Blog number 249 **** 30 November 2008
I had an interesting experience today. Teresa and I went shopping at Trader Joe's, where I usually walk behind her reading a book, while she shops. In fact, today I went back by myself to look for pasta, couldn't find it because they had moved it, and when I asked a clerk where it was, she said, "Why are you shopping? Aren't you supposed to be reading?"
I wasn't reading because I couldn't see all the words in the sentences. Teresa told me years ago that when that happens, it is a sign that a small stroke in the brain is happening. It usually goes away in an hour or two, evidently when the body absorbs the leaking blood. At least that's the way I interpret it. I don't really care whether that is what is happening or not. It makes sense, and that's good enough for moi.
Today, after we had driven home and I was playing my favorite computer game - Empire, and Teresa was putting away the groceries, she told me that Tara and Joey had said that what we paid for our house was very reasonable.
Tara is our granddaughter and Joey is Tara's husband.
I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I stopped playing my game and asked her to repeat what she said. She told me again, and I could not make it out again. She started again and I said, "Wait a minute. Say that name again."
She said, "Tara."
I said, "Say it again."
She said, "Tara, Tara and Joey."
I said, "No, one word at a time. Do I know Tara?"
She said, "Yes - your granddaughter."
I still didn't get it. Everything she was saying was way beyond my comprehension. I was eventually able to understand who Tara was, but I then had to ask if she was our granddaughter. Teresa said, "Yes."
I was then able to remember who Joey was.
All this lasted about five minutes. Teresa said it scared her. I was just confused. I knew what was happening, that I was not knowing something I should have known, but that didn't help. I wish now that she would have said something about airplanes and ships or something other than names, because I think I would not have been confused about that, although I was confused about "granddaughter," so maybe I wouldn't have known what an airplane was either.
That experience was very interesting to me. Too interesting to be frustrating.
I got another taste of really old age. It was a more interesting experience than when I fell down and couldn't get up. Not as funny, though. It was like hearing about an experience and then actually experiencing that experience.
When I had vertigo and could see all the dimensions but couldn't tell what was right or left or up or down, I thought at the time there must be a lot of abilities our bodies have that we just take for granted and don't really know what they are.
My Dad's stroke when he was in his body but couldn't do anything with it was one I haven't experienced yet, but must have been most enlightening. I know he changed from being garrulous to being introspective due to the experience.
My stroke didn't feel like loss of memory. It felt more like hearing a foreign language, but also not quite like that. I told Teresa I wanted to put that experience in my Blog, but I didn't want to scare the kids. Teresa said it is what it is, and it's not a good thing to hide stuff and she's right. So here it is, kids.
Enjoy.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
THAT'S SOME GOOOOD FOOD!
Blog number 248 **** 24 November 2008
Driving to Phoenix yesterday, we were passed by a truck pulling a horse trailer that had as the logo on the back of the horse trailer, "Porter's Gourmet Jerky."
Driving to Phoenix yesterday, we were passed by a truck pulling a horse trailer that had as the logo on the back of the horse trailer, "Porter's Gourmet Jerky."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
KARMIC JOURNEYS
Blog number 247 **** 16 November 2008
Sometimes reading a book is like probing open sores. Fresh wounds are touched thoughtlessly.
Fair enough, I say.
Sometimes reading a book is like probing open sores. Fresh wounds are touched thoughtlessly.
Fair enough, I say.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Blog number 246 **** 16 November 2008
Mine wife and I went to the Big Fry's Grocery and Notions today. Spoke to a cutie sitting in a grocery cart. She turned her head away from me. "If I can't see you, you don't exist."
Strolled over to the in-house Starbucks. Bought a cup of coffee - actually, a "Black Eye." I ordered a tall coffee with a shot of espresso in it, and the baristo said, "You want a Red Eye."
I aked, "That's what it's called?"
He said, "Yeah. If you have two shots, it's a Black Eye."
I said, "Gimme a Black Eye."
So he hit me.
Naw, Just kidding.
I paid for my Black Eye with a two dollar bill, a fifty cent piece and some change. He commented that it seemed a shame to spend a two dollar bill like that. I told him they were real easy to make. He jerked straight, looked at me, looked at the bill, studied the bill a bit, looked at me again. I think my grin might have clued him in that I was joking.
Writing "clued" in the above paragraph reminded me that while I was on the streets in L. A. back in my younger days, I spotted a newspaper on a stand that had a big headline with clue spelled, "Clew." The headline. Ain't that weird?
They had movies that all night long - all day, every day, showed newsreels. Only. That's weird too, right? L.A. is a weird town.
Mine wife and I went to the Big Fry's Grocery and Notions today. Spoke to a cutie sitting in a grocery cart. She turned her head away from me. "If I can't see you, you don't exist."
Strolled over to the in-house Starbucks. Bought a cup of coffee - actually, a "Black Eye." I ordered a tall coffee with a shot of espresso in it, and the baristo said, "You want a Red Eye."
I aked, "That's what it's called?"
He said, "Yeah. If you have two shots, it's a Black Eye."
I said, "Gimme a Black Eye."
So he hit me.
Naw, Just kidding.
I paid for my Black Eye with a two dollar bill, a fifty cent piece and some change. He commented that it seemed a shame to spend a two dollar bill like that. I told him they were real easy to make. He jerked straight, looked at me, looked at the bill, studied the bill a bit, looked at me again. I think my grin might have clued him in that I was joking.
Writing "clued" in the above paragraph reminded me that while I was on the streets in L. A. back in my younger days, I spotted a newspaper on a stand that had a big headline with clue spelled, "Clew." The headline. Ain't that weird?
They had movies that all night long - all day, every day, showed newsreels. Only. That's weird too, right? L.A. is a weird town.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
EVEN FIGHTING DOGS TAKE A BREAK NOW AND THEN
Blog number 245 **** 11 November 2008
I think I may have just had an epiphany. We'll see.
It is extremely difficult - for me at least, to write an entry in my Blog every day. That newspaper columnists can do it has been a source of amazement for me ever since I have seen for myself just how difficult it is.
Three times in the past, I have had nothing to write about, so I just sat down and started writing. Each time I got what I thought was an interesting entry.
Today I'm reading a book, The Night of the Gun, an autobiographical story about a newspaperman's descent into crack addiction and his eventual return to the living. He is going back to his old friends and acquaintances and asking them to relate what they remember about their relationship with him.
About one of his friends, he is grateful because he remembers the guy entreating him to write every day - whether or not he had anything to write about. Maybe I was accidently onto something and didn't know it?
I talk a lot - about trivia my son says, about nonsense my wife says, but I DO talk a lot. I can kinda feel that this that I am doing now - just off the top of my head kinda thing, is how I talk.
Now I'm writing off the top of my head.
Kinda thing.
Our daily newspaper's obituary column has gotten really weird and unexplainable the last two or three days. I tried writing about it, but it got to looking like I was making fun of the deceased, so I dropped it.
I was making fun of the writing of whomever wrote the things. One was five hundred words in length, all one paragraph. The other day one was even longer than that. I am pretty sure you have to pay to put those things in the paper, so how much is something like that going to cost? And to what end?
One of the things it mentioned was the long trips the deceased made to visit family - never going more than two miles an hour over the speed limit. I'll leave it to you to ponder over that information in that context.
This morning, my wife driving, we were behind this car coming up to a red light and at the last minute the car ahead of us veers quickly to the left and into another lane at the last minute, stops at the red light.
Teresa - my driver, says, "Look at that man. He's got his arms crossed over his chest."I looked, and sure enough the driver is sitting behind the wheel, arms crossed defensively over his chest, an irritated look on his face. I opinion that there was an argument with his passenger - probably his wife, as to whether to go to Mimi's in Casa Grande or get on the freeway to go to Mimi's in Phoenix. I think he lost the argument and peevishly jerked the car around.
Well, I'm done. Your work begins...NOW!
I think I may have just had an epiphany. We'll see.
It is extremely difficult - for me at least, to write an entry in my Blog every day. That newspaper columnists can do it has been a source of amazement for me ever since I have seen for myself just how difficult it is.
Three times in the past, I have had nothing to write about, so I just sat down and started writing. Each time I got what I thought was an interesting entry.
Today I'm reading a book, The Night of the Gun, an autobiographical story about a newspaperman's descent into crack addiction and his eventual return to the living. He is going back to his old friends and acquaintances and asking them to relate what they remember about their relationship with him.
About one of his friends, he is grateful because he remembers the guy entreating him to write every day - whether or not he had anything to write about. Maybe I was accidently onto something and didn't know it?
I talk a lot - about trivia my son says, about nonsense my wife says, but I DO talk a lot. I can kinda feel that this that I am doing now - just off the top of my head kinda thing, is how I talk.
Now I'm writing off the top of my head.
Kinda thing.
Our daily newspaper's obituary column has gotten really weird and unexplainable the last two or three days. I tried writing about it, but it got to looking like I was making fun of the deceased, so I dropped it.
I was making fun of the writing of whomever wrote the things. One was five hundred words in length, all one paragraph. The other day one was even longer than that. I am pretty sure you have to pay to put those things in the paper, so how much is something like that going to cost? And to what end?
One of the things it mentioned was the long trips the deceased made to visit family - never going more than two miles an hour over the speed limit. I'll leave it to you to ponder over that information in that context.
This morning, my wife driving, we were behind this car coming up to a red light and at the last minute the car ahead of us veers quickly to the left and into another lane at the last minute, stops at the red light.
Teresa - my driver, says, "Look at that man. He's got his arms crossed over his chest."I looked, and sure enough the driver is sitting behind the wheel, arms crossed defensively over his chest, an irritated look on his face. I opinion that there was an argument with his passenger - probably his wife, as to whether to go to Mimi's in Casa Grande or get on the freeway to go to Mimi's in Phoenix. I think he lost the argument and peevishly jerked the car around.
Well, I'm done. Your work begins...NOW!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
SOMETIMES THINGS GET A LITTLE SILLY
Blog number 244 **** 05 November 2008
SCENE: A dark and winding road. an automobile's headlights illuminate several deer standing in and around the roadway.
Suddenly squealing breaks are heard and we see a pair of still lighted headlights wrapped halfway around a tree. Steam rises from a smashed radiator.
We hear a female voice-over: THIS IS ON STAR. I'VE RECEIVED A SIGNAL THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN A CRASH.
The face of the automobile's driver changes from a look of confusion to one of relief.
He speaks: THANK GOD! I WONDERED WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS!
SCENE: A dark and winding road. an automobile's headlights illuminate several deer standing in and around the roadway.
Suddenly squealing breaks are heard and we see a pair of still lighted headlights wrapped halfway around a tree. Steam rises from a smashed radiator.
We hear a female voice-over: THIS IS ON STAR. I'VE RECEIVED A SIGNAL THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN A CRASH.
The face of the automobile's driver changes from a look of confusion to one of relief.
He speaks: THANK GOD! I WONDERED WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
SOMETIMES EXCITEMENT COMES TO YOU
Blog number 243 **** 04 November 2008
We went to Phoenix today - to the mall to take back the FORTH coffee grinder that has broken in the last two or three months. The way they break is they just stop working. The motor won't run.
Anyhow, I was sitting in one of two easy chairs with a table between them right by the "up" escalator, reading, waiting for my wife to get done window shopping. Another old man like me was sitting in the other chair, waiting for his wife.
I watched this petite little girl, about eighteen months old I think, walk by with her mother and older brother. The little girl was fascinated with watching the up escalator, so I couldn't catch her eye.
A short while later all three came back and the little girl went first onto the escalator, where she promptly fell, not being adept at catching a moving step. Her mother rushed forward, and reached down out of my sight where I couldn't see what was going on, but then lo and behold, she raised up, clutching an ankle and holding it up like a prize fish.
All I could see was the top half of the mother and the little girls' one leg from the knee to the foot.
The guy sitting in the other chair yelled, "Wow ! "
I laughed.
Shortly thereafter the old man's wife and daughter arrived to collect him and excitedly, he told them what we had just seen. I added my two cents worth too.
What are babies for if not for our enjoyment?
We went to Phoenix today - to the mall to take back the FORTH coffee grinder that has broken in the last two or three months. The way they break is they just stop working. The motor won't run.
Anyhow, I was sitting in one of two easy chairs with a table between them right by the "up" escalator, reading, waiting for my wife to get done window shopping. Another old man like me was sitting in the other chair, waiting for his wife.
I watched this petite little girl, about eighteen months old I think, walk by with her mother and older brother. The little girl was fascinated with watching the up escalator, so I couldn't catch her eye.
A short while later all three came back and the little girl went first onto the escalator, where she promptly fell, not being adept at catching a moving step. Her mother rushed forward, and reached down out of my sight where I couldn't see what was going on, but then lo and behold, she raised up, clutching an ankle and holding it up like a prize fish.
All I could see was the top half of the mother and the little girls' one leg from the knee to the foot.
The guy sitting in the other chair yelled, "Wow ! "
I laughed.
Shortly thereafter the old man's wife and daughter arrived to collect him and excitedly, he told them what we had just seen. I added my two cents worth too.
What are babies for if not for our enjoyment?
Monday, November 3, 2008
WHEW
Blog number 242 **** 03 November 2008
I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I just Googled "oil+dinosaur" and discovered that the jury is still out on whether oil really came from dinosaurs, and if I can read between the lines, it is a pretty doubtful thing that it did.
I have for many years seriously doubted - for many reasons, that dinosaurs devolved into crude oil, but I had nothing with which to back that up except common sense. Now I got something else. I got Google.
Next on my list - The source of the creation of the physical world. Does it come from the brain?
I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I just Googled "oil+dinosaur" and discovered that the jury is still out on whether oil really came from dinosaurs, and if I can read between the lines, it is a pretty doubtful thing that it did.
I have for many years seriously doubted - for many reasons, that dinosaurs devolved into crude oil, but I had nothing with which to back that up except common sense. Now I got something else. I got Google.
Next on my list - The source of the creation of the physical world. Does it come from the brain?
POKING THE BEAR DAY
Blog number 241 **** 03 November 2008
My left eyeball got all red from a broken blood vessel under the membrane. It looks pretty gross. I wear sunglasses so as not to scare the babies, but since I can see normally, I often forget to wear them. After all, I can't see my eyes.
Yesterday the kids came. I was in the house so I didn't have my sunglasses on and my daughter-in-law, Kiki, went kinda nuts when she saw me. I found out later that she thought I had gone blind in one eye and didn't tell anyone - I was keeping it a secret, you know.
Really fast, frantically, and with her Thai accent, she says, "Dahdi! What you do? How many fingers I hold up? What's the matter with him? Dahdi! Why you so mean? NO! Close one eye! How many fingers? No! The other eye! Dahdi!
She starts looking around for help, but everyone is laughing so hard nobody can do anything but. The instructions she gave me and the questions, came so fast one after the other that I couldn't respond or answer with anything but laughter. It was all so funny. But not to her, of course.
She's a trip, I tell you.
She has been working really hard on becoming a good person - a saintly person. And she has made really good progress. I am so proud of her because I know what it takes to change one's self. One has to suffer humiliation for one thing.
With that in mind, we were sitting in a booth at Mimi's, talking about her, and Derek started telling us about when they first got married and she got angry, saying that was the old Kiki. She got real mad and said, after a few choice words, "You want to see the old Kiki?" A threat that sounded like she might call up the Devil to inflict some serious hurt. Scared the hell out of us, I'll tell you.
Derek calls it "poking the bear " when anyone teases her.
And she's so tiny and sweet! Very strong personality, which makes me all the more impressed with her spiritual development.
I love her to pieces.
It's kinda scary writing this entry. I don't think she reads my Blog, or even what she would think if she read it, but I do know she gets kinda antsy when anyone is talking about her. One kinda has to feel one's way about how far one can go with her.
My left eyeball got all red from a broken blood vessel under the membrane. It looks pretty gross. I wear sunglasses so as not to scare the babies, but since I can see normally, I often forget to wear them. After all, I can't see my eyes.
Yesterday the kids came. I was in the house so I didn't have my sunglasses on and my daughter-in-law, Kiki, went kinda nuts when she saw me. I found out later that she thought I had gone blind in one eye and didn't tell anyone - I was keeping it a secret, you know.
Really fast, frantically, and with her Thai accent, she says, "Dahdi! What you do? How many fingers I hold up? What's the matter with him? Dahdi! Why you so mean? NO! Close one eye! How many fingers? No! The other eye! Dahdi!
She starts looking around for help, but everyone is laughing so hard nobody can do anything but. The instructions she gave me and the questions, came so fast one after the other that I couldn't respond or answer with anything but laughter. It was all so funny. But not to her, of course.
She's a trip, I tell you.
She has been working really hard on becoming a good person - a saintly person. And she has made really good progress. I am so proud of her because I know what it takes to change one's self. One has to suffer humiliation for one thing.
With that in mind, we were sitting in a booth at Mimi's, talking about her, and Derek started telling us about when they first got married and she got angry, saying that was the old Kiki. She got real mad and said, after a few choice words, "You want to see the old Kiki?" A threat that sounded like she might call up the Devil to inflict some serious hurt. Scared the hell out of us, I'll tell you.
Derek calls it "poking the bear " when anyone teases her.
And she's so tiny and sweet! Very strong personality, which makes me all the more impressed with her spiritual development.
I love her to pieces.
It's kinda scary writing this entry. I don't think she reads my Blog, or even what she would think if she read it, but I do know she gets kinda antsy when anyone is talking about her. One kinda has to feel one's way about how far one can go with her.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
FUN IS WHERE YOU FIND IT
Blog number 240 **** 01 November 2008
Sometimes things just come together when you don't expect it.
I was sitting in one of two easy chairs situated across a table from each other in Barnes and Nobles, reading a book, when this lady walked by me coming from behind. As she passed by my side, a piece of paper - a receipt or something like that, fluttered from her hand. It landed right by me, so I leaned over to pick it up and at that moment she noticed that she had dropped the paper, so she turned around to retrieve it and I handed it to her, and said, "It wasn't a handkerchief, but it was a really nice try."
She got kind of flustered, I was grinning ear to ear, and as I looked away from her and across the table there was a young man sitting in the other chair, a big grin on his face, and as our eyes met, he said to me, "Good one!"
Hah!
Sometimes things just come together when you don't expect it.
I was sitting in one of two easy chairs situated across a table from each other in Barnes and Nobles, reading a book, when this lady walked by me coming from behind. As she passed by my side, a piece of paper - a receipt or something like that, fluttered from her hand. It landed right by me, so I leaned over to pick it up and at that moment she noticed that she had dropped the paper, so she turned around to retrieve it and I handed it to her, and said, "It wasn't a handkerchief, but it was a really nice try."
She got kind of flustered, I was grinning ear to ear, and as I looked away from her and across the table there was a young man sitting in the other chair, a big grin on his face, and as our eyes met, he said to me, "Good one!"
Hah!
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