Autumn

Autumn

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Bits & Pieces

Just glanced at the calender and realized it's about two weeks until September. Where has the time gone. The old adage is true, you know the one, time and age. Trust me.

Speaking of age, my best friend, Duke, has posted an excellent article on age and tools. Sally forth and read.

*****

I'm not sure why but every now and then I have an urge to clean firearms. This weekend I walked out to the garage to do just that, clean guns. One thing lead to another and I found myself cleaning debris from my reloading bench. Three hours later I finally had two rifles cleaned and a few hundred extra rounds of ammunition I found under the clutter. Don't you just hate it when you find five extra boxes of ammo you weren't aware you'd purchased and had forgotten.

Guess it's time to sort ammunition.

*****

Billy just left the shop. He's a funny fella. He'll walk in and say something like, "Hey, Stephen, you got any guns for sale?"

I'll say, "Sure."

Him, "I'll take it. How much?"

"Don't you want to look it over?"

He'll throw a smug smile on his face as always, I mean, always, and say, "No, just give it to me."

He left with a Hi-Point C9. Just stuck it into his back pocket and paid with cash, just like that...

As he walked towards the door he yelled, "Hey, next time I want a pump shotgun."

"What price range?"

"I don't care."

For real....what's not to love.

*****

Late Sunday night Sweet Wife's back went out. She's always had a problem with her lower back. Pain like you wouldn't believe. 0400 found me driving her to the emergency room. I practically had to carry her from the house to the car and when we arrived at the hospital, to emergency.

Nice young nurse escorted us to one of their rooms. We waited. Two and a half hours later a doctor, nice older lady, came inside and examined her. Said, "Oh, my goodness, you must be in some awful pain."

Doctors, they're bright you know.

Hung an IV. Pain didn't diminish. We waited another three  hours. (side note here...never forget your Kindle) Doctor returned. She took one look at Sweet Wife's face and said, again, "Oh, my goodness, you must be in awful pain." Six years at University and several of residency makes for a very bright doctor.

Get the picture.

They gave her a shot of morphine. Wrote scrip for muscle relaxers and pain medication. The doctor left and we waited. Remember, we'd arrived at 0400. Five and a half hours later and we were on our way out the door. 

As I helped Sweet Wife to our car she turned to me and said, "Thank you for not losing your cool in there....I'm proud of you."

"Well," I said, "It isn't cool to shoot doctors in confined spaces, there's no place for them to hide."


They told her to take the day off....


*****

Hey, time for work. Take care out there.

Stephen


24 comments:

  1. Have had back issues for 52 years. My sympathy to your Sweet Wife.

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  2. Similar issues here, too. Sympathy to your wife.

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    Replies
    1. It seems to be a universal problem. Thank you, my good friend.

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  3. Glad to see your mean streak is coming back. Hope the wife gets better soon.

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    1. Truthfully, Bubba, it never went away I just held it in check. Thanks, my friend.

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  4. Glad to hear you doing better! Guess you won't be needing that nurse we were about to order for you! Just kiddin' I am certainly glad you took Sweet Wife and got her some relief. Make sure she keeps up with taking those muscle relaxers. It can really give some good sleep. Even if she gets where she don't feel like she had to take anything for the back pain----those muscle. Relaxers are real helpful for the rest she will need. In My Prayers. .

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  5. Tell her to hang in there - I'm sure you will baby her well. I finally found a good chiropractor that seems to have the formula for keeping my back happy - took awhile though. Will keep her in my thoughts today.

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    1. Day three and she stills move with care. Doctor today. Thanks, my friend.

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  6. Stephen,

    I'm so sorry to hear about Sweet Wife's back, and having to wait around in the ER for hours just to get a shot and muscle relaxers. ER doctors will keep you waiting based on the priority of the injury. Hopefully your regular doctor can help Sweet Wife with her back pain. I truly hope your wifes back pain/issues can be resolved. Dealing with back pain is no fun,it just makes life miserable.

    On a positive note, sounds like business is picking up :-)

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    Replies
    1. Very true...most serious first. Still, five hours...give me a break. Thank you, sweet Sandy.

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    2. 5 hours is ridiculous, I agree. I've been there almost 10 hours with my son (commute to OU Medical Centre). They had 3 deaths that night, and 1 major car wreck. I think there should be two emergency sections. 1 for car wreck/major traumas(gun shot wounds/stabbings)and another for walk in emergencies.

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  7. Sorry to hear about Sweet Wife's back problems, hope she feels better soon. Been there, done that, had the surgery!
    Sounds like you are feeling better...Great!
    My son-in-law says I got me a new guard dog...I named him
    "Sig Sauer P238"!!! My first hand operated one and I love it.
    Take care...you and Sweet Wife.

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    1. Good for you, CottonLady. Sig's are sweet. Thanks.

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  8. Hope your wife is feeling better soon. My dad (in FL) learned that if you call the ambulance, they take your right off in the ER. Drive yourself in, and it's a wait.

    Bet you'd like more customers like Billy.

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    1. My last ride to the hospital came with a seven hundred dollar bill. Yes, Billy is a fine man...just hand him the weapon and out the door. Thanks, my friend.

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    2. She's a wee bit better today. Yes, I like Billy. Thanks, my friend.

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  9. Glad you are feeling better.

    We hope and pray that your sweet wife's back will stop hurting soon.

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    1. Thanks, Sweet Lady, I'm fine. She's still in pain but now its managed. Take care.

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  10. I hope that Sweet Wife feels better soon, and it's a shame that you both had to wait so long at the ER for such brilliant assessments. Timers done and I need to start the next batch of tomatoes for the canner so I'm going to go, but I do hope that the rest of your week is more mundane and pain free. Hugs!

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    1. Thanks for the nice hug. Don't work too hard.

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  11. I'll add my prayers to the rest for your wife. My husband had a similar experience to SixBears' dad. We went to the doctor twice and the ER once (in the same week) on our own, and they gave him (ineffectual) pills and shots and sent him on his way. Went to the ER the final time by ambulance. They finally gave him some pain meds that worked, gave him an MRI, and consequently scheduled him for surgery the next morning. $700 is a heck of a taxi bill, but they seem to take you more seriously if you come via that route.

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  12. dear sweet one, i am very sorry to hear about Sweet Wife's pain...i hope her doctor can prescribe something for her and i hope that they figure out if she has slipped or worn a disc and then could possibly have surgery to fix it? not sure. i would hate for her to have to take muscle relaxers for the rest of her life. don't let her over do it for the next few weeks. lots of love being sent to her and you.

    your friend,
    kymber

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