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gridloreBeen an eventful two days...
Yesterday![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kshandra and I took Caltrain up to The City for KFOG's Ka-Boom. My damn legs still weren't working properly, so I was restricted to a shuffling half-stagger. Stairs were extremely difficult and painful. But we made it, got to our hotel (The Hyatt Embarcadero, check in, decided that we need to hold a NASFiC or Westercon here with a Zeppelin theme (the place has a 17-story open atrium! Remote controlled zeppelins everywhere!) Based on the room service prices, getting the hotel for a SF con will require us winning about $150 million in the lottery. Stay tuned.
We forgot to bring a bear. Now they're plotting revenge.
Thankfully, we had VIP passes to the Ka-Boom Box... which meant we didn't have to lug in supplies or wait in line (which would have killed me) but instead got to go through the (wrong) VIP gate and walk to the box. Which was all the way at the end of the pier. We made it, me doing my best impression of Dave Allen's old butler character ("more bloody stairs!" was a frequent refrain) and get settled in.
It was a typical late-spring evening in San Francisco.. the onshore flow was wafting gently across the city at 70mph, pushing debris, bike messengers, and startled tourists off to their doom in Emeryville. The temperature was a balmy 47° Kelvin - just cold enough to insure that no matter how fast you moved, your garlic fries would be a dispirited mass of limp potatoes, weeping quietly about how they used to be hot and delicious, and now all we're going to do is pick off the garlic. Frankly, between the cold and the pain I was in, I didn't have much of an appetite to begin with.
There were three bands on the bill. The first, Ozomatli. Turned out to be a very cool New Orleans jazz/funk band. I really enjoyed their set. Next up was Guster, of whom I've heard a little, but their music just didn't really do it for me. It kept reminding me of other groups, so i spent more time listening for the next influence than to the music, if you see what I mean. Topping the live bill was Kenny Wayne Shepard. Now this was what I came for! Backed by a powerful and very tight band, he took us on a tour of American blues and blues-rock. Amazing guitar playing. He did the expected hit, Blue On Black but I love that song, so it was OK.
Of course, from where we were sitting we couldn't even see the stage. No, we VIPs in the Ka-Boom Box were placed for optimal viewing of the evening's climax: a huge fireworks display coordinated to KFOG's music. Folks, there were five freaking barges loaded with launchers moved into position as we watched and cheered. Soon enough, the last vestige of twilight faded, the lights went down, and..
More pictures here
We were practically under the bursts. It was hard to hear the music, but damn.. who cares! That was the best display I've seen in years!
Making it back to the hotel was another experience in pain. A very kind gentleman offered me the use of his camp chair as we waiting for the MUNI shuttle. Hearing my problems, he accurately placed the problem as being a lower back one. I was afraid I had torn up my hip sockets, so hearing that was a relief. Finally get back, and my plans of a hot shower fell by the wayside. We laughed some more about the room service prices (breakfast for two would have doubled our hotel bill. I'm serious.) and crashed into well deserved slumber.
Today, we checked out, got on a train, came south, got back into the car, and drove to Kaiser. (Hey, I can't write deathless prose for every event!) Went into Urgent Care and was told that what I indeed did was strain my lower back. Nothing but time and heat can cure that. Filled out a workman's comp claim, got a "No work for a week" letter and Vicodin for pain. Party at my place and y'all aren't invited! Once the WC crap gets processed I'll have to go to see Lord & Sons' health provider for a follow-up. Considering how much I hurt, and how badly I'm affected (I can't left my legs to climb most staris) I'm wondering if a week will do it.
Kaiser earned another strike. Look, if you were to see me walk right now, you would know that I was having extreme difficulty. That gentlemen let me use his chair, Caltrain offered to put me on the wheelchair ramp... when we asked the receptionist at Urgent Care if we could get transport over to the pharmacy, which is in a different building) we were told there were no chairs or aides available. This is the third time that I've had to walk a considerable distance to get from one medical office to another while sick or injured. Back when I had my sinus infection, we made the same walk, and then had to walk to the hospital to get me admitted! I can see why Kaiser is so focused on preventive care and healthy living.. they aren't really able to deal with sick people!
I've now got a week off. This gives me a chance to start researching new jobs, clean up my resume, and do research for my panels at Baycon.
Damn, this got long.
Yesterday
kshandra and I took Caltrain up to The City for KFOG's Ka-Boom. My damn legs still weren't working properly, so I was restricted to a shuffling half-stagger. Stairs were extremely difficult and painful. But we made it, got to our hotel (The Hyatt Embarcadero, check in, decided that we need to hold a NASFiC or Westercon here with a Zeppelin theme (the place has a 17-story open atrium! Remote controlled zeppelins everywhere!) Based on the room service prices, getting the hotel for a SF con will require us winning about $150 million in the lottery. Stay tuned. We forgot to bring a bear. Now they're plotting revenge.
Thankfully, we had VIP passes to the Ka-Boom Box... which meant we didn't have to lug in supplies or wait in line (which would have killed me) but instead got to go through the (wrong) VIP gate and walk to the box. Which was all the way at the end of the pier. We made it, me doing my best impression of Dave Allen's old butler character ("more bloody stairs!" was a frequent refrain) and get settled in.
It was a typical late-spring evening in San Francisco.. the onshore flow was wafting gently across the city at 70mph, pushing debris, bike messengers, and startled tourists off to their doom in Emeryville. The temperature was a balmy 47° Kelvin - just cold enough to insure that no matter how fast you moved, your garlic fries would be a dispirited mass of limp potatoes, weeping quietly about how they used to be hot and delicious, and now all we're going to do is pick off the garlic. Frankly, between the cold and the pain I was in, I didn't have much of an appetite to begin with.
There were three bands on the bill. The first, Ozomatli. Turned out to be a very cool New Orleans jazz/funk band. I really enjoyed their set. Next up was Guster, of whom I've heard a little, but their music just didn't really do it for me. It kept reminding me of other groups, so i spent more time listening for the next influence than to the music, if you see what I mean. Topping the live bill was Kenny Wayne Shepard. Now this was what I came for! Backed by a powerful and very tight band, he took us on a tour of American blues and blues-rock. Amazing guitar playing. He did the expected hit, Blue On Black but I love that song, so it was OK.
Of course, from where we were sitting we couldn't even see the stage. No, we VIPs in the Ka-Boom Box were placed for optimal viewing of the evening's climax: a huge fireworks display coordinated to KFOG's music. Folks, there were five freaking barges loaded with launchers moved into position as we watched and cheered. Soon enough, the last vestige of twilight faded, the lights went down, and..
More pictures here
We were practically under the bursts. It was hard to hear the music, but damn.. who cares! That was the best display I've seen in years!
Making it back to the hotel was another experience in pain. A very kind gentleman offered me the use of his camp chair as we waiting for the MUNI shuttle. Hearing my problems, he accurately placed the problem as being a lower back one. I was afraid I had torn up my hip sockets, so hearing that was a relief. Finally get back, and my plans of a hot shower fell by the wayside. We laughed some more about the room service prices (breakfast for two would have doubled our hotel bill. I'm serious.) and crashed into well deserved slumber.
Today, we checked out, got on a train, came south, got back into the car, and drove to Kaiser. (Hey, I can't write deathless prose for every event!) Went into Urgent Care and was told that what I indeed did was strain my lower back. Nothing but time and heat can cure that. Filled out a workman's comp claim, got a "No work for a week" letter and Vicodin for pain. Party at my place and y'all aren't invited! Once the WC crap gets processed I'll have to go to see Lord & Sons' health provider for a follow-up. Considering how much I hurt, and how badly I'm affected (I can't left my legs to climb most staris) I'm wondering if a week will do it.
Kaiser earned another strike. Look, if you were to see me walk right now, you would know that I was having extreme difficulty. That gentlemen let me use his chair, Caltrain offered to put me on the wheelchair ramp... when we asked the receptionist at Urgent Care if we could get transport over to the pharmacy, which is in a different building) we were told there were no chairs or aides available. This is the third time that I've had to walk a considerable distance to get from one medical office to another while sick or injured. Back when I had my sinus infection, we made the same walk, and then had to walk to the hospital to get me admitted! I can see why Kaiser is so focused on preventive care and healthy living.. they aren't really able to deal with sick people!
I've now got a week off. This gives me a chance to start researching new jobs, clean up my resume, and do research for my panels at Baycon.
Damn, this got long.
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Ozomatli
Date: 13 May 2007 23:39 (UTC)Love that band - but with the current sched, Kaboom-link things are contraindicated.
BRRR 47° Kelvin
Date: 14 May 2007 03:41 (UTC)At that temperature, I don't think the potatoes would be limp. More like brick. Nor would I call it balmy, 47°K = -375°F.
:)
Hope you get to feeling better Doug.
Jimmy
no subject
Date: 14 May 2007 15:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 May 2007 02:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 May 2007 15:56 (UTC)