Overtime Shopping

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Hey Kids,

I never quite understood the day after Christmas shopping.

People are actually out shopping for deals. Yeah, deals. And this tday-after-christmas-sale-jss2tldaime for themselves, not to give away as gifts.

It’s not enough to have just finished the biggest segment of the retail year. Before the spoilage of the Christmas shopping is yet to ripen, these shoppers are out to wreck more carnage on the Retail Front.

I’m a capitalist. I believe in the market economy. I’ll defend it as the best system to sustain a people and their ideals, although, I walk down the aisles of the store where I trade my soul for lucre, and I look at the tons of crap that hang on the displays for sale. I know that every one of those items will be picked up and bought at some time. Useless junk that for some reason we believe is worth the money for which we worked hard.

I’m cheap. I hang onto my clothes longer than they can hang onto me, I wear shoes down until the sole has not only worn out its soul and lost its tread but begins to show sock. And yet I end up buying stupid stuff all the time because it’s there. I’m not above the marketing gurus that know how to get me to spend my money when I think I don’t want to.

I, however, have yet to feel the need to go non-grocery store shopping the day after Christmas for the thing that everyone else failed to buy for me. The deep discounts on the clearance Christmas chocolate, I confess, do tempt me so.

 

Day 306

Christmas Past

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The day of Christmas rarely holds up to the anticipation and wonderment of Christmas Eve. Once the morning is over, the day seems to take on a slow death.

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My book available free on Amazon Kindle from Dec. 25- 29, 2015. Merry Christmas!

Once the kids had done their thing and out the door to the other family, the two of us were left to making the day spend on our own. I immediately burnt a pound of bacon. I repented with delicious waffles.

We spent time traveling across town to try to deliver gifts on the land of the terrible Ex. And learned once again, for the second time, the evils of custodial parents.

We took a diversion drive into the hills, spotting deer and a fox on the drive. Two feet of snow tested the 4WD of the 4Runner but 4-low got us out.

The Salt Lake Valley can be picturesque especially from the west side looking towards the Wasatch front, yet few ever see if from that side. The west side has many unique characteristics that east-siders will never know.

Baked some fresh rolls to enjoy more of the shredded pork roast from yesterday. Smothered in BBQ sauce, it was just as yummy.

A quick nap brought me to the time to come to work for the.overnight. The last minute shoppers from the 24th had really trashed the store.

I remember when Christmas was the time to wish for the biggest things a kid could imagine. It was on this holiday that the magic might happen. As an adult, I find that the day just passes.

Maybe I’m just too tired and a little hurt and angry about the gifts that will sit unclaimed because I’m not deemed worthy to give them, but I can’t just pretend tonight either that I’m OK with it all.

We had a good day, my baby and I, and we talked and consoled each other. We laughed and we cried. We decided how to fix it next year.

Christmas Eve Memories

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Hey Kids,christmas_PNG3743

At the end of this Eve of Christmas Day

After all of the eating, gifting, and play;

I rest in my bed tucked away from the cold,

Thinking of Christmas’; some recent, some old.

The 24th has always been the Eve of magic and delight,

The moments where everything always seem perfectly right.

Things changed and my children have grown older and moved on

Yet in an instant, I can visit every Christmas Eve and following dawn.

Happy thoughts they are, and I will always cherish these memories of us,

And as always, wherever you are, I wish this year to be your Merriest Christmas

 

Day 304

Graveyard Time Dimension

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Hey Kids,

Is it today or yesterday?

Working graveyard shifts, what day to call the day you’re on isn’t as easy as you might think.

I started yesterday, but I’m still at work and when I leave, is it then tomorrow? Or is it today? Yet I finished yesterday’s shift.

When we leave, we can’t say “see you tomorrow” like normal shift people. Or even swing shift people. Our next shift is today, later today, and usually after having some shut-eye, which is what people usually do when the days transition and should feel like tomorrow. Instead you say, “see you later” or “see you tonight”.

What’s weird is that I don’t see these people any more than the people on my day job, but it feels like I work with these people two times a day, which is how often people usually see their familes.

I guess there’s a reason why people say Graveyard messes with your head. You never really belong to either today or tomorrow, and yet you experience them together every day, err, night.

 

Day 303

Year Round Wheel Round

mikemjensen Motorcycles Tags: 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

It’s not Phoenix, but Salt Lake isn’t too bad when it comes to riding a motorcycle year round.Ice-Cold-Ride

The Wasatch Front can experience snow anytime from October through May. The measureable snow, however, the snow on the road that makes it impossible to ride the motorcycle to work, is measured more in periods of days, and when added together equal maybe 3-6 weeks.

All other days, the roads are clear. It might be cold, but as long as there’s no ice on the road. It’s all good.

Like today.

The next day, maybe not.

We talk about moving further to the south, like Texas south, which would make the days of ice on the road even less. But until that time comes, I can live with the restrictions I now face.

Each day that passes is another day closer to Spring.

Spring may bring rain, but it also brings uninterrupted motorcycle time.

And uninterrupted motorcycle time is what makes me happy.

 

Day 300

Extra Miles

mikemjensen Life's Truths Tags: Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Are our lives made up of a finite amount of time?

As I work the night shift and my days become 20-21 hour affairs, I wonder if maybe I’m wearing down my total and it only means I die sooner.

Or, like exercising, do I build on that count and extend, or at least extend the healthy, active part of it.

Is it finite for each person? Or does it change?

The funny thing is that we’ll never know so I can have any opinion I desire.

I think our time is a combination of “use it or lose it” and “Add on value available.”

I know each body, like most mechanical things has a wear factor. Little variations can cause long term wear patterns, or be so built that practically no wear occurs. Like a car engine.

Why do some cars go seemingly forever, some with maintenance and some without? The engine just keep racking up the miles. Yet others, well maintained, crap out early in their life?

It’s called luck of the draw. Good luck vs. bad luck. God’s smile or God’s apathy.

I figure the more I do, the more I make my body do, the more I care for it; I believe the longer it’ll keep running. Better than if I just let it sit in the garage and wait out the years to save miles.

Somethings will break. Sure. But watch the oil, water and tire pressures and I think the seals will stay fresh and the parts all greased. In the end, I hoping to see more countryside.

Saving the miles lacks the scenery. It gives no promise for longevity. Plastics harden and engines dry out. There may not be any road scares, but if you wait too long, starting the car can be a challenge and sometimes impossible.

I’m living an extra 5-6 hours a day. It makes the days long and they stretch out into long weeks. I’m happy. I feel productive. I feel like I’m taking charge of things of which I need.

Don’t tell me I need more sleep. I ain’t got time for that.

 

Day 299

And The Verdict is In

mikemjensen Life's Truths Tags: , , 3 Comments

Hey Kids,

The time arrived for the much awaited MRI and hearing test. The results were mixed.

On the MRI front, no growths could be seen so it’s believed there are none. It was the most remote cause of the loss and yet the worse. This is the best news of the day. Unless something drastically changes, this aspect will not be revisited. Yay!

With the tumor question answered, it is assumed that the cause of the hearing loss is due to a viral infection. The steroids delivered two weeks ago were the best answer known to reverse the damage. To see if the 14 days of pumping my body full of the nasty little pills, we conducted a hearing test. Compared to the first test, it could be determined if any improvement was realized over the treatment. The results were negative. The hearing is lost and the steroid treatment will not be continued. Boo! (Yay! on no more steroids, but Boo! that it didn’t work. I wanted to be clear on that.)aldabighearingaid

So now it’s a matter of dealing with it. I’ll start testing next week to explore the effectiveness of hearing aid devices. If reasonable hearing can be achieved, that’s what I’ll do. There are several different approaches and possibly cost concerns, but I’ll cover those aspects of the journey in the future when it happens.

There is a small chance that the hearing might come back on its own. It’s extremely remote and no cause for which to attach false hope. It is also why I am pressing forward now and not waiting to see if a miracle happens. Not that I’m asking for one. There are way more important things to “miracle” in this world.

The ringing and hypersensitivity are part of ear’s the defense mechanism that keeps getting tripped. When we hear a noise that might be damaging, our ears know how to protect themselves by plugging up. That’s what’s happening. It’s believed this defensive move will eventually return to normal.

There you have it for now.

Thank you for everyone who expressed their best wishes and wished and requested blessings on my behalf. I’m touched.

 

Day 298

I Do Have Feet

mikemjensen Life's Truths Tags: , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I apologize for two things today.

1) For the timing of this blog. There are a few times that I do not get the blog posted before midnight. But to keep the dates straight, I back post it to the 11 o’clock hour of the previous day. Recently I have used my lunch hour at 2 AM to finish and post the blog. Sometimes it’s what I need to do.

2) Today is one of those days. I had a bad health day and it really occupied my attention. Outside of staying put and watching boring daytime TV, I tried to do nothing and I’m afraid this post may suffer from that practice.

I’ve done some complaining recently. I thought I was experiencing the worse. Today taught me it can always get worse. I wish now I had enjoyed the “good times” earlier in the week.It+could+be+worse+_a89785118b8de0a86d10193db23a6b3d

That sounds depressing, but really; I need to just take what’s being given to me and be glad for it.

A friend of mine used ot repeat a saying his father used to tell him.

“I complained about having no shoes until I saw the boy with no feet.”

Yeah, that.

 

Day 297