Edited out

To my partner's flame. I do believe that he has you hands down. Ask him about "Mr. Heater"...

So it happened that he and his dad were up deer hunting near Bruno. It was the end of the day and right about knock off when a really good looking 10 pointer stumbled by.

It's dusk, he has a perfect shot. What you you do?

Partner did the only sensible thing when one is hunting. He took the shot. Dropped the deer. Now he is standing in the woods with the available light fading fast. No flashlight. SH*T! Fortunately, his dad heard him take the shot and hurried over- loaned my now sheepish partner HIS flashlight and sent him back for the ATV and set a trail.

Partner has NEVER been without several since. He has installed a 4D MagLight in my car- he has two or three in the truck. He gave everyone we know Farraday fashlights as stocking stuffers at Christmas. I have a carabiner personal light on my waist pack but he also insisted on getting me a larger light for the pack- I WILL BE WALKING IN DAYLIGHT HOURS!!!

My best reccomendation for researching what you are looking for is to call a few of the rental shops and ask if you can take a look at what they are renting. As many of them are self owned, the owner can usually give you a sound rationale for his choices. You might also find it a way to sideline some business.

No more going to Cabela's without a responsible adult in tow. That place is absolute evil! Every time we walk in there, we bleed money...

Related? Hard call. I am a native Californian hiding out in the Midwest. I am an odd combination of Native American, English, Scot, and German. Partner is Scandinavian.

Walking is easy on me- I have to marinate in bug juice to survive- but other than that, I am fine. He has to cover himself in nuclear grade sunscreen or he will fry. Re-apply every two hours is required. And through it all, he is developing the same odd tan lines that I have.

Mike gets his personality/likes/dislikes/beliefs directly from his Dad. A bit from his Mom. They are great people.

If we aren't related by blood, we sure are by cold. Anyone that lives in the frozen tundra by choice is unique to say the least.

So did you take care of your varmint problem???

So I am just moving the conversation...

Poor Gertrude. I can only picture you walking around with chickens following you. Like Momma Duck and the ducklings.

Yep, the Gander I was referring to is Gander Mountain. I like that store a bit too much so I am only allowed to go there with a responsible adult. Like Mike is a responsible adult! Cabela's is just pure evil.

Since I am camping at the Hilton over the 3 Day, I don't actually NEED new camp gear... darn it! But I can LOOK, right? Besides, smal game opener is coming pretty quickly. And we can't forget deer season!

They are expecting the heat index to hit the mid 90's today. Yesterdays walk was so humid I thought I was trying to breathe water. ICK!

I have to head out in a bit and check back on a fundraiser I have set up for the 2007 walk and run a couple of errands. Tonight is an off night but we have 10 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. They are predicting 100 degrees over the weekend. Hopefully the weather here will break by next weekend- 20 miles next Saturday!

Can't say too much against coffee. I drink a lot of the stuff myself. Just make sure that you drink a good half litre of water before you head out- coffee dehydrates the body. Puts you behind the curve before you begin. Not good.

I'm sure that someone will get curious before long. But it has been kind of nice to have the joint to ourselves for awhile!

Edited because that extra "m" bothered me!

I just worry- we have been mid 90s and above. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 100 or better. Folks are dropping dead in California from the heat and they KNOW how to deal with it.

I have extra iced Smart Water working even though we are only doing 10 miles. Fortunately we are doing that 10 miles in a park with a mister (yea misters!) so we can cool down if we need to. Also have the extra neck coolers and will pack them in the ice chest.

You did all the right things after that six miles. I will just bet they were some brutal miles though. Salt is always a great defense to hydration loss. When I worked the Ren Faire in So Cal, I lived for salt- even sprinkled it in the morning coffee. An 80 pound costume in 100+ degree heat can be a dangerous combination.

What kinds of birds are you feeding? We have sunflower going for the house finches and sparrows and the mourning doves and niger thistle for the goldfinches. Mike went out to fill feeders last night and the goldies didn't even wait for him to walk away before they were diligently emptying it. He's re-filling those feeders every other day now. By November, some of those goldies will rival the average goose in size.

I'm looking forward to the chickadees in camp though. They are fun to watch!

Incidentally, the greenish glow to your west is me being VERY jealous of your pool...

And about all I can say is %##$#^&%*(($%#%#%@!!!!!

I have been dryer in a shower. The mister at the end was nice but the effect didn't last nearly long enough.

Next week is the 20 mile Saturday followed by an 8 mile on Sunday. If you are looking for a hot stock tip, try ibuprophen. I am pretty sure I can independantly drive up the market.

Heat index was like 108. Makes BREATHING difficult. All in all, a tough walk. But we are now on the other side of it, steaks are in the fridge waiting to be grilled, I have my martini, and all is well with the world... until we do it again tomorrow morning.

I swear that all I will do on the Monday after is sleep. And write and send the final update for the 2006 Walk. And start working on 2007...

I am looking pretty silly these days- you can see where my shorts end and my socks begin. Dulci said it looks like I have removable feet. Right now, I wish I did.

Thank you for taking the heron pictures. We have seen a number of the white heron but only a few of the blue. They are such pretty birds. We've also seen a number of egret. another beautiful bird.

We get red squirrel here. They are somewhat more aggressive than the standard grey squirrel. Mike's brother trapped one one day sitting in his deer stand- the squirrel was up the tree when Jim got in it and then wouldn't pass him to get to the ground. So the squirrel stood just out of reach (of a man with a gun- show me the logic!) and "yelled" at him until he got off his stand. Red squirrels are NOISY critters!

The peacock... Well it was like this...

When I lived in CA, a family moved in next door who owned a peacock. As their yard was rather small, they kept this peacock on a leg leash. The bird would sit on out common fence and call... Constantly.

Back then, I was working nights. I got home one morning to discover that the peacock had been attacked by another animal and was lying dead on my side of the fence. Pretty gruesome too. I did what any reasonable person would do- I went next door to tell the owner that their bird was dead. About fifteen minutes of my poor Spanish later I finally came up with "Turkey est muerte". And only because "Pollo est muerte" didn't communicate the problem.

Mexifornia isn't kidding!

I think I have seen killdeer. I have never seen a purple finch. I'd like to.

I know that we will move from here someday. We both want to be in a place that is more wooded than this very clipped development. We want to retire somewhere north of here where we can buy some land that we can hunt. My eyesight isn't as good as it never was but Mike still has a few deer in him. And we like the nature- watching the birds is fun.

Your old house was beautiful. But it sounds like your current place is better. Closer to the things that matter, any way.

Supper is almost on the table. Look out cow!

The NOAA warnings for us this weekend are similar to what you got for today. Heat index was 108 to 110 and today is worse- and I am not walking today- day off.

First- you did all the right things in all the right order. I couldn't have given you any better direction, you did all the things that you needed to.

The difference is that I have been training for about 6 months. My walking clothes weigh less than a pound. EVERYTHING I wear is dry wicking fibre. That takes the sweat from your body and gets it to air. Even my socks are specialised- dual layer, dry wicking, and blister proof. And I use something called "Body Glide" on any two parts of my body that touch. Partly to prevent chafing, partly to faciltate sweat. Also use it on my feet.

Last week when it was mid 90's we changed where we normally walk for a place that is 80 to 90% shade. That made 6 miles do-able.

Next week when we do the 20, it will be in the 80's if the weather report is to be believed. Thank God.

When we get to the 3 Day, we will walk, no matter what. Heat, we walk. Rain, we walk. The only thing that will keep us from walking is a tornado warning. Then they will send us undercover until the tornado passes or the warning is stood down. Because of this, we train in the worst possible circumstances and pray for the best.

The mileage this weekend was brutal, make no mistake. I have learned some tricks to help- slow the pace, freeze my Smart Water- about 3/4 of a bottle in the freezer for a couple of days. Top with refrigerated Smart Water. As I walk, the frozen water melts but keeps the water cold. Love them frozen electrolytes! I pack my water bottle with ice and fill with cold water. My standard water gets used first.

We have discovered Slim Jims- Protein source with lots of salt. When it is hot we stop every two miles and eat one. That helps.

What you accomplished is really great. Most people would have just not bothered. You did. You suited up and you made the best you could of a poor situation. You were right to call it when you did- pushing too hard can do serious damage. That is why we have medical staff that takes care of us every step of the way. That is also why Mike will be following us. I am scared out of my socks that I won't be able to make this and I pray every day that I can.

You done good, my friend. Four miles in that heat is a b*tch. But you made it!

Kill them damn raccoons. They're nasty rabies-carrying little varmints and need to be controlled.

Flashlights??? My mother-in-law gave me one of those Faraday (shake) lights for Christmas (over my objections because I hate the thought of Christmas gifts...) and it's been great. It has only one LED, but I'd love to find one with a 3 LED array.

Is greeter at Wal-Mart!

Only kidding, but you knew that.

Presently, there are over 3000 registered walkers in this year's event. We know that not everyone who is registered will walk- I can think of seven out of 54 on my team who will not make it and that number could climb- fundraising is difficult and many don't try. The seven that I know of are people who will not walk due to conflict or health issues. In one case, a woman had to go to another state to be with her dying mother. She already raised around $3000 but family is first. I don't know what the numbers are for the Michigan walk.

Considering where you started, 170 CCM of swelling is pretty good. That you are able to use it some and do things like lift your coffee cup with that hand is amazing. Surgery wasn't that long ago.

I will be interested in hearing about the x-rays. I agree, I think that you will see fusion- at least beginning. I doubt that you will see a huge amount, but I will bet that you see some.

8/17? I will be packing and doing the last minute stuff for the 3 Day. And wondering what in my tiny mind made me think I could do this thing. It will pass...

Just don't see a man of your intellect saying, "you want fries with that?"

And I am feeling terribly deprived now.

I realise that many think of it as being somewhat less than feminine. Oh well.

Further to your budding career as a Wal-Mart greeter- I know that you can learn all the right things to do and say. The real question is how long it would be before someone managed to completely piss you off. And more importantly, would you let them live. I have been told that it is really bad form to leave a visible trail of dead bodies around. And cleaning it up could hurt your hand.

You gotta think these things through! :)

just NB and T2 talking for a while. The first 20 odd posts were just made by them. I wanted to interrupt and ask T2 a question, but thought I will keep quiet, as my question was just something tangential.

Now that I see few of us are into this thread: Tigger, do you listen to "Garrage Logic" on AM1500? Joe is a big fan of the Flahlights.

It's after 9:30 and we still haven't had supper yet. We walked our six miles to prep for the 20 mile that we are walking Saturday.

Just so that you know- we are watching the weather and have trained in extremes. And we have medical staff EVERYWHERE on the event. And I have Mike. He will keep me safe. After the event, you can toast a cold frosty one in my general direction. I will survive this too.

RTFM is a great way to learn. So is classroom based teaching. Photobucket has some shortfalls. But then I consider the pricetag. I like them okay- I don't put much out there. What I do, I put a recind reminder in my PDA for.

Seriously, I think that you sell yourself short. Greeter at WalMart was just me being funny. I think you have another career in you. You are one of the brightest men I know- regardless of your cover.You have great and committed support.

You should walk the 3-Day. No kidding. Maybe not this year- you need the training time. But you should do it. It is kinda like making a parachute jump- you know that you have seen to your safety- no let's leave the comfort zone to go to the unknown zone (where Jesus is, and He's holding out His hand). Sorry-ish. Some song lyrics got in there and were the right thing. This thing will prove to you that you can handle what comes your way. And you can be proud of what you have come through.

So Mike is all kinds of worried about the logistics and expense of out of state hunting. But he knows that we have to go to Hell. I'm working on him...

I am so tired I don't know if I am making any sense. I just have to get through the next two weeks. I have obligations outside of training every single day between now and the event. My body has assumed that I am getting ready to abuse it- I have gained four sizes in the past four weeks. I only hope that I get my body back after this...

Have to head for bed- sleep is screaming at me now.

I missed you. Check out the "idiot" thread if you have not already been there. It's fun!

Finally! Some time that I am not doing stuff. I have been cooking (don't tell Mike on me!) so have been reading and replying to stuff while things have been cooking.

I really hate jewelers sometimes. Seems like mostof them haven't a clue about what they are doing. I have been in a few places that I knew more than the jewelers assistants. Hopefully they will make your wife's ring right. Somehow, with you in the picture, I have no doubt they will.

I love Ruby Tuesday. I restrict myself to the salad bar. I love the salad bar! They will feed you to death if you give them the chance. But then, you have discovered that.

Ear problem- ick! I clean with peroxide after showers and after getting out of the water. I tend to get ear infections pretty regularly and that solution was suggested by an ENT years ago. I can still have problems but not at all like they used to be.

Sounds like this is something that you have dealt with before. Unfortunately, the referral process is now set in concrete. Theoretically it is supposed to keep specialists calendars open for patients that really need them. It is a pain when there is no benefit- like an appointment sooner than you would otherwise get it.

Insurance needs a complete overhaul but tort reform has to happen first or it isn't worth the bother. But you know how I feel about that.

I caught the first alteration to your avatar last night and saved it. Have to do it again- I like the new changes. Now I know what direction to go when I get to the sign! PARTY!

I like the new tag. A flamer from a couple of months ago has shown back up in the career thread and is started on the same discussion that got his original ID banned. Should be interesting to see what happens with that. Oh well. TR is full of people that have no other lives.

Plan C was good but I really liked Plans A and D. A possible Plan E- SCOTCH!

And the kittens are wonderful. I will be using them (with your kind permission of course) in next years fundraising. Great image!

I am afraid I don't know a darned thing about Harry Potter. How about Red Dwarf? Don't know about aardvarks either. Know a little about ZZ Top.

Get back when you can. I think we OWN this space although anyone is welcome. Don't understand it. How did we get an entire thread mostly to ourselves?

Ask me about devious TRI plots. I happen to know they work!

[i]I don?t participate much in political or controversial discussions. There seems to be a lot of energy wasted on angst, anger and flames that doesn?t really change too much of anything important.[/i]

Last week, four of us were just chit-chatting in the office :-), when the topic slowly turned to Israel-Hezbollah issue. One guy feels that there can not be anything that the four of us could really do to alter the present crisis, so he felt it was pointless to talk about it. I sat there silently wondering, about the different topics that interests people and was there anything in all these discussions.

In my opinion OAW did not deserve the treatment that she got here in TR. Some of the best people, exhibited some of the worst behavior. Some of my beliefs were reinforced in those few days. That is all I want to say at this moment.

Should'nt everyone be talking amicably to you? Especially if you don't enter political or controversial discussions :-) ? Moreover you have lived in MN, so you should be Mr.Nice, right?

...about MN. Bad reading and comprehension on my part.
There is no one thing that can suddenly change a person. For different people, it is different things. Sometimes it is the cumulative effect, that prompts them to make a change and seek something else. Buddha for example. We can never be sure on what our words or arguments are doing to [b]ourselves[/b] and then others. I think it is all an interesting experience.

I have seen recently how something I am doing for very selfish reasons has positively impacted a number of people both here in the US and abroad.

We talk about how lives are changed. Everyone has moments of epiphany- the "moment of truth" if you will- in which a thing occurs that changes our direction.

Where OAW is concerned- one of the things that was effectively invisible to the community was the back story. What I learned from all of that was that there were a number of people that had history with that person that was not evident to all. People responded based on the experience they had individually. As I continued to follow the story, I learned that MY personal feelings were shared by others. I had developed those feelings based on private communication. I did not feel a need to discuss that private communication as it was not directly pertinent to the discussion that ensued. Regardless, like NeverBusted, I can live with my part.

I spent some time in my life in a wheelchair many years ago. I discovered something interesting- people never had a conversation with my face. It was almost like the chair caused a judgement to be entered against me that I had no control over- first impressions and all that. I understand what NB is saying when he says that folke are intimidated. I have a friend in WA that is the same way. He is physically imposing- 6'0 and 52" chest, full beard. Big guy. One of the most intellegent men I know, soft spoken, the most gentle spirit, generous, more. What people see when they look at him is big, bearded, scary. Many don't bother to have a look at the REAL elements of the man- they only concentrate on the obvious.

What we see here is what we are allowed to see. What the individual decides to make a part of their "face". Anyone that doesn't understand that is missing a vital point. Onbliss and I live in the same state- possibly the same city. We may even work in the same office. We wouldn't know each other if we passed on the street. What I know about Onbliss is the face he has chosen to display here.

Controversy is a constant here. I have some opinions, sometimes I share them. Sometimes I don't. Whether I do or not is decided by the amount of time I have available and how strongly I feel. I make an effort to lay them out clearly so that I am understood. Sometimes I fail miserably. Regardless, all I am posting is my personal opinion- an insight if you will to an element of me. Part of my "face". That is all it is.

I have to agree with NeverBusted. A single word or deed can change a life. If I didn't believe that to be true, I wouldn't do much of the stuff I do. I believe that wearing the eternal pink ribbon reminds at least one woman to do a self exam or schedule a mammogram. I believe that makes a difference.

NeverBusted, have to be REAL careful about what gets said here. Chickensh*ts abound and I don't want to see more trouble.

But there are other ways to communicate...

I'm getting too angst-ridden over at the "Israel" thread. Can I come here and cool off?

For Harry Potter, I think most of the security fuss was over "Order of the Phoenix" when there were a lot of spoilers coming out on the web and in the press. I found out which of the characters was to die and I was a bit annoyed that someone would go to the trouble of trying to spoil the surprise for millions. I always buy the books as prezzies for my 10 year old goddaughter and I told her that I knew and she really didn't want me to tell her (I wouldn't have anyway). Multiply our mild annoyance up by millions. :D

Nuff of me, girl. How are you doing? Oh all right, back to me. I do thank you for the advice and the example. Dammit, I can't wimp out on my stroll if you're still walking! I'm on 12,000 paces per day and I'm sticking there for a month or few. I get up an hour earlier, have a 3 mile walk around the local park and back for my morning shower. Courtesy of your example, I am now awake five hours longer each week (weekends off). :)

I'm now the proud posessor of [b]two[/b] pairs of New Balance walking shoes, one pair brown and one grey to complement my wardrobe. Sooooo comfy!

That's better.

Neil :D

p.s. Don't forget. If you need any more explanations, advice, different perspectives then post or pm. I owe you for the example for my five hours a week and even if I didn't...

The nice part of effectively "owning" a thread. When the "Max level" monster threatens, we go back to the root.

This was never a "private" thread. It just happened. Seems that few have decided to venture in here. I am sure that there are some lurkers but few have ventured in and no one has stayed in the discussion. Sad really, but NeverBusted and I are good friends so we just keep on using the space.

One of the things that I really value about you is that you are so very passionate about what is important to you. The mindless liberal (Americanism here) spouts the "party line". You THINK critically about your view and position and your posts reflect that. There are realms that I will not debate you in. But I enjoy your views- they are refreshingly thought out.

Unfortunately that comes with a price. Angst, I think you called it. Breathe. Just breathe. You will be okay.

RE: Harry Potter... We sometimes miss what we should be concerned about. I am glad that your God-daughter didn't have the ending of the book ruined for her. For a 10 year old that is tragedy. I remember the "good ol' days" when you had to be pretty smart to even use a computer...

I am so glad to hear that you are staying with the walking! I know that you feel better for doing it. And I can't say enough good things about New Balance- great shoes. I use them for both walking and they are also my sandals- the 404. I did have to put pink ribbons on the sandals though. My partner uses New Balance for running about but has decided that he will retire his current walking shoe for New Balance- they are just too comfortable!

But you know that...

The whole "life-form thing... I owe you one on that. Don't know if an anti-abortion group had too much sugar or what, but they were right there after chemo for about three weeks. The first time I saw them I was maybe 20 hours post op and trying to go home. I was not in the best shape of my life and had some other challenges after I got home that I knew were waiting for me. I was screamed at that I had "damaged my body beyond God's design" and had "murdered a living being". Did they get the chemo clinic mixed up with the GYN clinic? I don't know. They left an impression. And frankly it haunted me for a good long while. A friend who is a chemical forensics specialist told me to let it go but that was my friend. Someone I have known for many years and drank Scotch (elderly single malt- neat) with. I guess I just dismissed his input. Or simply couldn't "hear" it at the time. The accusations bothered me for quite awhile.

Five hours is a small price compared to how much better you feel. My partner and I have been at this since end of Feruary/early March. He is 51, I am 43. We both feel better than we have in years. And if you have been giving safe harbour to an extra few pounds, they will go away of their own accord. But don't trust a scale- muscle weighs more than fat. I am trimmer than I have been - except for the last four weeks - but heavier. Very strange...

You are always welcome here..

You can go to ANY thread you want! Except for the one titled "Neil..piss off"

:)

It's something that seems to have been around [b]since[/b] I got out of medicine but here's my two pennorth from what I've read previously and since you asked the question.

Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy before diagnosis of breast cancer or prophylactic mastectomy on the other breast seems to be something that is - and should - only being taken up by those who have a particular provable genetic predisposition to breast cancer. It's something that's obviously very specific to any woman and should be discussed with your medical team if the particular circumstances apply to you. You'd have a pretty good idea if a number of your female relatives have had either breast cancer or, sometimes, ovarian cancer. Hereditary breast cancer accounts for up to 10% of all breast cancers.

There are a couple of genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, mutations in which you can be tested for (and variations of the ATM, CHEK2, and RAD51 genes increase the risk of developing breast cancer also and maybe some others, ask your specialist). Abnormalities in these genes can arise spontaneously so the testing is relevant - though less so - even without the family history.

Again, I don't know if any of that applies to you.

If there is [b]not[/b] the genetic element to breast cancer then there seems to be no justifciation for it as recurrences are likely to happen as a local recurrence (in the treated breast or near the mastectomy scar) or as a distant recurrence somewhere else in the body. The most common sites of recurrence include the lymph nodes, the bones, liver, or lungs. Not the other breast. If breast cancer is found in the other breast, it may be a new tumour unrelated to the first breast cancer.

I haven't found much in the way of statistics yet about new primary cancers other than the following: The risk of a second primary breast cancer in the other breast is approximately 1% per year. Patient age younger than 55 years at the time of diagnosis or lobular tumour histology appear to increase this risk to 1.5%.

More when I find it.

Neil :)

You'll get lots of takers wanting to diss me. I seem to be adopting the role of aplogist-for-Hezbollah over in the Israel thread.

I couldn't say that I would promise to stay away, though...

:p

I wouldn't start it. I was only teasing. I don't want you to piss off..no matter what those other people say. :)

And THAT is why I've avoided posting anything political or controversial. Not that I've been completely successful, sometimes I just can't help myself. It's just that I know I believe what I believe, and there are many others who believe differently. No matter what I say, that isn't going to change. I can list articles, studies, whatever..and the other side can provide those same arguments, can come up with supporting articles, studies, quotes. People don't want to CHANGE, they want to be RIGHT. (And I'm not excluding myself, although I really try to see both sides). All in all, it just aggravates me, so I just stick with the lighter stuff..as much as I can.

I just don't like it at all. It's - to me - very lazy catchphrase comedy. I've watched an episode from each of the series and decided to skip the rest.

There's not much good comedy on at all at the moment and the Autumn schedules look DIRE!

:(

I didn't know that the survival rate was about the same for those who sought invasive vs. non-invasive surgery.
My Aunt who just passed away 2 weeks ago, found her lump 2 years ago at age 32. She had the invasive surgery, and opted to remove both breasts followed by the usual rounds of Chemo.
She developed a bad cough in November- December of last year, and was treated for a chest infection. After a few weeks they found that she had tumors in her spleen, lungs and kidneys. :(
The tumors spread to her brain and the base of her skull/ top of her spine 3 or so months ago, and she was pretty much bed ridden until she passed away.
Her positive attitude and will to live was an amazing inspiration to everyone who knew her though, and it still is I am sure.
Didn’t mean to bring a downer to anyone, I just wanted to write about Caz for a minute.
P.S. I hate Cancer!!!!