This has been a harsh month on the river. After the joy of Thanksgiving we lost two dear friends: Willie Vann and Charles Ivey. Both passed away within a two week period so that gave us one funeral and one rememberance to attend during that time frame. Willie was buried at Long Springs, just down river from the homestead, and Charles is being taken home to Gary, Indiana by his mother after the rememberance tomorrow. Both will be missed very, very much.
On the up side of things, this is the last day of the actual academic semester here at NSU. Next week is finals and then we're out (the faculty) till the second week of January, 2006. This is good. It gives me time to work on lesson plans and get some sort of a schedule created for the next semester.
Linda finished her internship this week! Huzzahs and Kudos (both the cheer and the candy bar) to her for a long, hard, weird trip. So...watch yourselves! Mom is now a fully trained psychologist, and you know what that means! You thought you couldn't get away with anything before?
I turned 52 on Sunday. Wow...I've outlived most of my maternal bloodline now! Pretty spiffy.
Alas, I have to go now and deal with frozen water pipes and such. We are looking into purchasing a new home for the new year, and we will post more on that as we go through the painful process of procurement.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
There...and back again....
So, whats it gots in its pocketses, precious? It was a wedding invitation in the Quad Cities, Moline to be exact, to attend Melba's wedding to Randy. 12+ hours one way, the same coming back.
It was an interesting four days filled with fun, food, and angst.
The bride was radiently beautiful, the groom looked dapper, an interesting time was had by all.
It was an interesting four days filled with fun, food, and angst.
The bride was radiently beautiful, the groom looked dapper, an interesting time was had by all.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Been to the Doctor...
and boy, is it strange! The Dr. sent me for half a page of tests, which were done this morning prior to my 0930 class, and I won't know the results for a few days.
The poor lab tech who drew my multiple vials of blood didn't believe me when I warned her that my veins were difficult to find and that they would roll if not trapped in place. She believes me now. The Xray tech was a trainee so they had to shoot the films twice, and the nurse who ran the EKG/ECG/something or other had to shave little round spots on my so she could stick the receptor pads onto my skin. I look like I've been the victim of an alien abduction and examination!
Ah, well....could be worse....I could be grading research papers done by asian students...
No, that's NEXT weekend....
The poor lab tech who drew my multiple vials of blood didn't believe me when I warned her that my veins were difficult to find and that they would roll if not trapped in place. She believes me now. The Xray tech was a trainee so they had to shoot the films twice, and the nurse who ran the EKG/ECG/something or other had to shave little round spots on my so she could stick the receptor pads onto my skin. I look like I've been the victim of an alien abduction and examination!
Ah, well....could be worse....I could be grading research papers done by asian students...
No, that's NEXT weekend....
Monday, October 03, 2005
Going to the Doctor
Ok, I can only take so many people telling me to take better care of myself....sheesh, you'd think a 40 lb weight loss would be good for a little slack, but the last couple of weeks the old chest has been hurting, had tingling pain in the left arm, the tummy's been upset so I let Linda talk me into going to the HMO doctor here in town. My appointment is in half an hour and I'll post what the results were.
I already know what he's going to say: Lose more weight, exercise more, less stress, all that stuff...I'm woikin onnit...okaY??!
I already know what he's going to say: Lose more weight, exercise more, less stress, all that stuff...I'm woikin onnit...okaY??!
Cingular Wireless
I purchased a game, "Baldur's Gate," for my Samsung phone and all I get is a "network not responding" message...what the heck is this all about? I want my game! I want my butt kicked by my phone because the abuse I get on the computer version is not enough!!
Friday, September 16, 2005
International Talk Like A Pirate Day September 19, 2005
Ok....start by going here: http://www.talklikeapirate.com. Read, enjoy, participate! It may not be percieved as a "true holiday," but neither is "Step Parents Day" and the card companies are already trying to sell smarmy stuff for that one.
One of the things you can do is create your very own pirate personality and name...here be mine, matey!
My pirate name is:
Black William Flint
Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.
Go...do...pillage...Aarrhrrhrrrr!!!!!!!!!
One of the things you can do is create your very own pirate personality and name...here be mine, matey!
My pirate name is:
Black William Flint
Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Store-bought teeth
Y'know, if I'd known I'd feel this much better, I'd have had these teeth yanked years ago! Dr. Matt (my dentist) removed the remaining upper teeth and fit the upper dental plate on Friday morning and I felt incredible by Saturday afternoon. I felt so good that I got up and helped out with housework and did some yardwork today. When they removed the "remaindered" tooth, the one where I had the cap, there was this huge bubble of infection attached to the root of the tooth and I'm figuring that was the reason I've been running a low grade fever for so long. It was bad enough Dr. Matt made an issue of the whole thing!
But, I've got uppers, and the worst part so far has been the residual pain from the puncture wounds where they injected the Xylocain. The extractions were relatively painless...completely unlike my last two rounds where I thought I would have to die to get better.
So...I've got uppers. I'm still, you should pardon the pun, fuzzy on when I get the partial lower bridge, but it's coming. I've got to get used to eating with this chunk of plastic crammed in my mouth for the time being...that's taking some adjustment, let me tell you! No steak for Tony for quite a while...or pizza...or nachos...oh, well...
But, I've got uppers, and the worst part so far has been the residual pain from the puncture wounds where they injected the Xylocain. The extractions were relatively painless...completely unlike my last two rounds where I thought I would have to die to get better.
So...I've got uppers. I'm still, you should pardon the pun, fuzzy on when I get the partial lower bridge, but it's coming. I've got to get used to eating with this chunk of plastic crammed in my mouth for the time being...that's taking some adjustment, let me tell you! No steak for Tony for quite a while...or pizza...or nachos...oh, well...
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Getting caught up but not getting things caught in my teeth...
Lessee...
Ok, first, Bree finally graduate high school. We're so incredibly proud of her it's almost painful. *sniff...my baby is finally a growed up person thing...* She's had a few weeks of craziness and now it's time to get down to basics. She starts college in August and she's already being feared and admired by my department...they've had to put up with her wit, charm, and intellect for several years and a couple of the senior Ph'D's have requested she take their classes. I think so they can be sure she gets the training in academic torture methodololgies she needs, but I could be worong...I'm just the dad.
Now, the teefs. I had round two of removals two weeks ago when they pulled two bottom teeth. It was surgical and, of course, more expensive, but incrediblye easier...except for the being sick for a week afterwards. I go on June 24 to get the remaining uppers remove, the upper temporary plate installed, and the lower bridge installed....then it's just weeks of pain and suffering as we refit the whole rig as the swelling goes down and I adjust to the new orthodonture.
I'm teaching Japanese kids English again this summer. I may well be teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at the college this year as well as my usual Comp I and II load...the department chair is threatening me with it and it doesn't pay any more but hell, it's a job! I did, however, get a raise this year...three years and I got an extra 2o cents per hour...ah, well...it's all good.
OH, and I got my first Fathers Day gift! From Chris and Chaz...it's the Diskworld Role Playing Game rulebook...a GURPS system book...and just laugh out loud, fall on the floor fun! I've already got a couple of ideas for adventures.....hehehehehehe.....
Ok, first, Bree finally graduate high school. We're so incredibly proud of her it's almost painful. *sniff...my baby is finally a growed up person thing...* She's had a few weeks of craziness and now it's time to get down to basics. She starts college in August and she's already being feared and admired by my department...they've had to put up with her wit, charm, and intellect for several years and a couple of the senior Ph'D's have requested she take their classes. I think so they can be sure she gets the training in academic torture methodololgies she needs, but I could be worong...I'm just the dad.
Now, the teefs. I had round two of removals two weeks ago when they pulled two bottom teeth. It was surgical and, of course, more expensive, but incrediblye easier...except for the being sick for a week afterwards. I go on June 24 to get the remaining uppers remove, the upper temporary plate installed, and the lower bridge installed....then it's just weeks of pain and suffering as we refit the whole rig as the swelling goes down and I adjust to the new orthodonture.
I'm teaching Japanese kids English again this summer. I may well be teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at the college this year as well as my usual Comp I and II load...the department chair is threatening me with it and it doesn't pay any more but hell, it's a job! I did, however, get a raise this year...three years and I got an extra 2o cents per hour...ah, well...it's all good.
OH, and I got my first Fathers Day gift! From Chris and Chaz...it's the Diskworld Role Playing Game rulebook...a GURPS system book...and just laugh out loud, fall on the floor fun! I've already got a couple of ideas for adventures.....hehehehehehe.....
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
"It gots teefes, don' it?"
{The answer to the question: "Do it bite?"}
Presently, I am in the process of losing my teeth. In groups. Not all at the same time, darn it, but through the system of groups. Let me explain....no, no, that would take too long...let me sum up.
I have terrible teeth. Between the bar fights, the motorcycle accidents, genetics, and what not they're just crappy. Bits and pieces of them have been falling out and off for years. Because of the wonders of group insurance I can now have them removed and have store bought teeth instead. But, as with every blessing, "it don't come easy."
According to my dentist my roots are such that they not only wrap around the jaw bone but then splay out and become "fibril." That means that they develop an almost capilary root system and become a nightmare to remove. I could have told him that...heck, I DID tell him that, but I'm not qualified to have an opinion of my own teeth.
The poor guy got a full aerobic workout pulling my bottom right eye tooth. He put a foot on the side of the chair base, wrapped both hands around the extractor, and ended up picking me up off the chair itself. It took half an hour and four tries to get the silly thing out of my mouth. It's been three weeks and I'm still bruised from the ordeal.
I go in for the next round on June 2. They will remove the rest of my upper teeth as well as all but six of my bottom teeth leaving the ones in front to hold a partial bridge in place. At that time the dentist will also fit the temporary upper plate and I'll begin the almost year long process of learning to have teeth that work, just hurt like hell all the time. Ah, but, it'll be nice to have an actual smile, now won't it?
Semester is over at NSU. I'm in the cataloge for next year already so I know my contract is secure for the next season, and they're talking about what they want me to be doing several years down the line. Being a responsible adult is interesting....kinda/sorta. The money is nice, however.
Bree is gradiatin' next Friday. She's put in a request for small appliances instead of cash or other stuff because she's moving out here soon and wants to have as much of her household goods as possible. Keep that in mind.
Presently, I am in the process of losing my teeth. In groups. Not all at the same time, darn it, but through the system of groups. Let me explain....no, no, that would take too long...let me sum up.
I have terrible teeth. Between the bar fights, the motorcycle accidents, genetics, and what not they're just crappy. Bits and pieces of them have been falling out and off for years. Because of the wonders of group insurance I can now have them removed and have store bought teeth instead. But, as with every blessing, "it don't come easy."
According to my dentist my roots are such that they not only wrap around the jaw bone but then splay out and become "fibril." That means that they develop an almost capilary root system and become a nightmare to remove. I could have told him that...heck, I DID tell him that, but I'm not qualified to have an opinion of my own teeth.
The poor guy got a full aerobic workout pulling my bottom right eye tooth. He put a foot on the side of the chair base, wrapped both hands around the extractor, and ended up picking me up off the chair itself. It took half an hour and four tries to get the silly thing out of my mouth. It's been three weeks and I'm still bruised from the ordeal.
I go in for the next round on June 2. They will remove the rest of my upper teeth as well as all but six of my bottom teeth leaving the ones in front to hold a partial bridge in place. At that time the dentist will also fit the temporary upper plate and I'll begin the almost year long process of learning to have teeth that work, just hurt like hell all the time. Ah, but, it'll be nice to have an actual smile, now won't it?
Semester is over at NSU. I'm in the cataloge for next year already so I know my contract is secure for the next season, and they're talking about what they want me to be doing several years down the line. Being a responsible adult is interesting....kinda/sorta. The money is nice, however.
Bree is gradiatin' next Friday. She's put in a request for small appliances instead of cash or other stuff because she's moving out here soon and wants to have as much of her household goods as possible. Keep that in mind.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
PhD Update
Or, actually, PhDon't. That's right, Univ. of Ark. turned me down. They said I didn't write well enough to be in their program. Can you believe that? 30+ first place writing awards in journalism, three different syndicated newspaper columns, books that completely sold out their printings and I don't write well enough to participate in their PhD program.
Actually, it all comes down to my age. I'm too old for their program. Oh, they won't say that...it's against the law! But they want younger folks who have never been out of college and have a long publishing career ahead of them.
So, I keep looking....
Actually, it all comes down to my age. I'm too old for their program. Oh, they won't say that...it's against the law! But they want younger folks who have never been out of college and have a long publishing career ahead of them.
So, I keep looking....
AAuugghhh!!!!!!!!
I've been home from the dentists' office for about an hour and a half and let me tell you this really is not a lot of fun. The dentist only got half the work done because he spent over half an hour on just one tooth and, in my opinion, should have cut it out but spent all that time bruising my mouth and leaving the other half of my teeth in place.
So I get to go back for the second half in about a month. Rather than get my denture and bridge within weeks, it's going to be months.
And, to quite literaly add insult to injury, I went to a certain "all in one" department store where I have all my prescriptions filled and they wouldn't accept my Rx insurance because, while they DO accept the HMO, the HMO doesn't accept prescriptions from my dentist....
So I have to go back tomorrow for a follow up from the extractions and you can be sure that they're going to hear about that little surprise.
The meds are finally starting to kick in, so I'm going to go set back and wait to fall over...
So I get to go back for the second half in about a month. Rather than get my denture and bridge within weeks, it's going to be months.
And, to quite literaly add insult to injury, I went to a certain "all in one" department store where I have all my prescriptions filled and they wouldn't accept my Rx insurance because, while they DO accept the HMO, the HMO doesn't accept prescriptions from my dentist....
So I have to go back tomorrow for a follow up from the extractions and you can be sure that they're going to hear about that little surprise.
The meds are finally starting to kick in, so I'm going to go set back and wait to fall over...
Friday, April 15, 2005
...and yet we endure!
It's been a couple of weeks since the debacle over the dinosaur poo pad. We finally managed to construct one of the two storage buildings and have plans to erect the second one this weekend. In the meantime we have been busily planting apple trees and a weeping cherry tree (beautiful thing, looks like a cross between a weeping willow and a cherry tree...hence the name, I guess), putting in dozens of petunias and dianthus and creating a new "shade" bed where we will be planting elephant ears (what the hell do we do with the REST of the elephant??), and other plants of the same concept.
Next Wednesday I'm going to the dentists and having all but the front six bottom teeth removed. I'll get a full upper dental plate and a lower bridge. It'll be interesting to have teeth that don't bite the owner!
That Friday we have the practice session for a wedding I'm officiating at, and then the next day, Saturday, we have the wedding as well as Bree's Senior Prom.
Yes, Bree is "proming" and graduating. Terrifying and yet beautiful.
Whups....gotta go annoy my next class....more later.
Next Wednesday I'm going to the dentists and having all but the front six bottom teeth removed. I'll get a full upper dental plate and a lower bridge. It'll be interesting to have teeth that don't bite the owner!
That Friday we have the practice session for a wedding I'm officiating at, and then the next day, Saturday, we have the wedding as well as Bree's Senior Prom.
Yes, Bree is "proming" and graduating. Terrifying and yet beautiful.
Whups....gotta go annoy my next class....more later.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
The Sad Pad of Dispair..OR...Oy, My Achin' Back!
We have finally begun major renovations of the homestead by arranging with one of the local concrete companies to bring us four and a half square yards of dinosaur poo from which we made a 15'x25' pad to place the "build it yourself" storage buildings that have been sitting in the front yard for the past two years upon.
I say dinosaur poo because concrete should flow like gravy, not sit in a large, damp pile looking like some huge herbivour with bad dietary habits paused in your yard. The concrete delivery person wasn't the least bit interested in the fact that it wasn't the consistency it was supposed to be...he just wanted to, you should pardon the phrase, dump his load and go.
Sooo...picture Mom, Bree, and me out with two shovels and a garden rake trying to move a ton of wet poo into a frame. Not a pretty sight! We eventually had to take the old gaming table, tie it to the garden tractor, and have Bree sit on the table as we dragged it back and forth across the concrete in an attempt to make it smooth. Didn't work.
There are huge cavetations, you can see where the original pile was at because the entire pad slopes away from that point, and it in general looks like Poo in a form. But it is done.
Next, we hired a couple of young men to construct the buildings for us. They didn't show up until late in the afternoon on the first day and puttered around doing nothing more than sorting out the parts and mis-assembling the base frame. They didn't show at all the second day. The third day Mom and I went to make our run to town and passed them in town. They waved and smiled like nothing was wrong.
When we got home we began construction on the first building ourselves and had 90% of it done in about five hours. We went out the next day and finished it up in around three hours and saved ourselves a bunch of money in the process. Now that we know how they go together, Mom is going to do pre-assembly of the base and corner sections, and the roofing struts, and we can get the rest of the building up in an afternoon.
Now, understand, you can see daylight under three of the four corners of the existing building. We are going to have to go in with a level and several bags of sacrete as well as spray foam insulation and make the buildings truly level but hey, we can start moving stuff out of the house and into the storage units as soon as it stops raining!
We hope to have the other building up and everything moved in the next couple of weeks so we can start repairs on the house. Anyone (within reason) who wants to show up and help is welcome! I'll fix lunch and we'll have a good time!!
I say dinosaur poo because concrete should flow like gravy, not sit in a large, damp pile looking like some huge herbivour with bad dietary habits paused in your yard. The concrete delivery person wasn't the least bit interested in the fact that it wasn't the consistency it was supposed to be...he just wanted to, you should pardon the phrase, dump his load and go.
Sooo...picture Mom, Bree, and me out with two shovels and a garden rake trying to move a ton of wet poo into a frame. Not a pretty sight! We eventually had to take the old gaming table, tie it to the garden tractor, and have Bree sit on the table as we dragged it back and forth across the concrete in an attempt to make it smooth. Didn't work.
There are huge cavetations, you can see where the original pile was at because the entire pad slopes away from that point, and it in general looks like Poo in a form. But it is done.
Next, we hired a couple of young men to construct the buildings for us. They didn't show up until late in the afternoon on the first day and puttered around doing nothing more than sorting out the parts and mis-assembling the base frame. They didn't show at all the second day. The third day Mom and I went to make our run to town and passed them in town. They waved and smiled like nothing was wrong.
When we got home we began construction on the first building ourselves and had 90% of it done in about five hours. We went out the next day and finished it up in around three hours and saved ourselves a bunch of money in the process. Now that we know how they go together, Mom is going to do pre-assembly of the base and corner sections, and the roofing struts, and we can get the rest of the building up in an afternoon.
Now, understand, you can see daylight under three of the four corners of the existing building. We are going to have to go in with a level and several bags of sacrete as well as spray foam insulation and make the buildings truly level but hey, we can start moving stuff out of the house and into the storage units as soon as it stops raining!
We hope to have the other building up and everything moved in the next couple of weeks so we can start repairs on the house. Anyone (within reason) who wants to show up and help is welcome! I'll fix lunch and we'll have a good time!!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Life is Constanlty Interesting
Lessee...since last we met....
I heard back from the University of Arkansas on my application for a slot in their PhD in English program. Seems they had everything but my actual application to the College of English. I had to track down my professional portfolio (it's assessment time again) and get info from it to fill out a whole new set of forms and have them overnighted (can we actually use that as a verb??) in order to make the requirements. Of course, they called on a Monday night and the forms were due on Tuesday...they got them Friday. We shall see what we shall see, eh?
I'm actually in the NSU Fall 2005 course schedule...by NAME! I guess they're gonna keep me (insert sally fields oscar speech here..) at least for another year. I've done good by the department and they appreciate it. I'm teaching two comp I and two comp II classes with a release for the fifth class because I'm the "tech guy" for the department as well as the webmaster and main lackey. That's cool. I'll play lackey if they continue to pay. I've done worse things for less money, trust me.
Spring is attempting to rear it's head out in the valley. Between freezing mornings and warm afternoons nature is schizophrenic it seems. The pollen count is insane and we've discovered where the dividing line is between the "breathe/don't breathe" parts of NE Oklahoma: just about at the bridge at Muskogee. Soon as you hit the nurseries, the sinuses shut down.
Linda and I had three days in Tulsa last weekend. We left Friday, went to the Maul, er, Mall...and I bought her the birthday present I've wanted to get her for years: a diamond ring. Looks incredible on her tiny little hand, I must say. We went to Philbrook and viewed the Hudson River Artists show...what amazing use of light and space! I just can't rant enough about how beautiful it all was. Philbrook was nice too, but, hey, once you've seen it, it's still the same building.
This week has been Mid Term Exams and the final turn-in for research papers....guess what I get to do next week while everyone else is on spring break? I've managed to cut the work load by 2/3 by buckling down and getting the baseline grading done. If I do it right, there's about an hour a day of the other grading....I may yet get some of this legendary "free time" that the students speak of....
Well, it's time to go teach other teachers how to create online syllabi and class websites....my evening shift is about to begin, so, peace and remember: Life is Good!
I heard back from the University of Arkansas on my application for a slot in their PhD in English program. Seems they had everything but my actual application to the College of English. I had to track down my professional portfolio (it's assessment time again) and get info from it to fill out a whole new set of forms and have them overnighted (can we actually use that as a verb??) in order to make the requirements. Of course, they called on a Monday night and the forms were due on Tuesday...they got them Friday. We shall see what we shall see, eh?
I'm actually in the NSU Fall 2005 course schedule...by NAME! I guess they're gonna keep me (insert sally fields oscar speech here..) at least for another year. I've done good by the department and they appreciate it. I'm teaching two comp I and two comp II classes with a release for the fifth class because I'm the "tech guy" for the department as well as the webmaster and main lackey. That's cool. I'll play lackey if they continue to pay. I've done worse things for less money, trust me.
Spring is attempting to rear it's head out in the valley. Between freezing mornings and warm afternoons nature is schizophrenic it seems. The pollen count is insane and we've discovered where the dividing line is between the "breathe/don't breathe" parts of NE Oklahoma: just about at the bridge at Muskogee. Soon as you hit the nurseries, the sinuses shut down.
Linda and I had three days in Tulsa last weekend. We left Friday, went to the Maul, er, Mall...and I bought her the birthday present I've wanted to get her for years: a diamond ring. Looks incredible on her tiny little hand, I must say. We went to Philbrook and viewed the Hudson River Artists show...what amazing use of light and space! I just can't rant enough about how beautiful it all was. Philbrook was nice too, but, hey, once you've seen it, it's still the same building.
This week has been Mid Term Exams and the final turn-in for research papers....guess what I get to do next week while everyone else is on spring break? I've managed to cut the work load by 2/3 by buckling down and getting the baseline grading done. If I do it right, there's about an hour a day of the other grading....I may yet get some of this legendary "free time" that the students speak of....
Well, it's time to go teach other teachers how to create online syllabi and class websites....my evening shift is about to begin, so, peace and remember: Life is Good!
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