RONNIEISMS

I'M BETTER NOW!
I was hospitalized for a few days because of dong something dumb. Let me go back awhile and tell you about my right hand that I affectionitely call "RIGHTIE". Years ago when I was in jock shape I played a lot of raquetball, I was fast, I was agile, I played hard and as a player I was OK. I won my share of games but I wasn't great. My nickname at the many courts I played at was WALLS, because of my tendency of running too fast and not stopping quick enough to keep my wrist from smashing into, you guessed it, the wall. Over the years I never took it to a Dr. to have it looked at so as I got older my family arthritis kicked in and any cartilage that was in my wrist was gone. I was now bone on bone.

I've been able to function all these years by not using my hand  for much other than writing and playing the piano was out of the question. This last Sunday we had a group of friends over to watch the playoff games and I was asked to open a jar for one of our guests. It was really stuck but  finally, with my last ounce of strength and super power was able to get it open. My wrist felt a little weak but I didn't pay too much attention. I was then asked to open a couple bottles of wine, which I did with the help of a corkscrew, not hard but a lot of wrist twisting.

At 2am that evening i awoke with this terrible pain in my wrist. Not wanting to wake my wife, I spent the rest of the night in the living room curled up in my chair trying, to no avail, to fall asleep. Couldn't be done. My wife got up about 7am and found me in the chair. "What's wrong?, she asked. "It's my wrist, I can't use it and the pain is terrible."
"Let's call the Orthopedic clinic" she suggested. I told her that I would later but I had to make some deliveries first. I called my grandson Josh and he came over to give me a hand, pardon the pun. He drove and made the stops for me but my wrist was getting worse. I was almost in tears.

Finally when my wife returned home from her chores we decided to go to the Emergency Room at Menorah. (big mistake) I'll try to shorten the story a little without going into too much gore. As I was lying there in excrutiating pain, they could not find a good vein after many tries. A different nurse was called in and again after numerous tries, one was found. They gave me an injection of Morphine but it was a total waste, it didn't help at all and during all this time the pain was worsening.

I've always heard that a kidney pain was as bad as delivering a baby,they're right it's pretty bad, this was worse. I begged them to remove my hand, I couldn't lie still. Finally after much insistance they administered a much heavier drug that took the edge off but made me a little wacky. But at least the pain was diminishing. During this episode I mentioned to a nurse that I felt some minor chest pain. Big Mistake, once you mention chest pain in a Heart Traume Unit, they stop everything to check out your heart. Forgetting my hand, they turned all of their attention to my heart. Luckily no heart attack but a very slight change in my breathing pattern.

They decided to keep me overnight to watch me. Anyway after two days of sleepless nights since you're awakened every other hour for tests, my hand Doctor showed up and gave me some injections of cortizone in my hand and thumb. Pain again during the procedure but two days later I'm OK to the point of using my hand. The swelling has gone down and I can function without a full hand brace.

So my lesson for today is. "Don't open any jars, let someone else do it!"

RONNIEISMS

BEFORE SIGNING UP

For any of the ads you see on Facebook or other like sites you should first read the requirements neccessary to fullfill the offer. The people that put these ads together are the best in advertising. Every offer sounds to good to be true and is usually very costly to complete.

For example; You list your e-mail address and then you're linked to a site for absolutely free magazines after you log on to the next site for a person to get a free computer just for testing and so on and so on. They are all legitimate as long as you fullfill ALL of the requirements. You will end up buying a lot of stuff you really don't need or want.

I'm sure that ALL of my readers already know this but as a public service announcement I felt compelled to repeat this warning.

 If you will all send me your e-mail address I will immediately forward to you a site where you can read, absolutely at no charge a portion of the Best Selling Overland Park Author's Book "MAKING HAPPY" and a link to the very popular site for "THE DIVISION STREET PRINCESS" by Elaine Soloway     (a close friend) whose book has been nominated for a Chicago One Book award. From there you can log into the site for another close friend and read excerpts of her novel "TINY LADIES IN SHINY PANTS". You must be an adult in good standing to participate in any of the above mentioned sites.

RONNIEISMS

LAUGHTER
Hearing someone laugh is something that makes everyone within listening distance smile. I believe that laughter is the greatest cure for what ails you. I believe laughter brings people together. Is there anything better than hearing a child laughing? We all experience some sort of sadness, especially at our advanced ages, yes we!  But laughter is much more fun.

A few weeks ago we lost a dear friend after a year of watching him disappear before our eyes. He refused to just give up. He continued to join us on our wednesday night dinners, even though he barely had the strength to stand. He continued to attend our football get togethers. He tried his best to play in our poker games. He didn't want to just stop, no matter how his body was failing. He didn't want us to remember him as an invalid and we won't. All we remember is the happy days we spent together on our day trips, cruises and years of vacations but mostly his laughter.

Last night after much prodding his wife decided to join a few of us for dinner and a movie. We talked and joked about her husband and she laughed and we immediately knew the healing was starting. She will never have the chance to feel alone. Our group will not let that happen. We will make sure the laughter never stops and we create more smiles than tears. To continue her road of laughter, she has decided to join the girls in Florida for a week of who knows what. There is no medicine better than being with friends and having a fun time together.

So, if you're reading this, do me a favor and think of something funny and laugh a little. I guarantee you'll feel better.

RONNIEISMS

HOGS HEAVEN
I have no idea where that expression started but I believe it means, "it can't be any better than this" or something similar.

I had one of those days yesterday. I'd been a shutin for most of the week due to a bad cold that I spoke about in a previous blog but because of my nurse, her chicken soup and a "Z" pack, I think I beat it. But, back to yesterday. While my wife left to do some shopping I was confined to my leather recliner and forced to watch a Missouri-K State basketball game.


 I actually was looking forward to it since the Jayhawks don't play until today. I was cheering for Missouri because of my friend Bernard who is a devout fan and I figured needed my help since K State was the favorite. It was literally a battle with inferior referees, that made too many wrong calls and not enough right ones. In the end Missouri won a tough battle.

After that I watched two NFL playoff games and lost both in my group selections. I sure know how to pick em. By last night I had had it. Too much of a good thing in one day. Eight hours of watching sports is just about my limit. After peeling myself from the recliner I found it hard to stand, maybe it was too long in one position. I was tired, I had worked very hard cheering for my respective teams but somebody had to do it. Many people think that watching sports all day is easy, it's not. It takes years of practise to concentrate and correct all the wrong calls the officials make.

Today however, I'm going to take it a little easier. I'll watch the first NFL game but at 3:30 my Jayhawks are on national tv. The second NFL game is on at the same time but it will be relagated to the PIP channel, only to be seen during commercial breaks. Another tough day, but I deserve it, I've been sick.

RONNIEISMS

SURE, RUB IT IN!
One of our closest friends that we keep in contact with on a daily basis has become overtly cruel. Let me try to explain. It's called SKYPE, something that many of us use to keep in touch with each other over the internet. It's a great invention EXCEPT when some people take advantage of others by moving the camera outside their window to show the beautiful ocean and sunny skies. I ask you, is that not a cruel human being. Here we are in the midwest suffering with snow and sub zero temperatures and she flaunts her location. I can hear her HA! HA! HA! as she SKYPES us all. What possess' a person to be so cruel?  We'll get even with her next month when we all gang up on her and take over her condo.

As the news reports have shown, our KC area has been belted with more snow and cold weather than I can remember in recent times. It's almost as bad as it was when I was growing up in Chicago and had to walk 8 blocks to school through snow that was taller than me. I'm sure that many of you remember those early storms and I'm also sure that your snow was higher. I've been under the weather and under the covers most of the week due to a cold that one of you gave me, what other explanation can there be? You know who you are, don't try to hide. It may have been passed to me as a virus from Ms. Cruel in Florida. No, no one would send a virus that bad.

This bad weather also caused the cancellation of our Wednesday night dinners which has never happened before, well maybe a few other times but the first time by the weather. My wife who has nursed me through the last week made a pot of chicken soup for me and even threw in a few kreplach, I honestly believe it's what has caused my cold to break or maybe it was the KU game last night that had my heart pumping that chased the cold from my body. Hopefully, today will be the last day I'm confined to the indoors, I can't wait to get out, frolic in the snow and send the photos to our friend Ms. Cruel so she can see what she's missing.

RONNIEISMS

HAPPY NEW YEAR
New Year's Eve our small group of eight celebrated our subdued adult style evening. We started with a movie "Up In The Air" starring George Clooney. I thought, keep in mind the "I", the movie was OK, not great as expected and advertised but just OK. Again "I" thought it was not one of his best. After the film we went to dinner at Will Jenny's and had a great and I mean great dinner. Kevin, the owner should be very proud, the service the food, everything was perfect, including the price. No wonder he's a success, he has the great combination that makes his restaurant  a personal choice.

After dinner we went back to the theater to see "It's Complicated" a funny film. Only four of us went since the other four whimped out, past their bedtime I guess. While watching the movie I happened to glance at my watch and it was exactly midnight. I hugged, squeezed and kissed the lady next to me and luckily it was my wife. Afterwards we went out to a freezing 17 degrees and headed home.

Is it our age that satisfies our minimal need for partying as in the past when we would try our best to stay awake until midnight always planning to do enough to partake in sharing breakfast together. Over the past few years, I don't think we lasted too much later after watching the ball reach its destination.

We toasted to our friend Dave Blackman who passed away this week from a prolonged illness, of what I'm not sure. Dave was 83, he and his wife Sue were an integral part of our group that did everything together. We cruised together more than once, took driving trips and had Wednesday night dinners for almost 20 years. Dave will be missed and Sue will continue to be a part of our family of friends. I guess it just proves the adage that everyday is a treasure and you should enjoy it as best you can.

I had a nice experience last night during dinner. A couple that we all know came by the table and told me how much they both enjoyed my book and couldn't wait for the next installment, should there be one. I think I actually blushed from their praise or maybe it was embarrassment. My wife and I are really lucky. Besides having a great family we have wonderful friends, what more could we ask for? Winning the lottery wouldn't be so bad.

We start a New Year today and look forward to our tomorrows, enjoying what comes with our daily smiles and circle of friends. I know as long as I have my wife by my side, my life is complete.