It's Zayd!

Welcome, Zayd!

You have a great sense of humor, and hopefully Dad changed you.

We're happy to have you here.

OH ... and one other thing ... I forgot to tell you that you are a lot better looking than the kid holding the dish of Morels! (sorry John, I couldn't resist)

Welcome To The New Members!

I'm glad to see this is catching on! I see John and Sandi's post (commented on that) and I see that Eric and Samina and Zayd have also joined!

I've sent invitations to Jane and Marion several times, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm part of that spaghetti sauce spam that AOL is blocking from their tuna sandwich. Jane never seems to get the invitation. As a final resort, I can set them up with an account. Anyway, it's rather strange ... I know I'm not part of the virus jello. Speaking of which, if I see that commercial one more time, the TV may wear a crutch.

I've also sent invitations to Lori and Brad, Jake and Dee, and Susan and David. I'm planning on inviting Liz and Rhys, as well, although I'm not sure if they will be "into it". We'll see.

I'm also adding a little "tutorial" to this posting. Check out / print the picture - it's pretty easy to do.

And one last thing for this posting. I'd like us all to pause and think about the contributions of this man (click link), and his passing. It is, as always, unfortunate, but it also gives us pause to think what materials his mausoleum may be built from, and what shape it will take both now and in the future. Ouch! Was that a lightning bolt?

Cast Removal, 1 Day Later

Well ... I'm not happy with the fact that Janice and I had to scrap plans to attend a friend/coworker's wedding in Charlotte, NC this weekend ... but in retrospect we were very wise, in doing so.

I would just like to reiterate, from my conversations with you on the phone, folks ... whatever you do, don't break your ankle.

Don't get me wrong - I am thrilled to have had the hard cast off (just imagine how poor, poor Martha Stewart will feel when she gets her ankle monitor removed - "Awww, poor baby"). Last night, sleeping with nothing that felt like an outboard motor around my foot was blessed relief. I have a better appreciation for the discomfort Eric must have had as a small toddler.

However ... if you have ever seen the 1985 science-fiction movie "Enemy Mine", my foot and calf looks like I am half-Terran and half-Drac. The aesthetics of this is the easy part to work on.

One of the things the good doctor recommended yesterday is using a bathroom scale to track how much weight I can put on the ankle without the "discomfort" becoming too great. This morning, I did just that, and found I could hit almost 75 pounds without passing out. A good starting point, I guess, and certainly enough to help steady myself ... but not nearly enough for using that foot to walk on. I'm around 216 right now, so I have some room for improvement before I can put my entire weight on the ankle before passing out. LOL

However, I am happy to say that while we didn't take the rental wheelchair back, I haven't used it since we came home yesterday. I made dinner for myself (Janice had a retirement dinner to go to) and I made my first cocktail while exclusively on crutches. (Many thanks to my best friend Frank Perrotta, who three years ago foresaw this coming and provided me with a 12-oz "Sport Drink Bottle" from SSIMED - his company - thus allowing me to make a drink and carry it on crutches without spillage)

Yesterday afternoon, I negotiated with the recommended physical therapist referrals for relatively decent PT appointments for the next four weeks. This coming Monday at 10:00 am, Wednesday at 8:00 am, then Wednesdays and Fridays for the next three following weeks at 8:00 am. I'll take a cab there on Monday, then Janice will be able to take me on the following appointments (barring any unforeseen Aetna emergencies). Thank God for good health insurance.

Well, off now to try to do a little work this morning for L**dall.

A Mostly Good Update

Well, I have just returned from the Orthopedist.

They removed the hard cast today, and the ankle is extremely stiff, very sore and (to me) surprisingly swollen. They said this is to be expected.

X-rays showed that the fibula is healing, but there is still evidence of a partial fracture - looks like it's roughly two-thirds healed up. The doctor said the progress is good, in that respect.

I have been given a "stirrup cast" and have been given instructions to very gradually begin placing some weight on it. I am to expect further swelling from this, and am supposed to continue keeping it elevated to relieve the swelling.

I am to begin physical therapy next week (two sessions per week) and that will be to work on getting back range of motion and strength back in the right leg..

The BAD NEWS is that I am not allowed to drive for at least another three weeks, when I return for the next set of x-rays to see where things are at that time. This TRULY SUCKS.

The doctor has recommended, that if at all possible, I continue a work-from-home schedule until he sees me again on May 19th.

The Photo The Sumner Press DIDN'T Want To Show

OK .. sis writes "John ... called to BRAG last night that he had found one of those plastic ice cream containers they get full yesterday afternoon. Sandi said there was 51."

I hope "The Sumner Press" doesn't spill the beans on whether or not John was "mushrooming" in Red Hills State Park!
Lee

Some News From The World Of Aviation

Airbus A380 takes off on test flight

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 (Toulouse):
Airbus' new A380 super-jumbo, the world's largest commercial airliner, took off on its maiden flight today. As final preparations were being made for the inaugural flight, crowds of sightseers, officials, and the world's media turned their gaze at the sight of the gigantic double decker aircraft. The double-decker A380 underwent its first airborne test at Airbus headquarters in southern France near the city of Toulouse, the European aircraft maker said.The four-aisle, four-engine aircraft has an 80-metre wingspan and a tail as tall as seven-story building. It will carry 555 passengers, 33 percent more than rival Boeing's 747, the industry's current largest commercial plane. The Airbus, a joint European project, was unveiled amid great fanfare in January. (AP)

OK ... so it took off. No further word from this story as to whether it landed (Airbus is part French, as you know). I know it did, but all this story said was "it took off". The Titanic also "took off" on its maiden voyage.

Also no word as to whether "Freedom Fries" will accompany any in-flight meals. And meanwhile ...

Boeing gets another order as 787 becomes best seller

A flood of orders for The Boeing Co.’s new fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner – including a 27-plane Air India order Tuesday – is creating a pleasant predicament for Boeing: a near sell-out for the airliner’s first three production years.

“That’s a nice problem to have,” Mike Bair, Boeing vice president in charge of the 787, told reporters Tuesday morning in a news conference update on the first anniversary of Boeing’s go-ahead for Dreamliner production.

Counting Air India’s commitment to buy 27 of the midsize jetliners, Boeing now has 244 orders and commitments for the new airliner. The 787’s entry into commercial service is still nearly three years away.

Here's to hoping that Boeing has continued success in the aircraft industry. Boeing has always put out some good commercial aircraft, but could learn a few things or two from the ergonomics of an Airbus plane. It looks like it has, based on the mock-ups of the 787's interior (no word on how they are going to nail down the vase and flowers). Hey, if all we get are bags of peanuts or pretzels, don't make us have to use a pry bar to open an overhead bin, ya know?

Hopefully A Little Over Two Days Now ...

Well, it's nearing the end of the road for this stupid cast (I hope). But in the meantime, here is a little shot of me doing my best impersonation of FDR ... too bad I didn't have the cigarette holder.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I'm going to bother with a Senate race, as I previously had stated. Instead, I think I will go straight up against Hillary in 2008. Please do NOT tell Roscoe.

Nice outfit, don't you think? Color coordination of the cast and the Cardinals' baseball bat on the T-shirt ... what a fashionplate. HA HA HA
Lee

First Attempt At Photo Upload - Hey It Works!

Here's my first attempt at uploading a picture. This is a pretty decent one of the three of us.

Interesting "Snippets" from The Washington Post

Snippet #1: "Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest outsourcing company, reported disappointing earnings, reflecting a falling dollar and higher costs for employee bonuses. Tata stock fell more than 8 percent, as investors began to question whether the $17 billion outsourcing industry could continue to grow 25 percent a year as companies bid up wages and IT centers quickly outgrow local infrastructure. A Deloitte study, meanwhile, found that a quarter of firms have brought outsourced functions back in house."

Good news for domestic IT workers ... while apparently "higher costs for employee bonuses" are finally getting overseas, the encouraging news is that "a quarter of firms have brought outsourced functions back in house".

We, at L**all have found that outsourcing, while a "quick and dirty" way of getting things done, is a complete pain in the rump. Language is a major issue, as is doing things "right" versus doing things "quick". Those of us left to support outsourced development efforts have found little or no internal documentation, and what IS there is hard to decipher.

Amen to the end of outsourcing (although it's unlikely to happen).

Snippet #2: "America West confirmed it was in merger talks with bankrupt US Airways. If completed, the deal could bring about exactly the consolidation analysts say the industry needs to return to profitability. The merger's path has been smoothed by US Airways employees' acceptance of wage and benefit cuts modeled on America West's contracts. With America West refusing to put up any cash, the deal may need as much as $500 million in additional investment. Another hurdle: finding a way to merge the pilot seniority lists."

How about this for another hurdle - How's going to put up this $500 million in additional investment? The Government? Or this hurdle: When is US Airways going to start pricing their routes like a "normal" airline (granted, if there is such a thing these days) to attract additional seats? However ... with UAIRQ.OB closing at $0.73 / share on Friday ... maybe not a bad penny stock, but then again, perhaps NOT. I don't think I'll count on it for my retirement.

First Blog on the Site

Well, it's a very rainy Saturday morning here in Connecticut, and I am bored.

I've been reading a lot about "blogging" becoming the new way to express one's self on the Web, and wondered how it might work if there was a "family blog" set up so we could all share it.

I don't know if you'll be interested, but it is one way for us to all keep up with the events in our families' lives.

I will keep more posts coming, and provide you with some instructions on how to become a member and submit your own postings.