It's Time to Focus

Kitten comes in close...

I started pain management and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The doctor was pretty cool and he sat and answered every question he could. Plus I get to take a new drug called Neurontin to hopefully halt all this stuff in a few weeks. Basically, it'll calm my nerves down so they are not so inflamed with pain. Whatever happened, golf wasn't the cause, my job or driving wasn't the cause, it's just some premature aging in my neck. They can't figure out what's tripping the nerves in my arm and leg but hopefully my new friend, Neurontin will help. I start off with 2 a day and then ramp up slowly every three days until I get to 9. Sounds like a lot but by the time I get to 9, I think they'll switch to 3 1000mg instead of 9 300mgs pills. The medicine is actually made for seizures, which I do not suffer or have never had but helps knock down long term pain. Oh, and one other neat effect, it treats Bi-Polar Disorder, which, I don't have either, but if I do, I'll mellow out... AND I get to see a Psychologist... WooHoo... (sup Tina!)

In other news, the baby turned today for the "off ramp" so we're getting closer to the end of my natural life as I know it. I have to learn the following things:

• Tolerate strange smells made from feces wrapped in disposable clothes. I must keep the mindset that nothing will ever smell worse than that food people cooked in their garages back in Daly City next to their ping pong tables. I swear, I don't know what it was. But it surely stank real bad!!!
  
• Unintelligible mumbling. I started to listen to Air America's Randi Rhodes so I can get used to incessant whining and mumbling for no reason other than to whine and mumble. (Anti-liberal comment of the day, lawryde...Let's see it:))
• Drool. I really hate other people's spit. Seriously. Ask my Darling Wife.... :)
  
• Insomnia. Well... 6 months of practice there. Amitryptyline anyone?
• Dependence on me. No one has ever depended on me before until now. I have to learn that somone else is depending on me to come through.
  
• A complete end to swearing while playing my Xbox 360, working on my home improvement projects or talking to my buddies on the phone.
• To stop feeding beer to small animals. Can't teach any bad habits to the little one.
• To stop playing with fire. I can put a candle out with my bare hand and not burn myself. But can he? Let's not try.
• No more trips to the Emergency Room. Which means, I need to stop it with the concussions and excessive vomiting during flu season or hurting my back anymore than it is. I need to leave the vomitting up to the kid for awhile.
  

I am sure it is gonna be a helluva ride.

Fun with Search Engines

Well... not just Google Searches. I was bored tonight so I started spying on my visitors to see where they were coming from, so here is a list in random order:

1. Eva Longoria and Republicans #5 on Google. Kind of funny if you think about it. This search lands on my post where I wrote about deciding to watch Eva Longoria on SNL or Bowling For Columbine. (I chose bowling)
2. Jehovah's Witness Christmas Birthday Gift #3 on Google. Damn wikipedia, I wanted the top spot. My passion for despising J-Dubs and my Christmas Birthday all on one hit. This happens quite a bit. A lot of hits come from my Jehovah's Witness posts back in the day.
3. Ikea Faucet fixtures #1 on Google. Yes, you buy an Ikea faucet and do what I do for a living (quiet Kurt :) ) and still can't put it together, than it ain't built right. Lawryde, you should go design those things so you can actually attach hoses to them without destroying it. Notice I beat Ebay. I rule!!
4. Anthony Kiedis Phone Number #30-something on Google. (Maybe higher or lower now, especially with the link) This one moved around a bunch on Google but someone got here searching out in quotes "Anthony Kiedis" "Phone Number". Now why on Earth would I have that number. If I did, I call and say, "Dude, great voice, say hi to Flea for me and please, hire a lyricist because your lyrics suck" Your my priestess, I'm your priest? What the hell does that mean?
5. BREAKING NEWS, Number 5 at Yahoo!, Install Ikea sink. This just happened when I reloaded stat counter. Looks as I am not the only one that was frustrated with the sink. The thing is though, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat because I know what to buy to install it. Just ask dudes, I'll tell you.
6. Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses that are punk rock at #1 Google. Okay, so it looks like if you are a betting man, that I should write about Jehovah's Witnesses installing Ikea sinks that know Red Hot Chilipeppers songs about Jehovah's Witnesses. This is quite entertaining for a post.
7. The rest of it comes from searching Snoop Dogg Translator, the Jeep Commander or Social Distortion stuff which is all generic. A lot of hits come from other blogs. Bring It On being the most popular with all the trouble I start. Steve's Blog appears with me being #1 on all major search engines. Google. Yahoo! Excite. (Screw MSN, that is not a real search engine, I am number 3)
   

Maybe It's All Been Written...

I haven't been inspired to write anything lately on this blog. I guess it's because everything is as it should be or I am sitting in the calm of the storm. On the one hand, life's great as always. I went out on a boat yesterday and we sat around shooting it while we consumed copious amounts of lager. It was hotter than hell, like 104 degrees yesterday. We just floated on life jackets listening to Bob Marley, Social Distortion or whatever us popped up on my iPod. The DLO iPod transmitter is killer. Great for the boat, where you are out on the lake with barely any decent radio stations to pick up.

As far as the calm before the storm. Maybe it's because of all the changes around the house. We are in no way done moving, rearranging and re-storing all of our junk getting ready for this bundle of joy to come and waste all of our discretionary income. A bit of reality set in last night after the boat ride when I was seated on my friend's couch waiting for UFC 61 to start on PPV. All of these kids, running everywhere. There were about 5 ranging in ages 4, almost 3, just turned 2, a 8.5 month and a 7 month old kid. What a range! All these little people running everywhere. Well, the two young ones weren't up to running yet, they still just drooled everywhere but... kind of shocking. At least my friends could still hit it on a Saturday with some 12 packs and a boat.

I did attempt to "swing it" last Sunday as I mentioned a few posts down. I was stupid and used the driver. I also took a few swings off the fairway that were quite nice. I hadn't bothered to keep score, rather I was more in tuned to just swinging my clubs. I nailed one drive like 260 and I had an awesome 170 yard shot over water from the fairway, 4 ft to from the hole with my 5 ironwood. But mainly I just farted around on the golf cart, chasing down shanked balls, or balls that just dribbled 30 to 40 yards in front of me. I am thinking about getting a full set of iron woods 3 to pitching wedge and just not swinging so hard anymore. Couldn't get up on Monday to do anything last week. Maybe it was the back pain or my audacity to play golf with it. Pain management finally, finally, starts on Tuesday afternoon. We'll see.

July 4th, 2006: A Hundred Highways

Cash Lives On

It's been over 2 years now since the world lost Cash and thanks to his producer Rick Rubin, some of the last recordings of Cash are now available on American V: A Hundred Highways. From what I have read, Cash was in a wheel chair and nearly blind from diabetes. What he still had to the end, was his passion to keep recording and keep going. I think if you are a big Johnny Cash fan like I am, you definately need this collection.

The first song "Help Me" features a quiet arpeggiated guitar, Cash's gravelly voice and a Cello. This song it me pretty hard when I heard it. That first line, "Oh Lord, help me walk, walk just another mile... I'm tired of walking all alone" And the second line... "Oh Lord, help me smile, another smile, just one more smile... I don't think I can do things on my own" and the final line in the verse, "With humble heart on bended knee, begging you please for help" I swear... It just tears you up to hear this song.

American V is much better than the rest of the set because the songs are not as familiar. There is no "fitted" cover like a "Bridge over Troubled Waters" like was on American IV. The album is definately darker than the rest of the American Recordings set with Rick Rubin. We are fortunate enough that Cash left this set of songs, reminding us all that he is the man in black.

A real fan should not miss this cd.

Don't Look Back In Anger: It's Time to Start Swinging It

I can sit here and sulk over daily pain in my back and neck, those sharp pains through my wrists and legs, or write posts defining how cruel and unusual my health plan is or what not...

or...

I can just head out to the golf course, where I can fire away with my with my 460 cc Tour Edge Driver, sip on a Heineken, and not care what I shoot, which holes I play or my score.

Screw it man, I am heading out. I'd be in pain anyway so why not enjoy it, right? After all, it's all in my head! The doctors would have done something if it wasn't.

Where's my Robaxin?