Tuesday's Thoughts

• I get asked for everything from legal, to tax advice to opinions on where to live by my patients: lots of thin ice.


• This morning as a patient walked in she saw me at the front desk. Omigosh, I'm so glad to see you Kevin. I need your help.


• When I came back up front after helping her, the girls did not prance around with one hand on a hip the other to the side of their head saying, Woooo, Kevin I need you...


• You know they totally did.


• While not a rock (or even an oak) more people depend on me in this world than I can others for emotional support and those same people know that about my relationship to the other people in our lives. This makes it hard when I get down in the dumps- people don't know what to do for me and half overreact trying to help and the rest back away from me.


• Two things that should jump out at us about the alledged Quran burning in Afghanistan: First of all- we've been there 10 years and we haven't figure out something like that will get people killed? Secondly, Afghanistan has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world- how many of the rioters/protesters could actually read the book?
  
  
  
  
  
  

Mondays Missives

• File this one under good grief: I can block every single one of those stupid viagra ad emails and they keep coming like a flood after a New Orleans levee break but, my bank account statements go straight to the spam bin after allowing it as an exception.






• People think it's a shame that New Orleans isn't completely rebuilt and blame it on everything from prejudice to simple incompetence. It was ridiculous to allow that city to grow to anything larger than a support system for the port in the first place.






• It sinks at the rate of 3 inches per year.






• Politicians, writers and engineers were calling for its abandonment in the late 1800s.






• My memories of New Orleans: discarded crack pipes and vials 3 inches deep on street corners, constant gunfire, unemployed people staggering around everywhere, dirty, stinky, decay.






• It will wash or blow away again no matter what man does.





• If a person has a strong work ethic I think it will cover a lot of sins and help them do better in life regardless of their perceived personal limitations.





• Until my late 30s I only missed 4 days of work.






• I've never worked in food service at any point in my life except as a dishwasher when I was 12 years old. I would get to work about 6:00 in the evening and work until midnight and walk about 2 miles home. Can you imagine if someone allowed their kid to do that today?





• The old truck stop waitress ladies there took care of me like I was a baby. When I would ask for a cheeseburger and fries for my lunch one of them would say,"Oh no, your not going to eat that junk again." then," Al, fix this boy a chicken fried steak plate and make it a double!"





• I knew a girl who worked at the same McDonalds for 16 years.





• I looked up "rut" in the dictionary- there was her picture.

Sunday's Summary

From a search for, 'Sunday Photos'





• The CI Roller Dude recently got me to thinking about my time amongst our beloved Marine Corp. One memory that jumped out: during a final briefing before roll out on a patrol the Marines we had been told to expect to be there were noticeably absent. Being the highly observant Soldiers we were- we brought this absence to the attention of the patrol leader. "Well, we talked to them about some of our expectations and they brought up some of theirs, so joint patrols are on hold for now." What it boiled down to was each side thought the other would get them killed and/or cause unnecessary civilian casualties. Also, there was a fear basic things like using different lingo would cause a breakdown leading to casualties. In the end we had a great time, did some cool stuff and made some memories.


• A funny memory: The night before an early AM patrol I told a Marine corporal who was quizzing me about what to do and what to bring before his first patrol with us. As I ran my list down with him I said," Bring a coffee cup if you've got it. One of us usually jacks a bunch of donuts and we eat them and drink coffee while we check weapons and get comms up." He laughed- until he realised I was dead serious, then I thought he was going to vomit on me. Really, the color just drained from his face. He knew at that point I was going to be the one that got him killed. He later became my biggest supporter and one of my best Marine friends.


• I may just give my bud my bike. A couple of weeks ago I tried to ride around the block. I ended up pushing it home and had trouble even getting out of bed for days afterward.


• I'm trying a new anti-inflammatory. It helps a little, but oddly for the amount it helps has an onerous rebound affect- if I skip a dose I'm in agony.


• Somebody gave my son a huge set of Biblical action figures. They're cool because it did get us talking about spiritual things and Bible history, but Godfuhgimme- they're lame.


• My office is still terribly stark and plain- it gets compared to a jail cell.


• When fall starts coming on I feel a little bummed. It's like a part of me knows my life is winding down- like summer and the best parts of my life are coming to an end. Oddly, though once winter cranks up- I feel great and I'm OK.


• You spin me right round like a record...

Caturday!

• "Dad, you're squishing me!" what Zac said when I hugged him tonight. Get used to it kid.





• We went to Sunshine Lake earlier. I was surprised at the number of migratory ducks. Generally, you see them predictably as the cold weather descends from up North and yes, at times after cold spurts, but it hasn't been that cold up there.





• We saw one flock of at least 60 birds and heard others taking off in the dark.





• No surprise: an acquaintance's son is who used to pushing crews from Texas in both oil and gas fields- is about to pull his hair out working guys from other states in PA.





• Vietnam In HD- here's your chance to get a handle on the Vietnam War.





• In May of 1968 over 2000 American troops were killed.





• "Cross country skiing is fine- if you live in a small country." Steven Wright

Friday's Dispatch

Since he's not dead he can't really roll over in his grave, but this may be enough to make Jarhead stroke out and die.

• A good feeling: Kevin, we need you up front please. There's a crazy person up here and he's scaring us- a recent phone call from the front office.




• It's waht's for breakfast- Zac wants a peanut butter and jam sandwich with both blackberry and strawberry jam.




• I've had the Psychedelic Furs song Heartbreak Beat playing in my head for days.




• Strangely poetic and moving, but somehow wrong clips of napalm, bombing and rocket runs from aircraft in Vietnam set to beautiful music.

He Said She Said

From a search for "he said she said photos"

The following is the transcript of a conversation between me and my friend.

She: I'm starting a vegan cleanse diet.
Me: That's nice.
She: It cleanses toxins.
Me: That's cool.
She: You think about it, animals are nasty.
Me: Yeah.
She: It cleanses the system.
Me after getting annoyed, starting to break down and allowing myself be drawn into her web of intrigue: You've been spending too much time on the Internet.
She: No, ______ told me about it.
Me: Drink more water, eat less and exercise more. The rest will take care of itself.
She: He's been doing it for years.
Me: Good for him.
She: He's a pretty smart guy.
Me: Whatever- he's not as smart as me.
She: Animals eat their own crap!
Me: Not the ones we eat.
She: It's Not right!
Me: What?
She: To eat animals.
Me: We were made to eat animals dum-dum.
She: How do you know that?
Me: Why else would they be so delicious?

Next Blog Button Foray

Φωνή Βοώντος Αμαρτωλού Ιερέως
"Ιδού έστηκα επί την θύραν και κρούω· εάν τις ακούση της φωνής μου και ανοίξη την θύραν, και εισελεύσομαι προς αυτόν και δειπνήσω μετ΄ αυτού και αυτός μετ΄ εμού"

It's all Greek to me!