Briggs Family

Survived another year

2012-02-16T18:51:00.003-05:00

And yes, I do literally mean survived another year.

Just this last week I went into the hospital for chest pain that didn't want to go away.

After spending the night and being stress tested, all they could conclusively prove is that my pulse is high and I'm out of shape.

They theorize that I had a partial blockage, less than 50%, that cleared itself.

I'm going to start walking at lunch, rain or shine. Heck, I'm a Scout, so why should rain & snow bother me?

Along that thought, I finally invested in a custom plate for the truck.

For those who have trouble decoding it: Eagle Scout, Troop 405

Knees

2012-02-03T15:14:00.003-05:00

Didn't realize how long it has been since I posted here. The day before Thanksgiving I sprained my foot and was put in an Aircast walking boot. That thing was uncomfortable and cause me to walk a little weird. It caused my right knee to get aggravated and thus increasing the pain. My ankle/foot is slowly getting better. Currently it is in a thinner brace and recently started physical therapy.

I was finally able to get into see my orthopedic surgeon yesterday about my right knee. Mike and I talked to the surgeon about possible surgery. My doctor would like to put off surgery for as many years as possible. He said my situation is tricky. The arthritis is primarily in my knee caps and doing a total knee replacement on either knee will not necessarily help the pain at all. It is kinda a let down and depressing to hear that. I was able to get a prescription for a little stronger pain med and also got a cortisone shot in my right knee. The numbing medication in the shot helped right away, but of course has worn off....just waiting for the cortisone to kick in. Hopefully this will help for a few weeks.

Knee Surgery

2011-09-10T19:12:00.001-04:00

In 2008, I had a partial knee replacement on my left knee. It has been hurting a lot the past few months & just getting worse. I saw my orthopedic surgeon (OS) on Friday. After he did a LOT of poking & prodding....it has been decided that I need surgery on it again. This will be my 8th surgery on this knee. It is to only be a scope, he thinks the meniscus repaired & possible scar tissue repaired. It will be scheduled as soon as my OS's office gets all the clearance reports (lab work, chest x-rays & okay from my general physician). I will see my physician this coming Thursday. Hoping my surgery will be in the next month. I am looking forward to surgery, SO looking forward to it!

-Lovice

Just been thinking

2011-07-21T12:03:00.002-04:00

First off, I want y'all to know that I am not writing this to complain or say "woe is me". I just have this strong feeling that I need to share.

I was recently thinking about the last couple years. I have dealt w/ depression for the past 10yrs. I am one of many that has to be on medication to help keep my serotonin at a normal level (aka helping me to keep the depression at a level able to deal with). With all the surgeries & pain I have had, it just made it more & more difficult to handle. Part of it being that I have been stuck inside WAY to LONG. I have not been able to be active, because it would cause tremendous pain & would take 2-3 days to recover from. Mike has been a loving & supportive husband, doing everything he could to help pull me out. Some days all he could do was let me cry on his shoulder for hours. Over the past 2 years, I have more instances of the deeper depression. Meaning I would cry most of the day, not do anything & even have a difficult time forcing myself to get out of bed. Lately things have been getting better.

I love my two babies (Andre & Sprinkles) so much, but Sprinkles really was what I needed. My depression was getting worse...just in a DOWNWARD spiral. When we first adopted our cat Andre, he helped some with my depression, not much though. When we got Sprinkles, it just changed things. Her spunky, pistol attitude rubbed off. Mike & my parents have even noticed the change in my mood. I feel more control over the depression, instead of the reverse. It is nice to feel like I am getting more & more control over my life. I am incredibly thankful that the Lord lead my mom to pick Sprinkles from that litter of kittens being given away outside of Walmart. I am thankful that my mom followed those promptings. Not only has Sprinkles helped me, but she has also helped Andre. His is slowly adapting to his new home here & he began progressing faster after she joined our family.

I want to thank all of my family & friends for their support through all I have dealt with & I know they will be there for the things that are still coming. THANKS AGAIN & I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!! <3 <3

Lovice :-)

Quick update

2011-07-03T07:22:00.001-04:00

Things are going good. We got a new little girl. Her name is Sprinkles. Andre just loves her, they are best buds!

The Pledge

2011-06-08T19:39:00.002-04:00

I have a personal pet peeve with the reciting of The Pledge of Allegiance.

Why is it that people seem to insist on putting a pause between the two phrases "one nation" and "under god"?

The actual text reads "one nation under god," with no punctuation in the middle. No excuse to stop.

As a unit commissioner, I've attended two pack meetings in the last week where I've had to have the boys pull out their scout handbook and reread the text.

The only way to correct this atrocious habit that society teaches is to point out to people their mistake when they make it.

Please don't let me catch you making this mistake.

- Mike

Sick

2011-04-17T01:50:00.001-04:00

I had my surgery about 2.5 weeks ago, to put a permanent stimulator in my back. Getting great results for the nerve pain due to the CRPS....around 90%-95%! This past Wednesday I was at the doctor for my monthly blood tests for iron & vitamin D....ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia :-( . Now just trying to rest & get better.

This weekend Mike is out camping for some training for the Boy Scouts. He is having the joy of sleeping in a tent & it has rained most of the weekend. Plus it is just barely above freezing right now. Hoping he has a good time, but doesn't get sick.

Other then sick...things are going well.

Lovice :*)

Quick pic of our new Kitty

2011-04-09T04:44:00.001-04:00

This is Andre...the most recent addition to our family. He is slowly getting use to us. Very nice boy & so beautiful. His eyes are a shade of orange, similar to his coat.

fairwell Petra

2011-03-27T15:16:00.003-04:00

RIP Petra

2002 - 2011

From Animals

Birthdays & Pain

2011-02-27T13:39:00.001-05:00

This month Mike & I both had a birthday….getting yet again, another year older. The first of the month I turned 32, catching up to Mike for a couple of weeks. Mike has been wanting to take me to a Japanese steakhouse for awhile. There is one in Brighton, the next city to the East, but time & finances never would be in sync. This year they finally were. For my birthday he took me to Sagano’s Japanese Steakhouse. Mike had told me about the cooking style, but it was different to see it in person! It was awesome being able to watch & interact with the chef while he was making our meals. The show was impressive, but the food was AWESOME! We both had a combination meal of grilled shrimp & filet mignon. There was SO much food that I took more then half of mine home. I am normally like that though with restaurant meals, just get full easily. I enjoyed my left overs the next day, as well as my dad did too…..LOL.

We weren’t too sure what to do for Mike’s birthday a couple of weeks later. My birthday dinner kinda dented our budget for eating out. Everything ended up working out great. My wonderful in-laws, Brenda & Clark, gave me a gift card to Olive Garden! Only one of my top favorite restaurants. Mike & I decided to use that as his birthday meal. It was so nice to have a couple of date nights. We don’t get out much, even though we try. Mostly ends up being my fault, due to my leg pain. Just the movement of the car on the road aggravates my leg pain, of course increasing the pain & making me miserable company. So, we both began another year of life…which is always a good thing!

I have such a sweet husband. He knows I love to read, but books get kind of cumbersome. Especially when I have surgeries & doctors appointments. So, for Valentine’s Day Mike surprised me with an Amazon Kindle. I have only had it for a couple of weeks, but I love the thing! It is very easy to use & I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read. I just finished reading my first full book on it….the new adaptation of “Red Riding Hood”. It is based on the movie coming out in March. I loved the book, so really looking forward to seeing the movie.

The Kindle came in handy the past week. On Friday, the 18th, I was finally able to have the trial of the Spinal Cord Stimulator. The picture shows the product that I will be implanted with. For my trial the leads were inserted in my spine, with the wires connecting to the battery pack outside my body. Then I had the remote to control the intensity of the electric current. Before getting the trial, I was nervous, scared & excited…all at the same time. I knew this was going to work & be the answer. The nervousness & fear came from the unknown, not knowing exactly what was to happen. I am SO glad I decided to allow the trial. My doctor & physical therapist were hoping for a 50% reduction in my pain…heck I would have been thrilled with that. The pain reduction was closer to 85-90%! It was such an amazing feeling, to have hardly any leg pain! I had forgotten what it was like to not have that pain, so when I had that reduction in pain….I was unsure of what to do & how to act. I couldn’t do much due to the restrictions because of the device. I wasn’t able to bend or twist at the waist for the duration of the trial, because there was a chance that movement could move the leads.

One activity really showed how well the stimulator worked. When we go to the grocery store, I normally ride in one of the electric carts because the walking (on average 30-40 minutes) would put me in horrendous pain. While I had the trial, we made one of our trips. I chose to walk…knowing this would be a test of how the stimulator really worked in a normal & regular activity. This trip was so different for the past 2 years. After walking the store for 30 or so minutes, I had more back pain from the surgery site then I did leg pain. My leg pain was hardly there. It was an amazing feeling to finally not feel much of anything. Well, I had a tingling feeling that replaces the pain signal.

After 1 week I had to get the trial stimulator removed. There are various reasons why it can’t be left in place. Partly due to risk of infection, since it gave a straight shot to my spinal column. I knew I would have the device removed, I thought I was ready for it. I wasn’t ready for it…not even close. I had forgot what it felt like to have minimal pain, so it was so hard having the relief taken away & the pain given back. The past 2 days I have been in a depressed mood, because of the pain being back. But I know that I will get the permanent device. It is just a matter of time. Monday I have to call the neurosurgeon to start the process. I have to keep reminding myself that I can make it through the remaining time of pain. I have a great support system. Mike is such an amazing husband, he is my rock so much of the time. I am so blessed to have him…it takes a special man to be able to handle all that I go through. When I am in such bad pain…I tend to get a really bad attitude. I don’t mean to & don’t realize my tone until after the words have left my mouth. I apologize as soon as I realize how I said something…Mike always tells me not to worry about it, that he knows it is the pain talking & not me. I love him so much. One day I will be able to return that favor. I also have great support from my parents, in-laws & friends. The Lord is always with me, helping me through. I know the end of this pain is in sight.

Info on CPRS/RSD

2011-01-27T17:55:00.003-05:00

I thought this was very relevant. It explains what CPRS/RSD is & how it can effect someone.

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Found at: http://www.rsdfoundation.org/

“REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY SYNDROME
(RSD / CRPS)

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD) is also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). RSD / CRPS is a multi-symptom, multi-system, syndrome usually affecting one or more extremities, but may affect virtually any part of the body. Although it was clearly described 125 years ago by Drs. Mitchell, Moorehouse and Keen, RSD / CRPS remains poorly understood and may go unrecognized.
The best way to describe RSD / CRPS is in terms of an injury to a nerve or soft tissue (e.g. broken bone) that does not follow the normal healing path. The development of RSD / CRPS does not appear to depend on the magnitude of the injury. In fact, the injury may be so slight that the patient may not recall ever having received an injury. For reasons we do not understand, the sympathetic nervous system seems to assume an abnormal function after an injury. There is no single laboratory test to diagnose RSD / CRPS. Therefore, the physician must assess and document both subjective complaints (medical history) and, if present, objective findings (physical examination), in order to support the diagnosis. There is a natural tendency to rush to the diagnosis of RSD / CRPS with minimal objective findings because early diagnosis is critical. If undiagnosed and untreated, RSD / CRPS can spread to all extremities, making the rehabilitation process a much more difficult one. If diagnosed early, physicians can use mobilization of the affected extremity (physical therapy) and sympathetic nerve blocks to cure or mitigate the disease. If untreated, RSD / CRPS can become extremely expensive due to permanent deformities and chronic pain. There are no studies showing that RSD / CRPS affects the patient's life span. The potential exists for long-term financial consequences. At an advanced state of the illness, patients may have significant psychosocial and psychiatric problems, they may have dependency on narcotics and may be completely incapacitated by the disease. The treatment of patients with advanced RSD is a challenging and time-consuming task.

Diagnosis
If one can demonstrate major nerve damage associated with the development of RSD / CRPS symptoms, the condition is called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type II or causalgia. Generally, causalgia provides more objective evidence of disease due to neurological changes (numbness and weakness).
The terms complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I and type II have been used since 1995, when the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) felt the respective names reflex sympathetic dystrophy and causalgia were inadequate to represent the full spectrum of signs and symptoms. ^1-8 The term "Complex" was added to convey the reality that RSD and causalgia express varied signs and symptoms. Many publications, particularly older ones, still use the names RSD and causalgia. To facilitate communication and understanding the designation RSD / CRPS is generally used throughout these practice guidelines. The principles applicable to the diagnosis and management of RSD are similar to those principles applicable to the diagnosis and management of causalgia.
To make the early diagnosis of RSD / CRPS, the practitioner must recognize that some features/manifestations of RSD / CRPS are more characteristic of the syndrome than others, and that the clinical diagnosis is established by piecing each bit of the puzzle together until a clear picture of the disorder emerges. Often the physician needs to rule out other potentially life-threatening disorders that may have clinical features similar to RSD / CRPS, e.g. a blood clot in a leg vein or a breast tumor spreading to lymph glands can cause a swollen, painful extremity. Indeed, RSD / CRPS may be a component part of another disease, (e.g. a herniated disc of the spine, carpal tunnel syndrome of the hand, heart attack). Thus, treating RSD / CRPS will often be directed to treating clinical features rather than a well defined disease. When RSD / CRPS spreads the diagnosis can be more complicated. For example, if it spreads to the opposite limb, it may be more difficult to establish a diagnosis because there is no normal side (control) to compare for objective findings. On the other hand, the spreading of RSD / CRPS symptoms may actually facilitate the diagnosis of RSD / CRPS because spreading symptoms is a characteristic of the disorder.

Clinical Features of RSD / CRPS

Pain - The hallmark of RSD / CRPS is pain and mobility problems out of proportion to those expected from the initial injury. The first and primary complaint occurring in one or more extremities is described as severe, constant, burning and/or deep aching pain. All tactile stimulation of the skin (e.g. wearing clothing, a light breeze) may be perceived as painful. Repetitive tactile stimulation (e.g. tapping on the skin) may cause increasing pain with each tap and when the repetitive stimulation stops, there may be a prolonged after-sensation of pain. There may be diffuse tenderness or point-tender spots in the muscles of the affected region due to small muscle spasms called muscle trigger points. There may be spontaneous sharp jabs of pain in the affected region that seem to come from nowhere.
Skin changes - skin may appear shiny (dystrophy-atrophy), dry or scaly. Hair may initially grow coarse and then thin. Nails in the affected extremity may be more brittle, grow faster and then slower. Faster growing nails is almost proof that the patient has RSD / CRPS. RSD / CRPS is associated with a variety of skin disorders including rashes, ulcers and pustules. Although extremely rare, some patients have required amputation of an extremity due to life-threatening reoccurring infections of the skin. Abnormal sympathetic activity may be associated with skin that is either warm or cold to touch. The patient may perceive sensations of warmth or coolness in the affected limb without even touching it. The skin may show increased sweating or increased chilling of the skin with goose flesh. Changes in skin color can range from a white mottled appearance to a red or blue appearance. Changes in skin color (and pain) can be triggered by changes in the room temperature, especially cold environments. However, many of these changes occur without any apparent provocation. Patients describe their disease as though it had a mind of its own.
Swelling - pitting or hard (brawny) edema is usually diffuse and localized to the painful and tender region. If the edema is sharply demarcated on the surface of the skin along a line, it is almost proof that the patient has RSD / CRPS. However, some patients will show a sharply demarcated edema because they tie a band around the extremity for comfort. Therefore, one has to be certain that the sharply demarcated edema is not due to a previously wrapped bandage around the extremity.
Movement Disorder - Patients with RSD / CRPS have difficulty moving because they hurt when they move. In addition, there seems to be a direct inhibitory effect of RSD / CRPS on muscle contraction. Patients describe difficulty in initiating movement, as though they have "stiff" joints. This phenomena of stiffness is most noticeable to some patients after a sympathetic nerve block when the stiffness may disappear. Decreased mobilization of extremities can lead to wasting of muscles (disuse atrophy). Some patients have little pain due to RSD / CRPS but instead they have a great deal of stiffness and difficulty initiating movement. Tremors and involuntary severe jerking of extremities may be present. Psychological stress may exacerbate these symptoms. Sudden onset of muscle cramps (spasms) can be severe and completely incapacitating. Some patients describe a slow "drawing up of muscles" in the extremity due to increased muscle tone leaving the hand-fingers or foot-toes in a fixed position. This muscle disorder is called dystonia and it can be extremely disabling.
Spreading Symptoms - Initially, RSD / CRPS symptoms are generally localized to the site of injury. As time progresses, the pain and symptoms tend to become more diffuse. Typically, the disorder starts in an extremity. However, the pain may occur in the trunk or side of the face. On the other hand, the disorder may start in the distal extremity and spread to the trunk and face. At this stage of the disorder, an entire quadrant of the body may be involved. Maleki et. al. recently described three patterns of spreading symptoms in RSD / CRPS:
1. A "continuity type" of spread where the symptoms spread upward from the initial site, e.g. from the hand to the shoulder.
2. A "mirror-image type" where the spread was to the opposite limb.
3. An "independent type" where symptoms spread to a separate, distant region of the body. This type of spread may be spontaneous or related to a second trauma.
Bone changes - X-rays may show wasting of bone (patchy osteoporosis) or a bone scan may show increased or decreased uptake of a certain radioactive substance (technecium 99m) in bones after intravenous injection.
Duration of RSD / CRPS - The duration of RSD / CRPS varies, in mild cases it may last for weeks followed by remission; in many cases the pain continues for years and in some cases, indefinitely. Some patients experience periods of remission and exacerbation. Periods of remission may last for weeks, months, or years.

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I have CPRS type 1. My orthopedic surgeon thought I had CPRS very early on. I had some of the tell tale signs of it, change in temp of my leg, change in hair growth, a reddening on the leg & swelling. It took awhile to find the right doctor who could verify it was. I like the last sentence above “Patients describe their disease as though it had a mind of it’s own.” I feel this is so true. The disease doesn’t have one way it works, I never know when or where or how it might get aggravated & increase the pain. The reason that the sympathetic nerves blocks didn’t work well for me, is that my CPRS was not caught early enough. It had too much time to advance & has began to spread to my other leg. But I have full faith & trust in Heavenly Father that this spinal cord stimulator will work.

Well....

2011-01-27T15:58:00.003-05:00

I know that I am not the best at given updates, but thought it was time.

Mike recently had his work contract extended by 22 days, which is awesome! We are so trilled, it may be just 22 days, but that is 2 pay checks. Last week I guess I came down with some kinda of stomach bug. I spent last Thursday with my head over the trash can most of the day. Feels nice to finally be able to eat food again without it making me nauseous.

I have some great news! I got the call yesterday to schedule my spinal cord stimulator trial! It is set for February 18th!! I am so happy & relieved, but also nervous. Nervous because it is surgery. But if it works they way we are hoping, it could completely change my life! I am not expecting it to take the pain away completely, but even for it to take a percentage away would be wonderful. This is the latest news.....

Lovice

Helpful Info

2010-12-14T17:37:00.001-05:00

I found this information about the spinal cord stimulator trial. Thought some of you might be interested in what is entailed.

Home Care after Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial

The spinal cord stimulator trial is used to find out if this treatment will reduce your pain. You will go home with your trial leads in place. The trial most often lasts one week.

Your feedback during the trial is vital to your doctors.

See the physical therapist during the trial to find out if your function is improved with the treatment.
Fill out the Pain Log for the length of the trial.
Reduce and keep track of your pain medicines as instructed by your doctor.
Learn what settings of spinal cord stimulation work for you as you adjust the controller in response to your activities, body positions, and changes in pain.

You may have pain in your back where the leads exit. It is okay to use Tylenol^® or ice to ease this pain. Avoid aspirin which increases bleeding. You will need to carefully watch your symptoms to decide what pain is caused by inserting the spinal cord stimulator and what pain is your normal, chronic pain.

You will need to restrict your activities during the trial period. This is so the leads in your back don’t move. If the leads move too much, you can lose stimulation.

Do not drive. Limit riding in the car to those trips that are absolutely necessary.
Do not raise your arms above your head.
Do not twist, bend, or stretch your body at the waist. When rolling over, keep your body straight. Sitting in a chair is fine as long as you are careful.
Do not make any sudden movements.
Do not lift items weighing more than 5 pounds.
Do not strain when moving your bowels. Take laxatives if needed.

You will have an incision in your back where the spinal cord stimulator leads exit. This will be covered by a bandage. You will need to take very good care of the site to avoid complications like infection or bleeding.

Keep the area covered for the entire trial with the original bandage. If the bandage becomes soiled, dislodged, or wet you will need to call the Interventional Pain team.
You may not shower, soak in the tub, or go swimming for the time of the trial. You are encouraged to keep yourself clean with sponge baths.
You will need to watch the site to make sure everything is healing well. Look at the site daily. Do not remove the bandage. Call the Interventional Pain team if you have
- Pus-like drainage.
- Fever (oral temperature greater than 100.4° F or 38.0° C for two readings taken 4 hours apart).
- Site is red or warm to touch.
- Excess swelling, bruising, or bleeding.
- Pain you cannot control.

You will need to return in one week to discuss the results of your trial. Your trial spinal cord stimulator leads will be removed at this visit. If you lose stimulation at any time during the trial call the clinic.

*Lovice*

Sacrament talk on Honesty

2010-11-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

First off, I would like to give thanks & credit to my husband Mike for his help on this talk. The last couple of weeks have really been bad for me in the pain department. I thank you so much for your help & Heavenly Father’s help. I was asked to speak today about honesty. At first I didn’t know where exactly to start. I first asked myself, what is honesty? In your generic dictionary, honesty is defined as uprightness, fairness, truthfulness, sincerity & freedom from deceit or fraud. It is hard to stay on the topic of honesty, because it is so closely linked to trust & integrity.

In a 2001 issue of the Friend, Pres. James E. Faust said “We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving. John, a nine-year-old Swiss pioneer child who was in one of the handcart companies, is an example of honesty. His father put a chunk of buffalo meat in the handcart and said it was to be saved for Sunday dinner. John said, “I was so very hungry and the meat smelled so good to me while pushing at the handcart that I could not resist. I had a little pocket knife. … Although I expected a severe whipping when father found it out, I cut off little pieces each day. I would chew them so long that they got white and perfectly tasteless. When father came to get the meat he asked me if I had been cutting off some of it. I said ‘Yes. I was so hungry I could not let it alone.’ Instead of giving me a scolding or whipping, father turned away and wiped tears from his eyes.” …

Honesty is a moral compass to guide us in our lives.

To know what honesty is, you must also know what dishonesty is. In 2^nd Nephi chapter 2 we learn that the only way to know good is to also know evil. Some people believe that the little dishonesties don’t matter. But is there really a difference between when a cashier accidentally gives you $20 in extra change or just 10 cents? Both are technically stealing from that company. Some of the more common forms of dishonesty are Stealing, cheating, Violations of Word of Wisdom standards, & violating traffic laws. It might be easy to reason your actions & justify mild dishonesty.

One example is, When you’re driving down the highway & you see that the speed limit is 70mph, do you move over to the right hand lane & do the speed limit or since everyone else is going 10-15 miles over the speed limit, it is no big deal if you do. I will admit that I do tend to speed on the highway. I used to go about 10 miles over, but since I married my husband, he has helped me get down to only 5 miles or less over. I know I am still breaking the law, but I am working on it.

Another example, You had a scout or young women activity that ran long & you went straight to bed so you could get up early for seminary in the morning. But when you get to your first class you realize that you forgot to study for a test in your next class. Do you just try your best & take whatever grade you earn or do you think to yourself…..oh it won’t hurt if I cheat just this once.

My last example, which has become much to common lately, You’re waiting with your friends for the bus to go home. They start bullying someone you vaguely know. Do you A. do nothing B. join in or C. stand up & try to get your friends to back off. I’m not going to go into this one further at this time, but we have been taught through the scriptures that C is the best option. I wish more people had chosen the third option when I was growing up. From personal experience, being bullied does have lasting effects.

In these last 3 examples doing them once might not hurt anything or anyone. Once is sometimes all it takes. Speeding can easily cause a car accident. If you get away with cheating once, you might think that it was easy so why not do it again. Staying quiet or joining in on bullying may be easy or make you feel like part of the group, but it can have lasting consequences. If we continue to do these little dishonest acts, they begin to add up & can allow Satan to have a tighter grasp, pulling us in the wrong direction.

President Howard W. Hunter told this story in a 1978 New Era “I recall a young man who was in our stake when I served as a stake president. He traveled around with a crowd that thought it was smart to do things that were not right. On a few occasions he was caught in some minor violations. One day I got a call from the police station and was told he was being held because of a traffic violation. He had been caught speeding, as he had on a few other occasions prior to this time. Knowing the things he was doing might prevent him from going on a mission, he straightened up, and when he was 19 years of age, he received his call.

I shall never forget the talk we had when he returned. He told me that while he was in the mission field he had often thought of the trouble he had caused by the mistaken belief that the violation of little things was not important. But a great change had come into his life. He had come to the realization that there is no happiness or pleasure in violation of the law, whether it be God’s law or the laws that society imposes upon us. He said to me, “When I drive a car now and the speed limit is 55 miles an hour, I feel it is morally wrong to drive a single mile faster.”

So, if you are not being honest with yourself & others, are you really happy?

Later in his talk, President Hunter says, “Think of what an act of dishonesty will do to you. It does not make any difference whether it is great or small. First, it may affect your whole life. You will have a hard time living it down. It will be difficult for you to forget about it because it will be engraved upon your conscience. Secondly, it will affect others in many ways. The injury is far-reaching. Its malignancy extends to your friends, your relatives, your loved ones, and persons you may never see. Thirdly, it affects your relationship to the Savior. It closes the channel of communication and shuts out light from your life.”

Have you ever told someone a little white lie, just to make them feel better about themselves? Pretty easy to do isn’t it? We tell ourselves its okay, because it is helping that other person. Once it becomes easier & easier to tell the white lies, it isn’t a big leap to begin telling bigger lies. Soon you are telling a lie to cover up a lie to cover up another lie. Eventually you will forget what your first lie was even about. You can then find yourself stressing out over trying to keep your stories straight. An old proverb says, “oh the tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

Pres. Hinckley in 1990 said ““Thou shalt not bear false witness.” At the core of this commandment is dishonesty again. Television carried the story of a woman imprisoned for twenty-seven years, she having been convicted on the testimony of witnesses who later came forth to confess that they had lied. I know that this is an extreme case, but are you not acquainted with instances of reputations damaged, of hearts broken, of careers destroyed by the lying tongues of those who have borne false witness?”

In 1984, Elder Marvin J. Ashton, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told this story in the Liahona.

“I once spoke in a sacrament meeting that I will long remember. The conducting officer, a member of the bishopric who introduced me as the speaker that evening, gave an unusual, rather lengthy introduction that went something like this:

“Brothers and sisters, Elder Ashton will undoubtedly be disappointed when he hears what I am going to say about him and about myself. I heard him say to a group of prisoners once, ‘When you fellows leave this prison and go back into a regular environment, don’t apologize or boast about being ex-convicts. Just go on from where you are.’ Well, many of you in the congregation don’t know it, but I am an ex-convict of the Utah State Prison. About six years ago, when I met Elder Ashton, he was in charge of the Church prison program under the Social Services Department. A few weeks later when I became better acquainted with him, I told him I was a long-distance runner. I asked him if there was any chance for me to run in the annual Salt Lake City 24th of July marathon race. Elder Ashton encouraged me and said he would talk to the prison warden about my getting out for the day to participate in the race. He told me later that the warden agreed if Elder Ashton would take the responsibility for me. Elder Ashton assumed that responsibility and later told me he trusted me and expected me to do well in the contest.

“I’ll never forget that marathon race in July 1971. It was hot, the course was challenging, and I wasn’t in the best physical condition. My only preparation had been running around the prison grounds when I had free time. Halfway through the race I felt completely exhausted; my legs were sore, and blisters covered the bottoms of both my feet. I wanted to quit. I felt I couldn’t continue. Just as I was about to drop out, the thought flashed through my mind, ‘You can’t let Elder Ashton down. He’s counting on you.’ I made it into the final section of the marathon route, and I had the urge to stop. Again the thought came to me: ‘You can’t quit. You want Elder Ashton to be proud of you, don’t you?’

“Well, I finished the race. Not among the first 25, but I finished. I went right back to the prison after the race, according to my agreement. Elder Ashton told me he was proud of me for finishing the race and proud to have me for his friend. I don’t mind telling you that I was a little pleased with myself for one of the first times in my whole life.

“It wasn’t too long after the marathon race that I was released from prison. About a year later I met a lovely young lady; we had a good courtship, and some months after that Elder Ashton accompanied us to the temple and performed our marriage and sealed us for time and all eternity. Tonight, six years later, I am proud to be serving in your bishopric.”

While I pray that none of us are ever so dishonest in our actions that we end up in prison, Elder Ashton’s story demonstrates that personal honesty and integrity, along with some guidance from your Bishop, can help guide you back to the iron rod and the path towards redemption.

When you meet with the bishop for your temple recommend interview one of the questions he asks involves being honest in your dealings with those around you. How you answer this question can impact your worthiness to commune with the Lord in the temple. If you lie, the Lord will still know the truth.

If you are feeling like dishonesty has loosened your grasp on the iron rod, we are encouraged to seek out our bishop & repent of our actions. The Savior gave his life so we can all have the opportunity to repent so we can be worthy to commune & be with him.

Where can we learn about honesty? The schools should not be relied on to teach our children morals. As members of the church it is our God given duty to be righteous examples to the youth around us. Just being an example can go a long way. At a couple of jobs I have had, my fellow coworkers liked to use certain choice words. After a short period of time they noticed I didn’t use that language, so they would try to watch what they were saying around me. Occasionally they would slip, but would then immediately apologize to me. When a new employee would come in my co-workers would always let them know not to swear around me. I don’t know that this impacted my co-workers lives in any permanent way, but it made easier to be at work.

You never know who may be watching you, but being an example of righteous living can go a long way. You may never know the full impact it could have.

You shouldn’t live an honest life just to be an example to those around you. You should do so for yourself for more than your own peace of mind. Do it for your own salvation.

Lovice

Our first professional family portrait shoot

2010-10-21T16:41:00.007-04:00

As most of you know, Mike & I have a photography business called T.S. Photography. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to do a family shoot for my cousin Dawn Richardson, her fiancée PJ Young, & their two adorable little boys...Cole & David. Cole is 11 months old & David is only a couple weeks old. They are such a darling family & so cute together. We used the Howell park at Thompson Lake as our backdrop. Here are a couple of my favorite shots. While Mike was taking a few shots of just our lovely couple, I got to hold my two cute cousins!!

Me holding David & Cole.

PJ Young & Dawn Richardson

PJ holding David & Dawn holding Cole.

These were all taken October 16, 2010!

For your 4-1-1

2010-10-21T12:12:00.007-04:00

For anyone who is curious about my decision to start down the route of getting a spinal cord stimulator (SCS). I have not come to this decision lightly or quickly. I have been doing research on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) & it's possible treatments for the past year. I have seen one pain management doctor, Dr. Malinoff. He specializes in getting people off of narcotics. This is the same doctor who told me that the pain was in my imagination. He also told me that he would NEVER recommend any other treatment beyond the medication he was prescribing. I prayed & thought long'n hard about what to do. My answer was that I needed to find a second opinion. I had also talked to my orthopedic surgeon & he suggested that I find a second opinion as well. I searched quite a bit online & talked to others who also suffer with CRPS. I had Dr. Edward Washabaugh recommended to me. I didn't just go with him based on this recommendation. I also did research on him & prayed about whether or not he was the right doctor. I know he was the doctor I was suppose to find. Thus far I think he is a good doctor. The difference between the two chronic pain management doctors I have seen is that, Dr. Malinoff is a medication specialist....where as Dr. Washabaugh is an anesthesiologist.

The SCS is my last resort before having to more than likely get a morphine pump or be put on a bunch of narcotics...again. I don't want to go back on the narcotics for my pain. I absolutely hated being on them & hated how they made me feel. I have tried so much to help control the symptoms caused by the CRPS. The SCS is my next step. I have been in pain for over 2 years, I have to try the next step in line. Again, I am not taking this at all lightly. I know that this is the right decision for me. Once I made up my mind to start down this path, I felt at peace with it.

Finally.....an update

2010-10-20T15:52:00.004-04:00

I (Lovice) want to start by apologizing for not updating the blog more often. I think about it, but then slips my mind. At least I am finally getting to it! While I write this I am also watching the Rachel Ray talk show, she has Vanilla Ice on. He is singing is old hit "Ice Ice Baby". So funny, brings back some memories.

Of course I have been dealing with a lot of leg & knee pain. About a month & a half ago, I decided to find a new pain management doctor for my CPRS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). My previous pain doctor told me that the pain in my left leg was all my imagination. As you can guess, that statement didn't sit well at all. I got a recommendation from another CPRS sufferer for Edward Wasabaugh from Michigan Pain Specialists. I made an appointment with Dr. Wasabaugh & they were a tad stunned by my previous doctor's comments. They were able to immediately schedule me for my first sympathetic nerve block, because I had already tried all the previous steps.

The week (August 19th) before my first nerve block, I woke up with horrible pain just above my stomach. I thought it was bad heartburn. I tried a few things & the pain didn't ease off at all. After having the pain for 4 hours, I had my dad take me to the emergency room. They immediately took blood & started an I.V. to give me pain medication. The blood work came back showing that my white blood count was high (which usually indicates an infection). The ER doctor checked me out & was fairly certain that it was my gall bladder. The called a surgeon & he had me admitted & scheduled me for surgery the next day. I was in the hospital for over 24 hours. They had to give me pain medication about every 3 hours up until surgery. The surgery went off without a hitch. Because of this I had to reschedule my nerve block for about a month. At my 2 week post-op appointment, I found out why my gall bladder was causing so much trouble. It had died & had started to develop gangrene. Thankfully the Lord was watching over me.

I finally got my first nerve block, which was done on the left side of my lower back. The block is a short of lidocaine & steroids. It did give me pain relief for about 27 or so hours. It was so nice having no left leg pain, even for such a short period of time. Two weeks later I had my second nerve block. Again the block only last a little over 24 hours. The hope was that each block would last longer and longer. This would be over a period of 5-6 shots, getting one every 1-2 weeks.

Today I went in to get my 3rd nerve block & didn't get it. Since there wasn't any improvement, Dr. Wasabaugh determined that the blocks were not enough. So the remaining nerve blocks have been canceled. Instead he has recommended a Spinal Cord Stimulator(SCS). This is a device the is permanently implanted in the lower back. It has tiny electrodes that are attached the the sympathetic nerves for both legs. The SCS allows an almost constant electrical stimulation to those nerves, stopping the signals being caused by the CPRS. This is one of the last things that can be done. I am more then willing to try this step. I have been dealing with the CPRS for over 2 years. In that time frame, the CPRS spread of just affecting my left knee, to also infecting my entire lower left leg.

There are a few steps before getting the permanent SCS implanted. My medical insurance requires that I see a chronic pain psychiatrist before they will pay for it. I have no problem with that. They will also do a trial SCS. This entails them doing surgery & attaching an electrode to the sympathetic nerve on each side. The electrodes will be attached to a battery pack outside my body by some wires. If it works like it is suppose it, then I will be scheduled for the permanent SCS. To check to see if the trial SCS improves my leg function, I have to be evaluated by a physical therapist before the trial SCS & during the trail period. If my function improves, then they know that the permanent SCS should work correctly. This is a lot of stuff, but I am excited to get this started. I know it is my chance to get this pain under control. I don't expect the pain to completely go away, but just want to be able to have a life. To be able to do normal everyday things.

After I get the SCS, then I get to have surgery on my right knee. I know, it never seems to end for me does it? Oh, well...have to take things as they come. I need a partial replacement on my right knee. This is the same surgery I had on my left knee. My right knee pain is getting worse & worse everyday. I have been scared to get this surgery because it is what caused the CPRS in my left leg. I am scared of it spreading, but if I have the SCS then it can be kept under control. Some of the pain in my right knee could actually be because of the CPRS. It might have already spread, but it is hard to tell since I have my knee cap rubbing on the femur (that is what is causing the damage.

All in all it is nice to be on the right track for getting everything taken care of. I know that Heavenly Father will watch over me & give me strength. I can make it through anything with His love & support and with the love & support of my husband, parents & friends. Thank you all!

What has Mike been up to recently?

2010-06-24T20:06:00.001-04:00

Well, I figure it’s been a while since I (Mike) wrote an entry on here for you to read.

On May 14, 2010, my contract at LifeSecure through the Halo Group was terminated. The official reason was they had no further work for me to do. Unofficially, I think they had some bad news handed out to them. On May 12, 2010, there was a board of directors meeting. LifeSecure is a subsidiary of Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Michigan. As such, they invited the President of BC/BS of MI to their board of directors meeting. I think they delivered some “bad news” since two days later they let 3 of us contractors go and gave another employee their two week notice.

Well, I promptly opened up my contact list of recruiters that I’ve interacted with and let them know I was on the market. I also updated my Dice & Monster resumes.

After a few interviews, both in person and on the phone, I’ve got a job starting on Monday, June 28th at Harmon Becker International. This is the parent company of brands such as Harmon/Kardon, JBL, and Infinity Audio.

Specifically, I will be a programmer working in ActionScript / Flash for a new car stereo head unit they’ve been contracted to work on. The embedded computer in it runs Qnx which has had Flash ported to it. Not “Flash Light”, but full bore Flash. I’m figuring it’s Rev 9 based, not the new Rev 10.

Now, I wouldn’t consider myself an ActionScript person, but I have worked in it before. And it is a close cousin to JavaScript, which I have been working a lot in for the last year, so I feel reasonably comfortable diving in to ActionScript.

On a completely different topic, some of you on Facebook may have seen me talking about having knee surgery this week. On Tuesday, June 22nd, I had arthroscopic knee surgery to fix a torn meniscus in my left knee. I’ve kinda seen this coming for the last 10 years as my knees have been wearing down.

Next month, I’ll be seeing the same surgeon to get started on fixing the right knee.

Well, that’s all the thoughts I have for now. Until next time…..

-Mike

RIF

2010-05-14T17:09:00.002-04:00

So, yeah...for those of you who only follow the blog and not facebook, I got told at 4pm today my services were no longer wanted or needed at Life Secure.

More news to follow...

Neurologist visit

2010-05-05T19:26:00.001-04:00

A week ago I saw my Neurologist. He decided to try me on a different medication called Namenda. Dr. Cooper, told me that the medication is not FDA approved for chronic pain. The clinic has been doing some trials with it. The patients they have on it have responded well. I have willing to try almost anything to help with my pain. I do hope that this medication will help. If it does, there is a good chance I would be able to get off some of my other medications.

Chicago

2010-05-05T19:20:00.001-04:00

The weekend of April 16-18th, Mike & I took a weekend trip to Chicago. Our main reason for going, was to spend a little time with his mom Brenda. She had a conference there. It was so wonderful getting some time with my hubby & no technology items(aka: computers). We needed the quality time together. It was also nice, having the opportunity to spend time with my mother-in-law.

The Friday we left, Mike had to work his regular shift. He came home & we made sure everything was packed. We started our drive to Chicago that night. The drive was fairly uneventful….well…until we got to Gary, Indiana it was. There was construction on the main expressway. The detours took us off the expressway & onto regular roads. We kept a lookout for the directional detour signs, tried to follow the best we could. There we were…just driving along & then the area around us changed. The detour signs lead us to a train yard. I was scared with us not knowing where we were. Mike came through in the end, he found the on ramp. YAY!! We arrived at the hotel late that night & I mean LATE. The Courtyard Marriott was so nice. The best thing was how close it was to the LDS temple.

With how late we got to sleep & the time change, we slept in a bit. Once we had ourselves up & ready, we went to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Chicago Temple. It was much bigger then I remembered it. When I was 12-18 I would go there with my church group at least once a year. It was so nice to take those 2 hours out of our day & soak up the Spirit. Attached to the temple, there is a LDS Distribution Center. Mike got a white belt & a new tie, I got a new temple dress. I love the whole temple experience, but it is even more wonderful when I can experience it with my hubby.

After we finished our time at the temple, we went back to the hotel to change for the remaining days activity. Our next item was to drive to Mid-Way airport to pick-up my mother-in-law. We planned to go to Giordano’s Pizza for dinner, but we had about 2-3 hours till dinner. The three of us went to the Shedd Aquarium. It was my first time at an aquarium & it was cool. We didn’t have time to see the dolphins or anything, but the displays on the main floor were cool! In the picture, it shows that he was my amazing catch!! My mother-in-law, Brenda, if pictured below in the pink shirt. After the aquarium, we drove into downtown for dinner. Once there, we had about an hour wait. This place was packed. Outside the restaurant there was a guy playing the sax for tips. He was AWESOME! I have never seen someone playing music on the street for tips. Oh, well I have…but only on TV! For our dinner we had a deep dish Hawaiian pizza, it was SO GOOD….yum! When in Chicago, gotta have a deep dish!

Sunday was our last day. Mike & I went down to Lincoln Park. Thankfully it was a nice day. We had a small picnic before driving home. The drive home was fine, not a single problem. Quality family time is always welcome!

Doctors appts for all!!!

2010-04-10T23:32:00.001-04:00

Mike is finally beginning to get better, after being sick for a little over a month with a sinus infection. At least it is thought that he has had a sinus infection. He has been plagued with dizziness causing him to be off balance as well as losing consciousness randomly. The losing consciousness thing would happen mainly when he was sitting down & would only last for a few minutes at a time. When the dizziness first started, I took him over to the local urgent care. The doctor there prescribed him something for the dizziness & the congestion. Neither prescription worked very well. Mike then saw our family doctor’s physician assistant twice. She put him on a couple different antibiotics & steroids to help with the infection. Of course it didn’t seem to help. For the past 3 weeks my dad has been driving Mike to work & I have been picking him up & taking him to any Boy Scout meetings. Earlier this week Mike had me take him to the emergency room. For Mike to ask me to take him to the ER he has to be feeling bad. They did a CT Scan & gave him more medication for his dizziness which again didn’t really help. Mike saw Dr. David (our family doctor) a couple days ago. He put Mike on another antibiotic, prednisone, another medication & did some blood work. Mike isn’t feeling dizzy anywhere as much. He was able to drive himself to work yesterday!!! Hopefully he is on the road to recovery.

During the time period that Mike was sick, he shared his sinus infection with me. What such a loving gesture…yah right. I was put on an antibiotic, steroid & cough medication. I started out with a sore throat…which seemed to turn into bronchitis. See, about 95% of the time that I get a sore throat…it will turn into bronchitis or pneumonia within about 3-4 days. The first antibiotic didn’t seem to help any. My coughing got worse & it hurt to breath. These tend to be a couple symptoms of pneumonia, but that wasn’t the case this time. I went back to the doctor, they did an x-ray & my lungs where nice n’clear. Their PA said that she had seen a couple other patients with the same symptoms. For the other patients to get better, they had to be put on a stronger antibiotic. After just a few days on the new medication, I began to feel better. After the full 10 days I felt great!

This last week, our cat Petra had to go to the Veterinarian. Don’t worry she didn’t go because she was sick or anything. She needed to get her vaccines up to date. Petra was such a good girl. She let the vet tech & vet do everything they needed to & behaved herself. We did find out that she has 2-4 bad teeth & needs to have them extracted. Only problem at this time is cost. So, this is the next thing we begin to save for. There is a flat cost of $273 hospitalization, meds during surgery, anesthesia & anything else. Then there is an additional cost per tooth. If it is a regular extraction it cost $56/tooth. If any have to be surgically extracted it is $159/tooth. It isn’t needed to be done immediately, so that helps.

Mike & I have a busy next couple of weeks. Right now we are at our D&D gaming group. Next weekend, Mike’s mother is coming to a conference in Chicago. Mike & I are planning to head out Friday night after he gets off work. That night we will of course stay in a hotel. Our plan is to do an endowment session at the Chicago Temple earlier in the day & doing a meal with his mother later that day. Then we will either leave Chicago that night or wait until Sunday. We are hoping to have the weekend work out that way. Then the weekend after is the Boy Scout Camporee. I am SO looking forward to getting us past that.

So far Mike’s job contract ends at the end of April. That is sure coming fast….very fast. Sure hoping & praying that another contract comes soon. The other day Mike surprised me with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. I am very grateful he is my husband & that we are not just married, but sealed for all eternity.

Sorry it has taken so long

2010-03-29T20:07:00.002-04:00

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write an update. I am so bad about updating this regularly. Maybe someday I will get better at it. Not much has really happened in the last 2 months. In February, Mike & I both celebrated our birthdays. We didn't really do anything to celebrate, just got a year older. The last 2 weeks we have both been sick. Mike has been experiencing vertigo since first getting whatever we have. So, he isn't driving. I have become his driver...instead of him being mine. We are both getting over it, just taking it's sweet time.

For the past couple weeks, my left leg has hardly bothered me. Which has been wonderful! Unfortunately a storm came through yesterday & aggravated the nerves. Today, my left leg has been very sensitive. So sensitive that I had to wear shorts...pant leg increased the pain.

I want to give you all a heads up. We may end up making this blog private & invite you to view it. This is because an ex of mine has contacted me. On the envelope it had my married last name & I have no clue how he got it. We have NO friends in common. Mike & I are afraid that this person did an online search & found this blog. This ex was abusive & he now believes that he deserves a reason as to why we broke up. In MY opinion, he doesn't deserve anything & has no right. If he tries to contact me in any way, I will see how to get an order of protection. We will let you all know if we do make it private. We will invite those whom we know read this. If you ever try to see it & can't, you know how to contact us.

I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to update more often.

Lovice

Response to Letter to the CEO of CWI Hosting

2010-03-11T08:46:00.003-05:00

So, last night, I recieved a response back from the CEO and replied back to that.

Here is their response.

Hello Michael Briggs:
I'm looking into this for you and should have a acceptable solution for you shortly.

From what I do know now, accounts are automatically billed to the card on file, without any human interaction until the account holder either cancels, or changes the card recorded in MYCWI.com. Also, moving domains around doesn't cancel any services, as they are separate issues and many people actually move domains and want to keep their account. Now this all doesn't necessarily pertain to your situation directly, I'm just speaking generally about the process to shed some light on what happens on this end. I will see what is going on with the ticket. About chat, this is mostly for technical support, I think our clients would be happy to know,very few people have direct access to their billing details, and why we tried to build mycwi.com to give users as much direct control over their billing as possible.

For canceling accounts our billing FAQ at mycwi.com and policy explain the steps needed.

Furthermore, we are changing the way our hosting is being offered thisyear, so I was curious about any feedback you may have and what lead youto move to a new hosting provider in the first place?

You will hear from someone soon, and thank you for contacting me.

Regards:

Marcus Barnes
CWIhosting.com

And here is my reply from this morning.

The reason I am changing hosting providers is because of the quality of technical support that I have received since the new system was put in place last summer. Prior to the change, tech support was able to resolve my (few) issues inside a day. After the change, issues seem to take a month to get resolved, if they ever got resolved.

After several years of receiving top notch technical support from CWI Hosting, this feels like a slap in the face.

Per the FAQ, I am creating a new ticket for the FULL cancelation of services and refund of annual hosting fee. This ticket is ARU-256587.

Sincerely,

Michael Briggs

A letter to the CEO of CWI Hosting

2010-03-10T20:52:00.001-05:00

Hello.

My name is Michael Briggs. I am the account holder of ComputerTechnologySolutions.biz

On February 22, 2010, I opened ticket LES-147729 to start the process of transferring my remaining domain names to a new hosting provider. I figured a week prior to my annual hosting account expiring would be sufficient time to accomplish this and to close out my account with CWI Hosting.

On February 26, 2010, JT responded asking which domains I would like the transfer codes for. 5 hours after his response, I replied with the domain names.

On Monday, March 1, y'all automatically renewed my annual hosting contract to a credit card that I did not recognize. This ended up being a client's card that was used last summer to purchase their domain name. I started a new ticket about this, FZE-308959 and shortly there after the two tickets were merged into this ticket. After this merger, I have not had any response in the ticket to my inquiry.

I have been chatting several times during the week with your online tech support and have been promised, each time, a phone call and prompt resolution of my ticket. On March 5th, I started copying the chat transcripts into the ticket to provide and official record.

On Monday, March 8th, I called in to talk to the Billing department and reached Cici (not sure of the spelling) in Sales. She said she would take a message for the appropriate department to get in touch with me. Upon explaining the situation, she agreed that a full refund of the hosting fee would be the right thing to do.

I am writing this on the evening of March 10th and have not heard a response or seen an update in the ticket.

I am writing this letter to see if you can expedite the the closing of my account and the release of the domain transfer keys so that I may move my business to a different hosting provider.

I do not wish to obtain legal support to force the issue, but the neglect on behalf of your support services are indicating that this might be necessary.

Sincerely,

Michael Briggs

cell: 517-375-4441

home: 517-548-2320

Finally contacted somebody @ CWI Hosting

2010-03-08T17:41:00.002-05:00

So I called in to CWI Hosting and got in touch with CiCi (spelling?) in the Sales department. I got through to her by going through the billing fork of the phone tree to try to get to a human.

While she was unable to resolve the account closure, she was sympathetic and took my name, phone #, and some notes about how long this has been taking. She also agreed with me that a full refund would be appropriate since I did start the closure process 1 week before the billing cycle, but due to them dragging their feet, the computer auto-billed me.

So, let's see if this results in things getting solved.

-- Mike

Today's chat w/ CWI Hosting

2010-03-08T17:33:00.001-05:00

michael briggs: hello.
Technical Support: Hello
michael briggs: i would like to talk to a supervisor about ticket FZE-308959.
Technical Support: Please hold on
Technical Support: This is under our admins queue. He will be updating you soon
michael briggs: is there any way I can talk to a person on the phone today to resolve this issue today?
michael briggs: i would like to terminate my account with CWI Hosting ASAP.
Technical Support: You can contact us at the number specified in our homepage
Technical Support: Please check http://cwihosting.com/
michael briggs: however, I don't have a support extension to get past that piece of the phone tree.
Technical Support: Please update us your contact number. We will have our admin get back to you
michael briggs: when?
michael briggs: and my cell # is the contact # in the ticket.
Technical Support: Okay. Our admin will check this and update you soon.
michael briggs: will this happen before end of business today?
Technical Support: Yes
michael briggs: thank you

Today's chat log w/ CWI Hosting

2010-03-07T14:41:00.002-05:00

not much to comment on for this chat transcript. It pretty much speaks for itself.

Technical Support: Hello
michael briggs: hello.
Technical Support: How may I assist you today?
michael briggs: I realize that the billing department does not work weekends, but I would like to schedule a phone call with them first thing monday morning to discuss the IMMEDIATE cancelation of my account and refund of the annual hosting fee.
michael briggs: this is in regards to ticket # FZE-308959, btw.
Technical Support: Okay
Technical Support: We will update you in the ticket
michael briggs: I would appreceate it if the phone call is right after the start of businesness on monday.
michael briggs: can you see that this happens, please?
michael briggs: please acknowledge.

Oh yeah, no acknowledgement was received.

Saturday morning chat with CWI Hosting

2010-03-06T08:26:00.002-05:00

This morning's chat session. It's rather disappointing that nothing will get resolved this weekend.

Technical Support: hi
Michael Briggs: good morning
Michael Briggs: this is about ticket FZE-308959 and the lack of follow through on promised phone calls.
Technical Support: Good Morning
Technical Support: How may I assist you ?
Technical Support: Please hold on let me check
Michael Briggs: I would appreceate getting the DNS Transfer Keys for my domains today.
Technical Support: I am very sorry for the delay caused in getting back to you. I see that your ticket has already been forwarded to the domain department and we have also informed our supervisor about your issue.
Michael Briggs: ok, so when should I expect this to be resolved.
Technical Support: I hope you will get a call from us on Monday because our billing team does not work during weekends
Technical Support: Once again I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you
Michael Briggs: can you give a reasonable explanation why this is taking so long?
Michael Briggs: Hello?

Technical Support: I am sorry, I am not sure about the work being done on your ticket because it resides in another department

CWI Hosting, Technical Service Non-Support

2010-03-05T22:45:00.003-05:00

So here's the chat log from my latest round of non-support.

Technical Support: Hello
Technical Support: How may i help you]
michael briggs: good evening.
michael briggs: I'd like to give you guys some grief for not following through with a promised call back.
Technical Support: okay
Technical Support: We are sorry for any inconvenince occurred from our end
michael briggs: at 6:30pm eastern time I was promised a call back to resolve a two week old issue involving DNS Transfer Keys.
Technical Support: Could you please raise a ticket to us
Technical Support: we will check th same asap
Technical Support: okay
michael briggs: ticket #FZE-308959
Technical Support: we are sorry for mistake
Technical Support: We will make sure that you are getting proper follow ups
michael briggs: i'm trying to decide if the lack of follow through is appathetic neglect or something worse.
Technical Support: We will ask our senior admin to provide you a call back
Technical Support: WE are extremely sorry
michael briggs: when? I've heard that promise a few times this week.
Technical Support: It is not the case of neglect...
Technical Support: WE will check this case as a serious concern
Technical Support: im sorry for the lack of response from our end
Technical Support: We will treat your concern as critical
michael briggs: last summer, when I was signing up a new domain on behalf of a client, it took a month to get things set up due to similar sort of neglect as the new support rules were set up.
Technical Support: okay
michael briggs: it's this level of support that has caused me to start the move to a new hosting provider.
michael briggs: so, to follow up on my earlier question, when should I expect a phone call to resolve the issue of getting DNS transfer keys?
Technical Support: we are extremely sorry for the mistakes happened from our end
michael briggs: can you give me a time frame?
Technical Support: We will provide you a call asap
Technical Support: We will make sure to call you in a few hour from now
michael briggs: i'll be going to bed in 1 hour.
michael briggs: it's 10:38 pm here.
Technical Support: okay
michael briggs: will i be receiving a phone call in that time frame? or will we be starting this process again in the morning?

No call yet. I'm not expecting one tonight.

-- Mike

Another chat with CWI Hosting

2010-03-05T19:34:00.002-05:00

I had another chat with tech support at CWI Hosting.com tonight.

Here's the transcript.

Technical Support: Hello Michael
Michael Briggs: Good evening
Technical Support: How may I assist you
Michael Briggs: i was wondering if you have the ability to do a domain name transfer and issue a transfer key?
Technical Support: This has to be done by our technical team
Michael Briggs: what is the usual turn around time for that?
Technical Support: Please let me know are you trying to transfer the domain to us
Michael Briggs: nope. transfering away.
Technical Support: that depends upon the disk size of the data to be transferred
Technical Support: Please open a ticket
Michael Briggs: i have one. FZE-308959
Michael Briggs: i'm doing the data transfer myself. I just need the domain name transfer keys.
Technical Support: so that our technical team will check and update you the estimated time
Michael Briggs: I submitted ticket on Feb 22.
Technical Support: Your ticket is currently is assigned to a separate department. However I will notify the department supervisor to expedite your concern
Michael Briggs: JT responded to it a week ago.
Michael Briggs: I responded 5 hours after his responce
Technical Support: okay
Michael Briggs: I have not heard any response back
Technical Support: I will update JT regarding this and you will be updated shortly
Michael Briggs: I'm just getting fed up of feeling like i'm being ignored.
Technical Support: No, You will be updated shortly
Michael Briggs: monday, around this time, I was promised a phone call that day. It never came.
Technical Support: Let me know your email id , domain name and the phone number so that I can arrange a call back request
Michael Briggs: sggirbekim@gmail.com, account was under computertechnologysolutions.biz, house phone # is 517 548 2320
Michael Briggs: I will be up until 11 pm eastern time.
Technical Support: okay you will be updated shortly
Technical Support: once again sorry for the delay caused
Michael Briggs: If this gets resolved today, things will end up ok.
Technical Support: Sure
Michael Briggs: have a good evening
Technical Support: Same to you

I'll let you know if the call happens.

--Mike Briggs

A chat with CWI Hosting's on-line tech support

2010-03-03T17:28:00.002-05:00

here's a transcript of a "support" chat I had today with CWI Hosting.

michael briggs: good afternoon.
Technical Support: Hello Michael
Technical Support: How may I help you?
michael briggs: i have a question regarding ticket FZE-308959.
michael briggs: how long does it take to unlock a domain name for transfer?
Technical Support: Have you requested for domain transfer?
michael briggs: yes.
michael briggs: as of 26 Feb 2010 06:36 AM
michael briggs: the original request was put in 22 Feb 2010 07:26 PM
michael briggs: on Feb 26, I explicitly listed out the domain names that need to be transfered.
Technical Support: When a domain is unlocked, the transfer request will need to come within 48 hours or the domain will automatically lock itself.
michael briggs: except NOBODY ever gave me the transfer codes
michael briggs: ever since JT's reply on 26 Feb 2010 01:35 AM I have not heard anything back about this ticket.
michael briggs: i'm starting to have people pissed off at ME because of this issue.
Technical Support: after submitting the support request to unlock the domain name, you have to ask your new registrar to contact us
Technical Support: When we receive a request from your new registrar, we will approve the transfer and the process will begin.
michael briggs: that sounds like a load of BS.
michael briggs: the sign up page at the new hosting site asks for a transfer code for a domain. that sounds like a pretty standardize way of transfering a domain
michael briggs: they specificly say "transfer key"
Technical Support: Can you please update this in the ticket
Technical Support: JT will get get back to you on this
michael briggs: it is updated.
michael briggs: on monday, chat tech support promised me a support call to resolve this issue. that call never came.
michael briggs: in JT's ONLY response so far, he indicated knowledge of transfer codes and that I should expect that information.
michael briggs: is there ANY chance this can be resolved today?
Technical Support: please update the ticket. JT will get back to you on this
michael briggs: when?
michael briggs: what sort of turn around time can i expect on this?

After this point, the chat tech stopped responding.

1225's owner hits financial crisis

2010-02-02T10:10:00.002-05:00

Published: Monday, January 25, 2010

OWOSSO, Mich. - The nonprofit owner of Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 laid off five of its six staff members today in response to a financial crisis. Steam Railroading Institute Executive Director T.J. Gaffney said the locomotive won't operate this year, and its future is now in doubt.

No. 1225 was to operate through May this year, when it comes due for its 15-year Federal Railroad Administration-mandated boiler inspection. However, leaky tubes uncovered during a Polar Express trip in December led the institute to sideline the locomotive early.

The group anticipated the high cost of the boiler inspection, which requires the locomotive to be stripped and the thickness of firebox sheets and boiler shell tested. To offset the costs, expected to reach into six figures, the institute sponsored Train Festival 2009 last July. The event drew 36,000 people to Owosso to see eight live steam locomotives, including 1225 and Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 on its first Midwest visit since its nationwide tour with the American Freedom Train in 1975 and 1976.

Despite the thrill and ostensible success of the event, Gaffney said, "Train Festival's income and expenses were very close to each other." However, he added, "We feel that 2009 was a wonderful year, and we hope that our supporters still look to help us through these tough times."

Going forward, the institute has applied for a federal grant that Gaffney hopes will enable the group to return to normalcy. However, even if it receives the grant, it won't get any of the funds until October.

Gaffney said the people laid off had done their best to push the project forward. "Nothing that has happened here should reflect on the staff that has been let go," he said.

The engine, which had been parked near the museum's entrance gate, has been pushed into the engine house for now.

For more information on the Steam Railroading Institute, visit http://www.mstrp.com/. - Andy Cummings

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Re-Published without permission from Trains.com Newswire by Mike Briggs
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Commentary: This sucks. I'm glad I got some pictures of it running this last summer.

San Diego & More

2010-01-31T17:11:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday January 26th, Mike & I went & saw “Avatar” for the second time. This time was SO much better then the last time! The first time, it was a packed full theater & we were seated front row, all the way to the right. The movie was good, but the right-side of the screen was blurry. This time we were able to seat mid-screen. This made the 3D experience so much better. It also helped that there was only about 12 people in the theater, including us. The 26th was also, was my father-in-law’s actual birthday. Mike’s parents, took us to a buffet style place called “soup plantation”. It was good food, especially their salad w/ dressing made from scratch. This was one of the 3 places Mike wanted to go too. After dinner we had cake at the house. Jessica stopped by the house to join in the little celebration we had.

Wednesday was our last day in California. Mike had promised his friend Deana that he would take some profile style pictures that she could put on facebook & such. She lives in San Juan Capistrano. Since she lived almost 1/3 of the way to the San Diego Temple, Mike & I decided to go there instead of L.A. Mike double checked the website to make sure they were open, it said they were. We picked up Deana & had lunch at Jack in the box. Which was another place that Mike had wanted to go to. After lunch we found a local beach to take Deana’s pictures at. While Mike took her picture, I took pictures of the beach. Had to be very careful walking on the sand. The recent storms had caused damage to the beach, example shown in the picture. There was also a TON of Seagulls & a few pelicans thrown in. It was such a beautiful view. Lucky for us this happened to be on of the few sunny days we had during our trip (we had 3 nice sunny days).

We were getting ready to leave the beach & my head/knee were hurting. We decided not to do an endowment session at the temple that day. But decided to still go to the temple & walk the grounds. The 3 of us headed to San Diego. We could see the temple from the freeway. Started to get excited at this point. Got to the temple entrance & it was closed for it’s 2 weeks of yearly maintenance. We were a little sad, but still able to take pictures through the outside property fence. It was still nice to see it. After we finished there, we headed off to one of our favorite restaurants…Olive Garden. I love that place…yumm!

On Thursday, we had to be up at 4:30am to catch a 6:15am flight. Because of being on the crutches, we didn’t have to wait in line to get to security. Once we got up to the security check point, we didn’t have to wait again. We were allowed to go through the line that only crew & military use. It was kinda cool. I was very, very thankful that we didn’t have to wait in line. The plane ride home was bad enough on my knee. Thankfully we didn’t have to change planes. The plane had 2 stops, but we were able to seat still. It was so nice, especially in comparison with our flight out to California. After we took off from Ontario airport, there was a gorgeous sunrise that I was able to catch over the clouds. Our planes first stop was in Phoenix. The next stop was in Chicago. I slept during that commute. We made it to Detroit Metro at around 4pm Eastern time. There was a wheelchair waiting for me at the gate. That gentleman was so nice. Not only did he push me to the baggage claim, but he took me out to our truck in the parking structure & then helped Mike load the truck. He did beyond what we expected, so we gave him a tip for his time. It was nice visiting California & seeing family, but it was nice to be home. I will try to write more often.

In awe with….

2010-01-25T22:14:00.003-05:00

On Sunday we went to the Single ward that Mike had attended before we got married, Glendora 6th ward. I know that he really enjoyed seeing some of his old friends/acquaintances. The ward had a good size turn over in the last couple years, like most singles wards. At least there were some people left. It was nice to go to church though. After church we drove around for an hour or so hoping to get some photos. I was just in awe of the mountains. Having some that look more brown and desert like. Others being covered in snow. It was crazy looking at the mountains & standing near a palm tree in 60 degree weather. This first picture is one of my absolute favorites. My mother-in-law said that it shows classic Southern California, a palm tree, desert area & snow covered mountains. Mike & I had a great time, but we usually do. Sunday night we went to dinner at Mike's sister, Jessica's new apartment. It was a nice evening.

This morning Mike & I went to a store called "Boot Barn". Jessica had given Mike a gift card for Christmas. This store has EVERYTHING a western wear store would. Whether for everyday wear or dance hall wear. Mike got himself a new belt to wear with his big ol' train belt buckle. Only this belt is black. We also bought me a little something. I got a casual zipper hoody. After we got home I decided to take a few pictures in the back yard. Though I would give you a look at the view there is from the house & what their backyard looks like. I really love the picture of the store, the sun caused a neat light effect.

This might sound silly, bought I was in awe of seeing citrus trees for the first time. I thought it was kinda cool. I am currently lounging on the couch. Nothing else is planned for tonight. Mike is at work for his Los Angeles client. Tomorrow Mike is working for Ron in the morning for a bit more. We are planning to see the movie "Avatar" again. Either in the afternoon or evening, depending on how long Mike works for his client. Right now my left knee is hurting bad, but surviving.

Lovice

Life is Life is Life

2010-01-25T19:52:00.002-05:00

On Saturday night we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday, along with my mother-in-law & sister-in-laws (Jessica & Jennie). We started out with dinner at "Bubba Gump" in Anaheim. It is the restaurant associated with the movie "Forest Gump". I had heard of the restaurant change, but had never been to one. For dinner I had what is called "bucket of trash". It tasted a whole better then it sounds. They served it on paper, on top of a bucket. Was kinda cool looking, I should have taken a picture of it....ah, oh well, too late now. Included in the meal was French fries, Cajun fried fish, Shrimp & 2 lobster claws. It was a LOT of food, but was good. This was the first time I had ever had lobster, it was pretty good...tasted better when dipped in melted butter. I first had to figure out how to use the cracker to open the claws, thankfully they had already put cuts at key points in the shell which made it easier. I will say that the texture of the lobster took a little to get us too, but was good. Took home lots of leftovers. Of course it was mentioned to our server that it was my father-in-law's birthday. They did this neat song with a little dance. It was fun. He was given a small dessert. After dinner we went to the Honda Center in Anaheim. There was a rodeo in town, so after dinner we headed there. We were seated in the third level, but still had a decent view, the video monitors helped a lot..lol. Getting in to the Honda Center was nuts. Security was so strict. Mike had brought his camera & long lens with him. Well, they would not allow him to bring in his long lens because it was a tad longer then a mini mag. flashlight. He ended up not taking his camera in. But even though we were almost in the nosebleed seats, his cell phone camera was able to zoom in & get some good pictures.

Movie Review

2010-01-23T17:16:00.002-05:00

Last night we watched "District 9 " on my in-laws Blue ray player. The movie had a decent plot. The producers had researched the country to make the plot feasible. It was set in Johannesburg, South Africa. The main downfall was the repeated use of the "F" word. I would say that about 2/5 to 1/4 of the script was the "F" word. The other downfall was the gore. But it was wonderful having the opportunity to spend time with mike & his parents.

Change in plans

2010-01-22T22:16:00.002-05:00

Mike & I had planned to go to the L.A. Temple this evening for a 6:30pm session. But my left knee was hurting too much. So, we are planning for Wednesday evening or afternoon. Plans change & life goes on. The possible plan for tomorrow is a rodeo that is in town & dinner. Just have to wait & see what is decided. Mike, myself & his parents are getting ready to settle in for a movie... "District 9". Have a wonderful evening!!

Lovice

Trip to California

2010-01-22T15:53:00.005-05:00

This past Wednesday Mike & I were to fly out to California. Our flight was leave at 2:15pm (eastern time) for Nashville. From there we were to make a connection for Ontario Airport in Cali. This plan never took place. Our plane to Nashville, didn't have working weather radar & Nashville was having bad thunder storms. By the time they had decided to switch the flight to a different plane, we had missed our connection in Nashville. Due to this we had to be put a a different flight. This one took us to St. Louis. When that flight took off it was about 4:30pm (Eastern Time). We were able to see a beautiful sunset above the clouds. It was gorgeous. When we landed in St. Louis it was dark & very foggy. Thankfully our connection was in just the next gate & they were holding the plane for us. This flight took us to Las Vegas, & it was raining. It was cool getting to see the Strip & Fremont St. on landing & take off. Our connection there was only 2-3 gates away & there was a wheelchair waiting for me. Thankfully in Vegas we didn't have to run to catch the connection. We had 50 minutes. Once the plane got above the storm clouds it was a beautiful site. The dark, thick clouds & a bright crescent moon. We made it to California at around 10pm (Pacific Time). The upper left picture is picture of our original plane in Detroit, taken from the plane taking us to St. Louis.

I knew this was going to be difficult on my knees. As a preventative measure, I went to my orthopedic surgeons office the morning of & received a cortisone shot in each knee. The shots did help with the knee pain, but not with the swelling. My ankles & feet swelled up so BAD. I even had them wrapped with ace wraps to try & help keep the swelling down. That night I slept with my legs elevated, took some ibuprofen & prayed to Heavenly Father. When I woke up on Thursday there was barely any swelling visible. Our first night here, our air mattress refused to hold air...lol. So yesterday we went to Walmart & replaced it.

Oh boy! The jet lag kicked my butt. I slept in till 11:30am yesterday, then fell asleep again from 1pm till 5pm. Of course these are pacific time. Last night we went to dinner with one of this friends from the singles ward here. It was fun. Today I am feeling much better. Now where near as tired as I was yesterday. This morning, Mike took the train into LA to work with his client Ron. Mike normally just works for him online & over the phone. But since we where here, his client asked for some one on one time. This evening we are planning for a trip to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Los Angeles Temple, to do an endowment session. We are looking forward to it.

Tomorrow is when the family is getting together to celebrate Mike's dad's (Clark) 60th birthday. No clue what is going on. Mike's sister Jessica is planning tomorrow I guess. Or at least one activity. From what Mike said, it might have something to do with flying??!! Like a small plane or glider. I'm a little scared, but we will see what tomorrow brings.

New feature on the blog

2009-10-03T22:27:00.004-04:00

Hey there. It's Mike. I went and upgraded my phone's software. This new release unlocked the GPS unit on it so that I can run Navigation software on it other than VZ Navigator

I went and installed on it Google Maps which does have some features that I like and is missing one feature that I do like in VZ Navigator. For reference, I'm running Windows Mobile Pro 6.1 on a Samsung Omnia i910 from Verizon.

So here's the Pros & Cons that I've discovered in the last couple of days.

	VZ Navigator	Google Maps for WM
Pros	Text to Speech Navigation Prompts Automatic recompute route upon deviation	Navigate to Lat/Long points Latitude Service
Cons	Inability to use Lat/Lon points	Map doesn't reposition automatically unless on the route No audio navigation prompts

So, for now, I'll be using both as the needs arise. However, I'll generally be leaving the Latitude service running on the phone so that the "Where is Mike?" feature here on our blog shows my most recent location.

Local friends and family can request a subscription to my Latitude information if they desire.

-Mike Briggs

Time sure does fly...

2009-10-03T15:33:00.006-04:00

Things have been very busy lately. Time just seems to fly right on by & you don't even need to throw a clock. *insert a laugh* I know, I'm not a very good comedian.

About 2 weeks ago I came down with broncitis and decided to be a wonderful wife & share it with Mike. I am finally feeling almost normal. Mike is just getting over the major, feeling like crud part. He ended up missing a few days of work because of it knocking him on his butt. After a visit to the doctor for both of us & some antibiotics we are feeling much better.

The nerve block that I get for my migraines wore off about 2-3 months ago. Needless to say my migraines are back full force. Thankfully I don't have to suffer to much longer. Next week I am have the nerve block procedure dojne again. Even though it will hurt at first, the long term outlook is good. The nerve block should hopefully last about 7 months. As long as the blocks keep working, I am more then willing to have it done at least once a year. When I saw my one pain doctor (who performs the block, Dr. Chivari) I asked him about what could possibly be done for my left leg. He told me that nothing could be done. That have to suffer for now. I really didn't like that answer. So I plan on trying to get a second opinion.

In the mean time my pain management doctor, Dr. Malinoff, wanted me to find things to do to help take my mind off the pain. I recently started knitting. A good friend of mine, Bronwen Zimmerman, is teaching me. I am almost down with my first ever knitted item...a dish washcloth! I have fallen in love with knitting. I am also trying to volunteer or serve others. I am volunteering with the local Boy Scouts. Helping with planning the fall and winter camperees. The fall one is at the end of this month. I am in charge of the finances/accounting & helping with registration. One of my FAVORITE things to do is babysit for my friends. I don't charge them anything, just trying to help them when they need it. What else are friends for? I love my friends and their awesome kiddos!

Today Mike & I did some steam train chasing! We were outta the house by 7 this morning. Caught the train in 3 places to take pictures. It was so cool & LOUD!! It was a few passenger cars being pulled by TWO steam locomotives. We drove all the way up to Cadillac, Michigan. Then drove home. Which is about a 3 hour or so trip. Yes, it was a long morning & trip....but it was wonderful spending some quality time with my hubby. Only downside of today of that the vibrations of the truck & the road bumps made my RSD to become aggravated in my left knee. It was SO worth it though.

- Lovice Briggs

Things never seem to end

2009-08-26T16:21:00.005-04:00

So much has been going on. About 3 weeks ago, my pain management doctor took me off Percocet & put me on Subutex. This new medication works best for those in chronic pain. The only downside to it, is that is has to be dissolved under the tongue & it tastes horrible...YUCK! But is seems to help the pain much better. My doctor is still working on the dosage I am to take, to get the most benefit out of it. In the middle of September, I have an appointment with an anesthesiologist at the University of Michigan pain center. Which happens to be the same location as my pain doctor & neurologist. I see the anesthesiologist to discuss whether a nerve block would do any good for the RSD in my left leg. We will see.

In a recent post, I stated that my right knee is going bad & I had an MRI done. My appointment with my surgeon was suppose to be the 1st of October. Well, they were able to get me in sooner, a lot sooner. I saw him last week! The MRI showed pretty much what I thought. The cartilage on my patella & femur has deteriorated. The rubbing of the patella bone on the femur has caused deterioration of the bone. I need surgery on my right knee. But, because of the RSD, I can't have surgery yet . If I was to have surgery now, it could cause the RSD to spread to the right leg or cause the left leg to get worse. I have to wait until the nerve damage is under control, then I can have surgery. In the mean time, my surgeon prescribed me a custom knee brace. It will be designed to hold the patella in place, to help stop anymore damage from occurring. It is currently being made.

I found out this week that I have gallstones. I had some blood work done recently & it showed that my liver enzymes were elevated. So I was instructed to get an ultrasound of my liver. Well, it showed that my liver was fine, but that I have gallstones. My family doctor, wanted to set me up with a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed. But I more then likely have to wait until the RSD is under control. I see my pain doctor next week & I will ask him about having to wait for the gallbladder surgery. If I do have to wait, hopeful I don't start having gallbladder attacks. I just seem to be adding up surgeries to have once my body can handle it.

This is what has been happening lately. I am still not able to work. I am on long term disability & leave of absence from work. I am working with a group called ALSUP to file for social security disability. Believe me, it is a slow and stressful process. It is good to have help with it.

I try to keep myself busy. I have done some babysitting for a friend from church. It is so fun, I love their kids. Well, I will try to update more frequently...but I make no promises.....LOL....hehehe

Lovice :o)

I Caught The Daylight

2009-07-26T16:29:00.001-04:00

I went out train chasing Friday afternoon to try to catch the excursion train that the Owosso Trainfestival was running. On Friday, the all day excursion was pulled by the SP 4449 Daylight on a run from Owosso to Alma, MI. I’ll be putting up for sale some of my stills from the afternoon, but here’s my video from one of the run bys. It was taken using my cell phone.

Enjoy!

-Mike

life....

2009-07-16T18:06:00.003-04:00

I saw my orthopedic surgeon's P.A. Had x-rays done and surprise, surprise my right knee cap is tilting. I knew it was. Will be getting an MRI to check cartilage & bone damage.

my MRI is next Friday, the 24th. My follow up appointment with my surgeon isn't until October 1st (that's his first opening...ugh). At that appointment I will find out if I need surgery or a brace.

Lovice

Knee update...

2009-07-14T12:22:00.002-04:00

I am going to have to see my knee surgeon again. Due to my left knee hurting for the past 2-3 years, my right leg has been getting the most usage. Well, my right patella has now started to go down the same rode as my left. My right patella has tilted again (that was the original cause of knee problems). Figure it will be a knee brace/surgery. I knew the right knee would go bad, it was just a matter of time.

As for my left knee pain. I just started seeing a chronic pain management specialist from the University of Michigan Hospital Pain Center. Soon he will try changing my medication to help the pain & get me off the Percocet. I am looking forward to getting off the Percocet. I also have began to see a Pain Counselor. She works in a Psyco-therapist office. She will help me talk through the pain, anything bothering & teaching me some alternative things to try. At this point I am willing to try anything that might help the pain.
I will keep you posted on all my progress.

Work

2009-06-24T16:21:00.002-04:00

We had not been hearing anything on the future of Mike's job contract. He was going to have no job come June 30th, unless U of M got their budget for the new fiscal year. This afternoon Mike found out that they ( U of M, where he has been working) have a project for him to work on. What does this mean? Well, it means that his contract has been extended until the end of August.....YEAH!!!!!!!!

The end of a contract

2009-06-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

So I found out a couple of things today about my job.

They have enough funding for me through the end of the fiscal year.
Their fiscal year ends at the end of June.
The next year’s budget has not yet been approved.

This, in turn, means that my contract expires at the end of the month. Time to go job hunting, again.

At least it's been interesting, and something to put on the resume.

Life Interupting....

2009-05-24T00:26:00.004-04:00

I keep meaning to give an update, but life tends to pull me and Michael in other directions. Things are going well. Mike is still liking his job. He just finished up his second week. It is strange and at times lonely with him now at work. In the middle of the day if I need him, well it has to wait. I do have my parents though, that helps. It is nice having someone around when I need someone, even if it is to cry on their shoulder.

My knee still causes me a lot of pain. I have been in physical therapy for the past month, trying to build up strength in my affected leg & trying to retrain nerves as well. Retraining mainly involves using the leg as it normally would be and making the leg understand that it is a normal behavior & isn't suppose to hurt. For example, here are some things which cause me pain:

Standing
Washing my leg with a washcloth or shaving
Sometimes the texture of the sheet/blanket
Wearing pants (I tend to just wear shorts)
A fan or A/C blowing on it
Sun hitting
Climbing Stairs
And well, living life

These are just some of the things. I have been waiting for my surgeon to contact an anesthesiologist at the U of M Hospital Back & Pain Center. He would like to see if I would be helped by a nerve block of my Sympathetic Nerves in my left leg. If that worked, they could kill of the nerve by using Radio Frequency Waves. I have that procedure don e to help my migraines (it works very well for that, lasting 6-8 months on average). So far haven't heard anything, I will be giving the surgeon's office a call and find out wear that is going. While I am waiting for that, you might wonder what I am doing for my pain. I am on a heavy duty pain medication, using ice or heat (which ever isn't hurting at the time :P ), and blessings. In our church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) we believe in Priesthood blessings to help with a problem, comfort, answering questions, etc. It has been with the Lord's help that I am able to deal with the pain. As for the pain medications, they do work, but I am afraid of becoming addicted. I know that could be a really possibility. I also know that the Lord will help me with that.

I normally have physical therapy 3 days a week, Mon, Tue, and Thurs. During this last month of PT, I have not made any improvement. If I was to continue with PT & not improving, the insurance company could decide to stop covering visits. To keep that from happening I am now in the fitness program at the therapy office. Which means, I am allowed to come in & use the equipment for free. I can also still get advise and help from the therapists & assistants. Only problem with this, is that I am not very good at pushing myself to go when I "technically" don't have too ( and b/c it hurts). I am having to keep telling myself that it is Pt & I have to be there. So far it is working.

Besides the wonderful support that Mike and my parents give me, my church family is wonderful too. Many check to see how I am doing and seeing if there is anything they can do to help. I know that my church family does truly care, But I don't want to put all my feelings on them. I'm sure most wouldn't mind in the least. Some days I just cry all day. It can be hard for me to put into words the way that I am feeling. Just the other day I went on Google & searched for RSD support groups in Michigan. There is one in Ann Arbor, so I sent an e-mail asking for some information. It would be nice to get together with other individuals dealing with the same disorder. Who can fully understand what I am dealing with.

For the past week or two, I have been trying to force myself to do more things. One thing I have been wanting to work on is my gardening. We have a fair bit of flower garden & it hasn't been weeded in quite a while. I weeded for about 2 hours the other day. I have been going grocery shopping with Mike and going over to friends homes. Last night we & a few friends got together to play D&D. We play one Saturday per month. I actually made it thru the full session! Doing more things also has it's price unfortunately. The more I stand/walk/sit normally, the larger my left leg swells (especially my ankle). After yesterday, with shopping & playing D&D, I was in so much pain last night. We got home at about 10pm or so. Due to the pain I was unable to sleep till about 2am and Mike was so sweet, he stayed up with me. The pain was still tremendous this morning. I have been laying down & keeping off my leg most of today. I am so SICK & TIRED of pain meds...I pray it gets better soon. It has to get better.

I wrote this over 2 days. I hope everyone enjoyed this update. I will try, harder then I have, to blog more often.

Mother’s Day Church Talk

2009-05-09T23:01:00.004-04:00

Good afternoon.

When I got the call to give this talk last weekend, the first thing that went through my head and out my mouth was that I’d do this talk so long as I don’t have to talk about my own mother and just talk on the theory of being a mother. Then I got to thinking about things on Thursday night and I came to realize that while the stories of my mother and I butting heads over things are the easiest stories to remember and to tell, there are also quiet stories of a woman who was there when her little boy scraped his knee learning how to ride a bike. There’s a woman who tried to help her husband put food on the table, but would take time off from work at the drop of a hat if one of her kids was sick.

As I started to think about how to deliver this talk and look up what stories would be worth weaving in, I came to realize something. There will probably be information in here that y’all will find important, but the true purpose of this talk is to soften my heart towards my own mother. And for this, I am grateful.

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the Harry Potter series, but there is a couple of strong lessons on the love of a mother hidden in there. The ultra short summary of the series is this: bad guy goes on a rampage of killing people he considers unclean, bad guy targets a specific baby due to a prophecy he heard, mother gives life to save baby, baby survives and goes on to give bad guy a series of bad days.

In Harry’s case, his mother’s love left a powerful shield on him such that the bad guy could not touch or directly harm him. Also, his mother’s love protected him while he could call his aunt’s house his home. Now, we don’t live in a realm of magic, but our mother’s love can still protect us from the evils of the world.

One example that comes to mind is a classic story out of Egypt. The king at the time had gotten the idea that the next generation of slaves were going to revolt and cause trouble in his kingdom. His plan was the same plan that had been used through the ages; go kill all the boy children. Word of this order trickled down to a young family who had just had a baby boy. This young mother loved her new baby boy and couldn’t stand the idea of killing him. Everybody at this time knew where the royal family bathed in the Nile. Therefore, the mother hatched a plan where she floated her son in a basket into the royal bathing area while the queen was bathing.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is the story of Moses and we all know where his story went from here. What’s important to get from the story is the fact that his mother saw an evil in the world and took a pretty extreme risk to protect her son from it.

I remember when I was growing up that I was a bit of an adventurous lad and as such, I got my fair share of scraped knees and skinned elbows. One story I remember is from when I was in 6^th or 7^th grade. I was biking home from soccer practice on a BMX bike. I was riding on the sidewalk and wasn’t wearing a helmet since they weren’t mandatory back then. In southern California, landscapers like to use a plant called boxwood as a sort of green wall. These plants can be pretty dense and are sometimes used as privacy screens.

Well, the house next to my folks had a six foot or so tall boxwood that ran next to their driveway from the sidewalk to the house. So there I was, moving along at a good clip like kids can do on a bike. All of a sudden, this corvette backs out across the sidewalk and I smack into it near the rear wheel. After failing a short flying lesson, I find myself laying on the sidewalk with a good cut on my leg. A few moments later, mom’s there taking care of me and helping coordinate with the medical specialists to make sure things go right and I got the care I needed.

In the last chapter of the book of Proverbs, I found this bit about mothers:

[10-31]

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengteneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindess.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

When I look at this and think about my own mother, it helps me see the good in my own mother. She made sure we were properly clothed and fed. Together with my dad, she made sure that we were taken care of.

Talking with my sister, we’ve realized that my mother’s past shows a lot of who she is today. Mother grew up on a farm in Kentucky. Her mom, as with most farm wives, was an excellent cook. In her house, the kitchen was the true center of the house. Grandma was always in there cooking something for the next meal and food was always available, so family members would come in to socialize or get advice from mom.

Looking back, my sister and I have realized that my mom’s kitchen functions like her mom’s kitchen. The family comes in there to socialize and solve problems. I remember many a family discussion that happened with a few of us leaning against the counter or against the cupboards. My mom, like her mom, enjoys cooking large meals. And she loves hosting friends over as an excuse to cook a larger meal. No matter how many of us kids had friends over, we all waddled away from the table every time. Until she got on her health kick, but thankfully I was off in college by that time.

I’ve had people ask me over the years who I take after more, my mom or my dad. I happily say that I seem to take most after my mother’s brother. This came about because, up until 7^th grade, I would spend a couple of weeks every summer with each of my grandparents. As I mentioned earlier, my mom’s side of the family are farmers and my uncle took over the family farm with my grandfather’s passing. A lot of my personality comes from my uncle Jimmy, but I do have some habits from my mother, such as hosting events with food, preferably lots of it.

Proverbs talked about a woman that feareth the Lord and how she will be blessed. In the book of Alma we read about a group of God fearing mothers who, with their husbands, took a covenant with the Lord not to bear arms again. These mothers raised their sons to be peaceful, God fearing young men. However, as tends to happen in times of peace in the olden days, somebody wants something that somebody else has and declares war on them in order to get it. The fathers were still of military age, but chose not to take up the sword because of their covenant. As such, a large group of young men answered Helaman’s call and took up the sword so that their parents would not have to break their covenant because their mothers had taught them that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. So, with the leadership of Helaman and the faith in God taught them by their mothers, these stripling warriors raised havoc with every military group they encountered.

My own mother wouldn’t exactly be called a strong example of her faith, but she did encourage her children to learn about God and to be active in church activities. I remember there were several Sundays while I was growing up that I went to church while my folks had other obligations or interests. One thing that they did teach me was to actively question our faith in God and make sure that we understood it. It was that active questioning that, in part, led to me joining the LDS Church.

According to Sister Ardeth Greene Kapp, “It’s ok that your parents aren’t perfect; no one’s are. And it’s ok that they didn’t have any perfect children either; no one’s are.” I think that’s an important thing to keep in mind. We all strive for perfection, of course, but there will be bumps and headaches along the way.

I am truly blessed that my folks were able to provide me a good home to grow up in. And a good home to return to when college wasn’t working well for me in the spring of 2004.

My closing thought comes from the Prophet Joseph F. Smith:

"We shall prosper and build up Zion upon the earth; for this is our mission, and the work of your mothers and daughters of Zion—the mothers now, and by and by the daughters, who will, in turn, be mothers in Israel. Great responsibility rests upon you. Upon you depend the training and the direction of the thoughts and the inspiration of the hearts of your children, for they drink into the spirit of their mothers, and the influence of the mother over the children is the most enduring impression that can be made. There is nothing so imperishable as the influence of the mother; that is when she is good and has the spirit of the Gospel in her heart, and she has brought up her children in the way they should go."

As the lessons in the gospel show, those who answer the divine calling of motherhood and magnify that calling to their fullest ability, Heavenly Father will reward the families with a multitude of blessings, including that of a supportive household.

A job

2009-04-27T19:38:00.000-04:00

So this morning I interviewed this morning with Plant Operations at the University of Michigan. The interview was set up by Al Pacha of ALPAC, Inc. The gig is a contract to hire with a 30 day contract.

The interview was at 10:30 this morning. I left here at 9:30am expecting to take an hour to drive down there at the tail end of rush hour. Took me half an hour at the speed limit. After finding an open parking meter and some loose change in the car ($1.15 in silver coin) to feed into said meter, I discover the meter isn’t just “off” it’s dead. So much for my $1.15.

T-30 min: Time to find some more change. Maybe a gas station will solve the problem. Cash back from an ATM mode transaction should work. So, using Verizon Navigator, I find a near by gas station and go in to find a soda. When I go up to the cashier, I find out that his system isn’t equipped to do a cash back transaction. Punt on that and void the soda idea.

T-16 min: The cashier says there might be a branch of my bank a couple of miles down the road (away from town). Before I go roaring off, I turn again to VZ Navigator and search for a branch of my bank. I find a couple of possibilities and call one to confirm that it’s mine. It is and it’s .5 miles towards town.

T-10 min: I pull up to my bank, park in front of a parking meter, and run inside w/o putting in any change. The bank was darn near empty (except for employees) and I get my change and run back to the car.

T-4 min: Back to the interview and I cram an hour and a halves worth of change into the meter and head in to the interview.

Interview time: Turns out one of the guys I was supposed to interview with was working / occupied until 5am this morning and won’t be in until after noon. Thankfully Al Pacha had given me the names of the other 2 gentlemen I was supposed to be meeting with and the lady at the front desk was able to find them.

Interview went pretty well. Got done and went out with the recruiter for drinks (fruit punch for me, thank you).

Fast forward to 5pm this evening. Al Pacha and I are talking on the phone and he informs me that I got the gig and I report in Monday at 10am.

Yay me!

Update on Lovice

2009-04-26T14:38:00.000-04:00

So, I figured I’d take a moment to let y’all know how Lovice is doing. The short version is, not so great.

Now, mind you, I don’t have the medical knowledge that Lovice has, so what I’m going to put here is going to be in layman’s terms and maybe not 100% accurate (but as good as I know it).

A couple of weeks ago, Lovice had a Three Phase Bone scan done. From what I understand, they use a hyper-sensitive sensor to measure the radiation emitted by the body. The methodology is similar to taking a long duration exposure with a camera. As part of the process they injected her with a mild radioactive tracer element and then re-scanned her.

This last Thursday we talked to her primary surgeon about the results of that test. Mixed blessing there. It’s been decided that she has Reflex Sympathic Dystrophy (RSD). They’re sure about the diagnosis because of the bone scan.

Now, the way this was described to me is the body has two nervous systems. There’s the one that controls the conscious functions (motor movement, etc. ) and there’s one that controls the autonomous functions (pain notification, healing, breathing, blood distribution, etc.). Normally, autonomous functions such as pain notification & healing are only active when needed. The way RSD is behaving for Lovice is the pain & healing autonomous functions in her left leg from the knee down are running full bore, non-stop.

So what can they do to solve this? Well, we were given three major things that we should do, some home treatments, Physical Therapy, and interventional pain killing. The interventional part is going back to the doc who does the block for her migraines and seeing if he can figure out a similar treatment for the nerves feeding her left leg.

The folks @ PT are supposed to have treatments to help provide an opposite stimulus to the leg. The home treatments are similar in idea. Alternate heat & ice as well as smooth & prickly stimuli.

Well, now that they have an idea what to do, let’s see how it goes.

regarding an update

2009-04-16T14:18:00.000-04:00

I haven't been feeling well. I will try to give an update soon.

Shooting Day

2009-03-28T08:53:00.002-04:00

I am writing this entry at 70 miles an hour. ;0) Life is going alright. Yesterday I had an appointment with my pain management anesthsiologist. I see him for my migraines at the University of Michigan hospital pain center. This appointmment was my follow-up for the procrdure I had in January. The procrdure was a radio frequency (RF) nerve block. The doctor used a RF needle in 3 locations in the back of my neck. The needle is inserted into the spinal column. The frequencies kill off the left occipital nerve, which is the main causes of my migraines. This procedure lasted about 7 months last year. Hope is that this time will last just as long. Since having the procedure, my constant migraines have pretty much stopped!! I have the occasional one, but they are much better now.
After that appointment we went accross the street too the Briarwood Mall. No I can't walk much, but $ wanted to do something out of the house. I have such bad cabin fever right now. We did a small amount of walking there. First we had lunch at the Chipotle Mexican Grill. The food was so good, yummy. After eating we window shopped. I just had to go into the Coach store. I love their bags, even if we can't afford one. But I am allowed to druwal. While in that store we got talking with one of the sales clerks. Her name was Claudia, =d she was such a sweetie. We had a lot in common and talked with her for about 20 minutes. She is turning 30 in a couple weeks and lives in Brighton. It was so nice being out of the house for a bit. Was great it wasn't just for a doctor's appointment either. That is my usual reason for some time out of the house.
Today I am out of the house again!!!! Mike, myself & our friend Chuck Sdunek are shooting pictures today. Currently we are on I-696 traveling to Port Huron which is in the thunb of Michigan. We will be going to be traveling along the coastline and seeing about 3 lighthouses. I am really excited! I have never really been that far into the thunb & have never seen a lighthouse in person either. Would be great to get some sellable prints, but more so just hoping to have fun. Until the next entry, have a great day.

Post-Op for knee surgery #9

2009-03-13T04:11:00.003-04:00

I apologize for it taking me so long to write this blog. I had surgery on March 2nd of this year. It was mainly exploratory to begin with. It ended up being repair work. If you remember I had a partial replacement in this same knee 7 months ago. Bone spurs had grown down & around the prosthetic on the back of my patella & around the metal prosthetic on my femur. The fluid sack in that knee was badly irritated. I small piece of metal was found off to the side of the knee. It is thought that the metal somehow got left in from the previous surgery.
Dr. Ference removed the bone spurs. To keep them from growing back in those locations, he put a product on to prevent growth. The fluid sac was removed and sent off to pathology. Nothing out of the ordinary was found to have caused the irritation. Finally, the piece of metal was removed.
I was kept in the hospital overnight for observation. At about 8a.m. physical therapy stopped by my room. I was in barely any pain what so ever. I took a good size walk around the floor I was on. Also practiced on a tiny set of stairs. They had to make sure that I was capable of doing some simply things. I was able to go home that afternoon. I was so happy to finally be home!!
I have been in physical therapy (PT) since a week after surgery. I am now 3 weeks out. For the first 2 weeks my knee was feeling great, barely in any pain. I have been able to regain my full range of motion already. This past week I have been in quite a bit of pain. My therapist thinks that the pain is being caused by the swelling still present. So, I am to avoid weight bearing activities. I might have been trying to do things too quickly. Not really sure.
I am so tired of being in pain. I feel depressed and frustrated. I want to have my knee healed already. I am wanting to be able to return to a "normal" life. Being able to go to work again would be nice. Would allow me to feel as if I am accomplishing something. I am sick of dealing with a screwed up knee. I look forward to it at least getting to a point wear I can easily do daily life things. Just trying to believe that things can only get better. :0)

Lovice's surgery

2009-02-19T13:15:00.003-05:00

So, I've noticed that Lovice hasn't gotten around to telling everybody what we've found out this month in terms of medical stuff, so I'll do my best to summarize.

We still don't have active medical insurance. Apparently, the call center at SHPS is run by the Vogons but the upper management isn't. Doesn't help that CVS oopsed us in the begining though. SHPS accounting sent us a refund for a period of time that we were covered by CVS (and we never paid SHPS that money). The amount due to make them happy for February just so happened to be that exact same amount. Today, Account Manager Sandy helped us resolve things and they took their money back. Hopefully, tomorrow we'll be able to get Lovice's prescriptions....if we can find the money.
Lovice is having an exploratory fix-it surgery on March 2nd. Ideally, after this one, everything will be better.

So that's what's been going on.

Oh yeah, still no steady income for me.

Another surgery...here we come!

2009-01-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

Went to see my Orthopedic Surgeon (OS) for a check and got some bad news. I have to have surgery again on my left knee. This will be surgery #7 on this knee. I had my last surgery, a partial knee replacement, in August 2008. A month after that surgery my OS had x-rays taken to verify placement of the patella and such. He had another set of x-rays taken today, and my patella is about 1/2 inch higher then it should be. Also my knee has not stopped swelling since surgery. My OS thinks there may be damage to the lower tendon and the prosthetic attached to the back of the patella. He is also going to remove a sack of fluid, since it is over producing. Anything removed will be sent to pathology to test of any rheumatic or other things. I do not have a surgery date set yet. They are going to try and fit me into a cancelation spot. Next week I go to my general practitioner for blood tests and getting surgery clearance. I just pray that this surgery works.

What D&D Character would you be?

2009-01-20T10:05:00.003-05:00

Did this for grins and giggles. Pretty interesting results though.

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Ranger/Sorcerer (3rd/2nd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-14

Dexterity-14

Constitution-11

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-15

Charisma-13

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Knee update...

2009-01-16T13:26:00.002-05:00

I saw the rehabilitation specialist this past Wednseday. With my current symptoms, he is leaning toward me having developed Gout and not RSD. He took some fluid out of my left ankle to have tested. He also put a cortisone shot in. I see him again in 3 weeks to get the results. In the mean time it is a waiting game. He is putting me on a medication that would help the symptoms of Gout. This specialist says he is routing for my problem to be Gout, b/c it can be much more easily eased off and maintained. In the mean time, I have to just take care of the symptoms as they come and go.

Some of you might be wondering, what exactly is gout?? It is a type of arthritis. Check www.allaboutarthritis.com for more info. I will keep you all updated as I find stuff out.

My knee story...

2009-01-01T04:48:00.001-05:00

I have had a history of bad knees. In 1997, my senior year of HS, I began having horrible left knee pain. Found an OS, and was told that my knee caps had formed at a tilt. So, 3 weeks before my HS graduation I had a lateral release of my left knee. It didn't help. Three months later I had a Tibial Tubercle Transfer. This seemed to help my left knee. About a year later my right knee began to give me the same problems that my left knee had done. In August 1998, I had the same surgeries on my right knee. I went for years without any knee pain. I had to have the screws removed from both knees in late 2000.

Then in late 2005, my left knee began giving me pain again. I went to see the same OS that did my first few surgeries. In March 2006, I underwent my 5th knee surgery. My OS said it was just too much scar tissue causing the pain. Less then a month later, my left knee pain got much worse. I went back to my OS, and he basically told me there was no reason for me to have pain. That he had removed the problem, so the pain was all in my head. He decided to send me to PT and have me get a patella stabilizing knee brace. He also made sure I was taking some Ibuprofen for the swelling, that he had just told me I didn't' have. Nothing helped the pain. I knew something was wrong, but was discouraged that my OS didn't believe me. I decided that I needed to find a new OS. I saw two more OS's and didn't get anywhere. A woman at my church recommended an OS. She told me that Dr. Ference was a very well-known surgeon. He has developed his own less invasive techniques. I figured why not, what harm could it do. Had to wait 5 months for an appt

During my first appt with this OS, he told me exactly what was wrong. My knee cap had gone to a tilt again, and I had no cartilage on the back of it. I was set for surgery in June of 2007. I had a biological resurfacing of the knee cap and another lateral release. A skin jacket is placed over the knee cap to act as cartilage. My OS was sure this would do it. But by December 2007, the pain was coming back and coming back strong. I called my OS and he had been in an accident and was out of work until May 2008. Over the months the pain got worse. My OS had me get an MRI. With that all the knee damage was found. My knee cap was tilted yet again, osteoarthritis was eating my patella and femur away, my femur did not have the groove for the patella to follow. The groove was almost completely flat. I was scheduled for surgery #6 on my left knee.

In August, I had a partial knee replacement at age 29. My lower femur and back of patella was replaced. I spent 2 days in the hospital following surgery. My physical therapy was started there. After my release I found an outpatient therapy program. My knee was finally getting better. The pain was becoming less and less. That is until about a month after the surgery. At this time my knee began hurting again and so did my left ankle. My ankle would also swell. After my 6 weeks of PT, my pain was awful. I went back to see my OS. He noticed how swollen my lower leg was. I had excess fluid removed from my knee twice. Was told to continue wrapping my leg, from toes to just above the knee, with ace wraps to help push out the swelling. Nothing seemed to be helping. I was sent back to PT, but this time the emphasis was on pushing the swelling out. My knee pain has continued to get worse. I sit "normally" or stand for any length of time and my left ankle swells terribly. I saw my OS yet again. This time he thinks that I might have developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). In mid January 2009, I see a specialist to rule in/out this. The pain is so debilitating. To handle the pain, I have to take percocet and use a TENS unit.

I am unable to much of anything. I have been on a Leave of Absence from work since the beginning of June. I am on Long Term Disability. This whole thing makes me feel so useless and lazy. I can't even help around the house b/c it causes too much pain. Right now it is just a waiting game. And also having to Argue with COBRA. Fun stuff. Well, that is my story thus far.

I will add an update for this post after I see the specialist in mid-January.

Resume

2008-12-16T12:43:00.001-05:00

SUMMARY
Award winning programmer with a background in website design, windows application development, embedded systems, network configuration, hardware troubleshooting, and systems administration.

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
• Complex, near real- time, embedded monitoring and control system for Telematics using Visual Basic 6, ODBC, NI Labview, and TCP/IP, 2002-2003
• Dynamic e-commerce web sites using HTML, classic ASP, ASP.NET, and Flash on IIS, 1999 – present
• In depth experience with MS Windows versions 3.x through ME, and NT 3.5x though Vista/2008 (Server and Workstation/ Professional)
• Macintosh Operating System versions 6.x – 10.x and UNIX user environment, 1992 – present
• Secure WiFi 802.11b/g/n deployment, 2002 – present
• Microsoft PPTP VPN RAS deployment, 2005 – present
• MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint) for Windows and Macintosh, 1993 – present

WORK EXPERIENCE
Information Technology Consultant
Technology Solutions, Claremont, CA and Howell, MI 1/2007 – present
• Buzzword Summary: HTML, ASP, ASP.Net, ASP Master Pages, AJAX, Flash, Actionscript 2.0, C#, SOAP, SQL, MySQL 5.1, MS SQL 2000 & 2005, Oracle 9, Google API, HIPPA, 802.11a/b/g/n, RADIUS
• Created Electronic Point of Presence and Commerce web sites for personal and small businesses using HTML, ASP, ASP.NET, and Flash with Actionscript 2.0
• Created custom multi-user windows applications in C#.Net, SOAP, and MySQL
• Maintained customers MS SQL 2000 & 2005, MySQL 5.1, and Oracle databases
• Trained customers in the usage of computers
• Standard computer maintenance for personal and small businesses including: hardware and software installation, OS maintenance
• Deployed secure Wi-Fi networks and bridges for clients
• Utilized Project Management and Budgeting skills as needed to coordinate client projects.
• Created photo sales site (www.TSPhoto.biz) that uses an XML gallery library, C# ASP Master pages and a custom C# image library to dynamically resize and watermark photos for compatibility with dial-up based web surfers. Implemented real time IM system on website for customer support using Flash & AJAX.
• Created read only public interface into Google Calendar API for use on consulting website
• Experimented with Silverlight
• Created HIPPA compliant enterprise grade wireless network environment for development of customer projects

Instrument Technician 4/2006 – 10/2006
Natural Sciences Division, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA
• Buzzword Summary: HTML, ASP.Net, C#, FTP, Image Capture
• Supported computer based scientific instruments
• Updated Microscopy website to W3C standards and created personal sites for professors
• Created and supported a web based image management site, with user’s manual, for the Microscopy website using C#/ASP.Net and FTP Libraries.
• Created WebS.E.M. v2 application in C#/ASP.Net for live, web based delivery of Scanning Electron Microscopy imagery.

Instructor 9/2004 – 10/2005
Orange County Department of Education’s Outdoor Science School, Mentone, CA
• Teaching ecology, geology, wildlife, astronomy and conservation to Orange County’s 5th & 6th graders

University of Idaho 1/2001 – 3/2004
Moscow, Idaho
Club Vice-President, Telematics Team Leader, System Administrator, and Webmaster
National Institute of Advanced Transportation Technology Future Truck 2004 Research Project
• Buzzword Summary: Visual Basic 6 (VB6), ASP, C++, NI Labview, Telematics, Vehicle Avoidance, Wi-Fi Bridging
• Led a 60 person Advanced Vehicle Concepts Team and Telematics group; 2nd place award for the Digital Dashboard Initiative
• Principal author of the innovative Intelligent Vehicle Communication Framework and Autonomous Vehicle Collision Avoidance System
• Developed the wireless real-time data connectivity using VB6 and an 802.11b network on the Summit vehicle
• Led the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative group in developing onboard data recording and presentation services using Visual Basic, National Instruments Labview and C++
• Created dynamic web application with ASP based news board and calendar team for team collaboration and maintained the team web site
• Helped develop and maintain team budget as well as acquire additional funding as needed.
• Utilized Project Management and Budgeting skills as needed to coordinate sub-team projects.

Technical Support Representative
Information Technology Services
• Buzzword Summary: Helpdesk, Novell, Unix
• Resolved student and faculty problems with campus computers
• Staffed the helpdesk and school computer labs

System Administrator
Computer Science Department
• Buzzword Summary: Active Directory, Windows XP, Disk Imaging, HTML development
• Maintained Windows based computers and department website
• Supervised team of 6 student Lab Monitors

Sales and Repair Technician 6/1998 – 6/1999
Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Bronco Bookstore, Pomona, California
• Buzzword Summary: PRISM, IBM hardware, Advertising, Sales and Repair
• Sales and support of IBM and Mac computers
• Support of PRISM PoS system

EDUCATION
University of Idaho Bachelors of General Studies, focus in Computer Science 8/2008
Moscow, ID.

Blah

2008-12-16T12:38:00.004-05:00

Not quite sure how to describe it, but I think I'm starting to loose faith in myself. I've been actively looking for work for the last 3 months while trying to support Lovice. Starting to feel like I just might actually be a failure. Pretty sure it's not a failure of technical skills because I KNOW I'm good technically. Must be a failure of advertising. Just can't sell myself.

I went to a job seeker's workshop back in October. It had some good ideas for once you get your foot in the door. Didn't say much about how to get your foot in the door.

Anybody any good with advertising want to try to help sell a lump of coal?

Good morning, you're unemployed

2008-11-29T11:34:00.002-05:00

So Lovice got a wake up call this morning from the CVS regional manager about Lovice returning to work. Didn't help that Lovice didn't get any sleep last night and was just falling asleep as I woke up.

So, the point of the call, from what I over heard, was that as much as Lovice wants to go back to work, there's no room for her in the budget at her store or any other store in the region. Apparently, even though Lovice was on a medical leave of absence, they hired somebody in a full time slot back in September.

And her access to company sponsored health benifits expired this last thursday. Hopefully, we'll be able to talk the Bishop into helping pay for Cobra benifits for a month or two until Lovice and I can get re-employed and get access to new benifits. Or, at the very least, finish getting Lovice fixed.

Sacrament Talk: Choose the Right

2008-11-15T21:15:00.003-05:00

Choose The Right

November 16, 2008

Introduction

What does it mean to Choose The Right?

Mark Twain once said that “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” Well, Mr. Clemens, I have to disagree with that because I have a prophet to tell me what is and what isn’t true and right.

Follow the commandments of the Lord

I could end this talk now just by saying that the way to Choose the Right is to follow the commandments of God. However, Brother Pumford asked me to talk for about 15 minutes and I don’t think I’ve talked enough yet.

Examples of Choosing the Right

In order fill up the rest of my time, I plan to walk through some examples of choosing the right and see what comes of it. I hope this is the Right way for this talk.

Let’s take a look at some of the times when it’s easy to choose the right. When you’re a child, it should be easy to choose between right and wrong. For the youth, there a lot of good things out there to do and you need to pick the best to focus your time on. There’s sports programs, school programs, music, seminary, and YM/YW activities. I think the church would like you to put seminary and YM/YW near the top of the list, if not at the very top.

For the adults, once again, it should be easy to choose between the lesser of two evils. After all, we had to do it just a couple of weeks ago.

In doing my research for this talk, I was pointed out a book called Gospel Ideals by President McKay. In it was a story about a colt of his named Dandy. According to the story, Dandy looked like the ideal horse. When you were riding him, he would go anywhere, do anything asked of him. He was the ideal horse. Except for one little thing, Dandy resented restraint.

Early off, President McKay would tie Dandy up to a hitching post or a tree or something convenient. He’d come back to see the rope chewed through and Dandy down the street getting carrots from the kids. Well, the next major step was to make sure he was always in a paddock or a corral. Dandy was pretty darn smart for a horse. Eventually, Dandy got to the point where he could escape from those as well and go strolling down the street looking for attention. Dandy was reported to just love attention from the people around him. Often times, not only would he escape from his enclosure, but he’d bring some of his friends with him on his adventures.

Well, President McKay eventually figured that Dandy just wanted room to wander and stretch his legs. So, he started keeping Dandy in a pasture with plenty of safe area to play. To make sure that Dandy couldn’t get out to where it wasn’t safe, he would wire the gate shut. Well, wouldn’t ya know it, Dandy figured out how to get out of that pasture and took his friends along with him. Within sight of the pasture was this old, abandoned house that people had been storing some special grain & seed it. That night, when President McKay returned home, Dandy and a couple of the other horses were nowhere to be found. Looking around, President McKay saw the old house on the hill with its door standing wide open. Fearing the worst since he knew what was in that house, he hurried up to the old house. In there, he found not only Dandy, but one of the other horses lying on the floor dead. Now, Dandy didn’t leave the pasture expecting anything to go wrong. All he knew was there was some great smelling grain upwind of him in that old house. He had no way of knowing that grain was laced with poison and pesticides for the killing of rats and other vermin.

Unfortunately, as we grow up, choosing the right becomes more difficult, especially as the world changes through time. The boundaries around us are not as obvious as the pasture fence. Some of the more difficult choices I see for the children are also what should be the easiest choice, choosing between right and wrong. Hey, they’re curious. It’s part of the learning process. Thankfully, they have their parents and the adults of the Church to help show them the right way. They, even more thankfully, have the guidance of Heavenly Father to direct them in the right way to guide the children.

In this day and age, our youth face many difficult challenges, many of them related to what their peers in school do. One of the more deliciously difficult ones is dating. I wouldn’t be surprised if the youth of our ward go to school and the first thing they hear is not their lessons, but one of their friends talking about a wonderful or awesome date they had with some cute guy or gal last night. I mean, what are they gonna come back with? Last night I did homework, read my scriptures, and watch Mr. Krueger’s Christmas. Now, I know that’s a classic church movie, and I’ve learned to like it. But when I first saw it, I thought it was a bit…..cheesy. Can you imagine how lame of a comeback that could be to a non-member who’s going on and on about a hot date? Eventually, our youth are gonna want to have better come back stories. As their adult leaders, we need to provide them a gospel oriented program worth bragging about.

Now, for us adults the two toughest choices we tend to face are reaching our youth and the choosing between the lesser of two evils and this time I’m talking about more than just politics. Sometimes it can be between putting gas in the car to get to work and putting food on the table. When things get really tight, it can be between tithing and putting food on the table. One thing I’ve learned these last few months is that if you pay your tithing on the few pennies you get, you just might be able to talk the Bishop into helping put food on the table.

Now, when it comes to reaching our youth, we tend to think that if we talk to them, they’ll listen. Reminds me of another story I tripped over in Gospel Ideals. President McKay talks about a story that was old when he was a youth. The story opened with a picture of some people sailing down the river with Niagara Falls coming up. There is an older man on the shore who cries out, “Young men, ahoy, the rapids are below you!” However, the folks on the river went right on laughing and having a good time.

A little later on, as they get closer to the falls, the man on the shore cries out, “Young men, ahoy, the rapids are below you!” Of course, the folks in the boat can’t hear him and barely even notice him. They didn’t heed his word until they were in the midst of the rapids. As they tried with all their might to turn the craft, the boat went crashing over the falls. Oops.

This reminds me of growing up in my folk’s house. When I would get in trouble, my dad would have a talk with me. He’d talk and I’d listen. All he really wanted to hear out of me was a “yes sir” without hearing my side of the story or how I felt. He just dealt in the facts as he saw them. He saw me heading towards a mistake and tried to “talk” me into changing course. Having to bottle up my feelings and opinions ended up with me sitting on a bridge over interstate 15 in Idaho Falls thinking about killing myself.

So how can we keep our youth from going over the Niagara Falls of life? A lot of people will stand on the shore like that old man did and say, “Hey there! Look out!” After all, we adults have the benefit of wisdom and experience and can see the tough times coming. The better choice would be to row out to the boat and say, “Hey there! Look out!” That way they will hear you. Better yet, be a part of your youth’s life and listen to them. That way, when they say, “Hey, I want to go boating in the river.” You can say, “Hey, there’s rapids down below.” And they’ll stop and say, “Well, maybe I don’t want to go in that river after all.”

As I said a moment ago, I joined the church when I turned 20 and I didn’t have the guidance of Choose the Right instilled into me from birth. So what did I have that guided me? The Scout Law. For those of you not involved in scouting, the Scout Law says that a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. But how does that boil down to Choosing the Right?

If a person is trustworthy, then they must have done the Right things to earn that trust, haven’t they? Hopefully, they will continue to do the right things to maintain that trust. If you look at it, the church is pretty much based upon trust. We follow the commandments because we have faith in the Lord and trust Him to do as he says he will. We follow our leaders because we trust them to do the Right thing in telling us what to do and in calling people to positions. The leaders of the church trust us members to magnify our callings when we are issued them. This church is based on faith and a handshake.

As a fellowship, we are loyal to each other and the community around us. When one of us has trouble, we gather around to help. Most of the time, it’s packing & moving crew duties, but it’s also paying our tithing so that the Bishopric can service the church’s welfare programs. This coming winter, the scouts plan to show their loyalty to the ward by helping with some snow shoveling. At least, that was the idea back when the weather was nice at our planning meeting. Along with that loyalty, we are helpful to those around us. We are willing to step up and fill in a hole when help is asked for. I’m glad to be part of a church that does the Right thing for those around us.

The next three points of the Scout Law are friendly, courteous, and kind. The church teaches us that we should love those around us as Christ loves us. The bible also teaches us to turn the other cheek when people offend us. So we try to be obedient and loyal to the teachings of Christ. It is through that reverence to the Lord and doing the Right thing, that we can have a clear conscience and be honestly cheerful to those around us.

Prophets through the ages have commanded us to be thrifty and live within our means. President McKay says that the nature of the problem is our appetite.

“Appetite is a God-given quality. Blessed are they who have a good appetite. But to gormandize is injurious. And that brings me to one general statement, that most of our troubles here in this life in trying to subdue nature and subduing our appetites all come within the question of limitation. Many things are right, up to a certain point, and beyond that they become evils or vices.”

In True to the Faith, we have the following advice:

Look to the condition of your finances. Discipline yourself in your purchases, avoiding debt to the extent you can. In most cases, you can avoid debt by managing your resources wisely. If you do incur debt, such as a reasonable amount in order to purchase a modest home or complete your education, work to repay it as quickly as possible and free yourself from bondage. When you have paid your debts and accumulated some savings, you will be prepared for financial storms that may come your way. You will have shelter for your family and peace in your heart.

Something tells me we’re in a national financial storm now. Time to batten down the hatches and hope there’s more than dust in the cupboard.

One of the many goals of the Church, and part of its threefold mission is to perfect the saints. Part of that perfecting is to build a righteous human character. Because of that, the church has embraced Scouting as its Young Men’s program to help teach what it means to Choose the Right.

Many good things in this world

There are many good things in this world that we should seek after. The prophets over the years have told us that we should seek after education, wisdom, family, and of course, to emulate Christ. D&C Section 88 tells us to “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” The pamphlet True to the Faith says ”In addition to furthering our education through formal schooling, we can continue learning by reading, attending wholesome cultural events, visiting museums and historic sites, and observing the world around us.”

There are also many things that appear to be good. Last month in general conference, Sister Dalton mentioned in her talk A Return to Virtue the story of Lehonti and Amalickiah and how Lehonti was tempted off of his strategically right position and then was poisoned by degrees until he died. Not just poisoned in one shot, but by degrees. Could it be that this is happening today in the world around us? Could it be that first we tolerate, then accept, and eventually embrace the vice that surrounds us?

Christmas is coming up next month. Already the stores are playing Christmas music and making special sales. Things like no interest, no payments until next year. Credit card companies are giving you deals to help encourage you spend in the coming months. Our government is encouraging you to spend to get our economy going again. In our society, we tend to enjoy giving gifts to each other to see them smile. However, the prophet has advised us to live within our means. D&C section 19, verse 35 advises us to pay off our debts and to “Release thyself from bondage”. In looking up debt on LDS.org’s Gospel Topics section, they have articles about fiscal responsibility going back to 1979. I think the best way to get yourself out of debt is the same way the Church did in 1838. I feel that after you give an honest tenth to the Lord, you should give an honest tenth to yourself. Stash it in a savings account. From the remaining 80%, pay bills and live life. I can say from personal experience that it is very tough living inside your means. Sometimes you scratch your head and wonder where you’ll get the money to pay that next bill or put gas in the car but there is that warm, pleasant feeling of knowing that you’re not running up any further debt.

In closing, I would like to say thank you to the Bishopric for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I believe in supporting our leaders as they implement the Church’s programs. I believe in seeking the wisdom of those around us and those who have gone before us. I give you my testimony that they are true and just leaders of our church. I just hope that I can be alert enough when they say, “Hey there, ahoy! There’s rapids below”.

Religion outlawed in California

2008-11-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

So my wife and I were talking tonight 'cuz I've been reading more about the Anti-Prop 8 demonstrations. And while religion is still just fine in California, follow this logic thread.

Churches encourage their members to search their hearts and vote as their faith suggests.

People on the no-side of any faith issue protest on the separation of church and state.

The no people convince enough people that people of faith are controlled by their churches. And those churches are really just political organizations bent on dominating the world. Since church and state MUST be separate, and churches directly control their members, then anybody attending a church can't be allowed to participate in the political process or in a government job.

However, we can't have second class citizens, that's just wrong. Everybody must be equal. Therefore, let's outlaw churches. Them and their morals are the root of what's wrong here.

Anybody see what's wrong here? or am I just being pessimistic on this?

Prop 8

2008-11-07T22:35:00.002-05:00

So, I've been doing some thinking about the uproar the passing of California Prop 8 has caused. Most of that uproar has been focused at the LDS church. So, I've done some digging on the thoughts that I've had.

First off, I've seen some facebook groups talking about 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for "Excessive lobbying". My version of the official response to this boils down to "good luck".

From Deseret News:
"Some Proposition 8 opponents are blaming the outcome on the LDS Church for its strong support of the ban. Though the church did not contribute directly to the campaign, its members were encouraged to support the amendment through fundraising and grass-roots organizing."

Sounds like you folks will have a hard time there. Looks like no church funds were directly used to support Prop 8.

The other thought I've had is why now? California was the 27th state to pass a marriage amendment. Why not start back in 1998 when Alaska started this amendment idea? For those of you who are curious, here's the list of who and when:

Year	State
1998	Alaska
2000	Nebraska
2002	Nevada
2004	Missouri
2004	Louisiana
2004	Arkansas
2004	Georgia
2004	Kentucky
2004	Michigan
2004	Mississippi
2004	Montana
2004	North Dakota
2004	Ohio
2004	Oklahoma
2004	Oregon
2004	Utah
2005	Kansas
2005	Texas
2006	Alabama
2006	Idaho
2006	Colorado
2006	South Dakota
2006	South Carolina
2006	Tennessee
2006	Virginia
2006	Wisconsin
2008	California
2008	Arizona
2008	Florida

So why not? Somebody please tell me.

Oh yeah. Here's another press release for you. This one from the Roman Catholic Church in California:
"I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words--and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8."

The Scout Law

2008-11-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

A Scout is:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverent.

This is what Boy Scouts stands for. These are things that we ALL should live by. But what does this mean. A group of scouts down in Texas put together this video of what it means to them. Go here to see their interpretation: http://www.scouttube.org/

This is what it means to me.
Trustworthy: Others can count on you to do what you say and mean what you do. You follow through on the tasks that are given to you.

Loyal: You don't turn your back on those around you. You stick up for those in your life.

Helpful: If somebody asks you for help that you know how to give, you make the time to help them. Even if it's a stranger on the street.

Friendly: You are kind to those around you. You have a positive attitude. You treat others with respect.

Courteous: Be a Gentleman. End of story.

Kind: You choose to build up those around you with positive actions instead of tear them down with insults and cutting remarks.

Obedient: If someone you respect or report to gives you directions or a command, you follow it. Sometimes, you're even allowed to choose how you follow it.

Cheerful: Be up beat. Great other people with a smile. Since the glass is half full, there's room for more good things to happen.

Thrifty: Live within your means. Taken me a while to learn this one, but now that I'm married, I have a better grasp of what is needed in life.

Brave: Bravery is more than running into a burning building. Bravery is standing up to a group and telling them, I think you're wrong.

Clean: Not just clean of body and clean of mind. Cleanliness extends to the environment around us. We are responsible for our section of the world. Treat it right.

Reverent: I believe we were placed on this planet by a supreme being. Reverence is the notion of honoring that supreme being. Reverence is also honoring somebody else's thoughts and beliefs as much as your own. Reverence is treating others with respect.

It's easy to follow these twelve points when somebody's watching. Truly embodying them is following them when you're by yourself.

What do you think? Can you give an example from your life when you personally have demonstrated more than one of these principals?

Redistributing the Wealth

2008-10-30T22:26:00.000-04:00

I've heard some candidates recently talking about the idea of Redistributing the Wealth because some companies and individuals are making an "exceptional" amount of revenue.

I remember hearing about this idea in my history books. Back in the 1920s & 1930s, some social philosophers put forth this idea. A couple of revolutionary leaders embraced this idea, engineered an overthrow of their country.

Since then, two of these countries have economically imploded and re-invented themselves to some extent or another. But they still suffer from a major problem. After 80+ years of Redistributing the Wealth there is no cultural drive to succeed. Every person that has succeeded has had their "increase" absorbed by the state and "redistributed" to those the state saw as needing it.

So, who were these revolutionaries? Who was the social philosopher?

Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Karl Marx

Politics and financial melt down

2008-10-28T10:35:00.001-04:00

One of the things I do for my clients is help sort their e-mail when they get bogged down. My one main client has me do that every day. Today, I came across an e-mail that wasn't obvious where it should be sorted, so I chose to read it. It CLAIMED to be from the San Francisco Chronicle and pointed a rather sharp finger at the democratic leadership over the last 30 years, starting with Jimmy Carter, then Bill Clinton, and then our current Democratic lead congress. The facts seemed reasonable, the story seemed reasonable, but there was NO DIRECT SOURCE links in the e-mail. I wanted to pass it on to y'all as something to think about, but until I could source it, I was hesitant.

Well, after an hour of searching, I found the source article by Barbara J. Stock on ChronWatch. Here's that URL: http://www.chronwatch-america.com/articles/3623/1/The-Bailouts-Must-Stop/Page1.html

Scratching a little bit further, I found that this article parallels (is based on?) a talk show by Mark Levin ( http://marklevinshow.com/audio/ ) on September 19, 2008. You can listen to that talk show here: http://citadelcc.vo.llnwd.net/o29/network/Levin/MP3/levin09192008.mp3

I am NOT trying to change your votes. Just hoping that you'll look, listen, and think. Then, next week, vote your heart.

10 mile hikes and mixed blessings

2008-10-11T23:05:00.004-04:00

Today the Scouts did a 10 mile hike. It was kinda a mixed blessings event for me. On one hand, I only "survived" the first 7 miles before my calves, knees, and hips started to give out on me. I ended up limping in the last 3 miles and have been hurting the rest of the day. When I got home, Lovice got me a pain killer and a cold pop. Still hurting, but not as bad. Not sure if i'll be able to go to church tomorrow, as much as I want to.

On the other hand, I got 6 or 7 excellent pictures today. When combined with the pictures Lovice took yesterday at the rest stop while I was on the phone, we had 13 new pictures to upload to our sales site.

Lovice's knee and leg are still really bothering her. We went to her doc yesterday and he drained some fluid from her knee. Now, it's black & blue and still having issues with swelling. On her dissability paperwork, we had them put in Dec 1 as a possible return to work date. With this complication of the internal bleeding, I'm concerned and pray every night that her doc will find a solution and get her back to living. This new complication is really wearing her down again. I do what I can to help keep her busy and keep her mind off of it. Not sure how well I'm succeeding. She stresses on a lot of things and that brings her further down even though I try to convince her to take it easier and things will work out. Somehow.

Well, I should try to get some sleep if I'm gonna try to get up in time to do church.

It's been a busy week

2008-10-09T22:56:00.003-04:00

Well, here it is Thursday and I'm already wondering where has this week gone. I can't even remember what I did Monday. It's been that long ago. There wasn't anything in the calendar that happened. I do remember the folks from the sleep center called to give me my results (see earlier post) and to schedule me to come in for phase two on Tuesday night.

Tuesday, I started a job seekers workshop at the local LDS Employment center. That was a two day thing that finished up Wednesday. More on the workshop later.

Tuesday night at scouts we reviewed personal first aid kits and attempted a lashing & knots project. I had asked our patrol leader to work with his APL and call the rest of the patrol to remind them to bring theirs. The amusing thing is, the only two boys who didn't bring theirs were the patrol leader and his brother. I had also sent an e-mail to the parents that I expect the boys to have a jacket & flashlight with them at the meetings since I like to work outside if the weather is good enough. One boy had a jacket and nobody had a flashlight. I let them work in the dark some before I loaned them my two flash lights. Their challange was to build a monkey bridge similar to the described to them in their scout manual (which 2 boys brought). Previously, we have worked on knots & lashings, so this should not have been overly difficult, just an engineering challenge. Several of the boys acted as if they hadn't ever seen a knot before, much less a lashing. So, challenge failed. :-( I plan to throw at them at least one knot / lashing challenge every month from here on.

After scouts, I had to run home, shower, and then race down to the sleep center for them to do a 2nd study on me to see how I reacted to a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure). Apparently the found a pressure setting (I was told 15. 15 what, I don't know) that allowed me to sleep w/o trying to suffocate myself.

Wednesday, back at the workshop, things started to come together for me. I was able to figure out 3 "power stories" and a way to answer the "tell me a little bit about yourself" question in such a way to very effeciently sell myself. The 3 stories I use are a petty cash tracking package I wrote, my photo sales site, and my work with FutureTruck (w/o giving up my ace up my sleeve). Here's my answer to "tell me a little bit about yourself":

My diverse background in computers as an independent IT consultant allows me to bring to the table the skill sets of several IT specialists. I can handle website design, windows application development, network configuration, and hardware troubleshooting. I also have strong team leadership skills having been the Club Vice President of a 60-plus member interdisciplinary engineering team while at the same time leading a 6 person telematics team. The telematics team finished in second place in the 2003 Ford & DOE Futuretruck Competition closely behind UC Davis.

As an independent consultant, I have helped clients, such as the Associated Produce Dealers and Brokers of Los Angeles, reduce accounting entry error from 40% to 2%, minimize the risk that hardware failure presents to data integrity by utilizing redundant systems, enable secure telecommuting to remote offices, and deploy secure wireless networks. I have also deployed for a client a secure, searchable backup and archiving system for possible use in future e-discovery court issues. The websites that I have created present the user with a rich experience, regardless of browser, while maintaining suitability for dial-up users.

Now just to memorize that.

So, when I got home from the workshop, I found an e-mail from my recruiter at Robert Half International saying she had tried to contact me to let me know that she was submitting my package to a client she had told me about and was going to try to set up an interview appointment for me today or tomorrow. Well, nothing happened today, so maybe tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, Lovice and I need to go down to her knee specialist to see about getting more fluid removed from her knee. Apparently she has some internal bleeding that's causing issues. Hope he can solve it here soon.

Well, Lovice says it's time for bed, so I guess I should go now.

2008-10-06T11:03:00.003-04:00

Well, the sleep center people called back with the results of my sleep study. In short, bad news. I officially have Severe Sleep Apnea. Here's the statistics they gave me.

Average # of Events per hour: 39.2
Total # of Events during study: 260
Starting O2 level: 93%
Lowest O2 level: 78%

An event was defined as a point in time where my breathing slowed down or stopped. They consider severe sleep apnea as having at least 30 events per hour.

So, tomorrow night, they want me to come in for another sleep study to calibrate a CPAP device and figure out what my prescription should be. Joyful.

Sleep Study

2008-09-30T07:26:00.002-04:00

Well, did the sleep study last night. The 2 second conclusion from the tech who watched me sleep is that I do have sleep apnea and that it is worse on my back than on my sides. So maybe that explains some things.....

Now to see what solution they propose.

Pictures of Mike and I throughout the past year

2008-09-30T02:08:00.000-04:00

Here is a slide show of some examples of mine & my husband's work....

2008-09-30T02:03:00.004-04:00

Here is a slide show of some examples of mine & my husband's work....

Some of My artwork

2008-09-30T00:39:00.003-04:00

Since I am not able to do much at the moment, I have decided to turn to my love of clay sculpting. I am trying to make a few nativities, bot large and small. My dad, husband and myself are going to try and sell our art at the Fantasy of Lights "festival" the weekend after Thanksgiving. I am very much looking forward to working with the clay again. In the past I have sold a few pieces. One was 1 of my large nativity sets for $300. I figure since I do have the time, why not make some and see what happens.

My father will be selling his woodwork. Both scroll work and intarsia. Michael will be selling his pictures.

Frustrating

2008-09-29T16:51:00.002-04:00

I just tried making dinner....and I couldn't stand to do it. I really thought that I could do it. At least I guess I tried, even though it hurt. I got it started and my dad had to take over. I really am glad to have 2 priesthood holders in the same house. They were able to give me a blessing right away. That truly helped a lot.

I am going to miss my hubby tonight. He has a sleep study to do. Lately he is always tired, so hopefully this will give us some answers. With how I am hurting, I REALLY don't want him to go, but he needs it done. The blessing did say that I would be without pain for the rest of the night. Won't make me miss him any less. At least he will be gone for only one night. Even though he has had to go on numerous camp outs with the boy scouts, I am not use to sleeping alone. He is over the 11 yr old scouts. These boys are getting ready to leave primary, but not old enough for young mens. Mike is really good with these boys. He shows them respect, so in turn they show him respect too.

I love seeing him with kids. He is good with them and is SO, SO CUTE!! Both of us are really looking forward to starting a family. Mike & I both want as many kids as the Lord blesses us with. Whether that is 1 child or 5. My biological clock is ticking. I have really had those maternal feelings occurring more and more. We are currently waiting for my health problems to be worked out, before trying to have children. I have migraines, knee pain, & mild asthma. Most of the prescriptions I am on, I am not allowed to get pregnant. It could cause defects in the baby. My neurologist and I almost have my migraines completely under control. With my knee, once the pain is gone I can get off the pain medications. The time with come sooner then we know. This past august, my brother Tim & his wife Jeannine, were visiting here from Minnesota with their son Steven & new daughter Mikaela. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Mikaela (she was 1 month old). It made me want to start a family even more. I just look forward to that day.

Storms, changes in weather

2008-09-29T15:19:00.002-04:00

Aahhhhh!!! Ever since this last surgery, my knee is more sensitive to any changes in weather. Of course the metal plate that I have on the bottom of my femur doesn't help. One of the physical therapy assistants did tell me that the first 6 months are usually the worst for this. Only 4 months to go then!! At least I am one of the first to know before a storm comes or a change in pressure.

I hope no one thinks that all I do is complain. This last surgery has been very hard on me. I have been SO frustrated because of the pain, & the fact that it is not gone yet. I feel like I should be up dancing and stuff by now. I have a difficult time just sitting down, so that I don't over do it. I look forward to being able to do simple stuff like 1) cooking 2) washing dishes 3) doing laundry and 4) working. I really look forward to being able to take walks. I have not been able to do that in so long. I miss walking beside my husband, hand in hand. Thinking about that just makes me break out into a smile.

What else is going on? Well, Mike is looking for additional work. His businesses are taking off fairly slow. Mike does anything related to computers and takes amazing photographs. If anyone needs a family photo or event photos of some sort, give him a call. His work/cell number is: (517) 375-4441.

Can't sleep

2008-09-29T02:43:00.004-04:00

Here it is 2:43 am and I am still awake. All in thanks to my knee. My knee has been so sore all weekend. There is a good reason for that. I saw my orthopedic surgeon this past Friday, for a post-op. He was not happy with how swollen my knee still was. He used the BIGGEST syringe I had ever seen, to remove some of the extra fluid from the knee. It hurt so bad, even though he had numbed it!! The fluid ended up being bloody. For some reason I have some interior bleeding. Removing the fluid is suppose to help stop the pain & reduce the swelling.
Dr. Ference also decided that I need to continue physical therapy for 6 more weeks. I see him again on Halloween. Until then, I am not allowed to go back to work. I really miss working. That may sound weird or ridiculous, but I do enjoy my job. I have such cabin fever! I want to get out of this house. Going to work would give me something to do. I have to keep reminding myself, that I need the time off work to get my knee back to 100 percent.
I am happy to have my hubby working from home. It is nice having him available at anytime, day or night. Especially, when I am in need of a blessing. Which lately has been often. Since we are living with my parents, we don't have to go far to get a second priesthood holder. Well, I think I am finally tired, night....

2008-09-16T14:01:00.002-04:00

How are things going? It just seems like more and more is going wrong. The bad weather the last few days has really made my left knee act up. It is more sensitive to bad weather & weather changes, then it was before surgery. I will be so glad when the weather kinda evens out. I am also still a little ways out from being able to return to work. Honestly, I do look forward to going back. I miss working altogether. May not always get along with my co-workers, but that is the same at any job. Being limited in what I can do is so FRUSTRATING! I wish that I could just skip ahead. I also know that it takes time to get well enough to work. My physical therapist is very happy with my progress. So I am doing well, just wish the healing process could go quicker.

Another reason I want to get back to work, is that we are hurting a little bit financially. This has just become another trial that we must endure. I know everything will work out. The end is just a little hard to see from where we are now.

leg updates

2008-09-11T20:19:00.000-04:00

Life is going well. I am beginning to get around more easily. I have to attend (sometimes endure) physical therapy (PT) 3 times per week. I like to call it pain & torture. I still have to walk with one crutch, use it for balance. The leg muscles are not quite strong enough to depend on them fully. The incision is healing nicely. Beginning to look like I might end up with a very thin scar, that is 6-7 inches long. Will still be some time before it is completely healed.
I am so, so grateful to have my hubby around. He drives me to PT & any doctors appointments I might have.But anytime he is not available, I do have my parents who are willing to help. I feel so incredibly grateful for the medical professionals and their skills.
I look forward to being able to go back to work. I am running out of things to do, or I am getting bored with the things I have available to me.

Surgery Time!

2008-08-14T19:21:00.000-04:00

I saw my surgeon's PA yesterday for my post-OP appointment.She was very happy with how well I am already getting around. I am using a set of crutches, mainly for balance. My left leg is very weak at the moment. I also have a fairly good degree of bend in the left knee. I found out exactly what was done. I had scope & pattelo Femoral arthoplasty. The scope was to repair a small tear in my meniscus. After that was repaired, they made about a 6-7in incision vertically across my knee. During the arthoplasty, the inserted a metal implant into the bottom-front of the femur & replaced the back of my knee cap with a plastic disc.
I attend physical therapy 3 times per week, at a place in Milford. I also must do exercises/stretches 1-2 times daily. It is difficult to say whether the pain is lessened yet or not. I mean it has only been 1 & 1/2 weeks after surgery. It will just take time to recover from surgery and then to get the strength and movement back. I am so glad that surgery is finally over.
I thank everyone for their thoughts & prayers during this time. I am also so, so grateful for all of my parents and husband's time and efforts to help me out. They are doing everything they can for me. After I do therapy and stretching, I am to ice the knee and keep it elevated. They help me during these times, getting me food/drinks...etc.
I have a really good feeling this surgery will work. People may not believe this, but....I look so forward to going back to work. I usually get bored so easily. Only reason I have not been to awful bored thus far, is that the pain meds/muscle relaxers keep knocking me out. Atleast I am getting sleep.

My brand NEW niece!

2008-07-25T16:22:00.002-04:00

The above picture is of my new niece Mikaela Ruth Richards.

Life can really stink sometimes, but be great at same time

2008-06-18T12:54:00.000-04:00

Life is really pushing me to my limits. I am in such horrible knee pain. I can't do much of anything at the moment. I can't stand for very long, usually a few seconds. Walking...forget it, I have to use a crutch and doesn't help much. Not only am I tired of the pain, but also the pain medication. It makes me tired, sick and gives me rebound headaches. Not only do I sleep for 9-10 hours every night, but I end up taking a 3-4 hr nap almost daily too. This pain is just driving me crazy. I hate it so much. Has me so depressed and constantly questioning myself. I feel like some people think that I am making this all up. They then don't know me at all. If they did they would realize I wouldn't make this up. I can barely stand it. I just cry so much of the time and have to keep breaking plans. If I didn't have my husband....I would have a much more difficult time going through this. He is my strength, helps me to push through the pain. He allows my to cry when I need to and just holds me.

I see my surgeon on the 26th of this month. He will be looking over the MRIs that I had done the first week of the month. After that he will decide what type of surgery he will do. In a way I hope he will just do a full knee replacement. Then the pain will be gone and I can try to live a normal life. I really want life to be "normal" again. I really don't like everyone having to wait on me hand & foot. I feel like I am inconveniencing my husband and parents. So often I feel lazy and useless, mainly b/c I am not able to do much of anything. I have to stay off my leg as much as possible. I try and do what little I can, "little" being the special word. On the good side, Mike and my parents constantly reassure me that I am not an inconvenience, lazy or useless.They tell me it is just a hard time I am going through right now and I won't always be this way. I just have a difficult time letting this sink in. I will eventually be myself again.

Mike thank you so much for being such a loving, caring and attentive man. I love you so much. I also thank those at church so have showed my how much they truly care and are willing to come and keep me company. They a totally awesome women.

The picture is from early April, Mike and I went to the Henry Ford Museum.

feeling down

2008-05-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

I am really depressed. I have been all day. Pretty sure it is because I am missing Mike. He is at Boy Scout training for 3 days & 2 nights. :( It is hard being newlyweds and him being gone for his calling. I support him 100%, but is still sad to not have him here. Kinda what makes it worse this time is that I am on vacation due to my knee. So I have ALL day to think. But my knee is enjoying the rest.

Tough Decision

2008-04-21T19:07:00.000-04:00

Right now I am having to make a difficult decision. The regional manager at work has strongly suggested that I go on reduced hours or leave of absence/disability. This is all due to my knee being so painful. Yes it is hard to work on it. And sometimes I wonder if I can make it through my shift. But, I say a prayer and dope myself up on pain medications and do my best. I am thinking of doing a leave of absence. Every time I work on my leg, it gets worse. It might be best to take time off to rest it and hopefully get it fixed. In a couple weeks I am taking a weeks vacation, so I can hopefully see my MD and speak with them too.

2008-04-21T18:44:00.001-04:00

Life can be a pain...

2008-04-20T21:21:00.000-04:00

I have been so depressed lately. This can be attributed to all the knee pain I am currently experiencing. It is so hard to deal at times. Some days I just want to stay in bed and cry, because I know the instant that I get out of bed the pain is going to soar up that latter. I had surgery on this knee almost a year ago. My surgeon says that what they had done surgery on is fine. But another area of the knee is damaged because of arthritis. I may end up having surgery again, later this year.

Other than my knee, things are going good. I am still working at CVS/Pharmacy. I have been there a little over 3 years now. I got married in December. I am so glad to have found Mike.