News from Inside My Mind

I'm tired today. I stayed up late last night watching TV. I had to wake up early today for an IEP meeting for my daughter at school. I also had a therapist appt.

All went well.

What? Oh, I see that my time on this computer is already up. (at the library still).

Speaking of Tickets

I received this little story via email:

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Thought you'd might like to see what happened to me last week. I went to the store the other day. I was only in there for about 5 minutes.

When I came out there was a city cop writing out a parking ticket. I went up to him and said, "Come on, buddy, how about giving a senior a break?" He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a Nazi. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a piece of horse s***.

He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. the more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. I didn't give a crap. My car was parked around the corner.

I try to have a little fun each day It's important at my age.

That Darn Red Light

Looking to fight that traffic citation... How about this one: http://www.norman-law.com/page27.html

News from Behind the Grill

I've spent so much time behind the grill lately that it's no wonder my complexion looks different. I've had to take breaks to rehydrate and cool off.

Today we were so busy during lunchtime. It was nonstop. I later went to the walk-in freezer to retrieve more meat, and I didn't want to come back out.

Hot, Buttered Blogrolls

I've wondered why my blogroll hasn't been updating (or being displayed). Perhaps it's related to this story:

Tucows Acquires Blogrolling.com

Joke Alert!

[I purloined this one from a journal I had to keep in high-school English. The teacher did not think it was a good journal entry. Now I let you be the judge.]

This rich and very beautiful woman walks into her bedroom with the family butler. She shuts and locks the door and closes the window shades.

She walks over to the butler and says:"

"I want you to unzip my dress."

He unzips it.

"Help me take it off."

He does.

"Now, take off my bra."

He takes off her bra.

"Take off my stockings."

He does.

"Now, if I ever catch you in my clothes again, you're fired."

News from the Home Office

There is a lot to report on, so, without further ado, here we go!

Reading is Fun!
I've updated my reading list via AllConsuming.net. You can check out what I'm currently reading at Dan's Domain. There is one book I'm reading that is not in the AllConsuming.net database as of yet. That book is entitled Crime in the City, and it is edited by Martin Edwards. It features short stories with the theme of big-city crime. This collection was sponsored by the British Crime Writer's Association.

He Loves to Play Guitar!
One of my goals in learning the acoustic guitar is to be able to sing along with it. Since I first started in December of last year, I have longed to be able to put something together that has some meaning. Folk songs, children's songs, church songs, even the blues. That's why I was so encouraged to find the tabulature (that's guitar-speak for the fret-string positions) for a great blues riff. It's almost as good as having B.B. King here to teach me!

She Ain't Heavy, She's My Daughter!
Last Saturday morning, Keisha, Jake (our dog), and I went to the field near where we live for a walk and some outdoor play time. I had the idea that Keisha and I could race between two markers. I went first. When it came time for Keisha to go, she resisted. I offered to hold her hand and run with her.

We took off, but Keisha soon decided that it was too much for her. She tried to let go, but I clung to her coatsleeve, and then she fell to the ground. Eager to develop the fighter spirit in her (i.e., the resolve not to give up so easily), I bent down to pick her back up.

Immediately, I felt something "pull" in my lower back, and I knew I'd made a big mistake. I rounded up Keisha and Jake, and we headed home. I applied some topical ointment (not Ben-Gay, but something similar) and sat on a heating pad. Both of these seemed to help.

Which reminds me that I need to tell you about...

It's not really a McJob
I had my first night of training at my new part-time job Saturday night. I manned the bun warmer. This task, of course lent itself to several double entendre type remarks: "Here's your buns! They're nice and toasty!" "Hot, steamy buns! Yours for the picking!"

During my break I caught a few minutes of Forrest Gump, which aired on ABC. As a result, I broke into my Forrest Gump routine, talking in my best Gump-ish voice. That seemed to entertain my coworkers. There was that remark about whether my being around the grill had affected me, though...

Nevertheless, I helped the crew to close the place, and I made the 20-minute jaunt home. Which reminds me that I need to tell you about...

Sleepin' In On A Sunday Mornin'

Jennie and I forgot to set our alarm clock, so we wound up waking up when it was too late to get to church. I guess it happens from time to time to everyone.

I really wasn't in any condition to go anywhere, though. My back was feeling the pain in a major way. I wound up calling in sick to work, letting the shift manager know that I'd be going to the doctor on Monday.

Which reminds me...

Papa called the Doctor, and the Doctor Said...

Jennie needed Mom's car on Monday, so I planned to catch the bus to my doctor's appointment. I headed downtown and bought a monthly bus pass. Then I grabbed several bus schedules and headed toward the bus stop.

I had never been on that particular bus before, so I was naturally confused when the driver took us way past where the doctor's office was. After conferring with the driver, I realized that I could have gotten off a half an hour earlier and walked the rest of the way to the doctor's office.

Since he was heading back in that direction, that's exactly what I did. I arrived about 45 minutes early for my appointment, and there I stayed, caught between a rock and a hard place -- deciding whether to let the Musak put me to sleep or to continue reading the book I brought with me. The latter won out, albeit not without a fight.

Soon the nurse grabbed me, and I weighed in at a hefty 217 pounds. She led me to the examining room. Not too long a young gentleman, a student doctor, appeared. He mentioned that he'd be helping my doctor today.

I told the chap what was wrong, and he was able to manipulate the upper part of my back. I felt a little bit of relief. After he left, my doctor entered. He twisted me up like a pretzel (well, not quite) and was able to get the rest of my back realigned.

I'm still taking the pain medicine (8-hour Tylenol) for a little while, but the prognosis is good: No more picking up Keisha without proper back posture!

Yeah, I'm feeling better. Which reminds me that I need to tell you about...

Doctor EverythingWillBeAlright

Okay, so I'm being a bit sarcastic or otherwise loopy in this post. I went to see the psychiatrist today. Apparently there was an incident between a patient and him this morning that involved the police, so all subsequent appointments were delayed.

I decided to wait in the unbearable heat caused by the faulty HVAC system. I was afraid that the female workers were going to comment about my chest and bellybutton hair, though! (just kidding)

The wait was about 45 minutes, and I used the time to catch up with my planner. It was almost like meeting an old friend; I hadn't really used it since last Friday.

I eventually saw the doctor, and we talked about stuff that patients and psychiatrists talk about. He was interested in whether the scab-picking had subsided; I told him that it hadn't. The scabs are just hidden by my long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and baseball cap.

I also mentioned some depression episodes I'd had over the last few months. There were some really intense times, as I may have mentioned here, that I'd just wanted to die. The doc calls them "passive" rather than active feelings of suicide - i.e., not real, concrete plans to do away with myself.

We talked about how the past few years has been for me, how I felt I'd changed over that time. It was really uplifting for me to see how much I have grown, how my perspective on life has changed.

I think I'm gonna be alright. And speaking of things that are going to be alright...

Bookish voters approve library levy

That's the headline from today's Dayton Daily News. As a regular to the county's library system, I am quite grateful that others in the community share my desire to keep the library great. I'd even love to have a part-time job at the library. We'll have to see if they end the hiring freeze anytime soon.

Which reminds me of this other money-related story...

Dayton market sells $20M Mega Millions ticket

The Dayton Daily News also reports: "Ohio Lottery officials said Wednesday that someone bought a winning ticket for Tuesday's Mega Millions $20 million jackpot at the Food City store at 1829 Germantown St." Maybe this person is or will soon be one of my (new) friends...

Political Facts about Social Security

[I received this information in an email some time ago, but I was reluctant to share it here until I found evidence that it was true.]

Social Security is only one facet of big government, but what has happened since its original inception back in the 1930s is typical of party politics - in a Congress ruled primarily by the Democrat majority in all but a few of this program’s 66-year existence.

Here are a few facts to give you pause for concern:

• Having paid into FICA for years and now receiving a monthly check, Social Security recipients are taxed on 85% of this money paid to the government to “save” for their future.
• Which political party took Social Security from an independent fund and put it in the general fund so that Congress could spend it?
  Lyndon Johnson and the Democrat-controlled House and Senate.
• Which party put a tax on Social Security?
  Democrat Party.
• Which party increased the tax on Social Security?
  Democrat Party. Vice President Al Gore cast the deciding vote as President of the US Senate.
• Which party gave immigrants Social Security even though they had paid nothing into it?
  Democrat Party. A large majority of these immigrants are from south of the border, often receive their wages in cash, pay little or no income tax, and send most of their earnings to families in Mexico and Central America.
• Which party now tells the American public that the Republicans want to take your Social Security?
  Democrat Party. And the worst part about it is, people believe this false claim thanks to the mainstream media, the overwhelming majority of which is controlled by liberals.

When Words Get in the Way

If you or someone you know has difficulty relating with other people, you may want to read this article. Lynn Waalkes talks about choosing everyday language to convey the message without confusing the reader. The article is specifically designed for a Christian audience, but its principles are universal.

[Thanks to the Official Canuck of this blog, Bene Diction, for the link!]

Blogging for Two... and then some!

Mom just moved to another place, and she does not have internet access. She's asked me to update her blog so that regular readers still know what's going on.

In email news, the Greater Dayton IT Alliance has a new internet home: http://www.gdita.org, so head over there if you're so inclined.

Also, I just posted some great quotations at QuotesBlog in honor of Leap Day, which was yesterday, by the way.

Additionally, a friend of mine who drives a truck across the USA for a living recently posted some pictures he's taken to his website. Head over there to check them out: http://photos.yahoo.com/simpsontruckdriver. When you get there, click on "USA In Pictures", then click on "Slideshow." He tells me that these are about 10% of all the pictures he has, by the way.