Sunday morning
Almost all the hair on my head has stopped growing, just quit, said Man, if you’re gonna keep taking that shit, we quit. I didn’t shave my head for five days, and it didn’t look like I needed to, and then I looked at the back of my head in the mirror and realized I had tufts. Tufts are out, according to People and Elle, so I shaved.
This blog is going to get boring recounting my health, because my health is so good it is boring. I am back to being a 50 year old with a bad back, bad elbow, sciatica, etc., a little more out of shape. Pills only, yippee, I can live with detufting, and gym time, and walking. I have to wonder what the heck happened to my golf game though. Awful week. I have to go way back to basics, start over, as though I had a new body. It kicks my butt too, because I have been practicing, and have the magic new putter.
It was really depressing on Wed, into the teeth of the wind at Dairy from the golds, the tips. I was just off the 1st green in reg, three-putted, and it was downhill from there. Stopped counting at the 6th hole. By Friday, when I got spanked by MG and John K, I had gotten over myself and was realizing I needed to get in shape or find a whole new swing. My old swing with my new physique was not working. And Jack told me my putting stroke was way too bent over, stand up. All this means one thing. Crunches. I have to work on the core. Dang.
Dana is in Santa Barbara; she went there yesterday with a friend to have a women’s weekend at another friend’s. She needs to rest up because she will be busy this week making sure we are all going to be well fed and entertained at the BBQ on Saturday. I need to go out there and see if we can scam electricity somehow, get Mikey to play the Hendrix Star Spangled Banner for us.
The stupid photo thing is really annoying. When I went to DSL I changed to a dynamic IP, meaning my IP address changes all the time. SBC/Yahoo is trying to tell me that is why the IP address of photos on their server changes. ??????? Huh? I am looking for a free solution, but Shutterfly works the same way, dynamic IP. Anyone? Charter storage worked great once I figured it out, I may have to see if they ever closed it.
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look foward to your weekly installment. i for one am happy about your good health, though sorry about the golf game going south and the new pudder?...well anyway stand up and walk like a man...i've been out in the sun too much lately. launched timmy's boat and floated around a bit, with bits of the kinks, the pretenders ,tracy chapman, dusty springfield the four seasons not to be confused with franky vallee and some contemporary hawaian slack guitarist, drifting through the memory bank on slow shuffle.
ReplyDeletei guess good health is not a life
changing event.. reengineer the game
redefine the rules , defy the odds
Didn't you read Lance Armstrong's autobio, "It's Not About the Bike"?? He ended up with a whole new body after chemo and look what it's done for him! Once he figured out that he couldn't train like he used to, he started all over...and is now going for lucky 7. There's hope for you, John. It's not about the putter....(love reading your blog, keep it up even with boring good health...we are all GLAD it's boring!) CC
ReplyDeleteI just finished that book Saturday, and really liked it. I was prepared not to, because Lance can be so abrasive, but he really had a lot of insight. He lost a lot of weight, which was to his benefit once he regained the strength, as it turned him into a climber. I gained weight. He is 25 when he gets cancer, I am 50. In fact, I have told myself a number of times, 'I am not Lnace Armstrong'.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough for aging athletic types to give up on sports, or to watch their skills eroded by physical limitations. I am still saddened that I had to give up competitive softball - the reaction time was getting too slow and I was soon to be killed or worse. Luckily, golf courses are filled with pathetic old guys that can't play!
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ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteGlad you have only boring health issues to report. Hope it stays this way!
Re IP problems, that is the same problem we had at work and if they cannot give you a static IP then forget it. Can you post pictures elsewhere (like when you were on vacation in Spain) and build a link into your web page?
Thanks for giving up your wife for the weekend. Next time you should come with her!
Hey! Just because YOU think the Blog is boring, doesn't necessarily mean we all do, so don't get any stupid ass ideas of not keeping us all updated on a regular basis. While the Hepa Masks and near lethal injections were informative and your narratives were highly entertaining, GOOD HEALTH is refreshing and your nearly normal activities and crappy golf game stories practically get me through the day!!!
ReplyDeleteI, too, thank you for lending Dana for the weekend, we had far too good of a time, but certainly a well deserved one.
Hey Mac, as a wee child I used to live in Decatur, anywhere near your neck of the woods???
Peace
Deb G.
plenty of old guys still in the water, too, John--maybe you'll be back there soon...I saw a few when I took my runaway mothers club boogey boarding early yesterday--
ReplyDeletewe had a blast and think we might have saved the lives of a few children in the process...but sounds like Dana has some stories
Dana?
Yes, I had a great weekend with our friends Debbie G. (her birthday!)and Lisa (Manitouboo) at Lisa's house in Santa Barbara. Nothing too wild to report although we did join a drumming circle at the summer solstice celebration for a while. The best part was catching up with old friends though. I love the runaway mothers club. I may have to start a west coast chapter!
ReplyDeleteJohn, can't tell you happy I am to see what you call the boring side of the blog. Bore me more, PLEASE. Sorry though to hear the golf game in still in the crapper. Don't feel alone. I have lost $$$$$$$ for ten games in a row now. I'm actually at a point where I'm out back in the dark, in the redneck deer stand, trying to catch nocturnal chippers and flying squirrels for cat food. I don't know how much longer my poor little buddies can hold out.
ReplyDeleteDon't know what to make about all the whining about the hair on the head not growing any more. It's gonna make me pull out those old responses, i.e. I'm simply too tall; God gave me better things to do with my testosterone; It's a solar panel for a sex machine. You know the gig.
Deb G, Decatur is about an hour and a half from B'ham. I don't get up that way any more because I can't afford the gas (cat food money, you know). And Happy Birthday to you.
John, here's a story that will demonstrate that it's all in your attitude. When The Little Woman and I lived in Philly last time, our across-the-street neighbors (Gail & Ed, whom Dana had met) became very good friends. When Ed retired from Boeing a couple of years ago, I worried that he might become one of those bad retirement statistics because he was not a good thinker. For example, each fall season he got real bummed because shit was dying on the trees, etc. Very wonderful, bright and fun man, but always had this little dark cloud over him. Ed went to the other side last night; just got sick and could not get through it. Your positive attitude and outlook are most impressive. Keep it going.
Gotta run.
Mac
Finally, I have to admit Pat is right, I have to take her advice. So Beauch and I met at Morro Rock this am, lloked at the waves, drank coffee, did the drive of shame (where you look at all the surf spots, then go back to the Rock), and then put on our wetsuits and went surfing. Back in the saddle again, yippee-i-o-tie-ay! Caught 3 waves, rode for a while, paddled around a lot, chest high surf, kinda windblown. An hour in the water, and I felt way better than the last time, in early Feb. when I was pumping water through my veins.
ReplyDeleteLance Armstrong said a funny thing in his book - he said something like it didn't matter if you had the greatest attitude in the world, if chemo is going to get you sick, you're going to get sick. It's all luck. And I have to agree with him. I think attitude changes your reaction to getting sick, and sometimes that's not enough because you're dead. Sorry about your friend, I hope he enjoys traveling the universe and checking out the other sentient beings.
i think i gotta take Pat's prescription too, haven't been in the ocean yet this year. I did get a new boogey board for my birthday. It is time to try it out. Been planting so many hundreds of flowers that my body aches and i don't know if i can blame the residual chemo or radiation for my aching joints or just my german work ethic and hard driving goals in the field......been getting lots of honks from passers by outstanding in my field.
ReplyDeleteocean next on my list to smell and stare at and jump in.....thanks Pat
John I usually try to avoid giving advice (a word to the wise is seldom heard) but buoyed by my recent success, I moved on to channeling the title for your documentary...
ReplyDelete"it's not about the book"
God knows you have plenty of us to write the blurbs for the jacket--in fact you might have to have the first book with more than one book-jacket.
yeah, instead of a folding paper cover it could have a thermal rash-guard.
speaking of which, Jeanne the water has been really cold, I am still using a shortie, so not to worry you will get there at exactly the right time--let me know, I'll meet you.
and Mac, I am sorry, too, to hear you were right about your friend...at least we know here that retirement will not kill this guy and I don't know the guys on Lance's team, but I bet they are not as much fun as John's karrass.
See the comments people send saying that tuning in here helps get them through their day?
of course I would never say that because I have an image to maintain (can a person have an image as an iconoclast?)
I was going to answer why that is--but I think I'll save it in case I write a review when the book comes out
Oh, we're writing a book alright, you just contributed another 200 words or so! It'll be done around February 9 2007, at 2:00 pm. Or sooner if I kick the bucket.
ReplyDeleteHey Mac, take heart, even Tom Cruise says we are not alone in the universe, so I am sure Ed is out visiting the outer galaxies and being wowed. Tom Cruise says so. You know how people write postcards on their return flights home? That same thinking is why we rarely hear from the beyond - they are too busy having a great time!
so let me get this straight--if you kick the bucket, will you still be continuing the blog? or just sending postcards?
ReplyDeleteWhen I kick the bucket I will be travelling the uni, not sending postcards just like the 10,987,345,234 before me. Pretty sure about the ending now, but if something comes up, Dana will have to finish the book.
ReplyDeleteNews flash - I think I figured out how to get the pictures up. Go back to the Live Oak Fest post and see if you can see the pics.
Oh yeah, I meant to ask Pat, 3:36am? Should I send you some Ambien or some medical green? Is that my time or your time? I find sleeping occasionally to be restful; I try to get my five hours every night. You should too.
ReplyDeleteI am such a dork...I posted my message on an old comment page, and I don't know if you are notified of any new posts? So, here it is again...as you can tell, this is all new to me. Btw...yes, I see all the pics from the Live Oak Festival.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I wrote yesterday:
Hey John...I think I've updated myself with all your posts. Bryan informed me of the website a couple months ago, and was surprised with all the news. I should have touched basis then but haven't. It's been so long since I have talked to you...raising kids (Bekah is almost 10 & Micah almost 9...can't believe it how time flies!), working, living in a 5th wheel trailer for the last 15 months while building our house on our 1 acre lot in Nipomo (should hopefully be done in September), and helping with our new church in Nipomo. Your story hits home, since my Grandma died last September with Pancreatic cancer and just found out my Mom has/had ovarian carcoma (not carcinoma)...guess it is like really rare and only 1 in a million get it. Figures of course! Well, my Mom has had her second treatment of chemo last week and is doing well. Understand the whole thing, with chemo still going, when you probably don't have the cancer. My Mom's count was down in the 20's after her first treatment and the docs like to see it under 35, so she is already there. She is a living miracle and will beat all odds. Her chemo is 6 treatments, with each treatment lasting 30 hours. Fortunately, it is right here in SLO, so I visit her each of her days in the hospital.
We are hoping to make it to your picnic on the 2nd. I am so encouraged how you & your family have stayed strong and all your friend support you have. I am seeing that with my Mom too...all the friends, support, and prayers coming out of the woodwork. My Mom has beat her heart disease and now this ovarian cancer with the grace of God.
You, Dana, and your kids are in all our prayers!!
Oh, here is our website with all our building updates... www.arshambo.com
Take care-
Angela :-)
I can see! I can see!
ReplyDeleteI even finally see Mac!
ps.
John there is a 3 hour time difference between your coast and mine, so if you are a night owl and I'm an early bird we are practically I.M.ing--not that you probably wanted to.
thanks for your dogged persistence on this picture thing
Arf. Hi Angela, hope to see you all at the Q.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that insight Keith. I went to school with John Peffer, in RI, he was a good pitcher I remember. Related?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYEAH, i got to see the pictures too today! must tell Randy to check out his new do.
ReplyDeleteNews: Alex made it to San Diego today, he has been all over the map and sounds great.
I hadn't seen that irradiation cap photo before either, and that is just plain weird. the fashion they come up with for treatment, it is so cutting edge.
Didn't get into the ocean yet....glad it has been cold so i didn't miss anything.
Saw the fireworks on Roy Carpenters beach tonight, very cool.
thanks for getting those photos to work John, looks like a nice sunset Mac.