March BP

 

The Saga of the Sliver

Back on March 3rd, Susan wanted to change the banners we have at church from the winter theme to the spring theme. We use this large wooden pole with a hook on it to lift the banners up to the wall hook about twenty feet up on the wall.

After I got the second banner hung, I let the pole slide down through my handle and caught a sliver in my right hand ring finger. There was a little tip sticking out and I did my best to grab it and pull it out. It broke off, leaving a lot of sliver still in my finger.

Throughout the week, I tried in vain to dig it out using a variety of non surgical instruments that I had on hand. Pins, tweezers, xacto knives, all were useless.

Last Friday, I finally made my way to Providence Express Care. I saw a Physician’s Assistant named Ashley. She shot me up with Lidocaine  and dug around in my finger but never really found anything. And believe me, she looked. I watched as she put those tweezers deep in the wound.

She sent me for an X-ray to see if it showed anything. I was later informed that an X-ray won’t show anything organic, so that was a waste.

I finally called my Doctor because it was suggested I need an ultrasound. An ultrasound would show an organic foreign body but I needed a referral from my doctor to get one.

So I trundled into my doctors office on Tuesday and saw another P.A. He wanted to refer me to a hand doctor and then see if they would order the ultrasound. I would hear back from him on Thursday or Friday.

Last night, I removed the bandaid to squeeze out the puss and put on a clean dressing. When I squeezed, I suddenly noticed a sliver sticking out of my wound. All the way out. I just flicked it off.

They all said the body would eventually expel it and the body finally did. Above is a picture of the little wood chip with a postage stamp for size reference.

The wound on my finger is still tender but I think I have been cured by my own self. Stan, heal thyself!

February BP

 

Voice Change Baseline

 

First Ski Day

I finally got in my first day of skiing for the 2023/24 season.

This has been the worst winter for snow in my memory. It’s no big deal when we are talking here in town. As much as I enjoy snow blowing, I can do without it just as easily.

But snow in the mountains is an accepted part of nature in Spokane. Mt Spokane didn’t open until just before Christmas and they just don’t have a lot of snow up there.

Nonetheless, it was nice to get up on the hill and it was a gorgeous day with nary a cloud in the sky.

As I always say, the worst part of my ski day is getting from the parking lot to the lift. We got a great parking space thanks to my Handicap Parking Placard and it was a fairly easy walk up the hill.

I put my skis on and moved toward the lift. My right foot came right out of the binding. I looked down and saw a couple pieces of plastic scattered around my ski. My first thought was my binding broke. 

On closer inspection it was my boot that broke. In fact, the whole toe piece had cracked and broken right off.

I should say that I have had these boots for well over 40 years. I looked at new boots a few years ago but didn’t find anything I liked. These boots are rear entry boots and they are really easy to get on and off.

Apparently, they stopped making rear entry boots a long time ago.

So I walked up to the rental shop with my skis and my sad broken footwear. I was told I would probably have to rent skis as well because it was unlikely the rental boots would fit.

So that added 45 bucks to my ski day.

So I will be tossing the boots later today and begin my quest for a new pair. 

Between this and my major snow blower repair, this has been an expensive winter.

January BP

 

Two and a Half Days of Frozen Hell

 We woke up Saturday morning to minus 11 degrees and frozen pipes.

I broke out all our space heaters, the heat guns and every extension cord I could find. We’ve had this problem once many years ago and I was able to thaw the pipes pretty quickly.

That was not the case this time. We’ve been borrowing buckets of water from our neighbors for the toilets and purchased a bunch of drinking water.

I’ve been running the heat gun over the pipes but had no luck.

This morning, Monday, I called a plumber. They got here about 3:30. I showed the guy system and the whole layout and like me, he was stumped.

In a Hail Mary sort of move, I asked them to stay for one hour and see what they could do. 

I was not hopeful. They just concentrated their heat guns on the area where the water line comes into the house and on the meter. With 18 minutes left in their hour, the water started running. 

A huge weight was lifted from me even though it cost $461.67. They didn’t really do anything Plumbery. 

But we have water again and no damage to the pipes.

I just took one of the best showers I’ve ever had.

Whew!