Track Lighting
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?storeId=10051&categoryID=502064&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&cm_sp=dept-_-d27-_-interior-_-shop-_-track_kits
Par Cans
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/msg/1222021867.html
http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/hurricane_alley_2008.html
http://pond5.com
I just got home and it’s very late. The cat is asleep on my tummy and I have a faint vomit taste in my mouth. I need affection from my wife but am not able to get it. She expends so much of her energy on my son that there’s none left for me. I’m lonely after spending all week alone in my hotel room. This is my life right now. I’m grateful for my job. I love what I do and I love people I get to work with.
How fuckin lucky am I? Today I did a little of everything I love at work. Edited some video, learned some about a program called Motion, did some flash work, and had a meeting about a new video project I’m going to start on. I am so grateful for my job. I know it may be over in a month or so, but that doesn’t matter today. Today I’m just happy I’m being paid to do video. I posted some videos on You Tube. I finally got around to posting the We Will Rock You video I shot and edited of my little Nate a couple of years ago. He’s such a cool dude. Here’s the video in case you want to watch it here.
Let’s all have a moment of silence for those French tourists that died on the bus today. . .
So yesterday I saw an endocrinologist for the first time in probably about 10 years. Since I now have health insurance through Aetna, I’ve decided to get back on the insulin pump. It will give me much tighter control of my diabetes. I wasn’t able to afford the supplies with no insurance ($400 - $800 per month).
Keep in mind getting on the pump is a life changing thing for me to do, and thus I have some pretty strong emotions around it.
So Dr. Membreno walks in the exam room, tall lady, 40-something, thin and wearing a short black dress with a V cut top. My first thought, “wow, hot doc”. She sits, pulls up my information on her computer and says, “Well Mr. Burkart, what brought you here to see me?” in short direct tone. So I tell her about my plea to get on the pump. She asks about my life situation and I tell her how I work in Mountain View and live in Sacramento, spending 4 days at work, then commuting back to Sac to spend the weekend with my family. She felt that might be a show-stopper. “What if you have complications with the pump while in Sacramento? You could die!” she exclaims. I assured her that I was more than capable of taking care of anything like that.
She assumes I’ve had complications from my 17 years of being insulin dependant. I tell her “no” and she looks at me like I’m crazy. She grills me in a no-nonsense way that makes me antsy and uncomfortable. She sets some strict requirements for me to achieve before she will agree to sign off on the pump. 1. Find an endocrinologist in the Sacramento area. (more on this in a bit) 2. Stop drinking alcohol. 3. Relearn my insulin to carbohydrate ratio, my basal insulin needs, etc.
She then examines me. She strikes a tuning fork, places the end on my big toe and asks me to tell her when I can no longer feel the vibration. I wait, wait, wait. Ok, now. She says, “Well that’s great” and repeats this on my other toe. She poked and prodded me a bit more and then stands up and tells me I’m the lucky type of diabetic who’s body heals the damage the sugar does. Oh yes, I will have complications, blindness, kidney failure, stuff like that, but ultimately it is up to me and how I control my blood glucose levels. (I know lady, come on.) She says she wants to see me in 3 months, and meet with her Dietician/ Certified Diabetes Educator about getting started on the pump. Wooo hooo!
In my excitement I cried on the drive back to NASA. And almost immediately called Aetna to see if I can establish a relationshiop with a doc in the Sacramento region where I live. Nope. Come on this is an HMO Jake, what did you expect. It’s ok though since the only weekday I’m in Sac is Friday, I haven’t had much luck making Dr appointments on Sundays in the past.
I called the black dressed diva back and left her a message that I would have to pay out-of-pocket to see a doc in Sac. Haven’t heard a response from her.
Later in the afternoon I had to go to Safeway to pick up a prescription for some Lantus, Humalog, and Lisinopril (ACE inhibitor). For years I would have to beg and borrow to either get a prescription for insulin or get a vial from some diabetes society or Doctors office with extras. There were times when I didn’t know how I was going to get the hormone I needed to stay alive even hours before I ran out.  Back to the pharmacy, the first thing the pharmacist asks me about is if I need the Humalog (about $100 a vial with no insurance). I’m like, well I’ve got half a vial left, that will last me for about a month. She shakes her head and goes away for a second. She brings back 9, yes nine vials of humalog. She says, “I think there was a mistake on your prescription that was called in.” She tells me that she called the Dr. back and asked if the script was correct for 9 vials. The pharmacist knew that no one needs that much Humalog for a month’s supply. Somehow my record showed that I used 360 units (about half a vial) per day. Well the math still wouldn’t work out at 9 vials, but whatever it’s a mistake. So I tell her I don’t want all that insulin, she says I have to take it all or none. How much will this cost??? Your copay is $20, for the whole prescription. So after years of shelling out $100 a vial, my first script for Humalog paid for by insurance gives me 9 freakin vials. I’m going to go and give back to some of the organizations that helped me when I was in need. But it’s just weird how messed up our healthcare industry is.
This blog entry will be part of a book I’m writing called “Guerilla Healthcare in America” about the extreme tactics I’ve used over the years just to survive as an Insulin-Dependant diabetic with no insurance or primary care physiscian.
jake and his tattoo
Today Nathan had a T-Ball game. It was totally cute. My wife is feeling sick and I spent most of the evening cleaning in the kitchen. I got my Mom’s van running today. That’s great for me because she’s letting me take it down to the Bay Area to leave there allowing me to take the Amtrak back and forth. I’m so sick of the 3 hour drive twice a week.
Last night I went out and saw The Haunting in Connecticut. The creepy part was I was in the movie theater basically alone. A young couple came in for part of the movie then left. The film was pretty good. Now, remember that my bar is set very low right now for horror flicks. Look at what we have to compare to (The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2008). Not a great baseline if you ask me. No good horror movies so far in 2009 to speak of, so really this Haunting In Connecticut movie is about as good as we get for awhile.
I thought the film had some great visual and textural elements that made the house seem to come alive and feel really spooky. There are plenty of those quietly looking around moments followed by a big screech and a gory image to make the audience jump. I wasn’t really into the story that much, I read one review where the reviewer said he would have preferred seeing a movie about the history of the house. I agree, the history was much scarier than the modern day family having a haunting experience. With all that said, and my appetite being ripe for a good horror flick, I think it was almost worth the $10 entry fee. Had I had 3 or 4 other good horror flicks to choose from, then it would be low on my list.
I’m looking forward to a few upcoming horror movies this years. A french film called Mutants looks promising. I don’t typically like zombie movies, but this seems to be more in the flavor of 28 Days Later with the biological zombie approach. I also will check into see Halloween 2 since it’s being done by Rob Zombie. Again, I don’t care much for the slasher style horror films, but I love Rob Zombie’s work and will watch anything he puts out.
Tomorrow is Nate’s opening day of T-Ball. So opening day starts with a parade of sorts. The T-ballers are first so we have to have him suited up and on the field at 7:00 a.m. Jesus. It’s worth it though, he’s pretty excited about his first real game and I’m sure he’ll look awesome in his little uniform. Go Yankees!
I’m working on creating some videos for the NASA LCROSS mission. I am also helping to setup some public outreach stuff including taking some imagers down to the Mount Wilson observatory to photograph the moon through the 60″. Cooool.