Recently, I have decided to begin traveling again. I have husband’s care plan in place, as well as reliable people to carry it out, so I feel ready to plan travel experiences for myself. This last week I had an opportunity to take a road trip overnight as a preliminary test of my travel plans. My son stayed overnight with husband, and husband’s PCA (Personal Care Attendant) was scheduled for a long day so his regular activities were in place. After checking weather, which was looking unpredictable and snowy, I decided I could drive to my destinations between cold fronts. I was out the door 1pm on Sunday. Where did I go?
Hints:
There was an invitation from another state far away.
During my visits I encountered a dog and two cats, but one cat I did not see.
As I reached the state line Sunday evening, it snowed hard.
My group of childhood friends were there.
A Baboon was there.
Delicious treats were involved, as well as a scrumptious lunch of baked salmon.
On my way home it snowed again Monday evening about 6pm, starting in Belle Plaine, MN
In one destination the famous falls were entirely frozen and snow covered. In the other destination the music is wonderful.
When I arrived home everyone was happy. Puppy McGee was delighted to have me back home. Husband and PCA attended a fun Christmas party, and son had his usual workday here. But he had to take a Lyft home due to the snow.
I will travel far away in April for 5 days given the success of the care plan this time. I cannot wait!
Where in the world was I? When was the last time you got together with old friends? What was the occasion?
I couldn’t find the cat yesterday afternoon, so I looked in our bedroom and found her snuggled in the down comforter we keep on our bed. She had been there for hours. You can see her in the header photo. She looks pretty comfortable, I think.
We have twelve very nice goose down pillows for the three queen size beds in our home, plus down comforters for each bed. Our friend who will live with us is allergic to feathers, so we bought two non-down pillows for her when she visits. The dog sleeps with us and also expects to have a pillow for his head at night. We are a spoiled bunch.
Husband’s allergies are so much better here. He is very allergic to cats and dust. There is very little dust compared to western North Dakota, and it seems the cat is shedding less now, probably because the humidity is higher. Our friend’s four cats will stay in the basement after she moves in, but I think we will get an air cleaner or two to mitigate any upward cat dander migration. I just had a Shark vacuum delivered that is especially good for pet hair, so I think we are covered. The dog doesn’t shed.
What kind of pillows do you prefer? Do you let pets sleep with you? If you have allergies, how do you manage them?
Last week I had an “aspiration” done; technically I should probably say “aspirations” since I had the procedure done on both my knees. Since it creeped me out when it was described to me, I shan’t describe it here.
Since the description was creepy and I’ve been dealing with these knee issues since the beginning of August, I had more than my usual anxiety when I settled into bed the night before. At about 3 a.m. I was dreaming about getting my teeth cleaned (note – I’m not crazy about this procedure either). In the dream, after the hygienist has done the top teeth, she informed me that they would be anesthetizing me to do the bottom half. When I expressed alarm, more dentists and technicians came in to hold me down. I continued to struggle and they told me I was making my blood pressure too high which was why they had to put me under. It was at this point that I woke up.
I don’t normally remember my dreams when I wake up, but this one wouldn’t leave me and every time I started to drift back to sleep, I’d be back in the dentist’s chair. At 4:30, I just got up, turned on the lights and got started on my morning puzzles.
Of course, the aspiration was nothing to be anxious about. With the short exception of the cortisone shots at the end, it wasn’t painful and was interesting to watch on the screen while the doctor was working. I was able to walk out and drive home. So that scary dream was really unwarranted. Wish I could have explained this to my subconscious at bedtime!
Are you aspiring to anything in particular this week?
Nobody said “don’t go to the fair”. Nobody said “it will be very rough on your knee”. Not the urgent care doctor, not the orthopedist, not the physical therapist. To be fair, none of these people knew me. None of them heard “will I be able to go to the fair” and translated that to “will I be able to go to the fair six times, 8-9 hours each time and go from one end to the other and back”.
So technically you could say it’s my fault. If I had been clear what “go to the fair” really meant, maybe they would have given me different advice. But if they had, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how excellent the emergency service of the Minnesota State Fair truly are.
Thursday was fine – although I got blisters, probably from walking funny due to the big brace on one knee. Saturday was ok; I wore sneakers to avoid the funny walking blisters. I was slow but at a crowded fair, that’s not actually a handicap. On Monday I did half a day and then went back for the grandstand show. 17,000 steps. Sore city. On Wednesday, I was really sore but it was Golden Retriever Day so I soldiered on. On Friday, both knees were sore, so I wore the brace AND a compression sleeve on the other knee. Then about noon, over near the Caribe Café, my “good knee” gave out suddenly. No fall, no trip, no getting knocked around by the crowds; just suddenly there was absolutely no walking on that leg.
First the police came, parked on the street near where I had managed to get to a bench. He ran the lights so the EMTs would know where to find me. EMTs came, took my blood pressure (yowzer…), asked me a ton of questions and then made me sign a form, telling me it was to verify that they weren’t kidnapping me (his exact words). Then another set of guys got me into a “gator” and we headed, extremely slowly due to the crowds, to the Emergency Room.
It was kind of quiet when I was there – in addition to an intake area, they actually have a little hospital in the back. YA mentioned that it looked like all the beds, table and chairs were donated by a bunch of different medical centers – nothing matched. But it was clean and I was the only patient. Oscar was my “attending” EMT. More blood pressure (much lower), more questions. Another form. Then they found a very nice volunteer who drove us to the Park `n Ride so that YA could get me home.
I’m much better now, although not exactly super mobile yet. I believe the orthopedist is a little sorry he didn’t suggest I take it a little easier or maybe try a wheelchair a couple of the days, but he won’t admit that; he’s “glad I’m out living my life”. And now I know all about how the emergency services at the fair works!
The anesthesiologist who gave me my cortisone injection Friday had very Middle Eastern first and last names. When I met him in person, I noticed that he looked very northern European and spoke just like a North Dakotan. and I knew then that he was from here. He is a graduate of the UND Medical School.
I don’t think it is very common knowledge that the first established mosque in the US was built in Ross, North Dakota in 1929. Ross is in northwest North Dakota south of Estevan, Saskatchewan. There were a lot of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants to the area in the early 1900’s, and they homesteaded and farmed there in harmony with their Norwegian neighbors. They fought in the US army in the First World War. They intermarried with their neighbors, and many became Lutheran or Catholic. Some remained Muslim, and there were Muslims with Norwegian last names. They all seemed to get along. I read a story by a woman in Ross with a very Norwegian last name who told of her father, a Muslim, who tried his best to maintain some rituals, and who prayed while butchering chickens on the farm. She said “Do you know how long it takes to butcher 50 chickens when you pray before each one?”
Many of the Middle Eastern settlers moved to larger communities during the Depression and Dust Bowl. By 1970 the Mosque had fallen into disrepair and was demolished. There is a small domed structure built on the site in commemoration.
Husband and I had several psychology colleagues who were ND natives with Lebanese/Syrian last names. Every so often you run across folks with Middle Eastern names whose families have been here for generations. What astounds me is how everyone seemed to get along back then, even those diverse groups up in Ross. If they could do it, I have hope we can, too.
How diverse was your community growing up? How about now?
I am a very healthy person. I am prescribed no medications and I only see my doctor once a year for my annual physical. For the past 5 years or so, though, I have struggled with intermittent sciatic pain, mainly in my left leg. I will be walking along and all of a sudden my left leg will give out, with pain at every step. My annual physical always seemed to coincide with brief respites from the leg pain, so I always could say it was better.
I have done four rounds of Physical Therapy over the years, which helps, but never lasts longer than a few weeks, even when I do the exercises. I really watch my posture while walking or sitting, and I stopped sleeping on my stomach, This has helped somewhat at times. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen did not help at all.
I had a really bad flare-up the end of January, and in June I finally went to the doctor and he ordered an MRI. That showed, in the fifth lumbar vertebrae, a bulging disc, spinal stenosis, and arthritis, especially on the left side. That vertebrae is where the sciatic nerve passes through. No wonder this had been happening. I also have lumbar scoliosis, which doesn’t help.
On Friday I drove to a pain clinic in Bismarck, and got a cortisone injection in my fifth lumbar vertebrae. The procedure took about 2 minutes The pain relief was instantaneous, and I walked out of the clinic with almost no twinges. I may need to repeat this procedure every 4-6 months, but it sure is worth it.
How are your relationships with your medical providers? What kind of a patient are you?
The orthopedic folks thought that an MRI would be a good idea after my knee injury. Was expecting to have to wait longer but they do this stuff on the weekends these days, so I was able to score an early Sunday morning appointment.
I had an MRI years ago so knew a little bit of what to expect. The last time I was given anti-anxiety meds as I was a bit worried about claustrophobia. I also made the decision to run through one of my favorite movies in my head, scene by scene; I got almost to the end. But it kept my brain occupied so I figured I’d do that same this time, although I skipped the meds since it was my knee.
The technician gave me headphones and they were quite loud and I was surprised to realize that when I play the movie in my head, the soundtrack is a big part of that. I had to consciously block out the headphone music. I even thought about asking her to remove them but I didn’t want to stop the process or have to start over.
Luckily it was all done in about 15 minutes. I hardly got through the first part of the movie in my mind – Danielle had just dropped John Robie off at the beach club at Cannes! Sometimes I worry about how many times I’ve watched “To Catch a Thief” but it sure comes in handy every now and then.
Do you have a favorite Cary Grant movie? Grace Kelly?
Wow, Man, what a week again. Thursday night I hit a gumption trap so hard, I had a rootbeer float and popcorn for supper…
We have baby guineas! I had seen one sitting on a nest behind the machine shed a few weeks ago, and we talked about getting the eggs into an incubator but never got too it. Next time I looked the nest was empty and there were broken eggs. Momma was nowhere to be found, and we feared the worst. A week later I saw her and a bunch of chicks heading into a corn field. Typically, guineas are not the best moms. But this group seems to ‘community parent’ and they’re doing surprisingly well.
As you can image, the real world is a tough place for a little chick. They could fall into a hole, they could get eaten or lost. It’s a tough place. But yeah, they’re doing well and getting big enough they might just make it. They’re not quite pigeon sized, and they hop and flutter and there’s always that one that’s six feet away and running to catch up.
I cut down a bunch of box elder tree’s growing over a fence down around the barn yard. Treated all the stumps. Then tore out the old feed bunk augers and cement bunks. Don’t need them anymore and it will help open up the yard.
The cow yard, before.
The cow yard after.
Tree’s before
No more tree’s. Looks better.
Dad built the first silo in 1968 and installed these augers. When the second silo was built in 1976, the whole feed bunk was turned 90 degrees and the cement bunks installed. Then it was 1978 when I stuck my leg into this.
The augers I stuck my leg in. Hard to visualize from this picture how it was set up when working. I’m just really lucky.
As I tore it out, I thought about that. I don’t harbor any resentment. These bunks fed a LOT of cattle over the years and provided for two families. They served their purpose well.
I put the forklift extensions on and used the loader forks to lift the old bunks out. I expected animals to be living under them, but nope, nothing. I’ve been asked why I’m doing this, and to what end? Just to clean up. There is no end goal. It would never be used again, why save it?
The oats got harvested Friday and Saturday. Yield wasn’t very good, the oats didn’t even fill a semi. Ended up at 735 bushels, meaning about 31 bu / acre. According to the oat people on FB, oats has been all over the place this year. At least the test weight was 34.6 meaning the elevator would take it. Wasn’t heavy enough to be food grade, nor was it enough bushels to mess around with.
Lots of straw! I ended up with 900 small square bales. Put 700 in the barn.
The hole in the middle is where the elevator was.
I had the three teenage boys helping and I couldn’t have done it without them. They were great. The one doing the most work, number 3, (and treated as the odd wheel out by the first two for some reason), had a broken toe (dropped a barbell weight on his foot). Ah, the teenage mentality.
I baled 3 loads of straw on Monday, the boys came out Tuesday and we unloaded the first two, just throwing them into the empty barn. Then we put the elevator up and unloaded the third. I baled three more loads Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday, I started back at the college. You know what that means. Sleeves.
The boys came out at 5PM and we unloaded those three loads. 700 in the barn. Full enough. Haven’t had it this full in a few years. The boys rode in the wagon and we went to the field to bale up another load. And to stack this one as it will sit for a few months until the neighborhood berry farm is ready for it. I’d put one kid in the tractor with me, and the other two stacked on the wagon. I only hit one kid with a bale. He moved! I was aiming to the side and as the bale kicked, he stepped to that side. Oops. He was OK. Straw is light.
I’d have them rotate positions so they all got to ride in the tractor (and the AC) and they all thought it was pretty neat in there too.
Tractor view
Number 2 and 3 Padawan’s stacking in wagon. Number 1 is in the tractor with me.
Pretty proud of themselves. I couldn’t have done it without them.
I noticed on Friday, one of the rear wheel bearings on a wagon is gone. So that wagon is out of service until I can get new bearings. Hopefully it hasn’t damaged the wheel hub or axle.
And then Wednesday night, backing the stacked wagon into the shed, and the front wheels are not aligned. What the heck?? Tie rods are bend. Jeepers. Not sure when or how that happened. And I moved it a bit more to back it in and one wheel goes completely sideways. Well heck.
Huh!
So, I pulled that wagon in backward to at least get it under cover and out of the way. More repairs. Add it to the list.
AND THEN- Thursday evening and I’m taking down the bale elevator and the lift cable snapped and it all fell to the ground. Words were said. It didn’t break anything. It was about 8’ up and I was lowing it to transport height of about 6’ when it dropped. I dragged it to the shop and Kelly and I worked on it for an hour. Gumption traps were hit several times until I blocked it up with an old pallet and we called it a night. So that’s three things. I should be done now for a while. Right?
HUH!!
Corn and soybeans look great! We have reached the point we cannot make any more management decisions to help the crop. The last thing done was aerial application of fungicide. Now the crop just has to finish out the season. One neighbor called me upset about aerial application too close to his house. I understand that and will take steps in the future to create a buffer zone. However, by the time it gets from me to the agronomist to the company to the pilot, I’m not sure what will actually happen. Not an excuse, just warning him a lot is out of my control.
I’ve been thinking about this term for a long time. What exactly is a lifetime? How good is any guarantee? And do I own any thing (product, device, appliance, clothing, etc.) that has been sold to me that came with a lifetime guarantee?
After all, a lifetime for a human can be less than a day to more than 120 years. Mosquitoes and many insects have lifetimes measured in days. Tortoises can outlive humans by a factor of 2, if the experts are to be believed. And Redwood and Sequoia trees live for four centuries or longer.
But let’s focus on human lifetime. Mine in particular. We bought the bathroom scale shown in the title photo from Brookstone at Southdale most likely, wayyyy back in the 1980s. It is battery operated, and I use it nearly every day to weigh myself. I’m weird that way. I think monitoring my weight daily helps me cut back on calories or exercise more to keep my weight roughly the same over the years. Not for everyone, but it works for me.
Lately, after easily 40 years of usage, the battery is showing signs of dying. I’m not positive, but I see larger than normal daily fluctuations in my weight. Normal is 1-2 pounds. Lately, I’ve seen several 3-5 lb. jumps or drops. I eat and exercise about the same amount every day other than an occasional restaurant or dessert pigout. So maybe the battery is at the end of its useful life.
I don’t even think Brookstone is around anymore, but if they were, and the battery died, would they honor their lifetime guarantee on this scale? Or did I miss the fine print in the sales literature saying something like “Lifetime guarantee or 40 years max, whichever comes first”?
No matter, the scale has been reliable and troublefree for decades, so if it dies, I’ll get a new scale that might be relatively cheaper because I won’t have to worry about getting a “long-term” lifetime guarantee. 20-30 years is about the best I can hope for.
MY QUESTION: Tell us about any products you’ve bought that came with a lifetime guarantee and have actually lasted far longer than you ever would have expected.
In weird news this week, it’s been reported in the South China Morning Post that a 64-year old man has undergone surgery to remove a toothbrush from his stomach. The kicker is that he swallowed the toothbrush when he was 12. Apparently he was afraid to tell his parents and figured that it would just dissolve. Turns out even stomach acid is no match for hard plastic – his stomach started to bother him last year.
It took the surgery team 80 minutes to remove the 7-inch toothbrush – it was stuck in “a crook of the intestine” where it had been living happily for decades. Yikes.
I’m not sure how you can swallow a toothbrush but as Hamlet said “more things in heaven and earth”. Maybe he is one of those folks who brushes their tongue with their toothbrush and got a little carried away? Maybe the dog surprised him in the bathroom while he was brushing? Maybe he was practicing to become a sword swallower?
What kind of toothbrush do you use? Toothpaste? Floss?
Trail Baboon 