Posts Tagged ‘sinatra’

July 2, 2010

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Blogblah

Seems like a pretty good day here at St. John’s Infirmary. For one thing, I didn’t have to go to morgue and see my old lady laid out all cold like at St. James.

For another thing, I went to the doctors’ office today and came home with a wildly happy report. “Remarkable” and “Very Fortunate” were some of the words they used. Seems like the little walks I’m taking are better than anyone expected of a skinny old man like me.

All my tests are coming back clear including the chest x-rays and my scars are all healing nicely.

In fact, the surgeons released me and I won’t have to go back and see them. They refused to express an opinion on chemotherapy except to say it depends on what I work out with oncology and the amount of risk I’m prepared to take that the cancer will show up again somewhere else.

The “morgue” reference isn’t totally off the wall. My mighty hunter and self-appointed security guard raided a bird’s nest yesterday and it was my sad duty to interr a couple of featherless fledglings, to the howling displeasure of Sinatra. To say he’s “pissed” (not in the British sense of the slang word, but the American one) is a distinct understatement. My own sense of trying to coexist peacefully with our feathered friends has taken a blow, but I was out of the house too early today to catch the mockingbird. I hope the fledglings weren’t mockingbirds, because I would hate to think of feline sin.

So, I’m just trying to enjoy the purple Rose of Sharon (gosh, I hope for Woody Allen’s sake they’re not from Cairo since that was one of his worst films) presently blossoming in my back yard.

Hope everybody blows something up real good for the holiday and happy birthday Tuesday for me. I’m giving up on trying to do anything for the next four days since everyone I called this morning was already on their way to their four day holiday weekends, presumably at the lake.

Blogblah

June 29, 2010

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Pretty exciting morning here at St. John’s Infirmary.

I went outside to the back patio to enjoy my morning coffee in the cool of the day and was escorted by my personal feline security, Sinatra. Cunning predator that he is, he checked beneath all the nearby shrubs and bushes for any threatening squirrels, birds, crawling things or other evildoers. As cool breezes greeted the (7 a.m.) dawnings, he scampered and cavorted in the dewey grass, making sure I was safe from the swarm of gnats that hovers over the lawn. When he came to my ankles for his obligatory scratch between the ears, I knew it was safe to go in for a second cup.

Ordinarily, I’m serenaded by a particular male mockingbird in the mornings and again in the evening, but as I settled in with my second cup I noticed he was down the block today. Instead of his melodious morning concert, my yard was invaded by a raucous bluejay mafia making the territory their own. These four thugs of the sky didn’t need no stinkin’ badges, I’m tellin’ you. They clearly had no fear of me — one took the high lookout while the other three scoured the ground for anything that moved, each trading places from time to time. Later, these same four took notice of one of their second cousins twice removed, a crow much bigger than any of them, and they chased him from the entire neighborhood’s sky like World War II spitfires strafing a bomber. The bigger bird hadn’t a chance against these four blue ruffians.

I don’t drink as much coffee as I once did and I went inside for a true pleasure: I got to take a shower, wash my hair and shave myself all by my lonesome, just like a big boy. Even dried myself off with my own towel. Yep. Just like a grownup, I’m telling you. Big advance over just a couple of weeks ago, so I’m pretty proud of that landmark occasion.

Before it got too hot, I went for my daily walk. I’m up to 8 blocks now. Continuous blocks, mind you, not four 2-block walks or anything like that, a real walk for eight straight blocks without stopping. Gosh, there’s no where from here but up, right?

I closed out the early part of the day with a rousing read of an international best seller of a thriller called … er … something or another by someone I’ve never heard of.

Well, that’s the day’s dispatch. Don’t want to keep up this pace since I know some of my older readers must already be feeling the angina from the excitement.

Blogblah

July 5, 2009 (updated @ 830 pm)

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Quite a storm last night. The lightning was better than fireworks and the thunder much louder than any man-made report. No firework display I ever saw produced such strong winds, either. I suspect firemen all over the Metro sent up prayers of thanksgiving.
(more…)

March 28, 2009 (updated)

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

WHAT OKC’S SNOW LOOKED LIKE TO ME

apres l'deluge

apres l'deluge

l'deluge

l'deluge


(more…)

January 19, 2009 (updated)

Monday, January 19th, 2009
Eating ham & beans to build strength for bashing Bush

Eating ham & beans to build strength for bashing Bush

THE BUSH BASH INAUGURAL BALLZ

Well, dear readers, I’ve reached some conclusions about my Inaugural Ballz party, having been too exhausted to do much else but contemplate my bellybutton since then.
One conclusion I reached quickly: the beans and ham must have been pretty good because six quarts of the stuff and a dozen cornbread muffins plus a 9″ pan of “cake” cornbread was consumed in a relatively short time. I generally like stews and especially beans and ham on the second day even better than freshly cooked, but there were quite simply no leftovers from this effort.

BECAUSE I SAID SO

BECAUSE I SAID SO


The Bush Bashing itself had a kind of “magical” effect on the participants, it seems. Everyone noted how satisfying and refreshing it felt to unload on the Worst. President. Ever. As much as I dislike violence for any reason at any time, firing off a 20-shot clip of BBs from a CO2 pistol seemed to bring a sense of closure to the past 8 years. (more…)