A Diagnosis for Deb

Winter continues to tighten its grip on us, as we head into another interminable period dominated by an Arctic air mass.  For the next two weeks, temps will hover near record lows, consistently, as they have done since January 9th.  We enjoyed one mild day, which was accompanied by a nasty ice storm and freezing rain.  Our power stayed on, but not everyone had the same luck.

We enjoyed a utterly magnificent lunar eclipse last Sunday evening.  We managed to stay awake until mid-totality, when the moon resembled an over-sized Mars, with a tiny white polar cap just before totality.  It was beautiful with the naked eye, but something else again in the 4" reflector.  It was so cold outside that we had to keep coming back inside to thaw ourselves.  It was a memorable and fantastic event!

On Wednesday we finally got to see a specialist regarding Deb's shoulder problem.  It took three months to get to see Dr. McCaffrey.  While he did give a diagnosis, he still wants an MRI scan.  The wait list for that in Ontario is 8-12 weeks.  Then we go back to see him again, whenever we can get an appointment.  Even more waiting.  In the meantime, the pain continues for Deb.  He is almost certain that it is a torn rotator cuff in her shoulder, caused from her Iaido training.  We know she injured it while preparing for her Nidan test back in the day, and it has taken this long to finally discover what is wrong.  No treatment is likely until late summer or autumn.  Wonderful health care.  If we wanted to spend the money, we could have it done next day in Detroit.

Next week is officially Eyeball Week here at the Homestead.  My surgery is Tuesday, with a follow-up appointment next day.  Friday Deb sees her optometrist for a check-up and new glasses.  All this will be carried out during some mighty chilly temperatures.  The following week I return to Windsor for a final post-surgery check-up, if all is well, and then Deb goes to see her heart specialist for her check-up.  February looks nearly as bad!

Today was Detroit day.  I had two SF books waiting at the mailbox, and we went out for lunch.  Speaking of SF books, I have now surpassed reading and reviewing 300 books related to the authors of the Avon/Equinox SF series!  That's a lot of reading and reviewing!  And on it goes, with over 300 books in my waiting pile.  The bedroom looks quite ridiculous, but I find it rather cosy. 

Mapman Mike

Lunar Eclipse 2019

It is actually going to be clear tonight for the total lunar eclipse!  That's the good news.  The bad news is that it is going to be below zero F, plus an incredibly bad wind chill.  So it will be largely an indoor event here in Amherstburg.  We got clobbered yesterday by the first snowstorm of the season, with an easy 15 cm of fluffy snow on the property.  The storm was followed by a huge drop in temperature, and we are in the deep freeze until Tuesday.  The storm has passed us and moved on to create untold misery for many other big cities.  The good part about getting the snow when we did is that it should help protect our water pipes from freezing, though I will keep a tap running lightly overnight as a precaution.

Total eclipse for us begins after midnight.  Not sure how long I will last.  I hope to at least make it to totality.  The really fun part of a total lunar eclipse, at least for me, won't happen tonight.  During a full moon, it is impossible to observe faint deep sky objects due to the overwhelming sky brightness.  Tonight that is made even worse by new fallen snow.  However, during the hour or so of total eclipse, those faint deep sky objects suddenly come popping out.  However, it is much too cold to even contemplate setting up a telescope.  And despite the fact that about 2.8 billion people will be out photographing the event, everyone I know in our astronomy club will be trying to do the same thing.  Why?  God knows, and She isn't telling.  I can understand if you are watching from Florida, Arizona, or California.  But why go out tonight and take a photo that will look exactly like every other photo?  Try just enjoying the event, folks.  You don't really need to immortalize it with your camera; it will still be cool to just watch it.

Things are moving ahead rapidly with my eye surgery, which is now set for next week (29th).  I opted for the dropless surgery, meaning that I will be free of taking three kinds of eye drops for ten days.  I dislike eye drops.  By the time astronomy is doable again without an observer freezing to the ground, I should be ready to go.  Dr. Emara is the same doctor that did my left eye in 2014, which went perfectly.  

I originally planned to perform my recital before the surgery, thinking that the surgery would be in March or April.  So I was a bit surprised when the office called me and said there was an opening on the 29th.  I will not be able to shovel snow for a while, something that might prove to be troublesome.  Today I shovelled a lot, and there is much more awaiting me tomorrow, and possibly the next day.  I will likely have to cancel my teaching day if it snows that week.

As to my piano pieces, they are almost ready to go, lacking only the final two-week push that magically gets them up to snuff (it's called hours of extra practicing!).  I will likely miss 4 or 5 days practice due to the surgery, so I will wait to set a date.  However, late February looks promising. 

Mapman Mike

Winter is icumen in!

We made it pretty far into the calendar this year, but the inevitable is arriving.  Saturday will be Snowstorm #1 (Deb's birthday, no less), followed by the coldest air one could ever imagine in this area.  Tuesday will be Snowstorm #2, followed by lingering cold air well into the 14-day forecast.  A certain over-used 4-letter word comes to mind in such circumstances.  We have had about 1/2" of snow tonight, the first since our early December return from Vienna.  Nearly 6" will arrive Saturday, followed by more than that on Tuesday.  Our walking program continued today, and will conclude with tomorrow's walk.  After that, it's on to the boring treadmill until a thaw arrives.

Medical January continues, and will be followed by Medical February.  I saw my eye specialist yesterday, and will be booking my cataract surgery tomorrow, probably for March.  I was there for nearly two hours.  Deb is on deck for next Wednesday, if roads are passable, to see her shoulder specialist.  There will be much more medical activity to come, so stay tuned!

Deb's Yorick web series has already won its first award.  I'm certain there will be many more to follow.  Episode 9 is now on-line.  Here is a link to her blog, if you have not already watched.  Today is the last day to vote for the date of Yorick's birthday! 

Mapman Mike

Vienna Images

The images to our most recent trip to Vienna can be found here  https://lonemtnhomestead.blogspot.com/

We have just discovered that the Albertina will be having another very tempting art exhibit next autumn.  They will show the drawings and watercolours of Durer!  These very rarely go on display, only about every 15-20 years.  We saw some in Spain many decades ago, at El Escorial, and still have fond memories.  However, as much I would love to return to Vienna next autumn, things are shaping up for our long-postponed astronomy visit to New Mexico in October.  We will only have our SUV until December, so it's now or never....

The Ides of January have arrived.  We are having seasonal temps, which means cold but quite bearable, when the wind isn't howling.  We found a few more dandelions today on our bright and sunny walk.  However, this weekend we are to receive a true winter blast of cold air.  Also, another Saturday storm has its sights on our area.  We dodged last week's biggie, and we have a chance of being missed by the next one, too.  If only!  With January half over, we are nearly there....

We finally caught up with Randy G. today, enjoying some lunch with him at a small Windsor cafe.  We have all been very busy, but it's almost ridiculous that we haven't spent time with him since he briefly stopped by the house in November. 

Mapman Mike

Two Great Films

We scored two bulls eyes recently!  On Amazon Prime we watched a 1996 film called "The Whole Wide World."  It tells the story of a young female writer who meets and befriends Robert E. Howard!  Based on her book about their relationship in the 1930s, it gives amazing insight into his character, his writing, the way he wrote, and his relationship with his mother.  I have read enough Howard to know that his imagination was first class, and his writing was colourful and honest and energetic.  Though Conan The Barbarian wasn't one of my teenage heroes (I was more into Edgar Rice Burroughs), I still have a full set of Conan comic books, and have seen all the movies, as well as Red Sonja and others.  The film is a solid four stars, and I'm not sure how I missed it back in the day, when we had a ton of satellite movie channels.  Highly recommended!

 

Today was Detroit day, and we went to our favourite Yemeni coffee shop.  Qahwah House was packed today, and we enjoyed a large pot of Jubani.  Very spicy and gingery, and perfect for a cold and damp January day!  We usually visit on a weekday, when it is a bit quieter.  Today, the place was hopping!  And right around the corner is Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery.  It's actually a candy store for adults, one of the most unbelievable stores in the universe!  A visit here is better than one to Aladdin's cave.  His Turkish Delight selection is enough to draw me there, but the dozens and dozens of different candies, nuts, coffee, tea blends, and groceries is an overwhelming experience, even if you are used to going there.  We each left with our own bag of treats!

Next, we went to the mailbox, then to Buddy's Pizza for a free lunch. I had to pay for my beer, but Deb got a free vegan pizza because of her birthday next week!  Then it was off to the Detroit Institute of Arts for another stunning film.  They were screening a recent film called "Liyana," a documentary film that also tells a story.  From Swaziland, we join a group of orphaned youngsters getting together with a traditional story teller to make up a tale from beginning to end, including choosing characters, plot, scenery, and so on.  Not really animation, the story is told using many colourful illustrations, while we also get to see the children (about 8 of them) live their daily lives in a safe house.  The children are a true delight to watch, and the Liyana story quickly becomes a classic.  Very beautifully done, and thankfully the film has won many awards.  Four stars again!

After the movie we went around the corner from the museum to one of our favourite cafes.  We shared a French Press of Ugandan coffee, as well as a vegan cookie.  Our final stop was 8 Degrees Plato.  I sampled two fabulous coffee stouts, and Deb was able to try a few ounces of a low alcohol table beer.

Just south of us (about 20 miles away), the worst winter storm in a very long time is just passing us.  Cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and all of Ohio are getting blanketed by very high snow amounts, up to 15" in some places.  We held our breath for awhile thinking it would hit us, but the predictions held and it stayed just to our south.  The storm is called Gia, and has already killed 5 people.  We will likely get a taste of snow later tonight, but nothing serious is predicted for us.

 This snowstorm is passing to our immediate south, even as I type.  We still have no snow on the ground, but a lot of people to our south are being buried in the stuff.

Mapman Mike

January 2019 in SW Ontario

Statistically, the coldest part of our winter begins January 10th and ends around the 1st of February.  It was still Autumn here this year until January 9th, when a bit of winter weather finally settled over our area.  Our daylight has already increased by 18 minutes per day since Solstice, and there is no ice on the river so far.  Due to high winds yesterday and today, it was too cold outside to maintain our walking program.  While temps will remain below 0 C for the foreseeable future, the wind should drop enough tomorrow for us to venture outside again.  There is no snow on the ground yet, but we might get a bit on Saturday.  It is clear tonight, and I can see a lovely banana moon out our south picture window.  Had it been a teeny bit less windy and cold, I likely would have headed out to the observatory for a short time.  Instead, I'm indoors writing this, with a lovely glass of dark stout beside me.  Ah, winter!

We now have three of this month's six medical appointments out of the way.  Last week Deb had to go for her blood work, and today she went for her RA infusion (we were in and out in 30 minutes!), and then went next door for X-rays to her shoulder.  I am up next, with an appointment with Dr. Emara next Wednesday to set a date for my cataract surgery.  Deb is up the following week to see a specialist about her shoulder.  Likely we will both soon have dates for our surgeries afterwards.  Thus things will carry on into February...

If one has to work for a living, it doesn't get much better than having a 5-day weekend.  The only thing that could be better is having a 6-day weekend!  I have now consolidated all of my private teaching into one day, Wednesday, and though it is a pretty harsh afternoon and evening, it does go by quickly.  We can now go away for six days without having to change or postpone any lessons!

We recently watched one of the worst Sherlock Holmes movies one could ever imagine.  It is called "Sherlock Holmes," and features the worst Watson/Holmes pairing I have ever seen, along with a Mycroft who is a criminal who makes flying dragons, a huge underwater octopus, which destroys a ship and kills everyone for no apparent reason, dinosaurs, and other flying devices and such.  It seems to play out as a very poor Dr. Who episode, but with "Sherlock" (called Robert in the movie!) instead of the Doctor.

We are into several very good series on Amazon just now, having just added Season One of "Catastrophe," a very funny British series about an American guy and an Irish girl who end up having a brief and lust-filled affair while he is in London.  This one gets great reviews, and so far is quite hilarious.  We are also watching two Anime series.  "The Great Passage" is a tender and funny series about a group of people at a publishing firm trying to publish a new dictionary.  Not your usual plot in these kind of things, but it is really good!  A bit more traditional is one called "Rage of Bahamut Virgin Soul," in which a teenage girl (always) has a magic power that can turn her into a rampaging dragon.  When just herself, she has super strength and eats a lot.  It is quite funny, and the graphics are spectacular.

We are still watching "Mr. Robot," but we are less thrilled with where it is going now.  It seems to be following a pattern of many "hip" TV series, with interesting characters dying, stupid and unnecessary plot twists popping up to shock us, and more or less spinning its tires mid-season.  We will try to finish watching, but it's getting harder to do.  "Detective Anna" continues to be a favourite series.  From Russia with subtitles, we are at episode 43 of 56.  The period costumes are just jaw-dropping, and Anna looks great in all of them!  She is a psychic who can see people who have died violently.  Sometimes the police will trust her, and other times just want to do things their way.  There are many fun sub plots, too.

Gaming has been on hold, but hopefully will resume soon.  We have given up on Obduction, which started as one fabulous adventure game, then just bogged down and wallowed in its own complexity.  Its worse crime is allowing players to reach a dead end deep into the game, with only one major event remaining to solve.  There is no real chance of backing up, unless you know exactly where the error took place, and what the error was.  This game does not deserve the high ratings it gets, though it is awful pretty to look at and wander about in.

Mapman Mike

Hello 2019

The year got off to a pretty nifty start!  For one thing, we have had mild weather for some time now, which is always welcome in January.  Even better, there were 3 clear nights in a row, right at new moon.  That is the first time in my life that such an event has occurred.  I am still left almost speechless.  I managed nearly 10 hours of observing with the 12" scope over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, enjoying unrivalled views of the Milky Way.  Combined with a total of nearly 5 hours driving, and about 90 minutes of set up and take down, I have been rather busy lately.  In an effort to maintain our walking program, I have had to cut back on piano practice, and several other things.  

We finally managed to get the holiday decorations taken down today and put away, and I even got the laundry done.  For the past two days I have also been writing this month's article for our astronomy club's newsletter.  Tomorrow's goal is to get some food in the house, for humans and cats.  We are still picking dandelions off the grass for the tortoise, a far cry from this time last year.  Sudbury has been getting no weather breaks, with solid snow on the ground since October.  Our turn is coming, but the longer it is delayed the happier I am.  Soon our daylight will be increasing, even though the depths of winter have yet to arrive.  January 10th through 31st is our coldest period, statistically.

The three nights in a row of observing also really tired me out.  I have to drive out to the observatory (45 minutes one way) in an unheated car, so that the telescope mirror stays at outside temperature I can use heat coming home, thankfully).  That is followed by over four hours of being outside each night.  While it has not been cold by our winter standards, it ain't exactly summer out there, either.  Two of the nights were windy, but Friday night was one of the most perfect nights for observing I have ever had!  It was all worth it, but I now have pages and pages of notes to write up in my logbook, along with sketches to transpose.

And so I find myself with only one day remaining in my extended vacation from teaching.  I must be prepared on Tuesday and Wednesday to hit the ground running, and get students fired up about their piano lessons and their practicing.  They have had too many breaks this year, with my three weeks of travel and then two weeks off for Christmas.  It's been difficult enough for me to keep up my practice.  More on my progress there later.

Happy New Year!

Mapman Mike