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Categories
Is It Kim… Or Lea?
Happened across this picture yesterday (click for full original) when someone mentioned Lea Thompson having been in a movie I didn’t recognize her as having been in. Since I’ve always… admired… her, I went and looked, and here we are.
There was a secretary/paralegal at the law firm that was my big client, there forever, chipping away at college and law school on the side over the course of many years. Most people didn’t like her much, I’d say. Or some, anyhow. She could be intense. Just as I often get along with the boss or teacher others dislike, I got along well with her, and there was a bit of admiration going on there as well. Lopsided, but not necessarily one-sided, even if I tend to credit such things too little too late. Besides, I doubt it would ever have worked.
About the same time she finally finished law school, she ended up a disappointment to the firm’s owner, not sure why, and was essentially a non-person, then gone. It would have been weird for her to stay anyway, given that if they hired her as a lawyer she’d be in that new role with respect to fellow support staff with whom she’d had a sometimes feisty relationship.
Along the way, she’d mutually flirted mercilessly with one of the younger, newer attorneys, probably not helping her cause over the course of time. He got divorced at some point, and eventually the two of them ended up married.
Between the initial heat and the eventuality was a period of time in which they were not together, Kim and I were flirting, and there were regular after work outings by some of the people at the firm to the bar area at the 99 Restaurant. At the peak of that, it was almost as if we were on a date, but my actual role was, I assume intentionally, to make him jealous and get them back together. Clearly it worked.
As I was telling Deb, not the only time I’ve been used to cause ultimately a marriage that someone or another desired. In another case it was a girl in college ending up married to her adequately Catholic high school sweetheart, who she was less certain of than her cheering mother.
Tangential verbosity aside, the point of this post is that the above picture could as easily be of Kim. Spitting image, at least of how she looked at one point and perhaps with slightly lighter hair. The face is the same as I remember it. Subject to the foibles of my memory. I was amazed, and that would explain, given my thing for Lea Thompson, why I found Kim so appealing.
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Neurosurgeon Visit
My consultation with the neurosurgeon was today yesterday, so I thought I’d post a report. I managed to be super early, despite leaving later than planned. Had to stop for MRI films on my way, which these days means a CD. Drove to Boston, which turns out to be the best option all around. BMC is far south, right off 93. Parking took me 5 minutes of driving around garage to get a freshly cleared spot, but cheap,
MRI shows disk bulge in neck, but collected symptoms would seem mainly something else. He was surprised my doctor hadn’t ordered MRI of rest of back.
He did a very thorough exam, compared to what I am used to. More like having a physical than having the doctor barely look at fully clothed me. Not sure I like the proportion of visits that have been $95 blood pressure checks over the years. Oh well.
My impression is that one or two of the reflex taps I wasn’t as responsive as I could have been, and that I may have been misidentifying some of the needle prick versus hand tests. Could be wrong.
As always, I didn’t get to or remember to give every possible detail. I am beginning to think I should keep a log and take that or notes. Yet in some ways he got more detail because he was so professional, direct, and systematic.
He seemed to think there was not a strong or at least immediate need for surgery, but that was the start of what seems like it will be a longish process. I am waiting to hear from the MRI place regarding when they want to schedule me for that. I have already been scheduled for the EMG (nerve conduction study) he ordered. That will be May 4 at 8:00 AM. Both that and MRI will be in Brockton, which is convenient. Once I have an appointment for the MRI, I have to call BMC to make a followup appointment.
In the meantime, I need to find work that isn’t “FredCo” or similarly hard on the back (for all it often bothers me least, in the spot that seems most tied to numbness and in terms off feeling numbness itself, during all that activity). And doesn’t involve driving. And involves sitting in a chair that won’t hurt me. And I need to replace my chair, which apart from cost I was waiting to do after this visit in case it affected that action.
I know it sounds odd, but I keep realizing things in retrospect. I’ve had numbness in my feet routinely for ages, which always seems worst when I have gout attacks, but happens any time. Thing is, anything like that that might make the medical people cry out “aha, diabeeteeeez!” tends to go unmentioned. Same with peripheral neuropathy symptoms that aren’t numbness but are funky. I’ve posted about those now and then over the course of time. Or I am sure I have, without actually going and searching to point to the instances.
Did I remember to mention that? Of course not.
Anywho, I have an appointment Thursday with my doctor for a normal checkup and removal of my funky mole. Aw shoot! Forgot to take my blood pressure meds this AM. Doh! Hate to skip a day so close to a checkup, but no way this late in the day. I’ll sleep through work. It’ll be interesting discussing this whole thing further with him, assuming he allows a couple minutes for that. Since I have him for an appointment for a procedure and not just wham, bam, blood pressure’s still high per usual, there may be hope of more chat time.
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Subtle Complexity
Sounds like a blog name.
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You Are a Papaya |
 You are a calm, balanced, and mild mannered person. While you’re peaceful and together, you’re also quite complex. You are authentic and honest. There are some very distinct elements to your personality. |
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Unless I Break The Wrong Heart?
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You Are Going to Heaven |
 You’re so saintly you’re practically an angel, and there’s no other place for you than heaven. You are always concerned with doing the right thing. You consider being a good person a joy… not a burden. You’re not perfect, and you don’t expect anyone else to be. You are ethical without being sanctimonious about it. |
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Valerie and Scarf
Scarf is a cool one Deb made, experimenting, that ended up as basically a kid toy. Val is a natural superstar.
This is a picture of Henry on my shoulders at the mall after we’d both gotten haircuts. Deb took it with her phone. Not bad, eh? Love how the hair doesn’t look that good once it’s had a chance to be mussed after leaving the barber. The piggybacking didn’t last more than a few steps because of the silly back. You can see he looks more like Deb than me, more than people usually note when they see him.
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Henry on Dad
This is from the set of pictures downloaded off the camera on February 3rd, which means it was taken sometime between then and January 5th, date of the prior download. I’d lost most of the weigh, but not what I added to the tally in this last burst. It documents my role as his favorite place to sleep.
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Uh-Huh… Sure
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You Are Spring Cleaning |
 You are an organized and efficient person. You don’t like messes or chaos. You like simple, high quality things. You don’t have room for clutter in your life. You believe that everyone deserves a clean slate from time to time… including you. |
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Mmm… Vanilla
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You Are Vanilla |
 You are incredibly sexy and sensual – yet still sweet and innocent. You have an exotic, mysterious vibe. You leave people wanting to know more. You know how to make lovers relax, calm down, and be vulnerable. |
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Mindful Matter
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You Are Mind |
 If you dream it, then you can do it. You are very mentally sharp and strong. You enjoy challenging yourself both at work and with studies. You love mastering difficult tasks. You thrive in new environments, even stressful ones. You are able to study everything objectively. |
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Cock-a-Doodle-Doo?
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You Should Have Been Born Under: Rooster |
 Resourceful and practical, you are a quick thinker. You are very observant – and it’s hard to get anything past you! A total perfectionist, you are especially picky about looking your best. You’re a big dreamer – such a big dreamer that reality can disappoint you. You are most compatible with an Ox or Snake. |
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Artist At Work
I have piles of Sadie’s drawings waiting to be scanned and/or stored better. She’s amazing.
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Henry and His First Haircut
Wednesday we took Henry for his first haircut, as I needed one sufficiently and he really needed one, more than these pictures make obvious. Back when we were going to trim it the first time, I knew the first cut would be free, Deb thought it was a significant ritual worth waiting for, and I had enough history with home haircuts that we decided to do that. I spent most of my childhood with absolutely awful home haircuts to save money. I saw my nephews get nothing but home haircuts and that being the subject of much amusement. Not that it’s wrong to trim his hair ourselves, but it’s a loaded thing for me, and a good cut from a pro starts you with a basis to make it come out better in between times. We lucked out, getting there with almost nobody in the place ahead of us, and Henry’s tears notwithstanding, had a fun day, following it with a walk around the mall to fight youthful stir crazy.
Anyway, here are two before pics, three during pics, and three after pics.
This was about a month ago, at her birthday.
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Me Before Haircut
We didn’t get a picture of me after the haircut as I’d planned, except possible on Deb’s phone, but I thought I’d post the before ones anyway. You may be able to see how thin I’ve gotten, not that I post a lot of pictures, but some readers have seen me in person as well. The shirt is one of the less baggy of what are now tents on me – it was a tighter fit than it ought have been for its size. In the second one, she had described how goofy I looked when I squinched my face in anticipation of the photo, and hand over mouth was my reaction. The second one also serves as an additional pre-haircut picture of Henry. Who is, come to think of it, 19 months old today.
We are planning to take Henry for his first haircut, same time as I get mine cut. He needs it bad. I kind of need it. Mine is in that stage where if it’s washed, brushed into place, allowed to dry, and doesn’t get mussed, it looks especially good but is about not to. I always assume people think I am fat and hopelessly ugly, but even I can sometimes see when… not so much. The other day I was out and in peak appearance, plus for some reason feeling excellent and confident entirely at odds with circumstances. Caught a cashier spontaneously reacting to me when she saw me. Not like that never happens, but for some reason I am impossible to convince. It’s as if everyone has to be impressed always, or I take any who aren’t as gospel. That left me pondering for the next day. Or more, since apparently I remain ponderous. At least in the volume of words I produce about it when it’s not necessarily the topic at hand.
Anyway, it’s time. He looks like a budding rock star, in addition to action like the kid who’ll want a guitar when he is four. I am right at the correct point without going much, if any, over.
It’s Deb’s day off that we generally designate as my day for whatever I want, and in that sense I made no plans. However, it enables everyone to go, so the kids all get an outing and there is someone to occupy/watch Henry while I am in the chair. She gets to experience the first haircut that way.
Also easier for getting pictures, which we’ll try to do. Since that is the case, I’m going to try to get some of me. Intentionally! Before and after. Recently realized lack of recent good pictures of me, or any, and I am down 75 lbs, to 233, with my only remaining goal being to get into the 220s and never to rise above the 230s again. Let alone pics good for a head shot/avatar or an informal portrait. I don’t have a way to show what I currently look like. As much as I hate pics of myself, I’d like to change that.
And it’s late and I need more coffee but have barely time to get dressed and leave dammit! Guess it’s post and off to the package mines for me.
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Ah… Love
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Your Heart Takes Love Seriously |
 You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You’d like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful… that you’ll never change. You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future… one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted. |
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It’s Not Easy
Another one I am sure I took in past and, same questions or not, got the same result…
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You Are Emerald Green |
 Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody – though you don’t let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you… profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There’s something naturally harmonious about you. |
I got carried away. Some are definitely or possibly repeats, like the “Acid” result is even the same as it was way back.
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Your Brain is Creative |
 You have a dreamy mind, full of fancy and fantasy. You have the ability to stay forever entertained with your thoughts. People may say you’re hard to read, but that’s because you’re so internally focused. But when you do share what you’re thinking, people are impressed with your imagination. |
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Your Hidden Talent is Understanding People |
 Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people. You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together. Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly. People crave your praise and complements. |
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You Can Say “Merry Christmas” in 10 Languages |
 You can say “Merry Christmas” in: English |
Amused. Many are easy to guess or extrapolate, though, for a cunning linguist.
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Your Vocabulary Score: A |
 Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. |
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You Speak New England Slang |
 New England Slang: 75% Aussie Slang: 50% Canadian Slang: 50% Southern Slang: 50% Prison Slang: 25% British Slang: 0% |
At least it came out appropriate. Some of them I’d never heard at all and picked one that sounded good.
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Your Personality Is Like Acid |
 A bit wacky, you’re very difficult to predict. One moment you’re in your own little happy universe… And the next, you’re on a bad trip to your own personal hell! At your best: You understand the world completely, and every ordinary experience is sublime. What people like about being around you: You say and do the craziest things. You’re very entertaining. What people dislike about being around you: You’re unpredictable. Your mood swings are quite intense. How addicted people get to you: They pretty much don’t get addicted to you. |
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You Belong in the Baby Boomer Generation |
 You fit in best with people born between 1943 and 1960. You are optimistic, rebellious, and even a little self centered. You still believe that you will change the world. You detest authority and rules. Deep down, you’re a non conformist. |
By at least some definitions the baby boom ended in 1964, so appropriate enough, even if that “generation” is no monolithic as such. How is someone born 1948 so much like 1961 in outlook and experience? Yeah.
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You Communicate Honestly |
 You don’t mince words. You are to the point and all about the facts. However, you are charming enough to tell people the truth yet still not offend them. It’s likely that you have a hilarious, no holds barred sense of humor. And you sure tell an entertaining story! |
That and next one seem to claim I am the kind of storyteller I was telling Deb she can be, making her already larger than life experiences sound almost unbelievable, or building on what’s real and ordinary to make it more extreme or impressive.
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You Are a Playwright |
 You are a highly literate wordsmith. You love both reading and writing. You are also a natural storyteller. You can turn a mediocre anecdote into a riveting tale. You find people and all aspects of life fascinating. No topic is off limits for you. |
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You Are Not Assertive |
 You aren’t very assertive. You tend to have trouble expressing your needs and wants. Instead, you tend to get very frustrated if people don’t read your mind! You may want to be more assertive, but when the time comes, you find yourself at a loss for words. |
And this is a major problem for me. Nor am I incapable of it! It seems to have been trained out of me early and often. Deb has observed I can be like a dog that’s been beaten too many times, which is a reasonable observation.