8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC Part 9

[captaincrash]

I appreciate everyone's well wishes, thoughts and prayers. I apologize for not being able to respond to all the posts individually or multi-quote but I just don't have it in me right now. To say I'm a bit depressed would be an understatement. I don't even really want to talk about it -atleast not yet. but it appears that either something happened like a stroke or something or I have Bell's palsy or something and dealing with the non-functioning part of my face & mouth right now is well... not fun. I'm not even sure if I should post that because now if it doesn't go away I'm going to think everyone is looking at me on the cruise.
I'm only 37yrs old and was not prepared for something like this at this stage of my life. I've never been pretty- I know that. But it's like God had to say oh you think you're ugly now, you haven't seen nothing yet... it can always get worse little missy.


Atleast I know my tears work in both eyes.



I wasn't referring to your post. I didn't even think about your post when I wrote that. I wasn't thinking of anyone's specifically.

Well...

... I used to tell my spouse a long time ago (when I noticed her obcessing with appearances) that EVERYONE gets older and heavier ... and everyones' health slips, and we get heavier, flabbier, etc... and no matter how she looks or changes as we age it'll be the same tomorrow as today because the ONE thing that almost NEVER changes is whats' INSIDE everyone. And by that I mean our memories, our feelings and how we have and will treat one another. BIP, from these few weeks we've seen in your posts a playful vitality and wellspring of humor and life that transcends anything so superficial as mere appearances. I've never met you in person except here by your words - and I count you among the many who are the "fun lovin'" ones to follow. The thing I thing that is rare is when any of us find a moment in life when we have a clear and pleasant moment. And that can come when you're snickerin' over a silly pirate joke posting or maybe a barely appropriate image or comment otherwise appearing. Plus the same simple clearity of mind comes when you gaze out in the morning or early evening and watch the moon rising or fading as large as its' looming now.

Really, so many people probably thing everyone else looks funny (or different) ... I have to pause maybe once a year and think ... how petty can THAT person over "there" get? Did you know that in earlier times the skinny women were frowned upon as 2nd or 3rd rate cuz they typically were not thought of as physically ready to pop out youngin's and SURVIVE the birthin' process? Or somethin' like that. As such - may i suggest you just not worry about the superficial nonsense of appearances... and just focus on what's REALLY important - like lookin' after your health (and just that), then lookin' after the ones close to you - like your kids an' spouse, parents and siblings - and pets. Plus the other things that really matter - which are important.

I'll share something very close to me... that last year for the 1st time in my life I had several friends and family come down with chronic and likely terminal illnesses. Just last week a friend who is precisely our age confided that they found spots on a scan - and she had just had a kidney removed due to cancer. So shes' possibly metastatic - stage 4 previously - and now the outlook is for a half dozen years if shes' really lucky. SHe has a 1 year old. That was heart breaking and frankly scared bee-jeez-us out of me. Just yesterday I was telling my spouse I had some wierd ache and if it persisted a couple more days I was gonna have it checked out.

Having folks getting ill - and chronically so has reawakened me to the idea of cherishing life, family, friends and everything else I got. What little it is - or in some ways we're "rich"... and I'm not sayin' we're silver spoon rich or anything... but very rich in other ways certainly.

There were times when some folks woudl ask me "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH So-and-So?". Meaning some folks were being VERY EMOTIONALLY ANGRY and lashing out at more or less everyone. I was in a postion of having been told already what was going on - and also asked to remain silent with the news. So all I could say way - "let it pass.... you'll find out some time down the road... (and I added)... I can only say you should just try to figure out what makes you happiest and do a lot more of it". Months later when some folks learned more - they told me they now understand what I was talking about. And they're still having trouble sorting out what makes them happiest.

The lucky ones are the folks who identify some of the big things that make them really happy - and they are the ones who are doin' it. THAT is something we really have some control over. Our time to walk this world is not unlimited - and we can't really make it a lot longer with current mecial science. BUT we do have a lot of control over over daily routine... and I choose to do what I feel is important to me now. Which includes doin' what makes me happy. I have some seriously mixed feelings sometimes over becoming a stay at home Dad. This came at the expense of continuing my business of 19 years. However, my spouse and I determined I could recover from an absence = while if she quite to be a SAHM she would lose a near perfect (in her eyes) position. Plus her pay and benefits were decent while I had no benefits being self employed. So I sort of involuntarily became a total SAHD. And just today at the playground I was watching my 3 YO DD at the playground and I really thought what a priceless opportunity and moment it was I was witnessing. Nothing really special... it just filled me with a "good feeling" as she insisted on leading me over the playground equipment by the hand.

What-ever it is we got going... make the best of it. Always try to figure out what makes you happiest and simply do more of it. The other stuff - well ... do what you must then return your foucus on what makes you and your loved ones happiest. That is worth investing your time and attention, eh?

OK... enuf of that. I can get a bit long winded sometimes. I guess that may be why I sometimes just focus on attaching images then writing elaborate replies.

OH well.... time to get back to playing the ketchup game...

 

[magiroux]

Is that at Britney's?

No, I'm feeling pretty stable this afternoon. (I do feel rather sorry for her, though)

 

[magiroux]

Oh...LOVE the IZ one!

That is one tune I downloaded the first time I heard it on the radio

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Originally Posted by BibbidyBobbidyBoo
I appreciate everyone's well wishes, thoughts and prayers. I apologize for not being able to respond to all the posts individually or multi-quote but I just don't have it in me right now. To say I'm a bit depressed would be an understatement. I don't even really want to talk about it -atleast not yet. but it appears that either something happened like a stroke or something or I have Bell's palsy or something and dealing with the non-functioning part of my face & mouth right now is well... not fun. I'm not even sure if I should post that because now if it doesn't go away I'm going to think everyone is looking at me on the cruise.
I'm only 37yrs old and was not prepared for something like this at this stage of my life. I've never been pretty- I know that. But it's like God had to say oh you think you're ugly now, you haven't seen nothing yet... it can always get worse little missy.

At least I know my tears work in both eyes.
I wasn't referring to your post. I didn't even think about your post when I wrote that. I wasn't thinking of anyone's specifically.


Can I wish you all the best, I can understand a bit the feeling after this shock, Captain Crash posted far better than myself, but, ALL THE BEST to you. Life chucks things at you, no ones ever prepared.

 

[magiroux]

MaryAnn already offered, but I will definitely come pick you up in Boston too. I think we should definitely plan one.

Definately . Would you want to do RFC or even a Fire & Ice/Duck Tours meet????????

 

[eeyorelvr10]

Speaking of the 80's...I have a bunch of songs on my IPod from a CD collection called "Living In Oblivion: Songs of the 80's"

Such as:
I Wanna Be a Cowboy - Boys Don't Cry
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Under the Milky Way - The Church
Tenderness - General Public
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
Promises, Promises - Naked Eyes

And so many, many more...

OMG, I'm old....

AHEMMM... You are not OLD - you are classic - along with me since I too know and love all these songs - especially Come On Eileen - everytime it comes on Sirius - the kids slink down in their seats and pretend I'm all alone! I don't care - then I just roll down the window and bellow the chorus out! COME ON EILEEN!

Besides - aren't the best thing in life a classic - such as CLASSIC COKE - CLASSIC CARS - CLASSIC 80'S - Need I go on?

 

[allshookup]

FOUR types of people: math/science, history/English/letters, artistic (hi honey ) and then those who just don't have a freakin' clue!

Oh sure! Make it all easy to explain and understand!

Suppose a quantity has an initial value of x1, and then increases or decreases to a final value of x2.

The percent change, D%, is calculated by finding the difference x2 - x1 (subtracting the initial value from the final value), then dividing the result of this subtraction by x1 (the initial value), and finally multiplying by 100. Expressed as a formula:

D% = 100 (x2 - x1) / x1

If x2 > x1 (the final value is larger than the initial value, representing an increase in the variable quantity), then D% is a positive number.

If x2 < x1 (the final value is smaller than the initial value, representing a decrease), then D% is a negative number.​

You can add me to the last on the list..."Don't have a freakin' clue!" I hate math, I can never remember history & I'm sure as heck not artistic. As far as percentages & the value of x1...I'm lost! Sad thing is I did get an A in Trig. not too long ago since I went to college late in life, but as soon as I walked out the door I forgot everything I learned. Did I mention I hate math?

 

[ChrizJen]

... and no matter how she looks or changes as we age it'll be the same tomorrow as today because the ONE thing that almost NEVER changes is whats' INSIDE everyone. And by that I mean our memories, our feelings and how we have and will treat one another.

...The thing I thing that is rare is when any of us find a moment in life when we have a clear and pleasant moment. And that can come when you're snickerin' over a silly pirate joke posting or maybe a barely appropriate image or comment otherwise appearing. Plus the same simple clearity of mind comes when you gaze out in the morning or early evening and watch the moon rising or fading as large as its' looming now.

...I'll share something very close to me...
Having folks getting ill - and chronically so has reawakened me to the idea of cherishing life, family, friends and everything else I got. What little it is - or in some ways we're "rich"... and I'm not sayin' we're silver spoon rich or anything... but very rich in other ways certainly.


The lucky ones are the folks who identify some of the big things that make them really happy - and they are the ones who are doin' it. THAT is something we really have some control over. Our time to walk this world is not unlimited - and we can't really make it a lot longer with current mecial science. BUT we do have a lot of control over over daily routine... and I choose to do what I feel is important to me now. Which includes doin' what makes me happy.

...And just today at the playground I was watching my 3 YO DD at the playground and I really thought what a priceless opportunity and moment it was I was witnessing. Nothing really special... it just filled me with a "good feeling" as she insisted on leading me over the playground equipment by the hand.

What-ever it is we got going... make the best of it. Always try to figure out what makes you happiest and simply do more of it. The other stuff - well ... do what you must then return your foucus on what makes you and your loved ones happiest. That is worth investing your time and attention, eh?

OK... enuf of that. I can get a bit long winded sometimes. I guess that may be why I sometimes just focus on attaching images then writing elaborate replies.

OH well.... time to get back to playing the ketchup game...

THANK YOU, Crash!! You have such a way with words...It's all so true, and we have to remind ourselves of the simple things sometimes! Thanks!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

No, I'm feeling pretty stable this afternoon. (I do feel rather sorry for her, though)

Yes it is sad, very high profile, too much too young,

 

[magiroux]

I previously mentioned the article on Cartagena that appears in the current Conde Nast Traveler magazine. I thought I would post some excerpts from the article to give people a taste of what certainly seems like a fascinating port-of-call. If nothing else, this should reassure those who, based on some of the previous posts, might have been concerned about leaving the ship. Having just finished the entire article, I will have to make sure to watch Romancing the Stone again before next August.

Excerpts from Sleeping Beauty: Even during Columbia’s darkest years, Cartagena was spared. David Ebershoff visits this dreamy city by the sea, a place that wears its rich history as lightly as it does its languorous charm (Conde Nast Traveler, March 2007).

On its beaches:

Cartagena’s beaches aren’t what you’d expect. The sand is thick and brown, muddying the water. The surf is rough and tricky. These are city beaches, like those in San Juan and Coney Island: crowded, nosy, and fun–not relaxing. For that, most people go to the Rosario Islands, an hour and twenty minutes from the marina by launch. For a quick dip in the Caribbean, go to the busy, fun beach in Bocagrande, five minutes from the old city by cab. Another option is to hire a cab to take you to the small fishing village of La Boquilla, five miles north of the city.

On safety:

Columbia’s long-running civil war and campaigns of narco-terrorism have never erupted on Cartagena’s streets; here the political strife and horrific violence feel very far away. If you take the usual precautions, you should feel safe walking around the historic center day or night. That said, the country’s political situation is always changing. In the past few years, the change has been for the better, with the country becoming increasingly peaceful and stable (with the exception of parts of the mountainous interior and the Amazon Basin).

Even in the bloodiest times, the violence never reached Cartagena’s walls. Why not? It’s a question I ask nearly everyone I talk to about the city. There are a lot of theories. Originally built by the Spanish, the coral, brick, and quicklime walls that surround the historic center have protected the city for hundreds of years. [Some believe] Columbians love the city too much to hurt it; “Cartagena is the symbol of Columbia. All Colombians take pride in it. During the years of violence, even the narco-traffickers respected it.” For whatever reasons, Cartagena has remained safe: For nearly two decades, it has been a haven for Colombia’s middle and upper classes.

On its bloody history:

Founded in 1533 on a small Caribbean peninsula, Cartagena quickly became one of the most important cities in Spain’s South American empire. Much of the gold, silver, emeralds, and pearls stolen from the Incas and other Andean civilizations passed through its warehouses. So much treasure was amassed that soon French and English pirates were attacking the city, looting the loot. The Spanish responded by building an elaborate complex of walls and forts, a project that lasted nearly two hundred years and required the labor of some 80,000 slaves. It culminated in Castillo de San Felipe, Spain’s largest military fort in the Americas, an imposing structure that looks something like the pyramids outside Mexico City. It was designed with trapdoors, “niches of death,” and two thousand feet of internal tunnels, some of which deliberately lead nowhere. It and many of the city’s other fortifications remain intact, including almost all of the walls that surround the historic neighborhoods. The wall now makes a scenic promenade; along the way are a number of garrets that you can step into and look out at the Caribbean through a musket hole.

Cartagena has had a long relationship with the macabre. In 1610, the city became the seat of the Spanish Inquisition in Latin America. Although never as bloody as its counterpart in Iberia, the Dominican-led push to root out heretics, witches, Jews, and other undesirables resulted in roughly seven hundred local persecutions and five autos-da-fe [sorry, I have not idea what those are]. The Inquisition Palace is a grand Andalusian-style building freshly restored as a museum on the north side of the Plaza de Bolivar. There’s a display of torture racks, stockades, and a scale used to weigh women accused of witchcraft to see if they were light enough to fly. On the outside wall, at the height of a person on horseback, is the denunciation window. Here, seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Cartagenos with a grudge would anonymously slip the names of heretics through the iron grille.

On getting to know the city:

The historic city is divided into three neighborhoods: El Centro, where you’ll find the major churches, museums, and plazas, and where the nobility once lived; San Diego, an upscale residential neighborhood formerly occupied by wealthy merchants and top military officers; and Getsemani, which has seen the least renovation.

On finding a guide:

Go to the entrance at the San Pedro Claver Cloister and ask for Willy or one of the other government-certified guides, who wear badges showing their credentials (about $30 for an afternoon).

Cool...Thanks for passing on all the info

 

[bellelinus]

Dont forget 11 nights in the Med. Sounds like the film seven nights?

But Andrew, I'm NOT on the Med cruise with you -- you have forgotten, but we will be on the 10 night beginning Aug. 8 (when you get off your 11 night) . . .

 

[The FairyGodmother]

That makes no sense.

That is just so wrong! Besides, homework shouldn't be graded for a letter grade. Credit if they did it aound none if they didn't. Isn't homework suppose to be practice to make sure the teacher did their job & taught the material in class?

Thank you!!! I totally agree. Last semester's teacher was of that same mind. Homework was practice. Now this teacher thinks that it is testing material. DD had that type of teacher in 9th grade too. She had horrible math grades and gave up all thoughts of being a doctor because she figured she was just not good at math. Well, we sat down and tested her ourselves and she knew everything. Even remembered all those formulas, theories, all that stuff. She scored very high on all the standardized test but when it came to the actual classes she just had problems with the way they taught. The first semester of this year was great. Really brought back her confidence in herself and she just shined. Well, she talked to the teacher this am and the teach says, she made a few silly mistakes so that was probably why the bad grade but she also said it was probably because DD went from having math 6th hour to 1st hour. Now here is my DD who wants to take AC Trig next year and may not be able to because of a poor way of grading homework. You have to have a B in AP Algebra II to take AC Trig. Big issue we have is that she has A's in Chem and Science, AP History, AP English, French so how do you say she isn't smart enough? You can't. I really think that the teachers are not doing their job. Because if a student is getting A's in other math/science type classes how can they being so poorly in Math. Seems like they need to re-evaluate how they teach or grade.

I don't think that we have been to concert in ages. I can't tell you the last one we saw. But most of them were all country. The last we saw that wasn't was the Eagles.

We hadn't been to a concert in years and then last Xmas I took Mark to a Christmas concert our local country station put on. It was Big & Rich, local boy Josh Gracin, Cowboy Troy, Jason Michael Carroll and Rushlow-Harris. We just purchased tickets to see Kenny Chesney's flip flop tour, that will have Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Sara Evans, Pat Green and of course, Kenny. Can't wait for that. Maybe we are on a roll and we will get to go to more concerts.

Adam was doing something like that--totally confused me. I think as long as you understand how to get the right answer that should be plenty.

Yes, I agree. DS has the same teacher this year as DD had in 9th grade. He is having the same issues, with these homework tests. He has always been and all A student. Now getting C in math too. He is one of these people who can look at a problem and know the answer without doing the work. He HATES that he has to show all the work, gets him in trouble every time.

You know I love Baileys in hot cocoa. It's especially good with the Mint Baileys. Yum!

Had that yesterday with an International Coffee. Yummy.

Did anyone watch Lost????????

YES!!! Love it but I am still confused.

Okay...now someone has something to use against me for blackmail. DO NOT tell my DH that I might be able to have a professional help me buy jewelry! Awesome! Not that I need the help...I'm one of those who tends to zero in automatically on the most expensive item in the case, without even realizing it.

Me too!!! I love can spot the most expensive item a mile away. Mark won't take me clothes shopping with him because I always pick out the most expensive suit or tie. And don't get me started on the jewelry. Probably how we ended up with matching watches, and new wedding rings on one of our trips.

I'm trying to be unpredictable.

JperiodspaceRperiod

(that should be my new screen name....)

OMGosh. That is too funny. I think you should do it for sure.

yes, we do "Everyday Math" here in our district too. I am not sure what my son is learning. When he went to Christian school 1st and 2nd grade, he was horrible in math. He came home last week with his ISAT grade and is in the 99th percentile. So either 'everyday math' is working or it is teaching him how to take standardized tests.

Considering we were cooking dinner together last night and he asked me if 1 cup was the same thing as 1 pound, I am assuming the latter.

:lmao: DD and DS testing came back in the exceeds standards catagory, it amazes me that they can do that and get C's in class.

Only because I am afraid you'll strangle me and hide my body in a broom closet.

Don't worry JperiodspaceRperiod with all the people waiting for GTY, the broom closet will be to full for your body. Maybe a lifeboat.

My nephew is in first grade. He's been having trouble in Math. DB and DSIL are also having trouble with the 2007 way to do simple math. So they ask Aunt Kathy if she could help. Aunt Kathy, having backround in chemistry, math and finance, figures how bad can "new math" be. OMG! What are they teaching? My nephew is telling me they have to estimated the answer. HUH!!!! Excuse me, I make drugs for a living. If I did a WAG on the amount of drug I needed in a product I would be shut down and in jail. What ever happened to memorizing the times tables?? Now I understand why cashiers cannot count back change anymore. Is this another sign that I'm getting old?

I graduated from college 1st in my class with a math degree and I still can't help these kids now. Problem is they never needed help before so I haven't kept up with the way they are learning. If I have to help I would have to start all over at the beginning. It isn't the answer that is the problem, it is how they go about getting to the answer. Seems to me as long as you get to the answer it should be correct. I wonder how the teachers would feel if we told them they don't get their paychecks because they incorrectly estimated their hours for the week.

thank you!! - I am going to ask DH about that "rubber somethingie" and see if he thinks we should be using the HE!!!!

Well, I have the Whirlpool Duet and I usually use the HE but I have already replaced the rubber gasket and it needs to be done again. I am not sure if the few times I used non-he would have cause that problem or maybe we just have sucky water around here. Probably the latter.

Tell me about it. I spent a lot of time learning that the integral of 1 over x dx = ln(x). I've never had anyone come up to me on the street and ask me "Sir, do you happen to know the integral of 1 over x dx?"

More useless knowledge.

My son asked me that the other day. When was the last time I needed to know an exponent or integer. ummmm high school?

Okay so before my multi-quoting to catch up... and btw it isn't that bad this time. There wasn't as many pages as usual!... I wanted to just update after my dr appt today.
The dr feels it's Bell's palsy and she thinks it's stress related. Now I don't know of any stress I have had lately other than normal every day stress but I am a worrier by nature... so who knows. I also have fluids behind my right ear but she said that's a symptom, not a cause -because the ear isn't infected and she said not moving my face on that side will cause fluids not to drain as they should. Something like that. So the pain in my ear area is caused by fluids which are built up BECAUSE of the paralysis on that side- not an infection causing the paralysis- atleast not an ear infection.
She said my tonsils were huge but they always are... I should have had those taken out when I was a child... a long long time ago.
She gave me a shot of steroids or something like that and some viral medication Rx... and I'm supposed to take some B12 vitamins also... and we'll go from here to see if that helps or if it just runs it's course. I guess I just have to live with it and pray it will go away. it's not easy though... it's hard to blink my right eye all the way, it's hurting by my ear, everything I eat or drink or even my saliva makes me want to HURL because it's like I have a mouth full of sea (salt) water all the time... I can't even drink from a straw to try to bypass tasting liquids because I can't get my lips to work right! Eating and talking I have to be careful because on the right side my lips get in the way- similar to if you are numbed top/bottom on one side to get work done on you teeth yanno?
ugh I just hope and pray it goes away soon.

Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts and prayers. I do appreciate it.

...

AWWW Shelley, I am so sorry that you have to go through this. I can't imagine what you are going through but remember He always makes a way for us to bear it. You have a lot of people who are concerned about you and are praying for you. We are "hear" for you. :grouphug:


Whew, that was a lot of quoting. I need a nap now!!!

 

[poohssmum]

Oops, missed this one while I was playing catch up last night....sorry

I would love to go and will keep an eye out for tickets, but right now both shows are showing sold out.

2 words ... stub hub That's how I got mine. I talked to someone that said most of the tickets went to folks that joined The Police fan club in order to score tix, and that there were actually very few tickets that were available once they "officially" went on sale. Had to pay more than face value ... but not double face value

 

[bellelinus]

God I am going to have to diet fast now!

For me at least, you have until August of 2008! Of course I'm sure there are others you would like to impress on the Med . . .

 

[ChrizJen]

AHEMMM... You are not OLD - you are classic - along with me since I too know and love all these songs - especially Come On Eileen - everytime it comes on Sirius - the kids slink down in their seats and pretend I'm all alone! I don't care - then I just roll down the window and bellow the chorus out! COME ON EILEEN!

Besides - aren't the best thing in life a classic - such as CLASSIC COKE - CLASSIC CARS - CLASSIC 80'S - Need I go on?

AHAH!!!
I see now! Gee, people here on the DIS have SUCH a wonderful gift for wording things ever-so-eloquently!!

 

[bellelinus]

OMG! You stole my child!

Don't you dare bring her back - you took her - you keep her!

So funny -- I was thinking the same thing -- this could come right off my 12 year old's iPod . . .

 

[magiroux]

Wow, that is not right! Our council tries to never go more than surrounding councils. They were the same this year. We had trouble though because the baker we get from didn't have the sugar-free cookies and people had heard about them on the news.

Depending on the year, they have sold their cookies anywhere from .50/.75 less than ours for years. We have complained constantly to no avail . The reason given is we have more GS campgrounds to maintain than surrounding councils.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

But Andrew, I'm NOT on the Med cruise with you -- you have forgotten, but we will be on the 10 night beginning Aug. 8 (when you get off your 11 night) . . .

So many posts, so many threads, I get lost!


Anyway back to the UK disboard.


M = MONSTERS inc.



Ps I will ensure they keep your stateroom nice for you.

(On the Wonder)

 

[magiroux]

2 words ... stub hub That's how I got mine. I talked to someone that said most of the tickets went to folks that joined The Police fan club in order to score tix, and that there were actually very few tickets that were available once they "officially" went on sale. Had to pay more than face value ... but not double face value

Hmmmmm, I'll check it out, Thanks

 

[The FairyGodmother]

Well...

... I used to tell my spouse a long time ago (when I noticed her obcessing with appearances) that EVERYONE gets older and heavier ... and everyones' health slips, and we get heavier, flabbier, etc... and no matter how she looks or changes as we age it'll be the same tomorrow as today because the ONE thing that almost NEVER changes is whats' INSIDE everyone. And by that I mean our memories, our feelings and how we have and will treat one another. BIP, from these few weeks we've seen in your posts a playful vitality and wellspring of humor and life that transcends anything so superficial as mere appearances. I've never met you in person except here by your words - and I count you among the many who are the "fun lovin'" ones to follow. The thing I thing that is rare is when any of us find a moment in life when we have a clear and pleasant moment. And that can come when you're snickerin' over a silly pirate joke posting or maybe a barely appropriate image or comment otherwise appearing. Plus the same simple clearity of mind comes when you gaze out in the morning or early evening and watch the moon rising or fading as large as its' looming now.

Really, so many people probably thing everyone else looks funny (or different) ... I have to pause maybe once a year and think ... how petty can THAT person over "there" get? Did you know that in earlier times the skinny women were frowned upon as 2nd or 3rd rate cuz they typically were not thought of as physically ready to pop out youngin's and SURVIVE the birthin' process? Or somethin' like that. As such - may i suggest you just not worry about the superficial nonsense of appearances... and just focus on what's REALLY important - like lookin' after your health (and just that), then lookin' after the ones close to you - like your kids an' spouse, parents and siblings - and pets. Plus the other things that really matter - which are important.

I'll share something very close to me... that last year for the 1st time in my life I had several friends and family come down with chronic and likely terminal illnesses. Just last week a friend who is precisely our age confided that they found spots on a scan - and she had just had a kidney removed due to cancer. So shes' possibly metastatic - stage 4 previously - and now the outlook is for a half dozen years if shes' really lucky. SHe has a 1 year old. That was heart breaking and frankly scared bee-jeez-us out of me. Just yesterday I was telling my spouse I had some wierd ache and if it persisted a couple more days I was gonna have it checked out.

Having folks getting ill - and chronically so has reawakened me to the idea of cherishing life, family, friends and everything else I got. What little it is - or in some ways we're "rich"... and I'm not sayin' we're silver spoon rich or anything... but very rich in other ways certainly.

There were times when some folks woudl ask me "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH So-and-So?". Meaning some folks were being VERY EMOTIONALLY ANGRY and lashing out at more or less everyone. I was in a postion of having been told already what was going on - and also asked to remain silent with the news. So all I could say way - "let it pass.... you'll find out some time down the road... (and I added)... I can only say you should just try to figure out what makes you happiest and do a lot more of it". Months later when some folks learned more - they told me they now understand what I was talking about. And they're still having trouble sorting out what makes them happiest.

The lucky ones are the folks who identify some of the big things that make them really happy - and they are the ones who are doin' it. THAT is something we really have some control over. Our time to walk this world is not unlimited - and we can't really make it a lot longer with current mecial science. BUT we do have a lot of control over over daily routine... and I choose to do what I feel is important to me now. Which includes doin' what makes me happy. I have some seriously mixed feelings sometimes over becoming a stay at home Dad. This came at the expense of continuing my business of 19 years. However, my spouse and I determined I could recover from an absence = while if she quite to be a SAHM she would lose a near perfect (in her eyes) position. Plus her pay and benefits were decent while I had no benefits being self employed. So I sort of involuntarily became a total SAHD. And just today at the playground I was watching my 3 YO DD at the playground and I really thought what a priceless opportunity and moment it was I was witnessing. Nothing really special... it just filled me with a "good feeling" as she insisted on leading me over the playground equipment by the hand.

What-ever it is we got going... make the best of it. Always try to figure out what makes you happiest and simply do more of it. The other stuff - well ... do what you must then return your foucus on what makes you and your loved ones happiest. That is worth investing your time and attention, eh?

OK... enuf of that. I can get a bit long winded sometimes. I guess that may be why I sometimes just focus on attaching images then writing elaborate replies.

OH well.... time to get back to playing the ketchup game...

Well said!!!!!!