Speedy

I visited my VA doctor yesterday and the results were wonderful!  She increased the dosage of my medication and even prescribed a muscle relaxer for my back spasms.  Needless to say, I felt a sense of accomplishment in getting her to “do the right thing.” with my meds.

 

Today is a much better day than yesterday.  I was in severe pain when I saw the doctor and now that is all gone.  Of course, sitting on the edge of my chair to write this blog does not help with the lower back.  I don’t get my muscle relaxer until the end of the week and that along with the increased dosage of my gabapentin is going to knock me for a loop.  The doctor even asked me if I would be driving and I answered no.  With the two meds, I’ll probably be a walking zombie who won’t even be able to concentrate on writing reviews for Pop Syndicate.  But, I will try.

 

It’s hot here today and rain is on the way this evening.  I’m staying in where it’s cool and Mandi, my cat, is enjoying the cool floor to lie on.  She plays a little while then flops down on the floor right where she is as though she needs cooling off.  I leave her to her own devices and when I walk by her, she attacks my pants leg.

 

I must get to my reviews.  Bye.

Nothing

There is nothing worse than not having a computer unless it would be lower back pain.  My computer is in the shop for repairs and I’m using a rental laptop to keep up with the world.  I was at a loss for several days until I finally decided to bite the bullet and check out what Rent-A-Center had available.  I was really quite surprised when I walked into the showroom and saw everything they had on display.  They had furniture, washers and dryers, refrigerators, boom boxes and computers.  I opted for the one on display at the front desk, a Toshiba with a 17″ screen.  I rented it for two weeks and the price was quite reasonable, I thought. 

 

If I were to purchase the machine, it would cost $1,600 so it’s quite a laptop.  If I continue to pay rent on it, I’d put out a total of $3,700 before I could call it mine.  Fortunately, my computer repairs are less than $500 and I don’t think I’ll be in the market anytime soon for a new laptop.  Of course, the operatibng system is Vista and I’m a fan of XP.  But, we all have challenges in life and overcoming the change in systems is minor compared to my back pain.

 

I wouldn’t wish my lower back pain on anyone, not even an enemy of mine.  But I’m not going to complain be there’s nothing like a smile to turn away ill feelings from someone else.

Sunday

It’s very quiet today.  Mandi is not meowing,, but fast asleep at my feet.  The TV is off and I haven’t turned on the radio for any music.  I have thoughts of working on my novel or perhaps just surfing the Web.  It’s still early and I have all day.

I’m trying to get hold of various companies to cancel my membership.  The ones I’ve contacted by phone are only open Monday through Saturday, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to contact them.  I was really stupid to enter an online contest for a VISA card and checking off the silver, platinum and gold icons for trial offers.  The ones I’ve checked have already debited my checking for some pretty hefty amounts and I want to cancel my membership before any of them make another charge.  Boy, was I stupid!

I hope you are having a great day.  Comment if you wish.

Friday night TV

I watched the debut of a new CBS series called Flashpoint last night and found it to be an interesting program.  Debuting this early, I’m sure it’s only going to be a summer series and not be around in the Fall.  The series started with a hostage event and a special team of the police was called in to handle the situation.  A man was holding a woman hostage and yelling orders at the team in a foreign language.  I believe he was Croatian.  One of the team went to the roof of a building from which he could see the man and the woman he was holding hostage at gun point.  The sniper had the perfet advantage with the hostage taker’s head in the sight of his rifle.

 

The sniper was given the okay to shoot the target and did so, killing the hostage taker with one shot.  Having seen the teasers for the last several weeks, it seemed that what was shown in the teaser (a body lying on the ground and covered with a tarp) was the end of the program.  I was wrong.  The sniper made his shot during the first thirty minutes of the hour-long show and the remainder of the show covered the investigation of the sniper for having followed orders and shooting the man.

 

There was lots of action during the first 30 minutes of the show and it did slow down somewhat in the second half.  However, it did not slow down enough to make me switch channels to watch something else.  I was interested in what the sniper was going through as he was investigated for doing the shooting and killing.  There was even a tender scene that closed the program when the sniper returnd home and gave his son a big hug.

 

I’d say the CBS has a hit series on their hands.  I enjoyed the series premiere and will watch future episodes.  The cast the strong and the characters were introduced within the first five minutes.  I’m sure the series will get into back stories in upcoming episodes.  I think this is a series that is going to be liked by the public much like 24 has been liked and shown on a different network.  It’s in a good time slot on Friday night following Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs.  Watch next Friday’s episode because some of the action from last nights airing will be included in the program.  I’m hooked and really like the promsing series.

Tired of telephone calls

I get very tired of receiving telephone calls at 8 o’clock in the morning.  One particular company–Capital One–has decided they have every right to call me every morning to try and collect a debt.  I have contacted a debt management company to work for me and have been assured they send notification to Capital One with some sort of paragraph included that states they are not to call me any more unless they want to pay a daily $1,000 fine.  So far, Captial One’s collection department (GC Services) has gone as far as thretening me with local legal action if I do not pay.  I have been assured by the debt management company that they are working hard with their attorneys to stop the daily telephone calls.

 

When the phone rings at 8, I look at the called ID number and hesitate to answer the phone.  I know it’s going to be GC Services calling me again.  I’ve gotten to the place where I give the information (which throws the caller) and then wait to hear what else they are going to say.  When I tell them I don’t have the money, they don’t listen and pass me to a manager who tries to come up with plans that will help me out so I can pay.  Hey!  If I don’t have the money, how is one of their plans going to help me?  I can’t believe how dumb this company is to completely ignore what I have said and try to pass me on to someone else.  It just doesn’t work.  But, how do I get that point across?

 

It could be they don’t care.  I have learned that I’m on an automated dialing system and the computer calls me every day.  First, the company told me that once they received a Power of Attorney they would stop calling me.  Now, they tell me they can legally call because they want a proposal from the deb management company.  Well, the debt management company doesn’t deal in proposals.

 

So, I’m stuck in a messy ordeal that I wouldn’t wish on anyone else.  Has anyone else ever been through this?

Thankful

I’m thankful for many things today.  I woke up, put both feet on the floor and was able to walk.  “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118:24)  I can breathe and enjoy my surroundings.  My arthritis has quelled and the lower back pain has subsided.  It was peaceful this morning and I wrote a poem that I pulished on Authors Den (http://www.authorsden.com/georgeethompson). I’ve thanked the Lord in prayer for giving me the ability to write.

48.

 

There are many who are suffering today and I pray for them that they may have strength to make it one more day.  Many people live for the day; some live for the minute.  I’m one of those people.  I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next five minutes; I only hope it’s good.  That’s called “faith.”  I have faith that people will eventually start visiting both of my web sites:  http://www.sinagain.com and http://www.geetom48.net.  I’ve just found a way to make money on the Internet to supplement my income.  I’m blessed to have found the site and look forward to the challenges I’ll face setting everything up.  But, I am blessed.

 

All of the above sounds like I’m tooting my horn too loudly.  I’m only mentioning all this to show there are blessings available.  Some come to us and others we must find. But that’s part of a daily challenge:  to make the most of each day God gives us and live accordingly.

 

I’m truly blessed.

Pills

Here I am with almost 6 years of sobriety (7/26/08) and I take pills to help me make it through the day.  I take a pill so my hands won’t shake, a pill at night so Restless Leg Syndrome won’t keep me awake.  I take a pill to lower cholesterol and vitamins to make me feel healthy.  So, what have I done?  Exchanged pills for alcohol?  It would seem that way.  I even take a pill for lower back pain.

 

But, what would you do?  Go back to alcohol?  I know if I do that I will die.  And I don’t want to die from alcohol-related symptoms.  I think I’d rather be known as a pill popper any day than to go back to the way things were in 2002.  I was making good money and came home every night so I could drink (alone, too) and pass out on the sofa before going to bed.  Many times I would fall just getting up off the sofa so I could go to bed.  Since my mother lived right below me, I would call her to tell her I was okay.  No more of those days.

 

People in my AA group have said that I’m now a drug addict because I can’t live without taking prescription medicines.  I say I’d rather be on pills the rest of my life than risk going back to alcohol to dull the pains I have every day.

 

What say you?

Independence Day

This is a day of rest.  Call it an “extra” Sunday in the week.  What does it mean to rest and take life easy this particular day?  To me, it means doing absolutely nothing.  A time to clear my head of computers deadlines, etc.  I’m going to spend time with relatives and I don’t have to take any food with me; it’s already been done.  We’ll have the usual homemade ice cream, but the work is done by the machine itself and takes very little effort on the part of the person who wants the ice cream.  A bag of ice, making the mixture and pouring it in the machine, plug in the machine and keep feeding ice and then letting the mixture setup.

 

I value my time and am looking forward to resting and clearing my head.  I’ll watch those around me, take pate in conversations that will not be about business and in the process, be able to come up with new ideas for marketing.  Picking strategies, planning my web site and other things.  I want the relaxation of being away from the computer since I spend eight hours each day using it.  I’m actually busier now that I’m retired than when I was working full time.  I need this respite and intend to enjoy it no matter about anything else.

 

My neice, Trina, found a new job on the east coast and will be moving tomorrow.  That’s also part of the reason I’m looking forward to events today.  I’ll have a chance to wish her luck with her new position–although far away–and spend some time with her.  That’s part of my R&R.

 

Have a GREAT day!!!

Preacher’s Kid

I didn’t know my dad was a minister until I was three and I thought nothing of it.  First and foremost her was my dad and he had a job as a minister.  At five, I still didn’t give much thought to his job and what it meant to him.  It wasn’t until I was a teen that I realized just how important his job was and what it meant to him.  He was responsible and carried a lot on his shoulders.  The congregations he pastored all had needs and he tried to fulfill the needs of each congregant.  Quite a task when you also have a familly.

 

I remember the many Saturday nights he spent working on his sermon, handwriting what he was going to say from the pulpit.  His Bible was well-worn and some pages had been used so much the print was beginning to disappear.  He had his favorite Bible that he carried with him almost all the time.  It meant a lot to him to have that Bible with him as he visited church members in their homes.

 

I guess I rebelled when I finally left home for college and learned to drink.  I had a great time and my grades suffered acordingly.  I really didn’t care; I was having too much fun.  My weekends centered around a bottle of alcohol.  I didn’t care it if was rum, gin, vodka or whiskey.  I wanted to have fun and alcohol became a part of my life.

 

That’s over now.  I’m 63 and learned my lesson the hard way and documented it all in my book, “From Christianity to Sin and Back Again.”  I tell it all and leave nothing to the imagination in the second part of the book which covers my life from the time I was 21 until I was 56.  I live my life without alcohol now, and am certainly glad I had the wakeup call that I did.  You can read about it in the book.

 

Arcadia Valley out.