2022 Final Post

It's the last day of the year so I have to get in some sort of post. And here it is!

I would like to note that this is just the final post for the year, not for the Blog. If that happens, then I did not have a great start to the New Year.

We are having guests over tonight, having a little dinner, a night out at the movies , and then we'll all return here to bang pots and pans.

If it sounds like the same thing we did last New Years Eve, it is. That's what we call a "Tradition".

I'll try to return to this during the day for updates and cool fun facts about me. In fact, here's a cool fun fact about me now. I'm 65 years old.

1:50PM: We are heading to the Hub to watch a little Gonzaga (Ranked #10) Basketball.

5:16PM: Zags won. 111 to 88. The Zags have now beaten Pepperdine 44 consecutive times. Time for a nap!

11:50PM: Don't have time to write anymore. I've got to get downstairs to ring in the new year.  

December BP

 

Ski Day #3

We held off skiing last week because the temperatures were sub zero. No thanks to that!

So we made it up today. Rob brought his daughters Tamany and Natalie, both are visiting for Christmas.

I observed on the website that it was pretty foggy at the lodge and that was the case when we got up there. Rob and I took a run to the top while the girls went through the line at the rental shop. They took almost two hours.

Our first run was disastrous. The fog was so thick you could not see the terrain in front of you. You just had to ski along and hope it was flat. I fell twice.

We took the next several runs on the beginner lift because you could see.

When Rob's daughters finally made it out, we headed for Chair Five (the beginner chair) and then over to Chair Three. We were hoping to ski back to Chair Four. When there is fog on the hill, Four is usually clear. And it was today.

I had fall number four and the Number Four Face. It was another one of those situations where I wore myself out just getting back up.

You might be wondering about fall number three. That occurred on Chair Five when Tam and I were loading. I'm not really clear on what happened, but I guess a lift operator was riding down and kind of stumbled when he got off. That caused the chair to swing waaaaay around and then hit me. Knocked me right on my ass.

I'm okay and I don't feel like I got any bruises from the incident. I didn't really even know what happened until Rob told me on the next lift ride.

We got in eight runs before I gave out. Rob took the girls to Chair Six and did a couple of runs there.

My cost per run for the season so far is at $15.21 as of today.

Now, it is time for bed. I am really beat!

 

Ski Day #2

We chose today for another Ski Day because it looked like it was going to be the best day of the week for it. And we were right.

The first few runs were above the fog and sunny. It had snowed about an inch overnight so there was some nice snow to float on.

On the seventh run, The fog thickened up dramatically. So dramatically that I lost Rob. I was waiting for him at the start of this run that goes to the Number Four chair. It was really foggy and while I knew where I was, I thought Rob got lost. I finally decided to head on down.

Within four turns, I realized I was on the wrong run. I was on a run that was steep, ungroomed and chunky with large moguls. This was not going to be fun. 

I was able to ski short distances and then stop too rest. I fell a couple of times, which wore me out even more.

Rob ended up waiting for me for close to 15 minutes. We took the chair up and decided that was going to be the last run.

The fog had not let up at all. I couldn't see the terrain in front me and just worked my tired ass down the hill as best I could.

With 8 runs for the day, we have our per run costs down to $22.69.

I got home and was a veg for the rest of the day. I'll be in the hot tub first thing tomorrow.

Ski Day #1

 The threat of snow in the forecast was not enough to keep Rob and I off the mountain.

I have just gotten home from our first day of the season at Mt. Spokane. We got up there about 9:30 and it was partially sunny and clear. We knew that snow was coming and we just decided we would ski until the snow started.

We got seven runs in by noon. It started snowing on our fourth run. It was gentle and didn’t hinder us at all. We wanted to get in at least six runs.

I am definitely feeling it. I stopped quite a bit while we were skiing. At times, I thought my thighs we going to ignite, thy burned so bad.

We managed to cover the whole mountain during our seven runs.

All in all, a good day followed by a visit to the Hub.

November BP

 

End of the Diet?

I got very dedicated to losing weight back on June 27th. At one point, I got down to 216 pounds. 

Well, now it's the Thanksgiving weekend and I'm back to 230 pounds.

I've totally fallen off my diet and I'm pretty disgusted with myself.

I'm going to try and restart but it's pretty hard this time of year and especially with my low will power.

The struggle continues.  

Halloween Survivor

We have made it past Halloween 2022 and have survived. We had 1485 kids and assorted adults come by. It was another massive night of fun and horror.

On the bright side, we will have all the Halloween decorations put away by the end of today. If you had any idea of how much crap we have, you would be impressed.

I had another 100 point sleep night. My second in as many weeks. I guess I've gotten really good at sleeping.   

October BP

 

Perfect Score

 After having my BiPap machine for over a year, I finally scored a perfect 100 for my night of sleep. I’ve had a couple of 99’s and a few 98’s but never 100.

So I’m pretty pleased with that although in the scheme of things, it’s really no big deal.

Eye Report and Fatty Update

 My eye recovery is going well. My vision is no longer cloudy first thing in the morning. I still have floaters in my vision but they are not distracting. 

I golfed yesterday and had a great deal of trouble tracking the ball. It was nice to have Mike and Rob there to help me find my shots. I shot 60 for nine holes. I’m pretty terrible.

Also terrible is my dedication to my weight loss. I’m 225.6 this morning. I have nothing to blame it on other than my shitty habits. It’s probably not going to improve in the coming weeks.

Eye Surgery Day 15

 My vision is slowly improving but it still has a long way to go. I still have lots of these black stringy floaters in my vision. They're kind of cool to focus on and watch them move as my eye changes positions.

I'm still a little cloudy but I can see detail out of my right eye. I'm hoping the focus will come in a little better and more crisp.

Eye Surgery Day 3

 Nothing dramatic to report today. Dr Day said the pressure in my eye is less today so he felt good about that. This is just going to take some time.

I had another case today of starting to see some detail and then adding the eye drops and the detail goes away.

Cataract Day 2

I woke up this morning to more blur. This is not the results I was expecting. 

I called in to the Eye Clinic to report the symptoms and they did not appear to be too concerned. I had an appointment at 1:15 and they said they would examine me then.

It turns out that I’m healing about as expected. The difference this time is that my eye was developing glaucoma as well as the cataract problem. So it’s going to take a little more time to heal.

About 11:00 this morning was when I first noticed the clouding was clearing and I was starting to make out detail in the room. Then I did another round of eye drops at noon and everything went back to cloudy.

I have decided to be patient and just let the healing process run it’s course. I have another appointment tomorrow so we’ll so how that goes.

Back to Cataract

I have another appointment this afternoon at Spokane Eye Clinic. They are fixing the cataract in my right eye this time. I also have glaucoma that they have to deal with. 

I had the left eye done February 22nd, 2021 and it went quite well. I am hoping for the same results this time.

My appointment is at 2:00. We will be leaving shortly.

5:30PM: We have just returned and I have a patch over my right eye. 

The whole procedure went smoothly and was pretty painless. I have to wait until 8:15 before I can remove the bandage.

8:35PM: Well, the bandage is off and all I can see is a large blur. This is nothing like the procedure I had before. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens in the morning.

September BP

 

C.S.C.

I took the Cold Shower Challenge this morning but cheated a bit.

The C.S.C. is when you step into the shower, stand there under the shower head and turn on the shower. You are bathed in cold water until it comes up to temperature. It's a way of creating some discomfort in your otherwise comfortable existence.

I cheated by priming the sink until it turned to hot water. That way, the water in the shower turns from cold to warm in about 30 seconds as opposed to two or three minutes for an unprimed shower.

It is the last day of September and I have some chores to attend to as well as some lying around and having a nice relaxing day.

I am ending the month at 221.0 pounds.   

Truck Update

It's a good thing I took the truck in because it had a couple of serious issues. My $200.00 oil change and check up turned into a $1,200.00 repair job.

My oil pump was leaking so that got replaced. Also, my radiator had a leak so that had to be removed, plugged and returned to the radiator location. I get the truck back today after having left it at Bill's Auto Repair for three days.

I still have a couple of issues that are not yet critical. My rear axle seals are leaking and my cruise control no longer works. Both of those fixes are close to a thousand dollars each.    

Ex E-Mail

My e-mail has really gotten out of control. I spend a good five minutes every morning deleting e-mails I don’t want. Then I spend more time during the day deleting more e-mails that come in. If I add up the time I spend hitting the delete button, I’ll bet it comes close to an hour a week. That’s an hour I could use more productively drinking beer, napping or solving world hunger.

So I spent a great deal of my time this morning going through the e-mails I get and unsubscribing. I do not have a lot of faith that unsubscribing will work but we shall see.

In other news of the morning, I took my truck in to have the regular maintenance that I never do. We’ll be taking the truck to Prosser to get our grapes for the year and I don’t want any problems.

Fair Booty

 We drove out to the fairgrounds this afternoon to pick up our fair booty. We did pretty well this year and are expecting a substantial windfall in the prize money arena yet to come.

Even my rubber band ball got a second place ribbon. On the back of my exhibitors card, the judge left a comment. "Very round, but why?"

I don't think I could have gotten a better prize than that!

Fatty McFair Guy

I started the day at 218.6 pounds.

Then we went to the Spokane Interstate Fair.

Deep Fired Cheese Curds, Corn Dog, Elephant Ear, Beer, Longhorn Ribs Combo Plate, Wonder Bar.

I ended the day at 222 pounds.

Mr. Health

Upon stepping out on to the front porch for my morning walk today, I felt the coming of Fall in the air. It was crisp and cold. But not so cold that I had to dress more warmly than I was presently attired.

I met with Dr. Mooney on Tuesday and she wants me to be walking two miles or more rather than the mile and a half I have been. So, in an effort to try to be healthy, I am following that admonishment and walking farther. And perhaps more.

So I walked a course that I think is close to two miles. I'll measure it out in the truck a little later.

I need to get more active. Dr. Mooney showed me a chart of my activity over the last few months. I didn't realize that my dephibrillator kept a record of my activity, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

The chart showed I was more active in June and July than I was in August. Upon reflection, I think I've been pretty active in August. That's when we started tearing up the floor in the kitchen.

Oh well, along with my weight loss, I have another goal to work on.

Another Pig Out

 I have once again dodged a major fat bullet after another visit to Pig Out in the Park.

Yesterday, Susan and I met Lee and Cari at O’Doherty’s for a beer and then a venture through the park for Pig Out Happy Hour. They call it $5 Bites, but it’s essentially Happy Hour.

I had half an Elk Burger, (delicious) shared some deep fried Mac n’ Cheese, (Yummy!) a sampling of  Italian Sausage with Grilled Onion, (Spicy & Savory) and a Chocolate Dipped Cheese Cake (Unbelievable).

We left the park and went to the Hub for a couple of pitchers of beer.

All of that should have sent me over the edge of the scale. But I weigh exactly the same as yesterday, 218.2.

Hooray for me!

SSA Update

 So, it is official. I have been approved for Social Security Disability. That bumps my monthly payment to around $1900. When I turn 66 1/2, I go off Disability and receive normal SSA Retirement, which will continue to be the same amount.

I did not get a big fat check to cover the Disability difference since last July. It turns out you must be disabled for five months before you qualify for the payments.

I guess that means I still owe a balance for the overpayment, which is in dispute right now. I’m waiting to hear from SSA about the next strep in the dispute resolution.

August BP

 The good news is that I ended the month lighter than I started the month. A trend I intend to keep pursuing.

Pig Out in the Park 2022

Here we are at the end of the month and I think I lost 6 pounds since August First. I got as low as 216 but then would eat something that popped me back up to 218ish.

I have an appointment with Dr. Mooney on Tuesday. I was hoping to get my weight significantly lower for the appointment but with the upcoming Labor Day weekend and a couple of visits to Pig Out, that doesn't look promising.

I had a blood draw today in preparation of the appointment. I just got a call from one of Dr. Mooneys nurses who said I look a little dehydrated. I don't feel like it but I guess I better start drinking some water. 

Blown Diet

 I managed to get down to 216.4 pounds. I believe that is my lowest weight since I started this diet back on June 27th.

Then, I blew it! We were invited to a Spokane Indians Baseball game by our friends, Bruce and Candace. Candace had a special invite from the company she invests with and had extra tickets. They not only got us in to the game, we had a free buffet. I ate 2 hotdogs (no bun) half a burger with a bun and another hotdog cuz it was Dollars in your Dog day. Plus, waaaaaaaay to many potato chips.

So I am not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow.

Lawns, Drains, Floors and Pools

For the first time in three weeks, I mowed the lawn today. The backyard really needed it but I could have let the front yard go another week, I think.

We got a visit from a plumber today who is also a member of our church. I asked Tracy to come by and give us an estimate for moving the kitchen sink to the window.

After much searching for pipes in the basement, and crawling around in the crawl space down there, he more or less came up with a plan and an early, preliminary estimate, which was between $2,000 and $3,000.

We still need an estimate for the new gas line.

After that we went to work on more kitchen floor demo. Susan was feeling good enough to pitch in and we made some good progress. 

I finished my day at the pool across the street and now I am beat and ready for bed.

Good night!

Lucky Guy

I've just come in from sitting on the front porch. It's a nice evening out after a day that was supposed to hit 100°. I have no reason to doubt that it didn't hit 100.

I didn't get much accomplished today. I had a doctor's appointment at nine with the Sleep Study guy and another appointment at 1:50 at Spokane Eye Clinic. 

My right eye has gotten tender around the tissue of the right eye. It's kind of itchy and when I mentioned it to Susan, she said I should call my eye doc. I got in to see Dr. Reilly at the North Nevada office. He said my eyes are irritated by the general atmosphere and it should clear up. He gave me some eye drops to take over the next five days. He said it would clear up.

He also told me a good joke. What's the difference between God and an Ophthalmologist? God knows he's not an Ophthalmologist.

Tomorrow's agenda involves mowing, working on the kitchen floor, and getting an estimate from a plumber to move the kitchen sink in front of the window.

It was a really nice sitting on the front steps this evening. I'm very lucky to have everything I have in my life.   

The Saga of Social Security Over Payment

I'm having a battle with Social Security. They say they over paid me last year by about $2,400.00 because I earned too much money. I am not sure if that is correct but I plan to fight it on general purposes. I probably owe it but will get some money back because it was vacation money used to cover my insurance through October of 2021.

Nonetheless, SSA said they were going to take my full payment due this month and about $900.00 of next months payment to cover the over payment.

However, when I checked my bank account last Wednesday, I had my normal payment in my account.

I went on line to my SSA Account to see if I could figure out WTF!

Since I first applied for Social Security, I had also applied for Disability since I believe I was no longer able to work. I have very low stamina and tire out easily. I don't believe I could work an eight hour day.

My plan was to work until 66 1/2 years of age before I retired. My total benefits would be close to $1,900 a month. Since I officially was retired in July of 2021, my monthly payments are about $1,600.00 a month.

If approved for Disability, I would get the $1,900 amount plus whatever had accrued since last July. It took just short of a year for them to complete my Disability claim. 

When I got on the website today to see why I had been paid, I noticed a note saying my Disability Claim had been 100% reviewed. It said I would be receiving a letter in 10 to 15 days to tell me the results.

I also noticed that it showed my next monthly payment would be $1,963.71...the amount I would have gotten had I waited to 66 1/2 years old.

So, what I think happened is: they approved my Disability Claim. They were going to send me a check for around $3,000.00 to cover the difference retroactively. They applied the $3,000.00 to my overpayment. They paid me as usual and I will receive a check from them in a few days for the difference. Probably three or four hundred bucks.

I'll let you know.

 

 

Stan on the Links

Well, I did it again. I went golfing.

Today Mark and I went to Esmeralda. We golfed nine holes although I paid for 18. I got a rain check for the other nine so I guess I’ll be golfing at least one more time.

I must admit that it was fun to be out there. We teamed up with one other guy named Nate. He just moved here from Woodenville and is starting Law School at Gonzaga next week. He played better than Mark and I, but not by much.

The good news is that I can finally get a golf score that’s less than my age. At least for nine holes!

Attack of the Covid

Susan started feeling crappy last Tuesday night. She took a Covid Home Test and tested positive. Since then, she has been sleeping in the other bedroom and keeping her distance from me.

I have been feeling fine, which is amazing to me considering our respective overall health profiles.

I have told several people that Susan has Covid and I feel fine…and they mostly freak out.

Today, I purchased a home test and tested negative. So I have that under my belt but I doubt it’s going to keep the Covid Pussies at bay.

In the meantime, Susan still feels tired and shitty. She has one more day of medication…Paxlovid…and then she’s on her own.

Clipping Trip

Today's weight was 220.0 pounds even. 

I have a good record of getting out and walking everyday. Last week I walked five miles and I'm on track to make 7 1/2 miles this week.

For quite some time, I have noticed the various yards along my walk. You can tell the people who care about their house as opposed to those who don't.

I have noticed this one house in particular where the yard is very nice but the sidewalk is a jungle. They pay no attention at all to the weeds that grow out of the cracks of the sidewalk and from the curb.

Don't get me wrong. I'm in no position to make remarks about other peoples yards. I have brown spots and dead spots and lots of weeds that could be removed. But I do make an effort. My sidewalks are mostly clean and my gutters are pretty. Even the branches of the trees along the sidewalk are pruned back so they don't hang in the path of people walking by.

And that brings me to my main point of discussion for today. Branches that hang down in the path of the sidewalk.

On my morning walk today, I took along a pair of hand clippers and when I encountered a branch that I deemed as blocking I cut it and threw the branch in the yard from whence it came.

The sidewalk on my street is quite nice and no trimming was needed. But when I got to Euclid street, which is a block north of the park, I was quite active with the clippers. 

Some yards took a snip or two while others required some major pruning. On tomorrows' walk, I will check to see how many of the clippings I left behind got cleaned up.

Call me a sanctimonious sidewalk sheriff if you like, that is a badge I will wear.       

Pain of the Day

 I have been fighting a losing battle against bug bites for the last three weeks. I’m not sure where I get them. It seems like they happen in bed but only to me.

It started a few weeks ago with a bite on my left arm. I scratched the hell out of it so it kept oozing and not healing. Then, a bite appeared on the bottom of my left arm. 

I’ve had bites on my back and most recently, on my right leg. It’s on the back of my leg right above my knee.

I’m going through a lot of anti-itch cream.

In weight loss news, I’ve been hovering at about 222 for the last week. Susan’s sister has been in town all week and we’ve been eating in ways that are not beneficial to weight loss. Todays weight was 221.8.

July BP

 I want to note that I had to replace my Blood Pressure Cuff in the middle of the month.

Hovering

 I have gotten as low as 217 pounds but I seem to be hovering around there and not much more. With the heat we are experiencing and the amount of perspiration I perspire every day, one would think I'm losing pounds and pounds. One would be wrong.

I'm still doing pretty good at following my diet. Some days are better than others.   

One Third of the Way Home

It has been 16 days since I got disgusted with my fat ass and went on a quest to loose 30 pounds. In just over two weeks I have lost my first bag of sugar.

To my great delight, I weighed in this morning at 219.8 pounds. Unfortunately, I see no difference in the picture I took today from the one I posted on June 27th. I think I may even look fatter.

That's a bit discouraging.   

Weekly Weight Update

 I spent most of the week hovering around 224 pounds. I was afraid I had totally blown it on Thursday when I  went to David’s Pizza with Rob. Pizza and beer. Too my surprise, I only went up a half pound. I owe that to the fact that I only had two pieces of pizza.

Today I reached a number I previously had not hit. 222.4! Yea!!!

So, from here on out, I will be hitting numbers I haven’t seen in a while. More Yea! Or is it Yay?!

Float Day

Since it's a holiday weekend, we took the liberty to float the river with some friends yesterday. I totally fell off my diet. I had several rice krispie treats and three beers. I was not looking forward to weighing in this morning.

To my utter shock and amazement, I weighed in at 223.4.  I was down a full pound. I have to be good today and tomorrow to continue my power loss.

 

Relapse

 I weighed in yesterday at 223 pounds. This morning I relapsed to 224.8. It is now the Fourth of July Holiday Weekend and I’m going to have to work hard not to relapse any further.

I ate pretty good yesterday but I drank not so good. I went to the pool about 2:30 with a gin and tonic, which turned into another gin and tonic, followed by a beer. And then some wine.

I’m not quite to a week in this diet and I feel pretty good. My goal is to loose five pounds a week and I’m still ahead of that. But there is a lot of beer to avoid in the next three days.

It’s going to be tough!

2022-06 BP

 

224.0

I am pleased with me!

So far, the diet is going well. I have already lost a half bag of sugar. That's in just four days. 

I was concerned to see my weight this morning because I cheated yesterday. Along with my steak, I had mashed potatoes. I have to fight those urges. The mashed potatoes weren't even that great. 

On top of having made the potatoes, I made too much and I'm too frugal to just throw them out. But I won't eat them today.

Other than that one cheat, and the beer I had the other day, I've been pretty good at following my plan. No sugar, no grains, lots of protein.   

226.8

There was no loss in my weight today but no gain either. I consider that a win since I ate somewhat badly yesterday. I had some of the tuna casserole that's sitting in the fridge. I will not do that today. I have a barbecued steak in mind for later in the day. 

However, I'm also meeting a friend in the Valley for a beer. I will have one beer and that will be it.

I am waiting for 9:00 to get here so I can start mowing. I missed my mow day last week so the lawn is ready for a trim. Since I'm going to the dump today, I'm going to add the lawn clippings into my load, keeping my garbage can free of any yard debris this week, and then filling it next.

Good News! I finally found my sprinkler. I put it away last fall in a place that would be conveniently out of the way but easy to find. Then I forgot where that place was. I knew it had to be in a draw or cabinet, possibly in the Carriage House but most likely in the garage. 

I finally found it in a drawer in a cabinet in the garage that I had ignored. Once again, I spend waaaay too much time looking for tools that should be easily findable.

I am learning...but slowly.   

The Diet Commenseth

I begin my diet with some encouraging news and a not so flattering photograph.

I weighed in this morning at a surprising 226.6 pounds. I lost three pounds yesterday. If I can only keep that up! 

I also tried a picture where I sucked in my gut.

Also not very pretty! 

Well, I've spent about an hour of my day taking these pictures and getting them posted. I guess I should go out and carpe the diem. 

Bags of Sugar

I am currently carrying around three bags of sugar and I've had enough. Oh sure, they could be bags of flour, or beans or Raisonettes. Whatever they are, I want to loose 30 pounds and I feel pretty committed to it. 

Of course, I've committed to it in the past and the results have been less than spectacular. That's why I'm writing it down here. I need to be reminded and reaffirmed constantly.

Since this was my first day of the rest of my diet, I did pretty good. I didn't eat anything all day long. We went over to the pool after working in the yard all afternoon and I had a beer. That was the last beer I'll have for the week. Susan made a tuna casserole that was tasty and I really needed it. Tomorrow, I start in earnest! 

Yard Work & BiPap

 I’m taking a break from mowing the lawn because it has really wiped me out. I have a slight sweat going and I feel a little wobbly. I want to keep mowing my own lawn. It’s the least thing I can do around here. Even if I take my time to do it, I want to be the guy that gets it done.

While I’m waiting to return to the yard, I would like to take a moment to express my extreme dislike for my BiPap machine. I accept it as a necessary evil but make no mistake, evil it is.

I cannot seem to regulate the thing between turning my mouth into an arid wasteland or a slimy swamp. I need to wear it at least four hours a night. Generally, once I hit four hours, the mask comes off but I have lots of nights where it’s on for se7en hours.

There is an app on my iPad that rates my nightly sleep based on how long I wear it, how tight the seal is, and how many events I have per hour. I have a goal of getting a perfect score (100) on it but it seems fleeting. The best I’ve done is a 97.

Okay, enough of this. Time to get back to yard care.  

Summer is Coming?

 I am writing this post now so I have something to refer back to when it happens, but I don't think we are going to have a warm day ever again. Here we are well into June and have had only a couple of days where the thermometer got to 70°...and not much more. 

It rained ALL DAY yesterday and I have over one and a quarter inches in my rain gauge to prove it.

It's a little nicer today and I'm just about to head out on my morning walk, which I have let slide for too long now.

Later: Okay, my walk is complete and I am pleased with myself for getting it done. I overcame my nature to make the walk short. I had many reasons to make the walk short. It was cold, it was a little bit rainy, my glutes hurt. But I soldiered through and did the mile and a half in about 35 minutes.

It's been a couple weeks since I took a walk and a lot has changed along my route. Kabots Kitchen looks like they are out of business. They have a sign on the door that says, "Closed for Vacation". But there are signs missing from the windows. 

There is a house on Euclid that is have solar panels installed on their roof. The old cannibalized Ford pickup sitting in a driveway near the end of my walk is suddenly missing the cab. All that remains is a rusty frame. I wonder how long it will sit there now.

Still Alive

I guess I should have posted before now to announce that I survived the Heart Cath, which I did. However, we did not get very good results. My heart is pumping much less blood than Dr. Mooney had hoped for. So much less that she is starting to talk about my becoming a candidate for a heart transplant. That was kind of shocking to hear but we are over the shock and looking forward to seeing what’s next.

I had a stress test yesterday that involved breathing tests and a stint on the exercise bike to see where I am.

We meet with Dr. Mooney on Monday to talk about the results.

I got out and walked my mile this morning despite the pouring rain. Then I enjoyed a sit in the hot tub, in the rain, which is no big deal. I mean, are you afraid of getting wet?!

I did something I haven’t done in a while. I jumped in a old shower. It’s alway s quite invigorating but I had a second motive. I wanted to stop sweating from being in the hot tub. Didn’t work! Still sweating.

May BP

 

Final Post - Again

This could be another one of my final posts. I'm leaving shortly to have a heart procedure. They are doing a Heart Cath but it's not the big, more invasive one they did on me last July. I should be in and out.

But just in case, I thought I had better be sure to say good bye.

My new doctor, Dr. Mooney wants to get a better assessments of what's going on with me. They shoot in the dye and find all the areas of closing arteries.

Before I go, I have to take Susan's car to the body shop to get some damage repaired when she backed into my truck last February. It's not major damage but she wants her car pristine, and I can't blame her.

So I'm meeting Robba at the body shop, dropping off the car and then he is taking me to the medical facility where the poop will occur.

Good bye!

2:27PM: I survived although the news is not great. It does indeed appear that my heart is getting weaker. I have a stress test scheduled for early next month. I have to get on a stationary bicycle and pedal for 6 minutes. Good luck to me on that.   

Punkin Progress

Here is a brief update on my pumpkin projects. Yes, that is plural...proJECTS!

I wasn't thrilled with the first one I started so I began a second.

The first one has turned into a Devil Punkin.

I will be ready to paint it soon...hopefully tomorrow.

The other punkin is just about finished but I have a couple of areas to reinforce and a leaf to add to the stem.   

Stuff To Do Today

 I have three items on my agenda today with a fourth if I can fit it in.

I am going to begin the creation and/or construction of a pumpkin for our Halloween display. It involves the messy task of Paper Mache. At least, it seems messy when I do it.

I have tied string around it to create the puffy segmented  look of a pumpkin. Next step is to get messy. 

I was recently given a Trager Barbecue/Smoker and I want to figure it out. I'm going to cook myself a nice steak for lunch.

Today is the Annual Marge Arndt Pool Plunge, celebrate on this day every year to commemorate the birthday of Tammy's Mom. It serves as the official opening of Tammy and Lou's pool. It looks like it is going to be brisk.

If I have the time, I need to run down to the Apple store and figure out what's going on with my Apple Pencil.

But first, I must walk.

April BP

 

Slightly Dampish

It was a very nice morning for a walk. I nearly had another Wendy's incident on my walk today. I didn't get away clean. There was a slightly dampish feeling down there, just enough to let me know I had better stay vigilant.

I paused for a Stop & Rest on the Kabot Kitchen sign pedestal and I didn't feel that defeated by the resting. The main thing is that I'm out there doing it and on track to reach my nine mile goal. 

Wiped Out on Walk

I don't want to jinx it so I won't say anything about being on pace to reaching my weekly walking distance goal.

I will say that todays' walk completely tired me out. I got back to the house after the mile and a half walk and sat my ass down on the couch for 20 minutes. I have recovered and am feeling back to my normal...which is not great.

I did manage to complete my walk today without stopping on the hill for a rest, like I usually do. I'm trying to get to a place where I can do the hill with no break.

Montana was the winner of the License Plate Game.

Wendy's Walk

Today was not a good walk. It ended up being much shorter than the mile and a half I had planned. For the sake of honesty, I'll call it 3/4 mile.

I got almost to the end of the park when I had a Wendy's Fart. You know, hot and juicy. Susan would refer to this as a Pooper Walk.

The worst part was that I was a good distance away from the house and there was more to come. Pressure was building. I must have looked pretty goofy walking back with my sphincter clenched that hard.  I detoured to the middle of the park and returned to the house in order to make the most of my walk. 

It is odd that the closer you get to the bathroom, the less control you have over yourself.

Anyway, I made it back and my clothes are in the laundry. 

 

Rainy Day Walking

From the start of todays' walk, I didn't feel terribly perky. I was considering taking the one mile route.

I had pretty much made the decision when I got to the hill and saw the homeless guy in his usual spot. Seeing him cemented the decision for me. He was doing what I can only describe as his Kata. He was in the middle of the street, slowly advancing to the far side of the street, doing a bunch of moves that included kicking, punching and me not going that way.

So I got in a mile and came upstairs to write this. Not my most exciting post to date!   

Walking on 4-20

 I have just returned from my morning walk. It’s very surprising to me how my body reacts to different days of walking. Monday’s walk hurt. My hips were sore, my feet were numb…I was not enjoying myself. In fact, during my second walk on the way back to the house, I walked through the middle of the park and took advantage of the occasional bench that popped up on my course.

Today went much better. I didn’t experience the hip pain today and my feet going numb was not as bothersome. But I had to pause on the Division Street Hill and I immediately sat down upon my return to the house to rest. I’m augmenting that rest right now by typing this post. 

Anyway, I got in another mile and a half today.

Oh wow! I just realized that today is 4-20. I guess I have to go out and get high.

Weekly Walking Report

Well, I did not make my goal. I didn't really even come close. I walked 5 1/2 miles last week. That's three and a half short of my nine mile goal.

The main reason I did not make the goal was because of Roadie. I drove two gigs on Wednesday and two more on Friday. There does not appear to be anything to bid on today. I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow which will keep me from making any other bids in the morning.

I have completed my mile and a half for today. If I'm feeling really frisky, I might go out and do it again this afternoon.   

Roadie Day One

I'm about to head out on my morning walk but I wanted to make note of an activity. 

This morning, I responded to a bid on Roadie. Roadie is an App I signed up for a couple of weeks ago. They offer "gigs" to deliver items for people. Generally, it seems you're picking up something at Home Depot and driving to someone who couldn't fit whatever it was in a car. Or perhaps they ordered it on-line.

I checked the App on my phone at 5:30 this morning. There was one gig offered for $25.00 to deliver something that was large and 95 pounds to a residence in Elk. Elk is roughly 20 miles north of town.

I got up at 6:00 and checked it again. It was still available and had gone up to $32.10. I haven't submitted a bid since I signed up, so I decided to give it a try and see what it was like.

I got myself dressed while I waited for the bid to be accepted. It took about 10 minutes. I was in the truck at 6:40 and headed off to Home Depot. 

When I got there, I presented myself to the Customer Service desk, gave them the name and order number and a guy brought up a toilet for me to deliver.

I loaded up the toilet and hit the road. 

It was a nice drive to Elk and I found the place pretty easily. The only mistake I made was not getting a picture of the item on the customers front porch before he hauled it in. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me.

I just checked the App and made another bid offer. This one is for $41.62. I've just been accepted so I am off.

1:52PM: The second Roadie gig I did went much smoother and paid better. It brought my hourly rate for the day to $11.60.

The delivery was described in the bid as Large. It turned out to be three push brooms, five rakes and two tamping tools. I had to pick them up at the valley Home Depot and deliver them up north at Mead High School.

After I was done, I went to the North Spokane Costco to gas up and do some shopping. I got us a nice ham for the Easter Sunday along with other stuff we needed.

So I earned $40.00 today and have the rest of the day for whatever I want. I think I want to go on a walk.

Goal Setter

 I have set a goal for myself for this week. I want to walk at least nine miles by Saturday. Here it is Monday, and I’m already up to 2 1/2 miles.

It was chilly this morning when I headed out. About 35 degrees. I left the house at 7:40 and made it back in 35 minutes. I can tell you I can feel like I went on a walk. Walking up the steps at the end of my mile and a half course is by far the most difficult part of my walk.

I find it is best for me when I do my walk first thing in the morning. There is a sense of accomplishment that fuels the rest of my day. 

The winner of the License Plate game was British Columbia. There was also a plate from Montana, which I consider to be the same, if not greater distance. But the tie goes to the foreigner.

Okay, I’m going to rest and then have breakfast and get on with my day.

Ski Day #19

 Today, I went against the advice of my Doctors and went skiing. The mountain is closing for the year on Sunday, so this was my last chance to ski for this season.

I decided not to tell Susan about my plans ahead of time because she would have disapproved. I would have gone Wednesday but she stayed home sick. From a cold that I gave her. Wednesday was a much better day as far as weather goes. But today looked like my best opportunity and I took it. I decided it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.

I got up to the mountain waaaay too early...about 8:40. No real problem. I was going to take my time getting ready. Getting up there that early got me great parking. You can see that it was overcast and I can tell you it was windy.

I got my jumpsuit on along with my boots and was ready to trudge up to the lift. To my surprise in my utter stupidity, I realized I did not bring my glove bag. That meant no heat pads, no inner gloves, no gloves, no headband and no goggles.

What...adumbass!

I was prepared to accept my stupidity and also realized it might be a sign for me to obey my Doctors and just go home. But I had made it all this way. I decided to take a chance.

By take a chance, I do not mean that I was going to tough it out and ski without gloves and head protection. That would not have worked.

I meant that I would go up to the office and see if there was something in the Lost & Found I could borrow for the day.

Taking the chance paid off. I got a nice pair of slightly small gloves and and weird nylon thing that I doubled up and used as a headband. I had some cheapo pair of sunglasses in the truck which was all I needed for eye protection.

My first run was up Chair Five and then over to Three. I skied the Northwest Passage and took the cat track over to Chair One. The snow was wet and it didn't feel like my skis were going to be very slippery but once I got going, it was good skiing. I was happy I was there!

When I got to the top of one, I took the cat track over to Chair Six and Gary's Glory. The wind was blowing straight at me as I traversed the hill to the run. Once I got to Gary's, it was great.

I skied Runs Two and Three on Gary's Glory. 

For Run Number Four, I wanted to try the B-29 but the cat track to the run was blocked off. I skied down the number one face and thought I might cut over to B-29 but never did.

Run Five was back on Gary's Glory and there was a very light mist starting to fall.

When I got back to the top, it was snowing pretty hard but it was very wet. This was my sign that the day was over. On my way back to the Number Two Lodge where I parked, it was snowing on the top of the hill, ice darts in the middle of the hill, and rain at the bottom of the hill.

I stopped at the lodge and returned the gloves and headband to the office. I thanked the girl there for saving my day and tipped her $4.00.

I want to say that it was a good way to end the season. It wasn't a great day, but it'll do. Above is a picture of my truck in the parking lot, third one in from the end. Just right!

I must say that I have it in my head to go up Sunday afternoon if the day is halfway decent.

Today didn't do much for my yearly total per run. However, every extra run is a little more money off the total. I'm at 176 runs for $2.27 per run.

March BP

 

The Half Hour Blood Draw

I had to go in for a blood draw this morning.

Now here’s the deal. I like to park in the parking garage at the Heart Institute. The first half hour is free. So I want to get in and get out. Today, I timed it.

From the time I pressed the button for the parking ticket until I was checked in and sitting in the waiting area, it took 9:26. I sat in the waiting room for 2:26. It took them 2:17 to draw my blood and I was driving out of the garage 3:38 later. In all, it took 17:48 to complete this task.

I’ve been going in for blood draws a lot over the last couple of weeks. I’m really getting it down to a science.   

Ski Season Summary

Mt. Spokane has announced that the final day of the season will be Sunday, April 10th.

My Cardiologist has announced that my final day of the season has come and gone. They don't want me skiing anymore this year until they get my blood pressure back in balance.

So the summary for the season is that I made it up 18 times this year. Sixteen of those times was at Mt. Spokane. Twice at Lookout Pass. I skied 170 runs which cost me $2.35 per run. That cost is of course a little higher when you add in gas, lunch and beer.

It was a great year even though a day of skiing really wiped me out. It was a good way to get wiped out.  

Revitalization

 It took until today for me to start feeling normal again. I took it pretty easy yesterday. Other than holding down the couch, I didn’t do much at all.

I was feeling much better today. I got up and got my fat ass downtown for a blood draw. Then I dealt with my bank account getting hacked. Over the weekend, somebody took $1,100.00 out of my checking account and sent it to Draft Kings. They must have been betting on the Zags.

In any event, I think I have gotten it taken care of but it may be a while before I can use it. They have to wait to verify the fraud and there is no telling how long that may take. But no more than 90 days, I’m told.

I did a few little cleaning chores around the house, took a nap and helped Mark move some 2x4’s from his work to his house. That’s what you do when you have a truck.

I’m feeling perky and I’m feeling like I’m back. But it’s important to not get cocky.

Living in the E.R.

If you asked me how I wanted to spend my Sunday today, being back in the Emergency Room at Sacred Heart Hospital would not have made the top 50.

And yet, there I was.

I got up this morning feeling lethargic. As the morning went on and we prepared to go to church, things got worse. I checked my Blood Pressure as I usually do and it was 110/78. That's low but not serious low.

I showered and got myself dressed and felt like I was going downhill.

We called our official medical consultant, Nurse Kelly and she thought it sounded like low blood sugar. She told me to drink some juice and check back in half an hour.

Nothing improved. I took my blood pressure again and it was 78/46. When I stood up, I felt like I was going to pass out. A couple of times, I became incoherent and confused.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, looking up and reaching for something. I could hear Susan repeatedly asking me what I was doing. I could hear her but I could not respond. I couldn't find the words.

At that point, Susan called the 911. 

An ambulance showed up within minutes. They came in to assess me and get me ready for transport. I wonder what that will cost.

The nice thing about the ambulance is that it gets you right into the E.R. No 5 1/2 hour Waiting Room experience. So it was a much more comfortable visit. 

We got in there about Noon and they ran another battery of tests on me.

Nothing conclusive came back other than perhaps I was dehydrated.

The Doctor was a little concerned with my EKG, stating that it was different from Thursday night.

After consulting with a Doctor in my Cardiac Doctors group, he let me go home about 5:00 and wants more blood tests on Tuesday before they go any further. 

Today I am plenty hungry and ready for a nice meal. I requested a Chicken Caesar Salad and Susan showed kindness on me and made it. It was delicious and I am presently feeling good. 

We shall see how long this lasts. And I wonder what all this will cost.  

A Night in E.R.

7:45 AM: I have just returned home from spending the night in the Sacred Heart Emergency Room.

I will tell you all about it after I get some sleep.

1:24PM: Gonzaga played their first round game in the NCAA Tournament yesterday and I went to the Hub with Rob to watch it. We went to Jimmy John's and got a couple of sandwiches to enjoy while watching the game.

Susan showed up with about five minutes remaining in the game. It had been a close first half but when Susan got there, the Zags were up by 22 points. So we enjoyed the final minutes as they put Georgia State away.

Rob left shortly after the end of the game and Susan and I sipped wine waiting for the start of the St. Mary's game. Mark showed up a short time later.

I was sitting at the table when I felt a sudden wave of nausea come over me. I walked outside and promptly hurled a nice purple stream into the bushes.

I immediately felt better and walked back in and told Susan about it.

I didn't drink any more wine and felt a little crappy. We headed for home and shortly after, I had a major vomiting episode. I got rid of the sandwich and any wine I had left remaining. I continued to dry heave for a time and then promptly went to bed.

I was pretty miserable and I don't think I slept much. I was feeling an upset stomach and a little pressure in my chest. I decided to take my blood pressure which was 188/93. Susan was just coming up to bed when I told her what was going on. Because of the chest pressure, we opted to head for the E.R.

We arrived about 11:00 and the place was jumping. They got me in quickly and got some vitals, blood and a chest x-ray. We proceeded to sit in the Waiting Area for the next 5 1/2 hours. When they finally got me into an E.R. room, they said that my blood was showing no enzymes of heart damage. That was a good thing.

I threw up a couple more times. They suspected it was something with my gut. They gave me some furosemide because my x-ray showed fluid around my heart.

They did an ultra sound of my gall bladder and liver and found nothing out of sorts.

I peed several times and the chest pressure abated. They finally let us go about 7:00AM.

We both came home and got right into bed. We stayed there until a little after noon.

I'm still feeling pretty bad. I'm achy and my stomach is tied in knots. I haven't thrown up any more but feel like I would like to.

I haven't had a thing to eat today and am not hungry. I'm heading back to bed shortly. 

On the good side of all this, Susan got the day off.

Ski Day #18

Well, I don't mind telling you that I am wiped out. 

I skied today with Robba and it was a great day to ski. The mountain was closed Monday and Tuesday so we had five inches of fresh snow that fell from those two days. Also, a shit load of rain fell during those two days. So the five inches turned into an inch or two, got very wet, and then froze.

We got up to the mountain about 10:00 and promptly began our ski day adventure. The snow was okay in the groomed areas but hard as rocks off to the side. 

As the day wore on and warmed up, the snow turned to a very heavy spring snow that was fun to ski through but exhausting. It really wore me out. I feel more wrung out today than I have ever felt this season. I can't imagine how I would be feeling if I was still working eight hours a day.

And yet, we had great fun and we had the back side of the mountain all to ourselves in the afternoon.

Todays' 14 runs get me to 170 runs for the year at $2.35 a run.

My goal is to get in another 30 runs before the season ends. That will put the per run cost at $2.00 a run which is well within my budget.

It was a very good day and now I'm going to bed.

Tuesday Walk

 I got a walk in today and it was again an un-fun event. I really had to push through the whole time I was out. My hips are giving me trouble, just some slight discomfort, but enough to make wimpy me feel the burn.

I feel like I’m back to last summer when I began my walking campaign. It was really difficult at first but I gained the stamina enough to make a walk and then expand it. I’m not sure when I’ll be expanding to the mile and a half route.

I am making progress though. I weighed 226 pounds this morning.

One Mile of Misery...and a lot of whining

On my morning walk, I realized I was not enjoying myself at all. Every step seemed like an effort. I wanted to turn back. I wanted to stop, sit down and rest. My breathing was labored, my hips hurt, it was not fun.

But I made it through and that feels empowering. And I'm going to do it again tomorrow. Hell, I've got the time, I might do it again today. I have to keep my ability to walk for a long distance or I am finished.

So, for the record, I walked one mile in 24 minutes.

A nice little repose on the recliner after the walk was a nice touch.   

Return to Walking

 My fatty photo gave me incentive to go out and walk this morning. Winter put the kibosh on my daily walking regimen and I feel the repercussions of not walking.

I only did a mile and it took about 30 minutes. I was winded but got a little boost of self confidence when I made it to the halfway point. No hills were involved in todays’ walk but I expect to incorporate them soon.

Fat Stan 230.8

This is a warning that the following picture should be looked at...by anyone.

Unfortunately, I need to document my fatness and shame myself into losing some weight. I'm not drinking beer right now as my Lenten commitment to God. In the past, that has really helped to make the pounds fall off. Now that I'm 65, it is not that easy anymore.

Today's weight: 230.8

Ski Day #17

I knocked another 23¢ off the per run cost today by skiing 13 runs. I'm now down to $2.56.

Rob and I got up to the mountain about 9:40 and promptly parked in our normal parking spot...right next to the Ski Patrol Chalet at the bottom of the snow ramp to the parking lot.

There was a high haze that eventually blew off and it was pretty windy in the parking lot. I wasn't looking forward to a windy day.

We went directly to Chair 4 and skied the ridge, which was awesome.

We got in six runs before lunch and then went back out to ski the B-29 off Chair 1. It was really enjoyable and we kept going back for more.

My friend Nick even joined us for a couple of runs.

Unfortunately, I had to be back at home by 3:30 to pick up Susan from work. I think we would have skied a couple more runs if not for that.

Nonetheless, 13 runs is a good day.    

Ski Day #16

It's been another beautiful Monday on Mt. Spokane.

I was not feeling particularly chipper about heading up. Skiing on Saturday seemed to really take it out of me. But who can resist a gorgeous day on the slopes. Especially when it's my birthday.

The snow was pretty hard and icy on the first few runs. Rob and I skied over to the back side on Gary's Glory and found that quite enjoyable.

After lunch, we went to the B-29 and found the best snow on the mountain. It had softened up substantially and was very nice skiing. Then a cloud blocked the sun and it was amazing how quickly the snow on B-29 started to harden.

Fourteen more runs gets me to 143 runs for the year at $2.79 per run.

I made an additional investment into next season by purchasing next years Season Pass at the discounted Senior Rate of  $329.00. With taxes, it was about $355.00 which is the amount I will base next years cost per run on. 

As of today, I'm on Medicare. Thank the Lord I no longer have to deal with Kaiser Permanente, who cover nothing more than a band-aid!   

Ski Day #15

Susan and I skied Lookout Pass today. It’s our annual trip to the Silver Valley for skiing and fun in beautiful Wallace, Idaho.

It was a nice sunny day and the skiing was pretty good. We got up to the mountain about 10:30 so we had very crappy parking position. I rectified that issue when we came in for a beer at 1:00. I was able to move the truck up to the front row.

Susan skied six runs and I got in nine. Susan feels very shaken and out of shape on her skies. She was skiing much slower today than she usually does.

Now we are down from the mountain, nestled in our little Wallace apartment and ready for dinner. We are both feeling pretty worn out and the hot tub will be waiting for us after we eat.

I spent $47.00 for my lift ticket which means it cost me $5.23 per run. Like the last visit to Lookout, I am not including it in my running cost per run statistics concerning Mt. Spokane.

February BP