Watch your step.
Last night a small snowstorm crept through the Valley. Around dawn the temperature rose and turned the snow into rain. The result was pretty to the eye but treacherous to the foot, as I discovered as I walked to the bus stop in Northampton.
The situation was no better when I arrived in downtown Amherst.
Along the sidewalk I spotted this Valentine someone had lost which had been trampled in the snow and ice.
There's a metaphor of my love life in their somewhere, but I don't want to think about it.
I thought I might drop in on Miss Emily Dickinson to photograph how the icestorm had transformed her gravesite, but found that the gate had been blocked by the snow plows.
It was just as well that I did not do too much walking, as my classic Conz with their rubber soles were slip sliding all over the place.
However, I made it safely to UMass and have survived to blog again.
It's commonly said that the pressures of the presidency cause the occupants of the office to age prematurely. For example Bill Clinton entered the White House at the peak of a boyish middle-age and left needing heart by-pass surgery. A similar aging has occurred to President Bush. Here is the official photo of Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
This picture was taken last month.
3 comments:
I was prescribed low dosage Percocet after a motorcycle accident this summer. I always knew I was hyper-sensitive to OTC painkillers, and Percocet followed the pattern. They made me quite giddy, and my antics were pretty entertaining to my boss and I. It was only when the pain started subsiding that I had a moment where I realized I was reaching for the pill bottle for the wrong reason. That may seem like the tiniest bit of self-reflection/control, but for me it went a long way towards helping mentally prepare myself for some of the taxing past few months I've had. I know I can't speak from the vantage of someone who's gone through a complete cycle of addiction, but I certainly hope that what you and others have written help people stop at that first step.
I am a bit jealous though; during my years of nasty dental work, I never even got offered any of the good stuff! Good luck, I don't wish a bloody-gauze-filled mouth on even my worst enemies.
Tom,
Those before and after pictures of Bush are amazing. That recent one is just terrible. He looks in need of a shave and it looks like sleep as well. They almost remind me of mug shots I've seen of addicts who progressively get more hideous looking. Still though, having just turned 50, I'm not a big fan of digging out pictures of myself 10 yrs. ago either. Nothing good can come from that.
Congratulations on getting new Dentures. Welcome to old age!
My Father got his at 21 yrs old. Uppers out one day, lowers the next. He also had Rickets. (Rickets is usually the result of a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is consumed through a proper diet and produced by the body with adequate exposure to sunlight) I used to tell him he was in the dark about a lot of things!
But I still have 6 teeth of my own. 5 on the bottom, one upper. I'm on my 3rd set of dentures and I went to an "Illegal Lab" for them. $350.00, not the $2,500.00 the Dentist wanted. I just tell the guy to make sure they are "Dishwasher Safe". (Just kidding) But you won't have anymore toothaches. That's a blessing. And you can bite into icecream without pain. And I'm sure you have thought of a good reason of your own that I don't need to explain!
And I really don't think anyone will hold it against you for Welfare. That's what it is for, temporary help. Not 3rd generation Career Welfare recipients. And besides, it's Massachusetts! With the cost of living there, more than less will be using it soon. Like the State Lottery that was supposed to be the "Cure All" of all Fiscal woes, now the Devil will be looking at the Casino's in the same light. But use it. That's what it's there for.
I read with interest about your use of Percoset. My Dr writes Prescriptions of Vallium & Vicoden for 100 each! Vicoden has one refill, Vallium zero. But she will write me a new script anytime I ask. There have been times because of my Arthritis pain that I need both to fall asleep. 7.50 of Vicidin, 15 mgs of Vallium, a Lyrica for Restless leg syndrome, and there are times I lie there for another hour. So most of the time I don't bother to take anything but Lyrica, because my legs drive me crazy. I seem to be immuned to pain killers. Usually around 3 Am if I'm still awake I'll take a couple Vallium. Good thing I don't get addicted easily, because my Dr sure makes it as easy as she can for me. But the last time I asked for a refill, I brought her the outdated pills, most still in the bottle. So she trusts me. Boy could I make money on these meds if I was foolish enough to risk it.
I'm glad your Brother John is doing so well. He has had some really bad luck lately and deserves something positive for a change. Take care, glad to see you have chosen the right road, the one to recovery. Stay strong, life can be tough enough even when you do the right thing.
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