Admiral Yamamoto infamously said "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a man with a rifle behind every blade of grass."
And so it should be, a nation of riflemen....
And it's turning out easier than I thought it would. It starts with using my 30" deep watering spike to get the hole started.
Takes about 15 minutes to melt its way down, and you have a nice, 30" deep hole, slightly larger than the ground rod.
Then I set the rod in the hole.....
Slide the ground rod driver tool over the end of the rod....
And drive the rod into the soil until there's 10" or so above ground.
This is one I did yesterday.
Easy-Peasy to drive the rods in.
The next step will be to install the surge suppressor mounting plate and suppressor. This one is just mocked up finger-tight. The bronze clamp on the rod will be for a #4 solid copper wire that bonds this ground rod to the other two rods I'll be putting in at this location.
I still have to mount the 20 Meter vertical on the post, and install the coax from the antenna to the suppressor, and then the suppressor to the RF entrance panel.
More to come as soon as the weather cooperates a bit better!
WHEW! Can't say "What A Battle" because in the end it was a simple thing. I reflashed the UEFI BIOS to the current version, and Windows installed normally. I almost always read the release notes on something like this to see what changed over the previous version. The new version had both TPM and Secure Boot enabled as defaults whereas the previous version required you to go in and enable them. The third thing was to "Add Support for ALC888s", and the fourth item was something I don't recall ever seeing before, saying "Add OEM String". Hmmmm....wonder if the Windows install program was looking for that, didn't find it, and rolled over and croaked. All it ended with was a "Does not meet minimum standards" message. Nice error message, Micro$oft! Might be nice if you told us why it didn't pass.
Anywhoo...it's up and running and blazing fast.
BUT.....I Do Not Like Micro$oft Windows 11.
No sir, don't like it at all.
Oh, sure, it's fast, easy to use, looks good, and does tons of things for you.
What provokes me is the behind-the-scenes intrusiveness of it.
It REQUIRES an Internet connection to activate and use. So did XP, Vista, and 7, but this time M$ makes it abundantly clear, and the install would not continue until I plugged an Ethernet cable from the router into the PC. Not even an option to "Ask Me Later".
It REQUIRES a Micro$oft account, to which it automagically connects to when the machine is powered up.
SLW wasn't sure if she had an M$ account, but M$ found one for her based on her email address, so we reset the password on it, and POOF! All her "In The Cloud" documents popped up as shortcuts to the web on her desktop.
It even "found" things she knew she'd deleted, which is kind of spooky.
But she's quite happy with it, as it rips her CDs to a thumb drive in the blink of an eye, and I was able to recover all her photos, music, and documents from The PC That Micro$oft Killed. Yes, murder most foul by an attempted "upgrade" from Windows 10 to Windows 11. I think I can recover/reinstall the system BIOS and get the motherboard to work again, in which case her old PC, originally built for my son as a gaming/multimedia PC, will wind up as the Workshop Computer. Actually I wouldn't mind having a little Shuttle like I just built for her, but I'd rather not spend the bucks building another one.
Work continues on Ms Swan. Since I had to pull the aftermarket air intake tube running across the top of the engine and replace it with the OEM air intake ducting, this is an excellent time to install the new spark plug wires, and replace some of the vacuum hoses that aren't quite right. Then I have to go to the courthouse, pay the registration, pay the late registration fees, and probably pay extra for a temporary permit to drive it to the smog check place.
Amazing to see it come to life. One of the very few things I miss about living in SoCal was being allowed to crawl all over the ship, and see all the cool Behind The Scenes things.
And man, am I out of date on the tech! My last build and Windows installation was during the Windows 7 days. SLW needs her PC to run some current business software, and that means Windows 11, complete with a lot of hardware and software things I had to learn. Like the UEFI BIOS, TPM stuff, and Secure Boot. Windows 11 requires all these things to install and run. Since her new little Shuttle "XPC Cube" is new hardware, and meets the listed hardware requirements for Win11, I figured another ho-hum Windows installation.
WRONG.....
The specs for this little Hot Rod are far in excess of what Micro$oft considers the minimum.
CPU requires a 64-bit processor with at least two cores @ 1GHz.
I have eight cores @ 3.5GHz. This processor is certified as compatible with Windows 11 by both Micro$oft and Shuttle.
Memory is 4GB minimum.
I have 64GB.
Storage (drive space) is 64GB minimum
I have 1TB.
And this PC has the required UEFI BIOS, and supports all the required firmware/security items.
And STILL the Windows installer stops with an error message about the PC not meeting minimum requirements.
Shuttle has even certified it for Windows 11, noting that certain things have to be changed from the defaults in the BIOS. The newest version of the BIOS has these changes, so I'm considering flashing it to that version.
And it looks like I'll have to find some Shuttle User Forums and see how other people figured this out and manged to get Windows to stop choking during the installation.
Also been working on Ms. Swan. Since I had to revert it back to OEM configuration to pass the visual exam on the required every-five-years smog test for "Collector Car" plates. This means pulling the Big, Shiny aftermarket Air Intake Tube:
And put the boring-plastic-and-rubber OEM ducting back on, which I can't find any pix of. Oh, well...it's restrictive, ugly, and has five sections of rubber couplings, plastic parts, and an air-chamber "Resonator" that reduces the inlet noise at wide open throttle.
Looks like a bunch of rain coming in, so I have to scoot off to the dump and empty a full bed of yard trash that's been in the truck for a several days now.
Hope you all have a great weekend, and Blessed Sunday.
On a fairly small scale. Since TLG made an unexpected (by me) visit for an overnighter, I was stuck on what to do when it was my turn to goof off with him.
So I got out the two little R/C trucks, charged the batteries, and off we went!
We had a ball running them up, down, and around the cul-de-sac here, and up into the front yard. These little "1/12th Scale" 4WD trucks are pretty quick, and can handle some impressive stunts, but they bog down in tall grass, and just spin all 4 tires. I had planned driving in the ground rods for the antennas today, but that got put on hold, and tomorrow is TNLG's 2nd birthday, so we'll be busy then, too.
Just a spectacular day today. Sunny, blue skies, mid 70's, and light breezes. Just delightful.
Had my post-op appointment with "my" Urologist this morning. He was very buoyant about the Pathology/Cytology reports on the samples he sent them.
NO evidence of any type of malignancy; ALL the results were "Benign" or "Negative".
SLW breathed an audible sigh of relief. Or it might have been a sigh of resignation knowing she has to put up with me for the foreseeable future. So the Nurse removed the catheter, and sent me home with instructions to return late in the afternoon.
Wasn't able to void, and I had 500mL they drained via the catheter that went back in. Joy.
The Doctor was very hopeful that I would NOT need another procedure/surgery today, and it'll be interesting to see what he has to say at the next visit.
And my last Orthopedic visit is next week, where I expect to be pronounced Fit For Duty, Pending Other Medical Conditions....
I'll really be glad when this is in the rear view mirror, and I can close out the "Medical Blog" section! Y'all have a good weekend, Blessed Sunday, and keep your head on a swivel.
Baseball size hail in Denver, and a confirmed tornado in the Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree area, about 12 miles South of Denver.
We're getting a light drizzle, and I don't expect much more, but who knows.
Tomorrow is my post-op appointment for The Procedure I had performed on Monday. All the lab results have come back as "Benign" or "Negative", so that's good news. I just might be coming down the back straight on this issue, which would be really good news.
The initial observations by the Urologist (a real cool young guy) were pretty much nada, and he said he didn't see anything to be concerned about at this time. We still have to wait for the Pathology and Cytology reports on the biopsies and washings he took, but when I heard SLW give a sigh of relief, I was relieved. I was also still pretty wonky from the anesthesia, so the exact wording he used got scrambled, but for all intents, it was a cautious "No Issues Found" procedure. Still have a Folye in mw, which I expected, and next Monday is a trip to the Urology Clinic for a "Voiding Test" (they pump a bunch saline into the bladder. If you can't void, the Foley goes back in) and hopefully the Foley stays out.
So, I'm on a Light Duty restriction for the next 10 days or so. No heavy lifting, no strenuous exertion, and the usual. Came home with another group of meds to take, all specific to this condition and procedure. One of the meds turns your urine "Neon, Nickelodeon, Day-Glo ORANGE", and I'm waiting for that take effect.
The National Weather Service has issued Flood Warnings for the Cache La Poudre River through Greeley, to where it meets the South Platte River, and all the way out to where the South Platte crosses the state line, and goes into Nebraska. The South Platte joins the North Platte in North Platte, Nebraska, and continues along as the Platte River through Nebraska, and joins the Missouri River South of Omaha, and then on to meet the Mighty Mississippi in St. Louis. The Cache La Poudre and the South Platte, along with the Arkansas River, form the entire Drainage Basin for all of Eastern Colorado. Snow melt (we're above normal on the leeward side snow pack), and Spring rains (Whoo boy!) from huge areas of land all collect and drain from here using these rivers, propelled by gravity, and continue on down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Quite a big area to drain. With the saturated, and nearly so, soil in this area, it ain't gonna soak in. I think I mentioned something last week about the "empty" drainage ditches and canals SLW noticed when we first moved here. Well...they're pretty full about now, maybe a foot or two from the top of their banks. Miles downstream of us it going to be much worse. The alert mentioned various places downstream along the course of the South Platte, and in all the places mentioned, they were a few feet short of the official "Flood Stage", but the river was expected to go above that in the next few days.
Per the NWS, this event is in the upper 10% of the maximum of what's been observed before, so it looks like there's a Big One Comin' downstream of us.
We had a massive cloudburst here for about 20 minutes earlier today. The indicated rain rate was 1.6"/hr, and it was the "Blowing Sideways" type rain. Really torrential, and probably about as hard as I've seen it rain since we moved here. And at 2120 LT it's raining again. So far today, at 2330, we're about 1/2", and I think it'll keep drizzling till midnight or so. Yesterday was spectacular, sunny with BLUE skies, white puffy clouds, and temps in the high 70's. Just gorgeous. Green things went insane with the sunshine following the rain, and I could almost "Hear The Grass Grow".
Today, between deluges:
This stuff, which I really like.:
Has DOUBLED in size this year so far. It just about doubled last year, but not quite. I gave them a shot of fertilizer in the Spring the last two tears using my Ross Root Feeder. and YOWZER did they take off. I've been doing the same with the cluster of lillys (lillies?) in picture #2 above, and they've TRIPLED over the last three years. Amazing what some fertilizer can do. The soil here is "Colorado Red Dirt", and while rich in minerals, is lacking in organic matter. Since the CSU Dairy Farm used to be located here, you'd expect the soil to a bit....uh...."richer" in organic material, but perhaps that got scooped off and trucked away for sale when this area was graded for residential use.
Had grandson #2, TNLG (The NEW Little Guy for those who don't know), over last night for his first Sleep Over at Grandma's, and all went swimmingly well. He went down around 2100, and slept until 0300, at which time he made a Request For Bottle, and then settled right back to sleep. He'll be two in a couple of weeks, and it's amazing to watch another little boy go from infant to toddler. And GAWD Is He FAST! At least I'm getting some good mobility enhancing exercise via the stair-climbing he's taken a shine to. Every time we went up or down the stairs I counted them out loud. Soon, he was trying to repeat me! I figured it might be a way to introduce him to sequential numbers, and sequential operations, at the same time. I firmly believe in teaching kids multiple-things-at-once if you can find some way to strongly tie them together. I feel it gives them concrete examples of things that are "connected" in some (obscure) way, and that the ability to make that type of "connection" between seemingly disparate "stuff", is an important skill to learn. When you learn it, you tend to see "deeper" into common, everyday things. The latest reorganization of the "Audio Rack" has some strategically placed items of 1960's~1980's Radio Technology prominently displayed, and easily reachable, by toddler through Middle School.
He had a ball turning the knobs and watching the pointers and scales move!
So between the dozen flights of stairs (yes, I counted...) we went up and down on today, and the change of weather, my hip and knee are squawking tonight.
Things continue along at a nice pace, and my recovery is going quite well. I'm 90% pain-free, and if it wasn't for this &&^*%$!! catheter and collection device, I'd say I'm back to 95% of pre-incident fitness. Well, at least for certain levels of "fitness". SLW is giving me a pass on some things, and she's quite surprised when I do them. So I'm back to doing what she'd called "Invisible Things" when I was in sick bay. Had my preop visit with the Urologist yesterday for next week's procedure, and he answered all my questions, and we discussed the what and how of various things. Had the cat swapped out again, and I'm amazed (and thankful for!) the care they use when inserting the new one. I barely feel it when this group does it, versus dreading it when the people in the rehab facility did it. Oh, well.....
As for the Musical part of the interlude, I was going to post the Alan Parsons Project song "Time", but with all what's going on these days, I decided this was more appropriate.....
Finished with the new cables, and got the gear back in the rack.
The new Reel-to-Reel on the right is going to need an overhaul, which I expected when I bought it. I
knew it was going to need new belts and a relube, but it has some
mechanical issues relating to the tape transport. Looks like the "Reel
Table" heights are wrong, and the tape scrapes on the reel flanges. NOT
good! But I think it was a fair deal, as it's pretty nice cosmetically,
the heads show no wear, and I got it for half the
price he was asking. It was a typical eBay transaction, where the
seller wanted "Grade A" money for a "Grade C" item. It had languished on
eBay for about a year, always in my watch list. After watching it
for-evah, he made me a "20% Off" deal. He answered a few questions, and I
countered with a "50% Off" price, and he took it. I have all the parts, but this guy is "Number 4 on the runway", as I have one item getting finished (it's already sold), the just acquired SX-1080 to go through, and my other TEAC 4300 that I really should go through now that I have better equipment.
And I still have a pair of Hallicrafters radios and power supply for the transmitter to go through, a pair of Drake "4-Line" twins to go through, and a Heathkit SB-401 transmitter to finish, along with my homeowner/housework/yardwork duties.
And working people always say "Retired People Have So Much Time To Do Things".........yeah, right.
Hope you all have a Blessed Sunday, I have to get back to chasing Grandson #1 around. He discovered we have a Nintendo Wii a couple of weeks ago, and he and I are having duels playing Mario Kart.
Getting my audio rack put back together after The Great Hip Incident. Since I now have two Reel-To-Reel tape decks, I had to add some extra cables for Deck #2. I also added a cable to the AUX input so I can easily connect to that input when the time comes.
And the SX-1080 arrived the other day. I was upstairs in the bathroom, and SLW was out in the back yard, so I missed the delivery and had to go claim it in person.
It's very clean, in better condition than described, and was a relative bargain as these go.
Everything is soggy, green, and growing like crazy. This 2" gives us a total of 5" for this month and last month, and it's only 4 June. I'm hoping we'll have a cool, moist Summer to help the reservoirs fill and the crops grow.
It also makes the ground nice and soft for driving in ground rods, an item on my punch list that should have been completed by now, but The Great Hip Incident kinda threw my schedule for a loop or three.
Work continues on other projects around the house and shop, but I just haven't felt like photographing the progress. Sometimes it can double or triple the time it takes to do the actual project, and I'd rather just get things done!
It's super clean inside, with a very nice cabinet. The bezel around the tuning dial is free from the nicks and gouges these usually pick up.
I'll be the second owner. This was at a repair shop, and the Owner / Tech of the shop passed away suddenly. It's "Some Assembly Required", and in unknown functionality, but the seller has all the parts, and a list of what was done, and what was about to be done, to it. From the pix, it looks to be all there, and if anything is missing it would be some hardware, which I have from other junked Japanese equipment.
The cosmetic condition alone makes it worth the $1200 I paid, and one in this condition, properly serviced, is worth about $2500. But I didn't buy it to make money on it. I bought it for the same reason I bought my Supra....I always wanted one, and the affordable ones always need a little work, just like the Supra. The SX-780 I did this to is for sale, and the SX-980 that replaced it will also be for sale as soon as this one is back in service. The Supra is NOT for sale.
All in all, it looks like a nice receiver. I just have to make it sing again.
The home care Nurse was here this morning for my "Final Exam" and discharge. I'm ahead of what The Numbers say in terms of repetitions for my exercises, and in the "Timed Events", like standing/sitting so many times in 30 seconds, various balance tests, and some cognitive tests. So it's another hurdle passed, even though I still have some weakness in my right leg.
All the bits and pieces to install the drip irrigation system in the front garden arrived today, so I can get started once I figure out how to neatly plumb it in to the faucet. I bought a solar-powered timer for it, but seeing as that requires you to leave the faucet open, and considering my record of making leak-free garden hose connections, I think I'll pass on it.
And there's some more rain coming in, but as usual, I think the heavy rains will miss us.
78*, sunny, light breezes, what a wonderful day. The apple tree picture is from before all the rain started, which knocked all the petals off. It was already starting to drop them when I finally grabbed a picture of it.
They don't seem to be particularly fragrant, and nowhere near what the lilac and lavender are, which you can smell all over the front and side yards when they're blooming.
And being such a beautious day, my son and I went to the NOCO Record Show at one of the local breweries to see what's out there in new and used vinyl.
Also found out we have some really good record stores here that charge fair prices, and carry re-releases along with used records.
So, I bought a few. It's a good thing I had limited ca$h with me, or I would have come home with a truckload. Ca$h was King, resulted in discounted prices and some fun haggling, and no receipts.
The Foreigner 4 and Bob Seeger albums are used, but very close to "pristine". No visible scratches or scuffs, and play great. The King Crimson album is scratched and scuffed on both sides, and one of the tracks I like has a big, nasty scratch through it. I should have pulled it out to inspect it, but it was sealed, so I didn't open it. Caveat Emptor! The two albums peeking out from behind Foreigner and KC are two new re-releases from the Eagles, pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl. One says "Made in the Netherlands", and the other just says "Made in the EU".
So vinyl has quite a strong following here, both as used items (Caveat Emptor!) and as new releases. I was talking to the young guy who was the DJ, and noticed he was using Technics SL-1200 turntables. I commented I had an SL-1210 MK5, and he about wet his pants. Yes, it's that good a turntable, and damn near unbreakable. Several people noticed the tee-shirt I was wearing and asked about Reel-To-Reel machines. Pretty soon I was talking to several of them, and while many have considered a Reel-To-Reel deck, the lack of anybody around here willing to work on them makes them a bit gun-shy. So I might hear back from one of them, I might not.
And I've gathered up all the bits and pieces to install SLW's drip irrigation system for her front garden area. Made a crude (for me) sketch of where the 1/2" Main Line will run, and how much I'll need, and counted plants. After that it gelled, I realized I'd need a whole bunch more stuff than came in the "Starter Kit" I bought last year. Took about another $175 @ Home Depot to square that away. Parts should be here (FREE Delivery!) by Wednesday. Now that I know all the bits and pieces that make up a system, it should be easy install. I ordered enough "extra" stuff so that SLW can expand it with parts-on-hand, while leaving plenty of spares. The stuff is plastic. It ages, gets brittle, and breaks. Better to have the stuff in stock to fix it immediately. I'll also have to fab a blow-out adapter so I can winterize the system, but that's easy-peasy. I even splurged and bought the solar-powered, programmable timer to control the water coming out of that spigot.
SLW has a history of turning on the water and forgetting about it.......
YAY! The PT gal was here today for the last time, and she said I was doing very well. Passed my "Final Exam", and she told me (again) that I was doing better than I felt I was, and to just keep doing the exercises "As Needed" to help strengthen the muscles in my right leg.
Next week the nurse will come by to check some things, and then my PT/OT In-Home Therapy is finished.
Picked up another1/2" of rain overnight and today. The new grass we planted in the backyard hasn't come up yet. I think we need some warmer weather, and then it should pop up out of the new dirt we covered it with.
The speaker project is rolling along nicely. I rebuilt the crossovers after deciding I just didn't like the circuit board I bought to build them on. Even though it's sold as a "Universal Two-Way Crossover Board" it still required some modification, and the parts weren't held down. So I rebuilt them as separate crossovers, one for the woofers, and one for the tweeters. It just looks neater, and will be easier to mount them in the speaker cabinet. I still have to "foam" the inside of the enclosures with some of this stuff to deaden any internal reflections. Then I have to wire them, mount the crossovers, check things again, and glue/screw the remaining cabinet side on. Then off to the garage to sand, fill, and paint them.
Still getting some showers and sprinkles. The new rain gauge indicates a bit over 3", while the one on the weather station indicates about half that. It might be the software I'm using to log the wx data, so I'll have top address that. The little PC it's running on is running an out-of-date version of Ubuntu, my screw up as I wasn't watching for updates, and missed the chance to update it to a newer version. SO......I'll have to nuke the drive on it, and do a clean installation of a current version. This will also allow me to update the software package for the weather station to a much newer, easier to use version. I'm also going to fill the new rain gauge to a known amount, and dump it into the rain bucket on the weather station. I'll check the station's console to see if it reports the correct amount, and that will confirm if the problem is the weather station hardware, or the software I'm running. Just don't feel like dragging a ladder out in the rain, and climbing up to pour the water into the collector. I don't think SLW would want me out there in the rain, teetering on a ladder, either!
Yesterday (Mother's Day) was a Good Day. We had the kids, grandkids, and my son over for dinner, some game playing, some Lego building, and a nice, warm fire in the fireplace. Drives the chill out of the house, and when it's 45* and raining, it gets chilly here. But, after chasing kids around all day, crawling around on the floor to load the fireplace and light it, and going up and down the stairs numerous times, I'm paying for it today.
Yes, today is NOT a Good Day. It's a crummy day; rainy, overcast, and only about 50*. And my right leg is screaming at me. Well, not actually screaming, but more like "Hey, Blockhead! You're not even 7 weeks out of surgery. Knock. It. Off.....!" Two Ibuprofen should calm things down, but it was a chore to get up today, stumble around in the shower, swap out the day/night bags for the catheter, get dressed, and get down the stairs. DEFINITELY a "Plateau Day" in my healing, and hopefully tomorrow will be not so trying.
Grass has greened up, the trees are leafing out, and TLG put his little "Fairy garden" back together today. It's the first time he's been here since The Great Hip Incident.
Hope you have a Happy and Blessed Sunday, and remember to be thankful for the little things....like a child's laugh.,....
Heard on the radio this is the most rain in a single storm we've had in 2 years. It's been a pretty steady, but mostly light, drizzle for 24 hours now. My Davis weather station shows about 1/2" of rain, but my new rain gauge shows over an inch.....hmmmm...gotta figure out the discrepancy there!
But the yard is greening up nicely, and we had just finished scratching up, re-seeding, and putting an inch of dirt on all the bare spots in the backyard. Hopefully the new grass will come in and choke out the weeds. We used some Scott's grass seed, as it works really well here, and judging from the areas I did a couple of years ago, it seems pretty tough. These yards were originally sodded, and you'd think the local sods farms would have something especially suited for here, BUT...it's a business, and they'd probably consider that a "premium" product. I wanted to use Buffalo Grass, something native to this area and very stout, but the seed is hard to get, and I missed the window to order some from this year's crop.
The hip continues to improve, but I'm at another plateau, and it can bum me out at times. Stairs and getting down on / up from the floor are the current hurdles.
I'm still using a little "e-Cigarette" thing for a nicotine dose when I need it, but my sinuses have cleared up, my allergies are noticeably diminished, and I don't cough and hack all the time.
Yes, the jury is still out over the long-term effects of "vaping", but at least I'm not inhaling smoke, tar, and various other toxic cruddies.
The hip has quieted down quite a bit, along with the knee, and I'm pretty mobile once I'm up and moving. I was even crawling around on the floor a bit yesterday to get some cables neatened up and in place so I could roll a filing cabinet back to where it belongs. SLW was there spotting me, and it took a bit to get up off the floor, but it was doable. I'm still working on the stairs, and it's getting easier, but some of my muscles still squawk when I go up. Going down is no problem other than I still hesitate to take the first step.
The crab apple tree in the back yard exploded in bloom today, so I'll grab some pix when the light hits it right. The maple tree has leafed out, flowers are blooming, and it's time to get the deep-watering feeder spikes out so I can feed the trees and a few other plants that respond very well to a late Spring feeding. And then there's the drip system to install, some cable access holes to be drilled so I can pull a couple of cables into the basement, and I *still* have some big ash logs to cut and split. Should easily be enough wood for two more winters when that gets cut, split, and racked. They've been outside "seasoning" for a couple of years, but they're up off the ground, and they were covered. I know, watch out for nasty insects, and wear good gloves when I work on it.
The speaker project is going full-bore again after being stalled a few days waiting for some materials to arrive. I didn't have any "Right Size" wire for inside the enclosures, and all my sound deadening foam was used up on something else, so those items had to be ordered. Finished building the cross-over networks, and might have the enclosures ready to go back upstairs this week so I can get them out in the garage to sand, fill, and paint.
Still only running about 75~80% of what I was before the Great Hip Breakage, not to mention wearing a Foley catheter. I go in next week to get it swapped out while I await an open OR for the Cystoscopic Examination. I have a pre-op session a few days before during which we'll go over the procedure, and the various options for "While You're In There". This is listed as a more of an exploratory procedure, but I'd like to know his options if he finds anything correctable at the time.
And yes, I'm itching to get back in this thing and go CRUISE!
It's the little things that count, like being able to get in and out of my truck and drive it comfortably.
Which I did today, and even had SLW stamp my Medical Certificate as "OK To Drive".
Had my next-to-the-last visit from the PT gal today, and she's very happy with my progress. The Visiting Nurse will make her last call later this week for her Medical Evaluation, and I expect to be released from their care in the next week.
Hey, I got stuff to do!
And while you're at it, swing by "Bustednuckles" and drop a little cheer in Phil's bucket. He's having some med issues, too, and needs a bit of cheer.
Is important, at least to me. Just getting back to my regular activities, like hanging out in the garage and listening to the radio felt good, and now that I'm mobile enough to readily get up and down the basement stairs, I've been tinkering away down there. I keep walking away from my hiking staff without missing it, so I guess that's a good sign, too.
I'm not quite ready to start wrestling 40+ pound audio/radio gear around, but this is a great time to catch up on smaller projects, like the speaker kit I received right before The Great Hip Incident. It's also a time to look at how other customers put their kits together and get some ideas on how to do it solidly.
So let's get started!
The front baffle and one of the side panels go together first:
This first step is important, as you need to get the two panels square, and lined up:
Then the top and bottom panels go together:
Glued AND screwed together:
Add a few more pieces, and the cabinets are almost glued together:
And I get some of the light weight items put back on the shelves:
And we just got back from my follow-up visit with the Orthopedic Surgeon. He said it was an easy surgery, and things went together in a "text book" fashion. I'm now cleared to drive, and be by myself for extended periods. And next week they might give me sharp utensils.....!
Wednesday was OK after the cat came out, but still no acceptable results. After moping around Thursday, and getting up every 60~90 minutes Thursday night, I called the Urology office and went in.
I was up to about 750mL, well over my "Fill Line", so they put a new catheter in, and what a difference! Since I'm in the Urology Clinic, they're much more familiar with the finer points of doing this, as in the size of the cat (one size does NOT fit all!), the different materials they're made from, and how to insert it. You'd think the Hospital and the Rehab Facility would be a bit more on top of this, but I'm sure they have their own reasons for doing things they was they do.
I also got fitted and instructed on a myriad of things like collection bags, securing the line (SAILOR! Belay That Line!), etc, but that's all too arcane to go into.
So, we're back to where we were as far as that issue goes. Meanwhile, the hip continues to improve and strengthen, and the pain is tolerable with a minimum of medication.
Battlespace Report For the Week - We're stalled on the "Retention Front" until reinforcements arrive, and we continue to make significant gains in "Operation Right Hip".
But I did have the catheter removed, and that's a relief. After discussing the procedure with the Doctor who will perform it, we both agreed it would be better to have me completely out. They were prepared today for the "Bite-A-Bullet" version, but it'll take a week or so to get everything scheduled. This also allows things to proceed at a more relaxed pace for the Doctor, and he can collect the samples he needs, and document anything else that's abnormal. And then we'll go from there. He said he saw nothing in the Cytology report or the CT scans to cause any concern, and considering this only got "bad" in the hospital, he sees no hurry to rush. The Cytology report noted some "Atypical Cells", so this exam will help determine what they are, and where they're coming from.
And I haven't used the walker in over two days, and man, I'm feeling it. I never knew I had muscles in the some of these areas!
I had just started a(nother) new project the day I fell and fractured my right femur, a kit to build two "better" speakers for the workshop stereo. I had to move both my equipment racks. One was also turned 90* to make better use of the floor space. That meant taking everything off the racks, and stacking it "someplace" until I got the racks moved. That was actually going to be Saturday's project until I got side-swiped by an errant extension cord, bringing all my activities to a screeching halt.
And the errant extension cord was Terminated With Extreme Prejudice. It's replacement is awaiting assignment.
Today was a beautiful day, and the PT gal and I went for a stroll using just the cane. Down the driveway, across the street, and back down and around the cul-de-sac until we got back here. Almost 1800 steps per her device. I mentioned I'd been going down to the basement to see how much work it was going to need to get it back on-line, and doing a few minor things, and she said it was good to get back doing my regular routine, and she saw no problem with it as long as I was careful and had the cane with me. A few steps around the kitchen counters sans cane was also said to be a Good Thing.
SLW and I stopped at my Primary Doctor's practice and I had blood drawn to check on hemoglobin and red cell production. I keep hearing about blood-loss during hip operations, and it looks like it's more than I thought. I'll save that one for my Orthopedic follow-up.
Wednesday is the appointment with the Grand Inquisitor Urologist. I'm hoping they can figure out what's been going on, and treat it. Gets pretty irksome dragging all the plumbing around.
Overdid it a bit the other day using my Hiking Staff, and I'm paying for it today. No damage to anything, just really sore muscles in places I didn't know I had!
I'm doing stairs very well, as long as I remember to start down a flight with the bad leg, and come up a flight starting with the good leg. And take ONE step at a time. I just can't quite do it "normally" yet, and I'm working those muscles more with my exercises.
Had a great Virtual Visit with my Primary Care Provider. and she pretty much cleared me on any Bad Things that might have showed up in the various CT scans, MRI's, and X-rays I've had over the past month. NO signs of anything suspicious, strange growths, masses, or anything else. The "abnormal" things I saw mentioned are normal signs of aging. Throughout our whole conversation I kept mentioning the hip repair was "A non-issue", and "no big deal", to which her eyes popped open and said said "Well, a broken femur IS a "big deal", and can have serious complications". I agreed, and back pedaled a bit to say the pain and pain management were no big deal, and the PT was proceeding very well, and the other issues I was having weighed more on me than the femur. And it could have been much worse, requiring a total hip replacement, and not just some hardware.
The care I received at Poudre Valley Hospital was excellent. The food was pretty so-so and bland, but the staff was great, and I enjoyed talking with them. Same for the post-op care I received at the Centre Avenue Health and Rehab Facility. The food was much better, though, and the daily specials for lunch and dinner were outta-the-park. And they had ice cream! The staff was great, and the PT/OT people I worked with were a hoot. We were always cracking each other up, and one of the young ladies is a Monty Python fan, so we were throwing bits of dialog back and forth. She'd never heard of "Fawlty Towers", so I clued her in on it, and I'm sure she'll like it.
Next major thing is next Thursday when I have the follow-up with the urologist, and then again on the 37th when I have my follow-up with the Orthopedic Doctor. In the meantime, I'll just continue on with the Daily Slog of walker, exercise, cane, exercises, and dragging around all the plumbing hardware associated with having a Foley inserted.
Hope y'all have a Peaceful and Blessed weekend, and keep on rockin' on.
Onward, Through The Fog! (attributed to Oat Willie)
Or "Hiking Staff", if you prefer. The PT gal watched me do some more movement and checks for flexibility, and said "Let's try your walking stick". Had to learn a few tips, but I was up and cruising around in no time. She said I'm not limping, my balance is good, and I'm cleared for using the stick around the house for now.
My virtual (Zoom) appointment with my Primary Provider is today, and I'm sure she'll have a few things to add, and test results to go over. I seem to be making good progress, but I'll let the experts worry over what level I'm at, and where I should be headed.
Beautiful day today, so SLW and I might make the trip down the driveway to the sidewalk a few times just to get some movement out in the Real World.
Oh....and Beans....My Cystoscopy will be done under anesthesia, similar to what they done for a colonoscopy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
Lest you think all is smooth sailing through The Straights of Pioneer, let me assure you it isn't.
In the case of this thing:
We ran smack into Halsey's Typhoon. It fought me Every Step Of The Way. Fix one thing, something else pops up. Fix that, and then you have to fix a brittle plastic part that broke while you were fixing the first item. Or a teeny, tiny part gets away from you, and goes sailing off into oblivion. The bent chassis was straightened so all mechanical assemblies were in proper alignment and dry-fit perfectly. The tape transport mechanism was taken apart and cleaned FOUR times. New drive belts, idler wheels, and pinch rollers were fitted. The last cleaning would have done a Class 1000 clean room proud. Use of lubricants was strongly discouraged, and highly controlled.
And STILL it doesn't work with front panel attached. It plays, records, and fast forwards 100% with the panel removed. Rewind is a bit flaky, so something is still amiss in the tape transport. It might be something subtle I'm missing, but I'm all out of speed, altitude, and ideas on this one. I went 10 rounds with this thing, and I'm battered, bruised, and bloodied. I'm "ahead on points", but I just don't have another round left in me, so I'm throwing in the towel, cutting my losses, and making a strategic withdrawal.
Nest stop in The Journey, The Bay of Nakamichi, where I hear the natives are friendly.
We should be pulling into port Monday afternoon.....
