Random thoughts

Random thoughts: napping

/ Jim McDonald / 5 Comments

Random thoughts: napping

 

Didn’t get much sleep the other night, so around noon a nap sounded good. While driving out of town towards the country I finally spotted a barn next to a wide open field full of horses. I put my van in park, turned the key off and got out.

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Walking out to the middle of the field I looked in all directions to make sure there were no predators. After I felt comfortable, I stood tall, closed my eyes and went to sleep.

 

Of course that’s not where I napped. I STOOD in the middle of my bedroom while sleeping??? Why go out in a field, right?

 

Horses are prey animals, so they need to be cautious where and when they get their rest. Because of their straight back they have difficulty getting up quickly from a lying position. To avoid an attack from a predator, most of their sleep is standing in the daytime not at night. They have the ability to lock their back legs and lean forward while sleeping.

 

A horse requires approximately an hour or less of REM sleep a day. That’s why on a sunny afternoon you might see several horses lying down, while one remains standing on guard watching for intruders.

 

Sitting is not a normal action for horses either, because of the pressure the position puts on their internal organs.

 

While we feel safe and comfortable laying and sitting in our own setting. A horse basically stands all of it’s adult life; and sometimes while someone is sitting on them.

 

Poor horses !!!

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Random thoughts: The doctor’s office (true story)

/ Jim McDonald / 3 Comments

Random thoughts: The doctor’s office (true story)

 

It’s hard to find a smile at the doctor office. Everyone there has something bad going on or they wouldn’t be there. Any medical exam can be a source of fear. Questions of uncertainty is on every face; fear of more tests, fear of the loss of body parts or fear about his or hers mortality. These situations are a sense of concern for everyone involved: the patient’s driver if there is one, the doctor and of course the patient.

 

At the age of sixty two, I’m often at the doctors’ office for my own tests. I have noticed even the receptionist doesn’t smile unless I pull one out of her by saying something funny. Patients come and go as I sit and watch their fear routinely get worse. If I can say something funny or stupid and it takes the frown off their face for a moment, then my task is done. However, it’s not really a task at all; it’s a desire.

 

This morning I took my friend, Matt, to his doctor’s appointment and I saw many frowns. The biggest one was on his face. He was there to see his heart doctor because of a scare he had Sunday. I was at his home Sunday, when he had what I thought was a stroke I called 911 and he was taken to the local hospital. The Emergency Room doctors eliminated several possibilities; but could not determine what had happened to him. Hence the doctor’s appointment this morning.

 

Doctors can’t be pleased giving bad news to their patients, when they have too, but they must have some way of dealing with it. Maybe it’s the money

 

As I was waiting for Matt to return, a woman came out with a really big smile on her face. I said, “You must have gotten some good news.”

 

She nodded her head and said, “Yes!”

 

“That’s good! Congratulations!”

 

Matt came out and said, “He thinks I had a small stroke. I have had several in the past and he believes this was one, too.”

 

“So what now?

 

“Another test next week.”

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Arlinton National Cemetary

Random thoughts: ageless (true story)

/ Jim McDonald / 6 Comments

Random thoughts: ageless (true story)

 

My new writing spot is on the lower deck at Port Tobacco Marina Restaurant, known to some as the ‘Port’. I was heading down there to write about an author I had the pleasure of meeting the other day, when I had an unexpected surprise.

 

First off, I often say, “Where ya goin’?” To people, when they are walking past me. Some will answer and some won’t, but those that do answer, we get to spend a short time together in this large life.

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Port Tobacco Marina at night

I was walking over to my new spot, when a man asked me, “Where you going?” I found out later his name is Dave and he was refered to as the leader of the pack of three men and one woman. The average age is seventy six and they were out jet skiing.

 

I was pointing down to the lower deck, when I decided to chat with them for a while instead. I’m normally not in any hurry anyway, so spending time these friendly people was a delight. I told them, “I was going down there to write.”
Dave asked, “You’re a writer?”
I replied, “I’m trying to be.” And chuckled.
I quickly gave them my life story, “My first wife left me and my two sons, when they were two and four. Now they’re in their forties. I raised them in a drinking and drugging environment, till I quit in their teens. I have a lot to write about, my kids, drinking, drugging and women. I just need to learn how to write, so you will turn to the next page of my story.”
Dave said, “Ummmm.”
“I got sick with COPD and lost my house and bought, that houseboat.” I said while pointing to it. I then said, “I haven’t cut my hair since I moved on the boat. I thought the look went with the whole writing on a houseboat scene.”
That’s when one of them mentioned, “We are jet skiing!”
“Cool! On those?” Pointing to my right across the little channel.

 

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Dave is in the ski to the right

The lady said, “Yes.”

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That’s the 81 year old youngster on the left and his 76 year old wife on the right

“WOW! That is so cool.” We talked about that for a while, because I was truly amazed at the vigor in this group. I can barely get out of bed and here they’re playing in the water. They paid their bill, while I advertised my little blog site.

 

Then they headed across the bridge to their powerful little water machines. The oldest youngster is eighty one. I thought I was doing something special by going back to school and trying to become a writer. These guys are truly ageless.

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This is the bridge that connects ‘Port Tobacco Marina’ to the ‘Port Tobacco Restaurant’.

Random thoughts: Stars and Stripes (true story)

/ Jim McDonald / 5 Comments

Random thoughts: Stars and Stripes (true story)

 

I had no idea, but September 3rd 1777 was the first day our American Flag was flown.

 

It was flown in battle, at Cooch’s Bridge, Maryland. Patriot General William Maxwell ordered the stars and strips banner raised, but we were defeated and forced to retreat to Pennsylvania.

 

Six white stripes and seven red stripes signifying the thirteen British colonies seceding from Great Britain’s rule about a year earlier. The thirteen white stars on the blue field are our first thirteen states.

 

Happy birthday to the flag for the greatest country in the world. My flag.

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Random thoughts: favorite place in Maryland (true story)

/ Jim McDonald / 17 Comments

Random thoughts: favorite place in Maryland (true story)

 

Me and Raymond like to play games with people. So on the way back from Virginia, we stopped off at a Maryland Visitor Center to play one. We pretended we were from Idaho and never been to Maryland before. The center was closed, but we had the opportunity to talk to a very friendly man, that had some kind of job there.

 

Raymond asked him, “If you had a chance to see or do one thing in Maryland what would it be?”

 

The man kind of ignored the question, but he did give Raymond a couple of magazines. Raymond then told him, “We stopped at a Virginia Visitor Center and asked a lady the same question.”

 

Our guy said, “Oh?”

 

“She told us, she had no idea, because she just moved there from Wisconsin.”

 

I said, “Yeah, that was funny.”

 

A little later we were sitting at Twin Kiss, Raymond got a Strawberry Sunday and I got a medium slow cone. We started talking to some other locals and we asked them the same question. One guy said, “Annapolis is nice.”

 

The other guy said, “We just left Mallows Bay.”

 

Me and Raymond realized if we were put on the spot with the same question, we would hesitate a little also. Raymond thought we are famous for our Blue Crabs and I mentioned Ocean City.

 

Where is your favorite place in Maryland?

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