November 7, 2022

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 7, 2021, a dog’s breakfast.
. Five years ago today: November 7, 2017, how I hate C+.
Nine years ago today: November 7, 2013, downtown Yakima
Random years ago today: November 7, 1984,”Kamala” Beach, Thailand.

           I’m back with the same medical people as 2004 and everything went fine. These people got through the system before it became “okay” to be a meatgrinder know-nothing apologist. I’ve decided to head home after my appointment, so I have six hours to kill. We watched the last DVD, a crappy comedy and I tried to find something interesting on TV. No such luck. JZ receives 46 stations. Cartoons 4. News 4. Quack medicine 6/ Spanish 4. Reruns 3. Bad comedy 3. Blacks 7. Ice road shit 4. Religion 3. Shopping 1. There would be more but he only gets the free ones.

           Here’s that engine the museum could have restored. Instead they painted it to slow down the rust. That place turned out the high point of this trip. There’s another pic nearby of JZ at the far end of the platform. We went over the entire exhibit in a couple of hours. Mercifully, there was free coffee. It was mostly family groups and one section was roped off for a birthday party. No, they did not tell you that before you paid or the ticket.

           We decided on the breakfast at Wendy’s, as JZ had a coupon. He’s the only person I know who uses coupons. When we arrived there were only three staff at $15 per hour so the manager was running most of the show himself. Before I left, a batt of insulation fell down and got me across the chest. If I did not say, I can only deal with fiberglass when I’m dry and I was not. This put me in considerable discomfort.
So, I took JZ for a demo ride in the new van, he actually agreed I got myself a good deal on that. I have to return for blood tests in a couple of months, which takes a week. We’ve decided to possibly visit the Keys, but this time I insist we pay for everything ourselves and do not rely on his relatives, nice as they are.
           They frown when you even go chasing women. His entire family is married couples so I don’t expect they understand. Amplify that when I chat up women half my age. At any rate, he knows any of our scouting expeditions could be the last. Getting him out to where the women are is easy, it’s that he won’t pick the pretty ones like I do. Where do guys get that false concept that ugly ones are easy? Boys, they are trouble.

           What a surprise the old clinic had an opening in a couple hours, so I found a Broward Library. No Internet unless you gave them your life history, so screw them. I was able to find out nobody won the Powerball, so if I did not say, it is now nearly $2 billion. That operation has the science of stupid down to a tee. They’ve increased the number of “ways” a ticket can win, each for a dollar extra, but overall decreased the actual odds you can win. Thus, a fully loaded $1 ticket now costs $4.
           In the addendum are my two tickets. How can I say I do not gamble? Easy, the odds are so bad that these are a guaranteed loss, plus my motive is not to gamble but to observe and participate in the phenomenon. One ticket is a fake-out with last draw’s numbers, the other is my only chance of being a billionaire. So, asks JZ, how would I travel as a billionaire. By motorcycle, naturally. With a few changes.

           Ahead of me ten miles would be a pilot car with the most gorgeous of women driving. She provided feedback on road and weather, sights to see, and items like museums. Behind me five miles is one incredible motor home driven by a mechanic type, towing a motorcycle trailer equipped for repairs. Three or four hours per day, I would tour America by backroads. Each afternoon, the babe in the pilot car finds a spot, parks, and has supper ready. An evening of movies, opera, nature, or anything I’m certain that adventure would liven this blog up by untold margins. Otherwise, unless you are a student of human nature, the really big parties are all over for this cowboy.

Picture of the day.
Portable medicine-wrapping machine.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           While the clinic is only 187 miles from here, it required 3-1/2 hours to drive it. The biggest change is they have put me back on statins and this tends to make me tend toward what I’ve been told is called ‘inanition’. It’s mild but I notice. So the trip dragged on as I made it in one shot from Hollywood to Lakeland non-stop. I’m home, then went out for a brew at the old club. That was deadsville, plus there is a regular there who is after the barmaid and gets a bit antsy when here and I kid around.

           A stranger came in and played some excellent jukebox, so I stuck around a couple hours, thinking over the events since Friday. I passed the medical with honors but again, am still operating at half-steam by my standards. The mild swelling in my calf where I fell in August is normal and they want me to continue with anti-diabetes treatment just in case. They’ve also told me to not worry about getting the renewals on such exact days, as they know I am an entertainer. Do we have time for another railroad photo? Sure. This is the medical car, the best restored of the lot. Normally there would be 33 patients crammed into this space.

           The literature indicates the car was only to transfer patients requiring special care to better facilities. There is what appears to have been a small operating room but it’s evident this was not for any challenges. Most of the medical gear is removed, bolted down, or behind glass. The total walk around the facility is well over a mile if you include the model railroad museum. We did.
           The models have been re-arranged but otherwise the displays have gone downhill. The big train setup no longer runs and the second exhibit is gone, replaced by all shelves of donated model trains. It’s great memory-tripping but there was nothing new to see. Later, at the library just mentioned, I flipped through all the hobby books they had and none was on anything newer than maybe 1980. Like there have been no new hobbies since then concerning computers or ribits. Ribits are similar to robots, but when you are paying attention.

           Later, yep, the statin has the same old effect. Mild weariness but not sleeping. This can take months to wear off. I don’t get the concern with my developing diabetes, still, that is not something I’d care to chance. The tiredness is listed as a side effect, but is only dangerous in super rare cases, which I would know after four or more years in the clinical study. My medical record shows I quit smoking 19 years ago this month. The small heart murmur remains. I’m 23 pounds overweight by their standards and 73 pounds by mine.

ADDENDUM
           The closest I’ll ever be to $2 billion. While anybody can make it in America, you must in the process sell your soul to the Devil. And pay your dues.

Last Laugh