Tim A. Hicks's Blog, page 3

Charting my Heart Rate

photo courtesy of...http://media.askideas.com/06/Exercise...
This is my first week back exercising after a week off and for the next 6-8 weeks, I have decided to switch from strength training to straight cardio. Because of this switch and to have a good way of judging my progress, I am starting to keep track of my heart rate (beats per minute-bpm's). I am going for a goal of reducing my immediate post exercise bpm's by 50+ within 1 minute. This is a very lofty goal, but something that I can strive for. This 50+ rate is what athletes are expected to achieve, not just regular folks like me. However, it is a goal and while I may not be able to attain it within the next several weeks, it will be interesting to see how close I can get.

This week, my immediate post exercise bpm was 149bpm's, after 1 minute, the average was 124bpm's...difference of 25. This falls into the normal catagory, but now I have a goal and, since I was stupid enough to post this, I also have motivation to continue :) Oh, I do not have a fitbit, so I'm doing it the old fashioned way...OH NO, MATH!!! :0

Zucchini Casserole

I made a zucchini casserole last night. It was fairly easy to do, I basically just chucked whatever veggies I could find and added them to the zucchini. I then added some feta, Parmesan, and some panko breadcrumbs. This is a good recipe to use if you want to empty out some veggies that you might not know what to do with.


What you Need:Zucchini, largeVeggies (you can use frozen or fresh)Feta cheeseParmesan cheeseBreadcrumbsPutting it together: 

Take your zucchini and remove the skinRemove the seeds. The easiest way to do this is to slice the zucchini lengthwise and use a large spoon to scarp out the seeds.Cut the zucchini into bite-sized cubesSteam the zucchini until tender (takes about 10-15 minutes)Once cooled, in a large bowl add the zucchini and all the other ingredients, except the breadcrumbsAdd some salt, pepper, and any other herbs and spices you likeMix togetherPut everything into a 9 x 13 baking dishSprinkle top with breadcrumbs and extra cheese Set oven to 350 and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutesEnjoy!

My First Slideshare Presentation

This is my first Slideshare presentation. I wanted to make a trailer for my retaining wall book.

My First Haiku Deck

This is my first time using this platform, so I decided to give it a shot. The following is a slideshow for my book.
Building Your Retaining Wall - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

The Zombies are Coming

My daughter just recently got back from vacation and one of the things she brought back with her, is a fun whirligig. Of course, the next day, I put it up out back and have been enjoying it ever since.

A Visitor for Breakfast

Yesterday morning while I was washing dishes, all of the birds that were feeding in the backyard suddenly disappeared. I was wondering what could have caused them to scatter so quickly so, when I looked out the window, I saw this guy, most likely a Sharp Shinned Hawk, sitting on the fence...









Yeah, if I were a bird, I would have scattered too.

A View from the Dump

A few days ago, I had to go to the Ada County Landfill to properly dispose of some hazardous waste. Every Friday and Saturday from 8:00AM- 5:00PM, you can drive up to the landfill and they will dispose of your hazardous waste (old TV's, computer monitors, paint, oil, car batteries, liquid propane tanks, etc.) The view from up there was incredible, so I thought I would share a few of the photos.






Here's a view of the road leading up to the landfill





Here's a view looking out over the valley. You can notice the smoke from the fires that are burning around our area. Most notably, the Beaver Creek Fire (by Sun Valley)





Just between the power poles, you can barely see downtown Boise. Although it is very smoky in this picture, it was much worse the day before.

Saying Goodbye to Yum Yum

Picture taken of Yum Yum as my wife and daughters took her for a last walk in the yard



Just before 11:00 AM on Friday, Yum Yum crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to begin her new journey: free from pain and suffering. I firmly believe that she leapt into the arms of our Lord Jesus and will be waiting for us all when it is our time to join her.




She was only with us a few short years, but the impact she had on us all, will last a lifetime. From the way she would steal Katie's seat on the couch; playing with her beloved twist ties; sitting in the sink; jumping up and hanging onto the edge of the cat tree; laying full-length on Mary's legs; sitting on the vent when she was cold; sitting in the kitchen window and watching the birds; stalking Anna while she ate her supper; laying next to me when I was saying my prayers; to walking on the kitchen counter when I was making supper, she imprinted herself on all of our hearts.






Yum Yum, the day we adopted her from the Humane Society




Yum Yum sitting on the heat vent




Yum Yum playing with her spring




Yum Yum sitting in her favorite spot




Yum Yum sitting on a fan




Koko and Yum Yum sleeping together





Goodbye, Yum Yum. We all loved you dearly and even though you are no longer with us physically, you will forever be with us in our hearts.

Yum Yum Update 8/14

photo taken September 2010





Sorry it has taken me so long to provide an update, but this is very difficult for me to do. Mary talked with the doctor on Monday and she indicated that everything points to FIP and even if it isn't, the Dr. stated that the results of the blood tests indicate that the prognosis is fatal. She suggested that we can take Yum Yum to see an internist to confirm the diagnosis and whether it is FIP, cancer or both. Because the other eye is infected, both eyes will now need to be removed. After all this, the Dr. stated that it would be a case of making Yum Yum as comfortable as possible until she dies. We have made the very difficult decision and have decided to spare Yum Yum all this pain and trauma and will be taking her to our vet on Friday to free her from her pain.




As of this writing, Yum Yum is keeping to herself and only comes out to get a drink of water and to eat some deli meat we give her. She is also having more and more difficulty walking. She seems to be reverting back to how she was when we first got her, since she will no longer allow me to be near her. She will only allow my wife and the girls to pet her (before she was rescued, she was feral the first few weeks after she was born). I understand, but it is still hard.




I want to take this time and thank you all once again for all your prayers and purrs! They have helped us immensely during this time. I also want to again thank all of you who donated to Yum Yum's surgery fund. It has meant the world to all of us that you would help support Yum Yum in her time of need. Because of recent events, I will be returning your donations. You should be receiving your refund within the next few days.




Once again, thank you and I ask that you please send your prayers and purrs our way as Yum Yum begins her journey across the Rainbow Bridge. I have full confidence that we will be reunited with her in heaven and she will once again lay down next to me while I say my prayers.

Back to the Vet

Thursday night, my wife had to rush Yum Yum back to the ER, because her other eye began to show signs of developing Uveitis. They ran a full panel of tests and we are still waiting for the results. They also treated her eye and gave us eye drops,Prednisolone Acetate, a corticosteroid, to place on her eye every 12 hours. She is also on Doxycycline Hyc., an antibiotic. After the first treatment, her eye looks like it is back to normal and as of this writing, it still looks good. However, her blind eye has developed glaucoma, which places additional pressure on the eye and produces further pain. This further necessitates her having the eye removed quickly. This trip to the ER did not come cheap. It cost us $405.95 and an additional $42.00 for the Doxycycline Hyc. The money, and then some, that I had added to Yum Yum's surgery fund, had to be used for this bill. Please, do not worry, the money you donated is still in the fund and will ONLY be used for her surgery.




Because they work with CreditCare, a credit agency used for Veterinary emergencies, WestVet will not work with us regarding a payment plan or with negotiating a lower price; However, they contacted one of the veterinarians they use to ask if he would do the surgery for the amount we have already raised, but he declined. Since we are in a debt restructuring program, we are forbidden from applying for any type of credit. I have also looked into some cat charities that offer assistance for the type of emergency we are facing, however, before they will look at our application, they require that we first apply to CreditCare; Basically, a never-ending circle.











My sister is also helping by using her craft skills to auction off items. She has sold 2 of the Maxine blankets and is going to be offering additional items to purchase, with ALL proceeds going to Yum Yum's Surgery Fund. I believe she is even going to be making a cat bed. When she is ready to put the items up for auction, I will post the information here so you can bid on them, if you so choose.




In the meantime, we will continue to look for a vet that will work with us.