Alaska Bits --11-- Flying to Fairbanks

When you fly from Anchorage to Fairbanks

...

and the weather is clear

...

you can see

...

Denali.

15 years ago and still alive

In the period 1994 to 1996 my family and I stayed in Asia Pacific living in Singapore. On October first 1994 I was sustained an acute myocardial infarction. The infarction was complicated by hypotension, ventricular ectopy and left ventricular failure. I was given 1.5 mill units of streptokinase and survived. The coronary angiogram showed severe disease of left anterior descending artery as well as lesions in right coronary artery and right posterior descending artery The left ventriculogram showed an anterior akinetic segment with a reduced ejection fraction (EF) of about 40%.
A Coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was done two weeks later (see map above), and after successful ballooning, I was advised to have adequate convalescence for a bout one - 1 - month post infarction.
The working conditions in Singapore was a little different than in Norway, and my doctor did not want his recommendation to my employer should make problems for my career.

18 months later I suffered another acute infero-posterior and right ventricular myocardial infarction. Although I had received streptokinase under the first infarct, the doctor decided to give me another infusion. I then experienced complete atrioventricular block with transient hypotension, but responded promptly to intravenous atropine and isoprenaline, and I subsequently made an uneventful recovery. Although the doctor said to my wife "We almost lost him", I survived for the second time.

Once again I went through successful PTCA to RCA proximal from 100% to 25% residual stenosis, and a successful (although balloon ruptured) PTCA to RPL from 90% to 25% stenosis.

My doctor in Singapore: Dato Dr Arthur T H Tan , (with an extremely high competence and position list on his CV), recommended me to contact Norwegian Cardiologists during my summer holiday back home.
I talked to Dr Arne Westheim at Ullevål Hospital who did not recommend bypass operation at that time, and I then met with my later good friend Dr Lars Aaberge at "Senteret for Hjertemedisin" who gave the following conclusion: Arne has a severely impaired systolic function with an ejection fraction of about 25%. There was no evidence of stress-induced ischemia, but clinically I had a heart failure. No bypass recommended but study for heart transplantation should be applied for.

In 1998 I went through a Simultaneous TX Cor and TX Renis due to End-stage Heart and Renal Failure. But that is another story.

You can never fully prepare yourself for the "pong" as Singapore´s Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew called it when he suffered a heart attack in January 1996.
"..........., absolutely nothing, then - PONG - Monday 15th I felt it. Tuesday it became worse, Wednesday it became worse." he told the Straits Times after leaving SGH and had been taken under treatment of my own doctor - Arthur Tan -.
I understand how to translate his word "worse". He meant pain, very, very strong pain in chest and back.We are both still alive, thanks to among others our Dr Arthur Tan, who I had the pleasure to visit in his office during our return-visit to Singapore in May 2007.
"Your Gods must love you" was his greetings to me. Life is great.
If you are afraid of meeting some of the challenges I and many others have been through due to heart problems, take a look at the Stress test above and see if you are in the dangerous category. (from dr Chandra Patel´s book Fighting Heart Disease)

The Öland bridge

For more benches - visit Rune at "Visual Norway".

Elegent in Green

This beautiful apartment is modern, yet at the same time very elegant and chic, thanks for the splash of green here and there...

(images from Lagerlings)

Black and White Minimalist Furniture for Home Office Design

Black and white minimalist furniture for home office to best design, your one-stop solution for your home office decor needs. Best design presents a variety of collections in home office furniture, furnishings, and home decorator accessories for fans of modern home design. Black and white minimalist furniture for virtual home office from Italian company Porro come in simple design that would give your home office space look more modern and elegant. Available in various type for any different space, Choose the colour that in accordance with your interior home and give the touch that was different in your virtual home office room with Italian company Porro.

Alaska bits--10--What is Talkeetna?

The day after our Turnagain Arm excursion (along the Seward Highway--Alaska 2)we traveled up the Glenn Highway (Alaska 1) which parallels Knik Arm, crossing the Knik River, and traveling through Wasilla (Sarah wasn't home) on The Parks Highway (Alaska 3) to Talkeetna. In those two days of driving we had traveled three of Alaska's four main Highways. (Highway 4 crosses from Fairbanks into the Yukon Territory of Canada, the only road connection to the "Outside" or Lower 48.)

So what is Talkeetna?

Well, perhaps Talkeetna is the old sourdough artist creating and selling on the street.   
                          

Or it is a well visited small town completely devoid of the tourist trap jewelry stores that are seen on the streets of cruise port cities.


It is the gateway to Denali, where bush pilots ferry climbers to base camps on the glaciered peak.


Where you can walk down to the river and look out at the mountain itself. or not.

It's a town with pride in its history and ready to share it in its historic walk and museums and its position as the gateway of its mountain neighbor.

Where locals have other uses for the river than watching the mountain.

And homemade ice cream

 is done with a John Deere.

And if you hear a band playing

"When the Saints Go Marching In",

 and see a parade on Labor day

 that looks more like

Mardi Gras,

and you are in Talkeetna...

...then know that it is not a Labor Day parade at all, but the funeral procession celebrating the life of a beloved local killed in a tragic accident a few days before.

That is what Talkeetna is.

It's what Alaska is.

ABC Wednesday--back from Alaska--K is for...

K is for Knik Arm

In the midst of my Alaska posts (this is bit 9) here is Knik Arm, another branch of the Cook Inlet, which stretches north and east of Anchorage. I remember reading somewhere that Knik also has a bore tide, but it must not be as significant as that in the Turnagain or I would be able to find it again somewhere. This view looks east along the Knik Arm at the downtowm area of Alaska's largest city, Anchorage.

Looking across Knik Arm you can see forever. Well, not forever, but on a clear day you can see Denali, North America's highest peak at 20,320 feet. Denali is the native name for the mountain, which you may know as Mt. McKinley.

They say that only 30% of visitors to Denali get to see the mountain. That gives you an idea of the weather. We saw it from the air flying into Anchorage. We saw it from Anchorage. We saw it from the air flying to Fairbansk. We saw it from the train from Fairbanks.

When we stayed two and a half days at Denali--we never saw the mountain.

What did you find for the letter K? If I had continued with my Mt. Rainier wildflowers I would have posted "kinnikinnik". I think I would have cheked the spelling. I might also have included "Krummholz". No, I am not nuts, and in today's ABCs I have seen a post that used both of those. My guess, however, is that this will be the only Knik Ar, in the ABC--Ks. Visit other ABC seekers by clicking the links at the ABC blogsite.

Congratulation Asbjørn, 65 years young

I had to start today´s blog by showing an almost 45 years old photo of me and my friend Asbjørn.
Time has run and today he (still some years young) can celebrate his 65 years birthday. CONGRATULATION!!
I will pay tribute to his day by presenting some nice photos of the man in some of his favorite environments.First a photo taken on his 30th birthday in front of his homemade beer barrel and good old but still friends (Helge, Per Helge and Harald)
The passion for fishing and satisfaction when getting one of many great Norwegian Cods, is one of Asbjørn´s favorite activities.
Climbing the mountains at Sunnmøre or further up north in Norway, gives him the freedom and exercice needed for a healthy life. The second photo is taken when he and "Gutta på tur" reached the summit of Slogen (1564m)When Asbjørn wanted a full time job in addition to all other business activity, he bought an old farm at the seashore of the North Atlantic Ocean and rebuilt the area to it´s present beautiful image.
Being there and having fun together, experience friendship and sunny summer nights gives me a lot.
With lovely ladies in the Jacuzzi around midnight he seems to have a great time himself.

Last time we were together was only a few weeks ago in his son´s apartment at Quality Spa and Resort, Bøseter Norefjell.Take good care of your husbond Anne Katharina, and celebrate his birthday on behalf of us all. Hope to see you again very soon.

Modern Interior Designs by Amanda Nisbet

Interior design is a profession with a long standing tradition. Everything from office buildings to private homes has been created using various design principles to give a wonderful, lasting impression of beauty and art. When considering how to redesign any interior space it is important to consider just what type of style you will incorporate into the plans right from the beginning. One of the most popular design aspects that has been used for many decades is known as art deco.
Initially art deco was used as a purely decorative style of design and was very popular during the 1920’s and into the late 1930’s. Back then it was viewed as functional, elegant as well as being ultra modern. Art deco is an extremely eclectic style, drawing influences from a variety of different sources. Some of them are considered primitive like Egyptian and African, even Aztec Mexico. Other include streamlined technology like aviation. Binding together with techniques routed in Cubism and Futurism, art deco has a wide range of functionality and expressiveness. A home decorator using this style can be free to do a huge variety of different things in the interior of a space.

The type of materials used in art deco interior design consist of stainless steel, lacquer, aluminum, inlaid wood, even sharkskin and zebra skin. Stemming from this use of harder, metallic materials is the celebration of the machine age. Art deco does this through the repetitive use of these man-made materials and also through symmetry. During the Great Depression the use of art deco saw its heyday because of its practicality and simplicity.

Although its popularity declined shortly after, it has recently enjoyed a rebirth in popularity and there is no reason not to utilize this style when planning any interior design. When you want a classic retro type of look go for art deco. There are so many examples of buildings that use art deco in their design like the Empire State Building, completed in 1931. Many art deco skyscrapers have been torn down but they can still serve as an amazing example of the power and majesty of this design style.

Art deco uses very strong, sharp angles in its application. Thick metal groves inlaid with heavy concrete and full bodied foundations characterize this style of design. When using it within the confides of your home or office building, keep in mind the effect you wish to portray with not only walls but the furniture as well. Because of both the Aztec and Egyptian influences, there is also a heavily pyramidal feeling to a lot of art deco buildings. A gradual step by step lessening of form can give the impression of strength and endurance. This was a great reason why art deco was so popular during the Great Depression. Today it can still have the same kind of impact.