Pre-Op Visit

I went to the hospital today for my pre-op visit in preparation for my surgery on Monday.  I really like the idea of a pre-op visit.  I was able to get all of my insurance and payment information squared.  They got all the required information about my medical history.  The facility even went so far as to draw blood.  So Monday all I have to do is walk-in, get my ID bracelet, go to surgery and go home. 

Some Questions Shouldn't Be Asked

I was sitting at my computer today watching youtube and eating.  My wife came into the room and asked me a question.  She asked, "What can I do to be a better wife?"  My response was "I don't even know where to start."  I advised her to deter from that line of questioning because my answers were about to get real ugly.  It seems to me that after nearly 9 years of marriage, if you have to ask what you need to do to be a better spouse, then you have a lot of work to do.  After that amount of time, the relationship should be on cruise control.  If not, it may be time to change drivers.  Or worse yet, it may be time to change vehicles and start with something new.   

Doctor Appointment

Today's doctor appointment did not go as well as I had planned.  I found out today that my A1C was a 10.8 compared to the 8.8 back in March.  That means my blood sugar averaged about 50 points higher since March.  This news was doubly devastating because of all the low sugar episodes I experienced recently.  I know I went thru 4 tubes of glucose tablets last week.  The doctor commended me on some of my behaviors.  Problem is that I am not putting it all together.  If I remember to test my blood sugar, then I don't take insulin for the food I eat.  If I take insulin for my food, I don't bolus.  Have to start putting it all together.  I need to start getting this right because I can't afford for anything to go wrong. 

Memorial Day 2013

Wanted to drop a quick post about Memorial Day 2013 because I normally don't do too much on holidays.  I got up yesterday morning and ran to the store to grab some ice.  I had been grocery shopping several times over the weekend trying to get everything I would need to cook.  My game plan was to cook all the fish, chicken and steaks we bought from the discount meat man.  That way we would have leftovers to eat during the week and it would also free up some much needed freezer space.  I started cooking at around 10am.  I had sent text messages to about 6 people I work with inviting to come by and grab something.  I got a bunch of "ok" replies but no one actually showed up.  After cooking on a charcoal grill and a George Foreman grill about 4 hours, I had a refrigerator full of meat.  I took some to my part time job to share with the crew there.  Haven't heard any complaints so far.  All in all, it was not a bad day.

WTF Moment - What are you wearing?

At no point in time should I feel uncomfortable in my own house.  The house is my zone.  I came home Tuesday night after work and the nephew's girlfriend was in the living room on the couch watching TV.  I spoke and went about my business as usual.  A little while later, I went back to her so I could inform her about making sure the nephew put a copy of the updated car insurance in his vehicle.  It was at this point in time when I noticed what she was wearing.  She had on a pair of boxers and a tshirt with the sleeves and sides removed.  The shirt was basically like a cape covering her back and front.  What it didn't cover was the side view.  I had full view of her breast from the side.  What the fuck?  Who does that?  Yes, I am married and have 3 girls.  I just don't have the desire to see the titties of my nephew's girlfriend cause she is hot. 

Another Damn Ticket?

A letter came in the mail Wednesday for the nephew from the municipal court.  I always open what I consider to be important mail for him due to his reading handicap.  The letter stated he had a ticket which needed to be paid or he had to appear in court.  The amount of the ticket was over $600.  What the fuck?  What in the hell was he doing to get a $600 ticket.  That's his whole paycheck.  And there is no way in hell he can afford a ticket right now.  I hope the ticket is the one for the insurance and once he presents proof, it can be pulled.  If not, he is truly screwed.  Worse yet, if this ticket hits his record and my insurance goes up, he is as good as dropped. 

Lost Ones

I found out Monday one of my former co-workers passed away.  I am still unsure of all of the details.  Bottom line is he is gone.  I've been thinking about him and his family all week.  My biggest concern is his kids.  They loved their father.  I know this is going to be hard on them.  It really made me think about the time I spend/don't spend with my kids.  I really need to start being a father and not just a financial provider.  I don't want something to happen to me and end up regretting time I could have spent with them. 

Haven't Heard From

Yesterday I realized it has been two weeks since I heard from someone I considered a good friend.  We had a slight disagreement about something.  I thought we were better than to let something meaningless come between us.  The person has not texted or called me and I have not reached out to her.  In a way, I want to talk to them because something important happened this week.  On the other hand, to me it's not that serious.  Yes, I value friendship.  I just don't value it enough to kiss anybody's ass. 

We Need to Talk

Last Saturday my wife and I decided we needed to address the nephew and his girlfriend about several topics concerning the house and their living with us.  I came home between jobs in order to have the conversation.  We talked to them about the late night cooking and the fact that there was no way in hell they were going to eat better than my family when they didn't pay for the food.  We talked to them about cleaning up around the house, especially the dishes they were getting dirty with the late night cooking.  We talked to them about arguing over stupid shit.  It seemed there was some confusion/problems caused by a statement made by a friend of my wife's to the nephew.  We squashed that shit.  We discussed how much they need to pay for living with us.  Most importantly we discussed them getting out of the house before this baby is born in November.  For those of you keeping count, this is kid number 3 for the nephew.  He'll be 23 with 3 kids by 3 different women and no college education.  No amount of talking in the world if going to improve that situation. 

The Great Steak Caper

The gentleman who provides my family with the discount steak, chicken and seafood products paid us a visit last week.  We ended up purchasing about $300 worth of steaks and chicken - enough to last for several weeks.  Among the steaks were 8 New York strips.  I don't know if you are a carnivore like me but I know those New York Strips are good and can be expensive.  With that being said, the same night we purchased the meat, the nephew's girlfriend decided to cook a New York strip.  I didn't think too much about it cause the food is there to be eaten.  Where I took issue with her actions is the next night when she decided to cook 2 more.  Hold on honey!  You didn't pay for those.  I'll be damned if you gonna eat me out of house and home and we not even related by blood or marriage.  My wife and I put a stop to the steak caper on last Saturday, so we thought.  That part will be another entry. 

Time Flies

Somehow I have once again let a week pass by without writing anything in this blog.  I can't say that I have not thought about it.  Daily I would mentally tell myself I need to make entries.  I just did not take the time to sit down at the computer and commit my thoughts to the internet.  I'm fully aware of the ability to mobile blog.  I just choose not to use that method.  It's something about sitting here at my desktop that seems calming and therapeutic.  A lot has happened in the last week.  I'll try to put down as much as I can as quickly as I can cause time flies, thoughts are forgotten and things change. 

Dealing with CoWorkers

I was trying to assist a new supervisor at work on Monday.  I called another co-worker to ask if they were still at work since it was close to the end of our shift but I knew they would have the information I needed.  The second co-worker answered the phone and told me they were gone for the day.  I thanked them and hung up the phone.  Apparently, the second co-worker accidentally called me back.  I overheard her saying to someone else, "I don't know why that motherfucker called and asked if I was gone for the day.  He ain't my manager."  I just ended the call.  Nice to know what people really think about you.

Living with Grown Children

Every night I come home from work, I take a quick scan of my house.  I look to see what toys the kids have left out, if there is any mail for me, and what disarray the kitchen is left in.  I find it amazing that I live with 3 grown ass children who seem incapable of consistently cleaning up behind themselves.  The problem was bad enough when it was just me and the wife.  Add to this mix the nephew and his pregnant girlfriend and the problem multiplies.  All three of them seem capable of cooking something when they are hungry.  None of them seem capable of washing the dirty dishes and putting them up.  I'm just waiting for the time when all this filth catches up with them and something bites them on their ass.  Maybe then, they will learn to clean up.

Next Surgery Next Month

My next surgery to combat the problem in my leg is set for June.  The new doctor has proposed she will have to make a bigger cut than the previous doctor.  She also said she will make use of a microscope to assist in seeing how intertwined the tumor is with my nerves.  If she is able to remove it, she will.  If not, she plans to try to get a sample to send off for more details.  She informed me this next surgery will definitely leave a scar.  Guess this is another one of those good news, bad news situations.

Quick Temporary Sigh of Relief

I was able to breathe a quick sigh of relief last week.  I received a bonus on my paycheck at work and my wife's case against her previous employer was finally settled.  The combination of the two was about the equivalent of her former monthly income.  We were able to use the money to get most bills caught up.  It has been nice to go for a few days and not get calls from the mortgage company or my lien holder.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts because we are about to be back in the same boat again.

Nothing to Call My Own

It's been over a week since my last post and I have a lot of topics to cover.  I want to start with what happened Sunday and Monday.  One of the ladies I work with purchased an oversized cupcake for me for mother's day.  I brought the cupcake home Sunday night and left it in the fridge because I didn't have a taste for sweets at the time.  Monday evening when I was at work, my wife asked who the cupcake was for.  I explained it was mine.  She asked if she could have it.  I told her I received it as a gift for mother's day.  About an hour later, I had the feeling my cupcake was gone.  Sure enough, when I sent my wife a message, she told me she had eaten the cupcake.  It's time like this when I feel she takes the whole, "what's mine is yours" concept to the extreme.

Scent of Attraction Revisited

I scanned through my previous posts because I was sure I had talked about this topic before.  Sure enough, back in September of last year, I discussed my love for light cologne fragrances.  Once again I was at work dealing with some of the female agents.  I have a pretty good rapport with most of the people in the building so I can laugh and joke with them.  I can't remember the exact conversation but I ended up hugging one of the young ladies while we shared a joke.  As I was walking away she asked, "What is that scent you are wearing.  It sure smells good."  It took me a moment to respond because I honestly forgot which cologne I used that morning.  Once I provided the answer she said,  "Good.  I have a little bit of the scent on my jacket.  This will keep me happy the rest of the day."  It's amazing what the sense of smell can do.  

A Year in Time

It's been almost a year since my wife was released from her job.  We have survived for the most part but it has been a true struggle.  I have borrowed money from friends and family as well as taken out a couple of loans.  My credit score is now shot to hell due to being behind on payments.  I failed my Masters program because I was so focused on taking care of home, I neglected my studies.  I am at a point in time now where all I do is work to pay bills and I can't pay all of them even though I am working 2 jobs.  I really did not think the situation would last a year.  I really thought she was going to get better and find another job.  I thought the nephew would get his shit together and be gone or at least be contributing to the household.  Guess I was completely wrong about the events of the past year.

Being Observant

I have worked in the pizza delivery industry for over a decade.  This has taught me to be very observant of people and my surroundings.  I noticed today other people can also be very observant.  My wife is currently babysitting a pair of boys for one of the ladies I work with.  When the young lady came over this evening, she spent a few minutes talking to us in the kitchen.  On the top of the kitchen cabinet above my sink, I keep my liquor.  That way it is out of the immediate reach of my kids.  She "observed" the 2 bottles of vodka on the top of the cabinet and asked what was in them.  One was Smirnoff Iced Cake and the other was Pinnacle Root Beer.  She asked for a sample.  I poured a very small amount of the Pinnacle in a cup.  She looked at me funny and said, "that's all I get?"  I told her I figured she did not want that much because she was about to drive the kids home.  I ended up giving her the remainder of the bottle of Smirnoff - it was about 1/3 full.  Just goes to show, people are very observant when they enter your home.  Be careful who you allow to cross the threshold of the front door.    

Not as Well as I Thought

I decided to take a bath tonight to try and remove some of the residue left on my leg after removing the medical strips used to protect my incision.  At first it was not big deal.  I was able to scrub with a fair amount of pressure because I was not close to the tumor behind my knee.  As I got closer to the tumor, I started scrubbing more gently so I would not aggravate the pain.  Then I noticed something.  My entire left calf muscle felt numb to the touch. Initially I thought this may have been due to surgery and the stitches in my leg. With the stitches removed and the surgery being 2 weeks ago, I realized the pain was probably due to the tumor.  As soon as I touched the tumor on the back of my leg as I was scrubbing, a pain raced down my leg.  Guess I am not as well as I thought.  I hope I get some good news next week about my condition.

Unfit Role Model

Years ago people criticized Charles Barkley when he told the world he was not a role model.  Charles said this because he wanted parents to teach their kids right and wrong rather than the youth trying to emulate celebrities.  Yesterday, I got to witness a situation first hand of an unfit role model trying to give advice to the youth.  My youngest daughter had gotten herself ready for bed.  She has decided recently that she likes sleeping in a swimsuit (don't know where this came from).  She was in the process of winding down and playing on the floor.  My wife looked at our daughter and said "young ladies don't show their private part" because the swimsuit had shifted a bit.  This amazing part of the wife making this statement was that she was laying on the couch wearing nothing but a nightgown so if she not careful she would be showing as much of herself as our child.  How you gonna tell someone not to do something when you do it yourself?  I guess the statement, "Do as I say and not as I do"  is the ultimate weapon for some parents.