Useless Information

Gross Domestic Product.

2012-02-13T12:45:00.002-05:00

In these days of bank collapse, Nation's overburdened by debt I think we should for a side step and hopefully laugh.

I one got a friend Monogrammed toilet for Christmas. I feel this may well qualify as Canada's gross domestic product.

For the states like rubber dog poop.

for Scotland it may well be Haggis ( which is actually my favorite food.

So anyone got any other ideas for GDP for any country?

Science Future

2012-01-10T12:23:00.002-05:00

A fall had a friend and I discussing changes in science in our life times. I mentioned my Dad who has trouble walking now has one of those buttons you wear around your neck. He has used it once when he fell and couldn't get back up. Think it was a case of most things in the bathroom are very smooth and he kept slipping. An ambulance was sent and they got him up and checked he hadn't injured himself.

We have all heard the expression " Help I've fallen and I can't get up " it's most often used as joke by people drinking. However not many know why the saying is well known. It was the first works spoken on the first 911 call. Back then you had to give your address etc. Now it appears on their screen before they can even answer. if you use a Cell phone even if you don't use gps the gps chip activates when you dial 911 and sends them your location. Don't worry if you can't speak keep the line open as an open line with no voice is top priority even ahead of someone who mentions murder. They assume you can't speak for any of a variety of good reasons.

However we spoke of what is to come. Many things which were science fiction when we were kids are not only common today but more advance then dreamed of then. I predict as the population ages and medical monitoring improves we may wear something like a watch which will monitor vital functions. Something goes wrong they may call you to tell you say blood sugar has gone high or low. Heart is too fast etc but if you hit a button or can't answer help may be sent. The funny looking belt buckles in the first Star Trek movie were supposed to serve that function you only know if you read the book they left it out of the movie but later series episodes had away team vitals monitored and beamed back if something happened. It's also in the new movie. At the start when the Captain beams to the Romulan ship the monitor his vitals.

The aging population is likely going to have devices we don't have now. A blood test can tell you sugar levels for months or if you have ever had a heart attack even if you didn't realize it. A device can measure antioxidant levels in your system a good indicator of Cancer risk. At the hospital blood oxygen levels are tracked with a laser led on your finger. I'm sure much more is to come and in time it will become first things we can track at home as I do my Heart rate and Blood pressure and blood sugar but something which will track them constantly. First something we can tell the doctor in time something which tracks us all the time and tells us something is wrong and what.

Just my view of some of the writ ting I see on the wall

Male Potpourri

2012-01-05T16:11:00.002-05:00

The other day a friend and I came back from walking the dog and had picked up some dog treats. Coming in winter you tend to notice changes in scents more, my Mom always had a potpourri going. They tend to be floral but while nice isn't very masculine. When we opened the pack to give the dog a treat instantly the whole room was filled with the smell of bacon. It gave the two of us an idea. Aside from walking into a bakery one of the nicest smells is to walk in on the smell of home cooking. Now bacon treats at low levels are property of the dog. If something falls on the floor it's property of the dog. I think most folks with dogs tend to follow that custom. So how would one create a home cooking smell?

A tack and hanging a bacon scented dog treat like mistletoe does the trick lasts a few days which is longer than potpourri and when you take it down the dog still wants it. Only problem is so far Bacon is the only smell I have come up with. Have no desire for Tuna but if other ways to imitate home cooking or even better fresh baking can be done I'd love to hear your suggestions.

A Minor Entertainment Media Peeve

2011-07-18T11:14:00.002-04:00

Watching some TV today I noticed something which seems new and a minor oddity. Just short of an irritation. The number of shows with the same actors. I don't mean one role ends and another starts but same. I don''t mean as guest stars, that I enjoy & it seems to make sense. I mean one actor having a major role in two or more shows at the same time. Probably never would have noticed if I didn't have a habit of noticing locations and recognizing where there they were shoot. A hangover from helping on so many shows while working and knowing locations most don't from do lots of work underground. The first person I read of doing this was Kirsten Kirik (hope I spelt that right) when she was Lana Lang on Smallville. The other was a teen show so I don't recall. Both of those were shoot in Vancouver. Logistics would not be to tough. These new shows though are one in Vancouver one in Toronto. Some in Calgary too I haven't noticed any Montreal but it only has a few streets I know by sight. Montreal has a lot of French style buildings and often passes for Paris or New Orleans. I spot the odd from Halifax or St Andrews New Brunswick. The Rockies I can usually tell exactly where on what mountain. At least time never changes them.

This new trend is interesting because unlike Kirsten shooting 2 shows in Vancouver these newer shows are shoot in cities 500 to 4000 miles apart. Not impossible but a touch odd. Likely odder I have been at so many of the set locations. My guess is it no more strange than pro sports teams playing in cities 1000's of miles apart on two days running. I suspect it may be part of the move to ensemble casts rather then two or 3 main characters perhaps twice that or even more.

Perhaps it is because most of these shows are shot in Canada. Movies are doing it too and if you rent the movie RED and watch the extras they point out that while US cities have a distinctive look Canadian Cities especially Toronto can look like almost any US city by simply changing neighbourhoods. Sometime by simply turning a corner. What we can't look like is the wilderness parts of the southern states.

As I said a personal observation but wondering if anyone else noticed? BTW I watch mainly Science fiction, crime shows ( most of those seem shoot in the US except breakout kings) and the odd comedy. Question for Tracey, why do most BBC shows now seem to be shoot in wales ( never been there but notice credits )

A brief note. While getting much better physically, I just got the best results on a physical in over 10 years ) mentally & emotionally I have been having a tough time a tend not to write then. Also my main Computer is in the shop and has been over a week. This was done on my laptop.

Rest in Peace Mister Whisker's

2011-04-27T15:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had to have my cat put down. A few weeks ago he began showing symptoms of something. First his bathroom then vomiting then off his food. Tried changing his food adding fiber worked for maybe a week. He soon went off his food. Long weekend prevented me from taking him Thursday evening when he really got worse. Vet said Liver of Kidney disease nothing I could have done no matter how early it was caught.

$400 I can't really afford right now including having him cremated and a cedar box for his ashes.

He was always a good cat. If such a thing can be said he was very polite. He never went outdoors. My daughter brought him to me when he was about 4 weeks. To young to leave his mom but she had just been run over by a transport truck. So Rocky was a big help and we managed to nurse him back to health.

I am not supposed to have a cat I am allergic to them and am not looking for another.

Still it hurt very much. He would have been 6 in September

Needless to say I am not taking this well emotionally. Blaming myself when I know I could not have done anything.

My religion believes in a number of levels of heaven. It also believes you can visit down but not up to see your loved ones. Hopefully he will visit me one day if he doesn't mind the heat. They also believe one can visit below those levels which would be considered heavens.

I choose the Road Less Travelled. Now Where The Hell Am I?

2011-03-10T12:31:00.002-05:00

The weather is by contrast to lately very nice. It is about 5 out or for our American friends 40 degrees F. However for it to be that warm this early it is extremely overcast. It has been either raining or threatening to rain long enough I have passed through the migraine due to weather stage and as that takes about 5 days in total you get the idea. The dog gets walked his poop gets picked up I get a morning hot beverage, cider is popular right now and try to either read or watch TV.

I have been using a kindle I just got much more than I expected. It holds about 4 to 16 thousand books. ( I have over 70,000 in electronic form ) my reason for picking it over the other choices is it reads pdf files which include pictures or diagrams. Imagine trying to read say Grey's Anatomy without diagrams. To my surprise I use the laptop I picked up for Xmas to myself less than I expected however in defense Canadian winters suck ( no apology for that one they really do. The Eskimo's have over 100 words for snow and my Dad says he bets all of them are swear words ). I got it mainly as I hope to begin pushing the limits of my illness. Trying at least to travel. I have a week long visit to my Dad's set up for April. While there I have to overhaul his computers. It may require me to write a few programs to automatically handle maintenance functions.

Back to the topic. Looking back it seems in my life when there came a fork in life's path I usually choose the less traveled one. When people were war protesting I joined Cadets. The result was I got a lot of military training which stood me in good stead over the years. When jobs were plentiful I choose one that had bad working conditions but good security, benefits, pension plan etc. Result though I had basically no social life I was able to retire at 51. A good thing considering my illness. Had I not got this perhaps a different one would have come along.

However I do now or perhaps am at the stage in life where I look around and ask myself where there Hell am I and where do I want to go from here. Followed of course by OK what is the best path to get from here to there.

I pretty much always went to school during my working years. New technology required me to go to school to keep up. When I was advanced enough I found I took courses out of pure interest. I was 42 before I realized I had an ear for languages. Now thanks to technology I don't need to physically travel to study them. ( or a variety of other things which I have yet to choose ).

Some things I have done and don't want to do again. Some others I really enjoyed and would like to be able to take up again. Camping and Mountain Climbing for example.

As the Bard said " There are more things under heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamed of in your philosophy " or for Star Trek fans the Vulcan motto IDIC Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

Now to figure out where I am and where I would like to go from here. Suggestions for my "Bucket List" are welcome. Tracey lives near one item. Walk Hadrian's Wall. At age 12 my maternal Grandfather walked from Dundee to Glasgow in two days to find work. He found it possibly because doing that impressed his would be employers. Aside from the war he spent the rest of his work life in that field. The newspaper field though I understand in many different branches of the business. Even when he lived here in Canada it was working for what was at the time the counties largest paper and it remains out most respected paper.

Maybe I should learn cooking over something other than an open fire so I don't end up killing myself with self induced food poisoning.

btw Rocky's last blog entry shows up wrong on the side of the page it looks like the last one here. Happens because I accidentally posted my entry on his site. His is of course very different him being a much wiser creature. After all I don't think Dog is God spelt backwards is entirely coincidence.

I May be Losing what Little Mind I have Left

2011-03-04T09:09:00.001-05:00

I really overslept yesterday. First I had a completely sleepless night the night before not getting to sleep till after 9AM ( I think it is a side effect of years on the night and afternoon shifts. Where I worked you didn't rotate but were on one steady so out of 29 years 22 were not day shift ) it hits once in a while and I have sleeping pills for those occasions. This time they didn't work.

Then I woke briefly at 5PM the dog woke me and I took him out, the local coffee shop was out so I had a hot chocolate then lay in front of the tv closed my eyes and next thing I know it is 8AM. So I took the dog out again got a Coffee and then wrote the blog for him. His is Warp Drive Canine Mind Unleashed and you should read it as this is a special one. However when I came to the computer this morning there was something odd. I had planned on downloading a few programs and was not able to yet last I was at the computer. When I sat down a few minutes ago they were all downloaded just waiting to moved to their new permanent locations. I have no history of sleepwalking but absolutely no memory of waking and doing so. Also it is not a real simple process. I checked the fridge as I almost used it as the bathroom when I woke groggy a couple days ago. ( I didn't came awake enough to realize what I was doing ). I did get myself a perrier water but I recall that I briefly woke up parched when it was pitch black out.

Anyway I hope you enjoy Rocky's Blog today.

Keeping on Track day Two

2011-02-19T11:47:00.003-05:00

As most of you know I believe that while we may not have a choice about growing older ( I'm not sure about that completely ) but we can choose not to grow up. ( Millions of males agree with me just look at how we behave ) However, I also believe if we stop seeking after knowledge and trying to better ourselves we do start to age.

Tracey commented on her niece who is fluent in several languages, very impressive. I know one of the people who read this from Toronto and emails me rather than commenting to the world ( in many cases a good choice, ) is fluent in most of those languages. AS the writer lives in Toronto I should mention for readers who do live there while I lived there the board of Education offered courses at Central Technical School ( an excellent trades oriented school normally ) in 14 languages not common in High School. It is where I took my first Japanese course ( second year I and 4 other adults mistook a line in the course description and assumed intermediate meant difficulty level not second year of a 3 year course. There were only enough students registered for it to run it if no one dropped out. As none of the five of us needed to pass it having all graduated high school years earlier ( I think all five of us had at least one college diploma as well, one was a Doctor of Chinese Medicine ) we stayed and the teacher worked very hard to teach two years at once. Even in the Army I have never seen so dedicated an instructor. Also in the Colonade ( not sure how it is spelt ) on Bloor street on the second floor the Japan Foundation has an office and a Library free to the public ( or next to free ) run by the government of Japan which also puts on art exhibits etc and has a lending library. There are also two cultural center buildings ( quite large size of a typical mall ) where you can study anything Japanese from Origami to Karate to Sword fighting with the steel swords to Flower arranging or tea ceremony. If you are interested in something Japanese which they are not teaching at the time they will find a teacher and start to teach it even for just a few people. There is also a smaller version in Hamilton at 25 Hempstead Rd on the mountain ( I took language lessons there and took part in my first tea ceremony ).

The coffee is starting to kick in and a very mild headache on the rare side is fading an asprin should take care of the rest shortly. I am a little slow waking today. I do often get to bed late and as a result sleep late. An unfortunate effect of 21 years working either night or afternoon shift. In my near mindless ( or male you can decide ) state this morning I found myself having opened the fridge about to take a pee when I realized this was not the toilet. I have only done that a couple times in my life and never soiled the fridge. For some reason I wake with a bit of a jolt at that time.

Getting Back to Abnormal

2011-02-19T01:41:00.003-05:00

Today has been my first day of feeling like myself since my brother's passing.

It has also been the first day of the year to hit 50 degrees F which may have a bit to do with it though it has been very windy.

Last night I went to sleep with a DVD with 45 hours of mp3 Japanese lessons on starting at the beginning. I think I feel asleep just into the second of the half hour lessons. I slept about 10 hours and when I woke it was at a level I had trouble following. So my plan ( if you read my resolutions you will know I am planning catching my Japanese back up to where it was and then advancing it ) is to again start at lesson one and increase by one lesson every second night. I also plan on doing a lesson of a level of Rosetta stone each day as well. I did all parts of the first lesson today and it was not easy. I scored a 97 but it was not a give away by any means. I may move on then review I haven't decided the best way to use it yet. The audio lessons are not terribly hard. Japanese has fewer sounds than English so with only two that are not in English it is not a hard language to learn to speak or understand. Writing it is another story, I am probably at a 6th grade speech level but only a 2nd or 3rd grade reading level. A nice side effect is the Chinese Kanji I can figure out the meanings of. No idea how to pronounce them but reading them is a bit like figuring the markings on pyramid walls. you know what the symbol means sort of and from the string of symbols you can get the meaning. One of the first I got to recognize was if a Chinese restaurant was licensed to serve booze. Not that I'm a drinker but the symbol sticks. I can also tell men's and ladies restrooms in oriental languages.

Also my bad cold is gone and I am back to working out. I may even go with twice the workouts I had planned. Two cardio workouts a day plus rotating body parts with weights. My one spare bedroom is a computer room, the other a gym and the treadmill in the living room is where I can run and watch TV at the same time.

From my time in the Forces I know the human body ( and even mine I rarely claim to be human. ) can handle and it is far more than most people would believe. Noticeable results should be at roughly the six week mark.

Wish me luck, guts, and determination.

1st Resolutions Revisit

2011-02-03T23:21:00.003-05:00

Today is my Dad's 83rd Birthday so if your reading Happy Birthday Dad and I will be visiting as soon as I can make the needed practical arrangements. Transportation, Pet & House sitting etc. I am trying to do it in a way in which everyone comes out a winner or in which everyone benefits. So Far it looks very promising that it should happen before months end. As you know right at the moment we have just had one of the largest snowfalls in years. I will let you know all the details as soon as I have them.

Also kudo's to Jessica my Step-Daughter in whom I am very proud she just finished her second week back at college.

Resolutions. In the diet weight Blood Pressure, Sugar Levels, and Heart Rate all is going at least up to the resolutions for them. My treadmill got ate into by pretty bad hell blisters which have forced me to use it barefoot of late. I will use fabric bandages on the heels till the heels and new shoes are broken in as soon as the blisters are completely gone. ( the fabric bandages are less costly than mole skin and also I am forced to always have them on hand. Those who know me well know that I have the best stocked first kit around. I'm not going to change that.

Books Read, A Book of Mantras ( was an Xmas gift ), H Rider Haggard's novel "She", it is one I had read before kept recommending it to someone and wound up reading it again myself.One called Nature's Medicines, and I have been looking over some old texts and notebooks on electronics in preparation for getting back into it as a hobby. I'm thinking of taking up fishing again. I used to make all my own tackle etc with the exception of Rods and reels and made enough not only for myself but also for the eight other guys I fished with on a pretty regular basis. There was one lure I designed and had each of the other guys I went on an annual fishing trip with the legion ( branch other than my own ) that there were 25 or us and I gave each of them 4 on the annual trip to try out. The next year they all claimed the ones I had made them had done wonders and wanted more. I used up all the parts I had with me for the guys and also gave them all I had in my own box. I'm digressing here but only to note that I am thinking of adding making my own tackle to the current list.

I have started on the book of rules for myself and will post it here once it becomes enough of a list to warrant doing so. I am also carrying a book with a list of all my dvd's on me whenever I go out as I often see a bargain and pick it up only to find when I go to put it into the bookcase ( alphabetically ) that I have got it already. When I do so I give the extra one to someone I am pretty sure will enjoy it. It makes me happy to do it especially if the person in question has a limited amount of spending income.

Not bad overall as this is my first update which is only just over two weeks since I started them and I had and still plan on posting the updates every six weeks or so.

One more I am adding is I will be blogging more often. I am thinking of splitting my blogging by subject. I already sometimes write trying to see my Dog's point of view in "Warp Drive Canine Mind UnLeashed" My next article will likely be there as I am for the last few days thinking how much more Like Ladies & Gentlemen we would be if we more often behaved with what the more noble attributes of these noble beasts show without hesitation. My challenge will be in wording as some take umbrage at being compared to dogs even when it is to their most noble attributes.

Nightmares

2011-01-29T12:46:00.002-05:00

Last night was a long sleep but nothing but Nightmares

Guess I am still not adjusting well to my brother's passing. Some of them of things happened when I was 9. 57 year old events coming back as nightmares. Don't know how many times I woke each time from a nightmare. None recent events most around twenty to thirty years ago but some like a few from childhood even older. Makes me wonder if we ever forget the things that bother us. They seem so much easier to remember than the good things.

Resolutions Sid Style

2011-01-19T16:56:00.002-05:00

Resolutions & Things to Do 2011

1. Do 1 hour minimum cardio per day ( treadmill)

2. Do ½ hour minimum a day of resistance (gym)

3. Stock freezer, fridge, pantry

4. Eat better and track meals

5. Monitor Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Pulse, Sugar, Weight also exercise level & amount.

6.Walk Rocky more

7. Study a minimum of 2 hours a day can be concurrent with another activity such as listening to tapes or watching Video.

8. Clean up organize & keep it that way.

9.Get Ethernet cable

10. Do anxiety & depression workbook

11. Dress better

12. Contact Family more

13. Sort, box, label and store stuff

14. Set Clocks start wearing a watch again

15. Mail Lily’s gift

16. Get TJ’s address and mail chess set

17. Visit Dad

18. Make flash cards for Japanese

19. Go through drawers organizing packing & labelling or discarding Donate discards Sally Anne or mental health

20. Use bike more weather permitting

21. Do will or make arrangements

22. Visit Jess & kids in summer if possible.

23. Look into getting license back

24. Start processes

25. Passport

26. Write a level of the Japanese Test

27. Do 1/3 hour non Japanese language work twice per week.

28. Improve credit rating.

29. Increase savings

30. Learn to sign

31. Do some small electronics projects

32. Read at least 1 book a week, keep a record of books read\

33. Work on a personal rule book

34. Loose at least 1 pound a week

The way I handle New Years Resolutions is this. I think about and write them down starting New Years Day. I have some rules the most important is they must be possible. I commence them the day AFTER my birthday. Being mid January that is not much of a problem. Reason for day after is it allows some form of celebration or surprise.

They are subject to modification, they are reviewed once a month and at that time new ones can be added completed ones removed from the list, ones that are partly on course or going faster than expected will be adjusted to reflect that.

Subsets can be added. For example #33 Write a personal rule book. Will once done have an a) which will be read the rules each day till memorized once memorized recite them aloud at least once each day. This is not talking to myself but developing a personal Mantra. Beats Ohm.

As people who read this generally know me. Perhaps not in person but in essence suggestions are welcome for the next update which will likely be the day before Groundhog day Feb 1st.

So far so good. My 1st day on the treadmill forced me to lay off it for a day. I had brand new sneakers so they were not broke in. Blisters resulted on the bottom of my feet and my heel. I lanced the ones on the bottom of my feet but had to give the heel a day to heal a bit. I am now going to be using a bandaid ( fabric ones ) to protect that spot even after the shoes are broken in. I know that spot gets rubbed the wrong way if anything does. Band-aid as it is cheaper then moleskin and equally effective. Perhaps more.

Also thank you for all the condolences on my Brother passing. I am finally adjusting to the fact.

George Arthur Brechin 18 Oct 1956 - 14 Dec 2010

2011-01-10T12:53:00.006-05:00

It's almost impossible to write what is basically an obit for a younger brother you looked up to.

As some of you know while I try not to look down on anyone, I make a real effort to look at everyone as my equal. However there are some people I always looked up to. George was one of those people. Call them my personal heroes. Different people for different things. My Grandfather was my overall hero. My Dad for his ability to treat everyone fairly and never loose his self control. With George though he had terrific Academic skills it was his sense of Justice I always looked up to. One thing he would not tolerate was a bully. Mind you his method of dealing with a bully was normally to bully the bully so badly the bully would never dare bully again. If it was a physical bully though George was usually smaller he would use that to embarass the bully because though George never swung first ( and George would always make sure there were witness to that ) when the swinging stopped the bully would be unable to stand. For mental bullies George would trade insults till the other was in tears. I saw him do that with Grown men.

There were lots of things I admired about George but as I first said most was his sense of Justice.

His academics and problem solving abilities were great. If you have something electronic in your body controling something you probably owe what the device does to George as he was the one solved the problem of Electronic devices interfacing with human nerves. That was around 1981. He was the first Technologist to be published in a Medical Journal. He was published a few more times before he became effectively disabled. For the past 20 years or so he lived in near constant pain.

I truly miss him and the only consolation I have is that he no longer has to deal with the pain.

I have lost not only a brother but one my heroes.

The following will show a bit more about the type of man he was. I suggest you double click on the pictures so you can read the whole articles they are too small in the Blog photos.

Sorry I'm taking So Long

2010-12-30T13:26:00.002-05:00

I didn't mean the title to sound like I was causing a line up for the Loo.

I find I still can't think about my brother without having my thoughts do what my Grandmother used to describe as. " He jumped on his horse and rode off in all directions ". When she used it normally she meant someone could not make sense as how can you go in more than one direction at once.

However I find when I do think each thought triggers another normally not related to the first at all.

I still have trouble sleeping, too much or to little. My illness is still acting up but it is cold so I don't really mind staying in. I do have to go out for the dog and food. I have a headache today but rain is expected so I don't know which is the why. As it is written on the side of the blog under the picture my birthday is coming shortly. I got myself something slightly extravagant. The complete Rosetta Stone Japanese course. Have not installed it yet ( and won't while a headache is pounding ) typing is one thing following instructions another. My Japanese is not really bad I probably speak like a sixth grader and read like a 3rd grader. My goal is to become impossible to tell on a phone from a native with high school.

Unlike French I have to be around it a day or two before I can speak it well ( think it is a case of ear adjusting but half my teachers spoke Quebec French and half Parisian French so that may have a bit to do with it. )

Once I am feeling normal for me I will get out something on George and his life.

George

2010-12-25T05:08:00.002-05:00

As some of you know my younger brother George Arthur Brechin passed away 15 December. I have been a bit of a total wreck since and will as soon as I feel I can handle it without breaking down write what I hope will be a suitable memorial for him. I hope it is very soon. Some of you think I have unusual talents. They are nothing when held next to his sorry to put this up on Christmas but this is the first time I have well enough to write even this very short. Explanation. All I have written since I began blogging could not possibly tell of the admiration and love had for him.

My apologies for the wait.

Sid

Thank God we can Heat Our Homes

2010-12-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

Just back from walking the Dog and getting a hot drink, Normally I have to wait for the drink to cool down before I drink it at least 5 to 10 minutes. I actually had to put it in the microwave to warm it up a bit today even though the candy store I get it at is only 100 yards or so away.

Makes me glad to warm up the apartment or house when I had one only involves moving a lever on the thermostat. I can recall when at my Grandparents cottage needing to cut down trees and split wood. Lighting was done with kerosene lamps. I'm not stone age old only feel it at times. However something people who scream about greenhouse gasses should remember is technology doesn't get everywhere at the same time. Canada is one of the worlds wealthier countries and we still have vast areas without electricity. Comes with also being one of the worlds largest countries, next to Russia the largest. If Americans want to know where they fall it is 5th in area.

China having had a huge population for longer than anyone else, has had problems building new buildings with central heating or the means to supply central heating. Having friends who moved there ( they first went to perform at China's version of Disneyland then teach them bagpipes. I'm not sure if teaching the Chinese to play bagpipes is Cultural Exchange or Crimes against Humanity ). On their visits back here the twins ( both learned to play in the same Regiment I served in ) commented that the biggest difference is the attitudes of the sexes towards each other. Here they feel as if being male makes them automatically villains, while there male or female you are judged on you merits and behaviour.

Anyway it is cold here today -6 and windy. That is -6 C so still above 0 F for our American friends. 0 C is the temp water freezes at and 100 C where it boils at. 0 F is the temp salt water freezes at and 100 was meant to be body temp. As measuring was a less accurate when that scale came to first be used and people vary a bit in their temperatures it missed by a bit with 98.6 being average body temp. A bit of trivia which unless you are in a trivia contest or on jeopardy is probably of no use to you. Of course if someone mentions the cold and you wish them to think you spend all your time memorizing the encyclopedia it may be worth a mention.

In the meantime, I shall endeavor to remain indoors enjoying the benefits of living in a country and a part of it which has lots of both natural gas and electricity.

Changed my Mind

2010-12-01T13:32:00.003-05:00

So I changed my mind. Actually I made a different choice mind is still where the heck minds are. Being male normally in the gutter. Being older the blood router is not any longer permanently locked in divert blood away brain to part which has no brain but outranks it.

Think I will be inside all day. My illness is acting up. No reason for it I know of. Perhaps I had bad dreams as I woke anxious. I took some meds hope they work the meds are tricky you don't want them to work too well or you end up drowsy and listless and don't feel like going out anyway. Not that there is any great reason to go out. It is around the freezing point. Slightly windy typical Canada near winter weather.

Will watch some tv hope anxiety goes down ( comedies seem a good idea ) if not another pill. The dog has been walked a friend had borrowed $20 a couple weeks ago and dropped by to return it. Took the dog out while here. I do need to made sure he gets out a couple more times. I always manage but there is a difference between out long enough to pee etc and long enough for at least a quick stroll.

Yesterday he only got quick pee walks as it was raining so hard I am sure building Arks crossed some folks minds.

Do I know any Noah jokes. On the Ark all the animals were in pairs except the worms they were in the Apples.

Actually if you read it only the unclean anmimals were in pairs there were I think it was 7 of each of the others.

One thing from the bible I can't get my head around.King Solomon was supposed to be the wisest man who ever lived. He is also supposed to have 500 wives. If he was so wise wouldn't he realize that meant 500 sets of inlaws. Really is there anyone else who thinks that many sets of In Laws is Dumber than anything Jim Carey did in Dumb and Dumber?

Last Post

2010-11-11T09:53:00.002-05:00

Recently I have had a few problems. All came as a result of helping people.

The aim of my writing the books I have been writing was to help people in general however recently I have found every time I have tried to help anyone it has come back to hurt me. Sometimes badly.

So I have decided to not help from now on. When someone comes to me for first aid ( which was happened last night, I took them to the hospital by cab paying for it myself ) they waited till called then when in triage for only 6 minutes ran out of the hospital. I Tried to show them what they could expect if they did not get the broken finger treated my turning the baby finger slightly. I was threatened with the police in fact I have a form of death threat on my phone message.

In future I will tell anyone call for an ambulance, the call is free from any pay phone. If you can find one now that they are all but gone due to cell phones.

So I am going to stop helping in any form including writing. Also at the time she owed me $110 dollars. I just told her to forget the money, It will be worth it not to go through the aggravation with my panic disorder I can't risk it.

This is the 3rd incident of some kind ( different people ) where I have done someone a favor and it has become a problem. So no more help, no more favors. I don't care they are out of food and the food bank is low and their children are going hungry. Feeding them is up to them not me. In fact in that kind of case I think a call to the Children's aid would be the best thing. I also will no longer lend anyone a few dollars to take them to payday. I have done this often in the past and do tend to get paid back when they get the money and with thanks. However in future I will say why not and mention names.

My generation was taught to take care of ourselves. Though there is nothing wrong with charity I now agree it begins at home. My parents who didn't quite end up old enough to serve in the war live through it and learned to do what you could for yourself and otherwise work together. Their parents served through the war or suffered rationing scrap drives absence of loved ones for 5 years ( for my American friends this is not meant as any kind of derogatory thing but the other Allied countries went to war when Germany invaded Poland 1 Sep 1939. You entered only when attacked 7 Dec 1941. Rosevelt tried to help the allies has far as he could but the country's policy was one of isolationism. Far from what it is today. Rosevelt did what he could first helping supply weapons and food to the Allies stuck in Brittian at the time then even guarding convoy's. However he could not stop some war profiteers from also supplying the Nazi's until was was formally declared ). If any one cares they did it by sending the materials to Africa from where it was then sent to Germany and Italy.

I am still willing to serve as a witness to a crime if I see one and call emergency services if I see an accident or fire etc. However no more coming to peoples rescue or risking myself or even possesions or cash. In my old age I may need them and that will get here in time. I am seeing my Mother get I hate to see it but feeble and though I don't get the chance to see him my father has onset of Parkinson's. I hope to see him as soon as I can but these events of the last few days have put of the trip I planned to take to visit him ( for me travel is dangerous ). Because My dog is blind I can't kennel him however an older lady I know who knows me and the dog offered to watch him if and when I can go.

I am trying to get hold of my doctor so I have enough meds if I try the trip but he often works for Doctors without borders and is sometimes gone 3 weeks out of the month. I keep leaving messages.

Sleep Deprivation Headache

2010-11-04T12:47:00.002-04:00

I live above a store across the store from a bar, Brits read Pub without the nice manners ( yes I know Canadians are polite but a polite drunk is still noisy and still drunk ). With Halloween being on Sunday this year it was way above normal noisy Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Also as this is what is sometimes called a one horse town only I have never seen a horse here so make it a no horse town, there is nothing to do normally. The result was after the bar closed the patrons remained in the area being noisy till dawn. Not rowdy or anything but enough that sleep was out of the question.

Normally on a normal weekend just Saturday usually sometimes Friday as well but rarely I compensate by watching a DVD with surround sound till the bar closes at 2.

Now I hope all realize I am just making a commentary not a complaint. This town needs every job it can get and most of the bars have closed in the past few years. In fact I think the only other one ( aside from the Legion which has very restricted hours ) the other is also a pretty nice restaurant. I often go to on Friday as that is their Prime Rib special day and I love prime rib.

So for certain types of behaviour, like dancing listening to a band this is the only choice. I am glad there is something, and they use local bands often. Don't have too but it is nice for local musicians.

Moving is not a good idea ( if I move it will be to a city ) as with my Agoraphobia though I have good days most days I have only about a two block safe zone ( meaning I am very unlikely to have a panic attack ) and this is by far the nicest place downtown and also about dead center. The hardware stores are way out of my safe zone so males can take pity and women may laugh.

However when I worked I did 22 of my 29 years at the TTC on either a solid night shift or a solid afternoon shift. So my body has been used to sleeping during the day most of my life. I won't complain about the Army because the Infantry's definition of happiness is getting enough sleep. ( and for some reason Infant ry does not mean Baby Army )

Anyway, normal things are waking me at normal times so I am having great trouble sleeping. This morning I didn't get to sleep till 6 AM and my cell woke me with a text at 10. ( tonight It goes off for the night ). Result for the 1st time in a few years a sleep deprivation headache. Coffee Tylenol and I may go for one of those long lasting energy drinks that are mostly vitamin B.

So here is hoping all of you even if you have newborns are getting a good nights sleep. For myself hoping tonight is to sleep perhaps all night.

So anyone emailing this evening please excuse me if I don't get back till tomorrow hopefully late.

Army Slang and Insults

2010-10-31T12:45:00.002-04:00

Odette was not familiar with Acronyms, Odette since you have not been here long enough to pick them all up don't worry you will. But if you hear one and want to know what it means email me and I will tell you. Mind you Canada and the US are not exactly the same for them.

I know I use a fair bit of army slang. I generally ( nothing to do with Generals ) try to avoid it here. However I realize it may slip out so I will mentions some of my favorites.

A Commando ( US calls them special forces, ) Slang term: Rough and Tough and hard to Diaper.

Very, very dangerous. Slang term: Killed more men than an Army Cook.

Motto of the Commandos ( not slang real motto ): Death from Above

Motto of the Army Cooks corps ( joke motto ): Death from Within

The Army usually during the various times of Basic, Each promotion includes training courses that include versions of Basic meant to be harder and also suit the new job. Go up the infantry ladder and it can get vicious. One thing while you are doing things like trying to not let go of a rope from exhaustion, or keep moving on a 5 mile run with a 10 pound rifle and 40 to 60 pound pack are insults. It's not mean they serve a purpose. At first to make you madder to carry on. Later to get you used to ignoring insults not letting things get to you if for example a protester spits on you ( something I never understood, don't the realize those guns are not for show they are loaded and with live ammo ). Since I was often the one yelled at ( but remember the good ones yelled at others I will do them in first person.

Brechin, it's a case of Mind over Matter, I don't Mind you don't Matter.

Brechin, No One is totally useless. You can always serve as a horrible example.

My favorite which was not part of training just a comment. A Major was making a comment about an Officer Cadet who was a friend of mine and some other Lieutenants standing having a drink in the mess. ( Officers club in the States ). He said " That man has no class " Mike another Lieutenant piped up " Are you Kidding Ron's got more class than anyone I know. It's all Low but it's still Class "

Which goes to show the wisecracks and insults can go either direction up the chain of command.

First up the chain one I heard I was on Rifle coach course as a 16 year old Cadet. 3rd week of a 6 week course. We were all gathered in the common room for a chewing out. Sgt says " I have been getting calls and letters from some of your Mothers. They are complaining you guys are not calling or writing home. I'm 33 years old and still write my Mother every week."

Voice from the back of the Room ( won't name him but he did go on to win the Pan Am gold medal for large bore rifle ) " Does she ever write back? "

With that remark the Sgt lost control of the room. Whole team was confined to barracks for two days but was worth it. I have a story I am telling 40 years later.

Truth in Acronyms

2010-10-28T17:05:00.003-04:00

Today we use a ton of Acronyms.

Not a new thing I think while serving it was possible to have a two hour conversation with another soldier and never us a single real word. Everything in acronyms. You got to know when you were out of control when every paragraph ended with over and every conversation with out. Also the word yes became replaced with Roger. That no end tended to bug my brother Roger btw.

However when I say truth in Acronyms I a referring to take a common expression and make it sound more masculine or politically correct or whatever in order to sell something.

What pops to mind is a drug. Specifically any drug to treat what they created the term ED for. All my life we had a term for ED that applied that they chose not to make an acronym and the only reason I can think of is ED seems less funny than CGIU. Now I have never heard anyone say CGIU. They have always said the term in full. However since it has been around at least a lot longer than me why get cute and invent the term erectile dysfunction, when for ages CGIU was used.

in a useless aside how many knew that the mostly male medical community were greatly divided about weather PMS even existed until it was successfully used as a temporary insanity defence in an English murder case.

Comfort

2010-10-20T19:22:00.002-04:00

At the moment the photo function is offline which is not bad because I couldn't find an appropriate picture anyway.

Right now I and most folks I know in town are having something don't think it is technically a cold or flu but something. I suspect it is some kind of respiratory illness because first the smokers seemed to come down with it first and worst. Second it seems to give everyone a slight cough. Like the kind you fake when you are trying to hint to someone they are about to do something stupid ( which never seems to work anyway they still do whatever you were trying to warn them not to ) The effect this is having on me is my sleep patterns are terrible either I can't sleep at all or I spend over 18 hours sleeping unable to wake up. The part I find hardest is it seems to making thinking difficult. I am putting off serious writing till this passes as I am forgetting things. I had to make 5 trips to the store to get toilet paper. I would get there and forget why I went. However as to the article title at the Sally Anne I saw a chair I really like and need to replace my computer room chair so I bought it. A friend helped me get it home and in the morning I will give it a good cleaning. I do have an upholstery cleaner. I use an easy chair lazy boy recliner type at the moment. Can get away with that as I have a huge screen and wireless keyboard. This is really a living room type chair I bought and big but is so comfortable my only fear is I am likely to fall asleep in front of the computer.

There is no harm in spoiling oneself.

The Pen is Mighter Than the Sword but it's No Match for a Gun

2010-10-14T05:06:00.003-04:00

For anyone wondering yes I have been doing some work on my books. I am finding the hardest part that I am writing for a target readership whom I have not wrote for in the past.

On top of that I have not been sleeping well for the past several days due to nightmares. Which explains being up at 5AM my sleeping patterns are way off.

So over the next little while certain of you will be getting chunks of the serious book to look over for me and those who agreed to do this thank you very much. The reason you will be getting chunks rather than the whole thing is some chapters are only applicable in some parts of the world. For example Tracey doesn't need to know about Polar bears. I almost typed beers instead of Bears and I am sure she knows they are cold and that is all she will practically need to know about them. ( we actually have such a thing here and in the states and the can changes colour if the beer is cold enough. This is not a joke ask your yankee readers. )

The only person I expect will read all the chapters is Matt who is ex US Navy but part of that is out of interest on his part and part out of a church duty that overlaps. My brother George will likely read it all and make suggestions but he was there for much of my polishing the skills and if anything is even better at it than I am. He can also get more technical yet has more of a talent for putting it in common words than I do so I definitely want him to look it over. He is the type of guy who if he feel in a hole with a Polar Bear after the screaming stopped George would climb out burp, wearing a new white fur outfit, with a supply of meat to last a couple weeks and fuel made from the fat. He would have also known not to eat the one part of only two fur bearing animals which is poison to humans.

Oddly while writing memoirs and stories the computer is great. For the survival aide memoir I am finding old fashioned paper and ink or pencil more practical who would have guessed. Especially since I have been using Word Processors since they had a name and before that could use a manual typewriter. Odd some things we learn about ourselves.

Your Password is Secret

2010-10-10T12:16:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many of you recall when computers and before the net was as public ( hard to believe it started as a weapon of sorts. Not the weapon itself but how we were supposed to communicate to stop a war after everything that could be destroyed was. The only survivors would be eaten corn, old episodes of M*A*S*H, peoples memory of the most embarrassing thing you ever did. Sorry to inform you but when you get met by your favorite friend or relative at the end of that long bright tunnel on leaving this mortal coil. The first words you hear will not be "Welcome to Heaven" they are more likely to be " Remember that time you......"

Anyway I was thinking about the early days of computer mania and this new thing the net. People were shocked I was able to guess most of their passwords on the first guess. If you had one of those early 300 baud modems you may have even done this.

I would guess your password is and I would write down the word secret. Most would be shocked how did I know that. Now that you are a sophisticated member of the cyber community you may laugh at this. Books of the time made a point of saying. YOUR PASSWORD IS SECRET. Do not tell anyone your password and the readers would happily type in secret as their password.

Nice Day but Not in in a sense

2010-10-07T09:51:00.002-04:00

It has finally turned nice out. What we often call Indian summer. I even got a Thanksgiving card in the mail today. Thank You. For our American friends who think Thanksgiving is next month just remember it is basically a harvest celebration being further north our harvest is of necessity earlier.

As to the not in part I am in the process of defragging my largest drive the 1.5 T drive which takes close to 24 hours. I can do some in fact most things at that time but prefer not to save accidentally writing to that drive. At that time. My mail and internet programs are on one of my 1 T drives and I have already done all the rest. Mainly while sleeping. Isn't multi-tasking great when sleeping is one of those tasks.

Attention Mothers

The Army had a version of Multi-Tasking they called concurrent activity. It meant as a platoon getting more than one job done at the same time. For example a Patrol being done while others did dishes or laundry. So next time ask if they want to play Army and they have a choice of volunteer to wash or dry.

I Hate the Rain

2010-10-05T14:35:00.002-04:00

Might sound a bit wimpy but I hate the rain.

Wasn't always like this a misadventure mountain climbing at 20 had me stuck literally overnight on the side of a cliff face as it rained most of the night. Once the rain stopped falling my partner and I were able to get to the top of the face very quickly. Climbing wet limestone is like climbing wet soap. Winds dry the rock very fast but that was only half the problem. Climbing up is perhaps a tenth as hard as climbing down. Especially in the dark, today battery technology I imagine climbers in similar situations would have headlights that would last till dawn. In 1974 no such luck.

Top of the face, not the top of the mountain our goal had been to climb a face that according to the record books had not been done before. The storm came from behind the mountain. Mountains create mini weather effects on their own. We didn't have fore warning. So we ended doing an unclimbed route about half in the dark. Perhaps 2,000 feet of rock face or 200 stories if you compare it to buildings. That wasn't the worst we were still soaked to the skin and with night though not terribly high maybe 8,000 feet maybe another 500 the mountain was 9,386 total. However night still meant temperature dropping below zero. We moved north as we knew there was a trail to a cirque and if we hit the cirque we could slid down it to the trail. We didn't make it that far. Two miles in the dark would have been a fair feat anyway. On the way we hit a treed area. Our combined survival training mine military his as a Swiss climber let us build a fire and remain awake. I can not recall ever being so tired.

Night that high up is short. With the sunrise our clothing quickly dried. We rappelled down the mountain and hitched a ride back to base. Just in time to take out classes both of us has scheduled to teach that day.

For years after that I did not know why rain made me very uncomfortable. One day about 15 years later I was telling the story of that climb to a friend of my wife's who happened to be Swiss. Suddenly I stopped. Though I had told the story many times this was the first time I made the mental connection. That day had been the start of my mild amaphobia. No need to look it up. It means "fear of rain".

The Tooth the Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth

2010-10-04T10:30:00.002-04:00

As you may have guessed I have a dental appointment in about a half hour. Also since I am not one of those people who have dentist's and shrink's for their dog's. Dogs do a big part to serve as effective shrinks on their own. The look at you like they are listening. Cause you to repeat your last statement only without adding your mother to the statement. btw I put this on my own post today and did not get it mixed up with Rocky's.

I don't think it got as cold as forecast but a warning from someone we were in for frost did have me put the hear on so I many just not have noticed. It is cool here today. Being Canadian I should define our version of cold. Cold means the temp is low cars won't start. Really cold means the snowmobiles won't start either so you can't dress in a suit NASA could use for a Mars landing and enjoy your day off because everything is closed.

Not sure if the above cartoon is apt as I can't recall if this is my extraction on some other evil dental procedure. Every notice if they want to give you the impression someone is about to tortured in the movies they show dental tools.

Have a good day all and may your Teeth keep ALL their parts

Whose Afraid of the Wicked Witch

2010-10-03T08:19:00.002-04:00

Daddy said yesterday like we were going to get taken to some place called Oz. I didn't know where Oz was but Daddy has a movie from a time called 1939 and the Movie is Called the Wizard of Oz.

Don't know why everyone was scared of the Witch. Toto must have been a really wimpy dog. The Witch couldn't handle water. I would have seen how much she liked a leg full of dog pee.

Ruff Said!

Feeling Every Second of my Years

2010-10-02T08:56:00.004-04:00

It's not quite 9AM and it is one of those days I feel every second of being in my 57th year. Which is an old fashioned way of saying my next birthday is my 57 but I've finished 56 whole years and feel at least that old.

I feel as if I have just had the above medical procedure and am having all side effects of taking some modern miracle drug designed to very effectively cure disposable income and have been abducted and subjected to unthinkable acts by assorted kinds of space aliens.

I'm sure all of you know what I mean. I really have nothing wrong with me but nothing feels right.

I live across from a tavern and last night they had a band. Okay it's Friday night goes with the territory and when they do get a loud band I tend to watch DVD movies with surround sound on so the Movie drowns out the bar. I did really enjoy the one I choose to watch for the first time last night. I had bought it earlier in the week and to be honest am surprised I hadn't seen it months ago as it came out last year. Jackie Chan in "The Spy Next Door" a spoof of both high tech spy movies and babysitting flicks. I enjoyed it very much and found my amused at myself knowing exactly which James Bond theme they were using in the score at any given moment. On top of that I picked up on some tv spy themes from the 60's and 70's. So though I was not up terribly late movie and bar both were done about 2. My allergies are not bothering me. The pets woke me about 7 for some reason. Maybe they heard something outside I'm limited to human hearing. The sky looks like there is a trip to Oz scheduled for later on today. I have not had my coffee yet. ( it is sitting in front of me as I type and the dog has been walked ). I just feel blah. I think I have one of those energy drinks in the fridge and if I don't feel more like something which at least has the ability to walk upright may drink it in an hour or so.

Looking out the window of the computer room it really does like that trip to Oz is a possibility. I hope not. This weekend is the county fair in the next town over and a number of friends who belong to the same mental health support group I do are going to be manning a booth there the aim of which is this coming week is mental health week and they are part of a nationwide maybe bigger effort to reduce the stigma people associate with mental illnesses. Makes sense a mental illness is not like a tattoo, you don't choice to get one as well as when and where. ( though at time I have thought of getting one with the oriental symbols for "Stupid White Man" Though I only know how to say it in Japanese the meaning is the same in several languages. ) Also I am the only member of this particular group who is also a card carrying member of Mensa so I sort of feel I should be there even if only to prove that having a genius IQ does not make you crazy but it can't prevent it either.

The short version of this whole thing is I have a premonition it is going to be " One of those Days. "

Head Cold

2010-10-01T01:39:00.003-04:00

Good thing I had almost no e-mail today. The expected well due butt kicking from Tracey as expected thank you. There are various forms of encouragement and one of the most effective comes only from mother's, Wives, Regimental Sergent Majors and Ladies of Scots Ancestry. Tracey belongs to the last group but at times she can be as motivating as members of the Third.

I slept in first. Then got a call from my housekeeper asking if I had any medicines for head colds. I do get allergies almost constantly but rarely a cough, possibly as I have never been a smoker. In fact tobacco starts my eyes watering as badly as pollen or the cat sleeping on my chest. Unlike the latter two I can normally avoid tobacco. It isn't the smoke which apparently triggers allergies but tiny particles of unburnt tobacco carried by the smoke. At least according to the Doctor who first Dx'd me as allergic. I unfortunately can't tolerate the shots to reduce your allergies. Perhaps six hours after one I will have a terrible migraine which can last for days. So instead I rely on simple anti-histamines. It's not so bad. First they are pills not shots and the main side effect drowsiness you soon get immune too. I gave what I had for cough to Tina as I said I rarely get coughs and these were from my last cough which must have been during the winter ( summer for Kirst I'm on the other side of the equator ) and all were getting close to their expiry dates. However it is going around as they say and there is lots of vacant space in my head so I have one of the symptoms. Excessive sleeping. Two coffee's one more than normal. ( I would have had more but I slept till after the coffee shop closed when I tried to watch some television in the early afternoon and woke after dark.

Took the dog for a pee walk did get a coffee from one of those places that plans to stay open right through the second coming.

Ever notice that nowadays the lists of side effects on any kinds of pills is longer than the dictionaries we used our last year of school. And side effects the 3 stooges could not have come up with as well. Ringing noses, Runny Ears, Watery Navels, Dry Itchy mouth, Premature you know what and green and red stuff popping out the end on top. Erections lasting under six seconds or over six hours. I think our wives are used to the first but they say you should call your doctor if it lasts over six hours. I figure they came up with that number, because the people at market research calculated it would take you five hours and fifty-nine minutes to call and brag about it to all your other friends first. Worst thing is that's not on a box of cold pills but the side effects for a tube of M&M's or a pack of breath mints. Actual medications probably warn against abduction by space aliens ( as opposed to the kind from neighbouring nations ). I also have come to the conclusion that the space alien sudden interest in probing is our own fault. Things used to be plain run of the mill bright lights and autopsy while still living. Then we started to broadcast of various government sessions convincing them beyond any possible doubt that there is no intelligent life on this planet. Try watching a government broadcast and in less than five minutes you likely will have reached the same conclusions the aliens did. Why keep up the probing and why there. Maybe like here if they don't use up this years budget next years will be cut and after watching our world leaders on television they figure if they are find any thinking that's the place to look because it's where our officials normally keep their heads.

Sorry for the Delay

2010-09-29T20:21:00.002-04:00

I realize I have not posted either as myself or Rocky since my Step Dad's death and Step Grand Son's birth came back to back.

Aside from a week with the computer down due to damage from a power out ( a shattered disk drive plate of all things )I have had no good excuse or extenuating circumstance. I have had a great deal of a few friends both physically near and cyber universe friends to start writing seriously. I very much appreciate all the encourage the enthusiasm and would appreciate suggestions for what to write my none blog serious works on. Those of you who read the blog articles know the type of things I either enjoy writing about or have a skill in so your suggestions will all be appreciated. I am Tracey will have some colourful metaphors which when translated back to black and white boil down to it's about time.

So I am back. I am healthier than I have been in a long time and a side note which I did forward to Kirst. My friend Rick now often billed as the world's fasted one legged man ( For anyone who thinks he is just raw courage he is also at least as smart as I am ) he will be running representing Canada in Kirsts City of Christchurch New Zealand. To prove I am still an idiot I can't recall when. I hope they have the chance to meet as both are fascinating people and both are excellent role models for others. I really have they chance to meet each other. I told Kirst to tell him she's a friend of Sid's and he will know exactly who she means. If that is not me being guilty of the sin of Pride or Vanity I don't know what is.

Death in The Family

2010-06-25T11:48:00.003-04:00

My Stepfather George Winston Campbell passed away last night at I think age 69. He was a good man and hard worker and treated my Mother very well.

At the present time I don't know what to say being at a rare loss for words. It's also difficult to cry though tears.

The photo is at Their wedding he is sitting front right next to my Mom. The reason he is sitting is he broke his leg very shortly before the wedding and didn't wish to postpone the wedding till the leg had healed.

Bad Personal Medical News

2010-06-08T11:42:00.002-04:00

Just returned from the Doctor to find that after a round of tests I may be borderline diabetic. I need to go for more tests at the end of July. I'm hoping I can drop some weight and improve the outlook that way however it will be difficult as one of the major side effects of one of the medications for my Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia is weight gain. I have managed to lose about 10 pounds since I went for the tolerance test about a month ago. I suspected something was wrong since after drinking the high sugar content drink the give you to test with I felt sick for the rest of the day.

I have a treadmill now need the will power to use it. I also have a super home gym so the exercise part of improving my lifestyle is at my finger tips. Now I just have to motivate myself. I've done it in the past now I just need to find that in myself once more.

In other news the dog got his summer haircut yesterday and I swear he is now half the size he was. I forgot to take before photos but will take some after shots and put them on his blog probably by tomorrow. For a dog who is over 13 he is in darn good shape aside from his blindness.

Movies

2010-06-01T10:43:00.002-04:00

Have been watching a lot of movies in as outside it is warm enough to make you consider jumping in the microwave oven to cool off.

Which got me to wondering. What are other peoples favorite movies. I have come up with categories

Historical

Ballroom Dance film

Fantasy

Epic

Deliberately Dumb

Accidentally so Stupid it becomes funny

Movies with twists you don't see coming.

Movies you don't want to watch before bed because they ensure nightmares.

Sorry for the Delay

2010-05-21T18:10:00.002-04:00

It has been a long time since I posted.

A fair bit has happened. One my own illness got bad again, bad enough there were days I could not walk the dog. Best I could do was before sunup and after sundown take him out just long enough to do his business and clean up after him. The friend I had taking care of that when I was sick could no longer do it. People often say rumors are only rumors, however for those in delicate situations rumors can result in very strong consequences. In her case she has to avoid them because she has limited access to visit her child. Rumors can be enough to reduce or even eliminate that access. She had been working for me walking the dog when I was unable to plus she worked as my cleaning lady. Because of someone starting rumors she has had to give up both jobs. She walked the dog as a favor for me unpaid and it was a boon to me on my worst days. The working as my cleaning lady provided her with a modest disposable income she has had to give up. I admit $10 an hour was not a huge amount but it did allow some items she would have had to do without otherwise. We remain on good terms but I myself do feel bad she now must do without that small amount of non necessities her working for me allowed her.

I do now have a new and excellent housekeeper I was introduced to via a friend of my step-daughters who does an excellent job. I must admit I am slightly in awe of the networking that exists as a result of my daughter's circle of friends and her personal recommendation to her friends that I am a person her friends can go to for guidance when they need it who is non-judgemental. Maybe the fact that in the past I was the person soldiers came to has stood me in good stead. Or perhaps it is my past as a Cadet Instructor, Scout leader or priest or a combination of all. Reduced overall I would like to thank my daughter in that even though she has returned to New Brunswick she keeps in touch with her friends up here and has done her best to see that those friends make sure her step-father is ok.

Other things which have added stress to me in the last month or 5 weeks are as follows, my fathers Parkinson's"s has increased and my own illness makes visiting him almost out of the question. There is a possibility of a way for me to visit him but it is awkward difficult and will depend on a great deal of luck. The town I live in has no bus routes in or out. None at all. Cab fare to where I could catch a bus is roughly $100 each way. Add my illness to that and things do not look good. However this town has an airport a leftover from training pilots for the Allies in WWII and my Dad's town has one as it is in the middle of nowhere and as a result has an emergency international airport ( ie even the Concorde could land there ) as a result of location. That perhaps I can find a private pilot willing to take me to the airport roughly a $20 cab ride from his place. It would have been no problem when we had the Chinese flying school here as the airport near his home was the other end of their training missions but following last years flooding their school had to relocate to London ( Ont Tracey not UK ).

Back to family burdens my step dad was since my last posting found to have both lung and brain cancer. The Brain cancer was just operated on and he is ok but has lost his driving license as a result of the surgery. My Brother is also moving out of the area which will leave me with no relatives within roughly an hours drive. My Mom and step dad will be forced to move as they are ten miles out of town and unable to afford cabs for everyday expenses.

My mother, father and youngest brother have all needed cataract operations on both eyes within the last six weeks. Something I view as strong co-incidence. Though I have had to wear glasses since my fight with meningitis at 16 I have no sign of cataracts. On the down side I just had my annual medical exam and had to go back for a diabetes test. I have never needed to get one before and even if it comes back positive diet and exercise should take of it. beyond that it is a controllable illness under most conditions. Trying to maintain a positive outlook. I managed to get myself into a position where money wise I am ok for the rest of a normal lifespan. Getting sick when I was about to retire was not in my plans and has certainly affected my hopes and dreams was not in my plans but preparation has in the long run turned out wise. Two years that could not have been foreseen I still try to put behind me..Barriers remain, friends have been lost over rumors, some major choices over where I will live will present in the next year. Right now things are not easy. For the next year when choices present they will not be easy. Then again I never did well when things were easy.

five days of Rain I think

2010-03-14T14:13:00.002-04:00

Now been raining pretty much all of the last five days. I only room with one cat and one dog my names not Noah and I'm definitely not a holy man so if is going to last another 35 days I'm in trouble.

Unlike a lot of people I hate walking in the rain. Even with an umbrella. Dodging puddles and in some cases tiny steams at curbs. Even the dog doesn't like it. I think he has different reasons. Some I think have to do with his being blind much of knowing exactly where he is comes from his sense of smell and smells have been washed away by now. He also isn't a lover getting wet, does the dog shake when he gets home. Lucky for me that's still in the hall. He also doesn't like puddles and really jumps over those little streams. I put off non urgent errands so he doesn't get out on those either. Plus fewer folks out means he gets less attention. Right now he's napping and dreaming. I probably would be to were 101

Seeing Depressin hitting Hamilton

2010-03-03T17:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday a friend had a 7 pm appointment in Hamilton. Knowing I need to get away for therapy reasons she drove me to the area which is downtown Hamilton and I headed for the Mall at the City's Center.

I guess it has been 8 years since I was last there.

I was shocked. Most of the mall was closed by 5. Same with almost every store downtown. What was open were coffee shops, sushi shops and the odd convience store. Last time I was in downtown Hamilton you could not find sushi anywhere. I did have sushi for dinner but the waiter spoke no Japanese ( I had to order again in English ).

It looked like Buffalo 30 years ago. I guess only Ray will know what I mean. Not as bad as Detroit but Detroit has not been rebuilt after the wild Halloween in I think it was 85 when most of downtown was hit by arson. My brother lived across the river at the time in Windsor. He tells me most of the people in Windsor took lawn chairs down to the waterfront park and watched Detroit burn. The movie the Crow is partly about that year.

Good news no Panic Attack. Bad news I am exhausted today. ( a marked improvement ). Other bad news I won't be putting up a Blog for Rocky till tomorrow or late this evening. My allergies are also acting up as it is a bit above freezing some trees may be pollinating. Itchy eyes plus the drowsy from the allergy meds. Yes I am going to use some eye drops too.

Even if I don't blog tonight or tomorrow Rocky will. I promised him.

Rocky is 13 Today

2010-03-01T13:07:00.002-05:00

Rocky is 13 today it's birthday and no Gail one dog birthday party was enough. Carrying home 3 medium sized dogs who decide to go for a run in the alley is just too much work.

As you know dogs don't age at the same speed as humans of since people say one dog year is 7 human years in theory he is 101. The seven to one isn't exactly accurate. In the first 18 months mature to match roughly a 21 year old human then the rate slows down. It is still faster than us by far but if a dog lives into his mid teens that difference slows down to as low almost 2 or 3 to one. I saw it expressed in a graph once but that was years ago and I no longer have the graph. I also had one for cats. It was even more extreme. A cat is an adult in a few months them of course the curve evens out.

Rocky's blog is doing well it took me over a year to get 9 followers he got 4 in less than a day. I knew he was the good looking one in the family. Turns out he's the better writer too.

Wanted to take a birthday pic. It is to snow and slush covered outside. May try later in the day or if not will wait till his return trip from the Groomer's in the Spring ( Which here means realistically late April ). Human males only get Groomed to get dragged to the alter.

Alters for Marriage Alters for sacrifices. There has to be a blog article in there somewhere.

Adding New Blog

2010-02-28T14:51:00.006-05:00

Going to add a new blog. Sort of. It will be the Dog's Blog. Trying to look at the world via the 4 remaining senses of a blind dog.

As he shares my sense of humor only he's nicer and has much more hair I hope it will be enjoyable.

I will let you know when he makes his first posting.

The Blog's title will be Warp Drive Canine Mind Unleashed you can click on it in Blogs I follow.

this should be the link for the first article. Be sure to follow it as dogs love attention. http://rockyhasablog.blogspot.com/2010/02/welcome-to-rockys-blog.html You will need to cut and paste it for now.

Men Mirrors and Haircuts

2010-02-26T12:41:00.002-05:00

I got myself a haircut yesterday around noon. The barbershop is literally my neighbour. In fact as I look out the window in my computer room or den the roof I am looking across is the barbershop. It means I get light on a side most apartments above stores don't but because of the V shape of the alley if a slight wind is blowing in the right direction I get a howl like a horror movie sound effect. Has caused a few sleepless night if it is a strong wind. Until sh*t for brains here realizes the couch is very comfortable and uses his single brain cell to decide to move.

Back to haircuts. I joke that there are only 3 men's hairstyles while women have a near infinite number. In fact there probably more ladies hairstyles then there are possible number combinations for the lottery. However men there are 3, parted, unparted and departed. However departed is usually not complete. So we have to get cleaned up at least every couple of months. Not to mention cutting ear hair before we trip over it.

Anyway I was finally about to shut my eyes for the night about 2 am as lately I have been having trouble sleeping. 2am was my finishing time when I worked subway emergency so that or 7 am from when I worked night shift in streetcar emergency are almost normal betimes for me. Not by choice by choice I prefer to sleep midnight to 8 am. Seems that only happens if both the weather and my health are at nice levels. Just as I was taking my last medication I happened to look in the mirror. At that time I realized I had not looked in one since before I got the haircut. Normally I would come home trim my beard and go about but yesterday I needed a few grocery items so got those first. Routine broken I went about my day. Not a big deal but I can honestly say I have no problems in the vanity department about my looks. Can you imagine a women not looking in the mirror for 14 hours after a new haircut.

So a couple jokes. Who would have to be the laziest man in History.

The man who invented the Golf Tee.

Think about it.

How lazy do you have to be to invent something to rest your balls on?

Going to spend the day lowering my IQ

2010-02-25T11:56:00.002-05:00

Boredom. Mainly Dumb. Typical winter. So I am going to spend the day watching cartoons. Did it Saturday mornings as a kid and only side effect seems to be a thin line between right and wrong and thinking of consequences of my actions. Over cautious as a result as others either can't or won't do the same.

So a day on the cartoon channel. Didn't have that when I was a kid.

May also get a lottery ticket. Since odds of winning are so low you may as well look at them as contributing to charity.

Danger of Boredom & a Warped Mind

2010-02-22T17:01:00.002-05:00

Outside it is like a Christmas Card. Cold just below freezing so not uncomfortable cold. Slight wind so the much larger than average snowflakes fall almost straight down. A quiet, so very very quiet. As Elmer Fudd would say with his accent "Quiet enough to hunt wabits".

Which of course leave me inside no urgent errands to already walked the dog and had my coffee. Cleaned the litter box. Not completely out of closet bachelor meals so no need to go shopping. ( Wallet needs a refill so unless I choose to make the 100 yards or less trip to the bank machine no pizza or chinese food delivered. Mind you the last time the Chinese Food was delivered and the young man delivering it said "Good Day" I replied Ni hao ma. Which is Chinese for I am having a very good day thanks to you. He almost dropped the order. I laughed it is one of the exact phrases I do know so I couldn't resist.

While walking the dog I got to wondering how they leave messages for each other in pee. Now I don't even pretend to be able read dog pee. It makes me wonder though. Are dog pee messages like human phone tag? I live 3 telephone poles and a fire hydrant downwind give me a call. Or are they more like graffitti on Washroom walls. In big black magic marker " My Mother made me a Homosexual" below in a red pen " If I buy Her the Wool will she make one for Me? "

Pee the Canine version of Business Cards.

Some days I think if they take out the engine from a V8 Engine and Replace it with my Brain we will have discovered Warp Drive.

I've Figured out why Men pick their Noses

2010-02-18T13:53:00.002-05:00

Due to snow plow activity last night I couldn't sleep. Scraping the ground when moving forward beeping when backing up. As a result I lay in bed thinking. As most of you know at times me thinking is not a good idea. However I did figure out why men pick their nose.

As everyone knows men have two heads but only enough blood to use one at a time. It used to be we were incapable of intelligent thought until our later years. Then they invented Viagra and adult males may never think again. However here is my reasoning of why men pick their nose.

Lack of room. Let's face it our southern heads are nowhere as large as we tend to imagine they are. Can't take much blood to fill it. So if we get stuffed up in the head even a little bit there isn't much room. If enough blood gets up there to engorge our single brain cell the smallest restriction on volume can prevent us from having an idea. So we have to do it to make room just in case. Combined with the fact whenever a man learns something new it pushes out something else to make room that just may have been important. As Homer Simpson said " Remember when I took that home wine making course and forgot how to drive."

Best to err on the side of caution.

In the interest of keeping this blog readable by polite society I won't try to figure out things men do with this substance once it has been mined.

Haven't Been Blogging Much Lately

2010-02-14T21:13:00.003-05:00

I have to confess I have not been blogging much lately. In fact as of today I am exactly one month behind where I hoped to be today. Excuses, while some hold up some don't. Excuses are what you tell people for why you did or did not do something. While I had about 6 weeks of Bronchitis which does wear me down that is not the reason. Part of it maybe. Laziness is the big thing.

What had I wanted to be doing.

1. Working and posting the survival book. Partly laziness partly being non-fiction I can't sit down in front of the type writer and hammer it out. I just gave away my age make that computer. I can't have mistakes in that. Peoples lives could depend on my getting it right. Winter I have down cold ( no pun intended ) most of what I will be writing about winter survival I have myself put to the test.

Other seasons in temperate zones will also be personally tested. As will some things like water treatment etc. I want the book to be as useful as possible and am seeing where I need to research a bit more. Not a lot, I was well trained. However I don't want anyone to die of a typo. For once I don't mean that as a joke.

I have many talents however drawing is not one of them. I could take photos but and this is my opinion I don't know if it really holds true. I think a photo has two much information when you want to make a simple point. There is too much to distract. I wish to use mostly line drawings and am still looking for help there. To be honest my stick men don't even look like stick men.

It will get done how fast I don't know.

I wanted to review French at the moment. Studying French was not a game for me I did need to study. Most subjects came so easy I once was asked to read from Shakespeare in class but had a comic open on my desk and the book open but upside down on the desk. I stood holding the comic open didn't lift the book and delivered the speech ( from King Lear ) as if I were on stage. That particular teacher never tried to have me read unless we were taking turns again. I had happened to like that particular speech and memorized it. I can still quote it. That class was in 1972.

However French was hard and the only time I enjoy it is if I am using it. So procrastination is slowing me.

I also wanted to add a new language Odette's to be honest. I am almost ready, getting the written texts printed was my hold up but that is almost done. I tried once before with voice only and to be honest. I have standards for myself I was far from meeting. Shortly I should be meeting them.

So for now I am only going to say sorry for now. I won't say it won't happen again as I am far from saintly and err as all humans do. However I do intend to do better. On the positive side I have seen vast improvements in my illness reducing over the last couple of months and expect that to continue and probably accelerate. In time I should be able to travel. Probably either with a companion or needing medication but that is almost a normal life and I won't complain about that opportunity.

To all I open email soon as it arrives if I am home and awake. If not when I get home or wake up ( not quite true I pee first in the morning ) so to all thank you in a way you are all like a very large distant but effective therapy group.

My Computer doesn't have shelf space for awards

2010-02-13T11:09:00.004-05:00

I get embarrassed at awards. That's not entirely true. I almost went into shock when I won best master Cadet. I embarrassed my Parents and Grandparents in 8th grade where I went to an 8th grade only school with 720 students. I won an award for best math student and while the winners of science and English were looking sheepish beside me on stage I was holding mine up to the light to see what was inside the envelope.

The award is supposed to be for contributing to humanity. I'm wondering who accused me of being human. Couldn't have been any member of my family they know better. So humane maybe human nah. Like Groucho Marx said " I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member "

So who do I give this to as I am to pass it to 12.

Tracey of course for physical fitness. She gets me out of my easy chair. If falling on the ground and rolling around the ground laughing via her cartoons.

Ray the Angry American partly for when he does write and partly for when he bites his tongue or proverbial pen. I know he could tell it like it is but as Jack Nicholson said " We can't handle the Truth!!!")

Amy of bubbles blog for realizing she can enjoy life when she looks at the positive side.

Steven Amy's husband not only for his unusual blog but I will also have to give one to his Roster Achmed If I can get award that means it's not limited to humans. Give an infinite of typewriters to an infinite number of monkey's and you will waste a lot of paper.

Gail of Gail's books though she is close in the real world and can pull me down to earth.

Kirst though she has removed one of her blogs for trying to prevent pain and suffering in others.

Fi for her dedication the more evolved species on this planet. That means anything but Man.

Odette for getting so many of us into this and it's therapeutic effects.

My daughter gets two as she just started two blogs. Baby Blog and Balthuer family blog. They are in my blog follow list. The different last name is complicated and I understand her reasoning and do not disapprove. It just may mean extra work for her if I pass before hitting 65 my pension is guaranteed till then. After all even I could accidentally get whacked by a falling chunk of the planet Krypton.

Mimi can I pass you a copy back and here is the reason. Some of what you have told me has me doing extra research for my book. Here we have an earthquake someone is likely to accuse another of passing gas. I know Japan has excellent facilities for dealing with them my Japanese is very slow to translate. Also your police could take some lessons from them. If they have a hostage situation they have special trucks pull up and the back angles at where the hostage is being held. Four or five trucks then they turn on the lights. Each truck is full of spotlights like you use to play night baseball the prokind. Also giant speaker trucks the Rock industry would envy.

A few hours of this then negotiations begin which usually start with the surrender of the bad guys.

The remaining two I will have to divide among blogger anywhere who don't swear, berate, put down or ostracize. The ones who build folks up. Also in the process they are letting all of us know more of the world then the media or ten lifetimes of travel could. All without getting shot at ( With the possible exception of RAY ) ;)

Politcally Correct Reference Books

2010-02-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

Beside my computer I keep a copy of the Penguin English Dictionary. I think it comes from the Oxford. ( IN other words English Language not American ).

I wanted to post a comment on Odette's article today and needed to look up the spelling of the name of a Greek god. Probably the hardest one to spell. To my surprise his name was not there. So I thought ok maybe I just can't spell it I'll look up the Roman version and it should have the Greek too. So I check no Roman version either. Which of course started a search for all the ancient God's names I could think of. Not one not even Zeus. I was Shocked has political correctness secretly made it's way into our reference books now.

Is anyone else shocked. Or am I alone in this?

By the Way the dictionary is close to 4 inches thick and has no pictures.

Land of the Midnight Moon

2010-02-05T17:13:00.001-05:00

I'm afraid its after 5 pm and I only woke up an hour ago.

I worked the off shifts for so long whenever my system goes slightly out of wack, cold, flu, even overtired It goes back to shift mode.

So I tend to sleep when the sun is up and then up all night and it is very hard to switch back. I never did the rotating shift I would be on nights or afternoons for years at a time. I think out of 29 years I only did 4 or 5 on days.

Human's were meant to function like this. ( not that I am that qualified in the being Human department ) Overall my health is improving greatly. However I am willing to bet I go through a bunch of day night upside down cycles before I am back to so called normal.

My Mom should have named me Abe then given me the middle name Normal.

Oddly Exhausting

2010-02-04T13:45:00.002-05:00

In my last post I wrote about having a breakthrough in not having a panic or even anxiety attack travelling out of town. It is a big deal as with the exception of travelling with very trusted friends that was the first time I had been able to do that in Eight years. Sometimes I have had limited sucess with the help of medication.

Since then I have been testing the bounds of my comfort zone. Areas that not long ago were limits that would trigger an attack are no longer triggers I can go past them too problem free. With the exception that I am very exhausted by travelling past these former boundry limits. Though only a little more than a half mile back I took a cab home yesterday. I really was tired after ward and some of you may have noticed I don't think I was even at the computer once. It was minor chores then to bed and not even a book or TV on. ( I am not much of a Music person and don't play music while resting. Perhaps I should develop that habit. It may be more relaxing then I would think in theory. That would be my theory not anyone else's. I saw many live concerts while working at a major concert hall during high school. Most of my Cadet and Army postings were out of range of radio stations in those days. And even the weight of a transitor radio ( maybe a pound as opposed to today's grams and an MP3 player also lets you choose thousands of your favorites. A pound made a difference. In fact we would tend to eat the heaviest of the foods we were carrying first so the remainder of the trip we could carry less.

The exhaustion is I think just the next step on the way to healing. I see the shrink next on the 12th and am going to see if I can slowly change one of my meds. Prevents depression as a secondary effect and reduces general anxiety but I do need it to sleep, it is one of the rare meds which you don't build up a tolerance to its sleep effect. It does have one side effect which was good when I had lost so much weight from the constant attacks years ago. Weight Gain is a very deffinate side effect. I wan't to reduce it replacing it with something herbal but now RX not because the med is dangerous but years ago a batch was contaminated. A few deaths resulted some countries pulled it before the cause was found not to be the med but an accidental batch that had poison in it. Our response was to move it to RX only. I had taken it as a young man with no ill effects ( same for the poisioned batch no ill effects have ever been reported it is the same chemical as makes one drowsy after a turkey dinner ) I also found out some take 24 times the amount I do. So I would like to decreae the other med and increase this. He is a very good doctor and explains why he does what. I know I can't sleep without the first med as on the rare times I forget to take it I am unable to sleep for hours till I remember ( and check ) and found I won't fall asleep without it. yesterday while exhausted I still could not actually sleep till after I took it.

All in all I am enthusiastic that I seem to be getting over this. I have read it came in rare cases cure itself as sudden as it came ( It came like someone threw a switch).

So plans now include saving, moving to a proper city. Then preparing for travel. 2 to 3 years in all as I also want to study when I travel so in additon to travel costs I will have tuition.

Some Good News

2010-01-30T18:04:00.002-05:00

As any of you who have read my ramblings for any length of time know I suffer from Agoraphobia with Panic Disorder. In fact it forced me to retire at 51 ( which was the earliest I could have anyway ). It first hit me in 2002 and I dropped 80 pounds from 18 Feb to June 1st when I got myself committed. This was due the constant panic is similar to running full out all the time. Fight or flight response but with nothing around to make you need to fight or run. The worst attacks I would be completely stiff unable to even open my fist reach in my pocket and take an anti anxiety med. ( it for fear of having such an attack while behind the wheel I stopped driving, even though my illness is not one of the must surrender license illness ).

In the intervening years attacks have become less common as well as less severe but always when out of my comfort zone I would have at least a fair level of anxiety. At such a time I would take a med for it. Going out with someone I knew and trusted there was a good chance I could be attack free as well. From my reading this is the case in close to 75 percent of sufferers. My personal best example of this was I was out with my Dad to Walmart ( Which is only almost as scary as Ray also known as Angry American makes it out to be. In fact when he visits I think I would like to take him to a Canadian Walmart so he can see the difference. I have been to Walmarts in the states and he is not kidding in fact toning it down a bit is not an exaggeration. Canadians laugh easily and in the states we often have a hard time not laughing. Walmart should put up sign's no Canadians permitted without muzzles. When in the Walmart with Dad we got separated and after about 20 minutes I began to have an attack. I had my meds and we meet up very shortly after so no big deal

Yesterday a friend who is a casual friend we talk on the street and he is an overall nice person who has given me rides when he is going out of town as he knows it is good for my therapy offered me a ride. He was giving another friend a ride to a nearby city to buy a new guitar. I went with them. For the first time since I got sick, with no meds ahead of the trip or on it I not only had no attack but no anxiety or even apprehension. It may be the biggest single step forward since I first got sick. Doesn't mean I won't have problems next time but is a definite step forward. Thought I would share the good news. With luck within the year I will be able to travel Canada and the States and with luck a year later anywhere ( haven't figured out how to get to the moon yet, give me time ). Maybe learning Asian languages will not turn out to be such a waste after all.

What we have forgotten

2010-01-29T01:09:00.002-05:00

Not long ago I read in a comic section of the paper about a kid with a wii ( I don't have one. I don't think I will get one though I could afford one. My dislike comes from watching older kids ( late teens ) playing tennis on the wii and thinking they are good tennis players because they get good scores in wii. Excuse me your feet never moved. Tennis players I know are beat after a game of chasing the ball all over the court. Stand in one place and you will not score a single point.

Back to the comic. The kids grandmother was saying when I was your age all we had to play with was a stick and a wooden hoop. A slight exageration then I realized. I have no idea how to made a wooden hoop. I with blacksmith tools make a metal hoop. ( yes I can remember blacksmiths though they were few and very far between. One of my classmates fathers was a blacksmith and even now the company I worked for employees two. For special jobs fabricating metal that would take way to long to contract out.

I wonder how many other simple things I never learned to do. I don't even know where to look them up. You won't find it on the net I bet and if you do won't understand the instructions.

Just a thought as I was falling to sleep that I decided to get up and blog.

Just What do the letters MD really mean

2010-01-22T16:21:00.002-05:00

Update on the flu. Fever is gone so is lots of other things still have some sinus problems as with central heating our air is extremely dry in winter. Thanks to Stella for the nasal spray advice. Something I should have remembered. I am still waking with a whopper of a headache but sinus not migraine so I can make it go away with getting the sinus cavity clear and a simple pain killer. Like if you drop a hammer on your toe you won't notice your headache. ( joking that's a last resort and will not work for migraines. You drop the hammer on your toe and grab your head as anything makes those dreaded things worse ).

My chest has pretty much cleared. I suspect if I use a saline nasal spray at bedtime and whenever I wake in the night the headaches on waking will go and I will be able to get to the things I wanted to start as of my birthday now a week ago. ( I don't cry over spilt milk, I couldn't do anything about the bronchitis and flu. Now if it had been lost chocolate that would have been a different thing. ).

After reading Kirst's blog for a while I often feel like crying over what the medical establishment has put her through. Makes me wonder no make that certain that in some cases MD is short for Mentally Deranged. Many Doctors are arrogant but her's is the first I have heard of who seems a disciple of the Marquis de Sade.

I used a long distance card to talk to Odette yesterday. Hate to say this Odette but I think you phones are not as clear as ours. You sounded tiny. Very nice but even your voice is petite. Mind you here that is considered very attractive both in manner and looks. I'm sure being able to phone you will help me make sure I learn to pronounce your language properly. I hate sounding like a foreigner when I speak. My goal in how well I learn a language is two fold. Be able to read and write as well as a high school grad in the country whose language it is and have natives not be able to tell I am not a native on the phone. It's not hard with spoken Japanese but my French is of two kinds so I have to be there for a while for my "ear" to adjust. It also takes a few days before I am thinking in French. I can make the switch easier in Japanese. ( if someone is only thinking of learning to speak a new language Japanese if only spoken is not hard and is much more logical than western languages. At least in my view )

I also want to thank Stella for offering to help me learn Greek as soon as I finish my 1st run at Tagalog which I expect to take 2 or 3 months ( a fellow Canadian with Greek roots not to be confused with Blonde Roots. As it was my people in Braveheart it was her's in 300. If anyone wants to know what is history and what is Hollywood in either of those movies I would be glad to answer. For example the Scottish mooning the English Army and the Irish King having Edwards Irishmen change sides are both true. The romance between Wallace and the princess is not she was age 2 at the time. 300 is harder but one quick note the Spartan uniforms are accurate. Even the colour and that musical instrument you see them marching behind is a Spartan bagpipe. )

First Fever

2010-01-17T17:59:00.002-05:00

As you all know I have been fighting some normal winter ills lately. Something which probably includes bronchitis ( any minor chest infection can do it since I worked the subway tunnels and on the dirty carbon dust from the motors ) Being a life long non smoker it is at worst an irritant that tends to make me tired. Possibly from less efficient oxygen usage. There are what get called the winter blahs on top of that. Anyone who live anywhere it snow regularly for 3 months knows what I am talking about. Even Mimi may as California has ocean dessert and mountains and mountains have snow even in summer from time to time. On top of that I have had more migraines then usual as the weather is more changeable then most winters. Mine lead a storm by almost exactly 24 hours. It isn't always a storm even a pressure drop without precipitation will do the same.

Today I feel as if I feel down a flight of stairs while suffering a migraine. For the first time I have a fever. So Tylenol and fluids ( every notice Lonely Tylenol is the same backwards and forward ) I have to go to the doctor at 5 tomorrow so unless the fever breaks I will also get checked at emergency. I have not had the flue shot only because I know you are not supposed to get it if you are suffering any other cold type illness. I have been getting the flu shot every year since they came out. Condition of employment as we worked with literally millions of people. For our protect in and theirs. A logic I agreed with. Still do. For people in jobs like that. I would normally have a day or two of feeling just slightly weak then be fine. I did once get it when I had a flu coming on and was much sicker had to take a few days off. ( if you haven't noticed I seem to be rambling ).

The young lady who helps me out has gone to pick me up some drinks. and things that are easy to make. I have a big pot of beef barley soup I started yesterday but it won't be ready till tomorrow.

I should count my blessings. At least I don't have H.A.G.S. which is short for Herpes, Aids, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. However with modern science even it has a treatment. You are given a private room and feed a special diet of pizza, pancakes, fried eggs, toast and anything else thin enough to slide under the door.

Weather is here Wish I Was Great

2010-01-16T15:23:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted lately. Sorry but I have not been in the mood to write. I enjoy writing and am in a state that takes the enjoyment out of it. I suspect weather may be playing a part. Those of you who are Canadian or if I have any readers in Siberia will be able no doubt to relate. I'm told the weather in Ontario and Siberia is almost identical. Makes sense as both are about the same size ( huge ) and equally far north of the equator. The southern part of Ontario has the Great Lakes to moderate the weather and over 90% live within 100 miles of them. I'm part of that 90% but the lakes only tone down a Canadian winter.

It's not the cold or the snow. It's the dull days and the, sorry but I can't think of a word for it but going about outside is tedious in this weather. It is either very cold or warm and nice that melts the snow and things become wet and slushy, dirty muddy. Or the temp is just around freezing and you have to be careful not to fall. The overall effect is you really hate to go out. Our homes are warm generally cozy and we are pretty much spoiled with all the modern technology we have at our fingers.

I tend to have less severe but much longer lasting headaches at this time. I have been dealing with a low level headache for days now. It has me sensitive to light and it tends to make everyday things chores no matter what they are. You can put off most chores for a bit. Dishes can pile up. You can put off vacuuming for a day or so. Even groceries thanks to freezers and canned goods and I have to confess sending out for both pizza and Chinese in the last week. Two chores are musts. Walking the dog and the cats litter box. Running the treadmill and studying are two things I have put off for now. Running or even walking other than very slowly as when I walk the dog ramp up the headache or if it is gone for the moment bring it back. I can still read if it is something like a novel or humor. I have been reading the Darwin Awards. Got the book from the library. If you need a laugh look them up on the net. It is kept up to date and the formal Darwin awards are a result of the Internet.

So as winter drags ( we can have bursts of good weather for sometimes weeks. This year 2 good days seems the limit. The extra two minutes of daylight each day are very noticeable.

Hopefully I will shortly my brain damaged self. ( I actually have had more concussions then I care to admit ). I will be back to running studies and blogging then.

A Workout Without Opening the Box

2010-01-07T16:22:00.002-05:00

I have been putting off buying a treadmill for ages. Mainly whenever I was somewhere that sold them and I had access to a vehicle that could carry it no model with the features I wanted was on sale. Or even at full price in stock.

Today a store at the edge of town had one on as part of it's boxing week sale had the exact one I wanted on for 399.00 it is on next week as well but for 549.00 It is normally listed at 999.00 and this is the first time I have seen it below 900.

I got it home via large cab then as my apartment is above a store had to get it upstairs. With the help of two friends and using the carrier on the wheelchair lift ( it came with the apartment. My Mom uses it rather than the stairs when she visits and when my nephew visits it takes me a half hour before he gets bored playing on it. I can't really complain I still watch cartoons )

But what a workout. I haven't opened the box yet but if I did that every day by summer I would be giving the Governor of California a run for his money. Except I got it for cardio I already have a good gym. So here come my next two resolutions. I get in condition, two get in shape. ( condition is how healthy my body is condition is how it looks ). It would also be nice to have the talking weigh scales say "one at a time please"

So now everytime I finish a run or weight workout I will look at the machine and do my Arnold imitation to it. "I'll be Back"

How can flowers have sex in this weather

2010-01-06T14:59:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning and aside from talking the dog with me and getting coffee. Things like working on the written things I wanted to do were out. My eyes were tearing badly usually my allergies. Took a double dose of anti-histamines to stop it ( they still itch a bit ) Normally I get this if more one of the things I'm allergic to are around. I'm going to turn up the Orick air cleaner for the day ( just thought of that but this is the first allergy event since I got it. previously I liked I could let smokers have a cigarette if next to it rather than step into the hall. Which doesn't really work as though the allergies won't act up I will smell it for days ) I expected this in the spring when the trees and flowers start their semi annual orgy. I say semi because some do it in the spring some in the fall. I test as allergic to grass too and they are exactly the same. The one so many are allergic to and usually badly ragweed ( I wonder if it got it's name because allergy irritation that bad comes close PMS in making people touchy ).

I have worked out one resolution that I am ready for and may even start early. I have a large collection of language lessons. I plan to daily ( haven't decided on my definition of daily yet, weekdays all but the sabbath or 7/365 ) listen to one lesson reviewing a language ( English won't count unless I find a bunch of those voice and diction tapes or Some kind of read along with Shakespeare. I love reading him and the Romantic era poets aloud. Tracey's Byron remark recently was funnier than she could have meant as he and Shelly are my favorites though Elizabeth Barret Browning is darn good. Anyway by one I know right now limits me to French and Japanese. I have roughly 90 half lessons of each. I also want to play one new language each day. So that is an hour per day. To start with I may concentrate on one language at a time am thinking of starting with Tagalog or Odettes national language.I have two separate sets of lessons for it. One includes written and I will start with that one so I can make notes for the one which does not include written.

My written Japanese needs work too. Japanese is not a difficult language till you hit reading and writing. I find it a logical language unlike English or French. French is a bit weird for me as I learned both Canadian and French French. To compare Canadian French has a lot of very old words as if a Frenchman were listening to someone talk in Shakespearian English plus words for newer things borrowed from English. Example the French word for gasoline is l'essense in Quebec it's la gas.

Canada belongs to two language clubs one for French speaking nations and the other for English. Both have over 100 members ( which still surprises me )

Other resolutions and how I will follow them will follow. Ray for your info few in this province speak French and almost none along your route to set your mind at ease. AS until today when it is about zero it had been hovering near -18C That is about -2 for Ray and Mimi. I have been feeling for Chet. The stores keep playing that song about roasting his nuts on a open fire.

Kick it in the Bucket List

2010-01-03T01:34:00.002-05:00

I make my resolutions between new years and my birthday which is only 2 weeks later by which time most folks have broken every item on their lists. I don't do bad since I don't just put something down but a how to do it.

I usually last 3 months to item crossed off as done. I do some slipping after the 3 months but am not to bad at getting back on the horse.

Now that I am at middle age ( entering it I hope barely ) I also need to come up with a bucket list. A list of things to cross off before I do something so stupid it's fatal. ( That is the most common way for males to shuffle off this mortal coil isn't it. and if it isn't it probably is the most fun )

In youth we have goal list, school, job, certain attainments. I got some of mine at a ridiculously early age. Priest, Commissioned Officer, Intelligence Officer, Marksman, Mountain climbing instructor and Infantry Platoon Commander all before 21.

By 25 I had a decent set of educational qualifications and a share of adventures and was into a career which would have me retire at 51. Getting sick at roughly the same time was not part of the plan. Blowing my own first marriage which if you only get to have one love of your life was mine. However since I blew that then making my life's biggest mistake is also behind me so there is the plus in it.

So this blog is to look for suggestions. Throw in items you think should be in my bucket list ( some may have be resolutions first ) and I can decide add to list or not my thing. I had a Friend who made a comment about hating flying in helicopters. I said I liked it. Then he added he really felt sick after landing to which I answered I don't know I've never been in one that landed. I've jumped out, rappelled out and rolled out into platoon formation but not with them touching the ground. So going on an ordinary helicopter ride would not appeal to me. Perhaps as part of a date it may be neat. To ride in a chopper in a tux instead of combat gear would be nice. but no matter how easy, hard, time consuming or stupid throw in your ideas.

Damn still sick

2010-01-02T18:18:00.000-05:00

Slept through the business part of the day have slight headache, congestion back but not nearly as bad and the race for the bathroom. Hopefully it's just me finally kicking the last of it.

Why this blog seems late

2010-01-02T02:35:00.003-05:00

First as many may have guessed I have been slightly sick. Sinus and Chest Congestion mostly but with anything that affects breathing when trying to be witty you only get half way there.

Second just before midnight a friend and reader comment ted are you leaving it at 99 posts this year. As the number 99 has certain meaning for me this is what I wrote her.

99 is a special number in many ways in my life. My Grandfather was one of he original 99's when the subway opened in 1954, I was a subway 99 for many years and also an SRT 99 I ended my time with the TTC as a 199 ( as you may have guessed from this a 99 is a subway or srt emergency mechanic. I streetcars we were called emergency men and went by the number of our trucks I usually worked truck 51 but you could describe yourself as a 99 easier all the drivers, police, fire etc knew what it meant ) It's a good number of articles to end the year on. Btw the whatever was making me congested is gone today.

And to another about living across from a bar

I hope I get to the blog today. As you may have guessed I have been a bit sick lately nothing serious probably bronchitis and I woke fine yesterday. I left the number of articles what it was and I will explain why in the next article if it is today or tomorrow. The other part is why I'm so beat today. I live literally across the street from a bar. I feel asleep watching a movie about 7:30 woke about an hour later and was awake all night. First the merry making from the bar. I don't object to that just wish small town bars wouldn't hire a group based on whose parents hate really each other just got divorced so each would get their drinking age but immature child a drum set.. I thought I knew zero about music. I wish to amend that to close to zero. Add know drums are a preclusion instrument which means you hit them does not mean hitting them is playing them. As the sun came up it was still loud and there were a couple ambulances there. No police, I don't blame them I imagine they were stretched to thing. People where still yelling each other's names. For some reason the now believed everyone had changed their name to Hugh. That is because they could only seem to yell "Hey Hugh". Perhaps to drunk to yell You.

I feeling a bit better, my first couple of trips were to get water. As I get more in my system I'm feeling less weak and the pounding headache is almost gone. Don't be surprised if I cut and paste this into the blog. Along with another response to a friend. I was going to have new years dinner with friends but have slept just slightly too long. Perhaps a good thing I know I need to get more water into me. Glad I don't drink in general and had nothing last night. I think I've shaken the illness just need to get healed from it's having me so worn down. I have been sick with congestion since just before the start of DEC. I look on the fact I'm feeling good relatively as a positive thing. I also had some dreams last night where I was young and healthy again. Another good sign as a big part of them was looking for goals and future plans.

Now that I think about it Maybe Bagpipe licensing would be a good idea. Except where would you find a cop tough enough to enforce it. Few SAS units perhaps Tracey?

Christmass Depression

2009-12-25T01:28:00.003-05:00

I don't normally get depressed around Christmas. This year I am. I was to go to a lunch at the center today and had even made arragements for someone to make sure I was up it. They made 1 call to my cell which being in my shirt pocket didn't wake me. I woke about 5 and the regular phone had no problem getting two more calls. It had been by my head and the person who was to wake me does have a key.

I was quite upset at missing the dinner especially since I had done my best to make sure I would be able to go. I am seriously considering rethinking this friendship as in the last month it has cost me over $500. Trying to make sure she and her estranged daughter had a good Xmas. As a result I'm a bit behind on some bills.

I was invited to a dinner today now I guess. However since I can't count on being awake on time ( Medications, I don't sleep normal hours or wake easily ). I phoned the family who were out and as politely as I could explained I can't be sure I would wake in time for the 2pm dinner ( it's also about a mile walk we have no public transportation here and I think the few Taxis in town are off tomrrow..

I spent today fasting and will do the same tomorrow. I know Christmas isn't a normal time to fast but maybe I will get some kind of inspiration on just what to do.

I thought I was getting better but this is another slip back. Seems I now have a mild case of social anxiety on top of the other things. I'm on the verge of giving up hope and just arranging to live without going out at all. That means getting rid of both the cat and the dog. I am allergic to the cat and the dog has a bit pain along with the blindness. After close to 8 years now maybe it is time to quit trying to get better and hope for a miracle and just learn to live with the illness.

Going for a Record

2009-12-23T21:28:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking and if this congestion that keeps getting the odd migraine thrown in goes on 2 more days it will be the record for being sick without going to hospital. Be it on my own, by ambulance, or after slipping into a coma.

Thing is I am not terribly sick. It's congestion, sinus and the odd migraine. Migraines that if not for the other would be taken care of by ibuprofen or tylenol 1.

The combination is what's wicked. This part will interest stella. For the first time sound caused me to cry from pain. Light had done it plenty of times. Most migraine sufferers can't take bright light. The Olympic torch went literally past my door yesterday or the day before. The cheers were loud enough I was in tears. I had thought at the time ( being sick has me sleeping very odd hours and a friend is taking out the dog making sure he and the cat are feed etc. So I thought the Santa Clause parade had been re-routed )

I'm invited to an X-mas dinner and some friends have asked me to join their family dinner on X-mas. The last time I was over to take something over because the husband was sick ( I can't remember with what but something prevented him walking or driving think it may have been a sprained ankle. His grandkids and son or son and law were there. I visited about a half hour and as I was leaving heard him say to his wife " that man is welcome anytime" and to the rest, Now that is how a gentleman behaves you can all learn from him ). The next time I saw the wife downtown she told me the story and apparently it made an impression because he had never used a person as an example before."

Funny how doing something that is nothing to you can come back to you multiplied in good ways. I've done one other minor favor for the family in the past year and have got a phone call every day since I first got sick with many expressions of hope you can make Xmas dinner.

Assuming I'm well in the next couple of days it brings me to what I what I wish to say. I had to be reminded ( almost have the whole story explained ) to recall the events. It goes with what to me is part of Karma. If you do something and take credit for it are you doing it for them or you. If you do something nice and five minutes later have forgotten about it and won't think of it again unless pushed to then you have done something selfless. From my point of view only the selfless acts count as good deeds or gook karma.

I don't worry about heaven or hell because I personally believe no matter what happens ( if anything in case if it's nothing who cares )that we will be judged fairly and as a result will get exactly what we deserve. So good or Evil, Saint or Sinner we earned it and when all is said and done. We get what should be coming to us.

Good Gnus Bad Gnus

2009-12-20T16:57:00.002-05:00

The bad news first. Yesterday about 6pm my time I got hit with the worst migraine I have had in years, decades actually possibly 3 of them. It hit very sudden and unlike the effecting everything hit only my head ( right side as almost all ) made me extremely light sensitive and felt like a screwdriver eye. Not the kind with vodka either.

I could not sleep and finally took a double dose of anxiety meds on top of my strongest pain killers at 8am. I only woke an hour ago a few minutes after all the stores closed and walked the poor dog who had been in 22 hours. Naturally he didn't complain.

The Good news is the headache is now a dull remembrance and I will see what the weather does in an hour. As I had planned on getting some groceries I did get coffee and mint flavored hot chocolate. The rest of the eve I will be eating bachelor food. Hot dogs without buns. Steaks without vegetable pasta with mustard cause I don't ever buy enough meat or tomato sauce for the amount of pasta I buy Ramen and other guy stuff.

Unless the light sensitivity comes back I should be in ear shoot of my email announcer. So I can return email quickly.

Other wise keep up that weight loss plan by laughing your asses off.

PS in the next politically correct version of the Bible Samson will be killing Philistines with the Jaw bone of a Politician.

How to Use this Blog to Spot Reduce Your Rear

2009-12-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

I have had lots of people comment that they have to be careful not to drink not liquids if reading my blog. Apparently keyboards don't like being spewed all over by laughter. However they say laughter is the best medicine. So what I am recommending is going back when bored and depressed and reading my dumbest articles.

In email the most comment is LMAO. So why not put that to good use. Reduce butt size by laughing it off. The Useless information diet. Laugh your ass off with just one read a day. Not to be used while drinking liquid unless you have a nose water proof keyboard.

Now I have to figure out how to work on other body parts. Also remember only a plastic surgeon can get away with picking someone else's nose.

Still Fighting the Congestion

2009-12-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

I'm sure I have a graphic of someone sick. Unfortunately I have many more graphics that are just plain sick.

I suspect the cold meds combine with my regular meds to form stupid pills. At least they make me feel more stupid then normal. The combination could possibly be marketed as a means for women to find out what it feels like to think like a man. If they can figure out how to make a strong enough dose without being fatal. After all they figure females are roughly 10,000 years more evolved then males ( this last sentence is not a joke but I forget the source of the estimate, I do know it has something to do with handling pain and healing )

Old skills are all no problem but trying to help a friend with a new cell was a major problem. Maybe the problem is I'm not a teenager. I also normally read manuals cover to cover before doing anything. They aren't packing manuals with things anymore because people don't or can't read them. So I found the manual on the net and downloaded it. Awkward way of doing things but It has some advantages I can see. ( reading 110 pages is not something teens are keen to do ) one of the advantages is it makes the mp3 player part of the phone more idiot proof. You can't erase a song by accident. At least the file is a PDF so I can put it on a CD or DVD for her. Likely though the easiest way to do something is get me to do it. Faster than explaining things written in GEEK that I can speak Greek is still on my list of things to learn.

The Side Effects of Earning a LIving

2009-12-17T17:33:00.002-05:00

Right now I have a chest and sinus cold. As often happens when I get even slightly sick by body switches back to thinking it's on shift work. Of my 29 years with the TTC 24 were on either night or afternoon shift. ( shifts don't rotate there ). So now my AM & PM as far as my body is concerned are more Odette's on the other side of the globe than my own.

In other words tonight I am more likely to answer an email right away rather than not till what is normally morning for me. Some friends are helping with minor errands like dog walking and trips to the drug store. I my self am watching old Elvis Presley movies. I don't know if the 1st movie I saw was Bambi or Love Me Tender. Since Elvis wasn't in Bambi I'm watching Love Me Tender. I also promised my mom a copy.

The title song is very romantic. Unless I try to sing it. Even without a cold my singing it would cause Dracula to drive a stake into his own heart rather than listen to the noise. You now one more way to kill a vampire have Sid try to sing it love songs. Mom is more diplomatic than Drac would be. She say's "Sidney I love you but shut up". I think mothers love their sons to prevent them drowning us at birth.

Over a Year of Wasting Electrons

2009-12-15T14:56:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe but the day I wrote about the Magic show ( I still and probably never will remember it clearly ) was a year since I started wasting electrons with my my Ramblings. They have been fun, they have helped me meet interesting new people all over the globe. I have learned about all kinds of interesting subjects. Some terribly sad some nice. I have had the chance to say all kinds of stupid things. In the unlikely event I have ever said anything intelligent. Please tell me. I will do my best not to do it again.

To Odette I thank you for getting me into this and am sorry ready my idea of the perfect eulogy made you spit your coffee all over the keyboard. I should have some kind of warning that if something I write and it seems intelligent and sensible get ready for a punch line.

To Tracey thank you for increasing my vocabulary. Pillock and Prat are now firmly embedded therein.

To Kirst thanks for filling me in on so much about a part of the world we think we know but don't have the slightest idea about. Also for being a good friend when needed.

Also thanks to the rest of you for being educational. I still intend to complete that book though it has me running in several directions. I find to do what I wish I need to reference many more sources than I thought. The overall arrangement is more complicated then I would have dreamed as I am trying to do one that will be useful world wide. Mimi greatly expanded what I need to do for an area of the book just by mentioning earthquakes. ( it also brought up several areas I never mentioned but would be needed ). Seems the only disaster I can think of I know of no way to prepare for before or after is a Volcano. However the skills I intend to include would be useful just any wrath of God disaster is more difficult and that is one I can only think normal survival skills can't touch. If you can survive it and get to a safe distance then I can help. Even with the getting to a safe distance.

So thank you all.

I didn't mention R.S the A.A as I think he is right now working extremely deep cover with James Bond

Christmas questions

2009-12-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping?

I used to be done by Labor day. The first Monday in September. This year I’m not really getting the chance to do any shopping. We have one small department store in town so unless you want everyone to get duplicates of every gift you need to travel to one of the cities around us. They average about 40 miles away and I don’t drive anymore. This year I was able to make one trip but time was limited and I am going to end up giving family cash. With this economy it’s probably a better choice anyway.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.

I normally had to work Christmas so I have none. Out of 29 years with the same company I had 4 Christmases off. We got it off if Christmas fell on our normal day off.

3. Are you a Black Friday shopper?

Black Friday is strictly a US thing. I wish we had something like it here. I was in Connecticut once on black Friday by chance and it was great. Here Boxing day the day after Xmas the sales start. Originally when people had one winter coat on dress coat etc. They would get often get a new one for Xmas. Boxing Day the last year’s ones if still good would be boxed up and donated to groups for the poor.

4. When do you put up your tree?

I no longer put up a tree since the dog is now blind. The cat having his own indoor toilet is bad enough.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?

I usually now spend Christmas home alone.

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?

The year I gave my brother a game of bathroom battleship. It is meant to teach adult men to hit the bowl. My family is almost all male and even with a few thousand targets to sink by peeing at them they were all used by the end of the day.

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?

Top 5 are Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Home Alone, Home Alone 2 Lost in New York and Batman Returns.

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking, what’s your favorite treat?

I don’t bake but I love shortbread.

9. Fake or Real Tree?

Don’t dare have either the dog only knows only how to real pee.

10. What day (as a mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done?

Last few years my Mom has been to ill for anything special for Xmas.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?

Normally I’m done shopping in September. Often I’m more surprised then the gift opener because I forgot what I had bought them.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?

Believe it or not the four brothers trying to out insult each other. Next to that which of us has the best true funny story. Last year my brother won hands down when 2 soldiers just returned from the middle east had been hunting on his property the week before thanksgiving. Hoping to surprise their families with Wild turkey. Good thing he was there as they had shot Turkey Vultures instead of turkeys.

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best?

I do crafts all year long. I guess what I like best is if one of my brothers gives me a new electronics project the more difficult the better.

14. Christmas music. Yes or No, and if yes what is your favorite song?

I may be warped but I love Weird Al Yankovich’s Christmas parody songs.

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?

I plan to start next years shopping the day after Christmas.

Minor Changes

2009-12-14T12:29:00.001-05:00

The center I go to was to have a trip today it had to cancel. One of the staff members left rumour has it to go to a better job. In my view a darn good reason for changing jobs. I don't believe there are any more trips till after January. Most are short of funds in January and the holidays can be tiring for many.

I wish her all the best in whatever position she is now working in.

The Magic Show

2009-12-11T23:56:00.002-05:00

First I almost did not go.

We all meet at the center to wait for the bus and within a minute of my getting there two people started to argue loudly. After perhaps a minute of this I stood and loud enough to drown them out. "Excuse me I didn't come to watch people fighting. I will not be able to attend under these circumstances. Please excuse me." I opened the door and left. I had to take a med to stop an oncoming panic attack as soon as I got home then the phone rang. Apparently as soon as I left the rest of the group let into the two of them and came close to throwing them out. This has been an on going problem and no one ever stood up to it before. As such fighting is strictly against the rules they came close to being banned. ( Also apparently I don't know if I am popular but I am very respected there ). The phone rang and I was asked to come back. I did as you can tell from the picture. I think it was a very good show but I can recall very little of it as having to take the panic meds on top of cold meds my memory of it is very poor. Normally something like that I would recall perfectly. I didn't get home till midnight and only just woke. The dog must have sensed I was not well and had not tried to wake me. I took him out for a quick pee ( it's very windy and well below zero ) I hope he's ok till morning.

I don't think getting me in the cage was hard. As for getting out. I had skipped lunch.

PS: No Tracey I only have a drink on 11 Nov, if the there is a toast to the queen at a formal dinner or at a wedding and at a wedding one glass will last for all the toasts as I only touch the drink to my lips.

Thunderclaps and Puppy Dogs

2009-12-09T13:30:00.002-05:00

Okay at almost 11 and being a rescued dog Rocky may not fit the normal definition of Puppy. However people who meet him for the first time think he is a puppy because he has a great attitude to people. ( his only real bad habit is barks if you stop petting him, typical male ). He never was afraid of thunderclaps, they aren't the worst kind of clap that honor goes to one of King Lear's daughter's who was so evil they named a social disease after her. ( If anyone can twist a classical education I can, those who have read the play I bet a light just went on ). Rocky was never afraid of thunder. Not even when he went blind. Just a little while ago a quirk of timing changed that for the moment. As I was bringing him in from his walk and about to take off his lead. ( He has this need one for night with flashing led's ) thunder shook the whole building. I had to let him run up the stairs then unclip him upstairs. He is now in his room. ( Before he went blind he decided he wanted a room and dragged everything out of the bottom of my bedroom closet. He lets me hang clothes if they aren't long but it is his room ). Currently he is trading barks for thunderclaps. Don't know if Rocky or Zeus will win but bet Rocky is the more stubborn of the two.

As for mentioning an STD scientists have decided the old standbys and even HIV or AIDS are not the most difficult to live with. They have decided the hardest STD to live with is kids. ( all in humor of course )

Achmed the Telepathic Rooster

2009-12-06T12:59:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I am on the sick side right now with bad congestion chest and sinus. In fact getting up ( in complete darkness when I have a reading light beside the bed duh ) I tripped over the now empty vaporizer, hand outstreched to break my fall hit the sock, pyjama etc drawer, my body twisted and the dresser fell on me. 3 lessons, turn on the darn light, close open drawers and don't put things like a vaporizer directly in my path out of the room.

Last night I was having some trouble keeping hydrated. Whenever I woke I forced myself ( and I had to force it I did not want to drink swallowing is not pleasant at the moment ). However if I had not I am sure I would be much worse today instead of slightly better. Especially my sinus area. I could almost feel it re-hydrating.

Thats not what todays blog is about. I woke perhaps five times in the night which let me keep forcing myself to drink water. Also I woke from a recurring dream. Each time I woke it was from dreaming a rooster was crowing good morning. My mom has chickens but no rooster. The only rooster I know of is Achmed. When he was sick we all tried to help him as much as we could. I know there is more to animals than we give them credit. ( and less to us than we take credit for ). My guess is he was trying to help me because I tried to help him. May be total hogwash but I'm giving him credit the slight improvement I feel. Amy and Steve are about 5,000 miles away so that is one powerful bird. So Steve your pet isn't Psycho he's Psychic. Thank him for me please

The Trip

2009-11-28T15:03:00.002-05:00

Ok as I said the trip went well.

The photos I took after some point didn't take. Possible after I changed the batteries I need to play with the camera some more to get used to it. I did get a new card reader so X off one early Xmas gift to myself. I also got myself a new 7 slot usb hub on sale dirt cheap.

Weather is more typical December now very cold. No snow yet. I woke up sneezing like crazy. Cat must of slept on my chest again.

My friend Rick, this will say it made the paralympic team I think I sent all of you the link to the news article but basically it says he made the team.

We have a shopping trip with the group on the 4th and a dinner Magic show on DEC 10 here is the link www.GregFrewin.Theatre.com we will be in the Platinum seats so it should be good unless the Tigers eat someone. In my youth the danger would have been my brothers or Army buddies trying to eat the Tigers.

I hope those trips have better weather so I can guage anxiety better yesterday I was unable to tell if any manifested as part of the migraine. Aside from messing with my sleep pattern and lasting a long time it was not bad. I've stopped sneezing before I had time to take any anti-histamine so that much is good. It is just darn cold outside so I am going to do my Bear imitation and hibernate.

Some Positive News With Regards My Illness

2009-11-25T16:53:00.002-05:00

For once I have had a couple positive things happen as far as my illness goes happen back to back to back. In the hopes that good news happening to one of us may rub off on the other I am going to tell of it here.

As many of you know I have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia.

The more I learn about how common it is the more amazed I am.

I have just joined a group for folks with various mental illness. The big advantage for me is they travel a few times a month and the complete lack of being able to travel has for the past while been a brick wall as far as the progression of my therapy and improvement possibilities go.

I have learned a bit more about it and find having abuse in childhood makes it more likely. My moving and peer abuse my be a factor plus for a time my Mom was abusive. I have forgiven her and now even know what brought about the change in her personality that caused her to become abusive for a time. Unfortunately it was about 10 years.

However the being able to travel is good news. Now for some more. When things get even slightly bad sleep patterns get poor for me and there is a bit of a snowball effect. I speak like I write. Or to put it bluntly the kind of things you see me write ( down to the wisecracks and bits of totally useless knowledge that led me to give the blog it's name ). While at the shrink's I happened to mention I wished L-Tryptophen the natural chemical found in turkey that makes you so sleepy after a turkey dinner had been pulled from the market 20 years ago after a contaminated batch killed some people in the states. He commented it wasn't pulled they just moved it to being an Rx and wrote me an Rx for it right away. There has never been any bad effects attributed to it as it was the contamination that had done the poisoning. It has even had some good results in conjunction with other meds in treating a number of illness including mine. He apologized for not thinking of it himself. It isn't a popular drug and the pharmacy even had to special order it in for me but I think at least one aspect of a problem with my illness will now be a thing of the past. And without the calories of a big turkey dinner.

Third came as I was discussing whether my level of concern over something outside my control going on in my life was warranted. He made a point I am surprised I haven't heard before considering the length of time I have been being treated for this. He commented that in many cases of illness in the anxiety family it is not a particular event that triggers the anxiety but that the anxiety is there waiting and when something happens it latches onto some event to blame. Knowing this may help me avoid over reacting to things and thus help keep the general level manageable.

I don't know if any of this will help any of you but even if it doesn't maybe some of the good luck will rub off. One of the first events with the group is a shopping trip to a nearby city so I may be able to pick up some gifts for some of you. As Tracey knows with postal speeds you may be lucky to have them for next Xmas. The next is to a High End Professional Magic Show at Niagara Falls. I promise to my camera. I don't know if shots of the show will be allowed but we will be going by the lit up falls at night so those may be nice. It's a dinner show and one of the tricks is making Tigers disappear. Hopefully not via the dinner plates. Now I've done it. I'm going to spend the next week wondering what Tiger would taste like. I have already had alligator and octopus. I like both of those. As my Grandmother used to say she would rather have the experience than die wondering.

Hey Ray get you get a chance to look at any of the manual I sent you?

An update and a promise

2009-11-21T11:20:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I haven't been as emotionally secure of late as normal. Just letting you know I'm getting back to normal ( for me in case one of my brothers reads this and dies laughing at the thought of me being considered normal ). ( I guess that would go for my Army Buddies, School Chums, co-workers ok no one who really knows me has ever called me normal. Even my Mom will say while your back to normal then qualify it with "for you". My Dad is different however he has his own form of being Sid. I have seen where I was with a group of friends in a Legion a bad fight broke out. People were flying as someone came at the table he would just happen to pick up his beer for a sip. Body over the table no pause in conversation. Even seen one of my brothers have to get up to throw someone out. Later ask Dad and he goes "What Fight?"

It's just that he always seems completely serene and at peace with the universe. Sort of a Buddha who doesn't give a crap.

Anyway I probably won't be doing much joking ( see how long that can last ). I do want to get to work on that survival book in Ernest. Ray has unwittingly been making me think about it. He asked some honest questions not about the coming book but about things that happened while I was getting the skills I plan to write about. Or about things that happened to those were with me when I was learning them or used some of the past on ones. ( He mainly asked about something my youngest brother was involved with that had 13 to 18 year old cadets rolling on the ground laughing at a platoon of US Marines when the two groups went on a survival course )

I will include a how this skill collection came to be ( it was 3 winters in the making and there were 5 of us playing human Guinea pig on ourselves )

I also would like all of you that can think of them to think of worst case situations for your area. For Odette I'm going to include things that relate to tropical weather related disaster. I would like to know of things for other places that should be prepared for like Mimi in California. There they are encouraged to have emergency gear in their garage for earthquakes. I would like to address things like what if your garage is one of the things the earthquake didn't give a damn about.

Point out things such as while a way of getting to know what general direction is north is it will be the side of trees with the most Moss. However that will be south for Kirst and Fi. Moss grows highest where it gets the least sun so in their case that is South. How to use a watch as a compass. ( One reason even if you prefer digital time you should have a watch with hands. Even if you only use them when lost and wear a dual display watch.

So Questions are welcome. Also I want to do at least a couple of chapters of Thought exercises. People who did not survive and what they could have done so they did. ( please leave out hit by large falling objects unless they camped in a rock slide area that's just natural selection. I do have a friend who last I had heard had been hit by lightning his fourth time and I think the record is surviving 27 hits held for years by a US forest ranger. He lost all his hair after I think his 5th and unfortunately just before due to retire the 28th hit prevented that.

I am ok retirement wise so I won't be doing this for money but posterity. So anyone who wants just ask and as I write the chapters I will email you them to look over. Not all will apply to everyone. Also I would appreciate feedback, are things to deep to simple or do I leave out things obvious to me. Or is the situation in your part of the world different enough to warrant some extra information needed.

When done I will put the book where the whole thing can be downloaded or you can pick chapters. One of my own pet peeves with survival books is size and weight. So I like the idea of print and take the chapters you need.

So I hope to get to work on a book that will have to do until the Professor on Gilligan's Island, Star Trek's Mr Spock and MacGyver get together to write the perfect book on it may just have to do.

This is probably my second last Blog

2009-11-18T07:25:00.002-05:00

About a year ago at the suggestion of a friend I began blogging.

For a long time it was very enjoyable.

However lately old wounds long healed have been reopened by friends trying to help but were in reality picking at healed scabs until they were bleeding badly.

I am also at the same time having some problems closer to home. For example I expect I will never see my grand daughter ( She will be two this week and I have not met her ) and now my daughter is expecting again I doubt she will be able to finish college as a result. It is almost impossible to train to become an auto mechanic if you are expecting ).

There are other things closer to home. Both parents are ill and all of my brothers are having economic problems. Which me who is retired and on a disability and really can't help anymore than I have. All of this has led to some worsening of my health and my self esteem has taken a real beating. I am really at the limit of anything more I can do to help.

So I will leave what is on the blog for a couple of weeks in the event anyone for any reason wishes to keep copies of anything I may have wrote then taking it down.

Thank you too all of you for the support you have given during this past year.

What is it people want?

2009-11-09T10:10:00.002-05:00

It's just over 3 weeks now since I put up the personals ad. So far not a single response. It's not like it's a small group either they have over 4 million members. I don't think I ever really knew what women looked for in men. ( though I saw many go with guys who everyone said they should have known better ).

I doubt romance is the answer. On yahoo answers I am the number one contributor for valentines day. More than 100 answers ahead of the second place contributor. Go ahead and look it up. I think it's society and culture/holidays/valentines day.

I know the great romantic poets and can recall both Shakespeare or the Bible without trouble.

I have a sense of humor of sorts.

I didn't mention my income as I certainly hope that is not relevant.

My not driving may be a drawback but the fact I don't drink should ease fears of me being a drunk.

Maybe I just need to get back to being happy being in solitude. It does however make me feel like I must be the bottom of the barrel.

My deep thought for the day

2009-11-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

1. You can pick your friends

2. You can pick your nose

3. You can't pick your friend's nose

4. Unless you also happen to be his plastic surgeon.

You May Have Guessed

2009-10-30T18:08:00.002-04:00

As some of you may have guessed from my absence from the computer and short replies when I have been here I haven't been too well lately. Nothing like what Kirst or Amy go through. Most of my life I have been alone. Looking at it as solitude rather than loneliness has been one of my coping mechanisms. Last week a friend with all the best of intentions expressed concern over my always being alone. I explained that I regarded it as solitude rather than loneliness but the subject remained the same. I'm sure each of us has coping mechanisms. Kirst and Amy for pain Odette for the economics of raising her boys etc. That night however I found things had turned to loneliness and I haven't been able to change it back. The loneliness led to depression and basically for the past several days with the exception of taking the dog out for his business I have not got out of bed. I haven't read, can't sit through a TV show or DVD. I tried watching Macgyver but ended up having to renew the loan from the library. I got through a total of two episodes.

A friend took me out of town today as he knows I need to try to get out as therapy. He was going to a music store. I didn't have an attack but my watch monitors my heart rate and it didn't drop below 140. I didn't take my bp cuff with me so I don't know what that went to and that was on my medication. Much as I hate to do it with the current flu panic going on I am going to have to make a DR's appt asap.

I did try to do something about the loneliness. I took out an Internet dating ad. So far five days no response and the few ladies I sent messages to ( being careful to be polite ) I did not get replies. This is kind of snowballing the loneliness thing. I hope I can back to not considering myself lonely but the last few days I haven't been able to get it out of my head.

Let's face it I'm no catch. I am 55 years old, I'm retired, I'm no Ladies man in looks or charisma or whatever it is that appeals to the ladies. I no longer drive and live in a very small town where everything and everywhere one would like to go for a date is at least 75 miles away. I can't see myself going to get a license again until at least next summer. Even if I do I have no where to park a vehicle and would have to come up with the funds to buy one. Insure it etc. Even taking the test is a major problem as it can't be taken in this town and I would need not only a car but someone to drive to the test site with me. Mind you if after driving everything from motorcycles to locomotives if I can't pass a simple driving test I don't deserve to have a license.

So ladies any advice? Or should I just tough it out till my way of looking at things manages to change back ( if it can ). btw I haven't been on any kind of a date for close to 4 years now.

Been a bit

2009-10-26T18:49:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything in several days. My allergies are driving me up a wall and on top of that I was rubbing my eyes so much I broke the arm off my glasses. Fortunately they were covered by warranty. It wasn't just me both drug stores in town ran out of eye drops. For some reason they weren't working very well either.

So I've been watching the series Heroes and reruns of MacGyver. My brother and I used to complain that most of his gadgets wouldn't work because something was missing and we would point out what was missing. Then TV Guide did a story on the series and mentioned that things were deliberately left out so kids wouldn't be able to do the stunts he did. Of course those who knew George and I generally all stated that we were "scary smart" after the article ran. As Einstein said " A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, so is a lot"

Hope all of you are doing well.

Allergic to Arboral Sex

2009-10-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

Pollen is striking me down again. Oddly flowers even ragweed don't bother me. Trees and grass however do. Some pollinate in spring some fall. So right now the trees have my eyes watering bad enough even a double dose of anti-histamines let me watch TV ( you don't have to be terribly alert for that ) but not read due to the combination of dopiness and teary eyed. Also I am now going to confess that movies, books and poetry have all at times brought me to tears.

On My Last Post and Some Good News

2009-10-17T12:17:00.002-04:00

First the answer to where the saying "There is more than one way to skin a cat" comes from. In the old British Navy flogging was a common punishment. Part of the penalty was it was to be done in front of the entire ships company. In the event of bad weather it could not be done above deck. In those cases it was done in the only under deck area large area the men's mess where the crew slept and ate.

The term for swinging the whip which was a cat o nine tails is skinning. The overhead motion used above deck could not be used because the ceilings were low. Thus the term more then one way to skin a cat.

As for the good news. I got out of town for a few hours yesterday with a friend. No panic attacks some minor anxiety and really tired when I got home. Napped 4 hours watched 3 of TV then went to bed. ( Sleeping 12 so I guess even with no panic something is still effected ). The Friend thinks it would be no problem to do something similar every couple of weeks. This is a part of my recovery that I have not been able to implement much in the past and the first with zero feelings of panic or anxiety. Even when my Dad Visited and we went out I had an attack when we got separated for a while. Not so yesterday.

Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls Off a Brass Monkey

2009-10-15T17:54:00.002-04:00

It's cold out today. Winter jacket cold. The expression Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls off a Brass Monkey has been heard a few times today. My usual comeback is no that happens at minus 40. Which gets me some weird looks. The reason is there really such a thing as brass monkey that can have it's balls froze off. Only for most it is lost in the sands of time.

In the days of wooden sailing ships and pirates cannon fired iron balls propelled by gunpowder. Beside the cannons the balls were stacked for easy access. What they were stacked in was much like the triangle snooker balls are racked up in today. That triangle was made of brass and the balls were stacked in it. As anyone who has ever used a thermostat knows different metals expand and contract at different rates with temperature change. Brass faster than Iron cannonballs. At minus 40 the monkey would shrink to the point where the balls would be pushed out and the crew would have to chase them all over a rolling deck to try fruitlessly to stack them back again.

So there you have it an expression you hear every cold day in Canada but almost no one knows the meaning of. Like another common expression there is more than one way to skin a cat. It was used in an English class I was in once and someone comment ted it was cruel to animals. I of course piped up it had nothing to with pussy cats and had to explain where the expression came from. Anyone interested in knowing that one?

A Book to Come

2009-10-14T19:34:00.003-04:00

I have been planning on adding to the info on camping and being ready for emergencies.

The problem is the sheer amount of information I have in my head never mind in reference material. So after trying to figure out what to write next for the past several days I have decided not to blog it through. I am going to write a book on the subject. The first chapter like most survival manuals will be survival psychology. Or how to change you attitude to stay not only alive but healthy. My brother George went on a 2 Week survival course as a cadet. The first day you were given one day's standard Army issue ration pack. You were to stretch it out and use what you were knew or were taught to last the two weeks. At the end of the two weeks he returned home Rations still sealed and ten pounds heavier. ( no one else gained weight, the Cadet we had sent the year before had gained 5. We got a letter addressed to the unit training officer ( me ) saying not to send anymore as our unit training was more advanced than what they were teaching. ( Some of the instructors had vomited at what George was eating with relish ).

So I am going to name the first title something they used to yell at us when things got rough ( The Sgt's doing the training, when I was on Lieutenant Qualifying ) It's a case of mind over matter. We don't mind you don't matter.

In the meantime here is a fair emergency link for short term preparedness www.GetPrepared.ca it is a govt of Canada site so unless your fluent in French click on English when you get there.

As the Book get done I will try to remember to mention where I am. You can wait till I am finished and I will email you one for the Asking or if you like I can send you the chapters as they are finished ( you can still get the whole book when done ). I firmly believe this kind of information should be free and as distributed as possible. Just let me know. I will probably still be writing in the same style I always do. Being able to smile at the darkest hour just may help keep you going too.

I Always Wanted to be Batman IF I Grew Up pt 1

2009-10-08T13:44:00.001-04:00

As promised this is the first of a series of articles on emergency preparedness.

Right at the start I should point out that one of the most important things you will need to do is pick and choose from the skills options and “kits” I suggest. Survival in Canada’s far north (which believe it or not qualifies as a dessert due to getting less than 10 inches of rainfall a year) is far different from a hot dessert though knowing how to survive in one does give skills in the other.

I have a variety of emergency kits. Each aimed at a minimum of 72 hours (which here is the estimate it will take to get emergency teams up to full capacity) in reality I aim mine for at least a week with as much attention to renewing things as possible. For example while I have enough drinking water to last two days normally I have what I need to treat water to make it drinkable to last well over a month.

The kits are nice. You customize them for the number in your family where you likely are and what is likely to happen. I won’t start with them however. What I will start with is skills. Having skills to for example to make water drinkable is more useful then having a couple days of drinkable water. Also having the greatest First Aid kit in the world is of no use if you don’t have the training to use it. Also along with that is having the stomach to use it. I have been in situations where paramedics were vomiting and I had to start the First Aid while they got themselves under control. These were not everyday events but in each case where someone had attempted suicide by throwing themselves in front of a train. Don’t think I didn’t get sick myself. I did but later. Usually the following day.

So where does one start.

Deciding what skills and where and how to get them is a good place. Any good First Aid course is a must. Updating it as often as you have a chance is a good thing and if you can get one which includes what is called casualty simulation is a real bonus. Cas sim is where they make the wounds look real with special effects that rival Hollywood. So far I have only known the military and the fire department to have this kind of training as a common thing. As fire departments spend a lot of time on standby don’t be afraid to ask if it would be possible to have them teach you. Usually they are more than willing and also have a mindset that is ready for any kind of emergency. Also remember many skills transfer to areas you would not expect any skills to transfer too. For example I never expected being able to call in air strikes to have any use outside combat. Till my first forest fire. Only then instead of calling in a strike on an enemy you got to where the fire was worst and had the water bombers bomb you. It is like standing in a shower on full for maybe 30 or 45 seconds then being surrounded by steam. After that your troops put out any small fires which spring up. You are using picks shovels and backpack fire extinguishing water pumps. Not something everyone will have available.

Again where to start. This is the first suggestion. Books. First Aid manuals, what ever the local boy scout manual is for it will be full of things needed for wherever you are. Local books on survival. If you can get copies of your local Armed Forces manuals on survival these are rarely classified. Also similar skills. Knot tying for example. Books on local edible and poisonous plants.

Until this information is second nature to you when you are not looking it over they should be in the appropriate emergency pack. Mine are all in backpacks ( the kits ) the books are together in a section on my bookcases and there is room for them at the top of the packs. Acts of nature sometimes give warning sometimes do not.

However the first and most important tool for dealing with emergencies is appropriate skill sets. Learning these is step two, deciding what they are and how to go about learning is your first step.

Some Serious Articles to Come

2009-10-05T17:47:00.003-04:00

I hopes to post the first of some serious article today. My reason for not doing so is not a terrible good one. I rarely get the opposite of the illness which has one running to the toilet several times a day and hoping it is only gas. In fact I can't recall more than 5 times I have ever had that in my life. Despite the fact I am still on a very high fruit diet at the moment I am mentally and physically plugged up. I'm assuming the physically has got high enough to explain the mentally. My eyes are even brown. Mind you they were brown before this. It is a few days now and I have done everything short of taking an actual laxative. This because I have not been completely plugged and have been able to make some use of the toilet. I feel as if some critter resembling the one in Alien is making it's way through me. Hopefully it will pop out in the toilet not like in the movie.

However back to the coming serious posts. With the recent flooding in Odettes area we were talking and I was mentioning how both my Govt. ( Canada ) and my former Church ( Mormon, which I have nothing bad to say about I just don't think I was very good at living up to church standards and choose to leave as a result) encourage an emergency 72 hour emergency pack. I mentioned to Odette I did have one but over time and as a result of training have in fact several of them to be grabbed depending on the type of emergency happening. One even doesn't involve evacuation but is a very full first aid kit for rendering aid if I am fine but those around me are not.

I intend to post about such things. What to pack and not to pack. Refer you to sites from official sources with advice on how to fill these packs. ( rarely bigger than a backpack ) Fi prompted me to add consideration for the pets. And most importantly how to make sure you know how to use them.

There is some on this in my older posts but I intend to elaborate a fair bit. Also point out some basic skills it is not a bad idea to have and how to get them. So choke-um-hole aside soon as I get feeling better I will get started.

Idiot articles come of the top of my head. Serious ones I do up and check before posting so they won't come in a flood as I feel more like moving ( no pun intended ). I also like to leave a post up 24 hours at least, so if I end up putting up a couple at once it will mention it in the text.

Thanks

An Award

2009-10-05T05:24:00.004-04:00

Tracey saw fit to give me this award. Because of sheer craziness. I suspect she means this attitude.

I like to take the adage when life gives you lemons make lemonade a step further. When life gives you lemons turn them into offensive weapons. ( Which sometimes means waiting till they have gone bad enough the people you throw them at can't possibly use them to make lemonade without risking their health )

No Particular Thing to Say

2009-10-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

Today as the Christmas song says " The Weather Outside is Frightful" unfortunately not having a significant other the next line " But inside it's so delightful " doesn't hold true.

Also the weather sometimes effects me in the form of a migraine which I have slightly plus slept in such a way I've kinked my neck that I think this will be a do nothing day. Often against my best intentions I get lots done on such days. I have a habit of doing many things at once. What folks now call multi-tasking after the way a computer does it and the Army calls concurrent activity after the way a commander has to have his command carrying out a variety of things at once. The latter would normally refer to group multi tasking such as if Amy and Steve wanted to take the family to eat out. Steve could be feeding the chickens while Amy is getting the children ready and perhaps the kids could even be doing something.

Being uncomfortable may mean being unable to sit through a TV show so I may get up do dishes, organize something make some meals to freeze. Just not sit and get stiff. Only one kind of stiff is fun and now a pill can cause that. I gave my brother a box of them as his birthday present this year. He liked them better than his non gag gift.

I think kinking my neck is a bigger problem then the weather related headache. I hope I can relax it so the other will go as well. It isn't pouring rain or anything just drizzle.

Now for a joke. A dog is taking his young puppy out to teach it how to be a proper dog. They come across a female in heat and the father has sex with her. Then they find a bag of garbage and he tears it apart and finds some leftovers they eat. Finally they come to fire hydrant and after sniffing it he pees on it. When they get home the daddy dog asks any questions. The puppy says Dad I can see why you had sex and ate the garbage but why did you pee on the fire hydrant. The Daddy dog says "Son, that's a dog's motto. If you can't eat it or have sex with it piss on it."

The Area that Works

2009-09-29T16:11:00.002-04:00

The Graphic is from my cousin. Strikes me as a case of you get what you deserve.

However back to the Top Secret Areas. Area 52 the one Area which we know works. It was the brain child of President JFK. His reasoning was there was no way we could fight off an Armada made up of vessels so powerful they could travel from star to star. His idea convince them that there really is NO INTELLIGENT LIFE ON THIS PLANET. Area 52 is somewhere in Hollywood, all of us have felt it's influence. From the Beverly Hillbillies to Gillgan's Island. F Troop, I Love Lucy, The Munsters, Saturday morning cartoons. Hogan's Heroes, Mr Terrific, ( even for Hollywood and Area 52 that one was bad). Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, My Mother the Car, My Favourite Martian.

All of these and more have staved off alien invasion by convincing aliens there is no intelligent life on this planet. On top of that we are protected by Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Lamont Cranston, Peter Parker, and of course Underdog.

Unfortunately having all these shows has had a side effect. As a result of them this planet no longer does have intelligent life. Just in case it ever did.

Weather

2009-09-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

The weather affects us all. Right now Odette has weather so bad it has made the paper here 12.000 miles away. So far that you can’t get any further away and still be on the same planet. (I know sometimes I think like I’m really a different planet but that’s only a theory no one has proved that yet). They are getting the most rain they have had in 42 years.

Here it is going about its annual shift from summer to fall. A shift which is rarely smooth and this year is no exception. Plants which pollinates in the fall cause allergy sufferers to have headaches red eyes and runny noses. Since the flu scare is on this means some folks panic. (Others do remember this happens most years). You don’t know how to dress, cold in the morning hot by noon or vice-versa. About the only constant is underwear still goes on the inside. Weather also seems to effect mood. At the moment mine is lethargic. I’m thankful I know plenty of folks who are in some discomfort or greater than regular discomfort due to the changes in weather.

However rather than dwell on our petty weather problems lets pray for those like Odette who are right now facing Wrath of God scale weather.

Goals.

2009-09-24T14:54:00.004-04:00

I believe in myself.

Mind you I also believe the Lock Ness Monster is an ancient giant sturgeon. That ufo's may exist and that if intelligent life ever does try to contact us that proves they aren't as intelligent as they thought they were. I also believe it is ok to wear a cowboy hat, ( with built in led's for night ) a Hawaiian shirt camo shorts and running shoes, at the same time.

But aside from not caring what I'm wearing as long as it is functional I am a person who can generally count on himself. Lately I have been taking some steps to get healthier in the areas outside my illness with the idea of one. I will be more likely to be unharmed by an incident and two. The healthier you are the better you feel. So far I have changed my diet and a couple of other habits. Replace bad ones with good ones. Exercise is about to come up next. In the past when I have been very fit it has been almost pure exercise. Now it will be Exercise plus.

So for the next while one of my goals is weight reduction till body fat hits 25% then it will be build more muscle mass while keeping the body fat to 25%.

My speed goal is modest and I hope realistic 1/2 to 1 pound a week on average. I don't expect a straight line result either.

When I joked about going on a Gilligan's island I added a large amount of fruit to my diet. Now I am consuming mostly fruit in the form or smoothies with no limit. Plus at least one other sensible meal and a couple treats a week. I have noticed that as time goes on the craving for so called junk food has reduced. Now it is time to get me to reduce.

Ultimate goal break Methuselah's record for long life and also make it a happy one.

I will progress reports but not often enough to be boring once a month should be plenty.

The Men in Plaid

2009-09-22T15:19:00.004-04:00

First the Men in Plaid then back to Super Ultra Top Secret Cross Your Heart and Hope to Fart American Bases.

The Men in Plaid are Scotland's answer to the Men in Black. They have been around a lot longer and wipe out the memories of anyone who really does see the Lock Ness Monster. However they don't use alien technology in the form of a neualizer to do it they use a couple bottles of Scotch. The older the better. There are rumors some folks called them the Men in skirts instead of the Men in Plaid. None of those were ever found.

Area Ten

Area ten seems to be numbered out or order because it did not start as an area but as a committee. When as Tracey loves to point out the Canadians set fire to the Presidential Mansion the committee was formed to decide what colour the mansion should be. Till a decision was reached it would be whitewashed or painted white. Since the committee was taking even longer then most govt departments to reach an agreement it got moved and became Area Ten. They expect to come a decision any day now. That is from a memo leaked to President Lincoln.

Area Eleven

There are 2 area 11's one was set up by the north the other by the south both during the civil war. For those who didn't know this war was not over manners but unless leaving the dinner table during a meal counts. It was about weather or not a state would be allowed to leave the union. The northern area 11 was to set up a Redneck American dictionary. The southern area 11 to set up an American Redneck dictionary.

So far Jeff Foxworthy is doing better than both groups put together.

Areas 12 to 20 were all set up to develop weapons for the civil war. They remain so secret that no one really knows much about them. There is widespread speculation that the ones set up by the south evolved into moonshine operations and are still operating in secret to this day

A Word about SETI

2009-09-21T18:54:00.003-04:00

I was searching for Weird Al stuff on YouTube the other day and typed in parody. I got a very funny video about SETI thinking they had found intelligent life in space but that they had got something else instead. Don't want to ruin it for anyone who cares to watch it. It was Funny. However it brought something to mind.

We have broadcast 98 Episodes of Gillgan's Island plus one movie. 5 seasons of Get Smart, 9 seasons of the Beverly Hillbillies, who knows how many seasons of Green Acres, and I Love Lucy. Still there are folks who wonder why intelligent life hasn't contacted us?

Let's face it if we do get visited by aliens they will probably be trying to mount a rescue mission for " Seven Stranded Castaways Here on Gilligan's Isle "

So if such a group were to land in your nation's capital how would your Govt Greet them. I can imagine Ottawa " Here you but put these blankets around you before you freeze to death"

Or the States reach for the sky we've got another load for Area 51.

Scotland would offer a shot, Ireland a Guniness, England would insist on a proper introduction. The Aussies wouldn't let them in unless they had a criminal record.

What about the rest of the world.

As Eric Idle says in the Galaxy song " Let's hope there's intelligent life out in space cause there's bugger all of it down here"

More on non 51 Areas

2009-09-20T12:06:00.004-04:00

Area Eight ( Ate )

Area Eight was set up out of order. It was established by John Quincy Addams the President who is most known for his middle name. He must have had a sense of humor because Area Eight is for developing various international dishes for serving state visitors. He picked the name because Ate and Eight sound alike. ( As you know English spoken as it is in the US or in the rest of the world makes little sense. For example Huked un Foniks werked fer mi. )

The Americans as you all know ( Especially Americans ) are not known for their contributions to world cuisine. MacDonald's may well be a high point they are better at mass producing dishes from everywhere else in the world. There are some exceptions I have to admit I enjoyed Alligator meat ( tasted like a cross between chicken and clams ) my brother says rattlesnake is good and Buffalo is supposed to be excellent but every time I have been where it was on the menu it was sold out.

So area eight has taught chefs how to prepare dishes from all over the world. Admittedly there have been some failures. The have also been the victims of some real con artists like the trio of Scots men who passed themselves off as professional Haggis hunters and kept them supplied with meals for Robbie Burns day for generations. Till one Scots guest happened to remark on his families Haggis recipe. George Bush Sr was not the first president to lose his lunch at a state dinner.

Other notable unsuccessful efforts included Ostrich Balut and Haggis flavored ice cream as well as thinking Canadians only ate French Fries, Deep Fried Whale blubber and seal flippers. Today Area Eight which has managed to keep it's location secret has not had a major success since they gave McDonalds the Happy Meal.

Area Nine

Area Nine was set up during the war of 1812. The country thought this would be a good time to invade Canada as the UK was busy cutting Napoleon down to size in Europe and couldn't send troops. The result was it was pretty much Canada vs the States. What the states didn't count on was the natives. Here they were loyal to the crown. There they had already got fed up with treaty violations. At the end of the War Detroit and Maine were in Canadian or British hands. Fort Detroit fell because though the very small group of Canadian Militia and Natives were vastly outnumbered the natives came up with a very effective plan. They built a few very bright fires and danced constantly in front of then in a circle to look like an endless line of Indians. The changed weapons and headgear so it looked like there were even more of them. The Canadian Militia commander went to Detroit under flag of truce and said he was having trouble keeping the natives under control. That they wanted to take the town rape and the women and eat all the men and children. The Detroit commander feel for this BS and surrendered on condition the Brits keep the Indians out of the town.

When the war ended we agreed to give back Maine on condition they also take Detroit back.

Area nine was set up to figure out how Canadians think.

So far Weird Al with his song Canadian Idiot and Micheal Moore in the Movie Canadian Bacon have come closer to doing this any thing ever to come out of Area Nine.

( more to come )

Why Worry about Area 51

2009-09-19T18:00:00.003-04:00

AREAS 1 TO 50

This is in response to a friend who is concerned about just what is located at area 51. I am of the opinion that he should not worry. Everyone knows where Area 51 is so it can’t be all that secret. It is for hide in plain sight secrets. Areas 1 to 50 are of more concern as no one knows about them. The following is my take on them.

AREA ONE

Of necessity area one was not the first but the second top secret facility set up by Washington. It is located somewhere near the Maine, New Hampshire, and Canada border because of the wide variety of lumber in the area. It is dedicated to improvement in Presidential Dental care. Things like not getting slivers while eating. It continues to operate today. Many sciences not normally mixed have been experimented with there. One recent experiment was a complete disaster. Gene splicing was used to give a human volunteer Beaver tooth DNA. The test subject escaped and was responsible for the consumption of thousands of acres of prime forest. Army attack helicopters were needed to sanction the subject. He was posthumously awarded the top secret George W Bush medal for exceptional intelligence.

AREA NUMBER TWO

Area number two was of necessity the first top secret area ordered built by Washington. It is no longer in everyday use due to the advent of indoor plumbing. It continues to exist in secret on the White house grounds. Easily identified by the half moon carved in the door and the fact it is a two story structure the top floor for the politicians and the lower for the voters.

AREA NUMBER THREE

Somewhere in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. This area was set up by Washington to instruct government officials not to take everything literally. The example given in it’s charter was that if there is a thunderstorm raging and someone tells you to “Go fly a kite “they were using an idiom.

AREA NUMBER FOUR

Washington himself is said to have thrown a silver dollar across the Potomac River. That was a lot of money in those days. In keeping with the tradition of needlessly wasting money area number four is still active and is in fact the most active of all the governments’ secret projects. Area number four though secret has grown to be larger than the area of the United States itself with branches all over the world. New ways to waste taxpayer dollars are developed at a speed even light has yet to match.

AREA FIVE

By the time area five was set up George had passed on. However the term Washington will be continued to be used here to describe the federal government.

Area five was the first facility for the study of Aliens. Canadians, Frenchmen, Englishmen, Chinese, Even the Scots and Irish. The idea was to teach students to think like these aliens in order to communicate with them. In the early days many accidentally perished from alcohol poisoning in attempting to think like the Scots or Irish. Area five was abandoned when it was decided to leave foreign languages to those from foreign lands and replace attempting to speak their languages by SHOUTING VERY LOUD IN AMERICAN ENGLISH. Some genius had the idea this would make English easier to understand.

AREA SIX

There is no area six for fears the religious right would connect it with the number 666 and raise an unholy uproar if they ever found out about it.

AREA SEVEN

Area number seven may well be the most classified of all secret establishments. It is responsible for Presidential Speech writing. The area consists of an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters. This can explain some of the more unexplainable speeches made by Washington heads of state. It’s first and greatest piece of work was the Gettysburg Address. It was established to cover the words that apparently Lincoln said after waking from a five day drunk “I freed the WHAT!”

Tomorrow I will start with Area Eight

Panic & Anxiety Disorders

2009-09-15T15:10:00.002-04:00

I have agoraphobia with Panic disorder. As agoraphobia literally means fear of the marketplace it is a bit of a misnomer.

As opposed to anxiety and people thinking the two are almost the same thing they are about the same as some one poking you in the chest in and someone firing a shotgun into your chest from a foot away.

Panic means fatal fear. It came about as a word in the time of the Ancient Greeks. Most of the Greek gods were handsome and perfectly built. There were two notable exceptions The God of Fire who had been born with a crippled leg and Zeus threw him from Olympus. He built his forge in Volcanoes and made most of the gadgets which gave his brothers and sisters their powers. He even made Zeus his thunderbolts.

The other was Pan god of the Forest. Those who worshiped him were called Pagans and he was half man half goat a say tar. However he was said to be exceedingly ugly. So much so that to suddenly see if one would die of fright. This explanation was given for anyone who died in the woods with a look of terror on their faces. They were said to have died of Panic due to seeing the god Pan.

When I was 4 as my family was leaving church the minister asked my Grandparents would do him do him a favor and take some groceries to a lady who could not go out herself. Being 4 I asked my parents if I could go and all said it might be a good idea. The lady was an older lady older than my grandparents and very nice. I remember her home was immaculate and hand made dollies covered everything. I was told she couldn't go out herself. After we left I asked my Grandparents why. They told me she had not been able to go out since her husband had been killed in the war. Whenever she tried she had to be rushed to hospital for a bad heart. I said "Wow the war was over 10 years ago. " ( Not bright my Grandfather had served and in 59 there were events taking place to celebrate ten years since the wars end." My Grandmother took my hand knelt down and said " No Sidney, The First World War ". It was first experience with what now know is agoraphobia. Since she had the heart problem it today would have had the words Panic Disorder added to it. I have not idea by why monetary means she was supported 4 year old boys don't think of such things.

Panic attacks can happen because of some trigger being activated. ( My Mother was robbed at shotgun point and afterwards could not go were there were groups of older teens to some stage even now roughly 20 years later ) PTSD can manifest itself as panic disorder. Sometimes nothing seems to trigger it it just goes off. People tend to avoid where the attacks took places until at it's worst you are housebound. At present my world consists of a few blocks. To make matters worse I had to move here to move here to live with my Mother when I could no longer afford to live in the "retirement" home I was in as I had only my disability. My work pension had not kicked in till the 29th year employed was done. I had used up my sick time and they were good enough to keep me on the rolls a couple more weeks so I would qualify. The 30 years of paying into insurance didn't help as the insurance company refused to cover so called mental lionesses.

Anxiety disorders can rage from social anxiety disorder being unable to be in a crowd to stage fright which is the most common to an almost limitless variety of phobias.

Anxiety disorders are similar in ways to Panic disorders but are vastly different in degree. One will raise your heart rate the other if not got to in time explode your heart or more likely cause a stroke. The extremely high blood pressure combined with the high pulse can break free plaque from an artery wall and send it to the brain or elsewhere. As an example in terms of numbers I have shown up in hospital and had a BP of 220 over 180 and a pulse over 290. that after being given meds in the ambulance. That I am still alive is very unusual.

For most getting upset can be unpleasant for people like me it may well be fatal.

My Illness

2009-09-14T11:47:00.001-04:00

I'm going to try to write something to explain the nature of the illness I have. It is an invisible disability and you may well know someone who died from it. The cause of death would not have been the illness but stroke or heart attack as they are what the illness causes. Heart attacks or more likely strokes in otherwise healthy people with none of the warning signs. It is not an easy topic for me but I will give it a shot and try to post something here as soon as I can.

Dental Worries

2009-09-11T17:33:00.002-04:00

I am very recently returned from the dentist. As with all in life there is good and bad news. Ever since I was treated with massive amounts of tetracycline when I had spinal meningitis at age 16 in order to save my life I have had bad teeth. First the almost immediately became a kind of grey colour so I have never had the bight smile some are blessed with. Second it did affect dating as a teen and even as an adult. I don't have the confidence around members of the opposite sex even as much as I should. I am sensitive about it to the point I have now not dated for years. ( my last marriage being a bad one didn't help I'm sure ). Each year I would need a number of visits to the dentist and though I had good coverage I knew my teeth would not last my life. Part of the bad news is that time has come. The good news is dentistry has come far enough that I may be able to get the smile I never had when young as a result of implants. The bad news that goes with that is the cost is very high. Though I will probably go through with it and end up with the smile it will at the very least put other hopes and dreams some years into the future. I'm looking at a cost of up to $10,000. Over time I am sure I can handle that but other dreams like travel possible education or even accelerated recovery from my illness will be if not completely on hold they will definitely be on hold for some period to come.

When I first got sick I basically lost all I had managed to earn in a lifetime of work and study. I have been slowly making my way back onto my feet with time but now may find I slip back a bit or at best by cutting back on many things be able to stay where I am for now. In time I am sure I can be moving forward again but it won't be for a while now. All I can do is keep trying my best but I know I am going to find myself forced to cut luxuries and doing works for others in general that does make me feel I am managing to contribute something back to the world instead of just take from it. For me it is important that I do or give something back the concept of a "free ride" even though most people feel I have paid my dues I feel as we keep getting from the world it is important I keep paying my dues back in thanks for that which I do receive. Funny but right now the same moral code which has dragged me through some pretty tough times is now making me feel I am not living up to the code and am still dragging on however. All will be well. Nothing remains the same. There are good days, weeks, months, even years as well as bad ones. I just hope this is just a bad day and I manage to at least adjust my attitude to a more positive one. As far as things in the world go I really do have it pretty easy and should be much more appreciative of that which I do have.

Thank you Kirst

2009-09-10T21:04:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was in kind of a bad spot. Nothing had gone wrong in fact a number of trials of testing the current limits of my illness had gone very well. Despite that my mood was below sea level. I do suspect the various poisons having the dental abcess flooding me with septic chemicals for days may have played a part. Kirst however was there when I needed someone to talk to. Despite her having to travel 16 hours into her past to do so. I still can't get over the time travel aspects of the internet. Or the fact it really is still winter entering spring there while we are ending an almost non existent summer entering fall. I still have to start my spring cleaning yet so that may have something to do with it. Kirst just did the net version of holding my hand and reminding me of one of my Favorite scriptures. To everything there is a season. Nothing remains the same. She was there when I needed her and I do appreciate it. At times Odette has done the same for me minus the septic tooth waste in my system. Tracey has of course made me laugh and taught me the meaning of the word " Pillock ". I even intend to send AA a private email I want his opinion of a product I am thinking of creating and introducing and need the advice of an amateur paranoid as opposed to a professionally trained one. It will be a day or two Ray as I do want to make sure this Tooth juice isn't influencing my thinking.

To all of you thanks for being there when I need you. Also Amy I still think your Mom cheated in avoiding the icebergs.

Does text only work

2009-09-09T10:09:00.000-04:00

I am still having trouble uploading graphics so this is just to see if text only is ok

I May Be Bloging

2009-09-08T23:02:00.003-04:00

Okay it looks like I have everything working and without needing a trip to the shop.

So why would I post a photo a sundae which goes by the name of Death by Chocolate. Far less glamorous then being boiled in oil but who die like a McDonald's french fry anyway.

You may recall some time ago I brainwashed myself with back to back episodes of Gilligan's Island and started my version of the Gilligan's Island diet. It consisted of living almost entirely from a diet of fruit. I had been trying to lose weight before that but went down from 190 pounds to 180 no problem but jammed there. I jammed again at roughly 174 last week. By adding psyllium to my diet two table spoons well stirred plus a second glass of water to make sure it was washed down morning and bedtime ( It tastes as if I was using the cats litter box for ingredients so you want to make sure it is well washed down ) I have been holding at no more than 169 lately and hope to keep going down at roughly a pound to a a pound and a half a week from now on till hit a target will I will wish to start slowly building muscle. To bug Ray that's a half to 3/4's of a kilo.

Hopefully this will post with no problem and I will back to being my abnormal self in no time.

The abscess is going down and I will be seeing a new dentist on Thursday. My regular dentist was on vacation then had a death in the family so he is way backed up and asked me to visit one of the others in town as he didn't want me on the antibiotics too long. If you had any idea of my dental history you would understand. At 16 massive doses of tetracycline saved my life but left me with very fragile teeth.

I have Kirst showing as being online but she's so far in my future the would could have ended by now or she could be getting the kids out the door to school. If we can again use messenger. The last of my computer problems will be solved.

Though I am thinking it is a pain to do all this reading so maybe I should figure out how to install an USB port in my head so I could download directly. Have to put that on my list of things to do next to inventing a working transporter. Maybe I should watch all the episodes of star trek, Star Trek the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Babylon 5 and Andromeda back to back. I think it would be more likely however that I would come to the conclusion that there is no intelligent life on this planet and decide to go home.

Until we meet again Live Long and Prosper, or if you would rather Die Young and Broke I'm not going to be a stickler on the subject.

The Weather and Our Moods

2009-08-26T12:11:00.002-04:00

Ever notice how the weather effects our moods even our thinking and sense of humor.

So let's see what would happen if I tried to start a novel with this rain coming down.

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a shot rang out! I downed the shot in a single swallow and ordered a beer chaser. I had come in here with a mind to be a skirt chaser, but, there weren't any fillies in here. I figured I'd drink my fill and walk out the door. Then in she walked. She had a face and figure you couldn't help notice. A face like the Elephant Man after a long unsuccessful career in the ring. A figure like a Circus Fat Lady after a Three month eating binge. It looked like the only difference between her and a charging Rhino would be about four pounds. The Rhino would be lighter.

Gee I guess the weather makes no difference at all in the way my mind works.

( EVIL Maniacal Laughter ) HAHAHAHA