Can't sleep

It's almost 2:00 am, and I can't sleep. I was up working on an illustration for a band, and I am still up. I need to go to bed, but I am not tired... Augh.

Disappointment, Back Pain and the Economy

Disappointment

I had a date last Saturday, which went well but unfortunately things went South during this week and I won't be seeing her again. It was a bit of a disappointment, she seemed like a really nice girl with a good head on her shoulders. The whole dating scene is fairly discouraging, I've met women who say they're drama free and find out the opposite sometimes. Every time I have thought about giving it up, someone new shows up. I realize you've got to meet a lot of people in life, before you meet the right one.

Back Pain

My back pain on Monday led me to go to see the Doctor the same day. I was prescribed muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Combined with the shot the doctor gave me I felt good enough to go back to work the same day. I've been doing exercises prescribed by my doctor, and staying mobile seems to make it hurt less. I've got to switch desk chairs at work though, the one I like so much seems to pinch my back pretty bad and when I walk in and feel almost fine in the morning and then sit down for 30 minutes I have to pull myself out of my chair. This may sound weird, but the harder the chair the better it seems. I'm not a fan of the muscle relaxers. They leave me feeling groggy, and at some point I just sort of drift off. I am going to take them through the weekend, but try to lay off on Sunday and see if I still need them. I can tell my back is getting better. Have you ever noticed when you're ill that life doesn't seem right? Reality seems disconnected, and nothing is really as you perceive it because your perceptions are clouded by your injury, cold, fever, or whatever illness you're going through.

Economy

I came home today after a work outing, and went to bed. When I woke up it was slightly after six o'clock so I turned on the TV in the bedroom (it's an old 19", but a good television). Alltel was in the news today as they're being sold to Verizon, and I wanted to see if there was anything about it on the local news. It seems very strange to me to see the nightly news (I haven't watched it in years) and see commercials for the Smart Car, for Hyundai cars with the slogan - "I want my MPG", commercials from the oil industry touting how much oil we have here in this country alone, commercials about alternative fuels, solar, etc... Things I remember people talking about in the late 70's when I was a little kid and we were experiencing the oil crisis. There is a lot of Deja Vu for me there.

The last time I filled one of the bikes up, it cost me $4.22. I used premium in the bikes, and I use regular in the truck. With a 10 cent discount per gallon at Kroger, gas is still 1 penny higher than when I filled up my gas cans before the Memorial Day weekend. I've been using some of that gas in the truck as needed but with my back like it is I don't want to handle the cans at the moment so it cost me $53.22 to fill the truck up this week. I hope I'll be fit to ride next week.

The economy seems to be more and more the focus of the news. From food prices soaring, and expected to soar more... to gas prices going up... to companies being bought and sold... The subprime mortgage mess is really starting to seem like the perfect storm, when you combine it with all the other items. It makes me think that if someone were to attack our country, be it terrorists or another foreign power that we'd be in a heck of a mess. I know past generations have survived economic collapse, I bet they felt much like people today are feeling. In those times there were businessmen, statesmen, and leaders who had a vision and they persevered and our nation and the world came through those downturns, those conflicts. I just hope that God will give us similar great men and women with such vision and wisdom to lead us through the tough times ahead.

I apologize if my writing is suffering, I don't feel all there with these meds. It's like when you come out of a fever almost, at least that's how I feel right now.

Weekend

I'm suffering from MAJOR lower back pain. I must have thrown my back out yesterday during the day. I went to a race in Texarkana for work, we shot video and photos for a story. It was a go-cart race down in Texarkana. The weather was wonderful, hot but with plenty of breezes. I think handling the tripod is how I tweaked my lower back enough to cause me to be in pain later in the day. It didn't start hurting until midnight, which coincidentally was around the time I needed to meet someone who was getting off a late shift for dinner at the Waffle House. (Dinner was awesome, but it was the company not the food btw!).

I got home about 2:30 am, took 2 extra-strength Tylenol and went to bed. I got up at 8:30 a.m. and took care of my morning chores, had a banana and some cottage cheese for breakfast and got ready for Church. I knew I was in pain when I swung my leg over the Buell to back it out of the garage. I rode it to church, and wore the Shoei helmet my neighbor gave me as a gift (with the HJC broken, I was glad to have it). The Shoei has some of the BEST venting I've ever seen. Now I wish I'd just opted to buy a Shoei full face, and deal with removing my glasses each time I take it on and off. :-) It's also got a viewport which I can't see the edges of the helmet when I look left or right with my eyes or in my peripheral vision. VERY NICE. If it were only white! The Yellow, Silver, and Black stars pattern just isn't for me.

After church I rode out and had lunch with my dad. My back has been tweaking on and off ever since. I have used an electric back massager on it. That seems to work, along with copious amounts of Tylenol. I need to seal the grout in the bathroom one more time so I can get that master bathroom back in order and clean the shower and the counter tomorrow night... and to take the trash out today. I'm gonna wait a bit and see if after an hour I feel up to snuff enough to do those two things. I also need to vacuum the living room, and fold my laundry... Augh.

Anyway, I made it home about 30 minutes before the Thunderstorm hit Maumelle. I paid $4.22 for a little over a gallon of gas to fill the Buell up. I'll be riding now as much as I can to work, provided my back allows me to. The vibration from the Buell actually feels good though for my back.