friends, good friends, and we've re-discovered that friendship this past month. Quite probably, we will have a better relationship divorced than married. The bankruptcy is a bummer as well, but it will give me a chance to start a new financial life. So, both legal actions are actually, in many ways, good things.
One thing that is definitely a good thing is that I will start working next Monday at Key Technology in Walla Walla, WA. Google them, you'll understand what they do. I've rented a house already, that I will move into the latter part of February (Key Tech is paying for a month of temporary housing). It will be wonderful for me and my dog (Teo came with me). It's got one bedroom upstairs, a huge living room with fireplace, a large eat-in kitchen - those alone might be enough space. It's got a laundry room with washer and dryer supplied, a huge second bedroom with wood floor that I will use as an office/family room (family of one person/one dog - it has a deep window well/egress, so it can be classified as a second bedroom), and a large storage room (think 9X25) with concrete floor that will be Teo's room during the day, but will also be my workshop room. All 3 rooms have doors, and hard surfaces. Teo can stay in his room during the day, then hang out with me in the family room when I'm home.
Oh yes, there is a yard. While the yard isn't large, the landlord is responsible for all yard maintenance. There is a huge brick patio with a bubbling fountain. They were still working on the backyard when I saw it on the 11th, but we talked about how I did grow things/garden and used my gas grill a lot. When I talked to her today, she said that she was adding raised planters around the edge of the patio so I could garden in them. And, she thought a nice complement to the grill would be a fire pit, so they were putting that in as well. Wow! The whole backyard is fenced in, so Teo can go outside without a run out line or anything. Plus, the whole place is one house down from a city park where we can go walking, getting Teo (and me) exercise.
I came home from my house hunting trip and immediately consulted the one person I knew who was best at decorating spaces - Nancy. Armed with a full layout, semi-accurately dimensioned, Nancy helped me decide which furniture to have the movers bring along. It was really good that I found such a great space, as there were several great pieces of furniture Nancy and I had obtained over the years that she couldn't use in her little apartment, and I hadn't thought I could use in what I expected to find. For example, the dining room table that we have shared holiday dinner over the last 8 or 10 years, was probably going to go into storage at best. All those wonderful memories of wonderful dinners enjoyed over that table, to be lost. Instead, I've got a place for that table, and the chairs that kinda go with it. The same goes for our wonderful couch, that has been slept on by so many visiting friends, as well as most of our kids. It will make a wonderful couch in front of the fireplace. Yes, that will be a great place to cuddle with someone special... that's probably a space that will go unused for quite some time.
Even the bankruptcy is a good thing. I'll be free of most of my debt, Sure, there is $35K of student loans, plus another $17K of joint debt that Nancy and I will work on together, but gone are the crushing payments for the house in Madison, including the ginormous heating bills, and other utilities. When I was making 55% more than my new job will pay, we were making all payments, with maybe a couple hundred dollars extra. With my new job,m albeit it much lower paying, I'll have nearly $1500 each month after paying my bills. Sure, having a trashed credit rating is bad. However, if you don't need credit, or plan to use credit, it doesn't matter.
Enough of that. I left Madison with my puppy (Teo, my 9 year-old puppy) around a quarter to 5 this afternoon. Teo has his kennel with him in the backseat, but he is restrained by a cable locked into the LATCH point, so that he can't get forward and bother the driver (me!). For the first day, he rode very well for the first 5 hours. He's a smart dog, and energetic. I tried to move our stuff into the hotel first, and did, but he was all excited and it was tough. Tomorrow night, I'll take him for a 15 or 20 minute walk before I try to move stuff in, it will be much more mellow.
Anyways, I made it partway today. Google Maps makes the whole trip as 35 hours. but they underestimate the travel speed, but do not include stops. They pretty much balance out. My plan is to travel from 8 to 8 every day (12 hours). That would have brought me into WW late in the evening the day before I started work. Instead, by knocking off 5 hours this afternoon, if I can get another 12 each day the next two, I'll wander into WW 2 or 3 in the afternoon, with plenty of time to move into my temp housing, and for Teo to settle down/and in.
For the record, we're in the Saint Charles, MO Motel 6 tonight. All Motel 6 hotels accept pets, are dirt cheap, and provide minimalist lodging. It's perfect for my puppy and me.
I'll post again tomorrow on our continued progress.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Life Changes
So much to catch everyone up. Well, I'm not going to try, but I will hit the high points.
As most everyone knows, several things have been going on in my life, in our life. I have been unemployed since mid-November 2008 - 14 months, and it has done total havoc on my finances. In the end, it was obvious I was heading for bankruptcy.
At the same time, Nancy's and my relationship had fallen apart, not because of the finances solely, but due to a lot of things.We weren't talking, we weren't sharing life together, and we sort of separated a year ago, more separated a few months later, really separated 4 or 5 months ago, and the divorce was final yesterday, 20 January. I bring that up here, because it ties into the first topic. While there are no guarantees, because we did have three joint credit card accounts that could cause problems, by divorcing first, it provides Nancy a fairly high chance at remaining solvent and not being forced into bankruptcy. If I had filed first, before the divorce, it would have significantly reduced Nancy's chances.
The good thing out of all of this is that Nancy and I have been talking more in the last several weeks than we have in years. We're remembering and rekindling the friendship that was so much of our relationship, and we are committed to retaining that, even growing it while leading separate lives. Could we at some point get back together? Possible, but highly improbable. Could we remain friends, supporting each other, caring for each other, the rest of our lives? Highly probable.
So, yesterday the divorce was finalized. Friday, 22 January (Good things have happened to my on the 22nd of the month, most notably, Nancy and I were married on 22 May 1976), my attorney will submit my bankruptcy petition.
Today was an emotional day. Though we were divorced yesterday, we truly went separate ways today, as I left for Walla Walla this afternoon shortly before 5. It changes everything. Even when we were separated by law, we saw each other frequently, were still sharing the same spaces and lives. But now, we will be separated by 2000 miles, and may only see each other once a year, who knows. Nancy and I expressed the same feelings the last day or so - we signed the divorce papers yesterday, no big deal. When we got the papers back where the judge had finalized the divorce, again no big deal. But, when it came down to the moment where I was actually going away, where we were no longer going to be seeing each other, able to call on each other for help, except for that help that can be provided through phone or internet, that broke me - the tears flowed, my heart shook, my emotions overflowed.
As most everyone knows, several things have been going on in my life, in our life. I have been unemployed since mid-November 2008 - 14 months, and it has done total havoc on my finances. In the end, it was obvious I was heading for bankruptcy.
At the same time, Nancy's and my relationship had fallen apart, not because of the finances solely, but due to a lot of things.We weren't talking, we weren't sharing life together, and we sort of separated a year ago, more separated a few months later, really separated 4 or 5 months ago, and the divorce was final yesterday, 20 January. I bring that up here, because it ties into the first topic. While there are no guarantees, because we did have three joint credit card accounts that could cause problems, by divorcing first, it provides Nancy a fairly high chance at remaining solvent and not being forced into bankruptcy. If I had filed first, before the divorce, it would have significantly reduced Nancy's chances.
The good thing out of all of this is that Nancy and I have been talking more in the last several weeks than we have in years. We're remembering and rekindling the friendship that was so much of our relationship, and we are committed to retaining that, even growing it while leading separate lives. Could we at some point get back together? Possible, but highly improbable. Could we remain friends, supporting each other, caring for each other, the rest of our lives? Highly probable.
So, yesterday the divorce was finalized. Friday, 22 January (Good things have happened to my on the 22nd of the month, most notably, Nancy and I were married on 22 May 1976), my attorney will submit my bankruptcy petition.
Today was an emotional day. Though we were divorced yesterday, we truly went separate ways today, as I left for Walla Walla this afternoon shortly before 5. It changes everything. Even when we were separated by law, we saw each other frequently, were still sharing the same spaces and lives. But now, we will be separated by 2000 miles, and may only see each other once a year, who knows. Nancy and I expressed the same feelings the last day or so - we signed the divorce papers yesterday, no big deal. When we got the papers back where the judge had finalized the divorce, again no big deal. But, when it came down to the moment where I was actually going away, where we were no longer going to be seeing each other, able to call on each other for help, except for that help that can be provided through phone or internet, that broke me - the tears flowed, my heart shook, my emotions overflowed.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Home, Finally Home!
Daniel was released from the hospital today, but he's not exactly released without controls. First, the neurosurgeon released him with two conditions: first, an ongoing decodron (steroid) prescription; and second, no physical therapy or occupational therapy for the next week. The neurosurgeon will remove the staples and stitches next Tuesday and, hopefully, release Daniel for normal PT and OT. In the meantime, he doesn't want any stress on the incision site. Since we ended up with a staph infection the last time, this is probably a wise control, but Daniel is chafing at the bit to get going.
In addition, the infectious diseases doctor (Dr. Zia) has prescribed 4-6 weeks of antibiotics for Daniel. We've got an appointment for 11:30 tomorrow for his nurse to show us how to administer the IV's. He has a PICC in his arm which we tap into, but 3 times per day we have to flush the line with saline solution, add the bag of antibiotic solution, then flush the line again. The nurse will show us how to do it tomorrow.
Daniel is jumping into his classes, reading what he can online and burying himself in his books. It's pretty cool - while he was still in the hospital he had two of his profs visit him and lots of his fellow students. As always, Daniel has made lots of friends, and everybody loves him.
It's good to have everybody home again, especially Daniel. Carl called last week and he's going to be moving back in for a short term. It's always good, and it's wonderful to have him back.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Simple Staff
The infections doc (Dr. Zia) was just here and he had some good news. It turns out that Daniel has "regular" staph as opposed to methicillin resistant staph (MRS). The doc took Daniel off the one antibiotic. The vancomycin, which was the "big bag" that took nearly two hours to dispense twice a day was only needed if it was MRS. No, he's got him on a small bag that dispenses in a half hour, three times per day. That will continue for 3-4 weeks.
Dr. Zia spends lots of time explaining things. Daniel asked about going with pills instead of the IV at home. The doc explained that, with most orally taken antibiotics, the absorption rate is only 10-50%. With the IV it's 100%. So, with the IV you can be sure it's actually going to wipe out the staph and it won't comeback.
He's upbeat and the pain level is down quite a bit since yesterday. He's no longer using the morphine button which is a good indicator of pain level.
Dr. Zia spends lots of time explaining things. Daniel asked about going with pills instead of the IV at home. The doc explained that, with most orally taken antibiotics, the absorption rate is only 10-50%. With the IV it's 100%. So, with the IV you can be sure it's actually going to wipe out the staph and it won't comeback.
He's upbeat and the pain level is down quite a bit since yesterday. He's no longer using the morphine button which is a good indicator of pain level.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Recovering
Daniel is awake and recovering. Everything looks good and he went back to his room a little after 4:00. He's sitting up eating dinner right now. Of course, in the time before dinner got here, we hit the chocolate!
There's some discomfort from the new incision, but it's nothing like it was before. He's already tried moving and it didn't cause a problem and didn't hurt too much. He's been talking to some friends on the phone and seems to be recovering his spirits. They've got a "wound drain collection box" attached to where they made the incision, but it's not collecting all that much. I guess they decided that with all the irrigating they did they'd put that in to collect the resultant drainage.
There's some discomfort from the new incision, but it's nothing like it was before. He's already tried moving and it didn't cause a problem and didn't hurt too much. He's been talking to some friends on the phone and seems to be recovering his spirits. They've got a "wound drain collection box" attached to where they made the incision, but it's not collecting all that much. I guess they decided that with all the irrigating they did they'd put that in to collect the resultant drainage.
Surgery Complete
The doc came out and told me that the surgery is complete and everything went fine. Basically, it was a routine surgery with nothing unexpected.
Unlike 4 weeks ago when we were the only people in the waiting room, there are several surgeries going on today. I asked the recovery room nurse if I could join Daniel but she told me "not yet". There's one other patient in there that's quite sick and a couple others with issues. Oh well, that's not really a big deal as he's still basically out of it.
The doc said they'd keep him here a couple days just to make sure things worked out okay. That opens the possibility he could be out of here on Monday (instead of Tuesday). It also makes it really unlikely that he'll be here longer than Tuesday.
I just saw the recovery room nurse wave another person waiting. As he left the room they wheeled a patient toward the pre-op rooms, so it appears that the routine is a little different than last time. It sort of looks like they use the recovery room for immediate recovery then transfer them to the pre-op rooms where the family can join them. The last time, since Daniel was the only person in surgery, they didn't bother moving him and we joined him the recovery room and then ICU. He won't be going to ICU this time, just his regular room.
Unlike 4 weeks ago when we were the only people in the waiting room, there are several surgeries going on today. I asked the recovery room nurse if I could join Daniel but she told me "not yet". There's one other patient in there that's quite sick and a couple others with issues. Oh well, that's not really a big deal as he's still basically out of it.
The doc said they'd keep him here a couple days just to make sure things worked out okay. That opens the possibility he could be out of here on Monday (instead of Tuesday). It also makes it really unlikely that he'll be here longer than Tuesday.
I just saw the recovery room nurse wave another person waiting. As he left the room they wheeled a patient toward the pre-op rooms, so it appears that the routine is a little different than last time. It sort of looks like they use the recovery room for immediate recovery then transfer them to the pre-op rooms where the family can join them. The last time, since Daniel was the only person in surgery, they didn't bother moving him and we joined him the recovery room and then ICU. He won't be going to ICU this time, just his regular room.
Surgery Again
They determined that the infection is a staph infection, so the docs have been moderately concerned. He's been on his cocktail of 2 different antibiotics, plus they started giving him a steroid yesterday. Today, they are doing surgery to clean out the infection. This started around 1:30 and is expected to be about 1 hour. It's completely minor compared to the last one - no bone removal and no spinal cord invasion. They are opening him up, flushing out any infection pockets, then closing him back up.
The docs have told him that he'll be in here until next Tuesday. That means that he will have been in the hospital 19 days in the one month since 13 December and his first surgery. Hopefully this will be the end of it and he'll be able to start recovering quickly. The week before this was a tough one, as they had taken him off the steroids which had been giving his body an extra boost, plus the staff infection was attacking him and sapping strength. We're hoping that getting rid of all the infection will return some strength that's been missing.
I'll update when surgery is done and let you know how things went.
The docs have told him that he'll be in here until next Tuesday. That means that he will have been in the hospital 19 days in the one month since 13 December and his first surgery. Hopefully this will be the end of it and he'll be able to start recovering quickly. The week before this was a tough one, as they had taken him off the steroids which had been giving his body an extra boost, plus the staff infection was attacking him and sapping strength. We're hoping that getting rid of all the infection will return some strength that's been missing.
I'll update when surgery is done and let you know how things went.
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