When Son was 18 months old he got his first set of tubes. When those fell out and he immediately resumed having problems with the ear infections. So, the doctor put in "T" tubes that would not fall out but would have to be removed.

Today, 6 years later, we had those tubes removed. It was a different experience taking a 9 year old for a procedure than it was taking a 3 year old. This time he knew what was going on and had questions and fears. I believe we answered them adequately and by the time he was wheeled back he was comfortable.

The hospital was fantastic. They had Cartoon Network on the TV and had crayons and a coloring book ready for him. They also had doctor uniform pajamas as well as a school bus bag for his other belongings.

He was particularly impressed with the treads on the socks they gave him.

The most entertaining part of the morning was when he was coming out of surgery. He doesn't remember this interchange (or anything else that happened).




Son coming out of Anesthesia from Catherine Banks on Vimeo.

He also doesn't remember riding in a wheelchair. But I have photographic proof.

Video from Church This Morning - Too Funny!

American Folk Tales and Tunes

This week the second grade put on the annual play "American Folk Tales and Tunes". In this video I have edited what I consider to be the best parts of the evening..that is, the parts where my son was performing. :-)

I know that this video will only be of interest to grandparents, aunts and uncles and perhaps a cousin or two. Indulge me.

Mexico

I was directed to this wonderful article today:

"Boycott Mexico? No, boycott American stupidity"

My favorite snippets:

Why, in Mexico vicious contest promoters force innocent young American women to drink huge quantities of beer and strip off their T-shirts, when these girls really intended to go to church youth group camps and study Bible verses.


Actually, it’s safer there than here. For example, the murder rate in Mexico is about 11 per 100,000 people a year. In New Orleans, it’s almost seven times worse, 71 per 100,000. Atlanta, Cleveland, St. Louis—all have higher murder rates than Mexico.

He's turning 40

This is my brother at about 4 years old. On Friday, he turns 40.

Oh, how the years go by.

What a Crew

Email Best Practices

How many emails are in your email inbox? I have had occasion to witness several other people's inboxes and have been shocked to see how many emails just SIT in the inbox!

How does an inbox that clogged up make you feel? How do you know if you're caught up? Are you guessing?

I keep my inbox at zero. An inbox is for emails that you haven't opened yet. Now, I do have an "action" folder that at any given time will have 20 or so emails that either I am not physically in a place where I can do what I need to do to answer it, or I am not in a position to take the time needed to answer it at the moment. I also keep thing in there like...an email for a meeting in a couple of days so I can easily find it.

If an email is something you are going to need to reference later, make an appropriate folder and put it in there. If it is something you could answer in less than 2 minutes, just answer it immediately. If it is something you need to take action on, either put it in an action folder or copy it into whatever your productivity system is.

http://www.43folders.com/izero

This is a really great resource. Take a look at it!

Mexico Travel Safety

Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2009

I'm so glad that the media is finally catching on that your favorite beach destinations are as safe as ever. Some quotes from the article:

Despite the travel alert, "we are not advising people not to go to Mexico," says Heide Bronke Fulton, a State Department spokeswoman. She adds that the main areas of concern are cities and towns near the U.S. border.

Security experts say tourists can safely travel to Mexico -- if they stay within known resort areas, avoid traveling to Mexico by road and steer clear of U.S. border areas. Mike Ackerman, president of the Ackerman Group, an investigative security firm, says most of the drug-trade crime within Mexico is "narco on narco" violence or violence against police. Kidnapping, another growing problem in Mexico, almost always targets wealthy Mexicans, not Americans or other foreigners.

Risk

Every day carries risk. Anyone with any money in the stock market the last six months can tell you that first hand. Risk.

My sister in law fell asleep while driving today. We were very blessed in that she was not injured and caused only minor damage to the car and the fence she mowed down. Still, we could have received a much different, much harsher phone call today. Risk.

Today in Italy, hundreds of people are buried under rubble after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. My daughter and I were 40 miles away from the epicenter just three weeks ago. Risk.

Yesterday at Six Flags Over Texas people were out for a fun day at the local theme park. When the power went out and people were left dangling for quite some time until power was restored. Risk.

Risk is everywhere. Risk is where you least expect it. Frequently in our office these days we hear that people are concerned about a perceived risk of traveling to Mexico. The fact there is that the resort areas are as safe as they've ever been. The fact is that the Mexico resort areas remain the most beautiful places, one of the best values in the world.

We speak to each and every person when they return from a vacation. People are still feeling very safe in Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.

Indeed, you should stay out of the Texas Mexico border area. No arguments there. But, don't cheat yourself out of a fantastic vacation because you're trying to avoid risk. You can't avoid it anyway. It's everywhere.

Let us prove it.

Please indulge me.

I have been a fan of ER for 15 years. Thursday nights have been my favorite TV night of the week.

So it was with sorrow in my heart that I sequestered myself in my room last night and absorbed the final episode of the series. Here are my comments.

1) I enjoyed the "look back" prior to the actual final episode tremendously. I don't believe in buying DVDs, but I think I'd like to have the sets of ER DVDs...especially the early years. It's been so long, I think it would be like watching them all over again.

2) I was surprised that Dr. Ross and Nurse Hathaway were not in the final episode. Sadly surprised.

3) I wish they had made Kim be sweeter to Dr. Carter. I am SO OVER her being so grief stricken and walled off from him. Get over it already..he's a great guy, take hold of your marriage and get on with life.

4) I loved in one of the last scenes when Samantha and Dr. Gates took hold of each others hands. Go Sam and Tony!

5) I also loved how Rachael Green was applying to Med School at County. I also loved how it appeared that Elizabeth and Rachael were close and still a part of each other's lives.

6) The story line where the mom and dad let the girls drink in their home because it is safer than going out to drink? Just a note to my kids and their friends and their friends parents. Not cool. Will never happen at my house and it had better not happen at yours.

7) With the opening of the Joshua Carter Center, it looks like John Carter has finally reached the destination in his series long search for meaning.

Good bye County! I'll miss you!