The Mother-In-Law Trickle-Down Effect

Grandma’s aide quit yesterday, saying she couldn’t take it anymore.

Grandma is now at our house while we scramble to make other arrangements.

I have told my Pi it is likely that in a few days I will move in with Eli and Stacy.

This is known as the Mother-In-Law Trickle-Down Effect.

Moshe, better get a shidduch fast.

Vasovagal Syncope

The medical condition of the day is Vasovagal Syncope.

Sudden drop in blood pressure causing nausea, near fainting, chalk white face. Cold sweat.

No I did not find out about it from the 2,000 page Merck Medical Info Manual.

Rumors that the manual or the Physicians Desk Reference are my light bedtime reading are totally false. That was only the one time.

Found out about it at the dr (this time for annual physical (if annual means once every few years)).

So turns out weird episode last month was not a heart attack, but a Vasovagal Event, also known as Vasovagal Syncope. Apparently brought on at the time by a bad leg cramp.


You can find out more about this strange medical thing at http://www.londoncardiac.ca/pages/vvs.htm

Although info on that page will NOT apply to you unless you are Canadian. (see website disclaimer.)


And sit down when you read this so you don't faint (ha, ha) - I actually let them give me a Flu Shot!

Given by the same nurse who took my blood last week. And, yes, she did remember me.

I am happy to say, the flu shot did not cause a Vasovagal Syncope. However, I did ask for a band aid (which the nurse was not planning on putting on my arm, can you believe it?)

Also, for those who are interested, I got a good report at the checkup, and am happy to say that I am currently feeling fine except for my right upper arm which is aching and the fingers on my right hand which are tingling and numb.

When Mr, Mrs, and Miss just aren't enough, or how to be Pretentious

Having missed all the other Epstein simchas, My Pi and I are planning to go to the next Epstein Bar Mitzvah, which is taking place in Manchester in the fall.

Signed up for British Air email. Had trouble deciding what to sign up as.

Her Holiness wasn't an option so I had to settle for Princesse.

What would you choose?

From the British Air website:


See for yourself at:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/inet/public/en_us

The Sweatshop, Circa 2009

Last Thursday, the air conditioning at work was broken. The temp was about 85 degrees when I came in at 8 and went up to just over 90.

So this was wheeled in to the room, to cool it down a bit for the computers. A real genius came up with this device. The Personal Air Cooler:

"Personal Air Cooler The new personal cooler is an innovative, compacy (sic) design that delivers 1000 BTU of cooling pleasure. Ideal for use in home or office, the unit is small enough to fit inside cubicles, or compact spaces. This unit does not require any ducting to outdoors, and is totally self contained in sleek, sophisticated design. The APC2000 features multiple fan speeds, programmable timer, LED screen, easy-to-clean membrane switch electronic controls, dehumification function, auto open air louvers, and convenient fold out ergonomic handle for easy portability for multiple room use. "

The operative words in the above are: This unit does not require any ducting to outdoors.

So although this miracle of modern engineering has an innovative, compacy design, it still did not mange to defy the basic laws of thermodynamics. So I shut it off and wheeled it out after about 2 minutes during which it only heated up the room a little bit more.

And I replaced it with this innovative personal air cooling system which was amazing effective at cooling me off, don't know about the computers:
The air conditioning was fixed at around 2pm, at which point the temp gradually went back down to the low 80's which felt cool.

Update: Today I came in at 8. The temp at that time is shown below:
Having demonstrated my machosity last Thursday, I had nothing to prove by staying at my desk. So I took my laptop and relocated to my mobile office (car in the parking lot) till my boss showed up. After he spent about 5 minutes upstairs, he agreed that whatever we needed to talk about today could wait till tomorrow, and I could work from home.

Waterfalls in New Jersey

Waterfall #1:
This waterfall is at the confluence of the Lehigh and the Delaware Rivers in Phillipsburg, NJ. Where when we went tubing today. Though not over the waterfall.

I am throwing in another picture from tubing, even though there is no waterfall in the picture.


Waterfall #2:
I went exploring the other day. While this waterfall is on the Raritan River, I am not sure if it is technically part of the Rahway River Park. So I am posting the photos here, instead of on the Rahway River Park Blog.

There are some beautiful places in central Jersey. But sometimes you have to look hard to find them.

By the way, it's been a year since I started the Rahway River Park Blog .

Surprise!

Happy Surprise Birthday Party #3 Poot! (Had to cram them all in in 24 hours, due to short visit from Boston.) See how surprised Yoni was.

This cake was amazing! Your best ever, Aryeh.

Doesn't this look like one of those optical illusion photos?

Wild American Backyard

These three have been showing up every so often. Their favorite spot is under the hammock for some reason. Maybe for the shade. I think the Synchronized Sitting Down is quite nice.

If they decide to sit in the hammock I'll take some more video.

Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday Poot!

">

">

Ads That Miss the Mark

Got this targeted ad in the email the other day.

Subject: FRESHLY PICKED A juicy book Just for you, Lill

The seller went to a lot of effort:

We've searched our independent sellers' 100 million books and picked the following recommendations just for you.

and described the choice as offering:

Find endless entertainment...

#1 choice? Way up there at the top of the "Juicy" list offering endless entertainment:

Jewish Way in Death and Mourning, by Maurice Lamm

Central Ave Lake

So you may have noticed that we have been having seriously bipolar weather lately. Now it’s sunny! Now it’s torrential downpouring with accompanying thunder and lightning! Now it’s sunny! Now it’s torrential downpouring with a tornado watch! Let’s see what the next 10 minutes are like!

The past two days have been especially nuts.

Have a look at the following 3 videos of Central Avenue Lake taken from my window at work. (The view from my window at work is frequently a source of entertainment, and has been featured in this blog before.)





Central Avenue Lake 2
A good shot of the waves washing over the sidewalk. If this weather keeps up we are going to have serious curb erosion.



Central Avenue Lake 3
Good audio on this one.

Back from balloon festival AM launch. Helped on panda balloon ground crew! Excellent fun. Am gonna need nap later.

Lumpy and friends know Mark S who owns a balloon, and went to help out. Lumpy was going to see if my Pi and I could get in to launch area too.

So up ridiculously early, then waited to try to get word if weather would permit launches. Saw some blue sky and decided to go.

Got there, many balloons up, many still launching.

By Mark S's trailer.

The panda was up when we got there, our job to help put him (her?) away after he came down.

We need to hold open a vent in the balloon for the air to come out. The air is warm and smells from propane. Yuep. Makes sense, but I wasn't expecting it.


This is like folding up a tent on steroids.

After air is out, fabric is rolled up, carried snakelike by over a dozen people, and deposited in carrying bag. Like some wierd kind of simcha dance.
It all fits into here.


Panda stats: 611 lbs, 100ft tall, 112,000 cu ft.
More info on Panda.

More from the festival:

Stakeout at the Highland Park Library

So I'm walking towards the HP library and see this at the bike rack: You all know that Lumpy's bike was stolen recently, and I just happened to know that it was a Diamondback Maravista DB.

Could this be his bike? I decide to do a stakeout. The plan is to pretend to be taking pictures of the flowers, and capture the criminal in the act of unlocking the bike. I position myself strategically.


I also call for backup.


And while I am waiting for backup to arrive, or someone to come out of the library and unlock the bike, I figure, what the heck, might as well take pictures of the flowers.



Backup shows up. He scopes out the library to see if he recognizes anyone who might have been lurking around at Rutgers. Then comes out and observes everyone who leaves. I'm sad to admit that maybe we do some racial profiling. Amazing how many people look suspicious! The library closes at 5:00. It is 5:00. Everyone has left the building. No one has come to claim the bike. Ah ha! It appears that one of the suspicious looking people saw Lumpy hanging around and got scared off!

And then! One more person comes out of the library! This is the very last person to come out of the building. Even all the librarians have already come out. And in a flash, the suspect is off on the bike!


He looks familiar. I suspect he works at the library. This is confirmed by the 5 librarians still standing in front of the library chatting. Who all know me, of course. And who all want to know why I took a picture of the guy. And who will all vouch for his sterling character. And is there anyone who you would rather have vouch for your sterling character than a bunch of librarians???

And anyway, Lumpy thinks it looks a little different from his bike. And when we compare the pictures at home we see the differences.

So I got some very nice pictures of some flowers. And I will have to tell that kid in the library to always lock his bike up very carefully.

If I am not too embarrassed to go back.

The Extended Celebration

I think I set a record this year for maximum use of a birthday as an excuse for celebration. Past weekend was Surprise Birthday Party #3. And because this one was so far past my birthday's "use by" date, it really was a surprise. Thank you Sharon & Mendy! Your hospitality is way over the top.

This was the best birthday cake ever (not that I didn't enjoy the watermelon, Eli and Stacy, Surprise Party #2.)


Also, finally got to see the Barnes Foundation. And enjoy this georgeous garden by world famous Philly landscape architect Thomas W. Sears.

You know me and flowers.

fyi Surprise Party #1 was on July 6th, at work, with a Carvel ice cream cake (which is what I said I wanted for my surprise party.)

Any more celebrations after this time will be in honor of The Poot's birthday.