As a youngsters, I worked as a bartender,.among other things.
So this should have come to me sooner..
While thinking and looking for solutions to the Too-Tall cup issue, it occurred to me that the drip tray could be flipped over to eek out a few CMs of room under the portafilter.
Doh!
...anymore to turn on the Mozzafiatta. Got a couple of cheap Ghome timers and put one to use with our Rocket.
Now, it is warmed up and ready to go.
Used to be "The waiting is the hardest part."
I don't get choked up about much, but after 3 years of paroxymal afib, then 11.5 mos of dreadful persistent afib, I'm immensely grateful for having been in NSR for 5 mos straight.
All credit to my Cardiologist-Electrophysiologist who looked at my pre-existing list of reasons my previous cardiologist said were "too bad", and said simply, "Let's fix it."
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After a recent GI bleed ( do not get one of those!) where my diastolic pressure dropped to 30 and I was pretty icky, I was switched to Eliquis from Xarelto and from Metoprolol to Coreg ( to reduce BP a little)
I am on a buttload of other drugs, like avostatin , hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril as well.
But since getting on Coreg I have been feeling not as well as before my GI Bleed/hospital visit.
I was VERY anemic , even on release on June 2 so maybe my RBCs still need to get up to normal?
Anyway...as Mick Jagger said "What a drag it is getting old."
W.C Fields famously said "Never give a sucker an even break."
I was in the car biz 80, 90s. 16 years, every hat worn long enough to have a clue.
Before the Pandemic Effect, I could book a car by looking at it at 20ft.
Now, who knows!
Used cars are the currency of the planet.
My free tip of day:
Look closely under the hood for disturbed fender or other bodywork fasteners, Those little scuffs or bunged up bolts could be indicating possible accident repair, and under trunk carpet for water etc.
Flood cars always find their way back to somewhere!
And the great thing about the current occupant of the Whitehouse is that he makes Lawyers, Insurance Salesmen and even USED car sales people look honest!
Now that I've achieved Geezer Rider status with 59 years of riding, and the owning/riding of a shit-ton of motos, I'm watching BMW participating in the "More Displacement Wars", while wishing they'd build a nice 400lbs or so middleweight boxer.
What were they even Thinking with that R1800 or whatever it is? Fckme!
I have a R1250RS that I absolutely love, but keep thinking it would be even better if it lost 20% of it's heft. Sure, it's ok when it's moving , but in few years, when I'm closer to 80, a 500-800cc boxer would be the ideal ride.
Low center of gravity, modern suspension, fuel injection etc, but with some body work options, naked, faired and so on.
Ive owned a 1961 R50/2, a 1981 R80GS, 2018 R1200R and the R1250RS, and of them the R80 was definitely the most fun, even if I was almost too short to ride it.
It's true, the demographics for motorcycle ownership is trending upward into the Riding Relic area, so why the urge to produce bikes that are even heavier than last year's bikes?
Taking a look around the world, I see.
Scooters. Maybe that's a clue?
Since March 16th when my PFA was done, I have had no arrhythmia.
I had been in Afib for almost a year.
I did have a GI bleed over the Memorial Day weekend that hospitalized me, but the work my EP did held. So even though my cardiovascular system was really stressed, all I had was a tiny premature bump in my P wave. (Which resolved)
Now almost recovered from the anemia I had, and bit by bit my stamina , strength are improving.
So if something else doesn't parachute in to mess me up, I ought to be almoat normal by Labor Day.
BTW the Upper GI Bleeding was exacerbated by taking Xarelto. They changed me to Eliquis because it's less likely to exsanguinate me
I got my 1st WunderlinQ way back in 2018 for the R1200R I had. The Bluetooth died a year or so later, and Blackabox replaced it.
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I then moved it to my '22 R1250RS and that one's Bluetooth died, too.
They sent me a 3rd device, that died like.6 mos later.
I loved the detailed data access, etc, but all things considered, all I really NEED it for is listening to radio or music, taking a call once in a while, and navigation.
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I feel conflicted now, since Im like 7 yeas past warranty with the WunderlinQ, and as much as I like the company that made them, I want one that's not going to croak on me.
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Ok, is it time to consider a Motor Tablet, or that Thai thing?
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Or juat fugeddabout it? My Samsung phone does the basics anyway.
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(M74) 10 weeks post PFA, and starting to feel pretty dam good, for a geezer.
Then early last week, my BP values started diverting, like systolic UP , diastolic DOWn 160/35, so my GP changed my betablocker. 2 days later, I had fallen off a ledge, some mysteriously dark stool Friday AM..
Got to ER Saturday AM, and knew it was bad when they took a quick look at me and said, "You look poorly."
Quick blood panel.. then boom.. transfusion of whole blood, then another. Advised that I was being admitted for "GI Bleed". (I am on an anti-coagulant)
Then more units of blood, iron transfusions and IV meds over weekend till Tuesday AM.
Tuesday AM: anesthesia. endoscopic procedure, located bleeding problem in duodenum, repaired, clamped, woke up, sent home.
Never again will I assume that "I'll be better tomorrow." when I have signs of a serious issue.
I am also incredibly grateful for the incredible skills of my local ER Hospital.
And through it all ...I was 100% NSR.
Ive (m74) had hypertension since my late 30s, well- treated with the usual meds.
After a year of persistent afib, I had a successful PFA 2 mos back. But the past 3 week or so Ive had gradual BP rise to 164 sys.
Ive been on lisinopril, amlodopine, xarelto, avostatin and 25mg of metoprolol succinate, without change for a year.
My GP and EP switched me to carvedilol and BAM, my systolic dropped to 110, but pulled my diastolic all the way down to 36.
Whoa...just walking to the loo from my bed is like hiking in high altitude. Weakness, and zero stamina.
My GP reduced the dosage by half. Hopefully my legs come back soon.
Still in NSR , though.
"What a drag it is getting old"
Mick Jagger, Kieth Richard
I just eyeballed the billing documents my medical insurance (Medicare, private PPO) are paying for my PFA Ablation procedure.
Excluding the pre-op imaging and consulting .the cost was roughly $250,000.00 US Dollars.
Let me just say, if you think cardioversions are shocking, take a look at what top tier medical procedures cost.
(Caution: blatant political plug)
I'm immensely grateful for the excellent care and incredible expertise of my electrophysiologist and his support team, but such excellence comes at a high cost , so...
I am grateful to Lyndon Johnson and New Deal Democrats who passed the legislation creating Medicare, and for my years of Union membership that qualified me for great pension/supplemental healthcare benefits.