I’m all scheduled for my laparoscopic nissen fundoplication Thursday morning. So what does that mean? My adventure begins Wednesday night when I eat a light meal for dinner. Then I shower using bacterial soap before going to bed. I wake up at 5 AM (providing I get to sleep in the first place), wash my abdomen with the soap again, and drive to Chapel Hill.

Once at the hospital, I go to pre-care and get checked in. Then it’s off to Ambulatory Care where they prep me for my surgery, including being interviewed by the anesthesiologist. My belongings go into a locker and I put on a hospital gown. I wave goodbye to Kelly as I’m wheeled into the operating room. We won’t see each other again for at least four hours.
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Now that disk drives are cheap as dirt, I’m considering re-ripping all my CDs into Shorten format. That way, I never have to rip again. Also, I don’t lose any sound quality, something that can become apparent on certain songs or players.

Or, maybe I’m just nuts.

A NOAA study released this week reports that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reached record levels.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

The birds whom I’ve been considerate enough to feed have repaid the favor by decorating my car. 🙁 It seems like only my car has been targeted, to add insult to injury.

At least the squirrels haven’t learned this little trick.

I was taking the trash out to the curb this evening when I was awestruck at the night sky. The cold, dry air that is rapidly pushing temperatures below freezing tonight also makes for some incredible stargazing. I stood captivated at the sight of Venus, brighter than I can ever remember, shining like a spotlight in the western sky.

It sure will be fun taking Hallie out on nights like this and giving her her first look at the universe.

My numbers for my phone poll were all over the map. Realized I hadn’t provided appropriate ranges to provide legitimate data.

They’ve since been adjusted. Have at it.

We just got a new mobile phone plan for Kelly. Made me wonder what “normal” is for cellphone bills.

I added a new poll to collect this info. Tell me what you pay per phone for your mobile phone service. Any other details would be cool too. Just leave them in the poll’s comment section.

This Sunday is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. I came across some witness testimonials which really got my attention. The lives of these folks changed in the early morning hours of March 28th, 1979 as they were going about their business.

Did we learn anything from the accident? Hard to say. No new nuke plants have been built in the U.S. since then, but there are plenty in operation. Training has gotten better, but by how much? Faced with dwindling or uncertain oil supplies, our energy-hungry country will need to rely on nuclear power more than ever. Is it worth the risks? I admit I don’t know.

Reading these links at least gives me an understanding of what might have occured, but it also gives me a look at what might happen again. That look ain’t pretty.

More linkage for you:

PBS: Meltdown at Three Mile Island
The Nuclear Tourist: What Happened At Three Mile Island?
Washington Post: A Nuclear Nightmare In Pennsylvania
Inside Three Mile Island