I got a sweet volunteer job on Facebook, listening to the Fire/EMS scanner frequencies and posting stuff that happens.  Sweet for about a week.  Though the job would be something I'd love to do, I couldn't do it without feeling guilty about all the other things I'm not getting done - potentially worthwhile causes.    I saw the writing on the wall almost immediately after starting, but I stuck with it until my Sister had her second seizure. 

It's all about priorities.

No, I'm not blaming her for it.  Indeed, my contribution to any effort expended in her care that day was negligible.  She was in an entirely different city.  I just recieved and provided updates to anyone who needed them.  But it got me to thinking about other issues.

No, this isn't a new project.  This is a project I should have been working more on.  I will never be really mobile, or at least until they develop truly robotic knees.  In the meantime, I can improve what I can, and work on what I have.  It's hard work.  To be blunt, pain sucks, and I've avoided it when I can.  Still, I did my best.  I had a disastrous walk that I won't try again.  Short version, I walk uh... weird, because of my knee.  By the end of a very short walk, my back was hurting, my hip was hurting, my knee was hurting, and I was gasping because of the pain.  And, of course, I'm out of shape.  Pain first though. 

So, I've spent the past week on several in- or near-house cleaning projects.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of the effort, though it's pathetic compared to what I used to be able to do.  But, I've ignored those chores for too long as it is, so it was good to kill two birds with one stone.  The whole thing is nearly done though.  That's pretty cool.

Oh yeah, I even got my air conditioner in early.  75ºF in Wisconsin, in March!  That translates to about 90º in the computer room though.  Not good for me, but really not good for the computers. 

Anyway, that's about it for now.  Time to get back to work.

- Jim

My Sister was at college yesterday and had her second major, but this time public, seizure.  She's fine now, though she scared an entirely new group of people.  Although they took her to the ER in the ambulance, they also sent her home the same day.  She's tired though - these kinds of things tend to make a person extremely tired as the brain attempts to reconcile the inconstant data it recieved.

So, while the whole thing may be considered routine, it isn't.  And while it may be considered an emergency, it was, but less so than it seemed.  Luckily, my niece was there with her at the time and although she doesn't think so, she handled the situation very well.

- Jim