Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Opening day buck!!!
That’s right, Andrew and I got a legal buck on the opening day of deer season. That has NEVER happened to me before, especially given the fact that we didn’t leave until 2:00 in the afternoon because we went to Gonzo and Gabriela’s baptism in the morning. We came back home cold, wet, tired, and hungry, but we were successful! It was a great day!
What made the getting the buck especially memorable was the fact that it was near the place where Dad and I each got a forked-horn buck when I was about 13 years-old. It’s a place called Rattlesnake Lake up the south fork of the Smith River. Dick and I have been there and shot his pistol.
When I was about 13 years old Dad and I were hunting there and walked up a cutover area looking for deer. We were about 20 yards apart working our way up the hill and I heard a shot coming from where Dad was at. I froze looking for what he may have been shooting at. Above the brush in from of me I saw a deer with forked horns looking in the direction of where the shot had come from. I took aim at the deer and fired a shot. The deer dropped, and I at first thought that I had missed and he had turned and run off. I yelled to Dad something to the effect that I saw one but had missed and it had run off. I ran up to where I had last seen the deer and looked saw the deer laying there. I looked to the side, and much to my surprise I saw another forked-horn deer laying there. Two deer. Dad had seen the one he had shot and had not seen my deer, and I had seen the one I was shooting at and had not seen Dad’s deer.
All these memories came flooding back as Andrew and I went up to Rattlesnake Lake. I’ve been there three times since Dad and I were there, but I must say I haven’t been able to recognize the place, only recollect the memory.
It was raining lightly as we were experiencing the first precursor of winter. It was a warm rain, but yet the harbinger of what the season was to bring. For better or worse we didn’t see any deer there, only the affirmation that it was in the fall season. The only thing we saw were the Band-Tailed Pigeons flying out of the roadside berry bushes fueling up for their migration south.
We drove up the road until we saw a likely looking place. As I was getting out of the pickup I noticed the buck. It was a successful trip.
Oh, you thought I shot a deer? No no no. I just found a dollar.
Jim
What made the getting the buck especially memorable was the fact that it was near the place where Dad and I each got a forked-horn buck when I was about 13 years-old. It’s a place called Rattlesnake Lake up the south fork of the Smith River. Dick and I have been there and shot his pistol.
When I was about 13 years old Dad and I were hunting there and walked up a cutover area looking for deer. We were about 20 yards apart working our way up the hill and I heard a shot coming from where Dad was at. I froze looking for what he may have been shooting at. Above the brush in from of me I saw a deer with forked horns looking in the direction of where the shot had come from. I took aim at the deer and fired a shot. The deer dropped, and I at first thought that I had missed and he had turned and run off. I yelled to Dad something to the effect that I saw one but had missed and it had run off. I ran up to where I had last seen the deer and looked saw the deer laying there. I looked to the side, and much to my surprise I saw another forked-horn deer laying there. Two deer. Dad had seen the one he had shot and had not seen my deer, and I had seen the one I was shooting at and had not seen Dad’s deer.
All these memories came flooding back as Andrew and I went up to Rattlesnake Lake. I’ve been there three times since Dad and I were there, but I must say I haven’t been able to recognize the place, only recollect the memory.
It was raining lightly as we were experiencing the first precursor of winter. It was a warm rain, but yet the harbinger of what the season was to bring. For better or worse we didn’t see any deer there, only the affirmation that it was in the fall season. The only thing we saw were the Band-Tailed Pigeons flying out of the roadside berry bushes fueling up for their migration south.
We drove up the road until we saw a likely looking place. As I was getting out of the pickup I noticed the buck. It was a successful trip.
Oh, you thought I shot a deer? No no no. I just found a dollar.
Jim
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Past Summer Fun
North Coast Kayak Fishing
Del Norte County is on the cusp of a new and enjoyable phenomena! Select fishermen in the area are venturing into a new local fishing area that is very old. More and more people are fishing from a kayak in the North Coast region.
Fishing from a kayak allows a person to successfully fish formerly local non-fishable waters. Just beyond where a person can cast from the onshore rocks, but just inside of where motorized boats dare not go, is where it’s at. So near but yet so far. Virtually unfished waters await a person fishing from a kayak.
The local Crescent City area is fortunate to have many places to launch a kayak from and be fishing within five minutes. The third turnout south of Washington Boulevard on Pebble Beach consistently has the smallest surf coming ashore and allows one to access and fish the sea stacks just south of Castle Rock. Garth’s Cove Beach, by the airport, is protected from north winds and swell which allow a fisherman to fish the waters south of where much of the rock was quarried at Pt. St. George for the harbor jetty. You can also access the rocks in front of the steps south of Pacific Avenue, but the hard part is dragging your kayak back up the stairs. Access to the south side of Preston Island is a short drag across the rocks but the water is generally very well protected from the north swell. The beach access at 6th Street is a place where it is generally an easy launch across a sandy beach. Wherever there is a kelp bed it tends to dampen the swell, but it makes it harder to fish around. These inside waters are rarely fished but are rich in rock fish. The wind and / or swell direction ultimately dictates where to fish from.
The sport is becoming more and more popular as people discover the benefits of fishing from a kayak. In Southern California it is very popular. In fact, kayak fishing has it’s own magazine devoted to the sport as well as online kayaking forums.
Besides being able to access water that is rarely if ever fished, you don’t need a trailer for your boat or need to launch from a boat ramp, and there are minimal maintenance issues. It’s good to see that more local people starting to fish the area from a kayak. After having fished locally from a kayak for fifteen years I can highly recommend it.
As with any endeavor that takes place in or around water kayak fishing should not be taken lightly. There are many factors that can make a trip enjoyable or uncomfortable, and worse yet, dangerous. A person should be totally comfortable with their kayak. Always wear a lifejacket and be familiar with the local tides and weather forecast. You do not really need to go far offshore but need to be aware of any wind coming up. One should never venture out if it looks the least bit questionable. It’s always worse when you’re actually on the water.
Use the ‘buddy system’ or at the very least tell someone where you’ll be fishing and what time you’re coming in. Having some type of signal device or waterproof phone is good insurance. I’ve heard of a kayaker losing their balance flipping their kayak and ending up in the water while fighting a fish. Some gear was lost and a little pride was damaged, but no real harm was done, and luckily, the fish was landed. Whether you use a sit-a-board kayak or a sit-in kayak, it’s not worth catching a few fish to endanger your life or put someone else’s life in danger.
One needs to be very careful so that you’re fishing on the side of a rock or on the shore side instead of being on the ocean side and take the chance of being swept into a rock by a large swell. Also, it’s better to fish with too light of a line than too heavy of line. Breaking off stuck gear is harder than what it seems it should be when you’re in a light kayak, especially when you’re close to a wash rock.
I have found the most successful method for fishing this inside water is not the usual method of bouncing jigs on rocky bottom areas but rather to cast next to wash rocks and rocks exposed at low tides with lures that you might use to catch other game fish. Using jigs work, but I have been most successful casting and retrieving at varying depths until you find the level that the fish are at.
As ocean fishermen know, rock fish do not always hang around rocks and they’re not always at the same rocks all the time. At times they’re found in open water areas away from rocks. Sometimes it takes some ‘prospecting’ to find the fish. A small depth finder / fish finder allows a fisherman to fish smarter and not fish blind.
Besides fishing, being in a small boat allows a kayaker to get up closer to the local marine life, but while one can get close there needs to be a respect for the marine life as we are invading their habitat. Every time birds fly away or the marine mammals are scared off the rocks they expend valuable energy that they must replace and thus shouldn’t be approached too closely. When fishing around Castle Rock a kayaker should maintain the proper distance away from the Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge.
At times a fisherman can get so caught up in the anticipation of getting on the water that they easily overlook important items. I’ve heard of a kayaker having a ‘paddle malfunction’ and realized after putting their kayak in the water that they had left their paddle at home. But, that’s not as bad as the guy that was putting his kayak in the water to go fishing and discovered that he’d left his fishing pole on his front porch at his house.
We live in a beautiful area that merits being explored by any means available. A kayak allows us explore, fish, get exercise, and enjoy our local piece of heaven. Try it, your ‘Fun Meter’ will be off the scale. You will feel powerful, but yet at peace paddling our local waters.
Del Norte County is on the cusp of a new and enjoyable phenomena! Select fishermen in the area are venturing into a new local fishing area that is very old. More and more people are fishing from a kayak in the North Coast region.
Fishing from a kayak allows a person to successfully fish formerly local non-fishable waters. Just beyond where a person can cast from the onshore rocks, but just inside of where motorized boats dare not go, is where it’s at. So near but yet so far. Virtually unfished waters await a person fishing from a kayak.
The local Crescent City area is fortunate to have many places to launch a kayak from and be fishing within five minutes. The third turnout south of Washington Boulevard on Pebble Beach consistently has the smallest surf coming ashore and allows one to access and fish the sea stacks just south of Castle Rock. Garth’s Cove Beach, by the airport, is protected from north winds and swell which allow a fisherman to fish the waters south of where much of the rock was quarried at Pt. St. George for the harbor jetty. You can also access the rocks in front of the steps south of Pacific Avenue, but the hard part is dragging your kayak back up the stairs. Access to the south side of Preston Island is a short drag across the rocks but the water is generally very well protected from the north swell. The beach access at 6th Street is a place where it is generally an easy launch across a sandy beach. Wherever there is a kelp bed it tends to dampen the swell, but it makes it harder to fish around. These inside waters are rarely fished but are rich in rock fish. The wind and / or swell direction ultimately dictates where to fish from.
The sport is becoming more and more popular as people discover the benefits of fishing from a kayak. In Southern California it is very popular. In fact, kayak fishing has it’s own magazine devoted to the sport as well as online kayaking forums.
Besides being able to access water that is rarely if ever fished, you don’t need a trailer for your boat or need to launch from a boat ramp, and there are minimal maintenance issues. It’s good to see that more local people starting to fish the area from a kayak. After having fished locally from a kayak for fifteen years I can highly recommend it.
As with any endeavor that takes place in or around water kayak fishing should not be taken lightly. There are many factors that can make a trip enjoyable or uncomfortable, and worse yet, dangerous. A person should be totally comfortable with their kayak. Always wear a lifejacket and be familiar with the local tides and weather forecast. You do not really need to go far offshore but need to be aware of any wind coming up. One should never venture out if it looks the least bit questionable. It’s always worse when you’re actually on the water.
Use the ‘buddy system’ or at the very least tell someone where you’ll be fishing and what time you’re coming in. Having some type of signal device or waterproof phone is good insurance. I’ve heard of a kayaker losing their balance flipping their kayak and ending up in the water while fighting a fish. Some gear was lost and a little pride was damaged, but no real harm was done, and luckily, the fish was landed. Whether you use a sit-a-board kayak or a sit-in kayak, it’s not worth catching a few fish to endanger your life or put someone else’s life in danger.
One needs to be very careful so that you’re fishing on the side of a rock or on the shore side instead of being on the ocean side and take the chance of being swept into a rock by a large swell. Also, it’s better to fish with too light of a line than too heavy of line. Breaking off stuck gear is harder than what it seems it should be when you’re in a light kayak, especially when you’re close to a wash rock.
I have found the most successful method for fishing this inside water is not the usual method of bouncing jigs on rocky bottom areas but rather to cast next to wash rocks and rocks exposed at low tides with lures that you might use to catch other game fish. Using jigs work, but I have been most successful casting and retrieving at varying depths until you find the level that the fish are at.
As ocean fishermen know, rock fish do not always hang around rocks and they’re not always at the same rocks all the time. At times they’re found in open water areas away from rocks. Sometimes it takes some ‘prospecting’ to find the fish. A small depth finder / fish finder allows a fisherman to fish smarter and not fish blind.
Besides fishing, being in a small boat allows a kayaker to get up closer to the local marine life, but while one can get close there needs to be a respect for the marine life as we are invading their habitat. Every time birds fly away or the marine mammals are scared off the rocks they expend valuable energy that they must replace and thus shouldn’t be approached too closely. When fishing around Castle Rock a kayaker should maintain the proper distance away from the Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge.
At times a fisherman can get so caught up in the anticipation of getting on the water that they easily overlook important items. I’ve heard of a kayaker having a ‘paddle malfunction’ and realized after putting their kayak in the water that they had left their paddle at home. But, that’s not as bad as the guy that was putting his kayak in the water to go fishing and discovered that he’d left his fishing pole on his front porch at his house.
We live in a beautiful area that merits being explored by any means available. A kayak allows us explore, fish, get exercise, and enjoy our local piece of heaven. Try it, your ‘Fun Meter’ will be off the scale. You will feel powerful, but yet at peace paddling our local waters.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Rant
I thought of something that makes me barking mad, but I'm not sure why. I was driving back from town this morning I saw something that I hadn’t noticed before. One block away from one of two local “Collectives” is the Social Security office.
Frankly, I’m kind of slow. When the Del Norte Collective first put their sign out and opened for business I thought that it was a new twist on another name for an antique store. Too many antique stores is another rant that I could go off on but won’t for now. I think that anyone that can come up with new twists on language is brilliant. I did think it was somewhat odd that they weren’t advertising in the paper or holding a grand opening or even displaying any of their products where customers could see them. In fact their window were shuttered and barred and the entry doors were none too friendly looking. Later I found out that this was the type of business that information spreads by word of mouth on a need-to-know basis.
Anyway, it made me wonder how many people on Social Security or Disability use the services of collectives such as this. Which led me to think about the importance of education and work. If a person doesn’t prepare themselves they conceivably enter the job market with a disorder before they even start working. A disorder that very well may preclude them from ever working!
I don’t want to give doctors any ideas, but can’t you just see it now? A doctor diagnoses someone with PWSD (Pre-Work Stress Disorder) and with that ‘disorder’ they file for Disability before they start working and never enter the job market but only know where the local collective and the Social Security Office is at!
Rant over.
Frankly, I’m kind of slow. When the Del Norte Collective first put their sign out and opened for business I thought that it was a new twist on another name for an antique store. Too many antique stores is another rant that I could go off on but won’t for now. I think that anyone that can come up with new twists on language is brilliant. I did think it was somewhat odd that they weren’t advertising in the paper or holding a grand opening or even displaying any of their products where customers could see them. In fact their window were shuttered and barred and the entry doors were none too friendly looking. Later I found out that this was the type of business that information spreads by word of mouth on a need-to-know basis.
Anyway, it made me wonder how many people on Social Security or Disability use the services of collectives such as this. Which led me to think about the importance of education and work. If a person doesn’t prepare themselves they conceivably enter the job market with a disorder before they even start working. A disorder that very well may preclude them from ever working!
I don’t want to give doctors any ideas, but can’t you just see it now? A doctor diagnoses someone with PWSD (Pre-Work Stress Disorder) and with that ‘disorder’ they file for Disability before they start working and never enter the job market but only know where the local collective and the Social Security Office is at!
Rant over.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Shovel Liquidation Sale
Sandi was right again. While I was at Chuck’s I was digging in the backyard looking for the source of a persistent water leak. I guess it’s only persistent if 10 years counts as persistent. He’s mentioned it just about every time I’ve visited there. Don’t call me a genius or anything, but something tells me that he’s possibly asking my advice what I’d do about it. Anyway, while I was there this time I started digging. I really didn’t get very far. Just far enough for someone to trip in if they were walking around (prowling) in his back yard at night. My back started spasming in its all-too-common fashion where it forms into this attractive S-shape that hurts and the only thing that helps is to stop digging and take some muscle relaxant pills. Generally it goes back in its usual shape after a few days of doing the whale thing and laying around.
I told Sandi about what I’d done to make it hurt and her reply was, “That’s funny, here you can go hiking, kayaking, get wood, and play and your back doesn’t hurt. You pick up a shovel and start digging and suddenly you hurt your back!”
Call it an epiphany, a revelation, an awakening, a message from above, but I think the answer to saving my back is to have a shovel liquidation sale. Need any shovels?
I told Sandi about what I’d done to make it hurt and her reply was, “That’s funny, here you can go hiking, kayaking, get wood, and play and your back doesn’t hurt. You pick up a shovel and start digging and suddenly you hurt your back!”
Call it an epiphany, a revelation, an awakening, a message from above, but I think the answer to saving my back is to have a shovel liquidation sale. Need any shovels?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Youngs Valley
Yesterday, Sunday, we went on a day hike to Youngs Valley. It was about 7 or 8 miles round trip. We hadn't been there in a few years and decided to take some friends that we had gone with before. It was nice to get out of the fog and into some high country. I replaced geocaches at Sanger Lake and Youngs Valley.
Fishing is called fishing for a reason
Rick and I went fishing off Pebble but didn't catch any fish. The last time we caught 3 black snappers each. It was very calm, but very foggy. I had my GPS and the sea lions were in fine form so we could figure out where we were. The depth finder didn't mark too many fish, but it was still enjoyable.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The GO Road
After not having been up there in 20 years, Andrew, Calvin, and I went up there. We have been deer hunting from the other side but had never been all the way through. We got a late start and I was able to hike about 3 miles and see the southern side. We are going to go up again and hike all the way through next time.
"In the early 1960s a road was proposed that would bisect the Southern Siskiyou Mountains and connect the towns of Gasquet and Orleans, hence the name GO Road. Building this road would open up vast areas of timber to the logging industry. The plan was to start at each end and eventually connect the two roads (sort of like the trans-continental railroad). In the late 1960s and early 1970s opposition to the building of the GO Road was initiated by the Sierra Club and the Yurok Tribe. After years of litigation, construction on the road was permanently halted. The end result is a two lane paved road that ends abruptly in a thick forest. Seven miles away is another two lane road that also ends abruptly."
Monday, July 5, 2010
Nice 4th
Claudia and I took part in the Pastels in the Park over the 4th. She did a logo of the US Soccer team and I drew a picture of a Bigfoot. Sandi and I didn't go to the parade but instead went to Lyon's Ranch to see the wildflowers. Andrew, Rachael, and Alex took their rig up there as Andrew wanted to bike up the road. It was a great day to go there as it was about 75* with a light wind and no people. We had a great picnic, took a lot of nice pictures, and flew the kites. We came back in time to watch the fireworks and it was probably the coldest 4th of July I've ever experienced. The wind was blowing about 35 MPH.
This morning we went down to beachfront and picked up post-fireworks trash for about 2-1/2 hours.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Lyon's Ranch 5-21-10 Bears
Yesterday Sandi had a workshop where she had to go to in Eureka, so I went along for the ride. Actually, I was just figuring on sitting in the car and sleeping until I glanced through one of the freebie papers I picked up. Bingo, my lucky day, there was a kayak demo day going on at the waterfront. Suddenly I wasn’t sleepy anymore. I got there before they had the kayaks unloaded but left so as not to appear too overanxious or excited. I came back an hour or so later and casually walked up and asked, “Is this where the kayaks are being demoed?” “No, idiot, we just bring them down here to wash them off once a year,” was the smart-ass reply, “Want to wash one?”
Anyway, after paddling about 8 kayaks I finally left. It was a lot of fun. There were only about 7 that I really liked.
On the way back to home we drove up to Lyons Ranch again. We had been there two weeks earlier to see the Lupines. We thought that now they would really be in full bloom. It actually got pretty cold the higher we got. The Lupines were still not in full bloom and we came to the conclusion that it has been too cold for the flowers this year. In fact, there was snow at the top. It was odd to see snow so late in the year.
On the way back down we saw a mother bear with two cubs. One of the cubs was a real light tan colored cub about the same shade as Omaha, our dog. They ran off the road before we could get too close to them. We drove up to the point where we saw them disappear into the trees and before I could get the car stopped Sandi bailed out of the car and into the trees.
That’s right, she broke the second rule of being around bears, don’t chase them. I didn’t even have the car off and she was out of the door. So, being the good husband I am I followed her out of the car and jumped into the trees putting myself between her and the bear. Actually I was just running into the woods to get a better picture but that didn’t sound as good, and it wouldn’t read as well on a tombstone. ‘Died While Protecting His Wife’ sounds better than ‘Died While Trying to Get a Picture of a Cub Bear in a Tree.’ Anyway, I did get a picture of the bear in a tree but it was a little fuzzy.
Anyway, after paddling about 8 kayaks I finally left. It was a lot of fun. There were only about 7 that I really liked.
On the way back to home we drove up to Lyons Ranch again. We had been there two weeks earlier to see the Lupines. We thought that now they would really be in full bloom. It actually got pretty cold the higher we got. The Lupines were still not in full bloom and we came to the conclusion that it has been too cold for the flowers this year. In fact, there was snow at the top. It was odd to see snow so late in the year.
On the way back down we saw a mother bear with two cubs. One of the cubs was a real light tan colored cub about the same shade as Omaha, our dog. They ran off the road before we could get too close to them. We drove up to the point where we saw them disappear into the trees and before I could get the car stopped Sandi bailed out of the car and into the trees.
That’s right, she broke the second rule of being around bears, don’t chase them. I didn’t even have the car off and she was out of the door. So, being the good husband I am I followed her out of the car and jumped into the trees putting myself between her and the bear. Actually I was just running into the woods to get a better picture but that didn’t sound as good, and it wouldn’t read as well on a tombstone. ‘Died While Protecting His Wife’ sounds better than ‘Died While Trying to Get a Picture of a Cub Bear in a Tree.’ Anyway, I did get a picture of the bear in a tree but it was a little fuzzy.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Lyon's Ranch 5-7-10
First trip to see the Lupines. It's a bit early, but we managed to enjoy ourselves.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
My 'graduation' acknowledgement
Everyone that completes the proton treatment is offered the opportunity to say how the treatment was for them for the benefit of those starting the process. I think that 6 other guys completed their procedures today. This is what I said:
If God isn’t in this place, he has to be pretty darn close. With the care and attitude of everyone here; the techs, the office staff, and basically everyone, they’re the best. They made a difficult situation very doable and they were always very professional. Thank you.
Isn’t Psalms the book of thanksgiving? Don’t worry what I have to say it’s only slightly longer! Not really.
If I seem a little giddy it’s because it’s my very last day. Since this is my last day, yes, you can imagine….my sphincter muscle is doing flip-flops it‘s so excited..
Before I started this journey I didn’t even know I had a prostate.
But, now that I think about it, I know just the day the biology instructor was talking about it. It was the day that he pulled a cadaver out of a drawer and said something like, “Today we’re going to learn internal body parts by taking them out and replacing them from Max here, our resident cadaver.” I remember raising my hand and saying “Excuse me, but I’m feeling a little queasy, I don’t want to end up prostrate on the floor, I think I need to go weigh myself.”
I distinctly remember the scale didn’t work very well, and I didn’t come back until the next day. Yes, I’m sure that was the day he said something about where a prostate is at.
After the doctor was done with my prostate biopsy and I was walking out bow-legged after the procedure, I was sure I would never forget where my prostate was located. I, like you, probably looked like a drunken cowboy who had just got off his horse when I walked out of his office.
A “digital exam” doesn’t quite tell the entire story. You can bet, when the doctor says “pucker up” you ain’t gonna get a kiss.
Call me a pansy, but I really think that they should put you out for things like this, since they do it for a colonoscopy.
Or, at least offer you the option of laughing gas, because it sure isn’t a laughing matter to begin with, and you should at least be able to end up that way.
By the way, I’m getting a great tan. Unfortunately it’s only about the size of my prostate and it’s only on each hip.
In closing, the only thing lacking here is a T-shirt to remember the experience. Something like, “The end is always near with proton therapy.” I’m sure the techs could come up with a million great sayings. Thank you.
If God isn’t in this place, he has to be pretty darn close. With the care and attitude of everyone here; the techs, the office staff, and basically everyone, they’re the best. They made a difficult situation very doable and they were always very professional. Thank you.
Isn’t Psalms the book of thanksgiving? Don’t worry what I have to say it’s only slightly longer! Not really.
If I seem a little giddy it’s because it’s my very last day. Since this is my last day, yes, you can imagine….my sphincter muscle is doing flip-flops it‘s so excited..
Before I started this journey I didn’t even know I had a prostate.
But, now that I think about it, I know just the day the biology instructor was talking about it. It was the day that he pulled a cadaver out of a drawer and said something like, “Today we’re going to learn internal body parts by taking them out and replacing them from Max here, our resident cadaver.” I remember raising my hand and saying “Excuse me, but I’m feeling a little queasy, I don’t want to end up prostrate on the floor, I think I need to go weigh myself.”
I distinctly remember the scale didn’t work very well, and I didn’t come back until the next day. Yes, I’m sure that was the day he said something about where a prostate is at.
After the doctor was done with my prostate biopsy and I was walking out bow-legged after the procedure, I was sure I would never forget where my prostate was located. I, like you, probably looked like a drunken cowboy who had just got off his horse when I walked out of his office.
A “digital exam” doesn’t quite tell the entire story. You can bet, when the doctor says “pucker up” you ain’t gonna get a kiss.
Call me a pansy, but I really think that they should put you out for things like this, since they do it for a colonoscopy.
Or, at least offer you the option of laughing gas, because it sure isn’t a laughing matter to begin with, and you should at least be able to end up that way.
By the way, I’m getting a great tan. Unfortunately it’s only about the size of my prostate and it’s only on each hip.
In closing, the only thing lacking here is a T-shirt to remember the experience. Something like, “The end is always near with proton therapy.” I’m sure the techs could come up with a million great sayings. Thank you.
My 45th and last proton treatment is tomorrow!
I’ve endeavored to acknowledge all the kindnesses I have received since being here receiving proton treatment for prostate cancer. If I haven’t, please consider this as a general ‘Thank you” to all that took the time to show your care, concern, compassion, support, and empathy. You’ve exhibited the ‘Golden Rule.’ I hope I can return the gestures.
Thanks for all the well-wishes, cards, books, magazines, e-mails, letters, cookies, and phone calls. It made my time down here much more enjoyable and helped to pass the time. Oddly enough, depression is a possible side-effect of this type of therapy. Just about the time I’d be feeling down someone would always manage to pick my spirits up. It forever changes how I will deal with others that are dealing with a life-threatening experience, especially when they’re away from family.
Having treatment at a hospital is a real wake-up call to the frailty of life, especially having treatments in the evening when the only entrance that’s open makes me walk by body bags of people that, for whatever reason, completed their experience here. It’s a sobering experience and forced me to be more introspective. Also, hearing the helicopters delivering trauma patients is a constant reminder that someone always has it worse than me.
I’m just glad that the time here is almost over, and I can go back to my real life.
Thanks again,
Jim
Thanks for all the well-wishes, cards, books, magazines, e-mails, letters, cookies, and phone calls. It made my time down here much more enjoyable and helped to pass the time. Oddly enough, depression is a possible side-effect of this type of therapy. Just about the time I’d be feeling down someone would always manage to pick my spirits up. It forever changes how I will deal with others that are dealing with a life-threatening experience, especially when they’re away from family.
Having treatment at a hospital is a real wake-up call to the frailty of life, especially having treatments in the evening when the only entrance that’s open makes me walk by body bags of people that, for whatever reason, completed their experience here. It’s a sobering experience and forced me to be more introspective. Also, hearing the helicopters delivering trauma patients is a constant reminder that someone always has it worse than me.
I’m just glad that the time here is almost over, and I can go back to my real life.
Thanks again,
Jim
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Full really does mean Full this week!
Oh, great! I go to Death Valley National Park last week, pay my $20, and this week they’re opening the park up to free admission. In fact, they’re opening all the National Parks up to free admittance. Maybe I’ll NEED to go to Joshua Tree National Park again.
Since it really is my last weekend here I wanted to do something that I’ve been putting off. When Sandi was here we drove over to Palm Springs and drove up to the Palm Springs Tram. We didn’t go up as we hadn’t prepared for the cooler weather at the top of the mountain. Then we drove over to Joshua Tree National Park where even though it is a desert environment it was cold and snowed on us. The huge rocks, seemingly out of place were amazing.
Geologists believe that the rocks now on the surface were molten many years ago. The rocks developed vertical cracks through ground water percolating down. With a combination of tectonic pressure moving the rocks up ward and the natural weathering of erosion through wind and water the rocks are silent sentinels to the naturals processes of nature. I had to see both places again.
The Palm Springs Tramway goes through 5 biomes starting in a desert biome all the way up to an alpine biome. It was 80* at the bottom and 50* at the top. I went prepared with long pants, hoodie, heavy jacket but was overdressed for the temperature at the top. It was a beautiful clear day with end of the season snow at the top. The area reminded me of a number of places; Lassen Park, south end of the GO Road, Hooper Peak. You could really see and feel the coming of spring and the change of seasons. I walked south down a snow-covered mountain meadow away from the people until I ran out of the tracks of previous people and couldn’t hear any visitors. All I could hear were the sounds of silence, the birds calling out to each other and the squirrels arguing with each other. It was one of those quiet and yet excitingly calming experiences.
I drove to Joshua Tree National Monument and saw that upon entering the park there was a sign posted that said ‘All Campgrounds Full.’ I had hoped that since I had arrived about 3:00 PM there may be some sites still available, but such was not the case. Since the park is a relatively small park with only about 25 miles of roads it’s pretty quick to drive through. I stopped at as many informational signs as I could and got out and walked around at both promising and unpromising spots, all beautiful and intriguing. Driving through all the campgrounds I found out that “All Campgrounds Full” really meant it. I guess other people heard about the ‘Free National Park Week’ too. What do you expect when there are about a zillion people living within a 100 miles of here. The last time we were here there weren’t any flowers blooming as it was too cold. This time there were some small cactuses with red flowers were blooming.
Since it really is my last weekend here I wanted to do something that I’ve been putting off. When Sandi was here we drove over to Palm Springs and drove up to the Palm Springs Tram. We didn’t go up as we hadn’t prepared for the cooler weather at the top of the mountain. Then we drove over to Joshua Tree National Park where even though it is a desert environment it was cold and snowed on us. The huge rocks, seemingly out of place were amazing.
Geologists believe that the rocks now on the surface were molten many years ago. The rocks developed vertical cracks through ground water percolating down. With a combination of tectonic pressure moving the rocks up ward and the natural weathering of erosion through wind and water the rocks are silent sentinels to the naturals processes of nature. I had to see both places again.
The Palm Springs Tramway goes through 5 biomes starting in a desert biome all the way up to an alpine biome. It was 80* at the bottom and 50* at the top. I went prepared with long pants, hoodie, heavy jacket but was overdressed for the temperature at the top. It was a beautiful clear day with end of the season snow at the top. The area reminded me of a number of places; Lassen Park, south end of the GO Road, Hooper Peak. You could really see and feel the coming of spring and the change of seasons. I walked south down a snow-covered mountain meadow away from the people until I ran out of the tracks of previous people and couldn’t hear any visitors. All I could hear were the sounds of silence, the birds calling out to each other and the squirrels arguing with each other. It was one of those quiet and yet excitingly calming experiences.
I drove to Joshua Tree National Monument and saw that upon entering the park there was a sign posted that said ‘All Campgrounds Full.’ I had hoped that since I had arrived about 3:00 PM there may be some sites still available, but such was not the case. Since the park is a relatively small park with only about 25 miles of roads it’s pretty quick to drive through. I stopped at as many informational signs as I could and got out and walked around at both promising and unpromising spots, all beautiful and intriguing. Driving through all the campgrounds I found out that “All Campgrounds Full” really meant it. I guess other people heard about the ‘Free National Park Week’ too. What do you expect when there are about a zillion people living within a 100 miles of here. The last time we were here there weren’t any flowers blooming as it was too cold. This time there were some small cactuses with red flowers were blooming.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Valley of Death
Since I had only two weekends left here I wanted to go see Death Valley on one of them. I'd heard that the wildflowers may be in bloom in the early spring. I'd hoped that Sandi and I could have made the trip while she was here, but it’s really too long of a trip for one day. It’s farther than I had thought it was. It’s about a 4-½ hour trip from Loma Linda and about 8-½ hours from Sacramento.
I called Andrew about some things I should see there and what to do since he‘s been there before. The first thing he said was to get a campsite ahead of time. As this was Saturday morning and I was leaving in about 20 minutes there really wasn’t much time left. I got on the Death Valley National Park web site and tried to reserve a spot. No luck. As soon as I arrived there I went to the first campground I saw at Furnace Creek with trees and asked about any tent sites even though the reader board said the campground was full. (“Does Full really mean full?“) The temp was about 70* and the wind was pretty gusty to put it mildly. Standing in front of a sandblaster would be a more apt description. There weren’t any tent sites only one regular campsite with a picnic table. As I was soon to find out, there was a reason it was vacant.
The wind was blowing…hard. I was hoping that as the evening came on the winds would diminish. I decided to go to the Visitor Center to get a map showing the sites nearby. I then drove north along the lake and stopped to walk down to see how salty it really was. I parked the car along the road and walked toward the lake. The closer I got the farther away the lake moved. On the way down I saw that the shore was covered with this crystalline snow-like substance. The ‘lake’ turned out to be salt and borax crystals. It was neat, eerie, and awe-inspiring. Just about every creek, mountain, road, or trail’s name is related to two things, death or heat; Fire Mountain, Sweltering Road, No Water Creek, Skeleton Bend, Inferno Trail. You get the impression that a lot of people have died here.
I continued driving north and stopped at as many monuments and informational turnoffs as I could. There was one called Salt Creek just off the road. There is an actual creek that flows into the valley with a boardwalk along the creek where you can view some small desert pupfish fish that live in the creek. The water is so salty that these are the only types of organisms that can inhabit it. In fact, it is 5 times as salty as the ocean. I didn’t test that, I just believed what the brochure said. It’s kind of amazing as Death Valley is a closed system in that there are not any water outlets that flow to the ocean. They geologists believe that at one point after the Ice Age it was a lake that had an outflow into what we call today the Colorado River. The lake was called Manley Lake. The water that is lost is lost through evaporation and seepage.
One of the places that I wanted to see was the ‘Racetrack.’ That’s where there are rock tracks in the dry lake floor that appear to be from the rocks having been pushed, but no one has ever seen it. Anyway, it looks neat, but it meant driving on a gravel road for 26 miles. The road guidelines recommend that RVs and cars should not take the road. This has made me rethink about what kind of RV to get. I think we should get a van or a pickup capable of carrying a camper. I think that this trip will have to wait for when Sandi is here as I do think it warrants another visit.
Instead, I stopped at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The wind at the dunes was calm, and I hoped that the wind was diminishing back at the campground. I walked out on the dunes and took a bunch of pictures. When I got back to the campground the wind seemed to have picked up. It was on toward dusk so I decided to try to set the tent up. I would wait until the wind died down a little then I would do one step of the process. About the time I got the tent spread out ready to put the poles in the wind came up again. I sat down on the tent and felt like I was on a bucking bronco with the tent flapping around me. When the wind died down again I hurriedly threaded the poles in and managed to get one side up. About that time the wind gusted up again and I felt like a piece of laundry on the clothesline for about 5 minutes until it calmed back down. When it calmed back down I looked like a piece of dirty laundry. I finally got the tent set up and threw everything from the car into the tent in hopes that it wouldn’t blow away and end up in Las Vegas. I would have tied the tent to the car, but I wouldn’t have wanted to wake up in the night after finding out the car had been pulled over on me.
After I had everything in the tent I broke out the camp stove and boiled some water to make some macaroni and cheese. The water had just about reached a boil when a big gust of wind blew it off the stove onto the ground. I finally got some water heated up after rigging up a wind block from the only box I hadn’t put into the tent. It was a long night with the poles of the tent making ditches in the ground from being swept around all night. I managed to wedge myself in between all the boxes, bags, and crates that I had thrown in there. From the outside I’m sure the tent looked like a flattened lumpy tarp with just the shape of my nose outlined all night like a rudder cutting the wind. Now I know how Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ must have felt. I even think I saw a dog that looked something like Toto go sailing by.
Sunday morning finally came and the wind was still blowing. I wrapped the tent up and threw it into the back of the car and drove over to the store to buy some coffee. I drove north again stopping at some places I had missed the afternoon before. I ended up at a place called Mosaic Canyon. It is a colorful marble canyon cut by water, dirt, and gravels that have washed down from the peaks above. It’s neat because it is smoothly polished from the action of the rock. There is a place to stop ¼ mile in and then there’s a place to stop 1-½ miles in. I walked up all the way and it was worth every drop of sweat doing it. By the way, I thought of a good money maker or at least a way to pay for traveling. Walk to the end of a trail like this with a case of cold beer. Sell beer for $5 apiece and be everyone’s hero. Win win for everyone!
Anyway, it was a good trip, and I’m glad that I did it. I did manage to collect a few neat rocks. The car probably looked like a dog scratching his bum as I drove down the freeway with the headlights seemingly on permanent high beam.
Did I mention that the wind blows that the wind blows 24/7 at Death Valley?
A link to the pictures. Click on the pic.
I called Andrew about some things I should see there and what to do since he‘s been there before. The first thing he said was to get a campsite ahead of time. As this was Saturday morning and I was leaving in about 20 minutes there really wasn’t much time left. I got on the Death Valley National Park web site and tried to reserve a spot. No luck. As soon as I arrived there I went to the first campground I saw at Furnace Creek with trees and asked about any tent sites even though the reader board said the campground was full. (“Does Full really mean full?“) The temp was about 70* and the wind was pretty gusty to put it mildly. Standing in front of a sandblaster would be a more apt description. There weren’t any tent sites only one regular campsite with a picnic table. As I was soon to find out, there was a reason it was vacant.
The wind was blowing…hard. I was hoping that as the evening came on the winds would diminish. I decided to go to the Visitor Center to get a map showing the sites nearby. I then drove north along the lake and stopped to walk down to see how salty it really was. I parked the car along the road and walked toward the lake. The closer I got the farther away the lake moved. On the way down I saw that the shore was covered with this crystalline snow-like substance. The ‘lake’ turned out to be salt and borax crystals. It was neat, eerie, and awe-inspiring. Just about every creek, mountain, road, or trail’s name is related to two things, death or heat; Fire Mountain, Sweltering Road, No Water Creek, Skeleton Bend, Inferno Trail. You get the impression that a lot of people have died here.
I continued driving north and stopped at as many monuments and informational turnoffs as I could. There was one called Salt Creek just off the road. There is an actual creek that flows into the valley with a boardwalk along the creek where you can view some small desert pupfish fish that live in the creek. The water is so salty that these are the only types of organisms that can inhabit it. In fact, it is 5 times as salty as the ocean. I didn’t test that, I just believed what the brochure said. It’s kind of amazing as Death Valley is a closed system in that there are not any water outlets that flow to the ocean. They geologists believe that at one point after the Ice Age it was a lake that had an outflow into what we call today the Colorado River. The lake was called Manley Lake. The water that is lost is lost through evaporation and seepage.
One of the places that I wanted to see was the ‘Racetrack.’ That’s where there are rock tracks in the dry lake floor that appear to be from the rocks having been pushed, but no one has ever seen it. Anyway, it looks neat, but it meant driving on a gravel road for 26 miles. The road guidelines recommend that RVs and cars should not take the road. This has made me rethink about what kind of RV to get. I think we should get a van or a pickup capable of carrying a camper. I think that this trip will have to wait for when Sandi is here as I do think it warrants another visit.
Instead, I stopped at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The wind at the dunes was calm, and I hoped that the wind was diminishing back at the campground. I walked out on the dunes and took a bunch of pictures. When I got back to the campground the wind seemed to have picked up. It was on toward dusk so I decided to try to set the tent up. I would wait until the wind died down a little then I would do one step of the process. About the time I got the tent spread out ready to put the poles in the wind came up again. I sat down on the tent and felt like I was on a bucking bronco with the tent flapping around me. When the wind died down again I hurriedly threaded the poles in and managed to get one side up. About that time the wind gusted up again and I felt like a piece of laundry on the clothesline for about 5 minutes until it calmed back down. When it calmed back down I looked like a piece of dirty laundry. I finally got the tent set up and threw everything from the car into the tent in hopes that it wouldn’t blow away and end up in Las Vegas. I would have tied the tent to the car, but I wouldn’t have wanted to wake up in the night after finding out the car had been pulled over on me.
After I had everything in the tent I broke out the camp stove and boiled some water to make some macaroni and cheese. The water had just about reached a boil when a big gust of wind blew it off the stove onto the ground. I finally got some water heated up after rigging up a wind block from the only box I hadn’t put into the tent. It was a long night with the poles of the tent making ditches in the ground from being swept around all night. I managed to wedge myself in between all the boxes, bags, and crates that I had thrown in there. From the outside I’m sure the tent looked like a flattened lumpy tarp with just the shape of my nose outlined all night like a rudder cutting the wind. Now I know how Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ must have felt. I even think I saw a dog that looked something like Toto go sailing by.
Sunday morning finally came and the wind was still blowing. I wrapped the tent up and threw it into the back of the car and drove over to the store to buy some coffee. I drove north again stopping at some places I had missed the afternoon before. I ended up at a place called Mosaic Canyon. It is a colorful marble canyon cut by water, dirt, and gravels that have washed down from the peaks above. It’s neat because it is smoothly polished from the action of the rock. There is a place to stop ¼ mile in and then there’s a place to stop 1-½ miles in. I walked up all the way and it was worth every drop of sweat doing it. By the way, I thought of a good money maker or at least a way to pay for traveling. Walk to the end of a trail like this with a case of cold beer. Sell beer for $5 apiece and be everyone’s hero. Win win for everyone!
Anyway, it was a good trip, and I’m glad that I did it. I did manage to collect a few neat rocks. The car probably looked like a dog scratching his bum as I drove down the freeway with the headlights seemingly on permanent high beam.
Did I mention that the wind blows that the wind blows 24/7 at Death Valley?
A link to the pictures. Click on the pic.
 |
| 4-11-10 Death Valley |
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Truth is Below the Surface
There is a Buddhist Proverb that says, ‘When the student is ready the master will come.’ I don‘t proclaim to be a Buddhist, but I do proclaim to be a seeker of truth. I believe that there is truthfulness in this proverb. I believe that I am down in Loma Linda for more than just my prostate treatment. I sense that there is a lesson that I am to learn or some knowledge I am to gain. Maybe an experience that I am supposed to go through. Whatever it is, while I am here I want to be ready for it whatever it is.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The YMCA, the YMCA .....not really, but it's a gym.
The first few days after I started working out at the gym I felt like I had been subjected to some new type of old Medieval torture racks. In fact, during the first week all the gym equipment looked like torture machines that could exact whatever a person would want to know from someone using them. Kind of like water boarding but something that a person does to themselves.
I don’t know exactly how many muscles a human body has, but I think the gym has a separate machine for every one of them. By the cries of pain from some of the people using them I have to believe they must hurt if they’re used incorrectly, so you must use them correctly so a person doesn’t do undo damage to themselves. I generally gauge if I want to use a machine based on the decibel of screams when people use them. The louder they scream the less inclined I am to using them.
These last few weeks that I used the gym I’ve felt tired but haven’t felt sore. I guess that’s an improvement. I’ll take tired over sore any day. Haven’t walked the track in the evening lately as I don’t want to run into any rogue Ninja bunnies seeking revenge for something they think I may have done. Easter is coming and I don’t want to piss any rabbits off.
I don’t know exactly how many muscles a human body has, but I think the gym has a separate machine for every one of them. By the cries of pain from some of the people using them I have to believe they must hurt if they’re used incorrectly, so you must use them correctly so a person doesn’t do undo damage to themselves. I generally gauge if I want to use a machine based on the decibel of screams when people use them. The louder they scream the less inclined I am to using them.
These last few weeks that I used the gym I’ve felt tired but haven’t felt sore. I guess that’s an improvement. I’ll take tired over sore any day. Haven’t walked the track in the evening lately as I don’t want to run into any rogue Ninja bunnies seeking revenge for something they think I may have done. Easter is coming and I don’t want to piss any rabbits off.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Anniversay / Trip to LAX
Since March 17 was our anniversary and I knew that I'd be feeling down for not being with HB I decided to do something instead of moping around. It is our 31st anniversary and it just seems like yesterday that we were married and living in a 28' travel trailer. We've come a long way. I'm planning to fly home in about 10 days and Sandi fly back with me. I hope that it works out.
I guess I hadn’t been feeling enough stress, so I decided to on a reconnoitering trip and go to LAX via mass transit. I wanted to see if I could find my way to LAX and see how difficult it would be if I really needed to do it.
I left my apartment about 11:45 AM and drove about a 20 minutes to the eastern-most terminus of the Metro line in San Bernardino. After a few questions I figured out how to use the automated ticket machine and bought the $11 ticket to some place called Union Station. After about a 40 minute wait the train finally arrived, or maybe I just arrived 40 minutes too early. (Lv 1:00 PM) As I found out, Union Station is for anyone coming into or going out of the greater LA area. From there you can take a bus, taxi, van, or another train to your final destination. (Ar 2:30 PM) I arrived there and managed to find the FlyAway van to the airport and bought a $14 round-trip ticket.
After another 20 minute wait I boarded the bus and saw what was it was like to drive a bus in rush hour traffic. This guy wasn’t intimidated by the traffic he just put is put his blinker on and started moving over when he needed to. The driver dropped me off at the arrival gates and I walked down to the departure gates to get on another one going back. (Ar 3:40 PM) Just as I got there the bus going back to Union Station was just pulling out and so I had to wait an hour for the next one to come (Lv 4:45 PM). It’s a good thing I wasn’t in a hurry to get back. My appointment was at 11:15 PM so I knew that I’d have plenty of time to get back. I got back to Union Station and waited for the next eastbound train to San Bernardino (Ar 5:35 PM).
(Lv 6:00 PM) The train was pretty full going back to San Bernardino as this looked like a train that a lot of people that work take to get back home. By the looks of these people it gives me a new-found respect for those that have to do this every day. I felt like I worked an entire day and all I did was ride the bus/train all day. (Ar 7:40 PM) The train arrived back at San Bernardino when it was dark. I was hungry as I had been somewhat hesitant to leave the boarding area, as it seemed that the train or bus left whenever I was farthest away. Anyway, I got back to my apartment and my stress factor immediately went down again.
I guess I hadn’t been feeling enough stress, so I decided to on a reconnoitering trip and go to LAX via mass transit. I wanted to see if I could find my way to LAX and see how difficult it would be if I really needed to do it.
I left my apartment about 11:45 AM and drove about a 20 minutes to the eastern-most terminus of the Metro line in San Bernardino. After a few questions I figured out how to use the automated ticket machine and bought the $11 ticket to some place called Union Station. After about a 40 minute wait the train finally arrived, or maybe I just arrived 40 minutes too early. (Lv 1:00 PM) As I found out, Union Station is for anyone coming into or going out of the greater LA area. From there you can take a bus, taxi, van, or another train to your final destination. (Ar 2:30 PM) I arrived there and managed to find the FlyAway van to the airport and bought a $14 round-trip ticket.
After another 20 minute wait I boarded the bus and saw what was it was like to drive a bus in rush hour traffic. This guy wasn’t intimidated by the traffic he just put is put his blinker on and started moving over when he needed to. The driver dropped me off at the arrival gates and I walked down to the departure gates to get on another one going back. (Ar 3:40 PM) Just as I got there the bus going back to Union Station was just pulling out and so I had to wait an hour for the next one to come (Lv 4:45 PM). It’s a good thing I wasn’t in a hurry to get back. My appointment was at 11:15 PM so I knew that I’d have plenty of time to get back. I got back to Union Station and waited for the next eastbound train to San Bernardino (Ar 5:35 PM).
(Lv 6:00 PM) The train was pretty full going back to San Bernardino as this looked like a train that a lot of people that work take to get back home. By the looks of these people it gives me a new-found respect for those that have to do this every day. I felt like I worked an entire day and all I did was ride the bus/train all day. (Ar 7:40 PM) The train arrived back at San Bernardino when it was dark. I was hungry as I had been somewhat hesitant to leave the boarding area, as it seemed that the train or bus left whenever I was farthest away. Anyway, I got back to my apartment and my stress factor immediately went down again.
The treatment process
For those that are interested in what is involved in the proton treatments, this is what it’s like.
First, all treatment patients are given a time to receive treatment anywhere from 5AM to 11 PM. Since there are always patients completing their treatment plans, there are time slots that come up throughout those times. My treatment times have all been in the evening, except for my initial treatment which was at 9:30 AM. A patient is given a specific time, but are requested to be there 30 minutes early in the event they are ahead of schedule, which they often are. You check into the waiting room with the receptionist and are called back when they are ready.
The first step in the treatment is to go into the changing room, undress and change into a hospital gown. Yes, one that opens in the back and doesn’t have buttons, strips, or Velcro to close it. Yes, they are still drafty. They all have strings that are too short. They still haven't improved on the hospital gowns since the time of Florence Nightengale they've been stuck on the same style.
You then go to a room that is somewhat like the transport room on the Star Wars set. On one side of the room there are computers, screens, monitors, and other types of display systems. On the other side is what looks like the inside of a huge washing machine about 10’ in diameter on its side without the agitator in the middle. Or, if this makes it more palatable, visualize this; think of the inside of a donut with white smooth frosting on the inside. It really has nothing to do with a washing machine or a donut, it only reminds me of one.
There is a large sliding mechanism (think of a maple bar if this helps) where they put you into this form that holds a half piece of PVC pipe about 24” in diameter and 7’ long that slides into the large washing machine / donut looking thing. Each patient has their own half tube as it is form-fitted to each person. On my initial visit they put a piece of plastic sheeting in the tube and had me lie down in it. They then poured quick setting foam into it to fill in any of the void area. This way it is formed fitted and helps them to align your body consistently each treatment.
There is a gray plastic 2’ square screen on the left which I imagine is some type of lead shield and a metal camera lens looking thing on the opposite side. That’s the thing where the protons are actually emitted from. Both of these things rotate from side to side daily so the treatment is given equally. It’s different than other radiation treatment machines where there is only minimal room when you go into a tube-like machine. In this case if I reached out to touch the sides I’d still be about 4’ short of reaching them.
There are 4 technicians in lab coats that manage varying parts of the procedure; putting the form in place, adjusting a patients hips for proper alignment, lining up the proton nozzle, calibrating the instruments, and checking for proper dosage, etc.
They then slip this lead shield type thing into the front of the nozzle that is the same size and shape as the patients prostate. I must say I think that I have a superior shape prostate. It kind of looks like a walnut. The purpose of this thing is to assure that the proton radiation is focused only on a specific area.
During this time the techs are telling you a joke or talking about things that are going on in their lives.
It's just like getting x-rays taken at the dentists office except for the fact that you're getting it done without any clothes on and you're bare naked lying in a coffin-like molded plastic piece of half-rounded PVC pipe and they aren't aiming anything at your mouth.
Also, there are bright red lights that cast a specific line of light to ensure that you are aligned correctly.
The techs disappear behind a lead screen in an enclosed room and a machine starts up that makes a whirring sound. From some place in the room you can hear a beeping sound that signifies the fact that there is proton radiation being emitted. After about two minutes all the whirring, beeping, and humming ceases and the techs come back into the room. You’re free to climb out of the thing and go into another room and put your clothes on while the next guy goes through the same process.
So, it's not painful or invasive, only humiliating, embarrassing, and drafty. I take that back, it is invasive. Think a colonoscopy that they don't put you out for. It's a good thing that I have a high tolerance for embarrassment. Clothes off to clothes on? About 15-20 minutes which leaves about 23 hours 40-45 minutes to actually shop for those donuts.
I guess with some guys there's a minor incontinence problem. In fact, someone that had the treatment put together a flyer that lists all the public bathrooms within a 5 mile radius of the hospital. I’m going to improve it by mapping all the trees too.
First, all treatment patients are given a time to receive treatment anywhere from 5AM to 11 PM. Since there are always patients completing their treatment plans, there are time slots that come up throughout those times. My treatment times have all been in the evening, except for my initial treatment which was at 9:30 AM. A patient is given a specific time, but are requested to be there 30 minutes early in the event they are ahead of schedule, which they often are. You check into the waiting room with the receptionist and are called back when they are ready.
The first step in the treatment is to go into the changing room, undress and change into a hospital gown. Yes, one that opens in the back and doesn’t have buttons, strips, or Velcro to close it. Yes, they are still drafty. They all have strings that are too short. They still haven't improved on the hospital gowns since the time of Florence Nightengale they've been stuck on the same style.
You then go to a room that is somewhat like the transport room on the Star Wars set. On one side of the room there are computers, screens, monitors, and other types of display systems. On the other side is what looks like the inside of a huge washing machine about 10’ in diameter on its side without the agitator in the middle. Or, if this makes it more palatable, visualize this; think of the inside of a donut with white smooth frosting on the inside. It really has nothing to do with a washing machine or a donut, it only reminds me of one.
There is a large sliding mechanism (think of a maple bar if this helps) where they put you into this form that holds a half piece of PVC pipe about 24” in diameter and 7’ long that slides into the large washing machine / donut looking thing. Each patient has their own half tube as it is form-fitted to each person. On my initial visit they put a piece of plastic sheeting in the tube and had me lie down in it. They then poured quick setting foam into it to fill in any of the void area. This way it is formed fitted and helps them to align your body consistently each treatment.
There is a gray plastic 2’ square screen on the left which I imagine is some type of lead shield and a metal camera lens looking thing on the opposite side. That’s the thing where the protons are actually emitted from. Both of these things rotate from side to side daily so the treatment is given equally. It’s different than other radiation treatment machines where there is only minimal room when you go into a tube-like machine. In this case if I reached out to touch the sides I’d still be about 4’ short of reaching them.
There are 4 technicians in lab coats that manage varying parts of the procedure; putting the form in place, adjusting a patients hips for proper alignment, lining up the proton nozzle, calibrating the instruments, and checking for proper dosage, etc.
They then slip this lead shield type thing into the front of the nozzle that is the same size and shape as the patients prostate. I must say I think that I have a superior shape prostate. It kind of looks like a walnut. The purpose of this thing is to assure that the proton radiation is focused only on a specific area.
During this time the techs are telling you a joke or talking about things that are going on in their lives.
It's just like getting x-rays taken at the dentists office except for the fact that you're getting it done without any clothes on and you're bare naked lying in a coffin-like molded plastic piece of half-rounded PVC pipe and they aren't aiming anything at your mouth.
Also, there are bright red lights that cast a specific line of light to ensure that you are aligned correctly.
The techs disappear behind a lead screen in an enclosed room and a machine starts up that makes a whirring sound. From some place in the room you can hear a beeping sound that signifies the fact that there is proton radiation being emitted. After about two minutes all the whirring, beeping, and humming ceases and the techs come back into the room. You’re free to climb out of the thing and go into another room and put your clothes on while the next guy goes through the same process.
So, it's not painful or invasive, only humiliating, embarrassing, and drafty. I take that back, it is invasive. Think a colonoscopy that they don't put you out for. It's a good thing that I have a high tolerance for embarrassment. Clothes off to clothes on? About 15-20 minutes which leaves about 23 hours 40-45 minutes to actually shop for those donuts.
I guess with some guys there's a minor incontinence problem. In fact, someone that had the treatment put together a flyer that lists all the public bathrooms within a 5 mile radius of the hospital. I’m going to improve it by mapping all the trees too.
Friday, March 12, 2010
A quitting story in Alaska in 1977
It was when I was about 20 or 21 years old, and I had just finished a season working as a deckhand crab fishing in Crescent City. That was after my first failed attempt to finish college. My parents didn’t have the money to send, me and I didn’t want to borrow money to do it. Stupid. The skipper only needed his usual deckhand for salmon season, so I needed to find another job. He told me his brother had a 55’ boat and needed a deckhand for the upcoming Black Cod long-line season fishing out of Petersburg, Alaska. Even though Petersburg itself is inside waters they would be fishing the open water Fairweather Grounds in the Gulf of Alaska. Also, I found that a 55' boat is considered to be a small boat for the waters we were to be fishing and couldn't have agreed more.
I called him up and he said that he was leaving the day after next, and if I wanted a job be at the boat in Seattle the next evening. Well, being the impetuous youth that I was I got on the next plane to Seattle and found the boat. I don’t remember how. All I remember is working on the boat the next two weeks with 3 other crew while it was tied to the dock while the skipper was at a nearby bar drinking.
Finally we took off up the Inside Passage going up to Petersburg. It was a beautiful trip up and we only had to pull into a cove once because of bad weather. I do remember waking up the next morning anchored so close to the beach that I could have thrown a rock and hit the gravel. Meanwhile there was about 300’ of water under us. We later rowed ashore and dug a bucket of butter clams on the beach, brought them back to the boat and steamed them. As I remember it took about 3 days to run up to Petersburg.
We only stayed in Petersburg long enough to ice up and buy bait and then took off for the fishing grounds. I do remember on the way to the open water we pulled into some little island community (about 4 houses and a dock) that had a hot springs tubs that anyone could use. We did. On the way out we went by Glacier Bay and saw huge pieces of floating ice that had calved off the glaciers.
Finally we arrived at the fishing grounds about 10 miles offshore and it was really rough and sloppy. We were out there rolling around for about 5 days trying to fill the boat. All the while I was praying to God to not let me die as I knew I would. The weather was worse than any I had fished in in Crescent City and I was wondering what I had done in a previous life to deserve this. It was long-line fishing so we laid out 2 mile long strings of baited hooks and let them soak while we rolled around and tried to sleep for 4-5 hours. We then ran the gear, baited it, put it back in the water, processed the fish, and did it all over again. Since I was the new guy I got all the really lousy jobs again and again. I never saw the shore nor had anby sense of direction for those 5 day.s
When we had caught a sufficient load the skipper decided to run back to Petersburg and delivered our catch. It took us about 28 hours of running to get back to port. There were guys at the dock that unloaded so we didn’t have to do that. I got paid about $1,000 cash and walked around town to see what it was like while the skipper and crew went to the bars.
I had decided to quit, so about midnight went back to the boat and packed all my stuff up and had to climb back up about a 30’ ladder because of how low the tide had fallen. I found the Post Office the next morning (I don’t remember where I slept) and mailed my extra stuff and raingear back to Crescent City. A ferry from the Alaska Ferry System was in port and I remember walking on without a ticket like I owned the joint. I fell asleep on the ferry and woke up in some town about 12 hours south of Petersburg. I walked off the boat and bought a ticket on the next ferry going north to Skagway. I got off at Skagway and hitch-hiked to Fairbanks. It took we about 3 days. Then I bought a train ticket and rode the train to Anchorage. I remember staying in Anchorage visiting a shirt-tail relative of Dad's that was an airline pilot.
I called him up and he said that he was leaving the day after next, and if I wanted a job be at the boat in Seattle the next evening. Well, being the impetuous youth that I was I got on the next plane to Seattle and found the boat. I don’t remember how. All I remember is working on the boat the next two weeks with 3 other crew while it was tied to the dock while the skipper was at a nearby bar drinking.
Finally we took off up the Inside Passage going up to Petersburg. It was a beautiful trip up and we only had to pull into a cove once because of bad weather. I do remember waking up the next morning anchored so close to the beach that I could have thrown a rock and hit the gravel. Meanwhile there was about 300’ of water under us. We later rowed ashore and dug a bucket of butter clams on the beach, brought them back to the boat and steamed them. As I remember it took about 3 days to run up to Petersburg.
We only stayed in Petersburg long enough to ice up and buy bait and then took off for the fishing grounds. I do remember on the way to the open water we pulled into some little island community (about 4 houses and a dock) that had a hot springs tubs that anyone could use. We did. On the way out we went by Glacier Bay and saw huge pieces of floating ice that had calved off the glaciers.
Finally we arrived at the fishing grounds about 10 miles offshore and it was really rough and sloppy. We were out there rolling around for about 5 days trying to fill the boat. All the while I was praying to God to not let me die as I knew I would. The weather was worse than any I had fished in in Crescent City and I was wondering what I had done in a previous life to deserve this. It was long-line fishing so we laid out 2 mile long strings of baited hooks and let them soak while we rolled around and tried to sleep for 4-5 hours. We then ran the gear, baited it, put it back in the water, processed the fish, and did it all over again. Since I was the new guy I got all the really lousy jobs again and again. I never saw the shore nor had anby sense of direction for those 5 day.s
When we had caught a sufficient load the skipper decided to run back to Petersburg and delivered our catch. It took us about 28 hours of running to get back to port. There were guys at the dock that unloaded so we didn’t have to do that. I got paid about $1,000 cash and walked around town to see what it was like while the skipper and crew went to the bars.
I had decided to quit, so about midnight went back to the boat and packed all my stuff up and had to climb back up about a 30’ ladder because of how low the tide had fallen. I found the Post Office the next morning (I don’t remember where I slept) and mailed my extra stuff and raingear back to Crescent City. A ferry from the Alaska Ferry System was in port and I remember walking on without a ticket like I owned the joint. I fell asleep on the ferry and woke up in some town about 12 hours south of Petersburg. I walked off the boat and bought a ticket on the next ferry going north to Skagway. I got off at Skagway and hitch-hiked to Fairbanks. It took we about 3 days. Then I bought a train ticket and rode the train to Anchorage. I remember staying in Anchorage visiting a shirt-tail relative of Dad's that was an airline pilot.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Gonzo walking
http://picasaweb.google.com/randyhoop/VariousGonzalo?feat=email#slideshow/5447565699246564962
Rules, rules, rules...........
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