Jun 25, 2000, 8:00am

Well, I am sorry once again folks. It's been over a month and a half since my last "dailie rantie". I suck.

It's been a case of me writing not one, not two, but three rants in the lieu, but never getting around to posting them. Looking back on them, I'm glad I didn't. They really sucked. Well, not totally sucked but they were just more of the same old same old, me bitching about this person online. Me bitching about the government. Me whining about this and that.

But there have been events in my life. I guess I should start with the wing. Last Tuesday, I was playing the first game in our volleyball season, and I did a complete anterior dislocation of my right shoulder.

Folks, I've broken bones. I've separated my shoulders (both of them, the right side multiple times). I've dislocated fingers. I've had groin pulls. Nothing, I repeat nothing hurt as much as this did. I was on the verge of puking, the pain was so bad. And the bad thing about dislocated shoulders is it gets worse by the minute because your muscles start to involuntarily spasm around the injury. Nerves get pulled. Cartilage gets pulled. All sorts of nasty stuff.

So I drove myself to the hospital because at first I thought it might either be a torn rotator cuff or a pinched nerve, but by the time I got to the hospital, I was in bad shape. I even left the car in a towaway situation. Of course, given the sue-wary mentality at hospitals, my pleads for someone to take my keys and my money and move the car to a proper parking spot went unheeded.

It took them about 45 minutes to get the doctor to me. Pain. I kinda snapped at the guy. They put me on an IV and gave me drugs that didn't do much to help. They took me for x-rays, and the doctor sneakily tried to pop it back into place which almost made me pass out. Then they explained that it was gone too long now, and I'd have to be anaesthetized to perform the "procedure". It was explained to me I would be given a "waking anesthetic", a narcotic that would leave me fully awake and responsive to the doctor's instructions, but once I came out of its effects, I would remember nothing. Amnesia inducing, it is. I said what the heck, lets go for it.

They had me on a bed and explained to me I would have to lie on my stomach for the procedure. I was patiently explaining that would be impossible, as I couldn't even lie on my back earlier for the x-ray, and the very next second, I was all alone. Sitting up on the bed. My arm, while still painful, was functioning again, and I could actually move it. I freaked.

"Hello???" The nurse came by. Oh hi there, she says, all rested now?. I'm like, where'd everyone go. She explained I was "out" for about 3 hours. Then Jeanette came in and said hi, and the doctor strolled in, and was like "back in the land of the living, eh? heh heh heh". Absolutely zero memory of what happened, and I was freaking on how fast it took place. They snuck the narcotic into my IV, the bastards! :-)

So I go home. Dejected. I can't work. Even though I'm left handed, I use the computer mouse in my right hand, having done so for some 12 years now. I have a huge design project due this week, and cannot use Photoshop. I can't believe how much I relied on that right wing of mine.

It's been some six days now, and only today could I manage to type with two hands again (hence this rant). It sucks. But on Wednesday night, I ordered a new Wacom Graphire tablet with cordless pen and mouse (in iMac grape, mmmm!) from onvia.com and it arrived Friday morning (wooohooo!), and I promptly attached it to the notebook, and reconfigured the ambidextrous mouse for left handed surfing. Back in biz, sort of.

My arm still hurts, especially in the morning. The worst part is I cannot play vball or do any real lifting or anything with it for 4 to 6 weeks because I'm at extreme risk of re dislocating it. This sucks.

This coming week Jean and I are going to Seattle for a few days. I have some biz meetings, and some social stuff. I need to get away. But this is only for a few days. I've been thinking about this. You know the last time I took a week long (or longer) vacation? Almost 5 years ago! Christ! Even my Dad takes a full week once a year. Me? No, just like my patented "microbreaks" from working (lil 4 minute breaks from working Photoshop, where I go and read newsgroups or something) my vacations are microvacations - 3 days or less. I think I have some serious problems.

I talked to Jean about this, and I told her I want to commit to going to Europe this year, for a full week or longer. We'll go in October, a good time for her, and a good time for air fares. But we gotta go. I figure it will cost us $900 in airfares ($400 return plus taxes each), $450 for a car for a week incl gas and taxes and insurance (subcompact, here we come), $400 for a week at budget hotels or hostels, and maybe $700 for food and entertainment (all rates Cdn$ :-)). So about $2500 should do it, $1,250 each. We save $300 per month for the next 4 months and no problems. I need it. Jean's never been to Europe, and I'm sure she will love it. I just have to remember to avoid running into Celine (not Dion, you fools!) or that other girl I dated but can't remember the name of.... I'm lame.

Having a car would be good. It gives us freedom that we otherwise don't have. Normally I'd be totally pro train (Second Class variety), but if we only have a week, you need a car. Except in Paris. I would never, ever drive a car in Paris. It's too insane. Maybe we can stretch the trip to 10 days...

What other stuff is new. Oh yeah. My company is developing some kick ass software right now. I've talked about this in the past, but to remind you, it will allow non-technical users (ie people with zippo HTML knowledge) to update the content on their corporate sites. It will also include things like bulletin boards, chat options, mailing list automations, image control, upload ability and more. This new technology will be incorporated into the new version of this here site, whenever I manage to get around to it (I suck, remember?). Then writing a rant (full of typos, I may add) will be as easy as sending a hotmail email. My plan is to make the front page of my site a portal of sorts, featuring snippets of all the latest content with my personal site. Don't laugh. It will be cool. Coming soon, as they say.

Well, till next time, keep your stick wrapped..

2 comments | reply

Mixelania

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