Picking Up The Slack

Today has been a perfect Fall day, blue skies with lots of clouds which may have threatened rain and thunder storms and the temperatures skyrocketed into the high 80’s, a perfect day to visit with my next door neighbor, Al. I have been neglecting Al for the past couple of weeks—so reason specifically except I have been busy. But I found out yesterday that one of his friends, a fairly close friend died. The friends name was Parley. I new him but not well. Actually yesterday, I tied to visit with Al but he disappeared in the afternoon. I looked all over the neighborhood for him and was a bit concerned. But turns out Al had gone out for a walk and turned in a direction I had not anticipated. But he was OK.

Parley used to live in the neighborhood and he and Al had been friends for some time, I was the new comer 16 17 years ago and had never got to know Parley. Parley often came over and joined Al and I when Al and I would be out by Al’s back steps visiting. I sort of felt Parley was muscling in on our conversation. Parley lived up round the corner part of the old guard. Following Parley’s retirement from Quest he purchased a couple of apartments in the neighborhood and kept close vigil on his “units” as Parley liked to call them. Five or six years ago he had enough of the “neighborhood” and the landlord moved South to Alpine, a community in another, more conservative county about forty-five minutes away. Parley continued to keep a pretty high level of visibility in the neighborhood. Parley had the money to have a person mow the lawn, provide upkeep and generally keep an eye on his property but Parley elected to do this himself dropping by once or twice a week to mow the law and do upkeep. Like I said, Parley was an OK guy, little more conservative for my taste but he always had interesting stories about the traumas and terrors of his property and tenants. It was always entertaining to hear views of renting from the landlords perspective. Parley did not die a natural death, cancer or old age. He died from an accident semi-traumatic but I guess traumatic enough to do the job.

Parley was just twenty years older then me, 77, not young but not as old as he could have been. Parley had a huge family who all took part in the funeral. I asked Al, if the funeral was as long as conference(two hours). Al said “no” just a lot of family talks and family singing. I have attached a hot link to his obituary and that is a nine hundred dollar obit! I am sorry Parley is gone—not that I will miss him but I know that both my neighbors well especially Albert. Al is a nice, quiet and shy. He does not have a lot of truly personal friends Parley was one of those. I think Albert is going to miss Parley a great deal…I guess its up to me to pick up the slack,

conspiracy and collusion

Dianne and I saddled up and drove to University Hospital at 2:00 pm to meet with Brent the sales guy and Randy my PT and seating specialist to begin the process of ordering my new power chair. I used to go to all these event by myself but lately I have started inviting Dianne to accompany me not only as my wife but as my Medical Advocate(MA). I have been pleasantly surprised at how effective Dianne has been as my MA, particularly how through and effective she is in developing my case.
We got to the rehab unit right on time and Brent and Randy was there—

Friday afternoons are typically slow on rehab units but I was surprised to see how many people and how much activity was going on when we checked in. There were in PT students still hanging out following Randy around like adoring fans of their rock star. I was kind of surprised to note that Randy had already softened Brent the durable medical guy, up as to my desire to consider a completely new chair as opposed to fixing up my current Pride product, the Quantum, which I have liked but goes just way to slow to have to endure for another five years if I do not have to. Randy had informed me that that the chair I want, the Permobile Street Corpse/Urban Challenger, which costs way too much but does not yield the commissions that durable medical sales guys like. But Brent was OK with my decision. And sounded as if he was hell bent to push my case.

So we spent the next hour and half getting measured, talking about my needs, what I was able to do physically and how such a chair as the urban challenger would allow me to meet my vocational and social goals. This was a look on the “inside” for me, these two guys were actually figuring out how they could manipulate the system to achieve my goal getting the equipment I think I need.
I was pleased and impressed at how aggressive and effectively Dianne presented my case of the wife of a person who needed—the best powerchair on the market today. How I needed a chair which could speedily get me back and forth to my train station safely and dependably. How I used the powerchair every day and day out rain and snow light and dark. How even if the cost to us is going to be astronomical, even after insurance intervention, we will just figure out a way to pay the cost for years to come. I am not sure how we will do this but I have to have faith.

So now everyone has colluded: the PT, the durable medical provider, the MA and the crip, this is conspiracy of the highest caliber. Now Randy , the PT, is going to attempt to write the “need” letter just the right way, which my Katia, my medical provider, will sign and present to the insurance folk which will , hopefully, get the ball rolling. I am thinking my portion of responsibility is going to be between 8,0000 and 10,000 dollars!! This is not right but just the way it is. So, I have been measured and almost authorized now the real work begins… conspiracy and collusion

Power Chair and Tigers

Ok if you have been reading this blog you know I am getting ready to consider
getting another wheelchair, a power chair, hopefully more powerful then anyone I
have had up to this time. In fact, I am meeting with Brent, the guy from my
durable medical equipment provider, tomorrow at 3:00 pm at the outpatient rehab
facility I frequent. I set this appointment earlier in the week to make sure the
appointment fell on my day off. I spoke with my physical therapist(PT) Randy,
who gave me some options and specifically a specific kind of wheelchair which
Randy feels will best meet my needs. The only problem is the chair he specified
is a super expensive, top of the line, hard to convince insurance companies of
the need for such a chair. This chair would be a high performance chair made
in another country with superb quality and a two year warranty. I am talking
about a chair which could cost $15,000 or easily more. This chair would recline,
raise up four inches, and best of all travel two and one half miles faster then my present chair—which would be wonderful.

My PT also kinda of warned me that the shop Brent works for is sort of committed
to the power chair I am currently piloting which would acceptable, if I could
get a chair which would be faster then the chair I have had. I sense things are
going to get sticky before things get smooth…there are tigers across the street!

This post was supposed to have been entered Thursday!

Better Homes and Gardens

Things were slow round our house on Sunday morning and Anakah had spent the night. The morning was beautiful, as any last Sunday morning of summer should be: bright sunshine, warm temperatures and the smell of bacon, eggs and grits still heavy on the air. Anakah was using her scooter but was becoming more and more bored with nothing to do. I was no feeling as good as I could and did not feel like gong up to State street to the Beans and Brew where we had gone a number of Sunday mornings add to the fact that my power chair is becoming more and more fragile and I guess I don’t want to stress the chair out anymore then I have too. So I was happy just to sit out on my ramp and read my latest Stephen King and enjoy my last Sunday morning of Summer.

Saturday night Anakah \and I had been cruising the neighborhood, Anakah on her foot scooter and me in my power wheelchair. We had gone all over our neighborhood and somewhere in out journey Anakah had lost a bolt off her chair, the bolt which held the handle bars in place. I was impressed that she had heard the metal parts hit the road when they fell and she was able to retrieve most of the bracket but was not able to find the nut.
The following morning Anakah was focused on finding the bolt and had talked her grandmother into waging a search for said bolt. I knew immediately this was going to be a futile waist of time but the three of us set out trying retracing out steps not finding the needed hardware but leaves , flowers, lost trinkets and I even found a pair of butter fly wings. Gruesome as this sound pinned to the pavement where the vehicle has some how run over the little beat but lat the wings, mostly intact. It was about then I realized that Dianne was searching for Fairy materials. Dianne and Anakah were carrying wicker baskets and putting all the treasures we found in the basket and when we got home she ad Anakah set to building a small house in the garden just right for fairies. Of coursed the building of a fairy house was a Sunday Silly, something done on Sunday just for fun. When we got back from the search I returned to my Stephen King and later when I poked my head out of my book the two had completed their work and I was asked to inspect their labors. The fairy quarters was a work of art. I now you cannot see much from the image I have posted as is but if you were to click on image and see the image I its fullness and hugeness. Look round the house, see the toad stool? The butterfly wings are on the toad stool. The mini baskets are tooth fairy baskets. There is a quarter in on and a penny in the other. The roof is woven plant leaves and the pod count as lanterns.. Th real magic of the fairy house is the idea and structure kept Anakah busy for am ood part of the remainder of the day. Magic!

Decisions

I am loosing my motors! I found the grim news on Friday when I checked into the wheelchair repair shop to see my electric charges were seeming to deplete way to quick. I charge my batteries every night, I have to, if I do not I am afraid I will be stranded somewhere the next day. I have an “power” indicator light which works through colors green to yellow to red and finally blinking red which means I had better charge soon or I will stop in my tracks—which is not a good thing. So, now when I leave for work with a full charge I am way into the yellow by mid morning and a b linking red light my lunch time if I choose to range at all. Luckily I have charger at the office I often plug into and at least keep my power levels up.

So I go to Magic Rest, my wheelchair place, and the bad news is the motors are going and because the motors are “going” they tend to draw more power from my batteries and show that I need a charge. Though no prices were quoted, I know if I have the motors replaced it is going to cost me upwards of $1000.00 or more and there is a strong chance the costs might be covered by my insurance this good, but this is also bad. I am being pointed in the direction of investing in a new chair entirely especially since the battle of the butt sore. The talk now is to maybe consider a power chair which actually reclines that also elevates my feet! This would take to weight off my butt and hopefully cut down on the probability of pressure sores. But I am being told if I were to invest in the motors the insurance people would be less likely to justify the expense of a new chair after replacing the motors. The Magic Rest shop tech also indicated that right now, with my chair acting so odd and the motors beginning to fail that if the insurance folk would spring for a major chair up grade it would be now. But even if the insurance people go for the upgrade they will only cover the usual 70 percent leaving the 30 percent to me which could 3000-5000.00 or maybe more. Some of these chair cost up to 30,000 or more. So, I don’t know what to do. There may be a third option. The re utilization program I am part of has many motors and I am sure I could get them at a pretty good price. Hum what to do. One of my biggest concerns is that the motors will fail on my way to or home from work or somewhere out on the train line. Many things to think about.

GD2 was over this week with her dad to mow my yard. I was able to get a couple of images of Jasmine as she flitted round the ramp and yard. I am going to follow up with GD3 soon. I noticed some new images on her mom’s Myspace account. I’ll harvest an image of Riley soon They are ally beauties.

Changling

I cannot believe my last entry was Monday! Not that work has been, that busy but I have been somewhat focused this week, with a information fair I did last night, the medical appointment the first of the week, and my AT Council meeting on Wednesday and the new FOX shows I have just not done my writing. I doubt today’s entry will be an award winner either but I thought I had better check in. I have to get ready, soon, for an appointment I have this morning to have my power chair looked at. So I am busy. Like who is not right? MY health seems to be fairly good. I am not about week into the meds from last weeks appointment—though I have not heard back from Monday’s blood draw. I really need to get on some form of prostate shrink medicine. I have run out of the stuff Dianne had made for me. But the other issues seem to have cleared up and Dianne is totally excited as my body and system rebounds to better health. I still have some skin irritations I must keep an eye on but by enlarge I am back in the game,

I do not know if a new behavior I am having has anything to do with the medications I have been taking but I have noticed my behavior at the meeting and functions this last week have been remarkably different. I seem to be more friendly, out going and interested in the other participants! Was I more like this at one time? I really don’t remember but I think I may have---very strange. I have not been like this self for a long long time. I felt like a used car sales guy. For instance, I am chair for the AT Council, it seems I have been chair for ever—but I started the meeting off by telling some stories reflecting on some of the history of the organization—I never do that, that I can remember. Following the meeting and at the Open house I attended last night I actually went round and shook hands and introduced myself to strangers , again behavior I have not exhibited for a great while. Usually, I just shrink back respond only when spoken to and try to exit just as soon a humanly possible. The only change I can think of is the antibiotics. Dianne says the antibiotics are cleaning out my system and as the poisons are purged and I began to feel better I am bringing my old self back! This is a great story and I do not know if I believe the poison entirely but I sure want to and somehow makes sense. Maybe I should the rest of the regimen the Doc scripted for me—I have been dreading that one—but maybe its time as soon as I get this enlarged prostate under control.

FTOG (Frank the Old Guy ) at work is still riding me to get back to some serious writing. Its somewhat annoying but appreciated. I’ll have to start seriously contemplating the idea of serious writing.

Blue Band

You know what I cannot believe is that the Citadel of Cleanliness, a medical center, sterilizes everything except the tourniquets their phlebotomists use to pull blood.

I woke this morning fasting and usually that does not bother, I mean I wake every morning fasting only this morning I could not eat until I made it to the University hospital and have my blood drawn. The blood drawing is the result from the medical appointment I made last week. The blood draw will allow my doc to then proscribe a better prostate shrinker then I am currently using. Like I said, any other morning fasting doe not bother me this morning it did, cause I could not eat I felt dizzy and like I as going to pass out, a little, I cannot believe I am such a histrionic wuss.

Since coffee was out and my usual breakfast of either a bean burrito or a tamale and hot peppers was out as well since I had to have the blood drawn fasting I had an extra half hour this morning so I was way early as I left the house. I was so early I caught one of the early trains which go straight o the University of Utah and up to the medical center. The morning though dark was lit by the Harvest Moon which sat like amazing egg in the Western sky. I got on campus about a quarter to seven and up to the Outpatient Lab by 7:00. Of course the place was almost deserted, one lady which I mistook for a cleaning lady, or some other housing support services. After a few minutes she walked over as asked if I was there for lab services, I said I was and she said the lab would not be till 7:30 a.m., but she would try to see if she could find some tech who would pull my blood because I was there and ready.

About a quarter after 7:00 the blood staff started filing in and they looked as groggy as I felt with no coffee or food in me. One finally noticed me an asked if I was the name of the file she held in her hand. I was the only one in there who else could I have been? So she had me come over to the window and I laid out my arm and she wrapped the tourniquet found my vein and sucked my blood, two vials. I looked away for some reason this mornings extraction was a bit more uncomfortable then usual. Her name was Brenda, pulled the needle and placed the cotton ball on the puncture and I dutifully held my arm so the cotton stayed in place. A few minutes later I was on the train heading into work just two hours late. Luckily, I had worked at least two hours over the weekend at my Friday meeting.

Later on in the morning as Tory and I were arguing over who was going to take a lunch, I backed my power chair away from the desk to look in my backpack and there on the floor was the rubber tourniquet that Brenda had used in my arm. I somehow must have escaped the medical center with the tourniquet laying on my feet no one noticed. I picked up the band from the floor with my hook, when Tory germafobe indicated how filthy the band was and visibly backed a way from the blue rubber band and started her dry heaves. I shrugged and held the tourniquet at arms length and wonder how many, dirty, infected arms this band had been round and the last one it had been round now was mine.

Thanks Gabe!

Today was another one of those days where, because of ones disability, you always seem to be in the way. I have a ramp which is what I use to access my house, the ramp is build of wood and the seasons have taken their toll on the structure ; particularly the foot of the ramp. The snows and the rains have caused the end to begin “peeling” up making the ramp difficult to use especially in my manual wheelchair. The rails have become wobbly and some of the bracing underneath have rotted causing great concern to Dianne and to be to some degree. Luckily for us/me Gabriel, has skills in wood remodeling and volunteered to come over and do the work and today was the day.

Today was a perfect day for the job. A perfect autumn day-sunshine and the temps in the low seventies and just enough wind to make everything pleasant; Neighbors were out and the kids across the street were home giving Anakah something to do. Dianne was busy helping Gabe, getting him water, tools and just being useful. I was just in the way.

That’s the other thing when ever someone comes over to do something like this, really something for me I am driven to stay out with the person till the job is finished even if there is clearly nothing I can do to help except, really, to stay out of the way and just let them work. So I was out on the ramp reading, out on the ramp was the only place I could be or in the house since once Gabe removed the bottom of the ramp I was trapped in the house. So I sat on the ramp reading but where I sat sooner then later I was in someone’s way. I would move and get situated and then move again. Then I would go back in the house until the guilt would move me back on the ramp. The project took four hours and Gabe did a great job and I will be happy and grateful to Gabe and Dianne each time I go up or come down the ramp. I jut wish I could do more. Thanks gabe!!

Ships In Motion

You know how objects I motion tend to stay in motion? Well State government is much the same way. There were a number on Stat meetings set in place long before the State lunched its four ten schedule giving many employees Fridays off. I am one of those employees. Not all State organizations were as fortunate. And I have been on the board of one of those organizations. And yesterday, Friday, was one of those meeting—the DDS Advisory Board. DDS is the Disability Determination Services, these are the folks who determine if a person is disabled enough to be granted Social Security. DDS is a tough job, their management tends to push these workers hard, too hard ,I think in some cases. But serving on the DDS advisory is fairly easy duty. We, usually once every two months and they serve a pretty good lunch, since we meet over the lunch hour. Some times a hot lunch a sometimes a cold lunch but the lunches are always quality. I have always been fortunate to have the time I spend with this organization count as my work time meaning the hour I work over lunch, even though it is a lunch the lunch counts as “work time” and I can take the time off when I need it some time during that pay period.
I have also served as the Chair, of this advisory board, which is no big deal, except other perceive it as a big deal sometimes, which I think is hilarious but has dealt me well over the years. I chair another advisory board, which has sent me to numerous out of state meetings just because I was the Chair. Basically all I do is show up, pound the gavel, oif afforded a gavel, read the minutes and direct the meeting and make sure I bring ir to a close at the end of the appointed time, usually two hours. That is about it. I am amazes at how seriously the directors of programs take this voluntary position always asking my approval of agendas and even some actions the agency might take. I have never really understood this faux power but I always mention my attendance at these meeting when writing my annual reports.

I have served on the DDS Advisory Board for the past 10 years. I have missed few meetings and enjoyed the food they have offered. I have rarely made waves when waves were not needed—it’s a perk. Yesterday’s meeting was my last DDS Advisory Board meeting. I have served two four terms plus, when I came on board I finished some one else’s term which had two years remaining. I had to “step down” it’s in the by-laws, two terms, full terms is all you get. That’s OK, no big deal. I can use the extra Friday, now that I have Fridays off. And DDS will get along with out me just fine and I do have the option to be considered for service after I stay a way for a year and that decision would have to be approved by my boss who was not my boss ten years ago and I sometimes wonder how much she thinks this meeting is worth. The meals are great and the others I associate with are stimulating to a degree and the comp-time is always useful and a year is an awfully long time. And who knows what could happen by then.

Medical Advocate

Why is it the moment a person takes action against a particular issue or problem everything changes?

I have suffered with a decubitus sore I got swimming about a year and a half ago. I have suffered with this wound for a year now after a six week bout of actual physical therapy. Dianne has worked to clear this wound up all year and then last week I make the appointment to be seen by my health car provider and magically my wound begins to heal. Granted, Dianne found a somewhat miracle ointment which seems to have done the trick. So the rear end I present to my health care provider (HCP) is essentially free of problem. Don’t get me wrong. Seeing the HCP this morning was important. Dianne has developed a bunch of questions regarding me and the of me of the past year. Dianne also has generated a number of questions, I would never have brought up to the provider on my own. Like my edema plagued legs and I have a weird infection on one of my legs which everyone but me got all excited about this morning. So now Katia my HCP, wants me to take a diauretic (only on the weekend—which will wreck my weekends, I am sure). I don’t know how compliant I am going to be with some of these orders but we shall see.

The upside of the morning’s events: that I will be meeting with my Physical Therapist (PT), Randy, sometime in the next couple of weeks to begin working on a cushion and a new wheelchair, power wheelchair which reclines and will elevate my feet. ELEVATE MY FEET!!!! Seriously I am becoming more and more debilitated! Is this really happening to me?!! I am becoming a total invalid. Actually, I need to step back and look at this—I don’t have to stay in the mega crip chair all the time-but maybe I should, I don’t have to wear ted stockings but maybe I should and I don’t have to take lasix but maybe I should but I probably won’t. I mean I have got along just fine for forty years. I m really afraid that by adding something new into the system, my system, can start a chain reaction which might be disastrous to my system. I guess I am just afraid of loosing my independence and becoming more and more dependent on the medical complex.
I should accept that my independence is going the wither as I age, it is only natural, it has to it is the way of things, the nature things but I find myself resistant.

One last comment: I took Dianne as my I MEDICAL ADVOCATE! I have never done that before. Having a medical advocate is kind of frightening because the advocate tends to bring up things which I would never do—but wish I could, but am too frightened to go through the steps or the RX or the over all consequence of bringing this information to light—my thought process really is kind of warped. But Medical Advocate did and now it’s done, the information is out in he open and who knows where it will go.
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Urban Hitler

I “train” into work almost every morning and this morning was no exception except I had left the house about thirty minutes earlier then usual which meant I got downtown thirty minutes earlier. I get off at the Planetarium stop which is down by the new Mall and older warehouse district a district which is now being gentrified, “bootstrapped” into condos. The process is fascinating and I love to watching the process. Two buildings are being converted and one is looking to be one of those really nice upscale places, hard wood floors, Vulcan ranges and wine racks. It a place I ould never afford but a person has got to dream.

So today with thirty minutes to kill I thought I would take my time and check out the condo.
The building which is being converted sits across the alley of a smallish blue flat building titled “UTAH PAPERBOX CO”(UPC). The UPC thinks they own the alley between these building , and have signs posted” NOT A THRU WAY” and " Tresspassing" and the like but I have never paid attention and just drove my power chair and nothing has ever happened until today. Today as I was coming down the alley I noticed a row of windows at the top of the building, I had not noticed before: what I had thought was one giant open room was actually a row of offices, and I could see just a little of each office decorated to each inhabitants taste. I would roll a ways and stop and peer into the top of the window. I was just wandering when I got the feeling of being watched and I looked up to see a man bearing down on me with a scowl on his face. I was hoping he was not after me but that was too much to be hoping for. Sure enough walked up to be and DEMANDED “Is there something I can do for you?” translation “what the hell are you doing hanging round my building?”

I responded with something like “ nothing, just going to work.”

“Yeah, just where do you work”over there I said pointing to my building”

“Well, you know you are in a traffic zone and car are going to start coming through here any time now” By this time I was getting a little defensive,”Yeah, I know, I come this way every morning.” That was about it, because that was when I chose to zip out of there leaving UPC Hitler with his mug hanging out, an with a million things I wish I had said but did not I thought it wise and best just get out of there. The you/ I have punish my self by having ruminate for the rest of the day and think about what I am going to do tomorrow? Tomorrow, I plan to take the long way in case Adolf is looking for me.

Death

My cell phone rang last Thursday it was Mom, she said she had been trying to get us for a couple of days and finally tried my cell. When my mom cells on y cell I know something serious is up. Mom begins with the history of this call, how she had tried our land line and either message box is full or the phone did not even offer the caller, her, the option of leaving a message. Which very well could have happened since I never check the saved calls and Dianne checks every couple of days, she following the phone report with how she has tried to get hold of my older brother, who lives a couple f blocks from me the and will drive over and check on me when mom does not get hold of me like she wants to but in this case Mom could not even get hold of him so she tried the dreaded cell phone and there I was.

Mom launched into telling me of the passing of my brother’s wife’s younger sister "
sister, who is about 10 years younger then I, a distant memory from my youth. Someone you knew about but only because you knew someone else but someone ten years younger then yourself and a member of your direct or extended family she just did not registrar until your family merges with her family. Still, Mom was go on about how she wanted me to drop everything and give my brother a call, or maybe drop them a sympathy card or something. I told her I would and went back to Bones which was debuting its Fall show.

I did not make the call and I carried my share of guilt because I did not call but really, she was my brother’s wife’s, sister! I did not really know her and hardly knew the family-still what was my responsibility. Dianne thought I should call but I resisted even more.

I guess I was not ready—maybe I was scared. I rationalized that trying to get hold of my brother at anytime is a challenge but really I was scared and angry at, Jackie the deceased; How dare she die making me examine all the fears I have of death, family and closeness and my own pending experiences with death in all of death’s form and especially, finally, mine. How dare mom call me on the American Christmas Week( see earlier blog) when I was nestled infront of the TV with great care. I was mad at every one for shaking up my little non important world!
The funeral is today, in about 45 minutes, I knew it would be. I knew that my brother would be home today, of all days, he would be home and I would be able to get old of him when I called this morning right after I got out of the shower. I braced myself and placed the call. It was Ruby, my sister in law, who answered the phone. I gave her our condolences and excuses for not being there. Only then did I realize that Ruby the oldest female child in the family would also be the “ramrod” who held the family together and most likely orchestrated all the events of the past week. I heard all of this in her voice and wished we had gone. With out any prodding she informed of the death, how and when everything occurred. She was retelling the story, she was processing she was beginning to heal. I listening and she promptly handed me off to Ross , my brother. I was also shocked to feel his grieving. I somehow could not see Ross grieving but here he was plainly glad that I had called. And again, I wished I had made the effort to go up to Boise for the Funeral, for the family, for Ross. I am learning so much as I grow older, I just hope I have the time to learn all I need to know.

Perfect Day

Today has been one of those days I wish I could hold for ever—perfect temperature, almost 80 degrees, yard work and time with the neighbors—there is a feeling in the air that drastic change is coming in a few weeks, maybe as many as ten weeks, but definitely the days of good weather and other the fence lollygagging are about over for this year. Mark A was over today, mowing yard and clipping some of the limbs off the plumb tree branches hanging over the ramp. Mark has finally completed the first book he has made from scratch—just about everything except the raw ingredients. He covered the covers with naugahyde, sewed the pages ito sections and then sewed the whole group of pages together into the main book. This is his first book and he is impressed with the document as am I. It has about 200 pages and he plan to use the volume for his journal. Mark is already planning his next volume, he has ideas for changes and things he will do differently. I appreciate Mark’s willingness to take on such a challenge and go forward and learn and complete then refine. I wish I had that kind of drive.
Today is Jessica’s birthday, Mark’s oldest child. We are planning on meeting at Café Rio for dinner and maybe even including Anakah.
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American Christmas

I wore my red coat today—I thought the Red coat was a bi heavy for today, after all it is Just September 2 and technically we are sill in the Summer season. The cold front is lingering and it was cool this morning when I left for work and I was glad Dianne had assisted I were the red coat. Its now lat in the afternoon and the day has struggled to clear 70 degrees. I did leave for a bit over lunch, outside over to the mall, the sun shining an comfortable enough but clearly the Summer has left and the crisp cool air seems to matching the ever earlier sunsets.

Back at work after four days off is kinda weird. I am struggling to get back into te swing of things. The boss is gone his week and I am not in charge and not being in charge is a good thing. Frank, The New guy, is and that makes perfect sense to me. Frank is actually 100 percent staff, he IS the book keeper and likes acting like the boss. So let him have, I have much more entertainment being just one of the guys.

Calls seemed up a little today and calls were interesting too.

The sore on my butt continues causing Dianne and myself great concern—the sores are just not healing so I have started the process of contacting my health care provider am trying to schedule an appointment to see my wound care specialist, Kevin,who has not yet returned my calls. Maybe tomorrow but that is cool, I am feeling pretty good for the time being. I just my butt wound healed up but Dianne has a host of questions she wants me to have my NP address and Dianne is right and I am just a chicken: afraid of the ‘boogy man’. I need o learn to be proactive, knowing that even if the they find something worthy of fear, they hopefully can intervene right there and then to mitigate the ultimate outcome and I really should welcome that outcome as opposed to being drug into the ER in excruciating pain to find-out the cause of the excruciating pain is terminal and worse could have been prevented. What a laugh that would be? Can you tell I am really trying to talk myself into this? Butt, we’ll see( did you like that joke?)

Best of all, FOX started their Fall season last night with Prison Break I not one of my favorites but new just the same, the rest of FOX and other networks kick off next week and the week after, thanks I m sure to the RNC. Thankfully, Gustav calmed them down a little but now Gustav is history I am sure those bunch of elephants will be coming back full bore—luckily not on FOX which is sort of surprising. I revealing truth to just how shallow I really am but the Fall TV season always excites me! The Fall season is truly the American Christmas. Forget December 15—Its all September with bright beautiful electronic gifts, magically over the airways, all month long into October--something for every one, young and old—the sweet, soothing tube of TV—god bless every one.

Happy Labor Day!!

This was the summer of Anakah—Dianne watched the child everyday and got her through tennis, swimming lessons and summer boredom which plagues every kid sometime during the summer. Anyway, in gratitude Gabe and Bridget had Dianne and over for steaks and coconut shrimp. Anakah had called earlier in the day and asked if she could spend the evening—it has been a long holiday weekend for Dianne and myself so we figured why not. Anakah was specific however, that we would have to ask at just the right time. We decided to go along with her plan.

The dinner was excellent; great steak and Gabe makes best coconut shrimp and garlic toast. The dinner was later in the day 5:30 p.m. right at the beginning of a major storm system which would plague us for the next 18 out so hours. We ate and visited and just at the right time Dianne asked if Ani can spend the night and the approval and between bands of rain, when the rain was falling at its lightest we raced for the van and headed home. The remainder of the evening was spent watching our storm and for Dianne keeping track of Gustav and Anakah watching her favorite videos. We did not really stay up late and I think everyone was in bed by 10:30—with no major incidents.

One of the traditions we have fostered over Anakah’s life is to have bacon and eggs when every she spends the night and Anakah often helps with the breakfast production. I get up about 600 a.m. and turn on NPR and prep for breakfast which I did this morning. I try to make enough noise that I wake Ani but not this morning. 7:00 a.m. came and went but I got the bacon fried, cheese for the eggs, grated and coffee made. When I called Ani and Dianne the wind had picked up and the rain started falling and the thunder started. Some lightening but not too much, is after we had eaten that the wind gusted and the rain turned to hail. The cold front pushed the temperature down significantly, and because before yesterday’s storm the temperature was in the 90’s so the heat in the house is not on. Dianne went back to bed to get warm and tried to get Ani to join her hoping to get the girl to get a little more sleep. Anakah would have nothing of that and slipped out of bed as soon as Dianne had slipped off into a stormy morning nap.

Ani was bored beyond tears beyond any relief of her animated videos. I figured the best cure was to keep her busy and decided to bake oatmeal cookies. Baking cookies turned out to be a much bigger project then I had figured. We spent an hour searching for the mixer, ingredients and finally had Anakah had to wake Dianne and ask her where everything was. We eventual found everything we needed. We had to pummel the hard brown sugar to get the sugar to a useable consistency, but soon we were mixing the butter, sugars, flour and the rest and by the time we were ready to put the cookies on the cookie sheets, Dianne was up and took over. What was supposed to be 18 soft cookies turned out to be 36 plus crisp oatmeal cookies but the cookies were better then I had anticipated. I had managed to keep Ani busy for over two hours, the storm had dissipated the sun had come out and though the temperature was in the 50’s the kids across the street were out playing in the water. Ani gathered together a paper plate of cookies and headed across the street to buy her way into the games. Happy Labor day everyone!!!

Oh, by the way, Dianne's mom is just fine-she weathered the storm just fine...