2014-06-13 Friday

Full Moon

I missed the Friday the 13^th full moon. The official full moon time was 4:11 Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time), Friday. For us in the U.S. EDT that was 12:11 a.m. this morning. From what I can tell, there were no weird are mystical happenings today.

Tonight the moon will still appear to be full. So if I remain awake I shall go outside and howl at the moon as if I were with wolves, who are one of my totems (“power animals”).

My Leg

The pain in my left leg has receded quite a bit today; by about 2 PM it was almost unnoticeable. My leg remains weak, but with the help of my canes I have been able to get around better than I have for a very long time.

Thus, I was able to wash to loads of clothes and one dishwasher full of kitchen stuff. Three bags of trash made it to the back of my CR-V, which after driving up to the gas station and purchasing five dollars worth of gasoline, I drove to the dumpster, heaved the garbage into it, and then drove in the opposite direction to the mail boxes.

98% of the mail was junk. The one exception was a letter from the department of the treasury informing me that they withheld another $204.15 from my Social Security check, which they credited to the Department of Education.  Since I already knew that as of June 3^rd when my Social Security was deposited to my checking account $204.15 short, I can rightly say that that letter was junk also.

Kitty Kids

I really must change my Habit of giving treats to the cats on demand. I am not concerned about the treats hurting them: the ingredients of the treats are as good or better than those in the dry cat food.

Alex and Midnight were on my desk together begging treats;
Midnight began to leap off just as I snapped this photo.

The problem is, all three Kitty kids gather around me and expect treats. We are down to our last bag of treats and I need to ration them. We won’t be able to afford more treats—or anything else—until July when my pension check is deposited.

There is an exception to that, of course. If the Department of Education refunds to me the more than $1200 that they had withheld from my Social Security check since January, then we will be in excellent shape.

Today I was able to access my account on the Department of Education website. The status of my request that the loan be discharged as of May 2003 continues to have the status under review.

Friday Funnies

If you have not visited my Nick’s Bytes Friday Funnies today, here are a few samples:

Please

2014-06-12 Thursday

June 12^th is special day for me: both of my sons were born on June 12^th four years apart. I remember each of their births as if it was just yesterday. They have both grown to be good men of whom I am very proud. Unfortunately, as most of you know, neither has any use for their dad.

What makes today even more special is that it is also the birthday of my grandfather, Nicholas Lawrence Temple, know to the readers of Nick's Bytes as TNT.

A Facebook post by my friend Pat in Sicily reminded me of why I am again writing this blog. It was a very nasty troll attack that almost drove me completely from Facebook. It began by the troll responding to my Facebook post lesson Pres. Obama during his trip to Afghanistan on Veterans Day by saying he wished that the President would be murdered in Afghanistan. That upset me to no end!

The troll then continued his attack on me personally with flame after flame. In case you are not aware of the definition of flamer in the context of the Internet—which neither the troll or his wife were—the Urban Dictionary gives this definition:

A person who constantly starts fights on forums or message boards, usually with many vulgar statements and outright lies attacking one individual or group.  

This flaming troll distracted me the point that I began defending myself against the flames which is neither my intent in writing on Facebook are my blogs. Even though I blocked the troll and his troll-wife from my Facebook account, he flamed again by accessing my pages via a mutual friend’s Facebook account. That was when I began considering deleting my Facebook membership.

Instead, I began to again write this journal blog. I am rather glad that I did. As a friend commented on this blog, blogging gives one the ability of writing much more depth and detail than either Facebook or Twitter. I just wish that I could follow the advice I gave Pat today via this graphic that I created shortly after the troll attacks. 

However, I can't. Being hated causes me an abnormal amount of spiritual pain.

 Tomorrow may also be a special day for some:

I, for one, do not believe that Friday the 13^th conveys bad luck.Cultural histories  confirm the neutral qualities of the day. On the other hand, I do see a potential for tomorrow being transmitter of good things.

For the past several weeks I have been reading—studying—the book Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit. For anyone interested in the ways of shamans and/or Celtic history, culture, myths, and spirituality,  this is a marvelous book that I highly recommend.

For the ancient Celts, it was not the combination of Friday, Thirteen, and Full Moon that would make the day special. It was that the light of the full moon was said to make fairies more active in lives and affairs of humans, often bringing good fortune.

With the arrival of Christianity, the fairies, who were seen as neither viewed as good or bad by the Celts became all bad. Thus, the beginning of the superstitions about the full moon and Friday the 13^th (Jesus was crucified on Friday; 13 people attended the Last Supper in the Upper Room).

I have one final item to share: the delightful and potent prayer that I received from a friend in this morning's email:

~ Healing Prayer ~

Take my higher self

and every aspect of my being

To the very first incident

that caused these issues to start.

Let go of all of them

Hold the space open for

me to fill with all good.

I ask my spirit to dissipate all negative thoughts

and behaviors quickly without

and within, no residue

or echoes left behind.

I am filled with love

and gratitude

I am surrounded and loved

and protected in every way.

Please help us:

we are in great need this month

2014-06-09 Monday

This journal post could almost be the same as yesterday’s post. I am still having difficulty walking on my weekly; however, I only pissed on myself once today trying to get to the bathroom. I still have not located that little handheld urinal thing. Of course, my leg hasn’t been strong enough to move around looking for it.

The Kitty Kids seem to be a bit more demanding today than they did yesterday. Well, I should say, “Midnight has been more demanding today than she was yesterday.” (I am still not 100% sure that Midnight is female. The brief moments I have to inspect her rear end too short to be conclusive).

I still need to some how from somewhere raise the money to pay the Louisville Gas and Electric bill. It is about $151.00; I have $26.00 to live on for the rest of the month. I need to contact more local churches; however, it’s hard for me when I have difficulty speaking on the telephone, difficulty staying awake, and difficulty asking someone to help me. After all, all my life I have been the one responding to requests for aid; it has only been recently that I have been the one asking for aid.

I am hoping against reality that the US Department of Education will refund some or all of the $1200 they have taken from my Social Security check thus far in 2014. Perhaps I’ll have the energy tomorrow to make more telephone calls to see if I can find out from Washington what is going on. Or perhaps it is better that I use my awake time to seek the money to pay my electric bill.

I telephoned my mother around 5 o’clock after I had awakened from my second afternoon nap. It seems that she had not realized that she had not talked to me yesterday. That’s good. When Mom does not talk to me, she creates in her mind the worst possible scenario such as I have fallen and along the floor, or even dead.

I have been awake now about an hour and a half. My leg hurts sitting up, so as soon as I publish this journal post, I shall again recline in my lift chair and elevate my legs.

Please drop by today's Nick's Bytes: Too Bad It's Monday and enjoy the humor. 

Blessings to all!

2014/06/02 -- 03 Monday and Tuesday

I am writing this post about 9:30 PM on Tuesday. I’ve had some difficulties the last few days, but that’s not to say that the Kitty Kids and I haven’t had some really good things happen.

Because the first day of June fell on a Sunday, my pension check was not posted in my bank account until Monday. That may not sound like a big deal unless you realize that both the Kitty Kids and I have been virtually out of food since the middle of last week.

May was a terrible month financially: not only was it the first month I had to pay the

additional $100 in rent, but again the Department of Education had the Treasury Department withhold over $200 from my Social Security check. (More about that below).

$300+ is a lot of money taken from our limited income, which usually has not covered more than 3 weeks at the best of times. We would have been out of food sooner had not to dear friends assisted, one by donation via my PayPal account and the other via a Walmart gift card.

Sunday night I was restless and unable to sleep, anticipating my pension being available on Monday morning. About 4 AM I gave up completely and began checking my online account to see when the pension had been credited. That marvelous event was confirmed at about 5:15 AM. I was dressed, caring my portable oxygen condenser, and out the door by 5:30 AM. That’s when the first crisis struck.

Because I only had enough gasoline in the car to drive the half-mile or so to the service station, I had not been in the car for some time. Thus I did not know that I had left my keys in the ignition and the ignition set in the position to roll up my automatic windows. The battery was dead as it could be.

I almost panicked before I remembered that a couple of months ago I had invested in my renewing my American Automobile Association membership. After searching through lots of unopened mail, I found the AAA card and telephoned for someone to jump-start my battery. It took about 2 ½ hours for the service man to arrive, during which I nodding off at my desk.

After I was able to start the car I drove to the gas station, but in $40 worth of gas (about ¾ of a tank), drove around another half hour to fully charge the battery, and then went where I wanted to go for staying in the morning: the grocery.

 

Upon my return I was greeted by three very animated and excited Kitty Kids, who are aware that when I carried bags in the apartment there is usually something special for them. The first something special was their favorite wet cat food gravies. Following breakfast, they continued to surround me begging real Kitty cat treats. That continued until I was too exhausted to stay awake.

My adventures unfortunately had their negative affect on my body; not only was I exhausted all day, but I was plagued with a headache, and earache, and my bum leg so painful and weak that I could not easily move around.

I did sleep long last night and took several naps today, including one during which I had a very realistic and exciting dream. My week leg continues to be weak and my ear continued to ache, as did my head periodically.

 

The damnable part of today was that when I checked my online bank account, I discovered that again my Social Security check was $202 short. I was overcome by a sadness—almost a severe 
depression. Thoughts of another month like last month brought me to tears.

Now to the Department of Education: the best way I can explain the mess I am in is by quoting from the cover letter I mailed with my third or fourth request to have my seminary student loan discharged since I am, and have been, totally and permanently disabled since 2003.

This is at least the third time I have filed for discharge of my student loan since 2006. The only response I have ever received has been a telephone call stating that I must provide the reason the Social Security Administration determined me to be disabled. Following which, I contacted the Social Security Administration and was informed that the “reasons” are confidential and even Social Security employees cannot access them. I replied to the Sallie Mae representative with a letter from the Social Security Administration so stating.  I am 68-years-old, living alone, and have difficulty understanding bureaucratic workings and communication, even though I worked as a bureaucrat for the Commonwealth of Kentucky for twelve years, ending in 1983 when I entered seminary. It was only in the past few weeks that I learned my funds were being withheld by the Department of Education and again began this disability application process.

 

I have received one 3 ½ page letter regarding my application which was so complex that I needed to make three telephone calls to find someone to explain it to me. What I finally learned was that (1) my application has been received, (2) is being processed, (3) I will be notified of the results within the next 120 days. I thought the letter and the woman explaining it said that during the application process no further withholding from my Social Security check would occur. Unfortunately, as I learned today, that is not true.

The Kitty Kids and I are happy to have food. I am happy to again be able to purchase the nonprescription medications that I require. We have faith that we shall survive the month of June at least as we did the month of May.

27 December, 2012

I have been journaling for more than 40 years and have completed more than 30 blank books filled with journal entries. In writing this blog, I frequently forget that it is a journal. I shall try to remember to use it as a journal with Nick’s Bytes being for other types of blogging.

I spent last night in severe pain—my head, my shoulder, my arm, my hand, my leg, my ankle – all on the left side of my body. Neither ibuprofen nor topical pain relief medication helped.

Obviously, I did not get much sleep last night; it is now after 1:00 PM and I’ve only been awake and functional for about half-an-hour. At least most of the pain is gone; but I remain exhausted.

The Kitty Kids have been well behaved today – very helpful to me with their cuddling and much less demanding than usual. It is almost as if they know that I am ill. 

The pains in my body lessened this afternoon to the point that I have been able to do some of the housework that I have been unable to complete while so  agonized. I am praying that such afflictive discomfort doesn't return!

The pain has returned to my extremities—especially my left hand and, to a lesser extent, my right hand. This is preventing me from grasping things, such as my cup and flatware. I have already had dinner and am glad. However, I had serious problems taking my evening medications; I kept dropping the two pills I need to take. (Finally got them into my mouth along with water).

Next week, after I have money to purchase gasoline, I shall go to the VA ER to request help.

Day Twenty-seven

I am beginning to wonder if writing this journal isn't more time-consuming than it is worth. 

I have completed and post this Nick's Bytes remembrance of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti 85 years ago today.

Nobody Important has done some research on the Swedish so-called sex charges against Julian Assange. and published in her blog: HERE.

My damned left leg has given out on me and I can hardly stand up, much less walk. This has happened infrequently since the tank injured my leg 42 years ago. The worse part about being unable to walk/stand is bathroom trips and cooking a meal. I am hungry!

The nastiest fall the leg caused me was down the front steps of the church I pastored in Cannelton, Indiana, in the mid-1980s:

My last Sunday as pastor of St. John UCC

Day Seven

Yesterday's adventure wore me out. The drive in extreme heat without air conditioning overheated not only me but my portable oxygen compressor. I had no oxygen the last 20 or so miles of the trip. So, I have been recovering today with sleep and occasionally awakening to watch the Olympics. 

Sugar had escaped yesterday morning  when Timmi, my new caregiver, left the front door open. Alex and I went out on the patio in the wee hours of this morning. I called her and Alex left the patio and returned with Sugar following him. However,  she wouldn't enter the apartment. Finally, I cornered her in a corner of the patio and snatched her up by the nap of her neck. She must have had quite an adventure today because Sugar has been sleeping all day, too. 

There is a thunderstorm new (4:30 PM). We need the rain and I'm hoping it cools things off enough so I can make a run to the grocery.

This evening, while awaiting something of interest (not talking heads) in the TV coverage of the Olympic Games, I have been rereading The Gospel of Thomas. I find in these 114 saying of Jesus insight into the spiritual dimension of Christianity that I believe in lacking in the canonical New Testament.  For example,

#29

            If the flesh exists because of the spirit, it is a miracle; but if the spirit exists because of the body, it is a miracle or miracles. I marvel at how such great wealth  established itself amid this poverty,

#62

            I tell my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

#63

            There was a rich man who had considerable wealth. He said, “I will use my money to sew and reap and plant and fill my warehouses with fruit so that I will lack nothing.” Such we his intentions, but that night he died. Whoever has ears, let him hear.

#67

            He who knows all but fails to know himself lacks everything.

#95

            If you have money, do not lend it at interest but give it to those from whom you will not receive it back.

#113

            His disciples said to him, “When will the kingdom come?”

            He said, “It will not come when  it is expected. They will say, ‘look here,’ or ’Look there.’ Rather the kingdom of the father is spread out on the earth and people do not see it.”

 

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