I haven’t been writing because I really haven’t had much to write about. This weekend was restful and relaxful (that’s not a word, but I don’t care!) I watched a few movies and caught up on some much needed sleep.

This morning, however, I found out that my WBC count is continuing to drop, which is not what I wanted to hear. I’d been taking Iron and eating iron rich/fortified foods for two weeks and the hope was that while any increase would be small, a small increase was a good sign. Well, it’s decreasing. A lot. On Friday (from Wednesday’s draw), my Hemoglobin (HgB) was 8.4g/dL, which is below the normal of 12-16 g/dL and today (from Friday’s draw) it was 6.8 g/dL, which is almost half of the low normal in the range of ‘normal’.

To add insult to injury, my RBC is 39.3 mc/mcL - with a normal range being 4.2 to 5.4 mc/mcL. That’s pretty freakin high.

So, it looks like (and I’m still waiting for confirmation from my trusty MD) that I’ll be going outpatient tomorrow (Wednesday) for a blood transfusion/combo IV Antibiotics, then Thursday AM, more IV Antibiotics with a bone marrow biopsy on Friday, provided my counts are looking more like a sick persons, rather than someone with one foot in the grave (her words, not mine…grrr).

This is really shocking to me, I mean, it really is. I haven’t felt all that awful. Sure, I’m running a low grade fever and I have been for some time, but the tiredness seems to be lessening - at least I thought so. Now, I’m not so sure. I have noticed that I’m sleeping later, going to bed earlier - but I didn’t contribute that to tiredness, I contributed it to not having to wake up early to work (which has been nice, I admit )

I don’t know - after talking to the Dr. today, I think everything is starting to fall into place/make sense? The sleeping more, the lack of desire to get out of my PJ’s unless absolutely required (work is picky that way) and my headaches and fever. I dunno.

Anyway, I’ll know more tonight and of course, as soon as I do, I’ll post a message. If you’re the praying type (or the chanting type, or you burn incense or march nude in the rain…whatever) I’d appreciate a positive thought and/or whatever works best for you and your personal convictions regarding faith etc.

On a lighter note.

What do you guys think about Google Chrome? Huh? I like it. It’s using far less memory than Firefox has started to use (even without add-ons) - the only thing I will have to get used to is the lack of “Home”…I feel like a little lost puppy after I’m done on a site and have no home icon. It’s like…”Uh, ok…done here, what’s next? Hello? Is anyone there?”. Hehehe.

Of note, to you Wordpress users - No, Chrome does not spell check after the first auto-save, just like Firefox. *Sigh*

It looks like, at least for now, I’ll be posting from Safari! (I did post *this* blog entry using Chrome tho…doesn’t it look shiny?)

I’m gonna go veg out on the couch and…veg.

Ok, I admit that I am a follower when it comes to new technologies and learning new things. There are some things that I am so passionate about that it’s just natural for me to want to learn more about them…then there are other things, which don’t really even make it to my radar…for whatever reason.

Take, for example, some of the things that I’ve learned working with clients in various areas of the country. Most of them are tried and true Open Source junkies who are happy to use whatever software/technology I recommend for project tracking etc. Then, there are contracts like the one I have with my newest client. They require me to A) Use Outlook (Via an exchange server) to communicate with them when I can’t B) Use Microsoft Groove to collaborate on my piece of the project with nine different teams across the world and C) Learn how to use both! LOL

I’d love to say I’m not a total dorkizoid when it comes to things like this - but the fact remains, I am - so I can’t say that. Bottom line, I’ve become used to Open Source/Free solutions, so getting involved with a project where they actually have tools, crazy connected and collaboration tools, that assist me in communicating with the various members of various teams across continents, real time - including file sharing, version control and all manner of tracking…well…it’s overwhelming.

I’m just not used to it.

I took a couple of quick Groove tutorials this morning and this evening - I feel confident that I can (and darn it I will!) do the job in front of me…but who would have thunk!? I mean seriously, I thought this type of collaboration between teams was just…well…a pipe dream.

In addition to the software, the learning curve and the nifty new client - I attended a muster this evening with the bulk of the team involved (many in the UK, India, Mexico and China) and discovered that they are DARN nice. I mean super welcoming and awesome to chat with.

This will be one of the biggest tasks I will have undertaken thus far - a true challenge of my abilities as a PM and I am super stoked to be doing it.

Ok, enough geekdom - the knee, its ok. I’m not running any foot races, but I’m not curled up in the fetal position on the floor either. Overall, I am just trying to stay off of it…the best I can.

Tomorrow is Thursday. I am excited, are you?

In January I started a journey I wasn’t sure I’d finish. In addition to the cost involved in taking the journey, I had the difficulties of dealing with some rather unpleasant issues that made completing the journey pointless – but I decided, regardless of what was going on in my life right at the moment, I would move forward and see where it lead me.

I had applied to become a certified Project Manager months before and had all but forgotten about it when I got my invitation to attend an online five month course that would teach me the tools I would need to be a better and more effective Project Manager.

After committing, financially, I made a promise to myself that I would do as much as I could, but that I would allow myself the ability to ‘bow out’ if I needed to. I needed this promise, because I wasn’t certain, given everything going on in my life at the time, that I could commit the daily hours I would need to commit to complete the arduous study and weekly exams.

However, I did and after a few months, I started to realize that I was getting somewhat excited. No, I was getting really excited.

Then, it happened. Just over half way through the course I no longer had a ‘reason’ for completing the training – and that made going through the motions of the course very difficult. But, I stuck it out and I am proud to announce that today, I sat for my proxy exam and scored a passing grade, resulting in my Project Manager Certification.

Sweet glorious joy to the freakin world!

I can’t wait to post a copy of my certificate when I get it in the mail!

Anyway – that’s my news for today. Darn good news it is

Gosh. Like I need another freakin online addiction. I mean, just today, Jerrett was telling a friend on the phone, “Dude, I don’t know, my mom has to work and my dad might not be home yet”. I don’t know what the kid said but Jerrett responded, “I know, but my mom, like she gets up at four in the morning and starts working and she’s still online working after I go to bed. She just wont stop.”

*Sigh* - He thinks I’m working.

Really, I am - I mean, I do work a lot. It’s not totally unheard of for me to work an 18 hour day - but for Pete’s Sake - I can take a kid to the bowling alley!

Anyway - MySpace.com. It’s kinda like when I admitted a few months back that my most embarrassing secret is that I read PerezHilton.com every day. Of course my friends were stunned. Of course they still make fun of me. But it’s nothing like admitting that I’ve become ‘one of them’. A MySpace Junkie.

It’s true, I don’t have it programmed in my nifty PDA just yet…and I’m still trying to figure out if I like being all ’social networked’ to everyone. I am not social…for the most part, my interaction with people is largely via online media (IM, Skype, email) - you get the idea. I’m just not sure I can fit it in my busy day - but I’ll give it a whirl.

Anyway - add me. Let’s see if I can get a few friends going and give this thing a real bona fide test drive.

Brandy On MySpace

As far as my super awesome parenting goes - Jerrett just came and asked me for a book to read (yes, he reads…I know, I should count my blessings) - and I handed him my book on PHP development… He wasn’t impressed. Poor kid…little does he know that I am secretly trying to give him a jump start on a budding web development career!

That’s all for me. I’m just super-not-into-blogging for some reason.

The long standing battle between HD DVD and Blu-Ray has finally come to a close. The winner, Blu-Ray!

Microsoft has been one of the biggest supporters of HD-DVD Technology, so much so, that their newest gaming platform, the ever coveted XBox 360 (of which I am a proud owner) was built around it. However, over the last week, many of the Studios, electronics manufacturers and movie retailers have made their choice known. They back Blu-Ray and now, we’ll start to see loads of new movies available in that format. Large online movie rental outlets have started to exclusively stock the Blu-Ray format and mega-retailers like Wal Mart have recently vowed to only support the Blu-Ray technology, opting only to sell that format in their world-wide chain of stores.

Don’t run out and by that nifty new Blu-Ray player yet. The cheapest one for sale on CircuitCity.com is $399.00 - still a far cry away from reasonable, for those of you who are still playing the “Be Kind, Please Rewind” game