Daily Adventure Journal

Happy Anniversary to you and Darlene!

God surely has blessed both of you.

I'm sure you meant tourist, not me.

God surely has blessed both of you.

Yesterday (updating my Journal), I went to Therapy. After waiting for 33 Months, I finally got the VA to address the issues I have been having with my ankles. They spent a long time doing x-rays, cat scans, and MRI's, and sending me to this or that Specialist, and all for naught, other than to convince themselves they were caring for me.

Meanwhile, I have struggled with the pain. Ever had an abscess tooth? Imagine walking on an ankle that feels the same way.

Anyway, I have 6 weeks of Therapy scheduled, and while this visit caused some pain, I believe it will have the potential to help.

Praying that God uses my Therapist to address the issues........

Probably you too my friend.

But I don't have a wife or gf lol.

But I don't have a wife or gf lol.

In January I had to get my drivers licensed renewed. I failed the vision test and was given a 2 month extension to get prescription corrective lenses to see if that would allow me to see clearly enough to pass the test.

I got a pair of glasses at Costco. On the DMV form the optometrist had to fill out the doctor stated that I had cataracts and that the recommendation was that I had to pass the vision test each year until the cataracts were removed. This would be a tremendous inconvenience having to go to the DMV each year just to see if I could pass the vision test. The thing is, the doctor said that my cataracts had not yet progressed to the point where surgery would be recommended but perhaps in a few years I could have the removal procedure done.

My temp license was due to expire next week so I went to the DMV this morning because I had today off from work. This has cause me a lot of anxiety because without the license I would have to have my wife do all of the driving, including driving me to work and back each work day in heavy traffic. This was a burden that I did not want my wife to have to bear.

I was the first in line this morning. Passed the vision test easily with a perfect score. The DMV worker just casually glanced at my optometrist form to see if it was signed and dated and apparently did not notice the doctor recommendation to only issue the license in 1 year increments in order to take yearly vision tests. 30 minutes later I walked out of the DMV with my new Florida drivers license that will not expire until my birthday in the year 2027. That beats going there each year wondering and worrying whether or not I would pass the vision test.

I felt like this heavy burden I was carrying was lifted. I have said prayer about this beforehand and so has my wife and also a CC member has prayed for me too for me to pass the test. Getting an 8 year license was an unexpected blessing. God is awesome. I sincerely appreciate the prayers and concerned of this CC member too. We are family here and I appreciate those that I have come to know and care about deeply.

I now feel like doing some driving. I believe, by the grace of God, that I am going places.

I'm going to town today to get a physical for a part time job at a casino. The job will probably turn full time before long.

Yesterday was my second dentist appointment in a series of appointments. My teeth are seriously messed up and I am trending towards implantable dentures. The genetics in my family are not kind to teeth and through the years my teeth have slowly deteriorated to the point where chewing food became problematic and eating was more of a burden than an enjoyment. Of course, a lifetime of smoking in my adult years greatly contributed to the demise of my teeth as well as general day to day neglect and abuse.

Currently, the teeth are gone in my left hand side both upper and lower. In three weeks the upper right teeth, what's left, will be extracted. As of right now I can only eat soft foods like pudding, fruit cups, and ice cream. I might try a small can of Beanie Weenies this afternoon for lunch. Basically, I am just eating to survive.

According to the plan I probably have at least two months before I can be fitted for the dentures. I am thinking that the implantable ones are the way to go as then I won't have to clean them each night with Polident but will probably just brush them with toothpaste, probably Crest or Colgate. Not sure about the need to floss but I am sure that my dental hygienist will clue me in on the proper cleaning procedure. Either way it will cost a bit of money but fortunately our financial situation will allow for the expense.

For the past several years I have missed chewing on relatively hard foods, being fearful of biting into an apple because a tooth may break off. When I finally get my new teeth I am going to munch on a carrot and possibly celery strips and dip them in ranch dressing. I am really looking forward to eating a carrot. Really that's the whole point of this painful exercise of the restoration of being able to eat again like a regular human being.

A possible complication in the scheme is that I also have TMJ as this may be a factor in fitting the dentures as they take up more room than normal heathy teeth, otherwise I will be sipping my future meals through a straw. No, I will not be slurping down carrot juice if I am unable to eat a raw carrot. Currently, I am trending toward V8 juice as there are 2 full servings of veggies in each serving. At least that's what it says on the can. For dessert I can suck on a Lifesaver mint. As the old advertising saying goes, "Lifesavers, they're part of living".

I am blessed in this area, though one day soon I may need dentures. With certai experience with family members and acxquaintances, it seems to me it may be just as feasible with normal dentures………. You may consider trying dentures first, but that is just my thinking.

As a teen I always believed I would have dentures before the age of 40 because both of my parents had them in their 30's. It eemed it would be the normal thing for me, but nope. I have dental work from several countries, and yet I still have enough teeth to eat just about anything, but as I get more mature I desire much less. AI am only 75, lol.

I know you will do what is best for you, so I will just keep you in my rayers for success and good chewing. All blessing in our Lor d Jesus, Yeshua, amen.

That would be quite an accomplishment to get started in the gaming industry as I am sure that there are certain requirements in regards to obtaining gaming credentials. It was always a dream of mine to work in the industry in Las Vegas or at least relocate there and obtain alternative employment. Well, at least I got married to my honey in Vegas on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 27, 2014.

My wife arranged beforehand for a local pastor to marry us that was affiliated with her church denomination. The ceremony was performed in our room (1206) in the Hilton at the end of the strip across from Circus Circus. The witnesses were two bellhops ad a maid. Because we chose to get married on their property the Hilton paid for our Thanksgiving Dinner. Very nice peeps there. I wanted to get hitched at the Little Wedding Chapel down the road with Elvis officiating the nuptials but my wife thought that was a little tacky. I was going to have him sing "Love Me Tender" afterwards which I thought was a nice touch.

I wish you well in this endeavor and please let me know how it turns out as I may one day join you.

Life for me is a series of adventures, either good or bad. Even the bad ones can turn into a positive experience if a lesson is learned and applied. For me, being married is a really grand adventure. It was an adventure marrying my late second wife as I knew beforehand her medical challenges that would eventually end her life prematurely. Before I married her God spoke to me and said that I was the right man for the job of taking care of her but I had to count the costs because if I accepted the assignment there was no turning back. I did in fact accept it and this particular adventure lasted 11 years and 2 months. It was the hardest period of my life in trying to take care of her while having to maintain full-time employment, taking care of the bulk of the ordinary things pertaining to maintaining a household, along with dealing with her 2 adult children, her son being the main problem whose foolishness caused me to become evicted from my apartment.

At the time, my late wife was now in a nursing home but I did visit her on a regular basis. The last 8 years of our marriage was in Maine where her family was. My family was in Orlando. It was 8 long years of loneliness, isolation and despair. I spent the last 6 months before she died staying with a neighbor and sleeping on the couch for a nominal weekly stipend.

After the funeral service a week later I told her son that the game was now over and that he would have to fend for himself as his mother was no longer alive to run interference for him. She always thought that he was a child even though he was over 30 years old. Spent thousands on his upkeep during the marriage as he refused to work or even help out in small ways like cleaning up after himself or at least take out the trash once in awhile. I was what is called an 'enabler'. I did that to keep the peace between my late wife and myself. Not sure it was a wise course of action but it's over now.

The whole point of the exercise was to be a loving and faithful husband to her in an effort to alleviate her pain and suffering. For that is what I am called by God to do in my walk on this earthly plain. There is a price to pay for trying to humbly serve the Lord with love in your heart. In my estimation it is well worth the cost of admission.

Thanks for sharing, sir. I enjoyed what you shared. This will be my third time at a casino. The other two times were low security jobs-this one is high security. I passed the background check, and start Tuesday.