Friends Growing Up -- Addendum

Here's a shout out to my good friend Ian M. Ian, a fellow Washingtonian (not DC), and I met in the summer of 1987 at a summer program (unfortunately now defunct) called the Washington State Governor's School. Continuing my amazement at how my friend's have "grown-up", Ian is one of those people I appreciate having as a part of my circle of friends because of the passion he carries for the things he loves. He feels and loves first, instead of my mode of taking care of business, and because of the way he is structured on the inside, Ian experiences life in a completely different way that I. More importantly, he is able to communicate the essence of the events of his life, large and small. Not only can he verbalize it, but take a gander at his eulogy to Peter Jennings and see for yourself.

How pissed would you be?

Jonny Moseley, remember him? 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist in moguls and a Bay Area native. I wasn't here during the winter of 1998 but Scott tells me the guy was given a huge welcome home in Union Square and has had his fifteen minutes of fame. I give him credit he did win a gold medal, but what I read in the newspaper enraged me. Follow along....

In essence, Jonny Moseley was sitting around with the owner of some sports promotion outfit and thought it would be great to set up a ski jump (literally with snow) down one of San Francisco's steep streets in Pacific Heights. This all to celebrate his 30th birthday, get on MTV and promote his clothing line and the name of the promotion company. With little fanfare or public knowledge this event will be occuring on Fillmore Street between Broadway and Vallejo Streets next Saturday August 27th, 2005. 200 tons of snow will cover the 20% grade street and residents will not be allowed to enter in or out of their homes. The residents were notified only a week or two ago. Here is a link to the actual San Francisco Chronicle article.

So, now, I am never one to give residents of Pacific Heights any benefit of the doubt. This is the ritziest, flashiest neighboorhood in San Francisco. When Bill Clinton (note George Bush would never step foot in this city that gave him less than 15% of its vote) came to visit, you bet he made a stop somewhere in Pacific Heights. In fact, many of us here in San Francisco, mockingly call it "Specific Whites". But, I totally have to agree with the outrage that is coming from the residents there. Where was the community input? Where was the dialogue? How come they were notified only two weeks before the actual event? Last month, when San Jose brought a Grand Prix event to the streets of their city, they compensated the displaced residents and put them all up in a hotel. Not exactly a great solution, but at least it addressed the fact that the cars racing by would be a nuisance. The Chronicle article lists many other concerns that residents have that could result from the event, first and foremost the issue and damage that might be caused by the melting of 200 tons of snow!!! The purported two million dollar insurance policy the promotion company has taken out won't even pay for the first damaged rose bush claim that will probably be made.

So, residents of Pacific Heights, I urge you to make the biggest stink you can. Make life living hell for whoever approved the backroom deal. And all this for stinking Jonny Moseley? Come on dude, you can't even freaking spell your first name right!@!@!

Cauliflower Ear

Or medically known as perichondral hematoma is when the skin that is attached to the cartilage are separated from each other. Through the skin runs the blood vessels, but when the skin is no longer attached to the cartilage, the blood vessels are broken and the blood pools in the cavity that has been formed. As seen above, a big bulbous blob forms on the ear and one appeared on my right ear in late June. It didn't hurt, but it was very apparent. I saw my doctor who referred me to another doctor in the Kaiser system who would take care of it. Back in mid-July, I went to the French campus of Kaiser San Francisco and Dr. Ward (the new doctor) was located on a floor that was named "Head & Neck Surgery." That was a bit scary in and of itself. He drained it and put stitches in it and told me to come back a week later to have the stitches taken out. Usually, just draining the hematoma (blood in a cavity under the skin) is all that is needed for the skin to reattach to the cartilage, with minimal deformation. I did as was told and after the second visit, the swelling came back again, this time with a bigger blob on my ear. So, yesterday I went back and it was time to take even more drastic measures. Dr. Ward drained the blood, then made and incision in the back of my ear (so as not to have the scar on the front) and then for a couple minutes pressed on all different parts of my ear to get all the blood and goo out. He put a wet cotton ball in the top of the ear to preserve the shape of the ear and then wrapped me up like this....

So, I'm sitting here writing to you looking like a cartoon character. The ear actually hurts most when I talk or have to open my mouth up wide to eat. I go back today to have it drained again and then have a new wrapping put on. I think tomorrow I get the bandage off for good.

So why did this occur? Well, usually these things happen to wrestlers, boxers or anyone who has had some kind of trauma to that part of the ear to cause the separation of skin and cartilage to occur. I have no idea what happened, but I don't remember being hit by anything. The only thing I can think of is that when I put on the strap of my bookbag it may smash my ear against my head and that my have caused it, but who knows. Hopefully, I won't have any significant deformation of the ear. But in the grand scheme of things, I could have worse problems.