This has been a very odd week. Good news, bad news...more good news, more bad news.

Let me start off with the good news... First, I've lost almost 13 pounds. I'm starting to really feel the difference. I feel better, I've got more energy and my clothes are getting looser. I think people are starting to notice too. Erin has really been able to tell and I can't thank her enough for all of the encouragement she has given me. THANKS DEAR! Second, I start a new schedule on Monday. 9am to 6pm, Monday thru Friday! It's finally here...I am completely on first shift. The coolest part is that I'll be able to get home with enough time for Erin and I to site down and eat dinner together like normal people at a reasonable hour. We'll be able to go out at night and not have to worry about it being too late during the week. I'll be able to get things done when I get home. This is going to ROCK! It may only be temporary, but I'm happy nonetheless.

Now on to the bad news... I just finished watching the burial ceremony for President Reagan and I feel compelled to commit some words to this blog. If only to sort out the strange feelings that I have been experiencing all week. The fact is that I don't know how I feel. I have for so long felt a distinct distaste for Reagan's policies that I had forgotten how I viewed him growing up. Now that I am 29 and a staunch Democrat I think that I had forgotten those things that made him great. I was sitting talking with Erin about it the day he died and I've been sorting it out this whole week. Reagan was the first president that I remember growing up. Carter was around, but I was 4 and I have no recollection of him as president, only as a former president. One of my favorite memories is of the mock election we had when I was in kindergarten. We each got a ballot and we had to put an "X" next to who we wanted to be president. I remember picking Reagan. From the age of 5 to the age of 13 he was my model for what the President of the United States was supposed to be. I remember seeing him on television and being fascinated with his presence. I can distinctly recall the speech he gave after the Challenger disaster and being moved by it...even as a child. No, I don't agree with his economic policies and I think that he was lacking in other areas as well. He was the President and that commands and certain degree of respect. He helped bring about the end of the cold war and frankly without him I think we'd still be deep in it or worse. Like him or not you cannot question his patriotism and I truly believe that he felt that what he was doing was the right thing to do at the time. I think that history will remember him fondly as a man who loved his country and it's people and believed deeply in that thing we call the American Dream...well, that's how I'll remember him anyway.

and then there was more...

Ray Charles. This one hit me hard as I've never had mixed feelings about him. There have only been a handful of celebrity passings that have effected me this deeply. The first was Jim Henson, and then Jimmy Stewart, Freddy Mercury...and now Ray Charles. I know it's an odd list, but they all played a major part in the development of my creativity. I was at work checking the news when I saw it. "RAY CHARLES DIES AT 73" I literally gasped. Frozen for what felt like minutes I tried to get my mind around that fact that he was gone. This man...this music legend...was gone. I had to fight back the tears...I held them in until I drove home that night. I know the next time I hear his music I'll get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye...but there will be a smile on my face and my toes will be tapping. I hope the rest of the world realizes what it has lost. So, there it is. Two twentieth century American icons gone in a single week. May they both rest in peace and their loved ones find solace their memory.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go Hit the Road Jack and get me some jelly beans... I know I know I know...that was corny, but I don't care.

- Jeremy

Hey there...it's me again. Hope there is still some of you left. Not a lot has been going on since my last update. There really are only 2 pieces of news that I have to report:

1. Erin was tapped for a long term sub position out in Holley. She's been at it for about a month now and it's been a huge boost for her. Things really are back to normal. Speaking of which...we'll find out the progress of her condition at the end of this month and I'll report more about that then.

2. I've LOST almost 10 pounds in the last three weeks! Pretty cool. I'm not really on a diet as much as I've decided to stop eating like an asshole. I swear...at my worst I was consuming upwards of 4000 -5000 calories a day and three weeks ago I hit my highest weight ever...320! My clothes didn't fit anymore and I just was no longer comfortable in my own skin. It was terrible. Then one day I decided to start keeping track of what I was eating and I suddenly realized that I needed to make some serious changes. I used a lot of the available information out there on the internet and started two spreadsheets. One that tracks my daily caloric intake and the other plots my daily weight and shows me my average weight for the week. I've started walking more on my lunch at work and on the treadmill at home. I've tried to keep my total daily calories to between 1400 - 1800. Almost instantly the pounds started coming off. My goal is to be at or below 230 by my 30th birthday. At a safe 2 pounds per week that should be easy. The scary part is that when I get to that weight I will weigh less than I did when I graduated from high school! How cool is that going to be. I'll post more updates and the weight comes off and I'll provide some bits of discovery about the whole process as it happens...
STAY TUNED!!!

Anyway...I hope you all are well. I'll be making more updates and add more pictures in the very near future.

Peace, Love and Warm Fuzzies,

Jeremy

COOL! I put up the pictures from the Redwings Opening Day. I think I managed to get some really great shots. When you view them keep in mind that I was sitting in my seat the entire time and we were behind the netting directly behind home plate. Comments are welcome.

In other news... I've been learning Linux at work. For those of you that don't speak geek...Linux is an operating system (like Windows) that is used primarily for server applications. It is based on the Unix operating system and is used in server applications due to it's stability and customizability. It's much more complicated than what most people are used to as the most basic and advanced functions of the OS are handled through the command line (no pictures to click on). It's the biggest gap in my computer knowledge and I plan on closing that gap. That and it's really fun!

Anyway...enough geek talk. Have fun and spread the love!

- Jeremy

Hope everyone is well. I haven't made any updates this past week simply because I've had no time. Fear not...it has been a good week. A very good week.

I'm sure that the question you all want answered is "how is Erin?". Simply put she's pretty much back to normal and both of us couldn't be happier. By the time last Sunday came around she was feeling much better. Her eyesight had returned to normal and the headaches had pretty much stopped. We went to the follow up appointment on Tuesday morning and they were very surprised (and pleased) with her progress. Her optic nerves are still a little swollen and that will still take some time to heal. So, everything is returning to normal and life is the way it's supposed to be. She is back to work and I've been able to not only have my first full week back to work since this odyssey started, but I was also able to pick up some over-time this week. Very cool.

What else has been going on? Let me think...

I was privileged to watch a horrible movie this week! Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter. Yes, you read that correctly and yes, it is as strange as it sounds. Did I mention that it's a musical? It's one of those films that's so bad it's good. Besides, any movie that features a talking bowl of ice cream and a musical number has got to have some merit, right?

I went to the Redwings home opener with my father-in-law today. Great time and great game. I had lots fun and you know me...I'm not the biggest sports fan. There is just something about going to the ballpark that brings back great memories. It's something that I look forward to doing with my own kids someday. I haven't had much chance to go to many ball games in the past couple of years so this was fun. I was able to get some great pictures and I'll be posting them soon.

Ooh...one more thing. We've decided to hold off on the house thing. We're going to put our tax money in the bank and build on it so we have more for a down payment. That and we've only got two months to find and close on a house before our lease is up. Nearly impossible!

Peace and love!

- Jeremy

Erin's still asleep so I'll make this entry to update you all with what's going on.

A good portion of Monday was spent at the neurologist's office. We did not have the spinal tap that day. They were very surprised at just how swollen her optic nerves were and they immediately scheduled her for an MRI to check for a tumor. That was for two reasons. One, they need to be sure that there is no tumor before they do the tap, because if you do a tap with a tumor it can be very fatal (very bad). Two, if they find a tumor then their approach to treatment completely changes. We were nervous to say the least. Tuesday Erin went in for the MRI. Thankfully nothing was found except swollen optic nerves and excess cranial pressure due to an over abundance of spinal fluid. She met with the doctor and they scheduled the tap.

Wednesday morning we went in for the spinal tap procedure. It went very quickly and the doctor was pleased with the result. He was concerned however, because her spinal fluid pressure was extremely high. 200 is normal and she was at 458. He said that there shouldn't be much to worry about from here. Things will get progressively better now that much of the pressure has been relieved. Regardless, we still have quite a road ahead of us.

I got her home and put her flat on the couch and with the exception of getting up to go to the bathroom, that is where she has been for the past two days. She has noticed some general improvement with her vision, though its still not 100%, and the pressure she was experiencing in her head is gone. Everything else will get better with time. The doctor told us that it could take up to three months for her vision to completely recover and she will likely be on the diuretics for up to six months.

Today she'll be up and moving around a little and we'll see what happens. I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks to all who have sent their well wishes and thanks to those who have stopped by to help cheer Erin up. We both greatly appreciate it.

Peace, love and warm fuzzies!

- Jeremy