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	<title>Saphrym &#187; Anecdote</title>
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	<description>Forging phrases.</description>
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		<title>A Question About Alzheimer’s</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/a-question-about-alzheimer%e2%80%99s/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/a-question-about-alzheimer%e2%80%99s/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 07:34:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder that is associated with progressive dementia that ultimately terminates in death.&#160; What would it be like to lose many if not all of your memories?&#160; If you had to rely on notes to yourself to &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/a-question-about-alzheimer%e2%80%99s/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://saphrym.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/alzheimers.png" alt="A Question About Alzheimer’s" title="A Question About Alzheimer’s" width="600" height="120" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-931" /><br />
<em>
<p style="text-align: center;">Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder that is associated with progressive dementia that ultimately terminates in death.&nbsp; What would it be like to lose many if not all of your memories?&nbsp; If you had to rely on notes to yourself to remind you of who you are and what you are about as a person, what would you write down?</p>
<p></em><br />
<span id="more-846"></span></p>
<p>I have a hard time with certain memories as it is now. Names and dates tend to leave my brain almost instantly. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast. My short-term memory is just really bad. I’ve learned a lot to help it by using numbers as they are the only thing I’m good at remembering. But if I lost all of my memories and basically had to read a diary every morning, here are a few things I might put in there:</p>
<p>“Your name is Michael.</p>
<p>You have a wife named Angela and a daughter named Nicole.</p>
<p>Your wife is that lovely woman you see on your phone when you press the button. Your daughter is the girl next to her.</p>
<p>Your wife is a very loving person. She is kind. She works too hard but she does a good job at anything she puts her mind to.</p>
<p>Your daughter likes to whine now, but hopefully that’ll go away one day. If she’s not doing it the next time you see her, make sure to tell her she’s doing a good job. Otherwise, she is very smart. So be careful about anything she asks. She might be trying to get away with something.</p>
<p>The four animals belong to your family. The black cat is Sega. She likes to lay on you at night. The big black dog is Solitaire. She likes to lick faces and play volleyball with balloons. The pug is Sora. She’s your wife’s dog. And the rat, I mean little dog, is Sony. He’s your best bud. Make sure to let him get in your arms and say hi or else he’ll bark at you all day.</p>
<p>You are a writer. On the computer is a file your wife will point out to you. Read it. And then add to it. You’ll be able to once you’re caught up. Just don’t forget to not try to make it into a novel. You’ll have a hard time catching up tomorrow. Just sell the short stories.</p>
<p>Also, if it is Monday or Wednesday, you’re going to have company at 4:30pm. You mentor a few boys. Your job is only to play games with them and help them with their school work. Don’t worry. You’ll like them.</p>
<p>Before bed, make sure to add anything else to this you might want to remember. But keep it short. Thanks!”</p>
<p>I am my family. That’s why I listed them first.</p>
<p><em>(This question was posted to my college forums and this was my answer. I decided to share with you guys. What would your answer be?)</em></p>
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		<title>This is My Scream</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/poetry/this-is-my-scream/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/poetry/this-is-my-scream/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:20:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poem]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever woke up and realized you&#8217;ve lost hope? Have you ever woke up and realized there was a stone wall around your soul keeping everything good and pure out and opening only for the legions of dark thoughts &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/poetry/this-is-my-scream/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://saphrym.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/myscream.png" alt="This is My Scream" title="This is My Scream" width="600" height="120" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-954" /><br />
Have you ever woke up and realized you&#8217;ve lost hope? Have you ever woke up and realized there was a stone wall around your soul keeping everything good and pure out and opening only for the legions of dark thoughts that fly around looking to corrupt you? Have you ever woke up and looked at yourself in the mirror and saw a creature that your darkest nightmares would be afraid of? Have you ever woke up with black fire surrounding you, burning<span id="more-816"></span> into your spirit, leaving scars and black ash?</p>
<p>Have you ever woke up and realized you wanted to scream? Have you ever wanted to scream at those that have helped you lose hope? Have you ever wanted to scream at those individuals that have crafted those dark thoughts and helped you put up those walls? Have you ever wanted to scream a guttural cry at the creature in the mirror? Have you ever wanted to scream at the black fire that burns?</p>
<p>Have you ever wanted to scream knowing that if you did so, those dark thoughts, black fire, creature in the mirror, and every other dark and cruel thing in your life would suddenly seem tiny and unnecessary? Have you ever screamed and felt the the light fill your hollow soul? Have you ever screamed at the world that constantly puts obstacles in your way? Have you ever screamed at the person who broke your heart? Have you ever screamed at the wall in your way? Have you ever screamed at those who doubt you? Have you ever screamed at those who say you are worthless? Have you ever screamed at those who whisper behind you? Have you ever just screamed a release?</p>
<p>This. This is my scream. This is my return to life. This is me screaming that I will be a husband to my bride. This is me screaming that I will be a father to my child. This is me screaming that I will succeed. This is me waking up and not liking what I see and screaming the darkness away, watching it tremble in the light. This is me&#8230; being me.</p>
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		<title>No. I Mean Really Bad Luck.</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/no-i-mean-really-bad-luck/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/no-i-mean-really-bad-luck/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Quite a few things have happened in my life in just the last couple of days. Well, ok. Only one thing. But it&#8217;s composed of many little things. I got a new job. I am now a teacher at a &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/no-i-mean-really-bad-luck/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://saphrym.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/reallybadluck.png" alt="No. I Mean Really Bad Luck." title="No. I Mean Really Bad Luck." width="600" height="120" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-957" /><br />
Quite a few things have happened in my life in just the last couple of days. Well, ok. Only one thing. But it&#8217;s composed of many little things. I got a new job. I am now a teacher at a high school about an hour away. Great, right? Yep. A dream of mine. I am overly ecstatic and I&#8217;m not being sarcastic. However, after I got the job, following are the things that have happened to me:<span id="more-431"></span></p>
<ol>
<li>I go to the school for an interview. I guess I ace the interview because not long after I leave, I get a call that they want me to substitute teach for the position until the end of the week to make sure we were a fit for each other. I get happy. I drive back to the school to get paperwork done. I&#8217;m told, &#8220;See you tomorrow,&#8221; and sent on my way. I&#8217;m still happy but I begin to realize I just took a job that will test me by fire.&nbsp;I start freaking. A little.</li>
<li>I pick up the family along the way home. We walk in the door. The house smells like rotten eggs. &#8220;Gas,&#8221; I think. I freak again. I call the gas company. They check around. They test. No gas leak. Was coming from somewhere else. I stop freaking until I remember the job.</li>
<li>I go to bed and wake up. There&#8217;s ice on the roads. They&#8217;re salting them so it will&nbsp;ok. I take a shower and get ready for work. I head out. Car slides backwards. I freak. I call the school and tell them the situation. They understand and ask me to come when the roads are clear. I stop freaking until I remember I&#8217;m still going to the job. Seniors. They have teeth.</li>
<li>The roads clear because the sun comes out. I get happy. I start driving to work. In front of me are a few cars that decide that 35 is the new 55. I snail my way to work about an hour later than expected. I freak again because they really wanted me to be there for at least one certain class. I walk in and it&#8217;s the end of that class, but enough time to introduce me to them. I stop freaking until I realize the seniors are my next class. I mentioned seniors have teeth, right?</li>
</ol>
<p>And that was my last 24 hours. I had amazingly good luck getting the job. The other was bad luck. No. I mean really bad luck. Or so I thought. But then I remembered Haiti.</p>
<p>Update 3/19/2011: The job fell through a long time ago. Forgot to update this. And my mention of Haiti was because of how bad they had it at the time. If this post was written today it would say Japan instead.</p>
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		<title>The Heart Problem</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-heart-problem/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-heart-problem/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:33:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=312</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It begins with that tight feeling in your chest. That feeling that makes you hope you&#8217;ve only trapped some carbon dioxide a little bit below your throat. It makes you hope that it&#8217;s nothing but indigestion. It makes you hope. &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-heart-problem/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It begins with that tight feeling in your chest. That feeling that makes you hope you&#8217;ve only trapped some carbon dioxide a little bit below your throat. It makes you hope that it&#8217;s nothing but indigestion. It makes you hope. But it also scares the crap out of you when you touch your neck and find that your heartbeat is skipping.</p>
<p>As I tumbled into the warm sheets I felt that tightness in my chest. It felt odd. It felt different. But then I felt that skipping heart beat. I called my doctor the next day. I wish I hadn&#8217;t and I&#8217;m glad I did.</p>
<p>I was<span id="more-312"></span> waiting quietly in a room. I&#8217;m only 35 and therefore feel like maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere down the road. Everyone in the building is in their 70s or older. It felt like those dreams of being caught in your underwear walking down the hallway at school. But I waited. Patiently. It&#8217;s easy to do that when you smoke. I remember those times. When I smoked and could wait patiently. But I get ahead of myself.</p>
<p>I was asked to come to the back room. They attached a few cold pieces of plastic and metal to my skin. I just knew a large switch on the wall was going to be pulled soon and all of this would be over. But that didn&#8217;t happen. Instead, I walked on a treadmill for 4 minutes. Yeah. Only 4 minutes. Sheesh. There had to be something wrong. Then they took pictures of my heart. I was claustrophobic. Not anymore. I then was able to go eat and hang out until they took more pictures of my heart. But the IV had to stay in my hand. I looked like an escaped mental patient. Thank goodness I wasn&#8217;t wearing a hospital gown. Oh wait. I did. Later.</p>
<p>See, something was odd about that stress test. The heart doctor said I must get a heart cath done. I am told that a heart cath is where they make a hole in your nether regions and push a tube up into your heart to take some pictures of the inside. That is all I&#8217;m told. I&#8217;ve never heard of a heart cath before. Nether regions? Exactly where would this hole be? What size tube? How come I&#8217;m not allowed to eat anything for 18 hours before doing this? Are they scared I&#8217;ll relieve myself once I see what is going to happen to me? This scares me.</p>
<p>Then the day comes when I dress in the hospital gown, down a couple of &#8220;the good pills&#8221; and lie down on a cold metal slab only to wake up talking like a 2-year-old with a severe case of ADHD and wondering why there&#8217;s pressure on my right leg. About an hour later I wake up again, this time with purple bumblebees flying in my room and the doctor telling me I have a head like a bowling ball. 30 minutes later my wife tells me those purple bumblebees were not in existence and that the doctor actually said I had the heart of a 25-year-old. Since I&#8217;m 35, I guess that&#8217;s a good thing.</p>
<p>So my doctor gives me Nexium. Turns out, it <em>was</em> indigestion. But hey&#8230; I managed to quit smoking and gain 30 pounds. Oh, and now I really do have ADHD since I no longer have nicotine to curb it. There&#8217;s got to be a lesson in there somewhere. I just can&#8217;t find it.</p>
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		<title>The World is Empty</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/editorials/the-world-is-empty/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/editorials/the-world-is-empty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:09:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Editorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heartbreak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=308</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is in response to a question from Queue: If everyone on the planet stopped existing but you, but the world, in it&#8217;s current state, was left exactly the same, what would you do? Well, the logical part of my &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/editorials/the-world-is-empty/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is in response to a question from <a href="http://q3-n.com/">Queue</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>If everyone on the planet stopped existing but you, but the world, in it&#8217;s current state, was left exactly the same, what would you do?</p></blockquote>
<p>Well, the logical part of my brain has to look at this multiple ways:<span id="more-308"></span></p>
<ul>
<li>Electricity and running water would only be around for a couple of days, if that, as no one would be running the power plants. So generators and things like solar panels would be the only option for electricity. Bottled water would be the only option for drinking water.</li>
<li>The world&#8217;s wealth would be at my disposal, however I don&#8217;t know how to fly a plane or sail a boat. So I&#8217;d be landlocked and stuck in the American continents.</li>
<li>I have no outdoor survival skills, so I&#8217;d also have to make do in the cities. But since that is the only source of easily gotten food, that&#8217;s perfectly okay.</li>
<li>With no other computers having electricity, all communications would be gone. No Internet. No phone. But of course, no people, so I guess that doesn&#8217;t matter.</li>
<li>And another problem: I would have no idea that the world is empty. Can&#8217;t communicate to find it out.</li>
</ul>
<p>But that&#8217;s my logical mind. My logical mind pales in comparison to my emotional one. I am human after all. So I&#8217;ll answer that part with a narrative:</p>
<p><em>I wake up to an empty bed. However, this is a normal occurrence, as my wife always gets up before I do. That&#8217;s how we get our time to ourselves. She goes to bed before I do and wakes up before I do. So we always have about two hours on our own. I pick up my phone to check my e-mail, a normal part of my routine, but there&#8217;s no signal.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;That&#8217;s odd. Will have to see if she gets a signal. If not, I&#8217;ll call customer service,&#8221; I think.</em></p>
<p><em>I plant my feet on the floor and stretch. My eyes slowly start focusing on the rest of the room. It&#8217;s quiet.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;The fan&#8217;s not on. Electricity must be out.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>I head to the bathroom. I walk out and head to the computer room where my wife should be. She&#8217;s not there.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;Hmmm. Must be outside. Oh, wait. Electricity is out. That explains it.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>I head outside with a smile on my face as I imagine my morning kiss. She&#8217;s not there. I look around. The van is not gone. I go back inside and head over to my daughter&#8217;s room. Maybe she&#8217;ll know where mommy is. She&#8217;s not there either. Her room is alone just as I am. I can&#8217;t call to find out where they are so I wait.</em></p>
<p><em>I wait some more. I grab a book and start reading.</em></p>
<p><em>An hour later they are still not here. I&#8217;m worried.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;If the van is not gone, where did they go?&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>I get in the van and drive to my friend&#8217;s house. He&#8217;s always home at this time of the morning. The city feels alone. His house looks just as dead. No answer.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;Hmmm.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>I drive back home and look around. I notice that there are no cars or people around the road. I get more worried.</em></p>
<p><em>It&#8217;s a week later. I haven&#8217;t eaten. I can&#8217;t. The heartache is killing me. I&#8217;ve only drank some water I stole from Wal-Mart. Don&#8217;t know if it could be called stealing though. There&#8217;s no one here to complain.</em></p>
<p><em>It&#8217;s another week later. I&#8217;m sitting on the couch staring at the television. It&#8217;s off. But I&#8217;m yelling at it.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;What did you do with them?!&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>God&#8217;s not answering.</em></p>
<p><em>It&#8217;s another week later. I&#8217;m sitting on the end of the bed.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;ve lost more weight.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>I smile at that thought and then pull the trigger.</em></p>
<p>Is that exactly how it will happen? I don&#8217;t know. Will I go crazy and kill myself? I don&#8217;t know. But it is a possibility. Lack of human companionship is deadly, no matter what material goods you have at your disposal.</p>
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		<title>I remember&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/i-remember/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/i-remember/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:52:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wife]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I remember that day when we found out we were pregnant. My wife&#8217;s face began shining with light from her heart. Our thoughts instantly went to diapers, cribs, blankets, etc. But after the consumer in us finally gave in to &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/i-remember/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/always/' rel='bookmark' title='Always.'>Always.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/poetry/this-is-my-scream/' rel='bookmark' title='This is My Scream'>This is My Scream</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I remember that day when we found out we were pregnant. My wife&#8217;s face began shining with light from her heart. Our thoughts instantly went to diapers, cribs, blankets, etc. But after the consumer in us finally gave in to the parents in us, we began thinking again of the child. A girl or a boy? Did it matter? No. It didn&#8217;t. We were going to have a child. A wonderful, beautiful gift. We had been married and trying for about 3 or 4 years. This news made those years worth the wait.</p>
<p>Then she was born.<span id="more-304"></span></p>
<p>Wait. I&#8217;m getting ahead of myself here. She wasn&#8217;t born instantly as we all know. She began as a mood in my wife. Guys with kids know that mood. It&#8217;s that swinging mood that punches us in the face or kisses us behind the ear. Then it was the craving mood. Ice cream and pickles? I hear people mention that one every once in a while. Sorry guys. It&#8217;s normally much weirder than that. I&#8217;m not going to describe the combination of food that my wife craved because if you&#8217;ve just eaten your food won&#8217;t stay in your stomach.</p>
<p>Finally, I got used to the moods. But the moods were easy compared to the days in the hospital. Those days when your wife is screaming as if the child is ripping through her very heart on the way out. She&#8217;s screaming in such a manner that you&#8217;d do anything to take the pain away. So then the other screaming starts. The screaming that comes form the husband to the nurses to get his wife some darn pain medication. Then there&#8217;s the scream of the husband as his hands get crushed by his wife. And finally, there&#8217;s the scream of the child.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a beautiful sound. Or so I&#8217;m told. They took her in the delivery room while I was outside talking to my mother. &#8220;Oh, it&#8217;ll be another 20 minutes Mr. White.&#8221; &#8220;Ooops. Sorry. She was ready in 5.&#8221; Thank you very much Ms. Nurse.</p>
<p>But then I saw her. <a href="http://nicolewhite.com">My daughter</a>. And I fell in love for the second time in my life.</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/always/' rel='bookmark' title='Always.'>Always.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/poetry/this-is-my-scream/' rel='bookmark' title='This is My Scream'>This is My Scream</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Katrina</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/katrina-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/katrina-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:52:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Katrina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=289</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is the true story of the storm that attacked Louisiana as seen from my eyes and the way I remember it. I sat in a chair facing the open door to my house staring at our van parked in &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/katrina-part-1/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://saphrym.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/katrina.png" alt="Katrina" title="Katrina" width="600" height="120" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-945" /><br />
<em>This is the true story of the storm that attacked Louisiana as seen from my eyes and the way I remember it.</em></p>
<p>I sat in a chair facing the open door to my house staring at our van parked in the driveway. Just three days before, I had been watching mechanics use their tools on the van. The impact wrenches sounded like they were jack hammering holes into my van. But this… this was different. This was<span id="more-289"></span> five or six limbs laying on the top of my van. Not little limbs that would break off during a normal storm, but thick limbs from the trees that surrounded our house.</p>
<p>The sky was a scary shade of gray with very small amounts of natural light allowing me to see it. The power was off on our street, so no safe, secure artificial light to block the true horror of that sky. The rain was not falling nearly as much as I thought it would be. This was a hurricane. “Where’s the water?” I asked myself. It’s not like we needed it. The wind was a fear unto itself. Trees in the distance bent over as if to tie their shoes. I listened as one very large tree cracked across the street. I watched as it fell on the power line behind the house directly in my sight. The boom made my chair vibrate.</p>
<p>“So this is a hurricane?” I had always wanted to see one for myself. Guess it was my curiosity. But now, I never wanted to see one again. Another tree fell. The next thought was my daughter. She was in the top bunk of her bunk bed, close to the ceiling. I imagined a tree falling and going through our roof to hurt her. I got up out of my chair and rushed into the room to have her move into our bedroom with my wife. After she quickly fell back asleep, I headed back to the door. Katrina was calling me, wanting to show me her strength, wanting me to bow to her power. I couldn’t help myself. I obliged her every whim.</p>
<p>&gt;BOOM&lt;</p>
<p>Another tree had fallen. This one was much closer, but I couldn’t see where it fell. I raced to the back door to look out. There it was. A pine tree. It had been beaten by the angry woman and was lying still about two meters from the back of our house. It’s bark was being ripped away by the harsh winds. I could almost hear it scream as it was being skinned alive.</p>
<p>&gt;BOOM&lt;</p>
<p>This one didn’t land in the back yard. So again, I rushed to the other side of the house. Lying there in front, about the same distance as the one in the back, was another victim of the storm. This one was oak. The wind forced it to lift its shallow roots out of the ground. But it would live for a while longer. Its roots would not go thirsty because the rain began to fall harder&#8230;</p>
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		<title>Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You&#8217;re Sick as a Dog</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/humor/top-ten-ways-to-amuse-yourself-when-youre-sick-as-a-dog/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/humor/top-ten-ways-to-amuse-yourself-when-youre-sick-as-a-dog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:04:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imagination]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=283</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So while being stuck in bed because you’ve got the flu, or your foot was operated on, there are always ways of amusing yourself. Some are rather obvious, like taking cold medicine. That’s always an enjoyable experience, right? Here’s a &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/humor/top-ten-ways-to-amuse-yourself-when-youre-sick-as-a-dog/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://saphrym.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/amuseyourself1.png" alt="Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You’re Sick as a Dog" title="Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You’re Sick as a Dog" width="600" height="120" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929" /><br />
So while being stuck in bed because you’ve got the flu, or your foot was operated on, there are always ways of amusing yourself. Some are rather obvious, like taking cold medicine. That’s always an enjoyable experience, right? Here’s a few of the less obvious ways to amuse yourself when you’re sick as a dog:<span id="more-283"></span></p>
<p><strong>10.</strong> Staring at the ceiling and making pictures with the little dots. I found Charlie Brown a couple of days ago. However, he morphed into Arnold Schwarzenegger while looking at him, so that may have been the Nyquil. I don’t know.</p>
<p><strong>9.</strong> Again, staring at something can be quite amusing. In this case I was staring at a digital frame. I had it loaded with pictures of the in-laws and pictures of farm animals. After a while the two started merging in my brain. Was rather hilarious to me.</p>
<p><strong>8.</strong> Realizing you can sing much lower. Seriously, have you ever been sick and noticed your voice dropped an octave? Now you can do the Barry White solo with ease. Just don’t try in the shower ’cause the steam clears out your throat and you start sounding like a much younger Barry White. Kind of throws off the mood.</p>
<p><strong>7.</strong> Reading is always a great way to pass the time when you’re sick. Of course, you might want to stay away from the fantasy and horror books. With the medicine and the delirium of a fever, you start imagining some of the stories coming true. Can be rather scary. This is one of those few times a guy is allowed to read a romance novel.</p>
<p><strong>6.</strong> Write a book. Since you’re just laying there, you might as well make good use of the time. Write a book. Just realize that when you finally get well again you will not be able to read your handwriting. And if you use the “writing it in my head” method, also realize that your “sick” head and “well” head are two different things. Therefore, your “well” head won’t remember anything that your “sick” head did anyway.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Practice origami. I made some swans that could flap their wings, a frog that could really jump, and a boat that could really float. I also made some Chinese throwing stars and practiced throwing them at the ceiling. I even manged to hit Arnie right in the nose.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> Silly Putty. Can’t say this enough. If you have a little plastic egg with some of this stuff in it, feel free to play with it for hours. It’s quite the stress reliever. And if you have some newspaper, you’re set. You’ll be copying comics all day and reading them backwards. Just don’t try and use it as a bouncy ball when you own a cat. It becomes fuzzy. And fuzzy Silly Putty is not a fun thing to play with at all.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Speaking of toys, my Rubik’s cube got plenty of use out of it. The stickers won’t stick to it anymore. So now it’s really easy to solve. All of the faces are black. Doesn’t matter how much I mix it up, it’s always solved.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Cell phones are fun. You can play games on them. You can make prank phone calls. However, it’s very hard to dial *67 before making a phone call with a cell phone. So prank phone calls don’t work as well when the person picks up and says “Hi Mike.”</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> The best way to amuse yourself when you’re sick as a dog is to build a play mountain out of the sheets and bed spread. Look around for items you can use as army men. Now just fill in the rest with your imagination. The really great thing is when your wife comes in and sees you playing like a little kid, she’ll only think you’re delirious from the medication and let you get away with it. Make sure to include plenty of &gt;pyoo pyoo&lt; noises when firing the imaginary guns. You won’t be able to do them any other time.</p>
<p>What do you like to do to keep yourself amused when you’re sick as a dog?</p>
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		<title>Random Conversations Are Fun!</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/random-conversations-are-fun/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/random-conversations-are-fun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:31:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imagination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interesting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever just had an awesome random conversation? Whether in person or by e-mail, these can be quite fun. I’ve had them happen in the past, but recently, it happened again and I really wanted to share it with &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/random-conversations-are-fun/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/it-is-more-fun-to-turn-it-around/' rel='bookmark' title='It is More Fun to Turn it Around'>It is More Fun to Turn it Around</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/humor/some-random-things-about-me/' rel='bookmark' title='Some Random Things About Me'>Some Random Things About Me</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever just had an awesome random conversation? Whether in person or by e-mail, these can be quite fun. I’ve had them happen in the past, but recently, it happened again and I really wanted to share it with you guys. Kristen from <a href="http://www.kristensguide.com/">Kristen’s Guide</a> is the person I had this particular conversation with. I featured one of her posts in one of my old blog posts<a href="../../blog/reader/the-mwf-read-03052008/"></a> and the conversation can be found below. Try starting one of your own. They can be very fun and really bring out the creativity in you. Without further ado, here’s the conversation between me and Kristen:<span id="more-214"></span></p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> Ahhhhh, thanks. Very nice of you. I’m honored. You realize though that this makes you my best friend. I’ll buy us matching bracelets and everything. :)</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> Cool! One of those two-pieces-of-a-heart ones? I like those. ;)</p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> OK, but only if it’s made out of certified organic, biodegradable, zero-calorie, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, non-toxic, not-from-China, PETA approved materials, is labeled with a warning to not let children under 3-years-old play with it, and has earned the Better Homes and Gardens quality seal of approval. Oh, and can we get it in bright orange?</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> I completely agree, except with the orange. How about orange and pink polka dots?</p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> Brilliant! You and I should go into fashion design together.</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> From student, to blogger, to dieter, to fashion designer? Ok. Let’s do it. ;)</p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> Cool! You get to pick the brand logo. I vote for pickles.</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> How about mustard and pickles? Then the name could be “Must Pick Clothing” ;)</p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> Awesome! Then we could have runway shows and all the models will wear pickle costumes with mustard hats.</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> Ooo! Ooo! The models could ride Harleys onto the stage!</p>
<p><strong>Kristen:</strong> You realize what this means, don’t you? Orange with pink polka-dots fashion lines with our pickle and mustard logo and our models wearing pickle suits and mustard hats and riding Harleys on a fashion runway. It means that we’re more than just simple fashion designers. We’re artists, man. And that means we’ll get to charge lots of money for people to buy our stuff. We’ll have to open boutiques in shopping malls and maybe even a grand shop on Rodeo Drive in BH, CA where we’ll serve lattes and Champagne to the rich and famous, who will, of course, beg to buy our clothes (but we’ll laugh at them and refuse because of their recent tabloid scandals). And we can host huge parties filled with people we don’t actually care about just so we can sit back and make fun of them as they try to impress us. Then we’ll expand into other mediums like custom oil paint pigments and lawn gnome designs. Before long, we’ll be able to run for governor and work our way up to president, and, of course, finally, achieve the status of Emperor of the World. We’re starting a revolution, my friend.</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/it-is-more-fun-to-turn-it-around/' rel='bookmark' title='It is More Fun to Turn it Around'>It is More Fun to Turn it Around</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/humor/some-random-things-about-me/' rel='bookmark' title='Some Random Things About Me'>Some Random Things About Me</a></li>
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		<title>It is More Fun to Turn it Around</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/it-is-more-fun-to-turn-it-around/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/it-is-more-fun-to-turn-it-around/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:47:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So I’m sitting there with my family and just like clockwork when the clock chimed 8 o’clock, the phone rang. You probably get these calls too. They begin something like this: “Mr. White. I have an exciting offer to tell &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/it-is-more-fun-to-turn-it-around/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/random-conversations-are-fun/' rel='bookmark' title='Random Conversations Are Fun!'>Random Conversations Are Fun!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/humor/top-ten-ways-to-amuse-yourself-when-youre-sick-as-a-dog/' rel='bookmark' title='Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You&#8217;re Sick as a Dog'>Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You&#8217;re Sick as a Dog</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So I’m sitting there with my family and just like clockwork when the clock chimed 8 o’clock, the phone rang. You probably get these calls too. They begin something like this: “Mr. White. I have an exciting offer to tell you about…” And they usually end quick enough like this: <em>&gt;click&lt;</em>. Do you just hang up on them too? I always have. Until recently.</p>
<p>Since I’ve become an active member in the blogging community I’ve gotten to read tons of marketing blogs. They also basically spout the same information over and over so I’ve about learned it by heart. So I decided to<span id="more-140"></span> have some fun this time. The conversation went like this:</p>
<p>Me: “Hello?”<br />
Him: “Mr. White. I have an exciting offer to tell you about…”<br />
Me: “Would you like to monetize your phone calls?”<br />
Him: “I’m sorry sir?”<br />
Me: “Monetize your phone calls. You know. Make money with your phone calls?”<br />
Him: “Yes sir. I’m a telemarketer. Now this offer…”<br />
Me: “Have you ever heard of Con Jow?”<br />
Him: “Con Jow?”<br />
Me: “Yes. He’s a well known phone call monetizer throughout the callosphere.”<br />
Him: “The call o what?”<br />
Me: “Nevermind. My point is that he recommends that you use Callvertiser to monetize your calls.”<br />
Him: “Sir. I’m trying to tell you about a cruise, so let me tell you about the different stops…”<br />
Me: “Callvertiser can benefit your calling business tremendously. Throughout your calls audio ads will interrupt and get the caller’s attention so they can buy products from you as an affiliate.”<br />
Him: “One stop is in Cancun and the water is lov…”<br />
Me: “Grab a pen.”<br />
Him: “Grab a pen sir?”<br />
Me: “Yes. Grab a pen. I want you to take down this number real quick.”<br />
Him: “Ok sir.”<br />
Me: “The number is 1-800-382-5968. Make sure to dial extension 3825.”<br />
Him: “Is this your office sir?”<br />
Me: “No, that’s my affiliate phone number to Callvertiser. You’ll learn everything you need to know about this great service there.”<br />
Him: <em>&gt;click&lt;</em></p>
<p>It was nice to be the one hung up on this time. So, next time a telemarketer calls, have a little fun. You might even start looking forward to 8 o’clock at night. I know I can’t wait. And thank you Internet marketers for the “ammo.” I appreciate it much.</p>
<p>And before you mention it, yes, I know there&#8217;s a list. This was more fun though.</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/random-conversations-are-fun/' rel='bookmark' title='Random Conversations Are Fun!'>Random Conversations Are Fun!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/humor/top-ten-ways-to-amuse-yourself-when-youre-sick-as-a-dog/' rel='bookmark' title='Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You&#8217;re Sick as a Dog'>Top Ten Ways to Amuse Yourself When You&#8217;re Sick as a Dog</a></li>
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		<title>The Taxi Company in the Garage With the Microwave</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-taxi-company-in-the-garage-with-the-microwave/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-taxi-company-in-the-garage-with-the-microwave/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:40:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=118</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No, that’s not an answer to some freaky version of Clue. It’s where I found an air conditioner. See, after my escapade to Wal-Mart and Lowe’s yesterday, I swore my life as a cool human was over. Well, my life &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-taxi-company-in-the-garage-with-the-microwave/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/' rel='bookmark' title='Christmas in September'>Christmas in September</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> No, that’s not an answer to some freaky version of Clue. It’s where I found an air conditioner.</p>
<p>See, after my escapade to Wal-Mart and Lowe’s <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/">yesterday</a>, I swore my life as a cool human was over. Well, my life as a cool human is over depending on the definition of the word. But temperature wise, I was getting worried. Ok, so the weather was<span id="more-118"></span> supposed to be colder come Thursday, and as a reader pointed out, that’s the same day the air conditioner guys are coming. But today, it became 90 degrees in my house.</p>
<p>90 degrees. Did I mention I love the heat? Parts of my house still are 90 degrees. But not where I’m sitting. See, a friend of mine told me to try Geno’s Taxi. I’ll repeat that: A friend of mine told me to try Geno’s Taxi. Now, not being from around here, I never thought to call a taxi company for an air conditioner. For a taxi maybe. Not an air conditioner. Well, they had one. A 6000 BTU air conditioner less than 26 inches wide that could fit in my storm window and provide a layer of coolness that the pet rock could never have provided. Even has a remote, which is nifty and all, but I doubt that sucker is going to be used at the moment as I want the air conditioner to stay on.</p>
<p>So right now I’m typing on my daughter’s laptop because it’s still 90 degrees in my bedroom where my computer is. But in here, with a blanket covering the archway, it’s about 75 degrees and dropping. There’s a fan behind me. I am in true bliss at this moment.</p>
<p>However, in about 5 minutes I’m going to have to go to the bathroom, and my daughter decided to use hot water when she took a shower earlier. If I don’t suffocate from the heat, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.</p>
<p>Moral of the story? When you need an air conditioner, don’t go to Wal-Mart who carries heaters in 90 degree weather. Go to your local taxi company. They are much smarter about such things.</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/' rel='bookmark' title='Christmas in September'>Christmas in September</a></li>
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		<title>Christmas in September</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:34:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://saphrym.com/?p=115</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The air conditioner went out. Picks the three hottest days at this point to be out until the guys can come and fix it. Yay. Heat. I dare say I love it dearly. *drips with sarcasm* So, we decided to &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/christmas-in-september/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-taxi-company-in-the-garage-with-the-microwave/' rel='bookmark' title='The Taxi Company in the Garage With the Microwave'>The Taxi Company in the Garage With the Microwave</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> The air conditioner went out. Picks the three hottest days at this point to be out until the guys can come and fix it. Yay. Heat. I dare say I love it dearly. *drips with sarcasm*</p>
<p>So, we decided to go look for some window units. My daughter, wife, and I put our shoes on. We have those neat little rubber shoes with holes in them. I can’t remember what they’re called, but they have good arch support and work like sandals. This is good for me as my feet like to sweat a lot. Anyway, we load up into my best friend’s Cadillac because our van is not working very well and we’ve been borrowing his car. We borrowed his car for two reasons:<span id="more-115"></span> 1. To not have to keep filling our van with power steering fluid. 2. For air conditioning because that’s also broke on our van. However, while borrowing it, his air conditioner stopped working also, so in 90 degree weather, we’re off to the stores. I love heat.</p>
<p>We pull up to Wal-Mart and practically run inside. However, my feet decided to sweat anyway, and for some reason feet don’t like to stay still on wet rubber. It’s quite slick. So, I’ll correct that, we STUMBLED inside of Wal-Mart. We head to the area where the fans and air conditioners are, and in their place, as determined by the marketing genius of the Wal-Mart corporation, are heaters. Little heaters. Big heaters. Skinny heaters. Heaters with remote controls. Heaters that use propane. Heaters that use electricity. If I was in the market for a heater, they’d have it. I ask someone where the air conditioners and fans are. “We don’t have any. But we have Christmas trees on sale.” I hope he was kidding. I love the heat.</p>
<p>We stumble back to the car, footprints of sweat trailing us, and head to Lowe’s. It’s only a block away. “They’ll have air conditioners. They’re Lowe’s. They’re big. They carry more of stuff like that.” At this point I’m wearing a shirt that is purely made of salt water molecules. It has transformed. I’ll call it my “ocean shirt.” So, we walk in and the air conditioner there creates an “iceberg shirt.” I’m now happy. I’m going to get an air conditioner. I walk to where the air conditioners are, and guess what I find? Heaters. Little ones. Big ones. Skinny ones. You know the drill. Of course, an aisle away are Christmas trees. I find someone and ask him where the air conditioners are. “We don’t have any. Want a tree?” I love heat.</p>
<p>So now, I sit at the computer in my renewed “ocean shirt” waiting for Thursday to come. That’s when the air conditioner guys come to fix ours. If they offer me a tree, I’m buying a rifle.</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/the-taxi-company-in-the-garage-with-the-microwave/' rel='bookmark' title='The Taxi Company in the Garage With the Microwave'>The Taxi Company in the Garage With the Microwave</a></li>
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		<title>Always.</title>
		<link>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/always/</link>
		<comments>http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/always/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:33:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Saphrym</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[People ask how I met my wife. I’m not going to tell you how we met. That story has prerequisites such as it has to be told in person and with both my wife and I there to tell each &#8230; <a href="http://saphrym.com/anecdotes/always/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People ask how I met my wife. I’m not going to tell you how we met. That story has prerequisites such as it has to be told in person and with both my wife and I there to tell each side of the story. What I am going to tell you is the story of a Christmas only a few years ago:</p>
<p>There is a fairy print done by <a href="http://www.amybrownart.com/">Amy Brown</a> called “<a href="http://www.amybrownart.com/images2_409/open/always.jpg">Always.</a>” My wife loves fairies. She collects them. Well, about 3 or 4 Christmases ago, I decided I had to find something special for her. I’m not the kind of husband who hands my wife jewelry every year just to appease her. Each gift has to<span id="more-58"></span> matter in some way. Thought must go into them. So a friend mentioned Amy Brown to me. I had never heard of her but the moment I saw her artwork I knew my wife would love it. But which one to get?</p>
<p>I looked through her site and found plenty of fairy pictures. There was one of a fairy holding an infant fairy. That one caught my attention because of our daughter. Then I saw other whimsical fairy pictures. But when my eyes settled on the picture above, I knew I found the right one. I loved the title: “Always” It felt as if it transcended the bounds of mortality. It was a simple word but with powerful meaning. The male fairy kneeling down to the female was a profound profession of love. I knew my wife would love it. So I ordered not only a print of it but also a gift card with it and, here’s the kicker, a statue that had been made of it.</p>
<p>They arrived in about 4 days. I wrapped up the gifts while my wife was off running errands and place them under the tree. When Christmas came the whole family was at our house. My daughter was wearing a “Santa’s Helper” hat and my wife was wearing the actual Santa hat we have. Angela, my wife, finally finished having my daughter hand out all of the other presents so people were absorbed in opening their gifts. But I was watching my bride carefully. She was opening her gift.</p>
<p>She started with the card. In it I had simply written, “I will love you… Always.” The first smile appeared on her face. She then opened the flat package and found the print of the fairies that she had just seen on the card. Her smile grew and tears began to well up. Finally, she opened the statue. She stared. She smiled. She cried. She turned to me and the world centered on her. The sounds of other presents being opened were muted. My vision omitted any sight but her. She mouthed the words, “I love you.” Even with the noise around me, I heard those words clearly and hung on to each and every syllable as time stood still for that moment.</p>
<p>I will love my wife always. She knows that. I know that. That picture hangs above our bed. The statue right by it. That picture is a symbol of our love and our life together in this world and the next.</p>
<p>Always.</p>
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