Say What?

Thursday Evening We had to put our precious boy Charlie down today. What follows is mostly for me as a way of memorializing him and how much he meant to us.   Our home feels so empty tonight. There's no little Charlie to greet us as we come home and we dearly miss that. His absence is deafening. Everywhere I look I reflexively expect to see him in his usual places but he's gone. His health began to worry us a couple of weeks ago when he lost his appetite, something he'd never had an issue with before. He loved his food and his treats. We took him to the vet on Wednesday morning to see if there was something that could be addressed to help him be his normal self again. The doctor did her exam, focusing mostly on his bloated stomach, something that had very recently become noticeable. She said she needed a sample of the fluid in his belly to know how best to proceed. We waited while she took him back to the lab.  She returned to the room ten minutes later and I could tell by ...

I avoid getting too political in my blog but occasionally I find I have to make an exception. If my blog is to be a time capsule for me to look back on years from now, I have to keep it real and talk about what's been on my mind, especially now. I would never forgive myself for remaining silent in the face of the propagandists and christian fundamentalists working on behalf of the Republican party who have turned our nation on its head.  I was imagining the other day: what if Biden appeared at a rally and began parroting Hitler ? What if he stated to loud applause that shoplifters should be shot ? What if he called for the execution of his former Joint Chiefs of Staff because he was irritated by him, unfairly labeling him a traitor? What if he spoke of a loyalty pledge whereby only people loyal to him would be considered for appointment to tens of thousands of government jobs? What if he talked of invoking the Insurrection Act as a way of tamping down any protests against his ad...

It's an absolutely gorgeous day out—perfect for golfing or riding—but I'm grounded from being out in the sun due to another Photodynamic therapy session yesterday. I need to remain out of the sun for two days after the procedure. I have one more of these sessions scheduled for another month from now.  I'll be out and about tomorrow but the weather won't be quite as nice. For now, I have to be content to sit in the shade on our deck with thoughts of going on a long-ish walk when the sun gets a little lower—about the time I finish this blog update.  With the cooler weather, my trishaw rides at Trinity Care in Farmington are coming to a close. I only had two riders last Monday. Temps above 50ºf (10ºc) without too much wind are very doable but anything cooler than that is a little too chilly for my riders. It's been such a rewarding volunteer opportunity for me, and the residents enjoy getting out in the sun and fresh air with the wind in their faces. I hope to give rid...

My blog/journal turned 20 years old earlier this month. When blogging became a thing in the early 2000s, it seemed a perfect fit for me. And it has been. I first became interested in journaling when my mom sent me a diary/journal for Christmas in 1976 while I was enlisted in the Navy. I liked the routine of ending each day with a simple entry that talked about my day or my thoughts. I could count on another blank journal from her each Christmas until my enlistment was done.  I used to pen a weekly entry in my blog but I no longer write that frequently. It's still an important place for me to sort out my thoughts and to make mention of things that matter to me. My transformation over the years from conservative to progressive can be found in my posts as well as so many proud moments of having a ringside seat to Rachel's life and watching her become the person she is today. And of course, my wingwoman, Tammy, and our life together. I'll list below some of the more meaningful...

Charlie turned 15 yesterday! He's slowed quite a lot in the last year but he still enjoys going for walks and getting a nice treat upon our return. One late afternoon last week we went for a 1.7 mile (2.7 km) walk that took us about 75 minutes. He was a happy boy as I walked along behind him while he let his nose lead the way. I know our time together is drawing to a close and that saddens me. I don't imagine us getting another pup after Charlie is gone but I've learned to never say never. I mentioned in my last post that my cluster headache condition has returned. I've been laying low, not wanting to stray too far from the O2 tank  that provides me with mostly dependable relief. I say mostly because there are times when it struggles to overcome a headache, leaving me rocking on the side of the bed with my head in my hands, taking deep breaths through a special non-rebreather facemask waiting for the pain to subside. It's a disturbing scene to anyone who witness...

We have some exciting news that we've been mostly keeping quiet about. We're going to be grandparents! Rachel and Drew are anticipating a March 2nd arrival but Rachel is hoping for a February 29th birthday—a leap year baby! We're happy and excited for them. I had Photodynamic therapy done on my face to attack precancerous cells and prevent them from gaining a foothold and becoming a bigger problem if not addressed. I've had the treatment in the past but it's been 6+ years. My dermatologist highly recommended that I have it done again. The procedure takes about 90 minutes and involves having a chemical/drug solution applied to my face and allowing it to absorb into my skin for an hour before exposing my face to a specific spectrum of blue light for 16 minutes. It leaves a burn that requires I avoid direct sunlight for 2-3 days afterward. I'm scheduled to go back in a month for another follow-up treatment. I thought our hummingbirds had flown south for the winter ...

I turned 66 years young last week. I'm not one to celebrate my birthdays but Tammy never lets me off that easily. She took me to see Jersey Boys at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre and we had such a fun time. We've seen several shows there, and this was one of the better ones for me.  We both loved it, which may be why we spent the next several days singing Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons songs. We both have a new appreciation for their music. The doe and her triplets that I mentioned in my last update continue to be a common presence in our neighborhood. I caught this video of them a few mornings ago as they feasted on our flowers. I can't be upset about them because they're too adorable! Tammy has been busy for the past few weeks working on reupholstering 10 chairs from the library at Trinity Care where we volunteer our time. It's no small task that she's undertaken but she's nearly done. She's working on the last chair as I write this. The residents ar...

The cyclists you see rolling through stop signs in Minnesota are now doing so legally. A new law that went into effect on Tuesday, commonly referred to as the " Idaho Stop ", allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. We can also proceed through a red light after stopping, provided it's safe to do so. I generally like to model good behavior when I'm riding by coming to a stop at stop signs but there are times when nobody is around (or when I'm riding with a group of cyclists) and I'll slow and roll through them. It was a nice feeling on Tuesday to finally be doing so legally.  Also as of Tuesday, recreational marijuana is now legal in Minnesota. I've never been much of a fan of smoking weed (out of concern for damaging my lungs) but I do enjoy edibles and cannabis-infused drinks. My nightly glass of red wine or a pour of whisky to sip has mostly been replaced by cannabis products. For those who may be harboring a negative stigma about marijuana, p...

We were due to have our house painted later this month but due to a cancelation, our painter could fit us into his schedule earlier than planned. As of a few weeks ago, it's all done! And they did it during the year's hottest week (so far). We kept a cooler filled with drinks and nutrition bars available to keep the guys fueled.  It's been 15 years since we last had our home painted and we're happy with how it's held up so well but it was definitely time to give it a thorough power washing and painting. We're very pleased with the job they did. If you're anywhere near us and need a bid on some painting work, give me a shout and I'll send you Josh's contact info.  I wrote in my blog back in January about having my Christian fish ankle tattoo removed. I've had 4 sessions so far (each spaced 6 weeks apart) and none of them have yielded much in the way of results. It's faded some but it's not changed much at all. I went in for another round ...

I received a phone call from my sister-in-law two weeks ago this morning. Tracee was sobbing heavily but I could make out that she had some terrible news to tell me. For a moment, I imagined that my brother Keith had passed away and she was letting me know. It wasn't that. Their grandson Madden had died the night before after a fall off his bike. I didn't press her for details and we soon ended the call. I was so stunned by what I'd just heard. Madden had just turned 13 and he meant the world to Keith and Tracee as well as to his mother and father and so many others who were part of his life. Madden's life cut so short is nothing less than a tragic loss. Here's a news report from one of our local stations. I didn't know Madden well but I was able to spend time on the golf course with him last summer and fall with Joe (his father) and Keith. He was an exceptional golfer for his age, that was clear, but he also had a talent for basketball and football.  I feel t...

It's been nearly one month since I last updated my blog. With a myriad of distractions for me outdoors, I find it especially hard this time of year to sit at my laptop for very long. A lack of updates to my blog is part of the cost. I was on a ride last Friday when I got a text from Tammy telling me that she "just saw a hummingbird". That makes it official—spring, my favorite time of year, has begun! We spent the better part of the last few days shopping for flowers and getting them planted in our gardens. It's always nice to have that work done. My mother liked to wait until after Memorial Day to plant her flowers out of concern for frost but the long-range forecast shows no hint of anything close to freezing. To date, Pit  has been arguably the most fun game we've played with our Saturday night crew–if we use loudness as a measure. The game has been around since 1904 and is based on commodities trading. It's very fast-paced and fun as well as being simple to...

I just had Charlie out for an aborted walk. Even he is tired of our very cool weather and wanted to turn for home after barely getting started. He didn't have to ask me twice. I don't mind the cool temps (39ºf / 4ºc) as much as I mind the stiff wind. For all of my unhappiness with the weather, I haven't allowed it to slow my roll too much. I've managed to golf 4 times in the past 8 days. There's a benefit to this cool weather if you don't mind being out in it. I golfed 18 holes yesterday in 2 hours and 36 minutes! A typical round of golf is closer to 4 hours but there was nobody in front of me to slow me down. It's been nice to be on the links again. I had my 6-month checkup with my dermatologist a couple of weeks ago. She sent off two samples of blemishes, one from each calf, to be evaluated for cancer. One of the areas came back positive for basal cell skin cancer and the other came back positive for squamous cell skin cancer. They're both very treatab...