My own guinea pig

Yesterday I returned from a two-day stay at the VA Hospital in Houston. I had my epidural steroid injection in the nerves near my cervical spine. This was performed in a surgery suite and I only had a local anesthetic as this needle was being plunged into my back.

Contrary to what I was led to believe, this procedure does hurt. The head anesthesiologist on my case also downplayed the pain and discouraged the use of a sedative, since I would have to spend the night admitted to the hospital because of having sleep apnea. Since I was already spending the night in VA Courtesy Quarters –A hospital room without the nurses — I should have had the sedative. Next time I will. Lesson learned: Don’t believe everything people tell you. PS At least the anesthesiologist intern was nice.

Also allegedly, I should not know if the shot will help ease my chronic neck, shoulder, head, thumb, etc., pain until three days or so after the procedure. It’s too early to tell, I suppose. I’m in the amount of pain that I usually am in perhaps with my head hurting a little more. Oh well, I’m willing to be my own guinea pig if there is any chance of easing the pain. Now off to find gigs.

Miracle of the morning anchor


From the corner of my good eye, I spotted it. It was small, white and square, at the edge of the carport stall next to me, and it seemed almost waiting for someone to pick it up.

The “it” was a folded business card belonging to local TV anchor Rusty Surette. He hosts “The Morning News” on KBTV 4, the NBC affiliate in Beaumont, Texas.

I don’t know Rusty Surette, other than seeing him on TV, so I found it rather curious that his folded business card would be on my carport floor next to where I park. When you are as poor as I am these days, your eyes seem to automatically scan the ground for any potential treasure. Several possibilities emerged as to how said card arrived:

1. Rusty Surette placed it there. That doesn’t seem likely. He doesn’t seem like the type to litter, although one can never be completely sure. I’m just saying his brilliant, white teeth and spiffy attire on the tube helps raise doubts that Rusty folded his card, threw it out the window driving down North Street, saying “Wheeeeee!” and the card landed on my carport. I do have to say that this might not be the worst way one could advertise his or her TV show, by throwing business cards in every yard, but even in a market of this size it would be a gargantuan task.
2. Someone put it there to frame Rusty Surette for littering. It’s possible although it’s about as possible as pigs sprouting wings. Why frame him for that? It’s a low-impact crime in which perpetrators are usually serious “dumpers” rather than litterers. See “Alice’s Restaurant.”
3. The card appearing on my carport was a bonafide miracle, the magnitude of which has yet to be determined by the Vatican.
4. It fell out of a car belonging to one of my former neighbors. One of the many paroled child molesters living next to me parked his car in the spot on which I found the Surette business card. This neighbor, who is now back in prison on a parole violation, told me once that he had been interviewed for TV for some special on such offenders. I never saw the special and the man always had a credibility level with me bordering on Absolute Zero. But perhaps in this instance, he was telling the truth.

I may never know the real mystery of how Rusty Surette’s business card landed on my carport and into my train of thought. Of all the possibilities, I tend to think No. 4 is the most likely. But I’m still holding on to the card just on the off chance that it proves to be a miracle. After such an occurrence I will certainly treasure this card for all of its worth, and then promptly sell it on eBay.

A word from EFD: Okay, actually more than one word actually a few, or more. I will be undergoing my first epidural steroid nerve block Monday at the Houston VA for my chronic pain due to cervical spine problems. Providing they don’t give me a heart transplant by mistake, I should be back around these parts come Tuesday or Wednesday, so don’t think I’ve gone forever.
Ahola! (that’s aloha spelled backwards)
EFD

Heads up!


The headline in today’s Beaumont Enterprise says it all: “After Rita, even a faraway Tropical Storm Chris draws wary eyes.”

Only some of the older people in Southeast Texas remember a storm with the ferocity of Hurricane Rita, which scored a direct hit on the area in September 2005. Hurricane Audrey in the late 50s demolished Cameron, La., nearby, and killed several hundred people. Rita demolished Cameron again but fortunately casualties were few.

But this time, not only Cameron was smashed, but areas some 80-90 miles from the coast received severe damage. I know because I was about 80 miles from the coast when Rita hit and we received about the same wind force as where I live — Beaumont, Texas, — some 35-40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

So people are paying attention to Chris, which is good. Some are probably worrying too much, which is bad. Personally, surviving through the next couple of days is more on my mind that Chris. But I too will remain vigilant. I think Rita taught us a valuable lesson last year. It’s kind of like that old story about a guy hitting a mule on its head to get its attention. What story you ask? If you have to ask, never mind. Nonetheless, I think in these parts, tropical cyclones by and large have our attention.

Mortal combat; Don't want to be a movie star; Free falling

I am locked in mortal combat with two state and one federal bureaucracy. While there are many hard-working folks with good intentions who work for the government, there are also many who seem to have no other purpose in life other than making your life a living Hell. This battle has really zapped my mental energy and so this is going to be a quick missive today.

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A few minutes ago, I passed the Crockett Street Entertainment District in Beaumont, Texas, where news accounts say a movie is being made. I wasn’t available to quickly find a link to any story about it, but one of the TV news stations said yesterday that if you want to be an extra to show up at 1 p.m. I didn’t hear anything about money involved and movies do pay for extras sometimes. So I guess the show will have to go on with out me.

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There was a wild happening yesterday on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, one of the two high bridges spanning the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel between Port Arthur and Orange. A man was apparently despondent and when police tried to stop him he fled. The driver drove onto the Veterans bridge, jumped out and over the side of the structure, going down some 100 or so feet. He survived, apparently without any major injury, after clinging to concrete pilings before being rescued. Maybe the diver has lately been locked in mortal combat with bureaucrats! The bridges are very popular for attempting to dive to your demise.