Just Some of the Usual Twiddle-Twaddle

I heard a new phrase that I want to use and I know I will forget it so I have to put it here. The phrase is twiddle-twaddle. As far as I can ascertain it means unnecessary or meaningless talk. Kind of like gibberish or jibber-jabber. It might be something like B.S. of poppycock or bologna (or baloney if you prefer). I think twiddle-twaddle is more of a European word/phrase - I heard it on the Showtime series Outlander on the free preview weekend. I know I will have a hard time working that into my every day vernacular; at least I used it in a blog title.

I was off of Facebook all day yesterday; I was not on one time all day or night. I apologize if I slighted anyone or missed a birthday or didn't make my move in Words With Friends in a timely manner. As I am convalescing (or whatever it is that I am doing) I have gotten into some bad habits and have to change my ways a bit so I do not become a couch potato. I can see how that can easily happen. I think, in my case, I had been spending a lot of time feeling sorry for myself and that has come to an end. I imagine it is normal in some cases but, as far as I know for now, I am doing well. Maybe it is just that I am tired of my own company.

Yesterday I did a lot of house cleaning and laundry. I even started taking some of the wallpaper off the walls in the laundry room. I would say that I am about half-way done with that and will finish that when I am done writing this. Tomorrow is one of my two remaining doctors' appointments. I am hoping they will find that I am as fit as a fiddle and I will be cleared to be whatever level of normal I was before this all began. Most of my time has been doing what these medical clinics should be doing for me. I get calls about one clinic not sending the authorizations or test results... to the next clinic and things like that. Why can't they just call one another? One yesterday said, "we received the authorization/referral for treatment but we did not get the test results..." So figgin' call them. You know that I have approved them to speak on my behalf in this regard since they sent the referral. Then, Friday night, is my next (and hopefully last) procedure.

Remember when I told you about my childhood friend Mike D. more than a months ago and how his wife Gerri had been hit by a car and was fighting for her life. I solicited your good thoughts and prayers? While I was off of Facebook yesterday it was posted that she had passed-away. The whole thing sounded a lot like when Jill was in the hospitals in November and December. Based on our happy ending I had a great feeling that Mike and Gerri's story would have a joyful ending too. I am so very sad that it did not. I never knew Gerri but, knowing Mike and his entire family from when we were kids, I guarantee that she was amazing. We always hear why good people die young but none of it makes sense to me. I had better end this here before I anger people with my views on this MATTer. Suffice it to say - good people should live longer than bad people PERIOD! There should be a reward for being good.I think it is all a crap-shoot and the dice can roll any way.

In my quest to feel sorry for myself (with people who actually have had real struggles like Gerri and Jill to deal with) I have decided to eat whatever I wanted. So, I have gained about five pounds of the twelve that I had lost. That will end now too. I am going to call that punishment for being a moron (in so many ways). There is something flawed with my thinking here. You would think that being healthier would make it easier to get well.

I am going to go back to appreciating the small things like, right now, I got to the bottom of my cup of tea and there was that little glob of warm, sweet, runny honey that never mixed in or floated to the top. There are many things like that that I take for granted every day.

Now we know why he left - what a soothsayer 

I am not going to bash the people of Indiana for new anti-gay law. Of course, I think the law, no matter what they say, is prejudice but I hope that most of the people of Indiana know this is outright discrimination and that it is wrong. There are a lot of laws in Illinois that I know to be wrong but I did not vote on them. If I lived in Indiana I would be incensed but what can you do? You cannot sell your house and move to another state. If only it were that simple. I will try to avoid Indiana at all costs and, if I have to drive through, I will make sure I fuel-up before I get there and pack a lunch in Illinois so I don;t have to buy their food there; I will not help their economy in any way. I will not spend one cent of my money in Indiana supporting hatred and intolerance. I have long said that the only prejudice I have is the prejudice of prejudice. I have known many prejudice and racist people over my years but, once I discover that, I am a bit closed from the point of that discovery. That is pretty-much a deal-breaker for me. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop on Indiana. I think this is a good old-fashioned misdirection smoke screen so that whatever they are really trying to be accomplished with be over shadowed by this issue. Maybe I am giving them too much credit, huh? Why do you think Abraham Lincoln left and Illinois is The Land of Lincoln?!

Well, that wallpaper isn't stripping itself. Maybe if I slip them a double sawbuck they would strip for me. Thank you for stopping by. I am sorry if you looked for a blog yesterday and I was not here. Have a great day - it is pretty sunny and fairly warm in my neck of the MIDDLE today. I hope it is nice wherever you are. Please keep Gerri and Mike and their families in your heart today for the next part of their journeys. TTTT (probably) my appointment isn't until the afternoon... MITM (off his rocker) TA!

Real Life or Fantasy?

This IS the real life & this IS just fantasy?

I am so excited that Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno, Ali G., Jean Girard..) has announced that he is going to: write, direct and star in a film about Freddie Mercury. I like most things that Cohen has done and I love Queen and Freddie Mercury. So, I have great hopes and anticipation that this biopic will be great. I have often thought what, according to my taste, were the best rock bands of all time and Queen is always on that list. I also usually include: AC/DC. The Police, The Beatles, The Eagles... It gets a lot more complicated if I think about solo artists. I know music is subjective and these are based on what I like. There are many, many more that I like too but these are my top five I think. At least for right now. It is funny how my musical tastes change from time-to-time based on what is going on in my life. I suppose that is the same for most people. These five have always been fairly constant on my "like" list.. Anyway, I have a lot of hope for this movie. I am slated to play Barry Mitchell in the film - he was the bass player for Queen in 1970. He quit the group after six months when he thought, "...they were going nowhere."  I sure hope I don't wind-up on the cutting-room floor (that was where you would end-up before computers).

Cha Cha and I are watching Outlander on the free Showtime weekend. It is a rainy (with a bit of sleet) lazy Sunday which equals a good day for binge watching. I have been feeling pretty well and I have not had any of my "spells" or whatever scary word you want to attach to them for several days. I think it has been because I have been sleeping at nights and awake in the daylight like a human might. My two doctors' appointments are coming up this week. Cha Cha has a lot of meetings on April Fools Day so she won't be going with me to that appointment.

Are they now "a person that you meet EACH (and every) Day?"

When we went to breakfast this morning I thought I had lost a day or gained a few. As we were driving out of the subdivision there was a United States Postal Service (USPS) truck making rounds in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, she was in the neeeighborhoood. She was not our usual postal carrier so she was "not a people that you meet each day." I had to check with Cha Cha and make sure this was Sunday. We assumed that maybe the USPS had started to deliver packages on Sundays to compete with the likes of Federal Express (FedEx) and United Parcel Service (UPS). I am going to go out to the curb and check the mailbox to see if we got our regular mail on a Sunday. Getting kicked to the curb. BRB! No mail in our mailbox. I wonder what the heck the male mail lady was doing in the mail truck going to mailboxes? Maybe we just didn't get any mail but Cha Cha has a package in the mailbox to go out and it was still in there. Curious!

Speaking of Cha Cha, as I frequently do, she has made some good progress on getting the recording / sound equipment straightened-out in Kajunkles Studio (Dirty Laundry Podcast Studio) so we can begin podcasting again soon. That's exciting to me - doesn't take much.

This Outlander series is kind of a medieval Quantum Leap. No wonder I like it - this has been my life until very recently.

My money is on the Badgers to upset the Wildcats!

Man, the University of Notre Dame / University of Kentucky NCAA basketball game last night was really a good game. College basketball is much more exciting than NBA basketball most of the time. At least on television that is. I have been to quite a few NBA games that were very fun to watch (I saw many back in the day when Jordan and Pippen and the gang played and have seen LeBron and Shaq play in Cleveland) but college players, especially when on the national stage of March Madness, really play basketballs to the walls. These kids are trying to make it to the NBA and they know the entire country is watching. The story of Kentucky going undefeated is almost unbelievable; they are currently 38-0 . They are now in the Final Four so all they have to do is win two more games if my math is correct. Considering that the last final four teams are supposedly the best four they still have their work cut out for them. They face the Wisconsin Badgers next. The Badgers were 35-3 on the season but they have Green Bay Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers rooting for them so they will probably beat the Wildcats. Badgers are supposed to be one of the meanest animals on the planet! I will pick Wisconsin over Kentucky in the next round.

So, there's one of my rare Sunday blogs. I appreciate you stopping-in. If you are in my part of the MIDDLE of America it is too cold and windy and wet to be outside today anyway. I would usually be thinking about sleeping soon but I will sleep later. I seem to be on a good sleep schedule and I think that is helping me in many ways. We will see what happens after April Fools Day. Have a great Sunday and Sunnight. I will blog tomorrow whether I have something to say or not. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

I am Iron Matt (I think I may have used that title before)

Just so everybody was up to speed on what was going on with me, I stopped into work last night. Based on my meeting there I do not think I will ever blog about work again. I sure hope my boss doesn't read the blog because I am so aggravated with her that I could spit! I am not really sure what that phrase means but I remember people used to say when I was a kid when they were really angry. Maybe it has to do with a time when people didn't spit? Of course, I had to check. The saying was shortened from the longer version of people saying that they "could chew iron and spit nails." Now that I read that I do remember, from time to time, people saying "I could spit nails" too. Supposedly, the phrase goes all the way back to when there were a lot of blacksmiths and iron mongers. Anyway, I felt like spitting nails (and I still do) after my meeting. Work stays at work and I will be cordial when I am there but what happens there stays there and what happens here will not be mentioned there. They are separate lives from now on. That is the way it should always be. I have envied people that can compartmentalize the different aspects of their lives and keep work at work and home at home.

You're gonna chew iron and crap nails or eat lightning and crap thunder or something!

IRONic link (because I was going to write about this next thing even before I wrote about iron mongers) - I walked downstairs last night in the MIDDLE of the night. I never turn on the lights - I am not afraid of the dark. Plus, I can see fairly well in the dark. Matt rhymes with cat you know. Actually, I love the dark; I look so much better in complete darkness. I felt just like Tony Stark (or Iron Man) with my little episode monitor or event monitor (not really sure of the proper name) around my neck. In the MIDDLE of the monitor there is a little circle that blinks/flashes a blue light. And, just like T.S., I need this thing to sort of keep me alive. Okay, his keeps the shrapnel out of his heart and mine just reads my whatever-all numbers it reads and sends them up into outer space and back down to someone in a lab who knows more about me than I do. But, that will sort of let them fix me so, it is sort of keeping me alive (and it may be heart-related, who knows?).

I just checked my MyChart because I received an email that there were some new test results there. If you are not familiar with MyChart it is a place where you can see all of your test results and lab work and things of that nature all in one place. As soon as the doctor gets the lab information back you can go there and see what is going on with you. Cha Cha has been using it for years and, now that I am apparently not as healthy as I once was, I am becoming well-versed in it too. Anyway, I am concerned with the information that I read on this new report. That is the bad thing about getting information and being a medical moron (as I am) - it might not mean what you think it means. Yes, that was a Princess Bride homage. Anyway, I will have to investigate this a little more before I comment further. Let's call it a cliffhanger!

Maybe Russian Railways could take some pointers from India?

I feel like doing something unusual today. Oddly. I have nothing specific in mind but I just feel like doing something different. Maybe just typing "cliffhanger" triggered that feeling?! Maybe I should start drinking alcohol again. Perhaps the alcohol was keeping me healthy? Doctors and scientists use alcohol all the time but I would probably not drink the isopropyl variety.

I was reading a report in the Siberian Times (I guess that is kind of unusual) that Russian Railways is proposing a trans-Siberian highway that would connect Russia with Alaska (Sarah Palin was a visionary in addition to being a moron). That means, if they get it done before I croak, I could actually drive from my home here to my birthplace of Heidelberg, Germany. Can you imagine driving from your garage here in the U.S. and A. to Paris or London or Beijing or Venice...? I suppose it would be a much more enjoyable train ride than a car trip which is why it is Russian Railways that is proposing the idea. The world would be a real-life Epcot. I am going to hold onto all of those Euros I have. The project would cost trillions of dollars but, they would make it back in no time.

I think I am going to try to take a shower. I say "try" because this will be the first one since all of these electrodes being attached to my trunk yesterday. I think maybe I will watch the DVD they gave me to go with all of this equipment first to make sure I detach and reattach my monitor electrodes properly. It is not like it is keeping me alive - it is just like an adult baby monitor taking readings rather than listening to me trying to get out of my crib.

This may hurt a scosche 

Thank you for stopping-by. I hope you have a great Saturday and Sunday. I intend to continue to spending some of my convalescing time getting Dirty Laundry Podcast back on track. I just now thought that I think Fabio has one of those very small speakers that he used when he was learning to play guitar many years ago. I wonder if he still has that - that could be a great studio preview speaker. I may blog tomorrow but more likely not until Monday. TTTT (or Monday)...MITM (out) TA!

Matts Are Great Survivors

We are great survivors!

It is 0418 and I think I slept through the entire night (2200ish - 0400) without incident. I have been on a regular human schedule (sleeping nights and being awake during the days) since Monday. I am even more convinced that my issues are related to me not being a nocturnal creature. When I sleep like a human has been conditioned to sleep (when the sun is down) it appears that I am more mentally healthy. Granted, this is just my own independent study and I have about five studies scheduled to either prove or debunk my (Cha Cha's theory) but the evidence is pointing that way. This morning I go and pick-up my event monitor. I am not really sure what that entails but it sounds like something I have to wear for a couple of weeks to see if I am having spells or my heart is beating irregularly... I suppose I will know better at about 0945 when I get to my appointment. Then I see the neurologist on Wednesday (April Fool's Day) and I have the sleep study next Friday (April 3rd). Then I have to see my primary physician again on April 22nd. I bet, after all of these tests and things, that appointment will be moved-up or there will be at least one more added in there. So, tonight I have one more night of regular night sleep and then I switch back to day-time sleep and night-time wake.

I do have some slight fluttering in my chest but I am not concerned about that for some reason. My main concern is that when I return back to the night time up and the day time down tomorrow night I will slip back to where I was. Part of testing theories is jumping in and seeing what happens and that is what tomorrow will bring I think. I fear that I have a slight feeling of mellon collie but I am not sure. Hah, we should have named Jeff Mellon (since he is a Collie) - that would have been funny.

I still do feel a bit tired this morning. I wish I could have a sleep study done to see what that is all about. Maybe, before modern medicine, this is where my body was supposed to have given out and this is where the technology and medical advancements take us past where we we supposed to be done. Just think about where the life expectancy was when out great-great-great grandparents died

Feeling a bit Mellon Collie today

.
Jill had to reschedule her doctor's appointments from this past Thursday and Friday to take care of me. I was supposed to drive her into Chicago for a follow-up from her medical fun in November and December, We should open our own clinic. I am not sure when, or even if yet, she has rescheduled her follow-ups. I would say that this blog has become more of a medical blog than anything else since November.

I can sleep for another hour here and I think I will try. All of this blogging has worn me out. Be back in what will seem like seconds...

It is now 0558 and I did not sleep at all. I should have just kept blogging. When I could not sleep I turned on the television (as I was not going to sleep anyway) and I watched Private Parts (the Howard Stern movie). I have seen it many times but I have always liked the movie. I also was reminded, by channel surfing, that this is the free Starz weekend. It started last last night and is supposed to go until Sunday night. It sounds like most of the major satellite and cable services are part of the free weekend - check your channels. I know they do this to adjust and update their equipment so they have to open things up. They pretend that they are doing it for us to try to get us to see their wares and get us to preview and maybe add their services but they are, like smart business people do, just trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Bottom line, scroll thorough the weekend programming and set your DVR so you have plenty to watch on the days when television offers crap (most of the time).

I catch myself singing, what many people might think an offensive song, to myself quite a bit. It always seems to cheer me up. I mostly recite it and use it as my mantra when I am angry or perturbed. I am going to add a link here but please do not click the link if you are against foul language or are easily offended. It is not gender or racially biased or prejudice in any way (because I am not that way and I would not sing a song, even in my head, like that) it is just naughty words with a few drug references that are legal in many states now. Naughty Song Link Here!

There is one part of my ailment that I still have not discussed on here. It is not a symptom or anything, rather a limitation. Hopefully a temporary one and nothing devastating or anything to be concerned about. Even it it not temporary it would not be terrible - just a bit habit changing, No, I am not going to become a nun). I will probably talk about it here on Sunday (if I blog on Sunday as I usually do not) or Monday.

I am gonna wrap-up and get ready for my journey to the big city of Aurora to get my event monitor. That sounds so exciting doesn't it? I am tired now - I wish this was the sleep study day. Have a great Friday and Frinight. Thank you for stopping by. I am fairly certain I will blog tomorrow. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Am I Narcoleptic Matty?

Hypocrite's Oath is more like it!

It is 0202 and I am fast awake (I have always felt that if you could be fast asleep you should also be able to be fast awake). Unfortunately, I do not know much more abut my malady than I knew the last time I blogged. Cha Cha drove me to my neurologist appointment and there was no room for Baby Cheez-Its at the Inn. We went in and went to the desk. One of the five ladies behind the counter asked if she could see my I.D. and my insurance card so she could make copies. I happily gave her both. She looked at my Cigna Card (my insurance) and said something like, "I am sorry, we cannot take this insurance." I was dumbfounded. She went on to tell me that they do not accept the State of Illinois insurance cards. I should have pretended to pass-out or something and to see how their Hippocratic Oath worked. They had then appointment from my primary care physician but, when I (Cha Cha) drove 30 minutes to my appointment, they said they would not accept my insurance but I could pay for the procedure out-of-pocket if I wished. We asked how much it would be and were told roughly $500. Why in the Helser would I do that when I pay for the insurance out of my bi-weekly pay checks?! I, rarely afraid of a bit of a confrontation when I feel there is wrong-doing, asked why they did not accept the State of Illinois' insurance? I did not expect an answer but, nothing ventured nothing gained and another lady behind the counter said that it was because the State of Illinois takes too long to pay their bills.They pay but they just take a really long time. So, we left and while Rochester drove me around I made some calls and found a place that would accept my insurance but I have to wait until April Fool's Day (April 1st) to see what is wrong with me. It seems more fitting that I see a neurologist on April Fools Day anyway. I cannot believe that any doctor who is committed to helping people and WHO IS GUARANTEED PAYMENT (even if slowly) would turn any patient away. I still am flabbergasted by this. When I called Cigna to find a list of neurologists in the area that would accept my insurance this was one of the places where they told me I could go. When I told the voice on the phone what had just happened she paused and said, "I could call them but we cannot make them accept your insurance."  If you work for a news agency or are investigating medical injustice and are looking for a person willing to go on the record for a story on something like this I will be happy to speak with you with the details of why Hippocrates is rolling over in his grave. I think my problem is that I believe too much in a fictitious society where people care about one another. I think some of those places may exist and one of them is called Canada.

As long as I am belly-aching about insurance I have to tell you about another thing that is going-on right now that irritates me a bit. I believe it was last May (so, nearly a year ago) we had a terrible storm here in my neck of the MIDDLEwest. From inside our home it sounded like someone was throwing hundreds of good-sized stones at the house. Looking out the window I could see pieces of hail (rocks of ice) the size of a golf balls bouncing in the yard as they hit the ground. The storm passed, of course, and I went outside and saw no visible damage to the house. So, nearly a year later, I see many many people in our neighborhood getting new roofs (shingles, fascia, soffit and such) put on their homes. They must have gotten hit worse than us. All of a sudden all of the door-to-door sharks started to fill the water - smelling blood (insurance money). We have had at least five people come to our door unsolicited. We did receive one referral from one of our neighbors and we just recently had a quote from that referral. We were told that there was very minimal damage but, if we wanted to contact our insurance company they could meet with them. They went on to discuss maintaining the value of our home or something like that. I know many people must have gotten it worse than us but I am not going to be part of my insurance rates going up to get a new $10,000 roof when I do not need one. Maybe I am an idiot? We had the same thing happen with all of the hospital bills from Cha Cha's couple of months in the hospitals. That one, however, we may start to have second-thoughts on since the procedure that never should have been performed and cause all of the other problems is still causing havoc in the form of bills and things. If you cause the problem I feel you are responsible for fixing the problem!

They have their nerve saying this needs to be fixed - rub a little dirt on it sissy!

I sure do seem grumpy this morning don't I? I assure you that I am not grumpy. I am just a bit irritated at some of these systems and industries that pretend like they are doing good things for you and I when, in fact, everything they do is for the good of them at the eventual detriment to you and I.

It is 0328 now and I think I will try to go back to sleep now for a bit before I finish this blog. Blogging helps calm my soul I think (if I actually have one). Oh yeah, I want to thank the so many of you who have reached-out to me privately (and some more publicly) offering your help, love and/or advise... for whatever is ailing me. People from: schools from long ago (high school, college...), Fox Valley Raiders, work, neighbors... I really appreciate you!! I have not contacted anybody in this regard because I know you all have your own problems and situations, as we all do. The hypocrite that I am would offer you the same and wonder why you didn't take me up on my help which is why I address it here. I know you are sincere in your offers and love but I have always been one who does not like to burden others with my baggage (I try to check it at the curb) - we all have our own things to lug around with us (that's why they call it luggage). Feel good that I don't come to you as that is usually when I am at my wit's end. I do, so very much, appreciate you being there and wanting to offer me some sort of ease. Just know that I am good for now and I will let you know if and when I am not. It is at times like this, and I have said it before here, that I feel a lot like George Bailey.

They say seizures I say too much brain power! 

Okay, now on to my nap or whatever this shall be called at 4 in the morning!

Fast forward to 1029 (now). I have been working on setting appointments and trying to figure out everything that I have scheduled and everything that needs to be scheduled and trying to schedule.

Okay, now it is 1131 and I have everything scheduled. I have the neurologist appointment on April 1 and the sleep disorder study on April 3. I am about 90% certain that almost all of my issues are related to my poor sleeping. I am not sure if I mentioned it but the doctor's office said they are 96% sure that I have been having some kind of seizures. That is what the neurologist is supposed to determine. I have not mentioned "seizures" because that is a scary word and, until I find out that is what I have been having, I didn't want to cause undue worry. I think I am falling into a light sleep and starting to dream (that is Cha Cha's theory and I think she is correct). That might explain the seeing television shows from when I was a kid (seeing the shows like I am in them). It might also explain the ONE TIME that I passed-out - I literally fell asleep on my feet. I am just wound too tightly and my brain never slows down.

Oh yeah, the lab at the doctor's office called too and my "labs" all came back clear. "Labs" refers to my blood and urine analysis. I think that would rule out many things like: diabetes, urinary tract infections, kidney problems, pregnancy, bladder infections, parasites... So, I am happy that those came back good. I am confident that when they check my brain they will find nothing there too (I know that is an old joke but it has been one of my favorites since I was a kid and, I am old).

No wonder it only takes me 15 minutes to get to Chicago

There is one other thing that I have not mentioned here but I will save that until after the neurologist gives me his report. It is not that big of a deal but, without the full understanding of what is going on, it might seem like a bigger deal than it is. Sometimes precautionary measures alarm people more than they should.

Okay, I have to put together a pantry shelf/cabinet for Cha Cha. It is not busy work, as you might imagine, it was planned before I became Narcoleptic Matty.  

Thank you for stopping by and for caring. Don't worry, it truly is not that big of a deal. Whatever comes I will kick it's butt. It will be awesome when I get a prescription for a new hammock and a sleeping machine and some sleeping pills and orders to take naps because it is only that I am a vampire and rarely sleep. Funny how, when we are in kindergarten, we hate naps and later in the MIDDLE and beyond part of life, we dream of them. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Carpe Di Blog!

Nor do people 

So, yesterday's doctor's appointment was interesting. I have never had a doctor have tears in her eyes and ask if I wanted her to tell me the news or wanted to wait until tomorrow and have the neurologist tell me. I am a "let's rip the Band-Aid off the hairy chest so we can heal" kind of guy so I got the news. Actually, she did that two separate times with two sets of bad news. The news was not bad as I had anticipated based on her set-ups. Maybe that was her tricky tactic? I am not going to go into great detail about what was discussed as many things are still being checked. I do know that I know my body very well and there is no expiration date anywhere visible so I don't plan to be cashing my chips in any time soon. Today at 1300 I will be visiting the neurologist and maybe I will know more after that. My guess is that he will find nothing (yes, that was an "I have no brain" joke). It seems that this is the "what comes around goes around" part of my partnership with Cha Cha. I am glad I was so supportive with her maladies at the end of 2014. I will admit that I am a bit nervous and trepidatious but whatever happens is meant to happen. There are a few more things I have to do after the neurologist too but those will probably have to be next week. It will probably be a busy couple of weeks in my world.

I may start living life like there is tomorrow a bit more. Please do not read into that if it occurs because I know tomorrow will be here and I will probably be part of it. I am not going to rob a bank or anything like that but I might eat more cake and cookies or quit being nice to jerky people. I am a kind person by nature (and nurture) so I will probably still be tolerant of jack-asses but I may think more bad thoughts about them. I may also make more wise-cracks  - if that is possible. If you cannot entertain yourself what good are you to yourself? There are some changes I really do need to make. Ha, Bye Bye Miss American Pie just came on Pandora (the Cat Stevens station). I am not sure why I find that amusing but I do. Lately, I have been listening to the AC/DC, Pink and Black Eyed Peas stations mostly.

According to this film The Cubs are supposed to win The Series this year - gotta love fantasy

I kind of scammed you because I am writing these first three paragraphs last night (Tuesday). That is something I learned in all of those years writing for newspapers and magazines and television and radio and such. Just know that I will re-read them tomorrow (today now) to make sure my sentiments are still the same as they were when I wrote these thoughts last night.

It is 0703 now on Wednesday. I think I slept pretty well (with the assistance of a sleep-aid). I am super-duper-hyper aware of my body right now and don't know what is just indigestion and what may be something else. I know I had another small whatever this morning. This one started in my sternum so maybe it was just heartburn? I don't want to continue to talk about just this but, obviously, it is at the center of my brain and I am too addle-minded to mentally multi-task.

One of my favorite films is on HBO right now - Dances With Wolves. I even remember where I saw it and the circumstances behind me going to the now vanished St. Charles Mall to see it alone. This is easily in my top ten films of all time. I should make a definitive list in case my mind totally goes. I think I may own most, if not all, of my faves on video. Master and Commander: Far Side of the World, Gladiator, Dances with Wolves, Schindler's List, The Silence of the Lambs, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, The Godfather, Amadeus, To Kill a Mockingbird. Wow, that is nine films right there without even thinking (which makes me qualified). There may be some serious competition for the tenth spot. I really like The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger was amazing in that). If my mind does go I will be able to enjoy them for the first time all over again.

When I go see the neurologist later today I am going to stop at Best Buy and see about getting a few more things (studio mic and preview speakers) for the studio so we can get this damned podcast going again. It is so frustrating to be this close and not being able to record.

I am so very sick and tired of all of the politics on television, the radio, the interweb... I do not even listen. Politicians have always been liars but now they don't (or can't with the media as they are) hide it. A great percentage of politicians are bald-faced liars (I am not sure why most people say bold-faced but I believe that is incorrect). Both sides lie and it seems to be acceptable. It used to be car salesman had the number one reputation for fibs but politicians have passed them up by a lot. I just researched and bold-faced and bald-faced are both acceptable but bald-faced was the original phrase way back in the 1600s because almost every man had a beard in those days and it was quite daring (even audacious) to be clean-shaven.

I have to get a few things done before I go to see the neurologist. Ironically, I just has another "episode."  I had one at 0622 and now at 0810. Maybe I should track the times in a notebook to see how frequent they actually occur. I am starting to think that I am broken beyond repair. I will go see all of these specialists and see what they know. I think I might go lie down again for awhile. My neurology appointment is at 1300 so I have some time. I am feared that this is something that I will have to deal with the rest of my life though medication, being as it is these days, seems to be able to treat just about anything. I am sorry to be a broken record but I write what is on my mind and, of course, this is on my mind most of the time right now. Hopefully soon I will be a fixed record.

Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate you more than you can know. I am pretty sure I will blog again tomorrow and maybe I will have more news about what is going on with me to babble about. Maybe I am being cursed because I didn't always clean my plate when I was a kid - I was warned that this might happen. Have a great whatever day this is (Wednesday as it turns out). TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Being Crazy is Not that Scary After All

It was difficult to find a photo of him with that hat on

So, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I guess I passed-out here at home about an hour ago. I do not remember doing it but I do have a sore spot on my head where she said I hit the bookshelf on my way down like a ton of bricks or a sack of potatoes or whatever - I cannot say how I went down because I apparently blacked-out. I am not sure how long you have been reading this blog (some of you a very long time and some of you started more recently - when Cha Cha was in the hospitalS over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays). Anyway, I have had this weird thing going on where I start to have these out-of-body experiences. I cannot pin the "episodes" to any specific stimuli or events that cause these occurrences. In short, I start to get a weird feeling in my chest and then a tingling in my nose and then my head gets fuzzy and I jump into the minds / looking out through the eyes of a famous person (usually someone from my childhood. The ones that come to mind are Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster from The Minsters), Micky (yes, that is how he spells his "Micky") Dolenz (Micky of The Monkees - of course I would be the drummer), Brandon Cruz (Eddie Corbett from The Courtship of Eddie's Father) and the like. Yesterday I was looking out the eyes of H.R. Pufnstuf, specifically when he was wearing a cowboy hat and white cowboy boots (I think he always wore those boots though). He really is my "friend when things get tough." I have likened the leaps to Quantum Leap - maybe there is a television series or a book in this? Too bad I will be bananas or crackers or another food that means crazy so I won't be able to enjoy it. I have always kind of enjoyed the little journeys but, if I am going to pass-out, that may be a hindrance in life. I swear there was a television show about someone who would jump into other television shows. Maybe I am thinking of the film Pleasantville?

I am sitting down at the dining room table eating a tuna sandwich ("too much tuna") talking to you and I heard Jill up in her office talking on the phone saying, "yeah, he's been having these (and then the door closed and I hear muffled talking about me up there). I know it is about me (duh) and I am not sure if it is to the doctor or it's an interview with the National Enquirer or what. Jill seems to think it is lack-of-sleep related. She thinks I am falling instantly into a dream-state even though I rarely remember dreams. I wonder if I can parlay this into pity-sex? I must admit that I am a bit concerned. I am Always Looking on the Bright Side of Life . That song (the red link there) always makes me smile. I would like that played at my funeral. I would say that is one my last wishes but I am not sure if it is legal if I am not "of sound mind."

Jill and Fabio are really nervous - I can tell. That bothers me more than anything. Everybody has to die of something - at least I get to star in television shows while I go out. I wonder how I make the jump to the big screen!? Okay, enough about be losing my mind or dying or not getting enough sleep or whatever is happening to me.

Jill just read to me all of the things that it could be - Thanks Internet! Okay, and now for something completely different.

We still have not been able to figure out how to get the new Yamaha mixing board to work for our podcasting purposes. I think we need to get a few more things hooked-up to the board (in-studio preview speakers and/or headphones...) to make it work. I am not in the mood to work on that today. I really do want to get the show back on track. Maybe I could jump into the mind of Paul Shaffer or Phil Specter or Brian Wilson or Quincy Jones or some great producer. When I am of "sound" mind again I can get it going. That is assuming I was ever of sound mind.

I think I am going to stop because I cannot seem to focus on anything else other than what I have been blogging about today so far. Don;t worry about me - I am not in any pain or discomfort or anything. Up until this time, when I passed-out or blacked-out, I have rather enjoined my Dissociative or Depersonalization Disorder (that is what I think this truly is thanks to Adam Duritz from Counting Crows). I took off of work tonight and will return tomorrow night depending on what the doctor says tomorrow. I bet there will be medicine or a sleep study or something involved. I am obsessed with this now so I need to stop.

Have a great rest of your day - enjoy the nice Spring snow in the MIDDLEwest if you're in my part of the sticks. Please do not worry about me. I wanted to write about this in case I don't remember it someday and someone tells me about it and I think they are making it up. They can have me come here and read it in my own words. Thanks for making me feel better by you just being here. I will be able to blog tomorrow. I think I may take a sleep aid tonight and see if that help. Maybe this is just old age creeping in? TTTT...MITH (out) TA!

I Live in Such a High Tech Town

At least I wear a little something

I hope all that talk about first impressions is bunk. While walking out of the garage this morning with the few straggling bags of garbage while wearing my very old maroon draw-string sweatpants and the over-sized, stained, Babe Ruth T-shirt I bought at the old Yankee Stadium many years ago and my University of Illinois Croc's that look so old that maybe Babe Ruth himself had worn them adorning my feet I met the new neighbor. I also had not combed my hair and went without my usual baseball hat to hide the askewed hair. She was walking into her new house and I said "good morning" and she responded in kind. I then asked the fairly obvious question (because simultaneously I noticed the "sold" sign was no longer in the yard) - "are you our new neighbor?" Which she replied, "yes, I am." I then said."welcome" and she said "thank you." She then, looking at the basketball hoop and the menagerie of basketballs adorning our front yard said, "you have a basketball player!" I said "yes we do, do you have one too?" To which she said "my grandson but he is only eight." I said "my son is 18 but I am sure he would love to play basketball with your grandson." I did not mention that my son is well over six feet tall - that will be a surprise. So, I welcomed her to the neighborhood and inadvertently taught her which day of the week is garbage day and that I am not really hung-up on appearances. She pretty much knows everything she needs to know about me and life in a cul-de-sac.

I spent most of the day running around the city of Rockford looking at what was available for mixing boards and microphones. I eventually made the decision and purchase. I have been reading manuals and playing with the equipment but have not been having very much luck. I can see why sound engineers make so much money. I thought I would take a break and then go back with a fresh mind and maybe figure it out. Cha Cha will be home soon too and she is far more techy than I am (or is it techer?). I am looking forward to doing the show but I want to do it right.

The Jeep Patriot is an awesome car to travel in (I look it to Rockford as you might imagine). The technology in there is awesome. I used the GPS on the screen in the console to navigate around to where I was going. I played Pandora through my phone while charging the phone as well. I listened to the Pink "station" on the way up and around the city and played AC/DC on the way back. I may have mentioned it before but Pink is so much better when she can leave the curse words in her songs. It makes it seem more angry and edgy. I wish I could find a Mel Gibson to wear while I am driving around in The Patriot.

On the way to Rockford there was a copicer (I think I picked that up for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) with his lights going coming my way behind three cars who were not pulling over. I pulled over, as we are supposed to do) and, as he passed me going east while I was pulled-over on the side of the road facing west, he waved at me. It was like a thank-you wave. It is nice to be thanked sometimes even when you are just doing what you are supposed to do. It seems that the copicers in Malta are pretty appreciative.

It is now 2011 (time not year) and it does not look like we are going to record the new show tonight. We are going to record it, one way or another, in the morning, Cha Cha looked at the new stuff a bit and then we went out for dinner and now we are both tired. We went to dinner at Twin's Tavern her in town. Dinner was pretty crappy and then, when we got the bill, it was hand written on a little piece of paper like one of the ones from the little tiny notebook I carry with me wherever I go. Though you know I tell the truth 94.6% of the time here I took a photo so you would believe me. I always think about you. I felt like taking out my little pad and drawing some dead President's faces on the papers and giving them to her as payment. I think 108 must have been our table number maybe? I do not think we will go back there again.

I am going to go back down to the studio and see if I can figure this technology out. I am pretty tired so I do not have much faith in the outcome. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Maybe we should get someone to be our Engineer or something.

Okay, enough. Thank you for stopping by. Sorry I am posting this so late but that's life in fast-paced, slam-bam, live on the razor's edge, laugh in the face of death world of blogging. I started this several hours ago but I am a really, really, really slow typist. Maybe I should start writing the blog on little pieces of paper and just posting photos of my notes? Have a great night and tomorrow. I will let you know when the show is ready. IT WILL BE READY! You can always check the Dirty Laundry Podcast Facebook page too. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Back into the Studio Soon?

I wish that was our backyard

Yesterday I saw Jeff do something that I thought was only a myth. I gave him a pipe bone and he took it out in the backyard (no myth so far). About a half-hour later I looked out the window and he was digging under the apple tree (I cannot tell a lie but it was not a cherry tree). He had the bone in his mouth so I assumed he was digging to bury it. Eventually he dropped the bone into the hole he had manufactured and then used his nose/snout to push dirt and leaves to fill the hole. It must he instinctual because he has never seen this before. I cannot say that because I don;t know what kinds of shows he watches when we aren't around. The neighbor told me that his dogs (three Great Danes, two Irish Setters and another big yellow/tan one - maybe a Lab) had a bunch of Jeff's bones in their yard. I guess necessity is the doggie of invention and Jeff wants to keep some of his bones.

I am always surprised to find out who reads this blog. Cha Cha tells me that a lot of people at her work still read the blog (I think they got addicted when I was doing the daily updates on her health issues at the end of 2014) and I know some of the people where I spend my nights (Saturday through Wednesday) read it too. I am really humbled by you reading what nonsense comes from my melon and out of my hunt-and-pecking fingers. I know I almost always thank you for being here and I do always mean it. I love to write and I am not sure if I would if I were not reaching people. If nobody read the blog I guess I could just keep the thoughts in my head and continue to entertain myself. Than you also for forgiving all of my typos in my haste to get the blog published.

I guess Jill and I are heading back to Northwestern Hospital on Thursday (a week from today). I had forgotten that she has another "procedure" that day. I need to put in for a night off on Wednesday because getting off at 0600 Thursday and heading to Chicago at 0900 would probably be a dangerous proposition. The procedure will make it so she cannot drive after the procedure. I think the prep before we leave home for the hospital will do the same a bit. They are basically going to go in and make sure everything is working the way it is supposed to work. I think they will find that she is doing very well. Since I have known her (for the past 33 years) this is as healthy as I have remembered her. At the beginning, when we first started dating, she was not sick too often but it gradually got more frequent (I still think I may be the cause because everything is about me). It has been very nice to have her healthier; she is much happier too. We talked about going in the night before but that seems senseless since she will be on a limited (basically nothing) diet the night before and why go to Chicago if you cannot enjoy dinner out?

At least his haircut is one of his trademarks - I have no excuse

I guess quite a few people are asking Cha Cha when we are going to record another load of Dirty Laundry Podcast too. That being said I WILL head to Rockford in the morning and buy the new mixing board that we need to go to the next level and we WILL record a new show tomorrow night. I will TRY to have it edited and up on Saturday. I know there are a lot of IFS and TRYS implied in those last few sentences but I am not sure what the learning curve will be on the new mixing board. Worst case, I guess we can do it the old fashioned way for the time being. We really do enjoy doing the show and we both do miss it too. Thanks for putting the fire under our seats to get back into the studio. Hey, if you want to be a guest on the show sometime let us know. We have made a big star out of Emo Philips (among other people) and maybe we could do the same for you. We have also made friends with some really great people through the show. Relationships, to me, are what everything in life is about. I am a person people (strike that, reverse it).

Now I have started making a list of people to contact to be guests on the show.

We are thinking about changing our sliding door out onto the patio from The Tiki Room into french doors so we are going to go french door shopping tonight. I bet that is the first time you've ever heard that sentence. I think, when we have those doors / door installed we are also going to have them cut a door into the back of the garage so we can get into the garage from the patio. Now that the backyard is entirely fenced-in it would be a lot easier than dealing with one of the gates all the time. I am already picturing potential issues. The door to the patio would have to have a lock on it so people couldn't get into the garage. I see us leaving the door open and the garage door being open and Jeff escaping. I think he likes it here but I can tell he wants to run free too. He is a lot like me - he is nosy and knows he is missing something.

There's our great backyard view again!

I guess there is a solar eclipse tomorrow. If I see it I am going to look directly at it - I am a rebel that way. I think all of that "don't look directly at it" is a bunch of bunk. I remember being a kid and making something out of toilet paper rolls and tin foil and pipe cleaners or something and seeing nothing. Maybe is I look at it through my phone camera that would be okay? I will have to research it because I don't think I want to be blind. If I did want to be blind I can think of funner ways to get there than to star at the moon passing in front of the sun. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Time for me to fly. Thank you for humoring me with your presence. I hope to blog again tomorrow but I am not 100% with the going west to get the new mixer (and probably a new pair of tactical britches) and then playing with the mixer, coming up with Dirty Laundry ideas, recording the show, maybe start editing the show and getting it uploaded I may be pressed for time. I promise I will blog at least tomorrow or Saturday for sure. I am seriously contemplating a nap right now though. TTTT (or Saturday)...MITM (out) TA!

P.S. My DVR is Trying To Kill Me!

It was a bit warmer and he didn't even have his coat on at night

This week seems like it has been eleventeen days long; I have been dealing with something that resembles a cold. The weather has been coming in like a lion and going out like a mouse and then going back out like a lion and in like a mouse and then turning into a mouse with a lion's body and then an inside-out lion sprinkled with mouse droppings... In summation, the weather, though much better than a month ago, still kind of stinks and I am blaming it for me teetering between illness and wellness.

I am very happy that the deer are out from hibernation or whatever they were doing as I do not believe deer hibernate. I think they just sleep longer and stay closer to their homes because food is not as plentiful in these bad winters and they have to conserve their energies because of this. Anyway, the other night I saw an animal that I have not seen around here. I saw an otter crossing the street. I think he crossed to get to the other side just as a chicken might. I may not have thought he was an otter but he had that otter wiggle that they have. Also, he looked just like an otter.

I am so delighted that tonight is my Friday. I think I may mucho take it easy and try to feel better after tonight. If that were a thing I could bet on it in  Las Vegas I would fly out and bet everything I had on me not doing that though. And, by flying out to Vegas, I would win the bet because flying out and being in Vegas would mean that I was already not doing that.

He even thinks he is a Chihuahua when he drinks 

A couple of days ago I wrote about how I was going to put some sand down the fence line where the swale drains the rain water and such to the storm drain where is eventually works it's way (via the storm sewers) to the retention pond at the front of our subdivision which leads to the creek and works it's way to the Kishwaukee River and then to a larger river and then to the Mississippi River and then down to the Gulf of Mexico where it spills into the ocean and then evaporates and then rains back here again later. See, I am just wasting my time. So, I got the fabric and 15 bags of sand two days ago and it was not enough. Yesterday, I got another 15 bags of sand and filled-in all of the bare-ish spots of mud and mush. Turns out that it works great so far. Jeff is coming in the house 100% mud free. The fence is a bit from the house so he shakes off all of the sand during his walk back to the house before he gets inside and we are 100% carpet free on the main level of the house so sand could be easily swept-up if he did bring some hitchhikers along. I am concerned that, if and when we get a heavy rain, a lot of the sand will make it's way to the Gulf of Mexico too. I always wondered where those sandy beaches came from and I never 100% believed that sand was crushed shells and stuff. It is from morons like me sending it down the Kishwaukee River postage paid. So, $150 and my back killing me later, we are at least mud-free for now. Jeff even likes lying in the sand because I think it is warm though I am getting tired of picking up his empty margarita glasses - I need to get him that opposable thumb transplant that he has been asking for. Seriously? "Opposable" is not a word either Spell-Check? I think you just think that because you have OPPOSABLE thumb envy! I may move the Adirondack chairs over there to the sand for Jeff.

I have been watching The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst on HBO. It is weird because I am on part six (the final part) and, while I am half-way through that series I heard he got arrested for murder. The series is about an extremely rich dude who thinks he can do whatever he wants to do. and he has been suspected and investigated for several murders over the years but he comes out fairly unscathed. There is a scene (and they had the security camera footage) where he stole a sandwich from a store just because he wanted to. He reminds me of several people that I have worked for in the past in that he doesn't care about anybody and he thinks he can do anything and get away with it because so many people let him. He is a little weasly guy that has a nervous tick or twitch (I believe if they studied that alone they would find a pattern) with eyes that are so dark that it looks like he has only whites and pupils (maybe because he is a rotten egg). I have no question that he has killed people just for the very reason that he stole that hoagie - because he could get away with it and he has so much money that he has to do stuff like that to get his thrills because the things that money can buy don;t do it for him. Anyway, it is a good show if you are into weirdos (and you read this blog so you have demonstrated a pattern) and the human psyche as I am. That probably comes from me hanging around the freak shows at the Illinois State Fair when we would go down there every year to perform with the Fox Valley Raiders.

I have to get dressed and get some other things done around here so I can spend my weekend starting tomorrow hanging with Jeff over by the 16" X 40' stretch of sand on our border. If you feel like dipping your toes in the sand come on over. Jeff and I are always looking for company. Thanks for stopping by; I always appreciate you. Maybe I will even blog from our beach tomorrow. TTTT...MITH (out) TA!

P.S. I think my DVR is recording things on its own to screw with me. Roseanne? Will & Grace? I am old and senile DVR - don;t make me investigate and prosecute JUST STOP IT!!!!!

Why Can't I Just Be a Whore?

Top of the blog to ya! Since it is St. Patrick's Day and I have McGuire and O'Reilly blood in me (both on me wee mother's side) I feel I have to at least start the blog sounding Irish (or at least as we racist Americans think Irish sounds). It's okay, I can do it because I am Irish.

Remember I told you that I got retweets from Dan Levy (Eugene's boy) and the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) regarding my tweet about Schitt's Creek? Yesterday I received a message from Emily Heckelman who is an Associate Producer from HuffPostLive asking if I wanted to ask Eugene Levy a question about the show live on their show today. I did not take them up on the offer just like I turned down the interview with that French reporter who wanted to do with me about Bob Odenkirk and Better Call Saul. I am pretty sure these may be opportunities knocking (probably not, really) and I am not answering the door. I guess I am not the media whore I always thought I would be. Why did I go to school for mass media for all those years if I wasn't going to take these chances? I know these things would probably not lead to anything but many people have thought that before who are now media moguls I am certain. Why couldn't I be more like Kevin Smith and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch in this arena? It is fitting that all of weeee Irish are all media whores on this fine day. I think most, if not all, of them have a bit o' Irish in them. I will be thinking about that all day and night now. Why can't I just be a whore like I was meant to be?

The part of my week where I am not sleeping or watching television or shopping or working in the yard or cleaning the kitchen or spending with my family or eating... is really dragging-on this week. I really wish one of those Power Ball tickets would have matched all of the numbers. Yes, I did check them last week and I donated to someone else. I just wrote something very somber and depressing and then back-spaced to get rid of it. I have to say that I do feel better that I had power of my creation and could destroy the evil before it was exposed to man and womankind. I need to use more of that restraint more in my life. Sometimes I just have to get things off of my chest so I can move-on.

I have a tremendous pain in my Trapezius or Rhomboid Major or Infraspinatus muscle on my right side. I have had it for a week.weak back (yes, it is true and apropo) but I think it may have been exacerbated by lugging sand bags yesterday. I have to lug more today as 15 bags were not enough to keep Jeff's feet from getting so muddy though he has not gotten muddy yet today so I know it is a great start. I am thinking about ten more bags in about 45 minutes.

All of a sudden I am in a rotten mood (I have NEVER claimed that I am not moody). I should probably end now before I blog something I may regret. Actually, I am not sure that would ever happen. Thank you for being here. I am going top put my muddy clothes back on and finish the backyard before I have to do something else this evening after sleeping again. Maybe I will find that pot of gold in the back yard in a bit. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

When You Wish Upon a Blog!

What is the deal with all of the parents over-indulging their kids television shows? There are kids playing football shows and go-cart racing shows...There is a show called Pint-Sized Preacher about a child evangelist. I cannot think of anything more annoying. Of course that one is on the National Graphic Channel (Nat Geo) - makes sense. There are child psychics and Little Miss Perfect and Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras... I sure wonder why the rest of the world thinks were a bunch of morons. Did the grown-ups get tired of embarrassing themselves so they thought their kids would like to be ill-adjusted before they even get to adulthood? I am sure it is all about the money. It really bothers me even more that these shows are on channels that sound like they are for worth-while things like nature and ecology... I would say that borders on predatory.

Spring is almost here. The two ways I can tell are firstly, I saw my first robin. Granted he (I am not sure he/she was a he or a she because robins all have the red breasts - equality in the bird kingdom) was sitting in the MIDDLE of the road at 0212 this morning (yes, it was so momentous that I wrote down the exact time). I cannot believe I saw him/her quickly enough to safely slow down enough for him/her to fly away but I bet there was that little white spot of bird poop in its birdie pants. And, the second sign of Spring is, now that the snow is mostly gone the fuel prices are up another ten cents per gallon. The kids needed to drive back to school after Spring Break and soon people will be taking their summer vacations so we are right for the raping again. Maybe that robin was trying to commit suicide because he/she is broke after driving his/her family back into town. Maybe he/she was drunk - it is St. Patrick's Day Eve. Maybe he/she looked in a window of a house and saw people watching a child-based reality show on The Nature Channel or something.

I am not sure if it was around the same time as the robin incident last night but I heard something on else (on the radio) that I found odd. It is easy for me to see and hear odd things because I am fairly odd and if anything is odder that me I am pretty comfortable in saying that it is odd. Anyway, the guy on the radio (and this is the station in town that says "today's best music") said "coming up in about eleven minute I'll be playing some Human League." I liked The Human League well enough back in the early-to-mid eighties but is that a selling point for me to stick around in 2015? So, more than eleven minutes later (liar though I guess "about" did give him unlimited leeway) he played (Keep Feeling) Fascination. I guess that was enough of a selling-point. I am a button-pusher though and am sure I left and came back. Incidentally, if your looking for some buttons, I can hook you up.

Because of the blog and me mentioning all of the live-action Walt Disney films coming out Cinderella was number one at the box-office this past week. I love that I have that kind of pull and power in the industry and with society. How come we haven't seen Cinderfella on television with this new movie at the theaters? There are so many channels now that maybe it was on the NASA Television channel or something. Back in the day, when we had three networks and maybe two UHF stations, this is the kind of poor-matt's live-action Disney movies we got - Cinderfella!

I do remember being young (yes, I have a very LONG memory) and my mom taking me and my brother and my cousins Carrie and Michelle to see the Walt Disney movies when the came to the Coronado Theater in Rockford. I suppose that was long enough ago that some of them may have been the first times they were in theaters but I suspect most of them we re-released to theaters because we didn't have VCR's or Netflix or premium channels (or even good reception of the few stations we did have). I think I saw every Disney film ever made back then. I loved The Jungle Book, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Song of the South the best even though I didn't know "dwarves" was a word until I was in junior high school. Maybe it isn't? Thanks O'Disney!

I talked about Disney and I forgot to mention that I saw that the Bambis are back out again too. With the snow gone I saw several deer last night. They had been hibernating or, at the very least, lying low with all of the cold and white grounds. They always make me happy to see.

This will be Jeff in about five hours

I have to get dressed and get over to Menard's or Lowe's and get some sand and that clothy stuff you put under sand so it doesn't get squished into the ground and become muddy sand. Jeff has made the entire area up and down the fence line between our yard and where his girlfriend lives total mud. Speaking of Disney - her name is Simba. I think this will be cheaper than our water bill from hosing him off every time he comes back in the house until winter again. He is a good, very smart and loving dog so he is worth it - damn it!  I need to get Jeff to walk on grapes and sell the Jeff wine to pay for the sand. He is amazing at liquefying solids into with his feet.

Thank you for stopping-by. I hope you are in an area of the world that is nice in every way today. It is supposed to be about 72 degrees here today - to me that is the exact perfect temperature. Maybe it is because, besides the number 13, 72 is my next favorite number. I may have to number my top ten numbers one of these days. That sounds like a doctor or dentist waiting room task. I am almost positive I will blog again tomorrow. I think I will get some lunch while I am out too; man I sure live the dream with all the eating and buying sand and stuff. Are rocks cheaper? I could have Jeff turn those into sand with his bare paws. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Friday the 13th Number 2

I must say that I feel very used and cheap (pun slightly intended as you will notice when you read-on). The birds loved me when it was cold out and I would fill the feeder outside of the Tiki Room window. I would brave the elements, though it was just leaning out of the window for a few minutes, to fill the feeder every night so their breakfasts would be waiting for them when they woke-up to the dawn. Now they don't even come around anymore. They don't call, they don't write... The rabbits still appreciate the carrots and lettuce though. I feel bad about them though because I am afraid that I am lulling them in and one day Jeff will catch them off-guard and we will wind-up with another headless rabbit on the back stoop. I am probably even making it easier for Jeff to catch them because I am fattening them up and slowing them down. I am an enabler!

Today is the second Friday the 13th of the year. I think there is one more to come in November. The last time we had three in one year was 2009 and the next one will be in 2026. Weird, 26 is 13 + 13. I have always had a fondness for the number 13. I always tried to get that uniform number when playing baseball or softball. It may be because I am kind of a contrarian a lot of the time. No you're not. Yes, I am! Why is contrarian not a word according to Spell-cheek?  (I misspelled Spell-cheek on purpose because I am a contrarian and I knew that it would piss Spell-cheek off).

I haven't formed an opinion on this yet

It is almost noon already and I have not done much. I cleaned the kitchen and am on my fourth load of laundry but I am feeling kinda lazy today. This IS my Sunday so I think I em entitled to be a slug for at least part of the day aren't I? I'm writing the blog so that has to count for something. I will do the shopping later and I am wondering what to do for dinner. I am in the mood to cook though the clean-up afterward doesn't thrill me. I do need to trim my nails again today. I am so happy that winter is almost over so they slow down in their growth speed. Why do we even need nails anymore? The nail on my big toe (I only have one so I don;t need to tell you that it is on my right foot) grows too fast and it's kind of gnarly and gets ingrown a lot. Who do I do to get that permanently removed (the nail not the toe)? Is that even a thing?

I am watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as I write this and I laughed out loud (LOL) when Carol Kane's character (Lillian Kaushtupper) said. "ehh the Dutch, I never formed an opinion about them." There are so many lines flying so quickly it is great that I have such a superior and quick whit (as well as that little rewind button dealy on the remote for Netflix). I cannot believe I have to wait until March 2016 for the second season premier. I guess that will give you time to get caught-up on the show before the next season if you haven't seen it yet. I highly recommend it!

I am embarrassed to say I do this stuff all the time 

I read an article about the six most common ways men die. They are: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries (car crashes and stuff), chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and diabetes. So, basically, I will die of something. As I read them I wondered - what else is there? Isn't just about every way encompassed in one of those? "Unintentional injuries" could be just about anything. I am a moron and I could have written that list. I suppose suicide isn't included unless you do it unintentionally. Is old age "unintentional?" Is there really such a thing as "dying of old age?" I always used to hear that expression when I was a child but I bet it was actually one of those other five. If I am 102 years old and I die in a car crash is that dying of old age?

Hey, the birds are out eating the seed. Maybe they were just being lazy today too.

I am off to market (after I get dressed in more proper shopping attire). Thank you for making the time to stop by. I hope you enjoy your Friday the 13th. The birds are singing like crazy now - I love that sound (and, right on cue - Jeff is out there barking). TTTT...MITM (out) TA!