Roger Clark aka Rex

Retired 02/2008. Taken up woodworking as a hobby. Absolute novice.
Learning as I go and finding out that wood is a very unstable material and unpredictable - just like my wife who thinks you can take any piece of wood and "voila" in 10 seconds you can have something Chippendale would have made! Oh by the way I am really a Brit who has been stranded is Texas for nearly 40 years, married to a small town Texas gal who is the custodian of her family's sacred bean recipe.
I have an interesting life.

Updated 8/3/2010:
I have had many get well messages, some PM's and some from Grizz's posts - thanks Grizz. ALL LJ's are my friends, yes ALL . As you might know I don't know very much about woodworking but tackle it to make life worth living. Most of you don't know my medical problems of late so I will give you an overview: I have had prostate cancer for nearly 3 years and have to change meds when current ones become ineffective. February I broke my ankle and could no have surgery because of my meds. Finally they did surgery and put a plate and 10 screws in my ankle. It was 3 months not being able to walk, just sit with my leg elevated. Just as my ankle healed, they did a ct scan to see if the cancer was spreading and came back with another surprise - I had an Aneurysm and Gall Stones. Surgery was scheduled but 3 days before I was taken to the ER because I could not move my legs or upper arms. They diagnosed me with Acute renal failure (ARF) - Kidney failures and Rhabdomyolysis - (rapid breakdown (lysis) of skeletal muscle (rhabdomyo) due to injury to muscle tissue). Ie Degeneration of the muscles and tissue going through the kidneys. I was under intense treatment to prevent kidney failure and was released last weekend. The problem was caused by medication conflicts. When I get well enough they will do they Aneurysm surgery and I'll be laid up again.
So basically I just can't seem to get fit enough to go to the shop - my little bliss world. LJ's that have known about my problems have been super friends, calls, messages an insults (lol) which my wacky sense of humor loves. My humor is not everyone's taste - sometimes it's pretty tasteless !!! - but you all know I am just having fun.
There is one particular LJ who has become the best friend I have ever known, he emails me, video calls me and kicks my butt, and does everything to help me get through bad times. There is no way I will ever meet him in person, he lives in another part of this world, but it feels like he is around all the time - pushing me for my own good. I have nominated him for the next Pope.
My little signature message has changed and those of you who know where that song cam from will understand a lot about me.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

Update February 2011:
In 2010 since my last update I had the anurisym surgery, a lung biopsy and an IV port attached to my chest. 2010 was a bad year for me where I spent all my time recovery from one thing or another, just totally immobilized and able to do nothing. I did however manage to get to sleep in my own bed upstairs late November after 10 months of not being able to make it up the stairs.
Now that the IV port insert wound has healed I will start chemotherapy sessions later in February and see how that goes.
I am felling much better and stronger now with much less side effects from the other medications I am taking and have actually made it to the workshop for a few hours. When this cold snap is over I think I am fit enough to do some limited stuff in the shop - that will be so good.

Update September 2011:
The previous update may have been wishful thinking, I have been in hospital 3 times since with a hospital virus via my meds. The good news is that for the last few days I have made it to the shop and have been "playing around" some. I am feeling much better now and my chemotherapy is not making me ill anymore, so I'm making a start on all those projects I dreamed of making while I was "out of it". I'll have something to show soon.

Update December 2011:
Well, the latest scans and tests show that the clinical trial I was on has ceased working, so now I am in limbo waiting to find out what we try next. My oncologist wanted me to go on a new medication costing over 90 grand - you gotta be joking, I live off of my SS check.!!!!
It looks like they will start me on some chemo that kills white blood cells and has a butt load of nasty side effects and leaves you open to catching all sorts of deceases. Gotta keep trying though.

Update July 2012:
Well, I have been on another type of chemotherapy since the beginning of the year and have it every 21 days. The only problem is that the side effects are pretty debilitating for about 10 days after the infusion, so I have a very short period when I can get to the shop. As I have more treatments, the side effects get more intense and last longer and I am in that situation right now, with the effects lasting for 14 days now.
You would be amazed at how many different side effects there are that seems unrelated to cancer treatment.
Got many, many projects in my head, now I need a body that will make them. lol

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.