First of all a big shout out Happy Birthday to Judy! You might be a year old but you’re still a hottie!! And I am sure Mike K. can vouch for that!

Right now, I am listening to John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers after listening to the Cream concert at Royal Albert Music Hall in 2005 on the way home from work. With the new mappings especially one that is geared more towards music, Ginger Baker never sound so good! For a 66 year old legendary drummer, his signature song, Toad still sounds as good as it did when it first came out in 1966.

Today’s adventures with the new mappings bought many surprises. Male voices are now more clearer and crisper and no longer sound husky. Female voices have gotten softer which helps in eliminating the eye twitching I was experiencing. Conversational speech has become very understandable; I am probably in the high 90% range now but this is of course, with assistance – my lip-reading. Even still, that is an enormous improvement over pre-op. Conversations around a table of two to four people are much easier to follow now. I don’t even hesitate to chirp in and say my piece! More and more people are starting to “talk behind my back” but this is already understandable since they say “hi Sam” or “good morning”. Even the tinnitus is conspicuously absent. I am also finally hearing complete words and sentences from more than 10 feet away. You know, I am even amazed myself at the progress I have but one has to think, the brain is an absolutely marvelous mystery.

Anyway, running is starting to move front and forward. A half hour on the treadmill in my new asics GT-2120 really felt good. On the Checkers website, I am listed in Group 29 (you gotta be kidding me!) when I actually ended last year in Group 26. It looks like I am going to have to get my butt in gear and start shaving those minutes off. Depending on the weather this weekend, I might do a race Sunday. I would like to try to get some miles outside in preparation for the Shamrock Run which is 8K (4.97 miles). Last years race was a joke…46:21. I’ll be happy between 36:00 and 38:00.

So to ye all….have a wonderful weekend and if anything newsworthy comes up, I’ll surely drop a note or two. And tomorrow night is the Sabres at Ottawa so dinner at Changs better hurry up in case there is a repeat of the brawl from last night!