Inside My Mind

It has been about a week since my last entry. With the rain falling across the cornfield, perhaps now is a time to once again provide insight to the comings and goings, ups and downs that are part of life in Mark's Den.

We are progressing well with our cellular service. Plans have change and the rates are much lower! All the details can be found at Ivy Cellular. We are actively looking for a storefront to rent or to buy. Preferably, the building will be such that we can live in part of it.

The annual Toys for Tots auction will be this Saturday at the Sullivan American Legion Post 139. This event makes sure that Santa calls on all the children throughout the county.

Ivy Web Services is a duly registered retail merchant with the state of Indiana. The move to expand to cellular has necessitated the need for state stamp of approval to collect sales tax. We have also a business account now opened just for the various entities of Ivy Web Services.

For the uninformed, Ivy Web Services family includes:

We provide DSL broadband internet access starting around $30 per month. We also have available digital or internet phone from $25 per month. As you can probably tell we offer hosting for your web site and can provide your business or personal web site design and graphics.

Kev's birthday is coming up on the 29th. My "baby" will turn 20. Hard to belive my little "Bubba" has grown up so quickly. We are having a combined birthday and Thanksgiving dinner this Sunday at Mom's in Sullivan for Kev.

As of now, plans are made to celebrate Christmas with my adorable granddaughter, Dylan, and of course her two great parents, my son Dave and daughter-in-law Anna, on Saturday December 19 up in Indianapolis.

As the rain continues to fall, I need another cup of coffee.

In celebration of the launch of Ivy Cellular, I have decided to offer a Launch Month Special.

Anyone signing up for wireless or mobile service between now and midnight September 30, 2009 can take advantage of $10 off the first month. This means the first month of service will be $70 instead of $80. For those opting to add data and multimedia messaging to the service, it will be $80 the first month instead of $90. There is still the $25 activation fee.

Check it out! You can't beat our service and what we offer: unlimited minutes, unlimited text with no credit check and no contract. We can flash any non-active CDMA phone to our service. CDMA phones are those that do not use a SIM card.

It's a rainy Sunday here in the cornfield. According to the weather prognosticators, the wetness will stick around throughout the day and night.

As usual, my head is banging away, but I am managing to ignore and deal in such a way as to appear "normal". Been fighting another bout of depression attempting to make inroads the past couple of days. So far, I have been able to keep it at bay. Not sure how much longer I can prevent the dark clouds from obscurring the sun.

Looks like I have been volunteered to be the backup Legion karaoke DJ. This coming Friday night I will be running the controls.

Iohn continues to work 7 days a week. He is handling the round the clock labor very well. Frankie and Tigger are just Frankie and Tigger.

Don't forget to take advantage of the Launch Month Special!

Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, August 21, 2009, death paid a visit, but was turned away. The grim reaper attacked, but was repelled. This morning here in the Den I thank God and count my many, many blessings.

I had gone to a client's home to attempt connect her DSL service or troubleshoot what was preventing the connection. After troubleshooting inside the house, I went out to the back of the house to troubleshoot the telephone box. While plugging in the power, death launched its initial assault using a wasp.

I felt an intense stinging, tingling, burning sensation in my right index finger. In a minute area on the side of the finger next to the thumb was a red mark. The red spread quickly covering most of the finger.

I managed with some difficulty to walk into the garage and to the front to call Iohn over to assist in checking the DSL activity. While directing Iohn on what to do to check the modem for service, I fought to keep my composure, my equilibrium. I soon lost the battle.

Struggling I made it into the garage again. I collapsed on the floor. Breathing became near impossible. The perspiration was soaking my shirt, my pants, my hair. According to Iohn, the sweat was so intense a puddle of water formed on the garage floor.

Darkness began to overtake me. Breathing became even more labored. I could here Iohn and a resident at the home talking to me. I managed to respond. I lay on my back on the floor, writhing in agony. My control was gone. Death was launching a full onslaught.

Nausea welled up inside me. I sprung up and over to lay on my stomach, my head out the back door of the garage. The gastric juices began to churn and erupted with volcanic force.

The emergency medical technicians and the ambulance arrived. With difficulty they raised me up and into a chair. I doubled over, still not being able to breath. Suddenly another geyser of gastric acids flew from my mouth.

The prick of a needle going into my arm. A shot of epinephrine. The rush of the hormone into my system had a calming effect. I continued to struggle to breath. In the background I heard the EMTs making sure they had a large needle at hand. The needle to plunge through my rib cage directly to my heart to jump start it if necessary.

The EMTs got me on a stretcher and wheeled me to the ambulance. Wires were connected to monitor my heart, respiration. Once at the hospital, vitals were taken every 10 minutes. More epinephrine coupled with benadryl and prednisone were administered. Saline solution poured in through the IV. A very itchy, blotchy, red rash speckling my stomach, chest arms and legs had broke out causing more discomfort.

For the next hour and a half I was monitored. The ER doctor made at least 5 trips in to assess my condition. After the first hour had passed, he pronounced the danger presented by death's attack was gone.

Through all of this Iohn was stoic. Yet he was struggling as well to keep fear at bay. Fear that he would lose me. Fear of what life would be without me. He told me later he had rushed along the country roads following the ambulance to the hospital traveling at 60 miles per hour and more.

With prescriptions on hand, for the next week I will need to continue the benadryl and prednisone, a steroid. I must be more vigilant and stay away from the chance, the risk of another sting.

Anyone who has ever gone into anaphylactic shock as I did yesterday can relate to this knock on heaven's door. A tiny sting from a bee, a wasp, a hornet can be fatal.

I am just glad God was looking down and over the cornfield yesterday. As Kenny Chesney sings, "everyone wants to go to heaven", but I didn't want to go yesterday. God granted my wish.

Sunday morning, the middle of July...or is it July? From the mercury readings throughout the cornfield you would never know we are in the middle of the dog days of summer. The temperature never rose above the low 60s yesterday. Today low 70s is on tap.

After an especially hot June, I am not complaining. Anything to keep costs down is welcome. Also outdoor activities are much more pleasant with the cooler weather. Fairs going on throughout the state have found visitors enjoying and visiting in higher numbers.

Clouds cast a gray look on the cornfield this morning. Threats of thunderstorms are on tap for this afternoon.

The ever-present battle with finances continues to plague us in the Den. Iohn is doing all he can, working harder and more hours. Seems the more he works, the less green is left at the end of the week. I have proposals out there for web design and hosting, but no positive action yet. All I can do is wait.

My Thursday evenings are not filled. I have been working the "cage" for bingo at the American Legion. My Sunday mornings give relief from the mundane as I have been and will continue serving as pianist for the Disciples of Faith, an independent church in the small burg of Paxton about 15 miles to the southwest.

While the past month as seen the loss of many celebrities, the one that has hit close to home for me was the demise Friday of revered journalist Walter Cronkite. I well remember "Uncle Walter", his booming and yet soothing voice, as he gave us the low down as the Cuban Missile crisis unfolded, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the meltdown of the Viet Nam War, the first moon walk...and no, not that of Michael Jackson, but of Armstrong and company.

The only subsequent anchor that has garnered my trust since Cronkite retired is Tom Brokaw. But even the steady, honest Brokaw pales in comparison to Uncle Walter. How can one forget sitting in the classroom as the movie projector whirred and hearing Cronkite narrate the "The Way It Was" history series. He had a way of speaking and bringing history not only to life, but relevance.

Uncle Walter, you will be missed.

The dental saga continues. Friday a call was placed to an oral surgeon in Vincennes, a mere 40 miles away. An assessment appointment was set for August 11. This is a month earlier than that offered by University Hospital. Plus was given assurance that surgery could be done in August as well. Cost is 2/3 less as well.

Now it's wait and see for this continuing saga.

Rain is falling throughout the cornfield today. This is putting a slight down push on the mercury. But it continues to be muggy. Thankfully in the Den it is cool and comfortable.

The weekend...time to relax and forget the preceding week. Well...I can try and hope.

Not much to report...just a lazy summer's day.