Words of Truth

The national guard is at our southern border, but they aren’t allowed to protect us from armed drug runners coming in illegally from Mexico? What is up with that???

Workin. Sometimes it’s easy (like tonight…I have six patients between myself and a LPN. We have most of our work done already, and it’s not even 5am. I would say all of our work is done, but some of it is time sensitive. F’rinstance, you can’t take an 0600 blood sugar at 0430. You can’t give an 0700 medication at 0430, etc.

Sometimes it’s baaaad, like when I have six patients by myself (total care). This night was one of those that are too easy. As in, it makes me wonder when the pendulum is going to swing the other way. Joke break.

Man: what do you want for your birthday, honey? A trip to Mexico?
Wife: No.
Man: How about a new car?
Wife: No.
Man: How does some diamond jewelry sound?
Wife: Actually, I want a divorce.
Man: Ooh. I really wasn’t thinking of spending that much.

I have been persuaded that my next computer should be a Macintosh. I have always liked Macs better than PC’s, but I have a $800 Bible program that doesn’t have a Mac version. It is Logos Bible Software (www.logos.com). Now I find out that they are in the process of making a Mac version. I just bought a new PC this past summer, so I probably won’t need a new one until sometime in 2008, but it’s good to know that I can make the switch. I know Macs are so much easier to use. Any thoughts?

I have also decided that my next cellular carrier is going to be Sprint. I have talked to many people, and they all say the same thing: “my phone service stinks.” Everybody, that is, except for Sprint customers. I have a buddy that says he has had Sprint for over six years (I think, perhaps longer) and he has never had a problem with them. MY service, OTOH…..I can usually get a good signal everyplace but IN MY HOUSE! I was over at his house for the AFC Championship game and found out that I can’t get a signal there either (on the main floor of his house, which is on a hill). We had great service with US Cellular, and we would still be with them, except for the fact that they aren’t able to provide service in Indianapolis. So when we moved here, we had to pick a new carrier. I decided between Verizon and Cingular, and went with Verizon.

Here’s how my decision making process went: I went to the Verizon store, and the Cingular store, and asked them each the same question: Why should I choose your service over the other guy? The Verizon salesman talked about their reliability, coverage, network, benefits, available technology, etc. The Cingular salesperson said, “You should choose Cingular because we have cooler phones.”. So I chose Verizon. Bummer was that I had to sign a 2year contract. That contract is up in June, and Sprint, here I come!!!

Today is the Colts game. Wa-hoo! I bought a new Peyton Manning jersey (Authentic Replica…kind of like “genuine imitation”). What does this mean? It means I paid $60 for essentially the same thing that the players wear. The one that is EXACTLY like the ones the players wear is anywhere from $160-$300. I’m not paying that much for a shirt. So this is my first Colts jersey. I put in my deposit for Colts season tickets for this fall. I won’t know if I will get them until sometime in April. Hope I get them, because I have invited several people to go with me. Kim doesn’t really want to go…she doesn’t enjoy football, loud noises, beer smells, etc. I don’t really enjoy the beer smell either, but that’s why you bring a garbage bag…to store your stuff under your seat (so it doesn’t get spilled on). This was good for me at the Colts-Chiefs game, because the 9 year old kid I sat next to (he and his dad were from Muncie) spilled his coke all over the floor near our seats. So all these people I invited to come with me, I told them that they can come on one condition: they have to wear a Colts jersey, and root for the Colts. Except if my brother comes out for the Chiefs game this fall…then he can wear Chiefs stuff. I am planning on making my own jersey that will be half Colts and half Chiefs. Maybe get half a Manning jersey and half a Johnson jersey, making the back name read “Manson” or something like that.

So I am at work right now, I leave for home around 7:30-ish, and go to bed. I get up at 3:00 to go to choir practice and church, and then I am going to go over to a friend’s house to watch the Colts game at 6:30. He has a 110″ high definition projection screen in his den. Wow! I watched the first half of the Colts-Ravens game at his house on this TV, and it is pretty cool. Feels like you are actually there, since the people are all life-size.

I am guessing on the outcomes of today’s games: Saints over Bears 27-24, Colts over Pats 20-10. Hope I’m right about the Colts.

Ok, so I’m not so good at keeping up to date. Election was the last time I said anything. Kinda depressed after that, but got over it quickly. How did I do that? I went DEER HUNTING!

Drove to Missouri and depleted the herd there by three. I got two button bucks (yearlings) and a doe. So yes, I shot Bambi, his brother, AND his mother.

Then I drove home, had a few days break, and drove to West Virginia to get a few more deer (two more) and eat Thanksgiving with my wife’s family. Drove home from WV on Thanksgiving night. Grr to all of those restaurants who leave their light on when they are not open. Don’t they realize that some people TRAVEL on holidays, and need to find places to eat? Anyway, we got home that night around 9pm, and I was all set to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs Broncos game (I’m a Chiefs fan first, Colts fan second). Much to my horror, I was instead watching a documentary on the ’78 Jets! Long story short, my cable company did not elect to pay extra for the “Live games” on the NFL network. Enough people got ticked off about this that the cable company changed their minds, and turned the live games on STARTING with the following week. So I missed the Chiefs game. Bummer.

But then I got to go to my first ever NFL game! I bought a ticket in October for Monday Night Football: Bengals at Colts. I went with a friend of mine from work, and had a blast! I thought this would be my only game of this season, but then the Chiefs pulled it out (with help from a few other teams) and got into the playoffs. Who did they play first? THE COLTS! Aaaarrgghh! I of course, wore my Chiefs stuff (Larry Johnson jersey), and got some good-natured teasing by the people sitting around me. They kept calling me Larry. I was grumpy about the Chief’s performance, but was happy for the Colts.

So now the Colts beat Baltimore, and the Patriots beat the Chargers. That means that the Colts are playing the Pats HERE at the Dome. If I had the money I would go, but tickets are going for $500 or so. Not cheap. Too rich for my blood, of which you would see a lot, after Kim shot me for spending that much money! (just kidding). I am trying to buy season tickets for next year. I hope I get them.

We drove out to Iowa for Christmas the first week of January. I worked five nights in a row (12 hour shifts), then drove my family to my mom’s house. Had a good time until one of my nephews started misbehaving and my brother-in-law went all Mike Tyson on him. Somebody broke it up, my sister apologized for her son’s behavior (but not her husband’s) and then left, insulted that I called her a bad parent. I did not call her a bad parent. She said, “sorry that my son’s handicapped” (He has ODD, ADHD, AT&T, MCI, etc). I said, “It’s not just his fault,” meaning, his dad didn’t handle the situation very well either. Downright abusive. Reminds me of a SNL skit from 15 or so years ago, “Dysfunctional Family Christmas.” So that branch of the family went home and the rest of us went on enjoying being together. Their loss.

I think that pretty much brings us up to date. I’m still a nurse working night shift at the hospital. They have me working charge nurse duty sometimes, which can be stressful, but also challenging.

My son Nathan started playing in a basketball league. He’s nine, so it’s not very intense. He is learning a lot about basketball, and having fun at the same time.

I have been listening to MLK’s dream speech on youtube just now. I certainly don’t agree with everything that man said or did (communist), but he certainly got it right when it came to race issues. There is no black race, there is no white race, Asian, etc. There is only the human race. What a shame that some of King’s followers (Jesse, I’m talking to you) didn’t understand this basic concept. Jesse Jackson and his ilk do not seek to remove the sin of racism from our society, making us all truly equal, but instead seek to elevate their own “race” over others with policies like affirmative action, reparations, etc.