Dr. Phil's Dreamwidth Journal

So, tonight was the last episode of Mythbusters. And a bonus reunion show. And a bonus jerk move -- an unaired Duct Tape episode which is to be shown on Science channel, which neither we or the hospital get. A bush league move, in my opinion.

This 14th season has been bittersweet, especially with the firing of the B-team last year. Plus, that whole ending thing. They seem to have been given a big budget this season to go out with, er, a bang. And they had some glitzier and slicker graphics. But it's been an odd season. Too much me-too versions of things. Not nearly as new or as original as earlier seasons.

In tonight's finale they blew up a big RV, with 850 lbs. of AMFO, just to demonstrate a 50,000 frame per second high speed video camera. They ended the show with blowing up another cement truck with 5001 lbs. of AMFO. They built a better wedge plow so they could plow through years of stuff from the show -- after vaporizing Buster as a superhero against a cinder block wall at a supersonic 800+ mph powered by a rocket sled and no I'm not making this up. Spectacular stunts and I laughed, but not exactly mythbusting science.

I'm sure the curators at the Smithsonian were crying.

That was at 8pm. At 9 they did a reunion show with both Adam and Jamie and the B-team. This was the send off they needed. At 10 they reran the first episode. Rocket Car I and the Pop Rokz exploding stomach. Brings back memories...

They had clips of some of my favorites. Lead Balloon was beautiful, especially when it went to origami large scale unfolding with the delicate lead foil. And the Hindenburg thermite paint -- such a lovely scale model destroyed disturbingly like the real thing. Coffee Creamer Fire was magnificent. And Water Heater Rocket was unexpected and terrifying.

So many more simply because I can't think of them.

Mythbusters wasn't science, but it was an examination of sayings, movies, myths, by some technical experts using the hallmarks of science. That made it accessible. That made people wanting more. That made people raise questions about what they did on the show.

Brilliant.

Some labeled Mythbusters as a reality TV show. Given where reality TV has gone, that's an unfortunate and demeaning classification. Entertainment? Sure. That was part of the charm.

That Jamie and Adam aren't exactly friends helped the show. It fueled the professionalism and provided divergent views, rather than me-too buddyism.

Discovery channel didn't always treat the show with respect. Their realization of what they had seemed to go in and out of fashion. Probably with changes in management. The ratings probably were a self-fulfilling prophecy, what with the scheduling games.

But Mythbusters is finished now. I'm sure I'll see reruns over the years.

And I am sad they are done.

Dr. Phil

UPDATE: I forgot, but the final final fade out of the Reunion special was an homage to The Avengers and the schwarma scene. Nicely played, Mythbusters. Nicely played!

I've been keeping track of movie openings, as usual, but not closings so much. I mean I've missed the final installment of The Hunger Games, the new Star Wars. Likely to miss the final installment of Divergent. Sigh. Haven't checked the local theatre listings in months.

Oh look, Hunger Games 3.2 is at Celebration Woodland, the second run theatre. And VII is still playing first run at Celebration North. Both I'm sure will run out before I can do movies. No Creed or Deadpool on the big screen for me, I'm afraid...

Yeah, I was looking today, just because I haven't in so long.

But out favorite Holland 7, is undergoing more renovations...

This spring, get ready for comfortable plush electronic recliners in every theater at Holland 7. Get ready for an all new spacious lobby, new box offices and concession stand, new concession offerings like Nathan's hot dogs, self-serve drink refill stations, party room for birthday rentals and new restrooms! Reserved seating in every auditorium to follow the renovation!

We knew that the comfy seats in Theatre 5 would be done in the others, but I didn't know they were expanding concessions. Hot dogs are good. We've lamented that they didn't go beyond popcorn, candy and I think nachos.

The restrooms have been functional, but tired. I'm hoping for a nice handicapped men's room. Or better, a separate family/handicapped one. I suppose they could rebuild into the open spaces, for better accessibility. Funny how you really notice ADA compliance when you need it. (grin)

Holland 7 has always been a lovely, local family theatre. They get good repeat business despite glitzier plexes in West Michigan, including the Holland 8 in town. So I'm hoping they don't break it. I don't think they will. Not every movie theatre has to sprawl.

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For the second weekend in a row, we are down one of the two passenger elevators. I heard that the one broke at 10pm Saturday night with a staff member on board.

I did get this morning's aide Joy to take me outside, though, after I got up. Does that make this a Joyride? Mostly sunny, breezy, 52°F at 10:45 am -- I was not going to miss this. Fer sure...

Off day from therapy. May have some visitors today, beyond the usual Sunday Mrs. Dr. Phil visit. Hoo boy, big excitement!

Oscars tonight. There's some talk about La Kate from Steve Jobs. We'll see.

Dr. Phil

I suppose technically you could say it snowed today.

If this was spring, I'd say outside looked like cottonwood season -- or maybe Mayflies. Large, fluffy loose conglomerates of snow flakes wafting about. You know it's not serious when you watch them going up as much as you see them going down. When you can still see individual clusters out twenty, thirty feet -- it's not really snowing.

And... it's stopped. Hardly had time to get out the Kindle and start a blog post.

This morning someone said, Oh it's snowing. And I saw one... two... three... flake clusters wafting upwards. Yeah, it wasn't snowing. It was flaking.

I also saw one goose flying along. I don't call that a flock, either.

Had a very pleasant visit with Mrs. Dr. Phil this afternoon, who brought another small container of the excellent lasagna, along with a small bottle of Simply Limeade, as she's been doing. Looked at funnies, talked about the online class she's teaching. Gray, but no threatening weather. Roads dry.

I guess that yesterday's storm was part of Winter Storm Petros.*** We really didn't get much snow, but the winds made a mess of things. I've not been recording these snow (non) events to say how terrible it's been. Rather to document.

Also I worry. Even if I were out and about, I'd be worried about the idiot drivers. In the U.P. they used to say that by Christmas the idiots will have all wrecked their cars and be off the road, while the snowbanks would be high enough to cushion your slideoffs. Alas, this winter we haven't had much snow. It's the end of February, and everyone thinks they're back in snow driving form. They aren't.

And this year, Mrs. Dr. Phil is on her own.

Ironic that I was going to take this semester off this year, as I did last year, but they asked me to teach Modern Physics, PHYS-3090, which I haven't taught in what... 14 years? And THIS winter would've been the one to navigate with my walker?

Damn. (grin)

I still hope to teach in the Fall. Unless I can't negotiate with a prosthetic. And I am not anticipating that.

----

Oh, and I mentioned doing sets of 60s in my exercises this morning. Actually, the hardest one I did a set of 70. My RT therapist says I'll feel that in the morning. (double-grin)

Onward!

Dr. Phil

*** Have I mentioned that Weather Channel is stupid? In their graphics, WINTER STORM is in white against a dark blue background. PETROS or whatever storm name is in red. It's not high contrast, and on these TVs which aren't set right for HDTV on all channels, it's too fuzzy to read. And this year they hardly ever mention the storm name aloud. Dumb infographic.

The night sky is orange tonight --- filled with falling and blowing snow lit up by sodium lights...

Don't know what the depth is, but we're supposed to be getting an inch an hour with winds through the night. Mrs. Dr. Phil said both neighbors had plowed our driveway tonight.

Today was my surgeon's visit. Revision surgery was on the first. Sutures removed today. Everyone is happy with the revision results.

Can the stump get wet? Yes. Just not soaked. Shower Sunday...

What about... weight bearing?

In two weeks, March 9th, Dr. Fras will check. But he thinks he'll approve it.

Leg? Leg?! Leg!

Otherwise, just a routine visit. Other than the 21st century twist. Mrs. Dr. Phil has been stopping by the hospital and riding along on the ambulance. But with the weather getting shittier as the afternoon progressed, that didn't seem smart.

So I brought the Kindle Fire HD with me and we Skyped her presence. I held the Kindle over my stomach so she could watch the sutures come out and the steristrips being applied. Huh. They come on tape, so you can put like three in a row all perfectly spaced. I did not know that.

Coming out of the Lake office plex, there was a Ford Explorer encased in two inches of wet snow slush, everywhere including the glowing headlights -- except for the pattern from the two wipers. Alas, the Kindle was packed up -- no photo.

EMTs arrived here at 1:45 and I was back here at 3:45. This despite a slow drive on surface streets, rather than the freeway. Interesting radio chatter -- at one point a crew was informed they were the only backup for the city of Grand Rapids. My crew left to see where they could help the chaos.

... Leg?

Two weeks to the start of that process. Back to work in the morning...

Onward.

Dr. Phil

Today we tried the sit to stands from the bedside. But the surface is too soft, even with yoga blocks to push up on. (This is not the bed we did slideboard transfers with a while ago.) Wednesday we'll try sticking a slideboard under my butt to make a firmer surface. Got down to effectively the 19" toilet height here and used the heavy duty cane.

After some wheeling around and a brief visit outside, we worked with the knotted black theraband over door. Ended up doing sets of 50s instead of 40s. Finished up with leg exercises -- 50s there, too.

My arms are definitely tired. Go me. Rah...

Last night I saw another almost full moon rising -- 99.7% -- so I've been here about three lunar months. There are times this seems short and others where it feels like forever. Whatever, I am not merely marking time before Wednesday's appointment with the surgeon. I am making advancements, dammit.

That murderous sonofabitch Uber driving murderer in Kalamazoo picked up at least one Uber fare in the middle of the random killing spree. Last night a WMU student was shot somewhere in the fraternity district. I guess this time the campus alert system did go into effect.

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Typically we make a vat of something on Sunday -- anything which takes time to make. Mrs.Dr. Phil had made spaghetti. Now we love leftovers and our spag sauce makes a great lasagna. But usually we eat up the sauce before there's time to make lasagna. Well, with only one person at home, Mrs. Dr. Phil had plenty and made a lasagna on Saturday, before going to a game night. She's been doing a no boil bake, which works well. But putting the uncooked lasagna into the baking dish does tend to make some hard or chewy edges where there isn't enough moisture surrounding the noodles.

But the newspaper last week had a thing about soaking the noodles in salted water before baking. Another source online suggested just hot tap water. She did that and after setting up overnight, the bit we shared on Sunday was scrumptious. Yay, lasagna.

Wednesday's weather may or may not include heavy wet snow. Naturally that's the day to go to the surgeon's.

There were tiny pancakes for breakfast, but they were good. Unlike the biscuits on Sunday that were way over baked. Not really burned, but too crunchy on top and bottom to cut. Not enough syrup to soften. Very find of biscuits and maple syrup as ersatz pancakes. Disappointed yesterday, redeemed today.

Weekends can be a mixed bag for staff. And one of the two main elevators has been Out Of Service since Saturday early... Traffic jams. Mrs. Dr. Phil walked up to the fifth floor on Sunday! Carrying stuff!

Onward!

Dr. Phil

This morning's Channel 3 news was all about a mass shooting in Kalamazoo.

Some guy shot and killed two people at a car dealership, and then four (or five) women in a car outside a Cracker Barrel at 9th and Stadium Drive. Suspect was pulled over and arrested, following security videos. No motive. It's billed as a random act of violence -- I suppose that means there could be other victims.

I was told by one of the aides here that WMU students a few mikes away were complaining that the shootings didn't make it onto the university's alert system before the arrest.

One news report suggested that this Jason (a) was an Uber driver and (b) there'd been a posting on Facebook about a dangerously erratic Uber driver who could be the same guy. During their ride, the Uber vehicle sideswiped one car and didn't stop, which then played slalom around cars on West Main at 80 mph and refused to pull over and let the couple out. None of this is confirmed, the Facebook post said 911 was called but the police weren't all that interested. The police say they were aware of the incident.

The first comment on the Mlive news story about the Uber driver suggested that all Uber drivers should carry a gun. Second comment said, they do. Third comment was that maybe Uber drivers should carry a second.

Uh, did these idiots read the story? The Uber driver was described as reckless and you want him armed, too? Oh, maybe he was...

Unfolding stories ars always chaotic. But noise doesn't help.

The possible seventh victim was fourteen, but it was confusing online just now which report is correct. The sixth victim was eight.

News at 11?

Dr. Phil

In the last week or so, we've seen such things...

-- Two candidates going after each other as to whether the other could speak Spanish.

The amusement factor here was having one of the inmates at the hospital venture that neither could speak any Spanish he'd ever heard. In their defense, I pointed out they had Cuban roots, while my friend spoke Brooklyn Puerto Rican Spanish. There are a lot of dialects.

-- Two candidates arguing who has done more for minorities and women.

-- An argument as to whether real feminists and women had to vote for a woman.

Funny, this argument never showed up for Carly Fiorina.

-- Finally, Separation of Church and State has been brought up by the Republicans.

Against the Pope.

While one of the campaigns touts they have 300 pastors endorsing them.

-- Voter suppression is argued for holding the Nevada vote on Shabbat. Again.

As opposed to the elimination of Sunday voting in some multi-day voting, ending a tradition of voting after church.

Welcome to 2016.

I reiterate -- I still don't think we've seen the November candidates.

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More of Mrs. Dr. Phil's spags to supplement dinner. Oh yum.

Folding walker in the hallway. Made good headway. Followed PT with independent exercises with hand and an ankle weight. A little soreness on the sides of the right knee -- connected to a tender spot in front. Ah, the patella tendon. We're obviously working it. Make it stronger...

Onward...

Dr. Phil

UPDATE: For posterity's sake, long after we've forgotten about the endless 2016 primary campaign... the players are:

· Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz
· Bernie Sanders and Hilliary Clinton
· Pope Francis called Donald Trump on his wall building immigration plan, saying Christians build bridges, not walls. The Donald said it was inappropriate to call anyone on their faith and anyway the Pope had been duped by Mexico.
· Ted Cruz had 300 pastors behind him in South Carolina.
· Nevada Caucuses held on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Apparently not an issue in South Carolina's Republican primary.

Had both RT and PT today -- perhaps the last day of both on the same day.

I suggested this morning, after doing some warm-ups of swinging steps in the parallel bars, that we take the folding walker I tried the other day and put it in the parallel bars. This way, if I did tip it over, I couldn't go far. Widened the parallel bars so my hands would be clear.

First stands used the parallel bars to get up. But on several stands I switched to getting from wheelchair to walker. Huh. I might get the hang of this. With the right balance, I could minimize any hint of tipping to the left with my overheavy left hand.

Then on to trying the swinging step. Not nearly as clean or as far as with the rigid parallel bars, but I did travel most of the length of the parallel bars in one go -- and repeated it.

For me, this is excellent news.

There are four things preventing me from going home today.

1 -- ability to transfer to a toilet, use it and get back up, safely.

2 -- maneuver around the house safely by some means that aren't a wheelchair.

3 -- get in and out of the house safely. There are four six-inch stairs.

4 -- get in and out of the Bravada on the passenger side, if not the driver side.

I've been looking at crutches to manage #2, but it is slow going. And a bit scary. We are looking at getting a garage wheelchair lift to address #3. We aren't getting younger, and having a lift will have uses other than a wheelchair. Starting cost looks like perhaps two thousand and installation.

An inside lighter weight walker would also serve #2. As might a knee walker -- or both.

It certainly doesn't hurt that the heavy duty folding walker brought down from LTAC on the 6th floor is black. Somehow the plain aluminum ones always look cheap and flimsy. My big walker is black, as are my canes. Silly, but you can gain security and confidence from the damdest sources.

In OT/RT, we're getting good at transferring to a toilet with a handrail and one cane. Alas, it's at a 19" height, nearly two inches more than at home. And I've had them order a new cane. My cane specifically is rated at 225 or 250 pounds, at with a modest assist on the gait belt, I am really overdoing it with a hard left hand. The height issue we'll address by using my bed, which can be lowered much lower than any of the mat tables in the gym. I'd like to be able to sit to stand at the 15" level, if I can. That will all help with #1.

Note, this just gets me home. Still therapy and still waiting for the promise of a second leg. It doesn't mean we'll be going out to movies or dining. I've not even tortured myself to see if Episode VII is still playing in the area. (grin)

But I've been through a variation of this before.

Onward...

Dr. Phil

Ugh. The Presidential campaign for 2016 has been going on forever -- pretty much the day after the 2012 election. Usually that's hyperbole. Not this time. Lots of campaigning openly in 2014, 2015... at one point at least 16 Republican candidates alone.

I've been composing a commentary piece for a year. It's central thesis hasn't changed. In my opinion, we haven't seen the eventual candidates possibly for either party. I'm expecting one or both conventions to be brokered.

The GOP central forces can't stomach Trump and are worried a strident candidate will lose them the White House. The DNC has to worry about the Anyone But Hilliary and A Socialist Can't Win forces out there.

Debates, which have become sound bite theatre, have been particularly worthless, despite the inordinate number.

And astoundingly, Michael Bloomberg could, in fact, mount a successful independent campaign. He'd need an army to get him on the ballot in fifty states, but he's got a billion dollar war chest in his back pocket, without ever having to waste money and resources or his soul on fund raising. Seriously, he could appeal far more than the other billionaire who has never served in office anywhere.

But...

Shit has finally gotten real.

Some object, no, strenuously object to the First In The Nation duo of the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Damn the demographics, I want the candidates and the reporters to slog through winter fallow corn fields and the rigors of New England weather. Sure, it's not a lot of delegates -- or eventually electoral college votes -- but that's my point. I don't want the first primaries to be in comfortable California and Florida and have the elections sewed up before it begins.

Besides, I like traditions. This is the 100th anniversary of New Hampshire as the first primary. And having the wacky Iowa caucus system which calls on people to stand for their candidate -- love it.

And that's pretty much what I was going to say after two weeks of real and Iowa/New Hampshire in the books.

Except...

Shit got realer tonight.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died.

Jeez, he wasn't on my radar for next justice to leave the bench. I would've put even money on Ginsburg or Kennedy. And yet I was surprised to realize he wasn't in the middle of the pack, but the longest serving member of this iteration of the Court.

Supreme Court nominations had been a back burner issue in this election, figuring the next President could change the composition of the Court.

And this Senate might refuse to approve any candidate until next year.

Shit's gotten real and finally this campaign has an issue.

And as I've said for a year, not here on the blog, I'm not sure either party has seen their candidate emerge.

Dr. Phil

Hospital time allows me TV time. AMC and TCM have been showing lots of great stuff. Jurassic Park trilogy, Lawrence of Arabia, The Great Escape, A Few Good Men, most recently...

Some are shown multiple times. And I often join them in progress.

Since I don't have a TV guide -- seriously, the online sites suck and TV Guide has always pissed me off -- I am often surprised.

Tonight I hit a movie in the opening credits. Guessed the movie. And was right. I settled back and enjoyed an uncut movie with no commercial interruptions. An old friend I haven't seen in years.

Bullitt (1968)
Turner Classic Movies 11pm

Y'all know this film for two reasons. Steve McQueen. The Car Chase. Or perhaps your pair is Mustang Fastback versus Dodge Charger. But the rest of the cast is superb. Robert Vaughn as the oily Senator. Don Gordon as the jaded Sergeant Delgetti. And don't forget Jacqueline Bissett. Water velocities of six inch pipes... grin.

The Chase runs about ten minutes. The cat and mouse resulting in the Mustang coming over the hill in the rear view mirror. The bad guys buckling their seatbelts before they take off. Yeah there are some continuity issues -- who cares? Wikipedia notes the Charger loses five hubcaps...

There long scenes of nothing or something unfolding -- a taxi going through a car wash, before Steve gets to the cab driver. Wait, is he a young Robert Duvall? Why Yes.

And technology. 1960s style. Pay phones. Rotating drum facsimile machines over phone modems. Nurses still in white hats.

Terrific jazz flute score. And tension building strings in the airport scene. Sirens that go on and on. What a great cinematic masterpiece!

That sure looks like a real surgical team in the OR. I didn't realize they had ABD pads then. At one point, the surgeon asks for a Kelly. Huh. They asked for a Kelly on tonight's Code Black on CBS. Might be a real thing. That's the thing with Bullitt -- stylish and taciturn, it feels far more real than other cop dramas. Lots of waiting.

And is there anything lovelier than an intercontinental blue, white and silver Pan Am 707? But the interiors were of a real plane -- all narrow. Too many movies and TV shows make more spacious sets.

Very, very satisfying movie. This is what cinema should be...

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Dr. Phil