Early November 2012

A letter to loved ones,

Greeting folks,

I know, shame on me.  I wanted to take a little time off from blogging in an attempt to save up some info & put it into letter form.  The only problem is that I didn’t make very good notes during my hiatus & so begins the struggle as to what to report.

I suppose first things first.  Thanks to everyone for the birthday cards & well wishes.  Daryl & Ash, you never cease to amaze me.  You guys are too kind.  I got to see Rob and Momma right before my birthday & Roy & Momma right afterwards and that’s always a treat.  I also got to see my Aunt Gloria on TV on my birthday.  I didn’t even know she was going to be on the CMA awards, but there she was singing in the choir backing up Brad Paisley.  Everyone thought I was crazy when I yelled out, “That’s my Aunt!”  Anyways, it was a nice surprise.  Other than that it was a pretty uneventful birthday.  35 years isn’t too much cause for celebration, just another day really.

In the past, I’ve had some birthday memories.  For the most part of the last 6 years, I have been in Las Vegas on (or very near) my birthday.  I was fortunate enough to have a good job & a great work family & I got to go to a trade show every year & it just happened to be at the end of October/beginning of November.  Many, many good memories in Vegas.  My first trip isn’t one of them.

I was getting to go to Vegas, finally.  I never thought this day would come, and it was going to fall on my birthday.  I was going to get to fly and hang out in Vegas with my coworker friends and go to shows and eat the foods and see the sights and see the lights & do all the cool stuff I had heard about all these years.  Yes, I would have to work the booth of the show during the day, but I could burn the candle at both ends couldn’t I?  Well, the only end burning was the back one.  I started not feeling well on the flight from Memphis to Dallas.  It didn’t get any better.  I had a bug.  I spent the next two days in my room at Harrah’s going to the restroom about every 15 minutes.  I could drink a glass of water, and within about 10 minutes “produce” a glass of clear “water”.  It was bad.  I couldn’t work.  I couldn’t eat.  It was everything you don’t want your first trip to Vegas to be. It was so bad that I decided I needed some meds.  So I searched online and saw that there was a Walgreens a short distance from where I was, or so I thought.  I struck out on this much needed med run.  I cannot explain to you how difficult it is to walk and walk and walk… and walk when you think you are about 1/10 of a mile away when in reality you’re about 2 miles away.  And the whole time having that not-so-easy feeling of “am I going to have to do some clothes shopping before I get some relief” if you know what I mean.  Had it not been my first trip, I would have known to #1 - take a cab #2 - if I did walk, every casino I passed had 100 bathrooms I could have used and #3-  probably every hotel/casino on the strip would have an apothecary store in it that would have either shortened my trip or made it unnecessary to begin with. 

I was able to rejoin my group to work my last day there & still got to go to see Elton John & the Red Piano my last night there.  And it made for a memorable experience & the beginning of several fun filled trips to Sin City. But that was one painful birthday.

What else.  I want to thank everyone for their prayers not only for me, but for my family as well.  I know it’s hard on them, and they need your continued support & prayers.  Tis the season of holidays and gatherings and family and laughs and love.  But I’m going to be okay.  I’m alive.

A year ago I was already at Lakeside and missed Thanksgiving all together.  My being there saved my life, but my going there strained several & even ended some relationships.  Everything happens for a reason & God won’t put more on me that I can stand, but sometimes I wonder if He has me confused with someone else.  I’m thankful every day to be alive.  And I’m sorry every day for putting my family through my attempts not to be.  But, I’m in a better place today that I was a year ago.  But, do keep those prayers coming.

I love you all and I will reply to the mail as I can.  I got a lot, A LOT of mail the last few weeks & I know I won’t get to all of it.  But that’s the beauty of this blog I suppose.  I hope it can suffice for some of it until I can see & talk to everyone for real one day.

Until next time.  Happy Holidays & I love you all.