Catching Up On 2011
by Steve West on December 31, 2011

Not that I think my life is that interesting but writing about stuff is a little therapeutic.
Highlights in a nutshell:
Both girls are routinely making Honor Roll.
The work Brenda and I have to do to help make that happen - not routine.
Brenda working two part-time jobs gives her a little flexibility in her schedule that she likes.
Recent automation at my job made one employee expendable so I'm working shorter staffed because the bosses can't understand the learning curve concept and moved my best employee to another department and left the chaff.
I've started medication for multiple sclerosis therapy and it's having a subjective difference for the better. I'm not sure how it's measured yet but I feel a little better.
Brenda went through a cancer scare and ultimately lost her thyroid but she is cancer-free and responding well to her daily meds.
Olivia is using her Ipad as a communication tool with a synthetic voice generator turning her typing into audible words. She doesn't have to type complete words. She can select from a group of pre-typed words or phrases that we have stored by category or she can type new words.
Lauren is in all Honor classes, taking violin, is loving the Chorus, and is exhausting me with her comparative energy. She just got glasses and is revelling in her nerdy, Lisa Loeb look.
Happy New Year everyone!
One Reply to Catching Up On 2011
Web Junkie
Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes...
My wife has been bugging me lately about the amount of time I spend on the computer. She claims she's merely trying to restore my perspective. Fine. Go »
And No Need for Anaesthesia
Recent conversation with Brenda: me: I've decided that I'm not going to play that "got your nose" game with our grandkids. Brenda: Oh, really? me: Yeah, I'm going to play "got your appendix" instead. Go »
How Old Is Too Old For Santa Claus?
My daughter Lauren wrote a letter to Santa in which she asked him for nothing - just a letter to say what a cool guy she thinks he is. It has a few misspellings and a grammar error or two and it's not written with the greatest penmanship. And it's completely adorable. Go »
Christmas Post #2: I Can See Clearly Now
Flashlights. Useful when the power goes out to help me find where I put the friggin' candles after the last time I lost friggin' power. They won't save the contents of my refrigerator but I can watch as the milk slowly curdles because I don't have TV or a computer. Go »
If I Had A Hammer...
I once heard Leonard Nimoy singing this old Pete Seeger tune and it almost gave me epileptic convulsions. It has nothing to do with this link of an amazing artist who works with Hammer and Nails. It's just that whenever I see a hammer or box of nails or even a picture of Karen Carpenter - that's the song that leaps into my head. Go »










Scott Hardie | January 28, 2012
I hope things have continued to improve since you said all of this. We don't think of the little details in our lives meaning much - I stopped blogging about mundane daily stuff because my "does anybody care?" threshold got a little higher - but they clearly do, when we look back at them as a pattern. Anyway, I'm happy for your good news, and hopeful about the rest.