Getting Used to My World

source: Google Image – licensed for reuse – click for site source

The picture for today is busy.  That’s my world; other than that, it has little to do with me.  I love comic heroes and I really like the pic, so there you have it.  Don’t try to figure out anything beyond that.

Well, it is Tuesday.  That’s the day for my own invention of a post.  The other three days I use Friday Fictioneers, Five Sentence Fiction, and Flash Friday prompts to write a story for you each night.  This one is supposed to be what keeps me connected to the real world of blogging.  So, with that in mind, let me blog to you what has been going on lately in this ol’ world of mine.

Source: Google images. Licensed for reuse. Click for source site.

Let’s back up to Easter.  My Dad did not feel well at all and was probably contagious, so he stayed home from my Aunt’s big get-together.  Mom stayed home to take care of him.  Some of the fun goes missing from Easter family gathering when two of your most important family is missing.  My son lives in Portland, OR so I didn’t get to see him.  My favorite boy cousin lives with his wife in Texas (was NM, but I think TX is right now).  So, there was just a lot of people gone.  Yet, we had a good meal and a great gathering.  There was only one child to hunt for the eggs, so,obviously, he got them all.  I threatened to look, too, but was ignored (rightfully so).  We did have 3 new babies, 2 on their first Easter, I believe.  We used to play a lot of cards and games, but that seems to have ended in the last few years.  Too bad.  That’s just a lot of fun.  However, I got to catch up and that was good.

source: Google images. Licensed for reuse. Click for source site.

I have noticed that my short-term memory was messed up by my stroke.  My memory was never flawless; however, I could, usually, remember things for a few minutes.  Lately, I go to do something and voila I forget what I was doing.  I am learning to act immediately when I have a good thought, so I can’t forget it.  I am at the point that I can have the thought. get a drink, and no longer be able to recall the thought.  Frustrating as heck, but you learn to cope.  On the other hand, it has also meant that I place less importance on things.  I have learned to simply move on when I forget and hope I remember later if it was very important.

I wish I could say that is the most frustrating thing about my stroke effects, but it’s not.  I think the most frustrating thing is trying to move around well.  I have a bad hip, horrible flexibility in the entire left leg and hip, and lose my balance easily.  I can’t walk fast, must use a cane, and am not to lift my leg very far as I will lose my balance here, too.  Showering is handled now.  I have had a bar installed on the shower wall and I try to make certain I never let go of it.  I don’t move fast as turning quickly results in almost falling.  It is quite the task to go to the store, but I do my own grocery shopping (which I did that week after Easter), get my own gas, and run other errands.

This sounds like a gripe session, but it’s not.  I am just relating to you what goes on with me.  It’s not all bad.  I get to remain home now and use the Internet to find out things.  I do a lot of research.  I still write and am putting together my first collection of horror stories (11 in all).  It is almost done; I now have my cover drawing.  Soon, I will publish it on Amazon Kindle.  I will enjoy promoting it and seeing if people show an interest in what I have done.  The collection will include:

Keeping Watch (I have revised it a bit.  It is about 14,500 words)

5 Stories that have been published by two editors

5 stories that have not been purchased nor seen by any but me, I believe

I have several ideas for new stories and am really considering a book.  That endeavor will take several years, I imagine.  I will publish it on Kindle, but am just going to take my time and not worry about the “when”.

An apology is in order to many of you.  I will make it, but only conditionally.  I follow a great number of people.  I try to read posts from as many of those as I can and enjoy.  The last few weeks – perhaps months – I have been horribly absent from most of your post comments.  I make no excuse; I simply would forget to read them or would get so busy that I didn’t have time or I was so tired I could not read them.  I know that everyone has those times.  I know that none of us who keeps busy has time to read other posts consistently and voraciously; however, I just wanted you to know that I haven’t forgotten and that I do get around to you, even if it’s only a few times a month.  I do try hard to “like” or “comment” so you know I have been there.  Just know that, in my heart, I support you all and hope all if going great for your blogs.  You are some of my best friends.  Thank you for all your support!

Source: Google images. Licensed for reuse. Click for source site.

I will close on an interesting note.  I made a time to meet my cousin for lunch at the local Cracker Barrel.  We set it up for 6pm.  I put notes on my reminder program to let me know the day before, so I could plan better for it and to remind me the day of.  That is a wonderful way to do things and it usually works for me.  However, I have not been sleeping well at all (another stroke problem.  I only sleep 1-2 hours at a time).  Today (Tuesday) I received my reminder and I planned my day around going to dinner at Cracker Barrel.  I had 2 errands to run,  showered, and took a nap.  When I woke from the nap, I got ready in a hurry and left for the restaurant.  When I arrived, I left word up front that I would have someone joining me and gave the name.  I went ahead, sat down, and ordered coffee and water.  My parents happened to be there, so I spoke to them and told them I was meeting my cousin.  I also saw two other people I knew.  I sat down, pulled out my Kindle, and started reading.

At 6:10, I knew something was off.  I had forgotten to put her number in my phone, so I couldn’t call her.  I left the phone on, but she didn’t call, which was not like her at all.  I sat there pondering what to do and it hit me:  The meal was Wednesday and it was Tuesday!  I had read the reminder too fast and skipped the word “tomorrow”!  Just another day in my life now.  I need to think things through twice and then check them again.  It wasn’t so bad.  I get to eat at Cracker Barrel twice; nothing wrong with that, and I read a good portion of the book I am reading.

So, smile, laugh, make fun, do whatever my story leads you to do.  I have decided to take all things in stride and smile.  After all, my own life is one of the funniest things I know of – it’s worth laughing at!

Have you ever had days like this?

Namaste,

Scott