14 posts tagged “sarge”

Sarge will once again walk miles to raise awareness, funds, and participation in Walk For Hope for Alexandra House.  Alexandra House is a non-profit, community based organization located in the cities of Blaine and Anoka. We provide 24-hour emergency shelter, support services, and advocacy to battered women and families.

 How many miles in 2009?  How long is the perimeter of Anoka County?  The answer will be in a future update, that is, when I figure it all out. Read the rest of the article for further information.

Last October I walked thirty miles on a Saturday to raise awareness, raise funds and to promote participation for Alexandra House and their Walk For Hope on the following Saturday. Alexandra House is a non-profit, community based organization located in the cities of Blaine and Anoka. We provide 24-hour emergency shelter, support services, and advocacy to battered women and families. The mission of Alexandra House is to end domestic violence. We believe that to achieve our mission, we must work to break the cycle of domestic violence and ignite social change through advocacy, shelter and education. We believe that domestic abuse is not a private, family matter, but rather a community problem. Our success is directly related to our connections within the community. Alexandra House is the only battered women’s shelter for women and families in Anoka County. www.alexandrahouse.org/

I have since been asked numerous times if I was going to do it again in 2009 or if I intended to make it an annual event. I responded that I did not know which was the absolute truth at the time. I had no idea. I had the thought of perhaps walking the perimeter of Anoka County. It could be a distance of 40, 60, 80, or 100 miles. Another thing that I really do not know. That will take a little map and driving work to figure out. I've thought of it as a multiple day event with much more preparation and promotion. People have also been talking to me more about participating in whatever I decided to do.

I have just returned from a two mile walk at 15 minutes per mile and I found it to be quite refreshing. I had not done any formal exercising for 2 months now. As I walked, I prayed a bit and contemplated whether or not to march again. I find myself desiring to set a goal and get back to the regular exercise routine. So I am going to begin the planning for the tour of Anoka County which will probably take place in early October. I plan to train a little better this time and I hope to drop from my current 209 lb. weight to the low 180's by the time the walk rolls around.

So I'm back at it and you are invited to follow along and also to participate in whatever way you feel led to do so. I very much appreciated all the support I received last year as we raised over $500, prompted some others to participate in the Walk For Hope, and generally raised awareness of an issue that lays in the dark shadows of daily lives. I'll again use the promotion of wanting to find 2000 people who will each find 10 people who will each donate $10. That would raise $200,000 which would be close to 10% of their annual budget.

So whether it be encouraging words, donations or walk alongs, I look forward to the 2009 adventure, Sarge Marches For Alexandra House.

You can view the 2008 event at: firstgo.truthdrivenllc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=2

You can also follow along at my Spark Page .

Monday, December 22, 2008

Monday was a busy day and I was exhausted when I got home. The things I wanted to take care of before Thursday's surgery were put off until Tuesday night. Tuesday was another busy day and I was thankful for it since I knew I was about to be laid up for 2 weeks. The afternoon brought the beginning of the snow showers for the projected 1-3 inches and a phone call from my dispatcher. "Would you like to take a delivery to Chicago?", I was asked. "Does it pay more than fuel?", was my response. When I was informed what it would pay, I agreed to take the run. I was hoping I would beat the worst of the weather by running east out of town. I was also hoping that the minor headache feeling was not going to develop into a repeat of Monday night which was nearing migraine status as I lay on the couch feeling ready to puke at any minute.

As I got on the road I learned that the forecast for Chicago was 3-6 inches of snow and that it was already falling at a pretty good clip. "I'm doing this why?", I asked myself. The answer to that question is many fold. I cannot turn away work for mere laziness. I had a scheduled 2 weeks downtime about to begin. A group I belong to had prayed for work for me and I wasn't about to turn my back on an answered prayer. Business had been slow and the cash flow had been hurting. As long as it was better than a break even proposition, it was necessary that I accept the assignment.

As the time passed, the ride grew more intense. The snowfall got heavier, the road got slicker, and with nightfall the reduced visibility became worse. I was now looking at the 400-mile ride becoming longer due to the greatly reduced traveling speed. Couple this with the tendency of drivers choosing the better lane to drive in even if it is the left lane and they are backing up traffic by driving the same speed as those who are in the right lane. It could have easily been a very frustrating night without patience and accepting anticipation of these issues occurring.

About three hours into the normally eight hour drive was the first bit of excitement. While traveling eastbound on I94 just west of Madison, Wisconsin, I learned that my intuition to look out for others was correct. I was in the left lane of the interstate crossing a bridge. A red pickup was 2 car lengths ahead of me in the right lane and a snowplow was in the same lane as the red truck and approximately two car lengths ahead of it. As we neared the end of the bridge the red truck snapped loose and all of a sudden was doing a 360 spin in front of me. Fortunately the speed kept its forward momentum although the margin had shrunk to one car length. I heard myself repeating the phrase, "Lord, don't let him hit me." The truck spun back into the right lane. I watched as it squarely hit nose first into the guard rail which extended from the end of the bridge. The pickup bounced off and did a 180 and was now facing me. My anticipation was that it would continue its path and lodge under my truck. To my amazement, the spinning truck stopped in its tracks as I passed by, missing its nose by inches. Whether it was an answer to my hastily offered supplication or he caught a dry patch with good brakes, I was blessed by being spared involvement in the accident. The rest of the evening's ride was intense as the road disappeared below the blowing snow. I was trusting that the truck I was following was staying on the road as I kept it's lights in view and followed it with intense focus.

I decided to pull off the freeway at Elgin, Illinois, to get a room for the night. I was looking forward to getting something to eat while pulling out the laptop to check the status of my financial accounts to insure I had available funds for fuel and maybe pay a bill or two. I was also needing to adjust the lineups for two fantasy football teams I had playing in championship games this weekend. Well, that would have been too easy. My obsolete laptop was not finding the wireless internet from the motel and my frustration began to grow with my limited tech skills. I tethered my laptop to my cell phone which I use as my modem at home. I immediately realized I was dealing with a new problem as my computer did not recognize the phone. I had service, I had power and I soon realized I also had a low battery. The battery was supposed to be charging from the laptop. I headed through the snowy parking lot to the Kenworth and dug out the car charger. The phone was not recognizing the charger. I realized I had to begin conserving what power remained and had to forgo the internet activities.

What was pictured as an easy drive into the delivery site in downtown Chicago became a maze to be solved as I had to circle around a number of low bridges in the unfamiliar territory. The delivery was made, I successfully navigated out of town and made the trek back up to the Twin Cities. It was a long, uneventful ride for which I was thankful.

I then spent and hour and a half at the phone store seeking repair for my Blackberry. The jack for the cord was indeed the culprit and the phone needed to be replaced. I tried talking my way into replacing it with the new Storm at a reduced price, but I was unsuccessful. I wasn't surprised being that it is the brand new item that hasn't been out for two weeks yet. So replace the phone. Easy, right? Well, the word came that the data could not be transferred to the new phone since the malfunctioning jack was necessary to the process. Fortunately, I regularly synchronized my Blackberry to my laptop so the information would be readily available to transfer to the new phone. Or so one would think. As would be fitting for this week, the phone is missing something in the software so it is not acknowledging the request to transfer the data. So, back to the store or a call to customer service will be required, either misery of which will be better than manually entering 181 contacts, the full calendar and memos that existed.

That all made Thursday seem rather relaxing as I headed to the hospital for my scheduled hernia repairs. The pain over the past months from my abdominal hernia required the surgery. While there, my surgeon decided he may as well repair the herniated belly button I've had for the past 25-30 years. The surgery went well as I was in and out on schedule and sent home with the appropriate prescriptions and instructions. After 2-1/2 days of loving care from my beautiful bride I began to notice improvement and was quickly growing sick and tired of being sick and tired. The pain pills and I don't get along well and I look at them as a necessary evil. The groggy, woozy feeling gets old quickly. I am now lowering the dosage and frequency as much as I can.

So the weekend was spent laying low in the warmth of the indoors while the arctic air poured into the region. I have enjoyed watching my teams in their championship games as I have wrapped up one victory and I have the lead going into tonight with the other team. On the downside, the Vikings lost yesterday rather than wrapping up a playoff berth with a division championship. I look forward to relaxing and enjoying the holiday season as I heal up before heading back to work on January 5th to begin a couple of weeks of light duty.

Merry Christmas and God's blessings to you.

10 miles, I know I can make it a third of the way.

01August08

The original plan was to drive to the theater, walk 4 miles home, grab the wife, walk back to the theater, see the new Batman flick, and drive home. It was a good plan until the phone rang. My wife informed me that due to vehicle trouble my daughter needed a ride to work and a babysitter for my granddaughter since dad was going to work late to pay for the vehicle repairs. So the plans were changed as my wife ran off to rescue our daughter.

No problem, things happen, plans change, and the movie will still be in theaters for a while.

It just so happens that today I clocked out the distance to the spot I park my truck from my house. I took the roads that were safe for walking or had sidewalks rather than the highway I normally drive. I found out that if I go around the far end of the building, the distance is 10 miles from my home to my parking spot. Perfect I thought, 1/3 of the 30 mile walk I am preparing for.

When I was done working, I put on the tank top and shoes I had in the car and started for home. The first mile and a half was a bit difficult with a few small inclines, walking into a gusty breeze and acclimating to the 88 degree sunshine. My dogs were already howling, but that was nothing unusual. I worked at it until I got a rhythm going and wondered what the last 4 miles would be like. I got things going and made it to the 3 mile mark right on schedule, 45 minutes.

The 2nd third of the journey was actually easier as I had the rhythm down and momentum was on my side. I chipped a couple minutes off and I was feeling pretty good. It was at the halfway point that my feet were starting to feel the effects of the many gout attacks. I have had some pretty nasty flare ups and now the balls of my feet are pretty tender, so no more running. I had to think of something else rather than worry about the possibilities of the gout rising up and throwing a wrench into my plans. I forged ahead taking bite size chunks of the hike one piece at a time. I looked for the landmarks that I see everyday and made the long walk a series of connected little walks. Before I knew it, I had passed the halfway point.

The final segment of four miles included a restroom break, which added 5 minutes, and the purchase of some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for a little zap of flavor. That break also broke my momentum and it took a little work to get the tiring legs back up to speed. The last two miles were tough as my thighs, knees and calfs grew heavy. I had to think about moving them and work to keep any sort of pace. It was then that I knew I have a long way to go in training for the big day. I knew I could possibly stay on pace if I pushed a bit. As I stretched out for full strides I noticed my calf muscles and ham strings were beginning to tighten up a bit. I kept pushing ahead in the knowledge that I may have to slow down rather than straining something.

I completed the 10 miles in 153 minutes, 3 minutes later than my goal, but also with a 5 minute stop that I had not planned for. Overall, a very successful step in the journey. I have all of August and September ahead of me to build the strength and stamina it will take to do the thirty miles. I still believe that I can do it even though my dogs are still howling.

Sarge

Sarge Marches For Alexandra House

My wife and I have gone through a lot these past five months when I was out of work for about three months longer than planned after my shoulder surgery.  I have put together a section on my forum site that gives the facts of the matter as well as thanksgiving to both God and all the people who saw fit to help us and encourage us along the way.

I would also like to thank those who I have met here.  You don't know it, but the times I've needed to escape the reality of my troubles and pains for a bit, I found comfort here.  That's both working on my pages as well as visiting yours.  I found humor at the right times, some rants worth thinking about, some creative writing to enjoy, some pictures and tunes to evoke memories, and some just plain weird stuff.  So I welcome you to also visit the forum and get the juicy details if you would like to.

The segments of it are:

2008 Road To Recovery
Chronology Of Events
Today
Lessons
Blessings

It is a work in progress, but I have enough posts on there now that I think anyone can get the gist of what is going on.

2 Weeks!?

I have to start paying attention to the urge to blog.  So many times I have had said urge, only to put it off, set aside for sleep, to read another page or what have you.  It's been a period of time that has been long yet fast at the same time.  It was two weeks that were supposedly my last two weeks of down time after the shoulder surgery which seemed to drag but in which great progress was made regarding the necessary healing.  The time off has been of benefit to me in many ways; physically, mentally, spiritually but certainly not financially.  Tuesday I was telling people that I felt better than I had in three years.  Then came the tenderness in the ball of my foot, the left big toe, as if someone grabbed hold and said tauntingly, "Not so fast there, sonny boy."  Yes, it was an attack.  The precursor to a gout flareup, the one thing I dread at this point of my life.

At it's worst, it is unending pain filled with a variety of sensations.  If you've ever had a tiny sliver that just stung a bit, one that you couldn't extract, you would know the beginning of the irritation.  Now imagine 500 of them stuck in a joint in your foot, all of them poking you like a fiberglass sliver from insulation, inflaming the tissues around it so it swells up in a puffy redness with the irritation many times that of an eyelash in your eye that you just can't seem to locate for removal.  Add to that the pain of a thumb struck hard by a hammer or slammed in a door, but rather than a dissipating pain, a lingering one.  And the recurring sensations, one after another, a nail in the foot to the tearing off of the toe nail.  The sensation is there, but to look at the foot wood not support the feeling.  I could go on with the swelling of the foot, etc., but ...  If you haven't turned away already, I would surely drive you from here by continuing.

Benjamin Franklin wrote a humorous tale about gout as though it were an actual person paying a visit.  I am certain it relates better to those who have experienced the malady, but none the less, it can be read in it's language of 1780 or it can be enjoyed audibly if you are more inclined to sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the tale.
 

DialogueBetweenFranklinAndTheGout

So it's really been two weeks, eh?  Two weeks of rehab exercising, endless web surfing and far less productive activity than I care to admit.  I am in first place in my fantasy baseball league through week three though.  A noble accomplishment, wouldn't you agree?  Yeah, right!  It was all a part of that time/money cycle around which my life has spun.  Considering things I'd like to do, when I have the time - I don't have the money, or when I have the money - I don't have the time.  In an effort to not be totally self deceiving, I need to admit that a fair amount of procrastination was involved through which I prevented myself from accomplishing tasks I actually could have completed.  It hit home yesterday with a supersonic boom when I read a story posted about 17-year-old Brian Moore. (Scroll to the bottom to read the story).  It's called "A Teenager's View Of Heaven", and it talks about being held accountable for how we use our time.

Well, I'll post other items separately so this doesn't go on forever.

Happy Friday!
Sarge

There are some advantages to being down for awhile.  For those who don't know, I had shoulder surgery on December 11th, 2007, and I have been home since.  My bondage to this unwelcome freedom is interrupted by the required visits to the physical therapist which, though she is a nice gal with a pleasant demeanor, conveys me through various contortions and pain thresholds to a future state of health.  At least that is the expected outcome which no doubt will arrive just as I have settled completely into the lifestyle of near meaningless time frames.  There is no doubt in my mind that the time frames still have meaning, it is just that I have become somewhat helpless in satisfying them.

For example, consider my sleep schedule.  Do I really need to have one?  When being well rested to drive the truck was a necessity, so was the schedule.  Even though my present state allows for ample sleep, or lack thereof, I try to maintain a relatively stable schedule because I dread the thought of readjusting when the time comes to acclimate myself to, dare I say, a WORK schedule.  Being an independent contractor, when I choose to work or not work is completely up to me.  Like everyone else, however, I do answer to someone.  In my case it is the dispatchers who require regularity and dependability if one doesn't want to be sitting on the outside looking in.

How about the bills?  If there is no moola, does the due date truly mean much?  Yet every so often I open the books to see what can be juggled this week so next week may be a smidgen less stressful.  Hopefully that WORK schedule isn't too far away, there seems to be less with which to continue juggling.

So what advantageous opportunities flow from the down time.  Two days ago I wrote about a day trip to Stillwater.  It was a wonderful day void of schedules or any purpose for the trip other than to enjoy a day with a friend.  Yesterday I picked up my daughter and granddaughter and the three of us went to my sister's house for lunch.  The only time frame on my mind was the one that would prevent me from being ensnared in the late day traffic which I have not needed to see for the past four months.  This didn't need to be the day to reengage rush hour.  I have spent countless hours on the internet reading, studying, keeping up with acquaintances while meeting new folks also.  There's been too much fantasy sports activity while too little serious study.  But there has been adequate time for introspection and thinking about the future based in part on things over which I have absolutely no control.

The lack of demands or schedules does not negate responsibility, I get that.  But it does give one a chance to escape the whirring of activity that steals the opportunity to just be.  As of late, a walk to enjoy the outdoors does not have to be squeezed in.  Getting together with someone mostly depends on that someone's calender, not mine.  Preparing a meal can be done with care and creativity, not a rush to get it done.  Thoughts from head to paper, or computer, can actually be accomplished and thought out.

I guess it would be better, though, if I were able to afford the time off without the financial stresses.  Better still if I had the resources to do some of the things that I would truly enjoy doing.  And if health were not an issue, I could accomplish more to redeem the time.  Of course, if this were the case, I would be caught up in that whirring of activity, to make the most of my time, and the conflicts of scheduling to attempt to accomplish every task.  And if health were not the issue, there would be no issue at all since I would still be on the job and not have this down time for the ramblings of an almost old man.

As with everything in life, there are pluses and minuses.  I think the rest of today is calling me to relax, go for a walk in the moderate 50 degree spring weather and then keep my weekly appointment to visit my baby sister for dinner.  There is plenty of time to fret about the realities of my life tomorrow, before the encounter of Mariah smiling at me while seeing how far she can flex my shoulder and thinking of new exercises to assign to me to occupy my time.  But there has been progress and many blessings along the way.  I should be back at the grindstone by month's end, wishing I had time off so I could get some stuff done, knowing that procrastination would win out anyhow leaving me to wonder why I wasted the time off.  Oh well, I can contemplate all that another day.

Sarge

If you are going through struggles that seem to be without end, take a look at this 20/20 clip.  This is an inspiring story of a man who had to survive a life without limbs.   

http://www.comcast.net/data/fan/html/popup.html?v=698720078&pl=699399349.xml&plc=699399349&launchpoint=Cover&cid=fancover&attr=default_headline&config=/config/common/fan/default.xml

This medical mystery is an interesting story.  It's only too bad that the second story is attached to it.

If you are not down, watch this uplifting story anyhow.

Have a good week,
Sarge.