01 March 2015
Ambiguous is my New Favorite Word
01/03/15 19:31
So a lot of stuff happened this week. Last Thursday we headed over to Vancouver for another PET scan. For those of you that don’t remember this is where they take a tracer containing highly radioactive material that generates anti matter out of a steel and lead shielded container and inject it into your arm. They then tell you how safe it all is and then flee the room for 40 minutes. Then they put you in a large machine that spends 20 minutes seeing how the radiation settled in your body. While this is going on they hide in a remote lead lined shielded room telling you how safe the procedure is over the intercom. Afterwards you can go home, as long as that does not involve crossing the border or going to the airport or anywhere near pregnant women, children, or anyone with an immune disease.
I felt so reassured.
As we were going across the water to the mainland anyway, we went over on Thursday and spent the night in Bellingham, Washington, The Happiest Place on Earth. Friday morning we got some Tillimook cheese and Grape Nuts, along with a few other things and headed back to Canada. We still had time before my test so we stopped at Ikea to look around a bit. When did Ikea get to be so cheap? I mean they never were super top quality, but now we noticed that most of their stuff just looked shoddy. Their top of the line kitchens and such were still decent looking, though if we were going to pay that much we’d go with a better brand anyway, but everything else below that just looked cheap. Oh and one more note about Ikea: You’re not fooling anyone, we know those aren’t actual Swedish words. You’re making up the names as you go and frankly the department that deals with that is getting pretty lazy. Seriously, you have a mattress pad that you call a “Go Kart”.
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/40281220/?query=gokart
OK you put some dots over the vowels but you’re not fooling anyone.
And then there is the entire bedroom suite where every piece is called a Hurdal
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/search/?query=HURDAL
I mean seriously? Even in Swedish a nightstand and a bed frame and a closet don’t have the same name.
After my scan we headed for home. After a bit of confusion at English Bay, a ship had broken down and all sailings were full, we dashed across town to Tsawwassen. We made the 8:15 pm ferry and got home before 11:00. While we were waiting for the ferry, my scan, or something else, we waited a lot that day, I had a thought. Eventually I’m going to attend a funeral as the guest of honour. When that happens I told Marsha I want the event to start PRECISELY at 1:00. I then want them to wheel me in PRECISELY at 1:12, with a sign on the coffin that says “Sorry I’m Late.”
I figure that last laugh wins.
At work we were quite busy. Early in the week we had a huge shipment, two pallets, going to a major trade show. At the end of the week we had a couple of more large shipments go out. Mid week we were told that the local Global Television station was sending someone over to do a story on Inuktun. We set some equipment up and on Thursday she showed up. I helped out in the background when needed and generally tried to keep out of the way and the shot. This was after all Colin the CEO’s, event. Suddenly the reporter turned and said she wanted some footage of me. The next thing I know I’m, standing there with a microphone on, staring into the camera answering questions about the MicroTrac. That’s how I ended up in the story. Fortunately I wore a good shirt. Oddly enough a shirt I had just gotten in Bellingham a few days before.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1854130/bc-built-robo-snake-will-explore-fukushima-reactors/
Here’s another story about it from the Nanaimo Daily News
http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/city-robotics-firm-assists-in-probe-of-reactors-in-japan-1.1777912
On Friday I had a conference call with my Oncologist to review the PET scan. So as to not keep you in suspense I’ll just tell you that it was pretty much clear. No hot spots. Now the Doctor said the results were “ambiguous”. He said there were a couple of spots that looked “odd” and they wanted to keep an eye on them. Keep in mind though that this is the doctor who is exceptionally capable but comes across as very blunt and pessimistic. I think I’ve mentioned him before. We jokingly call him Dr. Mary Sunshine and I suspect he could depress Mary Poppins. So if the worst he could come up with was “ambiguous” we took that as great news.
Celebrated with pizza and beer Friday night.
And finally on Saturday Marsha and I went out for an extra special date together, at the dentist. My checkup went smoothly with no problems found. They want me back in six months. Marsha, well, they want her back in four ‘Nuff said. We then went out to lunch at Frankie’s. It’s a great place. Anyone who comes to visit us should stop at Frankie’s. If we don’t take you, remind us.
PIX: Marsha made an evil Apple Pie. Venus de’ Kitty-cat. Imoto lounging at the bar.
I felt so reassured.
As we were going across the water to the mainland anyway, we went over on Thursday and spent the night in Bellingham, Washington, The Happiest Place on Earth. Friday morning we got some Tillimook cheese and Grape Nuts, along with a few other things and headed back to Canada. We still had time before my test so we stopped at Ikea to look around a bit. When did Ikea get to be so cheap? I mean they never were super top quality, but now we noticed that most of their stuff just looked shoddy. Their top of the line kitchens and such were still decent looking, though if we were going to pay that much we’d go with a better brand anyway, but everything else below that just looked cheap. Oh and one more note about Ikea: You’re not fooling anyone, we know those aren’t actual Swedish words. You’re making up the names as you go and frankly the department that deals with that is getting pretty lazy. Seriously, you have a mattress pad that you call a “Go Kart”.
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/40281220/?query=gokart
OK you put some dots over the vowels but you’re not fooling anyone.
And then there is the entire bedroom suite where every piece is called a Hurdal
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/search/?query=HURDAL
I mean seriously? Even in Swedish a nightstand and a bed frame and a closet don’t have the same name.
After my scan we headed for home. After a bit of confusion at English Bay, a ship had broken down and all sailings were full, we dashed across town to Tsawwassen. We made the 8:15 pm ferry and got home before 11:00. While we were waiting for the ferry, my scan, or something else, we waited a lot that day, I had a thought. Eventually I’m going to attend a funeral as the guest of honour. When that happens I told Marsha I want the event to start PRECISELY at 1:00. I then want them to wheel me in PRECISELY at 1:12, with a sign on the coffin that says “Sorry I’m Late.”
I figure that last laugh wins.
At work we were quite busy. Early in the week we had a huge shipment, two pallets, going to a major trade show. At the end of the week we had a couple of more large shipments go out. Mid week we were told that the local Global Television station was sending someone over to do a story on Inuktun. We set some equipment up and on Thursday she showed up. I helped out in the background when needed and generally tried to keep out of the way and the shot. This was after all Colin the CEO’s, event. Suddenly the reporter turned and said she wanted some footage of me. The next thing I know I’m, standing there with a microphone on, staring into the camera answering questions about the MicroTrac. That’s how I ended up in the story. Fortunately I wore a good shirt. Oddly enough a shirt I had just gotten in Bellingham a few days before.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1854130/bc-built-robo-snake-will-explore-fukushima-reactors/
Here’s another story about it from the Nanaimo Daily News
http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/city-robotics-firm-assists-in-probe-of-reactors-in-japan-1.1777912
On Friday I had a conference call with my Oncologist to review the PET scan. So as to not keep you in suspense I’ll just tell you that it was pretty much clear. No hot spots. Now the Doctor said the results were “ambiguous”. He said there were a couple of spots that looked “odd” and they wanted to keep an eye on them. Keep in mind though that this is the doctor who is exceptionally capable but comes across as very blunt and pessimistic. I think I’ve mentioned him before. We jokingly call him Dr. Mary Sunshine and I suspect he could depress Mary Poppins. So if the worst he could come up with was “ambiguous” we took that as great news.
Celebrated with pizza and beer Friday night.
And finally on Saturday Marsha and I went out for an extra special date together, at the dentist. My checkup went smoothly with no problems found. They want me back in six months. Marsha, well, they want her back in four ‘Nuff said. We then went out to lunch at Frankie’s. It’s a great place. Anyone who comes to visit us should stop at Frankie’s. If we don’t take you, remind us.
PIX: Marsha made an evil Apple Pie. Venus de’ Kitty-cat. Imoto lounging at the bar.