Hurray! Back with the home internet again after two frightful weeks without. When you combine no computer with no cable television, a phone that can't dial long-distance, and a work injury, the days do get pretty long. The last two days were better as I was able to vent towards friends and pass the time that way. Now the only question is: how long will THIS internet order last? They seem to only average a month before we're screwed on the billings somehow.
Random thoughts which occurred to me during the latest outage:
* Who knows when I will be working again? My back must be sending me a message. Through two weeks of therapy, the back injury has not responded to what's been prescribed. The therapist who works on me is one of those overly-optimisitc types who's prone to say "Oh, come off it" when I complain about the pain of a strain. He thinks he can clear me to work by Monday, but some miracle better occur for that to happen.
Friends are talking about my need for a second MRI, which will probably reveal more extensive damage than in 2002. I'll never forget hearing the words "spinal fusion" upon recovery from that initial injury. Even now, it hurts to sit back in a chair and laying on my back is near impossible.
* As a result, there's been a lot of down time at the house, with me being alone. I finally finished a seven year project (and no, it's not that book) by getting the family photo albums updated, duplicates tossed, and former rejects refiled.
Those albums will likely be the only thing I would save in case of a robbery or fire.I can replace everything else I own (which is not much), but photos can't be replaced, just for their significant personal value.
* My cousin has gotten into karaoke, which is really surprising on two fronts: (1) He was always shy in public gatherings, and (2) Steve and I would always bark like two hurt dogs when he did try. I guess it took a realization on his part that he'd feel more confident singing his type of songs, which are modern country.
* Remember my car, three weeks ago? "Oh, just sell it to us... we'll send it to the scrap heap tomorrow," said that crap repair shop which doomed it. It's still there as of yesterday morning, and the darned drivers' window that never went anywhere but down is now up. Perhaps they are fixing it to sell to someone else? They better look out for the transmission to go next!
* Friends used to joke to me about my (then) promising career in television, in that I should move to Hollywood. Why, to commit suicide by being plastered on the front page of every gossip magazine for something I purportedly did?
I first heard the term "paparazzi" when Princess Diana died in 1997... now I know their goal is to snoop on celebrities 24/7. How can they concentrate on being themselves, when these photographers & videographers watch them more than anyone?
Anna Nicole Smith fits this in a tragic way as I heard about her death this morning. And virtually all the cable news channels (CNN, Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Court TV, E!) had non-stop coverage on it this afternoon.
Maybe for a good reason, it's better that she's gone to a better place, where there won't be as much snooping. Anna Nicole certainly didn't end up living the type of life that a normal person would wish for. I can't imagine - and don't want to think about - the stress levels involved.
