Thank You

I'm not sure if I said this, and believe me I'm far from fully recovered, but I really do want to thank anyone who has wished my well or speedy recovery when I wasn't even sure I could hold a pen to paper, or type, or anything else. I was rummaging through blogs during that time, I can't even believe it happened to me. I know that most of you won't know what it's really like to go through a stroke, and that's ok, I hope you never do, but it does mean something to me, and I don't think I can really put it into words however this is my attempt.

This really was and is a story of progression. One day I can do nothing with my hand, a couple of days later I'm eating with it, well trying to eat with it anyway. A lot of things came back quickly, others still aint quite right. But the whole of me is for the most part better, or at least good enough. I can thank my doctors, nurses, physical, speech, and occupational therapists. And I do, but those are people that are paid to make me better, and being in the business myself, if they didn't get paid, they wouldn't be there.

Next is family, my wife for standing by me, even though I wouldn't have, my mom for dropping everything, including her job, to come out and make me feel better (as only a mother could). My siblings for calling, because honestly I didn't know you even cared. And my work and I list them as family, because they stood by me... for months when we didn't know what would happen.

Finally we're to friends. You are special because you picked me and I picked you. There's not really anything above that comes close to that. From the gift cards to buy something to eat, and believe me when I tell you, I lost weight, to just the letters and comments I've gotten. I will always cherish them.

You made a Cajun boy really learn something about human nature. I think the future is going to be ok when I'm reminded of that. Again thank you so much. There really isn't anything I can do to repay you, but I'm really glad I can call you friend.

Chilaquiles

We had chilaquiles for dinner last night, the first time we've ever tried cooking it. If you don't know it's a Mexican dish that used tortilla chips (homemade) and softens them with a green sauce (enchilada sauce). It was simple, a lot easier than I thought. We threw some leftover chicken in with it, and while it tasted good, I couldn't understand when we made tacos how come they tasted so... blah. So the chilaquiles good, the tacos not so good, even though we were using the same basic ingredients.

The chilaquiles do for the most part turn to slop in about 30 seconds, so you have to serve it quick. So now its just one less thing or reason to go out to eat. With all the other tragedy in the world today, that's not so bad. $8 for of chips softened in enchilada sauce? I don't think so Pedro. All I have to do now is get the wife to like chorizo and it'll be no more Mexican restaurants for us. Unless it's for a taco, because apparently we haven't figured that out yet.

The Storm, Part 2

You know what sucks about the whole rain/storm thing yesterday? I didn't even get to see it. That is, if it even existed. I was watching the weather online, and there appeared to be a line from Savannah to HHI of pretty clear, or lesser rain (green) while there was yellow and red to the north and south of us. Oh well, the kids got, ummm, a hour off from school, and traffic was probably miserable, but I really don't know as I was stuck with this project until about 6pm. So if you were too busy actually working, you really weren't interrupted at all.

I've listed this on the Blog Jam, and now I'm going to here, if you have a blog, or you might be interested in starting one or you know someone who has a blog, please give me a shout. I always envisioned the Blog Jam taking off and doing much better than anything else I created, because thats the base, where everyone comes from... down to little old ladys to divorced older men, and then with the variety (if people join that is) people would go out to different blogs. So please, and especially to certain newspaper users, if you don't like the cookie cutter-ness of blogging like that, there is another way. I'm just saying...

Storm Warning

I don't know, or should say didn't know what all the ruckus was about when they started letting school out early today. Jasper County at 1pm, Beaufort at 2pm. Then it started coming down by the bucket full, and suddenly I could understand why. Although, really Beaufort might as well sit this one out, as kids will be on the bus during the rain. Not to mention, the parents of all these kids stuck in traffic, trying to get home, because of early dismissal. Me? I'm gonna enjoy the storm...

*EDIT* It really doesn't even look like this is going to do anything... oh well, if you do get damage, let me know :)

EDIT part 2 ... reports coming in of a knocked over chair... oh the calamity...

Randoms

Blogger ate my post... seriously. That has never happened before. Oh well I don't really have anything to talk about today. Other than, I have been more that justified in emails about last week's infamous "idiot" word, and right now that feels pretty good, on so many levels. Still I'm not looking back on it, and I won't apologize for it. It is, what it is. But I do thank the people who at least see things from my point of view.

Today supposedly marks the day of judgment for the Democrats. I want to at least act like I care, but I don't. Gas is heading for $4 a gallon, I more than likely won't be able to sell my house if I have to move, and my 401k has basically imploded. We are in a world of shit, and I don't think anybody can get us out of it.

More gardening, or really pulling weeds that I let get out of hand over the past few months. I have a plan for the back yard, it involves elephant ears. A good friend told me all of the benefits of using elephant ears, and I aim to try it out. I basically back into a swamp, which eventually becomes a river, which then becomes an ocean. I would like to take the brambles and such out, leaving the oaks and magnolias with the elephant ears at the bottom. We'll see.

The Weekend & ELO

So the weekend has past and I find myself worrying about a new month. I have put those things (like school) behind me, I'll deal with it again... I always do. We have obligated ourselves to another year of doing a garden. I know, for the size I'm talking about, it will likely never pay off, but I do have a bed that has nothing in it, with irrigation so I'm almost compelled to go through it every year.

On the way home from Wal-mart, with all proper gardening paraphernalia, I put in some ELO, and for a little while me and my daughter are rocking out... never mind that she left half the things I purchased at the store, I was trying to have a moment here. I don't think much music is as gay as ELO, but still claiming to be straight, and it probably does nothing good to say I like them but, I do. No other band, to my knowledge, puts rock-n-roll music and a strings section (violin, cello, etc) together. God bless you Jeff Lynne, with your white man's afro and porn star mustache.






The internet is something isn't it? Things we did over 20 or 30 years ago keep cropping up.

I'm working with my kid on her own blog, a photo-blog. In which she has pictures of some of the ugliest, stupidest, whatever they are... stuffed animals. It is in the beginning stages, and it will not be updated regularly. It is however, her pictures and her choice of words to go with them. I'm just helping with the rudimentary process. Look for more info about this in the future.

Yesterday

So I apparently stepped in it yesterday. You know I never would have thought so much would be wrapped up in one word. The funny thing is when I talked about it with my daughter... she said they were "idiots" too. And this would be including her. Maybe we're just going on how someone is raised, or their set of norms, and if we are, I admit mine is not the same as anybody else's. But still I think we need to get tough on kids, or just call the whole thing off.

We might be happy when the offenders say their going to straighten up and fly right, but I've seen (and heard) it all before. Action speaks much louder than words, and we really haven't done anything yet. Now maybe it's just me, maybe I'm jaded by my own personal experiences, but really and truly, I can't hold my breath.

I don't think the lowest of the low need to be given so much attention. Because you simply won't/can't be able to count on them. Does that make me a cretin for calling them idiots? Maybe, but that doesn't even matter. I don't have any answers for having kids do well in school, because if I did, mine would do more. But maybe bringing this out in the open will do something... maybe

EDIT..... Again - I spoke to my teacher wife, and she pretty much confirmed what I already knew. Just look at the bell curve. The bell curve, I knew there was something, anyway she said look at the bell curve... you have some that are geniuses a whole bunch that are in the middle or normal, and the bottom dwellers. Its not popular to call anybody stupid... especially in this age of "no child left behind" but you still have them. And that, pretty much was what I was trying to say...