Ok, part 1 wasn't too bad

Yesterday, had the filling drilled through (after numbing, of course) and sat through first step of a root canal. Dentist had a bit of a problem with one of the roots (a calcified cap), and after trying for a hour to clear it, he flushed it with anti-bacterial solution, then packed with with something specifically made to soften the cap, and allow for the rest to be removed later. Put a temporary filling in, and then went home.

I have to admit, I was feeling trepidation about pain returning. I don't know what it is about dental pain, but it seems to be less tolerable than pain in any other parts of the body. Luckily the only pain I had was residual from the procedure itself, rather than the nerve in the tooth. I do have to be careful about biting down on it, as the area is still sensitive. I should probably stick with soup until my jaw feel better.

Another thing: even though I intellectually know that modern dental procedures are more or less painless, there is an atavistic fear of dentistry. I have a great reason to be a bit skittish (even Dr C agreed I had every reason to be on edge after what some moron did to me years and years ago).

Good news/Bad News

Good news: the tooth isn't infected, isn't cracked, all teeth around it are fine.

Bad news: The old filling dropped in a bit, sitting on nerve/blood supply, causing pain.

Good news: go back tomorrow to start procedure for root canal. Also have some very strong antibiotic tablets, and some kick ass pain killers that I can take in conjunction with plain ibuprofen.

Dear Dental Office

Having severe tooth pain, and making appointment is cause enough for anxiety. Confirming it, me making arrangements to get there, then you calling me to say 'Oops, that time was blocked out, can you wait until tomorrow?' isn't good. If I could have waited until tomorrow I wouldn't have called you this morning.

And then I tell you "I had to use Jack Daniels, and felt like biting pillow and screaming into it" , you then suddenly shift, find an opening, but earlier than the first Oops appointment isn't doing a damned thing to enhance my inner calm

The Un-Xmas BBQ

Went up to Gary and Emily's place for a BBQ. Good friends getting together one more time before the end of the year.

We need to get the back yard cleaned of leaves, then get the house clean, and host one of these ourselves. But with Wing 's knee right now, and my back, there is no way we could get the grunt work done.

The absence of pain is nice

I have two teeth that are heat/cold sensitive. I took a big swallow of coffee, and it was instant toothache. And it didn't subside for about 40 minutes. It's blessedly gone now.

I know dentists prefer to have people keep their natural teeth, but this is getting more than annoying. I'm almost to the point I would prefer to have the two molars (one on the top, one on the bottom) removed. *sigh*

That was much less painless

With the assistance of a very good trusted friend living in the US, I have ordered from Amazon Adobe PSE v10. Because it was over $25 free shipping to her. Then, when it's convenient for her, she will repack it and send it to me here.

The bonus is this: Adobe site was offering it for $79. Amazon offered it for $59. Even with about $10 to 12 in shipping to me, I still end up spending less. Actually, less than half the amount the Adobe Australia site was demanding. With that level of saving money, I'm quite willing to wait 3 or so weeks.

Not unexpected

Wing 's knee is hurting him more today than it had been in the past few. I was completely unsympathetic this time. His knee was getting and feeling better, he was told by the physio-terrorist to take it easy, what and when he could do exercises , but he stupidly chose to ignore all of that and go his merry. Now, he pays the price.

yeah yeah, all right, I'm not so hard hearted, but he did get a right proper verbal reaming from me, and every time he tried to weasel out of it by trying to rationalize his idiotic behavior.

And here we thought we had gotten through his thick skull

I just got off the phone with Wing. First thing out of him mouth was "Please don't be mad at me."

Like that augurs well?

What, says I.

He informs me he tries a few 'gentle aikido moves', and the sheer pain of it brought tears to his eyes, and almost dropped him to the floor.

Ok, Friends of Wing.. have the f**k at him!

Fuming

I have had an Adobe account for close to 15 yrs. Or at least since before I moved from the US.

Today I went to take advantage of the $20 off Adobe Photoshop Elements v10. Full version $79 dollars. Since I have been having trouble with v9 not wanting to update the camera raw (no advice please, did it all already, totally stymied support too).

I get through the check out procedure only to keep getting error. After third attempt, I clicked on LIVE CHAT and asked why.

I was told told that I have to buy it from the Australian Adobe store. Umm ok.

So, off I went. This is what has me fuming.

Price at the US Store:



Price at the Australia Store:



Almost twice the f***ing price. There's no need as there is no shipping, and it's a digital download, probably from the same servers!

So, Adobe, F&&k off, I will stay with my buggy v9 until I can figure out how to work around this attempt to rip people off.

14 mins and climbing

Went for bike ride today. Wing seemed a bit surprised, but I prefer to do it before it gets too hot, or the traffic too heavy.

I went into the park, rode the bike path up to North Lake Road. Then turned around, and headed to Samson Primary. I ended up not turning on the left part of the bike path to Samson Primary, and headed to McCombe Ave. Then turned up to head to the school, then up the hill to Anglesey, then home. I am much more comfortable with the gear shifting, and how to turn the motor assist off and just pedal, and when to flick it back on to get me up steep hills.

Right leg: muscles are a bit annoyed and complaining. Silver lining: Left leg is probably complaining too, but I just can't feel it. :D

Have spoken to Mark from Hire-A-Hubby to get a small wedge ramp for the shed. This way, I can get wheeled things (branch mulcher, electric scooter, bike) in and out easier.

Keito is totally blissed out

Loki decides Keito need a bit more grooming.

Zoom zoom! (more like hum hum)

Wing got my yule gift early for me. The electric bike that saved Alan's life (had he been on regular bike he would have gone under the car that hit him, rather than get shoved and tumbled) has been replaced by a 'new and improved' version.

What's really great about this version is it can be set true electric assist, motor only works if you're pedaling. Yes, it does have an always on, but I wanted assistance with my left leg, not having the bike do it all for me. And I can change gears!

It was delivered yesterday. Gent asked me if I had a bike lock. Loved the look on his face when he saw the one I had. You would need a cutting torch to get through it quickly. True, you could use bolt cutters or a hacksaw, but by the time you got about 1/4 the way through it, someone would notice you were up to no good.

Went out this morning, bright and early so it wasn't too hot and stuffy, and went for about a 10 minute ride. Up some shallow hills, zooming down some, then up some steeper grades (anyone who knows what my neighborhood is like knows what it's like). It was great. A bit scary, as it's the first time I have been on a full sized bike in a long time.

Hoping to do the same thing tomorrow, and then start extending it by a few minutes every time until I can go riding for an hour or more at a clip.
My new ride:

Hail and fare thee well to my Lumix TZ10

It still works as well as it always did, but my standards for what I want a photo to look like have gone up to the point when I take a photo with the Lumix, I find it lacking. Because of using pro level lenses and cameras, I'm quicker to spot artifacts, pixelations, and excessive noise/distortions. I really noticed it with the WCC holiday party photographs.

Wing and I headed to Camera Electronics to get some gift certificates for two fellow budding shutterbugs. I had brought my prepaid Visa card (rebate for AC installation) which was going to expire, and I started looking at the other point&shoots. I did stray over to the Lumix brand, but again thought of how I have tried two of them, and each one falling short of the mark, and not really wanting to go through that again. Don't get me wrong, they are great for every day happy snappers, or average user, but for what I wanted it for, no.

So, waited until someone was available, and told him what I was looking for, and what I needed. Also told him price wasn't really an issue, as the prepaid card would take care of most of it. The most salient point was I had to have good photo quality. Zoom is good, but there is no use for 10x zoom when you get artifacts, distortions and severe noise. A 5x zoom with sharp clear images is fine by me! It was down to three cameras. A Fuji X10, the Canon Powershot G12, and Canon Powershot S95.

I tried them all out. Both the Canon cameras took identically great photos. The S95 shot in RAW and had a built in ND filter, was quick to be ready between shots. I did find the S95 a bit fiddly and small. I know small is good, but not when your hands get in their own way trying to set it up. I liked the Fuji, especially that f/2.0 feature. It was easy to navigate, and took great photos. I also liked the Canon G12, not only picture quality, but built in ND filter. Each one was full of pros, each one had at least one 'con', but the con could easily overcome if one knows what to do.

So, it came down to these three. I asked Saul "You know what I do, and you know what quality I need even a 'point and shoot' to do. Price isn't a problem, neither is having to learn the bells and whistles, because I would have to so that with either one (have to do that was different models of Canon already, so that's not a hardship), so which one would you seriously recommend."

He put his had on one, the 'middle' priced one and told me "This is the one I have sold to professional photographers to use as a back up camera." It wasn't the most expensive one, but after all the trying, and with that recommendation, I selected the Canon Powershot G12. And here's why:


Lumix TZ10 Sample: indoor lighting, not overly well lit, flash needed. You can see the 'fuzzy' noise and artifacts, edges blurred.



Canon G12 sample: again, indoor lighting, not overly well lit, flash needed.




The different between the two is striking. Neither was processed, no noise reduction or image improvements. WYSIWYG.

So, will be boxing up the Lumix w/ extra battery, etc and putting it up for adoption (sale).

Time Lapse of Dec 10th Lunar Eclipse

The moon will appear to 'tilt on occasion, but that is me repositioning the camera.

Dear Aus Post delivery guy

You might be a sneaky bastard, but I'm even sneakier... well, more observant.

I was working on photos, and I heard a faint putt putt putt of a diesel engine. I open the curtain and look out. What do I see? The Aus Post driver slowing going PAST the end of my driveway. That's right, past, not up into, but on the street going by.

I looked the guy square in the eye, and he then stopped, and made light of his antics "I saw you looking out the window!". As there was no signature needed for this parcel, he should have brought it up and placed it near the door.

With the upcoming holidays, this sort of bullshit is going to make many people upset, and wasting their time standing in lines at the Post Office because of a SORRY WE MISSED YOU card (if they're lucky enough to have even gotten one), and maybe even leading to gifts going astray.

I will keep lurking and pouncing as needed until this guy, who isn't the 'regular' delivery guy, gets the message.

I don't f**king believe it

I just got an email from step father, one of those "LETS SHOW OBAMA WE ARE A CHRISTIAN NATION" pieces of crap. I replied concisely and politely, but firm.

Sorry, but the United States is not a "Christian Nation". Never has been. Just check the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Not one mention of Jesus. Also, there is the matter of the Treaty of Tripoli, where it flat out states the US is NOT a Christian Nation.


Treaty of Tripoli:
Article 11
"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Repeating the lie that it is a "Christian Nation" over and over will not make it true.

The Founding fathers were secular Deists, not Christians. Yes, they graduated from 'seminaries', but way back then, seminaries were the only place higher education was available.

So sorry, this "Forwarded Email" stops here, I won't be passing it along.

*S*

Lunar Eclipse - From Beginning to end Dec 11 2011

Lunar Eclipse - Dec 11 2011, a set on Flickr.

Each one is about a 5 minute increments (+/- 1 minute). Some photos, the sunlit part of the moon was 'center stage' and in the rest, the "blood moon" was. There are a few that aren't as sharp and clear, due to thin high clouds. Overall, a great photo session! Enjoy!

Farewell

Harry Morgan, Colonel Potter on ‘M*A*S*H,’ Dies at 96



Harry Morgan, the prolific character actor best known for playing the acerbic but kindly Colonel Potter in the long-running television series “M*A*S*H,” died on Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96.

As sad as this is, 96 is a good long run.

Dear Universe.. I hope you are having a great belly laugh

Wing underwent surgery on his knee to fix a meniscus tear. His knee is sore, but the prognosis is good. Or will be if he stops being stubborn about healing program and time.

What the quirky Universe might be laughing at is that I seem to have screwed up my knee in my role as duty nurse. Ok, Universe, enough is enough with the practical jokes. KThanxbai!

Now that was a Thunderstorm

There was a clap of thunder so close to the house, that it shook the globe from a light fixture right off the ceiling, sending it to smash on the stone floor. Took a while to get all the shattered crystal pieces off the floor.

Then there was Ziggy, whose exit was so fast, I think we felt the vacuum/pop of her exit as she dashed into the closet. Then she yowled in complaint.

Wing thought he was going have his birthday slide by without any notice. I disabused him of that by bringing one Tim Tam on a plate, and singing "Happy Birthday" to him.

Told Wing to go have a lie down

I think it's a side effect of overdoing it yesterday, but Wing had a bit of a dizzy spell. Made him sit on the sofa until it passed. His leg is also throbbing like hell. That's because he is trying to tough it out instead of following Rx orders of taking pain meds ever 6 hrs. *sigh*

Of course he didn't stay horizontal that long, maybe 15 minutes. He doesn't understand what the meaning of REST means.

You know he is hurting

When Wing voluntarily asks for pain meds, you know he is one hurting unit. I told him that we should have hired a car with auto transmission, because the driving a manual and going grocery shopping, then visiting his mom would be doing too much.

I don't get to say this often to him.. but this time, he deserves it. "I told you so."

Wing is home

Very dopey, sore, and exhausted. I have put him to bed, and am betting he sleeps through the night. Helluva day. First scheduled surgery had a complication, and ended up taking much longer than it should have. That caused a chain reaction, making all the subsequent surgeries start later than scheduled.

Wing was (I think mostly due to apprehension) very short tempered and foul mouthed. It got to the point I told him he was no longer allowed to get on my case about me using 'bad words', and I started putting my hand over his mouth when a nurse walked by. This language wasn't because he was on drugs. That I would just chuckle at, and then ignore.

Waiting close to a half an hour for a cab to get home. Not good at all. But now, he is home, safely tucked in. Seeing as I have been up since 4:30, I'm quite sure I will be crashing soon, too.

Set and ready to go

The only problem with Wing being the first on the surgical schedule is the getting up at false dawn. Been up over an hour already.

Did a bit of a walk about through Fremantle, taking photos of the "Projections on High". Might have been a bit too much after me sweeping and cleaning the back yards, partially setting up the pool (consisted of lugging things outside, spreading out ground/brick covers so the folds and wrinkles would smooth out) and doing a ton of chores. Slept really well, although not many hours. Only a wee bit groggy.

Tomorrow is "W.S." day

Wings' Surgery day. Wing goes to have a damaged knee repaired. We have to get up at Dark o'clock tomorrow, to get there early. Will be making sure tablet fully charged, as I have to go with him. He need to have someone there to accompany him to make sure he gets home.

Was planning on having Alan help me set up the pool today, but turns out he had plans. Wanted it set up so Wing would have it to float should he need to relieve the knee. Chances are he wouldn't use it, but it should be available.

Updating can be sort of painless.. sometimes

Just updated Firefox to the latest non-beta version. Once again, tried and true addons were disabled. A quick download/install of Mr Tech Toolkit fixed that. 

Getting ready to head to the Perth Zoo this afternoon for a few hours. As much as early in the day is better (and cooler) we really don't want to have to fight gaggles of screaming kids, especially in the nocturnal house.  Some critters are shy enough without having ill behaving kids being allowed by their parent(s) to pound on the glass, or scream E above High C just for giggles. I don't mind or mean excited kids. Excited kids aren't 'ill behaved'.

JiveLournal (yes, intentional juxtaposition of letters)

It's been having quite a for DOS attacks, and other issues.

My take: this is what you get when you allow anyone with a disposable hotmail address to create a free account. Spammers, porn, you name it. It was much better when it was invite codes and pay to sign up. Yes, I do understand the wanting of more users, but they went about it the wrong way.

I have 'opened' yet another blog, and have imported from about 2006 until present into it. Won't be an issue about posting, as I use a blogging program. Type it out onces, click on post, and it goes to all at once. And I don't have to worry about the web based updater eating the post!

Las Vegas Show Stopper - The Telethon Adventurers

Las Vegas Show Stopper - The Telethon Adventurers, a set on Flickr.

It was an amazing experience, and it was truly an honor to take part in it.