All comments are my own thoughts, unless they are the thoughts of others being beamed at me...Ouch!!


Finally! Another photoshoot, after so many months. I am scheduled to do one this Sunday, August 10th with a very pretty lady, Acacia. First shoot since my heart attack. We shall see how it goes. Keep watching to see what pics come from that.

Ells

All the work here is my own. Do not copy it. It is not for loan. Respect the models who graciously have let me take their pictures. None of that is their fault.

All comments are my own thoughts, unless they are the thoughts of others being beamed at me...Ouch!!


The sonagram and treadmill were interesting and tiring, but showed that my heart is getting the blood supply it needs. Evidently the stents are doing their job, the meds are working, my diet is helping, and by heavens I am here for some reason still.

It was interesting to watch the initial sonagram. I could see my heart valves working in real time. Quite amusing stuff to hear the blood rushing through the arteries. Busy pump! And then up on the treadmill. Three minute increments of stress with my blood pressure taken midway on each, I was walking probably harder than I had in quite a few years. The first three were ok. The second was a bit stressful. The third was a bear! However, I made it through and then we had to hustle me over to the ultrasound again to look at the heart one more time. No pain and no problems. I am good to go.

You know, when I had my heart attack, I was in the dark as far as how close I came. I mean I knew I had had a heart attack but I was awake through the whole thing and in a bit of pain for the first hour or so, but after I got to the hospital I never felt like I was going to die or anything. It took Tim Russert and George Carlin's deaths to finally wake me up to how close I came. About 1.4 million Americans have a heart attack each year and about 350,000 Americans die from one. That is pretty danged big!

The PUMP gives out or the blood supply to the pump gets blocked (more the case). We do not know what exactly causes those fatty plaques to form but we have our suspicions. And they do not just cause heart attacks; they cause strokes and may even be part of the reason for Alzeheimer's.

But anyway, my heart is being supplied pretty well now. Time to continue on with life. Thought I would let anyone who reads this and cares know about the test today.

--Ells

All the work here is my own. Do not copy it. It is not for loan. Respect the models who graciously have let me take their pictures. None of that is their fault.

All comments are my own thoughts, unless they are the thoughts of others being beamed at me...Ouch!!


Going in for a treadmill test tomorrow. Chest is twingey and some problems. Will probably be nothing.

Ells

All the work here is my own. Do not copy it. It is not for loan. Respect the models who graciously have let me take their pictures. None of that is their fault.

All comments are my own thoughts, unless they are the thoughts of others being beamed at me...Ouch!!


With my blood pressure meds cut in half, I now am no longer at 95/60 but something reasonable. I can stay awake and alert long after 11AM, thank you. My pulse rate is probably a bunch better too.

We went to a San Luis Blues baseball game today. They are a semi-pro league. Most of the players are collegiate and are just finishing the college season. Some of them go from here right into the major leagues. The Blues beat the San Francisco Giants 15 to 1 in the first game of a double header. We did not stay for the second game. It was getting cold and windy. Yes, California coast gets cold and windy in the afternoon. Still it was great to get out to see a game.

This weekend I also saw "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" and "Prince Caspian." I enjoyed both movies. Prince Caspian was finely done. OK, they added some flirting between Caspian and Susan that I do not remember from the book but I guess that was for the teen audience. Reepicheep and Trufflehunter were great. Indie was a thrill-a-minute and I recommend it.

Coming soon is "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Call me a nerd but I will see it. It is all animated. To show you how old I am, I saw the very first (before it was called Episode 4) the night before my PhD qualifying exams. Saw the preview for "The Spirit," "Hellboy 2," "Mummy 3" (with Jet Li), and a couple other things. Probably will see most of those. Ah, it is OK to be alive and divertable.

The Poetry workshop is going well. Several of the members are writing tremendously good work. Me? I am limping along. I hope to improve to their initial level soon. Stop by there if you can.

Back to work at Diablo tomorrow.

Love to all,
Ells

All the work here is my own. Do not copy it. It is not for loan. Respect the models who graciously have let me take their pictures. None of that is their fault.

All comments are my own thoughts, unless they are the thoughts of others being beamed at me...Ouch!!


Work is hardly what anyone at this board would think of as work. OK, you know the first scene of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Nope! Nothing like that. I get in my car at 5:30AM and drive in to the powerplant, turn on a bunch of computers and wait for folks to get in. Then I log them into whatever training they need and I mostly sit on my butt. However, 5 hours later, I am sucking wind. Yeah, not the bouncing badger I used to was. Maybe that comes with time and then again, I have to remember that it is less than a month ago I had my massive heart attack and a week ago I was on the operating table with someone's reach in my heart. Lasers in the jungle, for sure.

I made it 5 hours both days. Got home and absolutely crashed both days. Tomorrow is cardiology day. Taking the day off since the visit is at 10:15AM. No sense going in to work and then coming out to the doctor, then going back out to work.

Will watch some of the returns tonight from the Primaries in Kentucky and Oregon. No surprises expected except if Hillary decides to be gracious and drop now. I weary of the Primaries. It is time to heal the party and go McCain bashing. This country cannot stand another four years of Bush/Cheney war machine. There is a rumor in the wind of Bush attacking Iran before the General Election. I pray that is just an idle threat. We cannot seem to win even small victories against a disperse enemy in Iraq. What the hell do we think we can do against a giant of Iran?

Just in case any hawk is reading this, I am a Vietnam vet, ex E-5 US Army Chem Corps., Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, 5 Air Medals, etc. You want to fight wars, you go over there and do it. I say that we are creating veterans with lots of problems and bankrupting the future of America and no one seems to be getting Osama bin Laden. Remember him?

BTW, the Poetry Workshop (Rag-n-Bone-Shop) is open. You might want to go over and learn to write better poetry. HINT HINT HINT

Yes, we can! Obama for President '08

Ells

All the work here is my own. Do not copy it. It is not for loan. Respect the models who graciously have let me take their pictures. None of that is their fault.