FMK: COVID-19, "American Ninja" Sequels, "Star Wars" Prequels.

*Blog post started on December 8, 2020.

A Text from Mom:

Dan Gable just got the Medal of Freedom from Trump. Neat

My Desired Response:

Well, he (Gable) got all the cartilage removed from his knees before he was 30, so great post career decisions can be questioned. You can say, "That was what the doctors recommended at the time." I will retort that you are demonizing Anthony Fauci for contradicting Trump because he would change his recommendations with further scientific knowledge.

James Gunn's "Slither" - A Cronenbergian Successor to "Gremlins"

At least she has yet to go off about the experimental Trump miracle cure that Dad and her received. I do not think she will acknowledge that this treatment may have possibly been what caused her husband's recent pulmonary embolism. When I spoke with Mom the day it occurred and after he had settled in and the emergency had passed, she told me that he said the hospital food was good.

The food was good and he was sounding great a day later. Funny because my older sister was over COVID-19 in damn near the same time frame. Yes, it could just be coincidence that Dad's recovery fell in line with my big sis's. A pulmonary embolism could be a corona virus side effect as well. It is just that he may have gotten over it on his own, and unnecessary and panicky medicine used by an orange asshole may have a reason for being deemed experimental. He is a ginger. Color is not my dad's thing.

After that kind of emergency, it is good to just rant a little. When my dad had a heart attack about 20 years ago, I panicked when I was awoken to meet them at the hospital, but as I drove over, my mind was coming up with snide remarks to kid around with. Of course I arrived first (I still think hearing that I drove like I was in Chicago as a complement during my time as a hotel shuttle driver.), so when Dad was carted in, I told Mom I needed a Coke. Dad is pretty appreciative of my humor, so he gave me a labored chuckle about me saying "If (some politician we despised or famous athlete) could beat this, you'll be fine."

"Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse" - A Mostly Positive "Oi, Oi, Oi"

My sense of humor did not sit too well with my younger siblings as we dealt with that scare. They said not being on edge made me seem uncaring or disconnected. So when I got the call from my little brother about his drive to the hospital, I played it seriously. Once he hung up the phone, I was trying to figure out something clever to say when I got a positive update. Something clever was what I wanted to offer, but I need to validate my concern, so "Be cool, I dealt with this 20 years ago. He's going to be fine," was held back. Dad did appreciate that when I told him that was how I was handling things.

He is out of the hospital, and he did not seem negatively affected by fraud warning in regards to the use of his credit card to buy Mom's Christmas gift. That bill could have floored many a folk.

Where do I stand right now after all of this excitement? I think I got myself back in order. When it was going down, there were selfish worries about how the worst case scenario would affect me, financially and familiarly. There was panic, but at the moment, I seem to be doing well at this adulting thing. These thoughts may have just crept on me to keep myself concerned instead of optimistic. It almost felt wrong to not think about the worst instead of just playing it be ear and be chill about it.

The only problem with the timing, aside from the worst case scenario leaving the bank high and dry with our senior banker starting paternity leave, was that I had to work at the bank and the retailer that day. This kind of miffed my little sister when I rebuffed her suggestion of calling in and coming up to Peoria. I suppose she just wanted a futile effort to be made to express my concern.

The 11-hour work day after a 40-hour week left me too tired to do anything when I got off the clock. I was in a haze which resulted in me watching one and a half "American Ninja" sequels on cable (ScreenPix). All I will say about those is that three may have been to convoluted. Four was the right amount of Cannon Group craziness to be a fun watch. When you are in that kind of state, you are too tired to poor the booze that seems so appropriate.

Thus, my Sunday was dedicated to New Japan Pro Wrestling, "Star Wars" prequels, and video game updates.  If that is your life, of course there is going to be eight hours of drinking at some point, 8 pm to 3:30 am in my case. It is a good thing this blog will never be a WWE devoted one. I was in bed by 9 pm on Monday. If that is the cost of drinking instead of hangover, I think I came out on top of that transaction.