Man Narrowly Escapes Instant Death

Well, I got the results and had my follow up appointment with Dr. Hadley. I really like him. Checking the 2nd time revealed that I'm not exactly a ticking timebomb of death. I was not showing deficient in levels of Protein S or C. Now this means there are only 2 factors for putting me on blood thinners. The previous clot, and the Vena Cava filter. He's going to check and see if it is the type that can be removed. He said after a couple years it may not be able to be removed anyway, but he wants to see. The plan right now is this: if I go on coumadin, I have a 3% chance per year of having a bleeding complication. I would have a 0.3% chance of having a serious problem like a brain hemmorage or stroke. If I get a clot, with the filter is is not likely to kill me, but it could cause my legs to swell so much that I would never effectively walk again-IF I didn't catch it and I didn't get treatment within 24-48 hours. He said exercise releases Plasmin into the bloodstream which helps break up clots, so I have to build exercise in to my schedule somehow. So right now I exercise, stay off coumadin, and be very alert to the swelling of my legs...which is difficult because I always have a little swelling anyway. I call him in 2 weeks to get the results of my tests from today. Oh, and last time they billed me $200! They gave me a number to call because they don't process any of their own billing.

It wants out

My best friend Patrick came in town last night with his two boys Kelly and Alexander. He showed me the pictures of when he just went to Germany and they were really good. I like to see pictures of things that you can't find anywhere else in the world. We talked for a while, and we were going to play a game of Risk, but it got late, and I had to get up extra early because my car is in the shop and I'm carpooling with Theresia. It really sucks--I have like 3 or 4 places I need to go, and I can't because I have no vehicle. Patrick and I are going to try and meet later this year in West Virginia to go camping with our kids. That will be awesome if we can figure out how to work it. I was hoping to quit my part time job once school starts back up, but now I can't. The Alero needed a new fuel pump and filter. It also needs brakes soon... I'll be cutting down to just every other weekend in a couple weeks, so I don't know how much it will help, but at least day care at the CEP will return to the normal school-year amount.

Made it here...

I got my car started about half an hour befor the tow truck got to me--mainly because the guy was late. Then I offered to be nice and just let the guy follow me instead of hooking it up. Well, the jackass tow truck driver left me half the way there! I made it here, but called the company who does my roadside assistance and they said that the driver told his dispatch that I drove like a bat out of hell and gunned the engine and lost him. Ok, so what motivation did I have to lose the person who was following me to insure I arrived safely?? Please! I drove the speed limit the whole way down Outer Loop 45MPH and then on Waterson Trail 35MPH except curves which slow down to 25MPH. The only times I lost him was when we left the parking lot and then I pulled over with my hazard lights on so he could see and catch up, then at the end when I turned (using my signal) onto Hurstborne Lane, and he kept going straight on Waterson Trail. Arsehole! It was only 10 miles over here!!!

The Number 23

I am dying to see this, and 1408 which my awesome sister Patti told me was really good...

Hottttt Shoes

Normally I don't get excited about something like an inanimate object, but these shoes were very sexy... Wonder if Theresia would wear them????

Stranded at Steak n' Shake

Well, one day before (ok, its really like 8 HOURS BEFORE!) my appointment at the garage, my car, which has been hesitant to start BUT STILL STARTED EVERY TIME finally died. The good news is I see some good come from the extra $1200+ on my friggin car loan. Roadside assistance up to $75 is provided. Hmmmmph. Talk about mixed bloody feelings! So is this karma backlash for finally letting Steven know what I think? I don't think so. If you ever met him you would know he's not the type to give even half a sh*t about the opinion of anyone who makes less than six figures. So its not like I hurt him or his non-existant feelings. At best it was a wake-up call. I doubt it in his case. He's as shallow as they come and has the lowest personal integrity I've seen. He's a salesman in every aspect of his life and has no truth or honesty left at this point. Well, my friend Patrick is in town tomorrow with his boys. They are camping at Mammoth Cave tonight... Hope to see him tomorrow. The bigger hope is that my car is not f.u.b.a.r.

No class, cheap, dirty, and with lack of respect...

Final note on this:

I had to reply to him:

It's not that.  It was not for me to tell you these things.  I lamented to those people who I thought were friends of mine. 

It's actually that I held it from you as long as I could but when you put money before your children I just couldn't take it any more. 

Touché on the "no class, dirty, and lack of respect" comment.   There could be no better judge than you in those matters.

Despite how you treat others and the joke that you have made out of "…with Integrity" I wish you a better life than I think you deserve.  In fact I wish you only prosperity—at least they might force you to help your children in that way.

Then to Scott:

Well, I guess then this is the only thing that truly hurts from all of this.  I knew a month ago when I complained to you and Monica about Steven, that you would send it straight to him.  Its one of those things in your life you know for certain is going to be bad, but you really hope against all hope that it is not.  If I had cared that Steven knew what I said, I wouldn't have sent it in the first place.  I was just not ready to tell him myself.  I guess I can thank you for that.

I admired you, and thought of you as a person who I'd like to have as a true friend.  I had a huge amount of respect for you and Monica that Steven was never able to earn.  Once you guys were gone from <the company>, I knew it would not be long before I was too.  All worked out for the best in that respect.  Good luck with everything in life Scott.  I wish only the best for you.

Lesson learned by me?  I'm not sure....

Steven...for the better?

I got this e-mail from my old boss Steven today:

"UPDATE: I LOST THE CUSTODY TRIAL.  SHE GET SOLE CUSTODY AND GETS TO MOVE THE KIDS TO TEXAS.  I LOST ALL OF MY RIGHTS AS A DAD...  ALL BECAUSE I AM MAN...." 

Ok, let's analyze this.  He is the owner of a multi-million dollar company.  He was enjoying being divorced.  He would go out to bars and strip clubs, and changed girlfriends like eight times in that time period.  The one that really pissed me off was this nice little blond girl that my girlfriend and I went out on a double date with them.  She seemed very sweet, and I could see that Steven, even in the short time we were around them, treated her with a total lack of respect.  This is what he said about her privately: "She's really fat, but maybe that's what I need right now.  Somebody who doesn't look like a model, but has a good heart and will treat me nice..."  I was stunned when he said that first of all because why should anyone treat him so nice when he treats everyone so poorly??  Then there's the fact that this girl may have been just a little overweight, but certainly not fat."  So anyway, the last thing I heard from him, they broke up and he sent me a picture of his new girlfriend--the one that looks like she may have done some "dancing". 

Anyway, I just was still doing ok...you know, composing the e-mail and planning to never send it.  But then he came back with:

"The Judge game me 5 weeks out of the year....  My attorney did file an appeal but that is just more money out the door...."

That completely sent me over the edge.  He had not changed one bit through all this.  It was still all about him--EVEN WHERE HIS KIDS WERE CONCERNED!!

So I wrote back:

"Surely that can't be right.  I got primary custody of my kids and I am a man.  Dude--the state realizes that children benefit from having two parents around.  Maybe KY laws are drastically different than Indiana where my divorce was at.  You didn't do a "typical Steven" thing and hire the cheapest lawyer you could find, did you???

Well, look at the positive side--you won't ever have to worry about getting a sitter so you can hang out at O'Malley's or strip clubs all weekend!!!!  And you don't have to worry about the damage to your boys psyche by parading an endless ever-changing host of sluts in front of them night after night. 

Man, I wouldn't worry about filing the appeal--money is so much more important.  Just enjoy the lack of responsibility and have fun.  It's what you're good at."

His reply to that is worth noting, if for no other reason than the irony:

"Said in true Kelly Nall style...  No class, cheap, dirty, and with lack of respect... but at least you had the balls to say it to my face.... Instead of sneaking behind my back and being lazy."

The "sneaking behind my back" he refers to is about a month ago when I lamented to two people, Scott and Monica about Steven.  I figured at the time Scott would forward it to him, but if I had cared, I wouldn't have sent it in the first place.  That is the only thing that hurts out of this.  Knowing that I admired and liked Scott, and he chose the other side.

Dora the Explorer saves my day!

I packed my lunch for work, and forgot to pack a spoon. I had the leftover Chinese from Empress of China. They have a microwave that is so nasty I was hesitant to use it, but I had nothing to eat it with. I found these Dora the Explorer spoons on clearance for fifty cents! They are reusable!

Freakmobile

Only in Kentucky and Indiana would there be a person with such lack of respect for the machine that hauls their stupid @ss around, that you would see something like this.

Empress of China

...so we went to Empress of China which is more expensive but takes cards...

Wonton Express

It has been literally months (3-4) since we have been to a restaurant that didn't have a playland -and that was only once. So I decided to take a hit on the budget and go out. I had driven past this Chinese joint on Hikes about a hundred times and always wanted to try it. We ordered, went to pay, and they only take cash. So I guess it was fate...

Court today

There was a guy in front of Shellie and I at court today in cuffs and a jump suit. He was the least of the entire circus. So many rednecks questioning paternity and getting child support assigned... I felt sophisticated compared to these people!

Total Friggin Idiots!

This Taco Bell on Taylorsville Road that is in front of the Kroger near the corner of Hurstborne and Taylorsville is the biggest screw up factory I have ever seen! I have been in 6 or 8 times, and I sh*t you not: they have screwed up my order every single time! Wednesday night I worked then Theresia was such a sweetheart and did a load of my laundry so I went to pick it up. I asked the kids if they mind if I stopped and got a couple tacos (I knew I didn't have anything at home that wouldn't take half an hour to fix) so reluctantly I stopped. I was thinking 'how could they screw up 2 soft tacos?' Well, when they brought my order, I checked it (always at this point) and burst out into gales of laughter-so much that the drive thru person was looking at me like I had two heads. I handed the bag back to her and said 'These are supposed to be soft tacos...' I just took this picture then shook my head as we drove away...

My little reader...

When I went Monday to pick the kids up at the CEP, Logan was reading "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". He asked if we could stay for just a couple more minutes so he could finish it. We really needed to get going, but I couldn't say no. He reads better than at least a couple 9 year olds I know... ;o)

Florescent light covers

The doctors office had these in the exam rooms! This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. it looks exactly like a skylight even though there were a couple of floors above that! Kudos to whomever invented it. I want one in my office!

2nd Job sucking

I have come to the conclusion that my 2nd job really truly sucks. It
only pays $6 per hour which equates to "work ever spare minute and
take home $60 on Friday".

I have had more than a couple people tell me I should become a
bartender. I'm easy to talk to and generally get along with people
and know how to handle negative energy effectively. I usually just
kill people with kindness at the 2nd job when they are irate about
something (usually something someone else did, or a store policy).

Hey, if anybody out there knows anybody who is in the bar business, I
would very greatly appreciate your input... I asked a bartender at
TK's, and he said to try bartending school. I have a friend I used to
work with and he said "bartending school is a waste of time and
money." I used to know a couple people who waited tables and then
tended bar...I haven't gotten any feedback from them... I really have
a decent schedule for it. I am wide open every other friday and
saturday night as well as tuesday nights right now.

My vocabulary and Mad Cow Extreme

I just made a call to my boss in MX. He was very sympathetic...he
always is. I just get tired of being the person who has to figure a
PC-non-offensive way to say "hey, could you please do your friggin
job" to people who are higher up and get paid more than me. No wonder
I have a pretty good vocabulary...

Well, on the other side of things I watched 1/2 a horror movie last
night and finished it this morning. The title could have been "Mad
Cow Extreme". Probably not something I will grow nostalgic over and
ever want to watch again. Genetic experimentation gone horribly
awry...again...

Appointment to Lville Oncology

If they offer you coffee, tea, or a soft drink, then either they get paid too much or its going to be a long wait... They are going to test me again for Protein S and C deficiency. Doctor Hadley said I need to be on a low level of coumadin/blood thinner. The reasons: for my protein deficiencies, because I've had a clot in the past, and because I have a vena cava filter. He said ther is like a .03% chance per year of developing a bleed being on blood thinner, but then without it I am at risk for another clot. I don't want to be dependent on any medication for the rest of my life, but the kids need me around and healthy as I can be. He said it would be a good idea to check Lexie and Logan later when they are adults...especially Lexie if she ever wants to go on birth control. It is not a big deal for one factor but if you start putting them together they add up. Overweight, long stays in bed, long hours sitting with no movement (air trips to Australia or car trips to Florida!), the S&C deficiencies, low vitamin K, vena cava filter, prior clots, certain medications like birth control, etc. All adds up... He said exercise is important because it makes your muscles produce some chemical that eats up blood clots. He named it, but I forgot. Incidentally, protein S is named for Seattle and C is for Chicago (where the scientists who discovered them were located).

Fish is Brain Food

This is the remains of Logan and my catch! We caught 8 bluegill Friday and today we caught a catfish. The catfish was pretty tasty, but I think I liked the bluegill best. It was almost pointless, but I filleted 6 of them so the kids could eat them--I have a phobia of bones in fish... They liked them quite a bit and want to go fishing again.

Fisherman's Park just me and Logan

Logan is a pretty good Bluegill fisherman. We caught 8 of them between us!

Dead Silence

Blockbuster Online-Dead Silence

This movie was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Check out the synopsis.

Jennifer Loves Me!!! /Theresia's Test

Ok, well, maybe my supervisor at the 2nd job doesn't LOVE me, but she didn't make me work in the fitting room! I worked at the customer service desk tonight, then at the end of the night did carts, then dust mop. It was an easy night. I didn't have anybody to watch the kids from the usual time 7:30 or 8pm until I got off work at 9:30 so their mother had to drop them off to me. I don't mind so much--it's not like the have school early in the morning or I do this to them all the time. They should be fine.

My girlfriend Theresia might have sleep apnea. She's did a sleep study and they found out that her oxygen is low and she stops breathing when she sleeps. They are going to do another test tonight with air/oxygen and see how she does. If she gets treatment then she might feel a lot better and have more energy. I know when I got treated I was a lot worse off than she is and I felt a bit better. I was literally falling asleep standing up. It was bad... CPAP machines suck, but the effects of sleep apnea suck a lot worse.

Clearance Rack

The one good thing about working this second job is I can pick us up some much-needed clothes. I got this shirt (the color is not thrilling but I don't care) for $5 on the clearance rack. Plus I get a 10% discount! I got Logan several t-shirts for $3 and $4 each, and Lexie 3 pair of shorts. The shorts are even the right colors to be able to wear to school! I go in 530 to 10pm tonight and tomorrow night. Last week I worked those nights plus Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I am dragging but I've found no other way to make it work. I think I'll be working on weekends into the school year because I may have some car repairs coming up. The Alero has been hard to start-and now its dying while I'm driving. I hope it is something little like the fuel filter and not ignition...

Logan's Lobster

The lobster has the same colors as his fish. Probably they didn't have enough markers to go around!

Logan's Fish

Logan did this fish yesterday at the CEP. It is really good, but he has markers and paper at home. Man, you'd think with what they are charging me that there would be a little more 'enrichment' in the Child ENRICHMENT Program. He always complains about going to Jtown Elementary. He told me today "I have fun but they just don't have anything to play with. When I go to play with the blocks there's only a few." I would think that just one week somebody could go to Wal-mart and get some more toys for these kids! There has got to be thousands of dollars per week coming in! They could afford some friggin toys!

Isn't this fun

If you get a chance, check out my friend Mindy's blog: http://churchillchronicles.blogspot.com/

Roger and Mindy are friends I have known for a long time. We used to work together at Beach Mold and Tool. At one point before they got married, Roger would spend about 65% of his time hanging out with me, my ex-wife, and our dog Riker. Roger would watch Riker and house-sit for us. I remember one time we went somewhere and Roger stayed and house/dog-sat. We came home in the morning and there was Roger with a huge bowl of cereal. The spoon digs into the bowl, and he eats a spoonful of cereal. Then the spoon goes into the bowl, and he feeds Riker cereal from the spoon. Then again the same spoon--into the bowl, then into Roger's mouth. We were disgusted, but he goes "What??? Dogs mouths are cleaner than humans mouths!"

I don't think he still does this...

Supervisor Jennifer/Fitting Room

Ok, I misjudged and she is not so bad. She had someone take over the fitting room and I got to do other stuff the rest of the night. I told her "Thanks for getting me out of fitting room duty." and she grinned and told me she only had me to cover it the first part of the day until someone else came in. I still had to pick up the lingere department... I told her later that I really don't mind but it kind of makes me feel like a perv. My sister Patti came in to get some stuff and took me to lunch at Steak N' Shake. That was really sweet of her. I told her that must be what convicts feel like when they get visitation. I also told her the worst part of fitting room duty: at the end of the night, you have to clean up...which is still no big deal except for one little thing. You have to sweep up and in the women's there is always 3 or 4 of those special stickers stuck to the floor...you know, the ones that say "DO NOT REMOVE THIS SANITARY LINER UNTIL AFTER PURCHASE" that go in the panty section of swimsuits. I don't understand what is going through some woman's head when she rips that off--the instructions are real clear about what its for and what NOT to do... The weird thing too is sometimes you find them stuck to the walls. Needless to say, right after that I always go wash my hands.

2nd Job...timeclock

Its really odd using a timeclock after all these years. I am fitting room attendant from 11 to 630 today. I think the supervisor here, Jennifer, hates either fat people, white people, or guys. Or fat guys, or white guys or fat white people. Fitting room is the sh*t job. It sucks to basically have to handle clothes and hand out little plackards to people with the number of items they are taking in. Well, at least the muzak is decent. I have not heard one country song yet. Gettin' Jiggy with it is playing right now. I'm a Believer before that...

Loss of Bathroom Privileges...AGAIN!

This is like the third time in two weeks. The management for LIC sucks! I am dying here. I just made a fresh pot of coffee, now I can throw it out or spend the last 2 hours in bladder pain....

Bridge to Terabithia

I found a movie that I really wished I never watched. The little girl in the movie is so sweet and innocent and she just flat out dies! I must have bawled like a baby the last 15 to 20 minutes of that movie! Most of it was because of Logan I think. He kept saying crap like "She's really ok." and "I know she didn't die." He was a little in shock I think. Still, he took it better than I did!

Logan's new Polo

Logan was really happy about getting this polo. Its not solid like all the rest of his polos that he wore as school uniforms. I try to steer him towards things rarely but more often away from things that wouldn't look right. He actually has a very individualized taste in clothing and I'd like to keep it like that. He was trying for this black polo shirt that had silver print (the pattern was those bling spinner wheels that you see on some cars and trucks) but mysteriously they didn't seem to have one in his size...

Lexie's new shirt

On Saturday afternoon I went in to my part time job to pick up my paycheck. I know how tight money is for us right now, but I thought "What the hell am I working just about every day the kids are not with me if not to be able to make ends meet?" I gave in to my own selfish need to please my kids, and I let them each pick out one shirt. Also, I rationalized that at only $6 per hour, if I don't use my 10% discount then I am cheating myself. Hence, Lexie picked out this t-shirt that says I'M BOSSY...

Swings too

After the Rock N Roll I treated them to a ride on the swings. Also, I played the game where you have to take the hammer, hit the lever and make the puck ring the bell. I wailed on that bad boy and got the kids a life-sized blow up purple M16. That was the first time I had ever been able to do that!!

Logan Overcomes his fear

Saturday we went to the Holy Family picnic for a couple hours. I know the band that was playing plus there were games and rides. We listened to about three songs and the kids were antsy to go play, so we played a couple games and I won a cake. Then, I got an idea of how to get Logan over his fear of going upside down. They had the ride they used to call the Rock N Roll when I was a kid. Just like a ferris wheel, but the seats are caged and there is a lap bar. So it goes upside down and the best part is I could blame it on Lexie because I wasn't on the ride with him. He cried a little at first, but he was just scared and he was fine at the end. I asked him just now if he liked going upside down and he got a big grin on his face and said "Yeah!"