My mother’s PET scan results indicate that the nodule on her lungs could be cancerous. She will have a needle biopsy in the next few days in order to determine if the cancer is back. The doctor suggested waiting a bit until she tries a smoking cessation drug. The near future will be stressful and the doctor did not want to set my mother up for failure. She’s been smoking for at least sixty five years so a few more weeks will not matter at this point. I left two messages for my mother but she hasn’t called me. My mother expects the caller to call her back. She doesn’t like voice mail so she ignores the messages. I guess I’ll try her later today.
Archive for March, 2011
Another Biopsy
Posted in family, my life on March 29, 2011| 2 Comments »
Updates 3/28/2011
Posted in family, my life on March 28, 2011| 2 Comments »
It’s snowing here this morning. It’s welcomed with open arms. There has been very little moisture in the city in March which is usually one of the snowiest months of the year. I worked in the yard most of the weekend doing garden clean up. The daffodils and tulips that have poked their heads out of the ground are getting a much needed drink of water.
K will be back in Denver on April 3rd. He’s moving out of his loft in St. Louis since the project is delayed once again. The client finally paid their bill. The client was late on about $300,000 in billings.
K’s company is investigating work opportunities in Japan. K had to prepare some documents for the business development group since he manages the environmental remediation team. Guess who may be going to Japan.
My mother gets the results of her PET scan today. My brother is going to appointment. He plans on asking the doctor about smoking cessation drugs since my mother is too embarrassed to admit she never stopped smoking.
Cindi’s niece is moving to Colorado in mid April. She’s moving in with Cindi’s ex-boyfriend and his son. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Cindi is beyond pissed but no amount of reasoning will change the niece’s mind. She eighteen and seems to know everything. You know how eighteen year olds can be.
Here We Go Again
Posted in family, my life on March 24, 2011| 1 Comment »
My mother is having a PET scan today. She went to a post treatment follow up and was informed that a “nodule” on her lung had increased in size. The doctor ordered the scan to see if it’s cancerous. My mother was a nervous wreck last night when I talked to her. She was dreading the scan and the results yet she has not stopped smoking. Once again I talked to her about nicotine patches, nicotine gum and smoking cessation drugs. My mother is really concerned about the smoking cessation drug side affect but doesn’t seem to mind the fact that cigarettes are loaded with carcinogens. She didn’t remember the many previous conversations we’ve had about the tools available to help her to quit smoking. Either she’s senile or just in denial. I’m hoping for denial.
Back To The Grind
Posted in friends, my life, neighborhood on March 21, 2011| 1 Comment »
I’m back from San Francisco. The trip was a lot of fun. I ate and partied on the company dime all week. On Wednesday I attended a cooking class at the Ferry Building in the morning and took a tour of Alcatraz in the afternoon. Thursday was an adventure in Golden Gate Park. I went to the California Academy of Sciences, the de Young Museum and then walked around the park. I spent Friday shopping in the pouring rain in Union Square. I bought a shirt at Ted Baker but didn’t find anything else that really excited me. Friday night’s dinner was held on USS Hornet, a retired aircraft carrier docked in Alameda. I got upgraded to first class on the way home on Saturday because I was traveling with K.
K and I spent Sunday cleaning up the back yard. It was a warm beautiful day. While working in the yard our neighbor, Sheila, came over with the latest gossip. One of our neighbors has been sued by the SEC for running a “Ponzi like” scheme. He’s the vice president of an oil can gas exploration company that owes investors $62 million yet he took home $6.9 million over the last three years. He’s one of four people named in the civil suit.
I’m testing code written by the problem engineer. Her engineering specs are a piece of shit and I’ve found numerous problems so far this morning. I’m not in the mood to deal with her today. I hope the day gets better.
A fire has burned 700 acres in Indian Gulch between Golden Gate and Clear Creek Canyons. The fire is only 15% percent contained and high winds are expected this afternoon. Cindi lives near this area. I need to call her.
Blame The Gays
Posted in my life on March 11, 2011| 1 Comment »
It’s only a matter of time before some religious wingnut blames the gays for the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami. I wish I had that kind of power. I would send a tornado to destroy a certain Baptist church that recently won a First Amendment Supreme Court case.
Sentence Of The Day
Posted in work on March 10, 2011| 1 Comment »
This sentence was in an email my manager sent to me:
If you could get them all to me once the other one is done that would be great but if you have time the 3 are good for now no rush though just whatever works for you.
I had to read it three times before I could understand what she wanted.
Cindi and Lena
Posted in friends, my life on March 7, 2011| 1 Comment »
The weekend started out with a bang. Cindi had an industry party at her warehouse on Friday night to show off the latest trends in special event décor. We got there as it was ending so we got a chance to chat with Cindi and get a personalized tour. Cindi looked great. Her hair is still short and is bleached snow white.
Lena finally resurfaced on Thursday. She invited us to her art show opening on Friday night at a bar on Colfax near Grant. It was good to see Lena. She’s been incredibly busy. In the last year she designed and built the sets for nineteen theater productions and was nominated for a local theater award. Lena’s art show consisted of fish and turtle sculptures made out of bottle caps, beer cans and old hubcaps. The sculptures were hanging from the ceiling. They were very creative and unique. Lena sold several pieces while we were there.
The rest of the weekend was spent running errands and working on the spring garden clean up and a few household chores.
DUIs, Incarcerations And A Foreclosure
Posted in Uncategorized on March 4, 2011| 2 Comments »
Why is it that some people will talk about any detail of their personal life in the office? Today, Simone was talking about her son-in law’s fourth drunk driving conviction and subsequent incarceration for seventy eight days. Tina was recently discussing her brother in law’s stint in a halfway house after completing a sentence for embezzlement. She talked freely about his conviction as if it were a common occurrence. Julie talked about the foreclosure on her rental house in Florida. The mortgage payment doubled and the value dropped by 50%. She can’t refinance the house so she stopped making the mortgage payments. I’m constantly amazed and amused by the topics of conversation in the office.
Is it normal to discuss these types of personal issues in the workplace? Do my peers lack an outlet in their private life so they feel a need to discuss these things at work? If my life involved any of these things I would never discuss them in the workplace. Most of my peers are not my friends. They are my coworkers and I don’t feel they are on the same level as my close friends. I can discuss problems with my friends that I would never discuss at work. There is a time and a place for everything. I don’t feel the work place is a suitable environment to discuss DUIs, incarcerations or foreclosures. Am I wrong?
Perhaps I’m the one with the issues.
A Disaster Waiting To Happen
Posted in my life on March 1, 2011| 3 Comments »
Cindi called on Saturday to fill me in on the latest drama in her life. You’re not going to believe this.
Cindi’s eighteen year old niece, Jane, is moving to Colorado from Arizona. She’s moving in with Cindi’s ex and his eighteen year old son. Jane got to know the ex’s kids while she stayed with Cindi a few weeks each summer over the last few years. Jane claims they are just friends but Cindi doesn’t believe it. Jane knows about the horrible break up with the ex and the felony assault charge. I guess it doesn’t bother Jane because the ex’s son has a felony conviction for extortion. The ex’s other son, who is not living in the house, has a felony drug conviction. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Jane’s father is Cindi’s brother. He is against the move. He remarried in February and Jane doesn’t want to live with her father and his new wife. Jane’s mother doesn’t have any issues with daughter’s decision to move to Colorado and bought Jane a car. The car enables Jane and to get to Colorado.
Cindi wants to keep her ex and his family out of her life. She’s moved on and doesn’t want any contact with the ex or his children. In a few weeks Jane will move into Cindi’s ex’s rental house which is a few miles further up the canyon. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
The Corporate Slave 