the plague

I have the plague. I am sniffling, sneezing, wheezing and dripping. This morning I got a nosebleed. I liked to never got it to stop. I have had it on a milder level for the better part of the week. I haven't done much this week.

I did do this drawing recently. It is Dad. The lower right is him at 19 years old and in the US Air Force. The upper left is his 50th year wedding anniversary. I still miss him so.

is that a temperature ?

We woke this morning to 2° F or -17° C. I realize it has been colder. I realize it is colder in other places this morning. However, not one piece of that information makes my feet any warmer. It is just cold. It is days like today that almost make me want to rethink my 'winter is my favorite season' stand. Almost. It is just after 2PM here in KY and the temperature is all the way up to 19° F or -7° C. The weatherman has alluded to temperatures above 60° by Monday of next week. It will be raining, but it will be warmer.

Chella has brought the plague into the house. She insisted on going to see her BF when he was sick. This, of course, gave her the plague, which she immediately brought home to the rest of us. There is sniffling, sneezing, coughing, nose running, congestion. She decides to bring this to us less than two weeks before TJ and I will be auditioning to sing the National Anthem at Lexington Legends baseball games next season. The auditions will be held on Valentines day in the center of the walkway, in the wing of the busiest mall in Lexington. Every year over 400 audition and the Legends chose approximately 70 to sing at home games. This is my fourth time auditioning. I have sang the Anthem at a game for the past three years. It is a blast. Long time readers of my blog will remember a post in July of 2008 which included a video of last years performance.

Last night I sniffled my way through a practice. TJ said it would have been better without the sniffling. I told her that I had to breath. I just had too. We are medicating. I have a terrible time with colds and other respitory ailments. They seem to linger forever. This one will probably be lingering when I audition. Therefore, I better learn to sing it with the cold, rather than without. Just in case.

I think I may have pried one finger loose

I am still sniffly and sneezy. The fever part has wained a lot. I took mine this morning and it was down to 99.4°. My honey (thank you Tammy) worries over me dutifully. I do have a mild heart condition of which infection is not a good thing. I have a murmur. Blood leaks back into my heart. When I have an infection, it can pool behind the leaky valve. It is never a good thing to have a pool of infection in your heart. She also worries about the fever, because a fever causes your heart ro work harder. A harder working heart means more leaking. However, I am beginning to feel better. The congestion is loosening up. I am coughing up the loosened stuff. Mending is on the way.

Tammy was at the ER last night. Her back went into a spasm and she literally couldn't walk yesterday morning. She managed to move around a bit and loosen it up. The pain was unbearable. She went to the ER (our back doctor is in Lexington .. she couldnt be transported that far .. and it was too late) to see if she could get some relief. She was seen by an idiot. She needed muscle relaxers. She told him about her medical history. She told him about her L5 surgery. She told him that her doctor told her this could happen becasue of the L4. He said, he was not convinced it was her L4, even tho the nurse said it was obvious that it was. He implied that she might not be completely honest about it in an effort to get drugs. Here is the catch to that, he was perscribing Lortab to her. If she were lying to get drugs, it would be the Lortab that she would be seeking. She didnt want the Lortab. She wanted a muscle relaxer. Tammy will most likely blog about this and expound further.

This is the same idiot that tried to convince us that Cloe was trying to manipulate us at 11 months by holding her breath until she passed out. Sigh, small town.

Anyway, we are better. The cold is losing the fight. Tammy's back is better albeit still very painful. She is able to move around.

still in da grip of da code

here I am, still fighting with this cold. I hate colds. Did I mention that I hate colds. I did get up earlier and worked on the bible study for my other blog. I completed it and set it to post on Wednesday. Then I crawled back into the security of my water bed. My sweet warm cozy water bed loves me. I woke up short ago with that urgency that took me to the bathroom. Got to replace fluids. Got to take more drugs. Yipee.

So, I am going to cheat a little bit here. I am going to post a poem of mine that may or may not have ever been on my blog. If the date is farther back than August 2004, then I can safely say it has not been. Hope you enjoy. Forgive my disease induced laziness.

Ah, found one. This is a collection of short poems I wrote for Tammy while I was working on the road. I was staying in Madison, Indiana and working on the Clifty Creek Power Plant. For six weeks (or thereabouts) I wrote her a 8 line poem expressing how much I missed her. Here they are for you to enjoy. I call it "The Missing Collection"

The 'Missing' Collection

The sound of the crowd,
Echoes in my ear,
I can hear their revelry,
Their sadness and their cheer,
The joy, well shared,
Is lost, I fear,
Above the noise is the quiet,
The sound of you not being here.
April 18, 2003

I rose early as always,
To greet my new day,
But something was amiss,
As I made my usual way,
It was there behind my voice,
In everything I would say,
The noise that lonely makes,
Whenever you are away.
May 1, 2003

Just one day out,
And the missing has begun,
Still several days,
Before the week is done,
I'll hold you close to heart,
'Til the course is run,
And missing evaporates, like dew,
In the morning sun.
May 7, 2003

Missing the simplest things,
Has my heart beguiled,
A smile full of warmth,
Pure laughter like a child,
The sweetness of her voice,
After familiar numbers are dialed,
Carries my heart to peace,
Where our spirits smiled.
May 8, 2003

I pour myself into work,
Giving all exhaustion will take,
Still at night I lie,
Thinking of you and wide awake,
I try to fill the void,
'Without you' seems to make,
Still no cure I find,
For this missings ache.
May 15, 2003

Missing you,
And the joyous ache it brings
Reminds my heart,
Of the very reason it sings
Why, while we are together,
It soars on gladness wings
Missing tethers me to earth,
With reality strings
May 17, 2003

Ron Simpson, Jr.

I hab a code

sniffling, sneezing, eyes watering, nose running, aching, up all night, cold !!

Tammy says (on another note) that I have been partially vindicated. Several years ago, I wrote a blog about the perfect Christmas gift. I will include excerpts from it in the following post:

I have perfected the entire Christmas experience. We (the family & I) were having an in depth discussion about Christmas. Tammy asked me when I wanted to go Christmas shopping. (We have done some preliminary shopping.) I told her, “December 24th.”

Here’s what you do, I explained. You go to the sock aisle at Meijer and walk down the aisle shoveling socks into the buggy. You do want to make sure you hit a few different colors for those that have favorite colors. Let me ask you, sincerely, who can’t use a few new pairs of socks?

What person, rich or poor, married or single, man or woman, can honestly say that they do not have any need for a couple more pairs of socks?

They are the perfect gift. They are universally worn. They are unisex. They come in one size fits all (except Godzilla feet.) They are more than just made for the feet. They had multiple uses. A nice fluffy sock can also be used as a mitt for car washing. They can be a bank for your loose money. Extra socks can be used as mittens when the tide of the snowball fight is going against you and provide the needful protection to allow you to double your output of firepower.

They are enjoyed by young and old alike.

They eliminate the “you gave him more than me” crying, so often heard this time of the year. Everyone gets socks. They are the great equalizer of today’s society. They eliminate the need to shop for days and stand in line for hours after and before fighting maddening crowds on the road and in parking lots. As a gift, socks reduce stress (always a good thing this time of the year.) Think of the hours you can spend with the kids when you don’t have to be out in the weather, out in the traffic, out in the crowd, fighting for an X-box 360.

Not being out in the weather reduces your chances of getting sick.

Not being in traffic reduces your chances of being in an accident.

Not being in a crowded mall or department store reduces your exposure to germs and idiots.

Socks, as a gift, lengthen your life. It is comforting to know, the years you add to your life by avoiding stressful times and places, will be spent enjoying the socks you have accumulated over the years.

Even though the Bible doesn’t mention it (and I hope I am not being sacrilegious here), I am sure one of the wise men, along with the gold, frankincense, myrrh, thought to bring socks. (After all, they were wise!)

So practical. So easy. So thoughtful. So simple. And yet, so overlooked.

The gift that keeps on giving for years to come. Who would have thought, Christmas could be so simplified, as giving and receiving socks.

Keep those Christmas thoughts flowing, and your toes warm. Have a sock today.

Shop early, shop often. Keep a few extra pairs around for unexpected visitors. Your thoughtfulness will be greatly appreciated.

Nothing says ‘I love you’ more than a nice warm pair of socks.

This message brought to you by the Association of Sock Sellers.(Kidding)

The vindication part comes in, in the fact that, all of the kids this year, on their Christmas gift wish list, have included .. you know it .. SOCKS !!

The truth shall set you free !!

Have a socky day.

Audrey and the spider named Wilson

Audrey had her partial hystorectomy. They did leave her ovaries. The surgery was done by a robot controlled by her doctor. Audrey said it looked like a spider. Her nurses said it was named Wilson, hence, a spider named Wilson. It was cool. They made 5 small incisions and that was it.


Tammy and I spent the night at the hospital. The staff there brought me a chair that unfolds out to a bed. Still, it wasn't my waterbed. Add to that, that the staff came in about every hour to do something, take something, check something, and it was a restless night. We left this morning. She was doing better and Adam (hubby) was on his way there.

This pic is her, post surgery.

They say she will go home this afternoon, if she pees on her own and gets up and moves around. Amazing!

less ouch !! not completely though !

Wednesday is here. My head has relented in it's passionate pursuit of throbbing incessantly.

Yesterday, I took a few doses of a cold & sinus ibuprofen. No, Kroger, we did not use them for the manufacture of illegal drugs. Last night, my head fooled me. It wasn't hurting hardly at all. I decided to take a dose before going to bed. That, apparently, was all it took to wake the sleeping throb. Shortly after taking it, my head began to pound. Go figure?

Today has been better. I did take it early this morning. The pressure has been much better. I can still tell that it is there but not like before. I feel positively human.

I have been working on other writing projects while confined to not bending, stooping, turning, running, walking, breathing .. or so it seems. I have been trying to organize things, or at least figure out how Vista organizes thing, on this new computer. I have used Vista before on the computers at EKU, but that was limited usage. (Perhaps this is a partial contributor to the pain in my brain.)

Now .. to just organize the things on the desk .. and then the room .. and then the house .. and then the garage .. and then ... WAIT ! I need to stop that before this organizational thing gets completely out of control. Every life needs a little clutter, a little chaos, a little out of place-ness, dont you think so ?

Setting the bar too high and infection

Seems odd, but then again, it was an odd day.

Yesterday, Tuesday was primary election day in KY, so I got half a day off with pay to go vote. I actually voted before going to work, so my afternoon was clear. The night before, being aware of this, Tammy suggested that I could come to her work, pick her up, and take her to lunch. That seemed like a great idea.

I left my job at 11am. She got lunch around 1pm. Before I met her, I made a few stops. I stopped at K-Mart to get a cheap toss-able tablecloth (I had a plan.) I looked all over and was about to give it up, when I got to the front and saw the clearance shelves. There they were, Table clothes for $2. I grabbed one and noticed there was some perfume there as well. One of them was Raspberry Ice. (Tammy loves raspberry.) I got the cloth and the perfume and was on my way to my next stop. $9.44

DollarTree. Everything for a dollar or less. There, I got a small bud vase, a crystal candle holder, a pale lavender/pink taper candle, and a pack of lighters. $3.71

China Wall. There I got two combinations of sesame chicken, one extra hot for me. I picked up plastic-ware, duck sauce, soy sauce, and was on my way to Lexington. $14.95

In Lexington, I went to Ashland Florist. I wanted pink daisies. They are Tammy's favorite flowers. They didn't have any pink, but did have a very pale lavender. That would work just fine, considering the candle was a pink/lavender. $1.59

Next stop: Thornton's. I got two cold Diet Dew's. $2.95

$32.66 since I left work, and I was finally on my way to see my hunny.

I called her as I turned on the street where she works and told her I was on my way. She asked where we were going. I told her I would keep that one a secret for now. I pulled up behind the building as she was coming down the stairs. She greeted me at the truck and asked where we were going (persistent, ain't she?) I told her what I had. She loved it. We set up the table and sat down to eat, much to the delight of her co-workers. Several asked what the occasion was. I told them it was Tuesday, and that only happens once this week. It was a great lunch. Priceless.

Her boss (Frank) told her later that I was setting the bar too high for other men. Aaron, a gay guy that Tammy works with said he was developing a crush on me. He wondered if that would bother Tammy or I. she assured him that it wasn't going to bother either of us. We are both very secure in our relationship and realize that other people can like us, have crushes on us, or even lust after us, without affecting how we feel about each other. It only becomes an issue if that person acts on those feelings. Then, it isn't a jealousy issue as much as it is a respect issue. Respect us, respect our relationship, and don't try to interfere with it.

Now, on to the infection. When I got home my tooth was hurting. It had been coming and going for a couple days, but a lot more mildly. Today, it was talking loudly. I decided to lay down for a bit. When I got back up, when Tammy got home, it was swollen until my eye was almost closed. I called my DR because I have Mitral Valve Regurgitation and infection is very dangerous to me. To put it in the simplest terms, one of my valves leaks a little and blood pools behind the valve inside my heart. If I get an infection in my bloodstream, it will pool in my heart and it can kill me. It isn't likely, but it is possible. With that in mind, I called my DR. They suggested that I go to the ER and get a shot of antibiotics.

We went to the local hospital and went to the ER. The nurse was great. We chatted about politics (it was election day) while she got my vitals. Then back to the admitting clerk. She was nice. Then back to a room to wait. The DR was cool, checked me over, and concurred with my DR. Another nurse came in with a hypodermic and the meds. I pulled up my sleeve. She smiled and shook her head, no. She then pointed to her bottom. OH ! One of those shots. I exposed my cheek and she plunged it right in. It eventually got a little sore, but that passed. They gave me a prescription and we were on our way.

This morning it was swollen a little more than last night, but went down during the day. Tammy tried her best to get me to stay home, but today and tomorrow are our last days with students. I have finals to give (school rules) and the park job to finish. Someone asked what happened to my face. I told them that Tammy said, 'shut up' and I thought she said 'get up' and the rest was history. It was still a fun day. We will finish up finals and the park tomorrow and then I will have no students until August.

I was slightly worried that I wouldn't be able to sing on Sunday. I was talking with a little lisp. I can hear it now, O thay can you thee, .... However, I sang it this morning in the truck on the way to work and it sounded fine, no lithp.

And there ya have it.