Tag People

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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What I Did Last Summ….er Last Week

Michael 14 Comments

Like I don’t have enough to do this week, now I have another chore to complete. Our favorite South African American has decreed all those working for the government will report today what they did last week or face the consequences. I suppose that means being confronted with the bright red chain saw some third world dictator, err some foreign dignitary gifted him. Considering I work and pay taxes I take that to mean that I work for the government, so I will comply and not face the consequences.

Monday I did 8 hours reviewing charts then work on the first draft for next week’s Uplift post and did the final proof on last week’s.

Tuesday I participate in a morning program even though I said last year (at about this same time of year even) that I was through with morning speaking engagements. After that I took some personal time and went grocery shopping. (The “fresh” asparagus looked like it had come from a can and the eggs are still expensive. (Why is that Dingy Donny? I thought you were going to fix everything in Day 1.)) ( putz)

Wednesday I spent the day doing ROAMcare work including Moments of Motivation for March and selecting last week’s flashback post for Friday. I also did my part of the review for what will be this week’s Uplift post. In the evening I spoke at a venue so far out there that I swear the GPS got lost. At one point Siri told me “Take the next left, I think. If you see a barn with a cow painted on its side, you’ve gone too far.”

Thursday was another chart review day and in the evening another meeting. And yes, I told myself no more 3 programs in one week, but that will probably go the same way as the no more morning speaking.

Friday I did laundry and housework because I picked up a shift at the pharmacy on Saturday and I was running out of clean socks and- never mind.

Saturday I worked, but you already know that.

Sunday I went to church and to lunch with my daughter. (He won’t care about that but somebody has to pray for us and it’s not going to be  the “D.C.Christians.”)

I hope that meets with his approval. I wonder what Dimwit Donald’s list looks like. Monday, golf, Tuesday golf, Wednesday yell at Maine governor, Thursday golf, Friday tanning booth.)

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Clearly I’m working too hard.  Need to slow down. And wouldn’t you know it, there is an Uplift post that can help!

In last week’s Uplift, Life in the Slow Lane, we revisited our plan for daily resolutions and how they can keep us centered and present to ourselves. You should take a look.

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.

I need to slow down

Michael 1 Comment

This week has been a doozy for me. First I’ve been trying to work in as many antiquated, quaint expressions (like doozy) into my communications as I can and boy has that been a doozy! (I really need to research more antiquated, quaint expressions.) And so has been my schedule a dooz- … you get the idea.

Tuesday I did a breakfast program, yesterday evening a short speech, tonight a presentation. All three different topics, different audience types, different venue types. And there was work and shopping and a doctor appointment packed around them. It really was hard to find some time to call mine and ready myself for the onslaughts and/or decompress from the activity.

Being busy is not an excuse for not taking care of yourself. Especially not taking care of yourself beyond the physical necessities. We all have some days that the schedule blows up on and find ourselves losing on the self care front. That’s usually not so bad until you start stringing days like that together.

I used to string weeks like that together and when I finally came up for air, I was not a fun person to be with. (Nor a pretty sight I would imagine.) I found a solution. If you were reading me in January and heeded my suggestion to check out the Uplift post from New Year’s Day, you read about it. In yesterday’s Uplift, Life in the Slow Lane, we revisited our plan for daily resolutions and how they can keep us centered and present to ourselves. You should take a look.

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.

Uplift 2024-15

Bright lights, little city

Michael 9 Comments

About a week ago I was on my one home an evening. It wasn’t very late but it was very dark. The weather was cold but clear, remarkably clear, and dark, remarkably dark. I was north of home in my little suburban hamlet heading south on a classic dark and windy country road.

It was dark enough I needed high beam lights to see what lurked ahead. It was clear enough I could easily see oncoming traffic as we both neared the many twists and curves in the road. And all concerned politely reduced their lights it low beam lights before making the bend and blinding the oncoming driver. You gotta love people who know driving involves more than “put it in gear and go.”

As I got closer to town, the road straightened and lights mounted high above nicely illuminated the roads, eliminating the need for the super bright high beams. Another mile or so brought some roadside businesses and their lights added to the general brightness. 

It was then I saw the blur of white some distance ahead, heading north on the now almost ruler straight road through a little town-let. The blur grew and grew in size and brightness until it became clear that it was ye olde basic pick ‘em up truck with mutilple headlights, fog lights, and even lights across the bully bar over the top of the cab blazing while barreling merrily along, presumably by a backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded truckster.

There ought to be a law addressing night time driving particularly discussing lights and illumination. Oh wait, there is, actually are. There ought to be people enforcing them.

It’s almost become SOP, ignore the laws that are inconvenient, or the regulation. Throw out the “way it’s always been done,” “doesn’t hurt anyone,” “anyone with common sense would know that.” Do what is right. 

Have you ever wondered why I’m so hard on backward hat wearing, plaid shirted trucksters? Little Rosemary is not the first little sports car I’ve owned. I had once had a 1979 Mazda RX7, the second year it was offered. It was about the same size as the later to come Miata but rounder. The year was 1985 and it was stopped at a red light where a large, jacked up pickup truck driven by a (you guessed it) backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded, beer bellied amateur truckster did not stop at a red light and literally ran up and over the back of the low-slung car. Oh yes, there are laws.

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We all want to live long lives, maybe even live long lives in love. If you’d like to see what we had to say about long lasting love, pop on over and give But do you love me  a quick read. 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.

 

Golden Oldies

Michael 17 Comments

I have an anniversary coming up. A silver anniversary. Rosemary and I will be together for 25 years this spring. I don’t bring her up too often in this blog, but you might remember me speaking of Rosemary on a couple occasions. She is my little red roadster, and is the longest adult relationship I’ve had.

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Have you been with any one, or any thing, for any appreciable length of time. We did an Uplift post at ROAMcare on long-lasting love. I was inspired to write it when I read an article in the local paper about how scientists have “figured out” what makes some relationships last. Actually the article had little to do with the headline. It was really a discussion about some scientific studies that are tracking the neural responses in long term relationship couples, but its bend, as is with much of what will pop up in the news in February, is toward romantic love, passion, and sexual attraction.

Considering we hadn’t read anything in mainstream media about the other 6 kinds of love, we thought we needed to point out that there are other long term relationships out there. Some even invovling people, like normal, regular, everyday people!

If you’d like to see what we had to say, pop on over and give But do you love me a quick read. 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.

Uplift 2024-14

Did you know

Michael 10 Comments

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. There have been 3 airplane crashes plus a helicopter in 8 days and 2 runway incursions tossed in for good behavior all starting within 24 hours of air traffic controllers being “offered” 8 month severance in exchange for leaving their positions within the next 7 days. The chairpersons of the National Archives, Federal Elections Commission, and National Labor Relations Board, the entirety or near entirety of the FBI cyber security division, US Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Kennedy Center board of trustees have been removed from their offices (although some are fighting those orders). And all of your social security data has been turned over to a group of 20 year old computer programs working for an unelected, non-vetted, immigrant. (I wonder if anybody ever called him African American?)

Also in the news this week, a measles outbreak in Texas, a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas, and the flu at its highest incidence level since 2015.

The stuff in the first paragraph you knew. That was all over the news. The stuff in the second paragraph…show of hands please for who know about them.

I’m not sure if there’s a moral to that story but it’s made me really tired. I suppose I should try to get rid of the anger and bitterness. Forget about the ironies like sending ICE into the Navajo Nation. Life might easier to forget the anger. But it wouldn’t be better.

Have a good week.

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If you’re ready to give your bitterness, even if you can’t find much to celebrate about the world around you, start with celebrating yourself. Make America Kind Again. Check out Celebrate You for all the details.

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.

What day is it?

Michael 7 Comments

Do you know what day it is? It’s “Pay a Compliment Day,” and may I say you are all looking lovely today! I’ve talked about holidays and special days in this space before. It is easy enough to do. There are so many of them! The National Day Calendar lists over 1500 holidays and days of special remembrance or honor in the annual online calendar. With almost 3 times the number of observances as there are days in the year, not only is some day some thing, most days are many things!

Naturally we couldn’t let that go, so over at ROAMcare, Diem and I proclaimed today to be “I Am Special Day.” If you read that on the Uplift blog yesterday, you can still celebrate it today. That’s because today is “I Am Special Day” too. So will be tomorrow. And the day after that, and after that, and after that. Every day is “I Am Special Day” because we believe no day is just an everyday day.

We even introduced some traditions to get the ball rolling. One of them is to smile at other people and make them feel like they too are special on “I Am Special Day.” You could say we’re encouraging people to Make America Kind Again. (I just thought of that! Today is going to be special.)  Check out Celebrate You for all the details.

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.

 

Uplift 2024-13

Do the right thing

Michael 11 Comments

I saw a blurb somewhere in the last week. I don’t recall if it was a social media site or one where intelligent people write the articles. It must have been on a social site because it made no sense to me. Among the things you should and should not keep in your car for emergencies, power banks to power your phone was included in the ‘do not keep in your car’ list.

I rely on my phone so much that I live in mortal fear of finding it less than 50% charged. I have a power bank in each car, the one in my daily driver a solar powered bank so it is constantly charging and ever ready (umm, that’s a description, not a brand), on my desk, and on the catch all table just inside the front door. Those are in addition to the corded charges in the office, living room, and bedroom.

It might be an unnecessarily pessimistic thought, but of all the things you”d want in an emergency in your car, an emergency source of power seems to fit that list. Some might say it’s because they are fire hazards. Uh huh. So it the gasoline, diesel, or battery packs powering the car. You don’t see anybody saying don’t keep gas in your car. Of course, speaking to the point of safety, that would make it difficult to get into trouble. It would make it difficult to get anywhere!

To be honest, it probably is a good idea otherwise not keep extra ignition sources in a closed vehicle, but I will continue to keep a power bank in the phone. I’m a rebel that way. I also will continue to have a bedtime snack, watch TV in bed before sleep, read in dim light, eat the occasional ultra-processed food, skip a meal now and then, and occasionally fail to signal a turn. Those things happen. In general though, I try to do the right things.

February is coming and love is in the air. Do the right thing and spread your love to everyone, even strangers. We talk about that very thing in this week’s Uplift post, All We Need is Love, Part 2. It’s all natural, requires little effort, and makes big differences. Check it out.

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.

Uplift 2024-12

Lies, lies, and damned lies

Michael 16 Comments

It’s not easy to maintain decorum in what in normal times would be considered a world of bad practical jokes led by the prototypical middle school bully. Actually…it’s impossible. I tried and got various examples of snark, sass, sarcasm, and outright mean. I could never find the intelligent, intellectual treatise so much of my writing resembles. So I decided to go with the version that is just cranky, but in a world-weary, wacky way. Enjoy…not!

It’s quite started already. No I don’t mean the seeming swiftness of idiocy by which Dingy Donald is making his presence known. It’s the swiftness in which most reasonable people, even some of the lame brains who once supported Donny Dingbats, are tuning it out. “Oh, it’s just too idiotic to even think of.” “I can’t bear to watch the news so I’m not going to.” “It will go soon enough and this will be out of everyone’s system.”

If you’re dumb enough to think the constant lies that continue to fall out of his orange face and the incompetent if not outright stupid decisions he and his Kookie Cadre are attempting to foist upon us, you are as big a problem as the erstwhile assistant, Immigrant X-Factor.

I wish I could give you the citation but I am not sure there is a single source. It seems it is more of a truism that those who constantly lie do not do so hoping you will believe them or even to deceive, but that you ultimately become so inured to the lies that you stop caring about them being lies. That and it’s sneaky cousin, increasingly more outrageous acts, are what is going on. Dipstick Donny is out to barrage you with so much that is unbelievable that you stop believing.

You may have notice I have taken a page from Donald Dillweed’s playbook and made up some darling sobriquets for him, not necessarily to disparage, knowing I haven’t actually come out and said anything about a specific and clearly identifiable about any specific person. Consider it to be but just letting you decide who is the f***wad around here. Remember any turdbrain who accuses me of being hard a real person clearly is showing his/her/its true feelings assuming they think it must be DJ the Dipstick. (Did f***wad give it away?)

Naturally this is, for the time being, a free country, so if you disagree with me you have the right. And I have the right to delete any comments I don’t like then later say they never existed. But I would encourage you, to instead start spreading the word that there are bad things happening and its not that the price of eggs has almost doubled since November 5.

It’s the bad things like there is a tuberculosis outbreak going on in the US and the agencies who would be responsible for tracking and reporting have been ordered to not release information to the public. It’s that aid is being withheld from disaster areas until the local government succumb to the once and mighty tv personality. It’s that the $35 cap on insulin was repealed on January 20. It’s that the Department of Labor has been told to cease investigation of and enforcement activity against discrimination in the workplace. It’s that the NIH is no longer allowed to even authorized publication of research.

For every lie or contorted half truth that falls from the face of a perpetual lying machine, we need to make the truth just as loud and just as relentless so the Neanderthal masses understand that being a bully was not the way to get through middle school and it still makes them look like they are as dumb as a bag of rocks and not as good looking.

End of rant.

This is where I’d normally say something about another blog on a different website but it’s too classy to be associated with such drivel.

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The bloom is off the rose

Michael 5 Comments

Since Sunday night my curtains have been closed.  I kept them drawn tight to prevent any heat leaking outside where each night, the low temperature found joy in dropping lower than the previous night’s, all of them starting with a “-“ sign. I don’t particularly mind the cold and snow of winter but this was getting ridiculous. I was ready to break into the vacation fund and hop a plane to Florida. But yeah, that wouldn’t have been much of an improvement this week!

Who thought it was a good idea to snow on Florida, or across Alabama, and deep into South Carolina. Has anyone checked on the Bahamas? Are we sure those white beaches are still sand? This year is not shaping up to be a good year. There have been better starts. 

We might as well face it, those record highs on January 1 were not a portend of a kinder, gentler year. It didn’t take long for this rose to lose its bloom. The honeymoon was over before it even started. 

Speaking of honeymoons, he said smoothly, have you had a chance to read this week’s Uplift.  It’s not that the honeymoon is over. Just that the best is yet to come. Go on. Check it out! 

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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