Shaferspeare by Songbird

The good thing about nightmares is that usually they're not real, no matter how terrifying they are; once awake, after a bit, we regain our senses and realize that terrible thing we dreamed didn't really exist. The last couple weeks, for me, have been a living nightmare. I wish it had all been nothing but a horrible dream. Last Wednesday at Mom's doctor appointment, we learned what made her so violently ill: The hospital report revealed the bacterial infection that so sickened my Mom and nearly... Sign in to see full entry.

My last posts were 11 days ago. My Mom became violently ill on Feb. 24. She hadn't felt well in several months, having bad gas attacks, but at 10 p.m. that evening, an explosive diarrhea struck, and after a clinic visit, an emergency room trip, and another doctor appointment, she wound up in the hospital for most of last week. I've never seen a human with diarrhea that bad. Even her clothing couldn't be kept clean. She became dangerously dehydrated twice before being admitted to the hospital.... Sign in to see full entry.

I generally am too busy to get real worked up about political stuff. It's mildly interesting to me, and I did keep up with the Alito confirmation process, but mostly, yapping about politics is something I'm not going to do. I just don't have time for it any more. That said, I am staying abreast concerning the uproar about the Dubai Company, from the United Arab Emirates (and I hope I have the names correct), taking control of several of the USA's ports. At best, it's laughable, a classic fox... Sign in to see full entry.

I haven't posted quite as often as before, partly because I've had a lot going on that's pulled me off the 'net too much, and partly because I've needed to focus on finding a way to make some immediate income. When I first joined Blog It, I believed, like some of the rest of you, that I could make some money here by writing, and though I have a book contract in the works, I need some money now. I found out the hard way--like you--that we're never going to make much money on Blog It, and like... Sign in to see full entry.

I just read Dennison Mann's blog, in which he confessed he's not perfect and he can't spell. Of course, nobody's perfect, and as Dennison stated, spellcheckers are a Godsend for those spell-challenged folks in the world. Fortunately, lots of tools exist for all sorts of us challenged individuals......But some of life's tasks can't readily be gotten around, and his post brought to mind everything I'm lousy--really lousy--at doing. First, I'm lousy at tying knots, approaching the level of... Sign in to see full entry.

My lifelong friend, Beverlie, has always ranged from plump to obese. I'm not being unkind; she is simply a heavyset woman. Over the years, she's tried--usually unsuccessfully--to get the weight off, and I really never gave her weight-loss efforts any appreciable thought......Until a few days ago, when I got an e-mail from her saying she is having gastric bypass surgery on February 17. I was taken aback. I suppose I shouldn't have been, because it seems that gastric bypasses are becoming... Sign in to see full entry.

On February 7, 1999, my Dad, Arlin Cleo Shafer, became one of the countless victims of the medical profession. He died that Sunday evening about 5:30, due to a blatant medical misdiagnosis. Dad was an active 75 year old. He'd been sawing wood for our wood furnace here in our country house, where I'd moved ahead of Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad had bought this property in '94, and I moved here in late '96. The plan was that my folks would sell their house in town and we'd all live here. As life too... Sign in to see full entry.

I was reading the Features section of The Courier-Journal today; Angie Fenton's "The Buzz: News & Nonsense" had an item about Paris Hilton. Ms. Hilton is being sued by Zeta Graff for libel; the illustrious Ms. Hilton allegedly planted a fake story in the New York Post to embarrass Ms. Graff. Ah, such is the life of the rich and famous, who too often have little to do but behave like morons. Ms. Hilton's statements from the (leaked) court transcripts reveal her finite knowledge of the world:... Sign in to see full entry.

You'd better put down whatever you're eating or drinking while you read this post, otherwise you might accidentally spew your mouthful of stuff onto your screen. This is not my opinion. This is actual fact, reported by ABC News last night. Here's a link on it: http://abcnews.go.com/Health /story?id=1549583 Food makers have been routinely adding beetle juice as a food coloring to certain yogurts, juices, and candies for years and have not been listing it on ingredient labels, and it's absolutely... Sign in to see full entry.

I got the latest edition of the Whatever Works Catalog the other day. Whatever Works is one of the few catalogs from which I actually order because it has some practical items in it I need. I was turning through the catalog, and I noticed Whatever Works is selling one of those beer-can-chicken-roasting-gizmos, only this one's a double roaster. I first saw this contraption tossed on a shelf in the wrong place at Wal-Mart. The label said something about beer can chicken, and especially since I'm... Sign in to see full entry.