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

I Am Back

A few years ago I created this Journal as a place to post personal stuff about the Kitty Kids and me that I had been posting on Nick’s Bytes. Then at the end of last July (July 25^th, to be exact) I began sharing that information on Facebook, thus neglecting this blog.

I was basically quite please was posting personal stuff on Facebook. Lots of very neat folks responded to my posts, I received a lot of support, and some tangible assistance. However, a few days ago, I was attacked by a troll—a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people (Wikipedia)—a very nasty troll who flamed—flaming… is carried out by individuals known as flamers, who are specifically motivated to incite flaming. These users specialize in flaming and target specific aspects of a controversial conversation (Wikipedia)—me time and time again.

This experience shook me. It was the first time I have encountered a truly vicious troll since the late 1990s and it was totally unexpected. After evaluating the situation and praying for guidance, I decided to return to full-time blogging. Nick’s Bytes will be as it once was, with both serious and humorous posts. This journal will be what it was originally intended to be, a place to share a personal happenings in my life and the lives of those I love, including the Kitty kids.

I can’t catch up with all that’s happened since last July. I will share one of the things that I did  today.

That is all for now. I'll post again tomorrow. Please come back when you were able.

Shalom, dear friends.

Update and Stuff

I’ve not posted on this Journal in a very long time. I began thinking about it today and decided to publish an update.

I have been up and down today: up for 5 to 10 minutes doing things that must be done, then down for 20 to 120 minutes with my leg raised. The blog post that I created this morning turned on the folksong channel in my brain. I have been playing CDs most of the day, whether I have been up or down. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Cisco Houston, Tommy Paxton, Phil Ochs, the Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, etc.—I have listened to them all today.  Here are the CDs I played today that are still available:

I was then inspired by all of the folksongs to pull out my guitar and strum and sing. However, when I tried to carry the case from the corner where it stands to my chair, I found my left leg was too weak. So, fearing that I would fall, I left the guitar where it stands. Perhaps soon my leg will heal enough that I don’t have to have those down for 20 to 120 minutes periods and I can bring my guitar case where I can open it without fearing that I may fall.

The kittens have become a true joy in my life. The antics of the little furballs are enjoyable and, at times, amazing. For example, this little one is on Alex’s table and eating from Alex’s feeding bowl:

What really surprised me was watching Alex leap upon his table and not bop the kitten on the head:

The kittens are everywhere: on my desk, under my desk, on my lift chair, under my lift chair, on top of me, under my feet, etc. This little furball has gotten in the habit of climbing on what’s left of my desk chair when I’m not sitting on it. There really is not much left of the chair; I have had two chairs fall apart on me in the last couple of weeks. I’ve located a desk chair strong enough to hold my 350 pounds. I hope to purchase it as soon as I find the money to do so.

As for the adult the kitty kids, Alex and Sugar seem to become buddies again. Little Girl is still nursing her kittens and locating the kittens when they get into something they shouldn’t—which is often.

I suppose that this Journal is no longer a daily journal. Perhaps I can update it at least on a weekly basis.

If you are able and willing, would you consider clicking the PayPal symbol below and donating just a dollar to us? A few weeks ago I was playing around with statistics on the visitors to Nick’s Bytes. I was amazed to find that if my visitors had donated just one dollar per month I would now have no debts and my retirement income would be sufficient for the kitty kids and me.

July 7, 2013

Pain, from just above the temple down to my jaw including my ear—all on the left side of my head—has been so intense today that I did not know if I could make it through. I’ve also felt nauseated much of the day, possibly due to the medication I have been taking in attempts to stem the pain.

I’ve gotten very little sleep, primarily in one or two hour increments even though I’ve tried to sleep. The pain keeps awakening me.

Likewise, the nausea I am feeling and the pain in my jaw have prevented me from eating.

My left leg has been extremely weak, so I’ve not gotten around much today. Most of today I have either been at my desk sitting before the computer or in  my lift chair attempting to sleep. My leg is so weak that I have been afraid to attempt to drive to the emergency room because I fear being unable to engage the clutch.

My final symptom is that I’ve been having moments of being unable to breathe. This, too, has affected my ability to sleep.

Now that I have explained how I’ve spent most of today in pain, I shall add the good parts. I have attempted several times today to take photographs of the kittens. I finally succeeded in getting a few plus some of the adult kitty kids:

I’ve not been able to complete Monday’s Nick’s Bytes blog post. I’m working on it a bit at a time, but spending most of my time trying to deal with his horrendous pain on the left side of my head.

July 4, 2013

For me, it has been a strange Independence Day. The pain in my left leg and the left side of my face has been increasing/decreasing all day. The former makes it difficult for me to stand or walk; the latter to rest or concentrate. I've used all three pain medications I have been prescribed alternately, but none of them ends the pain fir long.

Since walking has been difficult I have spent most of the day creating the fourth and last of my Nick's Bytes posts commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.

Click to view:

• Gettysburg: Day 1
• Gettysburg: Day 2
• Gettysburg: Day 3
• Gettysburg After Pickett's Charge: July 3 & 4

I have enjoyed creating these, although I note that there have not been a lot of visitors to view them: about 350 a day compared to the 600+ who read my jokes posts.

I have attempted to shoot new photographs of Little Girl’s kitten, but it is now difficult since she has moved them to a back corner of the walk-in closet beneath hanging clothing. Here are the best two I have been able to take:

July 1, 2013

I ran into an unfortunate situation on Facebook a few days ago. I ventilated about learning that Lendmark, the subsidiary of BBandT, my former bank, with whom I took out the damnable 34% loan to (1) pay the first home health care organization for groceries that I could not afford and (2) to obtain the necessary funds to move from my (foreclosed) house into this much more affordable apartment, has been adding charges totally $25.00 per month for seven months without my knowing it. I just needed to get it off my chest; however, a friend of a friend saw my post and offered "advice" in such a condescending manner that I sank into a deep depression.

If you have read Nick's Bytes through the years, you know about the depressive genetic depression I have inherited from the maternal side of my genes. If not, may I suggest that you read my 2007 Nick's Bytes blog post, Art Buchwald & Me: Please Understand Us?

I share the above as an explanation of my purpose in resurrecting this journal blog. For too long I have neglected blogging as I have used Facebook and Twitter to express myself. Unfortunately, neither of those outlets provide the freedom and latitude that blogging can. I could never have written what I have thus far in the post in either of them. 

Therefore, I have resurrected this blog!  I thank you for reading and urge you to comment. And, to check back tomorrow when I plan to have another post!

Day Ninety-eight

Thus far, today has been a mishmash of events. The kitty Kids awakened me at 5:00 a.m. because they didn't look at the clock and see that D.S.T. is over and it wasn't 6:00 a.m., when they normally get their breakfast.

An hour later I needed to pick up some non-prescription medications, so I drove to Walmart, going through a McDonald's drive-through and breakfasting in the car in the Walmart parking lot. Four metro police cars were gathered in front of the far entrance of the store; I think the officers were also breakfasting. My paranoia had me avoid them: I don't like being around people carrying guns, especially when society has licensed them to kill. 

By the time I returned from my adventure, I was exhausted. I napped from about 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Then I tried to do some  housework, but found I was having trouble breathing. I did what I could and then played with Alex a bit, followed my Little Girl, and finally Sugar.

In the early afternoon I tried watching pro football, but even the Colts and Giants respective games could not interest me. I felt the need to studying and pray. So I did.

Then I realized that I'd not posted the Peace Globe I created and today is Blogblast for Peace. So I wrote a new blog-post to follow the one I'd posted early this morning before I went to sleep which contains videos expressing my view on Tuesday's election.

Now I need to make my daily call to my mother and then rest a bit.

I ended the day watch pro-football and completing tomorrow's Nick's Bytes post. Now I am reading to retire for the night. (The kitty kids are already sleeping).

Day Seventy-two

Today began with a couple of problems to solve:

• How to feed all three kitty kids now that Alex has taken over Little Girl's eating spot
• Where to sit since my lift chair isn't working

I have solved number one by creating new eating spots for Little Girl and Sugar  This may be temporary: I'll see how it works out.

My lift chair is getting no power. I've checked that it is plugged in. Since that isn't the problem, I need to figure out what more to explore. I hope I don't have to have it repaired. I have no money for that.

I have published a Silly Sunday post on Nick's Bytes.

With my lift chair not working, my left ankle is swiftly swelling from the congestive heart failure, as well as increased fatigue. I dropped my apartment cleaning plans and returned to my hospital bed where I raised my legs for about four hours. This doesn't work as well as my lift chair, but it is much better than doing nothing to treat the disease. 

I need to figure out another way to lift my legs, especially my left leg, until I can get my chair working properly.

I've receibed an email from soneone interested in purchasing my Schwinn Airdyne that I have listed on Craig's List. I emailed her my telephone number but unfortunately have yet to receive a call. I could really use the money!

I really love these kitty kids: they make my life worth living!