Monday's Missives

• The question was asked when talking about steroids in pro baseball,"What if it were Nolan Ryan we're talking about?" The point being if you thought all the users are scum.
• Interestingly, if talking about football the numbers may not be all that high in my opinion but, in baseball the holy hand wringing- especially say- 10 or more years ago is very, very naive- I guarantee you essentially 100% used steroids at some point.
• I hardly ever get naive or guarantee correct the first time.
• My patient died this morning before I got to them. It's a relief sometimes when that happens- like cutting class- I break out a movie, a book, go for ride or whatever, kind of fun- playing hooky. But, I always at some point in that day think of the family and hope they are OK even though I never met them or their loved one.
• The best nursing facility I've been in with easily the best nursing, rehab and dietary department etc. was a dump- literally a dangerous looking place in a bad neighborhood. The one which has easily the most beautiful facility I've ever been in in North Texas always has such a blase' attitude toward their patients when I go in, it very much borders on neglect.
• I gave Zac a piece of peach to take his sister when I made his this morning. After he gave it to her he smiled real big and said," Are you happy sister?"
• My sister is wanting to organize a regular family reunion- I hope she pulls it off- they can be fun and important. When we had them in the past we did them at the Wise County Posse Grounds in Decatur TX which was cool since a lot of the family has or had roots there and the counties reunion fair is there annually anyway.
• Sad, how often we think about reunions at of course- funerals and every time we say we need to get together... there are fewer and fewer people you call family to pull together. I do like though that there would be people from all sides of the families- in laws and outlaws etc. who would feel perfectly welcome to come if we can pull it off.
• Supposedly, if I laid out my political beliefs for you and you were an expert in political labeling you'd stamp me a Libertarian.
• Although I'd have to ask,"Is there a such thing as a qualified Libertarian?"
• Anybody who doesn't see a bias in the main news outlets toward a liberal political view seems dishonest to me. If I could honestly call myself liberal in my political thinking my response to the accusation would be along the lines of,"Of course it would seem that way if nothing else- we're right."
• A standout example on this subject: recently a guy defended his family against a burglar with a baseball bat- his aluminum ally I remember very well it being called because I simply could not check the news without hearing about one aspect or another of that story. The homeowner broke the burglars jaw and he was found in a storage shed nearby.
• You would have never heard a thing about it from any of those sources if it was a pistol he used- and have to know I'm right.

Thursday's Thoughts

The Timberland SQ2. This is actually the tent when somebody says tent.. The tent covered by a rain fly is below.

It battens down nice and snug and is exceptionally well ventilated

It is an easy 2.5 person tent

especially with the vestibule which is accessible from the interior.

• A couple of days ago I saw a pic on a news browser with a description to the effect, " Fans line up to exchange Rice jerseys". There were hundreds of people. I literally have no idea who Rice is or what he is accused of and I am quite sure I am all the better for that fact.
• Wait, by osmosis I think I have learned he was the one who beat up a girlfriend- right?
• We're watching Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• Party on-dude.

  

  An old video camera which surfaced from the detritus of one of my former lives recently. It was purchased to film me and my buddies machine gun competition performance. A former in law threw the charger way after I left it at her house. When I asked her about it she said, I didn't know what it was, so I threw it away.

  
  

  

  It was noted to be in the bag of recycles in the bed of my my truck.

  
  

  

  Since we were camping as is so often my wont I challenged myself to a thought exercise- to wit: What would we do  if we were stranded on a deserted island with only a dumb, ancient video camera?

  
  

  

  At least we wouldn't go hungry

  
  

  

  and I would feel less sad and bummed out while rockin' my awesome bracelet and you would have somebody to look up to who is accessorized cooler than you.

  
  

  

  We could use this quite powerful lens to look at bugs and stuff. Or yeah, I guess we could start a fire or whatever. Quit shivering you big whiney baby.
• A few days ago as of this writing (09/23/2014) I learned William Tweed embezzled as much as 200 million dollars- in the 1870s. That is bind moggling. I knew Thomas Nast's cartoons were part of his downfall but I also learned their omnipresence led to his identification after he fled and was found working as a seamen on a Spanish ship. He died in jail of pneumonia
• On 08/29/2014 I wrote in my journal of truth justice and the American way: "People oddly get offended when I won't let my children watch a movie the offended party has determined is OK for their children to watch. Just because you feel guilty doesn't mean I have judged you as such."

  

  A great comfort product with at 2.5 ounces a very low weight burden. It is an REI branded inflatable camping pillow. It won't work well in a bag that doesn't have a hood and a pillow pocket type hood is even better but I love it. There are some ideas bouncing around in my head-brain to keep it in one place overnight. Place a dab of Velcro in my sleeping bags and on the pillow might be a solution but I don't know.  Somebody smart tell me what I should do please.

  
  

  

  Big Agnes Double Z-Core mat. Get one yesterday if you camp at all- even if you use a cot. Inflated it is 4 inches thick of awesome. It has a two piece valve that allows inflation without air loss then very rapid deflation when it is time to head back to civilization. Get the wide/long. You'll find it in REIs awesome section.

  
  

  

  I almost always lay everything out as we pack up to head to the casa. Everything gets cleaned and repacked. Trash and dirties are separated and I consider what did and did not get used, what might work better etc. It only hit me on my last trip- it is a holdover from the Army. Interesting.

• Scatter brained or scatterbrained? Oh, according to my spell check it is all one word.
  
  
  
  

  

  In the back seat of my truck. Some things just because you can do them doesn't mean you should- others, because you can- you absolutely must.

• This morning (09/24/2014) on the way to work I tapped my brakes a bit causing the orange in my passenger seat to fly off and shoot forward like it had been shot by a fruit cannon. It's friend the apple I took note remained in place. Later a woman thought it best to pull over into my lane and stop- as quickly as she could. The apple flew forward when I braked. I saw it take off, heard it bounce around and I assumed it turned into applesauce somewhere under the seat. The problem is I can't find it. No, I haven't turned the truck upside down and shook it out- but a good 5 minute search was fruitless.
• Ha- fruitless- get it?!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  In the morning it was slightly bruised looking but not soft in the least. When I got home it looked like this. I blame ebola.

  
  

Wednesdays Digressions

• Been working so much have sort of been neglecting the blog and more or less phoning it in.


• If it's good enough for Deniro and Pacino...


• A lady at a nursing home where I was contracted at who was wheelchair bound and way too young to be thought of as the age for a traditional nursing home patient brought good cofffee to me in the room I was working in when she overheard me griping about the only available coffee being decaf.


• Humbling


• The amount of fruit and fresh vegetables consumed in my house in a week would measure at least several pounds.


• Don't give me too much credit- the Dr Pepper would be at least quarts.


• My baby sons latest thing is to carry a washcloth around for his comfy. Also, when I have set him down to make a cup for him he says,"Uh, uh" and pushes it away and won't take it until he's picked back up- to keep from being tricked into walking around under his own power.


• I'm working extra now for a motorhome- hopefully enough people are still scared of the fuel market I can still make out good on a decent older class C (or A if the miles and price are reasonable enough).


• Really hope to make some good memories.


• Money pit
• I know the picture doesn't follow any of my missives but, holy guacamole Batman- it's a cow that's been struck by lightning, that has to be worth something!