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.

Oh MAI!! - Survivor Spoiler...

Had a KILLER lunch today at Oh Mai with Tiff and Opal.  Today I had the V1 Honey Glazed Pork Bun Thit Nuong, “Start with fresh romaine lettuce, bean sprouts. Then chilled rice noodles with your choice of meat. Sided with house-made pickled carrots & daikon, and cucumbers. Topped with crispy shallots, oiled scallions and roasted crushed peanuts, garnished with mint. And served with a side of chili-lime fish vinaigrette.” I will say this, get there early or there won't be any parking and you 'll be standing in line..yeah, it's THAT good.

http://www.ohmaisandwich.com/

Three weeks ago I sent a task to a co-worker which would take them five minutes to accomplish. It’s their area , that’s why I didn’t just do it. Still hasn’t been done, and the user and their managers are coming to me to find out why. Moral dilemma – throw this person under bus to our boss, the user/managers or both? LOL…Wait, I just found more work that hasn’t been done by the same person…yarg… I can’t even fathom that kind of lack of work ethic. If you're going to do a job, do it well, do it right the first time. You're not entitled to that job, you earn it each and every day. Quality companies depend on quality people.

Put some more weight on my busted foot today, doesn’t feel too bad. Getting some strange pains around my big toe, completely on the other side of the foot that was broke, don’t know what that’s about. Don’t think I’ll walk on it until after I go see the Voodoo Witch Dr. next Monday. If I had to pick one thing that I miss the most over the last two months it's the simple task of driving myself somewhere. Anywhere...Being dependent on others just plain sucks...

I don't think I commented about the Daily Goods grocery delivery. On-time, completely accurate and perfect produce. Hard to argue with. www.dailygoods.com

OMFG I just watched the season finale of Survivor..Way to Go Cochran!! You deserved to win it all the way! Truth be told, I'm glad I had dvr'ed so I could ff past all the bullshit and reused video. Only way to fly. Started watching a series n Netflix called Copper, I highly suggest it.. Many thanks to Opal Bates for suggesting it, else I wouldn't have found it.

Did I mention I hate this frigging heat...yes..ok good.

Fairly typical Monday

Work was steady, not hectic and certainly not dead. Never know what to expect on Mondays, but that's one of the reasons I love my job. More problems? Great! Bring them to me! Need something figure out? No problem I will take care of it for you. Just don't bore me, and don't be an idiot. That's all I ask. I do not suffer fools gladly. Do not keep doing the same broke ass thing you're doing and expect it to eventually work.

The heat certainly is not welcome in my book, especially mid May..Mid 90's??!!Thankfully it's not going to last long, at least according to the weathermen. Can't wait for Saturday and the Angels Hands Kite Fly!!! Sun, Kites, Hot Dogs and lots of kids. Should be a BLAST!!


Started putting some weight on my right foot today without the boot. No real pain to speak of, though I am not walking on it yet. Still stretching and rotating the ankle as well to keep a good range of motion in it. The countdown continues. Six more days till I go see the quack.

Update on the statement I got from a medical provider that included a charge from January 2012. "Oh we must have missed that so we'll write it off" Yeah, after I called you and told you that A. I don't pay from statements and B. I don't pay charges that are 18 months old and not listed on last  year's insurance charges (yeah, it's like that, I keep those kinds of records). They sure wouldn't have said anything if we'd actually paid that extra $150. Assholes.


Been reading a lot about Detroit and the financial mess it's in. They've already had a mass exodus of people and if the city declares bankruptcy how many more will leave? The city deals with 48 different unions...smh...One can't help but wonder if Detroit isn't going to be another Hostess, brought down by really poor management along with crushing debt. And what happens to all the people? Do they flood to surrounding states? More to follow on that I am sure.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/report-detroits-finances-crumbling-future-bleak-19165388

90 degrees....mid May??!! This just sucks out loud...

Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come this Summer. Then again, why the hell not. Might as well be miserable in more ways than one eh?

What really concerns me is how this foot is going to affect me the rest of the year. I've been so focused on my One Foot Funk that I haven't given it much thought. The next two events are covered, Angels Hands and the Ronald McDonald House, but what about after that? I can't keep depending on others. Something I am going to have to resolve fairly quickly is how to drive. That may actually be as simple as taking the boot off and driving, then putting the boot on when I get somewhere. That doesn't solve how to get the knee scooter from the car to me, but I have a few ideas. I've mastered stairs, though it's extremely tiring to go up more than five or six stairs at a time.

This week will likely be one of the hardest yet. To tell you the truth, not sure how I am going to get through it. Sorry, don't mean for this to turn into another WLB post.

If you read my blog yesterday you know that Mother's Day doesn't do much for me, so it was pretty low key today. Even managed to squeeze in a 2 hour nap. I prefer to sleep with the boot on, mostly for protection. Also it reminds me when I get up to not walk on it..

Put together a proposal for work to change the way we handle certain types of computer peripherals for laptops, we'll see where it goes. Could save the company a lot of money if they are willing to at least take a look at it. Right now we use brand specific peripherals, and I am suggesting making the transition to a generic device that could be swapped from one make of laptop to the next, eliminating the need to replace them each time the laptop is replaced.

 Placed another grocery order from www.dailygoods.com today, as usual I used their website. Very easy to use, you can even look at previous orders and include some or all of those items in your current order. HINT...The produce is fabulous, and I am VERY picky. I found out why. When they pick my order, they pull the produce from the stuff that is so fresh it hasn't been put out yet, not the stuff that's been pawed through by the public. If you'd like more info pls let me know. I mostly use them for produce, dairy and the sales they have each week. They do a GREAT job. My order is 100% correct every time I order.

Check out this great video by Anthony from Daily Goods...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BeEi-dq7Y4

Here's to trying to have a decent attitude this week, and at least getting to Throat Punch Thursday without killing or maiming someone...Just kidding...kind of..

Yeah, not going to be a real popular blog..

Mother’s Day..Not much of a day for me really. My mom passed a number of years ago, we were never really close. And she wasn’t much of a mother..Now to be fair, she didn’t drink or do drugs, she didn’t beat me or anything like that. I suppose I should be grateful for that. She just wasn’t much involved in my life, even when I was a kid.  She did have a bad habit of telling us kids that we were nobody, and would never amount to anything, I always loved to hear that. Always had a roof over my head, and food on the table, and that was about it from her. I’m not bitter, nor happy or sad about it, it is what it is. She did steal a car from me when my brother died and gave it to her brother, never really forgave her for that.
I’ve never really said much of this out loud, certainly not in one place, but felt like it was time to say something. I can honestly say that it has made me a better parent, as I vowed not to be like her. Interesting how that works, isn’t it. And I know I have made a HUGE amount of mistakes raising my kids, that’s a given. To me, it’s a crime if you don’t learn from your mistakes.  But throughout it all I’ve tried to be a better parent and person. So I guess in the long run she did teach me something.

Mother’s Day Flashback, 1971, I was ten years old, and we lived in an old farmhouse five miles from the nearest town (Plymouth Indiana, outside of South Bend).  The tornado watches and warnings had been going on all day in the counties around us. Then we heard on the radio one was possibly headed our way so the entire family went to the basement.  After sitting there for a while I decided I needed to see what was going on so I slipped up the stairs and outside. Not long after that the tornado went through a huge cucumber field that was across the street from our house. I was probably 300 yards away from it. It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen, then and now. I will never forget it.

Don’t usually put an entry into the Facebook giveaways but Caputo’s had one this week for some of their high end chocolates, and I won a 12 piece assortment. Picked them up today and had a Muffaletta sandwich, was a GREAT lunch!

Friday's Follies

I haven’t had much time to think today, finishing up a very busy work week. Not sure what it is, but this week had really been hectic and filled with dealing with minor problems that take up a bunch of time with little to show for the time invested.

Happy Mother’s day weekend, hope you’re doing something fun for a Mom in your life! I won a set of chocolates from Caputo's today, so I am getting someone to drive me their tomorrow, can't wait to have a sandwich there for lunch.

Angels Hands Kite Fly is next weekend. We’ll cook 500+ hotdogs for Angels Hands kids and families. All these kids want is a day to be “normal” , fly a kite, eat a hot dog, get some sun and just BE. Some local Kite flyers will be there, from small to HUGE kites. They even make some Angels Hands kites for the kids! I live for these events. They feed my soul and help me recharge. Frankly that’s a big part of what’s getting me through right now, looking forward to these events.

The Ronald McDonald House is the weekend after that. Once a month a group of my friends and I get together and cook a dinner for the families and sick kids that are staying there. This time we’re cooking Breakfast, should be interesting. This is another event that I really look forward to each month. We pay for the food out of our pocket, but have enough people cooking so it’s not a huge financial burden.

Be nice to someone this weekend who doesn't expect it. Put a smile on someone's face. Just do it.

Amazing day today...

Had an amazing day today. A friend picked me up for lunch at the Habit Hamburger Grill. We actually met the owner and he’s onboard to help with some of our charity projects. My buddy owns a Chevy SSR, which like a pickup on steroids, the top comes off and stows automatically behind the seat.  So we drove from Farmington to SLC, stopped at the NPS store, then IFA, all the while in the sun.  I could feel myself soaking in the sun, it was glorious. I have been told I need to take Vitamin D by some people because I don’t get enough sun, and frankly I had blown it off. Now methinks there’s something to this..I will have to get outside more.

And it’s always a joyous day when I get to see my grandkids, today it was the baby, Morgan, or Morgi as I like to call her. At ten months old she can walk on her own from 4-10 feet, waves and says bye by. I taught her a game tonight, showing her a small object then hiding it in one of my hands, she usually would pick the wrong hand, but then opened up my other hand to get the prize. Then she would give it back to me to play again..hilarious..

I am sad that I am missing the Riverview Junior High Ninth Grade Dutch oven cookoff tomorrow. I have judged for a number of year and never missed until tomorrow. Couldn't be avoided but I am bummed about it... My Dad was in the Army, so we moved every two to three years, but I actually attended that school so it's near and dear to my heart.

Not much here today, just trying to make sense of it all.

Another interesting day of introspection today. Like I’ve said before being off my feet has given me both thte time and inclination. Some days a person can be their own worst critic..That’s me lately. Not sure why..Also I keep running in my head over and over when I broke my foot.  Walking down a small flight of stairs and I roll my foot on the landing?? Where’s the sense in that? I was actually trying to help someone, where’s the fairness in that?? I guess it’s too much to try to understand it..Doesn't hardly seem fair, but then if someone told you life was fair they were lying to you. Not complaining here, just trying to make some sense of it all..

Also, I’m trying to be positive, and maybe do something nice for someone each day. Maybe it’s a kind word, a compliment or in some cases a good deed. I am hoping this will help keep me out of the One Foot Funk. I dunno..

 

Not much else to report right now

How much does a broken foot cost?

What does a broken foot cost? So far around $600. What a crock of shit… For absolutely nothing..Wait, that’s not entirely true. Some of it’s for the knee scooter, it’s been a Godsend to have. I swear I am getting flat spots on my ass. I should note that I am extremely grateful for all the help that has been extended to me. You know who you are and I love you for it!

I had an interesting conversation with a vendor today. I had ordered a laser printer for one of my locations in Denver, but was having it delivered to another location so my Techs could install it at their own pace. The vendor delivered it to a completely different (and wrong) location and proceeded to try to say it wasn’t their fault… Speaking of fault, not a word back from Papa Murphy’s about the problems encountered there on Saturday. This lack of customer care and service isn’t industry indicative, it apparently is widespread.  I just don’t understand it. I treat the people I interact with at work like they are customers, and for the most part get that courtesy in return.

 Is customer service dead? No, I don’t think so, but like common courtesy and respect it is severely lacking in the world today. More would be served by saying please and thank you. When I use those terms in public people look at me like I have a third eye, why is that? If I tell someone they look nice I get the look that says they think I am creepy. No, I wasn’t hitting on you, just telling you that you look nice, that’s all. And why is it when I ask to see the manager the employees get all freaky? The majority of the time it’s to let them know that their employee did a great job! Yes, I do give positive feedback, not that you’d know it after reading all my bitching on here. And whatever happened to people being considerate? Any more it seems people are all about themselves, instead of giving something back, even if it’s a little thing, like letting someone go ahead of you in line.

Obama’s Comments..verbatim..

“Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They’ll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can’t be trusted.”

This is the same president that said that the Constitution can interfere with government as well… And the statement above is the garbage that’s spilling out of his mouth to our youth. Make no mistake, the battle for America rages on.

“We have a press that has been unwilling to report anything critical of the Obama administration.  You have a growing number of high school graduates who have a growing ignorance of the Constitution, our Founders and Civics in general… yes we should be concerned.

 Educate yourself, have a healthy amount of skepticism and realize that a growing government with a complacent press IS a threat to freedom.” Not my words, but well spoken…

Peace...

Sunday??

Not really too much to blog about today, been a very laidback day. Got up early, then went back to bed for a while.  Got some work done and then worked on exercising my ankle. Two weeks from tomorrow is the next deadline. Made breakfast for dinner. Spent a fair amount of time without the boot on today, pretty strange actually, the leg feels pretty naked without it, not to mention unprotected.

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about my earlier years. I am an Army brat, so I’ve lived on a number of different bases, some of them are gone now.  Even several of the bases I was at when I was in the Navy are gone. I’ve lived everywhere from Monterey California  to Stuttgart Germany, from Augusta Georgia to South Bend Indiana. Makes me kind of sad.  Still, I wouldn’t change any of it. Living in Germany was incredible. My mom was a castle nut, so we visited a lot of castles.
Naval Training Center in San Diego (where I was in Boot Camp) is gone, now it’s an industrial development. Fort Ord California is gone as well I lived there as a teenager. Treasure Island CA (Navy duty) is basically closed as well…Patch and Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart Germany (lived there as a kid) are still there, still can see some videos on Youtube of them.  We lived in Germany when it was almost five Marks (German dollars) to the dollar. It was cheaper to go out to eat on the Economy in some cases than buy groceries at the PX.  I was learning German in school from a German national, it was amazing. Then I tried to take German when we came back to the states and was told that I had an accent by an American instructor..hilarious…

Well the bills are starting to roll in on my foot. Today I owe about $500 for services billed to date.  That’s three doctor visits, two sets of X-rays and some cheap pain meds that I ended up throwing away. And people wonder why the medical system in this country is broken. Now bear in mind neither doctor did anything, other than say “Yup, it’s broken, stay off of it”. And those charges do not include the knee scooter either. Of course, surgery would have been almost $8,000, so I’ve got that going for me.

Sorry about the blog post last night. I was fighting with Google, who was telling me that no one was reading it, when I knew damn well they were. Evidently that has been fixed.

Really feeling the need to get out, maybe go to Pirate O’s and Trader Joes… never hurts to feed my inner foodie… Wonder what other trouble I could get into on one foot.

One “good “ side of this, at least I am sleeping decently. I was concerned I’d get up in the middle of the night, get out of bed and walk on my bad foot, so I sleep with the boot on.  I thought it would be a major problem to sleep in the boot. Not so little duck, hasn’t been a problem so far. And when I do wake up the extra weight from the boot reminds me.  Interesting, because I think it weighs more than the cast did, but I can take it off unlike a cast so that’s a bonus.

Still having trouble sitting for long periods of time. I just don’t know how people do it. The time just seems to drag on and on, even when I’m working. Thank God I am still working. My work has never been more caught up, my desk has never been cleaner. Some processes have been eliminated and some created and it’s really helped.  Haven’t been able to do many site visits, but they’re slow right now anyway so it’s not a factor. I have my work planned out through the end of the year.

Seventeen days until I see the Voodoo Witch Doctor again. I have made up my mind that I’m not going to go another month without walking on this foot. Two months is plenty. I have been religious about staying off of it, taking calcium supplements and sitting on my ass. I’ve also been doing stretching and range of motion exercises on my right ankle to keep the mobility in it. It’s just about back to being the same as my left ankle. 

Papa Murphy’s…Once a year they do a Taco Pizza. So I ordered two pizzas and some cheese bread today online at Noon, paid for it the whole nine yards. My daughter Tiffany goes to pick them up at 4 pm.  Not only are they not ready, they look at her like she’s got a third eye. One pizza is a Taco and one is a cheese with Canadian Bacon.  Both are supposed to be Family size. First they try to hand her a Canadian Bacon pizza..no cheese..Are you kidding me? So they fix it, then try to charge her for the pizza’s. I ORDERED THEM ONLINE!!!

Tiff brings me the pizza. They’re the wrong size, smaller than I paid for.  So we call them and the Assistant Manager basically calls Tiff a liar. Then tells her that they built the correct size pizza. Since they’re both Family size, shouldn’t they be the same size??!! Well they weren’t. So BACK to Papa Murphy’s she goes, where they have now made the correct size pizza. Here’s my bitch.. I ordered online…FOUR HOURS in advance, including paying for it. ALL they had to do was make two pizzas correctly, and on-time.  And yet they still couldn’t manage to pull it off.  I will say however, that the pizza was pretty darn good.

Another not so bad day today.

Received a wonderful get well package from a friend, Elizabeth Lehner. We met a long time ago while I was doing the radio show, and became friends. I treasure her friendship and love. Go check out a website called www.cheryls.com.

A visit from my granddaughter always help s pick up my spirits. She can walk kind of) on her own. She can stand on her own as long as she doesn’t look around, when she does down she goes on her butt.  She continues to become much more cognizant of her surroundings and can even say bye bye… Still manages to put everything in her mouth that she finds. Also prefers to play with the cat toys, I have no idea what that is about. 

Got a care package today in the mail from Better Than Bullion. I had written some recipe ideas and compliments on their facebook page, they responded and said that they wanted me to pick out five flavors from their Base line. I chose Lobster, Chili, Vegetable, Ham and Mushroom Base. Wonderful to cook with, adds a very nice dimension to a recipe. I have no idea how I will use the Lobster Base though, that may be a challenge.

I am so excited, I have such a huge weekend planned.  First I’m going to..er..wait, can’t do that. Ok then if I can’t do that I’ll go ahead and ..no…can’t do that either..Fine. Nevermind.

Governor, you're an idiot.

Not much to report today.

I am still pissed off and insulted by what the governor said today about improving our air quality in Utah. Get a better gas can and lawn mower??! What about all the industry in Utah that is polluting our air? Oh wait, they fund his election campaign, that’s right…This guy doesn’t have a clue. He had a chance today to make a difference and took the easy way out by blaming you and I.

Started the planning for Angels Hands Kite fly on May 18th. Yes it’s early and yes I am OCD about planning, but by the time the event actually gets here, it should all be over but the event, if that makes any sense. Last year we ran out of food (not my fault) so this year I am over cooking food. If necessary we’ll send some folks home with the additional food. We always have plenty of people to help and I am grateful for that.

Been exercising my right ankle, trying to keep the range of motion up. Seems to be working, have almost as much in the right ankle as in the left ankle. Most of the dragon skin (callous) on my leg from where the cast rubbed on it is gone. I've also noticed that if I'm on the knee scooter for an extended period of time my hands get sore. Nothing to write home about, just something I noticed.

Been doing some more cooking on the Induction station. Have been trying the max sear setting for steaks and chops, then dialing down the power (and therefore temperature) to finish cooking them, works very nicely. The cookware seems to be holding up well, deglazes perfectly when the meat is cooked. It is a huge advantage to be able to dial a consistent temperature in..makes repeating a dish very simple. It does have a fan inside it that makes a bit of a racket, but that is way overshadowed by the rest of the features. Still a nightmare to try to balance on a knee scooter or a chair, but it's offset by helping me stay sane.

See, they're not all whiny little bitch posts.... 

Smokin' Bones...sucked.

Been waiting for a while for this new bbq restaurant in Bountiful to open called Smokin Bones. They finally opened about a week ago. All the comments on Facebook have been very positive including saying that they are selling out of their food each day…Sounds great, doesn’t it?! So Tiffany, Dani and I go over at 11 am, when they open. Walk in the door..Sign says “out of ribs”!!! Are you shitting me? a bbq place that’s out of ribs…when they open?? Owner says that the meat that was delivered was frozen and unusable..sigh..ok..Give me the brisket, side of beans and coleslaw. Their bbq sauce was just ok, and the brisket was greasy and chewy.  Absolutely no taste to the coleslaw or the beans. The coleslaw sauce is vinegar based, but you can’t taste the vinegar. The cornbread was drier than a popcorn fart. Long story short, $35 for three people to have lunch there, won’t be going back.

I’m trying to figure out if I’m an asshole magnet or just being more cognizant of what’s going on around me when I’m in public because I’m either on the knee scooter or on an electric wheelchair. There I was, driving through Walmart on one of their carts, minding my own business.  People running their carts into me, cutting me off while I am following Tiffany who’s helping me shop..So I can say yes, the assholes that shop at Costco also evidently shop at Walmart. Not necessarily scientific, but applicable.

It’s now being determined that fireworks were used for the commission of that horrible crime in Boston.  Where are the anti-gun people at on this??!! When a gun is used in the commission of an atrocity the cry goes out across America to ban guns. Why aren’t these same people who blame guns blaming fireworks??!! In my mind it’s EXACTLY the same thing. But there isn’t an outcry… Why?  

The Angels Hands Kite Fly is in 2.5 weeks. Initially I had cancelled my participation as I’ve been in a pretty dark place with this freaking foot.  But I’ve come to realize I want and need to be there. Won’t be able to do much, but then again I’m told all I do is stand there and give instructions anyway…..

Survivor sucked tonight…

Yes, it certainly feels like a Tuesday.

 
My freaking foot is killing me and I have no idea why. The arrogant Dr. that’s “treating” me said there “shouldn’t” be any pain at this stage, well guess what doc, you’re flat wrong.  But the pain isn’t where I would expect it to be, it’s in the arch of my foot..oh well who knows…

One benefit to this journey, I have never been further caught up on my work, nor has my desk ever been cleaner.. All of my filing is caught up as well. I have reworked some of my processes to improve them and doing some project planning for the rest of the year.

Trying to see some of the good in this, because if I don't I'll go crazy. I am starting to cook more, just can't stay out of the kitchen. Tough cooking while sitting on a chair, but it works.

Nothing much going on, so I'll leave it at that.  Hey, they're not all award winners. 

Dirtbags at Costco

A little bit better today. Went to the Habit Hamburger Grill and introduced my daughter Tiffany to their fabulous food. Although it’s still a major pain in the ass getting up those $@#%@#$^% stairs. Tiff and I blazed through Costco spending almost $200 in under 20 minutes. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I’ve decided that the people that are assholes in the stores apply it equally to everyone, even those of us who are “challenged” for lack of a better term. I especially loved the douche bag who decided that he didn’t need to wait in line with all of us great unwashed while we waiting to be checked out at the door. He obviously was MUCH more important than the rest of us. Glad the Costco gal nabbed him..I thought about throat punching him, would have definitely made me feel better.

Been spending some of my time rethinking my processes for work.  It helps to examine how I do certain things, decide if the process needs work or adjustment and then put those ideas into place. I’ve discovered a few processes to tweak, and the side benefit is that for that time I don’t think about my foot. Interesting how that works….

Set my next appointment with the Voodoo Witch Doctor for another look at my foot. Three more weeks of this bullshit hopping around on one leg stuff. Can’t wait for the next set of excuses about why I can’t walk on it. That will make over two months off my feet. At that appointment unless he can give me a concrete reason why I shouldn’t, I’m going to start rehabbing it myself.

My right ankle seems to be atrophying somewhat so I’m doing some range of motion exercises with it each day. Hurts like hell but I think it’s important to keep it loose. I plan on walking and walking and walking once I can do so.

I am starting to realize why I have been so angry over this, I’ve never been injured like this before. I did break both of my wrists a number of years ago, but that didn’t stop me from doing everything, including cooking and driving.  The level of anger and frustration is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before and it’s been difficult to deal with it. In fact, that’s why I’ve been documenting it here.  Somehow I feel better when I write it down. It’s a much better forum here than being a whiney bitch on Facebook.

Sunday BS

Another blah day in the neighborhood.  Spent most of it working on my office at home, continuing to clean out my desk, totes, etc. You know, stuff I can do sitting on my ass.  AND I have managed to get through the day..so far..without punching someone in the throat. 

Found a bunch of photos and other memorabilia, yes I am something of a pack rat. Interesting to see some of the junk I’ve managed to collect. Pins, coins, trinkets..but I remember where I got each and every one of them.  Cleaned out several sets of storage areas that contained meds and over the counter stuff, finding the expired items and making notes to get it replaced.

Paid some medical bills today, the first was a bill from a year ago that I just received.  And I’m still pissed about the $100 bill from my physician for my initial visit for my broken foot where they did NOTHING for me.  But I paid it because it is due.  I did put a note in it telling them I was unhappy about the service, we’ll see what happens.

Been watching Battlestar Galactica all day, one helluva series in my opinion. Production, sound , graphics are all amazing. It’s on Netflix in it’s entirety.

Have you been keeping watch on who is being affected by this Sequester? Noticed yet that it’s not the fat cats in Washington? What a bunch of bullshit.

Well, here's to another week on one foot...fml.. 

Saturday's Rant

Spent the day sitting on my ass (what else is new). Been shoveling out my office, going through papers, filing, organizing..Looks better than it has for the last six months. Filled three huge garbage bags with junk, glad GS1 came over to take them out for me.

Pulled out three USB hubs, figured out I only needed two, reran all the cabling, and labeled each cable and slot in the hubs. Looks much better. Next I'll work on the stack of networking equipment on the other side of the desk, it's a mess as well..

Of course, didn't go anywhere today. No sense in it unless I have to, way too much work to get ready, then climb those damn stairs that have one railing. The stairs really are the worst part, trying to hop up them on one foot. Going down stairs however is a different story. I have to be careful not to take too many at a time, gravity is not my friend. It's been interesting, I've found as I get older my sense of balance is worse, much worse than when I was a younger man. No idea what that's about.

Slowly coming to grips with the whole broken foot thing, resigning myself to the fact that I'm screwed until it's healed..period.. It affects EVERY facet of my life, from going to the bathroom to not even being able to carry my own food. I tried making my own breakfast this morning and then managed to dump it all over the floor. That was fun, getting down on my hands and knees and cleaning it up.. I was so pissed off I threw it all away.

My wonderful Daughter Tiffany and my Grandson Michael came over today and cleaned the house, took out all the garbage and did some other things that needed to be done. I really do appreciate them doing it. I just feel bad that I can't do it myself. Usually I keep a pretty tidy home. And it was a mess so I was more than a little embarrassed. 

Well, tomorrow is another day of sitting on my ass...we'll see what happens..

Day 31 Whiny Little Bitch Post

Day 31 of my being a whiny little bitch. That’s why I haven’t been on Facebook the last couple of days. I didn’t trust myself as to what I might post. This broken foot is driving me crazy. Strange pains in the foot and ankle that move around on a daily basis.Bizarre.

Tried taking the boot off thought it would be more comfortable, even if only for a little while. Interestingly enough, I hated it. My foot felt strange, naked and unprotected.  In the month that the cast had been on a callous had started to form on my ankle, evidently from rubbing against it, looks like crocodile skin.

You can take one look at me and know I don’t lead a very active life, but this sedentary lifestyle has really opened my eyes.  No energy, listless, don’t really care. I plan on increasing my activity level to a much higher level once I can walk again. Whenever that might be.

Read somewhere that it couldn’t hurt to take some supplements to help the fracture heal. So I’ve been taking Bone Strength, told the Dr. about it. He made some snide remark about how your body prioritizes the need for calcium, so it doesn’t really help it heal faster, but it can help rebuild your own calcium supplies. What an arrogant ass.

I miss driving. Never thought that would be a part of the equation. The simple ability to walk out to your car and take yourself somewhere, on a whim..

This is the part where I tell myself (or others tell me) that:

A.  It’s going to get better

B.  There are others that are worse off than me

C.  Rub some dirt on it, you’ll be ok

Yeah, I’ll keep telling myself all of that…..it really helps….NOT..

Nobody else is walking a day in my shoes..er…shoe….

See what I mean…Whiny little bitch…