My New Favorite Commercial

Life is Good

Life is what you make of it. But more it is what you do with it that really defines a person. As a Pastor of a church told me many years ago, “It is a God given right to be a Saint or an asshole. And it only takes a split second to go from one to the other.” That comment kind of stuck with me even though it’s been over 10 years since I last heard him say this. July, 2010 has been one of those months I wish I could forget.

I spend my vacation plus two more weeks preparing for as well as recovering from my Gallbladder surgery. My wife had an MRI done to confirm that she will be given two shots of steroids in her lower back. Two wonderful children of ours whom after being cooped up in the house during days of over 100 degrees of heat and humidity had started to get on each other’s nerves. Add that all up to a huge storm that took out many trees around our house as with the power for a couple of days while trying to survive on only one week’s paycheck for the entire month of July.

Oh the joy. It could have been worse. Although I too was cooped up for three weeks, recovering from surgery, encouraged through constant fighting between the kids and their mother yelling at them to get well as soon as possible and to get out of the house and back to work. And as I can always count on my family, I was up early and ready for my first day back to work. After all I have a lot of medical bills to pay and a desire for peace and quiet.

But once I was physically able to work much better I had a lot of catching up to do. Mostly cutting a lot of grass that was growing more than ankle deep and moving a lot of fallen tree branches as well as trees lying all around our house. If it wasn’t for my MP3 player it would have been a very long day. It helped to drown out the constant boredom of listening to two boys complaining of nothing to do. Only to run back into the house once I tell them what to do. Peace and quiet always comes to those who recognize it.

I look forward to the rest of the year and to the next. We may be a poor family holding on to a weekly paycheck but there are times I really can see the beauty that life has given me. Even though it’s been a really bad month for us, had never took away the bond we had grown into as a family. Instead we grew closer together.

On days when I was lying in bed, my youngest son would join me as we watched cartoons for hours. My wife would fix me something to eat and serve me in bed as my oldest son would help around the house such as washing the dishes and folding the clothes. Experiencing hell or heaven is all around us when one wishes to choose a course in life. The group U2 may still haven’t found what they are looking for but I have. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Namie Amuro - Break It

I found the video from this site http://channel.pandora.tv/channel/video.ptv?ch_userid=usaginodance&prgid=38573633
The quality is OK but all the other video sites had theirs removed on orders from AVEX.

Gallbladder Surgery

Nothing like a summer vacation. Except in this case my vacation has turned into a three week event that not only included a hospital stay but a re-evaluation of one’s life. One the first night of my vacation I was awaken, screaming in pain. My right side felt like it was rehearsing for the next Alien movie. It took a while for the pain to ease a bit and my wife constantly saying for me to call the ambulance I felt well enough to realize that I needed more than an aspirin. I got dressed and started to drive myself to the hospital. My wife was beside herself in realizing the shopping trip she wanted to go on tomorrow may have to be cancelled. That and she didn’t want me to have an accident and to be in a worse situation.

My side was still hurting a lot but not enough for me to keel over crying like a baby. I basically drove with my right hand as my left arm was wrapped around my waist. I did come to a point where I was compelled to pull over and throw-up for a while but I continued on to the hospital. I checked in and did the paper trail route. The time I spent in the waiting room was a show on its own. Both my hands massaging my right side as I looked as if I’m praying while sweating and holding back from throwing-up again. The nurse came and the fun began.

Led to a bed I changed into a gown and proceeded to the rest room to fill the cup. Even I was surprised at what was being produced in the cup. A dark bubbling ale that resembled more to Guinness beer than to pee. Hooked up to an IV as another round of questions continued to where the Doctor on duty scurried the nurses and me off to a series of blood test and scans. After all was said and done as with a nap to pass the time, the Doctor reappeared and stated the results. Gallstones. With prescription and references in hand I returned home and fell back into bed before wakened by my wife hovering over me like an overprotected otaku protecting his collection.

So after reciting every moment of my journey from the time I left home to my return, I recited it off to my wife at times repeating parts that she didn’t hear due to her woman’s’ nature of thinking the worst instead of listening to facts my inevitable journey to a future return hospital adventure. A few more hours of sleep and I prepared myself to visit the Doctor referred for the procedure. I was on a very lucky streak compared to hours earlier for the Doctor was preparing to leave for his hospital rounds. He looked over the notes the Emergency room typed out and we talked for a while followed by his nurse setting up an appointment for an ultra sound and a return appointment. After the test and a rest in his nice air conditioned office he informed that surgery was the way to go.

As I packed my travel bag with books, MP3 player, junk foods and assorted clothing items my sister and youngest son carried me to the hospital for my day under the knife; so to speak. Checked in and we traveled the corridors to the day surgery area where I changed and waited with my sister and Nintendo playing son waited for me to be carried off to the surgery room. Less than an hour later I was wheeled off to another air conditioned area where I waited my turn in line. Hours went by uneventful until a nurse approached me to prepare me for my trip down ‘the yellow brick road’. She injected some medicine into my IV to put me at ease and within moments I was wheeled off to the main room where an unexpected journey took place that almost sent me to the afterlife.

I was still conscious and able to speak but I was starting to drift a bit and eventually fall asleep. But I surprisingly felt awakened a bit due to a reaction to the shot the nurse gave me earlier. I felt a strong weight being pressed on my chest. As I told what was happening to me, they stopped what they were doing and started asking me if anything else was happening. The last thing I could remember was hearing a lot of beeping sounds and waking up as I was being taken to a hospital room where my sister and son were already waiting for me. I asked the nurse to help fill in the gaps to my memory she stated that after I mentioned the pressure on the chest and alarms going off, I began sweating all over in bucket loads no less. The Doctor checked my eyes and I told him of double vision followed by my eyes working like a movie reel on high speed. They cancelled the surgery and returned my heart back to normal and scheduled me for heart test for the following day.

On Friday morning as I refer to as ‘Day 2 of no food before surgery’ I was wheeled off to the treadmill room to do some jogging as again more blood was removed from me for the umpteen times. Hours later and off again to the surgery room hopefully for the last time. As the nurse approached me she gave me a different shot to put me into the mood which seemed to work for I couldn’t even remember two minutes after the time she gave me the shot. All I can remember is waking up in the middle of the night hooked up to a series of machines. Even a plastic drainage tube and pouch was attached to my side. I felt like the Borg from an episode of Star Trek which would have been cool except for the fact it was happening to me and as the machine monitoring my heart started to send out an alarm that my heart was racing out of control a nurse appeared to calm me down and tell me what happened.

The surgery went great and no unexpected problems came up but apparently the gas that was used created another problem. As I awakened duringthe surgery I was in a very bad mood. A mood so bad that it took 6 guys to hold me down until the effects of the gas wore off. By then they said I was too tired to continue on and basically fell asleep than finished the fight. They wheeled me back to my room where my family was waiting for me. I was sound asleep and after a while they left for home as I lay helplessly in bed only to return quickly the next day to carry me home.

On my third day of no food I was greeted by a lady who was like a God to me. A woman who spoke the words that comforted my heart and fill me joy and happiness. She introduced herself into my life by proclaiming to all around that she has my breakfast trey ready for me to eat. I was starving and I found out that I still love Jell-O. My sister and Brother-in-law show up and within an hour I was wheeled to the car and heading home to my wife and kids. My recovery was on its way.

Arriving home my sister walked me into the house as I carried myself to my room to sleep the rest of the day away. A big welcome home as my kids looked over the scars and my wife asking 1,000 questions I found time later for rest and relaxation. An air conditioned room, satellite TV and a DVD player with something to drink and a bowl of ice cream I passed the day away as I started a series of adventures. I proceeded to watch the entire series of Hogan’s Heroes from the first episode to the last with all the extras on the DVD set. Doing this drove my wife crazy. It was a great day.

On Sunday I realized my limits as I went into the living room where my family was to spend time with them and enjoy the moment. That was until I sneezed and found myself huddled on the floor holding my sides while experiencing a new kind of pain. I quickly returned to my bed and un-pausing the DVD player forgetting any thoughts of leaving again. Thanks in part to the pee bottle the hospital gave me and a few kittens that jumped up onto bed with me and proceeded to jump all around me and on my belly area insuring my continual stay. The next day I visited my Doctor who removed the drainage plug that was scary and at the same time having a creepy feel about it as he was pulling it out. As we left his office we quickly returning home and to bed to continue my DVD series.

My health is getting better even though I hold my side as I take a deep breath or sneeze but overall I enjoy the day I can return to work to pay off the bills and for a little piece and quiet especially from two boys overly active on the Wii system and a quest to drive their parents crazy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

River Song from Doctor Who

Japanese Sub

River Song @ Yahoo! Video

Wife's July Banner

Doctor Who Season 5

I just saw the last episode of Season 5. The episode was called 'The Big Bang', a part 2 episode with 'The Pandorica Opens' being part 1. The is truly a very good season for the new actor, Matt Smith playing the 11th Doctor but by far 'The Big Bang' being one of THE best episode tied with 'The Time of Angels' and 'Flesh and Stone'. A two part episode with a combo of Weeping Angels and River Song.

The final episode was great especially with the Darlek begging River Song for mercy as with the opening scene when the Pandorica opens up and the Doctor is not inside. But I could go on and write a book about this episode but over all the exception of 'Victory of the Teletubby Daleks' and Vincent and the Tissue Paper' I would personally give Season 5 an A-. And to thing most chat sites thought Omega was going to finaly show up in the final episode.