LAURA IS A LOT OF ALOHA

Laura's Massive ALOHA

Did one ever doubt that the old geezer knew folks who were 'larger than life'???

The snap featured is of my lovely friend Laura, sister to another person known to.  To say that there is a story to tell would be putting it mildly.

I first met Laura some years back when she was in hospital fighting a nasty infection.  Laura is a massive woman and required a very large hospital bed.  Although she had been in hospital for some time, Laura was quick with a laugh and seemed delighted to have met another new person.  I remember we chatted for some time and then I left, not to come upon her for a number of years.

Waikiki is a small place and it was only a matter of time before I would run into Laura again.  Laura is a wee bit crazy when driving herself round in her mobility chair and it was at one of her brother's famous 'yard sales' that we re-connected.  Laura has lived in a small flat just blocks off the beach for years.

What started out as a kindly gester to visit one trapped in a mobility chair and living alone, turned into on-going visits that were a source of cheer to both Laura and me self.  Truth be told, Laura can be quite entertaining.  Laura is well read, surfs the Internet on her mobile daily and loves to watch reality shows on the telly.  Add a rather colourful life lived and you have endless hours of chin wagging to do.

The snap of Laura on the beach is a bit dated.  Laura is so much larger today.  At 4'10", Laura weighs in at near 400 pounds today.

The old geezer has had his problems with weight.  Bloody hell, at the largest, it was over 400 pounds for my frame as well.  Fat, for the old geezer, came late in life, but it was still a huge burden to carry.  When the lamp came on to take off the fat, it was over time and due in large part to a complete change in the way groceries are viewed. 

Truth be told, Laura's weight repulsed and frightened me.  So unsure of being able to keep the same thing from happening to me again.  I said some rather unkind things to Laura about her weight.

The odd thing about friendship is that it either overcomes the negative and grows into something beautiful of withers up and dies as a weed.  My ever growing friendship with Laura has allowed me to accept Laura just as Laura is.  Most of my willingness to see Laura is a positive light is due in no small measure to the sort of person Laura is.

Plagued by multiple health problems, Laura has still continued to find beauty in her world and to add love to it.

Laura took in a rabbit that no one wanted.  The old geezer thinks the rabbit looks evil, with one dead pink eye looking at one.  Laura loves the rabbit and cares not a fig that the rabbit is odd looking.  Laura took in a guenia pig that no one wanted.  Then there is FEBE, her rather large and very weird dog.  FEBE has a tail that wags so hard that when one is hit with it, it feels like whiplash.

Then there are the cats.  6 living in the flat and one male cat that wanders the neighbourhood feeding from one and all.  Did I not mention in the past that I loathe cats?

Laura plans her day round the needs of her pets.  Feeding, watering and cleaning up after is a very complicated process that takes hours of her day.  It is Laura's labour of love that she performs without complaint each and every day.  Laura loves her animals and in turn the love Laura unconditionally.

I adore Laura.  Like the old geezer, Laura is not without baggage, can be rather hard to take at times.  At the end of the day, Laura has a heart full of joy.  She still wants desperately to believe that folks have value, even the ones that have shat on her in the past.

Laura lives on a small social security check.  A good part of that small check goes to feed and care for her 'family'.

Laura is very clever.  She knows that the weight is not healthy.  Like I said, Laura loves her groceries.  So comfy am I with my ability to deal with food, is no longer bothers me that Laura eats more than required.  Some think of the old geezer as an enabler.  I do go to market and get food for Laura.  If I did not, someone else would.

Whatever faults Laura has, does not negate the fact that Laura is a very loving person and tons of fun to be with.  Truth be told, Laura keeps the old geezer so amused and depression is not a constant companion of late.

Laura's brother is having another one of his 'yard sales' today.  Rather think the old geezer will have to go and see of there are any items of clothing for Laura.  You never know what you will find.  Gobsmacked I have been in the past to come on items Laura was able to transform into a serviceable MU MU.

There you have it.  Another look into the world of Robert and the different sorts of people one meets in the walk through life...

WORK IN PROGRESS

Robert - September 2012

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked."

There be some who are not pleased that the old geezer is not chained to the computer, turning out post every day of the week.  Truth be told, after 6 years of keeping a very public diary, am not 'tired' of the writing but wanting to be more 'picky' as to what is shared...

There is also the fact that MOI is trying to change his daily habits, making sure that there is a large measure of exercise in each and every day.  Not enough to watch groceries, one has to give the old heart a bit of work-out every day.

The quote used today comes about due to my thinking long and hard on the wonderful folks known to.  There may not be thousands of 'friends' but am right lucky in the ones claimed.  Through some very weird times, mates have stayed close to.  How lucky I be.

Having said that, Anita, glad you continue to read and will be doing some clever stories soon.  Alan, when are you going to buy your new home in Reno?  Paul, do try not to stuff the voting box in November.  Ron will have a bang up Halloween.  Scott will more than like do OZ soon.

EATING IS SUCH A CHORE

The real shocker these past 10 days is how horrid bread is to eat.  Not sure if it due to massive sense of metallic in mouth or just how horrid it has become to eat and swallow the stuff.  Mind, this coming from a chap who never met a loaf of bread with melting butter on he did not fall in love with.

How I miss bread.  Me memories of bread are very strong, going back to Paris ans San Francisco.

The old geezer adores pasta.  When this was served up, it did not go over well.  Forget about the sauce, it just lay on the plate and haunted me.  Took three small, and I mean small, tastes and gave up.

Normally, 'toad in the hole' is one of me favourites.  Again, the attempt to eat eggs was very hard to do.  Not only were the not appealing but did not like the mixture in mouth.  Set me tummy on edge it did.  I am quite fond of 'baked beans over toast' and when tried, was able to get down but a slice before me tummy said ENOUGH...

House mates dined on chicken the other night.  Tried to eat chicken a few days ago and it came off as very dry.  Mind, I did manage to put a small piece between some bread and chew it down.

One thing is sure, me house mates are not put off by my not being hungry.  Last night they finished off a chicken between the two of them, with corn on the cob and large Ceasar Salad.

One of me house mates loves sweets.  Blessed him with a lovely pie, to thank for helping me during the days following the operation.  With the taste of sweet being gone, the very idea of tucking into is now revolting.  This coming from a chap who never met 'fat' he did not like.

Truth be told, if you take away the taste of food, it all seems like so much poo.  There is no desire to add condiments to anything fixed, as it does not matter, not going to improve taste.

Along with the complete turn off to food, is the effort required to eat the bloody stuff.  My craving is gone, and I mean gone.  There are times that am quite ill at the thought of eating.

Can you imagine?  The old geezer could not pass the ice box without hearing "I am calling, YOUUUUUUUU".  The doors of cupboards would rattle and beg me to open and pull out all sort of things to stuff into me cake hole.

Having dieted in the past, know full well, how hard it can be.  The mind and the body play tricks on to get you to break down and throw in the towel.  The telly features all of the wondrous delights to eat and before long the door to the ice box is torn off and the orgy of eating starts.

This time round, there is no effort required to ignore food.  There has been a complete shut down of temptation.  I do not feel hungry.  I do not crave anything.  Point of fact, I feel surprising good.  I have energy, no headaches from lack of food, or a burning in the tummy to fill it up.

I am drinking massive amounts of water, and pissing up a storm.  My daily visit to the loo has now become a very light chore.

Who ever thought that the old geezer would have to force self to eat.  I manage to try and get some of the vital 4 things needed for health.  With the huge reservoir of fat stored, not bloody likely to die from lack of food anytime soon.  And as long as I try to eat something, keeping in mind the 4 vital groups, do not feel any great harm is being done.  Am quite sure it will be some time before I start to look like a starving POW.

Do I know how long this will last?  No clue.  After 10 days, the sense of taste is gone and more than like for good.  Not a thing one would want but it has come with a silver lining.  There is a very strong possibility that what seemed impossible is going to happen.  MOI is going to be greatly reduced in size...