USMB Coffee Shop IV

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One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.
 
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I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
 
Last edited:
I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.

No matter the conditions, a 2 hour commute does not appeal to me. :p

I think about the time lost....if I'm working an 8 hour day, and then have to tack on another 4 hours in travel time, I'm down to 4 hours of free time. That's just terrible. 8 hours of free time doesn't seem like enough to me. :lol:
 
Yes, Mr. P rides his Can Am for hours too.

He still astounds me at how quickly he can move from a walker, to two canes, then one ,till none from his MS.
He still keeps his cane with him just in case.
He has one that folds up,so that it fits in the trike.
 
Hopefully today was a more positive day, Gracie! :) Maybe some yoga and meditation/relaxation exercises could help you and Mr. Gracie with your "spiritual" well being, for lack of a better word.
I am dragging myself out tomorrow..off to the Rez to get a couple cartons of cigs. Taking a friend with me. Then I will stop off at Casey's house and give him a new stuffed toy to gnaw on. It will be my outting day, I guess. Not thrilled to go..but...I gotta.
Once I get back home...my meditation will be deciding what color to paint the jelly fish. :)

How far is the reservation?
Half an hour one way.
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.

No objections to kind thoughts from people on this end. I'm on medications now (about 3 months so far), but the spazzing and twitching started a couple of years ago and has been slowly getting worse over time. So far, imagery taken has revealed 12 bulging discs from neck to tailbone, 8 of which have loss of height with one mostly collapsed. Had a couple of nerve conduction studies done, but they are still unsure of the root cause. I'll be seeing a neurologist soon and will be getting imagery on the rest of my central nervous system and brain. Most of the common causes for this have already been ruled out.
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.

No objections to kind thoughts from people on this end. I'm on medications now (about 3 months so far), but the spazzing and twitching started a couple of years ago and has been slowly getting worse over time. So far, imagery taken has revealed 12 bulging discs from neck to tailbone, 8 of which have loss of height with one mostly collapsed. Had a couple of nerve conduction studies done, but they are still unsure of the root cause. I'll be seeing a neurologist soon and will be getting imagery on the rest of my central nervous system and brain. Most of the common causes for this have already been ruled out.

There is probably nothing as tricky as diagnosing back, shoulder, and neck pain because often where it hurts doesn't correlate with what is making it hurt. And I do know of what you speak. I am quite familiar with painful spasms and hopefully they'll be able to diagnose and treat that as well as your other symptoms. So yes, you need to be on the list. At the very least it can't hurt. :)
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.

No objections to kind thoughts from people on this end. I'm on medications now (about 3 months so far), but the spazzing and twitching started a couple of years ago and has been slowly getting worse over time. So far, imagery taken has revealed 12 bulging discs from neck to tailbone, 8 of which have loss of height with one mostly collapsed. Had a couple of nerve conduction studies done, but they are still unsure of the root cause. I'll be seeing a neurologist soon and will be getting imagery on the rest of my central nervous system and brain. Most of the common causes for this have already been ruled out.

We will add you to our prayers
Hopefully you will get some answers.
 
I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
Actually, the commute later in the evening is far better than when there's lots more traffic. You just have to be careful not to overdrive your headlights. I've stayed on graves over 20 years now in great part because I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Unfortunately, a 2-hour commute eats up four hours of time I could use to do other things that need doing. At least I have time to care for the critters. They are important to me.
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.

No objections to kind thoughts from people on this end. I'm on medications now (about 3 months so far), but the spazzing and twitching started a couple of years ago and has been slowly getting worse over time. So far, imagery taken has revealed 12 bulging discs from neck to tailbone, 8 of which have loss of height with one mostly collapsed. Had a couple of nerve conduction studies done, but they are still unsure of the root cause. I'll be seeing a neurologist soon and will be getting imagery on the rest of my central nervous system and brain. Most of the common causes for this have already been ruled out.
You must be a phenomenal guy to deal with that kind of pain. I hope they can isolate and successfully treat whatever is plaguing you. Living with pain is certainly not fun.
 
Hey Gallant.
Did you feel the quake up there?
How are you doing? And Mr. P? How's AZ?

His deep blood blisters that he got wearing a air cast for his broken leg is finally getting towards the end of healing,maybe another two weeks and he's doing good.

He has been riding his Can Am all over the place.
It's in the 70's here and beautiful. :)

I'm fine and can finally have some fun and more time on the board again. :yes_text12:

All of last year was a nightmare. :D
I'm glad to know things are going better for both of you. Guy's gotta have his Can Am and the ability to enjoy it. I used to ride my motorcycle out to the desert and camp, or sometimes just lay back on the handlebars and watch the sky. I used to know Sierra Vista and Benson pretty well. My last relative in Benson died many years ago, though. She used to send me home with grocery bags full of pomegranates.

Benson and surrounding area is great for riding.
Hubby and I went on it down to Tombstone last week and we had this parquin falcon flying beside us down Hwy. 82.
It was looking at us checking us out for quite a long time. It was beautiful.
 
Hey Gallant.
Did you feel the quake up there?
How are you doing? And Mr. P? How's AZ?

His deep blood blisters that he got wearing a air cast for his broken leg is finally getting towards the end of healing,maybe another two weeks and he's doing good.

He has been riding his Can Am all over the place.
It's in the 70's here and beautiful. :)

I'm fine and can finally have some fun and more time on the board again. :yes_text12:

All of last year was a nightmare. :D
I'm glad to know things are going better for both of you. Guy's gotta have his Can Am and the ability to enjoy it. I used to ride my motorcycle out to the desert and camp, or sometimes just lay back on the handlebars and watch the sky. I used to know Sierra Vista and Benson pretty well. My last relative in Benson died many years ago, though. She used to send me home with grocery bags full of pomegranates.

Benson and surrounding area is great for riding.
Hubby and I went on it down to Tombstone last week and we had this parquin falcon flying beside us down Hwy. 82.
It was looking at us checking us out for quite a long time. It was beautiful.
Kewl! If I lived in your neighborhood, I'd still have a motorcycle. Up here, it's a luxury I cannot afford. If you can ride 4 months of the year, you're doing good. Now, I ride a tractor or a backhoe, both are kind of fun and very useful. You should see those roots come out of the ground with the backhoe in action!
digging stumps with a deer backhoe - Yahoo Video Search Results
 
I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
Actually, the commute later in the evening is far better than when there's lots more traffic. You just have to be careful not to overdrive your headlights. I've stayed on graves over 20 years now in great part because I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Unfortunately, a 2-hour commute eats up four hours of time I could use to do other things that need doing. At least I have time to care for the critters. They are important to me.

Oh I understand. We used to travel at night just for that reason--less traffic. And also because the kids would be asleep in the back of the station wagon making for less hectic travel. The last job I had working for the other guy, I would leave the house between 4 and 5 a.m. and loved driving all the way across town to work sometimes without meeting another car. 14 hours later I would drive home again. In the dark.

These days though, we aren't as comfortable driving at night, black ice on the highways is scarier, it is meaner and more dangerous out there if we break down somewhere. Old age tends to rearrange your priorities a bit. :)
 
I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
Actually, the commute later in the evening is far better than when there's lots more traffic. You just have to be careful not to overdrive your headlights. I've stayed on graves over 20 years now in great part because I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Unfortunately, a 2-hour commute eats up four hours of time I could use to do other things that need doing. At least I have time to care for the critters. They are important to me.

Oh I understand. We used to travel at night just for that reason--less traffic. And also because the kids would be asleep in the back of the station wagon making for less hectic travel. The last job I had working for the other guy, I would leave the house between 4 and 5 a.m. and loved driving all the way across town to work sometimes without meeting another car. 14 hours later I would drive home again. In the dark.

These days though, we aren't as comfortable driving at night, black ice on the highways is scarier, it is meaner and more dangerous out there if we break down somewhere. Old age tends to rearrange your priorities a bit. :)
Black ice is an issue, but I am aware of it. Bigger issue here are the moose that tend to appear out of nowhere. 1800-2000 lbs of meat on the hoof is pretty fatal to a little Lexus like I'm driving now. I do admit, too, that my night vision isn't what it was. I use the lines on the road to guide me, which makes snowing nights a bit more challenging. Fortunately, we haven't had so many snowy nights this year.
 
I managed to scroll through a few pages, but was 50 pages behind and that was just too much for even me.
I have some rare chance now to be here. The generator is running and I have power. I don't know how long, though, since my partner is messing around with this batteries again. I usually have no electric power unless I run the generator. I am pretty happy, though. Life is quiet here, otherwise. I heat with wood, using the propane heater to keep the place above freezing when I'm at work. I always preferred lantern light to the anemic type of light provided by the LEDs.
It's been perilously cold here since the New Year. I admit, I feel the cold so much more at this age than I did only a few years ago. The days are noticeably longer, too. The turning of the year always brings more daylight, which helps compensate for the chill temperatures.
I've gotten accustomed to my 2 hour commute to work. I have my waypoints down pat and know where the particularly perilous stretches of road are located. But I will be visiting a job fair for this area in March. I'd like to have more time daily to do other things that need done around here. Right now, I have time to care for my critters, prepare my lunch and get a nap before the spin cycle begins again.

Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
Actually, the commute later in the evening is far better than when there's lots more traffic. You just have to be careful not to overdrive your headlights. I've stayed on graves over 20 years now in great part because I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Unfortunately, a 2-hour commute eats up four hours of time I could use to do other things that need doing. At least I have time to care for the critters. They are important to me.

Oh I understand. We used to travel at night just for that reason--less traffic. And also because the kids would be asleep in the back of the station wagon making for less hectic travel. The last job I had working for the other guy, I would leave the house between 4 and 5 a.m. and loved driving all the way across town to work sometimes without meeting another car. 14 hours later I would drive home again. In the dark.

These days though, we aren't as comfortable driving at night, black ice on the highways is scarier, it is meaner and more dangerous out there if we break down somewhere. Old age tends to rearrange your priorities a bit. :)
Black ice is an issue, but I am aware of it. Bigger issue here are the moose that tend to appear out of nowhere. 1800-2000 lbs of meat on the hoof is pretty fatal to a little Lexus like I'm driving now. I do admit, too, that my night vision isn't what it was. I use the lines on the road to guide me, which makes snowing nights a bit more challenging. Fortunately, we haven't had so many snowy nights this year.

My night vision had gotten to the point it was virtually nil until my cataract surgery several years ago and the surgery restored my night vision to better than it had ever been. Hombre just had one cataract surgery done and will have the other eye done in a few weeks and hopefully that will restore his night vision that was also pretty well shot. But even though my night vision is okay now, I still don't like to drive at night. And yes, La Nina is probably hampering your winter moisture like it has for all of us in the west this winter. That too shall pass.
 
Whoa 2 hours?
I'm never going to complain again about the 20minutes to town. :)

How can you do that?
I'd end up falling asleep.

20 minutes to town? Here it is 20 minutes to get halfway across town. I wouldn't relish a 2 hour commute every day. However, when we still working in the field and had to work all over the state, it was nothing for it to be 2, 3, 4 hours to the first appointment or I didn't think twice about driving 2 hours to Santa Rosa to do an audit and then another 2 hours home again. I guess it's all in what a body is used to. Thinking about a 2 hour commute in the dark in an Alaska winter is not appealing to me though.
Actually, the commute later in the evening is far better than when there's lots more traffic. You just have to be careful not to overdrive your headlights. I've stayed on graves over 20 years now in great part because I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Unfortunately, a 2-hour commute eats up four hours of time I could use to do other things that need doing. At least I have time to care for the critters. They are important to me.

Oh I understand. We used to travel at night just for that reason--less traffic. And also because the kids would be asleep in the back of the station wagon making for less hectic travel. The last job I had working for the other guy, I would leave the house between 4 and 5 a.m. and loved driving all the way across town to work sometimes without meeting another car. 14 hours later I would drive home again. In the dark.

These days though, we aren't as comfortable driving at night, black ice on the highways is scarier, it is meaner and more dangerous out there if we break down somewhere. Old age tends to rearrange your priorities a bit. :)
Black ice is an issue, but I am aware of it. Bigger issue here are the moose that tend to appear out of nowhere. 1800-2000 lbs of meat on the hoof is pretty fatal to a little Lexus like I'm driving now. I do admit, too, that my night vision isn't what it was. I use the lines on the road to guide me, which makes snowing nights a bit more challenging. Fortunately, we haven't had so many snowy nights this year.

My night vision had gotten to the point it was virtually nil until my cataract surgery several years ago and the surgery restored my night vision to better than it had ever been. Hombre just had one cataract surgery done and will have the other eye done in a few weeks and hopefully that will restore his night vision that was also pretty well shot. But even though my night vision is okay now, I still don't like to drive at night. And yes, La Nina is probably hampering your winter moisture like it has for all of us in the west this winter. That too shall pass.
I'm not complaining about the lack of snow. You just adjust. I've been working graveyard shift so long now, it's normal for me. It would be different if I had a family, but no one needs my daytime hours except the critters, and they don't care as long as food and water are provided. The house critters are all mellow and tuned into the routine.
 

One of my favorite movies. But are you tired Sixfoot?

Been having a lot of really big needles being jammed into my spine lately. Had to take a semester off. Getting close to figuring out why my body won't stop twitching and spazzing though, just really tired of the empirical gathering process.

I'm taking a spiritual vacation to California next week. Way past time to re-energize my soul.

Back pain is definitely debilitating. Shortly after major surgery a little over two years ago, I suffered three collapsed vertebrae in my back including at least one fracture that healed on its own. And it hasn't been the same since though I haven't actually been treated for it as I just couldn't face more doctors and treatment at the time and didn't report the pain. Over time, the pain has subsided. My primary doctor did put me on Fosamax to strengthen bones when she discovered it a few months ago but my back still gives me some fits now and then.

Some steroidal meds can cause the twitching and spazzing. You should consult your doctor about that and maybe the meds could be changed or adjusted? And a cathartic vacation couldn't hurt. Unless you object, I will put you on the vigil list though. Some extra positive vibes and/or prayer sent your way couldn't hurt.

No objections to kind thoughts from people on this end. I'm on medications now (about 3 months so far), but the spazzing and twitching started a couple of years ago and has been slowly getting worse over time. So far, imagery taken has revealed 12 bulging discs from neck to tailbone, 8 of which have loss of height with one mostly collapsed. Had a couple of nerve conduction studies done, but they are still unsure of the root cause. I'll be seeing a neurologist soon and will be getting imagery on the rest of my central nervous system and brain. Most of the common causes for this have already been ruled out.

You know who you need.....

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I just got back from my accountant and the filing of the income taxes. I owed the State of Ohio less than $70 but the Feds are paying me off with a healthy check. I overpaid the City of East Liverpool by $1.00! That's a buck I'll never see as I no longer am obliged to file with them!

It was 17 degrees on the dashboard thermometer, one degree lower than the standard agreement I have with Daisy the Mutt. We figured 18 was the lowest temperature we would venture out in for our daily walk. But today I made an exception.

When I dress to leave the Luxurious Pimplebutt Estate, I sit on a bench at the foot of the bed and don socks and shoes. While dressing, Daisy passes the time with a pillow fight. She gets on the bed and pushes her snout under the throw pillows until they are out of the way, then she turns her attention to the bed pillows. By the time my wallet is in my hip pocket I have to remake the bed.

My new favorite way to torment her is to ask my robotic overlord Alexa to make a sound like a dog. I didn't know that Alexa could mimic animals until last Sunday when my sister-in-law told me her grandson asked their Alexa to mimic a cat. A robotic 'meow' issued forth. That evening at the Big House as we were enjoying desert, I asked Mom's Alexa to make a sound of a cat. What followed was a whinny and a neigh as if American Pharoh was in the living room with us! We all laughed at the ineptitude of Alexa to purr and meow as if she were a tabby.

"Wow! I can't wait for driverless cars!" was my reaction.

So, occasionally I'll ask Alexa to make a sound of a dog. I turn to Daisy and say "Daze! Listen, listen, listen!" "Bow wow! Ruff!" goes the Alexa. Daisy, incredulous that there may be a rival dog in the room, prances around moaning her disapproval in fluent Poodlese. "Ohh! Ohh! Snort!"

The digital/canine interplay is just enough fun to justify her dismay.
 

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