Introduction
My last post, on 6/13/2020,
promised a post the next day. Today is NOT the next day. Oh, well, at least I’m
trying!
Age 14 Jeans
In my last post, I’d
referenced eldest daughter of youngest brother and his wife. She attained age
14 on 6/12/2020. Ironically, on Friday, 6/12/2020, I decided that this pair of my
blue jeans, at least age 14 or more, needed to retire.
Now, the front still does not look too bad. I could patch a
hole at a “sensitive area.” Hey! Do you see part of my feet? Do you see that
little red spot, on my right foot, between my big toe and the next one? If and
when that spot and the spot on the back of my right heel (not visible) both go
away, then my right foot may recover fully! Let’s hike! The ankle area and bone
to my big toe still feel every step differently than my undamaged left foot.
The back, however, has a fatal hole! It would take too much
patchwork to cover that gaping hole! (Of course, I could delegate Mrs.
Appalachian Irishman that task, but I won’t. Ha!) So, the blue jeans that are
at least 14 years old are retired. Ha! Oh, yes, I wear an ankle wrap on my
right foot, when I’m in the house, walking barefooted. It helps, as far as I
can tell. I don’t need the ankle wrap, but it’s just my habit now. Let’s hike,
if you can keep up with me! I still keep a strip, cut in half, of kinesiology
tape on various areas of my right foot. I change it once a week.
Flag Day
Okay, so I’m ten days late! I remembered Flag Day and the
reason why it’s called Flag Day. I wonder: how many others remembered – in the
midst of the short-term new cold virus and racial tension that’s going on?
America used to be a great nation, but we are dropping into oblivion very
quickly – if you believe the propaganda that is in much of the media.
Dear Lord, I hope that folks, who need to do so, will
restore their minds and hearts – before You call everyone “out of the pool!”
We’ll see what happens.
6/16/2020
On 6/16/1901, Lula Frank Amos Wood (last name by marriage to
Aby William Wood) was born. She was and is (awaiting me at Home) my maternal
grandmother. Granny Wood was a wonderful grandmother to me! I love her, and I
miss her. I will see her again, at Home, one of these days!
On 6/16/2016, I took my first three steps, with a rolling walker
-- in our kitchen, with Mrs. Appalachian Irishman standing behind me, in case I
fell. These were my first steps since 3/29/2016 – when the idiot, uninsured, age
18 female failed to yield to my right of way.
I have recovered, to this point -- due to fine medical care,
Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, my strong, stubborn, Irish will, neighbors, friends
and family, and God’s grace. I am still recovering.
I have a fine friend who hikes House Mountain. He has a
doctorate in physics. He has self-taught doctorates in medicine, nutrition,
philosophy, and other fields. He is about nine years older than me. I met him
on House Mountain for the first time on 1/2/2011 (my 76th hike).
I’ve either hiked with him or met him on the trail ten other times, with
12/3/2017 as most recent. (I need to call him. It’s been a while.)
He told me, when we met on House Mountain, on 12/3/2017, that
my recovery could take ten years. I hadn’t seen him since 2/7/2016 hike. I told
him the details of 3/29/2016. He listened carefully, observed me, asked
questions, and concluded that my recovery could take ten years.
Various medical professionals have speculated about recovery
time. (I wouldn’t recover any more than I had. Wrong! I would never recover
fully. I may not. It may take seven to ten years to recover, to where I don’t
feel too much difference.) The last one is about right, but more like ten
years. Since I’m inside my body, I KNOW that my fine friend was probably
correct. I’m into year five now. I’m half way there. Let’s hike, if you can keep
up with me!
By the way, my recovering left shoulder “talks to” my left
side area, even more than usual, lately. Who cares? It just means that my
“bionic” left shoulder is improving and sending “messages” to my left side. I
do what I do, regardless! The power in my body is there! The will in my spirit
will ALWAYS be there -- even after the power in my body leaves me, before I
leave my body! Again, let’s hike!
Gnats
Gnats are pesky. Last Friday evening, in my bathroom, I
hunted down and sent to His Maker an adult gnat (i.e., fly) that was pestering
us. Saturday evening, I sent another one, in our bedroom, to its grave (i.e.,
trash can). Sunday, I fly swatted another two to their graves. That was four
adult gnats in three days. I think that they have learned their lesson. No more
adult gnats since Sunday – yet.
Anyone who shares my everlasting perspective on life should
agree on the first three gnats, below, that are aggravating our once great
nation. Here are four gnats – that, by way of irony, match the see previous
number of adult gnats. (I didn’t plan it this way. It just happened by
coincidence, as I assume.)
(1) The new cold virus: it’s also called coronavirus
or COVID-19. The media (printed, TV, Interweb, social) are full of propaganda
on it.
One social media soon-to-be-ex-friend won’t lie down on
this! I’ve stopped the seeing of his posts for 30 days twice now! I’ve offered
him to hike with me and to email me. He has done neither yet. I hope that his
wife doesn’t share his Corona Myopia obsession.
My job had me working at home for several weeks. Now, I’m
working at home one week and at the office the next week, in rotation – doing
exactly the same work. At the office, I must have my temperature taken. The
secretary/temperature-checker will not ask me the “required” health questions.
I tell her anyway, as a joke, that I have all those symptoms! Ha! Last week, as
a new sub-gnat, when I’m working at the office, I must wear a mask, unless I’m
sitting at my desk! The insanity of it all is almost unbearable! Even when I’m
alone in the men’s bathroom (as the only man in the office, which includes two
or three women only), I’m supposed to wear a mask! Really? So, if I’m in there
taking a leak, with my mask off, where is the hidden camera that will catch me
in violation? Argh! Get some common sense, employer!
Ain’t y’all tired of the insanity? Let’s move on, shall we?
Who gives a rat’s rear end about the number of cases, recovered cases, new
cases, and ad nauseum? Heck, I might test positive for it. If I ever had it, I
didn’t know it, as I had NO symptoms! The new cold virus death count, in Knox
County, has been for MANY weeks and still is, at the time of this post, FIVE.
(I regret the five deaths.) I’ve written many times on this topic. I’m done.
Let’s move on!
(2) Racial tension: a bad white cop killed a bad
black man. The white cop and other cops were wrong. They will face their crime.
That’s justice. Another white cop killed a black man. The evidence seems to
indicate that the killing was justified. The court will decide, correctly; I
hope. Many cops have been injured or killed, but they don’t make the news at
all or as often.
There are peaceful protests. That’s fine. There have been
and still are ongoing riots, looting, vandalism, destruction, etc. That’s absolute
insanity and anarchy! That MUST be stopped! No one has come around this house
yet, to riot, loot, vandalize, or destroy. IF it happens, I have firepower and
plenty of ammunition.
Everyone should have been taught the childhood song: “Red
and yellow, black and white, they (ALL) are precious in His sight.” Yes, black
and white slavery is historical. (My Irish heritage includes slavery to the
English.) Blacks have enslaved blacks and whites. Whites have enslaved whites
and blacks. A wise man once stated that we should judge a person by the content
of his character, not by the color of his skin. I agree. ALL lives matter, and
that is NOT a disregard to blacks. THEY are INCLUDED in ALL lives matter!
Unborn children are included in ALL lives matter! Got it? GOOD!
The Good Lord gives us permission to be “fruit inspectors”
without being judgmental. I inspect fruit. I do NOT judge unjustly (which is
prejudice). I have known many yellow, red, black, and white who are FINE folks.
I have known many of the various color shades that are NOT fine folks. I cling
to the former and avoid the latter, unless I can help educate the latter into
the Good Lord’s grace!
Grow up, America, and get over your childishness or your
hidden agenda! Move on!
(3) Supreme Court: the judicial branch has no more or
less power than the legislative and executive branches. All three branches can
be right or wrong, based on the truth of the Law Giver, who established
absolute moral law, before there was the thought of the USA.
Last Monday, the Supreme Court, which doesn’t see itself
bound by the Law Giver’s absolute moral law, “ruled” that the 1964 Civil Rights
Act's prohibition on employment sex discrimination also banned employment
discrimination based on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” By the way,
about five years ago, the Supreme Court decided same-sex marriage is
constitutional, even if it is NOT moral.
Moral employers (i.e., many small business owners, many
churches, etc.) will be the ongoing targets. I could write more, but this is a
gnat.
Last Thursday, their DACA “ruling” allowed the illegal
children of illegal aliens to remain, legally, in the country, illegally. The
illogic is obvious. It’s another gnat.
(4) Deck repair: yes, I know that this is a much
smaller gnat, in the context of the previous three larger gnats. I was
aggravated, however, by a young man who needs to learn a life lesson. I hope
that I am teaching him. He has a fine father, who is my friend. We need deck
repair. In respect to my fine friend, I called his son, who does deck work. We
talked by phone one time. He did not want to meet face-to-face and inspect the
deck in person. The email exchange continued a while. Finally, I “fired” him,
which he realized, and I moved on. We have had two face-to-face visits from
seasoned businessmen, who inspected in person, provided suggestions in person,
and will soon provide written estimates. We will select one. That’s how
business SHOULD be done!
Yes, I know that this is a very small gnat, but I had my
Irish up for a while. I’m over it. The work will be done, in the proper (old
school) way of doing business. The young man lost income. An older, wiser man
will get income. The older teach the younger, as it should be done.
Conclusion
Well, I’m done, but wait! Another post follows this
one, on the same day (6/24/2020).