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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by noa on December 24, 2002, at 20:47:13
Congratulations. Hope you are enjoying grampadom. Wishing you a healthy new year, kiddo!
Posted by Greg on December 26, 2002, at 18:03:56
In reply to Grampa Greg!, posted by noa on December 24, 2002, at 20:47:13
Hi Noa! Long time no see? Well, kind of...Being a Grandpa is truly awesome! She is so damned cute and she's smiles all the time now. She got her devastatingly good looks from my side of the family :) It was one of my greatest wishes for the longest time to have a child that I could spoil the hell out of and then send them home to their parents. It's been all I could hope for...and more!
It's really good to hear from you. I hope you've been taking good care of yourself? I hope your Xmas was what you wanted and your New Year brings nothing but the best!
Greg
Posted by noa on December 26, 2002, at 19:03:52
In reply to Re: Grampa Greg! » noa, posted by Greg on December 26, 2002, at 18:03:56
Hey, Greg. I bet you are a wonderful grandparent (and way hipper than mine were!)
I'm "eh" if you know what I mean. In general I've been pretty good, but the last few weeks I've been a bit down. Being off from work these past few days has meant lack of structure, and you know what that means--total vegging, which can be very pathalogical in my case. I feel so unmotivated. I had a list of things that had to get done, and aren't, of course, and then when I tell myself, well, if you aren't going to do them, at least go out and do something fun, but I can't think of anything I care to do!
I'll be forced off my duff tomorrow morning, as I am traveling. Fortunately I have a plane to catch, because if it were a road trip, I might never get going (I once went about 20 miles and turned around and went back home and just bagged the trip). But there is stuff to do before going.
I will probably be doing the mad dash at the last minute--I cannot be motivated without that last minute adrenyline attack I think (complete with agitation and anger at self for procrastinating, etc.).
I have heard this referred to as the "Churchill Syndrome" so I know I'm in good company, but somehow I have a feeling Churchill actualy got a lot more done than I do! Well, we KNOW he did--we only need start with his, what--6-volume book? Aside from heading up a major superpower during some, shall we say, "busy" times during the last century?
While my biggest accomplishments of late are watching the Today show's three hours of repetetive filler fluff, if I'm up that early (what happened to that show anyway!?), once in a while managing to microwave something edible to go with my medications, and occassionally (in thousands of tries) completing the 99 square minesweeper in under 140 seconds.
I think I have totally rewired my brain to serve the inane purpose of playing inane computer games. Sometimes, when I get in bed at night I see little minesweeper squares opening under my eyelids.
Ramble, ramble, ramble. You get the picture (I'll be nice and save the details about the effects of these three days of total slothdom on one's personal presentation).
Am I looking forward to my trip? Yes, I guess I am, but my mood is such that I can't get enthusiastic about anything. Just going to visit the family, which is overdue. Like I said, it will get me out of the house and I'll have to get up and get dressed every day for the rest of my time off, and there will be people with whom to socialize without much effort. Well, come to think of it, the issue of effort is sometimes up to interpretation, with the folks' hearing, eyesight and cognitive velocity being factors, you know, but they will be handy social partners anyway. Besides, there will also be the other two generations around much of the time, even if not quite as handy (in the same house).
Enjoy your holiday and let's hope for a better new year this time around.
Posted by Greg on December 27, 2002, at 8:11:06
In reply to Re: Grampa Greg! » Greg, posted by noa on December 26, 2002, at 19:03:52
It's funny you should say "hipper". Just before she was born Mary and I were at the Honey and Wine Festival here and they had a tye-dye booth set up. They had a children's section and I headed straight for it and picked out this really cool tye dye sunsuit for her. She'll be just the perfect size for it when summer rolls around next year... Did you say hipper or hippie?
You know, having this time off work is supposed to be the time for you to wind down and get those batteries re-charged. You're probably just feeling down because your routine has changed, I know that happens to me. Even on the weekends when I can sleep in, it's really hard for me to get going in the mornings because I'm so used to being up at 2:30am. Sometimes it'll take a couple of hours to get my engines going cause my schedule is thrown out of whack. Maybe vegging is just what you need to do? Play on the computer, watch some old movies, stay in your PJs all day. It's your time, enjoy it!
I'd really be interested in hearing about how much hassle you have to go thru at the airport. I haven't been near one since 9/11, but I've heard it's really a nightmare getting on and off a plane these days. I really hope you enjoy your trip and that it's not too stressful. I am very envious, it's been so long since I've had a vacation that I'm surprised that I can remember how to spell it... The company I contract for doesn't pay holidays or let you accrue vacation time. I gotta find a real job.
Still playing minesweeper huh? Some things never change :) My son and I have been getting into a lot of the PC pinball games. There are some pretty cool ones out now. I used to like the first-person action games but I got bored with them, they all just seemed like slightly different versions of each other.
Oh, before I go. I wanted to ask if you were still taking the Adderall XR? If so, what dose are you on? I'm just curious cause I've been on the 10mg 2x daily for over a year and my psych commented that he was pretty amazed that I've never asked to have it increased. Just never felt like I needed it.
Anyway, talk to you soon. Be safe and be good!
Greg
Posted by noa on December 28, 2002, at 18:50:52
In reply to Re: Grampa Greg! » noa, posted by Greg on December 27, 2002, at 8:11:06
Hey, Greg. I'm feeling better since travelling. had a rollicking good time last night when the neieces came over here for dinner at my folks' house. Today was quieter, but ok. I read a lot and took a nice walk. And thankfully got the good news that a close relative was not at his school, his usual location, where there was an attack on fellow students.. close call, and I am just so happy to know he had taken a weekend visit to his parents' home. It took a few hours after hearing about the attack, to clarify that he was not at school. When I finally was able to reach his mother, her voice was really shaking and she said he was basically in shock. Then we have been fielding phone calls this evening from caring friends and relatives inquiring into his safety and well-being. We are so thankful and relieved that he was not there.
About flying--this was my first flight since 9/11, too, so although my father told me to get there really early, I didn't know what to expect. Contrary to my assumptions, curbside check in of baggage WAS available and it was great--took a couple of minutes only.
Going through security was way more intensified than before. The lines are slower. They have lineguides set up in a snake pattern, and when you get to the opening, there is a screening guiding you to the most available check point. The staff was helpful and PLENTIFUL--there were a LOT more TSA personell there than I expected. Next, I was asked to take off my shoes. It was a "suggestion". Basically, they size up which types of shoes are likely to have metal in them and to save having to go back after setting the alarm off, they "suggest" you take off your shoes. So I did, but it is awkward as you are doing this in a line of people, standing up (benches would have been helpful). I wish they had posted a sign early in the line up saying that we should be prepared to remove our shoes and send them through the x ray on the conveyer belt. Also, you have to put your coat on the conveyer belt, which I had never done before. Next was getting the stuff off the belt and getting the shoes on and laced, still standing (and holding carry-ons, etc.). Afterward, I saw that they have a couple of chairs to sit on to put your shoes back on once you get through the check point.
Next, at the gate, the TSA people, one male, one female, were going through the hand luggage of a few people, and doing what I thought were rather careful body scans. The space is sort of set aside by a kind of carrell where the luggage is looked through, but there was no privacy for the metal detector scans. I was not pulled aside. Apparently it is based on a computer generated random selection, and a certain print pattern is printed onto the tickets or boarding passes of those selected.
I was a little bothered by the last process--the privacy issue bothered me, but also made me wonder about the efficacy of such close searching of totally random people. I know they can't go to profiled selections for legal reasons, but how do we know if checking random people is helpful, other than deterrence, but I think even deterrence is probably weak.. In any event, I assume that there is no data on which to base such a decision and it will be a while to collect such data.
The final check is at the actual gate, when you give in your boarding pass, you have to show your ID again (if I had know I had to show ID 3 times (baggage check in, security check in, and gate), I would have put my licence on a lanyard like my work badge, so it would be more handy!
Overall, I'd say I thought the security was a big improvement, and not too much of a hassle for me as a traveler. It just would have been better to know what to expect, which now I do.
Posted by Noa on January 1, 2003, at 15:18:06
In reply to Re: Grampa Greg!, posted by noa on December 28, 2002, at 18:50:52
On the way back, here is what I found:
Curbside check in still there. Then, checker accompanies me to the TSA security check for baggage. There they check for explosives with a special tape that they then feed into some sort of scanner. They cleared my luggage and then they take care of bringing it to the cargo. I don't know if they were then going to open my bag and look inside. It was easy but I was there rather early and I wonder how it would go when the crowds are lined up.
They were less "suggestive" of taking my shoes off at this airport (much smaller airport) and I went through without my shoes ringing, so now I know they have no metal in them. (none of this checks for plastic explosive people could have in their shoes, of course)
After that, just show the ID with your boarding pass at the gate. (Unless you have the checkerboard pattern on your ticket, in which case you get pulled aside to have your person and your carryon stuff searched).
This time, I had my ID handy in my pocket, I knew to have my coat off before going through security, and I was a much happier traveller because of it.
This is the end of the thread.
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