Ate Ten Ate-teen

IT’S FRIDAY !! HUGE storm rumbles thru last night and cool this morning, windows open and gentle refreshing breezes, sunshine and glad I am leisurely able to enjoy what may be the first indications of seasonal changes ahead.

Emma, are you listening and are things reversing Down Unda ?

Yesterday I did go to UT-SW Medical Center and did participate in the brain study. For my efforts & time I got paid AND a disc with images.

COOL. DID THEY FIND ANYTHING ?

Well, no they weren’t looking. It was NOT diagnostic but if they found anything I would have been informed. I mean the brain WAS there and I have over 170 images none of which I have figured out how to view. Yet. This WILL BE addressed however not of the highest priority yet today. This week or this month.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE? WHAT DID THEY DO ?

The MRI machine, device or instrument is large and they place the subject (your correspondent) on a table with a VR-type ‘mask’ over your face. One of the repeated instructions is to keep perfectly still and not move. Another, some people apparently get claustrophobic when inserted into the machine so much so they have a ‘mock-up’ to slip those suspects that MAY have that issue into. I told them ‘no need.’

Once inside, there were the tests. Two (2) sets were numbers with patterns and symbols and right/wrong buttons for ‘right=correct, left=wrong’ type of answers. And you had to respond both quickly and of course accurately and not budge.

YOU SAID THAT. ARE YOU REPEATING YOURSELF?

Not at all.

I got off track which was easy to do as the machine is very loud especially internally as it works. So much so that the vic (aka your writer) has issued ear-protection in the form of plugs. I skipped a question and in frustration hitting the wrong button and I THOUGHT (did) I moved my head a smidge but they didn't mention it. But with this quick in-process reset I got back on track with the following question and carried on to completion.

In the feedback portion at the end I mentioned the noise being a distraction but not much could be done.

Another segment was breathing some gas that they increased the flow and concentration of. This was for 15 minutes and towards the tale end of that one I was getting close to a panic attack and the compartment did seem to be getting tomb-like AND smaller.

General overall statement is it was pretty cool and fun. Another gift/debit card added to the collection good until 2019. Maybe I can save enough for a trip to … Bermuda.

Finishing up and on the home stretch of The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl. Highly recommended and a great read. A great story, brilliantly written by a truly gifted writer and master of the genre. Not quite done but surprises, twists abound apparently until the very end. I am going to have to send him a note on concluding how much I enjoyed the book and pay him some compliments AND give him some free advice.

That's about it.

As you can (clearly) see, I am back to form and the ‘blues’ of our last correspondence have successfully passed as predicted and I knew they would. All w/out meds !

IMAGINE THAT ?!

I could go on but the irrigation guy is coming this morning for a scheduled set of repairs. Due any time now.

Tomorrow is Second Saturday in beautiful, HISTORIC downtown McKinney. Expecting a call and to stop at the printer for new product for this show. Must stop & see R @ SOHO about set up hopefully a little later to accommodate a morning ride. Must do the preps, staging, pack, load etc.

The training regimen is back on track. Today being an OFF day. Rode yesterday afternoon after a couple days off to accommodate the MRI& brain study. A short, hard ride 24 K (15m) with the new repaired rear tire LONGER than expected but due to the late hour in the day more traffic and stupid drivers than usual so safety stops and slowdowns were unavoidable. A healthy brain does not good when splattered or smeared on either Stacy or Alma road.

Must eat something sometime. Doesn’t seem the highest of priorities right now but later when the dust settles for sure.

Need some supplies but I am THINKING I can hold off on those as well.

I was perusing the news headlines and flabbergasted … three (3) stories on Kardasians. WTF … WHO CARES ? Lifeless slugs.

Apparently there are some people without much of a life wandering around with little to nothing better to do than track THAT moronic bunch.

This one headline caught my attention … ‘Swimmer attacked by shark at Texas beach … taken to hospital’. Seems like lots of shark attacks of late.

My first thought was the shock was taken to the ER. Got a rotten Texan and developed food poisoning. Perhaps.

OK then.

Stick a fork in me Irene as I think NOW I am about done.