I have three main points today, and unfortunately can’t think of any photos to accompany these thoughts. Maybe by the end of this post I will think of some and sprinkle them in.
1 – I left the hospital in Flagstaff last night, but decided I wouldn’t do so until I was able to have one more semi-lucid exchange with my friend. When he opened his eyes one moment, I said “hey, how is your brain feeling? Are you confused or just tired or a whole mix of stuff?” He replied “I feel pretty ecstatic, pretty great.” This response would be totally in line with his normal sense of humor, so I had to clarify as to whether he was being facetious. Again, he said “no no, I feel ecstatic and energized and great, I really feel good.” Then he said he needed to go over to the woods and take a pee (pointing to the hospital hallway), followed by a quick reentry into brain-repairing sleep. So it seems that he may have been in an all-together different realm than where I stood, but if it’s a place that conjures ecstasy, I’m happy for that.
One time I was talking with my girlfriend about the possibility of becoming fully paralyzed, and I stated that I wasn’t sure I had the character/brain-chemical balance/optimism/strength to carry on if something like that happened to me. Then I asked her if she would feel the same. In about .05 seconds she replied with “nope, there are so many books I want to read.” I’m learning with each day that you have a huge advantage if you can ponder life’s possibilities rather than limitations at any given moment. Lucky for me I’m paired up with someone who is a natural at this.
2 – I just attended an Arizona BlueStake safety seminar this morning about proper excavation protocols that keep people safe. This is the organization you call when you need gas, electric, sewer, cable, and other utility lines marked where you’re digging (or else). In exchange for me attending this free event, the very kind safety chief at Southwest Gas dropped a huge fine I incurred after breaking a gas line at a client’s house (which happened because I did not call BlueStake…oops). That’s a fun story, but I’ll save it for when I can better stomach the memory. Anyway, the seminar was actually pretty fascinating. Here are some things I gathered: a) if you hit a gas or electric line, grizzly things can happen (duh), but if you hit a fiber optic communications line you can bet your insurance company will be hit up for $3 million+ in damages and then you will be liquidating your own company, b) you should call BlueStake whether you’re digging 6 inches down or 6′ – there is no law in Arizona about where underground utilities can be (only recommendations) – so the reality is that they can be at any depth, c) even if you’re just pounding in a real estate or political sign, you are held liable for hitting lines if you don’t call BlueStake, this company has Attorneys that are in charge of any legal process that the client requires according to their case. d) the Arizona Corporation Commission can fine you $5,000 per infraction, and can even fine you $5,000 per potential infraction if they discover you did not have anything marked but did some digging close to utility lines (!), and e) possibly the most unnerving fact I heard, all around the Southwest people have been removing the copper grounding wires at the bottom of the huge electric line towers that disperse the energy to smaller lines, which means that you could lean against one of these towers and be sizzled in a second (not that you’re hanging around those towers, I hope, but still a major concern).
Point: if you are digging in your yard, CALL BLUESTAKE. Okay? It’s free, and it’s fast, and they will come back and re-mark as many times as you need them to.
3 – I can’t remember what my third topic was. Instead, here’s a picture of a sloth, and this charming video of a sloth, because I’m tired and I need to go start some digging.
