Can anyone guess what my big news is?

[NoWorries]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Honestly, if ANYONE guesses correctly I'll be stunned.

There's actually a [sort of] hint in one of the posts [not mine] in this thread, but I'm not going to point it out!

As you have not commented on my previous post, I am assuming that I might be the one you are referring too. Therefore the possibilities that I see are:

• Not going to live in Australia. I consider this the best place to live. The following are more serious
• Kubuntu Packaging, or
• Kubuntu Programming, or
• Kubuntu Ninja Dojo

I got this list from the site https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/Get...ed/Development

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Honestly, if ANYONE guesses correctly I'll be stunned.

There's actually a [sort of] hint in one of the posts [not mine] in this thread, but I'm not going to point it out!

As you have not commented on my previous post, I am assuming that I might be the one you are referring too.

I'm sorry, I apparently missed your post. I'm off to look at it right now. In the words of our former Governator, I'll be back!

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Honestly, if ANYONE guesses correctly I'll be stunned.

There's actually a [sort of] hint in one of the posts [not mine] in this thread, but I'm not going to point it out!

As you have not commented on my previous post, I am assuming that I might be the one you are referring too. Therefore the possibilities that I see are:

• Not going to live in Australia. I consider this the best place to live. The following are more serious
• Kubuntu Packaging, or
• Kubuntu Programming, or
• Kubuntu Ninja Dojo

I got this list from the site https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/Get...ed/Development

I somehow missed NoWorries' original reply, so here I go.

No, not moving to Australia (now that I'm back in California, I'm never leaving again).

My guess is that you are going to work for Canonical to help develop Kubuntu .

No. I lost too many brain cells when they removed that tumor, so I'm not that sharp any more.

And, to touch on my earlier remark that "There's actually a [sort of] hint in one of the posts [not mine] in this thread," I'll say that there's a specific word used in this thread (again, not in one of my posts) that has a LOT to do with this big thing I'm so excited about. But, in all fairness, I don't see how anyone could possibly KNOW that this particular word has anything to do with it or, especially, HOW. But it is there...

[SteveRiley]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

DYK, you're presently 189 posts away from earning the rank Kubuntu Master. Each and every reply you make to this obviously self-serving post moves you closer and closer to that goal. It is clearly evident that you will soon announce to all of us that you have obtained the status you so desperately seek, and you cleverly used your very own post as the catalyst for carrying you to your achievement.

Congratulations.

</snark>

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

DYK, you're presently 189 posts away from earning the rank Kubuntu Master. Each and every reply you make to this obviously self-serving post moves you closer and closer to that goal. It is clearly evident that you will soon announce to all of us that you have obtained the status you so desperately seek, and you cleverly used your very own post as the catalyst for carrying you to your achievement.

Congratulations.

</snark>

Why thank you! But you're wrong. :P (I could post a zillion or replies to get that count up, you know--and that would happen way before January.)

Come on, Steve, is that the best you can do?!

[Qqmike]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Is this thing related to your health?

[SteveRiley]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Why thank you! But you're wrong.

Meh. I stand by my original assertion. Judging by your activity time graph...



...you are obviously a slacker, completely ignoring the world while you slumber for an excessively long eight-hour period. Furthermore, given that most of your activity clusters around working hours, I propose that you are fully aware of being perilously close to losing your job (which slackers often do, of course). You've rationalized that obtaining an additional gold star under your forum name, however feeble an accomplishment, will serve as an adequate substitute. You will, naturally, claim Freedom! even though the McMansions and their porky inhabitants cramp your space, crowd your ideas, and crush your very soul.

Come on, Steve, is that the best you can do?!

Not by a long shot, sister.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Is this thing related to your health?

No. (Thank goodness.)

Why thank you! But you're wrong.

Meh. I stand by my original assertion. Judging by your activity time graph...



...you are obviously a slacker, completely ignoring the world while you slumber for an excessively long eight-hour period. Furthermore, given that most of your activity clusters around working hours, I propose that you are fully aware of being perilously close to losing your job (which slackers often do, of course). You've rationalized that obtaining an additional gold star under your forum name, however feeble an accomplishment, will serve as an adequate substitute. You will, naturally, claim Freedom! even though the McMansions and their porky inhabitants cramp your space, crowd your ideas, and crush your very soul.

Ha ha ha! Slacker. Oh my goodness. I used to be the biggest workaholic you can imagine. Back in the '80s, I had a dedicated phone line at home for my then-very-state-of-the-art 9600 baud modem, so I could connect my Wyse 60 terminal to the UNIX server at work whenever necessary. On call 24/7, thank you very much. That's when I worked at the furniture store chain in Dallas--transitioned them off their IBM System/3 mainframes and onto a multi-user, multi-location *nix system. My next job, as the programmer at a data processing company, was similarly workaholic-ish, but I had the perk of getting to take one of my 'kids' (Great Danes) to work with me. Freddie Mercury was his name, and I also had his sister, Queen. The owner of the company and I became great friends, and it was her idea to bring the Fredster to work with me. He was my baby...my special baby. He and Queenie died on October 16 and 17 three years apart. I'm still heartbroken about Freddie...and it's been three years. My absolute FAVORITE Freddie story happened one weekend. I'd gone to work to do something that involved taking the system down--I did this stuff on weekends so as not to have idle employees. But we were in an office complex, not far from Parkland Hospital, and on weekends no one was around other than some scary looking folks. So this particular day Freddie and I got out of my car and started walking toward the side door (where the alarm keypad was). A very iffy looking man was literally sitting on our doorstep. I stopped, and Freddie--being the perfect little (182 pounds) boy that he was, sat as I'd trained him. He pulled himself up as big as could be and gave death glares to the stranger. Then I looked at the man, glanced over at Freddie on my left, and back to the man and said "We need to get in there...and he's *NOT* very friendly." The guy bolted out the other side of the breezeway. Why is this so hilarious to me? Because my Fredster was the sweetest, gentlest little boy ever.

As for the rest of your INCORRECT conclusions/observations, all I can say is I've been disabled since 2003. Haven't worked since then! It took six years and MANY, many tests--and three broken bones from falling due to losing my balance--before we FINALLY got the correct diagnosis: brain tumor. I thought having it removed would be the END of the problems...I was wrong. I no longer even hold out hope that I'll ever work again. However, when my right wrist--and, yes, I am right handed!--was broken, and my hand unusable for 8 months, I started a web site! I did it left handed, designing things for products even though I had no knowledge or experience with graphic design, CMYK vs RGB color as it relates to printing on things like fabric, and so on. Slacker, eh? I think not. :P

I like that clever graph. I'm a night owl, always have been. The only reason I stop posting after about midnight is because my eyes lose their ability to focus as the day goes on, and by midnight I can barely make out the screen.

Come on, Steve, is that the best you can do?!

Not by a long shot, sister.

Well, let me have it!

[SteveRiley]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Whoa, glad to learn that you could recover from your tumor. Congratulations on your amazing recovery.

My paternal grandmother developed a tumor that went unnoticed for possibly a decade. Eventually she received an operation, which appeared to be successful; however, the post-op drugs demolished her mental acuity.

When I was 14 I was preparing for a school trip to Germany. Someone gave me some film; affecting my most "adult" behavior, I said "Oh, you shouldn't have" -- since I'd observed that to be a typical adult response to gifts. My grandmother (this was before the tumor made its presence known) took me aside and gently chided me: when someone invests the time to think of you and do something for you, the absolute worst thing you can do is negate their actions by saying "Oh, you shouldn't have." Instead, respond with gratitude.

It was at that moment I realized this was one cool woman. Shortly after that she went under the knife, and the grandmother I had hoped to get to know disappeared forever.

[Qqmike]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Hey DYK, you're slipping there, girl. First thought I had re Steve's post was HOW does he have time to collect such data and enter it into a bar chart!!! What a luxury to have so much spare time ...

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Whoa, glad to learn that you could recover from your tumor. Congratulations on your amazing recovery.

Thanks. It's been a very tough road, but I'm getting along. The immediate post-op period was truly awful, as I had no sense of balance--the surgeons were unable to dissect the tumor away from the vestibular nerve on my right side, so they had to remove it, hence no ability to balance. You take certain things--like being able to STAND UP--for granted until you can't do them without falling over. I had to re-learn standing, walking, turning...and it was scary. The right side of my face was totally paralyzed for months afterward; again, you just take certain things for granted, like being able to close your eyes, or take a sip of coffee, until you can't do them. I don't take ANYTHING for granted now.

Here's a cropped shot (I can't stand showing my paralyzed face) a few days post-craniotomy:



Pretty cool hairdo, huh?

My paternal grandmother developed a tumor that went unnoticed for possibly a decade. Eventually she received an operation, which appeared to be successful; however, the post-op drugs demolished her mental acuity.

I get that. I was on super doses of Decadron both before and after the brain surgery. Oh dear...it really #%&@~! with my mind and emotions.

When I was 14 I was preparing for a school trip to Germany. Someone gave me some film; affecting my most "adult" behavior, I said "Oh, you shouldn't have" -- since I'd observed that to be a typical adult response to gifts. My grandmother (this was before the tumor made its presence known) took me aside and gently chided me: when someone invests the time to think of you and do something for you, the absolute worst thing you can do is negate their actions by saying "Oh, you shouldn't have." Instead, respond with gratitude.

I've made that mistake, too, but have made a conscious effort for many years now to NEVER, ever say "oh, you shouldn't have!" I know it's never meant as an insult or ingratitude, but when you really think about it...well, yeah.

It was at that moment I realized this was one cool woman. Shortly after that she went under the knife, and the grandmother I had hoped to get to know disappeared forever.

I'm sorry. She sounds like a wonderful person.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Hey DYK, you're slipping there, girl. First thought I had re Steve's post was HOW does he have time to collect such data and enter it into a bar chart!!! What a luxury to have so much spare time ...

Good catch! I wish I had thought of that. (Though I kind of assumed it's a feature the mods here have access to.)

[SteveRiley]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

Though I kind of assumed it's a feature the mods here have access to.

I think -- but honestly have probably forgotten -- that this info is available to all members. Click your own name on a forum post. In the Profile Info pane, do you see the option to Show Stats? Try the same procedure on someone else's name, does it also work?

Thanks. It's been a very tough road, but I'm getting along. The immediate post-op period was truly awful, as I had no sense of balance--the surgeons were unable to dissect the tumor away from the vestibular nerve on my right side, so they had to remove it, hence no ability to balance. You take certain things--like being able to STAND UP--for granted until you can't do them without falling over. I had to re-learn standing, walking, turning...and it was scary. The right side of my face was totally paralyzed for months afterward; again, you just take certain things for granted, like being able to close your eyes, or take a sip of coffee, until you can't do them. I don't take ANYTHING for granted now.

Would you say your experience was similar to what Jill Taylor, a brain surgeon keenly aware of her own stroke as it occurred, explains in her chronicle? (Aside from the disappointing mystical aspects, sigh.)

I'm sorry. She sounds like a wonderful person.

Thank you. From what my parents describe, she was. I don't really remember.

[woodsmoke]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

do you see the option to Show Stats? Try the same procedure on someone else's name, does it also work?


yes it does

woodsmoke

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Can anyone guess what my big news is?

do you see the option to Show Stats? Try the same procedure on someone else's name, does it also work?

yes it does

Right. There's a link at the bottom of other people's pages called Show general statistics for this member. That's the one.

Thanks. It's been a very tough road, but I'm getting along. The immediate post-op period was truly awful, as I had no sense of balance--the surgeons were unable to dissect the tumor away from the vestibular nerve on my right side, so they had to remove it, hence no ability to balance. You take certain things--like being able to STAND UP--for granted until you can't do them without falling over. I had to re-learn standing, walking, turning...and it was scary. The right side of my face was totally paralyzed for months afterward; again, you just take certain things for granted, like being able to close your eyes, or take a sip of coffee, until you can't do them. I don't take ANYTHING for granted now.

Would you say your experience was similar to what Jill Taylor, a brain surgeon keenly aware of her own stroke as it occurred, explains in her chronicle? (Aside from the disappointing mystical aspects, sigh.)

I had some of the same bizarre perceptual issues she experienced. For example, I could not tolerate--I mean REALLY could not tolerate--multiple sounds at once. If one person was talking and someone else started talking, too, it would drive me to tears. I would feel completely defeated...and I couldn't articulate what I was feeling at all, I'd just start crying. My husband was very perceptive and knew when I was having that overwhelmingly overwhelmed feeling, and he'd politely put an end to its cause. I couldn't watch TV without getting dizzy. I couldn't listen to music because it caused a feeling...I don't even know how to describe it, and now--two years removed--I can't even remember accurately what it was like (and I'm glad), but it was awful. And I found that certain foods--especially black pepper--tasted horrific! Luckily, coffee tasted great. But the first morning I was allowed to have some, I picked up the cup and started to drink out of it--just like I'd done for five decades--and it spilled all over me. As I've said, the entire right side of my face was paralyzed, and learning how to drink out of a cup with that new reality took some practice.

I felt exceptionally well prepared going in to the brain surgery. My neurosurgeons had explained the likely/possible post-op issues, so I was prepared for certain things, but the gravity of it all didn't hit until I actually experienced them. There's a PROFOUND exhaustion that happens to some people post-brain surgery that hit me. There are no words...none...that I can think of that do justice to how bad it was. It's a level of exhaustion that has no comparison in normal life. To go from lying down to sitting up would wear me out. Again, now I can barely recall what it was like, but when I find myself thinking "oh I feel so exhausted today!" I stop and remind myself that this is NOTHING compared to that.

I'm sorry. She sounds like a wonderful person.

Thank you. From what my parents describe, she was. I don't really remember.

That's sad and unfortunate, but I get the feeling she loved you very much.