Mother's Day, mea culpa

Yes, I messed up.  We don't generally do anything real big for Mother's Day.  For most of our married life we have been the ones to go visit Mom's, in-laws and Grandmom's on that day.  Lots of travel time to various locations (4-5) in the city all in one day.  No big party, maybe a meal, but mostly visiting and letting them know our appreciation.  This year got a bit messed up.  The youngest son came over to church with us and then out to dinner.  We were to be at my Mom's at 2:30 and the oldest son would meet us their with his family.  We all show up and they aren't there.  Not like them at all.  They went to my brother's for lunch.  My Mom wanted to apologize, but it wasn't her fault at all.  I just assumed Kim had set the time up with them since she told me a specific time.  She has always been my social director.  Nope, she never spoke to her and neither did I.  We just didn't communicate, with her or each other. So I didn't get to see my mother.

Not a big deal really, except Kim started feeling bad about it.  She could tell I was a little aggravated to have gone all that way for nothing.  So it kinda ruined the day for her.  My Bad.  I shouldn't have let my aggravation show, but she see's it anyway.  It's my Mom, I should have been more involved even though this has fallen on her shoulders for years.  She has been really working hard with her business lately and that has occupied most of her time.  Sometimes we just don't get things done like we should.  I tried to take some of the heat off her by admitting that I just MAY have been the one that was at fault.  Actually I took all the heat.  But having the Grandkids out to the house and those people that take care of them, did a better job of making her feel better.

Our 40th anniversary is this year.  We have been wanting to do something more than we do for our usual.  Maybe a trip or a party.   With our lack of planning as our history we need to start on this NOW.  So it goes, 'What do you want to do?  I don't know what do you want to do?"   The kids had thought if we went on a trip that they would go with us to celebrate also.  We kicked around some ideas but never really settled on anything.  That was before the finances took a big hit this last year.  Kim has suggested a party.  I'm not much of a party sort, in fact I just don't like them much at all.  But, she will probably get what she wants and I will just have to suck it up.  Hopefully we can communicate on this better than we have.

Father's Day?  I don't know, what do you want to do?

Happy Trails

Singer

Was listening to Buster's favorite song

He really likes Don Edwards, so do I.

Then there's this:

Happy Trails

Things are Picking Up

Kim's adding that new resort to her work schedule has been paying off.  It hasn't quite taken the place of the loss at the other resort but we can't complain.  With that, comes more leather work quite suddenly.  It caught me a bit off guard.  I had started work on a couple more wallets for her to add to her inventory and my friend approached me about making the knife sheaths for his store.  That put the wallets down the list.  Kim came home Saturday night with an two custom orders.  One for a leather cigar case, they bought my last one and wanted another with their ranch brand.  Also a legal size portfolio with specific colors and personalization.  These move to the top of the list since I get full price.  I wasn't expecting any custom orders.  They aren't real frequent from folks I have never met.  Most has been from friends.  I put a lot of pressure on myself for these type orders.  It ramps up a bit more as I know I haven't been in top form lately.  But I needed the challenge.  

Need to order some new leather for that portfolio as I don't have what I need on hand.  While I am waiting for that order to arrive I can get one of those wallets finished up and out of the way, maybe both.  Pics when they are finished.

Here's some photos of one of the type scabbards I made. 

The knife is a Case full size Trapper.  I get to keep that as part of my payment for the scabbards.  Pretty nice deal for us both and I love Case knives.

Time to get back to work.

Happy Trails

Anniversary

This month marks my first visit to the Urologist that found my prostate cancer.  I haven't ever mentioned why the visit occurred in the first place other than to be treated for something other than suspicion of prostate cancer.  I had been on testosterone replacement therapy off and on over the last few years.  The last year had seen some things that my PCP decided warranted a visit to a Urologist.  Mainly that I was getting peaks and valleys of testosterone.  It wasn't consistent.       

If you will allow me to deviate a bit.  If you are considering this therapy, I will tell you here what I experienced.  The more information you have may help you decide which way to go. 

I was on injections.  Every Two weeks the wife would stick my butt.  Yeah, it would smart sometimes more than others.  Location is important.  For me it was best in the upper hip, a few inches below the belt line.  This type testosterone is a synthetic hormone.  There are side effects.  I will get to those shortly.

Why did I choose hormone replacement therapy?  There are a number of things a man can experience with low 'T.'  I was experiencing almost every one of them and had attributed it to either the aging process and or my diabetes.  Go here for a list of the symptoms: Low 'T' Symptoms.  And know that these aren't EVERY symptom.  I didn't find a complete list that I have seen elsewhere.

The biggest effects I noticed were lack of stamina while doing anything physical.  I would run out of gas much to early to the point of dizziness at times and so bushed I couldn't continue even after a rest.  Then there was a lack of focus/concentration.  I realize now how that affected me at work.  Things I knew I knew, I just couldn't get them to get done as easy as I had before.  That became a burden mentally.  When you are the only one that knows your job and folks depend on you for your answers/guidance and you have trouble telling them what they need, when you know very well you know the answers, well it sucks big time.  I also had joint pain that can be attributed to low 'T.'

What were my side effects of 'T' therapy?  Hair.  I started growing hair in places I never had it before.  Noticeably more hair in places I did have hair, except on the head.  One of nature's cruel jokes.  I had very little hair on my chest all my life and none on my back.  Well that changed.  No, I didn't look like I was wearing sweater.  It wasn't that bad.  There were also times you would think I was regressing into puberty.  Pimples.  Especially on the back.  My focus/concentration was much better.  Better stamina and strength.  These were the most noticeable of my symptoms.

There is a caution about this therapy.  Since it is a synthetic, I have been told that it ramps up cell production.  It is a steroid.  They just go nuts.  Hence the concern with this type therapy and cancer.  Especially Prostate Caner.  It DOESN'T CAUSE IT, it will help it grow if it is present.  One of the other side effects I experienced was my blood got too thick.  Thick enough that I had to have some removed every few months, 3-4.  I basically had to much blood.  That can be a major problem, it is really hard on your heart.  Donating blood that often can be a minor inconvenience too, if you force yourself to go regularly.

There are now options to this synthetic therapy.  It's an injection of pellets every 4-6 months.  It's supposed to be a 'natural' hormone replacement.   That is the route my Urologist was headed until he found the cancer. 

Now I am off ALL replacement therapy.  It is extremely noticeable to me as it happened quickly this time instead of gradually as before.  The lack of stamina, strength, focus and joint pain have returned along with everything else.  The Urologist has said he would try to get me back on therapy once I have been cancer free for one year.  That is still 6 months out.  However, there are concerns to consider.  Number one is the cancer.  Having had it, makes it more of a concern obviously.  Is it worth the trade off?  I had decided at one time to just forgo any therapy and just deal with the consequences.  Now that I have experienced the results of low 'T' in a quicker time frame they are more noticeable.  It was especially evident this past week that was filled with some considerable exertion with various tasks.  It depends on whether I can live with a certain quality of life.  I still need to learn more about this 'natural' replacement before I decide.

There it is.  These are the things I experienced.  They will be different for everyone else.  So get informed.  Most doctors now days won't tell you every thing you need to know unless you ask.  Most of the time we don't even know what to ask.  It's up to you to be in the know.

Happy Trails

The World Has Gone Insane

I have seen several reports of an upcoming training exercise called Jade Helm 15.  Apparently it is causing much concern among some folks.  I don't know a thing about those that have raised the 'alarm' about this.  Our Governor has directed the State Guard to monitor the training.  Is this grandstanding or pandering to the conspiracy theorists?

Then there's this... 

Since General Sam Houston executed his famous retreat to glory to defeat the superior forces of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Texas has been ground zero for military training. We have so many military bases in the Lone Star State we could practically attack Russia.  Rest of the story

Did you see this story about jihadists shooting at an event in Texas on your local news?  No?  I didn't either.

Also heard another story by word of mouth from a couples son that attends a major land grant university east of here.  A shooting yesterday by a minority person that didn't make the news.  Since I can't verify, I am reluctant to give anymore info.

Some of this seems to be a thing the media would just jump on for a story, yet nothing.  It certainly wouldn't play into their current methods of operation to do so though.  We here more about the things like Baltimore and Ferguson, but not a word about Islam attacking us or black on white crime.

Has the world gone nuts or am I just very naive?  It is the internet though, so it just HAS to be true.  As they say, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Locked an Loaded anyway.  Happy Trails.

First Fruits

For Breakfast

Happy Trails

Ever Have One of THOSE Days?

Well I did.  Everything I tried to do some little thing was just not quite right.  I started on one of those leather knife sheaths my friend wants to market in his store.  This is after the first one that was mildewed to badly to salvage.  This one got a bit of oxidation discoloring it.  Managed to make it less noticeable and thought it would be OK.  Every thing I did next just wasn't right.  I missed steps and also put other steps out of sequence.  Nothing I couldn't overcome easily, it just made things a little more difficult than it should have been.  Then I am just about to finish up and trim leather to the finished size and score the leather where I will need to stitch.  I proceeded to CUT along that line.  Sheesh.  OK I can make do.  I get that done and noticed that the entire sheath is bass ackwards.  Unless he wants a sheath for the left side this ain't gonna cut it.  It will just have to be a prototype he can see so he can make any changes he wants.

Then the Grands were here.  I just couldn't seem to get on the same page as they were.  Nothing I did seemed to be anything they liked, especially the boy.  They are great kids, sometimes things are just out of sorts.  The wife noticed it too.  She says it's because they don't come enough.  I have no idea.  I usually connect pretty well with most other kids all the time.  Not this time. 

I actually got them to help me do some yard work.  They did pretty well for their size and age.  It's not something I think they ever do.  They were happy that Poppy say fit that they earned a few dollars.
I told them they had to come back Saturday to help haul off the limbs they helped load and stack.  They didn't say a thing LOL.

Kids.

Once again I was up late watching my Spurs.  The game didn't start until almost 10 PM because it's on the left coast.  Once they get past these suckers maybe they won't have to go back, hopefully.

Happy Trails

Happy Trails