I'm following Lisa's example (on Expandng) and sharing some relevant numbers from my life (actually just the past 10 days):
3 doctor appointments (bronchitis, sinus infection, ear infection, and thrush)
3 antibiotics
2 anti-fungals (for the thrush)
1 inhaler
1 nose spray (antihistamine)
1 steroid
That's 8 prescriptions (so far). It turns out the steroids suppressed my immune system, making it harder for the first antibiotic
to work on the infection...and making it easier for the potential bad side-effects of the antibiotic to manifest and create new
problems.
"Pray for Mojo" You get pop culture cool points if you get the reference. :D
Have a great weekend folks--I'm looking forward to July!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
My First Niece
I was 6 when she was born. The first year was fine, but once she became mobile I was made responsible for keeping her out of trouble. That was a big job. Once she became verbal it was an impossible job. :)
Much like her other uncle (my middle brother, the open container of gasoline), she seemed to love getting into trouble. I wasn't an angel myself, but in this scenario I was the angel on one shoulder and he was...well, he was the one on her other shoulder. lol! And the two of them bonded over that.
Every summer she spent two weeks with my parents. My brother was the fun uncle and I was the uncle tasked with helping my parents try to change her from a spoiled brat into a regular person. Most summers it worked. She went home with manners. But by Christmas they were gone. It was frustrating. Today she is a contributing member of society (sort of...she works for an insurance company :), a wife and mother.
But my main image of her is that of a 2.5 year-old, watching my brother and I fight in the front yard (we were only wrestling). I was 9 and he was 12. It would be a few more years before I could take him on a regular basis, but that day I had him. I'd twisted him into a pretzel and had complete control of the situation. My niece didn't like that and decided to help her favorite uncle--by yelling at me to "leave him alone" (HE started it) and by kicking me in the face and head. To stop her I would have to let him go--and I really didn't want to let him go. So that went on for quite a while. I finally yielded when I realized my brother was more amused by our niece kicking me than he was upset about losing to his little brother.
They made quite a tag team back in the day. :D
Much like her other uncle (my middle brother, the open container of gasoline), she seemed to love getting into trouble. I wasn't an angel myself, but in this scenario I was the angel on one shoulder and he was...well, he was the one on her other shoulder. lol! And the two of them bonded over that.
Every summer she spent two weeks with my parents. My brother was the fun uncle and I was the uncle tasked with helping my parents try to change her from a spoiled brat into a regular person. Most summers it worked. She went home with manners. But by Christmas they were gone. It was frustrating. Today she is a contributing member of society (sort of...she works for an insurance company :), a wife and mother.
But my main image of her is that of a 2.5 year-old, watching my brother and I fight in the front yard (we were only wrestling). I was 9 and he was 12. It would be a few more years before I could take him on a regular basis, but that day I had him. I'd twisted him into a pretzel and had complete control of the situation. My niece didn't like that and decided to help her favorite uncle--by yelling at me to "leave him alone" (HE started it) and by kicking me in the face and head. To stop her I would have to let him go--and I really didn't want to let him go. So that went on for quite a while. I finally yielded when I realized my brother was more amused by our niece kicking me than he was upset about losing to his little brother.
They made quite a tag team back in the day. :D
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Cross-over Appeals
Something amusing is happening on my Instagram account. Well, it's amusing to me. I'm sure it has happened to everyone with an account.
When I first opened the account, I started getting random "likes" from people I didn't (and don't) know. I hoped they were friends of friends deciding to reach out...and sometimes they were. But most often they were ladies* apparently trying to sell something. I say "apparently" because I never clicked on the links on their IG accounts, so I don't know for sure. (The accounts are all the same, six to 12 pictures of a girl who is not completely unattractive and a link to click. Maybe to talk with her? I don't know.)
The funny thing is that over the past few months the strangers visiting my IG account (in hopes of peaking my interest and getting me to click on their links) have been men*. The kooks running the operation finally noticed I wasn't responding to the strange women*, so they started having strange men* visit instead.
I joked with my wife that it means I have cross-over appeal. But these appeals to cross-over are strictly business, hustlers looking to separate a fool from his money. That part is not so amusing. I'd like to think no one clicks on those links, but someone must or the kooks wouldn't keep trying.
* Of course there's no way to tell who actually manages those IG accounts. It could be one 90 year-old man running the entire operation. In fact, I could be that 90 year-old man!!! But I'm not. :D
When I first opened the account, I started getting random "likes" from people I didn't (and don't) know. I hoped they were friends of friends deciding to reach out...and sometimes they were. But most often they were ladies* apparently trying to sell something. I say "apparently" because I never clicked on the links on their IG accounts, so I don't know for sure. (The accounts are all the same, six to 12 pictures of a girl who is not completely unattractive and a link to click. Maybe to talk with her? I don't know.)
The funny thing is that over the past few months the strangers visiting my IG account (in hopes of peaking my interest and getting me to click on their links) have been men*. The kooks running the operation finally noticed I wasn't responding to the strange women*, so they started having strange men* visit instead.
I joked with my wife that it means I have cross-over appeal. But these appeals to cross-over are strictly business, hustlers looking to separate a fool from his money. That part is not so amusing. I'd like to think no one clicks on those links, but someone must or the kooks wouldn't keep trying.
* Of course there's no way to tell who actually manages those IG accounts. It could be one 90 year-old man running the entire operation. In fact, I could be that 90 year-old man!!! But I'm not. :D
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Not so nice...
I used to do "Darkside" posts every once in a while to re-affirm that I am not a nice person. Or at least that I'm not always nice. Things have been pretty hectic lately, so I'm repeating one of those Darkside stories for fun and to show I have not abandoned my blog. Here goes...
This must have been the first rotten thing I ever did—I don’t even remember it. But my brother swears it happened.
One afternoon (before I was even old enough to attend elementary school) I climbed up on a chair in our dining room, next to the door. I was waiting for my older brother to get home from school. When I heard him coming up the back steps, I prepared myself. As he came through the door, I whacked him over the head with a small cast iron skillet. Then I dropped the skillet and ran to our mother screaming “Help! Help! He’s trying to hit me with a skillet!”
Wow! I’m glad I got THAT regret off my chest. Oh who am I kidding—he totally deserved it!!! I should have hit him twice!!! I really hope that story is true. lol
That brother was 3 years older (and bigger) and had a terrible temper. I'm sure I was just employing a little tactical strategy to get even with him for something (if it even happened).
PS - This story highlights the importance of varying your schedule. You don't want your comings and goings to be too predictable. You never know when a 5 year-old with a score to settle might be waiting for you!!! :D
This must have been the first rotten thing I ever did—I don’t even remember it. But my brother swears it happened.
One afternoon (before I was even old enough to attend elementary school) I climbed up on a chair in our dining room, next to the door. I was waiting for my older brother to get home from school. When I heard him coming up the back steps, I prepared myself. As he came through the door, I whacked him over the head with a small cast iron skillet. Then I dropped the skillet and ran to our mother screaming “Help! Help! He’s trying to hit me with a skillet!”
Wow! I’m glad I got THAT regret off my chest. Oh who am I kidding—he totally deserved it!!! I should have hit him twice!!! I really hope that story is true. lol
That brother was 3 years older (and bigger) and had a terrible temper. I'm sure I was just employing a little tactical strategy to get even with him for something (if it even happened).
PS - This story highlights the importance of varying your schedule. You don't want your comings and goings to be too predictable. You never know when a 5 year-old with a score to settle might be waiting for you!!! :D
Friday, April 3, 2015
This Day in History
Not THAT day. I mean a day in my history.
First year of college I needed a job. Badly! Every day after morning classes I looked through the want ads during lunch. I'd put in a few applications and had one interview, but nothing was happening. It was starting to feel like a hobby. The week leading up to Easter I saw an ad for a bookkeeper at a seafood warehouse. I called the number and had a weird conversation with the owner.
Me: I'd like to apply for the bookkeeper position. Is it still open?
Owner: Yes. Are you in good shape?
Me: Ahhh, yes, but why? Pencils don't really have lead in them!
Owner: Well, there's not a lot of bookkeeping. I do it myself and I'll teach you, but afterwards I'd like you to help in the warehouse.
Me: **thinking, thinking** Okay. When would you like me to start?
Owner: Sunday.
Me: Easter Sunday???
Owner: Yes.
Me: **sigh** Okay.
I wasn't happy--I was studying accounting and wanted to work in a related field. Plus, the guy running the warehouse came across as a real jerk. But I needed the money.
I didn't have class on Good Friday--which was fortunate because I had to replace my car's alternator. Before I finished the job my mom let me know I had a phone call. We didn't have an answering machine, so I would have missed that call if she had gone to work. But it was Good Friday and she never worked that day.
The call was from the Smithsonian's personnel office. They were offering me a job I had applied for in early-January. I'd given up on getting it since so much time had gone by. But I got the job and it was the start of what has been a interesting career for me.
Fate was smiling on me that Good Friday and I am very thankful--I have lots of reasons to be on this day.
PS - I really enjoyed calling the warehouse owner to let him know I wasn't taking that job! :D
First year of college I needed a job. Badly! Every day after morning classes I looked through the want ads during lunch. I'd put in a few applications and had one interview, but nothing was happening. It was starting to feel like a hobby. The week leading up to Easter I saw an ad for a bookkeeper at a seafood warehouse. I called the number and had a weird conversation with the owner.
Me: I'd like to apply for the bookkeeper position. Is it still open?
Owner: Yes. Are you in good shape?
Me: Ahhh, yes, but why? Pencils don't really have lead in them!
Owner: Well, there's not a lot of bookkeeping. I do it myself and I'll teach you, but afterwards I'd like you to help in the warehouse.
Me: **thinking, thinking** Okay. When would you like me to start?
Owner: Sunday.
Me: Easter Sunday???
Owner: Yes.
Me: **sigh** Okay.
I wasn't happy--I was studying accounting and wanted to work in a related field. Plus, the guy running the warehouse came across as a real jerk. But I needed the money.
I didn't have class on Good Friday--which was fortunate because I had to replace my car's alternator. Before I finished the job my mom let me know I had a phone call. We didn't have an answering machine, so I would have missed that call if she had gone to work. But it was Good Friday and she never worked that day.
The call was from the Smithsonian's personnel office. They were offering me a job I had applied for in early-January. I'd given up on getting it since so much time had gone by. But I got the job and it was the start of what has been a interesting career for me.
Fate was smiling on me that Good Friday and I am very thankful--I have lots of reasons to be on this day.
PS - I really enjoyed calling the warehouse owner to let him know I wasn't taking that job! :D
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday Morning Dream
Like every Monday, I rolled out of bed this morning and started getting ready for work. A little cereal, time in the bathroom, time spent getting dressed, then it was time to walk out the door.
That's when I woke up. I'd simply dreamt I was getting ready for work. What a waste of good dreaming time!
The worst part? I had to do it all over again!!! :)
Semi-belated Happy Monday!
PS - This used to happen to me regularly in my late-teens, but this is the first time since then.
That's when I woke up. I'd simply dreamt I was getting ready for work. What a waste of good dreaming time!
The worst part? I had to do it all over again!!! :)
Semi-belated Happy Monday!
PS - This used to happen to me regularly in my late-teens, but this is the first time since then.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Astrology Bias
When my daughter's birthday rolled around (months ago), my wife looked up her 2015 horoscope and shared it. I asked her to check Pisces for me. I forget exactly what she read about Pisces, but it was more of a description and less of a prediction--and it was one awesome thing after another. It gave me a good laugh.
Descriptions of Pisces are always awesome. I know the descriptions are positive (mostly) for all of the signs, but to me it appears Pisces gets the most favorable treatment. And I think I know why.
Are all Pisces awesome people??? As much as I want to say yes (and I know some who are), the answer is no. Like any other group, we're made up of all sorts of characters--good, bad and ugly.
EDIT: I had to change this post after writing it. My theory was going to be that Pisces are always described positively because the first person to write descriptions of the various signs was, himself, Pisces. He would of course want to make his own sign the best. That would explain so much. And once the die was cast, all others would follow. But when I actually did 5 minutes of research before clicking "Publish", I discovered Pisces is one of the oldest signs on record AND that we're currently in the Age of Pisces (despite claims made in that song). The Age of Pisces started in year 1 and runs through 2150.
This is my time!!!
PS - What's your sign??? :D
Descriptions of Pisces are always awesome. I know the descriptions are positive (mostly) for all of the signs, but to me it appears Pisces gets the most favorable treatment. And I think I know why.
Are all Pisces awesome people??? As much as I want to say yes (and I know some who are), the answer is no. Like any other group, we're made up of all sorts of characters--good, bad and ugly.
EDIT: I had to change this post after writing it. My theory was going to be that Pisces are always described positively because the first person to write descriptions of the various signs was, himself, Pisces. He would of course want to make his own sign the best. That would explain so much. And once the die was cast, all others would follow. But when I actually did 5 minutes of research before clicking "Publish", I discovered Pisces is one of the oldest signs on record AND that we're currently in the Age of Pisces (despite claims made in that song). The Age of Pisces started in year 1 and runs through 2150.
This is my time!!!
PS - What's your sign??? :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)