My middle kid, a freshman in high school, has moderate-to-severe learning disabilities. She spends most of her day in self-contained LD classes but as we and the school strive for a least restrictive environment, she often has a class or two in the mainstream. In one of these classes (“advocacy”), she apparently had to complete some form which asked for her grade level. As she is aware of the new calendar year, she was a bit unsure if her grade level also changed and she asked for some help/direction. As she relates the story, the kids in the class responded with conflicting information and she became frustrated (and no doubt embarrassed) and crumpled the paper, tearing it and allowing some pieces to fall to the floor. The teacher then came over to her and they must have engaged in some sort of dialogue because somehow my daughter ended up standing and facing the teacher who demanded that she pick up the paper. At some point the teacher said, “That’s it! I’ve had it.” and pushed my daughter backward hard enough that she fell hitting her back and her head against the teacher’s desk (metal). She has several bruises today and is quite sore and her head hurts. She was also complaining of being “unfocused” which is an indication of mild seizure activity (her epilepsy caused her LD). Until now, proper meds and a surgically implanted device have cut her seizure occurrences and intensity dramatically so I am concerned that this injury might have exacerbated her condition.
I am a bit too close to the subject matter and it is too recent for me to completely trust my judgement. So I am asking for input from cooler heads: what would you do now? What do you think I can expect to happen?
Oh and regarding the veracity of my daughter’s report of the incident…although she is an LD kid she is extremely honest at least as she perceives the world. The problem is that her disability may skew her perceptions sometimes. Regardless, she is bruised and sore. My wife took pictures of the injuries but I have not yet seen them myself.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Sea Cruise
Apparently actor Tom Cruise would rather "get clear" than get clean OK, I admit to a bit of envy of a man my age schtupping Katie Holmes* (she won me over in her luscious nude scene in The Gift) but, c'mon, someone needs to prick that prick's ego to allow a bit of a sense of humor inside.Overshadowing such trivial events like the Downing Street Memo, more deaths in Iraq, Global Warming confirmations, and the threat of recess apointment of John Bolton, we must examine the seminal event of the year: "The Squirting of Tom". A phony reporter maneuvers a "microphone" in front of the publicity seeking Mr. Cruise at the London premiere of his latest flick (Steven Speilberg's War of the Worlds) and squirts the Tomcat right in his kisser. From the video I've seen it looked like Cruise was smiling at first but that could also have been a grimaced reaction to watery onslaught. Whatever. Immediately, Cruise seems to realize that he's been made to play the fool in front of all those people and all those cameras and we see what happens when we mere mortal dare to taunt a demigod.
Oh, if only Kokopelli was there...<cue dream sequence effects>
Cruise: Now, why would you do that? Why would you do that?
Koko: Uh...because it's funny?
Cruise: That's incredible you would do that. I'm here giving you an interview...
Koko: Excuse me? Giving me...? All the press here are giving you the opportunity to promote your movie and help you make even more money. This isn't news by any stretch of the imagination. It is hype and you and your studio are the primary beneficiaries so don't try to come off all generous just because you deigned to lower yourself to talk to the "little people".
Cruise: ...answering your questions and you do something really nasty. You're a jerk.
Koko: Geez, Tommy, it's just water. It's not like it was pig's blood. Can't you take a joke?
*Come to think of it, Miss Holmes did show a penchant for the older gents in Wonder Boys, didn't she. Hmm...now that Sandra and Drew are spoken for, perhaps I should find a way to wrench the young wench from the clutches of her Scientologist Svengali.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Early Summer Flicks
Just a quick post to say that so far my summer movie viewing has been a great 2 out of 2.
Waited a couple of weeks for the hype to die down but finally took the family out to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Yes! This one almost completely redeems the last two movies and that, my friends, is saying something. Not that I hated those films but they were so far below the heightened bar of the SW franchise that they were a disappointment by comparison. But this one...oh boy! Dark, long, deep and ultimately compelling. The only thing missing (and which would have made this the best of all SW flicks) was a Han Solo type character. Definitely would go back and see this one again.
Last weekend the wifey and I took in Batman Begins and were equally well pleased. Again, a dark and brooding film which captures well some of the source material from Frank Miller's graphic novel Batman: Year One. What a cast: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, and the surprise standout for me Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane. Like the Spiderman movies, this one is not just about action and superhero fluff but deals with themes of revenge and justice and salvation. There were, however, two downers to note.
One was the director does not know how to film a fight sequence. Please, sir, take a gander at Spiderman 2 for some pointers. I am a major fan of the buckled swash and there was plenty of that as well as the traditional fisticuffs. But Christopher Nolan (who did the phenomenal Memento) is a bit too obsessed with the actor's faces. Thing is, Chris, when they're moving around so much we can't even glimpse who it is we're looking at when you've got the camera just ten freaking inches away from them! Plus, maybe I'm just too pre-MTV-gen but the edits went so fast that key elements of the danse violent were lost (like how the spurs on the glove could grab a sword, f'r instance, and just who's glove and who's sword would've been nice to know, too).
Secondly, I recommend all us grown-ups avoid movie theaters on weekend evenings. The giggling, mumbling, outright talking and seat-bumping from the teens behind us made us yearn for the good ol' days of ushers with flashlights in hand. I seriously thinking of bringing my own to the next film I see and shining it in the offender's face: "Hey, buddy, I said keep it down!" No wonder more and more folks are opting to watch movies at home. That and the sawbuck I had to hand over for the missus and I to get in. Still, I'm going to go back and see it again as my daughters still want to see it.
Waited a couple of weeks for the hype to die down but finally took the family out to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Yes! This one almost completely redeems the last two movies and that, my friends, is saying something. Not that I hated those films but they were so far below the heightened bar of the SW franchise that they were a disappointment by comparison. But this one...oh boy! Dark, long, deep and ultimately compelling. The only thing missing (and which would have made this the best of all SW flicks) was a Han Solo type character. Definitely would go back and see this one again.
Last weekend the wifey and I took in Batman Begins and were equally well pleased. Again, a dark and brooding film which captures well some of the source material from Frank Miller's graphic novel Batman: Year One. What a cast: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, and the surprise standout for me Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane. Like the Spiderman movies, this one is not just about action and superhero fluff but deals with themes of revenge and justice and salvation. There were, however, two downers to note.
One was the director does not know how to film a fight sequence. Please, sir, take a gander at Spiderman 2 for some pointers. I am a major fan of the buckled swash and there was plenty of that as well as the traditional fisticuffs. But Christopher Nolan (who did the phenomenal Memento) is a bit too obsessed with the actor's faces. Thing is, Chris, when they're moving around so much we can't even glimpse who it is we're looking at when you've got the camera just ten freaking inches away from them! Plus, maybe I'm just too pre-MTV-gen but the edits went so fast that key elements of the danse violent were lost (like how the spurs on the glove could grab a sword, f'r instance, and just who's glove and who's sword would've been nice to know, too).
Secondly, I recommend all us grown-ups avoid movie theaters on weekend evenings. The giggling, mumbling, outright talking and seat-bumping from the teens behind us made us yearn for the good ol' days of ushers with flashlights in hand. I seriously thinking of bringing my own to the next film I see and shining it in the offender's face: "Hey, buddy, I said keep it down!" No wonder more and more folks are opting to watch movies at home. That and the sawbuck I had to hand over for the missus and I to get in. Still, I'm going to go back and see it again as my daughters still want to see it.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Where's (Doc) Waldo?
Obituaries - Obituary: Professor Paul R. Waldo, renaissance man of the theater - sacbee.com (free registration required)
I knew nothing about this...wow...they're just about all gone from my time now except for Tony Courkouros and Manuel Pickett.
Herb Klein (within a month or two of my starting at Sac State)
...Doc Larsen...
...Don Fibiger...
...Bob Smart...
...and now Doc Waldo...
When we were kids we marked the passage of time by our accomplishments. Is this what full adulthood means? To measure time by the passing of old friends and mentors? A dwindling of our past until all that is left is our own fading memories?
Ah, but there is but one last sip of wine left in my glass (a tasty and somewhat robust Meridian Pinot Noir). So I will raise it to Doc Waldo and the passage of an era fading in the dimming light.
I knew nothing about this...wow...they're just about all gone from my time now except for Tony Courkouros and Manuel Pickett.
Herb Klein (within a month or two of my starting at Sac State)
...Doc Larsen...
...Don Fibiger...
...Bob Smart...
...and now Doc Waldo...
When we were kids we marked the passage of time by our accomplishments. Is this what full adulthood means? To measure time by the passing of old friends and mentors? A dwindling of our past until all that is left is our own fading memories?
Ah, but there is but one last sip of wine left in my glass (a tasty and somewhat robust Meridian Pinot Noir). So I will raise it to Doc Waldo and the passage of an era fading in the dimming light.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Coming of age in a moment or a in a lifetime
I was going to edit my profile in Blogger and happened to notice the "most recently updated" blog list. One called David Duchovny caught my eye and off I clicked. That took me to Duchovny's blog. Hey, Hollywood types can blog, too, especially if it ties in with and promotes some project they're working on. (I remember reading Zack Braff's just before Garden State came out.) So there's this major ad to some film I've never heard of: The House of D. Apparently, Mr. Duchovny is writing and directing now. Must be nice. ANYway, the thing is the movie's site is a real cool Flash site and it got me interested in the movie. The story, according to the site is:
My dad died when I was barely four so I don't even remember him really. Then, my mother had to work to support my bro and me. Now this was back in the late 60s so I'm sure that was quite a defining time for my mom but what did I know as a kid?
I turned 13 in the fall of 1975. The Beatles were done and the hippies had slipped off into irrelevance. Going to the moon had become boring and with my grandmother living with us (her income as a cafeteria worker helped my mom I guess as well as providing a live-in babysitter) there wasn't much discovering to be done. It was a boring yet contented life of a middle/lower-middle class suburban kid. How can anyone of significance come of age in that? It was precisely the kind of life that gets made fun of by all tragically hip. And while I, too, deride it for all it's Wonderbread blandness, still I feel I must defend it, too. No, I didn't have a "harrowing coming of age" moment. Mine, like many of you probably, was a process. And whenever I contemplate this I always return to a TV moment that kicked my butt.
Back in 1988, The Wonder Years debuted and in the first episode Winnie's brother is killed in Vietnam and Kevin follows her to their hang-out spot to console her. There they share their first kiss and the narrator speaks the words that resonated with me so deeply that they still move me now, over 15 years later.
A comical and touching story of a man looking back at his childhood in 1970s Greenwich Village, Lions Gate Films' HOUSE OF D is the feature film writing and directing debut of actor David Duchovny, starring Duchovny, Anton Yelchin, Robin Williams, Téa Leoni, Frank Langella and Erykah Badu.Sounds interesting, right? Well the thing that got me is that this is yet another "coming of age" movie. How many books and films and songs have been written about some pivotal moment from someone's 13th year? Did everybody have some climatic "whoa!" moment in their youth that marks the moment that they knew they were no longer a child? Because I didn't. Man, I feel gypped!
An American artist living a bohemian existence in Paris, Tom Warshaw (David Duchovny) is trying to make sense of his troubled adult life by reflecting upon his extraordinary childhood...The year is 1973, and thirteen-year-old Greenwich Village native Tommy Warshaw (Anton Yelchin) is on the brink of becoming a man. While his bereaved single mother (Téa Leoni) continues to mourn the death of his father, Tommy escapes his own grief by causing trouble at school and making afternoon meat deliveries with his best friend Pappas (Robin Williams), a mentally challenged janitor. Following the romantic advice offered by Lady (Erykah Badu) - incarcerated in the infamous Greenwich Village Women's House of Detention for shadowy reasons - Tommy even experiences his first taste of love. Yet when an unexpected tragedy radically alters his world, Tommy must make a life-defining choice - one that will compel the adult Tom Warshaw, thirty years later, to confront his unfinished past.
Vividly capturing the spirit of youth in all its joy and heartbreak, HOUSE OF D examines with humor and pathos a boy's harrowing coming of age and the manner in which it defines his adulthood. Sensitively directed by Duchovny and bolstered by affectionate portrayals from a talented cast, HOUSE OF D is a winning, hopeful story about overcoming loss and coming to terms with one's past.
My dad died when I was barely four so I don't even remember him really. Then, my mother had to work to support my bro and me. Now this was back in the late 60s so I'm sure that was quite a defining time for my mom but what did I know as a kid?
I turned 13 in the fall of 1975. The Beatles were done and the hippies had slipped off into irrelevance. Going to the moon had become boring and with my grandmother living with us (her income as a cafeteria worker helped my mom I guess as well as providing a live-in babysitter) there wasn't much discovering to be done. It was a boring yet contented life of a middle/lower-middle class suburban kid. How can anyone of significance come of age in that? It was precisely the kind of life that gets made fun of by all tragically hip. And while I, too, deride it for all it's Wonderbread blandness, still I feel I must defend it, too. No, I didn't have a "harrowing coming of age" moment. Mine, like many of you probably, was a process. And whenever I contemplate this I always return to a TV moment that kicked my butt.
Back in 1988, The Wonder Years debuted and in the first episode Winnie's brother is killed in Vietnam and Kevin follows her to their hang-out spot to console her. There they share their first kiss and the narrator speaks the words that resonated with me so deeply that they still move me now, over 15 years later.It was the first kiss for both of us.We all have our own stories, valid and noble stories in their own right. Maybe not the stuff of art films and mini-series, but worthy contributions to the human tapestry.
We never really talked about it afterward.
But I think about the events of that day
again and again,
and somehow I know that Winnie does too,
whenever some blowhard starts talking about
the anonymity of the suburbs
or the mindlessness of the TV generation,
because we know
that inside each one of those identical boxes,
with its Dodge parked out front
and its white bread on the table
and its TV set glowing blue in the falling dusk,
there were people with stories,
there were families bound together in the pain and
the struggle of love,
there where moments that made us cry with laughter,
and there were moments,
like that one,
of sorrow and
wonder.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Anniversary Trip
I kept the secret for six weeks. Not bad. I was going to wait until we were on the road to San Jose tomorrow but thought better of it. Sure she'd need to know what to wear and since we're leaving tomorrow, I revealed to my wife the "secret" I had planned for our anniversary: I got us tickets to the (now sold out) U2 concert. She is all over Bono and U2 and has not been to a concert since she saw Led Zepellin. Since SJ is about 2.5 hours away, we're going to get a room there and make the return trip on Sunday. Finally we can have wild married sex and not have to worry about being quiet because the kids might hear us.
Fatigues fatigue
Okay, I want to be fair here so I will say that the blog post I lifted this quote from was titled "Soapbox Time" and opened with "Sorry, but I've got to get this off my chest." This suggests that this guy does not always act/think as poorly as the quote below would lead us to believe.
I can't even stop for gas while wearing my uniform without someone telling me what a horrible job our President is doing "over there".And, if you read the context of the quote you can see he is venting after some rather distasteful remarks against the military and the Commander in Chief, his ultimate boss. OK, I'll grant him that. Furthermore, regardless of his arrogance, I still say we owe him a debt of gratitude for putting himself in harm's way at the behest of our country. But..."keep your incredible stupidity to yourself, and stay protected by your betters" Are you fucking kidding me? You, sir, are no better nor any worse than I. And I would willingly stand before you and say that to your face and were you provoked to a fight, you would probably win in very short measure. And then you know what? I'd stand right back up and say it again. And again. And fucking again. And you know what? That would make me YOUR better because my humanity would remain intact while you devolve into your beast. And even if you never swing at me or even so much as try to physically intimidate me, I still win because I have stood up. In such a case, you would not be my better but I would be yours...until you apologized. Then...well, I'd be honored to shake your hand and thank you once more for your service.
So be quiet, keep your incredible stupidity to yourself, and stay protected by your betters.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Back in the Saddle Again
Wow...over six weeks.
Sorry about that. RL intervened. Was gonna get some pix up from the snow trip but haven't found a pic host yet and I'm not happy with the Blogger method. Then, I was besieged with a plethora of programming problems at my place of employ. That was about a month of stress-filled, "what's taking you so long? what are you doing wrong?" extravaganza which has finally concluded with moderate (though not complete) success.
Soon, I will be back to my old blogging self.
In the meantime, to help us all cope with this extended absence and inexplicable return, I give you this tidbit on the abandonment of blogs.
Not that that would ever happen here, right me droogs?
Sorry about that. RL intervened. Was gonna get some pix up from the snow trip but haven't found a pic host yet and I'm not happy with the Blogger method. Then, I was besieged with a plethora of programming problems at my place of employ. That was about a month of stress-filled, "what's taking you so long? what are you doing wrong?" extravaganza which has finally concluded with moderate (though not complete) success.
Soon, I will be back to my old blogging self.
In the meantime, to help us all cope with this extended absence and inexplicable return, I give you this tidbit on the abandonment of blogs.
Not that that would ever happen here, right me droogs?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Donner, party of 5...of 4...3?
I've lived in/around SacTown all my life and yet I've never been up to Tahoe when it's snowing. That changes tomorrow. Finally succumbing to the multi-voiced nagging, I and Missus Koko are taking the three Koko-ettes up to a rented house in South Lake Tahoe. Thing is the Nat'l Weather Service has just issued this lovely and inspiring little missive:
Assuming, that is, if we ever return...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CAOh! My! God! What the freaking hell am I getting myself and my family into?! It may even be too stormy to play in the snow which is the whole reason for going up there. I was thinking that if they like it then we could go up again later and maybe we could afford some snowboarding lessons.
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
30 PM PST THU JAN 6 2005
.ANOTHER STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN
PACIFIC IS EXPECTED TO BRING STRONG WINDS AND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
PRECIPITATION TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS
STORM WILL APPROACH THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND THE SIERRA NEVADA BY
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. ANOTHER COLDER STORM SYSTEM DROPPING SOUTH OUT
OF THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL MERGE WITH THIS FIRST STORM BY LATE
FRIDAY. THIS WILL BRING MUCH COLDER AIR INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL RANGE FROM
000 TO 5000 FEET ON FRIDAY BUT WILL LOWER INTO THE FOOTHILLS
STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AND CONTINUING SUNDAY. SNOW IS
EVEN POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO
VALLEY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AS MUCH COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE
AREA.
TOTAL SNOWFALL ACROSS THE SIERRA COULD RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 FEET AT THE
5000 FOOT LEVEL...WITH EVEN MORE ACROSS THE PASSES ALONG THE SIERRA
CREST. ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS ACCUMULATIONS OF
UP TO A FOOT ABOVE 1500 TO 2500 FEET ARE POSSIBLE...LOCALLY LOWER IN
THE SHASTA LAKES REGION. IN ADDITION...STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 60
MPH OR MORE ARE LIKELY AT TIMES...CREATING WIDESPREAD WHITE OUT
CONDITIONS.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.
WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-
308 PM PST THU JAN 6 2005
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 6 PM PST
SUNDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO, CA HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING.
SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES..WILL BLANKET THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM EARLY
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A FOOT OR MORE OF NEW SNOW CAN BE
EXPECTED EACH DAY WITH THIS STORM. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG SOUTH TO
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO
ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM. FROM 3 TO 5 FEET OR MORE OF STORM TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATION CAN BE EXPECTED BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SUNDAY ABOVE THE 5FOOT LEVEL...WITH EVEN MORE LIKELY AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE
SIERRA.
PERSONS PLANNING TRAVEL INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING WITH BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS AT TIMES. CARRY CHAINS...WARM CLOTHING AND CHECK THE
LATEST ROAD AND WEATHER INFORMATION BEFORE DEPARTURE.
EDIS-01-06-05 1532 PST
Assuming, that is, if we ever return...
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Lego's blog
Cruisin' the Catholic Converts message board after a long absence I ran across a link to Legatus' blog My City Was Gone.
The man royally pissed me off a while back for reasons that have since been resolved and need not be gone into out of respect for the parties involved. However, I must give him his props: he's a smart guy and decent writer. Not sure about this "Jimbo" dude. I remember him from the Catholic Converts board but not like I was actually paying attention to him. That board, by the way, is a staunchly arch-conservative Catholic board somewhat out of step with most Roman Catholics in America (and proudly so). Still it is a repository of Catholic knowledge and resources. Just don't let it be your ONLY source. Then again, I may just be another one of the "neeples".
The man royally pissed me off a while back for reasons that have since been resolved and need not be gone into out of respect for the parties involved. However, I must give him his props: he's a smart guy and decent writer. Not sure about this "Jimbo" dude. I remember him from the Catholic Converts board but not like I was actually paying attention to him. That board, by the way, is a staunchly arch-conservative Catholic board somewhat out of step with most Roman Catholics in America (and proudly so). Still it is a repository of Catholic knowledge and resources. Just don't let it be your ONLY source. Then again, I may just be another one of the "neeples".
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
VNS Switched On
Sufficient time has passed since the surgery so we saw the doc on Monday to turn on my daughter's VNS. I once again explained what it would do to her. I don't think she's ever really understood what we were doing or why. She just grudgingly went along. Naturally, she'd rather we'd all just leave her alone but she also wishes she didn't have to deal with her seizures. For all her trepidation, she's been a trooper.
So the doc brings out this laptop computer with a device attached by a cable. I didn't note what kind of computer it was but I did notice a DOS command prompt when he exited the program. I'm thinking this was a 486 that was still chugging along running proprietary software. Anyway, he has my daughter hold the device, a metal box about 3"x4"x7" with a single LED indicator light, up to her chest. He changes a few settings on the computer screen (frequency and strength of the charge) and less than ten minutes after arriving we're done.
After a few minutes, she receives her first pulse. It's weird for her, of course. Then again five minutes later (and so on forever more) she gets another one. She describes it as a kind of vibration feeling which is to be expected. A small electric current is sent up the vagal nerve which runs up the side of the throat for 30 seconds every 5 minutes. She can also activate it herself with one of the supplied magnets which would send a stronger charge for when she feels a seizure coming on. Although not uncommon, we did not note any drastic change to her voice. It should also be noted that it is set at the lowest and most infrequent setting so she can get used to it. No doubt the doc will be upping the charge a bit in a month or two.
Interestingly, today she was asking for her magnets so that she could activate it herself. Not only does this show she's getting used to it but also is ready to take some action herself to control her seizures. We'll have to explain to her that this device may not show real effectiveness for a few weeks or perhaps even months. On the other hand, some patients have noted some improvement almost immediately. Personally, I think just having the option that there's something she can do when a seizure approaches would give her some sense of control. As long as she can derive some benefit from that, the added sense of control could give her a much needed confidence in dealing with the world in general.
Hardly a cure-all but a step, a small but significant step in the right direction. Sure she has a long ways to go but I'll take my victories wherever I can find them and build on from there.
So the doc brings out this laptop computer with a device attached by a cable. I didn't note what kind of computer it was but I did notice a DOS command prompt when he exited the program. I'm thinking this was a 486 that was still chugging along running proprietary software. Anyway, he has my daughter hold the device, a metal box about 3"x4"x7" with a single LED indicator light, up to her chest. He changes a few settings on the computer screen (frequency and strength of the charge) and less than ten minutes after arriving we're done.
After a few minutes, she receives her first pulse. It's weird for her, of course. Then again five minutes later (and so on forever more) she gets another one. She describes it as a kind of vibration feeling which is to be expected. A small electric current is sent up the vagal nerve which runs up the side of the throat for 30 seconds every 5 minutes. She can also activate it herself with one of the supplied magnets which would send a stronger charge for when she feels a seizure coming on. Although not uncommon, we did not note any drastic change to her voice. It should also be noted that it is set at the lowest and most infrequent setting so she can get used to it. No doubt the doc will be upping the charge a bit in a month or two.
Interestingly, today she was asking for her magnets so that she could activate it herself. Not only does this show she's getting used to it but also is ready to take some action herself to control her seizures. We'll have to explain to her that this device may not show real effectiveness for a few weeks or perhaps even months. On the other hand, some patients have noted some improvement almost immediately. Personally, I think just having the option that there's something she can do when a seizure approaches would give her some sense of control. As long as she can derive some benefit from that, the added sense of control could give her a much needed confidence in dealing with the world in general.
Hardly a cure-all but a step, a small but significant step in the right direction. Sure she has a long ways to go but I'll take my victories wherever I can find them and build on from there.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Holiday re-cap
I foolishly stepped up to "direct" the "sacred drama" at our church which was performed in lieu of the liturgical readings on Christmas Eve. I had eight kids who wanted to narrate on a script that only called for three. With my theater background I figured I could work them all in and that the different voices would add more texture to the experience.
However, it seems I crossed some sort of Catholic liturgical line. I was told that because it was part of the Mass only three narrators could be allowed. Huh? So at the second rehearsal (out of 3 total) I put the kids' names into a hat and pulled out the three. Fortunately none of the three girls who never showed that night were picked. Two kids were disappointed and I looked like a heel once again. I had already severely let down a couple of little girls who had their heart set on being Mary. I had anticipated that one. But it was probably made worse because I picked my daughter who, I swear, was by far the best one for the role (based on her peformance AND her height relative to the actors playing angels and Joseph).
Unfortunately, at the time of the actual performance I missed most of it as I was corraling and educating all the last minute "ancilliary" shepherds and angels--about two dozen kids who, as they were told to, just showed up that evening at Mass and put on a make-shift costume and who had little to no idea what they were supposed to do. Still, from what I saw and from what I heard, it seemed to come off well.
I wish my singing solo earlier did as well. It was before Mass as people were coming in and taking their seats. I was to sing this solo written from Joseph's perspective. However, with all the commotion and the placement of the mikes relative to the piano, I could not hear the piano and could not pick out my starting note. We had to stop and start again. How embarrassing. But once I got going on it, it went quite well. But, boy, we could sure use some monitors back there.
Please, God, let this be the last year of Santa!
My youngest daughter insists on sleeping on the couch by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. My middle one, who due to her disabilities has maintained her Kringlistic beliefs, just would not fall asleep. Finally I was sneakily schlepping stocking stuffers past her open bedroom door at three o'clock in the f-ing morning! Then I had to load up the stockings and sneak them back to hang them, ever so quietly, about two yards from my sleeping young 'un. After that, I got to drag out the biggies from the Jolly Ol' Elf: a PS2 for the littlest one, a nifty telescope for Miss Middle girl, and a TV/DVD/VHS combo for the oldest. They were all well-received in the morning, or so I imagine as this was the first year where the missus and I were not up before the kids.
I bought Mrs. Koko several smallish items (a Christmas pin, a cologne sampler collection, a Wizard of Oz DVD, etc.) but her biggie was a nice leather coat that she was in no way expecting. She was way impressed and pleased. I received Metal of Honor: Rising Sun for the GameCube (and was up until 1am last night playing it), the Star Wars trilogy in DVD (what a cool bonus disk!), and a way, way, way cool black pork pie hat.
Man, I LOVE this hat. I've been wanting a pork pie for over a decade but could never justify spending that kind of money on something so trivial for myself. I'm not a "sexy, gorgeous" guy type but this baby brings out my "charming and cute" qualities. Then from my ma-in-law I got a healthy gift cert from the local music store which I'll be putting toward an acoustic guitar amp. And my big bro bought me a couple of guitar lessons at Sacramento's premiere guitar store. Too cool.
On a downer note, my godmother was in a minor traffic accident and suffered six broken ribs. That meant that her planned open house on Sunday was cancelled and I'm without my Christmas tamales this year.
However, it seems I crossed some sort of Catholic liturgical line. I was told that because it was part of the Mass only three narrators could be allowed. Huh? So at the second rehearsal (out of 3 total) I put the kids' names into a hat and pulled out the three. Fortunately none of the three girls who never showed that night were picked. Two kids were disappointed and I looked like a heel once again. I had already severely let down a couple of little girls who had their heart set on being Mary. I had anticipated that one. But it was probably made worse because I picked my daughter who, I swear, was by far the best one for the role (based on her peformance AND her height relative to the actors playing angels and Joseph).
Unfortunately, at the time of the actual performance I missed most of it as I was corraling and educating all the last minute "ancilliary" shepherds and angels--about two dozen kids who, as they were told to, just showed up that evening at Mass and put on a make-shift costume and who had little to no idea what they were supposed to do. Still, from what I saw and from what I heard, it seemed to come off well.
I wish my singing solo earlier did as well. It was before Mass as people were coming in and taking their seats. I was to sing this solo written from Joseph's perspective. However, with all the commotion and the placement of the mikes relative to the piano, I could not hear the piano and could not pick out my starting note. We had to stop and start again. How embarrassing. But once I got going on it, it went quite well. But, boy, we could sure use some monitors back there.
Please, God, let this be the last year of Santa!
My youngest daughter insists on sleeping on the couch by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. My middle one, who due to her disabilities has maintained her Kringlistic beliefs, just would not fall asleep. Finally I was sneakily schlepping stocking stuffers past her open bedroom door at three o'clock in the f-ing morning! Then I had to load up the stockings and sneak them back to hang them, ever so quietly, about two yards from my sleeping young 'un. After that, I got to drag out the biggies from the Jolly Ol' Elf: a PS2 for the littlest one, a nifty telescope for Miss Middle girl, and a TV/DVD/VHS combo for the oldest. They were all well-received in the morning, or so I imagine as this was the first year where the missus and I were not up before the kids.
I bought Mrs. Koko several smallish items (a Christmas pin, a cologne sampler collection, a Wizard of Oz DVD, etc.) but her biggie was a nice leather coat that she was in no way expecting. She was way impressed and pleased. I received Metal of Honor: Rising Sun for the GameCube (and was up until 1am last night playing it), the Star Wars trilogy in DVD (what a cool bonus disk!), and a way, way, way cool black pork pie hat.
Man, I LOVE this hat. I've been wanting a pork pie for over a decade but could never justify spending that kind of money on something so trivial for myself. I'm not a "sexy, gorgeous" guy type but this baby brings out my "charming and cute" qualities. Then from my ma-in-law I got a healthy gift cert from the local music store which I'll be putting toward an acoustic guitar amp. And my big bro bought me a couple of guitar lessons at Sacramento's premiere guitar store. Too cool.
On a downer note, my godmother was in a minor traffic accident and suffered six broken ribs. That meant that her planned open house on Sunday was cancelled and I'm without my Christmas tamales this year.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
VNS implanted
Well, the middle child got her Vagal Nerve Stimulator implanted. Her surgery was scheduled for 9am on Friday and she was home by 1pm that same day. The doc says she lost about one cc of blood which is indicative of a very successful procedure. We finally took the bandages off today and got to see the scars. They're still a bit red and puffy but she has a lot more mobility already. We won't get the device turned on until a couple of days after Christmas. The medicos want to be sure she is completely healed before we add the next variable.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The above was composed on the date listed but not posted until nearly a week later. I was trying to find a way of posting some digital pix we took during the process and once she came home but never did.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The above was composed on the date listed but not posted until nearly a week later. I was trying to find a way of posting some digital pix we took during the process and once she came home but never did.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Tree Day
As much as I long for a Rockwellian joys in our family life, the truth is we have very few traditions established. However, over the last few years it seems a trip out to Davis Ranch in Sloughhouse is an event even our teenage "Daughter of Constant Complaint" gets excited about. Sure there are plenty of churches and Boy Scout troops hawking Christmas trees at nearly every intersection and parking lot in town but Sloughhouse, though out in the country, is actually closer than my work. And all the trees are the same price ($28) no matter how big.
Usually, I push for getting the ol' tannenbaum the Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving (I have decreed in full fatherly mode that Christmas season officially begins when Santa parks his fat, red hiney in front of Macy's on 5th Avenue in NYC at the end of the parade.) However, a whole slew of life-crap has just devoured our time and the house was not properly prepped for a tree that weekend. So it was marked on the calender for the following one: December 4 - get the tree; Dec 5 - decorate it.
But then, on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, the day before all the kids go back to school, Mrs. Koko wrenches her back. She is out of commission completely for the next 3-4 days. The first few days of that week had at least two of my three daughters ill with one thing or another. The house which had settled into a mild chaos as I focused on clearing out the garage and gathering the Christmas trimmings, fell further into disarray while I was at work. We barely clear enough space to maneuver in a tree by that Saturday and luckily, after a couple of nights of Flexeril, Mrs. Koko's back is behaving a little better (though not soon enough for her to make it to a yearly cookie exchange--no holiday treats in the Koko house yet).
Saturday comes and there's a slight (but planned) delay whilst the older two daughters get their hair trimmed and colored. And then, we're off! The usual sibling arguments once there and the inevitable disagreement over which tree is the "perfect" tree. Mom like Tree A (which really was the better tree) but the youngest one (9 yrs old) is on the brink of tears if we don't get Tree B. Her sisters side with her...eh, it's almost as nice as Tree A and, frankly, we were losing daylight and it was getting cold. We go with Tree B. I give my girls a few tries with the saw but eventually it's up to Dad to fell the poor plant. Then, while I lash our quarry to the roof of the minivan, the rest of them go on a second hunt for a tree for grandma. Soon we have two trees strapped to the van and, after a brief stop for some kettle corn, we're off to the Sloughhouse Inn--our traditional stop on all our tree safaris--just a half mile up the road. The missus and I each have a prime rib sandwich while the girls dine on burgers and a calamari appetizer. As it supposedly can earn the Daughter of Constant Complaint some extra points at school, we ask to see the manager so she can interview him about the many and various ghost stories associated with the Inn. He was cool about it and had a decent story to tell himself even though he'd only been there a few weeks.
We drop off grandma's tree and set it up for her. It's a bit taller than she usually gets but it looks great. Then we get ours home. I have a bit of trouble getting the stand to fit over the trunk and have to saw off a bit of the knots on the side before I can get it in. Finally I got it in the stand and drug the tree into the house to our traditional tree-spot, in our front bay window. Only...it doesn't fit. The tree is about a foot too tall. The ceiling slants upward from the window so we bring it further into the room. But it's not clear of the ceiling until it is practically in the very center of the room, right in front of the TV. OK...on to Plan B. Some quick furniture rearrangement and we get the tree positioned under the peak of the vaulted ceiling.
This is easily the largest tree I've ever had in my house in my entire life. And the girls just love it.
Now if I can only pull off my hoped-for surprise this year...ages 9, 14, and 15 and they've never been to the snow. One thing or another always seemed to get in the way. I'm looking now for a vacation rental for the weekend following New Years (they're all booked up until then) up in/near Tahoe. Keep your fingers crossed.
Usually, I push for getting the ol' tannenbaum the Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving (I have decreed in full fatherly mode that Christmas season officially begins when Santa parks his fat, red hiney in front of Macy's on 5th Avenue in NYC at the end of the parade.) However, a whole slew of life-crap has just devoured our time and the house was not properly prepped for a tree that weekend. So it was marked on the calender for the following one: December 4 - get the tree; Dec 5 - decorate it.
But then, on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, the day before all the kids go back to school, Mrs. Koko wrenches her back. She is out of commission completely for the next 3-4 days. The first few days of that week had at least two of my three daughters ill with one thing or another. The house which had settled into a mild chaos as I focused on clearing out the garage and gathering the Christmas trimmings, fell further into disarray while I was at work. We barely clear enough space to maneuver in a tree by that Saturday and luckily, after a couple of nights of Flexeril, Mrs. Koko's back is behaving a little better (though not soon enough for her to make it to a yearly cookie exchange--no holiday treats in the Koko house yet).
Saturday comes and there's a slight (but planned) delay whilst the older two daughters get their hair trimmed and colored. And then, we're off! The usual sibling arguments once there and the inevitable disagreement over which tree is the "perfect" tree. Mom like Tree A (which really was the better tree) but the youngest one (9 yrs old) is on the brink of tears if we don't get Tree B. Her sisters side with her...eh, it's almost as nice as Tree A and, frankly, we were losing daylight and it was getting cold. We go with Tree B. I give my girls a few tries with the saw but eventually it's up to Dad to fell the poor plant. Then, while I lash our quarry to the roof of the minivan, the rest of them go on a second hunt for a tree for grandma. Soon we have two trees strapped to the van and, after a brief stop for some kettle corn, we're off to the Sloughhouse Inn--our traditional stop on all our tree safaris--just a half mile up the road. The missus and I each have a prime rib sandwich while the girls dine on burgers and a calamari appetizer. As it supposedly can earn the Daughter of Constant Complaint some extra points at school, we ask to see the manager so she can interview him about the many and various ghost stories associated with the Inn. He was cool about it and had a decent story to tell himself even though he'd only been there a few weeks.
We drop off grandma's tree and set it up for her. It's a bit taller than she usually gets but it looks great. Then we get ours home. I have a bit of trouble getting the stand to fit over the trunk and have to saw off a bit of the knots on the side before I can get it in. Finally I got it in the stand and drug the tree into the house to our traditional tree-spot, in our front bay window. Only...it doesn't fit. The tree is about a foot too tall. The ceiling slants upward from the window so we bring it further into the room. But it's not clear of the ceiling until it is practically in the very center of the room, right in front of the TV. OK...on to Plan B. Some quick furniture rearrangement and we get the tree positioned under the peak of the vaulted ceiling.
This is easily the largest tree I've ever had in my house in my entire life. And the girls just love it.
Now if I can only pull off my hoped-for surprise this year...ages 9, 14, and 15 and they've never been to the snow. One thing or another always seemed to get in the way. I'm looking now for a vacation rental for the weekend following New Years (they're all booked up until then) up in/near Tahoe. Keep your fingers crossed.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Say "cheese", Mary
CNN.com - 'Virgin Mary' sandwich back on eBay - Nov 16, 2004
OK, this time I can see "a face" as well. So often I have trouble seeing anything in the Holy Rorschach tests that pass for visions of the BVM or the fruit of her womb. But this time I can see someone. But tell me, just how in tarnation do we know who the lovely young lady is? I'm thinking it's Fay Wray who, recently shuffled off this mortal coil. We really don't know what the Blessed Virgin looked like. Sure we can guess but folks are generally so ethnocentric and/or over exposed to the Western library of Biblical art that Mary and Jesus often appear as a young mother from Dresden with her chubby little son. I'm sure Jesus did not look like Jeffrey Hunter, Max von Sydow, Robert Powell (okay, maybe he came close) or Jim Caviezel. And he certainly did not look like Ted Neeley (although it'd be cool to think the Savior could belt out a rock ballad like Neeley did in "Gethsemene") nor Jeremy Sisto (Jesus as a frat boy?). No, Jesus was not a white man, not in the European sense anyway, and neither was his mother.
So when folks see an image in their windows or cheese sandwiches how do they know just who it is they're seeing? And why, oh why, would the Most Holy Mother of God appear in such a profane manner?
OK, this time I can see "a face" as well. So often I have trouble seeing anything in the Holy Rorschach tests that pass for visions of the BVM or the fruit of her womb. But this time I can see someone. But tell me, just how in tarnation do we know who the lovely young lady is? I'm thinking it's Fay Wray who, recently shuffled off this mortal coil. We really don't know what the Blessed Virgin looked like. Sure we can guess but folks are generally so ethnocentric and/or over exposed to the Western library of Biblical art that Mary and Jesus often appear as a young mother from Dresden with her chubby little son. I'm sure Jesus did not look like Jeffrey Hunter, Max von Sydow, Robert Powell (okay, maybe he came close) or Jim Caviezel. And he certainly did not look like Ted Neeley (although it'd be cool to think the Savior could belt out a rock ballad like Neeley did in "Gethsemene") nor Jeremy Sisto (Jesus as a frat boy?). No, Jesus was not a white man, not in the European sense anyway, and neither was his mother.
So when folks see an image in their windows or cheese sandwiches how do they know just who it is they're seeing? And why, oh why, would the Most Holy Mother of God appear in such a profane manner?
The other shoe has dropped...on me
I received this yesterday...
I'm somewhat disappointed, of course, but not overly so. I still have a job; my family will continue to be fed and housed. Plus, I've been goaded and motivated to start looking around in greater earnest. PLUS, now I can focus on a good lead for a web/Flash client which will also include a semi-regular maintenance contract.
I want to thank you for your efforts in pursuing this programmer position with our company. You are a very talented programmer and it was a pleasure meeting you.My first response, typically self-deprecating and negative having been built upon a near-lifetime of low self-esteem, was that the work I submitted was not up to par and/or too slow in getting there and so they don't want me. But why bother with the "you are a very talented programmer"? So then I started to think that maybe the guy who interviewed me the first time (the head of the programming area) did indeed like me and want to hire me but the owner-guy is pinching his pennies. Could be...but they've just signed a contract with provider which will likely result in a sharp increase in subsequent client hospital contracts. In short they are going to see a marked increase in business soon and should be able to afford a better quality employee. Oh well.
Unfortunately we will not be able to offer you the position because the company is not prepared at this time to make a commitment to a salary your level of experience would command.
Mr. [Business Owner] is looking to fill the position with more of an "entry level" programmer.
If I may, I would like to keep your resume on file just in case the company needs someone with your experience in the future.
Again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to interview you; I enjoyed our conversation.
I'm somewhat disappointed, of course, but not overly so. I still have a job; my family will continue to be fed and housed. Plus, I've been goaded and motivated to start looking around in greater earnest. PLUS, now I can focus on a good lead for a web/Flash client which will also include a semi-regular maintenance contract.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Everything hits at once
Holy Guacamole, what a week it's been! Actually, it's been a two-week week. As I last blogged here, I got "an assignment" from my prospective employer to write up a program to show my skills. I get the specs and it seems easy so I quickly write back "no problem; I'll have it for you next week". I work on it on the Veteran's Day holiday and am surprised that I get it 90% finished in about three hours or so. "Hey," I thought to myself, "I am as good as I thought I was." And then I let it sit for most of the weekend thinking I'll just check it over on Sunday before I email it back to the guy.
Well, Sunday comes and I review the spec once more to make sure I've covered everything. Hmm, almost. I was supposed to build a program to search for files based on user-entered search criteria--that part was easy--and it is supposed to search the current directory and every subdiretory below that. Oh. Okay... Well, I told him "next week", I never specified a particular day. I can work on it a bit at work, too, right? No way, Jose. Turns out back at work I've got a bit of a production problem the users are clammoring about. I'm focused on that every minute of the workday. And then, a big-ass production problem kicks in on Tuesday and I'm putting in overtime all week to try to resolve it. I've got no time at work for this extra project and with the overtime I'm getting home late and after dealing with kids and other home stuff I've got maybe 30-60 minutes of awake time to try and solve the new wrinkle in my "audition piece".
I fix my major production problem at work. Or so I thought. Turns out I made a journeyman's error (which, BTW, slipped right through the walkthru with two other programmers) of not correcting some cut-and-paste code. So then I have to re-fix my fixed program and put that back into production. And it bombs out again! You can imagine my boss is feeling the pressure which she passes on to me. Further analysis reveals that my program is not at fault but the data is hinky for about two dozen records (out of about 4300 total). Just as the day is coming to an end last Friday, I create a way to pull off those records, put the rest through the conversion program and then bring the offending records back in (they were essentialy already converted by another program). I give the word to the data center to run that jobstream as soon as possible and if it finishes okay to run the rest of the regular jobs that have been held up for a week. Meanwhile I'm still plugging away the finishing touches for my extra-curricular assignment and at about 5pm on Friday I ship off my solution.
My wife takes me out to dinner that night during which I get a call on my cell phone: the job ran fine as did the first step of the regular run as well. Whew! The next day is my birthday and we go out to eat again. I still had a web page I had done at work which I was going to clean up (removing the proprietary info) and send off to my possible-future employer but birthday stuff got in the way.
This morning I check in and so far I'm hearing good things from my users. There's 4 or 5 records with unique conditions that didn't process quite right but overall the data looks great and properly updated. So, I'll be ablet to spend the rest of this morning and early afternoon finishing up that web page. I just hope my work outshines my tardiness and that the reason for my lateness--my dedication to my primary job--is seen in a good light as well.
During all this folderol, I've had to put off putting together something for potential outside web client as well. This job is going to force me to resurrect what little Flash knowledge I have but it will also require a good dose of creativity on my part. It should be fun.
It never rains but it pours.
Well, Sunday comes and I review the spec once more to make sure I've covered everything. Hmm, almost. I was supposed to build a program to search for files based on user-entered search criteria--that part was easy--and it is supposed to search the current directory and every subdiretory below that. Oh. Okay... Well, I told him "next week", I never specified a particular day. I can work on it a bit at work, too, right? No way, Jose. Turns out back at work I've got a bit of a production problem the users are clammoring about. I'm focused on that every minute of the workday. And then, a big-ass production problem kicks in on Tuesday and I'm putting in overtime all week to try to resolve it. I've got no time at work for this extra project and with the overtime I'm getting home late and after dealing with kids and other home stuff I've got maybe 30-60 minutes of awake time to try and solve the new wrinkle in my "audition piece".
I fix my major production problem at work. Or so I thought. Turns out I made a journeyman's error (which, BTW, slipped right through the walkthru with two other programmers) of not correcting some cut-and-paste code. So then I have to re-fix my fixed program and put that back into production. And it bombs out again! You can imagine my boss is feeling the pressure which she passes on to me. Further analysis reveals that my program is not at fault but the data is hinky for about two dozen records (out of about 4300 total). Just as the day is coming to an end last Friday, I create a way to pull off those records, put the rest through the conversion program and then bring the offending records back in (they were essentialy already converted by another program). I give the word to the data center to run that jobstream as soon as possible and if it finishes okay to run the rest of the regular jobs that have been held up for a week. Meanwhile I'm still plugging away the finishing touches for my extra-curricular assignment and at about 5pm on Friday I ship off my solution.
My wife takes me out to dinner that night during which I get a call on my cell phone: the job ran fine as did the first step of the regular run as well. Whew! The next day is my birthday and we go out to eat again. I still had a web page I had done at work which I was going to clean up (removing the proprietary info) and send off to my possible-future employer but birthday stuff got in the way.
This morning I check in and so far I'm hearing good things from my users. There's 4 or 5 records with unique conditions that didn't process quite right but overall the data looks great and properly updated. So, I'll be ablet to spend the rest of this morning and early afternoon finishing up that web page. I just hope my work outshines my tardiness and that the reason for my lateness--my dedication to my primary job--is seen in a good light as well.
During all this folderol, I've had to put off putting together something for potential outside web client as well. This job is going to force me to resurrect what little Flash knowledge I have but it will also require a good dose of creativity on my part. It should be fun.
It never rains but it pours.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
They Called My Bluff
Is this typical of private industry? To just keep yanking your chain and adding new hoops to jump through? Second interview over and done with last week and word gets to me that the company has been calling my references. So...it's looking good, right?
Last night I get an email that says essentially, "Koko, you mentioned that you build websites on the side. Do you have any examples you could show. Also, do you have any examples of programs you've written in a language other than COBOL?" Oh boy. Y'see...my "web sites on the side" business has been in a long germinating period. A couple years ago I started a decent sized site but got bogged down in my day job and meanwhile the client's family experieced a long, drawn out personal tradgedy. That site went nowhere. I kept most of the code but, here's the stupid-me part, I've forgotten the password for the Access database that drives the site. And, frankly, that design is so old it would've been redone by now anyway. I've got a church site to which I've contributed heavily (about 80-90% of it) but I've pretty much turned that one over to a fella who is still learning how to wrangle Contribute and his pages are a freaking mish-mash. Then there's my crown jewel which, sadly, is not out in the wild but was an internal site. However, the plug was pulled on that one just two weeks before it's big redesigned launch all due to politics. I'm going to have to do some fancy hunting and gathering to try and pull together a decent portfolio. I know, I know...I should've had this done already but I never expected a job to fall into my lap like this or that I'd go so far into the process.
And a program example, too? Okay, here's the thing. I haven't really programmed all that much in Visual Basic what I did was well over a year and a half ago (save for a refresher course a little while back). I don't think I saved any of that either as it was all ad hoc programs for a particular, immediate need. I do have a collection of macro-intensive Excel worksheets (written with VBA which is like a VB lite) which I contributed heavily to but I'm going to need more. Maybe I can ask him for some imaginary specs and I could work up a prototype from that? Or, maybe I could do that myself?
Oh boy...how to play this hand? It's time to put up or shut up and I'm not sure I've got the cards.
Last night I get an email that says essentially, "Koko, you mentioned that you build websites on the side. Do you have any examples you could show. Also, do you have any examples of programs you've written in a language other than COBOL?" Oh boy. Y'see...my "web sites on the side" business has been in a long germinating period. A couple years ago I started a decent sized site but got bogged down in my day job and meanwhile the client's family experieced a long, drawn out personal tradgedy. That site went nowhere. I kept most of the code but, here's the stupid-me part, I've forgotten the password for the Access database that drives the site. And, frankly, that design is so old it would've been redone by now anyway. I've got a church site to which I've contributed heavily (about 80-90% of it) but I've pretty much turned that one over to a fella who is still learning how to wrangle Contribute and his pages are a freaking mish-mash. Then there's my crown jewel which, sadly, is not out in the wild but was an internal site. However, the plug was pulled on that one just two weeks before it's big redesigned launch all due to politics. I'm going to have to do some fancy hunting and gathering to try and pull together a decent portfolio. I know, I know...I should've had this done already but I never expected a job to fall into my lap like this or that I'd go so far into the process.
And a program example, too? Okay, here's the thing. I haven't really programmed all that much in Visual Basic what I did was well over a year and a half ago (save for a refresher course a little while back). I don't think I saved any of that either as it was all ad hoc programs for a particular, immediate need. I do have a collection of macro-intensive Excel worksheets (written with VBA which is like a VB lite) which I contributed heavily to but I'm going to need more. Maybe I can ask him for some imaginary specs and I could work up a prototype from that? Or, maybe I could do that myself?
Oh boy...how to play this hand? It's time to put up or shut up and I'm not sure I've got the cards.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Second Interview
Just a couple of hours ago I returned from my second interview with HFS Software, a local software company. I think I can say it went well. They did ask me for references at the end which is a good sign (I emailed them off before I started this post). The head guy, the boss man, the owner/founder commented that I obviously can get along with people which is important because it is a small office (about a dozen people). What can I say? I charmed them.
:::Tech Jargon Warning:::
I was and am concerned that this shop uses Delphi and PC-COBOL. Apparently they are also looking forward to completing their roll-out to a 32-bit platform. I have to admit that I don't know what difference it would make programmatically between 16 or 32 bit except for the possible size overflows of passed strings. Also, I don't really know Delphi. I know Visual Basic, a bit, which I (and my interviewer) assume is similar. But I don't even know VB all that well. Maybe I do. I honestly don't know because I've never been a real VB programmer. I've played at it and cooked up a few apps at work but that's about it. COBOL I've done on the mainframe and I'm sure it's roughly the same on the PC (probably easier). But I was upfront about my Delphi experience...not so much with my limited VB work.
:::Jargon over:::
I think I can do this job. Hell, I'm almost positive I can but I may have a bit of a learning curve. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't have it yet. I think I made a good impression on the boss. Maybe not quite as good with the daughter/heir apparent, hard to tell as I'm really a doofus at reading women. Frankly she seemed a bit uncomfortable to be part of the interview. I can understand that. Lots of people don't like being on either side of the desk for that. It was easier for me because I'm not hungry for it; I have a job already. Still, I am hoping.
:::Tech Jargon Warning:::
I was and am concerned that this shop uses Delphi and PC-COBOL. Apparently they are also looking forward to completing their roll-out to a 32-bit platform. I have to admit that I don't know what difference it would make programmatically between 16 or 32 bit except for the possible size overflows of passed strings. Also, I don't really know Delphi. I know Visual Basic, a bit, which I (and my interviewer) assume is similar. But I don't even know VB all that well. Maybe I do. I honestly don't know because I've never been a real VB programmer. I've played at it and cooked up a few apps at work but that's about it. COBOL I've done on the mainframe and I'm sure it's roughly the same on the PC (probably easier). But I was upfront about my Delphi experience...not so much with my limited VB work.
:::Jargon over:::
I think I can do this job. Hell, I'm almost positive I can but I may have a bit of a learning curve. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't have it yet. I think I made a good impression on the boss. Maybe not quite as good with the daughter/heir apparent, hard to tell as I'm really a doofus at reading women. Frankly she seemed a bit uncomfortable to be part of the interview. I can understand that. Lots of people don't like being on either side of the desk for that. It was easier for me because I'm not hungry for it; I have a job already. Still, I am hoping.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Job Hunt Experiment Paying Off?
Nine days ago I blogged about how the IT industry in the US is outsourcing itself out of existance and how this might directly affect yours truly. Buried in one paragraph was the intimation that I was looking for employment in the private industry (I'm currently a State worker) and closer to home. Specifically, someone very new to the local BBS I frequent posted a job opening. It looked promising as I had much of the required skill set so I went for it and emailed my resume. This apparently worked well enough to earn me a response detailing a little more about the company and asking if I'd be interested in "an informal interview". Yes, I responded and we set it up.
So yesterday, I leave work early and the light rail, bus and my pedal power all align nicely getting me home 35 minutes before the interview. As the office is just two miles from my house, this gave me plenty of transition time. I arrive there a perfect three minutes before the schedule two o'clock appointment and am soon greeted by a tall man who looks familiar. He notes that I look familiar, too, and soon realizes it is because his step-daughter and my youngest daughter are good friends. Well, there's a nifty ice-breaker.
The interview goes well, I thought. I did learn that while this is the leading national company delivering medical financial software for reporting the the federal government, it is also a small shop with just over a dozen total employees. I'm informed that they carry the usual benefits and a generous self-directed, retirement benefit (he told me that with profit sharing it usually works out to about 20-25% of salary). The downside is that the health care option is limited to just one: Kaiser. We've done Kaiser and were pleasantly surprised when we finally tried another HMO. Oh well, Kaiser isn't awful, just...mediocre. And we do have a concern with my middle daughter's epilepsy treatment. While we didn't talk hard numbers or even ranges of salary, he did make the statement that my salary, should I get the job, would be definitely increased. He seemed like he was almost laughing at the incredibly low amount I am being paid now. Hmm, that sounds promising.
Anyway, I guess I passed that audition because he told me that he would be scheduling a second "informal" interview with the company's owner and his daughter who is also apparently the heir-apparent for the owner's eventual retirement. Yes, it is a family business and, it would seem, well taken care of. I've never known working in a place like that. I've worked for the State for the last 18-1/2 years, almost straight out of college.
I'm somewhat excited about the prospect of more money and working so incredibly close to home. But on the other hand, I've nothing to lose as I've already got a job. Still, I think I'm begining to want this so much that I might get nervous. We'll have to wait and see how the next step goes.
So yesterday, I leave work early and the light rail, bus and my pedal power all align nicely getting me home 35 minutes before the interview. As the office is just two miles from my house, this gave me plenty of transition time. I arrive there a perfect three minutes before the schedule two o'clock appointment and am soon greeted by a tall man who looks familiar. He notes that I look familiar, too, and soon realizes it is because his step-daughter and my youngest daughter are good friends. Well, there's a nifty ice-breaker.
The interview goes well, I thought. I did learn that while this is the leading national company delivering medical financial software for reporting the the federal government, it is also a small shop with just over a dozen total employees. I'm informed that they carry the usual benefits and a generous self-directed, retirement benefit (he told me that with profit sharing it usually works out to about 20-25% of salary). The downside is that the health care option is limited to just one: Kaiser. We've done Kaiser and were pleasantly surprised when we finally tried another HMO. Oh well, Kaiser isn't awful, just...mediocre. And we do have a concern with my middle daughter's epilepsy treatment. While we didn't talk hard numbers or even ranges of salary, he did make the statement that my salary, should I get the job, would be definitely increased. He seemed like he was almost laughing at the incredibly low amount I am being paid now. Hmm, that sounds promising.
Anyway, I guess I passed that audition because he told me that he would be scheduling a second "informal" interview with the company's owner and his daughter who is also apparently the heir-apparent for the owner's eventual retirement. Yes, it is a family business and, it would seem, well taken care of. I've never known working in a place like that. I've worked for the State for the last 18-1/2 years, almost straight out of college.
I'm somewhat excited about the prospect of more money and working so incredibly close to home. But on the other hand, I've nothing to lose as I've already got a job. Still, I think I'm begining to want this so much that I might get nervous. We'll have to wait and see how the next step goes.
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