TRIPLE 'YAHOUIE LOUIE' KELLYS HOME AND WHY I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE WATER

 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS IN OUR PARK EXCEPT FOR NO SNOW YET

There are only about a dozen leaves left on our Redbud tree outside the living room window and this morning I watched them wiggling around in the morning's breeze.  It was 36F so I knew I had better dress warm because it gets a little chilly in the Subaru when Pheebs and I are cruising along and she wants her window down.

 I SAW A BUNCH OF DUCKS LINED UP SITTING ON A LOG BUT BY THE TIME I GOT THE CAR STOPPED AND BACKED UP THEY HAD ALL JUMPED OFF EXCEPT FOR ONE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO GET HER FEET WET

 THESE ARE MALLARD DUCKS

Luckily, I remembered to wiggle the water this morning but I forgot to remember something else.  Kelly always makes a pot of coffee in the morning but whenever she's not here I make my own coffee.  I have a one-cup coffee maker and my routine is to pre-set everything before going to bed and then in the morning just flick the switch to on and my coffee starts brewing.  In other words I put a coffee filter in, add my 3 scoops of coffee, add one cup of water to the machine and close the lid.  I then set the cup underneath.  All's I have to do in the morning is turn my little coffee maker on.  However, from past mistakes, and I've made them all, I always double-check to make sure the filter with coffee in it is in place as well as the water.  The water is hard to see so to be doubly sure I haven't forgot to add the water, I give the coffee maker a little shake so I can see the water wiggle.  Now, the minutes after waking up in the morning are not my best.  I am at my foggiest at that time.  Although that fog never fully dissipates during the days anymore, it's at its heaviest first thing in the morning.  So, this morning, I get up, proceed to the kitchen, open the coffee lid to make sure the coffee and filter are in place and then wiggle the water.  With everything seemingly okay I hit the switch and head for the bathroom.  Returning from the bathroom through the kitchen I can hear my coffee percolating.  Out of habit I glance over in that direction and see my brewed coffee running quite nicely across the counter and dripping over the edge onto the floor.  Yep, you guessed it.....I had forgotten to double and triple-check to make sure my coffee cup was in place.  It wasn't!!  As I've said previously in my blog......I'm certainly not the brightest crayon in the box.  Oh, and the Gremlins weren't quite done with me yet.......Heading for the shower I thought to grab one of two house phones in the sunroom to take along in case Kelly called while I was in the washroom.  Stepping out of the shower I glanced over to where the phone lay on the counter top beside the sink.  Except, it wasn't the phone laying there, it was the TV remote.  Ya-ya I know...the crayon box:((

Pheebs and I rolled out of the Park to the sweet guitar sounds of Will Ackerman playing 'Anne's Song' on Subes Sirius XM Satellite radio channel 68, The Spa.  Will Ackerman has been my favorite guitarist since back in the mid 80's. Turning east we headed down Bayfield River Road to the end, made a U-turn, and headed home.  I didn't want to be far from home in case Kelly called saying, 'I'll be ready to come home in an hour.  Well, Kelly's call did come at 10:30.  She sounded so much better than yesterday and her bounce was back.  She said she is feeling so much better today since all that fluid was drained.  Why couldn't they have done that 4 days ago!!  The Physio people came in this morning and Kelly was able to get out of bed by herself and walk.  Not only that, but she passed a few physical tests they had for her.  She said she is feeling stronger and ready to rumble.  Update:: At 11:20 this morning Kelly phoned back saying, 'Great news, they are going to release me after lunch sometime':))))))) She said she couldn't wait until I picked her up and we can stop in Lucan at Tim Hortons for a big pail of coffee and a boatload of food to eat on the rest of the way home.  We love doing that:))  'Yowsers' 'Yousers' 'Yousers she's coming home:)))))))  Kelly called again at 1:15 to say she should be ready to go sometime between 2:30 and 3.  Minutes later I was in the car heading for London on an overcast and slightly drizzly day......At the hospital about an hour later it was the usual traffic bedlam but I was able to wiggle into a to a spot.  Kelly, in a wheelchair with a Porter pushing her finally made it out to the car about an hour later.  So great to see her again but she was very weak.  Despite the start of the afternoon rush, we were soon well on our way.  In Lucan we we slowed down long enough to go through the drive-thru.  Two cups of coffee and two wraps to go.  Kelly's was a Cilantro Lime Chicken Wrap and mine was a Chicken and Bacon Wrap.  We were so happy, we had food scattered all over the place.  We got home at 5 p.m.  Kelly was so weak she couldn't walk on her own so we hung on to each other and shuffled ourselves up the steps and into the house.  Twenty minutes later she was stretched out in her 'Re-Use-It' recliner and just loving it.  So comfortable and easy on her back. 

 MY FIRST PARKING SPOT AT THE HOSPITAL

 MY SECOND SPOT WHERE I WAS ABLE TO BE CLOSER TO THE FRONT DOOR

 AND, I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WAITING FOR SOMEONE AT THE HOSPITAL

It was this morning at London's University Hospital that the liver transplant team held their weekly meeting.  One of the items on their agenda was Kelly's case.  Kelly's liaison person Amy called her today while she was still there and said one of Kelly's liver doctors wants to see her in person.  It is standard procedure when one is taken off the transplant list to have a doctor speak with them in person about what the patient can expect for the future.  So, we will be back to London on Wednesday, December 4th and Kelly's daughter Sabra will meet us there and we'll all go in with Kelly to have a talk with Kelly's favorite liver doctor, Dr. Teriyaki.  Also, this Thursday afternoon we have a fellow coming here to the house from the Community Paramedicine Program to assess our situation and needs.......At the time of posting this tonight, Kelly is sound asleep in her recliner:))

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD TO BE HOME

 YAAAY MOM'S HOME:)))))

 THE CHAIR FITS HER PERFECT

Al's Music Box:)) Kiss An Angel Good Mornin is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in October 1971 as the first single from the album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs. The song has since become one of his signature tunes and was his eighth song to reach number one on the country charts. It was also Pride's only single to reach the Top 40 on the pop charts, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also went into the Top Ten of the Adult Contemporary charts. It also reached #19 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100. The song spent four months on the pop chart, longer than any of his other hits. Billboard ranked it as the No. 74 song for 1972.

OUR MAILROOM AT THE PARK

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An Irishman is walking along the beach one day, and he sees a bottle laying in the sand. He picks it up and starts to brush it off, and out pops a genie.  The genie says, "Since you have freed   me from the bottle, I will grant you three wishes."  The Irishman thinks for a moment and says, "I'm feeling a might thirsty, I think I'll be wishing for a pint of stout."  POOF! There is a pint of stout in his hand. He drinks it down, and starts to throw the bottle, when the genie says, "I'd look at that bottle again before I threw it if I were you." So he looks at the bottle, and it is magicaly filling back up with stout. The genie told him, "That is a magic bottle, and it will always fill back up after you finish it." The genie then asked, "What other two wishes can I grant for you?"  The Irishman looks at the bottle in his hand and says, "I'll be taking two more of these."

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- I know. I know. People say, "It's the thought that counts, not the gift."  But couldn't people learn to think a bit bigger?!?!

- My wife and I decided not to have kids.  The kids are taking it pretty hard.

- I broke my leg dancing. My new nickname is Saturday Night Femur.

- Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but you should avoid abusing the privilege.
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Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Dishes.
Dishes who?
Dishes the police! Come out with your hands up!

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The stockbroker's secretary answered his phone one morning. "I'm sorry," she said, "Mr. Bradford's on another line."  "This is Mr. Ingram's office," the caller said. "We'd like to know if he's bullish or bearish right now."  "He's talking to his wife," the secretary replied. "Right now I'd say he's sheepish."

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A bishop, a priest, and a deacon, were about to be executed for preaching the Gospel in a foreign land.  They bring out the bishop first and the guard shouts, 'Ready-Aim' and suddenly the bishop yells, EARTHQUAKE!  When everyone looks around, the bishop runs off.  Next they bring out the priest. They guard shouts, 'Ready-Aim' and suddenly the priest yells, TORNADO! When everyone ducks, the priest runs off.  By then, of course, the deacon had it figured out. They bring him out and when the guard shouts, 'Ready-Aim' suddenly the deacon yells out, 'FIRE'.

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WHICH IN TURN BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES

Splashes of wonderful sunshine on this 38F morning perked my spirits and occasionally lit up the road ahead as Pheeps and I slowly made our way along a few country roads on this quiet Sunday morning.  So many things to think about and so little time to think about them.

It was another very quiet day at home here for Pheebs and I.  My interest in going outside and maybe raking a few leaves was just not there.  Luckily for me, one of my main hobbies is reading and the other is my blog which focuses much of my time and attention putting it all together.

 A SCHOOL BUS SHELTER AT THE END OF THE FARM LANE TO SHELTER KIDS FROM THE WIND, RAIN, AND SNOW, WHILE WAITING FOR THE MORNING SCHOOL BUS

 I HAVE A FEELING THAT MOTORHOME IS NOT DESTINED FOR THE WARM SUNNY SOUTH THIS WINTER

 THAT PIECE OF GREEN MACHINERY SITTING ON A TRAILER FITS ONTO THE FRONT OF A COMBINE AND IS USED TO HARVEST CORN

I talked with Kelly this morning and it is sad to hear her weakened voice.  It is the voice of someone trying to make the best out of a bad situation.   I have become very disappointed in our health care system in this country and I have become very disappointed in a hospital that I once held in high regard.  In these last few years of Kelly's health care, I have seen and heard things that are just not right.  University Hospital is a training hospital and that is admirable.  But, there is an unavoidable problem with that.  The vast majority of trainees are from different countries with different cultures and languages.  I had a perfect example of this two days ago when our phone rang and I saw on the message display the letters LHC.  I knew right away that meant 'London Health Center' and it was probably University Hospital calling, and probably something important.  When I said hello, the lady on the other end began talking rapidly in very poor English.  Try as I did and asking her twice to repeat what she said I could not understand her.   I recognized a few English words and the rest to me was jibberish.  I finally said, 'you must have the wrong number' and hung up.  Now, that could have been a hugely important call.  If so, why oh why oh why would the hospital have someone with such poor English skills call anyone????  What is the matter with people!!!!  Where has common sense gone!!!!  Although 'almost' everyone may be trying their best, it is obvious that there are huge communication problems in this world.  Couple this with the fact that our hospitals are overcrowded, and understaffed, and it is inevitable that mistakes are continuously made in the chaos and confusion.  In all of this, patients are being overlooked.  I have seen this firsthand in Kelly's case.  It makes me more sad than angry that our once great health care system in the country has deteriorated so far.  In the words of one of Kelly's nurse people, "Our health care system has gone for a #!*%".  Kelly was told yesterday that her abdomen would be 'tapped' today to relieve the pressure built up from Ascites. (the build-up of fluid in the space between the lining of the abdomen and abdominal organs) There is so much fluid in her abdomen that it is pressing on her stomach and it is uncomfortable for her to eat.  The fluid is pressing on her lungs causing her shortness of breath which I can hear in her voice.  That fluid is also pressing on her spine where the two compression fractures are and it is pressing on her bladder causing a whole host of problems there as well.  It is uncomfortible for her to lay down with all that fluid in her.  A doctor came in this morning and told her that "they would address the Asites problem tomorrow (Monday).  Very upsetting for Kelly as she tries so hard to put a positive outlook on all that she is going through.  And then there is her Prolapse situation that needs immediate attention but nothing (except a referral) has been done.  And, the earliest she could get into an Osteoporosis Clinic for her back is the end of January '2026' and that's over a year away.  Like Kelly said this morning, had we known this was going to happen, we would have moved away years ago to a different country with a far better healthcare system.  I feel we have many fine medical people here in our country but I also think that for them it is like trying to swim upstream in a fast-flowing river and they are all so very overwhelmed, over worked, and over tired.  There are just too many people on the Planet and we don't have the infrastructure to properly care for everyone.  It bothers me to write what I have just written but sometimes things just have to be said !! I am just so disappointed.  Update:: After writing the above earlier this afternoon Kelly called later and said a Doctor with an assistant surprisingly came into her room and commenced to 'tap' that Ascetis fluid from her abdomen.  She said they drained a  total of 6 litres from her abdomen.  She said she is feeling better and I noticed the change in her voice immediately.  The happy bounce was coming back and her voice was stronger.  She's now hoping there may be a chance she can come home tomorrow. 

OSAGE ORANGE TREES AHEAD

 HELLO, ALL YOU LITTLE GREEN OSAGE ORANGE GROUND APPLES

It is at the end of each day now these past few years that I appreciate that it is not the beginning of each day.  With the end of each day, all challenges for that day are behind me, unlike the beginning of each day when all of the challenges are still ahead of me.  At the end of each day, I know what the challenges were.  At the beginning of each day, I do not know what hidden challenges await me and the knowable challenges I do know about, worry me.  Hasten my slumber, bring on my sleep, and in the morning I may have a plan for the new day I must keep................A friend of mine on Facebook sent me these words today which in turn brought tears to my eyes as I read it thinking of Kelly.................. Ernest Hemingway once said: In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection—a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much.

Please don’t try to fix me. Don’t take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way.

My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It’s a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken.

So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength.

Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It’s a love that helps me remember who I am, even when I forget.

 ALL DECKED OUT IN THEIR SUNDAY BEST

 WHEN MY TRUSTY NAVIGATOR FEELS A LITTLE SNOOZY IT'S TIME TO HEAD FOR HOME

Al's Music Box:)) Too Late To Turn Back Now is the 1972 follow-up single of Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose to their debut hit "Treat Her Like A Lady". The single had previously been released in 1970 on the Platinum label.  Written by Eddie Cornelius, the song had great success upon its re-release, peaking at number 5 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (behind "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers.  "Too Late to Turn Back Now" went to No. 1 on Cash Box's chart of the Top 100 Singles for the week of July 29, 1972.  "Too Late to Turn Back Now" is ranked as the 34th biggest U.S. hit of 1972. The record was awarded a gold disc on 2 August 1972 for one million sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An incompentent counterfeiter spent all day making his funny money. At the end of the day he realizes he spent all his time making $15 bills.  He figures that the only way he's going to get anything from this batch of money, is to find a place where the people aren't too bright and change his phoney money for real cash.  He travels to a small town and walks into a small Mom and Pop grocery store. He goes to the old man behind the counter and asks him, "Do you have change for a $15 bill?"  The old man replies, "I sure do...How would you like that? An eight and a seven or two sixes and a three?"

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- Notice! Take lettuce from the top of the stack,or heads will roll!
- A TV can insult your intelligence, but nothing rubs it in like a computer. 

- I tried to get in touch with my inner child,but he isn't allowed to talk to strangers.

- I have to take my paycheck to the bank.  It's too little to go by itself.

- I must be following my diet too closely.  I keep gaining on it.

- Welcome to Megacomputer's 24-hour helpline.  If you have been waiting LESS than 24 hours, please remain on the line.

- Whenever I'm in a mood to watch the world go by, I just keep to the posted speed limit.
- Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

- One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
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Prisoner: Look here, doctor! You've already removed my spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and one of my kidneys. I only came to see if you could get me out of this place!
Doctor: I am, piece by piece.

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