Thanks guys!
To be perfectly honest, I've been able to do lots of work on my hobbies and home improvement because I have free time right now. I was recently laid off from the job I've had for 15 years. I was an apps engineer for a large IC manufacturer. I designed eval boards and eval software, validated new silicon, wrote datasheets and app notes. My employer recently gave me an award for my part in getting one of 'my' ICs designed into a high-volume device made by some fruity cellphone maker. But I was working at a remote location and this office was eliminated during a ~20% across-the-board layoff. I have no regrets and no hard feelings, though.
So I am technically unemployed starting yesterday. Feels very strange.
And if that was not enough my esophagus problem has been getting worse, I've lost about 30 pounds since Axe Fest. It's really difficult to eat due to the nausea that accompanies eating. The nausea meds just are not doing the trick anymore. Fortunately, there is a simple surgery that will help. It's an upper endoscopy to stretch the esophagus with a balloon. Totally painless, very low risk, and last time it made a huge difference in the way I felt after eating. In fact I just saw my surgeon this morning to review last week's test results (barium swallow xray, esophageal motility test) and based on those results he wants to do the surgery again, asap. Tentatively scheduled for early June, but man I wish it were sooner.
