Change of Plans

Finally had my doctor's appointment to learn the results of the tests.  Both tests showed nothing out of the ordinary.  I have an appointment with a neurologist on Wed the 30th.  I was told no driving for 3-6 months.   Ugh!!!
  It seems that we were not meant to go south this winter.  After we got home from the doctor R went into the trailer to take out some clothes, etc.  When she put out the bedroom slide, there was a loud "clunk".  The gear it the slide mechanism broke some teeth again.  This is the third time in 6 months.  Not good.  We would be planning to leave today or tomorrow if my medical condition had allowed it and we would have been Very Unhappy!!

   So maybe we need to come up with a Plan B or even a Plan C.  We have only a short time to think of things, but plan b might be to volunteer at parks in Oregon, such as the coast or Fort Vancouver.
   Plan C is a little more complicated.  It involves a move.  A move from Eugene to the Portland area.  Closer to family, closer to several friends, but a lot of work to get it accomplished. 

   Hmmmmm.....

EEG

Last Thursday I finally had my EEG.  I was told it was to be a "Sleep Inhibited" test so I was to get half of my normal sleep the night before the test and to not have any caffeine prior either.  Here is the story.  Here is what I wrote the nest day when I sent an email to my sons.

My procedure went well.  Stayed up til 2am and set alarm for 0600.  Appointment was at 0830, but arrived half hour early.  24 stick-on electrodes on my head, including one near each eye, and one clipped to each ear.  25th electrode stuck on my chest near my heart.
Then the lights went out.  "Relax and go to sleep."

   Any night I can go to sleep within 2 minutes, but lying in that strange bed, fully clothed, with 25 electrodes attached to me, it was so easy to go to sleep.  I made myusalf relax.  I tired to think about quiet things; the ocean, the desert, etc.
   Finally, I turned on my side and a short time later the tech told me to wake up so evidently I had drifted off.
   With the lights back on, she asked to roll back over on my back and then asked me several questions like what day is it, and who is the President, etc.  I got them all correct.
  The last part of the test involved a strobe light flashing in front of my closed eyes.  Different frequencies of flashing producing different frequency brain waves.
   Then I was done and we were home by 10am.

  In the afternoon, relaxing on the couch with a movie on the TV, I slept like a baby.

Weaving Again

   It's been a while since I have started a weaving project.  I got bogged down last year with a piece on the loom because I was fretting because some of the warp threads were twisted.  So I stopped for a while.  After we got home and I unloaded the loom, I decided to "tough it out" and I decided to complete the work.  It turned out that it wasn't such a terrible thing and my wife likes the scarf.
   With renewed energy I pulled out my warping board and started to plan ways to use all the yarn that I have accumulated.  I came up with several combinations that I think will look ok together.  I wound the warps on the warping board and tied them so that they will not get tangled and put each on the them into a Ziplock bag with the yarn that I will use for the weft.

  The warp is the material that runs lengthwise and the weft is the material that goes back and forth in the piece.  Either one can be colorful depending on your imagination.

   Then it was time to "warp the loom" or to load it.  By watching several U-Tube videos I finally figured out what I needed to do.  It is now officially warped.
 

M R I

Monday the 31st I had my first MRI.  It was an interesting experience.  I showed up fifteen minutes early for my appointment, so that I could fill out the paperwork ( allergies, piercings, phobias, etc.)  I didn't get the form completely done before they called me back so I think that the form is used to help the patient pass the time while he waits.
   I was lead to a tiny chnging booth and told that I could keep my undershorts and socks on and to put on the provided "scrubs".  I locked my clothes in a locker and kept the key with me.  After a short time in the second waiting room, I was taken to the MRI room.  The room was all whites and beiges with the huge donut sitting in the middle.  I laid down the narrow tray and the tech positioned me on my back.  A pillow under my knees helped relax my back and I locked my hands together on my stomach.  The tech put headphones on me and put sometowels on each side of my head to keep it from moving. Then a frame was placed over my head.  On it was a mirror positioned so that when I looked straight ahead, I saw my folded hands and then out across my feet.  As he rolled me into the machine my shoulders rubbed the side of the machine.  I am not sure what happens when large people are on the bed.  I didn't see any crow bars in the room.  Then he asked what type of music I liked.  He said, "I have Pandora so I can give you anything you want."  I suggested John Hiatt and after a few minutes, the music started.   "Now just don't move until you come out." The tech explained that there would be several sessions each lasting 2 to 5 minutes and the total process would take about twenty minutes.  "Here we go." 
    For the next twenty minutes, I dozed while I listened to the music and tried not to listen to the bang, bang, bang  or the drum, drum, drum, or the rum, rum, rum.  The tech would talk to me between each session telling me the length of each session and that "one more to go".  Then I was done and rolled out, helped up and the tech changed the towels on the MRI bed.  He then walked me back to the changing area and said goodbye.
  Ten minutes later I was dressed and walking out the door into the cool winter air.                   

                                            This is image I downloaded so that you can see what it looks like.  It is not me!