Wednesday, February 28, 2024

OHHHHH, WE WERE SO GLAD TO BE HOME

HEY, IT'S DARTH GRACKLE

It was a low barely audible rumble I first heard in the night, and it kept getting louder as it got closer. Soon the thunderstorm with its driving wind and rain was upon us and there was no sleeping through that one. On the heels of the storm a few hours later, we were up with the chickens for a warm 54F early 6 a.m. start to the day. We were on the road shortly before 8 o'clock.

'AND DON'T CALL ME DARTH'!!!!

My appointment in Sarnia was for 10:15 and we wanted to be there plenty early on the off chance we might get in for my Doctor's appointment sooner. Timing was going to be crucial today. The weather department had issued a warning which read.... 'A strong cold front is expected to track through southern Ontario on Wednesday causing temperatures to drop dramatically along with the development of strong northwesterly winds gusting to 70 or 80 km/h for much of the afternoon and evening. The sudden temperature drop may lead to icy surfaces as temperatures fall below the freezing mark through the day. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Snow squalls are expected this afternoon...... We wanted to get out of Sarnia and home as fast as we could before this potentially bad smasher of a winter storm hit us.

DRIVING CONDITIONS TO SARNIA THIS MORNING WERE FINE

Gasing up at the Bayfield Garage we were soon southbound for Sarnia with an eye on the sky all the way. Skies looked pretty bad out over Lake Huron south of Grand Bend. The Bend later got clobbered by a lot of rain. I feel bad about Kelly having to do all this driving but my license is suspended until March 27th which is four weeks from yesterday. I am perfectly able to drive now and told Kelly not to worry about the weather because if we get caught in a bad storm I would do the driving, temporary license suspension or not!!

STORMY SKIES SOUTH OF GRAND BEND THIS MORNING
Luckily, our morning drive to Sarnia went off without a hitch despite black threatening skies out over Lake Huron and sudden sharp wind gusts at the Sarnia end which dropped our 54F temps to 42F in an hour. The skies became so dark at one point our Subaru's automatic headlights came on. By the time we were home again early this afternoon temps had dropped below freezing to 25F.

BRIGHTER SKIES TO THE EAST
MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY 402 AND HEADING WEST
We walked into the hospital at 9:30 and headed directly to Registration and then Ambulatory Care. For my 10:15 appointment, we were in the outer waiting room by 9:55. Finally got into an inner room at 10:50 where a male Nurse guy quickly peeled back the bandage and promptly ripped 25 metal staples out of my hip. 'Bang-zoom' just like that. He said the surgery sight looked great. Ten minutes later Dr. Garach came in and had a look at things. He too was pleased with his good work and my healing process. I have to go back in 6 weeks for a follow-up and an X-ray. I'll be cleared to drive by then so I can go there myself and spare Kelly all that driving and waiting around. We were so glad to get to get home today but we were both really whipped. I was way more tired than I usually get.

PATIENTLY WAITING IN THE OUTER WAITING ROOM....AND A WARNING!! THE FOLLOWING TWO PICTURES ARE OF MY HIP SURGERY SCAR AND SOME FOLKS MAY WISH TO SKIP THIS
Feeling the need for a carrot muffin before leaving the hospital we stopped at the snack bar and while Kelly looked after the parking kiosk I wolfed my muffin down. Rather than wait at the front door for Kelly to go get the car and pick me up I decided to walk to the car. The more walking I can get in the better it is for my hip. Rolling out of the hospital and heading east on London Road and then north on Indian Road we soon had our tires on the four-lane 402 highway. Our next stop was at Tim Hortons in Forest for two coffees to go and a grilled cheese sandwich which we split. We kept a close eye on the sky and with Kelly hanging onto the steering wheel in the high wind gusts we made it all the way home unscathed and never ran into a bit of snow or freezing ice pellets until we were just a couple miles from our house. Ohhhhhhh, we were so glad to be home. Pheebs was sound asleep in the sunroom by the patio door. It's always a big happy reunion whenever we three Bayfield Bunchers are all back together again each time.

ME AND MY MUFFIN

WE SPLIT A GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE INSTRUMENTALS ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO
AN ICY COATING OF SNOW ON OUR FRONT DECK LATE THIS AFTERNOON
Al's Music Box:(( Oh Lonesome Me is a popular song written and recorded in December 1957 by Don Gibson with Chet Atkins producing it for RCA Victor in Nashville. The song was released in 1958. The vocal backing was provided by the Jordanaires.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( There is a knock on the pearly gates. Saint Peter looks out, and a man is standing there. Saint Peter is about to begin his interview when the man disappears. A moment later there’s another knock. Saint Peter gets the door, sees the man, opens his mouth to speak, but the man disappears once again. “Hey, are you playing games with me?” Saint Peter calls after him, rather annoyed. “No” the man’s distant voice replies anxiously. “They are trying to resuscitate me.”

- There are two kinds of people. Those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

A guy goes to a girl's house for the first time, and she shows him into the living room. She excuses herself to go to the kitchen to get them some snacks and drinks. As he's standing there alone, he notices a cute little vase on the mantle.
He picks it up, and as he's looking at it, she walks back in. He says, "What's this?"
She says, "Oh, my father's ashes are in there." He turns beet red in horror and goes, "Geez, oh . . . I . . ." She says, "Yeah, he's too lazy to go to the kitchen to get an ashtray."

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Tuesday, February 27, 2024

I CAN ONCE AGAIN CARRY MY OWN CUP OF COFFEE FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE SUNROOM

HEADING TO EXETER ONTARIO FOR MY PHYSIOTHERAPY THIS MORNING

Waking up and glancing at the clock first thing this morning my first thought was, 'I am soooooo glad this is not two weeks ago right now. I would have been on the chopping block at Sarnia's Bluewater Hospital. While on the subject there are two things I forgot to mention. As of yesterday (Monday) the swelling finally went down in my leg and I am now walking with shorter more normal steps upright with the walker. Before I had been taking longer strides and was bent way forward over the walker. A reader noticed that bent-over stance in a post photo a week and a half ago.

NICE TO FINALLY HAVE A SIGN POSTED AT OUR PARK ENTRANCE TELLING US WHAT ROAD WE ARE LIVING ON

It was a cloudy 50F morning with distant thunder and the threat of rain in the air when Kelly and I rolled out of our driveway at 10:15 heading for Russett Rehabilitation in Exeter, Ontario. Using my tried and true way of thinking I had already convinced myself that this was going to be very painful. I envisioned them tying my legs together and twisting them into the shape of a pretzel. I figured they would try to bend my leg around behind the back of my head, and for sure they would make me do 'jumping jacks'. Well, imagine my relief and wondrously good feeling when none of that of course happened. Yep, my way of thinking wins again. Sherry Yantzi, my Physio person had me do a number of new exercises and then, flat on my back, she moved my leg around with more exercises. At no time did I have any grinding pain and the new exercises felt good. Now do keep in mind, I had previously taken a pain pill at 10 a.m. knowing where I was going. She said at two weeks out from the operation she was very pleased with my progress. And, I was very pleased that she said she was very pleased. My next appointment is next week. She also showed me how to use a cane properly (I had it all wrong) and said to start using the cane round the house. If I go outside for a walk, I am to use the walker. 10-4 I thought, sounds logical to me. So, with two weeks behind me, I can sum up both mentally and physically how I feel in three simple words.....'pretty darn good':))))))

AND YES, THAT CAR REFLECTED IN THE WINDOW IS US GUYS

RUSSETT RECEPTION AND WAITING ROOM WITH THE THERAPY ROOM LOCATED THROUGH THE DOOR AT THE LEFT

ABOUT THE ONLY THING I HATE DOING MORE THAN WASHING WINDOWS IS DOING PAPERWORK SO KELLY VOLUNTEERED TO COME IN AND DO THAT FOR ME.....SHE'S THE BEST:)) .... OH AND HEY, HOW ABOUT THAT HAPPILY SMILING WOMAN IN THE BACKGROUND

Following Physio we slipped across the street to A&W and picked up a couple 'Double Buddy Burgers' and two coffees. A cruise through Exeter to look at a few things and we were soon on our way home. Nice weather all the way. We had a very happy little doggy waiting for us. In the morning we'll have an earlier start as we head to Sarnia's Bluewater hospital for a surgery follow-up with Dr. Garach whereupon my stitches will be removed. I am already bracing for the pain when he rips them out with a pair of rusty old pliers. And then Saturday morning, more pain is headed my way when..........oh I'll tell you about it in Saturday's post. Let's just say it involves my feet and maybe a chainsaw!!

HERE COMES THE COFFEE AND DOUBLE BUDDIES
Arriving home and getting myself into the house this afternoon (after relocating a bird feeder) around 1:20 I right away transitioned from my walker to my cane with the next goal in a few weeks being to transition from the cane to 'no cane'. And, of right now with my cane, I can once again carry my own cup of coffee from the kitchen to the sunroom:))))

HOW NICE AT RUSSETTS TO SEE A BLAST OF SUNSHINE COME THROUGH THE WINDOW AND LIGHT UP THE COLORFUL FLOOR TILES

Al's Music Box:)) Southern Cross is a song written by Stephen Stills, Rick Curtis, and brother Michael Curtis and performed by the rock band Crosby, Stills and Nash. It was featured on the band's 'Daylight Again' album and was released as a single in September 1982. Stephen Stills sings lead throughout, with Graham Nash joining on the second verse. Because David Crosby did not reunite with Stills and Nash until the album was well underway, his vocals are not featured on the album version, although he did appear in the video and subsequently sang the song with the group in live performances. "Southern Cross" is based on the song "Seven League Boots" by Rick and Michael Curtis. Stills explained, "The Curtis Brothers brought a wonderful song called 'Seven League Boots,' but it drifted around too much. I rewrote a new set of words and added a different chorus, a story about a long boat trip I took after my divorce. It's about using the power of the universe to heal your wounds. Once again, I was given somebody's gem and cut and polished it."The song title and lyrics reference the Crux constellation, known as the Southern Cross.

JUST MOTORING ALONG WITH THE TUNES GOING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A kindergarten student was having trouble putting on his boots and asked his teacher for help. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. Finally they got both boots on. She grimaced when the little boy said, "They're on the wrong feet." Sure enough, they were. The teacher kept her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the correct feet. The little boy then announced, "These aren't my boots." The teacher sighed and pulled the boots off. The boy then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them." The teacher felt like crying, but she mustered up the strength to wrestle the boots back onto his feet. "Now," she said, "where are your mittens?" The boy replied, "I stuffed them in my boots...."

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When you truly don't care what anyone thinks of you, you have reached a dangerously awesome level of freedom.

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Monday, February 26, 2024

PHEEBS AND I HAD PAWS AND BOOTS ON THE GROUND LATE THIS MORNING

A NICE SUNNY 50F DAY WITH MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW DOWN AND SOAKING UP THE WARMING RAYS OF SUNSHINE IN GODERICH TODAY

A nice looking sunny morning I thought to myself as I in my living room recliner shaded my eyes from the morning Sun. Might be a good day to take myself outside for a walkabout in our driveway. And I won't even have to put on my snowboots:))

PHEEBS KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON ME

With my hip feeling a wee bit better day by day I have started stretching out the 'every 6 hours' time between pain pills. Oh I will be so glad when I can painlessly run faster than a speeding bullet and leap over tall buildings again:))

THIS LITTLE JUNCO SAT FOR THE LONGEST TIME LOOKING IN THE SUNROOM DOOR AT PHEEBS AND I BEFORE FLYING AWAY

It was exactly 11:25 a.m. this morning when Pheebs and I finally had paws and boots on the ground with our outside travels taking us to the end of the driveway and back twice. No problem. How great to be out in the sunshine walking on bare ground again. And, I was able to do it all by myself without Kelly's help. Lifting the walker down and up the steps proved to be much easier than I thought. I am independently free now to come and go as I please except for driving. And, I even managed to take a large plastic garbage can of paper stuff out to our burning barrel this afternoon and light it up.

'OK DAD I'M RIGHT HERE IF YOU NEED MY HELP'

OKAY HERE WE GO

Needing a few things in Goderich, Kelly fired up the Subaru and stuffed me into the passenger seat. No way was I going to sit home on a nice sunny Springlike day. I didn't have any problems getting into or out of the car. I just had to use mode 'carefully slow'. I do have a bad habit of doing things carelessly fast sometimes, but not today.....or tomorrow, or maybe even the next day.

IN OUR DRIVEWAY READY TO HEAD OUT

ON OUR WAY TO AND FROM GODERICH TODAY IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE 99% OF THE SNOW GONE

ONE OF MY FAVORITE GUITARISTS 'WILL ACKERMAN' ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO TODAY

Our Park's roads were abuzz with white Huron County pick-up trucks earlier today. Old street signs came out and were replaced by new signs with some street names being altered. Our street has always been called 'Maple' but will now be called 'Sugar Maple'. Our house number will also be changed. It's all part of a big address and 911 change and update to our Park. Even our not-so-old mailboxes are again being swapped out for newer ones. Nothing like a big blast of excitement to stir up all we curious Seniors here in the Park.

WE NOW OFFICIALLY LIVE ON 'SUGAR MAPLE' DRIVE

Since coming home from the hospital nearly two weeks ago I noticed a curious mark on the top of my left foot. I haven't the slightest idea what could have caused it but had this been back in my bad old drinking days the answer would be obvious. I would no doubt have looked at that and thought 'I must have dropped a full can of beer on my bare foot yesterday while at the beach.' An easy peasy logical answer in those days.

ALMOST HEALED UP NOW
Al's Music Box:)) You Belong To Me is a popular music ballad from the 1950s. It is well known for its opening line, "See the pyramids along the Nile". The song was published in Hollywood on April 21, 1952, and the most popular version was by Jo Stafford. You Belong to Me" is credited to Chilton Price, Pee Wee King, and Redd Stewart. Price, a songwriting librarian at WAVE Radio Louisville, had written the song in its virtual entirety as "Hurry Home to Me", envisioning the song as an American woman's plea to a sweetheart serving overseas in World War II. Afforded songwriting credit on the song mostly in exchange for their work in promoting it, King and Stewart did slightly adjust Price's composition musically and lyrically, shifting the focus from a wartime background "into a kind of universal song about separated lovers" (World War II having ended some years previously) and changing the title to "You Belong to Me".

SO NICE TO FEEL THE WARMTH OF THE SUN

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble. In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull from the stockyard in a far town so that they can breed their own stock. They only have $600 left. Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, 'When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home.' The brunette arrives at the stockyard, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less. After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office and says, 'I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home.' The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, 'It's just 99 cents a word.' Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette only has $1 left. She realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word. After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, 'I want you to send her the word 'comfortable.' The operator shakes his head. 'How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word 'comfortable?' The brunette explains, 'My sister's blonde. The word's big. She'll read it very slowly ... com-for-da-bull.'

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A traveling salesman was held up in the west by a rainstorm and flood. He e-mails his office in NY: "Delayed by storm. Send instructions." His boss e-mails back: "Start vacation immediately."

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Sunday, February 25, 2024

MY WALKING IS GETTING BETTER

WASCALLY WABBIT:))

Once opened, then having to partially pull back one side of our east-facing window curtain is always a good sign of an early morning sunrise. If that one curtain isn't closed a bit I have the morning's sun full blast in my face. Despite the inconvenience, morning sunshine in my face at this time of year is quite okay with me. The morning later clouded over.

A Blast From Our Past:: It Was A Two Canyon Day in and around Borrego Springs, California March 1st, 2011.Once again, it turned out to be a very quiet Sunday and I didn't take any photos. Couldn't even seem to come up with much of anything to write about. My walking is getting better but I still have to use my walker.

WASCALLY GWACKLE:))

Al's Music Box:)) You'll Never Walk Alone was released in 1963 by the Liverpudlian Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks. After becoming a chart hit by the local band, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the song gained popularity on the Anfield terraces, and the song quickly became the football anthem of Liverpool F.C. which adopted "You'll Never Walk Alone" as its official motto on its coat of arms. The song is sung by its supporters moments before the start of each home game According to former player Tommy Smith, lead vocalist Gerry Marsden presented Liverpool manager Bill Shankly with a recording of his forthcoming cover single during a pre-season coach trip in the summer of 1963. "Shanks was in awe of what he heard. ... Football writers from the local newspapers were traveling with our party and, thirsty for a story of any kind between games, filed copy back to their editors to the effect that we had adopted Gerry Marsden's forthcoming single as the club song." The squad was subsequently invited to perform the track with the band on The Ed Sullivan Show with Marsden stating, "Bill came up to me. He said, 'Gerry my son, I have given you a football team and you have given us a song'."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull." Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull." Buddy didn't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Jennie, pull." Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull." And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind, and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!"

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- George Washington was such a great president. He never blamed any of the country's problems on the previous administration.

- A guy walked into his friend's office, he found him sitting at his desk, looking very depressed. "Hey, what's up with you?", he asks. "Oh, its my wife," replied the man sadly. "She's hired a new secretary for me." "Well, nothing wrong in that. Is she blonde or brunette?" "Neither, He's bald."

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An old man was a witness in a burglary case. The defense lawyer asked Sam, "Did you see my client commit this burglary?" "Yes," said Sam, "I saw him plainly take the goods." The lawyer asks Sam again, "Sam, this happened at night. Are you sure you saw my client commit this crime?" "Yes, says Sam. "I saw him do it." Then the lawyer asks Sam, "Sam, listen, you are an 80-year-old, and your eyesight is probably bad. Just how far can you see at night?" Sam says, "I can see the moon. How far is that?"

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