Christmas thoughts.

It is very easy for me to procrastinate this time of year. Even more so than normal. I tell myself that nothing is more important than the Santa stuff. This results in a lot of little daily chores getting way behind which then puts me in a blue funk because I can not turn a blind eye.

Now my Dad would say to us kids, "Laying on your death bed I bet you won't say, "I wish I had worked more." when you are like me and a lot closer to being there." This lecture occurred when we would get in a dither about doing stuff to keep up with the neighbors or some such at the expense of our own families well being.

What is really important in the long run? I have no clue. Where is the correct balance?

We have a couple of more 'Santa' gigs to go before we can relax. Family gatherings to go to or not, decisions, decisions. What is the weather going to do. Presents for all or some or not? ( I'm am voting for 'pet rocks' this year. Works for me!)

My dirt bike needs some work and the last really nice riding days are passing quickly.

That is a really puny list of things to gripe about. :::: sheesh :::::

Back in the day when the money was gone, I was taking my circular saw to the pawn shop, was riding a old cast off 10 speed bike to work and the bills were such that I was just getting deeper and deeper in the hole I was told that they would not shoot me. I would not starve. I would get back if I just kept plugging away. Over my life I have found that to be true twice.

One of the hardest things to learn was to say, "Thank you." and then shut up. No adjectives, no but's, no promises, no qualifiers, just "Thank you."

Pass it forward.

In AA there is a saying, "If you are busy helping someone stay sober, it is very difficult to get drunk."

No matter how far down I am, broke, out of work, just divorced, my child just killed, there is always someone who has it worse and even if all I can give is time or a single dollar, or a used item, or a kind word, my burden is lifted.

This is lot of preaching from the likes of me but I need to actually say it out loud once in a while because then it is real. All those things I just think of saying sound real good in my head but they carry no weight, have no meaning.

Thinking means nothing, only action counts and only action can show me the joy and goodness of my life.

This is out there now. I can't take it back.

I feel better already.

Gus says:

It was a great day and Colleen was staying around the house because it was MissyFace's first time to be turned loose since her accident 6 months or so ago. Warm, not too much traffic in the middle of the week and the time to keep an eye on her.

Me, I went for a ride.

I still need to learn how to download my GPS track but all in all, I had a good time and got to take 'Blue' to places she has not been. Well, me either.

The pictures in the album have comments with them.

Tomorrow is supposed to be cold again. We got to 70 for a while today.

Not bad for a guy with 1 ½ useful hands.

If it ain't one thing it's t'uther.

If it ain't one thing it's t'uther.

Gus thought he needed to cut me some little chunks of wood.

The Skil Saw didn't agree.

It slipped, he cut his left thumb 3/4 the way off.

We're back home after breaking speed limits, 8 hours of all sorts of fun, and a surgery.

Yes yes.

Pics to come.

Some gory, some xrays.

More details as I can get it typed, and coffee kicks in.

Later -------------------------

Good news first. He *may* have some movement in the thumb, if all heals as it should. That was in doubt before they put it back together.
It has 2 pins, and is in a cast.

At 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon, it's always a good idea to start a scary project. A cold and windy day, despite the sun. I wasn't about to get layered up and do a major firewood cutting. He wanted to just do a few chunks for my woodstove.

But I was listening. Yes I was.
Roowwwrrrr zngzngzngzng !
@#$%#@! Scream.
Up from the couch, look out the window, run and grab towels, meet him at the back door.
WHAT???
I cut my blankety blank thumb off!!

Stand there. Wait! Let me get a ziploc and ice...paper towel...dammit dammit dammit, okay...

New speed record for getting dressed, things gathered, grab a change of tshirt and shorts, he swallows pain pills, GET IN THE TRUCK! make sure house doors are locked, beat on hood of truck (sorry kitties, if you're in there this time you are toast) and away we went.

There are 3 ways off this mountain to where we were going. None are good. Finally agreed on the interstate after we hit the flats. Had lights and flashers going. Not that any other drivers paid attention to that.
Should we have gone to local hospital and saved a few minutes? Maybe, but I don't trust that they would have enough staff on weekends, so probably would have been sent on anyway.
We have Life Flight, but he wasn't spurting blood, and we would have had to driven to meet them. Lag time for them to lift off and get here.

Fortunately, Saturday afternoon is a good time for this traffic on interstate. And 85 mph top speed is all I want to go in that truck, less for some of the miles.
Not. One. Single. Cop. Seen.
Whether that is good or bad, I don't know.

We had a friend call ahead, Gus is in their computer system. Heh. Didn't matter, as far as filling out paperwork.
But they did send us directly to Triage. Having his hand in a bag of red colored ice might have helped.

Hurry up and wait. All staff attentive, helpful, doing as they should. Still, seemed like forever, the halls are a mile long, and there were several every which a way.

The ride home was much slower.
I had already gotten his prescription filled.
He has drugs and a sling.

Gus says "While getting my cut hand out of my torn glove, I thought to myself, this will be a good Photo Op...

And I was trying to hold my hand above my heart, in the position causing the least pain.

Colleen says "I may have to Kill him."