My Leg 3 Days Later

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

Not that anyone requested an update or anything but I’d just like to update that things are going good.

I haven’t had to use both crutches though because I have pretty much learned to walk without them as long as I walk on my toes on my left foot.  If I walk on my toes on both feet then I can walk normal but both legs bent at the knee.  It looks funny but what else can I do eh?

It still hurts like hell though.  I can straighten my left leg when I lay down but not when I walk, especially when I walk because the pain comes.  If I’m laying down and I make my foot move with toes towards me then there is pain.

I really don’t need any pain meds because there is only pain when I do what I said in the previous paragraph.  I don’t have general pain THANK GOODNESS!  I have taken the muscle relaxers at night when it says to.  I don’t know how long that will take to fix the problem if at all but I have 20 pills.

I’m still on ice and I switch to heat tomorrow.  The doctor said ice for 15-20 minutes several times per day for 3-4 days then switch to heat.  The ice isn’t so bad.  I have a thing that you put an ice pack in then wrap it around you leg that I’ve had for a couple of years.  You can freeze the ice pack for cold or heat it up for hot but I’d rather use an electric heating pad instead because it gives constant heat.  The heating pad I have is the same type that you wrap around the leg.

I walked the dog today with one crutch instead of being on my tip toes in public lol.  Walking around that way takes a lot longer but I only walked her in the front of the house.  But, for regular dog walking duties, I’d rather Darrin handle that and give me a break since I’ve done it every day since we got her.

I can do dishes as long as I keep my leg bent which I do anyway when I stand there doing dishes.  Although I usually switch bent legs but this time I can’t.  I have to keep all the stress on my right leg.  But as long as I do one sink load (we have a 1 sided sink, it doesn’t have 2 sides so I have to use a big bowl) then I can fill it up with more dishes and let them soak while I rest my right leg so I can do more.

So I guess that’s my update for now.  No pain unless I purposely cause it by moving my foot or walk directly on the leg.  And I can still do light chores lol.  yay…

Can’t you see how enthusiastic I was by not making yay in caps?  LOL

Nook Update Coming Soon

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, eBook, Nook, Products I LikeLeave a comment

I just got this email from Barnes & Noble with some great news about my Nook. Nook 1.5 will be available later next month via wi-fi download or through my computer. I’d personally rather update it with my wi-fi connection rather than having to plug it in to do it but that’s me.

I’m thrilled by everything they will have available because I’m kind of unhappy with certain things.

Ok let’s go down the list shall we? I’m actually ok with the speed of the page turns, they could be a little bit faster but I’m fine with it. It’s actually not that slow but you know, faster is a great idea and I welcome that.

Improved search, I think that means when you type a word it searches that word faster. When I read the Colorado Kid, well, when I finished it rather, I did look up the word Haven and it couldn’t find it but it didn’t take that long to tell me that. I wish that when I’m in the bible I could type in the book, chapter and passage instead of having to scroll through all the chapter numbers until I finally get to the number I want. It would be so much faster if I went to church lol.

Customized library B&N organization. I think that is referring to the B&N library not the My Documents library. That really bites because I have more books that I have from other websites than books that I’ve purchased from Barnes and Noble. I think that they might be saying that all my newspapers will be in “newspapers” and same with magazines and books like you see in the Nook for PC software.

What I want is to have folders in the My Documents folder showing the author’s name or the book series. Then I can go in and find the books easier. This way I can have all of the Xanth books in 1 folder so I don’t have to keep turning the page to find the book that I want to read. Right now I’m deleting books that I’ve already read then adding the next book so I don’t get lost in a sea of titles trying to find the book I want to read.

Password protection doesn’t bother me because nobody uses my Nook. Although I would hope that what that means is when I want to buy a book I would have to enter a password. I would hate it if someone got a hold of my Nook then started buying books left and right and put me in the poor house, well, I’m there, the even poorer house. Actually, I think the even poorer house would be the alley behind Winchell’s.

Sync my last page to other devices, that actually doesn’t sound bad if I had other devices. I guess it would be cool if it were sync’d to the Nook for PC because today I could’ve used that option. I was reading and a letter was shown in the book that I could barely read even with the bifocal part of my glasses. I would’ve loaded the Nook for PC program but I didn’t want to have to find the page. Also that program takes forever to load.

I can’t wait for a few of those much-needed upgrades which I have to wait for a MONTH to get. Why couldn’t they tell me when it happens instead of making me stew for a month? Damn them!

Kathy Griffin Has Inspired Me

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, Celebrities, PeopleLeave a comment

I knew that if I read Kathy Griffin’s autobiography about her life that I would learn a thing or two about how to write an autobiography.

Sure, I could’ve chosen to read a book from someone who was gay bashed by bullies and their own parents (which is the main focus of this book) but well, frankly, I couldn’t find any.  And actually, Kathy’s book is the perfect choice because she was bullied in school and she was almost molested like me.  Although our situations are different, their not too far apart.

In fact, they are pretty much the same except she was only kissed by a 28-year-old when she was 13, I was lead around the house with my balls being held onto tightly when I was 15 before being tongue raped by a 50 something year old ex-prostitute woman who was my mothers best friend.  Great, I just told you the whole story, now what incentive do you have to read my book?

Well, it’s not the only story but at any rate, she has given me more confidence in the way to structure my paragraphs and even adding pictures and other graphics.  Although, I won’t be using a tiara.  Maybe…

I haven’t finished her book yet but I have two-thirds of the book to go.  It’s a very interesting read if you get a chance to pick up a copy or buy an e-book version of it.  Even if you don’t like her you will find her book easy to read, heart breaking and hilarious all at the same time.  I laughed, I cried, I screamed in pain because I passed a kidney stone while reading.  Ok that last part wasn’t true but I did cry for her pain and I laughed at her jokes.

So now that I’m inspired by her writing, even though I’m not finished with her book I feel more comfortable to continue writing at night which is usually when I have more energy to write since I have insomnia.  Why I get energy late at night I have no idea.  It just happens that way.

I’m a Klutz with Crutches

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

I’ve never had to use crutches in my entire life. I’ve never had a broken leg and whenever I’ve twisted my ankle it has healed within minutes or hours of twisting it so I don’t really have any experience with it.

Now I am forced to use them with my left calf messed up the way it is and I’m a terror.

I just got out of the shower which by the way, I never fully appreciated the fact that our shower has a little built-in seat. We usually just put our shampoo and body wash on that seat and never sit down while in the shower but now that I have to, I’m using it. So I get out of the shower and dry myself off and I had to sit on the toilet to put my bottom garments on (I’m embarrassed to say their names lol) and I get up to put my shirt on, I knock my crutches over which are leaning against the wall next to the bath tub. The crutches knock over a jar filled with marbles into the tub, breaking the jar and getting marbles all over the place.

Mind you, it’s 1:15am when this happens. Fortunately nobody is asleep at this hour but still, if this had been a house full of people, I’d be getting yelled at right about now.

The jar by the way is one of those old jars with a lid that you keep in a bar on a little bar table and it holds liquor. Like I don’t know, Vodka, Gin, Whiskey or something.  Since neither of us drink, those are filled with other things and placed strategically around the house to use as decor.  Why marbles?  And why was it on the edge of the bath tub?  I will never know.

So… I’m totally embarrassed but for some reason I find it hysterical.  Not because I broke something that was probably worth something to someone, I don’t know how much money it would’ve been worth but I’m sure it holds a sentimental value to Darrin and his brother.  I found it funny because I’m normally a klutz but with the crutches it’s worse.

And this is only day 1 of god only knows how many more days I have to deal with this pain.  The E.R. doctor said it’s possible I could be on the crutches for 4-6 weeks, although I told Darrin 6-8 just in case.  I like to overestimate things because you never know.

He has offered to take care of me which is a switch because I’m usually the one that takes care of him even when nothing is wrong with him.  Although, I don’t feel comfortable making him do something for me so even though I know it hurts like hell, I’ll still walk to the kitchen for something and then carry it in my teeth to the room lol.

I should milk the cow for as long as I can though.  I mean, when am I going to ever get the chance to have a personal steward again?  Well, I am a klutz so it is possible that it’s not the last time lol.

My New Leg Injury

On By Michel McDonaldIn Doctor, Exercise, Health, HumorLeave a comment

I’m sitting here in my room reading “Official Book Club Selection, a Memoir According to Kathy Griffin” on my Nook and I hear the ice cream truck. Darrin hears it too and he tells me to go stop him. I opened the door and saw he’s already across the street, he says run to stop him.

I’m in my bare feet and I’m running and waving like a maniac. They aren’t looking in the rear view mirror either. I think they get off on that.

I pass about 6 houses and figure they aren’t going to look in the mirror and they are driving the same speed that I am running which means, I have to pick up speed to catch up.

That’s when it goes horribly wrong. I pick up speed and just then “POP” my left calf makes this popping sound and I can feel the pop too. Crack one of your knuckles, that’s the popping sound that I heard.

I immediately had to stop because my calf tightened up, sort of like a Charley horse. Not only could I not continue running but I can’t even walk, heck, I couldn’t even stand up straight. My left leg hurts like hell when I have it straight like my right leg. The only way my leg is comfortable is if it’s lifted up in the back, like I’m on crutches. The tendon is tightened so that it hurts when I straighten my leg out.

I look towards our house to see if Darrin has come out of the house to come to me as if I had stopped the truck and he sees me bent over and I used a sort of sign language, as if I’m mimeing like I’m driving a car but rocking the wheel too far to the left and right. That was my way of saying, get in the car and come get me.

He’s not coming and I’m standing there with my leg bent back, I can’t go anywhere but I start hobbling towards the house. I saw the white car coming around the corner and he stops at where I’m at and opens the door and I painfully got in.

He drove to where the Ice Cream truck is because I’ll be damned if I hurt myself in vain. He gets our “Mama Flip” ice creams which is soft serve in a cup with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

We come home and I’m not only about ready to throw up but I’m also about ready to pass out. He goes in the house to get the crutches that we have had since his mother broke her leg in 2000 and I go in the house with the intentions of laying down with some ice on it with hopes it will get better. It’s not getting better.

I went to WebMD.com and looked it up and it tells me to immediately go seek medical help so we went to the E.R. where I sat for about 3 1/2 hours waiting for them to call me. After 1/2 hour I told Darrin to go home, I’d call him. No sense in both of us being bored and losing internet time lol.

The doctor couldn’t do an emergency MRI or even x-rays but he bends my leg back and forth and moves my foot and he gives me his diagnosis which I couldn’t remember (remember that I have a learning disorder?) but all I can say is he thinks I must have torn a muscle which is what I figured out right when it happened.

He tells me to rest and put ice on it for 15-20 minutes several times per day for the first 3-4 days then after that replace the ice with heat. He also gave me a prescription for Motrin and a muscle relaxer. I can’t say the name of it because I can’t read his writing lol. I have some ibuprofen from when I had the neck and shoulder pain so I can take that until we can get to the pharmacy tomorrow (followed by Subway or Panda, you know, while we’re there lol).

I have to report to my doctor in the next 1-2 weeks to let him know what happened and maybe perhaps get an x-ray or MRI done if it’s still hurting by then. Oh and I get to be on crutches for a while too which in a way is a good thing because now I don’t have to take the dog out, I can’t if I’m on crutches (wicked evil grin).

Unfortunately, I can’t count on Darrin to do the dishes for me and when I make dinner he’ll have to bring it to me. If I leave dinner up to him we’ll be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a while. Or soup, he loves making soup lol.

I was afraid I would miss my shows but when I got home it was some hometown sports show plus the Closer is on tonight instead of my Sunday night Fox cartoons. Oh well, I’m glad I didn’t miss them but it would’ve been nice to know they weren’t going to be on so I wouldn’t have been stressing about miss them during my 3 1/2 hour wait time lol.

Anyway, so I’m off to go rest and ice my leg.

My Freaky Spirit Board Story

On By Michel McDonaldIn crafts, HalloweenLeave a comment

For some odd reason, last year I was addicted to the idea of making a spirit board. So I learned how to do wood burning after a friend bought me a wood burner. I bought all this irregular wood (it’s cheaper) along with some other wood burning accessories.

I printed out the pattern that I wanted to make it with and traced it all out on the wood then I burned it on. I cut a planchette from a cheap piece of wood that I bought from Wal-Mart and found that it was too big for my board so I cut it down to half its size.

When everything was cut and everything was burned I was ready to put lacquer on it all. The odd thing is, the planchette was missing. I searched all over my bedroom, all over the tool shed, all over the back yard. I could not find it anywhere.

At first I thought maybe I should just make a new one but then I started thinking that perhaps it’s gone for a reason. If I made a new one who knows what might happen. Is it gone because someone took it? And when I say someone I don’t mean a living person, I mean a spirit who doesn’t want me to use the Spirit Board.

So, I never made another planchette and the board sits in the same spot untouched collecting dust.

I would still like to use it some day and I guess I’m waiting for the planchette to return to me, giving me permission to use it. Does that sound silly? I mean, I could just make another one or I could use a shot glass if I really wanted to use it.

People are always saying that you are opening a portal by using one of these and I don’t know if that is true or not. People are always saying these are evil but I think that all depends on who is using it and how they are using it. I don’t believe in good or evil, I just believe there are ghosts out there and I want to communicate with them.

The reason I haven’t used it yet is just in case there is a possibility that someone may be right and I was wrong. I don’t want to end up bringing some bad juju in my house ya know?

It’s been over a year now and Halloween is coming which is when you would use one of these but I’m still not sure I should even though I want to.

No Treats for Obama

On By Michel McDonaldIn PoliticalLeave a comment

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivhwO_zWWg

“Opie is extremely picky about who he takes his treats from.”

The only thing that I can think is that this woman and her husband must do a lot of Obama bashing in their home because the dog wouldn’t do what he does in the video if they don’t. They must also tell him that Obama is bad and they have probably taught him to bark at him when he’s on the tv.

Dogs are smart but they aren’t that smart that they won’t accept a treat from Barack Obama.  If I handed my dog a treat and said it was from Barack Obama she would be like “uh yeah… whatever give me the damn treat” because I don’t bash Obama to her.

This goes to show that hatred isn’t just taught to people, it’s also taught to dogs. I bet they also offer treats from gay people and the dog turns his head away.

Our Sacred Balance (eBook)

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, eBook, Gay, Kindle, NookLeave a comment

I am sad to say that I finished reading Our Sacred Balance. I’m sad because it is the final book in the Triquetra Trilogy. I guess all good things have to come to an end, this being my first gay e-book series I was hoping it would last longer. It did take me 3 months to read since I read 1 book each month so that’s something I suppose.

I wouldn’t want to give anything away but here is the synopsis according to the Rainbow eBooks website:

“Lovers Kristair and Jacob believe they’re done with the supernatural and on the road to a new life. But the supernatural isn’t done with them. A stalker is targeting vampires, tearing them from their sanctuaries and leaving them to burn in the sun, and when the vampires of Pittsburgh call upon the ancient Kristair, he cannot refuse them aid despite Jacob’s objections.

While their quest becomes more dangerous, tempers flare when Jacob tries to make Kristair understand the limitations of being human again. As they struggle to reach a balance between them, the other vampires become restless, eager to find the person responsible for the deaths of their own so they can vent their rage.

But the enemy is closer than they ever imagined and carries a personal grudge against them. Their mental link gone and spiritual strength halved, Jacob and Kristair must conquer Kristair’s newfound helplessness and learn to communicate with each other before their enemy destroys everything they’ve fought so hard to win.”

There is so much more to the story that I don’t want to give away but let me just say that it is very dramatic and interesting. That’s what I love about books, they have so many twists and turns and you never know what’s going to happen next. And this one had some twists that you will not expect.

Marguerite Labbe is my favorite author of gay ebooks forever. Not just because her books were the first gay books that I read but also because she really knows how to excite a person with her writing and I’m not just talking about the drama in the book.

If you like gay vampire novels then this trilogy is for you. Start with My Heart is Within You over at the Rainbow eBooks website. I looked and it’s not available in the Nook store. If you have a Kindle you can get it in Kindle format from the Kindle store. Amazon also has it in paperback format so if you don’t have an e-book reader then you can still buy it.

Nurse Discovers Patient Is Her Long-Lost Father

On By Michel McDonaldIn Amplify, Daily Blog, NewsLeave a comment

This is such a happy and sad story. I didn’t include all of the text so you’ll have to click the AOL News link below. This story has touched me only because I don’t know my father either. It took her all these years to find her father and he has cancer and their reunion may be cut short but at least they were able to meet each other before his fateful day comes.

I am so happy for the two of them and wish the best for their families.

Amplify’d from www.aolnews.com

Nurse Discovers Patient Is Her Long-Lost Father

(Sept. 3) — What are the odds?

Wanda Rodriguez, a 41-year-old assistant head nurse at New York’s Calvary Hospital, had not seen her father since she was a baby.

Raised by her mother in the Bronx after her parents broke up when she was less than a year old, Rodriguez didn’t know much more of her father than his name, Victor Peraza, and hermother’s recollection that Rodriguez looked a lot like him.

But as fate would have it, on Aug. 25 a new cancer patient was admitted to Calvary, a hospital that administers care to the terminally ill. When Rodriguez learned his name while discussing his case with a colleague, she froze up.

“I thought, if he’s my complexion, if he has green eyes, he could be my dad,” Rodriguez told ABC News. Read more at www.aolnews.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/cskp

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

On By Michel McDonaldIn Celebrities, TVLeave a comment

I wasn’t going to watch the new Housewives show because I think there is a bit of a housewife overload. But… when I found out that one of the housewives is Kim Richards who was a face that was all over the place in the mid 80′s, I figured I would give it a go.

I didn’t know that she is related to the Hilton’s either. Seeing her was a huge surprise, a good surprise.

Housewives rundown:

  • Orange County – Eh, I like one or two of them but the others I don’t care for.
  • Atlanta – I never really watched
  • New York – I liked New York
  • New Jersey – I LOVED New Jersey
  • Washington D.C. – I never really watched
  • Beverly Hills – I think I will like

I hate getting sucked into yet another housewives show but luckily they repeat so if I miss an episode because of my Thursday night shows then I can watch it when it repeats.

Darrin says that the houses in this new series puts all the houses in the previous shows to shame. He said that all the other housewives look poor compared to Beverly Hills.