Goodbye Friend

Well, it's official. Rich Braham is hanging up his helmet and saying goodbye.

I think Coach Lewis and Carson Palmer are worth quoting:
Lewis: “Richie has not missed a Saturday night at the hotel this season. That tells you right there
what kind of pro he is. He’s been there for his teammates. He’s been on the road with us. I had to
tell him to quit answering the questions in the meetings. It’s because of habit, and that’s what he
means.”

Palmer: “I told Richie last week when he told me he was retiring that I wish he was born eight years
later and I was born eight years earlier because we would have had a heck of a run together. I've
always thought that Richie's as good as it gets at his position. He's a great person, a great guy, an
unbelievable teammate, and a very unselfish teammate. But athletically and physically, he's as
good as it gets at that position.”

Paul Daugherty also gave a fitting tribute to Braham:
Asked how he'd like to be remembered, Braham offered what for anyone who knows him is about as
perfect a quote as you're going to get. "Just someone that came to work every day, played hard and
went home," he said.
So be it, then. Braham played 13 years after being cut by the Arizona Cardinals in his 10th game as
a rookie. He played through hurts that would slow an elephant. He has no regrets. He'll be going now.
There's a lesson there, somewhere.

I am not happy about this, but I understand and respect Braham for his choice.
It will be hard not seeing Braham at center when the Bengals are in the Superbowl in the next few years.

Namaste.

"You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours." - Colin Powell

Interesting Stats

Did you know that ~85% of women wear the wrong size undergarments?
I also saw that ~90% of women wear the wrong jeans. This means style, not just size.

I was always amazed by these types of things in the past. How can someone not know their sizes and types?

Now I must eat my words. . .I have become a part of those stats. I am planning to take care of the first one tomorrow (Note/Update: I am one of the few in the ~15%...imagine that!). Not sure about the jean issue - though I did find this article. But with my temporary size, I don't know which area I fall into. Will have to keep working on that one.

Namaste.

"Enjoy life - there are no re-runs." - Shirl Lowery

Trying to Get Divorced From My Gall Bladder

I didn't get to eat any of the great food that was sitting around for the holidays.
In the last seven days, I have lost seven pounds (see note above).

Can I just say that fighting with your gall bladder over the holidays royally sucks? I had another attack because of PRETZELS! I thought pretzels were fat free!!! I guess I found the only ones that actually have fat in them. Hmmm. . .Wonder how much weight I would have lost if I hadn't ate the pretzels?

I have a new-found respect for people that have experienced large amounts of surgery. I never knew how many people I would have to talk to in order to make this divorce go successfully. I'm not sure how many more phone calls I will get in order to give all of that pertinent information that I have already given to a zillion other people. I can almost rattle off all of the numbers on my insurance card in my sleep - did I mention that it's a new card with new numbers that I got last week?

By the way - the divorce is scheduled for Friday, January 5th. I am counting down the days! MommyMarie is coming down to stay the weekend with me. Gotta love my mommy!

Namaste.

"There are no accidents, only nature throwing her weight around. . .Nature will pick up the cards we have spilled, shuffle them, and begin her game again." - Camille Paglia

Gall Bladder Information Anyone?

Note: I changed the font of the headlines as I realized that no one could see the script that I had. Please let me know if it doesn't look like a script.

What and Where is the Gall Bladder?
The Gall Bladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the underside of the liver that is used to store bile. Bile is made in the liver and is stored in the gall bladder until it is needed to help the digestion of fat. It is about 7-10cm long and is dark green in appearance due to its contents (bile).

Interesting - It's pretty tiny. I found a picture of one taken during surgery - pretty weird looking if you ask me (but it looked white, not dark green).

What is Gall Bladder disease?
Gall Bladder disease is a common condition that affects mainly women, although men can suffer too. The symptoms vary widely from discomfort to severe pain which mainly begins after food. In severe cases the patient can suffer from jaundice, nausea and fever. The most common reason for Gall Bladder disease is gallstones.

Discomfort? What do you think Nickey?

What are gallstones?
Gallstones are solid stones formed in the Gall Bladder from cholesterol, bile salts and calcium. They can vary in size from a few millimeters to a few centimeters.
What causes gallstones?
Gallstones are formed when bile contains too much cholesterol. The excess cholesterol forms crystals from which gallstones are made.

Hmmm...My cholesterol is low. I am lactose intolerant, so I don't get as much calcium as I probably should. Bile salts? I avoid table salt...Don't know about bile salt. Doesn't seem like I'll ever get gallstones!

Who is at risk of developing gallstones?
Gallstones are seen in all age groups but they are rare in the young. The possibility of developing gallstones increases with age. The following groups are considered to be at increased risk:
- People who have relatives with gallstones.
- Obese people.
- People with a high blood cholesterol level.
- Women who take drugs containing estrogen, eg contraceptive pills.
- People with diseases such as chronic intestinal inflammation

I am not oId. I don't have any relatives (that I know of) with gallstones. I am not obese. I do not have high cholesterol. I do not take estrogen. I do not have any chronic intestinal inflammation. Looks like I'm good to go!

Surgery for gallstones
When an operation is required for gallstones in the Gall Bladder it is usual to remove the Gall Bladder and gallstones together - this is called cholecystectomy. If the Gall Bladder is left behind it is quite likely that further gall stones will form in it. There are two ways of removing the Gall Bladder and nowadays more than 90 per cent are removed by laparoscopic or keyhole surgery.This involves making four small cuts less than 1cm long in the abdomen and the use of a tiny camera inserted though one of these cuts to see the Gall Bladder. Other instruments are placed in the abdomen through the other cuts. If the operation is successful most patients are able to go home the day after surgery and return to normal everyday activities within two weeks.In some cases laparoscopic surgery is considered too dangerous or too difficult and it is then necessary to do a traditional or 'open' cholecystectomy. This involves making a cut in the abdomen between 9 and 18cm long. The patient will usually need to stay in hospital for at least five days and will not be able to return to work for six to eight weeks.
Source of Gall Bladder Info

Do I really think you care about Gall Bladders? Nope.
Did I ever care about Gall Bladders? Nope.
So, why am I bringing this up now? Because I am scheduled to have laparoscopic surgery to remove mine in early January.

The web information for those at risk is missing one:
- People who were at one time larger than they should be (needing large amounts of bile to digest the large amounts of Big Macs) and have since adopted a healthy life-style (no more Big Macs) have an increased risk. This is because the liver creates the amount of bile that the body has always needed - but since the fat isn't there, the bile just sits in the Gall Bladder and turns into stones as its shelf life expires (ok, so I added the shelf life part, but the rest is what the surgeon told me).

I guess this is where I qualify - loosing 60lbs in 12 months...Yep, that will do it.

The surgeon has cleared me to restart my gym work-outs (within reason, probably with my pain meds), so I should be back posting regularly after Christmas.

The only other thing that is floating around in my mind right now? Being forced into eating FAT FREE (or as close to it as you can get) SUCKS! But that is my life until about a week after surgery. It's going to make for a wonderful Holiday season.

Namaste.

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." - Jane Howard

Hmmm. . .

I was at the gym today.
I checked in at the desk.

I delivered a Christmas present.
I got on the bike.
I did a very slow 1.7 miles.

Anything more and I would be checking myself into the psych ward.
Who goes to the gym when they are on pain meds? Ok, maybe I am crazy!

Namaste.

Post for 12/12

I wasn't able to get a post up yesterday as I spent the late evening fighting some serious pain. Never fear - I am working on it and am hopeful that the doctors will find and fix everything that is wrong.

In other news, here is the finally finished decorative painting in the half bath.


Namaste.

Blogger Doesn't Like Me

I had a post all typed out and Blogger decided that it didn't like it. . .So it's gone.

Do I remember all of it? Nope. Can I recreate it? Not really - too much stuff to do and not enough hours in this day.

So - I'm off to fill up the last few hours before crashing.

Namaste.

"People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness." - John Wanamaker

Feelings

There is a freedom surrounding feelings:
- They belong to you.
- They are not wrong. . .They just are.
- No one has the right to say that someone else's feelings are incorrect.

I make an effort (I'm may not be 100% successful, but I try) to understand feelings that belong to others. If I did something that was misunderstood (or not) and caused some of those feelings, I want to understand. It is not my place to point fingers or place blame. It is my place to learn, to live and this is part of that experience.

At the same time, I take responsibility for my feelings. They are mine. I try to keep those feelings in "I" statements when discussing them. My opinion is that "you" statements have no place in these types of discussions.

Having said all of that - it still hurts when I share my feelings and then get bombarded with "you" statements that have nothing to do with my feelings or the situations that played a role in creating those feelings. I wish that more people would try to understand rather than jumping to conclusions.

The result? I closed down. I saw no reason to try to explain myself. I let it go. After all - they are my feelings. I understand them. I need to process them. I need to deal with them. It is about me.

Any attachment others may have to them is not about me. . .Those feelings belong to them.

Namaste.

"What you think of yourself is much more important than what others think of you." - Seneca

TSO

Two years ago, I saw the TransSiberianOrchestra show on a whim, by myself. Last night after a bit more planning, I saw the show in a group. I had raved about how good the show was. . .Very little (if any) singing and lots of awesome lights.

What the (*^%&^% did they do to the show? I was embarrassed that I had raved so much. There a lots of singers. . .Lots. . .Some not so good singers. There were about the same amount of lights, but some of the kewl ones were replaced by bright, white, strobe lights that were blinding.

On the up side, the drum solo (that I don't remember from two years ago) was unbelievable. The songs that were the combination of the orchestra and the 80s metal - outstanding.

Will I go back? Yep. Will I hope that the show from two years ago makes a return? Yep!

Namaste.

MMQB

I almost feel like I've talked way too much about the Bengals this week. . .Did I just say that? However, it is pretty normal for me to refer to Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com - and he had a lot (again) to say about Cincinnati:

They'll Be Bitter - CINCINNATI BENGALS
(Note: Not everyone agrees - some say we'll be celebrating)
Overall Record: 7-5 Conference Record: 5-3 Remaining games: Oakland, at Indianapolis, at Denver, Pittsburgh
What I like about the Bengals right now is their defense, which has come alive since the debacle against the Chargers, and the re-insertion of the unknown Caleb Miller at middle linebacker the following week at New Orleans. They're 3-0 since then, including an impressive slapping around of Baltimore last Thursday. I heard Ron Jaworski say the other day how much Carson Palmer has calmed down since his early-season struggles. That's the perfect way to put it. Palmer looks at ease now, like he did a year ago before his major knee surgery. You don't want to play the Bengals right now. You know why I'm not picking them? They're going to Indy and Denver when both foes will have a lot on the line. I've thought for a while that the Colts would be on the verge of wrapping up home-field through the playoffs when they met Cincinnati on Dec. 18, so Indy wouldn't have the same desperation. But now the Colts will be in a neck-and-neck scrum with the Chargers for home-field down the stretch. The Bengals may regret the Indy-Denver games on the schedule, but I say they'll look back on this year and say: "Losing at Tampa cost us a playoff spot.''

The Fine Fifteen
7. Cincinnati (7-5). Chad Johnson's last four games: 32 catches, 664 yards. But a very strange, quasi-silent appearance on the Football Night in America halftime show.

Offensive Players of the Week (Tie w/ four other groups/people listed)
Andrew Whitworth, Eric Steinbach, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Willie Anderson, the starting offensive line, Cincinnati. For keeping quarterback Carson Palmer clean against the best pass-rush in football, Baltimore's ... And doing it with three backups (Whitworth, Ghiaciuc and Andrews). He was sacked twice, once for zero yards and once after he fell down going back to pass, on a gimme sack. In the first 35 minutes, as the Bengals built a 13-0 lead, the line committed two false starts and no other infractions. A heck of a job by an underrated group.

Stat of the Week I
Since giving up 42 points in two quarters to San Diego on Nov. 12, the Bengals have surrendered 23 points in 12 quarters.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me
Including the pregame show, the Wendy's "Stuck in the Middle With You'' commercial, with the guy in the middle of two attractive gals in the backseat of a car on a winding road, aired seven times on NFL Network's telecast of the Ravens and Bengals last Thursday night.

Ten Things I Think I Think
1c. Great note by Jay Glazer on FOX, re Chad Johnson owing Sean Payton $1,600 for 10 tickets to the
Bengals-Saints game two weeks ago.
6. I think this is what I liked about Week 13:
a. Rookie Johnathan Joseph's play at cornerback for Cincinnati. He broke up four passes, and though his hands leave much to be desired, his quickness and gut instincts for the position are those of an NFL vet.
b. We laugh at Chad Johnson for his divaness, but he is one hell of a football player.

Namaste.

Hello!

Howdy all. . .Glad to see that you stopped by! Things here in my world have been a bit hectic to say the least. But that's a good thing - I hate being bored and my life is definitely not at a boring point right now.

My set of wheels is going into the shop tomorrow (thankfully it's still under warranty!) which means I take on the work schedule of the person with whom I am riding. In this case, it's BengalGal who has to be at work at 6:30am. Yes, you read that one correctly. So, I need to get to bed here shortly in order to function tomorrow.

I am trying to get a bunch of scrapbooking in-process things done this week so that the books are complete and where they are supposed to be. This is preferred over hauling all of the projects up into the office so that the dining room table can actually hold food during the Girls Night Out Party that I am co-hosting.

Which leads me to. . .CLEANING! Gee-man-nee. . .When am I going to get that done before the party? Yeah, yeah - I'm working on it (I hope).

Namaste.

Still Smiling

I didn't type much yesterday about the game, but I am still smiling today!

I read some other blogs (and here) and I think the concensus is:
The flea-flicker pass was awesome! I have to agree.


I had a different view of the game. My season tickets are in the south endzone (love my seats!). . .Yes, close to where the NFL broadcasting booth was. I ended up sitting in the north endzone right behind the goal post. I loved getting getting pictures from a different angle. I loved the attitudes of the people in that section. I had a great time!

I missed out on being really close to the NFL booth.

Does that bother me?
Nope.

Why?
Cause BabyGirl had her camera and I get copies of the pictures! :)


Namaste.

"On behalf of everyone in our organization, I want to say how incredible our crowd was at the Ravens game. The noise was particularly outstanding. A number of our defensive players commented to me about it, so I know it gave Baltimore’s offense a difficult situation to deal with. The fans came out in great numbers, even though it was a very wet night with the threat of storms in the area. They stood up for our team and came out and gave us the atmosphere we always strive to have in The Jungle. I want them to know how much it’s appreciated and how we look forward to the same level of support for our last two regular-season games against the Raiders and the Steelers.” - Marvin Lewis, Coach Cincinnati Bengals

Who Dey!

Sweet, sweet football game last night! Well worth taking two vacation days!

I took tons of pictures and had lots of fun, not to mention all of the champagne that we drank (can't tailgate without mimosas!).

Now it's time to get some dirt outta this house!

Namaste.