Have you ever sat out in a snow storm and just listened to the sound of it? If you're from the north, I'll bet you have. If you haven't, you should. It's really amazing how silent everything really is. I'm not talking about a blizzard with roaring winds, just a heavy snow fall. Two days ago Minneapolis got their first real snow fall of the season. Most places got about 4 inches of snow over a 6 hour period. Not too bad, but definitely a snow storm. During the snow fall, I walked across the street to the mall where Jill works. It was amazing how quiet our typically noisy neighborhood was. Even with SUV's driving too fast down the snow-covered road, it was very quiet.
It made me think of past times in my life where my friends and I would hike through the nature preserve in Stevens Point during snow storms. It is so quiet because all the animals are hunkered down and every other sound is muffled by a blanket of fresh snow. It really is amazing at how peaceful a snow storm can be. I highly recommend braving the cold to sit through one and just feel the silence of the snow...you wont be disappointed.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Doctors....
I try not to be too harsh on Doctors. After all, they spend years upon years in school, rack up mounds of dept, and then work ridiculous hours. Even if they do get paid a ton of money, they don't really have the time to enjoy it. BUT, I've been noticing a serious lack of usable information coming from Doctors recently. Let's start about a year and a half ago....
Do you all remember Jill's issue with serious stomach pain? It was so bad that she couldn't do anything but lay down in bed with a heating pad and struggle through it. Well, so we took her to the Dr. to find out what was going on. After a barrage of tests, questions, and bottles of foul tasting contrast, they told her that it could be ovarian cysts bursting. Could be. Really there wasn't much evidence of it or anything else. So they gave her birth control to help with possible cysts, and told her to eat a high fiber diet in case it was something more related to her stomach. Not a terrible outcome, but it seemed for the longest time that no-one had any idea of what was going on.
A year later we went to our to our new Dr. here in Minnesota for a routine check-up. The Dr. got our height and weight measurements and separated us into different rooms and asked us all the standard questions. Then while talking to me he pulled up a Body Mass Index chart that you can look at on-line (THE EXACT SAME ONE-FOR FREE), entered in my information, and informed me that I was obese. His recommendation? Portion control and a low-carb diet...seriously?
While at the Dr., they also had us do some blood work. When we got the results of that blood work back it came with little notes from our new Dr. Mine showed slightly high blood-sugar and cholesterol levels. My little note informed me that he wasn't too worried, but I should lower my carb intake. Jill's blood work revealed perfectly normal levels of everything except her triglycerides (things that can cause strokes, heart attacks, and all sorts of nasty things). Her note suggested that she lower her carb intake and come back in 6 months to recheck things.
OK, so some of you may be thinking, well maybe if you're eating bad, cutting carbs will help. the thing is, Jill and I have been eating on a VERY low-carb diet for almost a year now. So really I don't think that carb's are the problem. Especially considering every other one of Jill's tests came back in normal levels. So Jill does a little research on the Internet and sees that the number one side effect of her birth control is high levels of triglycerides, and potential risk of stroke and heart attack. She also found a number of posts from women who had similar issues and once they went off their birth control their triglyceride levels dropped back to normal ranges. So if this information was so readily available, and seems to be relevant, why didn't the Dr. even mention it?
Now, I read that a good friend of Jill's went to the Dr. because of difficulty breathing and chest pains. After some tests, they found a 3 inch nodule on her lung. Now, I'm no Dr., but to me it sounds like they might be related. Apparently the Dr. doesn't seem to think so. Keep in mind that she is an otherwise healthy person with no asthma or anything else like that.
So again, maybe me and my friends just seem to find the dud Dr.'s out there, but really, most of the information that we have received from the Dr.'s, has been less than helpful. And, let's not forget that this paltry information came after MANY visits to these Dr's who were paid handsomely for each visit. So, yeah, I'm a little bit bitter about the whole health care industry at the moment...
Just for the record, I think it is a noble and necessary profession to have, I just think there must be a better way of doing things. If you really don't know what's wrong with someone, tell them. Maybe it should be run like any other business, if the results aren't there, the pay isn't there either....
Do you all remember Jill's issue with serious stomach pain? It was so bad that she couldn't do anything but lay down in bed with a heating pad and struggle through it. Well, so we took her to the Dr. to find out what was going on. After a barrage of tests, questions, and bottles of foul tasting contrast, they told her that it could be ovarian cysts bursting. Could be. Really there wasn't much evidence of it or anything else. So they gave her birth control to help with possible cysts, and told her to eat a high fiber diet in case it was something more related to her stomach. Not a terrible outcome, but it seemed for the longest time that no-one had any idea of what was going on.
A year later we went to our to our new Dr. here in Minnesota for a routine check-up. The Dr. got our height and weight measurements and separated us into different rooms and asked us all the standard questions. Then while talking to me he pulled up a Body Mass Index chart that you can look at on-line (THE EXACT SAME ONE-FOR FREE), entered in my information, and informed me that I was obese. His recommendation? Portion control and a low-carb diet...seriously?
While at the Dr., they also had us do some blood work. When we got the results of that blood work back it came with little notes from our new Dr. Mine showed slightly high blood-sugar and cholesterol levels. My little note informed me that he wasn't too worried, but I should lower my carb intake. Jill's blood work revealed perfectly normal levels of everything except her triglycerides (things that can cause strokes, heart attacks, and all sorts of nasty things). Her note suggested that she lower her carb intake and come back in 6 months to recheck things.
OK, so some of you may be thinking, well maybe if you're eating bad, cutting carbs will help. the thing is, Jill and I have been eating on a VERY low-carb diet for almost a year now. So really I don't think that carb's are the problem. Especially considering every other one of Jill's tests came back in normal levels. So Jill does a little research on the Internet and sees that the number one side effect of her birth control is high levels of triglycerides, and potential risk of stroke and heart attack. She also found a number of posts from women who had similar issues and once they went off their birth control their triglyceride levels dropped back to normal ranges. So if this information was so readily available, and seems to be relevant, why didn't the Dr. even mention it?
Now, I read that a good friend of Jill's went to the Dr. because of difficulty breathing and chest pains. After some tests, they found a 3 inch nodule on her lung. Now, I'm no Dr., but to me it sounds like they might be related. Apparently the Dr. doesn't seem to think so. Keep in mind that she is an otherwise healthy person with no asthma or anything else like that.
So again, maybe me and my friends just seem to find the dud Dr.'s out there, but really, most of the information that we have received from the Dr.'s, has been less than helpful. And, let's not forget that this paltry information came after MANY visits to these Dr's who were paid handsomely for each visit. So, yeah, I'm a little bit bitter about the whole health care industry at the moment...
Just for the record, I think it is a noble and necessary profession to have, I just think there must be a better way of doing things. If you really don't know what's wrong with someone, tell them. Maybe it should be run like any other business, if the results aren't there, the pay isn't there either....
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Who am I?
Have you ever really asked yourself that question and given an immediate, confident answer? I mean seriously, ask yourself who am I, and see what comes immediately to your mind. And be specific; none of this who do I want to be, just who am I. I try to ask myself this question at least weekly, to see if I like the answer, or if it changes.
So, who am I today? Today I'm a friend, and a pushy, ambitious worker who won't be shoved into the background. An interesting answer for me today. You might not think so, but the fact that friend came up first is suprising. It's not that I don't like friends, or that they are unimportant to me, it's just that usually, work so dominates my mind that friends get pushed back into the recesses of my mind. So why is today different. Well a couple of things really. First, I need friends. I love my wife, and I love my job, but without friends, I smother my wife with attention, and dive too deeply into work. Second, a friend of Jill's from college recently moved into the Twin Cities area. Last night we hung out with him and it was funny to see the reaction he had on both Jill and I. While he wasn't my friend, I could see the effect of having another friend had on Jill. She was joking and playful, which then led me to be more playful with her and her friend, and in general we all had a really good time. We didn't do anything special, but it was fun none-the-less.
On another note, I think it's really important people to show their friends how important they are to each other. Sometimes it's just really nice to know that your friends really appreciate who you are.
OK, so the gushy stuff out of the way, the weight loss train is now pulling into the station. Fueled by a stricter adhearence to the diet and continued exercise, I've managed to lose almost 20 lbs now. I've still got a good distance to go if I want to give a big F-you to my Dr. who looked at me like I was obese and told me to cut my carbs, but I'm on a roll now. My body is ready to roll with the downward trend, and as long as I don't fall of a cliff, I should be all set to hit my mark. As for Jill, she has started a new work out program that I have high hopes for. It seems to be easy for her right now, which makes me think that it will work for her. If that seems strange to you, think about it like this. It seems easy, but she can do it without really hurting herself, and that will mean that she can do it for longer, and THAT will lead to fantastic results. I'm very proud of her for keeping at it. I know it can be disheartening to be trying for a long time and not hit your goals, but this time I think she's got it. Keep your hopes up everyone.
OK, enough about me, how is everyone else doing out there? I know it's the holiday season, but just remember to relax and take a few breaths. Nothing is so important as your sanity. Whether you're rushing to get some shopping done, or you're busting ass at work, take a few moments and breathe. You'll be far better company, and much better at what ever task you are trying to accomplish if you're not in a panic mode.
So, who am I today? Today I'm a friend, and a pushy, ambitious worker who won't be shoved into the background. An interesting answer for me today. You might not think so, but the fact that friend came up first is suprising. It's not that I don't like friends, or that they are unimportant to me, it's just that usually, work so dominates my mind that friends get pushed back into the recesses of my mind. So why is today different. Well a couple of things really. First, I need friends. I love my wife, and I love my job, but without friends, I smother my wife with attention, and dive too deeply into work. Second, a friend of Jill's from college recently moved into the Twin Cities area. Last night we hung out with him and it was funny to see the reaction he had on both Jill and I. While he wasn't my friend, I could see the effect of having another friend had on Jill. She was joking and playful, which then led me to be more playful with her and her friend, and in general we all had a really good time. We didn't do anything special, but it was fun none-the-less.
On another note, I think it's really important people to show their friends how important they are to each other. Sometimes it's just really nice to know that your friends really appreciate who you are.
OK, so the gushy stuff out of the way, the weight loss train is now pulling into the station. Fueled by a stricter adhearence to the diet and continued exercise, I've managed to lose almost 20 lbs now. I've still got a good distance to go if I want to give a big F-you to my Dr. who looked at me like I was obese and told me to cut my carbs, but I'm on a roll now. My body is ready to roll with the downward trend, and as long as I don't fall of a cliff, I should be all set to hit my mark. As for Jill, she has started a new work out program that I have high hopes for. It seems to be easy for her right now, which makes me think that it will work for her. If that seems strange to you, think about it like this. It seems easy, but she can do it without really hurting herself, and that will mean that she can do it for longer, and THAT will lead to fantastic results. I'm very proud of her for keeping at it. I know it can be disheartening to be trying for a long time and not hit your goals, but this time I think she's got it. Keep your hopes up everyone.
OK, enough about me, how is everyone else doing out there? I know it's the holiday season, but just remember to relax and take a few breaths. Nothing is so important as your sanity. Whether you're rushing to get some shopping done, or you're busting ass at work, take a few moments and breathe. You'll be far better company, and much better at what ever task you are trying to accomplish if you're not in a panic mode.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Good morning Black Friday
I'm amazed, simply amazed this morning. As I sit here at my desk overlooking a shopping center across the freeway, I just can't believe what I'm seeing. Every day since I've been working here at Best Buys corporate campus, I've never seen the shopping center across the street full to capacity. Sure, Target is usually decently busy, and occasionally Herbergers parking lot gets to about half-full status, but today, today is a different story all together. Today, every single parking space is occupied. There is a line of cars outside the shopping center waiting to turn into it; a line that is not moving! Oh yeah and did I mention that it's only 6:30 am!!!
Seriously, what is it about the day after Thanksgiving that makes people so crazy for shopping. I get that there are some good deals out there, but all the money you are saving on these deals can't cover the amount of physical and emotional trauma that must be occurring in those parking lots, let alone inside the stores. All the pushing and racing to get to that coveted door-buster item, then standing in line guarding your goodies so that dodgy looking fellow with the limp doesn't steal your brother-in-law's (whom you don't even like) new toaster. Which, by the way, your getting for only $20, instead of $34.99! I can't even imagine what today must feel like for the poor people working in retail right now (and my wife is among them).
The only thing that comes to my mind about this crazy phenomenon, is that we as a society need to work off all of those calories we consumed during our insanely over abundant Thanksgiving day feasts! Don't get me wrong, I love a good deal. If there's something labeled with free, I want it. I don't care what it is. Seriously, it could be a free ass kicking and I'd be interested, but I can only take so much stupidity at a time. That many people, that close together, is a recipe for mass homicide that I want no part of.
So good luck to all of you who are out there waiting in line for your deal of deals. I'll be here in my cubicle on the 6th floor watching you as you gun your engine to try to park your gigantic SUV into a compact car spot. And I'll be laughing. You can count on it.
Seriously, what is it about the day after Thanksgiving that makes people so crazy for shopping. I get that there are some good deals out there, but all the money you are saving on these deals can't cover the amount of physical and emotional trauma that must be occurring in those parking lots, let alone inside the stores. All the pushing and racing to get to that coveted door-buster item, then standing in line guarding your goodies so that dodgy looking fellow with the limp doesn't steal your brother-in-law's (whom you don't even like) new toaster. Which, by the way, your getting for only $20, instead of $34.99! I can't even imagine what today must feel like for the poor people working in retail right now (and my wife is among them).
The only thing that comes to my mind about this crazy phenomenon, is that we as a society need to work off all of those calories we consumed during our insanely over abundant Thanksgiving day feasts! Don't get me wrong, I love a good deal. If there's something labeled with free, I want it. I don't care what it is. Seriously, it could be a free ass kicking and I'd be interested, but I can only take so much stupidity at a time. That many people, that close together, is a recipe for mass homicide that I want no part of.
So good luck to all of you who are out there waiting in line for your deal of deals. I'll be here in my cubicle on the 6th floor watching you as you gun your engine to try to park your gigantic SUV into a compact car spot. And I'll be laughing. You can count on it.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Weekend at home
Good Monday to you all. I hope things are well.
This weekend I was home alone. Jill went to Madison with Shonda to visit their "friend" for her birthday. Friend is in quotations because I'm reserving judgement on whether or not a friend would act the way she did. I was not there and the events that took place did not happen to me, so it's really not my place to tell the story. But, believe you me, if it had happened to me, I would have made a much bigger scene that my peace-loving wife. The downside for me in the story is that while Jill was out with the "friend," she was shunted to another table by herself and was texting me for support and love. I thought myself funny and suggested a number of things she could do for instant payback at being ignored. NOT what the Dr. Ordered. Lesson learned? When someone you care about is in a crappy situation and is asking for some love and attention; give them love and attention, not a number of ways they could make an ass of themselves.
Anyway, I spent my weekend in the most uninteresting way possible: I cleaned and played video games. Admittedly, I felt like crap through most of the weekend, but I still could have been a bit more entertaining. I did manage to meet up with Shonda's boyfriend to watch the miserable packer game yesterday, but that was about as exciting as it got for me. I have to say thought that I did a pretty sweet job of cleaning. AND it wasn't even my typical shove it in a corner cleaning. It was the full out vacuum, floor washing, cloths folding clean-a-thon that happens once a blue moon from me. The kitties don't know what to do with all the new clean space. well, that's not entirely true, they know what to do: run around and pull toys out to fill the space. Well that's all for me. Hopefully your weekends were a bit more entertaining than my own.
This weekend I was home alone. Jill went to Madison with Shonda to visit their "friend" for her birthday. Friend is in quotations because I'm reserving judgement on whether or not a friend would act the way she did. I was not there and the events that took place did not happen to me, so it's really not my place to tell the story. But, believe you me, if it had happened to me, I would have made a much bigger scene that my peace-loving wife. The downside for me in the story is that while Jill was out with the "friend," she was shunted to another table by herself and was texting me for support and love. I thought myself funny and suggested a number of things she could do for instant payback at being ignored. NOT what the Dr. Ordered. Lesson learned? When someone you care about is in a crappy situation and is asking for some love and attention; give them love and attention, not a number of ways they could make an ass of themselves.
Anyway, I spent my weekend in the most uninteresting way possible: I cleaned and played video games. Admittedly, I felt like crap through most of the weekend, but I still could have been a bit more entertaining. I did manage to meet up with Shonda's boyfriend to watch the miserable packer game yesterday, but that was about as exciting as it got for me. I have to say thought that I did a pretty sweet job of cleaning. AND it wasn't even my typical shove it in a corner cleaning. It was the full out vacuum, floor washing, cloths folding clean-a-thon that happens once a blue moon from me. The kitties don't know what to do with all the new clean space. well, that's not entirely true, they know what to do: run around and pull toys out to fill the space. Well that's all for me. Hopefully your weekends were a bit more entertaining than my own.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sleep, San Antonio, and The Alamoe
Good morning everybody!
It is 6:00 am cst and I am wide awake. Did any of you read tat blog I wrote at 2:00 this morning? Yeah, I've been up since, well, since before then. Why might you ask? A great question, I have no idea! Sometimes when I travel this happens. I'll fall aslpee for a little while and then I'll wake up and be up forever. Unfortunately, today is looking to be one of those days. I'll survive, no need to worry. So what's new with Tim? Well I'm once again in the field. This week brings me to San Antonio (Monday/Tuesday), Austin (Tuesday/Wednesday), and Houston (Wednesday/Thursday), TX.
Ah, my alarm clock to wake me up to go for a run has just gone off. Fortunately I've been up for so long already I thought to go for a run!
Back to Texas....ah yes, San Antonio. Well, the first portion of my trip was occupied by one of the two cities in Texas everyone told me I HAD to visit before I passed judgment on Texas. My first thoughts about the city were that it's no cleaner than any of the other cities in Texas. That's a bit unfair as that was right around the airport, which typically, though not always, are bad neighborhoods. Once we drove around the outskirts of the city I became aware of something that I hadn't realized about this area of the Lone Star state. There are actual ills here. In fact, there are alot of hills here, and that makes the scenery down right pretty. However, the crown jewel of this city is the downtown area, otherwise known as the Riverwalk. Imagine an entire downtown built along a river with shops, restaurants, and businesses located on either side with river-front walkways along the entire expanse. To those of you who know Milwaukee well, it is similar to the Riverwest area, only with a cleaner river, more sunlight, and less beer. Upon my departure from San Antonio, I realized that I don't really have enough time logged in the city to really give it positive or negative marks, but at the very least I have now seen it.
Next stop on the trip was Austin, well I guess I should say IS Austin. That's right, right now I'm coming to you from the capitol of Texas. It's a very lively city with a lot of traffic, and interesting downtown area called 6th & Lamar St. I haven't had a lot of time here, yet, but my impression is that if you were to live in Texas, this is where you would want to work.
Well, that's all for me, I'm going to catch a quick nap before I have to be up for the day.
It is 6:00 am cst and I am wide awake. Did any of you read tat blog I wrote at 2:00 this morning? Yeah, I've been up since, well, since before then. Why might you ask? A great question, I have no idea! Sometimes when I travel this happens. I'll fall aslpee for a little while and then I'll wake up and be up forever. Unfortunately, today is looking to be one of those days. I'll survive, no need to worry. So what's new with Tim? Well I'm once again in the field. This week brings me to San Antonio (Monday/Tuesday), Austin (Tuesday/Wednesday), and Houston (Wednesday/Thursday), TX.
Ah, my alarm clock to wake me up to go for a run has just gone off. Fortunately I've been up for so long already I thought to go for a run!
Back to Texas....ah yes, San Antonio. Well, the first portion of my trip was occupied by one of the two cities in Texas everyone told me I HAD to visit before I passed judgment on Texas. My first thoughts about the city were that it's no cleaner than any of the other cities in Texas. That's a bit unfair as that was right around the airport, which typically, though not always, are bad neighborhoods. Once we drove around the outskirts of the city I became aware of something that I hadn't realized about this area of the Lone Star state. There are actual ills here. In fact, there are alot of hills here, and that makes the scenery down right pretty. However, the crown jewel of this city is the downtown area, otherwise known as the Riverwalk. Imagine an entire downtown built along a river with shops, restaurants, and businesses located on either side with river-front walkways along the entire expanse. To those of you who know Milwaukee well, it is similar to the Riverwest area, only with a cleaner river, more sunlight, and less beer. Upon my departure from San Antonio, I realized that I don't really have enough time logged in the city to really give it positive or negative marks, but at the very least I have now seen it.
Next stop on the trip was Austin, well I guess I should say IS Austin. That's right, right now I'm coming to you from the capitol of Texas. It's a very lively city with a lot of traffic, and interesting downtown area called 6th & Lamar St. I haven't had a lot of time here, yet, but my impression is that if you were to live in Texas, this is where you would want to work.
Well, that's all for me, I'm going to catch a quick nap before I have to be up for the day.
Election Night in Austin
So it is 2:00 am on the morning following the general election of 2008. I find myself hopeful about the future of the country. While I know that the election of a new President, even one with a majorities in both houses of congress, can not completely change the course of a nation on a dime. I think, or rather hope, that what we as of a country have done tonight is a sign of a new stage of maturity for the country. What I mean by this is that I hope, finally, that our country has learned to see beyond the color of our skin. It is my greatest hope that we as a nation are finally willing to look for the best person for the job, for the times. Ultimately, history will decide the correctness of our decision, but at a minimum history will see that in these difficult times we chose a leader with a steady, calm demeanor. A leader who would choose to help where he can and to calm peoples fear without pretending things are not as they are. At least that is my hope.
I may be a bit of a dreamer, but I believe that this is a great country with a lot of potential to help each other and the rest of the world. If only we could get out of our own way. I guess we'll see what happens, but I hope for all our sakes that we made the right decision tonight.
I may be a bit of a dreamer, but I believe that this is a great country with a lot of potential to help each other and the rest of the world. If only we could get out of our own way. I guess we'll see what happens, but I hope for all our sakes that we made the right decision tonight.
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