KELLY HAS FINALLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

They gave Kelly a ginger ale Thursday night but still no food.  The last meal of any consequence she had was here at home Tuesday night.  Kelly called Al's take-out service this morning and ordered up a medium Tim Hortons coffee with a cruller donut.  She had a few other things she wanted me to bring her so I gathered up those items and headed for the Goderich Hospital being sure not to forget the Tim Hortons coffee shop pick-up along the way.  Aside from some pains in her stomach, Kelly is feeling not too bad.  At noon today, there was still no word on her transfer.  It's a waiting game but at least she is in the right place in case the internal bleeding suddenly starts again.  Seeing all that blood last Thursday was very scary.  Kelly called later to say that her supper tonight would be another ginger ale.  But then, in a second phone call shortly after she said a nurse had just come in to inform her that her transfer to London's University Hospital was set up for 3:45 this afternoon.  At last!!  She is hopeful that she will get something to eat there.  Whether she will have the endoscopy procedure over the week-end is unknown.  Update:: Kelly phoned late this afternoon saying she made it to London.  She's on the eighth floor of University Hospital and they are going to do the endoscopy tomorrow and hopefully in the morning.  And, for supper tonight she is having......a ginger ale:((  Hopefully, after her endoscopy tomorrow she can start piling the food in again:))

 THIS MORNING IN GODERICH GETTING HER IV LINES READJUSTED AND BEHIND THAT BLACK BAG ON THE RIGHT IS HIDING A TIM HORTONS COFFEE AND A CRULLER DONUT

 KELLY SENT A PICTURE OF HER THURSDAY NIGHT SUPPER

In my Thursday post I failed to edit out a short paragraph that I had started earlier in the afternoon and forgot to finish.  Several readers drew my attention to it and felt 'I left them hanging'.  That was certainly not my intention and when I went back and read it, I agreed with the readers and promptly deleted the unfinished paragraph.  I try my best each day to write things correctly and not give anyone wrong impressions, but sometimes I just screw up, forget stuff, and plum get things wrong.

Although I woke up tired this morning, I thought I had a reasonably good sleep.  My energy levels today were zero even before and I spent most of my day in my sunroom recliner reading and fighting off the zzzzzzzzzzzs.  Despite that, Pheebs and I did manage to take a walk over to and around the Park's pond.  Back again, it suddenly dawned on me why I might have been dragging myself around all day.  Normally, Kelly makes the coffee in the morning and it's real coffee and on the strong side.  And it's the only real coffee I have all day.  My next two cups of coffee around 10 a.m and 7 p.m. are both decaffeinated.  Without thinking this morning I made my first coffee of the day decaffeinated' and that might have led to my lethargy.  Well, that's my flimsy excuse anyway and I am sticking to it:))    

Al's Music Box:)) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is a song written by Robbie Robertson, who spent about eight months working on it.  Robertson said he had the music to the song in his head and would play the chords over and over on the piano but had no idea what the song was to be about. Then the concept came to him and he researched the subject with help from the Band's drummer Levon Helm, a native of Arkansas.  In his 1993 autobiography, 'This Wheel's on Fire, Helm wrote, "Robbie and I worked on 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' up in Woodstock. I remember taking him to the library so he could research the history and geography of the era and make General Robert E. Lee come out with all due respect."  The lyrics tell of the last days of the American Civil War, portraying the suffering of the protagonist, Virgil Caine, a poor white Southerner.  Dixie is the historical nickname for the states making up the Confederate States of America.George Stoneman The song's opening stanza refers to one of George Stoneman's raids behind Confederate lines attacking the railroads of Danville, Virginia, at the end of the Civil War in 1865:  "Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train till Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.  In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive.  By May the tenth, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well".  "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is considered one of the highlights of The Band, the group's second album, which was released in the fall of 1969.  According to Rob Bowman's liner notes to the 2000 reissue of The Band, the album has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on the peoples, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana.  A highlight of the group's repertoire, it has been included in every compilation covering their recording career 1968 to 1977.  The Band frequently performed the song in concert, and it is included on the group's live albums 'Rock of Ages' (1972) and 'Before the Flood' (1974). The song also was included in the Band's Thanksgiving Day concert in 1976 which was the subject of Martin Scorsese's documentary film 'The Last Waltz, and on that film's soundtrack released in 1978.  The last time the song was performed by band member Levon Helm was in The Last Waltz. Helm refused to play the song afterwards. Although it has long been believed that the reason for Helm's refusal to play the song was a dispute with Robertson over songwriting credits, according to Garth Hudson the refusal was due to Helm's dislike for Joan Baez's version.  This is her version ..........The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

 THIS RAINDROP ON A LEAF ACTS AS A MAGNIFYING GLASS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( My wife asked if she could have a little peace and quiet while she cooked dinner.  So I took the battery out of the smoke detector.

Q: What's the definition of mixed emotions?
A: When you see your mother-in-law backing off a cliff in your brand new car.

Our parents got divorced when we were kids and it was kind of cool. We got to go to divorce court with them. It was like a game show. My mom won the house and car. We're all excited. My dad got some luggage.

- The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

- The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

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KELLY IS STILL IN THE GODERICH HOSPITAL WAITING TO BE TRANSFERRED TO LONDON

Hurricane Beryl on its plodding northeastward trek exited our area sometime in the night leaving us with a sunny dead calm morning.  All was good except for maybe a few farmers who had begun their wheat harvest.  It will probably take a couple days for area fields to dry out from all the rain.  

Kelly called a couple times Thursday night from the Goderich Hospital saying the strong anti-nausea medicine had kicked in and she was feeling much better.  She didn't have any idea when she would be transferred to London so there were a few things she wanted me to bring her before the transfer.  Two of those things would be a stealth mission for me.  She was desperately needing a coffee and a wee something to eat.  Because of the suspected stomach bleed they were not giving her anything and she knew it would be a long day in London before any food came her way.  So, at her request for a Tim Hortons coffee and four sour cream glaze Timbits I set off on mission at 8:25 a.m.  I thought maybe if I put the coffee in my coat pocket and the Timbits under my hat I'd be okay.  Good thing I thought better of that plan.  Kelly had called this morning requesting a few things like a sweater, her book, her iPad, etc.  So I was able to put all that together in a carrying bag along with the Timbits.  With coffee in hand and claiming it was mine should anyone ask, it was into the hospital I went.  Luckily, security was light and Kelly got her goodies.  She is in good spirits and has gone from five IV lines to two.  I stayed for a while before heading home.  At that point there was still no word about an ambulance transfer to London.

 KELLY THIS MORNING

Home again, I later took Pheebs for a longer walk down around the south end of the Park.  Environmental tree cutters are here thinning out the forest and clearing trees from lots that will at some point have new homes on them.  These are responsible and professional tree cutters so things are being done right.  There are a lot of old, diseased, and dead trees to be removed for new growth to take place.

 OF COURSE PHEEBS HAS TO WALK THROUGH THE MUD PUDDLES ON OUR AFTERNOON WALK

 STILL MAKING SURE SHE DOESN'T MISS ANY MUDDY PUDDLES

Kelly and I chatted back and forth on the phone and then with a few more things she needed I headed off back to Goderich again this afternoon.  She still hadn't heard any word about the London transfer.  And, she still hadn't had anything to eat except those small round Timbit donuts yesterday.  She had me bring her some cheese and crackers today.  She is still in good spirits with that uncomplaining positive attitude of hers.  But yes, she is frustrated and I can't help but think that somebody has dropped the ball between the Goderich and London hospitals.

 KELLY IS ALL PACKED UP AND READY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO LONDON,,,BUT WHEN??

 KELLY SAID THEY ADDED MORE THINGS TO HER IV TREE LATE THIS AFTERNOON BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS

Home again, I later threw myself together quite a conglomeration of acceptable food things.  As readers know, I'm not food person and if I didn't have to eat to stay alive I would be quite happy with that.  However, I do like ice cream, donuts, peanut butter, and milkshakes.  Oh, and I do like a good mess of bacon and eggs occasionally.

I called Kelly tonight at 7 and she is still waiting and she still has not had any food.  She called back later saying they gave her a ginger ale.  It is very unlikely she will be transferred to London tonight so tomorrow is another day........ 

Al's Music Box:)) Come Softly To Me is a popular song recorded by The Fleetwoods, composed of Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxel, who also wrote it.  The original title was "Come Softly", but was changed en route to its becoming a hit. Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records, which in 1960 changed to Dolton Records, was responsible for the title change. He thought that "Come Softly" might be too obvious and considered risqué, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me." The title phrase never appears in the song's lyrics.  Recording the song at home, the group sang it acappella with the rhythmic shaking of Troxel's car keys. The tape was then sent to Los Angeles where the sparse instrumental accompaniment was added, including an acoustic guitar played by Bonnie Guitar, herself a successful singer-songwriter ("Dark Moon") and Reisdorf's in-house record producer. Released in 1959, the single reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in April.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( After being with her all evening, the man couldn't take another minute with his blind date. Earlier, he had secretly arranged to have a friend call him to the phone so he would have an excuse to leave if something like this happened.  When he returned to the table, he lowered his eyes, put on a grim expression and said, "I have some bad news. My grandfather just died."  "Thank heavens," his date replied. "If yours hadn't, mine would have had to!"

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- I said to my wife, "I need to call the doctor today."
"Which doctor?" she asked.
"No, the regular kind."

Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Dishes.
Dishes who?
Dishes the police! Come out with your hands up!

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A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... They must be Gods!
A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... I must be a God!

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KELLY IS IN THE GODERICH HOSPITAL AND BEING TRANSFERRED TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL THURSDAY

When Pheebs and I returned from our morning drive this morning Kelly was in her bedroom lying down because she didn't feel well.  As the morning wore on she became increasingly nauseous.  She had taken Gravol but it didn't help.  The nauseous increased to the point where Kelly began throwing up a lot of blood.  I wanted to call an ambulance but she said no, she would rather I drive her to the Goderich hospital.  So, that's what we did.  Had she gone by ambulance she would have been seen by a doctor right away but it was well over an hour before a doctor actually saw her and by that time she was feeling sick again and her stomach was hurting.  I stayed with her until it was determined she would not be going home.  With nothing in her stomach she was craving a Wendy's Frosty so I slipped out and got her one.  By the time I got back, they were in the process of putting five IV Lines into her arm.  A saline solution line, an anti-biotic line, an anti-nauseau line, plus two other lines I have since forgotten.  After the Goderich doctor had a discussion with Kelly's liver doctor in London it was decided that Kelly be taken by ambulance to London sometime Thursday.  The ambulance would have taken her today but arrangements had to first be made in London for a bed for her.  So, that's where we are right now.......Below is my post for today which I had begun before taking Kelly to the hospital this afternoon.....................

 WAITING TO SEE THE DOCTOR

 THIS IS ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE BLOOD KELLY THROUGH UP

KELLY TOOK A PICTURE OF HER IV TREE

 SHE LIKES HER PRIVATE ROOM IN THE GODERICH HOSPITAL

A windless but very wet Hurricane Beryl quietly slipped into our sleepy neighborhood sometime in the dark of night.  Early on when I pulled back our morning curtains I saw puddles in the driveway and knew she had brought a lot of water with her.....and it was still raining.  (And, as I post this tonight it is still raining with the temperature at 62F)  Checking our 'live radar' weather site I could see a large rain mass and knew we were in for a long wet day.  I also knew it wasn't big and scary enough to deter Pheebs and I from our morning outing. I don't think her and I have ever been deterred from from going anywhere by Mother Nature's weather whether it be rain, snow, fog, or whatever.

 A FEW PICS ON OUR WAY TO GODERICH

 A WHEAT SPILL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

 OVERNIGHT RAINS PUT A QUICK STOP THIS FARMER'S WHEAT HARVEST

THIS PIECE OF GREEN MACHINERY ON A TRAILER IS CALLED A 'HEAD' AND IT FITS ONTO THE FRONT OF A COMBINE TO CUT AND FEED THE WHEAT INTO THE COMBINE

With the Subaru needing gas, me needing a coffee, and Pheebs needing a car ride, we all headed off to Goderich to see what we could see.  The rain stopped, clouds lightened up, and after our five stops in Goderich we headed home through a few growing sun splashes.  By the way, it was cool enough this morning that with Pheebs window open I had to put on a touch of heat in the Subaru.

 DESPITE OUR STORMY WEATHER, LAKE HURON IS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY VERY CALM

Home again, with patches of sunshine overhead, and with a welcome mass of civilized cooler air once more I wasn't long in rounding up a few garden tools and happily catching up on a bunch of yard work.  Thanks to Hurricane Beryl for dragging all this cool 67F air in for us.  Much appreciated by many of us.  By early afternoon winds had picked up and skies clouded over again as a second storm front came rolling in across Lake Huron packing more rain. 

 CAME ACROSS THIS BAND OF HORSES ON OUR WAY HOME

Al's Music Box:)) Broken Hearted Melody is a popular song by Sarah Vaughan.  Hal David wrote the lyrics for "Broken Hearted Melody", with Sherman Edwards writing the music instead of his better-known collaborator Burt Bacharach.  Sarah Vaughan recorded the song in early 1958, left it for over a year before releasing it around the first of July 1959.  It was initially released as the B-side to 'Misty', but flipped when "Broken Hearted Melody" proved more popular with the public.  "Broken Hearted Melody" became one of Sarah Vaughan's biggest hits, yielding Vaughan her first million seller.  It was also Vaughan's first song to receive a Grammy nomination at the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Performance by A "Top 40" Artist.  It became part of her concert repertoire for many years afterward.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( After years of wondering why he didn't look like his younger sister or brother, a young man finally got up the nerve to ask his mother if he was adopted.  "Yes, you were son," his mother said as she started to cry softly. "But it didn't work out and they brought you back."

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- Welcome to the back porch where wasting time is considered time well wasted.

- Being abducted by Aliens might just be the vacation I really need right now.

- The problem is that the younger me never thought there would be an older me.

- I'm super excited about a brand new day of hanging on by a thread!!

- On a positive note....you are now too old to have a mid-life crises.

- Today I bought a donut without sprinkles....Diets are hard.

- Today's 3-year-olds can turn on laptops, smart phones and apps......When I was 3 I ate mud.

- If you see cows sleeping in a field does that mean it's pasture bedtime?

- Jack: "Do you know how long fish should be cooked?"

Jill: "Probably the same as short fish."

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BUT WHY OH WHY DO IT GOT SO HOT

Our A/C kicked on at 8:38 and I knew the day was not gonna to be great.  Nye a branch was stirring not even a leaf and I thought to myself Oh good grief!!  I knew this humidity would keep me inside, but not before Pheebs and I took us a ride.  With windows down and Moonroof open, I soon started hopin' I'd not get to mopin'.  But mopin' I did with Pheebs tail not waggin' and me a draggin'.  So home we went with myelf in a bluster and the Kid in a fluster.  Wishing it was winter I was not, but why oh why do it got so hot:(( 

It looks like the tail end of Hurricane Beryl is barreling our way and might be upon us sometime Wednesday.  I'm thinking the farmers could use a good rain but not a wind-driven crop smasher.  So far it is tracking to the south of us.

A Blast From Our Past:))  A post from June 30th 2011 and some old black and white photos from long long ago.  Motormouse Helps Me Look For Gold In My Shoes 

 I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BOOKWORM AND I AM STILL WEARING PLAID SHIRTS WITH POCKETS

Al's Music Box:)) I Got A Name is a 1973 single recorded by Jim Croce with lyrics by Norman Gimbel and music by Charles Fox. It was the first single from his album of the same title and also Croce's first posthumous single, released the day after his death in a plane crash on September 20, 1973. While the single was released in September 1973, it was first heard as the theme song for the movie The Last American Hero, released in July 1973. It was later featured in the movies The Ice Storm, Invincible, Django, Unchained, Logan and The Lego Ninjago Movie.  Croce composed most of his own material; however, he did not write "I Got A Name." In an interview with Billboard writer Norman Gimbel, it was revealed that Croce chose to record the song "because his father had a dream for him but had died before his son's first success." 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man and his wife are dining at a table in a plush restaurant, and the husband keeps staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sits alone at a nearby table.  The wife asks, "Do you know her?"  "Yes," sighs the husband, "she's my ex-girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up seven years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since."  "My God!" says the wife. "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"  

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Datsun!
Datsun who?
Datsun old joke!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Dawn!
Dawn who?
Dawn leave me out here in the cold!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Deanna!
Deanna who?
Deanna-mals are restless open the cage!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Deduct!
Deduct who?
Donald Deduct!

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A six-year-old boy called his mother from his friend Charlie's house and confessed he had broken a lamp when he threw a football in their living room.  "But, Mom," he said, brightening, "you don't have to worry about buying another one. Charlie's mother said it was irreplaceable."

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And regarding your old computer, here is a few words of technical advice from Dr. Seuss himself...........If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port, and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort, and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort, then the socket packet pocket has an error to report!
If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash, and the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash, and your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash, then your situation's hopeless, and your system's gonna crash!

If the label on the cable on the table at your house, says the network is connected to the button on your mouse, but your packets want to tunnel on another protocol, that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall.
And your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse, then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang, 'cause as sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!
When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy on the disk, and the microcode instructions cause unnecessary risk, then you have to flash your memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM. Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your mom!

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Some people come into your life as blessings. Others come into your life as lessons.

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