Well, another day has passed us by and I am still here and PROUD to be here. I spent all last week with Megan and my Grandson and enjoyed every bit of it. It was a great thing to hold him and watch him sleep. I also enjoyed the times when he was awake just enjoying being held. Life is a wonderful thing and I really enjoyed our time together. He would just look at me with love and it makes me feel so good. Matt was off this weekend so I let him help Megan where it was needed.
I spent this weekend working on stuff around here. I broke our "not working" hot tub down and cleared the deck off. I started trying to move the deck, but it was too heavy to lift. I raised it up with my jack and placed 4x4's under it and tried to slide it. This did not work very well, either. Today, when I got home from work, I removed a few of the boards and cut the deck in to three pieces. It was still too heavy to lift up, so I slide each end a little bit at a time. Now all three pieces are moved out and the ground underneath it is pretty low. I have to fill in these holes for now, but our plan it to make the porch larger. Concrete will be put here some day soon, but I don't think I am ready for this just yet. First, I have to figure out where this deck will be put and get it set and back together. Sometimes, it is the little things that make life interesting. Once I get this set up, I can start looking at the size of the new porch. This means I have some dirt to remove and some re bar strips to put down. I do not look forward to all of this but it needs to be done so I can put my BBQ pit on it. Just think, two years ago, there was a pool and hot tub back there and now they are both gone. I have a lot of sand in place where the pool used to be. I guess the good part is that mowing is still pretty easy since there is no grass where the sand is.
I will be taking a couple of days of vacation at the start of next week to be with my Grandson. Megan has to go back to school on Thursday. Betty will be there Thursday and half of Friday and I get the other half. Then Monday and Tuesday, he will be mine to spoil! I am so looking forward to this.
Well, since today is my birthday, I had many friends call or send me cards or even a few e-mails. Tiffaney even took me out for dinner tonight while Betty was at Megan's. Certain people remember this day and that always makes me feel good. I think I turned 40 AGAIN... If my math is right, I must have been born in 1969 now. My driver's license has this date wrong. I guess when you let the state get there information from a birth certificate, they get confused.....
Life is great and I enjoy every day. Now I have Maxwell around to make me enjoy it that much more. YES, I am Grandpa now. Does this mean I am getting older? Well, YES I am but enjoying it every day that goes by.
I love life and love the people in my life! Every day that I wake up breathing on my own is a good day. Yes, we are coming up on my 2nd anniversary of my trouble, but July is still worth looking forward to living thru. I know my accident made my Mom's birthday pretty rough two years ago because it happened the day before her birthday. I can only hope she knows how much it meant to me to not call and wish her a Happy Birthday that year.
Life is wonderful and I will have a smile on my face tomorrow because I survived another year of happiness. My love is sent to all of you that still read this. I know some people read it and don't respond, but knowing that I am a dear part of their life makes me feel better. I don't care if you respond as long as you care about how I am and how I am doing.
Signed this time by "The Birthday Boy". Thanks for thinking of me and keeping up with how I am doing.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, Feb 16 and still BOTHERING you...
Yes, I am still here and YES, I am here to bother you some more. I posted some pictures of Maxwell and other members of the family. It so neat to look through the pictures and pick out good ones of each of us. I had several with my Mom in them, but did not have one of Dad. I guess he will miss out this time. I am SURE Megan has one but I did not get any. I was supposed to start baby-sitting today, but Matt had the day off because of the holiday. I stayed home and mowed the yard and piddled the rest of the day away. Don't tell Betty that I swept the floor OR emptied the dishwasher. One of those things that I do and never tell any one. I get to go spend the next few days holding my Grandson. Maybe I can convince Megan to take a nap or something. I am SO looking forward to this.
I noticed last week at work that it does not hurt as much to get on my bicycle. I guess this means I am still improving! Yes, God is still by my side helping me through all of this. I had to sit through our company safety meeting and, yes, those metal chairs still hurt my broken tailbone. Someone asked me if it would ever go away or is it getting better. I think it is better, but it is still not a pleasant thing to have. Please do try this one! Take my word on it. Not Pleasant!
Betty and I went with some friends to the Home Show yesterday. We walked quite a bit and it did not bother me that much. 6 months ago I would have had to take a couple of breaks because my pelvic area would start hurting. It is not comfortable, but the bad pains seem to be fading, too. They had a demonstration going on there of a Trikke. It is like a scooter, but has three wheels and no pedals. You control the speed by turning the steering wheel and leaning back and forth. It looks like it would be a great way to exercise but I am still afraid of these things. I did try a small ride of it and my pelvic area won't allow me to push too much and my fear of falling created another problem. I was a trick to get on. I was not sure which foot needs to go on first. My right leg is not strong enough to support my weight for very long, but I knew not to let it be up as I brought the second one up. Another one of those challenges. The girl trying to help me was not sure what to do. She asked me if my knee was bad and when I told her it was my pelvic area, she got one of those looks like she did not understand or could not comprehend my issue. I think with time and patience, this would be great exercise. Since I don't have much of either of those, I will just have to pass for now.
Life is a great thing and I am so glad you all helped keep me around to bother you! I thank you all for the love and support you gave me and my family through all of this. And Thanks to God for His help, too. Someone I know has a Birthday coming up. I think, like last year, HE will be Forty AGAIN. Good thing I don't count very well, huh?
Enjoy the pictures. I will try to change them out every once in a while. I am just glad the picture of me counting to four is gone and Maxwell will greet you for a while. It always amazed my that four glasses of tea can make you look like that. It was just iced tea brought in from New York.... (From Long Island, I believe....)
Mark 2/16/08
I noticed last week at work that it does not hurt as much to get on my bicycle. I guess this means I am still improving! Yes, God is still by my side helping me through all of this. I had to sit through our company safety meeting and, yes, those metal chairs still hurt my broken tailbone. Someone asked me if it would ever go away or is it getting better. I think it is better, but it is still not a pleasant thing to have. Please do try this one! Take my word on it. Not Pleasant!
Betty and I went with some friends to the Home Show yesterday. We walked quite a bit and it did not bother me that much. 6 months ago I would have had to take a couple of breaks because my pelvic area would start hurting. It is not comfortable, but the bad pains seem to be fading, too. They had a demonstration going on there of a Trikke. It is like a scooter, but has three wheels and no pedals. You control the speed by turning the steering wheel and leaning back and forth. It looks like it would be a great way to exercise but I am still afraid of these things. I did try a small ride of it and my pelvic area won't allow me to push too much and my fear of falling created another problem. I was a trick to get on. I was not sure which foot needs to go on first. My right leg is not strong enough to support my weight for very long, but I knew not to let it be up as I brought the second one up. Another one of those challenges. The girl trying to help me was not sure what to do. She asked me if my knee was bad and when I told her it was my pelvic area, she got one of those looks like she did not understand or could not comprehend my issue. I think with time and patience, this would be great exercise. Since I don't have much of either of those, I will just have to pass for now.
Life is a great thing and I am so glad you all helped keep me around to bother you! I thank you all for the love and support you gave me and my family through all of this. And Thanks to God for His help, too. Someone I know has a Birthday coming up. I think, like last year, HE will be Forty AGAIN. Good thing I don't count very well, huh?
Enjoy the pictures. I will try to change them out every once in a while. I am just glad the picture of me counting to four is gone and Maxwell will greet you for a while. It always amazed my that four glasses of tea can make you look like that. It was just iced tea brought in from New York.... (From Long Island, I believe....)
Mark 2/16/08
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday, Feb 6 and NOW A GRANDPA
We had a very exciting day yesterday. Megan had labor pains most of the day and at 3:55PM, Maxwell Vincent came out for all of us to enjoy. He weighed 8lbs and 2 ozs. It was a wonderful experience for us all. Many children come into this world screaming and crying, but not this one. He could definitely cry when he needed to, but most of the time, he was as gentle as could be. I am sure he got hungry last night after I left the hospital, but most of the time he was quiet and peaceful. I am also sure today will be one those days that he will let everyone know he is here, but he slept most of time yesterday. We all got to take our turn holding and loving on him and Megan had a few friends there to help out, too. A couple of people she is in school with came by and Kim, her best friend, was there, too. We have some pictures, but I will have to find Betty's camera to get them on here.
I am sure we will go back to the hospital today to enjoy his life some more. It is a wonderful thing to still be here to enjoy the use of my new name. Several people said that the name Grandpa is sure old fashion, but it is an honor for me to use it since one of the greatest people I have ever known was called that by me. My goal in life is to be the loving and caring person that he always was to me, except I HOPE to be around more often for Maxwell. My Grandpa lived quite a way away from us, but when we were around him, his love was always there. Even if you did one of those things that made him upset, he was very understanding and would use this experience to help you learn and improve from it. I am not sure if I can quite live up to the way he was, but I am going to give everything I have to try. Being a Grandparent is a wonderful thing! I know my parents have always meant the world to all of my kids and I am going to try real hard to be that way, too. Yes, there will be a lot of spoiling going on, but that is one of the special things about being Grandpa. I am ALLOWED to do this!
It really amazed me with how everyone in my family knew the hospital better than me. They knew how to get to this or that and I was completely lost most of the time. I spent many months there in my recovery time, but I did not get to walk around the halls like they did. I saw places where I was told I was, but I just don't remember it. Funny how life is sometimes. God protected me by keeping me here and allowing me NOT to remember some of those times.
I am so glad He loves me so much! He was a big SPIRIT in my life and I will always remember this!
My love to you all.
Mark 2/6/09
I am sure we will go back to the hospital today to enjoy his life some more. It is a wonderful thing to still be here to enjoy the use of my new name. Several people said that the name Grandpa is sure old fashion, but it is an honor for me to use it since one of the greatest people I have ever known was called that by me. My goal in life is to be the loving and caring person that he always was to me, except I HOPE to be around more often for Maxwell. My Grandpa lived quite a way away from us, but when we were around him, his love was always there. Even if you did one of those things that made him upset, he was very understanding and would use this experience to help you learn and improve from it. I am not sure if I can quite live up to the way he was, but I am going to give everything I have to try. Being a Grandparent is a wonderful thing! I know my parents have always meant the world to all of my kids and I am going to try real hard to be that way, too. Yes, there will be a lot of spoiling going on, but that is one of the special things about being Grandpa. I am ALLOWED to do this!
It really amazed me with how everyone in my family knew the hospital better than me. They knew how to get to this or that and I was completely lost most of the time. I spent many months there in my recovery time, but I did not get to walk around the halls like they did. I saw places where I was told I was, but I just don't remember it. Funny how life is sometimes. God protected me by keeping me here and allowing me NOT to remember some of those times.
I am so glad He loves me so much! He was a big SPIRIT in my life and I will always remember this!
My love to you all.
Mark 2/6/09
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, Jan 31 and still here
As always, I am here and ready to post some ongoing stuff. We are getting excited about next Thursday and the coming of my Grandson. This is all exciting for us. If Megan's water does not break before Wednesday, Feb.4, they will put her in the hospital and induce her into labor on the 5th. We will be at the hospital for this exciting time. YES, I will be called Grandpa AND really looking forward to having a new special person in my life.
I guess I was wrong again, as usual, thinking that no one stills reads this, but many replies tells me I am still a concern for many people. Respond or not, I will continue for a while longer. Betty and I went to Huntsville yesterday to do some stuff to the trailer to get it ready to move to Deer Park for Tiffaney to live in. I think I am doing OK until something like this comes along. Many things I used to do with no problem now hurt me. I TRY to forget these things, but reality sets me back in place! We brought the AC unit home and part of the rear porch, too. The BOZO that built this thing 5 years ago did a great job on nailing it together. He must have found a great deal on nails. Looking at the way it is attached to the trailer, he must have put 20 nails there. We took all the boards off of it and the stairs, too. The frame is still attached with the legs in place. I will have to cut or drill these nails from the wall to get it off. AND worse news is that, the front porch is much larger. The back one is 4ft x 4ft and the stairs were another 5ft long. The front one is 8ft x 8ft and stairs for it. The good part is, in Huntsville, there are more changes in elevation than there are around here. I still have to remove the skirting around it, too. That is never much fun but is one of those things that I get to do, too. The electrical and plumbing will be a big challenge, too. I used to be able to get on the ground and move around with no issues, but it is not like that any more. It hurts to get there now and I KNOW I won't be able to move as easy as I used to.
I had my first deposition scheduled for Wednesday of this week. We drove all the way to downtown and found out the other side's lawyer had cancelled it. This was wonderful of him. I can only figure this is his way of taking more control of the issues at hand, but what he doesn't understand is my pain is not going away with more time. My lawyer will be out of town until the middle of February so they will re-schedule this sometime after that. I know they will ask a lot of questions about things I don't remember because of the damage caused to my mind. It is that way on a lot of things. Things I used to do without much thought, now I have to focus on thinking them through. Only time will tell when this will be scheduled again.
My concerns right now are on my Grandson and I will deal with these pain issues as best I can. There were a lot of dear friends and family that still read this and many took the time to respond. It is nice to see that I still have people that care and worry about my progress. Some are friends and some are family, but what is most important, is that God still loves me and is doing His best to keep me here. This always means so much to me! He is the Greatest and my Love for Him has always been a good thing to hold on to. I was always a person that cared about many things, but He has opened my eyes to so much more. People ask my a lot of times why I am always in a great mood after what I went through and all I can do is mention the "train story" to them. I REALLY think I was on the track at one point, and all the prayers and love that my friends and family gave towards me, helped God to pull me away from this train. The horn was loud, so I know I was close when it passed.
Yes, my mind is not where it used to be and I have pains in my body every day, but I am still here to appreciate the love you send and I reciprocate by sending it back. Thanks for reading and caring! I love you all so much.
Mark 1/31/09 - another month is behind us!
I guess I was wrong again, as usual, thinking that no one stills reads this, but many replies tells me I am still a concern for many people. Respond or not, I will continue for a while longer. Betty and I went to Huntsville yesterday to do some stuff to the trailer to get it ready to move to Deer Park for Tiffaney to live in. I think I am doing OK until something like this comes along. Many things I used to do with no problem now hurt me. I TRY to forget these things, but reality sets me back in place! We brought the AC unit home and part of the rear porch, too. The BOZO that built this thing 5 years ago did a great job on nailing it together. He must have found a great deal on nails. Looking at the way it is attached to the trailer, he must have put 20 nails there. We took all the boards off of it and the stairs, too. The frame is still attached with the legs in place. I will have to cut or drill these nails from the wall to get it off. AND worse news is that, the front porch is much larger. The back one is 4ft x 4ft and the stairs were another 5ft long. The front one is 8ft x 8ft and stairs for it. The good part is, in Huntsville, there are more changes in elevation than there are around here. I still have to remove the skirting around it, too. That is never much fun but is one of those things that I get to do, too. The electrical and plumbing will be a big challenge, too. I used to be able to get on the ground and move around with no issues, but it is not like that any more. It hurts to get there now and I KNOW I won't be able to move as easy as I used to.
I had my first deposition scheduled for Wednesday of this week. We drove all the way to downtown and found out the other side's lawyer had cancelled it. This was wonderful of him. I can only figure this is his way of taking more control of the issues at hand, but what he doesn't understand is my pain is not going away with more time. My lawyer will be out of town until the middle of February so they will re-schedule this sometime after that. I know they will ask a lot of questions about things I don't remember because of the damage caused to my mind. It is that way on a lot of things. Things I used to do without much thought, now I have to focus on thinking them through. Only time will tell when this will be scheduled again.
My concerns right now are on my Grandson and I will deal with these pain issues as best I can. There were a lot of dear friends and family that still read this and many took the time to respond. It is nice to see that I still have people that care and worry about my progress. Some are friends and some are family, but what is most important, is that God still loves me and is doing His best to keep me here. This always means so much to me! He is the Greatest and my Love for Him has always been a good thing to hold on to. I was always a person that cared about many things, but He has opened my eyes to so much more. People ask my a lot of times why I am always in a great mood after what I went through and all I can do is mention the "train story" to them. I REALLY think I was on the track at one point, and all the prayers and love that my friends and family gave towards me, helped God to pull me away from this train. The horn was loud, so I know I was close when it passed.
Yes, my mind is not where it used to be and I have pains in my body every day, but I am still here to appreciate the love you send and I reciprocate by sending it back. Thanks for reading and caring! I love you all so much.
Mark 1/31/09 - another month is behind us!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
January 19 and still around
Well, today is Megan's birthday. I remember where I was 26 years ago! It was a great day then and is a great day now. She is about 17 days away from having my first Grandchild. IF her water does not break before this, she will enter the hospital on February 4 and they will induce labor on February 5th. It will be a while before he calls me Grandpa, but it is one of those things to look forward to. I am so EXCITED about this. The doctor says she is doing fine, but getting around is getting harder and harder. I remember this when Betty was at this stage.
I am having to deal with our company filing Chapter 11 right now. With this down turn in our economy, this will be one of those things to deal with using time. At least it was not Chapter 7 so we are still moving forward. They are looking at jobs that everyone does and will measure each of our progress with this. We are supposed to be cutting 15% in our work force. My boss asked me how I am feeling these days. I talk to him honestly and tell him where I still have issues. It STILL hurts to get on a bicycle and rough roads still are a challenge, too. Climbing still is trouble for me because it was one of those things that I could do with no issue. Now it hurts to do it and I move a lot slower than I used to, but I wake up breathing every day, so it is a good thing. Bathroom issues bother me more than it did before but not having a gall bladder will do that to you. Smile and move on and deal with the issues as best I can.
I noticed that no one sent any replies to last few messages out, but my mind will not let me believe that no one is reading them. I understand that reading and replying are different. Some people read these notes and have nothing to add and I can live with this. Once my mind convinces me that no one is reading, I will stop writing here. This is one of those things that HELPS me deal with my issues.
Betty told me last week that I am not the same person that I was before. She said that my mind is not working like it did before and that she sees that it bothers me ALOT. I don't see this, but she does and is not afraid to tell me about it. I know I loose my temper easier than I used to. Sometimes I notice it, but sometimes I don't. Many times there is some information that I need that I SHOULD know, but now I don't know it. This is frustrating to me!
When I left the hospital, they told me that I would be in a wheelchair for one year and on a walker for two more. Well, last October is where my one year would have been. There is no way I could tolerate this, but they told me to expect it and learn to deal with it. Betty says that my determination to get better pushed me harder than they would expect. Yes, my pelvic area still hurts and I don't sleep as good as I used to, but that is OK as long as God allows me to wake up breathing.
I love life and all the help that everyone gave me and I thanks God for helping pull me out of this. I know this was tough on all of my family and friends, but most of those tough times I don't remember.
Life is great and God loves us all. Don't be afraid to talk to him in times of needs or if help is needed. He pulled me out of a bad spot and will help you too if you ask Him.
Thanks for reading this and keeping up with where I am and where I am going. I love you all so much!
Mark 1/19/09
I am having to deal with our company filing Chapter 11 right now. With this down turn in our economy, this will be one of those things to deal with using time. At least it was not Chapter 7 so we are still moving forward. They are looking at jobs that everyone does and will measure each of our progress with this. We are supposed to be cutting 15% in our work force. My boss asked me how I am feeling these days. I talk to him honestly and tell him where I still have issues. It STILL hurts to get on a bicycle and rough roads still are a challenge, too. Climbing still is trouble for me because it was one of those things that I could do with no issue. Now it hurts to do it and I move a lot slower than I used to, but I wake up breathing every day, so it is a good thing. Bathroom issues bother me more than it did before but not having a gall bladder will do that to you. Smile and move on and deal with the issues as best I can.
I noticed that no one sent any replies to last few messages out, but my mind will not let me believe that no one is reading them. I understand that reading and replying are different. Some people read these notes and have nothing to add and I can live with this. Once my mind convinces me that no one is reading, I will stop writing here. This is one of those things that HELPS me deal with my issues.
Betty told me last week that I am not the same person that I was before. She said that my mind is not working like it did before and that she sees that it bothers me ALOT. I don't see this, but she does and is not afraid to tell me about it. I know I loose my temper easier than I used to. Sometimes I notice it, but sometimes I don't. Many times there is some information that I need that I SHOULD know, but now I don't know it. This is frustrating to me!
When I left the hospital, they told me that I would be in a wheelchair for one year and on a walker for two more. Well, last October is where my one year would have been. There is no way I could tolerate this, but they told me to expect it and learn to deal with it. Betty says that my determination to get better pushed me harder than they would expect. Yes, my pelvic area still hurts and I don't sleep as good as I used to, but that is OK as long as God allows me to wake up breathing.
I love life and all the help that everyone gave me and I thanks God for helping pull me out of this. I know this was tough on all of my family and friends, but most of those tough times I don't remember.
Life is great and God loves us all. Don't be afraid to talk to him in times of needs or if help is needed. He pulled me out of a bad spot and will help you too if you ask Him.
Thanks for reading this and keeping up with where I am and where I am going. I love you all so much!
Mark 1/19/09
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 and still here
Well, the new year is upon us and life itself is great. The holiday season has past us by again and we had a great Christmas this year and a mild new year, too. I had a couple of guys retire from work last week and it was tough to tell bye and still wish them the best with their retirement.
I ran into some people yesterday that knew part of what happened to me, but did not have all of their information right and were concerned on how I was feeling. I explained to them when I feel pain and what causes it to get worse. I still have an issue with riding my bicycle at work. Getting on it is still hard and it still hurts my pelvic area to do. I also have to watch going over rough areas because of my tailbone issue. That is one of those things I will have to deal with for many, many years. My right pelvic will also hurt me for probably the rest of my life. Smile and move forward. God helps me with this and allows me to enjoy every day.
I got to a stopping point on my sheetrock work. The laundry room is all done and it was a tough thing to do because it is so small. Getting the lower parts was most difficult, but it came out looking good. Betty put a coating on the walls and applied paint to it, too. It looks great in their. I spent some time this last weekend putting some carpet that we had left from one of the rooms at the trailer. It was rolled up and put in the garage attic hidden behind all of the Christmas stuff. Once all of this was out, I got up there to see what was there and found this carpet rolled up. It was a pleasant surprise to find. Getting down on the ground was a challenge but is OK until I need something and have to get up to go get it.
As you can see, I can do things that I could not do a year ago, but I am no where near where I was two years ago. It is amazing what these sudden surprises can do for you and to you. They talked at work today about a guy at our Victoria plant that fell about 15 to 20 feet and died. When I heard this, I was so thankful that God was with me when I fell 25 feet and just had some major issues. Prayers and good faith pulled me through all of this.
Thanks to all of you for helping me here. I guess that is why I think life is great! Smile and move forward.
My new Grandson will be here in another month or so. I am so excited about this upcoming event!
Love to all of you and let God help you out when you need Him to.
Mark 1/6/09
I ran into some people yesterday that knew part of what happened to me, but did not have all of their information right and were concerned on how I was feeling. I explained to them when I feel pain and what causes it to get worse. I still have an issue with riding my bicycle at work. Getting on it is still hard and it still hurts my pelvic area to do. I also have to watch going over rough areas because of my tailbone issue. That is one of those things I will have to deal with for many, many years. My right pelvic will also hurt me for probably the rest of my life. Smile and move forward. God helps me with this and allows me to enjoy every day.
I got to a stopping point on my sheetrock work. The laundry room is all done and it was a tough thing to do because it is so small. Getting the lower parts was most difficult, but it came out looking good. Betty put a coating on the walls and applied paint to it, too. It looks great in their. I spent some time this last weekend putting some carpet that we had left from one of the rooms at the trailer. It was rolled up and put in the garage attic hidden behind all of the Christmas stuff. Once all of this was out, I got up there to see what was there and found this carpet rolled up. It was a pleasant surprise to find. Getting down on the ground was a challenge but is OK until I need something and have to get up to go get it.
As you can see, I can do things that I could not do a year ago, but I am no where near where I was two years ago. It is amazing what these sudden surprises can do for you and to you. They talked at work today about a guy at our Victoria plant that fell about 15 to 20 feet and died. When I heard this, I was so thankful that God was with me when I fell 25 feet and just had some major issues. Prayers and good faith pulled me through all of this.
Thanks to all of you for helping me here. I guess that is why I think life is great! Smile and move forward.
My new Grandson will be here in another month or so. I am so excited about this upcoming event!
Love to all of you and let God help you out when you need Him to.
Mark 1/6/09
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