RHAPSODY Link
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
More catching up to do...
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Not just the fact that I can't seem to keep this thing current, either.
This is my second day at home (fourth if you throw in last weekend) trying to shake the creeping crud that's infected me. Seems to be a prevalent thing around here this winter...the viral cold that sneaks into your body and won't let go. I'm feeling better than I have in days, fever is gone and nose has stopped running like a demon-possessed faucet.
So, I've set my mind on hopping in the car and taking a long drive. It's a beautiful day here....sunny and mid-60's. Very unusual for Denver in January.
I think a trip north to Johnson's Corner for a cinnamon roll might just do the trick. World-famous cinnamon rolls, you know? Check them out.... www.johnsonscorner.com
If you happen to be driving by this afternoon, look for me!
Jaydog
Oh, one final note to a friend of mine.... CONGRATULATIONS "M"! See? I told you good things would happen for you! I'm so very happy for you!
This is my second day at home (fourth if you throw in last weekend) trying to shake the creeping crud that's infected me. Seems to be a prevalent thing around here this winter...the viral cold that sneaks into your body and won't let go. I'm feeling better than I have in days, fever is gone and nose has stopped running like a demon-possessed faucet.
So, I've set my mind on hopping in the car and taking a long drive. It's a beautiful day here....sunny and mid-60's. Very unusual for Denver in January.
I think a trip north to Johnson's Corner for a cinnamon roll might just do the trick. World-famous cinnamon rolls, you know? Check them out.... www.johnsonscorner.com
If you happen to be driving by this afternoon, look for me!
Jaydog
Oh, one final note to a friend of mine.... CONGRATULATIONS "M"! See? I told you good things would happen for you! I'm so very happy for you!
Sunday, January 23, 2005
So much to say...
OMG...has it really been that long since I posted anything? I guess so. For anyone who actually reads this thing, whoever you may be, I'm sorry. So much going on lately that my focus tends to get away from me sometimes.
Where to start? Well, how about on a happy note! To my good friend who just got engaged....CONGRATULATIONS! Happiness for you has been elusive the past few years, and it warms me inside to see the tides finally beginning to turn for you!
I'm waiting for the same thing to happen for me, and I'm sure it will at some point, but patience has never been one of my strong attributes. If the past week is any indication, it may be awhile.
You know what? I'm not going to turn this forum into my own ploy for sympathy. That was never my intent, so I'm not going to do it. I'm stronger than even I imagine, and I will get through everything that has been dragging me down. I've no other choice but to cling to that.
On a more interesting note, the date has finally been set for me to go to a sleep clinic for observation. That should prove to be an interesting experience! I'll be checking myself in next Saturday night at 9:30 p.m., they'll wire me up like a lab rat, and then I'll try to give them something to write about! For anyone interested in the process, go to www.denversleep.com or to cut to the meaty part ... http://www.denversleep.com/polyg.htm
The funny thing about all of this is that I was talking to my Dad last week, telling him all about the sleep study, and learned that two days after I have my sleep study he's going to be doing the same thing! Can you say "ironic"? Perhaps it's just best to quote Dame Edna...."Spooky, possums!".
Okay, that's all for now.
Jaydog
Where to start? Well, how about on a happy note! To my good friend who just got engaged....CONGRATULATIONS! Happiness for you has been elusive the past few years, and it warms me inside to see the tides finally beginning to turn for you!
I'm waiting for the same thing to happen for me, and I'm sure it will at some point, but patience has never been one of my strong attributes. If the past week is any indication, it may be awhile.
You know what? I'm not going to turn this forum into my own ploy for sympathy. That was never my intent, so I'm not going to do it. I'm stronger than even I imagine, and I will get through everything that has been dragging me down. I've no other choice but to cling to that.
On a more interesting note, the date has finally been set for me to go to a sleep clinic for observation. That should prove to be an interesting experience! I'll be checking myself in next Saturday night at 9:30 p.m., they'll wire me up like a lab rat, and then I'll try to give them something to write about! For anyone interested in the process, go to www.denversleep.com or to cut to the meaty part ... http://www.denversleep.com/polyg.htm
The funny thing about all of this is that I was talking to my Dad last week, telling him all about the sleep study, and learned that two days after I have my sleep study he's going to be doing the same thing! Can you say "ironic"? Perhaps it's just best to quote Dame Edna...."Spooky, possums!".
Okay, that's all for now.
Jaydog
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Catching Up
For anyone who reads this (besides me, that is), sorry for falling behind. Even this won't necessarily bring everything completely up to date. Just jotting down a few lines before dashing out the door.
Had been looking forward to a nice, relaxing three-day holiday weekend, but alas, felt the all-to-familiar signs of a nasty cold creeping up on me Friday night. In spite of attempts to drown the virus with lots of beer from my recently purchased growler, woke up Saturday morning with a full-blown, and slightly hungover, cold. That kept me inside, and in bed, all weekend long. Things finally peaked Sunday night with a 102.7 degree temperature, but the fever broke during the night, soaking the sheets good. Don't think that's happened to me since I was four.
So, it's back to work today. Gonna try to muddle through somehow, and head back to the gym. The soreness from the pounding I took at the hands of my trainer last Wednesday is mostly gone.
Will be making an appointment with the sleep clinic sometime soon so that they can try to figure out why I can't seem to get more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night. That should prove interesting. More details on that later.
Jaydog
UPDATE:
After losing my breakfast just before heading out the door this morning, decided to hang it up and stay home. In spite of that, however, logged into the company server and worked for about 5 hours. Isn't technology wonderful? So, whether I was actually missed at the office today remains to be seen. We'll see if anyone says anything tomorrow!
Had been looking forward to a nice, relaxing three-day holiday weekend, but alas, felt the all-to-familiar signs of a nasty cold creeping up on me Friday night. In spite of attempts to drown the virus with lots of beer from my recently purchased growler, woke up Saturday morning with a full-blown, and slightly hungover, cold. That kept me inside, and in bed, all weekend long. Things finally peaked Sunday night with a 102.7 degree temperature, but the fever broke during the night, soaking the sheets good. Don't think that's happened to me since I was four.
So, it's back to work today. Gonna try to muddle through somehow, and head back to the gym. The soreness from the pounding I took at the hands of my trainer last Wednesday is mostly gone.
Will be making an appointment with the sleep clinic sometime soon so that they can try to figure out why I can't seem to get more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night. That should prove interesting. More details on that later.
Jaydog
UPDATE:
After losing my breakfast just before heading out the door this morning, decided to hang it up and stay home. In spite of that, however, logged into the company server and worked for about 5 hours. Isn't technology wonderful? So, whether I was actually missed at the office today remains to be seen. We'll see if anyone says anything tomorrow!
Thursday, January 13, 2005
The tides have turned
Okay, so except for leaving the house this morning with my fly open, today seemed to be completely opposite of the horrific day I had yesterday.
First an update on the flying contact lens. I woke up this morning resigned to the fact that I was gonna have to call Dr. D after my semi-annual physical and anal probe, and beg him to try to get me in sometime today in order to get a replacement contact lens (see yesterday's posting). Also, I wasn't sure whether he would still have my last prescription on file, or if he would insist on doing a complete eye exam and trying to get new measurements. I knew that would be difficult, if not impossible, because of the progression of the KC. So there was a lot of uncertainty about the whole thing. Jumped into the shower, and while toweling off felt the unmistakable sensation of something moving around in my eye. Could it be? Went over to the mirror over the sink and looked closely. Sure enough, there was the errant lens in the lower corner of my eye. I guess that following my little mishap at the gym the lens had simply migrated somewhere in my eye where it couldn't be seen. Then, during sleep last night, it migrated back to a visible position. Thank goodness! One crisis averted.
The first stop of the day was at Dr. M.'s office for the semi-annual physical and anal probe. If you want a pretty good description of what the experience is like, listen to Rodney Carrington describe his doctor visit in the track entitled "Hypochondriac" on the CD "Nut Sack". The video of my exam should be available on eBay sometime soon! However, everything went extremely well. Dr. M. was delighted by the weight loss (54 pounds now since June)...I'm now at a svelte 188. He was also pleased by the blood pressure returning to a better than normal reading of 114/78. Yay! Although he was encouraged by the significant drop in my cholesterol readings, it wasn't enough to make him smile, so I'm back on the Zocor, and have to go back in six weeks to have it checked again. Damn! Everything else about the functioning of my body is perfect, of course! Oh, and only one hand on my back during the anal probe! Whew! We did talk about my erratic sleep patterns. That caused his forehead to furrow a little. I mentioned Ambien, and the forehead crinkled a little more. Fortunately I didn't mention my little internet drug store purchase from a few months ago. God knows what he would have done. End result: no scrip for Ambien. The compromise....I agree to go to a sleep clinic sometime in the next two weeks for a sleep analysis. Apparently what happens is that you spend the night there, hooked up to all types of monitors that measure vital signs, respiration, oxygen levels, etc., and they also watch you sleep. Get ready for a fun night! That will definitely make an interesting post!
Finally got out of the doc's office and headed to the company's national 2005 kick-off meeting at the Marriott near the office. Arrived there an hour late, and there was not a seat left. Stayed for about 30 minutes, and in spite of the promise of a free lunch, I left and went to the office and had a cafeteria lunch.
Tonight was the much-anticipated keg tapping at Rock Bottom. I'd invited several friends and cow-orkers to go with me, but as the day wore on, they started dropping out. Finally, the only remaining person was E, and she was iffy. Ultimately, the promise to buy her dinner won her over, so we met at RB at five. The keg tapping wasn't scheduled until 6, so we ordered drinks and dinner. I opted for the Chrismas beer they'd served at the tapping last month. Delicious stuff, but at 9.3% alcohol, it had my head spinning pretty quickly. Halfway through dinner, Bryan showed up. He'd previously dropped out, but changed his mind. So, we had a very good time. The beer they tapped was fantastic, so I ordered a growler to bring home with me for the long weekend.
In addition, the snow that had made yesterday so miserable is nearly gone today. The freeways, and most of the side streets, are dry. The bright sun at this altitude works wonders!
So, a pretty good day today. Particularly compared to yesterday! And, there's a nice three-day weekend coming up, too! Maybe there is hope, afterall!
Jaydog
First an update on the flying contact lens. I woke up this morning resigned to the fact that I was gonna have to call Dr. D after my semi-annual physical and anal probe, and beg him to try to get me in sometime today in order to get a replacement contact lens (see yesterday's posting). Also, I wasn't sure whether he would still have my last prescription on file, or if he would insist on doing a complete eye exam and trying to get new measurements. I knew that would be difficult, if not impossible, because of the progression of the KC. So there was a lot of uncertainty about the whole thing. Jumped into the shower, and while toweling off felt the unmistakable sensation of something moving around in my eye. Could it be? Went over to the mirror over the sink and looked closely. Sure enough, there was the errant lens in the lower corner of my eye. I guess that following my little mishap at the gym the lens had simply migrated somewhere in my eye where it couldn't be seen. Then, during sleep last night, it migrated back to a visible position. Thank goodness! One crisis averted.
The first stop of the day was at Dr. M.'s office for the semi-annual physical and anal probe. If you want a pretty good description of what the experience is like, listen to Rodney Carrington describe his doctor visit in the track entitled "Hypochondriac" on the CD "Nut Sack". The video of my exam should be available on eBay sometime soon! However, everything went extremely well. Dr. M. was delighted by the weight loss (54 pounds now since June)...I'm now at a svelte 188. He was also pleased by the blood pressure returning to a better than normal reading of 114/78. Yay! Although he was encouraged by the significant drop in my cholesterol readings, it wasn't enough to make him smile, so I'm back on the Zocor, and have to go back in six weeks to have it checked again. Damn! Everything else about the functioning of my body is perfect, of course! Oh, and only one hand on my back during the anal probe! Whew! We did talk about my erratic sleep patterns. That caused his forehead to furrow a little. I mentioned Ambien, and the forehead crinkled a little more. Fortunately I didn't mention my little internet drug store purchase from a few months ago. God knows what he would have done. End result: no scrip for Ambien. The compromise....I agree to go to a sleep clinic sometime in the next two weeks for a sleep analysis. Apparently what happens is that you spend the night there, hooked up to all types of monitors that measure vital signs, respiration, oxygen levels, etc., and they also watch you sleep. Get ready for a fun night! That will definitely make an interesting post!
Finally got out of the doc's office and headed to the company's national 2005 kick-off meeting at the Marriott near the office. Arrived there an hour late, and there was not a seat left. Stayed for about 30 minutes, and in spite of the promise of a free lunch, I left and went to the office and had a cafeteria lunch.
Tonight was the much-anticipated keg tapping at Rock Bottom. I'd invited several friends and cow-orkers to go with me, but as the day wore on, they started dropping out. Finally, the only remaining person was E, and she was iffy. Ultimately, the promise to buy her dinner won her over, so we met at RB at five. The keg tapping wasn't scheduled until 6, so we ordered drinks and dinner. I opted for the Chrismas beer they'd served at the tapping last month. Delicious stuff, but at 9.3% alcohol, it had my head spinning pretty quickly. Halfway through dinner, Bryan showed up. He'd previously dropped out, but changed his mind. So, we had a very good time. The beer they tapped was fantastic, so I ordered a growler to bring home with me for the long weekend.
In addition, the snow that had made yesterday so miserable is nearly gone today. The freeways, and most of the side streets, are dry. The bright sun at this altitude works wonders!
So, a pretty good day today. Particularly compared to yesterday! And, there's a nice three-day weekend coming up, too! Maybe there is hope, afterall!
Jaydog
Coincidence? Not this time!
It seems like more than coincidence that this would arrive in my email box at work this morning....after I'd made it to the exam room at the doctor's office only to find I'd left my zipper down when I left home....
Top Ten most Polite Ways to Say Your Zipper Is Down.....
by David Letterman
10. The cucumber has left the salad.
9. Quasimodo needs to go back in the tower and tend to his bells.
8. You need to bring your tray table to the upright and locked position.
7. Paging Mr. Johnson... Paging Mr. Johnson..
6. Elvis is leaving the building.
5. The Buick is not all the way in the garage.
4. Our next guest is someone who needs no introduction.
3. You've got a security breach at Los Pantalones.
2. Men may be From Mars.....but I can see something that rhymes with Venus.
And the #1 way to tell someone his zipper is unzipped.....
1. I always knew you were crazy, but now I can see your nuts.
Jaydog
Top Ten most Polite Ways to Say Your Zipper Is Down.....
by David Letterman
10. The cucumber has left the salad.
9. Quasimodo needs to go back in the tower and tend to his bells.
8. You need to bring your tray table to the upright and locked position.
7. Paging Mr. Johnson... Paging Mr. Johnson..
6. Elvis is leaving the building.
5. The Buick is not all the way in the garage.
4. Our next guest is someone who needs no introduction.
3. You've got a security breach at Los Pantalones.
2. Men may be From Mars.....but I can see something that rhymes with Venus.
And the #1 way to tell someone his zipper is unzipped.....
1. I always knew you were crazy, but now I can see your nuts.
Jaydog
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
The gods turn on doggie
Okay...it was bound to happen. I mean, except for being sick and the occasional mind-blasting day at work, life has been going pretty smoothly lately.
Until today, that is.
Our local weather seers had been predicting snow for today....an inch or so, they kept saying. If I used their system of measuring, I'd be a very popular guy (wink-wink). By the time I left for the office this morning, there was already about five inches on the ground, and it was STILL snowing. Throw into that mix a thick blanket of fog and you have the commute from hell. But wait, there's more. Now add in to that the fact that the temperature was hovering around freezing, so the snow on the roads, being heated by traffic, just turned into slush. On the freeway....well, that's just asking for trouble. No visible lane markings....mounds of slush between the lanes...semis blasting past you and launching buckets of the gray-brown stuff at your windshield....get the picture? Took me about an hour to make what is normally a 20-25 minute drive. Dozens of cars off the highway, stuck. Cars stuck in the median. Cars facing the wrong direction after spinning out. Idiots! (Note to self: When you take over the world...first order of business is to deport everyone in Colorado who did not originally live in a state where they have winter.)
Made it to work safely though, dodging spazzos the whole way. Would have stayed home today and worked from here, but had a conference call I had to be on, and needed some things from the office for my portion of it. The day went pretty smoothly, though. The boss, not wanting people to have to go out for lunch (most sane people do as often as possible because for some reason the health department hasn't shut down our cafeteria yet), ordered in about a dozen pizzas for the department. Ah, New York Pizza...yum! And, since the hourly folks ate at their desks, all of the shifts ended an hour earlier to make up for working through their lunch hours. Being salaried, that didn't really affect me, but still a nice gesture.
Then I headed to the gym around 5:30. I have a standing monthly appointment with my trainer, so even though I would have rather headed straight home, I dragged myself there. Figuring confession would be a good thing with him, I admitted that I'd only been in for a workout once in the past two weeks. The holidays, bad weather, sinuses....I pulled out every excuse I could think of. He just smiled, said he understood, and then proceeded to grind my ass into the ground. In spite of that, I came to the realization that working out does make you feel good! So there you have it....I'm a gy-m gy-unkie! Spent a little extra time in the whirlpool and steam room afterwards to ease my protesting muscles. Actually, two sessions in the steam room interspersed with a stop in the cool-down room. And then a nice cool shower. Somehow, after showering, I managed to jab myself pretty hard in the left eye while I was toweling off. If you happen to wear contact lenses, that is not a good thing. Initially, it appeared I'd simply knocked the lens off my cornea and into the corner of my eye. But when I tried to nudge it back, it seemed to be almost fused to the surface and wouldn't budge. I pushed a little harder and it spread its wings and took flight. The locker room at my club is lit with nice soft indirect lighting, and the floor is covered with a dark tweed carpeting, which doesn't lend itself to locating an errant contact lens. Even after getting a flashlight from the front desk and combing the floor, I came up empty-handed and empty-eyed. I resigned myself to driving home with one eye.
Considering that the slush from this morning had melted and then refrozen, I anticipated the worst. I made the wise decision to take side streets home instead of venturing out onto the freeway. Getting out of the office park (where my gym is also located) was a little more of a challenge. Like many office parks that were developed in the late 70's, it appears the designers were on 'shrooms or smoking banana peels when they laid the streets out. There's not a parallel or perpindicular street anywhere. Fortunately, having driven the maze for more than five years, I know the place well and can anticipate the curves. Once out of the office park, the streets return to a sane pattern and become less of a challenge.
So, here I sit...one-eyed doggie. That's one more thing I'll have to do tomorrow. I already have my semi-annual physical and anal probe tomorrow morning. Add to that a plea to my optomitrist to get me in tomorrow for a replacement lens.
Could tomorrow be even worse? Stay tuned.
Jaydog
Until today, that is.
Our local weather seers had been predicting snow for today....an inch or so, they kept saying. If I used their system of measuring, I'd be a very popular guy (wink-wink). By the time I left for the office this morning, there was already about five inches on the ground, and it was STILL snowing. Throw into that mix a thick blanket of fog and you have the commute from hell. But wait, there's more. Now add in to that the fact that the temperature was hovering around freezing, so the snow on the roads, being heated by traffic, just turned into slush. On the freeway....well, that's just asking for trouble. No visible lane markings....mounds of slush between the lanes...semis blasting past you and launching buckets of the gray-brown stuff at your windshield....get the picture? Took me about an hour to make what is normally a 20-25 minute drive. Dozens of cars off the highway, stuck. Cars stuck in the median. Cars facing the wrong direction after spinning out. Idiots! (Note to self: When you take over the world...first order of business is to deport everyone in Colorado who did not originally live in a state where they have winter.)
Made it to work safely though, dodging spazzos the whole way. Would have stayed home today and worked from here, but had a conference call I had to be on, and needed some things from the office for my portion of it. The day went pretty smoothly, though. The boss, not wanting people to have to go out for lunch (most sane people do as often as possible because for some reason the health department hasn't shut down our cafeteria yet), ordered in about a dozen pizzas for the department. Ah, New York Pizza...yum! And, since the hourly folks ate at their desks, all of the shifts ended an hour earlier to make up for working through their lunch hours. Being salaried, that didn't really affect me, but still a nice gesture.
Then I headed to the gym around 5:30. I have a standing monthly appointment with my trainer, so even though I would have rather headed straight home, I dragged myself there. Figuring confession would be a good thing with him, I admitted that I'd only been in for a workout once in the past two weeks. The holidays, bad weather, sinuses....I pulled out every excuse I could think of. He just smiled, said he understood, and then proceeded to grind my ass into the ground. In spite of that, I came to the realization that working out does make you feel good! So there you have it....I'm a gy-m gy-unkie! Spent a little extra time in the whirlpool and steam room afterwards to ease my protesting muscles. Actually, two sessions in the steam room interspersed with a stop in the cool-down room. And then a nice cool shower. Somehow, after showering, I managed to jab myself pretty hard in the left eye while I was toweling off. If you happen to wear contact lenses, that is not a good thing. Initially, it appeared I'd simply knocked the lens off my cornea and into the corner of my eye. But when I tried to nudge it back, it seemed to be almost fused to the surface and wouldn't budge. I pushed a little harder and it spread its wings and took flight. The locker room at my club is lit with nice soft indirect lighting, and the floor is covered with a dark tweed carpeting, which doesn't lend itself to locating an errant contact lens. Even after getting a flashlight from the front desk and combing the floor, I came up empty-handed and empty-eyed. I resigned myself to driving home with one eye.
Considering that the slush from this morning had melted and then refrozen, I anticipated the worst. I made the wise decision to take side streets home instead of venturing out onto the freeway. Getting out of the office park (where my gym is also located) was a little more of a challenge. Like many office parks that were developed in the late 70's, it appears the designers were on 'shrooms or smoking banana peels when they laid the streets out. There's not a parallel or perpindicular street anywhere. Fortunately, having driven the maze for more than five years, I know the place well and can anticipate the curves. Once out of the office park, the streets return to a sane pattern and become less of a challenge.
So, here I sit...one-eyed doggie. That's one more thing I'll have to do tomorrow. I already have my semi-annual physical and anal probe tomorrow morning. Add to that a plea to my optomitrist to get me in tomorrow for a replacement lens.
Could tomorrow be even worse? Stay tuned.
Jaydog
Monday, January 10, 2005
Another profile in courage...
A good friend of mine is going through a tough time right now. I don't think he'd describe it that way. He'd just say, as he has to me before... "Well, you just do what you have to do".
I try to imagine myself in his shoes, and realize that I probably would have snapped a long time ago. But with each new challenge that he faces, he draws on a seemingly endless reserve of strength and courage.
I'm not going to detail everything he's going through. I don't think he'd like that. All I'm going to say is that the longer I know him, the more my admiration for him grows. And since I know he reads this when he can find the time, I'll just say this to him: "M", you know I think about you and send lots of positive thoughts your way. I am so very proud to call you my friend, and you have a friend in me. IABHFYB.
Jaydog
I try to imagine myself in his shoes, and realize that I probably would have snapped a long time ago. But with each new challenge that he faces, he draws on a seemingly endless reserve of strength and courage.
I'm not going to detail everything he's going through. I don't think he'd like that. All I'm going to say is that the longer I know him, the more my admiration for him grows. And since I know he reads this when he can find the time, I'll just say this to him: "M", you know I think about you and send lots of positive thoughts your way. I am so very proud to call you my friend, and you have a friend in me. IABHFYB.
Jaydog
Sunday, January 09, 2005
The Voice of an Angel
Can't stop listening to this track by Kiri Te Kanawa on Rhapsody. She has the voice of an angel!
RHAPSODY Link
RHAPSODY Link
Fickle Fan
Okay, go ahead. Call me a fickle fan. With just two minutes left in the half, I've pulled the plug on watching the Broncos-Colts game today. Public humiliation of my home team in not my idea of entertainment. Score: Broncos - 3, Colts - 28. Not even the fact that my company sponsors the halftime show can make me continue. I have better uses for my time. I see a nap in my future.
Jaydog
Jaydog
Amy O.
Amy, being an animal while playing pool at the Paramount after the department holiday party. I think this was before I straddled the pool table with my pants undone.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Reflecting...
Today will be a day of reflection for me.
Fortunately, if this logic makes any sense, I am home today, still battling the sinus flare-up that seemed it would win. The odds are beginning to change in my favor. So I will have plenty of time for reflection, whether I want it or not.
One year ago today I lost one of my best friends. There was no warning....no chance to say goodbye. She was just gone. I plan to spend the day trying to reflect on the happy times we shared. There is no shortage of those memories. I'll visualize in my mind her beautiful smile. I'll hear her laughter. I still have the last message I received from her on my answering machine. Maybe I'll listen to that later. In the end, I'm sure I'll smile through the tears.
Speaking of friendship, another friend of mine and I launched a discussion on the subject last night. The conversation took a turn that even I couldn't have predicted. In the end, I may have lost a friend. TC, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
The loss and hurt I've experience in the past few years has left me cynical and guarded when it comes to letting people get too close. I didn't want that to happen, but it has. I need to protect myself. And I can feel the wall coming back up. Maybe someone will come along to change my mind.
Maybe.
Enough. I will make it through the day. I will be fine. I'm convinced of it. And I think that the cabin fever that is beginning to set in will finally drive me out of the house tomorrow, and back into the land of the living.
One final thought....Susi, I miss you. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. Thank you for your love and friendship. I'll never forget you.
Jaydog
Fortunately, if this logic makes any sense, I am home today, still battling the sinus flare-up that seemed it would win. The odds are beginning to change in my favor. So I will have plenty of time for reflection, whether I want it or not.
One year ago today I lost one of my best friends. There was no warning....no chance to say goodbye. She was just gone. I plan to spend the day trying to reflect on the happy times we shared. There is no shortage of those memories. I'll visualize in my mind her beautiful smile. I'll hear her laughter. I still have the last message I received from her on my answering machine. Maybe I'll listen to that later. In the end, I'm sure I'll smile through the tears.
Speaking of friendship, another friend of mine and I launched a discussion on the subject last night. The conversation took a turn that even I couldn't have predicted. In the end, I may have lost a friend. TC, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
The loss and hurt I've experience in the past few years has left me cynical and guarded when it comes to letting people get too close. I didn't want that to happen, but it has. I need to protect myself. And I can feel the wall coming back up. Maybe someone will come along to change my mind.
Maybe.
Enough. I will make it through the day. I will be fine. I'm convinced of it. And I think that the cabin fever that is beginning to set in will finally drive me out of the house tomorrow, and back into the land of the living.
One final thought....Susi, I miss you. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. Thank you for your love and friendship. I'll never forget you.
Jaydog
Sorry...just not in the mood
Just in case anyone DOES actually read this thing on a regular basis, I'm sorry to disappoint today. I'm physically exhausted and emotionally wrecked. Check back again later.
Jaydog
Jaydog
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Okay...a little sympathy, please...
I guess it IS time for my annual bout with a sinus infection. In past years the sinuses have always won. If you're a betting person, put everything on them to win this year, as well.
The battle began New Year's Eve, and derailed my party plans. Bad omen for the New Year, I'd say. Except for an unexpected visit from Chris, the whole evening was pretty dismal.
As the holiday weekend went on, the pressure and pain from my expanding sinuses increased. The pressure from my sinuses put pressure on my upper teeth, making them too tender to be able to eat any solid foods, and the infection appears to have spread to my gums, as well. In spite of popping a Vicodin, left over from my last excercise in terror (my injured right foot), the pain kept me awake most of the night, and I faced the new day today with about two hours of sleep. However, being the dedicated soul that I am, and having skipped a day of work yesterday (see yesterday's blog), I decided it was time to provide evidence to my cow-orkers that I did, in fact, exist beyond a few cryptic e-mails and phone calls. So, I went into the office. Not one of my better decisions.
Tried to buck up and take it like a man, but the pain finally won out, and I called my doctor to see if I could get in sometime after 3 P.M. The plan was to wait for Chung, the laundry guy, to show up with my clean shirts and pick up the bag of dirty ones. Well, THAT didn't happen, so I endured a couple of extra hours of discomfort because of that! Thanks, Chung!
Four o'clock. That was my scheduled appointment. And since it was snowing outside, I gave myself an hour to make what is normally a 20-25 minute drive back to my neighborhood, where my doctor's office is also located. One of my smarter decisions, I'd say.
Well, the doctor confirmed what I could have told him and saved myself the visit and co-pay. Sinus infection. PLUS, it appears, an abcessed tooth. So, I'm given a list as long as my.....well, maybe a little longer, of things I need to do. Increase fluids, cut down on smoking (yeah, right), and take all of these drugs, including anti-biotics for 15 days. The one thing he forgot, but I didn't, was the PAIN! He said he'd prefer to let my dentist address that, but by now it's after five, and I know it's unlikely my dentist will see me that late in the day.
After a sympathy ploy, and a lot of batting the "baby blues", he finally gave in and wrote a prescription for Vicodin. YES! THANK YOU, GOD! Only enough to get me through about 24 hours, but still.... I do have quite a stash left from my foot mishap, so, don't expect too much in the way of coherent thought for the next day or so.
Meanwhile, in Denver right now, it's 10 degrees, wind chill below zero, and snowing like hell. Expect up to five inches tonight, and another 3 or 4 inches tomorrow. That will be too deep for me to measure with my conventional method, but just barely.
Wish me a good night's sleep, okay?
Jaydog
The battle began New Year's Eve, and derailed my party plans. Bad omen for the New Year, I'd say. Except for an unexpected visit from Chris, the whole evening was pretty dismal.
As the holiday weekend went on, the pressure and pain from my expanding sinuses increased. The pressure from my sinuses put pressure on my upper teeth, making them too tender to be able to eat any solid foods, and the infection appears to have spread to my gums, as well. In spite of popping a Vicodin, left over from my last excercise in terror (my injured right foot), the pain kept me awake most of the night, and I faced the new day today with about two hours of sleep. However, being the dedicated soul that I am, and having skipped a day of work yesterday (see yesterday's blog), I decided it was time to provide evidence to my cow-orkers that I did, in fact, exist beyond a few cryptic e-mails and phone calls. So, I went into the office. Not one of my better decisions.
Tried to buck up and take it like a man, but the pain finally won out, and I called my doctor to see if I could get in sometime after 3 P.M. The plan was to wait for Chung, the laundry guy, to show up with my clean shirts and pick up the bag of dirty ones. Well, THAT didn't happen, so I endured a couple of extra hours of discomfort because of that! Thanks, Chung!
Four o'clock. That was my scheduled appointment. And since it was snowing outside, I gave myself an hour to make what is normally a 20-25 minute drive back to my neighborhood, where my doctor's office is also located. One of my smarter decisions, I'd say.
Well, the doctor confirmed what I could have told him and saved myself the visit and co-pay. Sinus infection. PLUS, it appears, an abcessed tooth. So, I'm given a list as long as my.....well, maybe a little longer, of things I need to do. Increase fluids, cut down on smoking (yeah, right), and take all of these drugs, including anti-biotics for 15 days. The one thing he forgot, but I didn't, was the PAIN! He said he'd prefer to let my dentist address that, but by now it's after five, and I know it's unlikely my dentist will see me that late in the day.
After a sympathy ploy, and a lot of batting the "baby blues", he finally gave in and wrote a prescription for Vicodin. YES! THANK YOU, GOD! Only enough to get me through about 24 hours, but still.... I do have quite a stash left from my foot mishap, so, don't expect too much in the way of coherent thought for the next day or so.
Meanwhile, in Denver right now, it's 10 degrees, wind chill below zero, and snowing like hell. Expect up to five inches tonight, and another 3 or 4 inches tomorrow. That will be too deep for me to measure with my conventional method, but just barely.
Wish me a good night's sleep, okay?
Jaydog
Monday, January 03, 2005
A taste of hell...
Okay, call me stupid...
Allowed the tags on my car to expire in November. Thirty day grace period was up on December 31st. Duh....
Hey, I had every intention of getting it taken care of ahead of time. But you know what they say about good intentions! I even tried to get everything done on December 31st, but was thwarted twice. One, the City and County of Denver closed the DMV office located five minutes from my house, and two, the emmisions testing station was closed all day (a Friday, remember) so that their empoyees could spend the day with their families. What a crock! Just how do people spend New Year's Eve with their families, anyway? Give the little tykes a bottle of Jack with a nipple? Anyway, it was a conspiracy.....I'm sure of it.
So, today, not feeling well anyway, I decided to take a vacation day and face the music.
First stop: the emissions testing station. The sign out front says "Waitng Time: 90 minutes". Arrrggghhhhhh! But I must pay for my transgressions, so pull into the line of cars. Fortunately, the gods are smiling on me, as it only takes about an hour.
Filled with hope, I made the 35 minute drive to the DMV office on the north side of Denver. I walk through the doors, take my number....478....and look up at the sign. NOW SERVING 351. Aggghhhhh! Shoot me now!
Anyway, the end of this story? Nearly two hours later, I walk out with my new tags in my hand, and a smile on my face.
So, I've learned my lesson! Until next year...
Jaydog
An afterthought...Talked with a friend of mine this morning...so a personal note: TC, glad you're still my friend. Whatever the future brings for either of us, IABHFYB.
Allowed the tags on my car to expire in November. Thirty day grace period was up on December 31st. Duh....
Hey, I had every intention of getting it taken care of ahead of time. But you know what they say about good intentions! I even tried to get everything done on December 31st, but was thwarted twice. One, the City and County of Denver closed the DMV office located five minutes from my house, and two, the emmisions testing station was closed all day (a Friday, remember) so that their empoyees could spend the day with their families. What a crock! Just how do people spend New Year's Eve with their families, anyway? Give the little tykes a bottle of Jack with a nipple? Anyway, it was a conspiracy.....I'm sure of it.
So, today, not feeling well anyway, I decided to take a vacation day and face the music.
First stop: the emissions testing station. The sign out front says "Waitng Time: 90 minutes". Arrrggghhhhhh! But I must pay for my transgressions, so pull into the line of cars. Fortunately, the gods are smiling on me, as it only takes about an hour.
Filled with hope, I made the 35 minute drive to the DMV office on the north side of Denver. I walk through the doors, take my number....478....and look up at the sign. NOW SERVING 351. Aggghhhhh! Shoot me now!
Anyway, the end of this story? Nearly two hours later, I walk out with my new tags in my hand, and a smile on my face.
So, I've learned my lesson! Until next year...
Jaydog
An afterthought...Talked with a friend of mine this morning...so a personal note: TC, glad you're still my friend. Whatever the future brings for either of us, IABHFYB.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Happy Memories
The new year has always been an exciting time for me. A time of hope. A time of new beginnings. This coming from someone who generally hates the "holidays". I have nothing against Christmas. Please understand that. I love Christmas and the true meaning behind the day. I just hate the holidays.
Now I'm facing the next few days with a sense of dread. One year ago January 6th I lost a very good friend of mine. My life hasn't been the same since.
Susi and I were friends for longer than even I care to admit. She became sort of a surrogate mother to me, and I loved her for it. A year later and I still miss her. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her, or encounter something that reminds me of her.
An online chat buddy of mine, I'll just call him "J" here, has experienced a lot of loss in the past couple of years. He is still grieving, it seems. I try to bolster his spirits by encouraging him to reflect on the happy times.....to cling to those memories. Now I'm about to test my own advice.
I'm sure it's going to be difficult. Anniversaries of sad events always are. But I'm going to give it my best shot. There is no shortage of happy memories to recall in this case.
Wish me luck.
Susi, I love you...and I miss you terribly.
Jaydog
Now I'm facing the next few days with a sense of dread. One year ago January 6th I lost a very good friend of mine. My life hasn't been the same since.
Susi and I were friends for longer than even I care to admit. She became sort of a surrogate mother to me, and I loved her for it. A year later and I still miss her. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her, or encounter something that reminds me of her.
An online chat buddy of mine, I'll just call him "J" here, has experienced a lot of loss in the past couple of years. He is still grieving, it seems. I try to bolster his spirits by encouraging him to reflect on the happy times.....to cling to those memories. Now I'm about to test my own advice.
I'm sure it's going to be difficult. Anniversaries of sad events always are. But I'm going to give it my best shot. There is no shortage of happy memories to recall in this case.
Wish me luck.
Susi, I love you...and I miss you terribly.
Jaydog
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Not tired yet...
Okay...not ready to sleep yet. Still trying to get used to the idea that it's 2005, and wondering how many times in the next few days and weeks I'll mistakenly put 2004 on reports that I send out.
Anyway, for those of you with too much time on your hands, here's something for you to do.
http://www.lostfrog.org/
Anyway, for those of you with too much time on your hands, here's something for you to do.
http://www.lostfrog.org/
Let's Start the New Year Right...
How about a little visual stimulation? For those of you whose eyes aren't too blurry, at least...
Another Year...
Here it is, another new year...
To all of my friends, best wishes for a happy and prosperous one!
It's the usual custom to make some resolutions for the coming year, but since they usually aren't kept, why exert the mental effort? Besides, aren't resolutions an admission that you failed during the previous year? Who wants to admit that? Certainly not me!
Okay, okay....I'm not perfect, so I'll concede a couple of things. Happy now?
In the coming year, I resolve to...
To all of my friends, best wishes for a happy and prosperous one!
It's the usual custom to make some resolutions for the coming year, but since they usually aren't kept, why exert the mental effort? Besides, aren't resolutions an admission that you failed during the previous year? Who wants to admit that? Certainly not me!
Okay, okay....I'm not perfect, so I'll concede a couple of things. Happy now?
In the coming year, I resolve to...
- Be a better son to my parents...
- Be a better brother to my brothers...
- Be a better friend to my friends...
- Be a better person to my fellow travelers on earth.
There. How's that? If you really think about it, everything else could be squeezed into one of those categories.
So that's all I'm gonna say about that.
To everyone near and dear to me....I love you all!
Jaydog
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