Pre-Memorial ramblings well into the night...

Sunday, May 26, 2008.

It's about 1:21 a.m. in the morning on Monday morning, memorial day, and I had a long nap this past afternoon, which is kind of messed up my sleeping schedule for tonight. For the most part, today was particularly fun because I was able to go to church, or better said, we as a family went to church this morning to Capital Christian and we all sat together in the pew and enjoyed church altogether as a family; something that is becoming more regular than it has ever been in my life. As for this morning, we all got up in a timely manner and were able to get cleaned up and dressed and ready to go in time for their 11:15 Contemporary Service. CC dropped us off at the front doors so that we could walk in slowly and comfortably and by the time she parked in a handicapped space closest to the church, she was able to catch up to us even before we had reached our normal entrance door into the sanctuary. I had packed a PB and J. sandwich and some carrots and a couple bottles of water for this morning's outing in hopes that that would be able to hold me until lunchtime and head off any metabolic challenges that may arise, which it did. The pastor who preached this morning spoke on dreams and dreaming; this is the ongoing topic for the better part of May, and they have had a variety of teachers teach on the subject. Josh was sleepy and restless, but the rest of us were engaged by the pastor's message.

After church and the slow walk to the van, we loaded in and we headed back towards home. Wisely, CC had brought a tank of oxygen to have in the car for the travel and I was very appreciative of having access to that on the ride home. We came home after lunch out (a VERY rare occasion), and I was able to slowly walk into the house, even more slowly than I had walked previously, and headed for my bed upstairs to take what was supposed to be a 30 minute nap.

Five hours later, I awoke to the smell of CC cooking dinner for the kids downstairs. I took to pondering how it was that I slept for five hours for the next 15 minutes or so and then determined that if I was to continue to ponder, I was likely to go back to sleep for who knows how long, so I got up and went downstairs to see what all had transpired while I had been asleep. Wonderfully and miraculously, CC found several of my medical documents from eight plus years ago, where we still lived in the Bay Area and within those documents were notes from the labs that had been run indicating consistency in a number of elevated labs in question now. We hope that this will prove helpful once they are copied and forwarded on to my primary care physician as well as my current G.I. Dr..

I should note that CC’s main goal for this three day weekend is to go through all the boxes in the garage and restore our garage in to a 1&1/2 car garage available for parking the van within, like it had been when we first moved in here. Needless to say, this endeavor will turn up many, many documents, pictures, toys and all kinds of things that we have been missing since 2003 when we moved up into Fair Oaks and had to put most of our belongings into boxes six months after we arrived, in order to accommodate the living change of CC’s mom coming to live with us from Saratoga. The bottom line, as well as the end result, was that many things that we wanted access to no longer were accessible and soon became lost in a labyrinth of cardboard boxes and gaff tape.

So, that covers today or better said, that covers yesterday, which was Sunday. As for Saturday, CC, and I both worked in the garage. Being that CC wakes up way early, she had done quite a bit of work by the time I had gotten in there in the morning. I started taking care of small projects that I felt I could begin and end with, which was helpful in that I didn't find myself getting frustrated for not being able to finish a big project due to health factors coming into play.

CC is incredible. When she gets a drive to get something done, few things can get in her way and keep her from accomplishing her goal. Unfortunately, I DO happen to be one of those things that can slow her down, but due to our knowledge of how to treat and take care of my symptoms and condition, for the most part, she is able to get me stabilized and then the kids help monitor my status, while life is able to continue on in the house instead of everything coming to a complete stop, because daddy is sick, yet again. At one point around lunch time, I got caught up in taping down the ramp that my father built going from the garage into the house and I wanted to tape it down to the floor and the rugs so that the wheelchair travels more smoothly from one location to the other location. I figured I wouldn't be down very long doing what I was doing and I was hoping that I would not pay a price for it... but I was wrong. CC and Josh were in the garage at the time that I stood up after my final stretch of taping, and very shortly thereafter I was aware that I was sitting in a chair and then from there Missy appeared and she and CC helped to carry me into the living room and onto the couch for what would be about a four hour nap, complete with muscle spasms, liquid K+ and nasty, nasty pain. I get angry with myself for doing things that I know, in retrospect I should not do, but at the time, it seems so easy to do and of little risk. I think that CC gets more angry with me than I get with me, primarily because we go over, and over, and over the topics of what I should and should not do and the things that I have to just let go of and let other people do. But that is hard; much harder than anyone could imagine to do, PLUS it is on a daily basis, not a weekly basis, not a monthly basis. Normally after a person has been leaning down or down on their hands and knees for a period of time working on something, when they stand up or stand up quickly, they get what we would always call "head rush" and then they would have to stand still for a few moments to gain their bearings about their internal system levels out. That used to be me as well, but now I don't walk away from a head rush. I am fortunate if I can remain standing, I am unfortunate, if I cannot. Apparently, I knocked some things over yesterday in my attempts to try to get my balance and be able to hold myself up; I couldn't see, and I couldn't stay standing. Once again, CC caught me (I think) and Josh brought a chair over and I dropped into the chair placed directly behind me. One must keep in mind that I weigh + /- 250 pounds, which is a lot for CC to have to hold as dead weight.

After the lengthy nap, CC and the kids brought in the videos that they had rented the day before, and we chose to watch a video called “August Rush”. Apparently, this movie won several awards, and after watching it, I could see why. I would strongly recommend anyone picking it up and enjoying it when time and opportunity present themselves simultaneously. Essentially, it is about a boy who is growing up in a orphanage, and he dreams of finding his parents, and he believes that he can hear them in the “music”, and that the music will help to lead him to them and bring them together. The music is mostly in his head, though, as the movie moves along and he is given the opportunity to try different instruments, he masters them with the speed of a prodigy. He runs away from the orphanage and gets hooked up with Robin Williams, who portrays a character most believable. Robin’s character is that of a hustler, who uses gifted kids and play instruments in several different locations in New York and the money that they collect they bring back to him and then he gives them a slight portion of the money while the rest goes to him. I won't tell you too much more past that, except that the movie does have a happy ending though it runs a little bit long. It is a good family movie and quite enjoyable.

Following watching the movie, the kids prepared the downstairs couch for them to sleep on and CC and I retreated up the stairs and called it an evening, going to sleep shortly thereafter.

Completely new topic:

Most regrettably, and it breaks my heart to do it, I am going to have to put my truck up for sale on Craig's list. The "Red Hot Chili Pepper" must find a new home and a new owner being that it is costing us monthly to simply keep it here at the house for me to simply and painfully look at and not drive. When God restores my health, and I am once again privileged to drive, I will again look for a truck very similar to the Pepper.

*sigh*

E-mail me or call me if you have any interests in it, or if you know of anyone that would be interested in it.

I expect that the next entry will include more regarding what is coming up medically for me, what is on the horizon and my attempts and communication, requesting prayer cover, prayer support and prayer encouragement for me, my wife, my daughter and my son, as well as my family in the Bay Area and my Aunt and Uncle up here in Sacto Area, as well as my friends who have become family: “My Team” from FOPC and who will always be “My Boys” from MPPC. Not to forget my Chinese Uncle/Mentor; a divine friend and brother. This very brief list does not merely reflect a huge list that is within my heart. If you know me, then, you know you are there.

It is now 2:56 a.m. and I am done typing (or better said, speaking/dictating)

Peace-