My like-minded friend Erik has posted this exhortation to the obvious. Our fearless leader is monkeynuts.

Well, after about 10 days on antibiotics, I’m feeling almost back to normal. I still have an occasional cough, especially at night when I lay down. But I can take deep breaths without hacking up a lung. This is a seemingly mundane matter, which one should not take for granted. And I can carry my elderly puppydog up the stairs to my condo, so I don’t have to forego her illuminating company.

I have three more days on meds, and a followup with my doctor tomorrow. I expect a mostly clean bill of health. Then I have to get back to my life, such as it is. For example, my pickup truck — Old Blue — looks like it just crawled out of a cross-country run through the Mojave desert.

If you get a chest cold and it doesn’t clear up pretty quick, take my advice and get to your doctor. There’s a pretty mean virus running around out there.

So I went to see my family doctor today, expecting him to declare me on track to recovery from pneumonia, and send me on my way. My brother Joe did the driving, as I still get winded from exertions like driving a truck with no power steering.

I left Joe in the waiting room and went in. The doctor tested my pulse ox – oxygen saturation – and declared that it wasn’t very good. He listened to my chest and took my temp, etc. Then he said I needed a CT Scan of my chest, because I was at risk of blood clots in my lungs and that would be a diagnosis not to be missed.

Have you ever had one of these scans? I did, a long time ago, when I was in college. About 23 years ago, in fact. It wasn’t fun. I wasn’t looking forward to my next one.

I don’t consider myself exactly claustrophobic, but after the first pass into The Tube, which was apparently just for practice, I decided it was time for some defensive mental effort. I thought about this as the technician pulled me out and drove a hollow railroad spike into the inside of my elbow, for the purpose of pumping me full of dye.

I was told that this dye was for contrast. I don’t know why it was necessary, though. I could have given them a couple hundred words on contrast. The contrast between the oblivious mind I had before the visit to my doctor and the mind of fear I had on meeting The Tube, for example. The contrast between an afternoon watching the rustling of Jacaranda leaves and one spent in traffic. We could’ve gone Zen … the butterfly contrasted with the temple bell. A nice little essay, no charge, just let me go home.

“Yow!” I said.

She explained that the vein in that arm wasn’t working, so we tried the other. What the hell? I’ve got a vein that’s taking Wednesday afternoon off? If I’m here, I want all my veins bloody well on duty, no slackers. Someone’s going to hear about this.

When I went into The Tube the second time, I closed my eyes and pretended I was resting on a nice comfy couch in a pleasant room with plants and an open window. I wasn’t in a Tube.

“I’m not going in The Tube,” I thought. No sir.

This helped. I breathed as instructed and was soon freed from the confines of the comfy couch.

As we were leaving, I confessed to Joe that I was afraid of what they might find with this amazing technology. Blood clots, blocked arteries, a heart the size of a volleyball. Being overweight takes its toll. But the doctor called in a hour and all I have is pneumonia, which I knew, and which I’m living with for today.

Thanks for driving, Joe. Thanks for the break, God.

News Link

My dog Tasha always watches intently as I start the truck. She’s figuring it out, and one of these days, she’s down the road.

Guess what? I’ve got pneumonia. Really. This is why I’ve been totally offline for several days now. … It was quite a surprise. And yes, the doctor did suggest I go to the hospital. I opted for Mom & Dad’s house. The care was better, the bed was better, and the chicken soup can’t be beat.

I’m doing better, and I’ll be back in the cyberworld before long.

Peace.

I’m sick. That’s why I haven’t been posting. I have a bad chest cold, and I’m basically a wimp when it comes to such things. It feels like my chest is full of wet cotton. My brain has all the clarity of a 1970 RCA black and white TV, with a coat-hanger instead of cable. No use trying to write anything cogent about real life.

There are ants in my office. Running along the baseboard behind the computer desk and the bookcase. What could be attracting them in here? I never eat in this room — no crumbs. What are they looking for? I’ll bet the neighbors on the other side of this wall have some kind of filth going on. These are probably their ants. That’s sick.

Never has one with so little promised so much to so many. He who is largely friendless and unsupported in the world is going to make the world safer by continuing to rain death on the most distressed and blighted parts of it. Using nothing but his relentless mouth, he started a war he cannot finish and cannot win.

This is, without a doubt, the single worst president we’ve ever had. He’s an abject failure in every way. In fact, I challenge anyone reading this to enter a comment explaining one significant thing at which this man has succeeded. And if you say Iraq or War or Terr’r, you can expect your PC to upchuck in your lap.

I’m afraid, because the herd is headed up and W’s got his spurs on.

George W. Bush

drew a line in the sand

and then crossed it.

George W. Bush

made a war of his own

and then lost it.

Yahoo! News – Bush Promises Safer World, Says Will Not Relent

Don’t miss this Daily KOS post regarding “various soul-sucking creatures from the depths of hell” and how the RNC platform may include drowning the handicapped in the nearest river.

The BBC’s convention blog.

Here is a source for blogging goin’ on at the convention in NYC. May as well keep an eye on them, fellow citizens. You know darn well they’re keeping an eye on us. If you decide to watch it on TV, be prepared to do your calisthenics.

I’m a little rain god. Just a minor deity, spreading the joys of Wetness to and fro, hither and yon. I move by keeping things damp.

My Dad’s out of town, helping my brother work on his house up north. Been gone two weeks. I’m in charge of watering the lawns and plants. So last week, I turned on the installed sprinkler system in the back yard. One of the little bastard sprinklers didn’t pop up, so I gave it a gentle tug. Broke it’s little head off. Big old geyser. Yep.

Then tonight, I’m dog sitting at Mom & Dad’s; she’s out of town too. Just before sunset, I was out in the back, watering with the hose and spray nozzle. Got a call on the cell, could’ve sworn I turned off the tap. Two or three hours later, I’m watching TV, when I hear this sound like a torrential downpour. You guessed it; the hose ruptured. I ran out there in my sweats and socks. Got soaked. That water was cold.

So if you need some dramatic, dysfunctional, inexplicably inept irrigation done, e-mail me. If my computer’s not submerged, I’ll get back to you. … But I don’t do kids’ parties, for obvious reasons involving colorful language.

“Bush [said] during a 30-minute interview that he made “a miscalculation of what

the conditions would be” in post-war Iraq.

“The Times said Bush deflected further inquiries as to what had gone wrong with the occupation.

“In an interview published on Friday in USA Today, Bush said that Americans will re-elect him to a second term even if they disagree with his decision to invade Iraq.

Bush said voters ‘know who I am and I believe they’re comfortable with the fact that they know I’m not going to shift principles or shift positions based upon polls and focus groups.'”

I think we know that Bush isn’t going to shift principles based on anything in the world. The man is simply incapable of changing his mind, admitting he was wrong, and backing off. He must be the most arrogant, self-centered leader of his generation. Maybe getting handed a dis-appointment (implying that he was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2000) by the voters in November will get his attention.

Yahoo! News – Bush Admits Iraq ‘Miscalculations’ – NY Times