NEUROLOGIST

Saw a neurologist this morning about my headaches. Very nice lady, good listener. Based on my reactions to the other drugs, and my higher-than normal sensitivity to drugs in general, we're going to stick with the Zomig nasal spray for a while and see how that works out. I've got a follow-up appointment with her when I get back from vacation in August.

And given my horrible, almost 24-hours worth of bad side effects from Topomax, I'm not really up for trying another preventative.

Looking at my calendar, I'm currently having headaches for about 2 weeks out of the month, with about 5-6 days worth of really bad, need a drug ones. This is since the beginning of this year when I really started keeping track of them. I'm hoping it's just spring weather, and now that we're really getting into summer, it will be easier.

It was nice to hear her say that barometric pressure absolutely can cause migraines. She said they have no idea why, but it does. I've always thought my headaches were weather related, I believed it to be true and valid. It just has more impact to say "my neurologist says barometric pressure charnges cause migraines" than "changes in weather makes my head hurt a lot". Something about that piece of paper on the wall makes the difference. SME, as it were. ;)

$900 OIL CHANGE

So I take my car (1998 S10 Blazer) in for an oil change and walk out with a $900+ bill. The fuel regulator needed replacing, among some other work. And at over 110,000 miles, I know I'm going to pay about $2k/year on slowly fixing whatever conks out next. It's still cheaper than a new car by far. I'm really hoping it'll hold out for another 1-2 years.

And there really wasn't anything on the market that I was interested in until Tonbo & I saw a FJ Cruiser infront of REI. I am now interested. It's a nice 2 door SUV, of which there are few models to choose from. And it comes as a manual, although currently only as a 4WD. I don't really off-road (ok, fine, not at all), but I want a SUV and I want it as a manual transmission. Driving an automatic is too boring. The FJ currently doesn't come with a sun roof, but it is an aftermarket option, although apparently you loose/need to move 2 speakers. Maybe next year's model will fix that little oversight. ;)

MEMORIAL DAY

Productive activities included doing laundry, filing a pile of papers that had been inhabiting a place on my kitchen counter for the past 6 months (I'm not kidding), and filling out the paperwork for my doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Slightly less productive activities included eating out, being driven around in Tonbo's Jeep, and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7.

Shouldve, couldve, wouldve done something on BtB.

But it's vacation, and when it's only 1 day, it's easier to justify spending it as vacation that a day to do all the stuff I should do. :P

DA VINCI CODE MOVIE

I liked it! ^_^

I read The Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown when it first came out years ago. I enjoyed, and went on to read his other stuff, which I also liked, including the poems.

At first I wasn't that sure about the casting of Tom Hanks, who, for whatever reason, I didn't see as Robert Langdon. Then I saw some previews and it was fine. Spoilery, if you'd read the book, but fine.

I think the movie did a good job of condensing the books main points and explaining them as they went along, while keeping up the pacing of a drama/mystery/thriller.

Personally, having not been raised religious, the core theme is vaguely interesting but that's it. Many other people obviously think differently, although there were no protesters when we went to see it. A friend at work said there were protesters at the theatre she went to opening weekend ... all three of them.

And it was very cool to see Ian McKellen as Leigh. Especially after having just seen him move the San Francisco bridge with the wave of his hand the day before. ^_-

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

I liked it! ^_^

I've only recently gotten into the X-Men, like as of the first movie, where I became a huge Wolverine (as played by Hugh Jackman) fan. When Joss Whedon started writing Astonishing X-Men, it immediately went on my subscription list at Keith's Comics. Other than that, I've only incorporated the X-Men movies (I won a DVD of the original X-Men movie autographed by Brian Singer and Stan Lee from the official website :) into my life. Although there are several people around that are really helpful in filling in the backstory/backstories/alternate timelines and origins for all these very cool characters.

It does have a slightly different feel than the previous two movies which can obviously been credited to the change in directors from Bryan Singer (who was busy with Superman Returns) to Brett Ratner (Rush Hour movies, Family Man, etc.). Lots of special effects (duh), although I read that Colossus' transformation was created by "a reflective form-fitting bodysuit".

Joss' story is about a mutant cure, so I was already up on that. It was a bit freaky to see the way the female doctor was portrayed, since she looks almost exactly like the Astonishing X-Men comic rendition.

If you see it, be sure and stay through the end of the credits. While we get a short glimpse into Magneto, there is another scene that plays after all the credits have gone by that is very important regarding the next X-Men movie.

Because you *know*, regardless of what they called it, this wasn't the last one, right?

PARTIAL BtB

Showed a partial BtB to B+S at our local meeting place when I returned Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 6, and she generously lent me Season 7.

She laughed, she liked, her husband is a much more appropriate person to show a prototype to than I ever would have imagined, and it was very exciting.

Nicklemass also had a good reaction to the pink-papered partial prototype, and we talked about next steps and options.

I'm pretty sure I'm still going with lulu, but there are a few additional intermediate steps that I think would help out that are now part of the plan.

LOST IN LOST

Watched the second season finale of LOST last night. Wow. Amazing. End of summer hiatus can't come soon enough.

Then I did some Googling (isn't it great when your company name becomes a verb?!) on the LOST experience.

OMG. It kind of makes my mind numb.

This is the most intense cross-media campaign that has every existed. It's in multiple online spaces, print, recorded phone messages, TV (obviously), commercials, podcasts and who knows where else they are going with it. I don't have enough to actively participate in the game, but reading about it is facinating. If there aren't already grad students around the country writing about this, there will be.

I wish I could write something 1/100th the complexity and intricicatsy of this story.

Until then, I'll just marvel at the talent on display, give thanks to the money that supports it, and maybe create a fan product or two.

ps. if you see a SAVE JOOP! t-shirt, now you know it's related to LOST.   ^_-

FIREFLY TRADING CARDS

Just updated the Fan Done website with a page dedicated to the just-released Firefly Trading Cards by Inkworks. These are the same folks who did the Serenity Trading Cards and they have done another wonderful job.

I've been through one box for myself a few days ago, and got the Malcolm Reynolds / Nathan Fillion autograph redemption card. Sent that puppy in the very next day. :)

BtB PSHOP

Have started photoshopping BtB pics to match the copy. I scanned in the initial drawing, and then re-drew the lines and have picked most of his colors. Still not thrilled with the way his eyes look, but the ear turned out well.

The goal is to finish the graphics this week, print the prototypes on my day off (also known as Memorial Day), and then get them into the hands of some users for usability testing. ;)

GOOGLE AD SENSE

If you've been here before, you might notice something new in the right lower column - Google AdSense.

I've been aware of Google's AdSense program for a while, and had meant to incorporate it into my blog, again, for a while. Blogger has some good info on how to add the ad blocks to your blog, either automatically, or by setting up customized code and then pasting it into the blog template.

I set it up mostly for curiosity's sake, since there isn't a really distinct theme here - just me in my life with a goal of financial freedom. So it's interesting and fun to see what kind of contextual ads pop-up.

After the zoo post, I noticed one for the "Polar Bear Gift Shop".   ^_^

DALLAS ZOO

Went to a company party at the Dallas Zoo today. I hadn't been there since the Wilds of Africa exhibit opened over a decade ago (ugh, I'm old). Anyway, it was nice to see all the improvements they have made to Zoo North, the original zoo. I took my little digital camera, and was longing for a better zoom almost instantly. Two of the guys had some serious lenses on their cameras, and having seen the results from one of them, it's pretty impressive.

The first time we went by the otters, they were all sleeping in their holt (den). One was twitchy in his sleep, his little paws and tail spazing around. Just before we left around 4 pm, we went back by and the parents and kids (3 born in January of this year) were all out playing in the water.

Other cool exhibits include the tigers (currently 3, although it's very obvious the area was set-up to hold more eventually), lemur island, and cheetahs. Cat Row has also been improved quite a bit. The lion was huffing a bit at one point, and it still had an amazing amount of resonance. The last time I was at this zoo I actually heard him roar, and it was a sound you felt with your bones, more than heard with your ears.

There is also a new kid's zoo and bug house, both of which I avoided. I wanted some bunny pictures, but by then it was late, hot, and my feet had started to hurt, so we called it a day.

And promptly went home and took a nap.

Lots of fun. And my omiyagi-tachi include 3 imprinted pennies (tiger, okapi, parrots), and Bob the Polar Bear plush. Even though there aren't any polar bears at the Dallas Zoo, Bob is the plush that really stood out to me in the gift shop - he's got such a wonderful pose and expression.

DUAL DDR

Tonbo got a DDR pad so now we can play it together. He has a lot better rhythm than I do; I still need that extra step to keep the beat & hit the arrows. But I last a bit longer than he can. ^_-

I haven't gone to the fitness club in about 3 weeks now. 2 weeks were sickness and migraines while this last week was DDR. Right now, it's more fun that the machines. It's also only aerobic, and doesn't really do much for my arms, so I need to work some fc time in somewhere. DDR is just a lot more fun. :P

BtB COPY

Finished copy for the children's book.

Now I just need to do the graphics. Of all the sketches in my drawing pad, the one I like the most is actually the first little guy I drew when concepting the book. He needs some refinement, and a lot of accessories, but I will be happy with it when it's done.

Then to print the prototypes ... hand them out to get feedback ... re-format for lulu.com printing and incorporate quotes ... build website (this may happen earlier in the process, not sure yet) ... buy some copies for self-promotion ... sell online and off.

Write the grown-up BtEB book ... but that's a different post ... ;)

TEMP BP COURT ORDER

Just found out about this. I'll be updating my BP blog with more info as a get it, but didn't want to ignore it over here ...
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All BioPerformance product sales are currently on hold because “Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against Texas-based BioPerformance Inc. ”

Personally I will wait and see what the courts decide. Other companies have been sued, several times by individuals, and even by the federal government, and won their court cases and gone on to be successful for the people involved. Just because you are involved in a lawsuit doesn’t make you automatically guilty, at least not in this country.
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PS2

Yes, I am now the proud owner of a new PS2. And DDR2Max. And a dance pad. And a memory card.

At a recent post-project event, I played an arcade version of DDR* for the first time. It's fun, and addictive, and a good workout. So now, about a month later, Tonbo and I made a trip to Fry's and came home with several boxes worth of g34r. Too late to set it up tonight, but it will be a fun experience tomorrow. Especially since my fitness club is closed. ^_-

* Dance Dance Revolution. Originally a game found in Japanese, then American arcades where you 'dance' (place your feet on specific squares on the pad you are standing on) in conjunction with the visual displays that scroll by on the screen in time and beat to the song you've choosen.

MIGRAINE DRUGS

So, after 2 weeks of pain (with the corresponding storms and pressure changes, so I'm still convinced that's what causes my migraines), I go back to the doctor because I currently don't like my options which are ...

1. Intense headache, hours of pain. Have woken up with them 2x now, and that is a new level of misery.

2. Imitrex, which is 4 hours of side effects (nausea, tight/sore muscles, can't concentrate, can't drive) and misery with the rest of my day being totally pain free. Which is truly a great option ... if I can stay at home and not do anything for those 4 hours. My day job very compatible with this option. I had a mother of a migraine on Tuesday, drove to work, took the Imitrex, worked through the 4 hours, drove home and went to bed. So it didn't matter that the rest of my day was pain-free, because I was so exhausted from having to push myself to work through the side effected 4 hours that I went home and slept.

So I get a new cocktail of drugs:
1. Topamax, a preventive migraine medicine. Take it every day to stop the migraine from ever happening. I'm not very happy with this option, as I don't want to be on these things all the times, especially when I don't get migraines every day... unless it's stormy. But I'll try it.

2. Axert - similar to Imitrex, take when feeling the on-set of a migraine. Haven't tried it yet.

So I take the 1 25 mg pill of Topamax at 10 pm, because you slowly work up the dosage until after 4 weeks, you're on 50 mg in the AM and 50 mg in the PM. At 5 am, I wake up due to side-effects. Exactly like what I feel with Imitrex, but more intense. Needless to say, by 7 am it's damn obvious I can't drive to work or function well enough to get my job done. Fortunately, I could call in for the team meeting, and didn't have to say much during the client meeting. But this drug is absolutely NOT an option.

I called the doctor's office and talked to the assistant, who said it wasn't the Topamax that made me feel like that, it must have been the other drug he gave me that I took. I only took the Topamax because I didn't have a migraine at the time, so there was no reason to take the Axert. I hate when people don't listen to what I'm saying.

While talking with a contractor who's helping me with a project at work, she recommended Zomig. It's a nasal spray, compare to all of the above which are pills. She's also suffered from migraines for several years and also had similar side effects with pills. She said Zomig works (if taken within 30 minutes of getting the migraine) and doesn't give her any side effects. She also mentioned she gets less migraines living in Baltimore than when she lived in Dallas. I have no desire to move to Baltimore, and am not ready to pack up and leave just yet.

Although according to my calendar, I've lost 2 weeks of the past 2 months to headaches ... :(

GOT BP CHECK #1

Got my first check from BioPerformance today! As an Area Manager, if I sign up another Area Manager I get a bonus check of $200. And they paid me $195 ($200 - $5 check processing fee). Way cool.

And my Area Manager is doing very well, getting good personal results and selling the gas pill so he's making money from having retail customers.

Once I find another person interested in this business and who becomes a Manager or Area Manager, I'll qualify for the binary commission.

I've set up a separate blog for my BioPerformance adventure, which you can read over at www.GasPillIBO.com.

Here's to financial freedom ...