Thunder of Wade

ambien

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On July 25, 2009

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My room-mate has trouble sleeping after the long drive back. So, he decided to take an Ambien.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve heard about the side effects of this stuff – but it is seriously dangerous.
He took a dose last night and fell asleep in the tub. I managed to wake him up about 1:20 AM since I had to use the bathroom and it took me a while to convince him that he was actually in the tub and needed to get out of the tub, get dressed, and go to bed.
Then things got weird. He didn’t recognize me, had no sense of balance, and was increasingly irrational. At one point he tried to choke me, but his lack of balance worked in my favor and I fought him off with a body slam into the closet door. I tried to keep him from going downstairs – afraid that he would fall – but his paranioa kicked in and he fought me on that as well. I gave up and helped him downstairs and then back up – with him fighting me most of the way. I finally got him settled and went to bed myself – with a sword at my side and a locked door. At this point, I didn’t realize he’d taken anything and figured he’s just gone insane.
This morning, I woke him up at 11:45 and asked him to explain what had happened. He had no memory of anything that had happened after he got in the tub after taking the now admitted ambien. I detailed everything that had happened and he apologized. I also made him throw out the ambien.
So, welcome back from your vacation – right into a drug fueled nightmare.
To the “Committee for the Most Understanding Roommate award” – don’t bother with a plaque, just send cash.
I forgot to ask him if he slept well – I sure didn’t.

beach trip – summary

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On July 25, 2009

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I did a lot of swimming on this trip – more than I’ve done in the past. I think the total was around 14 miles – not too shabby. Someone asked me what I thought about out in the ocean and the answer is – not much. I mostly just paid attention to the stokes I was using and my breathing and trying to time the waves.

I did a lot of reading – I think I got through 7 books while I was there. Spent a lot of time in the sun and got a kick-ass tan. No burn this year, I was careful.
I wore my square-cut speedos while I was swimming and while I was working on my tan. I was a little self-conscious, but only a little. The swimming over the years has paid off and I felt okay about how I looked. I’ve swum in the ocean in board shorts and it does make a difference.
In the evenings, I played a bit of PSP and enjoyed the games I brought.
Overall – I did very little on my vacation. As it should be.

beach trip – part 3

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On July 25, 2009

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7/19/2009

Went to Trip’s for dinner – the Crab Cake this time around had peppers in it. I spent the rest of the evening burping the taste and it was not pleasant. We headed to the Ripley’s Aquarium – which was one part lame and one part totally awesome. The had a viewing area with a saltwater tank full of sting-rays – really amazing. There were also aquariums with jelly fish and moray eels. The best, though, was the tunnel under the aquarium that was full of fish – and sharks. Amazing to see them swim overhead. And a little scary too.
One strange note – there was a sign outside about homeland security level at “elevated”. Dunno why Ripley’s Aquarium would be a target. They also had a uniformed security guard taking the tickets at the door.
45 minute ocean swim
7/20/2009
I swam twice again – the regular mile and then another 22 minutes for catch up. We went back to Drunken Jack’s again – this time with a bit shorter wait. The sever recognised us from our earlier visit. 🙂
45 minute ocean swim
22 minute ocean swim
7/21/2009
We had been told that the buoys just off the beach were part of the EPA study. So, after my regular swim and after the lifeguard was done for the day, I swam out to take a look. They were labeled “hazard area” – so, I still don’t know what they were all about. It also rained again while I was swimming.
45 minute ocean swim
7/22/2009
We were planning on coming back, but instead decided to stay an extra day. I swam for about 22 minutes before my left knee and hip started to bother me. I took a break for a bit and then swam again. Also, I had two people within 10 minutes of each other shout “shark” and point near me. I don’t know if they thought I was a shark or if they were trying to scare me – but it pissed me off something fierce.
22 minute ocean swim
22 minute ocean swim
7/23/2009
Return home. The drive was even longer coming back. Lots of traffic and accidents – including a pre-fab home that fell off a truck and crash on the highway. There was also a huge thunderstorm while I was driving. My room-mate was nervous, but I just kept focused on the road and we did okay. Coming back when we did will give us both a few days to recover before heading back to work.

beach trip – part 2

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On July 25, 2009

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7/14/2009

Went to Drunken Jack’s for dinner – there was an over 2 hour wait. We’ve been to this place before and the food – while okay – isn’t really worth the wait time. But, it’s tradition, so we waited.
45 minute ocean swim
7/15/2009
Took a trip to the Piggly Wiggly for food and supplies. We didn’t have a “pig card” and so were denied the benefits of the “greenbacks”. Whatever that means. The crew played a round of “scene it” – I was the MC and tried to keep things on track.
45 minute ocean swim
7/16/2009
I tried my first Crab Cake today – it was quite good to my surprise. I also finished up the 4th of my vampire books I brought. Hey, if all you do all day is swim and sit in the sun, the books go by pretty fast. I swam twice again today – and got called in from the water by the lifeguard. Apparently, the water I was in was too deep and I had to go to “waist deep”. Let me tell you, it’s tough to swim in waist deep water in the ocean.
45 minute ocean swim
45 minute ocean swim
7/17/2009
I hung out with my room-mate’s niece and nephew and we threw “toy-pedoes” at each other in the pool for a couple hours. I think they wore me out. It also might have been the short swim in the ocean – the waves and the wind were so rough that I ended up about a 1/2 mile behind where I started. I cut the swim short since I was tired and didn’t want to get hurt. Later that evening, my room-mate wanted to send a note to a message board he’s on for people that meet up while on vacation. So, reluctantly, I set up my PSP to connect to the free Internet. He wrote up a note, I showed him how to input text – and then he realized the “novel” he’d written would take forever to enter. He re-wrote it and I put the text in. Technically speaking, this wasn’t “my” Internet usage, but I still felt a little dirty.
22 minute ocean swim
7/18/2009
The rest of the crew left early in the morning, but my room-mate and I packed up to wait for the new condo to be available. (we couldn’t get the same place for 2 weeks). While we were waiting, we head to Books-A-Million to restock (I was almost out of books) and when we got back we unpacked again and I hit the ocean again – this time, I had to dodge surfers.
45 minute ocean swim

beach trip – part 1

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On July 25, 2009

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Just got back from the annual beach trip with my room-mate and his family to Surfside Beach in South Carolina. I took some notes, so… here it goes.

7/10/2009 – the drive down. Took 10 hours straight through and we stayed at the Day’s Inn the first night since we couldn’t get into the condo yet. I drove about 2/3 of the way and was tired and cranky when we finally arrived – and even more so with the stupid slow elevators.
7/11/2009 – I woke up in time to witness a very slow and boring car accident from the balcony. Two cars, pulling out at the same time, slowly backed into each other. There was minimal damage and no one was hurt, so it was pretty funny.
We got moved into the condo and I noted that the owners had free wireless set up. I vowed to resist the urge to set it up and connect to the ‘net.
I also hit the ocean for my first swim of the trip. It’s hard to gauge the distance, but I know in the pool I can do a lap in just over a minute at my normal speed. 36 laps equals a mile, so I decided that if I can do 45 minutes in the ocean, I’m pretty confident that I’m doing at least a mile. So:
45 minute ocean swim
That night, I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and snuck out to the beach to do some streaking. Hey, it was very late and no one else was around. When else am I going to do it?
7/12/2009
The EPA was conducting a survey on the beach about water quality – and with the lure of a free tote bag and a check for $25 – how could I say no? Actually, I would have done it for free, but they had a grant and a process. I hit the water twice – and was very tired out when I was done. So:
45 minute ocean swim
45 minute ocean swim

7/13/2009
The whole group when to Angelo’s for dinner. Later, we played a card game called “screw your neighbor”. There’s some strategy and luck involved – and I managed to win $9. Yea!
Earlier in the day I hit the ocean for a swim and got rained on. I didn’t stop of course – I was already wet.
45 minute ocean swim

pelham, fireworks, pillow, vibrate

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On July 2, 2009

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I went and saw The Taking of Pelham 123 last night. It was a pretty good flick with plenty of suspense and action, but plot was a little thin and I figured it out pretty early on. Denzel and Travolta were both good – I’d give the movie a solid thumbs up. I generally like my movies with a little less realism, but it was enjoyable.

When I got home, the neighbor kids on the other side of the trees in the backyard were setting off fireworks. At 10:15 PM. Now, I know it’s almost the 4th of July, but it wasn’t yet there and was really annoying – especially since I was getting ready to go to sleep.
So, I got a flashlight and a substantial pocket knife (just in case there was a fireworks luvin mob of zombies over there ’cause you never know) and walked across the backyard and through the trees to the cul–de-sac. I saw the teen-ager that was setting off the fireworks and I approached him. I asked if he was about done and he asked why. I responded that I had an early day at work the tomorrow and that I lived right over there. I told him to wrap it up and save them for the 4th. I turned to walk away and he responded with “whatever” – but either he was really out of fireworks or he actually listened to me because the fireworks stopped.
So, yea me. I did feel really old with the “hey, you kids. Hold it down,” – but not everyone is on summer vacation, dang-it.
I needed the help with the sleeping environment since I’ve switched to a new pillow. Apparently, my snoring can be heard from the street and causes a seismic event that knocks cars off the road. The new pillow apparently stops this entirely, but it very difficult to adapt too. It’s been a couple of nights now and I’m having trouble falling asleep and then waking up in the night. I’m also having seriously screwed up dreams. They are too disjointed to remember, but the general impression is that I need some professional counseling.
Finally, our building is shaking (“Regan, why aren’t you in your room? My bed was shaking”)
They are doing construction work to put in a ramp right next to the building and the machinery is making the whole building vibrate. I think they’re finally done now, but it was pretty intense for a while.
Well, got a bunch of stuff to catch up on from my two days of usability testing – better get back to it. After a trip to chipotle, of course.
later…

cake, minion, cold, testing

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On June 30, 2009

In Uncategorized

My room-mate’s birthday was this past Sunday. He’s usually at the beach with his family on vacation, so I decided to do something a little different. Since I’m not really much of a baker or a cook, I found a no-bake cheesecake mix. I also grated some Heath bars to put in the mix. The crust didn’t work as well as I hoped, but it turned out pretty good – we ate some while sitting outside enjoying the weather on Sunday evening.

I also got him a DVD set for when he’s stuck at home after his neck surgery. And a fake lemon tree plant and some real lemonade mix. He’s been feeling a little picked on at work recently and I thought a friendly reminder on attitude might help. I didn’t make any “age” jokes – I already get letters from AARP wanting me to sign up – so, I didn’t want to go down that road.
In other news… I picked up the Overlord game for the PS3. I have this for the PC, but could never get it to run. It’s a blast to play and really funny. I’m making good progress and really enjoying it.
Yesterday, I headed up to the rec center for my swim. And though I was pre-warned about the lack of hot water – it was still rough taking a shower afterwards. I was still damp from the pool so I soaped up first – then turned on the cold water and rinsed as fast as I could. I suppose I could have skipped the shower, but I figured a little cold in the short term was better than somewhat itchy for the rest of the day.
Finally, I’m working with the crew on some usability testing again. My roll is mostly “keep track of the tech and render the video” – so, I’m keeping up with my emails and waiting quietly.
Better get back to the email and check in… later…

flush, pool

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On June 24, 2009

In Uncategorized

Yesterday afternoon, I headed to the restroom here at work. It was the kind of trip that, had I been at home, I would have had a book with me. But I was at work and bookless and proceeded to do my business without any reading material. Before I sat down, however, I noted that the toilet now had an automatic flush device installed. It looked like this.

Now, I’m not generally fond of auto-flushing toilet and urinals since I either can’t get them to acknowledge that I exist or I can’t get them to stop.
But, my needs were urgent and I was at the mercy of the technology. When I was done, I stood up and the auto-flush device made it’s usual noise – but then nothing else happened.
No flush.
I sat back down for a moment – then stood back up. I will also admit to feeling a little stupid about this. Same noise – no flush.
I check the device and notice that there was a manual button. Relieved, I tried that. Same noise, but still no flush.
I tried a couple more times with the same result.
So, now what?
I washed my hands at the sink and left – then called the building coordinator to report the problem and got his voice mail. Next, I called the Facilities dispatch office and reported it to them. The building coordinator called me back and I confirmed what I’d done.
Then I made up an out of order sign, posted that on the door to the stall, and went back to work. I mean, what else could I do?
I got the update today that it’s been resolved, so I guess things are back to normal. Or as close as we can expect.
In other news… I hit the pool today and it was once again filled with screaming children. And I mean screaming. Like some kind of sonic weapon – really intense. The lifeguard cleared a lane and I did my laps. They had cleared out before I was done, so at least the last bit was more calm. On a related note, a little more digging on the Swim for Diabetes site revealed some contradictions on length vs. lap – I may have earned the ribbon after all.
Work has really sucked this afternoon. I’ll be really glad to get out of here today.
later…

father, uncle, guest, 100

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On June 23, 2009

In Uncategorized

I went to visit my folks for Father’s Day this past weekend. Unfortunatly, Dad had to work all day on Saturday, so I only got to see him a bit on Friday and Saturday evening – though we had more time on Sunday.

On Saturday morning, when my sister came over for breakfast, she asked me a question.
“So, do you want to be called Uncle Anthony or Uncle Wade?”
Yea! My little sister is having a baby! She’s about 8 weeks along and is due in January – just a little after my birthday.
My sister, mom, and I hung out on Saturday. We talked about baby stuff, my sister’s food aversions, and about names a bit. My brother-in-law got there in the evening from a business trip and Dad got in a bit later from work.
On Sunday, after everyone got back from church, dad invited one of his friends and caretaker over for lunch. Dad’s friend has a really severe case of cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheel chair. His caretaker wheeled him in and right over in front of me where I was sitting – and then everyone went off to do their own things. So, things were a little forced – and somewhat awkward. After a little bit I was able to understand him, but it took a tremendous increase in mental processing power on my part to understand him, stay focused on what he was saying, and keep the flow of conversation going. After a bit, we had lunch and the guy and his caretaker stayed. And he dominated the conversation and ended up overstaying his welcome. Dad eventually told him it was time for him to leave. A little blunt, but I guess he and Dad understand each other and I don’t think offense was meant or taken.
We did the Father’s day thing and I had a bite to eat before I had to get on the road.
Finally, I got an email from the Cleveland Diabetes Association. It was a follow up to the Swim for Diabetes event and made mention of those people who were in the 100 Club. Except, it turns out that it was the 100 laps club – not 100 lengths. Which was kind of weird since all the measurments for the event were in lengths. When I finished up my swim of 150 lengths – 75 laps – they handed me a ribbon for the 100 club.
And I don’t think I really earned it. Which bothers me a bit. I’m debating taking another Saturday morning to swim 100 laps and “earn” the ribbon.
Well, time to get back to work.
later…

resolved, tea, mirror, planet, 48, call

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On June 16, 2009

In Uncategorized

I think my room-mate and I have mostly resolved things. I’m still slightly cranky over the way things went, but I’m getting over it. So, back to the news of the ordinary and slightly weird…

I’ve told stories of how my Dad makes iced tea – he adds water to a plastic jug, adds teabags and seals it up, then throws it in the hot tub for a bit. With this in mind, my room-mate decided to make some sun tea outside this past weekend. I didn’t pay much attention to the process until he asked me how long it took. I told him to base it on the color – when it’s dark, it’s done. He said it was already dark and I realized I remembered him filling the teapot.
“Wait,” I said, “Did you start with hot water?” He said he did.
“With sun tea, the sun heats the water so it brews. If you start with hot water and then put it in the sun, well, you’re double brewing it,”
The tea, needless to say, was very strong. But, not too bad with a lot of sugar.
In other news… stayed up late watching Mirrors last night. Good flick, a little predictable and very gory. It was after midnight before I hit the sack – which made the morning that much more difficult. Also, I avoided looking in the mirror when I got ready for work.
I played a bunch of Little Big Planet yesterday – excellent game and a lot of fun. I think I may try a bit more of the level building feature this afternoon – or I may sell some of my PS2 games and pick up another one for the PS3.
I got my new blood donor card the other day – I’m up to 48 pints donated. That’s 6 gallons lifetime. Not too bad. I think I’m eligible to give again in the first part of July.
Finally, I got a call at home last night. It was an akron number, but I didn’t recognize it. I answered anyway and the girl asked for me by name. She said she was calling from The University of Akron Alumni office and asked if she could verify my address and if I wanted to provide an employer. I hesitated a moment, then told her, “The University of Akron”. We both laughed a bit and she verified my uakron email address. Then she asked if I wanted to donate to the college of business and I politely declined and ended the call.
I guess that’s it for now. It’s a pretty quiet morning here again, but there’s work to be done.
later…

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