Another week gone

DENTAL PROGRESS - 4/15/2021

...of which there is little. One of the sutures had fallen out on 4/11/2021. As there was no bleeding, it was at one end of the surgical site, and I could see nothing alarming, I didn't bother calling the dental people about it. No need to bother them.

Today, Dr Omar looked over the new x-rays, looked over the surgical site, removed two of the remaining four sutures, and said that (barring the unforeseen), he would start work on the bridge on the 29th.

BTW: I had the dental assistant look at my records to see if I had updated my medications when my statin had been changed, a bit over one year ago. I had. Dr Omar allowed as how he had not been aware of the known interaction between my statin and the antibiotic that he had prescribed. In addition, he had learned that the titanium implant did, indeed, contain nickel. We are always learning. Dr O took it in stride and was in good humor. He did give me a good idea: Henceforth, when I go to a dentist I shall present him/her with a listing of my current medications - just as I do for a medical practitioner. I shall, also, note my sensitivity to nickel on it.

CAMERAS - 4/17/2021

Fifteen years ago, while shopping at Sam's Club, I spotted a palm-sized point-and-shoot HP R817 camera on sale for a reasonable price - a price that I was willing to pay. Please note that, unlike Bogie whom I would expect to put a lot of research into such a purchase, I knew nothing about the camera. Until then, our household's only foray into digital photographer was via Hunky Husband's Sony MVC-FD71 that uses a 3 1/2-inch floppy disk as its digital storage medium.

 

 

Having served yeoman's duty for 15 years, the R817 quit working. I had noted, for a few weeks, that I often had to repeatedly press the shutter button to get a response. Now, the shutter button is dormant or dead. Since I shake too much with my essential tremors to attempt fine repairs, these days, and since I am unwilling to pay $100 or more to let someone else fix a 15-year-old camera that probably cost about $100, originally, I went online to find a replacement.

HP hasn't put out a camera for several years, now, and since I wanted to stick with a camera that functions closely to the HP R817 that it would replace, I looked at used HP cameras. Fortunately, I found an HP R927 camera - the follow-on to the R817 - for $40, including shipping. It arrived, yesterday.

An aside: Call me crazy, but were I shipping electronics via any means, I would wrap that sucker in bubble-wrap or pack it in peanuts inside a sturdy box. Only twice have I purchased used electronics, online, and in either case the person who shipped the item to me just tossed it into a medium-weight, closely fitting box. Fortunately, "they" must be smarter than am I. In neither case was the item damaged. In both cases, the United States Postal Service came through.

Upon opening the small box (it fit within our standard, cluster-box mailbox) I gave myself a dope-slap. I had failed to check with the seller that a battery, charger (or cords to charge through a PC) and SD digital storage medium were included. There had been no description of the item, online, other than it was in "used" condition.

Well...there was a completely depleted battery, a charger (which I've yet to get to work), and no SD. Not to worry. The battery and SD from the R817 fit perfectly well into the R927. Also, fortunately, the R817 will recharge the battery through its charger - which charger is incompatible with the R927 charger. I am one whose phone is so old/broken that I must use a different phone through which to charge the battery. If I can put up with such an arrangement for my phone, I can probably put up with that arrangement for my camera. OTOH: It is possible that I will, eventually, coax the R927 charger into working.

It is well that I had the SD. It is all but impossible to find 1 GB SDs these days - the maximum size SD that is usable to the software/firmware of the old cameras - or to that of my old phone. My newer Nikon camera, circa 2012, uses a 16 GB SD.

As proof that the R927 does, indeed, take photos, I present the image, below.

Comments

[bogie]

I gotta admit, I really haven't put in much research for digital cameras. The first, I won from a local grocery store (maybe around 2005?) and my current Powershot SX400IS I found at a discontinuation sale online in 2015 (or maybe it was used - IDR). Since my vision is wonky, I can't use a good camera. My phones have done the majority of my picture work over the last 8-10 years so I go mainly by does it have a good zoom (for a little P&S) and the price for a camera.

I'm surprised at the packaging issues. However, I when I buy used, I usually make sure that it has the original packaging and always check what is included (chargers being big items). I don't think I have ever gotten anything that has an SD card actually with it - most times those are extras even when bought new.

[bogie]

I just noticed your medication chart. Out of curiosity, why do you only take aspirin 6 days per week?

[Cop Car]

Bogie--Interesting history on your camera/phone use. You've undoubtedly blogged the whole bit, but I don't keep it all in storage - never did, of course. Your dad asks me the same question within 20 minutes' time, but what he can keep in memory has always been more reliable than that which did I.

Any optics, including cameras, have better definition than do my eyes; so, much like you (but, probably to a lesser degree), I can't really use a good camera anymore. Nor do my essential tremors allow for my manually setting the f-stop and/or other settings, so I rely, totally, on the camera's being able to make its own settings.

I'm surprised by the packaging, too; but, I guess as long as the electronics are tough enough, the issue is moot. Obviously, no original packaging.

Aspirin: Sharp of you to notice. I found that taking aspirin seven days per week results in my bleeding too freely. By skipping that one dose per week, it works out nicely (IMHO). Since the aspirin is "self prescribed", I feel free to "titer" it to my own liking - lol. BTW: A recent deletion from that listing is Aleve which I used to take, freely, for aches/pains/inflammations. It turns out that it is bad on kidneys. The pharmacist recommended that, although it doesn't give as much pain relief, I stick with Tylenol.

[Ole Phat Stu]

Well thanks, that's a good inspiration. Somewhere I have older digicams, from 1 megapixel on up. If I can get them working again, I'll compare their qualities.

[Cop Car]

Stu--It will be interesting to read about your stable of digicams. All of HH's good cameras (back when he had his own darkroom) were film. He's better at photography than am I, but has lost interest.

[joared]

Sounds like your plan to give your dentist a list of your meds could be a good idea. Can be more certain to simply bring such matters up to his attention, or any other med person including other doctors, each time something comes up. Am not sure any of them always crosscheck old meds lists in their files though they should.

What do you think about redheads having a high tolerance for pain as it could pertain to amount of administration of anesthesia?

[Cop Car]

Joared--It seems to me that their keeping information about their patients is pretty useless (and wasteful of patient and staff time) if they don't look at it.

I have no clue on how trustworthy are the tales about genetic redheads. BTW: I think that the comments that I leave at your blog (including the one about your hair color) go off into space, somewhere. In the past couple of months I've tried EDGE and IE to no avail. Sorry.

[Joared]

Strange about losing your comments on my blog -- I'm sorry, too -- I miss them.

[Cop Car]

Joared--Aww...that is kind of you. Perhaps I shall get it figured out one of these days. I'm pretty sure the issue must be in my Settings someplace.