So much for routine

I tried to start a feature on this blog called Normal Friday.
But it is obvious Uncle Skip's attention span is such that he can't remember to continue it for more than two weeks at a time.
I will not admit to being undisciplined.
So maybe we should do something called Random Friday.
Then we can post it whenever we want.
I mean, shucks, we're already doing Mondays whenever we feel like it.
(at this point I feel the necessity to tell you I don't look at Mondays in a derogatory manner. Mondays are no worse or no better than any other day in a week... really!)
That's why last week had three Mondays.
I feel it most appropriate for the first Random Friday to occur on Monday [my blog, my rules].
I have some news down at the end of the post.

I've always been fascinated by planes (trains, tractors, ships, heavy machinery, helicopters, hot air balloons, just about any excuse to look up from whatever it is I am doing at the moment).
Today we're doing what's known in some circles as Plane Pr0n.
Today's subject aircraft is a British plane, the Supermarine Spitfire.
The Spitfire is not necessarily my favorite fighter aircraft*.
But as you read further into this post you may come to understand how it trumped other planes for an inaugural post.

No, no, no!
Not that Spitfire!

Let's start over.

Yes, this one.

...or better yet, this one (turn up the sound so you can hear that Merlin as it was meant to be heard).

The Spitfire's a very versatile aircraft.

The latest news I heard about my friend and his grandson is that the grandson had a rod inserted in his leg and a hip was surgically repaired.
He will have more surgery to a shoulder later.
He was to go home yesterday afternoon.
That's the good news.

My friend has a broken neck and a broken back.
His back had just recently had surgery for injuries from when he was in the Navy back in the seventies.
There is apparently no paralysis.
However, he was transported by aircraft from Redding to Sacramento for whatever surgery will be needed, as they have discovered there is also a tear in the heart.
The motorcycle they were riding was not hit by another vehicle.
I don't know much more because I received the information second hand.
This is only one of many recent setbacks for him.
I will be praying for him.

*P-51 Mustang ...followed by P-38 Lightning

lots of prayers

Saturday morning scene

From three perspective...

I mentioned I was headed south to a meeting yesterday.
That required that I be up and away by 7am if I wanted to socialize before the meeting started.
I wasn't the only person up and about.
Nor was I the only one with a camera.
We all were attracted to the Sun rise.

Beverly Fickes - from her home

Mike Ferrier - at 60mph

Uncle Skip - from next to the yard waste bin

Then I decided the image I got wasn't a true picture.
So I fussed with the camera.

This is what they warn sailors about

We had seafood for dinner last night.

tunafish on crackers

How many Mondays are there in a week?

I was going write a second post yesterday.
Then I saw the Google homepage.
It took forever to get past it.
Then it was dinner time.
They did a righteous doodle to celebrate fifteen years.
We've been known to do a piñata or two, or more around here, too.
GS is a fantastic piñata constructor.
I man the rope because I'm just a little evil.

So we trekked up the road to Redding because GS had been granted head of the line privileges and had drunk the torture juice.
The procedures themselves went swimmingly.
The GI doc was able to get into every nook and cranny with both the upper endoscopy and the colonoscopy.
That is a big improvement over the last time, when he found scar tissue obstructing his probe.
On the other hand, he found nothing visible during his entire inspection.
That means we shall be waiting for the Pathology Report.
We are hoping that is back sooner, rather than later.

I'm off to the south this morning to beautiful downtown Sutter for a Lions district meeting.
I'm fairly certain I don't have any official function to perform.
But they've asked to borrow my projector for a powerpoint.
So I get to deliver it.
Oh, and it is nice to be recognized when introductions are made.
One of these days I am going to remember to send in my lunch reservations ahead of time.
Then I will be able to complain about the inconsiderate folks who wait to the last minute.

Say a prayer for a friend of mine who was in a motorcycle accident.
He and his grandson were severely injured.
I don't know anything more than the grandson was in surgery and my friend's in ICU.

have a good weekend

I've been called a name

IT called me a maroon for mislabeling a post.

Then he called me out again because I forgot to insert part of a post.
This from a guy [I think he's a guy] who operates under a nom de guerre.
A guy who relishes being called demented and of questionable parentage.
Sometimes he is about a subtle as a capital ship firing a broadside.

He can, at times be thought provoking.
Just so he gets off my case I will tell you all that the post from Wednesday should have been labeled Lions and yesterday I just flat forgot to mention how the weather went from the mid nineties and clear last week to high 60s and low 70s this week with some rain showers at times.
That's without mentioning the flat out storm that blew through on Saturday.

GS is having her tests later this morning.
I have nothing to say about that ...yet!
I may get the pictures from Tuesday's eye screening posted by Saturday.
Speaking of Saturday ~
I will be away most of the day doing more Lions stuff ...probably boring Lions stuff.

I have been listening to iTunes radio a lot.
It's free.
It plays in the background while I type out this drivel.
...and I can listen on my iPhone, too.

The ereader I  got for my birthday is a Kindle.
I found one drawback that irks me.
Bookmarks don't seem to work the same way as in real books...

...or I'm stupid.

If you aren't into sports you can skip to the end of the post.
The Giants season has not nearly met a lot of people's expectations.
But dig into some statistics and you will find they outplayed their division opponents in head to head competition.
In fact, as of early yesterday, they are the only team in the West Division with a winning record against other teams in the West Division.
That may change.
The Giants will still have a winning record no matter what, but others can still improve.
The best part of all of that, though, is the Giants have beaten the Dodgers in head to head competition.

I found this photo on the web.
I have a shirt that I won't wear or post a photo ...yet!

it's definitely worse than

 the one in the picture

Another manic Monday

So, nothing around here is simple easy routine normal.
There I found a way to use the word properly and in the right context.

I believe I mentioned the oncologist has consulted with the Stanford docs and they determined GS should have another upper endoscopy and colonoscopy.
We were scheduled by the GI doc's office for October 17.
Yesterday, the oncologist waltzed into the exam room and said, "What are we doing this morning?"
My first thought was, "Huh?"
GS said, "Huh!"
We both were thinking it was a typical Wednesday, on which there was talk about how the weight is still low, but not dropping, and all the other numbers they get from the lab work are good.
No?
It seems the oncologist is way ahead of us and thinking we should be heading to the Endoscopy Center sooner.
Tells us that she and Stanford docs want information sooner so an action plan can be made.
She asked who the GI doc is.
GS told her, "Your husband."
Oncologist says, "He'll just have to get up earlier some morning."
I'm pretty sure she was serious, even though it was said in a lighthearted manner.
The rest of the visit for GS was the same as any other Wednesday.
For me, though, it was a little variation.
Before I went to the bank, TJs and Costco I snuck up the hill to the GI's office to pick up the instructions and other paperwork because I wanted PHG and I to be able to peruse them well before the actual necessity.

The bank/TJ/Costco run went off without a hitch ...meaning I was only inconvenienced slightly by others who do not understand I am the center of the Universe.
That, and I noticed the left turn signal at Friendly [sic] Drive and Old Alturas Road went from green arrow to red before I completed my turn ...and I was the only car making a turn.
WTF!*
OTOH, there was a couple who actually noticed they were blocking the aisle in the store and moved for me.
So I guess that's a wash.

GS was done with her treatment by noon.
That's relatively early.
Last week it was after 1:00pm.
We have no idea why sometimes it takes longer than others.
Oncologist's nurse had some news for us.
GI doc's office has found an opening at 7:00am on Monday, October 7.
It's a good thing I went up the hill earlier, huh?
[GI doc will probably sleep better, too]

We drove home and had lunch.
I did a few odds and ends and went out to the Senior Center to catch up the books for the Thrift Shop.
Did I ever tell you I am the board liaison to the shop the center runs?
Yeah, that means I get to report how much money the thrift store turns over each month to help operate the Senior Center.
Then I get to tell the volunteers how much the board of directors appreciates their efforts.
No, I'm not going to brag about how much we've made.
That's because somebody everybody else did all of the work and should get credit.

When I got home again, about an hour late, GS said, "I have something to tell you."
"Huh?" [that's probably one of my more astute observations]
The GI doc's had called and she is now going in at 11:00 tomorrow (Friday).
They'd had a cancellation [or maybe someone is skipping lunch?].
WTF!*

Some folks think the hard part is the physical discomfort involved with a GI exam.
For us the tough part will be waiting for the results, which will probably take a week or more.
But at least it's now and not the middle of next month.

change is good

*Well, That's Fantastic

Did I ever tell you what I got for my birthday?

I got an eReader device.
I won't go into specific details ...yet.
But I am really enjoying it.
I discovered last night I can actually respond to comments on the blog.
I still haven't figured out how to do that on the stupid cellphone smartphone.
That's not why I got the eReader.
I got it so I could carry carry more than one book without having to lug them in a sack.
I have five books on it right now.
Also there are games.
GS got a tablet for her birthday.
She's been lurking.
I have to start being careful what I say.

Yesterday the Lions from my club went to the Head Start school and did vision screening for three and four year olds.
That's quite an experience.
The Lions District has purchased special machines that make the process fairly simple.
They need a machine to get the kids to focus on the activity.

we enjoyed it anyway

Yes, I know it's not Monday

Mondays are now reserved for lab work ...unless it's a holiday.
Holidays always seem to screw things up.
Even that is so routine it takes less than an hour.
Because we go after lunch, which is well after all of the folks who've been fasting to, there is seldom anyone ahead of us.
There is a standing order for the tests, meaning there's no paperwork to fill out.
All that's required is a signature, a poke in a vein, a bandage, and we're away again.
Most days it takes longer to drive the mile and a half than it takes for the phlebotomist to do her job.

The fire relief distribution center was moved yesterday.
It took all of two hours.
The hours of operation have been adjusted.
Now the site is open from 10am to 7pm.
The best part, though, is it is in the clients neighborhood and more convenient for them.

The county (and state) announced yesterday they are opening a "Local Assistance Center" for those affected, too.
It will be open today and tomorrow from 9-5 in the county administration building.
That's more than 15 miles away for many of the folks who need assistance and have no transportation.

I find it only a little ironic that the volunteers are spending more time and making a greater effort than the folks who are paid.

heaven forbid that "public servants" should be inconvenienced by a disaster.

Okay... where were you this morning?

Maybe I mentioned the Clover Fire Food Distribution is being moved closer to the folks being served?
I was running down a supplier for ice.
That's one of the things folks living in tents need most.
It's handled and the supplier is being quite generous and cooperative.

On another note...
I was directed to a site that says:

I thought he was old?

really?

Slacking off

I'm posting about weather this morning because it has had a major change.
Ironically that change coincided with the change of season.
We've had about an inch and a quarter (1¼") of rain since Friday evening.
...and there was thunder and lightning and wind, too.
...not to mention a drop in temperature from the mid nineties on Thursday to the mid sixties yesterday.
That's enough about weather.

This is really more about change.
I'm not even going to try to explain anything about change other than to say we all experience it every day and it happens whether we like it or not.
Other folks do explanations much better than I.
I just try to learn that I only control some changes.

they are all personal

In case nobody's noticed

I have neglected the blog for awhile.
I've been busy.
A lot of it has to do with the recent wilfire.
Other than Monday, when GS went to the lab, and Wednesday, when she went to the oncologist, I have been helping at the food distribution site.
Today is the last day at the current location.
Yesterday we found a spot about 10 miles closer to the folks who need our services.
Monday we will be moving to the new location and extending the operation for at least a few more days.
I posted some pictures here.
None of the folks in the pictures are clients.
We respect their privacy.

The latest on GS is the docs want more information.
So they have scheduled an appointment for her at the Endoscopy Center for both an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy.
The Endoscopy Center is so busy the appointment is October 17.
Otherwise everything is about the same.
GS was scheduled to see the cardiologist in Sac on Monday afternoon.
We canceled postponed that until such time as she feels like getting that far away from a bathroom.

GS got a new toy for her birthday.
It's one with which she can snoop on the Internet.
It's a tablet, a Samsung.
She is still learning how it works.
She's pretty much determined that she wants to lurk, rather than participate.
It is not easy for her to type on her tablet.
She has had her smartphone for six months.
She sent her first text last Wednesday.
She may not send another for six more months ...or ever.
She does enjoy personal visits and phone calls.
She's not home on Wednesday morning or early Monday afternoon.
We don't wake her if she's sleeping, but we do check to see if she's awake.
If we know you're coming, we let her know so she's prepared for visitors.

One of the reasons for this post is I got chewed out by someone who depends on the blog for news.
Another is that I finally had time to sit down for a moment and get caught up with my email.
There's a certain irony about this food distribution project.
Somewhere along the line somebody determined that I am capable of following up when I say I will do something and that sometimes I actually know what I am talking about.
In other words they trust me.

that makes me feel good

Before I forget

The Harvest Moon is tonight

A language primer

it's Int'l Talk Like a Pirate Day

Whee!!

Today is another run to the oncologist in Redding.
Followed by side trips to TJ's and Costco.

 Yesterday was spent at the food distribution warehouse unloading a shipment of perishables and relocating them to a donated refrigerated trailer.
Then we spent some time packing boxes with non-perishables and helping 'clients' load them into their vehicles.

It will probably be busier at the warehouse this morning as more folks will have found out about it.

Sometimes Mondays need to be wiped off the calendar

Yesterday was one of those occasions.
Two folks I know from the blogosphere, Buck and The Old AF Sarge have close family members who were way too close to what happened at the Washington Navy Yard.
I just want to say I am happy neither of their offspring were harmed.

Yesterday afternoon the Lions District Disaster Team opened a "Free Food" distribution facility for the victims of the recent wildfire.
Items being distributed include: fresh and non-perishable food, hydration, cleaning supplies and tools.
It will be open from 8am to 5pm daily through Saturday or until the merchandise is gone.
I will assist every day, except for Wednesday, if needed.
A press release was sent out on Saturday.

gonna be a busy week

About something

Maybe you noticed we did not follow up last week with a Normal Friday post.
That had nothing whatsoever to do with my memory.
It also had absolutely nothing to do with last Friday being any different from any other Friday.
It mostly had to do with the fact I like to make an issue of a particular date no matter on what day it falls.
That is unless it falls on Friday.
Then I ignore it.
I'm not superstitious.

it's called stirring the pot

Further Clover Fire update:

Local Lions clubs in coordination with The Salvation Army have established a free FOOD DISTRIBUTION location for those affected by the Clover Fire in Anderson.
Verification of residency in the fire zone is required.

Sunday rerun

It's sometimes fun to look back at previous posts... particularly those which give a little insight This is one of those. It about an incident which took place quite some time ago.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

I dare you and other challenges

.

I was reminded, while reading another blog, of the silly things kids do when challenged.
Maybe I should rephrase the last part of that statement.
Things I did as a kid when challenged.
My folks had gone out for the evening. They had called a babysitter to watch my sisters and also keep track of my brother and I. We had finished eating and I was in the back yard waiting for my brother to finish washing the dishes. In any other home I might have been helping, but somehow it wasn't worth the trouble so dish washing duties were rotated. In fact we weren't even allowed to be in the same room.
When the dishes were done we were going to play catch. I was on the back lawn tossing the ball into the air and catching it. Actually I was pretty much minding my own business. It seemed like my brother was taking forever. To a kid five minutes seems like forever. I was getting a little sloppy throwing the ball into the air. At this particular moment my finger slipped off the ball such that I released it horizontally rather than vertically. I flew in a relatively gentle arc toward the house and struck in that one spot directly between the double-hung windows over the kitchen sink. I was in a little bit of awe... or shock. I'm not sure what my brother was feeling. He opened on of the windows and made some sort of wise-ass comment. I'm sure I responded. Then I heard those magic words. "I bet you can't do that again!"
I can't even remember if there was any further discussion. If there was it didn't last long. The warden woman watching my sisters didn't have time to react before I let fly again, this time with a little less arc and a little more speed. My brother must have closed the window. The ball did not hit directly between the double-hung windows over the sink. Instead it went through the pane of glass in the lower half of the window through which he had just been hollering.



It may have been the loudest noise I had ever heard up to that point in my life.
My brother and I weren't going to have a game of catch that night. Fortunately, for me, my parents weren't nearby so there was going to be a somewhat delayed reaction. In fact it wasn't until the next day that their reaction became apparent.
It's funny, though, because about the only thing I remember about it is that I now know how to glaze a window.

my brother knows
a lot about guilt
by association

 

2 comments:

1. 
   GeorgeTuesday, March 8, 2011 at 8:01:00 AM PST

   That last line is wonderful, very thought provoking.
   
   The girls must have been young, Jan says she doesn't remember the window breaking. She does remember the story.

   ReplyDelete
2. 
   Uncle Skip,Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 8:09:00 AM PST

   Jan might not have even been a year old. The patio in those days was about 1/3 the size it was when you got married.
   
   
   It's fun to have my memory prodded enough to drag these stories out of mothballs.

   ReplyDelete

Fire II

The wildfire burning nearby is almost fully contained and holding at just over 8,000 acres.
I posted some pictures of some of the aircraft being used fight the fire over here.
This space is reserved for the other photos.

...from Debbie Dunn Pappas (9/9/13)
even without the smoke plume it's spectacular

...from William Rogers (9/9/13)

Both of those images are taken from the north.
The first is in northern Redding, just beyond the Sacramento River.
The second from just south of the eastern arm of Lake Shasta at Jones Valley.

Since I didn't post any pictures of the helicopters anywhere else...

...from Kiersten Patterson

...from Manda Reed

The helicopter have been the busiest of all the birds and have been flying constantly since day one last Monday.

If the media didn't keep reminding us, we wouldn't even know there was still an uncontrolled wildfire burning in the area.

what'll we do for a followup act

Hey kids!

Do you know what today is?

It falls on Friday this month

Yeah, that right.
But that's not what I am leading up to.

The first thing we do is get a name.
Here's mine:

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Rackham

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Then we celebrate for just about as long as possible.


Friday is always a good day to start.

Monday Update

So, by now everyone knows the regular routine takes GS for a visit to the doctor on Wednesday mornings.
When all the stars line up properly, chemotherapy ensues.
That's exactly what happened yesterday.
GS weight was up a half pound from last week, but still nowhere near optimum for full chemo treatment.
All of the numbers from the blood work on Monday were really good.
On the other hand, there is still the issue of diarrhea [I hate that I know how to spell it without looking it up].
The oncologist is still waiting to hear back regarding a consultation she'd like to have with the Doc at Stanford.
We kinda anticipate the result of the inquiries will require more testing.


While GS spent the rest of the morning in a recliner watching morning tv I did the usual TJs and Costco run.
The main purchase is bottled water at Costco for GS.

I had arranged for a followup with the primary care provider for yesterday afternoon so we wouldn't have to make an extra round trip to Redding.
I figured we could go from one office to the next.
It was scheduled for 1:15.
GS finished early.
Usually it's 12:30 or later ...sometimes as late as 1:00pm.
Yesterday it was just before noon.
It only takes a couple of minutes to drive up the hill from one office to the other.
There's no really good way to kill that much time on a really warm weekday afternoon in Redding.
So we went early...
...and waited.
Fortunately we'd both had the foresight to bring our own reading materials.

The PCP did all of the routine stuff and, since I'd actually brought along the actual physical prescription bottles and over the counter medicine containers, inventoried the concoctions being ingested on a daily basis. 
She pointed out that the acetaminophen we've been giving GS contains benadryl.
Maybe that's why GS sleeps so much?
We'll be changing that one.
But not too much.

About that fire.
It's still burning.
But the smoke is not that evident.
The plume we saw Monday had totally vanished by Tuesday.
About 8000 acres are burned and close to 70 homes and 128 outbuildings destroyed.
There is one fatality.
The latest report is it's 65% contained.
Control is expected by Sunday.

now to read some other blogs

Stop for a moment

say a prayer

Fire!!!

Yesterday afternoon, as I relocated the car to make it more accessible for GS, I glanced up and noticed a smoke plume to the west behind the trees across the street.
I also noticed a CalFire spotter plane returning from that direction and making an approach to the Redding Airport.
Since that time virtually every conversation has heard someone express concern about the Clover Fire.

GS and I were off to the lab for the weekly blood draw, which went off [bad choice of words] without incident, other than multiple conversations about fire.

It just so happens there's an open area near the lab from where we could observe the smoke plume.

The fire started just after noon.
By 3:00pm it was at 1500 acres...
...and it's hot.

the max was 106 today

Here are some images from others perspective:

...Lisa Chadwick, from black butte rd in Shingletown

...Jennifer Carlson, from Carlson Ranch in Ono

It's even visible from space (NWS)

(MODIS)

What CalFire says this morning...

...and kinda how it looks this morning

Spot fires are a big concern.

I wanted to get some shots of the planes, but none were ever close enough after the first one yesterday afternoon.
I did see a stoof (S-2f) and a neptune (P-2) and a friend got a distance shot of a DC-10.
Maybe I can get up closer to the airport today and get some shots?

Just to put a little human perspective on this...

 

...Adam McAllister KRCRtv

Last evening I looked at the indoor thermometer and was happy not to be out in the Sun.

unlike the temperature sensor