Had my first root canal on Thursday. There was no pain associated with the procedure and I was wondering where the reputation comes from. I've since been told that there isn't necessarily pain with the procedure but that people are often motivated to go to the dentist by severe pain and the relief is root canal. Fortunately that was not my case.
Thursday afternoon I began to feel residual pain from the procedure and popped a Naprosin. That and some light drinking in the evening seemed to banish the pain.
Pfizer sponsored an after work team building party at Slate in the Flat Iron district to stem the rash of consultant resignations . It was fun but I doubt it will have the desired effect.
Went to Harbor View to visit my mom on Saturday. She didn't remember that it was my birthday and when K said that it was she didn't wish me happy birthday. This was not a good day for her mentally. She told me that she had taken trips that day and the day before. The Friday trip was to Fairmount. I did get a call later Saturday with birthday greetings.
Spent a good part of the day moving out the entertainment system in the living room and prepping the wall to be painted. We’ll be putting up wall shelves in an effort to open up space.
K and C created a great dinner - leg of lamb with an angel food cake chaser.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Laptop
I’ve suffered angst for years because much of my computing is done on the weekend but my weekends are spent far from my beloved iMac G5. All the pictures and all that music gets left back at the ranch. A windows laptop has been my traveling companion because there are Wintel programs that I would be lost without.
Had my eye on a MacBook Pro but when I got serious it was obvious that the Core 2 Duo version was just around the corner. WELL, today Apple released the MacBook Pro with the new chip and I couldn’t get my order in fast enough. The only downside is that estimated delivery is 11/15. But the weekend is coming when I’ll be able to run OS X and, when push comes to shove the same machine will boot XP.
Yesterday Kumar K gave his resignation and today Pfizer showed him the door. Before his exit some of us took him to a nice going away lunch at Buchara’s on 57th St. I wish him luck.
Had my eye on a MacBook Pro but when I got serious it was obvious that the Core 2 Duo version was just around the corner. WELL, today Apple released the MacBook Pro with the new chip and I couldn’t get my order in fast enough. The only downside is that estimated delivery is 11/15. But the weekend is coming when I’ll be able to run OS X and, when push comes to shove the same machine will boot XP.
Yesterday Kumar K gave his resignation and today Pfizer showed him the door. Before his exit some of us took him to a nice going away lunch at Buchara’s on 57th St. I wish him luck.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Dinner at Nadeem’s
Many of the newly built stores in Millville opened this weekend. The town now has a Target, Circuit City, and Famous Footwear and is quickly becoming the shopping Mecca of South Jersey. I figure this is good from a convenience perspective and it might even have a positive effect on property values but I waited at least 3 cycles for the traffic light at Sharp and High. No fun on the motorcycle.
Saturday was gorgeous but windy. On the highway I resorted to ducking down behind the windshield to reduce drag. Being blown around on a Honda 750 is a thrill.
We met Eva The Canvas Lady at Spring Garden so she could line up the snaps on the canvas top she made for us a couple months ago. She agreed to sew velcro ears on some of the pieces to cover holes where the rain was coming in. She’ll also make a new bimini top for the deck forward of the radar arch and create velcro flaps that cover the zippers.
We had lunch at the newly opened Longhorn steak place just to check it out. It was good but we weren’t the only curious diners. The place was packed and service was slow.
I went to Nadeem’s for a cook out on Sunday. We sat and talked in the garage. He was concerned about the rain forecast so moved the festivities from the back yard. One of the neighbors came over and Victor M showed later in the evening. Roula brought the kids home in the early evening and Chrissy went inside but Eddie stayed outside with the guys.
My assignment was to look after Eddie while his dad set up the hubble bubble. We chased each other around the car and checked out the yard. There was much running and giggling. I think we both enjoyed the change of pace.
Good friends, good food.
Saturday was gorgeous but windy. On the highway I resorted to ducking down behind the windshield to reduce drag. Being blown around on a Honda 750 is a thrill.
We met Eva The Canvas Lady at Spring Garden so she could line up the snaps on the canvas top she made for us a couple months ago. She agreed to sew velcro ears on some of the pieces to cover holes where the rain was coming in. She’ll also make a new bimini top for the deck forward of the radar arch and create velcro flaps that cover the zippers.
We had lunch at the newly opened Longhorn steak place just to check it out. It was good but we weren’t the only curious diners. The place was packed and service was slow.
I went to Nadeem’s for a cook out on Sunday. We sat and talked in the garage. He was concerned about the rain forecast so moved the festivities from the back yard. One of the neighbors came over and Victor M showed later in the evening. Roula brought the kids home in the early evening and Chrissy went inside but Eddie stayed outside with the guys.
My assignment was to look after Eddie while his dad set up the hubble bubble. We chased each other around the car and checked out the yard. There was much running and giggling. I think we both enjoyed the change of pace.
Good friends, good food.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Meeting an Old Friend?
Spoke to AR Engineering about radar and he recommended the 4.5' array. He said that discrimination was better with a larger array meaning that 2 objects close together would look like one using the smaller array but that they would be distinguishable as separate with the larger one. I told him that the literature called for a heading sensor to be installed and he was surprised but once I indicated that I was going to buy the sensor he offered the 4.5' array for the price of the 3.5'. That closed the deal and he estimates that Spring Garden will have the hardware within the week.
I met Vlad V, a Pfizer employee and one of the central characters in CCP, in the lobby. He said he had been laid off in August but recently found a new position back at Pfizer in CIG. I look forward to working together on ABR.
He was curious to know if I was still working with Thirst and when I told him no he made an oblique comment about Gary, the head of Sales, having sealed their fate. I'd like to find out one day where the bad blood came from.
I met Vlad V, a Pfizer employee and one of the central characters in CCP, in the lobby. He said he had been laid off in August but recently found a new position back at Pfizer in CIG. I look forward to working together on ABR.
He was curious to know if I was still working with Thirst and when I told him no he made an oblique comment about Gary, the head of Sales, having sealed their fate. I'd like to find out one day where the bad blood came from.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Annapolis
At lunch on Friday one of the guys from Defined Logic said that he had been told not to develop project plans with tasks that extend beyond December. This due to Pfizer’s plan to consolidate app dev work with Infosys. Wonder how this will affect Dendrite.
Went to The 35th Annual Powerboat Show in Annapolis on Saturday. It took about 2.5 hours to get there from Millville and it was a beautiful day. On the way down we stopped at Grasonville/Kent Narrows to make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express for that night. $250 for one night. Supply and demand!
My bigger purpose for going was to find discounted pricing on Nobeltec Radar but after talking to several of the vendors it was clear that there was better pricing on the web. It was helpful though to lay out my requirements and get recommendations from these guys. The consistent recommendation was for a 4KW unit with a 3.5 foot open array.
I am also interested in FreedomLift which is a hydraulic lift that would allow the Seadoo to be docked and transported on the stern of the boat BUT at $18,000 this is quite a stretch.
K is very interested in getting a hard top for The Voracious Curiosity to staunch the dripping water on the upper deck especially while navigating in the rain or high seas. We were quoted approximately $7,000 for purchase/install. After talking about this at length we decided to talk to Eva about creating canvas flaps to cover zippers and the holes created where the sections join.
We went to Cantler’s for the traditional post show dinner. Kevie had “six large” while C and I stuck with the crab cakes. The food is great and we got celebrity seating: Senator McCain was leaving the table as we sat down. As we were cracking crabs I told Christopher that they walk from side to side instead of forward. I know this was quickly filed under Dad: Useless Information but it got reinforced when we went down to the dock and chased live crabs around the holding tank.
After dinner it was great to drive only 15 minutes back to the Holiday Inn rather than all the way home. The hotel is in a beautiful setting on the marsh. In the back there’s a Lagoon with geese and swans.
Sunday morning we walked around Mears Point and then left. On the way out we hit the Outlet Mall in Queenstown. K bought a top and I got a couple of shirts and a jacket.
When we got to New Castle we stopped for lunch and Christopher scored a Halloween costume at the store next door. This year it’s a rubber mask and a long black robe. Very scary!
On the way home we stopped at Scarecrow Hollow in Quinton and did the corn maze. We got all ten clues in only 2 hours. I think it’s because we’ve got a winning strategy. When one comes to a fork in the path send out a scout to look down the trail you don’t intend to take.
Went to The 35th Annual Powerboat Show in Annapolis on Saturday. It took about 2.5 hours to get there from Millville and it was a beautiful day. On the way down we stopped at Grasonville/Kent Narrows to make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express for that night. $250 for one night. Supply and demand!
My bigger purpose for going was to find discounted pricing on Nobeltec Radar but after talking to several of the vendors it was clear that there was better pricing on the web. It was helpful though to lay out my requirements and get recommendations from these guys. The consistent recommendation was for a 4KW unit with a 3.5 foot open array.
I am also interested in FreedomLift which is a hydraulic lift that would allow the Seadoo to be docked and transported on the stern of the boat BUT at $18,000 this is quite a stretch.
K is very interested in getting a hard top for The Voracious Curiosity to staunch the dripping water on the upper deck especially while navigating in the rain or high seas. We were quoted approximately $7,000 for purchase/install. After talking about this at length we decided to talk to Eva about creating canvas flaps to cover zippers and the holes created where the sections join.
We went to Cantler’s for the traditional post show dinner. Kevie had “six large” while C and I stuck with the crab cakes. The food is great and we got celebrity seating: Senator McCain was leaving the table as we sat down. As we were cracking crabs I told Christopher that they walk from side to side instead of forward. I know this was quickly filed under Dad: Useless Information but it got reinforced when we went down to the dock and chased live crabs around the holding tank.
After dinner it was great to drive only 15 minutes back to the Holiday Inn rather than all the way home. The hotel is in a beautiful setting on the marsh. In the back there’s a Lagoon with geese and swans.
Sunday morning we walked around Mears Point and then left. On the way out we hit the Outlet Mall in Queenstown. K bought a top and I got a couple of shirts and a jacket.
When we got to New Castle we stopped for lunch and Christopher scored a Halloween costume at the store next door. This year it’s a rubber mask and a long black robe. Very scary!
On the way home we stopped at Scarecrow Hollow in Quinton and did the corn maze. We got all ten clues in only 2 hours. I think it’s because we’ve got a winning strategy. When one comes to a fork in the path send out a scout to look down the trail you don’t intend to take.
Monday, October 9, 2006
My Visit with Frank
I met Frank at The Epiphany House on Saturday 10/7/06 where he’s been staying for some 3.5 years. I believe I was invited to Baltimore so that I could tell Jon that his dad was thriving encouraging him to visit.
He is very thin and his hair, including mustache and beard, is long. He has a hobbling walk which he says was due to a recent “ back event.” He stood for much of the time we were together with his right arm cocked and the other at his side. Both hands were clenched in fists. This posture is an affectation I remember from earlier years but it is more pronounced now.
He was dressed in shorts and a golf shirt on a 50 degree day.
First he showed me his room which is a 7x20 space with a kitchenette, bed, dresser, two chairs, and a table. He has an adjoining bathroom. It was dank and carpet was stained but the room was clean. There is a radio on the dresser which, I think, is on and tuned to talk radio all the time.
All of the walls and the table are covered with hand written index cards. Some have to do with a teaching method Frank has come up with which he is very excited about. Those cards contain a word and the phonetic spelling of the word i.e. sign = sine. Other cards contain reminders about how to live a healthy life which include proscriptions of umbrellas, mittens, and shampoo. He told me that the very worst thing was medication of any sort.
For the first hour I was there Frank occasionally slurred words. It got better the longer we talked so I think it happens when he’s excited. Our conversation was punctuated by him jumping out of the chair and rummaging through his dresser to show me memorabilia.
He told me that two years ago he had been in his room and suddenly there was blood everywhere. He used the panic button to call for the EMTs and lost consciousness as they were putting him on the gurney. The problem turned out to be a bleeding ulcer and he tells me that during his hospitalization he was transfused with 18 units of blood!
He blames the ulcer on taking Aleve for his back pain, I wonder if the condition could have been exacerbated by bulimia. He told me that he’s served 2 “gourmet meals” a day and that he purges after each.
There are glimmers of the man I knew but he is humorless. I would expect some introspection from someone who lost a family, a job, and ended up in jail but none is evident. There is unspoken sadness but if there is any understanding of what he’s done to land in this predicament it’s deeply buried. Frank’s attitude is that he’s the same old guy but everyone around him has abandoned him. After all, he tells me, he is the greatest homo sapien ever created by God
He is very thin and his hair, including mustache and beard, is long. He has a hobbling walk which he says was due to a recent “ back event.” He stood for much of the time we were together with his right arm cocked and the other at his side. Both hands were clenched in fists. This posture is an affectation I remember from earlier years but it is more pronounced now.
He was dressed in shorts and a golf shirt on a 50 degree day.
First he showed me his room which is a 7x20 space with a kitchenette, bed, dresser, two chairs, and a table. He has an adjoining bathroom. It was dank and carpet was stained but the room was clean. There is a radio on the dresser which, I think, is on and tuned to talk radio all the time.
All of the walls and the table are covered with hand written index cards. Some have to do with a teaching method Frank has come up with which he is very excited about. Those cards contain a word and the phonetic spelling of the word i.e. sign = sine. Other cards contain reminders about how to live a healthy life which include proscriptions of umbrellas, mittens, and shampoo. He told me that the very worst thing was medication of any sort.
For the first hour I was there Frank occasionally slurred words. It got better the longer we talked so I think it happens when he’s excited. Our conversation was punctuated by him jumping out of the chair and rummaging through his dresser to show me memorabilia.
He told me that two years ago he had been in his room and suddenly there was blood everywhere. He used the panic button to call for the EMTs and lost consciousness as they were putting him on the gurney. The problem turned out to be a bleeding ulcer and he tells me that during his hospitalization he was transfused with 18 units of blood!
He blames the ulcer on taking Aleve for his back pain, I wonder if the condition could have been exacerbated by bulimia. He told me that he’s served 2 “gourmet meals” a day and that he purges after each.
There are glimmers of the man I knew but he is humorless. I would expect some introspection from someone who lost a family, a job, and ended up in jail but none is evident. There is unspoken sadness but if there is any understanding of what he’s done to land in this predicament it’s deeply buried. Frank’s attitude is that he’s the same old guy but everyone around him has abandoned him. After all, he tells me, he is the greatest homo sapien ever created by God
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