StumpTown Blog

I will post a detailed update about my medical condition later. Let's just say it has been a long and painful ordeal, but I think I'm finally on the upswing. Also, I posted a new review for the Movie Happy Feet which I wrote with my two sons. Check it out.

A number of years ago, my friend Randy and I were playing basketball when he wrecked his knee. He has always blamed me just because I shamed him into playing on a court with signs that said something like “newly refinished surface, play at own risk” or something like that. Anyway, even though he has pretended to forgive me, I know that he has been secretly plotting his revenge ever since. Now, he’s finally got it. As many of you know who read both my and Randy’s blogs, Randy just suffered through the agony of kidney stones. My theory is that through the process he has somehow mastered some dark art that allows him to spread these little monsters to others. Only a few short weeks ago, my family visited with Randy and his family at his home. Yesterday, the doctors found a kidney stone roughly the size of a ’74 Lincoln just south of my kidney. Coincidence? I think not. Anyway, yesterday I went to the ER with some pretty nasty pain and they discovered the stone. It is too large to...

My wife likes the Spaghetti Factory restaurant chain. She always has and so we’ve gone a lot over the years. They have this good warm bread they serve (gratis, which is always nice), and serve it with both regular and garlic butter. I only mention that detail about the butter so I can ask rhetorically with condescending indignation, why would anyone, when offered garlic butter, ever choose regular butter for their bread? But that’s not my point so let’s move on. The bread is good, but like most good things it comes at a price. Yes, I know I just said it is free, but I only meant you don’t have to pay separately for it. The price is not money, it is a crust so hard, so impenetrable that local SWAT teams have actually started covering themselves in this bread crust as improved protection from armor piercing rounds. They give you a serrated knife with which to cut the bread and then set the bread down on the table right in front of a small hidden camera. Then the servers rush back to the ...

Just a quick couple of notes today. First, thank you to all of the people who continue to check in with me about my Dad, I am sincerely touched by your concern. He is still doing well. He got hooked up to the wound vacuum finally, so that should speed along the healing process, though I doubt it will be fun to lug around. Second, I have a new post on my sports blog and should have a couple new things (finally) on the entertainment blog this weekend. Third, does taking a day off from work or closing federal agencies really honor someone's memory or work? I mean, this is the classic way for us to "celebrate" someone, as we do this Monday for Martin Luther King. But does this make any sense? I mean, I know certain people and groups, do other things to honor what he did, but why the day off? Is it so we can do something to honor his memory if we choose? Not sure. The whole thing seems odd to me. This reminds me of one of the little ironies that always stuck out like ...

Happy New Year everyone. I've been in a deposition all year and was out of town before that having holiday, so the blogging has been slow. I'm still in depositions, but I'll do the best I can. First, an update on my Dad. He’s home and doing well. He is still recovering which means he is still in pain and still far from being at full strength. It will be a while yet until he is actually recovered, but the doctors feel like recovery is going well. He is hoping to go on a drug study that will give him expert care and monitoring and the potential to start taking a drug that would not otherwise be available. He will be able to do the study if his would is healed in time. Currently, that seems like it might not happen. The wound is healing, but not fast enough to make the deadline. This week he is being fitted with a wound vacuum that should help speed the healing process. Keep him in your prayers. With the vacuum, it will keep my Dad from his usual preaching duties. T...