Next week I will return to work and dive in to the intricacies of medical device testing for endotoxin and live microbes. I will miss writing, being lazy at home, and the small vacation that I had for the last 3 weeks since I have been feeling quite well.
I will miss my 3 mile morning walk and chatting with neighbors along the way. However, I do miss my coworkers and the work. I have sampled what retirement will be like now and I have enjoyed it. I am just not ready to give up the working life yet!
So, on to the challenges of medical device work! I am ready!
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Musings from the Lounge Chair
The recent proliferation of writing in this blog is due to an unexpected large block of free time. I have been ill. I have been away from work for nearly 2 months. Six weeks of that time has been at home.
I had a stroke and had to recuperate. A clot from my clogged carotid artery ended up in my brain and paralyzed my left hand. My artery needed surgery to clean it out and to place a graft on it to close up a hole. I have been working hard to regain strength and mobility in my hand and I am nearly back to normal. I feel good, I have been getting my exercise, and I have been trying to eat right. I am anxious to get back to work.
Thus, I have been furiously writing to occupy my time. I used some of that time to educate my high school classmates on the obscure symptoms of stroke, such as I had. I did not have the face/arm/speech/etc symptoms typical of stroke. Instead I had headache, neck discomfort, and back muscle ache. Then my hand went numb. It took almost 2 weeks in the hospital and another couple of weeks at home before I started feeling like myself. My scar is healed, my hand is at 90%, and I have my energy back. I am not 100% but I do feel good and I will be going back to work soon.
I had a stroke and had to recuperate. A clot from my clogged carotid artery ended up in my brain and paralyzed my left hand. My artery needed surgery to clean it out and to place a graft on it to close up a hole. I have been working hard to regain strength and mobility in my hand and I am nearly back to normal. I feel good, I have been getting my exercise, and I have been trying to eat right. I am anxious to get back to work.
Thus, I have been furiously writing to occupy my time. I used some of that time to educate my high school classmates on the obscure symptoms of stroke, such as I had. I did not have the face/arm/speech/etc symptoms typical of stroke. Instead I had headache, neck discomfort, and back muscle ache. Then my hand went numb. It took almost 2 weeks in the hospital and another couple of weeks at home before I started feeling like myself. My scar is healed, my hand is at 90%, and I have my energy back. I am not 100% but I do feel good and I will be going back to work soon.
Football!
My high school's varsity football team, prior to 1967, had not been very good. However, that all changed when we got Coach. Coach had played his football at UMass and had also played for UMass in the Tangerine Bowl. In his first year, we began to win games. In 1968, we went undefeated and beat our arch-rival from the next town 42-0, and in 1969, we were tied for league champs, and defeated our arch-rivals again 14-0. Coach went on to win many league championships and was instrumental in creating a dynasty of teams that still win. The teams have been to many western MA championships and several superbowls across the state.
Friday, September 22, 2017
The Honors Pass Kids
If one achieved "High Honors" in any quarter, one became a member of an elite group of students who earned an "Honors Pass". The pass gave one super powers to do whatever one wanted to do in lieu of going to study hall. The photography/electronics boys went to the photography room to do whatever they did there, athletes migrated to the gym, folks went out to lunch or even to the town library or home if study hall was at the end of the day. However, the most popular place to go was the lower level foyer which had tables and a coke machine. There, we often sat and did homework together. It was a great place to get help if you didn't understand something in math or physics. All the top kids in school ended up there to collaborate. We could talk and laugh and make sure we had the right answers on the homework!
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Extracurricular!
The "Hi Tension" was the school newspaper and, because I liked to write and wanted to see my "byline" in print, I went to the first meeting of the school year. I wrote small articles for the monthly publication and it was really fun. My friend and I became girls' sports editors senior year and we wrote sports exclusively that year. We were both on the volleyball, basketball, and softball teams so we wrote about our friends and ourselves. The local newspaper never wrote about girls' sports, so we walked many of our articles to the local newspaper office and asked them to publish the articles that we wrote. We were very surprised when they did actually publish our writing, so we actively kept up writing and delivering. The result was that we had our bylines in the local paper too.
Sophomore year I didn't make the basketball team because I missed one of the try-out days...due to not hearing the announcement over the speaker at the end of school that day. I was very disappointed when the coach told me that I couldn't make it up. So, in the spring, I tried out for cheerleading instead. I was a cheerleader my junior year so I couldn't play basketball...the two sports had conflicting schedules. As a result, I didn't play on the team until my senior year. For those who do not know this, until the winter of 1970, girls' basketball teams had 6 players. There were 2 forwards who could not go past mid-court and stayed by their own basket, 2 guards at the other end of the court, and 2 "rovers" who could traverse the court and play at both ends. In 1970, the game was in transition between girls' rules and boys' rules. We played our league games using girls' rules and independent games using boys' rules. It was an interesting year! We had a winning record in the league but really did not do well with boys' rules. The independents killed us.
Cheerleading was fun, but I really wasn't girly enough to fit in with most of the girls. I was also just an alternate, someone who didn't get to cheer at all the games unless a regular was sick. At the end of junior year we got a new cheerleading advisor who decided to change the rules on how cheerleaders were chosen. Instead of "flying up" to senior cheerleaders, we all had to re-try out. I didn't like this decision because I felt that we were short-changed of our rights. After the try-out I was cut from the team, along with the other alternate. All of the other cheerleaders were-chosen and 2 new girls made the team. I always felt that this was pre-planned by the new coach because she didn't like us for some reason, or maybe she just wanted to make a statement about her power. For whatever reason it was done, it made me feel horrible about myself and I was angry for a long time.
Sophomore year I didn't make the basketball team because I missed one of the try-out days...due to not hearing the announcement over the speaker at the end of school that day. I was very disappointed when the coach told me that I couldn't make it up. So, in the spring, I tried out for cheerleading instead. I was a cheerleader my junior year so I couldn't play basketball...the two sports had conflicting schedules. As a result, I didn't play on the team until my senior year. For those who do not know this, until the winter of 1970, girls' basketball teams had 6 players. There were 2 forwards who could not go past mid-court and stayed by their own basket, 2 guards at the other end of the court, and 2 "rovers" who could traverse the court and play at both ends. In 1970, the game was in transition between girls' rules and boys' rules. We played our league games using girls' rules and independent games using boys' rules. It was an interesting year! We had a winning record in the league but really did not do well with boys' rules. The independents killed us.
Cheerleading was fun, but I really wasn't girly enough to fit in with most of the girls. I was also just an alternate, someone who didn't get to cheer at all the games unless a regular was sick. At the end of junior year we got a new cheerleading advisor who decided to change the rules on how cheerleaders were chosen. Instead of "flying up" to senior cheerleaders, we all had to re-try out. I didn't like this decision because I felt that we were short-changed of our rights. After the try-out I was cut from the team, along with the other alternate. All of the other cheerleaders were-chosen and 2 new girls made the team. I always felt that this was pre-planned by the new coach because she didn't like us for some reason, or maybe she just wanted to make a statement about her power. For whatever reason it was done, it made me feel horrible about myself and I was angry for a long time.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
The Long Walk to School
I would love to say that I had to walk a mile to school, uphill, in all kinds of nasty weather, but the reality is that my walk was probably a half mile flat walk with my friends. I would walk about halfway by myself, meet my friends on a corner, and walk the rest of the way with them. On our route we walked over a foot bridge over a river and across the main street to school. It took all of 10 minutes. We would get to school, find our friends, go to our lockers, get the books we needed for our classes, and sit in homeroom.
There was one "up" staircase on one end of the school and one "down" staircase at the other end. You never went "up" the "down" staircase or vice versa during the change of classes. The stairs were just too crowded.
The cafeteria was too small to hold all of the students at one time, so lunch periods were staggered and we were allowed to leave the school grounds to go home, eat downtown, or at the submarine sandwich shop on the next block. It was $.25 for a school lunch and $.35 for a large sub. Whenever I had an extra dime, I was eating an Angelina's sub. My favorite was the tuna with onions and, lettuce, cheese, and tomato. It was doused in an oil/spice mixture and was delicious. Angelina's is still there in the same place, 60 years later, and I still have to go there when I am home for a visit.
There was one "up" staircase on one end of the school and one "down" staircase at the other end. You never went "up" the "down" staircase or vice versa during the change of classes. The stairs were just too crowded.
The cafeteria was too small to hold all of the students at one time, so lunch periods were staggered and we were allowed to leave the school grounds to go home, eat downtown, or at the submarine sandwich shop on the next block. It was $.25 for a school lunch and $.35 for a large sub. Whenever I had an extra dime, I was eating an Angelina's sub. My favorite was the tuna with onions and, lettuce, cheese, and tomato. It was doused in an oil/spice mixture and was delicious. Angelina's is still there in the same place, 60 years later, and I still have to go there when I am home for a visit.
Back to the Past...More High School Memories
It has been quite awhile since I have actually posted memories, so I will get back to those in this post.
Sophomore classes: more world history, earth science, English, Latin, geometry, gym. I have always enjoyed history. I think the reason is that I had some really good history teachers in junior high and high school. Mr. Boulger taught all of his history via "The Boulger Circle" which he would draw on the blackboard in the beginning of the school year and explain in detail. I loved his stories: you could tell that he was really into his subject. He was always a favorite of mine.
Mrs. Welch taught earth science. She was a southern belle complete with the drawl and she called us collectively, "y'all". Earth science was dry and boring, even for me, and I always wondered how she could teach the subject several times per day. (Later in life, when I became a teacher and it was my responsibility to teach earth science to freshmen, I still hated earth science.) Mrs. Welch was good-natured, though not an impressive teacher, and the class was easy.
English was taught by Mrs. Baker, a young enthusiastic teacher who liked Shakespeare. We read a lot of Shakespeare that year. I am a BS/MS in science but I never did get the hang of interpreting Shakespeare. Disliked this class for the content, not the teacher. Nice lady but too bad she had to teach Shakespeare.
Mr. Welch (not related or married to Mrs. Welch) taught Latin, a class that was interesting and I was good at it. Dead language but fun class.
Mr Trimarchi taught geometry. Not my favorite math. I did not like using theorems to prove things. My personal favorite math was algebra. The teacher was a good guy though and he tried to make the class interesting.
Gym was by far my favorite class...isn't it everybody's? In high school, as in junior high, there was a giant curtain separating the girls' gym classes from the boys'. Mrs. Thompson, who was about 6 feet tall, was the girls' gym teacher. Every class began with 15 minutes of exercises. I even liked doing those, though many girls hated them. My favorite classes involved walking up the hill to the field above the school to play field hockey or softball or run. Though every class watched out the window to see you walk the hill in your lovely gym suit with the bloomers underneath. I can smell the grass on the hill even now, one of those unmistakable dry fall smells. It was liberating to be outside even for a short time to enjoy the fresh air!
Sophomore classes: more world history, earth science, English, Latin, geometry, gym. I have always enjoyed history. I think the reason is that I had some really good history teachers in junior high and high school. Mr. Boulger taught all of his history via "The Boulger Circle" which he would draw on the blackboard in the beginning of the school year and explain in detail. I loved his stories: you could tell that he was really into his subject. He was always a favorite of mine.
Mrs. Welch taught earth science. She was a southern belle complete with the drawl and she called us collectively, "y'all". Earth science was dry and boring, even for me, and I always wondered how she could teach the subject several times per day. (Later in life, when I became a teacher and it was my responsibility to teach earth science to freshmen, I still hated earth science.) Mrs. Welch was good-natured, though not an impressive teacher, and the class was easy.
English was taught by Mrs. Baker, a young enthusiastic teacher who liked Shakespeare. We read a lot of Shakespeare that year. I am a BS/MS in science but I never did get the hang of interpreting Shakespeare. Disliked this class for the content, not the teacher. Nice lady but too bad she had to teach Shakespeare.
Mr. Welch (not related or married to Mrs. Welch) taught Latin, a class that was interesting and I was good at it. Dead language but fun class.
Mr Trimarchi taught geometry. Not my favorite math. I did not like using theorems to prove things. My personal favorite math was algebra. The teacher was a good guy though and he tried to make the class interesting.
Gym was by far my favorite class...isn't it everybody's? In high school, as in junior high, there was a giant curtain separating the girls' gym classes from the boys'. Mrs. Thompson, who was about 6 feet tall, was the girls' gym teacher. Every class began with 15 minutes of exercises. I even liked doing those, though many girls hated them. My favorite classes involved walking up the hill to the field above the school to play field hockey or softball or run. Though every class watched out the window to see you walk the hill in your lovely gym suit with the bloomers underneath. I can smell the grass on the hill even now, one of those unmistakable dry fall smells. It was liberating to be outside even for a short time to enjoy the fresh air!
Monday, September 18, 2017
2017 "2.5-Year" High School Reunion
My high school class has discovered the value of coming together more often than every five years. This summer was one of those times and we learned that we can throw a pretty good party even if we are thrown a curve ball at the last minute.
The venue we were going to use had some administrative problems and closed down temporarily 2 weeks prior to the reunion. At the last minute, after trying unsuccessfully to contact the owners, we were able to get a somewhat smaller venue for less money. We altered our food menu to include the submarine sandwiches from the sub shop next to the building where the high school used to be, satisfying everyone, and we were all happy. We were 25-30 old folks who came from Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. We hugged, gabbed, drank our favorite poison, took photos, and reminisced. It was perfect. A small group compared to our 45th reunion, but we had planned a year in advance for that one. We lamented that certain classmates had not been able to make it due to illness and we thanked our lucky stars that we were still healthy enough to come and carouse ourselves.
The venue we were going to use had some administrative problems and closed down temporarily 2 weeks prior to the reunion. At the last minute, after trying unsuccessfully to contact the owners, we were able to get a somewhat smaller venue for less money. We altered our food menu to include the submarine sandwiches from the sub shop next to the building where the high school used to be, satisfying everyone, and we were all happy. We were 25-30 old folks who came from Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. We hugged, gabbed, drank our favorite poison, took photos, and reminisced. It was perfect. A small group compared to our 45th reunion, but we had planned a year in advance for that one. We lamented that certain classmates had not been able to make it due to illness and we thanked our lucky stars that we were still healthy enough to come and carouse ourselves.
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