OFF TOPIC: The Park, the Ducks, the Health

If you're looking for Big Brother content, please check back later. Right now as I post this, the HG are all still asleep. This post is off topic as far as BB or television goes. Read on at your own risk. ;-)

I can always tell when a delivery truck from Brooklyn is in the Jersey 'hood.

Last week when I went for my weekly blood draw (see below), I went for a visit to Mindowaskin Park in Westfield. It was only a few blocks out of my way to my planned Trader Joe's visit. I had a bottle of water with me, but alas ... no food for the water fowl. It turned out the lack of food didn't matter.

Fake Dog Island

This is apparently an effort to keep the geese off one of the islands in the pond. There are fake dog cut-outs and chicken wire. Um, okay. I'm not sure why it's so bad the geese gather there -- no people can get on the island anyway. They don't allow swimming or boating although I see traces of fishermen.


Look! Ducks! I sat long enough on a park bench that they thought it was safe to emerge from under the bushes. Of course, they thought I might have food for them. But little did they know I just intended on shooting them ... with my Canon PowerShot A560, that is.

This sparrow wants to be a duck when he grows up.

Silhouetted by the water's edge.

Please give me food.

Ducks don't sit down gracefully. They sort of thunk to the ground. It reminds me a bit of fainting goats, but they don't fall over.

Are you happy to see me or is that a duck on your foot?

Yes, this is my operative leg. And, yeah. Ducks kept sitting on my foot. Thunk.

Are you sure you have no food? I'm so adorable, you know.

This is the photo of the day which I think came out best. I know ... I already posted it on a BB entry.

Uh-oh. They're following me!

As the guy on the bench laughs at the ducks following me, I just wonder how my cat would react to a half dozen ducks hanging out in my apartment.

The Health Report

My knee is coming along. The bend is very good -- up to 125 with 0 degrees extension (that means I can straighten it entirely). There remain some pain, instability, strength, and balance issues. Alas, my Blue Cross Blue Shield only covers for 20 physical therapy visits per calendar year no matter if it's a major surgery needing lots of PT to rehab or a minor one or more than one surgery per year. The doctor and PT have sent in medical documentation and information on my case attempting to appeal for more PT. My PT has offered to give me sessions at cost, but I can't afford more than one per week even at that low rate. Hopefully the appeal will result in more visits covered by insurance and a co-payment from me.

My other knee (originally my bad knee, operated on in 1998) has been causing issues. As soon as my orthopedic surgeon thinks the left knee is strong enough, he's going to try to help with the right. No, not another knee replacement -- hopefully something a bit more conservative! However, surgery isn't totally off the list.

I fixed up my old exercise bike and my goal is to do five miles a day on it. I don't do it every day, but I usually get 2 or 3 miles in on off days. I've been trying to do without any pain meds, but fear I'm going to break down and ask the doctor for more. There are other issues besides the new knee itself. For example, I managed to drop a 2 liter bottle of Diet Ginger Ale (it's not any less heavy due to it being diet!) and the cap part struck my ankle as it landed. Due to the Coumadin/Warfarin, I bruise easily and tend to bleed under the skin. As a result, now my ankle is swollen, bruised, and tender. Tylenol doesn't touch the pain. So, it's probably best I get more meds. I hadn't been using them except for PT and occasionally at night.

Although I'm walking with less pain than pre-surgery, I still can't sit or stand for extended periods without going stiff and painful. That's been a problem live-blogging the BB reports and writing the two long show reviews for TVS each week. My knee also gets real hot when it gets mad. I guess it's a bit like its owner, eh? My other big problem is that I've somehow taken to sleeping on my side with my knee bent. When I awaken, I have to slowly and painfully extend my leg before I can get out of bed. With that experience, I know a trip to the movies or long car ride or air flight aren't a good idea.

As for the Coumadin, actually Warfarin as I'm using the generic, bleh. The other week my INR levels were out of whack and my health certainly suffered. They lowered the dosage and I'm feeling a lot better. It still seems to make me tired (although that could be a residual from the surgery, too) and food doesn't seem to taste as good as it should. I've lost 15 pounds, which is good. I'll be happy to get off of this in December. My arms now have track marks and bruises all the time. I'm awaiting the police to stop me thinking I'm a chunky junkie.

On the other hand, sometimes I can just enjoy a walk in the park again. Although I can't recommend knee replacement surgery and a DVT as a way to escape the office ... those times are nice indeed. My stress levels are SO much better!

Big Brother 10 Live Feeds Into Monday Morning 8/4

I wrote up a feeds report posted last night over on TV Squad. For the most part, things have been uneventful. Apparently, with the schedule change to Thursdays for the live eviction show, the PoV meeting is no longer on Sundays. I expect it sometime today or tonight. That said, I doubt Jerry will use the PoV.

Since that report, here are the happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Dubious IQs:

• Ollie is big on everyone abiding by the HOH's wishes for voting. It's no surprise as he basically seems to have a good rapport with Jessie. I haven't seen any deals between the two, but he's always defending him.
• Ollie also thinks that Libra's way of coping with disagreement is to shout over people when she's called out. He's spot on.
• Libra, Renny, and Keesha have been having private anti-April meetings. They invited Dan into their circle and asked him to swear on the bible that he'll be honest.
• Jessie pressured Dan telling him he's the deciding vote.
• Dan started crying saying he was missing his girlfriend Monica. Jessie consoled him.
• Dan and Jessie hugged. (Aha! The AP task completed, I assume.)
• After Jessie left the room, Dan looked up at the camera with a big wide grin.
• Ollie told April he thinks he's now matured enough for a serious relationship. @@ I don't know. Call me a prude, but I think a serious relationship might be best started before sex.
• All are asleep as I post this.
  

Big Brother 10: 8/03 Show Live-Blogged from the East Coast

The show has started here on the East Coast. I'll be updating this entry as it airs -- please forgive typos and possible errors. Also, all folks are welcome in the comments area.

Recaps, earthquakes, previous brouhahas, Dan accepting AP. Jessie got cocky (what else is new). The HOH comp starts ...

Back to Julie and the HOH comp in B&W, then color. Ollie was terrified. Jessie asks Renny who she'd put up if she wins. She tells him not him ... but told us she just wanted to see him fall. Jessie is cocky once again. Whoa, Angie is voted out once again.

I hate this out of sequence messing about. Now Angie's just been evicted again. Good, back to the wall. Jerry drops out 26 minutes in. Libra's out at 33 minutes. Stuff is blown at them and the wall shakes. Dan orates. Michelle is looking uncomfortable. Dan threw it at 45 minutes -- he feels he's safe. Libra is suspicious about him, though.

Ollie is out at 55 minutes. Jessie is stressing, almost crying. Good. He's out at 1 hour and six minutes. He tells us it was a bogus comp. I wonder why all of that was blocked by the feeds? He jumped, wasn't disqualified as thought due to the feeds blockage. Memphis is out at 1 hour 16 minutes leaving Renny, Michelle, and April in the comp.

Dan gives Renny here speech ... on the feeds he had already given Michelle and April similar speeches. Renny's was actually the last speech he gave. Okay, they're giving them, just out of order. He did Michelle's.

Renny out at 1 hour 58 minutes -- an accidental out as she tried to regrab the bar ... supposedly. On the feeds she turned around and that was it. Now Dan is giving April her speech. Wow, did they do an editing job on this comp!

Just Michelle and April, the yard is full of trash. They both tell each other they have a lot left in them. They both want to see pictures of their families. April says she won't put her up. She won't put her up if veto is used. April tells her she'll keep Jessie in the game. She says she won't put Jessie and Michelle up (Which she doesn't). Heh. Michelle is out at 2 hours, 40 minutes. April wins. Michelle cries more.

Keesha asks about the deals. April said she told Michelle she wouldn't put her up. She wants Memphis out. HOH room time -- family pics, nephew, Michelle cries some more. All leave as April reads her letter and cries.

Keesha talks to Memphis. She thinks she can be friends with him. She also thinks he could help her out in the future. He thinks Keesha could help him down the line if he isn't evicted. April is mad because Keesha's hanging out with Memphis. Renny is listening to all of this as April talks to Libra. Renny clues Keesha in. Keesha thinks she should have voted her out when she had the chance. Now, more than ever, she wants Memphis to stay this week.

Dan in action with the AP -- Try to get nominated. He wants Libra, best case scenario is Memphis ... opens the envelope -- Jessie! He's thrilled. He talks to April. She's accepting of the thought. But she goes to Keesha and Libra about it -- she thinks he's acting weird. They think he's America's Player ir a twist.

Michelle is wearing a Renny wig. Dan is trying to teach her not to talk with a Boston kind of accent. Keesha and Memphis talk more. He's sure that he'll be put up against Jerry or Dan. She says that she doesn't know there was a promise made to Michelle or Jessie. Keesha knows she said she wouldn't put Michelle up. Now they're both confused.

April tells Ollie that Keesha is being disrespectful to her. Ollie is yes-sirring her.
Which HG should Dan hug for ten seconds? (America's Player) Voting ends tonight.

Nominations today -- She tells us she's putting up two who she cannot trust. Ceremony time -- Very difficult, not personal, a game ... Key order: Michelle, Ollie, Renny, Libra, Keesha, Jerry, Dan.

Jessie and Memphis on the block. Jessie primarily strong player, people are intimidated. Memphis -- the car.

April and Michelle both say that Jessie isn't the target and he's safe as she promised.

Hopefully, he'll blow it.

Big Brother 10: Live Feeds Into Sunday Afternoon 8/03

Well, Michelle looks better in red spandex than I would. She's over her pouting about it ... for now. Here's the latest from that Big Brother House of Snores and Bores:

• Ollie and April got over their brouhaha last night and he's still sleeping in the HOH room with her.
• Libra wondered how her children are doing.
• Michelle rigged up the unitard as a bathing suit.
• She wasn't happy with the results then whined to Jessie that she tried to do what the Diary Room wanted.
• She decided she'd just stay in bed all day.
• Renny and Keesha are still BFF -- they talked about April having too much power.
• Renny thinks April would take Libra to the end because she could win against her.
• Keesha thinks Michelle and Jessie see April and Libra as bigger threats than they see her as a threat.
• Everyone except Jessie and Michelle hung out in the yard or in the pool.
• Jessie and Michelle confined themselves to a room.
• Because they've been so boring, I'll fill the rest of the report with screen caps I took.
  

Big Brother 10: Live Feeds Through Saturday 8/2

It's dinnertime at the Big Brother 10 house. Talk about dysfunctional families, eh? After all the excitement of the past few days, today was a bit more mellow. Here are the happenings from the Habitrail:

• Libra, Ollie, and Keesha wonder if Ollie might have some connection or deal with Jessie as he seems so down on the possibility of voting him out instead of Memphis. Keesha thinks Ollie is worried about the three girls staying together at the end and he'd be out.
  
• April said the Diary Room kept mentioning to her that she had given her word that Jessie was safe this week.
  
• Dan told the girls that Jessie tried to pressure him to give his word he wouldn't vote him out. Dan said he didn't commit.
• When the hamsters started talking about BB creating drama, we went to blocked feeds.
• Speaking of drama, Libra wants Jessie to hit her so he'll get booted.
• Ollie voiced his concerns about the girls not trusting him (Ollie) to Dan.
• Memphis thinks that everything he says and does ends up being taken out of context.
• Although he must know that the girls are suspicious of him, Dan was stupid enough to ask Libra if she thought America's Player was a twist this season. @@ Just when I thought we had a hamster with a brain.
• Speaking of AP, Jessie must be America's target. Of course, that makes it easy for Dan.
• Jessie thinks Jerry would be stupid not to use the veto on him. Say what?
• Michelle has another idea on America's Player -- she thinks it's Libra.
• Mind you, BB has not informed them that there's any America's Player.
• Keesha told Memphis that Libra suspects Dan of being AP, but Memphis doesn't think it's so.
• Jerry said he won't use the PoV and will go with April's nominations decision.
• April and Ollie made their first entry on the brouhaha scene. Ollie is mad because April is suspicious because Jessie never bothered him as he has all of the others in their alliance.
• She's mad because she thinks Ollie was rude to her when he interrupted her talk with Dan earlier.
• Fight, fight, pout, pout.
• They're still at odds.
• But don't they have bigger fish to fry?