A Letdown HNT

THEME ALERT! - Next week, on May 19/20, we'll celebrate the 5th Anniversary of this thing we call HNT! I solicited ideas for what we could do, and a number of people came up with the same idea. For that week, post your very first HNT photo. May take some research on your part to find out what that one was. ALSO, post a second picture re-creating the same shot to the best of your ability! No fair using an outtake from that photoshoot! Post them both for your HNT of that week. Even if you're a newbie! Be sure to mention it on your sites too! Got a question? Shoot me an email.

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I had a doctor's appointment this morning. My three-month look under the hood. I've been feeling pretty good. A bit more active than I've been in years. Eating the right foods. Keeping my blood sugar levels in a good range. This should have been a great checkup, right?

Things started on a low note as soon as I was called back. I got weighed. About six pounds heavier than the last time, and maybe 15 pounds more than I though I was at. I blame the faulty scales. The nurse then sits me down and tells me she needs a urine sample. Wish I'd known that before I left home. I wasn't expecting the need to pee. I politely asked if I could wait to the end of the appointment so I could get something worked up. Then I asked for a glass of water. Things got worse, as she took my blood pressure. While it wasn't high enough to sound the alarms, and not anywhere near as high as I've had in the past, my delicate condition doesn't like the higher blood pressure. Then she left. At which point, I snuck in my HNT with that "now what?" face...


I'm the first one to admit that my first checkup in February was quite remarkable. Especially considering how close to death I was. Unfortunately, the bar was set high, and I thought I was keeping close to it. Apparently not. For the past three months, I've been living off the glow of that checkup. This one tells me that I have to continue working on it. On the positive side, there were no alterations to my meds, other than the blood pressure one. And while I didn't get the full labs to get my blood chemicals this time around, there's no reason to think they've changed a great deal. The one blood test (A1c) that was taken showed a result that was identical to my last visit, and that was excellent. So all is good, though not stellar. Something for me to work on over the summer...

Oh, at the end of the appointment, I did get to pee into a cup so they could check for proteins in my urine. Only after drinking one more glass of water, running the water in the sink, and flushing the toilet a couple of times. The pressure was phenomenal! Performance anxiety struck to some degree, but apparently not before I squeezed out enough for them to test. Good news--my kidneys apparently work just fine too!

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This week's Mystery Guest almost passed us by! Not too terribly long ago, she shut down her blog. But as suddenly as she shut it, she opened it back up with a new outlook on her life and relationships. What she's showing here is almost more than she's ever shown on her own site! For those who like geography, she's looking forward to wearing stockings again. Both for keeping her legs warm, and for those moments when she might need to tie someone up... But she's quite a vision. Like the petals of a flower. Always a thing of beauty!
If you think you know who she is, be sure to leave a comment on her site! She'll be revealed on Thursday afternoon, so be sure to stop by and check her out!
The MG this week that yummy mummy Petal! Be sure to stop by and say hi!

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There's some great contributions this week over at "...the Other HNT". Be sure to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers over there! They do appreciate the comment love, too! Of course, it's NSFW.

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Speaking of OHNT, you'll be able to find the OsShirt over there this week! And as I understand it, there was a hijacking of the OsShirt today. It was about to leave the Dallas area when another HNTer wormed his way into getting it. And is wearing it, as I'm typing this, on www.spindatmusic.com! His show is over by the time this post goes up, but you should check out his show in the future! I don't know his schedule, but I'm sure he'll comment here and be happy to give it to you! A great mix of rock, both old and new! EDITED TO ADD: I should probably mention that the fiend is the lovable Shumpy!

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Got questions? Something not covered in the two "100 Things About Me" tabs up there at the top? A math problem? Go use that formspring box over there in the sidebar and ask me! Anonymously! So far I've answered every question asked of me. Some silly, some not. Go give it a shot!

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Last bit of unexpected news today--I don't want to jinx anything, so all I'll say is that it involves a soul band, gigs solidly booked, some of the top musicians in town, and a limited shelf life. More details when everything is firmed up!