About Lugnut -- Patrick Malone

Last week was spent with a couple of old friends from the Midwest that came out to just hang around. We went to one of our audio club meetings and everyone seemed to enjoy my guests. Two nights were spent listening to live blues at my favorite watering hole. Played some pool too and owned the table for a few hours until I just hung it up in favor of people watching. We also went to Steve's home and they were just blown away by his room and system. We stayed up late listening to various types of music, drinking single malt scotch and cognac, smoking various cigars and other, er, plants. One of my friends spent some time shooting skeet, trap and sporting clays, with my other friend going to some BLM land and target shooting his rifles at long distances. A lot of the time these guys brought up stories about yours truly that they will never forget. Wow! Listening to these tales makes me realize that I've been a smart ass for most of my life. Like the time a lady in a shopping center parking lot was hitting her son on the head telling him how stupid he was. My comment to her was, "Yeah lady, that's right. Hit him on the brain. That should make him smarter." Or the time at a party when an obnoxious drunk butted into a great conversation and I told him that the more I knew him the more I liked him less. I don't just blurt things out like I used to but I still think them. I love these guys and cherish the time I spent with them this last week.

I received my Wright WPL10 V preamp last week too. I've got to say that for such an inexpensive piece it has speed to die for and lets the details through rivaling pieces selling for much higher prices not to mention it is dead quiet. I do have some things to sort out though and maybe you guys can help. The cartridge I'm currently using is one reported to not be a good match with this phono stage and the 901 that I have requires a step up tranny to work as it should because of its low source impedence. The phono stage has a total of 65 db of gain and is said to work well with cartridges down to .5 mv. Considering all of my options it seems buying a new cartridge is perhaps the easiest path to satisfaction. Besides, the 901 doesn't belong to me. I've got an Ittok arm, need a minimum .5 mv output and 47k loading as well as high source impedence. I'm looking to spend around $500 but will go up to $800 new or used. Used, if from a trusted source like one of you guys. Advice is needed. Of course, I could sell the WPL10 V and buy another preamp for more money too.

I finished my first go round of the Xeloda. I guess I tolerated it well enough. Hell, at this point I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling. I don't sleep well and am fatigued most of the time but I don't blame this on the medication although I know it contributes to being tired. I'll begin the second round next Wednesday and after that go in for a CT scan to see if it is helping. In the meantime I'm just going to try and ignore thinking about it. There doesn't seem to be any point in that mental exercise anyway. After all, it is what it is. I do dislike very much swallowing so many pills every day. I realize it's a mental thing but popping seven in the morning and ten in the evening of various required meds makes me wonder if mixing all of them up creates something brand new! Do doctors even think about the synergy thing?? LOL

Patrick- You're in my toughts and prayers buddy.

Patrick- I've been thinking about you a lot. My wife has just finished her 4th surgery in the last 2 months and is about to start what they call dose-dense chemo in a couple of weeks. People like you and she are the definition in my book of class AND bravery. Taking the bitter with the sweet and doing what you have to do without any sense of self-pity. Her long term prognosis is pretty good so that helps her (and me), but so far she has not caught any breaks at all in terms of what was anticipated vs. what actually happened. And of course at some point you just have to decide either to trust the docs or not; there is no way you can have the independent knowledge to know that from a medical standpoint you are doing the right thing if your not a Dr. yourself. That doesn't mean that you have to do what they recommend, but if you can't trust your doc to give you valid info on something as complicated and significant (understatement!) as cancer therapy, then you're really up $hit creek. BTW, with the new anti-nausea drugs, is the smoking recreational or medicinal? Hard for us to know how to plan for this, especially with a 16 year old in the house. I guess we will just let it come to us.

Glad to hear that you have had a good time with your buds. I'm not a shooter but hanging out and drinking some good booze and listening to some tunes, sounds like what I like to do with my friends; just substitute golf for skeet! Don't get a chance to do it that often; note to self to do that kind of thing more often.

I'm thinking about you and will be sending all good thoughts for good results on your CT scan.

Swampwalker,

Make no mistake about it. Being the spouse of a cancer patient is probably worse than having the disease. I can only think of those poor souls who's children are stricken with this madness and I'm so thankful I'm not in that postion. In all things it can always be worse.

I wish your wife the best, from the bottom of my heart. As for you I hope and pray that you can maintain your own health during these trying times. Look after yourself. Your wife and family need you.

The smoking was purely recreational. I don't really partake anymore unless a close friend brings some over. How could I not smoke with these guys? We go back over thirty years together when that's what we all did. It does bring back fond memories too. Like the time one of the guys coughed into the bong, blowing the glowing embers into the air. When it came down it landed on his head catching his hair on fire. THAT was a Furry Freak Brothers incident if there ever was one.

I'll be thinking of you and your wife and keep you in my prayers. Fight the good fight.

Michael ... I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you and your wife are facing. I'm sending wishes and prayers your way, and hope you will have the strength to prevail.

Pat, I had heard that smoking was bad for your health, but I had no idea it could cause instaneous combustion of the hair. What a hoot.

In high school, two of us went with a third friend to his dad's karate club and sauna late at night. We were without papers or a pipe. Being resourceful, I found some gum in someone's drawer and a garden hose in the basement. I got the foil from the gum, laid it in the hose, and perforated the foil with a paper clip. Wallah -- instant pipe. My friend borrowed the pipe-contraption ... and a day later got pulled over, and the police found that pipe and busted him. Two months later, he borrowed a gag pipe I had made from a gasmask and a corncob. Yep ... he got pulled over again and the police found that one as well. They made him get therapy. LOL.

But seriously, Michael, Pat ... please know that you and your wives are in my prayers.