Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts

31.8.10

August 20, 2010-A Bucket List Day With Paul

Rarely do I get such opportunity to play, and with my little Brother who is bigger than I am to boot. I took the day off to be with him and had several options for entertainment. Friday early AM I found myself out of sorts and did not feel up to the rigors of a long drive to KY to surprise Rex who would likely be too exhausted after his week for us, not that such consideration would enter my head. So I opted to go to a driving range I wondered about in Muncie, then downtown to the toy store I wondered about buying a toy in. This was an adult toy store, not the kind with things you do to horses but the kind with electric trains, airplanes and the like. Paul schmoozed the owner and the owner schmoozed him. In the end there was a lot of schmoozing going on but no money spent. Got me a new kite so I will be going to go flying again. Didn’t think I would be able to but I am able to. Have to run that by Vanessa later, unauthorized purchase and all that, you know how it goes. I can’t pull the C card for excuses. Then on to the AMA museum on the east side to show him the history of model aircraft, RC and line gas powered. We had a great beer and some fantastic loaded wedges at the Whitewater downtown, flew flight simulators, escaped serious injury at the driving range and laughed until we cried. Somewhere in there we fired off rockets, including the Hays Screaming Eagle lovingly assembled by yours truly and miraculously recovered all and they will all live to see the wide open skies again.
At least two episodes we were reduced to tears of laughter. Me hitting the roof of the driving range was one of them. When I suggested I put up a sign saying Mike Courtney Asshole to go along with the neighbors sign, Suzi Cross Country. Vanessa responded that I shouldn’t put up a sign because there might be neighbors that don’t know. I think that was a true high point for Paul during his visit. This being his first time ever I think spending so much time with us he seemed intrigued by the mechanics of our relationship. He told me Vanessa looked good, I don’t know if he told her. I carried a stick when I needed to, if I was going to stand for a long period of time just in case during the weekend but only really used it a couple of times. We topped our Friday off with a trip to the local casino where I came out six dollars richer and full of myself.
Many would champion the American way striking us all as individuals in the John Wayne mold who on our own and against all odds scrape up the ladder and a few every year break the constraints of poverty to a state where money is not a day to day matter of thought. The fact is no such path or progression exists in America and I imagine it does not exist any where else. Odds are astronomical. The reality for the masses is born poor, die poor, born privileged, die privileged. Liberals hate it, conservatives champion it.
That being said the cancer has visited upon me another blessing, the blessing of my Brother Paul, who made it a point to arrange his travel to allow for a couple of days to stay with me. For my part I was thrilled to have an agenda and alternative agenda bringing up many of the highlights and tourist attractions that surround me right here in Indiana. Let me just point out an entire day can be spent in Muncie at a year round driving range, excellent restaurants, a big boy toy store, a big boy modeling museum with flight simulators. On a bright sunny day one can enjoy a beauty pageant of young men and women on campus at BSU for free, just for driving through. It is great to be a wealthy man.

18.8.10

July 26, 2010 Fun, Music And Homeowner Hell

Monday and I arose a little before 4 am after an early down last night. The weekend was filled with many events, including Vanessa’s weedeater training, which she picked right up on and I failed to get a picture of. I am not sure how much of this she will do in the future. Friday night was symphony night with a singer, Belinda, Bella, Betty, Brin, Bonnie, hell, I can’t remember her name. Who cares, the evening was wonderful after a sweltering few days, with a picnic provided by my Son in Law and Daughter, their company and my relative comfort level. Saturday I engaged in sweat therapy, much to Van’s dismay, with a heavy dose of the heavy yard work. A hundred bucks at Lowes gives me materials to work with this week as I go down the list and find a few things not on it. Vanessa is in closet mode, a condition that only afflicts her every 7-10 years, so we will be remodeling two, and are already winding up the first on her accelerated schedule.

12.8.10

Living With Forgetting

Although the reminders of my disease are constant and somewhat uncomfortable I am now in a period where forgetting about it is desirable. With a couple of weeks likely before we go for the scan to see what is up with the cancer I must closet the doomsday feelings, bottle up the hopes for a miracle and go about life as usual. This e mail exchange pretty well sums it up:
On Mon, Jul 5, 2010 at 8:27 AM, Debbie:
Hope you had a great holiday........
…..just wanted to touch base and wish you well,,,,
Enjoy your summer............its Mind over Matter remember
Debbie
To whit I responded:
Thank you. I am wearing regular shoes again, a girdle and rubber bands on my lower half, a great look I must say. Never the less with the help of a crooked stick I am stomping about. Had a great 4th here, but missed the big fireworks shows. Some of the neighbors went big time though. Did take a long convertible ride with the grand dog in tow to see her Mom and Brother down South. South of Columbus that is.
Finished chemo a couple of weeks ago. Still have most of my hair, totally unmanageable I must say. Will get scans later this month to see what has been accomplished. Filmed the bird fest at sunrise the other day and I simply cannot figure out how they can have so much to say so early in the morning. A veritable din. Thanks for keeping tabs on me. Mom left us with a drum full of photo's and some memento's. Van and I went through a bunch this weekend and I started scanning her better work, for posterity I guess. She cut a lot of heads off, viewfinder cameras the culprit, but she took a pot load of pictures throughout her married life so we are finding a lot of excellent work. Got lots of projects. Vanessa has a honeydo list legal pad size and the house needs another round of minor repairs.
Got lots of help and volunteers when needed and we take full advantage. I am significantly slower in all things physical. Basically, right now we are having fun. So I guess I am following your orders Doctor.
Mike (he said incorrigible, not incurable) C

And so it goes. Forgetting is easy if your mind is elsewhere. Life is a minute by minute affair for us all. Happiness is inside and sometimes requires a little digging to find. One cannot wait for it to come when needed. If it does not appear it must be made to happen inside. A fool never learns.