can't keep a good dog down & lip-syncing

"They've invented the technology that allows you to watch videos on the internet?"

"Yup, just came out for the holidays. I've already found one that makes me say 'GO, boy, GO!' Then I found some guy singing a ballad that was almost written about his life."

god I love this town (& I went to Skunkfest)

So I was all confused about where to go live since nothing's really holding me here, and got a lease here in Gvegas that I could get out of if I decided this ain't the town for me. Now: YEAH RIGHT, I AM STAYING! Life is SO sweet in this town! Today I took a bus down to the zoo (don't know why I took the bus), did my schoolwork there, and during study breaks, went to go watch the hey, hey, they're the monkeys, and people say they monkey around. (don't get that kinda odd reference?) After taking in the zoo action, I figured I'D WALK HOME (how cool is this?). There's a paved walking trail that runs by the zoo and also the park a few blocks from my apartment. But very shortly after leaving the zoo, the trail split into two, and I was thinking "Uh oh... which way?" So I asked a stranger, and he said "Main Street this way, dog park that way." "Dog park?!? Cool, I've been wanting to figure out where that is." So I went down there, and it's slick since it's a fenced-in area to let your dog off the leash. Then I walked home on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which follows the Reedy River & passes by or crosses by bridge over at least three waterfalls. About a 30 minute walk (31:34) from the zoo to my hallway at a brisk(ish) pace. And I got to stop on the way and take in the rock quarry garden. (yes, I paused my stopwatch, goodness you're picky)

So overall, yeah, our public transit might leave plenty to be desired, but you can have this town when you pry it from my cold dead fingers. (Well, to be on the safe side, from my slightly chilled, barely bruised & definitely not bleeding fingers)

And I haven't said anything about it here yet, but one week ago (the 17th), I attended the Albino Skunk bluegrass festival (actually now called the Grand Skunk Opry), which has been a staple of my musical diet for years (partly 'cause part of the crew that runs it is my last boss & his wife, both pals of mine). We volunteered our time (for free tickets, um, "YEAH"), and my "work" at one point was hiding Easter eggs for the kids. Gosh, that's such a rough life. (And I learned: with kids, you're never as sneaky as you think you are; 1 hour to hide 'em, 3 minutes to find 'em)

And then, in the evening, I ran into a past acquaintance that J2.0 hasn't seen yet (I don't think), and had a whale of a time catching up. (I'm gonna say 'dolphin of a time' from now on, 'cause when have you ever known a whale to have fun? And Flipper is, well, Flipper-- he had so much fun, they had to televise it) All in all, a GREAT day.

how I'm feeling

So there's no reason I'm repeating these lyrics now, it's just how I feel.

"I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
cause we are the champions - OF THE WORLD"

-Queen

recovery is a sonuva-gun

So I'm not sharing this in the spirit of "look at me, aren't I great". It's more in the spirit of "look at how hard this recovery is getting!" It's a video of me running barefoot up a hill...

...covered a foot deep...

...with sand.

Watch. Oh. My. Goodness. Need I remind you that I'm ex-COMATOSE?

"Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no, I got to keep on moving!" (Men At Work)

Google Voice is rollling out (more)

So, I've often been an EA (Early Adopter) of new technologies. The day it opened, I was all over some Google Voice action. (That's how I got a number that includes 7245, or SAIL) In brief, this service gives you one new phone number that rings all your existing phones (work, house, cell) and if any of those change (new house, new job, new cell co.), you easily change one simple setting online and your Google Voice number now rings your new phone, as well as the others. So this number is yours for life! (assuming you live your whole life in one area code) Sounds pretty cool... but wait, there's more. When on a call, you press 4 and it starts recording your conversation (and announces it's doing so, so don't get any tricky ideas, mister). And that recording is always available on the Google Voice website, and downloadable, and forward-it-by-email-able. So no more fumbling for scraps of paper to write down that important note. And if you're on a call through Google Voice on your cell phone, and your cell phone starts to run out of batteries, no sweat-- just press * to have all of your other phones ring, just pick one up, and the call is transferred.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

I'm gabbing on about this now since at 1st, it was available by invite only (well, still is), and the invites were snatched up quick (EA, remember?). But Google has just put this on their blog:

"Starting today, we're beginning to give out invitations to Google Voice users. If you currently use Google Voice, over the next few weeks, you'll see an "Invite a friend" link appear on the left-hand side of your inbox."

So... let me know if you want an invite to the G-Voice par-tay.

my memory is returning from vacation

I'm just so happy about this, I wanted to share. This afternoon, I was walking up Main Street, and I passed a guy and girl. Well, big deal, Jeff, that's called "being in public". But about 15 steps later, I thought "You know, she kinda looked familiar. Nah, couldn't be, been wrong about that too many times already." Then about 5 more steps, and I became convinced she looked familiar. So I stopped, turned around, hurried to catch up, and said "Pardon me, my memory's been through a coma, but you look familiar, kinda. Do you know me?" It didn't take her 3 seconds to say "YES! Holy cow! Jeff, I'm Valerie! How ARE you?" So we got to sorting it out, and she was one of my coworkers at the computer-geek job. AND she apparently left that job well before my ordeal. And I even guessed her last name correctly!

So I just recognized somebody I haven't seen since well BEFORE the car incident! So I didn't lose my memories, they just went on vacation! And just like when you return from a good vacation, you return slow & in pieces-- how many pieces you're in depends on how good the vacation was. (I'll leave it to you to determine if returning in many pieces means it was an awesome vacation, or a horrible one; maybe that depends on your tone of voice, excited or fearful, when you say "And then the gator opened his jaws...")

And the fact that I didn't recognize mom & dad on day 1 of being conscious, well that was normal, even pre-TBI. I've just been betting since I was young that as long as I call this lady "mom", she'll keep my fridge well stocked, and as long as I call this guy "dad", he'll continue to drive me places. Seems to me like a good trade, they're good folks, and it's worked well so far. I'm just surprised I picked them so well when I went shopping at Parents-Mart when I was a toddler-- it's not like I had any clue what I was doing.

Googling for 'define: backwoods'

What follows is an email from dad about a local newspaper clipping, in the 'Weddings' section.

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Only in Pickens County.....

"We love each other, but we don't have a lot in common.....

1. I like soup and salad for lunch, he prefers hay and oats....
2. I like to put on a nice dress to go out in the evening, he wants to put on that damn saddle...
3. I like to watch the news on TV at night, he always wants to watch "Mr. Ed"....
4. When we go on a trip, I always look for a 4 star hotel, he always looks for a barn...
5. I like to save money when I buy shoes, he always has to buy two pairs...."

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That makes sense once you see this. I'm so glad I moved to the city.

running... up a hill of SAND?!?

So my physical rehab took a sharp upturn on Friday. At my gym, I was doing several all-new exercises. Then I tried THE new exercise. Just the day before, they finished installing a ton of sand on a hillside. The idea is that you run. Up the hillside. In the sand. Whew. That's. Hard.

The first few tries, I made it about 4 feet up the hill. The GOOD news, though, is that I actually caught my fall by putting my arms/hands forward. That's new. Early on in my recovery, when I would fall, I wouldn't even attempt to stop myself falling. It was just "TIM-BER!" But at least I'm reacting appropriately now.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps I wasn't making it far because I started running about 25 feet back from the hill. OK, so let's start at the base of the hill. MADE IT TO THE TOP 3 TIMES! This gym is so cool.

Independance Day: 10/1/09

So I'm just beaming. TODAY WAS MY 1ST TOTALLY INDEPENDENT DAY. My folks aren't even in this town. I walked over to the bus station and took a bus to my gym. I took a bus back. I was concerned about finding my way from the gym to the bus stop, since I've only walked it once before in that direction. But I found it easily (memory's doing so much better). Also found that I like taking buses, as you get to mingle with the public and meet all kinds of folks, as well as read a book.

And as far as my selection of reading choices goes, I'm near the beginning of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. This book turned dad from a "reads a menu when forced to" reader into "a new book every week or two" reader. Highly recommended. And I got to this part today:

"Die? Oh, no!" he cried out. "What would be the point of having lived and suffered so much if I were going to die now? No, I want to live, to fight on to the end. I want to win back the happiness that was taken away from me."

And having my independence back means I've won back that happiness.

HIP HIP, HOORAY!