Going to the VA

I went to the VA a few years back because my hearing is shot full of holes.  Barb thinks it is all those years in the artillery and I answer Huh?   To get a simple hearing test, they enrolled me in their care program and gave me a category 3 rating.  That means that if available, I can get a lot of the services for free that the VA offers.  Today I went in early for the lab tests for the physical visit at 2:30.

I am looking forward to talking to the Doctor about the connection to my Agent Orange exposure and the blood clots I threw when I was sick and lost a lot of weight.  My research on line tells me that the Agent Orange is stored in the body fat and can be released when the body undergoes a weight loss.  I went from 268 to 227 while sick with the flue in February.  By Easter, I was so sick that I went to my family doctor and was put in the hospital.  I had blood clots in my lungs and there was no other known causes.  Will be an interesting conversation.

Does anyone out there have any idea what the blood thinner Xerelto is?   I wonder if it is one of those new drugs developed from the venom of a snake.  The one thing I do notice is that I used to have a cast iron stomach and now I have acid indigestion.   It really takes the fun out of coffee when you have to take an after breakfast Tums.   Oh well, they have some creamy mints now so it isn't all bad.

Yesterday I brought Dave's mower home and reworked the mower deck.  About a year ago I replaced one blade tower and now the other one was making a slight grinding noise.  I replaced a blade tower and now that sucker mows like mad.  It also helped that I took a mouse nest out of the engine.  I am sure that it could have been running kinda rough because of that.  Yes, I am again on the hunt for those pesky pack rats that have taken up residence in his storage shed.  They are just suckers for peanut butter on bread.  I have a trap that catches them and I do away with them.  I am sure that I'll have to keep at it for a week or two to get them all. 

Have you listened to all the madness the TV could provide this week?  Just when Texas was starting to dry out, another tropical storm is blowing in with massive rainfalls.   Throw in Bruce Jenner's conversion and the white woman trying to be black and now what could make it all worse?   Yes, Donald Trump has thrown his hat in the Presidential ring.  Yesterday, the talk radio's were talking about how it is like Ross Perot's running and causing Barack Obama's win in his first election.  It is enough to make me want to go to a dark room and have a good cry.   I would have a cold beer if I was still drinking.

When I was in the Guard, a couple times a month I would go to the Grover's Smokehouse and have their Rib Tip Special.  Yes, I know it was not good for me but it was so good that I couldn't feel bad for a week.  Now I read that the last Grover's smokehouse here in Topeka is closing down.  Bummer! There are places with a better selection from Barb's stand point but I really liked the place.  Another good place bites the dust.

Better get a move on so I can get some things done.

MUD