What's going on...

I realized a couple of days ago that it's been a while since I've written anything out here, mostly because what's been going on with Chris has been foremost in both of our minds. But, I thought a quick (or as my grandfather says "to make a long story short") update is in order.

Seems that every Thursday we now go to Quinn's Lighthouse for some chowder and to listen to Skip Henderson and Starboard Watch croon some sea shanties. We've gotten to know the band real well over these last few weeks, especially since Chris has shared his ordeal with them. They always dedicate the Pirate Parts song to him, and all of them come sit with us during break. It's been a nice feeling of "home" every Thursday.

For Halloween, Chris and I were invited to a friend's house here in Livermore. I'm sure this will come as no surprise to any of you that we dressed up as pirates. Everyone was in good humor when they realized they had "finger food" (literally, pieces of dough with long nut slivers as the fingernails). And for even more humor, Lisa took a picture of me hacking at Chris' hand with a machete. Something about laughter being the best medicine...

I've continued playing in the Contra Costa Wind Symphony, and as an added special bonus, I was asked to play Eb clarinet (the "piccolo" clarinet) in a wind ensemble for a church fundraiser. This wind ensemble was a group of 45 musicians from almost every community group in the area, and was a VERY good group. We rehearsed twice and then performed, though probably didn't need to rehearse at all. The group was so good, most of us had played the music before, so for the most part just sat down and read through the pieces like we were a well-rehearsed group. The program included a bunch of music I'd played in my past, including some Holst, Shostakovich, and yes - one Sousa march that I'd played last year with Austin Symphonic Band. I made a lot of contacts in this group, and have since been asked to play in the Livermore Symphony as well as a couple of other smaller groups. The following weekend after that, I played another concert for my "regular gig". If I had wanted to be a musician, I would have stayed in music... but still, it's been a good way for me to destress from everything else going on.



We've been sailing almost every Friday on a Beneteau 32. The wind is less here during the winter and the temp is warmer. Still, the "slot" in the bay blows 10-15. It's been nice sailing a larger boat, but I realize that when we get back to Austin and sail on a "smaller" 25 or 27, it's going to feel "small". The 32 out here is a "small" boat. Some things we've seen/done include:

• $725 will buy you a ride to go shark cage diving. We saw the boat where the people were lining up to do that. No shark diving in Austin!
• Motored into a mooring field near Angel Island to discuss how to grab one of the mooring balls. You can moor or dock here and rent bikes or Segways and ride all over the island. One of these days...
• We've figured out where we can dock all over the bay to avoid having to use the head on the boat. If we use the head, we have to pump it out, and none of us want to do that. So, we can dock in Tiburon (which we actually did do, used the bathrooms and left, though the place looked like a Sam's Boat with a nice view). We can dock at Pier 1.5 in the city and use the bathroom at the Ferry Building.
• Sea lions, large fish (mammals?) with dorsal fins, and lots of sea birds.
• The sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge from the water makes the bridge look black. Plus, the haze, smog, and marine layer make the sunsets look like a painting.
• I'm learning more about tides and currents than I ever thought I would. I was at the helm heading downwind from the Golden Gate Bridge, near the tower, sails are full, and we aren't moving forward. We weren't slipping, but we weren't going anywhere. And, when the tide is out, the bay really does get shallow... ask me about that one and a 5' draft!
• Finally, you can buy Lone Star at the BevMo here. I never drank it in Austin, but man... there is something about sailing next to San Francisco and downing a Lone Star.

All in all, we're both very happy we're finally sailing regularly again. It's been one of the few sane things in the last couple months of insanity.

As this year draws to a close, I'm anxious for 2009 to start. 2008 will go down in the books as the year that needed Prozac, with all the ups and downs we encountered (tornados, missing Austin terribly, Tahoe camping, bad-ASS catamaran sailing, St Louis, Seattle, Vegas, the finger). Moving here was difficult, but we've experienced so many wonderful things. I'm looking forward to the final trip this year to Hawaii - it's much needed. 2009 should bring a lot of great things to our lives (at the very least, a long weekend trip back to Austin).

I hope all our friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We miss all of you very much, and hope you can find the time to come visit us in sunny and cold Northern California in the coming year!

Recovery

So, I wiggled my stump yesterday. I was given a series of exercises (stump wiggling not being one of them) to gain strength and dexterity in my two-month-immobilized hand. I can still feel my middle finger as if it was wholly there. I accidentally flexed it and I could feel the stump wiggle inside the heavy gauze bandage that mummifies my hand. It left a faint ache, but not the sharp pain I would've expected. My hand is structurally sound now, so I'm pushing the exercises as much as I can. I'm working on making a partial fist so I can grasp a paddle when we kayak over to Captain Cook's monument in Hawaii in a couple of weeks. It's good to have goals. I've got another physical therapy appointment today, and a follow-up with the surgeon tomorrow before we head down to San Luis Obispo for Turkey Day.

Mission Accomplished

Everything went well. Lots of pain and grogginess. Had to lie about peeing to the nurse to get sprung. Am going to bed now. Didn't sleep well last night for some reason. Thanks again for all the support. At least I can make some forward progess now. Sorry this isn't as glib as my usual posts. We've got lots of activities planned over the next month to keep my mind occupied. Will probably get my first look at my hand at my physical therapy appointment tomorrow night (before going to Quinn's - how's that for fuel economy). I hope I don't get all misty or anything.

Love y'all,

Chris

Thanks!

For all the well-wishes, support, e-mails, and attempts at levity. It means a lot to me.

789...

So, tomorrow is my last day in base 10 world. Remember that old joke: Why is six afraid of seven?

Have you heard the new kid's album by Bare Naked Ladies? The first track on that is awesome!

Nine is a very important number:

• It used to be the number of planets in our solar system


• It's the third square number


• Six recurring nines appear in the decimal places 762 through 767 of pi (this is known as the Feynman point)


• 9 is the atomic number of Fluorine


• Human gestation lasts nine months


• The Star of David has nine points


• Dressed to the nines


• Being on cloud nine


• Dante's Hell had nine levels


• Cats have nine lives


• Frodo also had nine fingers (thanks to Gollum) & there were nine rings of power - hence nine Ringwraiths


• Cat-o'-nine-tails (pirates!)


• Any multiplication of nine adds up to nine

OK, enough of that. You get the picture. Further submissions would be greatly appreciated.

It's a Small World

So, for those of you that get Good Old Boat magazine, the Beneteau 320 that we've been taking out (thanks to Lisa) is named "Santorini". It's in the background of the photo on page 31.

Chris Larsen is...

Looking forward to my little procedure Wednesday!

Oops! Thought I was on Facebook...

Good News, Bad News...

So, yesterday we made an appointment to have my finger amputated. We met with Kaiser Permanente's hand specialist, Dr. Hoffman, and as soon as he saw the x-ray from Monday, he said "That doesn't look good." He said that at least two more surgeries, months of physical therapy, and possible permanent damage to the other fingers due to immobilization would net me a stiff finger. I asked when we could cut this sucker off so I can get on with my life. On the 19th, exactly two months after the accident, I'll go back in for an out-patient procedure where they'll remove the finger where it joins the hand. They'll save a flap of the padded part underneath (which is thankfully intact) an fold it up and over to cover the gap. This will unencumber the other fingers and hopefully accelerate the physical therapy. The doc said that dropping things through the gap and an ouchy spot are the main drawbacks. He said that they could remove the structure inside the hand that supports the middle finger, fanning the hand smaller, and essentially closing the gap, leaving me with a Mickey Mouse hand. I suggested we wait and see how bad the gap issue was because that's a pretty major surgery. I asked if I could keep the finger in a jar. Evidently there's some health codes involved and they consider that biohazardous medical waste. The doc also said that I should get my grip strength back. The nurse apologized when she said the surgery will have a $200 copay. Kim and I just laughed. We still haven't gotten a bill from Stanford yet, so maybe, just maybe they've written it off and I won't have to declare bankruptcy. We're already on a payment plan with the ambulance company or they were going to send me to collections.

It's funny how easy it is to deal with an amputation that happened in a nanosecond out in the shop, and how much trepidation I'm having with a premeditated procedure in ten days that will set me free. Skip and the band dedicated the "Pirate Parts" song to me last night. I didn't expect yesterday's blog entry to be so ironically poignant.

The good news is that this will all be over much sooner that rehabbing the current configuration. Very little bone growth caused the doc to surmise another six weeks of pinned finger unpleasantness. I'm looking forward to using the gap as a pool cue guide.

I'm also dealing with the fact that I asked Stanford to amputate it seven weeks ago. When asked why Stanford did the reimplantation, Dr. Hoffman was understandably reticent to bad-mouth another doctor who "successfully" reimplanted my finger. He did mention something about saving what can be saved and about reimplantation being a young doctor's game. I've read the Hippocratic Oath, and it's just as vague about reimplantation as the Constitution is about gay marriage. He also mentioned that some doctors to expensive and unnecessary surgeries expecting to get paid by the insurance company. HA! We totally punked him on that one.

I was going to take pics of my right hand and do some Photoshopping, but I figure I'll be seeing the real thing soon enough. Oh, more good news - I'll be having the stitches removed the day before we leave for Hawaii (Kim's B-day), and the doc says I can go surfing and swimming with the dolphins if I feel up to it.

Before the doctor's appointment yesterday, I took the personality assessment test for West Marine. I hope I have one. There were a lot of redundant questions about my energy level, how uncluttered my workspace is, etc.

Kim had an interesting take on the fact that there are two candidates vying for two store management positions in the Bay area that I hadn't put together - there are two finalist for the Oakland position. There's a very good shot that the other applicant will get the Pleasant Hill one. Interesting... Of course the smaller store pays less, but I think there'll be much less hassle. We're already looking in Benecia and Crockett for a rental that has a garage and accepts dogs that behave more like throw rugs.


Thanks again to Michelle...

Chris' New Theme Song

Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses an ear;
It drips down your neck, and it falls on the deck,
Till someone shouts, "Oy, what's this 'ere?"
You can't wear your glasses, you can't poll the lasses,
Your friends have to shout so you'll hear;
Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses an ear.

But it's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be, you can't be)
With all of your parts;
It's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be a pirate)
With all of your parts.

Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses an eye;
It stings like the blazes, it makes you pull faces,
You can't let your mates see you cry.
A dashing black patch will cover the hatch,
And make sure that the socket stays dry;
Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses an eye.

But it's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be, you can't be)
With all of your parts;
It's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be a pirate)
With all of your parts.

Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses a hand;
It spurts and it squirts and it jolly well hurts,
Pain only a pirate could stand.
The fash'nable look is a nice metal hook,
But now you can't play in the band;
Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses a hand.

But it's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be, you can't be)
With all of your parts;
It's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be a pirate)
With all of your parts.

Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses a leg;
It hurts like the dickens, your pace never quickens,
Hopping around on a peg.
Ask your sweetheart to marry, but too long you've tarried,
'Cause now you can't kneel down and beg;
Being a pirate is all fun and games,
Till somebody loses a leg.

But it's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be, you can't be)
With all of your parts;
It's all part of being a pirate,
You can't be a pirate (you can't be a pirate)
With all of your parts.

It makes me quite irate -
It hardly seems fair,
You can't be a pirate -
If you are all there!

Yet Another West Marine Update

So, I'm getting ready to leave for my interview with the District Manager for the Pleasant Hill Store Manager position this afternoon and I get a call from the Oakland store's DM. He told me I'm one of the two finalists, so he's sending me WM's corporate management personality profile test thingy link. I guess it's a take-home test. Maybe I'll drink some tequila beforehand so I come across as management material. I think it's looking pretty good either way!

Historical Perspective...

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured soldiers.

Without the middle finger it would be impossible for the English soldiers to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore incapable of fighting in the future.

The famous bow was made of the English Yew tree and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" or "pluck you".

Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won the battle and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French and saying "We can still pluck yew. Pluck you".

More Updates...

So, I worked at West Marine Alameda on Sunday & Monday. I took off at noon on Monday to go to our inaugural visit at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. It took us a while to figure out the parking situation (they had valet parking). We navigated the maze of hallways and immediately were processed after I swiped the card for my copay. No waiting for six hours here! I actually felt rushed. I didn't even get to do any reading or people watching. Oh well. The Doc walked in within seconds of us taking a seat in our little examination room, plopped down on the stool and told us he wasn't the right doctor for us. We sat there with quizzical expressions on our faces as he told us that the people in Administration didn't match up the specialty with the case, they just filled the time slot. He said that he does things like dislocations in the ER, not follow-up on finger reimplantations. He helped us get x-rays and an appointment with the doctor we were originally referred to two weeks ago. With all that being said, he looked at the x-rays and wasn't too happy with the way the bone is mending (actually, none of us are). I told him that I originally asked to have it amputated. He said that it was a distinct possibility and proceeded to tell us that it was only the middle finger, not the index or thumb (this didn't make me feel much better). He wished us luck and on the way out, we asked him to write us a refund note for our copay. We get to go back Thursday to talk to the right doctor. Sigh...

I was a little bummed as we were walking back to the car, and the rain didn't help, so we decided to go to Quinn's for a beer. A few beers and a couple of bowls of clam chowder later, we were somewhat cheered up. Kim braved the squall and picked me up in the car and we headed home. Kyle and his friend came over for Kim's french chicken and I fell asleep trying to deal with possibly having the finger amputated after spending six weeks rehabbing it and watching the rest of my hand seize up, after asking them to amputate in the first place. Sigh...

This morning, I had an e-mail in my Inbox, asking me to meet the West Marine Districit Manager for an interview in Pleasant Hill, so maybe something good will come out of this before the holidays. The good news is that I was able to function at West Marine pretty well, just a little slow making change.

Lisa's booking slots at Tradewinds, Kim just sent off the largest estimate she's ever done, we're checking out rental property on CraigsList, and we've got a week's worth of doctors' appointments, so things are in their normal state of upheaval.

Either way, I'll still have one good finger to flip off power boaters.