Hey This Aint Facebook's blog: "My Blog & Welcome To It"

My father has never really had a lot to hang his hat on when it comes to me. I didn't do much to necessarily make him proud. He was never fond of my chosen line of work...he always wanted me to find a real job. Yet, I always did things to try to gain my father's approval. It seemed to be so important and it was quite rare to get any kind of positive feedback from him. I've never really hugged my father and only told him once that I loved him since I became an adult. I've never heard him say it to me. He's not that kind of father, though. I suppose I have just learned to deal with that fact. Recently, he has been experiencing poor health. After years of heavy smoking, he now needs oxygen almost all the time. He is in the latter stages of emphysema and he can no longer live alone. He was recently moved to the home of a couple who take care of him and four other elderly people. He has his own room and the company of others in a house very close to where we all lived when I was growing up. My sister and I took some of his stuff there the other day and I saw my dad for the first time in several days. He saw me, too...looked right at me...but I don't believe he knew who I was. He didn't know my sister because he talked about her in the third person. He is confused, disoriented, suffering from some form of dementia. We originally thought it was brought on by a lack of oxygen...he hates wearing that thing...but, they've been very diligent about keeping his hose on...and his confusion seems to be getting worse. He's the same man who I depended on for approval...any shred of it...and now he's become the dependent one. He won't get better. My dad truly is one of the great characters of humanity. I've told stories about my father that make people gasp, laugh, shake their heads in amazement and all other types of reactions. I've become accustomed to them, but I know the shock value of some of his stories and I enjoy watching. I may someday share some of those stories here.

I'm being such a lazy bastard...it's been like forever between pages here, so let's catch up. I now talk rather normally and eat somewhat regularly again. There are a few complications...my chin is still numb...but it's getting better and I'm adjusting. I have lost close to 20 pounds since my surgery and that's a good thing, of course. These days, I am rather disturbed about my emotional state. So many things are happening to me at once and I think I'm dealing with it all to a degree, but I've been picking up some worries about my own mental state. I apparently suffer from depression, or so I've been told. Im taking Cymbalta for it and I don't notice much difference, but it does seem I tend to get blue when I don't take the stuff for a couple of days. One thing that bugs me is that I...the one person who never took anything seriously...am taking things way too seriously these days. Little things that I'd never even give a second thought to before just puts me in a raging fit now. Details coming soon...maybe...

First off, to all you Giants fans...and anti-Patriots fans...you're welcome. It's been 3 1/2 weeks now since my teeth were forcibly ripped from my head...while I peacefully slept...and the damn Tooth Fairy hasn't dropped me a dime!!! What the hell is up with that? Anyway, the swelling has gone down and the stitches are all gone, but I still cannot feel my lower lip compleatly and I still sound like Dick Clark. Not good, considering my line of work. I think I'm getting temporary falsies this week, so I'll have to get accustomed to them over the next several days and weeks. As it stands now, I type better than I talk, luckily for you. :) I'm watching golf right now...let me just say...GO TIGER!!

And now the latest news on my...umm...condition. LOL! The condition to which I speak was a compleat removal of all my natural teeth. They were in very bad shape and had to come out...even the doctor agreed and that doesn't happen very often. So for now I am toothless...yes, I can already hear the nickname "Toothless Todd" making its way thru the progression of my lifetime...and I'm still a bit puffy. I never realized how old one can look without teeth. My face has sunk in just a bit and I've aged considerably. I try not to be too vain about my appearance, yet I don't relish looking like some kind of evil butler for too long. Hopefully, once I get my "falsies" in place, I'll fill back out to a more normal appearance...if you can call my appearance normal. Okay, it is 3:44 PM EST as I type...so let me just say I have always been the kiss of death when picking winners in major sporting events. With that in mind, GO PATRIOTS!!

Hi...sorry it's been a while since I've written, but here I am...well, most of me, anyway. Three mornings ago, I had oral surgery. Nothing life threatening, obviously, but moderately traumatic to me personally. Those who know me know I talk for a living, so any surgery in that general area could certainly damage a rather lukewarm career in broadcasting. As it stands now, three days later, I cannot speak any "s" sounds clearly and my chin is still numb. That may last quite a while, I've been told, as I had some nerve damage in my jaw. I've also noticed some swelling in my face, making me look like Tim Allen in "The Santa Clause". It is also disappearing, but for those of you who love to look at train wrecks, I will be posting the pictures of "Swolley Todd" sometime in the next few days. So, I've lived the past few days on lots of liquids, soup, ice cream and medications...the meds are the most solid thing I've had so far...and I'm soooooooooooo ready for a big steak dinner...or fish...or White Castle, I don't care, as long as I could sink my teeth into it...which won't happen until I get teeth. I'll keep you posted.

So...this is my blog, such as it is and welcome to it. It was suggested to me that I start writing down thoughts and feelings and such and create a "journal". Well, I don't see any use in making and writing a journal that others can't read, so I'm sharing "ME" with the world (wide web). There will be no set rules here...no schedule...no itinerary...just me expressing myself whenever I ding dang feel like it. Today, I have nothing much to express, so this will be short and sweet, but there should be more soon (or maybe not...no set rules).