First, a funny:
Heh. Occasional Reader and Constant Correspondent Lin sent that along.
We watched us some football this weekend... on SATURDAY, of course... and the games were pretty danged good. The big news in college ball is the playoff picture, which looks like this:
In other news... My teevee provider is Dish Network and has been ever since I moved into Casa Inmóvil de Pennington, lo these three-plus years ago. I discovered last night through the majik of fat-fingering a channel selection that Dish provides a full complement of Sirius/XM stations, previously (and obviously) unknown to me. What this means is I can now listen to the lovely Meg Griffin in the comfort of home as well as when I'm in The Tart. This is a great good thing. Ms. Griffin's music selections are positively outstanding, part and parcel of that bein' she seems to choose music for airplay that resides in my CD rack. You can't beat that with a stick.
In other, other news... (Whine alert) The end game of my affliction is proving to be much more difficult than I imagined. My meds just don't seem to work like they used to, I've spent the last three nights sleeping sitting up on the couch because I don't breathe well laying down, and I spend the first 30 minutes of EVERY morning gasping for breath in what resembles a low-level state of panic while I wait for the meds to kick in, giving me some small measure of relief. I don't know how much more of this I can take. It's well and truly depressing.
Heh. Occasional Reader and Constant Correspondent Lin sent that along.
We watched us some football this weekend... on SATURDAY, of course... and the games were pretty danged good. The big news in college ball is the playoff picture, which looks like this:
The No. 1 Crimson Tide will face the No. 4 Buckeyes in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and the second-seeded Ducks will face the third-seeded Seminoles in the Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual, both on New Year's Day.I'll bet the air turned blue in Waco and Fort Worth when the playoff selections were announced. Both the Bears and the Horned Frogs have their points, TCU more than Baylor, to my way o' thinkin'. But it is what it is... and what it is is GOOD. The smart money will be on Bama to win the whole shootin' match but, speaking as a guy who doesn't have a dog in this fight, I'd like to see Oregon go all the way. Watching Marcus Mariota has been a pure joy this season; he's quite possibly the most exciting player in all of college ball this year.
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| Meg Griffin |
In other, other news... (Whine alert) The end game of my affliction is proving to be much more difficult than I imagined. My meds just don't seem to work like they used to, I've spent the last three nights sleeping sitting up on the couch because I don't breathe well laying down, and I spend the first 30 minutes of EVERY morning gasping for breath in what resembles a low-level state of panic while I wait for the meds to kick in, giving me some small measure of relief. I don't know how much more of this I can take. It's well and truly depressing.
Heh-heh. . . Jenn and I tell each other that, when we're finally retired, we'll just run around the house naked. . .
ReplyDeleteAs to the college football, this is why I've advocated an 8-team playoff; it seems easier to believe that, somewhere among 8 teams, you're likely to find the best team in the land, whereas four seems not quite enough. Arguing about who's 8th and who's 9th/10th/11th seems less like leaving out someone who could win. Especially what with 5 'Power Conferences'; a 4-team playoff is guaranteed to leave out at least one 'Power Conference' champion (or two, since the Big XII, with its X members, doesn't have a conference championship game, leaving TCU and Baylor both in position to claim the mantle). I'm less offended by including a team or two that is a bit 'less than' (since they'll likely be sent packing in the first round, after all), than by having to leave out teams that legitimately belong. And I'm betting that, most of the time, there won't be 9-10-11 teams that legitimately belong, whereas there will probably be 5 or 6 most of the time. . .
And the fact that my Spartans currently sit 8th in the Playoff rankings has nothing to do with my thinking (really!); I mean, we had our shot at both Oregon and Ohio State (the latter in East Lansing), and lost 'em both. But hey, we'd happily take out beating from Alabama (we're less happy about their coach), if only for the opportunity to say we belong to that club. . . And yes, Marcus Mariota IS all that, and a bag of chips. . .
...I've advocated an 8-team playoff...
DeleteYou and Lou Holtz (which prolly makes you grit yer teeth at the comparison) and me, too, for all the reasons you mention. I'm thinkin' we MIGHT see something like an eight-team playoff system next year. At least I hope so.
And, so sorry for your health troubles. 'End game' is a scary concept, but one that comes home forcefully as we start to spell our age with 6es and 7s. . . Sending up a prayer for you as I type this. . .
ReplyDeleteThanks, Craig, I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. I turn 70 this coming March, so I definitely hear ya about the "comes home forcefully" bits.
DeleteFor your breathing troubles when laying down -- do you have a CPAP? The positive pressure can sure help getting the lungs to inflate. I'm not on oxygen yet, but I've been using a cpap/bipap for about seven or eight years now. Makes a world of difference when I lay down to sleep or nap. They can be used with Oxygen concentrators, too, from the sample masks I've seen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Dan. I'm gonna see my doctor this week and we'll discuss it.
DeleteI'll echo Dan on the CPAP/apap-bipap bit Buck. Medicare will pay for one if VA won't and they have an automatic pressure regulator face-mask thingee--you can pretend you're a fighter pilot. :) Also they used distilled water as a humidifier so the oxy doesn't burn. Inquire NOW, Buck. Don't hesitate for a minute! Hang around, I LIKE Old Goats!--'cause ah IS one. :)
ReplyDeletePS: My wife's away visiting her sick 87 yr-old Mother, but when she returns in a few days I'll let her read tour description of your symptoms and see what advise an RN of 40 years has to say--there's not much she HASN'T seen, you name it..
DeleteSee above, in re: CPAP. I appreciate the other, as well.
DeleteSpeaking of music, a fun song I heard yesterday, was Petula Clark singing a Theme for a Dream (not Cliff Richard stuff). The musics beat had my feet wiggling...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ-K_rOeyqU
She says "put your slippers by the fire" but I hear "put your kippers by the fire" hee...
Petula sounds like another chick singer I can't quite place my finger on in this tune. Thanks for this.
DeleteBuck, first and foremost, I'll keep you in my prayers. That and a dollar might buy you some sort of caffeinated beverage, considering what a reprobate I am, but it certainly can't hurt.
ReplyDeleteNow, as to the playoff. I was amazed that THE COMMITTEE matched my picks exactly. I'm usually out in left field somewhere in my sporting predictions, but after watching the trouncing Ohio State put on Wisconsin I had no doubt they deserved to be in it. And I'm rooting for them to upset the mighty Tide, what with them sporting their third-string QB and being such mighty underdogs. We'll see. I noticed the announcers gushing over Jones's nickname of "12-guage", but I was once manager of a softball player with a similar sort of nickname and the reason was because his arm was very strong but was like a shotgun, not a rifle (it could be deadly, for sure, but not everything fired would hit the bullseye.)
Thank ya, Jim. As for the OSU-WI game... I watched a lil bit of it but quit when I realized it was a world-class blowout. I'll be rooting for OSU over Bama, too... even though I don't like 'em all that much (it's that Dee-troit thing: I'm a third-rate Big Blue fan).
Delete"...spent the last three nights sleeping sitting up..."
ReplyDeleteI can commiserate.
I have no advice.
As for football, I never did get into the spirit of the game this year.
There've been too many off-field antics (or distractions) in both the college and pro game.
I'm fairly certain I have become jaded because at all levels, except for the neighborhood pickup game, it seems to be about money rather than fun.
Thanks, Skip. I hope I never get too jaded for college ball, but I've been there a loooong time when it comes to the pros.
DeleteI don't care about college football, other than the Army-Navy game and that primarily for the tradition that is in it. (And The Nuke's went to the Trade School on the Severn, as did our Lex of course.) I always say GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY this time of year.
ReplyDeleteAs to the health issues: FWIW you're in my prayers Buck, sounds like a tough row to hoe. Hang in there buddy. There's a bunch of folks out here who really care about you.
I'm essentially ambivalent on the Army-Navy game even though I SHOULD support Navy. Thanks for the good words and thoughts, Chris.
DeleteBuck, A year ago in the spring I was having a difficult time breathing laying down just as you describes. It got so took me to the emergency room and they found that I had too much fluid in my body. I got to spend the weekend with those lovely folks while they pumped me full of diuretics ( Furosemide 40 mg. (Lasix)). now I take one each day. Worked like a champ as I have not had a single breathing event since. A word of caution though, you better be close to a bathroom because you will pee a lot for the first two or three hours. Ask your doctor. Best to you my friend.
ReplyDeleteWow. That sounds like a real horror story, Dan... but I'm pretty sure that isn't my problem.
DeleteBuck...I echo the CPAP sentiments as well. Jim has used one for sleep apnea for many years and it really does wondrous things. Be well and know that you are in my prayers as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris.
DeleteMy prayers are with you, brother.
ReplyDeleteThanks, tam. I appreciate that.
DeleteAfter my CPAP comment, a couple of days ago, I remembered something else. Do you qualify for Agent Orange Registry status with the VA? I remember you saying you were in Thailand, but did you ever go to Vietnam itself? Do a quickie search for Agent Orange and VA and it should provide the info. The reason I mention it is that the Agent Orange stuff has quite a few maladies that are covered and you can get VA assistance for them if you meet the Agent Orange requirements. Worth checking into, anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd let me add my prayers to the others. I pray you'll be feeling better soon.
Dan.
Thanks for the suggestion, Dan, but I was never in Vietnam. The only time I've seen Agent Orange has been in print. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
DeleteStick around Buck. Where would we all be without a cigar aficionado and brewer's helper to assist us in these important parts of life? My little sister was just told she is now asthmatic and I guess I am too because I too have been sleeping in a chair the last few nights. I hope your news from the doctor is good news.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna hang around as long as I can, Curtis. I hope your asthma is mild; I know folks so afflicted and it ain't pretty. Thanks for your kind thoughts.
DeleteBuck,
ReplyDeleteI haven't been by your place in a while and I'm sad to read about your breathing difficulties. Joyce and I just want you to know you're in our thoughts and prayers. Hang in there man.
Thanks, Dan... much appreciated.
Deletejust read this reread this post and realized we have even more in common, Meg Griffin was a DJ on WMMR when I was stationed in Dover De in the late 70´s RIP Buck. I know where you are going the cigars are good, and your hockey team always wins.
ReplyDeletePhil, Msgt USAF RET