The art, adventures, wit (or lack thereof), verse, ramblings, lyrics, stories, rants & raves of Christopher R. Bakunas
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
A Good Time In Chicago Once Or Twice
If I remember it right, which I'll admit is debatable We had a good time in Chicago once or twice We enjoyed each other's company
Eating brunch and walking along the shore of Lake Michigan for a few hours afterward
Took pictures on Navy Pier (in front of that statue of Bob Newhart)
Bought Chicago dogs to eat, you got mustard on your dress Then laughed our way through that place with the maze
Decided to have dinner at a place solely because we saw a Prince impersonator carrying birthday balloons Walking in the front door
Where did we have breakfast the next morning I really can't remember
Was it that one place that bragged They served the world's finest coffee Or that other place in Lincoln Square on West?
It wasn't all that long ago you'd think my recall Of such a great place and time would be Crystal clear but it's not
What was the name of that place we danced at
After we had dinner near Wrigley Field You know, the place that featured The best '80's cover band ever?
Man, they kept us on the dance floor for hours
It was more than just another good night out in a good town It was a great night out in a great town
Even if we missed out on seeing the Cubs play Hey they lost to the Brewers anyway
Yeah, if I remember it right, which is debatable, we had a good time in Chicago once or twice
Back when we enjoyed each other's company
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Centipede
It has been estimated (by those that estimate these sort of things) that there are around 8,000 species of centipedes on this planet.
Most of them are venomous.
So be careful when you see a centipede, and never try to pet them.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Friday, June 18, 2021
Thursday, June 17, 2021
The Scream Of The Ice Maker
I poked my head as far into the freezer as I could and saw what I thought was ice behind the slots of a grill that was directly below the housing of the motor that turned the auger that pushed the ice cubes down the chute that led to the outside of the freezer - I took as close up of a photo of the grill as I could to better ascertain if it was indeed ice I was seeing.
Yep, that was ice in there, and it was no doubt interfering with the small fan that kept the frosty air circulating below the ice-maker.
1/4" did the trick and with that in hand I first removed the housing of the auger motor and placed it on the kitchen counter.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
365 Days Later
One year ago this morning I walked downstairs and heard a very quiet plea for help. When I turned the corner into the kitchen and looked down the short flight of stairs into the lower level I saw MJM sprawled on the floor, unable to stand.
One year ago today he was laying in a bed in the ICU at St Anthony's here in Lakewood, an IV full of a liquid clot buster inserted into his arm, unable to stand much less walk, his speech nearly unintelligible.
He had suffered an ischemic stroke.
Ischemic strokes account for 87% of all strokes (hemorrhagic strokes are the other 13%). Ischemic strokes are caused primarily by high blood pressure with several other risk factors at play, including high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and atrial fibrillation.
Treatment for strokes today is incredible. MJM has not made a full recovery (his left field vision is pretty much gone), but he can walk unaided, use his left arm and hand at about 85%, and can speak clearly - heck, he speaks better now than he did before the stroke.
However...that stroke could have been prevented if only...
If only MJM had annual physicals (he hadn't seen a Doctor for nearly 30 years before he ended up in St Anthony's). If only he took better care of his body (MJM was a notorious couch potato). If only he had a better diet (living on fast food and soda is not a healthy diet).
There are a few other things he would have been better off avoiding, but his former vices are his business so I won't divulge.
Today is a great day for MJM to celebrate life, and a few other friends and I made sure of it.
The only other thing to mention regarding strokes is that, if you haven't had a physical in awhile get one scheduled soon.
The life you save may be your own.
Monday, June 14, 2021
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Friday, June 11, 2021
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Idiots To Criminals, Geniuses to Statesmen
I'm up to my eyes in it
May as well let the cat out of the bag
It's no longer a secret so I'm just goin' to have to admit
My heart's no longer willing to submit
For awhile now patience's been wearing a red flag
Timer getting louder and louder with every passing minute
Too many zeros following that number on the price tag
All those best laid plans hitting every imaginable snag
Sometimes the truth sets you free
And sometimes the truth sentences you to life
Alone like a shipwreck victim in the Saragossa sea
Down the maelstrom of sorrow in a barrel full of strife
Can no longer close my eyes to it
If I try to keep my mouth shut any longer I'll gag
I took a bite of the ice cream but all I got was sand and grit
Can't push the envelope any further, time to quit
Cat no longer curls up in my lap, dog's tail refuses to wag
Going down on strikes like Rob Deer, can't buy a hit
Running slower than a snail suffering from jet lag
Can't get any worse and I'm not trying to brag
Sometimes the truth sets you free
And sometimes the truth sentences you to life
Alone like that one partridge in that pear tree
Which wasn't even close enough to satisfy that guys wife
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Monday, June 7, 2021
Enough Is Enough
I'm fairly certain I've had my fill of memorial services for this year.
Three to date and it's only early June.
People I've known for decades being taken much too young, much too soon.
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Friday, June 4, 2021
A Little Rain
He woke up with a song from Bone Machine playing in his head
Wait's gravelly voice sandpapering his ears from the inside
It was the song with the bit about the 15 year old hitchhiker
Who climbed into the van of a serial killer
A disturbing recounting of the last words she ever spoke
"I love you Mom", according to Tom
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
It's A Weird World After All
For example, the lawns, which all had an eerily consistent Kelly green color and were as smooth as velvet, were not some advanced astro-turf like product, they were real grass, carefully manicured every morning and nourished only with water that had been carefully distilled and treated with various minerals that resulted in the almost fluorescent Kelly green hue.
Ten Handy Tips For Making Friends
1) Introduce yourself as yourself. Not the best possible version of yourself and not the worst, just you being you.
2) Don't smell offensively
3) Don't be creepy
4) Wherever you are, be there for what's going on there. If you are at a concert, be there for the music. No one at that concert went there to hear your views on vaccinations, how much the country sucks, health care, or whether or not Elon Musk is sane.
5) Get involved with a group that enjoys doing what you enjoy doing - it's the age of the internet, the greatest time to be alive in the whole history of civilization. 15 minutes on Google researching local groups that are comprised of people who like what you like will get results - tens to hundreds to thousands to millions of results (seriously, I just googled "chair collecting" and got 60,300,000 results in 0.79 seconds - did you know Brad Pitt is a chair collector?)
6) Go back to school, no matter how old you are - never to late to learn something new and make new school chums.
7) Learn to read people - if you introduce yourself to someone who instantly treats you with disdain, politely move on. Do not waste your time, energy or efforts trying to win someone over because you think they are supercool. No, they're not.
8) Do not overshare. You know what I mean
9) Do not start a conversation then dominate the conversation. Conversations are give and take, not you just speaking to people.
10) Play nice
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
When We Blind Ourselves Pt II
We neutralize
All good characteristics they will ever display
Trivialize
Any kind words they might have to say
Scandalize
Their behaviors no matter how blasé
Ostracize
As if they have no right to fair play
Stigmatize
Relying on rumors, half truths and hearsay
Demonize
Everything about them, every minute of everyday
Our villains
When We Blind Ourselves
We idolize
Without mention of flaws
Mythologize
Never remember the falls
Apologize
Sweep away any miscalls
Canonize
Enshrine in sacred halls
Optimize
Shout down all the catcalls
Sanitize
Polish up the critic's scrawls
Our heroes