Time to Sleep After My Sleep Study

It is 05:30 and I am home from my sleep-over at the hospital. I was just there for another sleep study; this time with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. It seems silly that I go in for a sleep study and I come home more tired than I have been in awhile. Now, they will contact me to go in and see what kind of mask I want with my machine. I didn't sleep any better with the machine than I did without one so what is the point? My back hurts from their bed. My chest hurts from where they ripped the sensors off of my hairy chest. I have spots of white sticky goop all over on my hair where they had wires attached to my head. And, I will need to take a nap this morning. I am just worn-out; I will call it MIDDLE-age.

I think this is Tuesday. I am not sure how I feel about Tuesdays. I wonder why I always have to "feel" someway about everything. I am trying to think about something that I do not feel anything about. But, if I think of something that I don't think anything about then I will be thinking about not thinking anything about it which means I am thinking something about it. Yeah, I may be tired.

I just read about a healthy 24-year-old Belgian woman who is suffering from depression who was granted the right to die (euthanasia). What she has is not life-threatening or terminal but she is going to have a lethal injection because she has spent her entire childhood and adult life having suicidal thoughts. She says death to her is not a choice. If she had a choice she would choose a "bearable life." I am not sure how to feel about this. I don;t feel people should kill themselves but who am I to decide what other people should or should not be able to do? I am fortunate enough to have people in my life that I want to live for. There are many things in life that I want to live for; maybe I am just nosy and want to see how things play out? I love to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball. I love to see people smile. Like the occasional gratuitous nudity in movies. I like to smell flowers and watch kids play and laugh. I love to go to the movies. I like to wish I wasn't so fat. I like to buy new shoes every now and then. I like to try new foods and visit new places. I love sending time with my friends and family. I like playing poker. I could go on-and-on about this - because I like to go-on-and-on about things. I don't want to live other people's lives because I have a hard enough time to live my own but I want to live. If this girl want to die I guess I want her to have what she wants. It isn't fair for me to want to have what I want and not offer others that same consideration even if it isn't what I would want for me or for them.

This is an actual photograph of the wheelchair bandit

I heard that a man in a wheelchair robbed a bank in New York yesterday. He got away with $1200 and just rolled-out the door. How does that happen? It wasn't even a motorized wheelchair. I am calling him "The Wheelchair Bandit." I bet he isn't even really handicapped. Maybe it was just easier to rob the bank if he can park closer? You don't hear about bank robberies anymore. When I was a kid some of my favorite movies were about Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger... I loved gangster movies. Corporate espionage and things like that aren't as fun to watch.

I have to take a shower and get some sleep. I didn't take my meds yet either. I am sorry this was so short but I wanted to let you know that I am out of the hospital and it was probably a waste of time though it did let some people get paychecks and my and my insurance's expense. I hope you have a great day (it looks like it will probably rain here again today which will make sleeping that much easier). Thank you for stopping by. I am hearing from many people that they enjoy the blog and they are even doing the Faberage Organics shampoo form of telling two friends and they tell two friends and so on, and so on... form of spreading the word. Maybe one day I will get paid to write this - that would be awesome though I love writing no MATTer whether it pays or not. TTTT...MITM (out) TA! I will do better tomorrow when I have had some real sleep.

This was one of those lost blogs I never "published" so it is out of order

It is so nice having the bandages (my red badge of courage) off of my head. I cannot believe how itchy my head was after only two days. I am a daily shower kinda dude and just missing one day was too much. On top of that (pun kind of intended) I had all of those wires glued to my head with all of those tiny little wires. They cleaned me up pretty well but there was still some glue in my hair. I also found out how important wearing a hat in the winter is; just some simple rolls of gauze made my head hot. I think I scratched my head for about half-an-hour last night. In doing so I found many tender spots where holes were left in my noggin' and I found clumps of glue stuck to my hair. I am so glad to have my gear off. I do not know if that test will bare fruit but, like a watched pot, I had very few seizures/spells over the two days while wearing my turban. I had a few small episodes but nothing like I have had in the past. Maybe I am getting better on my own. They say "time heals all wounds" but I thought that mainly dealt with emotional wounds and such.

I took my seizure medicine and my sleeping meds last night for the first time in about a week. It is 09:06 and I am still drowsy after being out of bed for about three hours,  I guess the sleep meds work well, huh?

We are down to two days before Fabio's graduation. We are pretty-much ready. It sounds like we may have pretty good weather but we have a quits a few tables (with chairs) set-up in the garage a table for the food so we are prepared for whatever Mother Nature decides to deal us. Maybe we should get a Texas Hold'em game going with 10% of each pot going to the graduate? I probably will have other focuses but I do love to play poker. We are pretty much ready.

It's About Damn Time!

It's about damn time!

I used to start the blog with THIS SONG every day but I have not done that for quite some time. It has been playing on Pandora for me for the last few three or four days so, I assume, it is telling me something. So HERE IT IS just so the cosmos don't get angry with me; I need whomever/whatever I can on my side.

I am so happy to hear he The United States Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states now. Idiot Justice Antonin Scalia said that this is a threat to democracy. I say it is exactly the opposite of that! This is the biggest Supreme Court ruling on marriage since 1967 when they decided interracial marriages were legal. It is such a novel idea to let people who love one another be together. There are days like these that I am proud to be an American. We still have a long way to go on many things but we are headed in the right (or left actually) direction. I am ready to go to a gay wedding if anybody is having one and isn't intimidated by my sexiness at their wedding. There is some moronic fundamental preacher that says he is going to light himself on fire because of the ruling. So, he is against gay marriage but breaking one of the top ten Commandments (thou shalt not kill) is better. He will smoke a turd in Hades (for those of you who believe in such a place).

Tomorrow is Fabio's graduation party. I will be so happy when it is over. I think this is the last party we are ever going to have. I further think that this is the ninth or tenth time I have said that. Cha Cha gets so worked-up when we have parties. Maybe it bothers her that I don't get worked-up enough. People are getting free drinks and food; I honestly don't think they are being that critical of your house and food... If they are tough titties. Go get some free food and drinks somewhere else then. I am not critical when I go to other people's houses. I am just happy that I am invited over; there aren't many people who trust me in their houses.

I go to see one of my neurologists in about and hour-and-a-half to get some news on one of my latest EEG's. I don't think that anything has changed. Cha Cha said I was making a lot of weird noises in my sleep last night. She also said my breathing was erratic. Maybe after my CPAP test/study Monday night I will be able to sleep through the nights with my new Darth Vader mask on.

I wrote those last three paragraphs three days ago. Fabio's graduation party made things have to change in a hurry. So, now it is Monday morning and I had better wrap this up. The party was a  real success in that it did not rain at all and a lot of nice people showed-up. It was great having friends and relative and neighbors come over. Life gets in the way of doing the things that should really be priorities.

Today I have lots to do.What else is going on? Both of my neurologists (a small part of my team of physicians) say that I am on hold for a couple of months. I guess that is good because I will be back from Europe by then. I do have my C-PAP study tonight to see if I can get some gear to help me sleep all night long. I really hope it is just oxygen with one of those little hoses rather than another NASA space helmets.

The backyard is pretty much back to normal from the party, Jeff is home for The Daisy Hill Puppy Farm (he loves it there), Splenda is gone back to school (sad - I like her here). I really haa a great time Saturday with friends and neighbors and family. It is kind of sad that we rarely see each other except for times like this. Maybe we should try to do stuff like this throughout the summer. Unfortunately, I am too lazy to make that happen. Thanks for stopping by/ TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Racism Has To End!

I get this contraption off of my head today. I am tired of carrying this mini suitcase full of wires and some gadget with flashing lights around my neck like a St. Bernard carrying a barrel (even though I would have much preferred a cask of rum - I am not much of a brandy guy). For the past 40 or so hours I have been hooked-up to this devise (or vise versa actually). I have had only a few small episodes for it to record. I should be happy about that but, if they never figure out what is going on, how will they know how to stop it? Perhaps I should just accept that these are part of me now and just move-on. My main issue with that, however, is I may be a danger to others and/or, at a lesser concern of mine, myself. I will still have this thing wired into my neurological hard-drive for six or seven more hours so maybe it pick-up one good one? They said I can go in anytime this afternoon (it doesn't have to be exactly 48 hours attached) so, we'll see. Maybe it picked-up something while I was sleeping hare-and-there or there are things going-on inside that aren't manifesting themselves on the outside maybe. It comes down to whenever you call a repair person, for just about anything, the thing usually works well while he/she is looking at it. I really do want this sticker attaching a wire to my Thomas Magnum chest (that is mostly about the hairiness, of course) off though.

(Side note - St. Bernards never really carried barrels of booze around their necks to warm mountain travelers. in the cold Alps)

I think I am in fairly good spirits (pun intended) about this thing going-on but I further think I am just getting tired. I don't sleep through the nights ever. I have been taking naps occasionally. Maybe I should just accept that I have become an old matt and grab a walker and slowly move-on. I have zero problems growing old but I don't want to be old and broken. I guess I am just cracked but sometimes cracks lead to being broken. I just want my cracks (some of them, at least) to remain cracks and not become crevasses. Just get me some Super Glue. I think I may start taking my sleeping pills again tonight. I also have a C-PAP test on Monday night (I already know I have apnea from their previous test). Maybe, after I get the C-PAP machine, this will all remedy itself (sort of). I love to have people watch me sleep - NOT! Medical marijuana may be my next request. I really don't know much about marijuana other than I do like the smell - I know plenty of places where I can go to learn if I need to though.

It looks like it is going to rain again today. That is fine as long as it gets it out of its system and dries-up by Saturday because that is the day of Fabio's high school graduation party. The garage as been converted into a mini diner so we are prepared for whatever weather this way comes. The Weather Channel app on my phone says Saturday is supposed to be a high of 72 degrees with 0% chance of rain. That would be just perfect! However, we in the MIDDLEwest know that the weather doesn't listen to forecasters and weather is as weather does. It also changes on a moment's notice very often. I suppose we are especially sensitive because five years ago we had Splenda's graduation party. I was coaching baseball so Fabio and I were in a neighboring town (Genoa) for a Saturday morning game. Well, the weather turned and we were on the fence on whether to play the game but, when Cha Cha called and said weather-Hell had broken loose at the house and the tents were begin up-rooted... I decided (with a lot of coercion) to call the game on account of weather; it turned-out to be the correct call. I guess we are just a little graduation party shy.

This had always been one of my fave flags - not so much now

I just heard on NPR (National Public Radio) that most of the major flag manufacturers have decided to stop producing Confederate flags. I must commend them on this because this is probably (sadly) one of the biggest pushes and discussions to stop this sign of hatred so it would probably be selling like flap-jacks (that is pancakes or hot cakes for we in the north). I do not commend them much, however, because Walmart, Sears, eBay and Amazon all said they will stop selling this symbol of hatred and prejudice. The state of South Carolina, however, is still flying this beacon of bigotry (patent/trademark/copyright pending) today. That saddens me because South Carolina is a beautiful state; as long as you're white, I now find out. I have been there several times and the people are always very nice but maybe that is because I am white. That isn't fair I guess. If I found that my state hated incredibly handsome white men I don't think it would be easy to just pick-up and move to (wherever). I guess Alabama flies the rebel flag too and it is actually part of the Mississippi flag. The Governor of South Carolina, at least, agrees that it should not be flown at the Capital. I see The Duck Dynasty stopping soon because of this too - thank Heavens. I am so happy that my parents raised me to treat all people equally based on their merits and hearts and minds regardless of their race, color, creed, gender, religion... Maybe it depends on what countries our ancestors came from? No MATTer what it is I will never be able to understand to hate just because of someone's: background, religion, skin hue, native tongue, height, gender, weight, eye color... I must admit that, if I find that someone thinks that way, I become prejudice against them and have no time for them almost immediately. So, I guess I am prejudice - in a good way, if that is possible. There are people I dislike, as we all do and many dislike me, but mine are always based on actions and deeds; not of this criteria.

I love to hear that there is a 16-year old woman/girl who is on the radar of Major League Baseball. She lives in France and I bet she ends up getting college scholarship offers in America at the very least. Her name is Melissa Mayeux - I promise, of you haven't heard that name for the last time.

I have to get some things done. I wish one of them was to take a shower but while I wired-in that is not possible. That will be my first thing after getting back without my gear attached. Thank you for seeing what is going on in Matt Wasteland of a mind; I appreciate you coming by so I have a sense of purpose. Have a great day - I wish you good weather; it sounds it might be "interesting" in the MIDDLEwest. TTTT...MITM (out) TA! Matt.

Professor Marvel Seems to be the Problem

This is the guy that I blame (he means well)

I am feeling pretty blue today. I have this stupid bag hanging around my neck with twenty wires (yes, I counted them) attached to various places on my head. For about the seventh time during this ordeal I felt like the Cowardly Lion getting primped to see The Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz yesterday. Pretty sure I have made that comparison about 13 times over the past couple of months. I had not had any spells since having my new hardware attached yesterday until this morning. I had a couple of small ones. I am happy for that. I have lots to do around the house and the yard today so I am hopeful that I will develop something for them to analyse. When I am more active (physically and/or mentally) I tend to have more issues so I am hopeful that I will have something for them to read so they can get to the bottom of what ails me. Actually, I am not sure what triggers them since I am mentally active (as much as I can be) about 99% of the time and I am doing something physically almost all the time except for when I am sleeping or recovering from spells.

I am pretty a caged bird today. It is nice having Fabio done with school because he can drive me places if I need to get out but, with this white badge of courage wrapped around my head, I don't care to go out much. I have been accused of always wanting to be the center of attention many times in my life but, as this demonstrates, that is untrue. This would be the perfect opportunity to be the center of everyone's attention wherever I went. What I really am is someone who likes to see people I like happy so, many times, I will do and say things in attempts to make people smile. I like to believe that most people enjoy seeing their friends and family (and strangers) smiling rather than frowning. I do know a few people who are not happy unless the people around them are unhappy but I cannot wrap my broken mind around that.

I am really starting to like Bernie Sanders (not an endorsement but he is trending with me).

I have no idea why this popped into my head but the MLB All-Star Game is coming up soon (July 14). I have always thought it was stupid to have the fans vote for the players who will be all-star each year. I guess it is kind of nice that baseball want to let the fans see who they want to see in this game but it really is just a popularity contest. Most people will vote for their favorite players rather than the players are performing better the season they are voting for. I believe baseball is the only sport that has the fans vote. I have found that most fans are morons (me included most of the time) and they are incapable of making these decisions. I would further think that, since the all-star game now decides which league has home field advantage in the World Series, they would want to control that a bit more.

Say it ain't so Pete, say it ain't so!

That reminds me - the All-Star game in in Cincinnati this year and they just found out (with evidence) that Pete Rose was betting on baseball while he was playing. He had always said that he only bet on games when he became a manager though it took 15 years to get that confession so I suppose "always" wasn't the appropriate word there. He should have just been honest right away and maybe it would all have been over by know. He is going to go through all of the same stuff that he went through when they first discovered he was betting. I had always heard and believed that he had never bet against a team he was playing on or coaching for but now I have to question everything. The records that were uncovered support that he only be on the Cincinnati Reds and never against a team he was playing on. As a yute he was one of my favorite players. I wonder if he will still be coaching in Normal, Illinois at that minor league game next month (Corn Belters)? If so, I bet it will be a media circus and tickets will be more difficult to get. I may not go to that game after-all. Say it ain't so Pete, say it ain't so!

I think I am gonna wrap this up. I am getting crabbier and crabbier by the minute. It is toward the end of the month and I am pretty sure I have not gone through that change yet so perhaps that is the problem. I would be okay if that is all that it is. Have a great day. I will try to be a little merrier tomorrow. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

There Are No Strings On Me (technically,they are wires)

Here is a photo of the doctor hooking-up my EEG earlier today

Today is the day that I got my mobile EEG thingy installed. Of course, I have wires attached to a battery-powered do-hickey that run into my head during the stormiest time of the season. Nay, the stormiest time since The Perfect Storm. If you remember that story, it didn't fare well for the crew of the Andrea Gail. What is the deal with everything being named Gail or Gale (Dorothy) in storm movies? I mean, I get the connection, but we don't need to be reminded that it's windy when there are twisters and/or hurricanes. We're Most of us are not morons. Just about every animal on the planet knows to avoid such disasters but we have to watch these training films? Most animals are smarter than many of us in many ways. Don't worry, I will get a photo or two of me with the wires coming out of my head. Maybe I am just worried that, for my MIDDLE-name, I was named after my Uncle Gale Gordon (yes, Mr. Mooney). Many times, when people find that I was hooked-up like Dr. Frankenstein and Gepetto's love-children, the first thing they ask is, "did you take any pictures?" Most of the time the answer is "yes."

I just read a story that a 16-year-old Colorado boy died of the plague on June 8th. I cannot believe we still have plagues in this country. I suppose what I have could be called a plague as it plagues me. The verb "plague" refers to something that continually causes distress or trouble so maybe I do have my own form of  a plague - to me it is THE Plague

I guess I am not alone in my admiration

I heard on the radio yesterday that Fox News called Pope Francis "the Catholic Church's Obama." To me that is a compliment. I am not Catholic but I think the Pope is a remarkably brilliant and passionate man. Just like a Pope should be to my way of thinking. I love that he is not afraid to spread the words of peace and love and harmony (all of those seemingly out-dated things we MIDDLErs and beyond were taught as children). I am a guy who still believes that "all you need is love." Obviously, we also need to: stay hydrated, have nourishment, breath oxygen... but I am a sap and I still believe in love and harmony and as much respect for one another as we can muster-up. I watch the birds in our yard and they all get along. Cats don't care about color or countries of origin. Most dogs seem to like every other dog as well as liking (and licking) most people no MATTer their: color or country of origin or size or gender or political leaning or social status... Of course, there are occasional exception to this rule I just invented. Speaking of rules, I suppose I am breaking the rule of not talking about race or religion but rules are made to be broken. I wish Fox News would follow that rule.

The Whole30 is over and I notice that it really has changed my habits. I made it the entire 30 days. Last night we stopped at Steak N Shake (drive-thru). I ordered only a double steak burger with only lettuce, onion and tomato; I was going to eat throw out the bun. Got home and it was a double CHEESEburger with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and no tomato or onion. The guy repeated the order to me and it was almost EXACTLY the opposite of what I ordered. So, Fabio had two burgers last night. This morning I could eat anything I wanted to eat and I had: a banana, an apple and a few nuts. The other day I ordered an iced tea in a restaurant and, unbeknownst to me, the waitress gave me a sweet tea (I thought that was just done in the southern portion of this country). I took one sip and felt like I had just had a sip of a cotton candy and maple syrup colada with a honey sidecar. It really has changed my thoughts and taste buds. My intention, of course,

I saw Gone Girl last night (HBO). Cha Cha had seen it in the theater and told me that she thought I would like it so, I watched it. She was right I did like it. I am hot and cold with Ben Affleck (more time cold than hot) but he was pretty good in this. Rosamund Pike (as the title character) was really amazing in this movie. Tyler Perry, however, was my favorite part of the film. I am usually really good at figuring-out endings of this kind of movie but this one made me think. That could be my mental mis-firings but this one had me guessing all the way until the end. I liked the ending but think I would have done it just a bit differently

As I slowly became invisible I wrapped from the top down

It is 15:10 now am back from having my brain wired. I only have to have these 20 or so wires glued to my brain and my chest. Only one is stuck to my chest and that one doesn't bother me at all. However, that is the one that will probably hurt the most when it comes off in 48 hours because they didn't shave my chest. The ones on my head are kind of hot-glued so they will just heat the glue and they will come right off. The one on my chest will just be yanked out; thanks Obama! Thank you to Cha Cha too for driving me in and out. I like a little of the old in-out-in-out better when someone is with me.

Alright, that is enough excitement for me for today. I think I will be able to blog again tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. The doctor said I can wear a baseball cap or something over my bandage/ head wrap So I am going to put a few ideas together and put them up on Facebook in a few minutes. If you want to tell me which one(s) you like best or offer some other suggestions I would really appreciate it. I wish in were October because then I would just be a mummy or really go with the Invisible Man idea. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Call Me Chappie (next week)

I may train the squirrel who comes around to eat helicopters

Yesterday I got a lot done. I mowed the lawn, I cleaned the gutters, I had three mini-seizure deals, I painted the Tiki Room window sills... Those were the biggies. Cleaning the gutters was interesting. The tree just outside of the Tiki Room has been dropping those little helicopter deals on the roof, ground and in the gutters. It turns out that those things are like seeds to grow new trees. We had a Chia Forest growing in our gutter. It was actually kind of attractive. I may be starting an AstroTurf line of gutter inserts. It was so easy cleaning these out. I just climbed the ladder (probably not very smart for someone with limited mental faculties) and pulled the plants and, since they could not really root into anything, they just came out in long clumps.They actually looked kind of nice, though, I bet they impeded the gutters from properly doing what gutters are supposed to do.

I just realized that the baseball season is quickly approaching the half-way mark (All-star game July 14) and I have not been to one live baseball game yet this season. Not even a Kane County Cougars' game. I have to remedy that soon. I bet the Cubs' series with the Cardinals (I am a Cardinals' fan in case you didn't know) is already sold-out July 6,7 and 8. I am going to check. Stub Hub has quite a few tickets left ranging from $10,000 down to $27.. I am leaning toward the lower 10% of that price range (maybe like the lower 5%).

I just read a Rolling Stone interview about the band Rush. I was always a big fan and especially of drummer Neil Peart. To me, he is easily one of the best (if not THE best) rock drummer I have ever heard. The article in RS was about Peart becoming an American citizen (Rush is from Canada) and his views of the upcoming Presidential Election. In the article Peart said he is "unlikely to vote for Rand Paul or any Republican." He went on to say that it is obvious that Paul "hates women and brown people." The band has even sent a cease and desist letter to Paul to stop quoting from their song The Trees in his speeches. Peart has many of the same observations that many of us have made and I found it interesting how someone from one of our neighboring countries sees things as many of us see them. If you're interested in more of this story here is a link to the Addicting Info piece I read. I am ready to vote for Neil Peart!

I had a two minute-long spell there. I am off of my seizure medicine as I am supposed to be getting an electrode cap installed into my brain on Monday and they wanted to make sure I will have something so they can try to figure out how to fix the electrodes inside me noggin' that are mis-firing or taking unauthorized breaks. It is the kind of cap that I wear everywhere I go (obviously since it is wired into my head). I may have to wear a sun bonnet or something when I mow the lawn; I will look like Robo Gardener. Maybe I will change my name to Chappie for those few days and just move like a robot whenever I am outside.

It is already almost 10:30 so I had better get going. Tomorrow is Father's Day. Have a great day with your father, if you're a father or thinking about your father if he is gone or he is far away. Thank you for stopping by while I still have the occasional mental capabilities to operate at the 86% I have always operated at. TTTMonday...MITM Chappie out. TA!

As Soon as I Realize that I am Remarkably Flawed I will Be Perfect

I would rather have the world we don't deserve I think

It looks like it a free HBO - Cinemax weekend. At least it is here with DirecTv. I am not sure if these things are free to everyone with cable television and satellite television or just to certain providers while they do system maintenance and such. I always feel kinda ripped-off a bit when this happens. We subscribe to HBO so we just get the free Skinomax for the weekend. I prefer the free Showtime, The Movie Channel, Staz and Encore weekends.I have already scrolled through the weekend schedule and set-up recordings for the shows / movies that seem good.

Today is Friday for many of you and I am so excited for you. It looks like it is going to be a dry day. I think I will give it half of the day and then I will finally mow the backyard. I would not be surprised if it will still be slightly moist then but it is kinda getting to look foresty back there.

It just came to me why there is a free HBO weekend this weekend (well, Cha Cha said it - that is how it came to me). The new season of True Detective begins premiers Sunday. That is the reason we originally got HBO. It was the first season of True Detective (with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson) and it just so happened that we were staying in hotels with HBO when the first two episodes aired. We both like Matt and Woody (I know there is a great joke there but I will leave that to you) so we watched them and we were instantly hooked. The new ones have Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn as the detectives. It also has Rachel McAdams, David Morse, Rick Springfield and Lolita Davidovitch to name some people we know. I have a difficult time believing it will be as good as season one but I will check it out for a week or two before I make that decision. I have a feeling, based on just past things that he has been in, that David Morse will either be a killer or a tough-nosed superior at the police department of Farrell and Vaughn. Or, maybe both?

As soon as I realize that I am remarkably flawed I will be perfect. I don't know why that just came to me but I found it amusing and accurate so I just typed it.

When we were down in southern Illinois last weekend I totally saw what is meant by "the lights are on but nobody's home." Many people down that way have something weird with their eyes and facial expressions. Their eyes seem all droopy and their mouths are hanging open a lot (mouth breathers). I know many of us will do that mouth-breathing when we exercise or when our noses are stuffed-up but many of these people have those looks permanently frozen to their faces. It really made me think that they have five watt bulbs screwed into their sockets that were meant for search lights. It has nothing to do with anything but the look they have. I am sure there are many rocket scientists down that way. Most of the American rockets we have launched have flown from Florida and Texas so the southerners are not dim. Maybe I am just tap-dancing?

Okay, I have to take my mouth-breathing head outside and mow the backyard. Have a nice sunny day. I will probably blog tomorrow and maybe I will be nicer. I feel like I may have blogged while crabby and that is probably not a good practice. Thanks for letting me spew. TTTT?...MITM (out) TA!

Stay Hydrated Friend!

It was really a chore to get them together since they are from different practices

I just got back from one of my team of doctors and took that test again where they flash lights at different speeds while I keep my eyes closed. The lights appear: in different places, at different speeds, with different motions and in different colors to see if they can make he have a spasm. I guess they just want to see how my brain reacts to the various stimuli. At the end they make me pant like a dog for a full two minutes. That is not as easy as you might think - two minutes straight with a quick pant. You just tried it didn't you? I always feel very young when I go into this office. There was a husband and wife that had an appointment the same time as me and, while we sat waiting for our names to be called, they were both sleeping. A noise would occur and they would wake-up for a second and then fall back asleep.

Before I left for the doctor I was watching my St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN. I just wrote "my St. Louis Cardinals" to see if I hated it as much when I said it as I do when people call their favorite team "my Chicago Cubs" or "my Blackhawks" or "my Bears..." I do hate it as much when I say it as when other people say it. If you were George Steinbrenner saying "my New York Yankees" I would probably not be bothered as much but I would think you a pompous ass. Anyway, it was the second or third inning when I left so I juts recorded it and I am watching it in the 5th inning now. It is still a scoreless game. I usually listen to the games with the AtBat App on my phone but I didn't even do that. I would rather watch the game after it is over (presumably) not knowing who won or is winning.

I have not seen the purple or yellow ones but have orange

I was watching the season finale of Silicon Valley on HBO the other night and I discovered that I am a bigger nerd than I realized. I drink coconut water about 80% of the time I am drinking something at home. My brand of choice is Vita Coco. I have been drinking that and water and occasionally iced tea exclusively while on the Whole30. I call them my juice boxes though. Anyway, I was watching Silicon Valley and they were drinking the same thing as me. It's a bit pricey but I am worth the extra money to stay tropically hydrated. I am sad the Silicon Valley is done for the season.

It is now the bottom of the 6th and still no score. I hope all of the scoring occurs in the tops of the innings.

If you are looking for a funny movie at the theater right now go see SPY.  I didn't like Melissa McCarthy that much for quite awhile even though she is from these MIDDLE parts but I have really come-around on her. She is a talented, physical comic and I like her a great deal now. Anyway, I laughed out loud three or four times during the movie and chuckled to myself many more. I did not really know much about the film before seeing it but I would not mind seeing it again. I recorded the movie Tammy off of HBO last night and I may watch that later.

I recommend this film for a laugh or two or three...

I have been working on some small house projects today. I assembled a couple of new chairs for the Tiki Room, I shackled a few areas that needed some spackling and I will sand and paint those areas later today. I need to do a few things in the garage to get ready for Fabio's graduation party in a couple of weeks. I need to mow the back yard but there is still some standing water out there from six days of rain. I did get the front yard mowed earlier this week so we don't look like hillbillies from the road. Thankfully, the backyard is totally fenced-in. I am going to take a break and watch some of this game because I feel a little of my "episode" symptoms creeping-up. I will chillax for a few and be back in what will seem like seconds to you. Unless I die or something, of course.

I need to take breaks more often because, while I was not here, Cardinals' right fielder Jason Heyward just hit a monster home run. The score is now 1-0 Cards. It is only the top of the 7th though. Shortly thereafter (bottom of the 7th) the Cards got in a jam with one out and bases loaded and the Twins grounded into an inning-ending double play. Don't you love getting details about a game that is already over? It ain't over til it's over for me to me.

Alright, I am going to do some sanding and painting. Have a great rest of a non-rainy day of you're in the MIDDLEwest. I hope you are having nice weather wherever you are. Thank you for coming by: you know I appreciate you mucho. TTTT...MITM (out). TA!

Oh George, Not the Livestock!

It looks like I will not be able to mow the backyard for yet another day. Yesterday I mowed the front but the back was still very wet. Now the sky is dark and, tut tut, it looks like rain. I have plenty to do inside the house so maybe this is the cosmos deciding my priorities for the day. The television just went all black except for the words telling me that it is searching for a signal on the satellite... Exhibit B for why I will be working indoors today.

I have been off of the medicine that supposedly controls my spells for about 24 hours (the doctor calls them seizures but I am still not sure if that is the appropriate term for them). The doctor calls them seizures but I call them sling blades. The definition of a seizure is, "a sudden attack of illness, especially a stroke or an epileptic fit." I guess there is a slimly vague similarity there. Mine are not all that sudden. I had been having some signs leading up to them but, when I was passing-out, that part did sneak-up on me.

Now it is raining like Hades outside. Some people call it Hell, I call it Hades. Maybe I will get done writing this and just go back to bed. I always think that but it rarely occurs.

While we were driving down and back from the bottom of our state last week I could not help thinking about the film O Brother, Where Art Thou. Not that most of the people we encountered were similar to most of the people in that movie but we passed herds of cattle (or cows if you prefer) over and over again. Every time we passed cows I said this line. I like cows so I didn't say the first part but the part about the livestock I said over and over. I think Cha Cha got tired of it so, by the end, I was just saying it to myself. I love that movie.

I am sad to say that I am almost out of Lara Bars and I am totally out of coconut water. I only have five more days left on the Whole30 diet. I have done very well on it. I lost a bit of weight at the beginning but that leveled-off. It is not a weight-loss diet so that was just a benefit I guess. I am not sure what I am supposed to do after my thirty-day sentence is up; I didn't get that far in the book. I suppose I should read that part pretty soon.

The upcoming Presidential election is already driving me crazy (just a quick drive to the store). There are so many wing-nuts (most of them right wing-nuts) coming out of the wood-work. I already have my vote narrowed-down to two people. I will tell you this - I would not vote for Donald Trump for all of his money, Hawaii having its name changed to The Matt Helser Islands and a guaranteed golden chair next to the holy ghost in Heaven. I suppose he just runs to hide some of his money inside of his political campaign. I cannot believe some of the things that come out of his head holes.

While we were staying in the cabin in Southern Illinois last week I had an incredible urge in the MIDDLE of the night to check outside. I had brought my flashlight with 100,000,000,000 candle power with me. I opened the door to the outside and shined the light to the open field surrounded by forest across the road from the cabin. I immediately saw a pair of eyes reflecting back at me at two o'clock. I scanned a bit to the left and saw another pair of eyes at 12:30 then another pair at 11:00 and another at 9:30. There were four deer lying in the field staring at the house. They were like sentinels watching over us. Or, they were just deer lying in the field across for the cabin and, when they heard a door open in the quiet night, they focused their stares on the sound and were greeted by a light that could challenge the sun. I like to believe they were guarding us. I made sure they were all deer because I didn't need a chupacabra stalking us all night long. The deer made me feel like I was in the Seven Dwarfs' cottage. I think I would probably b:e Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy or Dopey (or a combo therewith).  I guess it would have been shorter to say "any dwarf other than: Bashful, Sneezy and Doc." The deer were gone by morning. Some other cool things were: feeding the dozens and dozens of turtles in the lake and watching the frogs about half the size of a pinkie toe nail hop in the weeds. I cannot even count how many deer we saw through-out the weekend.

Getting the new tires for the Fiat today. Decided to go with Illini Tire. They are: the closest to home, their price was the lowest, the turn-around was quickest and the tires are Firestone tires rather than some no-name brand. Even someone as addle-brained as I could do that math. With all of the rain we are having of late I think treads on the tires with the wet roads might be a good idea. It is good that the decision came down to value, quality, convenience and safety. Things don't usually work-out that way.

I have some things to get done because tomorrow begins another week-and-a-half of medical fun. Thanks a lot for stopping-by. Try to stay relatively dry; most is okay but being drenched is not as much fun. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Truth, Justice and the American Blog!

Cha Cha, Soup and Splenda

I cannot believe I blogged four days ago; it seems like so much longer ago than that. Being in southern Illinois for the past four days made it really difficult to blog as getting an internet connection down there was almost always impossible. Occasionally, I would have a signal and I could post a picture or comment on something. No wonder a lot of the people down there are so clueless.

We had a great time down there visiting with Splenda and Andy. The scenery is beautiful. The people are nice, for the most part. It was fun seeing the old college. We even went to Superman Fest in Metropolis. Nerdy hillbillies are something you don;t get to see too often. I love both nerds and hillbillies so I was just about in heaven. I was down there for my last two years of college and I never made it down to Superman's hometown. Had I known they had a casino in that town (Harrah's) I would have gone there long ago. I bet it wasn't there when I was at SIU. It is on the Ohio River so I think, like they did up here on the Fox River, I bet it was once a boat and then, when the laws eased-up a bit, it turned into a brick-and-mortar casino. We did not go to the casino, as I was the only one who wanted to, but I will probably get there eventually.

I was very happy that we were home last night to see The Chicago Blackhawks capture Lord Stanley's Cup. Fabio and I watched it together.

Not a great photo through the window and screen

I felt pretty well most of the time down south though I was tired a great deal of the time. My seizure medicine seemed to do well. I stopped taking it this morning, per doctor's orders after taking it for five days, as I have two more EEG's coming-up over the next couple of weeks and they want to be able to read my seizures (so I have to have seizures for them to read). I am assuming they will begin again tomorrow. Right before I started taking the seizure medicine I had 15 seizures in four days. I did not pass-out during any of them which is an improvement.

I just got done mowing the front yard. It seems like it rained the whole time we were gone. I cannot mow the back yet because it is still drenched back there. While I was checking to see if it was mowable I saw three baby robins hopping behind one of their parents. I like this time of year. I have seen baby deer and geese (goslings) and robins... in the past week.

My memory isn't doing very well. It is odd how I forget some things and don't forget other things. I cannot make rhyme nor reason of what I remember and what I do not. I still do well remembering people. I think I am just involuntarily purging what my mind deems unworthy. Perhaps I could just add an external hard-drive to my mind. I seem to be losing things that I do not HAVE TO remember like: directions, phone numbers... because I can look them up (like an extension of The Google Effect).

I was just downtown with my sidekick of the day and, as usual, I was sporting (pun not intended though I like it) a St. Louis Cardinals' cap. I am almost always wearing something with the STL on it. As I walked-in a guy approached me and pointed at my cap and said "those guys are cheaters did you hear about that?" I said that I had and I stuck-up for my team and said they were just being smart. In case you haven't heard, supposedly, the St. Louis Cardinals hacked into the Houston Astros' computer system to check out information on player personnel and checking-out their prospects... Apparently, the FBI is investigating the hacking. It sounds like it started last season (when the Astros were still in the National League. I am curious what the penalty will be if they find something. Teams have been stealing opponents' signs since the beginning of time but this is a whole new level. I am trying to decide how I would feel if the scenario were reversed. I think I would feel the same - that baseball is war and all's fair in war. I am not sure if I am being completely honest with myself though. I wonder if anyone has or will use the headline "Cardinal Sin?"If they make the play-offs they could change the headline slightly to "Cardinals In!" Can you tell I used to write headlines and that I am a sucker for puns? I wonder what Pete Rose has to say about this? I mention Pete Rose because, as we were driving home from southern Illinois, I saw that July 9th is Pete Rose Night at Corn Crib Stadium in Normal, IL.. It is the home of the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League.  They are playing the Schaumburg Boomers that night.  He is going to be a member of the coaching staff for one night and will wear #14. When I was a lad I loved Pete Rose. I still like Pete Rose. He played 100% all the time - I really admired that. Maybe I am discovering that I like cheaters? His cheating, however, was just breaking the rule of betting on baseball. Everything I have ever seen and heard is that he never bet against his team. But, rules are riles I suppose. Isn't there something about "all rules are made to be broken?" Anybody want to go to the game with me? It is a Thursday night and beers are cheaper on Thursdays there. We can take my car!

Is the Pete Rose or Lou Costello? 

I am really tired of hearing the word "kiddos" referring to children. I have heard it three times today from three different places. It had better stop or my temporary insanity may come in as a handy alibi.

Okay, I have to make some phone calls to get some more quotes for new tires for the Fiat. I have a couple of quotes now but they seem high. Merlin's gave me a quote for $595 and Farm & Fleet gave me a price of $608. I am going to call Illini Tire, Walmart and Lovett's Discount Tires and, based on the prices, set up an appointment. I called Illini Tire right now and they are $491 and the they can do it tomorrow morning. SOLD! The are the closest to home too.

Have a great rest of your day and your night. Maybe the NBA season will be over tonight too huh? Thanks for stopping by. I have lots more on my mind in my notebook so I will blog again tomorrow for sure. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

HOLD FAST

It has been two weeks since I have passed-out. Well, it will be two weeks tomorrow. I have had 15 seizure this week so far. I know that seems like a scary word (seizures) which is why I prefer to call them episodes or spells. What happens with my seizures is not that scary from the outside. Jill says sometimes I turn kind of gray but I am conscious and can describe what is going on. They usually start just below my sternum with tingling like my body is falling asleep. It then spreads to my outer thighs and down my legs. Then my nasal area begins to tingle followed by most of my head. My arms (bicep areas) fall asleep next. I can control the seizures somewhat with breathing and willing them to pass; it is actually just them running their courses probably but I feel like I am in control this way. I have been off of my seizure medicine since getting out of CDH last week as I am supposed to have two more EEG's but I contacted the doctor and I can take the seizure meds until a couple of days before the first test. I am fairly sure that, by not taking the meds, they will capture something with the next EEG's. Since starting to take the meds last night I have been seizure-less. Maybe it is a placebo effect but if it works I don't really care why or how.

Tomorrow a few of us are going down to see Splenda. I am very excited to be one of the "few." I think we are going to take the Fiat as it is fun to drive with the top down through the wine country. The Jeep is roomier so we have to weigh practicality against fun. I am leaning toward fun (and better fuel economy).

It is now tomorrow and we are half-way to our destination. We ended-up bringing the Jeep because, apparently, the tread on all four of the tires on the Fiat are worn pretty good. I did not want to have Merlin's replace the tires because their prices are ridiculous for that. So, in the next couple of weeks I will get over to Farm and Fleet so I don't get raped.

We are definitely in the Bible Belt here and we are only like three hours from home. On the way down we could just see the temperature rise in on the outside thermometer in the car. Maybe we are headed to the Hell part of the Bible Belt. It was in the low 70's when we left and, by the time we got here in Mattoon, in was 82. It was about 9 PM when we arrive and the temperature had risen about ten degrees. We have a couple of hours more to go this morning so it should be good and hot before we get to our final destination (that is probably just foreshadowing for my afterlife.

I got up early as I always do (I get up even earlier when I am travelling - not sure why). Europe should be a lot of fun with me getting up early every day and the time being totally out of whack from home. I should be the jet lag poster child.

I just wanted to get this blog done while Cha Cha is in the shower because I am nor kind of sure what kind of WiFi access, if any, I will have in a cabin in the MIDDLE of the foothills.

Okay, Jill is out of the shower so it is breakfast time. We will check it out here and, if that doesn't work with my WHOLE30 it may be Cracker Barrel again (we ate dinner there last night). Have a great day. Maybe I will blog later today from the hot tub in our cabin if we can use our mobile hotspots or something. Have a great day and maybe a great weekend. TTT?...MITM (out) TA!

Big Ben / Parliment

Just about two months before Cha Cha and I are off to Europe. It is the 2015 Matt Helser Farewell Tour. We received our flight information and discovered that we are going to one additional country as we are flying into Heathrow before hopping another flight to Prague. Jill is a huge fan of England so, even though we will probably not even get outside of the airport before heading to the Czech Republic, she can say she was there for a couple of hours. Maybe we will see Big Ben and Parliament from the air while coming in or going out. At the very least we will have time for a spot of tea (probably from a Starbuck's).

I am off of most of my medications. I am not overly-pleased with much of my medical care from one of the neurologists. Without going into much detail he has made claims and promises that have been false and/or just inaccurate (there is a slight difference between those to me). I did not use the word "lies" as I think that word implies intent to deceive. That may be the case in one or two of these cases but I will not be presumptuous for a change. I was supposed to have had another EEG that they would send me home with so they could monitor me outside of the hospital. Maybe this is just a sneaky house-arrest?  That, however, was scheduled for this Friday when I will be out of town on the 2015 Matt Helser Fairwell Tour; we are going to see Splenda. So, I called them to get it rescheduled (break for a mini-"episode" - Jill captured it on video per doctor's request) and now it won't be done until toward the end of the month. The reason I am off of some of the meds is because they wanted me to seize during the test and now, since the test is not until the end of the month, I wonder if I should take the meds until the test gets closer?

Yesterday I had six episodes throughout the day/night. I am keeping track of the times. The duration of these whatevers are only a few minutes on average. They generally start in my nasal area or chest and the work their way ups and down, Ironically, I just had another right now and my body feels like it has all fallen asleep. I cannot focus on anything right now.

I have to end. I am okay, I just have to rest for a bit. I am a bit disoriented which is new. I may blog again later today. TA!

Marijuana and Hooch - My Idea of Simpler Things has Changed

It looks like I live in the correct state if I lean that way

I'm starting kind of late on the blog again today. I have had a few issues having to do with that of which I will not blog. I am considering trying to get a permit for medicinal marijuana for that of what I will not blog today. I have never smoked the stuff but I always did like the smell. So, I am sure it is like food and drink, in that, if it smells good it probably tastes good. I tried cigarettes as a much younger blogger and gave them up for life after about two puffs because they taste just like they smell. I guess one of the selling points of cigarettes, as I hear it, is that you lose your sense of taste. That is good for two things I suppose: firstly, you can stand the taste of the cigarettes and secondly, you can't taste food so you are thinner. I hear tell that there are some negatives to smoking cigarettes too. Just like anything, I suppose, you just have to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision and live with the consequences. Tomorrow I may do an update of the things that have been going on with the main thing that occupies most of my time and thoughts.

I am pretty tired and it is only coming up on 14:00. When I am done writing this I may go out, shove the earbuds where they traditionally go and lie in the hammock for awhile. I have had it in the backyard for over a month and I haven't even swung or swang or swinged or swingded in it even one time this year. And I call myself the king of the swingers - The Backyard V.I.P..

We're gonna be traveling to see Splenda soon. I am very excited to see her. I am the gosh darn paterfamilias - can you guess what movie is playing on the boob tube right now? Maybe a warmer climate for a few days will do me good. It will fix my bursitis and rheumatis. I am not sure if I have either of those but I hear those are what MIDDLE-aged people are supposed to have. I have plenty of things but I don't believe I suffer from those quite yet. I will try harder.

 If you haven't seen me in awhile you can see that I have aged 

Ever since I wrote about the hammock that is all I can think about. I have been taking afternoon naps for the last three or four days because my body (or mind since everything is in our minds) gets very tired trying to do what it doesn't seem to be able to do with the ease it used to. I think and hope that is just a temporary side effect of what is going-on. Hard as I try, I keep tending to veer toward the things I have vowed  not to talk about today. My one-track mind has jumped tracks and is travelling in a different direction most of the time these days.

Am I the only one that finds nose-hair clippers or trimmers or whatever the proper name for those things aren't as efficient as they should be? I have tried a couple of different types but, when I do the follow-up inspection, there are still a few strays. I cannot believe I am using them wrong. The batteries are good and they make a really strong whizzing noisy. They seem to get most of the work done but there usually is some manual yanking that has to occur to finish the job. I think these things are a scam.

The hammock is a calling. I hope the neighbors don't hear my snoring and think a Grizzly got loose in our backyard. If they come shooting I hope they just graze my stray nose hairs. Thank you for stopping by today. I am sure I will blog again tomorrow. I hope you are having nice weather where you are; it is just about perfect here today. It won't be long that I will be complaining about the humidity. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Be It Ever So Humble...

I have not blogged in almost a week. I hope I remember what I am doing. Everything was pretty much the same every day in the hospital other than coming home. "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Can you believe that was written for an opera in 1823? I am sure the sentiment goes back to the beginning of time and will go to the end of time. There truly is no place like home.

When they sent me home from the hospital last week they wanted to wire me up so they could keep recording my brain-waves. I had to put the kibosh on that because Fabio graduated from high school and I was not going to embarrass him my looking like one of Dr. Frankenstein's projects. So, I am supposed to go back and get rewired and come back home. I told them today would be a good day but, the hospital set it up for this coming Friday. Friday Cha Cha and I are going to see Splenda so that won't work. I have found that most doctors (about 68% by my study) don't really listen nor do they really care about the patient's opinions. I realize most of them are incredibly busy (at least that is the perception). It seems to me that the nurses are the ones who are really busy. It is almost like the doctor is like a pimp and the nurses are all making him/her rich. If things get out of control he/she will pitch in but, for the most part they do the heavy lifting and make sure everybody stays in line. I now that is a gross generalization but, remember, my mind is on the fritz. I am gonna use that defense as long as I can in order to speak my... So, if I do not hear from them today. I will call and tell them that I will not be there Friday and see if we can set it up for Monday or after. That is all I am going to write about my one-track mind today.

So, now all of Cha Cha and my children are graduated out of high school. Pretty soon this house is going to be way too big (it already is in many ways). Since we live in a college town maybe we can become a bed and breakfast for people visiting their kids. I am sure there are rules against that in our subdivision so maybe we will just always have "relatives" staying over on weekends.

After the graduation we had: my parents, my brother who is here from Hawaii, Jill's brother and our sister-in-law and Jill's sister over for lunch. It was a great day. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the nice day. My life has slowed-down to where it should be instead of always going every direction all the time. There really is something wrong with we Americans' wiring. Maybe it is taking my wiring to go wrong to get my wiring back right. They say that our bodies will tell us when we are pushing too hard. THEY know everything don't THEY? Most of the times we just ignore those messages though.

It won't be long before the NFL is back too

It is a nice time of year for sports for me. The Chicago Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup Finals. The St. Louis Cardinals are having a great season. I don't really have a dog in the race but the NBA Championship is a lot of fun to watch. I am gonna try to get to a ballgame or two this summer. Maybe my buddy Greg and I will go see the Cubs in St. Louis (he is a Cubs' fan). The Cardinals (like almost every other sports team in the world) allow the opposing fans to show their colors. I would even be happy to go to Milwaukee and see whomever they play. I just love the smells and the sounds... at a ballgame.

I cannot believe I don't have to mow the lawn yet. It seems like every Monday has been lawn mowing day. It has probably been because most weekends it has been raining but this weekend we put it on hold for Fabio's graduation. His graduation party is at the end of the month and I hope the weather is as nice then.

I have to wrap this up; I have lots to do around the house. I have started several projects and most of them are completed but there have been necessary interruptions that have slowed things down. I should be able to finish the basement today. It has just become a dumping ground (the whole "out of sight out of mind" effect) and I have been working on it for a few weeks. I just wanted you to know that I am still alive and still intend to blog. Thanks for being patient with the patient. Thank you for stopping by today; I will always appreciate that. Have a great day. There is talk of rain later today which makes sense, of course. Maybe I will get to mow tomorrow? TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Blog, Blog, Blog - say it three times!

Hey, I finally have WiFi so I can blog. I am using the mobile hotspot on my phone. I can use my phone and my computer but I cannot have them plugged in while I am on the bed (where I still am now) I will move to the chair later so I can stay online more today.

Last night Cha Cha and my good buddy Mike Szot stopped by to visit me. I know I am not much to look at on my best day but I give them both credit for staying so long visiting with the love-child of Beetlejuice (or Beetlegeise if your a traditionalist) and Farina.

I have not had any activity on the EEG monitor I have been hooked-up to for nearly 24-hours straight so, I am staying at least another 24-hours. The doctor says it is not unusual for nothing to show while people stay but, if there is an issue, it is very helpful to figure out what is going on if there is activity. So, I am hoping for a seizure as odd as that sounds. I have a feeling that I still have some seizure medicine in my system and, once that works itself out, there mat be more seismic activity.

I was a huge fan of Farina (he and Weezer were my favorite rascals)

When we got here yesterday they had no orders for me to have the EEG. Fortunately, they had beds available and the doctor showed-up and wrote-up the orders. It took longer than it should have to get checked-in but, at least they fixed their screw-up. I still have not heard about my sleep study so, after I get done writing this (if my phone is not dead) I may call to see if they have decided to work on that yet.

Just a bit ago my phone rang and there was an 815 number (the area code, among many place, of our town) that I did not recognize. My nurse was in here and she said "go ahead and answer it if you want." I answered and the guy said something like. "Mr. Helser do you have a few minutes talk?" I asked him if this was a sales call. He said that it was not so I said "sure." Then he said. "I am (so-and-so) an my company is currently doing inspections for hail damage on Grange Court in your town..." I interrupted and said "and this is a sales call!" He asked, "how is that a sales..." then he heard nothing. I really miss the days when I could slam the received down so they would at least hear my exclamation mark. Had I not been sitting here with nothing to do I never would have even answered that call. I respect people who can make a living with phone sales and telemarketing. I don't like what they do but I admire that they can do that and I do realize it is a some-what effective way to push your wares. I do not like liars. And, worse yet, lie about their lies. If I knew it was not a call center or something like that I would call that number back in the MIDDLE of the night tonight. Maybe I will get fired-up enough and have a seizure.

My back is starting to hurt so I am going to call the nurse and see of I can move to the chair. I need help doing things like that for a few reasons. Firstly, I have more wires/strings attached to me than all the puppets on Howdy Doody and Thunderbirds combined. I used to love Thunderbirds as a kid.

Sorry, I was unable to blog yesterday and I think I have it figured-out well enough to blog again tomorrow (maybe even again today). Whether from here or home. Thanks for all of your kind thoughts and words - I am doing fine despite being slowly transformed into a mattrionette. Have a great day. Thank you, also for stopping by. TTTT (today or tomorrow)...MITM (out) TA!