Stuck In My Lazyboy, And I can Touch My Thumb To My Pinky

Had something funny happen this morning, I say funny, though it didn't make me laugh straight out of the gate.  Was sitting in my favorite chair, an old, beat up, lazyboy, that is contoured perfectly to my rear end.  Had my legs up, reading Sherlock Holmes on my kindle, not a care in the world.  I goes to get up and SNAP, the handle breaks off of the chair!  Picture it, feet in the air, can't get out of the chair, and was on my way to the loo!  Should have seen my dismount, worthy of a 10, even from the Russian judge!

You know the test the neuro gives you every time you go to see them, touch your thumb to each one of your fingers, as fast as you can?  It's been some time now since I've been able to touch the ring and pinky finger on my right hand.  Noticed today I can match my thumb to the ring finger full on, and the pinky I can at least touch.  Not sure what it means, or why it happened, but I'm taking it as a sign the diet is helping, pass the kale!

A Good Night At The Eastside Mens Shelter On A Frigid Night

Just got home from the shelter a while ago, all went well. The wife went with me, she prepared last nights meal, did a great job, as usual. She had a hard time with how young a couple of them were, not much older than our son. I go again on the 18th, going to talk about a couple of things with our Pastor, like taking breakfast food, and coming home after the men are asleep and going back at around 5 am? It seems like such a waste for me to be there when everyone is sleeping, and there is a paid staff member. Bigger than if it's needed is if it's going to kill my back? By the time I get home I can hardly walk, HA! Good one, well it made me laugh.

My Lifes Mantra, Or How To Navigate Past The MS

Decided I need a mantra, all cool people have one, I want to be cool. The kids told me I'm too old to be cool, told them being cool had nothing to do with age, told them to kiss my nose! Thought of stealing a famous mantra, life's a bitch and then you die, or something similar, but decided it has to be unique to me. Did find a list, lists are good, so for now I am going to follow this list until I find my mantra.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day, and while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant. For me it will be ride my bike.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God (or to your higher power or meditate) about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
' My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________ '

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that
is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires,
issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life is not fair, but it is still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don ' t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument.
Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it will not spoil the present.

14. Don ' t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ' In five
years, will this matter? '

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD (depending on your beliefs) heals everything - but you have to ask Him (translate to your religion).

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night, before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings.
You will be smiling before you know it.

I'll adjust it to me, but it's a good list. I'll be substituting sardines for salmon, only like it smoked.

Laughing's Good, Depression and MS, and Mud Sculptures

This is why I don't Dougie out into the street!

Having an incredibly down day, usually corresponds with when I don't feel well, but let's face it, I don't ever feel well anymore. I'm really having a hard time getting my mind around that fact. It's not a denial thing, how can I deny this? It's a realization, a resounding realization, like when Dorothy's landed after the twister, hits me everyday with that same thud. I could do this much better if I could turn off my emotions, no choice in that either.

If I had it to do over again I'd of learned how to do mud and grass sculptures, placed them all through the woods of my mountain estate. OK, first I'd of needed a mountain estate, but that's thinking small. The girl is freaked out by garden gnomes, imagine he coming upon one of these in the woods, I live for that! Don't think the wife would go for one of these beauties in the yard, even the back.

SSI Benefits Ending, and The Wife's Birthday

The boy turns 18 in March, how could he do that to us? We get one more month of money for him from SSI benefits, $800 a month. Set all this up when I retired, 12 years ago, and to honest, didn't think too much about this day...then. 4 years ago, the girl turned 18 and her portion of money went to him, in effect doubling his amount. Kind of figured his money would go back to me, but it appears it doesn't. I've grown quite fond of the money, I shall miss it.

The wife's birthday is tomorrow, she will be 48. She does the marketing for a pain management group, rotates between locations. She was in the Bel Air location today, kidding around with the office staff, therapists, and doctors. She told them all about her birthday, and they did the obligatory fawning, and asked how old. Because she is such a hottie, she didn't hesitate to tell. I wish I had been there, the wife was riding pretty high, and then it happened. One her coworkers told her, WOW, my mother is 48 too, OUCH!

Beard or No Beard

A sure sign you have too much time on your hands!

Hospital Gowns, One Size Fits All, and Jello Legs

I was reading a blog today and it made me laugh, made me laugh like there was something wrong with me. They were complaining about those little hospital gowns they give you, the one size fits all things. I remember one time getting hurt at work, fell off a bar stool or something, and ended up in the hospital for X-rays. I was in the Sheriff's Department and we were there with a prisoner, who also got injured. A few of the other guys were responsible for the prisoner, and I was left alone to fend for myself.

My name was called, and it was time for me to go get my shoulder X-rayed, there was only one problem. Like I said, they left me all alone, just me, my one size fits all hospital gown, and all my equipment for work. I knew I couldn't leave my weapon in the waiting room, that part was easy, but all the other things were a problem too. Picture this. I throw open the curtain to my cubicle, step out in the emergency room wearing my gown, my black shoes and socks, my gun belt over the gown, and my hat! I was a huge hit with all the other patients, not to mention the guys I worked with! The hospital staff threatened to throw us out of the hospital if they didn't stop the cat calls!

I went today and helped the father in law buy a new computer, he was an engineer, so there are always a lot of questions. We had a good time, but once again he outlasted me. All the standing, the waiting, and the milling about took their toll on me. My legs are jello, and he probably went to the gym. I have to get better at remembering I'm no longer Superman, and it's OK to go sit down. It's not that I try to fight it, it's more that I don't remember to do it. I should have asked the father in law, he would have gone and found me a chair, bummer!

Multiple Sclerosis, Family, Friends, and The Power of Laughter

I was blog surfing today and came across some pretty good ones. Everything from food, sports, lifestyles, and always health in general, with a special interest in MS. I go on a regular basis to a food guy that makes me laugh, and his food reviews have been right on. Some of the health ones make me feel bad when I piss and moan about being tired, or it was hard opening a can, then I see ones about people with cancer or aids. They are doing the same thing I am, venting, but they have more to complain about. I was on one today that the woman is newly diagnosed with MS and struggling with it.

I remember that one! I went and cried for a few hours at my one aunt and uncle's house for a while, then went home and told the wife. That would have been tough enough, but she was 5 months pregnant with our first, the college girl! I also told a few of the guys at work, but I sat on it past there. If people didn't know, it wasn't real, you can't argue with that kind of logic! As need be, I enlarged the circle, let more people in on the top secret news. It was very hush, hush, need to know, have to kill you if I told you type thing. It's been so long now I am actually shocked to run across people that know me, even not that well, that don't know all of my top secrets.

I told the woman who had the blog today that we use humor to get through the days, but I didn't tell her how that changed over the decades. In the beginning it was a very small group that could pull it off. My feelings got hurt regularly, but it was good for me. Everyone in the MS club should have the benefit of spending some time with the guys from work, or my family! Nothing is out of bounds, everything is fair game, and nothing is too hard to talk about, or laugh about. I was telling the woman today she needed at least one person to laugh at all this with. I was going to tell her a horse walked into a bar, and the bartender said, "why the long face?" I just wasn't sure if that was appropriate!