Light This Week

I will be up at the church building in the mornings this week helping out with VBS.  Consequently posting will likely be a little lighter than usual unless my mind wakes up a bit more.

We are having fun coming up with suggested names for the 'on the way' Grandkid.  Several have been shot down without so much as a thought.  Wynn Chester, Remington Colt, Duke Eastwood are all no goes.  Of course it is the Daughter in Law that is so disagreeable to these excellent names.  It's all in fun and part of the joy of having kids and Grandkids.  There have been numerous others that have equally been shot down.  I thought Ronald Reagan was a fine choice and to make it more appealing to my comic book writer Son changed it to Raygun.  He immediately changed that to Ray Gun.  But alas, that didn't fly either.  Well she is from Arizona and not Texas so we have that to deal with LOL.

Happy Trails

Happy News Revealed-and a Request for Help From My Readers That May Know

A friend is having a huge estate sale this weekend.  We had been given early access.  The wife had a few things she was looking for, I went along to temper her purchases, I didn't do a very good job.  They had a ton of stuff and they weren't trying to make money just trying to get rid of it.  I did find several small bags of pocket knives. I got 10 or 11 old knives for 7$.  They went to the Grandkids, their Dad, Son #2 and a neighbor kid.  I kept one, it is in the photo below.  Also picked up a box of 45 ACP.  It looks really old and is in the photo below.  I have never heard of 'kleanbore priming' and don't know anything about these rounds.  Are they safe to shoot?  If you can help me out and keep me from blowing my hand off it would be appreciated if you can tell me what you know.  They are wadcutters.

The wife found a few other random items.  We also got an older refrigerator for 20$.  I moved it yesterday with the help of a friend.  It wound up being a bigger job than we expected.  We had to remove the doors from the fridge to get it out of the house.  I guess they built the house around the fridge.  The doors leading out of the house were not the usual width, they were the width of interior doors.  Then the friends wife showed up to shop.  So we waited around even longer.  Since I was relying on his truck trailer and muscle I had no problem at all waiting, besides they are really great people.  

Today will be spent cleaning up the fridge and getting it cooled down and moved into place to replace the one we have that is having issues.  This one goes in the garage as extra freezer space and for cold drinks that take up so much room in the house fridge.  It's just a convenience thing for bulk items.

The other great news I alluded to a couple posts back is, we are getting another Grandchild.  Son #2 and his new bride gave us this extremely great news and we are having so much fun with it and suggesting names.  Of course I have to mess with them on names and such.  Son #2 is freaking out a little.  This was an accident and he is under a lot of pressure with his work at the moment.  I tried to help him out and hope he can just try to enjoy the moment, this only happens once on your life-the first child.  It should be an exceedingly happy time filled with joy and wonder.  It was for me, I hope it can be for him too.

Oh, and it you can help me out with the ammo condition, thank you.

Happy Trails

Fun and Games With Internet Trolls

I got a friend request on the book of faces this week.  This was from someone I did not know.  This happens occasionally but it is usually hot chicks that I am sure are genuine.  I do not add them as a friend.  But I do 'mess' with them on occasion.  Come to find out this internet troll sent a request to my wife also.  

This is a screenshot of this jackwagon's FB page.  AS you can see he has taken some photos off the internet of a military man.  There is some resemblance but I wasn't buying it.  I took a little closer look at the photos he represents as himself.  I don't think you will be able to see them in this photo but you probably can by googling Lt. Gen. George Casey, US Army Chief of Staff.  Yeah, you can see the name on his uniform.  What a maroon.  Do people really fall for this?  

I messaged Mr. Frank Wilson:  

Me: 'Wow, a friend request from a General, I am honored, but I have to ask why me?'  

Frank:  'Hello, where are you located dear'  Dear?  what a jackwagon

Me: I am not a 'dear'  You are a fraud, and I have reported you for stolen valor.

It didn't get any further he deleted the profile immediately.  So I didn't get to have more fun with this thing.  I was too PO'ed that he was so stupid about using photos from someone so well known that I called him out before I got to string him along more.  Ah well, maybe his next try he won't masquerade as someone in the military.  Yes I did report him to FB but I doubt they can or will do anything.  No idea how to report someone for stolen valor to authorities.

Happy Trails

Oh My Aching....

The wife told me last night that we needed to move a refrigerator.  The extra one we use as a freezer and cold drinks is having some issues.  One of our friends is having an estate sale and has a BIG one.  For 20$ she couldn't pass it up.  She had bought it for Son #2 but he can't deal with it now.  I am not able to lift anything remotely heavy with my back like it is without paying the price.  Son #1 can't help until the 23rd.  I don't like the way I will have to move it.  It will have to be laid down in the bed of my small Ranger.  You always take a chance laying one down.  But if you leave it standing up for a day or so without plugging it in, you might be OK.  That is what I am hoping for anyway.  If it dies on me I'll just have it hauled off by the guy that came and got my old BBQ pits.

The thing that bugs me the most is I obsess over little things like this.  Yeah, I know, don't sweat the small stuff.  Something that should be and is pretty simple I blow up into a big deal.  I wasn't like this years ago.  Now that I have some physical limitations it bothers me more than it should.  I was always the guy that could be counted on to help you move, whether it was just a refrigerator or your entire household.  Not being able to help others in the way I used to bugs me.  Having to ask for help is what REALLY bugs me.  I know, but my mind is a wacky place these days.

Happy Trails 

Jumbled

My mind is a jumbled mess.  I can't seem to get my thoughts sorted out into an intelligible process.  I mentioned a while back about having an emotional weekend and how it involved loved ones.  There was more of the same this weekend.  The only difference was it was unexpected.  I took it like a kick in the gut.  My mind has been running way to fast than I am used to.  Consequently I zone out a lot.  So I am not even sure how this particular post will turn out.  

Satan is real.  He is at work everyday in our lives.  Some people will even blame their actions on him, trying to avoid responsibility for the things they have done.  Yet, we have the ability to choose.  Whether to fall for his lies and succumb to temptation or to choose to walk away or keep your mouth shut.  Gossip and outright lies have and continue to be more hurtful than most anything.  The scars run deep and can last forever.  Even when forgiven, those things can still linger resulting in lack of trust.  Physical scars can last too and be damaging long term.  But I submit the emotional and psychological damage is much worse than the physical in almost every instance.  This sort of thing damages more than the person it is directed at.  There is a huge amount of collateral damage if you will.  Loved ones get involved and they get hit in the fall out.  One event can get out of control due to the way people perceive things and then the tongues start to wag looking for sympathy or, unfortunately, to get pay back.  Satan knows the tongue is his strongest weapon.  It is easy for us to 'talk' about things or others.  It can start out as information sharing and turn to something much uglier.  Lives can be changed/destroyed with a few careless words.  Those that take this path will have to answer ultimately for their actions.

Sorry for the mini sermon-this helps get my mind sorted.

There is some great news too.  I am not allowed to say exactly what it is at this moment.  It will be kept under wraps for the time being.  Unfortunately this comes at the same time as all the garbage and it detracts from this great news.

Friday

You would think after a full week of no new posts I might, just might have something worthy or interesting to write about.  Well you would be wrong.  😕 

The plumber came Thursday and got the pressure regulator installed.  Without asking he installed a cut off valve at the same time.  No extra charge.  Sweet!  We hadn't even talked about it.  

Picked the first tomatoes of the year.  Just a couple and they aren't very big at all, smallish actually.  It is new hybrid I am trying out that ripens faster and is heat resistant.  As hot as it is getting here, much hotter for this time of year than usual, it will affect my tomato production.  When it gets really hot, the plants stop setting fruit.  There are quite a few green ones already thankfully, but it the heat keeps up like this, about 5-8* hotter than normal, that may be all we get.  However, after all I have done to prepare and prevent tomato blossom rot, I still chucked three over the fence that had it.  if you aren't familiar with tomato blossom rot, the bottom of the tomato where the blossom will sometime still be attached will rot, turn blackish brown.  You may not see it until you pick it and turn it over, the tomato looks just fine otherwise.  This has been an ongoing issue for me.  From what I read it is due to a lack of calcium in the soil.  I read where adding bone meal should help with this.  I did exactly as prescribed on the directions.  I also added epsom salt as I have before.  This is something that has worked for me in the past but apparently it doesn't last.  So now I am not sure what to do next.  I will add much more bone meal than prescribed along with more epsom salts and hope that solves the issue for the remaining tomatoes.  I don't know.

Happy Trails

Prostate Cancer? What Do I Do Now?

It's been a while since I have talked here about Prostate Cancer.  I started this blog about 3.5 years ago when it was discovered I had Prostate Cancer.  I told my story and the things I was going through and urged other men to get checked and also appealed to their loved ones (wives).  I have no idea if any of that hit home with anyone but I felt like I should keep telling my story if it helped in saving someone's life.  I never once advised how they should decide to proceed if cancer was detected.  There are options and being informed is the only way to make a decision that will affect those that need to make this decision for the rest of their lives.  Each man has to make his own decision.  Make an informed one.

Over the last couple years there has arisen controversy among doctors about even testing PSA for cancer.  It is generally slow growing and many that get it will pass from something else before the cancer can get worse.  But there are those like me, I believe the choice I made saved my life.  The biopsy and PSA numbers didn't indicate that my cancer was all that bad.  I opted for surgery.  It saved my life due to it being more aggressive than the original biopsy revealed.  It also was not as big as the biopsy tended to indicate.  They thought that about 60-70% of my prostate was cancerous.  It was only 7%.  So biopsies don't reveal everything either.  Yet with the aggressive nature of mine, the doctors agreed I made the right decision.  Yes, there are issues I still deal with as a result of the surgery and I am resigned to the fact they will never be resolved.  The most common side effects are incontinence and sexual dysfunction.  Yes, those are not pleasant but there are workarounds available.  Your doctor can help with that.  For me, living longer with those I love,  even though it is not guaranteed, and peace of mind is motivation for me and I have no regrets at all.  I still get checked every 6 months with a PSA test and so far there has been no detectable cancer found.  I go again in July for another check.  I have been blessed so far.  If it returns, I still have no regrets.  

My Uncle by marriage has Prostate Cancer and at 75 is ten years older than me.  He and his doctor chose a different path.  No treatment at all.  They determined through a biopsy that his was the least aggressive form.  He would most certainly pass before it ever advanced to a life threatening stage.  His was detected at nearly the same time as mine.  Yet he still must get the biopsy ever so often to determine if it has gotten more aggressive or spread.  I don't know what he and his doctor talked about so can't agree or disagree with their decision.  It could be that the doctor's protocols did not call for any other option like surgery or even radiation.  For me, Peace of Mind is what I need.  I felt that surgery was my best option.  Taking the risk that it could all be removed by surgery and be cured completely is what I was praying for.  So far that is how it has turned out.  I am still 6.5 years away from being declared cancer free/cured.

Now to the reason I am posting about this again.  I read this article and it echoes some of the things I talk about with others and write here.  This man chose to not take ANY treatment at age 59.  Thirteen years later his cancer has spread and the outlook is grim, yet he seems happy.  But what do we really know what is going through his mind at night laying in bed or when he is alone.  

Please, go read his story here,  Prostate Cancer Info.  Get informed, talk to your doctor, talk to a couple doctors.  If you have to make this decision one day, make an informed decision, and pray about it if you are a praying person.  Prayer has helped me more than anything else.  I have the peace that passes understanding.  

Let me know your thoughts, experiences.  Free exchange of these things and open dialogue help others decide what to do.  I want to help anyone I can. If you don't feel comfortable expressing on this forum but still want to talk to me, my email is in my profile.  

I will most likely leave this post up for week in order to reach as many as I can.

Happy Trails