A Belated Christmas Present

On Christmas our daughter and son-in-law made the official announcement that Brooke will soon be a big sister. A little brother or sister is due to show up on July 24.

A Very Different Christmas

Today mom is at work and I am playing at cleaning the house. I will admit my standards are not nearly as high as moms but I'll try to get he big stuff.

Tomorrow, Alex the girls and their families will come over to our home for Christmas. This will be a good day. I truthfully cannot remember a year except when they were babies that Alex was here for Christmas or not high if he was here. It is easy to sit here and recall the horrors. "Lost" presents, blank out of this world stares, nodding off on on, mysterious disappearances, and all of those other things you all know very well.

It may not be wise to have expectations but for me it is impossible not to look forward to tomorrow. There will be 4 children here from 4 months old to 9 years old. Gifts have been wrapped and I hope they all meet the kids expectations. Our house will be a home full of joy and laughter. It will be so nice to have all of our kids together and have Alex clear and sober, it has been so long.

I wish everyone could be writing a post like this but I know some of you are still struggling with those lost years. We know how hard it is and our thoughts are with all of you.

Santa is a Fat Man

I have been thinking a bit about others. This time of season Santa is usually front and center in my concerns.

I've come to realize that Santa is fat man. My assumption with him carrying all that extra weight and binge eating cookies he may be suffering from at least a mild case of heart disease. This is a serious condition for a man of this great importance. A heart condition can quickly deteriorate into a disabiling condition. Especially with all of his work and strenuous activity coming up in a few nights. I'd hate to think that we could have a hand in Santa's heart attack due to being over worked.

Today I texted mom about my concerns about Santa's health and suggested that tonight she should be a very naughty girl when I get home. That way Santa would have one less house to visit and that would lessen his stress and workload.

We should all do our part to help Santa.

Food For Thought

I'm sure everyone that reads our blog has strong feelings one way or another about "The War on Drugs." For me the idea of "For or Against" shouldn't be the argument. The first step I would hope is we could reach one common belief, what we are currently doing, doesn't work!

Richard Branson has written on his blog a thought provoking article that I want to share. I know elimination is an unrealistic dream so what do we do to get to a better place than we are now?

Richard Branson, "Time to End the War on Drugs"

What do you think?

Same Thing Every Day, Change Happens, Life Goes On

Life goes on for us all. Alex continues to get better and our grand kids get bigger every day. But on the other end of the spectrum we have our elders presenting other issues as they age.

My mom is doing fairly well. It is like she has settled on a plateau, for how long no one can know. There are better days and some that aren't so good but she goes to lunch with me and others. She eats well and is completely aware. She still talks about her job even though she retired a year ago. Her big joy is her grand kids and great grand kids. Mom is aware how well Alex is doing and she is proud of him.

Darlene's uncle is not doing well, he has cancer and hospice was called in this last week, it is very sad. When Darlene and I first got married 35 years ago I learned he liked to hunt and fish. He and I spend many Saturday's hunting and fishing together.

My aunt has Alzheimer's and is going downhill very quickly. This is my mothers sister, it will be very hard on my mom.

Darlene's dad has knees that are shot. He has already had replacements in both knees once and does not want to do it again. He will need a lot of help, he will not give up the farm and cows. I tease Darlene that she better get down there and learn how to drive that tractor and chop holes in the ice on the pond. Those cows need hay ALL winter.

All of these very close relatives are over 80 years old. It is hard to see these health issues and how they are being affected. Instead of dwelling upon the negative mom and I are trying hard to see the joy of all those years they have lived and great contributions they made to our lives and family. Our Christmas wish is simple. Our wish is they will continue to be an inspiration to us for many more Christmas's in the future.

Recovery and Me, We Don't Get Along

This isn't what you think from reading the title. I like to switch things around sometimes. Recovery is about me.

I haven't been keeping up on blogs much last week. I just got home from my second trip to the doctor in 4 days. After x-rays and everything else he confirmed it, pneumonia. Now he tells me I need to take it easy. He told me that pneumonia is nothing to mess around with. I ask him if he had told pneumonia I was nothing to mess around with. He said I need to take it easy. So now I am stuck trying to recover from this crap for a couple weeks. It's a good thing I was never an addict, 30 days of rehab and recovery, I'd have killed somebody by that time. Taking it easy and not doing much does not fit me very well at all.

I'll try to keep up on my reading blogs but comments my be sketchy. No one should be required to endure comments from a person that is making every effort he can to OD on any antibiotics that I can find. (pssst, whispering) Anybody got a street connection for antibiotics, cough syrup and oxygen?   LOL

Addiction DVD

We have an Addiction DVD, new in package that we like to give to someone that needs it. It's a documentary produced by HBO.

If you would like this leave you e-mail as a comment. If you prefer to not leave your e-mail in a public forum just e-mail me your contact info.

On next Wednesday we will draw a name from a hat and send the DVD. I'll pay the shipping.

It's Only A Little Weed

This last week a I spoke to six more high school classes about what it does to you and your loved ones if you choose to use drugs.

During one class I had a vocal student that questioned my opinions on smoking marijuana. During these talks I don't hold back on my experiences as the parent of an addict or what I observed happens to a young person that makes that initial choice to use drugs and then become addicted.

This 14 year old student began his comments as, "What's wrong with a little smoke?"

At the beginning of my discussion I preface everything with I am not here to be another person telling you not to use drugs. My whole reason for being here is to provide you real life examples to what could happen to you and your loved ones if you make that choice to use.

"What's wrong with a little smoke?" First of all it is illegal. If you are dealing with someone that is using or supplying an illegal substance you will be or eventually be exposed to other illegal substances. There is the danger of an unknown product, who regulates the quality and composition of this product? There is always the risk of arrest.

This student then wanted to engage in an argument as to the merits of legalization of marijuana. Not going there. That's not the purpose of my being in the classroom.

The student is stuck on his issue and subject re-surfaces again later in the discussion. My questions to the class, "Is weed a "gateway" drug? If you smoke weed will you become a heroin addict? Not everyone that smokes weed becomes a heroin addict, but I have not yet met a single heroin addict that didn't smoke weed first, which one are you? I've never met a heroin or meth addict, or cokehead that started with heroin have you? Do you believe that someone just wakes up one day and decides, today I am going to stick a needle in my arm?"

As the end of class alarm sounds and the students are leaving, "I don't care what you say, I am not going to stop smoking."

I know 14 years old may be too late to start talking, but what do you say to your 14 year old when you hear, "It's only a little weed."