It’s been 40 days since my surgery; can you believe that? I haven’t been very good about documenting things during this time so I shall try to remedy that right now.
I had a complication just a few days after surgery where the pressure in my eye dropped radically, but we got that sorted out and it’s been full speed ahead ever since. I have noticed my vision improving little by little, and the doctor has confirmed that, as I’ve gotten a little further down the eye chart on each visit. Over the last 40 days, I have gradually switched from my screen reader to my magnifying glass, and am now gradually switching up to no aid at all. That’s right, there are many things I can do on the computer now without even the magnifying glass. I still use it sometimes for print that is especially small, or fonts that are a little too fancy. Right now I am typing in 12 point Times New Roman, and can follow along on the screen without the glass. I’ve picked up this trick of squinting a little and looking through my eyelashes. The lashes sort of act like the pinholes in that thing the doctor uses. I will go over it with the glass probably when I’m done to check for errors.
So what are some things that have changed for me? Well, I can name a few. I find myself looking out the windows a lot, especially the kitchen window. That one looks east and is the only window in the house that you can really walk up to and stand comfortably. Other windows have plants or sinks in front of them. I’m seeing things out that window more and more clearly and am noticing things that are further away. Just a couple of days ago I watched a snow flurry out that window for a few minutes.
I’ve also had one change to my routine that was unexpected. I’ve been getting up earlier in the morning. I used to get up anywhere between 9 and 10, but for the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting up at 8. I just have more to do now, or rather, more that I CAN do. I started with the filing cabinet, as I have already mentioned, then I moved on to the recyclables in the basement, sorting them and getting them ready for a trip to Kearney. Yesterday I worked on the junk drawer in the kitchen. Just little projects around the house that I’ve been waiting a very long time to do, and am taking a great deal of pleasure in now. I’ve also been playing quite a bit of Star Wars: Battlefront II on Adam’s PS2 and that’s been fun too and I think I have too many 2’s and II’s and too’s in this sentence but I’m too lazy to fix them so too bad. I guess you could say that I’m enjoying having my sight back. Was there ever any doubt?
My audiobook listening time has been drastically reduced from 3 or 4 hours a day to 1 or 2. I’m not sure what that will mean for the future of Audiobook Heaven. I would sure like to continue that as I’ve put an awful lot of time and effort into it, but right now I’m finding more interesting things to do and later on, when I finally go back to work, there will be even less time for it. Well, things are kind of mixed up right now as I try to settle into new routines and so forth. Probably after a while things will begin to balance out again.
And that brings me to my latest doctor visit, which was yesterday. I was looking forward to the visit so I could take a crack at the eye chart and see how much I’ve improved since October 26. I was a little surprised, and I admit a little disappointed, that I only tested 20/50 on the pinhole test. Last time I was 20/60 and I thought it would be a lot better this time. I am making good progress though, so that’s okay. The doctor is very pleased with how well things are going. He almost sounds a little surprised when he tells me that everything looks great. Needless to say, it was a very good report. He took me off two of the eye drops I was using, and reduced the third to four times a day. Yes, only four drops a day, when I’ve been putting in 14 every day since surgery. I’m very pleased about that. But sadly, he’s not ready to let me play the sax yet. He’s being extra cautious after that problem with my pressure, and that’s okay. He also said that he wouldn’t take out the sutures until at least 6 months, much longer than normal. I miss my sax, but he can be as cautious as he wants as far as I’m concerned.
I asked him how much longer it would be before I could be fitted with glasses, and he said anytime. That surprised me because I know my eye is still healing and changing. He said it might not be completely stable for 6 months to a year, so this would be as good a time as any to get some glasses, even though I would probably need a new prescription after 6 months or so. My next visit with Dr. Feilmeier is on December 8, so they went ahead and made me an appointment with the glasses person that same day. Glasses at 10am, Feilmeier at 11:15. I’ll have normal vision in time for Christmas and bowl games; pretty good deal. I sure am looking forward to seeing some Christmas lights this year.
So that’s about it. God is doing a perfect job of keeping my eye healthy and infection free. Was there every any doubt? Well, of course there was; I’m only human after all. But God has shown me once again that my fears and worries were all for nothing. Amen!
Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. ESV
Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. ESV
"I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord." ESV
Showing posts with label sax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sax. Show all posts
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Journal - Last Trip to Omaha
And then on Wednesday, it was back to Omaha once again. My appointment was for 3pm, but they’ve always been good about just taking us in whenever we get there, knowing that we have a long drive. So we left at about 10am Wednesday morning, knowing that we would probably get there at about 1 in the afternoon. We weren’t sure what to expect weather-wise; they were calling for possible wind and rain, and I think there was even a slight chance of snow. Luck was with us, however. It was cloudy all the way there, but no rain at all and the wind was blowing but not too bad. We arrived at Dr. Feilmeier’s office right at 1 o’clock.
As usual, we didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes. We went to the exam room, and the assistant pulled up the old eye chart. My vision isn’t really good enough right now to read much on the chart. I can get the big “E” at the top, but that’s about it. But on the pinhole test, I got all the way down to the 20/60 line, my best yet. If you don’t know what a pinhole test is, it’s just where you look at the chart through tiny little pinholes. It makes the letters on the chart come in much clearer. It’s really the only way to gauge the progress in patients with low vision like myself. After that, the assistant checked my pressure, which is still normal, then she went for the doctor.
Dr. Feilmeier was very pleased with what he saw as he examined my eye. He said everything is looking great, and that 20/60 is remarkably good only two weeks out from surgery. He had brought in an intern with him, so they both spent a few minutes checking out my eye while Dr. Feilmeier filled the intern in on some of my history. When they were done looking, Doc said to just keep doing what I am doing: no lifting, no touching the eye, wear the shield at night, no change in drops. I asked him if I could start exercising again, and he said I could as long as I don’t push too hard. Then I asked about my sax, but he said no sax for at least another month. That won’t leave much time for me to practice for Christmas so there may not be a Christmas concert this year. That’s okay though, I guess that’s a small price to pay. The best news of all is that we don’ have to go back to Omaha again. My next appointment will on November 18 in Kearney. That’s good because we are tired of driving to Omaha, and also because he thinks I am doing well enough to go without a checkup for almost a month. Of course, if there are any problems I can always call him up and get it checked out. I’ve been through enough eye problems that I’m confident that I will be able to tell if something is not right.
And that was it. We got in an out, and were back on the road by 2pm. We stopped in Yolk, I mean York, for a bite to eat at Wendy’s, an to fill up the gas tank. By then it was 4 o’clock, so just before we left York, Joni called Adam at home to make sure he got home from School okay, which he did. Then we hit the road again and were home by about 5:30. It was another long day, but it’s a relief to know that we can just stay home and rest now.
Psalms 6:2 "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.”
Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."
As usual, we didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes. We went to the exam room, and the assistant pulled up the old eye chart. My vision isn’t really good enough right now to read much on the chart. I can get the big “E” at the top, but that’s about it. But on the pinhole test, I got all the way down to the 20/60 line, my best yet. If you don’t know what a pinhole test is, it’s just where you look at the chart through tiny little pinholes. It makes the letters on the chart come in much clearer. It’s really the only way to gauge the progress in patients with low vision like myself. After that, the assistant checked my pressure, which is still normal, then she went for the doctor.
Dr. Feilmeier was very pleased with what he saw as he examined my eye. He said everything is looking great, and that 20/60 is remarkably good only two weeks out from surgery. He had brought in an intern with him, so they both spent a few minutes checking out my eye while Dr. Feilmeier filled the intern in on some of my history. When they were done looking, Doc said to just keep doing what I am doing: no lifting, no touching the eye, wear the shield at night, no change in drops. I asked him if I could start exercising again, and he said I could as long as I don’t push too hard. Then I asked about my sax, but he said no sax for at least another month. That won’t leave much time for me to practice for Christmas so there may not be a Christmas concert this year. That’s okay though, I guess that’s a small price to pay. The best news of all is that we don’ have to go back to Omaha again. My next appointment will on November 18 in Kearney. That’s good because we are tired of driving to Omaha, and also because he thinks I am doing well enough to go without a checkup for almost a month. Of course, if there are any problems I can always call him up and get it checked out. I’ve been through enough eye problems that I’m confident that I will be able to tell if something is not right.
And that was it. We got in an out, and were back on the road by 2pm. We stopped in Yolk, I mean York, for a bite to eat at Wendy’s, an to fill up the gas tank. By then it was 4 o’clock, so just before we left York, Joni called Adam at home to make sure he got home from School okay, which he did. Then we hit the road again and were home by about 5:30. It was another long day, but it’s a relief to know that we can just stay home and rest now.
Psalms 6:2 "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.”
Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Journal - Vacation Blues
Yep, I have the vacation blues. No, I’m not blue because I’m on vacation, or because my vacation is ending, rather I am blue because I’m not on vacation. Is that making any sense? Alas, I shall have to explain further.
I’ve been crunching pretty hard on the audiobook reviews for the last several months, and I was starting to feel a little burned out. At the beginning of August, I had decided that I would finish out the month, and then take September off. You know, just listen to some audiobooks I have already reviewed so I could relax with them and not have to always be thinking about what I’m going to write. I was really looking forward to it too. Then last week I got an offer I just couldn’t refuse.
For several months I’ve been receiving audiobooks from Galaxy Audio. They’re the ones that are doing a whole bunch of L Ron Hubbard’s stories from the pulp fiction era of the 1930’s and 40’s. Last week, Galaxy President John Goodwin emailed me to say that next year they will be publishing Hubbard’s Battlefield: Earth, which is probably his best known work, and one that I have been hoping for since I was first approached by Galaxy. Anyway, John said that he wants to send out some advance copies to get some critical feedback. He’s not asking for a review yet, but some opinions on whether or not the audiobook is good as it stands, or if anything needs to be changed for the final production. That’s right, I could have a say in the finished work! But here’s the best part: John is only sending out two advance copies, and one of them would be mine if I wanted it. I wasted no time in telling John “Heck Yeah I Want It!”
Well, the audiobook is 44 CD’s long, which is absolutely huge. In fact, I think that will be the longest audiobook I have ever had my hands on. I estimate that it will take 12 solid days to get through it, and possibly more. So there goes my vacation plans. I’m not complaining though, because this is a huge opportunity for me that I would be an idiot to pass up on. John mailed it out late last week, so I’m expecting it any day now.
So here’s what I decided: instead of taking September off, I will continue hitting the books until the end of October. Then I will take an even longer vacation through November and December. That will actually work out pretty well because November is when I start practicing Christmas music on my sax and I’ll have less time for books anyway. But don’t worry, because I’ve been working so hard, I actually have plenty of reviews saved up to carry me through the two months. Ifyou follow Audiobook Heaven at all, you’ll never even notice that I’m on vacation. It’s actually a much better plan than the one I came up with myself. Pretty amazing how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?
So, two more months of hard work, then I’m off until next year. I’m still looking forward to the break. There are lots of audiobooks I’ve already reviewed that I would like to go back and listen to again, especially the Harry Potter series. I’ve listened to those books about a dozen times but I just can’t get enough.
Okay, break time is over, gotta get back to those books!
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ESV
Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ESv
I’ve been crunching pretty hard on the audiobook reviews for the last several months, and I was starting to feel a little burned out. At the beginning of August, I had decided that I would finish out the month, and then take September off. You know, just listen to some audiobooks I have already reviewed so I could relax with them and not have to always be thinking about what I’m going to write. I was really looking forward to it too. Then last week I got an offer I just couldn’t refuse.
For several months I’ve been receiving audiobooks from Galaxy Audio. They’re the ones that are doing a whole bunch of L Ron Hubbard’s stories from the pulp fiction era of the 1930’s and 40’s. Last week, Galaxy President John Goodwin emailed me to say that next year they will be publishing Hubbard’s Battlefield: Earth, which is probably his best known work, and one that I have been hoping for since I was first approached by Galaxy. Anyway, John said that he wants to send out some advance copies to get some critical feedback. He’s not asking for a review yet, but some opinions on whether or not the audiobook is good as it stands, or if anything needs to be changed for the final production. That’s right, I could have a say in the finished work! But here’s the best part: John is only sending out two advance copies, and one of them would be mine if I wanted it. I wasted no time in telling John “Heck Yeah I Want It!”
Well, the audiobook is 44 CD’s long, which is absolutely huge. In fact, I think that will be the longest audiobook I have ever had my hands on. I estimate that it will take 12 solid days to get through it, and possibly more. So there goes my vacation plans. I’m not complaining though, because this is a huge opportunity for me that I would be an idiot to pass up on. John mailed it out late last week, so I’m expecting it any day now.
So here’s what I decided: instead of taking September off, I will continue hitting the books until the end of October. Then I will take an even longer vacation through November and December. That will actually work out pretty well because November is when I start practicing Christmas music on my sax and I’ll have less time for books anyway. But don’t worry, because I’ve been working so hard, I actually have plenty of reviews saved up to carry me through the two months. Ifyou follow Audiobook Heaven at all, you’ll never even notice that I’m on vacation. It’s actually a much better plan than the one I came up with myself. Pretty amazing how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?
So, two more months of hard work, then I’m off until next year. I’m still looking forward to the break. There are lots of audiobooks I’ve already reviewed that I would like to go back and listen to again, especially the Harry Potter series. I’ve listened to those books about a dozen times but I just can’t get enough.
Okay, break time is over, gotta get back to those books!
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ESV
Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ESv
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Journal - Catching Up
Well, I guess I haven’t written for a while. The passing of time continues to befuddle me. Let me see if I can recall what’s been going on.
There isn’t much to report on Audiobook Heaven. After the flurry of activity during the first six weeks of the year, things have settled down a bit. That’s okay, I like some excitement now and then, but we always need that time to recharge the batteries. I continue to receive audiobooks from Blackstone, typically six books per month. I got a couple of L Ron Hubbard books from Galaxy Press last month, and just received two more today, although one of them is a repeat. I’ll have to contact them and see if I should send that one back. Last week I got my first two books from HighBridge Audio. The only new thing I have to report is my latest discovery, Graphic Audio. One of the books I got from Susan Dunman was from that publisher, and I had never heard of them before. I looked them up in Google and took a look at their website. They specialize in creating full cast audio productions, complete with sound effects and music, of comic book graphic novels. Can you imagine how excited I was about that? I contacted them, and they responded right away saying that they would send me some review copies. I didn’t get to pick out what I wanted, but I was pretty happy to get anything from them. Hopefully they’ll keep sending me stuff.
My Medicare became effective on March 1. I’ve spent the first half of the month getting information and making my choices for part D prescription coverage. I have part A for hospitalization; that part is free. Part B for doctor visits carries a monthly premium of $115, and it looks like there is also a yearly deductible of about $162. On part D, I qualified for extra assistance so there’s no premium or deductible. My scripts will be $6.30 for brand name, and $2.50 for generic. That ended up being better than I expected. My prescription coverage begins April 1, so I’ll be looking for a doctor over the next week or so and will try to make an appointment for sometime in April.
I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this in my blog or not, but for the last 3 or 4 months, God has been trying to get me to play my saxophone at church. I’ve been dragging my feet as usual. I’m not very good at stepping out of my comfort zone. This began right before Christmas and I thought I might play some Christmas music, but that kind of fell through. It was pretty short notice, only one week before Christmas so there wasn’t time to get anything set up. Before I could play, I had to meet with the music director, Kent. Well, after that I let a couple of months pass, then I finally approached Kent again about it. We met at the church on March 4 and I played for him. He sounds like he’s okay with me playing at church, but we haven’t set anything up yet. The ball is in his court, though, I’m just waiting for him to say when.
Speaking of church, on February 27 we had our first service in the new sanctuary. When we first went to this church about a year and a half ago, they were just announcing plans to build a bigger sanctuary onto the church, and it’s finally done. The new sanctuary has theater-style seating for a little over 900 people. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m not sure how many our old sanctuary could seat.
For the last several days, Charles Stanley has been doing a series of sermons about guilt, and it’s got me thinking about some things. It seems clear that God wouldn’t want us to feel guilt for sins that He has forgiven us for. Guilt is, after all, a negative emotion, and God doesn’t typically deal in negative emotions. But it sort of seems like a little guilt might be a good thing. In the complete absence of guilt, are we not more likely to repeat our sins of the past? I’ll hav to do some thinking on that.
It’s now been about three days since the disastrous earthquake in Japan. A monstrous 8.9 on the Richter. It sounds like they are stil struggling to contain the nuclear power plants. 8.9 makes this the fourth most powerful earthquake in recorded history.
Okay, I guess that’s about it. See you next time.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. NIV
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door an knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in with him and dine with him, and he with me. NKJV
There isn’t much to report on Audiobook Heaven. After the flurry of activity during the first six weeks of the year, things have settled down a bit. That’s okay, I like some excitement now and then, but we always need that time to recharge the batteries. I continue to receive audiobooks from Blackstone, typically six books per month. I got a couple of L Ron Hubbard books from Galaxy Press last month, and just received two more today, although one of them is a repeat. I’ll have to contact them and see if I should send that one back. Last week I got my first two books from HighBridge Audio. The only new thing I have to report is my latest discovery, Graphic Audio. One of the books I got from Susan Dunman was from that publisher, and I had never heard of them before. I looked them up in Google and took a look at their website. They specialize in creating full cast audio productions, complete with sound effects and music, of comic book graphic novels. Can you imagine how excited I was about that? I contacted them, and they responded right away saying that they would send me some review copies. I didn’t get to pick out what I wanted, but I was pretty happy to get anything from them. Hopefully they’ll keep sending me stuff.
My Medicare became effective on March 1. I’ve spent the first half of the month getting information and making my choices for part D prescription coverage. I have part A for hospitalization; that part is free. Part B for doctor visits carries a monthly premium of $115, and it looks like there is also a yearly deductible of about $162. On part D, I qualified for extra assistance so there’s no premium or deductible. My scripts will be $6.30 for brand name, and $2.50 for generic. That ended up being better than I expected. My prescription coverage begins April 1, so I’ll be looking for a doctor over the next week or so and will try to make an appointment for sometime in April.
I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this in my blog or not, but for the last 3 or 4 months, God has been trying to get me to play my saxophone at church. I’ve been dragging my feet as usual. I’m not very good at stepping out of my comfort zone. This began right before Christmas and I thought I might play some Christmas music, but that kind of fell through. It was pretty short notice, only one week before Christmas so there wasn’t time to get anything set up. Before I could play, I had to meet with the music director, Kent. Well, after that I let a couple of months pass, then I finally approached Kent again about it. We met at the church on March 4 and I played for him. He sounds like he’s okay with me playing at church, but we haven’t set anything up yet. The ball is in his court, though, I’m just waiting for him to say when.
Speaking of church, on February 27 we had our first service in the new sanctuary. When we first went to this church about a year and a half ago, they were just announcing plans to build a bigger sanctuary onto the church, and it’s finally done. The new sanctuary has theater-style seating for a little over 900 people. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m not sure how many our old sanctuary could seat.
For the last several days, Charles Stanley has been doing a series of sermons about guilt, and it’s got me thinking about some things. It seems clear that God wouldn’t want us to feel guilt for sins that He has forgiven us for. Guilt is, after all, a negative emotion, and God doesn’t typically deal in negative emotions. But it sort of seems like a little guilt might be a good thing. In the complete absence of guilt, are we not more likely to repeat our sins of the past? I’ll hav to do some thinking on that.
It’s now been about three days since the disastrous earthquake in Japan. A monstrous 8.9 on the Richter. It sounds like they are stil struggling to contain the nuclear power plants. 8.9 makes this the fourth most powerful earthquake in recorded history.
Okay, I guess that’s about it. See you next time.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. NIV
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door an knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in with him and dine with him, and he with me. NKJV
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Journal - Another Christmas in the Bag
Well, another Christmas has come and gone. I just don’t know where the time gets to; the older I get, the faster the years go by. I had a really nice Christmas season though. Last year, Christmas kind of depressed me but not so much this year.
On Christmas Eve, Joni, Adam, and I wen to the candlelight service at our church in Kearney. I always liked candlelight services, they’re so beautiful, and I was a little surprised to find that not being able to see the candles didn’t bother me so much. It was a nice service; scripture readings and songs about Jesus’ birth. It was only about an hour long and I kind of wished it could have been a little longer. After that, we stopped at Burger King for supper, arare treat for us. We wanted Runza but they weren’t open, and the line at McDonald’s was huge.
On Christmas morning, I was awakened bright an early to open presents, then our whole family gathered at Brad’s house. He and Cindy put on a grandfeast with turkey and ham and all the good things that go with them. After dinner, we had our gift exchange and sat around talking for a while. Then we just came home and relaxed. Joni and I ended the evening listening to “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I downloaded the DVS version of the film, which is basically the audio track with a narrator describing the scenes in between lines of dialogue. That one was narrated by President George Bush Sr, an he actually did a good job of it.
Aunt LeeDel came down from SiouxFalls on the Monday after Christmas. On Tuesday she came out to hear my Christmas music, and Mom and Bobbi listened a second time. I’m glad I got to play again, I enjoy it a lot. I’m beginning to appreciate being able to use the gift God gave me to bring joy to others, instead of just enjoying it myself. Just one more lesson that God is teaching me through my blindness. Before I went blind, I didn’t really play very much.
So we had a good Christmas. I remember last year we got snowed in on Christmas day and couldn’t go anywhere. I’m glad that didn’t happen again.
I hope that you, reader, had a nice Christmas with your family as well, and I wish you all the best in the New Year.
Luke 2:15-20 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. ESV
On Christmas Eve, Joni, Adam, and I wen to the candlelight service at our church in Kearney. I always liked candlelight services, they’re so beautiful, and I was a little surprised to find that not being able to see the candles didn’t bother me so much. It was a nice service; scripture readings and songs about Jesus’ birth. It was only about an hour long and I kind of wished it could have been a little longer. After that, we stopped at Burger King for supper, arare treat for us. We wanted Runza but they weren’t open, and the line at McDonald’s was huge.
On Christmas morning, I was awakened bright an early to open presents, then our whole family gathered at Brad’s house. He and Cindy put on a grandfeast with turkey and ham and all the good things that go with them. After dinner, we had our gift exchange and sat around talking for a while. Then we just came home and relaxed. Joni and I ended the evening listening to “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I downloaded the DVS version of the film, which is basically the audio track with a narrator describing the scenes in between lines of dialogue. That one was narrated by President George Bush Sr, an he actually did a good job of it.
Aunt LeeDel came down from SiouxFalls on the Monday after Christmas. On Tuesday she came out to hear my Christmas music, and Mom and Bobbi listened a second time. I’m glad I got to play again, I enjoy it a lot. I’m beginning to appreciate being able to use the gift God gave me to bring joy to others, instead of just enjoying it myself. Just one more lesson that God is teaching me through my blindness. Before I went blind, I didn’t really play very much.
So we had a good Christmas. I remember last year we got snowed in on Christmas day and couldn’t go anywhere. I’m glad that didn’t happen again.
I hope that you, reader, had a nice Christmas with your family as well, and I wish you all the best in the New Year.
Luke 2:15-20 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. ESV
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Journal - Christmas Party
On Saturday the 18th, Joni and I had our Christmas party here at the house. We had a great time with lots of good food and good music.
We had a pretty big crowd. Brad and Cindy were here with two of their kids, DJ and Taylor. Bobbi and Mike came with all four of their kids, Brian, Elliot, Brandon, and Kylie. Mom was here too of course, along with the three of us. Fourteen people in all, which was four more than we had last year. It was great having so many people here. A lot of times I feel kind of put out with so many people around, but it doesn’t seem to bother me as much here in my own home. The kids got a little rowdy, but I loved every minute of it.
For supper, we had sloppy joe’s. Not very fancy, but very simple for a large crowd, and something that everyone likes. To go with that, Joni had picked up buckets of potato salad and macaroni salad at Walmart. Also Mom brought a veggie tray, a necessity for any gathering, Brad brought a crock-pot full of his famous baked beans, and Bobbi brought a cherry dessert that was simply scrumptious. The highlight of the evening was when Brandon dropped a whole sloppy joe on the kitchen floor. Haha! That made our dog, Sassie, happy. We had her locked up in the basement and she seemed to calm down after she got Brandon’s sandwich. It seemed like a ton of food, but we had surprisingly few leftovers. That was nice because last year we had a lot leftover and Joni and I were eating chicken fajitas for about a week after.
After supper and a quick clean-up, it was time for me to get out my sax. I was nervous, but not nearly as nervous as I was last year. The songs all went reasonably well, my only major screw-up was on the very last song, “Let it Snow.” I think because it was my last song, I let my guard down and I messed up on a part that I never really had any trouble with in my rehearsals. My toughest song this year was “Sleigh Ride” and that one went pretty well. My favorite song to play was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and I was very happy with how that one turned out. The big hit of the night seemed to be “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)”. I kind of expected that, it’s really a beautiful song.
After that we sat around and talked for a while, and then it was over. I was kind of sad after everyone had gone home. I looked forward to the evening for several weeks, and then it was over so fast. I just sat for a while listening to Christmas music and trying to hang on to the warm feeling of having my family around me. That happened last year too, and the melancholy persisted into the new year, but I seemed to rebound a lot better this year. Aunt LeeDel is supposed to come down from Sioux Falls the week after Christmas, if the weather holds up, and I asked Mom if they would like to run out while she’s here so I can play for her. So I think we’re going to do that next Tuesday.
Anyway, we had a really great time, and I think everyone else did too. I can’t wait to do it again next year!
Oh, I almost forgot! It snowed Saturday morning and afternoon before everyone came. It was a nice gentle snow, without any wind, and it was just enough to cover the ground without making it difficult to drive in. That was the perfect touch, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without snow.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. NKJV
Matthew 1:21 She will bring fortha son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. NKJV
We had a pretty big crowd. Brad and Cindy were here with two of their kids, DJ and Taylor. Bobbi and Mike came with all four of their kids, Brian, Elliot, Brandon, and Kylie. Mom was here too of course, along with the three of us. Fourteen people in all, which was four more than we had last year. It was great having so many people here. A lot of times I feel kind of put out with so many people around, but it doesn’t seem to bother me as much here in my own home. The kids got a little rowdy, but I loved every minute of it.
For supper, we had sloppy joe’s. Not very fancy, but very simple for a large crowd, and something that everyone likes. To go with that, Joni had picked up buckets of potato salad and macaroni salad at Walmart. Also Mom brought a veggie tray, a necessity for any gathering, Brad brought a crock-pot full of his famous baked beans, and Bobbi brought a cherry dessert that was simply scrumptious. The highlight of the evening was when Brandon dropped a whole sloppy joe on the kitchen floor. Haha! That made our dog, Sassie, happy. We had her locked up in the basement and she seemed to calm down after she got Brandon’s sandwich. It seemed like a ton of food, but we had surprisingly few leftovers. That was nice because last year we had a lot leftover and Joni and I were eating chicken fajitas for about a week after.
After supper and a quick clean-up, it was time for me to get out my sax. I was nervous, but not nearly as nervous as I was last year. The songs all went reasonably well, my only major screw-up was on the very last song, “Let it Snow.” I think because it was my last song, I let my guard down and I messed up on a part that I never really had any trouble with in my rehearsals. My toughest song this year was “Sleigh Ride” and that one went pretty well. My favorite song to play was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and I was very happy with how that one turned out. The big hit of the night seemed to be “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)”. I kind of expected that, it’s really a beautiful song.
After that we sat around and talked for a while, and then it was over. I was kind of sad after everyone had gone home. I looked forward to the evening for several weeks, and then it was over so fast. I just sat for a while listening to Christmas music and trying to hang on to the warm feeling of having my family around me. That happened last year too, and the melancholy persisted into the new year, but I seemed to rebound a lot better this year. Aunt LeeDel is supposed to come down from Sioux Falls the week after Christmas, if the weather holds up, and I asked Mom if they would like to run out while she’s here so I can play for her. So I think we’re going to do that next Tuesday.
Anyway, we had a really great time, and I think everyone else did too. I can’t wait to do it again next year!
Oh, I almost forgot! It snowed Saturday morning and afternoon before everyone came. It was a nice gentle snow, without any wind, and it was just enough to cover the ground without making it difficult to drive in. That was the perfect touch, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without snow.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. NKJV
Matthew 1:21 She will bring fortha son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. NKJV
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Journal - Christmas!
Okay, now that I got that unpleasantness off my chest, maybe I can write about something nicer.
November is here already! Last year at this time, we already had a lot of snow on the ground, and it stayed there all winter. This year, we have had the most beautiful fall. Just two days ago it was almost 80 degrees. Today was a bit colder, and it sounds like winter is finally on its way, but I sure can’t complain about the fall we’ve had here in Nebraska.
Now that November is here, that means my favorite time of year is right around the corner. Christmas! I just couldn’t help myself, I started practicing some Christmas music on November 2. Joni and I will probably have the family over sometime in December, like we did last year, and I want to play my sax again. I’ve already downloaded three or four new songs and have been trying to decide what to play this year.
I have a really challenging version of “Let It Snow”. It’s a nice jazzy version in the style of Michael Buble. That’s pronounced boo-blay, not bubble. I actually got that song last year but I ended up not using it. I also have a nice rendition of “Silver Bells” in the style of sax player Sam Levine. I wasn’t sure about that one, but after I played it, I liked it a lot. I really want to try playing “Sleigh Ride” this year, but that song is extremely difficult because it’s very fast, and it changes keys a lot. That one will take a lot of work. I also came across a very beautiful song called “Breath of Heaven, Mary’s Song.” That was written and performed by Amy Grant, one of my favorite Christmas artists. It’s one of those rare songs that has beautiful music, and beautiful words. I think I’ll post the lyrics here tomorrow. I also got a copy of Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas Is You”, another challenging song that moves along quickly.
So I have my work cut out for me, but as always, I am very excited about it. I have always enjoyed playing Christmas music more than any other kind. I’ve been practicing in the afternoons, while Joni does her cleaning. She has already begun her nook and cranny holiday cleaning of the house. Now we just need to decide what to feed everyone. I was thinking of getting several boxes of cereal and having kind of a breakfast cereal buffet. I wonder if everyone would mind that. We’ll have to think about that.
November is here already! Last year at this time, we already had a lot of snow on the ground, and it stayed there all winter. This year, we have had the most beautiful fall. Just two days ago it was almost 80 degrees. Today was a bit colder, and it sounds like winter is finally on its way, but I sure can’t complain about the fall we’ve had here in Nebraska.
Now that November is here, that means my favorite time of year is right around the corner. Christmas! I just couldn’t help myself, I started practicing some Christmas music on November 2. Joni and I will probably have the family over sometime in December, like we did last year, and I want to play my sax again. I’ve already downloaded three or four new songs and have been trying to decide what to play this year.
I have a really challenging version of “Let It Snow”. It’s a nice jazzy version in the style of Michael Buble. That’s pronounced boo-blay, not bubble. I actually got that song last year but I ended up not using it. I also have a nice rendition of “Silver Bells” in the style of sax player Sam Levine. I wasn’t sure about that one, but after I played it, I liked it a lot. I really want to try playing “Sleigh Ride” this year, but that song is extremely difficult because it’s very fast, and it changes keys a lot. That one will take a lot of work. I also came across a very beautiful song called “Breath of Heaven, Mary’s Song.” That was written and performed by Amy Grant, one of my favorite Christmas artists. It’s one of those rare songs that has beautiful music, and beautiful words. I think I’ll post the lyrics here tomorrow. I also got a copy of Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas Is You”, another challenging song that moves along quickly.
So I have my work cut out for me, but as always, I am very excited about it. I have always enjoyed playing Christmas music more than any other kind. I’ve been practicing in the afternoons, while Joni does her cleaning. She has already begun her nook and cranny holiday cleaning of the house. Now we just need to decide what to feed everyone. I was thinking of getting several boxes of cereal and having kind of a breakfast cereal buffet. I wonder if everyone would mind that. We’ll have to think about that.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Journal - The Plot Thickens
Okay, so we went to Brad’s house in Axtell today. The wheels have never made any noise at all since Joni cleaned them off with the hose yesterday, and they were perfectly quiet all the way to Axtell today. Brad went ahead and pulled off the front wheels to look at the brake pads and he said they look fine. Wow, what a relief! I’ve been wondering about my brakes anyway because it’s been 6 or 7 years since I had any brake work done on the truck and I didn’t really know how long pads are supposed to last. Anyway, that’s a big load off my mind.
Well, right in the middle of that last paragraph, my phone rang. It was the Lion lady’s husband returning my call from last Saturday. He had no idea who I was, just asked me if I was trying to get in touch with his wife. I reminded him that I’m the blind guy who’s been trying to reach her and then he remembered. He said she would call me but he didn’t know when, maybe tonight or tomorrow. Not quite the response I was looking for, but I’m glad someone finally called back. I haven’t yet received any response to my email from yesterday.
Oh, while we were at Brad’s, DJ stopped by. DJ is Brad’s daughter, my niece, and she’s just starting her second year at the University in Kearney. Every time I’ve seen DJ over the last year, she’s been trying to get a cell phone that she likes and that does all the things she wants it to. Today, she had a new one but she still wasn’t very happy with it. She’s funny. I like DJ though, she’s a good girl. And she plays the saxophone so that makes her pretty cool in my book. Also, Brad said that his oldest son, Daniel, got a job at the Baldwin’s factory in Kearney. Good news for Daniel because I’m sure that will pay better than Burker King where he was working before. Brad’s youngest son Taylor is in eighth grade this year and is playing quarterback on the football team like last year. Maybe Taylor will play for the Huskers some day, that would be awesome.
So the week ended on a high note. I sure needed that, it was a rough week. Once again, God has shown me that all my doubts and worries were for nothing. I thought I was going to end up with a huge repair bill for the truck, and it turned out to be fine. Okay God, I get it, you don’t have to rub my nose in it!
Hebrews 13:1-2 Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Well, right in the middle of that last paragraph, my phone rang. It was the Lion lady’s husband returning my call from last Saturday. He had no idea who I was, just asked me if I was trying to get in touch with his wife. I reminded him that I’m the blind guy who’s been trying to reach her and then he remembered. He said she would call me but he didn’t know when, maybe tonight or tomorrow. Not quite the response I was looking for, but I’m glad someone finally called back. I haven’t yet received any response to my email from yesterday.
Oh, while we were at Brad’s, DJ stopped by. DJ is Brad’s daughter, my niece, and she’s just starting her second year at the University in Kearney. Every time I’ve seen DJ over the last year, she’s been trying to get a cell phone that she likes and that does all the things she wants it to. Today, she had a new one but she still wasn’t very happy with it. She’s funny. I like DJ though, she’s a good girl. And she plays the saxophone so that makes her pretty cool in my book. Also, Brad said that his oldest son, Daniel, got a job at the Baldwin’s factory in Kearney. Good news for Daniel because I’m sure that will pay better than Burker King where he was working before. Brad’s youngest son Taylor is in eighth grade this year and is playing quarterback on the football team like last year. Maybe Taylor will play for the Huskers some day, that would be awesome.
So the week ended on a high note. I sure needed that, it was a rough week. Once again, God has shown me that all my doubts and worries were for nothing. I thought I was going to end up with a huge repair bill for the truck, and it turned out to be fine. Okay God, I get it, you don’t have to rub my nose in it!
Hebrews 13:1-2 Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Journal - Father's Day
So yesterday was Father’s day. I hope all you Fathers out there had a great day.
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Journal - Easter and Stuff
Well, I’m in kind of a writing slump again. I’ve had a few things to write about, but I just haven't been in the mood. So I'm forcing myself again. In the past, I’ve forced myself to write when I didn't feel like it and it sort of opened a floodgate and all kinds of things came pouring out, so we'll see what happens.
Last Saturday we went to Mom’s for lunch. Brenna had spent Friday night at her house and Saturday morning they made cookies. The cookies were for Brenna’s birthday which is today, April 8th. Happy 13th Brenna! My daughter is a teenager. That feels pretty weird. Brenna told me she has a violin recital on the 24th so I’ll have to be sure and get the exact time and place so I don’t miss that.
On Sunday we went to Bobbi and Mike’s for Easter dinner. Mom was there and also Brad and his family, everyone except Daniel who is Brad's oldest. He had to work I think. We had a good time and the kids had their Easter egg hunt, even though two of them are in college now.
Basketball season is all over with now. The men’s championship game was on Monday, Duke just barely beat Butler, only winning by two points. The women's final game was on Tuesday. Uconn won as expected, but Stanford really gave them a tough game. Stanford actually led for a majority of the game and Uconn only won by six points. There is quite a history between those two teams. The last time Uconn lost a game was back in 2008 when they lost to Stanford. Stanford only lost two games this year, both times to Uconn including the championship game. That was an exciting game but I wish the Huskers had been playing.
Last week, DJ, Brad’s daughter, had emailed me and asked if I would bring my saxophone to Bobbi’s house on Easter and play for everyone. She didn’t get to come to our Christmas party last year when I played for the family. She plays the sax now at college. I told her instead of playing on Easter Joni and I would have everyone over sometime this summer and I would play then. Then I found out she’s going on an internship to Connecticut and will be gone all summer. I told her she’d just have to wait until next Christmas then. I already let it slip about playing this summer, though, so I doubt if Mom will let me out of it now. I need to start practicing again. I started using slightly heavier reeds and I was surprised how tired my lip and jaw get. The heavier reeds will give more control over the tone though once I get used to them.
Okay, that’s it for now. see you next time.
Matthew 28:1-6 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Last Saturday we went to Mom’s for lunch. Brenna had spent Friday night at her house and Saturday morning they made cookies. The cookies were for Brenna’s birthday which is today, April 8th. Happy 13th Brenna! My daughter is a teenager. That feels pretty weird. Brenna told me she has a violin recital on the 24th so I’ll have to be sure and get the exact time and place so I don’t miss that.
On Sunday we went to Bobbi and Mike’s for Easter dinner. Mom was there and also Brad and his family, everyone except Daniel who is Brad's oldest. He had to work I think. We had a good time and the kids had their Easter egg hunt, even though two of them are in college now.
Basketball season is all over with now. The men’s championship game was on Monday, Duke just barely beat Butler, only winning by two points. The women's final game was on Tuesday. Uconn won as expected, but Stanford really gave them a tough game. Stanford actually led for a majority of the game and Uconn only won by six points. There is quite a history between those two teams. The last time Uconn lost a game was back in 2008 when they lost to Stanford. Stanford only lost two games this year, both times to Uconn including the championship game. That was an exciting game but I wish the Huskers had been playing.
Last week, DJ, Brad’s daughter, had emailed me and asked if I would bring my saxophone to Bobbi’s house on Easter and play for everyone. She didn’t get to come to our Christmas party last year when I played for the family. She plays the sax now at college. I told her instead of playing on Easter Joni and I would have everyone over sometime this summer and I would play then. Then I found out she’s going on an internship to Connecticut and will be gone all summer. I told her she’d just have to wait until next Christmas then. I already let it slip about playing this summer, though, so I doubt if Mom will let me out of it now. I need to start practicing again. I started using slightly heavier reeds and I was surprised how tired my lip and jaw get. The heavier reeds will give more control over the tone though once I get used to them.
Okay, that’s it for now. see you next time.
Matthew 28:1-6 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Journal - Superbowl Sunday
Well, here it is superbowl Sunday already! I’m looking forward to a really good game tonight, but let’s take care of some business first, okay? Business before pleasure as they say.
I called my BCBS agent Monday about those two letters I got. He laughed it off as a mistake, and I believed him. His name is Steve Kielbasa, by the way. I asked him if he’d eaten any good sausages lately, but he didn’t think that was very funny. Anyway, he took the information that was missing from my application and said he would send it along to the underwriters. I asked if I would have to wait another four weeks to hear something from them, and he said probably not. Back to the waiting game, though, for now.
Something else really perturbed me this week. The screen reader I’ve been using, System Access To Go, is going through some changes. I started using SA To Go because it was free, and once I got used to it I really began to like it. In my own opinion, it’s marginally better than Jaws. Friday, however, when I logged in to my SA To Go account, I discovered a really yucky synthesized voice that was difficult to understand. To get the nice sounding voice back, you now have to pay forty dollars. I thought that was kind of a low blow, but it’s still about 1,160 dollars cheaper than Jaws, so I decided to pay. I still didn’t get the good voice, though. Every time I log in it still asks me if I want to upgrade. I did get an email receipt and an invoice number for my payment and there’s a phone number on the receipt to call if you have problems. I have to wait until Monday to call, however, because they don’t keep hours on the weekend. Hopefully I can get that straightened out without any problem. What really worries me is what other features they might decide to start charging for.
Humm, I guess that’s about all the business I have to discuss. It’s been a slow week. I haven’t really been playing my sax lately. I’ve been spending most of my time browsing through the library’s audio book collection and writing book reviews like mad. I’ve been getting on the exercise bike pretty regularly for the last three weeks, so I’m feeling good about that. It always feels good to know you’re doing something that’s good for you, doesn’t it? Now if I could just start eating better.
Since Christmas, the weather has straightened out a little bit with temps in the 30’s and 40’s, but this week we have had another cold snap and more snow. Just a couple inches of snow, though, and no high winds to make it drift. I don’t mind that kind of snow as much. Sure can’t wait for spring, though.
Okay, football! Colts versus Saints. I picked the Colts to go to the superbowl, but I really thought the Vikings would beat the Saints. Or maybe I was just hoping. I like Brett Favre a lot and I know he doesn’t have too many years left in him, so I was kind of hoping he could go to the superbowl this year and cap off his career on a high note. Colts versus Saints will be a good game, though. Since Favre is out, I’d like to see Peyton Manning and the Colts win this one. Should be a good game either way as they are both great teams.
Naturally, I always look forward to the superbowl, but it’s also kind of sad because it will be eight months before there’s another football game. I never developed an interest in baseball or basketball, so I just wait for football to start again. Wait, Wait, Wait, it seems like that’s all I do.
Okay, I don’t normally do this, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a superbowl prediction. Colts 27, Saints 24. See you next year, Brett.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
I called my BCBS agent Monday about those two letters I got. He laughed it off as a mistake, and I believed him. His name is Steve Kielbasa, by the way. I asked him if he’d eaten any good sausages lately, but he didn’t think that was very funny. Anyway, he took the information that was missing from my application and said he would send it along to the underwriters. I asked if I would have to wait another four weeks to hear something from them, and he said probably not. Back to the waiting game, though, for now.
Something else really perturbed me this week. The screen reader I’ve been using, System Access To Go, is going through some changes. I started using SA To Go because it was free, and once I got used to it I really began to like it. In my own opinion, it’s marginally better than Jaws. Friday, however, when I logged in to my SA To Go account, I discovered a really yucky synthesized voice that was difficult to understand. To get the nice sounding voice back, you now have to pay forty dollars. I thought that was kind of a low blow, but it’s still about 1,160 dollars cheaper than Jaws, so I decided to pay. I still didn’t get the good voice, though. Every time I log in it still asks me if I want to upgrade. I did get an email receipt and an invoice number for my payment and there’s a phone number on the receipt to call if you have problems. I have to wait until Monday to call, however, because they don’t keep hours on the weekend. Hopefully I can get that straightened out without any problem. What really worries me is what other features they might decide to start charging for.
Humm, I guess that’s about all the business I have to discuss. It’s been a slow week. I haven’t really been playing my sax lately. I’ve been spending most of my time browsing through the library’s audio book collection and writing book reviews like mad. I’ve been getting on the exercise bike pretty regularly for the last three weeks, so I’m feeling good about that. It always feels good to know you’re doing something that’s good for you, doesn’t it? Now if I could just start eating better.
Since Christmas, the weather has straightened out a little bit with temps in the 30’s and 40’s, but this week we have had another cold snap and more snow. Just a couple inches of snow, though, and no high winds to make it drift. I don’t mind that kind of snow as much. Sure can’t wait for spring, though.
Okay, football! Colts versus Saints. I picked the Colts to go to the superbowl, but I really thought the Vikings would beat the Saints. Or maybe I was just hoping. I like Brett Favre a lot and I know he doesn’t have too many years left in him, so I was kind of hoping he could go to the superbowl this year and cap off his career on a high note. Colts versus Saints will be a good game, though. Since Favre is out, I’d like to see Peyton Manning and the Colts win this one. Should be a good game either way as they are both great teams.
Naturally, I always look forward to the superbowl, but it’s also kind of sad because it will be eight months before there’s another football game. I never developed an interest in baseball or basketball, so I just wait for football to start again. Wait, Wait, Wait, it seems like that’s all I do.
Okay, I don’t normally do this, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a superbowl prediction. Colts 27, Saints 24. See you next year, Brett.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Journal - Audio Books and Football
Hi there everyone! I don’t have anything really important to talk about today. I do have a few minor things that I wanted to put down in the record, though.
I haven’t heard anything back from BCBS on the insurance. I’m not feeling too bad about that, though. Over Christmas I was feeling down and just wanted to get it all taken care of as quickly as possible. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm willing to wait again. I'm still not completely sure if this is the path God wants me to take, anyway. Joni filled out the application for me and mailed it in, and that’s really all I can do. Now I sit back and see whereGod leads me.
On a more exciting note, I have new audio books to listen to! Since Joni and I went to Minden and got our Nebraska I D’s, I was finally able to get a library card for the Kearney library. We went there last Wednesday to do that, and I took a look at their selection of audio books on CD. From what Joni says, and from what I could feelwith my own hands, they have a much larger selection than our library back in Carrollton. So for the last week, I’ve been enjoying searching through their catalog online. Their search engine is kind of tricky, not because I’m blind, but because it’s not organized very well, but I’m gradually getting the hang of it. I can find audio books online and put them on hold, then when they are ready to pick up, they send me an email and Joni can stop and pick them up on her weekly shopping trip. I haven’t had a new book to listen to for about a year so I’m pretty excited about hearing some new books and reviewing them for my other blog, “Reviews From the Deep.” In addition to the CD audio books, they also have audio books that you can download directly to your computer. Those are much more handy and the search engine for those is easier to use, but the selection is not quite as good. Between the two formats, though, I’ll have lots and lots of new books to listen to.
Okay, let’s talk football. I’ve never been a fan of basketball or baseball, but I love football. That means I spend the whole year anticipating the upcoming football season. This year was a little hard for me, however. The games aren’t as much fun to listen to, as they are to watch. I did get some enjoyment from listening to the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ games on the radio, those guys know how to do it, but the TV announcers are just no good. I never noticed before how little the commentators talk about what is actually happening on the field. All that aside, I have been enjoying the playoffs. Since I didn’t pay that much attention during the season, I was surprised to see the New York Jets as a wildcard team, and even more surprised to see them beat the Chargers. They have to play the Colts next, though, and I don’t think they’ll do it. Also, it was interesting to see all three teams that Brett Favre played for in the playoffs this year; the Green Bay Packers, who lost their wildcard game; the Jets who are still alive; and, of course, the Vikings who I think will beat the Saints and play against the Colts in the superbowl. I like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre equally, so I don’t really know who I will route for in the superbowl. Should be a good game though.
Last Sunday, Mom stopped by and brought food. Yay, I love food! She brought her famous German chocolate caramel bars, and her even more famous ham balls. Oh, and she brought Aunt LeeDel’s bread. Every Christmas, Aunt LeeDel makes banana bread, cherry bread, and pumpkin bread. She didn’t get to come for Christmas this year because of all the snow we had, and apparently it was even worse up in Sioux Falls, where she lives, so she mailed the bread to Mom, and Mom delivered it to everyone. The ham balls are gone already, the brownies are close, and the bread is about half gone. You’d think we never eat around here!
I’m still getting on the exercise bike, but not regularly. I’m trying to do better about that and this week I’ve done pretty good; every day so far. I downloaded some new karaoke music to play my sax with, but I haven’t realy been playing very much. I miss the Christmas music. Also I’ve been busy with audio books.
Well, that’s what’s been going on. Oh! I almost forgot, Bobbi's husband, Mike, had hip-replacement surgery last week. We visited him in the hospital last Thursday, the same day we went to the library. He’s home now and recovering so remember to pray for Mike!
See ya next time!
1 Samuel 12:23-24 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
I haven’t heard anything back from BCBS on the insurance. I’m not feeling too bad about that, though. Over Christmas I was feeling down and just wanted to get it all taken care of as quickly as possible. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm willing to wait again. I'm still not completely sure if this is the path God wants me to take, anyway. Joni filled out the application for me and mailed it in, and that’s really all I can do. Now I sit back and see whereGod leads me.
On a more exciting note, I have new audio books to listen to! Since Joni and I went to Minden and got our Nebraska I D’s, I was finally able to get a library card for the Kearney library. We went there last Wednesday to do that, and I took a look at their selection of audio books on CD. From what Joni says, and from what I could feelwith my own hands, they have a much larger selection than our library back in Carrollton. So for the last week, I’ve been enjoying searching through their catalog online. Their search engine is kind of tricky, not because I’m blind, but because it’s not organized very well, but I’m gradually getting the hang of it. I can find audio books online and put them on hold, then when they are ready to pick up, they send me an email and Joni can stop and pick them up on her weekly shopping trip. I haven’t had a new book to listen to for about a year so I’m pretty excited about hearing some new books and reviewing them for my other blog, “Reviews From the Deep.” In addition to the CD audio books, they also have audio books that you can download directly to your computer. Those are much more handy and the search engine for those is easier to use, but the selection is not quite as good. Between the two formats, though, I’ll have lots and lots of new books to listen to.
Okay, let’s talk football. I’ve never been a fan of basketball or baseball, but I love football. That means I spend the whole year anticipating the upcoming football season. This year was a little hard for me, however. The games aren’t as much fun to listen to, as they are to watch. I did get some enjoyment from listening to the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ games on the radio, those guys know how to do it, but the TV announcers are just no good. I never noticed before how little the commentators talk about what is actually happening on the field. All that aside, I have been enjoying the playoffs. Since I didn’t pay that much attention during the season, I was surprised to see the New York Jets as a wildcard team, and even more surprised to see them beat the Chargers. They have to play the Colts next, though, and I don’t think they’ll do it. Also, it was interesting to see all three teams that Brett Favre played for in the playoffs this year; the Green Bay Packers, who lost their wildcard game; the Jets who are still alive; and, of course, the Vikings who I think will beat the Saints and play against the Colts in the superbowl. I like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre equally, so I don’t really know who I will route for in the superbowl. Should be a good game though.
Last Sunday, Mom stopped by and brought food. Yay, I love food! She brought her famous German chocolate caramel bars, and her even more famous ham balls. Oh, and she brought Aunt LeeDel’s bread. Every Christmas, Aunt LeeDel makes banana bread, cherry bread, and pumpkin bread. She didn’t get to come for Christmas this year because of all the snow we had, and apparently it was even worse up in Sioux Falls, where she lives, so she mailed the bread to Mom, and Mom delivered it to everyone. The ham balls are gone already, the brownies are close, and the bread is about half gone. You’d think we never eat around here!
I’m still getting on the exercise bike, but not regularly. I’m trying to do better about that and this week I’ve done pretty good; every day so far. I downloaded some new karaoke music to play my sax with, but I haven’t realy been playing very much. I miss the Christmas music. Also I’ve been busy with audio books.
Well, that’s what’s been going on. Oh! I almost forgot, Bobbi's husband, Mike, had hip-replacement surgery last week. We visited him in the hospital last Thursday, the same day we went to the library. He’s home now and recovering so remember to pray for Mike!
See ya next time!
1 Samuel 12:23-24 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Holiday Blues
Hi there. Well, after my writing frenzy last week, I just haven’t been in the mood these last couple of days. I think I have a case of the post-holiday blues. I know, I know, the holidays aren’t over yet, but that’s how I feel.
Ever since sometime around Thanksgiving, we’ve been planning and preparing for our party on the 19th. Well, the 19th came and went and has left me feeling a little empty. I don't feel disappointed exactly; Saturday was a great day and I enjoyed it a lot. But now the excitement is over, and I feel a little blue, that’s all. Maybe if I talk about Saturday, I'll feel a little better.
I already told you about going to church on Saturday morning to pick up the food they gave us. That was a really good feeling, knowing that God was looking out for us in that way. After that, we came home and started getting things ready for our party. We had decided to keep things simple and just have chicken fajitas and let everyone build their own. So, all we really had to do was chop up all the vegetables; onions and tomatoes and black olives and all that stuff. Three days later, my hands still smell like onion, yuck!
Brenna’s violin recital was at two o’clock, so we had to leave at one fifteen. The recital was put on by a violin teacher who was basically showcasing her students. They ranged from beginners, like Brenna, up to more advanced students. Brenna performed with a group of other first years. They played “Jolly Old St Nicholas” and “Good King Wenceslaus” and they sounded great! The rest of the program was various soloists, including a couple of adults who were learning the violin. I really enjoyed hearing Brenna play. I’m so glad she’s learning an instrument, and I hope she can get as much enjoyment from it as I have over the years. The recital was held in a nursing home which I thought was pretty nice.
Then it was back home again to finish our preparations. We still had a little time to kill, so I ran through “O Holy Night” and “Where Are You Christmas?” a few more times. I was still having trouble with those two, but I had done my best.
My family started showing up at 5:30. They’re a very punctual bunch. Joni finished getting the food ready and we all sat down to eat. The food was good, and the company was great. Joni cleaned up a bit and then it was time for me to play.
I was so nervous that I was actually trembling so the first couple of songs didn’t sound that great, but I finally began to calm down a little and the next few songs sounded pretty good. Then it was time for “O Holy Night.”
Well, guess what? I nailed it! I can’t even describe how I felt when I realized that I was hitting all the notes. In fact, I nailed it so well, that I started to laugh and I almost couldn’t finish the song. It's so hard to describe that feeling. It was like the whole room dropped away, and it was just me and the music. I guess that’s what people mean when they talk about being “in the zone.” I suppose it sounds a little silly, but it was kind of an emotional moment for me. After the song ended, the laughter that was bubbling up inside me, turned to tears. Well, luckily the next ong had a long intro and I pulled myself together in time.
The next song was “Where Are You Christmas?” and I messed it up, but I didn’t even care. The last three songs went fine though, and then it was over. Everyone sat around talking for a while after that, and then wenthome. Joni and I were way too wired to go to bed so we stayed up for a while. It had been a really great day.
Sunday, after we got home from church, I realized that I didn’t need to practice any more and I just kind of fell into a funk. On Monday, I decided to play anyway, and that helped a little bit, but it just wasn’t the same. I'm feeling a little better today, though, and there’s still Christmas day to look forward to. My family always gathers at Brad’s house and this will be my first Christmas with them in 8 or 9 years. That will be fun, although I feel bad that Joni can’t be with her family too. They live all the way over in Baltimore and there’s just no way for us to get there. God has his reasons for putting us where we are, and I guess we'll just have to trust in Him.
Well, this might be my last post before Christmas, so I am going to take a moment here to wish you and your family the most joyous Christmas imagineable. As you are opening your gifts, try to take a moment to think about that most wonderful gift of all that was given to us by God.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you!
Luke 2:8-14 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Ever since sometime around Thanksgiving, we’ve been planning and preparing for our party on the 19th. Well, the 19th came and went and has left me feeling a little empty. I don't feel disappointed exactly; Saturday was a great day and I enjoyed it a lot. But now the excitement is over, and I feel a little blue, that’s all. Maybe if I talk about Saturday, I'll feel a little better.
I already told you about going to church on Saturday morning to pick up the food they gave us. That was a really good feeling, knowing that God was looking out for us in that way. After that, we came home and started getting things ready for our party. We had decided to keep things simple and just have chicken fajitas and let everyone build their own. So, all we really had to do was chop up all the vegetables; onions and tomatoes and black olives and all that stuff. Three days later, my hands still smell like onion, yuck!
Brenna’s violin recital was at two o’clock, so we had to leave at one fifteen. The recital was put on by a violin teacher who was basically showcasing her students. They ranged from beginners, like Brenna, up to more advanced students. Brenna performed with a group of other first years. They played “Jolly Old St Nicholas” and “Good King Wenceslaus” and they sounded great! The rest of the program was various soloists, including a couple of adults who were learning the violin. I really enjoyed hearing Brenna play. I’m so glad she’s learning an instrument, and I hope she can get as much enjoyment from it as I have over the years. The recital was held in a nursing home which I thought was pretty nice.
Then it was back home again to finish our preparations. We still had a little time to kill, so I ran through “O Holy Night” and “Where Are You Christmas?” a few more times. I was still having trouble with those two, but I had done my best.
My family started showing up at 5:30. They’re a very punctual bunch. Joni finished getting the food ready and we all sat down to eat. The food was good, and the company was great. Joni cleaned up a bit and then it was time for me to play.
I was so nervous that I was actually trembling so the first couple of songs didn’t sound that great, but I finally began to calm down a little and the next few songs sounded pretty good. Then it was time for “O Holy Night.”
Well, guess what? I nailed it! I can’t even describe how I felt when I realized that I was hitting all the notes. In fact, I nailed it so well, that I started to laugh and I almost couldn’t finish the song. It's so hard to describe that feeling. It was like the whole room dropped away, and it was just me and the music. I guess that’s what people mean when they talk about being “in the zone.” I suppose it sounds a little silly, but it was kind of an emotional moment for me. After the song ended, the laughter that was bubbling up inside me, turned to tears. Well, luckily the next ong had a long intro and I pulled myself together in time.
The next song was “Where Are You Christmas?” and I messed it up, but I didn’t even care. The last three songs went fine though, and then it was over. Everyone sat around talking for a while after that, and then wenthome. Joni and I were way too wired to go to bed so we stayed up for a while. It had been a really great day.
Sunday, after we got home from church, I realized that I didn’t need to practice any more and I just kind of fell into a funk. On Monday, I decided to play anyway, and that helped a little bit, but it just wasn’t the same. I'm feeling a little better today, though, and there’s still Christmas day to look forward to. My family always gathers at Brad’s house and this will be my first Christmas with them in 8 or 9 years. That will be fun, although I feel bad that Joni can’t be with her family too. They live all the way over in Baltimore and there’s just no way for us to get there. God has his reasons for putting us where we are, and I guess we'll just have to trust in Him.
Well, this might be my last post before Christmas, so I am going to take a moment here to wish you and your family the most joyous Christmas imagineable. As you are opening your gifts, try to take a moment to think about that most wonderful gift of all that was given to us by God.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you!
Luke 2:8-14 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Journal - Party Countdown
Well, here it is, the 19th already! This will be a busy day for us so I hope I have time to post this. Of course, if you're reading it, then obviously I posted it haha! Okay, I'll be honest with you. I'm really writing this on Friday because I know I won’t have time to sit down and write on Saturday. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to copy and paste it into my blog on Saturday so I think I can handle that.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Journal - Happy Birthday!
Wow! It’s a landmark day for Drums In The Deep! This is the first time I’ve posted twice in one day. Ensign Ro will be so proud of me!
Well, I was up late last night getting some things off my chest. And I must say, after that I went to bed and slept very soundly until about 7:30 this morning. Things always look better in the light of day, even if you can’t see the light, so to speak. Also, I got a couple of very thought-provoking comments on last night’s post. So I’m feeling a little better about things this morning. Also, I can’t be down today because IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!
Yup, I’m 39 today, and it’s shaping up to be a good day. I had lots of nice things in my email this morning; blog comments, birthday wishes from Facebook, an e-card from Aunt LeeDel, and a birthday email from Mom. Joni is off to Kearney to get my birthday socks. I love getting new socks, and I look forward to them all year. Last years’ socks really took a beating. Since I haven’t been working, I haven’t been wearing shoes very much so my socks are all worn out. Also, Joni is bringing home McDonald’s for lunch. A couple of days ago, I saw a commercial for a new burger they have; the 1/3 pound angus burger! Well, let me tell you, I’ve been dying to try one ever since I saw it so that’s what I’m getting for my birthday. Also we’ll get some of the Coke glasses they’re giving with the value meals. That will be nice because since going blind, I’ve broken all our glasses. We all have to use plastic cups now.
So I just wanted to post something happy today to balance out the more somber post of last night. After I finish this I’m going to practice on my sax for a while. Which reminds me! I’m so excited, Joni and I are having the family over on the 19th for a little pre-Christmas get-together. We’re going to have supper and then I’m going to play some Christmas music.
As an early birthday present last week, Joni let me download some new karaoke songs. At Amazon.com, you can buy and download individual songs for 99 cents each. I think that’s a great deal instead of buying a whole CD that has maybe 1 or 2 good songs on it. So I got 10 new Christmas songs. Some of them are really difficult so I’ve been working really hard on them. I’m excited about it because my family has done so much for me this year, and I know it’s not much, but this is how I can say thanks.
One more thing and then I’m out of here. It’s cold! Joni said it was 10 degrees this morning. Am I missing Texas? Well, I miss the weather, I know that much. I’ll take 100 degree summers over this anytime! Now if I could just get my family to move down there!
Isn’t that amazing? Just a few hours ago I was all depressed, but I prayed about it and God lifted my spirits! And he used all of my favorite people to do it!
Okay, gott ago practice. See ya later!
Psalms 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Well, I was up late last night getting some things off my chest. And I must say, after that I went to bed and slept very soundly until about 7:30 this morning. Things always look better in the light of day, even if you can’t see the light, so to speak. Also, I got a couple of very thought-provoking comments on last night’s post. So I’m feeling a little better about things this morning. Also, I can’t be down today because IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!
Yup, I’m 39 today, and it’s shaping up to be a good day. I had lots of nice things in my email this morning; blog comments, birthday wishes from Facebook, an e-card from Aunt LeeDel, and a birthday email from Mom. Joni is off to Kearney to get my birthday socks. I love getting new socks, and I look forward to them all year. Last years’ socks really took a beating. Since I haven’t been working, I haven’t been wearing shoes very much so my socks are all worn out. Also, Joni is bringing home McDonald’s for lunch. A couple of days ago, I saw a commercial for a new burger they have; the 1/3 pound angus burger! Well, let me tell you, I’ve been dying to try one ever since I saw it so that’s what I’m getting for my birthday. Also we’ll get some of the Coke glasses they’re giving with the value meals. That will be nice because since going blind, I’ve broken all our glasses. We all have to use plastic cups now.
So I just wanted to post something happy today to balance out the more somber post of last night. After I finish this I’m going to practice on my sax for a while. Which reminds me! I’m so excited, Joni and I are having the family over on the 19th for a little pre-Christmas get-together. We’re going to have supper and then I’m going to play some Christmas music.
As an early birthday present last week, Joni let me download some new karaoke songs. At Amazon.com, you can buy and download individual songs for 99 cents each. I think that’s a great deal instead of buying a whole CD that has maybe 1 or 2 good songs on it. So I got 10 new Christmas songs. Some of them are really difficult so I’ve been working really hard on them. I’m excited about it because my family has done so much for me this year, and I know it’s not much, but this is how I can say thanks.
One more thing and then I’m out of here. It’s cold! Joni said it was 10 degrees this morning. Am I missing Texas? Well, I miss the weather, I know that much. I’ll take 100 degree summers over this anytime! Now if I could just get my family to move down there!
Isn’t that amazing? Just a few hours ago I was all depressed, but I prayed about it and God lifted my spirits! And he used all of my favorite people to do it!
Okay, gott ago practice. See ya later!
Psalms 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Journal - Busy Week
Whew! It’s been quite a week, so I thought I would take a few minutes to describe it. This probably won’t be very interesting to read, this is mostly for me. Someday, I will enjoy reading back over these posts to see what was happening in my life when I was blind. So here’s a recap:
Saturday, November 21: Joni, Adam, and I rode to Kearney, (pronounced car-nee), with Mom to watch Brenna play volleyball. Her grade doesn’t play against other schools yet, it’s really more of a practice with a short scrimmage at the end. I’m discovering that my daughter is kind of shy. That will present a challenge because I’m not very talkative either. I got to talking to Mom about how I’m finding it hard to get any exercise and found out she had an exercise bike in her basement that she wasn’t using. So when we got back, Joni and I loaded it up and took it home. I found out how much out of shape I am because the next day I was sore just from carrying that darn thing.
Sunday, November 22: Went to church today as usual. Pastor Mike gave a really good sermon about being thankful. It’s so easy to get caught up with all the things we want or the things we wish we could do, that we forget to be thankful for what we have. It’s always good to get that reminder. Also, Kylie, (my sister Bobbi’s daughter), turned 15 on Saturday so today was her “family party.” We went over for a little while and had cake and ice cream.
Monday, November 23: We didn’t have anywhere to go today, so Joni spent the morning and early afternoon cleaning. We aren’t expecting any company, but she always gives the house a thorough cleaning for the holidays. I’m not much help with that so I played the saxophone for her while she worked. I got in the mood early this year so I’ve been working on some Christmas music. Later on, I took a short spin on the bike. It's one of those that you can work with your legs or your arms so it will be a good workout.
Tuesday, November 24: Back to Mom’s today. Aunt LeeDel came down from Sioux Falls on Monday, and Uncle Butch drove over from Crete just for the day. We always enjoy their visits, and today was our only day to see them since Butch only came for the day and LeeDel drove back home Wednesday morning. Also, Kevin and family arrived from Arizona at around 6pm. We all had supper together then went over to the school to watch Kylie’s play. It was a one-act of Alice in Wonderland and Kylie played three different parts. She’s so talented!
Wednesday, November 25: Went to Mom’s yet again! Today was our big gathering with all four of us kids, spouses, and all the grandchildren. The house was so crowded! It was a little intimidating because I knew I couldn’t move around through the house without tripping over everybody, so I mostly stayed in one chair all day. I had fun though and Brenna was there so I got to talk to her a little bit. After supper we went over to the church to take family pictures. There just wasn’t room in the house to do that. Mom got her picture of us four kids, the first one in 22 years. It was such a special day but I was totally exhausted when we got home at around 8pm. It’s kind of hard work to listen to so many people all at once!
Thanksgiving Day: Today we stayed home and had our traditional holiday with just the three of us. Joni’s turkey was delicious as always and everything else was great too. We had so many things to be thankful for this year that we hardly knew where to begin. God has been very good to us, fulfilling all of our needs just as He promised He would, and then some! After the kitchen was cleaned up we all just lazed around the house and watched a little football. It was really a nice, relaxing day.
Friday, November 27: Well, another Thanksgiving come and gone. Things are returning to normal, which means it was a pretty quiet day. Had turkey sandwiches for lunch, (one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving), then I took a spin on the bike. I’m up to 30 minute workouts already and no sore muscles. After that, it was time for the Nebraska vs. Colorado game. It was on TV today, but I still prefer the radio because they’re better at explaining what’s going on. And Nebraska won! Go Huskers!
So that was our big holiday week! It sure was great spending some time with the family, but I’m glad the holidays only come around once a year! Seriously though, I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I hope that you are too, and I hope you'll take some time this holiday season to remember those who don't have families, or homes, or turkey dinners. You may not be in a position to help them financially, but we can always pray for them.
Look out Christmas, here we come!
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Saturday, November 21: Joni, Adam, and I rode to Kearney, (pronounced car-nee), with Mom to watch Brenna play volleyball. Her grade doesn’t play against other schools yet, it’s really more of a practice with a short scrimmage at the end. I’m discovering that my daughter is kind of shy. That will present a challenge because I’m not very talkative either. I got to talking to Mom about how I’m finding it hard to get any exercise and found out she had an exercise bike in her basement that she wasn’t using. So when we got back, Joni and I loaded it up and took it home. I found out how much out of shape I am because the next day I was sore just from carrying that darn thing.
Sunday, November 22: Went to church today as usual. Pastor Mike gave a really good sermon about being thankful. It’s so easy to get caught up with all the things we want or the things we wish we could do, that we forget to be thankful for what we have. It’s always good to get that reminder. Also, Kylie, (my sister Bobbi’s daughter), turned 15 on Saturday so today was her “family party.” We went over for a little while and had cake and ice cream.
Monday, November 23: We didn’t have anywhere to go today, so Joni spent the morning and early afternoon cleaning. We aren’t expecting any company, but she always gives the house a thorough cleaning for the holidays. I’m not much help with that so I played the saxophone for her while she worked. I got in the mood early this year so I’ve been working on some Christmas music. Later on, I took a short spin on the bike. It's one of those that you can work with your legs or your arms so it will be a good workout.
Tuesday, November 24: Back to Mom’s today. Aunt LeeDel came down from Sioux Falls on Monday, and Uncle Butch drove over from Crete just for the day. We always enjoy their visits, and today was our only day to see them since Butch only came for the day and LeeDel drove back home Wednesday morning. Also, Kevin and family arrived from Arizona at around 6pm. We all had supper together then went over to the school to watch Kylie’s play. It was a one-act of Alice in Wonderland and Kylie played three different parts. She’s so talented!
Wednesday, November 25: Went to Mom’s yet again! Today was our big gathering with all four of us kids, spouses, and all the grandchildren. The house was so crowded! It was a little intimidating because I knew I couldn’t move around through the house without tripping over everybody, so I mostly stayed in one chair all day. I had fun though and Brenna was there so I got to talk to her a little bit. After supper we went over to the church to take family pictures. There just wasn’t room in the house to do that. Mom got her picture of us four kids, the first one in 22 years. It was such a special day but I was totally exhausted when we got home at around 8pm. It’s kind of hard work to listen to so many people all at once!
Thanksgiving Day: Today we stayed home and had our traditional holiday with just the three of us. Joni’s turkey was delicious as always and everything else was great too. We had so many things to be thankful for this year that we hardly knew where to begin. God has been very good to us, fulfilling all of our needs just as He promised He would, and then some! After the kitchen was cleaned up we all just lazed around the house and watched a little football. It was really a nice, relaxing day.
Friday, November 27: Well, another Thanksgiving come and gone. Things are returning to normal, which means it was a pretty quiet day. Had turkey sandwiches for lunch, (one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving), then I took a spin on the bike. I’m up to 30 minute workouts already and no sore muscles. After that, it was time for the Nebraska vs. Colorado game. It was on TV today, but I still prefer the radio because they’re better at explaining what’s going on. And Nebraska won! Go Huskers!
So that was our big holiday week! It sure was great spending some time with the family, but I’m glad the holidays only come around once a year! Seriously though, I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I hope that you are too, and I hope you'll take some time this holiday season to remember those who don't have families, or homes, or turkey dinners. You may not be in a position to help them financially, but we can always pray for them.
Look out Christmas, here we come!
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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