Well, my brother got the news yesterday. They'll have to crack open his chest for the second time. They're going to take veins from his arms and legs to replace the arterial veins that are blocked. This means that he'll only get one more shot at open heart surgery. After that, the chest plate doesn't want to fuse back. Can you imagine, 2 open heart surgeries by the age of 42? I can't.
I promised him that I would fly out for this one, so we should find out from the doctor tomorrow when it will be. He got divorced this last year, so he's been living with his Dad, but his dad is kicking him out, his ex-wife lost the home, due to not paying the mortgage, so his kids are living in his ex-sister-in-law's basement. Between trying to bail her out, child support, etc. , he's broke. And now this....the surgery means he'll be off of work for 2 months, so no money will be coming in. Hopefully he'll keep his job. The hits just keep on coming.
However, he has to keep his spirits up, because his kids are waiting for him to get better. They need him and love him very much. It doesn't matter how much money you have...just as long as your kids are fed, warm and healthy and you're there to love them, then it will get better. So I'll let ya'll know what happens.
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Ok, so I've been in Sunnyvale for the last couple of days for training. Wouldn't you know it, but the bay area has it's first good shake since the Loma Prieta Quake of 89 last night. It's a 5.6 on the Reichter scale and I'm about 10 miles from the epicenter. What a rush! I'm sitting on the bed watching the beginning of Bones, and there's this big boom, and the whole damn building is going back and forth. I'm on the second floor, and the bed is swaying, the lamp shades are swaying, the hangers in the closet are sliding back and forth. It's a wonder I stopped myself from throwing my hands up in the air and yelling "Wheeeeeee". It lasted a long time...like 30 to 40 seconds. This is my fourth quake, but by far the worse one. But hey, nothing bad happened to me, no one died, just some window damage, etc. So it's all good. Another good thing...I think it was God's way of telling me to snap out of my misery....that I'm alive and worrying about things I have no control over, and to suck it up and get on with it. God??? It worked, I sniffed up the last of my tears, cuddled up under the comforter with my face mask and went to sleep.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Brotherhead Mic (nickname)
My brother is going in for exploratory surgery on the 30th. I’ll be in Sunnyvale learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Project. He’s had this done a number of times, but it always worries me. I’m the person on record if anything happens and decisions need to be made. He has 11 stents keeping his arterial walls open and various other heart ailments. He’s only 14 months younger than I am and he says that he knows this heart stuff will kill him. He doesn’t expect to live to be an old man.
I’m extremely selfish. I don’t want my brother going before I do. It’s no secret that my sister and I don’t get along. We’re keeping things light and cordial, but I don’t think we’ll ever be true sisters. My Mom and I don’t get along either. We’re too close in age, and she wants to compete or fight me for everything. She stresses me out…and yes, she lives with me, which makes it harder.
With my brother, it’s always been him and I against the world. My sister is 7 years younger than I am, so there’s the age difference and stuff. My brother and I are connected. When he was young (age 3 to 5) I did his speaking for him….Mikey wants this, Mikey said that… Poor kid, when he got to Kindergarten there was no one there to speak for him. I’m probably the reason he had to repeat the grade. As we got older, it was us against the AntiChrist (stepfather). We shared the misery, the beatings, and the whole religious crap of having to be the “perfect” children of a hypocritical “Elder” of the Kingdom Hall. I’d say that there’s only a small period of time, during his addiction phase, that we weren’t connected.
Now, he’s the one lifeline on my side of the family that I have. We talk a couple of times a month, usually more, sometimes less. But he’s always there…in the back of my mind, in my thoughts, my soul. I wonder if I have the fortitude to make the kinds of decisions he wants me to make if the time comes.
This surgery is not supposed to be too serious, but how many more of those will he have to go through…and which one is going to be the one that he doesn’t recover from? I know he’s thinking about it, and he knows I am….no use pretending.
Anyway People, I’m just mentally unloading, and here is where I do it. With the stuff my mother has been telling me (it’s soul-searing crap that can never be unloaded and will die with me), I have to make some head-room. I’m generally optimistic, but if I wax morose, it’s just that…unloading….hey, you’re the one reading this…you could’ve stopped anytime.
Anyway…if ya’ll get a moment, please say a little prayer for him. We’d be appreciative.
I’m extremely selfish. I don’t want my brother going before I do. It’s no secret that my sister and I don’t get along. We’re keeping things light and cordial, but I don’t think we’ll ever be true sisters. My Mom and I don’t get along either. We’re too close in age, and she wants to compete or fight me for everything. She stresses me out…and yes, she lives with me, which makes it harder.
With my brother, it’s always been him and I against the world. My sister is 7 years younger than I am, so there’s the age difference and stuff. My brother and I are connected. When he was young (age 3 to 5) I did his speaking for him….Mikey wants this, Mikey said that… Poor kid, when he got to Kindergarten there was no one there to speak for him. I’m probably the reason he had to repeat the grade. As we got older, it was us against the AntiChrist (stepfather). We shared the misery, the beatings, and the whole religious crap of having to be the “perfect” children of a hypocritical “Elder” of the Kingdom Hall. I’d say that there’s only a small period of time, during his addiction phase, that we weren’t connected.
Now, he’s the one lifeline on my side of the family that I have. We talk a couple of times a month, usually more, sometimes less. But he’s always there…in the back of my mind, in my thoughts, my soul. I wonder if I have the fortitude to make the kinds of decisions he wants me to make if the time comes.
This surgery is not supposed to be too serious, but how many more of those will he have to go through…and which one is going to be the one that he doesn’t recover from? I know he’s thinking about it, and he knows I am….no use pretending.
Anyway People, I’m just mentally unloading, and here is where I do it. With the stuff my mother has been telling me (it’s soul-searing crap that can never be unloaded and will die with me), I have to make some head-room. I’m generally optimistic, but if I wax morose, it’s just that…unloading….hey, you’re the one reading this…you could’ve stopped anytime.
Anyway…if ya’ll get a moment, please say a little prayer for him. We’d be appreciative.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Collective Soul
It’s true that I haven’t blogged in awhile. Lot’s of stuff going on. Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin…see what I get for stopping?
Our friends Roger and Kelly graciously treated us to a weekend of Collective Soul. What a blast that was. Rog is the King of the Mojito makers, and we managed to suck down a couple of those before the concert. We stayed in their kewl ToyHauler that has all the amenities you could want, at a RV site that was about 4 miles from Konocti. Ya know…I really enjoyed the venue, and will have to attend some more outside concerts there. It was totally sweet. TIP: Buy your tickets from the venue, so you can trade them in the day of the concert for better seats. Although, thanks to Rog, we had AWESOME seats!
As my friend Kelly can attest, Collective Soul is one of those extremely under-rated bands. With the release of their first album “Hints, Allegations and Things left Unsaid” in 1993, the breakout song was Shine (although personally, I like Breathe or Beautiful World better). I was on the brink of wearing out that CD until I finally put it on my iPod. Their music gets better as they age and though the “lawsuit era” CD - Disciplined Breakdown is reflective of their feelings “of the moment” it still rocks. Remember when Ed Roland had dark hair?
I remember playing “Dosage” in the car, and my friend Chris wondering what “New” band this was. If you’ve never had a chance to see the DVD with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, you should really check it out. This band is as good in person, as they are on CD/DVD. They Rock! Kelly and I have decided to attend a hometown concert, so we’ll see ya’ll in Atlanta….someday. Kel….we have to practice our “Southern Belle” talk.
Anyway, thank you to Roger and Kelly for a smashing weekend….Next up: The Van Halen Reunion minus Michael Anthony (Guess it’s not really a reunion…is it?).
Our friends Roger and Kelly graciously treated us to a weekend of Collective Soul. What a blast that was. Rog is the King of the Mojito makers, and we managed to suck down a couple of those before the concert. We stayed in their kewl ToyHauler that has all the amenities you could want, at a RV site that was about 4 miles from Konocti. Ya know…I really enjoyed the venue, and will have to attend some more outside concerts there. It was totally sweet. TIP: Buy your tickets from the venue, so you can trade them in the day of the concert for better seats. Although, thanks to Rog, we had AWESOME seats!
As my friend Kelly can attest, Collective Soul is one of those extremely under-rated bands. With the release of their first album “Hints, Allegations and Things left Unsaid” in 1993, the breakout song was Shine (although personally, I like Breathe or Beautiful World better). I was on the brink of wearing out that CD until I finally put it on my iPod. Their music gets better as they age and though the “lawsuit era” CD - Disciplined Breakdown is reflective of their feelings “of the moment” it still rocks. Remember when Ed Roland had dark hair?
I remember playing “Dosage” in the car, and my friend Chris wondering what “New” band this was. If you’ve never had a chance to see the DVD with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, you should really check it out. This band is as good in person, as they are on CD/DVD. They Rock! Kelly and I have decided to attend a hometown concert, so we’ll see ya’ll in Atlanta….someday. Kel….we have to practice our “Southern Belle” talk.
Anyway, thank you to Roger and Kelly for a smashing weekend….Next up: The Van Halen Reunion minus Michael Anthony (Guess it’s not really a reunion…is it?).
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