Music

Been thinking about the people in Oklahoma, lost lives, homes and businesses reduced to sticks and bricks. Miracles of people living through it, pets found..and lost. People losing everything, having to start over from scratch. Kind of puts things in perspective. I think over the last few months I've managed to lose that perspective, that look up out of the herd mentality. Been focusing more on my foot than looking past it, at life, because it's still racing by. I've managed to misplace my sense of humor as well. It's likely hiding behind my mad place.

A friend of mine suggested that I turn to music. Music has always been very healing for me, motivation when needed, as well as comforting. So in my spare time that's what I have been doing, expanding my music collection, organizing it, listening to it, etc. It really as made a difference.

Lunch with my little ten month old granddaughter was awesome. I am just amazed at her personality, it's developing daily. And she learns so fast as well. We confirmed today that she likes strawberry ice cream..Watched her remove the lid from her treats can by hooking her bottom teeth on the lid (picture a container that looks like a can of Pringles). She then proceeded to dump out the entire can so she could get some treats..hilarious!! The kid is already foraging for food.

Speaking of food, took a moment today to enjoy a chew of red licorice..Don't usually eat much candy though you wouldn't know it from looking at me. Sometimes it's the simple things....

Day 62 of captivity, Tornado Tracks

This is day 62 of my captivity. I am resigned to the fact that I will be off my feet for another month so there's no use whining about it. As I've said before that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. As for a second opinion I am going to hold off until the 90 day mark and see what happens. If the doc tells me I need surgery I will definitely get another look at it.


Reading about the Moore tornado, did you know they've had two tornadoes in the last 14 years, over virtually the same track??

I see Orrin Hatch and the Gang of Eight have moved the Amnesty program closer to reality. Figures Hatch would sell out, he has on everything else...I said on Facebook that he was a douchebag. I've met him in public, what a pompous ass. Then again I think they all are at that level.

Need to get back to listening to music, that has always calmed my soul. It takes me to a better place.

Ta for now...

Another month, are you kidding me??!!

Well that certainly wasn't what I had expected today. I expected to be released to be walking on my right foot. Instead I got more techno speak. The x-rays show that the fracture might have gone all the way through, but it is healing. And then he admits that the films may not show the entire story. Today was the first time I heard that he might have to do surgery anyway. May have to do a bone graft...Where the hell did that come from?? Bone graft??!!?? How much does that cost?? This is the exact nightmare I hoped to avoid with my insurance, as the first $6000 basically will come out of my pocket.

So what does it mean? I'm forced to be off my foot for another month...period...yeah for me. Up shit's creek without a paddle for 30 more days. At this point I'm not even sure what to say. Do I drop another $500 for a second opinion? And what would it achieve. I suspect they'd tell me the same thing. That being said, is that my answer?

And to add insult to injury my email took a shit tonight, and all of my old emails are now gone. Sure, why not..

Well it's not going to do any good to whine and bitch about it, it is what it is.. You'll forgive me if I'm not the happiest of sorts or am around much...or not...I don't care...

Two months ago today I broke my foot...

And what a journey it has been. I've been to some dark places in my mind,  places that I don't care to revisit any time soon. Have had to depend on the kindness and care of others way too much. Not my way. Been pretty vocal about it, much more so than I would have guessed, but it has helped some. The sitting has been a large part of the problem. It's all I seem to do. That and ask other people to do stuff.


I've also discovered some other things along the way:

Pain pills for me are useless.
That I have more patience than I thought I had.
That I can accept assistance from others, it's ok.
That I miss geocaching and am going to start doing it again once I can walk.
The remake of Battlestar Galactica (all 76 episodes) is AWESOME. Netflix rocks!!!
My desk is cleaner and I've never been further ahead in my work.
It is possible to cook while standing on one foot, but not much fun.
While it's possible to go for two months without driving, it sucks.
Grandkid visits can and do improve my mood.
Sometimes when I'm alone I like to model funny women's hats.

Ok the last line is bullshit, but I thought I'd see if you were reading the entire blog..

A fire is an ugly thing..

In case you haven't heard, Matt and Dani were involved in a fire last night. They live in a basement apartment underneath a bakery (that has been closed for some time). The landlords were there about an hour earlier, making a bunch of noise upstairs. Then Matt and Dani smelled smoke and got out. They called 911, while grabbing diapers and baby food. The Fire Department was there quickly and got the fire out post haste. That's the good news. The bad news is that the resulting smoke and water damage totaled their apartment and all their belongings. They literally got out with the clothes on their back.

I called the Red Cross today and got them a small bit of help. Friends and family are rallying to provide household items. Rebuilding will be a long slow process. Imagine starting over, with what's on your back and what is in your vehicle. That's it.

I'm looking towards the future, don't think that they can move back into this place but that means they'll have to find another place to live, come up with deposits, etc. Not sure how to make it happen.

Seems randomly coincidental that the landlords just happened to be there an hour before the fire broke out. And that they are trying to sell the property but haven't had any luck in a number of months. And that every time the cops or firemen talked to Matt or Dani the landlord was right on top of the conversation. Will be interesting to see what comes from the investigation. Look up the term Jewish Lightning..very interesting..

Switching gears....I read a piece on how gun owners need to compromise, need to accept change, need to meet somewhere in the middle. Obviously the author decided to ignore history in this country. Gun owner's have been giving up gun rights for over 100 years. Do the homework. But, typically, it's "live in the moment" when it comes to these kinds of things. Makes them "easier" to digest. Why does part of America blame the instrument, instead of the person? Because it's easier.

Want to make these kinds of atrocities we're seeing in America go away? Quit talking about the people who commit them. Discontinue putting their names, motivations, agendas, etc out ad nauseum in the media. They enjoy being in the limelight, love the attention. Don't give it to them. Try them speedily, hand out the death sentences, carry them out. I'm talking in like 30 days, start to finish. Then move on....period...Don't want to do it, don't want to get blood on your hands, call me. I KNOW I can find enough real Americans to make it happen. There are a lot of us that are tired of being shit on because we are Americans. Now that we've shown the world that we are weak, they figure they can run right over us.Think about it. Do the math. We send aid to many countries that HATE us. WHY???

Ok, enough for one day...

Don't let the screen door hit ya, where the good Lord split ya..

Today was a good day Tater! Warning Foul Language...lol

Had lunch at the Habit Hamburger Grill with my beautiful granddaughter and an old friend.

Awesome all the way around.

Days like this lately have been few and far between for me. This broken foot has pushed me into some pretty dark places. I've also been second guessing whether I should have spent the money on the surgery and hoped it fixed it without any long term effects.

Without the help of my friends and family (you know who you are) it would have been much worse. I think I'm starting to understand some of this, to understand why I've been going through this dark times. It's given me a much better understanding of how debilitating it can be to have a health condition that affects virtually every minute of your life, including making me dependent on others for something as simple as transportation.

Again, yes, I do understand that there are many others who are much worse off than me. You don't need to remind me of that, nor do you need to tell me it will get better, thank you very much.

Tried my hand at a Chicken Pot Pie tonight but with no crust. Cream of chicken and mushroom soup, sour cream, celery, peas and carrots, diced chicken and spices...Flaky layered biscuits cooked on top of the mixture. Very tasty if I say so myself. Not a dish I'd make all the time but a great change of pace.

Going tomorrow to buy the food for Angels Hands with my buddy Kent. Sounds like we're going to have a smaller group than last year, and the weather looks dicey. We'll see. Can't control the attendance or the weather so there's no reason to worry over it.

I can't explain it, but this pisses me off. It was ok for the rest of the audience to get wet, but not Obama??

And it's not about labels, it's about being a world leader and appearing weak.

It's about time someone..anyone in our government strap on a pair and start acting like a true American.

My job..Oh, and by the way..CAN'T means Won't

Wow, busy day at work today. Everything was a crisis, needed to be done yesterday...And I loved it!!!

I am a Senior Project Engineer in the Information Technology department of Union Pacific. Frankly I think they use the Senior title because I'm old...lol...I manage large IT projects in my AOR (area of responsibility), which is the Utah, Denver and Idaho Service units. Essentially that's the Idaho Canadian border to Las Vegas, from Elko to Salina Kansas, along with some of Wyoming thrown in as well. Laptops, desktops, Multi function devices, copiers, printers, our group manages them all. We manage  the entire replacement cycle of these devices, and ensure that they fulfill what the user's need to do their jobs. Our group also gets projects from time to time, usually that have to be hands on and local, and always difficult. We have a reputation for getting them done, on time, and under budget.

I also oversee all computer peripheral requests for the entire company, as well as a portion of the toner and inkjet cartridge requests as well. I work with everyone from senior staff to laborers and everyone in between. In addition to all of this, I am very blessed, I LOVE what I do. You should also know that Union Pacific is a great company to work for, despite the fact that it can be difficult to get hired by them. I worked as a contractor for two years, no vacation, no benefits waiting to get hired.

Put some more weight on my foot today. Got the pins and needles feeling all over, didn't really hurt.

Sadly I will be missing the latest Star Trek movie opening, but not sad that I won't be around the crowds. In my state of mind I'm not likely to be nice to people, especially when they're rude. It's likely I will be quite rude right back at them.

Why do people ask for advice, get carefully thought out answers and then decide not to use it...And do it over and over and over? Seriously. I am going to stop giving advice and counsel, in particular when they ask for it. For me, it's like wrestling with a pig. Both of you get dirty, and it pisses the pig off...

Final thought...And when someone say that they can't, it really means that they won't.