Don't let it get away

What a freakin' beautiful day today, for more than the obvious reasons. Sometimes the little things go your way and it adds up to keep you in a good mood all day long. (I'm mainly talking about work here, where if enough little things go wrong all the time, there are probably bigger problems inherent in the systems or processes you use -- but that's for another post.) Today the radio station got an order to run a commercial that would be delivered to us through a third party agency, whose track record is terrible. We've gotten orders from this agency before and instead of the spots being available on their website three days before they're supposed to go on the air (like they promise), we usually don't get them until the middle of the first day of the contract. That's not even an exaggeration. But today the spot we needed was already there and I could download it and be done with it! Ditto for another spot that came in via a service that you basically have to keep hitting 'refresh' and hope that it shows up. There were a handful of other small tasks to finish today, for which I left instructions for the interns when I left for lunch. I was very pleasantly surprised when everything was done -- correctly -- without them having to ask me thirty questions about the same thing they've done the past seven weeks, when I got back from my two hour lunch in the park. No, I could not resist having lunch outside this afternoon. And even though I was in the park, it was a working lunch because one of the transmitters is right across the street from the park and I checked in there to make sure everything was straight. Not to mention that I had the current issue of Radio World for my lunchtime reading material.

Funny how this was going to be a post about how there are no fast Hardees drive-throughs anywhere, but then I came to realize that all the other little things that went right outweighed that minor inconvenience. Plus I would wager that when you're looking forward to eating lunch in the park for the first time all year, everything seems too slow on your way there.

Ghost of a chance

Sometimes, you see something coming yet still can't believe it when it happens. The Bandits were supposed to travel to Asheville, NC to play the Ghostriders this Saturday, but after the latest chapter in that franchise's comically haphazard and inept history, there will be no game.

Long-time Bandits fans will remember that the Carolina Sharks were one of the original franchises and the Bandits' scheduled opponent for Opening Day last year. But just two days before the game, the team was disbanded then re-created as a league-owned team called the Ghostriders. They played an all-road schedule and didn't win a single game, often losing by 50 or more points. Even in indoor football, that's a lot. After the season, we were promised that the AIFL would find a good owner, not to mention a home arena, for the 2006 campaign. And to their credit, the league did keep the team viable and hired personnel to keep it running. They had coaches, a GM, and players in place, and a lease with an arena in Asheville, before selling the team to one Rob Boyd. Then this season -- and the fun -- started. Still unable to win a game, the Ghosties at least played a home game, but a few minutes after it ended, Boyd fired the coach and hired Jim Terry, whose entire AIFL experience, the same die-hard Bandits fans will recall, consisted of missing four of 10 extra points in that inaugural game against the Ghostriders. Then two days later, the owner fired his GM, then filed a police report alleging that he'd embezzled money and defaulted on some bills.

As crazy as events to that point had been, it was not the first time we'd seen it in the AIFL. Coaches come and go everywhere in the minor leagues, and there were a couple of incidents last year in other cities with unpaid bills, unpaid players, and broken promises. However, with Boyd and Terry still in place and ostensibly dedicated to making the team work, it seemed that the Ghostriders would be able to survive. Except that for the last two weeks, Boyd had been trying quietly to get rid of the team because he didn't want to be responsible for the debts and ill will all over Asheville. According to an e-mail from Boyd, he tried to sell the team back to the league but "could not reach an agreement." Finally, today the AIFL suspended the Ghostriders' season and put all the blame on Boyd! Further distancing itself from Boyd and other Ghostriders staff, the league created a new traveling team called the Ghostchasers which will be distinct from the 0-4 and defunct Ghostriders.

There is plenty of blame to go around here. Whether or not former GM David Dix embezzled any money, he was working for the Ghostriders when he made the deals with local businesses. Boyd may have been right to fire him, but showed poor judgment in passing the buck -- literally -- for those debts to Dix himself. Boyd also clearly has little patience, business sense, or both in desiring to dump the team after four games. It's one thing to shut down a business, but do it like a man and don't make all your creditors take it up with the police. Surely he had to know that as the owner of any minor league team, let alone one with the history of the Ghostriders, there would be some difficult times and he'd have to pay some bills. The league should have been more diligent in screening Boyd as a potential owner in the first place and made it clear to him that they would not bail him out. It may be for legal reasons that they had to change the name to the even more ridiculous Ghostchasers (the same legalities that saw the name Ghostriders emerge in the first place), but when has any expansion team in any league joined play in the middle of a season?

The Sharks/Ghostriders/Ghostchasers did everything exactly wrong from day 1, and amazingly it's only now that anybody else will be affected. Teams that had a road game scheduled at Asheville will now play only 13 games this season. The AIFL has experienced a number of embarrassing situations, some of them completely preventable, and has always come up with "solutions" at or after the last minute. Up and canceling the last two games of last season and starting the season without a rulebook and adding or making up rules as needed are two good examples. I am positive that A-Haines is praying that there is enough separation between the 14-game teams and the 13-game teams that the one extra game doesn't make any difference in playoff qualifications (whatever those end up being -- we, of course, have not heard word one on this year's playoff structure). He brought 10 new teams on board this year and has been quoted as saying he wants to get upwards of 50 teams in the league. Five of the new teams, not to mention the Bandits themselves, could be affected by the Ghostchasers incident and might be totally turned off by however Haines ends up handling it. That is not the way to attract dozens of new cities and owners to your league.

So now the Bandits will be the only team not playing this weekend, which sucks because they finally looked like the champions of last year in Monday's beatdown of Raleigh, and I had hoped that they would sustain that fire through the short week and the next game. Instead, we're off until April 9. All the scheduled home games will still be played, and if the last contest was any indication, they will be a whole hell of a lot of fun!

Bandits humiliate Rebels, share first place

Bandits 56, Rebels 28

Playing a previously undefeated Raleigh Rebels team that lost its starting quarterback to a broken hand last week, the Bandits dominated the line on both sides of the ball and claimed a share of first place with a convincing win at the Hideout. Richmond scored on their first five possessions, showing a fast start and an intensity on the field that had been lacking the first three games. They held the league's top scoring offense to just 96 yards as the defensive line of Lawrence Lewis, Alfred Dubose, and newcomer Corey Ellis were in QB Barry Marrow's face on almost every play.

Player of the Game: Lawrence Lewis, with three sacks, a blocked PAT, and a hellacious hit on Marrow in the end zone that should have been a safety, but was taken away from the Law when the officials for some reason spotted the ball on the 1-yard line.

Offensive Stars: Robbie Jenkins, who went 16 for 30 with 221 yards and seven touchdowns; Bryan Still, who caught eight passes for 77 yards and four TDs.

Defensive Stars: the entire D-line, Dubose, Ellis, and Lewis, who combined for five sacks, two blocked kicks, a pass deflection, and uncountable QB hurries.

Audio Highlights:	Law Lew gets a sack
	Al Dubose does likewise
	Missed FG returned for a touchdown
	Bishlar Penson interception
	For fans of the offense, two Redd Thompson touchdowns here and here
	Coach Williams on the difference in the game
	Finally, a bit of foreshadowing

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch writeup
	Raleigh's summary

Next: at Carolina Ghostriders, Saturday 7:00 pm

OK, now I'm done with contacts!

Recovering from PRK is a very gradual process, but in the sense that there are any discernible milestones, I achieved one yesterday. On the evening of January 2, I thought I was removing my contacts for the last time ever, but that technically happened at my 5-day follow up appointment. I had the bandage contact lenses removed, and as far as I'm concerned, it was perfect timing. The lenses were starting to irritate me a little bit and even felt at times like they were getting a little dry and threatening to fall out. Turns out that probably wouldn't have happened, because they were attached to my eyes with a little adhesive! It was a little weird to feel the sensation of removing a band-aid on my eye! Even though I knew the contacts weren't plano, I didn't realize they had as much prescription in them as they did. As soon as they came out I was down to about 20/60. Now my clarity fluctuates a little but most of the time is around there. They took me off one of the eyedrops I had been on and switched another to a more viscous, lubricating drop that is almost like a gel when it comes out. I don't have to wear the eye shields to bed anymore (yay!) but since my eyelids are now rubbing directly against my corneas, I do have to (stop reading here if you get squeamish about your eyes) put in some eye ointment before bed. That is actually just a matter of dropping the ointment into the pocket of the lower eyelid and rolling the eyeball around, which is much easier than putting the ointment on my fingertip and applying it directly to the eye like I thought I would have to!

So even though I'm seeing a little worse than I had been, the doc says everything looks good and that I'm healing well and at the appropriate rate. I've had absolutely no pain for the past 24 hours, which leads me further to believe that the contacts were just at the point where they were starting to do more harm than good. I'm still a little light-sensitive, as I proved to myself this morning when I looked out the window and the direct sunlight, plus that which was reflected off the snow, instantly caused me to squint and look away. With sunglasses I'm fine though, and I'll wake up tomorrow exactly one week post surgery!

Never have a few quadrillionths of a meter made such a difference

I sat up from laser eye surgery and was able to see clearly without glasses at 9:09 am on Thursday, March 16, 2006. I know because, for the first time in 20 years, I could see the clock!

I got to the doctor's office at 8:00 Thursday morning and was immediately prepped for the surgery. They gave me a Valium and told me all about the eyedrops I would have to take and the eye shields I would have to wear while sleeping. Then I waited for what seemed like 20 minutes while they finished up with the person ahead of me. (This was easily the longest single phase of the entire process.) They brought me into the laser room and put in a few eyedrops and prepared my right eye. This simply entailed taping my eyelashes down and inserting an eyelid spreader. By this time I was lying flat on my back with a small curtain covering my face except for the right eye. First they removed the epithelium (the topmost, superficial layer of corneal cells) with what looked like an electric toothbrush. Then they lined up my head just right and told me to concentrate on the flashing red light. When everything was ready, they fired the laser, and I could hear the clicking, snapping sound of the machine and see a purple ring of light around the red light, which could have been the laser itself. The actual lasering took only about 20 seconds, and the results were instantaneous. I could see the blinking red light come into focus as the laser did its job. Then they applied some ointment to my eyeball with a small sponge and washed it away with water. I couldn't look around at this time but I could see the details of the laser apparatus above me. All that remained was for the doctor to apply the bandage contact lens over the ablation. Then they did my left eye, and I sat up after laying down for probably a total of eight minutes. That was when they asked me if I could tell the time. I knew it was a trick question because there is never a clock in any medical room, except when they want you to realize that your vision is sharp!

There were just a couple of final details to take care of. They gave me a pill for the pain and applied eye shields and sunglasses, and sent me on my way! I could walk to the car on my own just fine, and even though I saw everything sharp and clear immediately after the surgery, even at this point I couldn't read license plates on other cars and there was a multiple image effect when looking at stoplights. As soon as I got home the pills kicked in and I fell right asleep. I woke up around 1:00 and could see probably around 20/60 -- large objects were in clear enough focus, but I couldn't read details or see sharp outlines. I could, though, watch the NCAA tournament and make out the score at the bottom of the screen, but the scores of other games across the top of the screen were out of the question. The rest of Thursday I was in surprisingly little pain, especially compared to what I had been expecting.

Friday I woke up seeing about the same and had a follow-up appointment first thing. All looked well to the doctor, and even though the letters were slightly blurry, I could read some middle level lines on the vision chart. Even though whatever line I read at didn't count as my actual vision -- since I was still looking through the bandage contact and the abrasion itself -- I was at least on the chart! Before I couldn't even read the big E without glasses. The pain was noticeable, but easily ignored, and remained about the same the rest of the day, but my vision diminished slightly in the afternoon. My eyes were getting tired around 6 pm, so I laid down for a nap and the next thing I knew it was morning!

When I woke up Saturday I thought things were a little less clear but I couldn't be sure, but as the day went on I definitely knew it was a little worse. This was actually something I was prepared for, since my research stated and my doctor agreed that the second day post-PRK brings the most fluctuations. I was most sensitive to light on Saturday, as I couldn't even open the blinds to let some non-direct sunlight in. During the later parts of the day, I experienced more scratchiness and foreign object sensations in both eyes. But other than that I was completely aware and actually getting a little restless from being inside the past three days!

Sunday brought some significant improvement. I could see close to 20/40 when I woke up with little to no pain. I think I even saw better than that as I was awake for a few hours! In the late afternoon a little pain set in, and by evening it felt like it used to when my contacts got off-center or dry or were getting ready to fall out. Eyedrops temporarily relieved that sensation, and for the first time I could read before going to bed!

This morning was about the same as yesterday. I could see pretty sharp, definitely not quite 20/20 but better than 20/40. I've had no pain to speak of all day, though I have noticed that I can't see as well in darker rooms. That is certainly to be expected, though, as the healing process continues. I have not taken any of my pain pills since the operation. Maybe all those years of wearing gas permeable contacts toughened me up a little! For now, it's just a matter of continuing to take my eyedrops and taping on the eye shields before bed. I go in tomorrow to get the contacts removed and even though there might be some slight regression then (due to the small prescription that is in the contacts), I should be pretty stable around at least 20/40. The healing process will take weeks and months, and even though the improvement won't be noticeable day to day, it could be six months before I'm at my final result from this surgery. I will continue to post my progress, but early returns are showing nothing short of success. At this point, I would recommend PRK to anyone and I'd get it again in a heartbeat.

Slightly more accurate than flipping 63 coins

After much agonizing over who has what it takes to go all the way, who's completely overrated, and which 12 seeds will be the lucky winners this year, I have completed my NCAA bracket. Read it and weep:

http://www.ndnation.com/pools/ncaamen/playerpicks408.html

Windexing the window to the soul

I have never had surgery. The only medical procedure I've had that would even come close was when my broken arm was set in a cast, and that happened when I was two years old.

I have never had stitches. The closest I've come is when I accidentally put a staple in my finger.

I have never had a voluntary medical procedure. Not counting the dentist, I only have ever been to a doctor's office or hospital when something was seriously wrong, or I needed a physical for school.

I have never been anesthetized. OK, maybe locally when I got a shot or something, but I have never been put under. The only "drug" that has ever knocked me out was alcohol, and that is always entirely self-medicated.

So, though I will not be getting surgery in the traditional sense of needing stitches or being put to sleep, tomorrow still marks a very important occasion and a number of firsts for me. It is the day of my PRK surgery, wherein a certain thickness of my cornea will be vaporized by an excimer laser. The results of the surgery -- being able to see clearly without glasses or contacts for the first time since I was seven -- are almost too much to comprehend, so I've been focusing (ha!) on the procedure itself. I know the technology, I know what will happen and why, I know what I will hear and smell, and I know what my role will be (just lay there and stare directly at the red light). I know the steps to recovery, I know the various phases and their timeframes, and I know what I will have to do to help things along. I also know what could go wrong, I know the complications that could ensue, and I know their respective causes and effects. Most importantly, I know the reputation and results my doctor has achieved, and I know firsthand what others have experienced. That's why I'm only a little nervous at this point. I'm sure I will get a little more nervous when they actually roll me under the laser machine, but as the Great Auk says, knowledge is power. The technology and medicine behind laser eye surgery is fascinating even if it doesn't directly impact you, and the more I learned about it, the more I knew I could accept the risks because the reward was something I wanted to experience. So please be thinking of me tomorrow morning. My life is going to change significantly, and I can't wait.

Life really does imitate Simpsons quotes

This was the work of no-good punk kids

When I got to work this morning, the first e-mail that was waiting for me was a notice from our engineer that one of our transmitter sites had been vandalized. Apparently some young hoodlums tried to jimmy the locks on a tower enclosure and the transmitter building itself, with no apparent success at entry. One still must wonder what drives someone to do that, though. The towers are not exactly easy to access (by design), nor are they located on a major thoroughfare. So it would seem to me that somebody has some kind of vendetta against the station itslef, or at least one of the DJs, and tried to hit us where it hurts. I give them a little credit for finding out where the transmitter is, but low marks for execution. Surely it is evident to anyone that expensive, potentially dangerous radio equipment would be protected by more than a simple hasp or a piece of string.

Nothing good has ever come out of New York City

It's a game that Notre Dame fans are used to watching...the early Wednesday afternoon game in the Big East tournament. And given that we rarely win in the tourney, plus the way we've lost so many games this year, as I watch the final 8.1 seconds I have no reason to believe that either of those trends will end...Nope, a four point loss. We're officially on the countdown to kickoff, which stands at 178 days.

Hey! That's just my aspirin

So it's not the best day, which is compounded by the fact that I woke up at 4:00 this morning, when my whole body ached, and I had the chills and a headache. I slept intermittently until 8, then thought that a shower would make me feel better. It didn't. At this point, I was still too stubborn to admit that I might have a fever. So, writing everything off to sleeping in a bad position or eating some bad shrimp last night for dinner, I headed in to work. Things didn't get much better during the morning, so I found the official Radio Richmond first aid kit in hopes it would contain some aspirin. Instead I found...NON-Aspirin. That is exactly what it said on the package. I wonder if you put it in contact with an equal number of tablets of actual aspirin, the whole thing would explode into energy. I guess it was a good thing after all that I didn't take anything at home, because my stomach is not the best place for an uncontrolled atomic reaction.

But what was even more like a drug was the drugs

All these medicinal adventures were made slightly ironic because I was planning on going to the pharmacy anyway tonight. Since I literally don't remember the last prescription I had filled, I spent half the morning on the phone with my health insurance company, trying to find out exactly what my prescription benefits are. Turns out they classify the pills I need to get before my eye surgery as a step-therapy drug, meaning I have to try the generic equivalent first before they will pay for the name brand that was prescribed. So I talked to the doctor's office, and had them call Aetna to certify that I needed the name brand and that the generic wouldn't cut it...only to hear from them later that they encourage patients to get the generic equivalent! Nothing like taking two and a half hours to end up right where you started.