NBA Blues

[Jason]

I know what you mean. I hope the RA does get better. I know what a pain it is, literally, to have to go through with pain like that every day.

[Man in Black]

Thanks for that Jason.

Well, this thread came about with me getting jacked and losing my camera and stuff. Now I have at least some resolution: Best Buy was great and gave me 200 dollars back from my warranty. My Mom gave me 100 bucks for my birthday. With that I got a refurbished camera body (because the dorks didn't take the lens) for only 450 - looking at it like that I'm only out 150, so it doesn't seem so bad. I picked up another GPS and got a great camera bag/backpack to replace the stolen one.

I've got little hope of ever getting any of the stolen items back - the policeman called me the other day and said they lost the email I sent them with the serial numbers. So I resent it... then he asked who made the Nikkor lens? I tried my best not to sound like a smart-ass when I replied - Nikkor. I wanted really bad to ask him if he'd like to know who was buried in Grant's tomb. That was actually kind of funny, but I figured it was time to replace the stuff myself at that point.

[Jason]

Haha.. What company makes Coca-Cola?

That's great news. I've lost items before, but nothing like that camera. It's good to know it's back together.

I'm finally going to be bringing in some real income. It's been too long. I was making about 4800 dollars a year on unemployment. With this job, I'll be able to make my car payments, save up and get some new movies and furniture to make me happy on the side. Hope all goes well with this job.

[Man in Black]

Remember to put a little on the side here and there for our tornado chasing road trip.

[Jason]

Haha. My friend, Chris, is a Titans fan and he keeps bugging me to go on a road trip to Tennessee to see the Titans and Broncos this October. He's a Titans fan. With my job now, a road trip doesn't seem too crazy. And Tennessee isn't too far from North Carolina.

[Man in Black]

We're just a little over an hour from the Tenn. line, but it's a long state so we are far away from some parts. Not nearly as far as California though. For a twister chasing trip I'd meet you just about anywhere; I got to cross of a shuttle launch, but pictures/video of a tornado is still on the bucket list. We've got a long wait till at least next spring to save up anyways.

[Jason]

Yeah, the truck I'm using to get to work right now, the Mazda b3000, doesn't do as well in gas as I thought it did. Estimating, now, I'm guessing I'll be spending about 150-200 dollars every 2 weeks for gas, alone... AHHHH!!!

I'm trying to convince my dad to help me fix up the Honda Shadow so I can take the motorcycle to work instead. I'd save thousands a year just taking that!

[Man in Black]

Gas is ridiculous... I'm surprised they haven't jacked up the prices even more because of the spill. When the average cost of gas to get to work and back is nearly even with minimum wage something is wrong.

The motorcycle sounds fun... be careful though.

[Jason]

Yeah, if I do end up taking it soon, I'll be very careful, without a doubt.

[Man in Black]

Say a prayer or a thought for me this week. I had a bunch of tests done at the hospital today and my dr. is sending me off Monday for some sort of nuclear cardio-something or another. He's worried the RA is attacking my heart and or lungs. I've hardly been able to breathe for a few weeks now and my blood pressure is still really high...

Though I think after dealing with his nurses and secretaries (who got my appointment screwed up then yelled at me about it) I'm thinking if I was going to have a heart attack it would have been today in his office ;D After I got worked up, which is an extremely rare thing, one of them told me it was probably my anxiety... I told her that my anxiety was fine until I came in there.

They actually had the nerve to tell me that I'd have to go to the emergency room... I said "let me see... 20 dollars here or countless hundreds there... I don't think so." Which I thought was reasonable since they botched my appointment; they finally admitted it. When I said that it was like I'd hit a hornet's nest with a stick, they were buzzing around like crazy.

Finally one of them noticed that they were not helping my condition and took me in the back to sit down. I tell you everyone is so grumpy and touchy now days.

[Jason]

Wow, I really hope everything turns out okay. I'm sure if there is a problem, though, they'll get you fixed up.

I know what you mean, I never get worked up either. EVER. The only time is when it comes to hospitals. I still owe about 3,000 in hospital payments for nothing but a piece of advice and some ibuprofen. I was steaming for quite a while. I've been good about not taking my anger out on anybody. Ever. Nobody ever sees me angry. I never complain to anyone, not even hospitals, but I'm sure my parents thought I was crazy when they heard my thoughts on what was going on with it.

There's never been more advances in medical technology then there is now. I'm sure that even if you were having blood pressure issues connected with the RA that they have many solutions to eliminate the problem. Don't worry! That's the best thing you can do for yourself right now!

[Man in Black]

That's great advice. I'm getting better at not worrying. I'm actually just looking forward to being able to breathe comfortably again. My first rounds of test came back negative... for exactly what I don't know, but I guess that's good.

I probably can't say that I never get angry in front of people, but I don't ever do that kind of thing in public unless it is premeditated where I have to go and complain about something and then it's really just a show to get like a bank's attention or something. Yesterday I almost lost it for real. I felt so bad anyways and then those ladies jumped all over me for something they obviously messed up... they just caught me at the wrong time.

[Jason]

I can understand that for sure. People can be pretty careless. Just the other day a co worker and I had to deliver and set up a tv to this older guy's house. Around 65 or so. He owns apartments and he isn't senile. We set the tv up for him, got it working and made sure he knew how to use it. That is a part of our job.

The next day, though, apparently he forgot how to use it and decided to tell our GM that we did nothing but drop the tv off and did no setup in any way. I don't understand how people can be that way. It was 109 degrees that day and we spent all that time hooking up his new tv just to get a complaint because he couldn't figure out how to use the remote. The GM knew he was lying, because the tv was setup and all he needed to do was use the right remote.

[Man in Black]

Hey, at least your boss knows the deal. I can definitely relate to that story. My Mom and Grandpa do me that way with their TV and/or stereo at least once a month ;D Usually their major problem involves turning one or the other on.

I've got all the test results back from all the heart-related stuff they did to me and they are all negative. I guess I'm glad of that, but that still leaves the thing I'm most fearful of which is the lung disease related to RA. That's what it seems like and what my doctor mentioned. He's out of town this week so it looks like I'm going to have to suffer through it at least another week. And man that nuclear stress test was awful. Those drugs they put in my IV felt like they were trying to kill me and I'm still sick from them a day later... and I mean sick.

On another sad note the people at my dr's office cancelled the stress test (for insurance reasons) and I didn't find out until I showed up at the cardiac center. They didn't even bother to call and tell me. The ladies at the testing place were really nice and let me take the test anyway and even called my dr's office and chewed them out... which was kind of cool.

[Jason]

Man, that's frustrating. Having to wait on the doc who's probably taking a vacation.

I'm hoping for the best of news to come for the situation, MIB. My thoughts are definitely with you. Let's hope for the best!!!!!