Steven Helmer Publications

A little over a year ago, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. This wasn't much of a surprise. He used to be a smoker plus he was exposed to a variety of other toxins both in the military and in his wood shop so it probably was just a matter of time before it happened.

He has other health issues and, because of those, doctors were a bit reluctant to let him fight it. He, however, chose to go through radiation treatment and defeated it. Or, so we thought.

He injured his back last fall and, on Thanksgiving, the pain was intense enough to justify an emergency room visit. While there, they did a CT Scan and discovered nodes on his liver and, earlier this year, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer.

The most frustrating thing about this experience hasn't been the fact he has cancer. It is the ongoing reluctance, both because of his age and his other health problems, to even bother to fight it. The only option his doctors will even consider is immunotherapy and, because of th…

Synopsis: Two professors at a small Arizona college investigate a newly-fallen meteorite and discover rapidly-evolving alien organisms. Their research is hijacked by the United States Army but the military intervention isn't enough to keep the quickly-growing creatures from spreading through an underground cavern system and terrorizing residents in a near-by town.
You can read my review here: https://wizzley.com/movie-review-evolution-2001/

We are supposed to get rain (potentially storms) later so, while the weather was still nice enough to allow for it, I slipped out for a lunchtime walk at the park.

I didn't see too much out. But, I did managed to get a few photos before returning to the office.

Synopsis: If there's one thing Constable Hamish Macbeth can't stand, it is bullies. So, when newcomer braggard Randy Duggan challenges him to a fight, Macbeth decides to accept the challenge even though it could cost him his job and possibly even his health. When Duggan doesn't show up for the fight and is later found murdered, Macbeth, a potential suspect himself, must find out who was tormented enough by Duggan to want to kill him.


Review: Even though I don't need to spend as much time as the ice rink now that the ice show is over. But, I have still been making an effort to find time to read nightly. This includes this book, which I finished last night and can say I definitely enjoyed.
The thing that surprised me about this book was the mystery wasn't as easy to solve as I originally thought it would be. I had a suspect in mind from almost the beginning and, ultimately, my suspicions proved to be correct. However, until Hamish figured out the connection, I had no …

I had a few extra minutes and it was just a couple blocks from the office so I figured I would try out the new boardwalk connecting the city of Beaver Dam to Edgewater Park, located just outside of town.

I'm not convinced it was worth the $199,000 the city spent on it, especially since one end of it is on a street that is badly in need of some repair. I was also very disappointed to see the number of trees that had to be cut down in order to put this walkway in place. But, it was kind of cool being able to reach a park that, up until this point, required me to drive about a mile outside of town to reach.

I did bring my camera with me and got a few photos of the boardwalk and along the lake on the other side of it.

Synopsis: Craig Owen, a successful musician and unfaithful husband, drives to a convenience store and is abducted by a notorious Los Angeles serial killer known for using a blow torch to decapitate his victims. Tied to a chair in the killer's basement, Craig is subjected to torture as the killer, wearing a series of costumes, forces him to stand trial and be punished for the murders his captor committed.
You can read my review here: https://wizzley.com/movie-review-the-basement-2018/