Kinfolk and a little update

I got an email today from my aunt. They're bringing me into a family situation occurring in Connecticut that they are having trouble resolving. It's about my dad.

My dad's 55, smokes at least a pack or two a day, drinks coffee like it's going out of style, has gained a lot of weight in the past 5 years, and basically seems to have no direction or goal in life other than to sit on his butt watching daytime TV. He maintains an odd sleep schedule and is now retired (on disability). It's interesting for me to see how he's changed since he moved to Connecticut almost 10 years ago. He moved after my parents divorced. Both my mom and my dad have since remarried. And here's another tidbit about my dad - he's very religious and he's bipolar with a touch of schizophrenia (both are managed through medication).

With all of the factors listed above, you might be able to understand why my dad's health is in decline. Granted, I'm no spring chicken myself, but out of the behaviors listed above, weight is the only one that is my major concern as I don't smoke, I'm not bipolar/schizophrenic, and I'm still an active 28-year-old male.

I talked to my stepmom today about the situation. She said that she and my aunt were going to force my dad into the hospital for an examination. He's been having chest pains for the past couple of years and we all know his heart is really starting to go. While my aunt and stepmom were visiting family in Florida, my dad got up the nerve to call a doctor. He and my stepmom went to the doctor after she returned and he apparently didn't do so well on an EKG.

He also didn't do well on a stress test and the doctor was surprised he was even still alive. The doctor referred him to an emergency room to start an angiogram. Three hours in the emergency room and he signed a release form because he said he needed a cigarette. The angiogram was never done and he never rescheduled.

My stepmom is incredibly worried about him as is the rest of the family. So I called him today to talk about this. This is the first time I've had to be on this side of the conversation with him. He immediately started lying.

"Oh, it's no big deal." "It's under control." "All I need to do is quit smoking."

I called him on his bullshit and let him know he sounded like my sister. I know he knew he was caught.

I know he's afraid. He's coming face to face with his own mortality and how choices in his life have caught up with him. He's also afraid of the prospect of going in for a bypass surgery. He cited the example of a family friend who died in surgery a few years ago. I reminded him that they may not need to do a bypass. They could just end up performing an angioplasty (PTCA), leaving him with a stent to open up his blood vessels.

I reminded him several times that the alternative is much worse. Will he take heed? I hope so. But I told him I will be calling him next week to see what he's done. I hope he does what's right, but he's going to have to overcome his fear to do that.

In other news, my life is going well. I'm seeing a great girl who schooled me on some of the terminology used in this particular post (she's a nurse) and I'm optimistic about the future. So with the stressful comes the joyful. Such is life.

A little update...

I have this superstition...

This is something I've told a couple of people this week, including the one the superstition is about. Basically, I've noticed a pattern that when I talk too much about something I'm really excited about, I end up getting let down or hurt and the thing that I'm really excited for ends up going away. What I want to happen never does. What I'm getting never comes. That sort of thing. So, to protect myself, I try not to talk about certain things, especially the things I'm incredibly excited about.

I'm at this point in my life right now. Good, no GREAT, things have been happening me since the beginning of the year. I'm now seeing someone who I'm really starting to get into. And she's into me.

For me, this is the scariest and most confusing time of a new relationship. I have insecurities I have to push past, but I feel like if I do, the end reward will be totally worth it. I have to remember to just take things one day at a time and not put the cart before the horse, as it were. And I have to remind myself not to come on too strong and to be patient.

Patience is the hardest thing for me. I would like it all, right now, as soon as possible. But I have to just calm the fuck down and wait. And let things happen as they will. I have to get all Zen and shit and be like, "it'll happen when it happens, yo!" And if it doesn't happen, I can't get crazy, but I think I know what I need to do to try to make it happen, so I just have to exercise some control.

Being patient and calm will only help me right now. I can be excited when what I want actually happens. Here's hoping things continue to go well.

The quote says it all...

"A real man dumps someone in person."

I had to cut one of the two loose tonight. I was a bit miffed at her for the last time I went up to her house. After we went to dinner, she was going to park in her normal spot at her house and I assumed I'd go in, probably use her restroom and then be on my way. But instead, she drove me to my car out front and made a comment that she didn't want to deal with any comments or questions from her roommates if she was in the house with me.

I then made a comment about how I'd just find a restroom elsewhere. She then offered me use of hers, and I declined. I took off, quite pissed. It just didn't get better from there and I didn't see this going anywhere. Later that week, she loaned me a movie and I needed to get it back to her, so I made dinner plans with her tonight.

I rode up on my motorcycle tonight to her place. It is a long ride, and it was wet. I walked to her door and rang the doorbell. No answer. Lights are on. Her car's there. I call her cell - now she comes down and meets me. She opens the door, and I step in. I hand her the movie. Then I tell her I've got stuff out on my bike. She asks if I want to leave it at the house. I explain that I was only there to just drop off the movie and then leave.

She gets the hint.

Then she asks why I didn't do this over the phone. I say that it's because that's not what I do. And she responds with - "because you're a pussy." I just nodded and smirked. I was not interested in starting an argument. Besides, she was pissed I made dinner plans and just ended up dumping her in her house. I probably would be, too.

I was shown the door (yes, it was slammed), and I left. Oh well. It just wasn't going to work out.

In other news, things with the other one are going well. I think I'm going to stick to just dating one at a time. Two at the same time was a bit much. My fingers are crossed for this other one... she's really cool.

I love Mondays

It's 10:07 and my left eye is already twitching. Ah, work related stress. I love it that I'm running the show today and the boss and the account manager (the guy who handles customer escalations) are both out.

It's just one fire after the next. Happy Monday, y'all.