Walk the Steps

I haven't talked about my stroke in a while. I'm still suffering from the after effects of it, but a small victory happened to me the other day. I can traverse the stairs, without using the hand rail. Not really a big deal right? Probably, but it made me feel that much more recovered all the same. Since I live in a 2 story house, and my first realization that I may have suffered a stroke, was on the very same steps.

I didn't know what to do or what was going to happen. Hell I still thought I was going to the doctor, not the ER. It happened in what seems like an eternity ago. The pain, and really the confusion in it all. Like half of my body fell asleep, kind of like when you sleep funny on your arm, except it was my entire right side. There was no pain from the stroke, like I can't say, "oh man, my stroke pain is acting up again." But there was pain in my labored breathing, because I was operating with half a body.

I don't really even know how I got from my bed room to the car, or much less dressed, my wife could have helped. But getting down the steps, that was all me. And I remember my wife looking at me, scared because none of us knew what was going on. I limped, or kind of "Igor dragged" myself to the car, and the rest is history.

But I can zip up and down the stairs now. Sometimes I'll still use the hand rail, but there is a big difference between needing and wanting, or using something because you have to, as opposed to having it there just in case.

Classic Film Friday: Goin South

I've been wanting to do a western for awhile. Now this isn't exactly your "clean" western, but it is a western none the less. It stars Jack Nicholson as Henry Moon (he also directs the film), an outlaw who has let the law catch up with him. And just as he's about to hang from the gallows he finds out that there is an ordinance that states a woman can save him, if she marries him. And though they had one false start, an elderly woman died after saying she would marry, Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen) does marry him, and save him from death.

There is a star studded line up, and almost every actor can be spotted from something else. Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Danny DeVito, and others make appearances.

Julia wants Henry to help her mine some gold on her land, land that which is under emanate domain to the railroad. So they have to hurry. Meanwhile Henry doesn't think there is any gold and really just wants to chill out south of the boarder in Mexico. Henry's old gang threatens to make problems once they do find gold, as they want 'their share'. So will they get 'theirs'? Will Julia find true love? Will Henry get to chill in Mexico? Watch it to find out :o)

The Forgotten

So it was cold this past weekend, and I had the kids by myself, so we pretty much stayed inside. I can't wait for warmer weather. We were scheduled to go back to the beach... but 50-60 degree days don't really appeal to me. Sunday it was windy too, so we didn't really go anywhere. But I do have something pretty to show you.



These are the flower pots that I normally have hanging in front of my house. They've been dead for months. Or at least I thought they were dead. Here you have something that has been completely neglected, and out of that comes the beauty. Now sure as far as looks go, I'd be better off with new plants. But something that went through all of those freezes and such... I just can't simply throw that away.

Maybe I'll make it into a house plant. Then again if I do that, it will probably die. So I'll ask anybody that reads this, and has a green thumb, what should I do? The forgotten don't have to stay that way...

Good Intentions

I felt pretty good after hearing the President's speech last night, but he is a good orator. Which will not allow the comedians to make any fun of him. Oh well. But then I got this sense of, why should I care or worry about anything, this guy obviously has it covered. But my wife brought me back down to earth. None of the things he was talking about will really effect us. Here's a Fact Check

And Gov. Bobby Jindal of my home state, Louisiana, offered his rebuttal. So what can we take from all this? That both parties will lie, and make chicken pie out of chicken shit. Wow I guess that's the best we can hope for. I do think that everybody is right and wrong at the same time, and that's the problem.

Everybody is right/wrong so much that we get a slanted look at what's really going on. People got to get "theirs" and so, we stand either on the right or left of issues, instead of saying yes to the common sense things, and no to the back scratching, promises, and favors. It just can't be; can it? But everybody has the best of intentions... To bad intentions don't equal the actual deeds done.

New Technique

Garden Update: Week 21

So, I think I'm in the last days of winter gardening. The spinach has a bit of yellow on its leaves, the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts aren't doing anything, even the lettuce looks kind of tired. I keep on keeping on, but only until I can plant the spring/summer crop.

Meanwhile my inside garden is doing pretty good, especially the cucumbers (middle), peppers (left) and tomatoes (right)

These are the flowers, the Impatients, Zinnia, and Phlox.

Mardi Gras

You know today is Mardi Gras. It's been so long since I've been to a "real parade" I can't even remember. It is always an event, and something is always happening. Whether it's fights over worthless trinkets or boobs being shown or drunks peeing on god knows what or gay people having a costume contest. Really, anything and everything can happen (and usally does) durring Mardi Gras.

Lately I've seen other places, including Hilton Head, try to cash in on Mardi Gras. I've even seen other cities have a parade. But until you go to New Orleans, you haven't experienced anything like it. It is, to coin a phase they use around here a lot, a state of mind.

Since Katrina, and the economy in general, there have been many people from New Orleans that have moved and taken up residence elsewhere. and that may have something to do with why you see it almost everywhere now. But it's my opinion that it only dilutes the value of Mardi Gras. If you want the real thing, go to New Orleans. Here is the break down.

My favorite parade is probably Grela, whish is held on Mardi Gras day and is on the westbank, which is the bestbank... Yes I'm a westbank boy here. My other is Cleopatra which was also a westbank parade and it was at night, usually on Friday.

I don't know when I'll ever get to go to a real Mardi Gras parade again, but it is so much fun. We would play "parade" afterwards as children. Recatching our beads, before counting them up, seperating into dozens, and selling them back. That's what we did... way back when. Happy Mardi Gras yall! Get it all out of your system, because lent starts tomorrow.

Stimuli

So everybody is talking about it. But what's it all about and is it going to work? I mean if you like the president, and voted for him then you may feel pretty good about the stimulus. If you don't, well then not so much. I think we have to do something, but the thing is, how do we know it is really working. I don't know of anybody that stands to profit from this stimulus bill... or any other. And that's the rub.

I know as far as teachers go, they are still cutting back. In fact, everywhere I hear they are cutting back. So what does this stimulus plan stimulate? I just don't know. On one hand, I see the Obama camp has got to do something, but on the other, I see a lot of "pork" too. I am caught in the middle, which I think is the "as usual" slot that I've been put in. The poor will always be poor and the rich will pretty much always be rich. The middle class will swing with the times.

I got a call from my dad the other day, he works for a company that makes automotive paint. He got laid off. Which is really nothing new. But he said he would go back to work in a few weeks, just long enough to where he doesn't get paid, but not long enough to collect unemployment. Nice huh? We all make sacrifices I guess, some of us make them unwillingly.

So here I sit hoping that me or my wife does not lose our job or anybody else really. Waiting for whatever stimulus we can get, not that we'll do anything, at least I don't think so... It would be nice to take a vacation or whatever but that isn't very realistic is it? And my 401k continues to be a negative on my retirement, that is, I doubt very much that I will see anything come out of it, but I still hedge 10% of my paycheck towards it, just in case I do.

Neither side of this really stands to win... or lose. It will just be, and no doubt that they are taking talking points for the next election. What's a guy to do?

Dad Only

So my wife has been away for three days, leaving me to do everything. Now you know she left things for me to do, and left us... prepared, but it is pretty big to leave a stroke having husband and 3-year-old that loves you to death behind, I'm sure she is all broke up about it. Crying right into her Apple-tini. Oh well, I think I can manage (by the time you read this I already would have) and our relationship is safe.

All I have to do is not kill anyone, or maim, or injure, or set fire to anyone or anything else.... I'm not the typical stupid male that's on TV, which is boring, but less expensive and time consuming though not very blog worthy...

I did kind of mess up... a little. I got my 3-year-old some bubble gum ice cream from Coneman's by the movie theater. The problem is it had real pieces of bubble gum in it. Which is really bad news for anyone with a 3-year-old. But just moments before she was crying, missing her mom and wondering why they didn't have a movie she could go see (it's a long story). But she did stop crying, which was the point right?

How I Almost Got Killed... Twice

I was in my car, which seem to be the punchline to almost everything around here. I was coming up on a green light, it was still green after I left it, what I mean is, I had the right of way. Half way through my left turn, a car, actually an SUV... a big one, comes at me from the right. And what makes it worse is everyone was being still, (because their light was red) and this woman swerved over into the opposing traffic, to almost hit me.

She didn't, thank god, but she could have, and I would have to have been scraped off of her bumper. I don't know if she was having trouble, or was in a hurry, but she sure did shake me up.

Later that very same day, I'm cooking, or I'm about to. I'm making some burgers to put out on the propane grill. I can't get the grill to light. In it's defense, it has given us 4 years of use, we need to get a new one. So anyway, I do, finally get it to light, only a huge fireball comes with it. The hair on my arms was the only victims.

After all that I called it a day, who knows what the 3rd strike would have been...

2 Phones... 1 Number

My wife got this deal on her phone plan. Basically they let her add a home phone for $10. We up until then, did not have a phone, we just lived off of cellphones. But anyway, sounds good right? $10 my teenager can talk to whoever, not tie up our cellphones and everybody is happy.

Except for the number they gave us was already in use. And I don't know how two different phones can even be one the same line. We got calls for the other guy, the other gut got calls for us. It was a mess. We eventuality got the whole thing straitened out, we got us a new phone number, but still, no one could tell us why it happened, and what's stopping this kind of thing from happening again? I don't know...

You'd think that somewhere there would be a list or something... of phone numbers that are/are not in use, but dang if we could find them.

Classic Film Friday: Dressed to Kill

Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. John H. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are at it again. It is there last, but it is one of their greatest (who's to say what is not their greatest anyway).The plot involves three cheap musical boxes (each one playing a subtly different version of "The Swagman"). Manufactured in prison, and sold at an auction house, the music boxes hold more than just music. It seems the man that made them got put away for counterfeiting. What does that have to do with music boxes? Well a criminal gang is determined to steal and recover all three. And they are willing to kill Dr. Watson’s friend “Stinky” Emery (Edmund Breon). There is some kind of code in the boxes and it’s up to Sherlock Holmes to find out what that is.


This is a relatively short movie, just 71 minutes. But it is worth it...

Photo Blog: Right Out Back

Ok, today's adventure is again right out my backyard. Or at least pretty close, within walking distance. It amazes me, how you can find beauty in the most basic of things. I was going to make this trip on daffodils, but they were all gone so I improvised. This old, metal culvert can be seen from the road. Know where?


This was taken from under a bridge, the opposite side from the culvert.


The creek or river is tidal, I think anyway, so you can see roots growing this way and that.


This one too, water shapes everything I guess...


Looking up is good too. I try not to get "tunnel vision" when I take pictures, but there is only so much I can show. Sometimes it really is best to see it for yourself. Also notice the pines in the back, that is the point where you step back into "the regular world"


The trees are literally leaning over and in some cases fell down, because of water.



My daughter took this, it is an interesting tree is it not?


Meanwhile I found this stump/dead tree rather peculiar myself.


Finally we saw this, not 20 feet from the road. A deer skull, that was probably hit by a car.

Beer Tree

There is a place where beer.... grows.... on.... TREES!!!

Garden Update: Week 20

So I guess my garden is not going to make it. I mean by the time I get anything from it (minus lettuce) it will have been time to plant spring crops. But I'm still gonna try to make some happen. We planted the seeds to our summer time garden over the weekend. So it really just depends on how fast it grows vs. whatever is left of the winter garden. I'll take pictures of both from this point forward.

You'll notice at least those who are astute in noticing, that we've eaten some of the lettuce. Tasty... for lettuce anyway.

Here is the plants we decided to grow this year. All of the stuff was bought at Wal-mart.



So, the planters were $6 each (x2), and $7 worth of seeds, so we'll see how far $19 of stuff can get us!

Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye

Well, people have been going and... going. I hate that. The semblance of wishing everybody good luck and all that is just... well... bullshit. I mean, unless you keep tabs on someone outside of work odds are, you really don't care.

I'm not trying to sound crass. It's just how many goodbyes can you give before enough is enough? The same goes for the economy, I can't take anymore, call it survivor's guilt if you want, but man my cup runneth over. I just don't want to hear about that crap anymore.

I know that makes me a heathen but dang, how can anyone not be when you have a job, and everyone else doesn't? Just saying, does anyone else feel the same... different?

She is Three

So it started, as all babies do... in the mommy's belly.


And she came out, much like all children do... with a little coaxing, and a c-section.

From then on, it was special, and you always let us know...


You grew, and grew... and you were never too afraid to get wet.


So now you are three, and still relatively new, but already you're learning, and you have a few things to teach us too!

Phone Tag

Basically of friend of mine showed me this website. It is quite handy, if you lose your phone, and want to call it, this site will do it, no other phone needed. Of course, when put to evil purposes maybe not so much. We've been putting in various numbers of people who are not looking for their phone, and hysterically laughing when they answer, which gives us away... What will they think of next? And how can we turn it to do our bidding? Hmmmm...

Happy Valentine's Day

So did you get you significant other something for Valentines Day? We will be at the Sandbox for my daughter's birthday. What better gift can two people in love give each other and a 3-year-old? Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question...

We enjoyed a pedicure/manicure at one of the local spots. It wasn't as nice as the one I got earlier, but it'll do. We're not all that big on gifts anyway, or at least that's what she tells me, and because of the economy and my 3-year-old's birthday... well you know.

I did make her favorite meal, so I should get some credit for that, but honestly, it doesn't need to be Valentine's to do that. We always love each other, so Valentine's to us... is just another day.

My wife did get me this. Mmmm... Spicy!

Classic Film Friday: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

This screwball comedy from 1947 is perfect for Valentine's day. Margaret Turner (Myrna Loy), a judge, and the guardian of Susan Turner (Shirley Temple) who is 17-years-old. Richard Nugent (Cary Grant) is an artist and has a propensity for trouble, that's not to say he starts trouble, he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time and whenever he is there, things tend to get worse.

It starts off in a court room, the judge is hearing a case that involves Mr. Nugent, and a fight. The judge, after hearing everything, decides to throw the case out, as the accuser is just as guilty as the defendant. Mr. Nugent has to give a lecture at a high school, the very school that Susan is attending. Upon seeing him, Susan falls in love.

Now Susan sneaks out of the house, worrying her sister and guardian Margaret. Only to be found at Mr. Nugent's house. I don't know how/why they didn't lock the doors, but that could have hurt the plot slightly. So anyway Susan waits for Mr. Nugent and Mr. Nugent has no idea Susan is at his house, then there is a knock of the door, why bother I'm thinking, but anyway he just finds the judge outside and Susan inside, at the same time.

Of course the judge thinks Mr. Nugent is responsible, he's not, but he spends the night in jail anyway. Enter Margaret and Susan's uncle, court psychiatrist Dr. Matt Beemish (Ray Collins). He convinces everyone that it would be a good idea to continue this relationship between Susan and Mr. Nugent until Susan sees differently... Well except Mr. Nugent, he really wants nothing to do with her.

So they start an unbelievable relationship, angering Susan's boyfriend, and Margaret's, culminating into an almost love triangle between the three. This is a good movie, and we only picked this because my wife likes Shirley Temple. It's not like Curly Top, but it is funny, even my 13-year-old liked it.

Trip to Folly Field

So last weekend, we met up with some old friends and went to the beach. Sounds blah doesn't it? Maybe it was, but don't say that to my almost 3-year-old. She had a blast, and the weather... finally in the 70's was nice. We found a few live sand dollars (that I did not that any pictures of...WTF?), some dead jellyfish, lots of dogs, and our little one in the ocean. Literally we had to shower her off, dry her up a bit, and change her clothes. All of which we were not prepared to do, I mean it was 70, not 95, but our daughter didn't care.

Yet Another...

Garden Update: Week 19

Another week gone by. I think maybe this year, or rather last year is a dud. I'm not giving in yet, but 7 x 19= 133, most of the plants should have already come around. Still it was a learning experience and if you saw what it looked like before, a dud of a garden is still better than nothing...

Is the internet becoming more personal?

You expose yourself to the ads and you log in to whatever websites you like, but is it coming closer to what you thought? My case in point, Facebook. I like Facebook, a lot more than the nausea inducing MySpace. It's clean as far as I can tell, and you can get a hold of almost anybody. So my friend in Seattle can write something funny about high school and I know exactly what he is saying, but others might be lost.

It also makes things seem like you may know someone, but that person doesn't even know you exist. I have been the victim of this... one of the reasons (there are other reasons) I stay away from the BT Blog. I find myself wishing I was friends with this person or that person and blah, blah, blah. So you do have to pinch yourself, or just realize that it might feel like you know me because I just got over a cold or posted a picture about my garden, but in reality I probably haven't a clue who you are. I do have friends that read this too, and if I talk to in a email or in person, then I'm not really talking about or to you.

I have revealed more about me than I originally intended, but the only person I have to blame is myself. No fanfare or publicity stunt... it's just me. Nobody is making any money off of me and I'm certainly not becoming fodder for the masses. But if sponsors want to work something out... I'm open to it, provided the money is right.

This message was brought to you by SunSweet Prune Juice. Ok, not really.

Media

I get this feeling that the "news", that is the papers, TV, and radio, and their online presence are all just a bunch of hypocritical liars. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like they are in the business of building people up, only to tare them down again. Look at anyone in the "news", and you'll see it too.

I'm not saying they report wrongly, but in a way I guess they are. Whatever is popular, or seems to be the current thing to do, that is the media. Blah, I just ignore it and make up my own mind instead.

What's On Your Ipod

So I've been thinking about this blog post for some time. A member of the Blog Jam posed this question to me... and to everyone else, "What is on your Ipod?"

And so I am going to tell you. Well not go into everything because I have a 30 G hard drive, I only have it 1/4 full, and still, I could play it for two whole days, and not hear the same song twice. So I'm going to tell you what's in my top 5. Not even Top 5, just 5 that I happen to like at the time that I'm writing this.


Bush: "Swallowed"


This is an old one, I really don't like Bush much, but this song has something infectious about it. It's a "grunge" song, and I think it's talking about heroin, but I like this song.

Smashing Pumpkins: "GLOW"



Reportedly this song was made just for the Guitar Hero video game, I like it a lot.

Weezer: "Everybody Get Dangerous"


This is not the "official" video, but it really looks good, and ties in well with the footage, so there...

The Raconteurs: "Steady, As She Goes"


This is a kind of "Wacky Races", only its in real life... sorta'

Green Day: "Waiting"



I just like this song because the lead singer tells someone to "STFU", you have to like that. And this song has hope, and that is what we all need right now.

Daddy's Girl

I'm a sentimental old fart... or young fart, depending on how old you are. I have an old picture, the first to be electrified into a Jpeg in my case. It's of me and my now 13-year-old in the woods or rather mountains. She's about the same age as my almost 3-year-old is now. So that makes it 10 years old.

My how time flies. At the time, I was not diabetic, or a stoke victim or pretty much anything. I was young... and stupid, but we somehow made it out ok. At least I think so. Now if you look, you can see the little one has a big "cheese" smile, so much so that it took everything in me to keep a straight face myself. You'll also notice, that the little one is not very well kept and her shoes are atrocious. Partly my fault I guess, but again I was so very young in that picture. And maybe that's what is getting to me.



I had nothing to worry about in that picture, my biggest fear or worry was behind me, the Army, and life for the most part was fairly stable, regular work, didn't worry over things like I do now. For instance, I might be worried about how I was going to get to work, but I never imagined the work wouldn't be there like I do now.

Anyway, that's not really here or there... it just is, and I'm taking the time to enjoy it now. As long as I can keep from choking my big kid for all the things she does, or doesn't do. I won't be able to fully appreciate this for another 10 or 15 years, when she grows up and moves out. That time seems so far away. But I know it's really not.

Then we can both laugh at those dingy shoes, and wonder whatever happened to the clean shaven guy next to her...

"I'm sick"

My daughter has become a poster child for someone who is sick. Basically she gets sick, like she did recently and then pukes all over the place, and then says in her most pitiful voice, "I'm sick" and frowns.

I can't help but feel sorry for her, she really is sick and really does feel bad. But that little frown at the end... it's just too much. I hope she gets better and whenever she gets sick I hope that little frown is still there. But going through a sick kid is not for everyone.

And my daughter has had her share, I know this because she told me, "I'm sick... again" same frown. Too much, way too much.

Classic Film Friday: Gilda

So this is a movie about second chances, love, and basically turning Rita Hayworth into eye candy. It happens in Buenos Aries. A man looking to make a fresh start, Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is saved from a stickup by Ballin Mundson (George Macready). Johnny thinks he's doing well, but Mundson shows that he really isn't, but he invites him to gamble for "real money" at a big casino.

Johnny figures out that Mudson is the owner operator, and from there you have to put your believability hat in the closet. Johnny goes to work for Mudson, and everything seems to go along fine. Until Mundson has to leave, and places Johnny in charge while he's away.

Mundson comes back and tells Johnny that he has a wife, and he'd like to introduce her... Enter Rita Hayworth as Gilda. It turns out that Johnny and Gilda have a history, but neither of them tell Mundson. So Gilda acts slutty and Johnny acts tough, but really they still love each other. And Mundson, oh yeah, I forgot about him, so did they. It seems Mundson was involved with a tungsten monopoly and a lot of other "crap" so when he sees Gilda and Johnny kiss He fakes his death in an airplane crash.

My favorite person in the whole movie is Uncle Pio (Steven Geray), a bathroom attendant. He ties everything together, and though you do have to expand your horizons on the plausibleness scale, he grounds everyone and at least keeps things in perspective; he is the unsung hero of the film.

Photo Blog

So I've been thinking about blogging about my goings-on on the weekend. That is if I do anything and if I take my camera with me when/if I do. This time I went right in and around my "backyard". This is very close... and yet very far away. I'd like to see if anyone could guess, but if you know where I live, well, it's not hard at all. Anyway let's just say we'll put this in the photo blog, (like this one and this one) and see what happens from there.

The first picture is actually the last. Upon coming out of the tidal flood zone we saw a tree, an oak tree that is growing somewhat sideways. According to my "master naturist" wife these are common, but I never saw one until this picture was taken, so there.

Out on the plain, we saw dead trees, I guess at one time it used to look different around here...

Here we have the "river" that comes up and down with the tide. I will have to come out again when it's high tide, just to see the difference.

Here is the sandy bottom that I thought would swallow my shoes and leave me barefoot, but alas, no pluff mud around here at least

Here is yet another dead tree. I don't know if it's nature or "man-made" the dictates the placement of the sticks and other stuff... but it is weird.

And finally, guess what bridge/road this is...

Board Meeting... Again

Oh my God. Why did we even do it? We sat through the entire 4 hour + school board meeting (6-10:30). Good lord, I don't think I've seen more political posturing and backslapping in my life. And the information that ran through the meeting, or I should say, misinformation was incredible.

I think the school board should either get on the same page as the rest of the state, or perhaps just start mugging people. But I think my wife has the answer to all this:

Build the school - This makes the black people happy (though watch it, they're already talking about how this is only half of what was promised)

In two or three years, close either the Whale Branch or Battery Creek High schools - this will make the numbers jive.

There is nothing for the tax payer, or white guy.... except maybe the District staying with ACE.

It just never ceases to amaze me, how you can have two groups of people and one always gets shit on (white) while the other demands to be put up on a pedestal (black). And I'm not trying to be racial, I'm really not. I grew up in New Orleans and joined the Army; I was always around black people. I've seen the good, and not so good, just like with everyone else, some try to take advantage.

I don't have any words of wisdom, but I wonder how much rope do we have to get before we either hang ourselves or hang the people we voted for. And the soliloquies... That is where you determine that most of the board is full of shit. And everybody was delivering them last night, a good hour to hour and a half was spent on just that, when they could have simply voted and talked after... but then people like me wouldn't have watched right?

Want Some Tuna?

Garden Update: Week 18

Well, I think it is just a few weeks away from harvest of the lettuce. Which makes me wonder... what are we going to do with all that lettuce. Anyway, we're in for a cold spell the next couple of days, but otherwise, gardenwise we're looking pretty good.

Police State

It seems that lately, and this is just me, which might just be me, but anyway it seems like there is a lot more people getting pulled over lately. Why is this? Well, I'm not really sure. It could be that more speeders or more instances of speeding have come to the area or the law officials have clamped down on on lawbreakers. Or, maybe the police are looking to bring in a bit of money in hard times.

That's fine, unless you're the one getting the ticket. Now I don't work in or around law enforcement and this may just be a skewed observation by me, but there have been break-ins and attacks, no doubt somewhat caused by the worsening of the economy. I really don't know if or how any of that ties together, but I am glad that I haven't been pulled over yet.

And that is no way to be. I feel restricted in the way I get around. I don't really know why, or how to put it into words, but I do feel caught up. I want to feel safe, but dang, I also want to feel like I can move.... know what I mean?

More On The Board

So it seems like the School Board is getting a bit of negative press lately. See here and here and here. It's tough to be a politician right now... or a superintendent. These same problems have always existed, just now that the economy is what it is... the problems seem much more dire, more serious, we should find a solution to them... blah, blah, blah.

But it's more than that. You have a contingent of people that have an out now. If this Whale Branch High School doesn't get built, then the kids have a free out, "I failed because, they didn't build the school I needed." And the people in that community can blame "the man" and continue to wallow in their own failure.

Nobody knows what will happen if they build it. But based on the other school's record, I just can't see them magically bringing grades up and lifting everyone from a dropout to a valedictorian. If anything, it will teach them that failure = more money, goods, services coming their way.

There is no right choice here, we voted to approve the school, the school was never really needed, but we said it was and voted for it 2 different times. This is because other plans were on the books that needed our attention. We could have told the School Board NO, and they would have to come up with something else, but we didn't.

So now we are forced to either take away something promised or go ahead with it, even if it will be very painful. No easy way out. But we will pay, we already knew that, but it does hurt.

Strokes, Dentists, and Being Cold

And so another dentist trip is done. I went to get my semi-annual cleaning, and I realized that this was just about a year ago, that I was coming back to work. Man I was a mess back then. But time has a way of hiding those things. The dentist says everything is fine, not that anyone cares, but he did say it.

My doctor visit the other day also had equally good results, though I was really looking for something wrong with me. I've been cold the past few months, like really cold. My doctor says my A1c is good (diabetes thing, it was 6.8, they want it to be lower than 7), bad cholesterol was 101 good cholesterol was 56... not too shabby, kidney and liver function look good, blood pressure is good. By all respects, I am a shining example of health..... for a 33-year-old male that has diabetes and a stroke.

But damn I'm cold, and I don't know why. Other than cold weather, which we have had our share this year. But I'm not willing to just blame the weather, but what else is there?