Thursday, April 22, 2010

Who is Laura Zindel and what is the Victorian Cabinets of Curiosity?

Just some of the interesting people and stuff I stumble onto in my surfing of the web. I would really like a set of these.

Laura_Zindel_2

Find out more at this interesting post.

Below is my personal favorite set. Oh no, just something else to purchase. Warms the ‘cockles’ of my Capt. Nemo heart.

Laura_Zindel_10

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I missed a turn.

Sent this afternoon to my support group:

Hello Everyone,

First off I want to tell you what an old Southern Baptist minister once told me a long time ago. His name was C. H. Peaden and with all the faith in God he could muster and with a life of experience that gave him certainty like I had never known; his gravelly voice tendered by untold years of preaching , told me:

"Son, if you always turn right; you'll always be right."

I hope everyone is fine and I realize it has been some time since I have written to everyone. If was so good to see some of you at the last meeting. I cannot begin to express the pleasure and encouragement each and every one of you give to me. It was good to once again to be amongst smiles and hugs and people who care.

Now comes the confession.

I was sitting at the table in some pain. I have been having the pain for some time now. As I have shared with some of you in the past, I somehow am able to feel my cancer. I am not totally sure how odd or rare this is, but for me it is an unsettling occurrence as I go through the delightful battery of scans and test that my doctors need to have performed. I sometimes want to yell ( guess it's a good thing I can't) however, I do know and understand the need.

A few weeks ago I had an MRI of my neck. This turned out to be very clean and it appeared that my cancer was gone. I was very happy with this news and proceeded to explore other causes for the pain I was having with my doctor. Then came a PET scan. I knew. Somehow I always know. The call from Dr. Manning came.

Seems there was a spot; something new, in my upper left lung. Not a good thing but let's don't get to excited. There could be several reasons. After talking with Dr. Manning, we decided to wait this out, have another scan in about 4 months and see what if anything happens. No alarm. (However, I was concerned with how in heck I was going to get another scan authorized by my Wonderful, KIND, Caring ((can I be any more sarcastic here)) insurance company.) Sorry, I will refrain from further derogate behavior or statements on my part.

Followed by the call from Dr. Strat. Congratulations, your now are in the care of yet another doctor. You see him.....(insert the next day or so). Yes, I now have a Pulmonologist. Yes Jan, he is extremely nice. I like him. Thank you for the hug and encouragement.

Now, I assume you can figure out what he wanted. (?) Yes, indeed, like any expiring super star of the AMA, he wanted...say it with me here.....MORE TEST!

It was during this period of time that I was sitting with you at the monthly meeting and I decided to tell just 3 or 4 people. Not because I am brazen or stoic. To be honest; I am rather scared. That being said, I have learned to wait and make sure. No need telling everyone just to find out it was an old Valley Fever spot!

Fast forward to past the additional scans directly on my lungs and the blood test to dismiss anything un-thought of and to exclude those we had.

Here is where I am:

While looking at the CAT scan of my lungs, there appeared to be something that looked like a stick of chalk turned on its side and rubbed across cement. That Mr. Parker is a result of the Radiation you have had. 'Don't worry about that now!'

See these spots here, here, here, etc... that's called .... Emphysema. 'Don't worry about that now!'

About now I am wondering.... OK, what's the rub here?

"Mr. Parker, see, here is the original spot the PET scan showed". ...."Yes."

"Now, let me scroll down here and show you the second spot we have now found."

"This is another spot?"

"Yes! Smaller, but there."

"This is cancer correct?"

"Well, the biopsy will tell us for sure but.. chances are yes, more cancer."

I have always tried to be positive my friends, but I am very tired. I need your prayers and well wishes, please. I will have the biopsy on the 28th of this month. If you are inclined, it is at 11:00 A.M. Unit 600 at TMC.

A' la Pulp Fiction, they will stick a needle between my ribs and into my lung to obtain a bit of the blackness. OK, maybe not like Pulp Fiction but indulge me. There are some risk with this procedure and I am not excited by such invasiveness.

Now comes the really, really odd part. For reasons I do not wish to burden my friends with at this time, please pray that if it is in fact cancer, please pray that it is new and not a metastasis of my 4 year battle. The common sense of the second spot gives me cause for concern, but I will be positive yet again and believe this is something I can and choose to fight against. Please Pray! For now, I really want to continue digging. (See your nearest NASCAR fan for what that means.)

To Brother Peaden, I can only say I messed up somewhere and turned left. To God, I can only ask for forgiveness of my transgressions. I seem to have really screwed up somewhere. I am sorry; everyone!

Be strong my friends and loved ones, because Cancer Sucks!

file under: Rumor until proven guilty.

This is from a story at Bleeding Cool dot com:

~

The panel ended with a teaser trailer for the team’s next project, produced along with documentary film maker Kevin Thurman. The clip showed a dark image of a bearded man smoking and drinking Red Bull, speaking about life and purpose and writing, ending with the words:

Warren Ellis

Captured Ghosts

2011

~

 

One; I do hope it’s true and Two; I hope to be alive to see it!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Busy Morning ~ Eyjafjallajoekull

1iceland_volcano466

I stumbled upon a tree.

Upon building the park, all the trees were tagged for either removal or to be kept in place. There were different colored ribbons which were tied around the trunk of almost all the existing trees. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the person who came to remove or leave said trees was colorblind. This isn’t that story but does provide some insight into the parks very early days.

Another tree related story and quote of Walt’s is just prior to the opening to the park the press was invited to take a first hand look at the parks progress. Everyone by now knows of the forced perspective used in the park with regards to all the buildings and structures. A reporter noticed there was a lot of live vegetation (read as trees) and upon questioning Walt about their use and on how to deal with their growth, Walt responded:

Trees have no scale.”

Why do I share these stories with you? Well, I continually get amazed but the showman’s ability to just astutely observe and then bring a mere glance of something as mundane and everyday as a tree to become a beloved symbol of excitement and adventure. I had never read nor knew of this ‘ LITTLE ‘ tidbit of park history. Check this out:

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A shout out to a fellow blogger

I would call your attention to one of the many Disney blogs which I follow:


This morning Vintage Disneyland Tickets is running an excellent post entitled 'Where it all started'.


This is a look at the Merry-Go-Round at Griffith Park... and I will let that site tell you the story if you are unaware of it. Enjoy!

SDC11743b

Monday, April 12, 2010

A day outdoors at the gymkhana. ! (#) Did I say outdoors?

Ok, to be honest I had heard the word years ago. Most of us here in the great American Southwest have. For you who are unsure the definition of an Gymkhana is as follows:

a field day held for equestrians, consisting of exhibitions of horsemanship and much pageantry.

Now, the part that is rather amazing (for most anyone who knows me) by definition, horses are animals and therefore constitute a journey into the dreaded OUTDOORS. Oh, parish the thought. Well, my dear friend Debbi asked if I would like to go see her daughter ride said animal. “It would be fun and your mom would love it.” Sure, attack me by bringing up my mother. Grrrrrr I thought, but decided to embark upon the dusty streets of the old pueblo and traverse to the spot where said exhibitions of horsemanship and much pageantry should take place. Now remember, outside is bad to me. Dirt, wind, sunshine, bugs and yes, horse crap! It smells there, oh well, there we were.

IMG_2213

This is my friends daughter sitting upon an animal, along with other like minded people.

IMG_2215

If I could talk, I would say “hello, my name is Rio, I like outside.”

What is fun about being out here you ask, well, talking with friends of course; and….

IMG_2216

doing what every teenager does:

IMG_2217 (yes, she in listening to music)

IMG_2218

IMG_2231

We go around the barrel Rio!

IMG_2233

Its dusty and windy out here.

IMG_2238

However, I would be fibbing if I didn’t tell you that both mom and I had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing friends and cheering them on. It was a blast, and I hope to be able to go to another. Even mom got to get up close and personal.

IMG_2223

Mom says ‘hello/goodbye’ to everyone and said that I was rather crazy. Outdoors is fun and I enjoyed the ~ exhibitions of horsemanship and much pageantry.

IMG_2228

IMG_2224

Oh yes, there be animals there:

IMG_2212

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Warren Ellis: On space travel

This is from the current issue of Wired Magazine UK edition. Yes, I agree.

Read It Here

From the master:

“The single simplest reason why human space flight is necessary is this, stated as plainly as possible: keeping all your breeding pairs in one place is a retarded way to run a species.”