Sitemeter tells me people still visit this site. Probably from a sense of nostalgia, and I thank all of you for checking in here from time to time.

I’m working a lot of shifts, going to a lot of meetings, and still trying to have a semblance of a life. This leaves no time for original writing here.

The meetings: our Gigantic Corporate Overlord has graciously agreed to part with a Princely Sum of Cash, and in March we break ground on a new ED. Nice! (Figures off the top of my head: currently we have about 96 beds in 24K sq. feet and see 96K/yr, and we’re going to 81 rooms and 48K sq. ft.).

In case you missed that, we’re not scheduled to get the same number of beds as rooms, but a bunch of our current beds are hall beds. I hate hall beds. And, many of the new rooms are to be designed to ‘double up’ so we can put 2 beds in 1 treatment room, so we’re going to net more than we have now.

Additionally, 2 CT’s, an MRI, and 24 hour sono. And a designed environment rather than the hodgepodge of assumed spaces we currently have. (When I describe our current condition it sounds like I’m down on it, but I’m not. It’s functional. And our staff is terrific. Fortunately they’re going to make the move too)!

Bizarrely, I am one of three docs to work with the team that engages the architects, and it’s a fun if time consuming process. It’s fun to play ‘what if’ with these differently trained pros, and I feel like the time I’m spending there is worthwhile. I get to help design the ED I hope to retire in, and not many get to say that.

And did I mention we’re remodeling the kitchen in the homestead? No? We (had) a mostly original 1986 kitchen that was awesome 10 years ago when we moved in, but now is worn and dated. Well, was. Now it’s torn out to the walls. Our former bulkheads (fir-downs in Texas) were pulled out so we can go all the way to the ceiling, but they contained a lot of wires and plumbing (which are being moved).  It’s very expensive entertainment watching the trades do their thing, and a tiny part of me wants to be one of them. Yes, my brain, thanks…

Speaking of the trades, the electricians liked our garden trolls, and decided they needed to be fed. Heh.

More to come.

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I (well my friend) accidentally pulled his truck and laden trailer over your yard last night.

I very sincerely apologize for this. I will gladly repair any sprinkler system damage, or other damage to the lawn.

I do not anticipate this ever happening again. Both my wife I value your friendship and your being better neighbors than I am.

Apologies. Please let me know what needs repair.

I got this back:

My wife just sent me this e-mail. You cannot imagine how shocked I was this morning when I went to get the paper and stumbled across the substantial damage to our lawn! At first I thought we had been vandalized by army tanks! I was stunned! The sprinkler heads near the street are completely destroyed. Unfortunately these are no longer made and new ones are a different height than the old one and no longer compatible. The entire sprinkler system will need to be repaired. I got an estimate this morning for $15,000.00 so I appreciate your doing this.

Unfortunately the sprinkler guy can’t get the ditch digger in the backyard so the fence will need to be replaced. I got and estimate on this for another 15,000.00.

Unfortunately all this disruption will disrupt the foundation which has been given us trouble anyway and will require us to relandscape. The estimate for this is 50,000.00.

Unfortunately this will require patching and painting of the house and replacement of carpet and floors. Estimate for this is 75,000.00.

Unfortunately we will not be able to remain in the house for this so we will need to relocate everything while the repairs are being done, add on living expenses, meals, and clothes and this is estimated at another 100,000.00.

Unfortunately this has already caused tremendous stress and my son “who is a lawyer” values this and his legal fees at 5,000,000.00. Especially since you have already admitted guilt and acknowledged what a bad neighbor you are. Any jury knowing you are a doctor with no regard for other people’s property of life will easily award this!!!

Unfortunately it is these types of careless accidents that divide neighborhoods and ruin friendships. So I am willing for a limited time only to accept an ice cold case of cold beer instead.

LOL have a great weekend

I took him a case of beer. And some sprinkler parts.

I like my neighborhood.

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(I’m not an expert on pleasure. I’m the weirdest extrovert you’ll meet, in that I will include everyone very happily in my public life, and by that I mean I have a blog, I tell people about all the superficial things in my life (I just had my pond filled in, and I have bored everyone at work with that), I’ve blogged a lot of things people know about, and I keep my private life and friends private. You might be surprised that things happen I don’t blog. You might not. It depends on what you know of me.)

Therefore, things I like I tend to Really Like. This explains why I go to the same places for fun. I’m sure there’s a psychological problem/answer there.

As if by magic, one of the forbidden SoCal-only objects has been deposited in my world: In-N-Out has come to Mohammed. (I’m not Mohammed, it’s a metaphor, no bombings please). My anticipation, thrill really, was shared by the family. To say we’ve followed the construction and timeline of this Parthenon of Patties would be an understatement. Never in the history of our collective, extended family has one fast food joint focused our attention so meatily.

I had the Forbidden Burger tonight! And, it was a burger. Away from its normal surroundings, the pseudo-exotic locale, it was a decent burger, average fries, and a good milkshake. (My choice is not for the calorie conscious).

I felt like I finally had a date with the Prom Queen and found out she’s a shallow, dumb person who also isn’t into me. (I’m not personalizing this intentionally, except it’s personal). I could taste the disappointment. Pun intended.

My title isn’t quite right. I wanted it, I got it, and the failure was mine. It was a good burger, perfectly adequate, served with a smile, and as close in taste as a 1,500 mile breach can be. It’s that it wasn’t eaten There, in The Place. And therefore it wasn’t right. Dang it.

Now I’ve diminished something I liked, a lot, and have learned the big lesson. Don’t screw up the things you like, and where you like things is a huge component as to why they’re liked.

I’ve lost something I’ve loved, and now at best I can like it again, in its rightful place, someday. Context matters.

That would have been a better title. I just had to work through it.

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So, a little tiny tractor with a tiny loader and backhoe. It’s stupidly fun. I had no idea digging things with a backhoe would be so satisfying. I’m not going to give up the day job to do it, but it’s really a barrel of monkeys.

Apparently part of having a tractor is the parts/accessorizing (yes, I concur that accessorizing is probably the wrong word for a macho tractor, but I’m new to this, remember)? So, I have bought bucket hooks and a light kit for it, from BXpanded, and they’re the object of this praise.

I tried the bucket hooks a week or so ago, and they didn’t fit as smoothly as the YouTube video made it look, so I sent them an email, and I got a response within an hour. On a Saturday afternoon. With an apology for taking an hour, as he had been mowing his lawn. Also, his advice worked perfectly.

So, great, one incident, one good outcome.

Then today, another problem. Their light kit looks terrific and went on well, but I couldn’t find the work light wires on the tractor. They’re on the wiring diagram, but I couldn’t find the wires. I called the dealer that sold it to me, and their service department gave me the wrong answer (‘it’s the power outlet’), so they proved their worth. Inexplicably I sent an email to the BXpanded folks, and then bothered to look on the innernut.

Yes the answer was there, and I hooked their nice kit up, and of course it worked. And as I parked the tractor there was a voice mail on my phone. (My sig line on emails from the phone has my cellphone number in it). It was the BXpanded fellow, who wanted to help me find the wires.

Yeah, the BXpanded guy called me to help, though I only sent an email asking for a general hint. It doesn’t get any better than that. And, the lights helped me a bunch tonight while using the backhoe.

So, BXpanded.com, recommended highly.

There is a minor downside to having a micro-tractor: My wife has taken to calling me Mr. Douglas. Yeah.

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Yeah, Africa Hot. But worse, except not in Africa. So, better! What’s the problem?

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Afterward we had a nice lunch, and I beat the odds by driving home without my mother in law giving me driving tips.

Life is good!

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The job does not pay a ton of money, and since law firms aren’t stupid it’s for a ‘trial period’ (pardon the pun), but it’ll get him some experience, some income, and get him some contacts in their world. So, winning!

Kudos to Bob!

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We’re as proud of him as we can be. Now, about that legal job you have waiting for him…

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It’s our (your Sons and our families’) pleasure to help celebrate your Marriage.

Happy 50th Aniversary!

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So, tonight came not only the Winter Solstice but additionally a lunar eclipse.  Astronomic fun.  Not enough fun for the family.

The responsible party will rename anonymous, but it was decided: Darling Daughter (DD) will be brought to believe the following:

• the solstice and eclipse are tonight (true)
• the eclipse is visible with the naked eye (true)
• doing so is dangerous due to the excess of UV rays bouncing off the moon during the eclipse (false)
• viewing the eclipse is made safer for the eyes by wearing sunglasses (false but funny).

A comically large cardboard box with a pinhole in it (to be worn on the head) was initially thought to to be the tease, but was eventually discarded for the more practicable sunglasses.

DD was initially very hesitant to believe, but the other four of us, wearing our sunglasses, proved too much even for her highly developed skepticism.  So, she happily donned her shades, and we all watched the lunar eclipse together.

At some point, a photograph was in order (we were in on it, that’s why we’re shadeless):

Live long, and prosper.

About 5 minutes after this we let her off the hook, but not before the pic.

Showing good sport, DD insisted I blog this as “It’s really funny.  Mean, but funny”.

Nobody loves you more, sweetie.  Thanks for playing along with us.

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