"Don't Panic........................"

Good Evening;

It was a pretty laid back day and evening. I was up and out and on the bus/train/bus to Monkee's this morning by 10:30 am., (after ending up not sleeping until around 5:30 am., no problem, just did not sleep, so I ended up laying there spacing out for 4 hours after I got offline, I just wish it hadn't been so chilly and my fingers so cold, I didn't want to take my arms out of the nice warm sleeping bag and grab my pencil and notepad that I usually write my middle of the night "world peace/cure for cancer/immortal poetry/plans for a FTL drive" ideas on.....lol! ( It's a shame that most of these ideas won't stand up to too close scrutiny in the light of day, or I can't read my own writing on the one's that do seem plausible......but they're good for a laugh sometimes....lol!)

I took the bus and train back from Monkee's to the Reisterstown Plaza Metro station and sat on the bench in the sun and read and ate lunch for an hour and a half. After that I went to the Giant and picked up some hot dogs and bananas for Jenn, (for the kid's lunches you perverts......LOL!), in exchange for doing a load of laundry on her card. Rachel was there getting ready to leave with them to go to Westminster to Edward and Devin's birthday party at some indoor play place where there are a bunch of inflatable things to bounce on and climb in and on, and they serve the kids pizza and cake and ice cream and all that crap that parents are so thrilled with when they get home and get their sugar induced second wind.....just about bedtime....LOL! I wasn't going due to transport and logistics, it just was not feasible. So after they left I cooked myself lunch and showered and shaved. I left their apartment shortly after they got home and I visited with Ed for a bit, around 7:00 pm. and sat on the bus stop and read until the bus showed at 8:00 pm. I wanted to finish a chapter in the book I'm reading, ("1634-The Baltic War" by David Weber & Eric Flint, in the 1632/Ring Of Fire/Grantville Gazette series), so I rode the bus up to the Owings Mills Mall ans sat with the driver on his layover, and back down to Pikesville. Oh, yeah...the reason for this was it was beginning to alternately snow and rain and the bench where I was had no cover.

I got back to the Giant here about 9:15, went in and used the restroom and brushed my teeth, (speaking nof which....Rachel lost her first baby tooth the other day....I told her to put it under her pillow and she said "Yay..and get a dollar from the toothfairy", and then in her best little adult voice and tone and manner says, "Who of course is really you and mommy!".....lol. I told her to tell her mother "she was wishing for a hundred dollars......and to bargain it down to $5.00, you can't get anything good for a dollar anymore!"....I'll find out how it went this week, she first has to get the tooth from where she left it the house she goes to 'homeschool' at. (And DON'T get me started on THAT topic tonight!!!!!).

Anyway, it is not that cold but my right hand, the fingers especially, is/are starting to hurt and/or go numb.

Later...................Dave

Tomorrow is Presidents' Day.......don't forget to dress up as your favorite Chief Executive!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm either going to be Grover Cleveland = Born-March 18th 1837 / Died-June 24th 1908 = our 22nd (1885-'89) - AND!!! - our 24th (1893-'97) = President, (who also carried the popular vote in 1888....freakin' Electoral College....lol).

OR

Zaphod Beeblebrox!

(I never said it HAD to be a U.S. President!)

(and besides having 2 heads and 3 arms....HE invented the

"Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster"......AND......

has a bar named after him in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,

and has been called "the Best Bang since the Big ONE!......

If you are not familiar with him.....just think Bill Clinton,

on a Galactic scale..............LMAO!!!!)

"There's No Place Like Gnome......................."

Good Evening;

Well I am just getting settled in the shed and am going to try and go to sleep now.

I have spent the whole day with Rachel, and needless to say it has been a good day. We were dropped off in Owings Mills at the movie theatre at 10: 30 am this morning by the 'ex' and saw "Gnomeo And Juliet". I have to say it was a lot of fun, great CGI, good characterizations, lots of little slipped in double meanings for the older folks, and an (Obviously.........lol!) good storyline. The voices were wonderful too, from Michael Caine to Ozzy Osbourne, and Maggie Smith to Hulk Hogan, and Dolly Parton to Patrick Stewart....and many more. We saw the $5.oo matinee, but it's worth the full price ticket. We had a blast. We then took the bus back to the Metro Subway to the Light Rail to Mt. Washington and spent the rest of the day and evening at the Starbucks and Whole Foods, eating, drinking and playing on the computer. Erik of Pikesville PC (www.pikesvillepc.com) loaded a bunch of PopCap games on the laptop and Rachel has fallen for "Bookworm Adventure Deluxe", which is a lot of fun for me too. We took the bus up the hill to her new apaertment and I killed the better part of an hour visiting with 3 of my (former) stepkids, and the old dog the new puppy and the 2 cats...(kind of....you know how cats are....lol!), and the 'ex'. Then I caught the bus back on it's next run.....there is only one bus on the route at night....once an hour. Then the bus to the Giant, the gas station, and glorious windswept walls of Draughty Manor......and I'm done.....my fingertips are numb and frozen, it's time to crawl into the sleeping bag and lay on them.....gives the term...'sit on your hands' a whole new meaning.........................lol!

Later........................Dave

(and the color is effed up AGAIN!!!.... and so is the automatic link...., plus there is a 'spell check' program running I cannot figure out how to disable.....oi.....oi.....oi!!!!!

"Oh Crap.......NOT The Flying Monkeys Again................"

Good Evening;

So I'm sitting here in the shed again listening to and feeling the strong winds of 25 to 30 mph, and the frequent gusts that are hitting approximately 45 mph, (and later on today..[Sat.]..that are supposed to top 60 mph on occasion)...I can just imagine waking up like the guy in the old silent films and find that the shed has blown away in the night.......OR......wake up to the giggling of a bunch of drunk 'little people' and some old green faced biddy screaming about somebody putting a hit on her sister by dropping a house on her.......and wondering where in the hell did these red shoes come from and why can't I get the damn things off?! Hopefully it will only be another acid flashback from the '60s!!!

Today, (Fri.), was not as bad as yesterday and even though I still put in a full days workout, (not being able to get up and get out until 2:00 pm., trying to eat myself into a coma, apathy, irritability, fatigue, and suicidal ideations......{and believe it or not compared to the past few days....this was my equivalent of manic......lol!}.....), for the 'Clinical Depression Pentathlon' in the Carlos Mencia Invitational Politically Incorrect World Deet..Dee-Dee Mental Health Games, AKA..... the 'Not So Special Olympics'.

Tomorrow should be better for real though, I am taking my last $20.00 and Rachel and I are going to a matinee and lunch. We are going to see "Gnomeo and Juliet" in Owings Mills, and then ride the Metro Subway and the Light Rail back to Mt. Washington and hang out in the Starbucks for a while, (since it is close to where she is living now and we may not have a ride back there, and the bus passes by the entrance to the apartments).

I have to go and do some repair work on the wall right now where the wind gust just blew out, (actually 'In'...lol), a cardboard panel.

See you tomorrow at some point....hopefully, unless Glinda shows up...

she ALWAYS has the best 'magic fairy dust' in OZ.....lmao!

Later.............................Dave

(just fyi...this post was typed in bright green.....stupid Blogger/Google!)

"Mood Music................................................"

Good Evening;

http://www.metrolyrics.com/when-all-the-laughter-dies-in-sorrow-lyrics-chicago.html

Later.......................Dave

"Shower Drum Song........................................."

Good Afternoon;

I'm sitting here trying to contact someone, anyone, to find a place to take a shower sometime soon. It was much warmer last night than I expected and I really should not have the blanket covering the bag.......as I found out when I woke up sweating and with a throbbing headache.

Still trying to fight my way through this fog of depression.

A hot shower and a cup of coffee would be welcomed...

(but the so would a hot kiss and a cold vodka gimlet.......if it didn't kill me first.....lol).

Back in a while....................if I have anything to say,

Later....................................Dave

"Am I Going Colorblind Or What?.........................."

Good Evening;

So tell me is it just this computer or is Blogger having color issues?

Are all the words in the body of the past few posts either gray or black, (and I have been typing them in various brighter colors,) or is it this computer?

After I publish and check the blog......shades of gray!

Later..................Dave

(and this is dark red/maroon right now!)

"Jungle Drums..........................."

Good Evening;

So....not a good day.....everything hurts;......moving, not moving; thinking, not thinking; whether it is just the clinical depression, or the fibromyalgia, the quick and fairly extreme changes in temperature and barometric pressure or all the individual pains in alignment at this time, or the full moon, (with my recent luck I'll probably be diagnosed with Lycanthropism next..........lol.), 'or all of the above'; ..... everything hurts. I was just curled up in a fetal position until 2:00 pm. this afternoon, meds did not help, caffeine was useless, no stronger stimulants were available (or advised).

I feel as if I am fighting my way through an atmosphere of thick, sticky, marshmallow fluff,........ in darkness,..... with an elephant on my back,.... and a MMA match going on in my skull,.... in a wind tunnel,........during an earthquake.

Sh*t Happens, I know it will pass.....

....eventually....if I live through it. But knowing does not mean I have to like it, nor the clueless but well meaning people who tell you to 'cheer up',...etc.....etc....ad nauseum, and expect that you instantly do so, and won't take such gentle and subtle hints as......

"Would You Just Leave Me The F*ck Alone!!!!" delicately directed at them at full volume while frothing at the mouth and peering around wildeyed for a blunt object that will not leave a distinct mark or hold fingerprints well!.........(LMAO!!......[maybe?!?!].....)

Anyway......time to pack up here at the coffee shop.

I may be back later tonight or early tomorrow am.,

anybody have a trepanning saw I can borrow to let out some of the pressure

throbbing inside my head......."the natives are restless tonight bwana".

Sanity.....who needs it........it's way over-rated, anyway!

Later........Dave

Face to face with a moral dilemma

Good Evening;

Face to face with a moral dilemma

A link to a story in The Vancouver Sun

about a study on Homelessness and

the difficulty of watching and not

getting involved with the 'Control Group'

when it is a human life.....

as opposed to a lab rat.

Later..............Dave

"A Whiter Shade Of Pale...................."

Good Evening;

This post is more for the sake of continuity then content. Just one of those weeks, I'm feeling more profane than profound, more enervated than entertaining, and more overwhelmed than optimistic. Part of this has to do with pain, viewed separately.....all the malfunctional, misfunctional, & dysfunctional portions of my old beat up body and warped and twisted psyche don't look that troubling, but in combination....even old Doc Frankenstein would have had second thoughts before he hooked up the jumper cables!

Anyway......it's almost 1:00 am. and my fingers are beginning to look like uncooked, frozen bratwurst, and are about as nimble and flexible.....

so I'm outta here.....

Later................Dave

"Rally 'Round The Flag Boys............................"

Good Evening;

Just FYI:

22^nd Annual Homeless Persons’ Lobby Day in Annapolis

Diverse groups rally for health care, re-entry, and stronger safety net

ANNAPOLIS: On Thursday, February 17, more than 500 health care providers, students, people experiencing homelessness, and advocates for the poor will gather at 9:30 a.m. in Lawyers Mall for the 22^nd Annual Homeless Persons’ Lobby Day. The rally brings togetherHealth Care for the Homeless, the Maryland chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Out For Justice, B-More Housing for All, and others committed to ending homelessness in Maryland.

Rally participants will advocate for continued Medicaid expansion, re-entry services for those leaving jails and prisons, and for a strengthened safety net to assist families struggling to make ends meet in a troubled economy. Speakers include legislators, activists, college students, and people experiencing homelessness. Throughout the day, constituents will meet with elected officials about policies necessary to end homelessness and will testify during afternoon Senate hearings.

“Maryland’s safety net – though tremendously overburdened – helps to prevent and end homelessness,” said Jeff Singer, President & CEO of Health Care for the Homeless. “Especially in this troubling economic environment, we simply can’t afford additional cuts to important health programs and safety net services.”

Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) provides health-related services, education, and advocacy to reduce the incidence and burdens of homelessness in Maryland. Last year, HCH delivered adult and pediatric medical care, mental health services, social services and case management, addiction treatment, dental care, outreach, and supportive housing for 10,000 Marylanders at clinic sites in Baltimore City, and in Frederick, Montgomery, Harford, and Baltimore Counties. Nearly all HCH clients have incomes below Federal poverty guidelines, and 75% are uninsured.

Members of the press are welcome to ride with us by bus from Baltimore to Annapolis. For more information on Homeless Persons’ Day in Annapolis, please contact Adam Schneider at Health Care for the Homeless at 410/215-8319.

Health Care for the Homeless is building a future without homelessness.
Support our work at www.hchmd.org.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IS LEGALLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION INTENDED FOR THE USE OF THE

ADDRESSEE LISTED ABOVE. This record has been disclosed in accordance with Subtitle 3 of Title 4 of the Health-General Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Further disclosure of medical information contained herein is prohibited. If you are neither the intended recipient nor the individual responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure of patient information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, immediately notify us by telephone or return email

Later..................Dave.

"So If That Little Flying Bastard Shoots Me In The Ass With Another Friggin' Arrow..........I'm Going To Wring His Cherubic Little Neck!..............

Good Evening;

So it didn't hit me until this afternoon when I was finally able to force myself to get up and out of the shed, (and it was tough, with the gentle soporific drip and splash of the melting snow and ice creating a constant lullaby..........lol), and get my ass over to the RiteAid to drop off the prescription refills for my BP meds et.al., that it was Valentines Day. My subconscious must have been aware on an innate level all along of the impending holiday, and this obviously was what was fueling, in part, the flames of the depression that is consuming me right now.

For an unrepentant chauvinist and incurable romantic such as myself, having no one to share it with and expend all the built up romantic energy is like a dope fiend with a broken syringe.....AND clogged sinuses......lol! (And believe me, I've been there too......ha!)

Anyway, I have absolutely no energy and coffee is only acting as a biological version of Liquid Plumber! I think I was supposed to go to physical therapy for the first time sometime today.........oh well, I'm not really sure about whether I want to deal with it or not. Hmmmmm, maybe that is what one of the phone calls I let go to voicemail was about. Things are really tense right now between Jenn and I, so I'm going to give her as much space, (& time & distance!), as I can, though part of it is her own fault. The message she sent me Saturday morning was just vague enough and revelatory enough at the same time to make me both worry like hell and give her the amount of privacy she requested. All I had been doing was asking a general "are you okay" and leaving it at that....not asking for any details, as a sign of respecting her wishes. The bitchy text this morning, in response to my text, after I had gotten no response from 2 e-mails that were not inquisitive, was really the topping to the 'sh*t sundae' life has been feeding my caged and enraged psyche since Friday. I tried to contact one of the 'approved' Psycholog- or Psychiatr-..-ists this afternoon.......and the number is 'no longer in service'.

Whatever........................

I'm just bitching......and I can, so I am.........lol.

Later........................Dave

"On The 'Net Again.....................Mobile!............"

Good Evening;

Just a quickie before the Starbucks closes and I lose the wifi.

This is the first post on my New..(to me...)..laptop.

A Sony VAIO that a customer left to Erik, (pikesvillepc.com), that he got up and running and passed on to me to replace the "Dell that Died"

I may be back "LIVE From The Shed" later tonight.

Later.......................Dave

"Metaphors of Madness'........... Or...................'King Lear......Kindred Soul'..................."

Good Afternoon;

Well the last minute trip to the Dental Hygiene Clinic was a real downer, and that let open the floodgates of despair and washed away the last grains of hope that were holding up the hollow shell of a sandcastle that I have been using as a facade for so long. A combination of things such as looking up into the eyes of a woman I have loved and been in love with for years and finally admitting that the love reflected there only goes so far. Acknowledging in my heart, what I have known intellectually leaves a bittersweet sadness, the pain leavened by the very real love that is there and the length of time we have been friends.....(but it still sucks!.......lol).

The exam and cleaning was ruined by the particular instructor that Michelle drew on Friday, who for some reason is overly critical compared to the others and the 'norm' by which judgements are made. Not only did she downgrade me from a level 2 to a level 1 rating of intensity and difficulty, (I was a level 3 last time and I have not had any needed dental work done since......????), but in the end she failed Michelle for the whole session, the only time in clinic, lab or externship that she has gotten less than excellent marks......."Something is rotten in the State of Denmark!".

And then the (even though I knew it was irrational) guilt at seeing my friend so upset and the impotence to help set off my fall into the abyss of depression that have been I have been hanging on the edge of like an avalanche waiting for that one certain sound or vibration to set it off.

Add in the previous few nights of bitter cold, the insomnia that popped up the past few nights leaving me exhausted all day and unable to rest at night, the chronic loneliness and absence of human contact that I was trying to replace with all the (medically needed and ordered, not frivolously abused) doctor visits and tests and exams, the medical findings that always seem to be somewhere worse than normal but not each by itself critically disabling yet when combined ARE so and having to fuss with each specialist to get them to look outside their own specialty to get them to then say...."Oh....yeah, I see what you mean"....(which does happen eventually, but it is wearing to have to keep forcing such a simple issue just to get confirmation), plus the fairly standard letdown, like the post holiday blues, that occurred after seeing Rachel,.....and not having found professional mental health personnel who are within the aegis of my healthcare insurance's umbrella AND in an area I am willing to travel in and to And with whom I feel a rapport and trust....and it is no surprise that the old demons come calling again. There are times I wish I could shut them up and want to jam an icepick in my ear to silence them! When "is this all there is...?" turns into
this is all there is....", and my old friend "When Not If" starts whispering in my ear again. I've always known since I was a little kid that it would be the most likely way I'd be leaving, but not just yet.....I hope.

Trying to stave off the impending and debilitating fog of depression with the "in the moment" physical and emotional triumphs, (whether my own doing or just serendipity), has worked for a while, such as.....the recent boon of the Lottery gods, and the chance meetings with people, (though that has been a double edged sword in some cases), and the electronic toys I have been blessed with. But it only hold for so long. And when I really needed someone to be with and no one was around or available or willing........back on the slippery slope to madness on my belly and face down.

Plus I'm worried about my daughter Jenn, who is going through something at home that has her upset enough not to talk about it. I was supposed to spend some time with her and the kids last night, but I got a text Saturday morning saying that she needed to be alone, she and the kids had spent the night at a friend's house, and to call her husband Tom and see if he is home and whether I can get in and out to shower and wash clothes while he is still there, (I had NOTHING clean to wear), and could I be gone before she got dropped off?...

We texted back and forth and I did not pry and told her I was there when she wanted or needed to talk, and hit the road.

I hit the coffee shop for the last hour because riding the buses and spending an hour there interacting with Anyone, even on a superficial level was better than being alone with my self. I had some cash to spend and felt like going out to a bar, but not having a "Cheers"-like place anymore, or a companion, "That way madness lies.....let me shun that!", and/or trouble of some form or another.

I left the coffeeshop at closing and bussed back to the shed, where I eventually fell asleep about 1:45 am, and woke every hour on the quarter hour, until I got up at 10:45 am. I hit the Giant, then went to Mickey D's and had some coffee and read until the library opened at 1:00 pm. I got a text from Erik of Pikesville PC, (http://www.pikesvillepc.com/) last night that the new refurbished laptop was ready for a test flight, and we are meeting here at the library sometime in the next hour.

Anyway.....the noise inside and outside my skull is getting too loud to concentrate on typing, and I've probably written way more than I should have or meant to when I started this post Saturday afternoon. [Look at the 'Posted' date.] (Though I did get lucky that I ran out of time before I could hit the 'Post' button yesterday....I was able to come back today and edit out a LOT!(!!!), of what could have been incriminating or 'grounds for involuntary commission' material!........LOL!!!.....(Maybe!?!).

I'm done for now, and exhausted again. Sorry if I'm not up to my usual level of humourous content.....but that's a facde sometimes too.

I'm supposed to start Physical Therapy tomorrow, but I don't remember what time, and I'm not feeling it anyway....soooooo, that's a maybe also.

Later...................maybe again tonight ,(if the laptop like me....lol!).

Dave

(and if I'm still bitchin'....at least I'm still alive)

"The Mohel Was Drunk.............OR............Why I've Always Been Leery Of Having Anything Surgically Removed!.................."

Good Morning;

It was another cold friggin' night last night! 14 degrees! I was reasonably comfortable though except when the blanket that I had tented up over my head kept slipping off and my face and my lungs started to burn with the cold.

As usual the worst part is crawling out of the bag either to answer nature's call or when it is time to get up. Since I slept in my jeans and sweat shirt that I am wearing now, it was one less hassle, (having to put on clothes in the cold that I warmed up by laying on top of in the bag), leaving only the part that really hurts, putting on the cold, inflexible boots. (Which are the ones I got at Target with the cracked outer layer, they're ugly but efficient enough at keeping my feet dry and warm..[sometimes too warm when they eventually warm up.....lol, no middle ground...the story of my life!]..and which I could not get there to return due to weather and the lack of other shoes to put on and just bad timing.)

I got up and hit the Giant for a wash and a cup of coffee and a donut. I then came here to the library where I found a desperate e-mail from Michelle at BCCC hoping and praying I'd get it in time and be able to come in today to the Dental Hygiene Clinic because her appointment canceled on her at the last minute........Wellllll, never having been able to say no to her before for any reason, and always wanting a chance to see her, why should this day be any different.......lol! I'm due there at 1:00 pm. when the clinic's afternoon session starts. Hmmmmm, and it's Friday.......Happy Hour beckons!

But first, here is the update from my visit to the surgeon yesterday. I have been extremely blessed with quality of the medical personnel I have been seeing. Especially since I have the lowball basic insurance provided through the Medical Assistance program, where it is not uncommon to hear horror stories about the doctors and staff. My only problems have been with the office/administrative types, all my doctors and technicians have not only been wonderful, but most are at or near the top of their field.

The surgeon I saw was Dr. Miles Harrison, Chief Of General Surgery at Maryland General Hospital, formerly the same at Sinai Hospital, and not only a great doctor, but a seriously funny guy! After reviewing the MRI, CT, and Ultrasound and consulting with Dr. Cristina Truica my Hematologist/Oncologist, (who is also one of the most highly rated and respected in her field and one of the youngest professors to be honored for her research into breast cancer), and talking with me it was decided that nothing needs to be cut out, or cut off, removed, or otherwise bent, spindled or mutilated....(unless it freezes and falls off one night from the cold). My gallbladder and spleen are between the highest point of "normal range" and the lowest point of "surgery necessary"....as usual for my body, it's never a simple black or white.....lol. (And of course I've had my share of incisions, with and without anaesthesia, both of which I've administered and performed on my own for amusement and recreational purposes........and had done by medical professionals in times of need.........LMAO!!!!

The decision is to watch and check frequently with blood tests to see if anything changes, report any new pain, and review again in 6 months. One of the reasons for this is the condition of my liver, and the desire not to place any unneeded strain on that already damaged organ. AND..........as usual, and as I already know and really should be doing..........change diet, eating habits and lose weight and exercise more.........Guilty As Charged on all counts there....dontcha know....LOL!

Okay, I'm out of here to get the bus to Mondawmin and then the bus to Baltimore City Community College and Michelle. I'll be back at some point tomorrow, here, or from Jenn's on their laptop, (I'm heading over around dinner time to make a and roasted redskin potato w/garlic and parmesan, and shrimp in a garlic ailoi casserole and do laundry and shower), OR...cross fingers-knock wood...possibly my own laptop if I hear from Erik of Pikesville PC, (www.pikesvillepc.com )...(gotta put in a plug for his business, it's only fair......if you need some repairs or a tune-up, to add hardware, cleaning and security, etc........check him out).

Later.................Dave

"Don't Forget The Vet!......................."

Good Afternoon;

There is an article in Thursday's "USA Today" about how veterans who make up only 10% of the population make up 16% of the homeless.

http://www.usatoday.com/

enter "Homeless Veterans 16%" in search box

Later.................Dave

National Coalition For Homeless Veterans

http://www.nchv.org/

"Ice Extravaganza.............. Cousin/Cousine ....................................... Down To The Doctor..................."

Good Afternoon;

Back at the library but hopefully not for much longer. Erik of Pikesville PC, (www.pikesvillepc.com For Service-Setup-Security), wrote me to say he may have me mobile again over the weekend with any luck. I've got my fingers crossed, I got spoiled really quick, having my own laptop and mobility....lol!

Last night Rachel and I went to see "Disney On Ice - Princess Wishes", and say what you want about the 'The Rat's' reputation vis a vis the ecology in Florida, and their employment practices, etc.....Disney knows how to put on one hell of a show! It was wonderfully choreographed and the lighting and special effects were awesome. Just before the show started I got a text from Jenn saying they took a chance and came down and got tickets. They were almost directly across from us on the other side of the arena, about 10 rows lower. With the zoom on Rachel's new camera we were eventually able to spot them...of course Edward saw us right away when I stood up and waved my hat...it must be his 'demon eyes'....lol, when I took a photo of their section his eyes blazed silver...ha!

What was even more fantastic was that I met my cousin Harriet's, (from my Grandfather's first marriage, who came up to me in the library after the Jewish Times story last year at this time), by chance at the show. I remember she told me he works part time as an usher at First Mariner Arena, and I saw this older guy among the kids and twenty-somethings that make up most of the ushers, Icoluld barely make out his name tag but I thought it said B*****, so I asked him if his wife's name was Harriet well after the first exchange of 'what a coincidences', he called Harriet on his cell phone during intermission and we chatted for a few minutes. It is just another example of how tiny Baltimore is, earning it's nickname of "Smalltimore"........LOL!

When we stepped outside there was dusting of snow on everything....where did that come from??!!??...........LOL! Rachel and I took the train down and back from Mt. Washington and her mother picked her up, (and ran me up the street to the bus stop in front of their apartment complex because the train had stalled for some reason at the previous stop, making us late and there was no way I could have made it to the bus loop from the Light Rail in time....luckily, the driver knew I was expecting to catch her that trip and had waited an extra couple minutes before leaving, saving me an hours wait until the next and last bus.).

I slept warm last night in the shed, and did not want to get out of the bag, so I stayed there until about 11:00 pm. when I got up and went to the Giant for a wash and food. I have a 2:00 pm appointment with the surgeon, regarding the gallbladder, at Jai, so I am leaving here soon.

Then I'll probably be heading back over to the Starbucks for the evening, unless I hear from Jenn that she needs a sitter.

I'll be back here at the library sometime tomorrow, I hope,

Later..............Dave

"Laptop Letdown........................... Medical Madness............................. Disney Delights ........"

Good Morning;

Well....I'm back at the library again for an unknown period of time. After I posted Monday's blog from Jenn's I went to the Starbucks as usual and turned on the laptop and waited for it to boot up, and waited, and waited. It was in a loop and would not. Greeeaattttt!!!! After turning it off and on, letting it sit, re-seating the hard drive and all the other things I could think of, I called Erik of Pikesville PC, (http://www.pikesvillepc.com/), who had donated it to me and made arrangements to drop it off to him that evening on the way to the Giant with Jenn on our normal Monday night excursion. I really got used to having the convenience and 24/7 access the laptop brought me.........I hope my poor baby can be fixed, and that is something simple.......siiiiiigh. :.-(

In other news, I saw the Neurologist yesterday for consultation and evaluation and have to go back for the EMG, (Electromyography), test on March 3rd. I see Dr. Harrison tomorrow to discuss the results of the Sonogram/Ultrasound from Monday regarding the gallbladder, I am still waiting for an appointment/referral on some sort of test regarding the spleen, and I MAY start some sort of physical therapy on Valentines day, Monday the 14th. I need to see what happens tomorrow, and then call the hematologist too, because of the abdominal pains, and whether they would contraindicate any specific PT exercises or motions. I don't know what is planned as yet, but anything that compresses the stomach and chest is not going to happen, it hurts bad enough within the normal, such as it is, range of motion I now have!!

I'm on my way back to Jenn's to perform my catbox duty in exchange for spending last night, (I was very sore and the temp. was projected to drop to 13 degrees and yesterday was the continuation of Monday nights bad luck, I had put my clean jeans and sweatshirt in a bag to take over to Jenn's and put on after my shower.....but when I got off the bus at her house, I realized they were still in the shed, with no time to go and get them, I had to take a roll of waterproof medical tape and do a quick and dirty job of 'single guy sewing' by taping the rips in the jeans on the inside of the pants leg and the waistband, it works but it's not going to hold up to a washing.....lol....they actually look like the $50.00 designer "Pre-Ripped" jeans that people with more money than sense buy.....lol), then shower, grab some lunch and head over to the Starbucks. Rachel's mom is dropping her off around 5:00 pm. and we are taking the Light Rail down to the First Mariner Arena to see 'Disney On Ice'-"Princess Wishes".

Gotta run now, and by the way.....

"COLD WEATHER SUCKS!!!!"

Later.......................Dave

Sonogram Day......Is It A Boy Or a Girl....LOL!!..."

Good Afternoon;

I'm back at Jenn's to pick up my bags and HAVE MY COFFEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

I was forbidden to eat or drink after Midnight, except for at least 32 ounces of water an hour before my Ultrasound of the Gallbladder and Biliary Tract....full bladder mandatory!

During the test I glanced at the screen and saw the technician shaking her head and mumbling something 'boulders', and 'enough gravel to fill an aquarium'.

Great......just what I needed to hear, and she kept pressing on my bladder...oy!

Well, I'll tell you after the tests I gave AlkaSeltzer's "plop plop fizz fizz" a new meaning!.....LOL!

I' ll be trying to keep an eye on Devin while Jenn takes a nap if I can, but she's in one of her 'shy', (HA!), moods and keeps running back to the bedroom.

I'm filling out the questionnaire for the Neurologist appointment tomorrow, another damn novella length form! I really should get something printed up that I can just attach to the letterhead, I've answered the same questions so many times. A sort of medical resume or curriculum vitae......lol. And the release forms and liability notices that all the damn malpractice lawyer have made neccessary. If a doctor even farts in the same room, some people go running for an attorney to try to get money from a 'suit case' as it is called on the streets. The first time I heard people on the bus comparing their 'suit cases', and the best places to get one, I thought they were talking about luggage!..........LOL!

Okay, back to my autobiography. I'm heading over to the coffeeshop next, I may be back online from there.

Later.........................Dave

"Cheese Head For A Day!!..................."

Good Evening;

Well I'm at Jenn's about to have a last bite to eat because I cannot eat after Midnight and until after the Ultrasound tomorrow morning.

It was a very tiring day because of the lack of sleep last night. I woke up at 8:00 am and had to go to the Giant to use the bathroom and while I was out I stopped at the gas station and cashed my Scratch-Off ticket. I then went back to sleep on and off until close to 2:30 pm. when I went to the Giant bought some food to cook here at Jenn's, and then stopped at the library until closing at 5:00 pm, when I jumped on the bus to the apartment. I played with the grand kids for a while and then watched Green Bay take out Pittsburgh. I gotta say though.... had my doubts and worries at times but I kept faith with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. They pulled it off in the end 31-25!

I'll be back tomorrow after the visit to American Radiology,

Later.....................Dave

" When Irish Eyes Are Smilin' ............... It's A Lottery Lullaby......."

Good Morning;

Talk about "Luck 'O The Irish".....(and I AM a McVey on my mother's side)....It was 2:30 am and I had just shut down the laptop and was about to try to get some sleep...but.... my gut is aching a bit and after Tuesday night's feces fiasco I'm not taking any chanced yet, so I took an Immodium AND walked over to the gas station. After I came out of the restroom, (don't ask, just do not even ask!), I went over to say hello and the big Latino guy with the Escalade who is always in there playing Racetrax, Keno, or Scratch-Offs. They were both scratching away like mad on tickets. The Md. State Lottery shuts down at approximately 1:45 am. but Dan will pay the select few regulars, and big spenders an small winners out of the lottery drawer and enter the serial numbers when the terminals come online around 5:30 am., a common practice in a lot of places. I looked and saw how many loose $1.00 bills I had in my wallet, (I was in earlier playing Keno and Scratch-Offs bought with the payout from a Keno ticket I had picked up off the table, scanned and cashed...plus...it still had games on it! Some people are so stupid, Rule # 1 of gambling-- "Never Play Or Bet A Game You Don't Fully Understand!!!"!

I ended up playing Keno & Scratch-Offs for an hour before I came in the shed the first time...for free!), and bought a $2.00 Scratch-Off called "GOT LUCK?", because it is one of the most recent additions in he store's selection of 40 or so Scratch-Offs. Also....because it was green and was the only $2.00 card they had out.....lol. On this ticket there are 8 chances to win and a Top Prize of $10,000.00. To play one must match any or all of the 8 icons in the " Your Symbols" area with either or both of the icons in the "Lucky Symbols" area. Symbols such as a Star, Treasure Chest, Vault, Leprechaun, Bundle of Cash, etc., with the prize amount below each symbol. The 2 "Lucky Symbols" revealed on my card were......'Vault' & 'Chest'. As I began to scratch the silver coating covering the symbols in the

"Your...(meaning my......lol.)...Symbols" area there first appeared......a 'Vault'.....then another 'Vault'....then yet another 'Vault'......and then..... a "Chest"....then a "Cash"....and a "Star"....and a "Leprechaun".....and last but not least.........a second "Chest"! Best of all........under each "Vault" and "Chest" was the prize amount(s)..........................................................................

........$20.00...&...$20.00...&...$20.00...&...$20.00...&...$20.00!!!! Cumulative!!!!

It adds up to $100.00 I thought, while wondering if I was reading everything correctly!

I looked and I read the instructions again, and a third time and took it over to Daniel, (knowing he did not have enough cash out to cash it then), and asked him to tell me what he saw, and he grinned as only an African can grin and said in his accented but precise English, "David, You have won One Hundred Dollars!".

Well, I hightailed it back to the shed pretty damn fast, my hot little hand squeezing that poor Scratch-Off in a Death Grip!.....lol! One of the reasons I was so unsure of the validity of the ticket was because, Contrary to what I wrote the other day, the 'Letter Code' on the ticket reads-- "F, W, F " ???? Which has me wondering-- "W.T.F." ?????.........LOL!!!

First thing I do when I get out of the bag tomorrow, or rather today as it is 4:50 am. right now is cash that puppy in!

I've got to logoff now because I want all the electrical equipment shut off and unplugged, (HA......All!....it's just the laptop and the lantern....lol), due to the sudden proliferation of Methane gas in the immediate area......LM-A-O!!

Later.............................Dave

"Startled By A Starling..........or..........Stick 'Em JAYS!!!.........."

Good Evening;

So I opened the shed door and heard a 'skritching' kind of noise and though it was just the door rubbing on some pieces of plastic strapping and some vines that have grown through the wall behind the door. I walked up to get the lantern and turn it on and something explodes out of the upper corner by the ceiling and ricochets past my head, coming to rest by the opposite end of the shack near the door.

As I turned on the lantern I saw feathers floating to the ground.....Another damn bird!...lol! Turns out it is Stevie The Stupid Starling who must have said "Hey look! Here's a hole barely big enough for me to squeeze my body through, ripping off some feathers in the process on the jagged splinters that will prevent me from exiting the same way.....hmmmmm, oh what the hell, why not!" as he forced his way into the shed.

Well..... this is the dumbest bird I have ever seen! I turned off the lantern and opened the door the whole way so it presented the largest area of light, and stepped outside and stood "vewy, vewy qwiet, as if I was hunting wabbits!" Nothing. But inside I hear a furious fluttering and flapping and scratching...and when I looked inside there was Stevie The Stupid Starling trying to get back out the way he got in, totally ignoring the wide open doorway to freedom! At this point I'm ready to go in and set up for bed so I attempt to assist in his escape and extrication. I stood to one side and gently tossed some wadded up napkins to his flank and to the rear, between him and the hole, so as to activate his 'fight or flight' instincts in the logical direction....no such luck. WHAM, thunk, WHAM, thunk! From one side wall to the next, then back to the hole. Okay, so now I go outside and stuff a piece of paper in the hole to block out the light....banging on the shed wall to 'scare him straight'......out the open door. This time he heads into the corner, the dark corner, where the shed gets about 10 inches wider and starts to get his speckled ass settled and tucks his head under his wing to go to sleep!

And right now someone is tromping through the snow towards the shed...be back soon.

Okay, I turned off the lantern and closed the laptop and listened. When I heard the person walking away, I waited a few minutes and peaked out the door. It looks like another guy went under the carport and took a leak and walked back out to the street... way to go genius, all the places with no snow around....and you choose this one! And you just walked past" the gas station....with a rest room.

Well screw that!!!! I'm not waking up to bird sh*t all over the place! Ask anyone who has had to deal with them....like the folks over in Grasonville, on Kent Island had a while ago. I tried to toss a towel over him and then carry him out and set him free, but the corner was too tight and high. I then said "PETA be damned!" and tied a rag to a forked stick, (imagine a lacrosse stick), and went after him. Either I was going to shoo him out, chanting, 'fly to the liiight and be freeeee!'.....or I was going to fulfil my lifelong unrequited fantasy of making a 'scoop, cradle.......throw, and..........score!' as a Johns Hopkins University, Varsity Lacrosse Blue Jay breaking the tie and winning the NCAA Championship over arch rival the University Of Maryland (College Park) Terrapins...aka......'The Terps'! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!!!!.... {Sorry, I got a little carried away there......LMAO!!!}. It ended up being a little of both......call it an 'assist'....lol...., I flushed him out and gave him a little boost in acceleration, (like a JATO....HA!), and he only bounced once off the floor, sideswiped the wall AND hit the open door on his way out under his own steam.....and Good Riddance!

Damn it must have dropped 10 or 12 degrees in the past 15 minutes or so, a huge gust of wind came by and rattled the shed, and now the wind is blowing steadily with frequent gusts. My fingers on my right hand are starting to get cold and 'burn', so I'M OUTTA HERE!

Thee left hand is not so bad, I'm holding the laptop and it's under the battery area.....lol.

Later.........Dave

"No Coffee!!!!?????.......No Quarter!!!!!!!!!!!!!............"

Good Afternoon;

So.......the day started out just like the weather, pissy.

Although I went to sleep pretty early, the first time, at about 10:30 pm., I woke up an hour and a half later stiff and sore and achy and with a runny nose. I took a couple of the Industrial strength Ibuprofen the doctor gave me and an OTC antihistamine and it was dreamsville all the way up until 7:30 am. when the gentle nudges of the prostate gave way to urgent thumpings and ultimatums. It was pouring at this time and I lay back down for an hour until I went over to the Giant at a fast walk to use the facilities. Then it was back out in a grumpier mood because the coffee machine was broken AND the tap water was too damn cool to even make instant, and I wanted the warm as much as the caffeine, so back inside the shed in the steady drizzle where I said the hell with it, I have nowhere to be, and nothing to do until Monday when I see the Radiology folks again. It had warmed up enough in the night that it made for good sleeping conditions, (at least temperature and bedding-wise......the pain in the left abdomen and lower left hip/buttocks, (wow.....I actually got to use hat word in it's proper anatomic connotation in a sentence for once......lol), area has been screwing with my sleeping position, and the right abdomen to a lesser extent. And the funny thing is....I'm more comfortable on the cardboard on the ground in the shed than any couch or bed I've slept in or on in recent memory! (Speaking of 'memory', I'd really like to try out one of those "Memory Foam Mattresses" one day....or night....lol.)

I eventually got up around 11:30 am. and went over to the Giant in the fog/light rain to use the facilities.....again!, (but not the same as Tuesday nights need!), and took some extra time to wash my face.......didn't help....still pissy. I grabbed a couple rolls and some turkey that was on sale, (and a banana and a tomato and an orange to try to add some vitamins and potassium), for lunch at the coffeeshop later. I called the 'ex' and told her I wanted to see Rachel to day and to find some way to make it happen, I was in no mood for feeble excuses like the past week and a half had produced! Between the weather, and the remaining piles of snow pushed up onto the walkways by the plows, and the ignorant bus driver who saw me, looked right at me and stared at me as he pulled off, (from a dead stop!!!), almost hitting me as I crossed the street, and the slowness of the subway and the light rail.......it took me almost 2 hours to get here today. I am glad I did not have to speak to anyone before I got to the counter and Hannah had my coffee ready! I would have snarled and snapped enough to make a wolverine think twice about crossing my path..lol!

About 4:00 pm. or so Rachel walked in and my day turned 180 degrees in a nanosecond! We spent the next hour and a half or so looking and playing with her new camera, and when her mother left with that her new mini Rapunzel doll from the movie "Tangled" I had for her. After a Kids Hot Chocolate and a package of brown sugar cinnamon PopTarts we spent about 45 minutes playing one of the game Erik put on my laptop, a PopCap game called 'Bookworm Adventures Deluxe', a word/learning game that was great fun for both of us. These PopCap games, at least the ones I have seen so far have fantastic graphics!

Now I'm winding down, about to eat dinner and start packing up afterwards to get the buses back to the shed. SundayI am heading over to Jenn's at some point to shower and watch the Superbowl, unless someone wants some company....call me/e-mail me....the game starts so late and the trains stop running so early I can't get to Annamarie's this year, and get back to Jenn's where I am spending the night because of the doctors appointments Monday, without spending half the night traveling on and waiting for buses in neighborhoods that I really don't want to, be and have no business being in, at ungodly hours.

Anyway, unless I get a bug up my ass on the way back to Pikesville and get back online tonight from the shed...........see you tomorrow, as I'm figuring out where I'll be watching Green Bay beat Pittsburgh! (Even the Starbucks closes too early to see the Game, and I don't have the resources to go to a bar........though if I found someone with wheels.....?????

Later.............................Dave

"Flying Low.......Slow...........And Close To The Ground............."

Good Afternoon;

Nothing very exciting to speak of today. All the ill effects of Tuesday's miserable night seem to have vanished, except for the soreness in my thigh muscles. Just imagine sitting on the porcelain throne.......half a dozen times in the course of a night for an extended period each time.........now imagine it without the throne.

Yeah.....maybe if you're a yoga master it's not that big a deal, but MY tired old legs ache & feel like two bags of dead mice.....lol.

I also found out the hard way that the chairs and desks at the Fed/Ex Kinkos are not properly mated for using a laptop. My right shoulder was way out of whack when I left there yesterday from sitting too low and typing in an awkward position......very strange.

I stopped in at the Giant about 9:30 am. and now I'm at Jenn's to shower and wash clothes, and maybe take a nap while they are out to the B & O Museum and then out to Monkton to Tom's mom's. At some point, probably just for they get home I'll take off and depending on how late it is head either over to the coffee shop or back to the shed to sleep. A very quiet day, with a minimum of mass transit......works for me.

Later.................Dave

"Finders Keepers.......... & .................. Printing Party....................."

Good Afternoon;

So I'm sitting here in the FedEx/Kinkos-Office in Pikesville after printing off a couple more copies of Talespinner, my little book of poetry. I also tried an experiment to reduce the size by spinning the text 90 degrees and getting two copies out of 8 1/2 by 11 inch letter size paper. The guy here at the store had to play with it for so long, (which was fine with me because I went into the restroom and washed up and stripped down to the skin changed clothes), and keep dialing in different settings on the computer driven copier behind the counter that he ended up giving me the copy. Which was also fine because not only was the print too small for my liking on some of the poems....I also found out the hard way that you cannot cut 20 sheet of paper and 2 pieces of card stock on a rotary paper cutter when they are already stacked and stapled.....lol. So I have the 2 new full size copies I need, my original full size master, (which I still want to scan into my computer and/or flash drive), and two 4" x 5 & 1/2" really rough looking copies to lend or give away. Plus I've been in here nice and warm puttering on the laptop answering mail, etc.

Which is a good thing because Jenn just e-mailed me that I had snail mail at her apt., (which is my mailing address now), from Jai, I asked her to open it, and it is my referral for an Ultrasound of the gallbladder on the 7th at 9:45 am. and then a consultation with Dr. Harrison on the 10th at 2:30 pm. I also asked her about coming by to wash clothes and shower at some point over the weekend. After the night I had on Tuesday, even after I have stripped down twice and took a pretty decent 'helmet bath' in the restrooms both here and at Starbucks, a full goose gonzo shower will feel great.

One of the reasons I am here playing with the copier is that the Lottery Gods were in a good mood last night. I stopped in at the gas station to play the usual $2.00 that I spend on my Keno numbers when I can spare it occasionally. This time I followed my regular routine of picking the ticket before I went into the restroom, and on the ledge where the play slips and pencils are were som scratched off scrach-offs. I ALWAYS check them before tossing them in the can because there are a lot of stupid and impatient people out there who either cannot add, and do not know they have a winner on those type of games, do not read the instructions fully and do not know they have a winner, do not fully scratch off ALL the silver coatingand do not know theyhave a winner, or look too quickly and not carefully enough at all the numbers to match to "Your Numbers" on the card, (sometimes there are 20 or more numbers to scratch off and between 2 and 10 numbers to match them to, each with different prize po$$ibilitie$). There were abunch of $2.00 and $3.00 tickets that were losers.......AND a $10.00 scratch-off with the silver scratched off in a half-ass manner I examined the lower cost tickets carefully and discarded them, (these are the ones I have found the most of uncashed), and skimmed over the $10.00 card.....and then took my time and scanned it closely, and one of the numbers, 59 to be exact if anyone cares.....LOL!, was half scratched and the prize amount was unscratched, (and just FYI, on each scratchoff there are 3 letters scattered around the 'playing field' under the silver, NOT in any order, that will tell you if it is a winner or not....i.e. an O, N, E; a T,W,O; a T,H,R; an F,I,V; a T,E,N;...all obvious, and a T,W,F=$25.00,....etc. so if you know what to look for, you don't even have to play the game or match the numbers or whatever), so I looked at the ticket saw an F, an F, and an I and knew I had a winning scratch-off, but could not remember whether it was $50.00 or $15.00, so I scratched off the rest and found the $15.00 prize symbolunder the #59. (FYI again....F,T,Y should be $50.00....ummmm unless it's F,F,Y.....lol!), I stuck it in my pocket and went into the restroom......and came out to a $2.00 winner on the Keno too........LOL! I reinvested the $2.00 for 2 more games,and repeated that pattern for another 6 games, win one/lose one, until I lost both games. I still walked out $13.00 ahead on a 'gimme' though ;-)

I'm about to head over to the Giant and grab something to eat, and I think I'm going to shoot for something fairly healthy since I just finished talking to my friend and former next door neighbor Dvora who was just in here dropping off some work to be copied, about our and our parents and siblings health and diet and genetic traits and old age and eating habits, etc.....a little guilt, a little conscience jiggling, a little inspiration.....Oy Vey!!!..lol.

Of course the First thing I'm going to do is get an IV line of coffee started before I go into total system shutdown!

Later.....................Dave

Homeless man burns to death on Long Island as he escapes from brutal ice storm - NYPOST.com

Good Afternoon;

What a scary and horrible way to die.

Homeless man burns to death on Long Island as he escapes from brutal ice storm - NYPOST.com

This is why I have never used candles, or a hibachi, or Sterno in the shed.

I'm scared to death of fire, having seen someone go that way, begging me to shoot him. While the day to day memories may have faded......the dreams are as vivid and terrifying as ever.

No one deserves to die that way.

(Well no average person,

but that is a whole 'nother can of worms which I'm not about to open here and now.)

Later.............Dave

"A Nasty, Nasty Post........About...........A Nasty, Nasty Night................"

Good Afternoon;

Well I can honestly state that last night was the worst night I've had since being on the streets. The weather WAS a major contributing factor but not the cold for a change.

Just A Friendly Warning:

If you are easily 'grossed out', have delicate sensibilities, or if the nastier elements of normal human bodily functions disturb you....just take my word for it that it was a shitty night, literally

and, READ NO FARTHER!

I told you about the bug I picked up from Devin, and which I thought had run it's course. I found out too late and too many cups of coffee later that it had not. As I was leaving the Starbucks last night I had a sudden and unforeseen need to use the commode.....immediately! Afterwards, fearing the worst, I took the last dose of one of my meds that has an almost instant side effect of slowing drastically or stopping intestinal motility. This would normally do the trick and leave me unworried and confidant until I was able to pick up more as scheduled the next morning. I stopped at the gas station, just to be sure, as it had started to rain fairly heavily, and because of the untrammeled 6-10 inch deep snow field and the unshoveled and now iced over snowy sidewalks, the piled up snow left by the plows blocking the 'short cut' to the gas station lot and the narrow and slick lanes on Reisterstown Rd. I would be forced to walk on all combined to make a quick, urgent, and sudden trip to the facilities there a total impossibility.

After I finished in the restroom, I again felt that I would have no problems or issues that could not wait until morning. I looked up at the Keno screen and saw my numbers come up on the game board....it figures the ONE time I vary my routine and don't buy a ticket first........lol......Not!)

I was in the bag and reading by 10:30 pm., and except for somewhat cold fingers holding the book, warm and comfortable.....all things considered, (i.e. back and gall bladder). I went to sleep, (the first time), about 11:15 pm. and woke up just before Midnight with pain and pressure and a desperate need to use a toilet.....

OKAY...Again, you can stop here, if you don't want the details.

I realized that I could not take a chance on bending over and putting the boots on.....or else! I slipped my feet into the old, old sneakers I use as slippers and resigned myself to soaking and freezing my feet as I slipped and stumbled through the snow to the gas station. When I opened the door and saw and felt the freezing rain that was pouring down I knew I would never be able to negotiate the parking lots, street, and sidewalk and make it in time. Just effin' lovely! I grabbed a plastic bag, (tall 15 gallon kitchen size), that I use to (or USED TO.....lol), keep my sleeping clothes in and lined a corrugated plastic crate/tub/bucket, (similar to those used in mail rooms....the taller ones, not the long low ones), and squatted, just barely in time. Luckily I am always well supplied with paper towels or napkins. Afterwards I tied up the bag and flung it as far as I could across the unused portion of the parking lot, to be dealt with and properly disposed of when the snow melts. This happened 3 damn more times, with the same methodology, each time with me thinking it was the last. And not be crude, but damn this stuff smelled sickly....it was just wrong! I've changed enough diapers and had to deal with my own diarrhea after the abdominal surgery and bowel resection to know..........if it happens again this afternoon, I'm heading to JAI or the ER!

Finally about 5:30am. I awoke with enough time and no urgency and went over to the gas station wearing the boots in a less strident rain and with the capability to deal with the snow/slush/ice with out rushing.

I was hoping to find a package of Immodium among all the other single dose OTCs there....HA!......everything But!

I went back and lay down and dozed until just after 8:00 am. when I dressed and went over to the Giant, bought some Immodium and took it and went into the bathroom and washed off. I then caught the bus/train/bus down to Monkee's, where I barely made it up her stairs as I again suddenly, with no warning at all!!, had to explode. Another dose of Immodium and my 'bupe' at about 10:30 am. has held back the 'sh*tstorm' all day....so far. I took the bus and the train over to the coffee shop where I have been sipping the same cup of coffee for 4 hours, (occasionally warmed up a bit), and drinking water to re-hydrate. I am getting very hungry and am now considering what will be safest to eat.

Anybody who has any romantic notions of the 'free and easy life', or the 'lure of the open road' or has not considered what the flip side of things like the Renaissance Faire, or the Wild West Days, or the First 'Tea Party', or arrrgghhh .... Pirates of the Caribbean, or a Safari to 'Darkest Africa', or exploring the Amazon, or basically any pre-Industrial Revolution society, (and even many Post!), should know that things like 'Chamber Pots', 'corn cobs', 'banana leaves' are not really that much fun! (Not to mention food poisoning, dysentery, and intestinal viruses)

As I can readily attest to!..................LOL!

Well if I haven't driven you away, I'll see you back here soon.......lol.

It may not be pretty, but I try to keep it honest.

For all the time I've spent out here I've really been pretty lucky because of my own

desire for cleanliness and precautions against and disgust with, living in filth......plus my (probably anile) dislike of foul odors.....including and not limited to urine, feces, vomit, stale alcohol, and cigarette stink.

(Smoke if you want, I really don't care about all the health and social reasons......just don't do it near me, I hate the smoke and the smell, and whether you know it or not....even when you are done....you and your clothes and hair and breath still stink!.....In case some of you wonder why I always try to stay 'upwind'....................LOL!)

That's part of the reason I avoid spending any length of time with most other homeless people.......or shelters.

Anyway.....................Later,

Dave

Groundhog Day 2011: Punxsutawney Phil Sees No Shadow

Good Afternoon;

According to he link below, it will be an early spring;

Groundhog Day 2011: Punxsutawney Phil Sees No Shadow

BUT!!---With a win/loss record of 40/60---I'm kicking it upstairs for some help!

Dear---

God, or Supreme Being, or Great Spirit, or Cosmic Muffin,

or Mass Hallucination, or String Theory/Quantum Mechanics/Chaos Theory,

or Ultra Advanced And Mischievous Time And/Or Space Travelers Seeing How Far They Can Take A Practical Joke Before Becoming Bored And Using The Earth As A Galactic Billiard Ball, or Dolphins Using Humanity For The Fish...(#42)......or,

Whatever!!!!!............

Pleeeeeeeease let this year be part of Phil's 40% correct category!!!!!

Because, As You Well Know:

COLD WEATHER SUCKS!!!!

(and the snow, slush, ice, sleet, and freezing rain bite the big one too!)

Thank You;

Later........................Dave

Crime Scenes: Missing teen remains mystery for police - baltimoresun.com

Good Evening;

Crime Scenes: Missing teen remains mystery for police - baltimoresun.com

The young girl in the story at the link above, (and from the title), was staying at the next building over from my daughter Jenn and her family.

Unlike many cases in which the victim is white and well off, the detectives of the Baltimore City Police Department are having trouble in getting some if not most of the National media organizations to take notice or devote any time to the mysterious disappearance of Phylicia Barnes. You can imagine the fears and frustrations of parents, relatives, friends, AND the detectives busting their asses on this case. With absolutely no clues in the month since her going missing the case is at a standstill.

I do not know the people involved, though I have met her father as he went door to door to each and every apartment in the complex handing out a flyer to each resident.

As a father I know this is every parents worst nightmare, a child disappearing with foul play suspected....but the not knowing must be just as devastating .

Take a minute, click the link, read the story, look at the photo, pass it on.

You never know, you or someone you know may have seen SOMETHING that may help.

One thing I AM aware of is that Phylicia, in this cellphone photo looks like a hundred other pretty young women, but it is better to be wrong and a case of mistaken identity, than to be right and have ignored a possible safe resolution of this situation. It could one day be your daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

Later......................Dave

"Snow Guts...........Snow Glory............."

Good Evening;

Well I'm just sitting here at the coffee shop, staying dry and keeping warm and wondering what the huge winter storm ravaging a third (or more!), of the country is going to do to Baltimore. Most forecasts I saw last night and earlier today before I left Jenn's had it skimming the northern and western edge of Maryland and leaving a 'warm' pocket bringing only rain and a slight, late night and early morning spritzing of sleet/freezing rain. The lower Mid-Atlantic and Southeast looks to be in the storm gods' favor this time out.

I'm back at the shed later tonight after 24 hours at Jenn's. It was Edward's 6th birthday today and his school was closed, (after first only being 2 hours late), so he was of mixed emotions, wanting to have his party with classmates and share the cookies Jenn baked last night. He enjoyed the extra attention he got with me being there though, (and Jenn enjoyed the little bit of extra freedom to read the book she has fallen into.....lol, notice I said 'freedom' not 'peace and quiet'.....I did the best I could..........LOL!). I have been the recipient of Devin's gift of a 24-48 hour intestinal visitor of the bacterial/viral variety,

(which did not kick in full bore until AFTER I had had my little fling of creativity in the kitchen, [Tri-Color Rotini with Garlic Alfredo Sauce with Shrimp & Diced Tomatoes w/Garlic and Onions......{a wee bit too sweet, I did not know until afterwards that the Giant brand tomatoes had sugar added}.....plus I oven broiled 2 'Pork Butt Shoulder Steaks'....OR....'Pork Shoulder Butt Steaks'......{they had been labeled both ways at the Giant; and isn't it a contradiction either way....I mean, is it part of the shoulder or part of the.....???????..LOL!!!!!}......], but BEFORE I got a chance to enjoy the fruits of my labor while fresh off the stove or out of the oven!),

and it was a good thing Jenn called me, because it was a good time to be near the bathroom.....lol. Think Napalm and battery acid......and 20 grit sandpaper on a roll, and you'll have a feel for my night.....very sound sleep was NOT a viable option! And then the neighbor, who happens to be one of the maintenance men at the complex, started in with the bass turned up high at 6:00 am. Whether his little run in with Tom about parking spaces and snow shoveled in front of the truck had anything to do with it I don't know, but a noise complaint to the police was also not a viable option.

In any case I'm extremely tired and I have to be up early tomorrow to get down the Hopkins area to pick up meds....which is the main reason for my concern about the temperature & type and amount and rate, of precipitation in the early AM.

I got the 250 minutes on my SafeLink phone today, and (fingers crossed), I'll get my little bit of monthly cash tomorrow, of which most will go to meds, a monthly bus pass, and $10.00 to keep my Virgin Mobile phone active, plus I'll be able to have some money in my pocket for Rachel when we go to Disney on Ice next Wednesday...I better check the longterm forecast because last year when we went, she did not get out of Jenn's for days, (a month for me!)....lol., and I just saw that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus is coming in March....2 0f our 3 ongoing traditions.....it snowed the morning after that last year too....lol.

Okay, that's it for now, Dave from Whole Foods is here on his break,

Later..................Dave