Tom's Diary

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.   DONE.

Log

07:30 AM: I’m up. Another gray day, but it’s a little warmer and brighter than it’s been the past several days.   Maybe we’ll see some sun this morning.

07:35 AM: Read more of the   Happiness Now   book overnight; fell asleep somewhere in chapter six yet again.

07:40 AM: A customer told me on Facebook that she’s having problems with her computer slowing down and freezing again.  I’ll investigate later.

08:30 AM Departing for   today’s   shopping trip.

11:10 AM: We’re back home from the   shopping trip   and the groceries have been put away.

11:30 AM: Called the computer customer back about her computer lockups.  Left voice mail for her to call me back at her convenience.

02:30 PM: The computer customer returned my call.  We’re going to attempt to deactivate her Verizon Security Suite and see if the freeze-ups lessen.  She’s calling Verizon now to learn how to do that.

03:00 PM: Her comes the wind, rain, and thunder.  It looks pretty dark out there at the moment.

04:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.   They now suspect Patty as Adam’s murderer, and they’re trying to get her to tell all that she knows before she’s put in solitary confinement in a maximum-security mental hospital for the criminally insane.  Billy and Victoria flew off to Jamaica, and (apparently) got married.  Uncanny timing, as she only received her final divorce papers yesterday.  Cloe’s upset with Chance for spending so much time on the Newman case that she left Billy a message, implying that she wouldn’t mind getting together with him.  Hmmmmm.

04:05 PM: Nap time.

04:45 PM: I’m awake again.

04:50 PM: Worked a couple issues for Mom today.  Details   here.

05:40 PM: Watched today’s episode of   Dr. Phil.

05:50 PM: Sister Mary Ann, her husband, and oldest daughter came by.  The daughter played in a softball game locally (I think), and afterwards, stopped here to shower before going to see a play at the high school in Bellwood.  So I hung out with the husband (Tom also), and we went to Sheetz to get supper sandwich for the daughter.  All the while, thunder rumbled around and a couple downpours happened during their visit.

08:10 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News.   Well, looks like Arizona’s gone and done it again.  In Tuscon, they apparently passed laws that restrict the teaching of the ethnic culture classes.  Given the demographics of the region, the cultures most negatively impacted would probably be the Hispanic-based ones.  Not sure why they did this.  But this, coupled with that state’s new anti illegal-alien law, leads me to think that there is strong anti-Hispanic sentiment down there that borders on bigotry.  Given that, would the state be able to fairly apply the immigration law?  I don’t know.

10:15 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  She had her eyes polished today and says that they’re much more comfortable now.

11:58 PM: Talked with sister Christine about Mom’s issues.  Nothing new really. We’re just sorry that Mom’s having such a tough time of her illnesses.

12:30 AM: Added around 90 songs to my playlist of currently-favorite songs for the iPods.

01:20 AM: Facebooked a bit.  But I’m off to the bedroom now.  So long, and I’ll see you again tomorrow here.  Take care.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Misc. business papers and letters.

Relaed Posts

• Book: Happiness Now
• Diary Revisions: 2010-05-14
• Facebook Tid Bits: 2010-05-14
• Mom’s Status: 2010-05-14
• Shopping Trip: 2010-05-14
• Today’s Diet: 2010-05-14
• Weight Loss: 2010

Documents Revised Over The Past 24 Hours

• Mom’s Status: 2010-05-14
• Today’s Business: 2010-05-14
• Today’s Diet: 2010-05-14
• Facebook Tid Bits: 2010-05-14
• Today’s Business: 2010-05-13

Revised Post Count: 5

Tom Hesley

09:45 AM: Just finished up at Wal Mart, after purchasing the following items:

• Pepsi, diet, caffeine-free (24 liters)
• Storage boxes (stackable) (7)
• Great Value quick oates (2 canisters)
• Great Value raisins (5 canisters)
• Great Value Almonds (1 canister)
• Stony Field fat free milk (2 gallons)
• Great Value dish soap (2 bottles)
• Blueberries (24 Oz.)
• Bigelow spearmint tea (2 boxes)
• Sardines (3 cans)
• Dannon fat free plain yogurt (4 canisters)
• Bell peppers (2)
• Avocados (2)
• Onions (1 Lb.)
• Tyson pork roast kit (1)
• Ground turkey (2 Lbs.)
• Sargento muenster cheese (4 packs)
• Kraft shredded Parmesan cheese (3 canisters)
• ReliOn glucose tables (100)
• Bananas (1 bunch)
• Cheerios cereal (2 large boxes)
• Kashi Heart to Heart cereal (4 large boxes)
• T-bone steaks (2)

Total cost: $235.97

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-05-14

08:00 AM: Sister Jojo discovered what appears to be an ulcer on the bottom of Mom’s foot.  Looks like it’s been there a while — dried blood under the skin. So it’s not likely that her new fitted shoes caused it.  But to be safe, an appointment has been scheduled for this morning at a local podiatrist, and one this afternoon at the shoe person to see what the trouble might be.  More later, as information comes in.

11:00 AM: Blood sugar: 232, and Mom grew agitated and upset; insisting that she hasn’t eaten a thing since yesterday.  I’m resigned to the notion that she’ll simple never get this; how to properly control her sugar. 

12:00 PM: Left message for Mom’s PCP.  She needs more of the fast-acting insulin over this weekend.  But her insurance company will not cover another vial until May 21st, 2010.  Hopefully, Mom’s doctor can authorize an additional vial early. 

12:15 PM: Ordered more diabetic testing supplies for Mom.  We’re getting low on the strips. 

01:40 PM: Mom just got back home.  They want her to go back to wearing the boot while they construct a more supportive pair of shoes for her.  She’s none too happy at the moment.  But Debbie just called.  She’s taking Mom to the movies, and hopefully, that will get her spirits back up. 

03:00 PM: Just spoke with Mom’s PCP about getting her more insulin.  They’re calling our pharmacy to arrange it.  If that does not work, they’ll give us a sample vial, which we’ll need to drive down there to get. 

05:30 PM: The insulin issue has been worked out.  More is awaiting pickup at the pharmacy.  Hopefully, we’ll get there tomorrow. 

06:45 PM: Ran into sister Jojo at Sheetz, and she’ll pick up the insulin sometime tomorrow.  Great!  

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-05-14

I keep this food diary to stay aware of just how many calories I’m eating daily, with the hope that it decreases the likelihood that I’ll overeat.    It seems to work, so here we go with another day…

Today, I consumed the following items:

• Herbal tea and diet caffeine-free Pepsi  throughout the day. 0 calories.
• 10:00 AM: Multi-grain bagel with lots of cream cheese.  500 calories.
• 10:15 AM: Coffee with half & half.  100 calories.
• 01:15 PM: 2 bowls of Kashi Go-Lean cereal with skim milk.  1200 calories.
• 08:00 PM: 1 can of sardines.  200 calories.
• 08:05 PM: 4 slices of reduced fat Colby-Jack cheese.  200 calories.
• 12:30 AM: 1 cup plain yogurt with blueberries and stevia.  300 calories.

Total calories: 2500.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Other Food Diary Entries
• Today’s Business: 2010-05-14
• Weight Loss: 2010

11:25 AM: I doubt Sarah Palin has read twenty books in her entire life.  So it’s a shame that she’s so highly revered, for she does not deserve it, and she repeatedly demonstrates this with rallying cries like “Drill baby, Drill”  and  “How’s that workin’ for ya?”  and  that one about reloading rather than retreating.  In my opinion, Palin is vulgar.  But her popularity testifies loudly to either how uneducated the American population has become (few people read the classics anymore), or how desperate we are for change.  In either case, though it pains me to admit it, Palin makes for an interesting, historical cultural phenomenon.  So it’s probably good that the history channel covers her.  Perhaps one day, we as a collective society will view this show and speculate over how crazy things must have been.

12:00 PM: A Sheetz delivery service would be nice.  but I’m lucky enough to have a Sheetz within walking distance.  So I probably wouldn’t benefit much from such a service.  Either that, or I’d get lazy and call for delivery while fully capable of walking there myself.  I dunno.  Might not be a good thing. 

08:30 PM: An iPad is a decent improvement on the iPod Touch.  But it neither matches the computing power nor versatility of a full-fledged laptop (notebook) machine.  iPads and laptops aren’t even in the same class of computer, and differ about as much as the Hugo diverges from the Cadilac — IMHO.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love iPads, but still recognize their limits. 

08:48 PM: Commenting on the old saying that we can accomplish anything we wish in life so long as we believe in ourselves.  Motivational?  Yes, perhaps.  But realistic?  No, not at all, for we all have limits (time, circumstance, rearing, and ability being just some of the big ones).  We might indeed be able to accomplish anything we wish; so long as that anything  is pragmatic and achievable   for us.  But go beyond that, and it’s very likely that we won’t be able to do it; like solving world hunger as an extreme but nonetheless true example.  We all might be playing the same game of life.  But each of us plays by a different set of rules, and most of those rules we do not get to choose.

12:00 AM: A little sad today. Mom’s fitted shoes aren’t working as well as we hoped; blisters. Bad for diabetics. Otherwise, wrote 1500 words, went grocery shopping, watched news (looks like they’ve done it again in Arizona), consulted with a computer customer about lock-ups she’s experiencing, napped, entertained family here earlier this evening, read, and enjoyed the weather; thunderstorms and all. All in all, a great day.

12:27 AM: As a man, I’ve felt this way too through the years.  But I’ve found it helpful, whenever I get to thinking that no one out there likes me for the me that I am, to remember just how diverse we humans really are.  No one likes (or dislikes) the same things.  Indeed, there are lots of people out there; each having different preferences and desires.  So there’s bound to be many who appreciate us, without alteration.  Hard to find them sometimes.  But they’re out there.  I’m sure of that.  To find these people, it’s best to put your real foot forward (as opposed to your best foot)  In fact, I’ve never been good at acting differently than I am.  So there’s no pretense here. So if they dislike me as I am, then I don’t need them, nor will I ever coax or bribe them into changing their minds.  Should they reject me once, they’ll probably never get a chance to do it again.  After all, I’m looking for the accepters; not the rejecters.  No time to mess with people whose appreciation and affection I must vehemently argue for.

01:00 AM: I’m not talking here about the (Arizona) immigration law, but rather, the desire, in Tuscon, to abolish Ethnic teachings in schools. This is a recent development.  Why would they wish to stop teaching ethnic cultures?  But since you mentioned immigration, might that reason have also contributed to the widespread support of the anti-illegal-alien law on the books down there now?  I don’t know.  Just wondering. 

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-05-14