On the Road Again

That's the song that goes thru my head and the thought that tugs at my heart every time I see a semi going down the road.  I know I can't do it at the moment but I dream of one day getting behind the wheel of a semi and driving into the sunset carrying a 40 ton load behind me.


Why do I love driving?  Why can't I see the long hours, the "loneliness", the stress, the bad food, the cramped quarters, the idiot drivers, the 100's of other excuses those who don't have a CDL use to try to convince me to take it easy and "enjoy" retirement (aka disability)?


What?  And miss the storms marching in from Lake Michigan preceded by a fanfare of spiderweb lightning reaching across the sky?  Miss the Oscar Mayer Weiner-mobile going down the road to its next destination; and maybe getting a chance to tour it?  (Forget the futile attempts by Red Bull to do the same thing; anybody can weld a trash can to a pickup wannabe.)  Miss seeing each state's welcome sign as you trek past a milestone?  Miss the gorgeous sunsets (fortunately, I didn't see many sunrises).  Miss listening to the radio without having to seek a new station every 30-45 minutes?  Miss not knowing where my next load is going to take me?  Miss the wonder of seeing a Bald Eagle majestically soaring through the air, free to fly where it desires?  Miss seeing wild turkeys, deer, maybe a moose standing along the side of the road?  Missing a chance to eat at some of the best restaurants in the country?  Miss the easy camaraderie long gone in most industries but still exists amongst fellow drivers?  Miss the satisfaction of backing into a really tight spot without hitting anything?  Miss the wind rocking me to sleep while a storm rages outside my cab at night?  Miss a hot shower and shave after a long three days of running during the summer with no time but to fuel, potty, grab a dog-n-dew then sleep cuz yer load is on a tight schedule?


Am I getting my point across?  Sure, it's stressful.  Sure, it's tiring.  Sure, there're idiots out there who think 40 tons can stop like a Dodge Neon.  But I was never more alive during those two and a half years on the road than I can ever remember being in my entire life before then.


And I want to go back...

Tell me, how's the view from yer office window?  Mine was just fine.

Salting the Oats

Woke up this morning and almost burst out laughing.  Upon waking, I immediately pictured a 3-panel comic strip I wished I could draw, the pictures were so vivid in my head.  I'll try to describe them in words later today.


As I was thinkgnigk (pronounced "thinking" only with massive sinus drainage) about the idea along with considering rum-soaked tiramisu, I began reminiscing about a fun moment I had with the kids.


We were watching "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (catchy name, Gene, it was seen in theaters for pete's sake.  Ya think we might need to be reminded we're watching a MOVIE??!!!) at home on TV.  The Enterprise crew has just encountered the "Energy Cloud" and it launches an energy bolt to the ship.  Having previously seen the devastation these energy bolts cause, we are tensely watching its approach to the newly-renovated starship.  At the last second before impact, I hit the pause button on the remote and holler "Time for bed, kids." 


The ensuing moans and "aw, Dad"s I heard was priceless.


After a moment, I hit play and we continued watching.  I was thinking at the time of a phrase I had learned about increasing interest in a subject and wanted to test it.


I'll tell ya later what that phrase was...         :)

TWAWKIWE June 8, 2011

We Interrupt This Blog To Bring You A Special News Bulletin:


Ladies and Gentlemen, it has come to this blogger's knowledge that on June 8, 2011 the world as we know it will come to an end.  The internet world that is.  Recently, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, or IANA, gave out its last blocks of Internet Protocol version 4 addresses to the 5 Regional Internet Registries.


This means that once those numbers are assigned, access to the internet cannot be increased under the current configuration.  This is serious business folks.  Anyone not having an IP address will not be able to access the World Wide Web nor carry on any activities requiring internet access.  No email, no Facebook, no eHarmony, no Google, NOTHING.


**Pregnant Pause**


Start storing canned goods, bottled water and ammunition!!   If you have the room, start saving gasoline!!  Teach your children how to carry weapons safely!!  Buy up all the MRE's you can get your hands on!!  Start taking survival training classes!!  Join a right-wing, extremist conspiracy group!!  Preferably one that believes in UFOs and has members that are former abductees!!  Hide your cash because credit cards won't work anymore!!  Start finding recipes for kitty burgers and hot dogs!!  Start building survival bunkers!!!  Buy a tank if you can!!  And maybe a couple of nukes!!  Get Ready For ARMAGEDDON!!!!!


**Very heavy breathing**


What's that?  IPv6 is being tested June 8?  What's IPv6?  The new internet protocol version that will have more addresses than will ever be needed?  (They thought IPv4 had that 30 years ago - hint,hint).  Oh, I guess there's no need for panic?  Oh.  OK.  Just a test?  It'll be several years before IPv4 addresses are used up?  Oh.  OK.


We now return you to your regularly scheduled boring lives of mindless blog reading.


P.S.  If ya want to check out what this is all about go here.

7 Deadly Stresses

Nope, not talking about the "7 Deadly Sins" everybody thinks are listed in the Bible.  To get a little tangential, the 7 Deadly Sins are a Catholic tradition rather than the list of sins God declares His hatred for in Proverbs 6.  While these sins are indeed found in various passages in the Bible and, ultimately, result in spiritual death, as all sin will, they are not morally weightier (as in mortal vs. venial) than other sins. Classification of sin, IMO, is the result of over-analyzing a topic; something I, myself, am prone to do and admittedly enjoy.

But, I digress...

Stress defined:  That confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the devil out of some jerk who desperately needs it.  ~  Author Unknown

The medical community has long recognized the vast majority of diseases and unhealthy conditions we find are caused primarily by stress.  Research is confirming this "gut" knowledge and is even demonstrating how different types of stress affect different body systems.  Unfortunately, doctors are being taught to treat the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease.  It's much easier (and more profitable) to prescribe a pill than work with a patient to resolve the problem that started the mess.

I'm discovering each of my medical problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, major depressive disorder, high cholesterol, obesity, etc.) can be traced back to allowing these stresses to go unchecked for a long time.  Some have been at work for almost 40 years.

So, what are these stresses and how can they be resolved and avoided?  Stay tuned...

Tiny Post

Had a great workout this evening.  Bought and lugged home a new TV only to find out it has no headphone mini-jack.  If I had listened to an inner prompting, I would have delayed the purchase since I made the foolish decision to settle on a substitution instead of the TV I wanted but was not in stock.


Sooooooooooo....


Tomorrow, I get to go to Home Depot, pick up a small hand truck and lug the thing back to Walmart for a refund.  Best Buy has the one I want in stock (hopefully will still have it when the money is back in my account) and I won't have to carry it home.  Just manhandle it onto and off the bus (after wrapping it up for security, of course).


Anyway, I got a really good workout tonite and still feeling the endorphins 3 hours later.  It didn't weigh much (45#) but was awkward to carry.  No chest pains either... unless you count heaving like a freight train.


I really gotta work on adding some pix...    so much fer a TINY post.  Nite all.

BORE-DUH!!!!

How's that for emphasis?  Tonite will be random thoughts as I have been sleeping most of the day.


I like Netflix but there's more to life than watching TV. Starting to get cabin fever from being couped up cuz of the storm.  Even doing laundry sounds good.


I was thinking about saying "Aaaarrrrggghhh" today and remembered when I tried to teach Erin to pronounce her R's.  They were coming out more like "Ahhhooooo" than "Aaarrrrrr", which frustrated me to no end (and probably her as well).  Erin just had too much of a smile in her voice that she couldn't get her lips to frown enough for the R sound.


Ya ever wish you could go back in time and do some things differently?  Part of me definitely would if it were possible but that part not quite as vocal as it once was.  I'm beginning to recognize everything that has happened in my life, both good and bad, has happened because God ordained that my life should be occurring exactly as it has.  What has been my greatest struggle will eventually become the greatest part of my life's message of His grace.  So why would I want to go back and botch things up?


Sorry, no pix or quotes today.  Going back to bed.  Nite...

Bells and Whistles??

"Smile!!"   I am smiling.

No more big bites fer awhile

Hi all.  My recent post about "suffering" from bells palsy was intended to be light-hearted.  My apologies to those who saw it in a more serious vein.  While it can be a real nuisance (had to eat a burger with knife and fork today), bells palsy isn't life threatening.


In a nutshell, it's an inflammation of the nerve that controls facial movement.  My right side is affected this time around.  Makes for some potentially embarrassing moments, especially when eating or drinking.  Typically, onset is sudden, symptoms peak at 48hrs (Sunday) and runs its course in around 2 weeks.


So I have a choice:  whine and pout about how "unfair" God is by hitting me with this again (as if I didn't deserve worse) or be grateful He hasn't chosen a more serious testing.  I'm opting for the latter.


My eye won't blink completely, so I got an eyepatch and eye drops.  Now I can stop bathing, wear ratty-looking clothes and say "Aaarrrgggghhhhh" a lot.  Too bad it ain't Halloween.

Shiver me timbers!!!   Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!

For more info, see Wikipedia or NIH.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

One day as I on my daily mile-long trek to Grady Hospital, I happened to see (as I quite regularly did) a coin on the sidewalk.  Not wanting to see this bit of copper experience loneliness any longer, I stooped down and picked it up.  A little further down the way, I happened to see another of these likenesses of Honest Abe.  It, too, was in distress so I picked it up and introduced it to its new companion.  This little scenario had been happening quite frequently since I arrived in Atlanta.



My normal routine would be to thank God for His provision as I bent to pick up these little reminders of His Providence and Grace.  Today would be different.  As I bent down to pick up a third, the words of that great hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" began coursing its way in and around and up and out of my head, reaching down to my heart.  While I was able to think of other things, this one thought-train began bringing so much joy, I began softly singing and making melody in my heart to the Lord as I continued my walk to PSR.


That day was one of the most joyful days of my life because even tho most people would consider me a bit tetched-in-the-head for getting so tickled about finding 3 pennies, I was seeing how God was providing food, clothing and shelter for me when I was unable to in my own strength.


Truly, God's faithfulness is renewed each day.  Let's not be afraid to get a little cuckoo about it.


"Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing for us what we need to survive.  He does not change our painful circumstances.  He sustains us through them."  ~  Charles Stanley

The Joys of Apartment Life

"I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel." ~ Audrey Hepburn


I got a nice surprise when I came home from my recent visit to Indy.  A section of my living room carpet was saturated with no evidence of where the water had come from.  ???  I called the office the next day to let them know about the "leak", hoping I would be moved to another apartment (story for another day).  Somebody came by while I was out and wet-vacced, leaving a damp spot.  "Ok", I decided, "I'll give it the weekend to dry and call on Monday."  By that time I had decided the water was coming up thru the foundation.


Over the weekend we had a really good storm with tornadoes, hail and everything.  I checked the spot and sho 'nuff, it was soaked again...  and worse.  The plumber finally got here yesterday (it's been a week now), checked for and found leaking pipes.  He's here today to fix the pipes and hopefully solve the problem of the soaked carpeting.  We shall see; more rain this weekend...   


(contented purring) aaaahhhhhh, the joy of living in an apartment.    :)

Welcome!!

This will be a simple post as I am just beginning my blog.  I figured out that I could still call this "Convoluted Contemplations" even though it the website address was something different.  DOH!!  I'm hoping to have fun here although I'm sure there may be days when it will be "less" fun with rare occasions of "gotta do this".  (That's reality, not destructive thinking.)

The rules are simple.  A picture, a quote, my current thot and a topic of focus.  For me, the focus topic is my main goal as I tend to wander in my musings.  That's how I think: I see green which might lead me to thinking about frogs which jumps over to squished toads in the road leading to Flat Frog Soup ending with a chuckle that leaves people wondering what's up with this old guy laughing to himself.  It's perfectly logical to me because I know where the thought process came from and went; unfortunately, many people have a hard time keeping up with me as I jump tracks.

I've settled on "Convoluted Contemplations" as the title of the moment, mainly so i can get started blogging my life away...   I'm also thinking of "Ponderings on Purpose" (double-intendere intended) or "Rambling Ruminations" (altho I'm not much into cud-chewing) or even "Muddled Musings".  Anyway, the idea is to have fun doing this, not impressing people with my punnery.

Hope ya'll enjoy the journey.  Now off to Laundry Land...  or maybe I'll do Wally World, instead.

Toodles.