16     

WHAT TIME IS IT?

...it's bloggerin' time

"This is the longest I've ever gone between posts" is the line I started my last post with, but I've outdone myself once again, but much to the relief of my fans, my blog is still going strong(unlike my lungs)!  Still, everyone has been telling me it's been a while since I made a blog entry! My mailbox is overflowing and my mailman is starting to get annoyed. Gmail is threatening to put a cap on my storage. I need to do some bloggin' to satisfy the masses. I know there are at least 10 people who are willing to read this blog and I can't keep them waiting. The title of this entry is a throwback to something only a true nerd could remember, the old Fantastic Four cartoon. It was on when I was a kid, but I have no idea when it originally aired. Here's the Thing in the episode where he becomes a one hit wonder by singing his catch phrase and it all goes to his head:

And if that left you longing for more, here's some more orange rock man punching a seemingly endless hoard of moloids, or aliens, or... something:

Whatever they are, the Thing's been known to clobber first, and ask questions later, as demonstrated in Daredevil #2. The Fantastic Four needed a lawyer, and the Thing made an appearance at Matt Murdock(aka Daredevil)'s law office by blasting through the door.

I've Been busy

this section diverts from comics briefly

I'm on a decreasing steroid regimen right now, which will eventually leave me feeling a lot stronger, but while I'm adjusting to the changes it's making me really exhausted and weak. Also, with every passing day, I become less and less likely to have a pneumothorax (that's the technical term for a collapsed lung), so I'm happy about that. At this point I'm in the middle of an experimental treatment that may slowly stop whatever is wrong with my lungs, but a lung transplant is a very real possibility if this treatment fails. Right now, though, all I can do is continue to stick to my med regimen and maintain a positive attitude. Way back when this whole cancer battle started I was told that my positive attitude would be my greatest asset. Years later I find that one of the most challenging things I have to do every day is stay positive in the face of everything. Now brace yourself because this is gonna sound really corny, but it's the truth, and it also segues into the next thing I want to write about, so stay wth me. Because I've become such a big comic book fan, I've found that super heroes are a great reminder of the strength, both physical and mental, that I need to overcome this disease and recover. When a super hero puts his costume on, he needs to be stronger than a normal person and willing to endure things that may seem impossible. I find that just looking at a Superman keychain or seeing my Daredevil shirt in the mirror reminds me to get into the proper state of mind, so I try to make sure I have at least one super hero item with me at all times. That's why two nights ago when I discovered that NikeID now offered the 1972 Nike Cortez in nylon, I couldn't resist modeling a sneaker after one of my favorite superheroes. I call this beautiful creation the Nike Grayson, but if you prefer you can call them Air Graysons, or simply Invincibles.  Here's the Grayson next to it's namesake, Mark Grayson a.k.a. Invincible.

Ultimate spider-man!

Another one down

My older brother was in town for my sister-in-law Lindsay's baby shower (I also got to feel MY godson kicking in there. He's pretty strong.) He suggested we return to the comic book store where he found the Strange Adventures #88 that now hangs on my wall. This time around, he was ready to make a purchase. I suggested my favorite shop in Mass, “Comically Speaking." So we three men (my dad was with us, too) left the women to their baby shower and engaged in the pastime of comic bin picking. This time not only did Tom search for titles, but he actually bought himself four. He generally looks for Gold and Silver age curiosity books. Here are a few of the books he picked up while I sifted through the USM rack looking for the seven remaining issues I need.

I'm really glad to have made a comic book collector out of him, even if he only wants them so he can display the highly entertaining covers. I think there's something for everyone in comics, and Tom's approach would work for anyone who needs conversation pieces to fill in blank walls in a new apartment or house.And of course, here's what I picked up. An immaculate copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #22.

I realized I made an error on my checklist at some point, so last week I was wrong when I said I had six left, but now, I really only have six left. Stay tuned. Just be warned that posts will continue to be less frequent because I'm not gonna write unless I've got new USMs or new USM info.

Thanks for reading this one. Hope you enjoyed it!