Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Tuesday at work

Went back to work today and spent most of the time on the phone. I keep a phone log at my job, and I had three pages of calls! My throat was already sore, and by the end of the day, I could barely talk. I hope tomorrow won't be so busy. Or better yet, my throat gets better.

I'm still feeling the effects from the days of stress leading up to and after my scope. I feel jarred, like my world has shifted in some way. Weird. And I feel so thankful that God answers prayers and the test revealed no cancer. That's something to celebrate.

I'm going to continue to eat healthy, though. My family has too much cancer in it for me to ignore the dangers. A healthy diet filled with green veggies and colorful fruit is a great way to deny cancerous cells what they need to grow and flourish. (Also, sigh, green tea. Drink it. Your body will be glad you did. And not that sugared stuff already bottled. No, brew it yourself and drink two or three cups a day -- without sugar. It will grow on you.)

I have been touched by the concern shown to me by my friends. They prayed with me, worried with me, talked with me, cheered me up, and proved the world still has many good people in it. I feel greatly blessed.

And now, I'll close. Good night all. Have a great day tomorrow.

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Monday, June 29, 2009

It's NOT cancer, thank God!

The doctor called a few minutes ago. It is NOT cancer, thank the Good Lord. And I do mean Thank Him. His Grace abounds. As to what it is, they're not sure. It could be caused by many things, but he felt it was not currently life-threatening, but a problem I need to get taken care of. It means another doctor and more tests, but God is so good to me. I thank Him for His grace and you for your prayers and concern.

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Unhappy

Just found out that I won't get the results from the lung scope until tomorrow! I'm very unhappy.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Nervous Wednesday

It occurred to me this morning that I probably won't feel like posting for the next several days so I thought I'd ramble on a bit and tide you over until I can get back on here.

Tomorrow morning, of course, is the scope into my lungs at OKC. I hope to be back home Thursday afternoon sometime, but we'll see how it goes. Sometimes they keep people overnight, depending on how it goes. I dread the side effects of the test -- apparently you feel like you have the flu afterwards -- but they're supposed to pass in 24 to 48 hours.

It's unlikely I will get any results until early next week. I will let you know as soon as I can what they find. I would appreciate your prayers during this time.

The James Rollins book I ordered (The Doomsday Key) came in yesterday afternoon so I have a book to look forward to reading. Woohoo!

I'm getting closer to affording a farm house on FarmTown. I have plans for orchards, fields, a river, and even a gazebo or two. My cousin Joni has created a hedge maze on her farm. I might try that.

Just finished reading that the event horizon of a black hole may be "fuzzy" instead of a clearly defined limit. In other words, instead of it being a point where you "Abandon all hope," it's more of a region where it's easier to take a step forward than to go back so you keep going until eventually you can't go back without having access to the entire energy of the universe. Stephen Hawking came up with this, and a lot of people are upset with him, because -- take a deep breath -- if it's true, then cause and effect are unrelated, at least at the quantum level. No, I don't understand it, either, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, I was thinking about time and a black hole and about how time might be "fuzzy," too. That maybe we could go back in time if we had access to enough energy, and if we could, what would we do? (Ignoring all the science, of course, that says time can't be changed.) Maybe a question better not asked as we can drown in regrets and might-have-beens if we're not careful.

I intended to post this post this morning, but didn't get it done so now I'm going to post it at lunch. But this post will be posted today! I think. No, no, it will. Probably ...

It has got too hot. Yes, I like warm weather, but this is crazy hot. I don't like it. Fix it, okay? Don't put it off. I'm just going to get grumpy. Well, grumpier.

I'm going to bed early tonight. At least that's the plan. I won't be on the computer again this evening. Y'all have a good day tomorrow and spare a prayer for me if you can. Talk to you later.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Escape

Since Frenzied Feline posted a huge and interesting update, that inspired me to post at least something! Although I don't really have much to share. I'm sort of in a waiting mode now. Numb even.

I'm still playing FarmTown on Facebook. I'm not playing World of Warcraft much. In fact, I don't think I've been on WoW for about three weeks now. FarmTown isn't as exciting as Wow, but it's nowhere near as frustrating. FT is a good escape.

Early Thursday morning, of course, is my 'scope. I'll be at the hospital in OKC. If everything goes okay, I'll should be home sometime Thursday afternoon. If things get complicated, they'll keep me overnight and then I'll be home sometime Friday. I'm not looking forward to it -- who would? -- and I'll be glad when it's over.

Still reading a bunch. I'm hoping a book I ordered from Amazon (The Doomsday Key by James Rollins) will come in Wednesday. I like Rollins's work a lot, although I don't enjoy the Sigma Force series as much as his other books. Sigma Force reminds me too much of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt and NUMA, and no one is as good as Pitt! Sigma suffers by comparison. Well, Pitt's earlier adventures. Lately the ones featuring Dirk's son -- also named Dirk -- and daughter (Summer) have lost some of the excitement of the previous books.

By the way, I just found out that Murder by the Acre is now on sale in India. I find that curious and somewhat offsetting. Don't know why exactly, but it seems odd to imagine a curious Indian picking it up and reading my book. I hope they enjoy it.

Speaking of writing -- well, let's don't. At the moment, my life is on hold until this health situation is resolved or moves forward or whatever. As always, I'm grateful that my salary doesn't depend on my ability to write. Otherwise, I'd on the street. May yet be if Congress doesn't pass some sort of healthcare reform that will allow me to buy, beg, and/or steal health insurance. Bring on socialism! Or some other healthcare related -ism! Just anything to help me and all those other like me who can't buy health insurance even if we could afford it because the health insurance companies won't sell it to us. I'm not particular these days. Any port in a storm.

Finally saw Taken and The Dark Knight a few days back. Really enjoyed Taken. Didn't enjoy The Dark Knight much. The ending of The Dark Knight was particularly contrived and empty. I did like his Batcycle, though. That was cool.

And I've been enjoying Space Week on the Science Channel. There should really be a Space Channel. All space all the time! I'd watch it. My roomie and I disagree on space travel. He thinks it's unnecessary and expensive. "We have enough problems on Earth to deal with." I support space travel because it's an amazing dream, and we have so few amazing dreams left. I suspect it's a doomed dream, but it's not a bad windmill to tilt at.

And now I have to go to work. Y'all have a good day, ya hear!

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Working on the farm

I've been working on FarmTown on FaceBook. I'm saving up to buy a farm house, but it's 300,000 coins and I only have 180,000 so far. Maybe by next week, I'll have enough. Yes, I know it's not a real house. Leave me alone! :)

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Speed

So mostly I've been quiet because I don't have much to say and that which I could say isn't pleasant or helpful to me or anyone within hearing so I've chosen silence. Silence and reading. I've been reading a lot of books. I've raided my local library several times now, grabbing ten to twenty books at a time and gratefully losing myself into other worlds.

The people behind the counter always seem surprised by the number of books I check out. Even a little suspicious. "So ... are all these books for you?" "Do you read all these?" "Man, you must not work." "I'd like to spend all day doing nothing but reading." "These are due in two weeks. Just two weeks." I just smile mysteriously. Or maybe I'm smirking. Hard to tell, really.

It's actually my only dependable superpower: I read very fast. My sisters and brother also read fast -- books were a huge part of our lives growing up -- but I didn't realize how fast I was compared to other people until I got into college. Jon, my college roommate, constantly expressed his surprise at my speed. I was surprised by his surprise. I had never noticed before.

Anyway, that's what I'm doing. What have you been doing? Anything interesting? Share!

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Thursday gratefuls

It’s a bit harder this morning because I slept poorly last night and woke up feeling sick, but here some things I’m grateful for: morning prayer, a hot cup of green tea, cinnamon and apple flavored oatmeal, a hot shower, a cheerful email, FarmTown, and a good friend who called just to say hello.

I got my payment plan all worked out with the hospital in OKC today, so the scope on June 25 is a go. Glad to have that taken care of.

Not much other news. I've got to get writing again. I can't let this health issue steal away that part of me. Or maybe I can. We'll see what I'm made of.

Have a great day. Please continue to pray for me. I'll be praying for you.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The date is set

Well, the 'scope into my lungs is set for Thursday, June 25. I would appreciate folks' prayers on that day and before so that my lungs receive a good report. This is a scary thing, and I admit I'm scared, but our God is more than capable of seeing me through this.

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Great article

I thought there was a lot of good info in this article.

The best cancer-fighting foods
A doctor with a malignant tumor changes his diet to stave off his disease

by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, Prevention

I was diagnosed with brain cancer about 16 years ago. I received chemotherapy and went into remission, but the cancer came back and I endured two surgeries and 13 months of chemotherapy. I asked my oncologist if I ought to change my diet to avoid another recurrence. His answer was perfectly stereotypical: "Eat what you like. It won't make much difference."

He was wrong.

The extensive research published in the last decade alone proves that what you eat can have a profound effect on your protection against cancer. But my doctor's answer was hardly surprising. It's a little-known fact that nutrition is barely taught in med schools, where the solution to most problems is a drug. And doctors don't trust patients to make lifestyle changes. I recall a conversation with a fellow physician at a conference after I spoke on the importance of a healthy diet in fighting disease. "You may be right, David, but people don't want to change," he said. "They just want to take a pill and forget about it." I don't know whether he's right, but after all the study I've done, I know it isn't true for me.

Read the rest of the article here.

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Tuesday, June 09, 2009

More blessings

Things I am grateful for (in no particular order): The Closer, UFO Hunters, walking at the Fitness Center with Kyra and Eric, Mexican food, cherries, grapes, honey and butter on toast, sunshine, hot showers, sleep, and a whole lot more. I have to remember that even when dark clouds cover the sun, the sun is still there shining down on me.

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Sunday, June 07, 2009

1, 2, 3, 4 ...

Counting my blessings: Heavenly Father, loving family, good friends, good food (even if it is healthy), good home, assurance of salvation, laughter, good books, the awesome possibilities that still remain in life, and much more.

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Thursday, June 04, 2009

No news

Talked to the doctor this morning. Half of the tests were negative, and the other half take six weeks to show results. So ... we have to talk about what to do next. The negative results are goods news -- lessens the chance I have lung cancer -- but they don't rule cancer out completely, either. Probably we will do a scope into my lungs next. Anyway, that's the news from the medical world. I'll let you know when anything else is decided.

Yeah, it's quite depressing. I'm still spending money with no answers. Very frustrating. I know I'm tired of it. I have lost a lot of respect for my various doctors as this has progressed. I've now been coughing blood for nearly six months under my doctors' care. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Anyway, that's the new such as it is. Hope you had a good day. And just think, one more day of work, and it will be the weekend! Woohoo!

Have a great night.

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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm supposed to hear from the doctor on the latest tests. I'm quite nervous about it. We'll see what he has to say. But not until tomorrow.

Conan is still not impressing me. I miss Leno. Oh well, things change. Not always for the better -- often not for the better -- but they do change. We can count on that.

Anyway, I had a nice talk with my younger sister tonight and then one with my friend Kent. Makes me appreciate the phone. Thanks, A.G. Bell.

And now I'll close. Night!

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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Nighty night

Going to bed now. Conan ... not so good so far. Hope he gets better. I miss Leno. And yes, Roen, this is a post, so there!

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Monday, June 01, 2009

Facebook VS. Blogger

Why spend time on Facebook instead of posting on my blog? Let's compare the two. Yes, we're going to whether you want to or not so there!

First, Facebook is designed for short updates, and it is easy to post those short items. The blog is harder to post to. You have to think, and in this political climate, that's not easy or appreciated.

Second, you can see what your friends are doing all on one page. With the blog, I have to go to each blog to see. I'm lazy, you know.

Third, I get comments. Yes, comments. On Facebook, I get lots of comments. Don't get many here. That hurts my little feelings and makes me want to kill thousands and thousands of people and laugh at their terror and pain while wearing my Dick Cheney mask.

Fourth, Facebook has FarmTown, a game that I'm addicted to. And did I mention I get comments on Facebook? I get comments.

However, Facebook isn't perfect. For instance, its focus on short updates means you never get into a topic in depth. Also, the sheer number of updates can overwhelm me. Frankly, I'm not that interested in the 1,001 quizzes that everyone seems to take over there as well as the people who update 30 times a day. I'm sorry, but their lives aren't that interesting. At least to me. Call me shallow. But not to my face if you know what's good for you. And your family. And your pets.

Also, Facebook has ruined most of the blogs I used to read. Their authors have deserted their blogs for Facebook. All their wisdom has been reduced to news briefs. This can be a relief, but I do miss wisdom sometimes.

Anyway, I will keep Harbor Street for the foreseeable future. Won't give up Facebook -- I'd miss FarmTown -- so for now, I'll just do both. I'm talented that way.

Now, wasn't that more than you wanted to know about that subject? Nod your head. Now raise your hands. Shake them all about.

Night!

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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Oops.

Oops. I meant to be blogging over here more, but don't have much to say. Not much has changed on my health, although I should start getting results from the latest tests this week. Writing is at a standstill. I spend so much time and energy worrying about my health and the doctors, I find I have little energy left to project myself into a fantasy world.

I am eating better. If nothing else, these health concerns have sent me searching for better nutrition. I have almost completely eliminated sugar from my diet. Well, at least obvious sugar. I am constantly surprised by the number of processed foods that include sugar as a matter of course. By cooking myself, I can avoid that. I've started cooking using extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, chives, veggies, fish, etc. I am finding these meals to be delicious and greatly satisfying. I've even reached a point where I like green tea; I've -- lord help me -- developed a taste for it.

I'm trying to exercise at least five times a week and trying to get to bed earlier each night. I'm attempting to give my body what it needs to fight off whatever this is. And more than that, I want to be healthy in order to do more. I have so many things uncompleted in my life, so many things I want to try, so many stories to tell, so many places to visit, so many people to live, much life still to live. And diabetes and general laziness have kept me from doing many of these.

Life is short. I know we all know this. Or we at least parrot that phrase. But lately I'm beginning to understand exactly what it means and why it's important to live fully while we're here before we have to go what comes next. Perhaps it took a health crisis for me to truly understand it. I may be dense.

Tomorrow I return to work. Work is a problem for me. I truly don't enjoy my job any more, and yet I need the money. Once I get my health problem figured out and a treatment in place, I'm going to work on the job situation. Anyway, that's a problem for a later day.

And now I'm going to close. No promises, but I'll try to post more. Have a great week.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Intro to "Debt Free At Last"

Why?

So why another “get out of debt” book? Aren’t there hundreds already on the market? Can’t you find financial planners by the dozen in the phone books? And what about those credit counselors you see the ads for on TV? What’s the point of this book?

Good question. Here’s the answer: this book is meant for the beginner. It’s meant for hard-working people who are living from paycheck to paycheck and are trapped in debt.

And debt is a trap. It takes away your choices. You can’t go on vacations, you can’t go back to school, your children can’t afford college, and you know you’re going to have to work until you die. Debt rules your life, and you can’t breathe. You can’t see your way clear. You can’t escape. You’re going to pay the Man forever.

Depressing, isn’t it?

You might be beating yourself up about this. You may feel like a failure. We won’t deny bad choices lead to debt, but most people don’t have the information or training to make the good choices. We are not educated in handling money in school, and typically our parents didn’t teach us, either. (Because they didn’t know.)

And we have a whole society that encourages debt. Credit card companies, loan companies, banks, and retailers of all sorts spend millions of dollars on advertising to convince you to go into debt. Even our country operates without a balanced budget and goes deeper into debt each year.

There we are: trapped in the debt trap.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can be free. You can make simple changes that will impact your life in positive ways and get you and your family out of debt forever. You can make better choices in your life. You can choose a better life. You have the power to do so; you just need the information.

Probably you’ve heard this before. People regularly preach to the masses, advocating this plan or that plan or an investment scheme that only geniuses understand. Rarely do these people share if these schemes are what they do. Well, why would they? Most of them have money. They’re not facing the decisions you are. They’re not living your life. They give good advice, but they haven’t lived it.

But in this book, you’re reading the words of people who have lived it. Every tip in this book has been done by one or both of us. And the tips have been successful for us. We’re not sharing anything that didn’t work for us. We don’t care how good it sounds; if it didn’t work for us, we’re not going to pretend that it did.

That doesn’t mean all of these tips will be successful for you, but it does raise the chances they will be. After all, we’re not that different from you. We lived from paycheck to paycheck. One of us (Stephen) has made just about every financial mistake you can make. This book grew from his efforts to get out of debt forever. He is sharing his hard-worn education with you.

Kelley has spent years in the financial world as a loan officer, Realtor®, financial consultant, and lecturer. Over that time, he has learned what works and what doesn’t. He has applied those principles to his life to good results. He wants to share those principles with you.

Now, this book isn’t about becoming a millionaire overnight. In fact, that’s not even our goal. Our goal is to help you get out of debt, to increase the positive choices in your life, and to secure your future. Aren’t you tired of living like a refugee from the debt wars? Aren’t you ready to experience a secure financial future?

Isn’t it time that you were debt free at last?

Copyright 2009 by Stephen B. Bagley & Kelley Benson. All rights reserved.

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Catching up

And how are you? Not much has gone on here. A brief health update: I've continued working with my doctors in an attempt to find out why I'm coughing blood. We've done a test this weekend, and I should know something next week. After that, I'm not sure what will happen. Depends on what they find out. Overall, I feel pretty good. No major problems to speak of. I'd think I was healthy except for the coughing problem. I guess we'll see what they find.

This long weekend, I've spent napping and generally being slothful. It was wonderful. A bit of laundry, a bit of housework, FarmTown on Facebook, some World of Warcraft, and that's it. I need more weekends like this. I hope you had a good one.

And now we face returning to work tomorrow. Sigh. Double sigh. And a bit of screaming and anguish. I have to get organized. I seem to be scattered lately. I need to make lists again. Yes, lists will save me.

Oh, I announced the first winner in the 100 Member Milestone Celebration over on the Stephen B. Bagley's Books group page on Facebook. Four more winners to be announced. Did you enter? I hope so.

And now I'm going to go to bed so that I can wake up bright-eyed and bushy tailed ... although ... why would a bushy tail be desirable? I don't understand what that saying means, I really don't.

Night!

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

100 Member Milestone!

Over on Facebook, the Stephen B. Bagley's Books group has over 100 members now! To celebrate, we're giving away books, t-shirts, tote bags, bookmarks, etc. If you're on Facebook, just head on there and enter to win. If you're not on Facebook, just email me your postal address and you'll be entered in all the contests! How easy is that!

And with that, good night!

Oh, the Illuminati have yet to hire me. Why is that? Am I not mad enough? Not power hungry enough? I'll work on that. I can be trained, really I can.

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Job wanted

I've been reading UFO Magazine, and apparently there is a worldwide, eons old, mysterious conspiracy that controls the world with its wealth and influence. The conspiracy includes aliens, CIA, NSA, FBI, PTA, the Unilateral Commission, the Illuminati, NAFTA, Free Masons, Priced Masons, and many more organizations whose names I didn't bother to read.

Apparently this New World Order group (not the wrestlers) has been subverting our freedoms to get us ready for 2012 when they will rule us openly and reveal their plans to live forever by growing new bodily organs and ingesting our lifeforce.

Yeah, I know. It surprised me, too.

After digesting this information for a while, I only have one question: where do I sign up? I'd like wealth and power. I could trample on someone's freedoms for the right price and a good health plan. Of course, I want weekends off and at least a week of vacation for each half year worked. It's not too much to ask, is it?

So send me a job application, Overlords! I'm ready and willing to be your lackey ... at least until I learn all your secrets and rise up and crush you beneath my booted heal! BWWAAAHHHAAAAA!

And on that mad note, good night, my future servants!

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Haven

There should be places you can go when the world is too much. Places that welcome you without questions and with endless compassion. Where you can be safe and secure. Where the only problems are remembering to set your alarm so that you can greet the glorious sunrise and deciding what fruit to pick from the laden trees. And as you sit under a spreading oak tree in an easy chair, you look across the rolling land to the golden fields and feel your battered spirit release its burdens. You sigh, and your eyes well with joyful tears.

That's what God is supposed to be. That's what God is.

Not that we allow that. We humans make it so hard. God has to be vengeful, shallow, tiny, bigoted, judgmental, self-righteous, furious, the heavy-handed father whose children cringe at His approach. Because we've created so many gods before, we think God should conform. He should support who we vote for, and He should shower forgiveness only on those we find worthy. We preach of His miracles, but in the same breath, we deny His grace and power. He's infinite, and we resent it and attempt to force Him into a box that we can control and understand.

Of course, God is beyond that. Despite our best efforts, He reaches beyond, He keeps sending His message to the world, He denies our best attempts to make Him into an easy god. He keeps reaching out to us.

He keeps saying, "Come home. I have a place for you. For all of you. There is a feast prepared. There is music and peace and calm. There is joy and dancing and eternal joy."

And we won't listen. We hold onto terrible things that hurt us, we deny the commonsense of letting Him lead us, we would rather die in hate than live in everlasting love. How our wilful ignorance must grieve Him. We must break His heart day after day. I don't know why He still loves us. I don't know why He still wants us. But then I'm not God.

I'm just a person, like you, like all of us, attempting to understand the infinite mercy extended to me, attempting to live day-by-day, trying to get up each time I fall, trying to believe while living in world that seems determined to destroy all grace and beauty. Sometimes I lose hope. Sometimes I despair. Sometimes I give up.

But then He sends me help. He reminds me that He hasn't moved. He reminds me that He loves me. He loves me.

On this sunny Sunday, on this day when I'm so tired of my health problems, exhausted from the money troubles my illness has caused, worn beyond my capacity to continue to face the unnamed terror of my future, when I finally turn to Him -- doing in the last place what I should have done in the first place -- He gathers me up and lets me rest in His haven.

I am so grateful.

I have no words.

Nothing but praise for His never-ending love.

His never-ending love for you and me.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Free Album Download

Coldplay is offering a free download of their nine-track album LeftRightLeftRightLeft as a thank you to their fans. Go here to download it.

I'm still looking for errors that my readers might have found in Murder by Dewey Decimal so that I can correct them in the hardcover Deluxe Version. I'd appreciate any you have found.

I've been sick the last two days. My stomach's been acting up. Kinda strange actually since I haven't had it be this bad in several months. Oh well, that's life. You take the sweet with the bitter. There isn't any other way to live. I am blessed.

I'm not sure who is dropping by here any more. My visitor count has really dropped off. Mostly because I've been on Facebook. So I've decided to back off Facebook and concentrate more on this blog. I'll still FB some, but this blog has been my principal way of communicating with y'all for some time now.

And that will be all tonight. Oh, I'll start posting excerpts from Murder by the Mile soon. Are you excited? I am! Night!

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Deluxe version of MBDD

I am currently working on the deluxe hardcover version of Murder by Dewey Decimal. There hasn't been a hardcover available for over a year now, and I'd like to get it back out there. If you noticed any errors -- misspelled words, left out words, weird punctuation -- please let me know so that I can make the corrections in this version.

I'm also working on a new cover for it. I'll keep the knife, but I think I'm going to add a drop of blood and change the color scheme of the book.

I'm also going to include a short mini-mystery in the back of the book. The chief and Sims investigate a murder at the local motel, and the chief proves why he really is the best man for his job.

I'm hoping to finish this revision over this week and next. So please find those errors and send them on! You'll rate a special 'thank you' in the acknowledgments! Woohoo!

And on that note, good night!

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Forbidden

Forbidden

There are stories we shouldn't tell.
      All the wise men know this.
There are lies we shouldn't hear.
     All the wise women have learned this.
There are hearts we shouldn't break.
     All the angels weep as they see this.
There are souls we shouldn't touch.
     All the demons smirk at this.

Walk down there; the hallway grows dark.
Stop over there; the shadows are unquiet.
Rest yourself there; the earth takes you.

Some knowledge burns the bearer.
      You were warned.
Some secrets can only harm.
     You didn't listen.
Some love brings only ruin.
     Everyone warned you.
Some tears can't be avoided.
     Into every life, they fall.

I wish I could save you; the clock ticks.
I wanted to spare you; why wouldn't you listen?
I can only watch; your fate is your own.

This I know --
     we each choose our destruction.
I leave you
     finally to yours.

Copyright 2009 Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved.

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Dream

I had a strange dream last night. I visited an old friend of mine. It's been at least 20 years since I saw her last. She picked me up at a huge airport, and I was so grateful when I saw her among the crowd. Somehow I ended up driving her car, and I drove her deep into the country where she made her home. The visit was filled with awkward silences -- after all this time, we had little in common -- and it was hard to keep a conversation going. Her house was a cottage, like what you see in on those British shows, all flowers and knitted comforters. I think she had a cat. Throughout the dream, we kept avoiding some subject, and while I knew we were avoiding talking about it, I couldn't recall what it was. I wanted to ask her a question, but I knew she wouldn't answer, and her refusal would embarrass us both, particularly since I couldn't pin down the question. I sensed she regretted my visit, and I wanted to leave myself, but I had no car and no way to get back to the airport. Finally I woke up.

Then I realized what the question was that I had wanted to ask, but wasn't able to think of in the dream: How was I able to visit her when she had died in a car wreck nearly twenty years ago?

I got out of bed, made a cup of green tea, and sat at my computer until it was time to get ready for work.

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Subcar & other things

I want a subcar like what James Bond has in The Spy Who Loved Me. Except I want a real one, not the fake they used in the movie. Wouldn't that be cool?



This car was the coolest of all the ones driven in the various Bond movies. I also liked the flying car in The Man with the Golden Gun, but the subcar tops it.

You might guess from me talking about Bond movies that not much is going on. You'd be right. I napped and read with a bit of TV, and that's all I did all weekend long with just a little housework and laundry. I feel bad about having been so slothful since I will return to work tomorrow -- work that does not challenge or excite me -- not having written anything, yet I claim writing is what I was truly meant to do. The dichotomy makes me crazy.

Lately I spend all my time worrying about my health. I'm still coughing a bit of blood. The doctors don't know why. They say -- well, a couple of them say that it's not cancer, but when they can't supply an answer, I have to wonder if they know what they're talking about. Of course, there have been plenty of tests ... over $10,000 of test, but still they don't know. I remain as uncertain as I was when this all started. Well, enough of that.

I hope you have a great week! I hope I have one, too! Stay healthy and stay happy. And if you're not either, work on it! I am. Night!

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Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Free chicken meal from KFC!

Updated: Several people had trouble printing the coupon. Apparently the number of people using the site overwhelmed it. I also had trouble, but finally got it to print around 9 p.m. You can print it until 11:59 p.m. today. If it lets you.

Go here for a coupon for a free chicken meal from KFC. You can only download the coupon today, but it can be used until May 19th (excluding Mother's Day.)

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Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Good eating

Last night I made a delicious diabetic and Weight Watchers friendly meal. It was two chicken breasts, cut up in slices, and cooked in three tablespoons of olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, chives, yellow onions, and mushrooms. For a side dish, I had steamed Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, lightly salted with sea salt. I thought it was great, but my roomie needed a bit of soy sauce on his chicken.

Tonight I will saute salmon fillets. (I'll saute them in olive oil, sliced garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and ground pepper.) The veggies will be steamed spinach and asparagus.

You may be wondering why I'm sharing this. It's part of my new commitment to eat healthy, delicious food. I'm trying to be more careful in what I eat because I'm trying to taper off my diabetes medication. So far so good. I am limiting my soft drinks to one or less a day. I am avoiding bread as much as I can -- sometimes I crave toast, but I'm only putting on no-cal, no carb butter spray on it when I do. I'm drinking green tea flavored with cinnamon at least three days a day. (Green tea because it's so healthy and cinnamon flavored because cinnamon helps control blood sugar.)

So far, so good. My blood sugar is lower now. Not where it needs to be closer, but closer to my goal than since I was diagnosed.

But what brought all this on? I think it was my realization that my doctors are not going to be the ones who get me back to good health. It's going to be me. They don't have time, give me slapdash service, and generally behave like I'm something they need to scrape off the bottom of their shoes. Okay, I exaggerate a bit, but they are no closer to discovering why I'm coughing blood than when I started. So ... I'm beginning to think I have something really weird outside their experience. Maybe not. Maybe it's just a sneaky cancer or other disease that the tests haven't caught yet. The thing is, I can't wait.

No matter what I turn out to be inflicted with, I will be better off for having my diabetes under control and losing weight. I'm the only one that can make that happen. So I'm going to.

I still don't have the test results back from Friday's CT scan. I should learn something tomorrow. Or the next day. Perhaps this will be the test that will give the answer. We'll see, but either way, I'm going to still be working on controlling diabetes and getting better. I can do this.

Hope life is treating you well. Talk to you later.

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Sunday, May 03, 2009

Moderation

Today for lunch I had two tilapia fillets (pan fried in olive oil with minced garlic, chives and fresh squeezed lime juice) with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Although that meal is a thousands times more healthy, I still crave a cheeseburger and fries. Isn't odd how we want things that are bad for us?

Well, really, a cheeseburger and fries aren't bad if one has them once a week, but it's because we have them a lot more than that. Moderation in all things is still good advice.

No news on 75 Dates for $25 or Less! The plan is still for it to be available in May from Lulu.com, both in book form and in an ebook. I still have some work to do on the cover. I'm basically redesigning it. Although we hope the majority of sales will be Kindle and ebooks, I'd still like the book to look nice.

Haven't done much today. I've picked up a cold. Or allergies. Not sure which. I hope your Sunday is going well. And here is a Sunday Song that touched me. I hope you enjoy it.



Have a great week!

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

ABC's of me

I actually received this meme on Facebook, but I'm doing it over here. So there, all you Facebook fanatics!

A - Age? 40 something.

B - Bed Size? Full. I'd like a king size because I'm king size myself, but my bedroom is too small.

C - Chore You Hate? Dusting and doing dishes.

D - Dog Name? Haven't owned one since my beloved Tai Ling passed away. She was a large part of my life, and I haven't wanted to get another one.

E - Essential Start Your Day Item? Taking my blood sugar.

F - Favorite Color? Dark green or blue.

G - Gold Or Silver? Silver.

H - Height? Around 5'10" if I'd stand up straight.

I - Instruments You Play? The computer with a tiny bit of piano and a bit of trumpet.

J - Job Title? Office Manager.

K - Kid(s)? None of my own that I know of, but I claim several and I have awesome nieces and a fantastic nephew and a totally cool grandniece.

L - Living Arrangements? House. Three small bedrooms. One living room. Combined kitchen and dining area. One bathroom. I like my little house, but wish I had enough space to carve out another bathroom.

M - Mom's Name? Annamay. And I miss her.

N - Nicknames? None. At least none that anyone dares to say to my face.

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth? Yes. Twice, I think. Hope I never have another one.

P - Pet Peeve? I like most animals, but cannot understand why people buy animals and then ignore and neglect them.

Q - Quote From A Movie? "I'm a match for anything. Aren't you?" Henry from The Lion in Winter as played by Peter O'Toole.

R - Right Or Left Handed? Right.

S - Sibling? Two sisters and one brother.

T - Time You Wake Up? 6-7.

U - Underwear- what type? Cotton. And really, why are asking? A bit personal, that.

V - Vegetable You Dislike? Cabbage.

W - Ways You Run Late? Hate being late and would rather not go if I'm going to be late.

X - X-Rays You've Had? Many. I'm surprised I don't glow in the dark.

Y - Yummy Food You Make? I have this great chicken dish that I can make. It's got garlic, tomatoes, brown rice, chicken breasts, chives, mushrooms, etc. Delicious!

Z - Favorite Zoo animal? I don't really like zoos. I feel sorry for the animals. I do enjoy the OKC Zoo, though. I think they do a good job in providing a decent habitat for the animals.


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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What I've been doing or other news of nothing

Well, I must post something. I’m assuming someone drops by this poor neglected blog sometimes, and they should be rewarded for their diligence. Not much to tell you, which is why I haven’t been posting as often as I should. Life is as it was: doctors, work, sleep, WoW, Chuck, etc. I do have another CT scan scheduled this Friday morning at Holdenville. Checking for tumors in my sinuses, facial structures, and neck. Whee. I don’t think anyone thinks we’ll actually find any. No, the doctors just want to look and be sure because, hey, I’m still coughing blood and they don’t know why, but they’re willing to spend every last cent I can beg and borrow to find out why. I’d kinda like to know that, too, you know.

What other news? Gail Claunts and I have finished 75 Dates for $25 or Less! and are now proofing it. It should be available from Lulu.com in early May, both as a book and as an e-book, and then from Amazon in June as a book and from Kindle in July. I hope.

Been questioned about 75 Dates a few times. With the bad economy, no one has money to throw around, unless, of course, they’re receiving bailout funds. Gail came up with the idea of writing a book that helped people figure out how to date within a budget. Yes, yes, yes, everyone has already pointed out the cheap date joke. Ha ha. Moving on. Gail wrote most of the book, and I provided some additional material and book formatting. We hope it will be useful and informative. Don’t let the lack of cash hinder ruin romance in your life.

Hey, this is good news: I met Jean of Rantings and Ravings! She was driving up north to spend time with family so she stopped in my small town to meet me. She, my roomie, my friend Kyra, and I all had dinner together at a local Mexican restaurant. She’s as charming, funny, and smart as she is on her blog, and we had a great time. I signed both Murder by the Acre and Murder by Dewey Decimal for her. I hope we can meet again. Now if I could just figure out how to get Frenzied Feline out here to Oklahoma …

Anyway, it's late and I'm tired. Have a great night and tomorrow. Talk to you then.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Dirt Day!

Welcome to Earth Day. A day meant to make you feel guilty because -- let's be honest -- you're an untidy, unclean, energy wasting, stinkin' slob and it's time you faced up to it. And yes, I do mean you. Turn off a few lights, walk around the neighborhood, pick up trash, choose paper over plastic, recycle something! Or you will be doomed to spend eternity listening to Al Gore drone on and on and on and on and on and on ... Seriously, has anyone checked that man's pulse lately? I think his pacemaker needs to be revved up.

However, Al's not as boring as Biden. Biden has actually killed with people with boredom. Sure, some of them commit suicide, but Biden drove them to it. I think that's why the VP likes to throw out those outrageous comments when he speaks: to keep people awake. He'll be talking: "We need to look at the gross output of the nation so that we accustomize ourselves to the need to increase such output in a productive fashion blah blah blah (Let's bomb Texas and wear flashy high heels!) to offset non-useful activities ..."

Of course, I'm Baptist, and we're used to sitting still and not moving for long periods of time. My pastor likes to ask for "amens" when he's preaching, and it's not so much that he needs encouragement as he wants to make sure we're still breathing.

Anyway, the point of Earth Day is that we -- and by "we," I mean you -- are using too many valuable resources that should be preserved so that they can be used by me. No, no, no, just kidding. We're preserving those resources so that they can be used by our children and their children's children, even though we know they aren't going to come see us in the nursing home. Rotten kids with their video games and Twitter. Why don't I just Twitter my cane upside your head? What do you think of that, you punk!

I seem to have wandered off my point. I wonder where I am. Maybe we should call the nurse. No, wait, here I am. My point is that today is Earth Day, and we should all work to preserve the environment so that our children and their children and even their children won't blame us for turning this green earth into a dry cinder that looks like Sarah Palin's been in charge.

Here are a few quick tips:

1. Choose paper over plastic, except for breast implants. Most plastic bags are made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. I refuse to use anything that will outlast me.
2. Breathe shallowly so you won't put out so much CO2. In fact, give up exercise completely as that makes you breathe hard. (I'm going to see if my diabetes doctor buys this. I'll get back to you.) Conversely, you could plant a tree.
3. Enjoy sitting in the the dark. Or you could replace one light bulb with a compact fluorescent. CFs use 60% less energy and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide per year per bulb. I don't know what CFs are saving the carbon dioxide for, but I'm sure it's really cool.
4. Turn your thermostat up two degrees in the summer and sweat a bit. Or if you're a woman, glow a bit. If you're confused, I was told once -- by a woman -- that men sweat, women glow. At my fitness center, some women glow so much you can smell them from 40 paces away.
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce waste, reuse waste, recycle waste. Waste not, want not. Wasting away again in Margaritaville looking for my lost shaker of salt.
6. Walk, walk, walk. Don't drive that car. Walk everywhere! Or bicycle. I'll wave as I drive by. No, seriously, I would wave.
7. Don't buy bottled water. Or refill the bottle and use it more than once. Plastic bottles make up 3.6 billion pounds -- yes, I said billion -- each year in our landfills. I don't know who's counting them, but I wouldn't want that job.

And in conclusion on this glorious Earth Day, we need to recycle more and look at the gross output of the nation so that we accustomize ourselves to the need to increase such output in a productive enviromentally friendly fashion blah blah blah (Let's TP Ohio while dressed as our favorite character from the Buffyverse; I pick Giles!) to offset non-useful activities ..."

Happy Earth Day!

Copyright 2009 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved.

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Monday, April 20, 2009

I don't know. Yet.

So basically I don't know. That's going to be my answer for a while. For any question, I'm going to answer: I don't know.

I don't know how to fix the economy, but we should. Why are we going to make our children and their children pay our debt?

I don't know how to fix the environment, but we should. Why are we going to make our children and their children clean up our mess?

I don't know how to feed the starving children, but we should. Why are we letting children die?

I don't how to heal the sick, but we should. Why are we withholding care when we could ease suffering worldwide and in our own towns?

I don't know how to get us to stop killing each other, but we should. Why do we claim to be better than animals when we live by the law of teeth and claw?

I don't how to get us to tolerate beliefs different from our own, but we should. Why are we so afraid of what we don't know?

I don't know how to we can learn to love each other, but we should. Why is that so hard for us?

I don't know the answers. I'm tired of pretending I do. I'm exhausted from all the fighting and arguing and shouting and planning and recruiting and voting and all the other stuff we do. And I'm sick of all those people with their terribly concrete beliefs who won't be changed by any facts to the contrary because how it is now is how it's going to be because they won't change.

So I don't know. Can't think of how, what, where, who or why. For a while, I'm just going to be.

I'm going sit and not think and not fight and not argue and not shout and not plan and not recruit and not vote and not do all that other stuff.

For a while, I'm going to simply be.

And then I'm going to get up and we'll see what we will see. And if that don't cause a zero in your bones, you're not reading this close enough.


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