Recently in Personal Category

Yesterday was a very unpleasant experience, with my--for lack of a more tactful expression--balls aching as if they had been kicked. You men know of what I speak; the pain that occurs after said blow, usually lasting for a few minutes, maybe an hour. Yeah, well I had it all day.

Today, however, it feels as if the antibiotic is doing its job. I am already experiencing much less discomfort compared to yesterday. My gut hardly hurts, even after having coffee and breakfast, and my balls only hurt half as bad.

If I am truly heading towards wellness (yeah, yeah, contain yourself back there in the last row, you smart ass) I might resume Tour De Rook.

Well, it seems my symptoms were not typical for prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate. So, after many side tracks and tests, there is finally something to treat, which is good, because the pain was getting worse. Anyway, I have started on a sulfa antibiotic medication.

Damn, it sure sucks to get old.

I am scheduled for an ultra-sound and an x-ray of my colon. I am not all that concerned about having the ultra-sound, but the x-ray is a bit disconcerting as it will require a barium enema. So, with that picture in your mind, I bid you farewell for the morning.

Okay, than. I went to my doctor today, now that an appendicitis has been ruled out. Not that it was pleasant. All that chalk they make you drink in a 4 hour period does indeed cause diarrhea. You see, last Thursday I had a CT scan. After all was said and done, I was given a clean bill of health, where the appendix was concerned. However, there is still considerable discomfort and bloating.

Indeed, after my primary doctor did an abdominal examination, I am now hurting throughout my abdomen, from the top of my stomach down to my testicles. This really sucks. He could feel bloating, but was unable to give me a definitive diagnosis. Instead, I have to have an ultra-sound and a colon ex-ray, requiring a barium enema. I am not looking forward to tomorrow or Thursday.

The Washington Post

My thoughts are with him.

Yeah, I know. It's been all chess and bicycling of late here at the old Rant. Well, I guess I am just not all that wrapped up in politics or the news for the moment. I am getting on with my life. That's not to say I am completely closed off from the world. I still read my blogs, and get the email updates from the NYTimes and other papers.

See, I just lost the heart to bitch. It wasn't enough. I felt like I was wasting emotional energy by complaining on my blog, without really seeing any positive return. So, I am living my life, doing what I can, and basically not bitching anymore. Bitching has not done it for me.

Who knows. Next week the passion could hit me, and I am back to raising a loud stink. But, until then, I am just going to work, take time to be with my family, play chess, and ride bike.

Leg 11: 14.78 miles at an average speed of 13.0. mph. Actual riding time was 1 hour, 7 minutes, 27 seconds with a max speed of 30.5 mph. I stopped twice during the leg to stretch and again once I got home.

I am starting to feel physically better. My outlook on life has been more positive of late with the daily routine of life being joyful. I am not getting hung up on the future and its possible pit falls.

I couldn't initially remember who coined Blogiversary^(talkleft*), but I should note that 5 years ago today I published my first ever post on blogspot. Since than, I've switched to Movable Type, registered my own domain, and lost my archives on several occasions. That is why you won't find my original post on the blog. I do have it saved in a text file on my computer. But it is corrupted, and I can't get the damn thing to import back onto my blog.

* Of course, I found it by searching skippy.

I will be volunteering with the Steve Sarvi's campaign, working the phones on Saturday at 9:00 AM. Should be fun.

I really should be working on getting my CEUs for my license as a Chemical Dependency Counselor, but I am in stall mode. Usually, I am in stall mode over posting to this blog. But today, my focus is else where, and in stall mode I tend to do all those things other than what my focus is. So with that said, the long, vile, foul post I was going to write about those calling for Clinton to bow out will have to wait.

Just for the record, I am not committed to any one candidate, just to the Democratic nominee in general. Either will be more than sufficient at running our government. It is just that I have a hard time with the idea that anyone in our party should quit just because the going gets tough. So, fight on Hillary, fight on. But could you do a better job of campaigning? Seriously, you suck lately.

MPR

The Minnesota Senate has approved a nearly $1 billion borrowing plan to pay for a package of public construction projects throughout the state.

St. Paul -- With little debate, Senators passed their version of the bonding bill Tuesday by a vote of 51 to 7. The House is scheduled to take up a similar bill on Thursday. But Gov. Tim Pawlenty is urging lawmakers to scale back the bill because of the projected state budget deficit.

Well, there goes the lights.........

The News Tribune

Studies: Iraq costs U.S. $12B per month

By CHARLES J. HANLEY ; AP Special Correspondent

Published: March 9th, 2008 02:07 PM | Updated: March 9th, 2008 05:02 PM

The flow of blood may be ebbing, but the flood of money into the Iraq war is steadily rising, new analyses show. In 2008, its sixth year, the war will cost approximately $12 billion a month, triple the "burn" rate of its earliest years, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and co-author Linda J. Bilmes report in a new book.

Beyond 2008, working with "best-case" and "realistic-moderate" scenarios, they project the Iraq and Afghan wars, including long-term U.S. military occupations of those countries, will cost the U.S. budget between $1.7 trillion and $2.7 trillion - or more - by 2017.

Christ, I can't make the monthly mortgage without facing the prospect of getting my heat shut off. How the hell am I suppose to pay for my portion of this God forsaken clusterfuck?

At 7:38 AM someone from Dayton, Ohio, clicking through The All Spin Zone was my 50,000 visitor! That it took over 5 years to get to this lowly number is somewhat embarrassing, what with some sites getting 50,000 hits in a minute. Still, it's cool to have finally reached 50,000.

Interestingly enough, I can blog from the jury waiting room, but I can not receive or send emails from the jury waiting room. I am not sure if it is due to the court house blocking the port for email, or there is just a problem with my computer and the router of this building. In any case, I am not going to be able to blog if I should get assigned to a trial anyway, as there is no wireless access in the courtrooms.

Yes, I am very aware that it has been 9 days since last I posted. I have been very busy with the holiday season. Not that it matters. At this point in time, blogging is not a high priority. Soon, though, I hope to be back to home based internet connection. So, until then, just remember to stick it to The Man.

Oh, and I almost forgot: Merry Christmas!

Well, I had an interesting couple of days. I attended a retreat hosted by my new employers. It was illuminating, and enjoyable. I look forward to the next retreat they throw. Currently, I am at the Hastings Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop. It's becoming a second home. I would steal some code from Mustang Bobby, but it's already Noon, and I've got little interest in doing so at this late of time. In fact, this post is more about just letting you know I am alive and well, having established a modest stance of being in the moment.

Of course, and as always, the moment's past, and I am looking to see what the next moment offers. Until then, I bid you all a fond farewell.

Once again I am sitting in the Dunn Bros. Coffee shop, enjoying their exquisite wifi connection. I have to admit, I really hate not having internet access at home. It really does cut into my blogging time. I could do at least two, or three posts a day. But having to fit running to the coffee shop into my morning routine is a pain. So, I get here once ever three of four days, which is just not cool.

\Yeah, I know, where's the cheese and crackers. What can I say? Besides, haven't you heard? 1961 is supposedly a vintage year for whine...., err, wine, that is.\

Anyway, I've gotten most of my internet business done, except for two bills I am about to pay online, so I thought I'd type out a quick post.

I can tell I've not been working with my laptop much, because I am hitting the wrong keys all the time, having grown accustom to the keyboard at my new job.

Oh, and yeah, the new job is going great. I am liking the atmosphere quite nicely. And I am oh so ever grateful to be able to go home to my family after the work day is complete.

So, you all have a great end of the weekend day, and I'll try to post again during the week.

Oh, also, thanks Mustang, it was most definitely appreciated! And a nod towards Norwegianity for the link.

Well, I have managed to save my home from foreclosure, for the moment. What I have not been able to do is get enough money to get caught up on the cable bill. As such, I do not see any internet connection for my house into the foreseeable future. Therefore, I will continue to struggle with any consistent posting. I am on a quick break between paperwork, and am not going to make a habit of posting while on the job. It just ain't right. So, until a rich benefactor deposits loads of money into the PayPal account (Donate button on the right--it's gold so it's easy to see) or I can finally manipulate my budget enough to pay of the $500.00 owed on the cable bill, please be patient with my level of posting.