PC connector, digital slaves and pro-lens.

Consumer digital SLR cameras have a few things lacking like a PC connector. Using a manual flash from the film era to a digital camera requires this little attachment. I have one but I happen to destroy it when the PC male cable end got stuck to the hotshoe adapter and I turned it to loosen it, like the way we do. Well it was so stuck that the port itself twisted and the wiring inside was severed from the port within the adapter. Cheaply made I should say but cables getting stuck is so uncommon. This happens if the PC connectors are brand spanking new. The old ones are worn out so they never get stuck.

Off to the store I went. They don't sell the type of hotshoe Wein that I have anymore. They have some German made adapters now. It cost me about $15. It's actually better as I can attach another flash on it. The bad thing is it dosn't have a screw lock like the old one. They also have a Wein slave that ignores the preflash of digital cameras. The old peanut slaves that I have fires during the preflash, messing up the photograph. This puppy is $70. It enables me to use my point and shoot digital and slave the Vivitar 285HV. I get really nice pics this way. The built in flash just doesn't throw enough power. The 285 HV gives the point and shoot some extra flash power.

I saw speck of dirt in my lovely 70-200 mm f2.8L IS USM cannon lens. I was pissed. I asked the man behind the counter where I bought the hotshoe what to do with it. He said to check it for image problems by shooting some backlit subjects. When I got home after dinner at a Thai restaurant, I shot myself with backlighting. No problems so far. This lens cost a fortune and having some speck of dirt inside just pisses me off. Fortunately, it doesn't affect the images. Thank god.

Football football football

It's been a while since I watched 9 hours of college football. Today was a special day. The #2 Univ. of Auburn was defeated by an unranked team from Arkansas. Upset of the week. My team the #3 USC Trojans barely squeaked pass the (unranked) Washington Huskies at home. The are unbeaten and may go up the rankings now that Auburn is out of the picture. We have a few injured players that's why things are a little unremarkable.

I almost missed the SC game as it was advertised to start at 3:30 p.m. PST. Well, it started at 1:00 p.m. PST. Lies, lies, lies.

The weather is getting a lot cooler now. It's amazing what a season makes. Fall is great. Thank God I don't have seasonal trees. I hate raking leaves.

I started watching the UCLA vs Arizona game but I lost interest. UCLA was winning. I want them to lose. The Cal game was also on but I can't stand that uniform they're wearing. The signal from my antenna was poor and the cable signal really sucks so the gold looks like cheese on t.v. Annoying as heck. So I switched to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Reality show. Now that is entertainment. 40 fit and gorgeous women doing high kicks and splits on itsy bitsy shorts. Palpitations for sure.

The Dodgers was trailing from the NY mets. I think they will be swept three games. Oh well. Oakland is moving on the next level, humphrr, I hate the A's.

Tomorrow is Pro football day. Heehaaw!

Update, the Dodgers were swept by the Mets. Oh well, until next spring.

Random thoughts.

I reconnected with my old physician. He is better than Kaiser's or others I've seen in the past as he spends time to teach and talk to me about my medical needs. He is a young Chinese doctor that is the thinking type. He actually sits in the exam room with his laptop and discusses my needs.

He stated that he has a way of talking to patients that makes them uncomfortable. He is strict with his demands. He wants his patients to follow his directions but life and poor habits sometimes his demands impossible. I told him that the reason I went back to him is because he is strict and demanding. Most people will get turned off because he will get upset that you are not following his medical suggestions. I, on the other hand, need to be pushed to get motivated in taking care of myself.

My new insurance, to my surprise, covers my new medication and older meds that wasn't usually covered. I finally have a decent coverage. The pharmacist was also surprised that they covered it. It cost about $200 a month if not covered. $40 with insurance.


My guitar playing is still in its infancy. My fat fingers are having a heck of a time getting over other strings. I think with time, they will know what to do. I felt some sharp pain on my right wrist the other day at work. I wasn't holding the guitar right, causing some tendonitis of some sort. I ordered a book online on how to play the guitar.

Sarge is being a punk. Barking in the middle of the night. Digging sounds that wakes me up. I'm ready to send him to the pound. I need to train him to be outside but with winter coming that will be a tad inhumane.

A coworker gave me the telephone number of her cousin. She said she's 37 years old and really nice and a virgin. Why is being a virgin so important? It's so old school. Hey, I'm not complaining or anything. It's nice to know that she's not a slut or something. Everytime I think of calling her my chest tightens. Am I ready to date? It's been so long.

Engineering dream.

I once again have the feelings of wanting to be an engineer. There is a huge demand for civil engineers at CalTrans. Nursing seems to be just too hard and I'm getting restless. I found an engineering forum that talks about the profession. To my great surprise, there is a great consensus that engineering consists of performing non-engineering jobs. One petroleum engineer stated "Unfortunately, someone didn't tell you that 50% of engineering is clerical, 40% is repetitive boredom, and 10% is making coffee and photocopying." An electrical engineer responded "Without the 10% towards coffee-making, the distribution would be: 50% staring at random point on desk, 30% clerical and 20% repetitive boredom. In my organization, it seems as if we devote >50% on meetings. We have meetings to schedule meetings!"

Very few talented engineers get the design jobs. Only after a few years of knowing all the building codes can one really get into designing buildings. Wow. What are my chances of going back to a field that is not even my major? I may have to reassess my dream and look at another angle at this. I read somewhere that if I do a matrix of my skills, I can come up with a new niche that no one is supporting.

Yesterday was not a bad day except for the doctor who can't find shit in the chart. Eight years of education and residency plus atleast 20 years of being a doctor didn't give this shit head of a doctor the skill to find data in a chart. Reminds me of a phlemwad doctor who wants me to read the chart for him over the phone. Now that is a real winner. He complained to the supervisor that I have an attitude. I told the supervisor he is upset because he can't find anything in the chart and I found it for him. I should have told the super he was upset because a nurse outsmarted his dumb MD mind and that he is an idiot.

We have a 400 lbs patient. Nice guy who broke his knee by stepping the wrong way. Sounds weird but true. He tore a muscle where it connects to his patella. At his weight, any muscle will tear when it's used wrong. Transfering him from the wheel chair to bed was a herniating experience. I tried to assist him, lifting him will be stupid. We were able to get him over by using a hoyer lift. It's like a crane on the ceiling, he hangs on to it while the crane lifts him up. That crane can lift 400 lbs. Great tool.

Weekends...

are usually nice at Casa. Last weekend was an exception. We have a new bunch of patients who are new to rehab and still on the earlier stages of grieving. Anger and denial abound in the halls. Patients are riding the call light and I have a few on bowel program. The CNA was busy and I'm picking up the slack.

Bowel program is initiated when the patient doesn't have a b.m. for 48 hours. Patients who get plenty of pain meds by injection (IV) experiences low bowel motility thus no b.m. or impaction. Impaction is bad as I have the duty to dig the sonofabitch out. The most disgusting goddamn aweful nursing procedure. I've done it in a nursing home many moons ago. It's a daily thing here in rehab.

A patient of mine had a car accident and he's a little looney. Young guy. I walked in the room greeted everyone pleasantly and went on my business. I noticed his IV site was gone. he said he pulled it out. The father was in the bathroom, just finished shaving his son. He asked me with an attitude where I was when his son was sitting on shit. I tried to explain to him that his son didn't want to use a bedpan but used a urinal. The dipshit father told me that I didn't have to defend myself. I told him I'm not and I'm just answering his questions. he went ballistic and started yelling at me and pointing his finger to my face. I turned around and left. Man, that is what I get for caring for his bozo son. I was really peeved. I reported the incident to the supervisor and wrote an incident report. I also talked to his doctor and he told me it was an unusual bahavior for the father. Dr. P told me that he is still trying to cope on his son's condition. Ah, the anger phase of grieving. I don't give a shit, no one talks to me like that. I am no one's slave.

I swtiched assignments with the LVN in my team. She didn't mind. I picked up her patient who had his legs amputated and is on dialysis. Complications of high blood pressure and diabetes. This dude is so non-compliant he doesn't know what hid meds do. A sad story retold many times with diabetics with high blood pressure. Medications are expensive and compliance is very hard. People enjoys to practice their bad habits. He wishes he still have his legs. Oh well, he should have taken care of himself.

My saving grace was a very nice 84 year old lady. She only calls for potty and we even found her trying to wear a pair of diapers by herself. She told us she didn't want to bother anyone. She was so cute. A chubby elderly lady that is still cognisant of her surroundings.

Two rooms down is an elderly jewish lady of poor disposition. She yells for help and a real pain to the posterior. She has a room mate that feeds to her negative energy. After physical therapy complained about this disturbing social dynamics, the two ladies were judiciously separated.

Having three days off and going back to work to this conditions should be banned. My greatest wish is that someday, nurses can get people arrested for talking nasty to them. There should be a law to prohibit hostility to nurses. The only barrier that I see is that some women are suckers for punishment. The smart ones take the stand.

The phlemwad father realized his wrong ways and brought some muffins from Costco, a gesture that is too little and too late. A $1000 in a white envelope is much more appreciated.