Hurricane Decked My Dock, Bored My Boardwalk, Even At Lowest Tide Hour; But I’m Grateful - IMRAN™

Hurricane Decked My Dock, Bored My Boardwalk, Even At Lowest Tide Hour; But I’m Grateful - IMRAN ™ Even with the lowest tide time of 7:51 am, the super full moon and storm surge meant the water got higher than normal high tides. It was strong enough to be destroying my beautiful dock in front of my eyes as I watched at 8 AM. Kennedy & K2 were with ne as I inspected my home and property this morning. Six more hours before full high tide and much stronger winds coming, the dock destruction wasn’t complete yet. Luckily the wind wasn’t as destructive and fast as possible until later, or it would have been far worse. I am sure the directly hit areas fared much worse. Even with this damage, I am grateful to be so blessed, fortunate to be spared the worst of the wrath of nature. 

© 2023 IMRAN™ 

#IMRAN #Florida#ApolloBeach #TampaBay #hurricane#destruction #storm #weather #home#gratitude #GSD #dogs#GermanShepherds 

See less

TRANSLATE with x

English

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bulgarian	Hindi	Portuguese
Catalan	Hmong Daw	Romanian
Chinese Simplified	Hungarian	Russian
Chinese Traditional	Indonesian	Slovak
Czech	Italian	Slovenian
Danish	Japanese	Spanish
Dutch	Klingon	Swedish
English	Korean	Thai
Estonian	Latvian	Turkish
Finnish	Lithuanian	Ukrainian
French	Malay	Urdu
German	Maltese	Vietnamese
Greek	Norwegian	Welsh
Haitian Creole	Persian

TRANSLATE with

COPY THE URL BELOW

Back

EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE

Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal

Back

Hurricane At Lowest Tide, Not Terrible Wind, Still Overfills Tampa Bay Apollo Beach Florida - IMRAN™

I’ve been blessed to sit through several major hurricanes at my blessed home on Tampa Bay, Florida for the last dozen years. Post neck surgery, and with two large German Shepherds, it would have been impractical to evacuate anyway as this latest one hit the state. Kennedy & K2 are curious about what’s going on. You’ve seen videos of them jumping off this empty lot on to the sand. Right now, even at lowest tide time, and without any terrible wind, the water is easily coming on to the lot. My home is taking a hit of a different kind that I’ll post later. 

© 2023 IMRAN™ 

Sticking My Neck Out - (20 Minutes Before Going Into The Operating Room) - IMRAN™

 

I knew how serious the expected 7-hours long, 3-discs & 1-vertebra removing, plus 3-vertebrae fusion, surgery was. The grave danger I was facing was not lost on me. (As the Tom Cruise/Jack Nicholson dialog goes, in ‘A Few Good Men’…. “Grave danger?” “Is there another kind?”). 

The surgeon was very clear about the serious risks. These included lifelong swallowing and speaking problems, as well as voice changes. I told him I cannot sing, so there was no singing career at risk. I joked that if, as a side effect, I could suddenly start singing that would be fine with me. 

But, in all seriousness, there were more serious possible complications to worry about. Paralysis, stroke, and even table death. Based on my accident history, and other multi-generational family histories of fatal strokes, paralyses, and heart failure deaths from medical treatments, the last three were far more serious. 

They were more than "the usual warnings" doctors give. That is why I had so much to do before the surgery. Knowing full well there was no guarantee of coming out of it alive, I had to juggle the close of the financial year at work (successfully completing a massive project at work in the last week of June). 

I did that even as I privately knew that my whole org was being laid off, with no expectation of my keeping my job (and health insurance!). There was no point stressing over what I could not control. 

All I could control was my attitude and approach in the moment.So, on top of that pressure, I also had to work on putting my life affairs in order.  Will, trusts, healthcare directives, all that boring and tedious stuff so many people avoid assuming that they will have time later. My advice, just do it, while you can. 

Fortunately, I was able to do all that in time. I was able to file the papers with attorneys and the state, place the documents in a safe location, and tell my family details the details. 

Then I was off to the hospital to see what fate held in store for me. With the 20-minutes warning that I would be in the operating room soon, it was time to take one more (hopefully not final) smiling selfie. 

Grateful and blessed, disheveled but smiling, having been awake a full 48 hours. Click… and then it was off to the operating room… and a whole new “adventure.”

© 2023 IMRAN™

#attitude, #death, #grateful, #gratitude, #hospital, #humor, #IMRAN, #ImranAnwar, #Inspiration, #iPhone, #life, #medicine, #planning, #surgery, #Florida, #Tampa, #TampaBay,

Stunning Spring Sunset Six Years Ago At Tampa Bay Florida Home - IMRAN™ It was six years ago, when my Yamaha jetski and DJI drone, both acquired at my 2016 birthday, were still less than a year old each. Both great toys. The early April spring sunset on Tampa Bay was stunning. You can make out the St. Petersburg Florida skyline to the left of the overexposed sun on the horizon. The DJI Phantom 4 captured this absolutely phenomenal sunset as it took off. My jet ski was still gleaming like new. It was two years before I would get Kennedy, my first German Shepherd Dog in America. This unedited photo is one of nearly 150,000 photos I have in my "To Post" folder. At this rate I will have to live another 150 years to get to post them all! With a hurricane bearing down on my home and this whole area, I am reminded of how tenuous our hold on life is. Even my jetski is not with me anymore. It survived many hurricanes but it slid off the lift last year while I was in New York. Landing on its tail, it took on water and "sank" - meaning it took on sea water long enough for it to totally destroy the engine and systems. It was white, to match my blessed home, boardwalk, dock, and Mercedes. With my neck surgery I do not think I will be riding one for a while. But, pictures like this always bring smiles and happy memories to me. © 2017-2023 IMRAN™ #aerial, #ApolloBeach, #Clouds, #DJI, #drone, #Florida, #gratitude, #hurricane, #IMRAN, #memories, #noedit, #Phantom4, #Sky, #storm, #Sunset, #TampaBay, #WaveRunner, #YamahaStunning Spring Sunset Six Years Ago At Tampa Bay Florida Home - IMRAN™ It was six years ago, when my Yamaha jetski and DJI drone, both acquired at my 2016 birthday, were still less than a year old each. Both great toys. The early April spring sunset on Tampa Bay was stunning. You can make out the St. Petersburg Florida skyline to the left of the overexposed sun on the horizon. The DJI Phantom 4 captured this absolutely phenomenal sunset as it took off. My jet ski was still gleaming like new. It was two years before I would get Kennedy, my first German Shepherd Dog in America. This unedited photo is one of nearly 150,000 photos I have in my "To Post" folder. At this rate I will have to live another 150 years to get to post them all! With a hurricane bearing down on my home and this whole area, I am reminded of how tenuous our hold on life is. Even my jetski is not with me anymore. It survived many hurricanes but it slid off the lift last year while I was in New York. Landing on its tail, it took on water and "sank" - meaning it took on sea water long enough for it to totally destroy the engine and systems. It was white, to match my blessed home, boardwalk, dock, and Mercedes. With my neck surgery I do not think I will be riding one for a while. But, pictures like this always bring smiles and happy memories to me. © 2017-2023 IMRAN™ #aerial, #ApolloBeach, #Clouds, #DJI, #drone, #Florida, #gratitude, #hurricane, #IMRAN, #memories, #noedit, #Phantom4, #Sky, #storm, #Sunset, #TampaBay, #WaveRunner, #Yamaha

IMRAN

Kennedy K2 Jump In Tampa Bay As Neighbor & His Dog Pass By Us Kayaking At Stunning Sunset - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Sticking My Neck Out - (20 Minutes Before Leaving For Neck Spine Surgery) - IMRAN™ I have always stuck my neck out, whether fighting against a CIA-installed dictator pig General Zia in Pakistan, or speaking out for the suffering people from Occupied Kashmir to Occupied Palestine. But this time it was different. After several decades of multiple traumas and events, and living with chronic pain, without letting it hold me back from living the fullest most grateful life I could, I had to make a choice. Continue to live with pain and the near certainty that the naturally fusing vertebrae, and herniated disks, would cause permanent nerve damage? Or, go in for some hard core surgery? I decided to stick my neck out again, literally this time. After several years of thinking about it, I found one of the best surgeons I could, and we agreed on July 19, 2023 as the date of surgery. It was almost exactly 20 years since the photo in the Mercedes destroyed by the drunk driver hitting me! Since I was required to be at the hospital by 5 AM, I had an Uber on-call at 4 AM to take me there. I did not want to bother anyone. I am grateful to the kind friends who offered to take me there and back a few days later. I have no ill-will to the ones who offer big-talk of such help and promises to take care of you but actually disappear when and if you do need them. Seen that too many times, and I am sure you have too. I have been blessed to be self-sufficient all my life. I chose to do this adventure on my own too with God's help alone. I was told to wear something light and baggy to the hospital prior to surgery. With the Uber driver literally on his way to pick me up, I took some photos to share with family and friends from my blessed home, smiling in gratitude to God -- and making some final memories. Even if these were to be my last photos at my blessed Florida home I would always want to be remembered smiling -- and full of love and hope. That is just who I am and hope to remain until the end of my time here. Of course, I had to stick my neck out --- this time not just to reduce the double chin but to record my neck before it was to be cut open! © 2023 IMRAN™Sticking My Neck Out - (20 Minutes Before Leaving For Neck Spine Surgery) - IMRAN™ I have always stuck my neck out, whether fighting against a CIA-installed dictator pig General Zia in Pakistan, or speaking out for the suffering people from Occupied Kashmir to Occupied Palestine. But this time it was different. After several decades of multiple traumas and events, and living with chronic pain, without letting it hold me back from living the fullest most grateful life I could, I had to make a choice. Continue to live with pain and the near certainty that the naturally fusing vertebrae, and herniated disks, would cause permanent nerve damage? Or, go in for some hard core surgery? I decided to stick my neck out again, literally this time. After several years of thinking about it, I found one of the best surgeons I could, and we agreed on July 19, 2023 as the date of surgery. It was almost exactly 20 years since the photo in the Mercedes destroyed by the drunk driver hitting me! Since I was required to be at the hospital by 5 AM, I had an Uber on-call at 4 AM to take me there. I did not want to bother anyone. I am grateful to the kind friends who offered to take me there and back a few days later. I have no ill-will to the ones who offer big-talk of such help and promises to take care of you but actually disappear when and if you do need them. Seen that too many times, and I am sure you have too. I have been blessed to be self-sufficient all my life. I chose to do this adventure on my own too with God's help alone. I was told to wear something light and baggy to the hospital prior to surgery. With the Uber driver literally on his way to pick me up, I took some photos to share with family and friends from my blessed home, smiling in gratitude to God -- and making some final memories. Even if these were to be my last photos at my blessed Florida home I would always want to be remembered smiling -- and full of love and hope. That is just who I am and hope to remain until the end of my time here. Of course, I had to stick my neck out --- this time not just to reduce the double chin but to record my neck before it was to be cut open! © 2023 IMRAN™

IMRAN

It Was (Almost) Curtains But It's (All) In The (Air)Bag(s) - IMRAN™ In the previous chapter of this story, I wrote about how one, well, two actually, moments of people not looking over their shoulders while driving led to a lifelong struggle with chronic neck pain and spasms for me. In 2003, my solid as a German tank S-class Mercedes AMG was totaled by an uninsured son-of-swine drunk-driver smashing into me. He was doing 80 mph in a 30 mph residential zone driving a Ford Explorer at 4 AM, after leaving a bar he had been drinking at all night. The impact pushed my car into a tree after hopping over a curb. The drunk swine went through a green belt, through a fence, through a front yard, and into a family’s living room. It was 4 am and the room was empty or he would’ve killed someone watching TV there. It’s people like him that I have no compunction wishing an early end for before they hurt or kill others. Even worse shame despite his doing this, he was not even put in prison by the NY state courts, and was just fined $500. Who wants to bet $500 he did not stop driving drunk. As you can see from the photo taken in the total-loss car a few days later, five of the eight airbags in my car went off from the impact. The rims were shredded, the tyres burst, but the crumple zones did their work. These are among the many reasons I am a lifelong Mercedes-Benz lover by the grace of God. So, I would take the need to have surgery 20-40 years after not getting killed or maimed in these accidents as a blessing. "Another true miracle" is how I saw each one of these events as, not even counting half-a-dozen other times when I was a sure goner in other life incidents. Thanks to the Almighty, I am still here, and so grateful for every blessing, and love from each and all of you. Prayers always appreciated for the miracles to continue. © 2003-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN, #Mercedes, #MercedesBenz, #AMG, #airbags, #accident, #autobiography, #accident, #transportation, #safety, #miracle, #blessed, #grateful, #gratitude,It Was (Almost) Curtains But It's (All) In The (Air)Bag(s) - IMRAN™ In the previous chapter of this story, I wrote about how one, well, two actually, moments of people not looking over their shoulders while driving led to a lifelong struggle with chronic neck pain and spasms for me. In 2003, my solid as a German tank S-class Mercedes AMG was totaled by an uninsured son-of-swine drunk-driver smashing into me. He was doing 80 mph in a 30 mph residential zone driving a Ford Explorer at 4 AM, after leaving a bar he had been drinking at all night. The impact pushed my car into a tree after hopping over a curb. The drunk swine went through a green belt, through a fence, through a front yard, and into a family’s living room. It was 4 am and the room was empty or he would’ve killed someone watching TV there. It’s people like him that I have no compunction wishing an early end for before they hurt or kill others. Even worse shame despite his doing this, he was not even put in prison by the NY state courts, and was just fined $500. Who wants to bet $500 he did not stop driving drunk. As you can see from the photo taken in the total-loss car a few days later, five of the eight airbags in my car went off from the impact. The rims were shredded, the tyres burst, but the crumple zones did their work. These are among the many reasons I am a lifelong Mercedes-Benz lover by the grace of God. So, I would take the need to have surgery 20-40 years after not getting killed or maimed in these accidents as a blessing. "Another true miracle" is how I saw each one of these events as, not even counting half-a-dozen other times when I was a sure goner in other life incidents. Thanks to the Almighty, I am still here, and so grateful for every blessing, and love from each and all of you. Prayers always appreciated for the miracles to continue. © 2003-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN, #Mercedes, #MercedesBenz, #AMG, #airbags, #accident, #autobiography, #accident, #transportation, #safety, #miracle, #blessed, #grateful, #gratitude,

IMRAN

Don't Look Back, But Always Look Over Your Shoulder - IMRAN™ As I had written about the multiple traumas over 30 years which added up to literally be a pain in the neck. It started with my being T-boned (no pun intended) as a passenger on a motorcycle by another motorcycle at 18, just at the start of my Engineering University studies in Lahore. I was riding behind my friend Naeem Safdar on The Mall road in Lahore at 2 AM in 1980 with no traffic visible. We were with another pair of friends on their bike. When those guys unexpectedly did a U-turn just past Pakistan State Guest House, Lahore Naeem quickly turned without looking over his shoulder-- even as he said to look behind if anyone was coming. Too late. Before I could look over or say anything, an unrelated couple of guys going like 80 mph suddenly saw us turn too late to stop. Naeem's right leg was shattered from the impact. The other driver flew past us between us, scarping his whole face from not wearing a helmet. That passenger flew straight into my neck like an NFL player with neither of us having any protection. I did not break anything, but the sudden total twist of the head and neck started the damage. But, hey, a miracle to have lived so far without breaking anything. Later several such traumas over the next three decades made things worse. One was in 2000 when I was a passenger in a rental Ford Taurus whose driver I had told just the previous night that her habit of changing lanes without looking over her shoulder was very dangerous. She made light of it. On a California freeway she took the exit lane, then suddenly changed her mind, and got back onto the main expressway lane, -- yes, again without looking over her shoulder. Boom! A speeding car behind us in that lane struck us on the left rear passenger side where I was sitting. We spun across 4 lanes of a California expressway and ended in a ditch, barely avoiding being smashed to pieces by an 18-wheeler. Despite that whiplash injury, nothing was broken, and not being crushed by the 18-wheeler made me consider it yet another miracle. So, I do not look back on my life with any regrets, but I never forget the miracles that kept me alive. But I tell people, don't look back... but always look over your shoulder! Back then, in that 2000 accident era, cell phones did not have cameras. That is why I do not have any photos of the shattered Ford Taurus that we all fortunately walked away from. This photo is from exactly 20 years ago, the fall of 2003. It is from another traumatic experience a few years later which I will share the story of later. Thank you for the love and prayers, always. © 2003-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN, #Mercedes, #MercedesBenz, #AMG, #airbags, #accident, #autobiography, #accident, #transportation, #safety, #miracle, #blessed, #grateful, #gratitude, #driving, #drivinglessons, #BadDrivers,Don't Look Back, But Always Look Over Your Shoulder - IMRAN™ As I had written about the multiple traumas over 30 years which added up to literally be a pain in the neck. It started with my being T-boned (no pun intended) as a passenger on a motorcycle by another motorcycle at 18, just at the start of my Engineering University studies in Lahore. I was riding behind my friend Naeem Safdar on The Mall road in Lahore at 2 AM in 1980 with no traffic visible. We were with another pair of friends on their bike. When those guys unexpectedly did a U-turn just past Pakistan State Guest House, Lahore Naeem quickly turned without looking over his shoulder-- even as he said to look behind if anyone was coming. Too late. Before I could look over or say anything, an unrelated couple of guys going like 80 mph suddenly saw us turn too late to stop. Naeem's right leg was shattered from the impact. The other driver flew past us between us, scarping his whole face from not wearing a helmet. That passenger flew straight into my neck like an NFL player with neither of us having any protection. I did not break anything, but the sudden total twist of the head and neck started the damage. But, hey, a miracle to have lived so far without breaking anything. Later several such traumas over the next three decades made things worse. One was in 2000 when I was a passenger in a rental Ford Taurus whose driver I had told just the previous night that her habit of changing lanes without looking over her shoulder was very dangerous. She made light of it. On a California freeway she took the exit lane, then suddenly changed her mind, and got back onto the main expressway lane, -- yes, again without looking over her shoulder. Boom! A speeding car behind us in that lane struck us on the left rear passenger side where I was sitting. We spun across 4 lanes of a California expressway and ended in a ditch, barely avoiding being smashed to pieces by an 18-wheeler. Despite that whiplash injury, nothing was broken, and not being crushed by the 18-wheeler made me consider it yet another miracle. So, I do not look back on my life with any regrets, but I never forget the miracles that kept me alive. But I tell people, don't look back... but always look over your shoulder! Back then, in that 2000 accident era, cell phones did not have cameras. That is why I do not have any photos of the shattered Ford Taurus that we all fortunately walked away from. This photo is from exactly 20 years ago, the fall of 2003. It is from another traumatic experience a few years later which I will share the story of later. Thank you for the love and prayers, always. © 2003-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN, #Mercedes, #MercedesBenz, #AMG, #airbags, #accident, #autobiography, #accident, #transportation, #safety, #miracle, #blessed, #grateful, #gratitude, #driving, #drivinglessons, #BadDrivers,

IMRAN

Kennedy, K2, & I On Fabulous Florida Winter Weekend With Drone Following IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Kennedy, K2, & I On Fabulous Florida Weekend With Drone Following - IMRAN™

TRANSLATE with x

English

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bulgarian	Hindi	Portuguese
Catalan	Hmong Daw	Romanian
Chinese Simplified	Hungarian	Russian
Chinese Traditional	Indonesian	Slovak
Czech	Italian	Slovenian
Danish	Japanese	Spanish
Dutch	Klingon	Swedish
English	Korean	Thai
Estonian	Latvian	Turkish
Finnish	Lithuanian	Ukrainian
French	Malay	Urdu
German	Maltese	Vietnamese
Greek	Norwegian	Welsh
Haitian Creole	Persian

TRANSLATE with

COPY THE URL BELOW

Back

EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE

Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal

Back

Kennedy, K2, & I On Fabulous Florida Weekend With Drone Following - IMRAN™

© 2023 IMRAN™  

Glowing Golden Kölner Dam From Köln Marriott Germany On My 25th Anniversary Visit - IMRAN™ (West) Germany was the first foreign country I visited as a Pakistani young man. I fell in love with the country and its people. I loved all of Western Europe in that first trip in 1987, when I actually turned 25 in both (West) Berlin and Paris. A full 25-years later, I flew into Europe on the exact same date, literally landing in Europe at almost the same time of day as my first visit. I then tried to visit as many of my originally visited cities on the same dates. Köln, or Cologne, was among those. That is when I took this photo of the fabulous Kölner Dom, the Cologne Cathedral, from my Hotel Köln Marriott room late at night. The hotel is between the historic River Rhein on the east and Köln Hauptbahnof on the other side. The train station in silhouette, with light from some of the ceiling windows, gave it an air of more mystery. This was taken 11 years ago, in 2012, with my Nikon D300. © 2012-2023 IMRAN™ #Architecture, #autobiography, #cathedral, #KolnerDom, #cologne, #D300, #Europe, #HDR, #History, #IMRAN, #Koln, #landmark, #Night, #Nikon, #trainstationGlowing Golden Kölner Dam From Köln Marriott Germany On My 25th Anniversary Visit - IMRAN™ (West) Germany was the first foreign country I visited as a Pakistani young man. I fell in love with the country and its people. I loved all of Western Europe in that first trip in 1987, when I actually turned 25 in both (West) Berlin and Paris. A full 25-years later, I flew into Europe on the exact same date, literally landing in Europe at almost the same time of day as my first visit. I then tried to visit as many of my originally visited cities on the same dates. Köln, or Cologne, was among those. That is when I took this photo of the fabulous Kölner Dom, the Cologne Cathedral, from my Hotel Köln Marriott room late at night. The hotel is between the historic River Rhein on the east and Köln Hauptbahnof on the other side. The train station in silhouette, with light from some of the ceiling windows, gave it an air of more mystery. This was taken 11 years ago, in 2012, with my Nikon D300. © 2012-2023 IMRAN™ #Architecture, #autobiography, #cathedral, #KolnerDom, #cologne, #D300, #Europe, #HDR, #History, #IMRAN, #Koln, #landmark, #Night, #Nikon, #trainstation

IMRAN

August 19, 2023

via IFTTT

Kennedy & K2 Chilling Wading In Tampa Bay Waters - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Kennedy & K2 Chilling Waiting For Sunset Walk - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

3 PIA Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets At Manchester Airport At Sunset 2002 - IMRAN™ Happy Independence Day, Pakistan.. and hoping PIA will one day return to its glory days. © 2002-2023 IMRAN™ #Pakistan #England #Manchester #PIA #IMRAN #flying #Boeing #B747 #JumboJet #HatTrick #sunset #travel #autobiography #history #aviation3 PIA Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets At Manchester Airport At Sunset 2002 - IMRAN™ Happy Independence Day, Pakistan.. and hoping PIA will one day return to its glory days. © 2002-2023 IMRAN™ #Pakistan #England #Manchester #PIA #IMRAN #flying #Boeing #B747 #JumboJet #HatTrick #sunset #travel #autobiography #history #aviation

IMRAN

Stunning Seaside Sailing Scene Sag Harbor Long Island NY 15 Years Ago - IMRAN™ My then GF Tania had flown in from Miami when we spent a day at beautiful Sag Harbor on Long Island in New York. This was one of the sights we saw, with sailboats on the water shimmering under the August sun in 2008. © 2008-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #sailing #boating #LongIsland #NewYork #SagHarbor #summer #seaside #boats #sailboats #memories #Nikon #D300 #clouds #BlueSky #BlueWater #lifestyleStunning Seaside Sailing Scene Sag Harbor Long Island NY 15 Years Ago - IMRAN™ My then GF Tania had flown in from Miami when we spent a day at beautiful Sag Harbor on Long Island in New York. This was one of the sights we saw, with sailboats on the water shimmering under the August sun in 2008. © 2008-2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #sailing #boating #LongIsland #NewYork #SagHarbor #summer #seaside #boats #sailboats #memories #Nikon #D300 #clouds #BlueSky #BlueWater #lifestyle

IMRAN

Pain In The Neck - IMRAN™ Thank you so much for the loving inquiries and comments about what made me go in for surgery. Here it is, in black and white. Well, some red too. LOL It was a pain in the neck, literally. No, not the surgery, but the problem. It started with my being T-boned (no pun intended) as a passenger on a motorcycle by another motorcycle at 18. Later several such traumas over the next three decades made things worse. I have been living with ever-worsening pains from the herniated discs and damaged vertebrae, which were causing pressure on different nerves. Every five years the pains moved further & farther along, from the neck to the shoulder to the scapula to the triceps, and so on. Similar radiation of pain signals went to the back and legs. A picture is worth a 1000 words, an X-Ray 5000. Unless you get squeamish looking at X-rays. #1 shows where my cervical spinal (neck) vertebrae C5/C6 were squished together, destroying the disc, and getting permanently fused naturally (not in a good way). That space was getting tighter on the nerves coming through there. #2 shows C6/C7 also squishing together, eventually likely to end up the same as the ones above. But wait, there’s more. If you get three vertebrae squished together we will throw in an additional complication for free. LOL #3 shows calcification turning into bone outgrowth behind all three vertebrae, now also pushing Into the spinal cord itself. That started causing narrowing of the spinal cord, which meant adverse impact on everything in the body that is signaled through the spinal cord. That is the surgery I was avoiding since I was in my 40s, to avoid the risk of making things worse for the rest of my life. But I also did not want to wait to be in my 70s, suffering for decades, and then having a harder time healing. So, It was time for "Knives Out". © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #humor #medicine #surgery #life #autobiography #Xrays #traumaPain In The Neck - IMRAN™ Thank you so much for the loving inquiries and comments about what made me go in for surgery. Here it is, in black and white. Well, some red too. LOL It was a pain in the neck, literally. No, not the surgery, but the problem. It started with my being T-boned (no pun intended) as a passenger on a motorcycle by another motorcycle at 18. Later several such traumas over the next three decades made things worse. I have been living with ever-worsening pains from the herniated discs and damaged vertebrae, which were causing pressure on different nerves. Every five years the pains moved further & farther along, from the neck to the shoulder to the scapula to the triceps, and so on. Similar radiation of pain signals went to the back and legs. A picture is worth a 1000 words, an X-Ray 5000. Unless you get squeamish looking at X-rays. #1 shows where my cervical spinal (neck) vertebrae C5/C6 were squished together, destroying the disc, and getting permanently fused naturally (not in a good way). That space was getting tighter on the nerves coming through there. #2 shows C6/C7 also squishing together, eventually likely to end up the same as the ones above. But wait, there’s more. If you get three vertebrae squished together we will throw in an additional complication for free. LOL #3 shows calcification turning into bone outgrowth behind all three vertebrae, now also pushing Into the spinal cord itself. That started causing narrowing of the spinal cord, which meant adverse impact on everything in the body that is signaled through the spinal cord. That is the surgery I was avoiding since I was in my 40s, to avoid the risk of making things worse for the rest of my life. But I also did not want to wait to be in my 70s, suffering for decades, and then having a harder time healing. So, It was time for "Knives Out". © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #humor #medicine #surgery #life #autobiography #Xrays #trauma

IMRAN

GSD K2 Is Loco Nuts For Coconuts - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Soak In Shocking Pink Dusk & Stunning Red Sunset With Passing Boats Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Tuesday BluesDay: Blue Boat Blue Sea Blue Sky Blue Pool - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Incredible Iconic Inverted Pyramid Perfectly Points To Terrific Tampa Sunset Spot Seaside - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

Oppenheimer Mushroom Clouds Openly Hammer Sea & Sky With Galactic Nebula & Nuclear Fission Test Blast Colors’ Fusion Above Tampa Bay - IMRAN™ Can you see the mushroom clouds effect over the horizon? Can you see the resemblance of other clouds to some of the star-forming galaxies NASA has recently shared images of? See all that combined into one single sunset, at one tiny spot, on this tiny planet, at the home of one insignificant person, yours truly. Every time I have seen and captured a mind-blowing sunset, or dusk-colors filled sky, I always feel like there's never been one like it before. But God's powers over nature, and physics' power over the universe we exist in, ensure that new and even more mind-bending visions make many of us bow our heads in humility, and gratitude. This was one such summer evening at my blessed home on Tampa Bay. Thinking about the sure to be a classic movie “Oppenheimer” opening [the] week [I wrote these lines] reminded me of the mushroom clouds of nuclear explosions. Releases of immense power and energy, like the God of love inside a passionate lover erupting into a beloved after a long wait. An eruption which will boldly open, hammer the skies, and seed the seas with colors, with rain, with thunder, with lightning, and with magic. All the power of a nuclear weapon released, but without any destructive weapons being involved. If only more of us could appreciate more of what God blesses us with. Please keep me in your prayers, always. © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #sunset #HDR #prose #literature #gratitude #moviereferences #clouds #seaside #nuclearweapons #NASA #nebula #inspiration #gratitude #Oppenheimer #nature #NikonOppenheimer Mushroom Clouds Openly Hammer Sea & Sky With Galactic Nebula & Nuclear Fission Test Blast Colors’ Fusion Above Tampa Bay - IMRAN™ Can you see the mushroom clouds effect over the horizon? Can you see the resemblance of other clouds to some of the star-forming galaxies NASA has recently shared images of? See all that combined into one single sunset, at one tiny spot, on this tiny planet, at the home of one insignificant person, yours truly. Every time I have seen and captured a mind-blowing sunset, or dusk-colors filled sky, I always feel like there's never been one like it before. But God's powers over nature, and physics' power over the universe we exist in, ensure that new and even more mind-bending visions make many of us bow our heads in humility, and gratitude. This was one such summer evening at my blessed home on Tampa Bay. Thinking about the sure to be a classic movie “Oppenheimer” opening [the] week [I wrote these lines] reminded me of the mushroom clouds of nuclear explosions. Releases of immense power and energy, like the God of love inside a passionate lover erupting into a beloved after a long wait. An eruption which will boldly open, hammer the skies, and seed the seas with colors, with rain, with thunder, with lightning, and with magic. All the power of a nuclear weapon released, but without any destructive weapons being involved. If only more of us could appreciate more of what God blesses us with. Please keep me in your prayers, always. © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #sunset #HDR #prose #literature #gratitude #moviereferences #clouds #seaside #nuclearweapons #NASA #nebula #inspiration #gratitude #Oppenheimer #nature #Nikon

IMRAN

Spectacular Seaside Steaming Sky Stunning Saturday Speeding Serenity - IMRAN™

via IFTTT

WWW: Wit, Wisdom, Wordplay: HuffPost Thinks Musk's Ripoff Of 1990s X Logo Is "Slick" - IMRAN™ Only a sycophant, Musk cult member, or someone clueless about the brief history of branding and computing in the last 2-3 decades would call Musk's blatant ripoff of a 1990s X logo "slick". That original X was slick, three decades ago. Former Twitter's new and indefensible logo is merely mildly sick and on life support, IMHO. What do you think? © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #IMHO #Musk #media #HuffPost #idiots #opinion #branding #marketing #design #history #computing #TwitterWWW: Wit, Wisdom, Wordplay: HuffPost Thinks Musk's Ripoff Of 1990s X Logo Is "Slick" - IMRAN™ Only a sycophant, Musk cult member, or someone clueless about the brief history of branding and computing in the last 2-3 decades would call Musk's blatant ripoff of a 1990s X logo "slick". That original X was slick, three decades ago. Former Twitter's new and indefensible logo is merely mildly sick and on life support, IMHO. What do you think? © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #IMHO #Musk #media #HuffPost #idiots #opinion #branding #marketing #design #history #computing #Twitter

IMRAN

WWW: Wit, Wisdom, Wordplay: Why Convicted Felon CEO Martha Stewart Wants To End Remote Work - IMRAN™ This is precious. The woman who built herself into a brand while literally doing housework in her home (while her husband made a ton of money on Wall Street), and who still runs her operation from home, wants Remote Work to end. Maybe she hated remote work when she was in prison. Duh. © 2023 IMRAN™ #wit #wisdom #wordplay #humor #RemoteWork #IMRAN #MarthaStewart #hypocrites #felon #IMHOWWW: Wit, Wisdom, Wordplay: Why Convicted Felon CEO Martha Stewart Wants To End Remote Work - IMRAN™ This is precious. The woman who built herself into a brand while literally doing housework in her home (while her husband made a ton of money on Wall Street), and who still runs her operation from home, wants Remote Work to end. Maybe she hated remote work when she was in prison. Duh. © 2023 IMRAN™ #wit #wisdom #wordplay #humor #RemoteWork #IMRAN #MarthaStewart #hypocrites #felon #IMHO

IMRAN

Even With Clouds & Inside Lights Off, Full Moon So Bright It Makes Interior Reflections Show Up In Photo - IMRAN™ I rarely rise for sunrises. But I just happened to wake up at exactly 5 am today, on the 14th of Muharram, 1445, August 1, 2023. The full moon, despite hazy clouds across it, was still so bright, it made reflections from the interior show up in the photo. That was despite all the lights being turned off inside. Going too close to the windows made my white iPhone reflection show up in the window. That reflection, plus direct moonlight, made it nearly impossible to get just the outside. I believe two separate meteor shower astral events are happening together this week. It would be hard to see them with cloudy skies, but some of the bursts are said to exceed the brightness level (obviously not the size) of the full moon. Did you get to see the full moon and/or the meteor showers? © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #summer #August #FullMoon #Muharram #night #ApolloBeach #gratitudeEven With Clouds & Inside Lights Off, Full Moon So Bright It Makes Interior Reflections Show Up In Photo - IMRAN™ I rarely rise for sunrises. But I just happened to wake up at exactly 5 am today, on the 14th of Muharram, 1445, August 1, 2023. The full moon, despite hazy clouds across it, was still so bright, it made reflections from the interior show up in the photo. That was despite all the lights being turned off inside. Going too close to the windows made my white iPhone reflection show up in the window. That reflection, plus direct moonlight, made it nearly impossible to get just the outside. I believe two separate meteor shower astral events are happening together this week. It would be hard to see them with cloudy skies, but some of the bursts are said to exceed the brightness level (obviously not the size) of the full moon. Did you get to see the full moon and/or the meteor showers? © 2023 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #summer #August #FullMoon #Muharram #night #ApolloBeach #gratitude

IMRAN