Carey Parrish's Blog, page 5
April 8, 2012
The Easter Basket
Sometimes things that happened long ago come back to haunt you. In the maturity of adulthood you know you shouldn't be bothered by something that is years in the past, but you can't forget it because even though it might not hurt anymore the memory of how much it hurt then returns with an uncanny clarity. Such is the case with this Easter. I don't know why, but it's been with me all day.
I was almost eleven years old when Easter Sunday 1978 was coming about. I always looked forward to Easter because it was a lot of fun. When you're a kid you don't realize the religious or spiritual aspects of certain holidays. You look forward to them because you'll get to play with other children. Easter was egg hunts and chocolate and coloring Easter eggs, and then there was the Easter Basket that always appeared for you. Such a pretty thing it was, all wrapped up in shiny cellophane and filled with toys and candy and that fake green grass that felt so good to touch. To an eleven year old that's what Easter was all about and I couldn't wait each year to get mine.
The Easter in question was to turn out differently for me. My mother told me, a few days beforehand, that I wasn't going to get an Easter Basket that year. She thought I was too old for one and that was that. I tried to tell her how disappointed I was and how I'd feel left out because all the other kids were going to have one. And what would I put Easter eggs in at the annual Easter egg hunt? But she was unmoved and no matter how much I talked or how much I cried she just wasn't going to buy me one. Her mind was made up that I was too old.
The side of me that has always been resilient was alive and well even then, so I set out to show her I'd have an Easter Basket whether she wanted me to have one or not. How could I hunt Easter eggs without a basket? What would I do when all the other kids were eating chocolate bunnies and opening those plastic eggs that would be filled with candy? I'd be the only one in the neighborhood left out. I couldn't let that happen.
My Easter Basket from the year before was in my closet. All the chocolate and all the candy was long since eaten, and the toys were played with until they weren't new anymore, but it still had its shape and it still had the fake grass. I could make it work. I started right away fluffing up the fake grass and putting some of my toys into it. I took some candy that was in the house and put it in my creation. When Mama colored Easter eggs with my sister I even took some of them and put them in my basket. I thought I'd done a good job of making it myself. And I wouldn't feel left out on Easter Sunday when all the other kids in our neighborhood had theirs.
Then I saw the one that was bought for my sister. It was full of new toys and new candy, all cheerfully wrapped in pretty tin foil and the plastic eggs with their candy inside were there, and the whole thing was encased in that shiny cellophane. It had a big bow on it. It was beautiful. Mine, in contrast, looked puny. There were no new toys and the candy wasn't wrapped in that pretty foil and I had no plastic eggs with candy inside them. And there was no shiny cellophane with a bow adorning mine. Mine looked like what it was: a recycled remnant from last year that I'd resurrected but not successfully enough to take out on Easter Sunday when it was time to hunt eggs with the other kids.
I was heartbroken. My efforts weren't enough to make it work. I cried and cried. Then I went to my mother and tearfully told her I wanted an Easter Basket. She replied that she thought I was making one. I explained to her that mine from last year wasn't going to be the same and I couldn't take it out with the other kids. I told her it was awful compared to the one my sister was getting. I had no new toys and no candy that was suitable for Easter. I was so hurt that I'd been proud of my creation until I saw my sister's Easter Basket and knew mine would never compare to hers. And my mother still did not go out and buy me a new one. My hurt feelings and my tears did not matter. She thought I was too old for an Easter Basket and that was it.
Sometime before Easter Sunday my grandparents came by and they had an Easter Basket for me. I remember how beautiful it looked. The toys were in it and the candy was there and it had the cellophane and the bow. I was so happy that I had a new Easter Basket and that I'd be able to take it out when the time came to hunt eggs with the other kids. I don't know if my mom asked them to get it for me or if I told my Granny how much I wanted one, I don't remember. I just remember how overjoyed I was that Easter was saved for me. I felt equal to not only my sister but all the other children in our neighborhood. It was going to be all right after all. And it was.
I really am unsure why this memory has returned to me this year. I'm almost forty-five years old and I want to rush out and buy an Easter Basket for that little boy who was so hurt his mama wasn't getting him one.
My advice to those with children is simple. Listen to them. If you think it's time for a step in a new direction but your children's words or actions indicate otherwise, pay attention to that. Don't set them up for a disappointment. My mother has never done anything willfully to hurt me but I am still baffled as to her motives during the Easter holiday of 1978. I told her how I felt and she didn't pay any attention to me. It doesn't hurt now but the memory of how bad it hurt then is something I can vividly recall.
So now the tale is told. Maybe this recollection won't come back to me anymore. And maybe this sounds ridiculous but I'm going right now to the store to buy an Easter Basket. That little boy inside me deserves one.
Peace,
C
I was almost eleven years old when Easter Sunday 1978 was coming about. I always looked forward to Easter because it was a lot of fun. When you're a kid you don't realize the religious or spiritual aspects of certain holidays. You look forward to them because you'll get to play with other children. Easter was egg hunts and chocolate and coloring Easter eggs, and then there was the Easter Basket that always appeared for you. Such a pretty thing it was, all wrapped up in shiny cellophane and filled with toys and candy and that fake green grass that felt so good to touch. To an eleven year old that's what Easter was all about and I couldn't wait each year to get mine.
The Easter in question was to turn out differently for me. My mother told me, a few days beforehand, that I wasn't going to get an Easter Basket that year. She thought I was too old for one and that was that. I tried to tell her how disappointed I was and how I'd feel left out because all the other kids were going to have one. And what would I put Easter eggs in at the annual Easter egg hunt? But she was unmoved and no matter how much I talked or how much I cried she just wasn't going to buy me one. Her mind was made up that I was too old.
The side of me that has always been resilient was alive and well even then, so I set out to show her I'd have an Easter Basket whether she wanted me to have one or not. How could I hunt Easter eggs without a basket? What would I do when all the other kids were eating chocolate bunnies and opening those plastic eggs that would be filled with candy? I'd be the only one in the neighborhood left out. I couldn't let that happen.
My Easter Basket from the year before was in my closet. All the chocolate and all the candy was long since eaten, and the toys were played with until they weren't new anymore, but it still had its shape and it still had the fake grass. I could make it work. I started right away fluffing up the fake grass and putting some of my toys into it. I took some candy that was in the house and put it in my creation. When Mama colored Easter eggs with my sister I even took some of them and put them in my basket. I thought I'd done a good job of making it myself. And I wouldn't feel left out on Easter Sunday when all the other kids in our neighborhood had theirs.
Then I saw the one that was bought for my sister. It was full of new toys and new candy, all cheerfully wrapped in pretty tin foil and the plastic eggs with their candy inside were there, and the whole thing was encased in that shiny cellophane. It had a big bow on it. It was beautiful. Mine, in contrast, looked puny. There were no new toys and the candy wasn't wrapped in that pretty foil and I had no plastic eggs with candy inside them. And there was no shiny cellophane with a bow adorning mine. Mine looked like what it was: a recycled remnant from last year that I'd resurrected but not successfully enough to take out on Easter Sunday when it was time to hunt eggs with the other kids.
I was heartbroken. My efforts weren't enough to make it work. I cried and cried. Then I went to my mother and tearfully told her I wanted an Easter Basket. She replied that she thought I was making one. I explained to her that mine from last year wasn't going to be the same and I couldn't take it out with the other kids. I told her it was awful compared to the one my sister was getting. I had no new toys and no candy that was suitable for Easter. I was so hurt that I'd been proud of my creation until I saw my sister's Easter Basket and knew mine would never compare to hers. And my mother still did not go out and buy me a new one. My hurt feelings and my tears did not matter. She thought I was too old for an Easter Basket and that was it.
Sometime before Easter Sunday my grandparents came by and they had an Easter Basket for me. I remember how beautiful it looked. The toys were in it and the candy was there and it had the cellophane and the bow. I was so happy that I had a new Easter Basket and that I'd be able to take it out when the time came to hunt eggs with the other kids. I don't know if my mom asked them to get it for me or if I told my Granny how much I wanted one, I don't remember. I just remember how overjoyed I was that Easter was saved for me. I felt equal to not only my sister but all the other children in our neighborhood. It was going to be all right after all. And it was.
I really am unsure why this memory has returned to me this year. I'm almost forty-five years old and I want to rush out and buy an Easter Basket for that little boy who was so hurt his mama wasn't getting him one.
My advice to those with children is simple. Listen to them. If you think it's time for a step in a new direction but your children's words or actions indicate otherwise, pay attention to that. Don't set them up for a disappointment. My mother has never done anything willfully to hurt me but I am still baffled as to her motives during the Easter holiday of 1978. I told her how I felt and she didn't pay any attention to me. It doesn't hurt now but the memory of how bad it hurt then is something I can vividly recall.
So now the tale is told. Maybe this recollection won't come back to me anymore. And maybe this sounds ridiculous but I'm going right now to the store to buy an Easter Basket. That little boy inside me deserves one.
Peace,
C
March 24, 2012
The Enduring Popularity of The Britcom
For more than a decade, American television on Saturday nights has been dominated by the Britcom. These, for those reading who don't know, are British situation comedies, originally produced for the BBC, which have been brought to the US by PBS stations across the country. These shows have become an integral part of Americana and almost everyone you know not only knows about them but has a favorite among them.
Which leads one to wonder why these British TV series, being telecast here in the States sometimes years after their original BBC runs, are so popular. Well, for me the answer is simple. Even though some of them carried a social message (think The Vicar of Dibley,) for the most part they were made for none other reason than to entertain their audiences. And this they've been doing for years.
Inarguably, the most popular of the Britcoms has been Keeping Up Appearances. The adventures of Hyacinth Bucket - excuse me, make that Bouquet - have been causing fits of laughter in Americans for years. Everyone has a Hyacinth in their family. An aunt of mine fits that bill very well. Hyacinth and her social climbing ambitions were continuously frustrated by her working class family, an inescapable encumbrance she has been trying for years to leave behind, but which she'll never be able to do because her roots won't let her. Portrayed by the incomparable Patricia Routledge, a seasoned stage actress, Hyacinth strikes a chord with global audiences who are either laughing with her or at her. Her enduring popularity is a testament to Ms. Routledge's unlimited talent and the appeal of this unforgettable character she brought to life with such zeal. Hyacinth is a classic who will undoubtedly still be entertaining audiences fifty years from now.
Then you have Diana Trent and Tom Ballard of Waiting For God. This pair of infectious oldsters continues to remain contemporary because in today's world those who we refer to as senior citizens are running the show more and more regularly. Diana is a retired photo journalist who resents growing old and is determined to show the world that her age is not the definition of her identity. Tom, her paramour, in contrast embraces his old age while refusing to let it encroach on his life. He accepts being elderly by ignoring it. The series is set in a retirement village in Bournemouth, England, which were becoming a staple in England at the time the series was originally produced, and Waiting For God reminds audiences everywhere that just because you're getting long in the tooth doesn't mean you have to exist quietly while you wait to die. You can still be very much alive and very much involved in your world no matter how old you might be.
As Time Goes By is a perennial favorite with practically everyone I know. Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer brought to life the personages of Jean Pargeter and Lionel Hardcastle with such ferocity that people the world over have fallen in love with them. The story of young lovers who lost touch because of an undelivered letter during the Korean War, and who are unexpectedly reunited thirty-eight years later, Dench and Palmer created such believable characters that they resonate with viewers to this day. As Jean and Lionel rediscovered their passion for each other, they dealt with hysterical family members and storylines that were so real we all can relate an experience to them. As Time Goes By remains wildly popular with the American audience because it is as realistic as it tried to be, and because its characters are beloved. Quaint, cozy, and delicious, it keeps pleasing viewers year after year because it is quaint, cozy, and delicious.
Set in a fictitious London department store called Grace Brother, Are You Being Served? is a look inside the lives of the employees of the mens' and womens' department. Mrs. Slocum, Captain Peacock, Mr. Humphries, Mr. Grainger, Miss Brahms, Mr. Lucas, and Mr. Rumbold are the employees in question and the way they run their floor has been hilariously enteraining viewers for almost forty years. As slapstick and as physical as the comedy of this show was, it did impart a believable aspect of the pains the working class endures on a daily basis, but it did so in such a hysterical manner that nobody could resist its high handed brand of comedy. These characters and their lives were so popular with viewers that most were reunited seven years after the original show ended in a sequel called Grace and Favour. The American audience has never lost its love for these misfits who served Londoners at Grace Brothers and Are You Being Served? remains a favorite on US television to this day.
Conceived at a time when female clergy were just emerging, The Vicar of Dibley was a huge hit for the BBC. Geraldine Grainger is a woman of girth and presence who became a minister because she chose to answer the call of the almighty instead of becoming just another working class woman. Her first assignment was to replace an elderly, recently deceased vicar in the small village of Dibley and she found herself surrounded by a cast of oddballs who caused sidesplitting laughter with audiences the world over. Dawn French brought Geraldine to life in such a realistic way that people actually thought she was Geraldine Grainger. As big a hit with US audiences as any other Britcom entry, no one can sit through an episode of The Vicar of Dibley without laughing so hard your sides hurt. It is that good. And it tackled some heavy social issues with such finesse that people were moved to action to combat such plagues as world hunger with gusto.
Absolutely Fabulous is a scream. Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone are a couple of middle aged women striving to remain successful in their careers as a PR executive and a magazine editor respectively. They are hard drinking ladies who are not opposed to using some medicinal agents to give them additional highs. Patsy and Edina come alive on the television and bring as much comedy to their audience as they do insanity to those who populate their fictional world. This wildly popular series stretches believability to its limits without overwhelming its audience. The adventures of Patsy and Edina are so popular with viewers the series refuses to die. Just this year new episodes are airing two decades after Absolutely Fabulous first premiered. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley bring Patsy and Edina to life with screaming success and their timeless presence charms the world year after year. Ab Fab is a hit that will undoubtedly remain so for a long time to come.
To The Manor Born is a Britcom that was first produced many years ago but which is really popular with the American audience today, no doubt because its premise of a woman used to being aristrocratic but whose financial situation has deteriorated to the point where she has to sell her baronial estate to survive resonates with today's viewers like mad. The current economic climate makes Penelope Keith and her portrayal of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton extremely contemporary. As Audrey struggled to come to terms with her new financial station in life, she found herself romancing - and being romanced - by the man who'd bought her manor house until the series finale when she married him and delighted viewers by triumphing over her demons. This "happily ever after" scenario is pure escapism, but in today's world it is welcomed and beloved because its message is timeless.
Last of The Summer Wine, Mulberry, A Fine Romance, Good Neighbors, and My Hero are just a sampling of other Britcoms which have found a home in the US in the last decade. These shows are pure entertainment and they make people laugh because that's what they were meant to do. Produced for none other than their comedic value, the social messages and screamingly funny storylines they bring with them are as much a part of today's world as anything else. The actors and actresses who brought these characters to life are as famous with viewers as any Hollywood star can boast and their talents are undeniable.
Britcoms are a part of our culture and they deserve to be as well. American audiences love them. They are destined to remain classics. As long as people enjoy being entertained, Britcoms will keep people laughing. And justly so.
Which leads one to wonder why these British TV series, being telecast here in the States sometimes years after their original BBC runs, are so popular. Well, for me the answer is simple. Even though some of them carried a social message (think The Vicar of Dibley,) for the most part they were made for none other reason than to entertain their audiences. And this they've been doing for years.
Inarguably, the most popular of the Britcoms has been Keeping Up Appearances. The adventures of Hyacinth Bucket - excuse me, make that Bouquet - have been causing fits of laughter in Americans for years. Everyone has a Hyacinth in their family. An aunt of mine fits that bill very well. Hyacinth and her social climbing ambitions were continuously frustrated by her working class family, an inescapable encumbrance she has been trying for years to leave behind, but which she'll never be able to do because her roots won't let her. Portrayed by the incomparable Patricia Routledge, a seasoned stage actress, Hyacinth strikes a chord with global audiences who are either laughing with her or at her. Her enduring popularity is a testament to Ms. Routledge's unlimited talent and the appeal of this unforgettable character she brought to life with such zeal. Hyacinth is a classic who will undoubtedly still be entertaining audiences fifty years from now.
Then you have Diana Trent and Tom Ballard of Waiting For God. This pair of infectious oldsters continues to remain contemporary because in today's world those who we refer to as senior citizens are running the show more and more regularly. Diana is a retired photo journalist who resents growing old and is determined to show the world that her age is not the definition of her identity. Tom, her paramour, in contrast embraces his old age while refusing to let it encroach on his life. He accepts being elderly by ignoring it. The series is set in a retirement village in Bournemouth, England, which were becoming a staple in England at the time the series was originally produced, and Waiting For God reminds audiences everywhere that just because you're getting long in the tooth doesn't mean you have to exist quietly while you wait to die. You can still be very much alive and very much involved in your world no matter how old you might be.
As Time Goes By is a perennial favorite with practically everyone I know. Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer brought to life the personages of Jean Pargeter and Lionel Hardcastle with such ferocity that people the world over have fallen in love with them. The story of young lovers who lost touch because of an undelivered letter during the Korean War, and who are unexpectedly reunited thirty-eight years later, Dench and Palmer created such believable characters that they resonate with viewers to this day. As Jean and Lionel rediscovered their passion for each other, they dealt with hysterical family members and storylines that were so real we all can relate an experience to them. As Time Goes By remains wildly popular with the American audience because it is as realistic as it tried to be, and because its characters are beloved. Quaint, cozy, and delicious, it keeps pleasing viewers year after year because it is quaint, cozy, and delicious.
Set in a fictitious London department store called Grace Brother, Are You Being Served? is a look inside the lives of the employees of the mens' and womens' department. Mrs. Slocum, Captain Peacock, Mr. Humphries, Mr. Grainger, Miss Brahms, Mr. Lucas, and Mr. Rumbold are the employees in question and the way they run their floor has been hilariously enteraining viewers for almost forty years. As slapstick and as physical as the comedy of this show was, it did impart a believable aspect of the pains the working class endures on a daily basis, but it did so in such a hysterical manner that nobody could resist its high handed brand of comedy. These characters and their lives were so popular with viewers that most were reunited seven years after the original show ended in a sequel called Grace and Favour. The American audience has never lost its love for these misfits who served Londoners at Grace Brothers and Are You Being Served? remains a favorite on US television to this day.
Conceived at a time when female clergy were just emerging, The Vicar of Dibley was a huge hit for the BBC. Geraldine Grainger is a woman of girth and presence who became a minister because she chose to answer the call of the almighty instead of becoming just another working class woman. Her first assignment was to replace an elderly, recently deceased vicar in the small village of Dibley and she found herself surrounded by a cast of oddballs who caused sidesplitting laughter with audiences the world over. Dawn French brought Geraldine to life in such a realistic way that people actually thought she was Geraldine Grainger. As big a hit with US audiences as any other Britcom entry, no one can sit through an episode of The Vicar of Dibley without laughing so hard your sides hurt. It is that good. And it tackled some heavy social issues with such finesse that people were moved to action to combat such plagues as world hunger with gusto.
Absolutely Fabulous is a scream. Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone are a couple of middle aged women striving to remain successful in their careers as a PR executive and a magazine editor respectively. They are hard drinking ladies who are not opposed to using some medicinal agents to give them additional highs. Patsy and Edina come alive on the television and bring as much comedy to their audience as they do insanity to those who populate their fictional world. This wildly popular series stretches believability to its limits without overwhelming its audience. The adventures of Patsy and Edina are so popular with viewers the series refuses to die. Just this year new episodes are airing two decades after Absolutely Fabulous first premiered. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley bring Patsy and Edina to life with screaming success and their timeless presence charms the world year after year. Ab Fab is a hit that will undoubtedly remain so for a long time to come.
To The Manor Born is a Britcom that was first produced many years ago but which is really popular with the American audience today, no doubt because its premise of a woman used to being aristrocratic but whose financial situation has deteriorated to the point where she has to sell her baronial estate to survive resonates with today's viewers like mad. The current economic climate makes Penelope Keith and her portrayal of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton extremely contemporary. As Audrey struggled to come to terms with her new financial station in life, she found herself romancing - and being romanced - by the man who'd bought her manor house until the series finale when she married him and delighted viewers by triumphing over her demons. This "happily ever after" scenario is pure escapism, but in today's world it is welcomed and beloved because its message is timeless.
Last of The Summer Wine, Mulberry, A Fine Romance, Good Neighbors, and My Hero are just a sampling of other Britcoms which have found a home in the US in the last decade. These shows are pure entertainment and they make people laugh because that's what they were meant to do. Produced for none other than their comedic value, the social messages and screamingly funny storylines they bring with them are as much a part of today's world as anything else. The actors and actresses who brought these characters to life are as famous with viewers as any Hollywood star can boast and their talents are undeniable.
Britcoms are a part of our culture and they deserve to be as well. American audiences love them. They are destined to remain classics. As long as people enjoy being entertained, Britcoms will keep people laughing. And justly so.
March 20, 2012
The Answer
"There ain't no answer. There ain't gonna be any answer. There never has been an answer. That is the answer." -- Gertrude Stein
March 17, 2012
My Top Ten 70's Sitcom Theme Songs
Like most of us who were born in the sixites, I have fond memories of those riotous seventies sitcoms that we grew up with. In most cases the theme songs from these classic series are as memorable as the shows are themselves. It has taken me a while to compile my top ten theme song favorites from these wonderful shows I grew into my teen years watching, but there they are. Enjoy the trip down memory lane.
10. The Ropers
9. Alice
8. Rhoda
7. Phyllis
6. The Facts of Life
5. All In The Family
4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
3. Good Times
2. The Jeffersons
The Jefferson's Theme Song - Funny videos are here
1. Maude
10. The Ropers
9. Alice
8. Rhoda
7. Phyllis
6. The Facts of Life
5. All In The Family
4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
3. Good Times
2. The Jeffersons
The Jefferson's Theme Song - Funny videos are here
1. Maude
March 11, 2012
Spotlight Interview with Writer Xavier Axelson
Not long ago I was contacted by writer Xavier Axelson. We became acquainted through the internet and I discovered that Xavier is also a writer. He has made quite a name for himself in the genre of erotica and his books have been highly praised. With two new projects hitting the scene, Xavier requested an interview and I was happy to oblige.
I must admit I didn't know a lot about his work before we began corresponding, but once I began my research for the article I became a fan myself. I've never really read that much erotica but when Xavier writes it is usually with a different approach than most of the others in his field. His touch is unique in that it draws in the reader with characters that are very lifelike and who endear themselves to the audience without relying solely on the "erotic" elements to do so.
I'm pleased to host Xavier in this forum. He is an interesting guy who makes his own brand of magic with his work. His fans can attest to his prowess and with their numbers growing his new releases are sure to satisfy.
CP: Xavier, thanks for visiting with me.XA: Thank you so much for having me! CP: Tell me, what draws you to writing erotica?XA: Actually, I never really planned to write erotica, I'm a horror/magical realism writer at heart but I saw a call for a Holiday Romance collection and decided to challenge myself. I had no idea the Pandora's Box I was opening.CP: Your books have been quite popular. To what do you attribute their appeal?XA: I think I'm serving something different to the readers of erotic romance. In this genre there are a ton of writers bringing the same dish over and over to the party; I like to try different things, explore interesting tastes and not limit myself and this love of exploration is something I hope comes across in my work. My writing is my journey and I am glad and grateful there are people willing to get on board with me.CP: Tell me about your upcoming print collection, Menage?XA: Menage is a collection of my first three novellas with Seventh Window Publishing; Dutch's Boy, The Incident and The Birches. I hired a great graphic artist to create fresh covers, added a new recipe for Dutch's Boy, and wrote a foreword introducing all three of the stories. It's important to me for readers to feel they are getting something new when they buy this collection. I'm super excited about it and hope it does well.CP: You've also got a new novella coming out, Earthly Concerns. What can you share about it?XA: Earthly Concerns is a story about the power of generosity, generosity of spirit and the price of selfishness. While there is an erotic romance involved, it is also pretty creepy. There are forces at work in that story that scare me; hopefully it will frighten readers too.
Click to PurchaseCP: What motivated you to take your writing in a different direction with your latest projects?
XA: My last novella, Lily actually began to lead me to where I am with my writing today. I have a love of paranormal horror and knew I would eventually find my way back to the genre. I think it is possible to blend the horrific with the sexual.CP: Do you plan to continue writing erotica in the future?XA: I think I'll continue writing the stories that come to me, if they are erotica I will write erotica, but I have a huge horror novel sitting next to me begging my attentions and getting more and more impatient with my procrastination, so we'll have to see what happens.
CP: Are you working on a new book now? If so, what can you share about it?XA: I'm actually writing a new novella which is totally unlike anything I have published so far. It is probably my most generous and romantic story to date and I am in love with all the characters that have become part of the story. I now know what I'll answer when I'm asked which of my characters I love the best! It's about half way done and I'm a little scared it might turn into a novel. CP: You also write for Examiner.com as well. What about journalistic writing do you find appealing?XA: What is most appealing about my columns over at Examiner.com is the strange and wonderful mix of people I have had the good fortune to interview. From Trans Male Porn Performers to 80's Cartoon Voice Over icons to Politicians and Jewelry Artisans it's a crazy and fantastic potpourri of creative people and they all inspire me.CP: What's next for you?
XA: Right now, I am shopping a full-length erotic horror novel hoping for a bite, it's the first of 4 books in a series and whoever snatches it will have to be kind of brave to get on that ride with me. I also have a zombie short story out (non erotic) and an erotic story centered around a magician theme for an anthology due out in the spring sometime.
Click to PurchaseCP: Okay…Now a few nosy questions for the fans: Married/Single/Divorced/Involved?XA: I'm always involved in something.CP: Any children?XA: My stories are my kids, well, and my cats and rabbit.CP: What do you do in your 'Xavier' time?XA: Hit the beach for beer and seafood.CP: What are you reading right now?
XA: It's so weird I'm really struggling with reading right now; first time in my life. But, by my bed are two books; Mrs. Dalloway (that I've been slogging through for about 100 years) and Dune which scrambles my brain every time I pick it up.CP: What music do you enjoy?XA: Music is a monstrously huge part of my life. I listen to everything from 60's girl groups to Rob Zombie and The Misfits. The last job I had was in a sex shop and my coworkers would always know when I was working when the music would go from Fleetwood Mac to Black Flag and then 80's Freestyle. CP: Favorite food?XA: Anything spicy, the hotter the better.CP: Favorite movie?XA: A Streetcar Named Desire; I'm a huge Vivien Leigh guy. CP: Personal preference: Long sleeves or barefoot weather?XA: Barefoot, I'm in flip flops now.CP: What advice or wisdom can you pass along?XA: Do you; don't worry about what other people are doing, just DO YOU CP: And what are you most proud of?XA: Being brave enough to pursue creative fulfillment.
Xavier's Links:
http://www.facebook.com/xaviersaxelhttp://www.twitter.com/xaviersaxelhttp://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/francis-xavierhttp://www.xavieraxelson.com/
Carey Parrish
March 10, 2012
Existence
What is it to exist?
Is it simply to be?
With life or without?
Animate or inanimate?
Do we always exist?
On a molecular level?
Long after we're dead?
Will there always be some evidence that we were?
Or are?
When do we begin?
At birth?
At conception?
Or are we always present?
Energy, waiting for a vessel?
When do we end?
At death?
Do we end?
Or do we go on?
In some form?
Will we learn the answer?
Do we spend our time trying to figure it all out?
Or do we just enjoy what we have?
Now?
Then?
In the future?
Or never?
Always?
Questions, curiosity, only to propagate more of the same?
Is that what it's all about?
Existence?
Carey Parrish
March 2012
Is it simply to be?
With life or without?
Animate or inanimate?
Do we always exist?
On a molecular level?
Long after we're dead?
Will there always be some evidence that we were?
Or are?
When do we begin?
At birth?
At conception?
Or are we always present?
Energy, waiting for a vessel?
When do we end?
At death?
Do we end?
Or do we go on?
In some form?
Will we learn the answer?
Do we spend our time trying to figure it all out?
Or do we just enjoy what we have?
Now?
Then?
In the future?
Or never?
Always?
Questions, curiosity, only to propagate more of the same?
Is that what it's all about?
Existence?
Carey Parrish
March 2012
March 6, 2012
Burning Bridges: The GOP Free - For - All
I had decided that this year I would remain neutral in the political race for the White House. Four years ago I was one of Barack Obama's biggest supporters. I felt it was my duty as an American citizen to help defeat John McCain and Sarah Palin. I was totally behind President Obama and I had nothing but high hopes for his administration. Like so many of my fellow Americans, I have been bitterly disappointed by many aspects of his performance as our president. So much so that until the last few months I have been undecided about whether he would get my vote again, or not.
The behavior of the Republican candidates for president this year has all but made up my mind for me. I have a hard time imagining myself voting for anyone representing the Republican party because they stand for almost everything I do not. I cannot imagine an America where we could regress to a time where people are no longer equal. I don't support any religious agenda and I can't accept any lawmakers who believe their religious beliefs give them the right to force them on everyone else. I feel that we are now into the 21st Century and it's time for America to catch up with most of the rest of the world in terms of equality. The Republicans and their conservative stances display a willingness to do the opposite of what I see as The American Dream.
Though, as the race to see who gets the Republican nomination goes on, I am beginning to believe that they are their own worst enemy. There are four frontrunners for the GOP nomination and they are sabotaging not only themselves but their entire party by fighting over who's the most conservative and who best represents the GOP. Constantly tearing each other down detracts from the most important issues in this contest and I am not very impressed by anyone who loses focus on what our country needs in favor of committing character assassinations on one another.
Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have about as much chance of getting the GOP nomination as I do, and yet they remain in the race because they are deluded in their assessments of the support behind them. Newt Gingrich, in my opinion, stands for almost everything the Republican party does not. He's on his third marriage, has openly admitted to adultery where his first two wives were concerned, and he tends to forget that he was forced to leave Congress in disgrace. Or maybe he just hopes everyone else will forget it. Ron Paul, on the other hand, seems to only be keeping his campaign alive to irritate Mitt Romney. He knows he won't get his party's nod to run against Obama. I can't understand why he is so intent on undermining the GOP. I wonder if he knows the answer himself.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are the only potential nominees the Republicans can offer up. Of the two, the former will almost certainly get the nomination. Romney is the only one who seems to have shifted his focus onto the issues facing the US right now. Santorum is completely overwhelmed by the need to slander Romney in any way he can. Whenever he does talk about the problems average Americans are facing today he flubs his words and comes off contradicting himself more often than not. His religious views are another mark against him because he is of the opinion that he can use them against anyone who believes differently than he does himself, and he's willing to say anything he thinks his fellow Republicans want to hear. He is his own biggest opponent.
All this fighting over who's the best Republican and who is the most conservative is serving to do nothing more than undermine whatever chances the GOP has to unseat Barack Obama in November. The contenders for the nomination are making fools of themselves on a global stage by attacking one another over and over again. People want to hear what they can do to make life better and sadly their behavior isn't demonstrating very much ability for any of them to make any difference whatsoever,
Today is Super Tuesday and I fully believe that when it's over Romney will have more delegates to his credit than his counterparts will ever be able to challenge. If it is indeed Romney who goes up against Obama in November I have no doubt that the President will be reelected. Even though Romney does seem to be talking about the real issues at stake, he is being undermined by those who are vying with him for the nomination. He's also much more moderate than most Republicans are as well. I don't think he'll end up with the support he's expecting from his own party.
The GOP has effectively sunk its own ship. In a country where values and ideals are changing, the Republican lean toward trying to preserve a vision of America that is no longer relevant to most of their countrymen is yet another nail in their coffin. What I find most curious about the entire debacle is that the candidates the Republican party is currently offering seem unable to grasp the real meaning of what their antics are doing to their credibility. Only Romney seems to have an inkling of what's going on but he can't rise above it because his opponents won't let him.
This GOP free for all is proving to Americans as a whole that the Republican party is increasingly irrelevant in today's world. As much as I consider myself independent when it comes to political choices and affiliations, I would find it practically impossible to support a Republican candidate for president when evaluating the present state of their affairs. The GOP is burning bridges within itself even more effectively than they're burning them with the rest of the country.
And polls across the country are bearing out the fact that I am far from alone in this assessment.
The behavior of the Republican candidates for president this year has all but made up my mind for me. I have a hard time imagining myself voting for anyone representing the Republican party because they stand for almost everything I do not. I cannot imagine an America where we could regress to a time where people are no longer equal. I don't support any religious agenda and I can't accept any lawmakers who believe their religious beliefs give them the right to force them on everyone else. I feel that we are now into the 21st Century and it's time for America to catch up with most of the rest of the world in terms of equality. The Republicans and their conservative stances display a willingness to do the opposite of what I see as The American Dream.
Though, as the race to see who gets the Republican nomination goes on, I am beginning to believe that they are their own worst enemy. There are four frontrunners for the GOP nomination and they are sabotaging not only themselves but their entire party by fighting over who's the most conservative and who best represents the GOP. Constantly tearing each other down detracts from the most important issues in this contest and I am not very impressed by anyone who loses focus on what our country needs in favor of committing character assassinations on one another.
Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have about as much chance of getting the GOP nomination as I do, and yet they remain in the race because they are deluded in their assessments of the support behind them. Newt Gingrich, in my opinion, stands for almost everything the Republican party does not. He's on his third marriage, has openly admitted to adultery where his first two wives were concerned, and he tends to forget that he was forced to leave Congress in disgrace. Or maybe he just hopes everyone else will forget it. Ron Paul, on the other hand, seems to only be keeping his campaign alive to irritate Mitt Romney. He knows he won't get his party's nod to run against Obama. I can't understand why he is so intent on undermining the GOP. I wonder if he knows the answer himself.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are the only potential nominees the Republicans can offer up. Of the two, the former will almost certainly get the nomination. Romney is the only one who seems to have shifted his focus onto the issues facing the US right now. Santorum is completely overwhelmed by the need to slander Romney in any way he can. Whenever he does talk about the problems average Americans are facing today he flubs his words and comes off contradicting himself more often than not. His religious views are another mark against him because he is of the opinion that he can use them against anyone who believes differently than he does himself, and he's willing to say anything he thinks his fellow Republicans want to hear. He is his own biggest opponent.
All this fighting over who's the best Republican and who is the most conservative is serving to do nothing more than undermine whatever chances the GOP has to unseat Barack Obama in November. The contenders for the nomination are making fools of themselves on a global stage by attacking one another over and over again. People want to hear what they can do to make life better and sadly their behavior isn't demonstrating very much ability for any of them to make any difference whatsoever,
Today is Super Tuesday and I fully believe that when it's over Romney will have more delegates to his credit than his counterparts will ever be able to challenge. If it is indeed Romney who goes up against Obama in November I have no doubt that the President will be reelected. Even though Romney does seem to be talking about the real issues at stake, he is being undermined by those who are vying with him for the nomination. He's also much more moderate than most Republicans are as well. I don't think he'll end up with the support he's expecting from his own party.
The GOP has effectively sunk its own ship. In a country where values and ideals are changing, the Republican lean toward trying to preserve a vision of America that is no longer relevant to most of their countrymen is yet another nail in their coffin. What I find most curious about the entire debacle is that the candidates the Republican party is currently offering seem unable to grasp the real meaning of what their antics are doing to their credibility. Only Romney seems to have an inkling of what's going on but he can't rise above it because his opponents won't let him.
This GOP free for all is proving to Americans as a whole that the Republican party is increasingly irrelevant in today's world. As much as I consider myself independent when it comes to political choices and affiliations, I would find it practically impossible to support a Republican candidate for president when evaluating the present state of their affairs. The GOP is burning bridges within itself even more effectively than they're burning them with the rest of the country.
And polls across the country are bearing out the fact that I am far from alone in this assessment.
February 26, 2012
My Oscar Predictions for 2012
Every year, like so many other countless writers, I post my Oscar predictions. I am usually either right on the money or terribly close. (Ha Ha.) So this year, it may be a bit late, but here they are; Carey's picks.
Best Picture - The Artist. (I foresee no possible upsets.)
Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. (Possible upset by Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, but I don't really see it.)
Best Actor - Jean Dujardin for The Artist. (Possible upset by George Clooney for The Descendants, but George already has an Oscar.)
Best Actress - Viola Davis for The Help. (Possible upset by Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, but lets face it, Davis' performance was superb.)
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer for Beginners. (Possible upset by Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; big chance of this.)
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer for The Help. (I foresee no upsets in this race, unless Janet McTeer pulls a fast one for her performance in Albert Nobbs.)
Okay...Lets see how I do!
Best Picture - The Artist. (I foresee no possible upsets.)
Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. (Possible upset by Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, but I don't really see it.)
Best Actor - Jean Dujardin for The Artist. (Possible upset by George Clooney for The Descendants, but George already has an Oscar.)
Best Actress - Viola Davis for The Help. (Possible upset by Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, but lets face it, Davis' performance was superb.)
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer for Beginners. (Possible upset by Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; big chance of this.)
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer for The Help. (I foresee no upsets in this race, unless Janet McTeer pulls a fast one for her performance in Albert Nobbs.)
Okay...Lets see how I do!
February 24, 2012
Wild Week
This writing is about four days in the making. Most of you know that last Friday I had to go to my local ER due to chest pain. I was subjected to a day of probing, prodding, labs, and EKG's. They sent me home because everything checked out but with the advice that if my chest pain recurred I would need to return for a heart cath. My age, general health, and family history were too prominent to ignore. I came home hoping for no more chest pain and with a resolve to take better care of myself.
Well, the chest pain came back on Sunday morning and it was worse than the original episode. I heeded my doctor's advice and returned to the ER. Soon I was back in the chest pain observation unit and having a visit with a cardiologist I've known for many years. Dr. Olson is someone I trust and I had no doubts that his recommendations were in my best interests. The chest pain that was resolved with nitroglycerin, the cold clammy sweat and nausea that accompanied it, and the right bundle branch block were all too much to dismiss. I let Dr. Olson proceed as he saw fit.
On Monday morning I underwent a heart cath. The results were both good and bad news. The good news was that none of my coronary arteries were occluded. Everything was open and flowing. The bad news was that my coronary arteries are congenitally small and narrow. This lent itself to my having had vasospasms. It's a condition called Prinzmetal Angina. This made perfect sense in light of the chest pains I was having and my passing a nuclear stress test with flying colors on the previous Friday.
I came home later in the afternoon on Monday with some more changes to my medication regimen. I was prescribed a drug called a calcium channel blocker which should act to prevent any further arterial spasms in my coronaries. I was also given a scrip for nitroglycerin tablets in case I need them. I have to say that this treatment plan is working well so far. I've had no more chest pains and I haven't had to take any nitroglycerin either. Fantastic! I should be on the mend now.
I've had a few days since of not feeling very well in terms of having a low energy level. This is no doubt an adverse effect of the calcium channel blocker but it will hopefully resolve in time. I can deal with feeling run down so long as it entails no more cardiac episodes and no further ambulance rides. That was all a bit much for my nerves but I must say my fears over having blockages trumped anything else I might have been concerned about at the time.
I'm getting back to normal now. I was given a low sodium, low cholesterol diet and I've been trying very hard to live by it. I am always very compliant with my medication schedule, so taking the pills on time isn't an issue for me. I know that with my family history heart disease is a malady which tends to run through the gene pool on both sides and I have no desire to go that route myself. So I'm following my doctor's advice and doing things the way I'm supposed to be doing them. This includes turning down a cheeseburger for lunch today. It was hard to do but I remembered the pain, the rides in the ambulances, and the invasive procedures I endured while in the hospital, and it wasn't that difficult after all.
Getting back to my routine has helped a lot as well. I wasn't released to go back to work until Thursday. I think I needed the extra time off because the heart cath took more out of me than I expected; or perhaps it was all the drugs they used to snow me during the procedure. Whichever, I didn't complain. I wasn't experiencing chest pain and having to call 911 anymore. I can deal with the other issues as long as I don't have to go through any more of that.
I feel I will be back to my old self soon enough. I'd like to thank everyone who checked on me and sent me notes of encouragement throughout the last wild week. I can overcome anything; that I've learned in my nearly 45 years living.
And I will continue to pursue the goal of taking better care of myself. It won't be easy turning down cheeseburgers and french fries on a regular basis but I can do it often enough to keep myself out of the ER. One thing about having small coronary arteries is that I can't risk building up plaque in them. My cholesterol level was excellent for someone my age, so I think it best not to rock the boat.
Hopefully this will be my last cardiac post. Keep egging me on in this goal. I'll need all the help I can get.
Peace,
C
Well, the chest pain came back on Sunday morning and it was worse than the original episode. I heeded my doctor's advice and returned to the ER. Soon I was back in the chest pain observation unit and having a visit with a cardiologist I've known for many years. Dr. Olson is someone I trust and I had no doubts that his recommendations were in my best interests. The chest pain that was resolved with nitroglycerin, the cold clammy sweat and nausea that accompanied it, and the right bundle branch block were all too much to dismiss. I let Dr. Olson proceed as he saw fit.
On Monday morning I underwent a heart cath. The results were both good and bad news. The good news was that none of my coronary arteries were occluded. Everything was open and flowing. The bad news was that my coronary arteries are congenitally small and narrow. This lent itself to my having had vasospasms. It's a condition called Prinzmetal Angina. This made perfect sense in light of the chest pains I was having and my passing a nuclear stress test with flying colors on the previous Friday.
I came home later in the afternoon on Monday with some more changes to my medication regimen. I was prescribed a drug called a calcium channel blocker which should act to prevent any further arterial spasms in my coronaries. I was also given a scrip for nitroglycerin tablets in case I need them. I have to say that this treatment plan is working well so far. I've had no more chest pains and I haven't had to take any nitroglycerin either. Fantastic! I should be on the mend now.
I've had a few days since of not feeling very well in terms of having a low energy level. This is no doubt an adverse effect of the calcium channel blocker but it will hopefully resolve in time. I can deal with feeling run down so long as it entails no more cardiac episodes and no further ambulance rides. That was all a bit much for my nerves but I must say my fears over having blockages trumped anything else I might have been concerned about at the time.
I'm getting back to normal now. I was given a low sodium, low cholesterol diet and I've been trying very hard to live by it. I am always very compliant with my medication schedule, so taking the pills on time isn't an issue for me. I know that with my family history heart disease is a malady which tends to run through the gene pool on both sides and I have no desire to go that route myself. So I'm following my doctor's advice and doing things the way I'm supposed to be doing them. This includes turning down a cheeseburger for lunch today. It was hard to do but I remembered the pain, the rides in the ambulances, and the invasive procedures I endured while in the hospital, and it wasn't that difficult after all.
Getting back to my routine has helped a lot as well. I wasn't released to go back to work until Thursday. I think I needed the extra time off because the heart cath took more out of me than I expected; or perhaps it was all the drugs they used to snow me during the procedure. Whichever, I didn't complain. I wasn't experiencing chest pain and having to call 911 anymore. I can deal with the other issues as long as I don't have to go through any more of that.
I feel I will be back to my old self soon enough. I'd like to thank everyone who checked on me and sent me notes of encouragement throughout the last wild week. I can overcome anything; that I've learned in my nearly 45 years living.
And I will continue to pursue the goal of taking better care of myself. It won't be easy turning down cheeseburgers and french fries on a regular basis but I can do it often enough to keep myself out of the ER. One thing about having small coronary arteries is that I can't risk building up plaque in them. My cholesterol level was excellent for someone my age, so I think it best not to rock the boat.
Hopefully this will be my last cardiac post. Keep egging me on in this goal. I'll need all the help I can get.
Peace,
C
February 18, 2012
Perspective
I've always heard that at different times in our lives things happen to bring us a new perspective. No matter what you're dealing with or going through, the entrance of something bigger than you are sets everything in the right viewpoint so that you have no doubts about what you should or shouldn't be doing. For me, one of those moments happened yesterday morning.
It was just past 4:30 when I was suddenly overcome by an intense pressure like, squeezing chest pain that began in the area of my left breast and radiated to my shoulder. It was accompanied by nausea, difficulty breathing, and a clammy perspiration. Being here alone, I was shaken enough by the experience to call 911. Within half an hour I was in the chest pain center of our local hospital being evaluated for a cardiac event.
What followed was almost twelve hours of blood work, being monitored by telemetry, undergoing a nuclear stress test and having oxygen delivered through a nasal cannula. The results were encouraging. My enzymes were negative for a heart attack. My cholesterol level was within normal limits. My blood pressure was elevated, but I'm already on high blood pressure medication, so that was no shock what with all that was going on, and the nuclear scan was "okay," according to the doctor. I was discharged with some changes to my medication regimen and the news that if the pain recurred I would likely have to undergo a cardiac catheterization to evaluate my coronay arteries for blockages.
I was also diagnosed with a right bundle branch block. This is a defect in the heart's electrical conduction system. Normally, when a heart beats, it does so because of a discharge of electrical impulses along a defined pathway throughout the heart. Once the impulse passes the two atria, it causes the ventricles of one's heart to contract. In the case of a right bundle branch block the right ventricle does not contract because the electrical impulse to it is blocked. Instead, it contracts because the impulses delivered to the left ventricle are conducted through the heart muscle the two chambers share. Why do I have this abnormality? Who knows?
Fortunately I've had no further episodes of chest pain and I've begun the new medication regimen. So perhaps it was only a cardiac spasm, as the doctor suggested. I hope for no repeats of it because, folks, that was scary.
But it gave me a new perspective. I've dealt with a lot of health issues in my life and through them all I've always had the conviction that I'd overcome them because modern medicine is so advanced, and is always getting more so. Yet that heart scare gave me pause, because I was suddenly, shockingly reminded just how tenuous our grip on life actually is, and how suddenly it can end.
I've been given notice that I need to take better care of myself. I'm only 44 years old, but heart disease runs rampant through both sides of my family, and I had two cousins die young from heart attacks, one at age 47 and the other at age 52. I'm not a young man anymore. I'm "pushing on a bit" as the British would say. It's time I took my health more seriously, did what my doctor advises, and get myself on the right path. I want to live to be 100. I'll have to work at it.
I also have to reprioritize some things in my life. What do I want to deal with? What do I have to deal with? What can I do without? What deserves my worry and what doesn't? In the past twenty-four hours I've come to some pretty sharp conclusions in these areas. And I intend to follow through on these convictions as well. Life is too short to live it being anything less than happy.
Keep your fingers crossed for me that I don't have any more episodes of chest pain. I don't want to have a heart cath. I had one several years ago and four hours flat on your back following it is a killer. Not to mention that pinching feeling you get at the site of incision in the groin where they go in with the catheter. That lasts for about a week. I can do without that again as well.
Thanks for all your kind thoughts and loving words.
Carey
It was just past 4:30 when I was suddenly overcome by an intense pressure like, squeezing chest pain that began in the area of my left breast and radiated to my shoulder. It was accompanied by nausea, difficulty breathing, and a clammy perspiration. Being here alone, I was shaken enough by the experience to call 911. Within half an hour I was in the chest pain center of our local hospital being evaluated for a cardiac event.
What followed was almost twelve hours of blood work, being monitored by telemetry, undergoing a nuclear stress test and having oxygen delivered through a nasal cannula. The results were encouraging. My enzymes were negative for a heart attack. My cholesterol level was within normal limits. My blood pressure was elevated, but I'm already on high blood pressure medication, so that was no shock what with all that was going on, and the nuclear scan was "okay," according to the doctor. I was discharged with some changes to my medication regimen and the news that if the pain recurred I would likely have to undergo a cardiac catheterization to evaluate my coronay arteries for blockages.
I was also diagnosed with a right bundle branch block. This is a defect in the heart's electrical conduction system. Normally, when a heart beats, it does so because of a discharge of electrical impulses along a defined pathway throughout the heart. Once the impulse passes the two atria, it causes the ventricles of one's heart to contract. In the case of a right bundle branch block the right ventricle does not contract because the electrical impulse to it is blocked. Instead, it contracts because the impulses delivered to the left ventricle are conducted through the heart muscle the two chambers share. Why do I have this abnormality? Who knows?
Fortunately I've had no further episodes of chest pain and I've begun the new medication regimen. So perhaps it was only a cardiac spasm, as the doctor suggested. I hope for no repeats of it because, folks, that was scary.
But it gave me a new perspective. I've dealt with a lot of health issues in my life and through them all I've always had the conviction that I'd overcome them because modern medicine is so advanced, and is always getting more so. Yet that heart scare gave me pause, because I was suddenly, shockingly reminded just how tenuous our grip on life actually is, and how suddenly it can end.
I've been given notice that I need to take better care of myself. I'm only 44 years old, but heart disease runs rampant through both sides of my family, and I had two cousins die young from heart attacks, one at age 47 and the other at age 52. I'm not a young man anymore. I'm "pushing on a bit" as the British would say. It's time I took my health more seriously, did what my doctor advises, and get myself on the right path. I want to live to be 100. I'll have to work at it.
I also have to reprioritize some things in my life. What do I want to deal with? What do I have to deal with? What can I do without? What deserves my worry and what doesn't? In the past twenty-four hours I've come to some pretty sharp conclusions in these areas. And I intend to follow through on these convictions as well. Life is too short to live it being anything less than happy.
Keep your fingers crossed for me that I don't have any more episodes of chest pain. I don't want to have a heart cath. I had one several years ago and four hours flat on your back following it is a killer. Not to mention that pinching feeling you get at the site of incision in the groin where they go in with the catheter. That lasts for about a week. I can do without that again as well.
Thanks for all your kind thoughts and loving words.
Carey
