Each Day Counts

Midnight Rain

I am sitting here in bed listening to the rain fall and I feel great.  We got home not too long ago from a night out with friends (we go to Starbuck's with them every Wednesday) and Meg is already asleep.  A quiet iTunes mix is playing in the background featuring John Mayer, Ben Folds and Jack Johnson and the window is cracked open just a bit so I can feel the Fall air on my back.  This is heaven! I feel great right now!

It is nice to feel great right now because this has been a rough day for me full of pain and sleepiness.  I feel so tired lately and I really hate that.  One of my friends also told me tonight that I look pale and that is not good.  Based on my natural complexion, pale often means yellow and you all know that yellow means liver trouble and liver trouble is just bad news in my case.

But right now at this moment I feel alive and safe.  I am next to my pretty wife and Tinkerbell is here also cuddled up next to Megan.  I could not ask for a whole lot more right now.  I am thankful for what I have here.  I love these moments!

Tomorrow I hope to have a better day.  I may go to a concert with friends if I feel better.  That would be great!  Maybe I will sleep in and wake up and head out for coffee alone with my new book.  There is something magic about books and coffee on brisk Fall mornings.

Relax if you can if you have been stressed and think about all the wonderful things that you have.   I bet the number of good things far outweighs the bad!

Sleep well out there!  Thank you for letting me have your attention for a minute.  You have no idea how good it feels just to let it all go once in a while!

-Ruben

We did it!

I am exhausted today but totally happy!  The show last night was amazing and we had a great deal of fun.  It was a complete success!  It is amazing how much this town that I live in really got together for me.  It was almost like the whole city was there at some point over the course of the evening.

This is the comment that I left for Megan on her MySpace account this morning:

So we had a big, big party and people came and dropped off money and hope and prayers and they hugged us and I danced with a beautiful woman with eyes of silver.

I think she loves me. I sure hope so because she is lovely and full of life and sometimes I see her side that she never shows anyone else. And you know...I love that side of her because it is just mine and that is special to me.

This man loves you deeply Megan. This man always, always will!

-Ruben

___

Meg is out of town this weekend with her family but I hope she can check her web accounts from a hotel somewhere.  I love her so much!  Life is good!  Yesterday counted!  Today counts!  Have some fun this weekend and know that we are all just lucky to be be ok.  No matter how bad life seems to get,  just remember that there is someone somewhere that is hoping for you.  Hope is something nobody can ever steal from you.  It lives right there in your heart and makes you come to life!

Thank you for all of your support! 

The Benefit Concert

Many of you have been reading my words for a long time and you have watched as I try to live in the midst of some sort of evil curse.  I go through so many ups and downs and sometimes I get depressed and just wish that just one good thing would happen to me.  I mean, is that too much to ask?

Well, it looks like something great is in the works!  On September 29th a group of my friends and local bands here in Modesto are having a party for me to help me out with some expenses that I have been struggling with.

For one night we will be taking over a local bar and restaurant and we will be celebrating my crazy life.  Tickets for the event will be available at the door the night of the event.  We are not trying to get rich here by any means.  I just need a little help right now.

So like the poster below says, there is a SUGGESTED donation of $10 but nobody will be turned away based on that.  You can give more or less depending on how you feel. Seating is limited to only about 150 people and we hope that everyone that wants to come can fit in.

So if you live here in Modesto, please come and let me thank you personally for all the love that you have shown to my wife and I over the years.  Let me shake your hand or hug you and thank you for every prayer that you have said for us.

If you don't live here or cannot make the event but would like to donate you can send donations to:

Ruben Porras
819 West Roseburg Avenue
PMB 129
Modesto, CA 95350

Any amount at all will be appreciated!

Thank you for taking the time to read this!  If you have further questions, comments  or  concerns, email: benefit@eachdaycounts.com.

With all of my love,

Ruben

We had a great night!

Thanks for the comments and emails yesterday!  I was having a rough day.  But last night I did manage to break out of the house a bit and see a concert that I helped promote.  Meg and I had a nice time and I was able to meet some new people and see some good friends.  Sometimes I just need to get out to feel alive!

The video below may be worse than any others that I posted before but these guys are fantastic.  They are a local band here but they are trying to establish a solid following to get out of here.  They are called The Kung Fu Conspiracy. With a name like that, how can they not be fun to watch?

Have a great weekend and be safe and happy!  I will be attending a big party tomorrow night and I may see my kiddos on Sunday.  This weekend Lauren turns 10!  Wait a minute!  I have a 10 year old!  Holy crap!  Where did time go?  Can I have some of it back?

Thanks for reading today all!  Have fun out there!  If you have trouble seeing the video please give it a minute to process.

My first Vlog!

The quality is not great but I will work on that.  I just thought that this would be a new way for people to get to see the way that I live.  I really appreciate all the people that read this blog and I try to find new ways to keep it interesting.

Let me know if you have any comments or concerns about this idea.  Have a beautiful day no matter where you happen to be!  Thank you for visiting!

Hello Sonora Area!/Health Update

Photo of Megan by Angry F
I need to start this post by saying hello to readers of the Union Democrat newspaper in Sonora, CA!  Thank you for reading the story about me in your paper today.  I would love to hear from you!  If you have feedback or questions please leave a comment here or email me at ruben@eachdaycounts.com.

It is almost 1:00 in the morning here right now and I am winding down a bit from a launch party that I was at tonight for Modesto Famous.  Modesto Famous is a web site that I have been writing for.  We had a great time and it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many friends.  We are really lucky to have so many people supporting us!

As for the health update; I got a call from my liver specialist today and he let me know that my blood tests are stable for the most part but that some levels are very high.  He has ordered another round of ultra sound testing.  I have trouble with testing because in a situation like mine, the results always get worse and never improve.  They won't improve until after I receive a transplant.  It is pretty rough on me to hear that my liver is still in such bad shape and getting worse.  I just have to roll with the punches I guess and just stay as postive as possible.

I should probably get to sleep now.  I am getting tired and I hope that I can sleep in a bit.  It will be nice to get into bed and cuddle with Megan!  I can feel that I need some rest so I had better listen to my body.  I hope that everyone out there has an amazing weekend.  I will check in when I can.  I hope to spend some quality time with my new wife and I want so bad to feel healthy all weekend.  But I know that if I don't feel well that she will care for me and that feels great!

Smile this weekend as much as you possibly can and think about all the things that you are blessed to have.  If you are having a hard time, think about a time when you were truly the happiest.  That always works to pick me up a bit!

Naked people!

The wedding saga continues.  As you can see, my best man has decided to throw me a bachelor party.  I'm not quite convinced that Meg is happy about the whole fiasco but she is being a good sport.  The last bachelor party I went to was in a private hotel suite with hookers/dancers that were hired off the web.  Needless to say, Meg did not find that to be a very good plan.  I promised her that my party would be in a public place with "classier" strtppers.  "Classier" strippers...is that an oxymoron?

Either way, I will have the pleasure of watching my friends laugh as fake boobs jiggle and bounce in my direction so that is cool.  The funny thing is that I know that I am getting older when I am not totally thrilled by the fact that I will see incredibly beautiful naked women dance on my lap.  I mean, don't get me wrong.  It will be nice, but I could get that action at home right?

Reminder to self...buy Meg leather undies and a whip.  Ok...that was too much info. that I just chose to share.  She won't be happy with that at all.  Maybe she won't read this post.  Ok....she will read this post and that is ok.  I am just being playful.  Besides, she would look killer in leather drawers! :-)

So, she is in bed right now and I took an old man nap today so I am up again.  I hope that I can get some rest.  I really need it.  The wedding is getting so close.  I got my haircut today and tomorrow I will find a bargain on Colgate Whitestrips.  I will be the sexiest chubby, goofy, Mexican groom ever!

Have a great day today.  My days just seem to be getting shorter and shorter lately.  I have the munchkins this weekend and I am very thrilled about that!  Ice cream cones, art exhibits and educational television here we come!  I am really lucky to have my little monsters!

Remember that scene in Jerry Maguire where Cruise explains to Zelwegger that she completes him?  My little angels complete me.  I will try to not get too tired this weekend and be forced to rest.  I need some quality time with the girls and they need their daddy.  I can't wait until after my transplant when I can feel healthy again every day!  That will be amazing!

Take care!

Friends

This is a photo of my friend Abbie and I that was taken by my friend Clark.  Abbie is one of those people that seems to have been brought into my life for a particular reason.  She has some health concerns like I do but she too has found love like I have and he loves her for her and forever and that keeps her going.  She is a talented writer and music fan also.  We have a great deal in common.  I want you all to get to know the people that I credit with helping me with my daily struggles.  I will write about my other friends soon.

On the health front, I am doing ok today.  My stomach hurts a bit and my side is a bit tender but that is common.  I still feel tired though.  It is really getting harder for me to stay up for a whole day and I am having a hell of a time facing that but I will be ok.  Whether she realizes it or not, Meg is looking at me lately with a bit more concern than usual.  The bags under my eyes are growing and I feel a bit slower than I have in a while.  But in three weeks, she will take my hand and call me her husband and I cannot wait for that.  We bought our marriage license yesterday and after we walked out of the office I kissed her and told that I love her.  She is so much more to me then she will ever know.

The last thing for today...I have been playing with ads on here.  I am not trying to get rich (they made two whole cents yesterday) but it would be cool if the blog paid for itself.  I have been using Google ads and they crack me up!  I never know what the heck they will be selling on here!  Last night they were selling adult footie pajamas!  The night before I was selling belly dancers! Anyway, if you take a sec to click on an ad or two, I would appreciate it.  You don't have to order up a dancer unless you want to! :-)  If you are offended with the ads and consider me a sell-out let me know that also.

Have a great weekend.  I will spend mine burning CDs for the wedding.  Smile folks.  We are all alive and doing alright.  Life is not so bad.

One last thing...We updated our wedding site today.  If you are interested, click here.

 

Damn...I am so tired!

This is the sort of photo that you end up with when you invite your friend to meet you at your house and you are not quite ready for the party that you are supposed to go to.  Thanks Clark!

Now about my weekend...

My parents were here and we had some massive slumber party action happening.  My parents, my babies, Meg and I all stayed over at Meg's parents house and everybody got along and had a great time. 

My ex-inlaws were the  type of religious people that always wanted people to change to their ways.  I did not do well with that.  I am sort of rebelious.  But you already know that.  I don't really like to conform to anything in particular...I sort of do my own thing and I always will.  I think everyone should have their own way of thinking and I want my kids to live that way also.

Ok...now on to more updates and stuff...

Health is alright but I am so tired.  I am fighting more and more everyday to stay awake a whole day and that is just no fun.  I am sick of living in a fog.  For the first time in my life I have so many things to do and they are all good for my soul but am I putting my health at risk to live like I do?  I live like I do because I am happy.  A while ago I decided that quality of life is much more important than quanity but as my wedding approaches, should that change?

I mean, Meg wants me around for as long as possible but does she want me around without me being happy with my life? My life lately has grown into a reality show of sorts and I keep everything I do and I think out here for all to read.  Maybe it is all getting too big.  But you know what...I have helped people and people have helped me.  If I quit being so active how can I get out there and do things to make people happy?  I guess this is one more thing I need to figure out.

But for today I will smile and sip some coffee and write.  I was just assigned to write an article about a woman that has inspired me more than just about anything or anyone else in my life.  She is battling round three of breast cancer and it may be in her lungs too.  How do I write about someone that I love that could die of this?  My mind is scrambled over this one.  Does anyone have a tip for me?

Also...I need to give a big fat hug and thank you to Shellibells.  Last week she took the time to send me a beautiful gift and ever since then I have been trying to buy her a rainbow on eBay!  Where can I buy one?  I need a big one.  Or maybe she does not really need one.  I mean, the pot of gold is obviously in her heart.

Wow...that post was all over the place.  My mind is running all over today.  Smile today and fight like hell to be happy.  Don't let anyone tell you are that you are not special and beautiful.  Thank you for reading my words.

Mouthfuls...

Sunday is already here and the laziness has begun!  It is hard to believe how fast that time goes by anymore.  Yesterday Megan and I spent the  day in Sacramento, CA (no we did not see Govenor Ahnold) visiting my best friend and his wife and it was alot of fun.  Before we got to the house to visit Matora, Megan and I spent some time in Old Sacramento near the Sacramento River and as you can see, we had some fun being silly and eating way too much crap!  I love that photo of Meg!  Check out the little boy in the background.  I think he fainted just after I shot the phot0!

So, health is ok around here although I have been having a hard time falling asleep every night.  I just hope that I can keep sleeping every night.  I hate it when I go for days without sleep!  I end up feeling (and looking) like a zombie and that is just not good!

So I hope that everyone out there is having a great long weekend.  Tell me about your adventures.  Did you climb a mountain, plant a garden, go parasailing, save a family from a burning house?  Really, I love to hear what people are up to out there.

Enjoy the day! Smile!

Click here to see more photos our adventure yesterday!

That same link will take you to 1,345 photos of our life!  You could overdose on Rube and Meg!!!!  We are addicting like crack because we are just so damn sexy! :-)