What are the Rules?

Here is some friendly advice. Remember, this advice isn't just relevant for the Month of October, horrible things can happen any day of the year....

 

The Rules

 

1. When it appears that you have killed the monster, NEVER check to see if it's really dead.

2. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.

3. Do not search the basement, especially if the power has gone out.

4. If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run. However, it will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared. This also applies to kids who speak with somebody else's voice.

5. When you have the benefit of numbers, NEVER pair off and go it alone.

6. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.

7. Never stand in, on, or above a grave, tomb, or crypt. This would apply to any other house of the dead as well.

8. If you're searching for something which caused a loud noise and find out that it's just the cat, GET THE HELL OUT!

9. If appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits; just get out!

10. Do not take ANYTHING from the dead.

11. If you find a town which looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around!

12. Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing. And even if you're sure you know what you're doing, just don't fool with it!

13. If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

14. If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness, and so on, kill them immediately.

15. Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.

16. If your car runs out of gas at night on a lonely road, do not go to the nearby deserted looking house to phone for help. If you think that it is strange because you thought you had half of a tank, shoot yourself instead. You are going to die anyway, and most likely be eaten.

17. If you find that your house is built upon a cemetery, now is the time to move in with the in-laws. This applies to houses that had previous inhabitants who went mad or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed satanic practices in your house.

Legend ~ by David Gemmell

This author was recommended to me by my friend Blaine. It had taken me months to pick it up after I bought it, and another month (or more) to finish it, but in the end I have to say that I loved this book. I admit, it was a little hard to get into when I first started. David Gemmell's way of transitioning between POV's really bothered me, and I have to wonder, is it like this in all his books? If so I don't know if I could stand to read anymore.
As for the story itself I really did enjoy it. It is based in the Drenai Empire as it is going to war against the Nadir Empire. I couldn't decide if these people were Vikings or just barbarians, but whatever, in my head they were all bearded fur laden Vikings with horns on their helmets and axes. The odds were basically 50/1 for the Nadir with their 500,000 and the Drenai with their 10,000 and the Drenai had to hold a fortress for at least a month before reinforcements would arrive. The Nadir a war race and the Drenai made up of farmers, towns people and a few soldiers.

Their only hope a 60 year old man called Druss the Legend. Can he whip the men into shape in order to hold the fortress?

The book centers mostly around 2 main characters. Druss and Regnak and their struggles inwardly and outwardly with a war that seems hopeless and their mortality. I loved how other characters were drawn into the plot to help move the story and let you get a feel for what the main characters were like on the outside view as well as the inside view.

David Gemmell helped draw the picture of war from the POV of some rather minor characters and their thoughts and feelings and the temporary-ness of everything. I think he wanted you to feel what they felt and for their desperation at such a hopeless time.

It was slow going at first as characters were introduced and the plot set up. I had a hard time staying focused on reading. It got better as the book went on (ignoring the POV annoyance) and by the time I was 2/3 of the way through I found it hard to put down. There was just so much build up for the last few chapters of the book it was almost annoying, The preparation for war, the love story, the struggles of common man, the supernatural aspects... it all came together in the end. I liked the characters and I cried a little as our heroes fell and cheered for their victories.

It does have a happy ending though as happy as an ending it can be after everyone pretty much dies and you're left thinking about how terribly sad it is. However as a whole the book leaves you with a sense of good triumphing over evil in whatever ways they can.

 

And just for a little tid-bit of useless information, David Gemmell died at 58 years of age in 2006 of coronary artery disease.

 

Will I pick up another David Gemmell book to read.... maybe.

The new pandemic

John had an appointment with the Neurologist last Thursday and it looks like its time to start scaling down the amount of meds he is taking. Up until last week he was taking 360 mg of Verapamil (which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure.) He was to take 120 mg in the afternoon and 240 mg in the evening. After this last visit to the Neurologist he has lowered the dose to just the 240 mg in the mornings. He wants to slowly cut the dosage over the next few months and see how that goes for John. So far so good.

One thing about the visit to the doctor this trip around that really annoys us is that he has now back-tracked over everything he had told us before and is now saying something completely different. Oh, don't worry, it's still Psuedomigraines with Blah-blah, Blah blah blah. From this point on it will just be referred to as the Dinosaur Flu or just Dino Flu for short. (good, is everyone up to speed? lets move on)

First off, Doctor says, "Take your pills at night because it lowers your heart rate." This time he says, "You should be taking those in the mornings."

Next up, Doctor says "Your condition shouldn't cause you to lose the ability to speak/walk/function." This time he says, "Oh yes, this [Dino Flu] can cause you to lose the ability to speak/walk/function."

And here's my favorite, Doctor says, "It shouldn't cause you to lose the feeling in your left side. Its just temporary and the feeling will come back when the symptoms subside." This time he says, "It looks like you have some loss of mobility on your left side... blah blah blah."

Needless to say John and I were both just dumbfounded by his keen observations over the last 6 months. Make me just want to whack the guy and ask if he ever looks at his files before talking to a patient. Ugh! John did say that the doctor did seem genuinely happy to see him this time vs. the last few times when we had gone to an appointment and it seemed like we were wasting his precious time with Johns health problems. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Mister Neurology Doctor, that I have bothered you with a neurologic disorder. I'll just go climb back into the dark corner I came out of so you can spend your time on something you want to take care of more then me."  !! What the heck...

After John's last serious episode that sent him to the emergency room (7/9/09) he has some left over effects that we are not sure if they're here to stay. He has lost some feeling on the left side of his body. He says it's like his body is half asleep on the left side causing a loss of sensitivity and sense of touch. Add that to the blank spots left from his back surgery and you could play pin the tail on John and he'd only feel half the pin pricks. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible lack of feeling. He can still function and its not something that effects his motor functions so he's really alright.

The next lingering effect of the last episode is the fact that he's a little slower then he used to be. He walks slower he talks slower, it takes longer for him to process his thoughts. I don't know how noticeable this is to others but with me getting to see him and talk to him everyday it is obvious to me.

He is tired all the time. He likes to blame his tiredness on his medications, but I really think that it is just him and not the pills. I'm not going to say that the pills don't cause fatigue, but I think a lot of the fatigue comes from himself. Who knows. all I know is that I don't always have to nap by myself anymore. (good and bad)

So there is the health update for the time being. Basically I just want to throw my hands in the air and scream about the incompetency of doctors and their lack of consistency. Bleh Doctors. But I wont because at least as of last week the Neurologist sounded like he knew some-what of what he was talking about. I guess we'll see what he says next month.

 

the end

 

September 24

My Natalie on her 1st Birthday.

Depression and Disappointments

I found this article on the comcast news yesterday. Its about a woman who was implanted with the wrong embryo at her fertility clinic and how the pregnant couple are giving the baby back to its biological parents. When I first read this I was stunned to silence, I couldn't even come up with a coherent sentence about it, but now I'm just sad for them. I think that would be so traumatic on the part of both families but I'm impressed at the decision that they have made. I don't know if I could do that.  I also think it's totally sad that the woman carrying the child isn't going to try again after this birth because she to old (40!? that's not too old) I think in the end the whole story is just heart breaking.

Once or twice back when we were super poor I looked in to being a Surrogate because it pays really well (upwards of $100,000 - $200,000 to the right families) but in the end I decided that that was just something I could NOT do. I can't imagine carrying a baby for all those months and not being able to keep it. I don't think I'd ever get over that. So that idea passed in the wind.

 

Then there was another story on the internet about a lady who was already pregnant and managed to conceive again about 3 weeks after her first baby was conceived. They say they are not twins and can tell because their growth early on would be about the same even though twins can vary in size to each other later in the pregnancy. By ultrasound measurements and gestation age one baby is 2 and 1/2 weeks behind the other at least. One is due at the end of the year and one the beginning of next year. Here it is that I can't even manage to get pregnant once and she catches 2 eggs in 3 weeks!

 

I think I've just been having a crappie past few days because AF is supposed to show Monday (probably over the weekend) and my hormones are just ramping up for super PMS day. My temp dropped today so I'm sure she's on her way. Boo! 

I recently found out that one of my friends mom's has cancer. This mom had been like a mom to me too, and I love her so much. Learning about her condition has really put me in kind of an emotional roller coaster because it makes me think about Lariann. Last Saturday was the 3 year anniversary of the day her tumor made itself known. It's been a hard week for me & john. He's struggling with the meaning of it all, and I can't say I blame him. I have been thinking about what I missed out on telling her and hugging her and being with her in the last few weeks she was alive and it just doesn't seem right.

 

Then one thing leads to another and my train of thought touches on all the friends I have had that have passed away in just the last 4 years... This Saturday will be the 4 year anniversary of my cousin Ryan's death (September 26, 2005). Its crazy to think its been that long because it all seems so close to me and I've had to go to funeral after funeral once every 6 months for a while and now it seems like once a year for people my age that are my friends or family or both. It just doesn't seem fair some days.

 

I don't really have anything else to say today, I'm having a hard day, I have been thinking about my little sister and how much I miss her. I just need to soldier forward and get through it.