When women have to live in the same house, the sparks will fly.
Living in my parents’ home is difficult for eveyone involved. My mom and wife seem to have major differences of opinion that are fueled by emotion and the desire for dominance.
My dad and I are just happy to have a place to sleep and eat.
We are astounded and awestruck by the emotions the women in our lives experience. I guess there are advantages to being too emotional as well as being emotionless. It is hard to find the correct balance.
Each day brings its own challenges for everyone.
Sometimes, in a crowded environment, it is easy for everyone to get on everyone elses nerves. The best advice I know of is, “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” Proverbs 13:10
I think the hardest thing to do is to take advice or constructive criticism from others.
When emotions get involved, any advice is offensive. I have learned my lesson to not give my own advice, even if it is asked for.
Sharing the wisdom and advice in the bible is worth its weight in gold.
Everyone I share God’s knowledge with can always blame Him for any outcome that is not what they wanted. It is easier to shift blame to an eternal being than accept it yourself.
Giving advice is more often than not a curse.
Often giving advice is “damned if you do and damned is you don’t.” My favorite statements to escape giving advice are “Wow. Really! Okay! Tell me more. That is really something.”
More often than not, everyone just wants you to listen and not say anything anyway.
They usually find their own answer and you are not to blame is it does not work out. “Silence is golden!”
Oh well, after reading the next few chapters of the original Zuranski saga, you will understand that I am happy just to be alive.
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“How the Next Four Days Changed My Life Forever!” by Ralph Zuranski
The cars careened around my car as people shouted at the top of their lungs.
Yikes! What should I to do. There was no warning on anything wrong. I thought there was enough gas.
With hope and a prayer, I cranked the car motor over and over and over again, desperate to get it running.
Nothing happened. Other drivers got more angry and hostile. The high heat and humidity was taking its toll on everyone, especially me. The heat was unbearable in the car. The air conditioning definitely needed charging before I left for San Diego. It seems the Freon had leaked out while the car was sitting for a month when we were in San Diego.
With one last prayer, I turned the key in the ignition.
Suddenly, the engine turned over and started. “Hallelujah! Thank the Lord!,” I yelled. Quickly, I drove the car to the gas station on the corner and filled the gas tank. I assumed the car ran out of gas. I was relieved it was something so simple. Little did I know this was only a premonition of the car trials and tribulations yet to come.
After an hour drive to the Rockwall Verizon store, no problems appeared, providing a false sense of peace.
Stopping in the middle of traffic was only a fluke, or at least I hoped so. It took about an hour to return to the apartment. I arrived just in time to meet Jason and his two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Lauren. They were thrilled to get a months supply of food for free. Also, Jason asked if he could use some of the furniture until we returned to Dallas. No problem.
For all of you other grandparents out there, you can relate to heart-ripping choice between helping your parents and staying with the grandkids.
In a fictitious world, the entire family would be living within a short distance. But, in the mobile world of today, family members are scattered across the planet.
The hard choice between living near aged parents and young children is one of the most difficult.
Young children, especially at the ages 5 and 7 are so precious. They will be alive long after we pass from this earth.
Kids are so encouraging, giving, loving and entertaining.
They add tremendous joy to everyday life, especially if they are your grandkids. You can have fun with them until you get tired or bored. You never know what will pop out of their sweet little mouths.
Just attending their sporting and cheerleading events is a thrill as the struggle to assert their own personalities.
They love and adore their grandparents so much. Kids are a chief source of good-feeling fixes every day. They make you feel more special than just about anyone on the planet. Plus, you have the money and time to enjoy their company. You can bribe them with goodies and money to conform to your wishes. A few quarters at this age go a long way. Ah! The joy of using the carrot discipline technique rather than the stick most of the time.
Besides, isn’t it fun to spoil them rotten?
How enjoyable is it to have fun with the grandkids all day and then return them to the parents. It is sort of payback for all the problems your children put you through while they were growing up.
Tears streamed down my face as I turned my head away.
While I was struggling with packing and stuffing food into plastic shopping bags, Hannah and Lauren each came up to me for a farewell hug. We did not know when we would see each other again.
Finally, all the plastic containers were filled and with pure horror I realized another thirty were needed.
How in the world had we accumulated so much stuff. I guess living 100 yards from the Garland Goodwill Store is a curse and a blessing.
The Goodwill Store provided numerous signs of God’s blessing in my life.
Our finances were very limited for a long time after we moved to Dallas. It is extremely hard to start all over when you move to a new city. Five years previously, when we moved from San Diego, to help out the Jason and Stephanie and the grandkids, life was tough. All my computer consulting clients were 1500 miles away in Coronado, CA.
The Goodwill Store was a place of refuge and blessings while being trapped in HELL.
Oppressive, blistering heat plagued Dallas the first summer. With 90 straight days of over 100 degree temperatures, high humidity and no rain, the thought crossed my mind often that I had moved from “San Diego paradise to Dallas HELL!” When our financial, emotional and physical resources were stressed to the breaking point, the Goodwill Store beckoned like a beacon of hope.
Few people could believe the phenomenal deals I found at the Goodwill Store.
The numerous opportunities to buy things I wanted for pennies on the dollar was a real blessing. God provided for our needs and some of our wants in a miraculous way. Now, all those blessings seemed like a million little curses. They were just useless items that needed to be moved into storage when I desperately wanted to drive to San Diego to see my dad.
Janet was going to be furious with me.
Trying to label containers and pack Janet’s precious items soon lost its appeal. The heat and humidity turned me into a raging beast of a mover who only wanted to “GET DONE!” My only goal now was to jam as much stuff as possible into each container. I would deal with Janet’s wrath later when we unpacked the plastic crates.
The race to finish before the Corey and Lamont showed up at 10:30 was being lost one second at a time.
More plastic storage containers were needed. A quick trip to Home Depot ended with another 15 containers…all that I could fit into the car.
Like a madman, I threw stuff into containers, headless of the crunching and cracking sounds.
Wow! It almost felt good breaking the stuff. Then I could just make a hundred foot trip to the dumpster. But, thoughts of Janet weighed heavily on my mind. I only hoped a few of her precious things would survive unbroken.
The difficulty of finding a moving truck to rent at the last moment was extreme.
Finally I located one at Budget Truck Rentals. Time was wasting and the movers would arrive in less than an hour. The race to rent the truck and get back to the apartment was on.
The truck was bigger than I expected.
Only one truck was available…a 15 footer. I had hoped for a smaller one at a cheaper price. There were zero options so I filled out the paperwork. I had to call my car insurance to make sure they covered the truck. It is a good idea to do this in advance before you move.
Thank God for big muscles.
Corey and Lamont were waiting when I pulled up. They were large men, capable of loading an elephant if necessary. Quickly they started loading the packed storage containers. Soon, I was standing in the midst of possessions strewn around the room while they were waiting, waiting, waiting for me to get the new containers loaded.
Another miracle occurred when Corey volunteered his girlfriend to come down and load containers.
She just happened to be off today. With her help, everything was loaded and packed in the truck except for the large sofa, kitchen table, huge cherry wood dresser and queen-sized bed.
I had no idea where the items were packed that I needed to take with me to San Diego.
I would solve that problem later. The priority one was to get the stuff to storage and return the truck before 5 PM. It was now 3 PM and ticking.
Another miracle happened regarding the furniture.
Corey offered to buy the dresser, sofa, table and chairs. He was borrowing his mom’s furniture. She was picking all of it up that weekend. Corey desperately needed my big pieces, but did not have any money. He needed the $100 moving fee to pay his rent.
Was it time to trust God, that He wanted Corey to have my furniture?
At this point, I did not really care about the furniture. My heart was in San Diego with Janet, my mom and dad. I wrote out a sales agreement with him paying me a minimum of $50 a month until the furniture was paid in full. Since Corey had appeared miraculously on my doorstep to help move, a sense of peace came over me as I realized this was a part of God’s plan. I also gave him some book shelves he wanted and other items that would be of value.
With great joy, Corey and Lamont moved the all the big items upstairs, except for the bed.
Finally, most of the items were packed. We jumped into the truck and raced 100 yards to the storage. I was anxious about getting the truck back by 5 PM. As we pulled up to the storage, we jumped out and opened the steel rolling door. The interior was filled with fine Dallas dust. Also, it would be extremely difficult to offload the possessions, since the unit was in the middle of a row where the truck would not fit.
Another miracle took place.
The storage manager gave us a 10 X 15 unit right on the main feeder street, a few feet away from our current location. In a matter of 40 minutes, the possessions found a new home in a storage unit that was now too big. Without the sofa, dresser, table and chairs, a third of the space was unused. I needed a smaller space that would save about $30 a month in rent.
Corey and Lamont were relieved to be finished.
The boiling hot sun, over 100 degree temperature and high humidity had taken its toll. We were all exhausted, soaked to the skin and dehydrated. Gratefully, I paid Lamont and Corey the $100 each we had agreed upon. They were thrilled to be finished and drove off in Lamont’s Chevy Suburban.
God inspired me to bless Corey and Lamont beyond their expectations.
While making a trip to Home Depot for more storage containers and Wendy’s for lunch for everyone in Lamont’s Chevy Suburban, I noticed the fuel tank was on empty. God had put it on my heart to provide a little extra reward. I filled his Suburban up.
$50 seemed like the right amount.
Amazingly, that was the exact amount needed to fill the tank to overflowing. This was God’s way of blessing others who were doing His will. Lamont was very active in youth sports and transported lots of kids who had no other way of getting to practice and games. The extra gas would bless many of the young people he ministered to.
Now, the dreaded cleaning of 5 years of accumulated filth was about to begin.
With a six pack of Beck’s dark beer to deaden the pain, the bathroom was the first challenge. How could so much dirt and grit pile up in such a short time. The dust was epidemic…everywhere it was piled high.
As the hours skittered by, the horrible realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
There was no way the apartment could be cleaned in the time available. I desperately needed some sleep. The next day would require a massive second move of the by now hated possessions into a 10 X 10 storage unit. Also, I would have to go through every container searching for items that needed to go to San Diego.
Another miracle manifested itself out of thin air.
Jason showed up to pick up a book case he ask for. When he realized the immensity of the cleaning job, he immediately volunteered. He called his friend Karen who cleaned apartments for a living. She agreed to come help, even though it was 9 PM.
In short order the cleaning was accomplished when a few hours before it seemed impossible.
Karen asked for $20-$25 for her services. I was so grateful, she received $30. Jason was happy to get many more items sitting around the apartment.
After 5 hours sleep, it was time to tackle the behemoth moving job…again!!!
The storage manager just happened to have an empty 10 X 10 only ten feet from the 10 X 15. What an answer to prayer! It was still cool enough and the sun was not shining on the face of the units.
With every ounce of strength the second move began.
My back felt strong. This also was a miracle. After being crushed by defective elevator doors less than a year before, my back had been killing me. Chiropractic and rolfing helped a lot but did not provide permanent relief.
Dr. Linda Martin, DO, in Conroe Texas, had encouraged me to try Neurocranial Restructuring at Willis Healthcare.
Dr. Martin had been a friend for over 24 years. She was one of the first doctors to buy and be trained by me to use the Electro-Acuscope and Myopulse on her pain patients. She was always thinking of her patient’s first…always seeking any treatment that would help them.
When Dr. Martin hired me to create her website, she suggested I experience all of her new therapies first.
Dr. Martin knew I had been suffering from chronic back pain for many years, even before the elevator accident. She, along with Dr. Trowbridge, DO in Houston, had been plagued by crippling back pain for a long time. Dr. Trowbridge had even had surgery with no relief. He was looking at another surgery with fear and dread, knowing paralysis could result if the procedure was not successful.
Dr. Martin told me that Neurocranial Restructuring kept her and Dr. Trowbridge pain free and that it could be the answer I was looking for.
“What is Neurocranial Restructuring,” I asked. This was a new therapy developed by Dr. Dean Howell, an ND, who had perfected the technique. It involves using muscle testing to determine imbalances in the alignment of the bones in the skull, back and pelvis. Once the tests are completed a trained doctor knows exactly where the source of the problem resides.
When Doctor Linda Martin told me she was going to inflate small balloons in my sinuses, my first reaction was “NO WAY!”
The first time I traveled to Dr. Martin’s clinic in Conroe to take photos, shoot video and interview her, I was impressed with her testimony about how NeuroCranial Restructuring (NCR) had helped her and Dr. Trowbridge. But, I was a little leery of anyone messing with my face.
My nose was broken at least 6 times along with some crushing major blows to my head and face.
Car wrecks, surfing accidents, flying objects had all impacted my face and head. With a big nose, it was inevitable it was the first to suffer damage from incoming missile, blows to the head, etc. My nose had permanently twisted to the left. I was afraid to have anyone touch it.
Later, after returning home, Janet and I and watched the Neurocranial Restructuring video with a lot of skepticism.
Doctor Howell’s explanation made sense to both of us. Blows to the head cause the movable bones in the skull to get stuck together. The dura (the plastic like material that lines the skull and is attached to the ligaments and tendons in the spinal column), cannot move freely when there are adhesions and restrictions in the bones of the face and skull.
The theory that blows to the head affect the rest of the body mad absolute sense.
My entire face had suffered damage when it slammed into the hard beach during a terrible wipe out. I had been surfing Huntington Beach in LA, an unfamiliar beach break on a big stormy day. While I was riding a huge wave, locked into the tube, I did not realize it was ready to break onto the shore.
My girlfriend and best friend Duke were waving their arms and screaming, “Kick out.! Kick out! It’s the beach break!”
There was no hope for me. Even though I tried to kick my board through the wave face, it was just too big and powerful. My face and body slammed into the sand with a force so powerful, few can understand unless they have wiped out on a big wave.
When the water rolled back down the beach, my limp body dragged to a stop.
I was stunned by the force of the impact. As I rolled over and gingerly touched my face, I was frightened. My entire face seemed like putty. Blood, water and green snot poured from my nose. When I looked into a mirror, my face looked lopsided. The left side was pushed in. My left ear was higher than my right.
What a massive headache!
I did not feel better until weeks later. Man was I ever embarrassed for wiping out in front of my friends. This seemed to be the beginning of chronic back problems for the next 23 years.
Janet and I decided to try NCR.
Dr. Martin was kind enough to treat us during a weekend, doing one treatment Friday night, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Let me tell you, it was a very weird feeling having her insert and expand a small balloon in my left sinus. There are three sinus cavities on each side of the nose. After the tests, all four treatments were on my left sinuses.
Janet and I could not believe our senses after the first NCR treatment.
Her sinuses opened and she could breath much better. I noticed an immediate release of the tightness in my lower back. The pain disappeared. My body’s posture changed dramatically. It felt like a new body. Even my nose began to straighten.
Amazingly, all four treatments were directed to my left sinuses, where the major blows had scrunched my face.
After the final treatment on Sunday, my nose was 75% straightened and my back felt strong again. It was a miracle. After so many years of a weak, painful back, I was overjoyed. There is nothing that makes you feel more wimpy than a bad back.
With the help of a large dolly and the confidence of a strong back and optimal nutrition, the moving only took only 6 hours.
I had to open each container and search for the things that needed to go to San Diego. This slowed the process to a snail’s pace. The close to 100 degree temperature with the high humidity, left me soaked in sweat and bone tired.
Thankfully, I knew the benefits of super nutrition when extreme physical and emotional demands required the best I had to offer.
I drank extra doses of New Vision’s liquid vitamins with Mangosteen and their liquid minerals. My favorite combination of New Vision Organic Greens and Super Food provided the fuel necessary to complete this massive job in a short period of time. I also popped 2 grams of A lacer’s Super Gram IIIs every hour and drank lots of water laced with their powdered Emergen-C with MSM.
There was just enough time to get the air conditioning charged, oil changed and fluids topped off in the car.
I hoped and prayed the car would make the final trip. It was loaded to the roof top with research books, exercise devices, optimal nutrients, etc. I knew driving a 12 year old car across the desert in 111 degree heat was a long shot. If only I could make it alive.
The final preparations were underway to make my escape from Dallas that evening.
Jason came back to the apartment to help with the final load and pick up the bed. When he saw how much still remained, his draw dropped. He said, “You have got to be kidding.”
There was a definite problem of too much junk.
We jammed the SUV to the hilt with as much stuff as possible. Then we drove to the storage unit. When we opened the door, everyone was stunned. You could not fit one more thing unless something was removed. So we offloaded everything in the alley. Then we loaded the bed on top of the SUV and tied it down with surgical tubing from the oxygen concentrators.
I was totally bummed the two oxygen concentrators and the HealthRider would not fit in the car.
Neither my dad or anyone else would be able to reap the huge rewards of exercising with oxygen. This perhaps the second most powerful therapy behind Neurocranial Restructuring. After working out with oxygen for over two weeks, my biological age felt like it had been reset at 30 years old.
As fate would have it, the amount we removed from storage provided exactly the space we needed to store the last load.
With hugs all around and a nice thank you card from Jason, we parted. I raced back home, packed the final items and hit the road at 12 midnight with no sleep.
Everything worked perfectly until the following morning and then the *%?*@$* hit the fan?
The air conditioning worked great. Every few hours, when I could not keep my eyes open one second longer, I pulled into a gas station and slept for a short time. The car was so jammed with storage containers, sitting straight up was the only option.
After 9 hours I was making great time when tragedy struck.
A strange noise started coming from the front of the car. I pulled over and saw my front left tire was going flat. Miraculously, a small town exit was only 100 feet away. In a matter of minutes I found a tire store. They quickly elevated the front end and asked, “Where is the special key that unlocks the mag locks.” “What!,” I said. “What wheel locks are you talking about?” They told me Lincolns had special wheel locks and the key was usually attached to the spare tire.
Was I ever tired after unpacking the entire trunk to get at the spare tire.
Guess what? Of course, some mechanic along the way had failed to replace the key. My options were only one…a rubber plug that might hold the entire trip. I was concerned but lifted it up to the Lord. After telling the mechanics about my mom and dad and sharing my faith in God, I was on my way with a wing and prayer. I was hoping my guardian angel was back from his coffee break. I wonder if they have Starbucks in heaven?
Heat prostration almost claimed my life.
About noon, the eyes were fluttering shut. Sleep was clawing at my consciousness. I pulled over into a gas station parking lot. The temperature was nearing 95. As I closed my eyes a wave of relief flooded over me. Two minutes later I sensed extreme heat and water pouring down my face.
The temperature in the car had to be approaching 120 degrees.
Immediately, I started the car and put the air conditioner at max power. In a matter of minutes, my body temperature started to drop. I was dehydrated and slugged down water mixed with Emergen-C. The electrolytes soon revived me and I was on my way…thankful I had come back to life before going into shock.
Time for another unexpected crisis.
To Be Continued….