By Erik France on 5/25/2007 4:00 AM

My team at the office has been working like crazy over the past couple of months.  We have had two really large projects to work on along with all of the maintenance, daily fires, etc.  So, when I read the Dilbert comic strip today, I laughed and laughed.  It fit so well.

Here is that strip in case Dilbert.com takes it down.

By Erik France on 5/24/2007 7:55 PM

In case you did not know it, May 25th is Towel Day.  So, get out your towels and be sure they are handy.

And, in case you did not recognize any of that, here is another description of Towel Day.  This one shows the text of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

By Erik France on 5/22/2007 8:56 PM

This afternoon Julie, Hailey, and I all went to Children's Mercy Hospital for a procedure to determine what the fluid is around her kidney.  We had realized there was fluid around the kidney during her last procedure.

Julie did a lot of reading about this procedure, so we were both sort of expecting to see Hailey get strapped to a surgery board to keep her still.  See, they had to stick a catheter into her and we thought she would hate that.  However, she barely even flinched.  In fact, during the entire procedure, she only got upset as her bladder got full and we had to turn her on her side.  Then she cried for a couple seconds and became calm again.

The doctor who performed the procedure said there is indication of fluid around both kidneys.  On a scale of zero to five, five being bad, Hailey has one kidney rated at a two and one rated at a three.  Basically, this means she will be on an antibiotic for a while; perhaps three years or so.  It also means we will be going back in to have this...

Read More »

By Erik France on 5/20/2007 3:53 PM

Well, one week has gone by.  The foot is much better.  I can walk pretty much like normal and it only hurts now and then.  So that is good.

But yesterday my back began to act up.  I can not sit or stand in one position for much longer than ten seconds.  I think it is hurt because I adjusted my step while my foot hurt.  That, and I have a bad lower back.  Ever since I strained my back while carrying Justyn around, it has been easy to strain my back again.

Oh well, hopefully I can get through this too.

By Erik France on 5/17/2007 4:30 PM

I read a T-shirt the other day which made me think.  On the back of the shirt was printed the following statement:

No one says "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

Think about that one for a while and see if you too think it is a pretty good thing to keep in mind.

By Erik France on 5/16/2007 10:28 PM

My family was able to attend my grandmother's funeral on Tuesday, May 15, 2007.  I am not sure if you should say a funeral was fun, but I did enjoy getting a chance to see all sorts of family whom I have not seen in a long time.  It was a good experience in which I could almost literally swim in the love of family.

However, as the wife of my cousin said, "It sucks that it takes an event like this to bring us all together."  I could not agree more.

On the positive side, many people got to meet Haily for the first time, including my brother.  And Steven got to spend quite a bit of time with Justyn and Carter.  I think all three boys enjoyed that.

I was unaffected by the whole thing until we were at the gravesite.  All of Glenda's grandchildren were the casketbearers.  We took the casket from the hearse to the site and stepped away.  I happened to be standing on the tombstone side of the gravesite, on my grandfather's side.  As I stepped back, I saw his name and had to stop moving.  I couldn't...

Read More »

By Erik France on 5/16/2007 9:34 PM

The swelling in my foot has gone down quite a bit.  I have been able to walk around more in the past two days than I thought I would be able to.  I really did not know if I was going to be able to help out with the casket at my grandmother's funeral, but it all worked out.

Right now I am trying to get the swelling to go away completely.  I figure when the swelling is gone, most of the pain will also be gone.

My brother had a good suggestion.  He thought I should go see an acupressurist and have them look at my foot.  I have done some research and think this may be worthwhile.  I'll see how the next couple of days go, but right now I think I will be going.  Anything to get rid of this.

I am amazed at how crippling a little foot pain has been.  Wow ...

By Erik France on 5/12/2007 9:06 PM

I have learned a lesson in humility this weekend.  On Friday I noticed my left foot was a little sore and felt like I had pulled a muscle.  On Saturday morning I could barely put wight on my left foot.

Julie convinced me to go to the walk-in-clinic.  It really didn't take much to convince me this time.  The doctor there took x-rays and poked a few places on my foot.  Eventually she said she believed I have bruised one of the nerve fiber sheaths which keeps electrical signals flowing in my foot.  Basically, every time I step down, the bones of the foot pinch this bundle of nerves and cause me pain.

So I visited a sports medicine store and had my work shoes fitted with a Metatarsal Pad.  This will help distribute the weight on my foot and should help with on-going foot pain.  Unfortunately, there is not much they can do in the short-term.  I am taking some anti-inflammatory medicine and trying to stay off my feet.

At one time today, Julie said, "I'm taking care of four children ... and this is Mother's Day weekend!"  I told her I did not plan this, but she laughed and said, "I am not so sure."  Got to love her sense of humor, huh?

...

Read More »

By Erik France on 5/12/2007 8:18 PM

My grandmother, Glenda France, passed away this morning around 8:15 a.m.  While I am sad to know she has died, I am also glad to know she is finally with her mother and father along with my grandfather.  Most importantly, I am glad she is able to be with God and enjoy eternal life.

The funeral will be held in Cozad, NE, on Tuesday.  So we have been trying to figure out the logistics of getting the family out there.  It may turn out that Julie and the kids have to stay behind due to previous commitments.  But hopefully we can all get a chance to go.

I do not really know what more to say about this event in life.  It is the first death in the France family for quite some time.

I love you, Grandma.  May God grant you the rest and peace you deserve.

By Erik France on 5/10/2007 1:14 PM

Many people already know about this song, but a friend at work showed it to me today. I like this version.

Then, there is the World of Warcraft version, which is fun too.