Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful. This year it came so fast it was really hard to get into the spirit. I got my tree after Thanksgiving and decorated my house and I love to come in and look at it but I just didn't seem like Christmas this year.

Stanley, Janet, and the kids came down on Sunday evening and we had pizza on Christmas Eve and everyone opened one present that the parents picked out. That was always a tradition with us and I'm finding out that it is more and more popular. When we were younger we got to open one Christmas present on Christmas Eve and it was always pajamas to wear that night and most of the next day.

Since we didn't have much time together we ordered a turkey dinner from Boston Market, it was very disappointing and we won't do that again. The turkey, the mashed potatoes and the corn were good but nothing else was.

As soon as we woke up on Christmas morning it immediately felt like Christmas. The kids trying to wake everybody up early and rushing everyone through breakfast so we could open the rest of the presents. Another tradition we always had was that when everybody woke up Christmas morning we could open up our stockings but we had to wait until after breakfast to open up the rest of the Christmas presents.

I lost my Aunt Jeannie, my sister-in-law has cancer and had to take a radiation pill and stay in a motel room all by herself and my Aunt Kathy found a lump that was fortunately benign.

I slept in late this morning so I decided to just stay in bed and rest. Tomorrow my mom and I are going to go out to dinner and then either Friday or Saturday were going to have some people over for Cribbage game.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

another weekend closer to Christmas

This is probably the best feeling in the world. I'm laying here in bed nice and warm, listening to the rain falling on the skylight, looking at my Christmas tree and listening to music.

On Thursday my mom called and told me that my Aunt Jeannie is in the hospital and they don't expect her to live longer than forty eight hours, as of yet I haven't heard anything but I'm sadly waiting.

My sister-in-law in Georgia, Anna Maria, is going in next week to have her thyroid removed because of cancer. They went to Oklahoma for a couple of days to spend some time together because after the operation they want her to stay in a motel because the radiation is so strong she will not even be able to hug anybody.

My mom and I were going to go to the movies today but as we were leaving she got a telephone call from her friend Chris. Chris fell last night and she thought that she had broke her arm so my mom took her to emergency. She didn't break it but she bruised it really bad. After my mom got back home we went to Denny's for breakfast, they do have a really good breakfast.

Tomorrow I'm just going to stay inside and take it easy. I got all of my Christmas shopping done so I just have to get everything together and try to remember where it goes.

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Another Weekend

Today we went to see The Nativity Story at the movies. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I did, it was very well done. Before we went to the movies we stopped and had a blueberry cheesecake crape and then after we went and had some Chinese food. They have this spicy eggplant tofu that I just love.

Tomorrow we're going to Westfield Mall. I want to get Brodie's picture taken with Santa Claus and I want to get some sugar free candy and some regular candy.

I'm almost completely done with my Christmas shopping a boy does it go great, I'm usually running around at the last minute trying to get everything done. It's great to be able to relax and enjoy.

Charlie's coming over tomorrow morning to show me the final drawing for my new home in Santa Cruz, I'm so excited to see it. He always has such great ideas that blow me away.

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Christmas

It seems like I have been going to the movies a lot lately. It's nice to be able to go to the movies with someone that I don't have to pay hourly and that I don't have to buy a ticket for. East Ridge has new theaters right across from the food court. I have seen the new 007 movie called Cassino Royale, Santa Claus 3, Happy Feet, Deck the Halls and Déjà Vu.

Stanley and Corinne came down last Sunday to bring me a Christmas tree and decorate it for me, they really did a nice job. Now I just have to get the rest of the House decorated. I'm sitting here right now looking at the tree and is just really hard to be unhappy was such a beautiful sight. Opening tomorrow I'm going to get the last of my Christmas shopping done and then I will be really in the mood.

I finally got the pins out of my finger and boy is that a relief. Dr. Hentz, Dr. Shem, Dr. Yim, Lisa and Jennifer were there and it was really great to see them all. It didn't take them very long and they encouraged me not to look so I didn't but I wanted to. I asked them after how long the pins were and they asked if I wanted to see them, I said yes. They were about three inches long and it took my finger a long time to quit bleeding.

I'm looking for a treadmill for Brodie. The last couple of days the weather has been really nice so I take her for a walk often but when the weather starts getting cold or when the weather gets too hot I'm not able to walk her and I feel really bad so if I get a treadmill I will be able to exercise her right here in my home.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Yay, my computer is working

It has been quite a while since I have written anything in here so I hope I can remember everything.

Tom and Kelly are finally back home and hopefully getting some rest, they were running around like crazy and I think Kelly was sick most of the time that she was here. It was really great to be able to spend some time with them and I hope they come back.

Last weekend Robert, David and Corinne spent the weekend here so their mom and dad could have a weekend alone. They got here on Friday and it was raining most of the weekend so we didn't get to do much except for just visit. We did go see Santa Claus 3, that was a really cute movie.

It seems like time is going by so fast. I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is right around the corner. It's just going to be my mom, Uncle Dick and Aunt Kathy, Bill and Chris and I. Instead of the traditional turkey we are going to have standing rib, baked potatoes and I'm not sure yet what else but I'm sure there will be enough food for an army.

The weekend after Thanksgiving a friend of mine that I met at Valley Medical Center is going to come and visit. We have been meeting to get together for a long time but because of one thing or another it hasn't happened.

My computer was down for a while, approximately two weeks. Everything is so wonderful when my computer works but when it's not working I get so frustrated and I cannot do anything.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Tom & Kelly

Tom and Kelly got here on Monday evening, it was really great to see Tom again and it's always great to see Kelly. They have been pretty busy catching up with old friends while they are here so they didn't really get much of a vacation but they look happy. Tonight they went to a wedding in Saratoga and tomorrow they're going to a brunch. I think that Tom is going to go home on Monday or Tuesday but I hope he decides to stay longer. Kelly is going to stay for a while. I'm not sure if she has any more catering jobs lined up but hopefully we will make it over to Santa Cruz to check out my new place and of course have sushi at Mobos.

I'm finally getting my house cleaned up and everything back in order from the party and the family visiting. It always seems to go by way too fast and I can't wait until the next time. We were going to have a Halloween party but that car postponed because Anna Maria is going to go into the hospital and have all or part of her thyroid remove, I hope everything turns out good.

Monday, October 16, 2006

JP's birthday party

David, Anna Maria, Deziree and JohnPatrick got here on Thursday. Andy, Aubrey and Stephen got here on Friday evening. Unfortunately they had a layover in Salt Lake City and when they went to board the plane they only had enough room four one so Andy had to stay and take the next flight so David drove to Oakland to get him a couple of hours later. It was really nice to meet Andy and he fit right in the family immediate, you could deal it out as well as take it. Our family is very close but we do love to tease each other.

On Saturday we had a Harry Potter birthday party for JohnPatrick. We had about twenty four people here and everybody had a great time. We decided to order pizza because that is JohnPatricks favorite. I have never been to a party where they had a pinata. The kids had a lot of fun busting it open and the adults had a lot fun watching it. Of course the baby was a big hit and everybody wanted to hold him.  As usual the time went by way to fast.

I went to the doctor on Thursday and because the incision on my arm was getting infected they put me on antibiotics. Before David left on the plane to go home I asked him to give me one of my antibiotics and it's a good thing that I was paying attention because he tried to give me one of Brodie's tranquilizers... he said it was an accident. Brodie has a sore leg so said she had some tranquilizers from her last operation they told me to give those to her and hopefully her leg will feel better and it looks like it's working.

Kelly called and said that Kevin party was a lot of fun but they were tired so they were going to rest and they will be back here tomorrow.

Anna Maria and JohnPatrick decided to stay for a couple of days longer.

Saturday, October 7, 2006

Family

Kelly got here last night and she really looked tired. She started off in Florida and then drove to Las Vegas, took a plane to Wyoming and then to Colorado and then flew back to Las Vegas, drove to San Diego and then drove here. She said she was hoping to have a couple of days off before she starts her catering business but she is going to cater the San Francisco football game tomorrow so she took off early this morning to get everything ready. Hopefully she will be able to rest on Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday she is driving to her brothers to help them with his party, his party sounds like a lot of fun.

I'm just relaxing this weekend, watching TV, listening to the stereo and talking to friends online.

Next week I will have a lot of family here and it sounds like we're going to Casa De Fruita for a Renaissance Fair. Both the Georgia and the Modesto Van Sant's are going to be here and we are going to celebrate JohnPatrick's birthday. At the end of the month they are going to come back to celebrate Halloween and have a Halloween party. I'm going to get the decorations out next week so they can all help me decorate, I'm so excited.

Thursday, October 5, 2006

Cast

That is the shortest length of time I had never had a cast on my arm. They put it on last Friday and took it off yesterday. I still have two pins in the end of my finger and they are not going to be fun when it is time to pull them out.  I also still have stitches in my army but at least I got rid of that cast. They never did tell me when I get the pins out but they told me the next hand clinic was in November.

I got the keys for my new house today and I still can't believe it. I can't wait to go see it now that I know it is mine.

Kelly will be here tomorrow evening and it sounds like she's going to stay here for a couple of weeks. Her brother Kevin is having a huge party for Halloween and she is going to help them with it, it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun and I wish he lived closer.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Hand surgery

I had surgery on my left hand yesterday and it went pretty well. The part that always makes me nervous is transferring from chair to bed and from bed to chair. My mom and Aunt Kathy left on Wednesday for Wyoming and Colorado to bury my grandpa and his brother so Stanley came down to stay with me for a couple of days. I was supposed to get preop out of the way on Wednesday but it took so long that by the time I got out admitting and the anesthesiologist had already gone home so I had to come back on Wednesday, yesterday to finish preop. My surgery was going to be the first in the morning, 7:00 so I needed to be there by 6:00. We brought my portable lift it was a lot easier to transfer me back and forth. I don't remember how long the surgery took and I felt really bad when it was over, my stomach was very upset and I was dizzy. Stanley called Lulu and she met us back here at the house and put me to bed and I have been pretty much sleeping ever since. Madonna was supposed to be here the morning of the surgery at 4:00 but misunderstood so she didn't show up until 5:00, I was getting really nervous and afraid she was not going to show up because I had to leave my house at 5:30. Everything worked out and I made it there on time. While I was at preop I saw a guy that I went to school with and talked to him for a while. He was the nurse that took my pulse, temperature and everything like that.

My mom and Aunt Kathy came home today and Stanley left to go home, he should be home by now. I thought we were going to at least have one day to visit but it went by so fast and like I said I slept most of it but I was glad he was here.

The cast is almost up to my elbow but my fingers in some are exposed. I can see a pin in my left finger underneath my fingernail and whenever it touches something I get a shooting pain up my arm. They gave me some Vicodin but I'm not going to fill it unless it really gets bad, it's pretty bad so I'll probably get it filled hopefully tomorrow. I can still taste the anesthesia the matter what I eat, it tastes awful. I have to stay in bed for a couple of days with my arm elevated but after that I should be able to be up and out of here.

On October 2nd I close escrow on my house, it is finally mine. Kelly will be here around the 6th to stay for a couple of weeks and then we will see what happensfrom there.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Another weekend

Everything is going along better than expected. The plans that Charlie did for the House are a lot more than I expected, he is a genius. My aunt came over and helped me put myself on a budget, I wish she would have done this a long time ago and I could've had a lot more money saved for my new home. It's kind of a challenge but I'm going to do it.

David called tonight. He and his wife and family are going to come down this year for Halloween. They don't celebrate Halloween in Georgia so it will be the first time that the kids will be able to go trick-or-treating, it's going to be a lot of fun. They're going to be here around the middle of October along with Andy, Aubrey and baby Stephen for a family reunion and now will be a great time for them to help me decorate for Halloween.

Next Wednesday my mom and my aunt are going to Wyoming and Stanley is going to come and stay with me. Stanley definitely keeps me laughing and he is a great cook, I know we will have a great time.

Next Wednesday I go in for preop and then on Friday I'm having surgery on my left hand. The tendons on my middle finger are stiffening and making my finger bend and I'm not able to straighten my finger anymore, it will be nice to be able to straighten it because I can feel the tendons being stretched and it's pretty painful. Saturday I'm supposed to go to a urology seminar at the Cyprus Center. Cindy told me about it so I signed up to go and I will meet for their. I'm hoping since my surgery is outpatient I will still be able to go to the seminar. Lulu took off work yesterday and today to take her mom to Los Angeles to visit relatives so she's going to take me on Saturday.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Great weekend

I met with Charlie on Friday to see the plans that he drew up and they are great. Besides building a big house he's building a two-bedroom apartment over the garage to either rent out or keep for when family visits. He didn't actually measure the property yet so he came by today with some plans that he has been working on. He doesn't have the final plans yet, he is still playing around with it, but it is going to be awesome and I am very excited .

I stayed in bed all weekend and pretty much slept. Since they put me on Zoloft I seem to be sleeping a lot. The doctor gave me two choices, one you take in the morning and is supposed to give you a little more energy and the other you take in the evening and it helps you sleep. I decided to try the one in the morning because I would rather be awake during the day then sleep at night but it still makes me very sleepy at night. Marie said that the sleepiness will go away after a couple of weeks.

I've been using this juicer that Jerry got me at Costco and I wish I would have had it a long time ago. I tried a bunch of vegetables in it the other night and it tasted great, I tried beets, carrots, celery and spinach and in the mornings I use pineapple, mango, nectarines, grapes and figs and that is really good. I'm trying to stay away from coffee in the morning because of the caffeine but then Jerry brought me over some caffeine free hot chocolate.

Betty made some menudo. I have tried it before but never homemade and it was awesome. I have been eating it since Wednesday and I'm not tired of it yet. It is so nice to have somebody cooking who is really good at it. She is a diabetic so she doesn't use a lot of fat and salt and I like that also.

Thursday, September 7, 2006

The telephone

I have always been real nervous about answering my phone and making phone calls. The last couple of months I have been making myself answer the phone and returning phone calls or making phone calls and it feels great. I usually don't return phone calls because I put it off but I'm hoping to not do that anymore. I feel really good getting everything done in the moment and I don't have to worry about it all day. I don't know where a phone phobia comes from, maybe from growing up in having your parents say "only 10 minutes on the phone". I was also with somebody for about eighteen years that always said the same thing. I've always afraid that other people in the house is going to hear my conversation and think that it's silly. I do enjoy talking on the phone once I get on it.

I go back to today to see Marie. She put me on Zoloft and I have been sleeping really good and they took Brodie out again today for a long walk, she is so happy when she gets to go for a walk at least once a day. In the afternoon if I have time after shopping I'll take her to the park and let her play for a little bit. Of course when we get to the park all she wants to do is lay in the shade and try to pop the tennis ball with her tea, I guess if that's what she thinks of as fun than it is okay.

My mom and my aunt are going to Wyoming for my grandpa's burial later on this month and my brother Stanley is going to come and stay with me for a couple of days. His kids are in school so they probably won't come and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with my brother.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

YAY...

As a today I own a house in Santa Cruz, I still can't believe it, this is my dream come true. I'm going to miss this place because I really love it and my neighbors but Santa Cruz is where I want to be. I'll be able to run Brodie on the beach every day and even go shopping without having to pay somebody to drive me.

I can't wait to see the plans that Charlie made up to add on, he is so clever and I know I'm going to love it. It's going to take anywhere from a year to two years to finish but it will be well worth it. It is so cool to see the progress and this time I know what I want so it will be a lot of fun picking out everything

Madonna, my morning attendant, told me this morning that she's trying to sell her house and as soon as she sells it she and her family are moving to Sacramento. I am really going to be sad to see her go but she will be close to her family where she belongs.

Monday, September 4, 2006

Santa Cruz here I come...

I met with Katryn today and we wrote an offer letter for the property in Santa Cruz. The contractor who put together this place for me, Charlie, and his wife went to Santa Cruz to check it out and said that it was "totally doable". I can't believe this is really going to happen but it looks like it is. I will know whether they took my offer or not by the end of the day on Wednesday. If they don't take my offer I would just make a counteroffer and do whatever I can to get the place, it is perfect and it is perfect for me and my mom.

Lulu called in sick today so luckily my morning attendant, Madonna, didn't have a client after me today so she stayed and put me to bed after Katryn left. For some reason I had a really bad headache but after I took a nap I woke up and it was gone.

Yesterday Jerry brought me a juicer. I ran into him one day at Costco and he was buying one and when he came over the next day he was telling me how wonderful it was. He was juicing everything and so I decided to get one, when I told him he went and got one for me and I cannot wait to start making my own juice. He also brought me over a wonderful dinner that he made, a lot of the ingredients out of his own garden.

Friday, September 1, 2006

American Idols

The American Idols concert was AWESOME. At first we thought that we didn't have very good seats but as it turned out they were perfect. The music was really loud and so was the screaming teenagers. We both enjoyed it very much and plan on going to more concerts at the Saratoga Mountain Winery.

Next Tuesday we start going to eat and going to a movie in the afternoon. My Mom, my Aunt Kathy, Ellen, Vanessa and I, I think it's going to be a lot of fun and it will be great to get to know them more.

I'm finally looking at property in Santa Cruz and I found a house right across the street from my aunt and uncle. I already got the loan from the bank and I found a realtor and we're going to make an offer on Monday, I am really really excited. I always thought that I would end up in Santa Cruz but I didn't think it could happen this soon but it looks like it is definitely going to happen. After I buy the place I will probably take about a year or two to get everything the way I need and want it but it will be well worth it. My mom is going to sell her house and move in with me so that makes it even better, I think it's time we both quit paying space rent and got a place of our own away from the drama of the mobile home park.  It will be nice to be able to just go outside with Brodie and go to the beach, the movies or shopping by myself.

It has been so busy here and I am exhausted with everything that has been going on so I'm looking forward to staying in bed over the weekend and resting, watching movies and dreaming of my new house on the beach.

I got to talk to Marie on Thursday and I went to see Dr. Shem and they are going to put me on Zoloft for a while. Dr. Shem is also going to look into the surgery on my left hand, I hope they do it soon so I can just get it over with. I'm also going to go back and talk to Marie once a week for a while, Marie is the psychologist where he did my rehab after my injury so I have known her for about ten years.

David just called and it looks like Andy, Aubrey and the baby are going to be here in the middle of October so were going to have another family reunion, I cannot wait and I'm so excited. I just love having family around.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Doobie Brothers

Grandpa's Memorial turned out to be really nice. Most of my furniture has glass on top of it so I decided it would be nice to put a bunch of pictures from past and present underneath the glass, this way everybody could look at them but none of them would get ruined because a lot of them I borrowed from family. Of course we had a ton of food and everybody ate too much. We talked a lot about Grandpa and pretty much everybody had a story that nobody else had really heard. He had a great life and he was very funny and loving man that everybody that met him became a good friend.

My brother David and I had a concert to go to that evening so we left here about 6:00 p.m. The concert was the Doobie Brothers at the Saratoga Mountain Winery. Usually we eat dinner on the deck first at this time we didn't. The concert was AWESOME and we did not want it to end. It made it extra special because my brother remembers falling asleep listening to them play next-door when he was in 5th grade. Our neighbors were good friends with them. I remember them trading my horse for theirs because there's was so stubborn and mine was so calm. Our neighbors had a horse named doobie that they tied up to a tree one evening and in the morning found out that they had tied it next to a cliff and the horse fell off and hung itself. The cloud of marijuana came from behind us and up onto the stage, I could tell that because the keyboardist in front of us was making remarks about how strong it was... it was very strong. Of course they sang all of the great songs and we were sitting right in front of the stage. I thought it was going to be too loud but it was perfect. The last couple of times I went there there was a gentleman helping out what kind of took us under his wing and made sure that we've are comfortable, bringing us water and treats, making sure the intoxicated people did not spill their beers on us. There was one gentleman who was already very intoxicated when we got there. He had a license plate that he apparently took off his truck that said Doobie B. First thing he did was throw it up onto the stage and when they grabbed it to take it away he acted surprised and said that he needed it to drive home, they told him that if he through it again he would lose it for ever so he went and got two more beers. The guy sitting next to him was already falling asleep, passing out, but was so embarrassed by his loud mouth thathe moved down a couple of chairs. After the concert they came and got us in this golf cart that had a ramp for wheelchairs, it was pretty cool. The guy that was helping us out got me the playlist that was taped to the stage, the one that had the songs they were going to play. I also got a guitar pick that says the doobie brothers on one side and somebody had signed on the other. They threw one at my brother and he missed it but one of the security ladies saw where it landed and picked it out and gave it to him. A young lady behind me reached over and said there was one stuck in my shirt and she picked it up and handed it to me, since we already have one we gave that one to her and she was so excited, if you do something nice hopefully something nice always happens to you in return. My brother said it was better than Eric Clapton and I agree, not better than Don Henley but better than Eric Clapton. My older brother asked us if it was better than the Eagles and that was a hard one.

David had his eye surgery yesterday, they scraped his left eye and put a patch on it and told him to sleep all day yesterday and all night last night. He goes back today to see how it is doing and that he flies home, tomorrow is his anniversary and of course he wants to be sure to make it home.

My aunt Kathy and I are going to see the American idols tonight at the HP Pavilion and I am so excited. It has been a very busy last couple of weeks with family and everything and I'm looking forward to resting this weekend.

I got rid of a lot of the clutter in my house and it is looking so much better. Stanley put up my pot and pan holder in the skylight in the kitchen and it looks great, I love it. I'm going to have part of the wall from the kitchen into the dining room taken out to open it up and have the kitchen cabinets refaced, I never liked the looks of my kitchen cabinets.

Tomorrow I go and talk to Marie. She is the Spinal Cord Injury psychologist at Valley Medical. She was the psychologist there when I was injured and she knows me a little bit plus I see her a lot at the support groups and when I go to appointments at the hospital. I just feel like I need to talk to somebody professional for a while.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Uncle Frank

My mom is leaving today to go to Georgia and then to Albuquerque with my brother and Deziree to see Andy and Aubrey's new baby. My mom always gets a little nervous when she has to travel but she always definitely has a good time.  David is going to be here on the 26th for Gramps Memorial and were going to see the doobie brothers at the Saratoga Mountain Winery.

Grandpa's brother, Uncle Frank, passed away yesterday. It was expected but is still very hard. Stanley is coming down next week to help plan for the memorial on the 27th. He said that there is a Renaissance Fair at Casa De Fruita that him and his family are going to go and asked me if I would like to join them. I've always been curious about them and heard about them but I never have gone so I think I'm going to give it a try.

My house is looking pretty good, I got rid of a LOT of stuff and I feel really good about it. I have lived here for several years and since this is my first place I got way too much stuff and it feels good to not have my house so cluttered. I'm going to knock down part of the wall in the dining room to make it look a little bit bigger and so we can have more access to the kitchen and I'm going to get the cabinets redone, I have always hated the cabinets in my kitchen.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Tim Mcgraw & Faith Hill

WOW, what an awesome concert. I would have to say this was one of the best concerts I have EVER seen, they sure do know how to put on the show. We left early because we were going to get something to eat before the concert but by the time we got there Hershey had some fun stuff going on out front so we ended up just staying in watching that. They set up the stage in the center of the ice rink so we had really good seats and could see everything. They sang a duet and then Faith Hill sang a bunch of her songs and then Tim McGraw saying a bunch of his songs and then they sang a couple more together. I knew that we had good seats so I decided to leave Brodie with Lulu for the night, it would have been way too loud for her. While we were waiting to get in a lady walked back down the ramp and gave me a hat with the concert name on it, I'm not sure why she did but I really appreciated it, then she asked to she could take my picture with the hat on. Everybody is always so nice and helpful and I cannot wait to go back to see The American Idols at the end of the month. My brother and I are also going to The Saratoga Mountain Winery on the twenty seventh to see the Doobie Brothers.

I just about got my house uncluttered and organized like I always dreamed it could be. I am getting rid of a lot of stuff that I don't need and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. This was my first place living on my own so I went a little overboard... okay a lot but now I'm going through in getting rid of the bulk of it.

My Mom and David are going to Albuquerque next week to visit Andy, Aubrey and the baby and then David is going to stay here for awhile and Stanley and Janet and the kids are going to come also. The memorial for Gramps is going to be on the 27th. I'm going to work on making some collages of Gramps for anybody who wants to take home.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Spring cleaning

My Aunt Kathy and Vanessa came by yesterday and took my mom and I out to dinner. Lulu never showed up for work yesterday so I was still up in my chair and ready to go. My Aunt came over to help my mom rearrange her house and go through some of my grandpa's stuff.

They came down to my house today and moved some stuff around and make my house look like it is not so cluttered. My mom took Sweet Pea back down to her house so it is going to be a lot more quiet around here, I don't know if I'm going to like that and I will miss her. By Monday my house will be just like I always wanted it to be.

After my aunt left yesterday she went to Ellen's to have dinner and then they came back by to play a couple of games of Cribbage. After they left I slept really good and woke up when Madonna came in. Time to take a bath and get dressed and up again for another long day.

We are going to start going to the movies and out to eat every Tuesday, that will be really nice. When Kelly comes to stay here she will join us and it will give us all a good chance to really get to know each other like family should.

Saturday, August 5, 2006

It's a boy

Andy & Aubrey had there baby boy on the second of August. They thought they were going to have a problem at first because when he took his first press he got a little hole in his lung but David called me yesterday and told me that Mama and baby were home. They named him Stephen Anthony.

Yesterday I went to the Santa Clara County fair and I was really disappointed. It seemed like every year it gets hotter and hotter and smaller and smaller. I couldn't even find any calamari. I did find some really cool cookware that I ordered. I just got a hanging pot and pan rack and it will look really good on there. I decided to get really nice cookware since I finally found somebody to cook for me, Betty is a really good cook and said she is diabetic she doesn't use a lot of salt and everything she makes is delicious.

Today and tomorrow I'm just going to take it easy and watch movies on TV. Next week is going to be a really busy week.

Since David and I had to leave the reunion so early he had an idea to have a barbecue here while he is here at the end of the month because Stanley will be here also and I am really excited about that. I e-mailed some of the people that I know last night and I heard from two of them today and it looks like it's really going to happen.

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Aunt Marlene's Memorial

Aunt Marlene's Memorial was really nice. There was a lot of people there because there was a lot of people that really loved her. It was nice to hear some of the stories that people told. I saw quite a few people that I haven't seen for a long time and that was also nice. The weather was perfect for Stockton, it was cooler today than it has been I was told.

When I got back home I got a call from David. Aubrey had her baby this morning at 7:00 a.m. She had a boy and he was 8.6 pounds. My mom and my brother are going to fly there in a couple of days. He did have a minor problem when he took his first breath he punctured a small hole in his lung. It is nothing serious but he will have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

New month

I just got an e-mail from my brother saying that his daughter, Aubrey, is in the hospital with labor pains. I hope she does not have a long deliver... they say it's all in the delivery.

The weather has been a lot cooler this week and I'm hoping this month is going to be a better month then last month. Tomorrow my mom and I are going to Stockton for my Aunt Marlene's memorial service, I hope it's not really hot there.

This weekend is the Santa Clara County fair and I'm really excited about going. I'm going to go Friday and if it looks like it is worth going back Ih will go back on Saturday and maybe even Sunday, it's not going to be here very long.

Also this month I'm going to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the Doobie Brothers and the current American Idols.

At the end of this month David will be here for approximately six days and also Kelly will be here to stay for a while. I have been watching Trading Spaces and While You Were out on The Learning Channel a lot lately and I decided that my house needs some color and Kelly said that she would help me pick out some colors that would look good in each room, I'm really excited about that.  I have always hated the cupboards in my kitchen so I will finally be able to do something about it.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Aunt Marlene

We started playing Cribbage again today and it was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed playing and visiting with everyone. There was seven of us and everybody had so much fun that we decided to try to do it once a week. My mom, my aunt and I are going to also start going to the movies and out to eat once a week.

David and JohnPatrick flew home yesterday. On Sunday my mom and David went to Stockton to visit Aunt Marlene while JohnPatrick and I stayed home. Aunt Marlene was back in the hospital again in this time she decided she did not want machines to keep her alive so they unplugged the machines yesterday, she passed away early this morning. This has been a really tough month.

I was in a jeep rollover accident in 1980 and was afraid to live in the mountains anymore so my Aunt Marlene said I can come and live with her, she was a really neat lady.

David will be back in three weeks for six days. Kelly is going to come and stay here for a while and I have about three concerts next month. I am really enjoying having my family around so often.

Tomorrow I finally take my chair in to get fixed. I'm going to have to stay in bed all day but it will be so nice to have my chair running like new again.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

CT English 30th reunion

I was so excited to go to the 30th CT English eighth-grade reunion with my brother David, we have been planning it for several months. We left here at noon and it was already 102 degrees, I had a kind of feeling that we probably shouldn't go because it was so hot but this is part of the reason David came to visit and we were both looking forward to it. We decided if it got too hot to take a drive and cool down or just go home. We were there about an hour and got to see a bunch of people that we went to school with and it was so cool to see them. I decided that I needed to get out of the heat so we went for a drive around our old stomping grounds. I wasn't really cooling down so we decided to stop at La Tienda which was now Summit Center to take off my socks when David noticed we had a flat tire so he proceeded to change the tire in the 106 degree heat, the spare tire was also a little flat but we thought we could make it. David went in the store to get some fix a flat, later he found a can and an air compressor in the back of the van. If he would have found it sooner he would not have to have changed the tire, I completely forgot it was in there. After all of that we decided that it would be best to just go home because it was just too hot. All of a sudden the van just quit moving while we were driving down Summit Road so we had to stop and backup to the nearest street. We decided to try to go back to the school and get some help but the van would not go any further so we had to pull over on the side of the road. At this point we didn't even have the air-conditioned so we decided it was time to call 911 to come and get me out of the heat. I have heard of this happening to people but until now it has never happened to me. This was my first emergency room visit since my injury ten years ago. First a police officer showed up, took my pulse and decided calling an ambulance was a good idea. Next the fire truck showed up and they started packing ice around me, they said under your arm pits is the best place to put the ice to cool you down, I will have to remember that. I was getting a little panicked and everybody was so nice and caring and genuinely concerned. I took a while for the ambulance to get there because it was unusually hot and a lot of people were overheating. When the ambulance got there they loaded me from my chair to the gurney and into the ambulance for my ride down the hill. By the time I got to the hospital I was feeling much better and cooled down. As soon as they loaded me into the ambulance they turn to David and asked what he needed, I thought that was very sweet, David is always taking care of everyone else and he is the reason I did not panic. It turned out to be a vapor lock or something like that because about an hour after the ambulance took me away the van ran okay, I think we just had the air conditioner on for too long. By the time I got to the hospital I felt much better and was cooled down and just had to wait for somebody to come and get me and take me home. Today is really hot so I decided to stay inside where it's nice and cool.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Grandpa passed away on July 17th at approximately 1p.m. he went the way he always wanted to go, quick and not needing any elderly care. He would not have wanted to live the way that this accident would have left him to live and we would not have wanted to see him live this way. He had a great life. Motorcycle riding, owning a couple of stores, doing whatever he wanted to do and I think he left a happy man. I love you Grandpa and I will think about you every day and miss you. You have taught me so much and brightened many of days.

Stanley and his family will be here tonight and David and his family will be here tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that it will be a nice visit as it always is but a memory of Grandpa, he will always be fondly remembered and greatly loved.

Gramps

The MRI wasn't as bad as I thought, I was really nervous because they were going to put me in a really tight place. Dr. Hentz, the guy who did my tendon transfer surgery, met me in the parking lot. They took me into one of the rooms that had a ceiling lift and transferred me from my chair to a gurney and then they pushed me to another building and transferred me to another gurney. I didn't say anything to anyone but I was very scared about having this MRI but I think they could tell and they were all great. They all reassured me that I could stop at any time and that they can hear me and they did everything they could to make me feel comfortable. When they first put me in the tube I panicked a lot but I really wasn't bad. The left arm took a little bit longer but they asked me each time if they could do another scan and I figured since I was in there I might as well let them do whatever they want.

My mom just called to tell me that my grandpa fell in the shower and hit his head and they had to take him to the hospital. She said they had just put him in the shower and he said he would be okay but when they left the room they heard a thump and came back in the bathroom and he was on the floor. She said they didn't know yet how extent his injury was but they thought he was going to have brain damage and be a lot slower. I really hate being in this bed and not being able to get up sometimes but I guess there's really nothing I can do. My mom said she would call me in the morning and let me know what they decided to do. I cannot sleep because I'm worried about my grandpa.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

MRI

Today I get to go to Stanford for an MRI. They want to see what the muscles look like a year after the tendon transfer surgery so I agreed. They have to do the MRI's for the research after hours on weekends so I'm supposed to be there about five p.m. so I have been wearing Stanford's scrubs all day long.  I think a lot of the doctors and nurses must be really short.

I sat out on the porch for a while because it was so beautiful outside. I talked to Jerry and Frank and just enjoyed the weather and my new wind chimes. I don't usually get up on the weekends unless my family or friends are here  My mom called and said that my gramps is tired already and they are ready to come back but they are having a really good time.

David is going to be here on Friday and Saturday we're going to my eighth-grade reunion up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I'm really excited about that. Is going to be a lot more people there this year than last year, last year Stanley and David took me. Hopefully we will be able to go up and check out where we used to live and see how much it has changed.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Trip to Montana

Tomorrow morning my Aunt Kathy, my mom and gramps are taking off for a trip to Montana to see my grandpa's brother. They are going to stop in Idaho to visit Elaine, she was my boss for ten years and a good friend of my aunt and uncle's. It looks like they're going to be gone for about ten days. I get to babysit my moms four birds and her dog.

Today I cleaned out the cupboards and bagged up a bunch of stuff to take over to the Sacred Heart. Tomorrow I'm going to do the freezers and then start all over again it seems. All week I'm going to be cleaning up and getting rid of because I feel like my house is getting too much clutter.

It looks like a beautiful day. I'm going to take Brodie and Tue Tue to Vassona Park. I have been wanting to get some pictures.

Sunday, July 9, 2006

Thinking again

Somebody added an entry to my guestbook saying that I have a lot of resources but don't have a job as I claimed I would like to have and it made me think.

I really don't want or need to work. I have my own money, I don't take advantage of outside help to live and pay my bills and I have a great life. I love to have the resources to help other people and I love to acquire knowledge. I love the fact that I can do whatever I want during the day and I love not having a schedule.  I consider my new job taking care of my house and my body and believe me it is a full-time job but the benefits are great.

I love having friends and family around and making them comfortable and doing things with them. So far this summer has been really busy with family and it is exhausting but also exciting. I've been sleeping really good at night and then up early and ready to go in the morning.

This weekend I am taking it easy. Only getting up in the mornings to take a bath and then relaxed the rest of the day. I have a lot of things that I want to get done next week so I'm relaxing and making a list. I'm going to start cleaning out my closets, cupboards, storage shed and my big outside storage and get rid of stuff that I really don't need anymore, I think that now that I have been here a couple of years I can get rid of a lot of things that I know I will not use.

Friday, July 7, 2006

Santa Cruz

Yesterday we had a really great day. David got here around noon and we decided to go to Santa Cruz. We stopped by my uncle and aunt's house and then went on to the boardwalk. We cruised around the boardwalk, on the beach and got some garlic fries and then went to get our picture taken with the Confederate Army outfits. My aunt called and said that they were getting ready to cook dinner and invited us to come back so we did. We had a really nice dinner, visited for a while and then came home. David had an eye appointment this morning and then him and Deziree flew home, a short visit but very nice.

After I went to bed I was cruising around the Internet and I ran across the name of a friend of mine growing up. We used to spend a lot of time together and were very close, his name was Gary. He used to work for his family owned business that did roofing. I found an e-mail address for the web site and sent an e-mail to see if this was my old friend and I really looking forward to hearing back.

Thursday, July 6, 2006

Deziree is leaving

Dave will be here around noon and I am so excited, it is always great seeing him although I will be really sad to see Deziree go tomorrow.

Tomorrow is going to be our first staff meeting. I decided to have everybody get together once a month and go out to breakfast so they can talk about any problems that they have or any complements, this should be interesting.

Kelly sent me some pictures that she took while she was visiting here, her pictures turned down a lot better than mine did. She will be back in mid August to stay for a while. She is starting a new business and I am really excited for her and it will be nice to have her around the house again and to get to know her husband when he is visiting.

Monday, July 3, 2006

I have been thinking...

I have been trying to figure out why I have such a hard time doing things by myself and I think that since my nieces and nephews have been here I figured it out. Most of my life I have had somebody tell me what to do and when to do it. My parents for eighteen years and in a controlling relationship for the next eighteen. I guess everything gets to be routine between life at home and work. Now I have a lot of spare time and I sit here at night and think of things that I would like to do for the week but most of them I never get to. When I found out that Deziree, David and Kelley were going to be here for a week I planned things to do and since they were here actually did them and it felt great. What I need to start doing is planning what I want to do for the week and making myself do it. Simple things like going to the park, going to the movies and IMAX , checking out museums. Last week was very busy, I was up every day by 10:00 a.m. and usually didn't get to bed until about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. and it not only felt great but I was very tired and slept good but I didn't have any pressure sores.

I am trying to figure out what to do this week, it is just Deziree and I so I think we're going to check out the museum's downtown. She's going to take some pictures for me for my spare bedrooms. The weather is supposed to be great.

On Thursday I am going to pick David up from the airport and we are going to Santa Cruz. I wanted to get an old-fashioned picture taken with David and Deziree and maybe get something to eat on the wharf. It is going to be a short visit and him and Deziree are flying back home on Friday after David eye appointment.

Saturday, July 1, 2006

Alamedia County Fair

Yesterday David, Deziree, Kelly, Lulu and her daughter Stalina and I went to the Alameda County Fair and I think everybody had a lot of fun. Deziree and I got a new outfit and they are both beautiful, we seem to have a lot in common including our taste in clothing as well as a lot of our likes and dislikes. The weather was perfect and we ate a little bit of everything.

Today Stanley and Janet are coming to pick up David and Kelly. They're bringing my Aunt Marlene and Terrie. I had planned on staying in bed today because my neck is really sore and I still might.

Next week I want to take Deziree to Santa Cruz to get our picture taken in the old-fashioned outfits. We're also going to go around to a bunch of places so she can take pictures for me, she's really good at taking pictures.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Doobie Brothers

Yesterday we all went back to the mall again, Eastridge and then Valley Fair west gate. I wanted to go across the street and check out Santana Row, as long as I have been here I have not walk through there yet. I wanted to go to the Alameda County fair today but I have a doctor's appointment. For the bout the last three weeks I've been having a lot of pain in my shoulders, neck and back of my head and I have been trying to get in to see a doctor and of course they scheduled me for today so we would just go to the fair tomorrow, I hope the weather is cooler.

I ordered tickets to go see the Doobie Brothers at the Saratoga Mountain Winery for the end of August, I am so excited. Also Foreigner and Styx are going to be there and I'm seriously thinking about getting tickets for those also.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Cousins, Nephews and Neices

Last Sunday Stanley brought David and Kelly to stay here for a week. We watched a couple of movies and had pizza and Stanley went home, he has all week to himself.

On Monday we went to the Eastridge Mall to check it out, they just remodeled it and there was a lot of new places there. I didn't know there was anybody that like to shop more than me until I met Kelly, the girl can shop.

On Tuesday we were looking for something to do when my mom called and said that my cousins Kevin and Kelly were going to come by after they went out to breakfast. We went down there and they were talking about going to Santa Cruz for sushi at Mobos and to check out the Beach boardwalk. I hadn't been there for awhile and we had a great time. We played some games, ate some garlic fries, fried artichoke hearts and fried mushrooms and went and got an old-fashioned picture taken, we really had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect.

Today we're going to Pleasanton for the county fair. I went the last two years to see Carrot Top but he's not going to be there this year, I didn't think that I would like him judging by his commercials but he is very funny.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Calm before the storm

Thursday was really hot. I thought I was going to be smart and leave at 10 a.m. to go to Vassona Park before it got to be too hot but by the time I got there I was 104 in the van and who knows what outside. I stopped by Los Gatos High School to take some pictures and then we went to Vassona to take some more. I want to get a bunch of pictures of some pretty pretty vocal stuff, enlarge and frame them and put them up in my spare bedrooms and around the house, there are some really beautiful site's around here. That is what I want to do next week is to visit some more of these places and get pictures.

On Sunday Stanley is bringing David and Kelley for the week. I hope it is not going to be too hot because I would love to stay outside as much as possible and keep busy.

Yesterday wasn't as warm as it was on Thursday. I met Cindy for lunch at Sam's barbecue but it was pretty warm there so we ended up getting our lunch and going over to the day room in the hospital, I didn't know if they would throw us out or not. On the way in I ran into Lynn and we visited with her for a while and then had a really nice lunch and talked for a little bit. As I was leaving I ran into Carol and her service animal Alma and a service animal that I met a while back named Tarzan. Brodie started to get a little aggressive but then calmed down and we had a really nice visit. Weekend after next Lynn is going to meet me with her two dogs at the dog park to try to get Brodie to get used to being around other animals.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Hall & Oats

David, Anna Maria, Deziree and JohnPatrick got here yesterday at noon. I ended up staying in bed because I got a really bad sunburn at the wedding Saturday and I couldn't even wear clothing, I did today because I had to but it was very painful. Janet, Robert, David and Corinne got here about five p.m. and we left for the concert. Our seats were right in front of the stage, what an awesome view. David took a bunch of pictures and I have some pictures of the wedding that I will add tomorrow or the next day. Everyone had a great time at the concert even though they did not play "Rich Girl". I got a guitar pick and the guy that ushered us got me the list of songs from the stage that they were going to sing (Rich Girl was on the list but I don't know what happened) The guy that ushered us, John, was awesome. They picked us up in a golf cart that had wheelchair seating right in front of my van and took us right to the area where you get your tickets and go to the deck to eat. The view was overlooking the vineyard and Saratoga and it was really beautiful. The food was awesome also. After the concert John picked us up at the bottom of the hill, where the stage is, and drove a straight to the van. While the concert was going on he brought us snacks and water and kept asking us if there was anything that we needed. Stanley was here when we got back.

Rich and Vanessa's wedding was so beautiful. It was at a resort in Aptos. We wanted to make sure we missed traffic so we got there about two hours early. When we got there it was foggy and you couldn't tell that the ocean was right underneath where the ceremony was. I turned around to talk to some people and by the time I had turned back around the fog had lifted and the view was breathtaking. I wish I had turned around earlier so I could have went for a walk and explore the area. After the ceremony Gramps was ready to leave but Aunt Kathy talked him into staying for dinner, it was a Hawaiian theme and a delicious dinner. We didn't get to have any cake but Uncle Dick brought us over some the next day and it was delicious, his friend Dan the cake man made it. I definitely plan on going back to have lunch and check out the beach. They have resorts along the side that look really cool to stay in and fifteen miles of private beach, you can even get a massage in your room.

Unfortunately when I took these pictures all I had was disposable cameras. I have been trying them a lot lately and have been very disappointed in the quality. I have two cameras that take really good pictures but I always seem to forget them.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Wedding

I had a really nice and relaxing weekend. Usually by the time Sunday comes around I am really antsy and climbing the walls to get out of this bed but I really enjoyed it this weekend. I slept a lot and watched a lot of movies that I TiVo and although the weekend went by really fast it was good.

Next week is going to be busy and then next weekend my cousin Richard is going to get married in Santa Cruz so I need to find something to wear to that. Sunday is my birthday and both of my brothers and their families are going to be here for a couple of days, I am really excited about that. Deziree is going to stay for a couple of weeks, Little David is going to stay for a week and Kelly, my cousin Terrie's daughter, is going to stay for a week also. I'm trying to find some things to keep them busy. There is a lot of museums, IMAX, go cart race tracks and miniature golf courses.

We gave Gramps his new voice barcode reader and he seemed to really like it. David made the little stickers to go on playing cards so all he has to do is pass it by the front of the scanner and it tells him in earphones what the cards are, it is so cool. You can also scan anything with a barcode and it will tell you what it is, cereal boxes, prescription bottles...

Friday, June 9, 2006

David's Graduation

I'm really glad that I went to David's graduation. He is a very smart and very talented. He wrote a skit that he did where one of his friends sat on his lap and was his vantrilequest dummy, it was very funny. He also played the piano and helped out four of his friends with their skit. I stayed in a motel and when we got there late and tried to use my portable lift it did not work, we tried recharging it and it still didn't work, so I ended up spending the night in my chair. I slept pretty good but when I woke up I was pretty sore. After the graduation we went to the mall for a little bit and then went out to eat and then headed home. I was supposed to get together with an old friend that I went to eighth grade with but unfortunately I had to cancel because I am really exhausted and I have a pinched nerve and I can hardly move. Hopefully a couple of days of rest and muscle relaxers and I will be back to normal, whatever normal is for me.

Thursday, June 8, 2006

More surgery

Yesterday I went to the hand clinic at Valley Medical to see Dr. Hentz, Dr. Yim, Dr. Shem and Lisa, the lady that does the post tendon transfer surgery research, and it looks like I'm going back for some more surgery. They're going to release the tendon in my middle finger on the left-hand, it is curled up in a cannot straighten it anymore. Dr. Hentz said that while there are there they're going to tighten up my thumb and give me a stronger pinch grip. I thought I was done with my surgery but I just can't live with my finger this way.

Today I'm going up to Modesto to spend the night so I can go to my nephew David's graduation tomorrow morning. He is coming here for a week in a couple of weeks.

Last night a bunch of us got together to play Cribbage at my mom's house, it is always so much fun and so much food. I won every single game and even skunked everyone in one game, we play for a dollar a game.

I cannot believe how fast this year is gone by. My birthday is the 18th, I was born on Father's Day, both of my brothers and their families are going to be here and on the 19th my brothers and I are going to the Saratoga Mountain Winery for dinner and to see Hall and Oates, in the middle of August my mom and I are going to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, at the end of August my aunt and I are going to see the American idols. On the Fourth of July I'm going to try camping for the weekend, my first time camping in a very long time and I'm very excited.

On Saturday and old friend that I went to eighth grade with is going to come for a visit, I haven't seen her since eighth grade. They're having our second eighth-grade reunion in July, my brothers are going with me. We went last year and it was really cool to see everybody that we haven't seen for a long time and we drove up to where we used to live and boy were there are a lot of changes there.

Saturday, June 3, 2006

The weekend

Friday was a pretty busy day. It seems like everything went wrong. First we got started late and then Lulu called and said that she would be late but as it ended up we were five minutes early, I really hate being late. They poked some wires into my arm to test my muscles on the computer. It was pretty cool because I can see how the muscles work. I go back two more times and then one time for the MRI to see how my muscles look now a couple of years after the surgery. I'm not really too thrilled about the MRI but I will do it because I don't like to be afraid of things. After Stanford I had an appointment at VMC with Lynn to work on my finger some more. They have hand clinic next week so I'm going to find out if they need to do surgery on my finger to straighten it out. About a week ago I notice a bump on my head that is really really sore so I'm going to ask them to look at it at the same time. It makes me kind of nervous because there is a lot of cancer in my family but I guess it is better to find out now?

Today and tomorrow are just kind of getting the house organized because it's going to be a busy couple of months and I want to make sure everything is clean and organize.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Stitches out and Stanford

Today I went to Stanford for some more testing for my post tendon transfer surgery. There are always very excited at the progress that I keep making and so am I. I guess because I live with myself everyday I don't notice the progress as much as they do but I'm always thrilled to find out that I am getting stronger and I love helping them out, they are really cool people to hang around with. They put me on the back of their brochure for tendon transfer surgery and they always seem to really appreciate my help but I love doing it.

Yesterday we took Brodie to get her stitches out and she is like a new pup. It is so neat to watch her jumping around and playing like she used to. I ran her around Stanford for a while and I think we might have done a little too much because she is limping a little bit on her right rear leg but she will have all day tomorrow to rest up. They're repaving the park and they're doing my section tomorrow so I won't be able to have anybody here to help me from 6 a.m. to 6 PM.

Friday I go back to Stanford again and then to Valley medical to meet with Lynn for OT. We are able to straighten out my finger a little bit but it looks like I'm going for another surgery to straighten out the tendon, I thought I was done with surgeries. Friday afternoon were getting together to play Cribbage, it has been a while and I'm looking forward to it.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Camping

Wow, what a beautiful drive and a beautiful place to be. My aunt and uncle camp at this place about three times a year and is the first time that I have been there. There is a beach right across the street and everybody at the campgrounds is very friendly. My aunt and uncle are the kind of people that get to know everybody around them and everybody loves them, I'm really not surprised but it is really cool to watch how much people are attracted to them. We walked around the campgrounds a couple of times and talk to some people and just enjoyed how beautiful it was. It took about two and a half hours to get their and my mom was exhausted so didn't really get to enjoy it very much, she took a nap as soon as we got there. I met the best barbecuer in the world I was told but unfortunately we had to leave before dinner. They were barbecuing some fish and chicken and my aunt was making some clam chowder that smelled wonderful. Their next camping trip is 4th of July and I really would like to go. It is only going to be for a few days and it will be a good chance to try it out and know whether I would like it or not, I'm pretty sure that I will. I'm so glad that we went but sorry it took me so long to try it out. Brodie had a great time despite the funnel collar. There were two other dogs at the campsite for her to play with, this was also Brodies first introduction to camping and how fun it can be. Unfortunately as usual I forgot to bring my camera and I am very sorry because the pictures would have been gorgeous and great memories.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Brodster

Brodie is doing great and we get to take her stitches out next Tuesday, both of us will be really glad. She's getting used to wearing the Elizabethan collar although I know it's very annoying, I would not want to wear it.

I'm staying in bed and resting today because I took my van in to have everything checked and usually it takes pretty much all day. On Saturday we're going to meet my aunt and uncle in Plaskett. It is about two and a half hours from here and I looked it up and it is gorgeous, I cannot wait to check it out. My aunt and uncle and a lot of their friends go camping here quite often and I'm hoping one of these times I'm going to go with them and try camping. My neighbor told me that a friend of his is getting rid of a bunch of camping stuff so he's going to take pictures of it and if there's anything there that I can use.

Next month I'm going to Modesto to stay overnight, my nephew David is going to graduate so I wanted to be there to see it. I wish I would have gone to other important events over the years but I always thought it was better not to go, to much work for everyone else to help with my care and I always thought of an excuse but not anymore, I'm not going to miss any other important events.

Since my trip to Arizona and to Disneyland and then my flight to Georgia I realize how much I have missed and I regret not doing it before. Now I'm going to take every opportunity to do anything that I can.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Update on Brodie

Brodie is doing much better. This was our first day out since her surgery and except for the cone on her neck you would never know that she had major surgery. I had a dentist appointment and 11, an appointment with the physical therapist at Valley Medical at 1:30 and an appointment with Tony at 3p. By the time I got to Moorpark the receptionist told me that she had been trying to call me all day, Tony had called in sick for the day. I went to the Mini Gourmet and not an avocado, bacon cheeseburger, have been craving one for a long time and they make the best one. I love when I have a busy day like today and everything seems to fall into place.

Usually I don't get up on the weekends and I did have a lot of things to do for my weekend attendant but I was invited to Lulu's daughters engagement party and I didn't really plan on going but I think I will.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Brodies surgery

Brodie's surgery went really well. The doctor called me while she was in recovery and said that she really needed it and she's going to feel so much better. Luckily they kept her overnight but I get to go pick her up tomorrow. I hope she's not in too much pain because it's really hard for me to deal with seeing somebody I love and pain, I would rather be in pain myself, but I know it's going to be better in the long run.

Keith came by today and I finally got the backdoor fixed. It's so nice to have it working again but I think I'm going to be a little bit more careful about who I give the code to, some people can just come and knock on the door I think. Sometimes it's very frustrating to not be able to not answer the door if you don't want any company.

I had another OT appointment today and Lynn said that if she's not able to straighten out my finger a little bit by the end of this week she's going to send me to the hand clinic next month to see if they can operate and permanently stretch out the tendant so my finger won't bend under any more. I'm not looking forward to another surgery but hopefully it will be my last... I keep saying that.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Happy Mothers Day

Today is going to be a nice relaxing day. I didn't even wake up until about 8:00a, I usually don't sleep in that late. My weekend attendant comes in at 6:00a but she usually find something to do and doesn't try to wake me up.

The pictures I took at Aubrey's baby shower didn't turn out but her mom sent me some really good ones so I'm going to add them.

Happy Mothers Day

Today is going to be a nice relaxing day. I didn't even wake up until about 8:00a, I usually don't sleep in that late. My weekend attendant comes in at 6:00a but she usually find something to do and doesn't try to wake me up.

The pictures I took at Aubrey's baby shower didn't turn out but her mom sent me some really good ones so I'm going to add them.

Mother's Day Eve

Today turned out to be a really fun day. Stanley made breakfast for everyone, he always makes killer breakfasts. Everyone was getting a little bit restless so we decided to go do SOMETHING. My mom needed some parts for her vacuum cleaner so we drove to a place where she had called to make sure they had the parts. I have been looking for a vacuum cleaner for my front porch and my van, I didn't want a new one because it's mostly dog hair, and I found one. After that we went grocery shopping and Stanley got stuff to make a taco salad for dinner and bean soup for the next day. The taco salad was really good and I cannot wait to try the soup tomorrow.

After we ate on my way home I passed by and I heard Jerry in his backyard and he asked me to come and check it out, he has been working in his backyard for the past several days. He had grass but decided to put down blocks so he could put a table and chairs and some plants. Jerry seems to do really well with plants of all kinds and his backyard was absolutely beautiful. He was out there with Liz and Keith so I stopped to visit for a while. They are all three really cool people and I love hanging around with them, they always make me laugh. Unfortunately my attendant was waiting for me at home so I had to get going but I wish that I could've stayed and visited with them some more.

My cable quit working today and that is very frustrating. Jerry came over this morning to bring me a CD of Sugar Land that he had burned for me, Sugar Land has an awesome voice. Jerry said to give him a call later on and he would come back over and fix the cable for me. It seems like whenever I was coming he was going so we kept missing each other all day and I thought I was going to have to be without cable all night tonight and all day tomorrow. When my mom came by she decided to just turn everything off, wait a couple of minutes and turn everything back on and of course it started working again... why didn't I think of that?

Tomorrow is going to be another lazy day. Usually I don't get up on the weekends but I have been and it is great. I get a little restless and grumpy when I have to stay in bed for more than one day.

Friday, May 12, 2006

A dogs world

I have just been exhausted and going through a bad time with my dog. She started limping really bad on her right rear leg so I took to the vet and they sent me to a specialist, bottom line is she needs a very expensive operation... but, before we do that she has a couple of other problems that we need to take care of first. Last Sunday when we were at my mom's my Aunt reached down and patted Brodie her on the head and mentioned how hot she was. That Monday the van came around to give her a bath, they come around every month, trim her toenails, check her ears and clean her teeth. When they brought her back into the house the guy told me that her ear was very red and swollen so I took her to the vet. She has two kinds of bacteria in her ear and it was so swollen they could not even get in to clean it out without knocking her out. The knee specialist had to knock her out to look at her knee further so they said to wait and have doll done at one time. While they were there they noticed that around where she urinates is very red and swollen, this has been going on for a long time. Because she is part pit bull and part lab the muscles around where she urinates tightens up when she stands up after urinating and urine gets caught in there and burns her so of course that is another operation. So on Monday they're going to remove her ear canal and fix her so that she won't get burned by urine anymore. After about six weeks after the infection all heals up then they can go ahead with the other operation that's going to leave her out of commission for about sixteen weeks. Needless to say we have been running around like crazy, of course they don't have any surgeons in my area so we have to travel, trying to get blood work and tests done.

The weather has been really nice here so wherever we end up traveling we try to find a nice park and grab a something to eat and sit at the park while were waiting for Brodie to be done. Yesterday we tried Greek food and it was pretty good, don't eat the spinach thingy.
 
Today's going to be a pretty much a lazy day. My afternoon attendant has the day off so I'm just going to sit around and watch stuff that I TiVod and probably sleep all day. Tonight Stanley, David and Corinne are going to come and spend the night and spend the day tomorrow with mom for Mother's Day.

Monday, May 8, 2006

Mother's Day

Lulu took the day off because she ended up working yesterday for her sister. Leticia came to work but then got a tummy ache and ended up calling Lulu to take her home and finish with me so I ended up staying in bed all day. We were having a Cribbage party at my mom's so I needed to get up.

It was busy here today. They delivered a tool chest that I had ordered on Friday and wouldn't uncover it before they left. When we did uncover it there was a big dent in the side so we called them back to see what they were going to do about it. They gave me the choice of giving me forty dollars back or they would come and replace it. Since I need to keep it outside I decided to have them replace it because I knew it was just going to end up getting rusty. George came over at 10a.m. because the guy from Home Depot said that he would be here to exchange the tool chest. George waited around for a couple of hours and then went home to eat and send Juliet back to watch out for the the truck. When the truck got here Jerry came over to make sure that they brought me what I was supposed to get this time and put the casters and the handle on the toolbox. While Jerry was outside Keith came over to say hello, he has been working really hard and I don't really see him that much anymore. Both of my doors had broken so I asked Keith if he could take a look and he was able to fix the front door but he needed a bigger drill to replace the keyless lock on the back door. I told him as long as I could work one door I would be happy.

Jerry went back home and barbecued and brought me some beef and chicken kabobs that tasted really good, he is such a good cook.  Since Jerry bought his own business he has been very busy. He asked me today if he took pictures and wrote descriptions on some stuff that he wanted to sell if I would manage it for him on eBay because I am always ordering stuff from eBay. I have never tried selling anything but it sounds like it could be a lot of fun and millions of people do it so it can't be all that difficult.

Next weekend Stanley, Janet and the kids are coming down for Mother's Day. David is going to come down a few days after that, my mom is going to feel so lucky.

Modesto David graduates on June ninth. We are going up there on the 8th and get a motel room so thatwe will not be late for the graduation.

I just found out today that my Gramps is going to stay here in California and not go back to Arizona. My mom and Gramps are going to take a trip to Bozeman Montana in July. I'm still toying with the idea of going. It would be nice to get away for a while but the trip seems like it's going to be pretty fast... it takes two days to get there, they'regoing to stay two days and it will take two days to get back.

Friday, May 5, 2006

Summer is here

I took my chair in on Wednesday to get everything fixed and I thought I was going to be without it for a couple of days, luckily I wasn't. They have to order a bunch of parts so I got it back at the end of the day but when the parts come in I'm pretty sure it's going to take a while.

The beginning of the week was really hot but luckily it cooled down. Tomorrow I have another dentist appointment and then I think I will get something to eat and take Brodie over to Oak Meadow Park. It sounds like it's going to be a beautiful day.

It sounds like one day this weekend we're going to play cards again. My aunt said that everybody enjoys it and I really do also, the time goes by so fast and we have so much fun.

There is a BBQ place by the hospital that I have been wanting to try so I grab some on the way home today and it was awesome. I hear a lot of good things about it and my aunt came by this morning and said that she had been there and she agreed, it was awesome. It looks like I'm going to be going back to Valley Medical Center about twice a week so I will be definitely hitting that place again. I'm trying to lose a little bit of weight for the summer so I usually have a big meal for lunch, around eleven a.m. and then at the end of the day when I get home I just have some cereal with granola in it and half of a bagel, I also found a place by the hospital that makes bagels fresh every day.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Moms Birthday

Today was my mom's birthday. David ended up staying an extra day so he could take her out to breakfast and then I drove him to the airport. When I got back home I was out in the driveway trying to clean up a little when my grandpa called and said a group of friends were going to my mom's house to play cards and have a little surprise party for my mom later that evening. My Uncle Dick, Aunt Kathy and my grandpa walked down here and we went out to eat. We got done playing cards about midnight, it always seems to go by really fast. I won every game except the last, I'm usually not this lucky. My grandpa really likes to play cards and he's having a really hard time because he has dementia so we found a voice barcode reader so we can put barcodes on the cards and all he has to do is scan them, it looks like it's going to work out really well.

Tomorrow I have two doctors appointments, it has been a really busy week and I am exhausted but I cannot sleep. Saturday am going to Ripin to go to my sister-in-law's mothers Memorial. The weather has been really nice and is probably going to be really hot.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Camping

It looks like next I'm going to try camping. My aunt and my uncle and their friends are always going camping and it always looks like so much fun but I have been afraid to try it in the past. They're always talking about sitting around watching the sunset, barbecuing, hiking and just enjoying the outdoors and the wildlife and it just sounds like so much fun. Ever since we drove to Arizona and to Disneyland and I flew to Georgia I am ready to try anything and everything, I wish it would have tried it a lot sooner.

Yesterday Dave and Uncle Dick fixed my bed. It seemed like the center of the bed was always really low and it felt like I was falling into a hole, it was very uncomfortable. All it took was a little ingenuity and some foam and my bed is more comfortable than it has ever been, I'm so glad that I have such a smart family.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Cribbage

Yesterday my Uncle Dick, Aunt Kathy, Ellen, Rex and Sandy and my mom came down and we played Cribbage pretty much all day, I forgot how much I miss playing Cribbage. We had so much fun that we decided to do it more often. There was a lot of food and good company as well as Cribbage.

David flies in tonight and tomorrow is his follow-up visit for his eye surgery, he said that his I still really good and he's glad that he had the surgery. Tuesday Uncle Dick is going to come over and help David fix my bed, it's really low in the middle and hopefully they're going to be able to build it up.

This is going to be a really busy week. I go to Valley Medical to try out the exercise bicycle that I'm going to get. They want me to try it out ten times before I get it to make sure that I really want it, I have wanted it for a very long time but I will go and try it out. I also go back to Valley Medical to see if they could help me with one of my fingers on my left hand, it's starting to bend and they're going to see if they can straighten it for me. Last time it was just some calcium build up and after working with it for a couple of hours it popped really loud and straightened out. They gave me a split to put on it but after it popped it was so red and swollen and warm I could not get the splint to fit over it.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Easter

We all had a really nice visit. After we picked up David from the airport we visited with Gramps until Mom finished playing cards at the center than we went to Red Robin for dinner. I have been there several times and I really liked it and wanted to take my Grampa there because I really thought he would enjoy it. After we ate my brother and I strolled around the mall for a while. They are still in the process of remodeling it and its really starting to look nice. The next day my Uncle Dick drove David to get his eye surgery done. Stanley, Janet and the kids were supposed to be here at noon so I waited until about 2:00 P. M. and then I decided to go ahead and get something to eat. They got here around 3:00 and just as we were getting ready to leave for the mall David and Uncle Dick drove up so we decided to see how everything went. David was very tired but he said that he felt good and he could already see a big difference in his vision without his glasses on. We let David rest and went to the mall and Corinne got her ears pierced, we stopped to get something to eat on the way home.

Saturday Stanley made breakfast for everybody and we just kind of hung around and visited because David was going to go home that afternoon. While my mom and Stanley to David to the airport we went shopping again, this time to get a honey baked ham and some other stuff for Easter dinner.

Sunday was really nice. Stanley made breakfast again and the kids hunted for Easter egg's that we had dyed the evening before. Everybody had an Easter basket full of candy and toys. Richard and Vanessa showed up and Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dick arrived right behind them. We had a really nice dinner and then we played about four games of Cribbage, have not played for a very long time and I really miss it. We're going to start getting together about once a month.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Georgous Day

I'm sitting here waiting for my attendant to show up so I can go to the airport and pick up my brother. She won't be here for another hour but I am up and ready to go. I love getting up and ready this early. Gramps and Aunt Kathy stopped by on their walk around the block and it looks like they are going to be here Easter Sunday also, that will be great. I cannot find my Easter decorations and that is very frustrating. There is so many people around here that I never know where anything gets put away, hopefully we will find them today.

I got tickets for my brothers and I to go see Hall and Oats at the Saratoga Mountain Winery in June, the day after my birthday. They first serve you are really nice dinner on the deck overlooking the vineyard and then you go down the hill to the concert. I have been there a couple of times before and it is a really nice evening.

July is going to be another reunion for my eighth grade at CT English. Both of my brothers went with me last time and it looks like they're both going to go with me again this year, I am really excited. I am going to call my friend that I grew up with asked him to go also because it would be really great to see him, he still lives in the same house.

I finally got tickets for my mom and I to go see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in August (mom if you happen to read this please act surprised on your birthday) I thought it would be nice to go have dinner and then go to the concert. I told my Aunt and she is going to come and stay with Gramps for the evening.

Tomorrow Janet and I are going to take Corinne to get her ears pierced, she is really growing up so fast and she is so beautiful. Stanley, Janet and the kids are going to stay here and help me die Easter eggs, okay I'm going to help them.

It is really a beautiful day outside, I was sitting out on the deck earlier and it actually got so warm that I had to come back into the house. What a beautiful day for a visit from my brother.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Easter

This week seems to be going my way too fast. It is only Tuesday and I still have a lot to do before Easter. Tomorrow I have to go get my taxes done, I always wait until the last minute. I still need to go shopping and get everything for Easter dinner and for coloring eggs. I'm going to pick up my brother David at the airport Thursday afternoon and Stanley, Janet and the kids will be here Friday morning. We are going to take Corinne to get her ears pierced.

Yesterday I went to Safeway to do a little bit of shopping and while I was walking up and down the aisles there was this huge man, he looked like a linebacker, reaching down to get something off of the bottom shelf. As it went by I looked over and Brodie, my canine companion, gave him a big slobbery kiss right on his mouth, he looked up her and said "thank you" and walked away. I wanted to turn around and apologize for Brodie but I was laughing so hard decided not to stop and kept on going. I always tell people who get a big kiss from Brodie "don't worry because she drank out of the toilet after she ate her poop in the backyard" I cannot believe how cool the guy was about it.

Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Wow...

Wow, what a great vacation. Everybody made everything easy and comfortable. Before we left San Jose the Pilot came up and introduced himself, told me what the flight would be like and told me what the weather was like once we got to Georgia. The flight attendants told me that the pilot told them it was my first flight since my injury and to make sure I was very comfortable, I wish I would have done this a lot sooner because it was a really good experience.

I called Wheelchair Getaways in Georgia, I have used them several times here and they are always very accommodating,  and they not only got me the van that I wanted but they also gave me the name and number of a care giving agency and a place to rent equipment. My mom did not have to help at all, all of the ladies that they sent were very experienced and very professional.

It was so great to see my sister-in-law and spend some quality time with everybody. The baby shower was a lot of fun and I even won a candle for guessing with a piece of crape paper exactly how big around Aubrey was. Of course the visit seemed way too short but I cannot wait to go back.

My brother took me to a new community called Peachtree City. There was about 500 golf cart trails that I could drive around with my chair. The community was really close to shopping and pretty much anything you could want. It was such a relief from San Jose because everybody was so friendly and eager to make me comfortable in any way that they could.

The only uncomfortable thing about the flight to or from was landing in San Jose. They didn't taxi up to the ramp so everybody else went down some stairs and I had to go down this elevator type thing, I sure was happy when I finally got to the ground.

I feel alot more comfortable about going on an airplane and about going on vacation and I plan to do it a lot more. I would like to go to Florida to see Disney World and also to Washington DC with my family.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Dave

I picked Dave up from the airport today and talked to somebody in the Delta baggage about what I need to do or know about my flight next Thursday. I have to call National Seating and find out what kind of batteries I have and call them back and let them know, other than that everything is ready to go.

My Aunt Kathy came by last night to spend a couple of days with my mom, what a nice surprise. They have been watching movies and getting caught up on everything.

Dave and I went to Eastridge Mall to walk around for awhile and we could not believe how much it has changed. They not only have a new theater in the new Barnes and Noble and soon to be Bed, Bath and Beyond, it's turning out to be a really big and beautiful mall. Then we picked up my mom and went to Chili's for dinner.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Georgia

I finally got my teeth finished, the top at least. The temporaries that they put on fell off several times and it was very painful so I am glad that it is over. It's hard to get used to talking without having a huge gap in between your two front teeth,  I think after a couple of weeks I should get used to it.

Tomorrow I am going to a pancake breakfast down at the clubhouse and then over to babies r us to get a gift certific for my niece's baby shower in April. Then, since it is in front of Chili's have lunch and back home to rest up for next week.

Dave will be here on Monday, I pick him up at the airport about noon and then we can go and talk to Delta Airlines to see what I need to do for my plane ride next Thursday. I'm still really nervous and scared but I'm trying not to think about it and I'm sure everything will be okay. The visit will go by fast because it always does and before I know it I will be back here safe and sound.  Dave has a consultation appointment on Tuesday morning for his Lasix surgery. Hopefully he will be able to come back in a couple weekends to have the surgery and a little family get-together, Gramps will be back by then and Stanley and Janet and hopefully Uncle Dick and his family will be here.

Next week I have an appointment to see if they could fix a tooth is on the bottom of my jaw,  it is also crooked and then I will be done except for I go in for consultation next week to see if they could do anything about my "quad gut" and hopefully eventually make my chest a little more perky. A friend of mine had this done about a year ago and I talked to several others and are extremely happy with it.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Ouch...

On Monday the Bath Wag'n came to give Brodie her monthly bath, they also clean her ears, grind her toe nails down and check her for any lumps or anything else that might need attention. I feel because she goes into public places with me that she should be clean and smell nice.

I went to Moorpark health clinic twice this week. Once to get my SP tube changed with Tony and on Friday to get my evaluation, fill out the paperwork and get the prescription for my exercise bicycle, I have been waiting for this for about a year. My doctor wanted me to take whole bunch of test, EKG, bone density, blood work... I think it's definitely going to be worth the wait. I have to go to Valley Medical Center for ten sessions to try out the bicycle with an OT to see if I still want to go through with it and to see if the OT thinks it will benefit me.

I have been wanting to get my front teeth fixed for a long time but I have been kind of nervous to do it but I finally started the procedure on Friday. There was a gap in between my top front teeth that I did not like very much and there is one tooth on the bottom that is very crooked. He granted my teeth down on Friday and gave me temporary ones and they broke in half today. I went to target and got some cement for teeth so I'm going to try that tomorrow, I hope it works.

Stanley, Janet, and the kids all came down on Friday night to spend the night, I have not seen them for a long time and I cannot believe how big they are getting, the kids not Stanley & Janet. Robert just turned 15 and he is such a great guy. Corinne is getting so big and so beautiful and so smart. David is also getting big and is a very funny guy. We went shopping and then met my mom and Stanley at the cheesecake factory for dinner, I brought home some peach cobler cheesecake and had it a little while ago with some coffee, what a way to end a perfect day. Stanley's family is on their way home and I am exhausted.

Next week I'm going to go shopping and get the stuff for my mom's birthday party and check out what they have at Costco to make everything easier. It is going to be really nice to have most of our family together because it has been a long time. David has his eye appointment for his initial consultation to get his Lasix surgery on the twenty eighth and then on the thirtieth my Mom and I are flying going back to Georgia with him, I better pack next week also.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Ergy's bike

So far my keyboard is still working and I am really grateful for that. A lot of my friends and people I met online are pestering me to get a web cam so I finally ordered one tonight. I don't really know anything about them but I have been thinking about it for a while so I figured what the heck?

Last weekend was really relaxing but I got a lot done. I watched a couple of movies and just caught up some shows that I had TiVoed. I'm trying to do a little bit of spring cleaning before my brother comes.

I started out tonight to go to the support group but wanted to stop on the way to get some olives, I love olives, and I had to stop at Long's drugstore to pick up some discs of pictures and ran into to Wayne and Kathy, the parents of a family that we grew up with, they stopped by before Christmas but before that it had been about 30 years or so since I last saw them. I told them that we were having a little party on the weekend of April 14th and they said that they would love to join us. Anyway, I never made it to the support group but just in that little shopping center I met a lot of really cool people.

Friday I have an appointment with Dr. Shem and Nancy, the wound care specialist, they are going to give me some information on the exercise bicycle that I want to get, Nancy had asked me to hold off on getting it until they find out more about it. I am really excited because this might actually finally happen. Nancy also said that she knows of a Doctor who can make your scars a lot less visible, I have some really bad ones from my tendon transfer surgery and from a couple of pressure sores that took a long time to heal that I would like to get fixed before summer.