Well, we've got the services all hammered out. It will be next Saturday at 11:00 at the mormon church on warm springs. The service is going to be pretty short, with a slide show in the gym afterwards (they wouldn't let us do it in the chapel. pfft) Our friend Niccole is singing I'll fly away. It's been a rough week, but A' is getting through alright. She really appreciates all the thoughtful cards and phone calls.

FKN Hillarious Click me!

Andrea's mom passed away early this morning. A' had spent the day with Helen, as she's been spending most of her spare hours with her for the last month or so. The care facility called about 8 last night to let her know it looked like the end was very near, so A' went back and sat with her mom until she passed at about 2:30 a.m. Her mom will be cremated and so we're able to push the funeral back to around March 1st to allow her extended family more time to make travel arrangements etc.

A' had a difficult relationship with her mother, but feels that she was able to make some peace with her the last couple years, and especially through this last, fairly quick decline. Still, keep your thoughts with my Andrea ... she pretends to be a 'brave soldier', but really she's all mush under that hard shell.

Blogger Forcing upgrade to new account type .. testing 1 2 3 If anyone is having trouble getting in to post let me know and we can fix it.

Heres whats going on with me.

I have'nt been feeling so good lately. My energy level is in the toilet and there are times when I struggle to breath. My diabetes seems to be under control, but the angina and weakness isn't improving. Having spent the past 27 years working in hospitals makes me keenly aware of what the problems are and I'm under no delusions about the causes or where this path is leading.

Over the past year or so, I've been becoming more and more depressed over my health. It has affected me so much that I feel almost paralayzed at times, unable to even hold a thought or complete a simple task. Last week I hit some sort of mental wall. I sat in the van in the hospital parkinglot for 2 hours unable (or unwilling) to get out and fix the xray machine I had been called on. I ended up calling my boss and asking for some time off. That set off a chain of events that has left me on disability with the job and a flurry of medical and mental health evaluations. I'm still waiting on a few of the results, but here is my current diagnosis...

1. Coronary artery disease (no surprises there). Cardiac output is aprox 60%
2. Diabetes (under control) but my eyesight is significantly affected.
3. COPD. My pulmonary health is that of an 85yo man before breathing treatments, equal to a 75yo after treatment. (waiting to hear if I'll be on O2 or if I can just use inhalers).
4. Clinical depression. I suspected this but was caught offguard by how deeply it affects me. I've been dealing with this (or not) for the past few years. Starting medications as soon as the insurance company, therapist and my doc all get on the same page.
5. TIA's. They've been a regular occurance for the past year or so.

I don't know when or if I'll be released back to work or what that job might end up being. GE has been a wonderful company to work for and I can only trust they'll continue to support me. Much will depend on the treatment plan for my COPD (kinda hard to fix an MRI while tethered to an O2 bottle). I'm trying to be positive in all this but it is difficult to bear. I'll post more later.

The studio was a lot of fun. I blogged all about it at my personal blog.
I Have Been Immortalized

These files will only be here for a little while. A week or so. Get em while you can :-) After that you'll just have to buy the CD
Darkness_Within.mp3
Disconnected.mp3
Wicked_Karma.mp3

Since Ronnie outed me ...
http://www.vestasophia.com


And I'm still on vocal rest for at least another 6 months. The ulceration has healed, but the acid damage & varicosities still put me at risk for another hemorrhage. *sigh*
In the mean time, I'm writing & editing & proofing & reading & momming & wifing & groupieing & ... & ... & ...

Working on the mustang and waiting for spring to go fishing. Glad to hear you gat a boat pop good luck with the bass. I also had a bout with some TIA's this month but am fine now. got the 289 for the mustang bored 40 over and blueprinted and balanced the heads are going in to be rebuilt and ported and polished next week.
Frankie has started school and is working toward a teaching degree. Thought everyone might like to know that.
Jack and his girl friend are expecting Twins the due date has been moved from the end of may to the middle of april.
DeeAnna is still the most wonderful woman in the world and the love of my life.

My life:
Indy, my dog, was having some health issues. It turns out she has an abnormally small liver. We are treating her with a low protein diet. It seems to be working. She has to get more blood work done in a few months.

Work is boring. I am on a HUGE project that I really want to get out of. It is a whole new processing and billing system that I have to write procedures for. Ugh!

My foot is doing better. I am out of the walking boot but am still doing physical therapy. I still can't take stairs. I do okay going up but my tendon can't handle down. Oh, it is due to achilles tendonitis and plantar faciatis. I let both go way too long and now have a long way to go to get full use out of my foot. The plantar faciatis seems to be much better. The tendonitis is what is giving me a problem. The tendon is still pretty inflamed most of the time.

The cats and turtles are doing okay.

I still LOVE my Scion XB (the toaster car). It is such a great car.

I am still doing lots of cross-stitch. Love it!!

Dale started work in Phoenix. I can't believe that he is finally finished with everything and is now part of a practice.

Is this thing on?
Where did everyone go? status report please...
For me January held a few events I started the new year with a hangover, That's because the new years party went well we had a lot of fun. We also played a Toga Party, fun concept but they failed to pull off the frat house atmosphere. (was a room full of wallflowers) We had fun despite them:)

I get to talk to Leisl almost every day in chat, it's nice to keep up with what she is doing. she always has some bohemian project going on keep an eye out for her public release of her Tarot reading sight. I miss my weekly lunches with Tami. I hardly ever get out for lunch any more.. maybe when it gets warm again.

I had time in the studio reserved for last weekend but they called and reschedule me for this weekend. Now I have a cold in full swing, I sure hope I am green by Saturday.

I am gigging in Second life 2 times a week right now I probably reach 100 people a week with my music. It is a real geeky cool thing to do. Read about my Second life on my SLog (geek speak for "Second Life Blog") There is a way to stream the audio if you are not in Second Life.. but the URL changes every time I play and I don't know what it's going to be until it's time to play. I am trying to think of a way I can make a static link for you non second lifers. ( I just had an idea that I will try on Monday)if it works....see you on Monday at 7:00 Boise time http://shoutcast.jackcrowne.com

Ok you're caught up on me... your turn