Weekend Update - Lee
You know, I read Olivia's blog post and thought to myself, "How wonderful! What if we all made conscious decisions in our lives to do just three things better to affect those around us?" We all know we can do more than three things to make everyone around us better ... but what if we start with just three?
I think I've done one ... starting "The Brookhart Blog". I have enjoyed doing this, and seeing the interaction between all us far-flung "Brookharts". I have enjoyed every minute of it, sending "silly" postings, or postings of news and progress, or having it as a forum for my thoughts. I've never really kept a journal (as do many people I know) ... and I guess in some ways this is that journal I've never kept. The most important thing I've gotten from it is a better "connection" with all of you ... I've really felt we're keeping in touch better as a result of this.
I'm doing another nice thing, today ... I'm consolidating our cell phone plans here. I've been an ATT Wireless customer (now swallowed up by Cingular), and Janice has been an Omnipoint, then VoiceStream, and now T-Mobile customer for years. It's a "common cents" thing, I know, but it is a good one. We are going to a Cingular Wireless Nationwide Family Talk Plan, which includes some really nice features:
Unlimited Mobile to Mobile Calling - meaning anyone who is on Cingular can talk cell-phone to cell-phone with another Cingular customer at any time, for free. Cingular has 50,000,000 customers.
I don't know who all your carriers are ... but here is a thought - If we were all on Cingular, our calls to each other would be free as a result!
Rollover Minutes - unused minutes from the "Anytime" portion are rolled over to the following month. If, for example, you have a plan that includes 1000 "Anytime" minutes, and you only use 800 "Anytime" minutes, you carry over 200 minutes to the next month or months. Very cool.
No Roaming Charges or Long Distance - also very good
Extended Unlimited Night Calling Period - For a small charge, the Unlimited Night calling segment which is applicable to any calls, made to any number, are extended from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Most of the time, since I've been studying our cell phone patterns, we make calls before 9:00 PM at night. Janice always likes to call her mom and dad on her way home from A*tna in Middletown. This sometimes occurs before 9:00 PM, and in those cases, these calls would then be "free", not counting against the "Anytime" minutes.
Now understand, I've not taken a sales job with Cingular, but I have taken the time to see what works for us, and what as a result will save us at least $100-150 per month just as a couple.
Anyway ... my "doing a nice thing #2" is this tip.
I am looking for a third thing to improve upon ... I'm not quite sure what it will be.
Other than keeping my blog posts shorter, does anyone have suggestions?
And An Ankle Update
I have a new physical therapist, Anita. Karen has left Eastern Rehabilitation Services for a two-month trip through Alaska with her boyfriend, then for far-distant adventures with him on his 800-acre cattle/sheep ranch in New Zealand, afterwards.
Anita is a bit more aggressive in her plan for my rehabilitation. Friday, she announced we would be starting to work on my "gait". As part of the exercises, she took away my cane, and after showing me how to better balance myself with load-bearing on my right foot, asked me to try walking to her ... no cane, no crutch ... from across the room. The room is about 50 feet long.
During this trial, I thought back to the Star Trek episode where Spock performed a mind-meld on the semi-lava-state female rock where he exclaimed "PAIN!!!! PAIN!!!" ... but I made it. It involved about 15-18 steps on the right ankle.
I don't consider myself a wimp, by any stretch of the imagination ... but it was the most challenging thing I've done since starting therapy.
It's going to be a long road "back" ... but I'm getting there, by God. (Or by Allah, for those so inclined)
I think I've done one ... starting "The Brookhart Blog". I have enjoyed doing this, and seeing the interaction between all us far-flung "Brookharts". I have enjoyed every minute of it, sending "silly" postings, or postings of news and progress, or having it as a forum for my thoughts. I've never really kept a journal (as do many people I know) ... and I guess in some ways this is that journal I've never kept. The most important thing I've gotten from it is a better "connection" with all of you ... I've really felt we're keeping in touch better as a result of this.
I'm doing another nice thing, today ... I'm consolidating our cell phone plans here. I've been an ATT Wireless customer (now swallowed up by Cingular), and Janice has been an Omnipoint, then VoiceStream, and now T-Mobile customer for years. It's a "common cents" thing, I know, but it is a good one. We are going to a Cingular Wireless Nationwide Family Talk Plan, which includes some really nice features:
Unlimited Mobile to Mobile Calling - meaning anyone who is on Cingular can talk cell-phone to cell-phone with another Cingular customer at any time, for free. Cingular has 50,000,000 customers.
I don't know who all your carriers are ... but here is a thought - If we were all on Cingular, our calls to each other would be free as a result!
Rollover Minutes - unused minutes from the "Anytime" portion are rolled over to the following month. If, for example, you have a plan that includes 1000 "Anytime" minutes, and you only use 800 "Anytime" minutes, you carry over 200 minutes to the next month or months. Very cool.
No Roaming Charges or Long Distance - also very good
Extended Unlimited Night Calling Period - For a small charge, the Unlimited Night calling segment which is applicable to any calls, made to any number, are extended from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Most of the time, since I've been studying our cell phone patterns, we make calls before 9:00 PM at night. Janice always likes to call her mom and dad on her way home from A*tna in Middletown. This sometimes occurs before 9:00 PM, and in those cases, these calls would then be "free", not counting against the "Anytime" minutes.
Now understand, I've not taken a sales job with Cingular, but I have taken the time to see what works for us, and what as a result will save us at least $100-150 per month just as a couple.
Anyway ... my "doing a nice thing #2" is this tip.
I am looking for a third thing to improve upon ... I'm not quite sure what it will be.
Other than keeping my blog posts shorter, does anyone have suggestions?
And An Ankle Update
I have a new physical therapist, Anita. Karen has left Eastern Rehabilitation Services for a two-month trip through Alaska with her boyfriend, then for far-distant adventures with him on his 800-acre cattle/sheep ranch in New Zealand, afterwards.
Anita is a bit more aggressive in her plan for my rehabilitation. Friday, she announced we would be starting to work on my "gait". As part of the exercises, she took away my cane, and after showing me how to better balance myself with load-bearing on my right foot, asked me to try walking to her ... no cane, no crutch ... from across the room. The room is about 50 feet long.
During this trial, I thought back to the Star Trek episode where Spock performed a mind-meld on the semi-lava-state female rock where he exclaimed "PAIN!!!! PAIN!!!" ... but I made it. It involved about 15-18 steps on the right ankle.
I don't consider myself a wimp, by any stretch of the imagination ... but it was the most challenging thing I've done since starting therapy.
It's going to be a long road "back" ... but I'm getting there, by God. (Or by Allah, for those so inclined)
posted by Lee at
6/05/2005 08:00:00 AM
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