Medical conditions

My friend Leah (www.califmom.com) has been blogging about her husband's cancer and chemo treatments. To say I can relate is an understatement. You "never know what you had until you have lost it" is an old phrase that rings so true when it comes to your health. After dealing with heart disease for 20 years I have only memories of what it was like just to get out of bed and feel normal. The "N" word for me has been elusive. It has become a word of dynamic proportions since "normal" for me is a constantly evolving situation. The worst part of being a "sicko" or a person with a "Medical Condition" for those lacking sacarsm is the "Stigma" that becomes forever attached to you. I only recently spoke of this with another transplant patient (GO ANNA) who recently recieved another transplant (kidney) about being stigmatized by even your peers. You really are never again looked at as "whole"(?) you are forever somewhat deficient. After my transplant people would always ask Melanie, "should he be doing that?" "is he allowed to do this?"  I wanted to get on a box and start secreaming that "YES, I can fucking do it. Get educated and realize I am a person who just wants to be normal (there's that "N" word again) and not coddled or set in the corner while well meaning peole do whatever for me. But my rational wife told me to keep my mouth shut and just accept their gracious gifts of help. It was hardest since I have never relied on anyone to help me with any physical activity....EVER.
I have been very fortunate have been sent to Stanford University 20 years ago and introdueced to some amazing, talented and dedicated doctors who truly believe in trying to save lives. Namely my friend Dr. Michael Fowler whom many of patients dubbed the "salt Nazi" for his attempts to reduce patients sodium intake. I call him the best "Patient Advocate" ever!! If you need it, he will find a way for it to happen.There are many other doctors and nurses whom are just as dedicated that wholly go unrecognized, except by those of us who were on the recieving end of their excellent care. So to all of my fellow "sickos" out there join me in telling those who no longer believe we are "normal" by telling them to
"KISS OUR COLLECTIVE ASSES"  sssssmmmmmooooooccchhhhhhhhh 

This is the job I need. Raft Director on the Truckee River. Nice office. Summer Hours. You get to go home if inclimate weather arises. As you may see, Alyssa and I were quite relaxed here. Must have been after one of those 5 Margarita lunches. Last week I made a new set of cubbies for Mel's classroom. Should have had them finished on Friday when I started........BUT, I had help. Shaymus, my apprentice, made sure it was a 3 day job. I am not sure which would be more helpful, tie up the dogs and let Shay go free, or to just bite the bullet and let the dogs go free while Shaymus is tied up. Granted he insisted on "walking" the dogs while I was working. Poor old Kona, he is at the point where he needs a nap after he goes pee, yet Shay kept dragging that poor old dog up and down the driveway. If Kona could speak I could only imagine him saying "THANKS ASSHOLE" to me. He only gets up if he really has too. I think if the house caught fire he would wait for the cavalry to show up to save his tired old ass. Of course you need to feed your dogs and give them water so you can only imagine what a 3 year-old would naturally do. With both food bowls and their water bowl outside where they are tied up, he proceeded to bring out approximately 19 lbs of dog food, scoop by scoop by scoop by scoop. The thought had entered my head to call it the "ALPO TRAIL", wasn't really sure what to call the "river" that was flowing through the garage. I know he means well. And yes I truly believe that he really is not out to kill me but........I can only picture my dear departed Dad laughing his ass of, just like my Mother does everytime he raises my blood pressure to critical mass numbers. I still cannot get my Mom singing "woohoo, its payback time" out of my head. I calmy tell her to remember that we get to pick the home she goes into......put still she laughs and giggles and snickers and smiles.

AAAAHHHHHH, Monday morning. Melanie and I enjoyed a fun breakfast on Saturday morning. It was fun because of what happened between our kids. Shay got a chocolate chip pancake. He loves pancakes. Lys ordered a belgian waffle. So what is so funny about all this, well Shay decided he now liked belgian waffles and proceeded to eat his sisters waffle much to her dismay. To say she was pissed is an understatement. I guess we did not help the situation by laughing at the unfolding events but it was hilarious. Lys sitting there enjoying her waffle and Shay watching her gaze out the windows as the world passed by, just enjoying breakfast. Then, while she was thoroughly lost in thought, he would grab a section of waffle and start eating it without her knowing.......at least not until she looked down to grab another piece and realized she had been scammed by a 3 year-old. And it got funnier each time it happened. She finally started to see the humor and cracked a smile when asked if she wanted to sit next to her brother next time we went out, as she insisted on doing on Saturday. Nothing beats a good old family breakfast.

I am getting really irked with the entire California legislature. If you do not read Tom Steinstra's articles in the sports section of the San Francisco Chronicle you should. He is not only an award winning journalist but also a damn good voice for what is happening in the outdoors. He is also very good a publicizing all the cuts that Gov. Meisterburger Burgermeister has planned for the State Park system. I guess when you have "cubic dollars" as opposed to the simple two dimensional greenbacks most of us have you really don't care what happens to a place such as Big Basin Redwoods State Park down in the Santa Cruz mountains as outlined in Tom's column today. When you are on their level (the famous and rich) you just call your publicist to get you in, even if it is closed. I have to admit Tom, I too will be sneaking in and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors......even if it is illegal. SO off I go to REI to fill the gaps in my outdoor supplies so I can become a "Vigilante Camper" thanks to AAAAAhhhhnOOOLD.

Tahoe
I love the Sierras.
Mountains, trees, lakes and cool water streams. I love the smell of the fresh mountain air. It is cathartic in a way I sometimes find hard to explain. Just being "up" in the mountains lowers my blood pressure. Less people, fewer idiots by far and a breed of people who really care about the area they live in. "Keep Tahoe Blue" the stickers say, and yes i have one on my vehicle. I think I am going to make one that says "Keep The Sierras Green." Plant a tree and help save this natural beauty. I loved the Sierras as a kid, as an adult and now as a parent. My family has come to thoroughly enjoy hiking and fishing. My 2 year-old happily reeled in his hook over and over to show me the worm he caught. The pure unbridled joy of your first catch. When my 10 year-old daughter caught her first fish 4 years ago she kept saying she had something on the line and I just kept sating "Okay honey, keep reeling" and to my surprise when she only had about 20 feet of line out there was a nice 13 in. rainbow trout. I could not have been happier.