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.

Surgery Follow Up - Good News and Bad News

I had my follow up visit with the doctor yesterday following the unsuccessful initial surgery.  The good news is that he was able to remove the stitches without a problem.  More good news is that he feels since the problem is nerve related, I don't have to wear the ankle brace and night splint any more.  The bad news is that he wants me to see another doctor about a possible nerve graft for my leg.  A nerve graft will require someone to remove the bad section of nerve in my leg and replace it with good nerve tissue from another body part.  I'm not too comfortable with the idea of being cut in two places to fix one problem.  I am also not comfortable with the doctor he has initially recommended because based on what I have seen on the internet, this doctor does not specialize in nerve work.  I think I am going to look for an alternate doctor.  I can't handle any more bad news about this leg problem. 

Abnormal Cells

My wife received a letter in the mail today following up on her annual doctor visit.  The letter stated the pap smear revealed some "abnormal cells."  The clinic wants to conduct a colposcopy exam to determine what may have caused the cells.  The test must be conducted within the next 4-6 weeks.  I find this truly amazing.  It seems we are both breaking down at the same time.  Hopefully, the test will reveal that nothing serious is wrong.  If not, we will just deal with what comes. 

Looking Toward Tomorrow

I'm looking toward tomorrow with a lot of mixed emotions.  Tomorrow is the day I go back to the doctor to have the stitches removed from my leg.  More importantly, hopefully the doctor will have some updated information on what options are available to remove the tumor.  My biggest fear is that whatever option(s) he provides, the road to recovery will not be easy.  Everything in my mind keeps telling me that once they go inside my leg again, I will have to start over learning how to walk.  Add to that, the fact I am diabetic and you have a one-two combination which could put me down for the count.  There is one up side to the equation.  I'm hard-headed.  I'm an Aries and we pride ourselves on proving people wrong.  So I'm looking toward tomorrow and preparing to face whatever challenge comes my way. 

Dealing with the Pain

I am starting to wonder if my problem is simply in my mind or if I am truly experiencing this continued, intermittent pain in my left foot following surgery last week.  The pain in not bad all the time.  My problem is that the pain is becoming more and more frequent.  I have tried to tough it out for the most part because I do not want to become dependent on pain killers to get through the day.  If the pain does not go away and the doctor does not have a game plan when I go to have the stitches removed on Friday, I may have to become a daily pill pusher.

No Proof Of Insurance leads to warrant for arrest

Following the no proof of insurance problem the nephew recently had, he was informed by the officer there was actually a warrant out for his arrest.  Apparently the nephew got a ticket back in the December and failed to pay it or appear in court.  Now he owes $300.  Really?  So even though he has insurance now to get out of the recent ticket, there is no way around the December ticket.  It's times like this that I wonder why I even try at all to help the boy.

WTF Moment - No Proof of Insurance

I made it a point to add the nephew's new car to my auto insurance policy asap so I knew he was covered.  I also made it a point to provide him with a copy of the insurance.  Please explain to me how he managed to go through a roadblock tonight and not be able to produce proof of insurance.  WTF?!!  You just got this car less than 2 months ago.  There should not be anything in your glove compartment except the owner's manual, the dealer paperwork, a receipt for one oil change and the damn car insurance paper.  To add to this bullshit, I think he called me while he was getting the ticket.  My response was "I can't bring proof of insurance to you while you at a roadblock. You will have to get the ticket and fight it on your own."  It's times like this that I fail to understand the youth of today.

Back to Work

Today was my first day back after my surgery on Monday.  I left home extra early to give myself time to get into the office and get situated considering my condition.  The good news is that I was able to get through about half my day without anyone who was not already aware of the surgery asking me any questions.  The bad news is that about halfway through my day, I started to encounter a little pain.  Not a whole lot, just enough to keep me alert.  I didn't want to take a chance so I started using my crutches.  Of course, now all of a sudden everyone was asking questions.  After explaining about the surgery for about the 7-8th time, things kinda settled down. I stayed seated as much as possible.  When it was time to go, I hobbled to the elevator and made my way to my car.  It was good to get back to work.

Day after Surgery - Very Graphic Post

Well, it's been about 24 hours since I was released from the hospital following my unsuccessful surgery.  I'm going to give you a run down of what happened and include some pictures taken by the doctor.  I warn you, the pictures are graphic and not for the weak of heart or stomach.  

Yesterday morning I got up goofed around the house until it was time to leave for the hospital.  We walked into the building around 1040am. The receptionist had me sign a bunch of paperwork about privacy, insurance and stuff like that.  We (wife and I) sat down and noted that the lobby was packed.  I went back up to the receptionist to ask about how long the procedure should take because no one was home to meet our 8 year old when she arrived from school.  She said the procedure should take about 45 minutes but the doctor had another surgery in front of me so it may take a while before he got to me.  Great! Eventually they called me to the back.  I got undressed and put on one of those ugly open back hospital gowns.  The nurse started my IV.  She shaved my leg above and below the knee area as a preparation for surgery.  My wife came back and we talked and joked about the surgery and what we overheard from other patients waiting to be seen.  The nurse who would be in the room with me came back and apologized for the long wait.  The anaesthesiologist came back and introduced himself also.  The nurse came back and offered my wife a drink or something to snack on.  She jokingly said, "you can't have anything!"  They finally came to take me to the operating room.  They injected some medication in the IV. I remember rolling down the hallway.  I remember entering the operating room and seeing the big lights.  The next thing I remember was the nurse asking what number to reach my wife at because it was time for my discharge.  Apparently my wife's cell phone was dead.  I called a friend and she offered to come pick me up.  As I was getting dressed, my wife showed back up.  I cancelled my friend coming and was discharged.  My wife explained that the doctor was unable to remove the tumor on my leg because it was on the main nerve.  Removing it could have left me paralyzed.  So he left it alone and will reach out to a plastic surgeon to see what alternatives are available.  So I survived the surgery.  Just didn't get the outcome I hoped for.  Now for those of you who have been waiting, here are the pics of the tumor.  Last warning:  the pictures are graphic and not for the weak of heart or stomach.

Feel Like I'm on Death Row

This surgery has me feeling like I am on death row.  The whole concept of "no eating or drinking after midnight" is killing me.  First of all, I work until 1030p-1130p most nights.  Therefore, I'm usually eating once I arrive home.  I had planned to grab something nice to eat to hold me over until after the procedure.  Last night I had to rush home and wolf down some food.  I hope I have enough in my system to get me past the time of this surgery.

Blackmail

Following my decision to let the nephew's now pregnant girlfriend stay with us for a while until they can get established on their own, I received the following text from my wife.

Her:  This may sound crazy but is he blackmailing you or something
Me:  Huh
Her:  I know that you will do anything to help someone out but I'm still in shock about you letting her move in
Me:  I saw how her mom was with her before she got pregnant.  Kinda feel sorry for her.  She trying to do right and I hope she can motivate him.  She just finished school so maybe she can help him with reading
Her:  Makes sense.  And I trust that you made the right decision for our family

What would make her think he is trying to blackmail me?  First of all, he probably can't spell blackmail more or less know what it is.  Secondly, there's nothing he can blackmail me with.  I don't know.  I guess some people always have a conspiracy theory running through their mind.