Tag Jingle

just stuff

Michael 19 Comments

I’m not in much mood to write a post today. And I suppose I could just not write anything. Nobody has a paid subscription guaranteeing a publishable post. I’m on no program mandating so many words written per week. But because I’m a trooper (and. It just another pretty face), you’re getting a post whether you want one or not.

There has been so much going on since last Monday (and I’m not even considering what Dingy Donny, J(ust) D(umb), and the South African American immigrant were up to) . I already told you the biggest news, the loss of little Jingle. When Jingle first went to live with the daughter he was more than a handful. It wasn’t too terribly long before he was acting only like a little terror and a few more months until he because a reasonably well-behaved canine gentleman. He will be missed.

Thing  Two also was brought up in Thursday’s post. That was an already planned procedure that took way too long. It was a simple enough thing. A little quickly rerouting of a vein in my arm. We got to the hooray at 9am and left at 5:15 that afternoon for a roughly hour long procedure. To facilitate the actual surgery I was given a nerve block which rendered my arm absolutely useless for 2 days. Not just numb, but dead weight hanging off my shoulder. I had to carry my arm around in a sling or I’d leave it behind.

Item the third has been this headache I’ve been carrying around for the last 4 days. I used to be subject to terrible vascular headaches. Nothing helped. Somewhere along the way, while is was researching something at the hospital, I came across an old article (older than me even) that described very low doses of an old, old antidepressant (which was probably newfangled when the article was written) to treat headaches. I convinced my PCP it made sense to try it and if it didn’t make sense to her I knew a lot of other doctors I could go to. (These were really annoying headaches and I was not above threatening taking my medical business elsewhere.) Well…to make a long story short (I know, too late), the pills worked. Until Thursday.

And finally, I really want some ice cream.

There. Now you have your post, and in the process I actually feel a little better. It’s odd becuase there weren’t a lot of positive things mentioned and that’s a sure-fire way of feeling calmer and at peace. (Is that sure-fire or sure-fired?) Oddly enough, we wrote about feeling calm and at peace in last week’s Uplift. Take a look at Location, location, location.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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Re-discovering my center

Michael 10 Comments

There is an old cartoon, so old I can’t find a copy even on the Internet and you can find almost everything on the Internet. It is set in what I suppose is a yoga studio and features a croissant, a Danish, and a donut. The instructor at the head of the room is saying, “Find your center.” I always felt sorry for the poor little donut. And this week I empathize to the highest degree with him.

It’s not been a good week. Tuesday I had some minor vascular surgery done on my arm. Not difficult, not painful. the used a nerve block that make my arm something just to drag around for 2 days. Fortunately I had a tight sling that kept it from any random movement that I might not have been aware of.

Unfortunately this all took place at the same time poor Jingle, the daughter’s beloved tri-paw, lost his battle to bone cancer. There will be more about him int he coming weeks. He was doing very well after the amputation and chemo last September. About a month ago a new tumor appeared, this time going along his spine. He kept being him, happy and puppy-like despite being close to 10 years old, not young but not yet ready for retirement. He went on his own terms, peacefully. He just picked the wrong day to do it. A day or two longer and I’d have been able to provide more help than just comfort. But a day or two longer might have meant a not as peaceful goodbye for him.

And so we go on. Yesterday’s Uplift was about finding your center, looking for the calm and peace that you know is inside you. Take a look at Location, location, location.

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Why the pill?

Michael 5 Comments

The most common question we asked ourselves when we put ROAMcare together was “do we need a ‘mascot’?” Months before even opening a website we were searching for the face of the website. After an extensive search of about 15 minutes we came up with Pill Guy. Technically he’s a capsule but Capsule Chap didn’t have that je ne sais quoi.

And where did we come up with Pill Guy? He is the homage to our shared background, Pharmacy. We created ROAMcare to increase enthusiasm for what people did at our work and in the field. One of our daughters, or maybe both, commented what we had envisioned could benefit everyone. Realizing these were the strategies we use in our private lives, we expanded ROAMcare to reach everybody everywhere! But Pill Guy stayed with us, smiling from his heart shaped face. 

Pill Guy gets around. He has appeared cutting the grass, hiking (complete with backpack), hanging out with the couple from American Gothic, in a parade, at his desk, in a classroom, dressed as Santa, on a bicycle, on a scooter, and in a car (once driving, once in the back seat), and yesterday for the first time, with his dog.

Pill Guy’s as yet unnamed furry friend showed up to remind us that the easiest way to a happy life is not found living in the present. It is found living in your present, as we explained in yesterday’s Uplift post, Be Present in Your Present. Take a look. We think it’s a good one, and it was inspired by Jingle’s recent surgery and recovery. 

While you are there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Blast from the Past repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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Jingle all the way

Michael 5 Comments

Jingle all the way and other random notes from the depths of my cobwebbed brain.

Happy Veterans Day dear fellow veterans. You would think in 14 years I’d have published 14 Veterans Day posts. A search for “Veterans Day” turned up three. I don’t believe it. I am sure I wrote more than three. I am also sure I’m not to go looking for them all. I think I’ve earned a year off the seemingly required uttering of the, pardon my frankness, trite “Thank you for your service.” What started as a beautiful sentiment is now a mere platitude of the sort as “have a nice day.” Yes, some people are sincere, very sincere. Most are not. As a veteran I’d rather you return the favor and start serving those who served. You surely know someone who served. Look to them as examples. Phone calls, meals, random cards, offers to cut grass, shovel snow, rake leaves made to the older vets. In today’s Moment of Motivation at the ROAMcare site we will just the millions who pay tribute today. Our thought for the day, “They came from all over for all different reasons. They served for only one. Look to their example. Find your reason to be of service.”

Now for some positive news from Jingle’s dog house. Actually, he doesn’t have a house. He has his own room at my daughter’s house. I figured it was time you had an update to how the little tri-pawed is doing. When we last left our hero, he was adapting nicely to life on three legs. You will recall due to an osteosarcoma he had his left front leg and shoulder amputated. That was just over a month ago. Since then he has started chemotherapy. He goes once every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. His first was 2 weeks ago and after being a little groggy from the sedatives, the very next day he bounced back to normal in all his Jingle-ness. He even is back to 1&1/2 to 2 mile morning walks every day. Their regular route takes them past my house and occasionally he stops in for water and to have his ears scratched. Daughter is doing well also. He has impressed us all so much over this month that he will be featured in this week’s Uplift when we talk about resilience. Mark your calendar to read that one.

Thanksgiving is still on, right? I notice all of last last week’s food centered supermarkets had ads that featured turkeys and fall foliage to highlight their ample supplies of frozen turkeys, fresh cranberries, and the sweetest sweet potatoes this side of Marshmallow Fluff. But walk into the store and you are greeted with 8 foot tall candy canes, fake fireplaces with fake snow, sparkly lights, and tree shaped peanut butter cups. The mega-mart sized stores where food is just a sideline skipped the pretense and went straight Christmas in their ads. Ten foot skeletons were replaced with ten foot snowmen in the store displays and Jingle Bells (the musical kind) played through the PA systems. I like the season. But it should start after Santa rolls up during the Thanksgiving Day parade just like Mr. Macy planned it.

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Here we are again. That place where I say go look at the latest Uplift blog post. We’re confident you’ll like this post about self-help.

But before you go look, have you still not thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website? In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Friday Flashback repost of one of our most loved publications. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Animal Magnetism

Michael 7 Comments

For those wondering, Jingle seems to be adapting well to life as a tri-pawed. I could stop there but I also could get an entire post out of that thought. Let’s roll with it!

Animals adapt. That’s not an original thought. Animals adapt to their environment. We have not when we ought to have been.

Animals respond. Animals hear you. They may not always do what you want but they hear and they listen. We talk far too more often when we should be listening.

Animals love. It’s not unconditional as everyone would have you believe (try not feeding your pet this week and see how much they love you on Saturday), but it is constant.

Animals like. More important than loving each other, animals like even more. Treat an animal kindly and it will respond in kind. And in kindness.

Animals are honest. They always tell you exactly how they feel. You don’t hear a dog telling you the cat is dangerous while firmly clamping down on your hand with they teeth and jaws.

Animals think for themselves and got their own way. Enough said.

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Yes, we are at the place where you typically see a blurb about the latest Uplift blog post. That post is about how you can achieve wealth beyond your dreams, and it might surprise you how.

But before you go look, have you yet thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Blast from the Past repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

It’s That Time Again

Michael 15 Comments

Yep, it’s time again to clear some of the cobwebs and other unwanted things and thoughts rattling around in my brain.

I’m happy to report to you this week that Jingle, aka the yointer, had his surgery last week and is recovering nicely. You will recall due to an osteosarcoma he had his left, front leg and shoulder amputated. The surgery was last Tuesday and by Sunday he is bounding up and down stairs (against his vet’s wishes for a quiet, and not overly exerted rehab. Try telling “don’t do that” to a dog.)

In other news, I hope everyone who has has hurricanes and tornadoes pass through their yards over the last couple weeks is well, not injured, and can take a few deep breaths while working on restoring life to normal.

The weather along the east coast reminded me of a favorite gripe of mine. Why are airlines so freaking stupid. There were flights from Nashville to Dallas delayed because Tampa was closed. What genius decided “we’re going route all our flights through and park all our planes at airports all along the coast so that at the first hint of weather, whether hurricanes in the south or ice storms in the north, we can cripple the entire country’s air traffic. [evil laugh].” There are perfectly good airports at Pittsburgh Cleveland, Cincinnati, Nashville and other inland cities that are relatively weather safe and could serve as eastern hubs, but no, they have to pick an airport within sight of the ocean. Delta made a little more sense sticking with Atlanta. If only they weren’t Delta they might actually be able to keep an on-time schedule going.

Speaking of airlines, has anybody seen jeenie.weenie on either Instagram or YouTube? She’s probably on other sites too but those are the two I know for sure. (Hey, I don’t make up these peoples’ handles, I just write what I see). Jeenie is a current or former flight attendant and has some of the most “scratch your head and say dayam, if they ain’t right” posts about stuff, mostly air travel, but other things too. It really makes you think about how we really do that crap. Here’s a link to a random YouTube video.

That’s all I have for this week. It’s been a a little crazy but slowly getting back to normal. What would really help is if all the particularly stupid people running for office would stop sending me text messages about how dangerous, extreme, and radical their opponent is, I’d have lots more time to get things back to normal.

Oh, that reminds me…I put this little news nugget out there every couple of years and nobody believes me, but this year I have proof. Do you know political ads do not have to stick to the truth? Yes, not only can politicians lie, they are allowed to lie. Below is a little snippet from the paper (a real news newspaper) to a television columnist’s weekly Q&A column. Yes, politicians can lie, and stations must run it, if the ad is from the politician’s campaign. Third party ads can’t lie. Politicians themselves can. How can you tell the difference? If the ad includes the words “I’m [an old guy with a bad fake tan] and I approve this message” or something like that, it is a politician’s own political ad and it is also a good chance that it is a lie.

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See you next week, same approximate time, same equivalent channel.

Here we are again at the place where used to seeing a blurb here about the latest Uplift blog post. That post is about how you can Make Me Happy, and it might surprise you how.

But before you go look, have you yet thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Blast from the Past repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

You can’t keep a good Jingle down

Michael 12 Comments

Why is it some days I can think of nothing to write and others, there is a surplus of ideas that I could pick from. I usually keep the serious stuff for the ROAMcare site which means most of the time this site is left with the breezy, often trivial, rambling essays that makes little sense outside the confines of my mind.

This week though, this week is serious stuff.

Last week, actually the last couple of weeks I’ve been more than a little distracted. The daughter’s doggie Jingle, who might as well be part mine they live so close and he’s here so often, is facing his mortality. He is suffering from an osteosarcoma in his front left what would be a shoulder if he was a human. (Scapula in dogs? Maybe it is a shoulder too.) After a couple of weeks of tests and scans, his only hope of fighting his fight is to have the leg and shoulder amputated which is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. That’s assuming the one final scan he has before the surgery does not reveal any metastases to the chest or lungs. If he has the surgery, a final biopsy will determine if he would benefit at all from chemo also.

I just spoke of Jingle in The Search for Bigfoot when I described him as “fairly normal-sized for a dog of indeterminate origin. He’s part pointer, part husky, and looks those parts. But he has feet the size of an ottoman, which has always led me to describe him as a yointer. Part pointer, part Yeti. It seems that could be accurate – technical differences between Himalayan abominable snowmen and hairy North American cryptids notwithstanding.”

For the last 2 or 3 weeks, the little fella hasn’t been able to use that leg, either because of the pain when he puts it down or the inability to move it from the nerve compressed by the tumor, so he’s already been getting his practice hopping on three legs and still does a mile walk every morning (down from his usual 2-2&1/2 miles), and he still eats and plays, and still demands scratches and treats. As the daughter says, “He’s still jingly.”

Providence smiled on us when last Friday we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, he who is invoked at the annual blessings of pets at many churches around the world and which ours held just yesterday. It was the reminder that a medal of that very saint hangs on Jingle’s collar and that dogs too need prayers.

If you are of a mind to, perhaps you’d mention Jingle in your prayers tonight.

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You’re used to seeing a blurb here about the latest Uplift blog post. If you can’t decide if you should click that link and go find it, it could be just right for you because it’s about problem solving.

But before you go look, have you yet thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Blast from the Past repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.