A wacky, mostly stinkoid, ultimately pretty good thirteen months.

So it had been about a year since I’ve posted, and from the chorus of inquiries, about three people noticed.

I guess that would be a trio of inquiries.

I didn't stop so much from the lack of creativity that had starkly defined my earlier writing, as it was the wide variety and vast quantities of medication that accompanied three surgeries in 13 months.

I’d damaged my left foot almost four years ago, and foot pain is a relentless nuisance. It got worse and worse, and I finally came to the not-at-all independent realization that it wasn’t getting better and wasn’t going to. Had that puppy sliced open, rebuilt and stabilized with a pin running through my second toe down through the middle of the foot.

Shortly thereafter I had my abdomen remodeled (Diverticulectomy: a fist-sized spare container taken off my bladder), and finally, in June, got my knee replaced.

I didn’t realize the effect of the meds through all this. Thought “with all this time off, it’ll be a good time to switch the office over from Windows to Mac”.

Wrong.

Thought I was literally losing my mind for about a two- or three-week period there, to the point that I told the missus it was time for us to do some serious planning for her independent future. She kindly indicated that, while she did occasionally have idyllic dreams of that eventuality, right now did not jibe with her timing.

With her analysis, we narrowed my terrifying descent into madness down to a cursed little pill I was taking to sleep through the pain: Ambien. Be verrrrry careful if that or a similar medication is prescribed for you. Be careful if anyone you care about is taking it. And stay the hell away from any bookkeeping functions.

I'm off the hard drugs, almost pain free for the first time in a very long time, and if you're willing to check in once in a while, and maybe post a comment from time to time, I'd be delighted to try to irritate you with my opinions and gleanings. Thanks