Wednesday, June 8, 2011

breaking news - broccoli worst food ever!!!!!

Okay, maybe not, but check this out. Is it worth it to be healthy if you're farting all the time? And how about the resulting "awkward beach photos".

#4: WORST SNACK
Broccoli with ranch dressing  (1 cup broccoli and 2 Tbsp dressing)
170 calories
14.5 g fat (2 g saturated)
370 mg sodium
Broccoli, like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, falls into a class of produce known as cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and as such, they should be consumed as often as possible. That said, you might want to hold off your day's broccoli until you're off the beach. Cruciferous vegetables contain a sugar called raffinose—the same sugar that gives beans their heavy-winded reputation. In your gut, raffinose is fermented by gas-producing bacteria, which can make you feel bloated and gassy. That's not necessarily unhealthy, but it might lead to some awkward beach photos. Instead, if you're picking beach-bound snacks, pair high-fiber tortilla chips with low-calorie salsa.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/5-worst-beach-body-foods

And for more, a friend sent me this which is an amusing song about farting, if there could be such a thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7I9KzoJTrE

"I think I'm being watched"

The funniest thing just happened...

I was standing outside my hotel smoking a cigarette (sorry dad) and thinking about the plot line for this spoof movie I want to make with my brother to make fun of a movie a robotics guy my brother doesn't like just put out on YouTube. I was pacing back and forth when suddenly this couple came out of the hotel.

He was a good looking older guy with gray hair, obviously married, with a younger blond who definitely wasn't his wife. He was saying good bye to her and they were having an annoyingly stupid conversation and there was obviously something more than friendship going on between them. I looked up at them in the hopes they would shut up or go somewhere else when the guy started acting all paranoid. I paced away from them and then decided to check my work email.

When I looked up from my crackberry they were talking in whispers and looking at me. I thought maybe it was because I'm wearing the same clothes that I wore to weed my parents' yard last saturday (I didn't wash them and they are dirty). Then they started walking by me towards the parking lot in a hurried manner.

As the guy walked by me he said in a loud voice "I think we're being watched. I don't like being watched." Haha! Like I'm some under cover detective who gives a shit about his personal life. I started laughing so the woman turned around and looked at me.

To the blond having an affair with the idiot, trust me, I don't care what you do with your personal life. I think it's sad you're fucking a passive aggressive moron, but that's your business.

Maybe I should quit smoking...

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I hope you aren't eating

Here's the blister on my knee.

I told you it was gross.

SIQ

I have a sikh in my training class this week. Today he told me I was a child prodigy. When I pointed out that I'm 41, so a little past childhood he thought for a minute and then said "Then I guess you are an idiot savant."

Um, okay.

He's very kind and brings me soya nuts, dried cranberries, carrots, cherries, and today guava fruit. It's his favorite fruit. He offered it to me so I took a piece and he said "you must take enough for both hands" so I had 3 more pieces.

He's bringing me flax seeds tomorrow for my arthritic knee, which you don't want to see. I burned it with ice on Friday night and it has a palm sized blister on it that leaks (my mom can confirm - leave a comment about disgusting it was when I kept showing it to you).

Sick.

The charming sikh is making up for the disaster my company made of this class. They sent laptops with passwords and didn't give me the passwords (good thing I'm psychic at guessing passwords). The training coordinator didn't set up the laptops in the class like she's supposed to so I had to do it myself (sort of a hardship since I had to pull them out of a packing crate that weighs more than me, and I can't really bend my right leg). Then I asked her for a class roster (can't bill a student for the class unless they sign in on the roster for some unknown reason) and she emailed it to me knowing I have no way to print it out. And even though I'm using my own company's facilities they charge me by the day $20 to use their shitty wireless internet. I can't bill the $20 charge because it isn't in the class contract so it's making training challenging because I can't show certain things.

I think the only way my company makes money is by charging itself for stupid shit.

If I could, I would be SIQ.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

effervescent

Last night I had a dream that my friend Joe brought me to this old theater (like a theater you would see in a western town). When we got there he handed me a play bill. It had a burgundy border and there was a black and white old looking picture of our friend David in the lower right corner, then a woman standing behind David with her hand on his shoulder (her nails were painted burgundy and they were in color), a younger woman standing behind her with lilac nail polish (in color), and a guy standing behind her in the shadows. I was like "what is this?" and Joe said "David has written and will be starring in a play". When I tilted the play bill a cartoon bubble showed up coming out of David's mouth and he was saying "do you think you can last on our depression era savings?"

Then Joe put on a black toupee and we went into the theater. I was wearing a white turtleneck and a fancy Chanel jacket (actually it was the jacket to a gray suit I owned a long time ago). The play started but it was in black and white (the stage curtains were in color, burgundy). I couldn't really see what was going on or hear anything, except David, who was mumbling and talking with a really bad southern accent.

Then it was suddenly intermission and Joe and I went out to lobby of the theater and everyone was having red wine. I ordered an Izzi grapefruit juice. Everyone in the lobby seemed upset that I was not drinking wine. I said "Oh, sorry, I thought it was Ramadan". And a guy said "No, that was last month." Then he turned to the woman standing next to him and said "Is she for real?" in a really sarcastic way.

I was upset that David wrote and was starring in a play without telling me so I decided I was going to rewrite a new slogan to get people to drink coffee. I came up with some great ideas and wrote them down on these little slips of white paper. But as soon as I tried to pick up the paper it dissolved. So I kept trying to fold the papers into different configurations but they would still dissolve. I then thought I might be drunk from drinking the grapefruit juice so I asked Joe to watch while I wrote a new slogan to see if the paper was really dissolving. He said "Of course it's dissolving. What did you expect when you drink an effervescent drink instead of wine?"

He kept lifting up his black toupee because it was suddenly hot inside the theater. I took off my jacket and Joe said "Oh my god, what's on your arms?" I looked and saw I was sweating coffee so I put my jacket back on. Then David went to the edge of the stage and said "This is the part of the play where we chase the dog." Suddenly we were out on a street in a family resort by the lake looking place. I was running down the street with a bunch of people from the play and could see this german shepard looking dog running ahead of me.

Then I ran out on this wooden bridge that went over the lake and everyone from the play started screaming "No! Stop!" I looked down and saw a bunch of eye balls protruding from the wooden planks of the bridge. Then a guy said "You are NOT ALLOWED to run there unless you are wearing RUNNING SHOES!" He was really mad at me. I looked down and saw I was wearing stilettos. I was embarrassed that I almost put out the eyes on the bridge with my shoes so I said to the guy "Well I'm not allowed to run in these shoes anyway".

I was so embarrassed I went into this cabin by the lake and my friend Trina was there talking on the phone and smoking. There was a bar attached to the cabin but when I poked my head in the door the lady who was tending bar, who was a total redneck looking person, said "we don't serve your kind in here". I was embarrassed again because I figured she was referring to how I almost stepped on the bridge eyeballs. So I went back to Trina's cabin and she was still talking on the phone, so I thought I would take my kindle outside to read but the battery was dead. Just then I saw a bunch of people from the play running out of a forest. I started thinking I should comb my hair so I looked nice when they got to the cabin. And suddenly a voice which was my voice came out of the sky and said loudly "You NEVER comb your hair!"

Then I woke up.

Monday, May 30, 2011

update on my dad

He's been walking around and has stopped taking any pain medication. The doctor said that he had to fart before he was allowed to eat anything but ice chips. Luckily, my dad is good at farting. He apparently farted some time yesterday afternoon and was allowed to eat some soup.

If all continues to go well, which I think it will, he is going to be released from the hospital tomorrow. I may get to see him when I fly to DC on Friday because he's planning to recuperate in Williamsburg rather than Cincinnati. The doc is going to take his staples out on Thursday and then let him know if he can travel.

The doc also said if my dad had waited another week to have surgery the cancer would have penetrated his lymph nodes. Luck was on his side, thankfully...

Friday, May 27, 2011

dad is okay

So my dad had surgery today to remove a kidney, part of his bladder, and some other stuff. His cancer was contained and he is going to be okay.


And he's planning on coming out to Colorado to go hiking with me this summer. Rock on dad.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

some sad news about my dad

Well, I'll just share the email my mom sent...

"On Friday, my husband Bob was diagnosed with cancer.  Fortunately, even though it was diagnosed as "aggressive", the Doctor believes that it is fully curable by surgery.  On this coming Thursday, May 26, he will be operated on.  His right Kidney, urethra (sp?) and a piece of his bladder where the urethra is connected will be removed.  The doctor is very optimistic for his full recovery, but needless to say, this is going to be a big trauma for Bob to get through."

Hoping for the best for my dad...today he went for a 40 mile bike ride, and yesterday he did the Indian Staircase in Red River Gorge. So I think he's ready for what ever cancer is going to throw at him, and he's still doing what he loves...

Sunday, May 15, 2011

that's not supposed to be there

The growth of bone on the side of my knee - jesus, how did I not notice that????

My neighbor Carol came over after my doctor's appointment on Friday. I was pretty upset but she made a lot of good points about how this is just one more thing I have to work through. I'm trying to look on the positive side of things. Like, now I have a good ending for my book. Zombie knee replaced by metal parts. I wonder if they could make me a mechanical knee recycled out of coke cans. I'm guessing you don't get to choose a color, but I'd like a pink mechanical knee. I don't care if I can't see it. I'll know it's pink and that would make me feel better.

Should have done research on mechanical knees today. Instead I tried to find some work clothes. I hate shopping. I didn't buy anything. Then I went for a walk which, these days, is getting hard to do. It feels like the top part of my leg is completely detached from the bottom part, and that I have a fracture running down the lateral side of my right shin. I got some topical analgesics at the pharmacy (and an unloader brace). The first one I tried, arthritis arrest, not only smelled hideous (baby powder - I don't know why but I HATE that smell, especially when guys smell like it) but it also burned my skin - not to be totally negative, it did reduce the swelling a lot. But I could barely sleep last night because the skin on my knee felt like it was on fire. I tried to wash it off but I guess that shit soaked into my skin. Now I'm using arnicare gel. It doesn't smell and doesn't burn my skin. It's helping a little bit, or maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

I did find a cool Kate Spade cover for the Kindle my parents bought me but I haven't ordered it yet. I downloaded some books but haven't practiced reading them yet. Still trying to get used to the idea of a Kindle...

Off to Vegas for two days, then Virginia for Wednesday - Friday. I am a little stressed out right now about my leg collapsing while I'm at a customer site. Well, I can only do what I can do and the bad shit will just make a funny story later.

Friday, May 13, 2011

MIA meniscus

I'm having one of those "are you fucking kidding me???????????" moments...

So I went to see the knee doc today. It was almost the reverse of what happened to me 12 years ago. When I went in for that knee problem the x-ray showed a huge hole where my lateral femur knuckle should have been.

This time, the x-ray showed a distended lateral femur knuckle bumping up against my tib/fib. The doc said the bone plug had bone growth which has slowly distorted my knee/femur. I asked where my cadaver meniscus might be (since there was no light of day between my femur and my tib/fib) and she said she didn't know. I asked if it might have dissolved over time or something, but she said that wasn't possible.

So, looks like my only option to be able to keep walking is to get a knee replacement. Bye bye zombie knee, hello metal fucked up robot knee. Ugh. I can't believe I'm so old that I can even get a mechanical knee.

Anyway, I go see a doctor on 16 June who is the doc for the Denver Nuggets. Maybe he'll have something better than the doc I saw today.

Robot knee = no climbing, running, skiing

I can bike and swim...which means, since I live out of a hotel, I do...what...for exercise. Maybe I can get a fake tan and start doing zumba.

I guess I should be grateful my cadaver knee lasted as long as it did. Me and my fake body parts had a good run. 11 years, which is way longer than any doctor thought it would last.

Fuck fuck fuck. Stupid fucking knee.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

do I look fat in this knee?

So annoying. My right knee blew up like a fucking parade float on Sunday. I can barely walk on it even today, after 2 days of rest and ice.

Going to see a doctor on Friday. It feels like the top part of my leg is completely disconnected from the bottom part of my leg. That's happened before, but normally it goes away in 24 hours...

Monday, May 9, 2011

some Paradox Rockx pics


Timmy O'Neill giving an attentive belay with Christa, Gabe, Faith, and Ethan (red jacket) in the background.

Christa's puppy curled up with her walking foot.

Tommy tries his backwards foot climbing strategy.

Tommy's prosthetic. I asked him if the hole was from getting shot at. It's not, it's from a rock.

Tommy's philosophy is that you can fix anything with duct tape. And that a betty boop sticker is the perfect adornment for a prosthetic.

The back of Tommy's leg. He wanted to make sure everyone saw the cool piston.

Chad Butrick, event organizer, climbing a route. Note that he has a sling going from his leg to his harness. That's because on a climb a few months ago, his leg fell off. With the sling he doesn't have to worry about losing it again.
Tommy and I in the parking lot next to the group camp site. You can tell he's a trouble maker.

Christa belaying Faith on a climb. She has the smallest feet ever (size 5 shoe) and has a specially designed prosthetic foot for climbing.

happy birthday Bob!

My brother Bob's birthday was on Sunday so I sent him some shirts from Banana Republic. I received this email from him on Sunday:

"I got the shirts you sent me.  Thanks!  I'll try to do something stupid while wearing each one and send you a photo."

I wonder if he's actually going to send me some photos...

Sunday, May 8, 2011

"the first move off the deck is a heel hook"

I had the BEST time climbing with Paradox Sports this weekend! Pics and stories to follow, but now I have to take a shower and get some sleep (got maybe 8 hours of sleep total this weekend).

Movie of Tommy Carroll, retired US Army, climbing with a backward foot...I met a lot of people this weekend that were really inspiring and amazing athletes, including Tommy, who designs prosthetics and has a wicked sense of humor...

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

so stop making fun of my eating habits...

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/new-eating-disorders-are-they-real

I can't help it if I'm a super taster, genetically superior to normal tasters...

"What is Adult Selective Eating? Like kids, adult picky eaters limit themselves to an extremely narrow range of foods. Unlike those who suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia, adult picky eaters are seemingly not worried about calorie counts or body image. But so far, researchers don’t know if adult picky eaters just haven’t outgrown childhood patterns or if their eating habits are a new twist on obsessive compulsive disorder. Some may be “supertasters,” with an abnormally acute sense of taste that turns them off certain foods. Many appear to have had unpleasant childhood associations with food."

So, fuck broccoli!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

why I need a raise

So here I am in Hartford, CT, working with a client. I thought it was a nice city but my client told me it's dangerous. I agree with him after my GPS took me through a bunch of crack neighborhoods to get home. In fact, he told me not to drive down Albany St. under any circumstances, and where do you think the GPS told me to turn...I drove down the street, it was like scary Baltimore areas near the performing arts center.

So, I'm supposed to be teaching an advanced programming class, but half the students have never seen the tool I'm teaching on. Most people use it for at least 6 months before taking the advanced class. There is a secretary in the class who wants to be a programmer. I'm trying to support her but...for fuck's sake. No smoking is allowed anywhere on the customer site, which is huge, including outside, because it's a company in healthcare. I had to walk a half mile to smoke at lunch. By the time I got out of there at 6 today I had the shakes from no nicotine.

I'm also supposed to be sharing a client in the evening (what, me have a life when I could be working) with another consultant who is a lying sack of shit. I meet with him before customer meetings to decide who will do what and the agenda for the meeting. Then he goes off the rails and proposes crazy stuff to the customer. Today I got an irate call from the customer's secretary because I missed an 11 am conference call meeting that the other consultant set up but failed to attend. A few points on that:

1. the fuck nut consultant did not invite me to the meeting so I didn't know about it
2. the fuck nut consultant knows I'm working during the day somewhere else
3. the fuck nut consultant told my customer's secretary "I know I set up the meeting but Franki was supposed to handle it" so I would get the blame for him missing the meeting

Like, should I rip his balls off? I would, if I thought he had any.

Anyway, I get to do this all again tomorrow.

I need a raise.

all the bird houses

In case anyone actually cares, here are all the bird houses. My mom painted two - the one with the flowers and the one with the blue roof. I had to put them in my garage because it was raining and the waterproof coating I put on them wasn't dry.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

rotation

So, I kept looking at Jesse's painting of the ice ax on Thursday night (http://blonstar40.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-painting.html). It didn't look right because the ax was on its side. So, I rotated the picture. I wonder if changing the direction of a picture pisses the artist off. I like the way it looks though.

bird houses

Today I finished painting the bird houses that I bought with my mom after my surgery.

 Lessons learned: it's more fun to paint them when my mom is here (tomorrow I'll post the ones we painted together). I called her while I was painting them and she said she wished we had done them together. The birds probably wish that too...

This is supposed to be a bird house for birds tripping on acid. I've never tripped on acid, but if I ever did, I would want to do it in a lavender and pink house.

This was supposed to be sort of a chinese bird house, for birds migrating from there. I was talking to my sister on the phone when I painted it. That's why I took the time to make shingles on it.

This was supposed to be sort of a Moroccan style bird house. I know, makes you wonder if craft stores should sell paints and unfinished bird houses to just anyone.

This was supposed to be a bird beach house. I can already hear my brother Steve making fun of it. Shut up Steve. Pretend it's a coal powered bird house.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

new paintings

Just bought two paintings from Jesse Crock (www.jessecrockart.com).

I know, I need to re-install software to clean up my crackberry pictures...
BTW, I was cranking in the gym this week. Today I climbed a 10+ that I thought would be too hard and it was not easy, but not challenging either.