Existential Punk

Cross-Country Moving Adventure - 3rd Leg

Well, we had a wonderful, albeit short visit in Dallas/Plano with the family and friends! i so very much enjoyed meeting Liz and Jonathan. Today we are back on the road to continue onto Sacramento!

TUESDAY, 25 August 2009
Dallas/Plano, TX to Albuq., NM

Cross-Country Moving Adventure - 2nd Leg

SUNDAY, 23 August 2009
Nashville, TN to Dallas/Plano, TX

Cross-Country Moving Adventure - 1st Leg

SATURDAY, 22 August 2009
Richmond, VA to Nashville, TN

Cross-Country Moving Adventure

Well, we are in the throes of finishing up our packing as the moving truck arrives this Friday morning. Between packing, two doctor visits with IV infusions on Monday and Wednesday, taking care of business stuff for the move and planning our trips to Indonesia and Buenos Aires, having 2 major repairs on my Land Rover, Katryna and i are overwhelmed, exhausted and each of us had a meltdown on Tuesday. Thankfully some dear friends came over to help us pack and we are surviving! We will be staying Friday night at some friends, where they will be having one last get-together for us, and departing Richmond EARLY Saturday morning. We decided to drive to Plano, Texas to visit Katryna's parents. i will FINALLY have the opportunity to meet two great online friends, Liz and Jonathan. i am so stoked about this!

Here's our itinerary, and if you are someone who prays, we'd really appreciate your prayers!

Saturday 22 August 2009 - Depart Richmond, VA and drive to Nashville, TN.
Sunday 23 August 2009   - Nashville to Plano/Dallas, Texas. Stay 2 nights.
Monday 24 August 2009  - Plano/Dallas - Dinner w/ Liz and Jonathan
Tuesday 25 August 2009 - Depart Plano/Dallas and drive to Albuq., NM
Weds 26 August 2009     - Albuq., NM to Barstow, CA
Thurs 27 August 2009    - Barstow, CA to Sacramento, CA

Dive Within Your Limits!

Katryna showed me the following video. It is a disturbing example of the complacency some poorly trained and/or stupid divers can have when diving. They not only jeopardize their own lives, but those who rescue them along with risking traumatizing the entire dive boat. Divers SHOULD ALWAYS DIVE WITHIN THEIR LIMITS! Diving is a safe sport if taken seriously, every precaution and preparation is adhered to, and you listen to the dive master giving the dive briefing. ALSO, ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BREATHE, CHECK YOUR GUAGES CONSTANTLY, AND DO NOT DIVE DEEPER THAN YOU ARE CERTIFIED FOR AT THE TIME OF YOUR DIVE! These two people, one being a 12 year old, could have died and the guy who braved it to rescue them could have gotten the bends.

Left My Heart in San Francisco!

Ok, so we were in Sacramento and San Francisco last week and i had very limited internet access as we were constantly busy. We accomplished quite a lot in our 10 day journey to the west coast. San Francisco is my FAVORITE USA city, with Los Angeles and NYC tied in second place! i always feel at home and truly myself whenever i am in California, whether it's in Sacramento, SF, or LA.

We have decided, due to the economic downturn, that we will move to Sacramento for a year, save money, and then move to SF. We researched and got rental price info so we can plot and plan our budget. We know the neighborhoods we will look in when we move back to CA this summer.

We stayed with our wonderful friends, James and Bo, who lent us one of their cars all week. It was great to spend quality time with them. Bo is half Thai and half Chinese. His mom lives right around the corner from them and made us AUTHENTIC Thai twice! It was AWESOME!

i was able to complete my confined water dive skills at Dolphin Scuba in Sacramento where Katryna used to work. i was proud i did quite well. i need to work in my open water dives a little more on my ascents and descents as a 9 foot pool does not give much room to accomplish these very well.

We got our hair done with Josey, our great Sacramento hairdresser who knows our hair very well. i also got a massage for Christmas with Katryna's facial/massage guy, Cisco, who gives one hell of a massage!

We went to SF early in the week and stayed at the really cool Hotel Tomo, which has an anime theme. Very modern, hip, reasonably priced and centrally located in Japan Town. We did the touristy things like ride the cable car, drove around the city to see what neighborhoods we would like to live in when we do eventually move to SF, and hung out in the Castro.

The main reason we went to SF was to see a Lyme Disease specialist. We had a good appointment and really liked the doctor. Yet, we walked away with mixed emotions. We both feel she is a very competent doctor and that fresh eyes to see me with is a refreshing thing and i feel confident about switching doctors and protocols. Then she told us something that was a bit of a wake up call and shocking - She can and will treat me but i may need to realize i may not get any better than where i am now currently. It was good to hear this but also hard as my VA doctor has hopes for a full recovery for me. The SF doctor said i have had it for a very long time and Lyme is very difficult to treat the longer it is in your body. She is still optomistic for me but weanted to be honest as well. So, we are still processing all of this.

The last weekend we went back to SF to meet up with our good friend, John, from LA. James and Bo drove up separately to meet us and we had a fantastic time together despite my being really sick. John, Katryna and i went to a BRAND NEW and recently opened museum in the Castro, which chronicles the history of the gay community, which includes momentous and horrific occassions in our community's history. The most compelling thing to me was seeing encased Harvey Milk's suit and shoes he was murdered in from 1978, especially in light of recently seeing the film, Milk, with Sean Penn, which i HIGHLY recommend.

So, i have left my heart in San Franciso, the beautiful city on the bay! Ahhh,until next time then!

Burn Out

Ok, so i am experiencing major burn out with my fucking treatment regimen for Lyme Disease and all my other bugs. i keep doing everything according to my doctor's instructions but am NOT seeing much improvement at all! i feel like a gerbil on a fucking treadmill who runs in circles, never to really get anywhere. The only real difference between me and the little gerbil is that he/she does not have the brain capacity to know that he/she is not going anywhere! i am so very discouraged and feel sicker than ever at this point in my life. My cognitive has worsened over the past couple of weeks where i am inversing letters when i type as if i am dyslexic. i have hit a wall, which is NOT the first time in my nearly 4 years since first being diagnosed with Lyme Disease and Babesiosis. The thing is, we are not cookie cutter beings, so genetic makeup and environmental conditions affect each of us differently. We are each unique like a snowflake! So, treatments vary with each individual person in length and effectiveness. We think this enemy invaded my body when i was a child, so i am in the chronic stage, which makes it more difficult and longer to treat. i am SO sick and tired of being sick and tired! i can't take much more of this. G-D, if you do indeed listen, then PLEASE hear my anguish and HELP ME!

Below is a photo of all my medicines, supplements, and homeopathics i am taking. You can see a small inkling as to why i am so burned out. i do this regimen EVERY FUCKING DAY! Every week Katryna is so kind to help me by filling my HUGE ASS pill box, which is not full at the moment. It's close to 100 pills i take everyday PLUS the liquid shots once a day. Some meds have to be taken on an empty stomach, while others have to be taken with food. i am not on antibiotics right now as my doctor has me come up to her office in Northern Virginia (Fairfax) for IV Infusions of minerals and homeopathics and IV chelation therapy for heavy metal toxicity, that usually lasts AT LEAST 3 hours. So, in addition to all of these meds/supplements, et al., i get stuck with an IV for 3 hours twice a week. (NOTE: For the past 2 months i have been on hiatus from the TWICE WEEKLY IV treatments. i will befin again in February.) So hopefully, i have been able to give you a small glimpse into my Lyme infested world. As i have said before, if it weren't for Katryna being in my life, i am not sure i'd have any motivation to still be here. i guess in some ways G-D is listening!

 

Why Equality Matters

Katryna sent me this interesting and informative link that is full of lots of info and it explains the rights that we are denied as gays when we are denied marriage. Civil Unions do not all provide for these. States vary on which ones provide Civil Unions for same-sex couples. Because of DOMA (DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT), states are not required, by law, to recognize marriages and/or Civil Unions from other states of same-sex couples. Also, we have to pay attorney fees to have legal documents drawn and filed, which heterosexual couples do NOT have to do!

There was a Washington state lesbain couple who, a few years ago, filed all their paperwork. They decided do go on a Rosie O'Donnell family cruise embarking out of Florida. While on the boat, before it departed, one of them had an aneurysm and was rushed to a local Floridian hospital. The partner had all their paperwork faxed to the hospital. TO her SHOCK, the hospital denied her and their children the right to see her. She ended up dying and her family never had any closure. THAT IS SO WRONG!

i really wish people who are against same-sex marriage for religious reasons could see that we are not trying to force any church, faith community, or house of worship to marry same-sex couples. We recognize your right to disagree yet, we ask that you do not deny us our human rights. Those faith communites that do support us should have the freedom to marry us if they so choose. We do not live in a theocracy and there are good reasons as to why there is separation of church and state. i know not all minds will change but i do have hope that some will, as i did and those of others who came to that place before me.

Here are some highlights on why 1138 Reasons Equality Matters:

#0047: Joint Taxes:
LGBT couples cannot file taxes jointly; as a result, taxes for a LGBT couple can be significantly higher.

# 0221: Hospital Visitation:
LGBT couples have no legal right to visit a spouse in the hospital and can be barred from entering the room by medical personnel.

#0497: Estate Taxes:
LGBT couples cannot pass their estate to a spouse tax-free, which creates a huge tax burden that can result in the loss of a spouse's home or business.

#0544: Job Security:
In a majority of states, employees can be fired just for being gay, which can put a huge burden on any family's financial security.

#0608: Immigration:
LGBT are denied special consideration for the immigration of a spouse, often resulting in a painful seperation when a loved one is from a foreign country.

#0812: Property Taxes:
LGBT must pay property tax when transferring property between spouses.

#0904: Social Security:
LGBT are not eligible to receive a spouse's Social Security pension or many other government benefits.

#0945: Medical Decisions:
During a medical crisis, LGBT couples have no legal authority to make critical treatment decisions for their loved one.

#1121: Domestic Violence:
LGBT cannot ask for or receive domestic violence protection orders.

PADI Open Water Chapter 2

Chapter Two is divided into five sections:

1. Adapting to the Underwater World.
2. Respiration
3. Dive equipment
4. Buddy System: Communication and Procedures
5. Confined Water Dive Preview

Here are Summary Points from Chapter Two on Respiration:
* For MAXIMUM efficiency, breathe SLOWLY and DEEPLY.
* Overexertion symptoms include fatigue, labored breathing, a feeling of suffocation, weakness, anxiety, headache, muscle cramping and a tendency to panic.
* Prevent overexertion by staying RELAXED and KNOWING YOUR LIMITS.
* If overexertion occurs, STOP all activity & REST.
* Airway control lets you breathe past small amounts of water.

Here are Summary Points from Chapter Two on Dive Equipment:
* Wet and dry suits insulate you, but differ in that you get wet in a wet suit and stay dry in a dry suit.
* Avoid wearing an excessively tight hood asa tight hood will constrict the blood vessels in your neck.
* Wear gloves for thermal protection and to avoid cuts, scrapes and stings.
* Remember the environment is NOT protected from you so use care to avoid damaging aquatic life.
* Be cautious not to overheat in exposure suit.
* The MOST important feature in a weight system is the QUICK RELEASE.
* Locate alternate air source (octo) in the triangle formed by your chin and corners of your rib cage.
* Look for a dive knife with both SMOOTH and SERRATED  edges and a sheath.
* Need dive instruments that tell DEPTH, DIRECTION, TEMPERATURE, TIME, and AIR SUPPLY.

Confined Water Dive Two Skill Requirements:

1. Perform 5 step predive safety check
2. Demonstrate appropriate deep-water entry(s).
3. Clear snorkel of water by using blast method and resume breathing through it without lifting face from water.
4. Exchange snorkel for regulator and regulator for snorkel repeatedly while at the surface without lifting face from water.
5. Swim a distance of at least 50metres/yards at the surface, while wearing scuba and breathing           through snorkel.
6. Demonstrate a descent using appropriate five step method.
7. Completely remove, replace and clear mask of water while underwater.
8. Breathe, using the regulator, underwater for NOT less than one minute while NOT wearing a mask.
9. Demonstrate the response to a leaking low pressure inflator by disconnecting the low pressure hose from the inflator mechanism.
10. At the surface in water too deep to stand in, orally inflate a BCD to at least 1/2 full & then fully deflate it.
11. Adjust for proper weighting, which is defined as floating at eye level at the surface with an empty BCD and holding a normal breath.
12. React to air depletion by giving the out-of-air hand signal in water too deep to stand up in.
13. Demonstrate an ascent using the appropriate five step method.
14. Remove weights at the surface with minimal assistance using the weight system's quick release mechanism.
15. In water too deep to stand up in, remove the weights, scuba unit and fins (if necessary), then exit using the most appropriate means. (Buddy assistance may be provided.)

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i worry that with my cognitive abilities impaired at times that i will screw up and forget things. Katryna assures me that it is easy and will come with practice and time. We will take as long as i need and go as slow as i need to successfully accomplish ALL these goals! i am REALLY excited and looking forward to getting into the pool to start working on these skills! i trained for and ran two marathons, so i know i can do this! Three more chapters to go!

PADI Open Water Chapter 1

Katryna is a PADI certified Scuba intructor who is taking me through my classroom, confined water, and open water dives to certify me as an open water scuba diver. This is the very first class one takes to become a scuba diver within PADI's curriculum. In this post i will be sharing what i learned in Chapter 1. i will have followup posts on the subsequent chapters, which are five in total. So far it has been an interesting journey and i cannot wait until i am FINALLY certified and i get to swim in the deep blue sea with all the fishies and other beautiful and interesting aquatic life. It's A LOT to learn and take in, but so far i am really enjoying my class. Yesterday Katryna and i completed the classroom lecture part for Chapter One. Sunday we will cover chapter Two. i am nervous about putting all into action in the pool for the confined water dive skills though! Katryna says i will do just fine but i am always insecure and nervous!

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Chapter One is divided into five sections:

1. The Underwater World
2. Dive Equipment
3. Scuba Systems
4. The Buddy System
5. Confined Water Dive Preview

Here are Summary Points from Chapter One on the Underwater World:
* Whether an object sinks, floats or does neither in water depends on its weight & its displacement.
* Use lead weight and a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), as well as lung volume, to control your          buoyancy
* The body is made up mostly of incompressible liquid, so you only feel pressure on the air spaces, which hold compressible air.
* There's a proportional relationship between pressure, air volume & density.
* You can use one of three techniques every metr/few feet to equalize your ears to prevent a squeeze while descending.
* You exhale into your mask through your nose to prevent a squeeze.
* NEVER continue to descend if you can't equalize.
* The MOST IMPORTANT RULE in scuba diving is to NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!
* Don't dive with a cold or allergy congestion, even with a decongestant.
* The deeper you go, the faster you use up your air supply.
* When scuba diving, breathe SLOWLY and DEEPLY, and AVOID getting out of breath.

Here are Summary Points from Chapter One on Dive Equipment and the Buddy System:
* Comfort and fit are the two most important criteria in purchasing dive gear.
* You can't use goggles for scuba diving because they don't enclose your nose.
* You need to rinse your equipment in FRESH WATER after each use.
* The jacket BCD is by far the most common BCD used by recreational divers.
* Your scuba tank needs an annual visual inspection, and periodic pressure (hydrostatic) testing.
* You NEVER leave scuba tanks standing unattended. You block/secure them when transporting so they can't FALL or ROLL.
* Regulators reduce tank pressure in two stages to breathing pressure.
* A regulator's most IMPORTANT feature is EASE of BREATHING.
* You need to have your regulator professionally serviced annually.
* Have the dust cap in place and don't push the purge button when you rinse your regulator.
* You need an SPG (submersible pressure or contents guage) so you can tell how much air you have at any time during the dive.
* You ALWAYS dive with a BUDDY for safety, practicality and fun.

Confined Water Dive One Skill Requirements ( i will be doing ALL of my confined water dive skills at Dolphin Scuba while in Sacramento at the end of the month. Katryna used to teach scuba at Dolphin. i will hopefully be doing my Open Water Dive Skills in the warm waters at Key Largo this spring!):

1. Don mask, fins, snorkel, BCD, scuba and weights with the assistance of a buddy, instructor or certified assistant.
2. Inflate/deflate a BCD at the surface using the low pressure inflator.
3. In shallow water, demonstrate propper compressed-air breathing habits, remembering to breathe naturally and not hold the breath.
4. Clear regulator while underwater by exhalation and purge-button methods, and resume breathing from it.
5. In shallow water, recover regulator hose from behind the shoulder while undewater.
6. In shallow water, clear parttially flodded mask while under water.
7. Swim underwater with scuba equipment while maintaining control of both direction & depth, properly equalizing the ears and mask to accommodate depth changes.
8. While underwater, locate & read the submersible pressure guage & signal whether air supply is adequate or low based based on the guage's caution zone.
9. In shallow water, breathe underwater for at least 30 seconds from an alternate air source supplied by another diver.
10. While underwater, recognize and/or demonstrate standard hand signals.
11. Demonstrate the techniques for a proper ascent.