RM6f9's Journal: Updates ramble

My wife is better. Better enough to be off the chemo, better in a 90% by volume tumor reduction sense, better enough to get the bilateral uretal stents removed (don't schedule ANYTHING for the 36 hours immediately after that - smooth muscle spasms make childbirth a walk in a park by comparison - her words), better enough to start the long climb back toward average healthy energy levels, better enough to feel new hair returning in the places it's s'posed to. Better.
          I am still employed, she is still employed (an aside: she had 6 chemotherapy treatments - she missed 7 days of work, total, during this regimen), and we're starting to see just how far her medical and my unemployment have set us back on our path to freedom, but we're once again making steps in a forward direction toward that goal.
          I have no internet access at work and am devoting more time to other projects, so perhaps am not posting as prolifically as before, but I still read just about everything.
          Movies of note: If you haven't seen "Deja Vu", don't bother - they take an awesome concept and smother it.
          Other wastes of time: I've been weaning myself off of TV - am down to UFC shows, and not watching all of them, although I'm occasionally guilty of listening to what my wife watches (CSI, Lost, Deadliest Catch) while I work at the computer.
          It's good to reflect every once in a while, and as I've got a birthday coming next month, this is as good a time as any, to look back, celebrate my/our successes, and be truly grateful for who we are , all we have and all we will become.
          Good call on the hungry summer/kid thing, Nizo, not a lot of people think about stuff like that.
          Here's wishing for everyone the opportunity to feel a similar sense of contented gratitude very soon.
Peace.

Good news

[ces]

Glad to hear your wife is doing OK (well as OK as you can when coming off chemo).

I have no internet access at work

What's up with that? Not working a tech job or the employer is just that paranoid?

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[RM6f9]

A little of both on the second part. Customer service, Dell PCs, Cisco phones, paranoid employers. They keep needing to make on-the-fly fixes, I might apply for their IT dept...

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[ces]

You interested in work in downtown Seattle?

My company (Marchex [marchex.com]) is hiring for a slew of positions. Bunch of stuff under "Jobs" on the website plus some open head count that hasn't made it there yet.

I know we have openings for Search Marketing Specialists, and while I don't think it has made it to the website yet our NOC is looking for more people too. If you've got the background we also have a bunch of open sysadmin and programming positions.

Let me know if you are interested and I can make sure your resume

Re:

[RM6f9]

Not qualified for programmer or sysadmin - definitely qualified black-box test or customer tech support - thanks for the link, I'll give it a look!

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[ces]

Like I said not everything we are hiring for is up on the website so let me know if you are interested.

The QA or NOC positions would probably be the most appropriate.

Glad stuff is going well

[nizo]

Hope things continue to improve :-) Email me sometime about the book stuff.

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[RM6f9]

As soon as I have a complete rough draft, I'll be taking you up on your offer to edit and illustrate.
Thank you!!!

Good to hear...

[johndiii]

Good to hear that she's on the upswing. It sounds like you are generally focused on the good things in life, despite some adversity. I think that that is better for both you and her. I hope that things continue to improve on both the medical and employment fronts.

Re:

[RM6f9]

Thank you.

Good News!

[Shadow Wrought]

I'm glad to hear that your wife is doing better. She sounds like a very strong woman. Medical bills and unemployment are a nasty combination. We are still paying that combination off. But moving in the right direction, too. I've given up most TV watching (except House, Simpsons, and the odd History Channel show) ad have also given up most gaming. There's so much more that I want to be doing that I'm trying to avoid time sinks.

Best wishes to you and your wife;-)

Re:

[RM6f9]

Thank you.

(You'd think slashdot would waive the time between submissions requirement in one's own journal - yeesh)

best things in life are cheap and simple.

[zogger]

Hope is free, because being priceless, there's no way you can pay money for it.
Gratitude for the little things..yep, every day. Working like a farmdog the last few days haying in the heat, finally got 'er done. In the evening I walk around and check on things, my cool down period. Been watching the new batch of kittens creep out of the hideyhole they were born into in the hay barn. Up to five I've seen so far now, they are around a month old more or less. Got the closest ever today, sat down on the floor wi

Re:

[RM6f9]

Thank you. Knowing me, I do NOT have the work ethic required to make a go of a functional farm - what I DO have is the smarts to save, invest, set up a non-profit foundation, then transfer funding, (eventually) purchasing 40+ acres and invite some friends (monks) with simple ambitions to gently work the property into a Buddhist retreat, exchanging shelter, utilities and groceries for labor and virtually unlimited sangha/dokusan time. The foundation owning the retreat means zero property taxes, all I'll be