damn I feel sick

Wow, unhappy. So bad that I went to see my family physician earlier in the week. Massive headache, pain in the site of the thoracic surgery, dizziness, heartburn, little hard to breathe, are a few of my symptoms. Dr. Cook thinks that my left lung has developed scar tissue which is rubbing against my rib cage. That pain is causing spasms up through my shoulder. I may even have a kidney stone.

I've moved up my next round of blood tests, MRI and CT scans to next week.

So, so sick of being sick.

bass repair and bbq

Noon on a Monday.  Hot, damn hot.  Anything I have to do I try to get done before the heat of the day. Since puppies like to arise early, we have plenty of time.

Got up and out around 5:30am. Too dark to see but Katie was ready to run. Now, waiting for her post lunch nap.  Russell is up on the couch to avoid Katie's playful antics. Entertaining herself with a toy right now. She is going to be a smart dog. We were learning tricks yesterday.

 

Went electrified with the J-200 this morning. My vocals were none too bad. I miss smoking but I do like breathing. More than a week now since my last puff. Called James at Fine's Musical Instruments about repairing the bass pickup switch on the Hofner bass. I'll go on Wednesday and grab lunch on the way home. Maybe BBQ? Ok, found likely restaurant.

What did we do before the Internet?

 

Economic news is bleak. Now Libor and reports of 32 trillion dollars hiding in tax free zones, world banks in collusion. Number of US Poor at highest point in 60 years. Government completely under the thumb of the Oligarchy. At this rate, most folks will be experiencing an economic ice age all to soon.

Planet heating up, no solutions in sight.  Coral reefs will be collapsing and with that, the loss of fish as a food source. Apparently little interest in making any changes that might save us.

The people who got us in this mess will be unable to make the changes necessary. Well, it ought to be interesting.

nothing to say

great title, really inspired to read, huh?

Just raising puppies around here. Katie is growing so fast.  Both puppies got clean bills of health yesterday from the Vet.

Shot The Back Beat on Sunday at the town green. My old high school friend and previous band mate, Paul asked me to take photos at the show. Not bad. Being daylight, I only used my new 17-200mm Sigma. A sight easier than using 4-5 different lenses. I would recommend VR for any lens that size. This one does not.

Bye.

let a whole week pass without checking in.

Hi Ya'll.

Watching the Wimbledon Men's Final on the TV. Puppies crashing hard from the nearly two hours we were in the backyard this morning. Still too damn hot (forecast 99 today). So our outdoor playtime is limited to early mornings. Through the afternoon, our trips out will be brief.

One of the pickup switches on my bass failed yesterday. Now to find repairman. Smart phone totally crapped. Using an old one. PITA. 4 months until I can get a new one. New network hard drive failed. RMA back to the manufacturer. POS! Everything is falling apart!!!

If the air conditioning fails, I'm jumping off the roof.

Still waiting for Rachael Maddow's new book, "Drift" to come from the library.

Trying to quit smoking. I should run out of tobacco any minute. Now all I have to do is not go to the store.

Katie is waking up and I must respond.

it's too damn hot

Wow, it's Sunday already. I made double Chocolate muffins for breakfast. What am I going to do with 10 that are left?

I was very excited to see the Health Care bill get passed the Supreme Court. Renewed my faith in our species,but only temporarily I'm sure.

I think we may have seen the best years of this country. The number of things that would have to change to prevent this is mind-boggling. We're on a downward spiral. The Corporations right their own laws and a sympathetic pro-business (meaning paid off) Congress will cause the raping of the environment will ramp up even faster. Tipping points will cascading and unforeseen events (which are often called disasters) while the planet begins to become inhospitable for many species, including humans.

We're looking at another 100+ degree day today.

Katie pics

Katie is doing well. Still likes to bite but I think she's figuring it out that I don't like it. Besides she can bite Russell all day, he doesn't care. They love to play and fight over toys. They will chew on the same stick in the yard, which is in no way is bereft of sticks. It is a pleasant change from the routine by having a puppy.

Reading

The System of the World. final novel in the Baroque Cycle. (only 500 pages left)

Frank Zappa a biography

bunch of magazines

Reddit (too much)

next

The Kent State Massacre (J.A. Mitchener)

Readme (Neil Stephenson)

The Pale King (David Foster Wallace)

You Say It's Your Birthday

Happy Birthday to me. Not much planned for today. I just can't believe I'm 55 years old. I just never imagined what life would be at that rather advanced age. I spent my years 30-50 living the life of someone 10 years younger than myself. Having been so sick for so long The age caught up and then passed the difference in how old I was and how old I felt.

This week marked the four year anniversary of the discovery of my brain cancer. Four years is a long time to be ill. This morning I was looking for something in my medicine cabinet and figure there are about 50 bottles of various concoctions and elixirs. Most of which I have no idea of their function.

Stranger still is the age regression I have been experiencing. I live in the town where I grew up (been here on and off for 50 years), went to school, and do the things I did back then. Reading long novels, listening to music from that era, and  playing guitar, seem to inspire the same feeling and thoughts I had a the age of 16. I walk the same roads I did, smelling the same flowering plants, I pass my old elementary school nearly every day. I feel like I have entered a time machine taking me back to my childhood and leaving me there.

Because I have been unable to do the things I used to, for fun or work, I've made my world smaller and smaller to avoid having to meet obligations from nearly any quarter. I've found that "dropping out" has created an unintended consequence. I have been forgotten. My phone can go without ringing all day I may not speak to anyone for hours and hours. 

I can complain but fact is, I'm still alive and I know the less I want the more I have.  Time for Russell's walk.

what got into me today?

Up at 6am. Doggies out. Breakfast, doggies out. Shower. Take Russell on a walk to Toast for breakfast. Take puppies out. Head to gym to work out (first time in several months). Take puppies out. Swept house. All before noon. Puppies asleep now.

Katie is such a lively puppy. She loves to run and chase and eat sticks. She's going to be a great dog.