Okay...so sue me. That is more than a week. But if you have read any of my postings so far-then you'll know that I'm nothing if not unconventional. I enjoy a play on words...or to just simply play with words. And to make deliberate mis-takes!
The time frame listed above was far and away one of the most roller coaster-like 10 day periods of my recent life. Ups, downs, undecideds...and a whole lot 'o stuff in between. Read on for the chronology...
So I got home from a week on the road at about 1:15am Friday night/Saturday morning. The week that preceded was a bit crazy and it finally came to an end by walking in to my daughter's room when I got home and awakened her as I promised I would to let her know that I was home. There are no words that can describe the look of joy on her face when her grogginess cleared and she realized it was her daddy! That feeling was so amazing that I had myself a little moment before going to bed. Yes...I have my 'sally' moments.
So the rest of the weekend was fun too as the weather was nice so I took the kids for bike rides and to the park and got to spend some good, quality time with them. We even watched football together as my New York Football Giants took out the 49ers and clinched a berth in the Super Bowl. This was clearly among the 'ups'. But of course-every action has an equal and opposite reaction. My two older kids start not feeling well, and develop fevers. So I stay home Monday with them and take them to the pediatrician. Well...whatever they had apparently had run its' course and they were fine. So I take them to school and head into work to salvage a few hours of time off. Tuesday represented the first time in 5.5 years that I used sick time on myself. Had a doctor's appointment of my own. First one in a LONG time. But all is good. No worries.
During all of this, my youngest is really congested, and a bit cranky. But you might be too if you had bone breaking through your gums in 4 different places. But that notwithstanding, we muddled through the next 36 hours. So fast forward to Thursday. My youngest is not doing great and his school/day care calls and states that he has a fever and we'll need to come pick him up. Which of course means that we'll need to make plans now to be home Friday too. So figuring that it could be more than just a hard-core cold, I go to the pediatrician's office (again). They say that it seems that whatever he has is likely viral and not bacterial and would just have to run its' course. HOWEVER...they want us to go to the hospital and have him checked out anyway. He has a rash that looks a little concerning. Petechia they called it. I had only ever heard that term on ER or House. What it meant though, I had no idea.
They told us that it could mean a blood infection so to be safe we should go get it checked out. There was this odd look of concern on their faces. At the time I couldn't tell if it was really concern or if they were just hurrying since we were the last appointment of the day and they were ready to go home. They told us over and over again that we 'just want to be sure' but they were a bit cryptic as to what we needed to 'just be sure' about. Soooooo, off to the hospital we go. A task made more challenging since I had my middle guy (3) in tow and did I mention that my cell phone decided to make a career change to become a paperweight earlier in the day? Yea, so keeping my wife informed was a bit tricky. The office let me use their phone to call the wife and told her to meet me at the hospital with our daughter. But along the way I felt that it was silly for us ALL to be at the hospital. So I pulled out my credit card, used the OnStar to buy some minutes to use the car's calling feature and called my better half and suggested that she just head home. Get your work done, have our daughter get her homework done...relax and I'll be home soon. Little did I know what I was in for!
Remember, at this point I still have no idea of the potential magnitude of what might be...I figured: "Eh...we'll get a couple of tests done and we'll be out of here...". NOT! We got to the ER and checked in around 6:00pm. After a battery of tests, a chest x-ray, a LOT of waiting and very little info or explanations...about 6 hours later I finally come to understand that there is possible concern over blood cell counts and leukemia and pneumonia are among the two prime suspects in this mess. HOLD UP...I'm sorry...did you just try to slip it in there that my 11 month old might have cancer? Are you kidding? I mean, this is a joke right? Hardly any info all night and out of the blue you tell me that the hematologist is looking into cell counts out of concerns of possible cancer? Does the commissary serve booze? Cuz i think that I need a beverage.
Meanwhile...my wife is sitting at home not knowing ANYTHING other than what she finds on Google related to petechia. Which by the way...if you are already concerned...what you will find online is less than comforting to say the least. I managed to get my hands on one of the hospital computers and logged into my email and shot the boss a message to update her. Finally in the midst of my looking very suspicious on their computer when the doctor walks in...I finally hear that most signs point to viral and not bacterial...so we appear to be okay. We are still not fully in the clear as they want to run one more blood test just to make sure. Apparently one of the tests they ran is easily fallible, so they wanted to check again to see if the results that they got the first time (the ones that put us on alert in the first place!) were inaccurate. Comforting.
So to make a short story long, after 2 hours longer than they said that we'd have to wait for the results, we are told that we are safe and that all that worrying was for naught. We're going home and going to be discharged. Catastrophe averted...my little boy is okay. We're all going home. Thank God.
One point that I mentioned above, but didn't do a very good job of emphasizing is that my middle one, 3 years old has got to get 'Big Brother of the Year' award for his behavior. That little man hung in there all night...with no toys, no dinner, no nothing. We had no idea when the day started that we'd be gone until 5:00am. That little man hung in there awake by his brother's side until 2:15am! i was nodding off and he was still going. Maybe I should have had some apple juice too.
And as if that wasn't all enough...did I mention that all week we've been waiting on another piece of news? Oh yeah, we found out at the start of the week that my wife's company was going to be laying off a whole bunch of people this week, and as it would turn out...that all finally started to happen on what day? THURSDAY! Fortunately we made it through that one unscathed as well. But we just had a months' worth of worry in about 24 hours.
So we move along to Friday...a new day. My wife was home with the baby today, since he had a fever he wasn't going to be able to go to school right away. This day also brought with it a simple follow up appointment with the hematologist. no problem. More 'just in case' though at this point we figured that this really meant 'just in case' and there would be no more surprises. WRONG! My wife contacts me to let me know that they sent her to the oncology hematologist specialist? What? This again? I thought we were clear? Well, it would seem not so much-not yet anyway.
So after another finger prick and some actual explanations (far more expeditiously and clear than that which we got from the hospital the night before) it was determined...again, that my little guy did not have cancer. Effing hell...CHECK PLEASE-stick a fork in me, I'm done.
So really the other stuff that admittedly I had planned to include when I kicked off this writing seems really meaningless after all of that. Suffice to say that the weekend was a pretty normal weekend, and we took a few steps back to take stock of how lucky we really are. You know, I'm the first guy to complain about things that honestly-in the grand scheme of things are at the very best: petty and at worst: completely insignificant. But all in all there are truly only a few things that REALLY matter in this world and I encourage you all to make sure that you pay those things their due attention and try to let the other stuff go. There is no point in using up stress on stupid stuff when you will have plenty of things that you'll need that stress for later.
Go home. Hug your kids, spouse, etc. Look around you and be thankful for what you have and not spiteful for what you don't. Take a breath.
As always...thanks for taking the time.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Don't count me out!
So I must extend a huge "THANK YOU" to a number of people who expressed their disappointment that I had not posted in some time. Certainly not a conscious decision and I really appreciate the support.
So the question becomes...after 2 months away-what to write about. Well, usual advice is to write about what you know. So to stay within my comfort zone I'm going to go with sports. And to keep my uniqueness in place-I will offer up a top 11 list to boot. So with that I offer you my...
Top 11 Most Impactful/influential Athletes
This list is (in my opinion...the only one that counts for the next few minutes!) a compilation of those that-as the title might suggest-had the greatest impacts on their own sport, and beyond. Please hold all applause until the end.
11. Muhammed Ali-Boxing. Hard to put a guy nicknamed "the greatest" at number 11-but hey...it's my list so there. Given the time in which he was coming up-an outspoken African-American was not exactly endearing to the general populace, yet he drew people in from all over. He also had a tremendous impact outside the boxing ring relating to civil rights and with his outspokeness on the war of the time. Not to mention he was a winner at every level that he fought: Golden Gloves, Olympics, and professionally. He truly is 'the champ'.
10. Mia Hamm-Soccer. The lone female entry on my list. A variety of reasons-not the least of which is because I...like a lot of the general public is not as exposed to female athletics as we are to those of men. But Mia is arguably the greatest woman to ever play the sport and brought an awareness to not just soccer (which is a feat in and of itself in this country) but to WOMAN's soccer and woman's sports in general.
9. Lawrence Taylor-Football. Probably the most likely to be argued against on this list. But realize that he was such an amazing threat that entirely new offenses were created simply to attempt to counter LT coming off that edge. He is among the all time leaders in sacks and in his first NFL season that stat was not even tracked, so he'd likely be even higher.
8. Jim Brown-Football. Not unlike Ali above-Brown was influential beyond the sports world. Also worth noting that while he is very well known for his success in pro football...it probably wasn't even his best sport. Also an All-American Lacrosse player at Syracuse, he probably could have excelled at any sport he chose. He left the game while still easily a dominant force, yet his stats still hold up to this day. Very active in promoting African-American rights and equality-he has been involved in so much that some likely don't even realize that he is one of the greatest athletes ever.
7. Wayne Gretzky-Hockey. Y'all know I'm a huge hockey fan...so hard for me to put him this low. But nonetheless...statistically he is light years ahead of the rest of the hockey world. He isn't called 'The Great One' for nothing. Scoring 1000 points in an NHL career is considered a very significant milestone. And that is how many points ahead of 2nd place on the all time list Gretzky stands. But as far as influence-he helped bring about a new-open aired style of play thru the 80's with his dynasty teams in Edmonton. And then he helped popularize the sport in many non-traditional markets when he was traded to Los Angeles.
6. Tiger Woods-Golf. Yes he made some pretty poor choices for a guy that seemed to have it all. But YOU ALL WATCHED. And that is why he is on this list. Even before 'slutty-waitress-gate' when he was still dominating the golf world tourney after tourney...many tuned in to see if he would lose. If he did perform poorly-he still lead off the news broadcast. And then when you throw in the marketing that he brought...like nobody in his sport before.
5. Wilt Chamberlain-Basketball. Wilt was a dominant human specimen. He was just a beast. Safe to say that if they have to change the rules of the game which you play because of you...you deserve to make a list like this. No less than 4 rules were changed or implemented because of his dominance. What more does one need to say. Nothing really...but as for stats...he retired as the all time leading scorer, still the all time leading rebounder and hold multiple other records like say, most points in a game-100.
4. Jim Thorpe-Everything! He was an Olympic Gold Medalist (even though it had been taken from him) in the Pentathlon and Decathlon. He was called after that triumph "the greatest athlete in the world". He was a tremendous football player and a good baseball player too. Not mention the fact that he was instrumental in the creation of the American Professional Football Association. (Now known as a little entity called the NFL-perhaps you've heard of it?)
3. George Herman "Babe" Ruth-Baseball. I just like saying his whole name. The game of baseball changed once Ruth started playing. Statistically his impact is felt in a measure of how far he was separated from the rest of the field. For a number of years early in his career, he hit more home runs that entire teams did. He actually did that a lot. But his impact was just as important in that he helped revive baseball after the 1919 'Black Sox' scandal and attracted celebrity-like followings. He was larger than life (literally too...a hefty, overweight guy) in that his physical appearance was that of a normal human...but he was clearly superhuman.
2. Michael Jordan-Basketball. There are many 'best' lists that have MJ sitting at the peak looking down on the rest of the sports world. And as much as I was not a fan at the time-those lists are hard to argue against. he was nothing short of a Juggernaut on the court. And according to the commercials...it must be the shoes but I think that we all know that it wasn't just the shoes. But the shoes were what helped us all 'be like Mike'. Well, not really...but the marketing machine that was the Nike 'Air' line was tremendous. You were cool once you owned a pair of 'Air' Jordans. Nike was a good company before Michael Jordan. But with him...they became just as strong of a Juggernaut in the sports marketing world as MJ was on the basketball court.
1. Jackie Robinson-Baseball. To refer to Jackie Robinson as a 'baseball player' does him and what he accomplished a serious injustice. Yes he was a tremendous baseball player-but in case you are completely ignorant of his doings-he was also the first 'colored' player to play professional baseball in the major leagues. (I use that term to reflect his accomplishment being referred to as breaking the 'color' barrier. Absolutely no derogatory intent at all.) He forged through countless death threats, hatred from fellow players, and scrutiny of his play that was far greater than that of his white counterparts. Yet he put all that aside to help make it so that we were able to see a number of the people on this list put upon display the talents that got them on this list in the first place.
So there you have it. My list. Now start your arguing and picking. I can take it.
Thanks as always.
John
So the question becomes...after 2 months away-what to write about. Well, usual advice is to write about what you know. So to stay within my comfort zone I'm going to go with sports. And to keep my uniqueness in place-I will offer up a top 11 list to boot. So with that I offer you my...
Top 11 Most Impactful/influential Athletes
This list is (in my opinion...the only one that counts for the next few minutes!) a compilation of those that-as the title might suggest-had the greatest impacts on their own sport, and beyond. Please hold all applause until the end.
11. Muhammed Ali-Boxing. Hard to put a guy nicknamed "the greatest" at number 11-but hey...it's my list so there. Given the time in which he was coming up-an outspoken African-American was not exactly endearing to the general populace, yet he drew people in from all over. He also had a tremendous impact outside the boxing ring relating to civil rights and with his outspokeness on the war of the time. Not to mention he was a winner at every level that he fought: Golden Gloves, Olympics, and professionally. He truly is 'the champ'.
10. Mia Hamm-Soccer. The lone female entry on my list. A variety of reasons-not the least of which is because I...like a lot of the general public is not as exposed to female athletics as we are to those of men. But Mia is arguably the greatest woman to ever play the sport and brought an awareness to not just soccer (which is a feat in and of itself in this country) but to WOMAN's soccer and woman's sports in general.
9. Lawrence Taylor-Football. Probably the most likely to be argued against on this list. But realize that he was such an amazing threat that entirely new offenses were created simply to attempt to counter LT coming off that edge. He is among the all time leaders in sacks and in his first NFL season that stat was not even tracked, so he'd likely be even higher.
8. Jim Brown-Football. Not unlike Ali above-Brown was influential beyond the sports world. Also worth noting that while he is very well known for his success in pro football...it probably wasn't even his best sport. Also an All-American Lacrosse player at Syracuse, he probably could have excelled at any sport he chose. He left the game while still easily a dominant force, yet his stats still hold up to this day. Very active in promoting African-American rights and equality-he has been involved in so much that some likely don't even realize that he is one of the greatest athletes ever.
7. Wayne Gretzky-Hockey. Y'all know I'm a huge hockey fan...so hard for me to put him this low. But nonetheless...statistically he is light years ahead of the rest of the hockey world. He isn't called 'The Great One' for nothing. Scoring 1000 points in an NHL career is considered a very significant milestone. And that is how many points ahead of 2nd place on the all time list Gretzky stands. But as far as influence-he helped bring about a new-open aired style of play thru the 80's with his dynasty teams in Edmonton. And then he helped popularize the sport in many non-traditional markets when he was traded to Los Angeles.
6. Tiger Woods-Golf. Yes he made some pretty poor choices for a guy that seemed to have it all. But YOU ALL WATCHED. And that is why he is on this list. Even before 'slutty-waitress-gate' when he was still dominating the golf world tourney after tourney...many tuned in to see if he would lose. If he did perform poorly-he still lead off the news broadcast. And then when you throw in the marketing that he brought...like nobody in his sport before.
5. Wilt Chamberlain-Basketball. Wilt was a dominant human specimen. He was just a beast. Safe to say that if they have to change the rules of the game which you play because of you...you deserve to make a list like this. No less than 4 rules were changed or implemented because of his dominance. What more does one need to say. Nothing really...but as for stats...he retired as the all time leading scorer, still the all time leading rebounder and hold multiple other records like say, most points in a game-100.
4. Jim Thorpe-Everything! He was an Olympic Gold Medalist (even though it had been taken from him) in the Pentathlon and Decathlon. He was called after that triumph "the greatest athlete in the world". He was a tremendous football player and a good baseball player too. Not mention the fact that he was instrumental in the creation of the American Professional Football Association. (Now known as a little entity called the NFL-perhaps you've heard of it?)
3. George Herman "Babe" Ruth-Baseball. I just like saying his whole name. The game of baseball changed once Ruth started playing. Statistically his impact is felt in a measure of how far he was separated from the rest of the field. For a number of years early in his career, he hit more home runs that entire teams did. He actually did that a lot. But his impact was just as important in that he helped revive baseball after the 1919 'Black Sox' scandal and attracted celebrity-like followings. He was larger than life (literally too...a hefty, overweight guy) in that his physical appearance was that of a normal human...but he was clearly superhuman.
2. Michael Jordan-Basketball. There are many 'best' lists that have MJ sitting at the peak looking down on the rest of the sports world. And as much as I was not a fan at the time-those lists are hard to argue against. he was nothing short of a Juggernaut on the court. And according to the commercials...it must be the shoes but I think that we all know that it wasn't just the shoes. But the shoes were what helped us all 'be like Mike'. Well, not really...but the marketing machine that was the Nike 'Air' line was tremendous. You were cool once you owned a pair of 'Air' Jordans. Nike was a good company before Michael Jordan. But with him...they became just as strong of a Juggernaut in the sports marketing world as MJ was on the basketball court.
1. Jackie Robinson-Baseball. To refer to Jackie Robinson as a 'baseball player' does him and what he accomplished a serious injustice. Yes he was a tremendous baseball player-but in case you are completely ignorant of his doings-he was also the first 'colored' player to play professional baseball in the major leagues. (I use that term to reflect his accomplishment being referred to as breaking the 'color' barrier. Absolutely no derogatory intent at all.) He forged through countless death threats, hatred from fellow players, and scrutiny of his play that was far greater than that of his white counterparts. Yet he put all that aside to help make it so that we were able to see a number of the people on this list put upon display the talents that got them on this list in the first place.
So there you have it. My list. Now start your arguing and picking. I can take it.
Thanks as always.
John
Monday, November 7, 2011
"Jaws Ate My Woobie"
Your Mom calls the vacuum cleaner "jaws"?
In 1983, Michael Keaton portrayed Jack Butler in the comedy "Mr. Mom". Now at that time I was 9 years old and to say that being a parent wasn't even on the radar yet would never come close to describing it. Little did I know that some 20+ years later, I'd be changing diapers, cooking dinner, picking up at day care, attending parent/teacher conferences, etc...AND LOVING IT! Being Dad to my three children has been...
A. The most rewarding job ever.
B. The most trying job ever.
C. The most fun job ever.
D. All of the above (and then some!)
The answer is "D" by a landslide. I know that it sounds cliche when one says that they "love their kids more than anything else on Earth"...well being cliche and being true are not mutually exclusive. I have loved being a dad (and husband too!) more than I ever could have imagined. The smiles and hugs that await at pickup or when I walk in the door are worth more than a tanker full of gold. Nothing can wipe away the stress or doldrums of a work day like the words that follow: "Daddy, Daddy...guess what I did today at school..." With a grin so wide it touches in the back of ones head-the pride that comes over you at that moment is unfavomable, er-unfathimble, it's without fathom. (+5 points to whomever correctly gets THAT reference!)
"Honey, you gave me some real good advice once, so let me give you some of my own. It's real easy to forget what's important, so don't."
NOW...don't get me wrong. There are challenges that can seem just as strong as the highs. I feel like I haven't slept in over 5 years. For those that don't know-I do bedtime, wake up...and everything in between. For some reason that still eludes me, I elected to take care of the nighttime. In the beginning I actually would get up and sit awake with my wife when she'd have to breastfeed the baby in the night-then I'd do the feedings while she pumped (if you aren't in the know on that one...probably better left unsaid!). I've just always been able to function on little sleep, so I figured it was the least I could do. After all-I wasn't the one that carried and then passed the watermelon. I'm just trying to do my part. ;-) So no matter what any of you guys think...we got off easy. We could NEVER bear children. Though I wouldn't have put it past a guy, were we the ones that were donned with the responsibility of carrying child, to have invented something that would have done the work for us! Ah the hours of effort that will be put forth to avoid having to put in any effort later never ceases to amaze me!
" My brain is like oatmeal. I yelled at Kenny today for coloring outside the lines! Megan and I are starting to watch the same TV shows, and I'm liking them! I'm losing it. "
But I will admit that now at 37 it is definitely harder than it was 5+ years ago after the first one was born. It is harder to roust myself at God's hour to tend to the crying baby in the middle of the night...it is harder to wake up in the morning when at 5:30am the kids have decided that they are "ready to play and start their day", and above all it is just harder...period.
Caroline: Do you want to go over the list one more time?
Jack Butler: No I don't want to go over the list! OK let's go over the list.
Do to a job change for my better half, I now get to be more of an involved parent than ever as I have now assumed the after school/work jobs of picking up the kids and then getting everyone fed, bathed, homeworked, and to bed (I always did the bed part before, but now it is that much harder-see above!). It has definitely tested my limits more than I expected. Not because I thought it would be easy, mind you. Having previously been the one that gets to come home and relieve the other parent-I could see and hear just how easy it WASN'T. But I guess I had enough confidence that I'd be better able to handle it. Well, brother-let me tell you something (wow, thanks Hulkster)...it has been REALLY DARN HARD! And I have been humbled to say the least.
Now what is even more funny is that if the position were to become available (and by 'available' I mean feasible) I would apply for the job of 'stay-at-home-dad' yesterday! Everyday at the park, or playgroups and during nap time I'd go bleary-eyed playing endless hours of Call of Duty on my PS3! Sign me up!
So I guess the moral of the story is (and this is a thought that I shared with someone recently, actually) that as much as you think about what it will be like once you have children, no matter how much you think that you have prepared, no matter how many times you have babysat, or taught, or spent time with/around other children...until your name is the one on the birth certificate and you are actually the one responsible for another life and they (or you) don't get to go home to separate places once playtime is over-there is absolutely NO WAY TO KNOW what it will be like. None. That is not a knock on those that don't have kids but want them-it is just the truth. I had years of experience working with children before I had any that called me 'daddy'...and while it certainly helped prepare me there is just a whole new lever once you have some of your own.
Well, if you're so unhappy, why don't you say something about it?
But I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks as always for taking the time...until next time.
Mr. John
In 1983, Michael Keaton portrayed Jack Butler in the comedy "Mr. Mom". Now at that time I was 9 years old and to say that being a parent wasn't even on the radar yet would never come close to describing it. Little did I know that some 20+ years later, I'd be changing diapers, cooking dinner, picking up at day care, attending parent/teacher conferences, etc...AND LOVING IT! Being Dad to my three children has been...
A. The most rewarding job ever.
B. The most trying job ever.
C. The most fun job ever.
D. All of the above (and then some!)
The answer is "D" by a landslide. I know that it sounds cliche when one says that they "love their kids more than anything else on Earth"...well being cliche and being true are not mutually exclusive. I have loved being a dad (and husband too!) more than I ever could have imagined. The smiles and hugs that await at pickup or when I walk in the door are worth more than a tanker full of gold. Nothing can wipe away the stress or doldrums of a work day like the words that follow: "Daddy, Daddy...guess what I did today at school..." With a grin so wide it touches in the back of ones head-the pride that comes over you at that moment is unfavomable, er-unfathimble, it's without fathom. (+5 points to whomever correctly gets THAT reference!)
"Honey, you gave me some real good advice once, so let me give you some of my own. It's real easy to forget what's important, so don't."
NOW...don't get me wrong. There are challenges that can seem just as strong as the highs. I feel like I haven't slept in over 5 years. For those that don't know-I do bedtime, wake up...and everything in between. For some reason that still eludes me, I elected to take care of the nighttime. In the beginning I actually would get up and sit awake with my wife when she'd have to breastfeed the baby in the night-then I'd do the feedings while she pumped (if you aren't in the know on that one...probably better left unsaid!). I've just always been able to function on little sleep, so I figured it was the least I could do. After all-I wasn't the one that carried and then passed the watermelon. I'm just trying to do my part. ;-) So no matter what any of you guys think...we got off easy. We could NEVER bear children. Though I wouldn't have put it past a guy, were we the ones that were donned with the responsibility of carrying child, to have invented something that would have done the work for us! Ah the hours of effort that will be put forth to avoid having to put in any effort later never ceases to amaze me!
" My brain is like oatmeal. I yelled at Kenny today for coloring outside the lines! Megan and I are starting to watch the same TV shows, and I'm liking them! I'm losing it. "
But I will admit that now at 37 it is definitely harder than it was 5+ years ago after the first one was born. It is harder to roust myself at God's hour to tend to the crying baby in the middle of the night...it is harder to wake up in the morning when at 5:30am the kids have decided that they are "ready to play and start their day", and above all it is just harder...period.
Caroline: Do you want to go over the list one more time?
Jack Butler: No I don't want to go over the list! OK let's go over the list.
Do to a job change for my better half, I now get to be more of an involved parent than ever as I have now assumed the after school/work jobs of picking up the kids and then getting everyone fed, bathed, homeworked, and to bed (I always did the bed part before, but now it is that much harder-see above!). It has definitely tested my limits more than I expected. Not because I thought it would be easy, mind you. Having previously been the one that gets to come home and relieve the other parent-I could see and hear just how easy it WASN'T. But I guess I had enough confidence that I'd be better able to handle it. Well, brother-let me tell you something (wow, thanks Hulkster)...it has been REALLY DARN HARD! And I have been humbled to say the least.
Now what is even more funny is that if the position were to become available (and by 'available' I mean feasible) I would apply for the job of 'stay-at-home-dad' yesterday! Everyday at the park, or playgroups and during nap time I'd go bleary-eyed playing endless hours of Call of Duty on my PS3! Sign me up!
So I guess the moral of the story is (and this is a thought that I shared with someone recently, actually) that as much as you think about what it will be like once you have children, no matter how much you think that you have prepared, no matter how many times you have babysat, or taught, or spent time with/around other children...until your name is the one on the birth certificate and you are actually the one responsible for another life and they (or you) don't get to go home to separate places once playtime is over-there is absolutely NO WAY TO KNOW what it will be like. None. That is not a knock on those that don't have kids but want them-it is just the truth. I had years of experience working with children before I had any that called me 'daddy'...and while it certainly helped prepare me there is just a whole new lever once you have some of your own.
Well, if you're so unhappy, why don't you say something about it?
But I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks as always for taking the time...until next time.
Mr. John
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Did You Miss Me?
Hello again...I know, I know...you thought you were rid of me, right? Well NO SUCH LUCK! I'm back, finally. I have no real specific topic to share with you today outside of what the heck has been going on for the last two weeks that has kept me from gracing your screen with another post. Needless to say (an interesting oxymoron, don't you think?) there has been plenty of happenings in recent past, so here comes the good, the bad, and the ugly...(Because there has certainly been a bit of each!).
And away we go-
So when you last heard from me I was commenting on my little sister's wedding-along with many other weddings and such. Since then, well-let's see...my wife started a brand new job that brought about new longer hours for her. Domino effect-my schedule changed, so I now pick up the kids each night, do dinner, baths, homework, all that. Has turned out to be a little more than I bargained for. God bless my wife for having done all this before. Granted I get a later jump on it..but still-it is a lot.
So we're in the midst of the first week of that new schedule and BAM! The wife and kids get into a car accident! Fortunately nobody was 'seriously' hurt. Especially the kids. They never saw it coming, so not unlike the drunk driver that escapes without harm, they were totally relaxed at impact. Unfortunately my wife was not quite as lucky and got a few bumps, bruises, and massive soreness from tensing up at the moment of impact. Everyone was taken to the hospital to get checked out. So that day was kind of lost to many phone calls and arrangements for rental cars, missed work, etc. This impacted the next day-when the wife couldn't drive so we all rode together (on another altered schedule). A difficult weekend followed with everyone still a little weary. Throw in a few other previous obligations and you have a lot of days spoken for. Moving on...
So then a few days later, my baby ends up getting sick. Took him to the doc to find out he has an ear infection and croup. Lovely...did I mention that the due to the job change, the kids will be switching to a far inferior set of medical benefits in mere days? There's a stress that we didn't need. Hey...why don't we take him back to the doc the next day (this was for a scheduled appt that was made some time ago...but was supposed to happen the previous week...the morning of the accident!). Cap off the week with a parent/teacher conference. Wow. C'est la vie...
At least there wasn't some big day that the kids had been looking forward to for weeks coming up with parties and events every which way but loose...oh, wait. That's right...just kidding-hello there HALLOWEEN! Okay, pumpkin carvings, school parties and parades, does the costume fit? Did we get any candy, where are we going...the list goes on-but you all know that already. Finally we got passed all of that and now today came and we can enjoy the next few weeks of everyday being asked if all the candy is gone yet.
So let me get this straight...is it November already? Where does the time go? Next thing you know we'll be cooking turkeys and sweet potatoes but trying to get to bed early enough to be out the door for Black Friday sales. Sheesh...yet I digress.
Well, that is about all I have for you today. Sorry that after a two week hiatus I didn't have something a bit more substantial for you...but I promise I'll make it up to you. I have some interesting thoughts on where this is all going to go pretty soon, so stay tuned in to hear what lies ahead...and tell your friends!
As always, thanks for taking the time-until next time...
Mr. John Martin
And away we go-
So when you last heard from me I was commenting on my little sister's wedding-along with many other weddings and such. Since then, well-let's see...my wife started a brand new job that brought about new longer hours for her. Domino effect-my schedule changed, so I now pick up the kids each night, do dinner, baths, homework, all that. Has turned out to be a little more than I bargained for. God bless my wife for having done all this before. Granted I get a later jump on it..but still-it is a lot.
So we're in the midst of the first week of that new schedule and BAM! The wife and kids get into a car accident! Fortunately nobody was 'seriously' hurt. Especially the kids. They never saw it coming, so not unlike the drunk driver that escapes without harm, they were totally relaxed at impact. Unfortunately my wife was not quite as lucky and got a few bumps, bruises, and massive soreness from tensing up at the moment of impact. Everyone was taken to the hospital to get checked out. So that day was kind of lost to many phone calls and arrangements for rental cars, missed work, etc. This impacted the next day-when the wife couldn't drive so we all rode together (on another altered schedule). A difficult weekend followed with everyone still a little weary. Throw in a few other previous obligations and you have a lot of days spoken for. Moving on...
So then a few days later, my baby ends up getting sick. Took him to the doc to find out he has an ear infection and croup. Lovely...did I mention that the due to the job change, the kids will be switching to a far inferior set of medical benefits in mere days? There's a stress that we didn't need. Hey...why don't we take him back to the doc the next day (this was for a scheduled appt that was made some time ago...but was supposed to happen the previous week...the morning of the accident!). Cap off the week with a parent/teacher conference. Wow. C'est la vie...
At least there wasn't some big day that the kids had been looking forward to for weeks coming up with parties and events every which way but loose...oh, wait. That's right...just kidding-hello there HALLOWEEN! Okay, pumpkin carvings, school parties and parades, does the costume fit? Did we get any candy, where are we going...the list goes on-but you all know that already. Finally we got passed all of that and now today came and we can enjoy the next few weeks of everyday being asked if all the candy is gone yet.
So let me get this straight...is it November already? Where does the time go? Next thing you know we'll be cooking turkeys and sweet potatoes but trying to get to bed early enough to be out the door for Black Friday sales. Sheesh...yet I digress.
Well, that is about all I have for you today. Sorry that after a two week hiatus I didn't have something a bit more substantial for you...but I promise I'll make it up to you. I have some interesting thoughts on where this is all going to go pretty soon, so stay tuned in to hear what lies ahead...and tell your friends!
As always, thanks for taking the time-until next time...
Mr. John Martin
Monday, October 17, 2011
What Makes a Wedding?
So this past weekend, my kid sister got married. I was fortunate enough to be a member of the wedding party. The senior member of the wedding party, might I add. I was definitely the 'old head' in the group as my sister is nearly 12 years my junior, and her new husband entered the world 8 years after me. So as your math might tell you...I was clearly the one the furthest past my prime.
This was the 6th time that I have been honored with being a groomsman. Aside from that I've probably been to about a dozen or so weddings as an adult. Each time it was a bit different. Sometimes a lot different. So I thought that I might share with you my next 'Top 11' list...
How to Make it YOUR Wedding:
11. The size/number of guests: I've been to one with about 40, and one that had about 200. Sometimes this will be a product of where you live as compared to much of your family or friends, other times it will be the result of a game of 'one-upsmanship'. Trying to out-do the last one that all of your friends were at. I don't think that I've been to the latter (as far as I know).
10. The decor: Time of year is usually the thing that drives this one. My wife and I got married a few weeks before Easter, so we had a lot of softer, pastel-like colors. A friend of mine got married outdoors in May in the desert, and there was a very resort feeling to it all. All are fine-just how you want it all to go down. Sometimes you can save a lot of money by making things yourself. Other times you just want to go all out. Hey...it is your wedding...dowatchyalike.
9. Size of wedding party: you either can't make up your mind so you ask them all, or you have too many siblings, or you just say 'screw it' and pick dark horses to throw everyone off. It isn't always black and white: sometimes outside factors play a part. Maybe someone that you want to ask (or their spouse) is pregnant-due to give birth right around the time of the wedding. Maybe some have to come from a long distance. Maybe someone is a lifelong friend, but not necessarily as close to you NOW as others are. Can be a lot of things that sway this decision.
8. The music: Some are all about the party, others all about the guests. Then some just like to see the expression on the faces of the crowd when a certain song comes on. Then if you are lucky, you get all three at once! (My wife and I entered to 'Ice, Ice, Baby'. Most of you reading this probably already knew that, or can easily picture it.) Most recently, my new brother-in-law entered to 'Pomp and Circumstance'. It takes all kinds to make the world go round. It Takes Two to make a thing go right (one of my friends was introduced to that as he and his new bride entered the party).
7. Transportation: stretch limo, stretch escalade, horseback, hot air balloon, I've seen each of these. I just still can't figure out how the wedding party didn't continue to GAIN altitude in the ballon as they emptied all the beer bottles?
6. Food: Buffet style, plated, vegetarian (there is always one!). One thing is for certain, chicken will be involved. Do you pay per person? Minimum spend? Is there a cheese platter? Is that fish or tofu? The plate is usually not enough food regardless of anything else, so you can only hope that the person next to you overdid it on the pigs in a blanket and doesn't want their filet.
5. The beverages: let's face it...this is what many look forward to about weddings: The bar. Often an open bar, sometimes not, but either way-people will drink more today than they usually do and do so with little reservation.
4. Time of day: daytime weddings allow for a lot of extra hang-out time afterwards. Maybe for/with family and friends that you haven't seen in a long time. Night-time weddings seem to often have a bit of a more elegant, fomal feel to them. Again, may also depend on factors like cost (we saved a lot of money by choosing the day slot), or travel for guests.
3. Photographer: the best shots are the ones that you never knew they took. A good photographer does three things: 1-realizes this is your wedding, and heeds your request while respecfully suggesting things that a busy bride and groom might overlook. 2-acts like they want to be there because they love the art. Sure don't want anyone bringing you down because they act like they got 'stuck' being assigned to you. 3-stays the hell out of the way. Nothing like ruining a special moment with your new spouse by getting asked to 'hold that right there...ah perfect'.
2. The Honeymoon: do you leave right from the reception-whisked off to some secretie locale to enjoy the first days of married life? Or do you wait, relish the moments that follow the whole thing and bask in the glory of your new life? Then again, you might be a teacher and got married in the middle of the school year and be back at work on Monday morning!
1. The style: Is this going to be a 'pinky out when sipping your wine' type suarez? Or will there not be enough recycling bins to hold all the empty beer bottles? And if there were they'd likely get knocked over by the out of control dancing. Hell-I've even been to a wedding with a self-serve keg. Just as much of a good time as the formal evening ceremony, and the couple was just as married as anyone else.
Well there you have it. Another compilation of my thoughts about a topic as far removed from the last one as can be. I would thoroughly enjoy hearing from you about your wedding-what you like, what you don't-and what you did at yours.
Thanks for taking the time yet again.
Until next time...
This was the 6th time that I have been honored with being a groomsman. Aside from that I've probably been to about a dozen or so weddings as an adult. Each time it was a bit different. Sometimes a lot different. So I thought that I might share with you my next 'Top 11' list...
How to Make it YOUR Wedding:
11. The size/number of guests: I've been to one with about 40, and one that had about 200. Sometimes this will be a product of where you live as compared to much of your family or friends, other times it will be the result of a game of 'one-upsmanship'. Trying to out-do the last one that all of your friends were at. I don't think that I've been to the latter (as far as I know).
10. The decor: Time of year is usually the thing that drives this one. My wife and I got married a few weeks before Easter, so we had a lot of softer, pastel-like colors. A friend of mine got married outdoors in May in the desert, and there was a very resort feeling to it all. All are fine-just how you want it all to go down. Sometimes you can save a lot of money by making things yourself. Other times you just want to go all out. Hey...it is your wedding...dowatchyalike.
9. Size of wedding party: you either can't make up your mind so you ask them all, or you have too many siblings, or you just say 'screw it' and pick dark horses to throw everyone off. It isn't always black and white: sometimes outside factors play a part. Maybe someone that you want to ask (or their spouse) is pregnant-due to give birth right around the time of the wedding. Maybe some have to come from a long distance. Maybe someone is a lifelong friend, but not necessarily as close to you NOW as others are. Can be a lot of things that sway this decision.
8. The music: Some are all about the party, others all about the guests. Then some just like to see the expression on the faces of the crowd when a certain song comes on. Then if you are lucky, you get all three at once! (My wife and I entered to 'Ice, Ice, Baby'. Most of you reading this probably already knew that, or can easily picture it.) Most recently, my new brother-in-law entered to 'Pomp and Circumstance'. It takes all kinds to make the world go round. It Takes Two to make a thing go right (one of my friends was introduced to that as he and his new bride entered the party).
7. Transportation: stretch limo, stretch escalade, horseback, hot air balloon, I've seen each of these. I just still can't figure out how the wedding party didn't continue to GAIN altitude in the ballon as they emptied all the beer bottles?
6. Food: Buffet style, plated, vegetarian (there is always one!). One thing is for certain, chicken will be involved. Do you pay per person? Minimum spend? Is there a cheese platter? Is that fish or tofu? The plate is usually not enough food regardless of anything else, so you can only hope that the person next to you overdid it on the pigs in a blanket and doesn't want their filet.
5. The beverages: let's face it...this is what many look forward to about weddings: The bar. Often an open bar, sometimes not, but either way-people will drink more today than they usually do and do so with little reservation.
4. Time of day: daytime weddings allow for a lot of extra hang-out time afterwards. Maybe for/with family and friends that you haven't seen in a long time. Night-time weddings seem to often have a bit of a more elegant, fomal feel to them. Again, may also depend on factors like cost (we saved a lot of money by choosing the day slot), or travel for guests.
3. Photographer: the best shots are the ones that you never knew they took. A good photographer does three things: 1-realizes this is your wedding, and heeds your request while respecfully suggesting things that a busy bride and groom might overlook. 2-acts like they want to be there because they love the art. Sure don't want anyone bringing you down because they act like they got 'stuck' being assigned to you. 3-stays the hell out of the way. Nothing like ruining a special moment with your new spouse by getting asked to 'hold that right there...ah perfect'.
2. The Honeymoon: do you leave right from the reception-whisked off to some secretie locale to enjoy the first days of married life? Or do you wait, relish the moments that follow the whole thing and bask in the glory of your new life? Then again, you might be a teacher and got married in the middle of the school year and be back at work on Monday morning!
1. The style: Is this going to be a 'pinky out when sipping your wine' type suarez? Or will there not be enough recycling bins to hold all the empty beer bottles? And if there were they'd likely get knocked over by the out of control dancing. Hell-I've even been to a wedding with a self-serve keg. Just as much of a good time as the formal evening ceremony, and the couple was just as married as anyone else.
Well there you have it. Another compilation of my thoughts about a topic as far removed from the last one as can be. I would thoroughly enjoy hearing from you about your wedding-what you like, what you don't-and what you did at yours.
Thanks for taking the time yet again.
Until next time...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
With whom would YOU dine?
And now I bring you another of the many lists that I promised you...
It has been asked in number of different ways over the years: "If you could have dinner with anyone in history..." Well I have a list of my own for this question but I'm going to be more flexible. Let's just call it who I'd want to sit down to eat/drink/hang out with. I have included some reasons for each one and also to let you know my list includes both some real people from history as well as some fictional characters. Let me know what you think along with who would get a seat at your table.
11. Lee Harvey Oswald
Starting out with a zinger! Honestly...I just want to know. I have to ask. Was Oliver Stone right or totally full of crap?
10. Babe Ruth
He was larger than life and lightyears ahead of any of his contemporaries. And by all accounts a helluva good time too.
9. Ken Jennings
For the uninformed-he was the guy that mopped up on Jeopardy a few years back. I envy him! I'd totally pick his brain and try to find out his secrets.
8. Clint Eastwood
Just totally cool. Never made a bad movie-from either side of the lens. Would be totally content to just sit there and let him tell me about every movie he's ever made.
7. Han Solo
Mock if you like-but he is good looking, gets to be the 'bad' good guy, flies a cool spaceship, ends up with a princess, survived being frozen alive, and has a bad-ass body guard to keep him safe. If I could I would BE him, much less eat with him.
6. George Washington
He was the leader of the biggest act of treason EVER! And yet is revered as a hero. Ironic. I'd ask him more questions than a mortgage application. Hell-he can not tell a lie, so I know I'd get some good info.
5. Adam Graves
He was among the 3-4 most important cogs of my beloved New York Rangers Stanley Cup winning team in 1994. And aside from being a talented hockey player, I have never heard a single person in or out of the game say so much as one bad thing about him. He is by all accounts a tremendous man beyond his physical talents and one athlete that actually might make a good role model to kids and adults alike.
4. Walter Cronkite
He delivered to the world some of the most amazing, difficult, wonderful, tragic, and important news that there was. No matter what it was-when he said it, it was worth hearing. I'd be wise to just keep quiet and take notes. I might learn something.
3. & 2. (Tie) Gaetano Fastiggi, Walter Martin
These are my grandfathers. Gaetano was one of the most amazing men that I ever had the honor to know. He always thought of others first-even when his health failed him his thoughts were of others first. Walter passed when I was very young and I never got the chance to know him at all. For that I am sad. I don't have a single memory of him and I kind of feel a little cheated. Every kid should get to at least know their grandparents for a little while
1. Michele, Emma, Owen, and Noah.
Yes, that is right-my wife and kids. Kind of corny but so be it Sitting down to just eat and enjoy our time together is something that is harder and harder to come by these days and if given the chance I will not pass up the opportunity. I hope she isn't blushing too hard right now! Love you honey!
So there you have it. The 2nd of (yet to be determined) lists telling you how I think. This one has lots of stuff to mull over so I encourage you to share with me your thoughts or even your list.
Thanks as always for taking the time...
Until the next time...
It has been asked in number of different ways over the years: "If you could have dinner with anyone in history..." Well I have a list of my own for this question but I'm going to be more flexible. Let's just call it who I'd want to sit down to eat/drink/hang out with. I have included some reasons for each one and also to let you know my list includes both some real people from history as well as some fictional characters. Let me know what you think along with who would get a seat at your table.
11. Lee Harvey Oswald
Starting out with a zinger! Honestly...I just want to know. I have to ask. Was Oliver Stone right or totally full of crap?
10. Babe Ruth
He was larger than life and lightyears ahead of any of his contemporaries. And by all accounts a helluva good time too.
9. Ken Jennings
For the uninformed-he was the guy that mopped up on Jeopardy a few years back. I envy him! I'd totally pick his brain and try to find out his secrets.
8. Clint Eastwood
Just totally cool. Never made a bad movie-from either side of the lens. Would be totally content to just sit there and let him tell me about every movie he's ever made.
7. Han Solo
Mock if you like-but he is good looking, gets to be the 'bad' good guy, flies a cool spaceship, ends up with a princess, survived being frozen alive, and has a bad-ass body guard to keep him safe. If I could I would BE him, much less eat with him.
6. George Washington
He was the leader of the biggest act of treason EVER! And yet is revered as a hero. Ironic. I'd ask him more questions than a mortgage application. Hell-he can not tell a lie, so I know I'd get some good info.
5. Adam Graves
He was among the 3-4 most important cogs of my beloved New York Rangers Stanley Cup winning team in 1994. And aside from being a talented hockey player, I have never heard a single person in or out of the game say so much as one bad thing about him. He is by all accounts a tremendous man beyond his physical talents and one athlete that actually might make a good role model to kids and adults alike.
4. Walter Cronkite
He delivered to the world some of the most amazing, difficult, wonderful, tragic, and important news that there was. No matter what it was-when he said it, it was worth hearing. I'd be wise to just keep quiet and take notes. I might learn something.
3. & 2. (Tie) Gaetano Fastiggi, Walter Martin
These are my grandfathers. Gaetano was one of the most amazing men that I ever had the honor to know. He always thought of others first-even when his health failed him his thoughts were of others first. Walter passed when I was very young and I never got the chance to know him at all. For that I am sad. I don't have a single memory of him and I kind of feel a little cheated. Every kid should get to at least know their grandparents for a little while
1. Michele, Emma, Owen, and Noah.
Yes, that is right-my wife and kids. Kind of corny but so be it Sitting down to just eat and enjoy our time together is something that is harder and harder to come by these days and if given the chance I will not pass up the opportunity. I hope she isn't blushing too hard right now! Love you honey!
So there you have it. The 2nd of (yet to be determined) lists telling you how I think. This one has lots of stuff to mull over so I encourage you to share with me your thoughts or even your list.
Thanks as always for taking the time...
Until the next time...
Monday, October 10, 2011
'Back' in the Day
Sorry for not blessing you all with a post this weekend. For those of you that have known me for a long time (or even those that haven't known me that long) you know that I've suffered from pretty bad back problems for quite some time. Basically it has been an issue for me since I was in HS. Well, I had another 'episode' so to speak on Saturday morning, and was essentially out of commission for much of the day and a good bit of Sunday too. I know that I promised you all a series of lists to get started, but just as in life...things change. So here is what life has been like for me for the last 36-48 hours.
Back spasms really suck. They hurt. And I don't mean in a 'ouch I walked into a door and bumped my head' way. No, uh-uh. I mean in a 'holy God I feel like I was just electrocuted' way. There are spasms, and then there SPASMS! I had the latter. And I kid you not, it really does feel like being electrocuted. I can make that comparison because unfortunately I've felt the juice of a 220 outlet once before (not the full blast obviously or this blog would only be able to come to you compliments of 'Dragon Naturally Speaking' software). They are debilitating, so much so that for me in this instance I was actually unable to walk or for that matter even stand upright for most of the first day. (I actually got to the point that I was using a rolling office chair as a walker because I had to get around the house. That must have been a sight!)
According to WebMD, "Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers."
I guess if you call Motrin a painkiller, then I used pain killers to cope. See, the problem with back pain like this is that it is basically all muscular. The muscle decides to reach out to all his friends and everything else around and grab hold of them and like Scorpion in Mortal Kombat and say "COME HERE!" So the painkillers will do little to help sometimes because you just have to wait until the muscle group is done holding its' little 'come together party'. Fortunately for me, after a good bit of the day had already passed, it did subside a little. I was at least able to limp around the house. I say limp because this instance more effected the left side of my body/back, so I was able to use one leg a lot more than the other. And I happen to notice in the mirror that I was standing in such a manner that it looked like my entire upper body had literally slid 4-5 inches to my left in relation to my lower body. I looked awkward. And more so when I tried to move. You want to define NOT FUN? Try functioning with this (or any severe injury for that matter) with three kids ages 5 and under. Then throw in trying to prepare for out of town guests and family and you are really screwed.
I happen to be a believer in chiropractic-something that I know some out there don't do. But I've been using chiropractors since I was 11 years old. They do help. They DO know what they are doing. Just like any profession, you have good ones, and you have...not as good ones. I've been pretty fortunate with those that I've used. I chose not to seek help this time, mainly due to the fact that it was a weekend and there were none around to help! If it persists a few more days then I likely will have no choice but to go and get treated.
Another thing to add is just how much something like this hurts the rest of your family and those around you as well. Your spouse gets stuck having to do EVERYTHING and your kids don't understand why you can't pick them up or get down on the ground and play with them. It is very difficult to manage the pain and discomfort when hurt like this, but sometimes even harder to manage the emotional toll on both yourself and your loved ones.
I will throw out the disclaimer that this problem is merely temporary. Well at least this instance of this problem is temporary. Back pain/problems don't see to ever go away. But I highlight the temporary thing because there are certainly many people out there that have more serious conditions, permanent conditions that make thier lives extremely difficult all the time. I have no desire to take anything away from what they go thru, but rather illustrate how hard it can be to function like this.
That is all I have to pester you with on this one today. Thanks again for taking the time.
Until next time-
Back spasms really suck. They hurt. And I don't mean in a 'ouch I walked into a door and bumped my head' way. No, uh-uh. I mean in a 'holy God I feel like I was just electrocuted' way. There are spasms, and then there SPASMS! I had the latter. And I kid you not, it really does feel like being electrocuted. I can make that comparison because unfortunately I've felt the juice of a 220 outlet once before (not the full blast obviously or this blog would only be able to come to you compliments of 'Dragon Naturally Speaking' software). They are debilitating, so much so that for me in this instance I was actually unable to walk or for that matter even stand upright for most of the first day. (I actually got to the point that I was using a rolling office chair as a walker because I had to get around the house. That must have been a sight!)
According to WebMD, "Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers."
I guess if you call Motrin a painkiller, then I used pain killers to cope. See, the problem with back pain like this is that it is basically all muscular. The muscle decides to reach out to all his friends and everything else around and grab hold of them and like Scorpion in Mortal Kombat and say "COME HERE!" So the painkillers will do little to help sometimes because you just have to wait until the muscle group is done holding its' little 'come together party'. Fortunately for me, after a good bit of the day had already passed, it did subside a little. I was at least able to limp around the house. I say limp because this instance more effected the left side of my body/back, so I was able to use one leg a lot more than the other. And I happen to notice in the mirror that I was standing in such a manner that it looked like my entire upper body had literally slid 4-5 inches to my left in relation to my lower body. I looked awkward. And more so when I tried to move. You want to define NOT FUN? Try functioning with this (or any severe injury for that matter) with three kids ages 5 and under. Then throw in trying to prepare for out of town guests and family and you are really screwed.
I happen to be a believer in chiropractic-something that I know some out there don't do. But I've been using chiropractors since I was 11 years old. They do help. They DO know what they are doing. Just like any profession, you have good ones, and you have...not as good ones. I've been pretty fortunate with those that I've used. I chose not to seek help this time, mainly due to the fact that it was a weekend and there were none around to help! If it persists a few more days then I likely will have no choice but to go and get treated.
Another thing to add is just how much something like this hurts the rest of your family and those around you as well. Your spouse gets stuck having to do EVERYTHING and your kids don't understand why you can't pick them up or get down on the ground and play with them. It is very difficult to manage the pain and discomfort when hurt like this, but sometimes even harder to manage the emotional toll on both yourself and your loved ones.
I will throw out the disclaimer that this problem is merely temporary. Well at least this instance of this problem is temporary. Back pain/problems don't see to ever go away. But I highlight the temporary thing because there are certainly many people out there that have more serious conditions, permanent conditions that make thier lives extremely difficult all the time. I have no desire to take anything away from what they go thru, but rather illustrate how hard it can be to function like this.
That is all I have to pester you with on this one today. Thanks again for taking the time.
Until next time-
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