When Mary was feeling pretty good in the fall of 2009, Habitat for Humanity held the dedication of the last homes for which Mary was the Chair of the Family Selection Committee. Mary attended the event and was interviewed by this local news program. Her interview appears about 16:45 into the video.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A "First" Day--Wedding Anniversary
In grief counseling, they talk about the year of "Firsts". First birthday, first thanksgiving, first whatever.
In July, I wrote about how the 4th of July struck me so hard. It was the "First" 4th without Mary. And, I was not prepared for the emotional impact of her absence. It put me in a tailspin that lasted for weeks. Labor day was not as difficult, partly because the experience of the 4th had warned me about my possible reaction, partly because I didn't set up the weekend in the same way that would leave my emotions bare, raw and exposed.
What are the "Firsts?" Well, for me and Mary it is Mother's Day in May, the three summer holidays although I did not acknowledge Memorial day because I was traveling in Asia. Then its our reconnect day (June 23 when we reconnected in 1990 after 22 years apart), wedding anniversary (Sept 21--yesterday), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day (the day I proposed in 1996), her birthday (March 7) and my birthday on April 8 which is also the day she died. I also have to admit the birthdays for the kids and grandkids, both hers and mine, are among those emotional days of "firsts" as well--April, June (3 birthdays), July (2), September, November, January and March.
Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.
Pat and Mary, Wedding Day, September 21, 1996, Monterey California
Not only was it an absolutely wonderful event on the deck overlooking Monterey Bay, it was the beginning of a marriage that was incomparable. The joy and happiness we shared for what turned out to be a short 13.5 years was beyond belief. I am so glad we had the time we did have, and so glad we were able to share those years together.
Yesterday could have been very rough but it wasn't too bad. I had my regular 1:1 grief session in the afternoon and then I attended a group grief session for the first time with a new group in the evening. This group is sponsored by the same organization (http://www.pathwayshealth.org/) as my 1:1 counselor. The group consists of nine of us who have all lost spouses or significant others since December of 2009. We are three men and six women with ages in the early 40s to 70s. All but one of the spouses died of cancer.
This group is scheduled to meet for six weeks, then take a two week break and start another six weeks. This continues for a year. I think it might be very helpful, we shall see.
Mary in the lagoon of Bora Bora on our honeymoon in 1996.
Mary is dead, I absolutely know that. But she is still very present in my heart and my mind. And, every day of "Firsts" represent opportunities for emotional distress. Some "Firsts" will be very, very bad and others will not. Listening and learning from those who offer their expertise and support has been exceptional for their answers relieve me of my self doubts and allow me to concentrate on the essence of my grief.
Ciao,
p
In July, I wrote about how the 4th of July struck me so hard. It was the "First" 4th without Mary. And, I was not prepared for the emotional impact of her absence. It put me in a tailspin that lasted for weeks. Labor day was not as difficult, partly because the experience of the 4th had warned me about my possible reaction, partly because I didn't set up the weekend in the same way that would leave my emotions bare, raw and exposed.
What are the "Firsts?" Well, for me and Mary it is Mother's Day in May, the three summer holidays although I did not acknowledge Memorial day because I was traveling in Asia. Then its our reconnect day (June 23 when we reconnected in 1990 after 22 years apart), wedding anniversary (Sept 21--yesterday), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day (the day I proposed in 1996), her birthday (March 7) and my birthday on April 8 which is also the day she died. I also have to admit the birthdays for the kids and grandkids, both hers and mine, are among those emotional days of "firsts" as well--April, June (3 birthdays), July (2), September, November, January and March.
Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.
 |
| From Mary E Quirk Hughes Lamey--Later Years |
Not only was it an absolutely wonderful event on the deck overlooking Monterey Bay, it was the beginning of a marriage that was incomparable. The joy and happiness we shared for what turned out to be a short 13.5 years was beyond belief. I am so glad we had the time we did have, and so glad we were able to share those years together.
Yesterday could have been very rough but it wasn't too bad. I had my regular 1:1 grief session in the afternoon and then I attended a group grief session for the first time with a new group in the evening. This group is sponsored by the same organization (http://www.pathwayshealth.org/) as my 1:1 counselor. The group consists of nine of us who have all lost spouses or significant others since December of 2009. We are three men and six women with ages in the early 40s to 70s. All but one of the spouses died of cancer.
This group is scheduled to meet for six weeks, then take a two week break and start another six weeks. This continues for a year. I think it might be very helpful, we shall see.
 |
| From Mary E Quirk Hughes Lamey--Later Years |
Mary is dead, I absolutely know that. But she is still very present in my heart and my mind. And, every day of "Firsts" represent opportunities for emotional distress. Some "Firsts" will be very, very bad and others will not. Listening and learning from those who offer their expertise and support has been exceptional for their answers relieve me of my self doubts and allow me to concentrate on the essence of my grief.
Ciao,
p
Monday, September 20, 2010
Good Progress
MaryR is doing just fine. They have her on a pneumonia regimen consisting of antibiotics via IV and breathing in some stuff to the lungs every 6 hours.
She is feeling very good but weak. Food is staying with her and she is on an "almost regular" food diet. Think soups, casseroles, etc., things that are well cooked and therefore easier to chew and swallow.
Yesterday, the Doctor said she wanted her to stay one more day. Last night, Mary said she didn't really want to be there but the medication routine coupled with her sense of being weak led her to say she should stay a bit more. Whether that is today or Tuesday is up to the doctor.
Emilie is back from her seminar weekend and will take on more duties for our sick girl. I think things should progress nicely now.
p
She is feeling very good but weak. Food is staying with her and she is on an "almost regular" food diet. Think soups, casseroles, etc., things that are well cooked and therefore easier to chew and swallow.
Yesterday, the Doctor said she wanted her to stay one more day. Last night, Mary said she didn't really want to be there but the medication routine coupled with her sense of being weak led her to say she should stay a bit more. Whether that is today or Tuesday is up to the doctor.
Emilie is back from her seminar weekend and will take on more duties for our sick girl. I think things should progress nicely now.
p
Why do I write this blog?
As I have noted before, I get 'daily affirmations' from a service sponsored by the funeral home here in Los Gatos. Today's affirmation puts words to the reason I write.
The Affirmation:
What power words have; power to comfort, power to inflame, power to shape the love we have for another. What words would you use to express your feelings right now?
Many times, I hear people who are grieving speak of weariness, as if the burden they carry is heavy beyond measure. Others find the experience of grieving to be a deep loneliness.
Still others see overwhelming beauty in the life around them, and feel sadness that their loved one is no longer able to see and experience the richness of life.
Take a few minutes today to give your sorrow words. The act of writing them moves them outside of you, and can bring great peace.
Quotation for the Day
Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break. ~William Shakespeare
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A diagnosis and good news
MaryR talked to the doctor this morning and they are going to keep her through Monday at least. The CT scan was negative for blockages--big relief. However, it appears she has pneumonia in her lower right lung. The cause isn't really known but the theory is that she did have a flu bug--hence the inability to keep food down--and the "wrong pipe" problem led to some food matter getting into the lung and causing the pneumonia. The respiratory doc said on Friday night if food did go into the lung, it will cause pneumonia and it will take a day or two to show up on an xray. Apparently, it showed up on Saturday's xray although it did not appear on Friday's.
 |
From 2010 Alaska Mary on the Alaska trip with a new friend! Mary is feeling feisty so I know she is definitely on the mend. She had a breakfast planned for this morning and the friends are going to have it with her at the hospital. The doc wants her on solid foods to make sure the stomach is working but she hasn't had any problems since noon yesterday. The doc said that because of her history they are being cautious. The reason for staying is to continue the pneumonia medications via IV plus they have her inhaling some stuff into her lungs to attack the pneumonia. I'm off doing Farmers Market and delivering her toothbrush and charger for her cell phone in an hour or so. I don't want to crash her breakfast party! |
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Priorities, priorities...
I'll post later about my week. For right now the concern in MaryR. She sent me a text last night asking if I could take her "to the ER, no rush." OK, I know Irish American gals pretty well. Those words mean "Right now!"
When I arrived ten minutes later, Mary croaked out that she could not breath, that something had apparently gone down into her lungs and she was having great difficulty. Took her to the closest hospital, El Camino-Los Gatos. For those of you who recall, Mary had her vegas nerve removed in 2008 (click here for that blog). The vegas nerve controls the muscles in the throat which means Mary had to learn how to talk, swallow and do other normal things all over again as half of her throat has lost its nerve control system. Well, it is no surprise that she had difficulty if food went "down the wrong pipe."
Once there, the triage nurse put the oxygen monitor on first and was digging around for the blood pressure cuff. Before she could get the cuff on her, the oxygen monitor was providing a value--much too low. The ER nurse then said, "Let's put you in a bed and finish this in there." The put her into a bed, whipped an oxygen supply on her and were watching carefully to see if she reacted. She did, the reading climbed to 99-100 fairly quickly. As the value climbed, Mary said she was feeling much, much better but not nearly 100 percent.
There are two likely scenarios. One, she may be suffering from either pneumonia because of the food entering her lungs and that's what food does--cause pneumonia. The other likely problem is that she caught a flu bug and that is making her regurgitate and in the regurgitation, it went into her lungs.
They had her stay last night and given her history and that she still cannot hold food, the are keeping her another day. Right now, I am out and about running errands while Mary is having a CT scan performed. Hopefully, the CT scan will simply rule out any physical blockage and that will leave us with a flu bug that prompted all of this activity.
Anyway, more later!
Pat
When I arrived ten minutes later, Mary croaked out that she could not breath, that something had apparently gone down into her lungs and she was having great difficulty. Took her to the closest hospital, El Camino-Los Gatos. For those of you who recall, Mary had her vegas nerve removed in 2008 (click here for that blog). The vegas nerve controls the muscles in the throat which means Mary had to learn how to talk, swallow and do other normal things all over again as half of her throat has lost its nerve control system. Well, it is no surprise that she had difficulty if food went "down the wrong pipe."
Once there, the triage nurse put the oxygen monitor on first and was digging around for the blood pressure cuff. Before she could get the cuff on her, the oxygen monitor was providing a value--much too low. The ER nurse then said, "Let's put you in a bed and finish this in there." The put her into a bed, whipped an oxygen supply on her and were watching carefully to see if she reacted. She did, the reading climbed to 99-100 fairly quickly. As the value climbed, Mary said she was feeling much, much better but not nearly 100 percent.
There are two likely scenarios. One, she may be suffering from either pneumonia because of the food entering her lungs and that's what food does--cause pneumonia. The other likely problem is that she caught a flu bug and that is making her regurgitate and in the regurgitation, it went into her lungs.
They had her stay last night and given her history and that she still cannot hold food, the are keeping her another day. Right now, I am out and about running errands while Mary is having a CT scan performed. Hopefully, the CT scan will simply rule out any physical blockage and that will leave us with a flu bug that prompted all of this activity.
Anyway, more later!
Pat
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Erin has her blog together
And this is her tribute to my skills in getting her blog up and running.
To see Erin's pictures, click here.
To see Erin's pictures, click here.
To see and read her blog, click here (http://www.erinbyer.com)
Erin leaves tomorrow for Spain and a wonderful 13 month adventure getting her MBA.
Enjoy!
p
Sunday, September 12, 2010
As Sunday Winds Down...
It was a good weekend, not too frantic and just social enough to make it interesting.
I find that if I have planned meals for myself, I am much more upbeat than when simply grab a frozen meal from the freezer. I guess it is the sense of accomplishment. The other upbeat meal is when I am eating with someone. That proves to be a very positive experience.
Thursday I signed the papers for the refi on the house. I am taking out a 30 year fixed at a very favorable rate. This gets me out of the issue of doing a refi in 5 years on an adjustable for the simple reason that I am 63 and I may or may not be working in five year and therefore may or may not be able to refi the house then. It is now fixed and will not change. Fini.
Friday was the completion of a big push at work. We finished the BoD presentation at 3PM in the afternoon so we could "relax" which for me means firing up on the ET Conference which is the big event that will start in December with abstract submissions and end in May after the 8 city tour. We then had a couple of BoD presentation issues that needed resolution that caused me to leave after 6PM. I had been hoping for an early departure but it didn't happen.
Saturday turned out to be a lazy day. I did drop off my dry cleaning but that was late in the afternoon as I headed to Erin's goodbye party. Erin is the Habitat for Humanity executive who is going to take a year and earn her MBA in Madrid. It was a very nice party and all in all was a very pleasant event on a beautifully blue sky day with warm temperatures and very mild breezes. Erin promises she will post pictures from the party, but as of this writing they are not on her website www.erinbyer.com
Early Saturday, MaryR and I decided to go see a movie after the party for Erin. A short time later, Thomas and Susan, co-workers from Germany, called to see if I was free for dinner--they were in town. Because I had committed to Mary, I turned Susan and Thomas down. Later in the afternoon, Mary then let me know she was going to cancel--she was whipped after her regatta trip to Canada and wanted to rest--so I connected with Thomas and Susan and we met at a pizza place in Mountain View. The pizza place was one of Susan's favorites when she was a student at Stanford and it apparently hasn't changed in the years since then. Because it was in Mountain View where Ingrid lives, I asked if she'd join us and she did. Thomas and Susan had been regular readers of the blog about Mary's year with cancer and they wanted to meet Ingrid who had done so much. It was also fun because Thomas and Ingrid are both from Munich and from time to time all three of them would describe the world through German eyes. Lots of laughing.
Sunday morning I met MaryR at the Purple Onion. Ingrid did not join us because she is getting ready for a trip to Munich to be at her parents 60th anniversary! Mary and I had a nice chat and I learned all about her week at the Regatta. She had multiple boats for which she performed her Coxswain duties--and one of them medaled! Great trip.
I got my hair cut after the Onion and then back home to check up on and work on "other stuff" for the BoD meeting. I certainly hope we've got it all covered.
The day is almost done. Maybe one TV show and then off to bed.
p
I find that if I have planned meals for myself, I am much more upbeat than when simply grab a frozen meal from the freezer. I guess it is the sense of accomplishment. The other upbeat meal is when I am eating with someone. That proves to be a very positive experience.
Thursday I signed the papers for the refi on the house. I am taking out a 30 year fixed at a very favorable rate. This gets me out of the issue of doing a refi in 5 years on an adjustable for the simple reason that I am 63 and I may or may not be working in five year and therefore may or may not be able to refi the house then. It is now fixed and will not change. Fini.
Friday was the completion of a big push at work. We finished the BoD presentation at 3PM in the afternoon so we could "relax" which for me means firing up on the ET Conference which is the big event that will start in December with abstract submissions and end in May after the 8 city tour. We then had a couple of BoD presentation issues that needed resolution that caused me to leave after 6PM. I had been hoping for an early departure but it didn't happen.
Saturday turned out to be a lazy day. I did drop off my dry cleaning but that was late in the afternoon as I headed to Erin's goodbye party. Erin is the Habitat for Humanity executive who is going to take a year and earn her MBA in Madrid. It was a very nice party and all in all was a very pleasant event on a beautifully blue sky day with warm temperatures and very mild breezes. Erin promises she will post pictures from the party, but as of this writing they are not on her website www.erinbyer.com
Early Saturday, MaryR and I decided to go see a movie after the party for Erin. A short time later, Thomas and Susan, co-workers from Germany, called to see if I was free for dinner--they were in town. Because I had committed to Mary, I turned Susan and Thomas down. Later in the afternoon, Mary then let me know she was going to cancel--she was whipped after her regatta trip to Canada and wanted to rest--so I connected with Thomas and Susan and we met at a pizza place in Mountain View. The pizza place was one of Susan's favorites when she was a student at Stanford and it apparently hasn't changed in the years since then. Because it was in Mountain View where Ingrid lives, I asked if she'd join us and she did. Thomas and Susan had been regular readers of the blog about Mary's year with cancer and they wanted to meet Ingrid who had done so much. It was also fun because Thomas and Ingrid are both from Munich and from time to time all three of them would describe the world through German eyes. Lots of laughing.
Sunday morning I met MaryR at the Purple Onion. Ingrid did not join us because she is getting ready for a trip to Munich to be at her parents 60th anniversary! Mary and I had a nice chat and I learned all about her week at the Regatta. She had multiple boats for which she performed her Coxswain duties--and one of them medaled! Great trip.
I got my hair cut after the Onion and then back home to check up on and work on "other stuff" for the BoD meeting. I certainly hope we've got it all covered.
The day is almost done. Maybe one TV show and then off to bed.
p
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Five Months and Counting
It is September 8 today, the five month anniversary of Mary's death.
I've been feeling a bit blue the past 24 hours as I think about her. I shed tears several times last night and this morning just doing regular stuff and remembering what it was like doing the same things when she was here. I guess I still harbor a secret hope that she will somehow reappear in my life. I know that is nonsense but the heart and the head express the longing for her in strong emotions.
Fortunately, I have not fallen into a real funk as happened in early July. Rather, it is a feeling of loss and grief and remembering and wishing and hoping I could see her again. But not to the exclusion of what I need to do to live and flourish today and tomorrow. I think that is the difference between now and early July.
Over the weekend, I read my blog for September-October-November last year. It was the end of October, beginning of November that was her best time since the surgery. Halloween-time. She baked cookies and was making dinners for us and generally was doing pretty good. She was even driving herself to Stanford and doing grocery shopping. The back pain had not emerged to the point where they had put her on narcotic based painkillers. That started later in November.
The year before, November 2008, we flew to Germany for the wedding of our good friends, Ute and JoKi. Man, that was not quite two years ago. How things change!
Fourteen years ago in September we were married. Little did we know how quickly those years would go by and how few of them we would have. Mary's dad had heart problems starting in his 50s and he died at the age of 86. Mary's mom rolled on to 97 with no particular problems other than old age. We always figured I'd go first and she'd have to deal with life after I was gone.
There are no guarantees, eh?
Pat
I've been feeling a bit blue the past 24 hours as I think about her. I shed tears several times last night and this morning just doing regular stuff and remembering what it was like doing the same things when she was here. I guess I still harbor a secret hope that she will somehow reappear in my life. I know that is nonsense but the heart and the head express the longing for her in strong emotions.
Fortunately, I have not fallen into a real funk as happened in early July. Rather, it is a feeling of loss and grief and remembering and wishing and hoping I could see her again. But not to the exclusion of what I need to do to live and flourish today and tomorrow. I think that is the difference between now and early July.
Over the weekend, I read my blog for September-October-November last year. It was the end of October, beginning of November that was her best time since the surgery. Halloween-time. She baked cookies and was making dinners for us and generally was doing pretty good. She was even driving herself to Stanford and doing grocery shopping. The back pain had not emerged to the point where they had put her on narcotic based painkillers. That started later in November.
The year before, November 2008, we flew to Germany for the wedding of our good friends, Ute and JoKi. Man, that was not quite two years ago. How things change!
Fourteen years ago in September we were married. Little did we know how quickly those years would go by and how few of them we would have. Mary's dad had heart problems starting in his 50s and he died at the age of 86. Mary's mom rolled on to 97 with no particular problems other than old age. We always figured I'd go first and she'd have to deal with life after I was gone.
There are no guarantees, eh?
Pat
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
The good news is that I did not go into a massive downer like I did for the 4th of July. The better news is that I actually did pretty good all weekend in spite of the broken rib.
Friday night was quiet. I had worked from home in the morning and then went to the office for a couple of afternoon meetings. On my way home, I realized I had not eaten since my morning latte so I stopped and picked up Chinese at my favorite place. Once home, I figured out how to watch streaming movies from Netflix on my iPad. Man, is that dangerous! A person can go into a catatonic state watching all that is available from Netflix!
Saturday was errand day as usual. Dry cleaner, getting the cars washed, oil change on the Element, Lunardi's for groceries, Walgreens for my prescription, Trader Joe's for some specific groceries, etc. Rather mundane but it must be done. I had planned to make a BLT for dinner on Saturday because it just sounded good and I had tomatoes already from Bill and Lillian's garden, the neighbors across the street. At Lunardi's, I picked up sandwich bread, lettuce and potato salad from their deli case. When I got home, I realized I forgot the bacon...duh! So much for my BLT!
The big deal on Saturday was taking Shauna and Idjit Dawg in to the vet for bordadella vaccination and a blood draw to check for heart worm. I brought along all the doggie medications from the house and the technician patiently grouped the stuff I needed so I could better manage their medications. I also gave them the stuff I can no longer use. Mary always took care of the dogs meds, which are dispensed monthly. Once we get the results of the blood draw, I will start with the monthlies again.
Sunday was Farmers' Market in Los Gatos and I got both tuna and salmon. The corn folks are still there so I bought corn on the cob and that is a great late summer treat. They said they'd be there for another week or two and then the season is over. The apple guy appeared and that is a big clue that we are heading into fall produce and summer is just about done. I loaded up with fruits and veggies otherwise as the cupboard was bare. Part of Saturday's chores was to throw out everything that was questionable. After all, I had not really been shopping since July so I figured it was time to do a good clean out!
I was to meet my goddaughter, Emilie, and Ingrid for breakfast at The Purple Onion. Ingrid appeared but Emilie did not, she overslept and we missed her. Ingrid stopped in for a visit and did nursing duties trying to get the rather large and ugly lump on my arm to be less intimidating. It is a build up of blood and tissue from the fall on the bike two weeks ago and is a beautiful purple color. The three doctors I saw last week all said it would go away in a month or two. Ingrid was trying to hurry it up. She doused my elbow with a solution of Domeboro multiple times all day while we watched movies--I cannot tell you if the Domeboro made a difference in the size or color. I really have no pain with the left elbow or right wrist if I stay on my advil-tylenol regimen. However, as soon as I skip, they start singing at me. The pain from the rib is also well controlled unless I try to do something stupid which includes sitting in one position too long, slouching in a chair, coughing, sneezing, picking up something too heavy, laying on my left side and, unfortunately, simply trying to get up out of bed--although that may be because by morning the painkillers have worn off.
Monday I hosted one of the Habitat Executives who is leaving to attend an MBA program in Spain in another week or so. We took the better part of the afternoon and set up her blog page and I showed her how to do the photo links, etc. You can check it out at http://www.erinbyer.com
All in all, a nice uneventful weekend. Back to the grind in the morning.
p
Friday night was quiet. I had worked from home in the morning and then went to the office for a couple of afternoon meetings. On my way home, I realized I had not eaten since my morning latte so I stopped and picked up Chinese at my favorite place. Once home, I figured out how to watch streaming movies from Netflix on my iPad. Man, is that dangerous! A person can go into a catatonic state watching all that is available from Netflix!
Saturday was errand day as usual. Dry cleaner, getting the cars washed, oil change on the Element, Lunardi's for groceries, Walgreens for my prescription, Trader Joe's for some specific groceries, etc. Rather mundane but it must be done. I had planned to make a BLT for dinner on Saturday because it just sounded good and I had tomatoes already from Bill and Lillian's garden, the neighbors across the street. At Lunardi's, I picked up sandwich bread, lettuce and potato salad from their deli case. When I got home, I realized I forgot the bacon...duh! So much for my BLT!
The big deal on Saturday was taking Shauna and Idjit Dawg in to the vet for bordadella vaccination and a blood draw to check for heart worm. I brought along all the doggie medications from the house and the technician patiently grouped the stuff I needed so I could better manage their medications. I also gave them the stuff I can no longer use. Mary always took care of the dogs meds, which are dispensed monthly. Once we get the results of the blood draw, I will start with the monthlies again.
Sunday was Farmers' Market in Los Gatos and I got both tuna and salmon. The corn folks are still there so I bought corn on the cob and that is a great late summer treat. They said they'd be there for another week or two and then the season is over. The apple guy appeared and that is a big clue that we are heading into fall produce and summer is just about done. I loaded up with fruits and veggies otherwise as the cupboard was bare. Part of Saturday's chores was to throw out everything that was questionable. After all, I had not really been shopping since July so I figured it was time to do a good clean out!
I was to meet my goddaughter, Emilie, and Ingrid for breakfast at The Purple Onion. Ingrid appeared but Emilie did not, she overslept and we missed her. Ingrid stopped in for a visit and did nursing duties trying to get the rather large and ugly lump on my arm to be less intimidating. It is a build up of blood and tissue from the fall on the bike two weeks ago and is a beautiful purple color. The three doctors I saw last week all said it would go away in a month or two. Ingrid was trying to hurry it up. She doused my elbow with a solution of Domeboro multiple times all day while we watched movies--I cannot tell you if the Domeboro made a difference in the size or color. I really have no pain with the left elbow or right wrist if I stay on my advil-tylenol regimen. However, as soon as I skip, they start singing at me. The pain from the rib is also well controlled unless I try to do something stupid which includes sitting in one position too long, slouching in a chair, coughing, sneezing, picking up something too heavy, laying on my left side and, unfortunately, simply trying to get up out of bed--although that may be because by morning the painkillers have worn off.
Monday I hosted one of the Habitat Executives who is leaving to attend an MBA program in Spain in another week or so. We took the better part of the afternoon and set up her blog page and I showed her how to do the photo links, etc. You can check it out at http://www.erinbyer.com
All in all, a nice uneventful weekend. Back to the grind in the morning.
p
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Trip to the Vet
They did bordadella vaccination and a draw for a heart worm test for both dogs. The results will be back on Tues or Wed.
I did ask them to check Shauna's weight and she has lost about 4 lbs over the past 12 months. She was 24-ish and she is now about 20. Ingrid, thank you for saying something this week. I too was wondering but with Ingrid's comment, I insisted they pull up the chart and we looked at her history.
As a result, I am going to increase her kibble for a month or so to see if she can not only stop losing but also gain a bit back.
Mary and I got Shauna in the summer of 1997, the year after we were married, and she turned 4 that December of 1997 which means she was born in 1993. That would mean she is going to be 17 this December but that also sounds wrong, I thought she would be 18 this year. I haven't come across her papers lately. When I do, I will double check.
Idjit Dawg is just fine.
p
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Running with a Broken Rib
Well, not actually running. But, chasing hard at work. As I wrote previously, the strategic plan is done (for now) and my product takes over with lots of pressure and long hours. It seems like there is no relaxing before the next major thing comes up and takes over.
Saturday was a busy day as I had to make up for losing the prior weekend because of the fall off of my bike. Lots of errands and handling paperwork to get my tax documents to my CPA so he can file by Oct 15.
Sunday I attended a very nice picnic in Healdsburg at the Lambert Bridge Winery. I was Ingrid's guest at an AMD Alumni picnic--her old marketing group--that was triggered by one of the members being in town from Europe. We had a nice drive in the convertible to Sonoma on Sunday morning. We had also bought tickets to "The Birth of Impressionism" at the De Young in San Francisco for that evening so we caught that on the way home. A very nice exhibit that ends its run in SF this weekend. Ingrid then navigated to a restaurant called the "Beach Chalet" right on the Pacific and we had a light meal (Ahi Tuna Tartare and Shrimp-Avacado appetizers.) The car automatically tracks how much driving you do each day--it turns out that I spend almost 7 hours in the car by the time I got home at midnight. Ingrid lives in Mountain View which is on my way to and from Sonoma.
Tuesday I had my regular checkup with my heart specialist. She was beaming with pride about my lower blood pressure (117/74), my loss of weight (7 lbs), and my cholesterol falling dramatically (big drop!). So much so, she is considering taking me off at least one of my medications at my next visit. I like that, the fewer meds the better.
Early Tuesday morning early I delivered MaryR to the airport as she headed off to a week's trip for a rowing regatta in Canada. She always has fun with the regattas. One of the clubs she belongs to is a virtual club and they only get together at the regattas. That means that she does her coxswain position for two clubs. I got an email that on the first day she was in three boats already so she'll have a good regatta with that as a start.
I am refinancing the house to a fixed mortgage given today's rates. There was some confusion about names and titles so we had three attorneys working the problem yesterday. I just got a call and I guess I get to sign today. I like the idea of a fixed mortgage at my age--it will removed uncertainty in the monthly cost going forward. I am hoping real estate in the valley recovers over the next few years. At some point I will sell the house and I'd like to do it closer to the top of the market, not the bottom. That could mean a significant difference in retirement funds.
My rib is still broken although I only feel it now and then. My contused elbow is UGLY! Its all swollen and has been turning colors as the underlying tissue and blood do their thing. The doctors vary in opinion and the most optimistic says it will be gone in 3-4 weeks. The cardiologist says that the blood thinner I am on will extend it for 8 weeks or so.
On Saturday I take Shawna and Idjit Dawg to the vet along with all the doggie meds laying around the house. It turns out I should have been giving some of these to the dogs from time to time. So Saturday's appointment is "educate the clueless dog owner on how to take care of the dogs". Mary always took the lead on the monthly medications and what not and I never learned what I should be doing. That will end this weekend.
Its a three day weekend coming up and Monday I am helping one of the Habitat executives prepare a blog. She is leaving Habitat to attend school in Spain to earn an MBA and she wants to write a blog about her experiences. So we'll have a nice session getting it all set up for her.
Work looks like it will put me on the road again. Between now and Christmas I see four trips on the horizon so far: Japan, China, Hawaii (tough duty but someone has to do it) and Macao. Add in a few weekend trips to visit offspring and grandkids and its gonna be a busy fall!
Feel free to drop a line. Email to "pat [at] lamey . us . com" replacing the [at] with @ and eliminating all the spaces and quote marks.
Ciao!
Saturday was a busy day as I had to make up for losing the prior weekend because of the fall off of my bike. Lots of errands and handling paperwork to get my tax documents to my CPA so he can file by Oct 15.
Sunday I attended a very nice picnic in Healdsburg at the Lambert Bridge Winery. I was Ingrid's guest at an AMD Alumni picnic--her old marketing group--that was triggered by one of the members being in town from Europe. We had a nice drive in the convertible to Sonoma on Sunday morning. We had also bought tickets to "The Birth of Impressionism" at the De Young in San Francisco for that evening so we caught that on the way home. A very nice exhibit that ends its run in SF this weekend. Ingrid then navigated to a restaurant called the "Beach Chalet" right on the Pacific and we had a light meal (Ahi Tuna Tartare and Shrimp-Avacado appetizers.) The car automatically tracks how much driving you do each day--it turns out that I spend almost 7 hours in the car by the time I got home at midnight. Ingrid lives in Mountain View which is on my way to and from Sonoma.
Tuesday I had my regular checkup with my heart specialist. She was beaming with pride about my lower blood pressure (117/74), my loss of weight (7 lbs), and my cholesterol falling dramatically (big drop!). So much so, she is considering taking me off at least one of my medications at my next visit. I like that, the fewer meds the better.
Early Tuesday morning early I delivered MaryR to the airport as she headed off to a week's trip for a rowing regatta in Canada. She always has fun with the regattas. One of the clubs she belongs to is a virtual club and they only get together at the regattas. That means that she does her coxswain position for two clubs. I got an email that on the first day she was in three boats already so she'll have a good regatta with that as a start.
I am refinancing the house to a fixed mortgage given today's rates. There was some confusion about names and titles so we had three attorneys working the problem yesterday. I just got a call and I guess I get to sign today. I like the idea of a fixed mortgage at my age--it will removed uncertainty in the monthly cost going forward. I am hoping real estate in the valley recovers over the next few years. At some point I will sell the house and I'd like to do it closer to the top of the market, not the bottom. That could mean a significant difference in retirement funds.
My rib is still broken although I only feel it now and then. My contused elbow is UGLY! Its all swollen and has been turning colors as the underlying tissue and blood do their thing. The doctors vary in opinion and the most optimistic says it will be gone in 3-4 weeks. The cardiologist says that the blood thinner I am on will extend it for 8 weeks or so.
On Saturday I take Shawna and Idjit Dawg to the vet along with all the doggie meds laying around the house. It turns out I should have been giving some of these to the dogs from time to time. So Saturday's appointment is "educate the clueless dog owner on how to take care of the dogs". Mary always took the lead on the monthly medications and what not and I never learned what I should be doing. That will end this weekend.
Its a three day weekend coming up and Monday I am helping one of the Habitat executives prepare a blog. She is leaving Habitat to attend school in Spain to earn an MBA and she wants to write a blog about her experiences. So we'll have a nice session getting it all set up for her.
Work looks like it will put me on the road again. Between now and Christmas I see four trips on the horizon so far: Japan, China, Hawaii (tough duty but someone has to do it) and Macao. Add in a few weekend trips to visit offspring and grandkids and its gonna be a busy fall!
Feel free to drop a line. Email to "pat [at] lamey . us . com" replacing the [at] with @ and eliminating all the spaces and quote marks.
Ciao!
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