Friday Flashback (late edition)

Back in the day I was somewhat of a concert connesuir.  I’ve seen everyone from Pink Floyd to Alabama to The Monkees. I heard this song on the radio today and it reminded me of one of the rowdiest concerts I’ve ever seen: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Southern Accents tour in 1985.  As far as the music goes, it was one of my favorites. But I’ve never seen so many people getting drug out of a show by the police before or since. Maybe it was a full moon that night, I don’t know.

Indoctrination of Our Youth

I was watching “A Dennis the Menace Christmas” with my children the other day. It is a Dennis the Menace version of A Christmas Carol. It was a really bad movie. A couple of things stood out to me. Mr. Wilson (Scrooge) repeatedly refered to Christmas as “shameless Capitalism at it’s best”. In the trip to the future the atmosphere had been ruined and the “angel” or “elf”, it was never clear which, stated, “I guess we should have listened to Al Gore.”

Of course Mr. Wilson finally gets the “Christmas Spirit”, but there was never a retraction of the “shameless Capitalism” remarks. I’m really not surprised by this. Hollywood has always been part of the far left. I just hate the fact that they can’t even make a children’s Christmas movie without plugging in their political views.

Resurfacing

I’ve been noticeably absent from here for a while. I hit a rough patch back over the summer that came out of no where. Anxiety attacks, severe insomnia and a general feeling of dread. The weird part was, it came out of nowhere. I’ve had some bumps in the road before but nothing like this.  The lack of sleep was the worst. It just seemed to compound everything. At one point I went 4 days with about 2 hours of sleep. And it wasn’t a solid 2 hours, it was a few minutes here and few there… awful. I finally broke down and went to the doc and got some help. It still took me about a month to get back on a regular sleeping pattern again.  The anxiety issues took a little longer. But after about 6 weeks or so the medication kicked in and I was feeling a lot better.

I also figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I thought I knew and then during all of this I couldn’t seem to settle on anything. But after much prayer and many conversations with people wiser than I, I have decided to go for Clinical Laboratory Technology (a lab tech). I spent some time with my sister on the job, she’s been a lab technologist for 20 years or so.  Seeing what goes on in a lab and getting some hands on with a microscope really peaked my interest. And I will still be able to use those skills for my ultimate goal in the future… to serve on the Africa Mercy of Mercy Ships.

In October I began a part-time job. It’s not much, but it gets me out of the house and feeling like I’m contributing to the economic well-being of my family. This was a huge step in regaining some sanity. After a year and a half, it was time for me to get back in the work force.  I was getting pretty discouraged because I was applying for everything I could and nothing was opening up for me. Then on a whim I called a friend of mine and asked if he had any openings and what do you know? He just had a position open up.

So things are finally getting back to normal around here. Just in time for Christmas.

ABCs of the FairTax

It’s no secret I’m a strong supporter of the Fair Tax. I also realize that it has about zero chance of ever happening. It would take all the power our of the government, and neither side of the isle in DC will ever let that happen.

Here’s a link to Herman Cain’s ABCs of the Fair Tax. It’s worth a look and dreaming.

ABCs of the FairTax on wsbradio.com.

And I though A&P was tough…

College Algebra is kicking my butt!!! Holy cow… I just don’t get it. I’m also taking Medical Terminology this quarter. And I have started a new job. So there is not much time for blogging these days. Hopefully soon.

Until then… later my friends.

Waterlogged

Check out this slide show from the floods in Georgia.

Your Flooding Pictures .

Brain Freeze

I’m finally done with Anatomy & Physiology! Today was the final for A&P 2. I studied my butt off for the past two weeks and managed to get a 93 on the written portion of the final, an 88 on the lab portion. The written portion is the biggie. After failing the final for A&P 1 and dropping my final grade from an “A” to a “C”, I am super pleased with this quarter.  My final grade for this quarter was an 89.8. I’m a little disappointed with that… I mean .2 away from an “A”. But I was determined not to fail this final. It has been on my mind for the past three months. So even though I got a “B” in the class, I got my “A” on the final.

I had told myself on the way to the school that if I passed, I would treat myself to a Chick-Fil-A milkshake. These things are so good, they could be illegal. I hesitated afterward, I’ve been trying to behave, but I went and got my reward anyway. Of course I drank it down so fast I repeatedly got a brain freeze.  I would wait until it passed and then do it again.  I can’t help myself, these things are so good.

I’m Working My Way Back

I’ve been absent from here for a while for a few reasons: school, life, and a bit of a “funk” I have landed in. This one has been particularly bad. I guess the reality and uncertainty of everything finally caught up with me. I’m really not sure what triggered it. One day I seemed fine, and then suddenly I was experiencing some severe anxiety. I couldn’t sleep no matter what I tried. I was getting maybe one of two hours a night. If you’ve never experienced insomnia, it’s kind of like getting the rug pulled out from under you. It’s a vicious cycle. The less sleep you get, the more you know you need sleep. The more you think about it, the less sleep your gonna get.

It finally got bad enough that I listened to my wife and went to see a doctor. She was great. Not like doctors I’ve experienced in the passed. She actually took time to talk with me and not just hand me a prescription and boot me out the door.  Oh, I got the prescriptions too (one for sleep, one for anxiety\depression). But talking things out with someone really helped as well.  I looked into getting some counseling, but under our current situation we can’t afford it. But the medicine seems to be helping a lot, anxiety level is way down. I have good days and bad days, mostly good. I wish I could say my sleep was back to normal. It is better. I’m at least getting five to six a night. There is something about 4 am though, I seem to wake up at 4am like clockwork. Not sure what that’s all about.

Things are looking up. I’m doing well in Anatomy & Physiology this quarter. Despite this little episode I’ve still managed to keep an “A” average. I also got a part-time job. Something I’m looking forward to. I know this may make studying a little harder, but I think I need to get back into the workforce (even if it is only part-time).  Football season has started. That is always a mood lifter for me. Although as a lifelong Atlanta Falcons fan, that can change in a hurry.

I almost forgot; I quit taking my pain management medication. I feel great. My back actually feels better now that I have kicked the pain meds. I think the weaning process may have intensified this funk, but I am so glad to be done with that crap. I have also managed to lose 12 pounds, which is good for the old back. Partly because I lacked any appetite for a couple of weeks. But now that the appetite has returned I am making an effort to make better choices in my eating.  Next step is to increase the exercise.  The lack of decent sleep is making for low energy levels though. But I’m going to try and do it anyway and maybe that will help with the sleeping.  I just gotta make myself do it.

All that said, I’m glad to be back.

And the Beat Goes On…

Last quarter I struggled with Anatomy & Physiology 1.  It was a ton of information to digest in a short amount of time. On top of that I had a demanding math class as well, Quantitative Skills & Reasoning. I managed to keep an A in A&P until the final which I blew and dropped my final grade to a C. So this quarter I decided to concentrate solely on A&P 2 and redeem myself for last quarter.

Once again I have underestimated how demanding my classes will be. I thought for sure taking only the one class would be so much easier for me.  And I guess it is because I couldn’t imagine having to take another class on top of this one. Anatomy and Physiology is such a demanding class. I spend 4 to 6 hours a day studying. I have had to get a white board out and write down a daily schedule for me and my girls to keep me (and them) on track for getting my tasks done from day to day. So far so good.  They have been very helpful and know that when it is time for daddy’s class, they play by themselves or with each other and leave daddy alone with his books and computer. It helps having the schedule up because they know when it is play time they have my undivided attention during that time.

Some cool stuff this quarter is I am getting to put some of what I’ve been learning about to work. Not literally work, but I have begun a dissection of a cat this quarter. I know gross, but it was cool to see some of what I have studied in front of me. To see the different layers of tissue. Connective tissue looks very similar to spider webs. I got to see the different types of muscle tissue and fibers. That’s as far as we got this week, next week we will open it up and study the internal organs and systems. I also got to go down to the lab where my sister works and look at some blood cells I have been studying.  It’s one thing to read about them in a book, it’s another to put them under a microscope and take a look for yourself. It was also very helpful to have someone knowledgeable sit with me and explain everything I was looking at.

So while this quarter is yet again challenging, I am having a ball. I can’t wait to actually get into my program of study. I know it is going to be another challenge but I am really looking forward to it.  So much better that being stuck in the rut I was in for so long.

Temporary Bachelor

This week the girls have been in Kentucky vacationing with one Kari’s older brothers and his family. The question I’ve gotten most this week is, “Are you enjoying the peace and quiet this week?” ; or “Are you enjoying being a bachelor this week?” The answer I give seems to come as a surprise to those who posed the question. The honest answer is… NO. I am not enjoying being a bachelor. If I enjoyed being a bachelor I would have never gotten married.

Now if I’m being totally honest, I do enjoy some times when I get the house to myself for a couple of hours while the girls go to a friends or to a movie. But I always like to have them home with me at night; or at least be with me where ever that may be. They all come home tomorrow and I can’t wait.