mr_the_mad

Friends

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:13:18 GMT

You know, here I am, sober I might add, thinking I have great friends. Yet I seldom call and talk to any of them. I then think I have got this trait from my dad, who would literally drive two hundred miles to see if someone he knew happened to be home rather than call them. As my father has been doing poorly and my uncle has just passed away, I have had a lot going on, and I am a bit overwhelmed. Yet, here I am thinking of my friends. I should be drunk, it would make more sense.

To all my friends out there, and you know who you are, thanks, you all mean a lot to me.

Hmm, I wonder if I am having a manic episode.... Nah,I am too lazy for for that.

Dad

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:53:34 GMT

Well, my dad never managed to get to his feet this morning. A friend from his church found him on the floor next to his bed, unable to get up and incoherent. This was around 5:00pm. My dads friend called me and the paramedics. I arrived seconds before the paramedics got there and helped my dad into his bed. The paramedics started an IV and I let them know about his pacemaker and that he has diabetes. They took his blood glucose level from the IV sight and came up with a blood sugar level of 34, which they didn't believe because my dad was alive and awake. The lead paramedic said to retake it with a sample from his finger, this time it was 21. The paramedic said that my dad should at best be in a coma.
Needless to say my dad is still a freak of nature whose purpose is to freak out medical professionals. They pumped him full of sugar and he snapped right out of it to the point they let him stay home. His level was now at 105.
I am contemplating staying with him for a while, at lease a few days until his diabetes is better controlled. Of course that is assuming he would let me stay with him, which I doubt, as he would think he doesn't need a keeper and that he couldn't stand having one of his kids inconvenienced.

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:54:17 GMT

Ouchie!ouchie!ouchie!

That is all....

OK, maybe not, had hernia surgery yesterday, got really good pain drugs, yet when I move there is still exquisite pain. Drugs seem to make me not write whole sentences (oxycodone/apap 10/325, which is percecet w/tylonal, and Ibuprofen 800) and oddly enough once again the bottle says "be careful when consuming alcohol". Somehow I think I will forgo booze for a few days.

Lets see, yesterday's surgery went well, Tuesday's epidermal injection went well, I didn't get the job I interviewed for but I know who did and she is very competent so I don't feel bad about it. Those are the bad to getting better things going on with me.

Flip side, I am finally doing something about all my injuries so I may be able to get on with life again.

The good things in my life (ie, I have a job, I have some of the best friends a person could wish for etc.) still remain steady. All in all I have to think life is a win right now. Being an pessimist that is odd for me to say:)

Life, don't talk to me about life....

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:25:34 GMT

This is just me looking at the irony of my existence, nothing earth shattering.

Life: 01/17/09 through 01/23/2009 and beyond...

Good news, after 8 plus years of not going to the dentist, no cavities, no problems.
Bad news, I have a hernia. Surgery will be on 02/12/2009.
Good news, I know this guy... He came up with round trip air to Puerto Rico for $320.20 and a nice place on the beach for $40.00 a night. I have the vacation time, so I booked for 01/27/09 through 02/01/09.
Bad news, I have a herniated disk in my lower back (L5S1), I have to have a Epidermal Steroid Injection in my spine tomorrow and if it doesn't get better within 4 months, surgery.
Good news, I have been asked to interview for a job I wanted.
Bad news, yes, you guessed it. It is while I am away.

I will try to reschedule the Interview, if I can not do that, I will see if I can leave on vacation later. If neither, I have to make an educated choice based on odds.

Oddly enough, I am oddly optimistic, life is looking up:)

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:12:49 GMT

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Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:58:54 GMT

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:38:34 GMT

This day is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice in the Forest of
Campiegne by the Allies and the Germans in 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th
day of the 11th month). This signified the end of World War I and was
originally known as Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson signed the
Congressional Resolution on Nov. 11, 1919, the first Armistice Day.

However, after World War II, the day began to lose meaning and since there
were many other veterans to consider, the decision was made to change
November 11th to honor all those who fought in American wars. The United
States Congress passed an act to change the name to Veteran's Day and in
1954 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the act.

With that in mind, I would like to say "thank you" to all the men and women
with whom I served, and to especially remember those who aren't with us
anymore.

- Tom
(HM2 USN 1965-69)

WHAT IS A VETERAN?

(Attributed to a Marine Corp chaplain, Father Denis Edward O'Brian)

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged
scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them,
a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps
another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of
adversity.

Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe
wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?

A vet is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two
gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of
fuel.

A vet is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose
overgrown
frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four
hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th Parallel.

A vet is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing
every night for two solid years in Da Nang.

A vet is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't
come back at all.

A vet is the drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved
countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account punks and gang members into
marines, airmen, sailors, soldiers and coast guardsmen, and teaching them to
watch each other's backs.

A vet is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals
with a prosthetic hand.
A vet is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass
him by.

A vet is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose
presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory
of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the
battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

A vet is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and
aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes
all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares
come.

A vet is an ordinary and yet extraordinary human being, a person who offered
some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who
sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

A vet is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is
nothing more that the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest,
greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean
over and say, "Thank You." That's all most people need, and in most cases it
will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".

Remember November 11th is Veteran's Day

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:11:09 GMT

Supreme Court Meme (from Rufina)

As was demonstrated in an interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin is unable to name any Supreme Court Case other than Roe v. Wade.

The Rules: Post info about ONE Supreme Court decision, modern or historic, to your lj. (Any decision, as long as it's not Roe v. Wade.) For those who see this on your f-list, take the meme to your OWN lj to spread the fun.

Miranda VS. Arizona
This mid 1960's case (1966?) says you must read a suspect his rights. Now the common phrase "You have the write to remain silent" is on nearly all cop show's.

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:29:33 GMT

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:06:04 GMT

I am not sure I buy these results, they seem to be half hazard....

Your result for The Best Thing About You Test ...

Honesty
Honesty is your greatest virtue.

Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully. This includes listening, and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. And you? You cannot tell a lie. Both loved ones and strangers should trust you, because you won't (1) lie, (2) lie via omission, or (3) sit there and let lies be told. (Can you even let a sleeping dog lie?) All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your honesty runs deepest.

Your biggest risk is hurting the feelings of your most sensitive friends. However, most appreciate you for your candor.

Honest famous person: George Washington, if you believe the propaganda.

Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.

YOUR VIRTUES

30% Compassion

56% Intelligence

38% Humility

67% Honesty

25% Discipline

29% Courage

42% Passion

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:14:42 GMT

Rules: Post five things you've done that you believe nobody else on your F-list has done. Indulge in remorse (or communal celebration at finding a kindred soul) if someone calls you out on a listed item.

1) Given someone Mouth to mouth resusitation and had them throw up in my mouth.
2) Deliberatly torched a 1968 Camero
3) While driving a bus (a greyhound size bus), I had both side view mirrors simultaniouly snapped off. (the left one by an oncoming semi-truck, the right one by a French Foriegn Legion military truck.)
4) Performed a wedding ceromony for complete strangers at a Saint Paul Saints game during the seventh inning stretch.
5) Driven 18 miles through a forest on trails in a truck with three tires and 1/2 of a rim. while it was dark and snowing. (on my birthday)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:22:56 GMT

family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">

Superhero Team Quiz

LiveJournal Username

Your Primary Super Power

Cape?

Identitiy

Origin

Location of Head Quarters

Primary Costume/Uniform Colors

Why are you a Superhero?

Your Superheroic Codename

The veteran grim member of the team

nutmeg00

The sexist and crass but annoyingly effective one

kumakun

The bright-eyed novice or sidekick

ladymurmur

The teammate that will eventually go evil or insan

mr_the_mad

The inept yet determined/reoccurring supervillain

mr_the_mad

The sinister Arch-Villain and team's greatest foe

henchrose

The perky civilian that keeps getting kidnapped

queeninnarnia

How often does your team actually 'save the day'?

97%

This Fun Quiz created by Shannon at BlogQuiz.Net

Capricorn Horoscope at

Pink Floyd dreams and Physical Therapy

Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00:41 GMT

First off, to my friends in Indiana and North Carolina, your primaries are Tuesday, just think fewer political commercials, you have survived thus far.

Second, I worry about a lot of people. To all of you who keep me in the loop. Thanks

Third and least important though obnoxiously long, an update on life in my world as I see it, with a conclusion that things may just work out.

By the way, if you are fussy about spelling and grammar the following will drive you crazy

So, last night I took a Ambien CR, a Trazadone and had a lovely spiced rum toddy. For an hour and forty five minutes, I felt nothing, then as the world kept revolving, I stopped. Taking this as a sign to go to bed I did so. Mmm what lovely dreams….. Yep, there were psychedelic colors, impossible things and great fun. The only thing that had any cohesive sense was when I was teaching Christa the proper method to chop onions, and I was teaching someone else about poisons because Jack told me I was supposed to do it.
So as an explanation to the above statement, in the last several weeks I have been averaging two to three hours of sleep a night at best. Neither the Ambien nor the Trazadone has worked in assisting putting me asleep. I decided to take drastic action to get a full night sleep, well for me a full night sleep.

I started new physical therapy at a specialty clinic today. I have been doing physical therapy for over a year with no real result and in the last couple of months I have been getting worse pain. In fact, it has gotten to the point where I can not really function properly. As an example of this, I had to yield my final match in the Royal Guards Tourney a couple of weeks ago at Coronation.
Any way, I suppose I should say why I am going to physical therapy. I have been to four doctors concerning pain in the back/chest/arms/shoulders that upon any exertion turns excruciating to the point of nausea, you get the idea.
1st doctor asked me to describe the pain and when it happens, so I did so. She looks at me funny, leaves the room for a couple of minutes, then comes back and asks if I can go to a cardiologist on the other side of town in a couple of hours. I say I can, and ask “why?” to which she says “you just described a heart attack”.
(After seeing the second doctor, this one had me have an MRI and a series of x-rays on my shoulders.)
2nd Doctor, the cardiologist, agrees that the pain cycle is very similar to a heart attack, freaks out when I give him my family history, and has me do a stress tested electrocardiogram, but says the pain is inch or so over from where it should be so it probably isn’t heart related. So I am on a tread mill talking to the doctor. It turns out that his wife and son are fencers at the Minneapolis fencing club. I explain the difference between what we do as compared to Olympic style fencing. He says that is interesting and keeps turning up the speed and angle of the tread mill. Apparently my heart rate isn’t getting to what he wants so he puts it at full blast, and it is almost to what he wants when my hearbeat starts to go WAY faster. At this point I tell the Doctor that the pain I have been feeling is kicking in kind of bad. He says he could have guessed. Already too long story shortened, my heart is fine, at least the electrocardiogram didn’t show anything irregular. But I am to come back for a dye injection if nothing else is found to cause the pain yada yado. He said two interesting things that I will relay to you worry warts. 1) I am in pretty good physical shape as it took the highest setting and prolonged walking to get my heart rate up, and when I stopped every thing went to normal within five minutes. IE, I am in pretty good shape for the shape I am in. 2) He thinks I have large pain thresh hold. So at least I am not a wimp.
3rd Doctor who is an MD and a DO, talked to me very briefly after his two assistants asked a slew of questions and had me have even more x-rays. He asks me “so what do you think is wrong?” I told him that I think I have a rib tip out of place. He blinked and said “you do, in fact you have several ribs out of place”

+++So, as an aside, thank you Lord Foacault DeLaMonte, for your two minute exam at Coronation, with your conclusion that I had ribs out of place, your two minute exam got 90% of what is wrong with me that took several MD’s to diagnose+++

So the final diagnoses: Thorasic Somatic Dysfuntion. I have a twisted spin, with four, yes FOUR ribs displaced. One way off.
He asked if I wanted him to try and “crack the back into place” I said “If you think it would help” He said it might for a little while and proceeds to throw me around like a little bitch straightening my back and pushing the ribs back into place. Jesus tap dancing Christ that HURT.

Today started physical therapy. The therapist was the founder of the clinic and a doctor of osteopathy. He is concentrating on one displaced rib, the worst one, for now. He says I am a classic case for what is wrong with me and thinks it will be interesting. (Stating jokingly “not that I know how to treat it”). He has me doing some silly looking and painful movements to loosen the thoracic cavity and doing manipulation to keep the rib in place.

The final thing he says is that this process is very painful but you seem to be tolerating it well, I have had about ten cases like yours in the last couple of years and seven of them were completely fixed within a few months and he feels I will probably do well with the therapy.

Lastly, a quick note on the Royal Guard Tourney, it was fun. I did OK.

So thus is life.

missed callings

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:14 GMT

So, my friend Dan gave me this picture from his wedding. I performed the wedding ceremony. Oddly enough it makes me think that I should have gone into a different line of work.

Of course looking at the photo below makes me think a lot of us at the wedding could have been in a different line of work.

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:26:16 GMT

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Nordskogen Rapier tourney

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:28:40 GMT

It has occurred to me that I have an opportunity to say something I don't get to say enough. I had a great time fencing last night. The Nordskogen fencers in general rocked at the rapier tourney, they fought well, with honer and we all had fun. There was very little drama and a whole lot of fun. Yay us! The one regret I had was that due to time restraints lessingejumeau was eliminated by card draw. He pulled the ace of spades from the deck and aces were low cards. he took it in stride and smiled so kudos to him!

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:55:24 GMT

Why my job is stressfull:

Last week I had a need to stay home. My direct supervisor was on vacation so I submitted my request for vacation time to our alternate supervisor. Here is the response I got.

"Ron, I know you would like to conserve your sick time for when you really need it, however you can not use vacation time in this instance."

and now, my direct supervisor has to approve of my time sheet and here is what she said.

"Good morning Ron, As much as I understand this wasn’t how you want to use your vacation time, it unfortunately doesn’t qualify as sick time, please update your timesheet for 2/26. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you"

These two supervisors have the exact same position.

I copied and pasted each others emails and sent a copy to them both with this message.

"Is there a seminar or something supervisors can attend? I seem to be getting conflicting information"

I have not heard back from either of them.

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:54:19 GMT

And so it goes.......

The sun has set on another day with no regard to the masses who walk this world.

At 10:07 am cst the stand off at my home came to an end. After a multiple skirmishes, the government took notice and put an end to it. Storming the room, they took Pepe into custody with no deaths and only minor casualties.
Later in the day, I went forth armed with nothing but a fierce determination on a quest to find the world Pepe came from. I knew I had to find the entry way from Pepe's world to mine to put an end of the skunk threat. Crawling into the under world, their world (under my deck), I went forth to do battle. I never came face to face with the enemy, but I did run into a couple regular, non-pole cats. After a perilous search, I found the den of the beasts. I left their world only to arm myself with "great stuff" and chemical weapons of my own. I went back to the den of the beast and sealed it shut, then to be sure, I soaked the area around the den with heavy duty animal repellent.

Now I must see to the comfort of those who's lives are forever changed...... and the clean up. I wonder, what have I learned? What have WE learned? Perhaps that seeking tableau love only leads to hardship and heartache. Maybe it is something else, something more universal..... like flying monkeys are the natural enemies of midget snipers.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:01:22 GMT

It is now 2:04am, day two of the skunk watch. The door remains barricaded, but the chemical attacks have begun. A distinct oder now waifs from the direction of my bedroom. Pepe has taken the arsenal and is digging in. I have armed myself with a hard used 10/22, I am hoping it is enough...... The second trap has been sprung, but I don't have too many hopes that Pepe is in it. He has tried that ploy before, or at least I hope he has. The alternatives are unthinkable.... Crap, I just thought of them! Lets see, Pepe has moved his family in so there are residents in both traps or he has learned to escape traps, through mutant powers or perhaps mutant thumbs..... Now I just hope I can hold on until morning......

Just for a side note. I picked up Dan and Company at the air port at 11:00pm tonight. They are less than helpful. Dan and his lovely wife Barb both say "only you Ron" and they are right. Dan had a gift of spiced rum for me and he sent me home with that and the hard used 10/22. I suspect any cops who saw me would have wanted to have a word. A bottle in one hand, a rifle in the other. My god I felt like a red neck. Come to think about it, I did watch the stock car race last week. Oh No, can it be?!?!?! I have varmits in my house and I is plannen to shoots them..... I have been feeling my IQ drop too. I am deathly afraid of what may turning in to........

Of course if Pepe is in the trap and alone, animal control will pick him up tomorrow morning. I will strip my room of stuff, clean it and re assemble it. I still need to crawl under my deck and look for entry points. The sad part is, this really is par for course for my life.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:19:44 GMT

My day can get worse. It isn't over. It can still go further down hill. It is early yet.....

There is a skunk living in my room. It is living there contently feeding off the food in the bated live traps. I don't know how it got in, I don't know how it will get out. Unless it can really teleport. There is now evidence of this......

So, I am at work. Doing my job in a normal humdrum manner. I get a call that I let go to voice mail because I am in a discussion with co-workers. I check my message. It is from the roommate. Yes, Aryn has wonderful news. The cat has a new friend. I think if you have heard Aryn's distressed shocked voice you can the imagine the call "There's a skunk in your room!!! I don't know how it got in!! I called animal control and they will be here in an hour..... I locked Voss (cat #1) in my room I don't know where she (cat #2) is!"

I go home. Cat #2 was in my room. Animal control set two live traps in my room and evacuated her (OK, so the girl cat doesn't have a name). We start the waiting game. I have checked 90% of my foundation, to include pulling up some board in the front stoop. No visible way in. I have one place to check, but I don;t really think crawling under the deck in my work clothes is a good idea so I wait.

While waiting I think, hey, my car hasn't been running well, I will go have it looked at. I am there for a bit they diagnose a $30 fix. I say OK and go off to lunch. When I get back from lunch, they say the fix cleared one problem but more have subsequently come up. To cut it short, I spent five hours at the shop, spent $170.00 and the car is still not fixed.

Home now. We were bieifly exited. One of the traps in my room shut. Hurray we all think. Of course the skunk wasn't actually in the trap. It was wondering around my room, the trap obviously didn't work, or the skunk can teleport! So the drama continues. All the means to eliminate Misuer LePew are in my room. I think I saw him trying to get in my gun locker when I was looking through the window.

If we are all murdered in our sleep, remember, the skunk, the skunk. We trapped him, we make him give up his true love now we are preventing him from eating. Motive! We are just outside a very thin hollow door, easily breached, so there is opportunity. He has access to a wide variety of weapons, so he has the means.........

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:51:47 GMT

This is disturbing, I thought I would do better......

You Are 86% Evil

You're the most evil person you know.

The devil is even a little scared of you!

How Evil Are You?

Ave. Q

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:56:38 GMT

Went to Avenue Q. It was well worth seeing. Though now I have the sad statement to make. I have now seen puppet sex (Team America) and perhaps even worse Muppet sex..... The muppets only had half bodies. It IS worth seeing even if there are a couple of somewhat disturbing (but very very funny; ) scenes.

guilted into saying 7 quirky things

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:39:04 GMT

OK, so I now feel guilty that I haven't posted my 7 quirky things because my Don broke down and listed seven of his.

7) Finding a dead person sitting on a bus stop doesn't freak me out, I have seen a lot of dead people. However, seeing a mouse unexpectedly freaks me right the hell out.

6) Oddly enough, I have been slashed (ok, so it isn't as bad as stabbed), shot at on more than one occation (I only got to shoot back once), run off the road and blown up. Yet, the idea of getting into another fight in my life makes me feel ill. I probably wouldn't have put this one down, as I don't think it is a quirk, but I needed one more and am stealing ideas from Jack.

5) I am naturally contrary.

4) I love to go hunting, I see game, I am a good shot, yet I never bag anything. Its the chickadee's fault.

3) I have had more odd jobs than most people, some of the odd ones include donut fryer, counsiler at teen rehab camp, Military Police, Special investigator at a casino, financial advisor, truck driver and boiler tech. There are more (like being a minister, well officiating weddings any ways) but you get the gist.

2) every scrap of luck I have is reserved for pulling my ass out of tight situations. Other than that, I get few breaks.

1) The Ron factor......

And there you have them.
I won't pass on this list either, chain letters are a curse. Plus I didn't wanna, so why should I torment someone else?

Baroness of Nordskogen

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:29:59 GMT

So I spent an hour telling Elizabeth that she would be a good Baroness, and she should run with me for Baron and Baroness of Nordskogen. I started the conversation in jest. After hearing her say how bad she would be and having so much fun explaining why she would be a good baroness I think it would be even more fun if others have a say in the matter. So would http://queeninnarnia.livejournal.com/profile be a good baroness.

PS Some day I am going to figure out to work livejournal:)

Drinking again

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:05:02 GMT

So, in the grand scheme of things, would you take a job that pays a decent wage, has good benefits, including full health for you and family, a decent pension plan in addition to a 401k plan, regular hours for the most part, and if you have to work off shift it will be rotating with pay differential and voluntary overtime whenever you wanted would you take it?

What if the goal of the corporation was to destroy the world? Would you still take it?

Just curious.......