Random Comments/Stream of Consciousness Thread

[St. Troy]

You know, I would never drive a Gremlin, but I like the balls it takes to design a car such as that, give it a name such as that, and then certainly to keep/maintain such a beast. More power to you.

[jsmcmullen92]

Random Gremlin update....
after two+ years of engine swaps, brake disc upgrades, tranny and rearend upgrades, and pretty much every other mechanical part replaced or rebuilt....
and after enduring the Payless Automotive owner rudely wrecking the car into their garage wall and causing almost 4000.00 worth of damage....

The 1970 Gremlin finally went into the body restoration shop last week... it is destined to get a $10,000.00 restore. Every rust spot taken out and replaced with new metal, doors realigned, every ding removed, all the damage done by Payless Automotive repaired, all the seams shaved, everything painted with a premium paint job inside and out.

It's going to take a couple of months, but after that, it'll be ready for the upholster (all 2-toned leather) and then the 12,000 watt sound system.

Yeah... I know... it's a Gremlin... but it's going to be one mighty fine ugly car. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Pics or it didn't happen

[CRinVA]

Haven't been here much of late, and when here just lurking! In 2015 I lost my job (29.5 yrs with same company). A year later I found my dream job (with a sweeet 20 minute commute - previous job was 90 minute commute each way). Well it was a dream as now it too is gone. Another contract restructure an my position as project manager no longer needed. As I am not really ready to retire, though old enough, I decided to part with some of my SK collection for much needed cash. I have been working with Betts and he has sold approximately 20 mostly S/Ls for me. David has been terrific to work with. He is a class act in of itself. I still have a few books listed on his site. They are listed under BI. I am hoping that they all sell as the money is needed.

I hated to part with these books but it was the right decision. I have kept all my First Editions, some of which are signed, as well as a couple select Books and all the Dark Tower books. I guess my Gunslinger First Edition signed is now my most expensive book!

So as I am out of a job and looking, things go from bad to worse! As you get older medical problems seem to pop up. Of late I have been seeing a Pulmonary Specialist to determine why my oxygen level in the blood is too low of a percentage. Standard Echocardiogram, Chest X-Rays, CT Scan, Sleep Study (resulting in severe apnea), and then the biggie. An Echocardiogram with Bubbles Test.

I drove myself to the hospital Cardiovascular Center for this test. its an Echo then they inject agitated saline solution (the bubbles) to see the blood flow path through the heart. There was a tech and a nurse in the room. The tech said "its positive" (but I don't know if that is good or bad) and about that time I start feeling "weird" and all of a sudden my left arm from the shoulder down goes completely numb. I cannot move it at all - cannot even twitch a finger. It was like my arm wasn't even there! I also started to feel sort of confused, when I hear CODE STROKE from the nurse, followed by a flurry of activity and CODE STROKE over a loudspeaker (later heard it was heard through the hospital, as in Oh you're the Code Stroke patient). Next thing I know I am being poked and prodded, a glucose test taken, a nurse asking me who I was where I was, etc. and then I am being zoomed away for an emergency CT Scan and Neurological Consult.

The consult was done via video at which time the Neurologist determined I was not having a full blown stroke but a TIA, or Transient Ischemic Attack. Also known as a mini-stroke. Fortunately the body self heals after a TIA unlike a real stroke which causes some sort of brain damage.

Now to determine Why! Along the way my blood sugar spiked but I am not Diabetic. After the CT Scan I was passed off to the ER Doctors who took more blood asked more neurological type questions, did an EKG and chest X-Ray and decided to admit me for observation. By this time my arm was still numb but some movement coming back slowly. Later that evening I was sent for an MRI, in a really small MRI tube but got though it with the help of a drug called Atavan which reduces anxiety (claustrophobia, etc.) This particular MRI tube was so small that my shoulders were firmly pressed against the sides.

After an overnight in the Hospital I finally get to talk to a couple of Drs. and get some results. As to the MRI, it shows no permanent damage to brain, but does show that I probably had more than one TIA in the past. Yikes! I do remember a few times when this now makes sense. And the big news was the Cardiologist who read the bubble tests. He said its amazing that I am 63 years old and did not know that I had a hole in my heart most likely from birth. This hole explains my low blood oxygen level as the oxygenated blood is mixing with the in-oxygenated blood lowering the percentage.

So now to determine what type hole it is, there are basically two primary types of holes in the Septum, which is the layer that separates the left and right parts of the heart. And further if its the ASD type (most likely) which subtype is it, where is it exactly and how big is it. Those answers will determine treatment as the hole needs to be closed. According to statistics 50+% of TIA victims have a real stroke sometime later. To determine the exact location etc. they have to do a Trans Esophageal Echocardiogram, or TEE. This, unfortunately, is a tube down your throat while awake to get better pictures. They will again give me the Atavan to calm me down, relax me, spray throat with topical anesthesia and then I have to gag the tube down!

Depending on size, type and location the treatment options are nothing (unlikely), to implanting a stint through artery in the groin, to open heart surgery. It will be a couple of weeks before I know what the options are. In the meantime I feel fine.

It's all like I was living an old TV Hospital show with a flurry of Drs. yelling Stat, get the paddles he's coding, we have to intubate, I said STAT, nope he has a DNR. :-)!

THANK GOD FOR GOOD INSURANCE AND ATAVAN!!!!!

[Br!an]

Damn! My thoughts are with you.

[Brian861]

Ouch! Just the thought of that probe down the throat is enough to give me shivers! Best of luck to you and hopefully after all this probing and prodding, you'll be A-Ok.

[jhanic]

My prayers are with you. Recover soon.

John

[webstar1000]

Shit... get better! Thoughts are with ya


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[zelig]

Sorry to hear it. Get better soon.

[Merlin1958]

Hang in there, Bob!!!! I'm sure all will work itself out. At least you have the fun to watch, Yanks for now!!!!

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

Feel better, man!

[George at C-Springs]

As they say Bob, it could have been worse! If you're going to have something like that happen, no better place to be than in a hospital ... be thankful it wasn't while you were driving or home alone with no help. And hey, as a bonus they found a long-standing heart issue that they're going to be able to fix; sounds like you had quite the bit of luck! (yeah, okay, glass half full)

I just finished chaperoning my son's end-of-year summer camp up in the mountains, three days with about 100 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Pretty good time, I do it every year, tiring (exhausting) but fun. As part of it I usually teach a photography class; this year I taught three! The kids have elective events, my class is one of them, and I usually get a dozen participants. Since it's only 1-2 hours long, what I focus on (heh-heh) is getting them to understand that the most important part of photography isn't the camera or the lighting, it's the person behind the lens. Anyone can shoot a picture, but not everyone can shoot a photo that makes people go "Wow!". I try to get them to look at whatever it is they want to shoot in a different way from everyone else. Anyway, it's a lot of fun and some of these kids get really creative and do some great work.

The shot below was from my first group, 10 girls and my son. They got to choose the idea for the shoot, then three of them had to execute their vision of that idea; I wanted them to see how three people can see the same thing completely differently, and just how difficult it can be for a photographer to turn an idea into reality. The idea they came up with was that they were all fighting over him or angry with him, and we setup their shoot on a small footbridge. They did their thing, and their results came out okay if not a bit predictable (and completely expected, that's part of the learning). When I asked them, do any of your final photos make you go "Wow!"? The answer was no. I said, "Okay, my turn" and then posed them in a zombie attack, shot it from above, and did this grainy black-and-white thing. Took about two minutes to get it right ... they loved it! It really opened their eyes to how I interpreted their idea completely differently than they did, which was the whole point of the exercise. Can't wait to do it again next year!

My wife hates the photo, says it's to "Stephen Kingy" and she doesn't like seeing her son like that. I like it, got just the right look on his face, some of the fingers look really dirty, and his lousy fang-teeth really add to it. Mission accomplished :-)

[herbertwest]

Hang on!

[Brian861]

Really cool!

[Ari_Racing]

All the best wishes and luck to you, Bob! Hang in there!

[zelig]

Go ahead punk, make my day...

Spoiler:

[zelig]

And the hits just keep on coming...

Maybe it's just my accent, but I think Siri doan like me none... I had a good laugh with this one...

Spoiler:

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

And the hits just keep on coming...

Maybe it's just my accent, but I think Siri doan like me none... I had a good laugh with this one...

Spoiler:

Hahahahahaha thats gold!


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[zelig]

Play Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon. I guess I can see how that might be received as it was. I was driving and almost spat out my hot chocolate when I read that.

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

Play Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon. I guess I can see how that might be received as it was. I was driving and almost spat out my hot chocolate when I read that.

"Born in the bible call salmon". Still laughing, dude. Next song i write, will be called that


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[Brian861]

And the hits just keep on coming...

Maybe it's just my accent, but I think Siri doan like me none... I had a good laugh with this one...

Spoiler:

Where are you from originally, Paul? I noticed the accent when I watched a few of your videos.

[Brian861]

Go ahead punk, make my day...

Spoiler:

Wow! That's got to be at least 3,000 calories per donut!

[zelig]

Where are you from originally, Paul? I noticed the accent when I watched a few of your videos.

The deep, dark jungles of Africa.

Spoiler:

South Africa to be exact.

[Brian861]

Where are you from originally, Paul? I noticed the accent when I watched a few of your videos.

The deep, dark jungles of Africa.

Spoiler:

South Africa to be exact.

Ah, LOL

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

As of today, I am down 175 lbs from my heaviest, Feels pretty good

[herbertwest]

WOW, that's impressive ! Well done, and keep going as you didn't seem to mention that you are done yet !