Wizard's Blog
Nelson's Landing
Yesterday I went to Nelson's Landing for the first time. It is a beach on the Nevada side of the Colorado River, about 20 miles south of Hoover Dam. It was a lot fun. There is a protected cove that was safe for swimming and the water was surprisingly warm, especially after being used to the 48-degree water upstream in the Grand Canyon. Further out there are lots of places to go safely cliff jumping. Sorry I didn't take any pictures, but I have a couple videos of me and my son jumping off one of the cliffs.Wizard jump
Wizard jr. jump
Grand Canyon rafting trip
In case anybody missed me, I just returned from a five-night trip on the upper Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. I plan to properly write all about it in my blog on my Odds site. However, until I do, I posted some pictures and brief commentary on my Math Problems site.
While in the Flagstaff area to start the trip I also visited Sedona for the first time and climbed Humphries Peak, the highest point in Arizona.
The rafting trip was outstanding. Although it was expensive, I thought it was worth every penny. Please have a look at my photos and I would be happy to answer any questions about them.
Meanwhile, it seems the behavior on the forum is slipping. Let me say for now that William Shatner is not an a**hole for refusing to sign autographs, at least in my opinion. Personally, I have to force mine on what few occasions a fan spots me. It is also not appropriate for admins to bust posts for being "clueless," and I'll take appropriate action about that, once I know all the facts.
Anyway, the cat is back, so behave yourselves.
Comments
Amazing photos wiz and thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the blog.
I've heard Sedona is a very "new age crystals and pyramid" type place with increasing real estate values due to no room for expansion, not been there though.
Rafting: You are brave. I met one man with four surgeries on his knee for a rafting accident. And one woman who gripped her paddle loosely had the handle knock her two front teeth out! When the rafting guide says Death Grip on the Paddle they mean it.
Any casinos in Flagstaff? I wonder why hot Phoenix boomed but cooler places remained tranquil and less crowded?
Quote: FleaI've heard Sedona is a very "new age crystals and pyramid" type place with increasing real estate values due to no room for expansion, not been there though.
Not counting Slippery Rock park, I spent only about two hours in Sedona, so don't claim to be an expert. Yes, they have way more than their share of psychics and crystal shops. Lots of stores with Vortex in the name. My son kept asking what a vortex was, and I didn't know how to explain it, other than some nonsense about a hot-spot for some kind of energy only certain people can feel. Certainly I didn't. I asked one shop keeper who looked like Emmylou Harris about it, and she was obviously a believer, but I don't try to explain what she said. Just the usual rambling about feeling close to god only in Sedona.
Quote:Rafting: You are brave. I met one man with four surgeries on his knee for a rafting accident. And one woman who gripped her paddle loosely had the handle knock her two front teeth out! When the rafting guide says Death Grip on the Paddle they mean it.
On our trip the guides did all the rowing, except in easy parts if a guest asked to, which I often did. Still, guests have been known to be ejected in rapids, or crashing their heads together above the boat, but still land in it. All I can say is we didn't have any incidents. I kept asking the leader about statistics about such things, but she threatened to "put me on silence" lest the river overhear me and I jinx the trip.
Quote:Any casinos in Flagstaff? I wonder why hot Phoenix boomed but cooler places remained tranquil and less crowded?
I saw billboards for one "minutes from Flagstaff," but I never had time to investigate, especially with an 11-year-old with me. I've also learned that when it comes to Indian casinos way out in the sticks "minutes" can mean lots of them.
New Twin Arrows Navajo casino at exit 219. About 250 miles east of Flagstaff. Nothing to write home about. Glad to have you back Mike.
That's 25 miles, not 250.
I'm holding you to the autograph. Please don't Shatner me :)
Sounds like you had a great time, Michael
>Please don't Shatner me :)
Oh, we have a new verb!
Quote:Please don't Shatner me
Don't worry. Once in a while I'll be playing blackjack or pai gow and see another player use a printout from my site. I have to ask them to let me sign it.
Aiden is your sons name? Was your wife a Sex in the City
fan? Only place I ever heard that name, he was in it for
2 seasons.
Down and Out at the Laiki Bank
I haven't said this in public before, but I have a foreign bank account at the Laiki Bank in Cyprus. Of course, the weakest there. After much searching, they were the only ones I could fine who would take an account from a U.S. citizen. I have reported this account with the IRS and can account for every penny that has moved through it, should I ever be asked. It is no big secret that that my sites advertise Internet casinos, who find it very difficult to make payments to U.S. banks.The bank is scheduled to reopen on Thursday. Perhaps then I'll see how much money was stolen from me. I expect about $35,000. I'm sure there will also be limits on how quickly I can take out the rest. Maybe I should be glad to get at least part of my money. Without help from the European Central Bank, I probably would have seen nothing.
Another way to look at it is account holders in other countries in need of bailout money, namely Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain the bank account holders didn't lose a dime. When my money is at stake suddenly the rules change. I welcome correction on any of this, by the way.
Well, now that it has become acceptable to steal from account holders' money when the bank gambles and loses the money they were entrusted with, who is stop it from happening when there is a run on the banks the next time. I predict Spain will be next.
I can tell you one thing. If had any money in banks in an EU country on the receiving end of charity I would take it the hell out ASAP. If I lived in northern Europe I would be sick and tired of bailing out southern Europe too. Then again, if banks can't be trusted to invest money properly, and the ECB won't stand behind them, what good are these banks?
I certainly made a mistake, but I hope that my story may save at least one of my readers with money in a troubled European bank. My advice, take it out now before the real run starts. Don't let what happened to me happen to you.
Comments
Leaving a substantial sum in any such jurisdiction is risky.
Iceland banks? It was largely the Jewish Mafia...ooops, we are supposed to say Russian Mafia aren't we. Must be politically correct on this site. And of course the fact that England declared the entire population of Iceland to be terrorists and seized the IceBank accounts, that helped too, didn't it. Though largely Iceland was a "club" a land of business-oriented tribes, none of whom were great watchdogs against criminal encroachment by Russians.
Cyprus? A vest pocket entity largely known as a sunny tourist mecca for the UK, including sex tourism. Ooops lets not let reality get in the way of our expression. We must be politically correct and not refer to to UK women seeking uncomplicated and unentangeling relationships in Cyprus as Sex Tourists, so too we must be politically correct and not refer to weak economies and weak banking systems. Its never polite to recall that Turkey was the weak link in Europe and then Greece and then ... and then ... and so on until one finally realizes that any multi-political currency is only as strong as its weakest link. That old lady of Threadneedle street will stand forever ofcourse.
The problem is with the definition of a bank.
A means by which entrenched management defend themselves economically.
Just as in Iceland, the Icelandic "banks" were never making any money from their banking operations. Never!
Omigod!
Was there not a minimum amount, the first !00,000 Euro, that wouldn't be taxed?
My only-slightly-related experience happened thirty years ago when I spent a month in Cyprus consulting for the U.N. This was long before creation of the EU or the euro.
When Turkey invaded and occupied the territory now known as Northern Cyprus, the banks there were looted, and large amounts of stolen cash was floating around. In an attempt to avoid collapse of their financial system, the Cypriot government declared that the currency was not of value (and could not be exchanged) outside of the territory they still controlled. The thinking was that there was very little Cypriot currency outside of the country that would be trashed, other than what had been stolen, and the stolen funds could not then circulate back with a demand from some bank that it be redeemed.
There was also some concern that some of the stolen funds would be smuggled into Cyprus, converted to exchangeable currencies, and taken back out. Banking rules were set up to restrict funds which could be exchanged to other currencies and removed from the country. This created some impediments for foreign business transactions as well as activities of people associated with the UN presence in the country then.
I was given an advance of per diem funds (living expenses) from the local U.N. office, and at their suggestion I opened a bank account rather than keep the cash in a hotel room. I was allowed to open what was called an "External Funds Account", which meant that the funds had arrived in the country by a known process (the U.N.), and if any was left over at the end of my stay it could be taken out of the country again in another currency. There was a very low limit on the amount of any exchangeable currency that could be carried out of the country -- just a couple hundred dollars worth if I remember correctly -- and I came home with a Barclays cashier's check for my balance.
This whole aspect of non-exchangeable currencies and not being allowed to take your money with you was quite "foreign" to my simple American thinking.
LOL, I can't even find Cyprus on a map!
One of the largest islands in the Mediterranean. South of Turkey and west of Lebanon and Syria. They have close historical, cultural, and ethnic ties with Greece with (formerly) a significant Turkish Cypriot minority.
Most of the Turkish Cypriots eventually moved to the northern portion of the island after the Turkish invasion in 1974, which was spurred by what was viewed as (probably correctly) severe discrimination against the minority. After effects of the invasion led to creation of a self-proclaimed country as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, not recognized by anyone but Turkey with everyone else officially considering it "occupied territory." The Greek Cypriots in the north mostly escaped to the south as refugees of the invasion, with the remaining few eventually migrating south.
Because you're viewed as a rich foreigner, they in all
liklihood will get most of it. If they're only letting people on
the island get 300 a day and none is to leave, what
does that tell us about foreign bank accounts there.
Here are the restrictions on withdrawals. It mentions a 300 a day limit, as well as other rules for international transfers. The way I read it, I can get 5,000 Euros every 17 days. Even before this mess I could get only $200 a day from ATM, not to mention two sets of ATM fees.
They just said on CNN there are armed guards at every
ATM who make sure all the rules are followed. They want
to know where every dime is going. CNN said if they ever
take away the restrictions, there will be a run that will
close the banks, maybe for a very long time.
"WHEREAS there is
lack of substantial
liquidity"
Translation: We ain't got enough cash to cover most
of the depositor accounts because our output far
surpassed our input.
What a bunch of assholes..
I'm in a real mess. I will just come out and say that I had 182,129 Euros in my account. When I logged in to my account it said 100,00 was "available" and 82,129 was blocked. However, even with the so-called available funds, I have no way of getting them. A message on my account said that transfers outside the country are not allowed. Even before this mess I could only get $200 a day with my ATM card. Checks are also banned, not that I had a checking account to begin with.
This Reuters article looks like I'm not going to see much of the "blocked" money.
Thanks again Europe for bailing everybody else out until it was my turn. In the unlikely event any members know of a foreign bank friendly to Americans, let me know.
I guess maybe I don't understand the full scope of the problem. I didn't think there was any difficulty for a U.S. citizen to open an account with a foreign bank. I do understand that the internet casinos may have difficulty making payments to U.S. banks, with there being the presumption that the funds are proceeds from internet gambling that is frowned upon by our government (as opposed to proceeds from advertising). Foreign banks may be hesitant to assist directly in your dealings with internet casinos because of their concern for their relationship with the U.S., but I didn't think they would refuse you an account.
I think your near-term concern may be recovery of the funds you already have on deposit, with future payments from Bovada/Bodog being longer-term issues.
Are the foreign banks that operate in Cyprus, as opposed to the Cypriot banks, undergoing the same kind of restrictions? I'm thinking of someone like Barclay's or another of the British banks with offices there. Is it possible to open an account at Barclay's, withdraw the "available" funds from the Laiki Bank, deposit them at Barclay's still in Cyprus, but perhaps protect them from future Cypriot problems? Then perhaps Barclay's could assist you in converting the funds to dollars and getting them home, particularly if you didn't have an internet casino depositing funds in that account. Yes, it's a bit like money laundering, but you say you have records of how you earned the funds, showing they weren't proceeds from your gambling. If such an approach has promise, then maybe it's time for a Mediterranean vacation.
Contrary to popular belief, it is difficult for an American to obtain a foreign bank account. Most banks don't want to fuss with Americans because the U.S. government often asks to see the details on such accounts, looking for tax cheats. However, it isn't impossible. Most banks will want a minimum balance of 300K to 1M for an American-owned account. I might have been able to scrape together 300K had Cyprus not raided my account there. Now I've got only enough to live off of for a few months and no way for new income to come in.
My only hope is to find a new bank that isn't so picky about the required balance, or take my chances with sticking with the Laiki bank. They say that "new money" can be withdrawn without restriction, but somehow my faith in that promise is not very strong.
I am sorry to hear this. What a bad beat! According to the government, Laiki Bank will cease to exist and will be merged into the Bank of Cyprus. I agree it will be tough to recover anything over E100,000, but you should be getting shares in the new banking entity (whatever that's worth). As for future banking, get the HECK out of Cyprus if at all possible. You probably didn't need to be told that. All off-shore havens are inherently risky, but even if Switzerland is too expensive, there must be others like Caymans, Bahamas, or Isle of Man/Gibraltar that at least have some measure of stability.
Banks everywhere are very reluctant to accept accounts from US citizens. This includes the Cayman Islands. Of course money talks, but I estimate it would take at least half a million dollars for a Cayman Islands bank to listen.
Since my last post I've been turned down by a few legitimate banks I've contacted. One place that seems to be willing to take my money is the Loyal Bank out of Hungary. However, just their cheesy web site sets off red flags.
Nothing can really be said about a loss like this. I'm sorry it happened to you, prime example that it's not just Russian tax evaders getting screwed.
Is there a way you can set up a local shell corp in say the Bahamas and open the account in that name? Other suggestion is that isle of Mann used to be friendly.
I hate to tell everyone this but the same thing will happen in many more places the next few years. So much money has been lent to local and state governments that cannot pay if back long term.
Loyal Bank is out of St. Vincent & The Grenandines, a sovereign island nation that used to be part of Great Britain. They are fairly stable. Their website seems pretty legit to me. There will always be some degree of sketchiness with offshore banks.
Wow. I can't even imagine what you're going through. My heart is aching for you and your family, Wiz. I wish you the best in recovering what you can of your money, and finding a better way to get paid by your advertisers. I would hope that Bovada/Bodog would be able to work with you on this issue...
Quote: teddysLoyal Bank is out of St. Vincent & The Grenandines, a sovereign island nation that used to be part of Great Britain.
They only have a branch out of St. Vincent. The HQ are in Hungary. If you do searching the bank itself, some say it isn't really a bank, seems sketchy.
Quote: AcesAndEightsI would hope that Bovada/Bodog would be able to work with you on this issue...
Unfortunately, not. Payment processing is always a huge challenge in this industry, and there are enough issues sending money.
Would it help to contact the State Department, or travel to Cypress to show the bank manager that you are a real person and not just a number?
I was wondering the same thing, ie travel to Cyprus. Airfare is
about $ 1400 right ? Maybe you could look into getting a lawyer
over there ? Are there any CPA's or Lawyers over here who
specialize in International Banking ?
If there is anything forum members could do help, please let
us know.
I am also sorry you are stuck in this crappy situation.
I see the high rollers were warned two weeks before
the collapse and pulled out almost a billion from Cyprus
banks, including the president of Cyprus and his fam.
How nice for them..
Quote: I was wondering the same thing, ie travel to Cyprus. Airfare is
about $ 1400 right ? Maybe you could look into getting a lawyer
over there ? Are there any CPA's or Lawyers over here who
specialize in International Banking ?
If there is anything forum members could do help, please let
us know.
I am also sorry you are stuck in this crappy situation.
Going to Cyprus won't help. I have a lawyer who helped me get the account and is trying to help me get my "available" 100K out. No word yet on any response to his request. I don't see how a lawyer there would help either, as so many people are in my boat.
Thanks for offering to help. For now, I'm okay, but if money doesn't get moving with me in 2-3 months I will be in real trouble.
April 12, 2013 At the end of March, Cypriot authorities announced that Laiki Bank – the country’s second-largest – would be restructured and closed in as part of a €10-billion bailout deal with the European Union.According to the deal, Laiki Bank account holders will see an undetermined amount of their deposits over €100,000 converted into bank shares; whether those sums will be returned depends on the results of a sale of the bank’s assets.
What does this statement mean Mike? You know have 80K Euro share of a bank?
Quote: pacoWhat does this statement mean Mike? You know have 80K Euro share of a bank?
Yup. Account holders at the Bank of Cyprus lost 52.5% above 100,000 Euros. However, for Laiki Bank members we lost 100% about 100,000 Euros. They got converted into shares of a worthless "bad bank." The 100,000 was moved to the Bank of Cyprus, where I can withdraw about 7,000 Euros every two weeks.
Just released from the hospital
SOOPOO and JB have kindly released information, with my permission, about my recent battle with food poisoning. I'm happy to say that I was just released from the hospital an hour ago. My doctor was not very comfortable with letting me go, but also takes his patient's wishes under advisement, and I was eager to get out of there. My wife is also a nurse, who is able to keep a good eye on me.Here is what happened. It all started with I had to take my 15-year-old daughter to a debate meet at UNLV. This was the day before the Super Bowl and I wanted to make some prop bets. Rather than return home and drive all the way back to pick up my daughter in the evening, I decided to make a day of it.
My first, and infamous, decision was to eat at what I think was a Guatemalan food restaurant by the name of El Santaneco, right across Maryland Parkway, by that crosswalk of which drivers frequently ignore and kill pedestrians. So, the place seemed a little dirty, and the prices were very cheap. Two red flags. However, I was hungry, so bought some kind of scrambled eggs dish with some meat, that I had never heard of. The menu was entirely in Spanish. I must say that I enjoyed my meal and left happy.
The next four hours or so I did prop shopping from Tropicana to Paradise Blvd. Then I had a nap at a friend's condo in that area, which he lets me use whenever I want when he isn't in town, which he wasn't. When I got up from my nap I felt the something coming on. My stomach was just not right and I immediately suspected that whatever I ate for breakfast didn't agree me. However, I was a little hungry and thought the only thing I could get down was a milkshake. So I had one from the food court at the MGM. To kill more time I played some low-level pai gow and then went to the UNLV library to read until my daughter was ready. When the library closed I killed more time in the student union until she was finally done and I could but a bad day to an end.
Super Bowl Sunday begin with me having to take my daughter back to UNLV. After a good night's sleep I was feeling about 50% better, so dropped her off and did some more prop shopping. This time from Flamingo to the Wynn. It was during this time I found a bet on "no safety" at -900, at the Palazzo. I bet it -- big. Then I went back to my car at Bill's Gambling Hall (what will always be the Barbary Coast in my heart), parking garage, the best parking secret in Vegas and went home. Signage indicated Bill's was closing permanently at noon on Tuesday, so that would be the last time I would ever park there. My wife was to pick her up.
During the first half of the Super Bowl I was just in awful shape. First I was really hot and then it shifted to being really cold. I took a lot of Tylenol, which helped. The second half I was actually able to enjoy the game, except the very last play, which cost me a lot of money. The remainder of the night went okay.
The next Monday I'm getting shorter of breath, higher fevers, and alternating between being hot and cold. Still I tried to self-medicate by taking lots of Tylenol, Motrin, aspirin, and an anti-biotic we had left over from some past sickness in the family. This was my son's birthday, which I drove to but by the time we sat down at the table I was shivering, with no appetite, so excused myself and waited in the car. I might add I turned the heat up all the way. We got through that incident with yet more medication.
Tuesday was basically more of the same, but worse. I'm not one to admit defeat easily, but it was looking like whatever I had I would need some expert help. It had been so long since I last saw my family doctor that he put my files in storage. He wasn't "taking new patients" and since my files were in storage I had no proof I wasn't "new." So after few calls I found someone else. She took the usual samples , sent me somewhere for a chest x-ray, and gave me a antibiotic prescription. No diagnoses on what I had. She didn't seem be believe my food poisoning theory because I had only one incidence of vomiting, which was dry, and no diarrhea (thank god for spell checkers; I can never remember how to spell that word)
Early Tuesday evening is when my food poisoning nearly kills me. I must have been running a very high fever because I had a terrible case of the chills. No matter how many blankets I put on my bed I couldn't get warm. So, in the delirious state that was in, I turned on the steam room to warm up. Yes -- I know that is not the right thing to do. However, with a fever above 103 you don't exactly think straight. That is why it often happens that when they find dead climbers on Mount Everest they are naked. I'm sure these climbers were well trained in cold-weather survival, but if you're sick enough the brain won't get enough blood and your more basic instincts take over. So nobody needs to tell me that wasn't the best decision I ever made -- I know!
Turning on the steam room was the last thing I remember. For the next part I'm going off what my wife says. She was downstairs making dinner and head a loud thump, as if someone fell in the steam room. When she went up to investigate I was in bed with a blank stare on my pale face. She asked me some questions but I would not respond to anything. The last thing she said was, "If you don't say anything I'm calling 911." I didn't, so she did.
The next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital bed. Somehow this didn't seem to shock or surprise me. My mind was very dazed. A lot of people asked me question but I found it hard to talk and my hands were trembling like crazy. One woman asked me for my home phone number and I couldn't recall it, or any phone number. I was happy to just stare into blank space. At the time of my admittance, my temperature was 103.8.
About five hours later I was moved to a private room on the fourth floor of the Summerlin Hospital. The same hospital where my younger daughter was born. I was put on an IV drip and aggressive schedule of tests. I was hoping that first night would be my last.
The next day I was coherent again. While the doctor didn't have a diagnosis, he knew that I was extremely sick and near death when I came in. He whatever tests they took he could tell that my heart and body are normally in outstanding shape, and probably saved my life. The state of sepsis my body was in is 25% fatal. The main goal going forward would be to bring my temperature down.
I might have been let home on Wednesday, and my discharge was approved, but I had another incidence of a high fever and a serious shivering incident. So much for that, and I was charged another day, at least. Thursday I thought I was doing pretty well, holding my temperature around 97. However, out of nowhere, it shot up to 102.4, along with another bad shivering and shaking spell, which took three nurses to control. This was around 2:30 PM.
After that my temperature was done again and I was eating and drinking more. Thursday night my doctor came in and said he would prefer to keep me longer, but it was a borderline situation, and asked my opinion. I said I preferred to go home. He spoke to my wife many times and knew she would keep an eye on me. In the end he said he would make a decision in the morning.
That morning the nurse said I was released to go if I wanted, which I chose to do. I'm still very sick, and have weeks of fighting ahead of me. However, I felt like that hospital was a jail, and my IV was my ball and chain. You had no free will. At night nurses woke me up every few hours to draw blood or give me a pill. One male nurse scolded me for sitting in a chair and letting an unused dirty blanket hit the floor. Aside from him, I found the staff friendly and capable, and there was no way around doing some unpleasant parts of their job.
At this point I will try to take good care of myself and expect to have follow-up phone calls with my doctor. We still don't know exactly what caused this. When we do, it will help to prescribe a antibiotic specifically tailored to beat what I've got. Whatever it is -- it sure beat me up good.
I hear a lot of people have expressed their good wishes on the forum. That means a lot to me. I'm going to go through that thread when I get the time. For now, I think a good nap in my own bed is well-deserved.
Update: The El Santaneco restaurant, where I contracted the case of food poisoning is closed. The restaurant in that location is called Antigua Guatemala. I do not know how associated it is with the El Santaneco.
Comments
Wow, Mike. That was awful. I hope you never have to go through it again. I hope you feel better soon.
Glad you are out of the hospital. Don't over do it these next few weeks. And if your wife tells you to go back to the hospital, listen.
Wiz, so glad you are home and on the road to recovery. Until the latest on the thread, it sounded like a bad case of the flu....it was apparently much worse than that. Your story this week is pretty scary. Life is precious, make sure to hug the wife and kids a lot.....once you are better. All the best!
I'm glad you're doing better, Mike.
Glad to hear you are doing well enough to write up this detailed update. Take it easy, and lots of fluids, obviously!
I'm relieved and happy to know you're better. But, seriously, if you learn nothing else, learn this: DON'T ever take antibiotics without a prescription. One dose or a few will do little, and you don't even know the proper dose. You may kill a few bugs, but likely not all. And those that remain can become resistant that fast. This may requrie different drugs entirely, or higher doses. Higher doses are tpically taken through an IV.
It was obviously the restaurant that made you sick.
You eat at a strange, not very clean place for the
first time and end up in the hospital? How many
other people are they going to make sick. Sounds
like they have 3rd world country sanitation standards.
Don't be stubborn about going back to the hospital
if you need to, men can be very dumb about these
things. We think we can beat everything just with
will power. When my temp is 101 I think I'm losing
my mind. 103? I can't even imagine it.
I am overjoyed to hear that you are getting better Mike! Best wishes on a smooth recovery. It is a really, really good thing Mrs. Wizard is a nurse.
Good to hear you are home and on the way back from this crap! Don't hesitate to head back to the hospital if things turn south. Being stubborn at a table can be costly, being stubborn with your health can be fatal.
Good luck on the road to Wellville, sir.
Sounds harrowing WIZ - get well soon and don't be a hero!!!
Wow. Very scary.
Glad to hear you're doing better. Or at least better enough to be home.
Take it easy, and be well.
Super scary. Didn't think it was going to be that bad. Very glad you are on the road to recovery.
speedy recovery Wiz. Good thing you were in good shape prior to this.
Great to hear you are better and stay that way!
Wow, Mike. I hope that you get better and take it very, very, very easy.
Once again the Wiz trumps me. I married a CNA, he married a Nurse.
I got angry as I read this because something similar happened to me, though not as bad. It seems like there should be some recourse but I can remember feeling helpless. So glad you made it through the worst of it.
It's scary to think you had few symptoms of food poisoning.
If anybody needs a refresher course on how hard diagnosing disease is, watch a few episodes of "Monsters Inside Me" when that comes on Animal Planet. The constant theme is puzzled doctors, one after the other, completely mystified as to diagnosis. Sometimes what they come up with is humorous, sometimes maddening [insisting it's the flu is common]. Finally one thinks to ask, "have you ever traveled outside the country?"
in fact you have traveled outside the country. Any chance it's Malaria? That stumps them here in the US.
Doctor Carl's diagnosis is now official: Malaria!
Quote:I thought I was doing pretty well, holding my temperature around 97. However, out of nowhere, it shot up to 102.4, along with another bad shivering and shaking spell, which took three nurses to control.
Warning: Carl is not a real doctor nor has he played one on TV
Is the lesson here to avoid sketchy Guatemalan restaurants?
I'll wait for the diagnosis but my guess is Staphylococcus. (Where is Dr. House?)
Close call, wishing you a speedy recovery.
You need a code on your sauna, like in Ask the Wizard, when you needed to complete a math problem to ask you a question.
Quite often we doctors never make a definitive diagnosis, because there is not a definitve test for every disease. Rather, we make what is called a 'differential diagnosis', listing the most probable causes, and then TRY to eliminate each one. Sometimes a diagnosis is made by exclusion. I would say that Mike 'likely' had food poisoning, and that other causes are still possible. If Mike had travelled out of the country to a malaria infested zone, and did not take malaria prophylaxis, then malaria would be high on his differential diagnosis list. Malaria can be diagnosed by a blood test.
Is there any truth to the rumor that 4 executives from the Venetian were at the next table but not eating?
Glad you survived the Sands Corp assasination attempt!
Sending you belated get-well vibes.
Continuning my prayers for you and a speedy recovery!
So, which sauce was it...
Green or Red ?
(I hope by now you can laugh about it)
Get well soon!
Sorry that I missed this whole thing Mike. I don't normally read the blogs. I am glad you are better and sorry you went through this ordeal.
Vegas Half Marathon 2012
Yesterday I did the Las Vegas half marathon for the third year in a row. I was going into this one in reasonable shape, but not nearly as good as last year. Between the marathons of 2010 and 2011 I did an informal half marathon on a weekly basis. So, come the real thing in 2011 I was in great shape, and finished with a time of 1:49. However, after that I became completely lazy and my "long runs" dropped off to only three or four miles.When the Vegas heat started to subside in late September I decided to get my act together, sign up for this year's half marathon, and train for it. Mile by mile I built up my endurance back to half marathon distance. However, the day of the race I only ran that far twice in training, so it was still a struggle to get that far. In 2011, doing 13 miles was a piece of cake. In 2012, I was exhausted afterward. So, the big day arrived too soon, but I still hoped to complete the thing in under two hours.
If you live out in the suburbs of Vegas this first major challenge is just getting to the starting line. When they close off the Strip to car traffic it has a domino effect, messing up traffic anywhere near the Strip. Last year I worked out the perfect spot, to park at the executive airport and bike a short distance to the starting line. However, this year they changed the course, to go right past it, so there was no way to drive to it. So, after much deliberation, I ended up parking further way, at a park-and-ride lot on Sunset and Gillespie, and biking to the start line.
When I got near my corral at the starting line I decided to use the men's room at a nearby Subway, lest I need to go during the race. However, there was a line of about 30 women waiting for both the men's and women's bathroom. The line was Wendy's style, where one line fed into two windows, or bathrooms in this case. This presented an ethical dilemma. Should I stand in a long line with all the women, or cut in line and go straight to the men's room. Keep in mind I had plenty of time and there was no urgent need. I asked a woman towards the end of the line if the line was for only the women's room or both. She said it was for both, but that it wouldn't bother her if I jumped to the front to use the men's room. So I did and waited for the men's room door to open and I jumped in. As I did they woman leaving yelled "Hey!" in a very angry tone, as if I was cutting the line. She evidently was friends with the gal behind her in line. I said "I'll be quick" as I closed the door. In retrospect, I make no apologies. Men should not be inconvenienced because women take so long in their own bathroom.
After that I made my way to corral #7, took out an old book I was planning to throw away, and killed time reading until it was time to start. When my group finally started about 4:40 I cast away my jacket and the book and off I went. Compared to the last two years, the course was wider, so there was much less congestion. Most of the time I had no trouble running as fast as I wanted. This was also partially because I indicated an estimated time of 1:50, so I was grouped with faster runners. By the way, I think there is a lot of inflation when it comes to such estimates. I think most runners are estimating a time of about 15 minutes faster than they actually finish. Keep this in mind when registering in future years. If you enter an honest time, expect to be frustrated trying to pass a lot of runners, and walkers, much slower than you. Many runners didn't respect the whole corral concept at all, as evidenced by the many high numbers in my own corral, who should have been around the 17th corral.
The temperature was just about perfect. It was very windy, which worked in my favor. This year the run started at the Mandalay Bay and ended at the Mirage. With a wind out of the south it meant the wind was in our favor more often than it was against us. A downside was getting dust in my eyes and I was missing a safety pin, so my number was flapping in the wind the whole time.
So, the run went fine for the first ten miles. Then I started to feel the pain of the limit of training. I could still run, but I wanted to do so more slowly. However, I was very ambitious about finishing the thing in under two hours. It was a contest of the body against the mind.
The only thing I had to go on to know if I was on schedule was some runners had tags on their back according to their pace group. The entire race I was among scattered runners with 2:00 tags, and some with 1:52, and even one with 1:45. Around the Stratosphere I reached a big group of 2:00 people, with one of them carrying a 2:00 sign, and giving encouragement to the other "twos." I didn't know what corral they started from, so finishing with them wouldn't necessarily imply that my time would be two hours. However, I decided to do my best to keep their pace, which was not easy at this point.
Around the Encore I could feel the light at the end of the tunnel, and used what little reserve energy I had to try to beat the 2:00 pack. So I picked up my speed marginally and left the twos behind. Around the Treasure Island I could see the finish line and gave it my best to finish strong. After crossing the finish line I was exhausted but proud of myself. I had not been that tired since the full marathon of 2006.
That evening there was a reception for a conference of table game inventors, which I was invited too. I wasn't able to escape the exit area until all the way to Flamingo Blvd. Then I had to walk all the way to some remote corner of the Mirage where this party was taking place. When I got there I rewarded myself with plenty of beer, wine, roast beef, and miscellaneous hors d'oeuvres (yes, I had to look up the spelling on that). Some attendees vented on us runners for messing up traffic, but I made no apologies. The cars get the streets for 364 days a year, and they complain about not getting all 365. After the party a friend kindly drove me back to the Subway where I locked my bike and made the long ride back to my car. It just seemed long, to be honest with you.
The next morning I checked the web site for my results. My time was 1:59:20 (yeah!). It was my goal to finish in under two hours, and I did so by 40 seconds. To put that in comparison, I finished number 2,840 out of 22,087 of everyone who finished the half marathon (13th percentile). Out of the middle-aged men (age 45 to 49) I was number 249 out of 1085 (23rd percentile). So I beat 3 out of 4 men my age, and we're talking about men fit enough to run 13 miles in the first place.
My compliments to the race organizers, who I thought did a great job. My biggest complaint is they make you show up in person one or two days before to pick up your number, which was at the events center at the Venetian. This whoop-de-doo is full of vendors selling running stuff to a captive audience. There is the option to pay $40 to pick up your number the day of the race, which is rather high considering the race itself is already expensive at about $130. All things considered, I'm not sure I'm going to do it again next year. I've been hearing a lot about cheaper half marathons, even free ones, which I'd like to give a try. The Vegas marathon is a lot of fun, but I've done it three times now, and the full marathon once, so maybe I won't put up with all the hassle and expense next year.
Comments
Congrats on your under 2 hours Mike. I too ran the half marathon. I used to be a big runner, 5 miles or so, several times a week, but have gotten away from running since moving to Vegas 3 years ago. I have been running some in the last month as I recover from ACL surgery 3 months ago and try to get stronger. ACL surgery recovery is really a year long process, so I knew I would not be able to complete the half marathon, as I had no intention of pushing beyond the first signs of pain. I thought maybe half way, which I did not make. First pain came around 4 miles in front of Caesars and I pushed on for another mile to the 5 mile mark, just shy of Riviera. I walked the rest of the way downtown with a friend. Although I didn't do as well as I had hoped, it was a lot of fun. Lots of sights to be seen. Met and talked with a number of people.
I know the Vegas marathon is meant to be one of the more expensive ones. The local marathon is $130 for the full run, meant to be one of the faster ones for Boston qualification as it's mostly along the coast.
Good time... I will be very happy if I go sub 2h30m for my first half in 4 months.
I was VERY amused to see your justification of cutting in front of a very long line to use the restroom. I don't know which makes you seem more rude: the fact that you emphasize you had plenty of time (and therefore no real need to jump in) or the fact that you think you shouldn't be inconvenienced by your clearly inarguable "fact" that women are slow. What about other factors, such as almost twice as many women as men ran the half-marathon? I am quite sure that I spend less time in restrooms than most men I know, as I have never even considered bringing reading material to a toilet. That was not your most gentlemanly moment, Wiz! Instead of inconveniencing yourself by waiting, you should have just whizzed in the bushes like the rest of the men probably did.
P.S. Do cheap half-marathons with me! I only do the cheap ones! And, in all seriousness, great job on your time. If my work allows, my goal for March is sub-2:00 also. It's a pretty lofty goal for me and I know how much work it takes! :)
Congrats on finishing under your projected time of 2:00!
I remember when I was competing (inline speedskating) I made it my goal to finish a 50k in 1:30....well, the closest I ever made it was 1:32...which isn't bad, considering it's 32 miles!
So, hats off to you for doing what you intended!
Congrats on breaking 2 hours, Wiz! I don't want to imagine how long it would have taken me. :) Seeing the marathon run was an unexpected surprise while I was in town. Fortunately I didn't have a rental car.
Comments
I've done a bit of cliff jumping in my younger days. At one point the other guys were into jumping off such a high cliff that it really hurt to hit the water even slightly wrong. IIRC we estimated 40 feet?
In any case that was the last of it.
Aidan tucked his knees under him. I'm pretty sure that wasnt a good move, but I'm not sure.
tucked his legs, I should have said
He paid for tucking his legs. You can see he said "that was painful." I didn't record it, but there was a teenage girl who was taking forever to get up the nerve to jump. When she finally did she landed in a position like she was sitting straight legged on the floor. Her entire legs just smacked the water. It was painful to watch and it sounded like she was in tears when she emerged.
Is it just me that thinks you need an Ocean to really have a beach ?
We here in the landlocked-state of Nevada would disagree. So would the writers of Websters:
beach -- noun
1. an expanse of sand or pebbles along a shore.
2. the part of the shore of an ocean, sea, large river, lake, etc., washed by the tide or waves.
3. the area adjacent to a seashore: We're vacationing at the beach.
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'
Webster evidently never went to Ocean City !
Not sure I see your point. Definition 3 clearly includes ocean beaches, while definition 2 includes river beaches.
There is no point Wiz. Just whenever I think of a beach, it is with an Ocean. Anything else is just at the edge of a body of water.
Was just curious if anyone else felt the same.
But replies to blogs are almost non-existent.
ENJOY your BEACH !
Looks like fun! How deep is the water in the landing zone? Were there any submerged hazards? I know there are some popular spots in Lake Mead that folks jump from, but I wonder about what's under the water.
All I know is that I never even touched the bottom after I jumped. From what little I've heard, it is a very safe place for jumping.
Yes Buzz, for those of us who grew up on the ocean or spent summers there beach meant ocean only. A lake or river, with or without a sandy area to put your blanket, was simply called lake or river. If someone said to meet them at the beach you automatically headed to the ocean.