From: jblaque	Date: February 18th, 2012 02:42 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

Yeah, I thought I's stop by to see how the ol' wolf pack is doing. I'm fine, and hope you are, too...

As far as whats' new.... hmmm...

- Li'l V is all settled in at Mizzou. On the Dean's List, in fact (no, not the Dean's 'Possible Felons' list).

- Princess V is working on her final orchestra and dance performances for the 8th grade year. High school in September... time to instill the Fear of Satan in any pimple-faced shit that looks her way.

- Madame's doing fine on both the professional and social sides (aside from being hitched to a Fool Such As I). We're growing old together quite nicely, in fact.

- No booze for going on 17 months now. Who'dathunkit?

- Kidney surgery last October, but just to pull a few stones. Nothing too dramatic. No seizure problems since September, either, so I'm officially out of the Epilepsy Woods (i.e., it ain't epilepsy).

- Haven't been too politically active lately, simply because it's easier (and more fun) to watch these teabaggers and wingnuts self-immolate. Four More Years with The Black Dude, baby!

Drop me an e-mail and I'll give you my contact info. Otherwise, you can still find me at Twitter and/or hanging around here on occasion. Reaper hasn't got my number quite yet. :)

	From: full_of_wind	Date: February 18th, 2012 02:51 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

Nice. It is good to "see" you.

	From: jblaque	Date: February 18th, 2012 04:51 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

Very kind, thank you.

	From: acelightning	Date: February 18th, 2012 03:07 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

I don't Twitter. But I'll be emailing you as soon as I'm done here.

Congrats to the offspring, and congrats to you and the missus for continued wedded bliss.

Health-wise, I'm not only okay, I'm better than they thought I was. It's been almost a year since my surgery, and I had all sorts of follow-up tests done. Now, they've been nagging me for a year because they didn't like my blood glucose readings when I was in the hospital. They wouldn't listen to my protests that most of the blood they were testing at the time wasn't actually mine. They were convinced that I was diabetic, or at least "pre-diabetic". Well, they just did every blood test known to science on me, and my A1c, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are all squarely in the "normal, healthy" ranges. (So are my kidney functions, platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells, and hemoglobin.) They did an abdominal CT scan, and there's absolutely no sign of any recurrence of the cancer. BUT... they saw signs of a "partial blockage" of one ureter, although I haven't noticed any symptoms of any sort. So I've got a urology consult in two weeks. (I'm assuming it's a small, asymptomatic stone, and I hope to shit it doesn't need treatment, because I can't afford it.)

Truth be told, I feel healthier than I have in a long time. I've got a lot more physical energy and stamina. I was able to join a group of my friends for their annual post-Xmas expedition to NYC, for the first time. It was far more walking than I was happy with, but I was able to keep up, even if I was running on sheer will power by the time I went home.

Okay, email on its way...

	From: jblaque	Date: February 18th, 2012 04:49 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

"... signs of a "partial blockage" of one ureter..."

Ack, the mere mention...

...healthier than I have in a long time.

Best news possible. I'll seeya in e-mail, Ace. :)

	From: acelightning	Date: February 18th, 2012 07:24 am (UTC)		(Permalink)

I've never dealt with a urologist before in my life; I have no idea what to expect. All I know is that I haven't had any of the symptoms associated with kidney stones - I haven't had any symptoms of anything at all, not since the last lingering weirdnesses from the radiation wore off. The nurse-practitioner who phoned me with the results of the CT scan and scheduled me with the urologist wouldn't venture an opinion, because that's the doctor's job. So I just have no fucking clue.

	From: nebris	Date: February 18th, 2012 04:48 am (UTC)		(Permalink)
	The Southern Strategy Leads To Bat Country

"Even though I have no use for Obama [he's Center/Right Corporatist who was 'sold' as a Progressive], I am greatly amused by the squirming of all you fascist shitheels as you watch these pathetic Repug clowns sink themselves a bit more each day and it becomes ever more painfully obvious that Obama will cruise to victory in November." *sneer*

[Sauze]

~M~

	From: nebris	Date: February 18th, 2012 04:49 am (UTC)		(Permalink)
	PS

Glad ya ain't dead, dude. =)

~M~

	From: jblaque	Date: February 18th, 2012 04:57 am (UTC)		(Permalink)
	Re: PS

You'll know when they call you to announce that you've been drafted a pallbearer.

I need a really good Grim Reaper icon.