JUST ME TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND BACK

Another muggy morning but Pheebs and I made it out to our country road walking spot and nearly got our whole half mile in.  Pheebs led the way and at one point went running past me so fast I thought I was doing a Michael Jackson Moonwalk sideways.  Home again, I dropped her off and told her to hold the fort until I got back.  And, with that, I was on my to London's University Hospital to see Kelly.  Because it was Saturday, traffic was light and how nice when I got there to find oodles of parking spaces in the usually overflowing parking garage.  When I walked through the hospital's lobby I was the only one there.  Not even anyone waiting for an elevator or six dozen people in the elevator when the door opened.  Got myself temporarily lost looking for Kelly's room but I found it with some help from hospital staff.  Kelly was laying on her bed resting.  Well, I guess there really isn't anything else to do while in a hospital bed but rest eh.  She wasn't surprised to see me because she knew I was coming and I had a bag full of stuff she had wanted me to bring.  It's really too bad she is in a crowded room with three other people and all of them men.  The guy on the other side of the curtain is one of those typical loud-aggressive self-centered inconsiderate, me-me-me man jerks playing loud music and noisy techy talks on his phone.  No consideration for anyone else in the room!!!!

 HEY BOSS I BROUGHT EVERYTHING YOU TOLD ME TO BRING

 'OH GEEEZZZ THEY HAVE AMPUTATED YOUR RIGHT ARM!!

 ARM?  WHAT ARM??

Kelly has been too weak to try and get herself down to the third-floor cafeteria this time for a Tim Hortons coffee so a nurse dropped a wheelchair off and unhooked Kelly from her IV tree.  I was able to get her loaded up and away we went.  (Luckily, I have lots of wheelchair pushing experience from my days driving a wheelchair van:)) Down the hall, around a couple corners to the elevator then down five floors to the cafeteria floor whereupon after navigating a few hallways, we snagged a coffee and a couple Tim bits in the cafeteria.  I think it's more of a Food Court than a Cafeteria.  From there, it was back to the empty elevator we went and zoomed (almost like an Amusement Park's 'Tilt-a-whirl' ride for Seniors) up to the eighth floor to a lounge area right across from the elevators.  We sat here talking for a while but Kelly was only able to eat one of her two Tim bits and drink only half her coffee.  Because she was unhooked from her IV tree the nurse wanted her back in her room in half an hour. so, back to the elevator we went, pressed the down button and climbed aboard the empty elevator.  I pressed the eighth floor button and the button light came on and went out.  Oh-Oh!!  I pressed the eighth floor button on the other side of the door and again the light blinked and went out.  Nothing!!  Damn fangled modern technology!!  And then it dawned on both of us at the same time.....we already were on the eighth floor!!!!  With red faces, we quietly exited the elevator and headed down the hall, around the two corners and back to Kelly's room.  We weren't there five minutes when lunch arrived.  Kelly ate very little of it and I brought home most of it......Kelly said Dr. Hudson had been in earlier this morning to talk to her.  They are thinking about putting a feeding tube in her nose.  Basically, right now they are waiting for her to begin bleeding again so that they can right away take her for a cat-scan to find the source of the bleeding.  Kelly said Dr. Hudson admitted they are baffled about the bleeding.  Despite all this, Kelly's fighting spirit is back and she remains positive about the future.  Tomorrow, her daughter Sabra along with her other daughter Rebecca, husband Ricardo, and daughter Ella are coming to see her.  Ricardo, Rebecca, and Ella are back from Spain for a month-long visit before returning home to Spain again.

COFFEE IN THE LOUNGE AREA

EVERYTHING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT TRAY IS NOW AT OUR HOUSE

Here is an interesting article about Kelly's surgeon Dr. Scaro and his team who will be doing Kelly's liver transplant eventually.  New Technique .................. I called Aunt Jean last night and she is doing much better than a couple weeks ago.  Her appetite is slowly returning and she has been taking a few short walks in the hall outside her room.  Her good friend Pat picked her up one day last week and they went back to Pat's for a steak supper.  The main problem she is still having is tiredness.  She's not in her new room yet but it could be any day now.             

A Blast From Our Past:)) Reading something Friday night I was reminded of a post I wrote years ago on August 6th of 2012. It was called A Motorcycle Tale.  It's a short story about the day I rode a motorcycle for the very first time.  I was 49 years old, I was in traffic, and I was scared.  Oh, and I was also in a cemetery too...........

Al's Music Box:(( Joy To The World  is a 1971 song by American band Three Dog Night and was taken from their fourth studio album 'Naturally'. It went to number 1 in the United States, South Africa, and Canada.  It was also used in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.  He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep on the couch. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: 'Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'  The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with four children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'

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- Some call it multi-tasking, I call it doing something else while I try to remember what I was doing in the first place. 

- Before we work on Artificial Intelligence why don't we do something about natural stupidity!!

- A man went into a restaurant and asked for crab. When the waiter brought it, the man objected, "Just a minute, that crab only has one claw!"  "Yes, said the waiter, it was in a fight."  "Well," said the man, "Bring me the winner!!"

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HAD THEY FOUND SOMETHING MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE FIXED SOMETHING

My mood today matched the weather.  Overcast.  A half-hearted drive down Bayfield River Road and back home.  Photos are always out there but I wasn't seeing them today so tonight's pics are a few left-overs from this past week.  I'll give it another go tomorrow.

 OUR AREA'S WHEAT HARVEST IS PRETTY MUCH OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Kelly phoned shortly after 9 a.m. earlier today and said her PICC Line was put into her upper arm first thing this morning.  I had it wrong in Thursday's post thinking it went somewhere in the neck and shoulder area.  That would have been a Port Line.  Kelly thinks they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of putting this PICC line in if they were just going to send her home in a few days.  Something might be up.  

 KELLY'S DOUBLE PICC LINE IN HER UPPER ARM

 KELLY'S CURRENT IV TREE AND I THINK THAT CREAMY-LOOKING BAG MAY BE A VANILLA MILKSHAKE...YA RIGHT!!

We're beginning to think that because of Kelly's rapidly worsening condition, the doctors are now considering having to go a different route to stabilize her before an eventual liver transplant.  Kelly has heard some talk regarding a possible TIPS (Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) procedure.  

Despite the 95% humidity, I headed outside around noon, grabbed my leaf rake, and did a rather slow-motion walk around the back yard raking up pine needles along the way.  Trimmed back some branches around the T-intersection on the east side of our driveway as well.  Following that, I came back inside and threw my old sack of bones into the shower.  Had to get myself spiffed up for my afternoon haircut at the Bayfield Village Clippers.  And, that took place at 3 p.m.  I got it cut short enough this time that I shouldn't need another haircut until maybe around Christmas sometime.

Kelly called again late this afternoon and said the colonoscopy went okay but they did not find anything. Disappointing because if they had found something, maybe they could have fixed something.

 A PEACEFUL EVENING PASTURE

Al's Music Box:))  It Doesn't Matter Anymore is a pop ballad written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The song was issued in January 1959, less than a month before Holly's death. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" reached number 13 as a posthumous hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1959, shortly after Holly was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The single was a two-sided hit, backed with "Raining in My Heart". "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" was Holly's last US Top 20 hit and featured the orchestral backing of Dick Jacobs. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, where it became the country's first posthumous number 1 hit.  The song was recorded in mid-October 1958 in New York City. Paul Anka wrote it specifically for Holly. He donated his royalties from the song to Holly's wife. He said: "'It Doesn't Matter Anymore' has a tragic irony about it now, but at least it will help look after Buddy Holly's family. I'm giving my composer's royalty to his widow - it's the least I can do."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( You might be a redneck if...

- Every electrical outlet in your house is a fire hazard.
- Your kids are going hungry tonight because you just had to have those Yosemite Sam mudflaps.

- You owe the taxidermist more than your annual income.
- You fainted when you met Slim Whitman.
- You have lost at least one tooth opening a beer bottle.
- Jack Daniels makes your list of "most admired people".
- You won't stop at a rest area if you have an empty beer can in the car.
- Your dog can't watch you eat without gagging.
- You have a Hefty bag on the passenger side window of your car.
You have a very special baseball cap, just for formal occasions.
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- Johnathan asked his young son, 'Greg, do you think I’m a bad father?'
'My name is Andrew,' replied his son.

- How many ears does Captain Kirk have?
The correct answer is Three...
The left ear, the right ear, and the final front ear.
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9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
"Help! I was hunting in the woods with my friend, and he suddenly dropped dead for no reason! Oh my God, I'm freaking out!!"
"Calm down, sir, we'll get you through this. The first thing we need to do is make sure that your friend really is dead."  "All right, hold on a second."  BLAM!  "Okay, now what?"
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KELLY'S DOING BETTER BUT THERE IS NO TALK OF COMING HOME

 SNAPPED A FEW QUICK PICS OF AN OLD SCHOOLHOUSE ON MY WAY HOME FROM LONDON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Kelly's blood pressure when taken Wednesday evening was 99/60.  Her hemoglobin level was 89.  It dropped to 79 in the night and 69 this morning which meant she underwent another blood transfusion.  And, there are signs she is bleeding internally again.  They have been checking her vitals hourly.  She said in a 7 a.m. email this morning that she was feeling better (anti-nausea medication) but weak.  

I don't know why but I woke up at 4:38 this morning and spent the next 35 minutes trying to wrestle myself back to sleep.  It didn't work, so my long day began early.  And, it was still dark out.  We did later have a cool sunrise before the day once again became hot and sticky.

A short drive into Bayfield and back for the furry Kid and I this morning with a stop at the Library to drop off some books for Kelly, and a stop at the beauty saloon to make a haircut appointment for Friday.  

THIS WILL BE HAPPENING RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR PARK

Pheebs and I were back on the road at 11 heading to Zurich where she had an appointment at the South Huron Veterinary Clinic  to have her nails trimmed.  Following that it was a quick stop at Jerry Rader Homestyle to pick up a turkey salad sandwich which we split on our way home.  Due to the oppressive heat and humidity it was another inside day.  But, given the choice of a hot humid summer's day compared to a freezing cold winter's day, I would take the Summer day because at least it looks nice outside and there's no salt on the roads to rust our vehicles to pieces.

 'YOU SAID WE WERE GOING OUT FOR ICE CREAM DAD AND HERE WE ARE AT THE VETS'!!!!

 ON THE WAY HOME PHEEBS AND I STOPPED TO SAY HELLO TO SOME COWS

LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU WILL SEE THAT ALL THESE COWS ARE HUDDLED TOGETHER UNDER A SHADY TREE STANDING IN A GREAT BIG WATER PUDDLE

 THEY ARE ALL PUSHING AND SHOVING TO STAY IN THE PUDDLE

Kelly called several more times later today and she was feeling much better than yesterday.  Her voice was stronger and her bounce was back.  In the morning they are going to do an in-depth colonoscopy as well as some kind of electrocardiogram thing possibly in the afternoon.  They may also install something called a 'pic-line' which would be inserted somewhere in the neck/shoulder area.  It's for liquid food I think.  A sample of the fluid in her abdomen has been sent to the lab for analysis.  She is still bleeding internally and not all of the blood is dark colored.  All in all, Kelly is back to her positive good spirits (a big change from yesterday when she was so sick) and there has been no talk this time of 'being in a hurry to come home'.  I think she is going to be undergoing a lot more tests this time.  

Late this afternoon, 'BANG' our power went again!!!!  And, that is why tonight's post is a bit later.  Kelly right away phoned me from London to let me know our power was out.  What!!  How could she know that??  She has a smartphone that's how.  Every time our power goes out she gets an alert on her phone.  So there Pheebs and I sat, no A/C, no computer, and no TV, etc.  If I'm not surrounded by music I have to get to a place where I am, so Pheebs and I piled into the Subaru and away we went.  Figured I might as well get my Friday morning shopping done Thursday night.  I was in Walmart's frozen foods aisle when my cell phone rang.  It was Kelly calling me to let me know our power was on.  Modern technology eh.  From Walmart I decided to take Pheebs out for supper so we headed to Wendys.  I got a very juicy burger and I judge juicyness by how much of it ends up on my shirt and pants while eating it in the car.  Let me just say....it was a very juicy burger!!  Can you spell L.A.U.N.D.R.Y.      

 ON THE WAY TO GODERICH THIS EVENING WE CAME ACROSS THIS FIELD OF BACKWARDS SUNFLOWERS

Al's Music Box:))Blue Side Of Lonesome is most famously known by the posthumous 1966 single by Jim Reeves. Reeves had previously recorded this song on his 1962 album, The Country Side of Jim Reeves. The single was Reeves' fifth posthumous release to reach number one on the U.S. country music chart. "Blue Side of Lonesome" stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of nineteen weeks on the chart.  Jim Reeves died in a plane crash on July 31rst near Brentwood, Tennesee while at the controls of his Beechcraft Debonair aircraft.  His business partner/manager, Dean Manuel also died in the crash.  In a rain storm, they were only a short distance southwest of the Nashville International Airport.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A couple had been debating the purchase of a new auto for weeks. He wanted a new truck. She wanted a fast little sports-like car so she could zip through traffic around town.  He would probably have settled on any beat up old truck, but everything she seemed to like was way out of their price range. "Look!" she said. I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds or less.  "And my birthday is coming up. You could surprise me."  So he thought and thought then...For her birthday, he bought her a brand-new bathroom scale!!

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- Why is the letter B so cool?  Because it’s sitting in the middle of the AC.

- A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?"  He said: "Call for backup."

-The prime minister of India was at the White House.  One embarrassing moment was when President Bush said to the prime minister, 'Could you take a look at my computer?'  'I'm having some problems with it, I can't seem to get through on the tech line.'

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