Sciatica -not for beginners

It's been a month. On a pain scale of 1-10 this surely rates a 10. Right up there with childbirth. The difference? With birthing pain one knows it will end & not return until one chooses it again. With sciatica one becomes wary of the ever present possibility that that leg will cramp up anytime & wham! There you are-on your back again.

Ice & tv. Ice & a book. Ice & phone. Ice & pity-party.

I remember my mom saying to just muddle through pain. It's not the end of the world & remember all those who are suffering more than you. Great. Now I can feel guilty about hurting.

Lying around being miserable leads to thoughts of mortality & intimations of aging. Not my plan for the Fourth.

Lying here does not allow me to dance away the ghosts & fears.

Lying here makes me face all the future I dread.

Lying here can cause panic & anxiety.

Lying here I make an endless list of resolutions for when I get up from

Lying here.

calm demeanor?

The calm demeanor that you see? It is only a facade.

The patience you feel? It's covering a fraud.

I am not heroic, stoic or odd -

Just bored.

House guests - we love 'em

house guests, not to be confused with family or extended family or over-extended family. House guests are those folks, invited or uninvited who take up residence for 3-4 days.

The good ones arrive with goodies from off-island;a clever skill like cooking; new makeup techniques or an independent attitude.always,always welcome.

The bad ones come empty handed; bring friends unannounced; need a safety pin, a tampon,a ride to the furthest end of this island. I don't have safety pins, tampons or an unlimited supply of gas .

The worst ones extend their stay by a week, puke in the bathroom or on the deck, whine about food allergies &/or leave the house a wreck.

People! I welcome you to my innermost but do not provide concierge service, maid service or chauffeur service. If you only want to visit with me in the summer & are not willing to come here in the dark winter months, I realize you are merely looking for a free place to stay in one of the world's best vacation destinations.

more words that make English hard

bear hear

beard heard

words I can't bear to hear

beyond the obvious racial/ethnic slurs there are phrases in common usage that sound beyond offensive to me:

meat suit

shut your pie hole

gonna rip you another/bigger/new asshole

douche

seems to me these all refer to human anatomy & the problem MIGHT be mine but - the harshness of these sounds together with the visual images they produce...ew

RAPTURE I

I am completely fascinated by the "Rapture". So many questions:

Can I have your car?

Where's the best place to watch?

Are there gonna be viewing stands?

Can you buy tickets?

What about pets?

If you're in a plane are you exempt?

What about if you're in the space station?

What do I wear?

Does this mean there are no longer private beaches?

Will Twitter & Facebook end, too?

Who of my friends will still be here?

Do I need to vacuum?

Is this hell on earth for the rest of us?

Should I chill the champagne?

Should I plan a viewing party?

Will this be covered by FOX or MSNBC?

Do I care?

dogs- did ya see this?

ff