Preparing for my son's surgery

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Ryan is finally scheduled to have his right shoulder fixed – October 16, 2007 is THE day. He’s dislocated it four times since April and each time he’s not been doing anything out of the ordinary.

It appears Ryan inherited my flexibility as I had the same problem in the late 1990’s. For me, the problem went on for two years, primarily because I figured out how to pop it back in myself.

Each time Ryan dislocates his shoulder, it is a trip to the ER and they have to put him under what they call conscious sedation in order to put it back in.

Frederick A. Matsen III, MD will be his surgeon. Dr. Matsen is also the surgeon who fixed my shoulder so I’m very confident Ryan’s in the best hands possible. Dr. Matsen will be doing a Bankart repair, which is the exact same procedure I had.

I will be staying in the hospital with him and then working from home for a few days while he recovers.

While we believe Ryan’s epilepsy is now under control, the doctor said he can permanently damage his shoulder if he has a seizure while they are working on it.

Light a candle and gather ’round guardian angels!

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Integrity

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Why is it that those without integrity seem to cross my path relatively consistently lately???

Before launching into all this, let’s be clear about what I mean when I say “Integrity”. From wikipedia

Integrity is the basing of one’s actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Depth of principles and adherence of each level to the next are key determining factors. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything he does and believes is based on the same core set of values. While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person’s actions that determine his integrity.

So what does it mean to act with integrity?

It seems so painfully simple and yet…

So many individuals have crossed my path in the last couple of years who are obviously lacking even the slightest hint of personal integrity.

Whatever happened to meaning what you say and saying what you mean? What about honoring the trust of others?

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What I do know is that what goes around, comes around.

Soul Mate – revisited

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I originally posted this to my old ‘livejournal’ in February of 2006. I must repost it again – if only to remind myself of what’s most important to me when it comes to an intimate relationship.

So many confuse sexual attraction, or emotional infatuation with falling in Love. I’ve done this too. It can be difficult when hormones are raging.

I’ve known many who use sexual attraction as a means to an end – mainly women fall into this category. “I can snare him into falling in love with me if I’m sexually assertive and fulfill all his wildest desires.” Or something to that affect.

For quite a few men, sex is the end itself. And I don’t say this to bash men – it’s just an observation.

In thinking about real Love and what it means to be a Soul Mate, there’s always going to be the initial feeling of ‘falling in love’ but ultimately, the authentic relationship is so much more.

There’s an extraordinary emotional and deeply spiritual connection that can not be created or imitated. It is as if the other’s happiness is more important than your own. There’s an authentic need to give – without expecting anything in return. And when your Soul Mate is growing to their utmost – it is as if you are too!

It’s very hard to describe.

A Soul Mate will inspire you…….. will always leave you feeling like an extraordinary human being……..

Can there be more than one? Of course!

To have that experience in this life where I can truly say that he was my Soul Mate – that is my desire. And I won’t settle for anything less – ever again!

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Slaughter of monks in Burma – where's boy george and cheney now?

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So where are the stoic “defenders of democracy” now? Shame on you – George W. Bush and Dick Cheney – shame on you!!

The main stream media (“msm”) does NOT report facts – it reports information fed to it by the powers that be.

The barbaric slaughter of what appears to be almost 200 peace-loving monks in Burma is being reported by the msm as “13 dead and hundreds arrested”.

This is posted at The Buddhist Peace Fellowship

Sept 28, 07:

How You Can Support the People of Burma

Update 9/28/07:

A dispatch received from someone with a relative in Yangon (Rangoon), via Richard Reoch of Shambhala:

We just got phone call with our sister living in Yangon about a few hours ago. We saw on BBC world, saying that 200 monks were arrested. The true picture is far worse. For one instance, the monastery at an obscure neighborhood of Yangon, called Ngwe Kyar Yan (on Wei-za-yan-tar Road, Yangon) had been raided early this morning.

A troop of lone-tein (riot police comprised of paid thugs) protected by the military trucks, raided the monastery with 200 studying monks. They systematically ordered all the monks to line up and banged and crushed each one’s head against the brick wall of the monastery. One by one, the peaceful, non resisting monks, fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Then, they tore off the red robes and threw them all in the military trucks (like rice bags) and took the bodies away.

The head monk of the monastery, was tied up in the middle of the monastery, tortured , bludgeoned, and later died the same day, today. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the monastery, warded off by troops with bayoneted rifles, unable to help their helpless monks being slaughtered inside the monastery. Their every try to forge ahead was met with the bayonets.

When all is done, only 10 out of 200 remained alive, hiding in the monastery. Blood stained everywhere on the walls and floors of the monastery.

Please tell your audience of the full extent of the fate of the monks please please !!!!!!!!!!!!
‘Arrested’ is not enough expression. They have been bludgeoned to death !!!!!!

(Name withheld to protect the identity)
Hong Kong
http://www.bpf.org/html/whats_now/2007/burma_peace.html

Teak Patio Furniture & Umbrella with Lights

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I found a nine piece set of teak patio furniture on craigslist for a great price. It had weathered but if you know teak, it is the best and cleans up very, very nicely.

There’s a beautiful oval table with a fold out extension. There are six reclining chairs, two steamer lounges and two side tables.

To give you an idea of what a glutton for punishment I am, after building the deck addition, staining 3 coats of stain, and building steps, I am now restoring the teak furniture to it’s original luster.

Here’s a chair before I washed it.

I washed everything first. Here’s a chair that has been washed.

Of course I did my homework and decided to use SeaFin Teak Oil to restore it. Here’s a chair that has been washed, sanded and one coat of the SeaFin Teak Oil.

And here’s a pic of the whole set. Everything but one chair has been washed, and one of the chairs has one coat of SeaFin Teak Oil. The other two chairs not in the photo are in my dining room and now have three coats of Teak Oil. Wow… they are beautiful!

And since it is the end of summer here, Rich’s had a 20% off sale on umbrellas so I bought one with built in lights. Here’s a pic I took tonight.

Don't Give Up

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After a very surreal and difficult week so far, I woke up today knowing I have to drive to Portland and face the VP and deal with all of this political drama. My stomach aches and my heart hurts.

This is the video I found just before getting ready to leave.

PERFECT!

If you are watching this video now – it’s message is meant for you RIGHT NOW!! Nothing happens by chance – nothing!

Open your heart to Love.

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Stairs built from door to deck…. with pics

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Wow….. I’m amazed I did this in one day. Building stairs is said to be a challenge, even for carpenters. They must be right, or maybe it’s my math skills or spatial visualization handicap…… Anyway….. here are pics of the building process (with printed instructions front and center!) and then one after paint. I painted them the color of the house trim.

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Aaron Russo interview – important information

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Who is Aaron Russo you ask?

Wikipedia has an indepth article on Aaron

He was a film maker – “The Rose” with Bette Midler and his last film was “America: Freedom to Fascism”. He was also a very brave man for doing this interview in January of 2007 before passing away from cancer on August 23, 2007. UPDATE 3-4-2016 – original video has disappeared so I’m posting this video in its place.

And before you write this (and me!) off as some sort of conspiracy whacko – please just consider the possibility of what Aaron is saying.

Then do your own research. Find out the truth for yourself. I certainly don’t subscribe to a lot of what he says but it all is certainly worth considering…..