Kevin's Watch

A strange series of events indeed. I don't think I've ever had anything scary happen to me in a plane.

Some turbulence (once some extremely bad turbulence which ended with me (and the plane, and my neighbours on all sides) decked out in the contents of a couple of Bloody Marys), some bumpy landings, but that's about it.

Did have to do a touch and go in a light plane on a bush strip once, at the last minute the pilot (my uncle) spotted a deep erosion gully that had formed across it, but even that was really just exciting.

Uh, I love flying.

--A

Avatar wrote:Uh, I love flying.

Me too. My thirteen years with NASA (no, I was not an astronaut, but I flew around a fair amount) ended two decades ago...and commercial flight really doesn't cut it.

As Asimov wrote, "After a taste of freedom, captivity is no longer the same..."'


Yes, deer, any landing you walk away from...
(Baruch Hashem, I should experience no other!)

So did I Av, untill about a week ago!

I had a similar one to yours Deer in Abu-Dhabi. The flight me and E. were on to Sri-Lanka was diverted because the hydraulics on the plane malfunctioned, and on landing we were slewing and fish-tailing all over the shop. We had front facing camera's piped to the tv monitors on the rear of the seat in front, so you could see the cockpit view as it was all happening which was....freaky! We came to a standstill amidst a plethora of fire-engines and ambulances which was not confidence inspiring either!

I have a problem with airsickness, so my strategy for flying is to pop a couple of Dramamine, turn the overhead air nozzle up full blast, and sleep through as much of the flight as I can. In recent years, I've found I can knit, and sometimes read, and even occasionally look out the window. But I still end up sleeping as much as I can.

Savor Dam wrote: As Asimov wrote, "After a taste of freedom, captivity is no longer the same..."'

"I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth..."

Yeah, commercial flying isn't as fun. But I'll take what I can get...take off and landing is still fun. My real favourite is helicopters.

--A

I feel like everybody is missing.

--A

I feel strange this morning. On the one hand, I have a new med that is doing wonders for the pain in my leg--gabapentin, for nerve damage caused by diabetes. On the other, I made a terrible mistake recently and fear it has hurt a relationship, possibly becoming the final straw. I hope not.

I have to do some things for work and I'd rather not. Which reminds me I have to check to see if I won the lottery. And I'm desperately worried about my brother and his wife who are facing eviction, as well as the health of my girlfriend.

Plus I've decided two people really central in my life need to leave. I have to plan out a strategy to decrease their presence in my life more and more until for all practical purposes they are gone. For a variety of reasons simply cutting them off is impractical on so many levels (please no one tell me that isn't true--you don't know any of the details and I do).

But I'm out of pain (mostly). And I get to see a lot of free theatre here in LA, which is very therapeutic.

I am so glad your physician was able to help, Zahir. May all your other issues be learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth in hindsight.

had a tooth abscess around the holiday. well at the end of last week the infection returned, causing much pain and my gums to swell.

so I had Julie find me a sewing needle, sterilized it with rubbing alcohol and cut along the gum line, about two teeth length. lots of blood, but it relieved the pressure. I gargled with lots of salt water then a special medicated mouth wash I have a prescription for. hurt while I did it, and right after, but it worked.

saw the dentist this friday, I have four crowns in my future.

sgt.null wrote:had a tooth abscess around the holiday. well at the end of last week the infection returned, causing much pain and my gums to swell.

so I had Julie find me a sewing needle, sterilized it with rubbing alcohol and cut along the gum line, about two teeth length. lots of blood, but it relieved the pressure. I gargled with lots of salt water then a special medicated mouth wash I have a prescription for. hurt while I did it, and right after, but it worked.

whoa, dude! I'm impressed... I think I would have been too timid to do that to myself.

Zahir- those things sound really difficult and stressful right now.. :-/

Linna - it had to be done, the first cut was hardest. bit of a hesitation cut. after that, much easier. the amount of pain caused by the build up of infection was worse than the cutting.

Yeah, I figured that was it, with an abscess, but oh, boy...

I guess the battle would be convincing myself that I am really doing good to myself, not harm.. which would be true, assuming I was right about / confident in what I was doing.

Sorry you had such an extreme infection.

three times it hit. ugh.

high pain tolerance helps. my doctors tell me it is too high, I wait too long to see them.

Well, sounds like everybody is having a bit of a rough one. I can sympathise. Condolences and consolations to them that need them.

It usually works out alright in the end. One way or another.

--A

Well, Uncle back in hospital. *sigh*

--A

Sorry, Av.

And everyone else who is having a rough day/week/whatever.

I had to have my eldest cat put to sleep. Not a surprise - she was almost 17 and her health had been steadily declining for a while, but it's never easy.

Sorus wrote:I had to have my eldest cat put to sleep. Not a surprise - she was almost 17 and her health had been steadily declining for a while, but it's never easy.

Sorry to hear that.

I'll have you know that today a tutoring student of mine, a second grader, wished upon me over 700 cats in my apartment.
(she was supposed to create a story 756 times 2. it involved someone feeding 2 brownies to each of 756 cats.)

But you lost one actual particular cat, not 756 (!?!) fictional ones.
Did you have her for most of her life, or how long?

700 cats in an apartment would be a teeny bit excessive, even if you really like cats. I know a lady who routinely has upwards of 70-80 in her house - she runs a foster/shelter out of her home and she's pretty amazing - she does most of it solo and I have never seen the place less than immaculate - you could eat off the floor.

I had Nim since she was about 4 months old. She was the last cat I raised from a kitten (and a large part of the reason I adopt adult cats these days - she was a chewer). She was the last of my feral babies, though she hadn't qualified as feral for at least a few years.

Ah, sorry to hear it Sorus. That really sucks.

--A

Sorus - my sympathies. I am sorry for your loss.