Deviled Chicken

Last night or this morning, I had this dream.  And as usual, it made no sense as far as the logical sequence in time.

My dream was that I was witnessing this chicken, full regalia of brilliantly colored feathers, being slaughtered.  But not really I knew it was going to be slaughtered when it was grabbed by some energy. I didn't see it being killed.  And I didn't feel anything good or bad for it.  I knew it was part of a ritual.  I was in another area and didn't see the blood shed or hear anything.

Still in my dream but later, I see that same chicken, or the aura of that same chicken.  This time its feathers are dull colored and it has no tail.  In an otherworldly fashion, instead of typical hen eyes, its eyes are a bright white light.  It is alone with nothing in the landscape and standing in front of a doorway filled with white light.  There is nothing but that chicken and the doorway filled with light.

I am filled with terror.  The chicken is saying "Come with me through the light."  And I say quietly, "No you can't take me to hell. I am not going to where you are".  The chicken, moving towards the doorway says "Well, either way, you'll eventually be here".

In my dream I am feeling extreme terror.  I don't remember if I woke up or I dreamt it through, but it was very emotional and memorable.

Then later today I see a chicken, with no tail feathers, in our yard.  Our neighbor has chickens so not completely off base but still freaking weird.  The feathers have been pecked out by its chicken coop roomies.

Whoa!

It's a Miracle?

So for all my miracle believing friends, I'd say this was a miracle.

Now it's New Year's Eve 2013.......

When I sleepily awoke in my hospital bed, I was happily dreaming in Spanish.  The nurse walked into the room and said "Good morning."  I responded in Spanish.  She looked at me puzzled and flipped into Spanish as well and asked me how I slept. "Muy bien."  As I became alert, I continued to speak to her in Spanish and we talked about my breakfast to come.  As she took my right arm to take a blood sample, she continued to speak in Spanish but as I became fully alert, I was no longer fluent in Spanish and could no longer understand all that she said without great effort.  I said "Sorry, I'm not fluent."  She looked at me puzzled again and flipped back to English.  As blood was draining from my body in a very controlled way, I was thinking "Whoa! This is cool what else can I do?"

Since the seizure, this is now one of the things I can do now that I couldn't do in the past two years or ever in some cases is:

I am now able to add, multiple and divide large numbers in my head.  So far I can multiple 3 numbers by 3 numbers without too much trouble.  I can add 6 digit numbers up to 4 in a row without thinking about it. Division is a little more complicated, so I can only divide 2 number up to 3 digits each.  I have never been able to do the division in my head before like I can now.  I can remember the number Pi up to 20 digits past the decimal point.  And remembering phone numbers, even the out of the country numbers, is a piece of cake.  You may think, what is the big deal......I can do that in my sleep.

The big deal is........after the stroke I had in 2012, I couldn't remember anything.  Adding 2 numbers together was an amazing feat.  Phone numbers?  Thank god for speed dial.

Feeling Better

Well it's a crazy world I feel better than I have in years.  Thanks for all the well wishes.

I think my brain did a defrag and I'm creative again!

This is amazing.  I can write and paint and dance.

Talking about recreating reality.

On a pragmatic note.....I'm taking anti-seizure medicine and staying full of electrolytes and eating right.

Happy Sunday!

Happy 2014.......whoa!!!

Hold on to your hats folks!  Another wacked out adventure with KB. 

It all started so quiet....so happy.  Kenny and I were coming back from Santa Barbara (highly recommend visiting if not living there....it's Mecca).  We did lots of bike riding and I drank an appropriate amount of wine drinking.  Only the good stuff....yummm. All good.

Then on the 30th of December.....I'm feeling strong, fit and confident so I go on a killer bike ride....as killer as you can get in the Oakland hills.  While I was riding I didn't drink much water and didn't eat much because my body was fine....I thought.

I got out of the shower and I was confused.  Kenny was sick as a dog so he was in bed and I was alone with my thoughts....and with everything else.  Whooo boy.

I was not able to work the TV/DVD apparatus.  But, I hated to say that it was not unusual when I was feeling normal.  Hmmm....Whatever... But now I was not able to heat up soup or read the words on a bottle.

We go to the emergency room not far from our house.  Kenny told the emergency room receptionist that I was having a stroke.  The poor girl was now in a conundrum.  A poster on the wall right behind her stated that a person having a stroke needed to be treated ASAP....Meanwhile there was all these other emergencies pathetically sitting right next to me.  So I upped the ante.

I started to stress.  If I was having a stroke.....I REALLY NEEDED HELP NOW!  My body started to react without my knowledge.

My right hand started to shake uncontrollably and then the clincher.  While I sat in the wheel chair waiting to be taken to the ante treatment room, the right side of my jaw opened so far that I was wailing in pain, and drool was pouring from my mouth like a bad horror movie.  I was watching myself like I was watching a movie and it was completely grossing me out.  And I was in so much pain I blacked out.

The rest of the seizure I am telling 3rd person from Kenny's perspective.  I was about 2 yards behind Kris who's sitting in a wheel chair and wonder where that wailing was coming from.  It was coming out of from my wife!!  Holy shit.  The emergency room nurse now hopped to it and rushed Kris into the treatment room.  Meanwhile Kris was clenching her teeth and straightening out as stiff as a board.  All hands on deck and we lifted her onto the table.  She was wailing and shouting out "It hurts, it hurts."

The ER doctor was trying to inject her with an anti-seizure medicine but she was trashing about like a wild animal kicking and screaming.  I held down her legs while two nurses grabbed her arms and the intern grabbed her head to keep her down.  The ER doctor gave her the injection in the stomach and she settled down in seconds.  The banshee had left the building....thank god.

Meanwhile I was so sick and I had such a bad headache I was going to pass out at any moment.  I asked for sugar and the nurse gave me a tuna sandwich instead.  That worked.....whatever.

Now I was conscious again......They asked me if I wanted to stay in the hospital overnight or be released that night.  REALLY?!!!  I just had a grand mal seizure and I should be out of experienced medical care?!  How about we have me drive a car home too?!  Of course I stayed the night.  This was also for Kenny's benefit too.  The poor dear was sick.....major sleep drugs needed to be on his agenda that night.

The next morning I was feeling creative and artsy.  Whoa? Like a crazy brain scramble.  Ok.....A new reality.

Stay tuned.  KB

Pinot Noir anyone

Our new place when it's ours has a good amount of land to have grapes again. This time I think Pinot Noir would work best. With the rain and the fog, those humidity loving vines will do just fine. We'll have to work the land but like we didn't in CO. But maybe this time we won't go as high as 1500....just enough for a case or two.

Bottling in Palisade

Well Kenny and our friend Cindy bottled half of the wine last weekend. A good time had by all.

Frost and Death

The time has come once again. The grape growing season has drawn to a close. I find it fascinating that just one frost makes the lush, hardy, green grape leaves shrivel into brown aged ones.

One day the leaves are hardy and healthy. Frost steals in overnight. The leaves are all brown and shriveled.

It is just one example of how delicate

life is on this planet. It is best never to take things for granted. I'll bid adieu, leaving you with this poem by the famous Robert Frost.

Desert Places

Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast

In a field I looked into going past,

And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,

But a few weeds and stubble showing last.

The woods around it have it- it is theirs.

All animals are smothered in their lairs.

I am too absent-spirited to count;

The loneliness includes me unawares.

And lonely as it is, that loneliness

Will be more lonely ere it will be less-

A blanker whiteness of benighted snow

With no expression, nothing to express.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces

Between stars - on stars where no human race is.

I have it in me so much nearer home

To scare myself with my own desert places.

Remember enjoy and imbibe!