FEATURED Morning Pops!

[GrammaJan]

What an impressive art collection you've got there, @daboyzruleperiod.

Every artist needs a 'muse', after all...

 

[LeonDixson]

Morning, Pops and all the gang. Happy New Year! The coffee tastes really good this morning. We are leaving Friday morning to go to the Bahamas. I plan to be there until the end of March. I asked for a few pairs of shorts and T shirts for Christmas so I can leave them at the condo and be able to pack lighter on future trips. I'm trying to decide whether to get certified for SCUBA diving this time. Hey, have a happy day, everyone.

 

[Runwildboys]

Morning Pops and friends, and may you all have a very happy new year!!

Notice I didn't capitalize "new year"? That's because it seems to me that when it's capitalized, it's referring to just January 1st, rather than the whole year 2020, and I want you good people to have a lot more than one happy day!

 

[Montanalo]

Good Morning Pops and Zoner Friends,

Welcome to the New Year and, as resolutions abound, I trust all of you had a safe and joyous New year's Eve.

We had a very quiet and peaceful evening. A couple of months ago, my wife was diagnosed with a severe sinus infection. After a couple visits to an ENT and a CT scan, it was discovered that her sinuses we're almost completely blocked and, had been for years. She had repeatedly been diagnosed and treated for allergies. Anyway, to quote the ENT, "pish posh".

So, on December 30, my wife had sinus surgery. It was a great success and, although she looks pitiful, she is already feeling better.

It didn't seem right to share until we were clear the surgery was a success, which is why I have been a bit quiet on this thread.

Nonetheless, I have entertained myself quite admirably in all things related to Garrett and the Joneses. I know I should possibly take this more seriously, but... this is the most fun I have had on the main board in, well, ever!

@LeonDixson, good luck with the scuba diving lessons and, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. Although I joke quite a bit about my hobby retirement job as a scuba instructor, I take the instruction side of things quite seriously. I have been diving for more than 35 years and working as an instructor for about 10... I feel like I am interviewing for a job. Ha.

 

[GrammaJan]

Morning Pops and everyone.

Left work yesterday with a decent bonus in my pocket so added it to my house savings account. My prime focus this year is me and what will make me happy, but not in a selfish way. Yes, I will take better care of myself and yes I am going to gift myself a house (along with a mortgage lol) but since I take great joy in giving and helping others there will be focus on that too. It is possible to give of one's self in a non-financial way so that's likely more my direction. I am also hoping it is within my budget to get an adult dog from a local shelter so it may have a forever home for however long that remains to be.

Colo, glad to hear the wife is doing well post-surgery.

Leon, enjoy your trip, be safe and wear your sunscreen!

Runny, here's hoping your 2020 finds you with fewer teens in your yard and more trees (if you want them), less bird trouble and less congestion on the roads for those trips to the city.

DABZ, keep em coming! You help lighten the mood.

Xel, here's hoping you have a year of better scans, fewer docs and no needles!

Coach... I hope you and your friend find your way together through the 'process' this year. It's amazing to help someone through a rough spot and find you've helped yourself too. I've decided to take each day one at a time and try to find the positive in each day. I've been a horrible pessimist and I'm tired of being right about how bad I expect things to be. Maybe if I view life from a positive angle everything will have a positive spin.

RGV, I hope you have more time to spend with family this year.

...and to all of you mentioned above and those that were not, thank you for being part of a family I didn't know I needed. I wish for each and every one of you all the best that is to come and a wonderful 2020 and years to come.

 

[CouchCoach]

Morning Pops and New Years revelers, whomever and wherever you might be.

Leon, safe trip and the blender was running a little sluggish, there's a little project for you before my next stay. I hesitate to use the word "visit" because that denotes a short period of time. Appreciate if you leave the water wings inflated, I don't have the energy to do anything after blowing them up and I think last time I actually expunged some wacky tobacky residue from 1968.

Colo, good news about the little woman you left behind on your jaunts all over the world serving yourself up as a shark snack. Sounds like she's been miserable for far too long and couldn't even sniff your cardigan sweater when she was missing you. Quick healing and recovery to her.

ABQ has flat got some moves. I guess that's what you call that. I've never seen the St. Vitus Dance but that is exactly how I imagined it. I do think you need to add some moves. You held the baby's attention but the child on the floor in front of you seemed quite bored and the shoe flying trick was all that got his attention.

Runny, my main Manhattan maniac manly man, may you increase your Hooters visits and finally get your frequent visitor card punched and finally get those free wings. I often envision you breathing into a paper bag when those Hooters TV ads come on.

Jan, a new house is in the future for you so you already have a great 2020 going but I cannot even begin to understand someone moving from such close proximity to a bar.

daboyz, keep'em coming, those gifs and videos are just the right spice. I don't think mine look much like me but I think you've nailed the others.

Xelda, my dear sweet Xelda, your posts are a guaranteed laugh, and sometimes double over terminal laugh face and I look forward to them every day.

2020 is already off to a great start because you are all here.

 

[CouchCoach]

Jan, it was exceptional. The same thing that has happened every time I talk to Mike happened only magnified. Mike and his daughters credit me with helping him through a very fragile time in his life because I'd been there. He would listen to me because I had not listened to others trying to help me. I had fallen into that trap "I deserve to feel this way" for years and didn't realize just how deep I was into it. But I used myself as an example of what not to do and it worked when he realized I had not healed and this could be him.

As I finally began to listen to myself giving him advice, I found myself asking "so, why haven't you taken this advice? You, obviously, know it's there". I came farther since Mike lost his wife in November than in the previous 7 years since mine has been gone. I finally let myself off that "why wasn't it me"? hook. She was the one full of life and loved people. But then, I began to understand why she loved life, because she gave of herself. Even working with the families to carry through the wishes for the Make-A-Wish kids, something I found unfathomable and just inviting pain into her life.

So, I mentioned in an earlier post I had made commitments to 2020 and one is volunteerism. Like Bill Murray in "Scrooged", I want that feeling, I want more of it. I don't know if I can work with patients with that monster, I refuse to say it's name, but I will work toward that because until I can, it still owns my life. The collateral damage it does is almost as bad as having it.

I have been treading life, a visitor in these parts and undetached to people and because of that could have really cared whether I lived or died. I've said I didn't care for people but that's a lie, I didn't think people cared about me so nah, nah, I don't care first. I created my own "Groundhog Day", did I mention it's Bill Murray Day in this post? Treading water means I am just fine where I am, not really doing anything but making little ripples. Time to make some real waves in my life and so what if some hit me in the face, it's just water. And water is the staff of life.

 

[GrammaJan]

Just ventured into the land of the lost...aka Wal-Mart. I never professed to be normal, but those people are just weird. I also had a visual reminder as to just why you need to wash your fruits and vegetables when you get them home. I don't think I need to elaborate on what that's about. One more errand to wash my car and then it's home to make a pot of chili.

 

[GrammaJan]

Jan, it was exceptional. The same thing that has happened every time I talk to Mike happened only magnified. Mike and his daughters credit me with helping him through a very fragile time in his life because I'd been there. He would listen to me because I had not listened to others trying to help me. I had fallen into that trap "I deserve to feel this way" for years and didn't realize just how deep I was into it. But I used myself as an example of what not to do and it worked when he realized I had not healed and this could be him.

As I finally began to listen to myself giving him advice, I found myself asking "so, why haven't you taken this advice? You, obviously, know it's there". I came farther since Mike lost his wife in November than in the previous 7 years since mine has been gone. I finally let myself off that "why wasn't it me"? hook. She was the one full of life and loved people. But then, I began to understand why she loved life, because she gave of herself. Even working with the families to carry through the wishes for the Make-A-Wish kids, something I found unfathomable and just inviting pain into her life.

So, I mentioned in an earlier post I had made commitments to 2020 and one is volunteerism. Like Bill Murray in "Scrooged", I want that feeling, I want more of it. I don't know if I can work with patients with that monster, I refuse to say it's name, but I will work toward that because until I can, it still owns my life. The collateral damage it does is almost as bad as having it.

I have been treading life, a visitor in these parts and undetached to people and because of that could have really cared whether I lived or died. I've said I didn't care for people but that's a lie, I didn't think people cared about me so nah, nah, I don't care first. I created my own "Groundhog Day", did I mention it's Bill Murray Day in this post? Treading water means I am just fine where I am, not really doing anything but making little ripples. Time to make some real waves in my life and so what if some hit me in the face, it's just water. And water is the staff of life.

Yes! Go out there and be someone's change... someone's reason. You have a great story to tell and others need to hear it. Go get em, Coach!

 

[GrammaJan]

One other side note... I posted several months ago about my grandson's friend from his school that was diagnosed with cancer. His name is Charlie and at the time of diagnosis he was, I believe, seven years old. My daughter recently sent me a picture of a certificate that Charlie received along with the picture of Charlie ringing the bell having completed his radiation therapy. For anyone who's been through it, that's a pretty big deal to complete radiation as I know from talking to friends who have been there, although I never had to. My heart practically pounded out of my chest I was so happy for this little guy and it gave me part of my new mindset of looking for the positives in the coming year. Hopefully everyone here doesn't need to experience something like that in order to turn that corner to a positive, but I know it worked for me.

 

[CouchCoach]

Just ventured into the land of the lost...aka Wal-Mart. I never professed to be normal, but those people are just weird. I also had a visual reminder as to just why you need to wash your fruits and vegetables when you get them home. I don't think I need to elaborate on what that's about. One more errand to wash my car and then it's home to make a pot of chili.

I go to Walmart, I put all the fruit and vegetables on top of the car and take them through the car wash.

 

[GrammaJan]

I go to Walmart, I put all the fruit and vegetables on top of the car and take them through the car wash.

Talk about missed opportunities! I just left the carwash. New thread suggestion... Couch Coach's Good Housekeeping Tip of the Day. Not so random thought: I've decided the cart pushers are sleestaks. They always have that hunched walk.

 

[Hot_Toddy]

Morning Pops and everyone. And Happy New Year to all.

 

[Xelda]

Enjoy your new home, Jan! I've heard good things about it.

 

[Xelda]

 

[GrammaJan]

Enjoy your new home, Jan! I've heard good things about it.

Ha ha ha, cute. Pretty certain that's not the case here. Provided all goes as planned I've hit the jackpot with this house simply because someone I know wanted to pass along the blessing. Next time you're in the neighborhood (after April) give me a shout and I'll give you a tour. Oh yes, and I've decided the finished basement/family room area will be dubbed the "Jan Cave". Yes, I said it.

 

[GrammaJan]

Wow! That's a horrible way to illustrate a sign for a drowning person...

 

[Xelda]

Good afternoon Pops and friends. Thank you all for the inspiring words to start 2020 with. I didn't think I'd have to come up with something today, too so here goes: To quote Roger Miller "You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to." I'd just get in trouble if I keep quoting, so I'll stop.

I hope your wife feels better soon, Colo. I've been through two sinus surgeries. The bridge of my nose is narrow so they cut brand new breathing holes. It's weird, but it works. I did a lot of bleeding afterwards, but breathing made it worth while. Tell your wife not to eat cherry lifesavers at the doctor's office. Mine thought the lifesaver was a blood clot. It scared him. He was a great doctor though. Once I had an appointment and was running fever. He had 12 student doctors stacked in behind him while he examined me. He straddled me and had little room to back up as my knees vibrated against his misters. The antibiotics flowed freely that day. I believe right after my first sinus surgery (I had great insurance) he tried to examine me and I started to faint. He picked me up and put me on a bed. My equilibrium went out and I felt like he was dropping me. I grabbed hold of him as the orderly was getting ready to grab snacks to watch. That poor man changed his specialization after my second operation. True story. You've been warned, Colo. Reading that, I've led a questionable life but remember medical procedures and prescription pain pills were involved.

Everyone be safe, be well, live, laugh, eat, pray, love.

 

[Montanalo]

Good afternoon Pops and friends. Thank you all for the inspiring words to start 2020 with. I didn't think I'd have to come up with something today, too so here goes: To quote Roger Miller "You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to." I'd just get in trouble if I keep quoting, so I'll stop.

I hope your wife feels better soon, Colo. I've been through two sinus surgeries. The bridge of my nose is narrow so they cut brand new breathing holes. It's weird, but it works. I did a lot of bleeding afterwards, but breathing made it worth while. Tell your wife not to eat cherry lifesavers at the doctor's office. Mine thought the lifesaver was a blood clot. It scared him. He was a great doctor though. Once I had an appointment and was running fever. He had 12 student doctors stacked in behind him while he examined me. He straddled me and had little room to back up as my knees vibrated against his misters. The antibiotics flowed freely that day. I believe right after my first sinus surgery (I had great insurance) he tried to examine me and I started to faint. He picked me up and put me on a bed. My equilibrium went out and I felt like he was dropping me. I grabbed hold of him as the orderly was getting ready to grab snacks to watch. That poor man changed his specialization after my second operation. True story. You've been warned, Colo. Reading that, I've led a questionable life but remember medical procedures and prescription pain pills were involved.

Everyone be safe, be well, live, laugh, eat, pray, love.

Best laugh today, Xelda, thanks!!

 

[Hot_Toddy]

Morning Pops! Morning everyone!

Isn't it great that one great person (pops), created inspiration for what I believe is the longest running thread on Cowboys Zone? With the original thread started by Sarge I think???

Anyway, I'm trying to gather up some energy for the day. Anyone know what vitamin is good for instant energy?

Today, I'm feeling as lazy as whoever designed the Cleveland Browns helmet. Just dunk it in brown primer, stick a white stripe on it and call it good.