Comments on the events of my life

The new and the old

2008-10-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

OK, Here we go---Here is the link to my new Journal on Blogger:

http://bearslair-bearsden.blogspot.com/

I'm still not thrilled at being tossed off AOL like is being done but, I guess life will go on.

Please check out my new Journal.

Gone but not forgotten

2008-10-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

We have not had a computer since I think 6:00 PM Tuesday night. It seems that Embarq (who took over for Sprint) decided to do a major upgrade on their system. They managed to blow me out of the water. It has take until just a few minutes ago for the Techs and Engineers to undo the mess they created.

I have over 300 emails.

Libby and I will be here for a while getting this all straightened out. Plus I have to come up with a new Journal by the end of the month.

I'll be back.

Things are getting back to normal

2008-09-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!! Libby got home last night about 7:00 PM (PDT) after almost twelve hours of travel. She was beat but, not to tired to greet her "Boys" (all three of us). The Dogs were elated at her return. They jumped around, yipped, and barked for about five minutes. All this frivolity came as each attempted to get close to her for a real good petting. I kept getting pushed out of the way so, I finally got my petting last.

We are having a quiet day so Libby can rest up. Tomorrow we start back to our regular schedule with me headed out early for Physical Therapy.

Boy, am I glad that Libby is back, I eat well now and so do the dogs. Ya know, nobody gets fed very well when Libby is gone. It is usually something cold out of a can. Now its real, hot food!!!

Sunday, Day of rest and football

2008-09-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Football and NASCAR all day!! What more could you ever ask for? I will sit in front of the TV most of today and watch the games. The Redskins come on here at 1:00 PM. They are playing Dallas and have a number of prime players out injured so, I don't expect much from them today. But, I will still cheer them on.

I spent last evening washing dishes. They "Boys" use two dishes for each meal and I usually use one plate or bowl. That can add up to quite a sink full after a while. Maybe it would be a lot easier if we all just ate at one big trough when Libby is gone. I got everything cleaned up and can hopefully keep it that was until Libby gets back.

Mom and the Aide are doing well. The Lady is off today and a replacement will be there. From what Mom says the regular lady is smart and friendly. She is doing everything we contracted for without question. I am sure relieved and pleased.

I have been checking in with the Journals that I always read and find that most of you are doing OK. I am surprised at how many have gone private. I have never thought of doing that but, guess if I had the problems that I know some of you have had I'd be private by now.

We had some strong winds and a few thunderstorms last night. We didn't get any of the rain in my area but, did get the wind. We have a huge wire cage that we kept the "Little Boy" in after his leg surgery a few years ago. Libby uses it to keep the boys out of the front part of the yard. That is because they sit and the "Big One" does nothing but bark at whoever or whatever ghost is walking our street. It fell over last night with a big crash. It scared all of us and Bruno didn't stop barking for at least fifteen minutes. Even when he was done barking he continued to mumble and grumble for a half hour. I went out and fixed it back to where it was and hopefully it will stay there. We talk about having the "Fence Guy" come and put a section of fence up to keep them out of that front area but, for some reason it never gets done.

Have a great day.

Another Day in Aloneville

2008-09-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have spoken to Libby already this morning. Things are going well there. My Brother-In-Law was able to stand at a sink and mirror and shave himself on Friday. This is a real big deal for a guy who just lost his leg. Libby says his attitude is great. In fact, it is much better than her or mine would be at this point.

It has been windy and rainy since Libby got to Chincoteague Island. Yesterday was just very overcast and humid. While we were talking this morning it started to rain and thunder again. From what I ready on the Weather Channel it will stop raining and clear off sometime Monday after Libby leaves for us back here in Nevada. I guess that is just the way things go in our family.

The "Boys" and I didn't do much yesterday. We basically just took the day off. In the morning I read the local paper (Review Journal) and then I read the whole USA Today. I like the USA Today as it provides great up to the minute news from all over the country. We did watch one show on TV. It was a documentary about these folks who have old chuck wagons from the "Cowboy Days". They take these authentic chuck wagons out on to the prairie and have a three day cook off using only the antique equipment on the chuck wagon and only the food that would have been used by cowboys "on the trail". I thought the whole thing was really interesting. I'm very happy that I was born into the time period I was. I doubt I would have been very happy doing all the really hard labor of those folks.

Well, I watched the Debate last night. I wish I hadn't. I didn't thing that either of the Candidates did very well. I was surprised that Obama did as much stuttering as he did and to me McCain seemed old and frail. Oh well, that's just one man's opinion. I have already made up my mind who Iwill vote for and I doubt that anything will change that now.

Elle, please come back and writeagain in your Journal. I'm tired of reading the February 11, 2008 entry. It makes me wish for more of what you write.

Life in the slow lane

2008-09-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Libby yesterday when she got off the plane in Salisbury, MD. That's about an hour from Chincoteague Island. She was getting a rental car from Hertz there. Well, after waiting twenty minutes for a counter clerk to take care of her she tried calling the telephone number for Hertz. The folks she talked to had no reason that a clerk wouldn't be at the counter but, sent a clerk from another location to get her car ready so, she could finish her trip to the "Island". Strange........

It is windy and very damp on the "Island". The weather forecast is for rain right through until Monday when she comes home. Libby met her sister, Susie and they went to dinner at a well known local restaurant. Libby was happy to get home and have some real fresh flounder. That is one of her favorite foods. I suspect that for this trip my Wife will be eating a lot of seafood.

The dogs and I are doing OK. We don't like being alone. Libby is a big part of our lives. I had eggplant Parma for dinner last night and the "Boys" had a can of very nice chicken, rice, and veggies. This morning I had a Dunkin Donut and they had a very healthy can of dog food with a large helping of tomato-meat sauce on top. I thought they needed a treat. Now the "Boys" are napping. You know, you can't do all that work of eating breakfast without a nap to re energize you.

I had a note from Lori who we all know from Journal land. It was good to heat from her. All that time I was not reading or writing I guess I missed a lot that was happening in her life as well as with many other JLanders. I hope that I can keep this concentration going so that I read and write like I use to. It is a great outlet for all of us.

Sad dogs miss their Mom.

We are alone

2008-09-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

We have been up since 3:30 AM. Libby wanted enough time before she had to leave so we could have coffee together. So, we got up and had coffee and then she got herself ready for the Limo to pick her up. Her flight east was at 7:00 AM which means she had to be at the airport by 5:00 AM. The Limo arrived at 4:30 AM and took her on her voyage across the country to Chincoteague Island, Virginia.

The "Boys" knew something was up and were very stressed and skittish as we got Libby ready to go. After she left they finally calmed down and found places to nap. I've been wandering around the house and will now finally take a nap to recover from the very early morning.

We have no plans for the week while Libby is gone except to try and stay out of trouble. I already talked to Mom and she is waiting for her Aide to arrive at about 9:00 AM. I sure that the "help" for her works out OK. It will be good to have someone check on her since it would mean no one would see her for a week otherwise.

OK, Off for a nap.

Oh, Happy Day!

2008-09-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Therapy this morning was a real "bear". I thought the Therapist was trying his best to kill me. But, in the end I did everything he wanted and he seemed pleased with my progress when I got ready to leave.

As is our routine, we left "training" and headed for coffee. Libby suggested that we go see if the new Dunkin Donuts near us was open yet. Glory Days, it was!!!! So we had coffee and a real Dunkin Donut for the first time in a long while. Tomorrow we are going to have breakfast with Mom and will be taking a box of Dunkin Donuts and coffee.

It seems to me that if the news doesn't contain gloom and doom about our financial situation, the political mess, or O.J. Simpson we just don't have any news. I'd sure like to see the TV Networks get away from all this dribble and focus on something that actually is news. Do you remember when the wars our country is involved in took center stage on the news? It amazes that dying Americans can't get a space on "page one" anymore. Nor can anything of local interest. It is just the same "B.S." that we are always being assaulted with. I would sure like to know what is going on in my neighborhood that's not death or injury.

In our courtyard Libby has been nursing a bell pepper plant since early spring. It would be full of blooms yet we have never seen a pepper. Well, we now have another full crop of blooms and one 3 inch pepper. Apparently, these guys need cool weather to bear fruit. Hopefully we will get a few more before our cool winter weather sets in. The plant itself looks good and is about four feet tall.

Libby decided to try and get a short nap after lunch. She took me to "training" this morning and then took MOm grocery shopping. We get up at 5:30 AM on "training" mornings so, I guess she is tired. The "little" dog, Spirit went with her to take a nap. The "Big Guy" is here in the office with me. I'm typing and he is snoring. I guess that works.

I've got my eye on you!!

2008-09-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I will now start this entry again. I tried to add a poll about politics and wound up losing my entire entry. That shows you just a bad everyone and everything feels about our political system.

I have one eye on the TV and one eye on this Journal entry. On the TV I have my split screen working with the NYG vs Cin football game on one side and the NSCAR race on the other side. I will be talking to myself very soon.

Libby has gone to the Palms Casino to pick a free set of coffee cups and saucers. That is just what I need around here. More coffee cups/mugs. There is no room in any of the cabinets now!! She says she will be home in time to watch the second televised football game.

I have Physical Therapy tomorrow morning. It will be my last session un till Libby gets back from her Sisters' place on Chincoteague Island, VA. She will leave Wednesday for a week. I don't drive anymore and therefore I can't get to "training". It is just too much of a hassle to call a cab.

On Tuesday we will take coffee and danishes to Mom's. I want to spend some time with her before Libby's Trip. We have a Health Care company coming over to see Mom each morning while Libby is gone. The Aide will spend three hours with Mom to keep her company, do the laundry, make the bed, and get together a hot meal for noon time. I'm real pleased that Mom agreed to this as it takes some of the worry off my mind. Even though I will call her twice a day I like the idea of someone actually seeing that she is doing well.

I am really sick and tired of all this negative campaigning on the Federal, State (NV), and Local levels. It seems to me that everyone is battering each other, stretching the truth to their own benefit, and out and out lying. I'm really sick of our system and would like to get it over with so I know what ass hole I'll have to deal with the next four years. I don't see how anyone can in good conscious support any of these political jerks. Why can't these fools get off the bad mouthing and get to the real issues that are destroying this country. Give me something to make a decision on instead of lying rhetoric and innuendo. Actually, I think this political system is doomed to destroy our country as we use to know it.

Evil Idle Minds

2008-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Libby has gone off to take Mom some cat food for Charlie and then to head to Nordstrom's for a sale. So, the dogs and I are left to our own devices for a few hours. That is more than enough time to get in real trouble. I will sit here for awhile and do a little "surfing". It should help to keep me in good graces and away from evil.

Libby leaves the middle of next week to go home to Virginia and see her sister and our ill Brother-In-Law. She is hoping to spend time giving her sister a bit of a break from all the errands she normally has to do.

I had the best baked potato I've ever eaten the other night. The restaurant where Libby got it, took the baker and soaked it in salt water then put some oil on it and rubbed heavy salt all over the outside. They roasted this thing in the oven. The skin was as crispy as I remember my Mom's baked potatoes were when I was a kid. This potato had an excellent flavor and with a little butter, sour cream, and diced chives it was "The Best". I think I will have her go to the Hilton to their steakhouse again and bring me one of these.

Many of the people who read my Journal have not returned now that I'm trying to write again. That is my fault. I guess the old adage "Out of sight - Out of mind" is true. You get forgotten. I do know of at least one Journaller who got mad and wouldn't have anything but bad to say about me in comments on other people's journals. She went private so, I don't have any way to contact her and try to fix it. Oh , well I guess "life goes on". I'm sure glad I have those of you here who seem to enjoy reading my stuff.

The Age of Acceptance

2008-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

This morning Libby and I sat watching the TODAY show while having our coffee. Willard Scott came on to do his regular segment that pays homage to those of us who have reached the golden years of 100 +. There were people who's pictures he showed who were from 100 to 110. There was a couple who had been married for 78 years. To me these milestones are to significant to pass by.

It is my belief that upon reaching the one hundredth year of your life all payments to any government arm should cease. If you can reach 100 then you shouldn't pay for anything for your remaining years. No taxes, no car insurance (if you even drive anymore), no grocery bills,no nothing!! It should all be picked up by the Government (Federal, State, and Local) and paid for by the taxes of those who have not reached 100.

If you can put up with and suffer through all crap life gives out then you deserve a few benefits.

Soap Box time is now over.

Oh, The Pain!!!

2008-09-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Libby has gone to get her car smogged and then to DMV to renew her registration. Nevada requires a yearly smog test before you can reregister your vehicle. It costs about $25.00 with a coupon for a discount. If we were able to we could then reregister using the on-line system but, because we get a deduction for being a disabled Vet you have to appear in person at DMV.

I went to therapy this morning to do my regular hour of exercises. When I thought I was done and had sweated gallons I was informed by the Trainer that he had something new for me to do. When he does things like this I usually hate what we do and hurt for days after. So, he tells me that I should get on my belly on the floor and then get up on my knees and eventually stand up. I just laugh and tell him, "I can't do that!!" I don't think he was listening to me. He just continue to put me on my belly so I looked a lot like a turtle on his back. We pulled my left leg up and cocked it next to my body and then pulled up my right. With a lot of work I got up on "all fours" but, the pain in my knees was almost unbearable. So, my wonderful and empathetic Trainer put a cushion under my knee and we started again. I did this all three times before he would let me go home. This is how he gets me to do new things, he just doesn't listen to what I'm telling him.

There is a large pet food recall going on. If you go to WWW.petcare.mars.com you can get a list of the dog and cat food effected. There are a number of different name brands involved.

News from the "Front"

2008-09-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

We received word that my Nephew and his Wife are coming out for Thanksgiving. They will arrive from North Carolina on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and will stay until the next Monday. It has been at least four years since we have seen them. Both Libby and I are looking forward to their trip.

Eddie and Elaine have decided to stay "On The Strip" instead of using our guest room. I don't blame them as I always wanted to be away from everyone when it became bed time. They are staying at Mirage which is a nice place and gave them a very good deal on their stay. Libby just sent them a box of literature about what's going on while they are here. I know that Eddy wants to see Penn & Teller and Elaine wants to see Zumanity. They will be here at our house on Wednesday and then again on Thursday. The rest of the time (Fri. Sat. and Sun.) is up in the air right now. They want to do a couple thing on their own (don't blame them) and I'm hoping to take them to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam on Sunday. We should all have a good week together.

OK, we went crazy the other day and bought lobsters. One was 2 pounds and the other was 1.25 pounds. We cooked them on Saturday evening and ate the tails. I picked all the meat out of the rest of the lobsters on Sunday and put the shells with some frozen shrimp shells we had to cook into a pot of stock.

Yesterday we made some elbow noodles and then added a newburg cheese sauce and the lobster meat to the mix. We baked it with bread crumbs and some parm. cheese on top. It was excellent!! Now we have the stock to make a big fish stew or some chowder.

Libby went to the Wal-Mart to grocery shop on Saturday. That is where she got the lobsters. It is the best price in town. She also picked up an American Sub for our lunch. When she showed it to me I immediately thought of Lisa Jo who is the one responsible for making these huge sandwiches at her Wal-Mart. The sandwich tasted real good but, was filled with some mystery meat called Cooked Salami. I've never heard of it or had in before. I think I'd like to have it for breakfast fried in a pan with eggs.

Libby and Mom are off today to get their hair done. Libby is getting herself all "spruced" up for her trip home. Our Brother-In-Law is doing better now and was taught to transfer himself from the bed to a chair or commode. He still isn't feeling very well and there must be a lot of depression after losing a leg.

Guess I'll take a look at a few Journals. I hope you all have a good day.

What works, works

2008-09-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Not much to discuss today. I've been thinking about all the jobs I've had over the years from my first one outside my home to what I ended my working career at.

I started as a dish washer and busboy at a local diner when I could first get working papers. I went on as I got older and into high school with jobs like clearing the one mile length of a brook through my town to filling shampoo bottles on an assembly line and then as a stock clerk in a 5 & 10.

Next for me was the military and a stint in Viet Nam. When I got out I started my career as a police officer. During those years I had many different skills and specialties. I also did some part time work just like about every cop I knew did. For me it was as an ambulance driver. I also (with Libby) did annual inventory at a number of local hardware and chain stores.

After leaving behind 26 years of police service I worked as a census taker. This was probably the worst job I have ever had. Believe me the way I was treated by the "public" was pathetic. I can't beIieve that I actually expected to be nice! Also, I was the assistant manager of a tax preparation office a few blocks from my house. When that ended after four years I really retired.

It's taken a long time for me to realize it but, no matter what you do to make an honest living so you have money and can support yourself and your family is a "good thing". No one should ever be ashamed of what they do for an occupation. Whatever it is, it is honorable.

SEVEN YEARS AGO

2008-09-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

THE

THIRTY-SEVEN

A Tribute to 37 Port Authority Police Officers

September 11, 2001

World Trade Center

I remember them just fine,

gentle folks of modern time.

Put to test the true resolve

that made our country again evolve.

Thirty-Seven a number norm,

battling a firestorm.

Metal I-beams, rock debris,

smoke so thick they couldn’t see.

They helped those who ran in fear.

Saving lives as death drew near.

Dodging fire raining down

from the skies of New York town.

Thirty-Seven Angels, why?

Thirty-Seven heroes high.

Names and faces that I see,

always there reminding me.

How did life so precious die

and leave us all so high and dry?

These folks knew the deck was stacked.

These folks didn’t turn their backs.

Thirty-Seven that I knew.

Thirty-Seven all in blue.

These PA Cops will always be

close to me in memory.

God Bless the Thirty-Seven

Rambling About on a Monday

2008-09-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

I didn't go to therapy this morning as Libby was "under the weather" and since she does all the driving now a days I just stayed home. Hopefully we will be there bright and early on Wednesday.

I have been getting a lot of email from friends and coworkers on the Port Authority Police over the last few days. Many, many of these old friends are still consumed by 09/11. Their thoughts and questions are fully alive this time of year. Oh, how I know their plight. We all spend our time questioning why we are here and 37 of our Brothers and Sisters are not.

Yesterday was sports day in the Hoover house. We watched the Saints game and spent a lot of time yelling at the TV. We also watched Serena Williams take the US Open for the third time. I'm always proud when one of our athletes does real well. Right now all eyes are on the Patriots and Tom Brady. I hope his injury is not as bad as is being reported.

So far we have been unable to get a suitable for publication picture of Libby's nails. We will try again soon.

I hope that you all will have a good week. Please remember to put out an American flag on Thursday. Say a prayer for all those who perished on that terrible day.

Baying at the Moon

2008-09-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start off this entry with a picture of Libby's nails. Unfortunately the camera won't cooperate. I just can't get a clean enough picture of her nails to show the details.

Libby went to the "Nail Girl" on Thursday. Unknown to me she took a plaque of mine that shows my Departmental Patch, the Twin Towers, and the number 37, which signifies the number of Port Authority Officers killed during rescue operations on 09/11. The "Nail Lady" put a rendition of the Towers and the number 37 on two of her nails and the depiction with the number 131 on two. The 131 is the badge number of my friend Bobby. This was all done as a tribute and reminder that next Thursday in the anniversary of 09/11/2001. A sad day that every American should remember and cherish.

I ask that each of you who read this do me the favor of flying an American flag from your home next Thursday, 09/11. I also ask that you tell friends to do the same. Whether or not our Government sees fit to make this day a National Holiday for remembrance is unimportant if all America just Does it.

Libby has gone off to the Palms to pick up a free fleece vest. It is part of the gifts she gets each month or so for being a member of the casino's frequent visitor club. We will soon be overrun with "gifts". I have no room left in the Office to put them.

Football season is now upon us. I am enjoying the games and talking about the teams. My poor Redskins I fear will end this new season in the basement. They don't appear to have the new Staff and Coaches worked out yet.

Thanks to all of you who are commenting on my entries. It is nice to know that many of you stayed around to read my stuff.

Labor Day for the Laborer

2008-09-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Libby will go pick up Mom in a little while. We will then have a fine dinner prepared by Libby. Today we will have a roasted ham with string bean casserole and mac salad. The Mac salad is a recipe we got from the Food Network show BIG DADDY'S HOUSE. The fellow that is the Chef is a guy named Aaron McGargil from Camden, NJ. We thought that the recipe sounded good so, we tried making it yesterday. It turned out really tasty. The only thing I would say is watch the proportions here. We made a half recipe and still have enough mac salad to feed most of Las Vegas. Every time there is a holiday my Wife finds some way to make us a great dinner. This is the way we celebrate. We always have a meal together and sit around and talk. It is great just to be together.

Every time the Labor Day holiday rolls around I start thinking about the Laborers. Why is there no way for the real Laborers to have the day off to rest and celebrate? The folks I'm referring to are the Cops, Fire Guys, Docs, Nurses, Sanitation people, Military, and the like. They don't ever seem to get to celebrate like all the rest of us. I really don't find any reason for an office worker to be celebration what the really hard working, shift work folks need to celebrate. (now, that last statement should get me in trouble with a few of you)

Tomorrow is eye doctor day for Mom and I. It is annual check up day. This will be a new experience as our Eye Doc sold out and is now part of a very large clinic here in town. We will still get to see her as an end result but, there is no more personal service. She now has a bunch of Techs. to handle all the preliminary testing. I'm concerned this year as I have been having a few problems. Mom says she thinks the symptoms that I complain about are the early signs of glaucoma. I hope not but, this is prevalent in our family.

Wednesday is physical therapy day. I guess I am doing well as I can now stand from a chair on my own and walk a ways without complete exhaustion. My waist size has come down enough that I've just purchased new clothes that are two sizes smaller than what I was wearing. I hope this continues.

Guess it is time for me to dress as Libby is just about ready to go get Mom. Hope you all have a nice day and keep in mind all those who are "riding out" Hurricane Gustaf.

Mad at the World

2008-08-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I got up yesterday morning I was going to write a Journal. I had happy thoughts. as my morning coffee time and breakfast moved on I became more irritated with the news of the day. The dismal outlook of hurricane Gustaf and all the political "b.s." just seemed to pile on more dread. Then I had to watch a commercial for the SPCA that featured the song about being in the arms of angles. It nearly brought me to tears. My mood became very black and I had such a bad attitude that I feared writing would only inflame my situation.

Why are we such an egotistical and selfish species? Why do we believe that we are so much better than the rest of the world's population of creatures? Why do we feel it necessary to show our power by harassment and torturer of those less evolved than us? I guess we are so evil in all respects that we have no problem killing each other or our own young. Now you know why I am so disgusted with man and how I hate most everybody I deal with. Where are the gentle people who will "inherit the earth". I need to know them before I die.

My second rant for today is about Politics. I am losing friends because I send out insulting emails telling them to keep their political ideas to themselves. I don't want to hear their stories, jokes, and half truths about anybody. I am a grown male human. Do you actually think you can sway me with your gibberish? I will investigate the candidates and the issues and make up my own mind. Your bashing of one person and your narrow minded praise of another does nothing more than make me mad at you. Leave me alone when it comes to politics. As far as I'm concerned there are no good candidates. They all suck!!

My Brother-In-Law was transferred to a rehab facility yesterday. Libby will be leaving in a few days to go home and help her Sister. I am very sad for "Brother Bobby" He is a good, hard working man who doesn't deserve this kind of ending.

Libby went to a cooking class yesterday morning. She went to paella school at a local Spanish restaurant. When the class was over they ate what they prepared along with a lot of wine and some great desserts. Libby brought home a cook book, some instruction notes, and a "starter" kit of products and a paella pan. She had a great time and now I will have some great food.

LIFE AND ITS REWARDS

2008-08-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday they took my Brother-In-Law Bobby's leg off. His circulation was bad and he has diabetes. He developed Gas Gangrene in his foot and leg. Guess he won't have to worry about it now.

Bob was a hard working Waterman all his life. He raked clams and oysters. He caught crabs and collected them as they "peeled" so he could sell Eastern Shore Soft Crabs. He spent his life wading in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bays in the area of Chincoteague, Virginia. He spent many years with his own small family oriented business where he served the public fresh bulk seafood or cooked dinners to go. Bob is a good hard working man who doesn't deserve this end to his days.

Say a prayer for Bob and say a prayer for his wife Sue.

2008-08-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Libby told me the other day that this was the fifth anniversary of Journaling on AOL. I'd forgotten the date. So, I went back and looked at some of my original entries. It sure has been a long time since I wrote that first entry.

There are some very good people here in the group of Journal. I found some very warm and friendly folks with many talents. I'm glad that I still invest the time to read many of your entries. It is good for the soul.

HERE'S MY FIRST JOURNAL ENTRY

Wednesday, August 6, 2003
7:26:00 PM PDT
Feeling Quiet

Summer Colds

OK, this is a lousy way to start a journal but, this is how it will have to be. I'm sick with a summer cold. God, I hate this. My sinuses are clogged, my throat is sore, and I'm coughing like a TB patient.

I have absolutely no idea how I got this illness. I can't think of anyone I've been in contact with recently that displayed the outward signs of being contagious. It was probably some little kid in a store. Touching everything with his/her germ encrusted hands or sneezing on everything in sight. Mothers today seem to take their kids everywhere no matter how sick or unruly they are.

Now I have to worry that I've passed it on to my family. My Wife doesn't need to be put down by this type of stuff. My Mom has only one lung so it would really jeopardize her. I'm not sure if I can pass it to the dog. He's young and healthy so I guess he would shrug it off.

Guess I'll drink a thero-flu and go to bed.

Another Year Has Passed

2008-08-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Even though Bill has lost interest in journaling, I wanted to recycle his entry from last year.

We are now 38 years of marriage, and I can thankfully say there has been a lot of laughter and few tears.

Libby

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

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THE BIG 37

Here it is!! The BIG day. I am now married 37 years. That is a real milestone. I am amazed that we have come this far together. To show you just how our lives have gone and just how much we have become "one" i will tell you that we managed to buy the same card for each other when we were in different stores at different times. Scary huh?

The local OUTBACK Restaurant is going to make our dinner for tonight. We will order and pick it up to bring home. I think I am having shrimp on the barbie and Libby a filet mignon.

I'm glad I'm married to Libby and I'm glad we have been able to be together so long.

Thoughts for this week

2008-01-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is almost the middle of January already. Time just doesn't slow down and I suggest it speeds up on occasion.

I've gotten through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and my birthday. All I have left is the final "Play Offs", the Superbowl, and Libby's birthday. I will enjoy all of these.

For her birthday this year Libby asked me to make a donation in her name to a local charity which would allow her to attend a fund raiser that will feature a singer named Michael Buble. He is a Canadian who sings a lot like Sinatra. So, this I did and she is very happy. She will attend this private concert in February.

I may be heading out for a few weeks of physical therapy by the end of the month. I sure could use the diversion and the physical training to build up some of my leg muscles. We will see what happens.

After freezing with temps is the 30's at night I finally bought a new coat last week. It is a bomber jacket type of brown leather. It has a zipper front and a wind tab. I sure like it. Of Course, since I purchased the new coat the temps have been in the 60 - 70 's during the day and the 50's at night.........just my luck!!

Another Year----Another bad day.

2008-01-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

Today I am SIXTY years old. I am ancient. I never in my younger days ever expected to be this old. I don't know why but, I didn't. I guess I was just denying what was to eventually come to pass. Well, here it is and I don't like it. I'm now older than water.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me Birthday Greetings. I do appreciate the acknowledgement of this milestone and your heartfelt wishes.

BAH!!!

Christmas Note

2007-12-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am to wish you all the best of the holiday season. I have not been writing or looking at E-Mail and don't know why but, I hope that I will get off this track and get to be my normal self by the new year.

I wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season no matter how you celebrate.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Bill

Greetings

2007-11-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

On this great American holiday I want to wish each of you and your families the best of the season. I am thankful for this venue for my thoughts and for the communication that we all share. Each of us has a lot to be thankful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Getting Ready for the Holiday Season

2007-11-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've been disgusted by the "hype" over the holidays here in Las Vegas. They started the end of September putting out ads in the paper and commercials on TV. The News says the Merchants are afraid they will have a slow holiday season because of the economy so, they started early. BAH!!!

My belief is that those who always shop early will do it as a matter of course. Those who shop after Thanksgiving will still do it then. That means all this pre holiday season advertising is good for nothing. I'll get my shopping done for the holidays and have gifts for my family. I now do my shopping on line and everything has always shown up in time without buying in September and October.

Oh, by the way, My Sunday newspaper weighed about 40 pounds last week because of all the extra ads.

Veteran's Day Reflections

2007-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to each of you that sent me a "Thank You" note on this Veteran's Day. I am proud of my military service and am thankful that others acknowledge it. It is very nice that the general attitude of our Country today is quite different than it was in the era of my military service. Now, people back our Armed Forces no matter what their political beliefs are. It was not that way during Viet Nam. It is hard for Viet Nam Vets to grasp that people are actually appreciative of their time in the military when for so long they were scorned. Thank You all for giving the Viet Nam Vet something to be proud of and thank you all for taking the time to say "Thank You" to any Vet for their time and service to their Country.

I've spent my day quietly thinking of the past and my time in the Service. On many days during each year I reflect on my years of Service but, I especially do this on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the anniversary of my Deployment to Viet Nam. There are many things that I would never talk to others about but, I will tell you that the years I "put in" were generally good. The bad times you put behind you and try to forget. That doesn't work. Knowing that the general public of my Country appreciate the efforts that I expended is a lot of comfort and knowing that you understand when I don't discuss it much is very calming to me.

With each new conflict comes a new set of Veterans who need our support. It's nice to know that it will be there.

Where have I been?

2007-11-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

It has been many weeks since I placed a Journal entry. By way of explanation I must tell you that I have had little or no desire to even walk in to my office. I can't tell you why because I have no idea. What I can tell you is that I have no desire to read or write in my Journal, read or write emails, or do any of the "fun" things I use to do on line. My Doc seems to think that it may have something to do with some of my medications but, if that was the case why didn't it show up before now? I will try to do better but, am not sure what the future brings in these areas.

Along with my failure to write in my Journal we had a major computer meltdown here a couple weeks ago. The motherboard burned new a capacitor, the hard drive crashed, and my monitor failed. Thankfully this year old system was under an extended warranty. Everything was paid for by the BEST BUY warranty and I am now operating at almost full service. I'm still using a small old monitor until the new one arrives. It is strange to look at this 14" screen instead of my normal 17" one.

Libby is off on a "Get Away" to the Venetian Resort. She won a free night and paid for one night so she could see a couple shows and spend today at the Spa. The Venetian is an all suites hotel so her room is a real "Top Shelf" place to spend time. The dogs and I will be very happy when she gets home tomorrow but, we are also glad she could have this time to relax.

Random thoughts on a random day

2007-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

The weather is not cooperating with our trip to the cemetery and the flag display. It has been very windy all week and as of last night we have been having thunder storms and rain on and off all day and night. Tomorrow is the first day of Fall so, I hope that it will change the weather a bit by Monday so we can go. Libby and I have two names that we would like to research and take pictures of the specific flag and the I.D. card that goes with it.

Libby has gone to Nordstrom's to pick up some pants she ordered. I think that she will then see the Tailor to get them shortened. It gave Libby a very good excuse to spend the afternoon browsing through the stores in the Mall.

Tomorrow we have a NASCAR race and a football game. The Washington Redskins will play the NY Giants. It should be a good game and I hope that Washington wins.

Monday we will take my brand new glasses back to the optical store to get fixed. Yes, folks, I already broke them. I tried to bend the arm a little to fit better over my left ear and managed to snap the entire tip of the arm off. When I called the lady who fit the glasses for me she was a little perturbed but, told me to bring them i and she would get them repaired. She also told me never to adjust anything on them again myself. I should just stop by and they would do it for me. I think I will also order a second pair. Having only one pair is restrictive and us old people should never be restricted.

We watched LENO last night and really enjoyed Hugh Laure from HOUSE. He is really a funny guy. I just can't get use to him with a British accent. I know he is a Brit but, his character on HOUSE is a gruff American speaking Doc. How can he change like that? I wonder if his friends in England think he has an American accent when he goes home to visit?

Seeing the light

2007-09-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

Mom and I picked up our new glasses this week. Mine are Bi-Focal. I can't believe just how clean and bright my far sight is. I'm having a little trouble getting use to the near sight part of the lens but, guess it will just take some time.

On Friday Mom's garage door broke in the open position. The guy next door to her was able to get it down about half way but, Mom had to spend the weekend with the door half open. I doubt that it was conducive to good security feelings. On Tuesday they came and fixed it. Unfortunately the motor and some kind of part were covered by the insurance but, Mom's problem was a broken door and roller track so (Of Course) that wasn't covered. It is nothing less than I expected.

Libby and I were going out to the cemetery to see the Flags again today. We were going to take a picture of a specific flag and marker card that Dawn wanted but, the wind is up to 22 mph so we will wait until Friday when the wind is supposed to be calm and try again.

We have watched BIG BROTHER 8 this whole season. Last night was the final episode and the announcement of the winners of who will get the $500,000.00 and who the $50,000.00. The Danato's both won and Father and Daughter got the big prizes. This morning on the EARLY SHOW with Julie Chen the checks would be presented. Well, the OJ thing preempted it so, we didn't get to see the final part. I'm already sick of this OJ drama. I wish he would just go away and I don't care whether it's to jail or home to Florida.

Now that the new season of TV shows is starting I sure hope there is something to interest me. I enjoyed most of the summer silly stuff and am looking forward to the fall shows.

REMEMBERING LIFE

2007-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mom, Libby, and I went to the Palm Mortuary Cemetery to see the Flag display honoring the 3000 lost on 09/11/2001. These are the people from the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and from the field in Pennsylvania. It was a breathtaking and solemn place.

One of the great things about this display is the card that is attached to each flagpole. It gives the name and some personal information about each of the dead. This of course, makes it much more personal as you read and learn of this persons life before 09/11. Libby was able to find all the Port Authority Police Officers as well as K-9 Sirius. Unfortunately, the Picture of my friend Bob Kaulfers's card did not turn out.

I was in awe as I looked down the many rows and into those rows to see how long and how deep the aisles of flags actually stood. The entire place was quiet with the exception of the flapping of the flags. This plot of land had been turned in to a hallowed area of reflection. This was good for remembrance and for the cleansing of the soul.

Remembering

2007-09-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

My thoughts over the last week have been targeted at 09/11. It all ended yesterday with a day of memory and of reflection on those of my Department who perished that terrible day.

At 10:00 AM I was interviewed along with Libby by the local news people for Channel 3 which is an NBC TV station. They wanted to know what I thought six years after the incident. For me it is all still very clear. I remember seeing the Towers fall that morning on TV and my decision to drive back "Home" across country to help. I remember the trip and seeing the smoking hulk of the Towers as I crossed the Pulaski Skyway in NJ to get through the Holland Tunnel and in to lower Manhattan to the World Trade Center site. I also remember vividly the destruction that I saw that was once the marvel of the World Trade Center.

My thoughts then drift to those I knew who had given their lives doing their job. 37 Port Authority Police Officers and 1 K-9 perished during the rescue operations as the Towers came down around them.

I think of these folks a lot during the year but, the are paramount in my mind on 09/11. I know where I had spent time with each of them, whether it was at work or at a social function. I know who they are and why I liked each of them. I still miss them all.

So, another year has passed and we are moving on. I just hope that America doesn't let 09/11 fall to the forgotten. I think it should be a national holiday like Memorial Day or Veterans Day. I day of reflection of the people and events of that terrible day.

2007-09-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here I am, finally. I have been trying to get in here since yesterday but, something always comes up.

Our eye tests went as well as can be expected. Mom needed a new perscription and I needed my first pair of "real" glasses instead of the "Drug Store" type. I guess I will be able to see again as soon as they are made. Both my near sight and my far sight are off. Right now I put on two pair of "over the counter" glasses to watch TV. Now I will have bi-focals so that I can watch with only one pair on.

Next week will be the anniversary of 09/11/01. Libby will take me out to the flag memorial at the Palm cemetery here in town. There is a full large flag and pole for everyone who died on 09/11 and due to our efforts last year there is now a flag for Sirius the Port Authority Police K-9 that perished that day also. I will try to walk around enough to visit the flag for each of the 37 Port Authority Police Officers and K-9 Sirius. I hope that I can make it through all of them.

Libby went to a charity event last night at the Venetion Hotel and Casino. It was to benefit the Sparrow Association here in town. This local charity helps children with cancer and their families when there is a financial problem due to the illness. She had a great time at the cocktail hour and then saw a nice show. Libby also bid in the silent auction and came home with a couple "good buys". Tonight she will go to the Hilton to hear the Lasw Vegas tenors sing. I'm sure she will enjoy it.

This short week.

2007-09-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of you. I have been lax about writing in this Journal for over a week but, decided this morning to change the way I do my morning computer routine. I have in the past read my email, looked at those Journals that I received "new entry" messages about, and then write my own entries. I've found that by the time I go through the emails I get and then read a couple Journals I'm tired and only want to get away from this silly machine. So, here I am this morning and I am "doing" my Journal entry first and then to read a couple journals, and finally to my email. We will see if this makes things any better.

Last week was stressful leading up to the Heart Cath. on Libby. After the results were in we were elated (of course) but, then came the calm down period and Libby's recover from this invasive procedure. Here we are on Tuesday and Libby is pretty much back to normal now.

Mom came over yesterday and we had a picnic for Labor Day. Mom had two potatoes so, she made two potatoe salad which was just enough for the three of us. Libby cooked some beef sausage (big hot dogs) on the grill and put out some cole slaw, baked beans, and roasted peppers for us to munch on. It was a nice day.

Tomorrow both Mom and I have Eye Doctor appointments. Hopefully the Doc will give me a new order for some glasses that work. These old ones that I use have lost their strength so, that I don't see very well through them. I guess that even eyeglasses lose their strength once in a while. :-)

A-Okay!

2007-08-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, All,

Just wanted to let you know that I am fine. Luckily, I was one of the 15% with a "false positive" on my stress test. The doctor didn't find any blockages or problems with my heart. We are all breathing a sigh of relief.

My groin is sore and my back is killing me (I never sleep on my back) but aside from those minor irritations, I'm doing okay.

I'll be taking it easy for the weekend and, hopefully, pretty much back to normal by Monday.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me prayers and good wishes. It helped both Bill and me.

Libby

Another week of something new.

2007-08-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Libby and Mom left early this morning. Mom will see the Doc who did her surgery for a follow-up and Libby will have her pre op testing. On Wednesday Libby will have the cardiac catheterization. If the Docs find anything wrong they will continue and do the bi passes or stents that are necessary. As you all can expect we are all a little upset over these developments. No one expected Libby to be having a problem since she has had no symptoms at all.

I will keep you all informed of what goes on and ask that you keep Libby in your thoughts and prayers.

Weekend at Caesar's Palace

2007-08-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hello, All,

Thought you might like an update on my weekend at Caesar's Palace. First, let me tell you that I probably haven't been to Caesar's Palace or The Forum Shops (high-end stores like Fendi and Tiffany's) in six or seven years. To say it's changed is an understatement. There are more guest rooms in the hotel section and the shopping area was increased so much that there are three additional levels and countless stores. The entire place was overwhelming.

Thanks to some "insider" info, I received a room upgrade and the upgraded room had a plasma T.V. , mini bar, a sitting area, internet connection and a beautiful view of the Bellagio Fountains. When I got back home, it seems they charge about $150 more (per night) for this room. It was luxurious.

Dinner Friday was in the Forum Shops at Boa Steakhouse. They were offering a 20% discount to locals and, I must say, the food, atmosphere and service were wonderful.

My seat for Celine Dion was 8th. row center aisle. You really couldn't have asked for much better and it really was worth the price. The show itself is: Cirque de Soliel meets Celine Dion's hits.

One of my favorite things when I'm away is room service breakfast and Caesar's didn't disappoint me. Warm maple syrup for my pancakes, fresh grapefruit juice and fresh fruit cup, too. I was almost in heaven.

The spa at Caesar's is called Qua. It's in a brand new tower and only about 8 months old. I was told it cost about $30 million to build and it is luxury from beginning to end. I had a stone massage, body wrap and a specialized facial for Rocacea. They have mineral pools, the standard jacuzzi, saunas (dry and moist), steam rooms and this unusual room called an ice house. The temperature is 55 degrees and it snows on you while you sit in it. It was a really cool (pardon the pun) experience. They also offered all types of non-alcoholic beverages and individually blended hot teas. You really felt pampered and totally relaxed with this experience.

Dinner was at Joe's Prime Steaks and Stone Crabs. We had seen this restaurant showcased on the Food Network and in addition to featuring stone crabs, they also have grouper on their menu (on line menu.) Have you ever eaten in a very noisy restaurant where you tend to chew your food at the same pace as the noise level of the place? That was the atmosphere at Joe's and it was not an atmosphere I enjoy! Everything was a la carte and, there was no grouper. I was told it is a seasonal item and August wasn't the season. I don't remember any reference to that when I read their on-line menu.

I ordered clam chowder and Joe's Famous Scallops. I wasn't finished with the chowder when my entree arrived. The entire meal (including a complimentary mini piece of Key Lime pie - because I was a local and they wanted me to return) took less than an hour. I was very unhappy and let the maitre d' know my feelings as I left, but he didn't seem to care.

The major focus in Las Vegas casinos is night clubs. The one at Caesar's is called Pure. Folks start lining up around 5 p.m. and the place doesn't open until 10:30. It's very difficult to walk through the casino with this mob of people waiting in line and I found that a bit of a negative. The celebs from L.A. flock here on the weekends, and I just don't understand the attraction. Maybe it's an age thing.

With the exception of the meal at Joe's (not to be confused with the chain restaurant: Joe's Crab Shack - I also dislike), my weekend was great.

Some of you have said you'd love to see Celine and I would recommend her show. Just get here before November 15 when the price goes up until her final show on 12/15.

Last night I went to see Clint Holmes at the Excalibur. He's filling the show room usually occupied by Louie Anderson and it's a relaxed, unstructured show and so different than any other time I've seen him. I just love his music and attitude about life. He's still "fine tuning" his play: "Just Another Man." By early 2008, he hopes to perform the play in London's West End and (keeping our fingers crossed) on Broadway by fall of 2008.

I'll keep you posed.

And, finally. my angiogram is scheduled for Wednesday, August 29. We'll let you know what they find.

That's it for now.

Libby

A week that was

2007-08-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon the local NBC station "News 3" came out and did a story about the pool vacuum thefts in the neighborhood. Both Libby and I were interviewed and were on the 4:00 PM and then the 5:00 PM news. I hope that the story at least got people to think before they buy a "new" pool vac from someone they don't know. I am still wondering if anyone called the station to say they also had lost a vac.

We had an enjoyable time meeting with the other Police Officers from my old job that now live here in town and the fellow who had come out to visit. They are starting an association for our retired folks who live here and come here to visit "Sin City" The fellows on Wednesday told me they want me to be the President. That was nice but, I doubt that I could do that job anymore. I've been the President of associations before and it is a lot of work. My concentration is not what it use to be so, I doubt that I would be a good choice.

Libby is off on her "get away" weekend. She is at Caesars Palace. Tonight she will have dinner at their steak house and then see Celine Dion. Tomorrow she will spend the day at the spa and come home after breakfast Sunday morning. She already called and said the show was excellent and the food was very good. She seems to be having a good time. When she got back to her room there was a big basket of wine, cheese, fruit, crackers, and soda waiting for her. I'm glad we got a "cut rate" price on this room or I would be worried about the cost with them sending fruit baskets to her.

Another week to remember

2007-08-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

We basically had a quiet weekend. On Monday Libby went for her stress test. Mom road with her to keep her company. I figured that she would pass with ease since she studied all weekend with Bruno, Spirit, and me. The three of us have been giving her stress tests for years.

Unfortunately, Libby's test did not turn out so great and she will be having some kind of "gram" test now to determine what exactly is wrong and what the extent of damage is. I will now remain worried until we get the results and see where things go from here.

On Sunday we painted the stencil on to the new pool vacuum and set it in the pool. I am sure that this cleaner with my name and address all over it will stay in my yard for a while. We also put the electric cord from the recliner/lift chair in to a rubber treadle so the dog won't be laying on the cord and maybe bite it.

Libby went out on Tuesday morning and found the yard and pool all intact. Then at about 2:30 PM she found the new pool cleaner gone. If I ever decide to replace this one it will be the fourth in less than three months. I called the police but, they will not come out to your house to take a complaint. You must go to the precinct and file it no matter if you have evidence on your property or not. They were completely unhelpful. I then called the County Commissioner to see if he could get someone to listen to my complaint and I'm still waiting for a call back. I doubt I will ever hear from him.

I'm pissed off that no one here in the PD will even make an attempt to help me with this problem. I've lost three of these $500.00 cleaners since June. I was told by a Detective that the only way I will get any help is if I find a suspect and get his name, address, and telephone number. I was a cop for almost 30 years in the nation's biggest city. We would at least go out to the peoples homes and let them show us what and where had happened. Here they won't do anything unless you find the guy and arrest him for them.

We will go off this afternoon to meet with three guys who I worked with many years ago. The one guy and his wife moved here a few months ago, the second just moved here, and the third is visiting. It will be a nice afternoon and early dinner for me to see these folks again. Mom is going too!!

2007-08-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of the flowers and such we received for our anniversary. Mom sent us the edible arrangement of fruit. Some friends sent us the beautiful roses.

Libby took Mom to have nails done yesterday. They both came home "happy as clams" with their points, and tips, and wraps, and polish and all that stuff. My Wife has polka dots.

Today they are off to some grocery shopping for Mom. I expect Libby will buy a few things also. Maybe something good to tempt me. Dinner tonight is crock pot. WE put onions, garlic, canned potatoes, a 3 lb. Pork Roast, sliced apple, sauerkraut, and white wine in the crock. It will cook about ten hours and be ready for our dinner.

I am working on scholarships for the Coast Guard association that I belong to. I have all the applications and will spend today reading and finally making a decision as too who get one this year. I take this very seriously and try to give each application the time it takes to give a good comprehensive rating. I hope that those who put in for the awards understand that it is not a simple yes or no answer.

Maybe tomorrow I can paint the new pool cleaner and get it out in the water. I got the stencil I ordered this week but, it has been too windy here for me to spray paint. Maybe tomorrow will be a calm day.

THE BIG 37

2007-08-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

The local OUTBACK Restaurant is going to make our dinner for tonight. We will order and pick it up to bring home. I think I am having shrimp on the barbie and Libby a filet mignon.

I'm glad I'm married to Libby and I'm glad we have been able to be together so long.

A Friend Passes On

2007-08-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Jordan died on Saturday. He was 13 years old and had been on TV for the last 11 years. He was the partner of John Fredericks the News 3 Weatherman and appeared each weekday during the 5 AM, 6 AM, and Noon news reports.

This may not sound like a big deal to most of you but, Jordan and Spirit were friends who had played together and managed to disrupt the news reports occasionally. John Fredericks is a friend of ours and we are deeply saddened by the loss of Jordan. This Spring Libby spent time taking care of Jordan as John went about the business of Hosting a Pet walk and donation drive for the local SPCA. I doubt that John will ever be the same after losing this companion and friend. I also doubt that the newscasts will be quite the same from now on.

The weeks roll on

2007-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of the formation of the Revenue Cutter Service. The plan approved by our Congress called for ten small cutters to be built and to patrol our shores for tax cheats. Many years later this initial uniformed service of our country would be joined with others services like the Lighthouse Service and the Life Saving Service to form the modern Coast Guard. For 217 years without pause this Sea Service of our country has preformed without question every task assigned to it. We should all be proud of our Nation's smallest of military services. Today along with the never ending job of life saving our American Coast Guard personnel service in Iraq along side the other members of our military. Many folks don't know about this little Giant. Take the time to learn more about the UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.

This has been a quiet week for us. Libby went to Caesar's Casino to set up a date for Spa day. It is part of a present to her for our 37th wedding anniversary next Wednesday. She also went to the Jeweler to get a new piece of something to go with the Spa treatment. I will let you all see it when it comes with the necklace that is being made.

We did have rain on Tuesday and again on Wednesday this week. It is so nice to get the showers that bring us some relief from the heat and draught conditions of our summer months. The sky blackens and the wind blows as the rain moves across the desert floor. Libby and I sit under the patio cover and watch the rain fall heavily. Sometimes we even get a spray as the wind blows the rain sideways. The most amazing part of all this is to watch the brown lifeless foliage begin to turn green and blooms cove out. When the storm passes the air feels and smells clean and cool. Everything the rain touches becomes alive again. Then, after a time the humidity leaves with the storm and we are back to 5% humidity again. This pulls the moisture out of the air and we are back in the dry desert again until the next storm graces us with water.

2007-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Our very unexciting life has gone on like normal the last few days. Mom's refrigerator / freezer went out Friday afternoon. We had a very hard time getting someone to fix it over the weekend but, managed to get a guy to come Saturday morning. He had to replace a number of things but it is now working fine. Libby took a couple of coolers over, filled them with ice, and put all Mom's frozen stuff in them. They worked great and kept everything solid until Mom could get the stuff back in the working freezer. I'll bet it saved at least $200.00 worth of food.

Yesterday an old schoolmate came by to visit while she and her boyfriend were here on vacation. I started kindergarten with her and went all the way up to graduate high school in the same class.

I came from a small industrial town with a population of about 5000 people during the time I was growing up. Everybody in town knew everybody else. This was sad for a boy who was use to getting in to mischief. My parents always found out what I was up to because parents talk and things get told. It just added to my "groundings".

It was so nice to see Karen and meet her boyfriend Jim. We talked for hours and remembered people who I haven't thought about in years. Libby make a great lunch for us all. I sure enjoyed the day.

The surgery comes and goes

2007-07-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

On Monday Libby took Mom to the hospital for the preadmission testing. They came home to say that the process was relatively quick and painless. On Tuesday the left early to have Mom to the Surgery Check In by 8:00 AM. Her surgery was scheduled for 9:30 AM but, she was finally taken back at 10:00 AM.

Mom had been told that many things could need to be done from breaking her nasal passage to cleaning out her sinuses. She was luck. The Doc took out two huge polyps and that was it. No real pain, no bruising, and no damage. She is already breathing better and should actually to even better as the area heals. For right now Mom must keep her head up and just rest in the chair. That means no housework for a week.

We are all happy that things have worked out this way. I didn't want any of the extra strain on Mom.

Libby went to the South Coast Casino and picked up a "prize". She received a very large folding thermal cooler. It is nice and would be a great thing to use to go to the beach, if we had a beach. Right now all these "great" prizes just keep stacking up in my house. Before long I will have to open a store.

Seeing the sights.

2007-07-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Mom's birthday party went well for the ladies out to dinner. The Stratosphere Tower is probably the best place in Las Vegas for a Tourist to get a good idea of just how big this place really is. By going to dinner at 7:00 PM Mom and Joan were able to see the whole valley, see the sun set, and see the neon come up. It is a breathtaking experience. Mom wore a beautiful dress Libby got her from Nordstrom's. It fit her well and I think made the experience better since she was in something new and very pretty.

Mom had a filet mignon with a baked potato and asparagus, Joan had rack of lamb, and Libby had porcini encrusted sea bass. They all had Caesar salad and for desert a birthday cake. To add to this celebration Libby ordered a bottle of a very nice white pinot grezio (spell?) wine. The Ladies spent over 3 hours eating dinner and enjoying the views. I'm glad they all had a good time.

I had a boring evening since there wasn't much on TV. I bought the PPV fight but, didn't watch it. I just taped it so Libby and I could watch later together. As it wound up we watched the first two bouts on the card last night but, got so tired we went to bed and watched the last under card bout and the main even this morning.

Libby has gone off to Nordstrom's to return one of the dresses she got Mom to try on for her birthday dinner. I think she is going to bring me a pear and walnut salad from their restaurant for my lunch.

Mom goes for her preadmission testing tomorrow and then the surgery on her nose on Tuesday. Getting these polyps out of her nasal passages will help her breath much better.

Here is a good picture of Mr. Bruno.

As usual here is Spirit "hamming it up" for the camera.

2007-07-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

MOM

So, you think you're strange. Listen to this!

2007-07-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Libby is out doing her daily shopping. She will stop at Home Depot and then Ace Hardware to get a set of stencils and some spray pain. Did you know that all spray paint is locked up because kids sniff the stuff?

I just entered both Mutts in to a contest for the local dog magazine to be spotlighted in their 2008 calendar. We will see if either is photoworthy.

Mom's friend Joan got here yesterday afternoon and was greeted at the house by a power failure. It seems that the power transformer at the Airport went out and took about 15 thousand homes with it. They sat for about 45 minutes before it was cleared up. If it had been in my section of town on my grid we would still be looking for power to come back.

We do some dumb things here but, here is the newest one: We took back a pair of videos to Blockbuster and forgot to take one of them out of the player. I got a call yesterday afternoon from the store manager. He asked me to look in my player and see if the video disk was there as it wasn't in the jacket. Man, we can be dumb!!

Oh, by the way, Libby went to see the Mexican Guy who runs the pool shop yesterday. She came home with a new cleaner at a very reasonable price. He gave her one with none of the "extras" with it that drive up the price. At leat this one won't cost as much as the last one did.

Catching up on old news

2007-07-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your comments on my most recent crime problem. I will probably paint my new cleaner system bright nasty colors and put my name on it. I am also looking in to a camera system that will keep tabs on the yard and sides of my property.

Since I spent yesterday ranting about my problems I never told you about Libby's trip to the MGM this weekend. She went to a concert by Michael Buble. He is the guy who croons like Sinatra. It was apparently a good show but, she did have a problem with a couple "strange" guys at the show. They wouldn't shut up and sang out loud through every song so that no one could hear the Performer. It was apparently bad enough to get the other folks around them to start telling them to "Shut Up". Libby kept turning and giving them the "evil eye" so, they called the Usher on her. The Usher told Libby that like her, they had purchased their seats and that nothing would be done to them unless they used profanity or cause a disturbance that had the Performer complain. Life is so good.

Anyway, Libby stayed at the MGM the night and ate her dinner before the show at Emeril's. She had a great dinner and was treated to a tour of an operating restaurant kitchen. She said that it was amazing. In the morning she had a big breakfast brought to her room and then checked out and headed for home and us waifs.

Mom's friend Joan will be here tomorrow and then things will start gearing up for the 85th birthday party on Saturday. Libby took Mom to the grocery store to get stuff "in" this morning.

Libby has gone off to the South Point Casino to get her free prize of the week. It is a beach mat this week. She is also going to stop by the pool shop and see if the man there will give us a bit of a discount on a new pool cleaning system since it appears we will be buying them in bulk.

We watched KYLE, THE CLOSER, and HELL'S KITCHEN last night. By the time that HELL'S KITCHEN is over I am totally stressed out. I don't know how these people put up with all the orders flying in and the Chef screaming all the time.

The final table of the World Series of Poker starts today at noon. The winner will walk away with about 8 million dollars. The field started with six thousand people and has finally come down to nine players. The second installment of the entire tournament will be on tonight. You will get to see a few of the "big" names get knocked out. I will enjoy watching the different card hands of HOLD-UM but, also know that it would bore most people to death.

Oh well, I guess I've lazed around enough today. I should go do something. I'm not sure I know what but, maybe I'll go fishing for crooks.

Supplying the World

2007-07-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am seriously pissed off today!!! This morning at some time between 8:45 AM and 9:30 AM my new pool cleaning system was stolen right out of the pool. Yep, the replacement for the one that was stolen less than a month ago. If I ever catch this guy I will lay his head open with a shovel.

The guy next door to me has put spikes up on the wall all the way around his yard. I think I will do the same in the back where my wall meets the Rawhide Channel. I am also going to paint my name on the new system I get in great big red letters.

This costs me for each one of these cleaners. It comes to just under $500.00 so, my $500.00 deductible on the insurance won't cover it. Now, I've lost two!!........................BAH!!!

Nailing it.

2007-07-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of Libby's latest "Nail Girl" creation. Libby also had her hair done and so did Mom. I guess all you Ladies sure enjoy all this stuff. I don't mind shaving once in a while but, I'm far past hair cuts and don't think I've ever had pictures on my nails. That must be why only "The Girls" do this.

OK, now I need a Journalling lesson. Why don't my pictures go into the photo area anymore? They use to stay out of my text area unless I put them there specifically. Also, why doesn't the text wrap around the photo anymore? I am not very computer literate so, these may be basic questions but, that's me, very basic.

Libby is on her way to the Palm's Casino to pick up a "summer" prize. I'm not sure what it will be but, expect it will be one more thing that we have to find a place for in my overfilled house.

We have been watching BIG BROTHER 8 since it's start last week and have found ourselves watching the live feet that is on Showtime for 3 hours. This is the most shallow group of folks I think they have ever had. I'm not sure they have had a decent group of people since BIG BROTHER 4. I would never make it on that show. I would probably go to jail for on the air murder.

Starting the week off with a Complaint (maybe)

2007-07-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Libby just fought her way out of the house. The dogs are acting like babies this morning and don't want to be out of her sight. They have been sitting right with her and following her everywhere. Now she is off to the South Point Casino to pick up her free gift. This week she gets a free beach towel. The last one we got was pretty good and has lasted a long while.

I guess Libby will be stopping at the store before she comes back home. She wants to get a few heirloom tomatoes for our dinner. Last night we had bar-b-que pork and spanish rice. I love the spanish rice. It is full of peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The flavor is great! Tonight we will finish the rice with some sauteed scallops.

Mom is frustrating me a lot with her 85th birthday arrangements. I want to do something to celebrate "special" for her birthday and I don't think she does. I usually get in more trouble that it is worth trying to get her to go out to a nice dinner but, this year instead or in addition to a steak at my house I want her to go out and celebrate this fantastic milestone. At present we are set up for Mom, Libby, and Mom's friend Joan (who is coming from NJ) to go to the Stratosphere for a dinner. They have good food but, best of all, they have the highest point in Las Vegas to look out over the entire town. By going at 6:00 PM they will get to see the sun go down and the neon come up while they spin around in the restaurant. It takes an hour and a quarter to make the full circle. The views are breathtaking. Now, if I can just convince Mom that she wants to do this we will all have a good time. I will stay home from this adventure as my legs wouldn't make the walk and I don't fit well in the booths. I have promised to make her a Caesar salad and a rib eye steak the next weekend.

Some lunatic went berserk in the New York - New York Casino last week. He started firing shots from an automatic handgun into the crowd hoping that some Cop would shoot him. He was tackled and disarmed by a Naval Reservist, a National Guard Soldier back from Iraq, and two Florida Department of Justice Agents. Four people including a teen were shot but, (thankfully) no one was killed. This asshole was distraught because he lost his job and his wife moved out. I guess if there are problems in your life you should take it out on everyone else and not try and fix your own problems.

I think I will do some house cleaning on my email list today. I've got people in there I haven't heard from since 1997. It always "bugs" me that folks will just stop writing and having contact with you and you never know why. I keep addresses around too long.

Fireworks and The Road

2007-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting week. There is actually no reason to talk about the weather here as it is not going to change for a while. But, the normal thing to do in our society is to discuss the weather and complain about it. Here in Las Vegas it is HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Now, I moved here knowing that I was moving to the desert and therefore I doubt that I have any standing as far as the heat is concerned. Deserts are usually hot so, since I knew what I was getting in to when I arrived I really can't complain. Oh well, It's hot. The highest recorded temperature here in Las Vegas is 117 and we are skirting on that with temperatures in the 115 - 116 area. So be it. I won't complain, much.

The Fourth of July was a great day here. Mom came over and spent the day. We watched the hot dog eating contest from Nathan's Famous at Coney Island in New York. The Japanese have ruled this event for the last six years but, this year a Californian named Joey Chestnut decided to down 66 hot dogs with rolls in twelve minutes to take the crown. Yeah Joey!! I think I will go have an Alka Seltzer.

Originally we were going to have rib eye steaks on the grill but, the heat was such that we changed to cold deli. Libby had roast beef, ham, turkey, and salami with cheeses and great deli salads. The only thing hot we did was to heat up a couple ears of white corn. When the evening arrived we watched all the July 4th Specials and saw the fireworks from Washington DC, New York, and Boston. It was a real nice day.

On Thursday an old friend and co worker came to visit with his girlfriend. They are traveling to Alaska from New Jersey on a road trip with his car club. He owns a 1960 Triumph sports car. They have a reunion that always requires a lot of over the road travel so they can show off their cars. He stopped here in Las Vegas for three days and came to see Libby and I.

They stayed for lunch and we talked well into the evening winding up with a pizza dinner at about 8 PM. The two "Ladies" decided in the afternoon that the needed pedicures so, off they went to see the "Not Pregnant Anymore Nail Girl" for some "foot time". Jose and I sat and talked "old times" until I was horse. What great memories. Libby was able to get a two for one on tickets to see SPAMALOT for them to see Friday night. Today they headed out on their way across the desert and up through California on their way to Alaska. I wish them Good Luck!!

Libby is off this morning to take Mr. Spirit to the Vet. He is due his normal annual check up and get a shot or two. He has also developed a lick dermatitis on his left paw. I hope we can get that under control.

Since we had cold cuts and deli salads for the Fourth and then served the same type stuff to our guests on Thursday we are overloaded with the things no one really wanted to eat. Like turkey and ham. The salami and the roast beef was gobbled up quickly. So, we are still eating those things and I guess lunch and dinner tonight will be the same. No one wants to cook either it is just too hot. Last night we called for Chinese. Now I have left over Shrimp in Lobster Sauce and fried rice. I wonder if we will ever get rid of all the leftovers.

It blows my mind

2007-07-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Fireworks have been a tradition in the American culture to celebrate the Fourth of July. There are a lot of communities across the U.S. that sponsor a big display the evening of the 4th. It is a great way to finish a great holiday. There are also a lot of folks who get their own fireworks and have their own displays. Here is where the problem lies. People are stupid.

Each year there are a number of kids from all over the country who get their fingers and/or hands blown off or their eyes blown out while using fireworks. People get their houses set on fire by errant rockets and pets run amok because of the sounds created by the explosions. In the southwest wildfires are started that burn thousands of acres of land. It is time to stop this whole lunacy.

Here in Clark County Nevada we have "Safe and Sane" fireworks that are allowed for a ten day period that extends to the end of the 4th. These "special" fireworks include fountains, sparklers, and flares. On Native American land you can buy the "heavy duty" stuff. The aerial bombs, roman candles, and M-80s. This allows people who have no business being left without a keeper to possess explosives.

We are in the middle of a draught and extreme heat warnings here in Southern Nevada. The daily temperature is forecast to be OVER 115 for the next few days. Everything on the land is dry to the bone. This is no time to be adding sparks and flames around. People will get their houses burned down by rockets that hit the roofs. You would think that the Politicians would clamp on an order that the use of ANY fireworks this year will mean arrest and prison. No, the Authorities instead issue a plea for people to be safe with their fireworks and keep a bucket of water nearby. They also reiterated their normal chant that anything but "Safe and Sane" fireworks are illegal and you could be fined.

It is so dry here (average 3% humidity) that you can actually see water evaporate out of a glass. It is so hot here that you don't need a match to start a fire (just rub two of anything together). I don't understand why we have to have any legal fireworks and also why we don't enforce the laws that we do have. Why do we all have to be put in jeopardy?

OK, That's all the ranting and raving I have for this week.

Have a happy 4th of July and remember why we celebrate it.

Heating things up

2007-07-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today Libby and I will use the stovetop smoker that I bought on Friday. It is a Cameron Stove Top Smoker that allows us to put good smokey flavor in our food without smoking up the house or buying a full sized smoker for outside. Libby bought a pork tenderloin for our first adventure with this new toy. The pork is just a hair over two pounds and should fully cook and smoke in about 45 minutes. I hope it all works out.

I have been hiding all week with my head in the dark parts of the house. The temperatures have been pretty much steady at 105 - 106 during the day. By next Wednesday (July 4) the temps are being forecast to the 115 - 116 area and possibly higher. Oh well, I moved here to get away from the cold, snow, and rain of the New Jersey area. Now I hide inside during the day. Hah!, even the dogs don't stick their noses outside during the hot afternoon hours. The only one who goes out and doesn't seem to be bothered by the heat is Crazy Libby.

Mid Week Catch-Up

2007-06-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

Libby went to see the Clint Holmes play again on Sunday evening. It was the last performance of the show. Libby found that they had made a few changes and improvements since the first show she attended. The folks will now move to London, England and then hopefully to New York for a Broadway run. We will see. It does have potential.

While Libby was at the play I got to see the DVD HANNIBAL RISING. I thought it was a good movie and that it didn’t have all the terror I expected. The movie tells the tale of Hannibal and why he is like he is. There are a couple scenes that are a little rough to take but, nothing of “biblical proportion”. If you want to know why Hannibal Lector is like he is then see this movie.

Libby and I watched a movie called AURORA BOREALIS with Donald Sutherland. It is about a family dealing with their own problems and with the dementia of their Grandfather. The Grandson who does the most for the Grandparents and his new found girl friend have their ups and downs but, all in all are made for each other. It is a nice movie for a couple hours when you have nothing to do.

Have you seen the show on the History Channel called ICE TRUCKERS? Well, if you want something that will strain your nerves then give this a try. It is a chronicle of the day to day operation of the Ice Road up near the artic circle that only operates in the winter months. It is an actual road that is made of ice twenty eight inches thick over water that is seventy-five to a hundred feet deep. These tractor-trailer rigs travel on the ice to destinations that are only accessible by this means a few months a year. When the ice starts cracking and splitting apart while the trucks are movingit will have you on the edge of your chair. Getting big bucks for making the runs are normal so many truck drivers come and try to make a years salary in two months. Take a look.

Our temperatures are moving back up. We were at 102 over the weekend and are now hitting 106. They forecast is that we will be 109-110 by next Monday. I sure hope it cools off some and that my A/C lasts through this hot time. The humidity was a whopping 2% yesterday. I feel like a prune or raison. You talk about dried out, this is it. The water is evaporating from the pool by the gallon per minute.

An Electrifying Experience

2007-06-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

WE had a "fun" afternoon and evening yesterday. It seems that the power company had a break down somewhere in our grid and we were "blacked out" from about 3:30 PM to just a little before 9:00 PM. The temperature was up in the 110 range and that caused the temperature in the house to rise to 94 before it leveled off and started back down because of the sun set. We all sat in the dark and just tried to keep as cool as possible. It is very angering to see that your neighbors on the other side of the street have power and you don't but, that is the way our power lines run I guess. This happened before a couple years ago and then too, we were out and the area across the street and north of us was lit up and everything from us south was out.

Once the power came back on we started to cool off and were back to normal by about 11:30 PM. We actually got to watch some of the NATIONAL BINGO NIGHT. We didn't win anything though.

Old Feelings Surface

2007-06-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

We spent a couple hours this morning watching the memorial service for the nine South Carolina Fire Fighters. It was a very emotional news story. I can remember how I felt while attending the 22 funeral and memorial services for my friends and coworkers after 09/11. The sea of uniforms and fire fighting trucks is very moving. I am greatly saddened by this recent loss of life. Heroic yes but, a loss of epic proportion none the less. I pray for the Fire Fighters and their families.

Libby and Mom are off on a shopping morning. They had a list of places to go like K-Mart, CVS, Home Depot, and I don't know where else. I guess they will be gone a few hours and then come home loaded down with stuff we don't need.

Libby went to a wine tasting at the MIRAGE Resort and Casino on Wednesday evening. She had a good time and brought me a leftover lobster tail to eat. It sure was good.

We have our game cards printed out for NATIONAL BINGO NIGHT. I hope we can win something sometime soon. But, I doubt it will ever happen. You have to be a very outgoing person to win this stuff or at least you have to be lucky. I am neither.

As you all may remember Libby is from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. That is on the Atlantic Ocean. Her ancestors were Watermen. That means fishers, clammers, and oyster farmers. They have a tradition of making some of the best seafood you have ever eaten. One of Libby's best concoctions is Crab Cakes. They are made using only fresh local crab meat and not much else. I love them. I recently watched a TV show that had a guy named Tom Douglas on. He is a Chef from the Seattle area who has written a book with 50 different recipes in it for crab cakes called, "I LOVE CRAB CAKES". I bought the book and it is to be delivered by UPS today. That is if I can believe the email I got from UPS. I already told Libby to get a big tin of fresh crab meat so we can try one of these recipes this weekend.

The heat is on

2007-06-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

The prediction for today is 105 but, it is almost there already. I expect it to get to 108 - 109. That is to hot for me so, I have decided to stay in and not go with Libby to the South Point Casino. She has gone off to take some leftovers to my Mom and then to the casino, the pool equipment shop, and the video store. I'm sure glad she doesn't mind the heat or nothing would get done around here all summer. I have also noticed that the "Mutts" don't poke their heads out the "doggie door" much during the day now. They spend a lot of time sleeping by the A/C ducts.

Now, about the pool equipment store. Our pool cleaning system was stolen a few weeks ago. I reported this in an earlier entry. We filed a complain with the police who said in was a grand theft because it was a $500.00 item. I doubt that will make any difference with them because in the scheme of things I doubt they will even investigate it. We did find out that the new people in the house on the corner lost theirs right after they moved in and the guy next door had two stolen within a month. I think I am going to start leaving the gate into the pool area open so the dogs have access to that part of the yard. Maybe they will catch this guy. We think he is coming over the block wall at night.

I just heard about the NINE South Carolina Fire Fighters that were killed this morning. It is a sad day when things like this happen. I will say a prayer for each of them and for their families.

FATHER'S DAY 2007

2007-06-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking about my Dad, I do miss him. I thought about the many fishing and camping trips we went on when I was growing up. I also thought about taking him with me to our Pennsylvania house for weekends of walking in the woods and sitting on the porch. When I called Mom this morning she also admitted thinking about my Dad today. But, I think that she spends most of her days that way. I sure wish he was around to talk too.

Well, I guess I miss my Dad.

Nothing much to talk about

2007-06-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mom had her tooth pulled yesterday afternoon. I guess everything went OK as she was home and in her chair within an hour and a half from the time she was called in to the "chair". I spoke with her this morning and she is sore but feeling OK. She drank a cup of warm coffee and ate a little applesauce. I guess it will be a few days before she is back to normal when she eats.

We watched NATIONAL BINGO NIGHT on TV last night again. I would really like to know where they get all these crazy folks to be contestants. I can't believe all the running around, screaming, and excitement that these folks show. I guess I would be a bad contestant as I would probably stand there and say nothing until I either won or lost. I guess that is why these folks get to be on the show. By the way, None of us won anything again last night. I'd sure like to have that ten thousand dollar K-Mart gift card. We have a K-Mart only four blocks from the house. Libby buys a lot of our stuff there.

One of the guys I use to work with called yesterday to see if I would be around this morning. He would be flying in to go down to Kingman, AZ and see his son for the weekend. He wanted to stop by here. He called this morning after the plane landed and said that he would come by another time. His Daughter In Law and their little children came along with the son to pick him up. He doesn't want to subject us to the two year old and her teething problems. Seems she is very cranky right now. I was kind'a relieved that the children weren't coming here as I would really have to watch the dogs close. They don't deal with kids and I wouldn't want someone to get hurt by them playing too hard with the kids.

Remember I mentioned that CLASSMATES had contacted me saying that an old friend wanted to get a message to me? Well, Lori at LorisLaurels told me that it is a scam. Nobody is really trying to get a message to me personally. It is a way to get me to join up and then send someone else a message to try and get them to join up. I'm glad I didn't get involved with it at all. That is a lot of money to spend. I'm just not that "big" in to my old High School class although, there are a couple people I'd like to see again if the opportunity presented itself.

Our temperatures are in the upper 100's this week. I thought we would all melt yesterday. It was 108 in town and 110 in my back yard. I guess the grapefruit tree likes it as it is green and the fruit seems to grow as you watch. I will of course, stay in the A/C. I notice that "The Boys" don't go out very often now. I guess we are all kind'a wimpy about the heat. I have also noticed that it doesn't seem to bother Libby. She has gone off to Nellis for some shopping at the Commissary.

Oh well, I guess that is all that is running around in my brain for now. As soon as Libby gets back we will have lunch and settle in the cool here for the rest of the afternoon.

No Respect and NO FOOD!!

2007-06-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

My life has been so exciting that I'm sitting here with nothing to write about. Last night we watched a couple "food" shows we had taped, played some solitaire on the computer, and finally just went to bed.

Mom has a tooth ache. The Dentist is sending her to a specialist to have it pulled out. There is apparently no way to save the tooth and the pain as well as the cost make it better just to get rid of it. This is not something that I wish to go through. I hate to go to the Dentist but, go about every four months to insure that the problems I have with my gums are kept under control.

Mr. Bruno incurred the wrath of one Libby at lunch today. We ordered out Chinese for lunch instead of having it for dinner tonight. There was a container half full of beef with oyster sauce on the counter in the kitchen while we finished up our lunch with some cantaloupe. Mr. Bruno decided that he should have the leftovers and that he should be able to eat them without sharing this stolen prize with Spirit. Well, he got caught by Libby as he quietly snuck the container off the counter and boy, did she blast him. I doubt he will enter the kitchen at all for a while.

I guess I can't go into the kitchen for awhile. Libby caught me sneaking a few crispy noodles left over from lunch and blasted me. She threw me right out of the kitchen. I guess I don't rate much better than Bruno.

Weekend Project - Watch TV.....Very exhausting

2007-06-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

As I said in my last entry, Libby went to the opening night of a musical here in town. She got home at about 11:30 PM and was excited to tell me all about who she saw, who talked with her, and how good the show was. Clint Holmes's new musical JAM is apparently a hit here in town but, will this "Local" be able to take this show to another venue like England or Broadway? That remains to be seen. The local Writers gave Clint a fine score but, the syndicated folks gave him a "C".

Saturday morning Libby made a "base trip" to the Commissary. She came home loaded down with enough groceries to last a few weeks.

We watched the Belmont horse race, the NASCAR "Bush" race, and the fights so, we had the TV on a lot Saturday. Today we have the NASCAR NEXTEL race on while we sit around reading the Sunday paper.

I got a note from CLASSMATES.com that someone had sent me an email. I went and checked the class out and found that it was an old friend from high school but, I was not allowed to read the email so, I have no idea what his message was. The site asked me if I wanted to send him an email and I clicked YES. Hah!! If I joined for $80.00 they would forward my message but, not before I forked over the money. When CLASSMATES first started I was a member for 5 years for only $5.00 now they want an arm and a leg. I guess I'm not a loyal enough friend because I'm not giving these folks $80.00 to be a member.

Has anyone watched the NATIONAL BINGO NIGHT on Friday evening? We have played along for the last three weeks. I can't seem to get two numbers in a row on any of my cards. I guess they are giving me non winner cards from their computer. I wonder just who at home wins?

Libby made me a little meatloaf yesterday so, I guess I'll have a meatloaf sandwich for lunch. I hope shehas some macaroni salad left to go with it. God, all I do is think about food.I'll wait until after lunch to ask her what's for dinner.

Just stomping around

2007-06-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

We went over to Mom's this morning and I helped her get things on her computer in order so she can add her medical data and eventually all her shell collection data. She had the old computer fry on her so we purchased a new one and now are getting it all set up.

The new Microsoft came with Microsoft Works. We are all very comfortable with Microsoft Word but, since she has the Works on the new computer I set it up for her to use the spreadsheet, data base, and word processor. It took me a while as all things are not equal in the two programs. We managed to get her pharmacy list in and start the medical history list. Mom will finish the rest.

Libby has gone off to a new show tonight. She has gone to see CLINT HOLMES and his play about his life. CLINT is the guy who wrote and sang MY NAME IS MIKIE or something like that. He has been a "name" entertainer here for many years and usually packs the house with the tourist trade. Libby has always liked his singing so, she has gone to the opening of his play to support his efforts.

On Saturday my Aunt Doris stopped in to say hello. She is visiting her daughter here in town before heading back to my Uncle's place in Arizona. She will be heading back to Ohio in a week or two. It is always nice to see her. She is actually my Dad's youngest half sister. I met all that part of the family when we moved out here in 1996. They are nice hard working people.

I watched the WICKER MAN on the pay per view tonight. It was a $1.99 special. I like Nick Cage and thought the movie was interesting and had a lot of intrigue in it but, also thought the whole thing was a little over acted.

Oh yeah, I got the official letter telling me I was fired by the Rehab Doctor. I think I will file a complain just to see if I can stir anything up. I can't believe that this guy tried to extort money from me and keep my personal financial situation hostage. I have never dealt with someone who wanted my signed credit card receipt with noamount put in and a copy of a credit card before. He doesn't even have any place secure to keep this type of information. Oh well, his loss, not mine.

Why are you up so early?

2007-06-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

We are up early so that Libby can be to the TUESDAY MORNING store for the 8:00 AM opening. She is interested in a set of mixing bowls that the will have on sale today. I broke the last bowl a couple weeks ago. It seems that I can't hold on to much any more. TUESDAY MORNING is an "over stock" store. They buy lots of unsold and over purchased items and then sell them at a discount. They chain specifically opens on Tuesday mornings and after about a two week sale closes down until the next sale. We have found some very useful and economical items through this store.

Libby went to the Police Department yesterday and filed our theft complaint on the pool cleaner. From what she has to say I guess all the "Nuts" were out in force at the precinct. Some of the things she told me about that happened while she was waiting were very strange.

We watched a new episode of the Blackjack Tournament last night and then we watched HELL'S KITCHEN. That was it for TV so, we turned to a movie. THE GOOD SHEPHERD with Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and Robert DeNiro was a very good "Spy" movie. It is long at two and a half hours and does drag in a couple places but, it will give you a real look into the formative years of our present day CIA. I thought the acting was excellent and the filming done for period effect. If you have a whole evening to spare and like the "Cloak and Dagger" stuff give this a try.

Thanks go to Dawn for sending us a couple bags of Dunkin Donuts coffee. We haven't had any since our last trip home to NJ which is about four years ago. It is rich and flavorful. We are in Coffee Heaven.

Scheduled Off

2007-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Since it rained in the mid-Atlantic area yesterday the NASCAR race is being run this morning. So, that is what is on the TV right now as I type.

We were up at the "crack of dawn" this morning to get ready for me to have blood work done. We drove to the lab which is in Henderson a short drive from our house. The people at this little "store front" are extremely nice and very capable of getting blood out of me without a lot of digging and pain. It was a real pleasure to find an old friend there at a meeting who came out to talk with us when she found out we were in the building. This lady was the Technician who took care of us for a couple years when we first moved here. She was promoted and left for the District Headquarters about five years ago. She was very good at getting blood out of me without a lot of probing. Well, she is back in the area as a District Manager now. It was nice to talk with her.

Libby has a Dermatology appointment about noon today. That ends our commitments for this week. It will be like a vacation with nothing to do on schedule. Although, my Wife has decided that she needs to go to TUESDAY MORNING when it opens tomorrow. Apparently their sale paper has some things in it that she "Must Have". I will not be attending.

My Weekly Trek

2007-06-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

For a "short" work week this has been a real "bear" for us here. I have spent the week getting medical stuff done. I've had Visiting Nurses, Visiting Vampires, and a Visiting Medical Equipment Sales Lady. The only thing I really liked was the Medical Equipment Lady who brought me the new pair of compression stockings I ordered. They fit well and made my feet and calf's feel much better.

Today I went to the Rehab Doc who took care of me when I broke my hip, I really liked this guy. When we got to the office we weren't greeted by a "Hello" but by the words, "I have paperwork for you to do". They wanted us to refile everything about ourselves and Insurance since it had been a while since we had done this. At the end of the paperwork we were informed that in order to continue to see the Doctor we would have to provide them with a copy of a credit card and a signed credit card receipt with no amount on it to keep in their files for future use. I refused to do this and was informed that the Doctor would not see me.

You trust your Doctor a lot by giving him/her your date of birth, social security number, and other identifying information. By also providing a signed credit card receipt and a copy of your credit card you are asking to have your financial stability assaulted and be left with nothing by some criminal minded employee or by someone's lackadaisical security procedures. I'm not doing that!! This really upsets me that he wouldn't even discuss this with us and doesn't seem to care if I'm a patient or not. I really liked how he took care of me when I was in a bad way. Oh well, I guess I'll find someone else.

We saw the "Pool Guy" this morning and asked him why he had to take our Navigator Pool Cleaner back for more repairs. He told us that he didn't so, we now have to report the theft of the pool cleaner. This is about a $450.00 item. I've decided that I'm putting a lock on the gates to the back yard. The "Lawn Guy" and the "Pool Guy" will have to get in when I open it of them on their regularly scheduled day of the week. Otherwise, Too Bad!

A Journal friend asked me to send out a recipe email to 20 friends who will get involved and send the recipes. I did. No on answered the email. I sent the lady who was first on my list one but, have received none at this point and have gotten back nothing but very cold notes saying "We don't do that stuff". Oh well, once bitten, twice smart. It won't happen to me again.

Not much else to complain about today. Libby and I will watch the National Bingo Night tonight. There isn't much else to watch. All the new summer replacements start next week so I will have many things to watch on the "Old Tube". I guess I will go into the TV room and yell at the dogs. They have been just too quiet since I've been in here.

Thoughts for the day

2007-05-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here it is Monday already. We had a nice weekend and will pick Mom up at about 12:30 PM for our afternoon picnic. The temps are way up to the 100's so it is going to be warm. I bet we cook out and eat in.

Thanks to all of you for your thanks and well wishes on Memorial Day. I do appreciate it. We watched the races yesterday and last night the Memorial Day concert from Washington, DC. I must say that for some reason the concert and show were very emotional this year. Much more so than normal. but, I can't tell you why. It may be because I believe that our Troops are in harm's way for no good reason. That of course, is a political statement by me and I apologize for it. This weekend should only be for those who have given their lives during our Nation's conflicts no matter what the base reason.

2007-05-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have decided to write a Journal Entry before I read email today. Sometimes I am so tired and hurting after I've gone through the email that nothing else gets done and I go sit in the recliner.

There is a rain delay at the Indy 500 so I am up and in the office instead of in front of the TV. Libby is doing a build up of dishes and getting some lunch together for us. The "Mutts" are playing and making a racket. If this rain delay turns into a race "final" I'll switch on the NASCAR Coca Cola 600 for the rest of the afternoon.

Mom is coming over tomorrow for a picnic. We will have grilled cheddarwurst on rolls with corn on the cob, cucumber salad, and pierogies with sour cream and apple sauce. The idea isn't so much the eats as it is the fact that we all spend the day together. I hope to watch the Memorial Day concert on TV tomorrow evening.

Memorial Day is a great time to thank a Veteran. Find some person who has Gone To War for our country or someone who has spent time in our military and say "Thank You". It is also nice to go to a local cemetery and find the grave of a Veteran and say a prayer of thanks to that person. We would not be were we are today without our Veterans. No matter what you "take" on this Iraq war is, "Keep the faith" with our military people. They need yoour support even if you don't support the war.

The business of getting through the week.

2007-05-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

My stomach has been "off" the last few days. I'm not sure what the problem is but, suspect that it may be my decision to have a Bloody Mary or two each afternoon. I'm not satisfied with V8 and Vodka. I have to add a bunch of spices to make the drink "BOLD AND SPICY". It's nice to have a 4:00 PM late afternoon drink but, I'm not real thrilled with the stomach pain. I guess it's time to have a cup of tea instead of the drink.

Libby went to the Mirage last night for an invitational wine tasting. They tasted wines from the Beaulieu Vineyards out in Planet California. There were six reds and two whites for her to try. She did like a couple but, didn't feel that any were of the "I got to get this right now" category. After the wine tasting she had dinner in one of the restaurants and played the slots for a while. The entire night after registration fee, valet parking, dinner, and slot play cost her about $10.00. Now, that ain't bad for a night on the town.

Mom's computer "burped" yesterday afternoon while she was reading a news article from her old home town. Since I couldn't get there we called the Computer Guy to come over this morning. He was able to fix the problem quickly and she is now back on line.

I rode with Libby out to "The Base" yesterday morning. I was a very nice day and great to get out of the house for a while. We went to pick up a ticket for Libby to go see Celine Dion in August. Her show here in Las Vegas will close at the end of the year and Bette Midler will be taking over her theater. Libby thought that she would like to see this show before it closes. She didn't save all that much on the tickets but, the military tickets tend to be better seats in the theater than the ones for the general public. I think the savings worked out to be about 10%. Which is OK but, not great. You can do a lot better by taking the packages that some of the travel agents have to offer.

Consumer Reports has sent me the annual automobile survey. So, I will probably spend an hour doing this survey this afternoon. I'm always happy to give anyone my opinion who asks and sometimes to those who don't ask.

Getting the week going quickly

2007-05-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

At 7:30 AM this morning a very nice lady came to our home to measure me for a pair of custom made compression stockings. These will help my feet and legs with circulation and may also help with the low blood pressure by keeping some pressure on my legs at all times. This lady was very nice and very professional. She also showed up on time which is a big deal here in Las Vegas by itself. People here think that an appointed time is any time within a four hour window of the appointed time. I really hate it when someone makes an appointment and then doesn't show up until two hours late and doesn't even acknowledge that they are late.

I should get this pair of stockings in about two weeks. I hope that they work to raise my BP a little.

On Sunday, May 13, 2007 our Journal Friend Debra put a recipe for baked macaroni in her Journal, My Take On Life. Libby thought it sounded good and bought the ingredients on Friday and make this concoction on Saturday. Boy, was it ever good!!! Thanks Deb!!

Libby, Mom, and I have decided that we will have a cook out for Memorial Day here at the house. I think we will have Italian sausage, peppers, and onions on big crusty rolls. I also think we will make a couple salads like potato, cole slaw, and maybe cucumber. That should keep us going well during the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600.

Look Out Weekend, Here I come!!

2007-05-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Libby took Mom to the ENT Doctor this morning. The report wasn't all that good. She will need a little same day surgery in her nose to remove a few polyps that have emerged there in the passages. As soon as the Cardiologist approves the surgery Mom will get it done.

Here in this house there is a 10" long, green dog bone that is the target of many a strategic playtime. Sometimes it lays around with no one looking at it for days and then it will become the target of multiple assaults. This morning Mr. Bruno chewed on it for awhile. Mr. Spirit, not to be out done decided that it needed to be the focal point of all things in the universe. I really hate it when the spend their time trying to shove this thing in my leg or up my butt to get me to play with them. Spirit loves in when I will play tug of war with him using this bone as the relay line. He also likes me to play catch with him using it. Mr. Bruno on the other hand wants me to hold it while he chews on one end. I suspect that today will be a day where they continue to bring it to me all day trying to outdo each other.

I have been trying for a week to get a couple of the BINGO tickets that this show tonight on ABC is giving out. We use to play BINGO TV on a satellite channel each week and really enjoyed it. Now, the show has gone national on a major network but, I can't get tickets for tonight. Maybe I'll be more successful for the show next week.

Now that I am fully hydrated and am eating better I have no dizziness. I actually feel pretty good. I hope that I can keep this going and still continue to lose a few pounds. As much as I'd like to lose weight I'd sure like to have a few beers and a couple of Italian sausage, pepper, and onion sandwiches.

Better Days

2007-05-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Libby is home and the dogs are happy. I'm elated!! Her plane from Philadelphia was late taking off by an hour but, the Pilot made up about twenty minutes of the time getting her home to Las Vegas. Apparently the line of thunderstorms from Chicago area down to Texas was very bad and caused the FAA to reroute the plane. Better safe than sorry.

Libby was greeted by the "Pups" with all honors when they realized she was at the curb in the cab. By the time she got into the courtyard she was swamped with licks and kisses and a lot of howling. Most of the howling was from me.

So, today is a day of rest for Libby and then tomorrow we will get back on a normal schedule. We have decided that all my dizziness is from being dehydrates. I am not drinking enough liquids and not eating properly. We will begin a scheduled "water" consumption plan throughout the day and a nutritious meal plan to go with it. We hope that this will help the dizziness and get me up and doing some things away from the recliner.

Well, that's it for now. I hope there is some good TV tonight. I think BONES and LOST are both on tonight.

Getting back to normal - - Maybe

2007-05-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Libby is on her way home today. I will be happy when she gets back to us.

I haven't been on the computer because I've spent most of my time in the recliner. The dizziness is back and I have felt lousy since Friday. I didn't want to say anything if I wrote a journal entry that would upset Libby's trip as her sister has a computer and they read my journal.

Everything has been a "pain". I sure hate doing things alone. Watching TV, cooking, eating, reading the paper, ect. all are not fun alone. It has been a chore to get the dogs meals together and to insure that I ate something myself. I don't think I have had enough to eat or drink over the last five days but, will make up for it when Libby is home again.

I think she had a good time as she phoned each night with reports of her daily schedule. I guess the fresh seafood on the Island has been exceptionally good and she managed to get a piece of fresh caught Drumfish(Black). Her Sister Susie, cooked it for her in the "old way" like her Mom use to cook it. My Brother in law Ed came up from Chesepeake to visit her yesterday afternoon on his motorcycle. They had lunch and then went shopping for things to bring back to our desert. I hope there is a "prize" for me.

Well, I will spend the day getting the house cleaned up for Libby's return. The Boys and I will do a little and then rest and then do a little more. I guess if we work together we will get things back in order. I find that I really hate cleaning out dog food cans. We recycle all metal cans here so, we have to clean them out before putting them in the recycle binns or every varment in the neighborhood is knocking the cans around at night trying to get the left over morsals.

I hate washing dishes too!!!

The barn door is open

2007-05-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Libby is in the air and headed East. She will arrive in Philadelphia at about 2:30PM. Then she gets on a "puddle jumper" and goes to Salisbury, Maryland. She should get there about 4:30. She then has an hour drive to the Island of Chincoteague. I expect that she will be exhausted by the time she arrives at her Sister's place.

The Dogs and I have our instructions to keep us healthy and safe for the next five days but, I doubt we will follow them. I find no reason to live a boring existence by being healthy and safe.

I just gave "The Boys" some breakfast and will now have some cereal for myself. Then, since I was up at 3:00 AM to help Libby get ready for the cab, I will take a nap. When I get up, "Who KNows" maybe we will smoke cigars and drink booze.

Coffee and Dogs

2007-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am sitting at the computer drinking a McDonald's Premium Roast Iced Coffee. It is pretty good. I am actually surprised. I didn't expect it to be as flavorful as it is.

Not much new here. Libby took Mom to see the Cardiologist yesterday and the Internist today. Both gave her good reports. Libby also went out to the Mall yesterday and got a new pair of jeans for her trip home on Thursday. She is busy getting everything in order for her trip. I think she will have a good time and enjoy a few hours with her sisters.

I am saddened to report that Boxer Diego Corrales was killed in a motorcycle accident here last night. There is no indication of drugs or alcohol. It is believed that he just lost control of the bike at a high rate of speed. He was a great fighter and a very nice guy. He leaves a pregnant wife and five small children.

"The Boys" are a real pain in the butt today. They guy next door is having all his palm trees trimmed so, there are people up the trees trimming out all the palm fronds. Bruno is doing back flips trying to get to them. The "Little One" is mad because Bruno is barking loudly and so he growls and snaps at Bruno. I wish they would both quit it!!! The folks next door are dropping the palm branches to the ground and each time one hits it make a thud. Even inside Bruno can hear this and each thud starts him up again. I'm glad this only takes an hour or two to get done.

Visiting with Friends and Family

2007-05-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it is Saturday already. Seems to me that it was just Wednesday yesterday. The guys I use to work with came here this week and we had a big luncheon on Wednesday afternoon. There was about twenty guys plus Libby and Angie. Angie is the Wife of a retired cop who moved here to town a few months ago.

It was sure great to see all these guys who worked with me for so many years. It brought back a lot of memories. We talked about things that happened twenty and thirty years ago. Hah, when we were young, dedicated, and foolish. This was a fine group of people to spend a career with.

We have a big day today. The Kentucky Derby is on this afternoon. Then the NASCAR race will come on. I will watch some of it and tape the rest as we bought the PPV DeLaHoya vs Mayweather fight and that starts at 5:30PM. So, this is basically a lost day. We will park ourselves in front of the TV at about 2:00PM and be that way the rest of today.

Tomorrow Mom is coming over for an early Mother's Day celebration. We are making her a Caesar salad and a steak. We also have a couple little gifts to help her celebrate being a "Mom".

Libby leaves on Thursday for Virginia. I'm already stressing out. I don't think the Dogs will be able to "get by" with her gone. They don't seem to have any confidence in their ability to take care of me the way she does. We will see...........

Mid Week Memos

2007-05-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

I finally got to the casino yesterday morning. I should have stayed home I think. We walked from the Valet parking in front of the building and by the time we got inside I was exhausted. I sat at the first slot machine I came to and rested for awhile. I then continued on to the middle of the slot play area and sat again, this time I put a few dollars into the machine. I never did make it to the Black-Jack tables. It was just to far for me to walk so, I played slots and wound up leaving a chuck of my money there for the Casino to have.

Today Libby is taking me across town to me some friends at a local pub. About a dozen cops that I use to work with will be here for a couple days and they want to get together to say "Hello". The pub we are going to has a 3:00PM special each day. They put their dinner menu up at half price for two hours so, along with a few drinks we can all eat for a reasonable price.

It will be good to see these guys as I haven't seen some of them since I retired in 1996. Many have retired over the years and some have been promoted to ranks with a lot of responsibility. All have done good during their careers and are now living life to the fullest.

We watched THE MUSEUM with Ben Stiller last night and I sure enjoyed it. There were a lot of laughs and even Robin Williams didn't grate on my nerves too much. It is a good "Mindless Entertainment" movie for the family.

I will probably "shake" the last of the heavy cream tonight for more butter. This has really been a treat. We have decided that for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners we will make our own butter the evening prior to the "big meal". It will help us with to make the celebration more personal.

Buttering Up your family and friends

2007-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

We made our own butter yesterday evening. Yeah, I know, "What for"? you might ask. Well, I guess to see if we could do it and to have a bit of a taste of "The Old Days".

It was an easy thing to do and I suggest that you do this with your kids or grandkids. Give them an idea of what butter really looks like and how it really tastes without all the additives.

We bought a pint of heavy whipping cream and put about 3/4ths of it in a mayonnaise jar. After insuring that the lid was on tight we took turns shaking the jar for about 30 minutes. At the end of that time the liquid had turned in to a very soft solid. We then poured off the leftover liquid which is like skim milk (also known as clabber) and put the jar of butter in the refrigerator to chill and "age". We tried a little of this soft, sweet, white butter on a saltine last night and had it on EGGOs for breakfast. It is quite different tasting without all the color and salt. Of course, this is not cheap as the heavy cream is about $4.00 a pint but, it is a great experience. This reminded me of my childhood when we made butter in school. I do remember when we didn't use butter at home and only used Oleo. Libby's Grandmother would sit and shake a "SKIPPY" jar full of cream to make a little bit for her bread. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.

A lot of Bologna

2007-04-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

While watching the qualifying trials on SPEED network for the NASCAR race tomorrow I saw an article that was about tailgate barbecuing at the races. They made a big deal about Bologna burgers. Apparently the big thing is to cut Bologna thick and charcoal cook it on the grill. I had to laugh. I was doing that as a little kid on open wood fires while camping with my Dad or on a Boy Scout camping trip. Recently I also saw an article about Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives and they made a special effort to explain how to smoke a hunk of Bologna and then deep fry it for sandwiches. When I was a kid all we ate was Bologna. We fried it at home for breakfast with eggs and we ate it on bread with a little mustard for lunch. I don't know what all the fuss is about now. I guess new generations have to search out and try all the stuff that we thought was just part of a normal life.

I still haven't made it to the Casino this week. Every time we would start to get ourselves ready for the trip something would come up and we would put it off. Maybe next week.

Libby is off to town to buy a new purse. She has her newest $50.00 off coupon from Dooney and Bourke therefore, she will be headed to the "Strip" to go in to the Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian. These little trips are the "Sum of all fears" for me. I expect that she will some day come home and tell me that she now owns the store. Libby also had a note from Lori at Lori's Laurels with an article about a Dooney and Bourke purse on sale. Thanks Lori, it's always nice for friends to help her addiction.

Libby leaves to go to her home island of Chincoteague in less than a week. Yesterday she went to Nordstrom's and did some shopping for the trip. When she got home she showed me everything she bought and I was surprised that it was all nice stuff that will look good on her. She even managed to get two pair of shoes.

By the time this trip is over and Libby is back home I expect that I will be a Poor House resident.

Something new and something old

2007-04-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Dentist Day for me. I spent about an hour and a half in the chair while a woman who is a Dental Tech. (and looked like my old Sergeant) wandered around in my mouth. Finally the Dentist took his turn and declared me to be without cavities. That, of course made me happy.

We are going to try and get me to the casino today. I haven't been in a long time and think that I would like to play some cards and maybe put a few dollars through a slot machine. I think we will go at lunch time so maybe we can have lunch too. My only problem will be how far I can walk before I get real dizzy. I hope that I at least get to the slot machines.

My grapefruit tree has some fruit on it. It has only been a few weeks from the time the blossoms came out and I already have a few fruit the size of ping-pong balls. I guess all my worry over the winter freezes this year was "for naught".

Our weather has been real good the last couple days with the forecast that the temperatures are rising into the upper 90's by the weekend. I could actually be swimming in our pool by Saturday.

I drink a lot of coffee. I think my addiction is in the neighborhood of the one that Princesssaurora (Dawn) has. I have always used a little milk in mine for color and taste. The milk that is my favorite to use is canned evaporated milk. Carnation is the one that we buy. Many years ago first when I was in the military and then of the Police Department we always had a can of evaporated milk out in the "ready" room to put in our coffee from the never empty urn. Those cans of milk always had a metal cap over them that allowed you to punch it down and create two holes in the top of the can so the milk poured out. Then this metal cap became the cover to keep foreign objects out of your canned milk. I haven't seen one of these things in years and have just used the church key that we keep magnetically attached to the refrigerator to open the cans.

I found one of these caps a few weeks ago. I bought it from the Vermont Country Store and it arrived this morning. The metal isn't as heavy as it was thirty or forty years ago but, it still works the same way. I guess even the old cup of coffee can be retro-fitted.


		Punch-N-Cover Opens Cans for Easy Pouring and Doubles as a Cap This can opener/cover effortlessly punches two easy-pouring holes in cans of evaporated and condensed milk, baby formula, canned juice or more. Also acts as a cap to cover unused portion. Dishwasher safe. 3" diameter. Features: Made of rustproof stainless steel Use to open canned juice, condensed milk, or more To use place on can top and press down firmly Have difficulty opening canned beverages? The Punch-n-Cover makes it a breeze.

Sinking my Teeth into it.

2007-04-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

There were a number of comments relating to my request for resumes for the position of Head Soother for the Hoover home during the time Libby is in Virginia. Funny, there were no resumes that came in this direction. I did get a "large kick" out of the comment by Lisa Jo (Queeniemart) who mused about the whining to Libby the first time she calls home while on her trip. Boy, has Lisa Jo got us pegged!!! You won't believe the crying, sobbing, and gnashing of teeth that will occur during that first call. We won't be able to find anything and probably will all be sitting on the kitchen floor waiting for food to drop from the sky. It should be an interesting phone call and a very funny one too.

We had trauma here this morning. It was time for Bruno's annual dental care visit to the Vet. He is a very stubborn boy who figures out that he is headed to the Vet if he leaves the house. So, it was cry, snarl, and bark all the way to the Vet. Then he wouldn't walk right on his leash. We almost had to drag him in the door. Poor Fellow. I don't understand, Libby just left for her Dentist visit and I didn't even have to raise my voice to get her to go. We will pick Mr. Bruno up late this afternoon and he will probably come home very docile.

Life at a dead stop

2007-04-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mom came home from the hospital on Friday in the late afternoon. Libby got her set up at home and made sure she was OK. I called in the evening to check on her. Although tired, she said everything was going well.

I don't like what the final diagnosis was after a week hospitalized and many tests. I think that the Docs just aren't looking in the right places or they have decided that happened and what are her complaints don't fit their protocols.

Yesterday we went over to see Mom in the afternoon and got dinner for all of us at OUTBACK STEAK HOUSE. Mom sure enjoyed her big steak, baked potato, and salad. There was enough left that she will have a second steak dinner today.

I found that Mom was very weak and tired quickly but does have a good appetite. She will have a visiting Nurse and a physical therapist starting on Monday. That will do her some good.

Libby finally took down the Christmas tree that has been hiding in the corner of our living room. I guess the holiday season is over.

In less than two weeks Libby leaves for her trip home to Virginia. She is going to see her Grandniece graduate from Nursing School. She will also get a chance to spend some time with her sisters.

During Libby's absence I will be left alone with "The Boys" to fend for ourselves. We will be taking resumes all next week for someone to come here and take care of us. Please submit you qualifications and you reason for wanting this position as quickly as possible.

The Week Goes On.

2007-04-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

The wind had died down but, during the night it came back with a vengeance. The wind chimes are all going loudly and the unattended garbage cans are blowing around everyones yards. Libby went out and got ours in before she left to go see Mom.

We recycle here in Clark County. It is not mandatory but, a lot of folks comply. We are all given three large crates, one for newspapers and magazines, one for glass, and one for aluminum. It seems that some enterprising person has decided that if they drive around the night before recycling pick up day they can scoop up all the aluminum cans and turn the cans in for money at the local metals recycler. Going out in the morning and finding all our cans missing before the truck arrives has Libby "on the war path". She refuses to allow anyone to take our cans so, she now puts them in our truck overnight and gets up in time to put them out for the recycler to pick up in the at about 9:00 am. I don't know what she will do if this recycling thief decides to take the newspapers and glass too.

I spoke with Mom this morning and find her no better than yesterday. I will be glad when the test results are back and we find out what is wrong.

Getting through the week

2007-04-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Libby went to Virginia Tech. for a number of summers when she was in high school for 4H camp. She remembers the campus well. That fact coupled with the fact that many "Eastern Shore" kids who's families she knows go to V.Tech. make this hard on her. There are a number of families on her Island of Chincoteague who have children going to that school. We are saddened by this incident and pray for the college, community, students, and staff.

Mom is still hospitalized. They are saying that they think she is either having a heart problem, gall bladder problem, or possibly an aortic aneurysm. We expect some results today and maybe they can narrow her problem down to something they can treat. She is in pain and on morphine. She has had bouts of very high blood pressure that is being controlled by drugs at the moment. Hopefully this will all be fixed soon.

I had a Doc visit yesterday that went very well. The Doc is pleased with the changes in my dizziness that have taken place since I started on the new pills. My BP is a little higher when I stand and although I am still dizzy, I do not have the feeling that I am going to pass out like I did.

Since the wind died down our weather isn't all that bad. It is still a little cooler than it was but, skies are bright and the sun is warm. My grapefruit tree has sure come around from the winter freeze. I have some small grapefruit that look like they are going to make it to fruit this year.

Sunday notes

2007-04-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

The dolphins were here late last night. I couldn't figure out who was ringing my bell at such a late hour. They just stopped by to get Libby to feed them some fresh fish before heading back to Miami to start "Spring Practice". (OK, for those of you who don't get the joke............Miami.......Dolphins......Spring Practice.........Miami Dolphins Football) Boy, was that bad!!!

Mom is still in the hospital and will have a cardiac catheterization tomorrow morning. She is feeling better but, the "incident" took a lot out of her.

Mom's room is on the very end of the hospital on the first floor. To get to her room you have to park on the direct opposite side of the buildings and walk for what is at least a city long block. I can't make it as there is no where to sit along the way and rest so, Libby is making all the visits. I do call Mom a couple times a day to keep her spirits up. She is so tired of all the illness. I don't blame her. She'll be 85 in a couple months and has no one left in her family. Yes, she has Libby and I, my (absent) Brother, and two nieces but, her own Mom, Dad, Brother, and Sister have all gone before her. I think she is a bit lonely for old friends and family. She really misses my Dad. It sure is a bummer getting older.

The day of the dolphin

2007-04-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

Bill always finds unique and interesting gifts for me but I think my 2006 Christmas gift will be difficult to surpass: “Dolphin Trainer for a Day” at The Mirage.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 was the date I chose. After a short orientation, I was shown the dressing room and given instructions on how to “don” a wetsuit. Since Bill is a certified diver, I’ve seen him get dressed but it’s much easier to watch someone put on a wetsuit than put one on. You’re supposed to roll it on like pantyhose, but my brain had a bit of difficulty doing this. Thankfully, the cleaning attendant in the dressing room had dealt with “my type” and she helped me get dressed. The boots were easy, though, just grab the fabric hook on the back and pull on.

Next on the agenda: Continental breakfast. There were all types of fresh fruit, juices, coffee, pastries and walnut bread. I’m glad I already had my wetsuit on, because it would have probably been impossible after eating all this food.

Time to start “training the dolphins!”

Going to the Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage isn’t like going to Sea World. The five dolphins in residence do not perform a show. The Habitat is a research and development site. The trainers work constantly with the dolphins and observe and interact with them. One of the goals of the Habitat is to re-populate the dolphins.

There are two males: Lightning (the older) and Maverick. Maverick is only 4 years old and cannot yet father calves. There are three females: Duchess (the Diva of the group), Sage and Huffin’ Puff.

Lightning, Sage and Huffin’ Puff are segregated in one of the five pools because they are hoping that Lightning will mate with one of them. There is no way to tell when the female is in cycle, so observation is the primary tool the trainers have to determine when to isolate the “players.”

I worked with all of the dolphins. The dolphins respond to hand signals. To call the dolphin to you, you kneel down at the foot of the pool and loudly slap the water. You then place you hand (palm up) partially in the water as a target. The dolphin comes and puts his/her nose on your outstretched hand. If you turn around in a circle, they will do the same. If you fold your hands inward, the dolphin will turn on his belly. If you “push” your hands away, they will head out into the center of the pool.

When I was working with trainer, Moe, he had me call Maverick to the side of the pool, then I put my right thumb out (as if I was hitchhiking) and I started running around the edge of the pool. Maverick followed me around the pool. When I stopped, he stopped.

The behaviors are rewarded but not always with food. They also get to play with a favorite toy or the trainer will play with them as their reward for the proper response.

At times, we were actually in the pool with the dolphins. They all had distinctive personalities. Duchess (the oldest female) was “in charge.” Even with a gate separating the other two females from her, she was talking to them and, I guess, reminding them that she was the boss. Maverick is a youngin’ and immature. I couldn’t say that I liked one more than the other. They were all great in their own way.

We rubbed their bellies, held onto their fins, fed them about 23 pounds of fish during the day (per dolphin), helped get urine samples and basically shadowed the trainers.

The Habitat has a computer program to record all the activities and observations for each dolphin. They are rated on a scale of 1 to 5. Sage had been a “2” all day. The trainers said she was having an “off” day. Like people, dolphins aren’t always “up.”

They are also color blind. They swallow their food whole and then it is digested in one of their three stomachs.

When we broke for lunch (also part of the fee), I was ready for a nap. I haven’t walked, run, kneeled or played that much in probably 20 years.

The food at lunch (ordered from a menu and served by a waiter) was excessive. Thankfully they provided take-home boxes. If I had eaten everything they served, I would have sunk to the bottom of the pool.

After lunch, it was more interaction with the dolphins. It seems that the trainers were so in tune with the dolphins they could tell if it would be useless to continue working with one group or if it was better to move to another pool and the other dolphins. We were constantly moving back and forth through the habitat and asking the dolphins to respond to us.

I can’t say enough good things about my adventure. The day was packed full with fun and education. If you think seeing a show at Sea World (or something like it) tells the entire story of dolphin life, you’re wrong. Being exposed to them in their private world is much more informative and thrilling.

I wish all of you could spend a day as a dolphin trainer.

Everybody out of the pool!!

2007-04-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Libby left by 8:45 AM this morning for her day as a dolphin trainer. She was quite excited and was anticipating a fun filled day even with the cooler weather and wind with gusts to 40 mph.

The Dolphin Experience is at the Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden. It is part of the Mirage Resort and Casino. I don't know what Libby will be teaching them but, as an accountant I would expect that she can help them with their "numbers". I've heard of some that could count.

As part of this "experience" Libby will receive a DVD slide show of pictures taken during her Training Day. I hope that I will be able to present them here for you tomorrow. Until then the poor dogs and I will be trying to get by without Libby. How will we ever get lunch?

2007-04-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Libby is out to take Mom to the Doctor this morning. She is then going to the Palm's casino to get her free slot play and finally to the South Point casino to pick up her free martini glass. This is number two of four of these glasses. She has collected the full set of red wine and white wine glasses from the other marketing give - aways. I hope they do champagne flutes too.

I have been thinking about my younger days and my camping trips of the past. I started doing this stuff when I went in to the Boy Scouts and continued through high school and on in to the military. After I got out of the military I continues to camp out and go hunting and fishing. I have always loved to be out in the woods.

I will not bore you with the details of these trips but, will tell you that they are good memories especially, those trips that I am with my father.

Today is the 18th anniversary of the day I quit smoking. This is a good thing. I was a 30 year, three pack a day smoker and I quit. It is the biggest accomplishment of my adult life. I wish I could quit eating like I quit smoking.

........and where is your brain today?

2007-04-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had as good a day as I did yesterday. Mom came over and the three of us celebrated Easter with a fine spring lamb dinner cooked by Libby.

Libby also made up a nice Easter basket for Mom with a lot of jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and bunnies. We spent the afternoon having dinner and talking. Mom reminded me that every Easter when I was a kid, my brother and I would bring Mom Easter flowers that were usually a plant of some kind. She would then plant and cultivate the bloom giving her a flower each year about Easter time. When we moved her from Garwood, NJ to Las Vegas she had to leave all those years of flowers still growing in the yard. She and my Dad remembered each one and who gave that flower to her. I guess we left a lot of memories behind in that yard.

One of my favorite memories of Easter time is how we would all get up so early for the annual Easter sunrise service at church. I think that as a child I was amazed at the early hour that we rose and that it was still dark out. What excitement!! We would dress and get to church by 6:00 AM and sit through a special service and sermon. Then we would head down the back stairs of the church to the "Fellowship Hall" in the basement where Mr. and Mrs. Logie and Mrs. Dereemer would have huge platters piled high with scrambled eggs that were filled with crumbled bacon. We would all eat eggs and drink orange juice. After breakfast we would be given a small plant to bring home as a celebration of Easter and spring. I seem to remember the plants as African Violets or Begonias. Then my brother James and I would go up the back stairs and head for home which was about three blocks away. We would go out the back of the church property and between the garages of the houses facing Locust Avenue, finally crossing Center Street and head up Beech Avenue to home with the sun shining warm on our faces. We always gave Mom our little plants and would find Easter baskets waiting for us.

The rest of the day would be filled with a big dinner and visits from Grandparents and Cousins. It was a great day for us all. It is still a good memory and I do wish that life was as simple now as it seemed then. Why do we cling to the past so? I guess those good experiences are sorely missed and the nourishment of our life battered brains.

2007-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER

A Day Off

2007-04-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today is a day off for us. I have no Nurse, Physical Therapist, Blood Draws, or Doc appointments. It's nice to have nothing to do.

Yesterday I went to the hospital and had a test that put a camera down my throat to check my stomach for problems. They are trying to find out why so much of what I eat comes back up. The Doc said he found old food collected at one area of my stomach. He thinks that it is the problem and has cleaned it out. We will see what happens now.

Libby is going to get Easter Sunday dinner today. She has her shopping list and will go to the Sunshine Market for everything. It is a holistic market with a butcher. She is going to get a bones leg of lamb for Mom and me and a steak for her. We will have roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions to go along with the lamb. I am looking forward to this dinner as we don't have lamb very often. Libby doesn't like it and therefore it doesn't make the menu much. Mom will buy a couple of lamb chops when they go on sale and she has had a lamb shank or two also but, we haven't had a real roasted leg in a long time. I know Libby will make us a nice meal roasted on the grill and will cook her steak on the grill too.

After Libby gets back from the store this afternoon we will color some hardboiled eggs. It has always been a tradition with us to dye a few eggs for the Easter holiday. We both enjoy it and I get egg sandwiches for all next week. Libby kind'a looks the other way next week as I consume the extra eggs in my diet.

I have been known to do surveys for Synovate.com. Libby did one about a week ago that asked us to product test and report our opinion on some new teas. The tea arrived today. We will start our evaluation this evening. We both like tea although, Libby likes hers cold and I like mine hot. We drink a couple cups a day with my favorite being orange-cinnamon and Libby just plain black tea. This little survey should be fun.

I ordered some flowers to send to Mom and to Libby for Easter. They have all arrived. They both got a large bouquet of dailies and a smaller arrangement of tulips and stock that has some beautiful lavender and yellow colors. It is always nice to have fresh flowers around.

of coffee cups and movies

2007-04-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'm glad you all enjoyed Guest Journalist Libby. She had a good time on her "Get Away" and I was very happy that she shared the experience with all of you. I was not left out of this trip and received a new Wynn Las Vegas coffee cup. It is nice that she remembered me at home while she wallowed in the lap of luxury. It's a very large cup with a big handle for my big hangs and fingers. It is a bronze color just like the outside of his resort.

I am trying to catch up a little with some Journal reading and some of my other stops in cyber space. I also spent time today writing email to folks I have neglected for a while. I hope that eventually I will get back to my old routine and answer folks when they write.

Last night we watched a couple of DVDs from Blockbuster. DRAGON was to me a very interesting and action packed movie. I love dragons and the medieval lore that goes with them. This movie is the first release in a group of three movies about a "Rider" and his Dragon. If you like fantasy with a lot of sword fights, fire breathing dragons with their own personality, myth, and magic you will find this movie "First Rate".

The other movie we watched was the new Will Smith movie THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS. The movie is based on true events and it tugs at your heart for the entire two hours. I don't know how this fellow had the courage to continue with all the obstacles in his way. No real action here. Just a man and his son, life problems, and a dream of a better world for them both. It is happy, sad, and sentimental. It is a good choice for an evening of entertainment that will leave you quiet and pensive.

A guy who use to be a friend of mine called and asked to stop by and say hello yesterday. We waited all afternoon for him only to have him call and say he had found something better to do. I had gotten dressed in "real" clothes and Libby had cleaned up the TV room for his visit. He called at 6:30 PM and wanted to come by then. We said no that we were to tired from waiting for him from the time he said he would arrive at 2:00 PM on through the rest of the afternoon. What possesses people to act so stupidly. We found out he went to a local political function. This was something he saw while on his way to my house. I guess it was better entertainment that I would have been. BAH!!!

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"

2007-03-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

Guest Journalist Libby, here.

I'm now a full day after my mini get-away to The Wynn Resort (www.wynnlasvegas.com). It's only fair to let you know that I have met Steve Wynn and I thought he was very "full of himself." I also hated that he decided The Desert Inn (a beautiful, peaceful casino/hotel) needed to be imploded for a bigger and better resort. Because of these feelings, I've boycotted the place since it opened.

So, why did I chose Wynn for my retreat? I really wanted to see "Spamalot," and that's where it was playing.

First I purchased a ticket for the play. Since it was still in previews, the tickets were about half of the price they'll be when they open officially (tomorrow, 3/31.)

Then a room. I didn't need a suite or anything extravagant, so, a "resort room" would be just fine. By the time I checked in, the same room had more than doubled in cost. I was surprised. I thought the price would go down, but it had increased. Man was I glad I made the reservation when I did.

I chose the restaurant Daniel Boulud's Brasserie because he had just been a guest chef on Emeril Live. What a restaurant. I had a delicious pate with homemade pickles and pickled cherries. For dinner I chose "moules frites" - steamed mussels in a herb-white wine broth and served with French fries. The dessert was a rhubarb, tart cherry combination that was both sweet and sour.

The play, "Spamalot" is laugh out loud funny. Totally mindless enjoyment based on "Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail."

The room: you should take a virtual tour of the room by clicking on the link above. It's just beautiful. Flat screened tv, a tv in the bathroom, a telephone in the bathroom, phones all over and even a fax machine and Internet access. The provided robes in case you forgot your own and the amenities in the bathroom was superior. I was lucky enough to get a room on the west side of the hotel and overlooked the Strip. I would have had a perfect view of the Sirens of T.I. if the wind hadn't cancelled the show for the night.

SPA DAY: RED FLOWER JAPAN BODY RITUAL

Wow! This treatment started with a full massage including therapeutic flower oils and finished with an exfoliation and hydration. I felt like butter when my time was up.

From check-in to check-out and all times in between, this experience exceeded my expectations. I wanted to find something I didn't like, I wanted to find something to complain about and other than NOT winning Megabucks, I couldn't find anything to wrong.

Bill and the Boys did fairly well, but I don't think their "at home" experience was anywhere as nice as mine.

Now, to give you a "Bill" update: he is on his second 24 hour IV treatment. We see the doctor on Monday and she will probably put him on some type of medication, since his dizzy problem hasn't been resolved with hydrating him. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

Libby

Libby is where?

2007-03-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Libby is away on her "Get away from Bill and the dogs" overnight. She had a meal at a fancy restaurant last night before seeing the new play SPAMALOT. Today she will have a "Spa Day". I expect her home bat about 3:00 PM unless she books a flight out of here to parts unknown. I spoke with her after the play and she tells me it was very funny. She also said that the room she is staying in is beautiful and has every amenity you could imagine. That is nothing less than I would have expected at a Wynn resort.

"The Boys" and I are doing OK. We had a night of TV starting with BONES and ending with LOST. So, we have been busy trying to sort out all the strange things that happened on last nights LOST episode.

Mom is doing better but, is a little tired still. She has a visiting Nurse and a Physical Therapist. I bet she is much better in a few days.

I must tale my time getting from the chair in the TV room to the Office. I'll also take my time getting back. The dizziness is still present but, right now is not as bad as it was. I will have another three bags of fluids put in via the I V tomorrow. I sure hope all this helps.

Spring has Sprung

2007-03-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

The circus will start all over for this week in about an hour. The Visiting Nurse will be here to check my blood pressure and make sure that I am still breathing. Then the Physical Therapist will come to have me do a bunch of exercises.

It looks like Mom will come home this afternoon. The Doc told her yesterday that after she has her breathing treatment and physical therapy today she can go home. As you can expect she is thrilled to be getting out of the hospital. It appears that this was a build up of fluids in her body. They plan to "tweek" her pacemaker and adjust her meds. a little.

My grapefruit tree has a number of blooms on it. So, I guess (I hope) that I will get a grapefruit or two this year. I was really worried that the freeze had killed the tree last winter. I can't get over how great the tree looks now.

Libby has gone over to feed Mom's cat and get the blinds open there. She will probably pick up a couple things for her to eat so, she doesn't have to worry about anything for a couple days.

The rose bushes are full f blooms. I will try to get a picture or two for you all to see. I'm sure glad that spring is here. The pool is up to 83 degrees. A few nice warm 90 degree days and I'll be swimming. I've become such a whimp that I won't go in the pool until the water temperature is over 88. That is amazing since I grew up swimming in the Atlantic Ocean where the temperature on a good day was 65.

Guess I will get ready for the onslaught of Health Care Professionals.

I'm still here.

2007-03-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a very strange and stressful week here in Hooverland. I have had Nurses, Physical Therapists, and Vampires here all week each day. On Wednesday I spent the day sitting in a chair with an "I V" attached to my arm. They put 3000 units of fluid in me. I don't feel all that much better but, my eyes have sure cleared up. I can see all the little letters and numbers on the TV. I guess I will get better and hope it will be sooner rather than later.

Mom had to get taken to the hospital last night. She is having another bout of congestive heart failure and has filled with fluid again. They got her on diuretics in an "IV" and by this morning she was already feeling better.

Today is the annual BEST OF LAS VEGAS awards ceremony. Libby is attending the show this afternoon. Each year the readers of our local newspaper pick the best of everything you can think of here in town. From restaurants to entertainers to politicians, to hotels or traffic lights everything is fair game. We do the couple hundred question survey each year and are always happy when something we pick wins. Next week my Wife will head over to the new Wynn restor to see SPAMALOT and have a "Spa Day". She will spend the night and eat at one of the "good" restaurants too. It is again time for her to have some time to decompress.

My grapefruit tree is coming along well from its winter freeze. The leaves that fell off are all replaced by fat, dark green new ones and there are buds ready to "pop" that will hopefully be grapefruits.

Well, I guess I had better get back to my chair and relax some. I do appreciate all your support and good wishes. I hope that all of you are doing well.

"In sickness and in health"

2007-03-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Over this last weekend I received a call on Saturday and again on Sunday from Deb Baumgartner. She was concerned and wanted to know how I was doing. I have also received a lot of emails and comments about my health. I haven’t been on line much lately because I just don’t feel well enough.

I am still having a lot of problems with dizziness. It affects the way and how much I attempt to walk. I have become “gun shy” about trying to walk around the house as I have passed out three times since January and have had to call the Fire Department for help each time. I don’t want this to happen again.

The Docs believe that the problem comes from dehydration. No matter how much fluid (mostly water) that I drink I am not retaining what I need to function properly. So, we have started to do some things differently. First, I am off regular coffee and having perked decaf. Regular coffee can be a diuretic. I start my day with two cups of coffee to help increase the fluid level in my body from the over night losses. I am also scheduling large cups of hot tea during the day and keeping a quart of spring water near me all the time to sip on all day until it is gone.

I will begin periodic intravenous fluid to help keep the fluid levels up to acceptable levels. All drugs that have a blood pressure lowering effect have been removed from my pill schedule and finally, I am now using salt on my food. I haven’t done this in about thirty years but, the Docs want me to retain more fluid and this is one way to insure that the levels stay up a little.

I am so grateful that you all care enough to try and keep contact with me. I am veryflattered that you all are interested in me and my health. It makes me feel “wanted”.

I am going to try harder to get in to the Office and write something in my Journal a couple times a week. My eyes haven’t adjusted well to this fluid problem and I do have some blurred vision. This will cause some problems with reading your journals but, I will get it all done.

Thanks my Friends for all your concern and for your outpouring of well wishes.

It's still Winter but it's 90 degrees and the Grapefruit

2007-03-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

tree is still alive. Honest to God! It appears the grapefruit tree survived a very unusually cold winter. (Probably my expert trunk wrapping, burlap wind break and 100 watt lamp heater did the trick.) We have some "nibs" that usually turn into grapefruit, so there is at least one bright spot in Hooverland.

Hello all,

I'm so sorry to worry all of you and take such a long time between entries, but, about the only thing I can say is nothing is really new. Bill has had a few good days (last Friday and Saturday) but the dizziness never goes away completely and even when it lessens, it isn't permanent. The Visiting Nurse comes twice a week to check his blood pressure. His BP is very normal while sitting: 130/80 ish but when he stands, it takes a significant drop: 90/61 (for example). The Nurse said yesterday that there are several things that could cause this: CHF, anemia, dehydration. I don't think it's CHF because he doesn't have labored breathing and I know what that sounds like. I don't think it's anemia because he's had recent blood work and there was no indication of anemia, so that leaves dehydration. I think that can be part of the problem, but not the complete problem. And, how do you fix dehydration? Drink more? He's drinking non-caffeine beverages (caffeine is a diauretic) and lots of water. So, we'll just keep going, I guess.

He has a physical therapist three days a week but today we decided to cancel because he didn't feel like even doing leg exercises.

Both the nurse and the physical therapist report their findings to Bill's doctor, so I don't know when or what she'll decide to do. I wouldn't think medication would be the solution since his blood pressure is normal unless he stands and walks.

We truly appreciate you care, concern and kind words. Try not to worry about us, though. If there was anything significant to report, I'd make sure to post (good or bad.) If we didn't have you J-landers, we'd really be sad.

Bill said to tell you that he'll be back as soon as he can. But for now, you're stuck with an inconsistent Libby.

Until the next time........