Still Alive and Well

Still alive and well, still alive and well
Every now and then I know it’s kinda hard to tell
But I’m still alive and well

– Rick Derringer

If I had to come up with the worst Labor Day ever it would have to be the time I’m floating in the pool, chatting with my mom on the phone and she tells me all about the conversation she had with my dad the night before … like a month after he died.

It’s never fun to watch your mom slowly lose her mind but the worst thing, at least for me, was that I never saw it coming. I honestly thought she’d be partying big-time once the big guy was gone. Just shows how little you know about what goes on inside other people’s heads.

That episode led to my first and last bout of panic attacks followed by seven years of therapy, which I guess was a good thing but still. That was definitely a rough Labor Day. At least I didn’t botch the ribs so there is that.

So I’m sitting here nine days post-back surgery, done with all the fun pain killers and obviously feeling sorry for myself. Don’t get me wrong; this was elective surgery, the procedure went well and I’m doing fine. The problem is I can’t really do much of anything for a while … not even float in the damned pool on what’s supposed to be a beautiful roasting hot weekend. Guess I didn’t think the timing through.

Oh well. I can still smoke ribs and watch the markets tank.

Also I’m somehow supposed to take walks with this black torture device strapped around my mid-section absorbing the blazing sun and cooking the four-inch wound in my back like it’s in the smoker with the ribs.

Whatever.

At least I can have fun watching the Yankees win … oh, wait.

I had planned to use this time to do some serious editing on book 2 and maybe a little blogging and now that my head has sort of cleared up a bit that’s exactly what I intend to do. So cheers to that and an awesome long Labor Day weekend y’all!

And, as always, keep the faith.

P.S. Wanna see the wound? It’s pretty gnarly with staples and all. Wish I could shoot staples into people … especially a few in Sacremento and Washington. Good times.