He is Risen

 Interesting (or Ironic) that my recent injury happened at this time of the year. Had some time on my hands, and did some introspection. Every bit of pain I experienced was nothing compared to what He suffered. And it led me to a much more profound understanding of Christ The Man.

So what else have I been doing thee last few days? Well, I'm itching to get back in the workshop, even if SLW has to be my "Assistant". The desire to get back down there comes from what I had just started, a pair of Speaker Cabinets with all the stuffin's!

A pair of TriTrix MTM/TL speakers from Parts Express. Pix courtesy of Parts Express.

I'd been mulling over getting different speakers for the Shop Stereo since I upgraded to the Pioneer SX-980. Next step is an SX-1080, and then ultimately an SX-1280. The SX-1980 is considered the Holy Grail of the Silver SX Pioneer series, but there's NO WAY I'm paying the ask for one of those.

The first set of speakers I built were the "HitMaker" bookshelf speakers, also from Parts Express.

These were "Okay" speakers, and can get unpleasantly LOUD when driven with just 7~8 Watts. They're also sensitive to being off-axis to you, as the highs from the tweeter, already too "bright", get very harsh if you go more than 12~15* off-axis of the tweeter. Makes them very sensitive to room placement. They're best being at ear level, and no more than a few feet away. Great for listening to some Sinatra while tinkering away on some intricate little mechanism for Q-Section.

And since I want to understand these things called "Loud Speakers", I have to get a better grasp on things like "Crossovers", and "Speaker Drivers". and the merits of different "Enclosure Designs". The first set was just a "Tuned Port" or "Bass Reflex" enclosure, while these new kits are of a "Transmission Line" enclosure design.

The assembly of the knocked down enclosures is very straightforward, and the CNC cut pieces fit snugly.

Should be a nice project.

A Whirlwind of Activity Engulfs Me....

Yesterday morning I had my Urology appointment so we can get to the bottom of this Urinary Retention issue I've been having. We went through all the urology stuff, my history, etc, etc, etc. He wants to leave the catheter in place until my next follow-up in a week, at which point they'll pull the cat, do a Cystoscopy, and then a urinary retention test. Doesn't sound like fun, at all....

  Yesterday afternoon we met with the in-home nursing care "Intake Nurse", who did all the usual nurse things, talked to me for a while for "Cognitive Ability", did a an evaluation on things like balance and Range-of-Motion, and had us sign a couple of documents. The nurse will stop in once a week to check up on me and do nurse things, and report the readings to The Doctors.

This morning we met with the PT/OT coordinator who did PT/OT evaluations, watched me maneuver around the house, and other PT/OT things. Then it was back to the hospital this afternoon to have a CT scan of my "Regions Down There". That went quite well, and the results came in about 90 minutes after the procedure. The verdict? Well there's bunch of terms I had to look up and grasp, but the gist is NO suspicious masses or cysts in the bladder, prostate, kidneys, and associated plumbing. Pancreas and Adrenals were "Negative", along with Lymph nodes and other structures. SLW, who went through this with her first husband (RIP, sir), knew most of the terms, and was whooping up and down saying "No Cancer!". So I guess I might be "clear", but I'll wait until the next appointment when I can discuss this with a Doctor. I have a Virtual Visit with my Primary Care Provider next week, and I'm sure we'll be cracking jokes back and forth while we discuss all the findings so far.

So, in the mean time I'll keep doing the exercises, taking some new meds, and drinking LOTS of extra water and a 50/50 mix of H2O and Gatorade.

Oh......here's the installed hardware:

 

Hope y'all have a good weekend, and a Holy Easter Sunday.

Back Home!

 And I have almost 1000 emails to sort through.....DUH!

No problem getting in and out of SLW's car, and up the driveway into the house. The half-flight of stairs from that level to the main level is also no problem. Even made a cup of coffee unassisted.

 Getting from the lowest (Den/laundry/garage) level to the Main Level (Living, Dining/kitchen/sunroom)is easy, as it's only 5 steps. Going up to the top floor isn't bad, either. I did very well going up and down stairs, once they taught me a few things. And I have a walker up there, specifically for upstairs use.

Have not tried to go down in the basement yet, as SLW would most likely get quite nervous. Probably this weekend. Our Visiting Nurse comes by tomorrow afternoon for a meet-and-greet, and our Visiting PT gal will do the same a day or two later. If/when they clear me for basement access, I'll be quite happy.

I've already gone into the garage for a tool and some hardware, and had no problem. Yes, the Extension Cord of Doom has been removed  and banished. The cord reel goes up this weekend when my son comes by. The screws on my walker were loose, and one was missing, so I just had to fix it!

 Pebbles, as expected, turned into a Screaming Yellow Zonker for about 20 minutes, licking me everywhere she could reach, and wagging her tail so hard the back half her was a blur. It's nice to know you were missed!

Tomorrow morning is my appointment with the urologist, and we'll start looking seriously into the problems I've been on-and-off having for the last several months.

Next week is my appointment with my Primary Care Doctor, which should be fun. She's quite good, and can have a wicked sharp but subtle sense of humor.

Going Home..

 What beautiful words!

SLW will be here in about two hours, I have some paperwork to sign, and then we head home. We only live about a half mile from here, so easy-peasy drive.

I'll post later tonight after I get settled in at home.

Cleared For Release!

 YAY! 

I'm being discharged tomorrow at 1100! 

Have to use a "Foley Catheter" for a while until I see the Urologist on Thursday, and they figure out this retention problem I've been having.

Gave me a bit of a scare, as I was passing some blood, but that seems to have cleared up overnight, and now the color in the bag is normal.

We ALL gave a huge sigh of relief thlis morning.

I think I see an MRI in the near future to give us a better view on things.

Pain management is going well, and I'm taking 4~6 Tramadol per day, depending on how much I hurt. Follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon is the 27th, and I'll have him look at my right knee, too. I think I twisted it when I fell, but the pain from that was so far down in the noise that I didn't notice it until my hip  improved and I was off the heavy duty pain meds.

It's been a trial, but the Psalms and Proverbs helped keep my sanity and gave me comfort. I'm also very thankful for having such good medical care, and the help my wife, family, and friends provided and offered.

So I'm "Number 1 On The Runway", and we're at T-minus 26 hours and counting.

I got out of this pretty light compared to what it could have been, and for that I'm extremely grateful.

Holy Smokes....I Logged In!

 Finally found a password that works. 

First, I'd like to thank everyone for their well wishes and encouragement.

Second, posting with a cellphone SUX! I'll try and comment on your blogs, but I doubt I'll generate any content here.

I'm being discharged to home on the 5th of April,  and do a catch-up post ASAP. The hospital care was excellent, and the PT/OT people here at the rehab facility are very good. I'm about a week ahead of what's "normal" for the operation I had (a couple of plates and a half-dozen screws), and I have a PT regimen to work on at home.

And now it's nap time.

 

Fell in garage and boke hip

 No, it's not an early April Fool's joke. 

I tripped on an extension cord, went down, missed the rubber mats I stand on, and landed on the concrete.

I couldn't get up, so I hit the alarm button on the remote for the truck to get SLW's attention. She came out, and I still couldn't get up.

Called 911, got admitted last night, and had surgery this morning. Should be released tomorrow morning.

Yes, it hurts, but I didn't need a complete hip replacement, just a plate and some screws.

Pretty groggy right now, so I'll post more tomorrow.

Bread - A "Ground Rules" Home Run!

 Iffen Ida pulled it out of the oven about 6~7 minutes sooner, it'd be in the stands!

It almost looks burnt in this shot, but due due some color balance problems, it's not that dark in person. Think "dark, but still golden", and you'd be spot-on.

And yow.....does it taste great!

The last step in learning "High Altitude" baking for this recipe will be to adjust the baking time to 40~45 minutes at 410*F, and not the 45~50 minutes I used. Paper records have been updated. My white bread (can I say that?) should come out equally good.

Bon Appetit!

The Journey Continues.....

 After fighting our way through The Straights of Pioneer, we at last arrived in The Bay of Nakamichi, where they natives are indeed quite friendly and accommodating.

Total service time on the bench for this one was about 15 hours. A lot of time was spent learning the ways of the natives, but the reward was worth it. I also gave this one a complete calibration, head alignments (It has three separate, discrete heads), and verified/adjusted things to meet factory specs. It passed with flying colors, and Buffalo Springfield hasn't sounded this good in years.

This coming week we'll be visiting the nearby Village of TEAC, meeting up with some old friends, and picking up this castaway who needs a good home.

Yep....10.5" reels, ferrite heads, and really good specs. Progress reports will follow, at least until Spring arrives, and Ms. Swan comes out of hibernation......

Feeling much, much better, and today marks Ten Days without a cigarette. Felt so good I'm making rye bread. Results to follow....

Yowzir.......What Hit Me?.....

 Been out-of-the-loop for about five days now with some kind of tummy bug. Knocked me flat out for two days, and then Sweet Little Wife said I looked like this poor guy:

....All Weekend Long....

Yeah, not pleasant, but I'm back to about 90% or so. Worst part was I missed TLG's 6th birthday party. Bummed out over that one. The best part is (yes, Virginia, there is a best part) that I haven't had a cigarette in FIVE DAYS. Not quite jonesing due to some help from one of those "e-Cigarette" things, and my cough is gone, and my sinus passages seem clearer. Fingers crossed I'll keep on going like this until the little things are gone, things like lighting up after a meal.

Got The Yucks

 Flat on my back all day Thursday and Friday. Got up about 2100, had some milk, some bread, and made this post.

Back when able...