The Daily - September 11, 2023 - Monday - Embrace Life

Scott went back to work today and started a three month contracting stint. I worked out but felt sluggish throughout the bike ride I chose. All of yesterday’s walking (at least 6 miles) had me feeling lethargic. Swimming felt decent although I only had time for 20 laps. I also spent 16 minutes in the sauna.

 

 
Arrived home to shocking news - an explosion at ADM - (not so shocking) - but this was a bad one and Janice’s son Joe was injured in the blast. It has taken me two days write this as I was filled with shock then sadness and finally anger. I’ve always been wary of ADM’s manufacturing culture - based on accounts from previous employees who worked there as young engineers out of college. Feedback from tradespeople (contractors in construction, pipe fitters, electricians) was never glowing. No company is perfect, Cabot included, but everyone always preferred our company over ADM. Then there are the two other explosions / fires since April at ADM under OSHA investigation. One in April and another one in August. Red flags abound. The general public doesn’t realize the hazards abound in any processing facility. Flammables, gases, caustics, processing agents in large quantities are used. The work and more importantly, safety culture is critical to keeping all those hazards contained.

 

 
The good news is Joe’s prognosis is positive, he is a young, strong man. I worry about the mental impacts a trauma like this experience could have on him, a newly minted college graduate. I know his family is rooted in faith which will help.

 

 
Janice and walked together Sunday afternoon right before everything changed. She talked about how Joe and his girlfriend had recently adopted a kitten. Life can change in an instant - we must all embrace it fully and not take it for granted.

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Life Update - Hip Resurfacing / Replacement

I’m seven days past, on the other side of my Hip Resurfacing surgery which is a form of Hip replacement. A week ago, at a facility in South Carolina, I had the arthritis, the deformed bone removed; these elements replaced by metal implants. I’m amazed by modern medical procedures that will allow stability back to my left side, will allow me to walk properly again and maybe even run a few miles.

 

 
It’s been a nine month, arduous journey, one that wound through unfamiliar terrain, shrouded with fog of uncertainty. A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined I would be in this place. A year ago, I knew nothing of this Hip Resurfacing procedure and the surgeon who would perform it on my left hip. Looking back, I can now see how the delays, changes, good and bad events have led me to this place, recuperating on the couch.

 

 
I’ve had issues with my left hip since 2017 and even stopped running in 2019. Increased pain coupled with other factors led me to seek the opinion of an orthopedic surgeon in August 2021.

 

 
The local doctor said I was a candidate for hip replacement surgery, but instead of a Total Hip Replacement, I should consider a Hip Resurfacing procedure instead. I learned that Hip Resurfacing removes less bone and would allow me to resume high impact activities. I was sold and scheduled the procedure for October 20, 2021.

 
Any surgery has risks and Hip Resurfacing has specific risks related to the implant used. My doctor stated he would only perform the procedure if he could source a specific branded implant for me. I won’t go into the details why but it is related to my frame size. Turns out Hip Resurfacing is very well suited for males but less so for females. The main risk is wear of an improperly placed implant which then sheds metal.

 

 
I proceed with the pre operative screenings, blood work, doctors appointments and cleared. I’m cleared at work for a 6 week leave of absence.

 

 
A week prior to the surgery, anxiety sets in. I pray, meditate and breathe. I prepare the home convalescing area and my friends are poised to help with meals.

 

 
The morning of the surgery arrives and I’m ready. 30 minutes before we plan to leave for the hospital, my surgeon calls me. He was unable to source the specific implant required for the Hip Resurfacing and would not be able to perform that procedure. I was shocked, bewildered and stressed. He gave me two options - come in for a Total Hip Replacement or be referred to a surgeon in South Carolina for the Hip Resurfacing.

 

 
I cancelled that morning’s surgery and opted to wait. I knew the South Carolina doctor was an expert with Hip Resurfacing with patients from across the country. Dr Thomas Gross publishes all his surgical outcomes in his website which also serves as an educational resource for Hip Resurfacing.

 

 
Four and a half months later, I’m finally recovering with a “southern hip”. I have nothing but great things to say about my experience with Dr. Gross and his staff at Midlands Orthopedics.

 

 
Looking back at the events leading to now, I can’t help but marvel at how everything worked out - personally, physically, mentally and even on the work front. I dealt with delays, lost X-rays in the mail, numerous phone calls, insurance changes but in the end, this is the way it was meant to be.

 

 
And since no post is complete without a photo, here I am convalescing with cat Louie and dog Charlie. I'm feeling great and looking forward to an uneventful recovery!

 

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MIT 30 Reunion Weekend Retrospective from 2019

I'm notorious for starting blog posts and letting them wither into the past. I came upon this one, started over two years ago and it seems appropriate to reflect upon it now with all that has changed.

 

 
In June, 2019, I attended my MIT 30 year class reunion. Here are my thoughts coming off that visit:

 

 
June 10, 2019

 
I'm back from a weekend in Boston reconnecting with old friends at my 30th college reunion. In addition to my graduating class, the dorm I lived in all four years held a special reunion spanning all years of alumni. Although I keep in touch with many friends via FB, connecting with friends IRL results in a richer experience (well, duh!). I hadn't seen many of my classmates and (sadly) my really good friends in many years. These lifelong friends helped me navigate those 4 years of college, those 4 years of incredible growth and change. In an era devoid of electronic communication (I remember email being a cool new thing my senior year in college), smart phones and social media, we connected with one another by opening up our dorm room doors, working on problem sets together, and (gasp) talking to one another. We supported one another through the good and the bad, discovered love and heartbreak together and in the process had a really good time.

 

 

 

 
Good friends re-unite

 

 
Sadly, it seems as if that era, one full of freedom and personal discernment has long passed, replaced with regulated barriers, rules and restrictions for the "safety of the student" (and maybe to offset the potential for litigation towards the university). On one hand, I understand the use of such controls, being a parent with college aged students. Conversely, I expect my adult children to act responsibly, and to take into account their own safety and consequences for their actions.

 

 
For example - "back in the day" (gosh, I sound like an old geezer), our dorm was left unlocked during the general hours. People entered without having to check in, sign in, swipe in, or whatever. Now the building is locked at all times, and access only given to those who live there. While I understand the need for security, we were lucky to not need those measures due to a community who recognized if a stranger was in the house. I realize the threat of opportunistic characters has increased over the years to where such protocols are required; I'm simply sad they limit access for those without the intent of malice.

 

 
The open doors have been replaced with self-closing, spring loaded fire doors, which require a ten pound doorstop to prop open. The open access roof deck is now locked unless there is a University sanctioned and monitored event, to prevent unwanted and unsafe behaviors from occurring. Gone are the epic weekend parties in the basement dining hall, the Friday evening happy hours. Those social events, along with the annual musical, talent shows and ski trips softened the "geek" out of many of us. Maybe hindsight only recalls the fun times and forgets the hardship, but I fondly remember those four years.

 

 
And now, as a fifty something adult, I acknowledge the challenge in making new friends. I also realize that real (not via electronic means) social interaction is key to happiness and longevity.

 

 
June 25, 2021

 
Update Two (!) years later and wow, much has changed in these mere two years - a world now exists that we couldn't have imagined even 18 months ago. In the last 18 months we endured Covid Lockdowns, rabid news outlets serving up grim realities, sensationalized messages of fear, then hope in the form of groundbreaking medicine and a new normal. My sphere of loved ones weathered the storm well - we continue to be healthy, financially stable and connected - both physically and virtually.

 

 
My observations from two years ago still ring true - that real social interaction is key to happiness and longevity. But I realize that humans possess the innate ability to adapt - we pivoted to amped up virtual interactions (hello Zoom meetings - we didn't know you existed two years ago) and utilizing technology to remain connected to each other.

 

 
Spawned by the Pandemic, one of my MIT friends, Amy, re-connected several of us via weekly Zoom meetings. This has been such a great blessing. A few weeks ago, Amy was in Chicago visiting her mother and family so I drove north to visit her. Another MIT friend, Debbie, will travel here in August with her son, who decided to enroll at the U of I across town. The Pandemic cancelled everyone's plans and as a result, I've had more opportunities to interact with local friends.

 

 
Amy and I explore the Chicago Botanical Gardens

 

 
Rainy day outing with Photog friends

 

 
In the midst of Sakura Blossoms

 
Spring Hike with friends and Blue Bells

 

 
As the "new normal" emerges, one thing remains the same - constant change. May we continue to foster meaningful relationships with one another and cherish the friendships / community it brings.

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The Soundtrack Of My Life - Welcome to the Real World

Many of my FB friends are posting the 10 albums that impacted their lives and most of them center around their late teen years into college. Seeing the music of those free spirited days bring me back to the Soundtrack of my Life series that I haven’t added to in many years. I blame the home quarantine orders, the work from home, cancel everything, going a little stir crazy situation nagging me to continue with my music ramblings and nostalgia.

My last soundtrack post left me on the high of those Carefree College years. It’s no wonder I stopped - the reality of graduation, post college jobs, aka the Real World, smacks you in the face. I feel I had a good transition into the workforce yet I would be lying if I didn’t second guess myself, experienced doubt, uncertainty, loss and anxiety during that time. Sounds like the present day only things weren’t bad at all (there's that perspective for you).

I graduated with a job, took the summer off, traveled to Europe with friends before starting my “real life” as an engineer working for General Electric. I entered their two year rotational program, where I would have 4 - 6 month assignments across two business locations. It was an ideal start for someone who didn’t want to commit to something “permanent” because that was too scary for the 22 year old me. I spent my first year in Cleveland OH. A major city felt right coming from 4 years in Boston. There were other young engineers on the same rotational program - promise of cohorts and community. Here’s the music I associate with my entry into the Real World:

End of the Innocence by Don Henley

The lyrics and serious tone resonated the "how can I really be an adult" me. The addition of Bruce Hornsby’s piano chords on this track adds to wistfulness, melancholy and longing for a bygone, simpler time.

Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath the deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standin' by
.....
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

I still remember discovering Cleveland, driving the curves of I-90 with my new life in front of me, these song providing the backdrop. The album is filled with serious themes - transitions from youth to adulthood, and the onset of responsibility; fitting for that season of my life.



We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel


This list song references pop culture icons, political issues and emotionally charged events. Spanning 40 years of "headline events", this digest of the world’s events remind us that the world will continue to churn with good things and bad.

"Wheel of Fortune", Sally Ride, heavy metal, suicide
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning

I was fortunate to catch billy Joel in concert (twice) in Cleveland.


Hold On (For One More Day) by Wilson Phillips.

Who didn’t need a peppy song like that when the days felt awful and you needed a pick me up.

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to turn around and say goodbye.
'Til then, baby, are you gonna let them hold you down and make you cry?

Don't you know?
Things'll change,
Things'll go your way,
If you hold on for one more day.
Can you hold on for one more day?
Things'll go your way
(Things are gonna go your way)
Hold on for one more day

The entire album, with its tight harmonies has many gems including Release Me and You’re In Love. Wilson Phillips may have been the first female group I felt drawn to for their pure musicality. (I just realized my Soundtrack artists lean towards male dominated artists - that changes as I get older with higher prevalence of female artists)


Blame it on the Rain by Milli Vanilli

I'm admittedly embarrassed this is on my list, but it conjures up vivid memories for me working on the computer with my fellow program engineers. We would sing the chorus while plugging away at our assignments. Yes, completely fluffy, (lip synced) and fun.


Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins -
Phil Collins had uncanny ability to put out songs that mirrored your present life - new love, break up, fun times, bad time and this one served as a reminder that I certainly couldn’t whine and complain about my situation - that others suffered more.

Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, 'cause it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, think about it

Much like present day - my life, my kids’ lives, while inconvenienced by the pandemic’s impact, remains stable and comfortable. We're simply in another transition to a different stage of life. Or a different Way of Life....

And so I’ll end this edition of the soundtrack of my life with a current song to remember this tumultuous time, Orpheus by Sara Bareilles.

I know you miss the world, the one you knew
The one where everything made sense
Because you didn't know the truth, that's how it works
...
Don't stop trying to find me here amidst the chaos
Though I know it's blinding, there's a way out
Say out loud
We will not give up on love now
No fear, don't you turn like Orpheus, just stay here
Hold me in the dark, and when the day appears
We'll say
We did not give up on love today

Performed live in Madison Square Garden, this includes opening comments prior to the song and even though the performance was six months ago, the sentiments still ring true now.


I hope you’re hanging in there during these stressful times. Get outside, enjoy the rebirth of spring and spread positivity and love. The Real World needs it now.


Other Soundtrack of My Life Posts:
The Early Years
The Middle School Years,
High School Anthems
Love Songs
a Cappella Songs.
Classical, Jazz and Show Tunes
College Party Songs
Carefree College Life
My First Marathon - The Playlist
More Running Playlist Songs

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