Taking Drugs & Losing Friends

 I Don't Drink ...

...and my friends are pretty glad that I don't.  I don't do pot, or any other shape or form of recreational drugs. Additionally, I've never been drunk or under the influence of anything other than, perhaps, a lack of sleep.  I'm fairly disinhibited as a rule and to think of my becoming more disinhibited chemically is a scary thought to my friends and to me. (Woman seen running naked through Bible study group.  Film at 11:00)

Beware the Prescription Pad...

A few weeks ago, I was hospitalized for kidney stones and given "oxy" for pain.  Oh.  My.  Goodness. Gracious.  I wasn't happy or loopy or serene or sleepy.  I was mean.  Just plain ol' mean.  Tis a pity that no one took my phone away from me, cause I managed to offend a whole group of my friends via e-mail.  Mean.  Mean.  Mean.

After it wore off and I looked back at what I'd done, I was horrified.  I apologized, and apologized and I'm still apologizing.  I ask for G-d's forgiveness several times.  I know that he's quick to forgive - I think I was really trying to forgive myself.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?...

I do believe that there is a bright side to this whole affair.  My mom was a big believer in "looking on the bright side."  (Her cousin, A. P. Carter, wrote Keep on the Sunny Side.  Maybe it's genetic.)   

  My father was a physically, emotionally and sexually abusive alcoholic.  He was sweet, kind and funny until he was drunk - then he was the exact opposite.  

I've always thought that the "drunken" side of him was his real self and the sober was just a cover up.  Now I'm pretty sure that it is just the opposite.  It's a nice thought.  I think I'll believe it.

 Being the Church: 

Facing Divisive Issues Without Dividing the Body of Christ

This work is based, in large part, on the work of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Richmond, VA, as they sought to discern God's will regarding their response to the LGBTQ community.  

I pray that this process might help other congregations as they deal with this and other divisive issues.

-mjd

 Testing

Testing

More Testing

Still Testing

Testing Again

Testing once more

4 Even to your old age I am HE,

even when you turn gray I will carry you.

I have made and I will bear;                                        🌄

I will carry and will save.

 - Isaiah 46:4

Right now, today, mid-pandemic... I'm reminded that GOD doesn't give up on me just because I'm old... weak... tired... immunocompromised... He carries me.  I don't weigh Him down... no matter what my Fitbit may say [and it says I've lost 5 pounds 🙌].

My goal this year is to understand my purpose.  What's my purpose?  At this point, GOD only knows... literally.  I'm doing my best to stay open and listening - and that my be my purpose for now.

Pandemic.

Pan-(Prefix)

A combining form meaning "all", used in the formation of compound words, particularly those that identify collections of all places in a region, cultures within a group, or religions.

demic(Adjective)

Of or pertaining to a distinct population of people 

So, "pandemic" means "all populations of people."   

Our president is plugging the idea that China intentionally exposed this virus to the rest of the world.  That would be a little like the medieval practice of throwing bodies infected with the bubonic plague over your enemy's city wall.  

Now that 45 is a lame duck president, I'm praying that "all populations of people" will see that the majority of voting Americans do not approve of his rhetoric.

Voting for "None of the Above?" Tried It Already.

Original Post 4/2011
Updated 9/26/12

"Who do you think you're going to vote for?', I asked Hubby the other day as we were riding along. 

"For what?"

"For President."

"Of what?"

"The United States!"  I'm getting a little annoyed at this point, until I realize that he's smiling.

"November, 2012 is too far away for me to start worrying about that now", he replied...or something of that nature.

Number 2 Son swears that he's voting for "none of the above" - His favorite go-to answer on multiple choice tests.  I tried that once.  It was called Perot.  I thought, "Hey, it's only four years.  Think of how much fun it'll be!"  But alas, cooler (or was it hotter) heads prevailed and we never did get to find out what was under our nation's hood.

Or remember Anderson?  I'd almost forgotten Anderson.  Had to look up which election he served as the "none of the above" vote.   Wikipedia Article on John B. Anderson  

Questions to be answered before the next presidential campaign:

1. Who will be the Republican nominee?  The way they're slugging it out, all of the present contenders are getting pounded pretty badly.  Will any of them want to get back in the ring with the opposing party?
2. Who will be the Democratic nominee?  Think Obama's a shew in?  Probably.  But the campaign doesn't really begin until next summer.  Plenty of time for a scandal to turn the tables.  Or remember LBJ?  How dumbfounded were we when he refused to run for a second term?  
3. Will we have the stomach to keep at this for another 12 months?  Maybe...If we take Hubby's advice and not worry about it for another 10 months or so.

9/26/12

Well...I see that we did live through those months and Obama is on the ticket.  Running against George Romney's kid?  Who'da thought?  

I just re-read the article on John Anderson.  Wow.  Times haven't changed much, but the parties certainly have.  

The gloves are off, and have been for some time here in Virginia, a battleground state, and I'm one of those "crazy swing voters", as my brother-in-law says, that the ads are trying to affect.  So far, the only effect they've had is nauseating.  The Dem ads appear to be a little less "mean", and that's appealing, but as far as substantive fact - not much there on either side.  

So, Mitt & Barrack, save your money.   We crazy swing voters have pretty much made our minds up anyway.  You could try paying off our mortgage...   Student loans?      Heck, just buying us some ice cream would probably be more effective than the ads.

No. I'm Not a Mormon

Recently I decided to let Google "monetize" my blog.  Monetize is apparently the newest term for advertise - Letting Google put itsy, bitsy ads in the margin of my blog.  I get to check a little box that says no adult material, so I felt fairly comfortable.  Besides, I could earn 2 or 3 dollars (literally).

Today I click on my page and see a picture of a lovely young woman with a heading that says, "Yes, I'm a Mormon"   Now, she didn't look anything like me, but the juxtaposition of the words beside my name was a little disconcerting.  I went to my page settings to see if there was a no religious material box.  There wasn't.

So, in the interest of full public disclosure, No.  I'm not a Mormon.

The Winter of My Discontent

Two blogs in one day?


Two blogs in one day?


In my post of January 29, I mentioned that I'd head a migraine for 3 weeks.  Well that sucker went on for 9 weeks before I figured out what was causing it - my neck.  My dang sternocleidomastoid  muscle, to be specific (Would you believe I had to add that word to my computer's dictionary?)  My good ol' doc can't exactly figure out what the link is - but there most definitely is a link.


Migraines and witty, sparkling repartee are, pretty much, mutually exclusive...hence the blought (blogging drought).  Getting things under control now (except for the vile, virulent virus).

It's Not Really the Flu

My dear, sweet Boudreaux had to go to Vegas last week for a business conference - and I DO mean had.  Poor thing really doesn't enjoy it very much.  He's the sort who'd like to actually learn something if he's going to a class.  A teacher's dream.

I collect snow globes and Boo generally brings me one when he has to travel the world without me.  This time, however, as he went through check-in at the airport, the TSA agent asked him about the container of liquid in his backpack.  It took Boo a minute to put two and two together, but pretty soon he realized it was the snow globe that was causing the fuss.  He had a decision to make.  He could get out of line, go back to the concourse, and mail the globe home OR he could toss it in the trash.  If this had been an antique globe that I'd been searching for all of my life, this may have required some thought.  A sparkley MGM Grand lion's head, however, can be replaced.

Not long after Boo got home, it became apparent that he'd brought something else home from Vegas...a virus.  A vile, virulent virus - nausea, diarrhea, headache, stomach cramps, chills, fever.  He seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, but I'm working on day 5.  Bummer.  My head hurt so bad that I went through a bottle of last year's cough syrup w/ codeine.

I miss sick days.  Not days when I'm actually sick, but days when I can get sick and still get paid.  That's not the case when one is in the "self-employed" category.  No worky - No money.  This is definitely a down side to life in the retirement lane.

Nuthin' to Blog About

Well, well, well.  Here it is - the end of January, and I've published nothing.  Nuh-theeeng.  Why?  Because nuh-thieeeng has been worth talking about.  I've had a migraine headache for three weeks.  That's right.  You heard me.  Thuh-reeeee weeeeeks.  At least it's gotten to the "off and on" stage.  Right now it's "on".

Sigh.

Weight Watchers & Christmas Dinner

I joined Weight Watchers last Wednesday.  That's right.  Three days before Christmas, I decide to get serious about losing weight.

I just got home from Christmas dinner with Hubby's family, so I went to WW's website and added up all of the "points" that I "spent" eating whatever I wanted to eat.  I have points left over!  Points that must be spent today or they will vanish, disappear, flee...

I, who said to Hubby (read with pitiful whining tone) "Please don't put any candy in my stocking.  I'm trying sooooo hard to lose weight" am looking longingly at my son's Christmas goodies.  Hmmmm...No one else is  here.  Will he notice if something's missing from his stocking?  Did he count all of those wee little packages?  Can I live with the guilt if he asks what happened to his delicious 4 chocolate Necco waffers?

To be continued.......

Big Salaries, Big Houses, Pitiful Christmas Lights

Hubby and I drove around this evening looking at Christmas lights.  We went through some mighty swanky neighborhoods with pit-tee-full Christmas lights.  Seems to me that, if you're wealthy enough to live in "Windsor-on-the-James" you should be required to fork out a little cash for holiday decorations.  Seriously.  Even if you're Jewish, Hanukkah is the "festival of light".  Correct?

We don't even have our tree up yet, so maybe I should give these folks another few days.  Perhaps they have been plagued by three weeks of viruses, colds and injuries as have we.   But...couldn't they have paid someone to light up their house?

I know, I know.  Why should I expect the wealthy to provide me with holiday entertainment.  I guess I was raised to believe that, at Christmas time, they should lean out of their window...ask what day it is... and send a little crippled guy to my house with the largest turkey in the butcher's window.