Of sinuses and things!

I had sinus surgery March 28 to reduce my turbinates, correct a deviated septum, and open up my maxillary sinuses.  It was quite an experience...the doctors who performed my surgery did a fantastic job and I am breathing much better now.  Certainly, the healing period is longer than I had anticipated...even after researching it online. They told me that the first week I would experience "some discomfort" when a more apt description would have been "you'll wish you were in a coma".  The first day wasn't bad, the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth were horrid.  The second thru fourth days I was bleeding and oozing out my nose.  I couldn't sleep, but couldn't comfortably be awake...it was a living nightmare of extreme discomfort - most of which I was alone for.  I had to prop myself up with pillows so that I wouldn't lean back and have the drainage running down my throat.  After the 3rd day, I was oozing both back and front in transition to oozing only down my throat and was quite the mouth-breather.  :/  Anyone considering this surgery should automatically request anti-nausia medicine.  The drainage made me so sick to my stomache...I lost 10lbs in a week. 
After the recovery period, I am doing SOOO much better and am *Really* glad I had the surgery.  :)  My nose feels, structurally, dainty (which it has never felt) and I am able to breathe so much better!  I didn't want my nose to look any different, which it doesn't.  All in all, I am glad I had the surgery.  I would have planned a bit differently had I known the recovery would have been as uncomfortable as it was initially - but I'm glad I did it.  The only thing that lingers now is that I get tired easily.  That was one side effect that I was not warned of, but have found from others who have had the surgery, is normal.  I've found that I need more rest as I heal up completely.  This has forced me to be a human "BEing" instead of a human "DOing", so that, as I see it, all-in-all - really isn't so much of a bad thing, now is it...  :)

Going Coastal!

So...been spending more time on South Padre Island on the weekends. I really, *really* enjoy it here. :) I started hanging out in Bada Bing Bagels on Padre Island Blvd and became friends with the owner, Andrea Liberatore. She's really a neat lady and lots of fun to hang out with. One day, as I was hanging out in the bagel shop on a windy, sandy un-beach day, one of the Island BOD came in and was talking about how her phone didn't work. I took a look at it and was able to fix it. :) After that, it happened that a liquor store in Laguna Vista needed some computer repair - and though I hadn't worked with Quickbooks Point of Sale or Financials before - I was able to fix that. Made a few extra $$$ (and was given some pretty good wine) and enjoyed the troubleshooting. This afternoon I may also work on Bada Bing's cash register upgrade. I'm really enjoying these weekend trips to SPI. :) I get to eat dinner on the porch, feel the breeze softly brush over my skin as I look at the ocean and hear the palm trees flutter...walk at night on the beach feeling that same healing breeze wash over me as I gaze over the beautiful waves glistening in the moonlight...and sleep in the arms of the man I love. What more could a human want?

Recap of CIMA event "Democracy, Dissent, and Digital Media in the Arab World": Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters | Center for International Media Assistance

Recap of CIMA event "Democracy, Dissent, and Digital Media in the Arab World": Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters | Center for International Media Assistance

Geek Girls Edit Wikipedia

Attention Ladies!!! Coming up is "Geek Girls Edit Wikipedia" weekend from March 11-13. Create or edit a wikipedia article about your favorite geeky topic! Women account for only 15% of all contributions, let's increase our participation in that community...

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org

I love the smell of grease in the morning...

:)

Changed my front disk brakes...fun hour and a half for me today.  Took me a bit longer than the auto shops, but then - I don't do this every day and hadn't changed them on this particular vehicle before.  So now 'baby got a new pair of shoes' - my 2003 Ford Escape has more stopping power!  ;)

So I started by getting most of the tools I thought I'd need and making sure I knew where to put the jack on the frame.  Then, after loosening the lug nuts, I jacked up the car, removed the lug nuts, and took off the tires.

Had to loosen the hex bolts first to get the caliper off...*after* I realized I didn't readily have the right size hex - dammit.  ;)  There's always *something* you're missing and have to get!  ;)

Had to use a flathead screw driver to push the bolt out of the way once it was loosened.

Removed the old spring from the brake assembly.

Opened her up and GEEZE it was time to change them.  Side by side view of the brake pads.

Used a C Clamp and the old brake pad to push the fluid back into the master cylinder...

I.....don't know why I took this photo...er..proly to show the thickness of the new pad.  :D

New pads put into the assembly...aren't they purty!?!?!?!

Fit the assembly back in and line up the bolts to the holes...

Gotta love the socket action...!

It's all on and purty!  :)

Make sure everything is lined up properly...

Don't forget the springs!  After you get the tires back on - it's important to tighten the lug nuts AFTER you take the vehicle off of the jack.  Also important to test and pump your brakes *before* you start rolling!  ;)

Grubby hands....

Grubbiness...but no blood!  :)

I highly recommend Fast Orange for getting that pesky grease off - it's a great exfoliant for your hands, too!

Art ROCKS in Mile Canyon...

So...I went to the Rock Art Foundation Rendezvous and participated in 2 very awesome hikes.  The first was Halo Shelter - an amazingly colorful panel of rock art with multiple anthropomorphs and animals.  The second was a hike through most of Mile Canyon near Langtry, Texas.  There were several sites I took pictures of, including "Bonfire Shelter" where multitudes of buffalo were slaughtered after being driven off the cliff above, and even saw the largest Tinaja ever recorded at the end of the canyon.  It was a very interesting weekend in the Seminole Canyon area.  :)

 Pictured above is part of Mile Canyon as you hike towards Bonfire Shelter

 Mile Canyon...you can see Eagle Cave on the left side part way up the canyon. You can see there's the typical Texas windmill on top of the canyon on the right!  :)

Part of the canyon that was INFESTED with Monarch Butterflies as they migrated...it was quite beautiful!  :)

View from Eagle Cave in Mile Canyon

Largest recorded tinaja at the very end of the canyon.  Surprisingly, there were an abundance of frogs hanging out there.  :)

View from the other side of the largest recorded tinaja.

Frog Princes...?  The tinaja was quite the SPA resort for the frogs...

?

Judge Roy Bean museum: remains found in the canyon.  This was a skull of a mother and child who were likely brutally murdered.

Arrowhead collection from those found in the canyon.

More arrowheads from the canyon.

Remains found in Mile Canyon of a 30ish yr old male who died from chagras (assassin beetle).

Me in my baggy field gear with Jack Skiles, historian and author of "Judge Roy Bean Country".  He was gracious enough to show us his personal museum and allow us to access the canyon from his back yard.

Eagle Cave in Mile Canyon.

No country for old goats!

Very interesting rock formations in a particularly boulder-ridden part of the canyon.

RAF Rendezvous this weekend! :)

There's a Rock Art Rendezvous this weekend that should be fairly interesting.  :)  Check it out!

http://www.fellowpages.org/rockart/news.cfm?newsid=116