Welcome to the Community About Nothing, and Yet Everything.
As my 59th birthday comes to a close and I begin the journey of my 60th trip around the sun, I'm feeling a little reflective.
I have set foot, at least briefly, on ground belonging to 5 of the 7 continents of our World. I got a college degree at 52. I've served in the United States Navy, the finest in the world. I've swept, mopped, flipped hamburgers, sold everything from copiers to medical devices for a living. I've travelled by planes, trains and automobiles, been to or through probably 40 of the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. I've hidden under the sheets with a flashlight and a transistor radio in the wee hours of the morning fascinated that I could pick up an AM radio station 1000 miles away on some nights. I've read so many books, it would be impossible to count (some multiple times, like Shogun). I've held positions both high and low in several companies. Been fired from a few, and quit every other one but the one I have now. I remember when computers didn't exist, except in huge organizations (government and private) where they spit out paper punch cards. When I was born, a trip to the moon and back was still just a dream. When I was in high school, I remember going to Disney World and seeing dioramas depicting people talking via computer screens. Only Dick Tracy could talk through a watch. Star Wars revolutionized movie making (yes, I saw the original...in the theater...on release day). I've eaten at a Japanese restaurant, owned by Koreans, in a midwestern city, had a Japanese beer brewed in Los Angeles, and enjoyed my teppanyaki meal prepared by my chef from Mexico City (all 100% true, Kansas City). Born during the Vietnam War, grew up in the Cold War, served during the Persian Gulf War (the first one in 1991), and now face the possibility of a third World War. I've seen prices for groceries and gasoline skyrocket to prices we never thought could be beaten...until now. A Vice President resigned, then so did the President. Space travel became ordinary. The 30 foot coiled telephone cord has been cut and we carry little computers we call phones everywhere we go. Still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up...
Been a fun ride so far. What's next?
"I am standing on the Mountain of Right, and you are standing in the Valley of Wrong." Deputy Frank Sloup, Pinal County, AZ
Why do I like this one? I have a primary residence on the Mountain of Right.
Of you who read my previous post, how many of you caught the quote I stole from a movie? Can you name the movie and who said it?
Bet you didn’t know there would be a test…..
So, I have completed 4 of 6 chemo infusions, and I have to say that the last one seems to have caused almost no side effects that cannot be otherwise explained by the disease itself. I remain exhausted all the time, and I go home at the end of the workday positively depleted. That, however, seems to be due to the anemia that somewhat existed before chemo started but certainly seems to have been exacerbated by it.
I presently sit at a 40% disability rating with the Veterans Administration with some big stuff pending. I am awaiting a decision on my hearing loss and the PTSD/Depression. The cancer aspect takes a step forward with an exam by a VA contracted provider who will provide a recommendation as to the service connection to the cancer. If it goes my way and I get to 100%, then as soon as the first check hits the bank, I’m retired. While this exam is scheduled for Monday, I have no assurance that a VA determination will be quickly forthcoming. Patience is the key.
My spirits ...
