Short Version

Today's visit to the eye clinic was shorter than usual.  They wanted to do some lazer on my left eye but I'll need a driver with me, so that was put off for a couple of weeks. I was told that it wouldn't be as bad as the first lazer I had--I sure hope not!  It makes me nervous to have them fool with the eye that I more or less depend on, but she said it has fluid (veins leaking blood) inside that is causing swelling and it won't get better on it's own! Damnation! Caught between a rock and a hard place!

They took pictures of both eyes with the computer and she showed me the difference between those and the ones made in Nov. I could only tell because she pointed them out. They look nothing like eyes--more like flat graphs! It is amazing what science can do! You look at a blinking light while another goes corner to corner and takes a picture of what's going on inside your eye! And then it prints them out in a very colorful graph. The shot is suppose to still be good for a couple of months yet. Thank goodness for that! I felt like I could see alittle better on the way home. Might've been the cloudy day.

I got to stop using the 3 different kinds of drops I've been using daily since the surgery in Aug. My nose and forehead had been hurting and I felt like it was from the drops. One was to dialate my eye (2x a day), a steroid about every hour and another 4x a day. I looked one of them up on the internet and it said some side effects were headaches, pain in the eye, dizziness and other things. I'm just glad to leave them off!

I'll have to gear myself up for the lazer and pray that it does its job! That or look for a seeing-eye dog! (I hope that's a joke!)

A Poopy Day

And it didn't even include the eye clinic! That comes tomorrow!

I got a ticket Thanksgiving week-end and meant to pay it before it was due. Oh yeah, there were 5 Hoover cop cars at the Shell Station at hwy 280 and 119. But they weren't out just to write tickets--oh no! I thought the ticket was due on the 31st and I knew I'd have to go to the bank because you can't write a check at the police station. I got it out today and looked and it said the 29th, as in yesterday! I went by the bank and went by there and was told since I'd missed the court date, the judge had issued a warrant for me!! Then it got better--I could pay $100 to have the warrant removed and then pay the ticket which is another $100! Trust me, it took ALL I had to stay composed! Because I missed it half a day ago--not a few days or a week--a bloody half a day!

You don't want to know what kind of thoughts I was having!!

It's very dark out here with few street lights and I have to be very careful. I have missed the turn for our street a few times (blinded by car lights)  since the eye problem and have almost missed the road and ended up on the shoulder a couple of times. It's a pretty high traffic area, so it makes me nervous. I put my turn signal on so as to give the people behind me plenty of notice--it's a favorite place for wrecks. But you know, some people can't stand the stillness for 2 or 3 minutes while you turn! There's usually traffic coming the other way, too! So tonight, when I turned,  the JERK behind me felt the need to blow his car horn and I returned the favor! He's lucky I didn't chase him down! heh

It's just been a lovely day--after looking thru the paper for rentals and worrying about that and worrying about my eye, etc! I need to go s-c-r-e-a-m!

Later:

I went to get some food and just as I was getting back to where I turn, I started seeing a blinking red light and realized some nitwit was on a bike! Bad enough in the datyime--but at night?! Somebody has a death wish!

Happy Birthday to the Man & the Blog

This is one of my favorite looks for Tom! Today is his birthday and also the day I started this blog--one year ago. Time flies. (The outside pic is being difficult, so I'm just going to leave it!)

Thanks to Basil for his patience and help---you have no idea! Thanks to the small group of readers who come by on a somewhat regular schedule! I hope you continue to come around!

The Bear

Twenty-five years ago at the age of 69, 22 days after he coached his last football game, Paul "Bear" Bryant had a heart attack. I hope they were stocked up on Golden Flake potato chips and Coca-cola by the time he got to heaven!

Want a Piece of Me?

Hard to believe that's a wedding cake, isn't it?!

My question would be why on earth would you want a cake like that? The baker did a great job but it's alittle creepy to me!

Slacking....

Did You Pack the Cat?

A man packs for a trip. His wife takes him to the airport, waves good-bye, and goes home. She can't find her 10 mo old kitten anywhere! She tears the bathroom floor out looking and papers the neighborhood with lost cat flyers.

Meanwhile, a man who has the wrong suitcase, opens it and sees a kitten run under the bed in the hotel. He gets close enough to see a collar with a phone number and talks to the crying owner.

Luggage is exchanged and after an $80 ticket is bought the kitten doesn't have to go back through x-ray and safely returns home.

I have questions!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_fe_st/odd_missing_cat

The Unwanted Words

Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson said in a statement.

Gittyup

By Brad Curtis

Jake, the rancher, went one day
To fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty
And the clouds rolled gray and dense.

As he pounded the last staples in
And gathered tools to go,
The temperature had fallen,
The wind and snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup,
He felt a heavy heart.
 From the sound of that ignition,
He knew it wouldn't start.

Jake did what most of us
Would do if we had been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head
And sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time,
He softly cursed his luck.
They found him three days later,
Frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life
And done his share of roaming.
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked -
It looked just like Wyoming!

Of all the saints in Heaven,
His favorite was St. Peter.
(Now, this line ain't needed
But it helps with rhyme and meter)

So they set and talked a minute or two,
Or maybe it was three.
Nobody was keeping' score -
In Heaven time is free.

"I've always heard," Jake said to Pete,
"That God will answer prayer,
But one time I asked for help,
Well, he just plain wasn't there."

"Does God answer prayers of some,
And ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square -
I know all men are brothers."

"Or does he randomly reply,
Without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day,
The weather or the season."

"Now I ain't trying to act smart,
It's just the way I feel.
And I was wondering', could you tell me --
What the heck's the deal?"

Peter listened very patiently
And when Jake was done,
There were smiles of recognition,
And he said, "So, you're the one!!"

"That day your truck, it wouldn't start,
And you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real bad time,
With hundreds of us trying."

"A thousand angels rushed,
To check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard
 From you in quite a long while."

"And though all prayers are answered,
And God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice,
And started a truck in Minnesota."

BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH!

Just a gentle reminder from a cowboy.......

The Republican Fisherman

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, 'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am.'

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, 'You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground, elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.'

She rolled her eyes and said, 'You must be a Republican.'

'I am,' replied the man. 'How did you know?'

'Well,' answered the balloonist, 'everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me.'

The man smiled and; respond ed, 'You must be a Democrat.'

'I am,' replied the balloonist. 'How did you know?'

'Well,' said the man, 'you don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault.'

Here's Looking at Ya!

I saw the cutest Pug puppy last night at Great Clips. It belonged to one of the girls that worked there. I don't really like their bug eyes but it sure was cute! I went there after spending a couple of hours at the eye clinic having my eyes turned inside out! That's what it feels like! I would love to get a look at what the doctors see! You know,  you look at your eyes and think nothing's going on but actually, there is---all you have to do is throw about five kinds of dilating drops in and light them up with some of the brightest lights know to mankind! Then spend about an hour  two inches away from each other! Oh, and you can tell who had onion! I've considered giving out mints as a joke but I'm not sure if the egos could take it! heh

I can tell that my eye has improved but it has a membrane over it, now. And that most likely will mean surgery to removie it!  They want me to come back on the 31st to make some more pictures with the computer and maybe have another shot. They sure seem to think nothing about offering to give you a shot in your eye! Nothing to it--it's just a needle in your eye! They don't seem to get that it seems weird to be getting a shot in your eye, not to mention painful! It's old hat to them.....nothing to it! Right!

My diabetic medication is not agreeing with my digestive system and something needs changing. The eye doctor thinks I should take insulin. I'm not sure I want to do that. I heard on the news that they're working on a cream to rub in and a spray for the nose.  I hope they're in a hurry!

You Might Be.......

You Might Be a Member of the Taliban or Al Qaeda if...

10. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to beer.

9. You own a $300 machine gun and a $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can't afford shoes.

8. You have more wives than teeth.

7. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.

6. You can't think of anyone you HAVEN'T declared Jihad against.

5. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry ammunition in your robe.

4. You've never been asked, "Does this burka make my ass look fat?"

3. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.

2. You've never uttered the phrase, "I love what you've done with your cave."

1. You wipe your butt with your bare left hand, but consider bacon unclean.

Thanks, Sherri!

Heh......

Don't Tip Yourself

Remember I said we went out to eat with some friends alittle over a week ago? We split our ticket and I paid in cash and our friend put his on his card, including the tip.  He has a habit of checking his bill later on. He was very surprised to find $13 had been added to the bill when he checked it! The waiter kept saying that he had just started working there and we kept saying it was okay---but it isn't okay to help your self to someone else's money.  We had both given him a tip and I guess he wanted more. It made our friend mad and he went back to the restaurant for the $13. They were nice about it and even gave him the money for the food back. The waiter wasn't there.

When you use a card for your meal, do you check to see if the right amount is on the card or do you pay the bill without looking?

WHY?

Artwork of Alabama's death row convicts enjoy brisk sales on the internet. Even better, some of it is pornographic. The convicts send it to friends who post it on the internet. Who the heck would support this?!

Story here:

Fever

Can you hear Peggy Lee singing.....you give me fever? Well, I don't know what's giving me fever!

Have you bought a thermometer lately? We used to have several around. The one I liked the most was a strip that you stuck on your forehead. Simple and direct. It isn't hard to tell when you have a temp---you're hot! During the past week I haven't felt too perky and it dawned on me that I felt like I had a low-grade temp. I started thinking about a thermometer to prove myself right. Problem? No thermometer around.  Yeah, I'm clever that way! heh  So that meant going in search of one at Wally World. I found the thermometer section after asking for help---hey, I'm not feeling perky! Bro-ther! They have alot of fever dedectors! The cheapest one was $7.  Most of them were UP! The thermometers have been invaded by electronics! I don't know what the ones that cost over $7 do because I got the $7 one! All I wanted to find out was if I had temp and what it was! Sounds simple, doesn't it? HA You should see the instructions! About 3 feet of small print! It has an off/on button, it beeps 2 times for this and 3 times for somethhing else! I gave the instructions to my son and asked him to decipher them. I tried putting it in my mouth and it looked like it was reading around 98. something....after the beep. Oh, and it saves the temp for you, too.

I remembered that I'd taken tylenol so it most likely wasn't accurate! At the doctor's office, the tech put a fever stick in my ear and it beeped that I did have a slight fever! A-ha, I was right! What did the doctor say? Oh, that's nothing to be concerned about! Excuse me but I don't usually have fever! I have a small cut on the bottom of my foot that I didn't put anything on because it took awhile to get the bleeding to stop and I just forgot. When you're diabetic, you have to be super careful about things like that. The doctor gave me some anti-biotics that are horse sized and some topical ointement that I haven't had filled yet. Waiting out the tornado weather!

I'm not sure what's wrong but I've had pain in my head with some other things--no signs of a cold or cough for about a week. My diabetic med is not agreeing with my internal system so I don't know if that has anything to do wiith it or not.  I called the ER at the Eye Clinic to be sure there was no connection.  I talked to one of the doctors and she said the eye didn't sound like it was causing it. But she also gave me alittle pep talk about coming in to have my other eye worked on, 'cause my eye was just going to continue to swell and get worse! Damn! Nothing like pressure! I wish I could show them what it looks like from this side!

I turned down something for pain, but I may go back!

Happy Birthday, E

Do you think The King would still be rockin' on his 73rd birthday?

Home Sweet....wth??!

Hmm, how much do you think this one bedroom, one bathroom house would go for? Well, if you thought you found a bargain --- guess again! Yeah, this little jewel of a dream is going for $173,000 smackers! The bedroom contains a Murphy bed which when released from the wall takes up the entire room! I guess you either eat out or get a grill!

It's in Toronto. Hurry and beat the crowd!

Qualifications

There's a funny post at Blackfive  about football players, politicians, marriage---go check it out:

 http://www.blackfive.net/

I really liked the comment about the WH pastry chef having 8 years of experience! heh  I'd like to see Hillary's face if someone threw that at her! We might see a meltdown! Comments are funny, too!

Major Olmsted/Obama

JP sent me an email about a blogger who died in Iraq and had arranged for his last post, if needed. Scared me when I saw top milblogger dies in Iraq! Yeah, my mind went there before I could stop it!

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Plato*

The loss of good people just hurts like a 2x4 across the head! Read Major Andrew Olmsted's last post on his blog:

 http://www.andrewolmsted.com/

AWTM  has a most interesting post about Obama and the MUSLIM group he is in---I don't recall that being mentioned before! Go check it out!

http://armywifetoddlermom.blogspot.com/

Now, I'm just sitting here doing some head-scratching. Mitt Romney's religion was constantly being brought up---even mentioned as a cult. Obama was mentioned as this fresh breeze of change, so the muslim part is unimportant? The fact that he is linked to the religion of peace (HA) doesn't matter? Someone needs to get their head out of the sand!

Bloggin' Around

Some interesting posts:

Taco has a post about letters from the front:

http://sandgram.blogspot.com/

Hooiser Boy is showing his humor:

http://hoosierboy.blogspot.com

Basil has a funny post about long ago politians and buying a thong for his MIL!

http://basilsblog.net/

Julie always has a good post and she is hot for Fred ! ;)

http://degreeofmadness.typepad.com/

John is full of satire:

http://johnwlillpop.wordpress.com/

Jack Army is home from Iraq and catching up on some reading:

http://gojackarmy.blogspot.com

If you know someone who's deployed, be sure to tell them about Operation Happy Note:

http://operationhappynote.com/

The Bad VooDoo Platoon's site is being worked on, but JP's webpage is still finding more milbloggers:

http://milblogging.com/

Dee is a hard working mom with a keen eye on politics:

http://chatterboxchronicles.blogspot.com/

Blackfive always has a good post and Operation Puppy Love is no exception:

http://www.blackfive.net/

There's more..... for another time!

Hopes for 2008

I didn't make any resolutions for the new year. The list might be too long! ;)  I do have some hopes for 2008.

I hope my vision will improve. We went to the Outback last night with some good friends and I couldn't read the menu--it didn't help that the lights were dimmed.  Luckily, the waiter came over to tell us what the specials were and I picked one of those. There are times that I get alittle discouraged. Before this nightmare started over a year ago, I had 20/20 vision and only needed reading glasses. Now. I've given up on reading the paper or books 'cause it's just too aggravating to try it with a magnifying glass! It is scary to think about not being able to drive--there isn't alot of patience out on the road !

I haven't given up completely---just hanging on to the hope that it will improve. It has somewhat since the shot but there's still room for improvement! I haven't made an appointment to have lazer on my other eye. I need to have a chat with the doctor. Alittle nervous!

I will be moving sometime in 2008. Dread this! I like the area I'm in. Very much. Packing up will be hard and I'll most likely have to get rid of some things that I don't really want to. I see a headache on the horizon! I hope I can find an apt. that I like---this is something I think about EVERY day!

I hope JP and the Bad VooDoo Platoon make it home safely in 2008. (His second deployment.) The same for Major B (One Marine's View)  who is on his 3rd deployment. Bless them for the job they do for our country!

I hope after all the boring speeches we get a presidential  candidate who can win! Dear God, please help us!

I got a Nikon Cool Pix for Xmas that I hope to learn how to use!

There are some more hopes of a personal nature. Well,  you didn't think I would completely spill my guts, did you?!

Happy 2008!  ;)