Cotter’s Corner

One of my favorite Titans ever. This man showed true grit on the field and came to represent the franchise in a way that only a few ever could. He would take hits that you could feel in the stands and get back up to play. He was hurt and would walk on the field and lead the team down the field to a touchdown. He will be remembered as neither the most accurate nor the most prolific – but rather as one of the toughest guys out there.

We remember, do you?

So now things are going to start getting interesting. In five days from today I will be leaving with the family to head over to China. Whew. It just seems surreal to me that in nine days I will have a new daughter. I mean really, how crazy is that? Also, I’ve setup a new web site that is going to be devoted to tracking our journey. It’s at: http://www.thetriptochina.com. I’ll be blogging there daily on the trip and all the things that we’re doing and that we have going on.

I’m getting pretty nervous too. You know, International travel – it’s all new to me. And of course, it’s new to my kids. I’m not thinking we’re going to have a problem – but you know, I’m sure my daughter will be a little weird with everything. She talks a big game, but when it comes down to it – she’s pretty timid about new things. We’re trying to explain everything to her in advance so there will be no unexpected surprises, but how can you possibly explain everything when you have little to no idea of what you are going to be facing once you are there?

It’s only for a short time, so, I’m not devoting hours to worry or anything, but it is something that keeps popping up in my head. Other questions too – like how will we keep an (almost) two year old happy on a 19-20 hour plane ride?

And then the inevitable questions to worry about: How will her vision be? Are there any unknown conditions that they haven’t told us about? Lots of people adopt special needs kids to discover that they have more than one special need. And again, it isn’t worry so much as the unknown. Obviously I’d prefer her to have good vision – but, I suppose that isn’t my decision to make. We’ll just be happy to have a new little person in the house. She’ll present her own unique challenges (no matter what those may be), and we’ll all just have to adjust to our new lives.

In this case – change is truly good.

Yeah, I ripped off the idea, but I'm sitting here with a laptop and I thought it'd be pretty awesome to live blog the game. Futile attempt at relevance or just a bored dude with a laptop? YOU DECIDE!

Go here to share in the fun. 

Okay, day one of work after the stupid, stupid, stupid Daylight Savings Time changes and at 8:30 there were only three people who were here in a department of eleven. I'm so tired that I can't think of much else but my bed. It's the stupidest thing ever, in history, of all time. Oh, and the biggest thing of all? It may not even be worth all the hassle. See what these guys say here.

Watched a show last night about Secret Passages. Not the lame secret passages/rooms show that was on HGTV a few weeks ago. Rather, this was a special on The History Channel and was superior in every way. The HGTV show gave us insight into the incredibly lame ass couple who thought that an "Adams Family" house would be fun to do, with secret passages and whatnot. Meh. The History Channel show gave us real insights into bomb shelters, a secret Russian subway system that runs underneath the major public system and a man in Washington State who built his own four story bunker underneath his house that was worthy of anything a government engineer had ever done. It was  DAMNED impressive. And I LOVED seeing it. 

I think the fact that it impressed me so much has now caused me to try and figure out what it is about my psyche that makes me love places like that so much. I've always been interested in Urban Exploration and things like that, but this is cool on a whole new level. I used to stay up late and read about people who would open up old abandoned missile silos in the midwest and I'd be completely entranced by the pictures. Just amazing.

So, what is it about people who like places like that? I know I used to make forts and stuff when I was a kid with bedsheets and chairs and bedsheets and umbrellas. I'd take an apple and a cup of water in there with me and pretend I was in my fort and staying safe. So, I suppose I already had that survival instinct? Not sure, but, I have the same kind of needs now that I'm older and I'm having trouble working them out. I need to build a storm shelter or something.

First of all, let me wind you back to Wednesday (2/21) – I was feeling sick pretty much all day but there was NO CHANCE I wasn't going to take the wife to go see Billy Joel who was here in concert. The show was FANTASTIC. It was a really good show. Went about two hours and he sang a wide selection of songs. Well worth the money to go and see, even if it kept us up late on a school night. Billy Joel sounded great and the show itself was just well done – never boring. No breaks or anything – they just played right through.

So, the next day I was tired and feeling pretty crappy but I sucked it up and went to work anyways. Met with my old ShopAtHomers at Hooters for lunch and then sat in my office and cried the rest of the day. Friday I got up and decided that I needed to go to the doctors office and after sitting for 1.5 hours I got in and got a shot. I laid around all weekend (Yay!) and generally felt crappy, but started to get better on Sunday afternoon. I really hate being sick but I suppose I had to get this out of the way. It's now Tuesday and I'm still coughing a little and I can't hear out of my right ear (stupid ear infections – I can sneeze and get one). But I'm not complaining (much). I'll be happier when I'm done coughing and can hear again. 

I need to get back focused on seeing a foot doctor – but since I've been trying to take care of my feet – the neuroma hasn't been bothering me much. Which is ANOTHER good thing. I got new shoes and I've been wearing my bigger shoes and that really seems to do the trick. If I go pain free these last few days of sickness I may jump on the mountain bike this weekend (or maybe walk – but definitely one of those two). I really have the bug to exercise.

So, this is without a doubt the longest my foot has continually bothered me. Seems like it starts to feel better and then I step wrong and instantly the pain is back. So, aside from walking funny – it's damned painful. I asked the fine folks over at Cool Running (The Med Tent Forum) for a little advice and I got some pretty good replies – one that actually gave me some hope!

Quote Start– 

I had surgery back in 2001 on one foot. Thre is no problem with that foot now except for a minor loss of feeling in two toes.

For the other foot, in 2003-2004, I went to a different podiatrist. I wanted to explore options other than surgery. The new Dr. recommended a series of injections with an alcohol based solution. I had five or six injections. It cleared up the problem. That foot is now pain free and there is no loss of feeling in the toes.

I would recommend that you talk to your podiatrist. If the Dr. thinks that surgery is the only option, you might want to talk to another podiatrist about treatment other than surgery. Although surgery will remain an available option.

Quote End–

So, I think I've pretty much decided that I need to go see a different doctor at this point. My old boss recommended a guy with a group downtown here, I'll go see them I think, since they deal with some top-end people (read:pro athletes) and probably would know about this "alcohol" treatment. Oh man, if I could get something to treat the Neuroma, without surgery, that would be ideal. My wife is calling me a girl for not wanting to have surgery on my foot – but she obviously hasn't read the stories that I have that talk about the remedy sometimes being as bad as the cure with Morton's Neuroma.

In the meantime (to try and help the annoying foot pains), I went to Footsmart.com and bought some different kinds of feet support inserts especially made for Morton's Neuroma. I have one in right now – and while it DOES seem to be helping, I'm still kinda gimpy. Meaning that it is helping somewhat, but I'm still managing to hurt the spot – somehow.

I've been meaning to post about the coolness that is the new commuter rail line from Lebanon, TN. (where I am) to the riverfront of Nashville, TN. I waited for them to finish getting it ready to go for what seemed like forever. It's called the Music City Star and it's up and running. I catch the train at one of two times: 7:05 or 7:50 (the last run of the morning) and then catch it home at 4:20 from Nashville. Yes, I know – I work through lunch here at my desk, so there. I've also estimated the costs of riding the train into the office to be approximately half of what it takes me to drive my truck in on a daily basis.

Anyways, the train ride is great. I find that the days I take the train in – I am much more relaxed and calm. Score one for the anti-traffic people. I can also choose to walk to my building (about 3/4 mile from the train station or so) or take the bus. So, I can get in a little extra exercise before work and/or after work.  

Here is my older (and sometimes) ride into the office:

Hmmm, what are all those people waiting for?

Ah yes, the train!

These are apparently cars that used to belong to the Chicago train system that the city purchased and refurbished. Inside they are QUITE nice. I'll add some more pictures to my Flickr train set as I get more opportunity. But for now, here is a picture of the inside:

And here is a picture of the engine, with downtown Nashville in the background. (Picture shamelessly stolen from the Music City Star website, btw)

 It's a fantastic way for me to get to work. Only problem is mobility once I get to work. My truck is 30 miles away. So, that's really the biggest drawback. That and getting out of the office a little early here and there when the boss isn't around.

Just kidding, I don't really do that. No really. No… really. 

So, I started watching Prison Break on Fox in late 2005. The show was based upon this idea that the younger brother of a man who was wrongfully convicted of killing the brother of the Vice President of the US was so desperate to break his older brother out of jail that he came up with a plan for both of them to escape and got himself put into the same prison.

Long sentence, but good plot. So, I watched and enjoyed the show. It moved fast, there was plenty of action and it was (for the most part) well acted. Wentworth Miller, Robert Knepper and Sarah Wayne Callies are far and away the best reasons to watch the show. The show was a big hit when it first came on the air (despite some reluctance by Fox to advertise the show) and Fox added 9 more episodes to the initial 13 that they purchased, and here is where the trouble starts… Season two started with them having made their way out of the prison and the show has gone from plausible to downright awful. I hear that the show is officially supposed to end after season three – but it should have ended after the initial season and perhaps Fox could have really made some “hay” with people about their cutting-edge philosophy with this show. Instead we see them doing what networks always do – taking a good show and making it try to last as long as possible with no regard for creative flow or content.

After the prisoners got out we’re subjected to story lines and plot points that are completely ridiculous. They have episodes that contain story lines that we never see again – for no apparent reason. For example – the older brothers wife is killed by the FBI right in front of his son and his son has pictures on a cell phone of the agent who killed her as well as knowing the location of an FBI agent (or his body anyway) in a well. That whole part of the story has been dropped completely. Just gone.

It’s been VERY frustrating to like a show SO much in one season and completely feel cheated the next. I’ve officially removed Prison Break from my Season Pass schedule on my TV and I have vowed to not watch it again. Fox screwed me over on X-Files, then on Firefly and now on this. And they wonder why HBO wins awards year after year for their shows! Idiots. Thanks for letting me have more room on my DVR for good shows like Veronica Mars, Rome, 24 and Battlestar Galactica.