Coming trouble

When I got back from Utah I called my orthopedist's office to schedule an appointment since my wrist is causing me more pain.

I disucssed it with my wife. There is a growth of bone on my wrist and with the pain I'm worried it might be cancerous. I had to inform my wife of it since I'll need surgery to remove it and that in a way could just make things worse.

I haven't discussed it with my office yet. I'm waiting for the orthopedist to take x-rays and let me know just how soon I need the surgery. I will probably have to miss several weeks.

The appointment is for next week so I'll know then.

Rough

Work is getting crazy. A lot of things are starting to build up at the office and things aren't coming in line.

I'm starting to stress out.

Chart

I put together a quick chart of the gas pricing for the photos I've been taking for the last 2 years.

Doesn't mean a thing to me but maybe I might to you.

I revised the chart to give a better coverage of area.

Kinda cool

I'm starting to really get into the use of the DVR, so far I haven't figured out the limit of it's storage. I was able to get to somewhere around 20 hours before it started giving me warning signals.

It also maintained a better guide availability then the digital cable box we have in the bedroom.

One of my top tens

I've seen this film 5 or 6 times and it still is funny as all hell. Shaun of the Dead is an excellent satire of the zombie outbreak genre.

I'm just surprised that no one came up with this earlier. An American version would be hysterical. There are so many typical US eccentricities that we can send up in a zombie flick.

I don't think the Return of the Living Dead series ranks up with Shaun.

Upgrade

I ordered an upgrade of our cable service to DVR from our digital service. I'm expecting my wife to come home soon due to hightened tensions between her and her mother.

The DVR will come in handy since our son likes his shows and the shows he prefers are not aired 24 hours a day so it's convenient.

The upgrade box came in today. It was a simple installation, just connect and that's it.

I'm fed up

Today there seems to be quite a few reckless drivers on the road. One particular driver driving an Acura swept from the far right-hand lane into the far left-hand lane not paying attention to other drivers. I'm talking about a 6 lane highway as well.

I intended on using this blog to talk about our family and how I'm dealing with fatherhood. It just seems that all I talk about now is work and driving.

Ugh.

Speaking of tired

I came across an article dealing with work and a worker's feeling of productivity. You can read it here. The study cited doesn't surprise me one bit.

It's as if the folks that performed the study was actually in my office all this time.

Just ducky

I know earlier in the week I said that I can't complete any of my work because of special projects.

Here's another one that came up. I have to work up a schedule for a tight project. It will have about 500 activities with multiple levels of logic and manpower loading. On top of all that it must be completed by Tuesday morning.

Not a big deal...ya.

Price of gas

Queens Boulevard
Rego Park, Queens, NY

It's been 2 weeks since I last gassed up and the pricing has dropped slowly. It's good but it's not great. I can't help but believe that the sentiment I expressed is what the oil companies want: acquiesence.

Change in pricing from last time I filled my tank.
Low grade: -.08

Mid grade: -.06

High grade: -.06

Lack of sleep

I finally fell asleep at 2:00 a.m. and my alarm clock went off at 4:15 a.m. I finally got up after hitting the snooze bar for 45 minutes.

This will be a long day coming up.

Long night

I paid bills and now I can't sleep because all I keep thinking is that I have $23.00 left in my checking account.

Ugh...

President's Day

How do I observe President's Day? By sleeping late and getting a haircut. How else? I like to be lazy.

My wife is going shopping today because she has a birthday party to attend on Wednesday and a second one on Sunday. As long as she doesn't spend a ton of money I don't mind. However, she is aware that we are stretching things thin as we can at the moment.

Religion and children

My wife and I spoke early today since they leave for Sunday services and that takes up quite a bit of time since the service is 3 hours long. Our son enjoyed his time since they have a play area designated for children during services.

However our son could only take so much stimulus before it wears him out. He started walking around the temple. He was a bit distracting to the congregants so my wife had to take him outside.

For the most part the staff didn't mind our son wandering until he started approaching the pulpit. That's when he becomes distracting to the parishoners.

I could understand that.

Driving in Utah

My wife had her first drive in inclement weather on the highway. She had to pick up diapers and formula for our son. While it was a bit scary for her she did fine. Luckily she's drving an all-wheel drive vehicle. That gives me comfort. She's safer in that vehicle during foul weather than she would be in mine.

Our son is doing great but he's getting a little cranky riding in cars because he's been spending so much time in them.

He normally likes going on drives but in the last couple of days all he's done is sit in his car seat and go along for the ride. That he doesn't like. He likes to intersperse his rides with some running around.

That's what makes him truly happy.

While I was spending two weeks in Utah there was this one instance where our son would not go to sleep even though it was almost midnight. He would run to me while I was in bed and then he'd run away to play with the water in the bathroom sink, laughing all the way.

That made me laugh which in turn made him laugh. We created this chain of giggle fits that lasted about 5 minutes or so. It was one of those special moments that just came up, it brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.

Clear skies

In less than a week here we are withnot a single flake in sight. A bit of perspective that these are the same trees that had 4 inches of snow on the branches and leaves less than a week ago.

Same old song

I drove into the office today partly because I was parked on a street that was scheduled for cleaning today and partly because I got tired of riding on the rail in a two hour commute.

The streets look as if there was a small snowfall. The ride wasn't very bad as there weren't many drivers on the road. Maybe they took off today as well to make it a four day weekend.

The office was typical heavy traffic.

Going along.

Today is the 2nd straight day of 55+ degree weather. The snow is melting at a fast pace but it's still has a way to go. There is a sizable amount of flooding at the office but it's rather clear in the city. I'm surprised. I thought there would be a great deal of flooding.

Parking woes

The city has cancelled street cleaning rulse for the last couple of days due to the snow. They announced on Tuesday that the parking rules would ge back in effect today.

That means that I have to definitely move my car tomorrrow.

What bothers me is that if it wasn't for the good weather we've had the streets would still be a mess.

That together with the fact that all city schools were open on Monday when the city was still clearing after a record breaking 26 inch snowfall makes me wonder about the wisdom of some of the decisions made. Until a few years ago schools would be closed after 8 inches hit the ground. That's an inconvenience to the parents and the teachers. The kids that normally have to walk to school I'm sure are having a heck of a time.

More train

Another ride out by rail and today it's due to get unseasonably warm. On the upside it gets the snow cleared. On the downside it creates a potential flooding problem. It depends on how well the catch basins are cleared.

The streets are a bit messy since the intersections aren't as neat as could be.

The two hour trips are messing me up. I don't get home until 7 or 7:30 at night and I have to get to sleep two hours later. I hope the streets clear up soon.

Rough times

Things are slightly improving with my wife and her mom. Her mother is starting to allow my wife to help more and more.

I think her fear is that my wife will try to take control of her life. I want her to understand that my wife is looking to help her out not control her. I've been speaking to my wife's sister to see if she can intercede with her hother to be more cooperative.

I think part of the reason she's allowing my wife to do more is because I was ready to have my wife fly out to us last night because things were very bad between them the last couple of days.

Slow ride

It's a good thing I chose to take the train in today. Parking was horrendous, the company lot was over-packed. One of our project managers had his car damaged by and employee and now no one admits to it.

I'm in the middle of trying to review as many projects as I can and I'm constantly getting side projects that hinders my progress.

Subway times

The trains were somewhat packed today. It took me the usual two hours to make the trip but the amount of people I have to deal with makes me wish I had a dedicated parking spot at home. I've gotten spoiled by driving.

The city has made a strong push to get the roads clean although not all areas are getting the same attention.

Clear and clean

It took me about 2 1/2 hours of shoveling to get the car this clear.

The day after

I took a personal day today since I know the subways are a madhouse after a heavy snowfall. I'm not going to drive because I will have a difficult time finding a parking spot when I get in at the end of the day.

I'll take the subway and the railroad. It's a two hour commute each way but I have to do it as long as there is so little parking available here.

I shouveled out my car somewhat yesterday and I'll try to finish it today. The snow wasn't as packed so it was smarter to shovel it now before the temperature causes it to turn to ice.

A short walk

I took a walk to the store to pick up the newspaper (no surprise, the truck didn't make it to the 7-11 yet.

I took these shots while I was outside just to show how much snow built up on the trees. I had to stay in the middle of the streets, it was the cleanest area to walk in. The snow on the sidewalks was up to my knees.

Morning update

It is day but visibility is poor. It looks like the sun didn't even come up.

Update

It's really starting to come down. You really can't tell but the graininess you see is the snow coming down.

More snow

Just a couple of hours later and you can see the snow is coming down a little heavier that's why the picture is lighter. You can see the snow is a little heavier on the ground as well. And the plow already passed by.

Aw crap...I didn't change the date time stamp on the camera.

Blizzard in effect

So far the snow isn't coming down very strong but with a blizzard warning in effect it should start to accumulate.

The weather services are anticipating up to a foot of snow with up to 2 feet snow drifts.

Adrenaline rush

On my way home from work this crazy man drove right through a yield and almost hit me. I had to slam on the brakes just to avoid him.

The idiot just kept going, he din't hesitate one bit. It's people like that that give NYers a bad name.

To make matters worse if he would have hit me he would have blamed me for it even though I had the right of way...WHAT THE HELL IS A YIELD FOR ANYWAY??

Slow going

I finally got my third project reviewed. My co-workers have don't fully appreciate the quantity of work I have. My boss has me stop what I'm doing so I can research companies in India. His idea is outsourcing some of our drafting work since it can afford him to have work performed virtually on a 24 hour basis since India is about 13 hours later than we are.

I have problems with that but I don't need anything explained to me. I do what they tell me and keep working.

Price of gas

Queens Boulevard
Rego Park, Queens, NY

I think the price has gone up another 2 cents and my sister says it has been pretty mild in these past two weeks. No reason for an increase.

Frustration ensues

I managed to review only one project yesterday. I'm hoping to accomplish a little more than that today.

My wife sounded a little stressed last night. I hope things get better for her. She's in a delicate place right now.

Mail again

I placed a hold on our mail service. I picked it up from our building Superintendant when I got in from work and there was a large number of mail the majority of which was bills. That just makes me sick.

The amount of money we are putting out on bills is just killing us.

We'll do much better once we sell the co-op. The sale is what is holding us up.

Bad thought at the office

I had a few oh crap moments when I saw some of the work that was not addressed while I was gone. I will try to review as many projects as I can however I normally average about one or two days per project so that means with 30 projects it will take me approximately 30 to 60 business days. That translates to 6 to 12 weeks, meaning it will take me about 2 to 3 months before I look at a project again.

That's a scary thought.

Back to the grindstone

Today is my first day back to work and it seems as if I never left. The amount of work I have to perform has gotten about two or three times the volume than when I left.

I have alot of catch up to do now.

Back home

Our flight landed earlier than scheduled. I was home by 6:00 a.m. which is when the flight was supposed to land.

I gave our cat some food and filled up her water dish which is actually more of a watre fountain. It was this motorized device that cycled the water through a filter and spread it out over a dome which would cycle into a dish which would then continue through the filter process. It was actually pretty cool device. It's good for cats and dogs.

I'll be leaving shortly to get my car which is at my sister's place. That way I was able to avoid long-term parking charges at the airport and I didn't accumulate any tickets.

Preparing to go home

I spent the morning packing getting ready to head back home.

I don't understand it but either I packed horribly on the way there or I forgot some of my clothes because there was way too much space available in my carry on bag.

We are planning on heading up to Park City, it's a ski resort area that was the main location for the Winter Olympics in 2002.

The last night

We were supposed to go out for dinner but things quickly fell apart. The women were quickly fighting amongst themselves.

It broke down to us buying cold cuts and having sandwiches with Key Lime Pie for dessert. It wasn't what we anticipated but at least we all sat together as a family.

I don't know what to say to make things work out with them. Maybe there is nothing I can do. I think they need professional help, some sort of family counseling.

A small time out.

Today we drove to the temporary location for Salt Lake City's Living Aquarium. The temporary location is small but informative. It has several interactive features as well as a petting pool with manta rays and other fish swimming about.

The permanent site currently under construction looks impressive. Because it is a new design it should not have the dated looks that many other museums have. We will have to wait until it's completion to know for sure. But the sketches look promising.

For those of you who plan to visit the Salt Lake City area I urge you to visit the Gateway area. It is a nicely designed shopping center/tourist site areas. You can visit the planetarium and the aquarium in the same location as well as walking across the street and see other events at their arena, the Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz basketball team.

It's a nice design and downtown Salt Lake City reminds me somewhat of the Lower West Village of NYC. Not the street or shopping layout but the ambiance.

Good morning

Today my mother-in-law comes downstairs and tells me that she cancelled her home care services because she still has pain in her side and plans to stay home all day in bed.

I don't see a problem with that plus the fact that she already cancelled the service doesn't really allow for any discussion. I'm not going to berate her for it. She's an adult and she has to accept responsibilities for actions just as we have to do the same in regards to her care.

Mom-in-law needed help today

This morning I drove my mother-in-law to the chiropractor because she is in a great deal of pain. She got her treatment and I drove her back trying to make sure I don't hit too many bumps. She has some exercises to do to keep herself limber.

She said she was well enough to join us for breakfast at Ihop (I can't find a diner around here) she did fine but it was slow going with her.

Later my mother-in-law had another doctor's appointment today. The doctor wanted to meet me. Maybe it's because I asked my wife to get the doctor's diagnosis in writing.

I told my wife the reason I asked was because when her mother finally runs over someone because he said she's okay to drive, he'll know why a complete stranger beat him and sent him to the hospital when he coughs up the letter.

He seemed aware of the stresses that my wife is going through dealing with her mother but he doesn't seem very assertive. Then again my contact with him was a total of 10 minutes.

Birthday dinner

We went out for dinner with my mother-in-law and one of her sisters. We went to a steakhouse for dinner and I gotta say the service was excellent.

My wife and I had the prime rib and it was very good. Afterwards we shared a Creme Brulele (sp?).

My sister-in-law watched our son while we ate and she had a bit of trouble because our son still has diarhhea, but she managed to handle it well.

Checkup

We took our son to his scheduled check-up. He was due for his 18 month innoculations.

The doctor took a look at him and said that his diarrhea isn't anything much to worry about as long as he is taking in liquids. According to the doctor children have viruses about once a month during the winter and since he's only been sick twice in the last four or five months he's doing well above average.

I guess that's a way of looking at it although it pains me to see my son in agony. His bottom and his testicles are getting very red because of the acidity in his poop. I can't believe that I actually used the word poop just now.

For you folks out there who are experiencing the same trouble, here's a little tip we got from the doctor's nurse from the last time our son was sick that worked out very well.

Dab Maalox on the reddened area and use a blow-dryer to dry it off. Mke sure the blow-dryer has a cool setting or it will make things worse for the child. You should see results in a day or two. The reason for this is because the Maalox which is an antacid neutralizes the acidic affects of the diarrhea. While the treatment is uncomfortable at first they relent and accept the treatment as the blow-dryer dries it off. I think the Maalox has a cooling affect as it dries.

Today's my birthday

Today I turn 41. While I normally don't normally care much about how old I get. I am starting to feel it more and more as I chase around after my son.

That coupled with my the pain I'm starting to feel from my bones I'm getting worried that I might not be able to keep up with him.