Down But Not Out.

Well, as thejeepjunkie points out in his recent blog, my working with Manuel Labor was not as much fun as it has been in recent times. It appears that I am rapidly approaching this phase in my life.


Yes, but to modify Mark Twain's quote, "The report of my demise was an exaggeration."

However, I must agree with Will Rogers' in his quote here. "Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment."

Yes, somehow during my afternoon excursions with Manuel Labor and thejeepjunkie, I managed to pinch a nerve in my lower back, just at the tip of my tailbone. I have done this, once before, several years ago, and it is not fun. At least this time, I knew the remedy right from the start.

I first found out I have a lower back problem when I was being evaluated for working on a pipe laying barge in the Atlantic Ocean for Brown and Root, when I was around 19 years old. A company physical pointed this out, yet they still hired me. Go figure.

I never really experienced any pain or discomfort, unless I was doing something stupid, can you say skiing the Black Diamond Slopes at Steamboat Springs, having never put a set of snow skis on, before that day, in my entire life? In my defense, however, I was on the bunny slopes but got off course. That was one of the longest afternoons of my life, just trying to get off those suckers, and stay away from Sonny Bono.

Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning with every intention of helping thejeepjunkie complete that project, until I sat up in bed. OOOuch!! Imagine ice skating, falling flat, square on your tail bone. Now multiply that by 10 fold, or maybe 100 fold, it has been a long time since I have done that.

Basically, unable to sit at all, barely able to walk the tremendous distance to the freezer to prepare an ice pack. Got it all sorted, and then back to my master suite at the Taj Mahal. Stayed on that til it was melted, got up and did another, stayed on that til it was melted, got up and did another, stayed on that til it was melted....you get the idea. My ass was numb.

But it worked. While yesterday, I woke up at 0 percent, today I woke up about 50 percent and this evening, I am actually sitting in a chair and typing this. Although I do get up and walk around a bit, every few minutes.

Later this afternoon, I had to head over to Sprint to clarify some billing problems with Jessica's phone payment info. Turns out staff there had entered the wrong expiration date on my debit card, for direct payment, and Bank of America declined payment and Jessica's phone got shut off. A word to the wise, never turn off a member of the female persuasion's cell phone, especially a freshman in high school. And especially if you are not still sleeping with the mother of said freshman. I got an earful, really, two earsful and then a butt chewing, all for some clerical error. Anyway, in thorough pain the entire 1H15M round trip there and back but got it resolved and, God Willing, I don't have to go through that experience again.

Yesterday, I missed out on a bunch of Lee Family story telling about travels across the mighty 1-44 between Tulsa OK and Springfield, MO in the rain. Will work on that near miss in a later blog.

Right now, I need to get up and walk around. Might even have a date with a cool Ziploc.