A Day of Remembrance

Today is Remembrance Day. At least it is at home, and several other places I could name, but it isn't here. Here it is Veteran's Day. The big difference between the days being that around here nobody really seemed to notice, other than the school children who spent the day running around or playing video games.

In the past I have posted "In Flander's Fields" and "The Fields of Flanders" and I once posted some thoughts about people who serve.

Today I have been thinking about my family and friends who have served / are serving.

Lest We Forget...

...

But what about those times we can't stop remembering?

For a few weeks now I have not been able to get certain people out of my mind. Some are people who have passed out of my life for one reason or another, while a few of them have passed out of this world entirely.

I think I miss the ones that are still here more. I know that I will not be able to talk to the others again while I am still here.

There is more to say, but I can't say it yet. I'm just not ready.

...

Oh, and I know I've been tagged by Ricardipus but it is getting late and I desperately need to get some sleep. I'll get it posted within the week.

Maurice Foxx ( 1948 - 2008 )

Maurice was a good man and a great friend. Who, over the years, told people that he didn't think there would be more than a handful of people at his funeral.

Well, his funeral was held on Wednesday and there were more than a handful of people there. In fact there were hundreds and it was standing room only in the foyer once all the seats (and several spaces on the floor) were taken long before the receiving line was complete.

Several people, both family and friends, spoke and by the end there was not a dry eye in the place. I know I was brought to tears several times during the service.

And then in was over.

And then we found out that his family and his tribe were leaving to spread his ashes and they had decided this ceremony would be open to his friends as well if they wished to attend. Which we very much did.

So we all headed out to a relatively quiet section of beach where the tribe performed a cleansing ceremony {They smudged everyone} and prepared for the final part of the ceremony in which Maurice's daughters took his ashes, got in a canoe with two rowers, one of whom was also Maurice's son, and started rowing out into the ocean. However Maurice got the last laugh.

The canoe was sitting very low in the water, much too low for the height of the waves, and as they rowed out the canoe kept taking on water as the waves broke over the gunnels.

By the time the canoe was out almost out to where his ashes would be spread it was completely swamped. And then another wave hit and the canoe went over. The people who had been in the canoe were now hanging onto the canoe while one of Maurice's daughters shook the skin, which had been used to wrap the ashes, over head and let the wind spread the ashes behind them.

Once everyone on the beach was sure that those in the water were safe there was much whooping. This was accompanied by a lot of cheering, laughter, and shouts of "Maurice never would have wanted to go in by himself."

It certainly lightened the mood, and reminded everyone of the sense of humour Maurice had, and his good nature.

He will be sorely missed.

Not The Fresh Start I Was Looking For

I know it has been six months since I last posted and a lot happened in those months. However, I am not going to get into all of it right now. I wanted a fresh start on this journal.

Unfortunately, this fresh start is going to be a sad note as I will be going to Cape Cod for a funeral tomorrow.

Thursday night a very good friend of mine passed away. About a week after surgery on his neck, while recovering at home, he died from complications from said surgery. The Cape Cod Times published an article about him.

...

That aside, I am back and I am posting.

Hopefully with happier news from here on out.

Adding Injury To Insult

My weekend was uneventful. At first because of the pain, then because of the Vicoden.

I had a tooth get very painful very fast requiring an emergency call to my dentist. Once I had described everything to him, he said it sounded like the tooth had developed an abscess and suggested a treatment of antibiotics for a day to make the it easier on everyone when he treated the abscess.

He also said he would give me a painkiller to help get me through.

So, I went to the pharmacy to pick up the prescriptions and picked up a one week supply of Amoxicillin and a two day supply of Vicoden.

The Vicoden wiped out the pain, but it pretty much wiped me out as well. The rest of the weekend was spent feeling half asleep.

...

It was drilled and drained this morning, but due to how inflamed the nerve was, it could not be completely numbed. In fact the dentist had to give me an extra injection directly into the pulp and nerve of the tooth after it had been drilled.

Try to avoid this is you can. It is even more painful than it sounds.

But the Pulpectomy was completed and once the rest of the infection is treated I get to go back to complete the root canal.

Wheeeeee...

Tell Me Something Good

I need to write something, but it's a document completely unconnected to this journal.

I also need to write a long rant here but I can't yet. Things are still happening and I can't say anything until it all shakes out.

Several days have been wrecked...

The faith I had been rebuilding in humanity took a big blow...

I was reminded of just how much crazy is out there and that you better be DAMN sure before you trust anyone.

...

I did get some of the rant out of my system talking to my brother. Enough that I think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

My insomnia has been acting up lately, and with all the adrenalin that was flowing through my system I didn't think I'd be able to sleep before March.

...

I don't like writing posts that are quite this cryptic. I'll try to have some real information in my next post. Probably not about this, not that soon, but about something.

In the meantime...

Let me know there is still good out there somewhere. Leave a comment with something to make a person smile.

I'll try to at least manage a smirk.

** Hack ** Wheeze ** Snort ** Gasp **

I've been coughing and wheezing for several days now. I caught a nasty cold which has completely filled my sinuses as well as kept me coughing. There were even a couple of mornings I woke up to a tightness in my chest due to trouble breathing. I have been very careful to make sure I use 12-hour decongestant before bed. No more of this 4-hour sh*t stuff.

Not being able to breathe properly, or at all at times, through my nose has done wonders for my throat. My voice has gotten raspy and threatened to leave.

So, I took it easy this weekend. In fact I didn't even leave my apartment yesterday. Just rested, read, and watched some DVDs.

And shivered.

Not a lot, but some. And only partly because I was cold. {Yes, I was cold. This will mean more to some of you.}

I still needed to rest today, but I also had to work on a couple of projects with approaching deadlines. Splitting the difference, I worked from home.

...

On another note, 3 out of the last 8 nights I have woken up between 3 and 4AM after tossing and turning trying to get to sleep.

I hate insomnia.

And it's that much worse when you need rest to get over a sinus cold.

What about Bill?

Year End Special

It took me a long time to get into anything approaching a "Christmas Spirit."

The last two years were the best Christmases I have had since I was a child. I got to spend them with, and as part of, a wonderful family. I got to help Santa with his Christmas surprises.

This year, I spent a lot of time feeling like I was missing out. Of course this kept me from joining in, and therefore ensured that I missed out.

I got into the spirit late in the season. I didn't get any Christmas cards sent and even though I had a few Christmas presents, they didn't get delivered either. I have no idea when they will get to the appropriate people.

...

My sister sent me a book for Christmas. I have not read it yet, but very much appreciate it and look forward to reading it.

...

I have also been spending more time talking to, and hanging out with, friends. Both old and new. Some I have known over 12 years, some for less then 12 weeks.

We have played pool, video games, card games, and just hung out and talked. Oh, and listened to very good music. You should check out S.J. Tucker and see if she is singing in your area.

...

My resolutions from last year:

• I am still 25 pounds off my goal weight.


• I read 4 more books than my goal.


• You know how my writing resolution has gone.


• My new apartment is a lot more organized than my old place was, but still needs some work.

My resolutions for the upcoming year will be in a following post.

Home In My Harbour

The Passport Office didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but it went OK. There were more rules changes than I knew about...

Apparently they can no longer mail your passport to you. And you have to pick it up at the same office where you submitted your application. That meant that I couldn't pick it up at the Canadian Consulate office in Boston either.

The good news... For an extra fee of $30 they can rush the process and have it ready for me Friday. {Today} However, since I had to pick up the passport this afternoon I couldn't leave this morning and will now be driving back down tomorrow.

Not too bad since it turned out there was a major wind and rain storm until the early afternoon.

So, I had to delay my heading back by a day. {Not the worst of fates.} But I have my passport in my hand for the trip back.

...

I've had a chance to catch up with several people, some of whom I hadn't seen in about 8 years.

I've been able to get out to see McGinty three nights, and I'll be going back tonight.

Got to have a big turkey dinner with a lot of family. My mother cooked, and my sisters, aunt, and some cousins came out for it.

I need to stop it Customs and Immigration on my way back into the States for a new visa due to a change in status. {I'll need to check and see if I've written about that yet, if not you can expect it soon-ish.}

...

Anyway, I'm paying by the minute for access right now, so I'm going to go check some email and sign off.

Peace.

Heading for Halifax

Well, I'm in Halifax. I got in late Sunday night, or was it really early Monday morning? And I have been enjoying my time here so far.

Except for the time spent dealing with the passport application paperwork. Tomorrow I go into the Passport Office to drop off the application and let them make copies of my birth certificate and any other paper work they need.

I originally wasn't sure if I was going to drive up on Saturday or Sunday, but Saturday morning took care of that decision for me. Having to make an emergency dental appointment, on a Saturday no less, will kind of eliminate any other plans you might have had. And there is not much you can do to avoid the dentist when one of your fillings has broken and half of it fell out.

But the drive up on Sunday went well. There was a long wait, about 90 minutes, at the border, and all but 2 minutes of that was in the line waiting to get up to one of the booths.

The rest of the trip went quite smooth and the entire trip took about 13 hours start to finish.

I've gotten to hang out with, and get caught up with a few of my friends. I've been to The Lower Deck. Turns out McGinty was playing and so I was very lucky to get to see and hear them.

Oh, and my friend who went to The Lower Deck with me tonight was recognized from his job working at the airport and so we ended up having a drink with a couple of Finnish flight attendants.

Well, I've got to get some sleep before dealing with the government tomorrow.


Walk in Beauty.