"Blipped"

Before I start into my "real" post topic for tonight, I'd just like to give another little update here about my cousin's wife - the heart transplant patient -ventilator tube removed; Karen - talking, looking good, feeling pretty good; taking sips of liquids; voice strong, color good, vital signs -blood pressure, etc., just where they need to be. She's still having pain but it is being well-controlled and was supposed to be getting out of bed today!

Isn't it absolutely incredible though that medical technology and surgeons are able to perform such a remarkable operation? I know this has been happening for a good many years now but I've never ever know anyone, even remotely, before who had a heart transplant, have you?

One of my blogging friends - Mouseski at "Are We There Yet" reminded me too of something else involved in this type of surgery -and that was to send up a prayer for the soul of the person who donated this tremendous gift of life and to that person's family as well. Usually, when one makes the comment "Your loss is my gain" it is not often said in a good manner, if you know what I mean. But in a circumstance like this, a family has endured a tremendous loss in order for another family to have such a gain - there just aren't words that are really adequate in an instance like this. Memories are all the donor's family now has and memories are what Karen and Tom and their children and all the rest of our extended family now have available to be made in exchange for this gift of life. God Bless!

I had a little scare here today -well, any scare involving my computer, which means messing around with my addiction you know, is nothing to be sneezed at. And this morning, while I was in the bathroom getting dressed to leave for a doctor's appointment, the power went off, but came right back on. I really didn't think much of it. There was no storm coming in - not at that time anyway - weather was very sunny, bright, hot - very hot already at that hour of the morning.

I came out of the bathroom and as I came past the computer, I noticed the on/off button - which has a blue light behind it - was on, but the monitor was totally black, nothing happening, no screensaver, no nothing! I touched the mouse and still nothing happened. Normally, if the power goes off, the computer is shut down, when power is restored, the computer doesn't usually come back on automatically. But yet, the button was lit up, indicating the power to the computer was on. Hmmm. I turned the computer off, then back on, thinking maybe it would "reset" itself, but it didn't. But, at that time, I had to leave for my Doctor's appointment so when I returned, I figured I'd call the computer shop then about this situation.

So, when I got back home, that's what I did. The shop owner/technician was alone, no one there to leave to run the show if he came out so he said he would try to track someone down to see if someone could stop by the house since he knew right then I had no means to bring the computer in myself - not unless I wanted to try to lug the computer as well as a 3 1/2 year old and a 14-month old along for the ride. No, that didn't paint a pretty picture in my mind and probably an equally unattractive thought in Dave's mind too!

But, when Mandy got home from work later in the afternoon, I phoned Dave again and asked him if he had any idea how long it would take for him to check the computer out and fix it if there was a true problem with the power supply -which is what he was suspecting at that time - and he said if I could get it in to him by 4 p.m., he could have it fixed and me on my way back home in time for Mandy to leave to go to work for the second part of her shift today.

So, away I went - computer nicely fitted between the back and middle seats of the van, on the floor. Got it into the shop and Dave hurried to take it from me and carried my baby very lovingly back to the shop. About ten seconds later he was back out front asking if I would believe him if he told me he had it all fixed already. I laughed and told him I'd really like it if that were the case and he took me in the back to the shop and showed me everything up on the screen, just the way it is supposed to be and the machine operating just the way it's supposed to do too!

The problem? He said in machines like this one and most others today, if a computer gets a little zap or kind of "stunned" by a power buzz, normally, if you turn it off and turn it back on, it will reset itself. But, if that doesn't happen, then to unplug it in the back and replug it in and see if that works, which according to him, that then is usually enough to fix the issue. He asked me if I had unplugged it in the back - which I hadn't done - until of course, I disconnected everything to take it to the computer emergency room that is.

So, anyway - the checkup with the computer doctor was very swift with good results just as my checkup this morning with the radiologist - my annual visit to him since having radiology treatments four years ago -was also short, sweet and very good results!

I was back home in a flash - even had time to stop for an adjustment with the chiropractor and a quick visit at the grocery store to pick up something for supper too.

All's well that ends well but I sure was scared that the darned "blip" from the power thing might really put a big damper on my day today as well as my checking account!

And now - the Bushism for Thursday, June 28, 2007
"I know how hard it is for your to put food on your family." - Nashua, New Hampshire; January 27, 2000