Twice a year, Austin has bulky trash collection -- as far as I know it is ongoing continuously, but it takes a while to cover the entire city, so our neighborhood comes up in the rotation about every six months. We get a postcard in the mail announcing our week; they don't publish neighborhoods and dates on the official website, and when I once asked about this, was told it was to discourage scavengers. This was really silly, as (a) the scavengers find out anyway and (b) since they take a lot of stuff, they ultimately make the official collection an easier task on city resources. That's a bureaucracy for you, I guess.
Our lawnmower had pretty much given up the ghost at the end of the 2006 mowing season, and I'd reached the limits of what maintenance I could perform that would help. So, I bought a new one at Sears (another gas-powered, and likely my last one; the next will be electric), picked it up this week, and brought it home. Assembly was trivial -- unfold and lock the handle and it's ready to, well, have the battery charged, but by tomorrow I'll probably be cutting the grass. The garage is (like usual) a bit too full of stuff, so Val and I decided that the perfect way to make room was to remove the old mower and set it atop the driveway in anticipation of next week's bulky trash pickup.
Val parked it streetside (handle pointing out, making the "take me" aspect obvious) around, oh, 3:30 this afternoon. She took Amie to dance and soccer practice a little before 4:30, and the mower was still there. Carson awoke around 5:45, and I took him to over to the park (he loves kicking around the soccer ball; too bad there's no 2-year-old league) at maybe 6:00. And the mower was gone. I hadn't even drained the gas (though it was likely close to empty anyway).
And this is how bulky trash always goes: the scavengers take a lot of the stuff, which really is the point. Perhaps some industrious home businessman will refurbish the mower and sell it (yay, capitalism), which is fine by me. I try to be conscientious about disposing of items, but the old mower was beyond my skills, and I knew someone else would be ready to take it away.
I just didn't think it would be that fast.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
TMNT, 2007
I don't get out to see movies in the theaters very much -- hard to believe with my schedule, but it's true -- but last night provided an opportunity, and there was a new release that I did want to see. TMNT, by now a sufficiently well-established brand name that they need not spell out the full version, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
There have been countless imitators of the title style -- three disjointed, somewhat absurd adjectives piling on top of a non-sequitur noun -- but none of those ever lasted long. Eastman and Laird did it first and did it best. I was in college when I first heard the name, and even my rather good primary comics store (the now-gone FantaCo in Albany, NY) couldn't hook me up. So I wrote out a check for some $6 and change and mailed it to Mirage Studios in Massachusetts. A few weeks later, a large envelope arrived, semi-folded in half (to fit the pathetic mailbox at my college apartment), containing issues #1 (third printing), #2 (second printing), and #3 (first printing; I mention this because I don't want anyone thinking I scored a now highly-valuable first printing of #1 for cover price; not so. Some of those earliest printings are valued highly, but the ones I have are not). I spent the next hour enjoying the heck out of some darn good comic books. The turtles themselves were well-developed characters -- not particularly deep, but consistent and motivated -- and the stories had actual plots, though nothing extraordinary as comic book stories go. It was good, sound craftsmanship with an amusing twist, though the fact that the protagonists were turtles never seemed to be particularly important; it was something to be worked around cleverly, and Eastman and Laird did so (stay out of sight, how did they become mutant turtles?, etc.) but the fact of their reptilianhood was rarely central.
Mirage hit a home run on its first try, and they cashed in big, with a cartoon series (never really watched; it was too juvenile, deliberately so, and yes, I realize I'm serving that criticism against a series sourced from comic books), and three live-action films in the early 1990s. (Super-short critiques: first film good, second atrocious, third a nice try based on actual Eastman & Laird comic stories, but it didn't get put together very well.) And then the turtles just sort of ... dropped out of sight ... I couldn't say why. Maybe the audience needs a generation to reset, like the Disney animation target demographic does. Anyway, the turtles are back.
The new film is CGI, of course, but I thought it was quite good; it allows the turtles to have a sleeker, more athletic design than the live action costumes did, good as they were. Overall the film is dark, but being set in New York City at night most of the time makes that unavoidable. The rather thin story -- a 3000-year old (and immortal) general is rounding up 13 transdimensional monsters in order to reverse the ritual he completed three millenia ago, and the turtles get involved -- isn't really interesting or sensible, but it doesn't have to be; it's a vehicle for the turtles to show their stuff. The general also has four lieutenants made of animate stone charged with capturing the monsters, and the turtles' traditional enemy, the Foot ninja clan (whom, aside from their leader, are primarily cannon fodder), also show up. Monsters, statues, ninja, and the turtles -- let's get it on! This movie is for the fight scenes, and they are very, very good (no matter how ridiculous or excessive -- really, that's the point). Throw in some inter-turtle strife between Leonardo and Raphael, which leads to a breathtaking duel and the film's emotional climax, and this is a delightful and thrilling popcorn flick.
About the only part of the film that disappointed me was the graphic design of the turtles' rat sensei, Splinter. He didn't have the right bulk -- should've been either larger or smaller -- and his fur was much too spiky. But, Splinter was voiced by the late, great Mako, who nailed the "wise, gruff, but loving master" voice decades ago, and whose talents will be missed from future installments (as well as from the fine television series Avatar). So this is more nitpickery than actual failing.
I didn't expect a lot, and got plenty and more. Well worth even a full-price ticket (for me, $8.50) at least one time. Definitely gonna get the DVD. Out of five stars: three.
There have been countless imitators of the title style -- three disjointed, somewhat absurd adjectives piling on top of a non-sequitur noun -- but none of those ever lasted long. Eastman and Laird did it first and did it best. I was in college when I first heard the name, and even my rather good primary comics store (the now-gone FantaCo in Albany, NY) couldn't hook me up. So I wrote out a check for some $6 and change and mailed it to Mirage Studios in Massachusetts. A few weeks later, a large envelope arrived, semi-folded in half (to fit the pathetic mailbox at my college apartment), containing issues #1 (third printing), #2 (second printing), and #3 (first printing; I mention this because I don't want anyone thinking I scored a now highly-valuable first printing of #1 for cover price; not so. Some of those earliest printings are valued highly, but the ones I have are not). I spent the next hour enjoying the heck out of some darn good comic books. The turtles themselves were well-developed characters -- not particularly deep, but consistent and motivated -- and the stories had actual plots, though nothing extraordinary as comic book stories go. It was good, sound craftsmanship with an amusing twist, though the fact that the protagonists were turtles never seemed to be particularly important; it was something to be worked around cleverly, and Eastman and Laird did so (stay out of sight, how did they become mutant turtles?, etc.) but the fact of their reptilianhood was rarely central.
Mirage hit a home run on its first try, and they cashed in big, with a cartoon series (never really watched; it was too juvenile, deliberately so, and yes, I realize I'm serving that criticism against a series sourced from comic books), and three live-action films in the early 1990s. (Super-short critiques: first film good, second atrocious, third a nice try based on actual Eastman & Laird comic stories, but it didn't get put together very well.) And then the turtles just sort of ... dropped out of sight ... I couldn't say why. Maybe the audience needs a generation to reset, like the Disney animation target demographic does. Anyway, the turtles are back.
The new film is CGI, of course, but I thought it was quite good; it allows the turtles to have a sleeker, more athletic design than the live action costumes did, good as they were. Overall the film is dark, but being set in New York City at night most of the time makes that unavoidable. The rather thin story -- a 3000-year old (and immortal) general is rounding up 13 transdimensional monsters in order to reverse the ritual he completed three millenia ago, and the turtles get involved -- isn't really interesting or sensible, but it doesn't have to be; it's a vehicle for the turtles to show their stuff. The general also has four lieutenants made of animate stone charged with capturing the monsters, and the turtles' traditional enemy, the Foot ninja clan (whom, aside from their leader, are primarily cannon fodder), also show up. Monsters, statues, ninja, and the turtles -- let's get it on! This movie is for the fight scenes, and they are very, very good (no matter how ridiculous or excessive -- really, that's the point). Throw in some inter-turtle strife between Leonardo and Raphael, which leads to a breathtaking duel and the film's emotional climax, and this is a delightful and thrilling popcorn flick.
About the only part of the film that disappointed me was the graphic design of the turtles' rat sensei, Splinter. He didn't have the right bulk -- should've been either larger or smaller -- and his fur was much too spiky. But, Splinter was voiced by the late, great Mako, who nailed the "wise, gruff, but loving master" voice decades ago, and whose talents will be missed from future installments (as well as from the fine television series Avatar). So this is more nitpickery than actual failing.
I didn't expect a lot, and got plenty and more. Well worth even a full-price ticket (for me, $8.50) at least one time. Definitely gonna get the DVD. Out of five stars: three.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Lasagna
Food to make the tastebuds happy.
Tonight I'm making lasagna. If you want to join in at home, here's the recipe.
You need:
Edibles:
28 oz. can Italian tomatoes (I prefer crushed; plain or seasoned is okay)
8 oz. can tomato sauce (not paste)
1 bulb fresh garlic
15 oz. tub ricotta cheese
1 can grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
1.5 lb ground beef (at least 85/15; anything less is a waste)
1 package lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)
oregano
salt & pepper
olive oil
Equipment:
large frying pan with lid
9" x 13" pan (rectangular cake pan or similarly-sized casserole)
measuring cup
oven with stovetop
the usual gang of utensils
Peel apart the bulb of garlic and dice 2-3 peeled cloves (note: you can use more. It's not really possible to overdo garlic, if you like it as much as I do).
Brown the diced garlic in a dollop of olive oil over medium heat.
Add the beef; cook until brown. Drain the fat.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, sauce, tablespoon of oregano, whiff of salt & pepper.
Simmer 30-45 minutes. Kitchen, house will eventually reek (in a delightful way) of garlic.
Sit out the cheeses (especially the ricotta) so they can soften.
Noodles: if regular, boil and drain. If oven-ready, simply open box.
Lasagna construction:
In cake pan, from the bottom --
1 - 1.5 cups meat sauce
2 - one layer of noodles (3 if really wide, 4 if not)
3 - half of ricotta cheese
4 - 1/3 cup of parmesan
5 - 1/3 package of mozzarella
6 - another 1.5 cups of meat sauce
7 - another layer of noodles
8 - remainder of ricotta
9 - 1/3 cup of parmesan
10 - 1/3 package of mozzarella
11 - remainder of meat sauce
12 - last 1/3 of mozzarella
13 - at least 1/3 cup of parmesan (pile it on at will)
Bake at 350ยบ F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15-30 minutes before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy again tomorrow, when the sauce has had time to congeal a bit, adding some mechanical strength with no loss of flavor.
Tonight I'm making lasagna. If you want to join in at home, here's the recipe.
You need:
Edibles:
28 oz. can Italian tomatoes (I prefer crushed; plain or seasoned is okay)
8 oz. can tomato sauce (not paste)
1 bulb fresh garlic
15 oz. tub ricotta cheese
1 can grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
1.5 lb ground beef (at least 85/15; anything less is a waste)
1 package lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)
oregano
salt & pepper
olive oil
Equipment:
large frying pan with lid
9" x 13" pan (rectangular cake pan or similarly-sized casserole)
measuring cup
oven with stovetop
the usual gang of utensils
Peel apart the bulb of garlic and dice 2-3 peeled cloves (note: you can use more. It's not really possible to overdo garlic, if you like it as much as I do).
Brown the diced garlic in a dollop of olive oil over medium heat.
Add the beef; cook until brown. Drain the fat.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, sauce, tablespoon of oregano, whiff of salt & pepper.
Simmer 30-45 minutes. Kitchen, house will eventually reek (in a delightful way) of garlic.
Sit out the cheeses (especially the ricotta) so they can soften.
Noodles: if regular, boil and drain. If oven-ready, simply open box.
Lasagna construction:
In cake pan, from the bottom --
1 - 1.5 cups meat sauce
2 - one layer of noodles (3 if really wide, 4 if not)
3 - half of ricotta cheese
4 - 1/3 cup of parmesan
5 - 1/3 package of mozzarella
6 - another 1.5 cups of meat sauce
7 - another layer of noodles
8 - remainder of ricotta
9 - 1/3 cup of parmesan
10 - 1/3 package of mozzarella
11 - remainder of meat sauce
12 - last 1/3 of mozzarella
13 - at least 1/3 cup of parmesan (pile it on at will)
Bake at 350ยบ F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15-30 minutes before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy again tomorrow, when the sauce has had time to congeal a bit, adding some mechanical strength with no loss of flavor.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Good-bye, Brad Delp
Brad Delp, lead singer for rock band Boston, died today.
Boston has only released five original albums in its 31-year history -- Don't Look Back, Third Stage, Walk On, Corporate America, and the first, the classic (iconic even), eponymous Boston. That first album hit like a thunderstorm in 1976 -- it was pure rock 'n roll, sweet guitars and cosmic sounds, and I was on the very cusp of my teenage years when such things were, and still are, so influential. And Delp's vocals were so fluid, integrated with the music, even integral to it. Yeah, Boston was always Tom Scholz' playground, but Delp's voice brought it to life and made it worth listening to.
I saw Boston live twice, in 1976 at the New Haven Coliseum and in 2004 at the Frank Erwin Center here in Austin. Both shows blew me away, and despite the 28-year interval and the evolution of Scholz's music and available tools and instruments, I couldn't tell the difference in how I felt after each show, other than being older, probably better able to appreciate the performance, and hoping the daughter was asleep when we got home following the 2004 concert.
The Coliseum came down in January after being closed for years -- and it's not sorely missed, because it was a dump from the day it opened. But I saw Boston play there (and probably inhaled my first marijuana smoke that night -- not mine, I was but twelve, but there was plenty being lit up), and that will always be a fond memory. Delp, Scholz, and the band were but dots down on stage, but damn, I saw Boston play, and even if it was very early in its career, it was probably the band at its peak; they've hardly come down since, and that was, to me, a great show.
Scholz works at a glacial pace, but maybe he's got a few tracks still unreleased that, some decade, he'll grace and surprise us with, some last legacy of Brad Delp's voice -- not great by itself, but so wonderful within the Boston sound. Well, we can but hope, and it'd be a topic for another time anyway.
I'm gonna pull out a Boston CD and play it. Why not do the same? Or find some clips on YouTube. Go forth and enjoy the delightful works Brad Delp left behind.
Thank you, Brad. Sorry you had to go.
(All potential Boston lyric-related puns deliberately avoided, I hope.)
Boston has only released five original albums in its 31-year history -- Don't Look Back, Third Stage, Walk On, Corporate America, and the first, the classic (iconic even), eponymous Boston. That first album hit like a thunderstorm in 1976 -- it was pure rock 'n roll, sweet guitars and cosmic sounds, and I was on the very cusp of my teenage years when such things were, and still are, so influential. And Delp's vocals were so fluid, integrated with the music, even integral to it. Yeah, Boston was always Tom Scholz' playground, but Delp's voice brought it to life and made it worth listening to.
I saw Boston live twice, in 1976 at the New Haven Coliseum and in 2004 at the Frank Erwin Center here in Austin. Both shows blew me away, and despite the 28-year interval and the evolution of Scholz's music and available tools and instruments, I couldn't tell the difference in how I felt after each show, other than being older, probably better able to appreciate the performance, and hoping the daughter was asleep when we got home following the 2004 concert.
The Coliseum came down in January after being closed for years -- and it's not sorely missed, because it was a dump from the day it opened. But I saw Boston play there (and probably inhaled my first marijuana smoke that night -- not mine, I was but twelve, but there was plenty being lit up), and that will always be a fond memory. Delp, Scholz, and the band were but dots down on stage, but damn, I saw Boston play, and even if it was very early in its career, it was probably the band at its peak; they've hardly come down since, and that was, to me, a great show.
Scholz works at a glacial pace, but maybe he's got a few tracks still unreleased that, some decade, he'll grace and surprise us with, some last legacy of Brad Delp's voice -- not great by itself, but so wonderful within the Boston sound. Well, we can but hope, and it'd be a topic for another time anyway.
I'm gonna pull out a Boston CD and play it. Why not do the same? Or find some clips on YouTube. Go forth and enjoy the delightful works Brad Delp left behind.
Thank you, Brad. Sorry you had to go.
(All potential Boston lyric-related puns deliberately avoided, I hope.)
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Zilker Park Kite Festival, 2007
Sunday was one of Austin's annual fun-for-all (and free!) events, the Zilker Park Kite Festival, the 79th edition. We've been to a few of the recent ones; it's many (but not too many) people, an assortment of dogs, many kites aloft, fresh air, sunshine, and a generally good time to be outside. Plus there is a display of giant (and always impressive) kites, which alone are worth seeing.
This year we decided not to fight for parking and availed ourselves of the free downtown parking garage and shuttle buses; for the kids this just added to the adventure. On the short drive through Austin, we passed by the rubble and remains of the Intel iSore, blown up last weekend (on purpose; post coming soon; video is complex to me), so that was interesting.
We got to Zilker Park about noon, soon joined up with Amalie's friend Noah and his family (Steve, Sarah, baby Lucy), and minutes later (I'd hiked off for a few quick pictures of the giant kites from a different view) Carson wandered off. I wasn't gone ten minutes, but when I came back only Steve was with all our gear, and before he could explain what had happened, a Festival attendant came back with Carson, solo. Some quick cell calls rounded up everyone else, and he was kept under watchful eye the rest of our time there.
We set up base camp at the edge of the large field overlooking the skyline, and I was granted leave to walk about for more picture-taking. I did a large loop, skirting the main field and walking back up to the giant kite display field and circling it. Then I made the mistake of deciding to buy a sandwich, the line wait during which my beard got noticably thicker. Finally I got back to base camp; Val had left to follow Carson's free-roaming. They eventually went as far as the Mopac footbridge, so that was probably a 2-mile hike on their part; more, knowing how Carson meanders.
Noah & family took their leave -- it was nearly 2:00 -- and we left soon after, taking more time to watch the giant kites (provided by Gomberg Kite Productions International -- fun site; surf around to find The World's Largest Kite, entertaining kite disasters, and more). The squid, I thought, was particularly amazing -- huge, yes, but also graceful and quite a clever design. It was fun to watch in much the same way observing fire or waterfalls or even fish are -- they are beautiful, almost hypnotically fluid in motion, and there's always a good chance that something surprising will happen, some unexpected shape or shift that evokes something deep in personal or racial memory, even if you're not exactly sure just what. (I'm pretty sure this was the 50 foot squid; a longer one is available, but it just didn't seem to be that huge. Still beautiful.)
We trundled on to the shuttle buses (they were school buses, and I honestly cannot recall the last time I was on one of those), got back to the car, and drove for home. Both kids dozed off on the way. The Zilker Park Kite Fest on a perfect day -- one could hardly ask for more.
This year we decided not to fight for parking and availed ourselves of the free downtown parking garage and shuttle buses; for the kids this just added to the adventure. On the short drive through Austin, we passed by the rubble and remains of the Intel iSore, blown up last weekend (on purpose; post coming soon; video is complex to me), so that was interesting.
We got to Zilker Park about noon, soon joined up with Amalie's friend Noah and his family (Steve, Sarah, baby Lucy), and minutes later (I'd hiked off for a few quick pictures of the giant kites from a different view) Carson wandered off. I wasn't gone ten minutes, but when I came back only Steve was with all our gear, and before he could explain what had happened, a Festival attendant came back with Carson, solo. Some quick cell calls rounded up everyone else, and he was kept under watchful eye the rest of our time there.
Part of the Giant Kite display -- stingray, dog, shark, elephant head, squid.
We set up base camp at the edge of the large field overlooking the skyline, and I was granted leave to walk about for more picture-taking. I did a large loop, skirting the main field and walking back up to the giant kite display field and circling it. Then I made the mistake of deciding to buy a sandwich, the line wait during which my beard got noticably thicker. Finally I got back to base camp; Val had left to follow Carson's free-roaming. They eventually went as far as the Mopac footbridge, so that was probably a 2-mile hike on their part; more, knowing how Carson meanders.
Kites against the Austin skyline, including the Frost Tower.
Noah & family took their leave -- it was nearly 2:00 -- and we left soon after, taking more time to watch the giant kites (provided by Gomberg Kite Productions International -- fun site; surf around to find The World's Largest Kite, entertaining kite disasters, and more). The squid, I thought, was particularly amazing -- huge, yes, but also graceful and quite a clever design. It was fun to watch in much the same way observing fire or waterfalls or even fish are -- they are beautiful, almost hypnotically fluid in motion, and there's always a good chance that something surprising will happen, some unexpected shape or shift that evokes something deep in personal or racial memory, even if you're not exactly sure just what. (I'm pretty sure this was the 50 foot squid; a longer one is available, but it just didn't seem to be that huge. Still beautiful.)
The Stingray and Squid demonstrate Synchronized Sailing.
We trundled on to the shuttle buses (they were school buses, and I honestly cannot recall the last time I was on one of those), got back to the car, and drove for home. Both kids dozed off on the way. The Zilker Park Kite Fest on a perfect day -- one could hardly ask for more.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Getting the finger (back to healthy)
Sometime in January I got an infection around the base and cuticle of my right index finger. I'm not sure how; anyway, it was annoying, and late in the month I finally decided to try lancing and draining it. That helped a little, but I didn't do a very good job of it. The infection got worse, home treatment didn't help, and when I saw my nail starting to turn white (the infection spreading underneath) I finally went to a walk-in clinic, figuring this wasn't so complicated I should try for my regular physician or the local emergency room.
I was right, it wasn't complicated. I asked the attending doctor if I might lose the nail; he replied it was possible, but that it would grow back, no permanent harm. That was encouraging. The doctor prescribed me two different antibiotics, standard ten-day courses, and decided to perform his own lancing, telling me he was going to pierce my fingernail. That gave me pause, as it sounded, well, unpleasant. I asked if he was going to give me a local anasthetic. Nope. I said it sounded painful; he replied it would only be a little bit so, said he was going to get his "drilling kit", and left for a few minutes.
I got to sit there, thinking about what having my un-numbed fingernail pierced would be like.
The doctor came back with, oh, a double-aught gauge hypodermic, or something about that size. I held my hand flat on the table on a pad, and he cored a hole into the center back end of my nail. Yes, it hurt; not nearly the worst pain I've ever had, and I didn't flinch, but it hurt. He inspected his work and decided he hadn't gotten deep enough; the needle re-cored my nail. Deeper hurts worse; but this time he struck oil, or at least blood, which leaked out a good bit. Then he had me immerse my finger into a cup of peroxide for a few minutes; it foamed up like a high school science project volcano, killing the bad things and cleaning my finger quite well. When a nurse came around to clean and bandage my finger, there was only a little bit of peroxide left in the cup. She wrapped a complicated, full-finger bandage around my digit and told me to keep it on for two days. It lasted 36 hours, but I re-wrapped it well after the first bandage gave up. A checkup four days later resulted in a prognosis that the healing was well underway and to continue with the antibiotics and general cleaning and bandaging.
I finished the antibiotics earlier this week; the infection is long dead. The back end of my nail, which was starting to become visible when I went to the clinic, is now well up my finger, and a bit of baby nail material is growing behind it. Here, have a look:
The yellowish area is where my nail has separated from the finger. I typically keep an adhesive bandage on it during the day, mainly to prevent it from snagging on anything and possibly separating more. It doesn't hurt but I see no point in letting it get abused more. Earlier today I did something to further prevent snag potential, something which, I expect, few people have ever done. It only took a few seconds.
Today I trimmed the back of my fingernail.
Anyway... glad to have my finger heading back to healthy (even if it looks weirdly mangled). My kids find it amusing, and I got a strong reminder not to let infections linger. My arm still tenses a bit when I think of the piercing.
I was right, it wasn't complicated. I asked the attending doctor if I might lose the nail; he replied it was possible, but that it would grow back, no permanent harm. That was encouraging. The doctor prescribed me two different antibiotics, standard ten-day courses, and decided to perform his own lancing, telling me he was going to pierce my fingernail. That gave me pause, as it sounded, well, unpleasant. I asked if he was going to give me a local anasthetic. Nope. I said it sounded painful; he replied it would only be a little bit so, said he was going to get his "drilling kit", and left for a few minutes.
I got to sit there, thinking about what having my un-numbed fingernail pierced would be like.
The doctor came back with, oh, a double-aught gauge hypodermic, or something about that size. I held my hand flat on the table on a pad, and he cored a hole into the center back end of my nail. Yes, it hurt; not nearly the worst pain I've ever had, and I didn't flinch, but it hurt. He inspected his work and decided he hadn't gotten deep enough; the needle re-cored my nail. Deeper hurts worse; but this time he struck oil, or at least blood, which leaked out a good bit. Then he had me immerse my finger into a cup of peroxide for a few minutes; it foamed up like a high school science project volcano, killing the bad things and cleaning my finger quite well. When a nurse came around to clean and bandage my finger, there was only a little bit of peroxide left in the cup. She wrapped a complicated, full-finger bandage around my digit and told me to keep it on for two days. It lasted 36 hours, but I re-wrapped it well after the first bandage gave up. A checkup four days later resulted in a prognosis that the healing was well underway and to continue with the antibiotics and general cleaning and bandaging.
I finished the antibiotics earlier this week; the infection is long dead. The back end of my nail, which was starting to become visible when I went to the clinic, is now well up my finger, and a bit of baby nail material is growing behind it. Here, have a look:
The yellowish area is where my nail has separated from the finger. I typically keep an adhesive bandage on it during the day, mainly to prevent it from snagging on anything and possibly separating more. It doesn't hurt but I see no point in letting it get abused more. Earlier today I did something to further prevent snag potential, something which, I expect, few people have ever done. It only took a few seconds.
Today I trimmed the back of my fingernail.
Anyway... glad to have my finger heading back to healthy (even if it looks weirdly mangled). My kids find it amusing, and I got a strong reminder not to let infections linger. My arm still tenses a bit when I think of the piercing.
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