BlitzBlog

For more info on my son's hospitalization, go here:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacblitz

Sometimes Good Things happen because of Bad Things.

Bad Thing: My son is going in to the hospital shortly for some major
surgery on his legs. His recovery will probably take 12-18 months.

Good Thing:  Because of this, my wife thinks I need a new car.

Not that I'm in any way even remotely happy that my son (and our
family) will be going through a tough year ahead, but any time I'm on
the hunt for my next ride is a good time for me. I even enjoyed the
search, oh-so-long-ago, when my wife was pregnant with our boy, when I
was even shopping minivans. (Luckily we never bought one).

My automotive ownership history has always been a mix of pragmatism and
lust. Sometimes the needle edges towards one or the other, but both
have nonetheless, been the main factors in my purchase decisions.

My Automotive Nadir (meaning The Worst Car I Ever Owned) ironically
came at the same time that I was working at a car magazine publisher.
It was a fun job. I got to drive all kinds of the latest cool cars.
Days at the drag strip testing. Driving beautifully curvaceous roads in
high-priced sports cars that I could never afford. And yeah,
photographing scantily clad honeys smiling seductively as they posed
next to the cars.

Since I was able to get my Fun-Car Jones out at work, I reasoned that
I would lean towards the Practical when I bought a new 1992 Mercury
Sable. That, and the wife was 5 months preggo, so I decided a Safe
Reliable Family Sedan was the best way to go.

And yeah, the Sable was safe. It was also boring. The problem, though,
was that after the warranty ran out, it ceased to be reliable. It
needed two head-gaskets replaced in the 80,000 mile I owned it, and
with he labor and head-work, they came to a total of $2000.
Subsequently, Ford was subject to a class-action lawsuit regarding the
3.8 liter V6 that powered that stinking steaming pile of shit. I was sweating it out right up to the
final drive to the dealership when I finally traded it in, hoping it
wouldn't explode on the way. I was never so glad to be rid
of a car as that 4-wheeled snooze mobile.

On the other end of the spectrum was my beloved WeisserBlitz-
a '92 Mercedes 400E that was The Absolute Best Car I Ever Owned. I've
written my ode to this car in another blog post (Soul Mates of Steel)
so I won't bore you all again.

But what I will tell you is
that I'm hoping to replicate the good experience I had with that used
Mercedes, and am looking for another. My Audi TT is just too small
(bought in a fit when the meter was pointing more towards the Lust side
of the meter) for my family needs when my son returns home from the
hospital.

I'm doing my due-diligence and research. I'm scanning the online ads-
ebay, autotrader, etc. I've rejoined the wonderful Mercedes chat list
that for my previous ownership period, was a great source of
information, camaraderie, and friendship. I've got a few possibilities
on the hook, and now all I need to do is to sell my TT.

It's been a fun little car to own. And despite the fact that in the 1.5
years I've owned it, it's the only car I've owned in 25 years that's
left me stranded (twice), I have
enjoyed it. I love the looks of the car. I love it's nimbleness. I love
that it gets 30 miles per gallon. And in many ways it really is
practical. It's a hatchback so I can do a family-load of
groceries with ease. When I put the vestigial back seat flat, I can
even get half a dozen 8' 2×4s in it. But that back seat….well, there
is a warning in the manual that says that nobody over 4'11″ should
actually attempt to sit back there. My daughter, who's approaching that
height, already complains when one of the 2 or 3 times a month she's
forced back there because I have to take both kids in the car. 
And the only way she fits is for my son to slide the front seat almost
all the way forward- something he won't be able to do once he's got he
pins and external fixators on.

So The Hunt resumes. Stay tuned.

Long story short, on Tuesday, they're gonna break my
kid's bowed leg and straighten it out, put pins above and below the breaks and external fixator
rings and rods on it, and he's going to wear them until the leg is healed in 4-6 months.
Then they do the other leg.

Short story long….

My soon-to-be 15-year-old son was born with a genetic defect called XLH
Rickets, which is a metabolic bone disease. XLH is also known as
X-Linked Hypophosphatemia (sometimes also spelled as
hypophosphataemia), X-Linked Hypophosphatemic Rickets, Familial
Hypophosphatemia, Vitamin D-Resistant Rickets (VDRR) Rickets and even
Genetic Rickets. Its notable characteristics are bowed legs, short
stature, poor teeth formation that can cause spontaneous dental
abscesses requiring root canals, and low blood phosphorus levels.
http://xlhnetwork.org/

He also has asthma, although this
has nothing to do with the XLH.

The manifestation of the XLH in Zac's case is that his femurs and
tibias/fibulae (upper and lower leg bones) are bowed. His right leg is
also somewhat rotated inward (pigeon toed). He also has a slight bit
of scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine). The bowing of the bones
goes along with the entire leg being bowed, so his knees are about 3″
apart when he stands with his feet together.

The main problem with all this, beyond any aesthetic concern, is that
the alignment of the joints is out of whack. Ideally, the hips are
directly over the knees and the knees are directly over the ankles. In
Zac's case, the forces on his knees push down and outward,
and the plane of his ankles (essentially, the imaginary line that the
joint hinges on) is not parallel to the ground as it should be.

Left as it is, the boy will undoubtedly develop debilitating arthritis
and possibly ligament and tendon problems before he's out of college.
Even after the operation, with the rickets, he'll likely develop the
arthritis, but hopefully much later in life.

We've been going to the same endocrinologist and orthopedist at Yale University Medical Center in New Haven since he
was diagnosed at the age of about 4. The main problem is that the
orthopedist retired about two years ago, so we've been researching a
new one, anticipating the surgery we knew he'd eventually need in his
teens. After 4 different interviews, and many references, we decided on
the doctor in whom we have the most confidence.

While I worry just like any parent who's child is going to go through a
4-5 hour surgery, I also worry about my son's mental and emotional
state. I worry about his sense of identity. For the last 14+ years,
he  has thought of himself as “different.” He's “the short kid
with the bowed legs.” After these operations, once he's through the
trauma and the rehabilitation, which will take him through his 15th,
and possibly 16th, birthdays, he will ultimately wind up, for all
outward appearances, as “normal.” He and I had a conversation last
night about this. I asked him if he realized that he might meet people
at college, who didn't know him previously, who will never have known
him with bowed legs, will not have any idea he'd ever been anything but “normal.” The idea struck him as surprising and gave him pause.

So we, as a family are embarking on a difficult journey, which I hope
and pray will leave us all (and especially Zac) with a sense of having
“come through the fire.” One that leaves us healed and whole and
appreciating what we have- much love, a strong family, wonderful and
supportive friends, and ultimately, eight straight and healthy legs.

To keep up with Zac's progress, you can click on the following link:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacblitz

Generally speaking, many people go through Life looking for their Soul
Mate. Being lucky enough to be married to mine, my thoughts have me
looking for other things.

Well, actually one thing. My Car Soul Mate.

See I believe that for most people, there is that one car that defines
their persona. A car that can give comfort or enjoyment, fulfillment
even. The equivalent of Automotive Ecstasy.

Much as with love, there are many questions to ponder when searching
for one's Car Soul Mate. I will try to illustrate some comparisons.

Do I like blonds or brunettes? What color car do I like?

Do I like tall, thin women (or men)? Or do I like a little “meat on
their bones?” Do I like fun roadsters or do I like musclecars?

Do I like an outgoing personality, or someone more serious? Would I
rather have a something that can spin it's wheels, or something
reliable?

Of course, these are just some of the many questions one would need to
have honestly answered in the quest for one's Car Soul Mate. And, just
as with love, sometimes we find what we think we want, only to realize
we want something completely different. Ce L'Amour.

Keep in mind that we are not talking about Automotive Stereotypes here.
I'm not referring to my left wing commie Mother-in-law who drives a
new VW Beetle, or my hardware store owning, EMT buddy with his pickup
truck. These are easy references that anyone who saw the movie “Cars”
could relate to.

No, here, we are talking about love.

About Carma.

In the 30 years or so that I've had a drivers' license, I've owned 14
cars. Not a vast count by any stretch. Probably on the low side for a
self-proclaimed Car Guy. Of those 14, I think I might have meant to own two. These Two are The Ones That Got Away. The automotive equivalent of the girl you sometimes wonder whether you shouldn't have broken up with.

The first of my Two was the Beast. The Beast was a a 1979 Chevy K5
Blazer. Red with white sides and roof.  I bought it when i was 19.
I put almost every penny I made into it. I bought it things. Things
that made it pretty. Things that made it sing. Things that made it go
faster and drink more gas. I almost killed a thief whom I'd caught
breaking into it one night in the parking lot at college. I loved
that truck, and it took me and many friends on many adventures for the
3 years I owned it. While I was, at the time I sold it, happy to be rid
of it, I still look back fondly and wonder what if…

Almost 20 years later, I bought the second of my Two- WeisserBlitz,
which means white lightning. WeisserBlitz was a 1992 Mercedes Benz
400E. It was blindingly white, with a light gray leather interior. I
bought it from a used-car dealer named Mohammed in Jamaica, Queens
(NY). The dealership was everything common sense tells you that you
should run from. It was one of those 50-foot wide parking lots crammed
with 5 rows of cars, with fluttering plastic flags out front, and a
Rottweiler and a cruddy trailer office at the back.

But I checked the car eight ways from Sunday, even speaking
(unbeknownst to Mohammed) to the previous owner and her mechanic, who
told me
how well she'd treated it. The price was perfect and I fell in love
very quickly. I kept my heart at bay at first, waiting for something
bad to break on this expensive European luxury sedan, but over time,
the car just kept humming. Only normal upkeep was required, and even
the parts weren't as expensive as I'd feared.

As my trepidation faded, my appreciation for the car grew. It rode like
a dream. It handled like a car half its size. It was fast and it looked
almost brand new. I used to love telling people that it had 200,000
miles on it, that it was 9+ years old. It was always a kick to see
their surprise, most saying something to effect of that they thought it
was almost new. (One of the nicer thing about Mercedes is that their
styling is so evolutionary that most people can't tell a new one from a
10-year old model). But alas, all things must come to an end. With
227,000 miles on her, I sold WeisserBlitz to a loving guy in Oklahoma,
where I know she will be cared for.

While it was the right thing to do and the right time to part, I will
always miss her.
So now, for me, I've moved on to my present ride. While I do enjoy my
lil' red Audi TT, I don't feel emotionally connected to it. Yes, I like
driving it. I love its looks and the looks that it gets. But there's
something….not there.
Maybe it's just too soon after the Mercedes. Like being the first date
after a long relationship breakup. Maybe there'll be another Car Soul
Mate for me down the road. Who knows? Sigh.
Maybe I'll give that guy in Oklahoma a call…..

Saw a headline the other day “Global Warming Conference Canceled Due to Ice Storm.”

It's 8 degrees at my house today, so I'm kinda looking forward to when
this whole Global Warming thing really starts to kick in. And I do
believe it will. I saw the Al Gore movie, which was extremely
compelling and believable, especially if you don't hate Al Gore. If you
do, then, well, don't worry about it and enjoy looking forward to
spending New Years vacations on the tropical beaches of Canada.

Gore raised many good points in his movie, but I believe the reason we
have Global Warming is much simpler. You see, in the late 80s, the
scientific community discovered a huge hole in the ozone layer over
Antarctica. They determined that hair spray and leaky air conditioners
were the cause of this hole. Why it appeared over Antarctica is beyond
me, as I'd think that any hole in the ozone caused by hair spray and
leaky air conditioners would cause the hole to appear over the summertime New
Jersey shore or Nashville.

So we have this hole, and we banned hairspray and air conditioners that
use Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to make them work. Now we have air
conditioners that don't work as well and smaller hair. But ultimately,
The Plan worked, as the hole on the ozone has shrunk significantly.

And now the Earth has gotten significantly warmer.

Has anyone made this simple connection?

Folks, we've just closed the Earth's Window.  Of course the Earth
is getting warmer! Non of the cold air from Space can get in and give
us a nice cool breeze!

So Save The Earth! So bring back decent air conditioners! Bring back
Dolly Parton Big Hair!  Let's open up the window and save the
Earth! Open a window fer-cryin-outloud, it's like a sauna in here!