Well, I've spent the past week talking, emailing, and discussing my scooter with the retailer I purchased it from and I've decided to keep it. This is partially motivated by the difficulty in returning the item, partially by the fact that the same shop here in town will be able to provide service for it and has parts in stock, and partially because I believe that the scooter I was delivered will perform just as well as the one I ordered. This is actually another way of saying that I bought a chinese scooter from a primarily online dealer and if I wanted top-notch service and a top-notch product I would have been shopping elsewhere (and paying four times as much.) When all is said and done, you get what you paid for and I expected difficulties like this along the way. All that matters now is how this specific scooter performs.
This we shall soon be finding out, too. An eager friend of mine with vast amount of knuckle-scrapping automotive knowledge is coming over tomorrow evening and the two of us are going to be uncrating and assembling the scooter. The assembly isn't very involved: attaching side-view mirrors, attaching front windshield, putting acid in the battery and charging it, and attaching the rear luggage trunk. I'm pretty confident that I could do this all on my own but I'll appreciate the help of an expert. (Plus he is VERY eager to see how all of this goes; he asked me if he could come over, not the other way around.)
Last but not least, the title for the scooter arrived in the mail today so I'm going to be picking up plates tomorrow as well. This means that the plan is to have a fully functioning and street-legal scooter by tomorrow evening. As you might guess, I am VERY excited by this prospect and am looking forward to my first scooter-ride to work as early as Friday.
With fingers crossed....
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Caveat Emptor
Well, after four weeks of waiting, minor hassles and confusion regarding the shipping date and the tracking number my scooter has finally arrived!
I got a call on Wednesday from the freight company saying that delivery would be between noon and 3pm on Thursday and they'd give me a call half-an-hour before attempting delivery. The next day I got a call at 10:30 from the truck driver saying he was two block from my house and asked if I was there to accept delivery. Sigh. Logistics can be difficult but you figure a freight company would be good at it. Fortunately, I was able to leave work and head home right away so all worked out fine. The driver backed his semi into the alley (How do they do that? I would have trouble doing that in my Civic.) lowered the gate, and we pushed the rather large box into the garage. The driver was a very pleasant and helpful and didn't seem to have minded waiting a few minutes for me to get to home.
That evening, in the company of a few friends that were over for dinner, we tore into the cardboard box the lay eyes on the machine.
The first thing I noticed: it wasn't the color I ordered.
The second thing: it wasn't the brand I ordered.
As you might imagine, these two things are not trivial and it took me a few minutes to get past them. Katie was snapping pictures while we opened the box and I'm very curious if they will show the disappointment on my face. Once I had accepted that even after delivery, things were not perfect, I began to look more closely at the bike.
The cardboard box turned out to be a kind of exterior surface for a rectangular metal frame that caged they bike. The frame looks like 1/4" steel angle-bracket; very serious stuff. The bike will take some assembly (not much) and it is a lot bigger than I expected. The styling is very similar to the bike I thought I would be getting and it looks like all I was hoping for in a scooter. The promised luggage truck was included and the keys were in the ignition.
So, after looking everything over, I got back on the computer and reread over all the fine print I had read before ordering. Boy, I must not have looked very closely because there are a lot of stipulations in the purchasing agreement. The most interesting one that may explain my situation is the following:
"All model numbers and name are use as references only and does not represent the name on the scooter."
and
"Bnscooters does not guarantee color options. Customer may request a color option, however if the color requested is not available during time of shipping, we automatically ship out a default color without notification. This condition is due to high sales volume and non real time updates on inventory. We make every effort in keeping our inventory updated, however Bnscooters reserves the rights to ship out a newer model or higher priced model at our discretion if the model you order is out of stock or unavailable. Pictures and specifications displayed on our site may be subject to change due to constant improvements from the manufacture. We reserve the right to update model specifications at any time."
Does this seem funny to you? When it all boils down, it really seems like they view your order as a suggestion and they try their best to honor your request. No promises though.
If I had noticed this when I placed the order I may not have ordered from them. Caveat emptor, buyer beware.
What's done is done, though, and though they do provide a way to return the scooter, I would have to pay shipping and a restocking fee so I don't know how interested I am in that. The silver lining on this cloud: this online retailer is based here in Wichita and they have a shop. I'll be going in today to talk all of this over with them and see what can be worked out. This single fact, that I would be able to visit the store in-person, is the only reason I took the risk in placing such an order online. Without that face-to-face accountability, I wouldn't have taken the chance.
When all is said and done, things don't seem so bad. I have a scooter and as long as I can get some kind of co-operation out of the dealer (parts availability, specifically), I think things will work out. If this ends up being a big fiasco, well, at least I didn't spend several thousand dollars on the scooter. I'll learn my lesson and do things differently next time. Until then, I have every intention of enjoying the scooter.
I got a call on Wednesday from the freight company saying that delivery would be between noon and 3pm on Thursday and they'd give me a call half-an-hour before attempting delivery. The next day I got a call at 10:30 from the truck driver saying he was two block from my house and asked if I was there to accept delivery. Sigh. Logistics can be difficult but you figure a freight company would be good at it. Fortunately, I was able to leave work and head home right away so all worked out fine. The driver backed his semi into the alley (How do they do that? I would have trouble doing that in my Civic.) lowered the gate, and we pushed the rather large box into the garage. The driver was a very pleasant and helpful and didn't seem to have minded waiting a few minutes for me to get to home.
That evening, in the company of a few friends that were over for dinner, we tore into the cardboard box the lay eyes on the machine.
The first thing I noticed: it wasn't the color I ordered.
The second thing: it wasn't the brand I ordered.
As you might imagine, these two things are not trivial and it took me a few minutes to get past them. Katie was snapping pictures while we opened the box and I'm very curious if they will show the disappointment on my face. Once I had accepted that even after delivery, things were not perfect, I began to look more closely at the bike.
The cardboard box turned out to be a kind of exterior surface for a rectangular metal frame that caged they bike. The frame looks like 1/4" steel angle-bracket; very serious stuff. The bike will take some assembly (not much) and it is a lot bigger than I expected. The styling is very similar to the bike I thought I would be getting and it looks like all I was hoping for in a scooter. The promised luggage truck was included and the keys were in the ignition.
So, after looking everything over, I got back on the computer and reread over all the fine print I had read before ordering. Boy, I must not have looked very closely because there are a lot of stipulations in the purchasing agreement. The most interesting one that may explain my situation is the following:
"All model numbers and name are use as references only and does not represent the name on the scooter."
and
"Bnscooters does not guarantee color options. Customer may request a color option, however if the color requested is not available during time of shipping, we automatically ship out a default color without notification. This condition is due to high sales volume and non real time updates on inventory. We make every effort in keeping our inventory updated, however Bnscooters reserves the rights to ship out a newer model or higher priced model at our discretion if the model you order is out of stock or unavailable. Pictures and specifications displayed on our site may be subject to change due to constant improvements from the manufacture. We reserve the right to update model specifications at any time."
Does this seem funny to you? When it all boils down, it really seems like they view your order as a suggestion and they try their best to honor your request. No promises though.
If I had noticed this when I placed the order I may not have ordered from them. Caveat emptor, buyer beware.
What's done is done, though, and though they do provide a way to return the scooter, I would have to pay shipping and a restocking fee so I don't know how interested I am in that. The silver lining on this cloud: this online retailer is based here in Wichita and they have a shop. I'll be going in today to talk all of this over with them and see what can be worked out. This single fact, that I would be able to visit the store in-person, is the only reason I took the risk in placing such an order online. Without that face-to-face accountability, I wouldn't have taken the chance.
When all is said and done, things don't seem so bad. I have a scooter and as long as I can get some kind of co-operation out of the dealer (parts availability, specifically), I think things will work out. If this ends up being a big fiasco, well, at least I didn't spend several thousand dollars on the scooter. I'll learn my lesson and do things differently next time. Until then, I have every intention of enjoying the scooter.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
We have a WHAT!?
I have spent quite a few hours today trying to combine all the paper files that Katie and I have. Katie had already gone through her's, getting rid of things she didn't need and carefully organizing everything into distinct folders. Today I have been doing the same for mine as well as trying to group the two sets of folders together. (First rule of organizing, one I have to remind myself of often: make sure everything has a home.)
As I was doing this I got to my folder with all my car-related documents in it and, knowing Katie would have a similar folder, I went over to her box of folders and started searching. Sure enough, there was a folder named "CAR" right there, just like I expected.
Right behind it was another one labeled "LEARJET."
(Blink.)
Hmmm. Maybe that's where all our money has been going.
As I was doing this I got to my folder with all my car-related documents in it and, knowing Katie would have a similar folder, I went over to her box of folders and started searching. Sure enough, there was a folder named "CAR" right there, just like I expected.
Right behind it was another one labeled "LEARJET."
(Blink.)
Hmmm. Maybe that's where all our money has been going.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Midwest Ocean
Yesterday afternoon we had the most torrential rain I have ever seen. It was raining so hard that leeks in the roof I had never noticed during previous rains were gushing water, enough for a shower. Virtually all the pavement was flooded over with an inch or two of water, most of it rapidly flowing towards the nearest storm drain. The day was slow so I walked out to the experimental hanger where they had the barn-doors open and watched the storm roll through.
In front of me was the large stretch of pavement that serves as our taxi-way to the runway, larger than most parking lots I've seen. And, as you might imagine, it was mostly empty; no planes coming or going in weather like this. The pavement was completely covered in water flowing and rushing to the drains. The surface of the water was covered in near-infinite pock marks as icy rain drops continued to fall from the sky. The wind was blowing creating waves of rain and waves on the surface of the growing body of water in front of me.
For a few moments I felt like I was at the ocean.
Wind in my face, water mist (not really salty) blowing through the air, large expanse of empty... This is the closest I figure I'll ever get here in Wichita to experiencing the ocean.
In front of me was the large stretch of pavement that serves as our taxi-way to the runway, larger than most parking lots I've seen. And, as you might imagine, it was mostly empty; no planes coming or going in weather like this. The pavement was completely covered in water flowing and rushing to the drains. The surface of the water was covered in near-infinite pock marks as icy rain drops continued to fall from the sky. The wind was blowing creating waves of rain and waves on the surface of the growing body of water in front of me.
For a few moments I felt like I was at the ocean.
Wind in my face, water mist (not really salty) blowing through the air, large expanse of empty... This is the closest I figure I'll ever get here in Wichita to experiencing the ocean.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Two Wheels It Is!
I am delighted to let you all know that this last week my lovely wife gave a thumbs-up on the purchase of a scooter! Yipee!
Needless to say, I was online placing the order within a few hours and am now in the state of eager anticipation of the said scooter to arrive. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
When I'm not thinking about the scooter itself, I'm thinking about the, uhmmmm, accessories that I'll need for using it. This ranges from protective clothing to wear while riding to upgrade parts (like brighter headlights for more visibility). So far my purchases have consisted of a helmet and a gas can.
The helmet I got is quite a thing to behold. It was on clearance and I think I can understand why: its purple with gold highlights/trim. The purple color I actually like; it is has a matte finish and a deep shade of purple. The gold highlights, though, kind of move the helmet over the top into something that looks like it should be from a comic book or a cartoon. Oh well, it was 45% off and is esteemed as a quality helmet.
Getting a gas can that I liked ended up being quite and ordeal. Every store I went to sold only one brand of can and, without sounding too picky, I'll just say I didn't care for the spout design. The marketing and sales team for this company is incredible though. Four of the five stores I looked at carried that brand exclusively. It was amazing. The whole city of Wichita and it seemed that there was only one (stupid) brand of gas can available. The fifth store I went to had this brand but also carried a Briggs and Stratton can as well with a MUCH better spout design.
I've placed an order for a jacket and pants and am still on the prowl for gloves and boots. (Just stopped in at Red Wing on the way home from work to see what they had.)
I realize that many people might think I am going a bit overboard when it comes to getting all this gear for a measly scooter but as I have been dealing with this on-going back injury and its financial burden I have realized just how damaging any kind of accident on a scooter could be. The financial cost could be huge but the loss of functionality of some parts of my body would be an even greater difficulty. This protective gear is, in my mind, a small price to pay to provide greater protection as I scoot around town. Thankfully, my wife is in agreement on this.
Needless to say, I was online placing the order within a few hours and am now in the state of eager anticipation of the said scooter to arrive. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
When I'm not thinking about the scooter itself, I'm thinking about the, uhmmmm, accessories that I'll need for using it. This ranges from protective clothing to wear while riding to upgrade parts (like brighter headlights for more visibility). So far my purchases have consisted of a helmet and a gas can.
The helmet I got is quite a thing to behold. It was on clearance and I think I can understand why: its purple with gold highlights/trim. The purple color I actually like; it is has a matte finish and a deep shade of purple. The gold highlights, though, kind of move the helmet over the top into something that looks like it should be from a comic book or a cartoon. Oh well, it was 45% off and is esteemed as a quality helmet.
Getting a gas can that I liked ended up being quite and ordeal. Every store I went to sold only one brand of can and, without sounding too picky, I'll just say I didn't care for the spout design. The marketing and sales team for this company is incredible though. Four of the five stores I looked at carried that brand exclusively. It was amazing. The whole city of Wichita and it seemed that there was only one (stupid) brand of gas can available. The fifth store I went to had this brand but also carried a Briggs and Stratton can as well with a MUCH better spout design.
I've placed an order for a jacket and pants and am still on the prowl for gloves and boots. (Just stopped in at Red Wing on the way home from work to see what they had.)
I realize that many people might think I am going a bit overboard when it comes to getting all this gear for a measly scooter but as I have been dealing with this on-going back injury and its financial burden I have realized just how damaging any kind of accident on a scooter could be. The financial cost could be huge but the loss of functionality of some parts of my body would be an even greater difficulty. This protective gear is, in my mind, a small price to pay to provide greater protection as I scoot around town. Thankfully, my wife is in agreement on this.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
For the Love of Taxes
Yes, yes, this past Tuesday I was audited by the IRS. (Wow. "Audited." Never thought I would ever write that.)
The "invitation" I received to have my 2004 return "examined" was apparently chosen at random and my charitable contributions were singled out as the item of primary concern. (No suprise to me as I feel very responsible for how I spend my money and know that when all is said and done I will be held accountable for the financial choices I make; I like passing on the blessing God has given me and act accordingly.) Fortunately, I still had all my financial data from 2004 and it only took an hour or so to organize it and draw up a spreadsheet detailing the contributions I had made. Oddly, I was asked to bring my 2003 and 2005 returns as well even though it was very clear from the letter that it was my 2004 return that was under examination. Hmmmm.
Thus Tuesday morning around 8:25am I walked into a/the federal building in downtown Wichita with a backpack filled with documents. A quick airport-style securty screening (complete with x-ray machines and metals dectectors) and I was up the elevator and seated at the desk of my examiner. As it turns out, she was a relatively new hire and her boss was there examing her ans she examined me. I found this quite humorous but decided to keep the joke to myself. This is, after all, the stern-faced IRS.
First question from the examiner: "Anything you want to tell us about now up-front? Any known omissions or errors on your return?" Yikes! That is quite a loaded question. Without much pause I decided to stick to my guns and declined to the opportunity to confess to cheating on my taxes. The examiner then deftly noted that I did my own return. Had I always done my own return? Yes, I always had, without the aid of any software. She was good, though, letting me know this wasn't a social visit in the least.
Still not getting to the item listed in the letter, she then went through the process of verfiying my source(s) of income. Do you have any interest-bearing accounts? Any investments that generate capital gains? Alimony? Child-support? Trusts? Estates? No, no, no, no..... Again, the purpose of these questions seemed more at getting me to confirm that my original income stated on my return was accurate and/or confess to any revenue that might have "slipped my mind" when I filed my returns. Towards the end my patience was wearing a wee bit thin; I felt like saying, "Just look at my return! That's my income!" Obviously, that wouldn't have helped. Its also worth noting that these questions literally had nothing to do with why they brought me in. They seemed to be standard questions that anybody being audited would have to answer.
While I'm thinking about it, the letter I received specifically mentioned that a lawyer or tax-preparer was allowed to join me for the examination. Considering that I lived in Boise in 2004 the odds of any relevant party in my tax preparation being available here in Wichita are virtually zero. If I hadn't done my own taxes, I wonder how I could have answered some of the questions posed. This is a point in favor of doing your own taxes or at least understanding every item on the tax return. You as an individual may be the one having to defend your return, not your tax-preparer or lawyer.
Finally, we jumped into the official item of examination, my charitable contributions. Having the spreadsheet delineating all the pertinent transactions helped TREMENDOUSLY. The spreadsheet showed the total for allof my contributions (which matched what I declard on my taxes) and was broken down by the individual organizations involved; these matched the statements I had received from each organization. The examiner didn't check every single donation (thankfully; that would have taken quite a bit of time) but sampled from each organization to which I had donated. She asked for not only a receipt verifying the donation but also proof from my accounts that I had actually made the donation (typically in the form of a
cleared check, credit card statement or bank statement). Its this latter part that caught me off-gaurd; if memory serves, the instructions on the tax return form only mention a receipt for each donation and not necessarily a corresponding cleared check or the like. I guess the assumption is you'll keep bank and credit-card statements; thankfully, I had.
There were a few minor hiccups in the process: I couldn't find my bank statement for the month of one of the transactions that was sampled for examination; a carbon copy of the original check was good enough. Also, there was a question whether one of the charities to which I had donated was officially registered as such. After a bit of digging with no conclusive answer the examiner got pragmatic. In light of the relatively small donation amount, the fact that this was a one-time donation and that I didn't intend to donate again she decided to give me the benefit of the doubt and assume the charity was registered.
This brings up another interesting point: over the course of the interview/examination she asked for a brief description of the kind of work each charity carried out. This was not only a great opportunity to talk to these (assumedly) non-Christians about the good that Christians are trying to bring to this world but also to remind me about each of these projects. It made me feel blessed that I could be a part of what God is doing, to be cut-in on the action.
A few more questions, checking a few more transactions, and we were done. The examiner was pleased that things went so quickly and when all was said and done, no adjustment was made to my return. Yeah! In-and-out in under an hour.
Lessons from the examination:
-Keep EVERYTHING. Official paper documentation for all financial matters makes any kind of audit much easier for you and the IRS
-Keep everything ORGANIZED. Again, having all these documents readily available made the whole process go very smoothly.
-UNDERSTAND your tax return and be comfortable justifying any item on the return. Having the above mentioned documentation makes this easier.
The "invitation" I received to have my 2004 return "examined" was apparently chosen at random and my charitable contributions were singled out as the item of primary concern. (No suprise to me as I feel very responsible for how I spend my money and know that when all is said and done I will be held accountable for the financial choices I make; I like passing on the blessing God has given me and act accordingly.) Fortunately, I still had all my financial data from 2004 and it only took an hour or so to organize it and draw up a spreadsheet detailing the contributions I had made. Oddly, I was asked to bring my 2003 and 2005 returns as well even though it was very clear from the letter that it was my 2004 return that was under examination. Hmmmm.
Thus Tuesday morning around 8:25am I walked into a/the federal building in downtown Wichita with a backpack filled with documents. A quick airport-style securty screening (complete with x-ray machines and metals dectectors) and I was up the elevator and seated at the desk of my examiner. As it turns out, she was a relatively new hire and her boss was there examing her ans she examined me. I found this quite humorous but decided to keep the joke to myself. This is, after all, the stern-faced IRS.
First question from the examiner: "Anything you want to tell us about now up-front? Any known omissions or errors on your return?" Yikes! That is quite a loaded question. Without much pause I decided to stick to my guns and declined to the opportunity to confess to cheating on my taxes. The examiner then deftly noted that I did my own return. Had I always done my own return? Yes, I always had, without the aid of any software. She was good, though, letting me know this wasn't a social visit in the least.
Still not getting to the item listed in the letter, she then went through the process of verfiying my source(s) of income. Do you have any interest-bearing accounts? Any investments that generate capital gains? Alimony? Child-support? Trusts? Estates? No, no, no, no..... Again, the purpose of these questions seemed more at getting me to confirm that my original income stated on my return was accurate and/or confess to any revenue that might have "slipped my mind" when I filed my returns. Towards the end my patience was wearing a wee bit thin; I felt like saying, "Just look at my return! That's my income!" Obviously, that wouldn't have helped. Its also worth noting that these questions literally had nothing to do with why they brought me in. They seemed to be standard questions that anybody being audited would have to answer.
While I'm thinking about it, the letter I received specifically mentioned that a lawyer or tax-preparer was allowed to join me for the examination. Considering that I lived in Boise in 2004 the odds of any relevant party in my tax preparation being available here in Wichita are virtually zero. If I hadn't done my own taxes, I wonder how I could have answered some of the questions posed. This is a point in favor of doing your own taxes or at least understanding every item on the tax return. You as an individual may be the one having to defend your return, not your tax-preparer or lawyer.
Finally, we jumped into the official item of examination, my charitable contributions. Having the spreadsheet delineating all the pertinent transactions helped TREMENDOUSLY. The spreadsheet showed the total for allof my contributions (which matched what I declard on my taxes) and was broken down by the individual organizations involved; these matched the statements I had received from each organization. The examiner didn't check every single donation (thankfully; that would have taken quite a bit of time) but sampled from each organization to which I had donated. She asked for not only a receipt verifying the donation but also proof from my accounts that I had actually made the donation (typically in the form of a
cleared check, credit card statement or bank statement). Its this latter part that caught me off-gaurd; if memory serves, the instructions on the tax return form only mention a receipt for each donation and not necessarily a corresponding cleared check or the like. I guess the assumption is you'll keep bank and credit-card statements; thankfully, I had.
There were a few minor hiccups in the process: I couldn't find my bank statement for the month of one of the transactions that was sampled for examination; a carbon copy of the original check was good enough. Also, there was a question whether one of the charities to which I had donated was officially registered as such. After a bit of digging with no conclusive answer the examiner got pragmatic. In light of the relatively small donation amount, the fact that this was a one-time donation and that I didn't intend to donate again she decided to give me the benefit of the doubt and assume the charity was registered.
This brings up another interesting point: over the course of the interview/examination she asked for a brief description of the kind of work each charity carried out. This was not only a great opportunity to talk to these (assumedly) non-Christians about the good that Christians are trying to bring to this world but also to remind me about each of these projects. It made me feel blessed that I could be a part of what God is doing, to be cut-in on the action.
A few more questions, checking a few more transactions, and we were done. The examiner was pleased that things went so quickly and when all was said and done, no adjustment was made to my return. Yeah! In-and-out in under an hour.
Lessons from the examination:
-Keep EVERYTHING. Official paper documentation for all financial matters makes any kind of audit much easier for you and the IRS
-Keep everything ORGANIZED. Again, having all these documents readily available made the whole process go very smoothly.
-UNDERSTAND your tax return and be comfortable justifying any item on the return. Having the above mentioned documentation makes this easier.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Day-Off
Today, I have been blessed in two ways:
1-I passed the written and visual test for my motorcycle learners permit! This means that if we decide to get a motorcycle to augment our current one-car plan, I'll be legally able to ride it. Right now, we're actually looking at getting a scooter instead of a full-blown motorcycle. A scooter would be much more accessible to Katie, cheaper to purchase, and it gets that fabulous 60+ mpg. The one were looking at wouldn't be interstate worthy but would be perfect for getting around town and running errands.
2-My new nerdy phone service has started! I have been using VOIP (using the internet to make phone calls) for several years now and my service provider has been Packet8. When I joined Packet8 was a start-up and having unlimited local and domestic long-distance calls for $25/month was a steal. The customer service has never been spectacular and the service was a bit bumpy initially but all-in-all I've been happy with it. Well, I've been enticed away to ViaTalk and just this morning got the service up and running. I signed up during a sale and go a great rate of about $12/month for unlimited local and domestic long-distance. In addition, ViaTalk has lots of cool nerdy features like being able to download recordings of voicemail. We'll see how things turn out but so far I'm liking it. (If any of you out there have high speed internet access at home I highly recommend VOIP instead of traditional phone service. Do your homework in choosing a provider but you it would be hard to not save money.)
Bonus blessing: our couches arrived earlier this week. We now have places for people to sit when they come over!
1-I passed the written and visual test for my motorcycle learners permit! This means that if we decide to get a motorcycle to augment our current one-car plan, I'll be legally able to ride it. Right now, we're actually looking at getting a scooter instead of a full-blown motorcycle. A scooter would be much more accessible to Katie, cheaper to purchase, and it gets that fabulous 60+ mpg. The one were looking at wouldn't be interstate worthy but would be perfect for getting around town and running errands.
2-My new nerdy phone service has started! I have been using VOIP (using the internet to make phone calls) for several years now and my service provider has been Packet8. When I joined Packet8 was a start-up and having unlimited local and domestic long-distance calls for $25/month was a steal. The customer service has never been spectacular and the service was a bit bumpy initially but all-in-all I've been happy with it. Well, I've been enticed away to ViaTalk and just this morning got the service up and running. I signed up during a sale and go a great rate of about $12/month for unlimited local and domestic long-distance. In addition, ViaTalk has lots of cool nerdy features like being able to download recordings of voicemail. We'll see how things turn out but so far I'm liking it. (If any of you out there have high speed internet access at home I highly recommend VOIP instead of traditional phone service. Do your homework in choosing a provider but you it would be hard to not save money.)
Bonus blessing: our couches arrived earlier this week. We now have places for people to sit when they come over!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
My Very First Stitches (Probably)
This morning I cut my finger on one of our new kitchen knives. I cut it while cleaning the knife and though it didn't hurt too bad, the cut was pretty deep and the bleeding was a bit heavier than normal. After a bit of help from my wife, we had it bandaged up appropriately and I was just marginally late for work. I had a corporate education class on conflict management the whole morning and as there was still some bleeding by the end of the class, I decided to head on in the emergency room to see what they thought.
The verdict was stitches, my very first. (Unless of course I had some when my wisdom teeth were removed, I don't remember having any then and I sure didn't get to see them. That was, though, the first and only time I've had full anesthesia in my entire life. Full anesthesia, along with an MRI, are two cool medical treatments I recommend everybody experience at some point in their life; they're fun!) Now my grade-school honor has been preserved and I can brag about the four stitches I have on my finger.
That I got cleaning a kitchen knife.
(Doesn't sound nearly as impressive as I thought it might. Sigh. Now all my co-workers are going to make fun of me at recess.)
P.S.
I also got a tetanus shot along with something like an MMR booster mixed in. I now actually know the date of my last tetanus shot! This is the one question on medical history forms I can never seem to remember. May 10, 2006 will stick in my mind from this day forth!
Also, did you know that "tetanus" had an "a"? I didn't. It seems the word should be pronounced with three syllables, not two. "Tet-a-nus", not "tet-nus". Boy, you learn something everyday.
UPDATE: My lovely wife suggested I put a picture of the injured finger up. So I did. Enjoy!
The verdict was stitches, my very first. (Unless of course I had some when my wisdom teeth were removed, I don't remember having any then and I sure didn't get to see them. That was, though, the first and only time I've had full anesthesia in my entire life. Full anesthesia, along with an MRI, are two cool medical treatments I recommend everybody experience at some point in their life; they're fun!) Now my grade-school honor has been preserved and I can brag about the four stitches I have on my finger.
That I got cleaning a kitchen knife.
(Doesn't sound nearly as impressive as I thought it might. Sigh. Now all my co-workers are going to make fun of me at recess.)
P.S.
I also got a tetanus shot along with something like an MMR booster mixed in. I now actually know the date of my last tetanus shot! This is the one question on medical history forms I can never seem to remember. May 10, 2006 will stick in my mind from this day forth!
Also, did you know that "tetanus" had an "a"? I didn't. It seems the word should be pronounced with three syllables, not two. "Tet-a-nus", not "tet-nus". Boy, you learn something everyday.
UPDATE: My lovely wife suggested I put a picture of the injured finger up. So I did. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Drive-Through Recycling
As long as I can remember, our family has recycled.
During my growing-up years when we would drive into downtown Portland for church, we would often stop at Sunshine Recycling on the way in and drop off the goods we had cleaned and sorted the night before. (In true Pacific Northwest form, the chore was no simply "take out the trash" but rather "take out the trash and do the recycling.") The recycling center was located in a rather industrial part of the city and consisted of a small parking lot filled with dumpsters, each designated for a certain material. This was, if its not obvious, in the days prior to the curbside recycling and I'm fairly certain our family's primary motivation was not entirely environmentally motivated. Portland charges for trash based on the size of the trash container and recycling saved us money by allowing us to use a smaller trash can.
(Rabbit trail: why don't all cities charge for trash based on the size of the trash can? I don't know what Wichita does but I know that Boise didn't. When I was living in Boise, we had a neighbor across the street who one day (nearly) literally opened up his garage door, pushed the contents out to the curb, and had it ALL hauled off the next day by the garbage men. He paid the same amount for trash that I we did. Huh.
Charging for the amount of trash each consumer uses not only is more equitable (you only pay for the trash you generate), but it provides an financial cost for the waste we all generate. There is a financial incentive to recycle and/or produce less waste. Let's hear it for sustainability!)
Wichita, being not quite down with the whole recycling thing, does not have a curbside program. My wife, though, has found a location much similar to Sunshine recycling in Portland that you can drop off many types of materials for recycling. This Saturday morning I went for the second time and I must say it works well. The big difference between Sunshine and ProKS Recycling: ProKS is located in a warehouse so there are (very) limited hours it is open to drop things off (and its indoors). Overall the system works well, you drive in, find a parking spot, and take all your pre-sorted goods to the appropriate bins. Sometimes there are volunteers there to expedite the process by pointing you in the right direction or helping you dispose of the items. I don't know if the organization is funded by the city at all or if it is a purely commercial venture but both times I have been there have been plenty of citizens there recycling with me. The first time I went I even had to wait outside until a free parking spot opened up.
The only real thing left to do to make this recycling thing painless is to get some bins set-up here in the house so we can sort on-the-fly. Then, every Saturday morning, we could just grab the bins and make a quick trip to ProKS. Recycling is a very good thing. Yeah for sustainability!
During my growing-up years when we would drive into downtown Portland for church, we would often stop at Sunshine Recycling on the way in and drop off the goods we had cleaned and sorted the night before. (In true Pacific Northwest form, the chore was no simply "take out the trash" but rather "take out the trash and do the recycling.") The recycling center was located in a rather industrial part of the city and consisted of a small parking lot filled with dumpsters, each designated for a certain material. This was, if its not obvious, in the days prior to the curbside recycling and I'm fairly certain our family's primary motivation was not entirely environmentally motivated. Portland charges for trash based on the size of the trash container and recycling saved us money by allowing us to use a smaller trash can.
(Rabbit trail: why don't all cities charge for trash based on the size of the trash can? I don't know what Wichita does but I know that Boise didn't. When I was living in Boise, we had a neighbor across the street who one day (nearly) literally opened up his garage door, pushed the contents out to the curb, and had it ALL hauled off the next day by the garbage men. He paid the same amount for trash that I we did. Huh.
Charging for the amount of trash each consumer uses not only is more equitable (you only pay for the trash you generate), but it provides an financial cost for the waste we all generate. There is a financial incentive to recycle and/or produce less waste. Let's hear it for sustainability!)
Wichita, being not quite down with the whole recycling thing, does not have a curbside program. My wife, though, has found a location much similar to Sunshine recycling in Portland that you can drop off many types of materials for recycling. This Saturday morning I went for the second time and I must say it works well. The big difference between Sunshine and ProKS Recycling: ProKS is located in a warehouse so there are (very) limited hours it is open to drop things off (and its indoors). Overall the system works well, you drive in, find a parking spot, and take all your pre-sorted goods to the appropriate bins. Sometimes there are volunteers there to expedite the process by pointing you in the right direction or helping you dispose of the items. I don't know if the organization is funded by the city at all or if it is a purely commercial venture but both times I have been there have been plenty of citizens there recycling with me. The first time I went I even had to wait outside until a free parking spot opened up.
The only real thing left to do to make this recycling thing painless is to get some bins set-up here in the house so we can sort on-the-fly. Then, every Saturday morning, we could just grab the bins and make a quick trip to ProKS. Recycling is a very good thing. Yeah for sustainability!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
....And We're Back
Well, I'm married now.
Its pretty cool.
Trying to communicate in writing all that the past month or so has held is going to be, uhmmm, difficult. Being the slightly dedicated blogger that I am, though, I will make an attempt:
Wedding ceremony
Overall things went off without a hitch. Well, at least not too much. The photographer was an hour late. The caterer apparently didn't hear some of the specific requests we had regarding the cake. And somebody added oil to the chocolate fountains (an unnecessary step with the fine, fine chocolate we had purchased). The last one is actually my biggest pet peeves. We had tested the fountains and chocolate to make sure they didn't need any added oil yet somebody decided they did. The result: uneven chocolate flow. Like I said, this complaint in only worthy of the "pet peeve" classification.
Other than the above trivial items, things went well. The ceremony was Jewish styled and we enjoyed the oddities therein (The bride entered first! Gasp! Shock!). We had a great showing from people all over the place. (One odd fact we noticed: it seemed that the further you had to travel, the more likely it was you would attend. A lot of very local people we expected didn't show.) In particular, I was overwhelmed with how many of my friends from all over the nation were able to make it. Thanks, guys! I give our ceremony two thumbs up.
Pictures are available here
The Honeymoon
The honeymoon got off to a rocky start as we had to interrupt it early on to head back to Oklahoma for a funeral. Katie's grandfather passed away the evening of our wedding. We could have stayed in town for three days but, considering we had already paid for hotels, we decided to just go ahead with plans. Driving back for the funeral took three days and two nights out of our honeymoon but, well, that's just the way things go. It was a good reminder that we're not the ones calling the shots.
The secret honeymoon location was a cabin outside Woodland Park, CO (near Colorado Springs) (showing here, brown roof in the center of the screen.). The place was great, had a wonderful outdoor hot tub which we indulged in regularly. We didn't do as much hiking as I would have wished due to my back injury but did play a lot of board games including a sweet two-player version of Catan. We hung out with some friends in the area, went to a nice Italian restaurant where I had two bottles of Henry Weinhard's root beer for $9 (Note to self, ask the price on the drink before you order it.), and enjoyed the scenery. Honeymoon: two thumbs up.
The Move
This last weekend we moved all of Katie's stuff from her apartment into our new duplex. I think that I'm tired of moving Katie; I've done this five times now and I think that we're done with this for now. And now that we're married, it has become my personal mission to help free her from her bonds of materialism.
Well, probably not.
At least we can get rid of all the duplicate items that we each had. Like spatulas.
Needless to say, our place is a mess and it will be at least a month before we approach any kind of order. When its organized enough, though, we're going to have a house-warming party and use our chocolate fountains.
And this time, I'm not going to add any oil.
Moving Katie for the fifth time: two thumbs up due to favorable weather and the fact that she was moving in with me. Otherwise, two thumbs down for having to move her one more time.
The Gifts
There's not too much to say about the gifts other than there were a lot of them. I didn't expect near this many and we had to spend a most of a Saturday sorting them out. Sadly, due to the varying locations of our friends, we ended up having to register at five stores and returns are going to be a bit tricky. We ended up with a number of items we didn't ask for nor have much use for but, hey, that's how things go. We're thankful for the generosity of all our friends.
Gifts: two thumbs up, even for the stuff we didn't want because we know they meant well.
Its pretty cool.
Trying to communicate in writing all that the past month or so has held is going to be, uhmmm, difficult. Being the slightly dedicated blogger that I am, though, I will make an attempt:
Wedding ceremony
Overall things went off without a hitch. Well, at least not too much. The photographer was an hour late. The caterer apparently didn't hear some of the specific requests we had regarding the cake. And somebody added oil to the chocolate fountains (an unnecessary step with the fine, fine chocolate we had purchased). The last one is actually my biggest pet peeves. We had tested the fountains and chocolate to make sure they didn't need any added oil yet somebody decided they did. The result: uneven chocolate flow. Like I said, this complaint in only worthy of the "pet peeve" classification.
Other than the above trivial items, things went well. The ceremony was Jewish styled and we enjoyed the oddities therein (The bride entered first! Gasp! Shock!). We had a great showing from people all over the place. (One odd fact we noticed: it seemed that the further you had to travel, the more likely it was you would attend. A lot of very local people we expected didn't show.) In particular, I was overwhelmed with how many of my friends from all over the nation were able to make it. Thanks, guys! I give our ceremony two thumbs up.
Pictures are available here
The Honeymoon
The honeymoon got off to a rocky start as we had to interrupt it early on to head back to Oklahoma for a funeral. Katie's grandfather passed away the evening of our wedding. We could have stayed in town for three days but, considering we had already paid for hotels, we decided to just go ahead with plans. Driving back for the funeral took three days and two nights out of our honeymoon but, well, that's just the way things go. It was a good reminder that we're not the ones calling the shots.
The secret honeymoon location was a cabin outside Woodland Park, CO (near Colorado Springs) (showing here, brown roof in the center of the screen.). The place was great, had a wonderful outdoor hot tub which we indulged in regularly. We didn't do as much hiking as I would have wished due to my back injury but did play a lot of board games including a sweet two-player version of Catan. We hung out with some friends in the area, went to a nice Italian restaurant where I had two bottles of Henry Weinhard's root beer for $9 (Note to self, ask the price on the drink before you order it.), and enjoyed the scenery. Honeymoon: two thumbs up.
The Move
This last weekend we moved all of Katie's stuff from her apartment into our new duplex. I think that I'm tired of moving Katie; I've done this five times now and I think that we're done with this for now. And now that we're married, it has become my personal mission to help free her from her bonds of materialism.
Well, probably not.
At least we can get rid of all the duplicate items that we each had. Like spatulas.
Needless to say, our place is a mess and it will be at least a month before we approach any kind of order. When its organized enough, though, we're going to have a house-warming party and use our chocolate fountains.
And this time, I'm not going to add any oil.
Moving Katie for the fifth time: two thumbs up due to favorable weather and the fact that she was moving in with me. Otherwise, two thumbs down for having to move her one more time.
The Gifts
There's not too much to say about the gifts other than there were a lot of them. I didn't expect near this many and we had to spend a most of a Saturday sorting them out. Sadly, due to the varying locations of our friends, we ended up having to register at five stores and returns are going to be a bit tricky. We ended up with a number of items we didn't ask for nor have much use for but, hey, that's how things go. We're thankful for the generosity of all our friends.
Gifts: two thumbs up, even for the stuff we didn't want because we know they meant well.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Bagpipes, et cetera....
Adding to the list of "Surreal Events I've Experience in Wichita" was the greeting I enjoyed upon getting out of the car after work earlier this week: a man was practicing his bagpipes in the park across the street. I listened to him from the porch for a few minutes then went inside and opened the windows to continue enjoying the music. I think I am in the minority that enjoy bagpipe music and this guy played respectably well. I haven't seen him since then but that might have something to do with the fact that....
... it is once again cold in Wichita. The winter we didn't seem to get is trying to squeeze in a few days of cold before spring officially starts. Earlier this week it was warm enough for the bagpipe player to enjoy his time outside. The past few days the high has been in the low 40's (Fahrenheit for all you foreign readers) and rainy. This has been a bit of a problem since...
... my electric radiator heater broke. I have it on a timer in the bathroom to help combat the cold tiles. Getting out of the shower wet into a room that is 50 degrees is no fun. I've had the heater for a month or so and then on Tuesday is emitted the "electrical smell of death" (all you EE lab rats know EXACTLY the odor to which I am referring) and ceased functioning. I opened it up and found the part that had obviously failed. A quick on-line tour showed the part was available only in China. Based on the price of the heater, this is no surprise to me.
Oh, and I'm getting married in 13 days. I think that's pretty neat.
... it is once again cold in Wichita. The winter we didn't seem to get is trying to squeeze in a few days of cold before spring officially starts. Earlier this week it was warm enough for the bagpipe player to enjoy his time outside. The past few days the high has been in the low 40's (Fahrenheit for all you foreign readers) and rainy. This has been a bit of a problem since...
... my electric radiator heater broke. I have it on a timer in the bathroom to help combat the cold tiles. Getting out of the shower wet into a room that is 50 degrees is no fun. I've had the heater for a month or so and then on Tuesday is emitted the "electrical smell of death" (all you EE lab rats know EXACTLY the odor to which I am referring) and ceased functioning. I opened it up and found the part that had obviously failed. A quick on-line tour showed the part was available only in China. Based on the price of the heater, this is no surprise to me.
Oh, and I'm getting married in 13 days. I think that's pretty neat.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
t + 12 days
Its been twelve days since my epidural steroid injection and the burning question on everybody's minds: Is the pain gone?
Sadly, no, not completely. It is greatly reduced, though, and this is great news! Case in point, I am able to sit here and type without any significant pain. In fact, sitting down tends to be more comfortable than standing. I've been off pain-killers of any sort for ten days now and am hoping I can keep it that way. Things are usually still a bit uncomfortable at the end of the day and I try to spend that time laying down and reading if I can. I would guess this is the most pain free I have been since the injury; praise God!
That said, I'm still not able to bike or really have much of an active life. I can now walk at a normal pace and get up and down stairs easily enough but that's it right now. I'm still looking into getting another shot or two to see if that plus physical therpay can get us all the way there. IDD therapy is also a possibility but I'll only do that after the shot don't work AND I can figure out this insurance stuff. The other good news is that lately the pain has been more in my lower back rather than in my leg. This movement of the pain is a result the physical therapists have been hoping to see for a while. Apparently, when the pain moves to the point of injury, it is a very good sign that things are healing up. I'm continuing to do physical therapy regularly and am hoping and praying that this will heal on its own without much more hassle.
Sadly, no, not completely. It is greatly reduced, though, and this is great news! Case in point, I am able to sit here and type without any significant pain. In fact, sitting down tends to be more comfortable than standing. I've been off pain-killers of any sort for ten days now and am hoping I can keep it that way. Things are usually still a bit uncomfortable at the end of the day and I try to spend that time laying down and reading if I can. I would guess this is the most pain free I have been since the injury; praise God!
That said, I'm still not able to bike or really have much of an active life. I can now walk at a normal pace and get up and down stairs easily enough but that's it right now. I'm still looking into getting another shot or two to see if that plus physical therpay can get us all the way there. IDD therapy is also a possibility but I'll only do that after the shot don't work AND I can figure out this insurance stuff. The other good news is that lately the pain has been more in my lower back rather than in my leg. This movement of the pain is a result the physical therapists have been hoping to see for a while. Apparently, when the pain moves to the point of injury, it is a very good sign that things are healing up. I'm continuing to do physical therapy regularly and am hoping and praying that this will heal on its own without much more hassle.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Beyond 35mm
To most people, film photography and 35mm are virtually synonymous, and for good reason. As many a photography historian has noted, "35mm won the format war". 35mm was and is the culmination of a long history of progressively smaller and smaller pieces of film used by photographers. And with digital, it could be argued that the trend continues as the cameras and their "film" (digital sensors) continue to shrink in size. It may surprise you to know that even though the mainstream has moved to 35mm and beyond (below?), there are still a significant number of photographers working in those historic larger pieces of film; this is the realm of medium- and large-format photography.
Now, you might have actually seen medium-format photography before and just not realized it. Many wedding and event photographers continue to use medium-format for prints that will need to be enlarged to 11" x 17" and larger. The larger pieces of film allow more information to be stored and for enlargements to be made with out graininess (resolution) bringing significant distortion to the image. Medium-format film comes in a variety of shapes and sizes with the two most popular being 6cm x 6cm and 6cm x 4.5cm (35mm film is around 36mm x 24mm). The film comes in spools similar to that of conventional 35mm film and is readily available in most photography shops. Medium format cameras come in many shapes and sizes the most common being the familiar SLR, yesteryear's TLR and not-so-compact rangefinders.
Large-format, though, is a different beast all together. The film comes in sheets that are individually loaded into the camera. Common film sizes are 4" x 5" and 8" x 10". Setting up a shot can easily take 30 minutes. The cameras themselves are monsters and look like some relic from the 19th century, and to some extent, they are. Take a look look. Hoods, bellows, wooden frames, the cameras in and of themselves tend to be works of art. Believe it or not, these cameras are still actively used by number of professionals that usually have unique requirements that can only be satisfied by this format.
One, if you need resolution, these are the cameras to use. Nothing, digital or analog, comes close. Imagine taking a picture where the negative is roughly the size of a sheet of notebook paper. There is a lot of information stored on that film and the enlargement potentials are incredible. Landscape photographers love these cameras for this reason.
Two, because the film comes in sheets, each individual image can be developed and processed uniquely. This is where the art of traditional chemical photography can shine, an art of which I have virtually no knowledge (more on that later). These first two reasons are what allowed many well known photographers (the most famous being Ansel Adams) to achieve absolutely incredible prints. That and they are all extremely talented artists.
Three, due to the ability to move the film with respect to the lens, to is possible to do some unique things with the perspective and focus of the image. Common applications are making skyscrapers stand up tall instead of bending to the center of the frame and allow long table to food to be entirely in focus. If this doesn't make sense to you or seem that impressive then don't worry about it. Suffice it to say, some photography niches have need of such things.
What does this have to do with me? Well, the other night I had a dream that I was using a large-format camera while in the mountains taking some pretty darn cool pictures. When I woke up and realized I had taken no such pictures now had I ever even used one of these cameras I got to thinking. Wouldn't that be cool to learn all this neat stuff about traditional black-and-white photography? You know, get a darkroom set-up, develop my own negatives, make my own prints. I could get one of these larger-format cameras and even if I didn't do any enlargements still have some great pictures. This would be a great way for me to learn a lot of the basic techniques that my modern digital SLR has allowed me to gloss over. At this point, the do-it-yourself in me was jumping up and down and was encouraging my artistic nature to get in on the fun.
Will this happen? Probably not. A new large-format camera costs $700 minimum. I don't have any place for a dark-room. Medium format, though, holds some potential, as older used TLRs can be had for $100. Not cheap, cheap, but not expensive, either. Seeing as how I'm in the midst of planning a wedding and all right now, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. I would relish the opportunity to live out some of the dream I had and maybe it will happen someday. For now, I read books about the old arts and pretend that someday I too will have images as striking and beautiful as the masters of yesteryear.
Now, you might have actually seen medium-format photography before and just not realized it. Many wedding and event photographers continue to use medium-format for prints that will need to be enlarged to 11" x 17" and larger. The larger pieces of film allow more information to be stored and for enlargements to be made with out graininess (resolution) bringing significant distortion to the image. Medium-format film comes in a variety of shapes and sizes with the two most popular being 6cm x 6cm and 6cm x 4.5cm (35mm film is around 36mm x 24mm). The film comes in spools similar to that of conventional 35mm film and is readily available in most photography shops. Medium format cameras come in many shapes and sizes the most common being the familiar SLR, yesteryear's TLR and not-so-compact rangefinders.
Large-format, though, is a different beast all together. The film comes in sheets that are individually loaded into the camera. Common film sizes are 4" x 5" and 8" x 10". Setting up a shot can easily take 30 minutes. The cameras themselves are monsters and look like some relic from the 19th century, and to some extent, they are. Take a look look. Hoods, bellows, wooden frames, the cameras in and of themselves tend to be works of art. Believe it or not, these cameras are still actively used by number of professionals that usually have unique requirements that can only be satisfied by this format.
One, if you need resolution, these are the cameras to use. Nothing, digital or analog, comes close. Imagine taking a picture where the negative is roughly the size of a sheet of notebook paper. There is a lot of information stored on that film and the enlargement potentials are incredible. Landscape photographers love these cameras for this reason.
Two, because the film comes in sheets, each individual image can be developed and processed uniquely. This is where the art of traditional chemical photography can shine, an art of which I have virtually no knowledge (more on that later). These first two reasons are what allowed many well known photographers (the most famous being Ansel Adams) to achieve absolutely incredible prints. That and they are all extremely talented artists.
Three, due to the ability to move the film with respect to the lens, to is possible to do some unique things with the perspective and focus of the image. Common applications are making skyscrapers stand up tall instead of bending to the center of the frame and allow long table to food to be entirely in focus. If this doesn't make sense to you or seem that impressive then don't worry about it. Suffice it to say, some photography niches have need of such things.
What does this have to do with me? Well, the other night I had a dream that I was using a large-format camera while in the mountains taking some pretty darn cool pictures. When I woke up and realized I had taken no such pictures now had I ever even used one of these cameras I got to thinking. Wouldn't that be cool to learn all this neat stuff about traditional black-and-white photography? You know, get a darkroom set-up, develop my own negatives, make my own prints. I could get one of these larger-format cameras and even if I didn't do any enlargements still have some great pictures. This would be a great way for me to learn a lot of the basic techniques that my modern digital SLR has allowed me to gloss over. At this point, the do-it-yourself in me was jumping up and down and was encouraging my artistic nature to get in on the fun.
Will this happen? Probably not. A new large-format camera costs $700 minimum. I don't have any place for a dark-room. Medium format, though, holds some potential, as older used TLRs can be had for $100. Not cheap, cheap, but not expensive, either. Seeing as how I'm in the midst of planning a wedding and all right now, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. I would relish the opportunity to live out some of the dream I had and maybe it will happen someday. For now, I read books about the old arts and pretend that someday I too will have images as striking and beautiful as the masters of yesteryear.
Epidural
Well, this morning I had an epidural injection of steroids in attempt to reduce swelling of my herniated disc. I can't tell you much about the procedure since I was laying on my belly for all of it but here's what I do know. I was first injected with a local anesthetic that numbed my whole lower back. A fluorescing dye was then injected to aid the doctor in finding the effected vertebrae. The doctor then worked a needle into the epidural space in the herniated disc and one in position, gave it a direct shot of steroids. The only parts that hurt at all were the first and the last. I give blood regularly and manage to do OK with needles; the anesthesia injection was fairly painless. When the steroids were actually administered, that was something else. It wasn't too painful, just very different. For about thirty seconds it felt as if my leg was being slowly inflated. And then it was done. The entire procedure took about ten minutes.
The coolest part: they used one of these. You can learn more about it here but let's just call it real-time X-ray amchine to keep things simple. Like I said, I didn't get a chance to see much of it in use but the one quick glance I saw really impressed me. It was this tool that allowed my vertebrae to make sure he got the drugs in the right disc.
As far as results from this treatment go, well, I'll have to wait a few days to see. I'll keep you posted, for sure.
Oh, and I didn't need a sedative of any kind; all the nurses were VERY impressed by this.
No seriously, they were. I could tell.
The coolest part: they used one of these. You can learn more about it here but let's just call it real-time X-ray amchine to keep things simple. Like I said, I didn't get a chance to see much of it in use but the one quick glance I saw really impressed me. It was this tool that allowed my vertebrae to make sure he got the drugs in the right disc.
As far as results from this treatment go, well, I'll have to wait a few days to see. I'll keep you posted, for sure.
Oh, and I didn't need a sedative of any kind; all the nurses were VERY impressed by this.
No seriously, they were. I could tell.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Sunday Night
This past Sunday night was an incredibly wonderful time for me. After helping out with youth group (not necessarily fantastic but it has been a lot worse) I headed over to a prayer meeting for our church's members who were overseas. The meeting started at 7pm and I didn't make it until 7:45 or so.
I don't know why, but I think showing up late put me in a frame of mind where I felt I was coming in after-the-fact, trying to catch-up and seeking to integrate with others. They had started down the path of worship and were well on the way towards getting their hearts in the right spot; I was going to have to be intentional and focussed if I was going to get in-step with them.
Maybe it was the setting of a simple, small gathering. Perhaps it was our unified and clearly defined purpose of praying for the parts of our body that were overseas. I honestly don't know but in only a few minutes I felt that this was going to be a encouraging evening for me, one that I had not experienced in such a way: I was feeling a growing sense of connection with the body of Christ here in the living room.
My time here in Wichita has been like my move to Boise in some ways (and very different in others). One of the most difficult struggles for me in any move is making new friends and it always takes a long time for me to feel like I am connected and a part of the lives of others. Well, not always. Both in college and eventually in Boise God has provided a significant friend who, after interacting for just a few minutes I knew would be somebody with whom I was going to have a significant bond. It is much more usual, though, for me to struggle forming new friendships and this lack of close relationships to be a discouraging and difficult long-term part of my transition.
Within a few minutes of showing up and joining in the singing, though, I knew this evening would be different. In a sense, it felt like finding that significant friend, but having that person be a people. This was the body of Christ, gathered here in praise and united with a common desire to support our friends throughout the world as best we could . Maybe it was realizing my concern and personal responsibility I felt for a specific couple that had recently left River to go overseas was being actively affirmed and echoed by this group. Maybe seeing and hearing the prayers of our people for these two people I dearly love and who need our support demonstrated in a tangible way that I was not alone and had a team in this. This group cared too, and in that we had a true heart-bond. I knew most of those who had gathered decently enough and some I knew fairly well. It didn't take long to realize these were my brothers and sisters.
I was so encouraged and energized. I wanted to go around the room and meet those I didn't know at all. I wanted to express thanks to the young lady who set this up and provided this opportunity. I felt empowered and living by the Spirit; for a brief period of time I was a part of the Body of Christ in a tangibly-realized way.
How I long to make such a connection a regular part of my life. May God do His will with me and make this a reality.
I don't know why, but I think showing up late put me in a frame of mind where I felt I was coming in after-the-fact, trying to catch-up and seeking to integrate with others. They had started down the path of worship and were well on the way towards getting their hearts in the right spot; I was going to have to be intentional and focussed if I was going to get in-step with them.
Maybe it was the setting of a simple, small gathering. Perhaps it was our unified and clearly defined purpose of praying for the parts of our body that were overseas. I honestly don't know but in only a few minutes I felt that this was going to be a encouraging evening for me, one that I had not experienced in such a way: I was feeling a growing sense of connection with the body of Christ here in the living room.
My time here in Wichita has been like my move to Boise in some ways (and very different in others). One of the most difficult struggles for me in any move is making new friends and it always takes a long time for me to feel like I am connected and a part of the lives of others. Well, not always. Both in college and eventually in Boise God has provided a significant friend who, after interacting for just a few minutes I knew would be somebody with whom I was going to have a significant bond. It is much more usual, though, for me to struggle forming new friendships and this lack of close relationships to be a discouraging and difficult long-term part of my transition.
Within a few minutes of showing up and joining in the singing, though, I knew this evening would be different. In a sense, it felt like finding that significant friend, but having that person be a people. This was the body of Christ, gathered here in praise and united with a common desire to support our friends throughout the world as best we could . Maybe it was realizing my concern and personal responsibility I felt for a specific couple that had recently left River to go overseas was being actively affirmed and echoed by this group. Maybe seeing and hearing the prayers of our people for these two people I dearly love and who need our support demonstrated in a tangible way that I was not alone and had a team in this. This group cared too, and in that we had a true heart-bond. I knew most of those who had gathered decently enough and some I knew fairly well. It didn't take long to realize these were my brothers and sisters.
I was so encouraged and energized. I wanted to go around the room and meet those I didn't know at all. I wanted to express thanks to the young lady who set this up and provided this opportunity. I felt empowered and living by the Spirit; for a brief period of time I was a part of the Body of Christ in a tangibly-realized way.
How I long to make such a connection a regular part of my life. May God do His will with me and make this a reality.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
2:88?
Very much by accident, tonight I discovered my microwave considers a 2:88 a valid cook time. I meant to punch in 2:00 but managed to miss the zero and hit eight twice instead. Without even thinking I hit the "Start" button and watched in amazement as a totally nonsensical time counted down. The oven behaved just as you might expect: it counted down eighty-eight seconds before decrementing the minutes from two to one; 2:88 lead to 2:00 lead to 1:59. Growing up, we would routinely heated water for ninety seconds (instead of 1:30) but I honestly never though of trying something like this.
How about you? What does your microwave do if you try 2:88?
How about you? What does your microwave do if you try 2:88?
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Moving
Sorry for being, uhmmm, well I was going to say "abnormally absent" but I fear my posting-absence is a bit more normal than I would care for it to be. The cause for this latest outage......moving.
All of my Wichita possessions are now at our new address 1028 W Murdock. Most of it is still in boxes and I am slowly working on finding things permanent homes. Well, maybe not permanent; more like temporary homes until Katie moves in and we re-arrange everything again. Oh, here's the obligatory Google maps satellite photo: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wichita,+KS&ll=37.697294,-97.350942&spn=0.002712,0.006856&t=k We're in the brown house on the corner in the dead center of the map. As if that will help. Just smile and nod.
This new duplex in which Katie and I are going to be starting our married life out, well, it has some character. It's definitely an older house, probably built in the 40s or so definitely during a time when houses were built a bit less cookie-cutter style: no hallways, really, non-standard door sizes, things like that. One of the coolest things, though, is the stairwell:
The landing splits both directions! You can hang a left into the living room or go right into the laundry/pantry area. I don't think I have ever seen a stairwell like this but I've actually had a dream about something like this before. Actually, the images I remember from my dream (it was a number of years ago) are eerily similar to what we have here.
The only downside to the stairwell is that it is a tunnel; the ceiling is a fixed height from the stairs the whole way down. In general, I consider this another fun bit of character. The one downside we've discovered so far, though, is that it makes for a tight fit when it comes to furniture. We found out that we couldn't fit the box-springs for our new queen-size bed up the stairwell AT ALL. (Fortunately, they actually make a split box-spring for queen-size mattresses, just like the do for king-size. Thank God.)
Other cool things: old school heater vents, stacked washer and dryer, basement (usable as a tornado shelter and not much else), large living room, dining room, and master bedroom, and an extra guest room/office. The rent is right at the upper-limit of our budget but for one year, we can swing it. We are quite thankful to have this place; its very close to where we live now (second obligatory Google maps satellite photo: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wichita,+KS&t=k&ll=37.694089,-97.344586&spn=0.002712,0.006856&t=k Large brown apartment buildings in the center of the maps.)
All of my Wichita possessions are now at our new address 1028 W Murdock. Most of it is still in boxes and I am slowly working on finding things permanent homes. Well, maybe not permanent; more like temporary homes until Katie moves in and we re-arrange everything again. Oh, here's the obligatory Google maps satellite photo: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wichita,+KS&ll=37.697294,-97.350942&spn=0.002712,0.006856&t=k We're in the brown house on the corner in the dead center of the map. As if that will help. Just smile and nod.
This new duplex in which Katie and I are going to be starting our married life out, well, it has some character. It's definitely an older house, probably built in the 40s or so definitely during a time when houses were built a bit less cookie-cutter style: no hallways, really, non-standard door sizes, things like that. One of the coolest things, though, is the stairwell:
The landing splits both directions! You can hang a left into the living room or go right into the laundry/pantry area. I don't think I have ever seen a stairwell like this but I've actually had a dream about something like this before. Actually, the images I remember from my dream (it was a number of years ago) are eerily similar to what we have here.
The only downside to the stairwell is that it is a tunnel; the ceiling is a fixed height from the stairs the whole way down. In general, I consider this another fun bit of character. The one downside we've discovered so far, though, is that it makes for a tight fit when it comes to furniture. We found out that we couldn't fit the box-springs for our new queen-size bed up the stairwell AT ALL. (Fortunately, they actually make a split box-spring for queen-size mattresses, just like the do for king-size. Thank God.)
Other cool things: old school heater vents, stacked washer and dryer, basement (usable as a tornado shelter and not much else), large living room, dining room, and master bedroom, and an extra guest room/office. The rent is right at the upper-limit of our budget but for one year, we can swing it. We are quite thankful to have this place; its very close to where we live now (second obligatory Google maps satellite photo: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wichita,+KS&t=k&ll=37.694089,-97.344586&spn=0.002712,0.006856&t=k Large brown apartment buildings in the center of the maps.)
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sometimes you see the darndest things
Last night I was headed home from helping out with the youth group and I pulled up to a red light next to a pickup truck that had a sizable array of speakers mounted in the bed. These weren't the normal kind of home or car speakers but more like the ones you see at football stadiums and other outdoor arenas, the kind that are horn-shaped. The truck also had a decent-sized spotlight that the driver was operating from the cab. We were in the downtown area and he kept pointing it at the sky-scrapers and waving it around. This had the earmarks of adolescent entertainment on a Sunday night, trying to squeeze some fun out of the last few hours of the weekend before returning to school the next day.
Except there was that sign on the back window of the cab that said something about bird control.
Oh, and the crow-sounding bird calls that were LOUDLY emmanating from the speakers in the cab of the truck; that was a bit unusual too. It sounded like one very large crow whose size in no way had changed the pitch of its voice. Over and over and over again it screached from the bed of this truck while the driver waved a light around the buildings seeming to be in some kind of seizure.
Our light turned green; the truck headed into the heart of downtown and I continued home.
Most. Surreal. Experience. Ever.
Except there was that sign on the back window of the cab that said something about bird control.
Oh, and the crow-sounding bird calls that were LOUDLY emmanating from the speakers in the cab of the truck; that was a bit unusual too. It sounded like one very large crow whose size in no way had changed the pitch of its voice. Over and over and over again it screached from the bed of this truck while the driver waved a light around the buildings seeming to be in some kind of seizure.
Our light turned green; the truck headed into the heart of downtown and I continued home.
Most. Surreal. Experience. Ever.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Back Trouble
This is actually old news but since I don't have time to be super creative (wedding planning) and I claim this blog is to keep you updated on my life, I think its about time to pull this guy out.
About three months ago, I developed a pain in my right leg that felt like a pulled muscle and after two or three weeks, didn't really get any better. I decided to go in and see a doctor (first time in Wichita!) and, much to my surprise, he diagnosed this problem as a bulge in disc in my back.
Huh?
As I found out through some research, bulged discs can sometimes rub against the nerve traveling down the spinal column and cause pain to appear in the lower extremities. In my case, there was no injury in my right leg, that's just where the pain from the disc rubbing the nerve materialized. One easy way the doctor verified this was by checking my muscles in the area the pain was appearing for sensitivity (ie he poked and prodded them). Directly acting on the muscles that appeared to be the source of all the trouble didn't hurt but doing silly things like lifting my leg up and bending over did.
At first I was skeptical of his diagnosis (part of the reason I didn't go in as quickly) but he seemed to know what he was talking about so I played along. I started on some exercises, did a round of oral steroids, and the pain reduced noticeably. It didn't disappear, though, and that's when we decided to do an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
MRIs are GREAT! I promise you, if you ever have a chance to get one done for free, take it. The process itself is painless (unless you're claustrophobic) and you get these amazingly cool pictures of the inside of your body. Well, at least I think they're cool. The MRI takes cross-section pictures of your body in a progressive fashion, slowly working its way through the area in question. The images themselves are 2-D but it doesn't take much of an imagination to see the changes in the body by looking at the pictures flip-book fashion. In fact, I did just that and made a little Quicktime movie.
(I can see why radiologists need special training. Even knowing which disc was bulged, it took me some time to identify it by looking at the pictures. I had to dig around on the internet and look at other sample pictures before I was able to ID it. Why don't you give it a crack with the picture below? I'll give you a hint: the bulge is between my L5 (lowest lumbar) and S1 (first "tailbone") vertebrae.)
As it turns out, my doctor was 100% correct: bulged disc/pinched nerve. Since the oral steroids didn't clear it up we next tried a month of physical therapy. Though I enjoyed the electrical massages and felt better for a while after each session, the overall progress was not that great. My last session was Dec. 23rd and my visit yesterday with my doctor confirmed that we would have to take the next step: epidural steroid injections. I'll be seeing a specialist in a few days and more than likely, I'll be getting a needle stuck in my back to manually inject a dose of steroids at the effected location to see if that will reduce the inflammation and reduce the bulge in the disc.
So that brings you up to speed on me. If you're the praying type, pray that this gets cleared up soon. The pain is starting to get very annoying (I'm actually starting to take ibuprofen on a daily basis) and it would be great if this didn't slow down the wedding/honeymoon. I'm hopeful and know that God's got it under control no matter what happens.
About three months ago, I developed a pain in my right leg that felt like a pulled muscle and after two or three weeks, didn't really get any better. I decided to go in and see a doctor (first time in Wichita!) and, much to my surprise, he diagnosed this problem as a bulge in disc in my back.
Huh?
As I found out through some research, bulged discs can sometimes rub against the nerve traveling down the spinal column and cause pain to appear in the lower extremities. In my case, there was no injury in my right leg, that's just where the pain from the disc rubbing the nerve materialized. One easy way the doctor verified this was by checking my muscles in the area the pain was appearing for sensitivity (ie he poked and prodded them). Directly acting on the muscles that appeared to be the source of all the trouble didn't hurt but doing silly things like lifting my leg up and bending over did.
At first I was skeptical of his diagnosis (part of the reason I didn't go in as quickly) but he seemed to know what he was talking about so I played along. I started on some exercises, did a round of oral steroids, and the pain reduced noticeably. It didn't disappear, though, and that's when we decided to do an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
MRIs are GREAT! I promise you, if you ever have a chance to get one done for free, take it. The process itself is painless (unless you're claustrophobic) and you get these amazingly cool pictures of the inside of your body. Well, at least I think they're cool. The MRI takes cross-section pictures of your body in a progressive fashion, slowly working its way through the area in question. The images themselves are 2-D but it doesn't take much of an imagination to see the changes in the body by looking at the pictures flip-book fashion. In fact, I did just that and made a little Quicktime movie.
(I can see why radiologists need special training. Even knowing which disc was bulged, it took me some time to identify it by looking at the pictures. I had to dig around on the internet and look at other sample pictures before I was able to ID it. Why don't you give it a crack with the picture below? I'll give you a hint: the bulge is between my L5 (lowest lumbar) and S1 (first "tailbone") vertebrae.)
As it turns out, my doctor was 100% correct: bulged disc/pinched nerve. Since the oral steroids didn't clear it up we next tried a month of physical therapy. Though I enjoyed the electrical massages and felt better for a while after each session, the overall progress was not that great. My last session was Dec. 23rd and my visit yesterday with my doctor confirmed that we would have to take the next step: epidural steroid injections. I'll be seeing a specialist in a few days and more than likely, I'll be getting a needle stuck in my back to manually inject a dose of steroids at the effected location to see if that will reduce the inflammation and reduce the bulge in the disc.
So that brings you up to speed on me. If you're the praying type, pray that this gets cleared up soon. The pain is starting to get very annoying (I'm actually starting to take ibuprofen on a daily basis) and it would be great if this didn't slow down the wedding/honeymoon. I'm hopeful and know that God's got it under control no matter what happens.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Date and Location
This past Thursday Katie was able to officially book the church for our wedding. April 1st, 2006 in a church outside Chester OK (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Chester,+OK&ll=36.238657,-98.973405&spn=0.005187,0.013026&t=h&hl=en). ( Yes, it will be that same one out in the middle of nowhere. Yes, it is super-cool; you would not believe a church like this would reside on very rural Oklahoma. Waterfall and fountain in the lobby, stained glass windows, seating for ~350, multiple LCD projectors; I'm guessing that the denomination kicked in with a lot of the funds for the building because a congregation of 100 normally just doesn't have the cash for something like this. The church has been very generous thus far in the terms of our use of their facility and that has truly been a blessing. One big advantage over using this facility versus our own church here in Wichita: the reception and ceremony can be held at the same location.
Here are a few pictures to show you what I'm talking about. Don't mind the "broken pews" in the picture of the auditorium; that picture is a composite where I didn't get things lined up very well.
Here are a few pictures to show you what I'm talking about. Don't mind the "broken pews" in the picture of the auditorium; that picture is a composite where I didn't get things lined up very well.
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