Cash flow

So we recently got some financial rewards for working "for the man" in corporate America. So since I've been considering purchasing a digital camera for awhile (see here and here), I figure that I should strike while the iron's hot, so to speak.

Here's my progress:

• Sony DSC-P200: Really liking this camera. I went to a local electronics venue this weekend and played with several cameras for awhile. This was the one I liked the most. Quick, cute, small (and very friendly, I might add). Too bad that the only red one I can find online is at Sony....


• Creative Zen Micro: Oy, so yes, I might take the plunge and get an MP3 player. I hadn't even thought of it until this morning, when a co-worker gave me a rave review of the one that he purchased. And they come in so many colors....I'm a sucker. I know. But seriously, 2500 songs! And a radio? And a bunch of other stuff I'll likely never use? Irresistible.


• New resources: NewEgg...fun stuff. I'm surrounded by very technologically advanced individuals, and occasionally, they pass along snippits of info, like useful websites. Keep up the good work, gentlemen.

Wish me luck....

AHWOSG

So I've been trying to finish this book for quite awhile. A well-read friend of mine passed it along to me, to borrow, in hopes that not only would I enjoy reading it, but that I would someday return it to her. Well, you can finally have it back (you know who you are...). I actually started reading it awhile back, but when I moved (about 7 months ago), it was misplaced. Then, one day I was sitting next to a large bookcase in our house, and I happened to turn around and spot AHWOSG sitting right there, begging me to finish it. So I did.

Review - I found it entertaining, sad, funny, crude and interesting. If you like rambling, honest thoughts flowing down page after page, then this book is for you. If you don't mind somewhat profuse cursing, then you probably would be ok with this. However, there were some parts that I just couldn't stomach (mainly due to the language). It still made me laugh, and it made me believe that I really am sane (sigh of relief).

Any books you've read that you'd like to recommend to the general populous?

Moving on....since the "quiz" idea was so popular a few days back, try this on for size. I took the quiz and I am apparently a "Killer Bunny" (which, by the way, is my favorite part in that movie!). What is your Python rating? I got 7 out of 10.

Killer Bunny: you may appear soft, but you can be sharp and ruthless. Just watch out for booby traps, like trick questions, or the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

On a slightly different note, I don't get it. But then again, I don't know what to compare it to. Check this article out about a poor turtle named Lucky. And seriously, if you even think that this image is on the shell of your turtle, why the heck do you name it "Lucky?!?"

A little research goes a long way

As aneurysms have thus far played a more important role in my life than would normally be expected, I thought I would take a moment to publish some information about what, exactly, they are. If you would have asked me ten years ago what an aneurysm was, I would have had no idea. At this point, however, I’m all too familiar with them and wish to enlighten you as well, if you’re interested.

An aneurysm is basically a widening spot in an artery due to a weak spot in the artery wall. Most of the time, they don’t have any impact to normal body functions. However, they can put pressure on nerves, cause vision problems, headaches or general pain. Sometimes they can rupture, causing all sorts of problems. Some ruptures can be repaired, but many are fatal.

Since we have arteries pretty much everywhere in our bodies, one might think that this could virtually happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. It seems, however, that certain areas are more prone than others, yielding the following main types of aneurysms:

• Abdominal aortic: in the abdominal portion of the aorta


• Thoracic aortic: in the aorta itself


• Cerebral: in the brain


• Popliteal: in the leg


• Mesenteric: in the intestine


• Splenic: in the spleen

Not a whole lot of information is currently available about what really causes this to happen in the circulatory system. It is commonly known, however, that they do tend to be genetic. Other factors that have been linked to a higher incidence of acquiring or triggering an aneurysm include things like high blood pressure, smoking, excessive use of alcohol, and certain genetic diseases.

These don’t just happen to elderly folks like my grandmother (see previous posts). Sharon Stone had a cerebral aneurysm recently. And actor John Ritter died from an aortic dissection (a related condition). During my recent visit to the hospital, there were young kids that had recently had corrective surgery for similar conditions.

This stuff is scary, and I’m not trying to be the bearer of bad news here. I’m simply saying that you should be aware. Find out what kinds of things run in your family. Live healthy. Get off your couches every now and then and throw a Frisbee.

For more information:

• Brain Aneurysm Foundation


• Yahoo Health


• American Heart Association


• Brain Aneurysms

Tidal wave

So wow, you leave the internet all by its lonesome for a few days....then you check back and see a whirlwind of comments! Such a nice surprise on a rainy Monday morning. Good stuff all of you!

My feedback:
I would normally just reply in the comments, but there was too much going on, and I had a hankering for a full post.

• Katie - the "p" tag is a paragraph tag. Glad to know that you and Jim are HTML compatible :)


• Michael - I always knew there was something pure evil about you. Hmmmm, I was going to suggest we hang out soon, but in light of your HTML results, maybe not so much. Kidding.


• Mandy - yeah, you're not even close to being nerdy enough. But thanks for being my friend anyways. I'm nerd enough for the both of us.


• Jeanne - thanks for praying!


• Dom - you're welcome to steal my titles anytime you want...


• Everyone - this is so fun. Thanks for reading. Hope you don't mind being specifically addressed...

As for an update on my grandmother, she's doing really well. Mark and I went up to Dallas late on Thursday night, and had a safe trip (even after we talked for an hour at Bible study just before we left about the worst car accidents anyone had ever witnessed). Yeah, heart-warming, I know.

Anyhow, Vada (my granny), went into surgery on Friday morning. The surgery was supposed to take between 4-5 hours, but wound up taking about 6. She was in ICU for the next 30 hours or so, recovering from the surgery and doing quite well. The doctor said that the aneurysm was a bit bigger than he'd expected, but that he was able to repair all of the blood vessels around that area. (Because it's so important to me, I'll soon post a separate aneurysm entry with more information.)

She got her own room late on Saturday night and will be there until later this week. She's already walking around and cracking jokes. She's also on a fair amount of morphine, which really could make anyone pretty entertaining. I got a little shock-sickness apparently and almost passed out twice. But all was ok and I'm fine now.

God is teaching me a lot - namely that He made us with such intricate detail. And He maintains us, and has gifted certain people (luckily not me!) with the ability to stomach the idea of being people mechanics (oil change here, fix a flat tire there, and so on). I'm so glad that I'm not a doctor, but I have a newfound respect for everyone in the medical field. They really do a great job, and I'm so thankful for that.

Weekend highlights:

• Really good bar-b-que in a shady Dallas neighborhood


• Stalking a likely mental patient on the loose, also in the aforementioned shady Dallas neighborhood


• Failed attempt to hack into the UT Southwestern wireless network


• A series of victories in "full contact twister"

Jumbled thoughts

I started to write this in hopes to discuss a random link I found on a friend's blog, and I now find that there are a lot of things I'd like to write about. None of which, by the way, actually flow together. But hey, spaghetti thoughts can't be put into a logical pattern....

Topic A: What do we really share?
I briefly discussed this online and in-person with a friend who was debating about how open/honest/transparent/public to be in his corner of the internet. So now, as I sit here and compose this, I'm challenged by much the same question. I know of a handful of people that actually read this, but it's still almost cathartic to get thoughts down on "paper," no matter who is reading them. So there's a balance. I'm not going to sit here and summarize my life story, but I will sit here and write about certain life happenings. I hope we can all agree to that and move on.

Topic B: I read a bunch of old blog entries yesterday
So I found myself poking around online yesterday during a series of boring conference calls. Not only did I find out a lot about a friend, but I found some random links to some different sites. Like this one where you can generate a map of all the places you've traveled in the US, or even the world. Here's my map.

Here's another random, and more nerdy, link. Yes, you too can actually find out what HTML tag you are. If you're lucky, like me, you will wind up being the "guvnor." Here's a brief summary: You're the guvnor - without you, nothing would happen. No, really - you're fantastic! You keep everyone in order, and never ask for anything in return. Good job! Take the quiz and post back with which tag you are.

Topic C: Hmmm, what else is going on....
I'm traveling to Dallas this weekend to be with family as my grandmother has brain surgery. Yep, brain surgery. It sounds rather intensive, and could wind up with her in ICU for almost 5 days. But she's a spunky gal and I'm going up to see her before she goes into surgery. If you think about it, you can be praying for her. Thanks!

Topic D: Eclectic office music
I'm sitting in my fabric covered box (didn't read the article, but the cartoon cracks me up and is currently posted in my cubicle, as it has been since I started at this job almost 3 years ago...), wait, where was I? Oh yes, so I'm sitting at my desk, and there's a fair amount of hubbub going on a few aisles away. And it sounds like there's some sort of Polynesian music playing at varying volumes. And then a pause, then laughing, then some more musical strumming. What is going on? No idea, but if it keeps up (which the current forecast models dictate), then I'm going to have to go over there and snoop around.

Ok, that should do it for today. Thanks for hanging in there with me....

I like green, fortunately

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Don't get pinched!

Q: What's Irish and stands outside all day?










A: Paddy O'Furniture!!

Whoah there....

I awoke to a cold and rainy spring-ish day this morning. Not exactly the type of morning that makes you jump out of bed, ready to take on the next 20 hours of your life. But hey, at least the weekend was nice.

I was poking around CNN this morning during a very uneventful conference call, and I found this article about a girl who literally rides a mule to school. In North Dakota, no less! Good show, I say, good show.

And I took a gamble and clicked on the "Next Blog" button in the upper right, also while on the aforementioned conference call, and found this. I have no idea what it's about, seeing as it's in a different language, but I really liked the pictures.

On that same note, for those of you who are holding me accountable....no, I have not yet purchased a digital camera. I'm a slacker, yes, I know. I'll do it soon, promise! Thanks for bugging me about it....seriously.

Nice try, buddy

Cup of office coffee: $0.92
Tank of gas: $33.35
Fast food meal: $4.75
Getting hit on by the fast food clerk: priceless

I believe the scene played out like this:

Fast Food Clerk (FFC): “Here you go” (handing the food over)
Kimmie: “Thanks. Could I get some honey with that, please?”
FFC: (handing the honey) “Doesn’t look like you need anymore honey...” (as he grins)
Kimmie: “Um, thanks.” (tires screech as she pulls away quickly)

Guys, on behalf of all of the girls out there, I urge you, please don’t do this. It’s icky. You think it’s cute, but really, we just laugh to ease the social tension.

On the other hand, however, it is better than being called ma’am, so I guess I can’t complain. Best of luck to you.

Go light a bulb

A friend of mine sent me this article and I really liked it. It seems to fit in really well with a lot of things that God has been teaching me (and a lot of folks I know) regarding taking hold of the time that we have and making it more geared towards glorifying Him. Not that these scientists were necessarily motivated by glorifying God - I have no idea about that. But the bigger idea of taking your skills, your talents, your abilities, and your current situation (job, school, family) and being intentional about taking action to bring about good, to bring about change. I love it. I need to get off my tail and do something. I need to be as creative as possible. So do you.

On a different note, this weekend was glorious. I'm off to an early morning meeting, but I've got coffee in hand, so I should survive. How was your weekend?

Not much happening....honestly

Hey folks, long time no post, according to one of the faithful "kimmie" followers. It was pointed out to me last night at Bible study that I hadn't written anything in almost 5 whole days! So yes, I know you've each been clicking the "refresh" button since Monday, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, there would be something new that this here journal had to offer.

So here's my feeble attempt....

I'd like to suggest that there be a secondary exclamation point introduced to the English language. I, for one, use exclamation points pretty liberally! (yeah, I pulled a fast one on you and threw one in...) But seriously, I'm not always sure that the recipients of my punctuation really understand what I'm trying to communicate in each instance.

A few examples:

• Have a great day!
  
  I'm trying to say that I earnestly hope that the person has a great day. "Enjoy the day, my friend" if you will. Not a screaming command to HAVE A GREAT DAY!



• Watch out!
  
  This, on the other hand, would be a powerful warning to someone that there might just happen to be a rabid beast pursuing them.



• This tastes like cheese!
  
  Indeed, the item being described really tastes like cheese, and I'm excited to share that with those around me.

So you see the quandary, my friends. Three different scenarios, one punctuation mark. This vexes me greatly.

Suggestions to alternative punctuation are welcome. Share the wealth...

Changing my tune

So I'm sitting in the work cafeteria, since I'm currently splitting my time between several of our buildings, catching up from my three day weekend. No complaints about the weekend, although the right side of my body is still aching from four solid hours of dodgeball (two of which were in the pouring rain!). It was good fun, but also made it quite difficult to wake up today.

I mention the cafeteria simply because today they have an unusual selection of music playing over the speakers - a work soundtrack, if you will. The first five songs I heard upon perching at my small table next to the window were all from the king of Pop, Michael Jackson himself. Now, I'm not a die-hard Jackson fan, but who doesn't perk up upon hearing, "Bad" or "Billy Jean" at 8:15 in the morning, on a Monday no less.

So that got me thinking about my cell phone. I've had the same cell phone ring for the past 5 years. It was great - simple, peppy, and slightly unique (I've only heard 2 other people's phones ring with the same tone). Then I switched carriers (only to unswitch in the same day due to a large corporate merger!) and my new phone didn't have my tried and true ring. I was forced to pick a new tone, and I found something semi-decent that didn't make my skin crawl.

(Ooh - "Man in the Mirror" just came on! If you wanna make the world a better place take a look at yourself and then make a change!)

So now I'm thinking about updating my ringtone. Everyone and their brother has these complicated melodies, cutsie-tootsie theme songs, and the like. But I'm striving for uniqueness. Something like the Price is Right (a soundtrack which dominated much of my weekend, and something I became rather fond of!). Just something different. Something that says, "Yeah buddy, that's MY phone ringing. Don't even think about checking to see if it's yours, 'cause it's NOT!" (but I want to say that in a loving tone of voice, you know).

After perusing the selections on-line last night, here were the initial tunes that caught my ear:

• Beat It - Michael Jackson


• Superfreak - Rick James


• Brick House - Commodores


• Family Feud - Gameshow

Any other suggestions?

I also just found out that I currently do not have a boss. My now "old" boss just sent us all a note saying how lovely it was to work with us, and how he was hoping that our paths crossed again someday. And come to think of it, my name wasn't specifically mentioned on the latest "corporate reshuffle" email. Maybe I'll soon be fashioning my own personal "Help Wanted" sign later today, or worse, updating my resume!

(Ooh, now we're on to "Thriller!")

Wish me luck!

Animal Rights

Ok, please don't think of me as a calloused person, but laughed out loud when I heard of the other PETA referenced in this article. I've never had lobster before, now that I think about it. But this one looks like he could actually kill me.

Side note - when I was little and my mom would take me to the grocery store, I would always stop at the lobster tank and wave to the captives. I really thought their little antennae were waving back. Heck, they were ALL waving at me. They must have really liked me. Sometimes I still wave....

Weather patterns

I was thinking this morning about all that is going on right now, and my mind was drawn to Ecclesiastes. Ironically, a friend of mine has been pointing me there for the past several days, so a little repetition is never bad. Based on the idea that there are indeed seasons, I feel like I'm experiencing sort of a spiritual El Niño on a daily basis.

But God is good, and through this refining process we each become more like Him. I sat on my porch for awhile yesterday, enjoying the weather and the sunset, and I noticed the shrubs that we have next to the sidewalk. I did a wretched job of pruning them awhile back, but I noticed that on every branch, there was an array of small, shiny new leaves. How much more then shall we grow when God prunes us? Ugly branches like pride and doubt. All that stuff, though painful to lose, winds up being used for His glory.


"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8