Here I am, under a warm comforter, with a warm kitty curled at my side, while it is in the 60's outside. In late January. I have a few items that have been bugging me, and instead of sending numerous tweets; www.twitter.com/ninjamunkeyI have decided to post stuff here. Odd I know but sometimes things happen......
1) Dear MLB network. I love that Verizon is carrying you. I hate that your commercials feel like 4 am PSA's instead of actual ads. I also hate that it appears you believe there are only two teams in the MLB, Red Sox and Yankees. Grr. Cover the Cubs, or Braves, or anyone. I know that my lowly Rangers are barely a blip on the national coverage, save for the Josh Hamilton story, and I think people are getting tired of that, as great of a story as it is.
2) National news people that want to keep reminding me that President Obama is "the first African American" to be president. He is also the first president to win that I voted for. He is the first president that I felt was "too good". His skin color has nothing to do with it.
3) My biggest rant is about my medical care. I feel like I have gone to a shady mechanic and the parts he put into me are starting to fail. I think the mechanic (doctor) put sugar in my gastank, and sand in my radiator, guaranteeing a repeat visit by me, and another 25 copay. 86 dollar office visit, test that is going to cost me 500 bucks in the end, endless bloodwork that costs more each time, the calls from bill collectors. I am tired of the mail that tells me it is not a bill, but eventually becomes a bill. I am sick of meds that I have to have in order to be somewhat normal, but cost more this month because generics are not available. I am tired of the dry mouth that creeps up in the middle of a conversation making the person I am talking to look at me like a nutjob, due to the medicine. I hate the hours I sit wide awake at night, either from the tremors of pain in my legs and hips, or because one of my drugs has decided to keep me up.
4) I hate that with little income we have right now, everything is so damn expensive. The video games, the take out, the movies and popcorn, all the necessities in life. :) Ok done ranting, off to watch a show about the best Red Sox of all time.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
testing all kinds of stuff
so I am sitting in my doctors office waiting to have an injection into my spinal column. We are testing the idea that my pain is in part due to the swelling and pressure post surgery. We shall see if it makes a difference.
Another test was this afternoon, tearing apart my laptop and putting in a larger hard drive. It was the first time I have attempted deep hardware repAirs in over a year and honestly it was not that comfortable. My back does not hinge in the normal ways so maybe being a hardware tech is not in the cards.
And the last test today? Blogging from the iphone. Seems to work ok but I wouldn't want this to be my only means of update
Well that is all for now. Gotta go play super monkey ball
Another test was this afternoon, tearing apart my laptop and putting in a larger hard drive. It was the first time I have attempted deep hardware repAirs in over a year and honestly it was not that comfortable. My back does not hinge in the normal ways so maybe being a hardware tech is not in the cards.
And the last test today? Blogging from the iphone. Seems to work ok but I wouldn't want this to be my only means of update
Well that is all for now. Gotta go play super monkey ball
Thursday, July 31, 2008
This and that...
So I have been meaning to update my blogs for a while, and I post both here and on Myspace, but I forgot my password to log into this blogger site, so for about a month I have been testing passwords until they locked me out for a few days. Then it would let me try some more. Yeah, I have too many passwords floating around. Anyway, I got logged in tonight, and have too many things I want to post, so I guess one of the best ways to cover all of the subjects would be a quick synapsis of things, and write until the pain pills and muscle relaxers kicks in.
-So yesterday I went to the college and got registered. Next week I am going to take the "your so far removed from highschool, you need to take this test to make sure your not in charge of the short bus." test. Reading, writing, and math. I really am not worried about it, hell if I can figure out the proper way to discharge a CRT, and pass an exam about it, I am pretty sure I can figure out what time the bus will get to Denver while going 60 miles per hour. I am considering a career as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Its a 2 year plan. I would like to think I have the drive to keep going after getting my degree and going for a masters in Sports Medicine or something.
-Well suffice it to say based on the above statement, my employer, Apple, fired me for being out for over a year. Man I just realized that I have lived in fear of saying where I actually work. See we were told that if we ever mention the company in a blog, we could be terminated. Well, Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple, retail. HA!
-Speaking of Apple (I can't stop!!!) I have been a bit amazed at the new iPhone frenzy stuff going on lately. The new software on the old phone is pretty freaking cool. I love the applications, like poker, AIM, and Twitterriffic. I just can not believe they have reached a point of running out in the stores of the new models. I just don't need a GPS unit that badly.
-Also speaking of Apple (See!!!) I have decided I am going to test the water by offering my services as a consultant. I obviously have high skills with the Mac, but am also very well versed with the PC, networks, printers, and tin cans tied together with string. I need to get some business cards made, and start passing them out like candy to see what happens. Any advice in doing this would be great.
-I am currently going to PT 3 times a week. Its actually not too bad, most of my stuff is pool and whirlpool based. I half expected pool exercises would be simple, and like a vacation. Yeah right. I work my ass off.
-Tuesday night I was going out to the car to get something around 10PM. Someone had delivered the new phone books for our area, and the cover was kind of a black color. I managed to step onto said book, and roll my ankle and foot. I tried to hold myself up with the storm door, but it just opened to the wall, and I then fell forward. Rolling in an attempt to protect my back and hips, I half land on a 5 gallon water bottle before hitting the sidewalk. Imagine my suprise when my hips and back hurt like hell. I am such an idiot. But see I figure as much as I get hurt, being a physical therapist might be a great career for me, since I don't know how to get a career that allows me to live and work inside a padded room, short of being crazy, or crazier than I already am.
I had more stuff to write about, but the drugs are starting to work, and I'm forgetting stuff. Mabe I can keep up with the password this time, and post more later. Until then, Apple!
-So yesterday I went to the college and got registered. Next week I am going to take the "your so far removed from highschool, you need to take this test to make sure your not in charge of the short bus." test. Reading, writing, and math. I really am not worried about it, hell if I can figure out the proper way to discharge a CRT, and pass an exam about it, I am pretty sure I can figure out what time the bus will get to Denver while going 60 miles per hour. I am considering a career as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Its a 2 year plan. I would like to think I have the drive to keep going after getting my degree and going for a masters in Sports Medicine or something.
-Well suffice it to say based on the above statement, my employer, Apple, fired me for being out for over a year. Man I just realized that I have lived in fear of saying where I actually work. See we were told that if we ever mention the company in a blog, we could be terminated. Well, Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple, retail. HA!
-Speaking of Apple (I can't stop!!!) I have been a bit amazed at the new iPhone frenzy stuff going on lately. The new software on the old phone is pretty freaking cool. I love the applications, like poker, AIM, and Twitterriffic. I just can not believe they have reached a point of running out in the stores of the new models. I just don't need a GPS unit that badly.
-Also speaking of Apple (See!!!) I have decided I am going to test the water by offering my services as a consultant. I obviously have high skills with the Mac, but am also very well versed with the PC, networks, printers, and tin cans tied together with string. I need to get some business cards made, and start passing them out like candy to see what happens. Any advice in doing this would be great.
-I am currently going to PT 3 times a week. Its actually not too bad, most of my stuff is pool and whirlpool based. I half expected pool exercises would be simple, and like a vacation. Yeah right. I work my ass off.
-Tuesday night I was going out to the car to get something around 10PM. Someone had delivered the new phone books for our area, and the cover was kind of a black color. I managed to step onto said book, and roll my ankle and foot. I tried to hold myself up with the storm door, but it just opened to the wall, and I then fell forward. Rolling in an attempt to protect my back and hips, I half land on a 5 gallon water bottle before hitting the sidewalk. Imagine my suprise when my hips and back hurt like hell. I am such an idiot. But see I figure as much as I get hurt, being a physical therapist might be a great career for me, since I don't know how to get a career that allows me to live and work inside a padded room, short of being crazy, or crazier than I already am.
I had more stuff to write about, but the drugs are starting to work, and I'm forgetting stuff. Mabe I can keep up with the password this time, and post more later. Until then, Apple!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
I can has memories?
Forgive me, this is a little late.
On March 28th, I got a text message in return from my mother. I had asked how she was feeling, since she had the flu. The reply was
“Getting better slowly,-Hazel Kitty died”
When I was about 13 or 14, my kid sister was playing down the street with one of the neighbor kids. They both stormed into the house on a Saturday morning with a pillowcase that was mewling and bobbing around. I took it from them and reached into the bag and pulled out a under weight Russian Blue kitten of about 2 months old. She had brilliant blue eyes and was cute as could be. The story we were told was that someone’s dad was not only allergic to cats, he was also a hateful bastard, and was going to take the pillow kitty out to the creek and throw it in. My sister stepped forward, and asked for the cat. She was only 5 or 6, but knew right from wrong (then).
Hazel took to me and began sleeping in my room. She would lounge on my, and was pretty much my cat. She managed to survive my sister, who would dress her up in outfits, and pretty much make her miserable, and she survived an attack by the neighbor dog later in life.
When I left for the Marines, she would sit in my bedroom window, like she was waiting on me to get home.
Later in life, after I was married, she lived in my house for a while as my parents looked for work, but was nearly driven insane by the insane dog we had at the time.
Hazel loved turkey, chicken, and all things meat related. We would bring home scraps from restaurants, and she knew to check my mom’s purse. Her favorite meal was hotwings, even with the spicy sauce.
As she got older, she was not healthy looking, and having had cancer removed from her forepaw about 12 years ago, it may have not been the only cancer she had. But each time I saw her, she was quick to come say hi, and my son got to know her, and fed her chicken at times.
I have 2 cats now, Scout and Dewey, and they often remind me of Hazel. I hope they have long lives filled with snacks and snuggles like Hazel did, despite her rough start in life.
On March 28th, I got a text message in return from my mother. I had asked how she was feeling, since she had the flu. The reply was
“Getting better slowly,-Hazel Kitty died”
When I was about 13 or 14, my kid sister was playing down the street with one of the neighbor kids. They both stormed into the house on a Saturday morning with a pillowcase that was mewling and bobbing around. I took it from them and reached into the bag and pulled out a under weight Russian Blue kitten of about 2 months old. She had brilliant blue eyes and was cute as could be. The story we were told was that someone’s dad was not only allergic to cats, he was also a hateful bastard, and was going to take the pillow kitty out to the creek and throw it in. My sister stepped forward, and asked for the cat. She was only 5 or 6, but knew right from wrong (then).
Hazel took to me and began sleeping in my room. She would lounge on my, and was pretty much my cat. She managed to survive my sister, who would dress her up in outfits, and pretty much make her miserable, and she survived an attack by the neighbor dog later in life.
When I left for the Marines, she would sit in my bedroom window, like she was waiting on me to get home.
Later in life, after I was married, she lived in my house for a while as my parents looked for work, but was nearly driven insane by the insane dog we had at the time.
Hazel loved turkey, chicken, and all things meat related. We would bring home scraps from restaurants, and she knew to check my mom’s purse. Her favorite meal was hotwings, even with the spicy sauce.
As she got older, she was not healthy looking, and having had cancer removed from her forepaw about 12 years ago, it may have not been the only cancer she had. But each time I saw her, she was quick to come say hi, and my son got to know her, and fed her chicken at times.
I have 2 cats now, Scout and Dewey, and they often remind me of Hazel. I hope they have long lives filled with snacks and snuggles like Hazel did, despite her rough start in life.
A Little EWWWW for your cheerios
So we have a puppy. His name is Logan, and he is a holy terror. Not only does he insist on chewing up anything and everything, he still acts less than housebroken. We have done every possible thing to break him of going in the house, including having him spend the majority of his time outside, but he hold it until he can get back in to pee in the house. Each morning we spend 20 minutes running around looking for spots, and cleaning them up. Which brings us to this morning.
Mikey woke up 45 minutes before the alarm, and was exceptionally hyper. I am sure the Frosty I let him have for breakfast was not helping, but when a picky eater asks for anything, you give in, especially with a pain killer brain.
So after "breakfast" I asked him to pick up his toys, because I did not want Logan to eat them for his breakfast. Mikey spent 5 minutes sprinting around the house, picking up his beloved Marvel mini figures. At one point, on a trip with the silver surfer, I heard a thud and crash, followed immediately by a wail and scream.
Mikey had slipped in one of Logan's "spots" and hit the wall with his toe as he came crashing down. He only had a little pee on his jammies, so I took them off of him, put them in the hamper and went to get some clothes. He informed me he could not go to school cause his toe was too "hurted".
As I was heading back to my bedroom where the injured was considering amputation, I heard the following one sided conversation.
M:" Logan no. Logan you pee too much. Its cause of you that I fell down and hurt myself. Logan, get away from me, you might pee on me!"
Trust me, its a fear we all have. Rest assured the foot is ok, and healing nicely.
Mikey woke up 45 minutes before the alarm, and was exceptionally hyper. I am sure the Frosty I let him have for breakfast was not helping, but when a picky eater asks for anything, you give in, especially with a pain killer brain.
So after "breakfast" I asked him to pick up his toys, because I did not want Logan to eat them for his breakfast. Mikey spent 5 minutes sprinting around the house, picking up his beloved Marvel mini figures. At one point, on a trip with the silver surfer, I heard a thud and crash, followed immediately by a wail and scream.
Mikey had slipped in one of Logan's "spots" and hit the wall with his toe as he came crashing down. He only had a little pee on his jammies, so I took them off of him, put them in the hamper and went to get some clothes. He informed me he could not go to school cause his toe was too "hurted".
As I was heading back to my bedroom where the injured was considering amputation, I heard the following one sided conversation.
M:" Logan no. Logan you pee too much. Its cause of you that I fell down and hurt myself. Logan, get away from me, you might pee on me!"
Trust me, its a fear we all have. Rest assured the foot is ok, and healing nicely.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
And so it goes...
July 23rd, 2007 I had spinal fusion done on the L5/S1 vertebrae in my back. A few months later, after having a miracle-like recovery, I started noticing that I had pain in my hip causing my right leg to turn out, and some pain in my butt. The doctor put me on nerve pain drugs to assist, and kept my flow of pain killers coming.
After several months of testing including CT scans with dye injected into my spinal column (painful and not at all fun way to spend a few hours), MRIs, More CT scans, Nerve response testing (needles inserted into the muscles of my legs and back and then electronically charged) I had something this week called a discogram. This involves taking me (wide awake and no pain drugs or food for 6 hours before hand) into a room, inserting needles into my L2-3,3-4,4-5 discs, the applying pressure with dye and electrical stimulation. If I felt the pain I normally do, on a greater scale, I could tell the doctor and he makes the notes. I feel like the pain involved with that test is one of the most uncomfortable procedures a person should go through, and this was my second one in less than a year.
Yesterday, the back surgeon showed us the results of the tests, and the level above my previous surgery has blown out. On the film, a normal disc looks like a small barrel, sitting and holding my vertebrae apart and being stoic. The disc in question looked like a jelly donut (mmmm jelly donut) that someone has stepped on. All the insides were pushing out on both sides. Since the disc sits next to your nerve system, a herniated or bulging disc can put pressure on your nerves, that is what is causing the knife like pain in my butt, not just my kid sister. It explains why the nerves in my knees are close to dead, and why I can sit for 5-10 minutes in a chair or car seat before my feet go numb. Novocain numb. So with this information, the doctor gave me two options. One was to continue my life as it is, with pain killers and nerve drugs, and hope one day to feel normal, or two, have surgery.
My quality of life to this point is anything but. I cannot sleep well, since I toss and turn, twist wrong in the bed and wake up in a cold sweat with pain. I cannot function enough to go to work, so I have spent the last 10 months watching reruns and the Ellen show. My job was filled about 3 months ago, so I don’t really even have something to go back to. I cannot do much around the house, other than laundry, and even that is taxing with all the bending and stuff. I can not even play wiffle ball with the baby, as much as he loves the outdoors and sports in general.
So on the 19th of this month, in 18 days, I am having a pretty drastic surgery. They will go in the back and fuse the next level of my spine after removing the damaged disc. Then they flip me over and go in near my navel and do the rest of the work. So more hospital time, more recovery time, and more physical therapy are on the horizon. I just cannot wait.
I am going to stop here, but soon I am going to tell you, constant reader, about my journey into trying to get medication to help me through this. Its filled with laughter, tears, and psychotherapy.
After several months of testing including CT scans with dye injected into my spinal column (painful and not at all fun way to spend a few hours), MRIs, More CT scans, Nerve response testing (needles inserted into the muscles of my legs and back and then electronically charged) I had something this week called a discogram. This involves taking me (wide awake and no pain drugs or food for 6 hours before hand) into a room, inserting needles into my L2-3,3-4,4-5 discs, the applying pressure with dye and electrical stimulation. If I felt the pain I normally do, on a greater scale, I could tell the doctor and he makes the notes. I feel like the pain involved with that test is one of the most uncomfortable procedures a person should go through, and this was my second one in less than a year.
Yesterday, the back surgeon showed us the results of the tests, and the level above my previous surgery has blown out. On the film, a normal disc looks like a small barrel, sitting and holding my vertebrae apart and being stoic. The disc in question looked like a jelly donut (mmmm jelly donut) that someone has stepped on. All the insides were pushing out on both sides. Since the disc sits next to your nerve system, a herniated or bulging disc can put pressure on your nerves, that is what is causing the knife like pain in my butt, not just my kid sister. It explains why the nerves in my knees are close to dead, and why I can sit for 5-10 minutes in a chair or car seat before my feet go numb. Novocain numb. So with this information, the doctor gave me two options. One was to continue my life as it is, with pain killers and nerve drugs, and hope one day to feel normal, or two, have surgery.
My quality of life to this point is anything but. I cannot sleep well, since I toss and turn, twist wrong in the bed and wake up in a cold sweat with pain. I cannot function enough to go to work, so I have spent the last 10 months watching reruns and the Ellen show. My job was filled about 3 months ago, so I don’t really even have something to go back to. I cannot do much around the house, other than laundry, and even that is taxing with all the bending and stuff. I can not even play wiffle ball with the baby, as much as he loves the outdoors and sports in general.
So on the 19th of this month, in 18 days, I am having a pretty drastic surgery. They will go in the back and fuse the next level of my spine after removing the damaged disc. Then they flip me over and go in near my navel and do the rest of the work. So more hospital time, more recovery time, and more physical therapy are on the horizon. I just cannot wait.
I am going to stop here, but soon I am going to tell you, constant reader, about my journey into trying to get medication to help me through this. Its filled with laughter, tears, and psychotherapy.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
You see my friends have this thing they do on the 12th of each month in their blog, called the 12 of 12. I had been planning on doing one all month, and then realized today that it was the 13th. Doh. I only took one photo yesterday anyway, of my new fancy walking cast for my stress-fractured foot.
Once I realized I had missed the 12 of 12 photo journal day, I decided to keep a running diary of my day. So here we go.
What is a C: drive?
7:30a.m.-Damn, it’s early. With the Dog kicking my broken foot with his puppy dream kicks last night, I barely slept.
8:00-Mikey will not eat his oatmeal, he is too busy watching cartoons, but each time I try and feed him, he yells at me that that is how babies eat. Too damn early for logic.
8:05-Doorbell. Eff. The pest control guy is here. What in the hell? He wants to spray inside the house. Mikey is still not eating, but showing off his cartoons for the guy.
8:22-barely make it to his school before they start. I get some sideways glances from one of the assistant teachers, but I think she is a bitch anyway, so I am not worried about it. Mikey gives me a thumbs up through the door, so he is good.
8:30-Back home, and meeting with a technical recruiter this morning, preparing myself for not being able to return to retail work. The back, the foot, the holidays, I just have my doubts. I have to get into the shower, but bug guy is back there. Hello????
8:47-Ok, he has sprayed back there, I may die of fumes, but I need a shower and have to be in downtown by 10, and already heard there is a traffic jam right in my way.
9:00-Done, and almost dressed. Man that has to be a record.
9:12-I think I need coffee and food. Micky D’s is on my “I have to loose weight” diet today, so I stop for a McGriddle and Coffee. So does everyone else. Crap.
9:50-Some ASSHAT in a white Toyota Camery, 1992 model, has parked in the handicapped spot in front of the building. Normally I don’t use Ali’s card, but with a cast and a cane, and recent back surgery, I use it when I can. But apparently someone who has no card, plates or anything else other than a 500 gallon orange drink has parked in that spot. I would key it or whack it with my cane, but it would only increase the resale value of the car at this point.
10:15-I am informed I have to do a tech analysis on the computer system to see how knowledgeable I am on computers. They give me 30 minutes, and its multiple choice. The first question is “What is a C: drive?”
10:21-Ok done with the test. That was kind of dumb. Ok really dumb.
10:48-Back out on the road. The recruiter had nothing for me today, other than to tell me I scored higher on her test that anyone in the past 6 months. Mentioned a job with a sanitation company, installing systems in the Southwest region, from Kansas south. Ummm no. Thanks though.
11:30-back home, make an appointment for a iPhone visit at the Apple store, since my phone has stopped ringing and going straight to voicemail, and is hot enough to keep my coffee warm.
12:20-Talk to Ali on IM, who tells me she is going to be in southlake having lunch, and maybe she will see me there. I say sounds good, and change clothes. Off and running.
12:45-arrive at Ali’s table breathing heavily from the 3 block hike on the cast. Suddenly realize it’s a work lunch, and she meant she would see me in southlake, not at lunch. Crud. Back away from table with embarrassed face, make a weird mumbled excuse and leave. Go across to Barnes and Nobles.
1:00-Go to bar across street to kill time before my 1:45 appointment, have a beer and food, with the new Mac:Life magazine I bought. Get texts from Ali apologizing, I think she knows I misunderstood, and did 80 to Southlake for what I thought was lunch. Eh, sometimes boys can be dumb.
1:45-Get phone replaced-buy new case for it while I am there.
4:00-Go to Walmart for candy for Mikey’s valentine party, and to pick up cupcakes. Have to dodge guys fighting over the two remaining V-Day cards, despite them being in Spanish and having elephants on the front.
5:30-Damn that line was long, get home, put groceries away, and decide to try and get past “Cult of Personality” on Guitar Hero 3.
6:00-Put together the “zero gravity” bike rack, which also means “zero chance this is going to stay standing upright, and will fall on your feet breaking both of them”
6:20-Dismantle “zero gravity” bike rack and vow to find something better.
7:00-the family and I go to Olive Garden for a pre valentine crowd dinner. Not romantic, but really, with a 4 year old, how romantic can you get? Especially with spilled lemonaid in your lap?
That is pretty much it up to now. Perhaps I will go play some more guitar hero, take my pain pills and go to bed. Tomorrow is the Pre-K valentine party, and I am invited. Photos soon!
Once I realized I had missed the 12 of 12 photo journal day, I decided to keep a running diary of my day. So here we go.
What is a C: drive?
7:30a.m.-Damn, it’s early. With the Dog kicking my broken foot with his puppy dream kicks last night, I barely slept.
8:00-Mikey will not eat his oatmeal, he is too busy watching cartoons, but each time I try and feed him, he yells at me that that is how babies eat. Too damn early for logic.
8:05-Doorbell. Eff. The pest control guy is here. What in the hell? He wants to spray inside the house. Mikey is still not eating, but showing off his cartoons for the guy.
8:22-barely make it to his school before they start. I get some sideways glances from one of the assistant teachers, but I think she is a bitch anyway, so I am not worried about it. Mikey gives me a thumbs up through the door, so he is good.
8:30-Back home, and meeting with a technical recruiter this morning, preparing myself for not being able to return to retail work. The back, the foot, the holidays, I just have my doubts. I have to get into the shower, but bug guy is back there. Hello????
8:47-Ok, he has sprayed back there, I may die of fumes, but I need a shower and have to be in downtown by 10, and already heard there is a traffic jam right in my way.
9:00-Done, and almost dressed. Man that has to be a record.
9:12-I think I need coffee and food. Micky D’s is on my “I have to loose weight” diet today, so I stop for a McGriddle and Coffee. So does everyone else. Crap.
9:50-Some ASSHAT in a white Toyota Camery, 1992 model, has parked in the handicapped spot in front of the building. Normally I don’t use Ali’s card, but with a cast and a cane, and recent back surgery, I use it when I can. But apparently someone who has no card, plates or anything else other than a 500 gallon orange drink has parked in that spot. I would key it or whack it with my cane, but it would only increase the resale value of the car at this point.
10:15-I am informed I have to do a tech analysis on the computer system to see how knowledgeable I am on computers. They give me 30 minutes, and its multiple choice. The first question is “What is a C: drive?”
10:21-Ok done with the test. That was kind of dumb. Ok really dumb.
10:48-Back out on the road. The recruiter had nothing for me today, other than to tell me I scored higher on her test that anyone in the past 6 months. Mentioned a job with a sanitation company, installing systems in the Southwest region, from Kansas south. Ummm no. Thanks though.
11:30-back home, make an appointment for a iPhone visit at the Apple store, since my phone has stopped ringing and going straight to voicemail, and is hot enough to keep my coffee warm.
12:20-Talk to Ali on IM, who tells me she is going to be in southlake having lunch, and maybe she will see me there. I say sounds good, and change clothes. Off and running.
12:45-arrive at Ali’s table breathing heavily from the 3 block hike on the cast. Suddenly realize it’s a work lunch, and she meant she would see me in southlake, not at lunch. Crud. Back away from table with embarrassed face, make a weird mumbled excuse and leave. Go across to Barnes and Nobles.
1:00-Go to bar across street to kill time before my 1:45 appointment, have a beer and food, with the new Mac:Life magazine I bought. Get texts from Ali apologizing, I think she knows I misunderstood, and did 80 to Southlake for what I thought was lunch. Eh, sometimes boys can be dumb.
1:45-Get phone replaced-buy new case for it while I am there.
4:00-Go to Walmart for candy for Mikey’s valentine party, and to pick up cupcakes. Have to dodge guys fighting over the two remaining V-Day cards, despite them being in Spanish and having elephants on the front.
5:30-Damn that line was long, get home, put groceries away, and decide to try and get past “Cult of Personality” on Guitar Hero 3.
6:00-Put together the “zero gravity” bike rack, which also means “zero chance this is going to stay standing upright, and will fall on your feet breaking both of them”
6:20-Dismantle “zero gravity” bike rack and vow to find something better.
7:00-the family and I go to Olive Garden for a pre valentine crowd dinner. Not romantic, but really, with a 4 year old, how romantic can you get? Especially with spilled lemonaid in your lap?
That is pretty much it up to now. Perhaps I will go play some more guitar hero, take my pain pills and go to bed. Tomorrow is the Pre-K valentine party, and I am invited. Photos soon!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Completely, Totally, Hopelessly Useless
No, that is not a shot at you. See back in the early Spring, we decided to pick up a little bike trailer for the baby munkey at Target. It looked a lot like a big boy bicycle, and since we wanted to start riding our bikes and working toward loosing some of the winter blubber, it would be a great way to get him involved and teach him the fundamentals. I think we even got him a helmet. That was probably in April or May. The best part was it was on clearance.
In July my back got so bad that we had to go in and do the whole titanium rebuild. I think I mentioned something about that.
Here we are in January, and I am still slowly recovering from that rebuild. Baby Munkey, on the other hand, has grown to the height of, well, about here on me. He is tall enough to ride the big boy bike his grandma got for him 2 years ago. Suddenly there is no need for this bike trailer, sitting in its sad little box in the garage, hoping one day to be a real toy.
So in my effort to move around everyday and try to get back to normal, I thought I would take the trailer in the box back to target, and play the "uh yeah it was a gift at Christmas" and try to get at least some of the money back, knowing full well it was on clearance and would only get back like 20 bucks or something. So I go there and am told not only will they not take it back, but I am an evil evil man for suggesting they take it back, and *gasp* I did not have a receipt. So the two of us, me and the box of uselessness, go back out to the car.
I get the bright idea of one of those resale shops for kids. Not to resale kids mind you, but their clothes and toys and whatnot. So I punch one up on the trusty iPhone, figure out where they are, and head that way. It was only like 8 miles away, so no biggie. I go inside to find a woman in her mid to late 40's dressed like she is communicating with the Aliens. She has stars and moons all over her, in her hair, her necklace, and really looks like a left over space cadet. I tell her what I have to sell, and she points out that they don't really buy stuff like that, scrunches her nose, and then says "our sister store usually does"
The sister store in question is Play it Again Sports. Great, great, great store if you need exercise equipment or fad gear. I bed they have at least one total gym there from people that wanted to work out, but were not quite Chuck Norris. So I ask where the closest Play... is and she has no idea. "I would think somewhere close, though." Lady was a brilliant bulb, thousand watts.
I head back out to the car, encouraged, if not frightened a little by Mrs. David Bowie, and again ask iPhone where the nearest Play it Again is located. Not bad really, 18 miles away, 30 minutes with traffic. Well its almost noon on a Thursday afternoon and the temperature is flirting with 35 degrees, so I start driving. Sure it was an area I did not know very well, but I was sure I could find it.
About half an hour later I find the store, tucked into a small shopping mall behind a larger shopping mall. I go inside, walk among the scattered treadmills, and ask the young guy if he buys bike trailers. He said it was the wrong season to be selling bikes of any kind, or trailers, and he would have a hard time moving it. Never mind that 4 days ago I was in shorts and T-shirt and the weather was almost spring like, and had been most of the winter. He proceeds to tell me that the used bike shop on the highway would need something like what I was selling, and I should check down there.
I drive another 15 minutes away, and find the bike shop is closed. I guess it is not bike season after all. Of course now I am on the wrong side of I-35, and have to trek back home by first driving north for about 30 minutes, to go 30 minutes south.
As I take my exit finally to get home, my gas gauge informs me that I am an idiot and have been driving around the past hour and a half burning the almost 3 dollar per gallon fuel like I am Bill Gates. So I sputter to a near standstill at the closest gas pump, put in a few dollars, and go home with my tail between my legs, and a bike trailer sitting comfortably in the back of my Jeep.
In July my back got so bad that we had to go in and do the whole titanium rebuild. I think I mentioned something about that.
Here we are in January, and I am still slowly recovering from that rebuild. Baby Munkey, on the other hand, has grown to the height of, well, about here on me. He is tall enough to ride the big boy bike his grandma got for him 2 years ago. Suddenly there is no need for this bike trailer, sitting in its sad little box in the garage, hoping one day to be a real toy.
So in my effort to move around everyday and try to get back to normal, I thought I would take the trailer in the box back to target, and play the "uh yeah it was a gift at Christmas" and try to get at least some of the money back, knowing full well it was on clearance and would only get back like 20 bucks or something. So I go there and am told not only will they not take it back, but I am an evil evil man for suggesting they take it back, and *gasp* I did not have a receipt. So the two of us, me and the box of uselessness, go back out to the car.
I get the bright idea of one of those resale shops for kids. Not to resale kids mind you, but their clothes and toys and whatnot. So I punch one up on the trusty iPhone, figure out where they are, and head that way. It was only like 8 miles away, so no biggie. I go inside to find a woman in her mid to late 40's dressed like she is communicating with the Aliens. She has stars and moons all over her, in her hair, her necklace, and really looks like a left over space cadet. I tell her what I have to sell, and she points out that they don't really buy stuff like that, scrunches her nose, and then says "our sister store usually does"
The sister store in question is Play it Again Sports. Great, great, great store if you need exercise equipment or fad gear. I bed they have at least one total gym there from people that wanted to work out, but were not quite Chuck Norris. So I ask where the closest Play... is and she has no idea. "I would think somewhere close, though." Lady was a brilliant bulb, thousand watts.
I head back out to the car, encouraged, if not frightened a little by Mrs. David Bowie, and again ask iPhone where the nearest Play it Again is located. Not bad really, 18 miles away, 30 minutes with traffic. Well its almost noon on a Thursday afternoon and the temperature is flirting with 35 degrees, so I start driving. Sure it was an area I did not know very well, but I was sure I could find it.
About half an hour later I find the store, tucked into a small shopping mall behind a larger shopping mall. I go inside, walk among the scattered treadmills, and ask the young guy if he buys bike trailers. He said it was the wrong season to be selling bikes of any kind, or trailers, and he would have a hard time moving it. Never mind that 4 days ago I was in shorts and T-shirt and the weather was almost spring like, and had been most of the winter. He proceeds to tell me that the used bike shop on the highway would need something like what I was selling, and I should check down there.
I drive another 15 minutes away, and find the bike shop is closed. I guess it is not bike season after all. Of course now I am on the wrong side of I-35, and have to trek back home by first driving north for about 30 minutes, to go 30 minutes south.
As I take my exit finally to get home, my gas gauge informs me that I am an idiot and have been driving around the past hour and a half burning the almost 3 dollar per gallon fuel like I am Bill Gates. So I sputter to a near standstill at the closest gas pump, put in a few dollars, and go home with my tail between my legs, and a bike trailer sitting comfortably in the back of my Jeep.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Ho Ho Crack Ho
Christmas. A time for families, for togetherness, and for the spirit of giving. At least that is how I always thought it should be.
Today, we went to my parents house, or at least the orphanage where they work. It was supposed to be a time for the family to get together and celebrate Christmas. My wayward sister was going to join us for the first time in years. It was going to be a holiday to remember.
We got there around 1:30 right as lunch was coming out of the oven. Now because of all of my warnings, Ali knew that my mother cannot cook. She has a bad habit of burning the things that don’t go in the oven, and not cooking the things totally that go in the oven all the way through. So on the way, we stop at Jack in the Box and get burgers. Luckily we did not have to eat very much of it.
We had a fairly good time, watching the baby open his presents, and sitting around doing not much of anything. My sister called once to tell us she was going to be late, since they were working on their car. She called again to say the car was not getting fixed and she needed a ride. So at 5 my father set out to pick up my sister and her current live in guy.
At 6:30 apparently he told her that we were waiting for her at the house with my mom. And she lost it. She did not want to face us. She was turning in a true chicken shit moment. So instead of her returning home, my mother told us that we needed to leave. Let me repeat that. WE were tossed out on Christmas eve. My parents chose my crack head (literally), prostitute (again literally), disappearing sister over their other son and his family. So we left.
Granted my family has never really been good at holiday togetherness or really any other time of year togetherness. But this is the lowest form of, well I don’t really know what to call it.
So my family returned home. We made cookies for Santa and decorated them. We are watching Home Alone and tracking santa on NORAD while a fire burns in the fireplace. Hell with them. We are having Christmas.
I hope everyone is with the one they love this year, and may 2008 be a happy and bright one for you as well.
Now what did I do with my bottle of whiskey…Santa needs a nip.
Today, we went to my parents house, or at least the orphanage where they work. It was supposed to be a time for the family to get together and celebrate Christmas. My wayward sister was going to join us for the first time in years. It was going to be a holiday to remember.
We got there around 1:30 right as lunch was coming out of the oven. Now because of all of my warnings, Ali knew that my mother cannot cook. She has a bad habit of burning the things that don’t go in the oven, and not cooking the things totally that go in the oven all the way through. So on the way, we stop at Jack in the Box and get burgers. Luckily we did not have to eat very much of it.
We had a fairly good time, watching the baby open his presents, and sitting around doing not much of anything. My sister called once to tell us she was going to be late, since they were working on their car. She called again to say the car was not getting fixed and she needed a ride. So at 5 my father set out to pick up my sister and her current live in guy.
At 6:30 apparently he told her that we were waiting for her at the house with my mom. And she lost it. She did not want to face us. She was turning in a true chicken shit moment. So instead of her returning home, my mother told us that we needed to leave. Let me repeat that. WE were tossed out on Christmas eve. My parents chose my crack head (literally), prostitute (again literally), disappearing sister over their other son and his family. So we left.
Granted my family has never really been good at holiday togetherness or really any other time of year togetherness. But this is the lowest form of, well I don’t really know what to call it.
So my family returned home. We made cookies for Santa and decorated them. We are watching Home Alone and tracking santa on NORAD while a fire burns in the fireplace. Hell with them. We are having Christmas.
I hope everyone is with the one they love this year, and may 2008 be a happy and bright one for you as well.
Now what did I do with my bottle of whiskey…Santa needs a nip.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
its been a while...
So here I am, its November, starting to get a little cooler out there. I am still not working. I managed to push a little too hard in my PT sessions, and injured another section of my back. Friday I am heading back to the pain management gurus, and they are going to inject my spine with stuff to hopefully get me over this and back to my recovery stuff.
I have had lots of time to sit and work with the iPhone, and work on the new Mac OS, Leopard, and I must say, these two additions to the Apple fold will no doubt bring in a few converts. Yay for my stock!
I started out a few months ago not understanding why everyone made such a big deal out of Guitar Hero, to a few weeks ago admitting it looked interesting, to a few days ago feeling like a dork for wanting it, to 24 hours ago feeling like a complete nerd for using it, and a few hours ago from feeling like a digital rock star, all be it quite bad at the moment. What a strange game.
Still reading the Dark Tower series by Steven King. I kept thinking a book is getting sluggish, then turn a page and cannot put it down after that. IF you have a few months to kill, sit and read them, they are quite good, but will manage to hurt your head.
Well that is it for me, a panic attack tonight made this take over 3 hours to write. Time to relax for a bit. Im physically and emotionally drained and need a nap.
I have had lots of time to sit and work with the iPhone, and work on the new Mac OS, Leopard, and I must say, these two additions to the Apple fold will no doubt bring in a few converts. Yay for my stock!
I started out a few months ago not understanding why everyone made such a big deal out of Guitar Hero, to a few weeks ago admitting it looked interesting, to a few days ago feeling like a dork for wanting it, to 24 hours ago feeling like a complete nerd for using it, and a few hours ago from feeling like a digital rock star, all be it quite bad at the moment. What a strange game.
Still reading the Dark Tower series by Steven King. I kept thinking a book is getting sluggish, then turn a page and cannot put it down after that. IF you have a few months to kill, sit and read them, they are quite good, but will manage to hurt your head.
Well that is it for me, a panic attack tonight made this take over 3 hours to write. Time to relax for a bit. Im physically and emotionally drained and need a nap.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Its over...
Oh Blockbuster online, you have now made yourself an enemy. I have been your devoted customer for now for almost 18 months. I have put up with you sending me broken discs, super scratched media, and in some cases, the wrong thing. I have continued to pay your premium fees, even when you change the terms in the middle, or when one of the best features of your program was almost eliminated. I speak of course of the ability to exchange movies in the store for the ones I got in the mail. I have felt good about our supply/demand relationship despite the 300+ bucks you have cost me. Until this week.
First I get an email telling me that your going to cancel my account. It goes on to explain that am being cancelled because I have reported so many issues with blockbuster media. So according to the email, because of lack of quality media, or the amount of scratches on them rendering them useless, I am going to be penalized.
I call your headquarters and am told that Blockbuster has not given me good customer service and is therefore canceling me. I am told that you are canceling me and investigating my zip code to see if there are other issues in the area, and therefore might be a postal issue. I am told sorry bout that, have a great day.
Here is my question blockbuster online, how is any of this my fault? You rape your customers for a huge amount of money, but never replace old and heavily used discs with new ones. I have a Wal-Mart nearby, and know most of these older movies can be found there.
I call your headquarters again, to ask these very questions. I am amazed at your ability to use security to make sure it is me you are talking to, but am also amazed that your phone operator can hang up on me when he cannot answer my questions. That’s right, he hung up on me. So being the normal consumer I am , I call back, and am again placed on hold until someone drops the line. I assume this is my fault as well, and having reported so many issues with trying to call customer service perhaps I should cancel that option as well.
So here is how I am going to move on blockbuster online. I have already taken screen shots of my waiting list of movies, so I know what I wanted to see. I am going to watch movies that I have here in the binder. I am going to catch up on my Tivo. I might eventually join Netflix to start getting movies again, but I will be damned If I ever put any more money in your pocket.
Especially having gotten this just now.
Hello Ninjamunkey,
Due to problems with your account, we are unable to continue serving you.
Your subscription to blockbuster.com will be cancelled, effective Friday, September 14, 2007. To avoid additional charges, return all DVDs rented online by Sunday, October 14, 2007.
First I get an email telling me that your going to cancel my account. It goes on to explain that am being cancelled because I have reported so many issues with blockbuster media. So according to the email, because of lack of quality media, or the amount of scratches on them rendering them useless, I am going to be penalized.
I call your headquarters and am told that Blockbuster has not given me good customer service and is therefore canceling me. I am told that you are canceling me and investigating my zip code to see if there are other issues in the area, and therefore might be a postal issue. I am told sorry bout that, have a great day.
Here is my question blockbuster online, how is any of this my fault? You rape your customers for a huge amount of money, but never replace old and heavily used discs with new ones. I have a Wal-Mart nearby, and know most of these older movies can be found there.
I call your headquarters again, to ask these very questions. I am amazed at your ability to use security to make sure it is me you are talking to, but am also amazed that your phone operator can hang up on me when he cannot answer my questions. That’s right, he hung up on me. So being the normal consumer I am , I call back, and am again placed on hold until someone drops the line. I assume this is my fault as well, and having reported so many issues with trying to call customer service perhaps I should cancel that option as well.
So here is how I am going to move on blockbuster online. I have already taken screen shots of my waiting list of movies, so I know what I wanted to see. I am going to watch movies that I have here in the binder. I am going to catch up on my Tivo. I might eventually join Netflix to start getting movies again, but I will be damned If I ever put any more money in your pocket.
Especially having gotten this just now.
Hello Ninjamunkey,
Due to problems with your account, we are unable to continue serving you.
Your subscription to blockbuster.com will be cancelled, effective Friday, September 14, 2007. To avoid additional charges, return all DVDs rented online by Sunday, October 14, 2007.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
My August
It has been an interesting couple of weeks. I guess I have been so busy with things in general, I have not blogged. Let’s try this quick hit style, and see if I can get everything caught up.
• Not sure if I mentioned this or not, but after 3 weeks of recovery, we decided to take a day trip to Glen Rose, Texas and check out Dinosaur State Park. It’s a cool little area of Texas on the Brazos river, where there are footprints of dinosaurs that are preserved in the limestone edges of the river. What we did not know until we arrived is that the footprints are only visible after a ½ mile hike down loose rock and sand cliffs to the water. I made it all the way down to the river and back up, so I was quite proud.
• While taking my son to his grandparents for a much needed kid free weekend, my mother announced that she had “twisted my back like yours” and could not breath, could not function from the pain. WE rushed her to the ER for medical attention, and found that there was nothing on the X-Rays or MRI, but they gave her some of the strongest medication I have ever heard. I mean, a patch that is used for Cancer patients was given to her. Needless to say, the baby came home with us and the weekend was cancelled.
• Tossed the wiffle ball to the boy day before yesterday, and while I did not attempt to do full speed pitches, or really break off curves, my back has been screaming for the past 2 days. Perhaps that was a bit early. Its hard to tell him I cannot play, and watch him be sad because of it, so I gave in, but perhaps did a little too much.
• I was supposed to have a follow up appointment with my doctor this morning, but last Wednesday, his office called and told me that my doctor was having emergency surgery himself, and would be out for a while. So I guess I got a reprieve from actual PT until next week. I really am ready to get started with it though, as I would like to start getting more range of motion. Time.
• The Mrs got a IM from a man who had done a great deal of online detective work. Turns out that he is the son of her Grandfather’s half brother. Confused yet? Yeah me too. I guess they had the same father and were both walked out on very early in their lives and never really met. Thanks to the wonder of the internet, he found her.
• Friday I turn 32. I would not go back and change anything I have done to this point, except maybe take better care of my back and knees.
• Not sure if I mentioned this or not, but after 3 weeks of recovery, we decided to take a day trip to Glen Rose, Texas and check out Dinosaur State Park. It’s a cool little area of Texas on the Brazos river, where there are footprints of dinosaurs that are preserved in the limestone edges of the river. What we did not know until we arrived is that the footprints are only visible after a ½ mile hike down loose rock and sand cliffs to the water. I made it all the way down to the river and back up, so I was quite proud.
• While taking my son to his grandparents for a much needed kid free weekend, my mother announced that she had “twisted my back like yours” and could not breath, could not function from the pain. WE rushed her to the ER for medical attention, and found that there was nothing on the X-Rays or MRI, but they gave her some of the strongest medication I have ever heard. I mean, a patch that is used for Cancer patients was given to her. Needless to say, the baby came home with us and the weekend was cancelled.
• Tossed the wiffle ball to the boy day before yesterday, and while I did not attempt to do full speed pitches, or really break off curves, my back has been screaming for the past 2 days. Perhaps that was a bit early. Its hard to tell him I cannot play, and watch him be sad because of it, so I gave in, but perhaps did a little too much.
• I was supposed to have a follow up appointment with my doctor this morning, but last Wednesday, his office called and told me that my doctor was having emergency surgery himself, and would be out for a while. So I guess I got a reprieve from actual PT until next week. I really am ready to get started with it though, as I would like to start getting more range of motion. Time.
• The Mrs got a IM from a man who had done a great deal of online detective work. Turns out that he is the son of her Grandfather’s half brother. Confused yet? Yeah me too. I guess they had the same father and were both walked out on very early in their lives and never really met. Thanks to the wonder of the internet, he found her.
• Friday I turn 32. I would not go back and change anything I have done to this point, except maybe take better care of my back and knees.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Military vs. Civilian Friends
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Tell you not to do something stupid when drunk
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will post 360 security so you dont get caught
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs
MILITARY FRIENDS: Call your parents Drunk as hell and tell them about the fat chick you tried to pick up
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Hope the night out drinking goes smoothly, and hope that no one is late for the ride home.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Know some wild shit will happen, and set up rally points and an E & E route.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will be sitting next to you saying, Damn...we fucked up...but hey, that shit was fun as fuck!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Laugh at you and tell you to put some vagasil on your pussy.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Steal each other's stuff so often nobody remembers who bought it in the first place.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are happy that someone picked up a one night stand and leave them alone.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will Low Crawl naked into the room with a camera and hope for the tag team.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will listen to your relatioship problems and hope it works out for you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will listen to you over a long hard road march, and will help you straighten it out better than Dr. Phil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Might try to hit on your girl behind your back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Have spooned with you in the field more than your girl has, and would never even think about doing that.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds ass that left you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home fuckers!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will try and talk to the bouncer when you get tossed out of the bar.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will man up and go after the bouncer for touching you on the way out.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wish you had enough money to go out that night, and are sorry you couldn't come.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will share their last dollar with you, drag you along, and try to steal free drinks all night.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, "Bitch, you better drink the rest of that shit, you know we don't waste.. That's alcohol abuse!!!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Want the money they loaned you back next week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Can't begin to remember who owes who money after taking care of each other for so long.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will say "I can't handle Tequila anymore".
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will say "okay just one more" and then 2 minutes later "okay just one more".
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk shit to the person who talks shit about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will knock them the fuck out!!
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will tell you "They'd take a bullet for you."
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will actually take a bullet for you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will repost this
10:21 PM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos -
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will post 360 security so you dont get caught
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs
MILITARY FRIENDS: Call your parents Drunk as hell and tell them about the fat chick you tried to pick up
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Hope the night out drinking goes smoothly, and hope that no one is late for the ride home.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Know some wild shit will happen, and set up rally points and an E & E route.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will be sitting next to you saying, Damn...we fucked up...but hey, that shit was fun as fuck!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Laugh at you and tell you to put some vagasil on your pussy.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Steal each other's stuff so often nobody remembers who bought it in the first place.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are happy that someone picked up a one night stand and leave them alone.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will Low Crawl naked into the room with a camera and hope for the tag team.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will listen to your relatioship problems and hope it works out for you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will listen to you over a long hard road march, and will help you straighten it out better than Dr. Phil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Might try to hit on your girl behind your back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Have spooned with you in the field more than your girl has, and would never even think about doing that.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds ass that left you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home fuckers!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will try and talk to the bouncer when you get tossed out of the bar.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will man up and go after the bouncer for touching you on the way out.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wish you had enough money to go out that night, and are sorry you couldn't come.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will share their last dollar with you, drag you along, and try to steal free drinks all night.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, "Bitch, you better drink the rest of that shit, you know we don't waste.. That's alcohol abuse!!!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Want the money they loaned you back next week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Can't begin to remember who owes who money after taking care of each other for so long.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will say "I can't handle Tequila anymore".
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will say "okay just one more" and then 2 minutes later "okay just one more".
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk shit to the person who talks shit about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will knock them the fuck out!!
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will tell you "They'd take a bullet for you."
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will actually take a bullet for you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will repost this
10:21 PM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos -
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
another week down...
And just like that, I have made it through 2 weeks with a new back. Things are getting easier. The pain can still be pretty high at times, but its not a constant. I have been attempting to walk every day. Today is my proudest achievement, 1.19 miles in a single session. Almost 2 miles from 11am-5pm. The only downfall, I am afraid I will be hurting later, as I was in serious pain last night after almost a mile. But as I have said before, Pain is weakness leaving the body. Tomorrow is my first post op doctors appointment, and I get to find out if I can reach over my head or pick up anything heavier than 10 pounds. What I really want to find out is if they will let me go swimming. With the temperature reaching 103 every day, I think a 98 degree pool will be nice.
This also marks day 15 with no smoking. So lets see. Back fixed, exercising every day, and not smoking. Holy crap I might be getting healthy before long. Who would have thought on my daily diet of powdered sugar doughnuts I could get to a point where I actually want to work out. I just put on the shuffle, rocked out, and walked. I can also tell that I am moving around a little faster.
I will post again tomorrow when I get news from the doctor. As per usual, I will be bringing sexy back.
This also marks day 15 with no smoking. So lets see. Back fixed, exercising every day, and not smoking. Holy crap I might be getting healthy before long. Who would have thought on my daily diet of powdered sugar doughnuts I could get to a point where I actually want to work out. I just put on the shuffle, rocked out, and walked. I can also tell that I am moving around a little faster.
I will post again tomorrow when I get news from the doctor. As per usual, I will be bringing sexy back.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
one week...
So its been one week of my Titanium Spine, so I wanted to put down a few things to reflect back on in a few months, when I forget what this week is like. Indulge me please.
1) movement is still limited. I can get around, but getting up and down on couches, chairs and beds takes a few minutes of planning and execution. I am sure as days go by, I will be able to move around a little easier. With 5 weeks to go before I even get close to Physical Therapy, I am going to be atrophy ridden.
2) The pain is still really high. I am taking the strongest Vicodin made, usually every 2 hours. It only slightly makes a dent in the discomfort. Hopefully I can start to ween from the meds, but if I go longer than a few hours now, it feels like someone planted a knife in my back.
3) Simple things are really tough. Yesterday, I tried to get myself another glass of ice water, and managed to spill it when setting it down. So I then went about trying to clean it up, but not being able to bend over, I had to rely on using my feet to clean it up. Of course I am using a cane for stability, and it slipped on the wet, making me feel like a towel twisted. I cannot reach over to raise the toilet seat, so my cane is doing double duty, lifting, raising, or picking up things I cannot reach.
4) I am quite proud of the fact that today I managed to put 2 items in the dishwasher, close it with soap in there, and get it started. Of course, I had to take a break in the middle of doing everything, as I got really tired, but I did it.
5) We have been walking every evening this week. The first night, we made it a good 100 yards from the house, and came back. The next day we added another 25 yards or so before turning around. My doctor wants me to have a few miles a day under my belt by the time I start PT in 5 weeks. My personal goal is to be walking 10-12 miles a day by October. I would say running or jogging, but I am being realistic.
6) Smoking. Something I had gotten very comfortable with doing the past few years. It was a stress reliever. It was a way to chill out. But it also made my hands and clothes stink. My teeth a constant yellow. My son started pantomiming the action of smoking with anything he could, French fries, crayons, whatever. Wanna feel like a heel? Have your pride and joy mimick smoking around you. I smoked my last one on Sunday, July 22nd, around 2am. I sort of miss them, in that way you miss a headache, a toothache, or a rattle in your car that finally gets fixed.
7) That being said, I don’t want to start replacing smokes with food. Its very easy to do. You’re a smoker and you smoke when you get a lull in activity. Downtime at work, you smoke. Day off and your watching tv doing nothing, smoke. Now that I am a non smoker, it would be really easy to munch on something when down time happens. I should have mentioned earlier, but another goal with my recovery is to loose 50 pounds. Im sitting on 247 now. 253 prior to surgery. So 5 pounds is mainly because I am not very hungry. I think the pain pills have a large hand in that. So encouragement is welcome, and if someone wants a walking partner, a diet buddy or a quitting smoking friend, I am here.
That is enough for now. I will keep you posted.
1) movement is still limited. I can get around, but getting up and down on couches, chairs and beds takes a few minutes of planning and execution. I am sure as days go by, I will be able to move around a little easier. With 5 weeks to go before I even get close to Physical Therapy, I am going to be atrophy ridden.
2) The pain is still really high. I am taking the strongest Vicodin made, usually every 2 hours. It only slightly makes a dent in the discomfort. Hopefully I can start to ween from the meds, but if I go longer than a few hours now, it feels like someone planted a knife in my back.
3) Simple things are really tough. Yesterday, I tried to get myself another glass of ice water, and managed to spill it when setting it down. So I then went about trying to clean it up, but not being able to bend over, I had to rely on using my feet to clean it up. Of course I am using a cane for stability, and it slipped on the wet, making me feel like a towel twisted. I cannot reach over to raise the toilet seat, so my cane is doing double duty, lifting, raising, or picking up things I cannot reach.
4) I am quite proud of the fact that today I managed to put 2 items in the dishwasher, close it with soap in there, and get it started. Of course, I had to take a break in the middle of doing everything, as I got really tired, but I did it.
5) We have been walking every evening this week. The first night, we made it a good 100 yards from the house, and came back. The next day we added another 25 yards or so before turning around. My doctor wants me to have a few miles a day under my belt by the time I start PT in 5 weeks. My personal goal is to be walking 10-12 miles a day by October. I would say running or jogging, but I am being realistic.
6) Smoking. Something I had gotten very comfortable with doing the past few years. It was a stress reliever. It was a way to chill out. But it also made my hands and clothes stink. My teeth a constant yellow. My son started pantomiming the action of smoking with anything he could, French fries, crayons, whatever. Wanna feel like a heel? Have your pride and joy mimick smoking around you. I smoked my last one on Sunday, July 22nd, around 2am. I sort of miss them, in that way you miss a headache, a toothache, or a rattle in your car that finally gets fixed.
7) That being said, I don’t want to start replacing smokes with food. Its very easy to do. You’re a smoker and you smoke when you get a lull in activity. Downtime at work, you smoke. Day off and your watching tv doing nothing, smoke. Now that I am a non smoker, it would be really easy to munch on something when down time happens. I should have mentioned earlier, but another goal with my recovery is to loose 50 pounds. Im sitting on 247 now. 253 prior to surgery. So 5 pounds is mainly because I am not very hungry. I think the pain pills have a large hand in that. So encouragement is welcome, and if someone wants a walking partner, a diet buddy or a quitting smoking friend, I am here.
That is enough for now. I will keep you posted.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
T-minus 18 hours and change
so we are presently in the car, heading to Denton to take the baby munkey to his grandparents for at least a few days. One of the things that I picked up for Mrs Ninjamunkey is a cell access card for the mac. That way she can post updates to the web on my surgery, and recovery and such. We are going to plan on a really nice rich dinner tonight, maybe fondue. No food after midnight or I turn into the evil grimlin instead of the cute and cuddley mogwai.
More later!
More later!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Careful what you wish for
Well, so much for working right up to my surgery date. We went to see the doctor yesterday, and found out that I will not be returning to work until after recovery. It wasn’t like I begged or anything. Actually I was planning on working as much as possible and building up a little paycheck to carry us until the disability kicks in, (after 8 days).
The doctor was concerned with a rather disturbing development. You see, I have started to loose my hair. Only not the hair on my head, the hair on my legs. Pretty much the same location on both legs, but the areas that are missing within the last week make me look like a patchwork quilt. Or a sick dog. Not sure which. She was concerned that I was having circulation issues. I wondered if the steroids they had been injecting into my back were causing the issue. Either way, she did not want me to be standing for long periods of time, or lifting anything, or doing much more than laying down a lot, resting and such.
So I am now going to be at home. I figure I have 2 full Tivos and a few binders of DVDs. I also got into the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and that is like 8 books long, each one at least 400 pages.
I think I will also have time to blog a lot more, so if you get sick of reading it, well, hey its keeping me occupied
The doctor was concerned with a rather disturbing development. You see, I have started to loose my hair. Only not the hair on my head, the hair on my legs. Pretty much the same location on both legs, but the areas that are missing within the last week make me look like a patchwork quilt. Or a sick dog. Not sure which. She was concerned that I was having circulation issues. I wondered if the steroids they had been injecting into my back were causing the issue. Either way, she did not want me to be standing for long periods of time, or lifting anything, or doing much more than laying down a lot, resting and such.
So I am now going to be at home. I figure I have 2 full Tivos and a few binders of DVDs. I also got into the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and that is like 8 books long, each one at least 400 pages.
I think I will also have time to blog a lot more, so if you get sick of reading it, well, hey its keeping me occupied
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
relief in sight
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real-Johnny Cash-Hurt
July 10, 2007. Int. Orthopedic surgeon’s office. I am sitting in a chair that feels like it has never been sat in before. The burnt orange vinyl is sticking to the back of my legs, and the copy of Sports Illustrated from 2004 is on my lap. My back and legs feel like I have been hit in the lower back with a baseball bat the size of a small Cadillac.
I get called into an office that could seriously use a professional organizer, or at least someone to take out the trash. There are folders stacked around the room. Some stacks are taller than I am, and leaning in such a way that I am amazed they are actually standing. The lady comes in and apologizes for keeping me waiting. She tells me that with the 4th of July holiday she is way behind. I want to tell her that is no excuse for not calling me back, or not answering her voicemails, but really I just want to get all the scheduling done for my surgery and get out of there.
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real-Johnny Cash-Hurt
July 10, 2007. Int. Orthopedic surgeon’s office. I am sitting in a chair that feels like it has never been sat in before. The burnt orange vinyl is sticking to the back of my legs, and the copy of Sports Illustrated from 2004 is on my lap. My back and legs feel like I have been hit in the lower back with a baseball bat the size of a small Cadillac.
I get called into an office that could seriously use a professional organizer, or at least someone to take out the trash. There are folders stacked around the room. Some stacks are taller than I am, and leaning in such a way that I am amazed they are actually standing. The lady comes in and apologizes for keeping me waiting. She tells me that with the 4th of July holiday she is way behind. I want to tell her that is no excuse for not calling me back, or not answering her voicemails, but really I just want to get all the scheduling done for my surgery and get out of there.
So then she hits me all at once with, we have an opening in less than 2 weeks, so your booked then. The 23rd. She then rattles off 5 appointment date and times for me. 1 test with my regular physician for blood work and a physical. The last real physical I had was conducted by a Army doctor on my way to bootcamp. I am really hoping they don’t ask me to duck walk across the room this time, as I might have to give up. Luckily, they didn’t. The second appointment is for both Mrs. Ninjamunkey and myself with the surgeon and his assistant, going over what to expect during and after the procedure. I am also going to be fitted for a back brace that I assume I will have to wear for a while afterwards. That is coming up tomorrow. The final pre-surgery thing I have to do is give 2 pints of blood to be typed and cross matched so they have it on hand incase they need it.
So I leave the doctors office, fueled with the reality that this surgery is happening. And I started to panic a little bit. We are talking about my spine here, fusing the vertebra together near my hip bone, to allow better strength and pain management. At no point did I hear anything like “all the ice cream you can eat” so it’s a little scary.
My work knows I am going to be out for a while, and I have set up the short term disability paperwork, so I can at least have some money coming in. Of course I asked to use a few vacation days the Saturday and Sunday before surgery so I can spend some time with my family and get things in order, but they could only spare me on Sunday.
My friends have been supportive, asking how they can help, what they can do, what did I need and stuff like that. Sadly, I have a hard time asking for help. Should I be moving, I might ask for assistance after the sofa has fallen off the truck and and is wedged on my head.
So there you have it. I am going under the knife in less than a week. I have spared you the stories of my panic attacks, the anxiety over what might or might not happen, and the tale of how the hair on my legs has suddenly started falling out, which may or may not be due to poor circulation, or medications, or stress. Those are tales for the days that I have coming up. I will spare you the gory details of the surgery and the afterwards, unless requests are made.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
put the lime in the coconut....
Well it was bound to happen, and it did. I had a rhythm going where I could blog on a simi regular basis. I was interesting and had interesting things to say. People around the world looked forward to my musings and could not wait for more. Then, I woke up after life smacked me with that big old hickory stick. So I present for you the past several weeks events, in quick hits style. Hopefully I will not run out of creative juice and be able to add insight.
-Usually the one thing you can say in June in Texas is “eff its hot” well not this year. Instead we have had more rain in the first 6 months than we usually get all year. Towns are floating away, people are floating away, but that damn beer can has been in the yard for a week now, only moving a few inches a day.
-My good friend and fellow Mac guy Devin got hitched. We went to the wedding and partook, partaken, well whatever, we drank the hell out of his open bar. It was a fantastic ceremony with some rain, wind, and kilts all over the place.
-We also helped Devin with his charity event last weekend. Can’t Stop the Serenity is a screening of the movie Serenity, from Firefly the TV series, with lots of fun, games, prizes and lots of people talking about a show that got cancelled on Fox, but still runs in our hearts. The Charity itself is not for the film, that would just be silly, but actually the money goes to equality now, an organization that helps support the right for women world wide to be equal in every way to men, except for the appreciation of the 3 stooges. That is only a man thing.
-As some of you may know, I am a HUGE baseball fan, and a HUGER Texas Ranger fan. Well this year the Rangers are inspiring a “maybe next year” in June. Yeah, that bad, but dammit, I still try to watch as much as I can.
-Some of you also may know that I work for a fruit flavored computer company. Well we have products that have been announced that have made my professional life seem a bit, well, hectic. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but because of my NDA, I can only say
-And finally, I just found out today the root cause of all my back pain for the past year. I apparently have a slipped disk and vertebrae that is compressing on a nerve and that my friends is the cleaned up version. So in just a few short weeks, I will be under going a back fusion surgery. 8 weeks or so recovery time. Sounds exciting huh? Just don’t send me the horror stories about your uncle farmer joe that got that dune….I don’t want to hear about it at this point.
-Usually the one thing you can say in June in Texas is “eff its hot” well not this year. Instead we have had more rain in the first 6 months than we usually get all year. Towns are floating away, people are floating away, but that damn beer can has been in the yard for a week now, only moving a few inches a day.
-My good friend and fellow Mac guy Devin got hitched. We went to the wedding and partook, partaken, well whatever, we drank the hell out of his open bar. It was a fantastic ceremony with some rain, wind, and kilts all over the place.
-We also helped Devin with his charity event last weekend. Can’t Stop the Serenity is a screening of the movie Serenity, from Firefly the TV series, with lots of fun, games, prizes and lots of people talking about a show that got cancelled on Fox, but still runs in our hearts. The Charity itself is not for the film, that would just be silly, but actually the money goes to equality now, an organization that helps support the right for women world wide to be equal in every way to men, except for the appreciation of the 3 stooges. That is only a man thing.
-As some of you may know, I am a HUGE baseball fan, and a HUGER Texas Ranger fan. Well this year the Rangers are inspiring a “maybe next year” in June. Yeah, that bad, but dammit, I still try to watch as much as I can.
-Some of you also may know that I work for a fruit flavored computer company. Well we have products that have been announced that have made my professional life seem a bit, well, hectic. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but because of my NDA, I can only say
-And finally, I just found out today the root cause of all my back pain for the past year. I apparently have a slipped disk and vertebrae that is compressing on a nerve and that my friends is the cleaned up version. So in just a few short weeks, I will be under going a back fusion surgery. 8 weeks or so recovery time. Sounds exciting huh? Just don’t send me the horror stories about your uncle farmer joe that got that dune….I don’t want to hear about it at this point.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I have a question for you....
You know those questions that people around the world ask, that everyone has to answer one way or the other? Questions that sum up a persons stance based solely on their answer. For example:
“Paper or Plastic?”
“Chevy or Ford?”
“Coke or Pepsi?”
Well today I am going to answer one of those questions.
“Mac or Windows?”
I actually get asked that question quite a bit in my line of work. Neighbors, family, friends, clients, that guy that throws the paper, the mailman,…well you see how it can be.
My answer was always a hedge, a waffle. I could list the benefits of both platforms. I used both platforms, daily.
I went out yesterday and purchased a copy of Windows XP professional, for a clients machine I was working on. 299.99. It was necessary, so I choked it up and bought it. I went to install it, and the factors to install it were pretty simple, but then I got to the registration. You see, you plug in the CD license key, a 16 digit number that makes your install legal. Then, well you call Microsoft and get another key, something like 25 digits,to show that not only is your software legal, its activated as well. And you give them all your information so they know who bought what. If for some reason your hard drive crashes, and you put in another one, you install windows, activate the key from the cd, then activate the windows by calling again, and begging for another key, because your machine broke.
To me there is a trust factor there. Microsoft trusts that your going to buy the software. They know you have to have it. Then they trust you to use your license key from the packaging, because otherwise, the installation will not start. Then they trust you will call and activate that software, otherwise a small grimlin will jump out of your fan in 30 days and uninstall your pictures and music. Or so I hear.
I really am getting to my point. When you buy Mac OS on disk, its 129.00. When you buy it, its activated. When you install it, it asks your name, and then it can send stuff back to Apple, or you can choose to register now, later, or never.
So macs trust you o use the software on one machine, but the ability to install on several is there. Windows, not so much.
I choose Mac. They are to a point now that anything you can do on a PC running windows, you can do on a Mac. Now Macs can even run windows, with the help of Parallels software, or using Apple’s Bootcamp software.
Of course if you install Parallels and Bootcamp at the same time and want to see which you like better, you have to install a copy of XP. Then you have to call Microsoft and get 2 license keys, but they will only give you one. See installing it in 2 different locations on the same machine, they see that as installing it twice, and want you to pony up with another 300 bucks.
So Hi, Im a Mac.
“Paper or Plastic?”
“Chevy or Ford?”
“Coke or Pepsi?”
Well today I am going to answer one of those questions.
“Mac or Windows?”
I actually get asked that question quite a bit in my line of work. Neighbors, family, friends, clients, that guy that throws the paper, the mailman,…well you see how it can be.
My answer was always a hedge, a waffle. I could list the benefits of both platforms. I used both platforms, daily.
I went out yesterday and purchased a copy of Windows XP professional, for a clients machine I was working on. 299.99. It was necessary, so I choked it up and bought it. I went to install it, and the factors to install it were pretty simple, but then I got to the registration. You see, you plug in the CD license key, a 16 digit number that makes your install legal. Then, well you call Microsoft and get another key, something like 25 digits,to show that not only is your software legal, its activated as well. And you give them all your information so they know who bought what. If for some reason your hard drive crashes, and you put in another one, you install windows, activate the key from the cd, then activate the windows by calling again, and begging for another key, because your machine broke.
To me there is a trust factor there. Microsoft trusts that your going to buy the software. They know you have to have it. Then they trust you to use your license key from the packaging, because otherwise, the installation will not start. Then they trust you will call and activate that software, otherwise a small grimlin will jump out of your fan in 30 days and uninstall your pictures and music. Or so I hear.
I really am getting to my point. When you buy Mac OS on disk, its 129.00. When you buy it, its activated. When you install it, it asks your name, and then it can send stuff back to Apple, or you can choose to register now, later, or never.
So macs trust you o use the software on one machine, but the ability to install on several is there. Windows, not so much.
I choose Mac. They are to a point now that anything you can do on a PC running windows, you can do on a Mac. Now Macs can even run windows, with the help of Parallels software, or using Apple’s Bootcamp software.
Of course if you install Parallels and Bootcamp at the same time and want to see which you like better, you have to install a copy of XP. Then you have to call Microsoft and get 2 license keys, but they will only give you one. See installing it in 2 different locations on the same machine, they see that as installing it twice, and want you to pony up with another 300 bucks.
So Hi, Im a Mac.
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