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Jan 19, 2012 13:17:54 GMT -6
Post by auntym on Jan 19, 2012 13:17:54 GMT -6
Welllllll... whoever is stabbing us in the back (and i can imagine who that is) .... i have to say
THANK YOU
because OF you we've had a MAJOR SURGE in our guest numbers...
and that is always good.... ;D
so again, THANK YOU ... we appreciate the business... ;D
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Jan 19, 2012 16:34:10 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Jan 19, 2012 16:34:10 GMT -6
~hugz Bewildered~ I appreciate the concern for us here BW. The way I see it though, I don't care what those other guys are saying about us. They are cowards if they can't say it to our faces. Cowards who are hiding in their own little corner with their tails between their legs. Out of sight, out of mind. I'm not going to go looking for these buffoons and their moronic comments. I mean- if I want to read moronic comments posted by buffoons all I have to do is browse facebook. There are a lot of them in this world. Let them believe what they want. I believe what I believe. If they don't like it, it's their problem, not mine. If they feel the need to spew about us and our beliefs and laugh at us, they are welcome to do so in their own little cowering corner. It doesn't bother me in the least. It seems the teachings of Jesus have gone out the window in recent times. You know... "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and all of that. Ahh well. And what about the teachings of our founding fathers? All men are created equal and all of that. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you will have them do unto you. I think it IS time for the apocalypse. There are so many people around now who are lost in their ways and lost to The Lord. There is so much cruelty, adversity, and hatred in this world- and it is not just on the internet but everywhere. Violence, people strangling one another, beating one another and tying one another up with ropes and chains instead of making love... Children running around loose while their mommy is talking on her cell phone while punctuating every sentence with the "f" word. When a man finds me attractive he does not approach me with a smile and a nod and say, "That's a lovely sweater you're wearing, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Instead he tosses a wadded up piece of paper at me which contains the words, "Mmmm babee I lik wut I C. TXT me XXX-XXX-XXXX." Either that or he will exclaim, "Day-UM!!!" as I walk past as though I were a piece of meat with no feelings or intelligence. Can't we all just get along and agree to disagree? Isn't it about time for people to start acting like normal mature adults? Nope. Not a chance in Hades. People insist on indulging themselves in their animal instincts. They are selfish, rude, and cruel. They are- quite literally creating their own little hell on earth. Sorry to take over your thread Bewildered, but this is something I have been thinking about a lot lately... No worries, lorelei. It's not as if anyone needs to be defended here. Sometimes, those troglodytes just get under my skin. I witness their pathetic drivel and admittedly wish for Mjolnir to magically appear in my hand... Have at you, my snotty little trolls! Cower in your mother's basement, for thy doom is at hand! Behold mighty Mjolnir, herald of thy headache! To Hades with thee! ;D
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Jan 20, 2012 11:29:18 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2012 11:29:18 GMT -6
God...God...God...you've been here before or at least one of your doppelgangers has been and as usual you show an amazing intolerance that the real deal never would. Humanity...is an ongoing work in progress. If we are important enough to chatter about..then we're doing something right and maybe a few others will come to see what 'idiots' we are and stay for the duration. Bewildered is doing what we refer to as 'sharing'. If you're going to wear that particular moniker..you're going to have to polish up your own halo a bit ..however..every thought is important as long as it's not wearing a dagger beneath the cloak of 'opinion'
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Jan 20, 2012 12:35:36 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2012 12:35:36 GMT -6
No worries, lorelei. It's not as if anyone needs to be defended here. Sometimes, those troglodytes just get under my skin. I witness their pathetic drivel and admittedly wish for Mjolnir to magically appear in my hand... Have at you, my snotty little trolls! Cower in your mother's basement, for thy doom is at hand! Behold mighty Mjolnir, herald of thy headache! To Hades with thee! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Jan 20, 2012 14:24:34 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Jan 20, 2012 14:24:34 GMT -6
I promise that no actual kitties were harmed in my previous operation.
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Jan 20, 2012 23:56:11 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2012 23:56:11 GMT -6
Ohh good I like kitties
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Feb 2, 2012 22:33:09 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Feb 2, 2012 22:33:09 GMT -6
Speaking of kitties...my 16 year-old died today. She was with my wife for over 7 years before we met - she adopted her from a vet clinic when she was 5. From the beginning this cat was quite stand-offish and my wife tells me it took some time before she finally warmed up to her. That's quite the accomplishment, because in the four years I lived in the same house as this cat, she maintained her distance from me (and I, in turn, respected that). She was loyal to one person, and that's the way it was until the past few months. Her behavior changed, and it didn't escape my notice.
In my experience, when an animal undergoes a radical change in behavior, it's a signal that something is wrong. It's a sign of sickness or serious pain. She had been manifesting evidence of kidney problems this past year, and a visit to the vet confirmed what my wife and I suspected. What none of us - not even our vet - foresaw was the rapid, irreversible deterioration that took place in the span of three months. She became incontinent, ate very little, and started secluding herself in the oddest of places - usually on the headrest of chairs. I would watch her on the precarious perch....she would climb up, get comfy, doze off...and fall into the seat of the chair. She would climb back up and repeat the cycle again, over and over. I became concerned that she would hurt herself doing this, so I devised a way to make it impossible for her to climb up to the headrest of our office chairs. This seemed to work...but around this time, she began to develop more pressing issues.
She lost a considerable amount of weight in a short amount of time. She also started to approach me - me, of all people, the guy who used to squirt her with a squirt gun when I caught her raiding the trash can (she hated that squirt gun) - and meow pitifully.
To make a long story shorter, my wife and I began feeding her a very specialized diet that we prepared in a blender. She lapped it up on her own at first...but then, when she stopped even doing that, we fed her by syringe. There came a point when she couldn't handle that any longer...she would throw it up an hour later...and so we took her to the vet's again. We tried a few things under his advice, but he warned us that he felt her kidney problems were irreversible and it would only be a matter of time - a few months, perhaps - before she would succumb to them in a final manner.
Well, that happened today. She couldn't hold down anything we gave her...not water, not even kitten formula...and was so weak she couldn't even walk - only stagger and crawl. We left her alone in the living room for a few minutes this afternoon...and when we returned, she was nowhere to be found. I eventually found her behind some boxes near the kitchen. She had crawled there to hide. I understood what that meant: it was her time. She was still alive...but was so weak she could only manage to hold her head up.
My wife and I did the best thing we could do for her. We took her to the vet and had her euthanized. She fought long and hard, but also suffered greatly. At least we could be there with her that way, instead of waking up one morning to find she had passed away in the night.
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Feb 2, 2012 22:38:45 GMT -6
Post by skywalker on Feb 2, 2012 22:38:45 GMT -6
I'm sorry to hear that BW. Poor little kittie.
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Feb 2, 2012 22:52:06 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Feb 2, 2012 22:52:06 GMT -6
I'm sorry to hear that BW. Poor little kittie. Thanks, sky. She lived a long life for a cat. According to an age conversion chart, she was eighty years old in our years. We have three others: one is fourteen, two twelve year-olds (brother and sister). That's 72 and 64, respectively.
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Feb 2, 2012 22:58:42 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2012 22:58:42 GMT -6
Poor kitty. She's in a better place now though.
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Feb 3, 2012 19:31:25 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2012 19:31:25 GMT -6
Speaking of kitties...my 16 year-old died today. She was with my wife for over 7 years before we met - she adopted her from a vet clinic when she was 5. From the beginning this cat was quite stand-offish and my wife tells me it took some time before she finally warmed up to her. That's quite the accomplishment, because in the four years I lived in the same house as this cat, she maintained her distance from me (and I, in turn, respected that). She was loyal to one person, and that's the way it was until the past few months. Her behavior changed, and it didn't escape my notice. In my experience, when an animal undergoes a radical change in behavior, it's a signal that something is wrong. It's a sign of sickness or serious pain. She had been manifesting evidence of kidney problems this past year, and a visit to the vet confirmed what my wife and I suspected. What none of us - not even our vet - foresaw was the rapid, irreversible deterioration that took place in the span of three months. She became incontinent, ate very little, and started secluding herself in the oddest of places - usually on the headrest of chairs. I would watch her on the precarious perch....she would climb up, get comfy, doze off...and fall into the seat of the chair. She would climb back up and repeat the cycle again, over and over. I became concerned that she would hurt herself doing this, so I devised a way to make it impossible for her to climb up to the headrest of our office chairs. This seemed to work...but around this time, she began to develop more pressing issues. She lost a considerable amount of weight in a short amount of time. She also started to approach me - me, of all people, the guy who used to squirt her with a squirt gun when I caught her raiding the trash can (she hated that squirt gun) - and meow pitifully. To make a long story shorter, my wife and I began feeding her a very specialized diet that we prepared in a blender. She lapped it up on her own at first...but then, when she stopped even doing that, we fed her by syringe. There came a point when she couldn't handle that any longer...she would throw it up an hour later...and so we took her to the vet's again. We tried a few things under his advice, but he warned us that he felt her kidney problems were irreversible and it would only be a matter of time - a few months, perhaps - before she would succumb to them in a final manner. Well, that happened today. She couldn't hold down anything we gave her...not water, not even kitten formula...and was so weak she couldn't even walk - only stagger and crawl. We left her alone in the living room for a few minutes this afternoon...and when we returned, she was nowhere to be found. I eventually found her behind some boxes near the kitchen. She had crawled there to hide. I understood what that meant: it was her time. She was still alive...but was so weak she could only manage to hold her head up. My wife and I did the best thing we could do for her. We took her to the vet and had her euthanized. She fought long and hard, but also suffered greatly. At least we could be there with her that way, instead of waking up one morning to find she had passed away in the night. I'm sorry to hear that too Bewildered. They become "family" and it's hard to lose them when that time comes. Something tells me we will eventually be reunited with our lost loved ones, including pets.
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Aug 10, 2013 17:54:01 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 10, 2013 17:54:01 GMT -6
This is a good place to clear the air of a few things. First, what caused me to leave the forum for a while: I was angry. I do wish that I was "perfect" so things like that wouldn't happen, but it did, and that's that. There's nothing I can do to erase nor change what transpired, but I can say that for my part in things I am truly sorry. I won't deny that issues were raised that (angry or not) I have definite feelings about, and I won't apologize for my stance. A cooler head should have prevailed, though, and that is where I veered beyond the norm for me. I am glad that certain people here on the forum extended a mostly undeserved grace toward me...people like jcurio, CK, lorelei, and others. You correctly surmised that there were things going on with me beyond the scope of the forum - and while my father's death had an impact, there was something else that was affecting how I dealt with stress itself: hypertension. By the time those posts were being made, I had been off my blood pressure medication for over a month. My wife has pointed out that since I stopped taking the diuretic, I am more emotionally volatile. A close friend experienced something similar: he was easily stressed out until he started taking medication to bring his blood pressure under control. We lost insurance coverage this past February, and my doctor continued to fill my prescription until her medical group required that she examine me once more. Because I couldn't afford an office visit, my medication ceased. Despite this, I do have an option, albeit one I loathe with every fiber of my being: Veterans Administration medical care. I'm a military vet, so I'm entitled to receive medical care at a VA medical facility on a "sliding scale" cost scenario. If I can't afford to pay for a service, then I can either pay a reduced rate for it, or receive the care free of charge. In my characteristic defiance, I declared that I would rather die than darken the door of a VA facility ever again. Is the VA really that bad? Sadly, yes. The VA is under-funded, over-worked, and they have a difficult time retaining qualified personnel because they simply can't offer them a competitive salary. Because of this, working for the VA ends up being a calling and a sacrifice for most, and I honestly don't blame anyone for leaving the VA to work for a private hospital. This conspires to make dealing with the VA system a nightmare at times...and all I need is blood pressure medication. Imagine what it must be like for combat vets who require physical therapy, counseling, extensive surgeries, and the like. My wife has convinced me that I should swallow my loathing and enter the VA system once more...if not for myself, then for her. While I might share the ancient Norse attitude regarding death (it's coming for us all, so when it comes, here it is! Don't cry about it, laugh!), my unregulated blood pressure is high enough that I could have a stroke or a heart attack at any time. For whatever reason, she would prefer that I stick around for a while, so she has convinced me that I should get my rear in gear and start taking the diuretic again. She's right...but just between you and me, my defiance is still very much alive. I am shaking my fist on the inside! That had much to do with how I reacted to emotional stress, and for that I am truly sorry. My wife has managed to drill through my thick skull, however, and being a truly obedient domesticated human male, I will comply.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2013 20:24:39 GMT -6
~hugggggz BW~
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Post by skywalker on Aug 10, 2013 20:35:02 GMT -6
No problemo, dude. Everybody gets stressed out once in a while. Friends don't hold grudges against one another.
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Aug 11, 2013 13:12:25 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2013 13:12:25 GMT -6
Apology accepted . Thank You, Bewildered. I'm so glad that you are posting here on TEOR on a regular basis ************************************************************** Now, even with taking the BP medicine, are there other things you can be doing to minimize the blood pressure? I know that I am often perceived as sarcastic, right when I'm not trying to be, and I have talked over with my own doctor about what will happen to me should my medication ever become unavailable. It's a scary thought, but with ins. prices and places like the VA, I want to somehow be prepared. Both my parents take blood pressure meds. My brother who is not much older than me, started taking it in the last 2 yrs. His wife has a family history, and she has had to take meds for years for cholesterol . My major concern has been diabetes, but I may as well get on the BP bandwagon as well.
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Aug 11, 2013 20:32:17 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 11, 2013 20:32:17 GMT -6
I was thinking about that this morning as I sat in a room on the Emergency ward, jc (I went to the VA Medical Center ER this morning since my BP was consistently 178/116). They checked my blood pressure every 30 minutes over the span of three hours, and it consistently remained in that neighborhood. Two hours after the VA emergency room doctor gave me my usual blood pressure medication, my blood pressure was 129/83. It's a tough case for me because the source of my hypertension lies in my kidneys (they did complete blood panels today and as I thought, I'm completely healthy). The diuretic I take causes my kidneys to retain more fluid from my bloodstream, and that normalizes my blood pressure. The effects are almost immediate and very drastic.
When I was first diagnosed with hypertension, I was working outdoors walking an average of thirteen miles a day, usually doing heavy work (heavy lifting, minor construction, etc). Exercise was not an issue. My diet was already very low in sodium (I never add salt to my food and I usually avoid salty stuff anyway), and as my blood work reveals, my cholesterol level is normal. My original doctor was at a loss to explain why my kidneys were releasing so much fluid into my bloodstream, and the VA doctor couldn't explain it either. My kidneys appear normal and healthy according to them. I honestly don't know what I would do without the Hydrochlorothiazide.
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Aug 12, 2013 0:41:29 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2013 0:41:29 GMT -6
I was thinking about that this morning as I sat in a room on the Emergency ward, jc (I went to the VA Medical Center ER this morning since my BP was consistently 178/116). They checked my blood pressure every 30 minutes over the span of three hours, and it consistently remained in that neighborhood. Two hours after the VA emergency room doctor gave me my usual blood pressure medication, my blood pressure was 129/83. It's a tough case for me because the source of my hypertension lies in my kidneys (they did complete blood panels today and as I thought, I'm completely healthy). The diuretic I take causes my kidneys to retain more fluid from my bloodstream, and that normalizes my blood pressure. The effects are almost immediate and very drastic. When I was first diagnosed with hypertension, I was working outdoors walking an average of thirteen miles a day, usually doing heavy work (heavy lifting, minor construction, etc). Exercise was not an issue. My diet was already very low in sodium (I never add salt to my food and I usually avoid salty stuff anyway), and as my blood work reveals, my cholesterol level is normal. My original doctor was at a loss to explain why my kidneys were releasing so much fluid into my bloodstream, and the VA doctor couldn't explain it either. My kidneys appear normal and healthy according to them. I honestly don't know what I would do without the Hydrochlorothiazide. Hopefully you won't end up on dialysis like dad did... it sucks big time... Hypertension and Renal disease are closely related... the heart affects the kidneys and the kidneys affect the heart... it's a symbiotic relationship of sorts. If you're on lots of diuretics you'll need to make sure your intake of potassium and phosphorus are adequate... bananas, oranges and potatoes are great sources of potassium- meats nuts and dairy are wonderful sources of phosphorus... of course AFTER you go into kidney failure you'll need to restrict your intake of potassium and phosphorus... but hopefully that won't happen to you... at least not any time soon. Cranberry juice also will detox your kidneys- it's one of the best things in the world for kidney function... and apple cider vinegar. They also now have cranberry extract tablets in health food stores. I'm not sure how effective the tablets are but the product labels claim it boosts kidney function. Of course the vitamin C isn't bad for you either...
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Aug 12, 2013 1:12:22 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 12, 2013 1:12:22 GMT -6
I was thinking about that this morning as I sat in a room on the Emergency ward, jc (I went to the VA Medical Center ER this morning since my BP was consistently 178/116). They checked my blood pressure every 30 minutes over the span of three hours, and it consistently remained in that neighborhood. Two hours after the VA emergency room doctor gave me my usual blood pressure medication, my blood pressure was 129/83. It's a tough case for me because the source of my hypertension lies in my kidneys (they did complete blood panels today and as I thought, I'm completely healthy). The diuretic I take causes my kidneys to retain more fluid from my bloodstream, and that normalizes my blood pressure. The effects are almost immediate and very drastic. When I was first diagnosed with hypertension, I was working outdoors walking an average of thirteen miles a day, usually doing heavy work (heavy lifting, minor construction, etc). Exercise was not an issue. My diet was already very low in sodium (I never add salt to my food and I usually avoid salty stuff anyway), and as my blood work reveals, my cholesterol level is normal. My original doctor was at a loss to explain why my kidneys were releasing so much fluid into my bloodstream, and the VA doctor couldn't explain it either. My kidneys appear normal and healthy according to them. I honestly don't know what I would do without the Hydrochlorothiazide. Hopefully you won't end up on dialysis like dad did... it sucks big time... Hypertension and Renal disease are closely related... the heart affects the kidneys and the kidneys affect the heart... it's a symbiotic relationship of sorts. If you're on lots of diuretics you'll need to make sure your intake of potassium and phosphorus are adequate... bananas, oranges and potatoes are great sources of potassium- meats nuts and dairy are wonderful sources of phosphorus... of course AFTER you go into kidney failure you'll need to restrict your intake of potassium and phosphorus... but hopefully that won't happen to you... at least not any time soon. Cranberry juice also will detox your kidneys- it's one of the best things in the world for kidney function... and apple cider vinegar. They also now have cranberry extract tablets in health food stores. I'm not sure how effective the tablets are but the product labels claim it boosts kidney function. Of course the vitamin C isn't bad for you either... Thanks for the tips, Lorelei. Sorry to hear about your father. I wasn't aware of those benefits until you mentioned them. My wife and I both keep the fridge stocked with cranberry juice (it's my favorite fruit juice), and lately we've been on a baked potato kick. I'll bake one for a while, split it open, scoop some of the inside out, and add an egg, bacon, Muenster cheese, and usually a veggie or two, then put it back in the oven for a while. I save what I scoop out and make mashed potatoes out of it (much, much better than instant). Every now and then instead of the egg, I'll throw pork barbeque inside, and when I pull it out of the oven, top it off with sour cream. I picked that up from a restaurant in Houston years ago. It's fabulously good.
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Aug 12, 2013 12:59:51 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2013 12:59:51 GMT -6
You're welcome BW. My mom and dad were both on prescription Potassium supplements while they were taking diuretics. The reason why is when your body is getting rid of all of that fluid it's also getting rid of Potassium. I'm not surprised the VA didn't tell you about taking more potassium though... The potassium intake is crucial while taking diuretics... crucial for healthy nervous system function and also healthy muscle function. Make sure you eat those potato skins of your baked potatoes (which sound WONDERFUL by the way!). The skin contains more Potassium than the entire white part of the potato...
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Aug 12, 2013 13:54:37 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 12, 2013 13:54:37 GMT -6
You're welcome BW. My mom and dad were both on prescription Potassium supplements while they were taking diuretics. The reason why is when your body is getting rid of all of that fluid it's also getting rid of Potassium. I'm not surprised the VA didn't tell you about taking more potassium though... The potassium intake is crucial while taking diuretics... crucial for healthy nervous system function and also healthy muscle function. Make sure you eat those potato skins of your baked potatoes (which sound WONDERFUL by the way!). The skin contains more Potassium than the entire white part of the potato... I do my best to obtain vitamins and minerals from food sources, though that isn't always possible (or feasible). It wouldn't hurt to take a supplement. There's a shake I have been eyeballing lately. I tried a sample and was impressed by the fact it actually tasted good. Two per day delivers the equivalent of a good multivitamin supplement, and fortunately it's not that expensive (it's available at Costco). I'm the cook in the house...I'm always trying something new.
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Aug 13, 2013 6:09:12 GMT -6
Post by niki on Aug 13, 2013 6:09:12 GMT -6
Bewildered, aside from all the medical advises here and from your physicians, have you tried meditation? I have found meditation to be extremely beneficial with my own physical ailments including hypertension and anxiety.
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Aug 14, 2013 15:49:05 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 14, 2013 15:49:05 GMT -6
I've practiced meditation for over a decade now. I select three of the most opportune times of day - when I wake up, lunch, and right before I go to bed - to sit quietly, focus on my breathing, and engage myself in a variety of mental exercises. My favorite one is to mentally construct, element by element, a single flower (usually a rose). That is much more difficult than it sounds, because the goal is to build the flower one petal at a time while maintaining precise cohesion of the entire mental image. It does wonders for my emotional well-being and mental acuity, but it seems to have no effect on my blood pressure. For whatever reason (I suspect it might be genetic in origin), my kidneys started releasing too much fluid into my bloodstream. I even know when it started: four years ago, during the summer of 2009.
Meditation helps with reigning in the emotional volatility, but unfortunately that's typically after the fact. Despite those issues I still have a very strong heart, which is fortunate since prolonged episodes of unregulated high blood pressure can result in cardiac enlargement and lead to a host of potentially fatal issues. I've been physically active my entire life, so I do have that in my favor (well, except for the arthritis in my upper spinal column, a result of a great deal of heavy lifting and tossing objects over my head).
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Aug 16, 2013 5:05:53 GMT -6
Post by bewildered on Aug 16, 2013 5:05:53 GMT -6
I am in possession of a new avatar....at least until proboards breaks it again. For those who are curious, it is an image of someone wearing a t-shirt of Che Guevara wearing a t-shirt of Che Guevara. You can find that particular t-shirt at The Onion Store online. I absolutely love The Onion, and satire in the vein of that t-shirt is right up my alley.
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Aug 17, 2013 20:45:04 GMT -6
Post by skywalker on Aug 17, 2013 20:45:04 GMT -6
It would be even more cool if the person wearing the T-shirt was also Che Guevara. I don't think that's gonna happen though...
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